by Rhea Regale
“Summer’s at your house watching the games,” Braden said. “I want to get the Christmas tree up for when she comes home.”
Carter propped his head on his fist, his elbow perched on the door. His jaw clenched, the shadows along his face shifting as he ground his teeth. The danger slithering beneath Carter’s skin, the potent poison he possessed when it came down to protecting what was rightfully his, lured Braden like prey into a predator’s claws. He always loved that edge about Carter, as long as it wasn’t directed at him.
“We’ve forgotten about decoratin’. Things have been pretty wild around here, especially the past week,” Braden continued, trying to diffuse the simmering explosive beside him. “Summer hasn’t been all thrilled with the holidays since you left. This is our chance to really make it a special year.”
Carter’s knuckles were pale compared to the rest of his skin. His fingers dug into his thigh, his teeth gritting, and his eyes darted around. Braden paused at an intersection and stole a lingering glance at Carter’s chest, noting the sharp rise and fall on each fast breath.
“Carter, you okay?” Braden asked. Carter jerked, his gaze snapping toward him.
“Braden, you’ve always driven like a pussy. If you don’t get this truck moving, I’m taking the wheel.”
Braden scowled then chuckled. “You ain’t in control, and it’s got your dick in a knot. Relax. Ain’t nothin’ out here but fields. Ain’t nothin’ gonna jump out at us.”
“That’s the problem.”
“What?”
Carter shifted, craning his neck and looking in the back seat. “Where’s that rifle you carried the other night?”
Braden’s brows pinched as he guided the truck on the back roads leading into Ryder. He held the pedal down, blowing along the streets, carefully keeping away from the patches of ice lining the road.
“Now what the hell would you want with that?” Braden asked.
Carter turned back around and rubbed his face. “I’m going to have to keep something on me.”
“Why?”
“For years I’ve had guns on me at all times. Even though I know there’s no threat, coming home has left me feeling…well…” Carter shook his head, waving away his comment. Braden cocked his head, keeping an eye on the road and an eye on the man beside him. He tapped the steering wheel with one finger. At last, Carter grunted, “Vulnerable.”
“You never needed a gun when it came to defendin’ yourself. Here, there ain’t no IEDs or enemies waitin’ with one of those rocket launchers.” Braden dropped a hand to Carter’s thigh and rubbed the taut muscle trapped beneath the rough jean. “You’re home with those who love you most. Ain’t nothin’ gonna threaten you now. If you really need your guns, Ry confiscated the gun safe after the murders. He’ll give’em back to you.”
Carter snorted. “Bricks through my windows is a threat in my book. That fucking bastard better pray hard I don’t find him.” He flicked the crumpled papers on the seat at his leg. “Unfortunately for him, I’ll be finding out sooner than later.”
“This ain’t war,” Braden said sternly. “This is some greedy prick tryin’ to get you for a few bucks.”
“Greed can be more dangerous than war, Bray.” Carter sat back in the seat and let out a streamline breath. “More comes with the Ryder name than just a town, status, and money.”
Braden scowled, bitterness creeping down his veins. “I’m not in this for any of that shit, Carter. I’m in this ‘cause I love you and Summer.” He pulled the truck into the drive and cut the engine. “We’ll deal with the bumps when they come. I ain’t gonna worry about them until that time. Now, let’s get this tree up and get over to Summer.”
By the time they made it up to the apartment, Braden’s cock was so damn hard from watching his lover work that he could barely walk. He dropped the box of decorations on the table, spun Carter around by the shoulder, and shoved him up against the wall. Carter’s eyes widened for a split second.
“You’ve got me so damn worked up, Carter,” Braden said on a heavy breath, tipping his head and coming up under Carter’s jaw. He wrapped Carter’s hand around his throbbing cock and grazed his lips along his chin. “Hard as rock. Every damn day this is what I suffer with. If it ain’t you, it’s Summer.”
Braden nipped Carter’s chin and rocked into his hips. He cupped Carter’s face in his hands, his heart racing, his muscles taut and sizzling. The Christmas tree and decorations would have to wait because right now, he wanted Carter more than he could stand.
