Her Heart-Stealing Cowboys [Hellfire Ranch 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Jennifer August

  He tapped her butt as he passed. “Eavesdroppers rarely hear good things about themselves.”

  She padded behind him into the kitchen. Tag stood bare chested and shoeless next to the counter. He held a steaming mug of heavenly smelling coffee. Though it was nearly two in the morning Wade could use a jolt of stamina. He had a feeling he’d need it.

  “Want some?” Tag asked.

  “Yes,” Wade replied.

  “Absolutely,” Rebecca echoed.

  Wade looked between the two of them and twisted his Father’s Ring. He didn’t know what he’d expected but this sense of easy camaraderie was pretty damn good.

  Rebecca had also showered. Her blonde hair was a slightly darker shade but she’d put it up in a ponytail already. Wade sipped his black coffee and stared at her. His dick twitched beneath the towel.

  He felt the terrycloth start to slide and grabbed for it. He caught the material just in time.

  Tag laughed. “Go put some clothes on. I think we all need a little breather.” His green eyes caressed Rebecca, who pinkened beneath his regard. “And we need to talk, too.”

  Wade handed Rebecca his coffee cup then pressed a light kiss on her cheek. She smelled heavenly. “Mmm,” he murmured into her ear. “I love the way you smell.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Don’t do anything until I get back.”

  “Hurry up,” Rebecca said then winked. “We bluebloods are notorious for our impatience.”

  “Someone’s looking for another spanking.”

  The coffee cups trembled in her hands and she turned to set them on the counter. Wade laughed as he walked from the kitchen to the guest room. He stayed with Tag often enough to have left several changes of clothes. They liked to practice roping and play cards. When the liquor flowed as it sometimes did, Tag insisted he stay the night.

  Wade pulled on a pair of jeans and a soft knit shirt. He remained barefoot as he headed back to the kitchen. Rebecca’s soft laugh echoed down the hallway and pulled him along by the heartstrings.

  What a little puzzle she was turning out to be.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked as he rejoined them. He snagged his coffee from the counter.

  “Rebecca said she thought I was a surfer when she first saw me.”

  Wade laughed. “That’s rich. Did you tell her you hate swimming?”

  Tag glared. “Shut up.”

  Rebecca’s eyes widened. “You don’t like to swim? Why not?”

  He shrugged. “I just don’t like it.”

  “Bullshit,” Wade said congenially. “He got spooked by a monster movie when he and his sister were kids and refused to go into the water for years afterward.”

  “Aww.” Rebecca’s empathetic noise sounded genuine. “I understand that. I had—” Her beautiful mouth clamped tightly shut and she cleared her throat while looking away. “I can understand that,” she repeated.

  “You had what?” Wade asked.

  “Nothing.” She waved a hand and speared Tag with a near desperate stare. “You have a sister? Does she live around here?”

  Wade froze with his cup halfway to his mouth. His heart swelled then plummeted to his feet like the first huge drop on a roller coaster. Damn his big mouth anyway. He looked at Tag. His friend’s face was ashen and he had a white-knuckled grip on his mug.

  “Tag?” Rebecca called his name softly. She moved toward him and covered his hand with hers. “Are you all right?”

  “Yeah,” he rasped. “Fine. Why don’t we go into the living room?”

  Wade watched his oldest friend pull his mind away from the horror of his past and focus on the woman in front of him. Slowly his tanned skin regained its color.

  Wade cleared his throat. “Good idea.” He playfully poked Rebecca in the ribs. “I think it’s high time we find out what makes you tick. You have some explaining to do.”

  She looked from one to the other and he knew her sharp mind was trying to fit all the pieces together. He also knew without a lot more information from Tag she wouldn’t be able to do that.

  Tag didn’t talk about his past and for good reason. Wade was determined to protect his friend, too.

  Finally she nodded. “All right, but you guys have some coughing up of your own to do.”

  “Yeah?” Wade steered her to the couch where they’d just shared a wonderfully explosive bout of sex. He sat down and pulled her next to him. Tag settled his big frame on her other side.

  “What do we have to explain?” Tag asked.

  He sounded normal once more. Wade leaned back and offered an apologetic smile. Tag waved him off.

