Cowboy Double-Decker (23 page)

“Guess what? I can go to college after all,” said Candy, smiling up at Adam. She snuggled up to him after supper, the two of them sharing the long couch. Adam had his arm wrapped around her, cupping her breast through her thin top. She turned to Bryan. “Kaela said she’d take over my chores until the end of April. Isn’t that great?”

“April?” Bryan sat up straight and frowned at Kaela, lying on the rug by the fire, staring into the flames. She didn’t move, but he noticed her muscles tense. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

He winced, wishing he hadn’t raised his voice. But April? Five more months of sharing a bed, even if they only slept most of the time. Staggering in from the barn in the dark, seeing her through the window, laughing in the kitchen with Candy. Knowing she was his.

For now.

“Why should I tell you?” Kaela didn’t turn around.

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“Because I invited you here and you’re sharing my bed.”

“But
you
didn’t ask me to stay. Candy did.” She curled her body to face him, tucking her long legs under her. “Since it bothers you so much, I’ll move back in with Scotty.”

“Nah, move in with us,” said Adam, grinning like a hungry wolf.

“You can scratch my back and a few other places when Candy’s away at school.”

“Shut up, Adam,” growled Bryan. “This is between me and Kaela.” He didn’t know if he was mad at Candy or at himself for not being the one to ask her to stay. He planned to ask her to visit until after Christmas. He couldn’t think much beyond that.

“No, it isn’t,” replied Kaela. “It’s between me and Candy.”

She stood up. He figured it was just so she could glare down at him, so he stayed where he was. What with the storm, they’d been working long hours, coming home to shower, eat, and crash into bed.

Today wasn’t as bad, so he’d planned to keep Kaela awake in bed, even if just for a quickie. Did this mean she’d blow him off? Damn, never knowing if she’d sleep with him or in the other room was a pain.

He now had until spring to see if he wanted to marry her. Would she settle in like Candy or run like Adam’s mother as soon as things got bad? She mentioned moving south where it was warmer—could she stand a dark, cold Montana winter? He’d find out before making a decision he’d later regret.

“I’ve been too damn tired to even think,” he said. “I was going to ask you to stay until the new year.” He hauled himself to his feet, letting her see he was stiff with pain. He ignored Adam’s snort. Okay, so he made it seem worse than he felt, but he was going for sympathy.

It worked, too, as she relaxed and gave him a bit of a smile.

“Good thing you didn’t ask me, as I would have said no. Finding an apartment at the beginning of January would be a pain. But it doesn’t matter since we’re staying while Candy needs us.”

“I need you, Kaela.”

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She pointedly looked at the bulge in his sweatpants. She tried to pretend otherwise, but he saw her lip twitch. Bumps swelled under her tight sweater before she crossed her arms. It wasn’t just the fire’s heat turning her face red, either.

“Not only for that,” he said. “But now that you mention it.” He hobbled toward her, not exactly faking it, but letting her see he was hurting. She let him pull her against him, resisting just a moment before melting. He let out his breath, inhaling strawberry shampoo and butterscotch.

“Sore muscles, cowboy?”

“That, too. I could use a soak in the hot pool, a massage, and whatever else you can come up with.”

She took his hand and towed him from the room, walking toward the jungle room. Adam gave him the thumbs up, grinning. Candy rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything until Adam sat up and pulled her sweater and T-shirt off in one yank.

Kaela let go of Bryan’s hand and pulled her own sweater off. All she had underneath was smooth skin. She turned, flashed him, and ran on her toes to the jungle. Since he faked being sore, he didn’t rush to follow. He stripped off his sweatpants and walked naked into the moist heat. Dark, except for tiny white lights showing the path to the hot pool. He padded around the corner to find her there, underwater lights bouncing off her curves.

“Want some of this, cowboy?”

She stood up, shoulders back. Water sluiced down her body. He gulped. The air, cooler than the water, made her nipples stand up and beg. She set a foot on the pool’s edge and dropped a hand. The other grasped her breast. When he stepped closer he saw how her fingers rubbed between her lips.

“That’s my job,” he growled.

“Not too tired and sore after all?”

