by Regale, Rhea
“How’s she feelin’, Craig?” Brody asked. Craig finally shifted, drawing his long length from her body. Mandy fisted her hands in the blanket beneath Craig’s head and gasped.
“Man, her tight little anus feels incredible,” he murmured. She heard the strain in his voice, the coiled enrapture stringing him taut. She could feel the tension riding his body through his fingers as they ran over her back. “Hot heaven milkin’ my cock.”
“Baby, would you like the blindfold off?” Brody asked.
“Yes,” she whispered, barely able to get the word past the knot in her throat. Brody hooked his thumb around the scrap of fabric and lifted it from her head. She met the wild hunger that burned in his eyes and instantly seared her mind. He thrust his cock inside her pussy, the sensation of Craig sliding out as Brody filled her playing a torturous rhythm set to break her. The itching between her legs was damn mind-splitting, so damn hot and achy that all she could think about was Brody, Craig, and that promise of soul-shattering bliss.
Everything took on a primal air. She glanced back at Craig. The corded muscles along his arms were taut. His expression was a mask of fierce wanting etched with strain. His eyes flashed like storm clouds lit up by lightning. He leaned over her and pressed a line of scorching kisses up the path of her spine.
Every working organ melted as her two cowboys moved in perfect rhythm with each other, strumming her sensitive nerves, bringing her closer to the peak of that long sought-out mountain of ecstasy.
Brody led her head back down to his and swept his tongue along her lips. He delved into her mouth, passion swelling inside her chest. She moaned into his kiss, feeding desperately off each possessive plunder of his tongue, each playful scrape of his teeth.
The sparks erupted along the outer banks of her vision. The steady hum in her clit coiled tighter and tighter. Liquid heat boiled over, spreading up through her core and spilling down through her legs.
“Ahh, Brody,” she gasped, clenching down on his cock. Craig groaned at her shoulder, his feverish mouth suckling her flesh, his hot breaths splaying over her shoulder and ruffling the damp strands of her hair. Brody grunted against her mouth, each thrust more demanding and fierce than the last.
Lava shot through her, claiming her beneath an intense shock wave of exhilaration. She cried out, trembling as her climax crashed into her mercilessly.
“That’s right, baby. Ride it. Ride it hard,” Brody said.
“Aww, damn Amanda,” Craig said on a low breath. His fingers squeezed her ass, and he sat deep in her anus, low groans filling her ear. Tremors racked him, resonating along the wild storm of pure pleasure. Raw elation wrapped around her as she screamed, writhing between Brody and Craig, milking each and every drop of that burning throb lashing out from her clit and the hidden area inside her pussy. She squeezed her muscles, blood rushing against her ears. The grunts and groans from the two men cocooning her flooded her mind.
Brody tensed against her then roared. She continued to ride him, meeting each desperate thrust that held her at her peak until, at last, she split apart beneath a spray of white ecstasy.
“Damn,” Craig breathed against her back, his forehead coming to rest between her shoulder blades. Mandy collapsed onto Brody, her entire body trembling. She panted, the racing beat of her heart leaving her dizzy and in a euphoric haze. Brody’s heart led a furious rhythm against her ear, his breaths spreading over her hair and his hands gripping her hips as the last of his orgasm rolled through his cock. For a long moment, she lay between her two men, soaking in the heady scents of sweat and musk, absorbing the security they provided her, the strength in their bodies and the undulating emotions riding unspoken waves.
Craig slowly eased himself from her rear and climbed off the bed. Her neck muscles weak and her head heavy, she turned and caught his gaze. He gave a hint of an unsteady grin, the faint tremors from his climax still twitching in his arms, and then he disappeared into the bathroom.
Brody wrapped his arms around her and eased her onto her side. He feathered kisses over her forehead until she looked up at him. His eyes brimmed with emotions that reached deep into her soul and encircled her heart. Those full lips of his pulled up in a small smile. He smoothed her mussed hair from her cheek and tucked the curls behind her ear.
