Carnal Compromise

When you’re down on the farm, things are bound to get dirty!

Joe Remke has just one qualification for his lovers—he wants them gone before sunrise, which makes his new bunkmate AJ about as safe as a woman can be around him. It also makes his determination to sleep with his boss downright stupid, because if Brent ever gives in, he’ll be looking for a new job. Ladies’ man Brent Andersen knows sex with his right-hand man Joe is inevitable, but he’s not going down without a fight. Putting the new female hired hand in their cramped RV was a stroke of genius, taking the heat off him while protecting her from the horny guys on his custom farming crew. AJ Pender’s hard-bodied roomies may hide their feelings for each other from the rest of the crew, but they aren’t fooling her—Brent and Joe are hot for each other, and it’s all she can do not to cry at the thought. If they ever found out she fantasizes about being the meat in their farmer sandwich, they’d probably die laughing. Fortunately for Brent and Joe, fantasies have a way of revealing themselves and AJ’s are right up their alley. But even threesomes have their risks, and AJ can serve as a buffer for only so long before the tension between them explodes.

Warning: Flying BOBs ahead—and that’s just the warm-up! Strap yourself in for a wild ride complete with ménage, m/m, and a voyeuristic f/f scene hot enough to make three grown men beg for mercy.

eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work. This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. Samhain Publishing, Ltd. 11821 Mason Montgomery Road Suite 4B Cincinnati OH 45249 Carnal Compromise Copyright © 2011 by Robin L. Rotham ISBN: 978-1-60928-591-3 Edited by Heather Osborn Cover by Scott Carpenter All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: August 2011 www.samhainpublishing.com

Carnal Compromise Robin L. Rotham

Dedication

To Mr. Robin, the original sexy farmer and the inspiration for my every flawed and funny hero. I could never have written a romance if I hadn't loved you.

Chapter One

“She’s giving me that starved puppy look again.” Joe’s murmur made Brent look up from his laptop. They sat across from each other at the dinette, and if his back weren’t to AJ, he might have checked her out covertly. But he didn’t really need to—she’d directed a similar look his way several times in the last few weeks. “Is that a problem?” he asked in a low voice. The RV wasn’t the best place for this conversation, especially with AJ sitting right behind them, but she had the TV turned up loud enough to drown them out. Joe rubbed his knuckles on his unshaven cheek. “It might be if you don’t find someplace else for her to bunk.” Brent studied the man who’d been his right hand and best friend for over six years. He’d never seen Joe this on edge. His jaw was tense, his blue eyes furtive, and his dark brown hair stood on end as if he’d been shoving his hands through it for the last hour while Brent was absorbed in his bookwork. When had he gone so salt-and-pepper? Even his moustache and beard stubble glinted with a considerable helping of silver. Actually, it was kind of surprising that AJ would be so attracted to a man showing as much wear as Joe did. Big, gruff and work-hardened, he looked older than his forty-seven years. Her attraction to Brent made more sense—he was younger, fairly laid-back and had the kind of lean blond looks that had attracted a lot of ladies over the years. “You think so?” he asked doubtfully. “She seems more like the type to just lust from afar rather than put the moves on a guy she works with.” “It’s not her moves I’m worried about.” Brent narrowed his eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re interested.” “Maybe.” “You’re way out of her league.” He hadn’t intended it to be a warning, but that was how it came out. At thirty-four, AJ Pender might not be in the first blush of womanhood, but she was quiet, reserved and obviously still young and innocent in all the ways that counted. She wouldn’t have the least idea what to do if guys like them took her up on the unconscious offer in her eyes, and he’d just as soon it stayed that way. “Tell me about it,” Joe said impatiently. After another quick glance at AJ, he said, “Let’s get out of here. I need a drink.”

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Brent shut down his laptop without hesitation. Shoving the receipts back into their file folder, he stood up and unbuckled his belt to take off his pliers holster while Joe did the same. After he’d tucked the tail of his flannel shirt back into his jeans, he turned to look at AJ. The lanky blonde farmhand was curled up on one end of the couch in a baggy sweatshirt and faded jeans, dividing her attention between her own laptop and some medical drama on TV. Judging by the lack of keyboarding sounds, she’d been mostly reading rather than writing. If he were polite, he’d ask her to go along with them. Instead he asked, “Whatcha readin’, AJ?” Red flags appeared on her cheeks as she looked up, and she put on hand on the laptop’s lid as if she intended to slam it down if anyone came near enough to see what was on the screen. “Um, nothing. I mean, nothing much. Just an e-book. They’re a lot easier to carry around than a stack of paperbacks,” she hurried to explain. “An e-book, huh?” He tried not to grin. “We know someone who writes e-books, don’t we, Joe?” “We sure do,” Joe drawled, shrugging into his jacket. “Ever read anything by Amanda Garrity?” AJ’s blue eyes widened. “You know Amanda Garrity?” “Yup,” Brent said. “So you’ve read her books?” He wouldn’t have thought it possible, but she turned even redder. “Well, um, I think I, uh—” “That’s okay, honey.” Brent winked at her. “We won’t tell anyone if you don’t.” Instead of protesting her innocence, AJ just let her eyes slide to the TV and chewed on her lower lip. The confirmation that she read dirty books drew his balls up tight. Ignoring the reaction, he said, “So we’re headed to town. Need anything?” “Not unless you can get me a new pair of boots at the bar,” she said without looking at him. She was obviously uncomfortable with their knowing about her choice of reading material. It made him think, though. If AJ read the kind of books Mandy wrote, maybe she would know what to do if one of them—or both of them—put the moves on her. Don’t go there. You don’t fuck the hired hands, remember? But Joe had been known to once in a great while. It wasn’t a comforting thought. Her words finally registered and he asked, “You need boots?” “Yeah, I knocked the corner off a heel this morning. But that’s all right,” she said, keeping her eyes glued the television. “I’ll pick up a pair when we go through Sioux Falls.” “Okay then—guess we’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, snagging his jacket and cap off the hook by the door. She didn’t look up. “Have a good time.” “Will do.” They were both silent until they got into the truck and then Joe blew out a loud breath. “Well, I didn’t see that coming.”

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Brent started up the engine. “Me neither.” “Shit, why do I feel bad about leaving her there?” “I don’t know. She seemed glad enough to see us go,” he said with a grin, pulling away from the camper. They could have walked, since the RV park was less than a mile from the bar, but driving everywhere was an ingrained habit. He’d never lived anyplace he didn’t have to drive at least a couple of miles to borrow a cup of sugar from a neighbor. “Yeah, but she spends too much time alone.” “That’s her choice, Joe. She knew when she hired on with a custom farming crew that she’d probably be the only woman.” And he tried to show her as little deference as possible for exactly that reason. If he treated her with kid gloves, she’d probably be uncomfortable and the guys would be resentful. When she’d reported for work at their North Platte job in September, hiring packet in hand and a laptop and duffel bag slung over her shoulders, he’d just about shit a brick. What the hell was Brenda thinking, sending a woman up here? And why the hell hadn’t she warned him? Well, the answer to that last one was obvious—he’d have vetoed her choice of hire without even giving AJ Pender a chance and Brenda knew it. It was just asking for trouble to put single women on custom farming crews. Hell, the quarters were tight enough already without tossing a decent-looking female into the mix, especially one who wasn’t related to any of the crew. But if he voiced that opinion in the wrong place, to the wrong person, he’d have the ACLU, the IRS, the SPCA, NASA and every other alphabet soup organization under the sun up his ass—assuming he still had an ass after Mandy and Brenda were through with him. But instead of sending her off, he’d looked AJ over from her crown of short, pale curls to the toes of her scuffed work boots and asked, “So what does AJ stand for?” “None of your business,” she replied, radiating tension. “I take it you were expecting a man?” Wisely, he’d held his tongue and given himself a minute to consider the situation. He’d been happy enough with her qualifications when Brenda emailed him her application, and she had that look about her that always got to him when he was interviewing displaced farmers. “Yeah, I was,” he finally said. “But I’ll get over it. I hope you weren’t expecting a ladies-only camper.” “No sir. I expect to be treated just like everyone else.” He pointed to his pickup. “In that case, you can stow your gear in the backseat for the time being and take over for Seth Dietz running that grain cart.” He’d planned on AJ bunking in with Seth and his younger brother Tim, but that was when he thought she was probably another young horndog. The only viable option was to put her in with Joe, who made no bones about his preference for lovers who disappeared before the sun came up the next morning. Brent had been prepared for Joe to grumble a little about having to share the bunkroom, but instead he’d just smirked

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and said, “You’re the boss.” That’s when it had dawned on him that AJ’s presence in their camper protected more than just her. “Come on.” Joe’s skeptical voice cut into Brent’s musings. “You know she wouldn’t be here if she’d had any other halfway agreeable choice.” Brent sighed as he pulled into the gravel lot behind the Shady Shanty. Joe was right. AJ didn’t say much, but she shared a little here and there—enough for them to know that her mother had died of cancer when she was in high school and she’d farmed with her daddy until he had a stroke. The man had spent months in the hospital before dying and his land had been sold off to pay the medical bills. Probably all she’d had left was her pride, something most farmers had in spades. Farming had been a risky proposition since the beginning of time, but it was also rewarding in a way few jobs were these days. It afforded a man—or a woman—the kind of independence that was hard to give up. After running his own custom farming business for so many years, Brent thought he’d probably rather just end it all than spend the rest of his life flipping burgers in some fast food joint, so he’d understood and sympathized with AJ’s desire to join his crew. Seeing her squared shoulders and the proud set to her chin that first day, he’d known she was fully prepared for him to show her the door. If he’d gone that route, she wouldn’t have cried or thrown a tantrum or threatened him with legal action like a lot of women would have—she’d have given a short nod and headed back down the road with her head held high, then looked for another crew to join. It was her desperate pride that had finally clinched it for him. He couldn’t turn her away. He’d had to give her a chance to prove herself, and so far, she’d done a damn fine job of it. Entering the bar through the side door, he and Joe slid into the booth in the back corner. The place was hopping for a Monday night, and despite the late hour, there were a few kids among the diners. “Chelsea’ll be right with you boys,” Kayla called from the window to the kitchen. Brent pushed back the bill of his cap as he nodded at her. “No hurry—we’ll just have a couple of shots of Jack with Bud chasers when she’s got time.” “And a medium combo,” Joe added. “You got it, Joe.” “Didn’t we just have supper?” Brent asked. “A bologna sandwich and chips ain’t supper—it’s lunch.” “True. I’m ready for a piece of Mandy’s apple pie.” “I’m ready for a piece of her ass, myself.” Joe’s disgruntled tone made Brent grin. “Man, you really are wound up.” “Well, it’s been awhile, and Mandy’s got a nice ass.” Then he gave Brent a pointed look, adding, “And since you won’t give me a piece of yours…” Brent stared back, daring Joe to go any further.

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Joe took the dare. “How much longer are you planning on holding out?” That was a damn good question, in light of how hard his cock had just grown. He’d been putting Joe off for a long time. Too long, probably. One of these days, the man was going to get tired of waiting and either take off or take what he wanted. The ragged pounding in his ears told Brent his blood pressure was spiking, and he had to clench his jaw to keep from swallowing the saliva that pooled under his tongue. “We didn’t come here to talk about that,” he said carefully. “We came here to talk about the bunkmate situation.” Joe looked at him steadily for a minute and then gave a slow smile that made Brent’s heart beat even faster. If his expression was anything to go by, Joe definitely wouldn’t be taking off when he got tired of waiting. “Whatever you say, boss,” Joe told him, leaning his head back against the worn wooden booth. Brent’s tension eased a little. Confrontation averted, at least for the moment. “Haven’t you hooked up with someone here before?” he asked. “A redhead, Tracy or Stacy something, right? Why don’t you give her a call?” Joe grimaced. “Stacy, and I already thought of that, but she got herself hitched a few months ago and is about to become a mama. That’s why she’s not working here anymore.” “Go figure.” “That’s what I said.” Chelsea appeared beside their table. “Pizza will be out in about ten, guys,” she said, depositing their drinks. After she walked off, Joe poured his beer into a glass as he continued. “I don’t think it would have helped anyway. I got laid in back Benton and still went to bed that night with a damn hard-on knowing AJ was sleeping two feet away.” Tossing back his own shot, Brent waited for the burn to subside into a pleasant tingle before sighing. “It’s that bad?” “Hell yes. She smells too damn good, even when she hasn’t been spanking the monkey.” Brent froze with the beer halfway to his lips and stared at him. “How do you know?” Joe raised a disbelieving brow. “You’re telling me you can’t smell it when a woman’s been masturbating in your room?” “I don’t think one ever has,” Brent admitted, taking a pull from his bottle while Joe tossed back the Jack. Sure, he’d gotten a nose full of plenty of rooms that reeked of sex in his day, but he was more inclined to indulge away from his own digs. The idea that AJ spent her alone time in his RV reading dirty books and playing with herself had his cock straining at his zipper again. “Count yourself lucky,” Joe said, grimacing at the afterburn. He took a swig of his beer and Brent felt an insane urge to lick the trace of gleaming foam from his moustache. “She usually does it while you and I

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are gone for the evening, and when I get back, I have to lie there all night, torturing myself with visions of her pumping her fingers in that sweet-smelling little cunt.” Well, now there was a distracting image. Brent tried to hold back a grin, but it came anyway. AJ was an interesting mass of contradictions. Her body was tall and angular, strong and capable, and yet she somehow managed to come across as fragile. She kept her blonde hair cropped close to her head, but that only emphasized the feminine vulnerability of her long, slender neck. She maintained a careful distance from the rest of the crew, and yet her pretty blue eyes watched Joe and him with a hunger that was all too apparent, at least to them. Maybe AJ should be the exception to his no-fucking-the-hired-hands policy. She obviously craved sex but was too levelheaded to shit in her own nest by screwing around with the other hands. She was a lot like him in that respect. And it was becoming apparent Joe wouldn’t settle down until he’d had her. Brent knew all too well that once the stubborn bastard got it in his head to fuck someone, he found a way to do it. It hadn’t happened to him yet, but he had the gnawing suspicion it was only a matter of time. “I’m getting a very bad idea,” he murmured. “Oh yeah?” “If she reads Mandy’s books, she’s probably got some pretty heavy-duty fantasies.” Joe stared at him for a minute, then his moustache started twitching. “We’re good at fulfilling fantasies.” “Yes, we are.” In fact, they did such a good job fulfilling fantasies that Brent’s cousin Hake and his hot little farm wife Mandy invited them back for a repeat performance every year when they passed through town on their way back to Kansas. Unfortunately, it would be at least six weeks before they started making their way south again, and Joe didn’t seem inclined to wait that long for an extended bout of noholds-barred fucking. Now that he really thought about it, a three-way arrangement might be just what the doctor ordered for both them and AJ. It would relieve all of their most pressing carnal needs without risking the messy emotional entanglements that came with one-on-one sex. “So how do you bring up something like that to a girl like her?” he asked. “Maybe Mandy would send us a letter of reference.” Brent grinned. “Or Hake.” “Or Hake,” Joe acknowledged with a gleam in his eye. “Or we could just hand her a copy of Carnal Deliverance and say, ‘This is us. Interested?’” “Smooth but a little sleazy.” “Okay, then we’ll just have to ask her straight out, I guess. The worst she can do is slap our faces and tell us to fuck off.”

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“Or hit the road.” Brent frowned. “She’d probably be too uncomfortable to stay on after a proposition like that.” “It might be for the best if we can’t work something out.” “Best for who? She needs the money and we can’t afford to lose a good hand.” He shook his head. “No, we can’t let her walk away. We’ll just have to make sure she wants what we want.” When their waitress walked by again, he flagged her down with a grin. “Can we get that pizza to go?”

AJ scowled as the clatter of Brent Andersen’s diesel engine died away. Damn, damn, damn! There went her primary source of evening entertainment. Reading erotic books with Joe and Brent in the room was the most reckless thing she’d ever done, and she looked forward to it more than just about anything in her life at the moment. Their presence ratcheted up the titillation factor of even the tamest book exponentially, and every sentence she read was a walk on the razor’s edge between fear and perverse anticipation. What would they do if she betrayed herself by blushing or breathing heavily, or even having an orgasm? Which of course she wouldn’t because she was too disciplined for that. But it was amusing—not to mention both appalling and arousing—to imagine. And really, it wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility that she could accidentally come from pressing her thighs together. More than once since she’d moved in with them, she’d woken having an orgasm and lain there in horrified stillness until Joe’s snores reassured her that she hadn’t cried out. Now that they knew what kind of books she enjoyed, she’d never be able to read around them again for fear they’d ferret out even more of her secrets. AJ rolled her eyes. Like Brent and Joe would even care about her secrets. After staring at the same page for twenty minutes, she finally gave up and shut down her laptop. Might as well save the last three chapters of Amanda Garrity’s Carnal Vengeance for a night when she wasn’t so distracted and get on with her other favorite forbidden entertainment while she still had the camper to herself. She stood up and stretched, and then turned off the TV. Ordinarily she’d leave it on as cover, but tonight the wind had picked up enough that no one walking by the camper would hear her if she accidentally cried out. Stepping into the cramped bunkroom she shared with Joe Remke, she checked to make sure the blinds were closed tight before stripping out of her sweatshirt, jeans and underwear. The socks stayed on—it was too damn cold in here already. Then she opened Joe’s cupboard with trembling hands and pulled one of his dirty T-shirts from the mesh laundry hamper at the bottom. Holding it to her nose, she sucked in a deep breath and just about had

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an orgasm. Detergent, sweat, soil, grease… It was a real man’s shirt, and wearing it was about as close as she was likely to get to having a real man against her breasts, much less between her legs, anytime soon. “You’ve got to stop doing this,” she muttered. But she wouldn’t and she knew it, especially now that it was the only shameful thrill left to her. She pulled the navy tee over her head and, biting her lip, turned to look at herself in the mirror over her dresser. Oh, yeah. Joe was a large, powerful man and his shirt swallowed her. She looked small and almost…delicate in it. Reaching into her underwear drawer, she pulled her vibrator from its hiding place inside a pair of thick knee socks. She really shouldn’t be doing this in a camper she shared with two men—but then, sharing a camper with these two particular men was exactly why she needed to do it. They were big and gorgeous and sexy, and she was apparently hitting her sexual prime with a vengeance. Talk about rotten timing. Dammit, why hadn’t Brent put her in with Seth and Tim? Those two were just like the steers she used to work on her daddy’s farm, young and stupid enough to hump just about anything, whether it moved or not. She wouldn’t have been the least bit tempted by either of them. AJ sighed again. Unfortunately, she actually had a pretty good idea of why Brent had stuck her in with them. They thought they hid it pretty well, and the farming community being what it was, she didn’t blame them for trying. They even slept in separate rooms and obviously had even before she arrived on the scene. But she’d seen the way they looked at each other when no one else was around. Brent Andersen and Joe Remke were gay, and it was all she could do not to cry at the thought of it. Not that either of them would ever have given her a second look even if they were straight, but God, what a loss for womankind. What an absolute freaking waste. She lived for the nights they went out alone, presumably to take care of their needs in complete privacy—it gave her the time and privacy to take care of her own urgent needs. Swallowing, she stacked her pillows at the head of her bed and lay back, splaying her knees open. The cool air whistling in around the window felt good on her pussy, which was still shamefully overheated and wet. Living with Joe and Brent had certainly changed her in just a few short months. She still didn’t understand why the fear of discovery was such a turn-on for some people, but these days she could relate all too well. A big gust of wind buffeted the camper and she froze with the head of the dildo hovering over her pussy. After listening to make sure that was all it was, she spread her already slick lips with her fingers and slid the pink jelly shaft in deep. Adjusting it so the clit attachment hit her where it was supposed to, she turned it on and let the vibration do its work. Her clit began to tingle and she sighed, pulling Joe’s shirt up under her chin to expose her breasts. There wasn’t much to them, but it felt good to run her fingers over her nipples, to twist and pinch them and pretend it was Joe and Brent sucking on her.

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AJ was so hungry for it, that first orgasm rolled over her within seconds. She gasped and stiffened as her insides contracted around the shaft in painful pleasure, forcing it out onto the mattress. Leaving one hand to play with her breasts, she reached down and replaced the dildo, knowing she had at least three or four more good ones coming. She worked it slowly in and out while visions of Brent and Joe played in her head. The idea of watching them go at it was enough to drive her wild. She could easily see Joe bending Brent over the foot of the big bed in the master bedroom and sliding his heavy cock into Brent’s lean, muscular ass. Even more titillating was the vision of Joe driving his cock into her, though she’d rather have it someplace besides her ass. She might eat up the double-penetration scenes in Amanda Garrity’s books, and God knew the idea of being sandwiched between two strong men like Brent and Joe set her heartbeat skittering every which way, but she couldn’t see ever being comfortable with anal. It was just too masculine, too harsh and earthy—like having sex in the blinding fluorescent light of a men’s locker-room rather than the romantic soft focus of a candlelit retreat. Which was why most of her personal fantasies centered on the ménage scenes where the woman took one man in her mouth while another slid into her pussy. Her favorite scenario was being trapped in a dark, isolated cabin with Joe and Brent while a raging snowstorm howled outside. She’d be on her hands and knees between them, safe and warm in front of a crackling fire, with Brent fucking her mouth while Joe held her hips and pounded her pussy into oblivion. Afterward they’d all collapse together in a pile of handmade quilts and sip hot chocolate while they whispered sweet nothings in each other’s ears. Then they’d do it all again. Okay, so maybe it was a little—or a lot—far-fetched, but a girl could dream, couldn’t she? Another wind gust rocked the camper and she moaned, imagining it was them returning early. What would Joe do if he walked in here and found her? Roll his eyes and tell her to get a life, no doubt. But the fantasy of him rushing to her side, yanking the dildo out and drawling, “Here, baby, let me show you how a real live man fucks,” right before he jumped her was just too delicious to resist. “Ooooh, please!” she moaned. AJ shoved the dildo in deeper and held it against her cervix, tugging on one nipple while the hard vibration against her clit sent her over the edge into an orgasm that was longer and stronger than the first one. “Oh God, yes!” she whimpered. She was just opening her mouth for a noisy moan when a voice at the door rumbled, “I’ll second that.”

The way AJ rolled off the bed screaming, Joe might as well have yelled, “Incoming!”

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She landed on the floor in a half-crouch, her eyes as big as silver dollars, and the dildo immediately thumped onto the carpet between her feet. Her eyes got even wider as she gaped down at the buzzing pink toy, which was shiny wet with her juices, and her jaw worked but nothing came out of her mouth. “Take it easy, honey,” Brent said behind him in a soothing tone. Just like a woman, she did exactly the opposite. “Get. Out!” she screamed, big blotches of red blooming in her neck and face. Joe crossed his arms over his chest. “I’d like my shirt first.” “You’d—” She blinked at him. “What?” “My shirt.” He nodded at the T-shirt. “You’re wearing it and I’d like to have it back.” She continued to blink at him and he almost grinned. Mission accomplished. She was no longer about to stroke out on them. “But it’s dirty,” she said blankly. Joe’s cock hardened even further. There were plenty of clean shirts in his drawer, but she’d picked one that reeked of him to masturbate in. Apparently realizing what she’d just revealed, AJ went red up to her hairline. “God dammit, can’t you just get out of here and leave me alone!” When they didn’t move, she looked around the room with wild eyes and finally picked up the dildo and threw it at him. He ducked to the side and Brent took it square in the solar plexus. “Hey—” “I said get out! Get out, get out, get out!” Joe took a reluctant step back but apparently he wasn’t moving fast enough to suit her. She barreled into him full tilt at the same instant Brent yanked at his biceps, and they all landed in a pile outside the door. Joe had about two seconds to enjoy being the meat in a very sexy sandwich before AJ scrambled off him, kneeing him in the groin in the process. Then she slammed the bedroom door and locked it. “Off!” Brent gasped. Before Joe could move, the door opened just far enough for his shirt to smack him in the face and then slammed again. When Brent shoved at his back, Joe rolled to his knees and stood, biting his lips as he offered a hand up. “Holy hell, you weigh a ton,” Brent grumbled, rubbing the back of his head. He turned and trudged through the living room into the tiny kitchen/dining area, no doubt as disappointed as Joe that they weren’t getting laid tonight. Instead of letting him stop at the table, where their cooling pizza waited, Joe put a firm hand between his shoulder blades and propelled him into the master bedroom, barely managing to get the door closed and

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flip on the light before a silent huff of laughter forced its way out of his chest. He plopped down on the foot of the bed and buried his face in his dirty T-shirt, wheezing with the effort to keep his hilarity quiet. When he finally looked up, blotting his eyes with the dark fabric, Brent was watching him with wry amusement. “That didn’t go quite like I’d planned.” Joe swallowed another snort. “That poor girl,” he squeezed out between the spasms of mirth still quaking his chest. Brent rubbed his belly. “I’m just glad she didn’t have a hunting knife lying around.” That sent Joe off the deep end again, and he had to roll over and bury his face in a handful of bedspread to keep from roaring with laughter. The mattress dipped over his head when Brent sat down, but Joe was too overcome to comment on finally getting him into bed. Long moments later, he rolled to his back and took a half-dozen deep, shaky breaths, his body completely relaxed. But his mind was still awash with images of AJ and her red face and her short blonde hair standing in a haphazard halo around her head. And her pretty tits peeking out from the bunched-up hem of his dirty T-shirt. And that dildo sunk in her deliciously wet, blonde cunt. Taking one last deep breath, he pronounced glibly, “I think I’m in love.” “You ain’t the only one.” Joe tilted his head back to look at the man reclining at the head of the bed. He knew damn well Brent wasn’t any more in love with AJ than he was, but it was nice not to be the only one with his nuts in a knot over her for a change. “We’re not letting her get away, are we?” Brent’s smile was ruthless when he said, “No way in hell.”

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Chapter Two

“Now how in the hell did you get away without me hearing you?” Brent stood in the open door of the bunkroom, rubbing his hair in groggy disbelief. Dammit, she’d snuck out. He’d given Joe his bed and slept on the sofa, not three feet from the front door, to prevent just such an occurrence, but apparently he’d sacrificed a decent night’s sleep for nothing. Not surprisingly, Joe had suggested they share the bed last night, and for just a second, Brent had been cruelly tempted. The vision of AJ mostly naked and writhing on her bunk as she came had been burned into his retinas, and he knew that unless he followed suit and got himself off, he was going to have a hell of a time sleeping with the hard-on that wouldn’t die. Joe could have given him the kind of relief he’d only dreamed of, and the fact that they both knew it made Brent want to plant a fist in the asshole’s face. Instead he’d snatched his pillow off the bed without a word and marched out to stand guard. He’d had a feeling AJ might try to disappear without a trace in the night, and now it looked as if he was right. How could she have gotten by him? He could hardly draw a breath in the camper without the floor creaking, and he could swear he hadn’t slept more than a few minutes at a time all night. He must have fallen into a coma sometime before dawn. Crossing to her small built-in dresser, he yanked open the top drawer and sagged with relief when he saw her socks and panties still jumbled together inside. At the sound of a pickup starting, he leaned over Joe’s bunk and flipped up one of the slats. “Shit.” He didn’t know whether to be annoyed or relieved to see her sandwiched between Seth and Tim as they pulled out of the drive, probably headed to town for breakfast. He was relieved she hadn’t run off, but dammit, he’d wanted to talk to her before they went to the field, try to set things straight and get a plan in place. He righted the blinds with a sigh. She wasn’t making it easy for them. Scrubbing his fingernails over his bare chest, he wandered back toward the shower. Usually he bathed at night, rinsing away the dirt and grime of the day before he hit the sack, but today he needed to chase the grit of a sleepless night from his eyes…and take care of this grinding ache in his groin before it made him do something stupid. After he’d shucked his jeans and boxer briefs, he flipped on the shower and climbed into the cramped stall. AJ had obviously skipped her morning shower, and the thought she might still be wearing the rich

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horny-woman fragrance he’d gotten a whiff of last night was all it took to bring his already alert cock to enthusiastic attention. He leaned a forearm against the shower’s plastic shell, letting the spray rain down on his head in wasteful enjoyment while he tugged at his aching balls. Usually he was pretty thrifty with hot water since it rarely lasted long enough for both him and Joe to shower in the evenings, but there was no need today. Joe had showered last night and was still sawing logs in Brent’s comfortable queen-size bed. God knew, he’d snored loud enough to wake the residents of the nearby cemetery half the night. How in the hell did AJ stand it? AJ. Brent groaned at the graphic memory of her slender legs splayed open, her strong yet feminine hand pushing that dildo into her pussy, her long, tapered fingers plucking at those delicate pink nipples. But it was the tortured expression of ecstasy on her face as she ground her head into the pillow that had sealed her fate. His resolve to have her had hardened to stone right along with his cock. She may have gotten away from him last night, but there was no way she was leaving this camper again without having been well and truly fucked. They’d just have to sort out the complexities of a boss-hand hookup as they went along. He pulled his fist up his cock, wishing to hell AJ was here now. He’d have her on her knees in front of him, her back against the wall as he worked his way between her lips. She had such a small mouth, he doubted he’d be able to get all the way in without losing a layer of skin to her equally small, perfectly aligned teeth. Her pale lashes would be clumped together as she stared up at him, and he wouldn’t give a damn whether it was from the shower spray or tears that sprang to her eyes when he triggered her gag reflex. He wouldn’t stop fucking her mouth until he’d emptied his balls and she’d swallowed every drop. “Fuck!” he whispered, letting his head rest on his forearm while he stroked his dick in a furious rhythm. Had anything ever turned him on as much as the thought of corrupting an innocent-looking little farm girl? “You know, I’d be happy to give you a hand with that.” Brent’s head snapped up and his hand froze mid-jerk. Although the shower door was fogged and dotted with water, he could see Joe standing naked in front of the toilet, taking a leak. Shit, and here he’d thought he couldn’t get any harder. He closed his eyes, and seemingly of its own volition, his hand resumed its feverish pumping while his brain wrestled with the echo of Joe’s offer. Let him do it! No, don’t! The conflict was short-lived. Five shameful seconds later, Brent stiffened with a grunt and shot against the shower wall.

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Joe waited out the entire excruciating duration of his orgasm before drawling “Maybe next time.” Then he flushed and walked out. “Shit, shit, shit,” Brent whispered, gasping for breath and leaning heavily against the wall so his shaky legs didn’t fold under him. This really shouldn’t unnerve him so badly. Joe had seen him naked and coming dozens of times over the last six years, and he’d seen Joe in the same position every bit as often. But it had never been just the two of them before—there’d always been a woman or two, and occasionally another man, to serve as a buffer between them. Sex with Joe Remke was inevitable, and as much as he longed for it, Brent hated it. Somehow he knew that when they finally fucked, Joe would walk away without a backward glance and he’d lose the best friend he’d ever had. The knowledge made him want to roar with frustration. Hadn’t he learned anything from his parents’ screwed-up relationship? Of course, fucking Joe might tear him apart, but at least it wouldn’t result in an unwanted pregnancy. That was some comfort. Neither of them would be accumulating a herd of children they way his mother had, children who only got to see their fathers during the summer and on alternating holidays—if then. And then there was AJ. Brent sighed as he slicked a trembling hand down the wall to wipe away the trail of semen. The woman had certainly gotten under Joe’s skin in a way he’d never seen anyone else do, and yet he didn’t seem to have any qualms about getting naked with her. But then again, he was apparently suffering an unprecedented case of blue balls. He’d gone without for longer than Brent could remember him ever doing. In fact, they both had. There was a time when the two of them would get laid in damn near every town they hit—sometimes together, sometimes not. But maybe they were just getting old and slowing down. Since that first afternoon they’d spent fulfilling Mandy’s fantasies three years ago, it seemed like their casual lays were getting fewer and farther between. As far as he knew, Joe hadn’t been with another guy since he’d started delivering Hake’s annual assreaming every fall. It would be easy to let himself imagine that Joe was using his cousin as a substitute for him—hair color aside, they looked more alike than many brothers. But more likely he was just getting spoiled to the kind of imaginative, no-strings sex Hake and Mandy provided. Brent certainly was. AJ promised to provide the same brand of entertainment value, with the added bonus of being available on a nightly basis. There was probably a lot he didn’t know about the sex-hungry little hand, but he knew instinctively that she was too conscientious to get knocked up, intentionally or otherwise. Between the three of them, they’d more than make sure there were no unwanted consequences of their time together. Straightening, he grabbed the shampoo and squeezed a blob into his palm. All he had to do now was get AJ on board with their plan.

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Joe jammed his cap on his head and climbed down the camper steps, careful to not slam the door behind him. First AJ and now Brent. It was a sad day when both the people he wanted to fuck would rather get themselves off. The morning was sunny and calm, the air crisp enough to really wake him up as he zipped his jacket and headed down the gravel drive on foot. It wasn’t often he walked into town, but this morning he was feeling the need to work off some aggression before he said or did something he’d be sorry for later. When he reached the highway, he hung a right, staying close to the outside edge of the shoulder as he loped along fast enough to wind him a bit. The thump of his bootheels on the asphalt was satisfyingly loud, and he felt the rigidity beginning to seep from his neck and jaw. He’d been playing this game with Brent for years now, and usually he enjoyed every minute of it. Every winter he did long-haul trucking while Brent caught up with his other family business ventures, and then every spring they’d get together again and travel around the country doing custom tilling, planting and harvesting. By the time they’d shared a camper for eight or nine months, the sexual tension between them was always pretty explosive and they both welcomed the respite another winter apart would bring. It was a cycle he’d grown way too accustomed to after six years, but he enjoyed the renewal of the chase too much to end it. Lately, though, Joe found himself feeling more and more impatient with the boss man’s stubborn refusal to give in. The fact that he regarded the imminent arrival of winter with annoyance rather than relief was a bad sign. If he were smart, he’d just pack up his shit and leave now, while they were still friends. He’d never expected to stay with the outfit this long anyway, and if he left now, at least he’d still have…something. Someone he could actually run into a few years down the road and not feel the need to duck out of sight to head off any kind of awkward emotional confrontation. Someone he could casually shoot the breeze with once every few years. Someone he gave a shit about but wasn’t too wrapped up in. So why in the hell did it feel like he couldn’t leave until he’d had Brent Andersen in his bed? When had the game turned into a challenge he had to win at any cost? Generally he was a canny player who knew when it was time to fold and hit the road in search of a more attainable goal, but fucking Brent was becoming an obsession. He could have him and he knew, felt it deep in his bones, that Brent wanted him just as much. Joe kicked a gravel rock off the shoulder into the short, frosted grass on somebody’s lawn. Dammit, this was exactly how gamblers lost their money, their homes and eventually their families at the poker table. They kept playing long past the point of no return, risking everything good in their lives on that desperate certainty a big payoff was just around the corner. They lost sight of when the risk started to outweigh any potential gain and ended up with less than nothing.

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He had the sinking feeling he was doing that now. His brain was barking, Fold now! Leave before you lose it all! But the payoff was so tantalizing…a virgin. And not just any virgin but a masculine, attractive, intelligent virgin who’d never even thought about playing for the other team until they met. He’d never have another opportunity like this one and he damn well knew it. There was more silver in his hair every day, and soon he’d be too old and grizzled to attract anything but hookers. And then there was AJ… She dressed like a man and carried herself like a man, but damn, if he’d ever had any doubts she was a female, they’d been obliterated by the sight of her gorgeous body tangled up in his dirty T-shirt. Now there was a woman in desperate need of a man’s—or men’s—attentions, and it would be his pleasure to see that she got them. Hopefully the challenge of getting her to cut loose with them would take the edge off this suicidal determination to corner Brent and fuck the living daylights of him. Main Street was lined on both sides with cars and pickups, and after a quick look, he crossed to the diner on other side. It wasn’t hard to spot AJ in a booth near the front—her silky white-blonde hair stood out like a beacon in the sea of comb-overs and seed caps. Joe’s eyes narrowed. If Seth sat any closer, he’d be in her lap. Then AJ saw him and flinched, her blue eyes skittering away as color flooded her cheeks, and Seth leaned even closer to tell her something. Since he wasn’t one to let another man poach his prey, Joe felt no compunction about inviting himself to join them. He ambled right up and sat down next to Tim, shoving his sorry ass into the corner. “Make yourself at home, Joe,” Tim grumbled. “Don’t mind if I do.” He looked around at the three paper placemats. “What are we having?” “We already ordered,” Seth told him with a facefull of belligerent. “Don’t know what you’re having.” Joe eyed him with amusement. “What’s your problem, Junior?” “AJ’s all worked up over something this morning, and judging by the look on her face when you walked in, I gotta figure that something is you.” AJ slouched even lower in the booth and kept her eyes on the table. “Seth, don’t,” she said, twisting her water glass in circles with both hands. “Really, it’s nothing. It was my own stupid fault.” “That may be, but I don’t care for the way he’s lookin’ at you.” “Why don’t you two scram,” Joe invited with a friendly look that didn’t match the steel in his tone. “Brent’ll be right behind me, and this booth ain’t big enough for all of us.” Seth leaned forward on his elbows. “Why don’t you make us?” “Hey, now, let’s not get too excited here,” Tim injected, raising his palms to both of them in a cautionary gesture. “We’re all friends, after all.” “You’d do well to listen to your little brother, Junior.” “Chicken-fried steak and eggs, sunny side up?”

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A well-padded waitress stood beside the table, her arms loaded with plates, a question in her eyes. “These two knuckleheads’ll take theirs over there,” Joe told her, pointing at the empty table by the restrooms. “Hers stays right here.” “Now just a damn minute—” “Dietz.” “Boss.” Seth acknowledged Brent’s greeting without taking his furious eyes off Joe. “Joe and I had a little misunderstanding with AJ last night,” Brent said in a deceptively casual tone, “one that needs to be straightened out before we can get back to work, so I’d be obliged if you’d give up your seats and let us have breakfast with her this morning.” Seth stared back at Brent for a long moment, his jaw tight with resentment, before he grudgingly stood up. Joe stood too, never taking his eyes of the angry young buck as Tim slid out of the booth. “Enjoy your breakfast, boys,” he said as they walked away. Brent thumped him on the back of the head. “Joe, sit down and shut up.”

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Chapter Three

“You guys are unbelievable,” AJ breathed as Brent slid in beside her. “Didn’t you embarrass me enough last night?” He waited until the waitress had set a plate of French toast in front of her and handed him and Joe menus before he said in an amused tone, “Nobody ever died of a little embarrassment, AJ.” “Yeah, well, there’s a first time for everything.” Happy to have something to do with her hands, she picked up the maple syrup and drizzled it over the toast. Then she set it down with a snort. “And a little embarrassment, my left foot. Getting caught doing—” she lowered her voice as heat flooded her cheeks again, “—that is every girl’s worst nightmare. Getting caught by you two...” Brent bumped his shoulder against hers. “Better us than the Dietz boys.” “I don’t know about that,” she said, picking up her knife and fork to slice up her breakfast. “Their respect isn’t as important to me as yours.” Neither man answered right away, and she steeled herself to look at them. They were both frowning at her, but before anyone could speak, the waitress returned for their orders. “Sorry, but you caught me off guard,” Brent finally said after she took their menus and walked off. “Why?” “Well, because respect isn’t an issue here. We all have bodily needs, and living in such close quarters makes it hard to take care of them without someone intruding once in a while. Do you respect me any less for all the times you’ve caught me on the john?” She blushed again, dammit. “There is a lock on the bathroom door,” she reminded him again. Neither of them had ever caught her using the toilet or showering because she always locked the door. “There’s a lock on the bunkroom door,” he returned evenly. “Yes, but that’s different. The bunkroom is Joe’s room, too, and I don’t feel right locking him out of it.” Not to mention that locking the door would feel like she was making a formal announcement: Do not disturb—masturbation in progress. “Let me tell you something, AJ,” he said. “You know your machinery, you’re meticulous and your work ethic is second to none. You don’t whine about getting stuck with low-man jobs, you ask questions when you don’t know what to do and you accept responsibility when you make a mistake instead of

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pointing the finger at someone else. In short, you’re an excellent hand and I’m hoping we’ll get you back next spring.” “I agree,” Joe interjected with a steady look. Brent nodded. “So, why would we lose an ounce of respect for you because you take care of your own needs in the privacy of your own room?” Their assessment of her performance added heat to AJ’s blush, though now it was pleasure rather than humiliation. As one of the few women in the male-dominated field of agribusiness, she’d always had to give 110% every single day to prove herself worthy of being called a farmer. Her own father had expected her to work twice as hard and be twice as stoic before he’d show her even a tenth the respect he showered on her brother. Being the only woman on this crew, she constantly had to walk a fine line between going the extra mile to prove herself and acting like just another one of the guys, and it was nice to know she’d accomplished what she set out to do. Unfortunately, she couldn’t let herself relax and enjoy their company just yet. There was still one more issue, the main one really, to be confronted. “Why should you respect me when I didn’t respect Joe’s privacy?” she finally asked. She looked Joe squarely in the eye. “I apologize. I shouldn’t have…used your stuff.” “You’re talking about my shirt.” “Yes.” Her cheeks got hot again remembering it. “No harm done.” Then he grinned. “You can use my stuff any time you want to, darlin’, as long as I get to watch.” She froze with her fork hovering over the plate, and her heart skipped a couple of beats. Surely he wasn’t…flirting… Cutting another big bite, she stuffed it into her mouth, feeling even more heat run up into her cheeks. Just when she thought they might be easing into her one of those gay-guys-plus-gal-pal friendships she’d always read about, one of them had to go and say something to throw her off-kilter again. Fortunately, their food arrived, and while they ate, the two men talked about crop conditions and machinery issues as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, giving her a chance to study them from under her lashes. Dammit, there was no way she’d read them wrong. Even now, the sexual tension between them was palpable. Were they fighting? Was Joe using her as some kind of rebound or revenge tool to get Brent’s goat? She scowled. If that was the case, she’d have to kick his very fine, very gay ass.

