Betting the Farm (15 page)

Kai blinked open her eyes to see Eli lick the taste of her
off his lips. She reached out to stroke his face, drag her thumb across his
mouth. “You’re good with your tongue.”

He rose to his feet, towering over her before lowering his
face close to hers. The cocky grin was back. “Sugar, we’re just getting warmed
up.”

If Fritz didn’t get inside some part of Kai’s body soon, he
was going to bust a nut.

The fantasy of sharing her with Eli had been steamy, but the
reality was scorching him from the top of his head to the soles of his feet.

He nuzzled her jaw, spreading his hands across her quivering
stomach. “I want to fuck you. Can Eli have your mouth?” When all she did was
nod her consent, he turned her around, tipping her face up to his. It took a
second for her eyes to focus on him. “You okay?”

“I’m great.” She shoved her fingers into the waistband of
his shorts, ripping at the ties. “Take these off.”

“Bossy,” he said with a relieved chuckle, and stepped out of
them.

His gaze swung to Eli, who had already shed his briefs. “On
your back.”

Eli stretched his long frame out on the quilt, propping
himself up on one hand while he grabbed his dick with the other.

Fritz kissed Kai, coasting his hands up and down her bare
body to wake up any nerve endings that might’ve dozed off after the stellar
orgasm Eli gave her. Her fingers wrapped around his cock, stroking him in long
pulls that had him thrusting into her grip.

“Enough of that.” He nipped her bottom lip with his teeth.
“I’ll come before I ever get inside your sweet pussy.”

“Come ’ere, honey,” Eli said.

Kai dropped to her hands and knees, crawling toward Eli,
giving Fritz one hell of a sexy view. Yeah, he wanted that virgin ass, but not
until she was ready, and definitely not during her first three-way. He grabbed
a condom and rolled it on.

She leaned over Eli, butt in the air. Her hair was almost
dry now and it swung forward in loose curls over his hips. Her head dipped and
Fritz knew from Eli’s expression the moment she took him inside her mouth.

“Jesus, girl,” Eli said, one hand fisting the quilt while
the other cupped the side of Kai’s head. “That’s so good. Yeah, now take me
deep.”

His brother’s filthy commentary made Fritz’s cock pulse
because he was very familiar with Kai’s lush mouth, the amazing things she did
with her tongue. He snugged himself close to her ass and slid inside her in one
deep thrust. At her throaty moan, Eli hissed through his teeth.

Despite their makeshift bed being in the shade of a huge
oak, sweat dampened their bodies. Kai’s golden skin glistened in the dappled
sunlight, and Fritz couldn’t resist touching her. He drew his fingertips down
her spine, gripping her hip with his other hand to hold her still. Her pussy
rippled around his cock, making him clench his jaw. She wanted him to move, and
he did too, but he resisted until he suspected that Eli was about to come.

“Your mouth is so sweet,” Eli said, his gaze jumping up to
Fritz. “Lucky fucker.”

Fritz grinned in agreement. He
was
damn lucky to have
this smokin’ hot woman in his life—someone who was smarter than him, sweet as
honey, and willing and eager to dive headlong into his every filthy whim.

She released Eli with a soft, wet pop and glanced back over
her shoulder at Fritz. “Think you might move sometime today?”

Christ, her saucy, playful mouth turned him on. His palm
cracked across her right ass cheek, making her gasp. Fritz knew how amazing she
was with her mouth, but he couldn’t be two places at once. “Suck him, Kai. Then
we’ll both make you come so hard you’ll forget your name.”

She laughed and wiggled her bottom. Fritz smacked her again,
this time leaving his palm print behind. She shuddered beneath his hands and
Eli’s head tipped back when she engulfed him. Fritz thrust once, deep and hard,
just to remind her of what was to come. Keep her on the edge.

Eli bared his teeth on a low growl as he watched Kai’s mouth
work him. “I’m gonna come, sugar. Move or take it.”

She didn’t move. With a long, rough groan, Eli came while
Kai kept her lips wrapped around him. Her pussy tightened on Fritz’s cock but
she didn’t come. When she lifted her head, he sat back on his heels, bringing
her body upright. She fell back against his chest, her hands covering his at
her waist. The position spread her thighs wide, leaving her open and exposed so
four hands could drive her insane with hunger. She tipped her head back onto
his shoulder and he kissed the arch of her neck, then caught the tender skin
between his teeth in a sharp bite.

