Cowboys Mine

by Stacey Espino

  Chapter Twelve

  North stood on the front porch, staring out into the darkness. Colt hadn’t come home. Yesterday, after working the land, he’d taken off to town. He came home plastered, not willing to talk about anything. Tonight he didn’t come back at all.

  He was worried sick about his twin. Ever since their Aunt Laura came to pick up their mother a few days back, Colt had changed. It was like he hated the world for shitting on him and North even more for making that phone call. What choice did he have? Colton didn’t realize all the sacrifices he’d made for their mother during his life. He loved her, but he couldn’t sit idly by another day while she wasted away.

  Now the house was empty—void of both hate and love. It was a place. Four walls. North wanted more. He wanted his brother back. He wanted Eva.

  He returned to the warmth of the house, the screen slapping back into place as he shut the main door. He had a good fire going, the flames glowing brightly behind the glass of the wood stove. The rest of the house was quiet, dark, and empty. North squatted down, mesmerized by the strength of the fire. The mix of colors in the flames danced and intermingled, beautiful yet deadly.

  What was happening to him? He didn’t even have anger left. North felt lost, deflated, lacking any motivation beyond surviving another day.

  The best thing he could do was get some sleep. He’d probably have to take care of Colt’s share of work come morning, so he’d need his energy. North walked down the hall to his room, stopping at his mother’s door by habit. It felt foreign not to worry about her any more. She was in good hands, getting the help she needed. Despite what Colt thought, North knew he’d saved her. She’d been given a ticket out of the McReed house. How many times had he prayed for one himself?

  He pulled off his T-shirt and kicked off his Wranglers after entering his room. The light from the moon reflected off his mirror, giving him enough light to sort out his quilts before crashing into bed. The old springs protested from his weight. He closed his eyes, taking deep cleansing breaths. He kept telling himself that tomorrow was another day, and things could only get better. Although Eva had been a forbidden topic between him and Colton, equal to a deadly sin, it didn’t stop him from thinking about her. He tried to remember the exact shade of her hair, the smell of her shampoo, and the sound of her laughter.

  Each day he hoped she’d prove Colton wrong by telling Mr. Ford what had started between the three of them. If things went bad, he’d never turn his back on her. But he was beginning to wonder if she regretted everything they’d shared. Should he have worked harder to resist her? Refused her altogether?

  He must have finally dozed off because the sound of the window rattling behind his bed startled him back to consciousness. He leapt to his feet just as the glass was lifted partway up. North was ready for a fight, all his muscles tense.

  “North, help me.”

  It was Eva, attempting to heave herself through the small opening. Rather than turning on the light, he lifted the old stubborn window pane all the way up and helped her inside. She crawled onto his bed, finally settling on her knees.

  “What in God’s name are you doing here? Do you realize what time it is?”

  “Late,” she whispered. “But I had to see you.”

  “Why?” This was the first time she’d ever come to their house. She didn’t belong in their world, and maybe it was wishful thinking to believe they could ever belong in hers. North’s first reaction was to force her to leave. But his mother was gone, and there was nothing he wanted more than Eva.

  “I’ve messed everything up. Colton won’t even talk to me. I don’t know what to do.”

  “He’s just hurting.”

  She beckoned him closer with outstretched arms. “I’ve missed you.”

  He stood tall at the side of his bed, afraid to let down his guards. How the fuck was he supposed to feel at this point?

  “Did you come here to play games, Eva?”

  “Stop it, please. I’m not trying to be the bad guy, North. I’m just scared.” She started to cry, so softly it was barely audible.

  “Mr. Ford is a reasonable man.”

  “I’m going to tell him. I have no choice.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I can’t lose you.”

  This time he stepped into her reach at the edge of the bed. She hugged him around the waist, resting her head on his bare chest. “All I think about is you,” he admitted.

  She shifted her head and kissed his chest. One kiss led to several. Eva ran her hands up his back, trying to pull him down once she reached his shoulders.