“So last night kind of changes things,” Brent said, wiping his lips with a paper napkin.

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Although they’d ordered at least twenty minutes after AJ, they’d all finished their breakfasts at about the same time, and now she sat there, looking torn between nerves and suspicion. What in the world was going on in that cute little blonde head? “How so?” she asked warily. “As I see it, we have three options here. One, we can all pretend it never happened and try to carry on with business as usual, though I think that might be difficult for all of us. Two, I can move you in with Seth and Tim, and if you want, you can even switch to the other crew when we meet up in Fargo.” AJ wasn’t very good at hiding her emotions. Dismay flashed in her eyes and she bit her lip before asking, “And the other option?” “Well now,” he said, dropping the napkin in his plate. “That’s where things get interesting.” “Interesting how?” He studied her for a moment and then glanced over at the Dietz boys, who still hadn’t left even though they’d finished inhaling their food fifteen minutes ago. No way could he have this conversation with those two breathing down his neck. “Let’s get out of here. We can talk on the way to the field.” Waving their waitress over, he handed her a couple of fifties. “I’ll take care of theirs, too,” he told her, gesturing Seth and Tim. “Sorry about the confusion with the tables. Keep the change.” “Hey, you can confuse my tables any time,” she assured him with a big smile. After she breezed by the other table and picked up their check, Seth nodded grudging thanks but made no move to leave until Brent and Joe stood up. Brent sighed. With his luck, they’d probably ride his bumper all the way to the field. Seth Dietz had picked a hell of a day to go all responsible and protective. As luck would have it, Seth’s pickup was right in front of the diner while Brent’s was parked on the next block, so the boys drove past while the three of them were still walking down the street. Once they got to the truck, Brent climbed into the driver’s seat and flipped the wide console up off the bench seat before fastening his seat belt. Joe opened the passenger door and then stepped back directly into AJ’s path to keep her from opening the rear door. “Excuse me,” she said, trying to reach around him. She let out a squeak when he picked her up and set her on the front seat. “Hey!” “Slide over, honey. You’re riding up front today.” Sending a confused look over her shoulder into the backseat, she did as she was told and scooted over beside Brent on the bench seat. “Buckle up,” Joe ordered as they pulled away from the curb, doing the same himself. It took some digging, but she finally came up with the lap belt and buckle for the middle seat and strapped herself in. Then she went straight to the point. “So what’s the other option?” “Well, let me back up a little bit and tell you why we were home earlier than you expected last night.” The wary look was back. “Okay.”

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“We were going to proposition you.” “You…” She shook her head. “What?” “You heard me.” She blinked rapidly. “But I thought you were…” “You thought we were what?” “Well…gay.” “Gay!” Brent slammed on the brakes and swore when he nearly swerved into a parked car. “Take it easy!” Joe barked. “Relax, Grandma. I haven’t killed anyone yet and I don’t intend to start today.” “No one ever intends to.” Brent grinned. “Believe me, Joe, if I ever kill you, it’ll be intentional.” Then AJ’s bemused face caught his eye and he frowned at her. “So what the hell made you think we were gay?” She squirmed, looking as if she’d rather be anywhere else. “Um, well, it’s hard to pinpoint any one thing. Mostly the way you look at each other, I guess.” Whatever she saw in his face made her quickly tack on, “But it’s only in the camper, not around the crew.” “We’re bi,” Joe said in a confidential tone. Brent shot him a stern look. “He’s bi. I’m not.” “The day is young.” “Unlike you.” Joe just smirked, and Brent sighed. It was a bad sign when he resorted to cheap shots, especially lame ones like that. He had to stop letting Joe get to him. AJ stared back and forth between them before saying, “Okay, now I’m really confused.” Brent’s gaze slid from Joe to her. “Nothing confusing about it. Joe wants to sleep with me, I said no. Happens all the time.”

So she hadn’t been imagining the sexual tension between them. Even now it crackled in the air like static electricity on a dry winter day. If they touched their fingertips together, they’d probably both get a shock. But their relationship was puzzle she’d have to work out later. “Why me?” she asked. “Why now?” “Well, it didn’t hurt that we caught you in a…revealing position,” Brent said, his eyes twinkling. When she groaned, he continued. “And it doesn’t hurt that you’re pretty conveniently located.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she rolled her eyes. “God forbid you should be inconvenienced.”

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“Dammit!” Brent hit the brake again, though not quite as hard. Glancing into the rearview mirror, he pulled over onto the shoulder of the highway and put the truck in park. “That’s not what I meant and you know it. Hell, Joe’s been convenient for years and I haven’t taken advantage of him.” “Yet,” Joe added. Brent sent him a quelling look. “The real clincher,” he continued, focusing on her again, “was finding out that you read Amanda Garrity’s books. It made us think you had a few naughty fantasies that might be right up our alley. Fulfilling naughty fantasies happens to be something we both enjoy a great deal.” AJ stiffened. God, and she’d thought his first two reasons sucked! Feeling too exposed and humiliated to even blush, she smiled tightly. “Gee, that’s a lovely offer, but I can’t say that I’ve ever really fantasized about being anyone’s mercy lay.” “AJ, no! That’s not it at all.” Joe leaned forward and stared at Brent. “You do know you’re really screwing this up, right?” “You think you can do better?” “I sure as hell couldn’t do worse.” Joe turned to her. “Sweetheart, if anyone’s getting a mercy lay here, it’s me. I’ve wanted to fuck you since the minute you signed on, but you seemed like the type who’d expect a ring, so until now I’ve left you alone.” She didn’t know whether to be flattered or offended. “I’m thirty-four years old, guys. Credit me with a little sophistication.” “That’s exactly what we were trying to do by propositioning you,” Brent pointed out. He had her there. “Well good,” she said grudgingly, “because believe me, a ring is the last thing I’d ask any man for.” “Glad to hear it.” Joe leaned even closer to nuzzle her ear, and the tendril of warm, humid breath snaking down her neck made her shiver and scrunch up her shoulder. “Now that I’ve seen you come, I’ll never be able to keep my hands off you. I don’t want to let you out of this truck until I’ve felt you come on my cock.” AJ swallowed breathlessly. Maybe they were crediting her with a little more sophistication than she deserved because she felt compelled to offer every objection she could think of. “Just because a woman’s not looking for a ring doesn’t mean she wants to get it on with two guys.” “True,” he murmured, sucking at her earlobe, “which is why when we find one who does, especially one as cute as you, we try not to let her get away unfucked.” She smothered a moan of pure need and said weakly, “Just because a woman reads erotica doesn’t mean she’s the type who wants to get it on with two guys, either.” Joe pulled back and challenged her with his laser-blue eyes. “Are you saying you don’t?”

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She opened her mouth and then paused. Why was she even bothering? Brent and Joe were offering to fulfill every illicit fantasy she’d ever had. It was stupid to be hung up on the idea that all they wanted from her was sex when that was all she wanted from them. So what if they used her while she was handy and let her go when the season ended? She had plans for her future that didn’t include them either. Brent slid his fingers under her chin and pulled her around to drop a soft kiss on her parted lips. “We want you, AJ. You’re fucking gorgeous when you come, and we want to lay you down and hold you open and make you come. Over. And over. And over.” He punctuated his words with soft kisses down the side of her neck, and oh god, the scene he described was so vivid in her mind’s eye, so incredibly, unbearably tempting, she could barely breathe. Then Joe’s hot hand slid between her thighs and she started, jerking them together instinctively to keep him from feeling the dampness there. “Wait,” she gasped. “You’re going too fast.” “You have read Amanda Garrity’s books, haven’t you.” Brent stated it as if it was fact instead of asking, but she gave a jerky nod anyway. “The idea of fucking two men makes you horny as hell,” Joe growled. Mesmerized by the lust on his face, she started to nod again. The turbulent roar of a passing semi rocked the pickup, snapping her out of her trance like a bucket of cold water in the face. Jesus, they were parked on the side of the road, practically making out in front of god and everybody. What in the hell was she thinking? She pushed both of them away and crossed her arms over her chest. “Dammit, this is crazy. You guys can get away with being a man-ho—hell, it’s practically expected of you. If you do two women at once, the other guys’ll slap you on the back and buy you a beer. But if word gets around that I did both of you at once, I’ll never be able to get another farming job.” When Brent opened his mouth, she said, “Don’t try to deny it. It’s always different for women and you know it.” “I wasn’t going to deny it,” he said mildly. “I was going to say that it’s nobody else’s business what goes on in our camper. We’ll be discreet, like we always are. No matter what you think, I don’t really appreciate being labeled a man-ho.” “Sorry, but if this morning was Joe’s idea of discreet, you can forget about it.” “I can be more discreet than that,” Joe assured her with a grin. “I’ll be so discreet people won’t even realize we know each other.” “That might be going overboard,” she said wryly. Then she looked at Brent. “I really am sorry about calling you a man-ho. I was actually thinking more of him. For some reason he seems like more the man-ho type.”

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“He’s a card-carrying man-ho,” Brent agreed. “Maybe we should just leave him out of the equation. We could have plenty of fun by ourselves.” Joe stiffened. “Don’t push me, Brent, or I’m gonna push back. Hard.” AJ giggled nervously. He didn’t sound like he was joking, and the intense look they exchanged made her wonder just what the hell she’d be putting herself in the middle of. “Guess it’s all or nothing then, AJ,” Brent finally said, relaxing back into his seat. “I don’t want to push you, but we have to settle this. I need to know what we’re going to be dealing with at the end of the day or I’ll go crazy wondering. Are you coming home with us tonight or going with Seth and Tim?” When she still hesitated, he added, “Either way, I promise there’ll be no hard feelings. We like you, honey. You’re an excellent hand and we want you to stay on as long as you’re comfortable.” She should say no. If she had any brains at all, she would say no. As light and fun as they made a fling with them sound, the dark and dangerous undercurrents swirling between them promised to make things a lot more complicated than she was ready to handle. But it was no use—she’d never have another opportunity like this one. She’d just have to be careful to keep her heart out of it, no matter what happened. That was her one unbreakable rule—no falling in love. Ever. “Well?” She looked at Brent, then at Joe, and then back at Brent again, and smiled at their tight expressions. “I want to go home with you.”

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Chapter Four

According to the calendar, June 21 was the longest day of the year, but Brent knew better. Today would go down in history as the longest day ever. Because the sky was clear, the humidity low and the harvesting still easy, and because farmers really do have to make hay while the sun—or the moon—shines, they’d had no reasonable excuse to leave the field at a decent hour. Especially since the three of them hadn’t made it there until after nine that morning. So here it was, almost ten o’clock at night and they were still hard at it. Hard being the operative word. Brent shifted restlessly on the well-sprung cushioned seat, eyeing the bright three-quarter moon with annoyance. Where was a storm when you needed one? Most days, he’d be impatient at a weather delay, but tonight he would have taken it with a smile and a prayer that it would last for a week at the very least. He had big plans for Miss AJ Pender, extensive plans that might require a very long time to carry out. What the hell did AJ stand for, anyway? He reached the end of the row and was just turning around when the tink-tink of the monitor let him know the tank was full. “Thank you, Lord,” he muttered in relief. “Nice timing.” It was close enough to ten and he was officially calling it a night. There was no point in risking lives, machinery or crops by working overtired. Farming was dangerous enough already without taking stupid chances. And he wasn’t even using that as an excuse to get busy with AJ. Worker safety was always priority one for him, and he’d made it a firing offense to remain working in the field after ten o’clock. No ifs, ands or buts. He headed over toward the last wagon and waved at AJ, who was plainly visible in the bright lamplight when he pulled up alongside. Unloading seemed to take forever, though it wasn’t even a full minute before the tank was empty. When he was done, he tapped his wrist in an exaggerated motion and she nodded, then waited for him to pull ahead of her. Joe and the other teams were already at Bixler’s, locking everything down for the night. When Seth and Tim headed for their truck, Brent called out for them to hold up. “I wanted to say thanks,” he said as he walked up, sticking out a hand to Seth. “It’s good to know you guys are looking out for each other, and for AJ in particular. Women can have a hard time fitting in on the crews sometimes, and I really appreciate you standing up to protect her.”

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After a short hesitation, Seth took his hand, looking both pleased and concerned. “So everything’s okay with her now? You guys have worked out whatever it was?” “We have, and she’s fine. You can ask her yourself. Here she comes.” “I’m fine,” AJ said, having been close enough to hear him. “Better than fine. Thanks for having my back.” Seth watched her carefully for a moment and then shrugged. “No problem, AJ.”

The ride back to the camper was tense. All she wanted to do was grab one of them by the collar and stick her face inside the neck of his jacket, drink in the warm, metallic scent of skin and lick the dried perspiration of the day off. She could probably have an orgasm just from that. It had been so long since she’d tasted any part of a man, she almost cried thinking about it. They all sat stiffly in their seats, not saying a word until Brent asked, “Anyone want a bite to eat? The Shanty’s still open.” AJ and Joe answered simultaneously. “No.” He grinned. “Guess that’s settled.” Thank God the other guys had stopped in town for supper. Having witnesses as they walked together into the camper would have been excruciating. Seth and Tim had been sending her speculative looks all day, and AJ felt as if her face were a neon sign that said Three-way at our place tonight! Inside the camper, Brent gave Joe a shove. “Go take a shower while I get things warmed up.” Then he swung AJ around. Humid heat gushed from the neck of his jacket as he crushed her against him and kissed her. The musky, wind-sharpened scent of him swamped her brain while his stubbly cheeks and peppermint tongue played havoc with her nerve endings. She moaned desperately, tearing at his zipper. “Hey, take it easy,” he said as he stepped back and pulled off the jacket. “We’ve got all night.” “I can’t,” she said desperately, stripping out of her own down vest. “Now. Do it now. We can take it easy later.” “You think I’m getting in the shower now, you can think again,” Joe declared, whipping his flannel overshirt off over his head without unbuttoning it. Together the two men undressed her, and her arms tangled with theirs more than once in her efforts to get some clothes off them. In short order, she was naked while they were both still almost fully clothed, and suddenly she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around her body. How had she gotten here, with not just one but both of these gorgeous men? Her mind knew the mechanics of it, remembered exactly how it had happened, and yet it just didn’t quite all fit together in her head. She wasn’t the stuff of men’s wet dreams.

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But they were sure as hell the stuff of hers. Whenever she reread Amanda Garrity’s Carnal Deliverance, Brent and Joe replaced the two sexy male characters in her mind, and she was the intrepid heroine being ravished by two ruthless home invaders in a role-playing fantasy. She’d been replaying scenes from that book in her head all day, with Brent starring as the long, lean and blond Grant and Joe in the role of the dark, muscular and ruthless Isaiah. If she hadn’t carried a box of tissues in the tractor, her jeans would have been soaked by noon. “Don’t get shy on me now.” Brent drew her hands away, and she opened her eyes to find both of them looking at her breasts. AJ bit her lip, feeling more out of place than ever. “Sorry, they’re not very big,” she mumbled. In fact, she looked more like a boy than a woman, with her broad shoulders, long waist and narrow hips. Genetics and years of working outdoors had made her wiry, and especially in the summer, the berry-brown farmer tan on her face, neck and arms contrasted violently with the milky skin under her clothes, emphasizing her masculine appearance. “I’ll take quality over quantity every day of the week,” Joe said. “You have very pretty little tits.” He pulled her back against his naked chest, and the intensity of her arousal became almost painful. “I don’t know if I can do this with both of you the first time,” she said in a shaky voice. “Why not?” “Because it’s… I’m just too ready. It feels like I’m going to explode all over the inside of the camper.” “Need a little relief first?” he murmured in her ear, sliding a hand down over her belly. She jumped when his fingertips tickled between the lips of her pussy, her nipples prickling sharply in the camper’s cool air. “No, I want you to fuck me!” Fire swept up her neck into her cheeks. Had she just said that out loud? To someone besides her vibrator? God, she must be on the freaking edge. Brent bent his head and licked one of her nipples, sending agonizing ripples through her abdomen. “But we’re just getting started.” AJ swallowed, reaching down to still Joe’s hand. “Let me see if I can explain this, guys. It’s kind of like when you put the cap back on the gas tank. You turn it until it locks, and you can keep turning it but it doesn’t get any more locked, you know?” “But sometimes it’s fun to just stand there and listen to it click for a while,” Joe said. AJ sighed. “Only you would think that. Okay then, think of me like my mama’s old key clock. When you overwound it, the spring got stuck and it wouldn’t run. When I get overwound, my spring gets stuck and my orgasm is like an aborted sneeze—if I can manage to work up another one later, it never feels as intense and satisfying as that first organic one would have. Get it?” she asked when neither of them said anything.

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“I think you’re just spoiled,” Brent finally commented. She gaped at him. “Spoiled!” “Yup.” He nodded as he licked her other nipple. “To your own touch, your own pace and rhythm. We’re not moving at the same pace you would, so it doesn’t feel right, but you have to trust that—” Screeching in frustration, she pulled out of their hold. “Dammit, I told you exactly what I need, which is something most men would be extremely grateful for,” she added pointedly as she picked up her shirt and moved to put it on. “If you won’t give it to me, I’ll damn well go get it from Seth and Tim. I’m pretty sure if I tell them I need a good hard fuck, they’ll shove me against a wall and fuck me, no questions asked.” Joe tore the shirt out of her hands, then picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. “To hell with that. I’ll fuck you until you can’t walk if that’s what you want.” “Thank God,” she breathed against his low back, gripping the sides of his jeans. He dumped her on Brent’s unmade bed without ceremony and stripped. When Brent handed him a condom, she asked, “Do you have to? My tubes are tied.” Joe paused. “I think I’d better.” “We’re both clean,” Brent spoke up. AJ paused, too. How did he know they were both clean? Did they compare test results or something? Deciding it didn’t matter, she spread her legs shamelessly and reached for Joe. “So am I.” “No point in taking stupid chances.” Joe ripped the condom out of the wrapper and rolled it on efficiently, then climbed onto the bed. He paused, staring down at her. “AJ, AJ, I can’t believe we let you go to waste for so long,” he said. She heartily agreed with that sentiment. She’d bunked in with guys before, but it had never been like it was with Joe. The man had amazing presence. He’d obviously been around the block a thousand times, and his openness about desiring Brent spoke of a flexibility she’d only dreamed of in a man. His tolerance for Brent’s ongoing lack of cooperation appealed to her even more. Not many men could take repeated rejections with a smile—it spoke volumes about both his determination and his confidence. Breathless with anticipation, she stared at Joe’s large, wonderfully hard body as he knelt over her. Dark hair was liberally splashed over his muscled chest and belly, with a few grays beginning to make headway into the mat. His tan lines were almost an exact match for hers, and once again, awareness of her own imperfections edged into her enjoyment of the moment. Kicking herself, she demanded, “Are you going to fuck me or stare at me all night?” “You asked for it.” Laying his hot palms on the insides of her thighs, he spread her legs up and back. “I hope you’re ready, girl, ’cause here I come.” Aiming with nothing more than a swivel of his hips, he set his cock against her sensitive center and pushed.

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AJ barely heard his groan over her own whimpers of agonized delight. The thick intrusion tiptoed on the edge of pain and she gripped his wrists but didn’t try to urge him forward when he held himself still partway in to let her adjust. “Tell me when,” he said in a strained tone. “A little more,” she begged immediately. He met her eyes. “More time or more of me?” “You.” He immediately sank deeper and AJ let out a choked cry. “Yes! God yes, please!” But he stopped again. Letting her legs rest on his spread thighs, he pulled his wrists free of her clawing fingers to lean over her, propping himself on one hand and rubbing her clit with his thumb. “Dammit!” She swatted his hand away in annoyance. “If all I wanted was an orgasm, I’d get out my vibrator. Now fuck me, Joe! Fuck me like you need it, like you’re starving for it, like you want me more than your next breath.” She froze as a sickening thought occurred to her. “Unless you—” Joe fell on her, smothering her insecurity with an incredibly carnal kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let her thighs splay against the mattress as he surged forward. He tunneled deeper and deeper, and for one spectacular moment, she was fuller than she’d ever been in her life, pinned to the bed by a mountain of heated skin, granite muscle and aggressive tongue. Then he cupped his hands under her shoulders and fucked her like she’d never been fucked before. Every deep, hard thrust stunned her aching pussy, and she gasped, arching her head back in a paroxysm of primal fulfillment. This was what she needed more desperately than she could have imagined—to be conquered by a rampaging cock and subjugated by the punishing impact of pubic bone against pubic bone. To be captured, taken and used. To be devastated in every way by Joe Remke. She begged for more, panting and stretching and writhing, tearing at his solid back with her short nails, and his pounding grew even more fierce. When her body drew as tight as a crossbow and tears of longing and unbearable arousal slid from her eyes, AJ took a cleansing breath and forced herself to relax into Joe’s assault, giving herself over completely to the impending storm. What happened next gave a whole new meaning to the word orgasm. All the pent-up tension in her tummy seemed to implode in a chill before blasting outward in shockwaves of sensation that went on and on. With every gasping breath she took, muscles all over her body jerked and twitched with incredible pleasure, and dark red lightning flashed behind her eyelids. Joe’s invasion slowed to a sensuous caress of her body. “That’s right, come for me,” he groaned, laying his forehead on her shoulder as he slid back and forth. “Ah God, baby, that feels good.”

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The bone-jarring release took an eternity to work itself through her pulsing nerve endings, and Joe seemed to savor every minute of it almost as much as she did. He licked and sucked his way up her neck, tickling her with his moustache while he soothed her with languid, shallow thrusts until she lay practically in a coma beneath him. Then he stilled too, and even with her eyes closed, the weight of his stare was palpable. “Holy fuck, girl,” he said gruffly when she finally looked up at him. “That was unbelievable. Do you come like that all the time?” If she tried to talk she’d cry, so she just shook her head and pulled him down, putting everything she couldn’t say into a hug and a simple kiss on his beautiful lips. Not unexpectedly, he stiffened, though he didn’t try to pull out of her grasp until she released him. “Thank you, Joe,” she said. “That was exactly what I needed. Now take whatever you need.”

Brent leaned so heavily against the doorjamb, its oak edges were imprinting themselves permanently into his spine and ass. Holy fuck was right, and not just because AJ’s orgasm looked more like a grand mal seizure— although that had been a sight to behold. But usually when he and Joe had a woman together, they got busy together at both ends or on both sides of her. Brent had never just stood back and watched Joe with a woman, and man, it was a revelation. There were no two ways about it—Joe Remke was a beautiful male animal the likes of which he’d probably never see again. Or at least not buck naked and in power-fuck mode. His back and shoulders rippled with muscle, and his legs looked like they were hewn from solid stone. Watching his ass bulge and hollow as he pumped into AJ had stirred more than simple lust in Brent—he’d actually been jealous that he wasn’t the one on the receiving end of that sexual onslaught. So much for any lingering doubts that he was bi. Then Joe had spread one knee out farther to intensify his pounding, and Brent’s mouth had dried out as he focused on what was between Joe’s legs. His heavy sac, not as hairy from this angle as from the front, had swung freely at first and then pulled up tighter and tighter, drawing Brent’s eyes upward over his perineum to the pucker now clearly visible between his ass cheeks. Never in his life had he been the least bit tempted to lick a man anywhere, especially below the belt, but at that moment, he’d never wanted anything more. He’d had to fight not to crawl onto that bed and bury his face between the tree trunks of Joe’s thighs, to lick and suck and bite, to learn the taste and smell and texture of everything his eyes had already memorized. Then he wanted to kneel in front of Joe and feel the relentless thrusting of that thick cock in his mouth, taste the musky tang of Joe’s come before it slid down his throat. He thought he’d already plumbed the depths of his nastiness, but apparently that well was bottomless.

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Suddenly Joe rolled off AJ’s limp body, propping himself on one elbow, and Brent’s eyes widened. Joe hadn’t come yet. Even through the glistening condom, his cock was dark red and bulging with veins, and the dark hair on his drawn-up sac was matted with the evidence of AJ’s excitement. The need to lick and suck grew almost painful. “You want a taste?” Appalled to be caught staring, he silently cursed the blush burning his ears as he reluctantly met Joe’s gaze. For just an instant, Brent saw an unexpected vulnerability there, almost pleading, but it was quickly replaced by triumphant lust and a challenge he’d be best off ignoring. But Jesus, it was hard. Joe edged his thighs apart to reveal every inch of his sex-soaked package and thrust his hips forward in an obscene invitation. Brent swallowed and let his head fall back against the jamb, staring at the ceiling as he tried to breathe through the clamor of temptation. He was not going to rise to that challenge. He was not going to start something Joe would finish with eviscerating finality. When the bedsprings squeaked and heavy feet landed on the floor, his fight-or-flight instincts kicked in. He jerked away from the doorjamb, ashamed of his panic but fully prepared to run for the sake of his sanity. Joe stopped mere inches in front of him. “Want a taste, Brent?” he repeated intently. Brent licked his dry lips but before he could answer, Joe reached up and smeared damp, fragrant fingers all over his mouth and nose. Brent clamped his lips shut as the sharp scent of aroused woman flooded his brain, shutting off blood flow to every area of his body except his cock. Jesus, had Joe touched himself or AJ? It smelled so damn dirty and good, he nearly came in his jeans. He gulped as Joe leaned much too close and inhaled the fragrance of AJ’s arousal on his lips. Their eyes locked and he felt all sorts of unmanly urges slithering just under the surface of his skin. Joe settled heavy hands on his shoulders and exerted downward pressure, and Brent wavered in an agony of indecision. It was now or never, do or die, shit or get off the pot. He had to either throw Joe off and walk, or give way and taste… Oh Christ, he just had to taste. He’d deal with the consequences later. Without breaking eye contact, Brent unlocked his knees and sank slowly to the carpet, making it clear every inch of the way that this was his decision to yield, his desire rather than Joe’s strength or Joe’s will that was taking them into these uncharted waters. When Joe shoved hard fingers through his hair and held him in place, Brent braced his hands on Joe’s thighs and stared at that raging hard-on as if he’d never seen one before. And he hadn’t—not this close and definitely not with the intention of taking it into his mouth. Then his gaze focused beyond that muscular hip

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to where AJ lay on her side, obviously captivated by the power play unfolding between them. The fact that she was watching ramped up his excitement to unbearable levels even as it made his face heat with a bewildering confusion of humiliation and pride. Joe’s grip tightened and tugged, but Brent resisted. Reaching up, he peeled away the condom and tossed it off to the side. Only then did he relax and let Joe pull him forward, but instead of opening his mouth, he buried his nose in Joe’s sac. Tears stung his eyes as he inhaled deeply, and he smacked himself around for a minute. God dammit, he could not fall in love with Joe. The man was about fucking, about feeling good physically and feeling nothing emotionally. Getting sentimental over anything about Joe Remke would just be begging for the kind of pain he’d always sworn to avoid. But he was committed to this now. He rubbed his whole face in the damp curls and satiny skin, soaking up the musky, savory bouquet of Joe and AJ, and steeling himself for what he was about to do. Then he drew back, trailing his jaw along Joe’s cock the whole way. The man grunted. “Shave next time, boy.” Brent bristled at being called boy but he couldn’t help smirking. They’d see who was on his knees next time. And then he opened his mouth. Although he fully expected Joe to insert his cock, it was still a shock when that hot, sticky flesh actually bumped past his lips and settled against his tongue. The lingering taste and scent of latex added an oddly impersonal twist to the moment and Brent groaned, holding still as he acclimated himself to holding something that big in his mouth. Having watched plenty of blowjobs from the other side over the years, he knew better than to watch from this end. Women’s eyes revealed a lot more than they realized when they looked up, and his probably would too, so he kept them focused on Joe’s corrugated abs and shadowy navel. But after a few minutes of learning the flavor and texture of the man’s dick, he couldn’t resist one quick glance up. Joe was looking back. “Suck,” he ordered immediately, and the sight of his face, flushed and heavy with lust, was emblazoned forever into Brent’s memory. He obeyed without thinking, sucking and licking at the fat, round head. After a few minutes of exploration, he wet his lips and curled them over his teeth, applying heavier suction as more thick cock pushed into his mouth. Still holding his head securely in place with both hands, Joe thrust slowly in and out, edging deeper with every pass, and while that wasn’t surprising, something like panic started to unravel once more in Brent’s gut. He managed to hold it off for a couple of minutes, but when Joe forged deep, clearly demanding access to his throat, he instinctively closed off the back of his mouth, panting through his nose. The urge to run while he still could became almost overpowering.

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Jesus Christ, he was on his knees, sucking a man’s cock. This man’s cock. He was letting Joe Remke fuck his mouth. Joe pushed harder and Brent blinked rapidly, his heart fluttering in his chest. “Take it, Brent,” Joe snapped. The restless order struck Brent like a bolt of lightning. Joe was worried that he wouldn’t obey. Which reinforced the fact that Joe didn’t have control of this situation—he did. Joe might be dominating the hell out of him at the moment, but he’d gotten on his knees to suck Joe’s cock of his own free will. He was submitting, by his own choice, to Joe’s domination. If he wanted to, he could push Joe away at any time and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Joe would back off. The only things holding him here were his own relentless hunger and a disturbing desire to please Joe. The panic finally receded and his pulse slowed marginally. Submission wasn’t a sensation he was used to, and it certainly wasn’t something he wanted to do full-time, but he knew from watching Joe with Hake that it was something he wanted to experience at least once. Could he let himself go the way Hake did and not totally lose himself in the process? There was only on way to find out. Taking a deep breath, he struggled to open his throat for more. “That’s right, sexy boy, you know what to do.” Brent’s moan was almost a whimper—it was downright humiliating how thrilled he was by that breathless murmur of approval. When the crown of Joe’s cock hit a sensitive spot, he gagged and backed off but didn’t give up. Trailing his tongue around the head, he pushed into the slit at the tip and was a bit unnerved by his own lack of inhibition as he tasted more salt and musk. Lightheaded with arousal, Brent sucked him deeper, and this time he fought past the gag reflex. Joe apparently took that as a signal to push him even further and battered the back of his throat with a series of short, sharp thrusts. Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes when he gagged again, but Brent valiantly maintained suction, refusing to shy away. “Good, keep it open.” Bracing himself against the door jamb with one hand, Joe cupped the other behind Brent’s skull and began fucking his mouth in longer strokes, sliding out farther and shoving in deeper. Helpless now, Brent hung almost limply in his hold, keeping his throat open and his lips tight over his teeth while saliva dripped down his chin, sucking for all he was worth. His own cock ached as if it had been struck, so swollen now it was probably imprinted with the teeth marks of his zipper. He’d never needed to come so badly in his life. Joe leaned forward, his thrusts growing shorter and more urgent, and Brent had to grip the back of his thighs to maintain balance. Then Joe froze and his cock pulsed. “Swallow,” he said tightly. Without hesitation, Brent swallowed around him and Joe grunted, jerking hard as he shot semen into the back of his throat.

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His cock had only softened marginally when he pulled out of Brent’s mouth. Picking up his clothes, he said, “That’s it for me. ’Night, kids.” Then he walked out the door and left Brent and AJ staring at each other in disbelief.

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39

Chapter Five

Brent moved his jaw around as if he were trying to pop his ears, looking stunned and confused. “What the hell just happened?” “Joe Remke just happened,” AJ said grimly. She hopped off the bed and held out her hands, too worried about Brent to feel self-conscious. When he took them automatically and heaved himself to his feet, AJ shut the bedroom door and led him to the bed. She unbuckled his belt, then dropped to her knees and tugged off his boots. Brent seemed to snap out of his daze—he pulled her back up and nudged her to the bed before pulling off the rest of his clothes. Then he lay down beside her, drew her into his arms and pulled the covers up over them. His cock was rigid against her belly but he made no move to do anything about it. “I don’t know whether to laugh or get pissed off,” he said. “You laugh. I’ll be pissed off. Kids,” AJ snorted. “Who the hell does he think he is, Methuselah?” “He is old enough to be your daddy.” “Only if he was a very precocious thirteen.” Brent raised a brow. “You doubt it?” “No,” AJ admitted with a sigh. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?” Brent looked away. “I don’t want to be.” AJ’s heart twisted. She knew too well how that felt. “I didn’t do a very good job of keeping Joe distracted, did I?” And that was precisely what she was doing here, she realized, having sex with these two gorgeous men who otherwise wouldn’t have given her a second glance. Brent had wanted her as a buffer to keep them from taking that next, irrevocable step. Considering what she’d just witnessed—oral sex that was hotter and more intense than anything she’d ever read, or even imagined, and an exit that was so callous it actually took her breath away—he’d had the right idea. No wonder he’d kept Joe at arm’s length for so long. “This wasn’t anything you could stop,” he assured her. “It’s been brewing for years.” “Why don’t you want to love him?” she asked. Then she stuck out her tongue. “Well, that’s a stupid question. After the stunt he just pulled, I wouldn’t want to love him either. But you guys just seem so perfect for each other. Sometimes it’s almost as if you read each other’s minds.”

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“He’s not looking for love,” Brent said evenly. “I think it scares him more than it scares me, which is saying something.” “Why does it scare you?” “What does AJ stand for?” he countered. She scowled at him. “What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?” “Tell me.” He kissed her cheek and then her ear, and her heart skipped a beat. “I don’t want to. It’s a stupid name that doesn’t fit me at all.” “I won’t tell anyone. Come on, if I’m going to spill my guts to a woman, I want to at least know her name.” She stared at him through slitted eyes for a moment and then sighed. “Ariel Jane.” He stared back for another moment and then a slow smile curved his lips. “Actually, sweetheart, you look exactly like an Ariel Jane.” She smacked him on the arm. “Shut up.” “I’m serious! Look at you—that sweet little cap of blonde curls, that pixie face, that girlish body…” “Boyish, you mean.” He raised his brow again. “Honey, if more boys looked like you, I’d have gone to bat for the other team in middle school.” Heat washed up into her face, and AJ was tempted to argue with him but she didn’t want to seem as if she were fishing for compliments. If he was attracted to men, which he obviously was given what had just happened between him and Joe, then it stood to reason he would be attracted to her. But they weren’t supposed to be worrying about her right now. Joe had just come and gone, literally, without paying the slightest bit of attention to Brent’s needs. She tiptoed her fingers down his chest to his belly, and he leaned back to give her more room. “I think you deserve a little TLC.” He tucked his hands behind his head and watched her with eyes gone sleepy with desire. “What did you have in mind?” “Whatever you want.” “Anything that doesn’t involve me opening my mouth too far.” He rubbed his jaw. “How do you girls do that all the time? I was afraid my jaw was gonna come unhinged and get stuck that way.” “Well, I wouldn’t say I do it all the time,” she said dryly, “but as I recall, you get used to it or pick up ways to change things up so you’re not locked in one position for so long.” “As you recall…?” he prompted. She shrugged. “It’s been a few years.” “Why’s that?”

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Although she’d opened the door with her casual confession, Brent’s open curiosity about her long abstinence caught AJ off guard. In her experience, men didn’t care why when it came to personal matters. The situation simply was what it was. And really, he had to ask? Maybe he and Joe had taken notice of her few feminine attributes in the privacy of their camper, but in the eyes of the world, she was a farmer. She had the wiry build and chapped, callused hands of a man who worked on machinery every day, and her wardrobe looked exactly like Brent’s and Joe’s. Most of her time was spent with other farmers, talking shop not sex. Why wouldn’t it have been years since she got laid or blew a guy? Hell, it was a miracle she’d ever gotten laid at all, much less been married. “AJ?” She blinked, realizing she’d been staring at him. “What?” “Why has it been a few years since you gave head? Don’t you like it?” “I like it just fine,” she said defensively—although toward the end of her marriage she’d almost hated it. But that was because she’d gone down on Rob every night more as a penance for her inadequacy than a demonstration of her love. Oral sex with Brent promised to be free of such weighty emotional subtext. It would simply be an act of fun and affection and pure, unadulterated lust. Brent grinned. “What a coincidence. I like getting it.” Rolling her eyes, she smiled back at him. “Big surprise.” “I’ve fantasized about fucking your mouth, you know,” he told her with an intense look. Her heart skipped a few more beats and she couldn’t hold back a shy smile. “Really?” “Mmm-hmm. In the shower usually. As you know, masturbating is a great way to unwind.” Heat flooded her cheeks again. “Jerk,” she complained, yanking at a few strands of his chest hair until he hissed in pain. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” “Try harder next time.” Then she ran her fingers over his chest to soothe the hurt she’d inflicted. “So did you ever fantasize about what just happened?” His expression darkened. “You mean going down on Joe? Hell no. Not until tonight, anyway.” His lips curved and his brown eyes twinkled. “Wanna shower with me, AJ?”

