Crystal's Cowboys

Crystal’s Cowboys Crystal finds herself lying in the blazing hot Nevada desert, with no memory of how she got there and two seductive cowboys riding to her rescue. Ranch hands Trey and Rafael are hot as hell and want her desperately—how can she choose between them? Her answer? Seduce 'em both together in the old abandoned bunkhouse where they keep her as their sexy little secret. Riding double sends Crystal soaring to sexual heights—especially the thought of her two cowboys taming each other as well. But secrets of their own and her forgotten danger could cost her both of her western heroes. Will her wild ride end in a hard fall? Genre: Contemporary, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Western/Cowboys Length: 75,763 words

CRYSTAL’S COWBOYS

J. Rose Allister

MENAGE AMOUR

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Ménage Amour

CRYSTAL’S COWBOYS Copyright © 2011 by J. Rose Allister E-book ISBN: 1-61034-171-6 First E-book Publication: March 2011 Cover design by Jinger Heaston All cover art and logo copyright © 2011 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of Crystal’s Cowboys by J. Rose Allister from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book. The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment. This is J. Rose Allister’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Allister’s right to earn a living from her work. Amanda Hilton, Publisher www.SirenPublishing.com www.BookStrand.com

DEDICATION A special thank you to Mike Dean, for his vast knowledge and willingness to help a gal out with information on firearms. Also to Dr. B. and the anonymous P.T. whose hilarious conversation inspired the Vegas massage scene. This book is for those who have ever imagined cowboys riding to their rescue, with that self-assured gait and their Stetsons at just the right tilt.

CRYSTAL’S COWBOYS J. ROSE ALLISTER Copyright © 2011

Chapter One Darkness surrounded Crystal like a welcome blanket until grating and buzzing sounds pushed their way into her blissful lack of consciousness. As soon as the corner of her fog tried to lift, she felt the devastating prickle of ten thousand red-hot needles over her skin. A searing shaft of light tried to shove itself under her right eyelid, winking on and off as something shadowy crossed in front of the eyes she couldn’t muster up the will to pry open. The shadows came again, this time momentarily distracting her from the sensation of blistering pain throughout her body. An image flashed in her muddled brain of vultures making the buzzing noises and intermittent passing shadows. Yes, maybe vultures were circling above her, awaiting the inevitable. Her brow furrowed over closed eye lids. Vultures? Now there was a random and disturbing thought. She must have been having one hell of a dream to come up with that one. When she forced an eye open, she realized that the dream apparently wasn’t over yet. The grating sound reconciled into shuffling, and the buzzing into approaching voices. Through a gritty, bleary eye she watched a pair of well-worn boots hustle in her direction. The shadow offering blessed relief was the elongated silhouette of a tall male figure with the late afternoon sun at his back.

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A croak-like groan escaped her throat, which seemed to have been rubbed with sandpaper from the inside out. Swallowing did less than no good as her dust-dry mouth was devoid of saliva. The very attempt set off a coughing fit that tore up her already raw throat. “Jesus H.,” said the shadowy man. He crouched beside her. “Drop reins on that horse already, Raff, and get over here.” Another cough shook Crystal’s ribs, and her eyes squeezed shut. His voice sounded deep and comforting, even over the hacking sound she made. There was a slight drawl in his tone that sounded damn sexy, too. “I don’t trust Hellfire not to run off,” came another drawl from farther away. “Fuck that,” said the closer voice. “Let him go and come help me. Bring some water.” Crystal heard a muttered curse, followed by another scuffling approach. “Hope you don’t plan on ridin’ all three of us out on Whiskey if Hellfire up and bolts.” “Maybe I’ll just leave you lyin’ on the desert floor in her place if you don’t quit your bitchin’.” Crystal felt her bangs being brushed off her forehead, and the closer man’s gruff tenor gave way to tender concern. “Hey. Anyone home in there?” Her eyes fluttered open to the heart-stopping sight of the most intense sapphire blue gaze she’d ever seen. She tried to answer, but another coughing fit took over. The other pair of boots came into view, followed by amazing soft brown eyes and an even more welcome sight—a canteen. She tried to turn over from her belly-down, cheek-to-ground posture, but her body refused to cooperate. Luckily, a pair of hands was there in a flash to bear her up and roll her gently onto her back. He pulled her partway up, sliding a strong forearm behind her shoulders to support her current dead weight. The motion brought

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waves of dizziness, but she didn’t care when the canteen was pressed to her cracked, painful lips. Maybe she was dead, because the two men hovering in front of her face were certainly gorgeous enough to qualify as angels. Then again, angels didn’t usually wear Stetsons and talk with a cowboy twang, did they? Maybe she was in Southern heaven. She tried to snort in laughter, but it came out as a sniffle. “Here, ma’am,” the brown-eyed cowboy god said while tipping up the mouth of the canteen. “Go slow, now,” the other added. “Just a few drops.” A few drops? Screw that. The water wasn’t cold, but it was pure, wet ambrosia. She managed to swallow a small mouthful and felt it slide all the way down her throat, a miracle brew that reanimated her desiccated insides. Crystal purred in relief. When the canteen moved away, she lifted a shaky hand and pulled it back to her lips, the jerking movement sloshing water onto her chest. She drank greedily until small streams of water trickled down both corners of her mouth. “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” said the blue-eyed hunk. “Not so much.” She ignored him, but the other man succeeded in getting the round canister away from her. She groaned in frustration. “More,” she said in little more than a whisper. When the rush of fluid hit her stomach a moment later, however, her gut rolled on itself, and her protest turned into a nauseated moan. As suddenly as the water had entered her system, it left it again— when she leaned away from her saviors and retched onto the dirt beside her. “Can’t drink so much so fast when you’re this dehydrated,” the blue-eyed cowboy said while she heaved and shook, then shook and heaved. His hands held her hair back while she leaned over, and for that she felt grateful. “Sorry,” she said, breathless. “You’re apologizin’ for being sick?” Brown Eyes said in a tone that still held concern, but held a touch of amusement.

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“We need to get her to a hospital,” said the other man. That word touched off something that shut down the reverse valve on her stomach. She whipped her head around toward them. “No! No hospitals.” She watched them flick glances at each other. Their expressions were similar, but the two men wearing them were quite different. The brown-eyed man had skin like tanned velvet with just a hint of mustache shadow over his upper lip, not quite enough to count as stubble. His lashes were impossibly long under the doeskin-colored Western hat he wore. His shirt was a white button down, rolled to the elbow to expose more smooth skin, though sinewy and masculine beneath. The other man wore a pale gray Stetson that still wasn’t as light as his aquamarine eyes. He had the sharply angled features of an underwear model and a nicely fitted denim shirt marked with dark rings of sweat. Though her heart pounded in inexplicable panic, an image of him posing for a magazine ad in nothing but his cowboy hat and a pair of tighty whities brought a smile. My God, but these two men were fine—even if they were just part of her bizarre hallucination. The blond man arched a brow at her, and she wiped off the stupid grin. “With all due respect, ma’am, you look like you could do with medical attention, and soon.” “Yeah,” the other said. “God knows how long you’ve been lyin’ out here in the desert. You’ll likely need IV fluids and such.” She shook her head, sorry when this triggered a new dizzy spell that tugged on the nausea barely quelled from having emptied her stomach. “I’ll be okay,” she said, wondering whether that was really true. “I can’t go to any hospital.” “Why not?” She blinked. “I just can’t.” Blue Eyes pulled his hat off for a moment, ran a hand through sweat-dampened blond waves, and tugged the Stetson back into place.

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“If you say so.” His eyes narrowed beneath the brim of his hat. “What are you doin’ out here, anyway? What happened?” She glanced around at their surroundings, and a dull thud began to pulse in the hollow of her throat. Near her two cowboy saviors stood a pair of horses. Beyond that lay nothing but chapped, cracked dirt, harsh sun, and the occasional tumbleweed. Nothing looked familiar. She closed her eyes and tried to think back. “Ma’am?” said the darker man. She shook her head. “I don’t know.” “You don’t know what you’re doin’ here?” he said. “No. I don’t remember.” There was a pause. “Do you remember anythin’ at all?” the man in the gray hat said. “What’s your name?” “Crystal,” she said. She halted on the last name, and not because she didn’t know it. “I’m Trey Brenner,” he said. Then he jerked a thumb toward his brown-eyed companion. “This here’s Rafael Monroe. Are you sure you don’t remember gettin’ here? Did your car break down or somethin’?” She frowned. She owned a junker Hyundai. Where had she left it? Whenever she tried to recall the past few days, a black hole opened in the middle of her thoughts. “I have no idea,” she said. “Where am I?” “You’re about half past the middle of nowhere,” Rafael said. “Gee, that was helpful,” Trey said. To her he added, “You’re on the Nevada side of the California-Nevada border, near Sandy Valley. Do you live near here?” She shook her head. “I’ve never even heard of Sandy Valley. Where is that exactly?” “Several miles north of Interstate 15, headin’ up toward Vegas.” “Las Vegas?” she said. He nodded.

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“What the hell am I doing out here?” The men exchanged glances again. Rafael said, “Could be you’re a tourist, on vacation.” “I doubt that.” He rubbed his jaw. “Was anyone with you? Family? A husband, maybe?” “She isn’t married,” Trey said. Crystal shot him a curious glance. “How on earth would you know that?” “Yeah,” Rafael said. “How do you know?” Trey nodded toward her hand. “She’s got no weddin’ ring.” “Maybe she was robbed, genius,” Rafael said. “And they stole the tan line, too?” Trey shot back. “We should get her out of this sun,” Rafael said. “We can argue your investigative methods later.” Trey’s blue eyes slid over to her. “You really should go to a hospital.” She shook her head again. “No, please. I’ll be fine.” “How’s about we try the water again?” He reached for the canteen again, pulling it back when it was halfway to her lips. “Let me control the flow. Don’t gulp it down. Just let it wet your mouth. We have to try and get a bit more inside you than what comes back out this time, or you won’t have any choice in the matter of medical care.” She nodded and let him touch the neck of the canteen to her lips. This time just a tiny trickle poured into her mouth before he snatched it away. Crystal let the moisture roll around her parched tongue for a brief moment before swallowing. Trey nodded and repeated this slow procedure several more times while Rafael shaded her by standing with his back to the scorching sun. “Thank you,” she managed a few minutes later. “Let’s get her up on a horse and out of this desert,” Rafael said. “She can ride with me.”

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“I’ll take her,” Trey corrected, and her bleary gaze shifted between the two men. There was a couple of moments’ tension, but Rafael nodded. “Let me grab the horses.” Between Crystal’s limbs refusing to cooperate and her general lack of cowgirl know-how, getting her “up on a horse” wasn’t quite as matter-of-fact as Rafael had made it sound. Without any warning Trey scooped her straight up into his arms, eliciting a squeal of surprise. Her natural instinct was to throw her hands around his neck to keep from being dropped, but her arms lacked the strength to do more than hang straight down. Her head fell back and made her squint against the blazing sun again. Trey shifted her weight until her inner arm was cradled over her stomach and her head was nestled against his chest. His shirt felt hot against her cheek, but soft as silk compared to the hard dirt she’d been napping on a few minutes before. He smelled salty-sweet. Was he April-fresh from fabric softener? No, the sweet scent was too manly for that. Unless they’d come out with Manly Brand fabric softener for the bachelor who didn’t want to smell like posies. Crystal gave a hiccup-laugh. Man, was she messed up. She closed her eyes, quite content to be nuzzled against a complete stranger until moments later, when it became apparent he was trying to enlist her help. “You awake, darlin’? Stay with me, now.” Darling? Man, how she hated it when strange guys tried to act like they were on sweet enough terms to call her pet names. Somehow, however, it didn’t bother her when he said it. The way darlin’ rolled off his tongue sounded almost comfortable, actually. Not to mention erotic, like the word was a command meant to unleash an army of feminine hormones. “I don’t think she’s in good enough shape to set upright on a horse,” Rafael said. “Maybe we’ll have to drape her over Whiskey’s back while you walk him back.”

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“Just help me get her leg over. She’ll be fine once I’m mounted behind her.” She let out a laugh that came out sounding more like a croak. “I hardly think we know one another well enough for any talk of mounting, cowboy.” Her voice sounded thick and slurred, like she’d had one too many. Or ten. Suddenly she felt herself flying, like she’d sprouted wings to sail up and away from the absurdity of this situation. Hands pulled and tugged her back down, however, and moments later she felt Trey like a solid wall of muscle behind her. Why wouldn’t her neck support her head or her eyes stay open? “It’s okay,” he said, shifting in his seat. No, his saddle, she corrected herself when a brief flash of clarity hit. They were on his horse together. “Just lean your weight back against me. I’ll hold onto you.” Her body obeyed before her mind even considered it. Despite the thick fog luring her back to unconsciousness, she was strangely aware of his body as it molded itself to her. His arms reached around and trapped her against him while he grabbed his reins. All new parts of him were pressed firmly to her backside. There was a dizzying sensation when he turned his horse around, then they took off at a pace she couldn’t quite judge considering her eyes were closed. She must have passed out again, because the next thing she knew, the men were in the midst of a conversation she didn’t remember the start of. “We can’t take her there,” the man behind her was saying. She tried to remember his name. “We’ll get our asses handed to us.” “Don’t be so chicken shit, Trey.” “Oh, like you’d just belly right up to the boss and say, ‘Hey, lookie what we found while we were out screwin’ around on your horses instead of doin’ our jobs’? Bullshit.”

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“So where do you suggest we take her, brainiac? Drop her off at the nearest Laundromat and hoof back to the ranch?” “If she won’t go to a hospital, we should take her to the police,” Trey said, his deep tenor rumbling through the chest her head was resting against. “If she’s a missin’ person, they’d be the likely ones to know about it.” “No!” She bolted herself upright and tried to twist around in the saddle to see him. “No police. Ugh.” The last trailed off as she fell back against his chest, her head spinning and her arms still too weak to lift so she could hold onto it with her hands. “Why is she so afraid to get help?” The other man half whispered over the clip-clop of horse’s hooves. “Why do you think?” Trey said. Crystal waited, hoping he would elaborate on the statement and maybe answer that question for her, too. But he didn’t. “I can’t go to the cops,” she said in a weak stammer. “I don’t understand why, but I just know I shouldn’t. I wouldn’t be safe.” She felt Trey’s chest heave in a sigh. “We’re runnin’ out of options,” came the other voice. Rafael, she thought, patting herself mentally on the back for remembering. The nice one. “We’re only a mile out.” “I know.” There was silence for a stretch, and Crystal found herself lulled toward blackness again by the sound of the hooves and the rocking motion from the animal’s trot. “Fine.” The word behind her snatched her back from the edge of nothing. “This is gonna be nothin’ but trouble, you know. But I don’t see as we have much choice. We’ll have to sneak her onto the ranch.” The faint stirrings of question formed, but were lost when darkness took her again.

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Chapter Two The old, retired bunkhouse was not a good place to stash Crystal, Trey knew. It was damned foolish of them to bring that woman to the ranch, for a few reasons. Try as he might to shut them off, those reasons kept playing in his head as he stood in the boss’s office up at the main house. First and foremost, the woman should either be in a hospital or a police station, figuring out what the blazes had happened to her and getting proper care. Two, there was every chance that she would be discovered here, which would not end well for the cowboys responsible for her accommodations. Third, but not least, Trey did not trust the woman as far as he could toss out a lasso. The boss’s boot heels clicked at a rapid pace as he strode up and offered a quick handshake—something hardly necessary considering their daily acquaintance out on the land, but this was the boss’s habit whenever greeting a man inside his office. “Thank you for seeing me, sir,” Trey said. “Have a seat,” Big John told him, waving a hand at the rawhide chair in front of a Texas-sized desk. Trey complied with a nod and watched John Quincy Latham, rancher and owner of the Laughing L ranch, round the desk to follow suit. The Sandy Valley ranch was so named because his family had laughed its way to the bank despite folks decreeing them crazy for trying to run a herd in a “dust bowl desert,” although that wasn’t quite true in their current location. Though the operation wasn’t large by rancher standards, John Q. pocketed a personal profit that was

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quadruple Clark County’s average income. The office that served as his corporate leash—one he didn’t relish, considering the amount of time the man spent alongside his half dozen ranch hands— demonstrated that success with rich colors, custom furnishings, handworked mahogany wall panels gleaming under recessed lighting, and an imported throw rug that was larger than half the prefab bunkhouse trailer Trey, Raf, and one of the other hands lived in. The man leaned back in his oversized leather chair, which groaned and squeaked with the effort, and folded weathered hands over the silver and turquoise belt buckle he wore on his “office day,” as he called it. “What can I do you for?” Trey shifted in his seat and cleared his throat, which had gone dry from the unscheduled ride in the desert and the words he was trying to force through his lips. Damn. He hadn’t thought this was going to be quite so difficult. Bushy eyebrows rose across from him, making Big John’s sharp gray-eyed stare a bit less squinty than normal. “Well, boy, what is it? I’ve a ton of paperwork.” “Yes, sir. I have some news.” “Gathered that much before Elsie let you in.” Trey shifted in his seat, chiding himself mentally for feeling—and no doubt looking—so guilty. Jesus, Brenner, just spit it out already. “I’m here to give my thirty day notice, sir. I’m leaving the ranch.” The squinty eyes grew narrow again. “Oh? Where you headed?” “Atlanta.” “Got a better offer, did you? Is it with the Flying M? Old Jessup’s had his eye on my operation for years.” “No, sir. The job’s not with another ranch.” Trey paused. “I’m goin’ back to my old job.” “That so?” Big John leaned forward and rested his forearms on the glass-topped desk. “Wouldn’t have figured you for rejoinin’ the suitand-briefcase brigade. You took to the land like you were born to it.”

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Trey sighed and glanced at the massive, polished longhorns mounted on the wall behind Big John. “Afraid I don’t have much of a choice.” “If it’s the money, well, you’ve been here just about two years. I suppose I could float your annual raise a bit early.” “It’s not enough,” Trey blurted out almost before the man finished. To the sharp look in reply he quickly added, “Of course it’s generous for ranch hand pay, especially considerin’ I was as green as they come when I landed on your doorstep.” “True enough. I spent good time and money investment trainin’ you.” “I know, and I can never repay that opportunity. Unfortunately, I’ve acquired some expenses that need attendin’, and a cowboy’s salary won’t cover them.” The rancher frowned. “You ain’t been gettin’ yourself in a fix bettin’ the odds, have you, son? You boys know my policy about takin’ your pay to Vegas and runnin’ up a gamblin’ debt.” He knew, all right. That was one of Big John’s proclaimed “Oneway tickets out of the Laughing L.” Trey shook his head. “My family has some financial needs that I have to see to.” “I see.” Big John sat back again. “Well, I respect a man that steps up and does what he must to take care of his own. No shame in puttin’ on a tie for that. Who knows, maybe you’ll find your way back to my doorstep again. There will always be room for you at the Laughing L.” “Thank you.” Trey put his hands on the chair arms to push him up, but hesitated. “Somethin’ else on your mind?” Big John asked. “I would greatly appreciate it if you wouldn’t mention this to anyone just yet,” Trey said. The other man eyed him. “You haven’t told Rafael you’re leavin’.”

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Trey shook his head. “He might take it kinda hard. You two have been thick as December molasses.” “I know.” “Not sure if he ever told you this, but he had quite the time convincin’ me to hire on a city greenhorn.” A humorous snort escaped Trey despite the stab of guilt that accompanied the man’s words. “He rarely lets me forget it.” “Well, hopefully you won’t forget the rancher life. It’s a good, solid way for a man to live. Good family life.” The dull ache in his gut sharpened. “Yes, sir. Ranchin’ may not have been born into my blood, but I sure got infected by it.” Big John’s grin deepened wrinkles around his eyes and forehead. He stood up, sending his chair rolling backward to bump the large polished wood console behind him. Several trophies were spot lit behind glass in its upper cabinet. “You’re a good hand, Brenner, and a good man. I’m sorry to see you go.” Trey returned the smile as he stood up, but his was only halfhearted. “I’m sorry I have to go.” “Don’t wait too long to tell Rafael,” Big John said. “I’ll have to start lookin’ for a replacement. When word gets out, it’ll be open season. You know how cow hands love to flap jaw.” Trey nodded. “I’ll tell him soon. Thanks.” Trey’s stomach was churning by the time he left the main house and headed for the “housin’ compound,” as Big John liked to call it when he was putting on airs for other ranchers. A bygone of an earlier era, most ranches no longer offered bunkhouse accommodations for its cowpokes. Ranch hands rented apartments or homes near the ranches where they worked, and some of Big John’s motley crew did the same. But the Laughing L wasn’t most ranches, and it carried on many traditions held by the family over three generations. When Trey

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was fresh off the plane from Atlanta, he was grateful not to have to worry about securing a place to stay in order to take the new job. The bunkhouse that three of the Laughing L hands resided in now was not the weathered old clapboard building that had housed cowboys a half century earlier. Near that structure stood a prefab modular unit that resembled a large construction office trailer from the outside. Inside contained a setup for up to six hands—three steel bunk beds, a lavatory with stall shower, a sitting area with worn but serviceable plaid furnishings and thirty-inch television, and a kitchenette that went ignored much of the time, except by Trey. That bunkhouse wasn’t where Trey was headed at the moment, however. Afternoon had edged toward twilight while Trey had been inside the house, bringing some welcome relief from the hot day. Crickets were still silent, but the blazing sun had mostly receded behind the trees. Still, he could feel heat radiating from the dirt beneath his heels. He’d have to call his mother later, let her know the deed was done. He was doing the right thing, but it still twisted his insides. He looked out over the western sky, lit by a swath of reddish-orange sunset, while Big John’s words rang in his mind. He might take it kinda hard. That was putting it mildly. The sooner Trey confessed to Raf, the better, but the man was going to be highly pissed either way. Still, he had more immediate problems than telling Rafael that he was leaving. Once they had smuggled Crystal onto the ranch, Trey had left her with Raf, claiming he would finish their perimeter rounds, return the horses, and make sure no one had spotted them. After a perfunctory check of the outer fencing, he’d asked the stable hand to put up Whiskey and Hellfire. Then he’d raced up to the house to keep his secret appointment with the big boss. His heart pounded louder than his boot heels as he crossed the quarter mile between the main house and old bunk quarters with long, purposed strides. Had Crystal revealed any more of her story while he’d been gone? Was it all just a ruse to hide the fact that she was some sort of criminal? Maybe she’d run off while being arrested, or

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was a prison escapee. That would certainly explain her reluctance to have Trey march her into a police station or hospital ward. The circumstances in which they’d found her left him with a lot of questions and more than a little suspicion. Nevertheless, the moment they’d spotted her, Trey had been compelled to ride to the rescue. He just hoped his weak spot for helpless females wouldn’t come back to bite him this time. There was no sign of activity inside the old abandoned bunkhouse. Good. Trey took a quick look around to make sure no one was watching him, then ducked around the side of the building and pushed open the back door. It gave way with some effort and a loud pop, the splintered wood door having expanded and contracted over time into a poorly fitted contour for its frame. The smell of aged grease and older dirt hit his nostrils even before he stepped through the door. Inside the dim space, the room was utterly silent. “It’s me,” Trey said. “That door needs fixin’.” He heard Raf’s voice before he saw the man come out from an adjacent room. “About scared the shit out of me when you banged it open.” “Well, I guess this bunkhouse isn’t abandoned for nothin’,” Trey said. “Must have been cheaper to get the modular than to fix up this old place.” Raf stood with his button-front shirt hanging open, bare-chested beneath. Trying not to wonder, Trey glanced around the ante room. The space that had once housed extra gear for the men who lived here had become a stash-all for random items, from rusty rakes to motheaten saddle blankets to spurs with rotted straps. “How is she?” Trey asked. “Damn fuckin’ gorgeous.” He rolled his eyes at Trey’s glare. “She’s sleepin’.” “On what? The bunks don’t have any mattresses.” Raf grinned. “I improvised.” He nodded to the wall behind him. “Used the spare pillow and blanket from my bunk, some saddle

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blankets, and an old duster. We can get somethin’ better later to make her more comfortable.” Trey raised a brow. “Plan on her stayin’ long?” “Shit, Trey. I wouldn’t last five minutes on those rusty bunks. Would you?” “Nobody better have seen you sneakin’ your beddin’ out here.” “I’m not a complete dolt, you know.” “No. Not a complete one.” A coin sailed across the room and smacked Trey in the chest. It fell to the floor with a metallic ping and rolled away. “Think you could make a bit more noise? I don’t think the main house heard you that time.” “Relax. Everyone’s up at the stables.” “And Jess will be back down to grab the cell phone he always forgets under his pillow before supper.” Raf grunted. “Yeah, well, Jess isn’t the brightest crayon in the pack.” “But there’s nothin’ wrong with his hearin’, and he’s as nosy as the rest of the cowpokes on this dirt heap. No one is supposed to be in here. That means no thumpin’ around in here tonight, wavin’ a lantern around.” “I know.” Trey’s eyes flicked to the open doorway leading to the sleeping quarters. “Did she say anythin’ else about what happened?” “Nothin’ that made sense. She’s still pretty loopy. Think maybe she was drunk?” Trey shook his head and moved to the doorway. “No. Just the dehydration talkin’.” “Alcohol can make that worse.” “I’d have smelled it on her.” Trey remembered the fruity scent of her hair, intoxicating even over the smell of dust and sweat plastered on her. Her overheated body had sagged helplessly against him on the ride back, sparking his protective instincts and much more. Her soft

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curves had revived potent needs he had pushed aside when he’d moved out here. “True. So the incoherent babble isn’t a good sign.” “I’d wager not.” Trey stopped in the doorway and peered in. Four sets of rusty, skeletal bunk bed frames were lined up along the walls, two on either side. On the bottom of the first lay Crystal, curled up on her side. Her clothes were gone, leaving her in just a lacy bra and skimpy panties. A wet, white cloth lay across her forehead, explaining where Raf’s undershirt had gone. Her lashes were splayed over the tops of high, exquisitely curved cheekbones. The rest of her was just as exquisite, from the rounds of full breasts spilling from her bra to the luscious dip and flare of a narrow waist and demure hips. Rafael was right—she was damned gorgeous. Erotic as hell, and it made his cock tingle to see her lying there almost naked. He swallowed and shifted his gaze back to her face. Lying there asleep, she looked so innocent. Certainly not like an escaped convict or a criminal mastermind. He lightened his footfalls while crossing the room to her side and bent down slightly to watch for the reassuring rise and fall of her ribcage. Her long bangs had fallen carelessly over one cheek, and he started to reach out and smooth them back when he heard Rafael come up beside him. He could see that her sunburn had gotten worse. The red had turned angry and dark, a fact made more evident by the white areas where creamy, velvet skin had been protected by her shirt. Her features were still elegant, like a doll sculpted by a master artist. He could see every fine detail of her—far more than he should be looking at—in the waning daylight spilling from the windows. The windows. He swore and crossed the room. “You left these open?” he said, keeping his voice low. Raf whispered his reply. “Nobody comes around here.” “And if they did, one peek would give away our half-naked, uninvited guest.” He tugged on faded yellow curtains to pull them

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over the dirty four-pane window. A puff of dust caught in his throat— occupational hazard for a cowboy—and he stifled a cough. The curtains were flimsy, but would afford privacy. “Speakin’ of halfnaked,” he said, turning back to eye Raf pointedly, “why didn’t you use her shirt as a cool compress, since it was already off?” The man glanced down and gave a half laugh. “Didn’t think of that.” “Of course not. You’re thinkin’ with that dick for a brain again.” “I did think of somethin’ else.” Rafael came up and tugged the curtain back open. Trey scowled at him. “What the hell, Raf?” “With your brilliant plan, someone wouldn’t even have to get near the place to give us away. These curtains have never been closed once since I got here.” Trey blinked. “Shit.” “Yeah. I realized that pullin’ the curtains could attract more attention. This way, the buildin’ looks exactly like it always does.” “You’re right.” Raf clutched at his chest with an expression of mock horror. “What was that? I think the sun must have made me loopy, too. I could swear you just admitted I was right.” “Hilarious. Just don’t get used to it.” “There’s somethin’ else you should see,” Rafael said. He crossed back to Crystal and pointed at her wrists. Trey knelt down and reached a hand out to smooth over the angry marks that were tough to make out in the dim light, but there clear enough. Both wrists had some kind of bruising and scrapes. He threw a pointed look at her, pressed a finger to his lips, and then jerked his head toward the door. Raf took the hint and followed him on tiptoe from the room. “I couldn’t get her to take much more water after you left,” Raf said. “I’m worried about her.”

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“I’m worried about her and us,” Trey said. “She needs to be in a hospital, and we need to tell the cops.” “She was terrified of that—you heard her. She isn’t safe.” “Says the incoherent woman.” “And those marks on her wrists? Looks to me like there was a struggle. Or someone had her tied up.” “Or handcuffed. As in the cops?” “I don’t think so. We should at least check it out before we do anythin’.” “How?” “The news, cowboy. Find out if there are any escapees from fashion model school. Use your internet savvy to drum up missin’ person reports and shit.” Trey grunted. “She should still go to a hospital. She doesn’t look good. God knows long she was lyin’ out there before we found her.” “I thought your mad genius deduced it couldn’t have been too long because her sunburn wasn’t very bad?” “It’s worse now. But it doesn’t take long to get dehydrated, especially if she wasn’t drinkin’ enough before she got into the sun.” “So what do we do?” “I think we should drop her off at St. Rose hospital before she wakes up.” Raf shook his head. “Didn’t you see her reaction? She was terrified of that idea.” “Another reason I don’t think we should be doin’ this.” Trey moved to the far corner of the ante room and dropped his voice to a whisper again. “I don’t trust her, Raf, and you shouldn’t, either. It would be a huge mistake to take her story at face value.” “Just because you have trust issues with women—” “That has nothin’ to do with this. Come on, think. Why would she be so afraid of going to police or a hospital if she’s an innocent victim?”

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Indecision crossed the other man’s face. “I don’t know. Maybe they’re evil?” “Or she’s the villain in this story. In which case, the best thing that will come of this is you—us,” he correctly quickly, “gettin’ fired. At worst, we’ll be the victims.” “Now she’s some kind of serial killer? Look at her. She doesn’t have a bad bone in her body.” Trey wondered just how much of that body Raf had seen—and handled—while sponging her down with his own shirt. “Don’t jump to that conclusion just because she’s hot-lookin’.” “‘Hot-lookin’’? Try hands-down, drop-dead fuckin’ beautiful.” Trey rolled his eyes. “Poetic.” Raf nudged an oily piece of cloth with his boot, lifting it a bit to peer under it with the caution of one expecting a rat to jump out. “Besides, isn’t that what you’re doin’? Jumpin’ to the conclusion that she’s bad?” “I have more evidence on my side that she’s suspicious than you do that she’s innocent.” “Because you look at life through shit-colored glasses.” “Fine. Keep your white knight attitude. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you when this whole thing goes straight to hell.” Trey let out a sigh and reached up to rub a knot of tension pounding at the top of his opposite shoulder. “So what’s the plan?” “I say we take turns with her durin’ the night.” Trey made a face. “Excuse me?” “Funny. I mean we take shifts so we can keep a close eye on her through the night. Keep tryin’ to give her water, sponge her down, and whatever the hell else you’re supposed to do for dehydration.” The knot in Trey’s shoulder tensed further, threatening to escalate into a full-on cramp. He rubbed harder, stretching his neck so his head tipped toward the other shoulder. “There’s Gatorade in the bunkhouse fridge. That should help, right?”

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Rafael nodded. “Good idea. Tomorrow will be easier, since we both have the day off.” He paused and frowned. “Shoulder actin’ up again? I could rub it out for you.” Trey shot him a hard look, and Raf raised his hands. “Christ, will you let up on the sexual suspicion already? I said rub it out, not rub one out.” “I didn’t say anythin’.” “You didn’t have to. I saw the whole sordid accusation in those beady blue eyes. Now, what was it you said to me when you hurt the shoulder last year?” Trey muttered under his breath. “Are we really doin’ this again?” “You lost the bet, you have to pay. That includes repeatin’ the mantra whenever demanded.” Trey shot him a mock scowl. “I said your miracle hands could massage the life back into a corpse.” Raf wore a smug grin while he cupped a hand to his ear. “And?” “That you could feel free to work that magic on my hurt muscles anytime.” “How soon they forget undyin’ gratitude.” “I was on a lot of heavy pain medication at the time. I wasn’t myself.” “Which actually increased your IQ,” Rafael said. “So what if I’m not big on gettin’ massages, especially when another guy is involved? The way cowboys talk, a guy who gets rubbed on like that is probably into other guys.” Rafael let out an irritated grunt. “Massage isn’t an alternate lifestyle, for shit sakes—it’s sports medicine.” He pointed a thumb at his chest. “Even cowboys have massage therapists. Do I have to hang a certification around my neck so I can touch men without gettin’ funny looks?” “More like gettin’ your ass fired,” Trey said. “Thrown out of the free bunkhouse, at least. Big John’s not into ‘coed’ housin’. Won’t even employ female hands anymore.”

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“Whatever.” Rafael marched up to Trey and grabbed hold of his shoulder. His strong hands went to work on the spot, sending welcome heat and pressure right down to the root of the problem. Trey winced at the initial sharp pain, resisting the automatic urge to tense up. He’d learned the hard way that fighting Rafael’s technique was a painfully bad idea. “Since when are you such a homophobe?” Rafael asked. “Cowboy life got you around too many pumped up Marlboro men?” Trey couldn’t answer. Instead, he let his arms go limp at his sides and his eyes close. His entire focus became the warm, tingly sensation being infused into knotted muscle. The initial discomfort of the man’s firm grip gave way to a flood of relief as the cramped muscle released. Rafael rotated Trey’s shoulder around, then with a final slap let him go. Trey tested out the shoulder, then twisted his head this way and that. Most of the soreness was gone. “Thanks for that.” Rafael gave a quick nod. “And I’m not a homophobe,” Trey went on. “I just know Big John. One word about someone battin’ for the back door team in his ‘testosterone only’ housin’ and he’ll be handin’ out eviction notices. I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel like shellin’ out for housin’ on minimum wage.” “A dollar over, but point taken.” Rafael paused, his eyes shifting toward the door where Crystal was sleeping. Night had fallen, and Trey could barely see the man’s features. If not for the silvery light of a full moon outside, they’d be standing in pitch black. “So,” Rafael said, “who wants first dibs tonight?” He snorted at Trey’s raised brow in response. “Now whose brain is in his dick?” Rafael went on. “I’d love to get first, second, and third dibs on a hot woman like that, but unlike some people, I like my women conscious.” “What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

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“Your ex wasn’t exactly a live wire in the sack, was she?” “Doesn’t mean I clubbed Linda over the head and dragged her to bed.” “Practically.” Rafael grinned. “Just how bad are you in bed, anyway?” “Wouldn’t you like to know, massage boy.” He turned back to where Crystal still lay sleeping. “We should both put in an appearance at supper. One of us can check on her later.” “We’ll both have to turn in at the bunkhouse until Jess starts buzzsawin’,” Rafael said. From the excited tone, Trey got the impression the man was actually into this secret-squirrel shit. “I’ll take the first watch, let you rest that shoulder.” “I’ll do first watch,” Trey said. “My shoulder will be fine.” Rafael wiggled his fingers. “Thanks to my miracle hands. Good thing you’ve always got a personal sports medicine masseuse around, eh?” For a few more weeks, anyway. Trey fought off a flash of depression at the ready smile on his best friend’s face. He should tell him right now. Open his mouth and say the words I’m moving back to Atlanta. But they wouldn’t come. There was plenty of time to deal with that, anyway. They had bigger problems.

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Chapter Three Rafael was dreaming that during his shift with Crystal, she suddenly sat up and threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you so much for saving me, Raf,” she whispered in his ear. The feel of her breath on his cheek sent a tingle along his arms, prickling the hairs there. He felt a hand reach between his legs. His cock responded all too eagerly. “I can’t take advantage of you,” he said. “You’re too weak.” “I’m stronger than I look. I need to thank you for riding to my rescue.” The breath on his cheek fanned his desire until he found he couldn’t speak. Okay, fuck it. He could totally take advantage of a woman this willing. “Rafael?” The word in his ear threatened to unglue him, as did the hand stroking his hot, stiffening cock. “Rafael.” The soft voice deepened to a husky tenor that roused him from his erotic slumber. When Rafael’s eyes popped open, it was to the disconcerting sight of an intense, unsettling blue gaze just inches from his face. Not to mention perfectly bowed lips Rafael had made prior study of. The hand wrapped around his cock was his own, shoved down his thin pajama bottoms in his sleep. Having that face so near his own made his stomach—and his cock—jump, and he yanked his hand out of his drawers and pushed himself up onto one elbow. “What time is it?” he said in a groggy whisper.

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“Just after four.” Trey was crouched at the side of Rafael’s lower bunk, dressed in the white ribbed tank top and plaid flannel pajama bottoms he preferred to sleep in. “Jess is in the shower. Thought it might be a good time to switch off.” Trey rubbed at his eyes. Rafael swung his legs over the edge of the bunk, focusing on the sound of running water in the bathroom to distract himself from the way Trey’s sharp jaw was shadowed with stubble, and his eyes were heavy-lidded. “You look done in,” Rafael said. “Lack of sleep will do that to you.” “How is she?” “The same. Slept a lot. I got some fluids down her, but not as much as I’d have liked. I’d hoped she would have come around more by now.” “Get anythin’ else down her? Like your hand?” “Do you ever think of anythin’ but sex?” Trey shook his head. “Never mind. I forgot who I was talkin’ to.” “Maybe she’s just weak from hunger. We should bring her food.” “Maybe.” Trey groaned to his feet and walked over to the lower bunk across from Rafael’s. He settled onto his back and draped a forearm across his eyes. “Tag, you’re it. Have fun.” The man lifted his arm for a minute and shot a sleepy, but knowing grin. “By the way, sorry if I broke in on a good dream.” Rafael felt a stab of embarrassment but shrugged it off. “Occupational hazard when you live in a bunkhouse with cowboys who get up at the ass-crack of dawn.” “Yeah, well, think I’ll sleep until ass-crack-thirty today.” “You should have gotten me up sooner.” A certain irony crossed his mind at the choice of words, but he batted the thought away. “We said four-hour shifts.” “Figured one of us should get some half-assed sleep. You’re welcome for the noble sacrifice.” “Ass seems to be the word of the hour.” “That’s because it’s sucks ass to be awake before the roosters.”

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Rafael snorted and padded barefoot in the dim light to pull clean underwear, socks, and pullover shirt from the pine-veneer drawers assigned to him. He glanced with longing toward the bathroom door housing the shower Jess still hadn’t relinquished. Some cowboys used more water than a cattle drive, while others refused to use nearly enough. Rafael could do with a good rinse-off himself. Cold water wouldn’t be a bad idea, all things considered. Still, the idea of leaving Crystal alone any longer ground against his stomach. Why he felt so protective of a woman he’d just met he wasn’t quite certain, but perhaps it was a distraction he should run with. Trey was snoring softly by the time Rafael tugged his worn brown boots on. He indulged a quick gargle and face splash at the kitchen sink, ignoring the thought of running a comb through his hair. In his hurry to check on Crystal, he didn’t even bother to grab his hat. The shower was still running when he stepped out of the bunkhouse into the crisp early morning. Dew had coated pre-dawn with enough moisture to hang heavy in the air. The weather was chilly and overcast, but even in short sleeves Rafael didn’t mind. He was used to the wide temperature swings around Spring Valley. The ass-end of the ranch poked into the bare Mojave Desert, where Rafael’s boots scuffed over loose golden dirt and light scrub brush as he made his way to the retired bunkhouse. His thoughts bounced back and forth between Crystal and Trey, then Trey and Crystal. He was one confused cowpoke, and the fuzz in his brain surrounded him like the morning fog. There was little use denying what he’d battled for some time. He felt something stir inside him whenever Trey was around—a feeling he knew well, just never in relation to another guy. It stepped beyond the line of friendship and past the boundary of a man crush. Sure, he looked up to Trey and respected him, even though Rafael was the one who had trained Trey from the dirt up in ranch work. But what he felt was more than an admiration born out of respect. He wanted Trey. Bad.

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He ran a hand through his sleep-tossed hair and kicked at a walnut-sized stone with the steel toe of his cowboy boots. He wasn’t gay. He’d never desired a man before, and aside from Trey, he still didn’t. His attraction to Crystal proved he still got off on women. Damn but if he hadn’t gotten hard running his wet shirt over the silken lines of her body, try though he may to keep his mind out of the mud pen while seeing to her care. His cock still pointed the way to a beautiful girl like a divining rod to water. So why the hell had he wanted to pull Trey against his lips and grind his cock against him this morning? True, he had been turned on by the dream about Crystal, but he couldn’t pretend his cock hadn’t responded to seeing Trey bent over him. A response he damn well hoped his friend hadn’t noticed. Trey made his heterosexual feelings quite clear. Rafael reached the rear bunkhouse door and stopped with his hand on the knob. Maybe Crystal was the answer. Not that he should take advantage of a girl just to reaffirm his masculinity, but if she were so inclined to find a reasonably good-looking guy like Rafael worth her while, maybe he could shake off this disturbing attraction to Trey. Maybe he was spending too much time around guys. He hadn’t been on a date in what, four months? Six? He curled a lip at the thought. He hadn’t had his cock rubbed by anything but a saddle and his own fist for too long. No wonder rippling muscles and six-pack abs were starting to look good. He went on alert the moment he pulled the bunkhouse door closed behind him. Noises were coming from the other room. “No,” he heard Crystal saying. “Stop it.” “Crystal?” Rafael darted across the floor, his pulse racing. “Shit,” he said when he stepped on an old horseshoe, sending him off balance. He kept on his feet by speeding his pace, grabbing the door frame to stop himself as his eyes swept the room in made fury in search of his quarry. Crystal was alone, still lying on the makeshift bunk. She thrashed around, fighting invisible monsters in her sleep.

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“Get off me!” she shouted. “They’ll hurt the butterflies.” Butterflies? What the hell? He moved to her bedside, stopping to pick up a half-empty bottle of water Trey had left behind. “Hey,” he said softly. “It’s okay. I’m here.” Her hair was in complete disarray, half covering her face. He uncapped the clear plastic bottle as he spoke. “Crystal? Wake up. Drink some water, sweetheart.” Rafael pushed the hair from her face and slid a hand behind her neck to lift her head up. When the bottle got near her lips, her dark green eyes flew wide and then narrowed. “No!” she screamed, jerking her head aside and slapping the bottle out of his hand. It bounced off his lap, leaving a wet stain on his jeans before hitting the floor. “Shit,” he said, glancing at the contents gurgling out all over the dusty wood floor. “Come on, don’t fight me, honey. I’m tryin’ to help you.” “Don’t call me honey, you bastard.” Crystal reached out again, intent on striking him in the face. He caught her by the wrist—and the other one that followed—and pinned them on either side of her head. “Play nice,” he said. “I’m not gonna hurt you.” Her eyes looked panicked and wild as she bucked against him. Although she was looking at Rafael, he could tell she wasn’t seeing him. She was in some kind of waking nightmare—or another hallucination. Either way, her gyrations were reigniting the erection he’d left in the other bunkhouse. “Crystal,” he said. “You’re here with me, on the ranch. We found you in the desert. Remember? You’re safe.” “Why are you hurting me?” she ground out through clenched teeth. He let go of her wrists instantly, and the flat of her palm lashed up and caught the side of his face. Again he grabbed her and held her arms in check.

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“Knock that shit off,” he said, feeling the biting sting of her slap against his cheek. “I’m not gonna hurt you, ma’am.” He pressed her wrists a bit tighter into the blankets beneath her. “But I will keep you from smackin’ the hell out of me while I’m tryin’ to take care of you. Got it?” Slowly she nodded, and he relaxed his hold without letting go of her wrists completely. Crystal blinked a couple of times, then pressed her eyes shut with a groan. “Where am I?” she asked. “The ranch where I work,” he said. “Trey and I have been lookin’ after you since we brought you here yesterday.” When her eyes reopened, they seemed to focus on him this time. “Who are you?” “Rafael Monroe. We met when you came to in the desert.” She narrowed her eyes. “The desert?” He nodded. “That’s where we found you. Then we brought you here.” He let go of her and reached down to pluck the bottle off the floor. Most of the water had emptied out, except for an inch or so in the bottom. “Try to drink somethin’.” He helped her lift her head, and she took a sip but then began coughing. He set down the bottle while she covered her mouth with a delicate hand. “Are you going to be sick again?” he asked. She shook her head and looked at him demurely. Then without warning, she grabbed hold of him and pulled him close. “I do remember you,” she breathed. Her breath smelled sickly sweet, like acetone. Nevertheless, her touch sent a ripple of heat through his gut. He tried to gently wrestle himself away, but she held fast. “You do?” “Yes. You’re the handsome one.” He smiled. “Can’t argue with that.” “I have to thank you for saving me. I never thanked you.” “That’s okay. You—”

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She cut him off by shocking the hell out of him with a kiss. Since when had his dreams become this prophetic? Not that the idea of her offering thank you sex soured his day any. Her tongue was almost as dry as her cracked lips when she swept it out in search of his. He was erect in a single heartbeat, a fact he knew because his pulse pounded loud enough for him to count. “Come on,” she said against his lips. “Fuck me. Don’t you want to?” Hell yes, he wanted to. She was on fire. So hot—but not just in the obvious, gorgeous as hell and begging him to fuck her way. Crystal was even more feverish than she’d been last night, and her skin was as hot and dry as the desert they’d plucked her out of. And her delirium was getting worse, obviously. The part of him that was throbbing below the belt urged him to give in and roll with it, and when the stabs of longing grew greater he couldn’t resist indulging her for just a while. Still, a nagging sense of honor kept tapping his shoulder, so he broke off the kiss and extracted himself from the arms she had wound around his neck. “You can thank me later, after I’ve actually saved you.” “Screw waiting.” She lunged in again, her hand dropping between his legs to squeeze the now-raging erection that could care less whether the woman touching it was delirious, drunk, or halfconscious. “I want to ride you on top.” Shit! Rafael wanted her so fucking bad he could taste it. He could practically feel her hot, wet pussy sliding up and down over him until he made her scream. She pulled away, and his eyes slid over the breasts heaving up and down with her rapid breaths. Her nipples were hard and poking against the flimsy lace of her bra. She glanced down at herself and seemed to register the lack of clothing. She sucked in a breath. “Or did I already thank you?” Then her eyes returned to his, blinking hard. Then they narrowed in suspicion. “Maybe you helped yourself?”

