Twin Cowboys for Tamara (27 page)

Now Maria cleared her throat. “I think some of my famous homemade chili should go a long way in helping to heal any other injuries.”

Jess almost forgot that Maria stood in the room. He supposed she’d been quiet long enough, busy at the stove, stirring her pot and making herself as unobtrusive as possible.

Did she suspect he and Jax had gone way passed flirting and kisses with Tamara? What would she do if she knew? Would she be as disapproving as Jess suspected Bailey and his father would be?

As if to put his mind at ease, Maria winked at him then turned back to tend to her pot.

“I washed the vegetables for the salad before you guys arrived,”

Tamara said and hooked an arm through his to pull him closer.

“Chili and salad. Sounds like a plan to me. I’m starving.” Jess gave Tamara another kiss on the lips before pulling away to head toward the foyer and stairs.

Maria caught his arm to stop him on the threshold. “We’re glad you’re okay,
niño.
”

He wouldn’t be if he stayed in this kitchen a minute more acting like there wasn’t anything wrong.

Ebook piracy is stealing. It is a federal offense.

Report ebook piracy to [email protected].

198

Gigi Moore

Jess patted Maria’s hand and eased out of her grasp just as Jax hooked an arm around his neck in a playful headlock and led him to the stairs.

“Gotta go wash off some of this dirt so we can have your delicious lunch, Maria. We’ll be back down directly,” Jax said over a shoulder.

“There’s homemade buttermilk biscuits too,” Maria said.

“Can’t wait!”

As soon as they got upstairs behind the closed door of Jess’s room, he started pacing and Jax took a seat on the king sized four-poster bed that dominated the room.

Jess felt his brother’s worried look following him the entire time he marched from one end of the large bedroom to the other, but didn’t know what to say to stop Jax from worrying.

“You okay?” Jax finally asked.

Jess paused in his pacing to glare at his brother who peered back at him like a dormant volcano Jax expected to erupt any second.

“What do you think?”

“I know you’re upset about this, but you’ve got to keep it together—for Bailey.”

Jess wanted to tell his brother that if Bailey cared a lick about any of them he wouldn’t ask them to do this. But that wasn’t fair. The man was sick and dealing with things the best way he could. Jess just didn’t like being caught in the middle of his and Tamara’s power struggles and emotional minefields, or whatever the heck they wanted to call things.

“Just think of it as a test. You’ve always been good at passing those.”

“This is different, Jax.”

“Not really. Just put it into perspective. Do you really want to be the one to tell Tamara her father is dying?”

Christ, did he? When Jax put it like that, heck no he didn’t want to be the one to deliver news like that to someone he cared about.

Ebook piracy is stealing. It is a federal offense.

Report ebook piracy to [email protected].

Twin Cowboys for Tamara

199

Jess let out a long tired breath as he flopped down on the bed beside his brother, Jax’s question totally knocking him for a loop.

“I didn’t think so.”

“Someone needs to tell her.”

“It’s Bailey’s responsibility. He’ll tell her when he’s ready.”

Knowing Bailey he might never be ready. He might take this feud and his silence to his grave and leave the rest of them to clean up the emotional fallout after.

“Do you remember when Mom died?” Jax asked.

Jess turned to look at him. “Do you really want to talk about that now?”

“What better time?”

Jess shrugged, didn’t know where his brother intended to go with the question, but waited for the rest with his heart drumming.

“I remember when Pop sat us down in his study after he got back from the hospital without Mom. I knew something bad happened because that’s the only time Pop took us into his study—to give us a serious talking to.”

“I remember,” Jess said past the lump in his throat. He really didn’t want to do this now, felt like he went through a dress rehearsal for when Bailey finally died, felt like they rushed things.

“When Pop finally explained to us that God had taken Mama to heaven to be with Him I just started crying. I didn’t want Mama to be in heaven with God. I wanted her to be here with us and didn’t care what Pop had to say about Him needing her more than we did.”

“Dad said you shouldn’t be selfish, that we needed to share her with God.”

