I bit my nails. I never bit my nails. Usually because there was paint under them, and it tasted terrible. But now I bit them because I didn’t know what else to do.
“So this was your big victory?” Barton huffed. “Thought you could do better than me by living it up as a fucking dining whore?”
I shivered at his words.
“Bart stop.”
He threw his hands in the air. He leaned over me. I could smell the beer on his breath. I turned away from him. “Why would I stop?”
I should never have agreed to walk with him back to his hotel room. It was stupid. It was beyond idiotic. But it was either that or he’d cause a big scene at Cookie’s. Reva said she’d cover for me for an hour. She wanted the extra tips to buy John something special for his birthday.
We were a block down from the diner and one floor up. I could see the blinking red neon sign from Barton’s window.
“Why are you here?” I asked.
“Work,” he answered.
Barton never held a job for more than a few months at a time. I was confused. “What kind of work has you in Stonecreek Valley?”
He walked over to the minibar to pour a drink.
“Contract work. Doing some water testing.”
My lungs seized.
“This is about the mineral rights?”
He slung the bourbon back. “Who the fuck knows. I just know I brought my testing kit. I’m collecting samples.”
Barton had the makings for something good and productive in this world. He had an environmental science degree. He once worked in a lab where he helped identify toxic chemicals in certain plastics, but he was fired. It took a while for him to admit it was because he was caught drinking at work. After that he found a job testing pool water. That didn’t last line and it was seasonal. By the time we finally broke up he was taking on any odd jobs he could. I had no idea he was capable of being a contractor.
I stood and walked toward him. “Bart, listen to me. This job is serious. It’s important.”
His eyes flickered with recognition. “What kind of serious?”
My mouth went dry. “If the wrong people get the wrong kind of information from these tests they are going to ruin the land here. You must know how awful that is.”
He scoffed. “Would I?”
“Yes, you would. You’re an environmental scientist.” Although by the looks of it he wasn’t going to have this job for long either.
“Why do you give a fuck?”
“Because I don’t want the creeks and waterways dug up for oil or gas. Or gold, or whatever minerals you might find.”
His hand moved to my hip and I gritted my teeth.
“So, what? You offering me a trade, kitty cat?”
I blinked. “A trade? What? Me?” I shook my head. “No. That’s not what I’m saying.”
He curled his fingers into my waist. It made it painful to turn.
“How about for old times, I fuck you and we’ll call it even?”
“You’re disgusting,” I snarled.
“But you’re considering it, aren’t you? That sweet pussy of yours needs a reminder who it belongs to. And I’d be willing to change the test results. But this is going to go down exactly how I want.”
I shook my head. “I’m not sleeping with you for the mineral rights results.” I tried to jerk away, but he grabbed my wrist.
“Then only one of us will get what they want.”
“No, Bart. Stop it.” I wrestled. Even drunk, he was still stronger than me. It was hard to believe this man was once someone I thought I loved. Someone I had shared my life with.
The struggling slowed and he brought his mouth over mine. His tongue pushed into my mouth as I fought against him. I clawed and punched, but he dragged me to the bed.
“Ok. Ok.” I sought air. “I’ll do it. I’ll let you fuck me.”
He smiled. “It was going to be good for me either way, but I like it better when you’re into it.” He stood over me, eyeing me like a piece of meat.
“Can you at least give me second to come up with some terms of the deal before we do it?”
Bart laughed. “Terms? I fuck you however I like. I fudge the test. That’s the deal.”
“No. We’re putting this on paper.” I scampered off to the side of the bed, while I had him distracted. I grabbed the pad of paper and the pen from the bedside drawer.
“Hell, Jade. You’re being serious.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Yes. We’re writing this down, or no deal.”
He exhaled. “I’ll change the results. Ok.” He unzipped his work pants.
I had to stop myself from gagging when he pulled his dick out and started working it up and down. I focused on the paper. He was still standing between the door and me. I needed a weapon, or some kind of leverage.
“Number one,” I announced, trying to make my voice sound official and fearless. “This offer is only good once.”
I continued to write. I analyzed the pen, assessing whether it was sharp enough to pierce his eye. Would I be able to stab him with it fast enough?
“Why don’t I get you ready while you write your stupid deal down?”
He pulled my ankles, yanking me on my back. I yelped.
“I said I would do it,” I snapped. “But how do I know you won’t back out?”
He traced a finger over my collarbone and across my breasts. I pretended to be interested.
“I do still turn you on, kitty cat?”
I nodded. “Contract first,” I reminded him.
“Fine.” He rolled off the bed, but unbuttoned his shirt. He fisted his cock a few pumps in between my statements.
Holy hell. How was I getting out of this one?
28
Dalton
The faster Ace drove, the more certain I was he was right. Jade needed us. I tried the diner’s number a few times on the way into town, but it was busy.
“Fucking lunch orders,” I grumbled. “They’re tying up the line.”
“Did you try Cookie?” Ace asked.
“Yeah. No answer.”
I didn’t have anyone else’s number that worked at the diner. We were on our own. As Ace peeled into the quiet downtown streets, things appeared normal. If something was wrong with Jade, no one here acted like they knew it.
