Pushin' Buttons (Boot Knockers) (19 page)

This part of the week usually spiraled into a few days of debauchery and exploration of more taboo sex play, such as partner swapping or orgies. The theater would be in use at this time of day.

Riggs headed that direction. Maybe a little viewing pleasure would wipe Hugh and Sibyll out of his brain.

But when he entered the theater, he stopped dead at the sight of curves in white lingerie, white garter and stockings and blonde hair teased into a sexy halo.

Sibyll was on stage.

There was no hiding himself. She and Hugh knew someone had entered, and Riggs had no choice but to move down the aisle and sink into his leather chair.

Sibyll stood in a spotlight. Low, sexy music projected into the room. Hugh stood at the side of the stage, watching her wrap around a stripper pole.

Whose idea had this been? Riggs tried to imagine Sibyll asking to learn how to pole dance. She didn’t seem the type. Then again, they’d cracked her shell a couple nights ago. Maybe the scientist in her had run away, leaving the wanton woman they’d fucked for hours.

As Riggs looked on, his cock swelled. He leaned back and drew his leg up on the chair to ease the throb in his groin.

“Right leg, let it swirl down to the bottom of the pole,” Hugh instructed.

Riggs riveted on the scene before him. Sibyll followed his instructions, and the result would have given a eunuch a boner. She shimmied around the pole, the white lace barely concealing her pink pussy. She spilled out of her bra top.

Rubbing a hand over his face, Riggs fought for control. Too well he knew how sensitive her nipples under that bra were. And how she tasted of feminine musk and Hugh.

He unzipped his fly and freed his cock.

If they hadn’t wanted to be viewed, they would have played stripper in the bungalow. But since she was in the theater, anyone could come in and watch—and enjoy.

Riggs stroked his shaft with slow deliberateness, drawing out the pleasure of Sibyll perfecting new moves and taxing muscles she probably never used. He shifted his gaze to Hugh. The man’s strong form raised an ache in Riggs.

But when he looked back at Sibyll, she was staring right at Riggs. His heart dipped as if he rode a wild rollercoaster. Then it just about pounded out of his chest.

His cock stretched another fraction. He held Sibyll’s gaze. She sank into a squat, legs splayed, showing off for him now. Hugh turned to see who she was looking at, and a shadow crossed his face.

With both of their attention on him, Riggs leaned back and began to stroke his cock in earnest. Pressure built. His balls felt fat and full. He slid a hand under them and pulled them free too, kneading them in one hand while pumping his shaft.

“Turn and bend over, baby.” Hugh’s instruction was barely a croak.

She did, but once she’d turned, she looked over her shoulder at Riggs again.

The pose was so sultry, seductive and so goddamn sweet, he couldn’t last. The burn of lust shot from the base of his spine. Hot spurts flooded over his fingers. Sibyll wiggled her ass, and Hugh issued a growl.

In a few strides, Hugh closed the distance between himself and Sibyll. He caught her around the waist and blocked her from Riggs’s view.

Effectively keeping her from looking at Riggs too. Damn him.

Riggs rode out his orgasm, but being cut from the scene hurt him. He pulled a bandanna from his back pocket and wiped himself and his fingers. When he looked up again, Hugh had ushered Sibyll offstage.

Probably fucking her.

Despair such as Riggs had never known claimed him. He righted his clothing and left the theater.

Sibyll leaned against the fence with the other ladies. Texas had pulled out all the stops for the Boot Knockers rodeo. Hundred-degree temps and air so thick she could swim through it, and the guys were lined up in all their glory. Wearing chaps, western shirts and jeans, they must be dying.

A rivulet of sweat ran down Sibyll’s nape. She caught it with a fingertip and brushed it away.

“Ladies, welcome to this special display of skill, prowess and talent. You’ve experienced it in the bedroom, now witness it in the field!” Isabel, the stage manager hollered from horseback. She let her horse prance around the ring back and forth before the cowboys.

