“Oh no, you don’t, Rex McDavid. You got yourself into this mess. Get yourself out of it. You and Luke owe that girl an apology. She loved you with all she had to give. You and your brother did her plumb dirty. Now it’s time to say you’re sorry. Ask her to find it in her heart to forgive you, and maybe then she’ll pull up a seat and break bread with you. If she’s willing, I’ll fix the best meal that kid has seen in a decade.”
“Let’s get one thing straight right now. Lucy Malone is not a child,” Rex said firmly.
“Maybe not to you,” Mrs. Carpenter snapped. “But she’ll always be a baby girl in my eyes. I still remember that precious little angel bouncing in here with the prettiest long, dark curls I’d ever laid my eyes on. She had these big dimples—still has ’em, I imagine—and the cutest button nose.”
Rex returned to the task of fixing the sink while Luke revisited lost days, the good times he recalled fondly and frequently. He could listen to Mrs. Carpenter go on for hours and hours about the girl who stole his soul before he realized he possessed one to borrow or own.
Rex and Luke shared a long and torrid history with Lucy, and it was a past they couldn’t leave behind. There was a reason for that.
Lucy ran away with their hearts—his and Rex’s—at a very young age. Maybe that’s why she finally came home. Perhaps she had every intention of giving them hers, too. She sure hadn’t come back for that farm across the hill or the mansion situated in the center of all that rolling acreage. Oh no, Luke knew Lucy better than she knew herself. If she’d returned to Tennessee there was only one reason, or more correctly, two.
She was there for Rex and Luke.
Mrs. Carpenter left the kitchen humming something along the lines of “Back Where You Belong.” Rex continued the tasks of an amateur plumber, tweaking one pipe and then another until the dripping water was somewhat contained. Rising to his feet, he turned on the faucet and washed his hands.
“Lucy may take a lot of pleasure in telling us to go to hell,” Rex said, wheeling around to face his brother. His worn expression would’ve been alarming if Luke didn’t understand exactly how he felt.
“Mrs. Carpenter won’t shut up until we extend that invitation and you know it.”
“I’m not worried about her. It’s Lucy I’m thinking about here. I can’t go back and make up for the pain we caused her. We hurt her. We damaged her in a way she said she’d never forget, and then she left. She didn’t say good-bye. She didn’t write, call, or e-mail. I’d like to think she came back here for me and you, but I reckon if that were the case, it wouldn’t have taken her half a decade to get around to it.”
“She came back because she inherited a thousand-acre ranch,” Luke reminded him. “If I know Lucy, she probably plans on turning the place into headquarters for her racing team. That’s what the old man planned to do.”
“Exactly.”
“Like hell. She had better reasons to come home.”
“We’d both like to think so.”
“She could’ve put that place up for sale. Her company is based in Texas. The only reason she moved here is because she plans to live out her grandfather’s dream.” A beat later, he added, “Lucky for you and me, the old man always wanted Lucy here with us.”
Rex frowned. “She may pursue her granddad’s goals for that racing team, but I doubt she cares to reunite just because Mr. Malone wanted her with us.”
“Then care to tell me why she’s back? She could’ve sent her people in here to handle everything for her. God knows she has the kind of fortune that allows her to do that sort of thing. There’s a pretty good chance she’s ready to let bygones be bygones. It would’ve been easier for her if she’d stayed in Texas. She’s here for us. Ain’t a question in my mind.”
“I hope so.”
“Do you wanna find out?”
“I reckon so,” Rex replied, reaching for a dishtowel and then drying his hands. “Might as well get this over with. Who knows, maybe Lucy is ready for a little Southern hospitality.”
Luke grinned. “I can think of several ways I’d like to celebrate her homecoming.”
Rex shook his head. “Don’t put the wagon before the tractor. She’s a Malone. They hold grudges. We’ll be lucky if she lets us in, let alone agrees to dinner.”
“I don’t know about you, but I was sort of hoping she’d suggest skipping supper and maybe offer a tempting dessert.”
“You really don’t remember how our last day with Lucy started and ended, do you?” Rex asked.