Fritz snagged Eli’s gaze again and nodded. Recovered enough
to understand, Eli scooted close to them, grazing Kai’s nipple with his teeth.
One of her hands slid around the back of Eli’s neck. Eli’s tongue made lazy
circles around the pale-pink bud. Her body quivered in Fritz’s arms.

Fritz reached down to stroke her clit in light swipes with
the tip of his middle finger. At the same time, he began to move them together,
working his hips in short pumps.

Her silky hair tickled Fritz’s biceps and shoulder as she
moved her head from side to side, needy whimpers escaping her throat. While
Eli’s mouth worked one stiff nipple, his fingers plucked and rolled the other.
Fritz increased the pressure on her clit. She was so wet and swollen, he longed
for a taste of her, but he wanted to feel her pussy grip his cock when she
came. Hear the sounds she made in his ear and feel her hands pull at his hair
as the pressure rose inside her, then broke free.

Eli started up the dirty talk again. “You’re so fucking
sexy. I can still taste you on my lips, sweet as a peach. Does his cock feel
good, baby?”

Fritz trailed his fingers across her flushed stomach, the
muscles contracting under his touch. Kai moaned deeply and Fritz felt the
vibration race down his spine. He thrust hard, again, again, again, gritting
his teeth in hopes of holding out a few minutes longer.

She was at a rolling boil now, the noises coming from her
throat desperate. Her nails scraped at his thigh and Eli’s shoulder. Fritz
could see the red, raised tracks they left behind, feel the sting of the same
marks on his skin.

He applied more pressure to her clit, rubbing down both
sides of it with two slick fingers. Eli’s cheeks hollowed as he tormented her
nipple. Her body grew as taut as new fence wire, then gave with a staggering
rush of energy. Kai cried out, the sexy sound ripping his own orgasm from his
balls. He emptied into her with enough heat and force it should’ve melted the rubber.

The sounds of them trying to catch their breath drowned out
nature’s noises for a few minutes before growing quieter, calmer.

“Goddamn,” Eli said.

Kai laughed after a deep sigh of satisfaction.

“You said a mouthful,” Fritz added.

Eli leaned forward and kissed Kai on the mouth. “You were
something else, sugar.”

“So were you.” She gave his cheek a pat.

While his brother stood to redress, Kai eased off Fritz’s
lap, sprawling onto her stomach across the quilt. After Fritz dealt with the
condom, he stretched out next to her, running his fingertips up her backbone
just to watch her skin prickle. The faint, lingering palm print on her ass made
him grin. He swept her hair away from her face and kissed her neck.

The urge to tell her he loved her swelled inside his throat,
but once again, he swallowed it down. Eli gave him a look over Kai’s back, one
eyebrow cocked, a tiny smile on his mouth. Yeah, he knew Fritz was toast. Then
he pulled his shirt over his head and it disappeared.

“You don’t want to stay and swim?” Kai asked Eli.

“Better not,” he said. “If I stay, I’ll want to spend more
time between your sexy thighs. Best not wear out my welcome.”

She couldn’t see the nod Fritz gave his brother. The
threesome had been fun, hotter than he imagined it could be. And sure, they
could’ve gone another round, tried a few more positions, tested Kai’s
boundaries a little, but his generosity had its limits. He wanted her all to
himself now.

Eli stomped his feet into his boots, then grabbed a bottle
of water from the cooler and climbed into his truck. Music blared as he backed
out of the clearing and drove away.

Kai rolled onto her side to face him, outlining his mouth
with a fingertip. “That was nice.”

He arched an eyebrow. “
Nice
?”

“My brain’s too scrambled to think hard.”

“That good, huh?” Something sharp twisted in his gut. Was
sharing her with Eli about to backfire on him?

She shoved him onto his back, getting right in his face.
“Yes, it was good. It was great in fact. Hot. Sexy.” A kiss between each word.
“Fun. Raunchy. Surprising. But…”

He held his breath.

“It can’t hold a candle to the things I feel when it’s just
you and me. With Eli here, all the feelings were superficial. I was thinking
with body parts only. When
you’re
making love to me, I feel emotions so
strong and deep there aren’t names for them.”

That did it. He couldn’t swallow his words any longer. He
grabbed her face in his hands, drowning in those beautiful baby blues. “I love
you, Kai.”