“I know you’ve been wantin’ a night with Summer. Alone. I’ll give that to you for this time now,” Braden whispered. Carter’s eyes narrowed, his hands slipping beneath Braden’s flannel shirt and coming to rest on his waist.
“You don’t need to bargain for my time, Bray. I’ve willingly given myself to you.” Carter’s thumbs crept below Braden’s jeans and ran back and forth, brushing the tip of his wet cock with each sweep. “But I would greatly appreciate a night with Summer.”
“It’s yours, baby.” Braden pressed a teasing kiss to the corner of Carter’s mouth. “All yours.” He kissed the opposite corner then flicked out his tongue and traced Carter’s bottom lip. “But you’re mine here and now.”
“All yours.”
Braden claimed Carter’s mouth, possessing him with each hungry plunge of his tongue. He pushed the coat from Carter’s shoulder, down his arms until it fell to the floor. Carter ripped his sweatshirt off and cast it aside. Braden’s clothing suffered the same disregard, buttons popping on his shirt and tearing it off his hot skin, taking to his belt with a fierceness that glinted in his darkening eyes.
Braden caved as Carter’s muscle-packed body walked into him. One step. Two steps. Carter jerked Braden’s zipper down and scooped out his burning cock then opened his own jeans and shoved them down his hard legs. Braden suppressed a shiver of pleasure, watching Carter strip off his boots and his jeans, carnal desire pulsing off every steely inch of muscled male like heat off the sun. Braden hooked his thumbs on the waist of his jeans and tugged them south.
Carter growled, the deep masculine rumble reverberating through Braden’s bones, melting him down into a hot puddle. He yanked Braden’s hands away and flattened his rough palms against his pecs, giving him a strong shove. Braden gasped, bouncing back against the mattress.
“Stay,” Carter demanded, lifting one of Braden’s legs and working his boot off. Braden dropped his head on the mattress, his eyes lowering from Carter’s mask of mean starvation to the bulging cock standing erect, long and thick and nestled in short black hairs. A sheen of pre-cum glistened over his wide crown.
When Braden looked back up into Carter’s face, a mischievous grin had crept along his perfect lips. “Saw that.”
“Wasn’t tryin’ to hide it.” Braden pushed up onto his elbows as Carter finished removing his second boot. The man dropped onto his fists, one on either side of Braden’s waist.
“Still a wicked man, Bray.”
“Still the Devil in his glory, Carter.”
Carter snickered, the shorter strands of dark waves brushing over his forehead as he bowed his head. The chiseled cuts of muscle along his wide shoulders shifted and moved like bronzed water. The tattoo that decorated his arm and the upper portion of his pec and back bulged as his arms flexed.
“Sugar and spice, definitely not everything nice,” Carter said quietly. He hooked his finger on Braden’s jeans and gave a sharp tug, yanking the fabric to his knees. Carter worked the bothersome item free, and it dropped to the floor. Carter reached for the nightstand drawer, but the man caught his ankle and gave him a sharp tug. Braden rolled to his side, but Carter caught his shoulder and pinned him to the mattress.
“Don’t move, sweetheart,” Carter said. He opened the top drawer and pierced Braden with a wild look that snatched his breath. “Am I going to have to be slow fucking you tonight?” He straightened up, a bottle of lube and one condom in his hand, a dangerous smile on his face. “I might
have some fun with you.”
Braden reached between them and grabbed Carter’s dick. “Summer’s waitin’ for us.”
“We would never make her wait.”
Braden ran his ringed fingers up Carter’s cock. “Come here.”
Carter shook his head, popping open the container of lube and squeezing a dollop onto his fingertips. He lowered down between Braden’s spread knees and gave his cock a long, wet lick from base to tip. His lubed fingers traced the crease of his ass, his thumb circling his hole. He strummed his fingers over the puckered muscle.
Carter brushed his lips across Braden’s glistening cockhead. “How do you want me to take your ass, Bray?”
Two of his lubed fingers pushed into his anus, stretching and spreading, preparing him for Carter. Braden gasped, drawing his knees up to Carter’s shoulders, opening himself for the possessive invasion. The man’s wicked tongue laved his crown, his face darkening with lust. He slid a third finger into his ass, twisting and probing and building up the pleasure he craved.