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He jumped up off the bunk. “No, I didn’t. You’re the one tearin’ at me like a wild animal.” “Where are my clothes?” He nodded to the foot of her bed. “I took them off to cool you down. Look.” He snapped up the water bottle, along with the damp shirt he and Trey had taken turns using to sponge her off. “We’ve been tryin’ to lower your temperature and get fluids into you.” “Oh.” She shook her head like she was clearing fog and then dropped back down with a groan. “I don’t feel so good.” “I’m not surprised.” He shifted to glance around for the liter bottle of Gatorade Trey had brought to her last night. “Everything hurts.” She gave a sultry, drunken-sounding laugh. “You can make me feel better the way you and the other man did last night. It was so sexy, all of us naked in the hot tub.” He shot her a look. The stop-and-start delusions were getting damned worrisome. “I think you were dreamin’, sweetheart.” He spied the sports drink sitting on the floor and saw it was still half full. Trey really hadn’t gotten much down her. Shit. “I’m not your sweetheart.” “No?” He got up to get the bottle, rearranging his still-throbbing cock to a more comfortable position while his back was turned. “Even though we were naked in the hot tub together?” “All three of us. You were so good. And you liked the other man, too. A lot.” He sat back down beside her with a wary glance. Now her dreams were getting prophetic. The sexy, half-crocked laugh sounded from her throat again, but her face contorted. “I’m going to throw up.” She did just that—before he could get out of firing range. She leaned forward and retched, but with nothing in her stomach, all that was left were dry heaves. Nothing landed on his lap but Crystal’s head a few moments later.

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“This isn’t workin’, sweet—I mean, Crystal,” he said, stroking her hair. Her cheek was so damned hot against him. “Crystal?” He shook her slightly, but she didn’t respond. She was out again. “Fuck. That’s it.” He carefully lifted her head and laid her back. She was pale and dry. He picked up her wrist and felt for a pulse. Her heart practically double-timed his. Trey was right. This woman needed a hospital whether she liked it or not. The right thing to do now would be to call paramedics. He reached for the cell phone hooked to his belt and flipped it open, but then paused. The minute paramedics showed up on the ranch, word would get out—and he and Trey would most likely have their asses handed to them inside out. “You’re a selfish prick, Rafael Monroe,” he said, stuffing the phone back into its belt holder. He’d just drive Crystal to St. Rose himself. Should he stop to grab Trey before smuggling Crystal out? Or make a break for it now, while it was less likely he would be seen? He would get her to a hospital sooner if he didn’t bother with Trey. He could call Trey after he got Crystal situated. In any case, Trey had let Rafael get some sleep overnight. Now, Rafael could return that favor. “Come on, sugar,” he said, scooping Crystal off the bunk moments later. “Time to go for a little ride. Sadly not the one you were askin’ for a minute ago.” Her eyes didn’t even flutter. Some of the fog had lifted by the time he poked his head out of the bunkhouse, though the day was still overcast. He shifted her weight to pull the door shut behind him, noticing how light she was despite her long limbs and curved body. He had little trouble cradling her against his chest while making his way to the edge of the building, where he paused to peek around the corner. The beige modular bunkhouse stood twenty yards away, and parked just beyond that was Rafael’s beat up Ford. There was no sign of movement. Most likely

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Jess was out on the ranch with the other hands, finishing up feeding and watering the herd before going to the cookhouse for breakfast. He stepped out from hiding with caution, his eyes flicking every which way for signs of discovery as he made a quick break for his truck. Rafael passed the building and stopped at the passenger side of his truck. A scuffling sound jerked his head around, but it was merely the quick getaway of a cottontail rabbit startled out of the brush. He pulled open the door to the orange truck with a scrape-squeak, and then sat Crystal on the bench seat. She began fall over sideways even before he could close the door. “Damn it.” He shut the door with a metallic clang and rounded to the other side. Climbing in behind the wheel was tricky with Crystal’s head in the way, but he managed to lift her up and push back the seat so her head rested in his lap. He wished like crazy her head was down there under just about any other circumstances, preferably because she was about to unzip his fly and do something about the lust she’d stirred earlier. Crystal was quite the vixen when she was out of her gourd with heatstroke. Or maybe she was that horny all the time. Maybe grabbing a stranger’s cock and thrusting her tongue down his throat was how she always thanked guys for doing a good deed, like taking out her garbage or letting her cut in line at the supermarket. He glanced down at her and stroked a hand down her arm. He’d sure like to find out when she came back to her senses. The only way out was to drive right through the front gate and try not to look suspicious. Leaving without his hat on would raise eyebrows, but it wasn’t like it was illegal. At a Texas ranch, maybe. On the other hand, getting caught with a woman at the Laughing L practically was illegal. “Lady guests” were strictly prohibited in the housing compound, and only allowed to visit during the monthly barbecue. Big John believed that “fraternizing” switched off too many male brain cells, and that his workers would fuck up his operation if

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they got their dicks wet on the premises. So even if the fact that he and Trey had found her when they weren’t supposed to be screwing around off grounds didn’t come out, he’d still be in a shit heap of trouble if someone saw a woman lying in his lap. And an unconscious woman at that. He stomped on the ignition, trying not to think the worst. The engine roared to life after two turns of the key, and he threw the truck in reverse to steer them onto the packed dirt trail around the edge of the ranch. His Adam’s apple pulsed in his throat almost like a miniature secondary heart, and he gripped the wheel to still his shaking hands as he pointed the Ford at the front gate. Three-quarters of the distance crunched under his wheels without incident. His white-knuckle grip began to ease until he spotted a galvanized steel manure spreader off the path up ahead, and the rider who hopped down from the seat. Dan, the cook’s husband, was nosy as a hen and heading Rafael’s way, waving a red grease rag in greeting. Rafael considered punching the gas pedal and pretending not to see him, but decided on a casual wave. His hope that Dan would take the hint and go back to work deflated when the man picked up his pace toward the dirt road, obviously intent on stopping for a chat. “Shit,” Rafael said under his breath, rolling down his window and plastering on a phony smile. He slowed the truck, but kept going to make it clear he wasn’t sticking around. “Dan the Man,” he yelled out. “Mornin’.” “Gassed up, Raf?” The man shouted back. His official job was helping keep ranch equipment fueled up and running, though unofficially he was far more efficient at keeping his mouth running about everybody’s business. Considering the ranch didn’t pay to fuel up Rafael’s truck, no doubt the man’s interest lay in the latter. “Five-eighths of a tank and in a hurry to burn it,” Rafael said. He was twenty feet away now. Crystal chose this moment to stir and let out a weak groan.

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“Great,” he muttered under his breath. “Now you want to come to.” He took one cramped hand off the wheel and dropped it casually to stroke her hair, hoping to keep her lulled into silence. Even though he had no intention of slowing down enough to let Dan peek inside the truck, if she starting yelling and throwing a shit fit like she’d done earlier… “Can’t see,” Crystal said, hissing out the last. “Too dark in the trunk.” “What was that?” Dan asked, ten feet away now. “Nothin’,” Rafael said. “Just the radio.”He leaned over and jerked the volume up, hoping to cover any more fevered ranting. “Headin’ to town?” Six feet and closing. “Okay,” Rafael whispered through grit teeth. “Enough of this nice shit.” He nodded. “Yup. It’s my day off, and I’m in a rush. Later, y’all.” Dan’s face wore a puzzled look in Rafael’s side view mirror, and he fanned at the cloud of dust Rafael kicked up as he passed. “Serves you right, nosy bastard.” Crystal’s head nuzzled against his lap, evoking a sensation in his groin that he couldn’t quite overlook despite his current stress level. He shifted gently to move her off his stirring cock just as the truck passed through the main gate and onto pavement. Once past the formal front entry and the Laughing L sign, he turned onto Mountains Edge Parkway and off they went.

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Chapter Four The vultures were back, making their odd buzzing noises while they circled a barely conscious Crystal. She lay on her back with her eyes squeezed shut, irritated at the incessant sound. Why did buzzards insist on following her like this? First in the desert, now… She frowned. Now where? Prying her eyes open took some effort—sleep had apparently tried to glue them shut permanently. When her eyes fluttered open, the first thing she saw was a head tucked against her left side, down near her waist. A man’s head. She blinked and looked again. A sandy-haired man was seated in a chair that had been pulled alongside her bed. He leaned way forward to rest his head on the forearms he had folded on her mattress. Hair fell across part of his face, obscuring his features, but she could see the square angles of a clean-shaven jaw and an eye that was firmly closed. She had no idea who this man was, but he felt familiar and safe. A swell of tenderness and curiosity rose, and she reached out to push aside the loose sweep of bangs to get a better look. Crystal’s fingertips had barely brushed against his hair when she spotted the anomaly on the back of her hand. She sucked in a breath, then gasped louder when his hand shot out to grab hers. He shook back his bangs, and she recognized his sapphire eyes. That sexy, breath-stealing gaze had been making cameo appearances in her most recent dreams—bizarre dreams at that. There had been one where two cowboys had ridden to her rescue, just like an old Western. Then later, all of them stripped naked and got in a hot tub,

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very not like an old Western. She’d begged one of them to fuck her, and my god but was his dick huge when she’d grabbed it. The man sat up in his seat and offered a lopsided smile that could no doubt become the ruin of many a woman. “Hello,” he said. “Um, hi.” She reached a hand up to her hair, wondering just how terrifying she must look—and where the hell she was. Although, the tubing and tape stuck to the back of her hand gave her some ideas about both. “Nice to see you awake.” “Thanks.” She’d say it was nice to be awake, but she hadn’t quite decided yet. With some difficulty, she pulled her eyes away from the gorgeous stranger and looked around the room. Everything was done in pale, whitewashed shades and looked somewhat modern and homey—until her eyes found what she’d been looking for. The buzzing sound she’d heard came from a computerized vital signs monitor, and beside that stood in IV pole with a couple bags of clear fluid hanging from it. “I’m in a hospital?” The man nodded. “Sorry about that.” She glanced back at him with a frown. “Why? Did you do something to hurt me?” His expression clouded from pleasant to concern. “You don’t remember anythin’? The desert?” “I remember vultures.” He shook his head. “I don’t recall any vultures.” She thought harder, then her eyes widened when some of her memories reassembled themselves. “It wasn’t a dream, was it? I remember you—and another man with big brown eyes.” “That was Rafael. I’m Trey.” “You found me on the ground and carried me out.” Her eyes narrowed as she searched his face. “Am I crazy, or are you a cowboy who rode up on a white horse?”

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His deep laugh brought heat to her cheeks, and not only because she felt silly admitting her fantasy out loud. “You’re not crazy. I rode you out on a roan paint, but I imagine in the bright sun he might have looked white at the time.” “Oh.” She hadn’t been dreaming. So why couldn’t she remember much of what had happened after that? A jab of panic shot through her. If that part hadn’t been a dream, what about the other part? She couldn’t quite look at him while she asked. “We weren’t in a hot tub together at some point, were we?” “A hot tub?” The laugh came again. “I’m afraid the accommodations we offered you at the ranch weren’t that high quality.” Crystal relaxed her clutch-hold on her blanket. “Oh. I’m on a ranch?” “You were, but you got too sick. You’ve been pretty out of it since we found you.” “How long’s that been?” “Yesterday afternoon.” “What time is it now?” Trey slid back the sleeve of a nicely-fitted denim shirt to look at a black wristwatch. “About six.” He glanced back at her and seemed to read her next question. “In the evenin’.” “You’ve been taking care of me all that time?” He shrugged. “Rafael and I took shifts. I was up with you most of the night.” Crystal shifted her body and struggled to sit herself upright. In a flash, Trey was beside her, pushing her back down gently. “Don’t try to get up yet. You need rest. Here. The nurse showed me how to do this, if I can remember what button to press.”

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He thumbed a switch on the top rail of her bed and it began tilting her up with a steady, mechanical hum. She nodded when she was upright to her satisfaction, and he released the button. “Thanks,” she said. She caught the hand he was pulling back from the bed controls and held it. “I mean for everything. I guess you really did ride to the rescue.” His hand was warm and dry, and as strong and tough-skinned as she would imagine a cowboy’s hands would be. Yet his expression was soft and tender when he glanced down at his captured hand, then back up at her. “Happy to oblige.” Their eyes stayed connected until her heart raced, and with it came a quick flash of memory that made her stomach flip-flop. She licked her lips and glanced away sheepishly. “Did I say anything while I was out of it? Do anything that was, well, embarrassing?” He shook his head, but his eyes twinkled with something unsaid. “You’re not just saying that to be polite?” She hesitated but decided she might as well blurt out the truth and get it over with. “I seem to recall a kiss or something.” Something like groping at a cowboy’s oversized cock. God, had she really been that brazen? “A kiss?” His deep blue gaze widened, as did the smile he flashed at her. “No, ma’am. I wouldn’t take advantage of you like that.” The smile widened. “Unless you wanted me to.” Her stomach flipped at the suggestive tone, and she pushed back the long bangs falling over her face. The stubborn strands slid right back down so that she looked at Trey with one eye. “The way I remember it,” she said, “you weren’t the one taking advantage.” “You must have dreamed that, too. Like the hot tub.” Relief eased the tightness in her chest. “I guess.” “You were burnin’ with fever from sun exposure. That’s probably why you dreamed about a hot tub.” He was watching her carefully now, and she shrugged and looked away. The rest went unspoken. A kiss and brazenly copping a crotch feel? What had she been burning with to conjure that dream?

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“Good. I could have sworn I grabbed you and kissed you—on some sort of creaky, old bunk bed.” He squeezed her hand. “Unfortunately, no. I definitely would have remembered bein’ kissed by a beautiful woman. Though I confess the rusty bunk bed is real.” His warm hand sent tingles up her arm, until she felt a twinge of disappointment that there hadn’t really been a hot tub or a massive cock. “Guess you’re right about me being out of it.” “I’m glad you’re clear-headed now. We were pretty worried.” He tucked the rebellious bangs behind her ear, and the motion brought his face in close enough to her to make her dizzy again. Clear-headed? That definitely wasn’t how she felt having his handsomely chiseled features so near hers. She felt an odd flutter in her heart, which the vital signs monitor behind her betrayed by emitting an erratic stream of blips. His eyes studied her face. Without thinking, she licked her lips, and his gaze dropped to them and lingered there. Was that a hint? Did he want the kiss she’d only dreamed giving him? He had saved her life, after all. He probably figured he’d earned it. She figured he had, too. Crystal leaned forward just a fraction, feeling her nipples tighten at the thought of those full lips on hers. “Ahem.” Both their heads whipped to the doorway, where a perky brunette in scrubs paused with a raised eyebrow. Trey cleared his throat and shifted his weight off Crystal’s bed, back onto his chair. “You’re awake, I see.” The woman, who no doubt was Crystal’s nurse, bustled over to her bedside and flicked the tubing attached to the bag of fluid. “Your vitals are looking much better.” Her dark eyes shot over to Trey. “Are you family?” Guilt flashed over his features. “A friend.” “Then you can wait outside while I assess her.” The request held an “I-mean-business” tone.

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With a quick nod, Trey got up and followed her to the doorway. The nurse had a few words with him that Crystal couldn’t hear before she returned. The woman whipped out a digital thermometer attached to one of the machines by a coil of wire, then stuck it under Crystal’s tongue. “Thirty-six-seven,” she said cheerfully when it beeped moments later. To Crystal’s frown she said, “Your temperature is normal now. Are you hungry?” Crystal nodded. “The doctor said you could have sips of clear liquids when you woke up. Let’s try you on a little apple juice, maybe some Jell-O. If you do okay on that, I’ll see about getting an order for solid food.” There was a loud tearing sound as the nurse pulled on the Velcro securing the blood pressure cuff on Crystal’s arm. “Any nausea or dizziness?” Crystal shook her head. “Not anymore.” “Good.” The woman hesitated, meeting Crystal’s gaze. “I know this may be none of my business”—she flicked a gaze at the doorway—“but your door is wide open and it faces right out into the main hallway.” Crystal stared at her, confused. The woman dropped her voice to a whisper. “I mean, what if your husband had come along? I don’t mean to pry, but as your nurse I’m concerned for your health. The stress of a confrontation won’t help your healing process right now.” Husband? “Confrontation?” “If he’d seen you with that other man.” Crystal blinked. “We weren’t doing anything.” The nurse looked unconvinced. She shrugged and turned back to program some numbers onto a keypad on the IV pole. “You just looked kind of—intimate for friends. If I misread it, I’m sorry. I just didn’t know if your husband would get upset seeing you two together like that.”

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“My husband?” “Right here and at your service,” called a voice from the doorway. Crystal’s gaze shifted to see another gorgeous male—who possessed a pair of eyes she also remembered well. “Rafael?” she asked. His grin showed perfect white teeth, set off nicely by tanned skin and dark hair. In his arms he carried an almost absurdly large bouquet of mixed flowers. “You’re awake.” She shrugged. “That seems to be the general consensus.” “And not delusional, it would seem?” “No more than usual.” He laughed and strode into the room. He wore snug denims, a Stetson, and pointy-toed cowboy boots that clicked importantly with each step. For all her other dreams, she obviously hadn’t imagined the cowboy part. Yee-haw. When he leaned down to hand the flowers to her, she caught a whiff of lemony aftershave and an outdoorsy, musky scent she also recognized. She’d been up close and personal with this man during her temporary insanity, too. The thought brought another flutter through her chest. “Thank you,” she said, burying her nose in the heady bouquet. “They’re beautiful.” “Sorry I wasn’t here when you woke up,” he said. “I wanted to get cleaned up and grab somethin’ to eat. Do you know the head chef here used to work for royalty and Donald Trump?” She cooked help but smile at his crooked, easygoing grin. “I must be at the Four Seasons.” “Practically.” He turned to the nurse, and Crystal couldn’t help but notice how his fitted green shirt hugged sexy muscles. “How is she?” “Much better. If she keeps improving like this, I’m betting the doctor will release her in the next day or so.”

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The woman shot a glance over Rafael’s broad shoulder, and then her eyes widened. Crystal followed her gaze to see Trey filling the doorway. “There you are,” Trey said. Rafael turned. “I see our patient is off the wait-and-see list.” “Thankfully.” Crystal smirked at the sight of the woman’s eyes ping-ponging back and forth between the two men, obviously trying to figure out the group dynamic. Trey strode up to the nurse. “There wasn’t anyone on the line.” “No? He must have hung up.” She shrugged and turned back to Crystal. “I’ll be back to check on you in a little while. Use the call bell if you need anything.” When she left the room, Crystal looked up at Trey. He was standing beside Rafael with his hands on his hips. Both men stared at her expectantly. “What was all that about someone hanging up?” she asked Trey. “When the nurse followed me outside a few minutes ago, she said a guy was on the phone at the nurse’s station. He was lookin’ for a Crystal, but gave a different last name than the one you came in with. The desk wasn’t sure what to tell him and asked if I would talk to him.” Rafael nodded. “The name thing was my fault. I checked you in with mine.” “That’s why the nurse thought we were married.” “I figured that would avoid awkward questions about my bringin’ you in. I said we’d been hikin’ together and you slipped and fell, then fainted.” Trey shook his head. “They bought it just like that?” Rafael shrugged. “They haven’t called the cops, so I guess so.” Trey nodded. “Anyway, the desk said the guy on the phone claimed to be your uncle.”

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“My uncle?” She gripped her flowers tighter, crinkling the cellophane. He shrugged. “By the time I got to the phone, whoever it was had hung up.” Panic gripped her chest as she stared past the two men into the hallway. She glanced down at her arms and turned them over, looking at the bluish-red marks on her wrists. The machine monitoring each blip of Crystal’s heart began to speed up noticeably as she reached down to rub the sore bruises. “What is it?” Trey said. “Crystal?” Rafael added. “What’s the matter?” She set the now-quivering flowers in her lap. “I don’t have an uncle.” The two men exchanged glances. “He might have been lookin’ for another Crystal. Maybe that’s why he hung up.” She shook her head, feeling the sting of tears. “No. He was looking for me.” “Who was?” “I have to get out of here.” She threw back the covers, sending the flowers skittering off the edge of the bed. She had her feet on the cold floor before both men moved in to take hold of her arms. “Whoa,” Trey said. “You can’t go anywhere yet.” “Yeah, you heard the nurse,” Rafael said. “Maybe in a day or so.” “I can’t stay here.” She started picking at the tape securing the IV needle in her hand. Rafael pulled her hand away. “Tell us why. What are you afraid of?” She shook her head. “I don’t know. Something. Someone.” “You said ‘he’ was lookin’ for you,” Trey said. “Who is it?” Crystal closed her eyes, willing her racing heart to slow. Who? It was a reasonable question. Nevertheless, darkness blanketed every spot in her mind she tried to probe for the answer.

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Tears burned her still-bleary eyes. “I don’t remember. I just know I’m not safe.” She gave each of the men a pleading glance. “Please, let me go. You don’t have to help me anymore. Just don’t stop me from leaving here.” Trey shook his head. “If you’re in trouble with the police—” “I’m not a criminal,” she said. “You don’t have to believe me. You don’t have to get involved at all. Just walk away now, and I’ll disappear.” “We can’t do that,” Rafael said. “We’re already involved.” He shot a look at the other man, who sighed. “This is a bad idea,” Trey said. “Besides, the nurse’s station is right outside. The minute you try to leave, Nurse Upyourbutt will head you off.” “I have an idea,” Rafael said. “Get her dressed. I’ll be right back.” He raced off, and Crystal held up a hand when Trey turned back to her. “That’s okay. I can get dressed by myself.” “We’ll see about that. You were so damned weak you could barely lift an arm.” She raised her arms up over her head and waggled her fingers to prove otherwise. Then she took a deep breath and yanked the tape off the back of her hand. The long intravenous tubing took a bit more doing, but with a wince of pain she slid it out. “Here.” He handed her a tissue plucked from a box on her bedside table. “Fold this up and hold it on your hand to stop the bleeding.” Crystal did as instructed, and he stuck the discarded tape back over the tissue wad on her hand. “Thanks.” She glanced down at her blue and white print hospital gown. “Where are my clothes?” He checked the closet and turned back with an old blanket in hand. “Looks like this is the only thing that made it here with you.” “You brought me here naked?” Suddenly, the hot-tub-and-prizewinning-cock scenario seemed less implausible. “I didn’t bring you here at all. Rafael did. And he’s the one that stripped you down, too, before you go pointin’ a finger at me for that. You had heat stroke. We had to try and cool you down somehow.”

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“Oh. Right.” She pulled the neck of her gown away far enough to peek inside. She saw she was still wearing her bra and panties, at least. Still, they’d both seen her like that? Her stomach quivered at the thought of the two men standing over her, washing her bare flesh with water. How was that supposed to cool her off when the very thought heated her blood? She chased the imagery away. “Running out the door in a hospital gown isn’t quite the subtle escape I was going for.” “I’ve got you covered.” Rafael was back, breezing into the room while pushing a wheelchair. “The nurse gave me permission to wheel you around—just up here on the unit, though. We’ll have to make a break when we get to the elevator. Still, this at least gets us past the desk.” She glanced at the chair. “What happens downstairs? Patient-in-awheelchair doesn’t exactly scream someone who should be going out the front door and over to the nearest bus station.” Rafael shot her a quizzical glance. “Bus station?” “I have to leave town.” “Come back to the ranch with us. We’ll figure things out.” “You’ve done enough already.” “If you’re worried someone might trace you,” Rafael said, “they won’t. I gave a bogus address here. No one but Trey and I know you were even at the ranch. Besides, you had no money or ID when we found you. How are you plannin’ to travel?” She shot him a guilty look. “Don’t suppose I could borrow a few bucks?” “You already did.” She and Trey gave him questioning looks. “We’ll talk about it later. Come on.” He snuck a look out into the hall, then came back and tugged the patient privacy curtain around them. “We’re doin’ what, exactly?” Trey asked. “Put these on under your gown,” Rafael told Crystal, tossing a small red bundle at her. “It’s some old gym shorts I grabbed from my

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truck. Not much, but at least you’ll be in street clothes when we leave.” “From the waist down,” Trey said. “Aren’t you forgettin’ the upper half?” “Nope.” With a grin that tugged Crystal’s stomach, Rafael started unbuttoning his shirt. The snug white T-shirt beneath clung even tighter to him. He peeled the undershirt over his head. She didn’t mean to gasp, but it whooshed out before she could stop it. Had she ever seen so many muscles on one guy’s chest and stomach? He was a heart-stopper, there was no doubt. When she heard the heart monitor begin to alarm again, she reached beneath her gown and tugged off one of the wire leads before it could give her away. Rafael had missed his true calling being a cowboy. The man could have made a fortune as a fashion model. Or a cabana boy at some swanky Beverly Hills resort, where rich women dripping in diamonds would tuck hundred-dollar tips in his designer Speedos. She couldn’t help but crack a grin at the thought. “What’s so funny?” he asked, handing her his shirt. “She’s laughin’ at you,” Trey said, shaking his head. “You do manage to get your chest bare a lot when she’s around.” “She can’t go out naked,” Rafael said. “You could have given her your other shirt,” Trey said. “It was already off.” “It wouldn’t have matched her shorts.” Trey rolled his eyes. “So now you’re a fashion consultant?” “I make a better fashion consultant than you make a cowboy, cowboy.” “Yeah? I must have had a shitty teacher.” “Uh, guys?” She held up Rafael’s shirt. “A little privacy, here?” “Put the gown back on over everythin’,” Rafael said. “It’ll hide your getaway costume.”

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The men stood outside the curtain while she changed. She was tugging Rafael’s shirt over her head—which was still warm and smelled like male heaven—when a voice came from the other side of the curtain. “Everything okay in there?” It was her nurse. “Your heart monitor is alarming with a disconnect warning up at the station.” “Oh, sorry,” Crystal called a bit too loud. She looked around frantically for the discarded wire. “She’s havin’ a little sponge bath,” Rafael said. “You know, to freshen up a bit before our ride. She has a thing about privacy for stuff like that.” “I’ll help get the wires reconnected,” the nurse said, her voice getting closer. “We need to monitor her rhythm.” “I’ll do it,” Trey said, and Crystal saw his boots step to the edge of the curtain. “No!” Two voices shouted, one of which was Crystal’s. She clutched her gown in front of her, wide-eyed. “I’m her husband,” Rafael said. “If I’m not allowed in there, then you sure as hell—” “And I’m her nurse,” the woman said. “Not to mention a woman. I’m sure she won’t mind me popping in for a moment.” Crystal saw a feminine hand slip around the edge of the curtain, preparing to yank it back. “Don’t come in,” Crystal said. “Like my, uh, husband said, I have a thing about privacy.” The hand wavered. “If that monitor isn’t back on in five minutes, I’ll have to reconnect it.” Crystal glanced around for the loose wire, which was hanging off a palm-sized box in the pocket of the hospital gown lying on the bed beside her. She yanked up Rafael’s T-shirt and clipped the wire back onto a patch stuck near her collarbone. “Got it,” she called. The hand slipped away from the curtain.

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Trey called to her through the curtain a minute later. “I hate to ruin the secret spy plans you two are makin’,” he said, “but you can just sign yourself out, you know.” “She can’t,” Rafael said. “The nurse said she had to stay ‘til tomorrow.” “She’s not a prisoner, Raf. She can check out AMA.” “What’s that?” Crystal asked, tossing the gown back on and fiddling with the string ties at the neck. “Against Medical Advice. You just sign a form releasin’ them from liability if you keel over after you leave.” “How do you know all that?” Rafael asked. “Last time Dad was in the hospital he got mad at one of the doctors and wanted to leave.” A sense of urgency pounded in her chest. “I don’t want to go through all that hassle and red tape,” she said. “I just need to get out, now.” “Then we’re back to my devious plan,” Rafael said. “About ready in there?” Her fingers fumbled with the strings behind her neck. “Can someone tie this damn thing?” Trey was around the curtain before she could blink, and she inhaled his heady scent while he bent down to fix her gown. His fingers at the back of her neck sent a shiver down her back. Rafael made a face at him. “She doesn’t really need that tied, you know. She’ll be sittin’ in a chair and then dumpin’ the gown, anyway.” “If you’re gonna put on a show, might as well make it a good one,” Trey said. He held out his hand to her and said, “Ready?” She took a deep breath and nodded. Rafael yanked back the curtain and wheeled the chair to her bedside. The men made quite a fuss getting her situated in the wheelchair, and when she put her feet up on the footrests she frowned. “My feet are bare.”

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Rafael winced. “Sorry, darlin.’ I wasn’t plannin’ on breakin’ you out of here or I’d have brought your stuff with me.” She shot him a look. “Don’t call me ‘darling.’” “I am supposed to be your husband, you know.” “Convenient story,” Trey added. “I told you, it made more sense to let the hospital think that.” “Yeah, yeah. Let’s go.” Trey reached over to her bedside table and pulled something out of a pink bucket. “Here.” He tore plastic packaging off and knelt in front of Crystal. “Hospital socks. Better than nothin’.” She smiled. “Smart. Hopefully no one will notice the lack of shoes.” “So what now, genius?” Trey said. “Make a run for it?” “Casual stroll until we get down by the elevators, then we make a run for it when no one’s lookin’.” “You’re forgettin’ one thing.” Trey flicked the IV bag. “When Nosy Nurse sees you strollin’ a dehydrated patient around without this, she’ll send you white water raftin’ down shit creek without the raft.” Crystal’s eyes widened. “Another smart thought. I hadn’t considered that.” “Yeah, he’s the smart one,” Rafael said. “I’m the brilliant one. And the handsome one, accordin’ to Crystal.” He gave her a wink. She smirked. “What?” “You said this mornin’ that I was the handsome one.” “She was delirious,” Trey said. “I like to think of it as ‘uninhibited.’ Come on. Grab the pole and bring it along, cowboy. Crystal can hide the tube in her lap.” The three of them would look suspicious to her nurse even if they weren’t glancing around with guilty expressions. Both of Crystal’s “men” taking her for a stroll together? No doubt she would be the topic of nurse’s station gossip. Rafael pushed the wheelchair while Trey pulled her IV pole alongside. Luckily, her nurse was busy

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chatting with an attractive doctor and didn’t even glance up when they passed by the desk. At the end of the gleaming hallway, she spotted the elevator. “Almost there,” Rafael said. “We’ll ditch the chair by the elevator.” “Just one thing,” Crystal said, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. “This might not be the best time, but I have to pee.” “That’s good,” Rafael said, and Trey flicked him an incredulous look that made Crystal giggle. “That means she’s gettin’ better.” He pulled her up beside the elevator and set the brake on the wheelchair. “Bathroom’s over there. Can you walk?” “I was overheated, not run over by a truck.” As far as she knew, at least. She frowned as the dark hole in her memory reopened. “You haven’t been able to walk since we found you,” Trey said. “And it’s the first time you’ve had to, well, go.” Rafael groaned. “What Mr. Eloquent here is tryin’ to say is that you were so dried out you haven’t peed or anythin’.” “Oh.” She felt herself flush a bit at the topic. Oh well. She was in the middle of an escape plot here. There were bigger things to worry about than male observations about her urinary tract. Or how her hair must look at the moment. Suddenly, she was all too eager to be out of the chair and in the bathroom. “I’m fine.” She started to stand up, but her limbs felt stiff and awkward. “Just a little help to get me started, maybe?” One man stood on either side, lifting her by the shoulders. All this attention was making her a bit dizzy, but at least this time it wasn’t in the bad, about-to-pass-out way. After standing a moment to gain her balance, she nodded to the men and they dropped their hands. “Sure you’re okay?” Trey asked. “Maybe one of us should go with you.” “Into the ladies’ room?” Rafael asked. “Like that wouldn’t look suspicious.”

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“Not as suspicious as Crystal passed out on the floor.” “Guys,” she said. “I’m fine, really.” To prove it, she took some slow steps toward the bathroom and found that, contrary to cowboy opinion, she actually was capable of putting one foot in front of the other. Inside the bathroom, she hung her gown on a hook behind the stall door and did her business, noting that the urine she passed was a lot darker than normal. Yep, dehydrated—big time. She’d have to keep up her fluids the next few days while she was on the run. Leaving the gown behind, she pushed her way out of the stall and stood at the sink to wash her hands. She was a fugitive now. She couldn’t go home, couldn’t trust anyone. For how long? Better yet, why? What was she so terrified of? Or rather, who? Crystal glanced at herself in the mirror and wished she hadn’t. Who was the pale, ragged-looking stranger staring back with dark circles ringing her eyes and tumbleweed-styled hair? “Damn.” She splashed some water on her face and ran wet hands through her ratty hair, hoping to smooth down some of the mess. She wished Rafael had brought a brush. She’d almost rather run through the hospital in her underwear than have her hair look like something a cactus bush had vomited up. The shorts Rafael loaned her were big in the waist, and she folded the waistband over a couple times before tucking in his shirt. Before leaving the bathroom she ventured a sniff under her armpits, but all she could smell was Rafael’s spicy male scent. She hoped he wouldn’t ask for the shirt back, so she could hang onto that stomachwarming smell when she was alone on the run. “Watch out, girl,” she told the scary reflection in the mirror. “So what if they’re both Western-hero gorgeous? You’ve got bigger problems than deciding which guy you want to screw more. So heel.” When she came out, Trey looked to be pacing back and forth while Rafael stood leaning against the wall opposite her with his

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hands folded over his nicely defined chest. “You both deserve extra hero points for saving a woman who looks like death came, saw, and ran screaming,” she said. “No wonder you thought I couldn’t even walk.” “Don’t be ridiculous,” Rafael said. “You’re beautiful, and you know it.” His eyes dropped to take in her outfit. “Especially wearin’ my clothes.” She snorted. “I guess it’s true what they say about cowboys being gentlemen.” “There’s a big lie,” Trey said with a smile. “All that old west romance stuff isn’t nearly as true for in-the-wool cowpokes as you’ve heard.” “Nope, we’re generally a bunch of hot and horny devils,” Rafael added. “I think I did pretty well with you two,” she said, wondering just how hot and horny these two were willing to get. “Can we leave now?” Rafael glanced down the hall and his bedroom eyes went wide. “Right now. That nurse is comin’—and she’s got a purse over her shoulder.” Trey nodded to a stairwell. “No time to wait on the elevator. Come on.” They hit the stairs, and Crystal let out a yelp when Trey scooped her up in his arms. “I don’t want you fallin’ and breakin’ your pretty neck,” he said. “This is your first time up and around.” They were already halfway down a flight of steps. “Guess I don’t have much choice.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and felt a flash of déjà vu. His eyes were determined and his jaw set as they descended what seemed about a thousand stairs before he deposited her on her feet at the bottom. “Thanks,” she said, a bit more breathless than she’d intended. He’d been the one who’d sprinted down three flights, after all.

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Out in the lobby, Crystal stopped in her tracks. The place was amazing. The ceiling vaulted up high, like a museum, with inset recessed lighting dotted all over it. Everything was gleaming white, save some expensive looking artwork on the walls and live palm trees that erupted right out of the marble flooring. She let out a low whistle. “My God, is this a hospital or a luxury hotel?” Rafael snorted. “A little of both, actually. I wasn’t kiddin’ about St. Rose’s executive chef.” She shook her head as they headed across the massive floor. “This place must cost a fortune. Glad I’m running out on the bill—although I do feel a bit guilty about that, actually.” “Don’t,” Rafael said. “It’s all taken care of.” “What?” she asked. “Yeah, what?” Trey added. Rafael shrugged. “They dragged me into the business office to deal with your insurance stuff. Told ’em we’d pay cash.” “Thanks for the bail,” she said. “I guess I can send them fifty bucks a month for two more of my lifetimes.” “No, ma’am. I already paid for the day’s stay and doctor costs.” She stopped again, her eyes flying wide. “You didn’t have to do that!” Trey was staring at the other man. “How did you do that?” Rafael’s eyes were still on Crystal. Hers were blinking rapidly to hold back tears. “I had some money stashed. As your actin’ husband, it seemed like the thing to do.” “Oh my god. I can’t believe you did that.” They reached the glass front doors, and then they were out in the early Nevada evening. “I’ll pull my car around so she doesn’t have to make the walk,” said Trey. Rafael nodded. “I’ll wait with her. My truck’s parked here, too, so we’ll have to drive home separately.”

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They watched Trey walk away into the warm night. There wasn’t a hint of breeze to rustle the palms or other trees jutting up majestically into the sky at the front of the hospital. Nor was there a drop of moisture in the air. Crystal walked out from under the portico and glanced up. The building spanned out to either side like the arms of a massive Y. “This really looks a lot more like a resort hotel than a hospital.” “A lot of resort money in the community, I suppose,” Rafael said, wandering beside her. “Bein’ so close to Vegas.” She reached out and slid her hand into his, and he turned to her with a surprised expression. The sight of his chocolate brown eyes and thick lashes made her stomach twist like a thrill ride. “You really didn’t have to pay my bill,” she said. “I don’t know what to say.” “I figured you have bigger worries right now.” “I feel guilty having you be so nice to me.” “Why? Don’t you think you deserve me bein’ nice?” “Not that nice.” Although the hot and horny claim he’d made earlier wasn’t out of the question. “I don’t want to be any trouble.” He squeezed her hand. “So, you can pay me back someday. You know, like fifty bucks a month for two lifetimes?” Warmth spread through her abdomen. “You bet.” Man, but cowboy hands felt warm and capable. She hesitated for a moment, then reached up and pressed a light kiss to his cheek. Her lips veered a bit closer to the corner of his mouth than an innocent thank you would warrant, but how could she resist? “Wow.” He stared at her approvingly. “If you’re tryin’ to get money knocked off the bill, it’s definitely workin’.” She smiled. “Here,” he said. “Let’s make it an even two thousand off.” He leaned down and lightly brushed her lips with his. Her eyes closed as a flood of desire hit. He pulled back far too soon, but her lips tingled well after the kiss was done.

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Her tongue refused to move to form words, so she just stared at him. He laughed. “Then there was that steamy kiss you gave me earlier. All right, another thousand off.” Her brow arched. “When did I kiss you before?” “This mornin’, before I brought you here.” Her eyes flew wide and she pulled her hand from his. “That was real?” “Don’t make it sound so terrible. Cowboys have fragile egos.” “It’s just…” she trailed off, trying to remember what else she’d done that Trey thought she’d merely dreamed. Shameless groping came to mind, and her eyes automatically glanced at Rafael’s fly. Jesus, but the man could fill out a pair of jeans. “I’m sorry. I thought it was Trey.” He gave her a mock scowl. “You thought you were kissin’ Trey?” He shook his head. “Sorry, I’m gonna take back the thousand bucks I just knocked off.” “I mean, when I woke up here, I remembered doing something embarrassing, like kissing one of you. I thought I’d done it to Trey, but he said it was just a dream.” “Oh, it was no dream, darlin’. Trey just wasn’t around for it.” She nudged him. “You’re calling me ‘darling’?” He shrugged. “Does that bother you? I do recall you callin’ me ‘bastard’ when I called you ‘honey.’” “I called you that?” “And you hit me.” She winced. “I’m sorry. I have a bit of a sore spot about guys calling me nicknames.” “I’ll stop, then.” “No,” she said quickly. “You more than earned the right to call me pretty much whatever you want. It’s those guys who do it that piss me off.” “‘Those’ guys?”

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She shrugged. “You know, ones who don’t know me but want to act like we’ve been to bed.” She made a face. “That irritates the hell out of me. But you’re different. Seeing as how we’re married and you paid my bill and all.” And how she’d be in no way opposed to verifying the size of his cock—with her mouth. “Got it, Crystal.” He winked. She smiled back, wondering why she felt a twinge of disappointment when he didn’t call her an endearment after all. Of course, her name on his lips did have a sexy cowboy twang to it that heated her abdomen. “Please tell me I didn’t do anything more embarrassing than that kiss,” she prodded. He made an X gesture over his chest, but something lit in his eyes for a brief moment. “Seriously,” he said, “don’t you worry about anythin’ other than gettin’ better and out of this fix you’re in. Trey and I will help.” “I get the impression Trey isn’t as thrilled about that idea as you are.” “Trey doesn’t get thrilled easy. But he’s thrown in with your lot, or he wouldn’t have stayed up all night lookin’ after you. Or sat here with you when I left.” “All night? Must be why he fell asleep earlier.” “He hasn’t had but an hour or two’s sleep since we found you. I got almost six, so I’m good.” He nodded toward the parking lot. “Here he comes.” A dusty brown Toyota was weaving through the lot, headed their way. The outline of a Stetson on the driver’s side was obvious. “Maybe he shouldn’t be driving,” she said. “Considering the lack of sleep.” “Cowboys come from hearty stock. Even the transplants.” “Transplants?”

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“Trey was a city boy. Took him under my wing and taught him everythin’ he knows about ranch life. Still, he’s got a ranch man’s stamina.” I’ll bet both of you do. She swallowed and dropped Rafael’s hand just as Trey drove up. When she and Trey drove off with Rafael right behind, Crystal stared out the window at the dark silhouette of the dim desert landscape. She was steeped in thought, trying to make sense of the past few days. Trying to recall anything about the past few days was maddening. Glimpses of her cowboy rescuers were there, yes, but spotty and nonsensical. Before that, there was nothing. The last thing she remembered was leaving her house Monday morning, wishing she didn’t have to go to her office job. Now she wondered whether she could ever go back to it. Her stomach clenched at the thought of work. No, a voice inside her whispered. You can’t go back. Had something happened at work? Or because of work? She tried to remember whether she’d even made it to work that day. Nothing. Maybe she hadn’t. Maybe the mother ship had come along and done alien experiments on her, then sucked out her memories. She whooshed out an exasperated gasp. “What’s wrong?” Trey asked. “This is so frustrating. I wish I could remember what happened.” She saw him shoot her a sideways glance. “I wish you could, too.” They didn’t speak again until Trey had her duck down to sneak her back onto the ranch. He explained that nobody could know she was there, or he and Rafael would lose their jobs. She felt a bit reassured that her stay would be a secret, but putting her two heroes’ jobs on the line didn’t thrill her. She reached out to finger the marks on her wrists again. She had to remember what the hell was going on, and fast.

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Chapter Five “I still think this is a bad idea,” Trey said, scowling as he bent over to light the flame of his camping stove. Rafael twirled a can opener in his hand before setting it on the table. “You think everythin’ you didn’t dream up is a bad idea.” Trey straightened. “Damn it.” He fiddled with the flame adjustment on his long-handled lighter. “Why won’t this idiot stove light?” He felt sweat prickle at his chest and slide down his back while he worked. Although they stood under a small pop-up gazebo tent, the afternoon sun seemed to blaze right through the white vinyl. Rafael took off his brown Stetson long enough to push back sweaty bangs and peek beneath the folding table. “Probably because you didn’t hook it up to the propane tank, oh great master chef.” Trey shot the man a look. “Okay, genius. Maybe you can give me a hand while I unload the groceries.” Rafael picked up the propane tank and started fiddling with the regulator on the stove. “I’ll go get her after I finish checkin’ the rest of the fence line, thanks for askin’.” Trey was busy digging through various brown sacks of ingredients. “I didn’t ask. And I still don’t think you should bother.” “Why not? Lady friends are invited to the monthly barbecue. And don’t tell me you aren’t lookin’ forward to Crystal being here.” Trey pulled a net bag full of brown onions from one of the sacks and laid it on a folding table set at an angle beside the one holding the cook stove. “I am tellin’ you, though I shouldn’t have to considerin’ how many times I’ve already said it. I don’t think she should be here.”