“Now exactly how is this going to work?” she asked, eyeing the shower stall skeptically. If Brent hadn’t been a little stuck on Ariel Jane Pender before, he was now. He’d been ridiculously wounded when Joe walked out, and if she hadn’t jumped into the strange vacuum left behind, he’d probably be trying not to cry in his pillow right now. Or out getting drunk and then having a knock-downdrag-out with Joe on the driveway. He was enjoying this infinitely more than he would have either of those

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options. But bitter awareness bubbled just below the surface. Tonight’s wounds were just a small sample of the pain he’d feel when Joe finally gave him a proper fucking and then walked away for good. The idea that he felt an emotional tug toward both Joe and AJ was troubling. AJ had fulfilled her part of their bargain earlier and then gotten so distracted she hadn’t asked for his explanation of why he was afraid of love—which was a relief since he’d suddenly realized it might not be love he was afraid of so much as himself. He’d always been determined not to wind up like his father, devoted to a woman for whom one man’s love would never be enough and utterly lost without her. It was humbling to realize that he could just as easily wind up like his mother, unable to settle for just one lover. Was it selfish and naïve to think he could have two lovers without one of them—or all of them— getting hurt? Was it even possible for three people to have a mutually satisfying relationship? Resolutely setting aside his worries, he slid his arms around AJ’s waist. “Well,” he explained, snuggling against her backside and resting his chin on her shoulder, “we squeeze in here together and get all nice and wet. Then I soap you up so you slide down my body like an eel and I fuck your pretty little face just like I dreamed.” She turned her head to study him, her expression was torn between amusement and selfconsciousness. Why in the hell was it so hard for her to believe he found her attractive? Brent cupped her jaw and pulled her face to his. “Kiss me, Ariel.” Without giving her time to respond, he laid one on her and she turned in his arms to kiss him back with artless passion. When he pulled away, she thumped his chest once with her fists. “You shouldn’t call me that.” “Why not? There’s nobody else to hear me, and it’s beautiful, just like you.” She grimaced. “I’m not beautiful. And who ever heard of a farmer named Ariel anyway? Even my dad called me AJ.” Brent’s still-aching jaw tightened. Someone had really done a number on her to make her think she was anything less than gorgeous and feminine, and it was time he did something about it. “Forget the shower,” he said firmly, dragging her back to the bed. She squeaked when he picked her up by the waist and dumped her backward onto the mattress. “But—” “I want you.” “I want you, too,” she said in a small voice as he climbed up between her legs, rubbing against her body every inch of the way. Her skin felt like warm silk against his, and he groaned as he settled over her. “Sweetheart, you feel so good.” Resting on his elbow with his arm under her shoulders, he kissed her parted lips while his other hand slid down her side to her hip. Brent was glad she didn’t demand fast and hard this time because he wasn’t in the mood to oblige her. He tongued her open mouth in leisurely exploration, turning his head this way and that until she grabbed

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two handfuls of his hair and held him still so she could do some exploring of her own. She might doubt her own desirability but she didn’t hesitate to take what she wanted, and she definitely wanted him. She writhed gently, plumbing his mouth just as thoroughly as he did hers, and he loved the sinuous stirring of muscle and bone under her skin. Ariel Jane Pender worked every bit as hard as he and Joe did, and it was exciting as hell to find out she could play just as hard—when she let herself. AJ spread her thighs so that he was cradled in between and thrust her hips against him in an urgent plea. Breaking off the kiss, he cupped her breasts with his hands and slid his mouth down her throat. “Brent, please!” He ignored her cry and bent his head to one beautifully firm little mound. When he licked and sucked lightly at her tight nipple, she panted, twisting her hands in his hair until he could barely hold back a cry of his own. Her responsiveness set his whole body on fire. He shifted until his belly was flush against her slick cunt and played with her breasts in earnest, squeezing and pinching, sucking and biting, and to his amazement, she came again. Her hips heaved him up off the bed as her stomach curled in a dozen or more hard contractions. Brent nearly came himself—he’d been living with this hard-on for so long, it felt as if someone were twisting his balls with vise grips. “You’ve got some sensitive little tits, sweet pea,” he said roughly when she settled back into the mattress, still squeezing her breasts but carefully avoiding her nipples. “That’s never happened before,” she admitted. “Maybe God’s trying to make up for shorting me on cup size.” He narrowed his eyes but let it slide for the moment—though he did note that even though she’d never come from simple breast stimulation before, she’d still managed not to make much noise. “That was a little different from the one you had with Joe,” he said as casually as possible. AJ stroked his hair with both hands but didn’t answer. “You said you don’t come like that all the time?” She shook her head. “Only when I’m alone.” Then she seemed to realize what she’d admitted and blushed. “Wow, that just came right out, didn’t it? Sorry, I can’t seem to self-censor around you to save my life today.” “You’re apologizing…why?” he asked with a grin as he put his hands on her hipbones and scooted lower between her legs. AJ squirmed in his hold. “What are you doing?” “If I have to explain it to you, darlin’, you must not have been reading those Amanda Garrity books close enough.” Like Joe’s pubic hair, her neatly trimmed blonde curls were matted with her fluids, and he ran his thumbs over them a couple of times before spreading her pussy lips wide. “I know damn good and well guys go down on girls in them.”

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“But it’s your turn!” she said breathlessly, curling her shoulders off the bed and tugging on his hair when he touched the tip of his tongue to her clit. He pulled back. “Right. My turn to go down on you.” “No, your turn to come!” When he just grinned at her, she flopped back down with a resigned sigh. “Fine. But if you’re going to do it, do it right.” He blinked. “Well, now there’s a challenge if I ever heard one. Just out of curiosity, what’s your idea of right?” “Don’t tease me.” “Define teasing.” Squirming a little, she said, “You know, lots of, um…little touches that promise something but never satisfy.” Well, now he knew something else about her—she’d never had oral sex from a man who knew what he was doing. “Isn’t teasing part of the buildup?” he teased. She propped up on one elbow. “Look, it’s called eating for a reason. You don’t play with your food, do you? I know you don’t. You just get down to business and eat it.” He snapped a salute at her. “Yes ma’am.” “That wasn’t an— Oh God yes, like that!” He’d never laughed before when he was going down on a woman, but he laughed with Ariel Jane Pender as he got down to the serious business of eating her. Who’d have thought there was such a fiery, demanding sex goddess under those flannel shirts and Wranglers? But she wasn’t the only one who knew what she wanted from sex, and while he didn’t exactly tease her, he managed to keep her on the edge for a lot longer than she was happy with, using sharp nips, aggressive suction and long, hard strokes of his tongue. He brought her close to orgasm three or four times, and finally she clamped her thighs around his head and twisted both hands in his hair to hold him in place. “Quit teasing me or I’ll shave off one of your eyebrows when you’re asleep,” she groaned. He smiled and brought her up one last time. When he felt her start to tremble and relax her body like she’d done with Joe, he stopped again. Pay dirt. She screamed with frustration—literally screamed at the top of her lungs while she tried to yank half the hair off his head. Frenzied at finally having decimated her self-control, he launched himself up her body and rammed his aching cock into her with enough brutality to satisfy even the most jaded masochist. She screamed again and grabbed his ass as she arched off the bed, her cunt wringing his cock tighter than any fist. Christ, it had been decades since he’d fucked a woman without a rubber between them—the sensation was incredible. He plunged in and out, growling with pleasure. There was nothing sweeter than fucking

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through a woman’s orgasm—except maybe fucking her wet, swollen cunt afterward while she lay in a state of boneless satisfaction. Brent paused long enough to hook her unresisting legs over his braced arms and then abandoned himself to his own animalistic quest for release, never taking his eyes off her face. She watched him back through pale lashes, her lips slightly parted and her arms resting palms up beside her tousled head. Finally, when his breathing had turned to panting and sweat dripped off his brow, when his rhythm had grown ragged and his balls had drawn up tight, she touched his lower lip with her fingers. “Come for me, Brent.” He lost it, shouting hoarsely as he emptied everything he had into her.

Alone in the bunkroom, Joe lay in the dark with one hand on his dick and his other arm thrown over his eyes. The muted shouts of fulfillment drifted through the open door and he knew Brent had finally come. He swallowed hard, yanking roughly at his erection until his come spurted onto his stomach. The tears that dampened his arm were the result of yet another long-overdue release. Or at least that’s what he told himself.

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Chapter Six

The sound of the camper door slamming startled Brent out of a sound sleep at the time they usually left for work, and he didn’t have even a few seconds to enjoy the bundle of warm, fragrant woman flesh in his arms before anxiety dropped like a lead weight into the pit of his stomach. AJ turned her head to look at him, wearing a frown that said she felt much the same, and they tossed back the covers without a word. While she rinsed off in the shower, Brent threw together three sack lunches, knowing Joe was so used to AJ taking care of it that he probably hadn’t bothered. At the front door, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard, feeling that something important needed to be said but he couldn’t quite put it into words. Not surprisingly, she nodded when they pulled apart as if she’d received whatever message he’d sent. And she thought he and Joe could read each other’s minds. They caught up with their erstwhile lover halfway to town and pulled over just ahead of him. He climbed in next to AJ without comment, and to Brent’s disbelief, he actually walked into the diner whistling. Whistling. He joked with the other guys, talked about work and demolished a plate of steak and eggs as if he hadn’t eaten in a week—none of which was strange in itself since he’d gotten both laid and blown last night, they had plenty of work to do today and none of them had eaten anything since yesterday afternoon. But he was acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened between them last night when they all knew something damn well had. Sitting across the booth from him, Brent picked at his own food and exchanged WTF looks with AJ while he watched Joe dig into his pancakes. When Joe finally pushed his plate away and looked as if he was about to stand up, Brent said, “We need to talk about last night.” “Why?” Joe said bluntly, getting to his feet. “We all got what we came for.” Brent glared. “No thanks to you.” “Excuse me, but wasn’t that you I heard shouting last night after I went to bed?” “Keep your voice down.” Joe gave him a hard look. “You’re the one that started this, boss man.” He lowered his volume anyway, putting a hand on the bench behind him and leaning down next to his ear. “If you have a problem with the way things played out last night, we can discuss it later. Right now we’ve got work to do if we

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want to finish up here tonight and move on to Elton in the morning. If the three of us having sex is going to interfere with getting the job done, maybe we’d better call it quits right now.” “We’re not calling it quits,” Brent said through clenched teeth. “Good. So let’s go.” When they got in the truck, Brent sat there for a moment, staring through the chipped windshield, and then said, “I just want to know why you left last night.” Joe’s brows went up. “Because I snore like a damn freight train, that’s why. AJ’s used to it by now, but you wouldn’t have slept a wink all night and you know it.” “I’d hoped to be up all night anyway,” Brent said with a meaningful look. “Yeah, well, I’m not as young as you. I need my beauty sleep or I won’t be worth a shit on the job.” Joe’s grin looked forced as hell when he added, “You don’t want me harvesting the wrong field or running over Dietz with a tractor, do you?” Brent studied him for a good ten seconds and then let it go with a sigh. “That probably wouldn’t be good.” It should be a relief that Joe was playing it cool—he certainly wouldn’t betray the fact that they were all getting it on after hours. Hopefully Brent and AJ could be as casual in their interactions in front of the other guys. But dammit, he wanted more from Joe. He wanted what he’d gotten from AJ—if not love, then at least some small sign of affection once in a while. In short, he wanted what he knew he couldn’t have. Fuck. AJ tucked her arm through his and squeezed his hand, and suddenly he felt like a selfish ass. If the way she’d kissed him last night was anything to go by, she had some pretty strong feelings for Joe, too, and the man probably didn’t want hers any more than he wanted Brent’s. Which made him a damn fool. But then it was his life—he could fuck it up any way he wanted to. The rest of the day passed in a blur of combining, hauling and unloading. By sunset, he was tired and irritable, and trying not to think about what he’d done with Joe only made him feel worse. When he returned to the field after unloading a wagon of beans into one of the bins, he saw Seth Dietz pulling stalks off the end of the bean head and just about blew a gasket. Seth stopped as soon as he saw him and headed for the cab but Brent leaned on the horn to stop him. Seth leaned against the ladder in a long-suffering pose. “That’s right, asshole, I’m gonna tear you a new one,” Brent muttered as he pulled to a stop. Before Brent’s boots hit the ground, Seth went on the offensive. “I was just pulling the ends loose.” “I don’t give a shit what you were just doing,” Brent said tightly, reining in his temper. “You know damn good and well you’re supposed to turn off that rotor before you clear any kind of clog.”

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“Come on, Brent. This field’s tough as shit and I’ve been clearing clogs all night. If I have to keep turning the rotor off, it won’t get done before eleven.” “Turning the rotor off and on only takes a second. You’re being lazy and careless, Seth, and that won’t wash with me.” When the kid didn’t have anything to say, Brent continued. “Since clearing clogs safely is too much of a chore for you, I’ll take care of the combining and you can do the hauling for the rest of the night. And for the rest of the week, for that matter.” Seth looked as if he wanted to argue—most of the time combining was the cushy job where you stayed nice and warm in the cab, and hauling was the shit job where you went up and down the steps in the cold and wind a hundred times day—but he just sighed and nodded. “And Dietz, this is your last warning. If I catch you clearing clogs with the rotor running again, you’re gone. Got it? I don’t need any dead or maimed workers on my crew.” “Yes, sir,” Seth said glumly. Brent watched the ease with which Seth took the steps to the tractor and wanted to call him back and chew on his twenty-year-old ass a while longer. Little bastard didn’t realize how good he had it. Just wait ’til he was over forty, carried twenty more pounds and had joints that crackled like a bowl of Rice Krispies every time he went up and down the ladder—then he could bitch about clearing clogs. Feeling old and worn out, Brent climbed up and plopped his ass into the combine seat with a big sigh. Some days it just didn’t pay to get out of bed. Seth wasn’t exaggerating when he said the field was tough as shit. Brent had to get out and clear a dozen clogs before quitting time rolled around at ten. The other teams had already finished up and left for the evening, and since there were only three or four rounds left, he sent Seth and Tim on their way. There was no rule that said the boss couldn’t work after ten, so he’d just finish off this field and drive the tractor and wagons back to the staging area. He could take the ATV to the camper and come back for the combine tomorrow morning.

Wrapped up in an afghan on the couch, AJ gave one last disgusted sigh before she turned off the TV. How could there be over a hundred channels of nothing on? She dropped the remote on the carpet and thought about going to bed. Joe had dropped her off at ten, saying he was going to town for a beer and a bite to eat, and she hadn’t argued or asked to come along. There hadn’t been time for a thorough shower this morning and it had been a long day filled with dirty work, so the last thing she wanted was to go hang out in the bar. AJ hadn’t argued with Brent either when he called and said he’d be another hour or so. She was thrilled to have the camper to herself for a while so she could bathe everything that needed bathing, shave everything that needed shaving and pluck everything that needed plucking in complete privacy.

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Now she was clean as a whistle, smooth as a baby’s bottom and wearing a halfway cute camisole and pajama bottoms—and she was still alone at one-thirty in the morning. Brent had probably stopped at the bar, too. Just a few days ago, she’d have figured he and Joe were out someplace doing each other, but not anymore. Not after last night. More likely they were drinking manly drinks, slapping each other on the back for another job well done and ignoring the sexual tension between them the way they always had. If she were smart, she’d go entertain herself with her vibrator and fantasies the way she always had, but the idea left her cold. Now that she’d had a taste of the real thing… Her chest rose and fell in a heavy sigh. Whatever they were up to, they obviously weren’t too anxious to get home to her, a state of affairs she was all too familiar with thanks to the way things had ended with Rob. It was a given that sooner or later the same thing would happen with Joe and Brent, but she hadn’t expected it to happen after just one night. Maybe it would be best for all of them if they just called it quits now, as Joe had suggested. Despite her determination to keep her interest in them strictly physical, it already hurt to be so easily dismissed again, so readily forgotten by them both. She could only imagine how frantic and needy she’d feel after a few weeks of their sporadic attentions, and dammit, she just wasn’t ready to fall into that emotional sinkhole again. Would never be ready. No falling in love. It was her own rule and it was a good one, but clearly she was already in danger of breaking it. She should just pack up and move on now, take herself out of their dysfunctional equation while she still had her pride. On the other hand, her pride wouldn’t keep her warm at night or fulfill her wildest fantasies, would it? AJ stood up, giving herself a mental kick in the ass as she wrapped the quilt around her shoulders. She just needed to suck it up and stay the course. It would be totally self-defeating to let whatever chance of mind-blowing fantasy sex she had left slip away out of fear. She’d survived being hurt about as badly as a woman could, and by God, she’d survive when Joe and Brent made it clear they were done with her. Yawning, she leaned down and picked up the remnants of her supper—a pear core gone brown and bread crumbs on a paper plate—from the end table. Maybe things would look better in the morning. She’d just dropped the handful of trash into the can under the kitchen sink when Brent’s diesel roared up outside. Before she could make tracks for the bunkroom, the door opened and a stiff westerly wind blew Joe in. He didn’t take his eyes off her as he pulled the door shut behind him. “AJ,” he said tentatively, “what are you doing in here?” “Waiting for you guys,” she answered without thinking, drawing the quilt around her defensively. Way to go, AJ—make them feel bad and show them how pathetic you are at the same time. Joe frowned and glanced at the wall clock. “Where’s Brent?”

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“He’s not with you?” When he shook his head, AJ frowned, too. “He called and said he’d be another hour or so finishing up that last field and then he’d ride the ATV here. I thought he’d stopped off for a drink or something.” “Shit.” He pulled out his cell phone and hit Brent’s speed dial, then snapped it shut again a few seconds later. “He was alone?” AJ’s stomach contracted. “Yes. Do you think something’s wrong? Crap, I should have gone out with him.” “Yeah, you should,” he bit out. Her throat closed and her nose stung with tears but she managed not to flinch. Joe was absolutely right—she’d spent the whole evening primping and feeling sorry for herself while Brent was out coping with some kind of emergency by himself. God, talk about self-absorbed. She was just opening her mouth to apologize when he said, “I’m gonna go check on him.” Closing her mouth again, she turned and headed for their bedroom. “I’m coming, too,” she tossed over her shoulder. “AJ—” When she paused and looked at him, he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Look, I’m sorry, okay? I shouldn’t have said that.” “No, you were right. I should have at least checked on him.” At the high whine of the ATV’s engine outside, Joe’s body relaxed visibly. “Thank God.” He pushed open the door to watch Brent drive up. That’s when it dawned on her how much he cared. He might not want admit it, even to himself, but Joe Remke loved Brent Andersen every bit as much as Brent, however unwillingly, loved him. Which cast an entirely new light on the cheerful way he’d tolerated Brent’s refusals before last night. It was almost as though on some level he hadn’t really wanted Brent to give in. Which was just…brain-spraining. Already on shaky emotional ground and determined to give them some time alone, she yawned and pulled the quilt tighter around her shoulders. “I’m really tired,” she said, heading for the bunkroom. “I’ll see you guys in the morning.” Shutting the door, she crawled into her bunk, still wrapped in the afghan. Hopefully she’d be asleep before he came in—if he came in. He’d shown more genuine emotion in the last few minutes than she’d ever seen from him. Maybe this scare was the catalyst he needed to finally confront his own fears, whatever they were, and open himself emotionally to Brent. No two ways about it, Joe Remke was a man filled with fear. He’d probably beat the shit out of anyone who said so to his face, but he was scared to death of something. She’d thought at first it might be

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the stigma attached to homosexuality in rural America, but now that she knew them better, that theory just didn’t hold any water. His secrets felt less societal than personal. Hell, why did she even care if they got in touch with their emotions and learned to communicate and overcame whatever obstacles were keeping them apart? As soon as that happened, they’d either let her down gently, which would be humiliating, or she’d become the awkward third wheel, which would be even worse. Either way, she’d have to hit the road and find another job because she’d already had more than her fill of feeling inadequate and unwanted. Rolling over to face the wall, she pulled the blankets up over her ears with another shuddering sigh. Sleep would probably be a long time coming tonight.

Watching Brent trudge over the gravel, clearly filthy, frustrated and exhausted, Joe felt like the biggest piece of shit on earth. He’d just assumed Brent and AJ were taking advantage of his absence and spending some quality time together. Instead, AJ had spent the evening assuming the same thing about the two of them while Brent was out working, and probably fixing some kind of equipment breakdown, by himself. All because Joe had been too chickenshit to come home. How could he have screwed things up so badly? He held the door open and Brent brushed by him. “Nice cologne,” Brent said flatly, not looking at him. “Anyone I know?” “No,” Joe replied, his tone every bit as flat. “Were you waiting up for me?” Joe’s stomach burned. “I just got in and AJ told me you were still out in the field. When you didn’t answer your phone, I thought I’d better go check on you.” Brent shrugged out of his coat and hung it and his cap on the hook by the door. Then he pulled out his cell phone and frowned. “I didn’t hear it ring.” “I just called.” It was impossible to hear even the loudest cell phone over the roar of the four-wheeler. “Ah. Well, thanks for worrying about me.” Joe hung up his own coat and cap. “What happened?” “Ran over some wire on the last round. The fence must have washed out over the summer or something.” He scrubbed his hands over his head tiredly. “It took a couple of hours to pull it all off the reel and get it wound up and out of the way.” “You should have called me.” Brent shrugged. “I handled it.”

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Joe tensed with frustration. Brent shouldn’t have had to handle it, at least not alone, and he wouldn’t have if things hadn’t gotten so fucked up between them. He would have called, knowing Joe would drop everything to go help him. Hell, he wouldn’t have had to call because they’d have been out there together, the way they always were. They almost always left the field together. Instead, Joe had been out trolling for a casual lay just to prove that he still could—a plan that had now backfired in ways too numerous and uncomfortable to think about. Brent went to the sink and got a drink of water and then turned off the kitchen light. “Well, I’m going to shower and hit the sack.” “You haven’t asked about AJ.” He paused in the doorway. “What about her?” “She was worried about you, too.” Brent glanced toward the closed bunkroom door. “She must not have been too worried if she’s asleep.” Joe wandered closer to him, sticking his thumbs in his jeans pockets. “She just went to bed.” “I called and told her where I was.” “Well, you shouldn’t have been out there alone and you know it, especially so late at night. You could have had an accident and no one would have been there to help you or call an ambulance.” He sighed heavily. “I kind of jumped down her throat about not checking on you, even though it was my fault.” “I hope you apologized, because that’s about the stupidest line of bullshit I ever heard. I’m forty-two years old, Joe—old enough to work late all by myself now.” “I should have been with you.” Brent leveled a penetrating look at him. “One of these days we need to have a long talk about your overdeveloped sense of responsibility. But right now we both need sleep if we’re going to get loaded and out of here in the morning.” He was right, but Joe still hesitated. It felt like there were things they needed to get straight, but he had no idea how in the hell to do it without getting sucked even deeper into something he’d never intended. “Go to bed, Joe,” Brent said in a resigned tone. “Whatever it is, it’ll wait ’til tomorrow.”

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Chapter Seven

Brent had hoped the cold light of a November morning would snap him out of the funk he’d fallen into last night, but he still felt like a pile of dried-up dog shit the whole time they loaded the equipment onto the flatbeds. It didn’t help that both Joe and AJ were acting as distant as he was, though why was a mystery he didn’t care enough to solve at the moment. Like either of them had any right to be pissed at him, he groused as he tightened the straps lashing down one of the corn heads. He was the one who’d worked his ass off long after quitting time while AJ had a pleasant evening at home and Joe was out screwing some stranger. He cranked the winch bar viciously and then swore a blue streak when it slipped and he banged his knuckles on the trailer. Taking a walk around the truck, he shook out his throbbing fingers and gave himself a mental dressing down. Dammit, he had to stop thinking about this, had to stop obsessing over the cloud of whiskey, cigarette smoke and men’s cologne clinging to Joe when he got home last night or he’d cause a major accident. So Joe got laid. Again. So what? Had he really expected anything else? He let loose a tired sigh as he picked the winch bar up off the gravel and started tightening again. The sad fact was, yes, for some stupid reason he had expected something else, and that was what was driving him so crazy right now. Joe wasn’t the one who’d changed, who’d acted any different than he ever had. It was Brent who’d changed the rules of the game by giving up a big chunk of his long-held ground and then expecting things to be different because of it. See, this was why he’d never given an inch before when Joe made a play for him and why he should have continued to hold him off until the end of time. Sex was nothing but a game to Joe—or a convenient tool for detaching himself from anyone he might actually care about. Or both. Whichever it happened to be at any given moment, the end result was always the same, and frankly, Brent just didn’t give a shit anymore. For once, he was actually looking forward to the coming winter. He just didn’t have the stomach for the kind of emotional fucking over that came with getting close to Joe Remke. A hand settled on his shoulder. “Are you okay?” AJ. He paused. “Just banged my knuckles. They’re fine.” “That’s not what I’m talking about,” she said softly. “I’m guessing you two didn’t work things out last night.”

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“No.” He looked out over the corn stubble. “I’m sorry.” Brent steeled himself and he moved on to the next strap. AJ’s quiet sympathy was a balm to his wounded feelings, but it was like sticking a Band-Aid on a stab wound—one false move and his grief and rage over Joe would come gushing out all over some innocent bystander. Swallowing the acid taste in his throat, he looked at her and said, “I’m fine.” Then he had to go and add, “But if I were you, I wouldn’t offer to let Joe touch you without a condom again.”

The raw pain in Brent’s eyes took her breath away. Oh God, please tell me Joe didn’t go and do something stupid last night. Surely he hadn’t been that flipped out by what happened between them. Hell, he was the one who’d controlled the whole situation from beginning to end, and he was the one who’d walked out as if neither she nor Brent meant anything to him. But now that she thought about it, his reactions had seemed pretty extreme last night. Good Lord, no wonder he’d felt guilty about not being with Brent—he’d been with someone else. The bastard. And he’d had the nerve to get on her ass about abandoning Brent! AJ held out her hand. “Give me the winch bar.” Brent didn’t move. “Why?” “I need it to deliver a message to that fucked-up son of a bitch.” He tried to frown at her but reluctant amusement spoiled the effect. “I’m afraid I’ll have to veto that plan—for now. After the season’s over, he’s all yours.” “What makes you think I’ll want his skanky ass?” Brent finally laughed under his breath and slanted a reproachful look at her. “AJ, AJ, why do you wanna go and spoil my shitty mood?” “Because your shitty mood is everybody’s shitty mood?” she said lightly. He sobered. “It shouldn’t be. That’s why I stayed out alone last night—I wasn’t fit company for anyone. Then I ran over a bunch of wire and spent a couple of hours getting it loose from the reel. Be glad you weren’t there to see me vent my spleen on the header,” he added with a small grin. “I think I kicked a couple more dents in it. But I’m sorry I didn’t call you again. Joe said you’d waited up.” “Whoa, he really spread the guilt around last night, didn’t he?” “Yeah, he told me he came down on you, too, and I’ll tell you what I told him—I’m a big boy and I know how to use the phone if I need help.” He slanted one dark blond brow. “Got it?” “Got it,” she answered with a precise nod, feeling as though a lead weight had been lifted from her chest. Then he smiled. “I missed you last night.”

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Shit. Her helpless heart started beating a crazy rhythm and she ordered it to calm down. Apparently it couldn’t differentiate between a romantic declaration and casual affection. Her brain, fortunately, could. “I’ll bet you did,” she managed to say with a sassy grin. “Pulling wire off the reel is a bitch when you’re by yourself.” His smile faded and they looked at each other for a long, awkward minute. “Well, I guess we’d better get back at it or we’ll never make it out of town.” “God forbid,” AJ joked. Then she stuck her hands in her coat pockets to keep from holding an L to her forehead as she walked away. God, she was such a loser! Obviously she’d forgotten everything she ever knew about flirting with men. “Hey, AJ…” She froze and then turned her head to look back. “Yeah?” “Thanks for making me laugh. I feel a lot better.” Well, that was better than nothing. She smiled at him. “I’m glad.”

By the time they pulled up in front of the camper that evening, Joe had had a bellyful of AJ’s snit. He’d been prepared for a degree of coolness from both her and Brent after the way he left them last night, and aside from a small twinge in his gut, it hadn’t bothered him when they both kept their distance this morning. That had been his goal, after all—maintaining some distance between them. It wasn’t a pleasant job but it had to be done. After a day or two, their annoyance would fade and things would gradually get back to normal. But for some obscure and no doubt hormone-related reason, AJ had gone from cool to seething around midmorning, and for once, Joe had been more than happy to drive one of the semis across Iowa by himself. His hopes that her coolness, if not her usual sunny disposition, would be restored by the drive were crushed when they arrived in Elton at noon. It took them a few hours to hook up the campers, unload the equipment, mount the corn heads and top off all the fuel tanks, and whenever AJ said two words to him, they’d been delivered in a pissy tone that was seriously getting Joe’s back up by the time they got in the field. It started to rain around eight o’clock, so they all secured their equipment for the night and met at Pizza Hut for a subdued supper. Then the three of them had made the dark, wet drive to the camper in complete silence, with AJ in the backseat. Brent left the engine running and kept his eyes on the side of the camper, which was illuminated by the truck’s high beams. “I’m headed over to Stu and Val’s for a couple of hours.”

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Joe wasn’t surprised. They were harvesting crops for Brent’s uncle, Stu Mercer, and no matter how late they finished, he always stopped by for a visit the first night they were in town. Every year he used some personal time to put up corn stalks for Stu, even though the old man had long since gotten rid of his cow herd and had no need for bedding in the winter. The stalks were just lying around going to waste, he said, so it made sense to bale some just in case. And against all odds, most years he wound up selling all his bales. After a long pause, AJ got out into the pouring rain. “See you in the morning, then,” she said expressionlessly as she shut the door. Joe sat there for a moment longer, wishing he could joke around with Brent about her foul mood but knowing the joke would fall flat. Dammit, this kind of tension was exactly what he’d been trying to avoid. How the hell had everything gone to hell between them so quickly? He got out without a word, and Brent backed up and drove off. The minute he stepped into the camper and got a look at AJ’s mulish face, the back of his neck prickled with irritation. “So what crawled up your ass and died?” he asked, pulling off his jacket. Although the camper was higher-end and well-constructed, the sound of rain pounding on the roof was almost deafening. She didn’t look at him as she hung up her coat and cap and tugged off her wet boots. “It’s not going to work this time, Joe.” He leaned down to grapple with his own boots. “I give up—what’s not going to work?” “Your laying a guilt trip on me because you feel guilty about getting laid last night.” Although he flinched inwardly, he managed to maintain his cool expression. “Why should I feel guilty about getting laid?” She cut him a derisive look. “That’s something you need to be asking yourself, not me. I’m taking a shower and going to bed.” He ground his teeth as she turned and walked into the bunkroom. That’s something you need to be asking yourself. What kind of pompous, cryptic shit was that? Let it go, Joe, just let it go. There was no winning an argument with a woman—no point in even trying, especially when there might be a tiny grain of truth to what she said. Okay, so maybe it was a sizable grain. He had come down on her unfairly last night and he should probably apologize for it. But dammit, whatever went on between him and Brent was none of her damn business in the first place. The fact that she’d passed judgment and come down on Brent’s side of the matter really pissed him off. Brent was a grown man—he didn’t need a fucking advocate, especially a skinny little female farmhand. He was still standing there steaming when she emerged from the bunkroom wearing only a tank top and panties, and holding a pile of folded clothes. She hesitated when she saw him but then straightened shoulders and stalked toward the bathroom.

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“Excuse me,” she said as she brushed by. The bathroom door closed with a quiet click and he scowled. Obnoxious brat. Did she think that because she’d lived through some hard times, that made her the freaking Dalai Lama? Unable to resist, he tried the doorknob and was surprised to find it unlocked. He opened the door and propped his shoulder on the jamb to stare at her through the glass. “I don’t recall asking you to psychoanalyze me, AJ.” “I don’t recall asking you to watch me shower, either, but there you are.” The sassy little shit might already be getting used to being naked in front of him, but she wasn’t putting on a show for him. She soaped her body all over in quick, economical swipes that weren’t the least bit provocative. That didn’t keep him from getting hard while he watched. “You know,” he said, unable to take his eyes off her misty outline as she shampooed her hair, “it really isn’t any of your business or Brent’s if I got laid. You both knew going into this that I don’t do commitment of any kind, and if I want to fuck someone else, I damn well will. “That being said,” he continued loudly when she tried to interrupt, “I didn’t get laid last night so you can both quit looking at me like I ran over your damn dog or something.” In fact, he’d had his shittiest night in years. While he was out trolling, one of the young locals he’d hooked up with a few years earlier, Evan something or other, had given him a hard hug and sat down next to him at the bar to renew their acquaintance. Though Joe had no intention of sleeping with the guy again, he’d shared a couple of friendly drinks with him. Then Evan had tried to talk him into another trip to the motel down the road and he hadn’t accepted Joe’s polite refusal with a smile. Instead, the fucker had gone into a full-scale tizzy, ranting about what a bastard Joe was. In no mood to humor anyone, Joe had stood up to leave and told him, “Hysterical shit like this is exactly why I don’t fuck gay guys anymore.” He’d gotten what he deserved for that crack. Evan took a swing at him, and though he’d managed to duck out of the way, Joe hadn’t been able to duck out of sight. He’d had to endure both wide-eyed scrutiny and narrow-eyed censure from dozens of men and women as he threw a couple of bills on the table and walked out. It wasn’t an experience he’d care to repeat. AJ wiped a face-sized circle on the inside of the foggy door and stared at him. “So why does Brent think you did?” “Because he made an assumption I didn’t bother to correct. It shouldn’t matter whether or not I got laid. It never has before.” “He’s never gone down on you before.” “And that’s supposed to change everything?” She stepped back to rinse the shampoo out of her hair and a flowery herb scent tinged the humid air. “Not everything.” You moron. She didn’t say it but he heard it loud and clear in her tone.

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“It’s not supposed to change anything. It hasn’t with you,” he pointed out. “You’re only pissed off because Brent’s got his panties in a bunch.” “Yeah, Joe, I’d be the biggest idiot in town if I thought sex with me changed anything for you.” Her arid tone made him grind his teeth as she continued. “But I’m just your booty call. Brent’s your best friend, and if you value his friendship at all, you need to quit putting the moves on him or you’re going to ruin everything. Best friends can’t be casual fuck buddies, and I think you know that. It’s why you haven’t pushed him harder.” “Thank you for that brilliant analysis, Dr. Phil,” he said snidely. “Fuck you, Joe,” she fired back, cranking the water off and stepping out onto the bathmat. She scrubbed her head with a towel off the rack. “You need to apologize to Brent for walking out the way you did the other night and then leave him the hell alone. Or is your masculine pride so important to you that you’ll sacrifice years of friendship just so you can say you’ve fucked him?” “Fuck yourself, AJ,” he growled. “It’s not masculine pride that—” He caught his breath. Shit, what the hell was he saying? It was pride, wasn’t it? Brent Andersen had become a challenge he was determined to win—that was all there was to it, all there could ever be. That was why the idea of never fucking the man stuck in his craw so bad. AJ dried her back as she eyed him curiously. “Then what is it?” “Okay fine, it’s pride,” he said grudgingly, unable to keep his gaze from wandering down her lithe body. “I bow to your superior female powers of perception.” She snorted. “Liar.” Joe straightened away from the door frame. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” “Nothing,” she muttered, looping the towel over the rack. “I’m sorry I ever brought it up.” She tried to brush past him, but he blocked the doorway with his body. “Oh no. You’re not going anywhere until you explain that remark.” She planted her hands on her hips, thrusting out her neat little tits in a way that was hard as hell to ignore. “I’m not explaining anything to you, Joe Remke, and I’d bet my last dollar you don’t really want me to. Frankly, I doubt you’re mature enough to handle it.” “I’m not mature enough!” he snarled, infuriated and exhilarated and ready to throw her against the wall and fuck her hard enough to leave an AJ-sized dent in the laminate. “That’s what I said.” She lifted her chin. “Now get out of my way so I can go to bed.” He leaned down until they were nose to nose. “I never realized you were such a bitch, AJ.” “And I can’t figure out why I ever liked you,” she spat back, not backing down an inch. “You’re a complete asshole.” He touched the tip of his nose to hers. “Are you as turned on as I am?” “More!” she declared.

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Breathing heavily, they stared each other down for two more seconds. Then they dissolved into helpless laughter. Joe snatched her naked body against him and hugged her tight while she beat her fists against his chest. “Why, Diane, when did you shave your pussy?” After another screech of laughter, she gasped, “I can’t believe you watched Cheers.” “Why not?” he asked, still grinning. “I can relate to losers who have nothing to live for but the bar.” Her laughter trailed off, and she looked at him just long enough to make him uncomfortable. “No fair making me laugh,” she finally said. “I’m still mad at you.” “And I’m still tempted to spank your ass, you little brat.” AJ gaped at him. “You wouldn’t dare!” He leaned down until his forehead touched hers. “Oh honey, you’ve got a lot to learn about me.”

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Chapter Eight

When he tried to drag her out of the bathroom, AJ clung to the doorframe like a cat. She was strong, but there was no way she could hold out long against a man who weighed damn near twice what she did. “You better not!” she cried, giggling as she kicked and twisted in his grip. “What are you gonna do, tell on me?” he taunted. “I might!” He surprised her by stepping forward, and caught off balance, she reached for his arms. Before she could blink, he grabbed her wrists and spun her around. “Now I’ve got you,” he breathed against her sensitive neck. She writhed, too breathless to even laugh. “Dammit, Joe!” He heaved her off the floor and carried her into Brent’s room. Two seconds later, she was facedown over his lap, beating his denim-covered calf with both fists. “This isn’t funny!” “Not from this angle either,” he murmured, holding her with one arm over her ribs while he ran the other hand over her butt. AJ hadn’t been strictly joking when she said she was turned on by their argument, and now his hot caress and the pressure of his thigh low on her belly were wreaking all sorts of embarrassing havoc with her innards. The rain on the roof and the rumble of distant thunder only intensified the electric mood in the room. She licked her dry lips as her heart tattooed a furious rhythm against his thigh. “Joe, you don’t really want to do this.” “Believe me, AJ, I really do.” His hand left her ass. “This is gonna hurt, little girl.” “Wait—” Slap! His palm landed on her right cheek with the sting of a hot iron. “Ow!” she yelled, squirming in his hold. “Not so hard, you son of a bitch!” He spread his knees and held her ribs more firmly against his other thigh. “Maybe you need it a little harder.” “Hell no, I—” Slap! Her other butt cheek caught fire. “Ow!” she cried again. “This’ll feel better if you relax, AJ.” “Relax, my ass.” She’d meant to sound harsh, but there was a dismaying quiver in her voice.

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“Exactly. When you tense your cheeks, it doesn’t feel nearly as good. Or so I’m told,” he added before swatting both cheeks again in quick succession. “Dammit, Joe,” she whispered, dangerously close to tears. “You can’t do this to me.” “I’m keeping you from falling off my lap, AJ, not holding you down. You can get up and walk away anytime you want to.” Damn, busted. AJ let her head hang. Now she was on the spot. If she stayed where she was, she was tacitly admitting that she wanted him to hurt her this way. If she got up and walked away, she’d deprive herself of another devastatingly carnal fantasy. He rubbed a hand over her butt again and she whimpered as his calluses scraped her hot, tender flesh. “You know how to make this feel good, don’t you, little girl?” She bit her lip. “Relax and get your cunt square over my thigh,” he told her. Cheeks stinging with embarrassment, she obeyed, squirming until her clit rested firmly between his hard thigh and her own pubic bone. “Now relax like you did when you came for me.” She took a deep breath and tried to let all the tension drain out of her muscles. “Good. Stay that way.” Two more brisk slaps landed and she whimpered but managed not to move. The third one was harder and a sob escaped her. The fourth landed immediately and she wailed, wrapping her arms awkwardly around his leg. Christ, it hurt! When was it going to feel good? Joe backed off the intensity a little in favor of frequency, peppering her ass and upper thighs with quick little slaps until there wasn’t an inch of flesh that didn’t throb like hell. AJ started to move with his rhythm, keening and sobbing as she ground her clit on his thigh. The soft denim of his jeans abraded her nipples, too, and it wasn’t long before she was actively humping his leg, desperate for release. Without warning, he landed a hard blow on each ass check and AJ screamed. “God, please!” “That’s it, little girl. Ride me.” “Help me!” she cried. A heartbeat later, thick, hard fingers slid into her pussy and pumped in time with the desperate thrusting of her hips. Painfully excited, she clutched his leg and arched up into him. “Yes, yes, yes,” she moaned. She stiffened when the rough pad of his thumb sank between her butt cheeks, but she didn’t protest for fear he’d stop altogether. She rode his fingers wildly, all the while excruciatingly conscious of his thumb applying rhythmic pressure against her anus. Please don’t, please don’t, please don’t… She groaned when he deepened the penetration of his fingers and sped up, fucking her in his own rhythm now, and all she could do was grind her pubic bone against him and wait for the release she knew was coming.