“You and Craig ruined me,” Mandy said, her voice reflecting the weakness claiming the rest of her body. Brody chuckled, placing a kiss against her lips. She twisted her hands and tugged the short strands of hair on top of his head. “You have.”
“Good, ’cause I don’t want to share you with any other man beside Craig,” Brody said, his voice deep and husky. He pulled her hands over his head and deftly untied the bindings. He rubbed her pink wrists, dropping soft kisses against her flesh. “I’ll be leavin’ in a few days, but you’ve given me a reason to want to come home.” He pressed two fingers to her chest. “This. You’ve stolen my heart, and as long as you hold it, nothin’ can keep me away from you for long.”
“Why, Brody Ryder,” Mandy teased. “Are you tryin’ to tell me somethin’?”
He laughed, cupping her chin. He pressed his forehead to hers. “Why yes, ma’am. I’m tellin’ you I love you.”
The bed sank at her back. She twisted and watched as Craig stretched out against her, propping his head on his fist.
“I love you, too, sweetheart. And to answer your question from earlier, Brody and I want you to be our woman, if you will agree to us both,” Craig murmured. He kissed her jaw and her cheek, and traced the line of her brow before settling his arm around her waist. She fitted herself along the curve of his body, her head resting against Brody’s shoulder, and allowed the righteousness of her cowboys to surround her.
“I wanted perfect. This is my perfect,” Mandy murmured, her eyes too heavy to keep open, and she gave into slumber’s temptation.
* * * *
Brody strummed the guitar lightly, not wanting to wake Mandy or Craig. The fire warmed his body as he sat on the floor, ankles crossed, humming the tune in his head that married the lyrics he wrote the day before. He loved the flow of the song, the emotional kick that snagged his heart and choked him up. Ah, yes. He wrote this one from the depths of his soul, that unseen and unheard voice of reason and logic, emotion and righteousness. The songs he performed written by other’s hands never had the impact like those he wrote himself. To this day, this song was destined to create more than a hard thump in his chest or a tightening of his jaw.
He took a risk writing these lyrics, putting his raw emotions into words that reflected what the past week had done to him. It would be a sure hit once his manager heard it for the first time. They’d put it into production as a single and add it to the playlist for the next album.
A surefire hit, Brode.
Even as the thought struck him, guilt welled in his conscience. Would he share this song with the world? A song that held a very special place inside him?
“Is this the new song you’re writin’ at the diner?”
Brody jerked, the strings clamoring in a chaotic sound that quickly died the moment he placed his hand over the sound hole. Mandy lifted her head from the doorjamb, her lovely mess of red curls deepening in color as the firelight flickered against them. She had wrapped the bed quilt around her, but he knew all too well what lay beneath. The very image stoked his arousal, pulsing a fresh wave of blood straight to his cock.
“Did I wake you?” he asked. Mandy shook her head, shuffling over and sitting down beside him against the sofa. She laid her cheek on his shoulder, the tips of her fingers poking out of the quilt and resting against his biceps. He gazed down at her, drinking in the serenity that surrounded them. He didn’t want to be a Casanova anymore, and he was having a damn hard time imagining any other woman besides Mandy curled up against him, sharing these precious moments in the early morning hours.
“Can I hear you sing?” she asked, perching her chin on his shoulder and rolling her eyes up to him. He kissed the tip of her nose and strumm
ed her bottom lip with his thumb before smiling.
“A private show for my Mandy May.”
“We had a deal about that, Casanova. I’m gonna have to hog-tie and fry you now.”
“Will that make you happy, baby?” He tuned the strings and strummed a chord, pleased with the sound.
“I’m pretty happy right now, Brody.”
She nestled against him, turning her face down as he started playing one of his songs from his latest album. It was a slow rhythm about cold winter days turning into hot summer fun. He gave himself to the music, keeping his voice low, singing solely for the woman sitting so naturally beside him. Her fingers ran back and forth over his arm, sending him deeper into a content state. Her touch was feathery and gentle, masking the strong-willed angel beneath. Those fingers played their own chords on his heart, and he listened to the sound of its song.
