“Last time I checked, we were three on the blanket,” Wade mumbled as he dressed. Once he’d pulled on his boots, he stood with his fists planted on his hips. “Look at me,” he ordered.
Adrian lifted her head.
“If having earth-shattering sex is a crime, I’m applying to relocate to another planet.”
Her lips twitched, but she didn’t smile. “He can only cause trouble if our work is not up to standard.”
Maverick suppressed the urge to hug her to him. “So, let’s get moving on those last shots for the night.” He held out his hand. “Give me my shirt, woman, so I can get presentable.”
This time the smile reached her eyes and she slowly unbuttoned the garment. The lady had spunk. Maybe too much for her own good, but he’d be crazy not to love that about her. Crazy he was, for how could he fall in love with a woman after such a short time?
Suddenly requiring more air to breathe, he donned his shirt and the rest of his clothes before he hightailed it out of the barn. The cold air outside did nothing to dispel his confusion, but at least he could breathe. This was a complication none of them needed at this point.
* * * *
Adrian chose to have dinner in her room and she spent half the night sorting through the photos and arranging her selection into a workable presentation. Satisfied that the outstanding photos wouldn’t take long the following morning, she crawled under the covers in the early morning hours.
Since the realization that Rory had no real power over her, a sense of freedom flooded her. If she did her job, which she was extremely good at, he could do what he pleased and nobody would listen. This was all up to her, not someone else. Why hadn’t she realized it before? Her life was in her own hands. Even the stink he’d caused on their last assignment together had been because he’d chosen to abandon his obligations. She’d done her part, as much as she could without a model, and her sex-capades had in no way affected her work, although she’d been punished right along with him. This time, he was the one in danger of losing his job again if he abandoned the assignment. It couldn’t affect the fulfilment of her contract. If Wade and Maverick refused to work with him on this shoot, he would be hard-pressed to find other employment.
This brought her thoughts back to Wade and Maverick. She loved them like she’d never loved anyone before, and she didn’t dare cheapen the emotion by questioning herself. It was just a love that she could never act upon. She had a couple of weeks to enjoy the men, then they’d all go back to their own lives.
Returning to her apartment in Johannesburg alone suddenly held little appeal. At least the men hadn’t visited her there, so she should get over their separation quicker. She’d just make sure she used the time they had left to spend every moment possible with them.
She smiled in the darkness. They sure knew how to pleasure a woman to within an inch of her life and remain the perfect gentlemen. Maverick with his light complexion and sunnier disposition effortlessly elicited a smile from his companions. He was fun to be with and his silliness was contagious. Nobody could begrudge him anything when he pleaded with those blue eyes. She wouldn’t be surprised if he could charm a mamba into submission.
Wade kept her off-balance with his contemplative moods and long stretches of silence. He was a lake with treasure buried under the seemingly smooth surface. Maybe because he was always courteous and attentive, she ached to dive into the water to explore the hidden gems in its depths.
Damn. She was in deep trouble. It wasn’t going to be easy to forget the men once the assignment was done.
Adrian threw the covers off and padded barefoot to the window. She rested her forehead against the glass and crossed her arms, hugging her chilled midriff.
How could she say goodbye to the men in a couple of days? The mere thought of never seeing them again clenched her chest like a thousand horsed trampled over it, forcing tears to her eyes. What was wrong with her? She’d known this was temporary from the start. They’d agreed to have recreational sex, nothing more.
They’d grown on her, invaded her thoughts and made her feel like a desirable woman again. In a matter of days, they’d restored her self-confidence and repaired her self-respect. She was a better person when she was with them. These emotions were so alien to her, she didn’t know what to call it. Bidding them goodbye was going to be hard.
She shivered and crawled into bed. Maybe she should put some distance between them—try to avoid any further emotional attachment. If she steered clear of them for the rest of her stay and left the farm as soon as possible, it might not hurt as bad when she had to leave. She puffed up the pillow. This was screwing with her mind. One moment she wanted to spend as much time as possible with them, make every moment count, and the next she wanted to run a mile. She’d never been a quitter and if she ran now, it would amount to quitting on her relationship with the cowboys. No, if given the choice, she’d rather have a couple of spectacular days with the men to hold on to when she was alone again.
The next morning, Adrian dragged herself to the kitchen, set the coffee brewing then staggered into the shower. It felt like someone had ground a bucket of sand into her eyes and her limbs ached. The tenderness in her lower body reminded her why she couldn’t wait to get working this morning.
Although she applied her makeup with extra care, she couldn’t do anything to hide her red eyes and the lines of fatigue next to her mouth. She drew her hair into a ponytail and plonked a cap on her head. At least it would keep the rising sun from hurting her eyes. Donning a thick jacket, she headed to the kitchen.
Wade handed her a mug of coffee and Adrian’s heart skittered in her chest. Damn the man for making her feel like a filly in heat by looking at her.
“Morning, beautiful.” He lifted her chin, took in her bloodshot eyes and frowned. “Did you spend all night working?”
“Most of it.” She glanced around the kitchen to ensure they were alone and stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek.
His arm curled around her middle and he hugged her to him, causing the mug of coffee to tilt precariously.
