Family Values Read online

  The brothers seemed happy this morning, handing each other dishes, chatting comfortably. Not a single snap or off-color remark. She knew the brothers were tight, but there had always been friction among them. As she’d grown older and begun to see them as men, that friction had only increased.

  Now it seemed to have all but disappeared. What was different?

  Her curious gaze studied Nate, who gave her one of his secretive smiles, just the corners of his mouth curving. Eli’s stare was soft, his posture so relaxed she felt a lessening of her own tension. When she shot a glance at Brand, his crisp-blue gaze was free of any dark clouds. But before she looked at her plate again, his attention dropped to her chest and then rose again—his way of reminding her of what had passed between them the previous night.

  Her cheeks warmed, and she stuck a forkful of fluffy scrambled eggs into her mouth, determined not to let her imagination follow that delicious path. She’d already spent a nearly sleepless night thinking about everything he’d done.

  Nate cleared his throat, snagging her attention again. “I’m heading to the east pasture. Wondered if you’d ride with me?”

  Her eyes widened. “As soon as I’m done with the dishes, I have other chores and then lunch to prepare.”

  Eli shifted in his chair. “I’ll do dishes. I do know how,” he said, smiling. “You go on. It’s been a long time since you sat on a horse.”

  She raised her chin. “How do you know I didn’t ride all the time while I was gone?”

  He wrinkled his nose. “You live in Austin. Can’t see you rentin’ a horse and ridin’ some manicured trail.”

  She narrowed her eyes but shifted her attention back to Nate, who was crunching on a piece of bacon. “I guess it has been a while. If you want the company…”

  Nate lifted his eyebrows swiftly up and down. “Bring a swimsuit too.”

  She made a face. “I’m not swimming in a stock pond.”

  “Even if the pond hasn’t seen a cow in years? Come on. Water’s clean, I promise.”

  “Who says I even brought a suit?”

  “Bet there’s still one in your drawers.”

  She didn’t mention the fact she’d grown a few inches around the hips and chest, but maybe the Lycra would stretch. Lifting her shoulders, she said, “Why not?”

  Thirty minutes later, she stood on the porch, her too-tight swimsuit beneath her jeans and tee, her old boots feeling a little snug as well.

  The sound of hooves clomping on dirt drew her attention. Nate had arrived on top of his dappled-gray gelding. She glanced around but didn’t see another horse. “You forget something?”

  “I asked if you’d ride with me,” he said with a one-sided smile. He kicked his boot free of his stirrup and reached out a hand.

  Angelina knew she’d walked right into a trap, but the day was sunny, the morning heat still bearable, and the thought of holding a cowboy around the waist as they rode atop a big horse was just too delicious to quibble over a little miscommunication.

  She gave him her hand, stepped onto his boot and swung up behind him. “There’s not as much room on this saddle as there used to be.”

  “Baby girl, you’ve got more junk in your trunk.”

  A laugh caught her by surprise, and she punched his shoulder. “Not nice.”

  “Beg to differ. Every time you walk out of a room, I see just how nice it is.”

  Chuckling, she wrapped her arms around his waist.

  With a click of his tongue, he moved his horse forward.

  From the corner of her eye, she saw Brand step out of the barn. His cowboy hat was tipped downward so she couldn’t see his expression. A blessing, she thought, not wanting to consider consequences. She’d been honest with him the night before. He wasn’t the only MacAfee she was attracted to.

  And with her body pressed to Nate’s, she felt as though some of his recklessness seeped into her. She gave Brand a wave and then nearly fell off the horse when he gave her a casual wave right back.

  Didn’t he care that she was riding off with his brother? Rather than let him see her shock, she glanced away.

  Once they were out of sight, Nate kicked his horse into a gallop. Angelina gripped his waist tighter and shook back her hair. With the wind tugging at her curls, the ride was exhilarating.

  He followed a familiar path. One that led them toward the middle of the ranch and into rocky, hilly terrain. If she remembered right, there was a line shack not much farther ahead. One used by hands during the winter if they were caught in a sudden storm. Not anywhere near the east pasture.

