Sexual Affection [Contemporary Cowboys 3] (Siren Publishing LoveEdge)

by Natalie Acres

  Braden lifted a brow. “What are you groaning about now?”

  “We’re even, sweet cheeks,” Kane said, slapping Peyton’s bare ass and ignoring Braden.

  “We’re far from even, Kane,” she said, rubbing her wrists with enough force to make those fine tits bounce and jiggle. “You’re lucky I don’t smack the shit out of you for this stunt.”

  He stroked his rough face, thinking he could take the smack just so he could punish her yet again. Then again, Peyton’s fit had made him as hard and erect as a launched rocket. He couldn’t wait to bend her over. Then he’d fuck out every last bit of rebellion still living within the wildcat he’d had the good fortune to marry and call out as his wife.

  “What if something had happened? What if the house had caught on fire? What if—”

  Kane framed her face with his hands. “What if I hadn’t found out about the pass you made at that young bartender?”

  “Maybe you missed the part where I told him I was happily married!” She shook her head and gritted her teeth.

  “I think he’s got that much down now,” Kane said, shooting her a wink.

  Her blue eyes sparkled. “You’re jealous. After all these years?”

  “Damn right.” He walked away.

  “That’s an understatement,” Evan said. “You’re lucky he didn’t kill the guy.”

  Evan was a good one to talk. When he’d found out what had happened at the club, he’d called Clink and asked for the fellow by name. Then, he’d pitched a few threats, reminded him of how many lovers—husbands—Peyton already had, and left him with a final warning. If he went sniffing around his woman again, he wouldn’t just be out of a job, he’d need to relocate for his safety.

  Kane chuckled at the thought. Evan hadn’t acted like a renegade in years.

  “Careful, Evan,” Braden said. “Kane wasn’t the one who tried to fire the guy.”

  “Only because he beat me to it,” Kane bit out. “Besides with a name like Stealth Wales, he ought to be fired.”

  “So you’re making fun of his name now, too?” Her gaze hopped from one man to the next. “Give the guy a break.”

  “I did,” said Kane. “I didn’t follow him home from Clink and rough him up.”

  “And we didn’t help Kane here hide a body so it’s safe to assume the little prick is still among the living,” Evan said.

  “Good to know.” Peyton rolled her eyes. “Well, if the three of you commandos will excuse me, I’m getting dressed and going downstairs. I’m famished.”

  “How about a fried peanut-butter-and-banana sandwich?” Braden offered.

  “Sounds wonderful,” Peyton said, pecking his lips when he leaned in for a kiss.

  “One gooey sandwich coming right up,” Braden said, spoiling her as usual.

  Smug as hell now, she glanced at Evan and then Kane. “So now what, boys? More punishment? More calling the club with empty threats?”

  “I have something better in mind,” Kane said, watching the color draining from her face. “Evan, what do you say we call Ansley and tell her to take the night off? With all the new bartenders, we should be able to handle opening and closing on our own.”

  Evan crossed his arms, kept his gaze pinned to Peyton and said, “I’m sure Ansley wouldn’t object. She’s been complaining she hasn’t had any time at home.”

  “No,” Peyton said firmly. “I know what you’re thinking and I won’t do it.”

  Evan shrugged and his lips and eyebrows moved with the gesture, too. Kane opened the bottom drawer in the nightstand. He chose a small round paddle and nearly came undone thinking about spanking Peyton’s fine ass. “Take your pick, baby. Either twenty licks here.” He slapped the wood against his hand. “Or twenty licks over at the club.” He rubbed his tongue across his upper lip.

  “I won’t go to the club. Besides, we’ve always promised the girls we wouldn’t play at Clink. I’m not embarrassing my daughters in their hometown.”

  “That promise was only good before they hired bartenders with attitudes,” Evan pointed out. “And Kimberly doesn’t live here anymore. Trixie is tied up with the kids. Patience is out of town and our own daughter needs a night off. We got it covered.”

  Peyton glared at them. “You know what? I don’t think Clink’s bartenders are the only men in Fletcher with attitude. Somehow, I lucked up and landed in bed with a few too many Mr. Attitudes. And I will not go to Clink and try to put your minds at ease by fucking you in front of the bartender you both are threatened by. It’s absurd. You know I only have eyes for the three of you.”