  He shook his head. “No, Eva. Not here. Not like this.”

  “Kiss me.”

  How could he not be affected by her? He’d been dreaming about her every night, replaying their nights of passion over and over in his head. North leaned down and kissed her, not expecting it to carry such an emotional punch. He was immediately lost, as if the taste of her lips held his undoing.

  “God, I’ve missed you,” he murmured against her lips North leaned forward until she was forced to her back and beneath him. All the pain, fear, loneliness, and everything in between was released in a massive rush of energy. He stripped off her shirt, kissing every inch within reach. “I fucking need you.” His cock was instantly ready, his entire body reacting to Eva’s presence. Everything happened so fast. They couldn’t touch each other enough, as if they’d both die without contact.

  “Make love to me.”

  She didn’t need to ask him twice. There was nothing he wanted more. North slid his hand down the front of her jeans as he kissed her so deep he wasn’t sure where each of them started.

  “You’re wet for me,” he said. Her pussy was hot and swollen, his finger easily slipping inside. Less than two weeks ago she’d been a virgin, now she was his.

  “Yes.” She helped him unbutton and remove her jeans, along with her panties. They both rushed, sexual desperation taking control. “I need you inside me, North. I can’t even sleep at night thinking of you.”

  The yearning in her voice made it difficult to think with a level head. He thrust himself between her legs, sliding the entire length of his cock into her tight little cunt. She wrapped her legs securely around him, crying out once he filled her to the hilt.

  “I love your pussy, Eva.” He wanted to say it belonged to him. That she belonged to him, but he bit his tongue instead. “I want to fuck you all day, every day.”

  He suckled the erogenous zone behind her ear as he began to work her body. She was so receptive, writhing to meet him thrust for thrust. Her satisfied moans encouraged him to take her harder and faster. His head board crashed against the wall with each pump his hips.

  He stopped to catch his breath. Sex with Eva was as close to heaven he thought he’d ever get.

  ****

  Eva wanted to ask for Colton, craving the dual stimulation along with Colt’s acceptance. Instead, she focused on North’s massive frame hulking over her, his cock pumping deliciously in and out of her pussy. His erection was so thick and swollen there wasn’t a cell inside her not being stimulated at once. It felt amazing to connect with one of the McReed twins after mourning their loss for over a week. Being with North only confirmed the fact she had to solidify their ménage a trios as soon as possible.

  Living without them wasn’t an option.

  “I love you,” she whispered in his ear. Eva needed him to know it. She hated that the twins thought she was brushing them to the side with disregard. It was anything but the truth.

  “You’re mine,” he grated, the sound a mix of raw masculinity and possessiveness. North worked her body with stamina, never faltering. He reminded her of an animal, feral and hungry. They were a mass of limbs, clean sweat, and sex.

  She held onto his biceps as he supported his weight over her body. His muscles were rock-hard and massive, his skin warm. Knowing how capable he was turned her on even more. She could feel an orgasm mounting each time his pubic bone brushe
d her clit. He was like a beast, fucking her like he’d been holding back for years.

  “Come for me, Eva.”

  Those words were like magic. She wasn’t sure if it was the dominance in his tone or the fact he’d asked it of her at all, but the orgasm came rushing to the surface like a freight train. It exploded from her womb, sending a cascade of perfect peace to every extremity. Her pussy walls clamped down on North’s cock, pulsing on and on.

  Before her body went limp from exhaustion, North growled as he filled her with his hot cum. The scruff on his cheek scraped her as he nuzzled her neck. Even his scent was familiar. She held him tight to her, loving how sex brought them closer.

  “I don’t want to leave,” she said, her breathing still labored. “I want to stay here just like this.” Eva didn’t want him to even remove his semi-flaccid cock.

  He kissed the corner of her mouth. “Your parents will worry.”

  “I snuck out my window,” she said. “They’ll never know.”

