Reined In: Lone Star Lovers, Book 7 (9 page)

Cam stiffened against her and cleared his throat.

“Hey there, Peaches.”

Chapter Nine

Her dad’s voice came from right behind her, and she nearly fainted. How long had he been standing there? What had he heard? She pasted on a smile she knew must look funny since her face was likely a pasty green. She turned slowly to greet him.

Her dad wasn’t wearing a cowboy hat, which would have been enough on its own to set him apart from every other man in the barn, but he was also wearing a bright-blue Hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts.

Her jaw dropped. “Dad?”

Reese Jordan laughed. “Yeah, gave up my Wranglers. Spend most of my time on a fishin’ boat anyway. Don’t I get a hug from my favorite girl?” He opened his arms.

Stormy moved against him and hoped he didn’t notice she was shaking. “Good to see you, Daddy,” she said, giving his raspy cheek a kiss. The man needed a shave.

She leaned away, studying his face. Same silver-blue eyes and bushy white mustache, but his expression was somehow changed. He looked younger, happier. “You look good, Dad.”

“Retirement agrees with me, darlin’.” His gaze went past her. “How you boys treatin’ my little girl?”

She jerked against him, growing wary.

“She’s been a trial,” Joe said in his cheekiest voice. “Have to be honest. She’s spoiled rotten.”

“Good to hear,” Reese said, chuckling and giving her a bear hug. “Dance with me?” he asked, gazing down.

There was something in his eyes. Something pointed. A question.

She gave him a wary nod and they walked onto the dance floor.

His first steps were light. “I forgot you were a good dancer,” she murmured, trying to recover her composure. She glanced up at him from under her eyelashes.

He raised one bushy brow. “Enough of the small talk, darlin’. Mind tellin’ me what’s goin’ on with you and those two young men?”

Heat crept up her neck and across her cheek. “What?”

“I was here when you arrived. Saw you tusslin’ goin’ onto the floor. Those two fightin’ over you?”

She shook her head, mortification setting in. “I…”

“Now I love both those boys. It’s why I deeded over equal shares—”

Stormy halted in the middle of the dance floor and stared. “Deeded? You mean you aren’t sellin’?”

“Sellin’? What gave you that idea?”

But there was a hint of a smile curving the corners of his lips. “You said you were lettin’ the ranch go.”

“I’m retired. I’m lettin’ those two run it for us. Only thought it would be fair to cut them in.”

“But Joe never said…” She glanced over her shoulder at Joe, who pursed his lips before he tilted his hat down to hide his expression. Her eyes narrowed when she glanced back at her dad. “Guess I should be askin’ what you two have been hatchin’.”

Her father raised his hands. “Don’t be angry. I’ve been waitin’ awhile for you to see what’s plain as the nose of your face. Both those boys love you. Always have. They kept clear of you out of respect for me. I may have put a bug in Joe’s ear—”

“You put him up to this?” she said, her voice squeaking.

“The choice was yours to make, sweetheart. If you want Cam or Joe, I’ll admit I’ll be a happy man.”

“Cam or Joe?” Stormy shook her head. “I can’t believe you manipulated me like that. I was scared, Daddy. I thought I was losin’ my home. That I’d run out of time—”

Reese Jordan nodded. “Exactly. You’ve run out of time keepin’ those two boys danglin’. It’s time to piss or get off the pot.”

“But…” Her shoulders slumped as all her anger drained away. “I can’t choose.”

“Why’s that? You don’t love one of ’em?”

“I love them both,” she whispered.

Reese sighed and a slow smile spread across his craggy cheeks. He brought her close for a big hug. “It’s all my fault. I’d send you shoppin’ with a credit card to get a pair of shoes and you’d come back with six because you couldn’t make up your mind which color you wanted most. You’re spoiled, Stormy Jordan.”

Stormy pressed her hot face against his shoulder. “Are you disappointed in me?”

“Because you’re in love?”

