Lies That Bind (14 page)

She should have known something was up the first time Mike gave her the room at the end of the hall. He’d said it was for her convenience and privacy, that he owed it to her for everything she was doing to help get the place back on track. Never mind that he was paying her to do so. Paying very well. That should have been another clue.

Rustlers’ housekeeping staff had done a great job of keeping the room tidy, not neglecting it because no one ever used it. Everything was clean and fresh. The oak furnishings and huge four-poster bed gleamed.

“It’s like we never left.” Rex had moved no farther than the doorway.

Tessa brushed her hand over the creamy duvet that was laced with velvet swirls the color of bluebonnets.

“Still as beautiful.” This from Tyler, who’d wandered from the dresser to the nightstand, caressing the rich oak as he went.

“Yes, it is,” she agreed. “But it feels like something’s missing.”

“Like what?” Tyler sat on the cedar chest next to the walk-in closet and hauled off his boots.

Them. Their essence. Their mingled scents. The right of possession
. Tessa allowed herself a smile as the boots toppled on the floor. “Aw…there it is. Clutter.”

“Aw, cut me some slack, Tess.” His sheepish grin said otherwise. “It’s been a long day. I’m exhausted.”

She fluffed out her ponytail. “Pity. And mere moments ago you were… Well, it doesn’t matter. We’ll still let you watch.” Tessa unsnapped her shirt and let it flutter to the floor.

“Okay, not
that
exhausted.” He stripped his shirt off. “Your turn.” He pointed to her boots. “You need to catch up.”

Tessa almost laughed. One look at Rex, braced against the doorjamb, arms crossed, chased it away. “Something wrong?”

He shrugged one shoulder. “I’m just wondering about ghosts and walls. How soon they’re going to pop up. It’s hard to make a move when I’m worried it’ll be the wrong one.”

She wasn’t sure if that was wounded pride, hurt feelings, or sarcasm. Tessa had thrown up walls with him earlier. “They won’t pop up. There are no wrong moves.” She stopped short of saying everything was as it had always been. That would be a lie.

“Good to know.” He pushed away from the door and stalked her way, fingers unbuckling his belt as he went. “But I am going to need a little convincing.”

Her eyes followed his fingers. Tessa held her breath, waiting for the hiss of his belt sliding through the loops. She sank to the foot of the bed, imagining herself facedown at any minute. And yes…she wanted it more than she could bear. Wanted Tyler to stretch her into place and hold her there while Rex worked her ass. The rasp of Rex’s zipper scattered the fantasy.

He stood before her, legs astride, cock swelling his jeans. He shoved his clothing down far enough to release it, then fisted the base and offered it to her. Tessa licked her lips and slid to her knees before him. He traced the precum over her mouth, cupped her head, and drew her in. She swallowed him to the hilt, flashing her tongue as she went.

A groan-grunt arrowed to her clit. Tessa dropped one hand to her crotch to ease the ache. One tug on her hair stopped her.

“Hands at your back, sweetheart. You’ll come when we’re ready and not a second sooner.” Rex rocked into her willing mouth, both hands now bracketing her head.

She closed her eyes and absorbed the sensation of being taken, let the scent of him seep into her pores. Rex took his time, massaging his fingers deep into her hair while he slowly, gently fucked her mouth. Tessa felt movement behind her. Tyler raked his cock down her spine, leaving a trail of precum as he sank behind her. A flick of his hand released her bra. The straps slid down as far as her trapped arms allowed.

Tyler scooted up nice and tight behind her, cradling her hips between his thighs. Calloused hands rasped over her breasts, tearing moans from her throat as she writhed into him and twirled her tongue around Rex’s cock. His heat bathed her face. She sucked harder, determined to make him come. His grip tightened, arms tensed. Then he pulled free.

“My turn.” Tyler pulled her to a stand, but it was Rex who turned her to face Tyler.

“Knees wide, hands on the bed, ass up,” he ordered.

Tessa rubbed her hard nipples over Tyler’s thighs, then sucked his erection deep. A sharp stroke over her ass jerked her head up. Gasping, she glanced around at the riding quirt in Rex’s hand.

“Oh God,” she cried and screwed her mouth back where it belonged. She tried to concentrate, tried to take control. But each hard stroke over her jeans ruled. Fire licked across her ass, swelling her clit. She longed for a hard knee or a kind hand to ease the ache. What she got was more fire.