  But she stayed silent, letting Nate guide his horse through caliche gravel that rolled downhill, around larger boulders and scrubby cedar, until at last they reached a small pond with a green patch of grass surrounding it. The shack was just beyond the pond.

  Why that fact disturbed her, she wasn’t sure. He’d told her to bring a suit. He’d brought her to the pond to swim. Only now, she didn’t want to remove her outer clothing because she felt suddenly vulnerable.

  He drew back on the reins and kicked a boot free. Without being told, she quickly dismounted, ignoring his boot to slide straight to the ground. After he’d seen to his horse, he joined her where she stood beside the pond.

  Her gaze went to the long escarpment in the distance that enclosed the valley. “Why did you bring me here?” she asked, not looking at him because she didn’t want to see that cocky smile he wore like armor.

  “I thought we might catch up. Have some fun.”

  She stiffened a little, because she had something to say and she might as well get it over with. “Did you think I’d let you fuck me?”

  “Not what I planned,” he drawled, “but is that something you want?”

  It was odd, but she liked the fact she could be so blunt with him, that she didn’t feel shy or horribly embarrassed. There had always been honesty between them. Even that fateful night, she’d known exactly what he wanted when he’d led her up the stairs. “Let’s have some fun,” he’d said.

  Still staring straight ahead, she said, “You know what happened between me and Brand?”

  “I know you were alone with him, that he gave you an orgasm without putting his dick inside you.” He shuffled sideways until his shoulder nudged hers. “See, that’s where he and I are different, sweetheart. I wouldn’t have been a gentleman. I’d have had to get inside you.”

  The tone of his voice had dropped to a sexy purr. A sound that had made her crazy when she’d been younger and eager to experiment.

  I’d have had to get inside you. Good Lord, it wasn’t fair he could make her wet with so few words.

  Keeping her expression neutral, she turned her head toward him. “We should swim. I’ll have to get back early enough to cook something for supper.”

  A small frown dug a line between his brows. “Why are you in such a hurry? We just got here. Did I do something to piss you off, Angel?”

  She drew a deep breath and shook her head. “I’m just feeling…a little confused, I guess. Being back here. With the three of you. Eli chatting me up every time he’s near. Brand…” Her eyes began to fill. “My mama’s not going to be proud of the fact I can’t seem to keep my pants on around you boys.”

  One corner of his mouth kicked up. “Your mama thinks you’re in love with us.”

  It was hard to keep her gaze steady when all she wanted to do was hide. How could her mama say that? “I love you all. That’s true. But to be in love…with the three of you…” Her voice tapered off in a hoarse whisper.

  Nate turned and gripped her shoulders to force her to face him. Then he tipped up her chin with a single finger. His gaze was direct, and his mouth was a serious straight line. “You’re in love with us. We know. And the thing is, baby girl, we’ve loved you right back for a very long time.”

  Her mouth trembled. “So you
see how impossible this is—how dangerous? Your brothers are all the family you have left. I won’t come between you.”

  “Oh, you’ll come between us,” he whispered. “And you’ll love it. Give us a chance to prove we can make this work. That’s all we ask.”

  She shook her head, not understanding. “Nate…”

  “I’m here,” he said, stepping closer.

  She tilted back her head, locking with his deep blue gaze. “I hated the way it ended…the way I left. How can we ever get past that? I still feel…”

  “Ashamed?” He swallowed. “That wasn’t on you. Shouldn’t have happened that way. We shouldn’t have had to sneak around. And I damn well should’ve locked that door.” He cupped her cheek and rubbed his thumb across her skin. “Let me take the blame.”

  Her mouth turned downward. “That Brand saw us that way…”

  He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers. “I’ll tell you a secret, if you promise not to be mad.”

  She leaned her head away so she could see his eyes and his expression.

