He handed her a helmet. “It’s only a mile, and I promise to go real slow.”
It wasn’t as if they were going on a cross-country trip or anything, though she wished he’d brought his van. A few raindrops fell, and soon the dirt on her shirt and pants would turn to mud. It wasn’t as if she had a choice. She couldn’t ask him to drive home, get his van, and return. By then she’d be more of a mess. “Okay.”
She slipped on the helmet and waited for him to get on before she slid on the back. To her delight when he spoke, she heard his voice in her headgear.
“Put your feet on these spikes.” He tapped his heel on the metal shaft.
Once she was in position, she placed her hands on his waist, as she wasn’t comfortable with plastering her chest to his back. However, as soon as he moved forward, she immediately wrapped her hands around him to avoid falling off. He had the audacity to laugh.
“It’s not funny,” she said. “I’m a motorcycle virgin.”
“Oh, I love it. Wait until Gabe hears that.”
“Groan, groan.”
He laughed again. At least one of them was enjoying himself.
True to his word, he drove slowly and took the turns carefully. Also true to his word, his spread was only a mile away. The weather turned ugly as the rain increased, blasting her arms and thighs. Cold seeped into her skin and she pressed her chest closer to his body to absorb his warmth. She refused to admit that she liked being this near to him.
Dylan steered down a dirt road. What she’d expected his house to look like she didn’t know, but it wasn’t an adorable log cabin with a six-car garage close by. Nor did she expect a large array of solar panels and a mammoth cistern on top of a knoll behind his house. He pulled up to the garage and tapped her leg for her to dismount. He ran up to the garage door, yanked it open, and motioned she step inside. As soon as he dragged his bike inside, he flicked on a bank of lights to illuminate the large area.
Once under the roof, she pulled off her helmet. The inside smelled of hay, horses, and a little of grease. “I’m confused.” A street legal motorcycle, Dylan’s van, and three horses co-existed inside.
Dylan took off his helmet and dragged a hand through his hair. “I was, too. We bought this place two years ago from a man who’d passed away. Apparently, he loved to restore old cars and had five of them.”
“So you converted it into barn and a garage?”
“Yup. We both love to ride, which explains the different kinds of two-wheeled modes of transportation, and our neighbor to our north asked if he could keep his daughter’s horse here, so our barn serves a lot of purposes.” There were shelves on one side that held tools, flowerpots, and an assortment of bins.
The horses whinnied as if they wanted some attention.
He faced her. “I’m guessing you ride since you grew up on a ranch?”
“Yes, but I haven’t been in a while. Whenever I visit the folks, it’s to chitchat and not for my riding pleasure.” She smiled. “I never was the type to go off on my own and commune with nature. After what happened, it’s been more so.”
He pressed his lips together in apparent sympathy. “Then maybe I could convince you at some time to come exercise these ponies with me.”
Right now that sounded divine. “I’d love to.” He hadn’t set a date, so she figured it would never happen.
The wind rattled the sides of the wooden structure and Dylan stilled. “Looks like we’re in for a bad storm. We better get inside.”
“What about Gabe? Does he have to drive back in this?”
He shook his head. “His bike isn’t street legal. He has a cart that he’ll pull behind his truck.”
So that’s what was missing—Gabe’s truck. She shivered.
“Come on.” Dylan walked over to the wall and grabbed a large umbrella. “I wished the previous owner had put the garage closer to the house, but at least we have a dry place to store our gear.”
It wasn’t that far, but she’d be totally drenched if they hadn’t had protection. He opened the people door, stepped outside, and spread the umbrella. Dylan wrapped a secure arm around her waist. “Come on.”
Instead of stiffening from the contact, she leaned closer to him as they jogged to the house. The front of the small cabin had a tiny porch, providing them with shelter. He closed the umbrella and they stomped their feet, but there was no way she wouldn’t be tracking in dirt.
Just as Dylan opened the door, the rumble of Gabe’s truck approached. She turned around and waved.
