What does she need that huge house for, anyway, just for her? But dark will come, soon enough. At least she doesn’t have a dog.
***
I should have a dog.
Wallis finally got situated on a kitchen chair, leaned her crutches against the table. Using her thumbnails, she began to peel an orange, cussed as the juice sprayed everywhere. She’d forgotten a paper napkin, so she stretched far enough to grab a kitchen towel.
If I had a dog, at least I’d have company. And a better alert system than yelling, “Who the hell’s out there? I have a gun, and I’ll use it!”
She had a gut feeling that the new tenant, temporary though he might be, was going to be a supreme pain-in-the-ass. He obviously hadn’t thought far enough ahead to get his cover story straight. It had been her experience that people who lied for the sake of lying, without checking the lies for accuracy, usually spelled trouble with a capital T.
Heaving a huge sigh, she continued to feel sorry for herself and her nonexistent dog. My leg is fucked up, I’m stuck here alone, and I miss my guys.
Thinking of her men produced a sigh of a different kind. Also a blush to her cheeks, as well as an equally warm flush to her girl parts.
Knowing Wallis would be chomping at the bit, Austin had sent a text message. A strong lead on the missing woman had been phoned in to the crime hotline, so the captain had turned the boys around even as they were heading back home. They’d reversed course, then that freakin’ lead sent the searchers miles deeper into the mountains, farther from her.
Austin and Michael should be here, with me. Waiting on me. Feeding me. Loving me, as they do so well. As unreasonable and selfish as those thoughts were, she indulged in a rare pity party.
The searchers still held out hope, but Wallis knew such hope was futile. The woman was dead. Wallis could feel it in her gut—and her gut was never wrong. She’d learned not to share her feelings with others, not even her own teammates. They’d only become depressed and dejected, which didn’t help them do their jobs.
Especially Michael. Her doom-and-death observations, no matter now unintentional the effect, could easily trigger the depression, the flashbacks, the restlessness, the insomnia, that had finally driven him from the slopes of Aspen, where he’d been a Search and Rescue first-responder. She’d lost count of how many nights she’d held him, her big, strong man, rocked him in her arms as if he was a child, while tears of silent rage soaked them both. He hadn’t suffered an episode in over a year, for which she was eternally grateful. Regardless of how accurate her instincts proved, she’d learned to keep thoughts of death to herself.
Austin wasn’t as stoic. He usually vacated the bedroom, left Michael in Wallis’s embrace, then camped upstairs in one of the guest rooms for the night. A former firefighter, he had his own demons to vanquish. Wallis had progressed from being a fledgling SWAT to joining the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, but she hadn’t the years in the field that her men did.
We’re a motley crew, aren’t we? She sighed. Yeah, maybe so, but we’re also a good, solid, ass-kickin’ team.
***
When dusk faded and full dark encroached, Theo crept toward the farmhouse. He panicked and scuttled back into the shadows when a security lamp on the big barn behind the house flickered to life, going from pale bluish-white to bright yellow as the lamp heated up. He was forced to increase his periphery to avoid the well-lit areas to the side and rear of the house. The absence of street lights allowed him to walk along the shoulder of the road until he passed the troublesome mailbox and turned onto the front walk. He’d nearly reached the front steps when the porch light came on. He scrambled madly to reach the dark side of the house.
Already annoyed, he became more so when he realized that the design of the structure prevented easy peeking. Greenery was planted along the foundation all the way around the house. Such landscaping had proved helpful in the past for hiding, but this was American holly, the spiny leaves of which could shred skin as well as catch and rip fabric. He couldn’t imagine anyone using holly for landscaping around the foundation of a home, for Christ’s sake.
There she is. A quick glimpse of Wallis, crutching her way down a hallway toward the kitchen at the back of the house, was the best Theo could manage. She’d bypassed a nightgown or pajamas in favor of a long, black T-shirt that reached to mid-thigh. He couldn’t see any intimate parts, but preferred to imagine she was naked underneath.
There was a faint stir in his groin as he snuck back to the cottage. It would be a long, frustrating process before he could manage a release—if he could manage at all.