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It came with a vengeance when his thumb tipped and wormed its way just inside her bottom. AJ screamed harshly, overwhelmed…just…overwhelmed…

Torn between amusement and concern, and crippled by a hard-on stiff enough to use as an Olympic diving board, Joe quickly slid AJ’s still-twitching body onto the bed. Her eyes were half-closed and he couldn’t tell exactly how out of it she was. Leaning over, he cupped the back of her head and stroked her still-damp hair. “I’ve never made a woman pass out before,” he told her. “I didn’t pass out,” she mumbled. “I was just trying to think of a gracious way to say stay the hell out of my ass.” Relieved, he sat down beside her. “Now why would I want to do that when you enjoy it so much?” “Is this a private party or can anyone play?” Joe looked up at Brent, who hovered in the doorway. “AJ was just apologizing for mouthing off to me, and I was apologizing for being a dickhead the other night. Get in here so I can apologize to you, too.” “If that’s your idea of an apology, I’ll pass.” Brent stepped into the room, eyeing her glowing ass warily. “I’m not really in the mood for a spanking.” “I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” Joe said. “We can talk like a couple of grown men.” AJ piped up in the same drowsy mumble, “Grown men don’t talk. They watch football and drink beer and ignore the five hundred pound gorilla in the middle of the living room.” “Hush, you.” Joe smacked her ass again, making her roll over with a yelp and sit up. “Discipline hour is now over,” she announced, rubbing her hip. “Everybody keep your hands off my ass until further notice.” He slanted a wry smile her way and then stood up to confront Brent in the close confines of the master bedroom. But one look at his guarded face and carefully blank eyes tied a knot in Joe’s tongue. He glanced at AJ again, but rather than comforting him, her encouraging look made him even more tense. “I—” Closing his eyes briefly, he shook his head and shoved a hand through his hair. “Shit. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather have a spanking?” Brent didn’t crack a smile. Joe sighed. “I’m sorry.” “For what, exactly?” “Dammit, what do you want from me? I’m just trying to apologize for taking advantage of you the other night.” “It wasn’t the taking advantage I minded,” Brent said neutrally. Confounded, Joe looked to AJ for help.

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After a long, considering look, she told him, “There’s nothing to be afraid of, Joe. Just say what’s important to you.” I’m not afraid! popped immediately to mind, but he managed to stifle the petulant reaction before it reached his lips. Now he just had to think of what was important. Feeling like an ass, he sighed. “I just don’t want to mess up our friendship, okay?” Brent immediately shook his head. “You can’t mess up our friendship.” “Oh yeah? Well, it’s seemed kind of messed up to me for the last couple of days.” “I was just pissed off. Friends get pissed off at each other once in a while, then they get over it.” “Guess that’s true,” Joe admitted, even though Brent’s explanation wasn’t ringing true. “Twenty minutes ago AJ and I were telling each other to fuck off and now look at us.” Brent tsked. “Such language, Ariel Jane.” “You said you wouldn’t tell anyone!” she cried. “My bad,” he said cheerfully. “But Joe’s your lover, too, isn’t he? Shouldn’t he know your secret shame?” A short laugh escaped her. “Dammit, Brent, this isn’t tabloid TV. My secret shame,” she snorted. “You’re assholes, both of you.” Joe stuck out his hand. “Friends?” After a painfully long moment, Brent shook it. “Friends.” “Good.” Now that he’d apologized, it was time to make restitution or he’d never be able to relax with Brent again. Joe pointed at the head of the bed. “Now take off your clothes and lie on your back up there.” Brent raised his brows. “Excuse me?” “I said, take off your clothes and lie down up there.” They stared at each other, Brent questioning and Joe challenging, and then Brent reluctantly shed his clothes. He’d apparently left his wet boots at the door with theirs. “What does this have to do with apologizing?” he asked warily as he sat down and pulled off his socks. “Just do it.” When Brent was lying where ordered, Joe said, “AJ, you go lie by Brent so I can look at you both.” She started. “You’re kidding, right?” He eyed her sternly. “Do I look like I’m kidding?” He almost laughed when she stuck her tongue out at him. “Ariel Jane, I’m not going to say it again. Wait—first spread your legs so I can look at your cunt.” “If you ever call me that where the guys can hear it, you’re so dead.” Shooting daggers with her eyes, she grudgingly separated her knees a few inches. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He rubbed one finger over the smooth, bare flesh. “Very pretty. You were a busy girl while we were gone last night. No wonder you were annoyed when we didn’t come home.”

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“I wasn’t annoyed,” she declared. “I was just… Okay, I was annoyed.” “Glad we got that cleared up. Now go lie beside Brent.” She gave him a look that said she thought he was crazy but scooted up and lay down on her back next to Brent. Standing up, Joe moved to the foot of the bed to watch his playmates. They looked perfect together, like two long-limbed, yellow-haired bookends. They even had matching pale tan lines. But there were plenty of differences between them, too, not the least of which were the organs that lay between their legs—organs that he planned to get his hands on as often as he could while he had the chance. Brent’s hair was darker, more of a honey blond, where AJ’s was nearly white. Brent’s eyes were a nice shade of brown that flashed gold in the sun, where AJ’s were a clear, honest blue. And of course, Brent was furrier than AJ, especially now that she’d gone and shaved her sweet pussy. “I want to see you together,” he said. They looked at each other. “We are together,” Brent pointed out. “Kiss her, smartass. I heard you together the other night—now I want to see you.” After a brief, pensive stare, he said, “Okay.” Although Brent was the one who replied, the two of them brought their lips together by mutual agreement. They kissed gently, sweetly at first, and then the kiss turned more carnal, with open mouths and wet lips and flashing tongues. AJ’s hand slid down Brent’s belly to caress his balls and hardening cock while his cupped the side of her face. He pulled her half over his chest with a big sigh, and Joe sighed, too, his own cock still at rigid attention in his jeans. They were so pretty together, and they were his to play with as long as he could take the heat. But not tonight. They both kept glancing at him, looking for direction, but he held his tongue while things got hotter and heavier. Brent slid a hand between her thighs and groaned. “God, that’s hot,” he breathed against her lips before diving back in. “Spread, AJ,” Joe ordered. “I want to see.” Without breaking the kiss, she lifted her leg and rested her knee on Brent’s thigh. Joe could clearly see Brent’s fingers playing between her cunt lips, and it took everything he had to swallow a groan of envy. Then Brent grabbed her knee and pulled her over to cover him completely. When AJ knelt up and moved to center her crotch over his, Joe interrupted. “None of that,” he said. AJ turned and they both scowled at him, but he continued. “AJ, slide up and kneel over his face.” Her cheeks instantly turned red. “Joe!” “Do it. And face this way.” “Forget it. I don’t like it backward.”

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“Why not?” She fidgeted for a moment before saying, “I just don’t, okay?” “Why don’t you like ass play?” Joe asked. “Does there have to be a reason?” When no further explanation was forthcoming, Brent frowned. “Honey, did somebody hurt you there?” When she shook her head, he pressed, “Have you had anything in your ass before—a cock, a dildo?” “Not even a finger until tonight,” she finally said, clearly uncomfortable, “and if it’s all the same to you, I’d just as soon keep it that way.” “So, you’re just a good little girl who doesn’t let boys play in her dirty places,” Joe said in a silky tone. Brent’s hands came to caress her thighs. “Joe, she’s allowed to say no.” “I agree,” Joe said evenly without letting go of her gaze. “But we’re here to expand her horizons, aren’t we?” She narrowed her eyes. “Like doing two men isn’t expanding my horizons enough?” “Sorry, but you’re just going to have to get over it, honey, because I want you to sixty-nine and there’s only one way to do it.” Still hesitating, she bit her lip. “Come on, AJ,” he cajoled. “Where’s that adventurous spirit?” Her scowl returned but she finally sighed and climbed off Brent, then moved to the head of the bed. It looked like it just about killed her to do it, but she braced her hands on either side of his waist as she awkwardly swung a leg over his head. “Good girl,” Joe said. “Now get busy, buddy.” Brent grasped AJ’s hips and she lowered herself with obvious reluctance, her cheeks still bright red. When she went to lean forward, Joe held up a hand. “Ladies first,” he said. “I want to watch you enjoy it.” Skewering him with a look, she stated the obvious. “I’m getting annoyed again.” He grinned at her. “But now you’ll be able to see what’s going on down here when I get to the rest of my apology.” Brent suddenly stirred. “The rest of what?” He craned his neck to see around her. “Maybe I want to see what’s going on down here.” Joe grinned at him. “You won’t need to see it.”

Although he was unnerved, Brent couldn’t help grinning as he looked up at AJ’s little pink asshole. Her stiff legs and unbending posture said more clearly than words that she was uncomfortable and

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embarrassed to have him looking at her this way. He was going to have a hell of a lot of fun getting her past that. But he decided to be nice and make her come again so she was good and relaxed when he started playing back there. Fortunately, being nice to AJ was no chore. The woman smelled delicious—like soap and skin, flowers and pepper, and hot, aroused female. He used his whole face, from his unshaven chin to the tips of his eyelashes, to make her wiggle and squirm and whimper above him. Knowing exactly what she liked, he mixed just enough teasing touches in with the firm ones to keep her off balance and desperate for more. Her hands rested on his stomach now, and he was amused to note that they clenched whenever he let the tip of his nose drift between her butt cheeks. Sliding his hands up from her hips, he found her nipples already tight and hard. He flicked them none too gently with his fingertips and did the same to her clit with his tongue. She squirmed harder, bringing herself down more firmly on his face. “Brent, please.” That was one goal accomplished—now he didn’t have to strain his neck to get a good mouthful of her pussy. He turned up the heat, twisting her nipples and sucking on her clit until she jerked and moaned. She sank down harder, begging him without words to end her torment. When he drew it out further, she paid him back by tangling her fingers in his pubic hair, and the implicit threat made him wince. Shit, if she followed through with it, he could be in a world of hurt. But what was life without risk? Taking his chances, he pinched her nipples tight. Then he shifted his head so that his chin ground against her clit and slid his tongue inside her in bold strokes. Her legs started to shake. “Brent, please don’t stop,” she whispered. “Please, please don’t stop…” Considering that she’d probably rip out half his short curlies if he did, he decided against prolonging her agony. He craned his neck so he could get his tongue deeper into her slick heat and fucked her with it, keeping his chin in rough contact with her clit. Her shaking got so bad he started to wonder if something might be wrong, but then she let out a hoarse cry and came for him. Taking advantage of her limited awareness, he grabbed her hips and added his nose to the mix, pushing the tip into her anus while her pussy pulsed under his tongue. Unfortunately, she wasn’t unaware enough. Her fingers tightened cruelly and Brent hissed in pain. Shit! She wasn’t ripping them out exactly, but damn, it hurt enough to make his hard-on wilt on the vine. Ariel Jane Pender must have been a torture master in a previous life—even in the throes of orgasm, she knew just how to inflict maximum torment without leaving any evidence of her brutality. When he withdrew his nose, she relaxed her grip. “That wasn’t very nice of you, AJ,” Joe chided.

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Brent felt weight settle on the bed between his feet and then suddenly AJ’s hands disappeared from his body altogether. “I’ve got her now, Brent. Give her a little taste.” Brent grinned. Ignoring her sudden struggles, he pulled her hips down farther and trailed his tongue over her asshole. “God dammit, you guys,” she started. Then he pushed, and pushed harder, and she whimpered, “Brent, don’t. That’s not…right, it’s not… Oh God.” His tongue forged into her tight hole and blood roared back into his cock. He was damn well going to fuck the little hellcat in that hole just as soon as he got it stretched out enough. But for now he settled for fucking her with his tongue, making her love the dirtiness of it as much as she thought she ha— Whoa. The weight between his feet shifted and suddenly his thighs were being pushed apart by heavy hands. “Keep going, Brent. She’s fine now.” He obeyed, although his movements slowed and he felt incredibly vulnerable, what with the family jewels on display down there and all. AJ leaned forward, away from his mouth, and he felt her lips brushing his pubic hair in what felt like an apology. Then another mouth joined it on the other side and Brent swallowed, forgetting all about what he was supposed to be doing. Warm breath drifted over his cock from both directions and he jerked. He didn’t dare think about anything, didn’t dare hope for anything—he just lay there with his eyes closed and waited, barely breathing. The first touch on the side of his cock was so light he barely felt it. The next was firmer, and more followed all over, sensuous little licks that were too frequent and scattered to come from a single tongue. He broke into a sweat, his heart pounding. Joe. That was all he could think—Joe. AJ shifted and then her small mouth settled over him. He relaxed somewhat, the natural response of a man finally getting cock into a woman’s mouth, and she slid down farther. As he’d imagined, her teeth scraped along the skin of his shaft, making him shudder. That was stimulating and exciting now, but if she started bobbing or he got carried away, she might draw blood. He slid his hands down her back to her shoulders, ready to pull her off him if things got too dicey. Then he tensed when Joe’s heavy hands settled on his hips, the fingers fanning out low over his abdomen and the thumbs stretching down to massage the creases where his thighs met his balls. Don’t think, don’t wish, don’t hope… “I didn’t get laid last night, Brent.” Before Brent could process Joe’s rough confession, wet heat swiped over his scrotum and he gasped for breath. Joe. While AJ sucked his cock, Joe was painting his balls with a broad, hot tongue, leaving trails of cooling moisture on every square inch of his sac. When Joe spread his thighs wider with his forearms and reached lower with his tongue, Brent shuddered violently. Few women in his life had been daring

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enough to go there even with their fingers, but Joe’s tongue didn’t hesitate as it blazed a fiery trail from the base of his cock all the way down to his asshole. Joe devoured him like a starving man, sucking Brent’s balls into his mouth one by one and tonguing them, then moved down again to explore his perineum and ass. For a second, Brent felt a touch of AJ’s shyness, but Joe didn’t give him time to indulge it, shoving his legs back even farther so that he could push inside. With his legs in the air, Brent just lay there, helpless, undignified and disoriented, and took Joe’s exploration of his ass and AJ’s enthusiastic ministrations to his cock as if they were his due as either sex slave or king of the world. Or both. Inside he was floating, curiously hollow and light. For the last couple of days, hurt had weighed him down with a force that was almost physical…and now it was gone. Joe hadn’t slept with another guy last night. He’d gone out cruising, there was no way he hadn’t. Maybe he’d passed up an offer, or maybe he’d struck out, but either way the end result was the same— Shit, I’m in love with a man. AJ got a little too enthusiastic, and he squeezed out, “AJ, teeth.” She jerked to a halt and then Brent felt Joe mouth a demonstration on his balls. Good old Joe. AJ quickly followed suit by covering her teeth with her wet lips before bobbing on him again, and within minutes, Brent was tense and poised to blow. He groaned when AJ pulled off him, but then Joe moved, and sudden fierce suction from a hot, unyielding mouth had him bowing off the bed, yelling at the top of his lungs as he came. He felt Joe’s every hard swallow on the head of his cock and nearly wept at the relief. When AJ slid off to the side and laid her head on his heaving chest, Joe stood up, still fully dressed and sporting a hell of a bulge in his jeans. “Apology accepted?” he asked. “Are we even now?” “You have to ask?” Brent said roughly. “Good. Then I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” He walked out and closed the door behind him. Brent heaved a tired sigh and pulled AJ closer, feeling as though they’d just stepped back from the brink of Armageddon. Now that Joe had evened up the blowjob score—like they were ten-year-olds exchanging Indian burns on the playground—he probably thought their relationship would settle back into the game of cat and mouse they’d been playing for years. Maybe it would. Maybe it should. Brent didn’t want to go back to the way he’d felt the last couple of days, and he sure as hell didn’t want to lose Joe. But he also hated the idea of going back to the sidelines and watching Joe fuck everyone but him. What are you afraid of, Joe? AJ’s challenge earlier in the evening suddenly took on new significance. Exactly what was Joe afraid of, and how did AJ manage to pin him down so neatly? If Brent didn’t know better, he’d almost say Joe was afraid of him. His heart beat faster. Shit, that was exactly what it felt like—as if he had turned into the aggressor and Joe was on the defensive. As if he were the hunter and Joe was the prey.

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What are you afraid of, Joe Remke? Brent had a feeling that if he wanted to find out, he was going to have to start pushing. Hard. But he had to be prepared for that fact that when he did, Joe would either push back or he would flee, and either one could put both of them in a world of hurt. “What are we going to do with that idiot?” AJ asked. “When you figure it out, tell me,” Brent said, stroking her silky hair, “because I have no idea.”

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Chapter Nine

The next morning, Brent woke to the sound of rain slashing against the windows. According to last night’s weather, which he’d watched while eating a bowl of homemade ice cream with Aunt Val and Uncle Stu, the big, slow-moving low pressure system was supposed to linger for a couple of days. That meant it would probably be at least three or four days before it was dry enough to get back in the field. He was ready to climb the walls just thinking about it. If the season were over and they were back at his place outside of Goodland, he’d happily spend the duration in bed with Joe and AJ. Now that the status quo had been somewhat restored, they could probably find all kinds of kinky ways to fill their time. Unfortunately, they couldn’t get away with that during the season. The crews always used weather downtime to perform routine maintenance on all the equipment, and everybody would notice if the three of them spent a few days rocking the RV. That wouldn’t be good for any of them. But a trip west might. Taking a few days off with Hake and Mandy always relieved the tension between him and Joe for a good month at least. Joe appeared in the doorway, naked in the dim gray light. His hair was rumpled and his eyes heavy with sleep, but his body was plainly ready for action as he slipped under the covers on the other side of AJ. She shivered but didn’t wake up when he snuggled up against her backside. “You up for a piece of Mandy’s pie?” Brent asked in a low voice. Joe looked surprised. “Always. What brought this on?” “Well, since Hake’s getting rained out, too, it seems like a shame to waste three or four days hanging around here greasing zerks, changing oil and adjusting chains when we could be…” he raised a brow, “…greasing and adjusting other things.” “I like your thinking.” Joe glanced down at AJ. “I assume we’ll take her?” “Hell yes. I’m sure she’d like to meet Mandy, and since she’s stuck working with men all the time, giving her a girls’ weekend would be the perfect excuse. The guys are already used to us taking a time-out in Garver, so it only makes sense to get it out of the way now.” “Nothin’ that says we can’t stop again on our way back, though.” Brent grinned. “I like your thinking.” “When do you want to leave?” “No time like the present.” Brent kissed AJ awake. She protested a little and tried to snuggle back into her pillow until he said, “Ariel Jane, how would you like to take a little road trip this weekend?”

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Her eyes popped open. “Really? Are you serious? I thought it was my turn to change the air filters and blow out the radiators.” “Dietz can handle the dirty low-man jobs this time. Maybe that’ll make him think twice about clearing clogs without turning off the rotor.” She noticed Joe behind her and gave him a quick smile. “Where are we going?” “Oh, I thought maybe we’d head up the interstate and get you some boots in Sioux Falls, then head west to Garver to visit my cousin Hake and his wife. We were planning on stopping there on the way back, but with the weather holding us up, I thought it might be nice to get away today. Maybe stay a couple of nights if the rain keeps up.” Joe nuzzled the side of her breast, apparently intent on starting the day with something more exciting than breakfast, but AJ was having none of it. She swatted him away and scurried out from under the sheet. “I need to take a shower!” She was almost to the door, naked as the prettiest jaybird he’d ever seen, when she stopped in her tracks and turned around. “Wait. What are you going to tell your cousin about me?” Brent grinned. “Why do I have to tell them anything? There’s no law that says you have to tell everything you know.” She chewed her lip for a second and then said, “Okay. I guess that’s true.” He and Joe looked at each other and grinned. “What?” she demanded. “What’s so funny?” “Nothin’,” Joe said. “You’re just cute.” She scowled at them and then disappeared through the door. “So apparently you’re not going to tell her everything you know, either,” Joe said, bunching AJ’s pillow up under his head. “You gonna call first?” “Nah. They can all be surprised.” “Interesting. You’re thinking of expanding AJ’s horizons even more?” “Why not? I know Mandy’s still got a million fantasies, and I imagine Hake must have a few too. Come to think of it, what about you? You’ve got to have a fantasy or two.” Joe’s look darkened. “I don’t have fantasies,” he snapped. Then he took a deep breath. “Sorry, I’m still a little tired. Told you I need my beauty sleep,” he added with a weak grin. “I’ll drive so you can sleep if you want.” “Nah, I’ve never been able to sleep in a moving vehicle.” “Not a bad thing for a man who has to spend fourteen hours a day behind the wheel of a tractor.” “You got that right.” Joe sighed and closed his eyes. “Wake me up when everyone’s done with the shower.” Brent sighed, too. Yeah, it was definitely time for a trip to Garver.

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An hour later they were on the interstate, with AJ between them again, handing out breakfast sandwiches from the McDonalds drive-through. She would probably have been more comfortable in the backseat but they’d had to pile their bags there with their jackets to keep them dry. Contemporary country music filled the silence while they ate, and it wasn’t long before Brent relaxed and started to enjoy the drive. Turning down the radio a little, he asked, “So did you always go by AJ or was that something you picked up along the way?” “I went by both for quite awhile,” AJ said, scooting her feet from the hump in the floor to either side of it. “Dad called me AJ because he wanted another boy. Mama called me Ariel because she wanted a pretty little china doll she could dress up and show off.” “Let me guess—neither of them got what they wanted.” “Give the man a prize.” Well, that explained a lot about Ariel Jane Pender. “And how did they handle that?” he asked. AJ thought about it for a minute. “Dad handled it better than Mama because he already had his boy and I was her only daughter. She tried not to let it show, but I could tell she was disappointed that I was more interested in tinkering with tractors and caring for animals than sewing and baking and doing all the other crafty little things she liked. About the only interest we really had in common was horses, and Dad thought they were a huge waste of time and money so we never had any.” “That’s too bad,” Joe said. “Every girl should have a horse.” “That’s what I thought, too,” AJ said with a small smile. “But you know, I think once she saw what a help I was to Dad, Mama mostly got over her disappointment. After my brother Kevin enlisted and I took over the day-to-day care of the cattle, she let me off the hook for household chores with barely a whimper.” Brent grinned. “Stoic farm wife.” “She was that,” AJ said in a somber tone. “Which is probably why the cancer got such a foothold before they found it. I didn’t even know she was having problems until she went in for a hysterectomy my junior year, and by then it was way too late.” “What a waste,” Joe said darkly. AJ nodded. “It really was. I was kind of mad at her for a few years after she died,” she added with a sigh. “When prom rolled around, I finally had a boyfriend I wanted to impress, and she would have loved helping me get all dolled up. She deprived us both of that experience by refusing to go in for annual exams.” He laid his hand on her knee. “I’m sorry.” “I am too. I still miss her.” “So what about your brother?” he asked. “Is he older or younger?” “Kevin is three years older than me and he went into the service right after graduation. It was a real shocker for Dad. He’d always thought his only son would follow in his footsteps, but Kev wanted to see the

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world, so he became an army mechanic. Dad finally started accepting more help from me in my senior year, but I don’t think he ever gave up on Kev coming home and taking his rightful place.” The melancholy look on her face made Brent want to dig the old man up and kick his ass. “He still in the service?” Joe asked. “No, he’s an airline mechanic in Chicago now. I haven’t seen him since the funeral. But enough about me,” she said briskly. “It’s your turn to talk for a while. Where are you both from? How’d you get into custom farming?” Neither of them answered at first, and they challenged each other with expectant looks until Brent sighed. “I’m from Goodland, Kansas, and farming runs in my family.” She gave him a reproachful look. “That’s all you’ve got to say after I spilled my guts?” “What?” He gave an exaggerated shrug. “My dad and two of my stepfathers were farmers.” “Two of your stepfathers? How many did you have, if you don’t mind my asking?” “Four. So far.” “So far?” she parroted again. “Are you expecting another?” “With Mom, it’s always a possibility. I hear the last one died a few months ago and she’s not one to let grass grow under her feet.” The dark, rainy weather made the atmosphere inside the pickup seem even more intimate. When she squirmed in her seat again, Joe shifted his arm from its spot along the top of the backrest and pulled her against his side. After a quick glance up at his face, she turned and settled back into him. “Did you move around a lot as a kid?” she asked Brent. “Yeah. It was good conditioning for running a custom farming outfit. I’m not sure I’d know what to do if I was planted in one place for more than a few months at a time.” Not that he didn’t have a place to plant himself should he feel the urge. Besides his home place, he’d invested in a lot of farm land in and around Goodland over the past twenty years, most of which one of his brothers rented. When and if he was ever ready, he could settle down and farm for no one but himself. “What about you, Joe?” He looked out the window for a second before saying, “Midlife crisis.” She leaned up and turned to look at him. “What kind of crisis?” “The kind where you sell off everything you own and go see the world.” “You guys drive me crazy,” she said, flopping back against him with a grunt. “I can tell what you’re not saying is way more important than what you’re telling me.” Joe looked down at her disgruntled face. “Guess your mama didn’t raise no dummies, did she?” “No, she did not.” “My wife divorced me,” he finally said, “and I didn’t feel like hanging around drinking beer and staring at an empty house for the rest of my life.”

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Brent’s chest constricted. That was more than Joe had ever told him. Oh, he knew Joe had been married—he’d let slip something about his wife when he’d had a few shots one night, but he’d never anything more than that. “I’m sorry,” AJ said softly. “I’m divorced, too. It sucks.” Joe gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Bad one?” “Not really. It happened a long time ago, and it was a mutual decision, no fighting or anything. But it’s never easy when the future you see for yourself gets derailed by things that are beyond your control.” That explained even more about her. Brent would have liked to fish for details, but he hadn’t been too forthcoming himself, and really, it wasn’t any of his business. Joe looked grim, but AJ snuggled back against him and soon drifted off to sleep.

At first Joe held her almost gingerly, afraid that he’d wake her up if he moved. But after almost an hour of sitting in the same position, his joints and muscles started to ache. Taking care not to jostle her any more than he had to, he ducked out from under the shoulder belt and turned to lean against the door and pulled her more comfortably against him, letting himself enjoy this small taste of intimacy and trust. Letting himself pretend for just a little while that he was worthy of a woman like this. When they drove into Sioux Falls, he declared it was his turn to buy lunch and he wanted steak. Yawning and stretching, AJ pointed out, “It’s been a while since I bought you guys lunch. It should be my treat today.” “Forget it,” Joe said. “You’re saving every penny.” “Well, I can at least buy my own.” “Quit arguing, AJ. I’m buying today.” She gave him a narrow look that said she didn’t appreciate his domineering ways but let it slide as she grabbed her down vest out of the backseat. Lunch was uncomfortably quiet, but that’s what happened when you tried to keep your business your own—nobody wanted to put anybody else on the spot for fear of being next. If AJ hadn’t been there, he and Brent would probably have been making kinky plans for Hake and Mandy. As it was, he mostly sat there trying to anticipate AJ’s reaction to their involvement with the Stivers, hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. For a farmer, she was sure an unpredictable little thing. After lunch, they pulled into the gas station right next door to the restaurant. Brent went inside to pay and make one last pit stop while Joe filled the tank. As he stood there with his hand on the nozzle, a beat-up sedan pulled in on the other side of the pump and a pimple-faced young man in baggy jean shorts and a hoodie got out, leaving the engine running. When he reached for the nozzle, Joe tensed. For Christ’s sake, he had a sleeping toddler in the backseat!

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“What are you, stupid?” He pointed at the sign plastered to the canopy’s column. “Turn off the engine.” The kid gave him a “screw you” look and picked up the nozzle. “Are you trying to get us all killed?” Joe growled, his chest tightening as his heart began to pound in his ears. “Turn it off. Now.” Acting as if he hadn’t heard a word, the kid shoved the nozzle into his tank. Before he could lift the lever, Joe was on him. Shaking with rage, he shoved the scrawny little bastard aside and opened the driver’s door to turn off the ignition. “What the fuck!” the kid yelled, grappling against his back. “Get the hell away from my car.” Joe took the keys and slipped them into his jeans pocket. “Give me my fucking keys!” “You can have them back when you’re done filling up.” He went back to the other side of the pump, but AJ had already hung up the nozzle and replaced the gas cap. “You can’t keep his keys, Joe,” she told him quietly. “Watch me.” He leaned back against the pickup door, his arms crossed over his chest. “Someone’s got to keep that little girl safe.” “Listen to her, old man. You can’t keep my keys.” The little prick pulled a cell phone out of his pocket. “I’m calling the cops.” “You do that. While they’re here, I’ll report how you disregarded the posted signs and endangered the lives of everyone here, including your daughter. I’m sure social services would be happy to put her in a safer home.” “I didn’t endanger anyone, you asshole. It’s fucking cold out here and it’s raining. I’m trying to keep my kid warm, not kill her.” Joe just stared at him. “She’s not going to develop hypothermia in the five minutes it takes to fill up, dickhead. The law says you turn off the engine, so fill up while it’s off and then I’ll give you the keys.” The guy stared back for a minute and then slapped the phone shut and filled his tank, swearing under his breath the whole time. When he’d replaced the nozzle, he held out his hand and Joe dropped keys into his palm. “Fuck you very much,” the guy muttered as he stomped past Brent.

Even from inside the C-store, Brent could feel the tension between Joe and the kid on the other side of the pump. He got through the line and paid as quickly as the clerk would let him and then made it out in time to hear the guy’s parting shot.

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“What’s going on?” he asked, exchanging a wary look with AJ as he folded the receipt and tucked it into his wallet. It wasn’t like Joe to let himself get pulled into an altercation, let alone one with some urban beanpole who probably couldn’t wrestle his way out of a seed sack. “Just trying to keep that little girl safe,” Joe muttered, spearing his fingers through his hair. “Asshole wouldn’t turn off the engine to fuel up.” Brent finally noticed the child asleep in the backseat and nodded. That explained Joe’s tension—he’d never known anyone more fanatical about safety. Made a guy wonder just what had happened to make him that way. “Jesus, I can’t believe he’s leaving her alone out here,” Joe went on. “We’re in the middle of a goddamn city and the doors aren’t even locked. How the hell does he know I won’t just snatch her and run?” “Well, he obviously got a pretty good look at both of us.” AJ watched him quizzically. “And there are cameras all over the place.” He frowned at her. “Cameras wouldn’t stop some nutjob from killing her. They’d just make it easier to arrest him afterward.” He kept his eye on the girl while they got into the truck and didn’t relax until her father climbed into the driver’s seat. AJ grinned as she buckled her belt. “Remind me never to break any safety rules in front of him.” Joe didn’t even crack a smile. “You, I can spank, little girl, so go right ahead.” She let it drop without another word. Five minutes later, Brent pulled into the shoe store he always favored for boots. It didn’t take long to for the clerk to bring out a pair of Red Wings in the same size and style AJ always wore. When she sat down to try them on, he and Joe sat in the chairs on either side of her. “Don’t you guys have something better to do than watch me try on boots?” She laughed as she said it but she was clearly self-conscious. Joe grinned. “Afraid the sight of your socked foot will drive us wild with lust?” She hissed at him as the clerk pulled up a stool in front of her and then studiously ignored him. The boots fit just fine so she decided to wear them out and keep the old ones for particularly dirty jobs. While the clerk boxed them up for her, they went up to the checkout counter and Joe tossed his credit card down. Brent held his breath. What the hell was he thinking? Not surprisingly, AJ scowled and shoved it back at him. “Thanks, but I’ll buy my own boots if you don’t mind.” “I can afford it.” AJ’s face went pink. “So can I,” she said tightly.

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She dropped her own debit card on the counter. When the clerk hesitated, looking back and forth between them, she told him, “Touch his card and I’ll break your fingers.” Brent smothered a grin when the young man picked up her card and swiped it without comment. After the transaction went through and she’d signed the slip, AJ grabbed the bag and stormed out the door into the rain. “You can’t buy me, Joe Remke,” she tossed over her shoulder without looking back. “I’m your fuck buddy, not a damn prostitute.” He scowled as he shrugged by a wide-eyed spectator on the sidewalk. “Prostitute!” He grabbed her by the arm and swung her around. “For God’s sake, woman, I’m not trying to buy you!” “That’s exactly what you’re doing! I don’t see you buying lunch or boots for Seth and Tim or any of the other guys.” “And I don’t see you making lunches and doing dishes for any of the other guys,” he fired back. “You can do nice things for us, but I can’t do nice things for you?” “There’s a difference, Joe,” she said tautly. “I did that stuff for you guys before we started sleeping together.” When he couldn’t think of a comeback, she pounced. “Aha! See? You’re paying me off.” Jerking free of his hold, she spun around and headed for the pickup again. Joe finally looked at Brent. “Help me out here?” Fighting a belly laugh, Brent held his hands up. “I’m staying out of this one.” But he couldn’t help the big grin that spread over his face as he followed her to the truck. Joe was really getting his cage rattled today. “Give him hell, AJ.” Joe rolled his eyes as he climbed in the passenger door. “Jesus, you actually agree with her?” he asked as he shook the rain off his cap. “I think,” Brent said carefully, giving him a measured look before he cranked on the ignition, “that you like to be in control of every situation, and that you don’t like to feel like you owe anyone anything.” Joe smashed the cap back onto his head. “Is there a law against that?” “No.” “Look, Joe,” AJ said. “I make lunches because I’ve always done it. I did it for my dad, and for all the guys I’ve ever bunked with. I just do it without thinking about it. But if it bothers you that much, I’ll quit, okay?” Joe looked like he didn’t much care for the sound of that but knew better than to argue with a woman. “Fine. I’ll make my own damn lunches.” “Fine. And I’ll buy my own damn boots.” “Fine.”

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“Are you still good with me making yours, Brent?” she asked innocently. Brent’s could barely contain his mirth as he backed out of the parking space. “Why, I’m just dandy with it, AJ.” “Thank you.” Joe narrowed his eyes at them. “I’m gonna spank both your asses.”

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Chapter Ten

Two hours later they pulled into Hake’s driveway, and the rain had subsided to a sprinkle for the moment. Brent eyed the pickup sitting in front of the old Craftsman-style house. “Uh-oh. Maybe I should have called first. Looks like Ryan’s here.” The university parking pass in the window was a dead giveaway. AJ’s eyes widened. “You didn’t call ahead?” “Relax, AJ,” he said. “We’re visiting my cousin, not the Queen of England.” “Just because he’s your cousin doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve a little common courtesy,” she said severely. He grinned at her. “Fine. I’ll call next time.” She rolled her eyes as he got out and walked up the steps. Ryan was already opening the door. He stuck out a hand and Brent shook it before pulling him into a hug and slapping him on the back. “Shit, when did you get taller than me, squirt?” “You must be shrinking, old man,” Ryan said. “I haven’t grown since the last time you were here. Does Mom know you’re coming?” “No, I thought I’d surprise everyone.” “They’ll be surprised all right.” He turned and yelled over his shoulder, “Hey, Mom, it’s Brent!” Mandy hurried in to the foyer, drying her hands on a towel. “Brent, honey, what are you doing here? Is everything all right?” She hung the towel on the coat rack and gave him a hug. “Fine. Just had a break because of the rain and thought we’d come say hi, maybe stay a day or two if you’ve got room.” “Of course! Hake’ll be thrilled to have a distraction from the weather.” Then she looked at Ryan. “While you’re at the store, could you pick up more eggs and milk and another bucket of ice cream?” “Sure. Back in a bit.” After Ryan left, Brent asked, “Are you sure this is okay? We don’t want to get in the way.” “No, of course it’s okay! Better than okay,” she added with a meaningful grin. “Ryan goes back to school tomorrow.”

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Brent frowned. Maybe he hadn’t thought this through well enough. He probably should have called and prepared everyone. “Uh, Brent…who’s with you?” Brent turned to see Joe and AJ heading for the steps. “A surprise,” was all he had a chance to say before Joe bounded up the steps and grabbed her up in a big bear hug. “Is that pie I smell?” he asked as he set her down. “Hi to you too, Joe,” Mandy teased. “And yes, it’s apple. I was going to send one back with Ryan but maybe I’ll hang on to it.” “I’ll wrestle him for it,” Joe volunteered. “That won’t be necessary,” Mandy said dryly. “And who’s this?” “Mandy, meet AJ Pender,” Brent said, slipping a hand between AJ’s shoulder blades and pulling her forward. “AJ, Mandy Stivers, my cousin Hake’s wife.” “Nice to meet you,” Mandy said. “AJ works on our crew,” Brent added. Mandy’s brow went up slightly and he could tell she suspected the three of them did more than work together. But she just smiled and said, “Good for you, AJ. I hope you’re keeping the men in line.” “When I can.” AJ smiled in return. “Are you sure we’re not imposing? I can’t believe Brent didn’t call to warn you.” “Of course you’re not imposing. And nothing Brent does surprises me anymore,” Mandy added as she backed up and swept out an arm in invitation. “Please, come on in. Hake’s out fixing fence but he’ll be back by suppertime, and Ryan’s just run to the grocery store for me. Can you stay a few nights?” Brent could see the gears grinding in her head. “That was the plan.” Mandy watched him with narrowed eyes for a moment and then turned to AJ. “I’m always a little wary of their plans.” AJ instantly turned red. “I know the feeling.” “I’ll bet you do,” Mandy murmured. “As it happens, Ryan’s only home for the weekend—he just started medical school in Omaha,” she added for AJ’s benefit. “He can sleep on the couch tonight so both guest rooms will be free.” “I hate to put him out,” AJ said hesitantly. “Don’t be silly! Ryan won’t mind at all. He’s still young and flexible enough to sleep anywhere.” “Meanwhile, we’re all waiting anxiously for our Medicare to kick in,” Joe quipped. AJ elbowed him in the ribs. “Speak for yourself.”

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Everybody just stood there glancing back and forth at each other for a minute. Mandy looked intrigued and Joe looked amused. AJ looked as if she were standing in a minefield and didn’t know which way to step. “This is going to be an interesting visit,” Mandy said. “Why don’t you boys bring in your overnight bags and hang up your coats while I show AJ around?”

“So how long have you worked for Brent?” she asked as they climbed the stairs. AJ watched her butt bobbing back and forth with no small degree of envy. Now she was built like a woman—slim and petite, with average shoulders and a narrow waist that bloomed into lovely wide hips. The straight silky hair brushing her shoulders was almost as blonde as AJ’s and looked just as natural. “I just joined the crew this fall,” AJ said. At the landing, Mandy gestured to the closed door at her left. “This is our bedroom.” Then she opened the door across the hall. “This is guest room number one. We call it the Yellow Room.” It was very pretty, with plush beige carpet, pale yellow walls, white painted woodwork and an ivy border stenciled around the ceiling. Having spent the last few months jammed into an RV with two fullgrown men, AJ felt almost lost in all the open space of a house, but this room was smaller. She was surprised they’d put a king bed in it. Set in the far corner, it hugged two walls and there was still barely room for the nightstand under the window and the lowboy dresser at the foot of the bed. Mandy slid one of the mirrored closet doors open. “We added this closet. Back when the house was built, people mostly used wardrobes. This was my office until just a few months ago. Well, it was originally the guest room but when Hake broke his leg and pelvis three years ago, we moved the office up here so he could sleep downstairs and then just never got around to changing things back until last spring.” Then she led the way farther down the hall. The door next to their bedroom was a linen closet, and next to the first guest room was the Blue Room. It was slightly larger and also equipped with a king bed. At the end of the hall was a surprisingly large bathroom. It even had a Jacuzzi tub. “That’s new,” she said. “I thought it might make Hake’s hip feel better. Plus, I thought I deserved it so I had it installed with the royalties from my last release.” “Release?” AJ asked. “Book. Didn’t Brent tell you I’m a writer?” AJ’s eyes widened. “Oh my God, are you Amanda Garrity?” Mandy smiled broadly. “Oh my God, are you a fan?” “Um, slightly,” AJ admitted, hating the heat creeping into her cheeks. “Okay, I’ve read everything you’ve ever written. If you leave your grocery list on the counter, I’ll read it when you’re not looking.” Mandy laughed. “This is awesome! And here I thought things might be a little awkward this time.”

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“They still might,” AJ said under her breath. “What are you girls doing up there?” Brent called up the stairs. “I’ll handle this,” AJ told her. Balancing on one foot, she pulled off her new boot then walked to the head of the stairs and threw it at him. He caught it before it slammed into his chest. “Girl, you gotta quit throwing shit at me.” “Well, you should have warned me we were meeting Amanda Garrity!” He grinned. “What would you have done different? Put on a dress or had your hair done?” “Don’t take this the wrong way, boss,” AJ said, “but screw you.” “Been there, done that,” he laughed. When she glared at him, he immediately looked repentant. “Oops. So much for not telling everything I know.” “Don’t worry,” Mandy laughed. “It’s kind of obvious there’s something going on between you, if you don’t mind my saying so.” AJ blushed fiercely. What else had Amanda Garrity noticed?

