Peaches 'n' Cream

by Lynn Stark

  71

  Peaches sat at the table, quietly contemplating what happened and what could possibly happen in the future. Juno and Roxie had finally come out of hiding and were now sitting on the counter by the back door. She stared at them, they stared back. When she patted her thigh both cats jumped down, their bouncy little trot over the tile floor bringing them quickly to her.

  They both leapt up onto her lap. She kissed each sleek head, stroking their arching backs and long tails.

  “You okay, baby?”

  Blinking, she looked at Logan. It was the softest she had ever heard his deep voice. It gave her goose bumps, as did the look in his beautiful golden eyes. Forcing a smile to her lips, she nodded. “I’m okay, just a bit shaken. Now I’ll have to start all over with Tad. At this rate, I may never get out of therapy.”

  “This Tad is your ex-boyfriend? Ryan told me.” He explained how he had come to learn the information. They hadn’t had much time alone before now. She hadn’t personally told him anything about her past. “And your best friend is married to him? Doesn’t that feel weird?”

  “Is that more or less weird than my planning on marrying three men? No.”

  “You’re too sassy for your own good. When you’re feeling better, I believe I’ll turn your pretty ass pink.”

  “I’ll look forward to it.”

  Logan scowled at her. “It’s supposed to be a punishment. You’re not supposed to look forward to it.”

  “But I’ve never been spanked before.” She looked at him through her thick lashes. The tip of her tongue poked out to wet her lips. “I bet you’re really good at it, too.” She was purring as much as the cats on her lap.

  The men noticed. Ryan moved closer, as did Damien. Logan just continued to sit there and give her the evil eye. “Ten to start.”

  “Tie me up first?”

  Amber eyes filled with fire. “That’ll get you another five. Yes, I believe I will tie you up first.”

  “Whipping chair or St. Andrew’s Cross?”

  “What do you know about these things?”

  “She used to work in a BDSM club,” Ryan told him eagerly. “Isn’t that great?” Logan stood up to tower over her. Peaches looked up the length of his body, admiring every inch she could. “What the fuck were you doing working in sex club?”

  “Earning a paycheck. It was a very lucrative source of income. Hell, I figure I got five years retirement from it. And I got some really sexy shoes.” She grinned. “I wish I’d brought them.”

  An imp took hold of her. To Ryan she said with some enthusiasm, “You said you went to a sex club while you were in town. I do need a job. And since I’m familiar with the workings, maybe I could get one there.”

  “Colt would probably give you a job.”

  The memory flashed. “Seeing that yummy, tall, sinfully handsome sex god would be as good a reason as any to go to work every night.”

  “You’re up to twenty.”

  72

  The man seemed to be determined to take the hide off her ass. Her pussy heated up, drenching her panties. Peaches wondered what was up with that. She couldn’t remember ever having a desire to be spanked, let alone be tied up while getting her ass warmed. Looking at Logan, she knew deep down inside that he would be the only man to ever make her feel such things. The cats leapt off her lap as she rose from the chair. She slid her arms around Logan’s hard body. She smiled up at him.

  “Don’t be jealous, sweetheart. I have my men.”

  A dark brown brow rose. “Jealous? Me? I don’t have an insecure bone in my body. But I think I’ll go make Colt a little less pretty. Just for the fun of it.”

  “Bliss and Clarissa will take you out.” Damien laughed, going to coffeepot. He poured coffee into a cup, carrying it over to place it on the table where she had been sitting. “There wouldn’t be a place far enough away for you to hide.”

  “Who are Bliss and Clarissa?” she asked curiously, looking at him as she rested her head on Logan’s wide chest. His heart beat steadily beneath her ear. He hadn’t given in yet. He still wasn’t returning her embrace.

  “Colt’s subs. They adore him.”

  “I’ll look forward to meeting them.” She looked at the coffee. “Mm, that looks good. My stomach is finally starting to settle.”

  “No coffee for you.”