Bitch. You want me. You know it. Why are you making things so difficult?
***
The raucous blast of air horns shot Theodore from dead sleep to full panic, and he crashed from bed to floor. He counted to five. Twice. When nothing attacked, he uncurled himself, scrambled to the window in time to see a long, dark red truck slide to a dusty halt in Wallis’s driveway, behind the coppery-colored Dodge Journey, which he’d assumed was her vehicle.
Two large, powerfully built men—one blond, one dark—jumped from either side of the truck cab.
The blond one called out, “Yo, Wallis, baby. Where are you, sexy creature? Sweetheart, are you naked?”
With adrenaline still pumping, Theo’s fury grew, directed at the intruders. Who are they? What right did they have to speak to her like that?
He straightened his twisted pajamas, grabbed the binoculars. Wallis came out to the front landing, hair all mussed, still clad in the T-shirt, legs naked, as she balanced precariously on her crutches. The muscled blond man took the two front steps in one stride, grabbed her, lifted her off the ground, and left the crutches to crash to the stone steps. She wrapped her arms around the man’s neck, kissed him wildly. Theo had been correct—as her shirt rode up, it was obvious that she wasn’t wearing panties.
The dark Goliath tapped the blond’s shoulder then took Wallis into his own bear-hug embrace. After kissing him soundly, she threw her head back and laughed.
The sound carried to Theo’s open window, chilled his blood. His heart hammered in his chest, his breath came in ragged gasps. He unzipped another pouch on the front of his luggage, struggled with an inhaler he’d sworn not to use, took two deep hits. Taking the inhaler with him, he returned to the window.
The blond man grabbed Wallis’s crutches and handed them over, which allowed her to vanish into the interior of the house after he delivered an open-handed swat to her butt. The men retrieved rolling luggage from the crew cab of the giant four-wheel-drive truck, each of their suitcases twice the size of Theo’s. They also disappeared into the house.
As Theo’s breathing came easier, his sense of outrage continued to develop. He didn’t think there was any chance the men were relatives.
She’s just like the others. A cock-tease. A ho. She can’t drop me like this, before I even got a chance to show her what a great catch I am. She’ll pay for this. Oh, yes, she’ll pay dearly.
Chapter Two
They’re back. My boys are back. They…are…baaack! If it wasn’t for the cast, Wallis would be doing an energetic Snoopy Dance of happiness.
The last assignment had been the first time their team had been dispatched, short one member. She was honest enough with herself to admit she missed her specialty, which was pouring through evidence. Missed the adrenaline kick when her theories panned out. Missed working within the tight, cohesive unit formed by the three partners as they worked major crime scenes. She’d been stuck at the house, feeling useless, awkward—and oh, so lonely.
Wallis leaned on the kitchen counter, elbows on the cool tile, mug of fresh, hot coffee cradled in her hands. She gazed through the multi-paned windows over the sink, enjoyed the color-drenched patch of relentless wildflowers that struggled for survival at the back edge of the lawn. Engrossed in her reverie, she yipped when a pair of strong arms grabbed her around the waist.
Austin nuzzled the back of
her neck.
“Yuck, cowboy, I spilled my coffee. And your hair is still wet. You’re dripping on me.”
“Sorry, darlin’, I couldn’t bear to spend another single minute away from you.”
She twisted in his arms, kissed him. “That’s the best excuse I’ve ever heard. You’re forgiven.”
He took her face in his big hands, returned her kiss with enthusiasm.
She leaned into him. “Mmm, baby, I missed you, missed you, missed you.” She inhaled, deeply. “And you smell so good.”
“Definitely better than I smelled before. I missed you, too. You left me alone with Gallows-Boy. You know how cranky he can be, especially when he’s tired.”
“It wasn’t like I did it on purpose, y’know.” She tapped against the cast with her fingernails.
Austin snorted. “Like getting shot in the line of duty is a good enough excuse for leaving me with him.”
However, his interest in her closeness was immediately evident beneath the towel wrapped around his waist, as his erection tented the terry cloth.
