Reined In: Lone Star Lovers, Book 7 Page 2

  Cam grunted. “Who’s talkin’ about you? She didn’t name names when she invited us to her shower.”

  “Ya think, maybe…?” Joe shook his head. “I better call it a night. I’m thinkin’ crazy thoughts now.”

  “Is it really that crazy?” Cam asked, unwilling to let the conversation drop. “She sparks like a wildfire every time you’re around, but I’d bet my paycheck she’d have let me watch if you’d rubbed her pussy.”

  Joe’s gaze met his again, this time narrowed and calculating. “You’re the one she likes to talk to. Goes all soft whenever she looks at you. Maybe she’s into you and I just piss her off.”

  “I don’t think so. Two Mule’s a small town. Think she’s been hearin’ rumors about threesomes and thinks she wants to try one of her own?”

  A sparkle lit Joe’s gaze. “There’s only one way to find out.”

  “Whatcha got in mind?”

  “Let’s seed a cloud,” he said, a wicked grin stretching his mouth. “See if we get wet.”

  Chapter Three

  The sound of water rushing through pipes in a steady stream filled Stormy’s mind with images of tanned backs and buttocks, soapy rivulets sweeping down rock-hard chests and abs and large, work-roughened hands stroking turgid flesh.

  She tossed back the covers and walked to the window, inching aside the curtains to peer outside. The rest of the hands had retired to their quarters on the far side of the barn. When Cam had assumed the foreman’s role, he’d moved into the main house. Her father had invited Joe along too, seeing as how the two were best friends and worked well as a team. He loved and respected both young men. Besides, she was sure he’d been lonely in the big house after she’d left for college.

  And here his daughter was, lusting after his hired hands. Would he be disappointed? He hadn’t been crazy about her last boyfriend, and Derik had had the perfect pedigree. But her father wasn’t from money. He had no airs about him and didn’t tolerate them from anyone. She thought he liked the fact Cam and Joe treated him like a father, and that they didn’t hold him in awe.

  She was pretty sure if she chose one of them her father wouldn’t mind so much. He’d like to see her settled. Somewhere safe with a man he knew and respected. He’d like grandkids to spoil since he’d already ruined her. Stormy never minded when he said that because he always added that a woman was meant to be spoiled.

  Her mother had certainly lived like a queen.

  She let the curtain drop and turned from the view outside to let her gaze roam her room. Her mom had helped her decorate after she’d become a teenager. Told her she wasn’t a child anymore and had let her loose, with supervision, to explore her own likes and desires. The cream and cloudy-blue palette, dark, heavy wood and hints of deep, passionate red still soothed her restless spirit. She picked up the unicorn figurine on her dresser, the one piece she’d kept from the attic where she’d stored her childhood treasures because her mom had given it to her.

  She still missed her. Every day. Every room still felt infused with Priss Jordan’s warmth. Maybe that was why her dad was gone so much these days. And why he’d made the hard decision to let the ranch go, a decision that had fueled her last-minute whim to come here now.

  “Lord, Mama, what must you be thinkin’ about me now?”

  Her mama had been quick to laugh, even faster to hug. She’d expected her daughter to act like a lady. But Stormy wasn’t a little girl anymore. And she was running out of options. Her daddy had been leaning closer and closer to selling the ranch, and in fact had found a buyer, which would maroon her from the only home she’d ever known. She’d never tell her daddy not to, she understood why he needed to let go, but she had unfinished business. Too bad she’d let so much time pass, all those years of college where she’d only come home three or four times a year for an odd weekend. She’d been drifting, putting space between herself and temptation—actually, two completely different temptations.

  No more stalling. She glanced in the mirror over the dresser. She’d dressed in a tank and Lycra boy shorts. Not too provocative, except that her body wasn’t slender and boyish anymore. She bent at the waist and shook her hair, then straightened and flipped it back. She looked tousled and her face was free of makeup. She wasn’t overstating her intent.

  Stiffening her back, she walked to the door and then strode down the corridor toward the kitchen. If she waited there long enough, someone would want a late-night snack.

  Joe struggled to pull blue jeans over wet skin and then quickly toweled his hair. He’d heard a door open. And was pretty sure it had been hers.