Her mind blanked. Tessa was barely conscious of sucking Tyler, of the way he kept pulling her up, up, up until she was splayed on the bed atop him. He wedged his knees between her thighs, spreading them wider. Rex danced the quirt over the backs of her thighs, along the insides. Suddenly she found herself faceup, spread wide in Tyler’s embrace, and fully open to Rex.

Rex knelt before her, gloriously naked. His erection pointed her way, the quirt still gripped in his hand. He slapped the falls against her inner thighs, each time moving closer to the source of her distress. Tessa thrashed in Tyler’s grip when the falls struck her crotch. Her clit strained for freedom, to reach relief. Another lash only stoked the fire.

“I can’t take much more,” she cried. “I’ve got to come.”

“Do you now?” they said in unison.

Rex unfastened her jeans and dragged them down with her panties. “How badly?” He tickled the falls over her belly.

“Oh please…please.” All the wiggling in the world wasn’t going to get her naked any faster than what they wanted. The cock against her back didn’t help matters.

Rex shoved her jeans to her calves, then pushed her knees to her chest, where Tyler locked them in place. Another slap over her thighs, another tap against her clit. Tessa managed to yank one foot free. She hooked it over Rex’s shoulder.

“No, ma’am,” he said. “You’re not in charge tonight.” He grabbed the jeans, rolled her over, and tore her jeans free in one movement.

Her face landed in Tyler’s crotch. So tempting, yet she didn’t dare at this point without permission. She held her quivering breaths, waiting for that quirt across her ass. The mattress sagged. Rex’s hands gripped her hips, hauled them up. Then his cock took possession.

Tyler’s cock shut off her hard groan. Fingers found her clit. Her head buzzed with pleasure. This was what it was like to be alive. How could she think she could live without it? She fell into the wonder of it, the glory of feeling whole again.

Climax was mutual, blinding in its intensity, and left them sagging in a heap upon each other. The last thing Tessa felt piercing her sex haze was being tucked into bed with her men beside her.

* * * *

Now this was how to wake up in the morning—a cock poking her in the back and another in the belly. How unfortunate nature’s call had other plans. Reluctantly Tessa crawled from between them for a bathroom run. Their mumbled complaints said more than all the orgasmic groans in the world.

When she returned minutes later, both were asleep again with their backs to each other. She hauled Rex’s T-shirt on and padded downstairs to get a pot of coffee started. Dawn was just creeping in. They’d generally be up and out by now, but the night had been a long one. The day to come even longer.

Tessa stopped her brain before it started list-making. Doing so was only going to drive her crazy. She’d take things as they came.

“You’re thinking too hard.” Rex stepped up behind her, blocking her against the counter with one hand on either side. “It woke me up.” He rasped his morning whiskers against her neck and pressed his erection into her back.

Tessa gave a light laugh. “For some reason, I’m thinking something else woke you up first.” The evidence of which throbbed against her. Tessa turned around.

Rex hoisted her onto the counter and wedged between her thighs. “You caught me.”

She combed his sleep-tousled hair into some semblance of order. It didn’t work. “Odd, it looks like you caught me.”

He slid his hands under the T-shirt. “You could always run.”

The words hit a little too close to home. Her body tensed before she could catch herself.

“Let it go, Tessa,” he said with a beleaguered sigh.

“Because you have?” she replied.

He eased away. “Can’t we just take it for what it is?”

She curled her fingers over his forearms but didn’t know if it was to keep him in place or to push him back. “And just what is it, Rex?”

“It’s whatever we want it to be.” More distance. This time he broke her hold on him. The lack of connection hurt.

“Isn’t that the problem, Rex?” She wrapped her arms around her midsection. “We want different things.”

“It wasn’t always that way.” He tossed his hands up. “You know what? I’m not having this conversation with you right now. It’s more than I can deal with. I’m going to take a shower.”

Every instinct she possessed screamed at her to go after him. Her body refused to obey. She watched him exit through a veil of tears, listened to the tread of his footsteps on the staircase thump in time with her heavy heart, then held her breath waiting for him to slam the bathroom door shut. It never happened. His quiet acceptance said too much. It gave her the impetus to finally move.

Tessa took the stairs two at a time, nearly running into Tyler at the top.