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“Tryin’ to keep her all to yourself?” Rafael stood up from the stove and snatched up the lighter Trey had set down on the table. “With you hoverin’ like a buzzard on a fresh kill? I couldn’t if I wanted to.” Rafael flicked the lighter on and twisted a knob on the stove. “Do you want to?” “What kind of question is that?” “The obvious one with a hot woman like Crystal. You’d have to be dead not to want to bend her over this foldin’ table and put it to her hard.” Trey turned to Rafael and watched the man stick the lighter near the burner. Blue flame erupted in a ring. “I told you,” Trey said, “I don’t trust the woman.” “That doesn’t mean you don’t want to fuck her.” The brown eyes that met Trey’s were all too knowing, and Trey had to force himself to meet that gaze without looking away. Rafael could be a pebble in Trey’s boot at times, but often it was because the man knew him too well. Trey spent his days torn between wanting to see Crystal and needing to stay away. Nights were a game of tug-of-war, one side shouting “Don’t trust her” and the other “But you almost kissed her.” There was no denying either fact. Crystal had yet to regain her memory, or so she claimed. Nor had Trey or Rafael uncovered any information that could confirm or deny her story. They could be harboring a dangerous fugitive. Until he found some evidence of that, however, he didn’t feel right turning his back entirely. If nothing else, she might stick a knife in it. Nevertheless, his body had revived the old habit of thinking with his cock rather than his brain where a woman was concerned, and it worried him. Damn if Crystal hadn’t looked unbelievably sensual, yet helpless lying unconscious in the hospital. He’d been so afraid they’d gotten her help too late and felt guilty he hadn’t been the one to take her to the hospital. He was so relieved when she woke up in her right

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state of mind, her deep, velvety green eyes penetrating the tough veneer he nailed over his heart. Her lips had pouted just slightly when she’d told him she thought she’d kissed him, almost as though she wanted to make that dream a reality. He’d felt the heat flowing between them and knew that she had, too. Her heart monitor had started racing in that long moment when they gazed at each other. It matched the rhythm pounding in his veins perfectly. Then she’d licked those sexy lips, and he’d almost come undone. If not for the damned nurse choosing that exact moment to come in and interrupt… “I take it from your prolonged silence that I’m hittin’ pretty close to the mark.” Trey pulled a bulb of garlic from the sack. “Don’t be ridiculous.” “That’s not exactly a denial.” “More a statement of fact.” “So you’re not in any way interested in Crystal, even for a quick roll?” He frowned. Even if Trey did want Crystal, there was the little problem of him moving out of state in three weeks. “Why the third degree?” Trey said. “I’m tryin’ to focus on dinner here—and you’ll still have to eat it if I fuck up.” “And again the rodeo rider dodges the barrel of denial. And that’s another thing,” Rafael said, folding his arms across his chest. “This dinner of yours.” Trey frowned. “You’re complainin’ already? I’m not sayin’ I will screw it up, just that I could if you don’t stop distractin’ me.” “How is that you just happened to offer to make your prizewinnin’ chili cook-off recipe for the barbecue Crystal will coincidentally be attendin’?” “I’ve made this same chili at the barbecue before.” “Nine months ago. You’ve claimed to be too busy ever since.” “So?” “So you runnin’ around like a rodeo clown jugglin’ onions and chili pots wouldn’t be to impress Crystal, would it?”

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Trey stuck a can of tomato paste on the table and gestured at Rafael’s new black denims and black button-down with red trim and leather fringe. “You’re the one who spent an hour getting’ all dolled up like a rodeo clown.” “Like you didn’t spend an extra twenty minutes and a new razor for this. Not that that soft denim shirt doesn’t bring out your baby blues magnificently. And you didn’t answer my question. Again.” Trey set his hands on his hips. “Why would I be doin’ this to impress Crystal, when I keep tryin’ to tell you I don’t think she should even be here?” “Why not?” said a female voice. Both men whirled around. “Crystal,” Rafael said, pausing to whistle. “You look amazin’.” She looked beyond amazing, Trey had to admit. Rafael concocted a story to borrow some of his sister’s clothes, and they fit nicely. Crystal wore white hip-hugger jeans and a saucy red plaid sleeveless shirt, the ends of which were tied at her waist. When she moved, Trey could catch a slight glimpse of her navel—and the small freckle beside it that he found so intriguing while sponging her down that first night. Her hands were tucked into the back pockets of her jeans, a pose that gapped open the front of her blouse to show a nice amount of cleavage. The sun hit highlights in honey-brown hair braided into two pigtails that hung to the tops of her full breasts. Trade her white sneakers for a pair of Tony Lama boots and she’d look every part the delectable cowgirl, if not a particularly pleased one at the moment. “You’re early,” Trey managed. Crystal’s fiery green eyes were pointed at him. “So why don’t you want me here, Trey?” “Yeah,” Rafael said. “I’d kinda like to hear this myself.” Trey fought off the urge to stomp on Rafael’s foot with his boot. “I said I didn’t think you should be here, not that I didn’t want you to come.”

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“Actually,” Rafael said, undaunted by the murderous glare Trey shot him, “you told me earlier that you weren’t lookin’ forward to her comin’.” Trey winced at the glimmer of hurt in her expression. “I can leave if I’m that unwelcome,” she said, her hands coming out of her back pockets to fold over her breasts. “You’re not unwelcome,” Trey said, wondering whether that was the case as he came out from behind the table set up. Getting Crystal off the ranch would solve a few of his problems, really. “Not to all of us, anyway,” Rafael said. “I thought we agreed I would meet you at the bunkhouse so we could walk over together?” She shrugged, still firing a sharp gaze at Trey. “You said some of the guests come early to help set up, and I thought I’d come surprise you guys. Good thing. Better that I know the truth of how you feel about my being here.” “Don’t be upset,” Trey said. “I didn’t mean it the way my best friend here makes it sound.” Her eyes narrowed. “Then how do you mean it?” “Well!” said a booming voice behind Trey. “And who’s this lovely lady?” The two men froze for a half heartbeat, but with an almost undecipherable final glare at Trey, Crystal stepped around him and held out a slim hand. “I’m Crystal, sir. I take it you must be the famous Mr. Latham?” Trey spun around to see his boss decked out in a blue striped shirt, black denims, and matching turquoise rings, belt buckle, and bolo tie clasp. The man was beaming at the woman he had no idea was his resident stowaway. “Big John, ma’am.” He tipped his gray ten-gallon and took her hand in a gentle shake. “Plenty big, but hardly famous.” “Ah, but I hear you have the biggest herd of cattle in this part of the state,” she said. “You heard almost right,” he said, dropping her hand lightly and glancing at Trey and Rafael in turn. “Laughing L is the second largest

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for both cattle and land size in southern Nevada. So, which of these two cowpokes are you here visitin’ today?” Both Trey and Raf stepped forward. “Me,” they said in unison. Trey shot Rafael a glare. Rafael grinned. “Not interested, huh?” he whispered in Trey’s ear. Big John laughed. “I see you’ve got your work cut out for you, ma’am. These two are a hand full and a half.” She turned and shot a playful look over her shoulder. “I’m beginning to see that.” “They’re good hands, though, don’t get me wrong on that. Enjoy your day on the ranch. I’m sure they’ll see to it. If you want the house tour, come find me. I’d be happy to oblige.” The man turned on an expensive leather-booted heel and headed off. “Wow, the house tour. He must really like you,” Rafael said. “He seems like a nice, welcoming guy,” she said. “Unlike some I could mention.” “I’m sorry,” Trey said. “It’s just that we’ve spent the past week tryin’ to hide you. Paradin’ around in the open doesn’t seem like the best way to accomplish that.” “It’s not like the media will be here,” Rafael said. “The girl’s got to get out of that rust trap every now and again.” “Besides,” she said, “sometimes the best place to hide is right out in the open.” “I’ll remember that when we get found out and have to go on the lam,” Trey said. “Don’t listen to sourpuss,” Rafael said. “He’s always twitchy when he’s in cookin’ mode. The man takes his food seriously.” Trey shook his head and started back to his tables. “This from the cowboy who won’t drink anythin’ that doesn’t have the word ‘beer’ in it.”

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“Really?” Crystal said, wrinkling her nose at Rafael. “I wouldn’t have taken you for a full-blown alcoholic. You don’t even have a belly hangin’ over your belt like Big John.” Raf patted his stomach. “Not an ounce of fat on this body.” “Except between the ears,” Trey said with a grin. He headed back toward the table. “So what’s with the beer comment?” she prodded. “Not just beer,” Rafael said while they wandered over to Trey. “Root beer, ginger beer, butter beer…” “Butter beer?” She made another wrinkled nose face, which Trey noticed made her look damned cute. Kissable. Then he scowled and turned around to dig through the ice chest. “One of my nieces is a Harry Potter fan, and she made some drink concoction she read about in the book.” “What about plain old water?” she asked. “I’m known to slug back a six-pack of water when I’m workin’ the ranch.” “I thought cowboys used canteens.” “Those come in six-packs, too.” Her giggle warmed Trey’s stomach. “Soda or water?” Trey asked them both, coming up with one of each from the ice chest. “Water for me,” Crystal said. “I’m still rehydrating.” “Which means limitin’ your sun exposure, too,” Rafael said. He plucked his cowboy hat off and stuck it on Crystal’s head. Then he snatched up the root beer Trey had set on the folding table. Trey busied himself preparing dinner, listening to Rafael entertain Crystal with silly banter about cowboy life. He explained about the cow-boss and jigger, or second in command, who roped their horses and handed out duties each morning. Then he told the story of a horse Trey got stuck with as a brand new cowpoke, one who kept turning his tail to the cattle Trey was supposed to be watching. Then Crystal became engrossed in watching Trey’s deft movements with the

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cutting board and chef’s knife while dispatching onions, garlic, and peppers for his sure-fire chili. “Trey was gonna go to chef’s school,” Rafael said. “But he went corporate. When that didn’t pan out, he went cowboy.” He reached over and plucked a piece of bell pepper out of Trey’s chopped pile and popped it into his mouth. “Who knows how many other jobs startin’ with c I saved him from by introducin’ him to his true callin’. Cock combin’, cat burglary…” he trailed off when Trey picked up a piece of diced pepper and chucked it to hit Rafael square in the cheek. “Cab driver,” Crystal said with a grin. She turned to Trey. “You must really love the outdoor life. The air is so blue and clean here. Look at those clouds—like we can reach right up and grab a hand full.” She took in a deep breath, her face turned up like an angel smiling at heaven. Oh, how he’d love to grab a hand full of that. A pang of loss stabbed through him. “Yeah. It definitely grew on me.” “I can’t imagine what it would be like to have a job that I loved to be part of,” she said. “I’ve always treated jobs as something I was forced to survive every day.” “Not me,” said Rafael. “I always knew I’d work a ranch, from the time I was a little kid. Pappy used to talk about how the best day’s work is one with the sun on the back of your neck. That’s why I got this.” He turned his back to Crystal and bent his head down. Trey glanced up briefly from the Serrano chili he was slicing, watching as her fingertips ran lightly over the stylized, tribal-looking sun tattoo on the back of Rafael’s neck. She pulled away and tossed a look at Trey, who quickly resumed his knife work. “That must have been painful, getting a tattoo back there,” she said. “But it looks really hot—no pun intended.” She turned to Trey. “Don’t suppose you have any sexy tattoos hidden under that cowboy garb?”

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“He’s a virgin,” Rafael said, and Crystal’s eyes widened. The man laughed. “An ink virgin. Definitely not the other kind.” “I’ll bet he’s not,” Crystal said in a teasing voice. “Oh yeah. I know all his secrets.” Rafael winked at him. Not all, Trey thought, looking away quickly. “Then again, Raf,” Crystal said, “a guy as smooth with women as you are no doubt has a few secrets, too.” “Maybe one or two.” He flicked the hat on Crystal’s head. “But you’ll never drag ’em out of me.” “Bet I could find a way.” Trey tried to ignore their innuendo banter and focus on searing tritip and pork loin in one pot while sautéing onions and garlic in a skillet. Both were such practiced motions it did little to drag his attention away from how well Rafael and Crystal were getting along—and the meaningful looks ranging from warm to X-rated. Crystal’s eyes seemed to radiate seductive inner fire when she looked at Rafael. Turn those eyes my way, Trey caught himself silently pleading. He frowned. Maybe it was good that she and Rafael seemed to be heading in a romantic direction. Rafael would have someone to soften the blow when Trey got around to announcing his upcoming departure. And maybe knowing his best friend was involved with Crystal would keep Trey’s cock from pulsing whenever he glimpsed her. Crystal came around to stand beside Trey, fanning herself with Rafael’s hat. “Whew, it’s hot out here,” she said, tipping her head back to take a long swig from her almost-empty water bottle. A drip of condensation fell onto her chest and disappeared inside her blouse. “Here,” he said, dropping his wooden spoon in the sauté skillet. “I’ll get you some more water.” “I can do it,” she said. Trey bent down for the ice chest just as she did the same, bringing their faces within the same scant couple of inches that had almost led

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to him kissing her in the hospital. He caught a whiff of her feminine, yet salty scent, which was mixed with Rafael’s own spicy musk since he’d given her his shampoo to use. Trey was surprised that smelling the other man on her didn’t turn him off. On the contrary, the scent tightened his gut. Then the heated gaze he’d been begging for shot right through him, and he felt his shaft thicken uncomfortably in his tight jeans. He plunged his hand into the ice, willing the action to erase the bulge before he stood back up. He pressed another bottle into her hand before turning away, hiding his crotch behind the pot where other meat also sizzled for attention. “You should stay under the tent for a while,” Trey said to her, wishing his voice didn’t sound so strained. He felt Rafael’s eyes on him, but focused on browning chunks of meat instead. “Too much sun isn’t good for you right now.” “I know,” she said, pressing against his shoulder. She seemed to deliberately rub her tits on his back while peering over into the pan. “Mm. That smells so good.” He swallowed and didn’t answer. “Wait until it’s finished,” Rafael said. “Trey’s chili is a work of art.” “Can I help?” Crystal said. “I can chop that bell pepper over there. I should add that I’m not nearly as pro with a knife as you are. Might take me a few eons to get it done.” “It’s not hard when you’ve got a decent knife,” Trey said, wiping his hands on a towel beside the cook stove. “I can show you.” Her eyes widened. “Oh, I wouldn’t want to cost you a finger. I’m all thumbs in the kitchen.” He smirked. “Somehow I doubt that.” She shrugged and walked over to the other table, where she picked up the bell pepper. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

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She placed the vegetable on the wood cutting board and picked up the knife. He pulled Rafael’s hat off her head, and she twisted around with a quizzical look. “Wearing a hat will affect my chopping?” “No, but it will affect my ability to see whose fingers you’re cuttin’.” He placed the hat on one of the canvas folding chairs by the ice chest and moved up behind her. He could feel her body heat while he leaned around to take the pepper off the cutting board. Then he placed his hand over the one she used to hold the knife. “Rest the knife blade on the board like this.” “Okay,” she said, staring at the empty board. “What exactly are we cutting?” “Nothin’.” “Uh-huh. Not sure that will get us any closer to adding that pepper to your pot, cowboy.” “I’ll show you the technique first. Once you’ve got the motion down, then you can attack poor, helpless vegetables.” She snorted, but relaxed her hand and let him show her the gentle rock and slide motion he used for basic slicing. His palm grew sweaty, cupped over hers as they practiced together, and he wiped it on his jeans when he pulled away to watch her chop the air solo. After a few minutes, he nodded. “Excellent.” He picked up the pepper. “I think you’re ready to give it a shot.” After a few false starts, she finally got a slow, but steady rhythm going, and with each rock-slide her smile grew wider. When the last strip of pepper was diced, she set down the knife with a flourish and gazed up at him with pride. A glimmer of perspiration dotted her forehead and the sides of her perfect nose like freckles, and he had to stop himself from whipping out the red bandana tucked in his back pocket to wipe it away. “I did it!” she said. “I’m like an Iron Chef now.” “Practically,” Trey said, feeling pleased in spite of himself.

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“Great,” Rafael said, who had reclaimed his hat and sat watching from the other canvas chair. “Now people will expect you to toil over a hot stove, too, instead of sittin’ on the sidelines with a cold one.” He smiled and hefted a fresh glass bottle of root beer in a toasting motion. “I’m not much of a sidelines girl,” she said, plopping into the chair beside him and taking a swig off her water. “I’m more handson.” “That so?” Another look passed between them that deflated Trey’s mood. He saw his efforts to connect with Crystal evaporate, and he turned away from the happy couple barely in time to save his meat from burning. A few minutes later, Rafael announced he was taking Crystal on the “grand tour,” which made things both easier and harder for Trey. While they were gone, Trey wasn’t glancing away from his food every fifteen seconds to keep an eye on them. Then again, without them in sight, he couldn’t stop from obsessing over what they were doing. Once the chili was simmering and there was nothing left to do but watch it with an occasional stir, the obsession grew worse. He couldn’t rush off after them and leave the chili unmanned, and he wasn’t sure that hunting them down was such a great idea, anyway. Instead, he sat slumped down in a canvas chair, a bottle of Coke balanced on his lap that eventually gave way to a longneck beer. It was better this way. He had to start detaching himself from Crystal and Raf—and the whole ranch lifestyle, for that matter. If he didn’t, it would make things that much harder when he boarded the plane to Atlanta. His sour thoughts and mood kept him company while his chili bubbled because no one else would stick around to bother. A couple of the hands stopped by to sniff around the ice chest for beer, but quickly took off after Trey scowled at them. Big John came by as well, and after asking where Crystal had gone, made himself scarce, too.

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The afternoon shadows had lengthened and chili was already being served when Trey’s cell phone went off. He dropped his spoon in the pot and whipped out the phone, assuming it was Rafael calling. He flipped it open without checking. “Hey.” “How’s the packing going?” His already iffy mood deteriorated as Linda Ellis’ oily tone crawled along his spine. “Cowboys travel light.” Her laugh prickled his irritation. “Yes, I’m sure it was fun playing Marlboro Man for a while, but it’s time to come back to reality.” Several comebacks sat on his tongue, itching to lash out. But pissing off his about-to-be boss wasn’t the way to go. Trey dipped his ladle in the pot and served a bowl of chili to one of the hand’s wives. “Did you call for somethin’ other than to make sure I’m bringin’ all my socks? “Still can’t get used to your new twang. So cute. Do you still wear tighty whiteys? Don’t forget those.” “I thought we cleared the air on the fact that we are and still will be ‘ex’ when I return. This is business only.” “Christ, always a stick up your ass. Can’t I even make a casual comment?” “No.” “I’d hoped a couple years in a saddle might have lightened up your dire mood.” He sighed. “Back to the point of your call?” “Fine. We might need you down here sooner than anticipated.” He clutched the phone and frowned. “How soon?” “Next week.” “No good. I gave a thirty day notice here.” She grunted, and he heard a clicking sound that he envisioned meant she was tapping long fingernails against the receiver. “You’ve got bigger problems than burning bridges on that farm.” “Ranch.”

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“Whatever. It’s not in stone yet, but if we do need someone sooner and you’re no longer interested, I’ve got someone else in mind for the position.” Rafael and Crystal reappeared, walking hand in hand. Trey’s stomach tightened. “No. I’ll be there. Just let me know.” He resisted the urge to hang up at the curious expression on Rafael’s face. Crystal extracted herself from his hand, and he tugged one of her braids as they reached the table. Trey spun around and pretended to dig out a fresh beer from the ice chest. “I’ll know more soon,” Linda said. He could hear the victorious smile shining through her words. “I’ll call if you need to change flight arrangements.” “Fine. Talk to you later.” He flipped the phone shut and straightened. “Who was that?” Rafael asked. Trey swallowed. “My mom was just checkin’ in.” “Been talkin’ to her a lot lately, it seems.” Trey ignored him. Crystal wandered over as he returned to the chili pot. “Hi,” she said. “Have a nice time?” he asked, not quite managing to push the casual tone he’d wanted through his tense jaw. She laid a hand on his sleeve, and his arm twitched. “I can’t believe everything you guys do here,” she said. “Ranch work is so fascinating—so much to know about it. I didn’t understand a tenth of what Raf was talking about.” Trey sprinkled some grated Cheddar over a disposable bowl of his chili and handed it to the girl their roommate Jess had brought along. She was attractive, tiny with wispy blonde hair and big tits. Jess always did go for blondes. “Trey’s chili is hands down the best you ever ate,” Jess said to the girl. He had his arm hooked around her neck as they sauntered off, her ass swishing enough to bump the man’s hip with every other step.

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Seemed like everyone around here was getting friendly with the opposite sex, except Trey. “I’m dying to taste that,” Crystal said, sniffing the pot. “Wow, there’s almost none left!” “There was a line earlier,” Trey said. “You missed the chow call.” “Thank god we got back when we did. I’m so hungry I could eat a—” “Better not say that here,” Rafael said, standing in front of the table watching Trey a bit more closely than he’d have liked. “Cowboys are funny about their horses.” “Er, hungry enough to eat a cow?” she said. He nodded. Trey dipped up a bowl for Crystal, then Raf. “Fixins’ are there if you want,” he said, pointing to what meager toppings were left. “You gotta try it with a big pile of cheese, a spoon of sour cream, and the Fritos,” Rafael said. “You’ll never look at chili the same way again.” Trey checked the flame under the pot, then sat down in a canvas chair. Rafael piled cheese on Crystal’s chili and then brushed his hands off on his jeans. “Aren’t you gonna eat, Trey?” “I’m not hungry.” “All this work and you aren’t even going to join us?” Crystal came over and squatted in front of him. “No way. I can’t eat if you don’t—I’d feel too guilty. Here.” She scooped some chili onto half a Frito and shoved it between his lips. “Don’t be stubborn,” she said when a flash of irritation prompted him to twist his head away. “Open up.” “I can feed myself, you know,” he said, but he opened up and let her insert the chip. Before she could pull her hand back, he closed his lips over her index finger and sucked the salt off it. He noticed her faint gasp when his tongue flicked out for just a second, then he let her finger go and started chewing. He saw her eyes linger on his lips, which he allowed to slide into a smug half smile. Fuck, she was hotter

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than his chili. His irritation at her swallowed down with the spicy meat. She stood up and dug a plastic spoon into her bowl. A moment later his stomach tightened at the sounds she was making. Crystal was ooh-ing and ahh-ing like she was in the middle of orgasm. Her eyes were closed while she chewed, and her head was tipped back slightly so he saw the gentle bob of her throat when she swallowed. “Oh my god, Trey,” she said, staring at him wide-eyed. “This is heaven in a bowl!” She turned to Rafael, who stood eating his meal while keeping what appeared to be a less-than-happy eye on the exchange between her and Trey. “You weren’t kidding about his chili-making skills. This is phenomenal.” “Thanks,” Trey said. “Best thing I ever ate,” she went on, spooning up another mouthful and chewing with more cooing noises. She swallowed and added, “There aren’t even any beans in it.” “Beans?” Trey gave her a mock look of incredulity and shook his head with a tch sound. “Sacrilege.” “Aren’t there supposed to be beans in chili?” “Not cook-off quality chili. Most judged contests don’t allow beans, except for People’s Choice categories. Besides, beans tend to break apart and go to mush after a while.” “Don’t suppose I could somehow barter the recipe out of you?” He raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair. “Barter? You came here with little more than the shirt on your back. What are you offerin’ in trade?” Trey knew the sexual implication of his words, and part of him wondered why he bothered after all his mental talk about leaving her alone. But what the hell? Rafael had been making blatant remarks all afternoon, and she’d given as good as she’d gotten. Trey couldn’t help but wonder what he could get in return. Still, he wasn’t quite prepared when she picked up a finger-sized chip, dunked it in her bowl, then slowly brought it to her lips and

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licked the thick, red chili off. Damn, but would there ever come a time when he could be around this woman and not feel a need to readjust the erection in his jeans? She bent down and offered him the next chip, which he gratefully accepted this time. Then she whispered, “I could be your willing kitchen slave or something. I’ll let you figure it out.” A glance over her shoulder showed Rafael scowling at her back, but when he caught Trey’s eye he suddenly became engrossed in his food. The conversation lapsed until Rafael and Crystal had emptied the pot by downing two bowls of chili apiece. Crystal tossed her paper bowl in the garbage and reached her hands out to Trey. “Unbelievably fantastic meal. I’ll help you clean up.” He took her hands briefly to help pull him up, but it was long enough to tell him he needed to stop playing whatever game he was dabbling in. The jolt of electricity he felt when he clasped her hands shook him to the core, and he knew right then that trying to come on to Crystal would be an act of high stupidity. He was leaving, and she was trouble. End of story. They cleaned and packed up, and he ignored her attempts to engage him in more chatter. Rafael came out of his little pout and jumped back in. So what if she was dead sexy and liked to flirt? So what if every time he saw that hot little pink tongue flick out, all he could think about was what it would feel like inside his mouth—or licking the juice off his cock? He knew three reasons why he couldn’t act on his male need with Crystal, and that was two more than he needed. When the first crickets played their evening song and Rafael’s truck was loaded with gear and leftover food, the absolute last thing Trey expected to fall out of his mouth when Crystal asked him to walk her back to the bunkhouse—alone—was the word yes. Apparently Rafael hadn’t expected it either because his brow furrowed deeper than Trey had ever seen it. “I figured we’d all just

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ride back together,” he said. “Make like we’re drivin’ Crystal off the ranch, then hide her on the floorboards and double back.” “We can wait until no one is looking and take the long way from behind the equipment barn,” she said to Rafael. “I kind of wanted to talk to Trey. You and I took off on our tour and left him, after all. This way, I can get some of his thoughts on ranch living. If you don’t mind?” The flash in his brown eyes suggested that he did indeed mind, but he shrugged and said, “Sure. Whatever. See you guys later.” He hopped in the truck and rode off, and when the dust stopped swirling she turned to Trey and smiled. “Walk a lady home?” Something twinkled in that smile that read ulterior motives, but Trey ignored the warning in the back of his mind and nodded. They made sure no one noticed where they were headed and set out for the barn-sized shed where the main ranch equipment was stored. Once they were behind it, the barn shielded them from view while they walked the rest of the way back. A few stars were quickly joined by others as they made the quarter-mile trek to the old bunkhouse. Crystal stumbled over a small pile of stones, and Trey automatically reached out to steady her. She grabbed hold of his hand and then left it tucked inside his while they walked on. Despite her claim that she’d wanted Trey’s perspective on ranching, they walked in silence. The sound of their breathing and the crunching of footfalls landing in gravelly dust punctuated the quiet, along with the occasional whinny from the horses and the shriek of brown bats in the distance. The air had cooled to a merciful temperature, which was nice for Trey’s long sleeves but soon had Crystal shivering. “Cold?” he asked. She nodded, and he stopped, pulling his hand from hers. Shaking off the thought that this was an awfully Rafael thing to do, he

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unbuttoned his denim shirt. Leaving his V-neck undershirt on—an un-Rafael thing to do—he put the denim shirt around her shoulders. “Thanks,” she said, sticking her arms into the sleeves. “It’s so warm from being on you.” He saw her press the collar to her nose and inhale. “Smells good, too.” His stomach tensed, and he silently congratulated his decision to splash on aftershave. They walked to the far side of the bunkhouse, and when they neared the back door, she finally spoke up. “Could you come inside? I know it sounds weird, but I have this thing about scorpions and I thought I saw one the other night. Plus I want to ask you something.” “There are scorpions around here,” he said, trying not to wonder what she wanted to ask. “Was it black or tan?” “Ugly and mean,” she said. “Color makes a big difference,” he said. “Black ones are poisonous. The others aren’t. We got both kinds in these parts.” “I’d rather not share my bed with either.” He pulled open the door, and rather than ushering her in ladiesfirst, he pulled a small keychain from his pocket and switched on its LED flashlight. He kept the faint beam trained on the ground, letting it sweep back and forth to check for any critters that could pose a problem. “I sleep in my shoes,” she said in a tone that was barely more than a whisper. “And don’t tell Raf, but I haven’t slept on that air mattress he brought. I don’t want to be that close to the floor.” “We didn’t really think of that,” Trey said. “Both of us have slept right out under the stars, but by a campfire most things skitter clear of.” She moved behind him as they crossed into her sleeping area, pressing herself against him. “Please don’t think I’m a total woman for saying this, but it’s pretty creepy lying here at night in the dark.” He twisted to look at her, barely making out her features in the dim light of his LED. “But you are a total woman.” She tilted her head. “I wasn’t sure you’d noticed.”

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“Oh I noticed, all right,” he muttered under his breath. He turned back around, hoping she couldn’t hear his heart picking up pace. He moved faster through the room, the spotlight on the floor sweeping over the dusty floorboards and the air mattress in the corner, but no potentially threatening animals. She stayed glued to his back, and when he stopped near the bathroom, he felt her arms sliding up over his shoulders so she could peer around him. A tingle flared through him at the contact. “I don’t see anythin’,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean somethin’ won’t come creepin’ around durin’ the night. Probably best to follow your instincts about not sleepin’ on that air mattress.” “I just wish I could sleep, period,” she said. Her hands slid down his back, leaving a trail of goose bumps behind before falling away. “I’m not doing much of that.” He frowned. “Why not?” “A couple of reasons.” She took his hand for a moment to guide his mini light toward an old stack of crates where she had some items piled. She walked over to it and snapped up the small flashlight Trey had given her. She pointed the narrow beam carefully at the floor to keep all light away from the windows. “Obviously, I spend a lot of time trying to figure out what the hell happened. It’s been a week, and I haven’t remembered anything. I’m scared, Trey.” He stayed silent. Her voice seemed flat, almost emotionless. Was she really being sincere? She walked past him into the bathroom and sat down on the floor, twisting the flashlight head to widen the beam before setting it down beside her. The angle reflected light off the two nearest walls. “It’s not the most comfortable in here, but I can sit with the light on a bit without worrying about anyone seeing. No windows in here.” He followed her inside while she went on. “The dark never bothered me before, not even when I was a kid. Now, I lie awake at night, staring at the pitch black, trying not to freak out. I mean full-on, hyperventilating panic.”

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Trey wavered for a moment, then sat cross-legged and facing her. His keychain LED light did nothing to enhance the room’s illumination in here, so he clicked it off. “I suppose that’s to be expected, all alone in a strange place.” She shook her head, taking hold of one of her braids and tugging at the rubber band securing the end. “I think it has more to do with why I’m here than being here.” “What do you mean?” The rubber band pulled free, and she dropped it on the floor and started combing her fingers through the braid. Silken waves unraveled that Trey imagined running his hands through. “I’m having nightmares.” He took off his hat and set it on the floor. “You never said anythin’ about nightmares.” “I’ve been trying to make sense of them. Some of them don’t make any sense. But there are others I think aren’t really nightmares. I think they’re memories.” She gave a shudder and started undoing her other braid. “What happens in these nightmares?” She let out a deep sigh. “It’s always dark. So dark. There’s an angry man yelling and threatening me. I can’t make out who he is or what he’s saying. His voice sounds muffled, like it’s coming through a wall or door. And last night I woke up screaming, ‘not in the trunk!’ Not in what trunk? What’s in the trunk?” Her eyes, dim as the lighting was in the space, glittered with something haunted. Desperate. Not in the trunk. Something clicked, and Trey’s spine stiffened. “Raf told me you said somethin’ like that when he was takin’ you to the hospital.” “I did?” He nodded, staring at the paint peeling from the wall behind her. He reached out and took her hands in his, running his thumbs along the backs of her hands and up over the wrist bruises that had faded to

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a faint greenish-brown. “Honey, is it possible you were locked in a trunk?” She shook her head, but he felt her hands clench. “How? I wouldn’t fit in a footlocker. I’m not that tiny.” “You would fit in a car trunk.” Silence stretched for several long moments. She pulled a hand away from him and pressed it to her stomach. “Oh my god,” she whispered. “I don’t know. Maybe. What did I get myself into, Trey? Why don’t I know?” He felt her shiver again, and he moved closer so their cross-legged knees brushed. “Hey,” he said, giving into the desire to stroke her loose waves. “It’s okay. You’re safe now.” She shook her head. “I’m not okay. I didn’t want to admit how much I hate being alone now. You and Raf have done so much more than I deserve, hiding me, taking care of me all night until I got better. Only, there’s part of me that isn’t better yet—the part of me that still knows what’s out there. Nights last forever when you’re scared.” She leaned into his chest so that his nose was pressed against her hair. He held her close while the spiced floral blend of Rafael’s shampoo and Crystal’s sweet scent tingled in his nostrils. Her warmth seeped into his every pore. After a minute she reached her arms around him, too. Without thinking, he kissed the top of her head. “This feels safe,” she said, muffled against his shirt. “This is how I wish I felt when you weren’t here.” The words tore at him. He lifted her chin with a finger until he found her eyes. They were glassy with tears. “You’ll always be safe with me,” he said. “I’d never hurt you. Whatever happened to you, I won’t let it happen again.” He hadn’t meant to seal that promise with a kiss. Her lips were so close, so luscious, and her eyes so full of pleading that he hadn’t been able to resist. The light brush of their mouths sent fire through his loins, but it was her moan that prompted him to turn a brief peck into a passionate embrace. His tongue sought the one he’d been obsessed

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with all afternoon, and the honey he found there set his cock to straining painfully against his fly. Indulging his male lust for Crystal was the last thing he should be doing. Between his reservations about her and the fact that his life in Nevada was about to end, he needed to pull himself out of this mess now. But right now, his want far outweighed that need. He wanted to take away her pain and his own along with it. He wanted to lose himself inside her, pump and lick and stroke until he could forget that she had secrets, and he had another life waiting that he didn’t want before and even less so now. If he could forget all of that for just an hour, then maybe the risk was worth taking.

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Chapter Six Rafael shrugged off his black shirt, hesitated, then put it back on. With a sigh, he leaned his hands on the vacant upper bunk in the ranch hand’s quarters to stop the idiotic pacing his feet had been doing on autopilot since his return from the barbecue. Conflicting thoughts that had been twisting around each other all afternoon pretzeled further while he tried not to imagine why Crystal wanted time alone with Trey. At least Jess wasn’t around to see Rafael’s idiotic display. Since his bunkmate had the following day off, he’d no doubt gone home with his date for the barbecue. He was probably putting it to her right now. He let go of the bunk and wandered over to the nearby window, parting the aluminum mini-blinds. With his lights on, he couldn’t see anything in the darkened window save his own reflection, complete with a furrowed brow and tense jaw. He let go of the metal slats and resumed pacing. Why was he acting this way? He had no claim on Crystal or Trey, regardless of how much of Crystal’s flirting earlier he might have taken seriously. She’d been blatant enough to consider a cock-tease for leaving him to take off with another guy. He’d been infected by her radiant personality, even though he still saw the haunted shadows in her impossibly green eyes. With demons skulking around the edges of her past, acting on his selfish male urges wasn’t where his thoughts should lie. He should be trying to figure out what sort of danger she was in, not adding to her troubles by taking advantage of her vulnerable state.

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Maybe the reason she had acted so brazen today was because she figured the men expected it. Maybe she thought they might turn on her if she didn’t let them use her in exchange for shelter. Rafael’s lip curled at the thought. Did she really think he and Trey were just two big horn dogs to placate? Then again, he’d told her as much about cowboys at the hospital. Rafael padded in bare feet across the beige industrial carpet to his chest of drawers. It was nearly nine o’clock, approaching critical mass for a cow hand whose day began at four a.m. He should just go to sleep. Maybe the two thoughts that were twisting around each other in a giant knot might give it a rest. The first thought was that he was jealous Crystal might be attracted to Trey and not him. The second was that he was jealous Trey might be attracted to Crystal, not him. Damn, he was screwed up. Rafael felt honest desire for Crystal, the kind that made his balls ache on the nights he thought of her luscious curves and sensual smile. But then were the nights he’d tried not to think about the way Trey’s biceps bulged while he lay on his back on the bunk across from his. Or the way he often slept with one leg straight and the other bent so his knee hung off the bed, stretching his flannel bottoms tight across his amply-endowed crotch. Or the times he’d had to turn away when Trey dropped those bottoms without a thought, walking naked to the bathroom for a shower. So yes, Crystal had caught his sensual imagination, but Trey had already held it captive for months. Now, both of his fantasies were together, alone. He grimaced. So what? It wasn’t the first time Trey had been alone with Crystal. He yanked open his drawer and pulled out red cotton drawstring sleep pants, which he lay wadded up on top of the bureau while he unbuttoned his jeans. Trey and Crystal were probably just talking. Hell, maybe they were talking about him. Maybe Crystal wanted

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Rafael and was asking Trey’s advice. Or maybe Trey wasn’t even with her. He might be on his way back. Rafael re-buttoned his jeans and grabbed his boots, stuffing his feet inside them without socks. There was one way to put his mind at ease. He’d just pop in at the bunkhouse, see for himself that nothing was going on, then come back and get some damn sleep. Maybe something could go on if Crystal was alone, something that might help Rafael get over his useless attraction to Trey before it fucked up their friendship. The temperature had dropped enough to see his breath while he crunched through the gravel outside. The almost-full moon sat at his back, outlining him in long shadows that pointed the way to the bunkhouse. No sign of activity. Crystal might be asleep, or she and Trey could be quietly talking. He usually announced himself upon entering the bunkhouse in case Crystal was indisposed. Instead, he pulled the door open as quietly as he could and stepped inside before closing it gently behind him. He stood there silent, blinking while he waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Within seconds, moonlight spilling in through the windows became his guide. He crept toe-heel through the space and into the sleeping area. Crystal was not on her air mattress or the bunk, but light spilled in from the bathroom adjacent. He paused, feeling like a sleazy cad for sneaking in on a woman who was probably trying to relieve herself. The proper thing would be to make his presence known now. He was about to clear his throat when a sound caught his attention. He cocked his head and listened, not something he was ordinarily inclined to do to someone inside a restroom. But this sound had intrigued him. It sounded like a soft, feminine groan. The sound came again—Crystal moaning softly, along with some muffled, shifting sounds. Rafael’s cock twinged at the erotic noise, and he felt his stomach grow warm. An image flashed of Crystal lying

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in the claw-foot bathtub, relaxing with her head tipped back and her hands moving beneath soapy water. Fuck, yeah. A faint smile stretched his taut face at the thought. He couldn’t turn away from that image, nor did he want to interrupt it by giving himself away just yet. Color him the sleazy cad he’d tried to rise above moments ago, but curiosity flared. He just had to take a peek and see what she was doing. Maybe offer his help. A creak in the floorboards announced Rafael’s presence in the doorway just as a husky male groan announced Trey’s. He and Crystal were sitting on the bathroom floor, clutched together in a passionate kiss illuminated by a flashlight. It highlighted for Rafael just how wrong he’d been about her interest in him. How right he’d been to suspect something was going on. The creak under his boot made the pair’s heads whip toward the doorway, and Crystal all but flew backwards away from Trey. “Raf,” she said, sounding equally alarmed and breathless. “You scared the hell out of me.” “Yeah,” Trey said. “Don’t you knock when a lady is in the bathroom?” “Like you’re givin’ any thought to her bathroom privacy?” He shouldn’t be shocked, considering the suspicions he’d paced around with. Yet seeing it firsthand sent rejection through his gut like a flaming arrow. “I didn’t realize this is what goes on durin’ your shifts with Crystal,” he said to Trey, who was staring at him through the eerie illumination with an unreadable expression. To her he added, “Damn stupid of me not to realize you were just usin’ me this afternoon to get his attention.” “That’s not true,” she said, getting to her feet. “Save it,” he said, turning on his heel and stalking back through the sleeping area. He hadn’t gone three steps before he felt her pull on the back of his shirt. When he slowed slightly, she raced in front of him to cut him off.

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“Please, Rafael,” she said. “I do have feelings for you. That’s something you might as well both hear right now. I’m extremely attracted to you.” His laugh bordered on incredulous, and he let his voice fall into a sarcastic cowboy drawl. “That so, ma’am? You shore have a funny way of showin’ it.” He saw Trey’s silhouette in the bathroom doorway, but ignored him. “I don’t suppose you’d believe I was about to break off that kiss and admit I’m having confused feelings about you both?” she asked. He sniffed. “Yeah, it really looked like you were wagin’ a tough internal battle over me while he had his tongue in your mouth.” Rafael stepped around Crystal and put his hands on his hips. “I don’t suppose she bothered to tell you she and I have kissed, too? More than once.” “When she was delirious,” Trey said. “She tried that with me, too.” “No, ass. She kissed me while we were in the hospital parkin’ lot waitin’ for you to drive up.” “On the cheek,” she said. “You kissed me again, on the lips.” He shot her a hard look. “Not that you fought me. So much for your claim about bein’ attracted to me. That comment casts the decidin’ vote, doesn’t it?” For the second time he turned on his heel, but this time she caught him by the front of his shirt and pulled him to her. Her lips found his in the dark, and he felt her smooth hand caress his cheek. Although he closed his fists to restrain his desire, he couldn’t conjure up the will to break free. The feel of her hot mouth coupled with the thought of Trey’s taste on her lips aroused him enough to elicit a groan. He deepened the kiss and let his tongue wander along the join between her lips. She pulled away but held onto his shirt. “I know neither of you trusts me, and I guess I can’t blame you for that. But please believe

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me on this. Will you just come into the bathroom so we can talk where the light is a little better? Please?” With a grumbled sigh he followed her into the bathroom. Trey stepped aside to let her past, but moved into the doorway again when Rafael tried to enter. “I’m sorry,” Trey said. “This wasn’t what I was expectin’, either.” “What? That I’d catch you at it?” Trey’s heavily shadowed face darkened further. “That this happened at all. Believe me, it’s the last thing I had in mind tonight.” Rafael set his still-clenched fists on his hips. “I’ll bet. From the way you stare at her all the time, I’ll bet you were wagin’ a tough internal battle over me—I mean, her.” “Guys, please,” she said, motioning to the floor. “I want to explain.” Rafael pushed his way past Trey, ignoring the tingle ignited by the man’s flesh brushing his. He stepped over the flashlight and leaned against the far wall. “Fine. Explain.” She stood in a similar wall-pose a few feet away, folding her arms under her breasts. He noticed she wore Trey’s blue denim shirt and shrugged off the thought of what he’d have seen had he walked in twenty minutes later. Trey kept his spot in the doorway, and although he tried to lean casually against the door frame Rafael could see his eyes darting around in the dark, as though he were deciding whether to make a break for it. “I know how this looks,” Crystal said, her voice echoing in the space between them. “I know how this must make me look. But damn it, this is really you guys’ faults.” Rafael laughed. “Not quite the grovelin’ apology I was expectin’.” She let out an exasperated sigh and dragged her hand through the hair that was no longer braided, but hanging down in exaggerated chestnut waves unlike her usual straight, silken locks.

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“I’m not stupid,” she said. “You said you’ve seen how Trey looks at me.” Trey shifted uncomfortably in the doorway. “I’ve noticed, too. And I’ve seen how you look at me. You both stare at me like you want to strip me naked and devour me.” Rafael swallowed. “While one of you hasn’t been quite as open about that attraction”—she cast a quick glance at Trey—“the chemistry between us isn’t a big secret. Apparently, not even between the two of you. I haven’t tried to pretend I don’t find myself aroused around both of you. I do. I’ve got plenty going on in my life right now that keeps me awake at night, and I confess that one of those things is my confusion over wanting two men at the same time.” “Sounds like you’ve got a choice to make,” Trey said. “But that choice should be Raf.” Rafael shot him a wide-eyed look. When he glanced back at Crystal, he could see a glimmer of disappointment. “Why is that?” she asked. “Because I’m not gonna be”—Trey paused and flashed an odd look at Rafael—“I mean, it just seems like Raf would take this too hard otherwise.” Rafael pushed away from the wall. “Oh, no, you don’t. Don’t pull that sacrificial lamb shit with me. I thought we broke you to saddle on that when I helped you out of that corporate shithole job?” He slicked back his hair and stared at the ceiling that was shrouded in misty darkness. “She shouldn’t be involved with me by default. She shouldn’t be involved with either of us. We should be dealin’ with bigger problems right now than which bed she hops into.” “Wow,” she said, her voice laced with heavy sarcasm. “Men do love to turn tail and run when a woman expresses her feelings. Rope a steer, no problem. Ride a bucking bronco, sure. Deal with a woman saying ‘let’s talk’? Hell, no. I thought cowboys like a challenge?” “Raf’s right,” Trey said, taking a couple of steps into the room. “But not only because of your current issues. He and I are friends.

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Best friends.” Trey’s blue eyes flashed at Rafael, who felt his pulse skip for a moment. “I’m sorry, darlin’, but I just don’t believe grown men should let a woman get between that. Not even one as attractive as you.” Rafael stared at him, comparing himself to Trey during this rare moment of solidarity. Trey stood in his undershirt, too, the muscles of his chest straining the soft white cotton fabric. His hands were set on slim hips in the same exact pose Rafael currently held. Crystal’s eyes flicked between the two men, and Rafael wondered whether she was noticing the bookend effect, too. “Let me get this straight,” she said. “We started this confrontation because both of you want me. Now you’re ending it by saying neither of you want me?” “That’s not it,” Trey said. “There’s more to this than appeasin’ our sexual appetites.” “Who says?” A flame of indignation burned in her green eyes. “We’re adults. So what if we have shit going on in our lives? Did it occur to you that maybe I’m looking for a way to forget that drama for a while? An hour or so where I can feel safe and not worry about who’s hunting me down or what critter is about to slither up my leg? Sex doesn’t have to be about undying commitment, you know. Sometimes it’s just comfort food.” Both men stared at her. Rafael cleared his throat and spoke first. “So your feelins’ for us are because you want us for a midnight snack?” “No.” She leaned back against the wall. “I wouldn’t want you this bad if it were just that, regardless of the bad place I’m at. I just mean there’s no need to be overly chivalrous. We could probably all stand to blow off a little tension. It doesn’t have to be steeped in angst.” “Our lives are rather steeped in angst at the moment,” Trey said. “Tough to divide a relationship from life.” She shook her head. “There’s no reason why we can’t.”

