She loved to dance and couldn’t resist the temptation, especially since at the moment they weren’t going for each other’s throats. “Not enough to keep me from dancing.”
The words had barely passed her lips before he pulled her into his arms, placing her left hand on his shoulder and gently clasping her right. They stayed to the edge of the space as he taught her the dance.
“It’s two quick steps then two slow steps. Start with a quick step back with your right foot.” With one hand on her waist, Brock guided her movements by exerting gentle pressure. The warm contact heated her blood and her body quivered.
“Now a quick step back with the left.” He nodded. “Then a slow step back on the right. Pause for a beat. Now slowly on the left. Pause again. Pull your right foot even with the left. Good, now start again.”
Tink resisted the urge to watch their feet by staring into his eyes, intrigued by sparkling flecks of amber accenting the vibrant green. On the surface they were serious eyes capable of projecting great warmth. Yet in their depths lurked pain and anguish Brock seemed to keep hidden from even his closest friends. On rare occasions, when his guard was down, she’d caught a glimpse of his emotional scars and her heart ached to comfort the stoic man. Then he’d say something irritating and the moment would be lost.
Who did he turn to when the pain became unbearable? Did he have anyone with whom he could truly be himself? And why did she want to be the one he sought when he needed solace?
“You’re overthinking it, darlin’. Just relax and flow with the music.”
Taking his advice, Tink set all her cares aside as Brock swept her away. Once she got familiar with the steps, adding in a few more advanced moves was easy.
When the song ended everyone changed partners and she found herself in Cord’s strong arms. She’d expected the type-A man to be stiff, but he moved with surprising ease and grace.
As she took a turn around the room with Dakota, he pinned her beneath his dark, piercing gaze. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he looked right into her soul and took her measure. He nodded at the end of the dance. “What you seek will take time, so you must be patient.”
Huh? What the hell was he talking about?
She’d have to figure out what the enigmatic statement meant later. Zeke swooped in and danced her away before she had a chance to ask any questions. As the song ended, Riley was there for his turn. Within moments he had her laughing with his ribald comments and outlandish sense of humor. The shameless flirt held her closer than necessary and as the song came to an end, he dipped her low over one arm, keeping his body molded to hers.
Tink abandoned herself to the spontaneous move. Trusting Riley to support her, she let her head fall between her shoulders and closed her eyes.
“Oh baby,” Riley said in a husky tone. His soft lips placed a hot kiss just below her ear before skating down the length of her exposed throat and latching on to the curve where neck met shoulder. As he sucked on the sensitive spot, shivers of arousal brought every nerve ending to instant awareness. Her eyes snapped open in shock, colliding with Brock’s furious glare—no less powerful for being upside down—shooting daggers at his friend. Jesus, if looks could kill, Riley would have dropped dead on the spot.
After several long moments, Riley pulled her upright. Very slowly. He kept their bodies pressed together tight, his lips remaining suctioned to her neck as his tongue traced wicked patterns over her skin. If he didn’t let up soon she’d have one hell of a hickey. “I’m gonna kick your ass if you leave marks on me.”
Her threat actually had the fool laughing. Thankfully, Riley didn’t let her go once they were standing. Her muscles had given out, her feet throbbed and she felt boneless. If he hadn’t continued to offer his support, she would have fallen flat on her ass. His blue eyes twinkled with mischief, desire, and if she read him right, arrogance over having gotten to her.
“Need a break from dancing?” The words were spoken in a soft tone so only she would hear.
Unable to find her voice, she nodded.
“Come on, honey. I’ll buy ya a drink,” he said, speaking louder. With an arm wrapped around her waist, he guided her toward a table where pitchers of cold lemonade and sweet tea waited along with some of Millie’s wonderful chocolate chip cookies.
Boots pounded on the staircase and she watched as Steph headed upstairs, clearly in a huff. Uh-oh, Riley had stirred up all kinds of trouble.
