by Jane Jamison
“It’s okay.” She took another sip, only now feeling the warmth drift away from her body. “Besides, it’s true. I am one lucky bitch.”
Chapter Four
“We’re three lucky sons of bitches.” Jax kept his hand on the door and let the wind blow through his hair.
“Speak for yourself, man.” Darton maneuvered the pickup down the dirt road that ran alongside the fence of Colby’s ranch. As they’d assumed, there were many spots where repairs were needed. She was lucky she hadn’t already lost a few head of cattle. “Don’t go calling my mamma a bitch.”
Jax chuckled, knowing what his friend meant. Ed was in the backseat, jotting down notes. They’d already called their head hired hand, Dirk Pine, and let him know he was in charge of their ranch for the next couple of weeks. When Dirk had asked why, they’d told him the truth, plain and simple. They were helping out a friend. What they didn’t mention was how much they wanted to get between that friend’s legs.
“I wish we’d moved here sooner. Can you imagine being a teenage boy around her?” He would’ve done anything and everything to claim her back then.
“Yeah. And I can imagine her papa taking a shotgun to us, too.”
His gaze jumped to Ed, but Ed was too busy studying the fence to notice. “It would’ve been worth a butt load of buckshot.”
“Hell yeah. More than worth it.” The pickup took one of the many holes in the road hard, jarring Darton and Ed as much as him. He grinned at Ed’s groan.
“So are we in agreement? Are we going after her?” asked Ed.
“I wouldn’t put it that way, but yeah, I’ve got a feeling about her.” In truth, his feeling was stronger than any he’d ever had for any woman, especially in such a short time. If he hadn’t been attracted to her sexually, he still would’ve wanted to get to know her better. Finding a mate had a lot to do with physical chemistry, but they had to be compatible in other ways. First off, she had to be able to handle the three of them. Then she’d have to be strong enough to accept what they were. On top of those two things, she’d have to be ready to spend her life on a ranch.
“She’s got a backbone, that’s for sure. Rick sure wasn’t too happy when he left.”
“I think we showed up at just the right time.” He didn’t have any doubt what Rick had been after. “At least, she’s not going to sell.”
“I’ll bet she had her mind made up before she got here.” Darton pointed out a gap in the barbed wire fence to Ed. In his usual quiet manner, Ed just nodded acknowledging Darton.
“I like her. I mean, more than for the obvious.” Dragons didn’t have an instant connection with their mates like some shifters did, but they were very perceptive. He’d known from the first moment he’d seen her that she could possibly be the one. “She’s got a way about her. Like she’s confident without being cocky. She knows she needs help, and she’s not afraid to ask for it.”
“I’m glad we’re the ones who are going to help her.” Ed motioned toward the right. “Head down the road to the gate. Let’s make sure it’s sound.”
Jax whipped the truck to the right, churning up dust and dirt. The short trip down to the gate was worth finding out if the gate was in better shape than the fence.
Darton’s phone rang. “Darton here.” He shifted toward Jax.
Jax sent him a pointed look, silently asking who it was. His friend mouthed the name.
What the hell was Rick doing calling Darton? Then again, he was pretty sure he knew why. If Rick couldn’t get Colby to sell her newly inherited ranch, then he’d come at her in a different way. Did he think he could change her mind by going through them?
Darton punched a button. “You’re on speaker, Rick. Jax and Ed are here, too.”
“Good. Listen, boys, it’s as simple as this. That little girl doesn’t know what the hell she’s doing. She’s going to screw up and get herself and us in a mess.”
“How’s she going to mess us up?” Jax kept his tone level, even though he always had a hard time keeping cool when talking with Rick. The man was his neighbor, but he was also a Black Dradian dragon. Although Darton was part Black Dradian, Jax hadn’t met a full Black Dradian dragon who wasn’t conniving and out for himself.
“She’s going to run the ranch into the hole and sell it for pennies on the dollar. Our land valuation is going to go downhill fast.”