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Rafael sucked in a deep breath. “Which brings us back to the problem of you choosin’ one of us.” “Which brings me back to the problem of how this is all your fault,” she said. “I mean, look at the two of you.” The men exchanged questioning glances, and for the first time Trey seemed to notice their stances. He immediately dropped his arms to his sides. “Consider my side of things,” she went on. “There I was, lost and probably dying. Then you two ride up like textbook heroes—both of you. Together, you saved me. Together, you brought me back here and took turns taking care of me. Together, you busted me out of a hospital. And together, you’ve kept the secret of my being here. Together, you work this ranch and, might I add, look so damned sexy doing it that I can’t keep my head on straight.” She paused for a moment, her wild eyes holding each of theirs in turn. “You’re both kind and wonderful, charming and funny and beyond gorgeous. How do you expect me to separate the two of you when you’re inseparable?” Rafael let out a laugh. “Sorry we’re so damned irresistible that you can’t choose. Why not just have it both ways and do us together?” He meant it as nothing more than an absurd joke, but the moment the words were out, Rafael felt a twinge in his gut and an increase in his pulse. He kept his eyes focused on Crystal but was keenly aware of Trey from the edge of his vision. The silence between them spanned long enough that he expected Crystal to stroll up any second and slap him square in the face. He probably had that coming. Instead, she surprised him by letting out a giggle that Trey actually echoed. “Yeah,” she said, in a light, joking tone. “I’ll bet it would be damned hot, two cowboys stripped naked with me running my hands over your hard, rocked chests. Making you both moan and climax together just the way you do everything else together. Oh, Trey,” she

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said in a smoky, faux seductive voice that was a bit too convincing. “Oh, Raf. Holy shit.” In that instant, the mood in the room transformed. The air thickened, and the stares between the trio heated. He licked suddenly dry lips. “Holy shit is right,” he said, his voice cracking just a bit. She met his eyes and the slow, sultry smile that crept up one side of her beautiful face sent a tickle of longing through his gut and all the way down to his toes. From the corner of his eye he could see that Trey hadn’t moved a muscle. He stood as rigid as a statue. Rafael was afraid to look at him, afraid to see the disgust no doubt welling in his eyes at the thought of his body and Rafael’s both aroused and pleasuring a woman at the same time. Brushing against one another’s skin from time to time. Or maybe giving into consensual touching, Rafael stroking the cock he knew was impressive from the morning hard-ons he dutifully shifted his gaze away from. Trey finally seemed to remember he had a voice. “What do you mean, like a threesome?” “The proper term is ménage,” Rafael said, finally venturing a look at the other man. Trey wore a genuinely puzzled expression. Puzzled was a big step up from disgusted, so that was something at least. “You’re up on the term?” “I tried it once before,” Rafael said. Trey shot him a shocked look. “You? When?” Rafael shrugged. “Back in college.” “I knew you in college. You never said anythin’ about a ménage.” “It was before we met.” Not long before, in truth. It had been two drunk coeds, not two guys and an incredibly erotic woman. Fuck, the idea got more intriguing the longer Rafael held onto hope. He saw several expressions flicker across Trey’s face, and then he eyed Crystal with obvious heat. “When”—he paused and turned to Rafael—“if, I mean, how would we?”

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Rafael raised a brow. “How? Land alive, boy, don’t tell me I have to school you in the birds and the bees the way I taught you ranchin’?” “Screw you.” Let’s tame one wild mustang at a time, cowboy, Rafael thought, but the smile he couldn’t stop from sliding up his face hit its mark. Trey’s eyes narrowed, but with the usual empty threat Rafael knew well. With that, Trey peeled off his shirt and threw it to the floor like a gauntlet of challenge. His pecs flexed impressively, even in the awkward light. “Watch and learn, greenhorn,” he said “You might just learn somethin’ about the birds and the bees.” Rafael’s heart shot into rapid fire and his grin shot wider. He tugged his own shirt off as fast as he could manage. “You’re on.” When Rafael turned to Crystal, her eyes had gone canyon-wide and were glazed with shock. “Really?” she whispered. He took one step toward her. “How about it, sugar? Think you can lasso two cowboy heroes with one rope?” Green eyes flashed, but the twitch of a tiny smile lit the corners of her full lips. “Don’t call me sugar.” “What do you want me to call you?” He took another step. She held his gaze. “I’ll let you know.” “Ahem,” Trey said. “I believe there are two stallions in this corral?” “Then don’t be shy,” Rafael said. “Jump on in. If Crystal’s game?” “Crystal is more than ready to tame you both,” she said. Still, she took two steps back. Rafael paused and waited for her cue, feeling the hair on his arm stand on end when Trey came up beside and brushed lightly against him. Damn, the man’s flesh felt hot, even standing shirtless in the cool air of the bathroom. He was aware of the quick look Trey flashed him, but couldn’t bring himself to glance back. Every nerve hummed

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in anticipation, yet also the worry that one wrong move might tip his hand too fast about his lust for the man next to him. He had to control himself, though this moment already exceeded his dreams. Crystal stared at both men in turn, then glanced down to watch herself unbutton the blouse beneath Trey’s shirt, which hung open. Her tongue flicked out over her lips while she untied the knotted ends of her blouse, and Rafael felt his cock thicken along the leg of his jeans in the span of a few seconds. He flashed back to how innocent she looked, vulnerable and helpless lying in the desert. Not so the take-charge hot vixen before him. Every nuance of her expression, every slight motion seemed carefully orchestrated to heighten his pleasure and make him her sexual lap dog. And oh, he would go willingly. With a small smile, Crystal shrugged both shirts off together and allowed them to land in a heap on the floor behind her. The rounded mounds of flesh peeking from her bra was a sight he’d seen before— even touched, with every effort to keep bad boy thoughts neutral about it—but this was wholly different. This sight of her tits swelled his erection until it practically shouted at him to shuck off the denim pressed painfully against it. Then Trey laid a warm hand on Rafael’s tense shoulder, and he jerked back with a shocked moan. “Jesus,” Trey whispered. “We’re really going to do this?” And a lot more you didn’t bargain for if you don’t move that hand, Rafael fought the urge to say. The hand slid away, brushing down his arm for a moment on the way down. The touch was electric and sent a stab of pleasure through his cock. He had to move now before he did something stupid. Rafael stepped toward Crystal, whose hands were bent behind her back while she reached to unhook her bra. “Best not to tease a wild bull,” he said, sliding a hand down below his belt to rub against the thick bulge beneath it.

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“I thought you were a horse,” she said, glancing down to watch him stroke himself through his jeans. “I was hoping that was a hint about the way you’re hung.” “I don’t think you’ll be disappointed,” he said, but when he reached a hand toward her she slapped it playfully and stepped back. “Patience, cowboy. Girls like their men to last a while.” He stepped back, and when he saw Trey’s hand doing the exact same thing as his own, Rafael stumbled over the propped-up flashlight. It went skittering into a corner, its illumination gyrating wildly like a nightclub light show before pointing into the hall. They were largely plunged into darkness. “Hope you’re not this clumsy in bed,” Trey said, walking over to grab the light and prop it in the corner. Light tilted on itself and spilled back into the sexually charged room. Crystal still had her hands behind her back, but as soon as the spot light was back on her she dropped them and her bra slid down her arms. God, her breasts were perfect—round and soft looking, yet full and high. Beneath them, her flat stomach disappeared beneath the white jeans Rafael ached to tear off of her. Her knowing gaze told him she knew just what he was thinking and was prepared to make him wait for it. She slid her hands over her waist and upward to cup her breasts, pinching each rosy pink nipple bud between her slender fingers. She closed her eyes and let out a little sigh-moan that nearly undid him. She was teasing the hell out of him, and he was growing more desperate by the moment. Fine. Two could play this game. Hell, three could play it even better. Rafael slid both his hands down his pant leg, smoothing the denim just around the outline of his throbbing cock to show her just how much horsepower she’d be getting. He was gratified to note the widening of her eyes in response, so for good measure he began making long, deliberate passes with his palm over its length. He leaned his head back and allowed the sensation to fill him, reveling in the way her eyes greedily watched him rub himself while she did the

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same. He imagined her jeans growing damp with need, and her tight, hot pussy throbbing for him the way his cock jumped for her now. A prickle along the back of his neck brought his awareness back to the partner next to him, and he glanced over to see Trey’s eyes on Rafael’s crotch while his hand moved rhythmically over his own. Crystal sucked in a gasp and moved one hand lower, dipping past her navel to slide in between her long, shapely legs. Trey’s throaty moan brought Rafael’s attention back, and Trey’s gaze met his. Even in the dimness his blue eyes were clouded with a passion Rafael couldn’t tear loose from while both men stroked themselves almost in perfect tune with one another. Rafael broke rhythm to work the buttons of his fly, still keeping his eyes focused on Trey. He knew Trey was watching for his cue in this challenge, so he could match him move for move to drive Crystal insane. Her rapid, shallow breaths were audible from several feet away, indicating the plan was working. Perhaps knowing Trey’s intent was to turn her on made it easier to hold the man’s stare while Rafael released his cock from its denim restraint. Still, he wished those lust-filled eyes were because his own actions were turning Trey on. The thought heightened his need and egged him on for the next step. Instead of feeling the chill of the room when he kicked off his boots and dropped his pants, heat rushed through his thighs as he stood naked and barefoot in front of the others. His cock jutted out, bobbing in his hand while he jacked it off in slow, elongated strokes that took every ounce of discipline to maintain. He desperately wanted to bury himself deep inside a hot mouth or willing pussy. When Trey’s trembling fingers fumbled with his own belt, Rafael fought the urge to speed up his strokes—or better yet, race to the other man’s aid and free that cock himself. When Trey’s eyes dipped to Rafael’s hand, Rafael reached the other one down to run a light hand across his testicles. Fuck, it felt like heaven to have Trey watching while he masturbated.

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Finally, when Trey’s red cock all but erupted from tight jeans that fell around his ankles, Rafael closed his eyes for a moment and tugged downward on the balls that had suddenly tightened with the need to explode. When he regained enough control to reopen his eyes, they watched with hypnotic fascination as Trey’s large, powerful hand matched Rafael’s rhythm stroke for stroke over his own thick cock. When their eyes met this time, Rafael couldn’t gauge the emotions he saw swirling there. After a brief, but weighty moment filled with moans and the slapping sounds of their hands hitting pelvic bones, Trey shifted his eyes to Crystal. Rafael’s followed to find she was alternating between staring at the men’s hand motions and tossing her head back while she worked her hand at a faster pace over her pussy. “Good god,” she said the next time she looked up to see them staring at her. “You are both so damn magnificent I want to come just watching you.” “No way,” Rafael said, trying another step forward. “We showed you ours.” He glanced pointedly at her jeans to fill in the rest. Trey moved beside him again, and together the pair advanced on her. She dropped her hands and backed away, but this time in a motion that beguiled and encouraged them forward. She stopped when her back hit the wall, and both men silently stopped in front of her. They worked the fly on her pants, each taking hold of the waistband on either side of her and sliding the pants down. She gripped their shoulders for support while she stepped out of her remaining clothes. “Fuck,” Trey said, “you’ve got a sexy pussy.” Rafael nodded agreement. It was trimmed and neat and smelled like sweet musk. Then the three of them were naked and pressed together, and like one fluid sexual machine, they moved into a unified rhythm. Trey claimed her lips, turning her head and standing slightly to one side while Rafael bent over to run his tongue across her breasts. She tasted salty from her day on the ranch with him, and with

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a moan, he captured a nipple and rolled it around his tongue. She let out an almost anguished gasp from between Trey’s lips. Rafael slid a hand down her stomach to find Trey’s hand already there, stroking the dark curls at the join between her thighs. She moaned approval while he allowed his fingers to twine together with Trey’s for a moment, then dipped down to find her clit swollen and hot. “Two pairs of hands on me feels so fucking incredible,” she said. Her legs wobbled a moment, and both men instinctively pressed forward to support her against the wall. Rafael moved to claim her other nipple with his mouth, replacing the abandoned one with his free hand and being rewarded with the delicious sensation of Trey’s heated chest and upper abdomen pressed against the back of Rafael’s head. Rafael worked his finger in circles over her clit until her moans became as rhythmic as the men’s motions. When Rafael felt Trey’s hand slide beneath his, he moved a bit so Trey could dip a finger inside her pussy. She gasped and bucked against them, and after stiffening for a brief moment, their filly went wild. “Oh Trey, Raf,” she said. “I don’t want to come yet—I want to come with you fucking me.” “Oh, you’re going to come,” Trey said. “Now. Then you’ll come again while you’re gettin’ fucked.” She cried out and came in their arms, calling out so loudly that Trey clamped his mouth over hers to drown out the orgasmic shout that might alert half the ranch to her presence. Rafael wasn’t finished with her yet—he wanted to slide down and replace Trey’s hand with his own tongue—but Trey’s patience abruptly ended. With an animal grunt, he nudged Rafael aside and lifted Crystal against the wall. He thrust into her in a single powerful motion, making her eyes roll back and sending another anguished cry from her throat. Her breasts bobbed deliciously while Trey fucked her, one hand on the wall and the other gripping her ass to hold her in place. Rafael let his eyes rake over Trey’s flexing, muscular form, wishing he could move behind him and rub his cock along the cleft of

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his taut, round ass while reaching around to grab Crystal’s jiggling breasts. Instead, he stayed to one side, pressing his cock against her hip and sliding the flat of his hand back and forth over the hard peaks of her nipples. He took hold of the back of her head with his other hand and turned her face to his, claiming her lips and dipping his tongue deep into her willing mouth. “God, you taste good,” he whispered against her, and it wasn’t only because of the clover-sweet tang of her breath. He could taste Trey on her, smell his musky scent mingled with hers. The union of both reeled his senses, and his cock demanded that it no longer be left out of proceedings. He moved the hand working her breasts to wrap around his cock, pulling his hand all the way over the tip and shoving down to the base. He moaned and swirled his tongue around Crystal’s faster, feeling the delightful sizzle that ran from the tip of his tongue all the way down to the testicles that had grown heavy and pulled up against his body. “Don’t stop,” she said, and he wondered for a moment what she meant. “My breasts,” she went on, her voice jerky with the motion of Trey’s thrusts. “Please, Rafael. Your hand feels so fucking good rubbing me.” Trey growled and pumped harder. Rafael released his erection immediately and complied, rubbing both breasts in turn while he pressed his hard length against her. Her thighs were wrapped around Trey’s back and too high up to shove his cock against, leaving just the side of her perfectly curved hip when it dipped low enough on Trey’s backward stroke for Rafael’s swollen organ to seek relief against. His hand fisted the hair on the back of her head tighter, and he thrust his hips forward to find a contact point to bring the orgasm he no longer had the patience to wait for. His entire body was tense, and his balls ached for release. He let out a groan against Crystal’s mouth that was part desire, part frustration. He felt her try and reach down between them, but the angle was too awkward for her to grasp him. She responded by thrusting her tongue around his mouth with renewed

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vigor, making fucking strokes alternating with sucking motions as though she were sucking his cock, rather than his tongue. He tensed up and shoved himself against her in desperation, feeling his cock slide against the slick sweat of their bodies, then fall away again when Trey’s pumping took her out of his range. Suddenly, Trey seemed to shake himself out of sexual hypnosis enough to grasp Rafael’s predicament. He shifted his body to try and give Rafael a better angle, and when that proved fruitless the man changed hands to free the one that was hanging onto Crystal. Trey reached around and with a slap that sent a jolt through Rafael, grabbed hold of his ass and forced the man closer. “Jesus,” Rafael cried out at the feel of Trey’s powerful hand hitting at the same moment his cock thrust against the copulating pair. Trey’s hot palm and the momentary stinging slap on his ass shoved Rafael over the edge. He felt a hot rush of semen charge up his cock. His cream exploded with an orgasm that forced him back from Crystal’s sweet lips to shout profanities. She slapped a hand over his mouth to silence them. Then she tensed up and stifled an orgasmic cry of her own. Rafael pulled her hand off his mouth and devoured her lips to swallow the sound of her ecstasy. “Fuck, I’m comin’,” Trey said, pistoning his hips against Crystal while Rafael’s cock finished spraying its load. The declaration on Trey’s lips revived Rafael’s orgasm, however, and he felt a fresh burst of wet juice spend itself on Crystal’s slippery skin. The moan that followed was one Rafael would have liked to muffle with his lips, but he pulled away from Crystal’s mouth and let her do the honors of kissing Trey into silence while he shot himself deep inside her. He rocked against her for several long moments, Rafael watching their tongues dance in and out of each other’s mouth as they finished coming. Finally their motions slowed, and the sounds of their breathing fell into sync. Trey lowered Crystal and everyone’s hands lowered from one another, though none made a move to separate completely.

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“Holy blazin’ hell,” Trey said at last. “Yep,” Rafael added. All Crystal managed was a nod, followed by leaning her head against Trey’s chest and reaching a hand over to rake her fingers through Rafael’s damp hair. He was the one to pull away first, looking around to locate a washrag slung over the edge of the bathtub. A perfunctory, yet odd silence descended while he and Trey took turns washing sweat and fluids off Crystal, then themselves. Rafael stopped short of offering to help Trey clean off. The silence continued while the three of them dressed, and when they were finished, they stopped and looked at one another. After a long moment, Crystal smiled. “Holy blazing hell.” “Yep,” Trey said. “Like I said.” Rafael broke into a grin, and the tension building between them erupted in laughter. “So what now?” Crystal said, picking up her flashlight. Peering down the barrel shot light up against her face, casting her in an almost sinister glow that reminded Rafael of telling ghost stories with his siblings around a campfire. “Back to business as usual,” Rafael said, “with one important difference.” He strolled up to Crystal and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. “You get to have us help you in a new and hopefully improved way.” He glanced over at Trey, who again stood framed by the bathroom doorway. “And we get to continue our best-friend status.” Trey grunted. “That’s two differences, whiz kid.” Rafael shrugged. “Yeah, well, you were the corporate math whiz.” The men shared a smile and Rafael breathed an inward sigh of relief at the return of their usual banter. He’d hoped things wouldn’t get weird after this, especially since things had gotten a bit personal between the two of them. Trey had just thought he was lending a hand, so to speak, to help Rafael get a better angle. He had no idea

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how his hand on Rafael’s ass had been the final trigger for an explosive orgasm. Had Trey enjoyed that brief interaction as well? Would he open himself up to exploring some other sexual possibilities that would be just as new to Rafael? Those thoughts, coupled with anticipation of the next opportunity to be with Crystal, accompanied Rafael all through the trio’s whispered plans for the night and following day and into his bunk, where he stared up at the coil springs above him and smiled as though he were viewing a starry, endless sky.

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Chapter Seven Crystal woke with a smile on her lips for the first time since before her surreal nightmare had begun. Some of that had to do with the smoldering brown eyes belonging to the cowboy kneeling at her bedside. “Don’t say a word,” he said. “Close your eyes and tell me.” She sighed, wishing that Rafael had something else in mind after last night besides waking her up the same way he’d done the past few days. “I can’t remember.” “Did you dream?” “Yes.” “The nightmare?” She nodded. “Think, Crystal. Any detail you can, while it’s still fresh.” “The nightmare was hours ago.” “Try anyway.” She twisted her face down to snug into her pillow, dimming the view so she could try to project an image of her dream onto the inside of her eyelids. “It was dark. I”—she hesitated as a swirling memory tried to take shape—“I wanted to get out.” “Get out of where? Where are you?” She squeezed her eyes shut and fisted her pillowcase with one hand. “I don’t know.” “Is he there?”

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She shook her head, though honestly she couldn’t tell whether the man was there or not. All she remembered was the dark. “I’m sorry,” she said muffled into the pillow. “I can’t do it. I’m too dense. This must be so damned frustrating for you.” “You’re not dense.” She felt him stroke her hair. “We’ll keep tryin’. One of these times we’ll catch the dream before it gets away.” With another sigh, she turned her head and opened her eyes to his freshly shaved face. He wasn’t wearing his hat, but he had on a Western shirt in a shade of light brown that brought out his eyes and made her smile. “Good mornin’, beautiful.” Rafael’s return smile made her heart do a little skip. “Or should I leave out ‘beautiful’ and just say ‘Crystal’? I know how you hate bein’ called nicknames.” “Say ‘Crystal’ and tell me I look beautiful, even if I know it’s a bold-faced lie this early in the morning.” She rubbed her eyes and stretched, turning her head away when she realized her morning breath was no doubt even more hideous than her bed hair. A glance at the window told her the day was overcast, but that early morning light had washed itself across the sky some time before. “Aren’t you late for work?” she asked, pushing herself up on one elbow. “Already been out and watered the herd,” he said. “Trey’s finishin’ up breakfast. Speakin’ of which…” He trailed off and produced a paper plate heaped with food. She inhaled and offered a grateful smile. “That bacon smells like heaven. Thank you.” She pushed aside the top of her sleeping bag and sat up, tugging down the oversized T-shirt that had hiked its way up her hips. Soreness throbbed in her thigh muscles and other places that hadn’t been in service for a while—and never while up against a wall. She smoothed her hair and patted the space beside her. He sat, handing

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over the plate. She grabbed the plastic fork jabbed into a pancake and used it to stab a piece of scrambled egg. “Looks great. How is it?” He shrugged. “I’m sure it is great. Cook makes great cowboy fare.” “You didn’t eat any?” “I wanted to get this to you while I had a minute to slip away.” She picked up a barely warm slice of bacon and held it to his lips. “That won’t do. You can hardly work a cattle ranch with nothing in your stomach.” He let her feed him a bite of the bacon, but pushed the rest back to her and licked grease from his lips. “You’re the one who was sunbathin’ in the desert. We have to rebuild your strength.” She nudged him with an elbow and finished chewing her egg. “That was over a week ago. And my strength was just fine until you two worked me over last night. I’m lucky I can lift a finger today.” His eyes lit with knowing flame. “Mighty sorry we went so hard on you, ma’am.” “You were hard, all right. Impressively.” She was sawing into a flapjack when an image of the previous night lashed to mind, lighting her cheeks. “I’m the one who should apologize. You got the short end of things last night, which by the way is not a reference to your stallion-sized lasso.” He grinned. “I held my own just fine.” She set the plate down on the other side of her. “The way I remember it, you weren’t holding your own at all. Some selfish woman made you hold both of hers.” “Trey stepped in to pinch hit, sort of.” “Which was unbelievably hot, by the way. Pushed me right to the edge.” She waggled a brow at him. “You looked like you enjoyed it, too.” He eyed her, but shrugged. “A cowboy gets the job done however he can.”

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Already she was aching for more of him. She wished Trey was there, too. Nevertheless, Rafael was more than enough for any woman to wake up to. She reached a hand out to finger the pipe trim edging the western yoke of his faded brown shirt. “We could take that pinch hit and turn it into a home run right now.” Her hand moved lower, stroking down his stomach past the antiqued buckle on his dark brown denims. She found his cock already straining along the left leg, right where she’d watched him stroke it through the fabric last night. Shit, the man knew just what buttons to press to get her hot without laying a single finger on her. His eyes fluttered close with a sexy little growl in the back of his throat. He put his hand over hers, helping her press down to rub his rigid bulge. Her stomach grew warm, and she groped his erection eagerly. She leaned over to press her lips over his, tasting the salty tang of bacon when her tongue sought entrance. He opened, and her stomach gave a twitch of pleasure when his talented tongue teased hers. His hand smoothed over her shoulder and came to rest on the upper swell of her breast, bare beneath the thin T-shirt. With a groan, she wiggled her upper body to try and force his hand against the nipple that was already stiff and aching for his touch. To her disappointment, however, he gave a little laugh against her mouth and pulled away. “If we start that now, I will be late for work.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “But I definitely want to help you break in that air mattress later. Since you haven’t been usin’ it for anythin’ else.” Her pussy was moist and throbbing for him, and it was only with reluctance that she let go of his cock. She took a deep breath to calm her overactive libido. “I can’t sleep as it is without worrying about scorpions creeping over me.” “What is it with you and scorpions?” She shrugged. “They have always freaked me out.” He shook his head. “Sorry. It’s my fault.”

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“My scorpion fear is your fault?” “No. I should have gotten you a twin-sized air mattress that we could have set up on the bunk.” He frowned and pushed down on the blankets and sleeping bags he and Trey layered as makeshift padding to cushion the bunk’s springs. She nudged him. “Maybe the queen-size was part of your master scheme to seduce me.” He snorted. “Might be.” Her smile slipped. “You don’t think Trey would be upset at what we almost just did while he wasn’t here?” Rafael sighed, seeming to think back to what he’d stumbled on the previous night. “Hopefully not. I’ll admit, I was jokin’ when I suggested doin’ both of us together. Still, if we keep things simple, it solves the problem damn nicely.” “Just as long as neither of you get jealous if I spend time with the other. Trey was right, Rafael. Your friendship is too important for me to spoil because I can’t keep my hands off either of you.” He tossed her a glance. “I just hope you won’t be dividin’ your affections all the time. It was a huge turn on to be together like that last night.” “Ménage has my vote for sure,” she said, adding a wicked glimmer in her gaze for good measure. “I’d never considered two guys before. It was even better than how I’d fantasized it could be with you.” He raised a brow. “You fantasized about me?” She nodded. “Oh, yeah. I’m just not sure how it works now. You said you did this before. How did you handle things?” He shook his head. “I never did this before. I had a one-night wild ride spurred by too much booze at a frat party. So this part’s as new to me as it is to you guys.” She studied his face for a moment. “Can I ask you something? Personal, I mean.”

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He shifted on the bunk to face her. “We’ve been about as personal as two people can get.” “You barely know me. So if this is too nosy just tell me to shut up.” “I would never tell a lady to shut up. I know you think I don’t trust you, but that’s not true. Trey needs ground work to build up trust. I give folks a chance up front to do right by my trust. Still, a man would be well advised not to cross me.” “And what about a woman that crosses you?” His dark eyes narrowed. “Plannin’ on crossin’ me?” She shook her head quickly. “No, but the look in your eyes when you found me with Trey last night suggested I already had.” He shrugged. “That’s over now. Like I said, we solved that damn nicely.” “Did we?” She laid a hand on his sleeve. “Are you really okay seeing me with Trey?” “I’m fine seein’ you and Trey.” “But are you all right seeing me with Trey?” He frowned. “What?” She tucked her hands between her thighs. “This is the part where you can tell me to shut up, but I’m pretty good at people watching. When I watch the two of you, I see something that looks deeper than friendship.” He glanced at her. “I don’t know what you mean.” “I’ve seen glances when you think he’s not looking. And you were into each other last night. Trey doesn’t put his feelings out on display, but you do.” Rafael’s gaze sharpened, and she winced a bit. “Maybe I’m still half-baked from my time in the desert, but I wondered whether you were more upset that Trey was with someone last night than that I was.” “You’re sayin’ I’m lyin’ about you bein’ with him?” “I’m saying maybe part of you wants to be with him, too.”

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She held her arms stiff against her body, waiting for him to call her crazy and bellow out a stream of denial. He sat frozen for a moment, blinking. Then he said, “You think I want Trey.” She shrugged. “Don’t get me wrong. It’s blatantly clear that you’re into women.” “Shit.” He shook his head. “It’s that obvious?” His expression looked defeated, and she felt a pang of guilt. “No. Well, sort of. To me.” She crossed her arms in front of her. “Remember, I’m a certified people watcher. It’s not like you paint it on a billboard.” “I’ve never admitted it to anyone. Not really even to myself.” She shifted herself to face him. “You’ve never been with a guy?” His head shook vehement denial. “I’d never even considered the possibility before.” “But Trey is different.” “I don’t know why.” He got up and stood at the far end of the bunk, leaning on the upper edge with one straight arm and staring down at his pointed brown boot tips. “I’m royally, thoroughly fucked if a woman I met a week ago can see what I’ve been doin’ my damnedest to keep secret.” “Why?” She rose and padded in her socks and oversized T-shirt to stand beside him. She put a hand on his shoulder, which was knotted with tension. “I’m sorry. I was just trying to understand our dynamic better, not stir a compost pile.” “No one can know. It’d ruin what I’ve got here at the ranch.” “They wouldn’t approve, I take it?” “Our housin’ arrangements are strictly men-only. And that doesn’t include pansies that might get ideas about cowboys while they’re takin’ a shower.” “Don’t talk like that,” she said. “I’m not. That’s a direct quote from the ranch owner. We’d lose our lodgin’ in the bunkhouse and would have to rent our own place.

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Even with the off-site pay bump, a single man on a ranch hand’s salary couldn’t afford much more around here than an oversized cardboard box at the city dump.” “Maybe you and Trey could move in together. Share expenses.” He laughed and dropped his hand from the bunk. “If I got evicted for that, the last thing Trey would do is shack up. He’d be more freaked out than you at a scorpion convention.” She cocked her head at him. “That’s not necessarily true.” “You don’t know him like I do.” “No, I know him differently. You aren’t the only one I meant when I said I’ve seen glances when you think the other’s not looking.” His head jerked up. “You’re wrong.” “He may be guarded about his feelings, but I think there’s something there you aren’t aware of.” “Trey doesn’t have a single gay impulse in his body. He’s as hetero as they come.” “So were you. But he was really getting off on masturbating with you. And for you.” “For your benefit.” She smiled. “Oh, I benefitted. But don’t assume he didn’t find you arousing because you’re in denial. He wasn’t just into the moment for my sake. He was into how hot you looked doing it.” He shook his head. “I’ll never know because I’m not about to ask. You know that, right? You can’t ever mention this to anyone— especially Trey.” She stepped in front of him and tucked her finger under the cleft of his chin. “I know. I won’t betray your trust.” He hesitated. “You don’t think it’s—unnatural? It doesn’t make you want me less?” “Hell, no. In fact, I confess it turns me on.” His eyes widened. “You get hot hearin’ about two guys?”

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She shrugged. “I’ve enjoyed those little behind-the-back looks between you two and wondered what it meant. Then when we were doing our naughty little masturbation game, part of me was silently praying that the two of you would give into the lust in your eyes and do each other right in front of me.” Rafael’s eyes glazed over slightly, and his lips parted. “I was tryin’ to get you goin’, not Trey. But I’ll admit it got pretty intense for me when he joined in.” “You definitely got me going.” She smiled. “Bet I can prove Trey was into it.” His needful look sobered immediately. “You promised not to say a word.” “I don’t have to. Given opportunity, I think Trey will respond to you. Maybe I could drop hints about how it would turn me if you touched each other? Might encourage him to let loose if it was on the pretense of pleasing me.” She saw the flicker of heat in Rafael’s eyes, but he shook his head. “Better not to go there.” “If you’re sure.” He smiled and reached out to stroke light fingers over her face. The tender contact sent a tiny shiver through her. “If anythin’ were to happen, it should be on its own.” “Okay. But let me know if I can help.” He sighed and glanced at the window. “I have to get back.” “Sorry I kept you here talking.” “I like talkin’ to you. I’m just sorry your breakfast is cold.” She shrugged. “It could be a block of ice, and I’d still be grateful.” “Enjoy your ice, then. Trey will be finished eatin’ by now.” “What about you?” “I’ll grab a biscuit and jerky. Trey and I are helpin’ ride the herd today—I’m holdin’ the line, and he’ll be making the cuts.” She furrowed a brow. “Cuts? You’re cutting those poor cows?”

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He laughed and bent to kiss her cheek. “Cattle. Cut means to ride into the herd and separate the stock.” She relaxed her clenched fists. “Oh.” Another thought wrinkled her brow. “Do you have to burn brands on the cattle, too?” He shook his head. “No, ma’am. Cowboys frown on brandin’ another man’s cattle as much as they mind another cowboy makin’ time with their girl.” He reached out a strong arm and pulled her close to him. “But since Trey isn’t here to protest me makin’ time with his girl—” he stopped to sear her lips with a kiss. She felt her heart flutter wildly in her chest. He let her go, and she had to steady herself against the bunk to ease the dizzy sensation. “Just his girl?” “When you’re with me. When you’re with him, you’re my girl. Deal?” She grinned. “Maybe I’m not either of yours girl. Maybe I’m my girl.” He winked. “For now.” His boots scuffed the wood floor as he walked over to pick up the Stetson he’d set on a stack of old crates across from her bed that she used as a bureau. Tugging it onto his head, he dipped the brim toward her the way both men often did when they saw her. “Ma’am,” he said. “Trey said he’ll come see you after lunch. We’ll both be by tonight, unless you’ve got other plans.” “Oh, sure. I’m a busy gal, what with all the sitting around hiding without remembering why.” He kissed her forehead. “I’ve got some ideas about how to get things rollin’ on that. Be nice if there came a day real soon when you could get back to a real life. I’m just sorry I can’t offer you better than this old dump.” She nodded, wishing she could speak while she clutched her elbows. Already she felt the comforting warmth of his presence vanishing, and she held herself tight to ward off a shiver of dread. A pang of depression washed over her as soon as she heard the back

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door click shut. She sat back down on her bunk and picked up the soggy paper plate, then pushed cold food around with her fork. After a few bites, she set it down. What she was doing wasn’t fair to any of them. While Rafael expressed remorse that he couldn’t offer her “better,” she was the one who should be offering better. The men had risked their jobs and their friendship to help her. They brought her food and lent her toiletries and clothes. What was she doing to repay them? Cowering in fear, that was what. Refusing to push hard enough to recover the fateful days before her desert nap. Because while she hated being stuck in a rusty, dusty old bunkhouse with few creature comforts and her life on terminal hold, there were worse things than feeling like a prisoner in her own life. Like knowing why. Whenever her mental probing tapped near that reality, she shut down. Everything went black and cold, and she couldn’t force herself to walk through the inky dark to uncover her memories. While the men had gone to all sorts of trouble to check missing persons and area crimes, they couldn’t gain any ground. Neither could she, and she knew the reason why. She didn’t want to remember. She felt a lot better not knowing. Guilt ate at her, along with the silent threat that at any moment, the truth would break through and force her to deal with the trauma. Until that happened, she could remain a reasonable facsimile of the woman she’d once been, able to function as much as life sitting in a room without cable, cell, or internet allowed one to function. She walked through her days somewhat numb right now, and that was a good thing. Even suffering nightmares every night, she was still Crystal Hall, a woman who was self-assured enough to bring not one, but two cowboys into her bed. Who would she become after she remembered? Would her mind snap? Of course, at any moment her brain might decide it was time to flip the switch and make her relive what had happened to her, whether she wanted to or not. Meanwhile, she intended to enjoy blissful

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ignorance. She wanted to sear the memory of Crystal with her two cowboy heroes into her mind before she was swept away and replaced by a stranger—a victim she couldn’t control. Whoever the new Crystal would be, she was certain she would hate her for that.

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Chapter Eight Trey tugged on his riding gloves and stuck his boot in the stirrup of his mount. “Ready for this?” Rafael asked from the back of Trey’s usual riding animal, Whiskey. He tugged his Stetson into a straighter position on his head. “I was born ready.” Trey shot him a grin. Rafael snorted in reply. “Born ready for me to have to teach you which end of the horse to feed.” “I knew my way around a horse. Besides, you gave me a passin’ grade, teach.” “Barely. Just don’t forget my three magic c rules of herd cuttin’.” “I know. Don’t chase the cow, keep the horse between the cow and the herd—and keep, by the way, is a k rule, not a c.” “And don’t be afraid to count on the horse,” Rafael said, ignoring the jibe. “He’s got more trainin’ and know-how in cuttin’ than you do.” He leaned forward and addressed Spittin’ Image, Trey’s horse. “Ain’t that right, boy?” The men clucked to their mounts and trotted toward the feed lot. The morning was still overcast, and Trey was glad for the corduroy jacket he’d tossed on over his shirt. His mind flicked to the cell phone clipped to his belt, which he’d turned to silent mode before riding out. He resisted the urge to check it for messages from his mother or Linda. It would look suspicious to Rafael, who was riding alongside. Trey hadn’t heard anything more from Atlanta, so hopefully he wouldn’t be needed early after all. He just hoped Linda took his last call seriously and wasn’t harboring any delusions about getting near

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his tighty whiteys. Playing corporate stooge again was one thing. Being her pathetic office toy was something else—no matter how bad he needed the money. “I had an idea about how to help Crystal’s memory,” Rafael said, breaking into Trey’s thoughts. Trey shot him a look. “I had one last night, too.” “While you were busy not sleepin’?” “How could you tell?” “All the floppin’ and turnin’ was a dead giveaway. So what’s your genius plan?” “Crystal keeps dreamin’ about a trunk. I think it’s a car trunk. Could be a memory tryin’ to break through.” Or bullshit to throw us off her real game, a dark corner of his mind whispered. He tried to brush the thought away. “Could be.” “I think we should shake loose the rest of that memory by recreatin’ the act.” Rafael frowned at him. “What do you mean?” “I mean, put her in my trunk. Maybe tie her hands, since it looks like that had been done to her, too. Once we close her in the trunk, then we can—” In a shot, Rafael cut him off by hurtling his horse in front of Trey, who pulled up on his reins to avoid a collision. “Are you out of your fuckin’ mind?” Rafael said, louder than would likely be wise considering the cow boss and Jess were waiting at the nearby feed lot. “You can’t possibly suggest doin’ somethin’ that cruel. You’d traumatize the hell out of her, maybe turn her into a vegetable.” Trey blinked. It had all seemed like a reasonable, even ingenious idea when he thought it over. He certainly hadn’t expected this reaction. “Don’t be so dramatic. It’s just to jog her memory. We’d be right there with her. It’s perfectly safe.” Rafael shook his head. “It’s perfectly stupid, and there’s no way in hell I’m allowin’ it.”

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Trey’s brow rose. “You’re not allowin’ it? Since when were you put in charge of her memory—or this relationship?” “A two-year-old would know better than to bind and lock up a woman who has been through a trauma. Think of what’s best for her, not what’ll rush her out of here fastest. There are other ways.” “Who says I’m rushin’ her out?” Trey’s eyes narrowed. “I suppose your other ways involve keepin’ her around so you can play sexy cowboy hero longer.” “Fuck that. Of course I want to get her memory back. But not at the expense of her well bein’. I’m no heartless prick.” “What, and I am?” “If the prick fits.” Trey’s hands tightened on his reins until the muscles cramped. A tug and heel kick put his horse in motion around his ungluing companion. One night with a woman had turned Rafael into an overbearing tyrant. So much for thinking that sharing her bed together would keep them from fighting over her. Rafael caught up with the fast trot, scowling daggers at Trey. Trey ignored the glare. “So what’s your brilliant idea?” “Well, well,” Stan the cow boss called out. “Nice of you ladies to join us.” Trey rolled his eyes and followed Rafael, who shot ahead of him with one final glare. Jess swung the gate open to allow them entry onto the feed lot. The scent of hay and feed corn was potent here, as was the tangy-sour manure odor hanging in the moist air. “Six goin’ out to graze,” Stan said over his shoulder as they rode in single file. “Raf will hold the line while Trey cuts the herd. Jess will work the hole.” Jess laughed. “That’s what I do best.” “Yet you’re nowhere near the hole,” Stan said. “Go see if you can find it, smart ass.” Jess rode off on a brown and white paint while the rest fanned their horses out to stand more or less side by side in the hundred-foot-

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long pen. Thirty head of cattle stood huddled in the far corner, most grazing hay and corn from long metal troughs Trey helped fill that morning. His job would be to ride into the herd and separate off specific cattle, then drive them over to the “hole,” a gate at the far end that opened onto a chute to a smaller holding pen. From there it was a short push to the grassy pasture where most of the Laughing L’s herd grazed. In theory it sounded like a simple matter, but cutting a herd took training for both horse and rider. The horse was specially trained to split the herd and engage the cow without “chasing” it. The horseman needed to know how to work with the horse and read the cow. Jess signaled from the far end. He sat on his horse smack in the middle of the open chute gate, his brown cowboy hat at a jaunty angle. Should the wrong cow try to get through—or the right cow try to bypass the hole—Jess would be there to sort the mess. “Let’s do it to it,” Stan said. Rafael and Trey headed for the herd, Stan giving instructions to Trey on which cattle needed to be cut. Spittin’ Image got right in the spirit of things, dancing with graceful precision from side to side to block cows from making a wrong turn. Trey’s muscles responded in good rhythm, keeping a firm but not clenched grip on both reins and saddle. He got the first two—a spotted red and a dun—over to Jess’s end with little trouble. The third was a brown spotted that appreciated the effort less than the others. It bellowed pitifully when Spittin’ Image drove it out, and almost doubled back to the herd twice. With each cut, the herd would part like the Red Sea, then reform as if circling their wagons to keep horses out. When they would part, Rafael would move in to “hold the line,” or keep the herd out of Trey’s way and from scattering before the rest of the cuts could be made. “Don’t get him in front of you!” Sam shouted. “Ride him on the fence,” Rafael added.

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Trey’s concentration and efforts broke sweat under the hatband across his brow. The horse flanked the cow, who twisted back. Trey swung the horse around in a fluid about-face. “Get your lead up,” Rafael said. “That’s it. Put pressure on him. Yee-haw, right to the fence line. Let the fence push him.” Trey barely heard Rafael’s shouted instructions over the sound of hooves, cattle calls, and his own racing thoughts, but months of training filled in the blanks. A grin cracked his expression as Jess took over the third animal at the far end. Trey trotted back and saw Rafael using his horse to get the cows back into a prime position for the next cut. The whole process was riding along as smooth as a velvet slide. Trey and the horse seemed to have perfect mental communication, and the slightest pressure from his thigh or tug on the reins sent Spittin’ Image where he needed to go almost before Trey thought about it. Get in, split the herd, get out, and onto the next task. This was damned fun. Exhilarating, even. Not bad for a rookie. This was going as fast and easy as a day on a ranch should go. The last cow was a dun who had no intention of leaving the herd. Trey’s horse waded into the group time and again, coming out with the wrong animal each try. The fifth attempt drove out the dun and two others. Rafael rode in immediately to push back the wrong pair, sending them with tails swishing to where Stan sat overseeing proceedings. The dun went straight for the fence, and Trey followed with a tight smile. Fish in a barrel. Then the cow feinted left, charged right and made it almost back to the herd. “Stubborn heifer,” he shouted, kicking heels into Spittin’ Image to pick up speed. “Slow ‘er up,” he heard Stan say, but Trey was determined not to let this cow halt proceedings. He sped up. The cow shot back around as soon as Trey tried to bring Spittin’ Image alongside. The dun stumbled over its hooves and went down hard in a great cloud of dust just as the horse hit its flank.

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“Shit!” Trey said, his heart kicking into overdrive. Horse and rider did their best to dodge the inevitable bullet, but the horse hop-stepped and came down on one of the cow’s rear legs, which were kicking desperately in an attempt to right itself. “Trey!” Rafael shouted. Horse, cow, and man all let out a variety of surprised shrieks as the three landed in clouds of dust and a tangle of legs. The air left Trey’s body in a giant whoosh as he landed on his back. Bright white dots flashed across his vision, and then everything fell away into dark. The next thing he was aware of was swearing. “Damn it, Trey,” he heard, followed by a stinging sensation on his cheek. He groaned and turned his head away, but the slap-sting came again. “Come on, cowboy,” he heard Rafael saying. “This ain’t no time for a nap.” Trey licked thick, dry lips and tried to open his eyes. “It’s a perfect time. Haven’t napped since we found that Crystal in the dirt,” he said, noticing how creaky and distorted his own voice sounded. “What the blazes is he mumblin’?” Stan’s voice was farther away. “What kinda crystal? You jackasses tryin’ to mine diamonds out here?” “Just an old quartz rock,” Rafael said. “Trey’s rock collectin’ as a hobby.” Trey wondered what the hell he was talking about. Crystal was a woman. Their woman. “No I’m not,” Trey said. “You’re the one with that dumb shit model buildin’ hobby.” “That fall didn’t hurt your smart ass tongue any,” Rafael said. “What a shame. And I haven’t worked on model kits for over a year. The light in our bunkhouse is for shit.” “Better than over in the other one.” He heard Rafael give an odd laugh. “Not that we’d know. No one goes in there. Wanna open your eyes for me, pal? I need to make sure they’re still in their sockets.”