For the most part, supper was a relaxed and amusing affair. Brent and Hake reminisced while everyone enjoyed a simple meal of beef stew and hot homemade yeast rolls the likes of which AJ hadn’t tasted since her mama was alive. Except for his brown hair, Hake looked a lot like Brent, and despite having grown up in different states, even their mannerisms and speech patterns were similar. “Our mothers were identical twins,” Brent explained when she remarked on it. “This was our grandparents’ farm,” Hake told her. “My dad was an engineer with the railroad, and he literally ran into Mom just down the road when she wasn’t quick enough across the tracks with a load of corn.” “Good Lord,” AJ breathed. “I assume she was okay?” “She was fine until Dad got a hold of her. She jumped clear of the tractor and landed in the ditch. Once he’d made sure she was okay, he turned her over his knee and spanked her for taking a chance like that.” AJ blinked. “Um…” “Grandpa’d never get away with that today,” Ryan declared, echoing her thoughts. “He’d go to jail for molestation or some crap, and her daddy would sue him for every dime he ever made.” “You got that right,” Hake declared. “Mom was fifteen at the time, but it was love at first sight for both of them. Dad paid a call every time he came through town and socked away every paycheck until he had enough for a down payment on some land of his own. After my grandparents died, they moved in here.”

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“How did you meet Mandy?” “Funny you should ask,” he said with a grin. “I ran into her. We were at a bowl game in California—I was a tight end and she was a cheerleader for the other team, and I mowed her down diving for a wild pass.” AJ grinned back. “I assume you didn’t spank her.” “Not then, no.” Mandy looked scandalized. “Hake!” Joe was unusually quiet, and it seemed as if he could hardly keep his eyes off Ryan. At first AJ thought maybe it was because, like his dad, he looked a lot like Brent, but she eventually decided Joe’s look was too brooding for that. Too troubled. When they all got up from the table, Ryan left them to shower for his date. The men went to the living room while AJ helped Mandy clear the table and load the dishwasher. Joe seemed to relax after Ryan drove off, and they all spent a pleasant evening playing Yahtzee, which Brent won by the skin of his teeth, and Scrabble, which to nobody’s surprise, Mandy won handily. “Thanks for coming, AJ,” Mandy said as she packed up the dice and score pads. “Usually the guys won’t play Scrabble with me.” “Well, you do have an unfair advantage,” Brent pointed out. “How?” she demanded. “I may be a writer but you all read. I know AJ does,” she added with a grin. Another blush crept up AJ’s neck. Would she ever be sophisticated enough not to blush at the slightest innuendo? Joe gave her a slow smile. “Maybe we should play poker next.” “Behave yourself, Josiah,” Mandy said in a severe tone, though her eyes twinkled. “AJ is company.” Feeling like she was missing something, AJ quickly said, “I didn’t know your name was Josiah.” He gave her a devilish look. “Why yes, Ariel, it is.” AJ rolled her eyes. “You guys can’t keep a secret to save your lives, can you?” “Why would you want to keep that secret?” Mandy asked with wide eyes. “Ariel is a beautiful name.” “A beautiful woman should have a beautiful name,” Hake agreed with a lazy smile, his brown eyes warm with admiration and something she was almost afraid to name. The air in the room became thick and hard to breathe, and AJ dropped her gaze to the lacy tablecloth. Why did it suddenly feel like she was completely out of her depth? Brent stood up and said, “Well, it’s been a long day and I’m ready to hit the sack.” Thank God! She jumped up. “Me, too.” The others rose, and they all stood there looking at each other awkwardly for a minute before Mandy smiled brightly and said, “Well, good night! I hope you all sleep well. Hake and I are just going to finish up the pots and pans.”

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When they reached the Yellow Room, AJ dropped onto the soft quilt and groaned in sheer relief. “What the matter, AJ?” Brent asked, unbuckling his belt and tugging it out of its loops. Joe stepped in, closing the door behind him, and AJ propped up on one elbow. “Okay, what the heck is going on here?” “What do you mean?” Brent parried. She raised a brow at him. “Remember that five hundred pound gorilla I was talking about? Well, tonight I had the definite feeling there was one in the room that everyone but me could see.” The guys looked at each other and grinned. Brent sat on the end of the bed and pulled off his boots. “What did you think of Hake and Mandy?” “They’re very nice,” she said dutifully. “Now what’s going on?” “You didn’t ask Mandy about her writing.” She rolled her eyes. “No, Brent, I didn’t. I don’t like to be nosy.” “Did you ever read Carnal Deliverance?” “Yeah…” She dragged it out cautiously. “Why do you want to know?” “Did you like it?” “Are you ever going to answer any of my questions?” “I’m gettin’ there, I promise,” Brent said. “Now, did you like Carnal Deliverance?” “Fine. Yes, I liked it—it’s one of my favorites, actually. The guys in it kind of remind me of you and…you and…” She looked at Joe and the back at Brent again. Oh no. Surely not. Brent raised his brows. “Me and…” “Josiah. Oh my God, she based those characters on you guys, didn’t she? Joe is Isaiah and you’re Grant. Ha! No wonder I always thought of you two when I read it.” Then her eyes narrowed. “Wait a minute, how does she… What does she…” “That book is loosely based on actual events,” Brent said, watching her as Joe sat down on the other side of the bed. “How loosely?” He grinned again. “Damn, I knew you’d latch on to that. To tell you the truth, it’s a fairly accurate account of our...history with Hake and Mandy.” “Oh my God, Hake is Grant’s brother Mike and Mandy is his wife Amy? And you…all…” Her brain raced ahead of her mouth, suddenly exploding with images of all four of them naked together. Her eyes closed as heat swept over her body. Holy shit, she’d landed at Orgy Central. “AJ, you still with us?” Brent asked in an encouraging tone. She opened her eyes. “Joe, does that mean you and Hake…?” “Mmm-hmm.” Joe leaned down and brushed his moustache against her ear. “We come back every year to play new and different dirty games with both of them.”

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Oh. My. God. Her mental projector went into overdrive, displaying graphic images of Joe taking Hake—although if the book was as accurate as Brent claimed, Joe must have been on the receiving end at least once. That was a little harder to imagine since Joe worked so hard to control everything and everyone around him. It wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t actively wanted it to. “How long?” she asked through dry lips. “We harvested for Hake after he had his ATV accident three years ago,” Brent explained. “That’s when Hake recruited us to fulfill one of Mandy’s fantasies, while he was still recovering, and Joe turned the tables on him. This will be the fourth year, provided everyone is willing.” “You mean if I’m willing.” “Yeah, basically,” Brent said. “Mandy’s always talked about taking Hake to the Mustang Ranch and doing the two-women-on-a-guy thing but it’s never happened. Seeing your reaction to Hake, I thought you might be up for it.” Her eyes popped open. “So that’s why he was looking at me like—” “Like you’re a beautiful woman, nothing more,” he finished firmly. “Hake and Mandy knew nothing about you before we got here, and as far as they’re concerned, absolutely nothing is going to happen this visit. If the only games we play while we’re here are board games, that’s fine with everyone.” “But you’ll all be disappointed.” Brent cupped her chin with his palm. “Ariel Jane, that shouldn’t factor into your thinking at all. If you do anything with us as a group, we want you to do it because it’s a fantasy of yours, something you’re dying to do. You can’t do it just to make us happy because if we’re not all enjoying ourselves equally, no one really enjoys it.”

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Chapter Eleven

AJ could see they were trying hard not to pressure her, but it was really difficult to wrap her head around the idea with them in the room. “I need a little time to think about it.” “Of course,” Brent said instantly. “Alone.” “Oh.” His hand fell away from her. “Joe, would it be okay if I used the Blue Room tonight and you stayed in here with Brent?” Joe hesitated for only a moment. “Sure, honey. He’ll just have to sleep with his fingers in his ears. I’ll go get my gear.” “I’m sorry—” Brent put his fingers on her lips. “Don’t be. I should have thought of it myself.” He grimaced. “It really wasn’t fair of me to spring you all on each other. I’m the one who owes everyone an apology.” She swallowed a lump in her throat. “Thank you for understanding. I know you both expected tonight to turn out a little different.” “It’s not like we’re asking you to a barn dance, little girl,” Joe chided. “As much as we’d like to be with you tonight, we both want to be really careful not to coerce you into saying yes to something you’ll regret later.” After he fetched his belongings from the Blue Room, she kissed them both on the cheek and took her small overnight bag down the hall. Since the bathroom was dark, she went in there first to wash her face and brush her teeth. Once in her room, she stripped and put on the cute camisole and pajama bottoms she’d worn the other night. Once again, nobody but her was going to see them. Leaving the small bedside lamp on, she threw back the covers and climbed between soft blue flannel sheets with a sigh. It felt odd to have all these acres of bed to herself, and she shivered, pulling the sheet and quilt up to her ears. No doubt she’d be plenty warm if she’d stayed in the other room with the boys, and for a moment, temptation just about overwhelmed her. She only had a limited number of nights with them before the season ended, and here she was wasting this one.

Robin L. Rotham

But she needed to think, and think hard, about what the coming day might bring, especially after all the weirdness of today. When the guys had gone into the shoe store with her, it had felt too intimate, somehow—like they didn’t already know way more about her than her boot size. Once again, she’d found herself feeling unattractive. A dainty, pretty woman would have sent them off to do some man errands or something while she shopped for high heels or perfume or sexy lingerie. In fact, she wouldn’t have minded having all of those—they might have made her feel more womanly—but it was kind of late in the game, and it wasn’t as if she had any pretty clothes to go with them. Joe and Brent knew she didn’t have stuff like that and buying it now would have felt…obvious. They’d have known she was doing it because of them. Then Joe had tried to pay for her boots and she’d overreacted just a tad. Or maybe a lot. Deep inside, she’d realized he was trying to even the score with her just like he had with Brent, not buy her like a prostitute, but she’d still felt…cheap. How much worse was she going to feel about herself after she’d participated in an orgy? Because that’s what it would be. If she helped Mandy fulfill Hake’s fantasy, Brent and Joe would be right there watching every second, and things would only heat up from there. The other four shared bonds that she didn’t have with them—blood ties, years of friendship and genuine affection. She would just be the fuck buddy. Next year they’d all carry on as before while she moved on alone to some other crew. But how much worse could she feel, really? She was already having kinky sex with two men, and she’d already become way too attached to both of them. No matter what went down in the next day or two, she was going to be sorry as hell to leave them. She rolled to her back and put her hands behind her head to stare at the dim circle of light on the ceiling. How did she know she could even go through with this anyway? When it came right down to it, she might be too self-conscious to get naked with Mandy in the same room. Mandy was beautiful—petite, feminine and sure of her own appeal. AJ was just…available. She didn’t know if she could stand to be seen side by side with the woman, knowing she compared so unfavorably. A soft knock sounded at the door, which she’d left slightly ajar. Puzzled, she sat up and said, “Come in.” The door opened and Mandy peeked around the edge. “Am I disturbing you?” “Not at all,” AJ assured her. “Please, come on in.” Mandy slipped inside, wearing a pink bathrobe and fuzzy slippers. “I saw the light on and wanted to make sure everything was okay.” “Yeah, I was lying here counting sheep,” AJ told her with a smile. “Must have slept too long in the truck today. Have a seat if you’d like,” she added, gesturing at the end of the bed as she drew up her feet and crossed her legs under the covers. “I’ll probably be awake for hours yet.”

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Mandy shut the door quietly behind her and sat down on the edge of the bed. “I’m guessing you were thinking about something more momentous than sheep,” she said. “Brent told me.” “Oh.” AJ picked at the quilt, suddenly very self-conscious again. “I just wanted to make sure you weren’t feeling pressured—and I don’t mean just by the guys or us.” “What do you mean?” “I mean that I don’t want you to have some kind of unreasonable expectations of yourself just because you read my books,” she said earnestly. “Writers don’t do everything they write about—that’s why it’s called fiction.” “You do.” “Well, maybe not everything,” she started. When AJ raised a brow, she grinned. “Okay, maybe I do, but I’m not most women or even most writers. I’ve always had a bit of a kinky bent, but I didn’t really get to explore it until Ryan went off to college and I started writing. My mother is an artist and I was raised in San Francisco, so I was exposed to a broad spectrum of lifestyles from a very young age.” “Wow,” AJ said, utterly fascinated. “And I was raised by an ultra-conservative farmer.” “Exactly. So was Hake. It was a bit of an adjustment for him when I wanted things he’d never have dreamed of asking for.” She snickered. “You should have seen his face the first time I brought up anal.” “You brought it up?” Mandy laughed at her expression. “Well, I wanted to try it. I take it you don’t?” Before this week, AJ would have given her an emphatic No! Now she wasn’t so sure. “I never have,” she admitted. God, it felt good to have someone to talk to about this—someone who didn’t have a stake in the outcome. “Why not?” “I guess I’ve always kind of thought of it as something guys do to each other, because they don’t have a…a front door.” “It’s called a vagina,” Mandy said drily. “I know what it’s called,” she said, stung. “I’m just not use to talking this openly about…sex.” She hated that her voice was lower on that last word, but she just couldn’t help it. Mandy looked like she fought a grin and lost. “I’m sorry, AJ. I’ve always had a tendency to be too frank, and I gave up euphemisms for human anatomy when I started writing smut. But you know, anal isn’t just about using the only opening available. After all, guys have mouths, too. Anal’s more about trust, I think, and being willing to share every part of your body. Believe it or not, some women really enjoy it.” “I take it you do?” AJ asked. She slapped a hand over her mouth. “God, I’m sorry! Forget I asked that.” “Hey, I’m the one who started this, and yeah, I adore anal. There’s nothing else like it.” Something that felt uncomfortably like desire curled in AJ’s belly.

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“It just never seemed very feminine to me,” she mumbled, heat crawling up her neck. “And I have a hard enough time feeling feminine without having to worry about…all the stuff that comes with anal.” Mandy stretched out on her side and propped her head on her hand. “Why would you have trouble feeling feminine? Look at you—you look like a freaking model.” AJ rolled her eyes. “A male model, maybe. For a farm supply store.” “Wow, you’re really down on yourself, aren’t you?” Self-consciousness smothered AJ like a blanket. Why had she even brought this up? Because it had been years since she had a woman to talk to, that’s why, and Mandy Stivers seemed like someone she could just let it all hang out with and not feel judged. “Mandy, look at me,” she said. “I’m almost six feet tall, and I have broad shoulders, no hips and no boobs to speak of.” “You’ve got to be kidding! I’d kill to be as tall, slender and incredibly fit as you are. If you’d put on a tight shirt, a short skirt and a little mascara, you’d be a knockout.” “I’d be a fraud,” AJ said miserably. “Why?” “Because I’m not feminine.” When Mandy just waited, AJ swallowed and confessed, “I was born with a uterine defect. I can’t have kids.” Mandy looked puzzled. “Well, I’m sorry for your sake, honey, but how does that make you not feminine?” “How can you ask me that?” AJ threw back the covers and stood up, shoving her hands through her hair. “You gave your husband a son,” she said, pacing on the small open patch of carpet. “Females are designed to carry young, and I can’t do that.” “So, you think the only reason Hake married me was to have a brood mare?” “Not at all.” AJ hesitated. “But why didn’t you have more kids, if you don’t mind my asking?” “Hake was low on li’l swimmers. We talked about doing in vitro but I didn’t see any point in it. We were happy enough being a family of three.” She challenged AJ with a look. “So, do you think that makes him any less a man?” Not just no, but hell no. If he’d been any more manly, she’d have gone up in flames when he looked at her earlier. “Of course not,” she said, putting hands on her hips, “but it’s different for men.” “Bullshit.” Knowing it was no use arguing with her, AJ said nothing. Of course it was different for men—Mandy just didn’t know it because she’d never been in AJ’s shoes. She’d never had to watch the man she’d married try to smile and say it didn’t matter when it really, really did. She’d never had to suffer the humiliation of trying to resurrect a sex life that had died with the life in her womb. She’d never been a defective wife.

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Mandy sighed. “Well, I can’t change your attitude overnight, but trust me when I say you are so far from not feminine.” Then a slow smile curved her lips. “I’d do you.” AJ rolled her eyes and felt her own lips curl in an unwilling grin. “Very funny.” “You think I’m kidding.” Mandy’s smile didn’t waver as she held AJ’s gaze. Then those pale blue eyes slid downward, lingering on her breasts before continuing over her stomach to the vee of her thighs. AJ’s nipples, already tight from the chill in the air, prickled painfully against her camisole and a dull throb heated her clit. Breathless and trembling, she blinked, trying to collect her scattered thoughts. “I’m sorry,” Mandy said instantly. “Here I’m supposed to be reassuring you and instead I’m coming on to you.” “You’re coming on to me?” she repeated stupidly. “I shouldn’t be.” That didn’t keep her eyes from drifting back to AJ’s nipples. “But I’ve never made out with another girl and you are so gorgeous.” AJ opened her mouth but couldn’t think of a single thing to say.

“She’s been in there an awful long time,” Joe murmured. They both lay on their backs in the dark, listening to the rain. “That she has,” Brent agreed with a yawn. “What do you think they’re talking about now?”

“I’ve never kissed a girl either,” she finally said, unable to take her eyes off Mandy. “Do you want to?” “I never thought about it.” Mandy shifted on the mattress. “Well, while you’re thinking about playing with all of us, think about playing with me, too. Hake would flip. They all would.” “Really? But I thought Hake’s fantasy was a three-way with two women.” “Well, that’s what we talked about, but in retrospect, I’m pretty sure I did most of the talking. It’s kind of embarrassing to admit I just assumed he would have the same fantasies I did, only in reverse.” “That would be a natural assumption, I guess,” AJ said. It was an interesting point. She and Rob had never really discussed fantasies. They were both so young and inexperienced when they met, even the tamest intimacy had been incredibly exciting when they finally slept together on their wedding night. If they’d stayed together, would they eventually have shared such fantasies and tried to fulfill them for each other? It seemed unlikely. Rob was just too traditional—she was the one who was always pushing boundaries.

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“I thought so, too,” Mandy said with a grin, “and he didn’t bother to correct me, so really, it’s as much his fault as it is mine. But I’ve caught him watching a lot more girl-on-girl porn than ménage, and I’ve begun to think that might be a fantasy he’d enjoy more. But I also think he won’t ask for it because it might make me uncomfortable.” AJ cast a dubious look at her. “He thinks doing a girl would make you more uncomfortable than sharing your husband with one?” “I know, right? I mean come on, this is me we’re talking about. But— You read Carnal Deliverance, right?” When AJ nodded, she said, “Well, that’s a pretty accurate depiction of what happened between us all a few years ago. Hake was actually the one who started it by asking the guys to fulfill my fantasies. He may have wound up being the one who was the most changed by it, but the fact was, he initiated it for me because he loved me and was determined to satisfy my needs no matter what it cost him. And God, I loved him for it.” AJ bit her lip, fighting that lump in her throat again. “That came through in the book.” “Good.” Mandy nodded. “But I don’t think he’d ask me to do girl-on-girl because he assumes he’s the only one who would benefit from it. I’d be doing it strictly to put on a show for him and not to fulfill any fantasies or needs of my own.” “Is his assumption any more accurate than yours was?” Mandy grinned. “Smart girl. If you’d asked me that three years ago, I’d have said yes. But I’ve read a few female-female erotic romances in the last couple of years and they actually really get my motor running. I’ve thought about trying to write some girl-on-girl scenes but I really haven’t even had enough experience fantasizing about it, much less participating, to do it justice.” AJ laughed. “So, I’m fodder for your muse.” “No, that would just be a bonus. What you are is the first woman who’s ever made me wonder what your tongue tastes like, and how your breasts feel, and if your hair is as soft as it looks, and how you smell when you’re excited. If I weren’t honestly attracted to you, I doubt I’d even have brought it up.” The bottom dropped right out of AJ’s stomach. “Oh.” “But I also wouldn’t have brought it up if I didn’t think it would absolutely bring Hake to his knees with lust.” She grinned mischievously. “I’ll bet if we asked them to, all three of them would get on their knees and beg to watch a little live girl-on-girl action. I know watching Hake with Joe makes me hotter than hell.” AJ nodded. “Watching Joe and Brent does it for me, too.” Mandy sat straight up. “Oh my God, they finally did it?” “Well, not it, exactly.” Now that she’d finally moved out of the conversational spotlight, AJ immediately crawled back onto the bed and pulled the covers over her lap, ready to get down to the real

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business of girl talk. She felt the teensiest bit guilty about discussing Joe and Brent behind their backs but she had a feeling Mandy already knew a lot more than she did anyway. Two hours later, she’d reported everything she knew. She hadn’t spared herself any more than she had the guys, and Mandy had laughed ’til she cried while AJ told the tale of being caught with her dildo. To her surprise, AJ found herself laughing, too. “If that winds up in one of your books, I’ll have to kill you.” “Don’t worry, I always ask permission first,” Mandy assured her. By this time, she’d crawled up beside AJ and they were lying on their sides, talking face-to-face. “I’ll take your word for it.” Mandy was also captivated by the story of Brent going down on Joe, but it was the spanking that really caught her attention. “Did you enjoy it?” she asked with avid eyes. AJ nodded, shamefaced. “I came so hard I almost passed out. But it wasn’t just the spanking that did it. It was the whole thing—fighting, laughing, showering in front of him… It was all just incredibly honest and intimate, you know?” Mandy just nodded like she couldn’t speak, and AJ felt a little self-conscious again. They were talking about all this like Joe and Brent were her boyfriends and their relationship was going somewhere, but she just couldn’t bring herself to break the lovely mood with a depressing reality check. Then she related Joe’s habit of evening the score and Mandy sighed. “I’ve noticed that he doesn’t like to owe anyone anything. Whenever they stay here, he’s always first in line to help Hake with chores.” “Do you know anything about him?” “No more than you do.” “What about his wife?” “Wife!” Mandy sat straight up again. “He’s married?” “Relax, he’s divorced.” AJ sighed. “Damn, I guess you really don’t know more than I do.”

“Now what do you think they’re talking about?” “You, okay? They’re talking about you.” “Fuck off, Brent.” “Joe, it’s two o’clock in the morning. Go to sleep.”

Mandy propped herself up to look over AJ at the clock and gasped. “Holy crap, it’s two in the morning!”

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“Really?” Despite the soothing patter of raindrops on the roof, AJ was still wide-awake from the relief of getting everything off her chest. “I hope Hake’s not worrying about you.” Mandy rolled her eyes. “I can guarantee he’s sawing logs. Nothing keeps him awake. I could stay in here all night and he’d probably never notice.” Then she got that look in her eye again. “I should do it. Can’t you just see the looks on their faces when I walk out of here in the morning? Their imaginations would go crazy. Absolutely crazy.” “You are so evil.” AJ grinned. “But stay if you want to. This bed is big enough for both of us, plus all the guys.” It was Mandy’s turn to grin. “Why do you think we put in king beds?” AJ was silent for a second, and her stomach contracted with nerves. “Mandy…” “Yeah?” “Were you really serious about doing girl-on-girl for the guys?” “You have to ask?” She hesitated and then said, “If you want the truth, it’s all I can think about now.” Heat stirred low in AJ’s belly again. “Can we maybe kiss tonight, by ourselves, to see if… I mean, I’d hate to try it for the first time in front of them and then freeze up or something, you know?” “I think I’m a little in love with you, Ariel,” Mandy murmured right before she leaned over and planted her soft lips on AJ’s.

Joe’s buzz-saw snore startled Brent out of a sound sleep. A glance at the clock showed it was almost three a.m. “Great,” he muttered, rolling onto his side and pulling his pillow over his head. The buzz saw droned on, and he sighed. What were the girls talking about in there…?

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Chapter Twelve

“Well, this is a new wrinkle.” AJ woke with a start to find Ryan standing beside the bed, his thumbs hooked in his jeans pockets, his brown eyes sparkling with amusement. “Ryan!” AJ jumped at the sound of Mandy’s voice in her ear. The woman was curled up against her back with an arm around her waist—or she was until she struggled out from under the covers and jumped off the bed as if it were on fire. “What are you doing in here?” she asked breathlessly. “Well, I poked my head in to say goodbye but Dad was all alone.” “This isn’t what it looks like,” she started. He grinned at her. “That’s what they all say.” “Ryan!” Mandy grabbed up her robe and put it on over her flannel nightgown, her cheeks bright red. “It’s not!” AJ felt her own cheeks heat and wished there were some way to slip out of the room unnoticed. “It’s no big deal,” Ryan said, putting an arm around his mother’s shoulders. “Chemistry is chemistry. You can’t help who you’re attracted to.” Mandy looked like she counted to five before she said, “Ryan Dean Stivers, I’m going to spank you!” “Come on, Mom—I’m twenty-four, not four. You can stop hiding now.” Mandy narrowed her eyes at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?” “It means I have a pretty good idea what goes on around here when Brent and Joe come to town.” Her eyes widened in shock. Ryan shrugged. “Like I said, chemistry is chemistry. I’d have to be blind not to see it between all of you.” Then he added with an unrepentant grin, “And I’ve read Carnal Deliverance.” “Oh my God.” She closed her eyes and pressed her hands to her blazing cheeks. “You promised me you wouldn’t read my books!” Ryan laughed. “It’s okay, honestly. I wouldn’t want to watch or anything, but I kind of enjoy knowing I have the swingingest parents in the universe.” AJ giggled and he sent a speculative glance her way.

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“Say, Mom, I really don’t have to get back until tomorrow. If this isn’t what it looks like, you wouldn’t mind if I ask AJ out tonight, right?” AJ instantly looked away, going hot all over. It took every ounce of determination she possessed not to dive under the quilt Mandy had tossed aside. Surely he wasn’t serious! She was ten years older than he was. Mandy smacked his abdomen with the back of her hand. “What?” he laughed again. “She’s cute.” Charmed and embarrassed, AJ bit her lip. She was suddenly very glad she’d worn her nicest jammies. “AJ is off limits and I mean it. She belongs to Brent and Joe.” Then Mandy glanced over her shoulder. “Oops. Sorry, AJ.” “I figured as much,” he said. “Damn, I never thought I’d covet one of my mother’s lovers.” “Ryan!” Mandy screeched. Hake appeared in the doorway, wearing nothing but boxer-briefs. “What’s going on?” “I tried to steal AJ from Mom but she won’t let me have her.” “I’d hope not,” he rumbled. “AJ and I fell asleep talking,” Mandy insisted. “See, the lamp’s still on.” Seeing the worldly erotica writer so flustered suddenly struck AJ as the funniest thing she’d ever seen. She burst out laughing, and the harder she tried to stop, the harder she laughed. When Brent and Joe shuffled in behind Hake and the three of them stood there together, looking like an underwear ad, she screamed with merriment, rolling over and holding her sides. “AJ, what is so damn funny?” Mandy demanded. “You,” AJ gasped. “You couldn’t—couldn’t wait to see their faces this morning. God, you should see yours!” And she was off again, laughing until she thought she’d break something. This time the guys started laughing, too, and pretty soon Mandy started to smile. “Paybacks are hell, Ariel,” she promised. AJ paused long enough to say, “I can’t wait.”

“Supper will be done in about twenty minutes, boys,” Mandy called from the kitchen. “Why don’t you go ahead and shower, and then you can leave your wet clothes on the washer. I’ll put a load in before bed.” Brent obediently headed for the downstairs bathroom while Joe and Hake went upstairs. When they’d finally gotten AJ alone this morning and quizzed her, she’d told them Mandy had relieved all her worries and she really wanted to fulfill Hake’s fantasy—and maybe a couple more of her own. His cock had been at half-mast ever since.

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Though the rain hadn’t let up until around noon, he and Joe had gone out right after breakfast to help Hake catch cows and fix fences washed out by the storm. They hadn’t even come in for lunch, and the three of them had spent the day in a torturous, mostly silent state of anticipation. Now they were all starving, in more ways than one. After Hake and Joe joined him at the table, Mandy walked out carrying a platter full of barbecued ribs and Brent let out a low whistle. “I do like that outfit,” he said as his jeans grew tight in the crotch. They’d done some more role-playing last year, with Mandy as a low-rent call girl, and apparently she was going to reprise the role tonight. She was dripping with gaudy jewelry and her face was made up in vibrant shades that matched her tiny red tank top, which plainly revealed her braless state, and even tinier red satin shorts, which barely covered half her ass cheeks. The outrageous red platform heels did awesome things for both her bare legs and her posture, making her breasts and ass stand out prominently. “I know you do,” she said before she walked back into the kitchen. Then AJ sashayed through the door carrying two steaming serving bowls and his jaw landed in his lap. “Christ on a cracker,” Hake muttered. Brent couldn’t have agreed more but he couldn’t get anything to come out of his mouth. His heart was racing, his breathing rough and his entire gut twisted with desire. Their retiring little farmhand was strutting around the house in a matching black leather vest and miniskirt. No shirt, just a vest held closed by a single button. It was so short on her that it displayed her bellybutton and a nice expanse of pale skin. Below the skirt, fishnet tights that didn’t reach the hem were held up by black garters, and black lace-up leather boots with high, clunky heels hugged her slender calves. But it was her face that nearly put him in cardiac arrest. He’d thought she was pretty as hell all freshly scrubbed, but AJ in full war paint was…breathtaking. Her glossy red lips looked plump and delicious, her skin flawless and creamy, and now that her lashes were darkened by mascara, her blue eyes practically jumped out of her face. Holy Christ, what was she doing working on a custom harvest crew? She should be walking on a runway in Paris. “Ariel Jane Pender, you are in such big trouble,” Joe breathed, his eyes narrowed and his face hard as stone. AJ set the bowls in the middle of the table. “Says who?” she sassed. Then she swiped Brent’s spoon off the table onto the floor. “Oops.” She turned, planted her feet apart, and leaned over to pick it up without bending her knees. All three of the men groaned in unison at the sight of her bare pink pussy lips peeking out from beneath her skirt. She must have had a lot of trouble picking up that spoon because she hung there forever, her pretty cunt just inches from his face.

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Then she straightened and faced him with a smile. “I’ll just bring you a clean one,” she said brightly. “Be right back.” When the door swung shut behind her, Joe asked, “What kind of monster have we created?” The door swung open again almost at once and AJ returned with a clean spoon and a handful of dark green cloth napkins. She replaced his spoon and tied one of the napkins around his neck like a bib. Then she went around to the head of the table. Setting the other napkins down, she said, “Scoot your chair back a little, Hake.” When he warily obliged, she grasped the frame of his chair and swung a leg over to sit on his lap. You wouldn’t think that would be possible in an armchair, but her legs were so damn long, she accomplished it with ease. “Hi,” she said breathlessly. Hake just breathed heavily, staring at her from under his lashes, and Brent smothered a laugh. Then he noticed Mandy had paused in the doorway to watch. The heat in her eyes made his cock harden even more. Was it for AJ? That question had teased him all day. The girls had slept together. Slept. Together. In the room right next door to theirs while he’d lain there half the night listening to Joe’s snores dueling with the thunder and wondering what the hell they were finding to talk about so late. Was it as innocent as Mandy had made it sound? God, he hoped not. “I won’t be long,” AJ promised Hake. “Just need to put this bib on you. Ribs are messy, you know.” She plucked a napkin off the table and tied it around his neck as if she had all the time in the world. Then she grabbed the chair’s frame behind his shoulders and ground her crotch on his. “Ooh, what do we have here?” “Jesus Christ!” Hake grimaced like he was in massive pain, which Brent had no doubt he was. “Who are you and what have you done with AJ Pender?” he asked. “I’m nobody but Ariel tonight, boys,” she said. She rose and neatly slipped off Hake’s lap. “Oh no, look what a mess I made.” They all groaned at the sight of the wet spot she’d left on his jeans. Brent expected her to scrub it off with a napkin, but instead she dropped to her knees beside Hake’s chair and leaned over. The sight of her small pink tongue licking her own juices off the dark blue denim sent a bolt of pure lightning up his spine and straight out the top of his head. “Mandy,” Hake grated. “Yes, honey?” “Call her off or I’m going to shove her facedown on the table and fuck her. Now.” “He’s probably clean enough, Ariel,” Mandy told her.

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AJ licked her lips as she rose. “That’s okay. I think I got it all anyway.” Then it was Joe’s turn for a little torture session. When she swung her leg over his lap, which wasn’t quite as big a challenge with the straight-back chair, she remained standing and pressed her breasts to his face while she fussed over the knot behind his neck. Never one to take teasing lying down, Joe gripped her ass in rhythmic squeezes. “Are you playing with my ass, Josiah?” she murmured. “I’m going to do more than play with it if you keep this up,” he growled. She shivered. “Ooh, are you going to spank it again?” “Hell yes.” “Lick it?” “Definitely.” After a pause, she breathed, “Fuck it?” “You’d better goddamn well believe it.” “You know I’ve never done that before.” She leaned back and looked into his face. “It’s a good thing Mandy had a brand-new toy for me to wear, isn’t it?” Joe immediately slid his hands under the skirt. “Shit. She’s plugged.” Hake dropped his forehead to his dinner plate and banged it three times. “You’re killing me here, Mandy.” “This wasn’t my idea, Hake,” she told him. “Brent and Joe are the ones who brought her, remember?” “Depending on how this plays out, remind me later to either thank them or throttle them.” Mandy set the rolls on the table and sat down. AJ had to grip Joe’s wrists and forcibly remove his hands from her ass before she could climb off and take her seat. Dinner was just more torture. It seemed as if the women spent more time licking barbeque sauce off their fingers than actually eating. Brent’s cock hurt so bad he was tempted to undo his jeans under the table. When Mandy finally threw her napkin down beside her plate and announced dessert would be served in the living room, he barely suppressed a howl of denial. He’d never been less interested in dessert in his life. AJ just smiled and Brent shook his head. Who could have known that beneath the modest breast of their fresh-faced farm girl beat the heart of such a cruel tease?

While Mandy herded the men into the living room, AJ was in the bathroom staring at herself in the full-length mirror behind the door and having a nervous breakdown. Holy crap, where was all this coming from? Mandy had told her to tease the boys a little, and AJ had been afraid she’d look like a dunce. Instead, it was like some split-off personality had suddenly surfaced—a really, really slutty personality—and teased all the men to the point of pain.

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In the process, she’d gotten so monumentally turned-on that she’d just about come when Joe pushed on that plug in her butt. Good Lord, she could tell already she was going to be an anal slut, which was just bizarre to think about considering how long she’d abhorred the very idea of anal sex. Mandy had really gone the extra mile getting her over that aversion. After putting the ribs in the oven, she’d poured some wine, a rarity for them both at ten o’clock in the morning, and then they’d snuggled up together on the couch with Hake’s laptop and browsed through his list of favorite porn sites. “He has subscriptions to these two,” she said eagerly, clicking on one of the Favorites links. Hake’s security program entered his username and password for them. “Handy,” AJ commented. “Isn’t it?” After two hours of watching couples, trios and foursomes do each other in every conceivable way, AJ was breathing roughly and wishing the men would come home now. The two of them had started to kiss without a word, and before long, the laptop was on the floor and she was lying back on the seat with Mandy on top of her, squeezing her breasts through her shirt. “Stop, stop,” Mandy gasped, dragging herself off the couch. “Must wait for the men.” AJ had whimpered. Kissing the night before had been nice and arousing, but it was nothing compared to this. She absolutely burned with need. They’d spent the rest of the day teasing each other while they bathed and prepared themselves. When AJ finally unwound enough to confess the rest of her concerns about anal, Mandy had reached under the bathroom sink and pulled out a box. “Here,” she said, handing her the disposable enema. “That ought to prevent any close encounters of the turd kind.” AJ had slapped a hand over her eyes, torn between amusement and horror. “Mandy, is nothing sacred to you?” she’d finally asked. Mandy grinned. “Very little.” The admission was almost as frightening as it was comforting. Later, after she’d made furtive use of Mandy’s gift, they dressed together. Unbelievably, they wore the same size shoes, and the leather outfit Mandy had stuck in the back of the closet because it was too tight fit AJ perfectly. The skirt and vest were both a little short on her but that suited their plans perfectly. Then it had come time to insert the plug Mandy had pulled from her toy cupboard still in its packaging. “Would you like some help?” she asked. More blushing. “I, um…” “Let me rephrase that. Please, Ariel, can I help get your ass ready for this plug and put it in you?” “Oh God,” AJ laughed, embarrassed as hell but unbelievably turned-on. “Yes, please.”

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“Fabulous! Now go kneel on the bed with your knees spread and your elbows on the mattress.” AJ had followed her orders to the letter, and Mandy had taken her time peeling the skirt up and running her hands over her butt, gentling her as she would a wild horse. Then she’d started in with the lube. Those soft, slender fingers sliding one by one into her tight opening had been another revelation—they felt really good even when they hurt, and the same was true of the plug when she finally pushed it in. Walking around with it had felt peculiar and nerve-racking at first, but after a while, it had become another source of devastating arousal. Who’d have thought a woman could get so desperately turned-on while cooking supper? So now here she was, hyperventilating at the thought of what was about to transpire. Playing Reveal Your Inner Tramp with all of them was one thing, but having sex with them all… She stared into the full-length mirror and was struck anew by how incredibly…fuckable she looked. Yeah, she looked like an anal slut, but she also looked, for the first time in her memory, like an Ariel. Her father had always said you could put lipstick on a pig but it was still just a pig, and that was exactly how she’d always felt when she dressed up in the girly clothes her mother bought her. Even in the frilly white wedding gown her aunt had talked her into, she’d felt more like a GI Joe in Barbie clothes than an Ariel—and that was before she knew about the problem with her uterus. The stunned, worshipful look on Rob’s face when he saw her walking down the aisle had made her feel like even more of a fraud, and she was itching to get back into her blue jeans before they’d even said their vows. But these wicked garments didn’t feel like a disguise at all, and she almost dreaded trading them back in for her work duds. The vest revealed much more of her than she’d been comfortable with at first, and yet it concealed her breasts in a way that was undeniably tantalizing. Her farmer tan had already faded to almost nothing and her bare arms, with their leanly defined muscles, looked both strong and elegant. With her narrow midriff showing, her hips looked nicely rounded, and the high heels and fishnets made her already long legs look…tempting. Sexual. Almost indecent. And suddenly she wanted to claim that look, to own it and never give it up. Now she knew how Superman must feel having to take off his tights, put on his nerd glasses and hide who he really was from the world most of the time. Who was she, really? She’d started out this game thinking Ariel was just an illusion, a role AJ was playing, but she was beginning to believe she just finally felt safe enough to reveal the rest of her true self to all these very open-minded people. For once, it wasn’t hard to accept that Joe and Brent—and Mandy and Hake—were attracted to her because of her feminine traits rather than her masculine ones. A brisk knock made her jump, and then the bathroom door swung open. “Ariel.”

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AJ blinked. Her new best friend stood there holding the doorknob with an expectant look on her face. Crap, time was up. She kind of wished Mandy would come in and give her another pep talk, maybe hold her hand for a few minutes, but the heat in her eyes said she’d already run out of patience. Her smile was positively wolfish. “Showtime.”

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When the two slutty little girls strolled in, Joe gripped the recliner’s cushioned arms and prayed for strength. Hake and Brent looked to be doing the same in their chairs. “Brent, Joe,” Mandy said, taking AJ’s hand to stop her in the middle of the living room. “I can’t thank you enough for bringing Ariel along. She’s perfect. Absolutely perfect.” “Our pleasure. I hope,” Brent added under his breath. Mandy’s smile dripped with evil intent, and Joe’s grip tightened. Shit. It would probably be hours before either of them got any relief. “Oh, I hope so, too,” she purred. Then she turned to Hake, who flinched visibly from the force of her electric gaze. “Honey, I know we’ve talked many times about finding another girl to play with us, but I don’t think that’s really what you want.” Confusion and no small degree of disappointment etched his tight features. “It isn’t?” “No. I think this is.” She turned to AJ and pulled her head down for a long, luscious kiss. Joe swallowed his tongue. Brent groaned. “Holy mother of God, I knew it!” Hake closed his eyes—but only for a second. “Mandy, you will be so punished for this.” Mandy didn’t appear to hear him. She was too busy scouting out AJ’s tonsils with her tongue. AJ wasn’t at all shy about returning the favor, and within seconds, Joe’s cock was screaming for mercy. Heeding its cries, he pried his fingers loose from the chair long enough to unbuckle his belt and unfasten his jeans. The relief, though temporary, was enormous. Although they didn’t appear to have taken their eyes off the girls, Brent and Hake followed suit, only Brent went one step further and pulled his cock out of his drawers to stroke it. In his mind, Joe fell to his knees, raised his arms to the heavens and bellowed, Why, God, why? Mandy’s hands slid down AJ’s throat and chest. Without breaking the kiss, she slipped that one lonely button free of its hole and then pushed the vest down AJ’s arms, letting it drop to the floor. Hake whimpered like a hungry dog when Mandy’s dainty hands cupped and caressed those delicate breasts. “Jesus, Mandy,” he whispered.

