by Marla Monroe
Chapter Two
Shelby pulled into the parking spot reserved from one of the ranch trucks and cut the engine. She was exhausted. Since she’d needed to go to the post office and pick up some office supplies, it had fallen to her to pick up a few groceries for Billy Jean as well while she was out. She didn’t mind, but she really would love it if someone strolled by and offered to help take everything in.
To her complete surprise, Bo walked up just as she was climbing out of the truck. He stopped and nodded at her.
“Evening, Shelby. Billy Jean said to watch for you and help unload the groceries,” he said as way of a greeting.
“Thanks Bo. I saw Dalton’s truck heading toward town as I was turning off the highway. Figured both of you were off tonight to shake the dust off and grab a drink.” She hadn’t been around the two wranglers much other than meal times.
Bo didn’t talk much where his friend Dalton made up for it. Both were Native American Indians, but she was pretty sure that where Bo was nearly all Blackfoot that Dalton had something else besides Blackfoot in him. They were both good-looking men. Bo’s deep rich black hair had always been in a braid anytime she’d seen him, but Dalton often had his loose and the blue black strands shined in the sun. They both had hair about to their waist, but with Bo’s braided like it was, it only hung mid back.
Bo grunted a non-answer and opened the back door of the truck to unload it. She couldn’t help but admire his muscular body and the way it resembled a swimmer’s with his narrow waist and the rounded ass that was even now making an impression on her as Bo leaned over the seat to grab the sack of potatoes. It took all of her self-restraint not to reach out and cop a feel just to see if it was as muscular as the rest of his body.
No amount of self-restraint could stop her pussy from growing wet at the thought of wrapping her legs around his narrow waist. She did resist the urge to fan herself though. While she knew nothing would ever come of her instant lust for both Bo and Dalton, it didn’t stop her body from preparing the way just in case.
As he pulled the bag of potatoes out of the floorboard, it dislodged another bag that had some office supplies in it. She reached for it to keep it from turning over and spilling onto the ground right when he shifted to catch it as well. They ended up chest to face as in her chest to his face. Shelby could feel the heat race up her neck into her cheeks. Bo’s mouth was pressed quite intimately against the V of her V-neck tank she was wearing.
“Sorry.”
She quickly stepped back, embarrassment burning sour in her stomach that he had to have smelled her sweat from the drive home. The truck had air conditioning, but she spent so much time holed up in the office she liked riding with the windows down when she got out. Now she cursed herself for needing the fresh air.
He just grunted and bent down at her feet to rescue a box of envelopes that had slipped free of the office supply bag. As he slowly rose to his feet, she could have sworn he’d hesitated right as he passed her crotch.
Holy hell! Can he smell me there, too?
Now she knew her face had to be a million shades redder than the sun. Her panties were soaked in her arousal. She never should have allowed her thoughts to drift while she watched him. God only knew what he thought of her now.
She quickly reached out and snatched the box of envelopes from him then grabbed the bag of office supplies. She’d leave him the groceries to deal with. She could escape to the office and die of humiliation in peace.
“Thanks, Bo. I’m going to head on to the office with this.”
He grunted again, but didn’t immediately return to unloading the groceries. She felt his eyes on her back the entire trip to the front door. She breathed a sigh of relief when she finally reached her office and could close the door and lean against it. Her hours had officially been over with nearly an hour ago, but she would hang around and unpack the supplies before dinner time. Then she would be meeting with Billy Jean to talk about setting up books for her restaurant.
Once she’d calmed her wild breathing and erratic pulse, Shelby quickly put away the supplies. Then she eased into the chair behind her desk and relaxed. She hated going to town since it gave her more exposure. That she didn’t need since she was essentially on the run. Still, she couldn’t very well stay hidden out on the ranch without leaving now and then. It would lead to questions she didn’t need asked. Being back safe and sound relaxed some of the tension that had gripped her the entire time she’d been gone.
She’d just about managed to pull off a slight doze when there was a sharp knock on the door. It threw her for a loop and she jerked up, nearly sliding out of the chair in the process. She did manage to propel the chair backward so that it banged into the book case behind her with a loud whop.
The door slammed open and Bo raced inside, dropping the bag he’d been carrying as he entered.
“Are you okay? What happened?” he demanded, a thundercloud hovering over his face.
“I—I’m fine. You startled me when you knocked and I slid the chair back into the bookcase.” She noticed the bag at his feet and realized it was hers. She’d stopped in at the local pharmacy for a few things and had forgotten it in her haste to get away from him earlier.
He followed her eyes to the bag and bent to pick up the items that had fallen out when he’d dropped it. When he stood up, he held the bag in one hand and a bottle of lube in the other. Then the bastard smiled.
“You forgot the rest of your stuff in the truck,” he said, stepping closer and bending over the desk to set the bottle of lube down in front of her.
“T–thanks. Just set it down on the desk. I appreciate it.” She refused to drop eye contact as if he’d embarrassed her again.
To her horror, the man dipped his hand into the bag once more and pulled out a package of batteries and added them to the bottle of lube. When he reached in again she prayed it wouldn’t pull out anything else incriminating, but it did. The third thing he set on her desk while still holding her gaze prisoner was a bottle of sleeping aides.