  “One cup is not going to hurt me,” Peaches protested, tipping her head back to look up at him. For good measure, she poked her lower lip out in a pout she hoped was irresistible and adorable.

  They scowled at one another, two equally strong wills. More creaking. “One cup. But we’ll be getting decaffeinated for you. And it will still be only one cup a day.”

  “What’s this all about?” Damien asked, laughing as he watched their little power play.

  “The baby. If there is a baby yet. She’s going to take care of herself. We’re going to go in to see the doctor tomorrow. She’s going to get a checkup. You can call for an appointment. Ry-an will help you choose the right one. He knows everyone in town.”

  “Anything you say, cupcake.” Peaches hugged him again before going for the coffee. She pointedly ignored his growling.

  Ryan, whom had been in the process of taking a drink of coffee, spluttered and spit it out as he laughed. “Cupcake? Did you just call Logan cupcake?”

  “I did. Do you have a problem with that?”

  “No, baby. No problem at all.”

  “If you do, I’m sure Logan can straighten the problem out for you,” Damien grinned.

  “He’s really just looking for any excuse to beat you to a bloody pulp. I think going to the doctor is a good idea.”

  “Me, too. We’ll all go. Then we’ll go look at baby furniture.” Ryan’s middle name was probably Enthusiasm. She would have to ask. She also couldn’t wait to meet his mother. His father had died two years ago, which was a shame. Ryan had spoken of the man with love and respect.

  “Can we wait until I find out if I’m pregnant?”

  Though he was certainly more reserved than the other two men, Peaches could see that talking about a baby pleased Logan. She saw it in his eyes, could see the softening of his hard, 73

  chiseled features. It made her feel good inside. It helped reassure her about the decision she had made. It also made her look to the future with a positive attitude. These were good, solid men. Even the light-hearted Ryan was a man she could count on.

  When Logan and Damien told her they were going out to patrol the ranch with the other men, Damien came and kissed her long and hard, his arms reassuring as the passion between them flared. She didn’t want to let him go, as her pussy began throbbing. Ryan, who was staying with her, even kissed her, before plopping down on a kitchen chair after scooping Juno up to set him on his lap. It was Logan, who was stomping his feet into his boots, who seemed to need to learn how things were going to go from now on.

  “Uh, cupcake,” she said as he finished putting his coat and hat on. He looked at her with hard, suspicious eyes. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

  “What?”

  “I’m waiting for my kiss. Damien and Ryan gave me one.”

  “I kissed you earlier.”

  “You did a lot of things to me earlier. Now I want a kiss before you go outside.” The creaking was almost audible this time. They stared at one another before he crossed the kitchen and swept her up into his arms to give her a kiss that nearly sent her into orgasm.

  “Wow!” she gasped when he released her. With her knees weak, she leaned back against the counter. “That was a mighty fine kiss.” She blinked, still panting for breath. “Whew! Jeez, I’m going to start hoping you go outside a lot.”

  Smug, Logan slapped her on the ass before he headed out the door.

  Chapter Ten

  Damien was pleased with the way Peaches and Logan seemed to be working things out.

  Not that the two of them wouldn’t butt heads from time to time. They were too alike. But Logan was softening and that was a ver
y good sign. He wondered if it had anything to do with his near-death experience. Had it made Logan more willing to take a risk again? Though he was a big, tough guy, he had really given his softer feelings over to that woman, Sally. Bitch.

  After her he had closed up tighter than a drum, his feelings all trapped inside.

  Thank God Peaches and Sally were nothing alike. Logan seemed to enjoy the challenge a strong woman presented. It sparked something in him. One thing was for sure, it wasn’t going to be boring.

  “What the fuck are you smirking about?” Logan growled, seeing exactly that on his face.

  They were walking along the path cleared between the house and the outbuildings. It was still snowing lightly, but the wind was beginning to blow snow across the path. With a call for strengthening winds and dropping temperatures, they wouldn’t be able to stay out long. They would take snow machines out to patrol close to the ranch, then along the road to see if there were any signs of the men who’d come into the house. The sheriff had told them that they hadn’t passed any vehicles on the way. It was possible that the getaway vehicle had gone off the road. If that was the case, it could be weeks or months before it was found.