“Careful.” He took the mug from her, placed it on the table and captured her lips in a gentle kiss.
The soft touch twisted her insides and emotion rushed over her. She swallowed at the tenderness of his actions and slid her arms around his neck. When his tongue swiped over her bottom lip, she opened her mouth, begging him to deepen the kiss.
“Just save some for me as well,” Maverick whispered in her ear.
Wade took his time to lift his head, but he didn’t release her. “The early bee gets the flower. You’re late.”
Laughter bubbled up inside her. Her decision to enjoy the men while she had them was re-affirmed. They were fun to be around. Wiggling her bum, she grinned at Wade’s groan when she tilted her hips forward to rub against the bulge in his jeans.
Maverick grabbed her hand and twirled her around before kissing the breath right out of her lungs. With her spirits lifted, she wriggled out of his embrace and picked up her coffee, sipping carefully at the still-scalding liquid.
Wade retrieved his own mug and leaned with his backside against one of the wooden cupboards. “So where to today?”
“The small creek. If all goes well, we should finish with the photos today.”
Maverick frowned. “Why rush this when we have three weeks?”
“I want to finish before the video crew start. We have a tendency to get in each other’s way and it causes tempers to sizzle when we both want the same shot. They’re only due to start filming on Monday, so we still have a full day today.”
Adrian dropped her empty mug in the sink and headed to the door. “Get your butts in the saddles, cowboys. We have to get going before the sun rises.”
She hurried outside and waited for the men to leave on horseback before she steered the vehicle toward the creek. The men beat her to the weeping willows and as she approached they dismounted, tying the horses to a jutting branch. She put the pedal to the metal and t
heir puzzled expressions as she stomped on the brakes and skidded to a stop close to them had her giggling. They had to think her absolutely mad for driving like a maniac on frozen roads.
She beckoned them closer. “Get your sexy boots off my frost. I need the ground between the trees undisturbed.”
“Damn, woman, I thought the hounds of hell were on your heels by the way you raced toward us.” Wade grumbled.
Maverick exaggerated his tiptoe toward the vehicle track and everyone laughed. Adrian lifted her face to the bleak blue morning sky. She’d never felt more alive than she felt today and the reason had everything to do with the cowboys in front of her.
“Come on, boys, give me a hand with the tripods, please.”
In mere minutes they’d unloaded her equipment and she’d set up her camera at the right angle. At least she still had a reasonable piece of smooth frost to work with between the weeping willows.
“Maverick, could you get the extra saddle we loaded yesterday from the car, please?”
He obliged and she pointed to the weeping willow. “Wade, unbutton your jacket and shirt, tip your hat forward like you always do and swing the saddle over your shoulder.” She winked at him. “If you could also loosen the top button on your jeans, please.”
“You want me to strip in temperatures bordering on freezing?” He mumbled his complaint but did as she asked.
She nodded but kept her face straight. “Now look at me as if you want to rip my clothes off.”
Adrian bent and found her subject through the viewfinder. The sight of his abdominal muscles contrasting with the dark shirt and tawny leather saddle took her breath away. No woman would look at these photos and not want the saddles—and the man.
“That’s easy, as I’ve wanted to do it the whole morning.”
Anticipation buzzed through her as Wade’s gaze heated her blood. By the time she had the photos she needed, she was all hot and bothered—again. How was she going to say goodbye to them without them realizing she felt more than mere lust for them? Her throat clogged with unshed tears and she hurriedly packed her equipment.
Without waiting for them, she stowed her gear and headed to the house. If the photos were all right, she saw no reason why she couldn’t leave earlier. It was one thing to think she could enjoy them without making it harder in the end, but quite another to actually go through with it. Once out of sight of the men, she allowed the tears to spill. She stopped the car on the dirt track and rested her forehead on her arms.
Dammit, what kind of person loved more than one man at the same time? Didn’t she have any morals left? Normal people loved one person to the exclusion of anyone else. She’d never thought she was abnormal, but this week had proven that there was something seriously wrong with her. She wiped at the tears with the back of her hand.
Why couldn’t she just crave their bodies? Falling in love wasn’t part of the deal, and it definitely wasn’t supposed to hurt this much. If she only lusted after them, she wouldn’t want to spend time with them regardless if they had sex or not. She wouldn’t treasure their sense of humor and their inherent chivalry and kind-heartedness.
No, she had to leave as soon as possible. Even if they hadn’t lived on different continents, how did one sustain a love affair with two men at the same time without someone being burned? She was wrong to think she could pull this off. Adrian started the car, knuckled her tears away and drove to the house.
Marie met her at the door. “You look terrible.” She took Adrian by the arm. “Come, let’s get some coffee.” Marie guided her to the kitchen and pressed her into one of the chairs. “Things got out of hand, didn’t they?”
“It’s not what you think.”
Marie retrieved two mugs from the cupboard and poured coffee into them before she sat opposite Adrian at the table. “Not what I think? I’ll tell you what I see in your eyes.” She paused until Adrian looked at her. “You’re in love with a cowboy.”
Adrian shook her head. “No, not with a cowboy.”
“I don’t see anyone else…” Marie inhaled sharply. “Both of them?”
