Educating Casey [Cattleman's Club 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Jenny Penn

  “Really?” Josh sounded far from convinced, and Dylan could sense he was losing the battle.

  “Look, Chase called because he needs some help,” Dylan rushed out, desperate to pique Josh’s interest. “His barn burned down.”

  “I’m not a fireman or an architect,” Josh reminded Dylan, as if that were necessary, especially since they both knew Dylan wasn’t done explaining.

  “With his girl in it,” Dylan snapped.

  “Oh.” Josh appeared to consider that for all of a second. “Bad news for the girl. I assume she survived?”

  “Yep.” She hadn’t been hurt thankfully, not that that made much of a difference to Chase or his brothers. “And now it’s time to find the arsonist.”

  “Are they sure it’s arson?”

  “Yep.”

  “And don’t they have local authorities to handle the matter?”

  “Apparently the local sheriff is preoccupied.”

  Actually according to Chase, the sheriff was “balls over heels” for a chick who was doing a good job of making a fool out of him, but that problem wasn’t worth mentioning. Especially since Josh appeared to be caving.

  “I can’t imagine it’d be that hard to find one arsonist, especially in a small town,” he mused, sounding intrigued despite himself.

  “Arsonists are a bitch to find,” Dylan corrected him, knowing he had Josh hooked. “And Pittsview might be small, but thanks to the Cattleman’s Club, it has a hell of a lot of tourism.”

  “The Cattleman’s Club?” Josh scowled in confusion before asking the question Dylan had been waiting all night for. “What the hell is that?”

  * * * *

  Later that night, Josh lay in his bed, staring at the ring Maria had given back to him and wondering what the hell he was going to do now. That was the big question. One he didn’t have an answer to. All he knew was what he wasn’t going to do—a bunch of strange women at some kind of sex club.

  That really wasn’t his thing.

  Looking for an arsonist, that held more appeal. Enough that he’d agreed to go. If nothing else, the distance and time would give Josh a chance to figure out what he was going to do next.

  He really had no clue, and that was very unsettling to him. Josh always had a plan. His plans were always successful, or they had been. Then Maria had happened.

  She was exactly what he’d been looking for, fitting into the role of girlfriend so perfectly it was as if she’d been made for his plan. The only problem was she hadn’t been perfectly made for him. That meant his plan was askew, that it didn’t fit him.

  That was the revelation that had him floored and shocked and, in a very real way, panicked. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do now. That didn’t mean he didn’t know what he wanted to do. Technically it was a who—Casey, to be specific.

  Heaving a deep sigh, Josh dropped the ring back onto the nightstand and stacked his hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling and considered how right Maria had been about his wandering eye. What did it matter that his hands had never followed? His heart had.

  He was in love with Casey, and he was so screwed because Josh knew Dylan was too. Not that his brother would admit it, but Josh suspected that was part of what had driven his desperation to get Josh to the club. Dylan didn’t want to leave Josh alone with Casey.

  He wanted Casey for himself.

  He could have had her too, but Trina had really screwed him up. She’d helped twist Dylan into such a pervert that Josh didn’t know if any one woman would ever be able to satisfy him. What he did know was that he was screwed no matter what because Josh was pretty sure Casey had it bad for his brother, too.

  As for him, Josh was the best friend, the good guy, the one who was too straight-laced and boring to ever keep up with a woman like Casey. Or, at least, that’s what she thought. Maybe it was time to change her mind and prove to her that he could keep her just as satisfied as his brother.

  After all, Josh had always wanted to try a few things.

  Chapter 3

  Sunday, May 25th

  Dylan woke up the next morning, as he usually did, before the sun. He didn’t need the light to see as he pulled on a pair of baggy shorts and stepped into his well-worn sneakers. It took only seconds to lace them up, and he was waiting by door when Casey finally appeared wearing a very similar outfit. Unfortunately, she’d also put on a shirt.

