No Strings Attached [Climax, Montana 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read online

  She didn’t know what Houston looked like, but Jet had one of the best butts she’d ever seen. He looked over his shoulder and caught her perving. A jolt of arousal and fury made her growl. She slammed the door, then leaned her back against it and banged her head.

  “Dammit! That man makes my pussy clench, and he knows it!”

  Had she recharged Bob’s batteries? She shoved herself away from the door and padded upstairs to dress. The telephone had her groaning before turning back down again. She yanked the receiver off the wall.

  “Circle C Ranch.”

  “Did you hire them?”

  She began pacing to the full extent of the black curly wire.

  “Uncle Tommy, you could have warned me before they arrived!”

  “Surprised you, did they?”

  “Oh, God! I figured it was Josh doing the big, tough sheriff thing because he knocked at the door. So there I was, in my bathrobe, bent over drying my hair, and I see the man is not wearing a police uniform, or cowboy boots.” She heard a snort. “Don’t you laugh at me!”

  “I waited to call you until I checked them both out. They’re ex-army, honorably discharged, and when they showed up this morning they were pretty hungry. Looked like Jet went without so his buddy could eat. Houston’s got a mess of scars on his face, and he walks with a cane, but that won’t stop him working. I’m giving you a thumbs-up for both of them. It’s not as if you have much choice.”

  “Great, rub it in,” she grumbled. “The only ones who’ll work for me are desperate.”

  “Things have a way of working themselves out, Lila. These two men need a job, badly. You need hired hands equally badly.”

  She slumped against the wall. “I know. I haven’t seen the other guy. He’s still in the truck.”

  “I expect food and the Tylenol Dorothy gave him knocked him out. He looked so far gone she insisted he have pie for breakfast.”

  Aunt Dorothy had rules about her pie. Nobody got it for breakfast. Ever. She probably took pity on them because of their son, TJ, who had enlisted. They were proud of him, but knew too much about what might happen. And then Danny was killed…

  “I better get dressed and see what Jet is doing in the barn.”

  “Matt just walked in. I’ll tell him you got yourself some new hands.”

  “No! Give me an hour before Papa comes racing home. Please?”

  “I’ll hold off on telling him, then.”

  “Thanks, Uncle Tommy.”

  “Dorothy says to give them a long, welcoming kiss.”

  The line went dead on his laugh. She slammed the phone down and tromped upstairs. She’d already thought about kisses, and more. If she’d been turned on like this either time she’d had sex, she might have enjoyed it. Maybe they wouldn’t have said she was frigid. She’d believed them because she’d never felt a spark.

  She didn’t feel a spark with Jet. It was a frickin’ bonfire!

  Chapter 2

  Jet didn’t hold back a grin as he headed toward the barn, the huge dog bounding at his side. He walked carefully, taking shorter steps than usual. Seeing Miss Lila Frost in her thin, silky housecoat, then discovering there really was nothing under it but smooth, white skin, made him as hard as the mountains rising on either side of the valley.

  She was tall, curved, mouthy, and had an attitude as big as the sweet butt he couldn’t wait to touch. His kind of woman. Houston’s, too.

  When Tom White told them about the situation in Tanner’s Ford Valley, with two men for each woman, Jet figured he was warning them there’d be two bosses, plus Lila. Instead, they’d be alone with a gorgeous, tall blonde with curves in all the right places. Big curves. Those erect nipples, as well as her furious reaction, proved Lila had passion. Miss Dorothy said it was a pity Lila never had a boyfriend, and it was time she learned men were good for more than roping cattle. Then she’d winked.

  Now that he’d seen Lila up close, and her reaction to him, he understood the look Miss Dorothy had shot at the two of them as they were leaving. She’d pretty much told them to seduce the lady. Houston had zonked out too fast in the truck to talk about it, but if Lila wanted what she was hinting at a minute ago, he was all for it.