“Brock,” Cord’s stern voice warned behind them. Tink barely resisted the temptation to turn around. She had to give Riley credit. He didn’t falter or let the tension hanging heavy in the air slow him down a bit. Tink grinned. The man knew how to push buttons almost as well as she did. Right now he was working hard at annoying Brock, which worked for her, since Tex was her favorite target.
“I enjoy pissing Brock off as much as you do, honey, but acting bitchy is going to backfire on you. It won’t keep him at a distance for long, so you’d better come up with another plan.”
She gasped and her head snapped around, her eyes shooting daggers at the cowboy. The insightful comment shocked Tink to her core. Riley put out a vibe that he was lacking in depth and only cared about having fun. If she was so completely wrong about him, perhaps she did need to rethink her views on Brock.
“You’ve got to try Millie’s cookies,” Riley went on as if he hadn’t said anything significant. “Tamara swears they’re almost as good as an orgasm. Hell, with all the moaning and groaning she does when eating one you’d sure think she was gettin’ off.”
She tried to hold back her laughter but Riley chose that moment to goose her.
“What’s Tink short for anyway? Don’t tell me your parents put that name on your birth certificate.”
“Tink is short for mind your own damn business,” she snapped. She wasn’t about to give him her real name or she’d never hear the end of the teasing. And to hell if she’d go into the whole sordid tale of her dysfunctional family.
After gathering refreshments, they took a seat on the couch. The music had been turned down and the mood in the room had changed. Brock silently brooded, which didn’t make any sense. She wondered what the hell was up with his attitude. Considering how much she irritated him there was no way he was feeling jealous, was there? Riley just took it all in stride, regaling her with stories of various pranks he’d pulled on his friends.
“Took me half the day to rig up that rubber snake so it would squirm up through the drain when the toilet seat was lifted.” He slapped his thigh. “I’ve never heard anyone scream so loud before. Soaking wet with a small towel barely coverin’ her, Tamara flew out the door and into Cord’s arms like she’d been shot outta a cannon, which had Van seeing red.”
She had to give him credit. The man had pulled off some great pranks and had a warped imagination on par with her own. And his laughter was infectious.
“Tamara and Van have pulled off a few good ones too.” Excited about his topic, Riley reached across the coffee table and nudged Savannah’s knee to make sure he had her attention. This provoked a growl from Cord, but Riley was too caught up in telling the tale to notice.
“After we went muddin’, those two snuck into the bunkhouse to steal every stitch of our clothes while we were in the showers. Only left our boots and hats. Then they set off the fire alarm and waited outside.”
Dakota shook his head at Tamara and she turned beet red. Apparently he hadn’t heard about the prank before.
“It’s getting late,” Tamara said. “Come on, babe. Let’s go to bed.”
Everyone else took their cues from the couple and the party began to break up.
“Tink, would you mind helping me clean up the refreshments while the guys do the heavy work?”
Ah, she’d known this was coming. Had been waiting for one of the women to pull her aside and have their say. Since Tamara had bolted, the task fell to Savannah.
She remained patient while Savannah washed the few cups and dishes, passing them ove
r for Tink to dry. Finally, when she’d handed over the last dish, the other woman turned to face her.
“Brock is a great guy and I want to see him happy. I don’t think you see it, but he’s taken a shine to you.”
Tink couldn’t help but laugh over the ridiculous idea. “You’re kidding, right?” There was not an ounce of humor in Savannah’s serious expression. “Oh, come on. That kiss was a fluke. We irritate the hell out of each other.”
“Neither of you would feel that way if there wasn’t a whole lot of passion and chemistry between you.”
Tink scoffed at the idea. Their chemistry was rotten!
“For the most part, Brock’s quiet and reserved. I’ve never seen him react this way to anyone before. He has deep feelings for you.”
“Yeah, hate and loathing.”
Savannah sighed. “That’s what he’d have you think.” She shook her head and rubbed a hand over her baby bump. “Riley sees it, that’s why he’s goading Brock. The two of them are very competitive. I’d hate to see either of them get hurt. If you have any real interest in Brock, then steer clear of Riley.”