  He exhaled, dropping and rolling to his back so she could rest over him. “You’re a woman now, Eva. You don’t have to sneak around like a teenager. You can make your own choices.”

  “I’m going to tell him right after the corn roast. I promise.” She painted patterns on his shoulder with a fingertip. “You’re coming, right?”

  “I’m coming.”

  “And Colt?”

  “He’s a bit of a mess right now,” said North. “He’s been drowning his sorrows in cheap whiskey.”

  “He has to come. He always does.”

  “Things aren’t exactly the same any more, darlin’. We’ve gone and complicated our lives. All of us.” He ran his hand through her hair. She could hear his strong heartbeat beneath her ear. It was familiar and soothing. “But I still don’t regret a thing.”

  As peaceful as she felt in North’s arms, she worried about Colton. It was the middle of the night and he was off drinking and doing God knows what. Would he have one of his usual sexual flings? She remembered how much the cowgirls in town flocked to the McReed brothers. It never mattered to her before, but it did now. The thought made Eva feel territorial and jealous. Even though she hadn’t held up her end of the bargain by telling her father about their relationship, she hoped Colton would have waited for her. Did his love have an expiry date?

  “Maybe he’s moved on. Just because you’re twins doesn’t mean he feels the same way about me as you.”

  “I know my brother,” said North. “He cares about you just as much as I do.”

  “I saw him yesterday. He couldn’t stand the sight of me.”

  He stroked her hair. “Our father wasn’t a good man, Eva. Colt’s afraid he’s destined to fill his boots. He’s rethinking everything.”

  She pushed up on her forearms. “What do you mean?” Panic lashed about inside her like a dragon’s tail.

  He cooed for her to calm. “He misses the way things used to be, and he doesn’t want your daddy disappointed with him. We both owe him a lot.”

  “I won’t let him walk away from me. You have to talk to him, North.”

  “Sleep, Eva. Everything’s better in the morning.”

  ****

  Colton staggered to the bench across the street from the pub. He’d pushed his limit, and his stomach already protested. But how else was he supposed to handle the pain? Everything was happening at once, the shitload of stress growing to intolerable levels.

  His mother was gone, probably for good, carted across the state to Newcaster. He wanted her home, well, and independent like she had been once upon a time. He wanted to recapture the fantasy of his mother when she was young and full of optimism. It was bad enough that his father walked out on the family, now his mother had done the same, even if not by choice. She’d chosen her addiction. And Eva had chosen her perfect life over a loser like him.

  Just thinking about Eva made his heart race. She held the key to his heart, yet she tossed it with disregard. He’d loved her every day of his life, and he never refused her anything. Even when she wanted to change their relationship to something new and intimate, he’d tried to pull away to preserve what they had. Now everything was fucked.

  She bided her time like a black widow, waiting until he fell so fucking hard in love before she struck. Of all the people and shit in his life, he never expected to be destroyed by little Eva Ford. She’d always been his saving grace, the light in the darkness. Did he still want her? More than breath. But as much as she harped about wanting to start a family of her own, she wasn’t moving very fast introducing them as her men.

  He stumbled along the sidewalk, deciding there was nothing better to do than head home. He was confronted by one of the Irish cowboys from the large hog farm just east of town. Colton and North had been friends with the three brothers since grade school.

  “Colton, you looking for trouble?”

  It was pitch black out, only the odd streetlight highlighting the road. “Don’t fuck with me now, Donal. I’m not in the mood.”

  “Look at him, Liam, he’s angrier than feral hog.”

  Colton was drunk, heartbroken, and depressed. Things couldn’t get much worse. The two brothers flanked him as they walked up the abandoned road. Crickets droned in the tall grass in the neighboring fields.

  Liam tilted his Stetson, giving him the once over. “He looks love sick, he does. Maybe he’s thinking of that Ford girl in unholy ways.” He was nearly as loaded as Colton, but he was also a big guy who could hold his liquor.