  “That’s good to know, sweetheart,” Kane said, tossing the paddle to the bed and gathering her close. Caressing her bottom, he whispered at her ear. “You’re still going out with us tonight. Once everyone remembers how well you play with your partners, there won’t be any room for speculation.”

  “And what kind of gossip are you trying to put to sleep, Kane?” She placed her hands on her hips. “I mean are you really that insecure after all these years?”

  Kane winked. “I’m not at all insecure, but you, on the other hand, haven’t had a night out in a while. After we get through with you in public, you’ll remember why you’re head over heels in love with three men and only three.”

  Kane left the room and at his back, he heard her complaining to Evan. “He is absolutely the most frustrating man in the whole universe!”

  With an extra spring in his step, he called out, “And that’s why you married me, Peyton. It turns you on. Makes you hot. Wear something short and sexy. I want every man from here to the state line to know you will always belong to me, Evan, and Braden. And no one touches what belongs to a Cartwell.”

  * * * *

  It was just after midnight when they pulled in Clink’s crowded parking lot. Peyton should’ve taken her spanking at home. She hated the paddle, but it was more tolerable than showing off her wrinkles in a club her daughters owned, a club once dubbed by a reporter as “a place where the beautiful people meet and enjoy public exhibitionism.” Sure the forty and over women came there to party, but most of them kept their clothes on.

  Kane and Evan wanted hers to come off. Even Braden had tagged along and he rarely went to the clubs now. Since his prostate cancer and surgery, he rarely went out at all. The chance of his participation in a public sex act was slim to nearly none. Still, he hadn’t stayed behind and that was an important step in the right direction.

  Apparently Kane and Evan weren’t alone. Even Braden wanted Mr. Stealth Wales to understand. Peyton was well cared for and the men who loved her took care of her sexually, too.

  A zip of excitement was in the air as they walked to the club’s front door. Kane and Evan were on either side of her and Braden was behind them. They’d almost reached the entrance when the men’s phones started buzzing in their pockets.

  At the same time, Trixie’s SUV came to a screeching halt in front of the club. Peyton’s oldest daughter Trixie had three husbands who were outright obsessive over her, too. Still, with their little ones at home, it was rare to see them out together. One by one—Brock, Rory, and Mitch—hopped out of the vehicle. Simultaneous confusion broke out all at once. Mitch, pretty much a homebody, didn’t go anywhere unless he was needed for backup and that meant trouble.

  “Peyton, Trixie wanted us to come and warn you,” Brock said.

  “Warn me?” She turned to her husbands, all three were now on their respective phones, pacing back and forth with worried expressions on their faces. “What’s going on?”

  Brock locked gazes with Kane before he said, “There’s a problem. Get in and we’ll explain along the way.”

  She shook her head and went to Kane. “Tell me. What is it?” Her heart was already in her throat. Kane held up his index finger. Peyton immediately turned to her sons-in-law. “Brock, what’s happened? Mitch? Rory? Is it Trixie? The kids?”

  Mitch and Rory received calls then, too. Brock guided her to the back of their vehicle. All men were focused,
their gazes scouring the parking lot, and their rigid bodies on high alert. Peyton wasn’t a stranger to this scene. They’d been in these predicaments before. Their family had been cursed with looming dangers, disasters waiting to happen.

  “Hello? Ansley?” Kane had just disconnected one call only to take another. “What the hell happened?”

  Braden walked away, apparently unable to hear the person on the other end of the phone thanks to Kane’s elevated voice. Evan’s fingers moved faster than a teenager’s as he replied to texts.

  “Would someone please tell me what’s going on?” Peyton acknowledged several cops pulling in the parking lot then. This was definitely bad.

  “How could you let this happen?” Kane’s voice was loud enough to stop traffic. “I don’t want to hear your excuses. Put Ansley back on the phone.”

  About that time, Brock’s phone rang and he waved his cell high in the air. “It’s Dennis Ferguson, Kane. He wants to speak to you.”

