by Marla Monroe
Next on his list of chores were the steps on the front porch. The top step was cracked and needed replacing. Then he would work on the railing. The entire house needed painting, but that would have to wait until spring when the weather was warmer and stayed that way.
He’d been putting the last nail in the step when he noticed the dirt trail of a vehicle coming up the road. Who in the hell could it be? He called out to Drew through the open front door.
“Company coming up the drive, Drew.”
“Coming.”
She walked out on the front porch and cursed.
“Who is it?” Marshall stepped in front of her.
“Brett Gunnison. He owns most of the land around my ranch.”
“What does he want?”
“Me to sell out to him.”
Marshall nodded to her and stepped aside when the truck pulled up, a nice, new-looking Dodge Ram. He parked next to their old truck and opened the door to get out.
Brett Gunnison had blond hair cut close to his head and wore a new-looking Stetson. He wore shiny snakeskin boots. His beady eyes missed nothing.
“Drew. Good to see you.”
“Brett. What do you want?”
“Is that any way to greet a neighbor?” he asked.
“Just spill it, Brett, what do you want?”
“Actually I came to warn you about a couple of drifters looking for jobs. Seems they’ve already made it here.”
“What about them?”
“I was going to warn you to steer clear of them. They’re dangerous.”
“Really?” She took a step closer to Marshall and slapped her hands on her hips. “Since when have you ever worried about me?”
“Drew, honey. I’ve always worried about you. That’s why I keep trying to get you to sell to me. It’s no place for a woman alone out here.”
“Well, I’m not alone. I have Kenny, and now I have a new foreman and Marshall here.”
“See, there’s where you’re wrong, Drew darling. You have two ex-cons working for you. Now that’s not safe.” Brett took a step forward, and Marshall stepped back in front of Drew.
“Let me get rid of these two men for you. I’ll call the sheriff out right now.”
“If anyone needs to be leaving, it would be you,” Marshall said.
“Drew, you can’t mean to keep these convicts out here with you. They’re dangerous men. They killed two boys,” Brett argued.
“I know all about their past. I can hire who I want, so you might as well leave,” Drew said.
“If you would just marry me...”
Marshall interrupted him.
“She said to leave.” Marshall took a step toward him, the hammer still in his hand.
Brett eyed it then hardened his expression. “I’ll be back, and your new hands better be gone, or the sheriff will get rid of them.”
“He can’t tell me who I can and can’t hire, either,” Drew pointed out.
Brett stomped over to his truck and climbed in. He backed out of the space and then slung gravel all over the yard as he peeled out of the drive.
“You okay?” Marshall asked as he shielded her from the stinging gravel.
“You got the worst of it. I’m fine. Thanks for not losing your temper. It doesn’t help with him,” Drew said, climbing back onto the porch.
“I’m not some hot-headed kid. I know when to keep my cool.” Marshall climbed the steps behind her.
“Thanks for fixing that step. It was going to get someone hurt. I just haven’t had the time to do half of what needs doing around here.” Drew brushed back a tendril of hair that had come loose from her ponytail.
“It’ll take some time, but we’ll get everything done. The house needs painting, but that will have to wait for spring.”
“Come on in and have a cup of coffee. I have cookies baked.”
“I thought I smelled something good when I was turning the horses out,” Marshall said.
He watched as she fixed the coffee. She favored her arm, but the bandage looked like it was dry and clean. It still amazed him that she’d been running this place with just Kenny for all those years. Most women would have sold out long before now. She said she wanted a home. That meant something to her. It meant a hell of a lot to him and Jeb. But what were her reasons? He knew his and Jeb’s. They hadn’t had a real home since they’d been in their early teens.
When the coffee was ready, she poured him a cup and handed it to him. Their fingers met on the cup, and he felt the electricity pop across their fingers. He knew she had felt it by her sudden intake of breath. He looked up and saw it in her eyes as well. She swallowed and pulled back, letting him take the coffee cup. Then she opened a plastic bowl filled with sugar cookies.
“You can have three, but that’s all,” she said with a mischievous smile.
“Will you slap my hand if I take more than three?” he asked.
“You never know.”
Marshall laughed and pulled out three cookies then reached in and took out one more. He handed it to her.
“Did you kiss them all?” he asked.
Her brows furrowed, a puzzled expression on her face.
“Isn’t that how you make sugar cookies, kiss them to give them sugar?” Marshall teased.
“You’re flirting with me, Marshall.” Drew shook her head with a shy smile.
“That was my intention.” Marshall took a step closer, pinning her back against the cabinet.
He leaned in and sat his coffee cup on the counter. He didn’t touch her with his hands. He just leaned in and looked down at her face. There was no fear in her eyes as he bent over and slowly closed the distance between them. His eyes searched hers for any sign she wanted him to stop. Finding none, he took her lips in a soft kiss. He licked along her lower lip then sucked on it. When she opened to him, he slid his tongue in along hers, teasing and tempting her to play. He slanted his head and took more control of the kiss when she didn’t balk or pull away. He pressed his body against hers, letting her feel his need.