  He’d left his off, knowing that, despite her best efforts not to, Casey couldn’t help but take sly glances at his body. She liked what she saw. Dylan knew it. He liked what he saw, too, as he fell in step behind her. Casey had a great ass, and he loved to watch it bounce. It was so round and plush. His hands fairly burned with the itch to reach out and touch.

  Casey would probably bite his hand off, though. He knew she thought he followed her just to be obnoxious, just as he knew it irritated the crap out of her. That was just too damn bad. She was too cute, and as a cop, he knew how dangerous jogging alone could actually be for a woman, especially women who had ritualized habits and routes, which Casey did.

  Every morning, exactly at six, she ran a five-mile loop before showering, dressing, and joining Josh for breakfast. So, every morning Dylan was home, he got up at five minutes to six and joined her. He’d have liked to have joined her for the shower afterward, too, but, in four years, Casey had never once extended that invitation.

  Not once…

  That depressing thought echoed through his head as it dawned on Dylan he wouldn’t have a chance to make a move after Josh made his. He and his brother had competed over a lot of things, but never a woman. That wasn’t going to change, but his running in her shadow was.

  Picking up speed until he was running beside her, Dylan made a silent point to Casey that she responded to in kind. Without a word or even a glance in his direction, she picked up speed in a blatant attempt to outrun him. Dylan couldn’t let her get away with that.

  He matched her step for step until finally Casey was running flat-out, and he was still jogging. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right, but Dylan still couldn’t help but smile. His grin didn’t last long, though. It ended abruptly as Casey tripped over her own feet and plowed into his side, sending both crashing to the ground in a tangle of limbs.

  Thankfully, they landed on mostly grass. It was softer than the pavement but not nearly as soft as the breast his hand ended up covering. Actually, she was kind of firm. Instinct had his fingers curling around the generous curve of her soft mound just as it had her nipple hardening against his palm. That didn’t stop Casey from snapping at him as she all but threw his hand back in his face.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Casey demanded to know as she scrambled back to her feet.

  “Well, I was trying to get in a morning jog.” Dylan began his explanation as he stared at the puckered tips of her breasts pressing out against the worn cotton of her shirt.

  Casey had a nice rack, but that’s not why he stared. He stared because he knew it would irritate the crap out of her. Sure enough, she flushed and crossed her arms over her chest as her tone sharpened with her impatience.

  “You were racing me,” Casey accused him, as if it were the worst of all sins.

  “Nope.” Dylan shook his head, unfazed by her attitude as he leapt back up to his feet. “You were racing me.”

  “I was not!”

  “Then why are you the one sweating?” Dylan retorted with a smile. “Or are you panting because you’re excited to see me?”

  “If I were racing you, you wouldn’t stand a chance.”

  “Okay, now we’re on.” Dylan didn’t ever back down from a challenge, especially not one Casey issued.

  She knew it. She knew exactly what she was getting herself into and didn’t hesitate for a moment to line up beside him along the path and nod her agreement as he began to count down. Casey took off the second he said go, but Dylan hesitated.

  He allowed her to run ahead for most of the way back, not bothering to put mu
ch effort into chasing her until they turned back into their apartment complex. Only then did he pick up speed, sailing right past her and up the steps to land in front of his door before she made it to hers.

  Of course, he couldn’t just smile and be contented with the knowledge that he’d bested her. Oh, no. Dylan had a victory dance, one that came with ever-changing lines but always ended with Casey storming away. She was a sore loser, which just made it all the more fun to beat her.

  Dylan chuckled to himself as he headed in to take a quick shower. By the time he was clean, shaved, and dressed, Josh already had the coffee going and breakfast cooking. It was eggs that morning with a hash that had Dylan’s mouthwatering, but he knew to stay on his side of the counter. Josh didn’t like people getting in his way.

  No sooner had Dylan settled down into his normal seat than Kacey appeared, jumping onto the stool beside him and using it to climb up onto the counter. The cat joined Dylan in watching Josh as he finished prepping the plates.

  “You cook those potatoes in the bacon grease?” Dylan eyed the hash and all but licked his chops. He was hungry.

