The rumble of his laughter vibrated against her chest. Through all the tiredness and stress of the day, the desire for him still rose, flooding her system with warmth. Gently, he sat her in the passenger seat of his truck.
“I’ll have you home in a moment.” Walking briskly around the front of the truck, he got in and drove toward the cabin. She’d been there once long ago.
She saw lights in the windows and smoke curling out of the cabin’s chimney, as they got closer. A welcoming sight that beckoned to a feeling buried deep.
Nick carried her to the door. Lang stood in the entryway. “Take her on to bed. I’ll bring her tea.”
“I can walk,” Cassie protested.
“Let us look after you.” Nick’s soft voice had her under his spell. She didn’t want to move. Just stay cuddled up against his warm body and feel safe.
He sat Cassie on her feet and pulled the spread back on the king-size bed. She glanced around at the room. “Your bedroom?”
“What gave it away? All the pictures of towering buildings and unusual bridges?” His hands touched the top button of her blouse. “I’ll help you undress. Lang will get the water adjusted and you can soak in the tub before going to sleep.”
Lang set the teacup on the bedside table. “Take a sip of this while your bathwater is running.”
“Sit,” Nick instructed and handed her the cup.
“I really am a big girl. I can take care of myself.” But I don’t want to. I want to let them baby me and hold me close. I want to stop thinking for just one night and only feel.
“Are you going to sleep sitting up?” Nick raised her head and looked into her eyes. He held the cup in front of her.
“Sorry. My thoughts took me away for a minute.” She sipped the sweet, hot tea.
“Water’s ready.” Lang walked to her, set the cup to the side, and pulled her up. He finished unbuttoning her blouse before she got the energy to protest. Nick unfastened her bra, and both were thrown to the side.
Shivers of desire brushed across her skin, puckering her nipples. Lang’s gray eyes darkened. He lowered his head and took the nearest nipple into his mouth. His tongue swirled around the tip.
“Ah.” The sound barely escaped her lips. Her legs went weak, and Nick’s arm pulled her against his hard frame.
“Do you want us to continue, babe?” Nick asked. “We can stop, let you bathe, and put you in bed.”
Surrounded by their scent, the heat from their bodies radiating against her skin, all her mind could comprehend was her desire, the feeling of safety, the overwhelming need swamping her.
“Hold me, take me.” The words whispered out through her tight throat. “I’m starving.”
Nick chuckled against her back. “I don’t think she means food.” He spoke above her head to Lang. Lang had raised his head, waiting for her answer. Now, he undid her skirt and tossed her scrap of panties to the floor. Picking her up, he laid her on the bed.
Cassie watched as he and Nick undressed. Lang covered his large cock with a condom. The anticipation of pleasure hummed through her blood. Each one went to the opposite side of the bed and joined her.
Lang turned her to face him. He kissed her face all over before finally running his tongue across her lips. She opened her mouth, and his tongue went inside to caress and taste and brush along the edge of her teeth. Behind her, Nick wrapped his arm around her body, and his hand closed on her breast. His thumb grazed across the pebbled nipple while he kissed her neck and across her shoulders.
Her whole body was on fire. Her pussy clenched with the hunger to be filled by one of their hard cocks. Moisture seeped from her pussy. They turned her on her back, and as Lang moved downward, Nick straddled her upper body. She took his cock into her mouth, licking the salty drop from the top and taking him in deep. Her tongue licked all around. She heard him groan and her body trembled with her hunger for them both.
Lang pulled her legs wide and spread her folds, exposing her most private area to his view. He licked across her nub and down her folds to the opening to her pussy. “You taste incredible.” His tongue flicked just inside her opening, and she raised her hips in response. The fire building inside had her sucking and licking Nick’s cock harder.
Nick reached behind and pinched her nipple just as Lang swept his tongue deeper inside her pussy. Spasms of pleasure began to tremble in her muscles. She moved her head faster, up and down Nick’s cock and tasted his salty release. He groaned and moved away as Lang plunged in, stretching her inner walls. Her powerful orgasm hit her with a jolt of euphoria, almost painful in its intensity.
