by Jane Jamison
Carter and William looked to Bill to give her the answer. “Yeah, you can stay. And we’ll take care of the boyfriend. If he shows up. Until then, you’ll be safe with us. Just stick to the house and don’t go wandering around. We don’t want Gabriel to know you’re here.”
“Gabriel?”
“He’s the leader of Cowboys for Hire.”
“And he’d have a problem with my staying? Why?” What did Gabriel have against women?
“He doesn’t like women at Second Chance. When we do our jobs, we’re away from the ranch. This is our home, and he doesn’t like mixing business with our personal lives or with the business of the ranch.”
“Oh. Got it.”
Carter misinterpreted her tone. “Don’t worry. At least one of us will stay with you at all times.”
“There is one other thing,” added Bill.
Bill obviously hadn’t told Carter and William. Their confused expressions said as much.
“Since you’re staying with us, I’m thinking you could pitch in and do a little work.”
“Work?” Was confusion contagious?
“Yeah. As in doing the laundry or cleaning a bit. And as Carter said, cooking’s not our strong suit.”
He wanted her to work? If she didn’t have to play the part of Shawna, she’d laugh her head off. Becoming a music star meant hiring other people to do the menial housework, but she couldn’t say that. She’d done enough cooking and cleaning earlier in her life. She’d even cooked and cleaned for a couple of her sorry-ass ex-boyfriends. Not that they’d appreciated her efforts.
She nodded and gave the only acceptable answer. “Oh. Sure. No problem. It’s the least I can do.”
But do I have any intention of keeping my end of the bargain? Hell, no.
“That’s what I was thinking.”
She tried not to take his tone in a bad way. After all, he was letting her stay. “Um, I don’t have any money to pay for your protection services. But if you can let me pay you back later, I swear I’ll send you some money every month. You know, like a payment plan. Would that be okay?”
She quietly congratulated herself on adding that touch to her role. She’d repay them one day. Not for keeping her safe, but for giving her a place to stay when she’d needed to get away.
“We don’t charge for our services.”
She couldn’t help but gape at Carter. “You don’t? But then, how do you make money? How did you earn enough to buy this house and the barn and, well, everything you have?”
She’d had to work most of her life. Even as a teen, she’d juggled school along with part-time jobs until she’d started getting singing gigs. She’d never known anyone to provide a service for nothing. Men had always wanted her to pay, either with money or with sexual favors. She’d paid with cash, but never with her body.
“The ranching part of it pays for most. As for the rest?” Carter shrugged. “It all works out. The only payment we ask of you is that you pay it forward. Help another person in need whenever you can.”
Were they really that nice? Like heroes in cowboy attire? “Okay. I understand.”
“So we’ve got a deal?” It didn’t seem like Carter was pushing her.
She let out a sigh of relief with perhaps a little too much exaggeration to sound real. Carter and William didn’t seem to notice, but Bill narrowed his eyes at her again. She had to find a way to get him to relax around her. “Deal. Now, how about pouring me one of those shots?”
Carter lifted the bottle and grabbed another glass from a cabinet. “Are you sure? It may hit you harder than you expect after the day you’ve had.”
“I’m sure. Pour away.”
She downed the first shot and let it burn a path to her stomach. Her eyes teared up, but the following warmth that rolled into her was worth it. They did a shot along with her, and she had to wonder how many shots they’d had before she’d come into the room.
“Hit me again.”
Another shot followed the first one. Then more shots followed that as they started relaxing, chatting about their day and the chores around the ranch. She listened intently, nodding every so often.
“Do you guys have any music?” She reminded herself to take it easy since she tended to drink more than normal while on tour. Still, although she wasn’t in her dressing room or on the tour bus, she was still officially on tour, wasn’t she?
She followed William as he went to the small bookcase in the living room and turned on an older radio. Country music filled the room.
“I’m not much on country music, but that’s pretty good. Give me another shot.”
They all did another round, and she had trouble remembering how many shots she’d done. Maybe three? Or was it four? She felt light and airy, and for the first time in way too long a time, she was really, truly happy.
“Come on, darlin’, let’s whirl around a bit.”
She laughed as William pulled her into his arms. “I don’t know how to dance to this kind of music.”
He nuzzled her neck, and the heat whirled between her legs. She rested her head against his hard chest and drew in a large breath, loving the aroma of leather, musk, and even a little perspiration mixed together. His heart echoed in her ear as she let him grip her hand.
The song changed into another quick one as Carter cut in and took her away from William. He gazed down at her, a small smile on his face as he led her through the almost-familiar steps. “You picked it up fast.”
“Thanks. I’ve got a good sense of rhythm.”
The dance, as well as Carter’s firm hold on her, ended too soon. The radio announcer spoke for a minute about a kind of beer she’d never heard of, then cued the next song. Once again, strong hands took her away from her present dance partner.
Bill held her tightly against him, his laughing gaze locked on hers. “I prefer the slow dances.”
Surprised at herself, she felt the blush rise to her cheeks. “I can take them or leave them. It depends a lot on who I’m dancing with.”
“Can you take this one or leave it?” Mirth twitched at the corners of his mouth.