  He drew a deep breath. “I wanted to be caught. Wanted them both to know I’d taken you. I thought…I thought if I did, that it’d be over. You’d be mine. When Brand took you from that room, I let him, because I was sure the next morning your mama and I would be havin’ a chat about your future.”

  Her heart pounded against her temples, and her stomach fluttered. “You thought I’d marry you because I fucked you?”

  He tapped her nose. “And I don’t like that word comin’ from your mouth unless you’re havin’ an orgasm. We made love, Angel.” At her glare, he shrugged. “Yeah, I expected you’d have to marry me.”

  Angelina put her hands against his chest and pushed.

  And even though he was stronger, he let her go. “You have a right to be mad.”

  “You think?” she said, her voice rising. “Fucking me didn’t have a thing to do about me. You were just getting one up on your brothers.”

  He opened his mouth—to deny it, she had no doubt, but then the sudden anger faded from his eyes, and he bent his head. “You’re right. And after you were gone, I realized that. I wasn’t proud.”

  He looked up, and he wore an expression she’d never seen on his face.

  His gaze was earnest, his brows drawn together in concern. “You don’t know how many times I got in my truck and pointed it east. I wanted to find you. Apologize. Get down on my knees to ask your forgiveness. Because of me, you were forced from your home. Because of my pride and lack of concern for you. I’ve regretted my actions every single day.”

  By the time he ended, his voice was raw with emotion. Her chest tightened and tears began to fill her eyes. “This was my home,” she said, and then hiccupped. And before she could even try to form more words, his arms were around her, bringing her against his chest.

  Angelina sobbed and rested against him. She hated that once again she was crying over a MacAfee. She’d prepared to hold him at a distance. To let him tease her into laughter but to never make love with him again. She couldn’t. Not after she’d been with Brand.

  “I should go back to Austin,” she said, gripping his shirt. “Before this gets too complicated.”

  “It’s not complicated at all, sweetheart. You just have to let go. Let us take care of you.”

  “Us?” She sniffed and leaned away, still caught by his arms but trying to make a little space. “You and Brand—neither of you make sense. He said I should trust everything would be okay. Now you’re telling me to just, what? Be in the moment? We had our moment. Look what it got us.”

  “Told you it should have been me who brought her up here.”

  She twisted to look behind her. Eli stood there, a one-sided smile on his face. When she looked back at Nate, he didn’t seem all that surprised. “What is this?”

  “It’s our turn,” Eli said softly.

  Her body went rigid. “What do you mean?”

  Eli came up behind her and his arms went around her, sliding between her and Nate’s body as he pressed against her. He bent and kissed her cheek. “We’re gonna swim. That’s all. What did you think I meant?”

  Her mouth went dry. Sandwiched between the brothers, her mind filled with naughty thoughts. “I didn’t think a thing,” she said, only there was a breathless quality to the lie.

  Eli chuckled. “Don’t be scared. We won’t make you take your swimsuit off. We’ll be the only ones skinny-dippin’.”

  “What?”

  He smoothed his hands over her belly. Lord, could he feel Nate’s cock against the back of his hand? She began to tremble.

  But they both stepped away, giving her room to breathe. Or so she thought, until Nate began unbuttoning her shirt and Eli unbuckled her belt.

  She stood still, her breaths so shallow she worried she’d pass out as they stripped off her clothing.

  When she stood in only the too-tight scraps of red Lycra, she shivered.

  “Eli,” Nate said, his hands lightly cupping her hips. “Our Angel’s all grown up.”

  Another set of hands cupped her bottom. “She has,” Eli whispered. He gave her a light squeeze and then let go of her and stepped away.

  She closed her eyes as Nate also let go of her and moved. From the sounds of zippers scraping and boots thudding against the ground, they were making good on their promise. Angelina felt her cheeks heat up and her nipples bead, but she didn’t move until she heard splashes.

  When she opened her eyes, both men were in the center of the pond.

  “Gonna swim?” Nate called out.

