by Sofia Hunt
Footsteps sounded behind her.
Her heart slammed in her chest. Mitzi hurried faster, almost running now. She chanced another glance over her shoulder. A figure dressed in dark clothes strode about a half-block behind her. A sweatshirt hood was pulled over his face and concealed his features.
Oh, God. It was him. It had to be. He’d followed her from the trailers, and now he was following her back. She glanced about for a car or another person. There wasn’t a soul to be seen. Terror crawled through her belly, warning her to run while she still had a decent lead over the man. Adrenaline pumped through her, spurring her on.
She broke into a jog. His footsteps pounded on the sidewalk behind her, closing the gap between them. Gasping, she pushed herself a little faster, afraid to look back in fear he might be within a few steps. What she’d give right now for a passing car, or even better, a policeman.
Breaking into an all-out run, Mitzi sprinted across the street, adrenaline pumping and her body in full panic mode.
A tall figure stepped from the shadows into the streetlight several feet in front of her.
Riley.
Mitzi had never been so relieved to see someone in her life. She threw herself into his arms, sobbing and shaking. His big body enveloped hers in a dense fog of warmth and safety.
She never wanted to let this man go.
Chapter 9
Riley held Mitzi tight as if any moment some monster might emerge from the bushes and wrench her from his arms. He didn’t know if the wild pounding in his chest was her heart thudding against his chest or his own wildly beating heart.
When he’d come back from the bathroom earlier, he planned to wake her up and do the things he’d been thinking of doing all night. He tried the door and found it unlocked, cursing her for her stupidity. When he didn’t find her inside, fear had consumed him as his mind played through the possible scenarios.
Frantic, he didn’t even take the time to wake Jonah, nor did he have his cell phone, so he couldn’t call for backup. Instead he ran to the barn but didn’t find her. Coming out of the barn, he spotted Jack Jameson walking a bay mare who had a bout of colic.
“Jack, have you seen Mitzi?” His breath came in short gasps, partially from running and partially from fear.
Jack studied him quizzically, shaking his head, as if he couldn’t imagine what had Riley so riled up. “Might have. I saw a tall gal with red hair over that way. She left the grounds and headed down the street.” Jack pointed in the general direction.
“Thanks, man. Hope your horse is okay.” Riley had patted him on the shoulder and jogged to the main road.
When he’d seen her running toward him like the very devil was chasing her, he’d broken into a sprint. She’d slammed into him so hard she’d almost leveled him. Now he held her and vacillated between wanting to comfort her and spank her for her foolishness.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she cried into his broad shoulder. Her entire body shook from the trauma. He held her until she calmed down, and then he pushed her back a step. Fear mixed with anger, and his temper boiled.
“Are you so stubborn you’re stupid? What the fuck are you doing out here in this neighborhood at this time of night?” Riley’s body vibrated with conflicting emotions. She felt good in his arms, just where she belonged, even though she pissed him off like no other woman ever had.
“I couldn’t sleep. I needed a few things at the grocery store. I didn’t want to wake you guys.” The words tumbled from her mouth in a jumbled rush.
“So you went out by yourself at 2:00 a.m.?”
She nodded into his shirt, soaked with her tears. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“I should spank your little ass. Treat you like the child you are.”
Mitzi stared up at him, and his insides turned all gooey, and his anger melted in a puddle at her feet. He lifted his calloused hand and gently wiped the tears with the pad of his thumb. Their eyes met and held. Tenderness crawled through him, invaded his every cell, like a long-lost friend who’d shown up on his doorstep.
She broke off the contact first and glanced over her shoulder. “Did you see him?”
Riley frowned and tried to concentrate on her words, instead of looking at her full, red lips and imagining the feel of those very lips on his dick. “See who?”
“The guy. He was right behind me. The faster I walked, the faster he walked. When I started running, I think he did, too. I could hear the sound of his footsteps pounding on the pavement behind me.”
