“Do you have a position lined up in San Marcos already?”
Maya shook her head. “No, I wanted to take time off and keep my options open.”
“I see,” Grace replied speculatively.
Kendall rested his chin in his palm and said, “Maya, you might be curious to know Grace is a published author.”
Maya turned expectant eyes to her, and Grace nodded. “It’s true. I write erotic romance.”
Maya and Grace talked nonstop for five solid minutes about that topic, hardly taking a breath. Kendall couldn’t get a word in with a wedge and finally held up both hands.
“Ladies, I gotta get to work. Maya, you want to stay and visit?”
Maya glanced at Grace and then looked longingly at Kendall.
Grace chuckled and said, “No, of course not, Kendall. Maya wants to see your ranch and spend her first day here with you. I’ll have her over another day, and we can chat to our hearts’ content.”
Maya’s questions for Grace had only multiplied since meeting her, but the stronger desire was to spend time with Kendall and maybe explore some of their ranch.
As they journeyed down the state highway meandering over rolling hills, Maya said, “Grace glows with happiness. I don’t know anyone else who has what she does.”
“You mean more than one husband? You will before the weekend is out,” Kendall said, chuckling as she turned a surprised look his way. “It sounds like you’ll meet them all this weekend.” Grace had filled them in on her plans for a barbecue Saturday evening.
“What? Like a cult?” Maya giggled. “Are you trying to induct me into a cult, Kendall Warner?”
“Hell, if there’s a cult, it’s the men who are the devotees. No, Maya. They have a different lifestyle and happen to have all made good friends with each other. In a small town it helps to stick together and watch out for each other. Not everybody in town is nice to Grace. Some people are very opinionated.”
“Well, she looks happy. It must not bother her much.”
“I’m looking forward to you meeting them. Plus the guys are really good cooks.”
“So where is the ranch?”
Kendall pointed to a fence lining the state highway. “Our property starts at that cross fence there.” Maya sighed as they passed a huge field of tall, pale, wheat-colored grass. She could make out the roof of a barn in the distance beyond a low hilltop.
“It’s wonderful, Kendall,” Maya said as he slowed the truck and turned into the entry. The truck rumbled over the cattle guard and down the long, white gravel drive. She looked around her and was struck by how right it felt. Wildflowers in shades of yellow and orange rippled and waved in the wind as they drove past.
Kendall smiled with pleasure and even appeared to blush a little at her heartfelt compliment. “Thank you.”
“You’ve put a lot of work into it, I’ll bet.”
“Every spare moment. We’re going to take a breather for a while before we begin work on the house.”
“Why a breather? I would think you’d be anxious to start the process.”
Kendall chuckled and said, “We’d like to devote our extra time to our house guest right now. You can even help us with the house design if you’d like.”
That statement seemed to hold more meaning for him than just the actual words. Maya decided to cut to the chase.
“Or we could cut all the bullshit and be honest with each other about what we want.”
Kendall removed his straw hat and ran his fingers back through his hair. “My suave and debonair charm must be failing me.”
Maya’s heart fluttered, and she had to take a deep breath. “Trust me, cowboy, your ‘suave and debonair charm’ is firing on all cylinders. Tell me what you’re trying to tell me without actually telling me. Please?”
Kendall replaced his hat on his head and guided the truck slowly down the driveway. He pulled into the cleared area where a ranch house had obviously once stood, judging by the broken foundational piers jutting from the ground. The broken and splintered wood and debris had been bulldozed into a pile.
He parked and then turned to face her, twining his fingers through hers and squeezing gently. Her lips trembled when he brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles.
“I love you, Maya. I don’t want you to leave, ever. I want your input on the house because we want it to be your house, too.”
He sounded awfully self-assured when he used the word we. “I love you, too, Kendall. You know that. Do you speak for Boone and Richard on this?”
“We’re ready to settle down, Maya. This is what we want, our best-case scenario. For you to love it here, love us, and want to stay.”