Bullshit. Yet, he remained diplomatic. “Nah, I don’t think so. Land doesn’t lose its value because a few cows die.”
Silence followed. He’d thrown Rick for a curve.
“Here’s what I’d like us to do.”
Not him. Us.
Darton’s smirk reflected the way his thinking went. There was no us as far as Rick was concerned. Everything was all about him and how much money he could make.
“I heard you three are going to help her out.”
Why hadn’t he mentioned that he knew before now? “I see the gossip mill has been hard at work.”
“I don’t know why you’re helping her, but I have a proposition for you.”
Jax pulled the truck back onto the main road, skimming along the fence. “I’m sure I’m going to regret this, but go ahead and tell us what you’re thinking.”
“Let’s go in on this together. Get her to sell the ranch to you and I’ll pay enough for you three to get a nice profit.”
“Now why would you want to do that, Rick? Why pay us more than we paid for it?”
He could already see the plan coming together. Colby would sell to them—after some convincing, no doubt—and then they’d sell to Rick. Colby might get angry, but she wouldn’t be able to do a damn thing about it. She’d get sent packing, they’d make some money, and Rick would get the ranch.
His nerves jumped at the idea of running a game on her. “Sounds pretty underhanded to me.”
“What? No. I got off on the wrong foot with her, and now she won’t sell to me. You’re just being the middlemen. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
He didn’t have to check with Ed or Darton. “We’re not doing anything of the kind. I don’t like the way you do business. And even if I did, I wouldn’t want to help you out this time. Colby can make a go of the ranch and be an asset to Brimstone.” He sounded like a politician, but every word was true.
More silence left dead air.
“Shit. You boys are into her.” The derision in Rick’s voice was palpable.
Jax wasn’t about to admit anything. “We don’t like conning a woman so that makes us into her?”
“Don’t bullshit me, Jax.”
“I’m not, Rick. But here’s the thing. You need to accept it when someone turns you down.”
Darton put the phone closer to his mouth. “Jax is right. She’s already told you no, and now we’re telling you no. Got it?”
“You boys are going to regret not doing business with me.”
“And why’s that?” Jax gritted his teeth, barely keeping down a slew of cuss words. Not that it would do any good. Rick wasn’t about to change.
“One way or another, I’m going to buy that ranch. And when I do, you’re going to wish you were in on it with me.”
Rick had more of a reason than simply to gain more land. But what was really behind his desperate need to buy the ranch?
“You’ve got our answer, Rick. So, unless you want to jaw about the weather, we’ve got work to do.”
“Damn it, Jax. At least give it some thought.”
“I don’t think I want to.” Jax grinned at Darton, who was obviously enjoying the exchange. “If I do, I might just get mad enough to track you down for what happened earlier with Colby. You’re lucky you got off easy.”
Silence again.
“Rick?” He might not like the Black Dradian dragon, but he didn’t underestimate him, either. Rick wasn’t giving up by any stretch of the imagination. “Rick? You there?”
Darton shrugged. “I guess he gave up.” He ended the call.
“What do you think’s really going on?”
Ed, who had remained quiet, spoke up. “He’s after more than the ranch.”
Jax’s first thought was the worst. Was he after Colby? Did he want her as his mate? Yet, judging from the way she’d reacted with Rick earlier, she wasn’t about to accept him. “Then what?”
“The oil rights.”
“There’s already a lease on her land.”
“I’ve heard its term is coming up. Besides, her old man didn’t lease out much of his land. Said he didn’t like them drilling up the soil.”
“Yeah? So?” Jax studied Ed through the rearview mirror. “Rick gets the land and gets a new lease. So what?”
Ed had his attention on his notes. “Could be he’s worked out a better deal than her father had. I don’t know, but it’s the only other explanation I can come up with.”
Jax turned the pickup toward their ranch house. They’d grab some clothes then haul ass over to the Rushing Water Ranch. “Then it’s a good thing she turned him down.”
