Unbridled: Lone Star Lovers, Book 1 (7 page)

Dani didn’t know how she knew it, but she knew that she and Rowe would never be completely happy, completely free, if Justin wasn’t there with them.

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37

Chapter Four

Rowe found Justin in the barn the next morning, saddling his mount. Another ranch hand was mucking out stalls, but Rowe gave him a jerk of his head, telling him silently to get the hell out. “Justin, we have to talk.”

Justin glanced over his shoulder, his face settling into a frown. “What’s wrong?”

The chilliness in Justin’s voice didn’t put him off a bit. Rowe wasn’t in the mood to pussyfoot around.

“What the hell happened last night?”

Justin aimed a cool glare his way. “Gonna ride my ass for seeing Dani? Told you I’d handle her.”

“I got a call from Cutter, looking for her last night. After I stuttered my way through a lie, I took a look around. You weren’t here. I would have appreciated knowing I had to cover for your ass.”

Justin’s dark eyes glittered with amusement. “You don’t. And I didn’t know I had to ask your permission for a damn thing. Dani’s a big girl. She can take care of herself.”

Where Justin was concerned, Dani was a lamb being led to the slaughter. And Rowe should know.

Even now, as irked as he was, Rowe hated Justin’s cool tone. Hated himself for feeling this needy when he wasn’t sure where he stood with Justin. “Dani loves Cutter,” he said, his tone softer. “He’s always looked out for her. Stepped up when their parents were killed. She might not like him bossing her around but she doesn’t want to hurt him.”

Justin smoothed his hand over the bay’s side then reached for the cinch. “Is she willing to stay his little sister forever?”

“All I’m saying is, if we want this thing to work with her, we have to have some respect.”

Justin’s flinty gaze showed no sign he understood what Rowe was really asking. “You think I don’t have respect?”

Anger tensed his muscles, but Rowe saw a shadow cross Justin’s face. Justin didn’t know how to give respect, because damn few people had ever given it to him willingly. But Justin’s pride was a prickly thing.

He reacted better to sarcasm than empathy.

Rowe snorted. “I’m pretty sure you don’t have any for her or me. Didn’t bother me too much before, but I knew what I was getting into. I’ve had time to think it through. But we kinda blindsided her yesterday.”

Justin’s lips curled into his trademark smirk. “Buddy, the girl likes to be overwhelmed.”

Delilah Devlin

Rowe stepped closer and braced his legs apart, ready to fight if that’s what it took for Justin to stop acting like an asshole. “Maybe when it comes to sex, but there’s more to her, more to most people, than pleasure.”

Justin glared, and then turned back to the horse. He pulled the strap hard beneath his horse’s belly and buckled it.

Rowe sighed. He hadn’t gotten through.

“What do you want me to do?” Justin asked quietly.

Rowe closed his eyes for a second, relief washing over him. “Cutter’s probably put two and two together and figured out you were with her last night. He’s not gonna be happy.”

Justin snorted again. “What’s he gonna do, ground her?”

“Cutter’s not a complete control freak, but he’s protective. He’s had to be parent and brother to Dani.

And it’s hard for him to see her as anything but his kid sister. It’s why Dani and I used to meet on the sly.

She didn’t want to disappoint him, and frankly, he used to scare me.”

Justin’s lips twitched. “Hard to picture that, looking at you now.”

Rowe shrugged. “Everyone grows up. And I never gave Cutter a reason to want to call me out.

Besides, I don’t think he would have minded it being me all that much.”

“You have to plenty to offer,” Justin said, his voice dead even.

“You think Dani’s all about what a man can give her financially?”

“Why shouldn’t she be? A woman has a right to expect a comfortable life.”

“You can support a wife and family. I know what I pay you.”

Justin flashed a quick smile, and then rubbed the back of his neck. “With the two of us, she’d never want for a damn thing, but do you really think she’ll go for it?”

“We won’t know unless we try. But Cutter’s a problem. Dani won’t be happy if he can’t accept this.

He’s all the family’s she’s got left.”

“So what do you want me to do?”

“You need to make it right. Go to her place, her front door, and ask her out. On a date. Let’s ease Cutter into this thing.”

Justin gave a soft, amused huff. “A date? Dinner and movie?”

