by Jane Jamison
He shrugged then ran his hand along the horse’s rump. “Better yet, there are questions I’d rather be asking.”
She knew better than to ask, yet she did anyway. “Like what?”
“Questions that would help me keep you safe. Questions that would help me understand you better.”
She hadn’t expected him to say he actually cared. Still, she had to ask, “Because you care?”
His nod was barely perceptible, yet it was as forceful as a shout. “Yeah. Because I care.”
Did he? Did all of them care? But how? Emotions were coming too fast to trust them. She struggled to drag in a breath even as her heart sang with the possibilities. Did she care for them? Again, it was ridiculous to think so, but there it was.
She closed her eyes and forced her thoughts away. Now was not the time to fall in love. Not with one man, let alone three.
“Tasha? What’s going on?”
She let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. As soon as her gaze met his, she jerked it away. “Nothing.”
Yet what would happen if she told him? She’d thought about it all night long, and now here it was again. What if the men could help? What if she told them and they believed her? Yet uncertainty held her back.
“Tell me, Tasha. Let me help you.”
As if his words weren’t enough to encourage her, he took her by the arms and forced her to stare at him again. Oh, how she wanted to tell him.
“Tell me.” As though he gave it more consideration, he added, “Either start talking, or I won’t be responsible for what I do next.”
Her gaze dropped to his mouth. It was firm, yet soft. Another soft area she wanted to explore. “What are you going to do?”
He closed his eyes. His struggle to maintain control evident in the clenching of his jaw. When he opened them again, amber flecks dotted the green. “This.”
The kiss caught her off-guard. It was firm, yet gentle. Heated and needy as his tongue flicked over the crease of her mouth. She moaned and leaned against him, encouraging him to do more. Yet if he only kissed her, she would be satisfied.
For now.
But his kiss continued as his hands discovered her body. He cupped her breast, his thumb massaging her hardening nipple. He fondled her butt cheek, his fingers digging into her ass. She moaned again and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Passion welled inside her. Where there had been a spark before, flames now burn brightly. The hunger for him that had started the moment she’d seen him, doubled, then tripled, then grew ten times as great. She craved him, yearned for him. If he didn’t touch her in every way, in every place, she’d go insane.
He picked her up until she could wrap her legs around his waist. His hard cock pressed against her crotch, and she worked her hips, wishing their clothes would disappear. A groan rumbled through his chest, making her think of an animal. If he wanted to take her like an animal, she wouldn’t resist. Hell, she’d urged him on.
His hands were everywhere now, slipping underneath her clothes to find hidden places she hadn’t shown to many men. Her nipples ached for his mouth, and as though he understood, he pulled her shirt apart and put his mouth to the hard bud. She arched her back and ground her crotch against him even harder.
His words were muffled by her breast, but she understood. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. “Put me down.”
He resisted at first then set her on her feet. “Don’t leave.” It was both a command and a plea.
“No.” She took a step back then began undoing the buttons of her shirt. She hadn’t planned to have sex with him, with any of them, but right then it was the most important thing in the world for her to do.
He tugged his shirt over his head and tossed it aside then went to work on his belt buckle. “Are you sure, darlin’?” Before she could say anything, he shook his head. “No. Forget I asked.”
She had just tugged her shirt out of her jeans when her phone vibrated in her pocket. Indecision wafted over her. She didn’t want to stop what was about to happen, but what if it was her mother calling? “I’m sorry,” she said, the pain evident in her tone.
As she stepped back, he came toward her. “No. Don’t answer it. No call could be that important.”
“I’m sorry.” She whirled around, pulling the phone from her pocket and striding toward the barn entrance. By the time she was out in the sunlight, by the time she’d buttoned her shirt, and by the time she realized he hadn’t followed her, she knew it wasn’t her mother calling.
Damn it.
She turned to go back inside the barn when it hit her. Maybe it was for the best. Maybe the spam caller had saved her in the nick of time.