“She did, but you know Rick. He won’t give up easy.”
Darton’s warning had to be taken seriously. Knowing the unscrupulous Rick as they did, he wasn’t finished trying to buy the ranch. “Whatever he throws at her, we’ll be there to handle it.”
“Damn straight we will.” Darton shoved his phone into his shirt pocket. “I say we take to the skies tonight. It’s cloudy enough to give us cover.”
They’d use the cloaking ability all dragons had, but it never hurt to have more cover. No one would notice them unless they knew where to look. If they did, they might see the shimmering outlines their cloaked bodies would make against the dark sky.
“Fine with me. I wouldn’t mind stretching my wings.” Jax rolled his shoulders, already imagining how good it would feel to get the wind running along his dragon body. “But tomorrow we head over to her ranch. Unless we do it tonight.”
“Not tonight. Give her a little time first.”
Somehow he’d known Ed would shoot down his idea. Ed was the conservative one, the one who’d think a plan through until he’d examined it from every angle.
“Fine, but no more than tonight.” The memory of Colby’s scent, like sweet molasses dripping down a tree, hit him. His cock twitched and he ached to hold her.
* * * *
Colby stepped back. Not that she’d had any choice. She’d answered the door to find Jax, Darton, and Ed standing on the front porch of her father’s—of her—home. They had duffel bags slung over their shoulders and smiles on their faces. After a quick “hello,” they’d shoved past her and had stalked into the foyer.
“Hi, guys, what’s going on?” Melly stood at the top of the stairs. As soon as she’d seen the men, she’d struck a pose, turning to one side and rolling her shoulder in a come-hither move Colby had never seen her do. Then again, that was Melly. Full of surprises.
“We’re moving in.”
“I’m sorry? You’re moving in?” She’d hired them, accepting their offer of help, but when had she invited them to live with her?
They gave her curious looks as though they couldn’t understand why she was confused. “Yeah. Remember us talking earlier? If we’re going to work your ranch, then we need to move in,” explained Jax.
“And since you don’t have another place for us to sleep…” Ed shrugged. “Unless you want us to sleep in the barn.” He gave her a worried look. “You don’t want us to sleep in the barn, do you? Say it ain’t so.”
Had the hands her father hired slept in the barn? “No, of course not. But you don’t live very far from here. Why not stay in your own home and be comfortable?” She didn’t want to say too much. If she did, they’d realized she’d done even more asking around about them. Brimstone was a small town, which meant finding out information was easy. All she’d had to do was ask the right people.
“True enough, but we figured it’d be better for us to be here in case an emergency came up. You know. So we can spring into action if needed.” Darton shifted his duffel bag from one shoulder to the other.
“An emergency, huh?”
Colby didn’t need to look at Melly to see her smirk. She heard the skepticism in her tone well enough. Hadn’t Darton been half joking with the whole “spring into action” bit?
Although the idea of them sleeping under the same roof was unnerving, it was also very enticing. Besides, they were the old hands at ranching. Maybe they knew something she didn’t.
“Okay, I guess that makes sense.” She couldn’t think what kind of emergency could happen while they slept. A lightning strike and a house fire? Trouble with the herd? “Um, there are four bedrooms upstairs. Melly’s in the first one to the right, and I’m in the one next to hers. Sorry, but someone’s going to have to bunk together.”
“Shoot, Colby, honey, I’ll be happy to share your bed. You don’t need to beg.”
Melly’s laughter rang out as warmth spread into Colby’s cheeks. She recovered fast enough, though. “Funny. Sorry, but two of you will have to share a bed.”
“Well, shit. Sure doesn’t sound like much fun for you and Darton.” Jax slapped Ed on the back and started for the stairs. He bounded upward, paused as he neared Melly, then tipped his hat and took the rest of the steps two at a time.
“We’ll get settled in then come back down for a talk.” Ed touched Colby’s arm, once more making her feel warm. The warmth struck her in a much lower place, too. “By the way, just in case someone hasn’t already said it, welcome to Brimstone.”
