by Jan Springer
He yawned again.
“So, what about the baby’s father? Is he going to help you start the ranch?”
Blue visibly stiffened.
Oops, he’d stepped on her toes. Time to back-pedal and make things nice.
“Sorry, none of my business. This knock on my head seems to have loosened my tongue.” He lifted his hand and with his fingers made a “zip it” motion across his mouth.
She relaxed and leaned against her perch. A wistful smile whispered across her lips.
Blue hesitated and then she continued. “He’s not in the picture. It’s complicated.”
He didn’t question her further. Again, none of his business. But he wondered what kind of man wouldn’t be involved in his baby’s life. He would, if he were a dad. He’d never leave his kid, no matter what. Which reminded him, he needed to give his mom and dad a phone call one of these days. Just to say how much he loved them.
He closed his eyes.
“I’m thinking you’d better sleep, Dan. I’ll wake you in a couple of hours.”
Blue’s soft voice settled in around him like a warm blanket.
He slept.
Chapter Five
The next day proved busy for JJ. Blue was kind enough to help with breakfast, some chores she had to do, and then she also helped JJ get lunch ready for the guys. Dan was awake and seemed alert, despite admitting to a continuing headache and some dizziness. Blue didn’t appear concerned, but JJ was thankful when she volunteered to stay until late afternoon.
It was fun having another woman around. While Blue helped her with the laundry and then in the garden planting some seeds, they chatted about Blue’s daughter, the latest in fashions and then Blue’s plans to start a sheep ranch.
Blue was so lucky. She had a baby she adored and now she was thinking about getting her very own piece of land.
Freedom of owning a plane and having some of her own land would make JJ incredibly delirious with happiness. Not that she wasn’t already very happy with her three cowboys. She truly was thrilled to have three men in her bed.
JJ had been pardoned from a prison sentence that had hung like a guillotine over her head for years, and now she could go anywhere she wanted. But she wanted to stay here. Yet she wanted something else too. Something that she could achieve on her own and claim just for herself…like learning how to fly.
JJ had been saving her money from the generous wages she received from her sexy bosses. Yet she didn’t think she could afford to rent a plane, let alone buy land just to live out some foolish need for independence. She seriously needed to keep herself in reality and stop with her fantasizing. But wow, it sure was fun having dreams rolling around in her head.
With Blue’s assurance that she believed Dan would be fine, and leaving them a small list of possible symptoms to look out for, Brady, Rafe, Blue and JJ left Dan asleep on the couch and went outdoors. Late afternoon brought bright streaks of sunshine skipping across the white-capped waves, making it appear as if someone had tossed lines of glittering jewels onto the lake.
The sight was breathtaking, and as Blue’s floatplane roared over the rough waters, they waved goodbye to her and watched as her brilliant-blue plane soared into the dark azure, cloudless sky. Blue did a funny dipping wave with her plane wings and then disappeared over the tree line.
With Rafe and Brady standing beside her on the dock, JJ stared at the sky were Blue had gone. That familiar urge for freedom surged through her. To just hop into a plane and go were she wanted was something she could almost taste. Over the winter months, she’d dreamed of the idea of becoming a pilot like Kelly and Blue, but with her anxiety issues, she’d never pondered on that subject for too long. Although her panic attacks had lessened until recently, she still anticipated having attacks. Her anticipatory anxiety prevented her from following through on her dreams.
Even though she’d told Blue that she hadn’t spent much time reading the self-help books Kelly had brought on the subject of panic attacks and anxiety, JJ actually had done a little bit of online research in some of her spare time. Yet she still couldn’t get the nerve up to take the plunge to help herself diminish her anxiety issues and learn to become a pilot, especially after learning that part about exposure therapy.
How in the world could she actually confront her fears to conquer them? The thought of doing so, terrified her.
But maybe she would.
Maybe someday.
“What’s got you smiling so widely, JJ?” Brady asked as he slipped his arm around her waist and held her close. JJ trembled at his tender yet firm touch. Moaned softly as Rafe suddenly leaned in and kissed her neck, then cupped her left breast.