“I didn’t see anyone but you. Are you sure there was someone behind you?” Riley surveyed the area but didn’t see a soul. His instincts insisted she told the truth. No one ran with terror in their eyes like she did and was faking it.
“Positive.” She clung to him. Her fingernails dug into his back.
“Did you get a look at him?”
“Not at all. He stayed in the shadows. He was wearing a hoodie and dark clothes. I couldn’t see his face.”
“What about his build?”
“I don’t know. Maybe average height. Average build. I don’t know. He could have been taller.” She shook her head in frustration.
Riley sighed, feeling somewhat helpless and inadequate. Thank God, she didn’t see him that way. “Let’s get you back to your trailer.” He put his arm around her and pulled her close. When they walked back by the barn, Jack was gone.
Entering the trailer, Mitzi busied herself making a pot of coffee. Riley stood in the doorway, not wanting to leave her but not sure staying would be a good idea either.
“Would you like a cup of coffee? I don’t think I can sleep.”
“Fuck, I could use a whiskey.” Riley wouldn’t be able to sleep either. The pleading look in Mitzi’s eyes sealed the deal. He couldn’t leave her when she was so uncharacteristically vulnerable. A sassy, smart-mouthed Mitzi he could handle. This Mitzi brought out too many protective instincts in him.
He sat down at her little dinette and took the whiskey she offered him. She took a seat across from him. They sat in strained silence. The clock hanging on the wall ticked while in the distance a big truck rumbled down the nearby street. A horse whinnied, then silence except for the clock ticking. Ticking. Ticking. Ticking Riley’s life away, second by second. Ticking away lost opportunities not seized upon. Ticking away what might be the most important decision he’d ever make. The damn clock ticked like a time bomb, counting down the moments in his life. It taunted him, daring him to take the risk.
Mitzi glanced up at him. Her brown eyes met his. A wave of longing swept through him, more than mere lust, way beyond a craving for her body. Unwelcome tenderness wound its way around his heart and slipped into all those places he kept locked up tight. The fear he’d felt when he’d found her missing earlier shocked him into realizing how much she meant to him, how devastated he’d be if something happened to her.
“Why did you walk out on me that night?” She stared at him, her gaze direct and accusing.
He jerked back, blindsided by her question. “You told me to.”
“I did not.” She glared at him, hurt and distrust shining in her eyes.
Confusion battered his normal defenses. “You told me earlier in the evening that you never let a man stay the night with you. Once the deed was done, you expected him to leave.”
“So you took me at my word and left?” Her accusatory tone betrayed the depth of her hurt.
Confused, Riley shook his head. “I was doing what you expected, what you wanted.”
“I expected more of you. I thought we had something special.”
Only a woman would come up with such twisted logic. “So did I, but the next day when you didn’t want anything to do with me, I assumed I was just another guy to you.”
“You treated me like a piece of ass, nothing more.”
“I did not.”
“You did.”
“You are the most contrary, unpredictable woman I have ever met.” Riley’s head hurt. Never try to fig
ure out a woman’s logic.
“I expected you to be different.”
“You wanted me to leave.”
“I never said that. I said I told other men to leave. You weren’t other men. Didn’t you get that? You didn’t have to leave. Do you do everything a woman tells you?”
“Fuck, no, but I thought—” Riley fisted his hands in his hair. “You didn’t want me to stay but you did want me to stay?”
Mitzi blew out a held breath and nodded, actually almost smiled. “Doesn’t make sense, does it?”
“Not one damn bit. If it makes a difference, I wanted to stay. It took every ounce of willpower I possessed to leave your bed that night.”
Silence hung over them. Words unspoken. Thoughts not articulated. Feelings hidden and protected from each other. It all boiled down to self-protection on both their parts.
“Riley. We’ve been so stupid. You and I.” Her eyes sucked him in, sold him on their sincerity. He bought it, hook, line, and sinker.
“Yeah, we have.” He stood and moved to her. Rasping her hands, he pulled her to her feet and into his arms.
