The Climax Montana Complete Collection

by Reece Butler

Jet took over Lila’s hips, thrusting up into her while slamming her down to shaft him. She shook, gasping as her orgasm rolled on.

  “Mine!” roared Jet.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  “Why can’t I wear clothes?”

  Lila shivered as Jet’s eyes drifted over her naked body.

  “Are you uncomfortable walking around naked?” he asked.

  “Yes!”

  “Good. It’ll help you remember.”

  She gulped, her heart pounding at his intensity. “I said I won’t do it again!”

  “Won’t do what again?”

  She scowled, not wanting to say the words. He waited, calm and sure as if he hadn’t a care in the world. How did he do that? How could he be so calm and cool, when she was ready to jump out of her skin?

  “I won’t disobey you,” she muttered.

  “Good to hear it,” replied Jet. “But it will take a while before I trust you.”

  “Before you…?” Fuming with outrage, she stomped her bare feet on the wood floor over to him. She jabbed him in the chest with a stiff finger. “This is my ranch, and you work for me!”

  Jet tilted his head to meet her eyes. Those six inches made all the difference. She had a sudden flash of awareness as to what her tiny aunt put up with all the time. She wanted to grab his shirt and haul his face down to her level.

  “I work for the Circle C Ranch,” he replied. “As do you.”

  Her shoulders sagged, her temper deflating. Jet was right. She might be the one nominally in charge, but everyone knew she couldn’t organize herself out of a wet paper bag. She fidgeted when she was bored, either tapping her fingers or bouncing a foot just to have something moving. When she worked on something interesting, the time passed like smooth water in a stream. She’d thought it would change once she was out of school, but the problem was inside her. Sometimes she felt like she was driven by a motor, that she had to do and do and do or she’d run down and never get started again.

  It must be the baby hormones that made her chin quiver. Jet captured her before she could pull back. He took her hand and placed it on his chest.

  “I respect you for your ranching knowledge, Lila,” he said in that quiet, no-nonsense voice she was learning to love. “But know that you are under my protection, and will therefore obey me in anything to do with keeping you, and our children, safe. The next time you think about disobeying me, know that I will paddle your ass so hard you won’t sit down for a week. That is not an exaggeration. And if you think of leaving this ranch without my permission I will lock up all your clothes. Do you understand me?”

  He lifted that damn eyebrow and gave her the look that made her stomach drop and her pussy gush. Her breasts swelled. She realized he’d placed her hand over his heart. She couldn’t feel it through the shirt, but the pulse at his neck throbbed as quickly as her own.

  She’d been called a ball breaker because she considered herself any man’s equal. She’d taken it as an insult. It had hurt, and she thought herself less because of it. But now, feeling the power and presence of Jet and Houston, she realized she needed men whose balls were so strong she couldn’t break them. She dropped her eyes.

  “I respect you, as a rancher and a woman,” said Jet quietly. “I don’t want to take over. I want to help you be the best Lila Frost you can be. I know you can make the hard decisions, but it doesn’t mean you need to.”

  Yes, she could protect herself, and would continue to do so. She would learn to balance his need to protect with her need to act on her own decisions. Knowing he and Houston would back her up meant she was no longer alone. But there was more to her budding relationship with Jet and Houston than control. It wasn’t the sex or their physical strength that made her care so deeply, or their comforting dominance.

  They made her feel whole, and right. The nasty comments over the years from her cousins, the boys and girls at school, and the men and women at college, no longer mattered. Her concern over what others thought, feeding on her insecurities of being a failure, had brought on many of her panic attacks.

  No more.

  All that mattered was pleasing herself. That included caring for herself and her family, and behaving in a way that made her men want to hold her tight. Yes, they would demand she do things that made her uncomfortable, but it wasn’t out of arrogance or selfishness. They genuinely cared for her. This feeling of belonging to Jet and Houston was entirely different from what she felt with her family.

  Already she couldn’t imagine life on the Circle C without them. Yet, how serious was Jet’s demand for marriage? She knew he cared for her, but was it enough to last thirty years, or more? Though she’d fought against it every step of the way, she now realized she wanted what her parents had. And she wanted it with Jet and Houston.

