by Becca Van
Kylie wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled him with her nose as he carried her to the bathroom. He slowly lowered her to her feet and she gasped as her body slid over his. She couldn’t help but notice he had a hard-on. Will pulled the shower door open and turned the water on, and Kylie decided to play a little. She reached out and gripped his cock, pumping her hand up and down the length a few times.
He turned his heated gaze to her. “You’re playing with fire, little girl.”
“Oh yeah? Well, maybe I wanna get burned.”
Will spun around and grasped her waist and carried her into the shower. She giggled, feeling lighthearted for the first time in weeks, and then spluttered as he’d placed her under the water flow and she ended up with a mouthful of water.
“Shit, sorry, Kylie. Are you okay?”
Once she finished coughing she turned to him and smiled and watched as his frown changed to a cheeky grin. “I love it when you laugh, sweetheart. You should do it more often.”
“I guess I haven’t had much to laugh over lately.”
“No, I suppose not, but if we have our way, you’ll be laughing all the time.”
Kylie fell a little more in love with him then and there. She wanted to tell him how she felt, but until the asshole stalking her was caught, she was going to keep her feelings close to her chest. It may have been a convoluted way to think, but if she didn’t tell Will and his brothers that she was falling in love with them, then, if something happened to her, hopefully they wouldn’t be hurt.
Will grabbed the bottle of shampoo and poured some into his hand and began to wash her hair. After she rinsed the suds out, he massaged in some conditioner and then washed her body with shower gel. By the time she was clean and the conditioner had been rinsed off, she was hot with need. He quickly washed himself and then let the water wash the soap bubbles away but kept his eyes on her as she shifted from foot to foot, restless with desire.
“Lean back against the tile, Kylie.” Will gave her a hungry look. When she’d done as he told her, Will knelt down and tapped her thighs. “Spread those legs for me, honey.”
Kylie parted her legs and then watched with hungry fascination as he hunched down and licked her pussy. She cried out when he slid his tongue through her petals and sucked her clit into his mouth. The tip of a finger pushed into her cunt and then he scraped his teeth over her clit. The orgasm hit her hard and fast. Her breath caught in her throat on a soundless cry as rapture swept over her. Will wrapped an arm around her hips when her legs threatened to give out and used his free hand to caress her soothingly as she came back down. When she was once more steady on her feet, he stood up, gave her another quick rinse, and turned the water off.
“What about you?” she asked.
“I’m fine, sweet thang. I love to see you come apart for me. Come on, let’s finish up and get some breakfast. I’m starving.”
She fell even harder for him because he had just proven to her that he wasn’t in this relationship just for sexual gratification. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she held them back.
Lachlan and Xavier were just placing the food on the table when she and Will entered the kitchen. The smell of bacon, eggs, and toast made her stomach growl. “Sit down, baby. I’ll just get your coffee.” Xavier brought her coffee over and they were quiet as they ate their breakfast.
Kylie helped clean up the mess and after brushing her teeth was ready to go. Lachlan helped her into the backseat of the truck and then got in with her. Will and Xavier were in the front.
“Where are we going?”
Xavier glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “We’ve been looking for a ranch to buy and may have found the perfect place, but I would like your opinion on the house. A female can see things that men can’t. We’d really appreciate your judgment on whether you think the place is worthwhile.”
“Okay, I’d love to help.” She smiled. “Thanks for trusting me.”
* * * *
Xavier couldn’t get over the change in Kylie since he and his brothers had made love with her last night. She looked so much lighter and happier, as if the weight of the world had lifted off of her shoulders. If he had his way, she would look like that from now on. Although he really did want her view on the house it wasn’t because he needed any help. He wanted her to like it as much as he and his brothers did. He, Lach, and Will had already seen the place once before. It had everything needed for a viable ranch with all the outbuildings and fencing. The house was big and in good repair. It was long, two stories, plenty big enough for a wife, three husbands and a family. All it needed was a coat of paint inside and out and for the kitchen to be updated. And since they wanted Kylie in their lives forever, her viewpoint on the house mattered.
The ranch was on the outskirts of Slick Rock, and fifteen minutes later he was pulling into the driveway. He drove slowly so that Kylie could look around at everything. He stopped in front of the long two-story ranch house and turned off the ignition.
“Oh my, it’s beautiful,” she whispered as she got out of the truck.
Xavier got out and clasped her hand and led her up the steps of the wrap-around porch and to the front door. He withdrew the key and pushed the door open.
The hardwood floors gleamed in the sunlight streaming through the windows, and he pulled Kylie further into the house. There was a short hallway that opened up into a large living room that could hold two sofa settings.
Xavier didn’t say anything, just watched as expressions flit across her face as she explored. He glanced back at his brothers, who were following close behind and saw they were watching Kylie just as avidly as he. There were six bedrooms. The master bedroom was huge and so was the en suite. There were two other bathrooms and a study downstairs.
“The house is amazing. All it needs is an updated kitchen and some paint.”
“That’s what I thought, too. I’m glad we’re on the same page.” Xavier guided her toward the front door. “Do you want to see the barn and look around outside?”