Marshall’s cock was rock hard and straining in the confines of his jeans. He wanted her with a vengeance, but he wouldn’t take her without Jeb. He’d tease her and pleasure her if she’d let him, but he wouldn’t fuck her without Jeb there to help.
When he pulled back, they both stared into each other’s eyes, panting for breath. She looked at him with a question in her eyes. He smiled and nipped at her chin with his teeth.
“Let me take care of you, Drew. I’ll take real good care of you if you’ll let me.”
“It’s been a long time for me, Marshall,” she whispered.
“Too long,” he agreed.
When she didn’t protest, Marshall picked her up and carried her to the stairs and up them to the bedroom. He slowly removed her shirt then unhooked her bra and stared in wonder at her breasts. They were perfect. Her nipples were already pebbled and hard. He leaned in and licked one with a long, slow slide of his tongue. Drew whimpered.
“You smell like honeysuckle,” he whispered.
He circled the other nipple with his finger then pulled at it. When she arched her back with need, he knew it wouldn’t take much to send her over.
Marshall licked then sucked each nipple before kissing and nipping his way south. When he reached her jeans, he reasoned the boots had to come off first. Once those where dealt with, he unfastened her jeans and pulled them down her long, lean legs. Her thighs were strong from gripping a horse when she rode. Would they grip him the same way? He couldn’t wait to find out. She wore panties that matched the bra he’d removed. He inched them down her body and off her feet before kissing her belly just above her mound. When she whimpered, he smiled and blew across the curls at her apex.
“Please, please,” she begged.
“What do you want, Drew?” Marshall asked, just inches from her sweet pussy.
“I don’t know. I want you to touch me,” she pleaded.
He shouldered her legs farther apart and spread her
pussy lips with his fingers. She groaned. He swiped his tongue across her cunt and hummed his appreciation.
“You taste like fresh mountain rain,” he told her.
“Please, more.”
He grinned and set to licking her from her ass to her clit and back down again. He circled her clit with his tongue but avoided licking directly over it. He wanted to drag it out as long as he could. The longer she lasted, the greater the pleasure would be in the end.
Marshall teased her slit with one finger as he lapped at the honey sliding from her hot cunt. When he fucked her shallowly with his finger, Drew tried arching her back to gain a deeper penetration, but he backed off when she did. Whimpering, she thrashed her head back and forth. He pushed his finger in deeper and slowly began pumping it in and out of her tight cunt. She groaned.
When he added a second finger and began curling them inside her, looking for her hot spot, she cried out.
“Yes.”
“Do you like that, baby?” Marshall found the spot he was looking for and felt her shudder all over as he stroked it.
“Oh, God,” she whimpered.
He began licking her closer and closer to her clit until he felt her pussy muscles begin to quiver. He began to pump in earnest and latched on to her clit and rode her orgasm as she bucked and screamed.
Damn, he’d forgotten she was a screamer, he thought with a smile. Hopefully no one was close enough to hear her and worry.
He slowly eased from her and climbed up the bed to kiss her. She didn’t balk at the taste of her own juices on his lips. She kissed him back.
“Thank you,” she said in a breathy voice.
“My pleasure, ma’am.” He pulled her sheet over her and sat on the edge of the bed.
“You’re not going to fuck me now?” she asked, looking confused.
“Nope, I think I’ll save that for another time. You rest now. I’ve got more work to do outside. It won’t hurt you to take a nap.” He bent and kissed her again.
She yawned as if suggesting a nap had brought the yawn on.
“Maybe a short one.” She yawned again and closed her eyes.
He smiled and picked up her clothes. He laid them across the foot of the bed and eased from her room. Then he walked back down to the kitchen to pour out his coffee and get another cup. He finished it and the cookies then returned to the front porch to work on the railing. He felt a lot less stressed since he’d felt her come on his face. He could hardly wait to tell Jeb. For now, he had work to do.
* * * *
Jeb and Kenny rode back up at dusk. Both of them were worn out and dirty from head to foot. Jeb hadn’t worked this hard in a long time. Actual work was a lot different than lifting weights in prison. Marshall met them at the barn and took the two horses.
“I’ll see to them. You two need to go shower and get ready for dinner,” Marshall told them.
“Go on ahead, Kenny. I’ll be right behind you.”
Kenny nodded and walked over to the back door where they washroom was.
“Trouble?” Jeb asked.
“Yeah, you too?” Marshall asked.
“Yep. Someone had cut some fence lines and run the cattle until they’d separated. We got them all back together and repaired the fence, but it’s going to take going out there every day to keep it under control, I think. Kenny said he’d been repairing fences nonstop for the last two or three weeks.”
“That Brett Gunnison showed up to warn her about us. Then when he realized we were already here, he threatened to bring the sheriff out to run us off. She stood her ground and told him to leave. He’s obviously after her land. Wanted her to marry him then wanted her to sell to him.”
“We’re going to have to watch the house and barn real close from now on. My money is on him being behind all the problems she’s had.”
“I’ll add my two dollars to that bet, as well,” Marshall said.
