Takin' the Reins (The Sterling Brothers #2)

Evernight Publishing ®

www.evernightpublishing.com

Copyright© 2016 Jenika Snow

ISBN: 978-1-77233-797-6

Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

Editor: Karyn White

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal.  No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

TAKIN’ THE REINS

The Sterling Brothers, 2

Jenika Snow

Copyright © 2016

Chapter One

He needed a piece of ass.

Jace was ready for this day to be over with. He wanted to go into town, toss some drinks back, and find a woman to fuck.

“Hey, princess, quit daydreaming and get the rest of the bales,” Colton, his other brother, hollered out.

Jace grinned and lifted his hand, giving him the one finger wave. Colton mimicked the act, and Jace laughed. He grabbed a bale of hay off the ground and tossed it in the back of the trailer. For it only being April, and the fact they were pretty high in the mountains, he was sweating bullets. But he liked this hard, rigorous work the farm put him through. It kept him in shape, and also kept his folks’ memory alive.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, and looked toward the house to see the oldest Sterling, Travis, walking toward them, his woman, Pearl, close behind. She held a basket, and Jace grinned.

“Feeding time, bro,” he yelled out to Colton.

“Oh yeah,” Colton said, and the two of them rounded the trailer to meet Travis and Pearl.

“I figured you guys were ready for something to eat.” Pearl handed over the basket. In her other hand she held a gallon jug of water. She handed that over to Colton, her pretty mocha colored skin flawless in the setting sun.

“If you weren’t with my brother I’d take you as mine, Pearl,” Colton said, opening the jug and drinking right from it.

“Watch it,” Travis said on a growl, and Jace started laughing.

Pearl was the best thing to happen to Travis, and Jace was glad his older brother had found someone to complete him. Travis had been hard as fucking steel before Pearl came along, and although he still was an asshole at times, especially to them, Jace could see the change in his brother.

“You guys nearly done with the order?” Travis asked.

Colton handed over the water to Jace, and he took several pulls from it before handing it back to the youngest Sterling. “Yeah,” he answered Travis. “We just got a few more bales to toss in the back before we head out to Shannon’s.”

“What’s you guys’ plans for tonight?” Pearl asked, but then when Jace grinned she sighed and rolled her eyes. “Do I even want to know?”

Jace shook his head. “Not unless you want to be scarred.”

Colton started laughing.

“You guys are bad,” Pearl said.

“Yeah, but only in the best way.” Jace winked at her.

Travis pulled his woman into an embrace. “I’m taking Pearl on a mini vacation this weekend. We haven’t done anything together, or been really alone since she became mine, and I think it’s due time.”

“Sounds good,” Colton said.

The possessiveness in Travis’s voice was clear, but then again it had been pretty instant from the moment he saw her. Jace had seen the change right away in Travis.

“Enjoy the food, boys,” Pearl said and grinned.

Jace watched Travis and his woman walk away, and this ache in his chest took root. He wanted that, wanted to have a woman that was incredible like Pearl.

“Travis is a lucky guy,” Colton said, and Jace nodded.

“Yeah, he is.” He looked at Colton. “You thinking about settling down soon?” They weren’t young enough that they shouldn’t be thinking about finding a woman and making a family. Hell, being in their thirties meant they needed to think about it pretty damn soon. But they’d been so focused on the farm and making sure it prospered, that honestly Jace hadn’t given it much thought.

“Man, I’m not looking for a woman. I don’t need to settle down.” Colton grinned. “I got it good just the way things are.”

Yeah, Colton was right. Although finding a good woman sounded pretty incredible, Jace was happy where his life was right now. He worked hard, and played harder.

“Come on, let’s finish this so we can go out and find something to help us wind down,” Colton said and grinned, the anticipation clear on his face.

Yeah, Jace needed to find a woman for tonight. He was hard up, hadn’t been with anyone in too damn long because he’d been so fucking busy.

Jace was the youngest Sterling, but that didn’t mean he didn’t know how to work hard and party harder, just like his brothers. He took off his Stetson and wiped his forehead with his forearm.

Being only a year apart from Colton meant they’d been close growing up. Travis had been more like a parent to them, policing them, making sure they didn’t get into so much shit. But then after their parents passed away Travis stepped up even more and took over everything. He made sure things ran smoothly, made sure they didn’t fuck this up, and Jace was glad they had him in their lives.

They ate before getting back to work, and when they started up again they busted it all out in a half hour.

“I need to get cleaned up if I want to pick up some pussy tonight,” Colton said, wiping sweat from his brow.