“Look, I appreciate what you’re saying but I won’t be here long. Soon as my car’s fixed, I’m headed back to Denver, and I’m not into long-distance romances. They never work out.”
An odd expression crossed Savannah’s face. “But you fit in so well with…on the ranch. I thought you’d be moving out here to work with Kate once she gets the business going. We’d love to have you join our family.”
“There’s nothing definite. I’m not hanging my hopes on a maybe. If it happens—great. If not…” She shrugged as if the outcome didn’t matter to her in the least.
“I see.” Savannah’s brow crinkled. Her expression turned quizzical but she let whatever brewed in her mind drop. “Well, I don’t know about you but I’m exhausted. I’m going to head up to bed. Sleep well.”
“You too.”
Savannah went out toward the great room. Tink waited until she’d made it out of the kitchen to turn off the lights. The back staircase was closer to her room. She replayed their discussion in her mind as she climbed the stairs.
Some psychic Savannah had turned out to be. Her crystal ball must be on the fritz if she thought Brock wanted anything beyond getting in Tink’s panties. She’d had enough experience with men to know once that happened his attention would turn to someone else. A tumble between the sheets with one of the gorgeous cowboys would at least make this screwed-up trip less of a washout though.
She found her room without any trouble and shed her borrowed clothes, but didn’t feel like going to sleep. The dancing had worn her out but sexual energy still thrummed through her. Too bad all the guys were off in the bunkhouse. A nice big O would do wonders to cure what ailed her.
“Damn it. Stuck out here in the sticks without a single toy.” She didn’t even have a Pocket Rocket in her purse.
She stood at the window and stared across the yard to the bunkhouse where lights flickered in several of the windows. It appeared as if they were watching TV. Maybe they had a porno flick on. “What’re you good ol’ boys up to?”
Her mind filled with fantasies to answer that question. If Brock, Zeke and Riley were anywhere near as keyed up as she felt then they were most likely visiting with Rosy Palmer and her five sisters.
Tink lifted her breasts and massaged the full mounds, imagining the reaction she’d get if she were to walk into the bunkhouse naked. She’d never had a ménage before. Would Brock and Riley be able to share? Or would Brock go all caveman and possessive? Not that he had any claim on her.
Since it was her fantasy, she decided they’d be good cowboys who had no problem sharing in the fun and games. Tink pictured the three hunks watching a sexy video.
Sultry moans filled the air accompanying the hisses and groans as they stroked their cocks. Hot juices dampened her thighs. She trailed her fingers over slick folds, moaning as she circled her clit.
Mmm… Watching a guy masturbate had always gotten her hot. Large masculine hands wrapped tight around thick shafts, their strokes strong and sure. Broad crowns dark and ripe, pre-cum trailing from the slits. Thumbs sliding over the sensitive flesh, gathering the fluid, spreading lubrication down their length. Engorged veins bulging with life and reflecting the rapid beat of their pulses. Heavy sacs drawn up close to the base of rigid cocks, tight and full, ready to expel white-hot jets of salty essence.
She licked her lips. As much as she enjoyed being a voyeur, Tink preferred to participate. Dropping to her knees, she encouraged the men to move closer, allowing her to pleasure them in turns. Her smaller hands replaced theirs, fingers not meeting around their impressive girths.
“Oh yeah, honey. Taste us,” Riley groaned.
She glanced up at Brock, the heated desire in his eyes making her heart beat faster. “You heard him. Suck our cocks.”
Standing next to him, Zeke nodded. “Wrap those sweet lips around me.”
A wave of pleasure washed away the fantasy. As her orgasm peaked, she rode her hand harder, thrusting two fingers into her clenching pussy and grinding her clit against her palm.
Tink dropped her forehead against the cold windowpane and fought to catch her breath. While nice, getting herself off wasn’t enough. She still longed to have a big cock inside her.