“Dinner for starts. What happens after that is between consenting adults. But let’s give it a rest for a couple of days. Let everyone cool down.”

“Friday night, then.” Justin’s smile was tight-lipped. “Want to make it a threesome?”

Rowe grinned. “You get her off her ranch. I’ll join you later. No use getting Cutter hotter than he already is. She might be all grown up, but she’s still his kid sister. If he gets a whiff of what we wanna do with her, he’ll skin us alive.”

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39

Unbridled

Justin gave him a steady stare. “You’re okay with this? You got over your reservations pretty damn quick.”

“I saw Dani’s face yesterday too. She wanted in. She just doesn’t know how to surrender.”

Justin’s expression lost its usual hard-edged certainty. “Dani’s gonna want more than a wild fuck. A helluva lot more. She expects a ring, a fancy wedding. Kids. Can’t have two grooms. Once we start her down the path, which one of us is gonna step aside?”

Rowe locked gazes with Justin and wished he could step closer and put his arms around the other man. He’d known him long enough, knew enough about his past to understand his insecurities. Justin was a strong man, sometimes damn hardheaded, but he needed to be loved.

However, public displays would never be something they could share. There were too many people around, and as long as they lived in Two Mule, their relationship had to stay on the down low. “Let’s take it one step at a time. You’ve already got me convinced we can share. Maybe we’ll find a solution that won’t leave one of us out in the cold.”

“Afraid I’ll change my mind? That I won’t choose you?”

Rowe drew a deep, slow breath and dared to state the bald truth, however much it might get Justin’s back up. “I’m not stupid, Justin. You like what we have. You get off on the power you wield over me. But you need me more than you know.”

A snarl curled Justin’s lips. “It’s just sex. Damn good sex, but don’t think it’s anything more than that.”

“And who else have you fucked since we started this thing, besides Dani?”

Justin’s face hardened. “Maybe I’ve just been a little busy. You’re pretty demanding.”

Rowe couldn’t help it, one corner of his mouth tilted up. “I’m not the one issuing the orders, bro.”

Annoyance flushed Justin’s cheeks, but Rowe strode away whistling.

His phone vibrated against his hip and he unclipped it from his belt. “Dani. I was just thinking about you, darlin’.”

“We’ve gotta talk,” she said, her voice small and miserable.

“About what happened last night?”

“You know?”

He snorted. “Who doesn’t?”

“I sincerely hope you’re just being cute.”

“The only people who know are the important ones. Promise. Now, what’s bothering you?”

“Damn. It’s hard, talking to you about another man.”

“Almost as hard for me,” he said smiling. “Tell me, did big brother bust you?”

“Cutter was waiting for me when I got back. Like I was a teenager who’d snuck out to toilet paper a house. He was furious.”

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Delilah Devlin

“Must have been worried about you.”

“He figured out real quick it was Justin who snuck up to my bedroom window and lured me away.

You’d have thought I’d consorted with the devil himself the way he acted.”

“He’s always had a thing for Justin,” Rowe murmured, knowing full well what drove the animosity between the two men.

“I don’t get it. I mean, yeah, I know Justin doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to women, but it seems more personal.”

“It is, sweetheart. But Justin or Cutter’s gonna have to tell you about that.”

A soft, feminine snort sounded in her ear. “Like either one of them are big talkers.” She sighed. “I still can’t believe I let him talk me into it.”

“Can’t blame it all on him. You could have said no.”

“As if! Tell me you can resist him when he uses that sexy growl. And he got me mad first.”

Rowe chuckled. “Mad enough to forget you don’t like him?”

“Mad enough to do whatever the hell he wanted.”

Rowe blew out a deep breath. His body tightened. “Jesus, wish I’d been there to watch,” he whispered.

A long silence followed. “You could really do that?” she said softly. “You could stand back and let him have me…like that?”

Dani didn’t sound shocked or disappointed. Her soft voice had grown husky. Rowe lowered his own voice and growled. “Might join in too, if you’d like.”

Dani gave a short, choked laugh. “God, I can’t stop thinking about it. About us, all of us. It’s wrong in so many ways.”

“According to whom? Whose opinion really matters?”

“Cutter’s matters.”