He finished the song and slipped right into another, enjoying each note, each strum, and each moment with his woman. He savored her touch, the scents of passion still clinging to them both, and the rhythm of her breath as it caressed his skin. The crackling logs in the fireplace and the woodsy aroma of burning logs filled his soul with comfort. The flames wrapped them in emanating warmth and sensuality, a thick, heady toxin that swelled the moment he realized Craig had joined them, settling on the floor beside Mandy. He perched his elbow on the sofa cushion and curled Mandy’s hair around his fingers while watching Brody play his guitar.
This was his perfect, Mandy curled against him and Craig sitting with them. Mandy was the stitch that brought them back together. She was the very essence that made them strong and whole, and he would forever be thankful for this trip back to Ryder. In the end, Pa made him see a light he had closed his eyes to a long time ago.
Chapter Sixteen
The bell jingled over the door. Mandy looked up from her table to see who walked in. She turned back to her order pad for a moment before her stomach churned, threatening to release the little contents it contained. Slowly, she looked back at the customer, paying closer attention to the details of the willowy blonde who sauntered into the place looking like a trophy with a little boy in tow. She flicked her hand and waved away Heidi, which earned the woman a sneer, crossed arms, and a glower.
“Miss?” Her customer drew her back to her job, and she quickly scribbled down the rest of the order. She hurried to the kitchen, where Heidi was waiting for her.
“You see who walked in?” Heidi asked in a hushed whisper.
“Are you sure?” Mandy dug her cell out of her apron and started a text to both Craig and Brody. “She’s got a kid.”
“Girl, that’s her all right. All plastic and bottle blonde.”
They both peeked out the small window in the swinging door and stared at the woman typing on her phone and diligently ignoring her son as he emptied the sugar caddy all over the floor.
Mandy fell away from the door and leaned against the adjacent wall. All of her hopes and dreams suddenly resonated a fragility she hadn’t noticed before. At any moment, they could shatter into a billion pieces. Her chest grew tight, making it hard to breathe. It didn’t help that her stomach was going through a mixer. She pressed her hands to her face and groaned.
Her cell beeped. She looked at the screen and opened Craig’s response. Caroline? Back in Ryder? Are you serious?
“God, I wish I weren’t,” she muttered as she typed her response. Brody’s text came a moment later, and his tone wasn’t nearly as nice.
That bitch better be headin’ straight out of town if she knows what’s good for her. She’s got no business here. She givin’ you a hard time?
“Maybe she’s just drivin’ through,” Heidi said doubtfully. Mandy shot her an arched-brow glance and snorted.
“Caroline doesn’t drive through anywhere unless she’s plannin’ to wreak havoc.” Mandy slid her phone into her apron and sighed. She stole another quick look into the dining room and shook her head. “That little boy looks around two.”
“Don’t you dare be assuming she’s here because that kid belongs to one of your men,” Heidi scolded. “She would’ve been back the minute the pink line showed up on her pee stick. Not now.”
The bell in the window rang, announcing plates ready to be delivered to customers. Heidi nodded toward Caroline.
“Want me to take care of her?” she asked.
“I’ll be fine.” Mandy grabbed a coffee pot, pushed through the doors, and stepped up to the booth Caroline and her son sat in. The woman held up a finger without as much as a glance. Mandy turned to the little boy and tried to muster a smile for him as he looked up at her with big brown eyes. In a few seconds’ time, she scoured the boy’s features for any sign of Craig or Brody that might give away Caroline’s reason for being in Ryder, and came up with nothing.
She turned on her heel and started away.
“Hey, waitress, I haven’t placed my order,” Caroline called in her airy voice hinted with annoyance. Mandy rolled her eyes to the ceiling, sucked in a deep breath, and turned back to her with a fake smile plastered over her mouth. Caroline laid her phone on the table and tapped the laminated menu with an acrylic nail. “I’d like to start with coffee and the egg special.”
Mandy grabbed a mug, placed it on the table, and poured her drink. She gritted her teeth behind tight lips and flashed the child another look.
“Anythin’ for your son?” Mandy asked. Caroline turned away from her phone and shot her a cold look. She met the woman’s hard blue gaze with her own. “Gonna let the poor thing starve?”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me, Caroline. Don’t go playin’ coy. You know who I am.”