“I know what she’s smiling about. She wants what we all missed last night,” Rafe growled. Excitement toned his voice and lust shone intensely in his eyes.
“I didn’t miss any of you last night,” JJ teased. She suddenly wanted the two of them to make love to her.
“Here,” she whispered. “Fuck me here.”
Rafe moaned against her neck and squeezed her breast.
“Your wish is our command, our beautiful highness. We missed you like crazy last night,” Rafe whispered.
“More than crazy. And because I was a Boy Scout when I was a kid, I am always prepared,” Brady said as he let go of her.
JJ laughed as Brady removed a couple of condoms from his shirt pocket and placed the packages on the armrest of one of the several Adirondack chairs they’d brought out of storage earlier this spring and had set on the large dock. Then he dipped his hand into his back pocket, and to JJ’s surprise, he brought out a small pocket-size tube of lube.
“Oh my God, you guys set me up. You planned this.” She laughed as the two men feigned gasps of mock horror.
Then Rafe quickly unbuttoned his shirt.
“More like insanely missed you,” Rafe murmured as both men quickly unbuttoned their shirts and then slid them off. She inhaled as muscles bunched in the men’s biceps and their chests. The dipping sunshine sprayed a golden hue over their tanned bodies and incredible sensations — excitement, need, hunger — they seared into her as she watched them remove their pants.
With the backdrop of the sparkling lake and the distant dark forest, and the foreground of two primal and now very naked men stroking large erections, JJ couldn’t stop the weakness of submission from humming over her. Suddenly nothing mattered but having both of them touching her, kissing her, loving her.
Rafe stepped in front of her and reached out. She inhaled as he efficiently popped the buttons through the buttonholes, then slipped JJ’s blouse off her shoulders. He dropped her garment onto the dock. Then Brady undid the back clasp of her bra, removing it and allowing her breasts to spill free.
Rafe’s head lowered. He palmed her breasts. Squeezing them together, he licked her nipples, creating sparks of pleasure. Then he sucked her right one into his mouth, his lips drawing the quickly hardened peak between his sharp teeth, creating a gasping pleasure-pain JJ loved. She moaned into the heat of his mouth and whimpered as Brady drew her pants and panties down her legs. She lifted one foot and then the other, stepping out of them.
JJ cried out as Rafe moved to nibble on her other nipple and Brady unexpectedly smacked her ass. Heat blushed her cheeks. Brady didn’t spank her that often, but when he did…
“Want more?” he muttered thickly.
“Yes,” JJ hissed.
Pleasure-pain sizzled through her nipple as Rafe bit down harder. At the same time, Brady slapped her ass again and again. She gasped with every erotic slap and they continued until her curves burned and her nipples throbbed.
Without warning, both men unexpectedly pulled away and quickly sheathed their erections. JJ gripped the back of a chair for support and she shivered as a blast of cold air blew off the lake and caressed her heated skin.
“Baby, lie on top of me,” Rafe suddenly said as he lay down on a padded chaise and held his hands out to her.
Brady helped her walk
, and then eased her down on top of Rafe. JJ moaned as she straddled Rafe and his cock penetrated her and filled her to perfection. His gaze flared with arousal and he growled his approval through gritted teeth.
Rafe pulled her down upon the hard contours of his body and she slapped her hands over his shoulders. He, in turn, speared his fingers through her hair, bringing her head down toward his. His eyes sparkled with appreciation.
“Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are?” he asked.
JJ laughed. “All the time. And I never get tired of hearing you say it.”
“I mean it,” Rafe whispered. He parted his lips and she kissed his hot mouth. Tingles of delight swirled through her and he kissed her back. Hard.
Behind her, she sensed Brady moving into position over her. Gasped as his lubed shaft parted her tight sphincter and prodded gently. JJ felt herself opening to him. Accepting him. Needing him to penetrate her.
“She’s tight as sin,” Brady muttered.
