“No.” Dane didn’t want to separate. “Tell us what you want, and we can work it out.” He sent an angry gaze to Butler, daring him to contradict a possible solution.
Annabel took another step away from them. “If we’re going to continue this conversation, I’d like to be sitting down, preferably at a very private table where no one can hear us.”
“Fine. Let’s at least all share a meal together.”
She looked from one to another and shook her head. “This is a bad idea. I’m never going to be able to choose one of you over the other. I just can’t, so don’t even bother asking.” Eyes getting a little watery, Dane certainly didn’t want to make her cry.
Garrett cleared his throat. “Larsen is right. Let’s go have a meal together. We can discuss private things later. For right now, I’m just hungry.” He held out one arm, and after hesitating only a moment, she tucked her hand into his elbow. Dane offered her an arm as well, and she took that one, too.
“Thank you. A meal would be lovely.”
Dane escorted her into the hotel with Butler tagging along. He pondered how to get Annabel alone to discuss a future. And he knew Butler was doing the exact same thing.
* * * *
Annabel wiped her mouth after a very civil breakfast and tried to gain the courage to initiate the conversation the three of them needed to have. She had missed Dane, more so now that he was here in person. He obviously hadn’t meant to stand her up for breakfast, although a part of her had been relieved not to face breakfast with him several days ago. But she had missed him.
And then two days later, Garrett blasted his way into her heart and rescued her from a fate worse than death. She owed him her life. She’d shown him her gratitude in a very carnal way, never expecting to see him again. At least not until this shooting competition was behind her.
Now she tried to keep the licentious vision of being with both of them at the same time out of her mind. It was too scandalous to even think about, let alone say the words out loud. Given the rivalry already between them, that scenario would remain in the far reaches of her private mind, never to be revealed. But the more she tried to push it out of her thoughts, the more the visions intruded.
“What made you want to enter the shooting contest, Annabel?” Dane asked.
She smiled. “My father was the first winner of the competition twelve years ago.”
“Alistair Wallace is your father?” Garrett’s surprise was evident in his expression and tone.
“Yes. He taught me everything he ever knew about guns, shooting, and being a gunsmith.”
“You’re a gunsmith?” Dane sounded equally surprised.
“I’ll likely never be as good as my father was, but I love to craft weapons. I’m much more at ease with pistols than rifles in the workshop, but I’ve worked on both and crafted both.”
“How good are you?” Garrett asked.
“As a gunsmith or a shooter?”
He smiled and leaned forward. “Either. Both. I want to know everything about you.”
She shook her head. “You’ll find out how well I shoot starting tomorrow. Let’s not ruin the surprise, shall we?”
Dane looked over at Garrett. “That means she’s planning on whipping our pants off.”
She wanted their pants off all right. Cheeks heating yet again, Annabel changed the subject. “What is the story between you two? I sense the rivalry. How did that come about?”
Garrett leaned forward and put his forearm on the table. “I won the last two years of this shooting match, and Larsen here won the previous two years before I competed in the event.”
“So if one of us wins this year, he will be the first three-time champ of this competition.”
“And if I beat you both, then the rivalry will continue until next year.”
Dane laughed. “Oh, I imagine the rivalry will live on until forever between us, regardless of the outcome of this contest.” His gaze found hers, and she thought he looked like he was already pining for her.
“That might be a very great shame.” Annabel didn’t want them fighting over her, either. She looked away from Dane.
Garrett’s beautiful gray eyes narrowed. “Why’s that?”
Annabel glanced around the nearly empty dining room to ensure her words wouldn’t be overheard. “Because I have feelings for each of you, which developed very quickly on this trip. I won’t choose between you regarding any personal matters.”
“I certainly wouldn’t expect you to choose.” Dane leaned back in his chair and eyed Garrett closely. “But I care for you and I’m not going to stop wanting you just because of a little competition.”
“But that’s just the problem. I don’t want there to be a competition for my affection.”
Garrett crossed his arms and leaned forward on the table. “So basically you want us both to agree to share you?”
Annabel tilted her head to one side, very surprised to hear one of them voice her very desires. “I wouldn’t be opposed to that.”
The men exchanged glances. Dane heaved a sigh. “I’m not willing to walk away.”
“Neither am I.” Garrett leaned back and crossed his arms. “But I’ve never been very good at sharing, especially women.”
Dane grinned. “I have no problem sharing, especially a woman as incredible as you are, sugar.”
“What about sharing me at the same time?” The words came out of Annabel’s mouth before her brain could stop the inflammatory query. She smashed her eyes shut and put her hands over her heated face. How could she have said that out loud?
“Now that’s an interesting proposition.” Garrett’s low voice carried through her embarrassed personal admonishing of herself. She lowered her hands and glanced at his quizzical face.
Dane cleared his throat. “I’m not opposed to that if it means I don’t have to give you up. The only problem I see is location. Where would we consummate this new arrangement? The hotel wouldn’t be a good choice because it has too many contestants roaming around for privacy. And I don’t want to give the judges any reason to boot you out. You know they’ll be looking for any reason to oust you throughout the contest.”