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Trey forced his eyelids open to a sight that squeezed his stomach. Rafael was kneeling over him, his concerned-looking deep brown eyes and pursed lips very near Trey’s face. The extra warmth low in Trey’s stomach, he realized, was from the flat of Rafael’s palm pressed against it. Was that why he felt dizzy? No wonder Crystal called Rafael the handsome one. Hell, even Trey would fuck him right now. The thought struck him as funny, and he snorted. Regret flooded in when the laugh sent a shockwave of pain through him. “Are you hurt anywhere?” Rafael went on. Trey nodded. “My bad shoulder’s actin’ up fierce.” “Anythin’ else? Can you move your legs?” “Can you move your hand? Not that I mind.” Rafael jerked back, but the warmth lingered like a phantom hand. Shit, what was going on with Trey? His mind was hanging in a bizarre limbo this morning. He should get off his bunk and shower away the gutter thoughts. Maybe a double shot of Cook’s engine grease coffee would clear his head. He frowned. Wait. He’d already eaten, right? And Rafael’s head was outlined by misty gray sky, not the roof of their bunkhouse. He groaned. “I went down,” he said. Stan’s grizzled face popped into view over Rafael’s shoulder. “Damn right you did,” he said. “And you weren’t alone.” “Can you sit up?” Rafael asked. “Maybe he shouldn’t try to move,” he heard Jess say from somewhere off to the side. “He might sever his spinal cord or somethin’.” “If his spinal cord was severed, he wouldn’t be able to move,” Rafael said. “Trey, see if you can sit up, okay? Slow.” “I’m fine.” He pushed himself up, almost bumping lips with Rafael on the way. Rafael yanked back with wide eyes. Trey dragged a hand through his hair. “I lost my hat.”

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“His hat,” Stan said. “We were frettin’ like old hens that he was a goner, and he’s bitchin’ about his hat.” “He’s a cowboy, all right,” Rafael said, handing it over. The Stetson was a good deal dustier, but otherwise unharmed. Coherent thoughts cemented in Trey’s mind when he put it on, almost as if they’d been lost inside the hat. “The horse,” he said, his eyes flying wide. “Jesus, tell me he didn’t get hurt.” “Spittin’ Image is fine,” Jess said. “He’s grazin’ by the fence.” Trey heaved a sigh and held a hand out to Rafael, who had straightened up. Rafael’s strong hand clasped his and brought Trey to his feet. Once he was vertical, Trey felt a bit woozy and stiff. But nothing was broken, not even the shoulder throbbing with a familiar old pain. He put his other hand on it and rotated it around. “This dun’s had better days, though.” Jess was kneeling over the animal Trey realized was still lying nearby, chuffing and uttering low, keening sounds. A stab of cold guilt sliced through his middle. “Leg’s broke,” Stan said. “Big John’s not gonna like this.” “Shit,” Trey said, shutting his eyes for a moment and relenting when this triggered the sensation that the ranch was being pulled out from under him. Maybe that wasn’t far from the truth. “I’m damned sorry, Stan. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have been in such a hurry to get around it.” “Accidents happen,” Stan said. “At least you didn’t jump off your horse in the middle of a cattle rush, like Bozo here.” He thumbed toward Rafael, who shot a guilty glance. “I was yellin’ at him to stop, but he was already on the ground beside you. Lucky you both didn’t get trampled.” “I said I was sorry,” Rafael said. “I saw Trey hit the ground and just reacted.” The two men’s eyes met, and Trey saw the genuine fear there. “Thought I might have lost you there for a moment.” “Could have lost yourself with him,” Stan said, his fists on his narrow hips. “I expect hands to listen when I give an order. I told you to hold the line.”

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“I was half-off the horse before you gave that order.” “And Trey might have been hurt worse because of it.” Rafael’s gaze dropped to the dirt. “Yes, sir.” Stan turned to Trey. “Boss will want the doc to check you out,” he said. Trey shook his head. “No need. Shoulder’s a bit stiff, that’s all.” And his back felt like he’d fallen flat on it. “Won’t take no for an answer. You’ll probably get some leave time as well.” Trey’s stomach felt weighted, like he’d eaten lead for breakfast. “Or maybe the rest of my life off, since his livestock got injured.” “The dun will have to be put down,” Stan said matter-of-factly. “But it could have been much worse. The heifer’s worth maybe fifteen hundred. Spittin’ Image is worth closer to ten grand. And you, well, I suppose it’s a matter of mood and perspective what Big John figures you’re worth.” “I’m sorry I got carried away.” “It was your first time ridin’ the cut in the field.” “And my last.” The thought rang louder than the words. Whatever Big John’s reaction, Trey wouldn’t be around much longer to worry about his cutting technique. In a couple of weeks he’d be stuck in an office—no, her office—in Atlanta. A thought that sounded less appealing than landing flat on his back in a stampede. **** The overcast gray sky had burned off to pale blue by the time Rafael followed Trey to the bunkhouse. He was lost in thoughts of the past few hours. He’d thought the needle on his excitement-o-meter couldn’t flick any higher lately, between desert rescues, hospital escapes, and sexual escapades. Today had topped it fivefold. Even now, adrenaline raced through his veins at the thought of what had almost happened. Rafael was no unseasoned city boy. He

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knew damn well better than to vacate his saddle in the middle of agitated cattle. The outcome could be disastrous. Yet the minute Trey hit the ground, Rafael all but flew off his mount to land by his side. Accidents were a part of ranching life, but a cowboy losing his mount in the middle of a cattle sorting wasn’t exactly a daily occurrence. Trey had been in charge, confident and smiling his cocky lopsided smile one moment—the smile that always caught Rafael square in the gut—and on the ground the next. His neck could have been snapped, his skull fractured, or a cracked rib thrust through a lung. A parade of traumatic images flashed of his Trey’s muscular body lying battered and broken, each building the anxiety tightening his chest until he couldn’t take it anymore. “What the hell were you doin’ out there?” Rafael said, anger shooting out through every word. Trey kept walking, but his piercing blue eyes glanced up from under the brim of his hat. “You damn near died.” “But I didn’t.” He sighed. “Again, I’m sorry. Especially for endangerin’ you and the animals. I don’t know what happened, other than to say I got overeager.” “Overeager?” Rafael pulled off his hat and rubbed his head, as if increasing the circulation to his scalp would help him think. “Damn stupid’s more like it. What’s number one in my mantra? Don’t chase the damn fuckin’ cow.” “I’m sorry.” “After all that trainin’ in the small pen, drillin’ the rules into you”—Rafael paused to pull his hat back on roughly—“maybe you just aren’t cut out for ranchin’ after all.” He regretted the words as soon as they were out. Trey stopped short, staring at the dirt for a long moment. Rafael waited for the inevitable defensive explosion. “Maybe you’re right,” he said after a minute. The sluggish tone prickled Rafael’s spine. “Maybe I don’t belong here.”

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“Of course you belong here.” Rafael shoved his hands in his jeans pockets. “You don’t belong anywhere else. Look, I’m sorry. You just have to keep your Stetson on straight. This isn’t an office where the worst that can happen is a paper jam in the copy machine. The ranch will hand your ass to you if you don’t watch it.” “I know.” He paused. “I could ask you the same thing, you know.” Rafael scowled at him. “Ask me what?” “What the hell you were doin’ out there. Stan said you jumped off your horse in the middle of the fray. Sounds like your Stetson wasn’t sittin’ any straighter than mine.” Rafael’s glare fell a bit short of sincerity. “I wasn’t thinkin’ about anythin’ but gettin’ to you to see how bad you were hurt.” The man shot him a grateful glance. “Sorry you had to. And that you got bitched out for it. But thanks for carin’.” “Yeah.” They resumed walking, falling into silence. Maybe he was being harsh, but Trey had given him the fright of a lifetime. Seeing him on his back unconscious, even for a few seconds, tore a shred out of his heart. Next time, Trey might not be lucky enough to walk away. Big John had worn a ten-gallon scowl when he’d ridden out to the feed lot after the incident, insisting Trey be seen by his personal physician right at the ranch. Rafael had been sent back to work feeding a calf with the scours. His mind would not function while straddling the poor creature to slide a tube down its throat. He administered the electrolyte feeding while trying to banish thoughts of internal bleeding and Trey being airlifted to the hospital. Those fears magnified when he was summoned to the house. He raced there to find Trey buttoning his shirt and Big John shaking his hand. Trey had smooth-talked his way out of X-rays on the shoulder, and there was no apparent backlash for costing the ranch a feed lot heifer. In fact, Big John gave him the rest of the week off

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with pay, along with orders to rest and get clearance from the doctor before returning. Rafael kicked at a stone, sending it skittering across the dirt. A prairie dog poking its nose from a hole made itself scarce as the rock flew by. The weirder thing was when Big John had turned to Rafael and insisted that he take a couple days, too, because he’d been “rattled but good.” Rafael figured that really meant he’d fucked up but good, and needed to think about whether he really had a future as a cowhand. He sighed. A couple days off wasn’t the worst fate, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was doing penance and wasn’t actually supposed to enjoy it. He’d love to spend that time buried inside a certain woman who was waiting in the abandoned bunkhouse. Maybe feeling her beautiful cunt squeezed around his cock would help drown out ugly thoughts. “You never told me your idea for gettin’ Crystal’s memory back,” Trey said, pulling Rafael’s thoughts back from the woman in question. “I’m more worried about gettin’ you back to our bunk for a Raf Monroe Special.” “No ice.” “Yes, ice. Ice pack, rest, anti-inflammatories. You know the drill.” “It’s not swollen. Doc said I could use moist heat, which we’ve both discussed at length works better for this shoulder.” “Not when you first injure it. You need to ice it down, or it’ll get worse.” “No swellin’, no ice. That’s my rule.” “Not even back to the bunkhouse and you’ve stopped listenin’ to me. That’s what got you into this mess, remember?” “All I need is a hot shower and a couple aspirin. So tell me this great plan.” Rafael rolled his eyes. “First, we get you patched up. While you’re in the shower, I’ll run into town for a couple things and grab

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dinner for us while I’m at it. We’ll meet at Crystal’s and go over the plan there.” “Okay, mystery man. But don’t be surprised if she doesn’t go for it—whatever it is.” Rafael tossed a curious glance his way. “Why not?” “Gut feelin’. Somethin’s not right about her whole memory thing.” “You’re not still goin’ on about her bein’ a convict, are you?” “I don’t know. It just seems like we’ve gotten nowhere. I’m not certain there’s anythin’ to remember.” “Maybe she doesn’t want to remember.” “She wants to stay in the bunkhouse forever?” “Whatever happened must have been traumatic. Maybe her mind shut it off to protect her.” “She has to remember sometime.” “We’ll help her. Trust me.” The modular was empty, since Jess was still off finishing the day’s work. Rafael did his best to ignore Trey’s naked ass twitching behind him on the way to the shower. His own clothes were dusty, and he could use with a rinse off himself. He flirted with the question of what Trey would do if he stripped naked and hopped in to join him on the pretense of needing a quick rinse before heading to town. He could offer to wash those hard-to-reach spots, watch soap slide down Trey’s ass cheeks and rock-hard thighs. With a sigh, he changed into a fresh Laughing L logo T-shirt and grabbed the keys to his truck. A shower would have to wait. He needed to buy a few things to aid their adventure into memory land tonight. If this didn’t work, he was out of ideas. If she really couldn’t—or didn’t want to—remember, she’d have to decide how to move on and live her life.

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Chapter Nine Crystal pushed her hands down on the air mattress beneath her and scooted her ass further to the middle. “You about ready in there, Raf?” she called toward the bathroom. Rafael had tacked a sheet across the doorway and was engaged in some kind of mysterious preparations. “Not yet,” he called back. She shook her head and smiled at Trey, who shrugged. Several Styrofoam take-out boxes were sandwiched between them on the mattress. Their dinner was illuminated only by the glow coming from behind the sheet over the bathroom entrance. Her stomach clenched at the tiny wince Trey gave when he shrugged. “Shoulder’s really hurting, isn’t it?” “No,” he said, though he absently rubbed at it. “Not near as bad as the first time I hurt it.” An image of Trey getting thrown from a horse flashed in front of her, and she shivered. “I just can’t get over you walking away from that. You really weren’t scared?” “No time. I was flat on my back before I knew it.” She closed her eyes a moment. “If something had happened to you, I don’t know what I’d have done.” The danger in ranch work was something Crystal hadn’t fully processed. Sure, Rafael had showed her around and described what they did. But he made it sound so easy, so run-of-the-mill. Every day she sat here in this damned bunkhouse, she waited for the highlight of her exile—when Trey or Rafael came to spend time with her. Then today, they hadn’t come for lunch. The thought that one of them

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might not return hadn’t occurred to her. It scared her more than she’d dreamed possible. He reached out and chucked her under the chin. “We cowboys are a tough lot. Don’t be scared.” She nodded, but flicked a glance to another reason to be scared— the bathroom. Whatever Rafael was doing in there was meant to help her remember what happened. She tried to picture what the devil he had planned. And why the bathroom? Would she have to sit on the commode while they flushed out her memory? She tried to snicker at her mental wit, but it came out like an irritated snort. The toilet flushed, and then she heard water running. Her eyes widened. “Another home fry?” Trey asked, holding a canoe-sized potato wedge up in front of her lips. The enticing scent filled her nostrils, and she opened her mouth obligingly. The fry was too big for Trey to push in all the way, so she had to bite off small sections at a time to get to where her tongue could dance around his fingertip. “These fries are amazing,” she said. “And those were the best ribs I’ve ever had. So tender.” “You think this is good, you should check out the place’s mornin’ menu. They really shine at breakfast. Their Joe’s Hobo Omelet is a miracle.” Trey grinned and chewed a piece of fry. “Bacon, spinach, ham, and cheese. I’ll have to take you sometime soon.” “I’m in,” Rafael called from the other room. “But I recommend the South-of-the-Border omelet with the diced red taters and side of sweet cream pancakes.” “Ooh,” she said, her eyes widening. “Sweet cream pancakes.” Trey grinned at her. “Sweet tooth, eh?” “Several. From the amount of treats Rafael brings me, I should weigh a ton.” Trey’s eyes flickered in the dim light, and she realized he might have taken her words as a slight. Both men had been beyond good to

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her, taking care of most of her needs. Rafael, however, brought little extras, like the air mattress, snacks, and reading material. His thoughtfulness helped ease the long hours when the boys weren’t there—and helped her avoid thinking about why she was trapped here. Still, she didn’t want Trey to think she was playing favorites. She picked up a fry and dipped it in a pool of mayonnaise welled in one of the small sections of the takeout container. Holding it up to Trey she said, “Open up, cowboy. Fries with mayo, just what the doctor didn’t order.” He gave a little smirk and accepted the fry. “How do you know he didn’t? You weren’t there.” “A wild guess.” She peered down at the glob of white in the container. “Though I do appreciate you introducing me to the concept of fries with mayonnaise. It wasn’t nearly as gross as I expected.” “True fry connoisseurs are open to a variety of dippin’ sauces.” “I am wondering, however, whether the fry-mayo combo would be improved by the taste of your lips.” His eyes held a note of amused smolder while she leaned forward and brushed her mouth against his. The light contact sent a thrill down her spine and a warm rush through her stomach. She closed her eyes and sighed as she sat back. “Well?” he asked. “Does it add any depth of flavor?” “Mmm. Definitely a five-star fry.” He leaned in again with a wicked grin, but veered off when Rafael piped up behind him. “Okay,” he said, emerging from behind the white sheet across the doorway. “Everythin’s ready. Any fries left?” She nodded and held up the container, which he immediately relieved her of. He held her small flashlight trained close to the ground and the small camping lantern they sometimes used. The latter was turned off. She frowned and craned her neck around him to see the bathroom sheet still lit from behind by some unseen glow. “There’s more lighting in there,” she said. “You noticed.” He winked. “Shall we?” Her chest fluttered, but not with desire.

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“Come on,” Trey said, almost throwing her off balance in the process of getting up from the springy air mattress. He held out a hand to help her up, and her feet tingled in protest over her prolonged Indian-sitting pose. The sour taste in her throat apparently showed in her expression because Rafael laughed at her. “Don’t look so thrilled,” he said, tossing the container on the bed. “Last time you were in there with us it wasn’t half bad, was it?” True, but this time they weren’t going in there to make wild, passionate love. He pulled back the curtain. She sucked in a breath and wondered whether they might be venturing into an erotic adventure after all. He stood by while she passed into the bathroom, staring at the scene. Dozens of tiny tea lights flickered and danced as if happy to see her. Some rested on the floor, others on boxes he had dragged in. Still more were lined up along the back of the toilet tank, and some sat on wall shelf behind the claw foot tub. Steam rose from the bath, and red rose petals floated in the water. When she stepped closer a heady, floral scent she recognized swirled around her with the steam, bringing a smile to her lips. “Mmm, gardenias. Bath oil?” He nodded, and she sighed. “It smells divine. This is just beautiful, Raf. But what is it all for? I thought we were supposed to be doing a memory exercise, not treating me to a spa day.” “Treatin’ you to a spa night is the memory exercise,” he said, moving closer. His dark eyes glimmered with firelight, and the skip in her pulse wasn’t because of the comment about memory. The man looked damn sexy by candlelight, and he wasn’t the only one. Trey stood off to one side, arms folded as glittering blue eyes wandered over the room in what appeared to be semi-fascination. She licked her lips, trying to

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tame her thoughts. As beautifully as Rafael had painted the setting, he wasn’t setting the scene for a three-way seduction. She sighed. “What now?” He stepped right into her personal space. “You get to lay back in a relaxin’ bath, soak away all the stress from your muscles. We’ll be right here with you, both of us. Maybe if you let go of all the tension and worry you’ve been carryin’, your mind will open up.” It wasn’t an unreasonable suggestion, really, though whether a hot bath could cure amnesia seemed doubtful. Mostly, the idea of a hot soak among rose petals and fragrant oils sounded like the most sensual, decadent experience she’d had in a long time. “You really think that will work?” Trey said. His arms were still folded, and his face held a tension she couldn’t quite place. “I think it’s worth a try. Better to have her feel at ease and safe.” A hard look flashed between the two men that pricked Crystal’s curiosity, but when she opened her mouth, Trey’s eyes glittered with a silent warning. Instead, she said, “I’m game for anything that involves the words ‘hot bath.’” Rafael gestured at the tub, and the room fell silent. Last night her burning need to get laid made her bold about shedding her clothes. Tonight, the men would be dressed and staring at her, waiting for results while she lay exposed and completely vulnerable. Her fingers trembled while she pulled off her T-shirt. It came off with a crackle of static electricity through her hair and landed behind her. She was starting in on the fly of her jeans when she heard Trey clear his throat. “Think we’ll be able to concentrate on the reason we’re here, as opposed to what I’d love to be doin’ in here?” “I’d think you could keep your gear shift in Park long enough to help Crystal,” Rafael said. “This is important.” He was right, though the strained tone in Trey’s voice made her heart flutter with ideas of her own. She wriggled out of her pants and panties, kicking both aside. When her hands reached up to the hair

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hanging loose on her back, she felt Rafael come up behind her. “Let me tie this up for you.” Somehow he produced an elastic band and swept her hair high on her head. His hands brushed the sensitive nape of her neck, and her nipples tightened. Her hair was secured within moments, but she still felt his weighty, warm presence along her naked back. “You have some skill doing a woman’s hair,” she managed. “I have sisters who bullied me into it growin’ up.” He took hold of her hand while she stepped into the tub. It was hot, almost to the point of burning. Just the way she liked it. Her ideal bath involved skin turning lobster shell red. She sat down and leaned her back against the rear edge of the tub, sinking down into the aromatic steam. Her eyes fluttered closed and she uttered a grateful sigh. “This was a fantastic idea,” she said, “whether it works or not. I’m feeling more relaxed already.” “Good.” At least, she did until she opened her eyes to find the two men just as she’d pictured before climbing in. They stood over her, staring down with concerned expressions. Trey’s arms were folded across his chest, and Rafael’s were on his hips. Trey’s eyes were laser-targeted onto hers. She watched Rafael struggle not to allow his gaze to dip to the breasts whose taut nipples bobbed just above the surface. Both men wore the serious, hungry look of a predator in the midst of the hunt. She couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “Okay, never mind. This is definitely not relaxing.” “Why not?” Rafael asked, frowning. “Because you two are weirding me out, standing over me like Marlboro men. Make some small talk or something so I don’t feel like a naked museum exhibit.” “Sorry,” Rafael said.

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“Your skin is turning red,” Trey said, and she tingled at how his gaze was sliding over her. “Raf made the water too hot. Why didn’t you say so?” She shrugged. “I like my bath steaming.” He unbuttoned a shirt sleeve and rolled it up, then knelt over her and stuck his arm in the water. “Damn, that is hot.” Rafael followed suit with his arm. “I was afraid it would cool down too much by the time I got her in it.” “It’s perfect,” she said. “Very relaxing.” “I like my baths blazin’, too,” Trey said, letting his hand swish back and forth in the water. The backs of his fingers grazed her thigh, sending more tingles up her leg and straight to her pussy. Her leg jerked a bit, and he flicked a guilty glance her way. Then he pulled his hand out of the water to dry it on his pant leg. “We outta do you next,” Rafael said to Trey. Trey shot him a mock glare. “Do me next? You massage boys are all alike.” He winked at Crystal and tossed a grin at Rafael. Rafael rolled his eyes. “I keep tryin’ to tell you, it’s sports medicine.” “Whatever.” Crystal raised a knowing brow at Rafael’s glance. His eyes lit up with a wicked gleam before tamping it down into a neutral expression. A surge of warmth flooded her stomach at the thought of them going at each another. “I just meant a bath might help you relax after the fall today,” Rafael went on. “That hot shower did me just fine,” Trey said. “Though the shoulder will be hurtin’ worse tomorrow either way.” “We’ll get it fixed up,” Raf said. “At least you’ve got time off.” He glanced at Crystal. “Before we get too far ahead of ourselves on that, how’s about we get back to the reason we’re in here?” Panic rose in her throat as he knelt on a folded towel beside her and took her wet hand in his. “Trey, go around her other side, will you?”

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The man did as asked and knelt to take her other hand. Her stomach twisted in a pleasant, dizzy knot, the way it used to when she was a child and would close her eyes and spin and spin until she couldn’t stand up anymore. “Lie back now,” Rafael said, “the way you were when you first got in. Close your eyes and listen to my voice.” She swallowed, but nodded and scooted down so her neck rested against a towel he’d thoughtfully positioned over the back ledge of the tub. She closed her eyes and felt him fumble around a moment. Then a soft washcloth rubbed up and down the arm he’d been holding. He whispered something to Trey, and he was soon doing the same. Parts of her began to throb, wishing the men would work their washcloth magic over her nipples, down her stomach, and back and forth against her pussy. Her breathing grew heavy, and she sank further into the hot water to revel in the feel of hot terry cloth rubbing up over her shoulders, then back down to her fingers. At the top, rivulets of water streamed down her shoulders and over her collarbones and breasts. When a trickle crossed her rock-hard nipple, she stifled a moan. This was all going to a wonderfully horny, happy place until Rafael began to talk again. “We’re here with you, Crystal,” he said in a soothing voice. “You’re safe and warm and relaxed. Nothin’s gonna happen to you here. Do you understand?” She nodded, suddenly unable to speak. “Where’d you learn this?” Trey asked. “We used to practice hypnotizin’ each other in college.” “Seems you had quite the college life until I came along.” “Sh. Try to blank your mind now, Crystal. Think of nothin’ but my voice and how warm and relaxed you feel. Feel how safe this is, floatin’ in the water with none of the weight of the world on you. No matter what thoughts come, you’re still safe and floatin’. Let the thoughts come, Crystal. Don’t fight them. You’re too relaxed to try.

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Just let the memories be there in a safe place in your mind. Look at it from a distant place, too far for it to hurt you anymore.” How welcome those words sounded, and how desperately she wanted to believe she could lie here safe with her two heroes, remembering everything from a spectator point where it couldn’t touch her. Maybe she could. Maybe she was afraid for nothing. Remember. You can do it. “We’re right beside you, watchin’ with you. You’re not alone. But you’re in a dark place. Do you remember the dark place you’ve talked about?” She nodded. “So black.” “Where are you?” Her mind raced through disjointed thoughts, none connected to the memory she sought. “I don’t know. I’m not sure I ever knew.” “Why is it dark?” “Is it the trunk?” This time it was Trey’s voice. “Are you movin’?” “You’re still safe,” Rafael said, louder this time. “It’s okay to remember.” “I can’t.” “Try,” Rafael said. They lapsed into silence broken up only by the light splashing of the men as they worked the washrags up and down her arms and legs, along with the frantic beating of her heart. She shook her head. “It’s no good.” “Just relax and breathe,” Rafael said. “Don’t force it. Let yourself go limp.” She let out a deep breath and slid down a bit. Now her breasts were beneath the water, almost up to her armpits. She heard Trey’s rag getting squeezed out and focused on the raining, dripping sounds to try and slow her palpating heart.

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Suddenly, a rag came down across her eyes. The room plunged into dark as a hand held it firmly in place. When she cried out in surprise, another hand clamped over her mouth. She shrieked against it and fought to sit up, water splashing like crazy as she kicked her feet out. The hands held her firm. “What the fuck are you doin’?” she heard Rafael say. “Do what I tell you and you won’t get hurt,” came a gruff voice. Trey’s. Or was it? Jesus, what was happening to her? In desperation she bit down, and the hand on her mouth pulled back with a curse. The rag was still over her eyes. “Stop it,” she said. “Leave me alone. Why are you doin’ this? God, not the trunk. If he gets me in there I’m dead.” The rag was gone in an instant, replaced by a man’s hand stroking her forehead. “I’m so sorry, baby,” Trey murmured. “Keep goin’. Where are you? What happened?” Her eyes were still closed against rising tears, and dark memories played behind them. She flailed out to grab them men’s arms. “It hurts.” “I know, baby,” Trey said, and the way he said the words was tender enough to melt her heart. “Your wrists hurt. They’re tied, aren’t they?” “My head hurts. And my side. It’s cramped and…oh! I’m bumping around.” Her voice sounded breathless now. “You’re right. It’s a car. We’re moving.” “Do you know where you’re goin’?” “No.” Fear drenched her heart until it felt cold, and she gripped their forearms until her fingers ached. Her eyes fluttered open, reassured to find the candlelit room and her two cowboys still with her. “Close your eyes,” Trey said. “Tell us what’s happenin’.” She did, trying to slow her crazy, erratic breathing. “I have to get out before he gets me there.”

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“He who?” Rafael said. “Crystal, who put you in the trunk? Who is drivin’?” Her heart pounded inside her sternum. “I can get the tape off. I find the edge of it with my pinky nail, then pick at it. But I haven’t finished by the time we stop.” She sucked in a gasp as the bit of memory came. The squeal of brakes, the sudden cessation of engine noise that plunged her dark world into silence. Then she heard the car door pop open and slam with a vibration she felt. Heavy footfalls were walking… “Crystal?” Trey asked. “Where are you now?” Her heart thundered in her ears. “I’m so afraid.” Her voice was a vague, foreign whisper now. “I think he’s done driving and is going to open the trunk and drag me out.” “What then?” Rafael said, his voice tense. He gripped her hand back as tightly as she held his. “He banged on the trunk, and my heart almost exploded. ‘Scream through that gag,’ he says. ‘No one’s around to hear.’ Then his footsteps go away.” “He abandoned you in the trunk?” Rafael asked. Eyes squeezed shut, she shook her head. “He was coming back. I got my feet against the trunk lid and kicked hard, praying I could get out before he heard. Finally, it’s pure white. Too bright.” “You got the trunk open,” Trey said in a tone of relief. “I’m still taped up, but I work my way out of the trunk and click the lid closed.” “Where are you?” “A gas station. He’s inside and doesn’t see me. I can’t go there for help, so I run around the back of the building. There’s nothing but desert, but I run as fast as I can and pray he drives off without opening the trunk to check on me.” “Jesus, you ran for your life straight into the desert,” Rafael said. “Where is this gas station?”

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“I don’t know.” She let go of the men and rubbed her wrists, which throbbed now even though they had healed. “I couldn’t run well with my hands behind me, so I crouched down and stepped over them so they were in front. I got the tape off my mouth, then used my teeth to get it off my wrists.” “Did he chase you?” She shook her head. “I kept looking behind me. I tripped and fell.” She winced at the memory. “The dirt was so fucking hot. I had no water and knew I might never make it out, but I didn’t care. Better than lying in the trunk waiting for him.” The memory faded, though her pulse continued to pound. She shivered despite the heated water, and her eyes popped open to focus on candles flickering along the floor on the far wall. “That’s it,” she said, breathless. “That’s all I remember.” “Who is he?” Raf said. “Why did he put you in the trunk?” She searched the memory, but the scene stayed black. “I don’t know.” She glanced at him and felt a spear of dread lance through her stomach. “But I think I did.” They sat there for a long moment, her heavy breaths making her feel as though she’d run a marathon. Jesus, she was really in trouble, wasn’t she? She’d been kidnapped, bound, and locked in trunk. Who did it? Was he really still after her? Why couldn’t she go for help? She blinked, waiting for the tidal waves of tears. Nothing happened. Aside from her still-galloping heart, she felt numb to the memory she’d just experienced—almost as though it happened to someone else. “You did great, honey,” Rafael said. “Don’t worry. We won’t let anythin’ happen to you.” His wet hand slid up to cup her cheek and turn her face to him. His brown eyes were mingled with anguish and sympathy. She pressed a kiss into his palm. “I don’t want to remember any more right now. I just want to be with the two of you. Please.”

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“I’m sorry, Crystal.” He leaned forward and kissed her tenderly on the lips. That kiss lit a fire inside her, and she knew exactly what she needed to burn away the raw, yet detached sensation swirling inside her. “I need you, Raf,” she whispered. “Kiss me again.” “Not tonight. I don’t think we should.” “Kiss her if she wants you to, damn it,” Trey said. He turned her face to his. “Can you forgive me for coverin’ your eyes and mouth that way? I wasn’t tryin’ to hurt you. I was tryin’ to jump start your memory.” She swallowed. “It worked. Scared the shit out of me, and stuff just came back to me. I almost unraveled, though. Let’s not try that again?” “I’m so sorry.” But when Trey’s mouth came down, his lips offered no apology. The kiss wasn’t tender like Rafael’s had been. Trey’s kiss demanded forgiveness, claiming her mouth as though his domineering will could drive away her demons. As a woman who’d apparently been subject to terrifying control, such brute force by a man—even in the language of passion—should have shut her down. Instead, her body responded with the heat of an aggressive animal longing to dominate her mate. She growled and grabbed Trey’s head, thrusting her tongue into his mouth with long, fucking-style strokes. Her wet body slid around in the tub, sloshing water over both sides while she tried to wriggle upright and get closer to him. His groan in response drove her need higher. She had total control over his arousal, and she wanted that power, needed to be in command of him. Both of them. Crystal pulled away and turned to Rafael, kneeling with an expression of half shock, half confusion. She pulled him by the back of his head and kissed him, one hand holding him in place while the other one went in search of Trey’s hands. They were balancing his weight on the edge of the tub, and with a tug she pulled one over to

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her dripping breasts. The other followed, tugging and twisting her nipples with pinches that were less than gentle—exactly what she wanted. “Fuck, yes,” she said again Rafael’s mouth. “Harder. Squeeze my breasts.” Trey’s obedience brought a pang of pleasure through her clit, and she moaned. “Take your pants off, Trey.” The man didn’t need to be told twice, but Rafael whooshed out a breath of apparent uncertainty. “Crystal, don’t,” he started, but she shut him up by plunging her tongue into his mouth again. She leaned back in the tub, bringing him down with her until he was hovered over and kissing her while her head rested on the folded towel again. “Are you sure you’re all right?” Rafael asked. She bent her knees and spread her legs apart. “Shut up and wash me, Raf,” she said, reaching down for one of the washrags that had been abandoned during her partial breakthrough. When she found one she picked it up, sopping wet, and pressed it against his chest. Trey’s hand dipped into the water around her and came up with the second rag, and this time when the men resumed stroking her they hit all the spots that had been throbbing for their touch earlier. The drag of wet terry across her nipples and down over her labia made her cry out. “More,” she said. “God, yes. Kiss me—both of you.” Their hands and washcloths still roamed her breasts, down across her belly, and plunged between her thighs while they lowered their heads near her face. Both tongues flicked out to meet hers, and she grabbed the backs of their hair and held them close so she could slide her tongue over Rafael’s, then Trey’s—and when they danced close enough together, both of their tongues at the same time. The sensations of tongues and the washrag massage by candlelight was exquisite. Decadent. And Crystal was in charge of it all. Even better, the men’s mouths were so close together while they kissed her that their lips and tongues met from time to time, and she groaned in excitement and spread her legs farther. She wanted to press their faces

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to one another and watch Trey’s tongue plunder Rafael’s sweet mouth, but she’d promised not to force the matter. Rafael’s fingers plunged inside of her pussy, and she arched back in a moan of delight. She draped a bent leg over the edge of the bath to give him greater access while he thumbed her clit and fucked her with three fingers, stretching her wide and rubbing across her G-spot until she felt the first shudders of orgasm stir. But his fingers weren’t what she wanted—she wanted the cock she’d been denied the previous night. She pushed the men back enough for her to get on her knees, dripping wet. She took hold of Rafael’s fly. “Now,” she said. His cock sprang free into her wet hands, and she sucked in his musky length. Rafael’s thighs stiffened while her mouth slid over him, and he groaned in almost anguish. Then she felt Trey behind her, still outside the tub, massaging her shoulders while he rubbed his magnificently hard cock against her back. “Mm,” she murmured against Rafael’s cock, running her tongue up and down the length and then teasing his ball sac. He hissed and gripped her head. “Jesus, Crystal, I’m gonna shoot my load right down your throat.” She pulled back, though she kept working his rod with her hand. “Not tonight, cowboy. You still owe me a ride.” With that she tugged him forward, and he stumbled over the edge of the tub in a drunken stagger. With a dramatic splash, Raf was in the tub with her—boots, jeans, and all. She pushed him down until he sat in the water. “Couldn’t you wait for me to get undressed?” he said with a shocked smile. She shook her head and straddled his lap. “Help me,” she said into his ear. “I want your cock inside me.” “You’re a wild animal when you’re horny,” he said, reaching to position his dick against her pussy hole. When the deliciously thick head was right where she wanted it, she dropped straight down until he was buried deep inside. She put her head back and gasped at the

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feel of him, so big, filling her more than any man—even Trey, though in fairness he’d done her standing against the wall where she had less control over penetration. Here, straddling Rafael’s lap, she could bottom his erection out in her pussy and bounce up and down however she wanted. “Give me your cock, Trey,” she said, her voice broken up by grunting sounds every time her ass his Rafael’s jean-clad thighs. The wet fabric against her naked skin drove her crazy, and she rubbed her tits on his soaked shirt. Trey stood with his stiff cock in hand, and she took it from him and began rubbing his shaft back and forth in time to her strokes up and down on Raf’s. “Bend down so I can have your mouth,” she ground out, and he did. She leaned close to Rafael as she kissed Trey, wondering what he thought of having the taste of Rafael’s cock on her lips. Then a devilish thought came. She slowed her hips until she was rubbing her clit against Rafael’s pelvis while she tongue-fucked Trey. Trey growled and closed his eyes. She pulled back enough so his tongue had to flick out in search of hers. She let go of his cock, took hold of Rafael’s head and did her best to kiss both men together. Then she pulled out of the three-way kiss and bent to slide Trey’s twitching cock in her mouth. There was a surprised moan and the gratifying sounds of the men still kissing for a moment. Trey shuddered and broke it off first. “Sorry,” she heard him whisper. “I thought it was Crystal.” “It’s okay,” Rafael said, his voice coming through clenched teeth. Well, it had been worth a shot. Trey straightened and pumped himself in and out of Crystal’s mouth, gripping her hair and calling out encouragement. “You suck cock like you fuckin’ love it,” he said. She murmured agreement with a throaty moan, making sure it vibrated all along his shaft. He grabbed her hair tighter until it almost hurt, sending stabs of pleasure through her. Rafael slid his hands on

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her breasts and tried to use gentle strokes on her nipples. She released Trey’s cock long enough to say, “Harder, Raf. Pinch them.” He did, and it brought her right to the edge. She couldn’t risk biting down and had to pull away, fucking Trey’s cock with her fist while she bounced harder and came. Her orgasm shattered her mind into a place where none of the flickers of memory she’d just had existed. It was just intense, unbelievable ecstasy alongside the men who shouted their own releases. She was barely aware of Trey’s cock spasming in her grip and the hot spurt of cream that hit the front of her shoulder as he came. Rafael’s cream shot deep while he shuddered and wrapped his arms around her, and the hot, wet fluid gushing inside of her while she pumped up and down spurred her to grind her pelvis back and forth and send her over a second time. When she threw her head back to cry out, Trey bent down and kissed her, swallowing her shout of, “God, I’m coming again,” and twisting her nipple hard to strengthen the peak of her crumbling shards of orgasm. “Damn, baby,” Rafael said a few moments later while Crystal still straddled him. “That was hands down the hottest, wettest fuck I have ever had—and only in part because you forced me into a bathtub fully clothed.” “Right with you there,” Trey said. “Her pussy is so tight, and her cream is like a thick, warm milkshake squeezin’ your cock. Enough to make a man crazy.” “Enough to keep me hard for the rest of my life.” Rafael demonstrated by pushing his hips against her. She felt the semi-hard dick inside of her lengthening rapidly. “I think I’m about as clean as I’m likely to get,” she said, running a hand over her still-wet breasts. “But I wouldn’t be opposed to testing the weight tolerance of that air bed. Think it can hold all of us?” “Seven-hundred-pound limit,” Rafael said with a grin. “Though it didn’t say anythin’ about a three-way acrobatic team.”

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“We can try and go easier this time,” Trey said. “Hell, no we won’t.” She winked and put her hands on the edge of the tub to help her lift off of his lap. “Guess we’ll have to take our chances.”

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Chapter Ten Nearly three hours had elapsed before the men dragged themselves back to the other bunkhouse. To Trey’s surprise—and disappointment—Jess was still awake when they came in. He took one look at Rafael and broke out laughing. “What the blazin’ devil happened to you now?” Rafael, who’d had no choice but to put his soaking wet clothes back on when he and Trey had finished making love to Crystal two more times, stopped by a hook near the door to hang up his hat—the only part of his ensemble that was still dry. “Don’t ask,” he said. “Not watchin’ where he was walkin’, as usual,” Trey added. Jess shook his head. “I swear, if the two of you ain’t the biggest pair of born and bred trouble hounds,” he said. “And here I thought you were late because you’d gone off somewhere to take advantage of your time off.” Rafael shot Trey a sharp glance. He had wanted to stay with Crystal all night, but Trey had insisted they couldn’t risk raising Jess’s suspicion. In any case, Trey hadn’t wanted to sleep on that awkward air bed. His shoulder would be sore enough in the morning as it was. Already, the dull throbbing was becoming a sharp ache. Rafael had argued that they didn’t both have to stay the night, but the suggestion twanged oddly in Trey’s gut. He didn’t want to go back to the other trailer alone. Without Raf, you mean. “Think I’ll hop in the shower to warm up,” Rafael said, slogging toward the bathroom while Trey sat down on his bunk and tugged off his boots.

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Jess laughed again. “Not wet enough, eh?” Confusion swirled in Trey’s mind while Rafael pulled off his wet shirt. Maybe it would have been better if the other man had stayed in the other bunkhouse. Trey needed time to think. It would be natural to feel jealous about Rafael and Crystal, but he knew Crystal wanted him. In any case, he had no right to be jealous considering he wouldn’t be around much longer. A ménage wouldn’t last forever anyway, right? And this one’s shelf life was damned short. He dressed in pajama pants and T-shirt and brushed his teeth over the kitchen sink, the way the three men in the modular quarters did since the bathroom was often occupied during the short stretches of time they were present. Rafael wouldn’t likely give a shit if Trey strolled in on him while he was in the shower, since they’d seen each other in just about every awkward state of nudity a man could get into. Still, there was Jess to consider. He’d definitely raise a brow at the sudden familiarity. “What’s up with the two of you lately?” Jess said from his upper bunk. Trey almost swallowed his toothpaste at the apparent mindreading, but managed to spit it out with only a small amount dribbling on his chin. He wiped his mouth on a hand towel on the counter. “What do you mean?” Jess pushed himself up on one elbow. Dark eyes glittered over the shadow of a good two days’ worth of beard. “You’re fallin’ off your horse, and he’s fallin’ in the watering hole. The two of you ain’t had your heads on the job all week. What gives? Is it that hot brunette?” Trey tried to play it cool. “Who?” “The one at the barbecue with big green eyes and bigger tits. I thought you two were holdin’ a pissin’ contest over her that day, but you’ve been buddy-bud ever since.” “Sorry, no pissin’ contests.” “Who’s gotta piss?” Rafael said. “Cuz the bathroom’s free now.”

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He stood in the doorway, a cloud of steam roiling out behind him while he scrubbed his head with a towel. Another towel was tucked tight enough around his waist to see his cock bobbing up and down with the vigorous drying motion. Trey’s eyes shifted back to see Rafael watching him check out his package. He nervously turned away and wandered back to his bunk, wondering whether Rafael had noticed other times in the past couple of days Trey had been checking him out. Trey flopped onto the bunk and lay on his back while Rafael went over to the bureau and began rummaging. Overhead, the upper bunk creaked as Jess shifted his bulk. Two feet popped over the side. “Think I’ll take you up on that pissin’ offer,” Jess said. He took the ladder steps two at a time and shuffled to the bathroom wearing baggy plaid sleep pants and a thermal knit shirt. Rafael’s bare back faced Trey while he yanked out a pair of clean jockey shorts and sleep pants. The towel came off, and Trey’s mouth went dry at the sight of Rafael’s round, white ass. Despite rooming together, Trey had never seen Rafael naked before they started sharing Crystal. The man had been naked in front of him, of course, but Trey had never seen it. He wasn’t one for the whose-dong-is-king game, so he made it a point to look away. Now he found himself making a point of looking at every inch any chance he could. He had to admit the man took damned good care of himself. His back was well-defined, with broad, rounded shoulder caps and nice striations down to a tapered waist. His ass was perfectly round and tight, his leg muscles lean and athletic. The chest he couldn’t see at the moment was well-sculpted, too, and the cock he’d watched Rafael work the previous night had impressive girth. Trey himself was plenty endowed, with a thick cock and balls that hung prominently in a smooth, pink sac. Rafael’s cock stood out longer and leaner than Trey’s. His balls seemed bigger, maybe because his sac hugged closer to his body. There was more hair on it, too, and Trey wondered if

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Rafael liked the sensation against his palm when he’d run a hand over his nuts while jerking himself off for Crystal. No porno flick scene of a guy jacking himself had ever given Trey’s cock reason to salute, let alone inspire him to join in. Yet Rafael working it had been damn fucking hot. Whipping his hard dick out in front of Trey and then holding his eyes while he masturbated had been a ballsy, impressive stunt. Trey certainly wouldn’t have thought to initiate such a bold move—or realize that Crystal would buck and writhe like a wild filly in response. Yes, there was a lot to his best friend he hadn’t known. Seeing the man perform in the bedroom gave him a different perspective of Rafael. Having that kind of intimate knowledge about another guy was a bizarre feeling, yet it had still felt comfortable between them. Until he’d accidentally experienced Rafael’s lips and tongue tonight, that is. Body parts were no doubt bound to mingle during a threesome, but this had been more than accidentally brushing someone’s erogenous zone. It hadn’t been deliberate at first. They’d both been kissing Crystal, who suddenly vanished to wrap her velvet lips around his cock. When he found his tongue twirling around Rafael’s, his erection had surged with heightened pleasure. He sure as hell hadn’t expected that reaction. Luckily Rafael was still in the heat of the moment, thinking Crystal was still there, but Trey knew better. He hadn’t been able to resist the temptation to linger, indulge the excited tingle aroused by kissing another man. He wanted to know whether it was the thought of Crystal that was responsible for that quiver in his stomach, or some kind of chemistry with Rafael. He got his answer when he realized he no longer cared who was responsible for the surge of pleasure, just so long as it continued. In that few moments while Rafael was unaware of the experiment, Trey had discovered the unsettling truth. Crystal wasn’t the only one in their threesome that could get his cock hard.

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Was that the real reason he usually fought Rafael’s offers of massage? Maybe deep down he feared his dick would respond, the way it was threatening to now at the view in front of him. What would Rafael think if he knew Trey had deliberately kissed him out of curiosity—and worse, discovered a guy could stir sexual feelings in him? Oh, man. What a freakish discovery to make at his age. Not exactly unprecedented on the planet, though. Still, it wasn’t like he had to act on it. Soon it wouldn’t matter whether his friend gave him wood. He’d be gone, and Rafael would never know. Rafael scared the shit out of him by dropping onto the bunk beside him and leaning close into his face. “I said,” he whispered, “I know how we can help Crystal. It came to me in the shower.” The man’s body heat was palpable through his pajamas, and the spiced scent of his freshly showered body filled Trey’s nostrils. He shifted away and cleared his throat. “Jess,” he said in a strained whisper. “He’ll be gone a few minutes,” Rafael said. “I heard him drop the seat.” Trey nodded. “What’s the plan?” “I was thinkin’ of how Crystal’s memory broke through after what you did. Which I was fuckin’ pissed about, by the way.” “Sorry. It was a spur of the moment impulse. Thought it might help.” “And it did. But I think we can do better.” “You want to try the trunk thing?” “No. I think I know where Crystal was goin’.” “Where?” “Vegas.” Trey raised a skeptical brow. “How do you know?” “Makes the most sense considerin’ where we found her. They stopped for gas on the way from California to Vegas.” “Or the other way around. Or to and from a thousand other places.”