“We don’t need to wait. He’ll be a minute cleaning up his cycle. When you see it again, it’ll look brand new.” He ushered her inside.
The six-foot by six-foot mudroom was small but functional. A bench bordered one side and cubbyholes and pegs in the wall on the other. It looked like the one in her parents’ house, only much smaller. She sat on the bench and tugged off her boots then shucked off her jacket.
“Hold on. I’ll get you a towel.” He removed his boots and then stepped out of his pants as if it was the most common thing to do.
Whoa. While she’d been called cool and composed by her former boss, right now she was anything but. He turned around, and her gaze latched onto his butt. His long T-shirt fortunately covered his ass—as well as his cock, but she refused to steal a glance at that.
But you want to.
He strode into the main room and disappeared from view. The bottom half of her pants were drenched and she’d leak water if she followed him. This whole date was fast becoming a disaster.
He returned and handed her the towel. “Maybe just wring out the bottom of your pants. We’ll figure something out once we get you inside.” Good thing he’d pulled on a pair of old sweats.
You liked it better the other way. Admit it.
She ignored her lurid thoughts and did the best she could to dry off. She stood in her socks and went into the one large room. “It’s so cute.” To the left was an L-shaped kitchen with a tiled counter top, and a refrigerator that sat on a stand. The arrangement was something she’d never seen before. In the corner of the living room-dining room was a wood-burning stove. Was that their main source of heat?
The walls, which she had expected to be wood, were covered in sheet rock and painted a light khaki color that added a lot of warmth. The furniture was an odd assortment of country, contemporary, and garage-sale chic, but together it looked like a person could relax anywhere and not worry about ruining the surface. The wood floor was old and scarred, but it added character.
He picked up a blue button-down shirt and a pair of sweats. “Thought you might be more comfortable if you took a shower. If you put these on, I can wash your clothes.”
“You don’t have to go to the trouble.”
He shrugged. “I gotta do mine and you know Gabe will be a muddy mess.”
With this weather, she wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon, and a warm shower right now would be divine. “Okay. Thanks.”
If he’d been anyone else, she might think it was a ploy to get her naked, but she trusted Dylan.
“Let me show you to the bathroom. We pump our own water and have a ton of it, so don’t worry about using too much, and all of our electricity comes from solar or wind. Right now, we’ll be charging the batteries from the turbine.”
“That’s really cool.” Her house was on a small plot of land, so alternate energy wasn’t feasible.
“Let me show you.” He led her into a surprisingly large master bedroom. “This is Gabe’s room.”
Beside the bed and a dresser was a sitting area. “I love how much light there is in here.” It didn’t seem to matter that the outside sky was leaden.
“That door leads to the walk-in closet. I’d show you, but you’d be envious.” He grinned.
“You’ve seen my tiny closet so you know.” She’d overflowed into the second bedroom just to store her wardrobe.
“Wait until you check out the bathroom. At the end of the previous owner’s life, he was wheelchair b
ound, so the shower is a walk-in.” He pushed the door open and she sucked in a large breath.
“Holy moly. I never thought there would be such a modern bathroom in this house.” Not only could five people fit in the shower, there was a large jetted tub next to it. Uh-oh. “I didn’t mean that your house wasn’t nice. It is.”
He laughed. “I get it. When the realtor first showed us the place, I was convinced it wouldn’t work either, but the master closet and the bathroom cinched the deal. After we put on the addition, it was perfect.” He waved his hand back and forth. “It would be nicer if I had my own shower, but we’ve learned to take turns. Our new area contains a small spare bedroom and a large office, too.”
He opened a bathroom cabinet, took out two towels, and placed them on the counter. “In case you want to wash your hair.”
It was coated in champagne and mud, so yes, she’d be washing her hair. “Thanks.” He must have noticed that she used two towels when he’d stayed with her.
“There’s shampoo and body wash in the shower.” He averted his gaze. “Take your time.”