“Yes,” Kylie answered, and he felt hopeful when he heard the excitement in her voice.
After spending three hours exploring, Xavier went and locked up and they all got back into the truck and headed toward town. It was close to lunchtime and he was hungry. He decided that eating at the diner was a good idea.
“What did you think, sugar?” Lachlan asked.
“I think it’s perfect. Everything has been maintained and there isn’t much work needed to get the house up to scratch. If I were you, I would put an offer in.”
“That’s what we thought. I’ll call the estate agent this afternoon. Now let’s go get some lunch.”
After having lunch at the diner, Xavier drove them back to his cousins’ house. As he parked the car, he glanced toward Kylie’s car and saw that it had two flat tires. His gut started churning and he had the sensation of being watched. Pulling the house keys from his pocket, he then lobbed them to Lachlan. “Get her inside quick.”
He got out of the truck and searched the area, but he couldn’t see anyone. Lachlan and Will must have picked up on his anxiety, and when they got her out of the truck, they surrounded her. Will stood at her back and Lach in front of her. He waited until they had her in the house before heading to her car. When Xavier crouched down to examine her flat tires, he saw that they had been slashed. He skirted the small vehicle and cursed when he saw the other two tires were also ruined. Pulling his cell phone out of his pocket, he called the Sheriff and explained what he had found.
“Okay, I’ll be there soon,” Luke said.
Just as he disconnected the call, Will came out. He also glanced around before approaching him.
“Fuck!” Will walked around Kylie’s car, looking at the tires. “Do you think he knows where she is?”
“That would be my guess.”
“How the hell would he have found her?” Will asked.
Xavier frowned as he thought over that question, and then his bodyguard tr
aining kicked in. “Help me search the car.”
He and Will went over every inch of the vehicle. He was lying on his back in the gravel and just as he was about to give up having not found anything, he caught sight of a small metal circle attached to the inside of the wheel rim. Xavier tried to pull the bug off the steel, but it was so small and his fingers were so big it was impossible. “Have you got your knife on you?”
“Yeah, here.” Will passed him the blade hilt-first and Xavier pushed the tip beneath the small metal disk. It popped off and into his hand. He wriggled out from beneath her car and stood up, opening his palm and showing Will what he’d found.
“Fucking asshole.” Will began to pace. “It had to have been him that tried to burn Kylie in the tent.”
“We can’t let her out of our sight.” Xavier once more searched the yard and beyond. If someone had been there, they were long gone now.
“You know she’s gonna demand to know what’s going on.”
“Yeah, I know, and we are going to tell her. She can’t keep herself safe if she isn’t aware of what’s happening.”
The sound of tires crunching on the gravel drive drew his attention and he looked up, ready to pounce. The tension seeped away when he saw it was the sheriff.
Luke got out of his car and approached them.
“Thanks for coming out so fast, Luke.” Xavier shook his hand in greeting and then handed over the tracker. Luke bagged the small disk and then studied the car.
“I’ll get Sheriff Damon Osborn out here to fingerprint the car. I don’t expect to find anything, but you never know. How is Kylie?”
“Kylie’s fine, thanks for asking.”
Kylie hurried over to them and gasped when she saw her car. “That fucking asshole wrecked my tires.”
Xavier grabbed her around the waist and hauled her up against his body. “You shouldn’t be out here, baby. We don’t even know if the guy is still around. For all we know, he could have you in the sights of a rifle.”
She shivered and he hugged her tighter, offering her comfort.
“Kylie, where are you?” Lachlan yelled as he bolted from the house, sounding frantic.
“She’s out here,” Xavier answered.
Lachlan stormed across the yard until he was standing in front of their woman. “The next time you go haring off tell me where you’re going first. You scared the crap out of me.”
Luke’s grunt drew their attention, but he was looking at Kylie. “If you were my woman, I would spank your ass until it was red.”
“What?” Kylie yelled in outrage. “Don’t you dare try to tell me you spank Felicity, because there is no way in hell she would let you do that to her.”
A smile spread across Luke’s face and he replied. “Darlin’, my wife takes great delight in goading me, Tom, and Billy into doing just that. The right sort of spanking adds spice in the bedroom.”
Xavier nearly laughed when Kylie’s cheeks turned pink with embarrassment. He wondered if she was imagining what it would be like to be laid over his lap so he could spank her sexy little bottom. From the way her chest rose and fell and her nipples peaked, she liked the idea.
Luke walked away to call Damon. Xavier spun Kylie around and cupped her cheek. “We’ll get to your spanking later, baby, but right now I would feel better if you went back inside.”
“Okay.” She ran her hand down his chest before moving toward the house.
Lachlan’s voice drifted toward him on the breeze. “I can’t wait to lay my hands on that sexy little ass. We already know you like to get your ass smacked, don’t we, sugar.”
“Shut up, Lach,” Kylie snapped.
Lachlan just grabbed her hand and pulled her inside, laughing all the while.
Damon arrived with the fingerprint kit and to their frustration there were no fingerprints to be found other than Kylie’s. The men could tell by the size of the prints they were hers. They were small and feminine, but just to be on the safe side Damon took Kylie’s prints, too.
