Maya's Triple Dare (7 page)

“They’ll be here in an hour or two. There’s a creek at the rear of the property. It’s the border between Jack’s ranch and ours. Certain times of the year it flows pretty heavily.” Now
that
sounded like a place for all kinds of fun.

“Is it deep?”

“In places, yes. If you’d like, I could hang a rope in one of the oak trees. It’s great for swimming and fishing.”

Maya hummed as she walked in the direction he pointed and said suggestively, “Sounds like fun. Maybe I’ll go skinny-dippin’.”

“Behave,” he said in a growly tone from behind her.

“Where’s the fun in
that
?” she murmured so he’d just barely hear her. She kept walking, placing both hands in a protective gesture over her ass cheeks. Looking over her shoulder, Maya stuck her tongue out at him playfully.

“Woman.”

His sexy, longing tone spoke volumes to her, and she turned as she walked to blow him a kiss. It was unkind of her to tempt him like that when he absolutely had to get his chores done, especially given his late start.

“Hey!” Kendall called out to her.

“What?”

“Watch for snakes!”

Maya grinned broadly and didn’t bother to suppress a sexy chuckle as she eyed the enormous bulge at his groin. “Some snakes I like. I’ll watch out for them, though.”

Kendall laughed and said, “Again with the innuendos, woman.

Have fun. I’ll send Boone and Richard after you when they get here.”

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“Goody!”

Grateful she’d dressed in jeans and her lace-up ropers, Maya explored the terrain, careful to not lose track of the path she took as she wandered. She found the creek when she headed toward the shade of a long stand of ancient oak trees. Maya hazarded a guess that their ranch must be at least two hundred acres.

She carefully climbed between the strands of barbed wire that kept the cattle from entering the creek and made her way down the creek bank. The shade was solid over water that flowed invitingly.

She found a large, flat rock out in the water a few feet from the creek bank that looked solid enough to hold her weight. Jumping onto it from the bank, Maya sat down to untie her boots and take off her socks. The rock was cool underneath her and felt good in the heat.

The trees were fairly thick and provided quite a lot of cover.

The idea of swimming here crossed her mind. She’d wear her bikini beneath her clothes next time. The thought of skinny-dipping here floated through her mind next, and she liked that idea even better, especially if she wasn’t alone. One, two, or three cowboys might make it a whole lot more fun.

Maya laughed out loud even as her heart lurched in her chest. She still missed Morgan, but she was filled with gratitude toward him as she sat on the rock. If he hadn’t had the forethought to put those words down on paper for her on the slim chance she would need them one day, she wouldn’t be here. She’d still be muddling through life in San Marcos. She’d still be dealing with Frank Reeves.

He’d had the nerve to tell her the night before that he’d been there for her for the last year and she
owed
him. She’d finally convinced him to leave with the assurance that Kendall would be leaving, too. It was none of Frank’s business that she planned to be with Kendall when he left.

After his highhanded treatment last night she hoped he was pissed when he found out she wasn’t home. She’d finally silenced her text
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message alert alarm after the fifth text message he’d sent while she was exploring. He’d figure out she was unavailable eventually.

She was grateful to Morgan for Kendall’s letter also. It confirmed the intuitive feeling she’d had once Frank had pressed the issue of dating her that he was not for her. Morgan had more or less made his wishes known to them both, and she loved him for it.

“I miss you, baby,” she whispered through trembling lips as she trailed her fingers through the water, startling minnows that swam around the rock. She cuffed up her jeans and sighed happily as she slipped her calves into the cold water. The emotions came in strange combinations like this sometimes. Maya felt flooded with longing and grief for him while at the same time experiencing gratitude that she’d known a great love with him.

She rested her palms on the rock and leaned forward, looking down into the water. The rock she was sitting on was much larger than she’d thought. It was more like the tip of the iceberg, and there appeared to be a shelf beneath it that the fish darted into. This would be a fun place to play in the water.

Maya lifted one damp leg and braced a foot on the edge as she lay back on the flat surface and closed her eyes. Birds sang all around her, and she detected the faint sound of a small animal scurrying through leaves on the bank. She breathed in deep and let out a long sigh. She lifted her head and shoulders and laid her hair out on the rock and swirled her submerged calf through the water. The tension flowed from her body, and Kendall’s brothers came to mind.

She wondered about Boone’s tattoos. She loved ink on a man when it was done well and imagined he’d probably added to his body art collection. He’d had on a light jacket that morning when she’d seen him. She wondered if the opportunity to check might present itself. There was something about him that reminded her of Morgan.

A cool breeze blew through the trees, rustling the leaves, and she lifted the hem on her black tank top and gathered it so it was bunched up under her bust. The breeze felt good on her skin.

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She was startled when someone landed behind her on the rock.

She looked up at a dark, shadowed figure, backlit by the sun glistening through the oak leaves.

In a deep, sexy voice, Boone said, “I think we ought to christen this spot Mermaid Rock. What do you think, Richard?”

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Chapter Seven

“Or on second thought, maybe Angel Cove would be better,”

Boone said with a chuckle as he held out his hand to help her sit up.

His heart rate increased as Maya gazed up at him with twinkling blue eyes and accepted his assistance.

Maya had looked like an angel with her long, blonde hair fanned out and her pale ivory tummy exposed to the breeze. Boone and Richard had paused before revealing their presence, to take in the vision she’d made laid out like that.

She tugged the hem of the tank top she wore back down, hiding the previously bare expanse of her midriff. He wished the T-shirt was coming off instead, revealing her lovely, full breasts clad in satin and lace. He longed to feel the generous weight of her luscious breasts, to grasp them gently and tease her nipples into excitement.