“Thanks for being open about it.”
“Thanks for not expecting me to pussyfoot around the issue all week. I love that about you.”
“There’s a lot to love about me,” Maya said with good humor, feeling relieved to get the elephant in the truck cab out in the open.
“You’re open to the possibility?”
“I’d be a liar and a hypocrite if I didn’t admit I was also attracted to Boone and Richard. How long have they wanted this?”
“We’ve been observing Grace with her men and Teresa with hers for a couple of years now, and I think it started rattling around in our heads about that long ago. I’ll admit our fascination in the beginning was more along the line of one-night stands and no attachments, but we’ve grown some and want more than that now.
“Boone and Richard mentioned the possibility to me about the time you started dating again. Richard is still dealing with his issues, but they both asked if I would talk with you. Kind of break the ice on the subject. That’s not because they’re shy, by any means. They don’t want to make you uncomfortable if you don’t want a relationship with them as well. Boone said they didn’t want to mess up what was happening between the two of us.”
“I wanted a ménage so much with you and Morgan. I regret never asking for it. I wanted to tell you last night on the phone, but I didn’t see any point in saying so, since we couldn’t change the past. Now here I am, presented with that opportunity. Morgan dared me in his letter to go after what I wanted. After missing the first opportunity, I’m going to fully explore it this time. I’m open to the idea, Kendall, but I’m going to need time to get to know them on a deeper level.”
Kendall was relieved, judging by his happy sigh. “Take all the time you need.”
“Time alone with each of you. One-on-one. Is that going to be a problem?”
“One-on-one, huh?” Kendall said with a smirk. It was so like him to tease her about that. He’d probably pictured her having sex with them when she meant talking and getting to know each other, the horn dog.
Maya giggled and said, “You heard me right.”
“I can guarantee we’ll be fighting for a chance to spend time alone with you.”
“Kendall, we’re not talking about a fling. Right? I won’t go anywhere near them if that’s all they want.”
“No, Maya. That’s not what they want, and you know it’s not what I want. I’d never allow it if they did. You can trust them, babydoll. Judging by the looks in their eyes this morning they’re already half in love with you.”
Maya doubted that after one rushed, early morning encounter, but trusted Kendall to know his brothers’ minds on the subject. He’d always been protective of her. Maya looked out the windshield at the remnants of the old ranch house. “Sorry about your home again.”
Kendall chuckled quietly and said, “It was a shit hole. Really rundown and in need of a lot of work. We’re actually relieved to be building new because the farther we got in renovations the more problems we found. It was over one hundred years old.”
Maya shaded her eyes from the harsh afternoon sun and walked around the truck, getting a better look at the place. The remains of the house and the small outbuildings were surrounded by fenced areas. A large nearby field contained more tall grass ready for mowing and baling, and other c
ross-fenced sections contained grazing white-faced Hereford cattle. Here and there calves cavorted around the hooves of their mamas or lay nestled in the shorter grass. Patches of Indian blanket and small yellow Engelmann’s daisies proliferated in the area near the remains of the house foundation.
“Damn. It’s beautiful, Kendall,” Maya said, not hiding the catch in her throat. She sensed his warm presence behind her, and she turned to him. He smiled as he looked around at his family’s place. Then he gazed down at her, his sweet, brown eyes shaded from the sun by his straw cowboy hat.
“It would be more beautiful with you on it, babydoll.” His eyes burned with desire as he pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. His lips were hot and moist as he pressed them to hers, his tongue dueling passionately with hers as she opened for him. Maya’s body pulsated with need, and she wound her arms around him tightly. Pressed close to him, she could feel his growing erection against her abdomen. Kendall’s squeezed her ass cheeks hard and groaned before he released her. A calf bawled in one of the pastures, and Maya chuckled as he broke their kiss.