Annabel nodded in agreement. “You’re right. The hotel wouldn’t work. However, I’m staying in a small cabin near my friend’s home two miles south of town during the tournament. It’s beautiful, small and rustic, but there is a good sized bed and lots of privacy. Surrounded by a large copse of woods, no one would bother us or even know we were there.”
“And your friend wouldn’t have a problem with this…arrangement?”
“I don’t think so. She and I are like family.”
“Close enough that she already knows about us?”
Annabel smiled. “She doesn’t know you both showed up at the contest…yet. But I don’t imagine she’d be upset if we all met there. She told me to treat the place as if it were my own.”
Garrett asked, “Where is this cabin in the woods, and what time should we all meet there?”
* * * *
Annabel walked slowly around the circumference of the cabin’s small space one last time, checking to see that everything was in place for tonight’s carnal arrangement.
A colorful bundle of wildflowers picked from a meadow fragranced the room from a large pitcher of water resting in the corner on a small stool. A little bottle of whiskey rested on the shelf below the flowers along with three glasses, should the occasion arise to celebrate anything.
Lodged in the opposite corner from the flowers and drink was a large rough-hewn wooden bed. Built by her friend’s husband long ago, but left behind when her friend chose a brass bed for her new home, Annabel thought the bed fit perfectly with the rustic charm of the little cabin. The quilt atop the plain sheets had been stitched with love and that elusive feeling was what Annabel wished for tonight.
Love.
After her fiancé had passed so unexpectedly, Annabel hadn’t searched for love. She settled down with her father’s gunsmith bus
iness and applied herself to the task of learning everything her father could teach her. The satisfaction she derived from the process of crafting a firearm was surprisingly addictive.
A part of this journey to the shooter’s competition was her way of saying goodbye to her father properly. She certainly never intended to find love on this trip but she had. Twice.
It was difficult to believe how much passion she’d experienced on this journey to fulfill a long-sought dream that hadn’t even started out to be hers. Her father always intended to enter the contest again, but obligations and then poor health had subdued his desires. She wanted to do this for her father, to pay tribute to the man who had taught her to love the gunsmith craft as much as she loved to shoot.
Once upon a time, Annabel’s biggest hurdle had been to overcome any entrance restriction into the annual sharpshooter’s contest. After meeting Dane and Garrett, her second was explaining her romantic feelings for not one but two men. She hadn’t expected them both to want to see her ever again after they’d shared a meal this morning.
She’d expected her spontaneous declaration to share both men at the same time to quash any further desire for contact, but she’d watched their faces as she spoke. Each man exhibited a look of intrigue and not the slightest hesitation or disgust had registered.
Dane and Garrett, while reluctant at first, seemed at least willing to give this arrangement a try. And Annabel couldn’t wait. Wearing her filmiest nightgown beneath a serviceable cotton robe, she couldn’t wait to share a sexual experience with both men.
Even after an intimate night with her two strongest competitors, Annabel expected to be treated as an equal once the games began, a point she intended to instill before anything else transpired.
Whatever else happened, Annabel wanted a modicum of respect once the bullets started flying towards the target’s centers. From what little she knew about each man, Annabel didn’t expect it to be a problem. Unless she won. Then she imagined she’d discover their true colors. Would they change their attitude if either of them lost to her?
Hopefully not.
The sound of hoof beats approaching saved her from the depressing reverie. She pinched her cheeks to add some color and peeked out the front window.
Two horses approached, and she was surprised and delighted to discover they’d arrived together.
Moments later, they dismounted and tied the horses up at the side of the cabin. She opened the door before they had a chance to knock, so eager to get the night’s festivities started.
“Good evening, gentlemen.”
Dane stepped inside and removed his hat. His gaze swept the interior of the cabin quickly until he spied the bed in the corner. His grin seemed to say that he approved. “Cozy.”
Garrett entered, hat already in his hand, but his focus was completely centered on her. “You look beautiful.” He passed by Dane and took her into a tight embrace. She slipped her arms around his neck as he lifted her a few inches off the ground. Face nuzzling her neck, he kissed a tender spot below her earlobe and whispered, “I’ve been looking forward to this since our last night together.”
Dane cleared his throat. “My turn to ravish our hostess.”
Garrett glanced over his shoulder but didn’t relinquish his hug. “You had your chance when you high tailed it in here first. He who stutters is lost.”
“And he who pounces is an ass. Get off of her.”
Annabel wondered if she needed to referee. “Boys, boys. Be nice.”
She extracted herself from Garrett’s amorous hug and crossed to Dane. He took her hands and kissed the back of each one before allowing them to fall to her sides. He then took her face in his hands and kissed each corner of her mouth with a tenderness she didn’t know existed in the world.
Dane slid his fingers into the hair at the nape of her neck, and his third kiss started with a lick to her bottom lip before he pressed his open mouth across hers. Annabel leaned into him, unable to halt the warm sensations running in her veins from his tender expression.
Garrett, clearing his throat with a harsh grunt repeatedly, broke the tension and momentum of Dane’s kiss. They moved apart but not before Annabel had to catch her breath. His grin also caused her heart to flip over in her chest. She’d missed him. But Garrett was also hard to resist. Somehow they’d have to find a way to make this work. She truly couldn’t choose one man over the other. It would be all or nothing tonight.