Tears pooled in her eyes. One slipped free to drip onto his
chin. Her bottom lip quivered before she clamped it into submission with her
teeth. She nodded, whispered, “I love you too.”

Fritz laughed and pulled her into his arms. “Jesus, it feels
good to get that out.”

She sniffed against his neck. “And the setting was appropriate.”

Realization dawned. Right here, in almost the exact same
spot, was where he’d made that declaration to her the first time, back when
they were teenagers. “Wow, I hadn’t thought of that.”

“It feels better the second time around.”

Yes, it did.

Just before noon on Wednesday, Ruby called Kai to ask if
they could meet for lunch. When Ruby rattled off the address, Kai said,
“There’s a restaurant there?”

“Not exactly,” Ruby said. “It’s a surprise.”

So at a few minutes before twelve, Kai parked across the
street from the address Ruby gave her. She was in the historic district of
town, where all the older buildings that were once the first businesses in
Serenity—bank, post office, drugstore, five and dime—had now been converted
into quaint stores, restaurants or loft-style apartments.

The town council had poured a lot of money into upgrades in
order to draw consumers and potential businesses back into the area. Antique
lampposts lined the streets. Planters full of annuals exploded with splashes of
color. The city park was a block away, and it had recently been renovated too,
with new playground equipment, lighting, benches and a walking path. It all
came off as very welcoming and family friendly, money well spent.

Ruby stood on the sidewalk in front of a red-brick building
whose corner entrance faced the intersection of two streets. A large plate
glass window was shaded by a green and white striped awning that had seen
better days. Above the front door was a warped wooden sign that read “For
Rent”.

When Kai approached, Ruby smiled and unlocked the door to
the building. She reached for Kai’s hand and pulled her inside.

Kai did a slow turn, surveying the musty space. The walls
were exposed brick that matched the outside. There was a long counter along one
wall and a glass case that resembled something you’d see in a bakery. Dirty
shelving lined the opposite wall. The back-half of the building was partitioned
off. The floor was black and white squares in a checkerboard pattern.

Well, they were
supposed
to be white, she thought
wryly.

At least an inch of dust covered every surface. Even the
windows were caked with a layer of grime.

Ruby held out her arms. “What do you think?”

“I think it needs a water hose, but other than a good cleaning,
it could work. What did this used to be?”

“Originally it was Poulson’s Dry Goods starting in the early
fifties, then after that Erickson’s Meat Market for about thirty years. I think
the last tenant was a bakery. It’s been empty for almost a year now and Mr.
Kramer, the owner, is willing and eager to make a deal.”

“Does he want to rent or sell?”

Ruby raised her eyebrows. “He’ll do a lease-to-own, throw in
all the contents and even waive the security deposit if we’re interested.”

“Wow. He
is
motivated.” Kai knew Ruby’s involvement
played a huge part in Mr. Kramer’s willingness to be so accommodating too. The
Carter name carried a lot of weight with the blue-collar community. She opened
a door to what turned out to be a sizable storage closet. “What’s in the back?”

“A small office, a bathroom that’s in serious need of
updating and more storage.”

“How much is he asking a month?”

“He said he’d take a thousand a month to start with then
renegotiate in one year. If we see that the co-op is going to work, we can talk
about the lease-to-own option, or an outright purchase, and he’ll hold the note
for fair market terms.”

Kai’s mouth had gone dry. It was one thing to make grand
plans but having those plans start to become reality was scary as hell. She was
sticking her neck out here. Way out. Putting all of her savings on the line for
an endeavor that might prove fruitless.

And there was more than just money to be lost. Ruby was
throwing the Carter name behind Kai’s little start-up project, along with her
full support. If Kai failed, she failed all of them, not just herself. That
knowledge sat on her shoulders—and her conscience—like a load of bricks.

“I know it’s a lot to consider on such short notice, Kai. A
decision doesn’t have to be made today. I just wanted you to have a look at the
place.”

She nodded, wandering over to the wall of shelves. “I doubt
we’d find this much space that cheap anywhere else and the location is great.
My gut instinct is to say yes, with a few caveats. I’d like to have the
building inspected. Make sure the roof doesn’t leak, the electrical is in good
shape and the plumbing works.”

“I agree, and Mr. Kramer understands the need to be
cautious. After all, the building has sat empty for a long period of time.”

