Teyla tensed when she heard Logan’s heavy footsteps come up the stairs and across the wooden veranda. She’d put on the sexiest dress she owned. She’d worn it only once, to a fundraiser local farmers were throwing to raise cash for a couple who was about to lose their farm due to foreclosure. Max, bless his soul, had volunteered her services in the kissing booth the farmers had set up at the fair. Her husband insisted she looked sexy and had brought the dress home for her.
She had to admit she’d thinned since last wearing it several years ago, but the black, clingy halter top really enhanced her breasts, and the bottom half of the dress was a billowy, ankle-length ball gown.
That she stood in her kitchen wearing the dress, in her bare feet, peeling carrots for the men’s supper, was odd. But, hey, she was being paid big bucks to follow his orders, so if he wanted her wearing something pretty, then that’s what she would do. She just hoped Logan liked the dress.
Her heart fluttered as the screen door creaked open. She swallowed as his footsteps halted abruptly. When he didn’t come inside, she dared a look over her shoulder and her insides went all wobbly at the primal way he gazed at her. Like he was the predator and she was his for the taking. He let out a low whistle and nodded his head, “Nice. Very nice,” he said softly, his voice drenched with approval.
She swallowed and returned her attention to peeling the carrots, her heart pounding with wicked abandon as he let the screen door shut behind him. He sauntered behind her, and she inhaled softly as his hot palms nestled on her hips, his face nuzzling her neck, the sharp bristles of his shadow rubbing erotically against her skin.
“You look so delicious I could just eat you up,” he muttered. “Keep peeling those carrots. I want to watch.”
“First a foot fetish and now a peeling fetish?” she teased.
“Not a peeling fetish. A certain woman fetish.”
Her? Oh, my.
“A man of many tastes.” She grinned and kept peeling while he nuzzled her neck. She could definitely feel the hard bulge of his cock as he ground against her backside. It was an erotic rhythm. Sultry, full of promise that she would receive a hot evening of sex with him.
“How are the guys?”
Just mentioning them made her quiver as she remembered the wild sex in the living room. Oh, dear, her cheeks were warming up again. Not good.
She refocused her thoughts to what she’d noticed earlier when she’d watched from the window as Logan had joined the other two in the yard. As Logan had talked with them, she’d noticed the two men’s easygoing stances become instantly tense and alert. Obviously they hadn’t known about the sheriff until they’d been told he’d been here.
“They’ll be in after washing up, I’m sure.” He leaned his lower half against her, pressing his cock against her ass much in the same way he’d done yesterday evening. She trembled as he sucked her left earlobe into his mouth.
“Whoa, there, big boy,” she breathed.
Gosh, the intoxicating way his tongue licked her flesh had her dropping the paring knife again. It clattered to the counter. She moaned, giving up control and melting into the erotic sensations sweeping through her. Leaning back against him, she thoroughly enjoying the way his hands tangled with hers and the seductive way he nibbled and sucked her lobe. Who knew a man’s mouth could feel so erotic.
Suddenly he let go and drew away, his breathing harsh and raspy, and that’s when she heard the other men stomping up the stairs. Bummer.
“To be continued later,” he promised in a low voice, and stepped away from her, quickly taking a seat at the table.
Spencer and Cassidy were joking amiably as they entered. But when they saw her, Teyla read the fire flaring in their eyes. Saw their need for more sex. Her pussy creamed. She swallowed, forced herself to look away and return to her carrots.
“Good evening, gentlemen, are you hungry?” she called out, trying really hard to act normal and ignore the insistent flare of heat hugging her cheeks and body as she dropped the carrots into the boiling water.
“Ravenous,” Spencer chuckled.
“Starving,” Cassidy growled.
By the low tone of their voices, she knew they weren’t speaking about dinner but about her. Logan obviously picked up on it, too.
“Since you boys are in such a domestic mood, why don’t you both set the table?” he advised from his perch, obviously a bit irritated at the two of them being disturbed.
“Now that’s an idea,” Cassidy replied, and before she knew it, the two men were fighting over gathering the dinner plates from the nearby cupboard. Cassidy won and he moved with a grace she’d not seen in a man before. He reminded her of a cougar quietly stalking his prey. As if sensing her watching him, he glanced at her and winked before taking the plates and glasses back to the table.
Spencer asked where he could find the utensils and his gaze snapped like wildfire as he also gave her a longing look before reaching into the drawer she’d indicated. As he moved away, she blew out a tense and totally hot breath and remembered yet again how the three men had taken her earlier.