“And I told Pop that God was selfish.”

Jess nodded, remembered Dad’s stricken look, how the man had come that close to striking Jax. It was the first time he had ever seen his father so close to losing it with them.

Ebook piracy is stealing. It is a federal offense.

Report ebook piracy to [email protected].

200

Gigi Moore

“Even back then you played the responsible diplomat.” Jax chuckled and shook his head, turned to look at him. “Do you remember what you did?”

“Barely.”

“You stood up and rubbed and patted Pop’s back as if exchanging roles and you told him everything would be okay, that you’d talk to me and make me understand. Then you turned to me, and by this time I had been crying pretty hysterically. But you wrapped your arms around me and hugged me tight and told me everything would be all right. You said I still had you and that I’d always have you.”

“Dad left us alone in the room after that.”

“But I saw the tears in his eyes before he left, and I felt like crap for making him feel bad like that. I wanted to say sorry.”

“He knew.”

“Yeah.” Jax nodded. “I just think about how difficult it must have been for him to sit two four-year-olds down and tell them their mother had died. And I wonder how much more difficult it’s going to be for Bailey to tell his daughter he’s barely civil to that he’s going to die. I just wonder what’s going through his head, his heart, and I know I don’t want to be in his shoes for more than just the obvious reason.”

“Is there some message you’re trying to relay in your convoluted way?” Jess asked only half jokingly, and Jax shrugged.

“Just wondering who death is harder on—the one who dies or the ones left behind.”

Jess wished he had an answer for that. He wanted and needed a clue how to make it easier on Tamara when Bailey died. It wasn’t like he had that much experience consoling the grief-stricken. Aside from his Mom, he hadn’t lost anyone else nearly as close or important in his life, glad that he’d never had to go through that sort of loss too often. He knew it wasn’t realistic to believe that he would never have to go through that loss again, but once was enough.

When a sudden knock sounded on the door, they both froze and stared across the room before looking at each other.

Ebook piracy is stealing. It is a federal offense.

Report ebook piracy to [email protected].

Twin Cowboys for Tamara

201

“You decent in there?”

Before either of them could answer, Tamara opened the door and paused on the threshold when she saw them. “Hey, good, you’re both in here.” She closed the door behind her, frowned and asked, “Should I ask what’s up with you two? Busy plotting your next move?”

Jess tried not to look at her too warily. “In regards to what?”

“Me and how you’re going to get me out of my clothes and into bed again.”

Jess grinned and shook his head. “No, no plotting,”

“Just reminiscing,” Jax offered.

“Really? About what?”

“Mom,” Jess said.

“Oh.” Tamara arched a brow. “What brought that on?”

He shrugged, couldn’t think of something that wouldn’t point the finger at Bailey’s illness but Jax saved him.

“Having you around reminds us of Mom.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Jax chuckled. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“How do you know how I think you meant it?”

“We can tell by the look on your face,” Jess said and stood to cross the room. He stopped less than a foot in front of Tamara, admiring the flush that added an ethereal glow to her smooth, caramel complexion. “I think what my dear awkward brother meant to say…”

He paused, enthralled by the way she looked up at him, all curious innocence and carnal hunger—a deadly combination. No wonder he and Jax got tongue-tied around her. No wonder Jax had made that ridiculous promise to Bailey. It was hard to deny either of the Carpenters anything when they turned on the persuasion and looked at a body in a way that could make it melt inside and out.

“What did Jax mean?”

Jess peered at her face and the words just fell into place. “We’re just glad you came back home to us.”

Ebook piracy is stealing. It is a federal offense.

Report ebook piracy to [email protected].

202

Gigi Moore

“Yeah.” Jax stood now and came to position himself just behind Tamara, effectively pinning her between him and Jess.

Jess saw the doubt in Tamara’s eyes, the dispute when he’d said
home,
and his heart fluttered at the idea of her leaving the ranch. He didn’t know what he had been thinking, what dreamland he had been living in the last few days to forget the reality glaring him straight in the face. When everything was said and done, when Bailey died and they buried him, Tamara would go back to her world and leave him and Jax behind—again.