  Rebecca set her cup on the coffee table then leaned against the couch. “For one thing, you two seemed awfully easy to entice into a threesome.” She lifted a blonde brow. “Almost as if you’d done it before.”

  Tag shook his head. “Sorry to disappoint you, ma’am. We’ve never shared a woman.”

  Her mouth dropped open and Wade laughed. He held up his hand when she rounded on him. “It’s true. We’re best friends but this was a first for us.”

  He grinned at Tag. “Don’t know why we didn’t think of it sooner.”

  “Me, either.”

  Wade stretched his arm out then laid it on her slender shoulders. “I enjoyed it very much, though. Did you?”

  “I thought that was obvious.”

  “It sure as hell was from my end,” Tag said. “You were so wet and hot I thought I was going to combust.”

  Despite all they’d done, Wade thought she blushed a little bit. He cocked his head. “Rebecca?”

  She looked up at him. “Yes?”

  He fingered her shoulder. “Was this your first threesome?”

  Her color intensified and she squirmed between them. Her fingers dug at her jeans.

  Tag’s big hand covered her fists. “Hey, it’s okay. We’re not judging, just curious.” He stroked her cheek and Wade saw her relax a tiny bit. “We want to know what you like and don’t like so we can play there, too.”

  Rebecca nodded slowly. Her fingers unclenched and laced through Tag’s. “In college, I contemplated a lot of different things and a threesome was up there. I even made plans then chickened out and didn’t show up.” She tipped her head until it rested on the back of the couch. “It’s funny but as a kid and teen, I was the model of the perfect kid. But when I got to college and had my first real taste of freedom, I went a little crazy.” She bit her lip then laughed. “If you ask Boone he’ll say it was a lot crazy.”

  Tag stiffened. When Wade looked at his expression, he found his friend’s face tight and shock in his eyes. “Did you sleep with him?” Tag asked. Even his voice was constricted.

  She shook her head vehemently. “God, no. He wasn’t that kind of friend. I mean, he was but he wasn’t. Oh hell, I’m screwing this all up.” She waved her hands wildly then held her palms out and exhaled a long, controlled breath. “Okay. Back it up. I met Boone my third day at college. It was the first time I’d been anywhere alone in years. My father wasn’t there, no nannies or staff or bodyguards.”

  “Bodyguards?” Wade repeated. “Why did you have a bodyguard?”

  Her face turned as inscrutable as Boone’s often was. “My father was wealthy and a target.”

  “Did something happen to you?” Tag demanded. Pinched anger now covered his features.

  Wade was glad. At least he wasn’t focusing on any relationship she might have had with the FBI agent.

  She hesitated and the longer she waited to answer, the tenser Wade grew. He shared a concerned look with Tag. “Bex? Did something happen?”

  “When I was younger. It was a misunderstanding really. Nothing too serious but my father decided I should have a few life skills after that.”

  Her head was bent and she didn’t look at either of them.

  “Tell us,” Tag demanded.

  She raised her head. “It’s ancient history. Nothing to worry about now.”

  “Tell. Us.”

  Wade winc
ed at the flat command in Tag’s voice but his heart pounded in his chest like an out-of-control locomotive.

  “Fine,” she said in exasperation. “I was seven and in school. Public school. Father wanted me to have a normal upbringing.” She licked her lips and a tremor drifted through her.

  Wade picked up her hand and rubbed lightly. “It’s okay, Bex. We’re right here.”

  She nodded but he could tell by the look in her eyes she was far away. “It was a normal day. Perfectly fine. School had just let out. My teacher, Mrs. Wilson was in the room. I was putting my books in my bag and talking to Betsy Skillman. She was my best friend. Two boys, Roger and Jim, were in the room, too. The door burst opened and a man charged inside. Mrs. Wilson told him to leave.” She swallowed again.

  Tag picked up her cup and gave it to her. “Drink some. It’ll help.”

  Her smile was sweet but still distant. Wade lifted a brow but Tag shook his head as he rubbed her back.

  “Better?” Tag asked. He took the cup and put it back on the table.

