by Reece Butler
“Introduce us to your friends,” he ordered.
“Jet Quartermain, Houston, this is my uncle, Lance MacDougal. He’s also known as The MacDougal, which means Chief of the MacDougal Clan.”
“Lila is under my protection,” said Lance to Jet, quiet but deadly.
“It’s good the lady has such men to protect her,” replied Jet in the same tone. “We’ll be taking over that job.”
“Not unless we believe you have the strength, determination, and ability.”
Jet nodded slightly. “Fair enough.”
Lance stepped forward. He winked, kissed her forehead, then stepped back.
“Lila, you’re here to help your aunt with supper. Go to it.”
Furious at the casual dismissal, she raised her eyebrows at Jet, demanding his response. He gave her the same sort of I’m in charge look as her uncle.
“Excuse me?” she demanded. “I am not going to—”
“Yes, you will. Or we’ll repeat what we did in the truck on the way here,” said Jet, smooth and quiet. “Your choice, Lila.”
Heat flooded her face, and other parts, at the reminder of the spanking. She opened her mouth to blast him. His dark eyes bored into her, and she snapped her jaw shut. Those eyes made her think of Rascal’s wild cousins, the ones that howled down the valley on moonlit winter nights. Lance and Jet acted like those wolves, one an old silverback still running the pack, the black one young and untried, but obviously powerful.
Compared to them she was a deer, heart racing as she bounded away from the battle to come. She took a mental step back. Jet was calm, controlled, and very, very, sure of himself. He made her tingle in places that should not be aroused with uncles and cousins ready to rip him apart. What really bugged the hell out of her was that she wanted to do what he said. At the same time, she wanted to disobey and see what the consequences might be. The tingle turned into a flare.
She did not want to be pushed into the kitchen and miss everything!
“Lila, that color is lovely on you!”
Aunt Marci’s voice broke the spell. Lila turned. Smiling widely, arms open, Marci rushed from the porch to hug her. Uncle Lance’s chuckles made her both fume and blush.
“You must be Lila’s Aunt Marci,” said Jet. “I’m Jet Quartermain, and this is Houston. We’re Miss Frost’s new hired hands. It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”
Aunt Marci laughed as she hugged Jet. He looked stunned. It took a moment, but he put a hesitant arm around her. Only five foot two, she was used to hugging tall men just above their abs. She moved to Houston and did the same, only with more care. He grinned, and hugged her back.
“I hear you’re the best cook in the valley, ma’am,” said Houston.
“Not true, but I’ll give you an extra piece of pie for saying so,” Marci replied, patting Houston’s chest as if she’d known him all her life. “My favorite niece has learned a lot from me. She can do the same work as my sons, but she can also keep her men well fed.” Her aunt’s eyes danced as she gave Lila a hug. “Why don’t you say good-bye to your young men for a bit.”
“But—”
Her hips were grabbed and she was spun around.
“Jet! What are you—”
The touch of his demanding lips on hers obliterated everything else. His aroma, clean sweat and pheromones, sank into her skin. Hot arms held her tight. His lips devastated her, crushing and nipping as his tongue swept her away. She melted, her pussy throbbing, breasts swelling, unable to think or move. Just when she needed air desperately, he stopped. He rested his forehead against hers. Their lungs heaved as they fought to breathe.
“I want you, Lila Frost, and I want your family to know just how much.”
His words barely registered over the pounding of her blood.
“Once we get home,” he whispered in her ear, “We’re going to strip you naked. Then we’re going to kiss every inch. And when you can’t stand it anymore, and beg me to help you come, I’m going to prove that multiple orgasms are not only possible, they’re guaranteed.”
Her face flamed at his demanding, arousing words. She curled her fingers into his shirt.
“You’d better deliver, or you’re fired!”
“You, Miss Lila,” he murmured, “have no idea what you just asked for. Plan on a few muscles being stretched.” He nipped her ear. “You might not be able to sit, either,” he added.
“My turn.”