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Rafael slapped Trey on the arm. “I don’t think so. Let’s do a Vegas trip. Take Crystal and stay a night or two. We can get a suite, have some R&R like the boss suggested. Maybe she’ll remember the rest.” “The chances of that workin’ are almost zip.” “I’ve got two words to change your mind. King-sized bed.” “That’s three words, brain child.” “In-room hot tub.” “That’s four.” Still, Rafael’s point was sinking in. “Come on,” Rafael said, dropping his voice. “Wouldn’t you like to soak that shoulder in a private Jacuzzi—and have a chance to ravish our luscious girl on somethin’ more comfortable than a hard floor?” “The air mattress was a bit wobbly.” “And I’m sure she’d love to get the hell out of that dump for a while. What do you say?” He couldn’t help but smile at the ridiculous boyish smirk on Rafael’s face. One last fling before he left. It’d be nice to take a minivacation before he had to come clean and admit he was leaving. “Okay. Sure. If Crystal wants to.” “Of course she’ll want to.” They heard the toilet flush, and Rafael scooted off Trey’s bunk. From his bed he asked, “Should we head out early, after Jess goes up to the feed lot?” “Crystal’s no rancher. She’ll want to sleep in after tonight’s exercise.” “Good point.” They fell silent when Jess exited the bathroom and climbed up onto the bunk. The others dropped off to sleep, but Trey tossed and turned, wondering whether the trip would be the light fun Rafael promised, or whether it would make Crystal more anxious—and him more reluctant to leave his life behind.

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Chapter Eleven Rafael and Crystal lay face down and naked with sheets draped strategically over their backsides. From his vantage point staring straight down at brown and white patterned carpet through a hole in the massage table, Rafael couldn’t see Trey, but he could hear him pressing buttons on his phone. “I still think you should be on one of these tables instead of messing with your phone,” Rafael said to him. “Later.” Trey sounded distracted and keys kept clicking. “Who are you textin’, anyway?” “My mom. She, uh, forgot to tell me somethin’ last time we talked.” “Yeah, well, tell her your vacation started two hours ago. You’re missin’ it.” “I take back most of what I said about doing this,” Crystal said. “Coming here was a great idea.” She had been a surprisingly hard sell, balking suspiciously at the idea of Vegas when the men had broken the news that morning. Luckily, she’d come around. “Told you,” Rafael said. “I’m a genius and a half.” The masseuse moved up from his calves and began running finishing strokes along his back. “But gettin’ this room was Trey’s idea, and a damned good one.” “It’s beautiful—and huge,” she said. “I’ve never stayed in a premium room. I’ve never stayed in any room with floor-to-ceiling padded headboards.”

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Gold bedding and headboards weren’t exactly Rafael’s style, but he could hardly complain—especially since Trey was picking up the tab. “It’s not the Senator’s Suite, but I like the palace tower,” Trey said. “A bit farther back, but comfortable and roomy for the price.” “Not cheap, surely,” Crystal said. “The bathroom is decadent— and the view of the pools is amazing. Who cares if this tower isn’t right out on the strip?” “Think we could talk Big John into puttin’ in a ‘garden of the gods’ pool complex at the ranch?” Rafael asked. “I don’t think he’d go for the idea of swim-up blackjack,” Trey said. “I’d settle for the rollin’ mojito cart.” “And cabana boys,” Crystal said. “On a ranch?” Rafael lifted himself to look over at Crystal, looking as sultry and relaxed as he’d ever seen her, lying on the table with her upper body supported on some kind of large foam wedge. While his table had a hole cut out for his face, Crystal’s pillow sported cutouts for an altogether different reason. Rafael turned his head to address the woman rubbing long, languid strokes along Crystal’s back. “What did you say the name of that pillow thing was again?” The blonde giggled. “Until we think up a more professional term, we call it the ‘booby booster.’ Lots of our clients have implants or other special needs that make it helpful.” The wedge was a handy little device the masseuse had whipped out when Crystal mentioned not being able to lay comfortably on her stomach. Who could blame her, considering those luscious breasts? With the pillow’s strategic stick-your-tits-here holes, however, she could lounge in face-down comfort. “What will they think of next?” He gave the delicate blonde a wink. “Don’t suppose they make one of those foam things for men?”

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The redhead finishing up with Rafael snorted. “We don’t get many guys with breast implants.” “Not many,” the blonde said, and the pair laughed. “But the pillow works the same for either gender.” He and Crystal sat up, her with a plush terry robe around her. Rafael wrapped his sheet around his waist and shot a look at his masseuse. “I meant for the lower half of your male clientele. Some might have the same trouble lyin’ face down as your better endowed female customers.” He hopped off the table and gave the blonde an evil grin. “Now play nice, Raf,” Crystal said in a teasing tone as he helped her stand. Trey chuckled from his seat on the edge of the bed. “I doubt there are guys with that much of a problem.” “Speak for yourself, Tiny,” Rafael said. In a flash, Trey reached behind him and a moment later, a pillow sailed over and clocked him in the chest. “Trey’s a lot of things, but tiny definitely isn’t one,” Crystal said. “Not anywhere.” Rafael heard snickers from the two masseuses, who were packing up. “Raf,” Trey said. “I was speakin’ comparatively, of course.” He leaned closer to Crystal. “Somethin’ you can attest to.” She rolled her eyes, but tossed him a smoldering look that made him want to grab her, visitors be damned. He clutched his sheet around him tighter to hide his stirring erection. “We’ll keep your suggestion in mind, sir,” the blonde said with a knowing grin. “Raf,” Trey said louder this time. “I’ve got an even bigger issue at the moment.” “Such as?” Rafael asked, glancing at the other man’s crotch to see if that was what he was referring to.

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In response, the man lifted his hand and pointed at it. “You’ve come here empty-handed?” Crystal said. Trey’s eyes fastened on Rafael’s while he shook his head, continuing to point. A slow grin spread over Rafael’s face. “Don’t tell me you’ve got the itch,” he said. “Ew,” Crystal said. “I hope that’s not catching.” “This is an itch you want, trust me,” Rafael said. To Trey he added, “So what are you plannin’ to do about it, partner?” Trey stood up and stretched, then tucked the ends of his black Tshirt into snug jeans. “A stroll down to the craps table is definitely in order.” “Better scratch while the itch is hot. We’ll get dressed and join you there.” That spurred everyone into motion. Trey grabbed his hat and headed off. Rafael tipped the massage therapists on their way out while Crystal went into the bathroom to get dressed. “What’s all this about Trey’s itching problem?” she called from the other room. Rafael pulled on black denims and a ribbed gray tank top. “He knows he’s gonna win at the tables when his palm itches.” “Does that really work?” “Yep. Can’t quit his day job, but he’s walked away from a craps table four digits richer.” He was tugging on his black boots when Crystal emerged, wearing tight white shorts and a candy pink tank whose straps were nothing more than miniature strings tied at the shoulders. One good tug on the strings and he could pull that top down over the luscious, braless cleavage her scoop neck flashed at him. “Damn,” he said. “To hell with craps.” Three long strides brought him up in front of her. He took hold of a string on either shoulder, and with a pull he tested out his theory. The strings gave way, and he peeled the front of her top down to

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expose bare breasts. With an appreciative groan he rubbed his hands over her, feeling her nipples pebble hard against his fingers. Crystal purred in her throat and clutched at his biceps. “I was trying to get dressed to go downstairs, you know.” “And just how far downstairs did you think you were gonna get dressed like this?” He let one hand roam down her back side. His fingers found the lower edge of her shorts and slid inside to find that her ass was bare. “Jesus, aren’t you wearin’ any panties, either? That’s it.” He lifted her around his waist, then claimed her mouth while walking them over to the nearest of the two beds. His cock strained against the fly of his zipper as he lowered her to the floor at the foot of the bed. “Take your shorts off,” he said. “Won’t Trey miss us?” “He’s likely hittin’ a lucky streak about now,” he said. “And I’m about to hit a luckier one.” Her response wasn’t fast enough, and he dropped to his knees with a growl to give her shorts a yank. It turned out she had panties on after all—a lacy thong with floss up her ass crack in the same shade of pink as her top. Her dark pussy hair was visible through the pale pink lace in front, and he leaned in to run his tongue along the rough fabric. Her musk filled his nostrils until his balls drew up tight, and the sweet taste of her nearly drove him mad. Crystal’s breaths grew ragged, and he felt the delicious tug of her pulling on his hair to hold his face against her pussy. He reached around to grope her round ass cheeks, reveling in the feel of them bare despite wearing panties. God, she had a great ass. He couldn’t help himself—he pulled back and gave one cheek a good smack. She squealed in surprise, and in a breathless voice said, “We shouldn’t, Raf. Trey’s waiting.” Still, she tugged at his hair tighter. That did it. He put his mouth over her mound, sucking at her clit through lace for a moment until he heard her gasp. Then he pulled back.

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“You’re in that big a hurry to get down to Trey?” He smacked her ass again. “I think you need a lesson in what’s good for you, darlin’.” Rafael got up and stood with his face close to hers. Her cheeks were flushed sexy pink, and her eyes wavered with indecision. “Turn around,” he told her in a slow, deliberate voice. “What?” Another slap to her bottom followed. “No questions.” One corner of her mouth quirked up a bit at that, and she spun around. He reached over to pull up the strings of her top and began retying them over her shoulders. This was likely not what Crystal had been expecting, and he saw her toss a frowning glance at his hands. He smiled and kept tying without a word. When he was finished, he ran his hands down the front of her, sliding over her shirt to feel her full breasts. Her nipples were hard nubs, and she sucked in a breath when he tweaked them both. Then he pulled his hands away. “Bend over,” he growled into her ear. She bent slightly at the waist, but not far enough. He pushed down on her shoulder blades. “Hands flat on the bed. Spread your legs for me.” With her shorts only halfway down, this took a moment to rectify, but soon he had her bent over the gold bedspread with her bare ass sticking out at him. God, how he wanted to ram his cock inside her, but he had other plans. “So, you’d rather be out on the smoky casino floor?” He reared back and let the flat of his palm connect with an ass cheek with a resounding smack. She jerked, but held her place. “No.” “No, who?” Another smack, this time to the other cheek and hard enough to sting his hand. “No, Rafael.” “You were a naughty girl, weren’t you? Lyin’ on that table naked, with me knowin’ your bare tits were stuck through the holes in that

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pillow.” He skimmed a hand over her firm ass, then slapped it again. A pink bloom spread over one cheek. “Then you teased me in front of those women, talkin’ about how big Trey’s cock is.” Smack went his hand again, and the other cheek flushed bright pink. “Mine’s bigger, but not better. My dick thrusts inside you real deep, doesn’t it?” “Yes, Rafael.” Her voice was barely a whisper now. Smack. “But his is thick and stretches that pussy wide.” He bent over to her ear and whispered, “You know I think about his cock, don’t you?” Smack. Crystal moaned at that and jutted her ass out farther, pushing it back toward him eagerly. His erection throbbed and strained the confines of his pants. “Don’t you?” he said louder, spanking her again. “Yes, Rafael.” “You like knowin’ that I do.” She nodded. “God, yes.” He reached between her ass cleft, stroking down to where the string of her panties rubbed over her slit. Plunging two fingers inside of her, he groaned. “Fuck, you’re drippin’ wet, you naughty thing. You like thinkin’ about me and Trey that much? Did you know I’m jealous that you get to suck his cock?” She squealed and pushed back against his fingers, making him fuck her deeper with them. He took his other hand and slapped her ass with it. She moaned in delight and wriggled her ass back and forth. “Fuck me, Rafael. I need you inside me.” Smack. “No talkin’.” “Please?” He pulled his fingers out of her and leaned his bulging crotch into her ass crack, rubbing his hardness against her. “I’m not gonna fuck you.” She groaned in disappointment. “I am gonna make you scream, though.”

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With that he got back on his knees and spread her ass cheeks wide. The pink puckered hole there was so sweet that he growled. He flicked his tongue down her crack and drove it into her pussy. God, she was so wet. Her juices ran down along her clit, which he eagerly lapped up. She cried out and writhed against him while he alternated sucking her pussy with slapping that beautiful, now-red ass. “More,” she said. “Don’t stop. Fuck, I want your cock inside of me.” Not in such a hurry now, was she? With a smile he set to work pleasuring her clit with his tongue. He finger-fucked her and slapped each ass cheek until she was moaning in a desperate animal rhythm he knew well. “I’m going to come,” she said, panting and throwing her head back. He pulled his tongue from her long enough to say, “You better come for me, darlin’. Scream my name.” “Rafael!” she called out, and he felt her pussy contract around his fingers. Cream coated his knuckles while she spasmed with her release. She was still coming when he stood up and pulled her upright. He turned her to face him and kissed her, making her taste her own juices. The wild, dewy look on her face told him she wasn’t through yet—she wanted his dick bad. She wanted to come again with him sticking it deep inside of her. But instead he smiled and broke off their kiss. He found her shorts on the floor and held them up in front of her. Her eyes grew wide. “You’re really not going to fuck me?” He shook his head. Her hands went to her breasts, and she pinched her nipples between her fingers seductively. “Not even if I beg?” “Nope. Since we’re in such a hurry to get to Trey, you’ll just have to wait.”

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She dropped her hands and glanced down to where his aching groin still bulged. “But what about you? Don’t you want me to get you off?” Hell yeah, he did. Still, he shrugged. “It’ll be that much sweeter later on.” After wriggling her shorts back on, Crystal glanced up at him with a look of newfound appreciation. “I wouldn’t have suspected you had this side to you. I like it.” “We’ve just barely gotten acquainted. This pony’s got a few tricks you haven’t seen yet.” “I definitely want front seats at the rodeo where you show off the rest of your tricks.” He gave her a wink and sauntered over to the closet, though a bit stiff-legged considering his hard dick made it difficult to walk away from Crystal for more than one reason. Maybe he should give in, ram his cock into her dripping pussy to get relief. His balls were on the verge of aching. At this rate, he’d be wandering around the casino floor with a limp and a hard-on. Nevertheless, this was more fun. Leaving Crystal hanging, anticipating what would be in store when all three of them would be there to enjoy it together—yeah, the explosive orgasm he’d earn by delaying gratification would definitely be worth walking around horny. Tugging his hat on, he turned to Crystal. “Let’s go see whether Trey’s gettin’ any luckier than I just did. Though I seriously doubt it.”

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Chapter Twelve Rafael held Crystal’s hand possessively as he led her through the massive casino at Caesar’s Palace. She followed him through the thick streams of patrons on the gaming floor, beyond endless lines of slots, poker, and video keno. The air was heavy and tinged with acrid smoke, and the steady, insistent drone of dinging machinery and clink clink of dropping jackpot change accompanied them to the gaming tables. “It’s so crowded,” Crystal said. “How are we supposed to find Trey?” “Follow the cheers,” Rafael said. A couple of minutes later they approached the craps area, and of the open tables, one was obviously in high spirits. Standing at the head of the table, eying the green felt layout and dropping chips into place, was Trey. Crystal smiled at his determined, yet boyish expression and the smug tilt to his gray Stetson. The sight of her cowboy against the decadent gold backdrop of the casino was a bit odd. Trey definitely stood out among the dramatic ceiling coffers, statuary, and carved relief on the walls, but not because he looked like a naïve ranch hand. On the contrary, the man had command of the table—and a few of the ladies currently standing around it. He leaned over to hold a fist out to one of the female players—a brassy-haired bimbo with a set of massive, freckled tits threatening to fatally strain the fabric of her black tube top. When she blew on his knuckles, he gave her a wink. He released his fist over the felt, sending a pair of dice careening down the table.

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“Two and two,” the craps dealer called as Crystal and Rafael walked up. The crowd cheered as the dice were collected and chips paid out to players. Trey spotted them. “Took you long enough. You’re missin’ the action.” Crystal bit back the urge to say there’d been plenty of action in the room—and she had the still-warm ass to prove it. Rafael asked, “How’s it goin’?” “I’m up six grand.” “What the fuck? Six grand? Already?” “You two were up there for an hour,” he said, tossing Crystal an amused, knowing glance while he stacked chips on a section of felt that read PASS LINE. “I’m guessin’ the casino floor isn’t the only place for games around here.” “Coming out,” the stickman called, using a long wooden stick to push the dice to Trey. He picked them up and rubbed them, then held them out for Crystal. “Give me some luck?” She blew on the dice and ignored the inquisitive look from the redhead across from her. The dice went flying and another round of cheers went up. “Lucky seven,” the stickman called. More chips were tossed down, and Trey’s next throw turned up an eleven. The redhead jumped up and down enough to nearly bounce her tits right out of her top. A cocktail waitress came by, and Rafael ordered drinks that were delivered at top speed. Crystal alternated sipping a whiskey sour and blowing Trey’s dice while she tried to follow the rapid-fire pace of the table. The stack of chips racked in front of Trey was impressive, and he frequently changed in his growing pile for hundred dollar chips from the box man. He was dropping two “quarter” chips—twenty-five dollars each—at the start of each new point roll and adding more in odds. She sat mesmerized, watching with her heart in her throat while he calmly gambled Ben

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Franklins like a high-rolling playboy. She would never be able to bet stakes like that, even if she were a wealthy woman rather than a humble office girl. Her whiskey sour slid warm down her throat and even hotter in her belly, but the excitement at the table and the press of the two men’s bodies—Rafael beside her while they stood close behind Trey—was what dotted her forehead with perspiration. After a while she noticed other players dropping chips all over the board—and winning off Trey’s rolls, too—while he was content to stick with the pass line. “He likes to play it safe,” Rafael said when she asked him. “Almost never bets anythin’ but pass and come.” She giggled at that. “He bets on coming?” He grinned. “He bets that the point will come before craps.” “I know what it means,” she said. “I’ve played a little craps.” She leaned close to his ear, though with all the din of the gaming floor she still needed to speak up to be heard. “I’m just feeling a little naughty at the moment. I wonder why.” He leaned over and said back in her ear, “Naughty girls might find themselves gettin’ disciplined later.” Crystal’s head was starting to feel light from her drinks. “Naughty girls wish.” Trey turned to her, his face flushed pink. His breath carried the tang of more whiskey sours than she’d had. He’d started drinking while she and Rafael were playing spanking games. “More luck, ma’am?” he asked. This time, she stretched up and kissed him rather than blowing on his dice—a sensual, but light kiss where she flicked her tongue briefly along the crevice between his lips. One of her breasts brushed his arm when she moved, stiffening her nipple. He shot her a smoldering look and made the throw. “Eight’s the point,” came the verdict, and several whoops of delight went up.

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The remaining watered-down third of her drink was whisked away and replaced by a fresh one. Trey stacked the chips coming back from the dealer and was betting on the new roll when she said in his ear, “I hear you only bet on coming. Smart man, since I intend to see to that personally.” His grin set her pulse on fast forward. “I like my bets safe.” “I thought you liked it hard.” “Oh, I’m gettin’ hard.” He let go of the dice. “Seven’s a winner!” the caller said. A few rolls and sips of her drink later, the entire table was undulating and pulsing with the heady power of lady luck. “He’s up almost eight thousand,” she said to Rafael. “I’ve never seen him on fire like this. Must be the hot woman givin’ him all the luck.” She batted her eyelashes. “Yeah, that redhead’s really workin’ it by leaning over to show her cleavage every few seconds.” He nudged her arm. “I meant you, hottie.” “I didn’t give him all my luck. Some was for you, remember?” She kissed Rafael, too, only when she tried to break off he held her head to his and thrust his tongue into her mouth. He tasted tart and tangy from the orange juice and vodka screwdrivers he was drinking. Her stomach was doing little flips of need by the time he pulled back. The redhead was now gazing at her with undisguised curiosity, no doubt wondering how Crystal had gotten her lips onto both the sexiest men at the table. Crystal raised a brow at the woman and gave a knowing smile. “Bet a hard one,” Crystal said to Trey, nodding to the center of the table where the stick man was placing a few other player’s chips. “You mean a hard way. Those are sucker bets.” “You like getting sucked. Win and I’ll remind you how much.” His eyes glittered. “I think I like you when you’re drinkin’. Name the bet, darlin’.” She eyed the table. “Eleven.”

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His brow rose. “High odds against.” “But think of the damn sweet payoff.” He growled and pulled a hundred dollar chip from his stack— followed by several others. Crystal’s eyes bugged out. “I didn’t mean that much.” He shrugged. “You want to play it hard? Let’s play it hard. There’s a lot more at stake than ten chips, you know. I aim for you to make good on that promise later.” The dealer placed Trey’s thousand dollar bet while Crystal’s heart tried to pound its way out of her chest. Sure, he was already thousands ahead, but knowing he’d flushed a grand down the toilet because alcohol turned her reckless felt terrible. “Gimme some of that sugar luck, then,” he said. “Let’s do it.” Her hands were shaking when she leaned over to blow on his fist, and she hid behind his broad back unable to watch when he made the throw. The roar of the crowd and Rafael’s insane whoop told her the story before the stick man even called it. “Yo!” the table said simultaneously. Trey was slapped on the back several times, and the room started spinning around Crystal. “We won?” she asked Rafael in a breathless whisper. Then he was kissing her, and Trey grabbed her up and kissed her, knocking his hat off. “Here you go, lucky lady.” He pressed a stack of chips into her hand. “A little something if you want to try that luck firsthand.” “Fifteen to one odds,” Rafael said to Trey. “You lucky stallion. Holy shit on a stick, I ain’t never seen anythin’ like it.” Crystal swayed a bit on her feet, staring down at the hundreddollar chips in her hand while everyone congratulated Trey. What an amazing turn of luck. What were the odds that she should be standing in a Vegas casino with two gorgeous men, one of whom was hitting the streak of a lifetime? The whole thing felt surreal.

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What are the odds? The words echoed in her mind again while Trey grabbed Rafael in a manly hug that lasted a good several seconds before they stopped clutching each other and backed things down to a firm handshake. She frowned. Odds. Something about odds. The two were discussing plans for Trey to finish up his hot streak as shooter and walk away on a high note when it happened. She stiffened, the dizzying cacophony falling away as a shock wave hit her full force. What are the odds you’ll walk away from this if you don’t shut up and come along quiet, bitch? Good God, what the hell was she doing here? Here, of all places. How could she have let this happen? How on earth could she not have remembered, with what was at stake? A wave of nausea crested over her stomach. “I have to go,” she said to Rafael. “Go where?” he said, still grinning like he’d won the lottery. “Upstairs. I need some time alone.” The smile gave way to a straight slash beneath furrowed brows. “Time alone? What did we do?” “Nothing. I just need to breathe for a while, okay? I’m sorry.” Rafael nudged Trey, who was still collecting winnings. “Crystal’s leavin’.” He turned around. “What? Where?” “I’m going back to the room for a while.” She paused. “I want to be left alone.” “What’s wrong?” Bets were down, and game players prompted Trey to get back to rolling. He ignored them. “Don’t worry about it,” she said. “Finish your game. I’ll be fine.” “Fuck the game. Crystal, what’s the matter?” “Did you remember somethin’?” Rafael asked.

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She swallowed and shook her head. What are the odds you’d be stupid enough to forget this? “Not now, guys. Everything’s fine. Please, just let me go. I’ll call you on the cell in a little while. I promise.” Rafael pulled the room key card from his pocket, and she took it. She turned away from their confused expressions and pushed her way through the crowds toward the elevator as fast as she could. Every few seconds she peered over her shoulder, half expecting one or them to stop her. Neither one did, which was a relief. She’d forgotten. How damn unforgivable. Almost two weeks had gone by. She swore under her breath. Before she could go further, she had to cut Trey and Rafael loose. No matter how painful the thought sounded. She couldn’t involve them in this, and had she not been so out of it in the desert, she never would have let them help her in the first place. Her next stop was their room to place a phone call or two. She hoped to God it wasn’t too late.

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Chapter Thirteen “I still say we should have stayed at the tables,” Rafael said. “Since Crystal doesn’t want us up in the room you just got us comped for, what’s the point of sittin’ around when we could at least be havin’ fun?” Trey flashed him a narrowed-eyed look. “I’m not in the mood.” “You sure pissed off that redhead when she begged you for one more bet,” Rafael went on, a noticeable slur now exaggerating his cowboy drawl. “You dropped a hundred bucks on ‘any seven’ and won by crappin’ out while everyone else tanked. Chick lost half her money.” “Not my damn problem,” Trey said, tossing back his head to slug back the watery remainder of his drink. Several ice cubes came with it, and he crunched them while wiping at drips of water that fell on his shirt. Cashing out more than double the winnings he’d ever cleaned out of Vegas should have been a major highlight in Trey’s existence. Instead, he sat in a bar feeling shell-shocked. Crystal had raced away in some sort of mysterious huff, taking his high spirits with her. She’d clearly been upset, but why? Surely not over the stacked redhead. The flirting had been harmless, and mostly on the woman’s part. And Crystal hadn’t seemed upset when he’d let the other woman give him good luck. She’d blown his dice, not his dick. Something Crystal promised to do right before running off. He set the empty drink down on their black cocktail table and sank down in his plush club chair. After Crystal’s unexplained exit, the pair had gone to the cashier with Trey’s winnings, then to the

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Shadow Lounge for lack of any better ideas. Mood music thumped out an erotic beat while a naked shadow dancer writhed behind a screen. He watched her undulating movements, but it was thoughts of Crystal’s hot kiss at the craps table and her promise of the night ahead that brought a stir behind his zipper. “Her tits aren’t as nice,” Rafael said. Trey turned to him. “What?” The other man nodded to the dancer’s silhouette. “Crystal’s are high and round. Those flop around when that chick’s dancin’. See?” “Thanks for the review.” “I don’t know what the hell we did,” Rafael said. “She seemed perfectly fine, then she just freaked. Did you say somethin’ to her?” “I was busy winnin’ a shitload of money, remember? What did you say?” “Nothin’. We were happy about your big win, then, bam! I just don’t get it. It’s not even her time of the month.” “I’m guessin’ you know that for a fact because you two weren’t playing shuffleboard while you were upstairs.” Rafael pulled his hand away from his shot glass and wiped his wet fingers on his thigh. “Sorry, man. It was a spur-of-the-moment impulse. We weren’t tryin’ to exclude you.” Trey waved a hand dismissively. “Whatever. At least one of us got some today.” “The only one who got some was Crystal. I decided to hold off, hence why I’ve been walkin’ around with a baseball bat for a dick.” He shifted in his chair and glanced up at the shadow screen. “In fact, comin’ to an erotic dance lounge was probably the worst way to fix my new stride.” Trey cracked a grin despite himself. “I thought maybe you’d pulled a hamstring.” “Nope. Just horny as hell.”

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“Sorry. Guess we should have hit the buffet instead.” Trey pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyelids together. “Food would have been the smarter plan.” Rafael grunted and nodded to his beer chaser. “Want another drink?” He shook his head, which sent the room into motion. Trey opened his eyes and tried to focus on the drink glass in front of him. “I’ve already had more today than I should, and I am definitely feelin’ it.” “Same here.” Rafael reached for his cell phone and flipped it on. “Still no message from Crystal. What do you suppose she’s doin’ up there?” “No idea.” “She’s probably orderin’ pay-per-view and room service while we’re stuck here.” Rafael frowned and slapped a hand loudly on the arm of his brown chair. “But who says we have to be stuck here? We didn’t do anythin’ wrong. We should be out havin’ a good time, not actin’ stranded.” Trey slunk down further in his seat and tipped his hat down over his eyes. “I’m in no mood for tourist shit.” Rafael leaned forward and pushed Trey’s brim right back up. “What, then?” “I was in the mood for somethin’ else”—he gave a pointed glance at Rafael’s crotch—“but I suppose that’s off the menu now.” “Crystal was damned horny, did you see? I brought her off but wouldn’t fuck her. Vixen was beggin’ for it by the time we came to find you.” Trey chewed another mouthful of ice. “I gathered that from the way she was actin’.” “She was half drunk.” “So are you.” Rafael laughed. The mellow sound slid right down into Trey’s gut with a warm sensation, just like his booze did. “Got that right. So

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what the fuck do you think her problem is?” Rafael’s mouth racked up profanity points when he drank. Not that Trey was much better. Trey shrugged. “I don’t know.” It came out more like Idunno. “I’m done tryin’ to understand women.” “Yeah.” Rafael reached over to rub the outside of Trey’s highball glass this time. “Men are easier.” Something in the remark twisted into double entendre for Trey, sending a faint tingle through his groin. His mouth slid into an amused grin. “Are they, now? You have experience with men as girlfriends?” Rafael’s hand fell away from the glass, but he stayed leaned over. “You know what I mean, smartass. Guys aren’t complicated. A guy always knows right where he stands with another guy, doesn’t he?” He was leaning so close that something began to pulse in Trey’s abdomen. “I don’t know,” Trey said. “Does he?” Rafael’s brown eyes were glazed and half hidden by his eyelids. He was definitely a few sheets to the wind, like Trey could talk. His body felt heavy, like he was pinned down in his chair by the weight of a bull. Still, he found himself fascinated by the curve of Rafael’s lips and the motion of the man’s Adam’s apple when he swallowed. His mouth was parted just slightly, and his shallow breaths were close enough for Trey to catch the aroma of liquor. Trey saw the man’s tongue move just inside his lips, not quite flicking out to lick them but barely visible. The faint stirrings in his cock magnified. “What are you thinkin’ right now?” Trey asked. Both the odd question in itself and the slurring tone he posed it with sounded strange to his ears. “I’m thinkin’ how unbelievably fuckin’ horny I am right now.” Rafael’s eyes dipped from Trey’s face down to his belt, and then back up again. Electricity tingled over every inch of skin the man’s gaze swept.

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Trey moved up straighter in his seat, his arm brushing Rafael’s in the process. The electric tingle turned into a full-on jolt. “Right there with you. Damn shame we can’t take care of that at the moment.” The slow smile that spread over Rafael’s face caught Trey’s breath in his chest. “You sure about that?” His cock jumped. Holy shit. Rafael was turning him on again, big time. He wanted to peel Rafael’s clothes off, run his hands over that hard, muscled chest, and see for himself what it felt like to grab hold of his long, stiff cock. His pulse erupted into a firestorm, and a prickle of new sweat joined the tingle of alcohol and lust. When Rafael leaned even closer, Trey’s eyes dipped again to those lips. He knew what they felt like now—soft, but demanding. Firm and yet eager. He wondered what those lips would feel like actually kissing him, not just because Trey got in the way while Rafael was tonguing Crystal. Trey’s hands gripped the front of the chair arms, and he held his breath while Rafael’s mouth came closer. God, would he find out right here in the bar? This was Vegas, and no one would likely give a hot damn except for him. His cock was now throbbing along the leg of his jeans and just might explode if Rafael’s mouth so much as grazed him. At the last moment, Rafael turned his head and whispered into Trey’s ear. “You do have a free room pass that the pit boss gave you.” Turning his head made Rafael’s lips graze his ear, nearly unhinging Trey. “You mean use it to get another room?” Rafael shrugged. “Why the hell not? We’re done drinkin’, we’re halfway to blue balls, and we’re grownups who have already shared sexual experiences. I say we do somethin’ about it.” “And Crystal?” “She said she’d call when she’s ready to be part of the gang again. Meanwhile, what the hell does she expect us to do? Sit around twiddlin’ our dongs in the lobby until she’s ready to let us back in the room you paid for?”

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It was all starting to make a wild kind of sense. “It’s not like it would be cheatin’,” Trey said, wondering if he was really having this conversation. Somehow they were out of the lounge and at the check-in desk minutes later. Soon after, they hoofed back to the elevators to get to the new room. They were alone when they boarded the elevator, and as the doors slid shut Trey imagined himself shoving Rafael against the wall, their hard bodies pressed together while he explored that hot mouth with his tongue. Instead, the two stood silent and didn’t even look at each other. Trey wondered whether Rafael was having second thoughts. Trey wondered whether he was having second thoughts, and if not, why he wasn’t. Instead, he stood with his hands clasped in front of his dick, which had softened considerably during the check-in process but was again tingling at the thought of Rafael naked. Still, one nagging thought prevailed. “What if this upsets Crystal?” Trey asked. Rafael shook his head. “The only thing she’ll be upset about is not gettin’ to watch.” He shot Trey a sidelong glance. “Maybe next time, if she behaves.” “Are you sure? She’s already pissed.” “Trust me. The thought of the two of us together gets her off.” Trey’s eyes widened. “How do you know?” “She told me.” “She said that?” “More than once. Includin’ today, when I spanked it out of her bare little ass up in the suite.” “Shit. Sounds like I missed out on the real fun.” Rafael turned. “Is it really Crystal you’re worried about?” He slid close enough for his body heat to radiate straight through Trey. “If you don’t want to, we can just hang out in the room. Maybe take separate showers or somethin’ to get rid of these eternal hard-ons.” He shook his head. “Oh, I want to.”

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The elevator dinged just as Trey was about to demonstrate how much by giving into the urge to kiss him. Rafael sprang back to his position as the doors opened to admit several other passengers. Their new room was in the same tower and was furnished in the same golds and burnished browns, but in a smaller standard size. Trey had asked specifically for a big king bed instead of the two queens they had up in the suite. Two queens. He glanced at Rafael and the ironic reference suddenly struck him. When he burst out laughing, Rafael said, “What’s so funny?” “Not a damn thing. Just the alcohol fuzzin’ my idiot head.” “Yeah? Bring your idiot head here, and I’ll clear it for you.” The tone had some of Rafael’s usual smartass edge, but with a smolder that turned Trey’s head toward the man who’d finished locking the door and was heading his way. Waning afternoon light spilled from the half-parted blackout curtains, so Trey could size up Rafael quite nicely as the man approached. The gray tank top he wore stretched across his god-like chest, showing tufts of hair above the scoop neck. The tight fabric made it clear that his nipples were hard. Those were first on Trey’s list, right after sampling Rafael’s lips. Still, his nipples weren’t as impressive as the hard bulge in his jeans. That would be next. Rafael advanced, looking more like a panther on the prowl than a cowboy with an odd gait because of his stiff dick. He stopped only to set his hat on the table beside Trey’s, then came straight to him and grabbed Trey by the front of his T-shirt. Then his lips were finally there, and Trey moaned against the liquored taste of Rafael’s mouth. Their tongues met without hesitation, swirling together until Trey’s cock practically battered itself against his zipper. It wasn’t surprising that kissing Rafael was unlike kissing any woman he’d been with, but not for the reasons he would have guessed. Rafael took charge with a ferocity that excited Trey. He let him lead, but then Rafael acquiesced when Trey took

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hold of both sides of the man’s face and let his tongue make a long, lazy stroke from Rafael’s barely stubbled chin to the depression just above his upper lip. Rafael shuddered visibly and pulled Trey tighter against him. Rafael’s erection was so rock-hard it almost hurt when he ground it against Trey’s hip. His hands slid down from Rafael’s face to find the hard pecs he’d been dying to feel. Rafael’s nipples were smaller than a woman’s, but tight and hard between Trey’s fingers. Rafael sucked in a breath when Trey pulled at them through his shirt. “Shit, that feels good,” he said. “Women almost never think to do that to me.” Rafael’s hands didn’t stay idle. They returned the favor, but first pulled the bottom of Trey’s shirt out of his pants, and he let his palms run over his bare flesh. A chill shot up Trey’s spine when Rafael got hold of his nipples, twisting them while gently raking Trey’s lower lip between his teeth. “Feel how pinchin’ your nipples sends a stab of heat right to your dick?” Rafael asked. “God, yes.” Trey’s hands roamed down to grip Rafael’s tight ass. Thanks to life on the ranch, there was not an ounce of fat on the man, and his toned buttocks were no exception. Trey grabbed handfuls and squeezed, reveling in the firm, taut feel. He pulled Rafael’s pelvis against his, rubbing back and forth so their bulges were jammed together. “I want you naked,” Trey said roughly against his mouth. “Likewise.” Jeans and boots were shed in a flurry of half-drunken staggering, and Trey yanked up Rafael’s shirt. The man raised his arms until it came off, then he did the same for Trey. His heart pounded like a war drum when they were finally naked, and they paused for a brief, but hungry look at one another. They stood close enough for their stiff, red cocks to nearly touch their swollen tips. Trey swallowed hard while he devoured Rafael with his eyes, letting all the feelings of want

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and lust he’d been pushing down charge right up to the surface. Then, he couldn’t stand not knowing any longer. He reached for Rafael first. The other man stood frozen while Trey stretched a hand out. Rafael’s erotic brown eyes were wide and his lips parted and moist. Trey let his fingers graze the tip of the man’s smooth penis, then brush back along the shaft all the way to the thick black curls at the base. Rafael hissed out a breath, and his eyes rolled back. His dick was long, velvety like his own, but not as veiny. Trey took a step closer and wrapped his hand around the shaft. Both their cocks jumped in response. Rafael reached up to grip Trey’s shoulders, then began to move his hips back and forth while Trey worked his fist the way he liked to do himself. Rafael’s eyes fluttered open. “I should confess this is somethin’ I’ve thought about doin’—with you.” Trey nodded, letting his other hand move down to stroke the man’s hairy legs from mid-thigh up to his tight ball sac. “Same here.” The other man’s eyes widened. “Are you fuckin’ serious?” “Fuckin’ serious? I will be in a few minutes.” Rafael tried to say something else, but Trey’s hand cupped his nuts high against him while he yanked his cock. He let out a guttural moan and tipped his head back. “Jesus, Trey,” he managed after a moment. “That’s so damned good. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you had experience.” Trey smiled. “Years of it—on my own cock. But unlike you, I’m strictly a first-timer in this arena.” The hand snaking down Trey’s abdomen sent a thrill of pleasure and need through him. Rafael shot him a sexy smile. “What makes you think you aren’t my first?” “I’ve watched you fuck Crystal, for one thing.” “With a guy, smartass.” Rafael’s hand moved lower, and when it grazed Trey’s cock, he went rigid and couldn’t speak. The man knew exactly what to do to make Trey crazy with need. Both hands rubbed Trey’s balls and

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around to his pubic hair, then swept down his thighs and back up again until Trey wanted to scream. A glance downward showed his throbbing cock was now purpled and swollen almost beyond its full length. He gritted his teeth and managed, “Like hell you haven’t done a guy before.” “Why, am I that good?” “Shut up and touch my dick before I fuckin’ explode.” Rafael went one better and dropped to his knees. He flicked a tongue out over the tip of Trey’s cock. Trey groaned in shocked delight, then grabbed Rafael’s hair. His mouth felt like warm molasses as he eased it over Trey’s shaft, and it was all Trey could do to keep from jamming his length down the back of the other man’s throat and gagging him. How fucking bizarre was this, having a guy’s mouth around his dick? Yet it felt so good and natural with Rafael that he couldn’t come up with a reason why they shouldn’t be doing this. And they were still with Crystal—only now all three of them could explore new ways of pleasuring each other together. The very thought of it tightened his balls up high, and while Rafael’s mouth worked, he could feel the first streams of ejaculate building pressure at the base of his shaft. With some reluctance, he pulled away from Rafael’s vacuumpowered sucking. “You’d better stop. I won’t last this way.” “I thought that was the idea,” Rafael said, still kneeling in front of him. “The idea is for both of us to get there.” He pulled the man up by the hands and nodded at the bed. “I had ideas for how to do that, but we didn’t exactly come prepared. Although”—he grinned and sprinted toward the bathroom—“be right back. Don’t start without me.” Trey was on the bed when Rafael returned with one of the complimentary toiletries from the bathroom. He peered at the bottle. “Lotion?”

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“Lay back.” Trey did as asked, and Rafael straddled him. His cock stood out while Trey’s jumped and throbbed near his belly. Rafael held the bottle over Trey, then he deposited half the small bottle in squirts over his belly and cock. “That’s cold,” Trey said. Rafael threw the bottle toward the bedside table. It missed and skittered off. “It’s about to heat up,” Rafael said, and he laid himself on top of Trey so their stomachs and cocks were pressed together. He held himself supported on his forearms and lowered his mouth to Trey’s. The kiss this time was gentler, but his tongue pressed for entrance. Trey granted it happily, and as soon as their tongues met Rafael’s body went into motion. He slid his pelvis up and down over Trey’s, back and forth like he was fucking a woman in sensual strokes. Trey’s cock was pressed between his body and Rafael’s stomach, brushing against the hard erection Rafael was squeezing between them as well. The slippery lotion made the friction delightfully unbearable, and Trey groaned and pushed his hips off the bed. His hands cupped Rafael’s perfect ass and helped pull the man’s body over his own. Their cocks rubbed together, squeezed between their bellies while Rafael’s tongue made thrusting strokes in Trey’s mouth. The sensation completely unhinged him. “Do it harder,” Trey said, and Rafael’s sexy laugh in reply sent him close to the edge. The other man pulled out of the kiss and lowered his head to Trey’s ear. “Your cock feels so fuckin’ good rubbin’ mine that I’m ready to shoot my cum on you. I should have talked us into this years ago.” Trey let go of one of Rafael’s mounds of ass flesh and slapped it hard. “Then stop runnin’ your mouth about it and do it, cowboy. I’m ready to go.” “Ah, yeah,” Rafael half-growled in response. “Come with me.”

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He bit down on Trey’s earlobe and thrust faster. Sweat slicked their bodies to combine with the wet lotion, and their stomachs made sucking sounds as they dry fucked each other. Trey tensed up his thighs when he felt the rush of fluid shoot up his cock. “Shit, I’m comin’,” he said in an anguished tone. A molten gush burst out of the tip of his dick, and the sticky cum coated their bellies while Rafael kept going. “God damn it,” Rafael said a minute later. “Damn you, Trey, for being so fuckin’ hot. I can’t hold off.” “Do it, then,” Trey said, and one hand gripped a cheek hard while the other gave Rafael another good slap. The man shouted out his orgasm differently than when he came for Crystal. This climax sounded more unabashed, more animal. The sound of Rafael’s groans and swearing kept Trey hard while the other man finished spurting a hot stream of ejaculate against their stomachs. Then he collapsed beside Trey, both men sticky and panting. “A shower needs to happen about now,” Trey said, the mixture of fluids already drying on his skin. “Lead the way,” Rafael said, still breathing hard and with one arm draped across his eyes. “I might actually still be able to walk.” The needle-fine spray of hot water felt great until Trey turned around and let the stream hit his stomach. Then he winced. “Ouch.” He glanced down and frowned. “My stomach’s all red.” “Mine, too,” Rafael said. He had just climbed into the shower behind Trey. “I think you took layers of skin clean off.” “It’s just a little red from the friction.” Trey turned around and Rafael glanced at Trey’s newly reddened belly. “Sorry. It seemed like a good idea at the time.” Trey ducked his head under the spray. “A lot of things seem like a good idea when you’re drunk.” Rafael paused. “Are you havin’ regrets about what we did, or the way we did it?”

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Water ran down Trey’s face when he pulled his head back out. He rubbed his eyes and saw Rafael’s concerned expression. “Neither. But that particular technique could use some work. Next time, you might want to consider a little number I like to call sixty-nine.” “Everyone’s a critic.” Still, Rafael’s furrowed brow softened and a grin slid up half of his chiseled face. “Maybe now you believe this was my first time with a guy.” “I’ve got the scars to prove it.” “Some tough-ass cowboy you are.” He rubbed a hand over his own bright pink stomach. “It’s just a bit raw, like when chicks get rug burn, I guess.” “I never gave a woman rug burn.” “Guess you’ve never had a woman so desperate to fuck you that she didn’t care.” Trey rolled his eyes and stepped out of the spray so Rafael could rinse off. “No, I just have a bit more tact than shovin’ her backside around a carpet.” Rafael turned his back on Trey, who watched while water ran in erotic streams over the man’s flexing back muscles and ass. A heavy feeling descended on Trey’s cock as blood rushed back in. His dick should have been content to lie still for five minutes, considering the amount of sex it had gotten in the past week. But no. Fighting the temptation to run his hands over all that well-defined muscle in front of him, Trey picked up the shampoo bottle and started lathering his hair. “How’s the shoulder?” Rafael asked. “Never better.” When Rafael turned around, a stab of embarrassment hit Trey that he would see how readily aroused Trey got at the sight of him. Then Trey’s eyes flicked down to see that Rafael’s cock was riding halfmast, too. Rafael glanced at Trey’s erection, but without a twitch in his expression he reached past Trey for the shampoo container sitting on the ledge. They traded places again so Trey could rinse his hair.

