Lexi's Untamed Cowboys [Casanova Cowboys] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Rhea Regale

  Lexi smoldered beneath the heavy petting of her ego. Her heart thumped heavily against her sternum, making her dizzy. “Now, give me an honest bit about yourself.”

  “Tit for tat?” she asked, leaning back enough to see Brent’s eyes. He nodded once, narrowing those eyes on her. “What do you want to know?”

  “How does a city sweetheart like yourself end up in a country bar with two cowboys like us?”

  Lexi tipped her hands enough to delight in the softness of his hair. He had yet to place her entirely on her feet, leaving her in a precarious position teetering on her toes. The way he lifted her and held her with such ease, the feeling of righteousness that accompanied it, and the nudge of his arousal at her hip left her swaying in a fantasy that overshadowed her nightmare.

  “The easy answer is you invited me.” Lexi’s smile dropped when his gaze shifted to her mouth. The electric delight in her belly lashed out, zinging along her pussy. “Maybe I could get to know some strangers and it wouldn’t make them strangers anymore.”

  “What’s on your mind?”

  I think the same thing that’s on yours.

  “Travis was telling me a little about the history of Ryder.” Veer away from the temptation of a kiss. Brent let out a short breath, finally lowering her onto her feet. His arms stayed around her. “Are you a relative of the founding father?”

  “Me?” Brent’s upper lip twisted in a nonchalant curl. “Nah.” He motioned toward the table with a nod of his head. “Trav is. Somewhere along the family tree, Trav’s father was a direct descendant. He owns part of the crop field and half the fruit orchards. He breeds horses for the rodeo and racing. Trav’s cousin is a big name on the circuit.”

  “Did you grow up here?”

  “Moved here a few years back, looking for a place to set down roots and open my own shop. Trav helped me out. Now I’m the only shop in town, and made a pretty damn good name for myself.”

  “I guess I’m lucky to have broken down alongside miles of wheat fields, then.” She playfully jabbed his shoulder. “My broken-down vehicle is in capable hands.”

  “Why, yes, ma’am.” His gaze crept over her from hair to toe. “Though, if I may say so, I don’t think this sexy piece of machinery is broken in any definition of the word.”

  Lexi laughed at his blatant comment, trying to hide the deep blush that exploded across her face. Brent chuckled along with her, releasing her from his embrace to lead her back to the table by her hand. They skated along passing couples, edging off the dance floor before a wave of new dancers came by. Brent held her hand out for Travis, who took it and kissed her knuckles.

  “How was your go-around?” Travis asked.

  His widening smile highlighted his handsome dimples and beautiful face. He released her hand. Lexi took her seat, her gaze lifting to Brent. He moved through the crowd with the ease of a lion making his way toward the bar. Unfamiliar faces raised beer bottles to him in greeting, and he acknowledged them with nods and short waves, but never stopped to talk.

  Travis turned to follow her gaze. “Grabbin’ us another round.” Settling back in his chair facing Lexi, he rapped his fingers on the table. “Seems you’ve caught his interest, a damn near impossible feat for any woman.”

  Lexi frowned. “What makes you say that?”

  “He was burned bad years ago. As in engaged to a woman who was screwing his brother and ended up with some little tike bakin’ in the oven.” Travis leaned closer to her. “And that’s the tip of that iceberg.”

  Lexi muffled a gasp behind her hand. Her eyes darted toward Brent, who was leaning on an elbow and talking to the bartender. Travis rested a hand on her knee, a motion that should have made her uncomfortable, but filled her with comfort and a needling edge of heat.

  “He’ll give you more details when he feels ready. Women have vied for his attention to no avail.” His hand squeezed her knee, his fingers spreading to reach a little further up her thigh. The sundress hem bunched. The skin-to-skin contact stoked the fire that had momentarily dimmed between her legs. “You havin’ fun, baby?”

  She found herself scooting closer to him and his fingers, despite that damn vise of caution.

  “Yes, I am.” She leaned forward, bracing her elbow on the table. “So, Travis, I’ve learned a bit about Brent. What about you?” She dropped her hand next to his, the tips of her fingers brushing his. “He said you’re a Ryder. You said you’re a Coller.”

  Travis smiled, his eyes twinkling. What Lexi would do to kiss those lips and smolder that twinkle into a seductive cloud.

