Twin Cowboys for Tamara (21 page)

Tamara silently nodded as she went to Clipper and held his reins.

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Jess didn’t want to mention it, but he worried whether someone other than he and Jax had seen Tamara in her birthday suit, not to mention the wild animals that might be roaming around in the area.

The location wasn’t well-trod and normally remained isolated, but a couple of neighboring ranchers had reported a pair wolves in the area. And like him, and Jax and Tamara before him, the setting attracted nature lovers, or just those who wanted to get away from it all. At least a couple of wranglers, specifically the Quarry brothers, might be attracted to a secluded spot like this one for a break from the ranch.

Carson and Sam worked hard, knew their jobs and did them well, the main reasons that Jess and Jax’s dad and Bailey had taken a chance and hired them several months ago. Except for their reticence that bordered just on unfriendly at times, they demonstrated ideal work habits but just liked to keep to themselves and preferred their own company or that of their mother, Helena. He couldn’t fault them for that. They’d come onto the ranch as a family unit and functioned that way. But Jess still wondered about the circumstances that had brought them to The Double R.

He turned his attention to Tamara now, sensed her emotionally withdrawing, probably already sorry she had allowed both his brother and him to take her. Jess stepped to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t Tam.”

She turned to him with a bright fake smile. “Don’t what?”

“Don’t pull away.”

“I’m not. We should be getting back.” She fidgeted with Clipper’s reins for a moment before raising her eyes to peer at him. “There’s no way this can work.”

When she said
this
did she mean him and her or him and her and Jax?

Jess uncharacteristically feared asking her. He had been doing a lot of things out of character since she’d returned to the ranch—lying, Ebook piracy is stealing. It is a federal offense.

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153

running scared, giving his brother control of a situation he clearly should have taken control of himself.

He lightly squeezed her shoulder to make sure she didn’t leave.

He almost told her not to give up on them when he turned to catch sight of Jax mounting Cappuccino several yards behind them and holding Stormchaser’s reins. Jess eyed the stallion that he had borrowed to come find his brother and Tamara and noted how he obediently followed Jax as if he was a rat instead of a horse and Jax was the Pied Piper.

“I’ll meet you guys at the ranch. I’m heading back now,” his brother said.

Did Jax want to run away from this too? Was
he
the only one that wanted this relationship and would fight for it? “We’ll see you there.”

He frowned, contemplative. The idea that his brother had gotten what he wanted from Tamara from just one joining together chafed his hide, especially when he didn’t think
he
would ever get enough of her if he gave it the rest of his life. “Hey, wait a minute! Jax! My horse!”

Jess took off his hat, waving it in the air as he ran after Jax briefly before finally giving up.

He stood and watched Jax, Cappuccino and Stormchaser

disappear over the horizon, shaking his head at his brother’s craftiness as he turned and headed back to Tamara.

She stood smiling and rubbing Clipper’s rump. “Looks like it’s just me and you.”

“He did that on purpose,” Jess groused.

She arched a brow. “Do you mind riding with me?”

“Do you mind if I ride with you?”

Tamara shrugged. “Considering what we just did, I guess I’ve forgiven you.”

Jess thought about that for a moment as he stood in front of her and reached for her hair. He wrapped a length of it around his fingers and enjoyed the way the silken strands felt against his skin, the strawberry scent of it wafting to him.

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He stood awed by her casual attitude, didn’t think what they had just done had been so easy or ordinary for her. It certainly hadn’t been for him. “Do you think Jax forgives me?”

“For the punch?”

Jess nodded, even if he hadn’t really asked the question he wanted to and even though he knew he had some more apologizing to do no matter what Tamara’s response.

“You’ll have to ask him about that. But I’m thinking after what’s happened here, he doesn’t hold any grudges.”

“People can have sex with each other and still hate each other.”

He stared to gauge her reaction, and she didn’t even flinch. Did all that cool, calm collectedness come from living in New York or had she always been this way?

“I never hated you, Jess. It just upset me that you didn’t trust me enough to be truthful with me. That’s all.”

“I know, and I’m sorry I lied to you. I never meant to hurt you.”

Tamara waved his apology away. “Jax already explained all that.”

“Really?”

“I told you before you got here playing Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Robots with your brother that Jax had been singing your praises.”

“Yeah, you did.”

“Did you ask him to?”

Jess shook his head. “But I did go along with his harebrained scheme to get us back together.”

“Not so harebrained. It seemed to have worked.”

“Did it?”

“I’m glad you let me in on your little scheme.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. But you know Jax—”

“Is always up to some mischief. Things haven’t changed much since I left, huh?”

Jess moved his hand from her hair to gently rub his thumb across her cheekbone then bent his head to kiss her. He took his time, Ebook piracy is stealing. It is a federal offense.

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slipping his tongue passed her parted lips and hardening at the soft sigh she released when she let him in.

He moved closer, easing his leg between hers and rubbing her slit with his knee. After a moment, he pressed his kneecap where he guessed her clit swelled beneath the crotch of her jeans and Tamara rewarded him with a soft mewl as she writhed beneath him.

Jess pulled away a minute later and stared down at her. “Things
have
changed.”

“Really?”

“We’re not little boys anymore.”

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A week later, Tamara barely felt the effects of her encounter with Jess and Jax, though she still felt tingly in places she’d forgotten she could feel tingly. The low, evocative throb in her pussy and ass during random times of a day served as her biggest reminders of the pleasure she’d enjoyed several days ago and that neither Jess nor Jax were little boys anymore. Not that she’d needed much more of a reminder than the way they’d taken her on the blanket out in the wide open space outdoors for all the world to see if it had chosen to.

