“Hello?”
Heat raced up her face at her lurid thoughts. “In here.”
She picked up her plate and placed it in the sink.
They both came in looking way too sexy. The front of Wade’s hair was windblown and Heath looked like he’d gotten a bit too much sun today. They smelled like fresh air.
“You eat?” Heath said.
“I just finished. I conked out and just got up. The grilled chicken was wonderful. Thanks for the pink bow.” She laughed.
Wade looked between them. “A pink bow?”
“Long story,” she said.
Heath pulled meat from the refrigerator. “I figured the grilled lunch needed a feminine touch.”
“Ah.”
Wade looked tired. He pulled out a beer and sat with her at the table while Heath prepared a meal.
“I just ate, so only fix food for you and Wade.”
Heath nodded.
She turned to Wade. “How are the party preparations coming?”
“Good. We ordered the fireworks along with one of those inflatable bounce houses for the kids to play in.”
She bet the kids of his hired hands would love that. “How many people are you expecting?”
“We’ve got twenty workers. If you count their spouses and kids, I’m betting close to eighty.”
“That’s a big affair.”
Heath turned around and waved a pancake turner. “That’s why I wanted it catered. I don’t mind doing the grilling, but I’d suck at potato salad.”
That was very nice of them to have a party for their workers. When she was growing up, her mom used to throw parties like that, too.
In no time, Heath had grilled two steaks and some vegetables. He placed the food on two plates. “Want to eat in the living room and watch a movie?”
Wade looked at her. “You okay with that?”
“Sure.”
They went into the living room. The most comfortable seat was the sofa, so she sat on one end and Wade took the other. Heath sat across from them on the overstuffed chair.
Wade handed her the remote. “Your house. You get to choose the movie.”
She laughed. “I’m not that demanding, am I?”
Their brows rose. That wasn’t good. Not that she wanted these men, but she didn’t want to come off as a woman who had an impenetrable wall built around her.
“Absolutely not,” Heath said with a damn smile on his face.
Possibly to test them, she found a romantic comedy. “This okay with you boys?”
They both shrugged.
She honestly didn’t remember much of the movie for she kept dozing off. The sound of the television clicked off and a strong pair of arms lifted her. She cracked open an eye. Wade was carrying her into the bedroom. Being in his arms was comforting, but a bit disconcerting. That image of him making love with her against a wall flashed in her eyes, but she was too tired to resist.
He placed her on the bed. “We need to take off your boots and get you out of some of your clothes.”
She would wake up in a deep sweat if she slept all night in these clothes. “Okay.”
He clicked on the light then tugged off her boots and socks. “You need help with the pants?”
She’d been through this routine before. “Yes.” Her underpants were as covering as a bathing suit bottom so it wasn’t like he’d really be seeing anything. Wade wouldn’t make a move unless she gave him the okay.
He unhooked her belt then unbuttoned and unzipped her pants, never once touching her skin. He was all business.
“Lift your butt.”
She did and he pulled the pants over her hips. Fortunately, as soon as she felt her panties slip, she grabbed hold. With his eyes averted, he pulled off her pants. She sat up, ready to get rid of the top. “Can you go into my top drawer and pull out a T-shirt?” She liked wearing something simple to bed.
“Will any one do?”
“Not too thin.”
She caught the slight upturn to his lips. He pulled out one that would cover her quite well.
“This good?”
“Sure.” He handed the top to her. “Now close your eyes.”
“Sugar, looking doesn’t hurt anyone.”
She laughed. “You think I’m going to get naked in front of you?”
He sat on the edge of the bed. “I don’t know what you think of me and Heath, but you have my word that as long as you’re incapacitated, we won’t touch you.”
If what he said was the truth, her recovery would go a lot smoother. That way, they could help her dress and wash without all this eye-closing stuff.
“Fine.”
She lifted her arms for him to help her out of her top. In one quick movement, the top came off. Now came the tempting part. She turned her back. “Can you unhook me?”
With one pinch, the bra came undone. How did he manage to remove her clothes without laying a hand on her? She pulled down the bra and tossed it aside. She picked up the top and threaded both hands through the short sleeves by herself but couldn’t get it pulled down without his help. Without asking, he tugged it into position. She refused to address the fact that she was a bit disappointed when, once again, he made no contact.
She faced him. “Thank you.”
“Need anything else?”
“No.”
Wade stood. “Holler if you need anything.”
She tried to stay awake for a bit because she needed time to think about Heath and Wade. Her body had other ideas, and she crashed. When she awoke, not only were her covers tucked in, but it was light out. She sat up and checked her injuries. Her fingers on her right hand were a bit swollen, but she was able to wiggle them. That was progress.
Her goal for today was to wash her hair, and maybe convince one of the men to let her go for a short ride. She’d need help saddling her horse, but she figured she could mount the horse with only her left hand. The dumb doctor had no idea how well she rode.