  “Married name. Grandmother’s grandmother descended from Ryder. Married a Coller, and boys have practically filled the lines since. Miss Bess is my aunt, my father’s sister. Her mother turned the old Victorian into a bed-and-breakfast in the mid nineteen hundreds. Bess keeps her family tradition alive. They’re fabulous cooks with genuine Southern hospitality. Her place thrives.” His hand slid over hers, his fingers encasing her to the wrist. “That’s why I said you’ll be taken care of.” His smile faded, as did the twinkle, leaving a serious side of Travis in its stead. “I hope you can tell me what happened to you, Alexis.”

  “Maybe, but by that time, I might already be gone,” she said.

  “Or maybe you’ll decide that Ryder ain’t a half-bad town to set some roots and flourish.”

  Lexi couldn’t help the grin that curled across her mouth. Yes, she liked this town…so far. It wasn’t New York, but all the lights, glitz, and glam had begun to wear on her. Maybe she wanted something new, something a little less hectic and more secure in home and family.

  Travis and Brent were offering to show her around and settle her in. A woman would be crazy to say no.

  Chapter Five

  Muffled hollering jerked her awake from a dark nightmare. Cold sweat beaded along her hairline and between her breasts, lending a chill to her blood. She shuddered, brushing aside the matted locks of hair from her face. The commanding shouts continued, igniting a spark of fear that forced her heart into overdrive and her stomach into turbo-churn.

  Dazzling sunlight swayed between the shade of an oak outside her window, the promise of another hot summer day. Her room—a warm display of dark wood and white lace, fresh flowers, and exquisite paintings—was on the third floor, far above any threat below. Yet she didn’t recognize the voices and couldn’t distinguish any drawl.

  “They found me,” she whispered, scrambling out of bed. Ensuring her door was locked, she scurried to the side of the window and peered into the large expanse of gardens and orchard trees.

  Two guests of the B&B sat on the flagstone patio, sipping their coffees and nibbling away at Miss Bess’s homemade pastries, seemingly unfazed by the commands. A handful of cowboys were laboring hard to lay down fresh mulch and topsoil in one of the garden patches. Miss Bess stood at the edge of the patio, a hand shading her eyes from the blazing sun, apron ruffled by the breeze.

  One of the shirtless men turned. Lexi’s throat tightened at the sight of sun-bronzed, hard muscle shimmering beneath a sheen of sweat. When the man tipped his cowboy hat to wipe his forehead with the bandana wrapped around his wrist, a strangled moan left her lips.

  “Oh my god.” She pressed her face closer to the window to get a better view of Travis. He hoisted a bag of mulch over his shoulder, perfectly honed muscles flexing and bunching, his beautiful skin rippling beneath the seemingly easy work. His waist narrowed along a carved path of abs, his snug blue jeans lying low on his hips. He turned away, heading toward a bare patch of soil around a tall cottonwood. A trail of sweat streamed down the defined depression of his spine in his lower back. A wicked-looking snake tattoo wrapped around his bulging biceps, a feature he had easily hidden in his short-sleeved shirt the day before.

  Lexi swallowed the lump in her throat. Desire burned out any residue of fear she had woken with, leaving her body humming. Her heart did a strange little dance as she turned away from the window and hurried to make herself half presentable.
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br />   Ten minutes later, hair tied up in a messy bun, face washed, teeth brushed, and dressed in another loaner outfit, she rushed down the stairs and moved swiftly to the back kitchen. Travis was taking a break, a tall glass of orange juice at his lips and a serious expression hardening the rugged lines of his face. A light shadow of day-old whiskers brushed his chin and jaw, prickling this insane attraction that developed upon first sight.

  Lexi sucked in a deep breath to calm her thunderous heart and stepped onto the patio. Miss Bess’s worried crease smoothed, and she beamed. Lexi offered a smile, her fingers tangling into a knot at the front of her hips.

  “Good mornin’, Lexi. Hope you slept well?” Miss Bess asked.

  Travis turned, the natural motion highlighting finer details of his delectable body she couldn’t see from her window. There was not an ounce of pretty or delicate on him. Travis exuded power and masculinity from every pore. Veins bulged in his corded forearms. His fingers were rough, working fingers that made the glass in his hand look utterly fragile.

