by Jane Jamison
“Dina, I’m warning you.” Nick’s voice was low, almost like a growl.
Dina backed up, her gaze still fixed on Livi. Then, with another snarl on her lips, she spun around and stalked off.
“Wow. I have to admit it. She’s starting to freak me out.”
Nick took her into his arms. “Don’t let her. Her bark’s worse than her bite. Try to forget she was ever here.”
That’s easier said than done.
Eric stalked toward them with an expression that made her stomach do a sickening flip-flop. “What’s wrong?”
“Shit.” Nick straightened up. “We lost her, didn’t we?”
“Lost who?” She searched their faces. “What’s going on now?”
“We lost the calf.” A muscle worked in Eric’s jaw and his eyes had grown darker.
“What do you mean you lost her? Did she run away? Can baby cows do that?” She didn’t have a clue what they were able to do, but didn’t most newborns stay put with their mother?
As though she knew they were talking about her, Lucy struggled to get onto her feet then let out a pitiful wail. Eric looped a lead rope around her neck. “It happens.”
“How? I don’t understand. She was fine a minute ago.” She turned back to Nick as Eric led Lucy through the back entrance of the barn. “Is he taking the mother to her baby?”
Nick took her by the waist and forced her attention away from the barn. She stiffened, knowing he was about to give her bad news.
“It’s called Weak Calf Syndrome.”
“Weak Calf Sydrome? So the baby’s not doing well? Do we need to get a vet? Or medicine?”
The look on his face broke her heart. “None of that will help, Livi. The calf died.”
Chapter Eight
Livi gaped at Nick, then looked past him toward the smaller enclosure, hunting for the baby calf. “She died? But how? I saw her. She was squirming. She was alive. I saw her. And Eric was going to clean out her nose and—”
He took her face between his hands and made her stop rambling. “Sometimes a calf is born and just isn’t strong enough. We’re not sure why. We’ll have a vet check her out, but we don’t always get an answer as to why it happened. The main thing now is to make sure that the rest of the herd is okay. We have to make sure the pregnant cows are getting everything they need.”
It was only an animal, but the pain of the baby’s death hit her hard, like getting struck in the chest with a hammer. “Couldn’t Eric do anything to save it?”
“I’m sure he tried, but it’s not always possible. We don’t like it any more than you do, but it’s a fact of life on a ranch.”
She’d gotten so tied up in her own sorrow that she’d failed to notice the full extent of Nick’s pain. Eric had been upset, but she’d chalked that up to an owner losing a valuable piece of inventory. Now she was sure he’d felt badly for not being able to save the poor thing. The men might act tough most of the time, but they were compassionate, caring men who could hurt, too. She was proud that they were strong enough to show their feelings. Even the usually stoic Eric had.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think. This must suck for you.”
Nick turned her loose and tipped his cowboy hat back on his head. “Yeah, it does. But, like I said, it’s one of those things that happens on a cattle ranch.”
“Does Tony know yet?” Eric had to have told him, but she wanted to make sure. She started for the barn and Nick followed her inside.
Eric and Tony came out of the stall where they’d put Lucy, their faces bleak. Tony had his head down, but when he heard them approach, he looked up and smiled. His smile, however, wasn’t as bright as it usually was. “Hey, baby.”
“It’s okay, bro. She knows.”
Tony’s attempt to put on a pleasant face died. “I’m sorry you had to see that.”
She was about to tell them, when Nick did it for her.
“Dina was here.”
Eric and Tony shot each other a hard look. “What the hell for?” asked Tony.
“She acted like she knew the calf was coming,” added Nick.
“That’s bullshit. How could she?” Tony took her hand. “Are you okay?”
“Sure. But I think she’s following me.” Why didn’t they act more surprised?
“I wouldn’t put it past her.” Eric rubbed the back of her neck. “You got rid of her, right, Nick?”
“Sure I did.”
“Good. Still, we need to do something about her soon.”
