Deke pressed against her chest. “Could you ever imagine yourself living here?”
She laughed, his comment coming so out of the blue. “No. Where would I shop?” His eyes narrowed. Uh-oh. Now she’d offended him.
“We aren’t uncivilized. Tucson’s only an hour drive, and there are a ton of small towns that are closer.”
She ran a finger down his chest. “I think commuting to Phoenix would be hard every day.”
He sobered. “Do you really love your job that much?”
“Love it? No, but it gets me out from under my parents. I’ll be coming into some money soon, but I’m not the kind of person to sit and do nothing all day. I’m only twenty-four.”
“You know, if you were interested in living here, you could stay real busy by handling the finances and taking over the paperwork. Trust me, there’s a ton.” She opened her mouth to respond, but Deke continued. “That’s not to say you couldn’t muck out a stall or two if you wished.”
Now she laughed. For a moment she thought he was serious. “I’m sure Zach would love to have me interfere in the running of his ranch.”
“Yeah, well, there is that.”
A large splash diverted their attention. Brett surfaced and waved.
“Come on in. Water’s a little cool, but it’s nice.”
Deke cupped her face and kissed her. “You game?”
Glad to be out of that uncomfortable conversation, she nodded. She stepped out of her panties and followed Deke in.
Chapter Nine
Christina stepped out of the hot shower and sighed. Her swim with the two men had been not only playful, but sensual as well. Because they couldn’t wear a condom in the water, the men agreed to keep their distance, but that didn’t mean they didn’t find every opportunity to rub against her and stimulate her pussy. If anything, she was hornier now than when she woke up this morning.
And the whole riding of the horse thing? She had to admit, she was catching on quite well. A few times, she even dared to trot on her own. Too bad she was leaving soon. She might enjoy learning how to ride.
With a towel around her head, she dried her body. She’d pulled on a pair of panties when there was a knock on her door. She smiled. Brett and Deke must have changed their minds and decided to have an early afternoon interlude. That was more than fine by her.
She raced to the door, her breasts fully exposed, and whipped open the door. “Oh, shit.”
She covered herself and backed up as Zach stormed in. “Put some clothes on.”
He wouldn’t get a complaint from her. Turning her back, she pawed through her drawers and pulled on a thick T-shirt and tugged on a pair of capris.
“To what do I owe this honor?” No matter how hard she tried, a smile wouldn’t form.
“I’ve called the fantasy resort. A driver will be here in an hour to take you back.”
Her heart slammed against her ribs. “My time isn’t up. I paid for seven days.”
He held out a check. “Here’s ten grand. Consider this a free vacation for you.”
She refused to take it. “Why are you kicking me out?”
His jaw hardened. “You’ve disrupted the ranch life enough. Deke and Brett have been basically useless since you’ve arrived.” He turned to go.
“Wait.”
His chest expanded, as if he’d inhaled and was holding his breath. Finally, he turned around. “What?”
“I want to stay.”
He flinched. “It’s not your choice.”
In that minute, she knew she didn’t want to give up this life, that she wanted to be part of something that was special. “How about if I work here and earn my keep?”
He looked off to the side and shook his head. “You couldn’t handle the long hours and the hard work we do around here. Even if you could, what do you think the senator and Mrs. Hardgrave would say about you living with me?”
She’d be with Zach? Brett and Deke were hired hands and probably stayed in the bunkhouse. “I imagine they wouldn’t be happy, but I’m a grown woman. I could build a home nearby, or better yet, on the edge of this massive property where you wouldn’t have to see me.”
“No. If you stay, you’ll have to marry me since I own the ranch. You can love Brett and Deke, too, but that’s all. It would be just the three of us, all touching you, being one with each other.” He inched forward. “Could you handle fucking me every day, even if I’m in a bad mood? Huh?”
He wasn’t being serious. “Now why would I bind myself for the rest of my life to a man who hates me? What kind of loving family would that be?”