She stumbled as Jet turned her, but Houston grabbed hold. He winked a blue eye at her.
“I don’t need to show Jet up. The lady’s already had a few kisses from me,” he boasted loudly, then pressed a gentle kiss on her temple. She thought that was it and turned away. He swatted her ass, hard.
“Hey!” She glared at him, rubbing the sting away.
“No worries, darlin’.” Houston grinned and winked, making it obvious. “There’s lots more where that came from.”
Marci’s laugh filled the yard. “I’m so pleased to meet you young men.”
She put an arm around Lila’s waist and pulled her toward the house. Lila followed her feet, her brain still buzzing from Jet’s kiss. There was nothing but a tense silence from the men.
Jet’s kiss was a purposeful red flag waving to those bulls. What would they do to him?
Chapter 13
“I’m so glad you came early,” said Aunt Marci, far too loudly. “I left the table for you to set since you were wearing a dress.”
“How did you know I would wear a dress?”
“Lance told me after Eric phoned. That’s when the men started growling.”
Lila looked over her shoulder but Marci towed her forward. Lila had learned that though her aunt was small, she had the determination of a battle tank.
Marci and Lila’s mom were sisters, but they looked like strangers. Neither of their fathers had stuck around long enough to see the product of their so-called love. Marci’s father was Spanish. She’d inherited his dark coloring, slender shape, lack of height, and perhaps his fiery attitude. Lila resembled her mother, a descendent of Vikings, and was tall, blonde, light skinned, with large bones and lots of muscle.
Lila gave up and followed Marci into the kitchen.
“I hope Jet and Houston don’t get hurt,” she said, closing the door.
“I’ll expect they’ll get hurt, but they won’t be harmed.”
“There’s a difference?”
Marci’s eyes sparkled. “A punch in the gut will hurt, but there’s no harm done. Your men, and mine may get bruised and scraped, but there won’t be any broken bones. They’re careful this close to haying season.”
If they all got in a brawl it would serve them right, going all he-man on her.
Lila inhaled the wonderful aroma of apples and cinnamon. She immediately went to the window. The men had their backs to her, everyone but Simon walking toward the barn. Houston lagged behind, Ross’s raven now on his right shoulder. They seemed to be having a conversation. Lila wasn’t surprised Houston would talk to the bird.
“Where are they going?”
Marci put a hand on her shoulder and looked past her. “I told Brody I needed more firewood split. I expect that’s what they’ll be doing.”
“I bet that’s not the only thing,” replied Lila with a frustrated growl.
“Nothing you can do about it, hon,” said Marci.
Lila turned her back on the window, leaning her hips against the counter with a frustrated sigh. Pies lined one wall, along with a few cakes and plates of cookies and bars. The huge black and silver stove, over a hundred and fifty years old, had two big pots on it.
“How many people are you expecting?”
“Everyone’s invited to drop in,” said Marci. “We’ll have a buffet. The guys set up hay bales as tables in the barn. The young men can do their one-upmanship out there. The rest of us can find a spot inside.”
“Then why did I have to come early to set the table?”
“I wanted to talk with you first.�
�
“About what?”
Marci stuck her hands on her hips. She gave an exasperated look Lila had seen her swatting her sons for showing. Marci had to get on her toes and hit their chests rather than their heads unless they were seated, but she was a feisty terrier and never backed down.
“Maybe the man who just knocked your socks off with that kiss, and the one who implied he’d already done more than that? They’re the first men to catch your fancy. No wonder you’re behaving as if you’re seventeen with your first hot date.”
“Oh.” Her face blazed with heat. “He, um, wasn’t implying anything.”
Aunt Marci squealed. She grabbed Lila, hugging her tight.
“Oh honey, did you enjoy it this time?” Marci laughed delightedly. “Of course you did! Otherwise you wouldn’t have been kissing Jet back like that. What do you think of them outside the bedroom?”
“I just met them this morning, Aunt Marci.” Once more, heat flooded her face.