  “Nothing.”

  “Yeah, right. You’re thinking I’m a wimp.”

  “I was thinking that it would never be boring with you and Peaches around.”

  “She’s a nice woman.”

  Damien stopped him. “Nice? You fuck the woman senseless and all you can say about her is that she’s nice?”

  “Okay. She’s bordering on really nice. Don’t push it, Damien. I’m not all touchy-feely like you two bozos are.” Damien grinned, stifling laughter. Logan glared at him. “You’re going to get the beating I was planning for Ryan.”

  “Yeah, yeah, you can’t fool me. You’re falling for Peaches just like we have. A baby will be nice.”

  “We have to keep her alive, first. It fucking pisses me off that these jerks actually got into the house.” He pushed the door open on the shed. They pulled on the protective gear over their clothes, as well as helmets. “She dropped that asshole from a prone position on the bed.

  Did you know she keeps her pistol under her pillow?”

  “Yeah, well, we should have warned you about that.” A growl from Logan was all the response he got. Hiding another smile, he climbed on his machine and turned it on. It wasn’t long before they were blasting through the snow, covering more ground than they could have possibly gotten on horseback. The snow was getting too deep in places for the animals to get through easily. With modern technology on hand, it was nice to be able to use it when necessary. Horses, however, were the mainstay workers on their ranch, doing things the old-fashioned, proven way, for the most part.

  As they searched for any signs that the men had returned, or left someone else in the vi-cinity, Damien couldn’t help but think about what had happened hours earlier in the kitchen.

  Had he really let Logan fuck him? It was something he had thought about on and off over the years. He knew Logan had some experience with men, but they hadn’t really talked about it all that much. Just the knowing in the beginning had been enough to make him wonder. Wonder, 75

  that’s all. He had started looking at Logan in a different light, wondering what it would be like to have the other man make love to him, claim him. It was weird, because he could never remember thinking about any other man in such a manner.

  Now here he was. Logan had claimed him. There was no other way to describe it. What about Ryan? They hadn’t spoken about what had happened in the kitchen that morning. They probably hadn’t because they’d been in the horse barn at the time, where anyone could over-hear them. Not that he was ashamed. He wasn’t. He just didn’t believe it was anyone’s business but theirs. What was Ryan feeling? He had looked so happy when Logan had been almost tender with him while the younger man sucked his cock lovingly.

  Damien wasn’t surprised Logan hadn’t said anything about what had happened in the kitchen. The man really couldn’t talk about what he was feeling. But he knew that it hadn’t just been sex for any of them. Trying to talk about it like women would just be awkward.

  Their bond had been sealed. They could no more leave Logan now than they could leave Peaches. When he thought how close they had come to losing them both at once, he felt himself go cold equal to the frigid winter weather swirling around them.

  “Let’s get back!” Logan shouted, breaking into his thoughts.

  Nodding, Damien turned his machine around until they were headed back toward the ranch. They had several miles to go. It would be nearly dark by the time they got home. Snow blew, the engines roared, and he loved it. At some point returning home became a race between the two men. He was laughing, plotting his course, as they flew over and through the fresh snow. It was wild and carefree. Damn but he felt good!

  Logan felt his pulse quicken as he followed Damien into the house. They took off their snow-covered boots just outside the kitchen, then went in and took off their coats. They hung them up on pegs, and then both men stopped at the sight that greeted them.

  “Peaches was stressed,” Ryan explained, seated at the table where there had to be fifty dozen cookies piled on trays and others already sealed in freezer bags. There were several different varieties. Logan was surprised that they’d had all the ingredients for them. “Baking helps her relax.”

  “Where is she now?”

  “She’s in your room, talking to that Tad guy. I don’t think she’s taking this shooting too well.”

  “Or this one has just made the last one catch up with her. She was way too calm earlier.”