“I think Cutter only wants you happy. If you’re circumspect, and don’t flaunt it to raise eyebrows, I don’t think he’d care if you kept a harem. He just wants you safe and loved.”

“He thinks Justin doesn’t respect me.”

“Justin has some things to learn about us. He thinks he knows us inside out. And while he knows how to get to us sexually, he hasn’t learned to trust us.”

“Trust.” She huffed. “He all but demanded it of me.”

“He has to learn to give it before he can expect it back.”

“And how do we teach someone as stubborn as him?”

“Maybe we should push him outside. Make him watch. We can show him a thing or two about what two people who love each other can do for each other.”

“You still love me?”

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41

Unbridled

Rowe smiled at the thickness of her voice, envisioning her soft green eyes moistening. “Always have, Dani. We’re the same people. We have the same dreams. I think bringing Justin into the fold will be good for both of us.”

Dani groaned into his ear. “I have to help out with the books and payroll today. Now you’ve completely blown my mind.”

“Leave it all to me. Whatever happens on Friday, just go with it.”

Rowe closed the phone and grinned. Feeling lighter, like all the pieces of his life were finally coming together, he strode toward the house and his office. He’d always known his future would include Dani, that they’d marry one day, but he’d still felt like his heart had room for more.

Justin knew Rowe was hooked, but he probably didn’t have a clue how deep his feelings really went.

Justin was a hard case. He didn’t trust anyone but himself. Didn’t rely on anyone to give him happiness.

And other than his little sister, he didn’t love a single soul.

Every time Justin and he were together, the glimpses of tenderness only came when Justin was spent, too exhausted to fight the ties binding him closer and closer to Rowe.

Justin was a sensual guy, a hedonist when it came to finding pleasure, which was the only reason he’d given into the urge to take Rowe as a lover. But he was a hetero man at heart. Love would have to be strong to overcome his proclivities in the long run.

Rowe wasn’t as sure about his own natural bent.

Dani was his friend, his playmate. If it didn’t sound completely gross, he might have labeled his affection…brotherly. But that didn’t mean he didn’t desire her, didn’t get off on sinking into her hot little body, didn’t crave the clasp of her mouth and hands wrapping around his cock.

When wicked humor glinted in her eyes, issuing a feminine challenge, every muscle of his body hardened…and he was there. And he knew she felt the same way about him.

And yet, he’d seen the way she’d stared at Justin. Kinda like he wished he could. All that heat and yearning burning in her eyes told Rowe everything he needed to know.

Dani could be happy with the both of them. She’d share her body, share her life and a home. But he had to tread carefully. Justin was stubborn enough to hold himself apart from them, try to keep them dancing to his tune. The bastard thought he had to be in control.

It was going to be tough figuring out how to get the ornery cowboy to surrender to love.

Dani signed the last payroll check and closed the checkbook. Everything was ready for Friday’s payday.

The past couple of days hadn’t been bad between her and Cutter—exactly. Since he was up with the roosters and she hadn’t quite gotten used to the early mornings, they only shared the dinner meal together.

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Delilah Devlin

Most of the day, he came and went, ducking his head into the office to see if she needed anything, which she didn’t. She’d spent her summers taking care of the admin side of the ranch since high school.

And she didn’t mind doing it now, even though nothing had been settled between them. Cutter ground his jaw every time she tried to talk to him about that night, so she’d let it go.

Likely the problem would fester into a sore the size of Texas before Cutter relented. He was the most stubborn man she’d ever known. Even more so than their father. And that was saying a lot.

She’d loved them both despite the flaw.

Dani pushed the chair away from the desk and stood, stretching her arms over her head and rolling her shoulders to ease the ache. She’d spent too many hours tallying columns of numbers in the ledgers. Cutter refused to automate.

Sunshine gleamed from the window and she glanced outside, sighing as she watched a ranch hand pounding nails into the wooden fence surrounding the corral. Everyone else was out riding herd, moving them to fresher pasture or following the fence line to check for breaks.

She’d have liked to join them, but then again, she didn’t really want to talk to anyone right now. As edgy and grumpy as she was, she’d snap. Sleep hadn’t come easy the previous night. The memory of Rowe and Justin played back, over and over, only she’d rewritten the scene in her mind.