And now she was preparing dinner for them. She should be more embarrassed than this, shouldn’t she? Having sex with three guys wasn’t normal for her, so why was she so…well, calm wouldn’t be the right word. Excited. Aroused. Needy. Wanting more menages sounded about right.
“They fixed the greenhouse door for you,” Logan said. She heard amusement as well as pride in his voice at his announcement.
“Ah, come on, Log. We wanted it to be a surprise for her. We were going to show her after dinner,” Spencer complained as he reached for an oil lamp on a nearby shelf and brought it down, readying it for later.
Teyla hadn’t even realized it was already getting dark outside again. My, oh, my. The day had gone by fast.
As she watched the two strangers setting the table, she once again warmed to the memories of what had transpired earlier with the four of them. Her on the bed, naked, strange men touching her, massaging her breasts, her clit. Kissing her. Moving her into the living room. Her ass impaled by Logan. Being triple-penetrated and all that naughty sex.
Oh my gosh. Three men fucking her. She couldn’t get over it! And now all of them acting like one big happy family, setting the table. Except the entire time she watched the family scene unfolding, she became very aware of Logan’s gaze on her. Very aware, indeed.
Even from here at the counter, she could smell him as she cut up more vegetables that she’d harvested from her greenhouse a couple of days ago. She tossed the carrots into the pot.
Logan smelled like sex and desperation and bubble bath. Gosh, she couldn’t believe she’d had foot sex in her bathtub, with bubbles and a man. Every time she looked at the tub she’d think of their afternoon together. Gosh, it was getting so hot in here. With the back of her hand, she brushed away the whisper of perspiration blossoming across her forehead and looked up to find Logan still watching her.
The intensity of his gaze made her tummy do some wonderful little flip-flops, and she wished she and Logan had met under other circumstances. Things would have been so different. Instead of being a pleasure girl to him he would have taken her out for coffee or dinner and a movie. Sex would have followed a little later on when the attraction could no longer be denied. Then the scorching menages would have begun because it was obvious to her he enjoyed sharing her.
She sighed and smiled at Logan, who in turn winked at her. Well, no use in dreaming about what could have been. Things just were.
Logan was impressed at the men’s behavior toward Teyla. With other women who’d serviced them, Cassidy and Spencer had been their usual loud, cheerful selves. But tonight, both men minded their manners. Calling her ma’am and politely asking each other to pass this or that. By the time supper ended, he couldn’t stop himself from beaming or admitting to himself that his two partners in crime had never behaved better. Then, all too soon, reality came crashing in around Logan. He felt as if the weight of the world had once again settled on his shoulders when Spencer asked Teyla the question he knew should have been brought up much earlier. But once again, they’d let their guards down while enjoying a home cooked meal.
“How did you manage to get rid of that guy who came snooping around this afternoon? Logan mentioned he was a cop or something? What did he want?”
Logan watched Teyla for her reaction. Her easygoing attitude changed immediately, and she suddenly looked wary. He even caught a glimpse of that fear he’d seen slice across her face earlier when she first entered the bathroom after getting rid of their unwanted visitor.
Dammit. He’d forgotten that reaction. Why had the sheriff dropped in? Logan had assumed he’d wanted servicing, but now with Teyla’s sudden nervous attitude and the other two picking up on it, both of them frowning and glancing with puzzlement at Logan, he knew his next course of action. He gave them a quick nod of his head, signaling them to clear out so he could be alone with Teyla.
“I’m up for a walk. How about you, Cass? You want to tag along?” Spencer asked.
“Yep, right behind you,” Cassidy answered as he quickly followed Spencer to the door where they grabbed their jackets. The slam of the door behind them made Teyla visibly tense.
“Okay, so why was he here, if not for you?”
Her eyes widened at his question and she stood and began clearing the dishes.
“He was just checking in on me. That’s all.”
She was now worrying her lower lip, and he came to the conclusion she wasn’t telling him the truth.
“You’re lying.” He may as well confront her on it right up front.
“That’s awfully nice of you, calling me a liar,” she snapped, and she slammed the dinner dishes into the sink. Whirling around, her eyes sparkled with irritation and anger.
“Why the sudden interest in what he wanted? It’s not like you’re the outlaws he’s looking for, is it?”
Shit, he had been looking for them. Son of a bitch. He needed to tell the guys. Hell, he should tell her the truth, too. Tell her what he and the others did. Why they were constantly on the run. Why they paid for their women instead of settling down with a nice chick like her.
Oh, come on, Logan. You’re getting too sappy on this one. She’s a hooker. She sleeps with guys for living. That’s her job. That’s her only interest in you. Now get the answer out of her and start thinking of an exit strategy. If he was smart, he’d get the hell out tonight. Just in case this self-proclaimed law guy dropped in again, this time with a freaking posse.