He could see the resolve in her eyes right now, but became determined to do everything in
his
power to convince her to stay, that she could practice law anywhere. He knew his thoughts selfish but couldn’t see past his desire to keep Tamara put. He’d deal with the logistics and mutual sacrifices later.

Jess glanced at Jax when he heard his brother push the lock in the doorknob.

“Learned your lesson after the last time, did you?” Tamara teased without turning and Jess smiled as he nuzzled her neck. He wrapped his arms around her and drew her farther into the room, Jax hot on their heels as Jess got them to the bed.

“I’ve always been a quick study,” Jax said.

“So you’ll remember how I like to be ridden then.”

“Slow and easy” Jess rasped.

“Hard and fast,” Jax murmured.

“Correct on both counts.”

* * * *

Feel, just feel, she told herself.

She didn’t want to deal with the desperate look of longing she’d seen in Jess’s face, didn’t want to deal with the knowledge that he thought she would stay, that he wanted her to stay. She couldn’t deal with the future, just wanted to deal with the now—the feelings.

Ebook piracy is stealing. It is a federal offense.

Report ebook piracy to [email protected].

Twin Cowboys for Tamara

203

Tamara moaned as Jess added teeth to his ministrations, nipping her throat before swirling his tongue over the love bite and holding her tight when she shuddered.

She raised her hands to tunnel her fingers through his silken waves, fisting her hands against his scalp as if it were a life raft, and she feared being lost at sea. She arched her throat to give him better access to her neck and the top of her breasts, pushing them up toward his face like an offering.

Jess unbuttoned her shirt all the way, unlatched her bra and Tamara could barely hold in the whimper when his tongue darted out to lick her nipple, finally.

“More, Jess. More…”

He laved the tight nub, winding his tongue around the

hypersensitive aureole before pulling the nipple into his mouth and firmly sucking until she closed her eyes tight and saw stars. He licked his way over to give the other nipple equal attention. He licked and sucked it until she was ready to cry uncle when the sensations zinged straight to her pussy and engulfed her lower body in searing white heat.

Tamara took his hand, guided it to her warm core, and when Jess took her lead and caressed his fingers up and down her slit, she felt herself gush into her panties at the raunchy contact. And despite her preoccupation with Jess, she became acutely aware of Jax behind her now, grinding his pelvis against her lower back. He slid her shirt and bra straps over her shoulders and down her arms before finally tossing them and twining his fingers with hers.

Without turning to look at him, she knew he had gotten out of most of his clothes, the heat of his body intense and raw—

encompassing.

Tamara untangled her hands from Jax’s, reached back to stroke his thighs as if to test her theory, not disappointed when her palm met bare skin, hot and muscled behind her.

Ebook piracy is stealing. It is a federal offense.

Report ebook piracy to [email protected].

204

Gigi Moore

Jax pushed against her, his erection nudging just above her jeans-clad ass as he rocked his hips. He curved his arms around her, cupping her breasts, replacing the wet warmth of Jess’s mouth before he rolled and plucked her nipples.

By now, Jess had moved farther south, making quick work of opening and getting off her jeans with not a little help from Tamara, who stepped out of them forthwith and pushed Jess back onto the bed.

She watched as he lay there, peering up at her while she licked her lips with anticipation. “You need to catch up with the rest of us.”

Tamara started on his belt, taking pleasure in the breath he hissed out when she unbuckled, unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans then pulled them down over his hips with his eager assistance.

Jess reached up to cup her face, kissing her deep before he pulled away to ask, “Do you think now’s a good time?”

“As good a time as any.”

“I mean with Maria holding lunch for us downstairs.”

“She won’t come looking for us, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Jax assured.

“We’ll make it quick,” Tamara said.

“Not too quick.” Jess drew her close for another kiss, this one more soul-searing than the last and just as provocative.

Tamara delved in his mouth, searching and finding his waiting tongue, drawing a moan from him with her desperation and hunger.