Maya said, “Duty calls, I know. Do you mind if I explore?” She wanted to get a better look at what could possibly become her home. She wished Boone and Richard were here. She was anxious to talk with them and find out for herself what it was they wanted with her. She believed Kendall when he said they weren’t after a fling, but she need to hear that from them, too.
Kendall shook his head and said, “Just be mindful of where you’re walking. Take a bottle of water with you. You can get dehydrated fast out here.” He reached into the cooler in the back of the truck.
She accepted the bottle of water from him. “Are Richard and Boone coming here after work?” It was already midafternoon, but she didn’t know how late they worked.
“They’ll be here in an hour or two. There’s a creek at the rear of the property. It’s the border between Jack’s ranch and ours. Certain times of the year it flows pretty heavily.” Now that sounded like a place for all kinds of fun.
“Is it deep?”
“In places, yes. If you’d like, I could hang a rope in one of the oak trees. It’s great for swimming and fishing.”
Maya hummed as she walked in the direction he pointed and said suggestively, “Sounds like fun. Maybe I’ll go skinny-dippin’.”
“Behave,” he said in a growly tone from behind her.
“Where’s the fun in that?” she murmured so he’d just barely hear her. She kept walking, placing both hands in a protective gesture over her ass cheeks. Looking over her shoulder, Maya stuck her tongue out at him playfully.
“Woman.”
His sexy, longing tone spoke volumes to her, and she turned as she walked to blow him a kiss. It was unkind of her to tempt him like that when he absolutely had to get his chores done, especially given his late start.
“Hey!” Kendall called out to her.
“What?”
“Watch for snakes!”
Maya grinned broadly and didn’t bother to suppress a sexy chuckle as she eyed the enormous bulge at his groin. “Some snakes I like. I’ll watch out for them, though.”
Kendall laughed and said, “Again with the innuendos, woman. Have fun. I’ll send Boone and Richard after you when they get here.”
“Goody!”
Grateful she’d dressed in jeans and her lace-up ropers, Maya explored the terrain, careful to not lose track of the path she took as she wandered. She found the creek when she headed toward the shade of a long stand of ancient oak trees. Maya hazarded a guess that their ranch must be at least two hundred acres.
She carefully climbed between the strands of barbed wire that kept the cattle from entering the creek and made her way down the creek bank. The shade was solid over water that flowed invitingly. She found a large, flat rock out in the water a few feet from the creek bank that looked solid enough to hold her weight. Jumping onto it from the bank, Maya sat down to untie her boots and take off her socks. The rock was cool underneath her and felt good in the heat. The trees were fairly thick and provided quite a lot of cover.
The idea of swimming here crossed her mind. She’d wear her bikini beneath her clothes next time. The thought of skinny-dipping here floated through her mind next, and she liked that idea even better, especially if she wasn’t alone. One, two, or three cowboys might make it a whole lot more fun.
Maya laughed out loud even as her heart lurched in her chest. She still missed Morgan, but she was filled with gratitude toward him as she sat on the rock. If he hadn’t had the forethought to put those words down on paper for her on the slim chance she would need them one day, she wouldn’t be here. She’d still be muddling through life in San Marcos. She’d still be dealing with Frank Reeves.
He’d had the nerve to tell her the night before that he’d been there for her for the last year and she owed him. She’d finally convinced him to leave with the assurance that Kendall would be leaving, too. It was none of Frank’s business that she planned to be with Kendall when he left.
After his highhanded treatment last night she hoped he was pissed when he found out she wasn’t home. She’d finally silenced her text message alert alarm after the fifth text message he’d sent while she was exploring. He’d figure out she was unavailable eventually.
She was grateful to Morgan for Kendall’s letter also. It confirmed the intuitive feeling she’d had once Frank had pressed the issue of dating her that he was not for her. Morgan had more or less made his wishes known to them both, and she loved him for it.