Her inner muscles held Lang tight and rippled around his cock. He moved in and out furiously. Leaning down, he bit gently on her nipple as another surge of pleasure spilled through her. She screamed as it swept her away. Cassie was dimly aware of his final plunge against her womb and his yell of release.
Chapter Five
Cassie woke to a feeling of emptiness around her. After she’d soaked in the bath last night, she had slept cocooned between Lang and Nick. Fear that she’d overslept had her looking for a clock.
“I was just coming to wake you.” Nick poked his head in the door. “Lang had to leave early to check on his men and their jobs for the day. I’m cooking our breakfast.”
“What time is it?”
“Eight. You have plenty of time to shower and dress. I threw your clothes in the wash when Lang left, and they’re clean and dry. Just look in my closet.”
“A girl could get spoiled.”
“It’s time you were.” Whistling, he turned and went out of the room.
She showered, dressed, and joined him in the kitchen. He had on a new pair of jeans and a blue shirt that made his eyes look even bluer. When he smiled, it warmed her all the way to her toes. How was she ever going to resist him and Lang? And did she really have to?
With a flourish, he placed a plate with bacon, eggs, and toast in front of her. “For Madam.” He winked at her and then poured them both a cup of coffee.
“Aren’t you eating?”
“I did, earlier.”
“You’re sort of dressed up.”
“If you don’t mind, I’ll drive you to your appointment and wait outside.”
“That isn’t necessary.”
“No, but I want to be there in case you need me. Lang would be here, too, but he had several problems to solve. Also, I’ll leave off my proposal for Jack, Ellen, and Sahale’s new home after your meeting.”
“I really am a big girl. I can handle difficult situations,” she said between bites of the delicious meal he’d prepared.
“I’m sure you can. But why do the hard parts alone when Lang and I want to support you both financially and emotionally?”
She scraped back her chair and started to stand. Nick reached across and covered her hand. “Why are you fighting having us along? You can’t tell me after last night that you don’t care for us. I think you’re scared of something.”
He mustn’t guess. She wanted them safe and out of her problems. Still, whenever they were around her, she couldn’t resist letting them touch her and love her.
“Silence is more eloquent than words,” Nick said. “Drink your coffee. We need to leave soon.”
Refusing to make eye contact, she finished her coffee and went into the bedroom to freshen her lipstick and get her purse. It wouldn’t do any harm to be with Nick or Lang here on the ranch. Peter had sense enough not to come onto private property, hopefully, but if they took her home he’d see them. She feared what his jealousy might cause him to do.
Silly, that wasn’t him I saw the other day. I was under stress and imagined the resemblance.
“Are you ready?” Nick stood in the doorway looking sexy and too handsome for her weakened resistance.
* * * *
Cassie got out of Nick’s car just as her parents drove up. Her dad raised an eyebrow, and then smiled and went to the car window to speak with Nick. Her mother showed her pleasure at seeing th
e two of them together by giving Cassie a big smile and hug.
“Now you’re headed in the right direction. I’ll sleep a lot better at night knowing Nick and Lang are watching out for you.”
She took Cassie’s arm and they walked slowly into the building.
“Doesn’t it bother you that I might be interested in two men?”
“Of course not. Three-quarters of the women on the ranch have two husbands. Ralph and I decided differently, but I’m comfortable with all the other wives. Don’t let worrying about what your dad and I think hold you back. We both like and approve of Lang and Nick.”
Her mother looked stronger today, but she still needed to lean heavily on Cassie’s arm. They went to the front desk and signed in. It was nine forty-five. Her dad soon joined them in the waiting room.
Cassie held her mother’s hand on one side, and her father clasped her hand on the other. The minutes dragged by. When the nurse called her mother’s name, Cassie’s heart beat faster and her insides tightened. This was it.