Jace wiped the sweat off his face with a rag and put his hat back on. They headed toward the main farmhouse, the one where Travis and Pearl were currently living. Jace and Colton had smaller houses on the property, away from the main house so they had privacy, but still close enough that they could get shit done.

But the truth was even if Jace had the opportunity to live in the main house he would have passed it up. That had been their parents’ home, and he didn’t want to have the remembrance of what he’d lost day in and day out—more than he already did—of watching his mother dying in her room. It was hard enough as it was. Travis was stronger than he was in that sense. Colton, too, for that matter.

“Shit,” he said, not realizing he’d said the words out loud.

Colton looked over his shoulder at him. “What?”

Jace shook his head. “Nothing.” Thinking about his mom when she was sick made him think about the depressing shit, the fact he’d lost his father, too, that it was just the three of them now. Well, four because Pearl was now part of their family. That had been years ago, when they’d been teenagers, and he shouldn’t be thinking about the sad things that had happened.

“Meet you back at your place in an hour?”

Jace nodded at Colton. They got into their trucks since it was a good distance from the barn to their places on the property. Once Jace pulled into his driveway and cut the engine, he climbed out and headed inside.

Tossing his keys on the table by the front door, Jace took off his boots, stood there for a second, and decided to just get the rest of his filthy clothes off. He wasn’t one for caring if he made a mess, but he had a cleaner come in once a week after Pearl commented on how disgusting his place was. She’d been right. He worked a lot, and cleaning was not something he cared much about.

Once he was down to his boxer briefs, he took his clothes into the laundry room and tossed them on the floor. What he could use was a stiff drink before he got cleaned up. He thought about his home, the small town that had been a constant presence in his life, that was a place he couldn’t see himself leaving, ever. Granite was a small town where everyone knew when someone was taking a shit. Maybe that was an exaggeration, but it was along those lines where everyone knew everyone else’s business.

He went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of scotch, a glass, and made his way toward the bathroom. The sun had already set, and although he could have just stayed home and gotten drunk, getting pussy would be easy at Dickie’s, the town bar.

He brought the bottle and glass to the bathroom, poured himself a few shots, tossed them back, and started the shower. While it heated up he stared at his reflection in the mirror. His darker blond hair had pieces of hay in it from the day’s work, and his scruff-covered face had smears of dirt on it. More sweat beaded his brow as the heat in the small room increased, and he lifted the back of his hand to wipe it off.

Jace might like the life he led, the women he fucked for a few hours, and his home on the farm, but if he were being honest with himself he’d admit he was lonely. He saw Travis and Pearl together, and although he only thought of Pearl like a sister, he was envious of his brother’s happiness.

Scrubbing a hand over his face as weariness claimed him, Jace contemplated just staying in, but no, he’d head out with Colton, because he knew getting some ass would help keep his mind off how utterly alone he truly was. He turned away from his reflection and got in the shower. Maybe one day he’d find a woman that he could look at and know she was his? Maybe he’d feel that connection Travis said he had with Pearl? If it happened it happened, and if not, well, he had enough on his plate to keep him busy, he supposed.

Chapter Two

“Seriously?” Lexi said, already feeling the buzz, but not drunk enough to think this was a good idea, or would be fun.

Alexandra looked at her, the bride-to-be having bloodshot eyes, a glassy expression, and rosy cheeks. Yup, Alexandra was drunker than hell. Good, this was her night to let loose and have fun, but that was also a reason Lexi thought going to the next bar would bring the whole night down.

“What?” Alexandra said, her voice slurred, her face showing she was happy, and having a good time. “You don’t want to go to DICK-ie’s?” She emphasized the first part of the word, her raunchiness coming through. Alex started laughing, which had the other three women who had come along laughing as well.

“I could use some dick right about now,” one of the women said.

“Or two,” another one said.

Lexi didn’t know the other two women, as they were friends with Alexandra. Lexi had just recently moved back to Granite a few weeks ago, getting a position as a veterinary assistant at the local animal hospital. Aside from Alexandra and her family that still lived in the small town, Lexi didn’t really talk to anyone in town.

After leaving for school for the last four years, changing her degree more times than she cared to admit, and then doing another year of electives and internship, she finally moved back. But staying with her parents until she found something she could afford wasn’t exactly what she saw herself doing with a degree and at twenty-two.

“Dickie’s is a good place to end the night, Lexi,” Alexandra said. “All the good looking cowboys will be there, looking for a good time.”