  A chance to catch Stormy alone was too much temptation to ignore. He opened his bedroom door a crack, checked up and down the hallway and then slid out, walking barefoot, following the sounds of cabinet doors opening and closing.

  Only when he stepped into the kitchen, Stormy wasn’t alone. Cam stood with his butt against the counter, wearing a faded T-shirt and Wranglers, watching Stormy, barely dressed, reach high into a cabinet for the peanut butter.

  The stretch exposed her midriff. And Cam’s gaze trailed the bared skin, his expression hardening.

  Well, damn. “Gonna fix me one too?”

  Her hand dropped and her heels met the floor before she turned to aim a glare his way. “I changed my mind. I want a drink.”

  Joe waggled his eyebrows. “Are you hungry? Cam here won’t mind fixin’ you something. Eliana always leaves leftovers in the fridge. Bet he could make you a roast beef sandwich.”

  “I already told you. I’m not hungry anymore.”

  “Could have fooled me,” he murmured, his glance trailing over her chest. Her nipples were hard little beads against the white tank she wore. Had she forgotten to wear a bra? Or had she done it on purpose?

  Joe strode to the refrigerator beside her and opened it. He reached for a beer from the bottles lined up in the door. He handed one to Cam, twisted off a cap and handed another to Stormy, then snagged one for himself.

  Cam gave him a glare but gentled his expression when he turned back to Stormy. “You didn’t call before you came. Seems like this trip was rushed. Why don’t you tell us what really brought you here, sweetheart?”

  Joe nearly groaned at Cam’s direct approach. Stormy would shut down faster than a burger joint at midnight if dared to tell the truth without a little persuasion.

  Stormy shrugged, a pout pushing out her lower lip. “I graduated a month ago. I’m considerin’ my options. Maybe I just needed a break to think.”

  “The ranch is a long way from Austin,” Cam said softly. “What’s this really about?”

  Stormy’s mouth dropped open and then snapped closed again. Her gaze narrowed.

  Joe knew from that look that she was getting ready to let lose some smartass comment—out of habit—to protect her pride. But Joe didn’t want her to keep her armor in place or tell them a lie. She needed a little push. Something to cloud her mind before she thought of another lame excuse. He was pretty damn sure he knew exactly why she’d run straight to the ranch.

  He leaned toward her, crowding her against the counter. He set his beer aside, plucked hers from her nerveless fingers and then bracketed her slender body as he clenched the edge of the counter. “I promise if you tell the truth, you might get what you’re after,” he drawled.

  She swallowed hard, her gaze widening, clinging to his.

  He slid a thigh between her bare legs. They clamped around him. But to keep him from raising it higher or to hold him there? He couldn’t tell.

  Her lips parted and her breaths shortened.

  “Am I botherin’ you?”

  She swallowed hard and flashed him a glare. “When don’t you bother me, cowboy?”

  Since she hadn’t shoved him away, he pressed harder, bending his neck so his face hovered over hers. She clenched her thighs tighter around his knee. “Disappointed I didn’t punish you on the spot when you ground your heel into my hand?”

  She hesitated and then tossed back he
r silky hair. “I did wonder why you held back,” she said, sounding a little out of breath. “You’re always quick to jump down my throat.”

  “Oh, I wanna come down your throat all right.”

  Cam snorted beside them, drawing both their gazes. “Shall I leave you two alone?”

  “Why?” Joe asked, his gaze dropping to Stormy’s again. “She’s not shy. Fact is, I think Peaches wants us both here. Don’t you, sugar?”

  This time, her eyes rounded and welled with tears.

  Cam muttered under his breath.

  But Joe wasn’t ready to relent. Not when damp heat soaked the top of his jeans-clad thigh. “There’s no shame in tellin’ the truth,” he whispered. “We’ve both been waitin’ a long time for you to grow up. All you have to do is tell us you’re ready.”

  She licked her bottom lip, pretty Peaches with her face devoid of makeup and pretense, looking impossibly lovely and young—and afraid.

  “Baby, for once, tell me the truth.”

  “I’m not sure what I want, or even who I want,” she whispered.