“Sure I do. There were a lot of tears—hers mostly, but we shed a couple, too. But that was then. I can’t change the past or apologize for acting like any other man might. Lucy should overlook our flaws. We were young fellas with hard dicks. Every inexperienced man is entitled to his share of mistakes. Surely to heaven, Lucy can forgive and forget.”
“There’s only one way to find out,” Rex said. “Let’s go ask her if she’d like to keep us company tonight.”
“Might as well. We’ll be able to tell right off the bat whether or not she’s glad to see us.”
Chapter Two
“The two of you have a lot of nerve showing up here. Did you ask Marilyn if it would be okay if you stopped by? Oh wait a second, my mistake. She’s the one who asks for permission when you guys role play, right? You’ll have to overlook me. I haven’t brushed up on S&M 101.” The door slammed so hard behind her, it should’ve fallen from the hinges.
Luke growled. The vocal expression coupled with his firmly set jaw and mess of blond hair made him look just as Lucy remembered him—carnal, sexy, and completely irresistible. “And here I thought I’d come over and find a mature young woman. I see some things never change.”
“Backatcha,” she remarked, only she was thinking in terms of appearances. Good God, these two aged better than Swiss.
“Nice to see you, too, Lucy,” Rex said, leaning over and kissing her cheek. His light blue eyes washed over her like a turbulent tide, working up and down, side to side.
The temptation to act like a child and wipe down the area his lips met was too great. She lifted her hand and started to swipe, but Luke pecked the other side and drew her into a hug before she had a chance to outwardly insult a McDavid sign of affection.
When Luke released her, he said, “You look great, hon.”
“I should,” she said, hoping they’d eat their hearts out. “I work after it.” She should’ve told them she had a lover who kept her in shape. Instead, she placed her hand in the curve of her waist and let them gawk. She hadn’t spent twelve hours a week in a gym for nothing.
“How ya been?” Rex asked.
“Great. You?” she replied flippantly, pretending she didn’t care.
“Better now,” Rex said, that faint whisper of need curtailing in his voice.
Her gaze met his, and she immediately saw the sincerity pouring from his eyes. Rex had always struck her as dangerously quiet, and his dark personality, coupled with stark sarcasm, often overpowered his other features.
As a teenager, Rex had been a scarecrow of a boy. Tall and skinny, his pale skin was dotted by freckles, and his henna red hair hung low over his eyes. Half the time he couldn’t see where he was going, and that was probably for the best. Mimicked by others, Rex’s appearance drew snide remarks back then, but the man before her stood confident and proud. Lucy understood why better than anyone.
Rex was the kind of man who never knew the definition of hurry. He took his time with conversation and loving a woman, something Lucy couldn’t easily forget. Those same girls who once poked fun at Rex McDavid eventually stood in line, hoping to win his favor.
That was part of the problem.
Lucy had been a loyal friend, a gentle lover when he needed someone to kiss away his bruises, and what had he done? He’d become a dominant partner in bed, the kind of man women passed around and then talked about later at the local beauty salons. She cringed at that, remembering how one older woman once told a shop full of women ho
w she’d gladly pay for his time.
“Mrs. Carpenter sent us over to see if you’re up for a home-cooked meal,” Luke said, slicing through the silence with an invitation guaranteed to make Lucy’s stomach rumble.
What Lucy would do for some of Mrs. Carpenter’s Southern-fried chicken and all the side dishes she typically served with hearty meals. “I still need to unpack, but tell Mrs. Carpenter I’ll stop by and have a cup of coffee soon.”
“You don’t want to let her down,” Rex said.
“Disappointments are plenty around here. I know that better than anyone.”
“Are you still harboring sour grapes?” Luke asked. “I never took you for a woman who sulked.”
“Sure you did, Luke. We talked about that. Lucy will go to her grave contemplating the best way to get even.”
“You think I’m still pouting.” It wasn’t a question. “Oh come on, guys. Surely you don’t think I’ve carried a torch for a couple of Tennessee cowboys after all this time?”