  “Huh? Oh, yeah.” Josh nodded as he glanced over at Dylan, his gaze darkening into a scowl as his eyes narrowed in on Kacey. “Would you get that thing off the counter?”

  “Kacey is not a thing,”

  “Off the counter.”

  “You heard the grouch.” Dylan picked up the cat and gave him a quick hug as he murmured in a baby voice he’d have never used in front of anybody other than Josh…and Casey. “He’s just a mean, old, grumpy bastard, isn’t he? Yes, he is. Yes, he is. Yes, he is.”

  Whether he agreed or not, Kacey wanted to be freed. He squirmed, making his want known. Dylan dropped him onto the floor as the door cracked open and Casey stuck her head inside without bothering to knock.

  “Hello?”

  “In the kitchen,” Josh hollered back, drawing Casey through the living room toward the island bar that separated the kitchen from the dining room. Dylan kicked the stool beside him out in a silent greeting that she didn’t bother to thank him for, though she did take a seat.

  “Breakfast is ready,” he informed her as he considered that Maria had a right to be jealous of Casey. After all, Maria might be gorgeous, but she wasn’t perfect. Casey was, with that smile and those eyes and those firm, large—

  “Do you mind not staring at my breasts?” Casey snapped as she crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re acting like you haven’t gotten laid in—”

  “Weeks,” he finished for her. That was just the pain of having to live life undercover. No sex. No fun. No Casey.

  “Yeah, right.” Casey snorted in obvious disbelief. “What happened? You have to wait for the medicine to clear up something down there.”

  Casey stressed that last word as her eyes dipped down to Dylan’s crotch in a pointed look that had him flipping her off. She was forever insinuating that he had some kind of sexually transmitted disease, but he wasn’t dumb. He wore a condom every time, with every woman, and always turned down pussy that either looked weird or had a funny smell. He did have some standards.

  Unlike some people.

  “Oh, that’s right. I ran into Jeb down at the prison and he said not to worry. The itching will go away,” Dylan shot back, lying as he referenced one of the many bozos Casey had dated, thankfully, briefly.

  “Really? Because I ran into Janet shopping for strollers. She said the baby’s due in a few weeks and here I forgot to get you a card,” Casey retorted, matching Dylan’s dirty look as they shared a moment before she dismissed him and turned her attention to Josh, who was sliding a plate of smiley-faced eggs with bacon eyebrows and hash-brown hair.

  “Here, I made this for you.” Josh offered Casey a bashful smile that had Dylan rolling his eyes.

  He knew what was coming. Josh always got weird around women he liked. Weird, awkward, even gawky, it was so embarrassing. Embarrassing but effective.

  “Feeling creative this morning?” Casey’s tone and manner softened, no doubt in response to Josh’s sudden onset of shyness. She was folding.

  Just like every woman before her, Casey was falling for Josh’s big doe-eyed look. It wouldn’t be long before her clothes were littering the floor and Josh had her screaming down the rafters. Dylan wasn’t sure what Josh did to a woman, but he made most of them thank God loud enough for every saint in heaven to hear, not to mention the sinners down in hell. That’s where Dylan felt as though he was being sentenced, too, as Josh gazed longingly down at Casey.

  “I find myself feeling strangely….”

  “Optimistic?” Casey offered, earning her another smile from Josh.

  “Yeah.” He nodded. “Optimistic, that’s how I feel.”

  “That’s because you are bitch-less.” Dylan lifted up his glass and lifted it into the air. “And I say we celebrate your new single-man status.”

  “Here, here.” Casey could agree with him on that much at least. She lifted her glass, clinking it against his as Josh gave them both a sour look.

  “Maria wasn’t that bad.”

  Dylan snorted right along with Casey as they shared a glance and shook their heads.

  “He’s hopeless.” Casey sighed.

  “Well, he’s had sex with her,” Dylan quickly reminded Casey. “Sex, especially good sex, can make up for a lot of flaws.”

  “And you would know,” Josh muttered as he handed a plate over to Dylan.