What she’d been ready to do could’ve changed her entire life. She had a job to do, a purpose for being where she was, and that didn’t include getting involved with a handsome man. Instead of going back inside the barn, she whirled around and strode toward the sounds coming from behind the house.
She found Wick chopping wood. His shirt was off and lying over a pile of wood. His tanned bronze skin glistened under the sun, droplets of sweat sparkling against his body. She sucked in a quick breath, momentarily mesmerized by the country Adonis. His body was toned without an ounce of body fat. His lean waist and his ripped abdomen tensed as he lifted the axe above his head then brought it down on the piece of wood, splintering it in half. Muscles rippled in his arms as he brought the axe up again and again. She might’ve stood there, unnoticed, for an undetermined length of time if he hadn’t stopped to wipe his brow and turned to see her.
“Hey, I didn’t see you there. Did you need something?”
Yeah. You.
Thankfully, once again, she didn’t say the words out loud. Instead, she shook her head and tried to think straight. “No. Nothing. I was just kind of taking a walk.” She hoped she didn’t sound as lame as she thought she did.
He leaned the axe against the stump. His legs ate up the distance between them as he strode toward her. The closer he got, the more forceful the sensation inside her grew. What was it that stirred her emotions so much? It was more than simple attraction, but she couldn’t put a name to it.
Yet maybe that’s the way real love works.
Love?
Oh hell. Stop thinking like a teenage girl.
Yet if any man inspired romance, it was Wick. His dark eyes sparkled, a sexy gleam lighting them even as she saw bits of amber burst to life. Her breath came in quick pants, and for a moment, she felt woozy. “I don’t mean to interrupt—”
Before she could finish the sentence, he grabbed a hold of her and drew her into his arms. Her breath left her in a whoosh of air.
“I can’t put this off any longer.” His tone was gruff, husky, his need all too apparent.
He kissed her then, roughly, without a hint of softness. As different as it was to Shane’s kiss, she, nonetheless, loved it. She made a whimpering sound as she clung to his shoulders, his sweat wetting her fingers. He bent her backward with the force of his kiss, and her hair fell away from her shoulders. Unable to resist, she kissed him back.
Her hands slipped to his broad chest and felt his warmth under her palms. She swore she could feel his heart beating rapidly, matching her own fast heartbeat.
She should stop him, but she was still purring from the attention Shane had given her. The need she’d experienced with Shane burned brightly again, this time growing even hotter.
Wick broke the kiss and lifted her into his arms, much as Shane had done. Taking her with him, he set her down on top of the nearby woodpile then tore at her blouse, undoing the buttons as fast as he could. Once he had her shirt parted, his mouth found her breast and latched onto her nipple. She leaned backward, her hands pressed against the hard wood, her chest thrust toward him.
Fuck me, please. Fuck me.
His hands gripped her jeans and, with one hard yank, brought them to her knees. Her panties were gone in the next instant. Taking hold of her ass cheeks, he slid his tongue down and over the r
ise of her stomach. With one quick look, he knelt between her legs and shoved them wide.
Oh, yeah, she thought as a moan rolled out of her.
Putting her legs over his shoulders, he dove in and put his mouth to her pussy. She let out a small yelp and threw her head back. He ate at her, devouring her with his teeth, nibbling at her aching clit. His tongue swirled around, over, then dipped inside, drinking all her juices. He sucked, he bit, he swiped his tongue over her throbbing clit again and again.
The climax hit her hard and fast, threatening to make her lose all sense of equilibrium. Her body shuddered as her release stormed through her. Yet he didn’t stop.
She cried out in the pain of ecstasy as yet another climax grew in the wake of the first one. Could she withstand the pain? Would her release come before she broke apart? When it came, it came hard and fast, tearing her apart and rending another cry from her.
When at last he stood, he wiped her juices from his face. “Now it’s my turn, baby.”