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Trey’s eyes were closed and his head tipped back when the shock of Rafael’s sudsy hands running over his chest and stomach stiffened his erection like a board. Before Trey could straighten up, those hands dipped right down to his cock and balls. Rafael tugged down and straight out, milking Trey’s cock with thick shampoo suds. Trey’s moan was animal, and he grabbed for the bottle. As good as Rafael’s hands felt beating off his cock, stroking Rafael with soapy hands felt even better. Rafael pulled Trey close by one shoulder while he stroked him off with the other, and when their mouths met, both were wet with streams of still-falling water. Much to Trey’s disappointment, the shower head quickly rinsed away the lubricating lather both were enjoying almost too much. He growled and pushed Rafael backward, following him out of the water and going back for another dollop of shampoo. He ran his hands up and down Rafael’s hard body, his peaked nipples, and around to grab the round globes of his ass. “Turn around,” he said to Rafael in a gruff whisper. “I don’t think we can use shampoo for that,” Rafael said, skimming a hand over Trey’s balls. “I know. But it’s my turn to have an idea.” Rafael turned, and Trey released the other man’s cock and immediately moved close behind him. He rubbed lather on his own throbbing red penis, then with what suds were left reached down to run his fingers along the cleft of Rafael’s ass. The man hissed with pleasure, and Trey saw his hands reach down to his own cock. Trey felt the pucker of Rafael’s rim hole and circled it for a moment to elicit a groan. He spread that luscious ass and positioned his cock along the channel, then thrust forward not into the hole, but so Rafael’s ass cheeks and thighs firmly pressed around his cock. Rafael caught on right away and leaned forward, closing his legs a bit so they squeezed Trey’s dick. Trey moved his hips back and forth and moaned in pleasure. After emptying the remaining dribbles of shampoo into his hand, Trey threw the spent plastic on the shower

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floor. He reached around Rafael’s waist to take his cock in his fist, jerking him off with long, firm motions that took his fingers up over the wide mushroom head with each stroke. “Shit, I think I like your idea,” Rafael said, half out of breath. He braced his hands on the shower wall, and Trey saw his striated forearms quivering with the effort of keeping himself in place while Trey fucked his cleft and masturbated him. Trey’s other hand gripped Rafael’s narrow hip, then slid up to pinch the man’s nipple. “Fuck yes, Trey,” Rafael shouted, pushing his hips back against Trey’s pelvis and forward into his hand with timed strokes. The profanity echoed through the modest-sized bathroom loud enough for Trey to wonder whether next door guests would hear. But he was too far gone to give a damn. They were about to hear a lot more. Trey had fucked a woman between the thighs before, though always from the front. It felt good, but this was unbelievable. To have Rafael’s enormous cock in his hand, thrusting against him from behind with the same rhythmic motion his fist was using to yank Rafael’s erection took this to a whole new level of eroticism. His balls slapped against the other man’s tight ass, and they soon drew up to his body in warning that he was going to blow. “Shit, your hand feels so good workin’ my cock,” Rafael said. “I’m gonna fuckin’ explode all over this shower wall.” Rafael reached down with one of his own hands, wrapping it around Trey’s and squeezing, so together they jacked him off even harder. That hand on his unhinged Trey’s remaining control. “I’m goin’,” Trey said through clenched teeth. “Don’t you mean comin’?” Rafael said, but the smartass joke cut short with his yell announcing orgasm. Trey shot over the edge of ecstasy moments later, feeling his hot seed spurt between Rafael’s thighs and in his ass cleft. Male grunts and ecstatic moans filled the bathroom for several long moments.

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Then he pulled away, and the two stood gasping for breath with their chests heaving. Rafael coughed and turned around. “Holy damn. I’d say you definitely topped me in the Rubbin’ Raw division.” “Sorry.” Trey stepped back under the shower head, his whole body still tingling and a little drained from booze and exertion. “Seemed like a good idea at the time.” “It was a fuckin’ incredible idea. And I’ve got the scars to prove it.” Trey grinned. It had been definitely incredible. “Yeah, well, I’m new at this, too,” Trey said. “Like hell. You’re a damned black belt.” “Didn’t know they handed those out for strokin’ cock.” “So much for sixty-nine, eh?” Trey shrugged. “Didn’t quite think we could manage that in the shower without drownin’.” “Next time.” They finished bathing and toweled each other off. Trey was still rubbing his hair dry when he heard the twitter of his cell phone. Rafael already had a towel around his waist and was combing his hands through his damp hair. “Bet that’s Crystal. I’ll go see. Damn, wait until she hears this. Though I might save that news until she’s in a better mood.” Trey shook his head with a slight chuckle while he rubbed the towel over his hair. This whole thing was unreal. He was screwing his best friend and the hottest woman he’d ever met. How damned lucky could a cowboy get? “Well, that’s fuckin’ weird,” he heard Rafael say from the other room. Trey poked his head out of the bathroom to see Rafael had Trey’s still-ringing cell in hand, frowning at the caller ID display. “If it’s not Crystal, just ignore it,” Trey said. “No way. I want to see what this bitch wants.”

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Trey’s stomach knotted with dread at the words. “Wait, Raf,” he said, but the other man flipped open the cell and pressed it to his ear. “Hello,” Rafael said into the cell in a pseudo-cheery voice. “You have reached Trey’s happily ever without you. Please feel free to hang up at the beep, since that’s what I’m plannin’ to do.” “Raf,” Trey said in a shouted whisper, rushing out of the bathroom while hastily wrapping a towel around his waist. “Give me the phone.” Rafael double-rolled away from him across the top of the bed, then hopped up on the other side. He held a finger to his grinning lips in a hush gesture. “No, I highly doubt he has any interest in what you have to say,” he went on, still smiling. Another pause, then the smile wavered. “What’s that supposed to mean?” “Rafael, give me the damned phone.” Trey chased him to the table. Rafael skirted around it, and after some cat-and-mouse Trey reached across the round table and made a grab for Rafael. He came away with the man’s towel, but no phone. Now Rafael was naked and still step-hopping out of Trey’s grasp. “This is damn ridiculous,” Trey said. “You’re fuckin’ lyin’,” he said to the caller. Then he froze for a moment, his expression doing a one-eighty away from the high school prankster look he’d worn moments before. He shot a murderous look at Trey, then came around the table on his own and yanked the towel from Trey’s hand before tossing the phone onto the table. “Here. Your girlfriend wants to talk to you.” “She’s not my damned girlfriend.” Rafael held the towel around him while he walked around, snatching clothes off the floor with venom. “Raf, listen. I can explain.” Rafael flipped him the middle finger and tugged on his underwear and jeans.

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Trey felt the combination of booze and anxiety gnawing at the lining of his gut while he retrieved the phone. “I’ll call you back later. I was in the middle of something.” “Yeah, tell her what,” Rafael shouted so she could hear. “Wonder what the damned ho would say to that.” Trey flipped the phone closed before Linda could finish her irritating line of questioning and headed to where his own pile of clothes had hit the floor. “You’re goin’ back to her.” It wasn’t a question. “Not to her. To the job.” “The difference bein’?” “Don’t act like that. I wanted to tell you.” “Funny. Your actions recently seemed to not tell me that.” A wave of guilt hit. No, he hadn’t been thinking of that at all when he’d gotten this room. He hadn’t thought about anything but how much he wanted to experience this with Rafael. “We’ve had a lot goin’ on lately. I just hadn’t found the right time.” “How long, Trey? How long have you not been findin’ the right time?” He sighed. “I gave notice the day we found Crystal.” Rafael blew out a breath and sat down with his boots on a bench at the foot of the bed. “Here I thought Linda was the two-timin’ slut. Now I find out you apparently taught her everythin’ she knows on the subject.” “Don’t be dramatic. This is a business move. It has nothin’ to do with who I’m sleepin’ with.” “No, of course not. Why should either of the people you’re fuckin’ care that you’re leavin’ to go back to your ex?” “I told you, I’m not goin’ back to her. I’m just takin’ back my old job.” “Same thing.” “She knows I’m off the menu.”

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“Really. And do you?” Anger flared in Trey’s gut. “What the hell does that mean? You know I can’t stand Linda.” He finished tugging his shirt over his head with a bit more force than necessary. “You think I’m thrilled about this? You think I want to go crawlin’ back there after what happened? You don’t know me one damned bit if you don’t get how much this has been eatin’ at me.” Rafael bent over to yank on his boots. “And you don’t know me if you think I’m gonna congratulate you for goin’ back to hell.” He whooshed out a breath and stood up. “I don’t understand you, Trey. You hated Atlanta. Fuckin’ hated that job. Why the hell would you go back there other than to give Linda another chance to screw you?” “I don’t have a choice, all right?” Trey sat by the round table to put on his own boots. “I need money. A lot of it.” Rafael’s biceps bulged when he folded his arms across his chest. “What about all that talk when you moved here about simplifyin’ life to improve it?” “This isn’t about me—or you.” He met Rafael’s glare. “Dad’s sick, Raf.” The man’s fiery eyes wavered a bit, but a muscle in his jaw tensed. “Your dad is always sick or broke or in need of bail money. I thought you decided to walk away from that mess once and for all.” “I can’t this time.” “After what he did to your mom, you’ll just forgive him?” “Mom’s the one who called me.” He stood up and tucked his shirt into the back of his jeans while he walked up to Rafael. “It’s cancer. Insurance won’t pay for the treatments. I can’t just sit by—and mom can’t, either.” His eyes widened. “She went back to him after he cheated and slapped her around?” “No. She’s not crazy. We haven’t forgiven him. But neither of us wants to see him suffer and die alone. How could I do that to my father?”

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Rafael’s clouded expression softened. “You couldn’t. I’m sorry. Really.” Their eyes held, and Trey felt remorse tug on his gut. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me?” Trey dragged a hand through his wet hair. “I knew how you’d react to me goin’ back to Atlanta. I sure wasn’t wrong.” “So? You were just gonna let me wake up one mornin’ with a new cowhand sleepin’ in the other bunk? Mail me a postcard?” “Look, I’m sorry. But this isn’t about you.” “And what about Crystal?” “What about her?” Rafael threw up his hands. “Don’t tell me you don’t care about her. I know she’s a hellcat in the sack, but I’ve seen the way you look at her. It’s not just about what’s between her legs.” “That’s never been my style. But it doesn’t matter. I have to do this for the family.” Rafael took Trey by the shoulders and pushed him backwards. “What are you doin’?” Trey said. Rafael ignored him and kept moving him back across the room. When he turned Trey around, he was facing a mirror. “You see that man in there?” Rafael said. “That’s not the face of the man who showed up at the ranch. That ass was a burnt-out, bitter, miserable cow pie who’d sat on his spurs for two years straight.” “Raf—” “First time I saw you when your plane set down, I barely recognized you. Where was the cocky college boy I met at Texas A&M? The one who had life by the horns and wasn’t lettin’ go until he’d showed it who was boss?” He yanked his hands off Trey’s shoulders. “That boy was long gone. Corporate takeover twisted you into a stressed-out, dried-up prick.” “Gee, I feel so much better about makin’ this sacrifice. Thanks, friend.” “I am your friend. A real friend. I won’t feed you some horse shit about how it won’t be so bad workin’ fifteen hour days and gettin’

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screamed at by a thankless, shrivel-dick boss. Especially not in that glass tower where Linda will have you pinned under her stiletto.” “There’s nothin’ else to do. Livin’ the free rancher life with no responsibilities is one thing. But it barely pays my own way, let alone helpin’ Dad.” “So get another job.” “What other job? Put in a full day at the ranch and then ask folks if they want to supersize their order? I don’t need another small time income. I need my old paycheck—and then some.” “Tasker Accounts isn’t the only place where you can take a business degree. Why there, of all places?” “Where else? Atlanta pays cost accountants better than most states, and Tasker pays better than most in Atlanta. And they are willin’ to rehire based on my record, savin’ me the time and hassle of doin’ no-guarantee, out of state interviews. It was the only solution.” “You’re really ditchin’ your cowboy hat in favor of a suit.” “Not in favor of.” “How long will you stay there?” “As long as it takes. I’m lookin’ at six figures for Dad’s treatment, which needs to start as soon as possible.” “I don’t suppose you’d consider becomin’ a career gambler? A few more winnin’ streaks like today and you could hand him his cure in cash.” “More likely the casino would hand me my ass. Today was a fluke and you know it. It’s no sure-fire method to riches. As soon as my life depends on me winnin’, I’ll lose.” Rafael sighed. “You should have come to me, Trey. I could have helped.” “I already burdened you once with the need to have my life fixed.” “Yeah, and I got you in at the ranch, didn’t I? Which was not the easiest sell, I can tell you. Your one extension course in college didn’t exactly inspire Big John.”

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“You were the animal sciences major.” “And a drop out, which also didn’t impress him. But I had enough animal husbandry background to make it work.” He set his hands on his hips. “When are you goin’?” “It was supposed to be the end of the month, but Linda said she’d call if they needed to move it up. I’m guessin’ that was my notice sayin’ they want me in a week.” Silence hung heavier in the air than the stench of stale smoke that always permeated casino hotel rooms. “Crystal’s gonna take it hard,” Rafael said after a short time. Then he swore and pulled his cell phone from his belt. “Damn, I forgot about her. There’s a missed call.” He punched up his voice mail, and Trey stood watching while the other man listened to the message. His reaction was almost a déjà vu replay of Linda’s call, only this time the litany of expressions flew from concerned to panicked in the span of a few seconds. “What?” Trey asked, but Rafael shushed him. “Shit!” he said, grabbing his hat and racing for the door. “What?” Trey pivoted, but didn’t immediately follow. “This is bad.” “What is it? Is she mad that she couldn’t find us?” Rafael stopped to flip open the door locks in a mad rush. “While we were too busy to deal with our phones, she called to say she’s leavin’.” That got Trey’s feet moving. “Leavin’? What the hell for?” Rafael pulled open the door and Trey followed into the hall. “I don’t know, but apparently she remembered what happened to her.” He tossed Trey the phone. “Here, you listen to it. Press 5 to replay.” They headed for the elevator while Trey punched up the message. He only heard some of Crystal’s dire, flat-toned message before he snapped the phone shut and clenched his jaw. “Let’s go get her before she does somethin’ stupid.” “Already ahead of you.”

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Chapter Fourteen Rafael’s heart was beating so hard that his eyeballs felt like they were pounding with each pulse. Crystal’s voice replayed in his head as the elevator took them up to the floor where their other room was. I’m sorry I left the way I did, but I remember everything now. I have to finish this without you or Trey involved. I’m the one they want, and I can’t risk either of you getting hurt. I was right about not going to the police—please don’t go to them looking for me. Go home, Raf. Forget me. Just know I will never forget either of you. I think I sort of love you both. Is that crazy? Thank you for saving me, my cowboy heroes. Trey shoved past him to use his keycard, but the door stood open. They exchanged alarmed glances despite the housekeeping cart outside the door. Trey burst in the room first with Rafael close on his heels. “Crystal?” Trey said. A stout housekeeper, clearly startled by Trey’s outburst, jerked upright from the bed she’d been straightening. “Oh!” she said, clasping a hand over her heart. “You scared me.” “Sorry, ma’am,” Rafael said. “This is our room. We’re lookin’ for the woman stayin’ here with us.” The gray-haired woman shifted her gaze between them both. “She left. She said it was okay if I cleaned up.” “Damn it,” Trey hissed, pacing in a wild circle. “Where would she have gone?” “I don’t know.” Rafael whipped off his hat and dragged his hand through his hair. “Ma’am, do you have any idea where she went? Did she say anythin’?”

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The woman looked uncertain. “Please, ma’am,” Trey added. “Anythin’ at all might help. Look,” he dug out his wallet and extracted a folded piece of paper. “Here’s my receipt for the room.” “I don’t know,” she said. “Are one of you her husband or boyfriend?” Rafael stepped forward. “She’s my girl. I love her”—he held up the cell phone Trey handed back to him in the elevator—“and I got a message from her that says she’s in a lot of trouble right now. If she said anythin’ that might help…” He trailed off when the woman nodded. “She was on the phone when I entered the suite. I thought no one was here, and when I opened the door she panicked, just like I did when you came in. I apologized and started to leave, but she waved me inside quiet-like and went back to her call.” Trey folded his arms. “Did you hear the call?” Watery gray eyes searched both men’s faces. “No. We’re trained to tune things like that out, you know. But she did seem odd.” “Odd how?” Trey asked. She shrugged. “Worried. Rushed. I got the impression she was making plans to meet someone, because she wrote down some information while she was talking and then asked me for a phone book so she could call a taxi.” “Crystal would have given them her destination,” Trey said. “You didn’t hear the address?” She shook her head. “She never called for one. I told her cabs come by the main hotels all the time. You can just go out front and catch one.” Rafael exchanged a glance with Trey. “How long ago did she leave?” “Maybe ten minutes.”

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“She can’t catch a cab,” Rafael said, his mouth erupting into a triumphant smile. “She can’t get far at all. She doesn’t have any money.” Trey’s expression went rigid. “Except for the thousand in casino chips I gave her when I hit the big payoff.” His heart sank. “A thousand bucks? She can run real far real fast on that.” “Yeah—straight into trouble.” Irritation boiled up in Rafael’s gut. No doubt her call to him had been placed while they were in the shower. Shit. He never should have let her go back to the room alone. “We could still catch her,” Trey said. “Maybe she hasn’t found a taxi yet.” Rafael nodded and rushed back to the still-open door. Trey headed the opposite way, and Rafael turned. “What are you doin’?” “Insurance.” He snatched up the phone pad lying beside the phone and then headed to the in-room safe. Rafael frowned. “What good is that? She took the address with her.” “Don’t worry about it.” Trey pulled something from the safe Rafael couldn’t see and stuck it inside the back of his untucked shirt. He tipped his Stetson to the woman as he passed her. “Thank you for your help, ma’am. We much appreciate it.” The wait for the elevator was interminable this time, and a man shouted at Rafael when he inadvertently pushed his way through the exiting crowd to board. “Do you really think she’s still out there?” he said in a breathless tone from their sprint. “Let’s make horse time and find out.” They sped through the massive front lobby and out the glass doors to the front entry’s main porte cochere, a covered expanse of wide stone driveway that deposited gamblers in steady streams to the front steps of the hotel. Despite the blanket of twilight descending on the skyline, the blast of heat outside the heavily air conditioned building

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hit Rafael like a furnace. He searched wildly, trying to take in the entire panorama at once. People stood in a line at the taxi stand, and the two men rushed over. No sign of Crystal. “Anyone see a woman wearin’ a pink striped top and white shorts?” There were several curious stares and shaken heads. He turned to Trey, who was studying the pad of paper in his hand closely. Other than the hotel’s logo emblazoned on top, the paper was blank. “What now?” Rafael asked. “Do you have a pencil?” Rafael frowned. “Why, do you want to leave Crystal a note in case she comes back?” “No. I want to see what was on the note she wrote.” This wasn’t making much sense, and they were wasting time. “I don’t have one.” Trey dashed up the steps back inside the hotel. “Where are we goin’ now?” The other man ignored Rafael’s question and headed across the sweeping gold-patterned carpet into the registration lobby. A line of guests stood waiting their turn at the check-in desk, and Trey moved along the patrons until he came away with a stubby golf-sized pencil. “Turn around,” he said to Rafael. He sighed, but did as he was asked. Trey moved behind him and leaned against Rafael’s back, then Rafael heard scribbling. “How is this gonna help us?” “Stay still, or this won’t work.” More scribbling followed. “There.” Rafael spun around to see Trey smiling at the pad of paper. He’d used the pencil to lightly shade the paper, revealing white depressions left behind by the pressure of Crystal’s pen when she’d written on the sheet above it. “I’ve seen that trick on television. Detective shows and shit.” Trey nodded. “Exactly.”

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Rafael looked at the hastily scrawled note. “Fremont Hotel. Any idea where this is?” “Not only do I know right where she’s goin’, I think we can beat her there.” “How so?” “Taxis are about the slowest ways to travel the Strip. If she left here in a cab, she’ll be stuck in traffic.” Rafael frowned. “Since we don’t own a helicopter, won’t we be stuck in that same traffic?” “Not if we find a faster way.” “We didn’t bring a horse.” “Vegas cowboys take the monorail.” The monorail stop was located directly at the Flamingo hotel, directly across the street. Getting there proved taxing and troublesome, between crowds, traffic, and the sheer amount of square footage between the dramatic, multi-fountain entrance at Caesar’s and the rear of the garishly lit Flamingo. Nevertheless, the two made it onto the monorail and sat panting while Rafael looked out the window at the Strip. “Where do we get off?” Rafael asked. “End of the line, at the Sahara. From there, we catch a bus.” “That’s supposed to be faster?” “We could hoof it, I guess. It’s almost two and a half miles down the strip from the Sahara.” “We walk that much in a day’s work on the ranch. Better that than hangin’ onto a strap in some crowded bus, sittin’ in the same standstill traffic we’re supposed to be beatin’ Crystal out of.” “We’ll still beat her either way. This monorail ride won’t take us but ten minutes. A cab will take her the better part of an hour.” They sat near the very rear of the monorail car, in a pair of bluecushioned seats that faced inward. The entire car was packed with people. Thick layers of traffic crawled along the street below the railway. Trey was right—Crystal would be getting nowhere fast

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sitting in that mess. When the glass convention center lit in neon orange and pink was passing by the window, Rafael turned away. He shifted toward Trey and lowered his voice. “What kind of trouble do you suppose she’s in?” Trey shook his head. “I don’t know, but the part about the police sounds pretty incriminatin’.” “Maybe not.” The man shot him a curious look. “Why else wouldn’t she want us to go to them? She said ‘I’m the one they want.’ Sounds like she’s a fugitive.” “To me it sounds more like she’s afraid of us goin’ to the police because she doesn’t want us hurt.” “That doesn’t make sense.” “None of this has made any sense right from the beginnin’. Yet here we are playin’ heroes on a Vegas subway.” “Monorail. Subways are underground, farm boy.” “Whatever, city slicker.” Images flashed through his mind of all sorts of peril that could be awaiting Crystal. It wasn’t the first time he’d run scenarios, but now everything had a desperate, urgent feel. It was happening now—and whatever it was, she was walking into it willingly. His palms dampened with sweat that he wiped on his jeans. “Damn, I wish we could have taken your car.” “That definitely wouldn’t have been faster.” “No, but we would have had access to your glove compartment. Just in case.” Trey kept a small handgun in the glove box. “You mean the little item I stashed in the hotel safe?” Trey reached behind his lower back to pat the spot where he’d untucked his T-shirt earlier. “Grabbed that on our way out.” He flashed Rafael a pointed look. “Just in case.” “Why are you chasin’ after her if you think she’s the bad guy? Why not just leave this all behind for Atlanta?”

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Trey shifted his gaze out the window. “I don’t want to see a woman get hurt.” “Don’t give me that Good Samaritan shit. I saw the look in your eyes when you played her message—the same damned expression I know I was wearin’ when I heard it.” “I know why you’re here,” Trey said. “You stepped up mighty quick to claim her as your woman. You said that you love her.” “I stepped up to get information out of the housekeeper.” Rafael paused. “The rest tumbled out on its own. Yeah, I’m fallin’ in love with her. But here’s a little kicker that’ll fuck up your plans. So are you.” “We’ve only known her a couple weeks.” “Love doesn’t always take it’s time, cowboy. Sometimes it blasts right through the gate like a bronc at a rodeo. She’s sexy, smart, funny, and vulnerable. What’s not for a man to love?” “How about dangerous and secretive?” Rafael snorted. “A lot of guys would fall for that, too.” “Not me.” “Says he who screwed the boss on her desk because it was so risky—and found out she treated all the executives the same way.” “Not because it was risky—and not all the execs. Just the young ones.” “Point is, you are right in my size twelve boots where she’s concerned, but you deny it because you think it’ll make things easier when you leave. It won’t.” A muscle worked in Trey’s jaw as he continued to stare out the window. “Would it be so terrible to admit you have feelin’s for her?” “We’re comin’ up on the last stop.” “Are you really gonna just walk away from her?” He dropped his voice. “From us?” That brought Trey’s piercing aqua stare back his way. “I told you why I have to go. How much harder do you have to make this?”

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“Hard enough for you to reconsider.” “At the expense of my father? I can’t be that callous.” Rafael searched his face. “No. You’re not like him. I just wish there was another way.” The monorail pulled in at the Sahara station, and they wasted no time debarking and getting back out onto the street. Night had fallen, yet the street was even brighter thanks to the intensity of the casino lights. “Fremont Hotel is this way,” Trey said. “Come on.” The two took off at a slow jog hampered by throngs of tourists on the sidewalk. Flyers were shoved at them frequently by guys advertising nude entertainment—flyers that wound up littering the ground thickly enough to obliterate the pavement. Drunk partiers staggered past, drinks sloshing over tennis shoes. Pedestrian traffic thinned and pulsing neon lights dimmed when they zigzagged off Las Vegas Boulevard, but picked up again after a half mile. Rafael’s feet protested by the time they made hit Casino Center Boulevard. “Okay, maybe we don’t walk quite this much at the ranch,” he said, half out of breath. “You’re the one who didn’t want to hop a bus.” “It’s not often I’d trade in my cowboy boots, but right now I could go for a pair of Nikes.” “We’re almost there. Look.” Up ahead, the lights of the Golden Nugget Hotel beckoned. “I thought we’re lookin’ for the Fremont Hotel.” “It’s around the corner. Haven’t you ever been to Fremont Street?” Rafael shook his head. “This is old downtown Las Vegas, where the first casino was established. Lots of tourists come here. Dollar blackjack and quarter roulette.”

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They passed in front of the blazing yellow Golden Nugget. “And how do you know this trivia when I’ve lived out west most of my life and you landed here two years ago?” “Remember our last Vegas trip?” “How could I forget? Though your winnin’s weren’t nearly as impressive as this time.” “I generously shared those winnin’s with you, and you thanked me by ditchin’ me to chase a stripper chick.” “It was my money you gambled, so it was fair to cut me in. It’s not like I could have slept with you to work off the sexual steam from that exotic dance club.” Trey threw him a knowing glance that made Rafael smirk. “Okay, not back then.” “Anyway, while you were busy thinkin’ she wanted you for your personality, I did some sightseein’ and wound up here.” “How was I supposed to know she charged by the hour?” “Her line of work might have clued you in.” “Strippin’ is an honest livin’. They don’t all take their work home.” They rounded a corner and found themselves on Fremont Street. The lights here were beyond dazzling, bordering on blinding. A number of hotel-casinos spanned the street, along with merchant shops and street performers. A giant white mesh-style archway spanned overhead from one end to the other. Fremont Street had all the bells, lights, and whistles of the strip without the gritty, yet grandiose feel. This seemed more blaringly festive, as if Mardi Gras and a strip mall had created a love child. “So where’s this Fremont Hotel?” Rafael asked. Trey pointed to a garish red-pink sign up the block. Rafael’s feet stung with each rapid step as they headed toward it. The Fremont Hotel entrance sat on a corner in the midst of the revelry, with enough pink neon and red bulbs on the overhanging marquis to light a third world country. The doors gaped open like a wide mouth, waiting to swallow visitors and deposit them at the gaming machines. This

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section of the street wasn’t as crowded as the strip, but still alive with a sea of moving people. Rafael shook his head. “How are we gonna spot Crystal in all this?” “We’ll stand over there and keep our eyes open.” Trey pointed to one of the large columns supporting the overhead archway outside the Fremont Hotel entrance. “That’s a little exposed,” Rafael said. “What if she sees us first?” “Gives us a good vantage point. But we could attempt to blend a bit better.” Trey reached over and pulled Rafael’s Stetson off. Rafael’s hand jerked up to the vacant spot on his head, smoothing his hair while giving Trey a look of mock incredulity. “Didn’t anyone teach you never to take another cowboy’s hat off, boy?” Trey slapped the hat against Rafael’s chest and pulled off his own. “We’ll be less likely to stick out like a couple of cowpokes she’ll recognize straight off.” The man headed for the column with a swagger that twisted Rafael’s lip into an upward curve. Take away the hat, but that ass still had a cowboy twitch. He sighed and followed. “Now what?” “We wait.” Streams of people poured onto the street, then melted back into casinos and shops. Trey and Rafael stood side by side, watching. Trey was close enough for Rafael to feel the bare brush of forearm hair and catch his familiar, male scent. Though his eyes searched the crowds for Crystal, the other man’s proximity was a definite distraction. Trey had taken command of Rafael’s body in a way he’d never experienced—not even with an aggressive, eager female like Crystal. Having his arousal controlled and demanded by a rugged, muscled cowboy like Trey had sent him over the brink, and not just physically. Quite literally, the man’s lovemaking had blown Rafael’s mind. Though they were both new to gay sex and probably hadn’t been ready that afternoon for the next step in consummating it, Rafael pictured Trey bending him over to fuck him literally, rather than

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rubbing his cock along the sensitive rim of his ass. Rafael would happily return the favor. Their friendship had shifted when Crystal came into their lives, but its axis was tilted completely now. He wanted to belong with Trey, not just stand side by side in front of the woman they happened to share. Only, none of that mattered anymore. Trey was leaving him. A pang of tension crossed his stomach. Obviously Trey didn’t feel the same way about him—or Crystal. Oh, he’d claimed to have thought about sex with Rafael, which had come as a genuine shock. Maybe he’d just said it in the heat of the moment. Still, Trey had known he was leaving for weeks and hadn’t thought Rafael important enough to tell. It’s not about you. Obviously, today’s little side trip in the hotel room had been nothing more to Trey than a drunken need to get his rocks off, and Rafael had been the stupid volunteer. Now he wouldn’t just lie in his bunk after Trey left, wondering what might have been. He would lie in his bunk haunted by visions of exactly what their chemistry meant. Rafael deliberately shifted his weight toward Trey so that their arms brushed, and he dragged the motion out so his forearm rubbed along Trey’s for a good few seconds before pulling back. The hair on his arms prickled with the stimulating contact, and he felt a sense of satisfaction when Trey sucked in a breath and froze rigid at Rafael’s touch. That’s right, cowboy. When you leave, you’re gonna damn well know what you’re missin’, too. All at once, most of the dizzying lights along Fremont Street winked out of existence, plunging them into what looked like actual night time. Rafael glanced around. “Great. Either all of Vegas forgot to pay the light bill or it just used up the remainin’ available electricity on earth. I’m guessin’ the latter.” Trey leaned in, pressing the full length of his arm against him. “Neither. Watch.” Rafael’s body heat flared a spike of need. Trey had turned the tables on the you-know-you-want-me game. Damn.

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Music blared all around them, and the arched canopy over the street suddenly ignited with a psychedelic blaze of laser light. A giant Jim Morrison and The Doors logo appeared overhead, along with a rendition of one of the band’s classic hits in mega surround sound. The light show was mesmerizing, enough for everyone to stop dead in their tracks to crane their necks upward. Now, not only was the street lightning dim enough to shadow people in silhouette, but the crowd was a good deal more solid. “Shit,” Rafael shouted over the deafening speakers. “We’ll never find her now.” Trey grabbed the front of Rafael’s shirt, a motion that sent a tingle through his chest. He was staring off toward the casino entrance with a determined set to his jaw. “There!” he said, pointing with his hat. “Come on.” “You saw her in this crowd?” “The crowd made it easier. They’re all frozen in place, so her movement and bright shirt caught my eye.” “She got here faster than I’d have thought.” “Maybe I didn’t give Vegas cab drivers enough credit.” They pushed and jostled their way through the throngs, hats back in place. Sure enough, Rafael saw Crystal’s head disappear into the casino. He sped up and started to run, but Trey caught his shoulder. “Hold up a second,” Trey said. “She’ll get away.” “Let’s not confront her just yet. I want to see what she does.” “If you lose her…” “We won’t. Come on. Let’s follow a little ways behind.” Inside the casino, they watched her perky ass sway back and forth in her tight shorts as she headed for the gaming floor. They watched from behind a corner while she sat down at a bank of video poker machines. Her back was to them as she began feeding dollars into the slot and punching buttons.

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Rafael’s mouth fell open. “I’ll be triple damned,” he said, a hot flash of anger lighting his gut. “That lyin’ little devil. Gives us this crap about ‘I can’t risk your safety,’ then skips out with your money to play the slots?” He marched out from behind the wall, but Trey grabbed his arm. “Wait. Let’s be sure there’s not more to this.” He yanked his arm away. “Fuck waitin’. You can see for yourself what her danger is. She’s a gamble-a-holic or whatever.” Trey glanced her way. “I don’t think so.” Rafael pulled his hat off and turned it over in his hands. “Did we trade hats by mistake? You’re the one who’s been sayin’ all along not to trust her—even on the ride over here.” Trey looked around. “I know. But somethin’ doesn’t feel right about all this.” “I’ll say.” Rafael tugged his hat back into place with both hands. “Lettin’ her run off with your money doesn’t feel right at all.” “Why here? There’s got to be fifty casinos between Caesar’s and the Fremont. Why the secret squirrel shit?” “No idea, but she’s about to see what a pissed off cowboy has to say about it.” “Raf,” Trey called, but he ignored the man and stormed after her. He’d felt sorry for the woman, risked his job to protect her, defended her from Trey’s suspicions—hell, he’d even paid her hospital bill. He thought he was falling in love with her, and for what? So she could lie and sneak off the second she got money from them? He glanced up to see Trey beside him. “Thought you were hidin’.” Trey shrugged. “Let’s just get this over with.” Crystal’s machine dinged with a win as they drew up behind her.

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Chapter Fifteen Crystal fed more money into the poker machine with a shaky hand, trying not to appear suspicious by glancing around every few seconds. She wasn’t paying attention to the game, just mindlessly pressing buttons while her heart continued to race after her dash to make it on time. Adam Badash was not a patient man under the best of circumstances, and Crystal’s almost two-week absence had not improved his disposition. Thank god he hadn’t hurt Dan in a fit of retaliation. All she’d wanted to do was get to the money first, giving her a better bargaining position in Adam’s sadistic game. Instead, she wound up in his car trunk, disoriented from a blow to the back of her head. Her trek through the Nevada desert hadn’t helped her mental status, and by the time the cowboys had revived her, a traumatized brain had set up road blocks around the whole situation. Cards spun up on the machine. Two kings, a queen, the three of hearts, and the ace of spades. She stared at the layout and wondered at the irony. Three of them had given their hearts to each other under the shadow of impending death. A stab of lonely regret hit as an image of Trey and Rafael flashed. They looked so happy that afternoon, grabbing each other in a hug while celebrating Trey’s amazing luck at the craps table. She’d been part of that happiness up until that moment, when those words had unlocked the remaining barrier on her memory. What are the odds? What were the odds she’d get out of this alive? What would the men do now that she was gone? Go back to the way things were? Would they find consolation in each other’s arms?

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Maybe Rafael would finally get his wish. She still had Dan, but loving her brother wasn’t the same thing as loving her two cowboys. Apparently, even her love for her brother wasn’t as strong as she thought. How else could she possibly have forgotten that he was in danger? What kind of big sister was she? With a sigh, she punched buttons to save the two kings and drew three more cards. It was foolish to toss the L-word around when she’d only known Trey and Rafael a couple of weeks. But she felt far more than the call of the wild—though their times together were certainly that. She cared about both men deeply. The feeling that Adam was coming up behind her became overpowering enough to prickle the hairs at the back of her neck. It took everything she had to face forward. Two more kings spun up and the machine dinged. Out of habit she pressed the button for payout, and the metallic clang of her winnings dropped into the tray. “Well, Trey, guess your money’s still payin’ off, regardless of who’s gamblin’ with it,” came a familiar drawl from behind her. She gasped and spun around to see Rafael and Trey staring down at her with mixed expressions. Trey’s hands were propped on his hips. A muscle worked along his finely chiseled jaw. Rafael’s arms were folded and his hat sat skewed on his head. His eyes seemed darker in the casino light—or maybe it was the anger evident in his flared nostrils. Crystal replied through clenched teeth to keep her panic from escalating her volume. “Why are you here? I told you, it’s too dangerous.” “Yeah, video poker’s definitely not for the faint of heart,” Trey said. Her eyes flicked back and forth around the men, scanning the casino’s red and gold décor for signs of Adam. “You have to leave— right now. While you still can.”

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“So you can disappear with Trey’s money again?” Rafael said. “What is it with the two of you runnin’ off, anyway? You’re leavin’, he’s leavin’. Maybe I should say fuck it and leave the two of you.” She turned to Trey. “What’s he talking about?” “Now’s not the time,” Trey said. “Now’s the perfect time,” Rafael said. “Since you’re not ever gonna see her again, you might as well come clean. Go ahead. Tell her that all the time you were screwin’ her—and me”—Crystal’s eyes widened—“you knew you were movin’ to Atlanta in a week.” She frowned. “What?” “That’s entirely not the point right now.” A wild jumble of emotions careened in her chest. “You knew you were leaving when you slept with me?” Then she shook her head and held up her hands. “No. Wait. That’s good. You shouldn’t be involved with me. Not with any of this.” “You should have thought of that before you fucked us both,” Rafael said. “I didn’t know what was at stake! I wouldn’t have had anything to do with you otherwise.” Rafael jerked as though her words had slapped him. “You wouldn’t have wasted your time on a couple cowpokes?” She shot him a sharp look. “I wouldn’t have dragged you into this.” “Yet you refuse to tell us what ‘this’ is,” Trey said. Her eyes still swept the gaming floor. No sign of him. A glance at her watch showed he was due any time. “I can’t. Just trust me that you don’t want to be here for it.” “Trust you?” Rafael said with a laugh. “The second you got Trey’s winnin’s in hand you disappeared with some bullshit message. Now we find you sittin’ around gamblin’. I thought there was some big dangerous mission? “There is,” she said. “But you two seem determined to ruin it.” Brown eyes darkened. “Ruin what? Your big winnin’ streak?”

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“I’m meeting him here. Go now or he’ll see you and call it off— or worse. I can’t risk that, don’t you see?” Rafael put his hands on his hips. “Uh-uh. You owe us a damned explanation.” “He who?” Trey asked. Her eyes made another frantic sweep. “There’s no time.” She whooshed out a breath when the men didn’t budge. “He’s a cop, okay? Someone you don’t want to fuck with.” “Is he your boyfriend?” Her laugh spat out like a manic cackle. “He’s my nightmare.” “So you are a fugitive.” She shook her head. “You won’t believe me if I say I’m not. Just leave, please. I’ll…get in touch later and explain. ” She shifted her behind so she was again facing the video poker. “Bullshit you will,” Rafael said. Trey growled and took her by the upper arm. “Would you just come away from that machine and talk to us? Let’s go right now, all of us. Somewhere quiet where we can figure this out. Whoever this guy is, we won’t let him hurt you.” A male voice piped up behind him. “Bit too late for that.” Crystal sucked in a gasp. The three of them spun around to find the man who had come up quietly. “They don’t know anything,” she said. “They only followed me because I left without a word.” Pale gray eyes narrowed on his already elongated face, giving Adam an even more pinched, dangerous look. She studied the expression and wondered how she could ever have trusted him, cop or not. His chestnut hair was cropped close and stuck up slightly over his high forehead. He wore the same drab blue-gray sports coat he’d worn the day she’d met him. Even with the other men wearing Stetsons, Adam was still taller. “I heard you say several words that tell me we need to go somewhere quiet—all of us—and figure this out.”

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“Maybe we don’t go quietly,” Rafael said. “Maybe we tend to get real noisy and attract a lot of unwanted attention.” “Maybe I have friends watching your every move,” the cop said. “Ain’t that right, hot tits?” Rafael jerked toward Adam, but Crystal shot her arm out across his chest. “Don’t. He’s right. He won’t be alone.” Rafael’s gaze flicked to her, and her eyes met his with a desperate plea. “If you make a scene, you’ll get hurt, and they’d just bring in more cops.” She curled her lip at Adam. “His kind of cops.” She watched Trey and Rafael exchange loaded glances. Her heart pounded in furious dread, and her stomach roiled in panic. Anger had flooded her at seeing them come after her, but faded quickly into the agonizing regret of knowing what it would cost them. “Let’s go,” Adam said. “Take a casual stroll to the elevators and don’t try anything. Like she said, I’ve got other eyes watching.” He slid a hand into the pocket of his lightweight gray jacket and pointed it at them. “And a cop never goes anywhere unarmed.” Adam stood behind them as they boarded the elevator. A man with a red mustache and a posture that screamed cop entered with them. He pulled out an array of keys, stuck one into a keyhole on the button pad, and punched for an upper floor. He stood beside Adam with an impassive stare, both men facing inward with their backs to the door. No doubt the key would keep the elevator from stopping on other floors on the way up. Trey moved himself half in front of Crystal, and for a moment she was pressed tight against his back. She felt an odd, hard bulk at his waistband. With the hand that was hidden from Adam’s view, she reached up slowly and felt the outline of what could only be a firearm. Jesus. Her heart’s desperate rhythm tried to redouble its pace. If Adam found a gun on Trey, things were going to catapult downhill that much faster. Trey must have felt her probing, because he stiffened and shifted away. Crystal dropped her hand and found Adam’s steel gaze

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watching her carefully. Those eyes had always had a hard, calculating edge, but had they always had this tinge of icy death? She shivered at the thought of his hands on her the day he’d come seeking leverage against her brother. The group was silent as the lift took them straight to the seventeenth floor, where they were ushered into a suite that tried to affect an Asian feel with bamboo wall art and simple lines. The brown and cream décor appeared worn and smelled stale. The dark brown carpet’s odd pattern resembled large-eyed needles stabbing each other from various right angles. The sitting room contained three armchairs and a loveseat gathered around an oval coffee table. Trey and Rafael were shoved down onto the loveseat while Crystal was pushed into a white armchair across from them. Adam stood behind a vacant armchair and his partner stood behind Crystal, both staring down with brows furrowed and arms crossed. There was no sign of her brother. Adam had allowed her to talk to him briefly earlier, so he was probably nearby. Assuming Adam hadn’t done something to him between the time she called and now. Fear snaked along her spine at the thought. “Where’s Danny?” she asked. “Who’s Danny?” Rafael asked. “I’m doing the interrogating,” Adam said. He flicked a hard glance at Trey and Rafael, then looked back at Crystal. “Looks like you found yourself a couple of hicks after you got lost.” “They’re not part of this,” she said. “They’ve been hiding you, haven’t they?” She flicked him a glance, but didn’t answer. “Who are they?” “No one. Strangers.” “Then I guess you won’t mind if I get rid of them so we can get on with our business.” He slid a black pistol from his pocket. The men’s eyes widened, and Trey’s hand started to reach behind him. Crystal jumped from her chair. “No!”

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The man behind her grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her down. Trey’s hand unobtrusively slid back onto his thigh. Adam regarded her with a smug smile. “Strangers, huh?” He turned to them and waved the pistol back and forth to indicate each of them. “Which of you boys has the balls to tell me how you know her?” “Found her in the desert a couple weeks back,” Trey said. “She didn’t remember how she got there.” “She tried to give me that bullshit, too.” Adam moved to the side of her chair and picked up her ponytail, allowing half the length to slide along his hand. “Did she tell you about us?” Trey’s eyes went as stone cold as Adam’s, but Rafael’s burned with bronze fire. “There is no ‘us,’” she said. “How else would I know she’s got this sweet spot on the side of her neck?” he said, leaning close and wrapping his hand around her ponytail. He tugged her head to the side, his weapon still trained on the cowboys. “Right along the hairline behind her ear.” His hot, dry lips feathered kisses along the sensitive flesh, but unlike the reaction this would have garnered under other circumstances, she felt a greasy wave of nausea. “Ancient history,” she said. “Was a gun involved then, too?” Rafael asked. He sat forward on his seat, practically vibrating with the obvious desire to launch himself from the chair, Glock or no Glock. She watched as Trey elbowed him, then reached over and squeezed the other man’s thigh to restrain him. Adam reached in his other coat pocket. “No, but she did like to play with other toys. Didn’t you, babe?” He held up a pair of silver handcuffs. She looked at Trey and Rafael. “We dated for all of six regrettable months. We broke up almost a year ago.” Her stomach turned at the thought that she ever let Adam put his hands on her, knowing now

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what he was capable of. He’d been her brother’s friend, one they both thought they could trust. He’d certainly taught her otherwise. “Yes, you were a hot fuck, but sadly too G.U. to keep around.” Adam turned to the men. “For you country boys, G.U. means Geographically Undesirable. Damned long commute, driving out to Victorville for a piece of this ass, sweet as it is. Not like there’s a pussy shortage in Vegas.” “As I recall, I’m the one who broke things off,” she said. When it became obvious from his changed behavior and rude nicknames that he had little respect for women. “Women remember what they want to.”Adam straightened up and cocked his head at the cowboys. “You’re really trying to convince these boys how innocent you are? Don’t tell me she’s been stringing one or both of you along so she can manipulate you into helping her? Which one of you is the sad loser?” “She didn’t string anyone along,” Rafael said. “She’s with us. Both of us.” “Raf,” Trey whispered through his teeth. Adam’s head jerked. “She’s doing you both? At the same time?” He gazed at her with a smoky leer that curdled her insides. “Damn. If I’d have known you like to take it two at a time, I’d have asked my partner along. Hey, Bill,” he called toward a doorway in the corner. A blond head Crystal recognized as William Colton, Adam’s partner, popped into the doorway. “What’s going on?” Blue eyes flashed at the sight of the two cowboys. “What the hell’s all this?” “You remember Crystal. You used to tell me how much you’d like to bang her. Now I find out the hot bitch likes two guys at once. You game?” Crystal glared at Adam. “Fuck you.” He laughed. “So eager. First, convince your damned brother to tell us where our money is. Then we’ll give you all the cock you can handle.”