She hesitated, pushed against his chest. “What about Jonah? I slept with him. I’m attracted to him, too.”
Riley chewed on that for a moment, considered it, and found it didn’t disturb him nearly as much as expected. “It’s okay, honey. Jonah and I don’t mind sharing. It’s a possibility we’ve already discussed.”
She frowned at him. “I don’t know how I feel about that.”
“You don’t need to worry about it right now. We’ll cross that bridge later. For tonight, let’s tuck you in bed and make sure you’re safe.”
She grabbed his arms and held him. “Don’t leave me. Will you stay with me for a while?”
“Sure will.” Like anything could keep him from her bed tonight.
Riley pulled her up onto her big bed in the gooseneck portion of the trailer. He’d just hold her, nothing more. He lay down next to her and wrapped her in his arms. Her heart still beat a little too rapidly under the thin material of her shirt.
“It’s okay, baby. Jonah and I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise.”
She buried her head in his shoulder. “I’m still not sure about how Jonah will take this.”
“You’re worried what we’ll both think since you slept with Jonah not too long ago?”
“Yes. I am. I wouldn’t want to do anything to hurt Jonah. Or you.”
“Mitzi, you don’t need to hurt either of us. I told you we’re okay with this.”
“I know, but it seems so—so weird.”
“Call it what you want. It’s okay, trust me, but only with us. We might share between us, but we don’t share with others.”
“I want you both. I don’t know how it can be, but it is.”
“You don’t need to choose.” Riley wanted—needed—her to understand how it was. He threaded his fingers through her long hair and touched his lips to hers. Her mouth parted slightly, and he touched the tip of his tongue to hers. She moaned, a primal sound which reverberated throughout his body and tightened his balls. His cock grew impossibly hard.
Riley’s hands slid up underneath her top and rubbed her warm skin. He covered her mouth with his, kissing, licking, sucking, exploring every recess of her sweet mouth and tangling his tongue with hers.
He dragged his mouth from her sultry lips and ventured lower, craving the column of her neck and nipping the sensitive skin on her collarbones. He rubbed his thumbs over breasts, feeling her hardened nipples through the thin fabric.
“I have to see you.”
She whimpered in response. He took that as a yes and slid the thin straps off her shoulders and down her arms. He pushed the knit fabric downward and hit pay dirt.
“You have the most gorgeous tits.”
She giggled. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”
“I might, but to you, I mean it.” He kissed her soft flesh until his mouth found its target. He flicked the nipple with his tongue and licked circles around her nipple jewelry, a small barbell. He sucked the nipple into his mouth. Mitzi grabbed the back of his head and held his face to her breast.
Riley slid his hands down her sides and felt for the top button on her jeans. He fumbled with the button, finally unfastening it, and pulled down the zipper. He slipped his hand down her jeans under her panties. Wet and willing, her legs fell open as he slid his index finger between the wet folds.
A second later Mitzi’s body went rigid. Only then did the sound of the trailer door opening invade Riley’s foggy brain.
Chapter 10
Mitzi jumped at the sound of the door opening. She grabbed her spaghetti strap top and pulled it up to cover her bare breasts. Riley stretched lazily on the bed, not the least bit disturbed by their intruder, his long index finger still buried in her wet cunt.
“It’s okay. It’s just me.” Jonah stood in the doorway, his face hidden in the shadows.
It wasn’t okay. She’d almost rather it was her stalker. A strange feeling of guilt stabbed her. She didn’t understand it. After all, she’d made no promises to either man. This was just sex, nothing more. Nothing less.
Jonah stepped toward the bed, his movements slow and deliberate. He stopped short of the set of steps leading up to the gooseneck area. Still standing in the shadows, Mitzi could only make out his silhouette. Riley nibbled on her bare shoulder, undeterred by his buddy’s appearance in the trailer. His finger pressed deeper.
“Riley, stop it,” she hissed and swatted at his strong fingers as they tugged on the stretchy material covering her breasts.
