by Ashley Shay
When neither man spoke up, Jude reached out to touch Morgan’s arm. “Will you tell me what happened?”
He didn’t speak as he prepared the salad, and Jude thought he might not answer her at all, but at last, he sat down across from her, reaching over the table to take both of her hands in his.
“My wife got killed in a riding accident.”
“Wife?” Jude gasped out the word before she thought. He nodded, meeting her stare with such pain in his eyes that Jude blinked back tears of her own. “I’m so sorry, Morgan. I had no idea.”
“It was my fault.” He squeezed Jude’s fingers and dropped his gaze to focus on their hands, entwining his fingers through hers. “I shouldn’t have bought that horse, but she loved it. We saw him while we were on a vacation in Kentucky horse country, and she had to have it. That damn horse had more spirit than I’ve ever seen. He wasn’t mean. He could have been trained if I’d had the time.” He raised his eyes to stare at Jude again. “She was stubborn. I told her that horse wasn’t ready to ride, but Maria had a mind of her own. She always thought she knew what was best. She waited until I left for work and decided to take him for a ride. The horse shied at a something. Maria hit her head on a boulder when the horse threw her off. She never regained consciousness.”
“And that’s why you want me to obey everything you tell me to do?”
Morgan looked back at her with an open face, not trying to hide what he felt. “I don’t want to lose another woman I love.”
Jude got out of her seat to go sit on his lap. She put her arms around his neck, clinging to him tightly. “You won’t lose me, Morgan. I’ll stay with you and Dallas for as long as you can put up with me.” She wanted to make him smile, but he clutched her tighter, burying his face in her hair.
“I’m going to find whoever hurt you today, and he’s going to be sorry.”
“I don’t want you and Dallas to do something stupid.” Jude put her hand against Morgan’s cheek, feeling the stubble of his beard. “I’ll be careful. Let the police handle it.”
He started to answer, but Dallas threw a dishtowel at Morgan’s head.
“Do I smell bread burning? You’re supposed to be watching the bread.”
Morgan jumped up, nearly dumping Jude off his lap and onto the floor in the process. He opened the toaster oven, squinting his eyes and waving his hand against the heat and fumes.
“Only the edges are a little singed,” he said guiltily. “We can scrape the burnt part off.”
Dallas rolled his eyes and then winked at Jude on the sly to let her know he was kidding. “Give me a break,” Dallas complained. “You can’t even toast bread. That’s why your sorry ass hangs out here. You’d starve without me cooking for you.”
Jude sat back in her chair, listening to the good-natured bantering. The two men gave each other a hard time in the way only long-term best friends, or brothers, can get by with. Sipping on her beer, Jude thought she could get used to being a part of their world.
* * * *
Jude reached out to take the reins of a golden-colored mare that Dallas led forward. “What’s her name?” she asked, handing the horse a slice of apple.
“Tranquility.”
“Hello, Tranquility,” Jude whispered to the horse, offering her another bite of the Red Delicious.
With a snort, Tranquility took the treat out of Jude’s hand, munching loudly as she swished her tail back and forth.
“See what little fillies do with their tails when they’re happy?” Dallas pushed his hat back and grinned. He couldn’t wait to see Jude wearing the horse tail toy. It made his cock stand to attention just thinking about it.
She laughed. “I knew you’d buy that plug the minute I unwrapped it.”
“That’s why you were so jittery when we found you in the toy room. You were having naughty thoughts about the toys.” Dallas chuckled as he lifted her up into the saddle. “I saved it special for you, babe. When you’re ready, you can wear it for us. Maybe for a special occasion.”
Morgan leaned over in the saddle to give Jude a kiss. “We’ve got so many things planned for you, darlin’, and you’re going to love ’em all.”
“Of course I will.” Jude’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “How could I not love them with you two stallions teaching me everything you know about kinky sex?”
Dallas groaned. “Too easy, way too easy.”