  “Tell Dennis he might as well talk to the damn wall. He had one job. Only one. He and his team were supposed to keep an eye on Nory and make sure nothing happened to her.”

  “What’s happened to Nory?” Peyton cried out, reading between the lines now. Someone had taken Norina, Kane’s second cousin, and a young woman who had not only taken her place in their family but also wormed her way into each of their hearts. Peyton considered her like a daughter and her own daughters thought of her as a sister. “Kane?”

  He shook his head and walked away again, apparently determined to have a private conversation without interference. Seconds later, he was screaming into the phone. “I don’t care what you’re doing or where you are, you find her! Do you hear me? You find Norina Baldini and bring her back to us or I’ll have your job and make sure you never have another one!”

  After the chaos calmed and Kane had threatened everyone from Fletcher, North Carolina to Erwin, Tennessee—which was where Norina and her older sisters, the Cartwells’ cousins, called home—Kane turned his attention to Brock. “Now tell me the truth of the matter. How bad is it?”

  “Tristan says it’s pretty bad,” Brock admitted.

  “Start at the beginning,” Kane said.

  Evan and Braden stood at Peyton’s side. Kane kept her in his periphery, occasionally stroking the back of her head as if he were afraid she’d break at any moment.

  “About fifteen minutes after Trixie picked up our kids from Ansley’s place, Tristan called us, frantic.” Brock recounted the evening. “According to Tristan, Ansley was outside with Nory when a black sedan raced down their driveway and came to a sudden stop in front of the house. Four men exited the vehicle with their guns drawn. One, apparently the driver, knocked Ansley out cold. She didn’t even have a chance to put up a fight.”

  “Get me his name,” Kane said tightly. “He’ll die first.”

  Peyton rolled her eyes and shook her head. If anyone ever overheard Kane in situations such as these, they’d swear he was an old badass who killed for sport. He was all talk. Well, sometimes. When it came to his daughters, grandchildren, and Ann’s daughters—the Baldini sisters—he would sure make an enemy beg for mercy. And no one messed with Peyton.

  Come to think of it. Kane probably would kill for sport where she was concerned.

  “Is Ansley okay?” Braden asked.

  “She took a good lick,” Rory said. “But Tristan said she’s fine. She’s pissed, and worried about Nory, but she’s okay.”

  “Tristan said he saw the whole thing from the barn. He said for a split second he thought it might have been someone from his past. According to Tristan, they arrived, took control of the situation, opened fire, spewed some threats, and were out of there before anyone could follow them.”

  “That’s probably because he and Bailey would’ve been too concerned about Ansley to tail the car right away,” Kane said.

  “Exactly,” Brock said. “Tristan admitted they didn’t know how bad Ansley had been harmed and they didn’t even try to go after the sedan.”

  “Did they get a license plate or any other description of the car?” Braden asked.

  “No,” Mitch replied, frowning.

  Brock said, “When the car first pulled in, Tristan ran for the house. One of the bigger dudes shot at him and yelled, ‘Tell Alberto Baldini we want our money. Tell him he has seventy-two hours and then we’ll start sending him Norina back in bits,’ and then they sped away.”

  “Nory’s father’s past finally caught up with her,” Peyton said quietly. “It was only a matter of time.”

  “Not on our watch,” Kane said, yanking his cell from his jeans again. He punched some numbers in his phone and placed it to his ear. At the same time, he looked at Evan and said, “Get the McKays on the phone and see if Josh and Aspen will take a ride with me. We need to let the Blaziers and Jacksons know Alberto’s enemies are on the move again.”

  “Is that really necessary?” Peyton asked, dabbing the corners of her eyes and praying for Nory’s safe return.

  “What do you propose we do?” Kane asked, disconnecting the call and shoving the phone back in his pocket.

  “Well I’m not sure,” Peyton said. “But it seems to me whenever we’ve shown up in Erwin, we’ve—you, in particular—have disrupted your cousins’ lives. Why not pay them a visit, look around, act inconspicuous, and see if someone shows up? It may be the only chance we have to save Nory.”

  “Peyton’s right, Kane,” Braden said. “Whoever Alberto owes, they mean business. They won’t stop with Nory and if you let her sisters know what’s happened, they’ll be vulnerable.”