  “Yes, thanks.” She rubbed her palms on her jeans. “He didn’t go. He was wild. Yelling. Betsy started to cry. Jim and Roger ran to the coat closet.”

  “What did you do?” Tag asked gently.

  She snorted. “I marched up to him and asked him if he needed help. Mrs. Wilson ran forward. I remember she’d just put her hands on my shoulders when he hit her in the face. She fell on the floor. He grabbed me by the arm and shook me. Asked me where her purse was. Told me to give him my money. I gave him my two dollars and said I didn’t know where her purse was.” Her expression was wistful. “I did, though. And he knew it. He slapped me and told me he’d keep doing that until I told him. So I did.”

  She said the last in such a tortured whisper that Wade’s heart twisted and broke for her. He hugged her in a tight-one armed grip.

  “It’s okay. You were just a baby.”

  She leaned her head to his throat and sighed deeply then pushed away.

  “He took her purse then headed for Betsy demanding her money. I knew she didn’t have any. Her family was poor. I started screaming then. I kicked him and ran away then started turning over desks so he couldn’t come any closer. I pulled Betsy to me and tried to get into the closet but the boys had it locked. The man was yelling as he came closer. I knew he was going to kill us.” Her tremors increased. “I shoved Betsy down and lifted my fists like I’d seen on TV. But then the janitor appeared in the doorway and started hollering. Pretty soon a couple of other teachers showed up and subdued him. The police came and took him away.” She stopped talking but not shaking.

  Wade kissed her temple and stroked her hair. Tag muttered under his breath and continued to caress her hand.

  Rebecca sighed and the tremors eased. “He was just a junkie looking to score some cash for a quick high.”

  “What the hell kind of security did that school have?” Tag demanded. “Sounds like shit.”

  She blinked then smiled. “Back then schools didn’t have to worry about keeping people out. We didn’t have metal detectors and security guards and drug-sniffing dogs. It was just a normal school.”

  “What did your dad do?” Wade asked.

  She rolled her eyes. “He enrolled me in self-safety classes and martial arts. He also had a special alarm created for me. It was a cross between a safety whistle, mace, and what is now a GPS locator. Back then, it was just a radio signal that was unique to the alarm.”

  Tag whistled. “That’s a smart man.”

  “Are you a black belt in any discipline?” Wade asked.

  She shrugged. “No, I got bored and quit after a couple of months. But by then I knew enough to get away safely if I had to. And I had the alarm.” She lifted one slim shoulder. “Actually, lots of people have it now. When he realized what a safety measure it could be for other kids and their parents, my dad had it mass produced and sold.”

  “Wait a minute,” Tag said. He leaned forward and stared at her. “Is your father Joseph Lyons, of LyonSafe Products?”

  She ducked her head. “Guilty,” she said softly.

  Tag whistled. “Damn. That’s impressive. Your father’s company has a huge reach in the world of personal alarm products. He’s done a lot of good things.”

  “Yes, he has. But after that day—” She hesitated. “After that day he tried to hold me a little too tightly. He wouldn’t let me grow up, you know what I mean?”

  “He smothered you?” Tag asked.

  “He was just looking out for your safety,” Wade said.

  She looked from one to the other. Another shadow lurked in her bottomless green eyes but Wade didn’t probe. “Okay, so back to your college meeting with Boone,” he said lightly. “Tell us about that. And crazy,” he said teasingly.

  Her grateful smile did funny things to his insides. Warmth and tenderness swelled within him and he wanted to scoop her up and hold her tightly to him.

  “I stayed holed up in my room most of the time during college. Boone was a year ahead of me and dating my roommate. He came to pick her up but she was gone.” Rebecca tugged on her ponytail. She had a wistful look on her face. “We were both at loose ends, so we went out for coffee. We laughed and talked and got to know each other better.”

  Tag shifted restlessly on the couch. Wade shot him a “settle-down” glare over her head. Tag rolled his eyes.

  “I heard about a party some of the frat guys were throwing and I wanted to go,” she continued. “Boone tried to put his foot down and forbid me.” She snorted and crossed her arms. “Idiot. He caved and declared I could go only if he went with me. We had a lot of fun. Lots of drinking and lots of crazy games like truth or dare and strip poker.” She smiled slyly up at Tag. “Boone is a horrible poker player but he never seemed to lose his underwear.”