“Did you enjoy exploring?”

“Yes, very much.” She looked straight into Boone’s eyes then shifted her gaze to his brother with a smile on her lips and no trace of hesitancy in her tone or body language and waved. “Hello, Richard.”

“Hello.”

Richard was way off in how she perceived him. “Let me put my boots back on, and I’ll join you. Have you been searching for me?”

she asked as she pulled on her socks and began lacing her boots up.

“We knew right where to look,” Boone replied. “Kendall said we’d find you down here.”

Maya held up her hand to Boone, and he helped her to rise and steadied her at her hips so she wouldn’t lose her balance. Maya was delicate and curvy and had an ass that just wouldn’t quit. Boone

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couldn’t resist slipping his hands down over it and squeezed firmly, gauging her reaction. She caught her breath and caught her lower lip under her teeth. His cock hardened as her cheeks turned a light pink.

Finally, after a few seconds, she asked, “Cowboy? You gonna throw me or let me jump?”

Boone released her as she turned and jumped, yelping when his palm lightly connected with the fullest part of one ass cheek.
Perfect.

If she decided to stay, he wondered if she’d allow him to spank her.

She looked back at Boone with challenge in her eyes, and he had his answer. Richard held out his hand to her and helped her as she climbed up the creek bank.

“I love it down here. It’s shady and secluded,” she murmured as she looked around once more. Boone leaped from the rock and joined them a few seconds later.

Boone’s mind swirled with all the uses they could make of that seclusion. “Yeah, lots of nice shaded spots for relaxing.”

Maya turned twinkling eyes to him and said, “I could bring a blanket down here and read a book or take a nap.”

“I could think of a better use for a blanket than taking a nap. Of course a nap afterward would be good.” Boone watched the rosy blush increase over her cheeks and barely suppressed a growl when she smiled up at him.

Maya turned to his brother and asked, “What do you think about that?”

Boone sighed in relief when she reached for Richard. His brother seemed unsure how to answer until Maya put her arms around his waist and hugged him with a contented sigh. It seemed to be what Richard had needed, and Boone smiled at the confused, vulnerable smile that appeared on Richard’s face.

He kissed the top of her head and said, “I think the blanket would need to be king-size.”

Boone watched in approval as Maya tilted her head up to kiss Richard. Boone’s cock stirred to life, and he was willing to bet
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Richard was having a similar experience as she stretched up on tiptoes and pressed her body to his. Tightening his arms around her, Richard lifted her off her feet and devoured her lips like a starving man.

Boone was proud of Maya for not pulling away first. She must have sensed that Richard needed to be the one in control of the moment after his doubts had been put to rest.

When Richard released her and carefully set her on her feet, Maya held his hand, looked between them and said to Boone, “Kendall and I had a talk this afternoon on the way over here. If you read the letter Morgan sent to Kendall then you know I love Kendall very much.”

Her lips trembled as she continued. “And you also know I wanted a ménage relationship with Kendall and Morgan but never asked for it.

Kendall told me that you’re all interested in having an arrangement like Grace does, with equal sharing. He also said that you might like that with me. Is that true?” She looked slightly uncomfortable, and he realized she might be secretly worried they would judge her for wanting something so out of the norm.

Boone wanted to put her fears to rest. “Yes, Maya. It is true.

We’ve played the field both on and off the rodeo circuit, and we’ve dabbled in the singles scene in Divine. I’ve been attracted to you since we met when you were in college with Kendall and Morgan but never acknowledged it because you were off limits.”

The relief showed in her eyes, and he felt gratified by her reaction.

Maya turned to Richard and said, “Richard, this has to be hard for you. The last time I recall seeing you, besides at Morgan’s funeral, you were planning a wedding with Michelle. That was three years ago. Do you think you’re ready for something like this? You don’t have to go along with the guys for fear of disappointing me. I don’t want you to feel like you were dragged into this because it’s something Boone and Kendall want. I sound pathetic asking you straight out like this on the day after I arrived, but is there a chance you might have feelings for me that could grow into something that

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will last? There seems to be something worth exploring between all of us, but I’m only here for a week, so…”

Boone could see her chest heaving a bit and realized she was rattling on, getting more and more anxious because Richard wasn’t showing any kind of response. He wished Richard would say something to reassure her because Boone couldn’t. She’d wonder later if Richard was really on board or not. No, Richard had to be the one who responded to her direct question.

Richard frowned and said, “I’m not going to lie and tell you I’m jumping in with both feet. I’m not that kind of guy. But I
can
truthfully tell you I want to give this a try.”

“Fair enough, Richard,” she responded with a nod. “I don’t expect you all to make dramatic declarations of undying love to me this week. Let’s just see if what the four of us have together is sustainable.

Boone, when I kissed Richard how did it make you feel? Will it make you jealous for me to kiss him like that?”

Boone answered with utter confidence, “No. I like it. But if you kiss any other man besides me or my brothers, I’ll throw you over my knee and blister your little ass until it’s bright pink.”

Maya’s face registered surprise and then she laughed out loud.

“Oh, is that supposed to
scare
me, cowboy? It’s been a while since I’ve been tied up or had a good spanking.”

Boone burst into laughter at her words. “Damn, she’s perfect, Richard!” Boone felt himself fall a little harder for her. In just a few words she’d told him a lot.

Most of the women he’d dated had been vanilla, either buckle bunnies on the rodeo circuit or here in Divine. The idea of a paddling would’ve sent most of them running and had in a couple of cases when he’d mentioned it. One of the few exceptions in his dating career had been a woman who’d wanted to spank
him
, which had been a no-go.