Hugh looked delicious in a dark blue shirt and warm brown leather. His hat was pulled low against the sun, but Sibyll felt the weight of his stare. Despite the heat, gooseflesh rose on her arms.

“Jack does that to me too,” Kayla said at her side, nodding toward the bumps on Sibyll’s arm.

Sibyll smiled and directed her attention back to the cowboys. Riggs stood with thumbs hitched in his buckle, legs wide, his black hat different from the one he normally wore.

This past day without him had felt wrong. Though Hugh had turned her inside out with every type of pleasure imaginable, her mind continued to skip back to their time with Riggs.

Her stomach knotted, and she felt like broadcasting the fact to Kayla. No one knew how both men affected Sibyll. And she had very few hours left to show those men just how important she considered them.

Isabel galloped past, telling the women to take seats in the wooden bleachers. Sibyll moved off with the others, keeping Hugh and Riggs in her sights. Riggs was moving less gingerly and she wondered what event he’d participate in that wouldn’t strain him. After her lesson in pole dancing, she’d asked Hugh—between fiery kisses—if Riggs would be joining them.

But Hugh had simply locked her to the wall and proceeded to undress her then blow her mind by lifting her on her toes each time he pounded into her.

She sat in the bleachers surrounded on all sides by the women she’d huddled backstage with not so long ago. Then they’d been wringing hands and giving each other nervous smiles. Now the group was more relaxed. Some lounged back to watch their cowboys. Others shared secrets of their past days.

“Damian is
such
a thorough lover. Not at all like my exes. I thought it was all me, but it was really them,” one leggy brunette said.

A petite redhead nodded. “I’ve had all of my fantasies fulfilled.” She gave a private smile the other woman didn’t question.

Sibyll crossed her legs as she thought about fulfillment. Yes, she’d finally experienced the big O—dozens of them. But she’d lost part of herself in the process. She never wanted to leave the Boot Knockers Ranch. Did anyone else feel this way?

She glanced at Kayla. Jack ran into the small arena with Stowe on horseback. The crowd cheered. Seconds ticked by as they waved and showed off. Then suddenly an air horn blasted and a calf raced into the center.

Stowe jerked his heels into his mount, and the horse took off, circling after the calf. Hooves beat the turf. Sibyll leaned forward as Stowe tossed the rope. It landed perfectly over the calf’s neck, and he jerked it tight at the same moment Jack sprinted to the calf. In a blink he’d bound the calf and thrust his hands into the air.

Kayla whooped with joy and jumped to her feet. Sibyll and the others applauded. When Kayla sat again, she said, “He’s very good with ropes.” A pink flush climbed her cheeks.

Sibyll giggled. “I’m sure he is.”

“And so is Quay…”

So Kayla had experienced a ménage as well. Sibyll studied her face for signs of emotions. Was she feeling that bone-deep ache at the thought of leaving the ranch too?

“Kayla, would you stay here if you could?”

Startled, Kayla turned brown eyes on her. After a minute she shook her head. “It’s been an experience of a lifetime, and I’ll never, ever forget it. But…I couldn’t leave my life.”

Sibyll contemplated the things she had in Atlanta. A job, a few friends. Even her apartment held very few things she’d bother returning for.

If Hugh and Riggs asked me to stay, I’d never look back.

She shook herself and focused on the ring just as Riggs stormed in on a black horse with a white star on its nose. During the few seconds of her exchange with Kayla, someone had set up half a dozen hurdles for jumping.

Riggs passed the stands, gaze on Sibyll. She heated. He moved on, circling twice before positioning the horse. Sibyll searched for Hugh and found him seated on the gate, as if ready to launch into the arena to save Riggs if necessary.

Her heart flexed.

Riggs spotted Hugh as well. To Sibyll, the look they shared was much, much more—an intimate moment. Somehow she needed to convince Riggs to confess his feelings, and Hugh needed to accept. When Sibyll left the ranch, they’d still have each other.