Her chest heaved with her labored breaths as she stared at him, trying to comprehend what had happened. How it had happened. She wanted him, especially when he undid his belt buckle and pulled the flap of his jeans apart. His huge cock stuck out and pointed straight at her.
“Fuck that.”
Although she recognized Paul’s voice, she still had a difficult time believing he was there. Where had he come from?
“We weren’t going to do this. Not yet.” Paul shoved Wick aside then planted his feet apart as though ready to fight.
Wick’s face, contorted into a snarl, was more animal than human. “I don’t give a crap what we said.”
Paul’s gaze scanned her body, and she could see from the gleam in his eye that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. Still, she could also see that he struggled, unwilling to give into the passion that was flamed in his eyes.
She stood up, pulling her jeans up and tugging her shirt together. She should’ve been embarrassed as any self-respecting woman would be, but she wasn’t. Everything she’d—no, they’d—done had felt right. So very right.
Paul couldn’t hide his need. Not when the bulge in his jeans was plain enough to see. Still, he didn’t move. Did he have that much control? She didn’t think he did. She knew she didn’t. “Kiss me.”
“Back off, Paul,” warned Wick.
Paul shook his head again. “We said we weren’t going to do this. But I’ll be damned if I’m the only one that doesn’t get a taste of you.”
With a frustrated groan, he clutched her by the back of her head, holding a hunk of her hair to keep her still. Then, just as she parted her lips in welcome, he kissed her. His kiss, too, was different than Wick’s, different than Shane’s. Yet it was just as sexy, just as needy. His tongue swept into her mouth to taste all of her flavors. She grabbed hold of his arms, doing her best to hold him to her.
The kiss deepened as a growl rumbled through his chest. The sound was animalistic, as though he’d suddenly transformed into a cave man, primal and demanding. She had no more choice with him than she’d had with his brothers. She kissed him back, fervently, ready to submit to his wishes.
She almost broke apart when he ended the kiss. “Why?” she whispered, certain she’d spoken so softly that he couldn’t have heard her. Her knees weakened as she sought to sit down on the logs. Then she’d open her legs for him, too. But he wouldn’t let her. Instead, he made certain she was steady on her feet then turned her loose.
“Don’t you want me?” she asked, this time in a voice that he’d be sure to hear.
“Are you kidding me? Of course I do. You know I do.”
“Then why’d you stop?” She had no shame. She wanted them. Nothing else, no one else would ever satisfy her.
“Get inside, everyone,” he demanded, his voice husky with his craving. “There are things that have to be said first.” He reached out to take her arm then, suddenly, turned it loose.
Was he afraid to touch her and be tempted yet again?
Before she could ask, Wick held out his hand, and she gladly took it. He led her toward the house as Paul called out to Shane, who strode out of the barn and followed them inside.
Paul waved her to the couch, asking her sit in the middle. Fear slipped into her, melting in with the passion. She did as he asked even as she thought about running toward the camper. Yet she was so drawn to them that she couldn’t force herself to move.
He took a seat on the coffee table in front of her while Wick and Shane sat on either side of her. “We don’t have to tell you that we want you. We proved as much today.” He glanced toward Shane. “I’m betting all of us?”
“Yeah. In the barn,” answered Shane.
A lift of Paul’s eyebrows was his only response to finding out that Shane and she had had their own time. Perhaps they hadn’t gone as far as she and Wick had, but it had still been hot and…meaningful. At least, to her. But were the encounters as meaningful to them?
“Before we get any farther into the sexual part of our relationship”—one of Paul’s eyebrows arched even higher—“we have to know what’s going on.”
She squirmed in her seat, knowing she had little recourse except to answer. “I’m not sure I should tell you.”
“Why not, darlin’?” asked Shane. “You can trust us.”
“How do I know that?”
Now it was Shane who arched an eyebrow. “You just know.”
Yes, I do.
“Tell us,” urged Wick.