“What makes you think it’s kinky?” Morgan wanted to know. He sounded serious, but Dallas could see the dimples in his friend’s cheeks giving away the grin he tried to conceal by turning his face away from Jude. He pretended to be checking out the new addition to the barn and stables until he could look at her with a straight face.
Jude raised her eyebrows high in disbelief. “Well, you don’t think it’s conventional sex we’ve been having, do you?”
Morgan gave a laugh that vibrated from somewhere deep in his chest. “All depends on your definition of conventional, I guess.”
Jude snorted at that. “There’s nothing remotely conventional about you two.” She leaned over to pat Tranquility’s neck. “Let’s ride while we still have daylight.”
Dallas made a kissing sound, and his horse, a black gelding, trotted obediently out of the corral heading toward the rolling hills carpeted with wildflowers. Bluebonnets covered the ground as far as the eye could see. Mixed in with the brilliant blue flowers were stark white cactus flowers and a small yellow ground covering. Occasionally, a burst of scarlet red would peek through the carpet of blue to add brilliant contrast.
Jude looked up at Dallas as he rode beside her. “This is so lovely. I’m not sure I could leave this view every day. I think if I had these flowers to look at, I might play hooky a lot.”
“I never get tired of seeing it,” Dallas admitted. “Every spring it’s like paradise here in these hills.”
“Let’s take her to the swimming hole,” Morgan suggested. He took his hat off, placing it on Jude’s head. “We’ve got to get you a hat if you ride with us. I think there’s a law in the West that says you can’t ride a horse unless you’re wearing a cowboy hat.”
Jude laughed, and the sound of her happiness filled Dallas with contentment. He leaned over to give her a kiss, nearly pulling her out of the saddle. His kiss tilted Jude’s head back, and Morgan’s hat balanced precariously, bouncing up and down when the brim touched her shoulders. Too big to fit her properly, the hat began to slide off Jude’s head toward the ground as Dallas savored the taste of her mouth.
“I’ll take that back,” Morgan said. Snatching the hat from her, he put it back on, twisting the brim to settle it on his head. He gave them a minute before interrupting the kiss. “Quit sucking face and look over this way, darlin’.”
* * * *
Jude gasped with pleasure when she saw the pool of clear water being fed by a fast-running stream. Rocks were scattered randomly around the pond, and tiny purple wildflowers nestled tightly against their shelter. Cottonwood trees branched out over the water and would provide a cooling shade in the heat of summer. Jude thought it looked so perfect it could have been the set of a big-budget Hollywood movie.
“Did you landscape this?” she asked.
“I added a few rocks in strategically placed locations, but the rest is Mother Nature’s doing.” Dallas looked around at the spread. “My dad always loved this ranch. Some of my earliest memories of him involve this place. He helped out over here anytime Buster McCray needed him. Dad said this was the prettiest spread in Arizona. When he died, he left a big life insurance policy, and I bought the land from Buster. It just seemed like the right thing to do with his money. I know he’d be happy I did it.”
“I’m sure he would,” Jude said tenderly, glad the men were opening up to her. If she thought she loved them earlier at the kindness and bravery they had shown rescuing her grandmother, now she knew she loved them for the tragedy in their lives and for their compassion and their honor. But most of all, for the fact they had stuck together a
nd rode out the hardships without becoming bitter or disillusioned with life.
As they rode deeper into the hills, Dallas pointed out spots of beauty or landmarks where historical events had taken place. Even though Jude knew he had bought the ranch within the last couple of years, Dallas seemed to have in-depth knowledge of the history that had taken place on his property. She could imagine his father riding with him when he was young, telling him tales about the area as his son listened in wide-eyed silence, mentally filing the history away until he grew old enough to explore the places on his own.
At last, Dallas reined in his horse, turning the gelding back in the direction of the house. “It’s getting late,” he said. “Tomorrow we’ll ride over to Morgan’s spread if you want. He’s got just as much history to talk about as I do. This place served as a hideaway for desperados and Mexican banditos, along with a stagecoach stop and military encampment at one time. It’s always been a place people gravitated to. The buildings change over the years, and people come and go, but this land has a lot of tales to tell.”