JJ tried to breathe through the incredible pressure and thrust her tongue into Rafe’s mouth. Their tongues dueled and she grew heady as Brady’s erection pierced her. She gasped as her pussy and anal muscles clenched the intruders. She writhed between Rafe and Brady and could feel every inch of both their cocks in her.
Brady withdrew, then he thrust into her again. His pelvis slammed into her and pushed her against Rafe. The movement created a breathtaking white-hot friction.
All three of them moaned.
“Nothing…like…outdoor…sex,” Rafe murmured against her lips.
“Best kind,” Brady agreed as he kissed a hot line of pleasure across the back of JJ’s shoulders. He was thrusting into her now with a fierce, steady rhythm that shot flames of agonizing need into her.
The sounds of water lapping against the dock intermingled with the slaps of their flesh and JJ’s soft whimpers. It was a beautiful melody, and JJ immersed herself into the sexy sounds. Heat speared her ass as Brady’s thrusts increased. Rafe’s breaths became louder and she sensed he would soon reach his climax. Just as she was moving swiftly toward escape.
Shudders came out of nowhere trapping her in its erotic grip. She dug her fingers into Rafe’s flesh as the electric pleasure overpowered her and she became helplessly lost inside.
Afterward, Brady lifted JJ into his arms and buried his face in her fluffy hair. She smelled so good. Like a breath of fresh air and sweet sex. JJ whimpered softly and curled her arms around his neck. The intimate gesture evoked his protective instincts and Brady held her tighter. She trembled against him.
“Are you cold, sweetness?” he whispered as he drew his face from her hair and gazed at her.
She shook her head, smiled, but kept her eyes closed. Satisfaction laced her features.
Man, but she was perfection. Her naked curves pressed against his flesh, igniting a renewed erection. He was going to have to make love to her again, because there was no way he was going to bed tonight with a hurting hard-on.
“Time to head indoors,” Rafe said as he picked up their clothing.
It had gotten dark and the air was alive with the sounds of croaking frogs, as well as the buzz of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes meant warm weather was here to stay. One pesky bug stuck him on his left ass cheek, igniting a burning pain. Instincts made him want to smack the bug dead, but since his hands were full of luscious woman, he endured the bite and nodded to Rafe.
“Let’s go,” he whispered.
He carried JJ into the ranch house. Behind him, Rafe followed. With Dan snoring softly on the couch, they ascended the stairs to JJ’s bedroom.
As Brady placed her on her bed, she whimpered and looked up at him. Her pink lips were parted as she panted, her eyes sparkled and her body trembled. It appeared she was just as eager for more hot love.
Rafe quickly bound her wrists and ankles to the bedposts.
“I’ll do the checking on Dan tonight,” Rafe murmured and Brady nodded his thanks.
They both knew it was Brady’s night to be with JJ and so Rafe left, quietly shutting the door behind him.
“Take me,” she whispered. She gave a yank at her restraints and then growled sweetly at him.
Brady’s cock jerked at her words. He liked her tied up. Sometimes he fucked her off and on all night, keeping her tied to the bed and enjoying how she moaned and writhed beneath him. He’d do it tonight, too. As a form of punishment to her for not saying that she thought they had an intruder.
Brady grinned. It was a hell of a nice form of punishment. He knew they both would pay in the morning for their night romp, but giving her pleasure was well worth the price.
* * * * *
It took the guys several days to catch up on their ranch chores, and thankfully there had been no more unexpected intruders, unexplained events or missing food. JJ had told the guys about her cowboy hat blowing away during the storm while she’d been rototilling, but no one had been able to find it. The guys had promised to buy her a new hat, but it just wasn’t the same as having her very first one. That hat had held intimate memories for her.
They’d given her the cute white cowboy hat this past Christmas, her first Christmas since being out of prison. Her first Christmas here on the ranch. They’d also gifted her with a gold necklace with three cowboy hats dangling from it. One cowboy hat was black, one brown and one beige.
Each hat had contained the birthstone of each of her men.