“There’s no reason to stop. Jonah doesn’t care, do ya, buddy?”
A soft chuckle sounded from the shadow. “Actually, I like it. I like to watch.”
Mitzi froze as Jonah tossed his T-shirt aside. A second later she heard the distinctive sound of a zipper, shuffling of feet, and Jonah’s jeans flew through the air.
Riley resumed his assault of her neck and shoulders, and his insistent mouth distracted her momentarily. Cupping her chin in a firm hand, he pulled her mouth toward his. He attacked her with his greedy lips and tongue like the ravenous hound dog he was, making her forget everything but his demanding mouth. Mitzi kissed him back, as insatiable as Riley. Another finger joined the first, pressing against her inner walls.
The bed sank under the weight of another person and slammed Mitzi back to reality. “What the fuck are you doing?” She jerked out of Riley’s arms and drew her knees up to her chest, hugging them to her body.
Jonah grinned, not the least bit contrite. His thick cock stood tall and proud and waved like a conquering hero’s flag. “Exactly what you want, babe.”
“What I want?”
“Yeah, darlin’, what you want. Weren’t you having a hard time picking between us?”
“I—uh—yeah, I guess a little.”
Riley stripped off his clothes. Unable to help herself, she feasted her eyes on his lean, muscled body. Her gaze slid down to his cock. Incredibly long and hard, she recalled how it’d filled every empty place in her, given her pleasure she’d never experienced before. She wanted his cock inside her.
“Now you don’t have to pick. You can have us both.” Riley nuzzled her neck.
“Are you damn crazy?” Despite her arguments to the contrary, Mitzi was intrigued, tempted to sample what they had to offer.
“We’ve been told that story before. Is it a problem?” Riley caressed her hip.
She gasped and attempted to move further away, but she had nowhere to go. “A problem? There are two men in my bed.”
Riley’s eyebrow crept upward, and Jonah’s grin grew broader. “You’re catching on, baby. Double the pleasure, double the orgasms.” Jonah’s big calloused hand settled on the inside of her knee.
“Don’t tell me you don’t want this. I can see in your eyes you’re intrigued.” Riley pulled her to him and sat her between his legs with her back against his chest.
“Ah,
come on.” Jonah’s hand crept higher. “You’ve got a rep as a wild one. Don’t tell me you’ve never been fondled by two men at the same time.”
“Never.” She shook her head adamantly.
“Never been fucked in more than one hole at the same time?” Jonah pressed.
“Never. One man is more than I want to deal with.”
“I think you’re lying. You’re intrigued. You’re turned on. And you really want this.”
Riley’s hot breath on her neck and lower sent sharp thrills of anticipation through her body. He grabbed the top of her shirt in both hands and yanked. The material gave way, and he ripped it completely in half, baring her breasts.
“We need to see your naked body, baby.” Riley flicked on a light over the bed, bathing them in a soft glow. She tried to cover her breasts, but Riley held her hands to her sides.
Jonah wrapped his finger around the unbuttoned waistband on her jeans and slid them down her legs, adding them to the growing pile on the floor. He hooked his fingers in her panties and pulled them off. Feeling oddly modest and embarrassed in front of two men, Mitzi clamped her legs shut.
Jonah pried her legs open. His strong hands wrapped around the insides of her thighs and spread her wider. Mitzi moaned and laid her head back against Riley’s shoulder. His hot mouth teased the sweet spot under her earlobe. He filled his big hands with her breasts, massaging them in a circular motion.
Jonah bent his head. His wicked tongue licked a hot trail up her thighs. Mitzi shifted her hips, squirming under the tight hold of the two men.
“You want us to stop?” Riley’s gravelly voice tickled her ear.
Mitzi couldn’t find the words. They stuck in her throat. The cowboys took her lack of response as a no. She didn’t know how she wanted to respond. Her traitorous body gave its own answer as her hips shifted upward, giving Jonah better access to her sopping pussy.