Despondence was a storm cloud over her as Riggs flawlessly executed the jumps. The light way the horse landed barely jarred him. When he finished, the crowd cheered.

Sibyll jumped to her feet and clapped for him. He did a revolution of the arena, slowing before her and tipping his hat.

Hugh jumped off the gate and started toward the stands. Sibyll glanced between the big hulk of alpha male coming her way and Riggs, who had stopped the horse and dismounted.

Both men bore down on her.

She hurried out of the stands, unsure whether to flee to her bungalow or let them overtake her. The dark expression Hugh wore spoke loudly of his displeasure. She shivered. He
had
only agreed to the threesome with Riggs because she’d asked for it. And the moment he’d seen Riggs getting off on her pole dancing performance, he’d dragged her offstage.

She ducked under the bleachers and started across the field toward her bungalow. Sweat stuck her top to her spine, and her jeans felt weighted. She didn’t get five steps before Hugh grabbed her.

Riggs reached her a split second later. “What’s your problem, Donovan?” he asked.

Hugh glared at him. “Don’t get involved, Riggs.”

Pain flashed across Riggs’s face.

Sibyll’s heart hitched. She raced headlong into the testosterone minefield. She placed a hand on each male chest. “Don’t fight. Don’t you see what’s going on?”

Hugh blinked at her from the shadow of his hat. “No.”

She turned her head to look at Riggs. He shook his head imperceptibly, but she went on. “This tension has nothing to do with me.”

“Like hell,” Hugh said.

“Only partly,” Riggs said at the same time.

Under her fingers, both men’s hearts raced. She closed her eyes and allowed the drumming to guide her thoughts and actions. She wanted this to work between them—they were perfect together. And if she never saw them again, maybe they’d talk about her once in a while.

Her eyes filled, and she gulped down her sadness. She met Hugh’s stare. “His feelings run deeper than just friendship. Anyone can see that.”

Riggs stopped breathing. But Hugh stepped away from her touch. “Not true.”

“Is true,” Riggs breathed.

Hugh’s eyes widened, and his jaw flexed as if he ground his teeth. “Goddammit!” He spun away and strode off.

All the air left Sibyll as she watched Hugh leave, back rigid. A pained noise sounded, and she realized it had come from her.

Riggs wrapped his arms around her. She fell against his chest, tears spilling over for what she’d done. “I’m sorry, Riggs. So sorry.”

He smoothed her hair and held her nape lightly. “Not your fault. You were trying to help.”

“But you knew he’d deny a relationship, and I did it anyway.”

Riggs pressed his lips to her temple. “Shh. Not your fault.”

Fear gripped her, making her fingers cold even though she was sweating. “What will he do?” She drew back to look into Riggs’s eyes, devastated all over again by the sight of his pain.

“He’ll be back. He’ll blow off some steam then everything will be normal again.”

His words sounded hopeful, but she could see by the set of his lips that Riggs was just as worried as she was.

Hugh paced up to the door of Bungalow 9. He poised his hand to knock then dropped it to his side, fist clenched.

Could he go through with this? Telling Sibyll he was stepping down as her Boot Knocker would gut him.

I haven’t done it yet. I don’t have to go through with it.

But after seeing her look at Riggs… The pair had something similar to what Hugh had with her. That didn’t make him special—she might have been paired with Ty or Damian and felt the same.

Hugh had seen it a few times before—a woman mistook sex for love.

But the worst thing was he’d broken every rule and fallen for
her
. The thought of her leaving slayed him.

And Riggs was in love with him. Hugh grunted. He’d known; of course he had. Only problem was he wasn’t getting involved with man or woman, Riggs or Sibyll. He was a Boot Knocker, and they’d signed a contract.

Growling, he whirled from the door and strode away from the bungalow. Then his mind changed again, and he spun back. The door was a flashing alarm.
Warning: you are about to smash dreams and break your own heart.

He raised his hand and knocked. Riggs answered, and Hugh exploded.

“What the fuck are you doing here? No, don’t answer. I already know.”