Livi squeezed his hand. “I agree. Talk about a Fatal Attraction type. She’s it.”
“Well, she’s gone now and that’s all that matters.”
Yet she wasn’t so sure. Were they trying to brush it away because they didn’t want to talk about Dina any longer? Or was there another reason?
Tony tried to get cheerful again. “I see you met Rico.” He bent low to pet the dog.
If they could put on a brave face, then so could she. “You guys sure have a way of changing the subject by talking about your dog.”
Rico gave a short bark then raced over to Nick then back to her. If anything could put a smile on their faces, it was Rico. Yet she wondered if there was another way. Besides, she could use some comforting as much as they could.
She came closer, taking Tony’s hand again and then reaching out for Eric’s. “It’s okay if you’re sad. Real men do cry.”
Nick chuckled at her lame joke, then slid in behind her. “We’re more upset than sad. Weak Calf Syndrome is a tough thing for a rancher to handle. Did you two call Dr. Halle yet?”
“Yeah.” Eric rubbed her hand then skimmed his palm up her arm. “He’s coming in a few hours to check it out.”
It. They’d gone from calling the baby calf a her to an it. She had to assume doing so helped to distance them from the loss. She wanted to distance them from their pain even more.
Her anger that they hadn’t contacted her except by a message through a friend was gone. All she could think of was helping them.
Without giving it any thought, she grabbed Eric by the back of the neck and pulled his lips to hers. Eric didn’t respond at first, but then his hand pressed against the small of her back and pulled her close. His tongue went on a mission of passion as it first caressed the seam in her lips then eased inside her mouth. She giggled and pulled back, then nibbled on his lip before breaking the kiss.
She put her finger to his mouth. “Hang on. I’ll be right back.”
“What? Where are you going?”
Tony and Nick stepped out of the way as she headed toward the back of the barn. She didn’t know much about the tools of the trade for ranchers, but she did recognize the item hanging on the rear wall of the barn. All the Western movies she’d had to watch with her brother had taught her that much.
She grabbed the chaps, gave the curious men a wiggle of her fingers for a wave then scooted behind the stack of hay bales that reached halfway to the roof. “Stay right there.”
Part of her was surprised that they’d done as she’d asked as she pulled off all her clothes except the lacy briefs she wore. Getting the chaps on the correct way, however, took her a bit longer than she’d counted on.
“Are you okay, Liv?”
“I sure am. I’m having a little wardrobe difficulty.”
“Why don’t you let us help you with that?” asked Nick.
“No, thanks. Just give me a minute.”
Once she’d finally figured out how to wear them, she threw back her hair, tweaked her nipples, and stepped out from behind the bales of hay.
“Holy shit.”
Nick’s words of appreciation were matched by the awed expressions on his brothers’ faces.
“Did I put this on the right way?”
“Put what on?” joked Tony.
She was virtually naked, but she didn’t feel shy in the least. Instead, she felt admired, adored, and even revered.
Eric’s jaw worked as he gritted his teeth and strode toward her. Tony and Nick w
ere on his heels, but once they were almost within reaching distance of her, they veered off and headed to a wooden cabinet.
“What are you two doing?”
“Just adding to your great idea.” Nick pivoted back and held up two silver spurs.
“And you’re going to do what with those?” Her mouth twitched as she controlled her giggle. “Ride me?”
Tony snatched several leather ropes of varying lengths from the cabinet then yanked a Western-style blanket off the gate of one of the stalls. Its blue and orange colors were bright against the browns and grays of the barn. “You’ll see.”
Eric was upon her, his body only inches from hers. He started unbuttoning his denim shirt, going slower than she would’ve liked. “Don’t you like using toys?”
“I’ve never seen toys that look like spurs. Then again, I’ve kind of kept my sex toys pretty vanilla, if you know what I mean.”
“Oh, we know what you mean all right.”
She almost told them about her fantasies, the ones that included the three of them holding her down and using all kinds of toys on her body. Instead, she decided to let them show her what they had in mind.