“They must mean something to you, or you wouldn’t be walking around with that post-orgasmic glow. What else do you like about them? Other than their height and those muscles, of course.”
Her aunt was right. There was more to Jet and Houston than the means to scratch an itch. Thinking of them made her feel unbalanced, almost needy. That was not good. She trusted them. It might be sad, but part of her trust came from Rascal’s recommendation. Houston made her buzz, and Jet made her tremble. She didn’t need men cluttering up her life, but with her parents out of the picture, nothing would stop her from enjoying them on a temporary basis. She could almost feel a wide male thumb circling her clit, teasing and infuriating her at the same time.
Later! She had to get through this party first.
“I don’t know why, but when Jet showed up on my porch this morning, I just felt…” She stopped. He couldn’t explain it.
“You were thunderstruck.”
“That’s a good word for it. Jet is just so…overwhelming. When I saw Houston, who’s a lot more relaxed, I thought he’d be good to start with.” She remembered what happened in the truck and her blush increased.
“Tell Auntie M why you’re blushing,” coaxed her aunt.
“They spanked me! For swearing!” Lila stomped back and forth, furious for being aroused in spite of herself. “Right there, my bare ass hanging out of the truck, on the side of the road!”
She slumped onto a kitchen chair, landing hard. She rested her elbows on the table and covered her eyes.
“He didn’t spank you very hard if you can sit like that.”
Her aunt’s giggle made her groan even harder. “I can’t believe I’m talking about this.”
Marci rested a hand on her shoulder. She squeezed. “I’m so happy for you, hon. Whether these men stay a month, a year, or only a week, right now they make you happy. Your mom and I were really worried about you when you came back from college. Neither of us knew anything about men growing up. We never dated. I married Ted far too young, and it was such a huge mistake. Your mom never had time for anything but studying. “
Lila knew how much her mother, and her aunt, had gone without growing up. The word “poor” didn’t describe it.
“You’re the daughter I never had. You can talk to me, and come to me about anything. If you ask, I won’t tell Simon.”
Lila looked up. “What about Uncle Lance?”
Aunt Marci gave her a look. Lila groaned again, louder. Uncle Lance knew things before anyone told him. Maybe she’d be lucky and he wouldn’t pick anything up. The door opened, revealing Simon. He leaned a hip against the counter, resting his hand on its surface. Marci made a noise in her throat. He grumbled, but moved farther from the plate of cookies his fingers had been twitching to get close to.
“What’s that all about?” demanded Marci.
“It’s men’s business.” Simon sounded pompous but Lila saw the twinkle.
Marci jammed her sharp, short fingers into his belly.
“I warned you about speaking down to me.” She growled. “If you ever want me to bake again…”
Simon hauled her close. “You’re so much shorter, I have to talk down to you. Unless you want me to lift you to my eye level?”
“I can cut you off from more than baking, Simon MacDougal,” she warned.
“Just checking.” He chuckled and kissed her forehead, then turned to Lila.
“The boys are going to introduce Jet to the wood pile out behind the barn.”
“That’s just an excuse to go where I can’t watch,” said Lila. “Are they going to beat Jet up, four against one?”
“Your fathers asked us to check Jet and Houston out, but we would have done it anyway,” said Simon, avoiding her question. “You’ve made your choice and we need to know if these strangers are the type of man we can trust to protect you. If we don’t like them, Brody and Ross will move to the Circle C, and they’ll work here.”
“Brody and Ross will—arggh!” Lila shoved her chair back and began pacing. Her boot heels clunked with every step. “I’m trying to prove I can be ranch boss, just like Riley and Travis. Why do you insist girls are weak, so you have to protect them?”
“None of us said girls, or women, are weak,” said Simon.
“If they had, they’d be sleeping in the barn,” added Marci, with a glower at her husband.
“We said they’re different,” said Simon. “We like that they’re different,” he added, giving his wife a hot look.
“There’s not very much Brody can do that I can’t,” said Lila. “I don’t see why—”
“Brody can’t get pregnant,” said Marci bluntly. “Pregnancy gives the father rights to a member of our family. We want to make sure if that happens, your baby’s father is someone we’d want near children.”