“Word is, you’ve brightened up the speedways and that’s about it. You haven’t had a man in your life since…well, from what I can tell since you left us way back when.”
Luke was such a smart-ass. He was a bad boy who never made good on much of anything outside of giving women pure hell. Spoiled to a fault with one inheritance after the next, like his brother Rex, Luke had never been short on cash or a supply of women eager to spend it.
Rex stuffed his hands in his front pockets. Her gaze fell to his belt. After a swift sweep across his lower region, her eyes met his. Clearing his throat, Rex said, “We’d be honored if you’d have dinner with us.”
“I’d be happy to join you. Thing is, I still have a vivid image of what transpired on your dining room table. Any chance you’ve replaced the furniture since then?”
Rex grunted.
Luke grinned. “What do you say we let the past stay where it belongs?”
“How’s Marilyn?” Lucy asked without missing a beat. “I haven’t seen her since the two of you had her sprawled across that pretty wood surface. I never asked back then. Did she have splinters in her ass after you were done with her?”
“There’s a fine line between pleasure and pain,” Luke told her. “If she had battle wounds, she never asked for a bandage.”
“Of course she wouldn’t. She had you there to kiss it and make it better,” Lucy said, trying to overcome a lot in a short period of time. Why were those same feelings of betrayal resurfacing? Why did she still remember the hurt she felt all those years ago? And why, after all this time, did she recall those events from that hot summer night and think of her own jealousy more than the pain of watching them with another woman?
Rex pursed his lips and refused to add to Luke’s snide reply. His eyes told a sorrowful tale. He regretted that day. He wore an expression of apologies he’d never speak.
Luke, on the other hand, was a cocky bastard. His nose twitched, and he rolled that thick tongue over his swollen bottom lip.
Taking one step toward her, he touched her cheek for a brief moment, withdrawing his hand before she had the pleasure of smacking him away. “It’s been a long time, Lucy. The only thing the distance provoked was an intense hunger I’ll never understand. Time made me hungrier, harder, and more determined to get what I want. You know something about lust and longing, too. Don’t ya, honey?”
Lucy’s mouth dried, and her pulse raced. Luke bracketed his arm around her waist, drawing her to him so quickly, her last breath left her body like a sudden sigh. Damn it to hell, she felt like such a vulnerable woman.
“Leave her alone,” Rex demanded, tapping Luke’s shoulder.
“She doesn’t want me to let her go this time. Do you, Lucy?”
Lucy found herself shaking her head. Oh God, what kind of spell was she under now? The McDavids always did this to her. She was truly helpless in their presence.
“Lucy wants me to hold her until she remembers,” Luke whispered. “Then, she wants me to rock her until she forgets the things that made her run away from here in the first place. Go on. Tell him, Lucy. That’s what you want, isn’t it, doll?”
“You’d better listen to your brother,” Lucy grated out, finding the strength to represent the scorned woman she’d once been.
“I’m more interested in what you have to say.”
“Really?” Lucy asked, forcing a tight smile. “Then bend an ear, friend. I’ve had a long time to think about what I should’ve said all those years ago, and I want to make sure you hang on every word.”
“Go ahead,” Luke drawled.
“Are you ready for this?” she asked, taunting him. “You think you’re man enough to handle what I have to say?”
“You know I am.”
“That’s debatable,” she said, tempted to draw her leg back and kick Mr. Luke McDavid where the sun refused to shine. Only she didn’t want to hurt him there. She was after a shot through his heart, not one to the groin, just in case she ever had the inclination to sex him up and ride him into the night.
Not that she would.
“I’m listening, honey,” Luke encouraged her again.
“I’m only saying this once,” Lucy began. “I didn’t come home for a quick romp with the good old boys who know how to do a woman dirty. I didn’t return for you or Rex. I damn sure didn’t come back to remember. I’m here because I inherited a nice chunk of change, a beautiful home, and some prime land. I’m staying because I have big plans for this place and quite frankly, wanted a fresh start, nothing more and nothing less, just a nice clean slate.”