“I miss you, baby,” she whispered through trembling lips as she trailed her fingers through the water, startling minnows that swam around the rock. She cuffed up her jeans and sighed happily as she slipped her calves into the cold water. The emotions came in strange combinations like this sometimes. Maya felt flooded with longing and grief for him while at the same time experiencing gratitude that she’d known a great love with him.
She rested her palms on the rock and leaned forward, looking down into the water. The rock she was sitting on was much larger than she’d thought. It was more like the tip of the iceberg, and there appeared to be a shelf beneath it that the fish darted into. This would be a fun place to play in the water.
Maya lifted one damp leg and braced a foot on the edge as she lay back on the flat surface and closed her eyes. Birds sang all around her, and she detected the faint sound of a small animal scurrying through leaves on the bank. She breathed in deep and let out a long sigh. She lifted her head and shoulders and laid her hair out on the rock and swirled her submerged calf through the water. The tension flowed from her body, and Kendall’s brothers came to mind.
She wondered about Boone’s tattoos. She loved ink on a man when it was done well and imagined he’d probably added to his body art collection. He’d had on a light jacket that morning when she’d seen him. She wondered if the opportunity to check might present itself. There was something about him that reminded her of Morgan.
A cool breeze blew through the trees, rustling the leaves, and she lifted the hem on her black tank top and gathered it so it was bunched up under her bust. The breeze felt good on her skin.
She was startled when someone landed behind her on the rock. She looked up at a dark, shadowed figure, backlit by the sun glistening through the oak leaves.
In a deep, sexy voice, Boone said, “I think we ought to christen this spot Mermaid Rock. What do you think, Richard?”
Chapter Seven
“Or on second thought, maybe Angel Cove would be better,” Boone said with a chuckle as he held out his hand to help her sit up. His heart rate increased as Maya gazed up at him with twinkling blue eyes and accepted his assistance.
Maya had looked like an angel with her long, blonde hair fanned out and her pale ivory tummy exposed to the breeze. Boone and Richard had paused before revealing their presence, to take in the vision she’d made laid out like that.
She tugged the hem of the tank top she wore back down, hiding the previousl
y bare expanse of her midriff. He wished the T-shirt was coming off instead, revealing her lovely, full breasts clad in satin and lace. He longed to feel the generous weight of her luscious breasts, to grasp them gently and tease her nipples into excitement.
“Did you enjoy exploring?”
“Yes, very much.” She looked straight into Boone’s eyes then shifted her gaze to his brother with a smile on her lips and no trace of hesitancy in her tone or body language and waved. “Hello, Richard.”
“Hello.”
Richard was way off in how she perceived him. “Let me put my boots back on, and I’ll join you. Have you been searching for me?” she asked as she pulled on her socks and began lacing her boots up.
“We knew right where to look,” Boone replied. “Kendall said we’d find you down here.”
Maya held up her hand to Boone, and he helped her to rise and steadied her at her hips so she wouldn’t lose her balance. Maya was delicate and curvy and had an ass that just wouldn’t quit. Boone couldn’t resist slipping his hands down over it and squeezed firmly, gauging her reaction. She caught her breath and caught her lower lip under her teeth. His cock hardened as her cheeks turned a light pink.
Finally, after a few seconds, she asked, “Cowboy? You gonna throw me or let me jump?”
Boone released her as she turned and jumped, yelping when his palm lightly connected with the fullest part of one ass cheek. Perfect. If she decided to stay, he wondered if she’d allow him to spank her. She looked back at Boone with challenge in her eyes, and he had his answer. Richard held out his hand to her and helped her as she climbed up the creek bank.
“I love it down here. It’s shady and secluded,” she murmured as she looked around once more. Boone leaped from the rock and joined them a few seconds later.
Boone’s mind swirled with all the uses they could make of that seclusion. “Yeah, lots of nice shaded spots for relaxing.”
Maya turned twinkling eyes to him and said, “I could bring a blanket down here and read a book or take a nap.”
The Divine Creek Ranch Collection Volume 3 Page 6