He spun on his heels and left. His honor impressed her. To avoid Gabe “accidentally” coming into his bathroom and claiming he didn’t realize she was naked in the shower, after some hesitation, she locked the door. If either man tested the lock, they’d believe she didn’t trust them, but that couldn’t be helped.
As she stepped toward the shower, the overhead light glinted off the medicine cabinet and her interest peaked. What would be inside? Did they use medication? John had a ton, but none of it seemed to help. One little peak wouldn’t hurt, right?
With trembling fingers, she pulled it open and almost laughed. Besides toothpaste, a razor, a bottle of aspirin, and shaving lotion, it was nearly empty. Who were these guys? John had all sorts of face creams, aftershave, and his drugs.
Her pits dampened. A spy she’d never make. Move.
Both men needed to shower—especially Gabe. She turned on only one showerhead, and hot water immediately shot out. That was unexpected. Even though he said he had a large supply, she turned it off while she undressed. Since her clothes were beyond filthy, she left them on the floor. She went back to the shower and spotted her brand of body wash in the alcove. She’d purchased hers from a specialty store in the mall since Pack & Save didn’t carry this brand. What were the odds he used this for himself? She loved statistics and the answer to that question came up zero. Hmm. Had he anticipated her coming here one day? Why else the coincidence?
It didn’t matter now. She enjoyed the fragrance and washed thoroughly. When she rubbed her hands over her breasts, she allowed herself the indulgence of picturing what Gabe’s or Dylan’s hands would be like as they ran their callused palms down her body. Would either of them like to suck on her nipples and pluck them hard or were they the kind to merely lick and massage her breasts?
When a cramp rippled down her pussy, she cut short her erotic thoughts. They’d asked her to watch a race and nothing more. This wasn’t a date. Or had they led her to believe it was something casual when in reality they wanted more?
Wash. These men deserved better anyway. She’d proved to herself that she was a fair weather sailor.
She grabbed the shampoo and studied the label. Wasn’t this interesting? This, too, was from the same shop, though it wasn’t the scent she ordinarily used. He didn’t have any conditioner, but she didn’t care, as her hair was so straight she only used the product to make it easier to comb when wet.
Dylan couldn’t have anticipated the rain, though he might have suspected the mud. But the champagne bath? Something wasn’t quite adding up, but she didn’t have the luxury of thinking about it now.
Not wanting to take any more time, she finished rinsing, turned off the shower, and stepped onto the plush bath mat. Once she wrapped the towel around her head, she dried off. At least her white lace undergarments had escaped unscathed, as had her socks, so she put them back on. Then she dragged on the sweat pants Dylan had provided and pulled the drawstring tight. They were a little long, and required her to roll up the cuffs, but once she made the adjustments, they were perfect. Dylan’s blue shirt was miles too big, but it was so comfortable, she never wanted to take it off.
Happy to be clean again, she gathered her dirty clothes, unlocked the door, and walked right into a naked Gabe.
Chapter Five
Motherfucker. Gabe was going to kill Dylan. When he’d asked where Ceci was, Dylan said she was in the spare bedroom getting dressed. He immediately turned around not wanting to embarrass her.
“Sorry, baby. I didn’t know you were in the bathroom.”
Something escaped from her lips but he couldn’t tell if it was a swallowed laugh or a gasp. “I’m not looking.”
It was a laugh. Her feet padded out, and as soon as he was sure she was gone, he closed and locked the door. Great. Now she’d think he’d come in here to seduce her. Not that he didn’t want to, but she’d never go for it.
Unless of course, she and Dylan had been in this together. Christ. Even if Ceci wasn’t involved, Dylan sure as hell was guilty. His roommate probably saw the way he’d kissed her. Grabbing her rear and pressing up against her with everyone looking might not have been cool, but she seemed so different at the race that he thought maybe, just maybe, he had a chance with her. Perhaps Dylan’s deception was a way to get him to be more serious about going after her.