After kissing her thoroughly, he sank into the water, his cock bobbing to the surface.

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“Not if you do all the work.”

He held his arms out. She stepped into the water, knelt on either side of his hips, and sank down. He guided her until she engulfed him, her tight heat squeezing him awake.

“God, woman, what you do to me,” he groaned.

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Missoula, Mid-February

“Why do we need to wear monkey suits?” demanded Bryan.

After Candy and Kaela had left to do “girl stuff” after breakfast, rented tuxedos were delivered to their hotel suite. None of Bryan’s plans for the weekend included putting on a formal dress shirt.

Especially when he and Kaela hadn’t had a hot session in way too long. He twisted his wrist to shove the gold cufflink through the second button hole and missed. For the third time.

“Dammit!”

“You need to get rid of that tension.” Adam, dressed in white shirt, black pants, and cummerbund, admired himself in the hotel suite’s full-length mirror. In comparison to Bryan, he was sleekly relaxed. He spent a lot of time in the shower with Candy that morning. They’d come out squeaky clean and glowing.

He
tsked
and took control of Bryan’s cufflink issue.

“Did Candy tell you what this is all about?” Bryan didn’t even nod his thanks.

“She said to be downstairs at five-thirty,” replied Adam. “Wear the tux. Bring nothing.”

Bryan attempted to jam his hands in his pants. His fingers slid past his hips. “Why the hell don’t the pockets work? How can we carry anything?”

“Sewing the pockets shut stops you wrecking the line of the clothing and you slouch less.”

“I don’t slouch. Dammit, why do we have to dress like penguins?”

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“Enough!” Adam grabbed Bryan’s arm and pulled him around with a rough tug. Bryan shook him off, barely stopping himself from punching his friend. “Listen hard, bro. The girls have gone to one hell of a lot of trouble for tonight. They’ve got something special planned, and just because you didn’t get laid this morning, you’re not going to ruin it for the rest of us. Got it?”

Bryan glared back. “This morning? Huh! Last night was the first time in weeks and that was too damn short.”

“Serves you right. If you asked her to marry you, you’d get it regular,” said Adam with a smirk.

“For your information, smartass, I asked her to stay.” He didn’t add, “For a while.”

“And?”

“She huffed and stomped away.”

Adam went back to the mirror to put on his bow tie. “What exactly did you say?”

“We get along fine, she’s doing a great job, and Scotty’s happy, so why not stay until summer?” Bryan shrugged. “We’ll be too busy working after that to see much of each other. She squawked, waved her arms around, and stomped out.”

“You said you’d put up with her until you’re too busy to bother with her?” Adam stared, mouth open. “Jeez, man, no wonder you’re not getting any!”

Bryan, cursing his tie, his tux, and the state of the world in general, gave him the finger. He rummaged in the rent-a-tux bag for his tie. He took it to the mirror and grimaced at himself as he tied it.

Adam slowly shook his head. “Getting thrown by all those broncs finally shorted out your brain.”

“She makes me so hard I can’t think when she’s around.”

“Unless you give her what she wants, you’re S.O.L, buddy.”

Bryan turned to face Adam.

“She demanded half my ranch portion. Said she won’t end up a kept woman.”

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Adam, shoes tied, frowned. “Kaela said what?”

“Her aunt couldn’t leave her abusive uncle because she had no job, no money, no family, and the bastard convinced her she was worthless. Kaela’s afraid of ending up the same.”

“Kaela doesn’t have a job, money, or family,” said Adam. “But she’ll get an instant family when she marries, and she’s got lots going for her. She’s smart, witty, educated,” he counted off her virtues on his fingers, “her tits are small, but she’s got long legs and her ass is number one.”

“Her tits are perfect!”

Adam held out his hand and waggled it in a see-saw motion.

Bryan knew Adam loved Candy’s bountiful boobs. He finished his tie and frowned at his reflection.

“It’s hard to get rid of the bullshit pounded into you as a kid,” he groused.

“Yeah, we both know about that. But if you want her to stay, ask her to marry you. Remember, Candy was about to walk when I finally smartened up and popped the question. Give Kaela whatever she wants. It’s worth it.”