  “Why the hell did they take Nory?” Kane sounded so sad, so heartbroken, and Peyton couldn’t stand to see him this way. He was blaming himself and that burden would be mighty heavy if something happened to Nory.

  “Best guess?” Braden shrugged. “The others aren’t as easy to nab.”

  “Sure they are. Damn Gemma sits at her kitchen table drinking away her days as if she doesn’t have anything better to do,” Kane said.

  “She’s also seeing someone now, too,” Peyton said. “Maybe she isn’t spending as much time at home.”

  “That leaves Drina.” Kane scratched the side of his face. “Damn it! Those girls are probably in more danger than we realize.”

  “Hold on there, Kane,” Evan said, grabbing his arm before he stalked away. “From what you’ve said about the Blaziers’ place, it’s not the easiest property to enter without an invitation. So let’s assume Coco is safe. Brianna is closely guarded. Jax Jackson and his brothers rarely let her out of their sights.”

  “Sounds familiar,” Peyton said, exasperated. They were wasting time trying to figure this all out. “We need to go, Kane. We don’t have to tell them why we’re there, but we need to stay at the Erwin farm in case Gemma or Drina has been staying there alone.”

  “I doubt Drina is staying there at all now,” Kane said. “She was pretty hung up on one of Brandon’s brothers. What was his name, Peyton?”

  “Zak.”

  “Yeah, Zak.” Kane snorted. “If memory serves me correctly, he was a brute of a guy, real crazy about Drina, too.”

  “Yes, but I don’t think she’s living with him,” Peyton said. “I wish I knew more. I should know more. I’d like to think she’s staying at the Blaziers’ farm. At least we’d know Drina, Coco, and Brianna were safe.”

  “I thought Coco mentioned not long ago that her fellas had gotten out of the gun business,” Evan said. “If they’re out, I doubt they have guards on the property now.”

  Kane shook his head. “Even if they’re legitimate businessmen now, they would still recognize the potential for old enemies to surface. Their place is on lockdown. I’d bet on it.”

  “They’re very protective of Coco,” Peyton reminded them. “Plus, after their mother and brothers were killed, the Blaziers take a lot of extra precautions.”

  “Then it’s probably safe to assume Coco isn’t a target right now,” Mitch said. “F
rom outer appearances, it appears they went after the weakest link—the sister with the least amount of security in place to protect her.”

  Kane’s eyes watered and he glared at Mitch. Never quite his favorite son-in-law, Mitch called things as he saw them but that didn’t mean Kane appreciated his sidebar remarks. At the moment, Kane was undoubtedly blaming himself and he didn’t need Mitch to point out his failures.

  “We’ll talk to the Feds and get some locals on this, too,” Evan said, slapping Kane on the back. “You can try to call Josh and Aspen but last I heard they were out of town for a couple of weeks. Your best bet is to get to Erwin as quickly as you can and at least have a presence there. Braden and I will cover everything here.”

  Kane cursed under his breath. “We brought Nory here to protect her. Now her father’s enemies have the one Baldini sister who can’t protect herself. She’s sixteen years old and probably weighs a hundred and five pounds. How does a little thing like that fight back?”

  Brock opened his mouth to speak a few times but didn’t utter a sound. Finally, he said, “Kane, you may not want to hear this but if Nory doesn’t fight, she may have a better chance at survival. Fighting men like those who abducted her isn’t always the best way in situations like these. If she uses her head, and we have to believe she will, then it’s very possible she’ll be okay.”

  “Possible isn’t good enough. I want guarantees. And if any of you hear from Alberto, you tell him to find the men who took Nory and to pass along a promise. If one hair is harmed on her head, just one, I’ll spend the rest of my life seeking and delivering retribution.”

  Chapter Four

  The next morning—Erwin, Tennessee

  “There’s something wrong with me.” Drina cupped her mug and greeted Coco as soon as she walked in the Blaziers’ kitchen.

  Coco was unaccustomed to seeing her there in the morning, or at the Blazier farm at all, now that Drina had time to consider the few times she’d been there. Her older sister had reason to look downright surprised.