“Thoroughly, baby. I want it all. Hold nothin’ back,” Braden rushed.
“Can you handle me?” Carter shifted back to his knees, fucking Braden with his fingers. “Put the condom on my cock and lube me.”
Braden tore into the square packet and rolled the condom down Carter’s cock with shaky hands. God, anticipation gripped him like a fierce vise. He squeezed lube over his dick, smoothing it over the latex sheath. Carter pulled his fingers from his ass and lowered himself over Braden. The air between them heated and thickened.
Carter brought his mouth to Braden’s and whispered, “Still like it rough,” and eased that long, thick cock straight into his asshole.
Braden groaned, sinking his fingers into Carter’s hair and taking his mouth in a kiss as full and demanding as Carter taking his body. Carter rocked, each thrust becoming more and more rough, more fierce. Each thrust hit Braden’s pleasure gland, cream seeping from the slit of his cock.
Carter rolled, bringing Braden over him. Braden rode Carter’s dick, taking what he wanted, how he wanted, fast and hard and unforgiving. Carter’s hands fisted around Braden’s cock and pumped him, mimicking the mindless pace Braden moved.
“Watching you take me is amazing,” Carter murmured, lifting his hips to meet each demanding smack of Braden’s ass against his hips. The delightful burn of hot, raw bliss coiled, slowly stretching up from his gland. His dick tingled, each individual sensation connecting with the nerve beside it, growing in strength and intensity.
“Havin’ you beneath me is turnin’ me way the fuck on, baby. Oh yeah,” Braden growled, bracing his hands on Carter’s pecs. He lashed those hard nipples with his thumbs, watching the deep hunger consume Carter. “I’m gonna come hard, with your prick playing my gland and your hands fuckin’ my cock.”
Carter’s grip on his cock tightened. Each stroke grew faster and faster. “Come.”
Braden swallowed down the groan as the burn melted into molten fuel spurting out from every stimulated nerve. “All over you, baby.”
His body stiffened, the pressure so high, rushing down through his ass, his sac, and erupting through his cock. He howled, heat and bliss splitting him apart with each fierce wave of orgasm. Carter grunted beneath him, impaling him with long, strong strokes, prolonging each wave of intense delight.
Braden’s arms shook. Carter arched, tipping his head back, releasing a low, gasping groan. His cock pulsed in his ass. His fingers twitched against Braden’s dick. Sucking in each labored breath, Braden milked Carter’s orgasm. He leaned down and nibbled his lover’s exposed neck, relishing in the quivers that ran through his arms and chest.
Carter settled back down, flushed and gasping. He lifted his head off the pillow and graced Braden’s mouth with a soft kiss.
“Man, you rode me like a wild one,” Carter teased, nipping Braden’s bottom lip. “You’re not as tight as I expected.”
Braden chuckled, climbing off Carter. “Summer’s not the only one who uses plugs. I have a few of my own for when I’m havin’ those reminiscent moments.” He winked. “My cum looks good on you.”
Carter flexed his neck and looked down at his stomach. He laughed. “Oh Bray, only you.” He accepted Braden’s hand and came to stand beside him. “Shower, tree, and then to my house. We’ve got a woman waiting for us.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“I’m stayin’ here. No reason for me to be snoopin’ around your man’s house,” Mandy said, tipping back her beer. Lexi shrugged, tucking her dark side bang behind her ear only to have half of it fall over her eye again.
“I don’t know, Carter. I’m not sure he’d like a stranger going through his things,” Lexi said. Summer pressed her lips together, glancing around the kitchen and dining room swarming with guests. It was getting late and no one seemed ready to leave. The rodeo played late into the night, and no one wanted to miss a moment of the games.
“You’ve been packed up tight with your two men since your weddin’,” Mandy said with a smirk. She winked as Lexi’s face grew a deep shade of red and she covered half her face with a hand. Summer raised a brow. Mandy nudged her ribs. “You ain’t foolin’ no one. We all know. It ain’t no secret. That’s why Brody, Craig, and I decided not to hide it.”
“You’ll get used to her. She’s not ashamed of anythin’,” Summer assured Lexi. Lexi laughed and fanned her face. Mandy waggled her brows.
“Nope. What’s there to be ashamed of?” Mandy asked.