Heat flashed up Lila’s face. Did her aunt know? Of course not. She forced herself to relax. She was used to her mother talking about sex so baldly, but not her aunt.
“I don’t want children, Uncle Simon. I mean, I do, but not now.”
“I’d love to have a baby to cuddle. A little niece or nephew,” said Marci quietly. She wrapped her arms around herself, tears leaking. Simon stepped forward, enveloping her.
“I told you what Beth said, sweetheart. Danny’s needed where he is.”
“I know, but…” She grabbed her husband hard.
Lila grieved Danny’s death, but her pain was nothing compared to that of his parents. They lost their first-born child, while she had lost a friend. She quietly went outside to give them privacy. She couldn’t imagine the horror of raising a child to adulthood and then losing him on foreign soil. Perhaps the woman her uncle mentioned was the grief counselor they’d gone to. Lila had refused to talk with anyone about Danny’s death. It would have made it too real. For a long time she pretended he was still in the army and would come back any day.
She pushed the grief away, focusing on what might be going on behind the barn. She didn’t hear the usual roars of a fight, just the regular thunk of an axe chopping wood.
If something had happened between Jet, Houston, and her relatives, she’d missed it. She slumped on a bright flowered cushion, one of the many Aunt Marci had sewn so people could sit on the front porch in comfort. She suddenly remembered she wore a dress. She stood to smooth it under her so the silk wouldn’t wrinkle more than it already had from being flipped over and spanked.
Just the memory made her pussy tingle. She pressed her knees together, pretending to be prim.
Uncle Lance came around the side of the house. He had a knack for knowing when someone needed him, or was avoiding him. She’d hoped he was with Jet. She scrunched up her nose at him as she had as a child when he’d caught her getting into mischief. He climbed the steps and sat beside her. He’d never talked down to her, even as a child. Though he didn’t tell her everything she asked, he told her what he thought she needed to know, even if it hurt.
“Raven went right for Houston. Shocked Ross all to heck.” He nudged her wi
th his elbow. “You’ve got yourself a couple of good men. Solid.”
“They’re not mine. They’re just here for a few weeks. Rascal likes them, too. They need a job, and I needed hired hands.” She shrugged. “That’s all.”
“If you say so.”
His crystal blue eyes twinkled at her. She knew that look. She tugged at the hem of her dress, pulling it farther over her knees.
“What do you know that you’re not telling me?”
His smile widened. “You really want to know how many grandchildren you’ll have by the time you’re my age?”
“Grandchildren! I haven’t even had a real boyfriend yet!” She tried to stand but Lance held her down.
“And you never will,” he replied, calm and cool as ever. “You’re not the type to go out to a fancy dinner with a boy who tries to impress you with his importance so he can bed you.”
“Is that what boyfriends do? I wouldn’t know,” she said, a tinge of bitterness creeping in.
“Of course not. You were waiting for a pair of good men. And now you’ve found them.”
“Men!” She grimaced. “I’ve been surrounded by interfering men all my life. Why would I want two of them cluttering up my life?”
“I can think of one very good reason, one which will make you blush.”
Sure enough, heat rose up her face.
“The men who’ve interfered have been family, Lila. You jump feet first into things. We’ve watched out for you because of all those scrapes you got into.”
“Thanks for the reminder,” she mumbled.
“It’s time to share your life with men who need you in their life. Men who can’t see a future unless you’re in it.”
“I highly doubt Jet and Houston think that.” She shook her head. “I just met them this morning.”
“That’s all it takes sometimes.” His bright blue eyes twinkled. “You need men who will stand proudly beside you as your companions, behind you supporting your dreams, and in front to shield you from harm.”
“Have you been reading Aunt Marci’s romance books again?” He lifted an eyebrow. Her answering sigh came from the bottom of her lungs. “Sorry, Uncle Lance. I’m grumpy today.”