  Tag frowned. “You sound disappointed.”

  She tipped her head to the side as though contemplating. “Nah,” she finally said. “By then we knew we’d never be more than friends. He was my best friend, actually. You should feel sorry for him.”

  “Why?” Wade asked.

  “I never had any close girlfriends and he became my surrogate. I poured out every angsty, emo teenage thought I had pent up and then some. I’d get drunk and start blabbing about my dad, my life, my nonexistent friends and then…the big one. My sex life. Or lack of it. I told Boone all of my fantasies and desires and what I wanted to do and have done to me.”

  She blushed again and surged forward to grab her cup. She rose and headed for the fireplace.

  “What did he do about it?” Wade asked.

  Her shrug was imperceptible and he wished she would turn around so he could see her expression.

  “Bex?” Tag said. “What did he do?”

  She finally faced them. “He guided me. At first he tried to talk me out of all of it. And he succeeded in some areas. I don’t have any tattoos.”

  Her gaze lingered on Wade’s chest and he could feel her warmth against him. He tamped his instant reaction.

  “Though after seeing yours, I’m reconsidering. It all boils down to one simple fact. Boone kept me safe. He knew me by then. Really knew me. Knew how stubborn and determined I was. If I wanted something then there was little to be done to talk me out of it.” She pushed back a strand of hair that had escaped her ponytail. “To be honest, I’m surprised I didn’t end up pregnant, diseased, or dead. Or all three. That I didn’t is solely thanks to Boone.”

  “You make him sound like a saint,” Tag muttered.

  She laughed. The low, throaty sound ricocheted through Wade’s body and centered on his rousing cock. He shifted on the couch.

  “He’s far from it. But he helped me explore my sexual nature safely. He vetted my dates, made certain they took good care of me, saw to it I had a curfew, and they knew all the rules.”

  “That’s all he did?” Tag demanded.

  She nodded. “Boone is no choirboy, as I’m sure you know. He introduced me to some of the more naughty things l
ike porn videos, peep booths, and BDSM.”

  Her inhalation lifted her perfect tits and Wade saw her nipples were hard and tight against her T-shirt.

  “Boone’s into S&M?” Tag choked out incredulously.

  Rebecca bit her bottom lip. “Look, I don’t pry into his life. I know what I know and I’ve trusted him for years. I still do. I always will. Once I admitted to being bondage curious, he took me to a couple of private gatherings and let me watch what the lifestyle was really about.”

  “Did you like it?” Wade asked.

  “Yes and no,” she said. “I enjoyed watching the various scenes. Most of it was what I’d already seen in movies and read about in books. Whippings, being bound, leather, etc. But some of it was way out of my league or interest level.”

  “Like what?” Wade asked.

  “Like knife play, branding, being shared.” She shook her head violently. “By shared, I mean this girl was passed around like a box of chocolates to anyone who wanted her. That was the last event I attended and I put my curiosity on hold. Then Boone graduated and I went back to a more normal way of life. That’s our story. Nothing romantic about it.” Her smile was wistful and a bit sad.

  “You still wanted a taste of that, didn’t you?” Wade asked.

  “I did, but I ignored it.”

  “Tell us some of the things that intrigued you the most,” Tag said.

  Another small hesitation and pink blush. Wade couldn’t tell if she was embarrassed or excited but he suspected it was a little of both.

  “I always thought I’d like some things such as being spanked and whipped. I’m curious about being bound and really letting go of control. Being forced to do something.” Her grin was self-deprecating. “As long as it’s within the play arena. If some man called me a bitch or slut in the courtroom, I’d have his ass in jail. But hold my wrists behind my back, fuck the hell out of me and call me whore, and I’m pretty sure I’ll come until I’m dry.”

  Wade groaned and cupped his erect cock. “Damn, you have a way with words.”

  She laughed. “Sorry. I’ve always been a bit blunt.”

  Tag rose and walked to her. He took the coffee mug away and set it on the mantle. Then he cupped her face and pressed a kiss on her lips. She swayed close to his body and grabbed at his shoulders.