  She had to peel her gaze away from him to look at Miss Bess, her neck and face warming. With a smile, she nodded. “Yes, thank you.” But like a magnet, her attention flipped back to Travis. The serious expression that cut across his face moments ago eased with the smile that came to his lips and a glitter that touched his dark eyes. “Morning.”

  Travis tipped his chin in a slight bow, his smile widening. “Mornin’ to you. Hope we didn’t wake you.” His gaze traced over her, leaving a line of heat in his wake. “The guys get a bit rowdy.”

  “I was awake,” she lied, stepping closer to him. The breeze brushed her with his scent—a mix of sweat, spice, and outdoors—and her jaw grew tight. Coming from a scene of impeccable suits, gelled hair, shiny shoes, and expensive jewelry, she couldn’t help indulge her senses in this shirtless, dusty-boots, bandana-armband man that made her wet. How could dirt and sweat make a man look so damn sexy?

  She cleared her throat and motioned to a pile of soil several yards away. “What are you doing there?”

  “Creating a retaining wall around the fountain Miss Bess is installin’.” Travis tipped the glass to his lips. Lexi watched the roll of his throat and the hollowing of his cheeks with each swallow.

  “I’ve been wantin’ a fountain in the garden for years, but haven’t found the right one,” Miss Bess said, succeeding in tearing Lexi’s hyper-focused mind away from the delicious man beside her. The woman’s round, rosy cheeks forced her bright eyes into a squint, she smiled so big. “But George and I found one last week just outside of Ryder and picked it up. Travis brought over some of Colt’s ranch hands to lay down the foundation rock”—she laughed, brushing aside a stray curl—“and lay down some fresh mulch in the gardens.”

  “Is there anything I can do to help?” Lexi asked. Miss Bess waved a hand at her with a defiant “hmf.” “Really. If I can give you a hand around here, I would love to.”

  Heat spread out from her lower back when Travis placed his hand just above her rear. Goose bumps pressed along her arms, and a storm stirred through her pussy, causing her to shift on her feet to dull the itch.

  “Miss Bess won’t have her guests working, regardless their situation,” Travis said, lowering his voice. Miss Bess nodded.

  “That’s right. That’s why I have a husband and a handy nephew who can lift a truck if asked to,” she said. A laugh flitted from her lips and entwined with the breeze, a soft, musical sound that injected serenity into the morning air. Travis dipped his head, his modest smile hidden in the shadows produced by the rim of his hat. Lexi nudged him in the ribs.

  “Lifting trucks, huh? May I call you when I need furniture moved into an apartment?” she teased. A teenage giddiness boiled up inside her, dancing around her lower belly. Her clit pulsed.

  “You can call on me anytime, baby.” His fingers dug lightly into her back. Spears of hot fire shot through her veins. Her breath hitched. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Anytime.”

  Miss Bess’s eyes narrowed on Travis before she turned her warm smile and focused attention on Lexi. “Have you eaten? I have some eggs still warm and sausage from the local butcher. I made fresh cracked-wheat bread, too.”

  “Homegrown wheat?” Lexi asked. Her voice verged on husky, and she quickly cleared the thickness away with a small cough.

  “Why, of course! Local, farm-fresh everything here in Ryder.” Miss Bess grabbed Lexi’s hand, her eyes lifting to her nephew. A shout across the garden interrupted her first word, drawing their attention to another man running across the yard.

  “Trav, Holden just called. Said Grace Ann’s distressed.”

  Travis’s body tensed. Lexi’s chest twisted at the sound of another woman’s name. When his hand dropped from her back, her heart slumped.

  He let out a sharp breath. “Damn. I’m headin’ over now.” He bent down and gave her a rough kiss on the cheek then performed the same routine with his aunt. “Take care of her for me, Miss Bess. Lexi, when I come back, I’ll show you around town.”

  Lexi watched Travis catch up to the other man, and the two of them disappeared at a brisk pace. She hadn’t realized Miss Bess moved closer to her side until she rested a hand on her shoulder.

  “Seems to me there might be a little spark between you two, hmm?” she asked lightly. Lexi’s eyes shot up to her. The woman chuckled, her angelic smile never ceasing. She nodded toward the house. “Let’s get some home cookin’ in you. Then I can show you my garden. You can tell me a bit about yourself and what brings you to this tiny town.”

  “I’d love that,” Lexi said wholeheartedly, even if the circumstances pulling Travis away from her dimmed that fantastical spark Miss Bess noted.