  Casey snickered as she picked up her fork, but before she could take a bite, a set of claws sank into her jeans, and a second later, Kacey was hoisting himself up onto her lap as she sat there clearly simmering or, at least, pretending to simmer. Dylan could see through Casey’s act.

  She liked his cat.

  * * * *

  Josh watched Casey’s brow wrinkle into a scowl as she glared down at Dylan’s cat and had to admit that he was amazed Kacey hadn’t disappeared one night. He wouldn’t put it past her to relocate the cat to a good home somewhere. Of course that would crush Dylan, and Josh was pretty sure Casey would never hurt his brother. It didn’t matter if she did hate his cat because Casey liked Dylan.

  She would just never admit to it.

  As far as the cat went, Kacey didn’t help matters when he shoved his face into her eggs and began eating without any concern of retribution. He didn’t have to worry. Dylan was there to keep him safe. Plucking the cat off Casey’s lap with one hand, Dylan swapped plates with her using the other. In less than five seconds, Kacey was settled back down on his brother’s thighs and shoving his face deeper into the eggs as Dylan leaned forward to eat around the cat.

  “That is so gross.” Casey stared at Josh’s brother with a look of disgust.

  “What?” He glanced up as if checking to see if she were really talking to him. When he realized she was, Dylan’s indignation couldn’t be masked. “Why? It’s not like I’m eating where Kacey is. There is a little buffer.”

  “Whatever.” Casey waved away his explanation. “I’m not kissing you, so it’s really none of my business where you stick your tongue.”

  In response to that, Dylan stuck his tongue out and wiggled it at her, but he quickly retracted it when she lifted her fork higher and eyed him with malicious intent. Josh bit back a laugh as he watched the two of them. They really were a matched set, and he loved them both.

  That truth hit him then and there as he gazed over at Casey, amazed at how beautiful one woman could actually be. The sunlight streaming through the kitchen window made her skin glow until she nearly glimmered like an angel. Of course, the devilish twinkle shimmering in her eyes assured a man that Casey was no saint. Far from it. She was a flesh-and-blood goddess who was meant to be worshipped both in bed and out of it, like maybe on the kitchen table…or bent over the couch, or even—

  “So, how you holding up?”

  Josh blinked as Casey’s question cut through his wayward thoughts. It took him a moment to remember Maria and their breakup. He was supposed to be e
motionally torn up, but he was more nervous about what came next than worrying about what he’d lost.

  “I’m fine.” Josh finally offered her that answer, knowing it had taken too long. She wasn’t going to believe him.

  “Shit, you’re better than fine. You’re free,” Dylan proclaimed with a grandeur that Casey quickly seconded.

  “To freedom.” Casey lifted her glass in a salute. “May we all use it wisely and never waste it.”

  “I’ll drink to that.” Josh lifted his coffee cup and clinked it against her tea, but whereas Casey took a big gulp, Josh simply sipped. “So, what about you? You excited about your trip?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Casey broke out into a big grin. A grin that kind of unnerved Josh.

  “I take it you got big plans, huh?”

  “The biggest.”

  “Really?” Dylan perked up at that brag. “And what are they?”

  “To spend as much time naked as possible,” Casey shot back obnoxiously, making Dylan snort and roll his eyes as Josh swallowed and tried not to picture her without clothes. It was pointless.

  “I assume you have similar plans?” Casey lifted a brow in Dylan’s direction. “I mean, given your weeks-long fast and all, you must be kind of…desperate by now.”

  “Honey, I am never desperate.” Dylan tossed her a wink before throwing Josh under the bus. “But I do have big plans, and this time, I’m taking baby brother with me.”

  Josh felt the ground shift beneath him as he silently started praying that Dylan would leave it at that. He didn’t want Casey to know about the sex club. It was embarrassing. It wasn’t as though he was going for the sex.

  “Is that right?” Casey glanced over at Josh for confirmation and he quickly tried to change the direction of the conversation.

  “More like I’m going along to bail him out just in case he gets into that much trouble,” Josh assured her, earning him a laugh from her and a dirty look from Dylan.

  “I’ll have you know I have never been arrested,” Dylan said, defending himself.