He saw the indecision flare in her eyes. The hesitation. That inkling of fear again. Maybe even distrust? He took a step toward her. Didn’t like the way she frowned at him for doing so.
“I need to know, sweetheart.” Oh, man, that was a first. Calling one of the women who’d serviced him sweetheart.
“He said the Durango gang was around. He said they did a railroad robbery a few days ago. That the posse discovered the gang had split into three groups and one group was trailed to the next town over. He also picked up horse tracks which disappeared into the river that comes through my property, so he came over to warn me to be careful.”
“And you didn’t mention we were here?”
“I told him I was waiting for my next customer and that customer wouldn’t appreciate him being here. He wants me, but he gets turned off whenever I mention other men.”
“I bet,” he growled in agreement as irritation slammed through him at the idea of other men being here with her.
He noticed a wisp of a smile reach her lips, and it seemed like she was pleased at what he’d said. Pleased that he was jealous. Suddenly the sweet rush of wanting to fuck her again took hold. He wanted to bury himself deep inside her and possess her. Brand her as his. Wanted to make sure she never forgot him and make sure she never fell into any other man’s arms again.
Oh, yeah, he was drowning in her sparkling eyes here. His cock was getting way too hard for comfort. He needed to get away from her before he splayed her out on the kitchen table and fucked her again.
“I need to check on the guys.”
“Want company?” she asked, a little shyly. So cute. Too cute.
He sighed softly as indecision gripped him. He needed to make plans with the guys. Needed to keep a guard out so the other two could take her.
Oh, man, he needed to stop thinking about sex. About her.
Take her for a walk, you idiot. Treat her like a woman. Not a hooker.
Oh, hell, she was a woman. Fine and delicate as lace. Sweet as sin. He relaxed his roiling emotions and forced himself to smile. Yeah, he wanted her company. Didn’t want to be away from her.
Reaching out his hand, he took hers, loving the warmth and strength of her fingers as they intertwined with his.
Oh, yeah, this feels too good.
“He won’t be back, if that’s what has you worried. He said he was getting a posse together and heading out to pick up their trail,” she said. There was quietness in her tone, and he could read the truth in her eyes. He knew she wasn’t lying.
Their trail, she’d said. Not, “your trail.” Hell, yeah, he really should tell her the truth. He could trust her, especially if Dr. Elizabeth had sent him here. They wouldn’t be coming this way again. He’d covered his trail, and he knew Cassidy and Spencer would have covered theirs, too. They made it a habit of always hiding their tracks by heading to a river or a creek, and when they came out, they took immense time making sure there was no sign of where they exited. They would be safe. For now.
“Let’s go and check out what they did with your greenhouse door.”
She nodded and before they left the farmhouse, he grabbed her cardigan and helped her into it. Evenings were cold, and he wanted her to stay warm and safe. The safe part he couldn’t guarantee, but he could keep her warm while he was here.
Taking her hand again, they stepped outside. From the porch, they had a great vantage point of the setting sun perched on top of one of the nearby snow-capped mountains. It was a gold ball, and as it descended behind the mountain, it cast an eerie golden hue over the buildings and the yellow grasslands. He knew he’d make an excellent target standing out on the porch if someone was aiming at him. But hell, he wanted to be here with her and watch the sunset. It just felt so normal.
“Are you and guys the ones they’re looking for?” she asked in a quiet whisper, as if not wanting to disturb the beautiful scenery as they stood at the railing. With the blazing glow of setting sun splashing gold against her face, he could see the highlights of auburn flickers in her eyes and streaking her short bangs. She looked so damn pretty he just couldn’t get over it. How some guy hadn’t snatched her up before now was a mystery. It pretty much said guys around these parts were nuts.
“And if I said that we are running from vigilantes and the law, would it change anything?” he asked.
She lowered her gaze and he caught a split-second of disappointment, maybe even devastation, but then she lifted her chin with defiance and her eyes fixed on him with a smoky look that told him it didn’t really matter.
“I just need to know one thing,” she said with a delicate softness. “What’s that?”
“Why are you running with the Durango gang?”
Why? Good question. He winced as a multitude of emotions shot through him. Anger. Loss. Despair. Fighting the people who lined their pockets on the misery and desperation of others really wasn’t his business. But after losing his daughters, his wife, and his life, he’d needed a reason to stay alive. How did he explain that to her?
“Let’s just say it’s something I need to do.”
She smiled, seemingly satisfied with his vague answer.
“Come on, let’s go see what they did.” He tugged her hand and was pleased she easily followed.