  Chapter Six

  Lexi pulled Miss Bess’s car into the dusty parking area outside the shop. She recognized Travis’s intimidating pickup, and Brent’s F-150 parked carelessly in front of her. Her brow creased. Wasn’t Travis helping his Grace Ann? He hadn’t returned to the B&B since his hasty leave.

  She shook her head and sighed. She had no right being jealous. She barely knew Travis or Brent, except for the history lesson Miss Bess indulged her in on their garden trot. She had enjoyed her time with the pleasant aunt of the man she seriously crushed. And now, coming into his presence again, alongside the other sinful creation of a man…what was a woman to do?

  Lexi climbed out of the car and headed toward the open bay doors. She hesitated at the edge of the shop. Early afternoon sunlight filtered through the row of windows at the back of the shop, setting metal and chrome shining. Two cars were propped up on lifts, both vehicles in different states of disassembly. Her car sat in the far bay, hood slung open and a few unknown pieces lying on a table beside the bumper.

  Still, a mechanic shop that appeared as clean as Miss Bess’s bed-and-breakfast stunned her. Everything from toolboxes of small parts to large power tools had a home of its own, keeping the entire garage neat and tidy.

  “Hello?” Lexi called. She hadn’t expected the tremor that touched her words. What did she have to worry about? She felt sure she had time before Dom tracked her down. Even if they were hot on her tail, the last place they’d look for her was here. Sexy city Lexi would never be caught dead in small-town USA. She snickered to herself. Oh, how wrong Dom was about her.

  Oh, how wrong she had been about him.

  Stepping inside the garage, she scanned the wide-open area for signs of life. “Anyone here?”

  Nothing, not even a cough. With a sigh, Lexi turned in search of the office.

  Dry dust kicked up around her feet as she walked to the front of the building. The fine grit wedged between her toes and coated her thin-soled sandals. Her nose and face itched from the small particles.

  She came upon the first window to the main office, and instantly came to a halt that nearly had her pitching forward to the ground.

  Stepping back, keeping just out of sight, she peered through the clear window. She recognized Travis immediately, but
his current state was something that caught her completely by surprise. Being a city girl, she could pick out a man who had eccentric preferences from miles away. Or so she thought.

  Travis had not been one of those men. She swallowed. God, neither had Brent.

  Brent stood in the tidy office with him, his back to her window. Travis slid the T-shirt over the Brent’s head, casting it to the floor before he lowered his head and began a slow journey of kisses down his chest. His fingers worked open the belt at the Brent’s waist, and moment later, his strong hands slid around to the man’s back, guiding fitted blue jeans over an ass so taut and perfect, Lexi caught herself swallowing a moan.

  The bright glow of morning light shed golden beams over Travis’s sandy-blond head as he followed the jeans below the desktop. Lexi leaned closer to the window, a burning desire to watch the hunk who saved her from the roadside perform acts she would never have imagined arousing.

  Brent leaned back, bracing himself on straight arms over the desk. Corded muscles bulged and twitched in his arms and back, a fantastical vision of perfection. The edge of the desk pressed against his sinful ass, the dimpled cheeks hollowing slightly as he arched his naked hips forward.

  Travis tilted his head up to the man, a lust-filled smile darkening his sun-kissed face. He spoke, his words quiet, his lips barely moving.

  Lexi tore her gaze from the two men, searching for another window. She ducked below the sill and scurried along the building before coming up at a better viewing station on the adjacent wall.

  Her throat swelled shut. Her eyes widened with the increase of her heartbeat. Travis held Brent’s long, hard cock in his hand, playing his length with enviable expertise. Never had she expected such a sight to arouse her, leaving a new dampness in her panties. Her bra suddenly became uncomfortable and restraining.

  Travis cupped the man’s sac and rolled the package in his hand while his fingers fisted around his cock and glided over the rigid flesh. Dappling sunlight streamed over Brent’s well-formed abs and deeply cut pecs. His muscles clenched as Travis teased. His fingers dug into the top of the desk, his head tipped back, and a long groan escaped his full lips, barely contained by the walls and windows. Dark hair brushed over his shoulders, shoulders so taut that the fine muscles and veins bulged. A light spray of dark hairs covered the top of his chest and thinned between his pecs, only to reappear beneath his belly button and lead to the hair nestled around his cock.