Lexi rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help but smile. “You and your cowboys.”

“Oh yeah. That’s why I decided to marry one.” Everyone started laughing. “Heck, seeing them in those Wranglers, their asses, so, so…” Alexandra made a squeezing motion in front of her with her hands, and Lexi shook her head and laughed again. “And don’t get me started on their Stetsons, or those button up shirts they wear.” Alexandra sighed and leaned back on her seat in the limo. “Brandon looks damn good in all of that,” Alexandra continued, talking about her fiancé.

“Alex, it’s your night, so I’m game for whatever.” Lexi wasn’t about to bring the group down, and if they wanted to go to the rinky-dink little bar in Granite to end the night and catch a cowboy, well, who was she to say no?

“Who knows, Lexi,” Alexandra said and wrapped her arm around her shoulder. “You might just find yourself one smoking hot cowboy, too.”

Lexi doubted it, but it would be fun to watch the other women wrangle up some men.

****

“Just letting you know now, I am not picky on whom I bring home tonight,” Colton said before tossing back his fourth beer.

They’d been at Dickie’s for the last couple of hours, and Jace was pacing himself on the drinking. Mainly because he’d driven them down here, and since Colton was getting nice and wasted, one of them should keep their control so they didn’t have to call a cab.

“Dude, you’re never selective on the woman you bring home for the night,” Jace said, and snorted at the look Colton gave him.

“Nah, I just appreciate all women.”

This was true, but then again none of the Sterling brothers cared about size, color, or age. Hell, when he was fresh out of high school, Jace had been with a woman twenty years older than he was. And she’d taught him a thing or two.

Colton took the beers from the bartender and handed one to Jace. He took the offered bottle and drank a few swallows. Dickie’s was always busy on the weekends. In Granite it was the only place to really let loose. A group of women on the other side of the bar were eyeing them, but then again Jace and Colton had a reputation for getting down and dirty. The older generation didn’t care to know about that shit, but it shouldn’t matter either way given the fact the Sterling brothers worked damn hard in this town.

“I’m just saying,” Colton said in between drinking his beer and eye-fucking the women across from them. “If you hear screaming don’t call the cops.”

Jace snorted. “Man, if I can hear screaming all the way from your place I might need to call the cops.”

Colton started chuckling, but it was distant. Jace had seen that look on his brother’s face many times. It was the same one he got when he was ready to get dirty with a female.

“Do your thing, brother,” Jace said, bracing his forearms on the counter, and watching as Colton finished off his beer and went over to the women. Maybe he should have just stayed home and worked on the hundred things he still had to do, because honestly, the longer he sat here the less he wanted to be here.

He loved his brothers, and loved the farm. It was all he had, his life.

The town of Granite was old, with families being here for generations.

“How you doing, man?” Sully, the bartender, asked. He braced his arms on the counter and looked at Jace.

“I’m good. Thinking I should have stayed home since nothing is looking good tonight, if you catch my drift,” Jace said and tipped his beer toward Sully.

“Yeah, I get those nights, too, man.” Sully tapped his open hand on the counter. “You want something else?”

Jace shook his head and glanced at Colton, who was now wedged between two of the women. “I’m good. I have to drive home anyway.”

He looked down at his hands that were wrapped around the bottle, the label peeling up in the corners from the condensation. The sound of the front door opening, followed by a chorus of women laughing, had Jace lifting his head and looking at the group that walked in. The woman in the front of the group was recognizable right away. Alexandra Hartfield, one of the locals that he’d heard was marrying another local. She wore a white sash that deemed her “Bride-To-Be”. She was clearly drunk, obviously at her bachelorette party, and why she’d decided to stop at Dickie’s was beyond him. There wasn’t shit in Granite, especially not if someone wanted to party good and hard.

Yeah, well look where you’re at.

He recognized the other three women trailing behind vaguely, knew he’d probably seen them around town but didn’t know their names. He turned back to the bar, grabbed his beer, and took another drink. Looking at the mirror that lined the wall behind the bottles of liquor, he could see the women in the reflection. They took a table in the back of the bar. They were loud, obviously drunk already, and having a good time. He couldn’t fault anyone that wanted to let loose. Hell, that’s why he was here. But then another woman walked up to the other four sitting down already, her back to him, her long black hair in thick waves. She wore a strapless white dress, which did nothing to hide her curves. Her skin was creamy and smooth, and this beautiful caramel color. It was a gorgeous contrast to the stark white material of her outfit. He let his gaze travel down her body, appreciating the view. She had long, thick legs, a huge, rounded ass, and wide hips. He hadn’t even seen the front half of her and already he was sporting wood.