“I’ll take it.”
“Good.”
They moved together easily, and she placed her head on his chest as she’d done with William. William and Carter sat on barstools and watched them, lifting their shot glasses in a salute.
But again the song was too short. Were all country songs short? Or did it just seem that way? She closed one eye, trying to bring the room around her into focus. Had she had that much to drink?
She broke away from Bill. He stared at her intently again, and she had to look away. Had to find a way to divert him from whatever accusations might be running through his head. “Hey, Carter, have you ever done a body shot?”
Interest sparked in his alcohol-hazed eyes. “I can’t say I have.”
“Well, then, you’re about to do one.” Warning bells went off in her head, telling her that doing body shots didn’t fit into Shawna’s personality. But at that moment, she didn’t care. She wanted to have fun with the three hotter-than-hell cowboys.
William reached out to take her hand as she approached the counter. “Let me help you up.”
“Oh, darlin’,”—she grinned as she mimicked his drawl—“I didn’t mean me.”
William’s arm dropped like a lead balloon. “Then who?”
She pointed at Carter who almost fell off his barstool. “Me? Aw, now, that’s not how it’s done. We’re supposed to take the shot off you. Besides, aren’t those supposed to be jelly shots?” He punched William in the arm. “I told you we should’ve bought some gelatin at the market.”
She took the glass out of his hand and tugged on Carter’s T-shirt. “Come on. Show them how it’s done. And don’t worry. We don’t need that stuff for what I’m thinking. Now hop on up.”
“Naw, girl. Carter’s right. This isn’t the way it goes. Girls get on top of the bar.”
She hiked up an eyebrow and zeroed in on him. “William
Richland, are you a sexist? Men can do shots just like women can.”
“Yeah, okay. But I’m not taking anything off another dude. Especially not my cousin.”
She gave his complaint some thought and realized she was pushing it. “Fine. Tell you what. I get to do a shot off each of you, then you guys get to do shots off me. That’s fair, right?”
“Sounds fair enough.” Bill motioned to Carter. “Why the hell are you fighting it, bro?”
“Fine. But since I’m going first, that means I get to take the first shot off Shawna.”
Shawna? Oh, yeah. That’s me. She giggled then waved at him to get with it.
He helped her pull his shirt off, and she gripped the glass tighter. She’d known he was lean and muscled, just like William and Bill were, but the eight-pack abs she stared at could’ve knocked any red-blooded woman on her ass.
Ripped, cut, buff, chiseled. All the words she’d use to describe a body like his seemed inadequate. He was way more than that. His body called to her pussy, and her pussy was ready for play.
The sight of his magnificent chest gave way to his perfect denim-clad ass as he hopped onto the counter then twisted around. He gave her a look to say he didn’t know why the hell he was doing what he was doing then lay down on the bar.
His chest rose above his lean waist as the muscles in his stomach lifted with each of his breaths. She licked her lips, a gesture that had nothing to do with any drink.
“Come on, girl. Get it over with.”
With William’s help, she climbed up on the barstool so she could lean over Carter. “Hand me the lime and the salt.”
With a grin splitting her face, she tugged his belt buckle loose and opened the flaps of his jeans. He inhaled and reached for her, but she slapped his hands away. “Easy, boy. This is how it’s done.”
Lifting the saltshaker over his abdomen, she sprinkled the salt across the flat skin directly above the patch of hair above his crotch. If she’d opened his flaps a little wider, she could’ve sprinkled the salt onto his cock. She giggled again.
I’ll do that later. Right now I need to play it cool.
The fact that cool had gone out the window several minutes earlier didn’t bother her. She slid the lime wedge over his chest, circled his brown nipples, then left it resting in the middle of his chest just waiting for her to reclaim it.
“I don’t think you need that much lime.”
“Bro, stop complaining and enjoy.” But Bill’s gaze rested on her instead of on his brother.
She tossed her hair back. “Pour the tequila into his belly button, William.”
Once he had, she leaned over, keeping her hair to the side. The clear liquid pooled in a tantalizing way, enticing her to take a drink. And drink she did.
She closed her eyes as she pressed her lips to his abdomen and licked up the salt. He grabbed her arm and let out a long breath as she slid her tongue along his flesh. He groaned as she put her mouth to his belly button and slurped in the drink. The tequila burst into her mouth as she edged to the side, placed her mouth over the lime wedge, and sucked its juices into her mouth.
Breaking free of his hold, she pulled her body upright then spit out the lime. “Holy gumdrops, but that was good.”
“Holy gumdrops?” William’s eyebrows lifted. “That sounds like something a kid would say. And darlin’, you’re no kid.”
She shrugged, not wanting to think about her mother. “It’s just a saying.”
Carter’s mouth was open, and she had to resist the urge to kiss him. But that seemed even more intimate than taking a shot off his stomach. As for later? Who knew? She licked her lips just thinking of his strong mouth on hers.
“Shawna?”
“Yeah, Carter?”
“Anytime you want to drink from my belly button, you just say the word.”
She giggled again. “I’ll remember that.”