  He’d never met a woman her size with an attitude to match. He thought of wrestling with her as she fought her hardest, then lost. He’d haul her over his lap and spank that pale skin until her ass glowed. The punk in the bar had said Lila was too big for her britches and needed to be put in her place. Jet agreed, as long as her place was under him, or bent over in front of him, or…

  He groaned. His cock had gone hard the moment she opened the door and he saw all that hair and an ass perfect to grab and pull tight. He’d yanked off his hat to cover the evidence. Good thing, too, as she’d checked him out pretty closely. She wasn’t afraid of him, and that was half the battle. He was telling the truth when he said he wouldn’t harm her. No one abused a woman or child on his watch. He’d seen, and experienced, enough of it growing up.

  When he told White what he’d heard, that someone named Tank wanted to harm her while her parents were away, the genial host turned hard. White might be short and old, but he looked the type to ignore rules to get the job done. Jet understood. Rules had their place, but reality often didn’t fit.

  Whether she wanted it or not, the lady had just got herself a pair of bodyguards as well as hired hands. He’d let her make the first move toward sex. If she didn’t like Houston, he’d grit his teeth and go without. Houston had once been movie-star handsome. The shrapnel damage made him think women would grimace and turn away. Jet was not going to enjoy something his buddy thought was gone forever. It was double or nothing.

  White said Lila tried to be one of the boys all her life, acting rough and tough. Jet saw her as all woman with that ass, big breasts, and long hair. Her fury at him was an added bonus. He wished she’d try to deck him. He’d grab her fists, flip her around and press her chest against the wall. The perfect position to take her from behind.

  Oh, yeah. A bit of rough sex would go well about now. He snorted a laugh. Any sex would be good. So would putting her over his lap and showing her the error of her ways. The image made it painful to walk. He shook his leg out and continued to the barn, Rascal leading the way.

  A big black horse leaned its head over a box stall to greet him. The barn was well laid out, neat, and tidy. It looked like everything had a place, and was right where it should be. He figured he’d build up a sweat, so took off his shirt, and said hello to the horse. She was almost ready to foal, which explained why she was in the big corner stall. He set the wheelbarrow nearby and grabbed a fork. It might’ve been years since he worked in a barn, but mucking out stalls wasn’t something you forgot how to do.

  Rascal’s tail thumped against the floor in welcome, warning him seconds before Lila stepped in. He pretended he didn’t know she was there, though her boots clunked against the wood floor.

  “Houston’s still asleep. He looks like he was lucky to survive.”

  He straightened and turned around. Her eyes dropped to his chest, then lower. He looked down. Nope, nothing to see, though if she kept staring there’d soon be something. He set the laden fork in the wheelbarrow, stuck his thumbs in his front pockets, and leaned back on his heels.

  She’d changed into jeans. Tight ones, proving she was just the right size for her britches, no matter what Tank’s buddy said. He mentally calculated the size of her hips and added it to what he’d seen of her ass. Yep, his arms were long enough that he could easily pull her tight, grab her cheeks and do what he wanted. If she was eager for the same thing, her legs were long enough to circle his hips and lock her ankles behind while he skewered her.

  His cock agreed with the idea, twitching eagerly. Would she notice? He raised his eyes to her chest. She wore a T-shirt under a long-sleeve flannel. And a bra, unfortunately. His cock swelled even more at the memory of those full breasts. She had pale skin that showed the lightest blush. She’d braided her hair agai
n. It was long enough for him to wrap his fist around and use as a leash to haul her in.

  She was sending out all the signals of wanting a man. There was no one in her life, which made sense. If there had been, she wouldn’t need protection. That problem was solved. He and Houston would work sunup to sundown to get the job done. If she wanted more at night, they’d be ready and eager to provide whatever she needed.

  “Houston wanted to die for a while,” said Jet, answering her comment. “I wouldn’t let him.”

  The doctors had refused to let him look in a mirror for a long time. He’d once been a handsome, wealthy playboy. Jet figured if a woman cared about a man, what he looked like didn’t matter. Houston wasn’t ready to agree with him. Maybe Lila could persuade him otherwise.

  “How’d you find out about the job?” she demanded. “Did Tom White tell you?”