She narrowed her eyes and thought for an exaggerated moment then snapped her fingers. “Ahh! Mary! Mary Preston! Oh, sweetie. You haven’t changed a bit. Still working at the same joint.” She motioned to her blonde waves and squinched her face. “Still have that same red hair. Have you thought about going dark? I think dark would look fabulous on your…skin tone.”
Mandy took a slow breath, her smile melting into a sneer. “It’s Amanda Pearson. Have you thought about goin’ dark? ’Cause it might hide the roots your hair dresser ain’t hidin’. Now, can I get anythin’ for your son?”
“Brandon, you want eggs?” Caroline asked, her gaze freezing over moments before she lowered it to the vigorously nodding boy. “Juice and eggs.”
Caroline leaned back in the booth and stabbed her with a devil’s glare. “You know Craig Ryder? Oh, of course you do. He used to tell me stories about you spyin’ on them when you were a kid. You see him lately?”
Mandy tamped down the urge to dump her pot of coffee on the woman’s head and shrugged. “I’m sure he’s already on his way back to school.”
“His father died. I’m sure he’s still here helping his momma out. Brody, too. Both of them are momma’s boys.”
“I’m pretty sure you remember that incident of yours a few years back that left a bad taste in their mouths for each other. Highly doubt you’d see those two within the same block,” Mandy said with the sweetest smile she could muster even as her words hung on potent bitterness.
She slid the menus off the table and tucked them in the box behind her. Heidi watched her curiously, her eyes burning bright. Mandy ignored her friend and turned her back on Caroline, calling out the order for Martin. She slipped her phone from her apron and checked the dual responses from her cowboys.
We’ll be down shortly. That from Craig. And Brody’s We’ll show her what happens when she messes with Ryder.
“Oh, no you boys don’t,” she grumbled, texting those exact words to them. The last thing she needed was a blowup at her work. As it stood, she’d caused enough of a stir the past few days, and Martin was starting to grow tired of it.
Mandy kept her distance from Caroline and her son until their food came up. Caroline barely spared her a glance as Mandy dropped her plate in front of her and placed the boy’s more carefully in front of him. She pointed
to Brandon’s empty juice and gave the boy a smile.
“Want some more juice, kiddo?” she asked. His eyes lit up, and he bounced in the seat, nodding vigorously. “What do you say?”
“Pease? Pease?” he begged. Mandy grabbed his cup and refilled it, receiving a joyful “Thanks!” from the boy and a scowl from his momma.
“Uh, Mary? These eggs are filthy greasy. I can’t possibly eat them. Can you tell the cook to cook them in a separate pan with oil?” Caroline asked. She lifted the edge of an egg with her fork and made a face. “Ugh.”
“Sorry. We don’t do low-fat meals and soy-milk lattes here. You don’t like it, I’m sure your five-star hotel can accommodate you better.”
“You’d better be careful who you direct that attitude toward.” Caroline pushed her plate away and tapped her nail on the tabletop. She lifted a carefully waxed brow, her eyes flashing anger. A dangerous grin pulled at her plastic lips. “I know you wanted those Ryder boys. Jealously doesn’t play well with people, sweetie. Don’t go placing yourself in a situation you have nothing to do with.”
Mandy shrugged, swallowing back the vile words that threatened to spew from her mouth. “Oh, I won’t be doin’ that.”
* * * *
Craig pulled out a bill and handed it to Darrell. The boy smiled as he made change and held it out for Craig, along with the three bags of produce.
“Keep outta the sun, kid. It’s a scorcher today,” Craig said, sweat beading down between his shoulder blades. He tugged his baseball cap low on his forehead and started back to his truck. He had two hours until Amanda got off work, and he planned to share a late lunch picnic with her and Brody down by the swimming hole.
After the unnerving text he received earlier about Caroline being in town, he and Brody agreed they’d need to figure out what she wanted and get her gone fast. The last thing either of them wanted was Caroline breaking the three of them apart. Not after Mandy brought them together.