Her nipples hardened, becoming small mountains on top of her breasts. Her nipples started the electric current that whipped from one to the other then sizzled its way through her stomach and downward to turn her pussy on.
Eric pulled the belt out of its loop then started working on the button. Her mouth dried up as he slid the zipper down and exposed his unencumbered cock. It popped out from between the flaps like a sword in the hands of a gladiator. Toeing off his boots, he shoved his jeans to the ground then stepped out of them.
Seeing him standing in front of her in all his magnificent glory struck new wonderment in her. No man had ever looked so delectable as he did. Her gaze dropped to his cock.
Eric tugged her to him and kissed her neck, lightly at first to make her tremble with need, then growing harder as she moaned and pressed the tips of her breasts against his hard chest. He made a round trip, feathering kisses from her neck to her shoulder then tracing his journey back up.
He’d done nothing more than touch her, but it was more than enough. She whimpered, the sound filled with her yearning for more.
He gripped her arms as his brothers came near and put his mouth to her ear. “Livi, do you want to learn how to be our woman?”
Had any other man said the same thing to her, she would’ve balked at the word learn. But with these men, her answer would always be the same. “Yes.”
Tony spread the blanket on a mound of hay that had come loose from the bales to form a makeshift bed. “Lie down, baby.”
She wasn’t sure her weakened legs could carry her to the hay, but with Eric’s support she made it.
“Get on your knees.”
Were they giving her requests or commands? And yet again, she found that she didn’t care. She did as they told her to. The blanket was coarse, rough against her knees, but it was softer than the hay would’ve been.
She was in the middle of them with Eric’s cock only inches from her face. Reaching out, she attempted to wrap her hand around it, but he brushed her away.
“Not yet. Wait until my brothers are ready. Until then, keep your hands to yourself.”
Tony already had his shirt off and Nick was busy shucking his hat, then boots. She crossed her arms to keep from disobeying Eric.
“Hey, that’s nice. Doing your arms like that makes your tits plump up.” Nick tore his shirt off his body and let it drop to his feet.
Lust, like a rush of pure sugar, hit her, making her jittery. Tony rid himself of his clothes and soon the three men stood naked next to her. She no longer cared if Eric had told her not to. She could only stand so much. She reached out and took Nick’s long, purple-veined cock in her hand.
“Livi, I told you to keep your hands off,” warned Eric.
“Let it alone, bro.” Nick moaned and leaned his hips forward. “Unless you’re going to tell her to put her mouth on me instead.”
“She has to learn the ways of our people.”
“Eric’s right, Nick. She has to learn the right way to be with us.”
“I don’t understand.” But she wanted to learn. That much she was sure about.
She stroked Nick’s thick weapon of pleasure with both hands, loving the feeling of control she had over him, then glanced up at Eric’s stern face. “What do you mean about the ways of your people?”
“A woman is submissive to her men.”
“Submissive, huh?” She leaned over and flicked her tongue over the tip of Nick’s cock. His pre-cum tasted musky yet sweet, with an extra tang of flavor. She felt anything but submissive. She felt powerful, able to control three strong men with a flick of her tongue.
Nick moaned and grabbed a hunk of her hair. “Knock off the chatter and let’s get busy teaching her.”
“Submissive means that you do what we say, when we say, and how we say it.” The gleam in Eric’s eyes challenged her.
“Like I’m your slave?” She was ready to do anything to please them, but acting like she had no say? That wasn’t an easy thing to swallow. And yet, wasn’t that how it went in her fantasies? She thrilled thinking that her dreams were about to become her reality.
Tony dropped to his knees beside her, took one of his breasts in his hands, and pinched her nipple. The zip of pain it gave her made her even wetter. “Don’t think of it that way. It’s more about what happens during sex. And trust me. Being our woman, giving us what we need, is the best way for you to get what you need.”
She eyed the leather strips Nick held. “Are you talking about BDSM? I’ve never done that before.” Except in my fantasies.