“Shots!” The women seemed to holler out in unison, and the white dress bombshell turned.

And then he got a look at the front half of her. The dress dipped down to show a generous amount of cleavage. Her breasts were huge, and it was clear, by the way her tits shook slightly when she moved, she wasn’t wearing a bra. He kept his focus on her as she made her way to the bar, and when she stood just a few feet from him the scent of lemon and vanilla slammed into him. But as he stared at her face this familiar feeling settled in him.

Where do I know her from?

If she were a regular he would have surely seen her around at some point, but he didn’t think he had. And then there was the fact he had this prickling on the back of his neck that told him he knew her. She must have felt his gaze on her, because she turned her head and looked right at him. For a split second he could see she didn’t know him, but then like a neon sign flashing right across her face recognition made up her expression.

So they did know each other.

He turned his body toward her, and despite her caramel colored complexion he saw her cheeks turn a pink color, and he couldn’t help but smile. He made her nervous, and for some reason he got a kick out of that. She turned her head back toward the bar, and Sully came up to her.

“Well, damn, if it isn’t little Lexi Baxter.” Sully took a step back and eyed her up and down. “You’re not so little anymore, are you?” Sully whistled.

Lexi Baxter.

Now he remembered her, but the last time he’d seen her she’d been this awkward teenager with braces. She was also younger than he was by over a decade, which explained why he didn’t know her all that well.

“I don’t know if I should take that as a compliment or not,” Lexi said and started chuckling, but it sounded nervous.

Sully eyed her up and down again. “Oh, it’s all good, Lexi. You don’t look like that awkward teenager anymore. You filled out into a woman these last few years.”

Lexi looked down, clearly embarrassed.

“Sully, man, not appropriate,” Jace said, having known Sully for years, but not liking the eye-fucking he was doing to Lexi.

But why? Who the fuck cares if Sully wants a piece?

Jace didn’t know why he gave a fuck, but the words had come out of his mouth before he even realized. He glanced at Sully, who lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender, and gave Lexi a wink.

Lexi laughed a little nervously, but then gave Sully the drink orders and looked down at her hands once he left to make them. For several seconds Lexi didn’t look at him again, just twisting her fingers together, and clearly doing everything in her power
not
to make eye contact with Jace. If he wasn’t so cocky—which he had no problem admitting—he might have felt like a creepy asshole for continuing to stare at her. But as it was he couldn’t look away. She lifted her hand and pushed a long lock of hair off her shoulder, before finally turning her head and staring him right in the eyes.

“You keep gawking,” she said bluntly, but her voice was soft, feminine.

“I wouldn’t say gawking,” he said and grinned. “Staring hard, yeah. I admit that.” A moment of silence passed. “I know you.”

Her eyes were big, light blue in color, and a gorgeous contrast to her caramel colored skin and black hair. She also had this faint speckling of freckles on the bridge of her nose.

“Yeah, I used to live here.” Her voice shook slightly, and he could tell she was nervous, but he couldn’t understand why.

Had he fucked her in the past? No, she couldn’t be any older than twenty-two, and he would have remembered being with her four years ago, which would have put her at eighteen. But even that was a little too young for him. Jace preferred experienced women, ones that could keep up with him in the bedroom. He liked it rough and dirty, and an inexperienced high school graduate didn’t really do it for him.

“You don’t remember me?” Jace knew she did given the fact she was acting awkward around him. That would have had him grinning in pleasure, but for some reason he didn’t want to just go in for the “kill”, so to speak. When he wanted a woman he had no problem going after her. They didn’t turn him down, so he found plenty of females to keep his bed warm for a few hours.

Jace wanted Lexi, had a hard-on right now, and wouldn’t mind tossing her over his shoulder, taking her to his place, and making her scream in orgasm all night. But he held back, his desire still there, but his curiosity on why he was getting under her skin interesting him at the moment.

“I remember you,” she said softly, her focus on the bar top now, but that only lasted a few seconds. She looked at him again.

“Can I buy you a drink?”

She shook her head and cleared her throat. “Um, no, but thank you. I’m here with my friends, but we probably won’t stay long.”

She was looking to escape, giving him excuses, and that just made him want her more. But he kept quiet and let her run in her own way. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t chase her, though. When Jace wanted something he made sure to get it, no matter what. And he wanted Lexi. Fucking hell, did he want her.