Correction—they hadn’t taken her. She had given herself to them, freely and with no reservations. At least she hadn’t had any reservations last week.

Now with the light of day streaming through the light-weight, peach and floral print curtains of her bedroom, heralding a new week full of promise and busy work, she had plenty.

She didn’t want to but had managed to avoid Jess and Jax during most of her time on the ranch so far. With throwing herself into the thick of the things with cattle drives, pack trips and other ranch activities with the guests, she found more than enough ways to avoid her boys. How else would she deal with what had happened more than a week ago? How else would she function, keep her sanity and try to reconcile with her disapproving father while fostering a relationship with two younger men?

She’d known that getting involved with either twin would not be a wise idea, but she hadn’t been thinking about the future or their romantic prospects when they’d been getting it on by the stream. Her hormones had been calling to her since she’d touched down in Ebook piracy is stealing. It is a federal offense.

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Colorado and seen Jess at the airport, and last week she had just politely answered them.

A knock sounded on the door just as Tamara flung the bedcovers off of herself and placed her feet on the carpeted floor.

Before she could even gather herself to answer, someone pushed the door opened just a crack and waved a hand inside the door. “You decent?”

“What if I’m not?”

“All the more reason for me to come in.” Jax opened the door, his smart crack and the devilish grin a dead giveaway to his identity. This and the slightly lighter inflection to his voice clued Tamara in to which twin stood before her.

Tamara made no move to cover herself, refusing to be cowed by her feelings about what had happened more than a week ago and eager to see Jax’s take on things. She did, however, feel her face heat with what must have been a fierce blush.

She hadn’t spoken to either brother at length since that day by the stream, and meal times had been tense and quiet affairs that no one seemed willing to fill with superficial questions or conversation.

Outside of meals and other routine activity at the house, Tamara had refused to seek out either brother. Both of the twins had returned the favor and didn’t seek her out either.

Even as she had bedded down last night, Tamara had realized they couldn’t go on avoiding each other forever. Sooner or later, she’d have to face them the same as she would have to face her father.

“I like the outfit.”

Tamara glanced down at the green satin shorts and matching tank top before bringing her gaze back to his and licking her lips. “Glad it meets with your approval.” Tamara smirked as Jax crossed the threshold, closed the door behind him and leaned against it.

“Everything about you meets with my approval.” He made his way over to the bed, backing her against the mattress until she flopped on her back and he straddled her. “I had to come and see if you had Ebook piracy is stealing. It is a federal offense.

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the same mesmerizing effect on me in the light of day as you did in the dusk of the other evening.”

She sensed the truth in his words, even though the joke and the smile. “And do I?”

“Mmm.” He leaned in to kiss her mouth, gently, slowly licking before he dipped his tongue passed her slightly parted lips to stroke hers. After several silent moments playing tonsil hockey until she panted beneath him, he raised his head to stare down at her. An expression of awe and just a tinge of fear lurked behind the blue depths of his gaze.

She completely sympathized with the fear part and nursed a healthy dose of it herself.

“I’ve been fantasizing for days about doing that.”

“And did it live up to your fantasies?”

“Every one of them. Except in my fantasies you’re completely naked, and I’m buried balls-deep inside you.”

Tamara shuddered and closed her eyes at his graphic description, could feel his hard cock pressing against her slit through the denim of his jeans. She was already wet, and the thought of how close he was to making his fantasies come true made her even more soaked. Made her wonder how she had been able to stay away and resist him or his brother for so long—nine whole, sexless, celibate days of dreaming and wondering and wanting.

As if reading her mind, Jax pressed closer, rubbing his hard bulge against her so that she could feel just how much she turned him on.

Tamara wanted nothing more than to start her day off right, making love with a hot, sexy, young cowboy, but she had some other things she needed to do today that didn’t include breaking unwritten taboos in carnal satisfaction.

Briefly, she wondered if Jax tried to beat his brother to the punch coming to her room first thing in the morning. Not that she cared, of course, but the thought of her two boys fighting over her like dogs over a bone did make her smile.

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When Jax bent his head again to take her mouth, Tamara helplessly buried both hands in his hair, reveling in the silken feel of the thick, wavy strands against her skin. She fisted her hands and closed her eyes as he circled his hips against her. He pressed just so on her swollen clit and made her moan deep in her throat.

“
Ay
!
Lo siento. Perdonarme.
”

Jax leapt from the bed at Maria’s flustered voice raised in what Tamara could vaguely make out as profuse apologies. He took two long steps toward the door to stop her before the woman could leave, but came up short. .

Tamara just caught a glimpse of the back of Maria’s apron strings as she fled out the room and down the hallway.

Well, there went her good-girl image with the sweet and understanding housekeeper. It was bound to happen, she guessed, but she just hadn’t expected her fall from grace to happen so soon after her arrival. The scene out in front of the house with Jess that seemed ages ago had been enough to tarnish her reputation.

Jax closed and locked the door before he came back and sat beside her on the bed. “I should have done that as soon as I came in.”

She nodded. “Horse is out of the barn now.”

“I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. I didn’t stop you. I wanted you as much as you wanted me.”

“Still want.”

“So, you weren’t thinking?”

“Not straight.”

Tamara reached between his legs to caress his erection and felt him pulsing even through the denim. She could imagine holding his hot shaft in her hands and wanted to feel the thick, heated vibration of him inside her. “Oh, I’d say you’re thinking pretty straight now.”