  “She was calm the last time, too.”

  “The cleaners were here. I had them rip up the carpet and take it away. I figure we can make that into an exercise room or something. It doesn’t need to be a bedroom.” The house was huge, built by a man who’d had hoped for large family and gotten one. The larger it got, the house was added onto. “You can’t tell anything happened in there. They got every spot of blood.”

  “And you moved all her belongings?”

  “Took them all into your room,” he said quietly, his smile almost shy.

  “Good. You did a great job. Did you call the alarm company?” 76

  “Yes.” Ryan nodded. “They’ll be here first thing in the morning. The new freezers will be here, too.”

  “Freezers?”

  Ryan nodded. “I ordered two. I figure if she gets pregnant, she’s going to be hormonal.

  Then she’s going to bake. We’re going to need a place to store them.”

  “Hormonal?” Logan saw Ryan cringe. Both he and Damien laughed. With his back to the archway between the living room and kitchen, he hadn’t seen Peaches coming in. Ducking his head, he examined one of the cookies he was spreading icing over. “What would you know about being hormonal?” Peaches asked him coolly.

  The men laughed again, leaning back against the counter to wait for him to dig himself out of this hole. Or make it deeper. Either way, it should prove amusing.

  “Ah, Peaches, baby, I didn’t mean anything bad by it. I just remember how my ma had, uh, times when she wasn’t exactly happy while she was expecting. She used to lock herself away in a room to sew.”

  “As I recall, you have several brothers and sisters. Could it be she just needed time away from all of you? From what I understand, it’s not always pleasant to be pregnant.”

  “Ma loves us.”

  “Of course she does. It doesn’t mean she doesn’t get stressed, or tired, or moody. I promise, if I get hormonal, I won’t take it out on you.” Her gaze shifted. “I’ll take it out on Logan.” Logan stared at her. Hard. He was making a habit of it. There were times, like most of them, when he didn’t quite know what to make of Peaches Malloy. Few people teased him, but she, like Ryan, seemed to find great pleasure in it. Why? He wondered. Did they think he was completely without a sense of humor? Or did they just want to know what the limits were?

  Eith
er way, he was learning as much about her during her tests as she was about him.

  “Feel free to unleash your hormones on me any time you like,” he told her with a small smile. “I think I can take it. As for you,” he told Ryan, “don’t be doing anything extra to piss her off.” Sniffing the air, he detected something other than baked cookies. “What’s that I smell?”

  “Barbecued pulled pork. I’ll be making sandwiches for supper. I’ll get the potatoes in now.”

  They watched as she washed and quartered red potatoes. She spread them out on a cookie sheet before drizzling them with olive oil and sprinkled a little salt and rosemary over them before sliding the pan into the oven. Once that was done she began moving the sealed bags of cookies to a little-used counter to await the freezer. Ryan helped her pack up the rest, then with the final kitchen cleanup. She set the table as they washed their hands in the utility sink in a small room off the kitchen.

  When it came time to choose what they would drink with the meal, the men chose iced tea. Logan filled her glass with milk, arching a brow at her when she started to open her mouth. He was pleased when it snapped shut.

  “Thank you, Logan.”

  “Milk’s good for the baby.”

  “Yes.”

  77

  “When we go into town, we’ll be getting orange juice, too.” She nodded, trying to hide her smile from him as she began passing the plates with the sandwiches on them. “You did remember to call to make an appointment, didn’t you?”

  “Yes, Logan.”

  “Come here, baby.” There wasn’t a moment’s hesitation as Peaches came to him. The smile on her lips made his heart skip a beat or two. Pulling her close, he held her with his arms wrapped around her. “How are you feeling?” Lifting a hand to her head, he slid his fingers through her soft curls. He liked it when she left it to curl naturally. It was also longer, and he hoped she let it keep growing. When she pressed close to his cock, it jumped to attention.

  He ignored it. “You look very tired.” He glanced at the piles of cookies. “You should go to bed after supper.”