  She wanted them to accept her exactly the way she was, as she would accept them. At the same time, she knew they would grow and improve with each other’s help. She could focus far better now, except when she thought about what she wanted to do with them, and they to her.

  Jet released her hand and stepped back, freeing her. The freedom was only physical, as there was already a bond of Dominance and submission between them. Now that she understood what that meant, how they were two halves of a whole, she was no longer frightened. They would push her boundaries, as Jet had by encouraging her to face, and conquer, her fears in that Dillon bar.

  She felt like a wild, frenzied horse who calmed when her eyes were covered by soothing hands. Jet, and Houston, had seduced her mind and her body. They would lead her where she needed to go. She could forget about everything else and be calm. She was not weak. She was a strong, confident and competent woman who felt whole when submitting to someone she trusted to guide her.

  Lila slumped as she released the oppressing demands she’d carried for far too long. Jet stepped forward, enfolding her in his arms. She trembled, opening herself to him, breathing in his power.

  “That’s it, Lila,” he murmured. “Let it go. I’ve got you.”

  Houston came up behind her, adding his warmth and substance. They stood there, melding into one. She was surrounded by their…love? Whatever it was, she needed it almost as much as air.

  So did they. She wasn’t the only one with demons. She would encourage Houston to confront his mother, make peace with his father, and bring his sister’s ashes home to the Circle C. Jet needed to look for his birth family, and release whatever he’d hidden deep inside him from his past. All three of them needed to laugh more often. And play. She could do with more of that right now. Her pussy purred in agreement.

  “Here comes Josh,” said Houston. “Do we let Lila get dressed?”

  She tensed, then forced herself to relax. She’d submitted to them, even if she hadn’t told them yet. She would release her fear of Josh’s ridicule. Her men would not allow her to be insulted.

  It sounded good in her brain, yet she still trembled.

  Houston gave her a squeeze before sauntering over to the window to get a closer look. Two days ago she would have shoved Jet away and run upstairs in a panic. Instead, she waited for his decision. Jet kissed the top of her head and released her.

  “I think we understand each other now,” he murmured. He patted her sore bottom lightly. “If you’re quick getting dressed, you’ll be able to kiss Houston good-bye. It’ll give him something good to think about while he’s in jail.”

  * * * *

  Houston kept an eye on the sheriff ambling toward them as Lila calmly walked upstairs to dress. He knew she wanted to rush by the way she clutched the handrail. Yet she had herself under control. Something had fundamentally changed when she agreed to marry Jet. They could pretend it was just a play scene, but she’d meant it. Otherwise nothing would have kept her in the kitchen knowing her older cousin was on the way.

  Josh aimed for his SUV. He hauled the door open and set his hip on the seat.

  “Sheriff’s checking his messages. That’ll give Lila time to get decent,” said Houst
on to Jet. He turned away from the window. “What’s next?”

  “Other than you spending a few hours in jail courtesy of the Climax County Sheriff’s Department?”

  Houston shrugged it off. “I could use a nap.” He rubbed his belly. “Maybe Miss Stella dropped off some more cookies at the jail.”

  “You think Gibson will share them with you this time?”

  “A man can always hope.”

  The heavy thud of the SUV’s door slamming grabbed Houston’s attention. “Here he comes. Looks like something’s up.”

  “It’s a ‘good news, bad news’ situation,” said Gibson when he got inside. “The good news is Louise Jefferson says Tank packed his things and moved out, without hitting her again. Also good is someone reporting his truck heading west after getting gas at Peter’s Garage. With luck, he won’t stop until he gets to Missoula.”

  “And the bad?” asked Jet.

  “We have nothing to hold him on.” Josh looked around the kitchen. “Did Aunt Marci leave any home baking? I got hungry sitting in the barn while you entertained my cousin.”

  Houston was not the type of man to blush. Ever. Yet he felt a tinge of heat on the tips of his ears at the sheriff’s comment. The thud of heavy feet along the upstairs hallway stopped him from having to reply. All three men looked toward the stairs. Lila rushed down. She stopped as soon as she saw them. A very deep blush rose from her cleavage right up to her hairline.