“You know, Shelby. If you need help falling asleep, there are more natural methods than this.” He pointed at the bottle of sleeping pills. “I would be glad to teach you the natural way.”
She licked her bottom lip in an attempt to calm her pounding heart. What had gotten into him that he would flirt with her like this? He’d never seemed to show the least bit of interest before. Why now? She nearly groaned when he set the nearly empty bag down on the desk and took a step back.
“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind if the pills don’t work,” she managed to get out.
“I’d put those batteries and that lube to use first to help you relax some.” He turned and walked two long strides to the open door before stopping and turning sideways a bit. “Of course, maybe you need more than just some lessons in holistic sleep methods if you need synthetic lubricants as well.” Then he was gone.
Shelby hadn’t realized that she had been holding her breath until it came out in a loud whoosh as she collapsed into her seat. What in the hell had just happened? The Bo she knew would never have come on to her like that. He’d said more to her in those few minutes than he’d probably said to her since she’d met him.
Her entire body was on fire and, hell no, she didn’t need the lube right that moment at all. She was soaked enough that she was uncomfortable. She needed to change clothes and maybe even take time for a cold shower. Except Shelby didn’t head for the shower when she’d raced up the stairs with her bag of goodies. Instead, she locked the door behind her and headed for her bedroom and the bed.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d gotten all hot and bothered like this. It had started with just a look at Bo’s squeezable ass. Could it be that her libido was finally coming back online after all these years? At her age, Shelby figured she was wishing for a miracle when she wished to just feel something for a man, any man, just so she knew she wasn’t a dried-up old hag at the age of thirty. Well, it looked like she’d finally g
otten her answer. She wasn’t dried up, but neither was she dating material either.
Shelby shoved aside all the crap in her life and concentrated on Bo and the way he’d gotten her hot and wet. She needed to hold on to that feeling. As she removed her clothes, the scent of her own arousal greeted her. She had no doubt Bo had smelled her earlier. A groan at that thought changed into a moan as she slipped her fingers through her wet pussy lips and drew a light circle around her clit.
“Yes!” she hissed out. It had been so long since she’d felt any sort of arousal at all, much less one as powerful as this.
Closing her eyes, Shelby thought about Bo’s dark eyes and the way he focused his entire attention on the person he was listening to. It sent chills down her spine even now. She wanted to unbraid his hair and run her hands through it as he kissed his way down her neck to her breasts.
One hand came up to tweak a nipple, tugging on it as she imagined his mouth fastening to the tight bud and sucking. His other hand would squeeze the opposite breast, cupping and molding it to his liking. She could imagine sharp teeth biting lightly before he sucked gently then moved to the other breast.
Shelby’s pussy contracted, grabbing at nothing as she continued to stroke lightly across her aching clit. The two fingers she shoved inside did little to ease the need building inside of her. She needed cock, thick, hard, hot cock to ease the need. She didn’t have that and wouldn’t be getting any for a long time. It was why she had her trusty vibrators, but today, she just couldn’t bring herself to defile the momentous occasion of a true natural arousal by riding out an orgasm with a fake dick.
She slid her fingers in and out of her cunt, wishing she had longer fingers to reach her own g-spot, but that wasn’t happening. Instead, she returned to teasing her hard little clit with her fingers as she continued to pinch and pull at her nipples.
“Please. I need to come so bad. Please, Bo. Don’t leave me like this.”
Shelby squeezed her eyes shut against the stark reality that she was alone in her room and pictured Bo there next to her. It was his fingers torturing her breasts and his fingers playing in her juices. She could almost feel it when he nipped and licked all along the underside of her breast and down her abdomen to lay brief kisses along her pelvis.
When he moved her fingers aside, and replaced them with his mouth, Shelby did call out his name. His hot, wet tongue licked along her pussy lips then lapped at her slit like a kitten finding cream. Every muscle in her body tightened as she slowly began ascending to her desperate goal of pleasure. Each swipe of his tongue near her clit drew out a moan from her lips. Each hum of approval vibrated against her pussy, adding to her burning flame of need.
When a second mouth encircled one nipple and fingers plucked at the other one, Shelby knew it was Dalton adding to her pleasure. Where one went, the other followed. Her fantasy was complete as the two dream lovers converged on her body, giving her the most amazing climax she’d ever achieved. Had she not opened her eyes as the pleasure receded, she would have believed they’d actually been in her bed. But reality returned along with the cold, uncomfortable wetness of spent passion with no one there to keep her warm or laugh away the messy part of sex with.
For the first time in a very long time, Shelby let the tears fall as she slowly got up and headed for the shower to wash away the evidence of her empty desperate pleasure once again.
* * * *
“What the fuck?” Bo slammed shut the door to his bedroom over the shop.
What had he been thinking? He couldn’t go around molesting the staff like that. More than likely one or both of the twins were on their way over right then to fire his sorry ass. Hellfire, and damnation. He deserved it.
Grabbing his pack out of the closet, Bo started shoving his clothes inside. Damn she’d smelt so fucking good. It had been longer than he could remember that a woman had aroused him to the point he lost his good sense.