“I’d love to see Morgan’s place,” Jude answered. “But speaking of getting late, I do have a question to ask about tonight. Where am I going to sleep? And in what? You two didn’t exactly give me a chance to pack an overnight bag.”
“You can wear one of my T-shirts, and tonight you’re in the guest bedroom. We aren’t taking any chances with that lump on your head.”
Jude couldn’t hide the disappointment she felt. Her heart had buoyed at the thought of spending the night with both men and actually snuggling close between them as she dreamed of the adventures they would soon share.
“What’s wrong?” Dallas asked. He reached over to tilt her face up, cupping her cheek in his hand. “Did I say something stupid? You know, one of those guy things we say and don’t know we’ve said? You’ve got that look. Like I just started dragging my knuckles on the ground in Neanderthal fashion.”
Jude giggled despite herself. “No, it’s only that I thought I’d sleep with you and Morgan tonight. I had these visions of being the creamy center…”
The two men exchanged looks. “Well, umm…babe, Morgan usually sleeps at his place, and I don’t think you’re up to fun and games tonight.”
“I could make an exception if Jude wants us all to sleep together,” Morgan said. “It might be better for me to be around if someone wants to harm her. That way she gets two bodyguards for the price of one.” He turned to Jude with a stern look on his face. “But it’s sleep only until that knot on your head goes down. No attempts at seduction on your part because you know Dallas and I aren’t that damn strong.”
Jude laughed, shooting a cajoling look in Dallas’s direction. “I’ll behave.”
Dallas made a show of thinking it over. “If that makes our little filly happy, we’ll have a pajama party.”
“I love you both,” Jude said happily.
The two men grinned, but neither said anything. They didn’t have to say a word. Their emotions were written all over their faces.
Chapter Ten
Jude woke in the morning sandwiched between Dallas and Morgan. The three of them were a tangle of entwined arms and legs. Jude had never felt so good despite the heavy weight of male limbs resting on various parts of her body. Easing both of her arms free, she stroked the men with her fingertips while they slept, careful to keep her touch light so she wouldn’t wake them. Jude wanted to hold on to this moment for as long as she could make it last. It felt like heaven to luxuriate in the incredible feeling of contentment wrapped in the warmth of the two men she loved. She knew they would soon lavish her body with their attention.
Morgan stirred sleepily, and she dropped a gentle kiss on his shoulder before he rolled over to look at her through half closed lids. His eyelashes were thick and sinfully long, giving him a sleepy, seductive quality that caused Jude’s heart to dance with anticipation.
“Morning.” She mouthed the words at him, smiling as he blinked a couple of times, obviously trying to rouse himself into a semblance of consciousness. “You don’t have to wake up,” she whispered, smoothing dark tendrils of hair back from his face. He leaned his head into her touch, letting his eyes close for a moment before he shoved the twisted covers away from his body and sat up, dropping his feet over the edge of the bed.
“Be right back,” he mumbled. “Stay here.”
“Bring coffee,” Dallas pleaded.
Jude started to get up, but Morgan put a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll get the coffee. He’s always whiney like this when he wakes up. You should hear him at the station.”
Dallas flipped his middle finger up before burrowing deeper into the covers, pulling the sheet over his face as he snuggled close to Jude. She ran her fingers through the patch of tousled hair sticking out from under the covers.
“Thank you, Morgan. You get something special for bringing the coffee.” She gave him a wink.
Dallas shot out from under the sheet. “Special?” He looked at Morgan in disbelief. “Just for bringing coffee?”
Jude held back her laughter while putting on her most serious expression. “I think he deserves something extra for getting the coffee while we stay in the nice warm bed, don’t you?”
Morgan gave Dallas a triumphant smirk before sauntering out the bedroom door humming some unrecognizable tune.
“I’ll fix breakfast,” Dallas said, watching his friend’s retreating back. “Do I get something special, too?”