The black hat with the twinkling blue sapphire signified Brady’s September birthday. The beige one had a sparkling white diamond buried in the metal. It belonged to Rafe. His birthday was this past April and she’d baked him the biggest buttercream birthday cake. And the dark-brown hat with the green emerald represented Dan. His birthday had been at the beginning of May. She’d baked him a scrumptious brownie birthday cake on his big day.
But the biggest present she’d received on Christmas Day, had been a pardon. The freedom to leave here. Yet the only place that held any love in her heart was this secluded ranch and her sexy men. But she knew it was in her best interest to get control of her anxiety and to really become as independent as possible. Certainly she could do that without permanently leaving here.
A little bit of relief began to push aside JJ’s anxiety as her thoughts turned to Dan. For the past couple of days, he’d been up and about with no serious afteraffects from his concussion. Rafe had planted an abundance of vegetable seeds for Dan allowing Dan to continue taking it easy.
But he wasn’t one to stay put for long. He’d repaired a leaky faucet in the upstairs bathroom, and despite Brady’s warning about attracting bears, Dan built a bird feeder and set it up right in front of her kitchen window so she could watch the birds and squirrels while she cooked.
Then yesterday, Dan had gone out to the barn and tended to one of the Anguses, who was experiencing a difficult birth. The cow and calf had made it through okay and Dan had come into the house with an ear-to-ear smile, bragging about how he was just as good as any veterinarian.
Brady had taken the gun with him when he’d gone out to clear the trails. Thankfully, he’d always come home safe and sound.
Things were getting back to normal, and she liked her routine of taking care of them. Hopefully whoever had been lurking around had finished with their mischief and left the area.
Last night, with chores caught up, talk had turned to retrieving Dan’s disabled four wheeler and JJ was thrilled to be invited along.
This morning she’d created a scrumptious picnic lunch that was packed in a couple of coolers full of ice-cubes. The coolers were strapped to the back of each one of the two all terrain vehicle’s they were using.
Now as she sat on a machine, her head protected by a safety helmet, she tightly cradled Brady’s waist and tried to squash her nervousness as she lost sight of the sanctity of the ranch house and its familiar surroundings.
The trail they followed meandered through dense forests of red and white spruce and pine, balsam fir and birch trees with quick bursts ac
ross lush green meadows and right through several fast-moving creeks. As they traveled, Brady gave her information about the ranch. Most of it she already knew from their conversations, but she let him talk about the two thousand heads of mother cows and calves and over a hundred bulls scattered across thousands of acres of forest, meadows and several creeks that supplied them water.
He pointed out the numerous clusters of black and red Angus herds that belonged to them. She loved how plump and healthy the animals looked, despite being out here in the harsh winter.
Dan, Brady and Rafe had kept their cattle well fed, using skidoos and trailers to haul out the vitamin pellets, hay, alfalfa hay, salt blocks and other nutritious foods the cattle required to survive the harsh elements. After a couple of particularly brutal snowstorms this past January, they’d hired North Country Air to help them drop deliver the cattle feed to various areas from the air via bush planes. By the appearance of the healthy, sturdy cattle, her cowboys knew what they were doing.
Cattle chomped on the green grass in the sun-bright meadows and as they rode along, JJ caught glimpses of running deer, curious black bears and even a young moose.
There were many small meadows that had been tilled over and Brady explained that they had access to an estimated three thousand acres of land. They tried to utilize as many acres as possible in the patchwork of naturally occurring meadows to grow grass hay, with four hundred acres set aside for alfalfa hay of which they stacked both in the barn for winter feeding.
They spent their summers on tractors making hay and moving the cows from pasture to pasture to ensure the beef were well fed. They were set to start seeding for hay as soon as the earth was dry enough for the tractors.
To think she was a part of such an intriguing business that they were cutting out in the Canadian wilderness was amazing. Pride rushed through JJ, pushing away her nervousness.
By the time they reached Dan’s abandoned vehicle, wondrous peace enveloped JJ. There was nothing like some fresh air and a little distraction to get her nerves settled.