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“Like hell you will,” Rafael said, coming up off the couch. The click of the slide on Adam’s Glock sounded just as Trey grabbed hold of Rafael and dragged him back down. “Don’t be stupid,” Trey said to him. Then he fired an accusing glance at Crystal. “She ain’t worth it.” Her heart clenched tight at the words. He hadn’t trusted her from the beginning. Now he hated her. Who could blame him? Tears prickled the corners of her eyes. Adam laughed. “You’re wrong about that, pardner.” He said the last with a sarcastic drawl. “She’s worth about a 100k to me. Bill, drag that candy-ass out here so we can get this party started. Toss me your cuffs first.” “They’re on Dan.” Crystal’s heart sped at that. Adam turned to the man behind him. “Geoff?” The cop who’d been silent through this whole exchange cleared his throat. “Don’t have my cuffs. Just the .22.” Crystal glanced behind her to see that said .22 was trained on Rafael and Trey. Adam swore and leaned down to Crystal. “See, that’s the fucking problem when you bring uninvited guests.” He twirled the handcuffs in front of her. “Not enough party favors to go around.” The Glock came up again and pointed straight at Rafael’s chest. “You,” he said to Rafael. “You win the door prize, sweetheart. Get up slowly and turn around with your hands on your head. One trick cowboy move and you’ll have a new asshole between your titties.” She swallowed while Rafael did what he was told. In a typical police maneuver, Adam came around and pulled the man’s hands behind his back and clicked the cuffs into place. She barely noticed him being shoved back down because of the man now being pushed into the room by Bill. She gasped. “Danny!” Her brother stumbled and fell into an empty armchair. She was on her knees in front of him before the other men had a chance to react.

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The man looked like hell. One of Danny’s eyes was split over the brow and swollen almost shut. His caramel-colored hair was greasy, and his white T-shirt was torn and stained with rusty blood spots. The circles under his eyes were dark enough to look painted on. She put her arms around him and kissed the uninjured side of his face. An odd memory flashed of the way she and Danny used to play cops and robbers when they were kids. Big sister Crystal would always rush in to save Sherriff Dan from the robbers. Now they were facing the cops, and she hadn’t been able to save him. She hadn’t even remembered that she needed to save him. Guilt pounded in her chest as salty tears fell on her cheeks. He moaned. She took his face gently in her hands and searched the green eyes that matched hers. “Thank god you’re all right.” “Wouldn’t exactly say that,” he said, his voice more of a dry croak. At Adam’s laugh she twisted around to see him staring at the cowboys with a mocking grin. “You should have seen the looks on their faces,” Adam said to her. He glanced at them. “She really left you two in the dark with that whole amnesia story, didn’t she?” Rafael’s eyes held a tinge of betrayal. Trey’s face was an impassive mask. “He’s my brother,” she said to them. “He’s the reason I had to come.” She got to her feet and whirled on Adam. “You said you wouldn’t hurt him.” She took hold of Danny’s chin and tilted his lowered head. “What the hell’s this?” “He tripped.” “Yeah, onto Adam’s fist,” Danny said. “Enough family reunion shit,” Adam said to Crystal. “Get your ass back in that chair, and let’s finish this.” She glared at him but bit back a reply considering the gun in his hand. She went back to her chair and sat, pangs of sympathetic pain stabbing through her at the sight of her kid brother in such a sad state. “You were best friends, Adam,” she said. “How could you do this to him?”

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“It’s just business,” Adam said. “So’s this.” With that the gun came around and pointed at her head. She squeezed her eyes shut until she felt tears seeping through. “Now that everyone’s here, including a couple misguided hicks,” he said, “Dan’s got a real good visual on why he should tell me where the money is. Now.” Her eyes opened and shifted to Danny, whose gaze was filled with anguish and uncertainty. “Don’t hurt her,” he said. “I’ll tell you anything you want.” “Start talking,” Adam said. “He doesn’t have it,” she blurted out. “Crystal,” Danny said in a warning tone. “He’d better have it,” Adam said. “I saw the damn idiot run out the door with the bag.” “I wasn’t thinking,” Danny said. “I panicked. I told you I’m sorry.” “Shut the fuck up,” Adam said, swinging the Glock toward her brother. “He can’t tell you anything,” Crystal said. “He doesn’t have the money anymore.” “Then I guess none of you are any good to me,” he said in a dangerous, low whisper. She swallowed. “I know where it is.” The room went silent for a moment. Then Adam’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Amnesia bitch goes from knowing nothing of value to knowing the one thing that will keep you alive. Isn’t that fucking interesting?” “Crystal, don’t,” Danny said in a pleading tone. “I told you to shut the fuck up, Danny boy.” Crystal lifted her chin and stared into Adam’s frigid eyes. “What guarantee do I have that you’ll leave us alone if I tell you where it is?” He smiled. “We were together, you and me. You know I’d never really hurt you.”

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She laughed. “You hit me over the head and threw me in a car trunk!” “You always liked it rough, babe. Besides, it was your fault for trying to fight me off. All I wanted was for you to get Dan to tell me what I wanted to know. Little did I know you knew the answer all along.” He frowned in suspicion. “How do you know, anyway?” Her eyes shifted to Trey and Rafael, who stared back transfixed. She tried to reassure them with her eyes, though how any of this could end well she couldn’t imagine. Adam leaned down by her face, blocking her view of them. She sighed. “Danny came to me in a panic. He’d accidentally overheard you and some cop buddies talking about a money deal. When he realized you were into something big, he tried to leave, but you caught him. The money was sitting in an open leather satchel on the table. In a crazy fit of insanity, he grabbed it and ran.” “I know this part, considering I was there. Get to the point.” “He was upset and didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t go to the authorities, since he didn’t know who to trust. I told him to give me the satchel and get out of town, lie low for a while. I said I’d hide it without him knowing where, and that’s what I did. Then you showed up.” “You should have handed my money over then.” “The way I heard it, that money doesn’t belong to you.” He reached over and yanked her ponytail back hard, lifting her head to within inches of his. She shrieked at the sharp jolt to her scalp. “Play games with me, bitch, and see how hard you get fucked.” His eyes blazed with molten rage when he let go of her. He marched over to stick the gun against her brother’s temple. “Tell me now, or his brains wind up as a logo design on Geoff’s shirt.” “No! Please.” Her stomach somersaulted and the room swam in front of her. “It’s here.” “Where?” “In Vegas.”

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The gun wavered. “You’re lying.” She shook her head vehemently. “I wasn’t sure where to hide it. Then it dawned on me that the last place you’d think to look would be under your nose.” His eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Where exactly?” “The desert. I’d have to show you. I’d know the exact spot if I saw it. A GPS would be helpful, though.” Adam ran a tongue along the inside of his cheek while gave her a measuring stare. Then he turned to Bill, who was standing off to the side. “Go bring the car around,” Adam said. “We’re going on a little treasure hunt.” “All of us?” he said. “The car won’t fit seven.” “We don’t all need seats,” he said. “There’s room in the trunk.” The man nodded and left the suite. Crystal met each of the men’s eyes in turn. Rafael’s anger had dulled into a shadowed fear. Danny still looked like a scared little boy, but one who would jump in front of a bullet for her. A loyalty she in no way deserved, considering the way she’d abandoned her baby brother. Trey seemed far away, lost deep in thought. Adam cocked his head and stared at each of his captives. “Well, let’s see who gets to ride shotgun.” He glanced at Crystal. “Obviously you, since you’re navigating.” He pointed his Glock at Danny. “He’ll ride with us in case sis needs extra motivation to help jog that defective memory.” She swallowed and shifted her eyes to the cowboys, who were both staring at Adam. “Guess you two are the expendables,” he said. “Sucks to be second string, but you understand.” He turned to Geoff. “Question is, do they arrive in the desert with or without pulses?” Geoff grunted. “Bill’s got the silencer on his piece.” Crystal’s heartbeat thundered in her ears while she stared at her two lovers.

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“We’d be harder to sneak out as dead bodies than lettin’ us walk under our own power,” Trey said, in a voice Crystal found disconcertingly calm for the situation. Adam scoffed. “How considerate. No doubt you’re thinking of doing something stupid while we’re walking through the casino.” He moved closer and leaned part way across the coffee table. “Don’t bother. The second you try anything you’ll be in the headlines as a robbery attempt foiled by off-duty cops. Of course, an innocent female civilian and her brother would tragically get caught in the crossfire. If everyone cooperates, however, there’s a chance your sex bunny and her baby bro might walk away.” “No one’s walking away,” Crystal said, her voice deadpan quiet. “You never intended on letting my brother go, whether he talked or not.” “Not true. Play this scene nice and we’ll talk about it when the money’s back in my hands.” He nodded to Geoff. “Get the darkhaired cowboy up. He’s already cuffed.” Crystal saw Trey and Rafael give each other a weighted glance. Some vital information was exchanged in that silent communication, and though she couldn’t quite interpret it she had some idea. Trey had already tried reaching for his weapon once. Pulling it on two armed, trained cops would be suicide. Unless… “No, wait,” she said. “Please, Adam. Don’t. I’ll do anything you want if you’ll reconsider.” Geoff was coming around the side of her chair when she pulled the string ties on her shoulders and yanked the fabric down to expose her breasts. Both cop’s attention was drawn straight to her bare flesh, which was exactly the momentary distraction she was hoping for. Rafael hooked the pointed toes of his cowboy boots under the lip of the coffee table and jerked it up right into Geoff, who tumbled backward and fell onto Danny’s lap before rolling off. His gun went off with a deafening pop, but the bullet went awry. Both cowboys exploded up off the couch. Rafael headed for Geoff, and Trey came

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straight at Adam. Before Crystal could even move, Adam’s gun came back around. He fired before getting it leveled at Trey—and Rafael let out an anguished cry before going down several feet away. “Rafael!” Crystal shrieked. Danny kicked Geoff in the head, knocking him out or maybe killing him—Crystal couldn’t tell. Trey and Adam were struggling for control of his weapon now in the air over their heads while Trey’s powerful hands gripped Adam’s. An armchair went over backwards in the struggle, and they stumbled. Crystal finally found her legs and wits and leaped from her seat, yanking up her top. Danny had managed to get his handcuffed hands in front of him. He had Geoff’s gun and was fiddling with it. “Let me,” she said. “A bullet’s jammed in the slide,” Danny said. With her ears fuzzy from the earlier weapon discharge, his voice sounded muffled and far away. “It won’t fire.” Adam’s gun went off again, and Crystal dropped to the carpet beside her brother. Her hands flew over her ears. “Run, Crystal!” Trey shouted. “Get the hell out of here.” Both he and Adam hit the floor, still wrestling each other for control. Trey was on top, but Adam lunged upward and head butted Trey in the nose. He let out a yell of pain, rearing back for a second— and Adam took advantage. He yanked his firing arm out of Trey’s grasp. Crystal raced over to the struggle and bent over Trey to tug on his waistband. Adam’s gun came to bear on the man she loved—and there was a third and final roaring pop that seemed to explode right through her skull. She fell to her knees and her entire body began to spasm with violent shudders. “Crystal!” Trey said, climbing off the man who had gone lifeless beneath him. A smoking hole in Adam’s skull gave him the appearance of a third eye above the right one. Blood seeped out beneath his head in a pool on the dark carpet. She held Trey’s gun in

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both hands, still pointed at the man she expected to lunge for her at any moment. “Crystal,” Trey said again. “Give me the gun, honey.” He was behind her, reaching slowly for the weapon she couldn’t unclutch. None of her muscles seemed within her control right now. “He’s dead,” she said. “It’s okay.” Somehow Trey managed to dislodge the pistol from her grip and pulled her quivering form into his arms. He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her almost until she couldn’t breathe. “Everything’s going to be okay now. You’re okay.” She blinked and twisted around to see his face. “Thank you for saving me.” “You saved me this time.” He whipped around with a gasp. “Shit. Rafael.” That brought her to her feet. “Rafael!” Crystal dropped to Rafael’s side with her legs folded beneath her. His light grey tank top was stained dark with blood from a hole in his upper right chest. She lifted his head and shoulders gently, but he hissed and shouted a pained profanity. She laid him across her legs and immediately felt sticky warmth spreading over her bare thighs. The bullet had gone straight through him. She went to brush bangs from his face, but saw her palms were slick with bright red. “Oh, Raf,” she said, tears falling onto his face. “I’m so sorry. Please hang on.” Trey was crouched over his other side. “How are you feelin’, buddy?” he asked. “Like a buckin’ bronc stomped on me.” “Stay with me, okay?” Trey smiled, but he gave Crystal a pointed look. “He’s losin’ blood fast.” “I’m fine. Cowboys are tough as rawhide and all that shit.” He winced and tried to sit up. Crystal felt hot blood gush onto her legs and sucked in a breath. Trey jerked his T-shirt over his head and

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pressed it against Raf’s chest to staunch the flow. “Don’t try to move, Raf.” “Now who’s eager to peel his shirt off?” Raf’s weak laugh dissolved into a cough. “We have to move,” Danny said. “Now. We have to disappear before Bill gets back.” “We can’t leave without confrontin’ Bill,” Trey said. “Otherwise he’ll make up some bullshit story and the cops will treat us as cop killers. We’ll be on the run forever until they catch us.” “He’s right,” Crystal said, her teeth chattering with adrenaline. “We have to finish this.” “We can’t call the cops,” Danny said. “It’d be suicide without knowing how deep their money scheme runs.” “Then let’s try the Feds,” Trey said, glancing down at Raf with a tender concern that warmed Crystal’s stomach. “And an ambulance.”

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Chapter Sixteen Trey walked into the bright hospital room. Rafael sat straight up in bed, his chest heavily bandaged and his arm in a sling. Stubble dotted his jaw and cheeks, and his eyes were shadowed with fatigue, but his color had pinked from the ash gray shade that had scared the hell out of Trey when Rafael had finally been whisked away from the blood-soaked hotel room. Crystal sat on the far side of the bed, holding the man’s hand in both of hers. She looked up and smiled at Trey. Her lids were heavy and ringed with dark circles like Rafael’s. She apparently hadn’t slept during her vigil the previous night. She and Trey had taken turns at his bedside the past week, much the way he and Rafael had done for her. A bag of dark red blood hung from a nearby IV pole, along with the usual array of fluids and antibiotics used to treat the infection that threatened to take hold following the gunshot. Rafael whistled as Trey strolled up to the bed. “Holy shit, get a load of you.” His eyes ran over Trey’s sharply pressed navy blue suit. “You almost wouldn’t know there was a cowboy in there.” Trey passed a cup of overpriced kiosk coffee across to Crystal. “What, no flowers for the patient?” Rafael said. Trey dropped a bag on Rafael’s lap. “Somethin’ better.” The man dug through the bag with his good hand. When he extracted the box, his eyes widened. “Jesus H., Trey! Gort’s Lisker model kit? Do you know how damned hard it’s been for me to get one of these?” “Yes, considerin’ I’ve listened to you bitch about it since college.”

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Rafael stared at the box in awe. “Man, thanks! Too bad I’ve got a bum hand. Won’t be able to work on this for a while.” “Thought it would give you some motivation to hurry the hell up and get better.” “It will.” Rafael’s grin shot straight through Trey’s stomach. He pointed to the blood bag. “Doc says this should be the last unit they have to transfuse. She thinks I should be able to go home day after tomorrow.” “How is the good blonde doctor, anyway? What is it you call her?” “Dr. Stiffymaker? Hot as ever.” Crystal rolled her eyes. “How come my hospital doctor wasn’t young and sexy?” “Oh, he was very sexy,” Trey said. “You were just too out of it to notice.” “You had the hots for that guy?” Rafael asked, waggling his brows teasingly. “Do tell.” “I’ve got more than enough hots for the people in this room to keep me in trouble for a while to come.” Trey plopped down in a chair on the side of the bed near the door. He glanced at Rafael’s toned chest and biceps, at least the parts he could see from under the bandage work. “Speakin’ of which, are you ever plannin’ on wearin’ a shirt again? Not that I’m complainin’, but it makes you look a bit desperate.” Crystal giggled. “He’s just trying to impress Dr. Stephanamaker.” “It’s hot with this thing on.” He lifted his sling arm a fraction. “Besides, I keep hopin’ I might get lucky while I’m in here. I’ve always fantasized about gettin’ laid in a hospital bed.” Trey grinned. “You fantasize about gettin’ laid just about everywhere.” “A man’s got to have goals.” “No getting lucky for you anywhere until the doctor says it’s okay,” Crystal said in a stern tone.

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“I’m fine. The bullet nicked an artery, but there are no essential organs up in my shoulder. Though I might start whinin’ like a creaky old woman, the way Trey does when his shoulder acts up.” “Thanks a damn lot. It was a manly injury, you know.” “And takin’ a bullet isn’t?” “It passes. At least we’ll both be able to use our shoulders as a weather barometer.” “Yeah. You can always tell when rain’s comin’.” His eyes fell to Trey’s black and blue striped tie. His cocky smile wavered, then faded. “You’re still goin’, I take it.” A jagged shard of guilt ripped through Trey’s chest. “I wish I could stay longer, but they’re givin’ the job to someone else if I’m not in Atlanta by tomorrow.” He sighed. “I’m sorry, Raf. I know I’m a shit-suckin’ excuse for a friend for leavin’ while you’re still in here.” Rafael shrugged, but winced a bit from the action. “True. But there’s nothin’ you can do for me in here—especially since Crystal has me on sexual lockdown. I’ll be just fine.” His expression sobered. “Your dad needs you now.” Trey nodded, then spat out the words he’d been rehearsing. “You could come with me.”He glanced at Crystal. “Both of you.” “Me in the city with a suit and tie?” Rafael gave a sad smile, but shook his head. “Sorry, man. I’ve got a low-payin’, glamorous ranch hand job to get back to.” Trey’s stomach sank as he and Crystal exchanged glances across the bed. “Actually, Raf, you don’t.” The man frowned at him. “What?” Trey sighed. “After you were brought here and the money was recovered, cops and feds went out to the ranch. Big John heard the whole story. He found out about us harborin’ Crystal.” The man’s expression fell. “Shit.” “Yeah. He didn’t want to make matters worse by layin’ it on you while you were in the hospital, but…” “I’m fired.”

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Trey nodded. “Both of us are, except I’d already quit.” Raf blew out a breath. “Figures.” “I’m so sorry,” Crystal said. “I never wanted for this to happen.” “Same here,” Trey said. “So my offer still stands if you want to make a fresh start.” “Well, fuck me, and not in the good sense.” Raf leaned back against his pillow, staring at the ceiling. “I’ll miss the livin’ hell out of you, cowboy. You know that. But city life’s not what I want for myself. I’ll find another ranch to hire me on.” He pulled his head up again and turned to Crystal. “What about you, sugar? If you’re stickin’ around because you think you owe me for gettin’ shot and fired…” She shook her head. “I’ll admit this has been damned hard. I couldn’t decide between you two before, and I don’t want to have to now.” She shut her eyes for a moment. “I’m not choosing between you two. I want you to know that.” When her green eyes opened, they pierced Trey’s soul. He swallowed a thick lump. “But I can’t go to Atlanta. I’m not sure I want to go back to my old life, either. I wasn’t happy working in an office. Meanwhile, my brother is here, and he needs me. We sort of need each other right now, you know? I can’t move across country.” The lump Trey had swallowed thudded like a lead slug in the bottom of his gut. She and Trey had already had this conversation privately, but hearing it again didn’t make it any more palatable. He’d never truly believed either of them would pull up roots and happily follow him, but part of him had wanted to. Rafael sighed. “Then I guess you’re stuck with a miserable, unemployed cowboy instead of a miserable, employed used-to-becowboy.” “I’m still a cowboy,” Trey said. “Cowboy’s in the blood, not in the costume. You put that blood in me as sure as that bag up there is puttin’ blood in you. I won’t forget it. And it’s not like we won’t stay in touch. We can get on a plane for a visit.”

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Rafael nodded, but Trey saw in the man’s eyes what he felt in his spirit. With distance came separation, and with time came more and more reasons to allow that separation to become permanent. Yet what he felt for the two people in this room now made a life without them seem even more empty and futile than when he’d agreed to take the job. He hadn’t known Crystal then. He hadn’t loved Rafael then, either. But damn it all to hell, the wrenching tug on his heart told him that he did now. “I suppose it’s about time we left for the airport,” Crystal said. To Rafael she added, “I told him I’d see him off.” When brown eyes turned back to Trey’s, the weighty remorse in them ratcheted up the vice grip on Trey’s chest. “I guess this is it.” Trey didn’t trust himself to speak, but forced it out anyway. “Yep.” Crystal stood up and leaned over Rafael. “Behave yourself if the doc shows up while I’m gone. Meanwhile, here’s a little something to tide you over.” She let her lips linger on his while her fingers lightly ran along the bristle of his rugged jaw. When she pulled away, their eyes connected for a long moment. Trey’s heart pounded with jealousy, knowing his part of their connection was just minutes away from being severed. “I think I feel my recovery speedin’ up already,” Rafael said to her, then glanced at Trey. “How about you, still-a-cowboy? Do I get a reserved, manly farewell handshake?” Rafael extended his left hand, but Trey shook his head. He took the hand gently in both of his own and let the warmth and strength of the man’s touch fill him one last time. He saw Rafael’s Adam’s apple bob and felt his slight shudder. Crystal picked up her purse. “I’ll just go pull the car around front while you two say goodbye.” Trey twisted around as she passed by and whispered, “Close the door.” With a silent nod she left. The door clicked shut behind her.

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“I left half my winnin’s with her,” Trey said after a heavy silence. “That should keep the two of you afloat for a stretch while you’re lookin’ for a new job. The rest will get Dad’s treatment started.” “Thank you.” The man’s voice was barely a whisper. “That’s mighty generous. Any other news I should know about the drug money case?” Trey shook his head. “The investigation is still ongoin’ by internal affairs, but it seems only a handful of cops in the Vegas department were involved. Adam Badash was the ringleader, and once he was dead, the rest caved.” “What exactly were they into?” “They were stagin’ raids on drug dealers off the record, then takin’ huge chunks of drug income as payoffs to keep them out of jail. The hundred thousand Crystal buried in the desert wasn’t even all of it.” He shook off the memory of how close he had come to losing two people he cared about that night—not to mention his own life. He still felt like he was losing it all. But at least they were safe. Rafael squeezed Trey’s hand. Trey ran his other hand upward, fluffing against the grain of the man’s wispy forearm hair. “I wish you weren’t goin’,” Rafael said, his voice strained and thin. “I damn well wish I didn’t have to. For a lot of reasons.” He forced his gaze away from the arm he was stroking to meet the smoky brown eyes whose depths he could lose himself in. The contact spun his stomach around as if the floor had dropped out from under him. Rafael licked his lips, sending a flicker through Trey’s groin. He closed his eyes for a moment. What the hell. He couldn’t walk away without indulging this one last time. He got up and sat on the bed, then lowered his mouth to Rafael’s. The contact was light, just feathery kisses along the other man’s upper lip. The other man groaned in what sounded like despair, and Trey breathed a sigh against his mouth. Rafael’s good hand snaked around the back of Trey’s neck and pressed him closer, forcing the kiss to

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deepen while his tongue thrust into Trey’s mouth. Their lips grew desperate, seeking each other’s as though if they found just the right spot, they would never have to separate. Heat flared in his stomach, and without thinking Trey’s hand stroked Rafael’s thigh through the thin hospital blankets. When the other man’s hand returned the favor, it crested the thick bulge now straining in Trey’s trousers. Both seemed to realize their folly at the same moment and broke apart. They stared at one another for a long stretch, their breaths coming heavy beneath clouded, darkened gazes. “Too bad Crystal had to return the money she buried,” Rafael said at last. “Or that there wasn’t at least some sort of massive reward. Then maybe you wouldn’t have to go.” Trey gave him a sober smile. “I guess my luck’s run out.” “At least it saw us through the Fremont Hotel.” He shot him a knowing look. “But I feel like mine has run out, too.” “Hardly, considerin’ you get the girl in the end.” “And I should be happy with that.” His smoldering eyes raked over Trey. “Guess I’m just an ungrateful bastard.” “And I’m a grateful bastard.” Their eyes held for another moment, then Trey stood up and rearranged his fading, but still erect penis. “Don’t let that bitch Linda wear you down,” Rafael said. “Or I’ll have to ride in on a horse right up to the thirty-seventh floor to bust you out.” Trey made it to the door with variations of three little words trying to launch out of his mouth. I love you. I love you, Rafael. I can’t help it. The words wouldn’t come. With a final wave he walked away from the man—and life—that he wanted. ****

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“I’ve been to Vegas more times than I can count,” Crystal said as they walked down the concourse, “but I’ve never been to McCarran airport.” “You weren’t missin’ much,” Trey said, wrestling his wallet from a leather carry-on bag. “It’s your standard issue airport. Except maybe the larger percentage of folks drunk before noon.” They walked up to a Coffee Bean counter, and Trey ordered a double espresso. He would need a caffeine boost to restart his life as a fast lane corporate stooge. “You forgot the funky, giant-patterned casino style carpet and slot machines going ring and cha-ching. Really, right here in the airport? Guess they like to get people in a gambling mood the second they step off the plane.” “Or gouge them before they leave.” Trey sipped the strong, hot brew as they walked along. “I’ve heard of folks who blow their whole wad right here before they even hit the Strip.” “Damn.” She stopped in front of a bank of brightly lit slots and looked up at him from under a thick fringe of lashes. “You know, I’ll never be able to hear change dropping or see bright neon lights and not think of you.” He tried to offer a brave smile. “I suppose there are worse things to be associated with than cheesy neon and pocket change.” “Speaking of which, do you have any change? Let’s drop one last quarter in a slot as our farewell moment.” “After what I just said about people losin’ their shirts here?” “I say they’re more likely to do that by trusting the baggage check-in.” He fished some quarters out of his trousers and loaded a few into a machine with a Wheel of Fortune-style spinner on top. “Be my guest.” “Shall I ‘bet max’?” “Why not? All or none.” She nodded. Her smile stirred the embers of the fire already dimming in his heart. In thirty minutes he’d be taxiing onto the

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runway, bound for Hartsfield-Jackson airport in Georgia. Crystal would be on the way back to the hospital, where she and Rafael would make plans for their new life together. In a few months, their memories of Trey would fade and his zest for living would wane in the wake of late nights spent crunching numbers and reviving himself on espresso with coffee chasers. The three little words circled in his head faster this time, until he thought they would burst out. This was his last chance. Regardless of how it might tear at him to let those words hang between them now, he couldn’t go without her hearing them. “I tried to tell Rafael how I felt about him,” Trey said. “I couldn’t do it.” She gave him a wan smile. “I’m sorry. If it makes you feel better, I think he knows.” “I want to make sure you know. I hate havin’ to leave, Crystal. I hate leavin’ you.” “I love you, too, Trey,” she whispered. The words cranked his stomach over hard. He swallowed. “I love you.” Her smile faltered, and she gazed at him with dark longing. “Well, ain’t this a bitch?” Her green eyes glassed over, and she turned away from him and punched the machine’s betting button. In that moment, Trey would have given almost anything for Crystal to change her mind, buy a ticket, and run off with him. Her presence would make things in Atlanta more bearable. But Rafael would be alone, and that was the one thing Trey couldn’t give even if he could talk Crystal into his crazy thoughts. The machine whirred to life, the sparkles from its lights glittering in her watery eyes. He set his coffee on the ledge of the machine and lowered his face to hers. “God, these eyes of yours,” he said, turning her head away from the money stealer to face him. “They’re so incredibly beautiful. I won’t ever be able to look at the color green

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and not think of you. Or at a desert, a casino, a woman, or my bed in the morning.” The jackpot numbers clicked into place as their lips met, and he knew that the ringing and music he heard in his head was not from the slot machine, but from the feel of her mouth pressed to his. They moved in perfect synchronicity, their heads tilting side to side automatically to accommodate one another while their tongues danced a final, painful dance. Trey dropped his bag and drew her close, inhaling her sweet-sensual amber scent. When she broke off the mind-blowing kiss he grabbed her face and tried to pull her back to him, unwilling to let this moment of farewell go. He wanted to burn it into his flesh, a deep brand that would etch itself into his memory forever. She yanked back harder, her eyes wide and fixed on the machine that was making all sorts of irritating racket beside them. He stared at her, trying to draw her back to him. When she did look back, she tugged on his suit sleeve and pointed at the machine. “What exactly does that mean?” she asked. “That flashing light. Does that mean…” He turned and gaped at the flashing, buzzing machine. “Oh, shit! You hit the jackpot, darlin’.” People were gathering around Trey and Crystal, clapping and whistling at the readout. Crystal blinked several times, reading the dot matrix-style payout information. “How much did you win?” he asked. “She hit the progressive jackpot,” a red-faced man in a Hawaiian shirt said. “Three-six-two-four-seven-one,” she read off the computerized display. “God. That’s a lot of numbers.” He stared at the digits, but between the din around them and the light-headed, dizzying sensation he felt, he was having difficulty processing the amount. So much for being a big city accountant.

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“We just won over three hundred thousand dollars,” she said in a tone of shocked disbelief.” “You won, you mean. You played the machine.” She grinned at him. “With your money. We at least have to split it fifty-fifty.” Her words began to sink in, but he couldn’t help feeling detached from the whole scene. His logic floated up above the excitement, waiting for an attendant to come and inform them it had all been a mistake. That they misread the payout and she’d won a hundred bucks and one hell of an airport story. The slot machine attendant and a manager in a suit did indeed come over and shook their hands. There was no mention of a mistake. Trey’s heart began to pound. “The universe answered our prayers,” Crystal said. “Don’t you see? This is a reward for my heroes. The most perfect thing that could ever have happened.” She took his face in her hands. When he didn’t react, didn’t reply, the glitter in her eyes flickered with uncertainty. “Isn’t it?” An announcement came over the intercom. His flight was now available for pre-boarding. Trey shook his head. “I’m sorry, but it’s not quite perfect enough.” Disappointment shadowed her expression. “Why not?” The smile started from somewhere down near his toes and erupted up through his body before lighting up his face. “Because the cowboy we’re both crazy about isn’t here to share it. Let’s hurry through the formalities here so we can tell him the news.” Tears shimmered in her eyes. “Your flight.” “It was just canceled.” He lifted her face to his. “Permanently.”

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Chapter Seventeen Six months later Crystal reined up on her palomino and stared out over the view of the open land and the gentle rise of the Nevada mountains. They’d acquired the Cold Creek property two months prior, and she stopped whenever she could to inhale fresh air and gawk at the scrub brush, Joshua trees, and cactus dotting the sprawling desert panorama. A hawk flew into the fading sunlight, and she projected an image of herself five years in the future. She stood on this very spot, still gaping in awe at the beauty of life off the grid on their own solar-andgenerator-powered mini ranch. Here in a world where elk and wild mustangs still roamed free. She may have been a city girl when she’d lost herself in the desert, but she’d come out the other side with the stirrings of cowgirl in her blood. She kicked her heels in to trot the horse up to a craggy tree beside the creek where Trey and Rafael had just dismounted. Trey helped her down off Wildstar, and she stroked the mare’s chestnut muzzle while she flashed a bright smile. “A picnic was a brilliant idea, if I do say so myself,” she said, shifting her black Stetson on her head while he untied their lunch basket from the saddle. “We’re all about brilliance here at the Lucky Three Ranch,” he said with a saucy wink. Rafael was spreading a blanket out beside the bubbling water. “Brilliance and wild, outdoor sex.”

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Her brows shot up. “When did that part get added to our mission statement?” “Just now. Executive decision.” She wandered over to where he was lying on his side, propped up on one elbow. “Well, I suppose we’ll have to make good on that, or our entire ranch philosophy could be declared a sham.” He patted the blanket beside him. “Then get down here and start experiencin’ the ranch life, cowgirl.” “I thought that’s what we’ve been doing the past few months?” He flashed a seductive grin. “Not the way you’re about to.” A tickle of pleasure shot through her, and she stripped off her tight, scoop neck T-shirt. She’d deliberately gone braless—something she didn’t normally do on days she planned to ride horseback. Rafael had her breasts in his hands the moment she lowered herself on the red plaid blanket. He pushed her onto her back, running maddening circles over her rounded flesh until her nipples were hard and tingling. “Hey,” Trey said, holding up the food. “What happened to French bread, cheese, and wine?” “Dessert now, food later,” Rafael said. “You want to get in on this or stand there with that basket like Little Red Cowboy Hood?” “Fuck dinner—check,” Trey said. He dropped the basket near the edge of the blanket, and his green thermal shirt soon followed. Crystal had to tug with impatience on Rafael’s brown polo shirt to get him to strip down to bare chest. Her hands ran over his bronzed perfection, magnificent despite the indented, puckered scar just under his collar bone. He pinched her nipples, and she arched her back with a moan, then she turned tables by pinching his in return. His own moan was even louder, and he shut his eyes for a moment. She’d learned a few things about what drove her men wild, and this one could shoot his cum just from some determined tongue kisses and attention to his sensitive nipples. A muffled ringing sound came. Trey groaned in frustration. “Your basket is callin’,” he said.

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She sighed. “My cell’s in there. Probably just Danny wanting to know what time to meet at the Bellagio tomorrow. He’s bringing his new girlfriend.” Trey nodded and dropped down on her other side. “I love your brother, but voicemail can get it.” Two pairs of hands relieved her of her jeans and flowered panties before the others lost the rest of their clothes. Then each man had a hand on one of her breasts while the other fondled her clit and wet pussy lips. Hot stabs of lust shot between her legs, which she wanted to spread wide but couldn’t with each cowboy rhythmically pressing their hard cocks against the sides of her thighs. Three sets of lips and tongues snaked around each other, their groans and sucking sounds joining with the chorus of the running creek and nature’s wildlife song. Fingers thrust in and out of her slick vagina until waves of orgasm pulsed through her. Her need for the men only grew bolder by coming. Her voice was breathless when she spoke. “Kneel over me the way I fucking love.” She laid beneath them, their cocks jutting out high over her belly while they faced each other on their knees. Smoldering blue eyes met smoky browns, and when their mouths met, powerful hands reached for each other’s erections. A shudder passed through her at the sight of the men’s passion. Trey tugged Rafael’s head back by the hair and ran his tongue along the man’s exposed throat. She let out a moan of appreciation, and of their own accord her hands began to roam her breasts and stroke her pulsing clit. Their masculine hands worked firm strokes on each other’s red, swollen dicks, until her breaths were as heavy and fast as their own. Enough of watching solo. She wanted in on the action. She sat up so their organs were near her face and flicked her tongue and fingers over their musky, salty testicles. They jerked their hands faster, and she pictured other times they’d done each other this way, when their cum would spurt out hot and creamy over each

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other’s bellies and over her hands. Not this time, though. She wanted cock inside her throbbing pussy now. “How about we circle the wagons?” she said. The men kept going at each other in a fever for a few more moments, but then separated with knowing grins. With a wink she reached into the nearby basket and pulled out a foil condom packet and a bottle of lubricant. She tossed both to Trey, who tore the corner of the foil with his teeth and rolled a condom over his twitching cock. Rafael’s eyes held a greedy gleam while he watched, his hand working his own member. She let her middle finger dip idly inside her pussy, sliding it in and out while Trey flipped open the lubricant and moved behind the other man. He bent Rafael over, squeezed some gooey gel on his fingers, then stroked them between the crack of his male lover’s round ass. Rafael balanced himself by holding one palm flat on the blanket, but the other still ran back and forth over the length of his pink-red erection. His grunt of arousal when Trey’s finger breached the man’s hole flared goose bumps on Crystal’s skin. Two of her fingers sank into her pussy the next time she pushed inward, and her muscles contracted eagerly around them. She slid herself under Rafael’s head, spreading her thighs as wide as she could while she reclined on her elbows. He lowered his upper body so his face was buried between her legs. His tongue laid down a long, languid stroke from her wet hole up to the hood over her clit. Her head dropped back while he kissed and sucked her juices. “I’ll never get enough of the way you taste,” he said, jabbing his tongue deep inside her. She squirmed against him with a loud cry. She heard another squirt from the lube bottle. Rafael stiffened and stopped licking for a moment, his hot breath uttering a profanity against her clit. “Hell yes, Trey,” he said. “God, I love it when you rotate your finger in my ass. Don’t stop. Spread me wide for you.” “You’ll be ready,” Trey said in a husky voice. “Just don’t blow your cum until I’m buried deep inside you.”

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Rafael moaned against Crystal’s clit, and the vibration brought her to a sharp, sudden edge. She cried out in surprise and slid back away from his tongue. “Stop,” she breathed. “I don’t want to come again until you’re buried deep inside me.” He straightened on all fours with a smug nod while she fought against the pounding, insistent thrum of impending orgasm. It helped some to close her eyes and shut out the two men’s flexing muscles while Trey got into position behind Rafael. Still, she knew from experience that if she watched him stick his cock inside Rafael, she’d be a goner. She held both their gazes with a sultry, teasing look while she flipped herself onto all fours. She spread her wet thighs and stuck her ass in the air in front of Rafael’s face. Even with the view of the creek in front of her, she still knew the exact moment Trey’s dick sank into Rafael’s tight hole. Trey’s guttural moan was part relief, part impatience to get inside of her. A good couple of minutes went by with her poised like an animal in heat, waiting as patiently as she could for Rafael’s body to adjust to Trey’s huge cock. When she heard Trey begin to move, she backed up until she felt Rafael’s hot body against her ass. He moved in to mount her, one hand gripping the front of her thigh while he positioned his cock along her channel. “Shit, you’re wet,” he said in a low growl. “I can’t wait to feel your pussy squeezin’ me like hot velvet.” Feeling the head of his cock slide over her hole was heaven’s insanity, and she pushed her ass back in an eager attempt to hurry his claiming of her pussy. “Slow down, baby,” he said. “Fuck slowing down. I want your cock so bad I’m dripping.” His sexy laugh sent a tingle up her spine, but unlike other games where he took charge and teased her slowly until she thought she would die, this time he gave her exactly what she wanted. His cock plunged deep inside, hitting bottom until she cried out.

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“That’s right, fuck me, cowboy,” she said. “Fuck me as good as Trey’s fucking you.” “Not sure that’s possible,” he said through obviously gritted teeth. “Jesus, Trey, keep swingin’ your hips side to side when you thrust. Fuck, that’s good.” After a moment of her insistent backward thrusts, Rafael managed to pump his hips against her while he took Trey’s full girth in long strokes. They couldn’t always get their rhythms in sync, but for a time they became a single grinding, thrusting unit. “Spank my ass, Raf,” she said, her tits bouncing hard beneath her. The stinging slap of his hand sent a searing report of pain-pleasure through her pussy. She heard another slap, and this time Rafael was the one to moan. Trey apparently wanted in on the fun. Each stroke of Rafael’s hands in turn blossomed into hot desire over her ass cheeks, and soon Crystal felt the strain in her forearms from the force she was using to help ram herself backwards onto his cock. Her tits bounced up almost to her chin and back from the rocking, almost violent motion. “I’m so fuckin’ ready,” Rafael said soon after. “Tell me you’re ready to explode inside of me, Trey.” “I’m right there,” Trey said. The trio automatically adjusted for this announcement, Crystal and Rafael slowing so Trey could focus on ramming his cock deep. He yelled, “Shit, I’m comin’,” and Crystal felt Rafael being bounced against by Trey as hard as she’d been fucking him. The vibration this sent through her pelvis drove her wild. Rafael bent across her back to hug himself to her body. He grabbed her breasts with one hand and rocked his hips into her hard while they both shot over the edge. She heard Trey’s hand smacking Rafael’s ass just as the man came, doubling the sound of his ecstatic shout. After several moments, the trio disengaged their slippery bodies and sank onto the now-rumpled blanket. “I’d say dessert is much better than a wine and cheese picnic,” Crystal said through panting breaths.

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“Yes,” Trey said, “but let’s not forget we’ve done a few things after a bottle of wine that have earned a spot in our erotic Hall of Fame.” She pushed back sweat-dampened locks of hair. “True.” With a grin she turned to Rafael, who was lying flat on his back with most of his face hidden behind a forearm. “Where do you weigh in on the topic, Raf?” A smile curved the visible part of his mouth. “Remember, I was the dessert instigator in the first place.” He groaned, this time in pain, and sat up. “Though at the time I wasn’t really thinkin’ about the ground being a lot firmer than I’d anticipated. My damn knees and shoulder are throbbin’.” “Some tough-ass cowboy,” Trey said. “Yeah, well some of us are injured war vets now.” “War vet?” Trey snorted. “I swear, every time you tell your heroic tale, you blow it up more.” “Haven’t you ever heard of the war on drugs?” Rafael rubbed at his sexy bare knees, which admittedly were red. So were Trey’s and Crystal’s, and judging by the throbbing in her body, she wouldn’t be surprised to find her ass and elbows red, too. The mention of that night at the Fremont prompted her to dig in the basket for her cell. “Yep, there’s a missed call from my brother. He texted us, too, asking if we made the dinner reservations at Le Cirque.” “Aw, not French food,” Rafael said. “Wasn’t that last month?” “Two months ago.” She sighed. “But I love the lake view at Le Cirque.” “If it’s the Bellagio,” Trey said, “then I vote for the Prime Steakhouse.” “I second,” Rafael said, pulling his shirt back on. “I could almost elope with that bone-in rib eye they do.” He rolled his eyes back and uttered a sensual moan.

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“Far be it from me to interfere with a cowboy’s tawdry affair with red meat,” Crystal said with a laugh. “I’ll make the call.” She tossed the phone back inside the basket and began a search for her clothes. “Speakin’ of calls,” Rafael said, “when’s the last time you talked to your dad?” “Last night,” Trey said. “The doctors said he did better after this round of chemo than they’d projected. He’s still weak and tired—and now that his hair fell out, he complains that his head gets cold.” “When we’re over in Vegas, we should buy him a bunch of knit hats,” Crystal said. “They’ll keep his head warm.” “He’d like that. I can take them on my next flight out to see him.” “It’s great that you’ve been able to spend so much time with him,” Crystal said while she stood to wriggle into her jeans. “Yeah. If I’d taken the job at Tasker, I wouldn’t have had a spare moment to just be there for him. I’d have been too busy workin’ to pay for everythin’.” He looked around at the view, which was now being painted over in shades of gray in the waning daylight, and sucked in a long, deep breath. “I have to admit, this was the way to go. I get to live in cowboy paradise, but still get to see him every month.” “And stay with him through his chemo and radiation,” Crystal said. “I’d say we’re damn fortunate you’ve been able to turn our tiny fortune into something lasting for all of us.” “Guess his big city accountin’ skills came in handy after all,” Rafael said. “It’s not that hard with smart investin’ and livin’ off the grid,” Trey said. “We’re not quite self-sufficient yet, but once we get the gardens finished and the animals up to snuff, we’ll have ourselves a damn good livin’ situation here.” Rafael, already dressed, leaned over to rustle through the picnic basket. He tore off a chunk of bread and popped it in his mouth. “We already do have a damn good life.” His hot ass twitched back and forth with a true Western boy hitch while he wandered to Trey’s side

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and zipped up the man’s fly. “But there’s one thing I don’t ever want us to be self-sufficient at.” Trey cocked his head. “What’s that? Dressin’ ourselves?” “This.” He ran the flat of his palm down the front of Trey’s shirt, stopping at his belt buckle. “My right hand may have been my best friend in my lonely teen years, but there are some things that are better done in pairs.” “Ahem,” Crystal said, sliding up behind him and circling his waist. “Don’t you mean in threes?” “Those things are best done in threes,” he said, turning to her. He and Trey circled her in a hug. They smelled of the outdoors, with a tang of salty sweat and sex that they’d get to wash off later, all of them together in their solar-heated, well water shower in the cozy ranch house. Warmth welled up in her chest while she squeezed the two men. “I really love all this so much, you know? I love us.” “I love you,” Trey said in response. When she glanced up, his eyes were on Rafael. Rafael gave her a wink and smiled. “So he was really plannin’ to say that to me the day he was leavin’ to go back to city life?” “For the thousandth time, yes,” Trey said, in a tone of mock exasperation. “I love you. And lust after you.” His pale blue eyes flicked down to pierce her with aqua fire. “Both of you.” Rafael waggled a finger. “Don’t think I don’t know you’re just tryin’ to get me to muck the stalls tomorrow. Forget it. It’s your turn.” He leaned close. “But I’ll make up for it later in our pillow-top king bed. No more rocky hard ground for a while.” While the three poured the wine to toast their plans for the evening, a hawk circled high overhead while making a final survey of the seemingly eternal span of living, breathing desert. It broke off with a piercing cry, the haunting melody of a soaring spirit that senses the call of home—and answers.

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THE END HTTP://JROSEALLISTER.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR When she’s not dreaming up tales of Western heroes, J. Rose Allister enjoys spending time with her family in the Southern California desert, reading, movies, and puttering in the deck garden.

Also by J. Rose Allister PolyAmour: Kata Sutra Siren Classic: Bewitching Love Siren Allure: Sinful Ella and the Wolf Siren Classic: Holidays Bite Siren Allure: Immortal Paradise 1: Suite Seduction Siren Classic: Immortal Paradise 2: Tropical Heat Siren Classic: Immortal Paradise 3: Seduced by an Angel PolyAmour: Immortal Paradise 4: Immortal Menage

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