When she got out of bed she noticed she was only wearing her underpants and a T-shirt. The image of Wade taking them off flashed in her mind. Darn. No way would she waltz into the kitchen dressed like that. Despite Wade’s promise, she wasn’t in the mood to test either of the men’s willpower.
She pulled out a pair of rather ugly sweatpants and tugged them on. Boots were out of the question, so she settled for sandals. After she washed up, she went in search of food.
Heath was in the kitchen looking mighty fine in his tattered jeans and tight T-shirt. He turned around and smiled. “How did you sleep?”
“Great.” That was the truth.
“You have good timing. I was just about to wake you up. Breakfast will be ready shortly.”
With his back to her, she couldn’t tell what he had planned. He hustled between the cabinets, the refrigerator, and the stove. A few minutes later, he brought a plate of food, along with a cup of tea.
“May I have some coffee?”
“That’s not good for you. I brewed some green tea. It’s full of antioxidants to help with the healing process.”
“You have to be kidding. Where did you get the green tea?” He certainly hadn’t found any in her cabinets, in part because she never drank the stuff. She needed hard-core caffeine in the morning.
“I went shopping early this morning.”
“You didn’t have to go to all that trouble for me.”
“You’re worth it.”
Both Heath and Wade kept throwing her off-kilter. Just when she thought she’d figured them out, they did something unexpected.
She studied what he’d put in front of her. The combination of food seemed odd. He’d made an omelet along with a bunch of broccoli placed next to several different kinds of nuts. “What is all this?” She was more of a bacon, hash brown, egg girl.
“I did a lot of research last night on how to build your immune system. From now on it’s healthy living for you. I made sure you’d have the right balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. From
here on out, there will be no processed food.”
“That’s not going to work.”
“Try it, and then decide.” He pulled out a chair and sat.
Apparently, she wasn’t going to get out of tasting the food. He’d made an egg white omelet with something dark inside. She broke open the end. There appeared to be spinach, mushrooms, and zucchini inside. She took a bite. To her surprise, it was delicious. “This is great.”
He raised his brows. “Did you think I’d serve you something terrible?”
She laughed. “I usually eat what’s convenient, and I don’t pay much attention to nutrition.”
“That’s going to change. Not only will you be on a regimented diet, but I want to build up your stamina.”
Her mind shot straight to having sex for hours with him. Stop that. “What did you have in mind?”
“Short walks at first followed by some light weight training.”
“You have to be kidding.”
“I’ve called a physical therapist friend of mine. As soon as you get that cast off, you’ll need a lot of work to get your arm back to full strength.”
Heath and Wade were taking her recovery so seriously. “I appreciate that.”
While she finished her healthy breakfast, Heath read the paper. He must have picked one up when he’d gone to the store.
“Where’s Wade?”
Heath lowered the paper. “He had work at the ranch to attend to. He’ll be back in a bit.”
“You don’t have to babysit.”
He cocked a brow. “Ten bucks says if I’m not here, you’ll get one of the hands to help you ride. Since they aren’t aware of your restrictions, they’ll saddle your horse for you.”
Damn him. How did he always know what she was thinking? She didn’t bother answering him. “Since you’re going to make sure I stick to all the doctor’s orders, how about helping me wash my hair?” Instantly, an image of them naked in the shower came to mind.
He put the paper down and smiled, but his fingers gripped the paper a bit too tightly. “I’d like nothing better.”
She couldn’t quite reconcile the smile with the clenched hands. She polished off her antioxidants. In truth, the green tea was nice, but she still missed her coffee. Placing her cup on her plate, she carried it to the sink. While she couldn’t wash any dishes, she might be able to put them in the dishwasher. She appreciated that Heath let her do as much as she could.
“I guess you’ll have to do the rest.”
“After we wash your hair.”
She wondered if he’d take any liberties with her. Am I hoping? No way. “I’ll get my stuff and meet you in the guest bathroom. That’s the only one with a tub.”
She had no intention of getting naked in front of him in the shower, though if he got naked, too, it might be nice, but that would only happen in her dreams.
When she returned with her shampoo and conditioner, Heath had the water running. This bathroom had a handheld showerhead and was perfect for washing her hair.
“You ever wash anyone’s hair before?”
“No, but how hard can it be?”
It was cute that he was willing to try. Most men would have told her to call up a girlfriend to help her. But not these two. Both Wade and Heath didn’t live their lives in a stereotypical way. Given the prejudice she’d faced in the last six months, their attitudes were a refreshing change.
She got on her knees, leaned the top part of her body over the rim, and dropped her head. “I don’t care if the shirt gets wet.”
“Tell me if this water is too hot.”
He ran the spray over her head. “It’s perfect.”
Before he wet her hair, he placed a towel on her back, partly covering her neck. That might prevent soaking her shirt. When he poured the shampoo onto her head, his fingers went to work, but so did her mind. She kept her eyes closed and pictured his hands on other parts of her body. Fantasizing never hurt anyone as long as she didn’t act on it.