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Her intrepid hands marched south. They tugged at the skirt’s side zipper and then peeled the scrap of leather over AJ’s hips until it also slid down to the floor. AJ kicked it free, leaving her in nothing but the black garter, tights and boots. Brent’s head fell back against the wingback chair. “Ladies, you’re about to see a grown man cry.” Mandy finally pulled away and murmured, “Surely not yet.” She dropped to her knees and pressed wet, parted lips to AJ’s cunt. Joe was breathing so hard he was practically wheezing. Ariel Jane Pender was every wet dream he’d ever had, standing there with her feet planted slightly apart, her chest heaving and her eyes smoky with lust. Dinner had taken care of most of her lipstick but her lips still looked rosy, all puffy and smeared. He would kill to have those lips on his cock right now. Any lips, come to think of it. AJ started out stroking Mandy’s golden hair with her hands, but soon they were gripping handfuls of it as she whispered, “Please, please.” Mandy reached up to tweak her nipples and AJ’s legs trembled like a colt’s. “I’m gonna fall,” she gasped. “Down,” Mandy ordered. She helped AJ get on her knees and pushed her backward until she lay flat, with her feet on the carpet. Kneeling between her spread knees, Mandy quickly peeled off her own tank top and wiggled out of her shorts, then crawled up to rub her bare breasts against AJ’s. “How ya doin’, Hake?” she taunted, breathing hard as she looked up at him from under her lashes. “Having fun yet?” He jerked down his underwear and grasped his cock. “Last one to come’s a rotten egg,” he said thickly. Joe kept his business tucked firmly in his shorts and his eye fixed on that black plug between AJ’s cheeks. As soon as Mandy’d had her way with her, that little girl was so fucked. So totally and completely fucked. Mandy kissed her way back down AJ’s body, pausing to lap and sip at her tight pink nipples and sample her shallow navel. When she went lower, AJ touched her hair. “Turn around,” she urged. Mandy shook her head. “Not this time, Ariel. I want to notice everything.” Then she looked at Hake again. “Tissue, please.” Hake looked confused for a second and then handed her a tissue from the box on the table beside him. Sitting back on her red heels, Mandy reached down and touched AJ’s plug, smiling when she gasped. Encouraged, she played with it, twisting and pumping it until AJ begged for mercy, her open cunt slick and shiny with need. Then she slowly pulled out the plug, which turned out to be pretty good-sized. AJ’s eyes went wide. “Oh my God,” she squeaked.

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“You’re fine,” Mandy said quickly, wrapping the plug in the tissue and shoving it under the couch. “Don’t let me forget that’s down there,” she added with a grin. AJ nodded wildly, trying to catch her breath. What followed made Joe wish there were a camera running. Mandy spread her wide with her fingers to look, taste and touch, jiggling a little here, slapping a little there, and generally doing just about everything he’d ever seen girls do to each other in porn flicks, with AJ mewling all the while. When she slid those feminine little fingers into AJ’s cunt and fucked her with them, Joe’s determination to wait wavered. When she slid them into that untried ass, he very nearly came despite himself—dammit, there was only so much torture a man could take. Ruthlessly squeezing the base of his cock, he breathed deeply until the urge had passed. Then Mandy went down hard on AJ, sucking at her clit like a starving calf on a teat. AJ went ballistic, screaming and tearing at the rug with her fingers as she arched up off the floor. Brent swore harshly and Joe looked up just in time to see a white stream shoot up the front of his navy T-shirt. “I win,” he gasped. Joe begged to differ. He had a pretty asshole to ream and a hard-on to ream it with—didn’t that make him the winner? When AJ settled back down, Mandy sat back on her heels again, a wondering grin spreading over her damp lips. “Wow. That was fun.” Growling, Hake jumped to his feet and pulled Mandy up to plant a licking, sucking kiss on her. Then he pushed her over the arm of his recliner, grabbed her by the hips and hammered into her cunt like a madman, his jeans and underwear sagging around his lean calves. Taking that as his cue, Joe rose from his chair and started pulling off his flannel shirt, never taking his eyes off AJ. She watched him back, her eyes dark and smudged, her ribs and flat belly rising and falling rapidly. When she spread her legs wider and tilted her pelvis up, he knew she knew exactly what he wanted—and she wanted it, too. Arousal sank vicious claws into his balls just as Mandy’s scream of fulfillment seared over his nerve endings. Wheezing, “Fuck!” he spun away and grabbed his dick with both hands, but it was too late. He came in his shorts.

Up until that moment, AJ had never been more scared. Joe’s cock looked monstrous compared to the plug, even hidden inside his underwear, and his hold on his control seemed tenuous at best. But she’d had to have it. If it was too much, she had no doubt someone would step in and save her. Turned out his control was even more tenuous than she’d thought. When he slumped back into his seat and put his head in his hands, she didn’t know whether to laugh, cry or be relieved at the reprieve.

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“Guess that makes you the rotten egg, Hake,” Brent piped up with a lazy grin. But he was watching her and she felt his admiration like a caress all over her body. “I can live with that,” Hake grunted, still working Mandy’s sagging body over the arm of the chair. When AJ tipped her head back to look up at them, his fierce brown eyes locked on to hers, promising the same flavor of retribution he was currently dishing out to his wife. He didn’t look away even when he shuddered with orgasm, and the shocking intimacy of it made her whimper and squeeze her thighs together. After he’d finished, he scooped Mandy up and sat with her draped over his lap. “Now that’s what I call dessert,” he said with a satisfied sigh, planting a kiss on the top of her head. Mandy kissed his chest in return. “That wasn’t dessert, silly. There was no whipped cream.” “Oh, of course not. Silly me.” AJ suddenly felt way too exposed and lonely, the illusion of belonging suddenly shattered by Mandy and Hake’s intimate byplay. Mandy wasn’t hers any more than Brent and Joe were, and it was time she remembered that. She sat up slowly, trying not to draw anyone’s attention. It didn’t work. “Where do you think you’re going, Ariel?” Hake’s voice wasn’t exactly stern but it wasn’t exactly friendly either. “I’m cold,” she lied, anxious to be anywhere but sitting naked in the middle of the room. Brent immediately slid off his chair. Drawing her close to his side, he rubbed hot palms briskly over her upper arms. “You are kinda cold,” he said. He nuzzled her ear. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you warm.” Despite her efforts to back off emotionally, AJ felt herself soaking up his warmth and affection like a sponge. “It’s probably a good thing I had a pregasm,” he said, looking down ruefully at the stain on his shirt. “You girls had me so worked up I probably wouldn’t have been any use to either of you.” Joe grinned. “I was just thinking that. The state I was in, I probably had no business even thinking about AJ’s ass.” Then he frowned. “I might have hurt her.” “We wouldn’t have let that happen,” Hake said firmly. “But she’s Ariel while she’s here, Joe. That’s the house rule from now on.” “Gettin’ a little bossy there, aren’t you, boy?” Joe challenged. Brent’s arm tightened around her and AJ held her breath. Hake met his look evenly. “I think my days of being a boy are over for the time being,” he said. After a tense moment, Joe shrugged. “Your house, your rules.” AJ wilted with relief and felt Brent do the same. Thank God. She didn’t think either of them could have stood to watch Joe with another man right now. The boundaries between them all were too tenuous. “Should I go get the whipped cream, honey?” Mandy asked.

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Hake gave AJ a long, considering look and then said, “Why don’t we save that for another time. I think Ariel’s had enough fun with us this go-round. Let Brent and Joe take her to bed.” Although she appreciated his sensitivity, AJ felt bad for ruining the party. “I’m fine. Really,” she assured him. “You are very fine,” he agreed with a nod, “and I hope one day you’ll help Mandy fulfill that fantasy I was expecting. But not tonight. Besides,” he added, “Mandy’s due for some punishment.” Mandy’s eyes went wide. “Hake! That’s not fair!” “That’s what makes it fun, dear.” He set her on the floor and then slapped her butt cheek. “Now upstairs. March.” Mandy jumped and yelped but slid a sly smile AJ’s way as she went for the stairs. “Good night, Ariel.” “Um, ’night,” AJ said helplessly. She still wasn’t too happy about spoiling everyone’s fun, but apparently Hake and Mandy had plenty of fun of their own planned. When Brent stood and held out his hands, she let him pull her to her feet. Still a little wobbly, she just about fell off the high heels, and he knelt to untie the laces and pull them off. He reverently unfastened her garters and she gasped at the brush of his callused fingers on her thighs. Then rolled the stockings down her legs one by one, brushing kisses all over the faint fishnet impression they left in her skin. When he was done, he tugged off the garter belt and spread his knees, sitting back on his heels to look at her from head to toe and back again. “Ariel Jane Pender, you just blew my mind. It’s gone. I’m going to spend the rest of my life staring into space with my head lolling off to one side and a drool cup under my chin.” When she started to smile, he shook his head. “That was the fucking hottest thing I’ve ever seen. You’re the fucking hottest thing I’ve ever seen.” His unabashed admiration flowed over her like warm honey and she leaned into him at the same time he knelt up to wrap his arms around her waist. The semen splattered on his shirt felt disgustingly cool and delightfully dirty against her thigh, and her smile turned to a grin as she twined her arms behind his neck. Lowering her head, she engaged him in a lush, sprawling celebration of a kiss, letting him know with every press of her lips, every slide of her tongue and every thick, thuddy beat of her heart how very much she appreciated him. She’d never felt more womanly in her life. Pulling slowly away, Brent licked his lips. Then he looked over at Joe, whose hungry stare roamed over them both. “What say we take this party to our room?”

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The trip upstairs was one of the most exciting of her life. She walked naked between two men, thrilling to everything that came in contact with her over-stimulated senses. The chilly air. The thick carpet under her feet. The soft swish of denim on denim. The creak of the fourth step as they trod it one by one. At the head of the stairs, Joe opened the door to their room and went in, but AJ paused, glancing at Hake and Mandy’s bedroom door. An unwilling blush rose to her cheeks at the realization they’d probably hear everything that went on between the three of them tonight. Brent’s arms slid around her waist and he kissed the side of her neck. “The bedrooms are all soundproofed.” Intrigued, she cocked her head and listened hard. “He’s probably spanking her, but you don’t hear a thing, do you?” When she shook her head, he said, “That’s exactly what they’ll hear. Nothing.” Well, that took some of the pressure off. He herded her into the Yellow Room and closed the door with a decisive click. Joe was already shucking his jeans and shorts in the warm light of the bedside lamp. When he’d kicked them away and scraped off his socks, he crooked a finger at her. “You’re the one who made me come in my underwear, little girl. Why don’t you come clean up the mess you made?” Her heart blipping with excitement, she rounded the side of the bed hesitantly to stand in front of him. When he just raised his brows in expectation, she dropped to her knees. Whoa, big penis. She blinked and shook her head slightly to clear it. The thing wasn’t even fully erect yet. Had it always been this big? It hadn’t looked this big when it was going into Brent’s mouth, she was sure it hadn’t. “What are you waiting for, Ariel Jane?” he rumbled. She swallowed. “A sign from God?” Laying his hands loosely on her head, he pushed his penis against her lips. “Here’s your sign,” he drawled with a distinct twang. Smiling, AJ opened up. Joe filled her mouth immediately. Overfilled it. The taste of his semen exploded over her tongue and she moaned, grasping his muscular hips while the simmering arousal in her belly kicked up to a boil. Humming, she swayed against him as she sucked and licked away every trace of his sweet, musky flavor.

Carnal Compromise

Joe’s hands stroked down the sides of her head to cup her jaw. “Better stop or there’ll be more to clean up.” “I don’t mind,” she murmured. When she moved to take him in her mouth again, he inserted his palm between them. “I mind. Come on, up on the bed.” “Bossy.” She stuck her tongue out at him but stood up anyway and was surprised to see Brent nude, too. He’d shoved the covers down to the end of the bed and stretched out on his side to watch them. His stiff, restless cock said better than words how much he’d enjoyed the show. “I love your mouth,” he said, his eyes firmly fixed her parted lips. “It’s so small and innocent-looking, it makes a man feel like a pervert for wanting to find out just how deep inside he can get.” She grinned as she crawled up beside him and sank back on her heels. “Dirty old man.” “Card-carrying, just like Joe.” “Grow your hair out a little,” Joe said as he settled on the other side of her, “and we’ll put you in pigtails and knee socks and show you just how dirty we can be.” “Will you make me suck your lollypop?” she asked, putting her finger to her lips with a coy smile. “I thought I just did.” “Ooooh,” she crooned as she drew her damp fingertip over the tip of his penis. “I guess I forgot already. Maybe you’d better remind me.” Joe grabbed her wrist with a growl. “Quit trying to maneuver me, little girl. We’ve got other plans for you right now.” AJ laughed out loud, drunk on the pleasure of feeling naughty and beguiling and desirable. Not even with Rob, the husband she’d sworn to love, honor and cherish, had she felt this dam-bursting swell of enjoyment, as if she were about to explode with wonder and delight. A faint alarm rang somewhere in the back of her head but she studiously ignored it. She deserved this, dammit, and she was going to wring every ounce of enjoyment from it while she had the chance. Joe yanked her down on the sheet and rolled her back against him. “Laugh at me, will you?” He tickled her mercilessly with his fingers and moustache while Brent dived down to torture the soles of her feet. With tears of agonized laughter streaming down her face, she screamed, “Quit or you’ll make me wet the bed!” “That’s okay, there’s another one next door,” Brent told her, sliding his tongue between her sensitive toes and inciting more breathless screams and giggles. When she begged for mercy and swore she had to go now, they finally let her up. It didn’t dawn on her until she was sitting on the toilet, gasping with relief, that she’d thrown open the door and run down the dim hallway of her hosts’ home buck naked.

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Brent smiled, enjoying the sound of AJ’s chuckles floating down the hall. “Wonder what’s so funny in there.” “Beats me,” Joe said, bunching up his pillow behind his head. “It’s nice to hear her laugh.” “Yeah, but it’s nice to hear her scream and moan, too.” Joe turned his head and grinned at Brent. “Speaking of which, I think it’s about time I opened up that pretty little ass.” Brent raised his brows. “You?” “Of course me.” “No ‘of course’ about it,” Brent told him, sitting up. “You’re too big and rough for her first time.” “I’m not that much bigger than you,” Joe dismissed, “and I can be nice and tender when the situation calls for it.” Frustrated, Brent scrubbed his hands though his hair. “I feel pretty strongly about this, Joe. You need to let me take care of her first time.” Joe sat up too. “I don’t see why. I’m more of an ass man that you are, and I’d bet I’ve had a lot more experience.” The toilet flushed and Brent tensed, knowing they needed to settle this before she returned to the bedroom. “Joe, we both know that sooner or later you’re going to have my ass. You owe me this one.” For a second Joe seemed to turn to stone. Then looked away. “Do you want me to leave?” he asked stiffly. Brent rolled his eyes. “Why the hell would I want that? I want you to help me make this good for her. I want you to help me fulfill her fantasies like we said we would.” The sound of water running in the bathroom sink ceased, telling him they were out of time. “What about it, Joe? Are you up for it?” It looked as if it took some effort, but Joe worked up a crafty smile. “Aren’t I always?”

Tension hung heavy in the air when AJ returned to the bedroom. Bracing herself for an abrupt end to the pleasurable evening, she shut the door behind her and leaned against it with her fists clenched behind her hips. “What’s wrong?” “Not a thing, darlin’,” Joe told her. “What are you doin’ way over there?” Relaxing marginally, she eyed them with suspicion as she walked slowly to the foot of the bed and climbed back up between them. “Are you sure nothing’s wrong? The air’s pretty thick in here.” “That’s Brent,” Joe said with a wave. “Barbecue gives him gas.” Brent nodded gravely. “Now you know my secret shame.”

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AJ fought a snicker. “Having gas is nothing to be ashamed of,” she chided with a smile. “God knows Joe never is.” “It’s my one musical talent,” Joe confirmed with a modest smile. The snicker finally won. “Men are disgusting. I don’t know how I put up with you all the time.” Brent grabbed her and pulled her down on his chest. “But you love us anyway,” he said against her lips, and she sighed as she settled into him, very much afraid he was right. The kiss didn’t take long to blossom into a full-scale make-out session with both men, and AJ basked in the extravagance of two masculine bodies pressed close to hers and four hot hands roaming over her skin. When she reached back to pull Joe’s head toward her for a kiss, he turned her over to face him before setting his open mouth on hers. Nibbling at her shoulder, Brent breathed, “I want your ass, Ariel.” AJ froze, panting. The moment Mandy had prepared her for was apparently here. “Okay.” Brent pulled away. “Don’t move.” She heard a drawer open and the flick of a cap opening before he settled back down behind her. Sliding his hand down her thigh, he nudged her leg up over Joe’s hip. A heartbeat later, a cool, slick finger touched her. Still a little tender and a lot nervous, she flinched, and Joe kissed her forehead. “It’s okay,” he told her. AJ swallowed. “I know.” But that didn’t keep her heart from trying to rabbit out of her chest when the finger edged deeper. Joe drew a hand over her rib and teased her nipple with his thumb, and she stilled it with her own hand. “Don’t try to distract me. I want to be aware of everything.” “All right.” “Just hold me.” He tucked her head under his chin. “I can do that.” “Did Mandy tell you what to expect?” Brent asked. When she nodded, he withdrew a little and returned deeper. AJ cringed a little, mentally crossing her fingers. She’d done her best to prevent any “close encounters” but nothing was foolproof. Then he pulled out. “Now another.” When she tensed, he said, “Remember, try to relax.” He came back into her, thicker now and slick with more cool lube, and she whimpered. “You’re doing great, Ariel,” he murmured. “That plug really opened you up nice.” She gulped, trying to control her breathing. “You can thank Mandy for that. She, um…prepared me and put it in.” Joe groaned and closed his eyes like he was in pain. “I don’t suppose she filmed that?” “God, no!” The very idea was— AJ did a double take. “Wait, she doesn’t have cameras hidden anywhere does she?”

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In Carnal Deliverance, the heroes had secretly recorded the fulfillment of the heroine’s fantasy and presented her with it later. Personally, she would never have trusted any of them again after a stunt like that. “No,” he chuckled. “She doesn’t do everything she writes in her books, though we did take a digital picture of her with all her holes stuffed that first time.” “But we can do that if you want,” Brent murmured, sliding his fingers all the way into her bottom with one long, smooth stroke. He held there for a minute, twisting and tugging until she gasped. “I’m sure they’ve got a video camera around somewhere.” She shot him a dark look over her shoulder. “Not just no, but hell no.” “Some other time,” he said. “No more fingers now, honey. My cock’s a lot smoother. I’ll take my time, okay?” When he slid out this time, she gasped again at the intense forbidden sensation and buried her face in the hot skin of Joe’s throat. “Remember,” Joe said, his voice rumbling against her forehead. “Relax, breathe and push. That’ll get you through it.” “Okay.” Brent grasped her hips with sticky fingers and positioned himself against her anus, exerting pressure so slowly that she began to wonder if he’d ever go in. Keeping her eyes closed, she breathed deeply and concentrated on relaxing. Just when it really started to burn, she felt the head of his cock pop inside. “Okay, weird,” she panted. “This feels really weird.” A lot more weird, somehow, than the cold, hard plug had. “Weird can be a very good thing,” Joe said. Brent started pushing again, rocking forward and back, forward and back, and the burning grew more intense. “I don’t think this is going to work, guys,” she said in a pinched tone. Joe kissed her temple and held her tight. “He’s in, sweetheart. Just relax and let it happen.” She was near tears when she felt Brent snug his belly against her butt and slip his arms around her waist. “That’s all, Ariel. You took it all,” he said, panting a little himself. “Really?” she squeaked. “Really.” His lips brushed her hair. “How does it feel?” She hesitated before deciding that discretion was indeed the better part of valor. “Nice.” He chuckled. “Nice as in, you need to go take the biggest dump of your life?” Heat scorched her cheeks as she squeezed her eyes shut and giggled. “Ow, no fair making me laugh,” she scolded. “This is supposed to be serious dirty business.”

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“Laughing keeps you more relaxed and open,” he informed her. “If you say so.” She sighed. “But it does feel really dirty. I never thought I’d do this.” “Just wait,” Joe said. “It gets dirtier.” Before she could stiffen, Brent’s hot, slick cock glided outward and she whimpered in panic. “Oh God!” She could hear the grin in Joe’s voice when he said, “Like I said...” Just when she thought he was going to pull all the way out, Brent reversed course and plowed steadily back into her. She squirmed and Joe grabbed her knee, holding it against his thigh. “Easy, honey.” Brent slid back and forth, over and over, and she gulped, her mind completely blown. She was sandwiched between two gorgeous men having her ass fucked. She was enjoying it. She was an anal slut. Her pussy squeezed with intolerable longing. “Fuck me, Brent,” she gasped, scrabbling backward with her hand to find his hip. He grunted and intensified his thrusts. “Oh, yes,” she moaned. “More.” Without warning, Joe reached down to rake a finger between the lips of her pussy and she cried out. “Joe!” “Christ, her cunt is dripping,” he said roughly. He bent his head and sucked her nipple into his mouth. At the same time, he buried his finger deep inside her vagina and pulsed it against something frightening and foreign. “Oh, Jesus!” She pushed at his arm, clawed at it, squirming, gasping… And then she came. Thick, hot spasms of relief tore through her, ruining her, wasting her, and the sound of her own raspy cries seemed to echo in her ears from a tremendous distance. She was gone. She’d slipped anchor and plummeted into a sensual abyss. She was an anal slut. Hi, I’m Ariel and I’m an anal slut. The next thing she heard was Joe’s chuckle. “So you’re an anal slut, huh?” he murmured, laying his damp palm on her cheek as he kissed her lips. Blushing at the smell her own arousal on his skin, she opened her eyes and glared at him, smacking him on the arm with a weak fist. “Joe!” “Hey, you said it, not me.” “I did?” “You did,” Brent confirmed against her neck. Wow. Well, that was embarrassing.

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“But we suspected as much all along,” Joe informed her with a smirk. She punched him again, and this time she put some muscle into it. “Very funny.” “Hey, little girl.” He stared at her intently, his eyes dilated to the darkest shade of blue she’d ever seen them. “Just how dirty do you want to be?” AJ stared back, her gut curling in alarm and desire. “Wha—” She cleared her throat. “What do you mean?” He leaned down and touched his forehead to hers. “Why don’t you fuck us both?”

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Chapter Fifteen

AJ cleared her throat again and croaked, “Now?” Joe smiled darkly. Damn, this was turning out to be a lot more fun than he’d imagined. The array of expressions flitting over her face was mesmerizing—from dismay to yearning to fear and shame, and then back to yearning again—and he’d have missed the whole show if Brent had let him have his way. Brent groaned. “Okay, if the way she’s strangling my dick is any indication, she likes that idea.” “I’m going to hell,” she said decisively. “Don’t worry—we’ll be waiting at the door to greet you,” Joe told her, not joking in the least. Leaning back, he snagged a condom off the nightstand and ripped it open. He wanted into Ariel Jane Pender’s cunt and he wanted in now. He could imagine how tight it was with Brent up her ass, and anticipation made his hands shake a little as he suited up. “Will it hurt?” she asked in a small voice. “It better not,” he said firmly. “If it does, you say the word and I’ll stop.” She nodded breathlessly. The faith in her wide blue eyes made something in his chest cramp, and for a second, he couldn’t move. Don’t trust me so much, he urged her silently. “Joe, are you okay?” Brent asked. Closing his eyes, Joe took a deep breath. Relax and regroup. This is sex, not forever. “Fine,” he said. He opened his eyes again and looked at AJ. “Ready?” She reached up to smooth a lock of hair out of his eyes. “If you are,” she said softly. Dammit, she looked as worried about him as Brent did. He gave her a sexy smile. “Honey, I’ve been ready for weeks.” Brent slipped his palm under her thigh to pull her leg up and back, opening her completely. Scooting closer to her put Joe’s upper leg in contact with Brent’s, and it was all he could do to suppress a shudder. Once he got inside AJ, the barrier between the two of them would be almost unnoticeable. They’d fucked women together before, and at first, the intimacy of their cocks rubbing together had unnerved Brent. With AJ, Joe had a bad feeling that Brent wouldn’t be the one who was unnerved. Dammit, he didn’t like being on the defensive. Marshaling every ounce of his control, he laid his hand on AJ’s hip and notched his cock against her slick hole. Then he took a shuddering breath and pressed carefully.

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AJ cried out when it pushed inside, closing her eyes and silently chanting, Relax, breath, push. Relax, breathe, push. She couldn’t control the shudders that rocked her, but she managed to accept the invasion without a struggle. Holy crap, she was actually doing this. She should feel all kinds of nasty now, having not just a cock up her butt but one in her pussy too, but all she felt was…right. This was right, so terribly, beautifully right that she couldn’t stop the tears from seeping out of her closed eyes. Sighing, she turned her head until she could hear the strong, fast pounding of Joe’s heart and sent up one tiny, half-formed prayer that this night would never end. Before he was even halfway in, the sensation of being stuffed full overwhelmed her and her eyes popped open. “Wait!” He hesitated, frowning as he squeezed her hip. “You’re crying. Does it hurt?” “Not exactly.” She bit her lips in an agony of uncertainty. “It’s just scary.” “Hey now, beautiful,” Brent murmured. Cupping her chin, he pulled her face around and kissed her lips softly. “We’d never let anything happen to you. Ever.” “Wouldn’t be in our best interests,” Joe added. She sighed, laying her head back on his chest. “Okay, then I’m good. Go.” Without another word, Joe withdrew partway and she groaned, both at the sensation and the idea that now they’d have to start over. But it was easier the second time, and then the third. By the fifth or six, he was going all the way in and she was moving restlessly. “Faster,” she whispered. “Ah, that’s what I was waiting for.” Joe shifted his legs and sped up a little, sliding smoothly in and out. Brent drew his hands up to play with her nipples. When AJ moaned, he pulled her shoulder back, twisting her at the waist, and ducked beneath her arm to capture one hard nipple between his teeth. She gripped his neck. “Oh, oh…please.” Joe leaned down to seize her other and she bucked hard. “Please! God, please!” She was startled when Brent started moving in tandem with Joe. Holding her in place with their hands and their evil teeth, they withdrew together, leaving her feeling devastatingly empty, and then tunneled all the way in, filling her to bursting, over and over and over. “Oh holy crap,” she cried when the sizzle of an oncoming orgasm singed her nerve endings. “Oh, oh, oh…” For a long, long moment she hung there, her heart pounding, her breathing tortured, reaching, reaching... And the sizzle subsided, leaving her empty even as Joe and Brent filled her again. She whined pitifully. “No!” They both paused, releasing her stinging nipples.

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“What happened?” Joe asked. “It backed up,” she said, near tears. “I don’t know if I can come with both of you in me. It feels like…you know, like when your jaw gets so hyper-extended by a huge jawbreaker that you can’t bite down.” A laugh gusted against her breast. “You’re just full of helpful little analogies,” Brent told her. “And you sure do know how to flatter a man, honey,” Joe added with a grin. Then he pulled back. “You finish her. I’ll hold her.” Brent put a hand on his arm. “Wait. Ariel, you were really wound up tight. Over-wound, maybe?” “Maybe.” “Can you try doing what you did with Joe that first night?” She bit her lip. “I don’t know if I can relax that much, but I’ll try. No more teeth, though, okay? That might have been a little bit too much.” “Let’s try alternating this time, too,” Joe said with a questioning look at Brent, who nodded. AJ was intrigued. How had Brent wound up in charge of this little adventure? The boys didn’t give her time to consider the matter. They settled her back into her original position and Joe pulled her head up for a long, leisurely kiss. Both of them started to move in her again, slowly, easily, but this time moving opposite of each other. As Joe was pushing in, Brent was pulling out, and it wasn’t long before the constant stimulation ratcheted her excitement back up to nail-biting levels. “Don’t work for it,” Brent murmured, hugging her close. “Let us bring it to you.” Nodding, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, willing her muscles into slackness. The men’s teeter-totter thrusting slowly intensified, and she reveled in the sound of their rough breathing, the clutch of their hard hands on her hips and waist, and the tangy scent of sweat sealing their skin to hers. The more they tensed, the more she sank into the progression of their lust, rising with them to heights that might have frightened her if they were anyone else. When Joe’s rhythm grew a little jerky and his panting became gasping, Brent said, “Fuck her, Joe.” He halted deep inside her, tugging her backward ’til she was half on top of him, her head resting on his shoulder, and Joe followed at once. Rising over her, he plastered his mouth against hers and drove into her without any finesse at all, grunting and gasping, and clearly beyond waiting for her to finish. His loss of control was all it took. AJ sighed and paradise seeped into every fiber of her body at once. Joe dropped his head onto her breast with a whimper. “Thank you, Jesus.” His orgasm seemed every bit as frantic as hers was serene, and she wrapped her arms around his head, stroking his sweat-damp hair and gentling him until he sagged against her. Brent laid a hand on his shoulder. “Roll back, Joe.” Joe obeyed at once, sliding out of her as he fell back onto the mattress with a gusty sigh. He looked for all the world like he’d already gone to sleep.

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Keeping his arm tight around her waist, Brent rolled her onto her stomach and settled his knees between her boneless legs. “I’m almost there,” he told her, rising onto his elbows. While he fucked her, licking and sucking at her neck and ears, AJ lay there with her arms folded beside her ribs, her fists tucked loosely beneath her chin, and gloried in his earthy possession. When he finally shuddered and crammed himself deep, and deeper still, chills rose on her skin. She could actually feel the heat of his come jetting inside her aching bottom. Anal slut. Yeah, so? There were worse things. “Okay, we’re going to have to do that again,” he mumbled against her neck. AJ smiled. Yes, they definitely were. “And you,” he added, lifting himself off her. She opened her eyes in time to see him plant a hard kiss on Joe’s lips. Joe didn’t even have time to open his own eyes before it was over, but he jerked like he’d been zapped by a cattle prod. “What about me?” he asked, looking poised to jump off the bed if Brent made one more move his way. AJ smothered a smile. Boy, Brent had really turned the tables on him in the last couple of days. “Nothin’,” Brent said carelessly, settling back down on her other side. “I just wanted to make sure you were still kicking. That kind of stress can’t be too good for a man your age.” Relaxing, Joe slanted a look at him. “You just wait ’til I catch up on my beauty sleep, boy. I’ll show you what’s good for a man my age.” Brent snuggled into AJ with a sigh. “I can’t wait.”

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Chapter Sixteen

The next morning the sun shone brightly in the pale blue South Dakota sky and a stiff breeze was blowing from the north, so they decided to head back to Iowa right after breakfast. AJ found the leisurely gathering, filled with significant glances, secretive smiles and long, pregnant silences as enchantingly uncomfortable as last night had been. The way everyone kept looking at her, she could almost believe she belonged with this adventurous and affectionate group. But thinking like that was dangerous, so she kept her responses to their flirting light and inconsequential. While Brent and Joe loaded their bags in the pickup, Mandy pulled AJ into the kitchen to help prepare a care package for the road. “I wish you guys didn’t have to go,” Mandy complained, her face arranged in what AJ could only describe as a pout. “And not just because Hake’s going to spank me every night until you and I follow through on our teasing.” AJ gaped at her. “Oh my God!” Mandy nodded as she smeared mayo on a slice of bread. “Yup. He’s…displeased because I got to have my way with you and he didn’t.” Speechless, AJ just stared, and Mandy burst out laughing. “It’s okay, Ariel. He’s just using it as another excuse to discipline me, and this one has a nice edge of truth to it, which makes it really exciting. We’re having a lot of fun with it.” “Whew!” AJ finally smiled. “You had me worried there.” “Don’t be. Hake really likes you.” She finished the sandwich and slipped it into a zippered bag. “That’s why he didn’t insist we follow through last night, and why he wouldn’t let Joe anywhere near him. He thought the relationship between the three of you was too unstable to test it that way just yet, and he didn’t want to be the one to blow it apart.” AJ blinked at her. “Really?” “I know! I couldn’t believe it either,” Mandy declared, getting out two more slices of bread. “Usually he’s oblivious to emotional undercurrents and I have to forcibly steer him around social landmines, but this time he totally got the jump on me. Kind of embarrassing, if you want to know the truth. My head was already in orgy space and determined to stay there.” “I’m sorry,” AJ said. “You were deprived, too.”

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“Don’t be. Seriously, I’d feel terrible if we’d led you into something that wound up being more painful than enjoyable. I like you a lot. So does Hake,” she added, zipping up another sandwich. Then she turned and leaned her hip against the counter. “In fact, if things don’t work out the way you’d like with Brent and Joe, we want you to think about coming here.” AJ stared at her. “Um…coming here?” “Hake’s been thinking about looking for a hand,” Mandy explained as she picked up another piece of bread to dress. “He healed up pretty well after the accident, but climbing the bins and getting in and out of the equipment isn’t as easy as it used to be, and the cold weather bothers him. If he had a hand to help out with the cattle and haying and hauling and harvest, he might pick up some more land. We would both love for that hand to be you.” Then she laid down the butter knife and gave her a significant look. “I hope it goes without saying that there’d be no strings attached. Any sexual activity would be optional and negotiated completely separately.” “But you don’t even know me,” AJ said, flattered as hell and yet oddly uncomfortable at the idea. “We know enough,” Mandy replied decisively. “But it’s just something to keep in mind, okay? The last thing I want is to torpedo anything between you and the guys.” AJ hoped her smile wasn’t as blue as it felt. “I doubt that could happen.” When they finally left the kitchen, all the men were standing in the entryway speculating about field conditions in the coming days. After the three of them shook hands and she and Mandy hugged, they switched so that Mandy could hug and kiss Brent and Joe. She hugged Hake without even thinking about it and was startled when he turned and pinned her against the entry wall. She looked over his shoulder at Mandy, who just smiled at her. “Don’t make me regret letting you off the hook this time,” he murmured against her ear. “I will be very disappointed if you don’t come back, beautiful Ariel.” He sucked on her lobe before adding, “Very disappointed.” She tried to swallow the dryness in her mouth. “I may not have any control over that.” “You know you do,” he said, leaning back just far enough to give her a chiding look. Keeping his voice low, he continued. “I hope everything works out between you and the guys—you seem really good for both of them. But if not, don’t be afraid to come knocking on our door.” She nodded once. “All right.” “You trying to jack our girl?” Brent demanded, scowling at them in a mock threat. Hake looked intrigued. “Could I?” “Not a chance. You’ve got your own girl. This one goes with us.” “Can’t blame a man for trying,” Hake told him, kissing her on the temple before setting her free. “Or a woman,” Mandy added. She kissed AJ firmly on the lips and said, “See you next time, Ariel.”

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Three days later, Brent whistled along with the radio as he drove up and down the empty cornfield, baling stalks for Uncle Stu. He hadn’t felt this relaxed in years. Taking AJ along to Hake and Mandy’s had been his best idea ever. They’d loved her. Hell, he might even love her. And he had a feeling she might love him, too. When they’d said their goodbyes, Mandy had dragged AJ into the kitchen, and when they hadn’t come right back out with a bag of goodies for the road, he’d strolled over to the swinging door, shamelessly hoping to catch them in a little more girl-on-girl action. Instead, he’d heard Mandy offering AJ a job if things didn’t work out between them and bristled. Things damn well would work out between them. Ariel Jane Pender was the best thing that had ever happened to him. To him and Joe both. He wasn’t about to let Hake have her when the man already had a wife he adored. Then Ariel had said she didn’t think their relationship could be torpedoed and he’d relaxed instantly, relieved and almost dizzy with happiness. He’d made Joe take the drive back while he snuggled her in his arms, and after they’d all had a leisurely, non-demanding bout of sex in deference to her recent deflowering, she’d spent the night—and both of the following nights—in his arms. It was something he was growing accustomed to, something he was starting to need, and for once, he felt like just letting it happen. He deserved a little happiness with a woman like her. Even Joe seemed more relaxed, and Brent breathed a bit easier knowing he wasn’t going to walk away anytime too soon. There was still an underlying pulse of unfinished business between them but he was too content at the moment to rock the boat. The buzzer went off and he rolled to a stop, flipping the lever to dump the plastic-wrapped round bale out behind him. Tomorrow he’d use the grapple fork to line up all the bales at the edge of the field, but for now, he throttled back up after the baler had closed and continued down the rows, thinking about Ariel again and what it would take to convince her to stay around after the season ended. When his cell phone rang, he flipped it open with a smile. “What’s up, Timmy-boy?” “Jesus God, help me, Brent!” Tim’s sobs sent cold chills down his spine. “What happened?” “Seth got caught in the header. Oh God, you need to call an ambulance and get over here.” “Jesus. Is he free of the machine?” He immediately turned off the baler and steered the tractor at top speed toward the bins, where his pickup was parked. “Yeah, I got him out, but his leg is fucking shredded and he’s bleeding all over the place.” The silence in the background told him Seth had probably passed out. Or worse.

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“Keep pressure on it if you can. You know how to do that, right? And get his head down and cover him up with something—your coat, anything. Keep him as warm as you can, right?” Tim sobbed again. “Okay, I will. I am. Oh thank God, here comes AJ.” “Tell her to call 9-1-1 so they can tell you if you need to be doing anything else. Got it, Tim?” “Got it.” “Good. I’m on my way.” During the endless drive across the field, he called Greg Hunnicutt and let him know they’d be the only team running the rest of the day. Joe was just driving in with a couple of full wagons and Brent flagged him urgently as he drove by. When he reached the end rows, he powered down, burst through the door and cleared the ladder without touching it. Joe was right behind him, and once in the pickup, they tore through the end rows at a bone-jarring pace. “What happened?” “Dietz got caught in the fucking corn head.” Joe swore. “That little bastard. How many times have you warned him about clearing clogs without turning off the rotor?” “Not enough, apparently.” They fishtailed onto the gravel road and headed south. When he blew through a stop sign, Joe snapped, “It won’t help anyone if you kill us getting there.” Ignoring him, Brent floored it, and two minutes later they pulled into the field. He headed straight for the combines and tractors gathered near the east end, bumping over the rows and praying he didn’t tear out a brake line on the stalks. The sight that met his eyes weakened his knees and nearly made him toss his lunch. The corn head was splattered with gore, the ground and stalks beneath it were soaked with blood, and pieces of boot leather and faded denim hung in the chains between two snoots. Out to the side, in the stubble, Seth lay unconscious on his back. Eric was on his knees, keeping a belt cinched just above his left knee, and Tim was using his flannel shirt to staunch the bleeding, keeping pressure with both hands on what was left of the leg while tears streamed unchecked down his face. Keith was doing the same to Seth’s right leg, which looked to be bloody but intact, at least. God dammit, Tim was too young to have to deal with this shit. They all were. He stripped off his jacket, but instead of adding it to the pile spread over Seth’s torso and upper legs, he laid it over Tim’s shaking shoulders. “How are you holding up, son?” When Tim just nodded, he asked, “Do you want me to take over there?”