“Depends on what you fix,” Jude teased. She couldn’t help laughing at the expression on his face, and she leaned over to kiss him. “Of course you get something special. You both deserve it.”
“We got you, sweetheart. It doesn’t get any better.”
Morgan returned with three steaming mugs of coffee. “For once, he knows what he’s talking about.” He sat one cup on the nightstand, then handed one to Jude and one to Dallas before settling back in bed and propping himself up against a pillow.
Dallas took a cautious sip from the overfull mug and turned a serious face to Jude. “We need to discuss your safety, babe. Morgan and I pull a shift tomorrow, so we’ve got you covered today, but until we find out who this psycho is, you’re stuck with one of us. We’re going to have to find someone to trade shifts with us till this is resolved.”
“I’ll be fine,” Jude said, knowing her words sounded braver than she felt. She didn’t really want to be alone. With the guys she felt safe, but she knew being alone in the shop would make her nervous. Every time the door opened she would wonder if her attacker had returned.
“Sure you will, and one of us will always be around to make sure of that.” Dallas reached out to smooth a tendril of hair behind her ear.
“Will the guys be willing to trade shifts?” Jude hoped her concern didn’t come through in her voice. She didn’t want the men neglecting their jobs, or safety, for her. The chances seemed good her attacker had made his point and wouldn’t return.
Morgan nodded. “Bishop will help out and so will Alex. No problem, darlin’.”
“Isn’t Bishop the ex-military guy?” Jude asked. “The one who’s chiseled out of granite and wouldn’t smile if he won a million dollars?”
Dallas grinned. “Bishop’s okay. He’s a badass, but once you get to know him, he’s an all right guy. Got a heart of gold.”
“He has a heart?” Jude asked in mock surprise.
“Be nice,” Morgan admonished. “He’s seen a lot of action and not much of it was anything to smile about. Trust me, he’s a good guy.”
“If you say so,” Jude conceded. “Which one is Alex?”
“Alex is transferring in from Station Two. He’s a rookie. You haven’t met him yet, but he’s a great kid. If I know him, he’ll volunteer to keep an eye on Sinful Pleasures for us too.”
“Especially since he spends all his time looking over there anyway,” Dallas said dryly.
* * * *
Morgan set his empty coffee cup aside and pulled Jude into his
arms for a kiss. “How’s that lump on your head?”
She looked up at him with eyes as blue as a cloudless sky, taking Morgan’s breath before she answered. “I think its fine. I don’t feel anything other than a little soreness. No headache, no dizziness. I think I’m ready to resume my lessons, don’t you?”
The immediate ache in Morgan’s balls made him squirm, and the sheet tented over his growing erection as he lost himself in the blue depths of her stare. “You sure about that, sweetheart?”
She nodded, never taking her gaze from his.
“This will be the real deal. Both of us, Jude.”
Her finger touched his lips lightly. “I’m ready,” she whispered. “I want to feel both of you in me. I’ve dreamed about this since the first night, Morgan.”
Morgan cast a glance at Dallas, and Dallas nodded. Bunching the hem of Jude’s T-shirt in his work-hardened hands, Morgan peeled the soft cotton away from her body, tossing it aside on the floor. He leaned down to kiss the hard tips of her breasts, giving each one individual attention as he placed a lightly suctioning kiss on her nipples. Jude sighed, putting her hands on the back of his head to pull him closer. She tasted sweet, and Morgan realized it was the natural flavor of her skin, like a confectioner’s mix of woman and sex, blended to perfection.
Her hands found him under the sheet. She wrapped her long fingers around his throbbing cock and pumped him up and down in a slow rhythm that made him crazy. He bit down warningly on one of her nipples, making her moan and tighten her grip around his erection.
Morgan was vaguely aware Dallas had opened the drawer on his nightstand, setting out a bottle of lubrication. Damn, he could barely wait to sink his cock in her tight little ass. She was beautiful, everything he wanted in a woman. Sassy, intelligent, sensual, and so utterly feminine she made him feel like Superman. He knew Dallas felt the same about her. It was time to claim the woman they loved.