He stared at her so long she was afraid he’d forgotten how to speak. “Get packed. Your ride will be here soon. I don’t want to see you again.” He turned and walked out the door.
A tear leaked out of her eye. What he described seemed like heaven, only heaven was unattainable unless you died first. He spoke the truth. Her parents would disown her, and she wasn’t sure she was ready for that.
There was no time for tears. She packed her clothes and lugged two of her suitcases down to the kitchen and placed them by the door. The last two bags, one of which contained her mostly unread books and pamphlets, was too heavy to carry.
While she was in the kitchen, there was a knock on the door. Her hour wasn’t even up, and she wanted to say good-bye to Deke and Brett before she left. She opened up. There stood another cowboy, tall and lanky.
“Ma’am.” He took off his hat. “Mr. Zach told me to help you with your suitcases, but I see you already brought them down.”
“There’s still two more. I’ll show you where they are.”
With heavy feet, she trudged to her room. The cowboy nodded, lifted her bags, and followed her back to the kitchen.
“Thank you. Have you seen Deke or Brett around?”
“Yes, ma’am. Both of them had to drive to Tucson to negotiate a deal.”
“Oh.” Damn, now she wouldn’t be able to say good-bye. Before the cowboy was out the door, the van pulled up. She turned to the lanky man. “Would you tell them good-bye for me?”
“Happy to.”
A tear formed on her lashes, but she wouldn’t cry. She half expected Zach to be there to make sure she left. Guess he couldn’t stand the sight of her.
The driver loaded her bags and she slid into the passenger side. She never wanted anything more than to stay here, but she just plain wasn’t welcome.
* * * *
Christina spread out on Danielle’s sofa, one hand over her eyes, praying the headache would go away.
“What are you going to tell your mother?”
“Before or after I kill Aunt Miriam for tricking us?”
“Before.” Danielle placed a cup of hot tea on the coffee table in front of her. “Drink this. It’s chocolate-mint rooibos. Your favorite.”
“Thanks.” She blew on the steaming cup and took a small sip. “I’ve missed this. The ranch kitchen only had coffee.”
“Are you complaining?”
“No, I’d give up tea for life if I could go back there.”
Danielle sat across from her and nibbled on a cookie. “Let me get this straight. You had amazing sex with these two hunky cowboys, but the owner kicked you out.”
“Yes, but I think deep down he cares for me.”
Danielle chuckled. “What world are you living in?”
Was she being overly hopeful? “If you knew how amazing he was when he tied me to the barn wall and licked me down there, you wouldn’t say that. And his kisses were so full of passion I almost died.”
“He was doing that to see if you’d leave on your own. You said he walked out afterward, right?”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. Maybe I should ask Charles to be my pretend boyfriend for a while so Mom thinks I’ve learned how to find the perfect man. I don’t want her interfering in my love life again.”
“Why is he perfect? Charles is gay.”
“She doesn’t know that. Charles is good-looking and sua
ve and doesn’t act effeminate. He’s the perfect politician, too. He’s been begging me to introduce him to Dad because he so wants to be a diplomat.”
“Go for it, but I don’t know how you can pretend you adore Charles when your pussy is thinking about Deke’s and Brett’s cocks wedged inside you.”
She groaned. “Please. I’m trying to have an exorcism here, and you aren’t helping.”
Danielle finished the last cookie on the plate and stood. “Well, you can stay here for the next two days until your ‘vacation’ is officially over, but you have to confront your mother sometime.”
“Confront her about what?”
“Living on the ranch.”
That made her laugh. “Ow, that hurt my head. I’m not going to the ranch. You just said Zach truly doesn’t want me. You’re right. He wouldn’t let me step foot on his property.” She shrugged. “Brett and Deke are probably onto another woman by now.”
“I was just kidding. I wanted to see how serious you were about moving there. Besides, I thought you said they told you they loved you.”
She drank a bit of the tea. The chocolate aroma helped calm her. “They were paid to say that. You know they’d eventually resent me for my money. They’re ranch hands. I doubt they’ve saved any money and wouldn’t like it if I paid for the house and all the expenses.”