  “Good timing,” said Josh to Lila. He had his official face on. Lila’s tight grip relaxed a bit. “I was just telling Jet and Houston that Tank has pulled up stakes and seems to be leaving town. Deputy Chambers got a call from a Jim Simpson. He said, and I quote, ‘I’ve reined Bitsy in and muzzled her.’ I got the impression he was not talking about a dog.”

  Houston held back from pointing out that even though she didn’t walk on four legs, his mother was quite the bitch.

  “So I don’t have to be guarded day and night now?” Lila looked to Josh to answer the question, rather than Jet.

  “As Sheriff of Climax, I’d say no. These two gentlemen may have another opinion.”

  Lila might have submitted to them in the bedroom, but the set of her jaw, and the glare in her eyes, proved she was feisty to the core.

  “I have to talk to Lance and Simon MacDougal today,” said Jet.

  His expression was as determined as Lila’s. Lance hadn’t been home when they were there earlier, but he should be by now. Since Lila’s pregnancy was out in the open, Jet had to clear the air. Houston had wanted to be there, but thanks to this screw-up with the car theft charge, Jet would have to do it himself. Lila’s agreement to marry would also be discussed.

  Houston had damn near a hundred percent belief she would tie the knot with Jet. After what he witnessed growing up, and what he’d seen since, he hadn’t much faith in marriage. It was different here in Climax. He had a good idea inheriting money without having to do a damn thing to get it destroyed families. When you had everything you wanted, how did you know what was important in life? Having to work for what you believed in kept your feet firmly on the ground.

  Whatever it was, people here did things right. He wanted to be a part of that.

  “Why don’t I come with you?” asked Lila.

  “It’s a man-to-man thing,” said Houston so Jet didn’t have to. “No women allowed.” Lila turned her full-wattage glare on him. He grinned back. “When you pout like that it makes me want to suck on your bottom lip and—”

  “Houston!”

  He winked back, wishing he could see how far down her blush went. He was going to enjoy getting her stirred up. Even better if she was tied down. Blindfolded. He took another look at her face. Maybe they’d better invest in a gag as well. No, without the gag she might swear at them. And that would set her up for more spankings. He rubbed his hands together, grinning at her. Her eyes widened, she jammed her lips together, and turned back to Jet.

  “You are to stay here.” Jet waited for her nod.

  “I should have Houston back in a couple of hours, max,” said Josh.

  “You could spend your time baking,” suggested Houston, needling her.

  “Or I could muck out the barn,” she replied caustically.

  She came down the last steps and headed for the door. The squawk of a radio came from the yard.

  “Duty calls,” said Josh. “You can ride shotgun, no cuffs this time.”

  “Can I drive?” asked Houston eagerly. “I could put on the siren, and—”

  “One more word and you’re in the back seat.”

  Houston laughed, judging it was an idle threat. He grabbed Lila by the belt before she could escape. “Kiss me good-bye, darlin’.” He didn’t wait for her answer.

  One touch of her lips and he was hard again. He filled his hands with her hair to keep her close. She made a sound deep in her throat, driving him wild.

  “Whoa!” Josh pulled them apart. “You two need a bucket of cold water.”

  Houston stepped back, chest heaving. Lila’s swollen lips drew his eyes. So did her full breasts and erect nipples. She winced and rubbed them with her wrists. He was about to offer to scratch them for her, with his teeth, when a slap on the back of his head jerked him back to reality. He glared at the sherriff.

  “There’s a lot of bachelors in town,” said Gibson with a scowl. “You show off like that and you’re likely to get thumped.”

  “My turn,” said Jet, silky smooth. “You don’t want to watch this, Sheriff Gibson.”

  “Damn right I don’t,” replied Josh. He pointed to the door with his thumb, still scowling at Houston. “Out!”

  Jet took Lila by the hips, aligning her body against his. The sheriff swore under his breath and stomped out, following Houston. He turned back to look after he climbed in the SUV. Jet and Lila, silhouetted in the window, were still going at it when Josh started the engine.