  She was tempted to run for his horse. But then she’d never know exactly what they had in mind, and she had to admit, she was damn curious. The fact the two men had seemed happy to strip her together gave her a strong clue where they wanted this to go.

  But did she have the guts? And what about Brand? Did he know his brothers had planned to seduce her…together?

  Was this their solution? If one of them couldn’t win her affections, were they willing to settle for sharing?

  Knowing she was entering new territory, she made up her mind to let them play, to hear what they had to say, but her swimsuit was staying firmly in place. Too bad the tight fit was beginning to rub her nipples raw, and the fabric was digging into the crevice of her ass and outlining her pussy. She may as well have been nude as she turned to face them and slowly stepped into the water.

  Chapter Five

  Eli couldn’t take his gaze away from Angelina as she walked toward them. Was the hypnotic sway of her full hips deliberate? Fuck, he was glad his cock was beneath the water, otherwise she’d see exactly how she affected him. It pulsed between his legs, filling, lengthening. Without thinking, he reached for it and wrapped his hands around his shaft to give himself a stroke.

  From a few steps away, Nate chuckled, low and dirty.

  When Eli cut him a sideways glare, Nate simply lifted one eyebrow.

  When the water came to just beneath her breasts, she halted. “I’m glad the bottom’s not slimy,” she said, wrinkling her nose.

  Eli cleared his throat. “We emptied it last year, then let it dry out before filling it again. We’ve kept fresh water in it for swimming since we haven’t needed it for the cattle. Nate and I like to head here in the summer.”

  Her gaze darted from his face to beneath the water. But she couldn’t really see anything, so he gave himself another slow slide, liking the blush filling her cheeks and creeping over the tops of her lush breasts.

  “Don’t suppose you’ll lose the top?” Nate said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

  Angelina laughed, but the sound was a little strained. “Anyone might see. You’re lucky your parts are hidden,” she said, her gaze going directly down Eli’s front.

  Nate reached out and gave Eli’s shoulder a shove. “It’s not polite to play with
yourself in front of a lady.”

  Eli grimaced. “Have to admit, I thought this would be easier.”

  “There’s nothing easy about this,” she said softly, but she moved forward until she stood directly in front of him, and then her soft hand found his hand and pushed it away. Her long, slender fingers began to move on his shaft.

  Her expression was a little wary, but her dark eyes were gleaming. “I didn’t want you thinking I desire you any less than I do them,” she whispered. “Nate’s been inside me. Brand’s…tasted every inch of me.”

  Eli swallowed as she stroked him, her hand moving downward then back up. “Can I touch you…seein’ as I’ve never had the pleasure?”

  With her free hand, she lifted one of his and placed it on her breast. “I can’t help it,” she said. “I see your need, and I want to do something about it. Nate asks me to have fun, and all I can do is trail him up to the bedroom. Brand kisses me, and I ask him for an orgasm. I’m going straight to hell.”

  Eli fingered the edge of the bra covering her pretty, round tit and then tugged it, pulling it down beneath her breast. The fabric tightened, lifting her soft flesh. And all he could do was stare at the rosy-pink circle with its taut, distended center. “Angel?”

  “Eli, yes. Just…”

  “No fucking. I heard,” he ground out and reached for her, desperate to hold her closer. His hands shook as he untied her top, flung it away and then quickly rolled down her bottoms. Where that small scrap went, he didn’t care, because he wasted no time hauling her upward.

  He centered his cock and rubbed it up and down between her folds, crushed her breast in his hand as he kissed her cheek and then slid toward her mouth, needing to feel her lips, her tongue. When they kissed, he groaned.

  She sucked his tongue inside, and he wasn’t sure she knew what a tease that was, because now he could imagine her lips surrounding his cock. He ground harder against her, cupping her bottom with one hand and wrapping an arm around her back as he broke the kiss and forced her backward. Her breasts were beautiful, beckoning, but before he bent over her, Nate moved behind her to support her. His brother drew her arms upward to hook behind his neck while he plumped up her breasts and offered them to Eli.