Luke and Damon headed toward the front door to take their leave, but Luke looked back at him over his shoulder. “I’ll get my deputies to do a regular drive-by, but until this asshole makes his next move, we don’t know who we’re looking for, and that makes our job so much harder. Just stay vigilant.”
Xavier closed the door after waving good-bye to the sheriffs and then went in search of Kylie. He found her sitting in the kitchen with Will and Lachlan, drinking coffee. She was frowning at her mug.
“What’s wrong, Kylie?”
“I’m sick and tired of being scared.” She looked up at him and then to each of his brothers. “I want this bastard caught so that I can get on with my life. I don’t want to have to spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder.”
“I can understand that, baby, but we don’t want anything to happen to you. You mean the world to us, Kylie. It would kill me if this asshole got to you.” Xavier reached for her hand and then drew a deep breath and released it again. He wasn’t sure that now was the right time, but she needed to know how much he cared for her. “I love you, Kylie, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Will slid off his chair and onto the floor at Kylie’s feet. “I love you, too, sweet thang. I need you in my life.”
Lachlan clasped her free hand in his. “I love you, too, sugar, so much. We want you to move into our ranch house with us.”
“I–I…I care about you three, too.” She sighed. “I just…”
“You don’t have to say anything, baby. We just wanted you to know how we feel about you.” Xavier squeezed her hand. Will stood up and then sat back on his chair.
Kylie frowned at him, looking unhappy, but Xavier could see the love she had for them in her eyes. She just wasn’t ready to tell them how she felt yet. He and his brothers would bide their time because Xavier knew once she realized how she felt there would be no stopping her. They’d already seen how passionate and loving she was, and if they were patient, they would reap the rewards when she was ready to declare her feelings.
Although she was timid sometimes, beneath that fear was a tigress just waiting to emerge and he was going to be by her side when she unleashed the real Kylie Mailing.
* * * *
It had been so easy to plant a tracker on the trucks. He’d followed them to the ranch but made sure to keep a long way back so he wouldn’t draw attention to himself. Once again his patience and diligence had paid off. He was currently in his motel room, sipping a beer while staring at the TV, but the show on the screen couldn’t hold his attention. He’d had to wait until they entered the diner for lunch before he could get close to the black truck. It would have been too risky to do it at the ranch with no other people around. He’d parked his rental car two blocks down and then walked along the street, looking around like a tourist.
When he’d been near the truck, he’d stumbled and gone down on his knees. While he was down, he had carefully applied superglue to the back of the tracker and then had placed his hand on the wheel rim and made it look like he was using the vehicle to gain his feet. Just as he stood, a deep voice had spoken from behind and it had taken all his effort not to have shown the anger he felt.
“Are you all right, sir? Are you hurt?”
He’d turned around to face one of the sheriffs. “I’m fine, thank you. Just took a little tumble is all.”
“I haven’t seen you around here before. Are you new in town?”
“No, sir, just passing through on my way to Denver to visit the folks. Your little town is very picturesque and I thought to take a look-see while stretching my legs.”
“Where are you from?”
“Blanding, Utah.”
“Well, you enjoy your walk and drive careful.”
“Yes, sir, I will. You have a nice day now.” He hurried back to his car and headed for the house, keeping an eye out for the hick sheriff. Again he’d parked his car out of sight and kept within the trees lining the road, in case someone came alon
g, but no one had. He’d placed trackers on the other two trucks and then left a message for the bitch by slashing all four of her tires. Time was running out for her. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation.
Chapter Eleven
Kylie watched Xavier pace as he waited for his call. He had put in an offer through the estate agent to the owner of the ranch three days ago and was just waiting for confirmation. The agent had told him the vendor was keen to sell, since he had moved states to be closer to his son and daughter and their families. Kylie was excited on her men’s behalf because they wanted that ranch so badly and couldn’t wait to set up their own cattle breeding operation.
As she watched Xavier’s restlessness, she finally admitted to herself that she was deeply in love with the Badon brothers and wanted to spend the rest of her life with them. Being with them had given her courage she’d never thought to see in herself. She no longer panicked when she was in a crowd and hadn’t had a panic attack since the dinner at the Slick Rock hotel. And the more she thought about her situation with the fucker stalking her, the angrier she got. There was no way in hell she was going to live in fear for the rest of her life.
Just as she opened her mouth, Xavier’s cell phone rang.
“Hello.”
Kylie watched as a slow smile spread across Xavier’s face and she knew his offer had been accepted. Will and Lachlan came rushing into the room but stayed quiet while Xavier spoke.
“Yes, ma’am, thank you so much. I’ll be in this afternoon with a deposit check to sign all the paperwork. Two is perfect. Thank you, Ms. Jones, I’ll see you then.”
“We got the ranch house?” Will asked and Kylie was sure the question was rhetorical since the answer was already obvious, but she wasn’t about to dampen his excitement.
“We got it,” Xavier replied. He rushed over to her, scooped her off the lounge, and spun her around.
“Wow, I’m so happy for you all,” Kylie said.
Will and Lach surrounded her when Xavier stopped spinning her, and she ended up sandwiched between three men, right where she wanted to be.