She couldn’t figure out a better way to explain why she kept her secret, so she just spit it out. “Because I don’t think you’d believe me. Hell, I wouldn’t believe me, either, if I were you.”
“Baby, you’d be surprised at what we’d believe. Just tell us.”
She wanted to believe Wick, wanted to tell them, yet she held back. Whatever was happening between them, she didn’t want to ruin it with a fantastic tale. Even a fantastic tale that was true. Nothing would ruin their relationship faster than them thinking she was crazy. Still, the urge to tell them was hard to ignore. “What if I tell you and you don’t believe me?”
“You’re never going to know until you tell us.” Paul leaned even closer. “Tell us.”
What other choice did she have? If she left now, she’d have to take her camper and leave for good. There was no way she’d be able to resist them, especially now that they’d touched and kissed. Being so close to them would only end up bringing them together once again. As much as she might try, she couldn’t keep secrets and be intimate. Not if she wanted even a small chance at getting to know them better.
“I’m here to find my mother.”
Judging by their expressions, her response was the last thing they’d expected her to say.
* * * *
“Well, hell, that’s the last thing I expected to hear,” proclaimed Shane.
She shot them a “well, you asked for it” look. “But that’s why I’m here. I’m looking for my mother.”
“You’re looking for your mother out in the middle of nowhere Texas? What’s she doing out here?” Paul looked to his brothers for an answer, but they had none.
“This isn’t going to be easy to explain.”
“Give it a shot,” urged Wick. “Whatever it is, we’ll listen with an open mind.”
She dragged in a breath. “Okay. Here goes. Just promise me you’ll listen to all of it before you pass judgment.” She glared at them in warning. “Plus, you have to promise you won’t laugh at me.”
“We swear,” said Wick.
“A short while ago, my mother told me that she had been attacked by a wild animal.” She studied their reactions and was surprised to see that they weren’t all that surprised. But why? How many people got attacked by wild animals? More than she would’ve imagined?
“Go on, sugar.” Paul’s voice was soft, encouraging.
“Okay. Well, when she was attacked by this animal, she said it changed her.” She waited for them to respond, to ask question
s, to do something. Instead, they simply sat where they were and waited. “Should I go on?” At their nods, she did.
“Anyway—and this is the part that’s going to sound really crazy—she said it changed her into the same kind of animal.” Again, no response. It was as though they’d heard the story before.
“What kind of animal?” asked Wick.
She was relieved that one of them had finally said something. “The animal that bit her, the animal she can change into now is a”—she drew in another steadying breath—“chupacabra.”
At least now they showed a reaction. And, as she’d guessed from the beginning, their reactions were ones of disbelief.
“Those things don’t exist.”
She twisted to confront the skeptical Shane. “That’s what everyone thinks. But I’m here to tell you that they do.”
“Because your mother says she was bitten and changed by one? Is that what you’re telling us?”
So now Paul doubted her? After assuring her they’d listen with an open mind? Still, how could she blame him? Her story was an incredible one. “That’s what I’m telling you.”
Wick chuckled. “Baby, I’ve seen a lot of weird things in this world, but I’ve never seen one of those. I’ve never even met anyone who has. And trust me, if they existed, we’d know.”
“Then I guess you don’t know everything, do you?” She crossed her arms, ready to meet their challenge.
“Tell us the rest,” urged Paul. “Because there’s got to be more to the story than that.”
She rankled at his use of the word “story” but bit back a retort.
“How do you know your mother is telling you the truth?” Shane started to touch her then withdrew his hand at her hard look.
Irritation flared. “Why should I think my mother’s lying? And why should you?”
Shane leaned back as though he thought she might strike him, as though her words could physically harm him. “Hang on. I’m not calling your mother a liar. I’m just trying to understand.”
“Yeah,” interjected Paul. “All we’re doing is asking for some evidence.”
“And you’ve seen one?” asked Wick.