He’d been serious once with a woman and that had gone terribly wrong. Belinda had fooled him real bad, and he promised not to be taken in again. But Ceci wasn’t anything like Belinda, that was for damned sure. Seeing Ceci struggle to keep control had made something snap inside him. His need to protect her had flared and he wanted her. Moving too fast would screw things up though, and he didn’t want to blow it now.
Dylan confirmed that Ceci was fragile and that she needed time, but the more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that maybe she was ready. She just needed a little push, and who better than him and Dylan to drag her out of her comfort zone?
He’d seen things in her that Dylan hadn’t. When she became upset, Ceci found comfort in ice cream like a drunk needed his booze. When he’d checked out the house one time, he’d opened her closet. Every shoe was in place and her clothes were organized by color. By color! Who does that? He knew. It was the kind of person who believed that if the world around her had order that her life would be less chaotic. That seemed to fit Ceci to a tee. He’d figured it out because his cousin had been assaulted in high school and had become anorexic as a way to gain control. She got help, but it had been a hard road. He wondered what was in Ceci’s background that made her this way.
Right now he needed a shower bad. It had been fun teasing her into getting dirty, but he could only push his luck so far. When he stepped into his bathroom, she’d carefully spread out her used towel, probably to make sure it dried without mildewing. Cute.
He drew the terrycloth she’d used to his face and inhaled. Knowing this had touched her naked body gave him a woody. Christ. Don’t do this to yourself.
He straightened the towel, jumped in the shower, and turned on four of the six valves. The heads aimed at his gonads would never get used. He still couldn’t figure out why the previous owner had them installed.
Gabe washed quickly. He’d become an expert at knowing where all the dirt liked to hide. Good thing he kept his hair short or he’d be in here forever trying to rid it of the clumps of dirt.
Dylan would need to use the bathroom next, so he jumped out and dried. As much as he’d like to go shirtless, he didn’t want to distress their guest anymore than she already had been. Once he finished dressing, he stepped out to the main room.
Dylan was in the kitchen and glanced back at him before returning his attention to Ceci. He held out a knife. “I need to clean up, but how about you cut off the head and tail like I showed you then slice the fish down the middle?”
She looked up at him like he was insane. Poor thing. Gab
e wanted to help, but he also was curious how far she’d go before she told Dylan flat out, no. “Okay, but do you have rubber gloves?”
He lifted her chin with his knuckle. “Sugar. Men don’t wear rubber gloves.”
Gabe moved closer. His cock hardened watching her indecisiveness.
“But you have body wash and shampoo from a store only women visit. Why don’t you have rubber gloves?”
Holy shit. He knew that when Dylan bought that stuff it might backfire. Had she guessed that Dylan had a plan to snare her all along?
Dylan cleared his throat, acting way too guilty. “I used it at your house once and liked it.”
Lame. Very lame. She’s too smart to fall for that.
Time to rescue them both. “Need help?”
Dylan’s shoulders slightly sagged. “You want to help her with the fish while I clean up?”
“Sure.”
She dragged her gaze up and down Gabe’s length. “It’s hard to believe you could get so clean.”
That did make him laugh. “It’s only dirt, baby, and if it ever stops raining, I’ll show you my bike. It cleans up real good, too.”
She waved the knife and nodded to Dylan. “Does he really expect me to cut this?”
“It’s just fish slime. You can wash your hands afterward and I won’t tell anyone.”
She smiled and his gut twisted. From her look he figured she was stringing both of them along. He’d have to pay more attention from now on.
As soon as the door closed to his room and Dylan was inside, she exhaled. “Okay, how about if I cut off the heads and tails, and slice them open, and you remove the bones?”
“You don’t mind smelling like fish afterward?”
She shrugged. “I’ll wash up. I’ll be good.” She grinned and she won a piece of his heart.
* * * *
Ceci never expected to have enjoyed herself this much on a date. Okay, the champagne sprayed in her face had almost ruined the day, but the kiss from Gabe had curled her toes. And seeing him naked convinced her she needed to give the men a chance.
Dirty Pleasures [Pleasure, Montana 10] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 4