  Lila had a right to know the situation, but White said not to tell her Tank planned to come to town. He said she was impulsive, and would go off half-cocked, taking matters into her own hands and likely getting hurt. That was not going to happen on his watch.

  “We were in Dillon last night and asked about work. The bartender said a ranch in Climax was looking for a hired hand. A guy interrupted, saying someone named Tank had the job sewn up and we’d be smart to keep moving. I’m not known to be smart that way.”

  “Tank?” she asked, frowning. Jet nodded. He was wrong about her being angry earlier. Compared to this, she’d been just a little bit miffed. “Dammit, no wonder no one would hire on!” She stomped back and forth, spitting like a pot about to boil over. “That toad’s buddies must have passed the word to everyone who might have applied!”

  “What’s this about?”

  The horse shifted, uneasy at her reaction. She calmed herself down, though her scowl deepened.

  “Stanley Jefferson, nicknamed Tank, has wanted revenge since the first day of high school. He can want the job all he likes. It’s taken.”

  Jet liked it when a woman stood tall. Of course, if Lila was his, she wouldn’t need to protect herself. That would be his job, and Houston’s. She could discuss options, but when he made a decision for her protection she would follow it, or pay the consequences.

  “Tank can do whatever he likes,” she continued. “He is not going to stop me from proving myself!” She jutted her jaw out. “I should have kicked his ass long ago. Let him come near me, and I’ll show him who’s chicken!”

  Tom said Lila had jumped off bridges, rode a bull, and more, because she got mad when someone said she was a girl and therefore chicken. Dorothy said Lila needed to learn self-control if she was to inherit the family ranch. She’d added Lila had grown up with dominant men and strong, submissive women. Then she’d winked at him. That’s when Tom gave them directions to the Circle C.

  Maybe he and Houston could do more for Lila than just ranch work. As trained Doms, they were quite capable of helping Lila learn to control herself. The way she’d glared at him, then dropped her head and blushed, suggested she was a natural submissive. That blush also meant her ass would turn a deep pink from the flat of his hand if she didn’t think before speaking or acting. If a spanking didn’t help her stop and think, he had a few floggers in his toy bag.

  “You’ll have protection,” he said, meaning himself and Houston.

  “Damn right I do, right, Rascal?” The dog thumped his tail at the mention of his name. “Tank is a bully, and too much of a coward to stand up to me with Rascal at my side, even with his buddies.”

  Jet raised an eyebrow. He looked down at the feisty kitten roaring like a tiger. It would be a challenge to guide the kitten without destroying the tiger.

  “With me and Houston around, it won’t matter how many buddies he has. We’ll keep you safe.”

  “Oh, please!” she said in an obvious disgust. “I’ve lived twenty-five years without a man, and I don’t need one now.”

  It was not the time to inform Lila of his decision to help whether she wanted it or not. He knew her roar was a defense mechanism. She was scared inside, unsure of herself. Choosing to submit to a Dom, handing over your fears and desires, took courage. She’d been fighting on her own for so long. He hoped she would understand submission mean they would help her grow, not hold her down. Trust took time, and was the basis of a Dom/sub relationship. They had a month, which should be enough if she chose to let them help her. Of course, he could give her encouragement…

  “I ride for the brand, ma’am. That means I protect the boss’s back. It’s even better if the boss is built, and has curves.” He winked, something he’d seen Houston do often, with great success. He’d never thought of trying it for himself. He’d never wanted a woman as much as Lila. “Mind you, instead of a round of drinks at the bar to thank me, I’d like my reward to be a little more…personal.”

  Her blush deepened. She bit her lip, dropped her head, and then stared right up at him, her eyes narrowed. She was a feisty kitten, all right. If she had a tail it would be whipping around and her ears would point back. He would get her purring one of these nights.

  “Let’s get this in the open,” she demanded. “What are you saying?”

  “I’m a man, and you’re a woman. We’re both adults. We’ve been checking each other out. Why stop there?”

  “Dammit, don’t be a bastard and beat around the bush. Just say it!”

  He pushed down his automatic reaction at the insult and took a step forward. She set her jaw and glared up.