“And look where that had led,” he muttered to himself as he paused in his packing. His best friend’s wife’s death.
Bo threw the half-filled pack across the room and sat on the edge of the bed with his face in his hands as he tried to stop the memories. Dancing Doe had been the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. When he’d returned home during his last leave, it was to find his best friend had married a half-Crow woman he’d met during his last year of school. He’d been so happy for Dalton and Dancing Doe.
He could remember arguing with Dalton about joining the marines. He needed to stay stateside with his bride and take care of her, fill her full of his babies and make a life for them instead of chasing across the world. But Dalton had felt the need to fight for his country and had joined anyway.
Nearly a year later, he’d returned injured to find that Dancing Doe had grown more beautiful than ever and he fell for her just as Dalton had. Only Bo refused to act on it. She was Dalton’s, and he’d not sully his blood brother’s trust. Instead, he vowed to keep her safe and make sure she had anything she needed until Dalton returned.
The first time his friend had returned, everything had been fine, but the next time Dalton made it back, he and his wife argued. Bo hadn’t known at the time that it was over him. Neither had he known that Dancing Doe had taken a lover and Bo’s constant presence looking out for her was making it difficult for her to meet the man when she wanted to. She wanted Dalton to tell Bo to leave her alone and stop trying to help her all of the time. Dalton hadn’t understood at the time why she would want Bo to go away. He’d thought she would welcome the help around the house while he was overseas.
The day Dalton had to ship back out, he’d come to Bo and asked him to back off, telling Bo that his constant presence made her uneasy. She was afraid people would talk if he was always around there while Dalton was gone. It had hurt him, but he’d understood her fears and agreed to stay away.
Bo hadn’t know how hard it had been for Dalton say those words to him. He knew now, but it didn’t make any difference. It didn’t change the past or what had happened. Bo had failed to take care of Dalton’s wife—to keep her alive. Instead, he might as well have killed her himself. He’d failed his blood brother, and to him, there was no honor even in death.
When Bo had returned from the VA after receiving his last bout of therapy for the bullet that had cracked his leg and left him with a plate and screws holding his leg together, he had wanted to share his feelings of freedom to be rid of the metal brace he’d had to wear for months. Instead of staying away like Dalton had asked him to do, Bo had stopped by the house to see if she wanted to celebrate with him over dinner.
She hadn’t answered his knock and that would have been that, except that the door wasn’t locked and hadn’t closed all the way. He figured she was out back in the barn, checking on Dalton’s horse or tending to the small garden she kept. But he didn’t find her in either place. As he walked back by the back of the house he heard noises coming from inside the house that sounded like pain. He raced back to the front of the house and entered the front door like a wild grizzly. What he found in the bedroom had nearly taken him to his knees.
Dancing Doe had been on her hands and knees on the bed with a man Bo had never seen before, fucking her in the ass. The noise he’d made coming in finally registered, and they both looked over their shoulders at him, her eyes wide with horror then panic. The man had sized him up in one look and immediately pulled away from Dancing Doe and grabbed for his clothes, spewing something stupid about not knowing she was married as he dressed.
He could still see Dancing Doe crouched on the bed, covers pulled haphazardly up to cover her nudity and one hand out as if to ward him off. Tears had trailed down her cheeks to be absorbed by the bedding as she wept, pleading for him to not tell Dalton.
The man had started to slip behind him in an effort to just disappear and leave the woman to fare as she would. It disgusted him that she hadn’t even picked a man worthy of Dalton’s fists to cheat with. Bo grabbed the man by the neck and hauled him o
ut of the bedroom through the house to the front porch. There he’d proceeded to beat the hell out of the man before kicking him off the porch and telling him that if he ever saw his face again he’d kill him. Then he’d returned to the bedroom where Dalton’s wife continued to sob with her face buried in her hands.
“He loves you more than he loves anything or anyone else in this world. How could you betray him like this?” Bo had stood there panting from pummeling her lover and wishing he could shake sense into her as well.
“He left me here all alone. I miss him,” she’d said.
“Don’t you think he misses you, too?” he’d screamed back.
She’d stopped crying and snarled at him. “You’d have me believe that he isn’t screwing everything that moves while he’s gone? He can’t go two hours without taking me when he’s home. Why would I ever believe he could possibly wait months until he was able to return? He’s a man!” she’d screamed.
Bo had reeled from the bitterness in her voice. He shook his head. “Dalton has never cheated on you one time, woman. All he talks about in his letters when he’s gone is how much he wants and needs you. When he’s here, he talks about how much he loves you and wishes he’d never signed up in the first place. He worshiped the ground you walked on, and you stepped all over him out of petty revenge? Or are you so immature that you can’t go a few months without a man between your legs to service you while you wait for your husband to return from protecting you and his country?”
Bo had turned his back on her and walked out of the house to her screams for him to come back and to please not tell Dalton. She promised she’d never cheat again. It was the last words he’d ever heard from her mouth. He should have told her that he’d had no intentions of ruining his friend’s life by telling him of her disloyalty. Instead, he’d allowed her to believe that he would, thinking it would sever her well to think about it and what she would do about it when Dalton returned.