“Well, on that note, I’m gonna steal upstairs. Carter and Braden should be here within the next half hour.”
Summer slipped from the crowd without drawing attention to herself, and hurried up the stairs. The past hour had been torture for her, the damn photos tucked in her pocket nagging at her mind while she tried to focus on the games. She needed to show them to Carter, but he and Braden got caught up, most likely in sheets somewhere. And I’m sitting here waiting for them while they’re having fun. Jealousy slinked through her gut, but she shoved it aside. She wasn’t jealous of their affair. She was jealous because she had an urgent matter to discuss and her libido was on fire.
Summer had been pondering over the photos Katie pulled off her windows all day. She and Katie had plenty of time to pick out each piece of the puzzle and try to fit them into some sensible picture. She didn’t care that by the end of the morning, Katie knew more about her relationship with Carter and Braden than the girl had any right to know, but she seemed unfazed and completely compelled by her history with Carter. Mandy was right. There was nothing to be ashamed of. So she loved two men. So those two men loved each other. Who cared?
“Someone who wants something from Carter,” Summer muttered under her breath, heading down the hallway to Carter’s parents’ bedroom. She paused with her hand on the doorknob, a tenuous feeling of guilt curling around her belly. She really didn’t have business going into his parents’ room. “To hell with it. Mr. Ryder, you killed your wife and tried to kill your son, you forfeit your privacy.”
Summer pushed open the door and gazed about the dark room. She felt the wall for a light switch, hit it, and two small lamps came to life. A moment later, one bulb blew, the soft pop making her jump.
“If you want to tell me who’s after Carter, then I’ll leave your room alone,” Summer said, then shook her head. “Christ, I’m talking to a dead man. Dead, gone, not coming back man.”
Summer stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. She went straight to the bathroom and flipped on the light, then the closet where she pulled the light string. After a long few seconds of holding her breath, the bulbs stayed lit and she looked around.
Where do I start?
The room appeared undisturbed since the night Carter’s parents died. The comforter on the bed had a thin film of dust. The furniture, on the other hand, was not as lucky to be spared five years of accumulated particles. Thin cobwebs clung to the corners of the walls and hung down the lamp shades.
“I s
hould’ve brought a mask,” she said on a sigh, moving toward the bed. It was the best place to start, since she hadn’t a clue what she was looking for. Something about the threats tugged at her conscience, pointing a stern finger at Mr. Ryder.
If she could only figure out the link.
Her fingers slipped in dust as she carefully folded each side of the comforter toward the middle of the bed. She started with the pillows, checking the cases, then moved under the mattress. She found two envelopes with cash hundreds, but nothing incriminating. Leaving the money, she grabbed the lamp off the nightstand and brought it down to the floor to get a good look under the bed. Nothing but dust bunnies and slippers.
Summer checked the nightstands next and came up with little more than scraps of paper, a bible, reading glasses, and miscellaneous items. She had little luck going through the dressers, the vanity, and under the cushions of the sitting chairs in the corner of the room. She didn’t have enough light to thoroughly check the fireplace, but nothing jumped out from the remnants of burnt wood and black ash coating the bricks. The containers on the mantle contained no evidence.
Summer huffed a breath, blowing her bangs from her eyes. She rubbed her itchy nose on the back of her sleeve, sneezed, and groaned.
“There’s gotta be somethin’ I’m missin’,” she grumbled, scanning the room closely. The only place she hadn’t looked was the closet, saving that for last. Closets were so obvious, and her hopes of finding anything quickly plummeted as she walked toward the double doors. “Here goes nothin’.”
Summer pushed back the doors and looked over the space. It was a small walk-in closet, the Ryders’ clothing still hanging, waiting to be worn. Feminine items were on her right, masculine to the left. She fingered through the hangers, and after a fruitless few minutes, gave up. There was nothing hiding in the closet, nothing in the shoe boxes, nothing in coat pockets.
Stepping back, heaviness weighing on her shoulders, she noticed a bump in the small area rug. Cautiously, she toed the lump, holding her breath and half expecting a mouse to shoot out from underneath. Instead, wood yawned, the low creak kicking her heart into high gear. She dropped to her knees and pulled back the rug.