“You don’t know that.”
She rolled her eyes. “I have to be reasonable. I want all three men. That’s not natural. I’d scandalize my parents, and I refuse to do that to them.”
“Not if you marry Zach, like he suggested.”
Now she did laugh. “He wasn’t being serious.”
“You don’t know until you ask him. Bring him to Phoenix. See if he can pull off being a politician’s son-in-law.”
“He hates me.”
Danielle waved a hand. “Don’t believe half of what any one of them tells you. From the way you’ve described him, he wants you so bad he had to push you away to save his heart.”
Was that true? She refused to get her hopes up. “Come Monday, I’m going back to work and act as if this wonderful, amazing week hadn’t happened.”
“You can’t erase the glow on your face.”
She put the cup down and dropped back against the sofa. “It was truly the most exciting time of my life. Plus, there’s no lack of work to do on the ranch, and I could help with the finances and the paperwork.” She waved her hand, erasing that thought. “I think the sex was so new to me that I’m still in la-la land.”
“Suit yourself, but you’ll be sorry if you don’t at least follow up with Zeke and Greg.”
“Their names are Brett and Deke.” And then there’s Zach. Maybe it was the fact he didn’t want her that made her want him all the more.
* * * *
“What the fuck did you tell her?” Brett held Zach by the shirt.
“I told her to leave.” Zach removed the offending hand and stepped back. He had no desire to get in a fistfight over a woman.
“Why?”
“You and Deke weren’t attending to work like you should.”
Brett stepped back and slammed a fist into his gut. “That’s bullshit. You were jealous we got her and you didn’t.”
His breath caught at the surprise attack. Not one to back down, he pivoted and slammed a hand into Brett’s jaw. His brother tumbled to the ground. “You fucked her.”
Keeping his gaze on Zach, Brett jumped back up. “We made love to her.”
The kitchen door opened and Deke rushed in. “I can’t find her anywhere.”
Zach didn’t take his gaze off his half-crazed brother. “She left.”
“That true, Brett?”
“Bro here asked her to leave. Said we were shirking our duties.” Brett went into attack mode. This time Zach was ready and ducked the next punch. He didn’t want to hurt his brother, but his accusations cut him to the quick. He shoved Brett backward.
Deke jumped in the fray and managed to get in a punch to his kidneys. “That’s bullshit.”
“Fuck.” Zach bent over to catch his breath, then went on the offense. One punch landed on Deke’s cheek, but Brett evaded his other jab.
Deke was on him like a stallion on a mare in heat. “Why did you send her away?” He shoved Zach against the countertop.
Zach shoved back. “I told you why. She was a distraction.”
His brothers held him down and punched him in the gut. “You’re scared. Admit it.”
He couldn’t. They’d think he was a coward. He broke free from their grips. “You’re dead wrong.”
They stepped back, their hands ready to do more damage. “You wanted her. We could tell.” Brett’s eyes narrowed.
His shoulders slumped. “Fuck, yeah, I did.” He wiped the blood dripping from his mouth. “Be reasonable. Picture her here with us. First off, the damned paparazzi would be staked out on our doorstep. Can you imagine the flak she’d get from her conservative parents?”
Brett grabbed his shoulders. “That’s a line of bull. What’s the real reason?”
“I told you.”
They were on him again, slamming him against the wall, then tossing him onto the table. Dishes flew off and crashed to the ground.
“Her parents would freak if they learned why she was here.” His excuses sounded lame even to him.
“Like you care?”
That was the problem. He cared too much. The truth surfaced like a dead body floating to the surface. Its appearance might be unwanted, but the buildup of gasses was both unstoppable and inevitable. He squeezed shut his eyes for a moment. “Okay, okay. I couldn’t stand the pain if she left, so I kicked her out.” The truth tumbled from his lips. Was he really that pathetic? “There. Happy?”