“What else? I can see it in your eyes,” Jeb said. He had an idea already from the grin on his friend’s face.
“She let me taste that sweet pussy of hers. She’s hurting for pleasing, Jeb. But she’s a screamer.”
“I think Kenny understands we’re going to be seeing to her needs. He’s okay with it. I honestly think he was more concerned about his partner than he was for Drew. He thinks she can take care of herself.”
“Fuck,” Marshall said, frowning.
Jeb knew he was thinking about their relationship back in prison.
“So you think she’s going to be receptive to both of us?” Jeb asked, hoping to pull Marshall’s thoughts back from where they’d gone.
“I think so. She wanted me to fuck her. I told her we’d take care of that later. She didn’t say anything.”
“Okay, I’m going to go on and take a shower. I’ll see you inside.” Jeb walked toward the house, leaving Marshall to care for the horses.
The minute he stepped inside, he could smell her. Honeysuckle. He’d never be able to forget that scent for as long as he lived. He cleaned off his boots at the back door, with the wire brush nailed to the porch. Then he walked inside and heard Drew talking to someone.
She must be on the phone. He walked into the kitchen to the scent of a home-cooked meal. It made his mouth water.
Sure enough, when he walked through to the living room to go upstairs, she was on the phone arguing with someone. He hesitated at the stairs, hating to eavesdrop. He didn’t want anything to upset her. He remained at the foot of the staircase.
“Sheriff, I’m telling you, I know what I’m doing, and that’s the end of it. They told me the truth from the start, and I need the help. If the townsfolk are so damn worried about me, then they can come out here and help me with my ranch. Otherwise, they need to butt out of my business.”
There was silence as she listened to whatever he said.
“I’ll tell them. Thank you for your concern, but I’m fine, sheriff. Goodnight.”
She hung up the phone and sighed. He decided to make his presence known and find out what that was all about.
“Bad news?” he asked as he walked into the living room behind her.
“That was the sheriff. Brett called and told him you and Marshall were out here on my land.”
“I take it he doesn’t approve.”
“No. I’m a woman alone, and I don’t need to be trusting a couple of ex-cons.”
“If we’re going to be more trouble than we’re worth…” he started to say they’d leave, but she interrupted him.
“No, you’re not leaving. I need you here. I trust you, and I believe you did what had to be done about those boys. You’ve paid your debt as far as I’m concerned, if you even owed it.” She ran her hand over her face. “He said he’ll make it so that you can report to him once a week until the snow comes, then I’m to report to him by phone once it gets too hard to get anywhere in the snow.
“Do you trust him? He won’t lie and say we aren’t checking in?”
“No, you can trust him. He’s helped me out when I’ve had trouble. He doesn’t like Brett, so he’s a good man in my books.” Drew sighed.
“I’m going to take a shower and clean up. I’ll be down in a little while.”
“Dinner will be on the table in thirty minutes,” she said.
“I’ll be down in twenty,” he said and smiled before collecting a quick kiss from her.
He turned and took the stairs two at a time. Marshall had been right. She was in need of some good loving. He and Marshall could give her that in spades. For how long depended on her. If she’d let them stay, they might eventually be able to buy some property of their own and start their own ranch. It all depended on her.
The new development with the sheriff would definitely make things easier on them. By reporting to the sheriff in town instead of having to drive to Billings every week, they wouldn’t be leaving her without protection for an entire day. If Brett was behind all the problems, he’d figure out their schedule and use it. He’d talk to the sheriff and see
if he would be willing to let them each come on different days so she would have at least one other man there every day besides just Kenny.
The idea of leaving her alone rankled with him now that he knew her. Now that Marshall had had a taste of her, she was theirs to protect. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her if he was alive and able to protect her. Marshall would give his life for her just as quickly.
With that thought, Jeb stripped and stepped into the shower. He needed to wash the dirt and sweat from his body in case he could use that body to bring her more pleasure tonight.
Chapter Five
Drew finished washing the dishes and leaned against the sink, thinking. Kenny and Jeb had told her about the cut fences and the divided herd. She wanted to think everything was just coincidence, but it had been happening too regularly. Someone was out to drive her out of business. The only person she knew who had anything to gain by that was Brett. She knew he wanted the land awfully badly, but surely, sabotage was beneath him. Besides, why not try and enlarge his land on one of the other sides. Why hers?
She dried her hands and laid the dishcloth over the pots she had in the dish drainer. She scooped soap into the dishwasher and turned it on. She needed to watch the weather, and then she was going to bed. It had been a long day. She smiled. Well, it had been broken up nicely, but still…
She walked into the living room to find the only place left to sit was between Jeb and Marshall on the couch. She sank down onto the couch, glad to be off her feet.
“Weather is just about to come on,” Kenny told her from his seat in the rocking chair.
Jeb stretched out his arm along the back of the couch and rested his hand at the nape of her neck. He didn’t do anything at first, but once the weather came on, he began a soft kneading there that relaxed her.
“Looks like we have about two more days of decent weather before we get our first snow coming through,” Kenny said.