Ace and I barreled into the diner. I scanned the dining room for her.
“She’s not here.”
I ran through the kitchen door. A place that was off limits to everyone but the staff. Vincent looked at me puzzled.
“Jade?” I asked. “Have you seen her?”
“She’s on break,” he answered.
I scratched my stubble. That didn’t make sense. Reva shuffled through the door.
“Reva, where is Jade? Why is she on break?”
She shook her head. “I’m not supposed to say.”
“You have to tell me. Something’s not right. She’s not answering her phone. I need to talk to her.”
Reva emptied a stack of dirty dishes in the dish bucket and wiped her hands.
“Some guy showed up. Someone she used to know. She said it was some unfinished business.” Reva clucked her tongue. “I think it was an ex, sweetie. She followed him over to the Big Sky Inn.”
The jealous rage was as intense as the need to protect her.
“Thank you, Reva.”
I took off through the kitchen, grabbing Ace on my out.
“She’s at the Big Sky,” I reported. “With her ex.”
“What the fuck?” Ace ran step by step beside me.
We charged into the front desk. Eileen was working.
“Eileen, this is an emergency. Have you seen a pretty blond girl come in here with a guy? She would have been dressed to work at the diner.”
Eileen stuck a pencil behind her ear. “You have to know I can’t give out guest information.”
Ace pounded on the desk. “This is an emergency. A girl’s safety is at risk, damn it.”
She start
ed to argue with Ace again, but I didn’t stick around long enough to hear the end of it. There weren’t more than fifteen rooms in this place. I’d kick down every damn door until I found her.
I ran to the first hall and pounded on the doors. The guests opened their doors in surprise. It wasn’t long before Ace was following my lead.
“Eileen’s calling the sheriff,” he announced.
“Let her. Jade is here somewhere and she needs us.”
We raced to the second floor. Ace took the left side and I started hammering on the doors on the right. It wasn’t until I hit the fourth door that I knew I’d found her.
“Jade!” I yelled through the door.
“Dalt! Ace!” Her cries were muffled, but there was no mistaking it was her.
“Open the damn door.” I beat on frame.
Ace stood next to me. “On the count of three?”
I nodded.
“One. Two. Three.”
We reared back and kicked the shit out of that door. It fell inside the room, ripping away from the hinges.
My knuckles were white as I formed fists with my hands. Jade was on the bed. And there was a motherfucker with his pants down, jacking off right next to her.
Ace and I both saw red. We charged toward him, letting the anger take over.
29
Jade
The police hauled Barton away and I had never been so excited to see handcuffs in my life. I explained to the sheriff that he had lured me to the room and tried to entrap me in a deal in exchange for sex. I was going to press charges. I wasn’t backing down this time. I had let him push me around and take advantage of me for far too long.
When the police finally cleared the scene, Ace and Dalton put their arms around me.
“Do you think Cookie will let you have the rest of the day off work?” Ace asked.
“I think so.” I smiled meekly.
They led me from the hotel.
I wasn’t sure if the crowd on the street was staring at me because of the ordeal, or because for the first time I was publicly admitting I was with Ace and Dalton. I held both hands and leaned on one strong shoulder and then the other as we walked back to our cars at the diner.
It wasn’t exactly how I expected the announcement to take place, but Barton had freed me instead of embarrassed me. It was liberating not to worry anymore. I was theirs. They were mine. People could stare all they want.
“I’ve got the Jeep,” Ace offered.
“You sure?”
“You ride with Dalt.” He nodded to the truck and I climbed inside.
Dalton weaved his fingers through mine on the ride back to the ranch.
“Are you ok, darlin’?”
“Actually, I am.” I felt stronger than I expected. I was shaken, but not like the night when the three drunks attacked. I had a plan this time.
“I was going to gauge his eyes out with a pen,” I told Dalton.
He swerved slightly off the road. “You what?”
I nodded. “I came up with this idea to make him list out our deal. The mineral rights testing results in exchange for sex. I thought if I could stall him long enough, I could use the pen as a weapon. Eyeball seemed the most likely target.”
Dalton cleared his throat. “Wow. That’s impressive.”
His hand circled my knee.
“Thank you for looking for me. For trying to find me even though I told you I could take care of myself.”
He turned onto the ranch road. “You can take care of yourself, Jade. Ace and I both know that. But the thing is…the thing we keep trying to tell you is you don’t have to. We want to be there. We want to help. It’s been a few months now. Can’t you let us do some things for you?”
He pulled the truck into the garage and turned off the ignition. Ace parked the Jeep next to us.
I leaned over and kissed Dalton on the cheek. “Yes. I can.” I smiled as I hopped out of the truck.
Ace waited for me at the top of the stairs.
“It’s too soon to talk about all this, isn’t it?”
I shook my head. “No. I want to tell you all of it. It’s time.”
His mouth hung open as I walked inside the house, poured a glass of wine, and sat on the couch waiting for my men.
I’d waited for the fireplace to be lit since the very first time I walked into the ranch house. Dalton knelt in front of it with a stack of kindling. Within minutes the room glowed with an orange hue.
