Love Under Two Wildcatters (8 page)

“What does that mean, exactly? That ‘huh’?” Colt asked.

She gave him her undivided attention. Then she gave him a smile that was slow, sultry, and maybe a little smug.

“Men get so nervous when women make non-distinct vocal sounds,” Susan said.

“That’s only because the first caveman discovered that a grunt from his woman meant, ‘you have to sleep sometime, sucker’,” Colt said. “As a species, we’ve been on our guard ever since.”

Susan burst into peals of laughter that settled inside Colt in a way he’d never experienced before.

She turned her pretty brown gaze toward Ryder. “Would you care to add a comment at this time?”

“Hell, no. What he said.” Ryder pointed to Colt. “Beyond that, I’m keeping my mouth shut.”

“Thanks a lot, partner.”

“Anytime, partner.”

Susan shook her head, then put her cup down. “Well, in this case, ‘huh’ means that, apparently, my brothers had a hand in bringing us together, and not only so that I could get my well drilled. I’m trying to decide how I feel about that.”

Colt shifted in his chair, the feeling of having been dishonest—if only by omission—playing hell with his conscience.

“Damn,” Ryder muttered.

“Yeah.” Colt nodded to him. Then he gave Susan what he hoped was his best smile. “I guess we’d better come clean.”

Her smile ebbed, and she sat back in her chair. Colt had the sense that she braced herself for bad news.

“Yes,” she said at last. “I guess you’d better.”

Chapter 6

“So they didn’t exactly set you up,” Colt said. “The way I see it, the only real thing they did was send us here. What happened once we arrived, the three of us did on our own.”

Susan wasn’t surprised that Alex and Josh had sent these two wildcatters her way. She
had
asked them to recommend someone who could drill a new well for her. Yet there was something else, some wisp of a thought floating around in her mind. She didn’t know why the memory was proving so elusive. She usually had no trouble recalling things and wished she could grab hold of whatever seemed to be rattling her chain.

It was there, and then it wasn’t. In the meantime, Colt’s conclusion pretty much matched with her own feelings.

“I agree,” she said. She picked up the sandwich Ryder had put together for her and took a bite, chewing slowly. “The question is, what happens next?”

“This is more than just sex,” Ryder said, the words swift and sure. “I’ve had sex before. This is different. I just don’t know what it means.”

“We’re feeling possessive when that isn’t something that usually enters into the equation for us,” Colt said. “This isn’t our first ménage experience. We both get turned on having a woman between us. We always have. I feel the same way Ryder does—this isn’t just sex. Nothing ever felt like what we shared earlier.”

Susan liked to believe she could tell when someone was handing her a line. The fact that both of these very macho Texan men could say what they did, squirming the entire time, told her they were being as honest with her as they knew how to be.

“How much do you know about my family?” She thought it a valid question. Where another woman might have difficulty coming to terms with having two men inside her body at the same time, Susan didn’t.

“You mean other than the obvious,” Colt said. “Honestly? Not much. We’ve heard things, but neither of us really pays much attention to gossip.”

Susan ate some more of her sandwich as she tried to understand the emotions coursing through her. How ironic that just when she’d taken herself off to this corner of Texas to learn how to live on her own, just when she’d come to the conclusion there were no manly men left, that she would meet two men who could likely talk her into anything.

Susan knew what she wanted to happen next. “I want more.” Had she meant to blurt it out quite so boldly? Probably. She shook her head. “Even though I realize now that you’re more than just simple wildcatters, that you don’t likely
need
the work here. I was going to offer you day work after the well was drilled just to keep you around. I want more.”

“That’s a coincidence,” Colt said. His voice had gone low and soft. “We’d planned for a week, not seriously believing we’d want more.”

“But we do want more,” Ryder said. “I want to explore whatever this is, this pull between us.” Ryder looked from her to his partner.

“So do I,” Colt said. “And the fact that I do scares the hell out of me. I’m not looking for forever.” He sat forward, laid his hands flat on the table.

Susan looked at those hands. They were a man’s hands and, in that, similar to Ryder’s. Hands that were like her fathers’. She focused on those hands. Broad and long, the palms work-roughened and capable. Though he’d mentioned being frustrated being kept behind a desk or in the boardroom, there remained enough calluses on those palms to attest to the fact he wasn’t a lazy man.

Neither of them could ever be considered lazy or soft. She bet if she offered them money to stay, to help her work around the place, they’d throw it back in her face.

“I’m not looking for forever,” Colt repeated. “But this is more than a one-night stand. And by the way, we don’t need the money, so don’t even
think
you’re going to pay us for lending you a hand around here—and that includes drilling your new well.”

Susan read implacability in Colt and saw the same fierce emotion reflected in Ryder’s expression. They both seemed pretty adamant that they weren’t interested in a lifetime commitment. Truthfully, it was a little soon to be looking for one in any event.

She narrowed her eyes and said, “If I don’t pay you for drilling the well with cash, it’s going to feel as if I’m paying for it another way.”

“You’re smarter than that, Susie Q,” Ryder said. Then he grinned.

“We’ve been looking for an excuse to get our hands dirty again,” Colt said. “We’re wildcatters down to the bone.”

“I’ve seen your bones,” Susan quipped. “And I’m still going to pay you for the well.”

“Fine.” Colt’s acceptance lacked grace. “Then we’re going to grab some groceries tomorrow. You’re not going to pay us and feed us, too.”