“Because I refuse to choose?” She lifted her head. “I won’t choose. I couldn’t crush one or the other. I couldn’t hurt either of them.”

Reese kissed her forehead. “Have you told them?”

“Joe knows how I feel about him, but Cam, well, he wants me to be sure.”

“And you are now?”

She nodded, glancing around the room. Yes, there were folks giving them curious looks, but maybe they understood the drama unfolding. They’d all faced it. “I won’t be marryin’ either one of them. At least not in a legal ceremony. You okay with that?”

Reese pursed his lips but nodded. “Equal partners. I’m proud of you. I want you happy. Takes courage to defy the world.”

She gave him a smile, her eyes filling quickly. His arms enfolded her and Stormy felt, for the first time in a long, long time, as though she had her daddy back. They’d both been set adrift after her mother’s death. He understood why she needed this excess of love.

“I’m stayin’ at Cutter’s tonight. Figure y’all need some time alone to talk.”

“I love you, Daddy.”

“Love you too, Peaches.”

She wrinkled her nose. “I really hate that nickname.”

He tweaked her nose. “No, you don’t.”

Stormy laughed, watching as he ambled away to stand beside Cutter Standifer, whose gaze had been on them the whole time. Cutter winked.

Stormy turned to find both of her men standing right in front of her.

“You and your daddy all right?” Cam asked, his moss-green eyes darkening with concern.

“Take me home?” she said, tearing up again.

Joe gripped her elbow. Cam captured her hand. Together the two of them led her away.

Joe brought two beers into the living room for him and Cam. He set a tall glass of water in front of Stormy. She looked all done in, and he was getting worried.

Reese had surprised him showing up at the dance, but maybe it was for the best. Joe only hoped it wasn’t because Reese was having second thoughts about what he’d said to Joe. He also worried whether Reese had spilled the beans about their partnership.

Stormy didn’t cotton to liars, and Joe had been cagey about the truth.

He sat in a chair opposite the sofa where Stormy sat at one end, her legs folded beneath her, and Cam sat at the other end, staring at his beer.

“Your dad looked good,” Cam said and then winced.

Joe raised an eyebrow at his friend. Would they talk about the weather next? “Yeah, he looks…fine.”

“Younger,” Stormy said, a bitchy edge to her voice. “Like he’s finally learnin’ to be happy again.”

“Yeah,” Cam said and then cleared his throat.

Another long silence passed.

Joe shifted in his chair. “I have something to tell you, Stormy.”

“Really?” She narrowed her eyes and color returned to her pale cheeks. “Does it have somethin’ to do with the fact Daddy never planned on sellin’ the ranch at all?”

Joe grimaced. “Yeah. That.”

Cam shrugged. “Guess Joe had the bright idea that if you thought it was gonna happen, you might pay us a visit.”

“It worked,” Stormy muttered.

Anger flared inside Joe. “Yes, I lied. I’ll tell you that straight up. But dammit, we deserved to know.”

She gave him her bitchiest glare. “Know what?”

“Whether you were playin’ with us every time you teased or whether you really wanted us. We’ve been patient long enough.”

“You must think I’m a bitch.”

“The thought has crossed my mind,” he said, rubbing the back of his hand.

Her gaze slid away, but she lifted her chin. “Well, you know now. I told you how I feel. But I don’t know what to expect. Is this just…fun? Or is this something more?”

Joe was tempted to yank her from her seat and turn her over his knee. He’d never have taken her repeatedly without protection if all this was just for fun. He didn’t need Cam cueing him with a loud cough to know Stormy wasn’t simply goading him.

Her posture was stiff, her head still held at a defiant angle, She wasn’t as strong as she wanted them to think. “Baby, that’s up to you,” he said softly.

She held up her finger. It trembled. “Don’t tell me that. You keep sayin’ it, and my expectations keep gettin’ higher.”

“How’s that a bad thing?” he said, his voice growing husky.

She swung her head toward Cam. “You stopped me from sayin’ it last night. Why? Were you havin’ second thoughts?”