William, however, had a different idea as he grabbed his cousin by the arm and yanked him off the counter. Carter let out a curse as he landed on the kitchen floor, but he stood up fast enough.
“My turn.”
William was up and on the counter in record time and undoing his jeans. He handed her the salt and a new wedge of lime. “Do me, darlin’.”
My pleasure. Yet instead of saying that, she sprinkled salt on his abdomen then balanced the wedge between his mountainous pecs. Carter did the honor of pouring the tequila into William’s belly button.
“How do I look?”
She bit her lower lip and took a deep breath. “Good enough to eat.”
The sexual tension that already rippled in the air zoomed to an even higher level. She found it hard to breathe, harder to think, and impossible to stop herself from going full-blast ahead. Leaning over him, she slid her tongue along the salt, drank up the tequila, and then let her hair fall over him as she scooped up the lime. Carter and Bill each took a shot and toasted to her success.
If I’m not careful, I’m going to rip the jeans off these three and have at it.
Her first thought was followed by the next.
It’s not like I have a boyfriend any longer.
A memory of Johnnie’s hard but oh-so-not-anything-like-the-Richland-men’s body assaulted her. She’d thought he was hot, but he looked like a preteen boy compared to these men. Besides, she realized now that she’d never loved him. Johnnie had been a pit stop on her way to someone better.
Too bad I didn’t realize that until after he’d stolen my money.
“Move out of the way, cuz, and let a real man do this.”
She plopped down on the barstool to find Bill going to the end of the counter and hoisting his body up. He was taller, wider than Carter, and oozed masculine sexiness. She wiped her mouth and couldn’t keep her eyes off him as he undid his silver buckle, then the belt, and then his jeans. Lying down in front of her, he opened his jeans and even unzipped them. Curly dark hairs peeked out from under the denim material.
She swallowed then followed the trail of hair up to his broad chest. Were all cowboys like the three Richland men? If so, she was definitely going to switch to singing country and going to rodeos.
“What are you waiting for, Shawna?”
She shook her head, denying the way her body stiffened as she took him in. Her gaze slid to the V the flaps of his jeans formed. Oh, how she’d loved to see just how big he was!
She repeated the steps she’d taken before then paused as she let her gaze trail over his form from the salt up to the wedge on his chest. His blue eyes sparkled with an unspoken dare, but she read it plain enough.
I need to make this one really count.
Pushing onto the counter, she threw her leg over him, pulled up her skirt, and straddled his crotch.
Holy gumdrops. Did he already have a hard-on before I got up here?
She wanted to look down and check but, instead, enjoyed the hardness pressing against her. She let her hair cascade around her as she leaned forward and pushed her arms against the sides of her breasts to plump them up.
He stared at her, lust filling his face as his lips parted just far enough for her to slide her tongue into his mouth. She did just that then flicked her tongue over her lips to tease him and let him know she knew he was turned on. Then, just as he skimmed his hands along her arms and started to lift his upper torso for a kiss, she pushed him back down and rested the lime on his muscled chest. She smiled at the flash of disappointment on his face then eased down and dusted his crotch with salt. Carter poured a liberal amount of booze into Bill’s belly button.
Making her moves as seductive as she could, she kept her eyes on his as she licked up the salt then slid her tongue into his belly button. Her body skimmed along his, her breasts pushing against him as she slid up to take the lime. He groaned and trailed his hands along her body to grip her buttocks.
She spat out the lime, arching her back to thrust out her chest. “Mmm. That was good.”
Her focus blurred then, but she was determined not to
let anything deter her from winning him over.
“Your turn, Shawna.”
Her body hummed with alcohol, but the sensation that hit her was different than that. She was turned on, intrigued, and more attracted to them than she could ever remember being to any other man. Although her plan was taking a major detour away from playing the victim, she didn’t care. She wanted them, and if the tightness of their jeans were any indication, they wanted her.
William grabbed her, and she let loose a squeal that changed into shrieks of laughter. He held her as Bill slid off the counter. Gently, he set her on top of the counter.
She tugged her T-shirt out of the hem of her skirt, then reached behind and pulled the zipper down so that the waistline of her skirt slipped to her hips. The thin straps of her thong showed, adding even more spice to her moves.
“Damn.”
Carter’s tone left no doubt that he found her more than pleasant to look at. She lay down on the counter and sneaked her T-shirt to just under the bottom of her breasts. If she took it a little higher, she’d reveal that she wasn’t wearing any bra.
Now that could be real fun.
* * * *
William shifted and tried to keep his cock from growing any larger. But that was an impossible feat with Shawna stretched out on top of the counter. Every minute she was with him, she grew even more beautiful.
He lifted the saltshaker and started to pour it on the soft sweep of skin right above her mons. If she’d pulled her skirt just an inch lower, he would’ve gotten a good look at her pussy lips again. When she’d stood up in the bathroom, he’d been so surprised that he hadn’t taken a hard look that he could’ve burned into his memory.
“Wait a second, William.”
Her voice matched the rest of her. Soft, serene, yet filled with life and an underlying essence of allure that only a few women had. If she’d changed her mind about doing her end of the belly shots, he’d have to take care of himself in the shower. A really cold shower. “Why?”