  “You need to watch your damned mouth,” said Colton, trying his best to ignore the brothers. His logic and self-control were at the bottom of a bottle, and it wouldn’t take much more to set him off, especially when they mentioned Eva.

  The headlights of a pickup truck highlighted cones on the road ahead as it passed him, the loud twang of country music filling the night air. It slowed to a stop just ahead, and Connor leaned out the driver’s side window. “Hurry up, the two of you, or I’ll make you walk home.”

  “We’re coming,” called Donal. “Give our friend a ride, too. He looks like shit.”

  Colton wasn’t thinking straight, flashbacks of his father flashing in his head. The alcohol was supposed to kill the memories, not aggravate them. When Liam set a hand on his shoulder, Colton threw a punch, landing him square on the jaw. He didn’t expect his aim to be so sure when he could hardly walk straight. He supposed he did have a death wish. He’d just struck one of the O’Brian brothers while the other two watched. Colton knew the love between siblings well. He was ready for a shit storm of trouble, and part of him craved it. What did he have to lose?

  “Did he just clock you?” asked Donal. “And you just stood there like a doorstop?” He laughed out loud, and Connor did the same.

  “I’d hate to piss you off when you’re sober.” Liam chuckled and wrapped a heavy arm around him, leading Colton to the bed of the truck. “You know I was just teasing about Eva, Colt.”

  Both brothers heaved him into the back of the truck like an oversized bag of feed, climbing in next to him. They both wore heavy quilted jackets similar to Colton’s. The breeze was bitterly cold at this hour.

  They dropped him off in front of his ranch. He had nothing to go home for, but he trudged down the path regardless.

  “We’ll see you at the corn roast, McReed,” Connor called out before hitting the gas. He jumped back to avoid the spray of gravel.

  The wash of moonlight aided him in finding his way to the barn. He climbed the rickety ladder to the hay loft and crashed down on a bed of flakes. There was no way he wanted to get into a heated battle with North at this hour—not when he was exhausted, pissed off, and nauseated. He still remembered the last time he saw Eva out in the fields. It took all his resolve not to break down and beg her to love him. But he knew too well that he couldn’t inspire love in another.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Come on, what are you waiting for?”

  North had waited on the porch for five minutes whi
le Colton stalled inside. The Fords expected them to come by first thing in the morning to shuck for the corn roast, and it was already ten o’clock.

  “This ain’t a good idea,” said Colton. “It feels wrong.”

  “We help them with the corn roast every year. It’ll more weird for us not to show up.”

  “She’ll be there.”

  “And?”

  “And I’m not ready to talk to her just yet.” Colton grabbed the truck keys and walked ahead of him.

  “She promised to talk to her dad after the roast. I believe her.”

  “I don’t believe in anyone—no disappointments that way.” Colton boarded the truck and slammed the door shut. North joined him in the cab.

  “You’re going to upset her, Colt. You need to get a fucking grip.”

  North hadn’t told his brother about his night with Eva, not when he was hurting so much. He was quickly slipping into his old ways—drinking, fighting, pissing off the world. Still, he couldn’t keep pushing her away. She was still their Eva, still special, even if nothing developed from their brief romance.

  “You don’t understand,” he said. “She’s corrupted me.”

  North laughed as they drove up the back road towards the Ford house. “I don’t think that’s possible. Do you really believe the shit coming out of your mouth?”

  “I can’t even look at another woman without thinking of her. I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. I can’t even jerk off for God’s sake.”

  “It’s called love, Colt. I feel the same thing. It won’t kill you.”

  Colton shook his head. “It already is. I feel like shit without her.”

  As they pulled onto the Ford property, there were already people gathering around the area. Large drums of corn were waiting for their attention. He scanned the area for Eva, but he couldn’t spot her.

  “It won’t be long until everything’s settled,” North assured.

  His twin didn’t even respond, exiting the truck with an air of nonchalance. He was a pro at putting on his game face, but North supposed he was no different. It was easier to pretend they were happy than needing to explain why they weren’t.