His fingers were strong but gentle. “You have such wonderful hair.” The awe in his tone sent a shiver down her spine.
“It has its drawbacks.” Damn. Why couldn’t she just accept the compliment?
“Time for rinsing.” He spent a long time making sure he washed away all the shampoo. “How much of this conditioner do you use?”
“That’s hard to say. I need a light layer throughout the hair.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Since he was leaning next to her, his hips rubbed against hers, and his arms constantly brushed against her back. How was a girl not supposed to picture what it would be like to be in his arms? She’d misjudged both of the men. Two years ago when she’d gone out with both of them, she’d been so focused on being afraid they’d try to take her to bed that she never took the time to get to know them.
He slathered on the conditioner. “You’ll need to leave it on for a few minutes,” she instructed.
“Can I help you wash something else while I wait?” From his tone, he was kidding. At least she thought he was.
“Funny man.” In truth, if he were this thorough washing her hair, what would he be like cleaning her body? “Do you make a habit of saving damsels in distress?” She added a slight chuckle to her question so she didn’t appear to be prying.
“You’re our first.”
Really?
“You can rinse me now.”
He ran the water over her head while he rubbed her scalp. He shut off the water. She held out her hand. “Towel?”
He handed her the one from her back. She placed it on her head, but had a hard time twisting the front to make a turban.
“Let me.”
Heath did the best he could drying her hair. “I’m good. Thanks.”
She stood up and glanced in the mirror. She looked like Medusa. The curls and tangles stuck out at odd angles. She picked up her brush and worked through the ends.
Heath’s cell rang. “Yeah? Now? Okay.” He disconnected. “Wade needs me at the ranch for a bit. You okay by yourself?”
“Absolutely. Don’t worry about me.”
“I shouldn’t be too long.”
Take your time.
She continued to detangle her hair until Heath left. The moment the door closed, she rushed to her bedroom. She might look funny riding around in sweatpants, but her need to get out on the range overrode her appearance.
After she pulled on her boots, she rushed outside to the barn. Jake was in there talking to one of the hands. Good thing her foreman had no idea about the doctor’s orders.
“Hey, Jake?”
He cut short his discussion and jogged over. “You’re feeling better?”
“Completely.” She lifted her cast. “Could you saddle him for me?”
Jake puffed out his chest. “Sure.”
She was glad he didn’t comment on her messed-up hair. While she waited, she practically bounced up and down. She hadn’t ridden since the accident and couldn’t wait to ride around the ranch and check out the property.
“There you go.” Jake held out his hand. “Need help getting up?”
He acted like he hoped she would. Showing weakness would not be good. “I’m good.”
She placed her left foot in the stirrup, held onto the horn, and swung her leg over. God, it felt good being in the saddle again. She rubbed her horse’s flank and headed out.
The sunshine and clean air bolstered her spirits. Who needed to eat antioxidants when she could ride and get strong?
For the next hour, she raced around, checking with her men and enjoying the feel of being in charge again. While it took some concentration to maneuver the horse with one hand, she adapted well. She was checking the fence between her property and the Watson’s when the sounds of a galloping horse approached. She turned around.
Wade was on her before he knew it. His clenched jaw made her steel her body against the impending assault.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
That did it. “I
’m running my ranch.”
“The doctor told you not to ride.”
Before she could tell him to back off, he swung his horse next to hers, wrapped an arm around her waist, and dragged her onto his horse.
“Hey.” She wanted to kick and scream, but she knew it wouldn’t do any good. He had her good and tight.
Wade took off with her back smashed against his chest. He was going so fast, she didn’t dare jump off.
“Hold still.” He yanked his arm tighter around her waist.
As soon as they stopped, she was going to tell him to go to hell.
Chapter Six
Riding double dug into her pussy, not that Wade seemed to care. Couldn’t he tell the jostling was doing more damage than if he’d let her ride alongside him?
He pulled to a stop in front of her house, jumped off, and eased her to the ground. He got his nose within an inch of her face. “What part of don’t ride didn’t you understand? Didn’t you know that if you’d fallen, you could have seriously injured yourself?”
Her mouth gaped open. She planted her good hand on her hip. “I’ve been riding since I could walk, and I’ve never ever fallen off a horse.” The nerve of him to tell her what she could and couldn’t do.
The man was impossible. She spun around and headed inside. The jerk followed her.
“From now on, you’re grounded.”
She stopped dead in her tracks and waited until her breaths evened out before facing him. “You are a guest in my house. I’m not married to you, so you can’t boss me around.”
That seemed to freeze him. In fact, the color in his face partially drained. “You think that marriage is a ball and chain? That when two or more people wed, the man, or rather the men, have a right to tell the wife what to do?”
He acted like that never happened in society. “Yes, in a way.”
“Babe, it’s not always like that.”
Why was he trying to confuse her? “It doesn’t matter. You have no right to tell me how to run my life.”
Monroe, Melody Snow - Leather and Lace [The Callens 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 5