Colby was at a loss for words as the men went upstairs. Both from what had happened and from the way their firm asses looked in their jeans as they took the stairs two at a time. She tilted her head, enjoying the view until, at last, Melly hurried down the steps.
“I’m sorry, and you know what I mean, but I’ll say it again. You are one lucky bitch.”
“So are you.” Now that the men were out of sight, she felt her breathing slow down, going back to normal. Or at least as close to normal as it would ever get with those three hot men around.
“Uh, I don’t think so.” Melly’s eyes twinkled with mischief.
“Why not? Three men and two girls. Sounds like great odds for both of us.”
She let out a pent-up breath that held too much sexual frustration and led the way into the old-style kitchen complete with an avocado-colored stove and refrigerator. Many of the tiles on the counter were chipped, and the country-style roosters-and-corn wallpaper peeled in several corners. Once she made a go of the ranch, she’d think about remodeling. Until then, however, what money she had would have to go to keeping the ranch afloat.
“I’m not hooking up with any of them.”
Colby pulled the stained coffee pot from the percolator and poured strong black coffee into two cups. Should she go ahead and pour three more cups? “What are you talking about?”
“One, I don’t think I’m their type.”
“Just because they live in a small town doesn’t mean they don’t go for Asian chicks with tats.”
“Sorry, girl, but most of the time it does. Still, I’m not holding my breath on getting it on with any of them because of reason number two.”
She held out the cup to her friend then concentrated on her own drink. “Number two?”
“Yeah. Come on. Don’t tell me you can’t see it.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She was a rotten liar. Too many people had told her she was.
“Bullshit. Reason number two is this. How’s the old song go? Oh yeah. They only have eyes for you. You, girl, are their prey. Hell, I think all three of them would wrestle a skunk to get a good taste of you. They want to eat you up.”
The idea of their hands, their mouths, and their tongues on her was enough to get her sweating, but the image of them bent over her, nibbling at her skin, rocketed the ache between her legs into a fast throb. “One, you’re wrong. And two, even if they are interested, I think you’re exaggerating just how much they are.”
“Uh-hu
h. Think what you want, but there are three men upstairs putting their stuff in bedrooms. Three cowboys who left their own ranch to come and take care of yours. That says a lot if you ask me.”
Did it? She tried not to get even more excited, but how could she not?
“Can we get a cup?”
Jax startled her, and she fumbled her cup, almost dropping it. “Sure.”
“Pull up a chair, guys. I need to check on, um, something upstairs.” Melly yanked out one of the four metal chairs from the fifties-style Formica avocado table. A long time ago, someone had coordinated all the appliances and furnishings of the small kitchen, but like the rest of the house, everything was outdated. She gave Colby a wink the men couldn’t see, and then she was gone.
Her friend couldn’t have been more obvious if she’d told the men straight-out to bang Colby. She busied herself with pouring coffee into three more mugs. Try as she did, she found only two more cups without any chips. Her father obviously hadn’t done much entertaining.
My father? Entertaining? Yeah, right. And he’d also flown to the moon and back.
“Here you go.” She offered the first two to Ed and Jax then gave Darton the one with the chip. “Sorry. I guess my father wasn’t into buying too many nice things.”
Darton lifted the cup and checked the bottom. “It’s functional. That’s all that matters.”
Which was what her father might’ve said. She pushed a memory of her father sharing a cold soft drink with her. They’d had nice moments together, but now all that seemed part of a far-too-distant past. Instead, she concentrated on the men settling at her table.
They’d taken seats at the small table, which was made to seem even tinier next to their huge hulks. The air thickened with the presence of testosterone. As much as she would’ve liked to take the fourth chair, she hung back, suddenly uncertain of getting too close to so much masculinity. Even strong, independent women would get intimidated by these men. Not out of fear but from an overwhelming sense of…
She struggled to find the right word.