Cam held still for a second. “All I have to do is watch you with him, even when you fight, and I see you come alive.” He shot Joe a glance and then turned back to her. “Don’t you think that should give me pause? I don’t want to be the third wheel. I don’t want you changin’ your mind and dumpin’ me when you figure out you want somethin’ you won’t ever be ashamed of.”

Her eyebrows pulled together. “Cam, don’t you know I need you too?”

“As what? Your teddy bear to hug close whenever you get scared?”

Her mouth dropped open and then closed with a snap. “That’s what you think I need? I seem to remember a guy who went all alpha on my ass. I wasn’t wantin’ a damn hug.”

Cam’s mouth twitched. “Yeah, I did that, didn’t I?” He raked a hand through his hair. “Fact is, you make us both crazy, Peaches. Wouldn’t want it any other way.”

“Me neither.” Her gaze went back to Joe. “So we do this.”

Joe sucked in a deep breath. “All three of us?”

She nodded, searching his face.

Was she looking to see whether he’d blink? Like he didn’t know his mind and know this was exactly what he’d hoped for? Joe gave her a hard glare.

Her mouth stretched slowly into a smile. “Daddy gave his blessing.”

“Reese is a smart man. He saw me spank your ass when you were a kid. Didn’t say a word.”

“I told him I kissed you,” Cam said, shrugging. “I thought he ought to know.”

“Do you think he knew…even back then?” Stormy covered her face with her hands. “I hate to think what’s going through his mind now.” When she lowered her hands, her face was red. She gave them both a shrug. “He just wants me happy. And he wants grandkids.”

Joe made a face. “Might get his wish sooner rather than later.”

Cam and Stormy locked glances and began to laugh.

“What’s so damn funny?”

Stormy smirked. “You lied to me.”

“Thought you were over that.”

“Oh, I’m not mad at you, but you did earn punishment.” When he lifted both brows, she wagged a finger. “Uh-huh. Fair’s fair. But I’ll give you a choice. You can serenade me…”

Joe huffed. “Big deal.”

Her grin went so wide a dimple sank in one cheek. “I’ve heard you sing, and you have to do it at Shooters on karaoke night.”

He groaned. “And the other choice?”

Stormy stood at the foot of the bed and surveyed her work. Joe was stretched out on his bed, his wrists and ankles tied to the four sturdy posters. He wore a blindfold and Cam had unearthed a cock ring, which she’d set snug around the base of his cock. Joe had made so much noise, griping and cajoling while Cam had explained what it was, that she’d asked Cam to gag Joe.

Now he was all hers. To do what she pleased with.

Cam had settled nude into the armchair next to the bed to watch. Right beside the camera sitting on a tripod. She’d been the one to insist on the video camera—ammo for a rainy day when Joe got a little too big for his britches.

Stormy ran her fingers across the soft ends of the strands of the deer-hide flogger and then waved it, making them snap.

Joe jerked. His muffled, “Fuck you” was so garbled she giggled.

“No one ever tell you not to talk with your mouth full?” She tsked, raised the flogger and brushed it across his lower abdomen, close to the tip of his rigid dick. At his deepening breaths, she teased the ends down the top of his thigh and then up the inside. She gave his balls a gentle nudge.

His stomach tightened and he held his breath. Was he afraid she’d give him a slap?

Laughter faded as she gazed down at him. All that masculine perfection was hers. He’d given himself to her—Stormy Jordan—and she was far too selfish to ever let him take his love back.

Her gaze turned to her other lover, Cam. Now her partner in torturing Joe. She pointed at the flogger.
Would you?
she mouthed.

His brows shot up.
What the fuck?

She rolled her fingers into a circle and held her hand against her mouth, poking her tongue inside, then gave him a wink.

Cam laughed silently and stood, stepping quietly toward her to take the flogger while she knelt and nuzzled his cock.

Standing sideways to the bed, Cam stroked Joe’s belly and thighs with stinging lashes while Stormy licked Cam up and down.