“Fine.” Susan understood men well enough to know these two were going to be a handful—and they likely packed hefty appetites. Thinking of appetites, images of the way she’d spent the afternoon and most of the night flashed through her mind. The dull ache between her legs turned from one of overexertion to one of longing. She tried to stifle her smile but knew she failed when both men looked at her with lust in their eyes.

Not one to totally deny the natural coquette within her, she slowly stood, then stretched. Oh, yeah. Neither man could take his eyes off her, their gazes tracking between her very hardened nipples and the bit of pussy she knew peeked out from the hem of her shirt.

“I think we should go back to bed. It’s late.”

Colt and Ryder exchanged a look she couldn’t read. Then Colt stepped forward and blithely scooped her into his arms. The move surprised a squeak out of her. Susan threw her arms around his neck to hold on, even though she did trust him enough not to drop her.

“Bed sounds good,” Colt said. “Overrated or not, we are going to be gentlemen and let you get some sleep. At least for a few hours.” He mounted the stairs one at a time as if she weighed nothing at all.

“And if I don’t want to sleep?”

“You will,” both Colt and Ryder said at the same time.

Susan felt her right eyebrow go up and wondered that neither man seemed to notice it. Manly men. Yep, they were going to be a handful
.

* * * *

Morning was just a whole lot of interesting. Having fallen asleep despite her best intentions of waiting a few minutes and seducing her lovers into an encore performance, she awoke to an empty bed and the smell of coffee once more permeating the air.

“Well, hell.” Susan sat up, the sheet pooling at her waist. She ran a hand through her hair as she sat in the middle of her very rumpled bed. Just there, under the coffee, the scent of sex teased her senses. Immediately, she felt her nipples harden and her slit slicken.

She’d always enjoyed sex. Now, she felt as if, in a single evening—all right, afternoon and evening—those two wildcatters had gone and addicted her not only to the activity but to them. The least they could have done was to be on hand to give her some wake-up nookie.

Sighing heavily, she swept the sheet off herself completely and headed to the bathroom. If she wasn’t going to start her morning with a satisfying session of mattress aerobics, she might as well have a hot shower and begin her day clean.

Eyes closed, she basked in the luxury of hot steaming water pelting her from four separate nozzles. The heat so relaxed her she didn’t immediately notice the sound of the slide of glass.

Large male hands slid around her from behind, cupping her breasts and squeezing them. Long, talented fingers plucked her nipples, pulling them, making them stretch impossibly long.

“Colt.” She could already tell the difference between the feel of their hands.

“I’m impressed, sweetheart. And touched.”

She smiled and listened to her inner imp. “Well, I had a fifty-fifty chance of guessing right.”

“Minx.” He slapped her ass lightly. The tiny sting sent a zing of arousal straight to her pussy.

It looked like she was going to get that wake-up nookie after all. Susan sighed and relaxed in Colt’s arms, laying her head back against his shoulder.

“Ryder started cooking breakfast as soon as we heard the shower come on. So we’ve got about a half hour before it’s ready. Any idea how we could pass that time?”

“Maybe we could play poker.” Susan couldn’t keep the smile out of her voice.

“An excellent idea, if we had all-plastic cards.” Colt began to smooth his hands over her body, caressing her breasts, rubbing low over her belly.

It took her a moment to realize he’d palmed her rose-scented soap. The subtle aroma of the lather teased her as effectively as his hands did.

“Any other ideas?” Colt’s hands continued to wreak havoc with her senses.

When he slipped the soap between her legs and used it to tease and caress her slit, Susan felt her knees give way, and she groaned.

“Well?” Colt’s whispered words stroked the shell of her ear, always a huge turn-on for her.

“Um, now that you mention it, something else
is
coming to mind.”

“Honey, I’m sorry to tell you this, but that’s not where it’s going to come.”

Susan laughed, Colt’s dry rejoinder tickling her sense of humor like nothing else had in a long time.

In the next moment, she groaned, for he’d taken advantage of her distraction and slipped two fingers inside her pussy.

“Let me know if the soap stings.” He continued to move his fingers in and out in a slow, deliberate rhythm.

“No it’s…mmm.” Her thoughts scattered as he finger-fucked her cunt. Arousal became a slow climb, smoke gently unfurling from the source, rising to the ceiling.

“Open more.” He moved back, giving her room. She didn’t even pause to consider. Her body complied with his demand instantly.

“Now, bend over just a bit…my, yes, what a delectable ass you have, Ms. Benedict.”

Susan wondered if he was going to fuck her ass. She turned her head and looked at him over her shoulder. Colt’s expression reflected absolute focus as his gaze stayed glued on her wet, naked flesh.

“Do you want to fuck my ass, lover?”

“Mm, yes. And I will. But right now I want your cunt. I want to take you from behind as you bend over for me.”

She watched as he grabbed a condom, tore it open with his teeth. Something about that action alone, the almost feral edge to it, gave her arousal a boost.

As he rolled the protection into place, Susan couldn’t help but shift her gaze to his rigid and eager-looking cock. She smiled as she recalled the oft-repeated cliché that size didn’t matter.

Personally, she thought that saying must have originally been coined by someone with a small dick. She loved being stretched, loved the feeling of fullness she’d only ever experienced with one lover before these two wildcatters strutted into her life.