  “This should get them apart,” he muttered. Josh turned on the siren.

  Houston was still chuckling when they hit the highway.

  Chapter Forty

  Jet was still cursing as he drove at top speed to the MacDougal ranch. The sooner he got there and talked things over with Lance and Simon, the sooner he could get back to Lila. He’d been about to haul Lila’s pants off and go at it right there on the kitchen table when the sheriff, or Houston, set the siren off. He planned to continue where they’d stopped as soon as he got back from the MacDougals.

  “Lila will be wearing a dress or skirt, with nothing underneath, when she’s in the house,” he promised himself. If she hadn’t been in jeans, he wouldn’t be sporting a class eight hard-on.

  What he felt for Lila wasn’t just about sex. Far from it. Having her kissing him back, popping open his shirt snaps, was great. Wonderful. What they shared physically was only a small part of it, though. A huge part, yes, but even more was the way she looked at him. No one had ever looked to him with such trust, and fury, and frustration.

  They were good together, the three of them. He’d never felt so needed, or so whole. For so long his life had been an empty husk. He’d accepted it, knowing no different, but he’d been going through the motions. Now, he was alive. Though he may not have had much of a past, the present was wonderful, and his future could be even better.

  He’d always wanted stability and control. To wake up in the morning knowing he would be sleeping in the same bed that night. He thought he’d get that stability by owning his own business. He was wrong. Being alone did not protect you from outside influences. With a family as large as Lila’s, there was always someone near. Someone who might actually care whether he lived or died.

  He had Tom and Dorothy White on his side already. Next was to get the approval of Lila’s family. As Lance and Simon’s niece, Lila was a member of the MacDougal Clan. She’d mentioned that Clan members, including Ross and Brody, needed permission from The MacDougal to marry, if they ever found a woman who’d put up with them. That meant Lila needed permission as well,
which was why Jet had to do this before officially asking her. He got along well with Lance, so it shouldn’t take long.

  As he drove up the lane he realized Josh Gibson must have called ahead, warning them he was coming, and why. He lifted his foot from the accelerator.

  Lance stood in the yard, wearing his kilt and boots. He rested a sword about three feet long over his right shoulder. The hilt, adding at least another twelve inches, shone in the sun as if made of silver. Jet swallowed, hard. He’d seen the ancient weapon hanging over the fireplace. The claymore was an ancestral sword, and had been used to kill many enemies. One of the cousins said the sheriff had done a test on it for blood residue. It had glowed blue.

  Ross and Brody stood behind Lance, to one side. Ross’s raven perched on his shoulder as usual. The men had their arms crossed, waiting. So did the Elliotts, Trey and Sam, on Lance’s other side. Jet didn’t know if they were there by chance, or if they’d been called in as witnesses. He hadn’t passed them on the road, but they could have ridden their horses, since the two ranches were across the valley from each other.

  Simon, waiting on the porch, was the only one showing any humor. It was almost a repeat of the first time he’d driven up.

  Jet glanced at the giant bird as he climbed out of the truck. He’d loved watching crows and ravens as a boy. There was something almost magical about them. Their calls had kept him company during some lonely times. None of the ones he’d seen were this big. The majestic bird tilted its head up, down, and sideways at him. The beady eyes were bright with intelligence. He ignored the man to concentrate on this amazing creature. Last time he was there, the bird had put all his attention on Houston. This time, it was his turn.

  “Aren’t you a beauty,” he murmured. He wasn’t sure why he was talking out loud, but it seemed right. As if it had been waiting for permission, the bird flew toward him.

  “Hold out your arm,” ordered Ross.

  The bird landed and sidled up his arm. A giant beak reached toward his right eye. It opened and a musical sound came out. A pleasant memory hit. One of his first foster homes had a baby. They had a chime ball that made the same sound as the raven. He’d spent hours playing with the little girl. The beak came closer. It made a soothing sound as it rooted behind his ear. A quick yank, and it stepped back, closer to his wrist.