“It’s like that, but our own version of it.” Tony ran a hand through his hair then cupped her breast. He bent and flicked his tongue over her still-aching nipple. “It’s a cultural thing with our ancestors. The woman in the relationship bows to what her men tell her, but the men will do anything to keep her satisfied. You make us your king and we make you our queen. There’s nothing we wouldn’t do to make our queen happy.”
“Trust us.” Nick let out a groan as she stroked him harder. “We’d never hurt you. Anytime we do something you don’t like, you just tell us to stop and we will. As much as it might kill us.”
“So I can tell you what to do to me?” The more they told her, the more she liked what she heard.
“You can ask, not tell. And only if we say you can.”
It was insane. She was a strong woman who didn’t even like a man to pay for her meal on a date. She’d always wanted to make her own way in life and call all the shots. Yet turning over control was intoxicating. Her breathing picked up along with her pulse, ready to find out how being submissive to them would feel. Would it be as good as her dreams? Better?
Tony reached behind her and used his fingers to enter her asshole. She gasped, unused to the sensation of her anus walls stretching to accommodate him. The initial pain was gone soon enough and she wondered how much better it would feel once he replaced his fingers with his cock. Her need, her unrelieved, overwhelming desire jumped to a higher level.
“Easy, baby. We won’t do this right now if you’re not up for it. And we need lube to get you prepared to take my oh-so-studly cock.” He grinned then nibbled on her earlobe.
She loved Tony’s jokes. While Nick was outgoing and fun, too, he didn’t have the sense of humor that Tony did. Eric, on the other hand, was always more serious. They were like three parts to the perfect man.
“Suck on Nick.”
She was happy to hear Eric’s order. Taking his balls with care, she put her mouth to the end of his cock and kissed it. He jerked, then gave a growl that sounded very animal-like to her.
“Come on, sugar, do it right.”
She wanted to, but there was something else she wanted to try first. “And if I don’t?”
The slap to her butt cheek startled her. “Ow!”
Eric had hi
s hands on his own cock. “You don’t do as we ask, then you pay the price of disobeying us.”
“And if I still don’t?”
“Then you tell us to stop and we’ll back off.” Tony took her by the chin and locked his gaze to hers. “But you’d better mean it if you ask us to stop because we’re not going to like it. Do you understand?”
“Yes. Sirs.” She’d added the Sirs for good measure, hoping to appease them.
“Hey, I like that.” Tony brushed the back of his fingers along her cheek. “Keep that up.”
She bit her lower lip as his fingers worked their way back into her anus. “Please. I need your cock to fill my ass.”
Tony let out a moan. “Naw, baby, as much as I’d like to, I want to make sure you’re prepared. We’re lucky we didn’t put you off from doing it before without lube. Having you not like it in the ass would be a damn shame.”
She whined, putting all her sexual frustration in it. Taking hold of Nick’s cock again, she made an O with her mouth and slid it over his length. His flavors filled her mouth and she drank them in, circling the smooth, flexible skin with her tongue.
Tony nibbled on the flesh of her butt cheek. “You’re so soft, so sweet, but I need to see your skin with my handprint on it.” The next slap didn’t catch her off-guard, but the sudden sting split into her, imprinting the feel of his hand in her flesh.
She wiggled her butt, enticing him, encouraging him.
“I think she likes it. Spank her some more.”
Tony added another spank, then what felt like more of a slap that skidded across her butt. He played her with his fingers, pushing in and out of her butt hole. She tried capturing them by tensing up, but could never hold him there. She promised herself she’d win that battle once he gave her his cock instead of his fingers.
“Give me one of the spurs, Tony.”
Her heart skipped a beat. Spurs had to hurt.
Eric got on the blanket in front of her. “Keep sucking him off. That’s it. Let the juices run down your chin.”
“Swallow me when I come, sugar.” Nick’s voice was strained, deep and so close to the edge.