Her eyebrow arched then she smiled. “Wow, you did miss me.”
He pressed against her, and her body thrilled with the feel of his hard muscles and rigid sex.
“Wallis, darlin’, don’t keep me in suspense—panties or commando?”
“Hmm. Guess, cowboy.”
Tormenting her, his hands crawled slowly up the sides of her body as he pulled the shirt over her head. He tossed it over the back of a kitchen chair. Naked, she stretched her arms over her head, her nipples perking without delay.
“Oh, yeah, baby. Commando is definitely the way to go. Shows how much you love me.”
With a broad grin, she leaned her back against the counter, rested on her elbows. Her sensual pose gave him ample opportunity to caress her firm breasts, kiss and suckle her pebbled nipples.
“Wallis, baby, you taste so good. Are you ready for me, sweet thing? I mean, really ready for me?” The stiff condition of his cock already proclaimed his state of readiness.
“Cowboy, I’ve been ready for you since the moment you guys pulled out of the driveway and left me to my own devices. I think you should be very nice to me, make up for lost time.” She pulled him close, kissed him deeply. Her tongue traced the tender skin that outlined his mouth. As she pulled his towel free, she was rewarded with a groan from deep in his throat.
“Honey, you know I’m always very nice to you. How are we going to manage this, with the cast and all? I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Mmm. Follow my lead, Texas.”
Pulling out a chair, she covered the seat with his towel, motioned to him. “Sit.”
“Baby, are you sure?”
“Stop talking. Just sit. Spread your legs.”
Austin did as directed.
“Oh yeah, I love a man who responds to a woman’s wishes.”
Turning her back to him, using both hands on the kitchen table for support, Wallis bent from the waist, presented a rear view as she gyrated before him, just to make sure she had his undivided attention. When she felt his warm hands on her buttocks, pulling her backward, she slowly lowered herself onto his lap until his cock was completely buried inside her hot, wet pussy. With her unencumbered foot flat on the floor for stability, her casted leg stretched straight out, safe from harm. She sighed, settled, and placed her hands on his thighs for balance.
Grasping her hips, Austin thrust his rigid pole farther up and into her. “Damn, Wallis girl, this is heaven, and I’m home.” His soft, Texan drawl sounded like choir music to her ears. He nibbled the back of her neck, which sent shivers—delightful shivers—up and down her body. The shivers extended to her sex, which pulsed around him.
She rested the back of her head against his chest. “Mmm, oh yeah, baby, your wonderful cock feels so fuckin’ good inside me.”
He laughed. “Trash mouth.”
“Hey, can’t help it. I missed you.” She rode his shaft, lifting, twisting on the downward slide, rising again and falling, repeating the incredible feeling of being stuffed near to overflowing with his long member.
Suddenly, there was a grumble from behind them, shocking Wallis from her sex-induced reverie.
“How rude is that, to begin without me?”
She turned her head so Michael could kiss her. “Hey, baby, g’morning. You know how impatient the cowboy is. Always with the instant gratification, just like a six-year-old.”
Austin thrust upward again, pumping into her tight, needy channel. “Does this feel like a childlike anything?”
She moaned and settled her ass against him. “Hush up, cowboy, and fuck me like you mean it.”
“Again with the trash mouth. Whatever shall we do with you?” Austin responded to her command, nearly lifting his hips off the chair in an effort to bury his flesh in hers. Mindful of the leg cast, she couldn’t swivel her pelvis against him as well as she wished to—so she rode out the storm in a state of wanton need, her fingernails scraping the skin of his thighs.
Michael moved closer, pushing her closer to the precipice of sensual overload. He’d dropped his own towel, stroked his very aroused member.
She licked her lips at the sight of him working his sex. “Gallo, come to me, let me help you with that.”
He obliged.
Wallis took Michael’s shaft in her hand and leaned forward, bringing him close to her mouth. His low, growly moan convinced her that she had the situation under control. To drag out his torment, she slowly, ever so slowly, took his cockhead between her lips. With a swirl of her tongue, she snatched up the silvery drops of pre-cum and pulled him deep into her mouth.