“Oh my. I can already see this will be an interesting evening with each of you trying to one up the other one.” She turned away from Dane and crossed to sit in one of two spindly wooden chairs facing slightly away from the fireplace and adjacent to the bed.
“You can’t expect us to warm up to this as fast as you have, Annie.” Garrett took a couple steps forward and crossed his arms. “You’ve had time to think about this, and we haven’t.”
Dane moved next to Garrett. “But I’m certainly willing to entertain whatever you have in mind, sugar. I’ve missed you something fierce since we parted. And had I known you were headed to this competition, I would have accompanied you. Maybe you wouldn’t have been kidnapped.”
“Or maybe you’d be dead.” Garrett gave Dane a sideways glance.
Dane fisted his hands and twisted to face Garrett. “Which would solve more than one of your problems, right Sheriff?”
“Stop it. Both of you.”
“If you have something to say, Larsen, get it off your chest.”
“Someone knocked me in the head on my way here, which is why I wasn’t able to accompany Annabel on her trip. Who might have had a reason to do that? I know, maybe it was someone in the shooting contest who didn’t want me to attend.”
Garrett shook his head. “Not me. I’m the one favored to win this coming contest.”
“Or perhaps you thought you’d eliminate your only true competition.”
Each man had turned and now faced each other. Gazes sparking in fury, Annabel knew she needed to diffuse the situation.
“Or maybe you’ll both be sucking hind tit when I blow both of your asses off the target range in this coming challenge.”
As if planned in advance, the two men turned to her with the glimmer of a smile residing on their handsome faces.
“Having spent some intimate time with each of you, my guess is you are both honorable, and if there is any mischief afoot, neither of you have a hand in it.”
“I haven’t had any misfortune along this trip. And who says whatever happened to you several days ago has anything to do with the shooting match coming up?” Garrett dropped his fierce crossed- arm stance and rolled his shoulders as if stretching his muscles for a coming battle.
Dane huffed. “Because nothing was stolen. But my gun was out of the holster and on the ground next to my gear. I discovered someone bent the firing pin of the pistol I used in last year’s competition. Good thing I brought a spare gun, or I’d be screwed. And since it’s my lucky pistol that’s damaged, I may still be.”
Garrett shrugged. “Still, that could simply be a coincidence. Maybe your attacker tried to steal your gun and dropped it on his way out, and the firing pin was a casualty of the attempted robbery.”
“But if not, you should both be careful during the coming match. I’d hate to see either of you hurt again.” Annabel wrapped her arms around herself.
Garrett shrugged. “Just make sure and keep your weapons close and test them before the day’s shooting.”
“Want me to look at your firing pin? I might be able to fix it.”
Dane grinned. “I’d love for you to look at my firing pin. Although, I’ve been told it’s more of a firing bar. And if you fix my gun, it’d be a bonus.”
Sexual innuendo wasn’t one of her strong skills, but Dane’s response made her laugh out loud. Even Garrett cracked a smile.
“Well, why don’t you come over here and I’ll take a look anyway.”
They exchanged a quick, speculative glance at each other before Dane moved over t
o where she rested in the chair by the fire.
Annabel knew what she wanted, knew what she needed, and decided it was time to get the evening’s festivities moving along. He stopped just out of arms reach in front of her.
“Closer,” she murmured. He obliged and moved so close he blocked the heat of the fire with his own warmth. Annabel reached up to his waist and started to unfasten his pants. Dane grabbed her hands and stopped her. “What are you doing?”
“I’m trying something out that my friend says men really love.”
“And that is?”
“I thought I’d put your cock in my mouth and suck on it.” The way his eyes glazed over in sudden desire made Annabel believe her friend was absolutely correct. Men loved this.
Garrett strolled over to the other chair and sat down. “And I’m supposed to watch this decadent display?”
“No, you’re just waiting for your turn. You don’t have to watch if you don’t want to, but I plan to put on quite a show.” Garrett and Dane once again exchanged glances and must have come to some sort of agreement that she didn’t see.
“What if you came over here and sat on my lap while you pleasure Larsen with your mouth?”
“Good idea.” Annabel stood and shifted to sit on Garrett’s lap. She pulled Dane along with her. Once seated on his lap, Annabel felt Garrett’s stiff cock against her buttocks. He reached around to fondle her breasts as she looked up into Dane’s eyes.
Hands on his hips, Dane sucked in a deep breath and said, “I’m at your mercy, sugar.”
Annabel undid his pants and slid them down his thighs. Lifting his shirt, she exposed his enormous cock.
Behind her, Garrett pushed his cock against her backside with careful rhythm. Even with several layers of clothing between them, the feel of his stiff shaft anywhere close to her pussy made her wet.
She licked the end of Dane’s shaft before putting her entire mouth over the tip and sucked the first couple of inches of his stiff cock between her lips.
Dane groaned and pushed his cock a little deeper. His hands slipped around her head and lightly gripped her as if he needed something to hold onto as she sucked on him.
Annie Gets Her Gunmen Page 9