“What’s—”

“Rex is in the shower. That’s where I’m headed.” She flashed him a smile as she passed. “Join us?”

He grinned. “I’m no fool.”

She wished she could say the same thing. Only a fool would deny herself what she really wanted—them. Why was she letting Mike Ford take that away from her? She damned herself instantly. Mike took nothing. He’d given her everything.

Whether she stayed at the ranch or left, Tessa couldn’t say. One thing she did know… She was going to find a way to salvage her relationship with Rex and Tyler. Starting now. No ghosts. No walls. She’d promised Rex that last night and reneged this morning. Never, ever again.

She stripped the T-shirt she wore off outside the bathroom door. Tyler dropped his shorts on top of it. Steam fogged the room when she opened the door. Rex jerked the shower curtain back when he heard them enter. He didn’t look any happier now than he had downstairs. That was fine. She was about to change that.

Tessa stepped into the tub, gently pushing him back. “I’m sorry. I love you. I never stopped. I’ve been stupid.”

“And I’ve been stubborn.” He wrapped his arms around her, pressing his body and lips to hers in one smooth move.

Tyler hugged into her from behind. Curtain rings clattered as he shut them in. She broke Rex’s kiss, curled her hand around Tyler’s neck, and kissed him too.

“And I love you too,” she said afterward.

“We’re not asking for forever, Tessa,” Rex said. “We’re only asking for now.”

“You’ll have it. Every second.” And then some. Because she wanted forever. She just didn’t know how to get it.

Tessa sank to her knees before them. Two beautiful erections greeted her. There was only one way to pay proper homage to them. She looped her hands around each one. Soft grunts of pleasure fell upon her head. Soft suckles at the tips earned her more. Tessa loosely stroked each one, then alternately flashed her tongue around one and then the other.

They thrust into her grip. Joint slaps on the tile told her they were braced. Then she dared something she’d never done before. She pressed their cocks together and shoved both into her mouth at the same time. There was a moment of tension from Rex and Tyler, followed quickly by hard groans as they tried to push in for more.

Tessa nearly gagged from the mouthful, but she was determined to give them something they’d never had before. She flicked her tongue over and around their cockheads. Coming didn’t take long. And she swallowed every drop. She released them with gentle kisses as she massaged their balls.

Rex and Tyler sank to the bottom of the tub with her. “If only I could fit both your cocks inside my pussy,” she whispered.

Rex leaned back, taking her with him. Tyler knelt between her legs. She draped them over his shoulders, counting the seconds until he bent to take her clit in his mouth. Rex tweaked her nipples the instant Tyler’s tongue twirled around her clit. She jerked with the impact. Coming didn’t take her long either. The aftermath left her spent and floating.

Tyler twisted the water off. Rex wrapped a towel around her. Before she realized it, they were in the bedroom, bracketing her from both sides. Safe, protected, cared for. They said nothing of love, and that was fine. Like them, Tessa would take what she could get…for now.

“You’re thinking too hard again, Tess.” Rex bent down to retrieve her clothing. “Don’t try to analyze it. It’s sex, nothing more, nothing less. Enjoy it.”

Well…that did put things into perspective, didn’t it? She ignored the jolt to her heart and slipped the clothes from his fingers. “I intend to.”

Chapter Eleven

Tyler slammed the refrigerator door closed. “You have got to be the stupidest son of a bitch I have ever known. Just sex? Have you lost your mind?”

“She’s got me by the balls. I can’t think straight.” Rex poured coffee, sloshing as much on the red Formica counter as he did in the mugs. “You saw the look in her eyes. She’s picking everything apart. I don’t want her to feel threatened or cornered. I’m also not going to fool myself into thinking she’d ever move back here. But maybe, just maybe, she’ll visit. And that’s good enough for me. I’ll take whatever crumbs she throws our way.”

Because he loved her so much it hurt. “Are you going to make breakfast or what?”

Tyler jerked his thumb toward the fridge. “Only thing in there is almond milk and not much of that.” He tucked his arms over his chest. “How could we have been so oblivious, Rex? Derek had lost weight. We fell for his bullshit about working out and staying fit. He was as far from fit as a person could get.”

That was apparent…now. “I guess we never figured he’d lie to us about something so important. He could tell us he was gay, but he couldn’t tell us he was dying?” He shook his head. “It doesn’t make sense.”