Austin’s entire body stiffened, his muscles tensed at the sight of his woman sucking off his best friend. He moved his hands to her waist, drove into her with steady thrusts.
With a low groan, Michael wrapped his fingers in her auburn hair as he fucked her mouth. “Wallis, baby, I’m so close, it’s embarrassing.”
Encouraged, she freed up a hand, slid it under Michael’s heavy testicles, fondled them with a touch of rough, which she knew would set him off. They responded by firming up like tennis balls as they drew up to his body. He was, indeed, close to the edge. She brought her hand back to his cock and applied a firm, twisting motion. He framed her head with his hands, guided her where she needed to be. In a few seconds, unable to extend his own exquisite ordeal, he roared to the heavens and shot his load deep into her throat. She sucked him hard and tight, not willing to lose a drop.
Watching Michael’s cock pulse as he emptied his seed into Wallis’s mouth set Austin off. He slammed into Wallis with a harsh groan, his hands locked on her hips like vise grips as he emptied his seed into her welcoming channel.
Finished with Michael, Wallis wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, left him leaning against the kitchen counter to catch his breath. She damned near growled at Austin as his post-orgasmic rhythm slowed. “Cowboy, don’t you dare lose me, do ya hear? I’m right there, baby, I’m right there.”
Austin’s hands slid upward from her hips to her waist to her breasts. He tweaked her nipples, nipped her shoulder, pulled her tight against his still-hard, still-pulsing cock. He twisted his pelvis and drilled into her—the flood of sensations he delivered pushed her over the edge with a sharp cry. He continued to rock her as she shuddered, the tickle of his softening cock bringing on more throbs from her hyper-sensitive pussy.
Wallis fell back and rested against his heaving, sweat-streaked chest. “Christ on a cracker, I missed you guys so much.”
Michael helped a wobbly Wallis rise from his friend’s lap, so the big, blond Texan could stand and stretch.
Austin kissed the top of her head. “C’mon, wench, let’s get you cleaned up while Gallows-Boy makes breakfast. Well, I guess it would be brunch. Hmm, well, let’s get all of us cleaned up. Michael, you go first so you can start cookin’, then Wallis and I will take care of business.”
She yawned, snuggled in Michael’s arms. “Y’know,
there are a multitude of bathrooms in this place, so no one needs to queue up. And I’m so wonderfully relaxed, I could use a nap.”
Austin caressed her bottom. “Darlin’, relaxed or not, don’t interfere with our planning.”
Wallis allowed Austin to lead her to the bathroom. As he gently wiped her down, he was able to move her limbs as if she were a posable doll. She sighed. I could certainly become accustomed to this. I could be a kept woman.
By the time the couple returned from washing up and dressing, Michael had set out a large platter of grilled pineapple rings over raspberry waffles, with a bowl of honey butter on the side. A mound of crisp maple bacon surrounded by freshly sliced wedges of orange finished the offering.
Wallis wore a bright red sports bra decorated with hot pink hearts, and black capris that were stretchy enough to pull over her lime green fiberglass cast. She sat back in her chair, her casted leg resting on an ottoman that had been dragged in from the parlor. She gazed at her men, enjoyed the view.
Austin, her blond Adonis, usually close-cropped and impeccably turned out, was overdue for a haircut and a shave. He’d swapped his towel for a pair of khaki shorts that showcased hard, muscular legs with a few long scratches, newly obtained, on his thighs. Bulging arms and shoulders stretched out a worn, red T-shirt with a white fire department logo. Michael, always in need of a haircut and a shave, moved easily around the kitchen with nothing covering his brawny, black-haired body except a pair of brief orange shorts with a sky blue logo, Ski Aspen—Stay Upright.
Wallis was sure her heart kicked in an extra beat as it expanded with love for her partners. Five years earlier, they’d met at an upscale State Police charity fundraiser outside the capital city of Albany. They’d barely been out of each other’s company since then. That the two men had already been best friends didn’t hurt, either. Instant attraction is not a myth. Truly, love at first site. It was a choice she’d not come to regret.
Blade Dance Page 2