Jack sat behind his desk, and Ellen was in a chair off to his left. Three chairs had been arranged in front of him.
“I hope you slept some,” Jack said to her mother.
“I slept well. Ralph and I came to a decision. I’m at peace with it. Tell me what you found out.”
“First, the good news. You have acquired a rather large number of our cells and antibodies from your three pregnancies with Ralph. I’ll try to explain.” Jack sat back and looked off in the distance for a moment.
“When carrying the fetus, who has our blood and cells, there is some interaction with yours through the placenta. At first, our ancestors feared that if we married humans, and the female became pregnant, the fetus would not survive. This didn’t happen. It’s similar to when a brown-eyed person has a blue-eyed spouse. The brown eyes tend to be more predominant.”
Jack smiled at them. “When we join with a human spouse and create a baby, our genes are much more predominant. This has kept the human woman from miscarrying the child. Does that make sense to you?” Jack asked Cassie’s mother.
“Yes.”
“The other good news is Cassie’s blood is compatible with yours.” He stopped for a second and glanced at Ellen.
“What’s the bad news?” Ralph asked.
“Not too bad. Our scientists have been working on a medicine to prevent cancer in our bodies. We have some natural resistance, but as we’ve intermarried with humans, our resistance to some human ailments has decreased. Also, since many of us have wives who are fully human, we have been looking into a cure.
“We believe we may have something to kill the cancer, but no testing on humans has been done. It’s a very iffy proposition. I called Dr. Castor this morning. He has one more medicine he wants to try, and I concur with him that you should give it a chance.”
Cassie’s heart dropped, and from her parent’s expressions, she knew they were feeling the same. In spite of being warned not to get their hopes up, they had.
Her mother raised her head and looked at Jack. “What if this new medicine doesn’t work?”
“Then I will talk with a board of physicians that we have here at the hospital. They make the final decisions on difficult ethical questions. If they agree the risk is worth it and you still want to try, then we’ll give you our medicine. But it has to be the treatment of last resort or they will never consider letting me give it to you.”
Ellen stood and came to Cassie’s mother’s side. She knelt by her chair. “I promise while you are continuing with other trials, I will work diligently to adapt the research medicine to your body chemistry. I want to draw a little more blood today. I’ll use it to test the medicine against as I work. If that’s all right with you?”
Liz put her hand on Ellen’s face. “Yes. You are a good, kind woman. I am very happy that Sahale and Jack found you.” She kissed Ellen’s cheek. “Thank you.”
“I’m happy they found me, too.” Ellen glanced at Jack, and he smiled back.
Cassie felt envious seeing the love on their faces. To have a man look at you like that. But she had, years ago, and she had run away from them. What a fool she’d been.
“All right,” Jack said. “That’s our plan. Liz, I’ll be keeping in touch with Dr. Castor. I told him you’d asked me to be your doctor here since the city is a good distance away. He thinks that’s an excellent idea. Actually, I met him once at a seminar. I like him. He’s a good doctor, intelligent and caring.”
Her dad and mom thanked Ellen and Jack. “Are you going with us, or was Nick waiting?” her mother asked.
“Nick has something to give to Ellen and Jack. He waited. I’ve got to get back to my shop, but I’ll come by tomorrow. Let me know when you need to go to the city for a treatment.”
“I will.” Her mom and dad waved good-bye. Nick came in the door as they went out.
“Your nurse told me you all were about finished,” Nick explained. “I’ve been playing around with house plans since you mentioned a while back that you might want a bigger place later on. I like to work on ideas in my spare time.” He put a portfolio on Jack’s desk. “Take it home and study the design. Whenever you’re ready to get serious, let me know. We’ll talk about what you like and don’t like on my plans.”
“This is great, but it won’t be right away,” Jack said.
“I do these things as a hobby. Let me know what you think whenever the time’s right for you all. Ready to go, honey?” he asked Cassie.
She glanced at Ellen. “If you’re not busy, I’d love to have you come visit my shop again. We’ll have some of Nanna’s tea.”