  Joe quirked up one side of his mouth and leaned closer, his mouth an inch from hers. “Now that’s a lie. You kissed him.” He arched a brow. “Think I didn’t know? I watched. But you liked it when I spanked you too. Both those things happened a long time ago, but you’ve thought about us, haven’t you?”

  She nodded, her breaths growing more ragged by the moment.

  “It’s okay to tell us,” Joe said, his voice deeper now, raspier. “Do you want us both?”

  “Joe,” Cam said, anger in his tone.

  Joe shook his head, not looking away from Stormy’s widening eyes. “Cam, you just wait. We’re friends. I love you like a brother. But I want her—just as bad as you do. And Peaches here—she’s enough woman to handle us both. I’d stake my next paycheck on that fact.” The way the pupils in her silver-blue eyes dilated confirmed it. “Sweetheart, you wanna find out if that’s true?”

  A thin moan broke from her lips, and Joe bent to capture it, pressing his mouth against hers and forcing his thigh higher, rubbing it against her pussy.

  She pushed against his chest for all of a second and then glided her hands up to cup the back of his head, her fingers threading through his hair and pulling.

  Joe groaned into her mouth and thrust his tongue inside.

  She’d brushed her teeth before she’d left her room. She tasted like mint. Her body quivered, vibrating against him, and more liquid wet his knee. Her thighs squeezed around him, grinding down, and he was lost.

  He clamped his hands around her waist and pulled her from the counter, then slid them down to cup her ass. He dug his fingers into the soft, sweet curves he’d fantasized about for years. The kiss deepened. Her tongue stroked his and their mouths rubbed in slow, melting circles.

  A throat cleared beside them, and Joe broke the kiss, breathing hard as he stared into her face. Two spots of color blazed across her cheeks. Their heads turned slowly, reluctantly, toward Cam.

  Joe knew what he had to do, but letting go of her ass nearly made him weep. His fingers clung for a moment longer and then loosened. He slid to her side, a hand cupping a full breast. “Cam’s turn,” he whispered in her ear.

  Chapter Four

  When Cam heard Joe’s whispered words, shock shivered through him. As much as he wanted to slide right over and take Joe’s place, he held back. “This isn’t right, Joe,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. “She’s not some slut we’ll share because we bought an hour of her time.”

  “Watch your mouth, Cam,” Joe said with a quick sideways glance.

  Cam ignored the anger evident in Joe’s clipped words. Instead, he noted the tremor that ran through Stormy’s body. He dropped his arms and turned toward her, tucking a finger under her chin. He lifted her face so she couldn’t hide her expression.

  What he saw there rocked him on his heels. Her mouth was swollen and pouting. Her pupils dilated. A flush of rose suffused her creamy cheeks. She looked anything but scared or revolted.

  Still, he had to be sure. Despite the fact his groin was urgently throbbing, he kept his voice low and even. “We movin’ too fast for you, sweetheart?”

  “Why’d you stop to ask?” she said, a hint of frustration in her voice.

  Cam sighed. “Because Joe’s movin’ fast. Maybe faster than you can muster up the strength to tell him no. And you have the right to say no. To tell us both to stop.”

  “But I don’t want to stop.”

  He nearly smiled at the hint of a whine in her voice. Stormy was a greedy little thing, and apparently her hunger extended beyond pretty clothes and shoes. “I want you sure about this. Because once we start, I can’t swear I’ll be able to stop. I’ve wanted you a really long time.”

  Joe cleared his throat. “And while boyfriend here is killin’ the mood, I want you to understand a thing or two,” Joe said. His hand still cupped her breast, but his fingers were pinching her nipple now, causing her to gasp. “I’m not nice. Sex with us won’t be sweet. Cam here might go easy the first time, ’cause he’s soft like that, but I’m not holdin’ back.”

  Her gaze darted to Joe. “What are you gonna do?”

  Not what would you do, Cam noted, his gaze meeting Joe’s for a fraction of a second.

  One corner of Joe’s mouth kicked up. “Whatever I want. And right now, my hand’s itchin’ to warm your sweet, round backside.”