“Starting over sounds good,” Luke said, arching a brow like he expected to hear more.
“So you approve?” she asked, not really caring either way.
Luke’s hot gaze dripped over her. “You know I do, darlin’. I always have.”
“Well then, what do you say we just go ahead and get to it then?” she asked, moistening her lips, implying a lot.
“I thought you’d never ask,” Luke replied, winking.
She grunted. This was bound to be a long first week so she might as well make a point.
Lucy rubbed her small frame against Luke’s much larger one, peering over his shoulder in order to look directly at Rex. “Now that we’ve groped and teased one another, why don’t you boys run on along and fetch Marilyn? She should be somewhere over at your place with her legs spread wide, a dildo in her pussy, a plug in her ass, and her small nipples clamped just the way you like them.
“At least that’s the way I remember her when I saw her last. I imagine things haven’t changed much. Sluts and whore-hoppers generally stick together, don’t they?”
“I hate to hear you talk about yourself like that. Best I remember, we used to spend a lot of time together,” Rex said, never copping a smile. “Come on, Luke. We should go. Mrs. Carpenter will want to know how many places to set for dinner.”
Luke released Lucy. He gave her one last head-to-toe appraisal with a downright wicked smile stamped upon perfect lips—full on the bottom and thin on top.
“I see some things never change. The two of you couldn’t wait to rush right over here and insult the hell out of me,” she accused, glaring at Rex as if he were the only McDavid to blame.
Rex tipped his cowboy hat and with smug satisfaction said, “You took care of that yourself. Besides, if birds of a feather flock together, I can’t wait to soar into forbidden territory.” A beat later he added, “Tell you what, Lucy, as soon as you get settled in, you let us know. We’ll stop by again tomorrow and see if you need anything. You watch for us, now, ya hear?”
* * * *
“What the hell were you trying to do—piss her off?” Luke asked, stomping into the house without wiping his feet on the welcome mat.
“If I’d wanted to do that, I would’ve told her to strip and bend,” Rex replied, walking to the refrigerator where he retrieved a soda can and popped the top.
“That’s great, Rex. I’m sure Lucy would’ve been happ
y to oblige.”
“When I heard Lucy inherited her granddad’s place, I made up my mind then. I won’t tiptoe around her this time. I’m not waiting to see how everything plays out. She already knows who and what we are. She’s old enough to know what she wants now. She acts like she’s repulsed by the idea of Domination and submission, but that’s all it is…an act.”
“We hurt Lucy’s ego and broke her heart.”
“Yes,” Rex agreed. “Now it’s time to kiss and make up. I’ve waited a long time to do that. I’m not taking things slow. I’ve missed her. I’ve needed her. And I damn sure plan on having her. I’d marry her tomorrow if she’d have me.”
“Well then by all means, let’s just go back over there, tie her up, and haul her off to the bedroom. After we get done tonight, maybe she’ll race us to the altar.”
“I think that’s a swell idea.”
“Perfect. Just perfect,” Luke muttered. “You really are a nut job when it comes to Lucy.”
“You’re the one who once said Lucy’s problem wasn’t that we banged another woman. Her issues with that incident revolved around the fact that we were with Marilyn in the very way she’d always envisioned us taking her.”
“Lucy is carrying around half a decade of anger, and that fury wasn’t fueled because we had sex with another woman. She had it in her blasted head that we were going to marry her as soon as she graduated from college. In her mind, we already belonged to her. She belonged to us. We betrayed her. She wanted a commitment.”
“Maybe she would’ve gotten one if she hadn’t taken off out of here like a bat out of hell,” Rex pointed out.
“She was a devastated young woman, you nitwit,” Mrs. Carpenter said, entering the kitchen. “She’s also a woman who will be seated at our dinner table this evening.”
“Ya think?” Luke asked.
Mrs. Carpenter rolled her eyes. “The two of you better act like gentlemen or so help me I’ll tan both your hides when she leaves.”
“Promise? You know I got a thing for older women.”
Acres, Natalie - Sex Drive [Country Roads 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 2