“Not my land. It’s all I’ve got.” Bryan again tried to shove his hands in non-existent pockets. He growled and checked the clock.

“Damn, we’re supposed to be downstairs in five.”

Adam swung his suit coat on as Bryan stomped into his shoes.

“Hey, bro,” said Adam quietly as Bryan tied his shoes. “Let’s forget about everything tonight. Just have a good time, whatever it turns out to be. Candy let slip that they’ve worked on this for months.

Don’t screw it up for them or I will be majorly pissed at you.”

Bryan took a deep breath, held it as long as he could, then released it, pushing everything out of his lungs. His lip twitched, some of his usual good humor returning. “You think they’re sending us to the swinger’s club?”

“We can always hope.” Adam’s teeth gleamed in a predatory smile.

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They grabbed their “going-to-town” white Stetsons and strode toward the elevator. People dressed in Mardi Gras costumes crowded the lobby. The men strode out the door into the cold winter, oblivious to the stares and sighs as they passed. A uniformed man stepped out of a black limousine and opened the back door.

“You gents from the Double R?”

They nodded and slid inside the spacious interior at his gesture.

“Hunh,” said Bryan. “Never thought I’d ride in one of these.”

“Where’re we going?”

“I’m sorry, sir, but the ladies requested you not be informed of their plans.”

“Maybe we’re meeting them at a Mardi Gras party,” said Adam.

“We’re not wearing costumes.”

“Yes, we are. You said it yourself—monkey suits.”

Bryan settled his wide shoulders against the soft leather and watched the Missoula streets go by. Snow banks lined the edges of the roads, and stars sprinkled the inky sky.

When they drove into an industrial park, they turned to each other and shrugged. The limo turned in at a windowless concrete building, a giant box among many. But the back, or perhaps it was the front, showed a different character. Pressed concrete resembling large stone blocks made the walls look like a castle. Columns held up a portico, which they drove under. Going with the whole shebang, they waited for the door to be opened by the chauffeur and stepped out onto a red carpet.

Bryan automatically went for his wallet, again cursing his non-existent pockets. “Sorry, buddy, can’t give you a tip.”

“Not to worry, sir,” the driver replied. “It’s all been taken care of.

Management will call me when you’re ready to leave and I’ll meet you here. Enjoy yourselves.” He tipped a finger against his peaked cap and drove away.

At the left side of the steps, a man waited in a heavy coat, fur hat, and white gloves. The right side had a bronze plaque with “Missoula
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Gentleman’s Club, Members Only” inscribed in discrete letters.

“Hot dayam,” said Bryan. “They sent us to a strip club!”

“This is a private club for gentlemen to discuss business while being entertained,” huffed the doorman. He opened the door, and they entered a world far from the harshness of winter ranching.

A sparkling chandelier lit the entry hall, tiled in black and white marble diamonds. A statuesque blonde waited, her long-sleeved, high-necked, slim black dress falling to her stiletto-clad toes. The sheer fabric caressed the luscious body beneath.

“This way, sirs,” she said, nodding to each in turn. She gracefully turned on her heel and proved her rear view was just as enticing as her front.

Bryan and Adam took off their hats, gave each other shit-eating grins, and followed her swaying curves through a beaded crystal curtain. After checking their hats, their hostess patted them down for cell phones, cameras, wires, and weapons. Both men had undergone the procedure numerous times growing up, usually just before they were cuffed and put into a patrol car after a drunken brawl. They enjoyed the procedure far more this time.

They followed their guide through a door and down a short, mirrored hall. Though the carpet was thick, both sensed a large space above the black ceiling. Bryan peered up, but bright lights shone harshly, obscuring his view.

“Feel like I’m walking through the portcullis of a castle,” said Bryan. “If we do something wrong, do you drop pots of boiling oil on us?”

She looked over her shoulder with a smile. “That’s privileged information, sir. But, yes, we take our members’ anonymity seriously.

You may choose to acknowledge acquaintances, but no one speaks of this establishment or what happens within.” She lifted her finger to her mouth in a shush gesture, eyebrows high in question. They nodded their agreement.

Adam stopped at the next mirror and pressed his index finger to it.

Cowboy Double-Decker