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When he shook his head in an emphatic negative, Brent turned his attention to AJ, who knelt at Seth’s head. “You doin’ okay, babe?” She sniffed but nodded, stroking Seth’s deathly pale face and rough, reddish hair with tender fingers. “You’re going to be okay, Seth. Tim’s got you and he’s not going to let you go. You got that? You’re not going anywhere.” “Damn right, you’re not going anywhere,” Joe growled, crouching down beside AJ, “because I’m going to kick your stubborn, stupid ass into the next county as soon as you’re out of the hospital. You hear me, boy? I’m not leaving your side until the doc tells me you’re out of the woods and ready to take an asswhupping for not following the fucking rules.” The ambulance arrived, along with a sheriff’s patrol and a couple of volunteer fire trucks, so they all moved back to let the paramedics take over. AJ’s tears finally started, and Brent held her against his chest and rubbed her back while he and Tim answered the deputy’s questions. He wished he could do the same for Tim, who looked lost and was obviously suffering from shock himself. Joe wasn’t any help—he stood there wearing the darkest expression Brent had ever seen on him. When the deputy had finished his report, Brent couldn’t take it anymore. He reached out and hooked a hand around Tim’s neck, pulling him into their hug. The boy’s shaking increased, so Brent slid his hand up into his hair and pulled his head down on his shoulder. “What are we gonna do, Brent?” Tim groaned. “Shit, what if he dies? Seth is all I got left.” Both their parents had died in the last few years, their father of a heart attack and their mother in a car accident. AJ shifted to slide her arm around Tim’s waist, and Brent suddenly felt a kind of peace he’d never known. He squeezed her hard in gratitude. “He’s gonna get through this, Tim,” he said. “I can feel it. But no matter what happens, you’ve got a home with us, so don’t you worry about anything right now except getting him well.” “Thanks,” Tim whispered. They all looked up at the sound of a helicopter. It seemed to take forever for it to land, but once on the ground, the paramedics quickly prepared Seth for the flight and loaded him up. One of them waved Tim over. “You go on with Seth,” Brent said, turning him loose. “We’ll secure things here and then follow in the pickup.” “We’ll take care of it,” Eric said. “You go ahead.” Brent looked at Joe. “You comin’?” Joe gave a short nod and turned toward the pickup without a word.

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Nine long, tense hours later, they arrived back at the camper. Seth had been transferred to a Sioux Falls hospital for surgery, and Tim accompanied him. Brent had already arranged for Eric and Keith to take up the Dietzs’ pickup in the morning so Tim would have a way to get around, and they’d driven through a Burger King on the way back so supper was out of the way. Now all he wanted to do was fall into bed and hug the people he loved close. When he tugged AJ toward his bedroom, she followed willingly. He stripped down to his jeans and then kissed her as he undressed her, worshipping her body with his lips and his heart. Then he urged her onto the bed and covered her with the spread. “Don’t go anywhere,” he said. “I’m gonna find out what’s holding Joe up.” When she nodded sleepily, he added, “Don’t go to sleep or I’ll have to kiss you awake.” Her smile squeezed his heart painfully. As soon as he stepped out of the bedroom, he heard the shower running. He leaned against the wall outside the door and waited, desire tightening his groin as he imagined Joe soaping his big, hard body under the running water. Dammit, the time for dancing around whatever hovered between them was over— no matter how it ended, he loved Josiah Remke every bit as much as he loved Ariel Jane Pender, and he needed to settle this thing now, tonight. The shock of seeing Seth lying there broken and fighting for his life had fired conflicting emotions in his chest—sorrow for the young man who’d lost his leg and stood to lose so much more, and guilty gratitude that it wasn’t Joe or Ariel lying there fighting for their life. In that moment, he’d known with dead certainty that if he went to his grave without having made love with both of them, his whole life would have been tragically wasted. And though Joe had barely said two words all afternoon, Brent was convinced he felt the same. Yeah, for some unknown reason he was fighting it for all he was worth, and yeah, he’d probably try to leave after they’d slaked their lust a time or two. But Brent intended to fight him every step of the way. After all, he had Ariel now, and with her, he felt as if he could handle just about anything life—or Joe—threw at him. When the door opened, Joe stopped short, wearing nothing but a towel slung around his neck. “Brent.” He hesitated for a second and then walked into the bunkroom. Brent grasped the overhead doorjamb with both hands and watched as he dug out a pair of navy briefs and stepped into them. “Really think you need those?” “I’m tired and my head hurts,” he said. “Think I’ll pack it in for the night.” Brent watched him for a heartbeat, anxiety tightening his gut. “You can sleep if you want to, but I’d like it better if we were all together tonight. You don’t have to perform for anybody. It’s been a pretty hard day all the way around and I don’t think any of us have much energy.” “You know we all sleep better when I’m in here,” Joe said evenly as he tossed back his blanket and sat on the edge of the bunk. Something told Brent this was a fight he had to win.

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“You belong with us.” Joe stiffened and leveled a flat stare at him. “Look, boy, I think you might have got the wrong idea here. I like you both, I really do, but I’m not looking for anything besides an occasional fuck. If you think there’s more to it than that then it’s probably best if we don’t take this any further.” “Oh, we’re taking it further.” Brent dropped his hands to unbutton his fly and stepped into the bedroom. “You want a fuck? Well, so do I, and I’m not leaving this room without it.” Joe stood up and propped his fists on his hips. “You gonna throw down with me, Brent?” Brent’s mouth turned desert dry. Not only was Joe older, meaner and a hell of a lot more experienced at most everything, but he outweighed him by a good fifty pounds, all of it hard-earned muscle. “Go ahead, try it,” Joe prodded mockingly. “I could knot you up like a pretzel with one hand and you know it.” Shit, this was gonna hurt. But it had to be done. “I love you, you stupid son of a bitch,” he threw out. Joe’s smile was more of a sneer. “I think that makes you the stupid one, boy.” Brent ground his teeth. That was it. He took a deep breath and charged him.

A crash loud enough to rock the RV jolted AJ out of a sound sleep. A second one made her sit up with a gasp. “What the hell?” She rolled out of bed and reached for her clothes, hurrying when the grunting, shouting and banging of what was clearly a brawl intensified. “Oh my god, oh my god,” she breathed as she tugged on her jeans and yanked her T-shirt over her head with shaking hands. Bracing herself, she rushed into the living area and then leaped barefoot onto the couch with a yelp when two big, half-naked bodies flew her way. Already bruised and bloody, Brent landed on top and pulled back to deliver a punch, but Joe deflected the blow then wrapped his forearm around the back of Brent’s neck and delivered two short punches to his face. “Joe, stop it!” AJ screamed. “He started this,” he grunted. He grabbed a handful of Brent’s hair and pulled his head back. “You had enough, boy?” “Fuck you,” Brent spat, depositing a spray of blood on Joe’s chin. Pulling out of the bigger man’s grasp, he staggered to his feet, breathing heavily. “I love you, asshole, and you love me. Admit it.” Joe stood, too, keeping his body in the loose stance of a fighter ready to strike.“I don’t love. I fuck. Period.”

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“Why?” “Who gives a shit why?” “I do, you stupid motherfucker!” Brent threw himself at Joe hard enough to send them both crashing onto the bedroom floor. AJ hopped down from the couch and went after them. “God dammit you two, stop this right now!” “Stay out of it, AJ,” Brent grunted as the idiots kept right on wrestling, their hands grappling for purchase on each other’s sweaty, bloody flesh. Joe finally worked himself into a dominant position, shoving the side of Brent’s face into the floor and twisting his arm up behind his back. “You just don’t know when to quit, do you, boy?” “I’m not quitting until you fuck me,” Brent gasped, his face contorted in pain. “You still wanna fuck?” Joe released his arm and stood up, dragging Brent’s nearly limp body along with him. “Fine. Let’s fuck.”

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He tossed Brent facedown onto the bed and yanked his already loose jeans down his hips and off his bare feet. Then he did the same with his shorts. Planting a knee on the bed and a hand in the small of Brent’s back, he stared at the tight, round cheeks of his ass. “AJ, hand me the lube.” When she hesitated, he pinned her with a look. “Now, or I’ll fuck him without it.” “Don’t do this.” “Now.” “Dammit!” She grabbed the bottle of lube out of the nightstand and handed it to him. “The applicator, too. Screw it onto the top.” She obeyed with a venomous look. “I’m not watching this.” “Fine. Run and hide somewhere, little girl.” “Gutless, Joe,” Brent muttered. “You’re fucking gutless.” His chest tight and his throat aching, Joe spread Brent’s cheeks and jammed the applicator into his asshole without comment, squeezing the bottle hard enough to fill his rectum with the slick lube. Then he pulled it out and squirted a ton of gel up and down his crack. Tossing the tube onto the floor, he slicked his fingers up and pushed one against that puckered flesh he’d longed to breach for so many years. “The harder you push out, the less this’ll hurt,” he advised before shoving it in a little too quickly for Brent to fully obey. Brent grunted and struggled to accommodate his thick finger. Aside from the tonguing he’d given him last week, Joe was pretty sure the only anal penetration Brent had ever experienced was one of Mandy’s slim fingers during a blow job, and he relished the almost painful tightness gripping his knuckle. “You want my cock up there, you’re gonna have to push a lot harder than that, boy.” “Can’t even call me by my name when you fuck me, can you, Joe?” “Who needs a name? You’re just a shiny new asshole to open.” “Cruelty now,” Brent grunted. “Must have hit a nerve, huh?” To hell with preparing him. Joe was going to fuck the little shit into unconsciousness just to shut him up. He yanked out roughly, smeared his slick fingers up and down his cock and then notched the head against that barely opened hole.

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“If you can’t even find the guts to call me by my name, you sure as hell can’t work up the guts to look me in the eye when you fuck me, can you, Joe? What is it you’re so scared of?” Pulling back with a frustrated growl, Joe picked him up enough to shove him up the bed and then rolled him to his back. He grabbed Brent’s ankles and bent his legs out and back, then knelt at the altar of his virgin ass. “You asked for this, Brent,” he said, glaring into his face. “Remember that.” He reached down briefly to position his cock again and then held both Brent’s ankles and leaned on him, forcing the head into his ass without mercy. “Christ,” Brent squeezed out between his gritted teeth, his eyes closed tight as he twisted big handfuls of the bedspread. “Push.” His eyes opened, liquid brown and luminous. “I love you, Joe.” “Well, I don’t love you.” “Why not? Tell me why you don’t you love.” Joe forced his cock in an inch, drawing another curse from Brent. “Because,” he grunted. “Love. Sucks.” Another painfully tight inch. “It sucks when you love, ’cause then you go and do something stupid, like get married and have a kid.” Another inch, and then another. Brent’s hard-on had withered between their bellies, and a couple of tears leaked from the corners of his eyes but they remained stubbornly open in spite of the pain Joe was inflicting. “It sucks when your kid is driving home from school and runs a stop sign on a country road.” He shoved his cock all the way in and Brent arched, shouting, “Ow, fuck!” Joe let go of one of his ankles and grabbed his chin with cruel fingers, forcing him to look at him. “And it sucks when you hear that sickening screech of metal on metal and you know your kid is due home any minute. It sucks, Brent,” he snarled, “when you’re the first one on the scene and you find your kid’s car mangled almost beyond recognition under the wheels of a goddamn semi.” He realized he was practically shouting, but he couldn’t help it and he couldn’t stop. Ten years of bottled-up fury was erupting without his permission. Tears spurted from his own eyes as he leaned harder into Brent’s ass, his mouth just inches from the beautiful sculpted lips that were pulled back in a grimace of agony. “It sucks when you have to call 911 before you can pull his lifeless, broken body out of that mess, and it fucking well sucks when your fifteenyear-old son, the son you love more than your own worthless fucking life, can’t hear you tell him you love him because he’s already dead!” The breath he sucked in was more of a sob. “He’s dead in your arms in the fucking weeds on the side of the fucking road for more than ten minutes before the ambulance gets there, and all you can do is beg him to not to go, to come back!”

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He pulled back halfway and rammed in again. Ignoring Brent’s choked cry, he closed the gap between them and bit that plump lower lip hard, barely aware of the hot rain flowing down his cheeks. “And like that doesn’t all…suck bad enough,” he panted, grinding his cock as deep into Brent as he could get, “it sucks when the woman who’s been your wife for sixteen years, the woman who swore to love you to the grave and beyond, shuts you out and can’t stand the sight of you and divorces you, and you never see her again after the judge signs that fucking paper that says your marriage no longer fucking exists!” He took another painful, shuddering breath. “It sucks, Brent. Do you get it now? Love fucking sucks, and I don’t want anything to do with it ever again!” In response, Brent grabbed his head with both hands and pulled him back down. Staring into his eyes, he croaked, “Then fuck me, Joe. Just fuck me.”

Joe stared back, his thick, dark lashes glistening with tears. “God dammit, why are you making me do this?” Brent couldn’t think of a single thing to say except the truth. “Because I love you.” Joe squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. Then he looked down at Brent again. “Dammit,” he whispered. He leaned down with a groan and kissed Brent in a clash of lips and teeth that made him taste blood for the second time that night. Brent’s heart cracked in his chest, breaking with love and grief and anger for all that Joe had lost. Joe. Jesus, he loved the man almost more than he could stand, and yes, it sucked because maybe Joe would lever let himself love back. It sucked to put his body and his mind and his heart on the line and know that none of them would probably ever be whole again. But this kiss…Joe’s kiss… It was nothing like he’d dreamed it would be, and yet everything he’d ever dared to hope for. There was more than fucking in this kiss. More than the ruthless, polished seduction he’d seen Joe use on males and females alike. There was desperation and hope and longing, and dammit, there was love. He couldn’t be wrong about a kiss like this. The kiss gentled abruptly, and Joe’s tongue made a tentative foray into his mouth, searching, but he didn’t take, didn’t demand. He invited, lured…begged for a response, and Brent was too much in love not to give it. He sucked Joe’s tongue deeper, needing to know his taste as deeply, as intimately as he knew Ariel’s. Like nothing else, this kiss convinced him the three of them belonged together, and finally he had hope, because how could something this right not turn out the way it was supposed to? Joe started moving again, sliding out of him slowly and easing back in just a little, an apology for his earlier rough treatment that Brent accepted without hesitation, if not considerable discomfort. Shaking his other leg loose from Joe’s grasp, he hooked both ankles behind his heavy thighs and tried to pull him

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deeper again. His own cock had long ago lost interest and the fierce fire ringing his ass told him there’d be no orgasm for him tonight, but that didn’t concern him. He hadn’t attacked Joe because he needed to come, but because he needed Joe. Now that he had him, he didn’t want to miss a thing. It hadn’t escaped his notice that, intentionally or not, Joe had foregone a condom. That said a lot about either Joe’s loss of control or the level of his trust, or maybe both. Mouth to his mouth, chest to his chest, belly to his belly, they fucked—for the first time, maybe for the last. Holding Joe close, Brent stored up every breathless, open-mouthed kiss, every drop of sweat dripping on his face, every tremor shaking the man between his legs, every anxious gasp and grunt, and in the end, even every lick of white-hot pain that Joe’s uncontrolled final thrusts wreaked in his battered ass. He committed to memory the feel of Joe’s huge, hairy body curving into an arc of stone as he came and the painful jerking of his cock as he pumped hot semen deep into him. And he prayed for the strength to keep the man he loved from walking away.

AJ yanked her duffel out of the top of the cupboard and started packing methodically but quickly, trying in vain to block out the sounds of passion echoing in the camper. She’d known this day would come, had fantasized about it countless times, but the reality of Joe fucking Brent was so far removed from her erotic fantasies it was almost comical. Hard to believe she’d ever been that naïve. She stuffed in her few dirty clothes from the collapsible hamper, then her coveralls, tennis shoes, underwear and socks, and finally her pajamas, jeans and shirts on top. It didn’t take long to pack so little, and as she sat on the edge of the bunk and pulled on a pair of clean socks, AJ thought with regret of the pair of socks and bra on the floor in Brent’s room. She really didn’t want to shell out the money to replace them, but she couldn’t go back in there. There was no way she could face them again knowing that they’d finally managed to connect with each other, and that their need for a buffer—their need for her—was gone. They’d probably keep her on, she knew, even after they’d worked through all their problems. They weren’t cruel—they liked her well enough and were even genuinely attracted to her, and God knew, they could use a good hand right now with Seth, and maybe Tim, out for the rest of the season. But they didn’t love her the way they loved each other, and she couldn’t bear to be the spare, the one they could live without. Brent had summed it up nicely—Stay out of it, AJ. They were fine with her hanging around on the fringes but she would never be an integral part of their relationship. Well screw them. She was better than that. It had taken her some time to see it, but she was worthy of love and respect and devotion, and she damn well wouldn’t settle for anything less again.

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After she pulled on her boots, she unplugged her laptop and packed it into its case. Stepping into the bathroom, she swept her brush and all her toiletries into her overnight bag, then crammed it into the duffel and cinched it tight. She thought about leaving a note saying she’d let them know where to mail her final check and then decided against it. She didn’t deserve a final check, leaving them without notice when they were already shorthanded. Shrugging into her coat, she heaved the duffel over one shoulder and her laptop over the other, then pulled her cap on and tugged the bill down low over her eyes. After taking one last look around to make sure she hadn’t missed anything, she turned off the lights. The sounds of Brent and Joe’s passion still drifted from the bedroom as she opened the door and stepped into the night.

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Chapter Eighteen

Joe woke suddenly and rolled off Brent with a muffled curse. “Shit, why’d you let me fall asleep like that? I must have been crushing you.” Brent shrugged, his expression watchful. “I didn’t mind,” he said neutrally. Avoiding his eyes self-consciously, Joe rose without a word and left the room. A moment later, he came back in with a handful of damp paper towels. “Spread ’em,” he said, sitting down and lifting one of Brent’s limp legs. “I can take care of myself,” Brent said, resisting, trying to sit up. “I know you can, but I want to have a look and make sure nothing’s torn,” Joe said grudgingly. “I was too rough on you.” “I asked for it.” “You asked to be fucked, not raped.” When Brent opened his mouth, Joe added, “And don’t say you can’t rape the willing, ’cause when it comes to fucking a virgin asshole, yes, you sure as hell can.” Brent leaned back with a sigh and pulled a knee up and back. “Dammit, I knew it—there’s some blood on the sheet.” Joe pressed the cool, damp towel against his abused hole and then pulled back to show it to Brent. “It’s just a couple of smudges. I’ll live.” Joe used the other damp towels to clean him up without a word, careful not to scrape his sore tissue, then he tossed them into the trash can beside the bed. Resting his elbows on his knees, he shook his head. “I didn’t use a condom, you didn’t come, and I left you bleeding. I’m batting a thousand tonight.” “So you’ll do better next time.” Joe looked at him. “There won’t be a next time. This doesn’t change anything.” “The hell it doesn’t.” “We fucked, Brent. That’s it. Don’t try to make it into something more.” He scowled as he stood up. “Maybe it’s time for me to move on.” “You’re so screwed, dude. You think it’s going to be easier to walk away than to stay? That boat sailed last week when we fucked AJ together. The three of us belong together, and somewhere inside that messed-up head, you know it.” Brent folded his hands behind his head. “But go ahead, walk away. You’ll find out love sucks just as bad when you give it up as when it’s taken away—sucks worse, maybe, because you know you could have done something about it.”

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Joe opened his mouth but Brent waved a hand. “Go on, walk. AJ and I will be here when you finally realize you can’t live without us.” Fear grabbed Joe by the throat. Jesus, what if he was right? “Dammit,” he ground out, “if you really cared about me, you wouldn’t ask me to take that kind of risk again. It nearly killed me…it did kill me to lose my family that way. I can’t go through that again.” Brent leaned up on one elbow. “We’re all going to die sooner or later. You know that. God knows, I’d feel like dying myself if anything happened to you or AJ,” he said, “but I can’t let fear of losing you keep me from enjoying what time I have with you. If I found out tomorrow that one of you only had a few months to live, I’d want to spend every minute with you. And then, after I had time to grieve, I’d want to celebrate what we had together. “Have you ever celebrated your son’s life, Joe?” he asked urgently. “You never told me that you had a son. Hell, I still don’t even know his name. I don’t know if he wanted to be a farmer or a fireman, if he played sports, if he looked like you… You need to let go of the horror of his death and hang on to what made him a great kid. With you as a dad, I know he had to be.” Joe held up a trembling hand. “Stop. I need time, I need—” “To let us love you.” “I’m the one who got my son killed, Brent!” he roared. “I don’t deserve anyone’s fucking love!” Brent’s head tipped to one side. “I thought you said he ran a stop sign.” Joe took a shaky breath and nodded. “He did, because I taught him to. I ran that fucking stop sign all the time. Unless the corn was too tall to see over, I just slowed down and looked both ways and then blew right through the intersection. He got into the same habit, and it killed him. I knew it, my wife knew it—the accident was my fault. Mine.” He swallowed hard. If Travis had survived, he would be almost the same age as Ryan Stivers. Watching that confident young man lounge in his seat and eat his mother’s home cooking and laugh with his family, so happy and whole and vibrantly alive… Jesus, he missed his son. The rawness of his yearning was unbearable. “But obviously he didn’t learn everything from you, did he?” Brent cut in quietly. “If he had, he’d have looked both ways before he went on through. You can’t take responsibility for his bad decisions.” “The courts hold parents accountable for their kids’ actions all the time,” Joe said thickly. “He had a school permit, right? Did he read the driver’s manual?” “Of course he did, but—” “But nothing, Joe. He knew he was supposed to stop. He took a foolish chance and it cost him his life. And you’ve been paying for it ever since, haven’t you? That’s why you’re always all over the younger guys about following procedure.” “So are you,” Joe pointed out.

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“I’m their boss—it’s my job,” Brent said. Joe shuddered, shaking his head in denial. “Joe, did your dad run stop signs?” “No,” he said flatly. “He was the county sheriff.” “You did, though.” “I know what you’re getting at, Brent, and yeah, I did it all the time. He chewed my ass up one side and down the other for it, too. Took away my truck for a summer. But I still should have been a better example for Travis. I never wanted to be just like my old man. Travis did.” And that had bugged the hell out of Caroline. In his more objective moments, he could admit that she probably wouldn’t have been so quick to leave him if a mountain of resentments hadn’t already piled up between them over the years. The rugged stoicism she’d been so attracted to, and even teased him about in the beginning, had gradually become a source of tension between them. She’d thought marriage to a decent woman would civilize him somehow, make him more sensitive and solicitous. He’d figured she knew he was a farmer when she married him and couldn’t figure out why she suddenly expected him to be someone different. When Travis showed signs of being every inch his father’s son, her resentment deepened, but Joe had just kept his head down and his nose to the grindstone, confident that given enough time and effort, they’d understand each other better and learn to appreciate their differences. Travis’ death had been the end of that dream. An eternity wasn’t long enough for his wife to forgive him—or for him to forgive himself. “You know as well as I do that it probably wouldn’t have mattered one damn bit if you’d stopped at every single stop sign you ever met.” Brent argued. “Young men all think they’re bulletproof. Look at Seth. We didn’t just preach those safety rules at him, we lived them for him every single goddamn day and he still thought he was immune to getting pulled into the machinery.” “I know.” Joe sighed. “God, I wanted to kill the little bastard myself for putting his brother through that.” “Tim will probably never be the same,” Brent agreed. “But I tell you what—Seth will never make that mistake again. From here on out, he’ll show those rotors the respect they deserve, and he’ll probably ride every guy he works with to do the same. Maybe he’ll even save a few lives—I doubt any of our guys will ever go near a rotor without powering down again.” After a long pause, Joe confessed, “It’s hard not to hate Dietz for getting a second chance. What the hell did he ever do to deserve it?” “He tried to protect AJ,” Brent pointed out softly, “so that’s one big point in his favor. It still doesn’t seem fair, though, does it?” “No, it doesn’t.” His throat tightened again. “When I was sixteen, I was driving too fast on the gravel and put my truck upside down in the ditch. I wasn’t wearing a seat belt but I walked away with nothing

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more than a concussion. How come a miserable bastard like me gets a second chance, and a stubborn little shit like Dietz gets a second chance, but my son…” When his throat got too thick to go on, Brent shook his head. “Only the good Lord knows, Joe, and He’s not sayin’. But none of us are ever guaranteed a second chance. That’s why we’ve got to grab hold of this love while we can.” Joe closed his eyes against the tears and the shaking in his chest. Christ, he was so damn tempted to just give in and take whatever Brent and AJ offered for however long it lasted. It wasn’t lost on him that if he’d ever been able to talk to his wife this way, she might never have left him. Already he could feel the guilt easing, the burden lightening simply through the sharing of it. But it felt dishonorable to accept their love and comfort when he had so little to offer in return. Could he be what they needed any more than he’d been what Caroline needed? What if he failed them the way he’d failed his family? He couldn’t bear to see the kind of recrimination on their faces he’d seen on Caroline’s, and he couldn’t bear to lose them once he’d let them in. His heart just couldn’t take it again. “Just give—” He cleared his throat. “Just give me a little time, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow.” He walked out without looking at Brent and trudged heavily through the camper. But the minute he stepped into the bunkroom and flipped on the light, he knew something was wrong. AJ wasn’t there and her bed was made. He opened her top drawer and cursed. It was empty. She’d left them. Feeling sick, he strode back to the master bedroom. Brent hadn’t moved from the bed, and he frowned when he saw Joe’s face. “What’s wrong?” “AJ’s gone.” Brent sat straight up. “Gone? What do you mean, gone?” “All her stuff’s gone—clothes, computer, everything.” Joe shot him a pointed look. “I don’t suppose you told her you loved her?” Brent’s mind went blank for a minute. “Shit! You don’t think she…” Then he closed his eyes and counted to ten before he hopped off the bed. “God dammit, I’m going to tan her little ass for running off like this.” “You’ll have to get in line behind me.”

When the elevator door opened, AJ hitched her stuff higher on her tired shoulders and made her way toward the nurse’s station. Since she’d arrived in Sioux Falls at the ungodly hour of 2:30 a.m. and had nowhere to go until Seth’s surgery at 6:30, she’d just pulled into a rest area and dozed in the pickup.

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Now her eyes were gritty from crying and lack of sleep, and she had a crick in her neck from curling up sideways on the bench seat, but she wanted to get Tim’s keys to him so that she could get out of here and get on with her life. Where she was going, she wasn’t sure. She might be able to hire on with another custom farm company, though she wouldn’t list Brent as a reference after running out like that. Or she could try to find work as a hired hand, but in her experience, farmers and ranchers were even less interested in hiring a woman than custom outfits were. Mandy’s offer came to mind but she dismissed it immediately. As much as she adored both Mandy and Hake, being with them would tear her apart, especially when Brent and Joe came back around. This needed to be a clean break, for all their sakes. She’d find something, make her way somehow. She always had. And she wouldn’t touch a penny of her savings to do it. One of these days, she was going to have her own farm again, her own home, with horses and dogs and cats, and maybe even a man who’d love her just for herself. When she asked about Seth, the nurse pointed her down the hall toward the surgery waiting area, which was surprisingly full given the hour. She didn’t even have to look for Tim—he saw her first and stood up. “AJ, what are you doing here?” he asked. She held out the keys and he pocketed them with a puzzled look. “Thanks. I thought Keith and Eric were bringing it up.” “Plans changed.” She set her stuff down next to an empty chair and turned to give him a hug. “How are you?” “Okay, I guess. Scared. Can you stay for a while? Have you eaten anything?” She looked at the clock on the wall, and then wondered why. Where did she have to be? Nowhere so important she couldn’t sit with a friend while his only brother was in surgery. “Yeah, I can stay for a while.” His look of relief broke her heart. “And I could use a cup of coffee or something. I just need to find the ladies’ first.” He pointed at the far wall where men’s and women’s doors were side by side. “You can leave your stuff here if you want. I’ll watch it.” AJ took off her coat and left all her belongings on the chair beside him while she went in and took care of business. Washing her hands, she noticed how pale and crappy she looked, so she took the time to splash cold water on her face. The shock of it put some life back into her eyes, and she sighed as she dried off with a paper towel. Too bad it couldn’t do the same for her heart. When she emerged, Tim was sitting there holding her coat, but the chair beside him was empty. “Uh, Tim…where’s my stuff?” He looked at her from under his brows for a second before nodding toward the hallway. She turned and froze, her heart pounding.

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Brent and Joe stood there in their coats and caps, holding her duffel and laptop. Neither of them looked happy. Though Joe appeared to have escaped relatively unscathed, last night’s brawl had taken a toll on Brent’s face. He had a black eye, his lower lips was swollen and there was a big abrasion on the right side of his chin. “Go on,” Tim said. “You look tired as hell.” “But I was going to stay with you,” she protested. “I’ll be fine. I only asked you to stay because Brent called in the middle of the night and told me if I saw you, to keep you here.” She made a face at him. “Way to make me feel wanted.” Tim looked at Brent and Joe and then gave her a shit-eating grin. “Oh, I don’t think there’s any doubt you’re wanted, AJ. Now go on. Let them take care of you.” She took her coat and leaned down to give him a hug, then made her way with some trepidation toward the two scowling men waiting for her at the door. Brent took her elbow in a steely grip and pulled her down the hall. “It’s not nice to leave him here by himself,” she told them in an annoyed tone. “He knows we’re in town and he’ll call when there’s any news,” Brent said severely. “You know, we almost called the police on you.” “The police! Why?” “Well, what were we supposed to think? You took off with Seth and Tim’s pickup in the middle of the night. For all we knew, you were stealing it.” She stopped short. “Stealing it! That’s bullshit. You know I’d never steal.” “I didn’t think so, but then I didn’t think you’d be coward enough to run off in the middle of the night and leave me short-handed, either.” She flushed. “Well, I’m sorry, but I just…had to get out of there. It was an emergency.” He gave her a look that said she was full of shit and then started towing her down the hall again. In the elevator, he tapped her coat and she put it on without a word. Ten minutes later, they pulled up in front of a suite hotel. They’d put her in the back seat with her stuff and hadn’t said a word on the way over. When the three of them walked through the lobby, the clerk gave them a look of speculation that made her blush. Once inside the darkened third-floor suite, AJ slipped off her coat and waited ’til they’d hung theirs in the small closet beside the bathroom before she did the same. She took her time, wondering what the hell she was going to say to them. Actually, wondering why the hell they’d bothered coming after her in the first place. Usually when employees left without notice, employers just sucked it up and hired someone new instead of chasing after them.

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Brent slid his hands over her shoulders and turned her, half-marching her over to the sofa. After he urged her to the seat, he switched on the lamp and crouched in front of her, laying his hands on her knees. Even with the heater running in the next room, the silence was deafening. “Now what was this big emergency?” he finally asked. Meeting his penetrating gaze had never been harder, and once she did, she found herself unable to speak. “Cat got your tongue, little girl?” Joe sank down on the cushion beside her and rested his arm along the back of the sofa. “Come on, tell us what kind of emergency made you run off in the night.” God, how could she admit the truth to them? It sounded so pathetic and sad. After a moment, she simply said, “You didn’t need me anymore.” “You don’t think we need you when Seth just lost a leg and Tim is looking after him?” Joe demanded. She bit her lip and let her head hang down as tears suddenly spilled from her eyes. When she tried to cover her face with her hands, Brent trapped them between his on her lap. “Ariel, how could you possibly think we don’t need you?” he asked softly. “I mean you two don’t need me as a buffer between you.” She wiped her face on her shoulder. “You worked out what was keeping you apart, and now you’re together.” “We’re together?” Joe repeated incredulously. “You’re in love with each other, and you always have been,” AJ said flatly. “Don’t try to deny it, Joe, because it just won’t wash. You belong together. Period. I’m sorry about running out on you, I really am, but I just can’t handle being the third wheel.” Brent watched her intently. “On a tricycle, the third wheel is just as important as the other two, Ariel.” “Yeah, well, we’re not talking about trikes, are we?” she shot back. Tugging her hands free, she kneed him aside and stood up. Once she had some distance between them, she took a deep breath and faced them with her fingers jammed into the back pockets of her jeans. “You know, my whole life, I felt like I was never enough for anyone. I was never son enough for my father, or daughter enough for my mother, or woman enough for my husband. “But I’m done with being the consolation prize.” She shrugged. “I want more, and for once, I think I’m worth more.” “Ariel, you belong with us,” Brent said flatly. “I don’t want to be the extra!” she practically shouted. Brent jumped to his feet and got in her face. “So the fact that I’m crazy in love with you means nothing, huh?” She blinked at him. “You are?” “Hell yes! Ariel Jane, how could you be so observant about my feelings for Joe and yet so blind to my feelings for you?” He heaved a big sigh and scratched his head. “I’m sorry, but you two are driving me

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crazy trying to pawn me off on each other. Joe thinks he can leave me because I’ve got you, and you think you can leave me because I’ve got Joe. Don’t either of you love me enough to stay?” AJ’s eyes filled again and her lips trembled. “Of course I do,” she whispered. “But—” “Thank God.” He pulled her against him, kissing her damp eyelashes and then her lips. “Don’t ever scare me like that again. You took ten years off my life last night.” “But it’s not that simple,” she insisted, trying to pull back. Brent’s grip on her tightened. “Why not?” “Well, because…” She swallowed. “You and Joe loved each other long before you ever met me.” “We were attracted to each other,” he corrected. “But did you see us doing anything about it?” Before she could answer, he continued. “No. And if it was up to me, we never would have because I knew if I took him on his terms, I’d lose him. I couldn’t risk that.” She nodded in understanding. “Having a part of him was better than nothing.” “Exactly. But loving you was easy, Ariel Jane. Maybe too damn easy.” He lowered his head and pressed a kiss to her lips. “Loving you took away a lot of my fear and made me realize what I might be missing out on by keeping the only man I’d ever love at arm’s length. Without you, I was afraid to take the risk. With you, I was afraid not to.” “Oh Brent,” she whispered as the tears spilled over again. He couldn’t have paid her a higher compliment if he’d tried. She wrapped her arms tight around his neck. “I do love you. I love you both.” “Well, I thought you did, and since you seem to read my mind most of the time, I figured you knew how I felt. Sorry, sweetheart—guess I shouldn’t have taken that for granted.” He pulled back and looked at her, his brown eyes earnest. “It may have crossed my mind to use you as a buffer, Ariel, but that plan went out the window our very first night together. We did need you—not as a buffer but as a bridge. I would never have had the courage to go after Joe if I hadn’t had you to catch me if I fell. You’re the strongest of all of us, honey. You’re the big wheel on this tricycle, and Joe and I are just the two little ones who go where you go.” AJ smiled wryly through her tears. “You know, you had me right up until the big wheel bit.” “A little over the top?” He grinned. “You’re the one who loves analogies.” “Okay, fine—the trike analogy gets a pass, but which of us is the big wheel is still up for debate.” She bit her lip. “Do you really think three of us can make it work?” “Of course we can. Hell, we’ve already proved we can work together and live together, haven’t we? Why couldn’t we make it work?” Then he dropped one more quick kiss on her lips and turned to face Joe. “What about you, Josiah? Are you going to let go of all that guilt and grief, quit trying to save the world one stupid young farmer at a time and just let us love you? Are you staying on this tricycle with us?”

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Chapter Nineteen

Joe looked back and forth between Brent and AJ, wanting desperately to say yes. Holy hell, there was nothing he’d like more than to spend the rest of his life with the two of them. “I’m still afraid,” he said starkly. “You think I’m not?” Brent demanded. “Well, let me tell you, hell yes, I’m afraid. My parents fell in love, and they got married and had me, happily ever after and all that crap—and then my mom fell out of love and divorced my dad. He gave her his heart forever, and she had no use for it. Forty years later, he’s still waiting for her to come back.” AJ frowned up at him. “How sad.” “I always thought it was damn pathetic, and I swore I’d never be like him.” He raised a brow. “How do I know one or both of you won’t wake up in a year or two thinking the grass might be greener someplace else?” When neither of them offered an answer, he went on. “I don’t, do I? There are no guarantees for any of us. But you know what, Joe? I’ve never met two people more worth taking that chance on than you and Ariel.” Joe swallowed. “I just don’t know if I can do it.” “Yes you can!” AJ sat down next to him and hugged his chest. “We’ll help you.” He hugged her in return, burying his nose in her hair. The warm, sweet length of her soaked into his skin, into his very soul, and the sweetness felt way too close to pain as every barrier inside him was demolished by emotion. And it hurt. Jesus, how it hurt. Like the circulation returning to a limb after it had been asleep for hours, love was pumping through his heart again in thick, prickling surges, and he wanted to steel himself, to shut it back down and run away before the pain got too intense to bear. Making himself look Brent in the eye, he said in a gravelly voice, “Christ, I can’t even begin to tell you what you mean to me. You’re everything. I love both of you more than you’ll ever know.” He squeezed AJ and kissed her hair. “But every time I close my eyes, I see Travis crushed by that truck, and Seth lying there all torn up by the header, and I think, ‘That could have been Brent. It could have been AJ.’ And it scares me so damn bad, I feel like I could start screaming and never stop. I wish to hell I was strong and unbreakable, but I’m not. I nearly lost my mind when Travis died. I know if I lost one of you, I’d go around the bend and never make it back.”

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“I don’t want to lose either of you,” Brent said, dropping to his knees in front of them. “Ever. But if I do, if I ever have to suffer through that kind of pain, it’ll be worth it. I don’t care if I’m like my dad—hell, I’m lucky to be like him if I’ve found not just one but two people who are so worth loving that I’ll risk any amount of pain.” “Oh, Joe,” AJ sighed, sliding a hand up to cup his jaw as she kissed the side of his neck. “I love you, both of you, and I’m scared, too. Hell, you guys have quite a few years on me—you’ll probably both kick the bucket and leave me all alone someday. But will I be any less alone if I run away from you now?” Joe swallowed against her palm. “You don’t know what it’s like…” “You think I don’t?” She pinned him with a stare. “At least you got to know your son, Josiah. Mine was stillborn.” Joe flinched. “Aw, Christ, AJ.” Her blue eyes clouded. “I named him Micah Ray because I knew then that I’d never have another chance to name a son after my father. I was twenty-five and I’d already had three miscarriages because of a birth defect in my uterus. Rob and I tried not to get our hopes up too high at first, but when I made it to six months, we relaxed and started making plans.” She bit her lips and then shook her head. “Neither of us could take any more disappointment so I had my tubes tied, and afterward, Rob and I just couldn’t seem to connect anymore. We were divorced a few months later, and he remarried and had three kids the last I heard. I moved back home and started working with Dad again, and you know the rest.” “I’m sorry,” Brent said, kissing the back of her hand. “Well, as much as I’d like to place all the blame for that at his door, I think it was probably just as much my fault as Rob’s. I was just too eaten up with guilt to know how to act with him.” Frowning, Joe asked, “Guilt about what?” “About everything. Being a defective wife—” “You’re not defective,” Joe growled, hugging her fiercely. “Thank you,” she said with a half-smile when he loosened his grip. “But I felt that way, and really, I was defective in a physical sense. When Rob lost interest in me sexually, it only reinforced my already well-developed sense of inadequacy. And I felt so much guilt about losing my babies I could hardly look him or anyone in the eye for a long time.” “Jesus, AJ, that wasn’t your fault,” he protested. She raised her brows. “How do you know? Statistically speaking, my chances of delivering healthy babies were excellent, and yet I couldn’t carry even one of them to term. What if it was something I did, or something I didn’t do? What if I ate the wrong—” Joe cut her off with a stern look. “Ariel, stop. You can’t do that to yourself. You can’t spend the rest of your life picking it apart and wondering how you…”

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Blindsided by irony, he lost his train of thought and sat there blinking at her, his heart thudding, his tongue thick in his mouth. “How I might have done things differently?” she finished with a penetrating look. He nodded slowly, feeling trapped…and just a little bit foolish. “Is that the voice of experience speaking?” “Possibly,” he admitted reluctantly. Sliding her arm around his waist, she said, “I’m pretty sure all parents who lose a child do that, Joe. It’s like if you can just think about it hard enough and pinpoint exactly where you went wrong, then maybe you can make it so it never happened and everything will turn out the way it was supposed to. But it never does.” He swallowed hard. “You felt that way?” “I did. And sometimes when I’m feeling down about other things in my life, it’ll creep back up on me for a little while. But you know what, Joe?” She looked up at him with shining eyes. “What?” he said gruffly. “In moments like this one, I can’t help but believe that everything is turning out the way it’s supposed to.” Joe stilled, the truth of her words resonating not just in his head but in his heart. This was the way his life was supposed to turn out. Everything he’d done and everything he’d been through had brought him to this moment, to these lovers. He looked at Brent. “Okay, you win. I guess we do belong together.” Brent grinned. “Halleluiah.” Sighing deeply, Joe kissed AJ’s forehead. “How did you get to be so wise, little girl?” Her shoulders lifted in a shrug. “Like we all do, I guess—trial and error.” He drew back and stared at her. Holy shit, maybe she was the freaking Dalai Lama. “You’re starting to make me feel like an emotional midget.” “Don’t worry,” she told him with a wry smile. “I’ve still got plenty of hang-ups. For instance, I might have come to terms with not having kids, but it has kept me from getting…close to anyone.” When they both looked at her blankly, she added, “Men tend to want sons to carry on the family name. Rob did.” “Not this man,” Brent said firmly. “I’m not your ex or your dad, Ariel, and I’ve never particularly wanted sons or daughters. If my brothers decide there should be more Andersens, they can damn well get married and manufacture some themselves.” “Not this man either,” Joe agreed. “I had my son.” “Speaking of which…” Brent pushed off AJ’s knees and stood up, obviously a little stiff from kneeling for so long. “Don’t you think it’s time you told us about Travis?”