  Her head dove toward her chest, cutting off their view of her expression.

  “Stormy? You understand now why I stopped you?” Cam asked, stepping closer, crowding her like Joe had before, giving in to the need to feel her against his body. “We’re grown men. Make damn sure you want what we’re gonna bring.” Then he reached for one of her hands, cupped the back of it and slid it over his cock, which was thick and hard. “Just so you know,” he whispered, gliding her down his length.

  Joe snorted. “Braggin’ already?”

  “Shut up, Joe.”

  “Don’t think she minds,” Joe drawled. “Her nipple’s hard as a pebble. We done talkin’?” he asked, raking her hair back with his free hand, his thumb tilting up her head.

  Stormy’s face was taut. Her blue eyes a little wild. “I’m scared,” she blurted. “And I don’t know how this is gonna happen, I just know...” she bit her lip, “…I want it.”

  Cam cursed under his breath and then aimed a glare at Joe.

  Joe dropped his hands and stepped back. “Maybe you need Cam a little more than you do me. For the moment.”

  Her head swung toward Cam. Her tongue swept her bottom lip.

  Cam cupped her cheeks and bent to kiss her mouth. A soft touch. Then he hovered above her mouth. “I’ll be there for you. If he gets too rough, I’ll step in.”

  She brought her arms around him and snuggled her head against his chest. He cupped the back of her head and stroked her hair. Then he kissed her hair and moved his hands down to her backside to steady her. “Hop up, baby.”

  She didn’t so much jump as relax while he pulled her up. She wound her legs around his waist, and he turned toward the kitchen door. He didn’t know precisely when he’d decided Joe was right and didn’t like that his friend might think this had been entirely his idea. Because Cam had thought about it too. He’d wondered what it would be like to share her.

  He’d never kidded himself he could seduce her on his own, keep her for himself, but together, he and Joe could give her everything she needed. The soft and the hard. The comfort and the fear.

  A perfect little storm.

  Stormy nearly purred. Her thighs were spread, her ankles hooked behind Cam’s sturdy back. She was wet. He couldn’t help but notice. She hoped that would convince him she was into this. She hadn’t liked it when he’d made them stop. She’d wanted the decision taken from her. Forced.

  Because Reese Jordan’s little girl couldn’t be this naughty. This fucked up.

  And she hadn’t been a hundred percent sure she could do this u
ntil Cam had forced her to feel his dick through his jeans. Good Lord, her pussy had clenched instantly, completely wowed by the size of him. Cam might be a gentler lover than Joe, but he’d hurt her good just sliding inside her. She couldn’t wait to feel the pressure, the heat of him.

  His strides were long, determined, a little rushed. His chest was hard, broad, made for a woman to rest against or to block out the light when he came over her. He overwhelmed her with his masculinity, and yet she doubted he believed he was as attractive to her as Joe was.

  She peeked over Cam’s shoulder and met Joe’s smoky gaze. He gave her a little lift of eyebrow and a wicked smile. When she gave him a glare, he shook his head, silently telling her she was asking for trouble. Lord, she hoped she’d found it.

  Cam headed straight inside a bedroom—his own. The one her father had assigned him long ago. She’d helped Eliana decorate it when she’d been home from school one summer. Green to match his eyes. Brown for his hair. Mocha walls to match the caramel tan of his skin. Had he known she’d drawn her inspiration from him?

  Cam charged straight toward the large king-sized bed and crawled right onto the mattress. The hands clamped on her ass held her against him until he stopped in the center and came down, sandwiching her between his hard body and the soft mattress.

  With her breath squeezed out of her by his sheer weight, she eased her legs around him, sliding her calves down to his buttocks. She arched beneath him to press her center against his clothed, hard cock.

  Cam came up on his elbows and bracketed her face between his hands. “I’m gonna strip you first. I want your skin against mine. That all right with you?”

  “Why you askin’ her, Cam?” Joe said, amusement in his voice. “She’s ours tonight. Aren’t ya, sweetheart?”

  She didn’t glance away from Cam. “Would you like me to undress you?” she asked, her voice unaccountably husky.

  The muscle at the side of his jaw tensed, but he nodded and came up on his knees.