“Some of those stones look exactly like the rock at the hot springs.” I looked high toward the ceiling.
They knew exactly what rock I was referring to. There was rock that had become the cornerstone of our relationship. One rock that we visited every weekend.
Dalton’s eyes scanned the stones. “Actually, they were right next to it. We left the big one because it was so smooth. It seemed like a table.”
I laughed. “We’ve had some lunches and dinners there.”
“We have.”
He stepped back from the fireplace. “Come here.” He sat next to me on the couch, pulling me against his chest. I could smell the feint traces of wood smoke on his clothes.
Ace waltzed in with two bottles of wine. “We never drink this stuff, so it must be heavy.”
I nodded. “It is heavy. But this is my safe space now. With you two.”
I watched the flames flicker. The logs crackled. Ace lifted my legs to slide under them. His hand curled to the inside of my thigh. This was perfect.
He poured a giant glass of wine and handed it to me. It hung in the air and as soon as I brought it my lips I flung it away, almost dropping the glass.
“Something wrong?” Ace asked.
“I think that wine is rancid,” I answered. “It smells horrible.”
Ace sniffed it. “Smells fine to me.” He took a sip. “And tastes fine.”
“You’re a guy and not a wine coinsurer.”
“You’ve got me there. Want me to get you something else to drink?”
“No.” I shook my head. “I just want to tell you the story. You both should know. And maybe you should have known all along.”
“About that asshole?” Dalton growled.
“Yes, the asshole,” I admitted.
“Whatever it is, it doesn’t change anything,” Ace asked.
I exhaled. “I started dating Barton when things in my life were going really well.” I thought back to that time. “And he wasn’t an asshole back then. He wandered into my studio one day and bought three pieces of art. We struck up a conversation and a few weeks later we were a couple. At first we had a lot in common. He loved art. He especially loved my art. He also loved other artists.” I coughed, wishing I had a glass of water. I wasn’t willing to try the wine.
“So he cheated on you?” Ace asked.
“Oh yeah. He collects artists and art alike. But it wasn’t just that. He moved me in with him after a few months. He said he wanted to give me a private place to paint. That he wanted to sponsor my art. As if I were a muse that needed to be nurtured. I had a full studio. It was beautiful. Lots of natural light.” I had to look away. “But it wasn’t actually his. It was this girl he was fucking. She was in Europe for the summer, so he moved me into her studio and lied saying he bought it for me. That’s all he was. A liar. One lie after another. And then the drinking started.”
“Oh fuck, Jade.”
I wiped a tear from my cheek. “Please don’t feel sorry for me. There were signs I ignored. Signs I didn’t want to see. I didn’t want to believe he would cheat on me. I didn’t want to believe I wasn’t enough. And then the alcohol was like through gasoline on a fire. It blew up in my face. I left him when he was traveling. I packed up and moved out of the studio. But by then I was financially dependent on him. I couldn’t pay for my own studio. It was a nightmare.”
“And you ended up in Stonecreek Valley,” Dalton whispered.
“Yes. And it was the best thing that ever happened to me. The absolute best.”
“We
’re glad you’re here.” Ace stroked my hair. “Promise you won’t leave us.”
I shook my head. “As long as you’re ok now that the entire town knows the three of us are together.”
“Fuck ‘em,” Dalton growled. “You belong with us.”
I nuzzled deeper on the couch between the two men I loved more than anything in this world and fell asleep.
Epilogue
Jade
There were a lot of things to be surprised about. The turnout at the opening of my studio. The confession Reva made about the lovers my grandmother had in her twenties. The waiting list for students at the art school. The way I took to the chickens and claimed them as my daily chore with gusto.
Yeah, that was all surprising.
In retrospect the one thing that shouldn’t have surprised me was the result when I took the test. But as soon as I saw those two pink lines, my knees wobbled and I lost the air in my lungs.
I was pregnant.
I stumbled out of the bathroom, leaving the plastic stick on the counter. I climbed under the covers. Ace and Dalton were out on the ranch. I needed to think. I needed to process this.
I jumped when I heard the door to the master wing slam.
Dalton walked in first.
“What’s wrong? Why aren’t you outside?” I asked.
“It’s raining,” he answered. “There’s a storm on the hill. It’s going to be a few hours.”
He eyed me in bed. “Need some company?”
I nodded. “Please.”
I held open the side of the quilt. He shed his clothes before his climbed in bed with me. He wrapped his muscular limbs around me. He kissed my breasts, trailing to my stomach.
“Oh Dalt,” I moaned as he sank between my legs, pushing me knees wide.
He pried my velvet lips to circle my clit. I rocked into his face, urging him to fuck me with this tongue. It was all I could think about it. I wanted to come in his mouth. I wanted to feel the heat of his lips on my pussy.
It should have occurred to me before this week that I was pregnant. The signs had been there. I had a healthy sex drive, but lately I wanted sex all the time. I could come just daydreaming about the guys. Sometimes I had to stop painting just to get myself off. It was out of control.
Double Rugged Trouble: Rancher MFM Menage: Stonecreek Valley Page 11