Adrian nodded. “It’s not normal, I know.” She stared into the black liquid steaming in the mug. “What type of woman falls in love with two men at the same time?”
“Wow, even I have to admit I didn’t see that one coming.” Marie placed her hand over Adrian’s. “But there’s nothing wrong with loving too much.” She shrugged. “You just have a big heart.”
“If only it was that simple.”
“It is. Working out the logistics of such a relationship is going to be a bitch, but I can’t see why it couldn’t work.”
“Rory is here.”
“Rory?”
“My ex-husband.” Adrian searched Marie’s eyes. “Didn’t you see him at dinner last night? He’s part of the video crew.”
“I probably have, but I didn’t know he was your ex. Is that a problem?”
Adrian sighed. “He might be. He walked in on us yesterday in the tack room and was quite vocal about his need for revenge.”
Marie’s eyes narrowed and she sipped on the coffee. “What revenge? Didn’t he walk out on you?” Her mug landed on the table with a thud. “Wait, back up a little. What do you mean he walked in on you?”
Adrian’s face heated.
“I see. Original of them to use the tack room. Dusty but romantic.” She grinned at Adrian. “So, what revenge?”
“According to Rory, he only walked out because I fooled around, so it’s my fault he didn’t finish his contract. Apparently I ruined his career.”
“Did you?”
Taken aback by Marie’s question, Adrian opened her mouth to answer but closed it again. Had she? Was it her fault that he’d walked out? No. If he hadn’t stayed up all night having sex with three female models, he would have looked fine through the lens.
“No, he did that all by himself.”
Marie smiled. “Good. I wanted you to work that one out for yourself.”
“It still doesn’t change the fact that I’m in over my head. At least the photos are done, so whatever Rory does won’t influence my work. But he still has to work with Wade and Maverick, and he could make life really difficult for them.”
“Then he doesn’t deserve to be on a professional team.”
She agreed but remained silent. Besides, there wasn’t anything anyone could do until Rory actually misbehaved. With no executive from the company present, it would be up to the cowboys to complain, something she hadn’t heard them do in the time they were on the farm.
“If I leave, it should be better between the men.”
“Leaving is no guarantee that shooting the video will go smoothly, but I agree it’s an option. And do you really want to run away? Why not stay and see what develops? Maybe your cowboys feel the same, and if you leave, you throw away your chance of being happy.”
“You don’t understand. Even if they feel the same, nothing can come of it.”
“Why?”
“For one, we live continents apart and Maverick’s parents are high-profile people in Texas. Imagine the scandal if it became known that he was part of a three-way relationship. It would ruin his family name. No, I’d rather end it now and start getting on with the rest of my life than risk harm to either of them or their family.”
Marie remained silent for a long while before she sighed heavily. “I hope one day someone will love me as much as you love those men. Until then, I suggest you stay for a couple of days and see how it goes. You can always leave if the need arises. I’ll even help you if it comes to that. As long as the project doesn’t suffer, I don’t see why you have to run away.”
“I can’t. I need to get away before they find out I violated our agreement of no-strings-attached sex.” Adrian plucked the elastic from her hair and ran her hand through the long strands. “It’s terrible to stand on the other side of this coin.”
“What do you mean?”
“Usually I’m the one who remains unaffect
ed by the sexual encounters. They’re just that—sex. Now I have to deal with the emotional upheaval because my stupid heart decided to fall in love.”
Marie inhaled sharply and Adrian covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh, hell, I’m sorry.”
The self-depreciating grin on Marie’s face made her feel even worse, but Marie reassured her. “It’s all right. At least I don’t feel so stupid and alone anymore.”
“How can you still be so nice to me when it must hurt like hell to see me with the men?”
“The same way you’re willing to give up your chance of happiness because it might cause Maverick’s family embarrassment and pain. I want to see you happy even if it means you’re with someone else.”
Adrian drained the last of her coffee, stood and put the mug in the sink. “Thanks for the support. I’ll think about it. If the photos are all good, I really have no excuse to stay.”
Marie nodded. “I suppose you’re right.” She also rose from the table. “I have to finish lunch. Would you mind showing me some of the photos when you’ve sifted through them?”
“Not at all. Another opinion is always welcome.”
Once in her room, Adrian booted up her laptop and extracted the memory cards from the cameras. Before the laptop had finished booting, Wade strode into her room, his face drawn in a serious mask. She swallowed the sudden dryness in her throat and blinked to prevent tears from spilling again. She loved him so much it hurt.
Her heart contracted at the mere sight of the man. She blinked as she stared at the laptop screen. This was stupid. How could she, who prided herself on being able to remain emotionally unattached, fall for a man in a matter of days?
Wade grabbed a chair, dragged it closer to her and straddled it. He plonked his hat on the bed and ran his hand through his dark hair. “What’s going on? And don’t tell me it’s nothing or work related, because I’ll know you’re lying.”
She took a deep breath to calm her raging nerves. “It really is just work.” She pointed to the laptop screen. “I told you how important this project is to repair my career and reputation. If I can finish it earlier, it would count in my favor.”
Her Bareback Cowboys Page 10