* * * * *
A volatile cocktail of anger and arousal burned through Brock until he wasn’t sure if he wanted to hit someone, or fuck someone. Tink was going to drive him to drink. He stormed across the ranch yard. The loud bang of the bunkhouse door hitting the wall failed to ease the turbulent emotions raging out of control.
“What the fuck’s your problem?” Riley griped. The idiot was hot on his heels.
While the primary cause of his bad mood had been tucked safely away in the main house under Cord’s watchful eye, the other was close at hand. Brock turned on his heel, fisted Riley’s shirt and pinned him to the wall. He moved so fast Riley didn’t have a chance to react.
“Hey!” Zeke stepped in to separate them. “Knock it off.”
Brock ignored him. “Stay away from Tink!” Even if the words failed to make an impression, Brock knew the menacing tone of his voice carried its own lethal message.
“Why should I? You two don’t even like each other. Hell, she turns into a complete bitch when you’re around. In my book that makes her fair game for me.”
Riley obviously wasn’t getting the message. The idiot never had been one to mind his own business and keep his fool mouth shut. With a growl, Brock yanked Riley forward then smashed him back into the wall to make sure he paid attention. “Because I’m telling you to stay the fuck away.”
His friend didn’t back down.
“You can’t choose for her, Brock. Maybe she wants Zeke or me.”
Zeke’s eyes widened and he shook his head. “Hey, she’s hot and I’d do her in a second, but don’t drag me into this fight.”
With an angry red haze filling his vision, Brock got right up in Riley’s face. “She doesn’t want you!” he insisted, unwilling to admit Riley might be right.
But then Brock loosened his grip and eased back slightly as doubt sucked the momentum out of his anger. Did she want the prankster?
Taking advantage of the moment, Riley shoved forward, caught Brock off balance and reversed their positions. Smaller and leaner, Riley used his entire body to hold Brock in place, not even flinching when his hip came into contact with Brock’s throbbing erection.
“She seemed pretty damn interested in me tonight, but I don’t have a problem sharing. Either way it’s the lady’s choice, just like it was when we all shared Tamara.”
Fuck! Riley was right. He wouldn’t force anything on Tink, regardless of his powerful urge to keep the infuriating hellion to himself. But how in the hell was he supposed to sit back and let her decide without losing both his friend and his mind in the process? At the mere thought of her hooking up with Riley and leaving him out in the cold, his fists clenche
d.
“You know that, so you damn well better come to terms with it. Soon! Your lies about her car won’t keep her here for long.”
“Dammit!” he grumbled.
Riley released him and stepped back. “Go take a fucking shower.” He pointed at the hard bulge straining Brock’s zipper. “And for god’s sake, do something about that while you’re at it. You need to let off some steam and I’m not going to be your punching bag.”
* * * * *
Tossing off the blankets, Tink sighed and gave up on sleep. Her orgasm had been nice but it left her keyed up and restless. She moved to the window as if drawn there, pulled aside the curtains and glanced outside. The valley wasn’t visible in the darkness but lights still shone from bunkhouse, making her wonder what the guys were doing.
“To hell with this.”
She quickly dressed in the borrowed clothes and moved through the house as silently as possible. Down the back stairs and into the kitchen, she paused when one of the floorboards squeaked beneath her feet. She remained still for several long moments until she was certain she had not been caught, then headed for the back door, grabbing a jacket off the hook on her way out.
Navigating the unfamiliar terrain in the dark was a challenge. She tripped over something and almost fell. That would have sucked. Her knock on the door was answered by a yelled invitation to come in.
With only the flickering glow from a big-screen television to guide her, she moved through a small kitchen area, past an old wooden table she dropped the jacket on and toward where the guys’ attention was avidly glued to the movie they watched. Zeke sat in a recliner while Brock and Riley shared the couch.
On the screen, a young actress wearing a tiny bikini top and skimpy shorts ran through the woods. She tripped and fell, struggled to her feet and continued to run headlong into the darkness. Hearing hard breathing, the actress glanced back over her shoulder and the cowboys all started yelling at the screen as if she could hear them.
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