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Joe glanced at the big empty king bed through the French doors. “He was a great kid so it’ll take awhile. Why don’t we get comfortable first?” Once they’d kicked off their boots, taken off their belts and emptied their pockets on the dresser, they all stretched out on the bed together, with Joe in the middle. Joe lay on his back, his arms folded behind his head, looking at the two people he loved most in the world and wondering what in the hell they saw in him. But it didn’t really matter. They wanted him and that was all he needed to know. “My son’s name was Travis Josiah Remke,” he began, “and the only thing he ever wanted to be was a farmer…”

They were lying there talking when the phone rang more than an hour later. It was Tim calling to let them know that Seth had come through surgery just fine and his prognosis was excellent. AJ nearly wept with relief, and not just for Seth’s sake. Joe already looked younger somehow, and lighter—certainly happier than she had ever seen him—and Brent literally glowed with contentment. Selfishly, she wanted that to continue, for the three of them to embark on this new phase of their lives wrapped in a mantle of joy, not huddled together under a cloud of grief. “Thank God,” Joe said. After a long pause, he added, “But I’m still going to kick his ass when he gets back on his…foot.” Brent tried unsuccessfully to smother a laugh. “That’ll give him some incentive to find a good prosthesis and learn to run.” Joe grinned. “You got that right.” “So where do we go from here?” Brent asked, rolling to his side and laying his hand on Joe’s stomach. “Not that I’m in any hurry to climb off this nice big bed. I could really get used to this kind of space.” “Back to work tomorrow,” AJ said firmly. “But after that. You said you wanted to buy your own place and settle down someday. Do you still want to do that?” When she looked uncertain, he said, “Being on the road all these years has been great, but I’m getting to the point where it’s more of a pain than it’s worth. Frankly, I’m pretty damn tired of banging my elbows in the shower and taking a dump with my knees around my ears.” “Amen to that,” Joe said with a grimace. “I’ve got a nice place down near Goodland,” Brent went on, “and plenty of land to farm if we want to. We could all live there together, maybe build a stable and put some horses in it.” AJ smiled. “That sounds wonderful.” She just about swallowed her tongue when he said tentatively, “Should we discuss marriage?”

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“All of us?” she asked, sitting up. He grinned. “This is Kansas we’re talking about, honey. You could only marry one of us.” She blew a raspberry. “No thanks then.” “Don’t be too hasty,” he cautioned. “Maybe you should marry Joe.” “Why me?” Joe asked. “Because you’re older and bigger.” His grin widened. “All that muscle is bound to turn to fat sooner or later and you’ll probably go to your reward years before I do. I can marry her after you’re gone.” “Thanks a lot.” Joe rubbed his whiskers, frowning. “You know, I hate to say it, but there’s a certain twisted logic to that.” She stared back and forth between them and then started laughing. “What’s so funny?” “You guys are,” she declared. “I mean, why would two such progressive men limit themselves to a relationship as traditional and restrictive as marriage?” The men in question looked at each other. “Are we supposed to be flattered or insulted?” Brent asked. Joe shrugged. “Beats me.” “Neither,” AJ insisted. “I appreciate the thought, guys, I really do, but offering to marry me is nothing but a knee-jerk reaction to your desire for commitment. It’s old-school.” Brent sat up. “Hey, if old-school means wanting to protect you from small minds with big mouths, then—” “Screw them, Brent. It’s not like we’re doing anything illegal, and none of us are given to public displays of affection. Let ’em speculate all they want to—it won’t change what we have.” Then she smiled mischievously. “Besides, I think I’m ready to be the town wild woman. I’ve already wasted too many years trying to live up to other people’s expectations.” “Fine,” he said, though he still looked troubled. “I just thought that you should be able to inherit from at least one of us as a spouse. Call me old-school, but I think it’s our job to protect you.” Joe nodded. “Me too, little girl.” AJ frowned. “Well, hopefully nobody will be inheriting anything for a few decades at least, and I say again, I don’t need your protection. But if you’re that concerned about it, why don’t we just go into business together?” “Hmm. That’s not a bad idea,” Brent said. “Think about it,” she said eagerly. “If we form a farming partnership and all invest the same amount of money, we’re all equally bound and vested in the outcome.” He hesitated. “But partnerships can be dissolved, Ariel.” “And marriages can’t?” she asked with a pointed look.

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“I guess that’s true. But Hake and Mandy might be less inclined to break up a marriage than a partnership.” At her puzzled look, he added with a stern frown, “Yeah, I heard Mandy trying to steal you away from us.” AJ gasped, blushing. “She was not!” Joe’s brows hit his hairline and he finally sat up, too. “You’re kidding me,” he said, scooting back to lean against the headboard. “That devious little home wrecker. Remind me to spank her ass the next time we’re there.” “Well, nobody’s stealing anybody,” she assured him, “so you can both just relax.” “Glad to hear it,” Brent said. After thinking for a minute, he continued. “Okay, we’ll form a partnership on one condition—we all put in whatever we have and call it equal. Doesn’t matter whether the amounts are the same or not—we’re all equally vested, with equal rights of survivorship. In the very unlikely event someone wants to walk away, we all walk away with a third.” “That’s not much of a compromise,” AJ complained with narrowed eyes. “You’ll probably both put in a lot more than I can.” “You’ll probably wind up doing most of the cooking.” She gave him a rueful smile. “Well, when you put it that way…” “And you’ll definitely be taking care of the livestock,” Joe interjected. “I’m too old for that shit.” “Agreed.” Brent held up an index finger. “One last stipulation. If you decide you want kids, we get married first.” AJ paused and then said, “Having kids might mess with my plan to be the town wild woman. And I thought you didn’t want any.” “I don’t necessarily,” he told her evenly, “but I don’t want to deprive you of the opportunity just because I’m old and set in my ways. If you want kids, we can look into adoption or something.” Relieved, she smiled at him. “Oh. Well, thank you, but I think I’m too set in my ways now to give up twenty years of my life to raise children. I like my freedom. Besides, as you pointed out, this is Kansas we’re talking about. I don’t think two daddies would go over very well with the school system.” Brent slid a sly look at Joe. “We could call Joe Grandpa.” “That’s a little too kinky even for me,” Joe said lazily. “Me too.” AJ shuddered at the thought. “And if all that’s not enough, keep in mind that kids would really put a damper on our trips to Hake and Mandy’s.” Brent’s expression said he didn’t care much for that idea. “Look at what happened with Ryan,” she added. Joe chuckled. “Yeah, that was a little awkward, especially for his mama.” “Exactly, and I wouldn’t care to find myself in the same position.”

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“So Ariel, does that mean you’re up for a rematch with Hake and Mandy?” Brent clarified. “Why wouldn’t I be?” “Things did get a little tense this time,” Joe said, rubbing his chin. “Only because things were coming to a head between you and Brent and we all knew it. Now that we’ve established who belongs to whom…” “We have?” he asked. “Definitely.” AJ laid a hand on his thigh. “You belong to us.” Brent leaned over until his mouth hovered over Joe’s. “But we’ll share you.”

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Chapter Twenty

As Joe stared into Brent’s warm brown eyes, his eyelids grew heavy and his heart started to pound thickly. “Is that so?” “It is,” Brent breathed. “Kiss me, Joe.” Needing no further urging, Joe wrapped a hand behind his neck and reeled him in. When their lips touched, his world ground to a halt. They brushed once, twice, and pressed lightly, their eyes locked, their quick breaths mingling, then Brent turned his head and opened his mouth a little. His tongue slipped out to tease lightly between Joe’s lips, drawing his tongue out to play. Joe finally let his eyes close and returned the caress. Brent tasted so good—clean and honest and… Jesus. Sliding his tongue along the inner surface of Brent’s lower lip, he felt the swollen knot where it had split, and remorse for the way he’d treated him last night flattened him like a speeding bus. “Brent,” he gasped as tears slipped from the corners of his eyes. He pulled Brent against him and clutched him tight, pressing his trembling lips against that stubble-rough jaw, clenching his unsteady hand in that soft blond hair. “Please forgive me.” Brent squeezed his ribs. “Joe.” “I can’t believe I did that to you. It was your first time and I hurt you, tore you, made you bleed.” “Joe—” “I wanted you to hurt like I was hurting—” “Enough.” Brent laid a hand over Joe’s mouth and pulled back. “You gave me everything I asked for, and more. I wouldn’t change a single thing even if I could.” Joe swallowed hard. “You’re a sick man, Andersen,” he finally said against Brent’s fingers. “But I love you anyway.” Brent just smiled, and Joe felt his heart rhythm bump and his breathing go a little choppy. His symptoms only worsened when AJ slid her palm over the bulge in his jeans. “Josiah,” she crooned. Her fingers squeezed him and he had to clear his throat. “Ariel?” The squeeze went from affectionate to borderline cruel and his breath lodged in his chest. “Look at me.” Joe slowly turned his head to meet AJ’s stormy eyes.

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“I don’t care how much either of you thinks he asked for it,” she said in a dangerous tone. “If you ever hurt him like that again, I’ll take this to the taxidermist and have it stuffed. Then I’ll use it on you the way you used it on him. Understood?” Brent gave a half-laugh. “Jesus, Ariel.” She moved her laser gaze to Brent, easing Joe’s discomfort enough for him to grate, “Understood.” Her grip loosened immediately and Joe let out a relieved breath. Brent continued to stare at AJ and finally she shrugged. “What? He ruined my fantasy, and it’s not like I can turn him over my knee and spank him the way he did me.” Intrigued, Joe asked, “What was your fantasy?” AJ gave him a long look before she said, “You bending him over the end of the bed.” “Oh, we’ll get to that,” he assured her with a sexy smile. Brent cleared his throat. “Not tonight, we won’t. The ride up here was none too comfortable.” Before remorse could grab Joe by the throat again, Brent kissed him, this time with a lot more tongue. “But I’m all for bending you over the bed,” he added. Joe’s breathing went rough. “That work for you, AJ?” Her rapt smile said it all. “In a big way.” He and Brent looked at each other for a moment, and then Joe sighed and scooted off AJ’s side of the bed. “I hope somebody packed lube,” he said as he stood, “’cause I doubt they stock that at the front desk.” “Got you covered, buddy,” Brent said, standing up, too. They faced each other across the spacious mattress and undressed slowly, giving both AJ and each other the show they all deserved, dropping their garments one by one onto the floor. When they were both naked, they looked at her. “You, too, little girl,” Joe said. “Nope.” She shook her head and wrapped her arms around her knees. “I’ve got a front-row seat and I don’t want anything to distract me.” His eyes narrowed. “Little voyeur.” She shrugged again. “Sue me. I’m watching this time.” Brent stepped over to the low dresser and reached into his overnight bag, pulling out a tube of lube and a box of condoms. “Pretty sure of yourself, eh?” Joe said, feeling a little transparent. “No, just really damn hopeful,” Brent returned immediately. Joe rounded the end of the bed and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Forget the condoms. We won’t be needing them.” “Glad to hear it,” Brent said, grinning as he dropped the box back into his bag. “I like it better bare.” “I haven’t gone bare since the divorce,” Joe admitted. “It’ll take some getting used to again.”

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“Not as much as you think.” Brent set the tube on the end of the bed and then took Joe’s hands in his. Holding them down at their hips, he leaned close enough for Joe to see each individual eyelash. Before he could initiate a kiss, Joe forestalled him by pressing his lips to Brent’s black eye, and then his cheek and the blade of his nose. Brent trembled, and Joe continued to map his face with soft, hungry kisses, until he’d memorized every sharp ridge and hollow. He’d never explored a man this way, and the intimacy of it made his stomach pitch as if he’d just stepped off the edge of a cliff. “I love you, Brent.” Brent closed his eyes and sighed. “I love you, too.” “Don’t ever leave me.” “Just try to get rid of me.” Twisting free of Brent’s grip, Joe skimmed his hands up his arms to his shoulders and down over his magnificently hard, lean torso. He was like the marble statues Joe had seen in museums, only he was warm and vibrant…and a little hairy. He smiled into Brent’s eyes and then leaned forward to trace the shell of his ear with his tongue while his hands continued to drift south. Brent’s shudder made him grin, and he bent his head to nibble at his neck and shoulder. Resting his thumbs over the base of Brent’s stiff cock, he gripped the sac with his fingers and massaged it almost roughly. Brent grabbed the back of Joe’s neck with both hands and groaned as he let his head hang. “Holy hell, that feels good.” “To me, too,” Joe grunted. “I love your body.” “Believe me, it loves you more right now.” Joe glanced to the side and smiled at the sight of AJ still hugging her knees, her wide eyes riveted on his hands. They widened even more when he sank carefully to his knees and nuzzled Brent’s cock. “Hey,” Brent croaked, “this isn’t the plan, is it?” “Just getting you ready.” Joe casually drew the crown into his mouth and flattened his tongue to suck hard. “I’m ready already!” When Joe didn’t relent, Brent seized his head and pushed. “Jesus, if I get any more ready, I’ll be done before I start.” Joe released him with a final stroke of his tongue into the slit. “Me, too.”

Brent’s reality warped and heaved when Joe rose to his feet and planted his hands on the mattress, making him sway a little. It was hard to trust that this was happening. Maybe it was just a dream or some kind of drug-induced hallucination. Whatever it was, he wanted to enjoy it while it lasted.

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Joe looked over his shoulder. “I’ve only bottomed a few times, and not at all since that first time with Hake, so lots of lube and a little stretching might be in order. But only if you want to be kinder to me than I was to you,” he added with a regretful look. Brent’s throat tightened and it was a moment before he could answer. “I’ll be careful.” “I know you will.” Their eyes held for a long moment before Joe turned away, giving Brent a moment to absorb him from a different angle. There was less gray toward the back of his head—his dark hair still sported a crease where his cap had sat, and the hint of curl at his nape meant he’d likely be finding a barber in the next town. His neck was still surprisingly brown, almost leathery after years in the sun, and his pale shoulders were heavily freckled. Long slabs of muscle drew Brent’s eye straight down his spine to his muscular ass. Oh Jesus. His ass. Blinking, taking a deep breath to steady himself, he flipped open the cap and squirted a large blob of gel onto his first two fingers. “It’s cold,” he said. “I like it cold.” Brent didn’t stop to reflect on the enormity of this moment for fear he’d scare himself off. Instead, he immediately pressed both fingertips against Joe’s anus. He wasn’t surprised when Joe pushed out and both fingers sank in with relative ease. Taking his time, he tugged and rubbed, and thrust and withdrew, until Joe was moving with him, moaning as if he were in pain. Inspired by the idea, Brent tested the waters by wrapping his other hand tightly around Joe’s scrotum. Joe stiffened at once, breathing hard, but said nothing, so Brent twisted a little. That earned him a heavy groan and a whispered, “Yes.” He smiled darkly. “So you enjoy a little pain, too.” “A little.” The admission made Brent’s already-twitching cock leap with anticipation. He withdrew his hands and wiped them on the spread, making a mental note to leave an extra tip for the housekeepers. Then he nudged Joe’s feet out a little farther, positioned his cock and grasped Joe’s hips. “I love you, Joe.” “Dammit, this is no time for talking,” Joe grunted. “Just do it.” Brent grinned. “Boy, you can dish out the teasing but you sure can’t take it.” “Shut up and fuck me or your chance to dish it out will be over.” “Your wish is my command.” Brent thrust in steadily the way he’d seen Joe do it to Hake, giving him no quarter despite his promises to be careful. He was being careful—just not as careful as he would have been with someone smaller and less experienced, like AJ. He glanced up at her as he leaned deeper into Joe’s tight heat. She was nibbling her thumbnail, her cheeks pink, her eyes dilated and her chest rising and falling as if she’d just run a sprint.

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“Don’t you masturbate to this fantasy, Ariel?” he asked. “Aw, there ya go,” Joe groaned. “Do it, little girl. Let us watch you, too.” She hesitated for only a moment before peeling off both her shirts and wiggling out of her jeans and panties. Her dark socks were the last to go, and then she leaned back against the pillows and watched them between her spread knees. Her flush deepened when she skimmed her hands over the hard little points of her nipples and down her flat belly to her cunt. He and Joe both groaned when she slid her palms up her thighs to her knees and pulled them back, opening her smooth feminine flesh even more to their view. “Damn, girl,” Joe panted. “I’ll second that.” Excited almost beyond endurance, Brent changed his steady advance to short, hard thrusts that took him all the way into that tight, clenching hole. He gritted his teeth when Joe squeezed the base of his cock and held him in place for a long, tense moment. AJ wet her finger in her mouth in a move every bit as deliberate as Joe’s and drew it between her slick, bare cunt lips before sucking it again. “You’re turning into a very bad girl,” Brent rumbled. Her smile teased them both. “What’re you gonna do about it?” In the space of a heartbeat, Joe had seized one of her ankles and yanked her down the bed. “That answer your question?” he asked as he pulled both her calves over his shoulders. She sank her fingers into his hair and arched into his mouth. “Oh, but my fantasy…” “Now you’ve got a close-up view,” he murmured against her cunt. AJ’s whimper made Brent grin. Boy, they had her number now. Tantalized by the long, slender toes waving in the air over Joe’s back, he leaned down and caught two in his mouth. She gasped and tried to pull away, but he grabbed her foot, massaging her arch with his thumb as he sucked and licked every wiggling toe and every sensitive crevice in between. Her squeals turned to breathy moans. “Oh my God, I can’t believe how good that feels.” “Glad I could oblige, sweetheart.” Bracing his feet, he pulled his hips back in a slow, constant drag that had Joe groaning, too. Triumph pulsed in his veins—how many men ever experienced the pleasure of teasing two lovers at once? “Faster,” Joe whispered. “No.” Brent switched hands to capture AJ’s other foot as he drove back into him at the same torturous pace, and their mingled cries of delight and denial whipped up a tidal wave of excitement inside him. But a couple of minutes of that was all he could take. Shifting gears again, he grasped Joe’s hips with both hands and got down to the business of fucking him in earnest, his eyes locked on AJ’s face. She watched him avidly in return, and he jolted into Joe over and over, thrilled by the constant harsh groans scraping out of him and the curious feeling of being laid bare by AJ’s gaze. Then he slid his hand down and grasped Joe’s straining cock.

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“Oh Christ, Brent! Yes—do it!” Pumping Joe’s flesh roughly, he pounded the hell out of him, and seconds later Joe lunged forward with a choked cry. The hot spill of come on Brent’s fingers wiped every thought from his mind. Wrapping both arms around Joe, he crushed him close and came inside him with a shout. Long seconds later, he sighed against Joe’s hot, damp shoulder. Although his trembling legs were barely able to support his weight, he was unwilling to let go just yet. Even now, it seemed almost surreal to be here like this. With both of them. His lovers…his life. He turned his head and there was Ariel, still watching him with wondering eyes. “That was…unbelievable,” she said tremulously, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “Thank you.” Joe stirred beneath him. “And she didn’t even come.” Sighing, Brent wiped his hand on the spread again and peeled himself off Joe’s back so they could both straighten. “Falling down on the job already, old man?” he asked, planting a hard kiss on his mouth. Joe grinned. “I got distracted.” “Understandable.” By tacit agreement, they focused on AJ, pulling her hips to the edge of the bed. Though she put up some token resistance, he could tell she enjoyed every minute of the battle. They made sure she enjoyed two mouths between her legs even more.

When Brent woke in the early morning, both his lovers were still in bed with him. Although he was still tired from lack of sleep, he grinned. He’d just have to get used to Buzz Saw Joe or die trying because he wasn’t letting the man go back to sleeping alone ever again. “What are you smiling about?” AJ whispered. He glanced over his shoulder at Joe and grinned again. “Cute, isn’t he?” she asked. “That he is.” He pulled her close to his chest and sighed with contentment as he drifted off again. Ariel was right— everything had turned out the way it was supposed to.

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About the Author

A bookworm from the age of ten, Robin lived vicariously through romance heroines for nearly 20 years, dreaming all the while of one day writing her own romance novels, not to mention her own happilyever-after. She finally found her real-life hero on a farm in rural Nebraska, and they’ve been married for almost 15 years. When she finally got a handle on the home-and-family gig, she succumbed to the writing bug and cranked out her first novel on a used laptop from eBay. Now a multi-published author of erotic romance, she’s currently working on the rough drafts of four sequels at once and hates all of them. Fortunately, she’s got revision down to a fine art. Robin loves to hear from readers and can be found at: www.robinlrotham.com.

Makin’ a list, and rocking it…twice.

The Naughty List © 2011 Jodi Redford Perpetual good girl Lacey McGuire has two Christmas wish lists. One suitable for public consumption…and a private one that’s too hot to handle. Right at the top: wild, wicked fantasies about her best buddies and business partners Ryan Hollister and Bram Colton. Besides the fact they’re both poster boys for Hunks ’R’ Us, they’ve been there for her through thick, thin and the heartbreak of a cheating fiancé. So what if her boys will never know they star in her sexiest daydreams? In her fantasy world, her heart will never get trampled again. Ry and Bram are pretty sure Lacey never meant to email a list of some of her raunchiest wants. Particularly the one that tightens their shorts—she wants a threesome. With them. Although they’ve loved her for years, they made a pact to keep Lacey off limits in order to protect their friendship. Now all bets are off. And the quest to give her all she wants—and more—is on. Warning: This book contains a wickedly hot M/F/M ménage that will heat up the holidays. Friends steaming things up in a hot tub. Bondage and blindfolds. Sexy shenanigans at a Christmas tree lot. And maybe even a glimpse of Santa…in a Speedo.

Enjoy the following excerpt for The Naughty List: Bending, Bram slid his mouth over hers. The contrast of his warm lips and breath against her colder flesh was startling. His heat managed to kindle her body in more ways than one. By the time he broke the kiss, her inner temperature had skyrocketed by at least one hundred degrees. They pulled apart and she peeked sideways. Ry was staring at them, his eyes dark and intense. There was no mistaking the obvious bulge tenting the fly of his jeans. Wow, did watching her and Bram kissing turn him on? The notion was both odd and arousing. Ry had such a strong possessive streak. She could only guess that he tended to be just as territorial when it came to his women. Mulling back over that last thought, she realized where her misassumption lay. She wasn’t Ry’s woman. Why would he care who kissed her? Furthermore, of course he’d be aroused witnessing the kiss between her and Bram. For Pete’s sake, the two men intended to do a hell of a lot more than that with her together. The reminder brought her jittery nerves back to the forefront. If she were to be completely honest with herself, what terrified her most was the possibility of being a huge disappointment to Ry and Bram. Smothering her sigh, she knelt and unzipped her boots before tugging them off. She couldn’t help being

grateful for the radiant heating Bram had installed with his parquet floors. Her toes curling in appreciation of the cozy warmth, she straightened and hugged her chest. “How about a glass of wine?” Bram offered, heading toward the kitchen. “I just opened a bottle.” A fifth of tequila was more in order, but she kept the thought to herself. She didn’t want them to assume she needed to get snockered in order to go through with this. Even though she probably did. Ry’s palm rubbed her tensed back, and she looked up at him. With his free arm, he gestured toward Bram, indicating that they should follow him. Good idea. Standing all night in the entry clearly wouldn’t get them anywhere fast. Feeling like a doofus, she allowed Ry to lead her into the kitchen. While Bram grabbed a pair of crystal stemware from the rack and a cold beer from the fridge for Ry, she scooted onto one of the leather-capped barstools fronting the center island. She’d sat on this very seat numerous times, but she’d never once experienced the level of stomach-churning anxiety that she did now. Where was the sexy Lacey from her fantasies? Figures the damn wench would abandon her in her time of need. Bram settled her wineglass in front of her, and she picked it up to take a fortifying sip. A warm, mellow glow spread through her as the Shiraz settled in her belly. The aroma of garlic and red chilies carried from a pan sizzling on the stove. She licked her lips. “Is that Kevin’s Penne Arrabiata?” “Yep. I’m just reheating it a bit. It’ll be ready in a sec.” Both Bram and Ry knew the dish was her absolute favorite. It was just one of the countless insider scoops they had on her. Knowing they’d deliberately chosen her most beloved comfort food settled her nerves and her stomach. These two men practically knew her better than she knew herself. They’d been there for her through some of the toughest times in her life. If there was anyone she trusted to embark on a sexual discovery with, it was them. This would work. She’d make damn sure of it. Gulping another sip of wine, she silently armored her determination. Her fingers no longer displaying the trembling she’d suffered moments ago, she pushed the glass closer to the middle of the island and turned toward Ry. He smiled at her in the adorable way that always made his eyes crinkle at the corners. Leaning forward, she crushed her mouth over his, earning his harsh intake of breath. His surprise didn’t last long though. Groaning, he tangled a hand in her hair, slanting her head as his tongue delved past her lips. He kissed her like he was giving a demonstration of how he intended to make love to her—hot, deep and consuming. His other hand moved to her breast and caressed it through her clothing. A frustrated growl rumbled from him, and he reached for the hem of her sweater and tugged it upward. He broke their kiss and guided her arms over her head. She realized what he intended to do. Rather than protest, she allowed him to remove her sweater and toss it on the stool behind him.

His gaze raked her torso, lingering on the plumped cleavage peeking above the silk cups of her pink demi bra. Without saying a word, he unhooked the front closure. The weight of her breasts pushed the bra open slightly. Running his fingers beneath the straps, Ry eased them down her shoulders, forcing the garment to separate from her flesh in agonizingly slow increments. His Adam’s apple bobbed, a sure sign that his lazy, tormenting movements affected him just as much as her. The edges of the silk caught on her nipples, the teasing rasp springing a moan past her lips. Finally the fabric released her from its taunting hold, completely baring her to Ry’s heated gaze. “Christ, you’re fucking beautiful.” A soft scuff sounded to the left, and she turned her head to see Bram standing beside her. She’d been so ensnared in Ry’s focus she hadn’t heard Bram approach until then. Like Ry, he was staring at her with a dark, ravenous hunger. “He’s right, Lace. Your breasts are gorgeous. Absolutely perfect.” She’d always worried they were too big, especially in the sense that they’d sag and not exactly be perky the older she got. But judging from Bram’s and Ry’s enamored expressions, saggy boobs were the last concern on their minds. As if to verify her assumption, Ry cupped her breast, her flesh overflowing his palm. His thumb flicked over her puckered nipple, and she gasped, a pleasurable shiver coursing along her spine. His pupils dilated, making his eyes look dark and sexy as sin. Massaging her breast, he leaned down and traced her areola with the tip of his tongue before kissing the pebbled nub. Her breath hitched and her head fell back, her eyes sliding shut. They flew open a second later when Bram’s mouth closed around her other nipple. They were both licking and sucking her breasts. Oh God. She’d fantasized about this very thing thousands of times yet nothing could compare to the mind-blowing reality of it. The pleasure was so intense, she worried she might pass out from it. Her fingers sifted through Ry’s and Bram’s hair, holding them close. Although they were equally devoted to worshipping her breasts, their style and technique came with differences. Intriguing, exciting differences that only fueled her arousal to a fever pitch. Bram’s focus was strictly concentrated on her nipple, alternating between teasing flicks of his tongue and long, luscious suckling. Ry, on the other hand, occasionally licked and teased her entire breast, even using his teeth and the scruff of his days-old beard to amp up his sensual onslaught. Just as she thought she’d go crazy from the pleasurable overload they were inflicting on her, a shrill buzzing filled the air. She jolted at the unexpected noise. Bram released her and groaned. “Sorry. I forgot I set the timer.” His expression apologetic, he abandoned her to go take care of things on the stove. Ry’s mouth reluctantly left her breast and slid along the slope of her neck before brushing over her lips. “Do you have any idea how delicious you are?” “Even better than Kevin’s Penne Arrabiata?” she couldn’t help asking with a grin.

“A million times tastier.” He snagged her bottom lip between his teeth and gave it a good nibble before letting her go and glancing down at her bared breasts with unabashed appreciation. “Look at you. Damn, you should be topless all the time.” She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that’d go over great at work.” Leaning past him, she attempted to grab her sweater, but Ry used his foot to kick the stool out of her reach. She frowned. “I need that.” “Why?” She shoved her arms over her chest. “I am not going to eat with my boobs hanging out like this, Ryan Hollister.” A chuckle came from Bram. “Ooh, she called you by your full name. You’re in trouble now, bud.” Ry didn’t look the least bit worried. “I’m only trying to save her from slopping on her sweater. You’d think she’d appreciate my ingenuity.” “Puh-lease. We all know who’s the messier eater here.” She offered Ry a pointed stare. “Can I help it if I enjoy savoring my meals?” His smile was slow and sexy, leaving her with little doubt that he was imagining her as his next main course.

Tough…or tender? If she plays her cards right, she won’t have to choose.

Unbridled © 2009 Delilah Devlin Lone Star Lovers, Book 1 Dani Standifer arrives home at her West Texas family ranch a day early, ready to pick up where she left off with Rowe Ayers, her high school sweetheart. However, when she opens the door to their lineshack trysting place, it’s clear she waited a day too long. Rowe’s with someone else—another man. And not just any other man—Justin Cruz, the bad boy with whom she shared one wild encounter, years ago. Justin’s waited a long time for this moment. He knows his reputation, but since he seduced Rowe, he’s been a one-man cowboy—waiting for Dani to return and become the delicious fulfillment of his and Rowe’s needs. If she’s up to the challenge. To her own surprise, Dani finds she’s more than ready to have both men in her life—as soon as she and Rowe teach Justin a lesson or two about love. Their small town may not be ready for their kind of relationship. And Dani’s brother Cutter’s miledeep grudge against Justin throws in a complication that could break the foundation the three of them have built… Warning: Hold on for the rodeo of your life with rough ridin’ male-on-male action, blazing hot m/m/f scenes, and melt-your-panties lovin’ as each of these sexy cowboys gives it the way they know best to turn their woman inside out.

Enjoy the following excerpt for Unbridled: “Jesus Christ.” Rowe bent to grab his blue jeans from the floor, then held them in front of his gleaming cock. “A little late now,” Justin said. “I think she’s already jumped to the correct conclusion.” Rowe’s fist clenched around his jeans, then he dropped them to the floor and straightened his shoulders. A look of resignation entered his face; a silent plea for understanding glittered in his pale eyes as he returned her stare. “I didn't know you were gay,” Dani blurted out, ignoring Justin’s smirk. Rowe’s crimson face tightened. “I'm…it's complicated.” “You’re naked, obviously aroused. What could be more simple?” she asked, trying to gather anger around her, but mostly feeling confused. How could she not have known? “She's got it almost right,” Justin murmured. “Shut up,” Rowe bit out.

“Yeah, what'd I miss?” Dani snarled at Justin, hating him at this moment for rubbing her nose in her own naiveté. “The fact I knew you were comin’,” he said, his voice dropping to a sexy purr. “This is your homecomin’ present, baby.” “Justin, you bastard!” Rowe said heatedly. The larger, more rugged man shrugged. “She needed to know. She has choices to make here.” “I would have broken the news more gently.” “Doesn't look like she needs you to sugarcoat it.” Justin’s gaze pinned her. “She's not exactly looking ready to bolt or puke. Fact is, the thought of it, of watching us, turns her on.” “Does not,” Dani denied hotly, heat filling her face. “Your nipples always poke holes in your shirt?” “You're a jerk.” And yet, she barely resisted the urge to cross her arms over her breasts. She tilted her chin in defiance while heat crept deeper into her cheeks. She met his narrowed gaze, while images flashed through her mind. Since she knew what both men looked like naked, she couldn’t help the raw, nasty pictures that flashed one after the other. And yes, they aroused her. “Prove me wrong,” Justin murmured. “Leave now.” Dani shot Rowe a hot glare. “You gonna let him talk to me like that?” Rowe’s jaw flexed, but he didn’t offer any response. “He doesn't let me do anything,” Justin said slowly. “He obeys me. In all things—here, at least. Rowan, your cock's flagging.” Justin’s gaze dropped, drawing all their glances to Rowe’s sex, which pulsed and lifted again. Rowe groaned. “Get it ready for me,” Justin growled. Rowe’s eyes closed briefly, then a look Dani had never seen slid across Rowe’s face—something vulnerable and needy. “Justin, not now.” “Not now, what?” Justin said, his voice dead even. “Please,” Rowan whispered, his strong jaw flexing. “Uh-unh.” Justin shook his head. “You've carried around this picture of your innocent little sweetheart for years. But I don't think you really know her at all.” “And you think you do?” Dani bit out, hoping like hell the bastard wasn’t getting ready to drop the other shoe that she’d succumbed to his bad boy charm herself. Rowe didn’t deserve finding out that the two people he’d taken as lovers had a history of their own.

“The things you asked him to do, Dani,” Justin said, his tone dropping to a raspy rumble. “The sexy little spankings, the special bonds you left underneath the bed… It's not in him to do that to you, but he did because he cares.” Dani’s jaw dropped and her embarrassment caused her to tremble. “Rowe, you told him about that?” Again, a muscle flexed along Rowe’s square jaw. “I wasn’t gossiping. It just slipped out. He found your things and asked. He’s a friend.” “Friend?” Justin straightened away from the doorframe. “I’m a little more than that, aren’t I? You don’t keep any secrets from me.” But Rowe had kept one big goddamn secret from her. Dani’s shoulders slumped. “Don’t take it so hard, Dani,” Justin said, all traces of mockery gone now. “He loves you…almost as much as he loves me. But every time he was with you, every time he spanked that pretty little ass of yours, he was denying his own nature. Rowe’s submissive. Just like you. He’s just finally figured out he’s not finicky about which gender offers him the kind of sex he craves.” “How the hell did you figure that out?” she bit out. “I’ve known him all my life.” “Because I watched him…with you. When you dared him into spanking you, he didn’t get off on the act. He only got hard when you told him what it did to you, what it made you feel.” Her mouth suddenly went dry. The thought of Justin’s dark, hungry glance raking her body as he watched her with Rowe caused another distressing wash of arousal to dampen her panties. She licked her lips. “You watched us?” “Sometimes,” he said softly. “You weren’t as careful as you thought. Had to run interference a time or two with your big brother.” “Cutter knows?” she asked, her voice rising. “About Rowe and me?” “He suspects. But he never got close enough to the cabin to ever know for sure. You have me to thank. And if I happened to catch a glimpse or two of your…sessions…well, I think I earned the right.” “Pervert!” “Who’s the pervert? Me for watching, or you for wanting his hands to leave your ass pink?” He lifted his chin toward Rowe. “Or him for needing the same damn thing from another man?” “I don’t believe you. Not about Rowe. This…” she said, gazing at the mattress in the middle of the floor, “…is just him experimenting a little. But I’m back now.” Her gaze locked with Rowe’s, pleading with him. “It doesn’t mean anything. Not to us.” Rowe’s glance fell away from hers, and her stomach dropped. What he had with Justin was important. Special enough that he hadn’t bothered dressing because Justin didn’t want him to. “Dani, I never wanted to hurt you.” Rowe’s tone was low, aching. Like the lump filling the back of her throat.

“Tell yourself whatever lies you need to stay in happy land, Dani. But we’re about to get busy.” Justin opened his belt and stripped back one side then locked gazes with her. “Now's your chance. You can run out the door. You don't have to see anything that might traumatize you.” Why was Justin being so cruel? He’d won. He didn’t have to rub her nose in this mess. “I'm not a scared little virgin,” she said, her voice shaking. “But you're also not faithful to your boyfriend here either, are you?” Dani stared at Justin’s hard face through shimmering tears. “Justin…don’t.” “He can't fulfill you,” he said softly. “Not those dirty needs that keep you restless even after he’s fucked you.” “Shut up,” she said, tears filling her eyes. Justin pulled apart the snaps of his shirt, letting it fall open to expose the dark fur of his broad, muscular chest. Then he unsnapped the top button of his pants. “Last warning…” She stood rooted, unable to move as he scraped his zipper down. “Rowe, take out my dick,” he said, never looking away from her. “Now.” “Fuck.” Rowe’s tone was agonized, but his cock bobbed eagerly between his legs. “Dani, get out.” But she couldn’t. Part of her died a little in that moment. But another part, one only Justin had ever touched, caught fire. “Rowe, don’t disappoint me,” Justin said, his gaze never leaving Dani’s. Rowe’s naked feet dragged across the floor. His expression was taut, his cheeks a brighter red than they’d been moments ago. Justin firmed his jaw. “Can't turn back now. She knows. Let her see what it's like. If she hates you afterward, she isn't worth cryin’ over.” Dani narrowed her eyes, knowing he expected her to bolt. She braced apart her feet and lifted her chin higher, even while she questioned whether she really could do this—watch the only two men she’d ever known intimately have sex. Rowe didn’t glance her way, but his chest rose sharply. Then he slipped his hand inside Justin’s pants and slowly drew out his cock. His fingers clasped the shaft gingerly, but his thumb rubbed slowly over the smooth cap. Justin’s cock thickened. “Push down my pants,” Justin said, his voice tighter than it had been before. Both of Rowe’s hands slid over Justin’s narrow hips and shoved down the faded jeans. Dani hated to admit it, even to herself, but watching Rowe do such an intimate thing to another man, knowing how the scrape of his rough palms felt on her own bottom, caused her sex to melt. “Get on your knees and take me in your mouth,” Justin rasped. Rowe groaned, and Dani understood the feeling. Shame and arousal roiled together. Her own body was hot, moisture seeping into the crotch of the lacy undies she'd worn just for Rowe.

Rowe knelt, his hand shaking as he gripped Justin’s cock and brought it to his mouth. Justin cupped the back of Rowe’s head with one hand, his fingers threading through Rowe’s honey brown hair with surprising tenderness. For long moments, he stared as the other man’s lips closed around the tip of his cock and sucked. Rowe’s cheeks hollowed, his eyes closed tightly, but his hesitation ended there. Surrendering, he groaned and opened wide his jaws, gliding along the thick, veined shaft. “That’s it,” Justin said softly. “Take me deeper,” he said, stroking his hips forward, his cock disappearing into Rowe’s eager mouth. Then his gaze rose. For a moment, something almost haunted entered his expression. That wicked brow rose again. “He does it because he knows the rewards. But so do you, don’t you, sweetheart?” Dani didn’t answer. She couldn’t have pushed a word through her tightening throat if a rattler had slithered over her boot. Watching both men, engaged in such a carnal act, caused unexpected emotions to rise inside her. Sadness, because she’d never guessed Rowe wasn’t fully satisfied with her. Jealousy, because Rowe never made those hungry sounds when he went down on her. And shame, because she wished she were brave enough to approach them and sink to her knees beside Rowe. How she wished Justin would command her to, take the choice away from her. The hard edge of his voice when he’d cut through Rowe’s objections had caused her own body to react with an instant, juicy response. Justin braced his legs apart, and his face darkened as Rowe’s strokes, forward and back along his shaft, picked up the pace. The slippery suctioning sounds and choked excitement gurgling in Rowe’s throat caused Dani’s whole body to vibrate. Forgotten for the moment by both men, she wet her lips with her tongue as she imagined how Justin might taste. Moisture flooded her channel as her inner muscles clenched hard. When Justin flung back his long, black-brown hair, her breath hitched. Starkly masculine elation softened his expression for just a second before his head lowered and his hard gaze met hers, issuing a wordless challenge. Only Dani wasn’t ready to accept. She lost her nerve, turned and fled through the door of the cabin, stumbling down the steps in her haste, before catching herself on the rail and bolting toward her horse. Booted heels bit into the wood porch, but she didn’t look back. With the sun sliding below the horizon, she nudged her heels into her mare’s sides, kicking up dust behind her and leaving both men in her wake.