“I’d love to. I’m off tomorrow afternoon. Is that convenient?”
“It is, unless Mom has to go to the city. I’ll call you in the morning.”
Nick put his arm around her and walked her out to his truck. He turned her so her back was against the door. Leaning in close, he kissed her.
“You’re going to tell me you have to go home to your business.”
“The man is right. He wins the prize.”
“Are you as all right as you’re acting?”
“Pretty much. It seems a sensible plan for Mother to try all other resources first. I wish I could see the future and know how all of this will work out.”
Nick put his forehead against hers. “I know. Have dinner with us tonight?”
“Tempting, but I have a lot of work to do catching up on the finances and some design work to finish. Maybe tomorrow night?”
“It’s a date. Well, your car is right here. I’ll let you go for now.” He gave her a quick kiss and waved.
Cassie slid into the driver’s seat, started the car, and backed up. She watched as Nick pulled out behind her and then drove off in the opposite direction. She felt more alone than usual.
* * * *
Cassie had worked late into the night, but was happy with her creations. She’d felt a spurt of energy from working with the gold and silver. As she’d worked she almost heard Caedmon’s voice,
“Let the design flow from your fingers. Concentrate on the piece of metal in your hands. Close off all disturbing thoughts. When you’re finished you’ll find stress has been worn away like the hard edges of the silver or gold you’re working on.”
She missed her friend. He’d given her his phone number, but suggested, in a gentle tone, that she not call unless it was an emergency. Occasionally he went out into the busy world, but he preferred to stay in his small house at the foot of the mountains in New Mexico. She envied him his peace.
Caedmon reminded her of Lang, who’d always had a solid core in his center. The most emotion she’d ever seen him display had been at the new house the other day.
I have to stop my reminiscing and get up. Outside her bedroom window the sun was shining. She hurried through her shower and managed to open her shop on time.
A tour bus stopped on their way to the interstate, and she was busy all morning. Cindy came in at noon to relieve her. Cassie
went up to her small apartment to get ready for her visitor, Ellen. She mixed a batch of chocolate chip cookies and had just put on the water for tea when there was a knock at the door.
“Ellen, welcome. Please come in.”
“Thank you.” Ellen looked around the room. “I love your place. It’s cozy. You’ve made it a home.” She laughed. “You should have seen my apartment when I met Sahale. Very few pictures, no decorations to make it personal.”
“You weren’t happy?”
“No. I was very alone. My two friends, Sara and Morgan, had married men here at the ranch. I was left behind, so to speak. Thanks to my wonderful husbands, my world has turned upside down in a good way.”
“I haven’t seen Sahale lately, but you and Jack glow.”
“Sahale’s been on an assignment, but he’s due back in a few days.”
“He must have left right after you got back from your honeymoon trip.”
“Yes, Daren asked him to do a special job for him.”
Cassie fixed the tea, while Ellen wandered around the room looking at her pictures, some photos she’d taken in her travels.
Cassie put the fresh-baked cookies on a plate and took Ellen’s tea to her.
“This is wonderful. Cooking chocolate chip cookies always makes the house smell so good.” Ellen sat on the sofa as Cassie went back to get her teacup.
Once they were both seated, Ellen looked across at Cassie and said, “I think you asked me to visit for more than just a friendly chat. Do you have concerns regarding your mother that I might address?” Ellen took a bite of her cookie and a sip of tea while she waited for Cassie’s reply.
“I know we don’t know each other well,” Cassie started out. “But I heard about some of the difficulties you had, from my mother. She admires you immensely.”
Ellen blushed and smiled. “Thank you. I don’t know why. I didn’t do much, if you’re talking about the assignment I went on with Jack and Sahale. They were always close and protected me.”
“To be honest, I wanted to ask you about your first relationship.”
Cameron, Paige - Commando Cowboys Reclaim Their Love [Wyoming Warriors 4] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Polyromance) Page 5