  “Your nipples are hard and so is my cock. I haven’t had sex for a long time. Maybe you’re the same. I want you, but it’s up to the woman to say whether she wants to touch, or be touched.” He opened his arms, holding them low, palms facing her. “Anything you want, just ask. I’ll be happy to oblige, and so will Houston. If you choose one of us, you get both. Working on the ranch, or pleasuring you. Your choice, Lila. Yes, or no?”

  Her jaw dropped. She snapped her mouth shut and whipped around. She could hide her face, but not the way her chest heaved, or her fists clenched. Her braid didn’t cover the sides of her neck. He hadn’t thought she could get any redder but she did. The ball was now in her court. He grabbed the pitchfork and, moving carefully so not to injure what strained behind his zipper, went back to work.

  Her use of a word he hated didn’t stop him from admiring her. He was born a bastard, and that fact had been ground into him far too often. She had no reason to know about it, or care how it ate away at him. But after he was gone, he wanted her to remember him. And he wanted her pussy and nipples to tingle when she did.

  First, he’d kiss away that hesitant look. That in-your-face attitude she threw out was a smokescreen. She was unsure of herself as a woman. He’d change that before he left this ranch. He’d strip her down to that silky skin and put his hands and mouth all over her. He would do it until she begged him for release. He’d let her get close, then he’d back off and start all over again. When she did explode, it would be like Fourth of July fireworks.

  He wanted her so badly he could almost taste her. If she was his, he’d rip off her pants, turn her around, bend her over, and slam into her from behind. He’d finger her clit until she couldn’t hold back any longer. His cock throbbed painfully, demanding to escape his worn jeans and jump into action.

  Lila was what he and Houston called feisty, and males like Tank called a bitch. She challenged him, on many levels. It was part of her charm. He expected she could be quite the brat at times. That was fine with him, because brats got spanked. She certainly had the right ass for it.

  Some said everything happened for a reason, though it was often hard to know why. It was easy to figure this out. They were here to protect Lila. It had been a long time since someone needed him.

  Rascal nudged his thigh. He bent down to give the dog more scratches. He would’ve given so much to have had a dog like this when he was a kid. Now that he was free, there was nothing stopping him from getting one. Nothing except a lack of money. He could go withou
t food, but he would never do that to an animal.

  “So, you’ll take the job?”

  She glared at him as if he was the cause of the problem. Rascal moved over to sit at her feet, nudging her with his nose. She reached out and fondled his ears. She had wide palms and long fingers. Maybe long enough to wrap around his thick cock. Her mouth was a good size as well, and those puffy lips…

  If Lila wanted him, he’d happily show her better things to do with that mouth than talk. His cock strained against his jeans. He wasn’t going to hide a fact of nature. He was a man who’d gone without sex for a long time. She was a sexy, turned-on woman. A plus B equals a first-class boner.

  “What’re you offering?” he demanded. She might be the one giving the orders, but he did not give up control. Ever.

  “The Circle C will give both of you a decent wage, three good meals, a bed that your feet won’t hang over, and more fresh air than you can inhale. Can you ride?”

  “Don’t know about Houston. Been a few years since I’ve been on the back of a horse,” he admitted. She scowled. Judging by the pulse in her throat and more, she used it as a mask. He’d grown up vigilant, watching the adults around him for signs he should duck, or run. It was habit to notice what people said, and match it against what they tried to hide. Lila’s body said she wanted him to explore every inch of her, inside and out.

  “Is that a yes, or no?” she demanded.

  She looked real cute with her fists jammed on her hips. Did she realize what happened to her lips when she pouted? He bet she didn’t like having to look up to him, or being caught between a rock and a hard place.

  “I spent most of my life working from sunup to sundown.”

  She had a few habits he would break if she submitted to him. Her language would be first. She was a woman, and should act like one. He’d heard enough swearing growing up, and in the army. He didn’t want to see her sweet lips saying rough words. Those lips could be put to far better use, such as exploring his body.

  “What’s with you and this Tank?” he asked.