Brett lowered his fists to his side. “Why the fuck didn’t you tell us you planned to send her home early? We’re your family.”
“I’m sorry. I guess I could see how well she fit in. I thought you’d all leave me out.”
Deke slapped a hand on his shoulder. “We’d never do that.”
Brett whistled. “You love her?”
Zach hadn’t slept a wink since she’d gone home. He thought of Maria and what she’d want. While he didn’t believe in ghosts, he could have sworn she’d appeared each night telling him to be happy. “Yes.”
Brett smiled and leaned against the table. “I’ll be damned.”
Deke picked up the unbroken saltshaker from the ground and twirled it in his fingers. “Do you think she’d be happy here? There’s more to life than having sex. She could get tired of us.”
Zach had worried about that. “The only way to know is to ask her, but I want to give her a week or two to get her thoughts together. We, too, need to do the same. I think that if after that time we still feel the same, you two should seek her out. What do you say?” He held his breath. His brothers were the link to getting Christina back.
There was a long silence. “Why us? You’re the one with a lot of explaining to do.”
The thought of another rejection compressed his heart. If he loved her, he had to talk to her. “You’re right.” Though God help him if she turned him away.
Chapter Ten
The last week and a half had been pure torture. For one, Christina continually had to lie to her parents about the finishing school. She said she’d met someone special but that they both agreed to give it some time to see if they still felt the same way when they met again. This would give her time to come up with a plan. She had thought about parading Charles in front of them, but he’d hooked up with someone from his law firm. Joe something or other.
“In the meantime, I want to date other people to put as much temptation in my way. If in a few weeks I still want him, then I might let you meet Mr. Wonderful.”
“What’s his name?”
Ah, that was the big question. She believed one of them would seek her out. Would it be Deke, Brett, or heaven forbid, the owner himself? “I don’t want to jinx it by stating his name.”
“Okay, dear, but remember, the more babies you have, the higher chance one of them will become president.”
Dear Lord. Her mom needed to get off that kick. Christina immediately pictured a McKenna son. He’d be strong, incredibly handsome, and totally comfortable with riding and taming a horse. Ronald Reagan’s face came to mind. “I’ll certainly keep that in mind.” She stood and gave her mother a kiss. “I’m off to look at condos.”
“You need help?”
She didn’t want the kind of help her mother could provide. “No, thanks.”
“Don’t be too long. You need to give me a guest list for your twenty-fifth birthday bash next week.”
Ah, yes, the big coming-out party. “Sure.”
As she walked out the door, a brilliant idea formed.
* * * *
Brett ran into the kitchen and nearly made Zach spill the coffee. “What’s up your butt?”
Brett grinned and waved the mail. “We got a letter from Christina.”
Zach’s hands clenched. “Open it.”
His brother tore it open. “It’s a birthday invitation. Christina’s turning twenty-five next week.”
“Rod must have given her our address.”
Footsteps pounded down the hall. Deke ran in. “What’s going on? I heard Brett shout.”
Brett showed him the invitation. “I’m going.”
Over my dead body. “No, you aren’t. You need to be here to cook and do my chores. I’m taking off my week that you both owe me.”
He’d won the Christina bet on several levels. She’d come to him first, asking if she could seduce him, and secondly, Deke and Brett had broken the no penetration rule.
Brett clenched his fists. “The hell you will. It’s addressed to me and Deke.”
“Don’t forget our deal. You two insisted I be the one to approach her first. Remember, I have to apologize for my behavior.”
Zach didn’t need any more turmoil to tear them apart. They’d been on each other’s nerves for the past two weeks, ever since the woman they all claimed to love had left.
“Zach has a point,” Deke said. “He needs to go. Besides, if we all showed up, it would become clear to her parents that we all wanted her. Can you imagine that chaos?” He shook his head. “Hell, Christina doesn’t even know we’re brothers. That lie alone might piss her off more.”
Monroe, Melody S. - Fantasy Ranch [Fantasy Resort 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 9