Kai began to imagine how it could look transformed, making
mental notes about the items she’d need to price out.

“I like the exposed brick and the awning out front.” Even
though the awning was a little faded and tattered around the edges. “It has a
country market feel to it.”

“Yes!” Ruby said. “I thought so too. And these shelves would
be perfect for displaying jarred items—preserves, pickles, honey and the like.
The lower shelves could be lined with baskets to hold loose items, like fruits
and vegetables for instance, and the bakery case is a godsend for pies and cold
items. If it still works, that is.” She walked to the front window of the
store. “There’s room in this area for a few small café tables and we could put
a couple outside on the sidewalk for when the weather is pleasant.”

Seeing Ruby’s face light up with excitement boosted Kai’s
resolve. She could do this. She could make this work; she felt it in her gut
and
her heart. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

Ruby came to stand in front of her, reached into the pocket
of her jeans and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She grasped one of Kai’s
hands and laid it in her palm.

It was a check for ten thousand dollars.

Kai gasped and immediately started shaking her head.

“No, Ruby, I can’t accept this.” But Ruby pushed her hand
away when she tried to give it back. “It’s too much! I brought you into this
because I knew you would have a lot of great ideas about who might be
interested in participating but I never meant for you to contribute
financially. The costs are my burden to bear.”

Ruby took Kai’s hands in hers, giving them a squeeze.
“Listen to me. This is
my
money. Not Joe’s or the boys’ or Carter Farms.
Mine
, left to me by my mother when she passed. Joe doesn’t like to
travel and my sons are all self-sufficient, so I have nothing to spend it on. I
want
to be a part of this with you. I haven’t been this excited about
something since…well, since I saw Fritz’s face light up when he told me you
were back in town.” Damn it all, Ruby was going to make her cry again. “I know
this can work because I have faith in
you
. Let me help, Kai.”

Kai drew a stuttered breath. “Okay.”

Then Ruby pulled her into a bear hug. Lord, she adored this
woman.

* * * * *

Fritz lifted his arm to his face, swiping away the sweat
trickling down his jaw with the sleeve of his T-shirt, then grabbed the top of
another fence post, shoving it back and forth to loosen it from the ground. He
and Eli were tearing down an old fencerow separating two fields. Since Carter
Farms owned both pieces of property now and they didn’t have livestock to worry
about containing, the fence was unnecessary. Besides that, it had long since
seen its better days. The barbed wire was stretched or rusted apart and the
ancient posts were mostly rotten.

“So,” Eli started. In Fritz’s experience, that word alone
tended to be a precursor for an uncomfortable topic. “Have you bought a ring
yet?”

Yep, uncomfortable.

Fritz chucked the post he’d just pulled from the ground at
his brother, who easily stepped out of its way with a snicker. The stretch of
weathered wood hit the dirt with a solid
thunk
.

“I’ll take that as a no,” Eli said.

“Take it as it’s none of your damn business.”

Finished for the day, Fritz strolled over to the back of his
truck, tugged off his gloves and fished two ice-cold bottles of water out of
the cooler. He tossed one to Eli then lowered the tailgate and hopped up onto
it.

The notion of buying a ring
had
crossed his mind. He
just wasn’t going to admit it to anyone, not even the brother he was closest
to. His intuition said it was too early in their relationship. And right now
Kai might see a proposal as insecurity on Fritz’s part. As if a diamond on her
finger would act like a tether and keep her from leaving him again. Another
small lingering fear he hated to acknowledge, even to himself.

Eli sat down next to him, chugging half his bottle of water
before lifting his cap and pouring the rest of it over his head. What didn’t
drip off his stubbled chin joined the sweat already soaking the collar of his
T-shirt. It
was
damn hot today but they’d been putting off this
particular task for long enough. It needed to be done while they had the
available time. Skirting fences on a tractor, no matter what their condition,
was a giant pain in the ass.

“Kai strikes me as an emerald-cut type of girl,” Eli mused,
and Fritz looked around the bed of his truck for something else to hit him
with.

“Enough with the ring talk, dickhead.”

Eli laughed. “I’m just yankin’ your chain. But I hope you’re
not tellin’ yourself you’re not in love with her again, ’cause the look on your
face Sunday before I left said way different.”

“I didn’t say I wasn’t in love with her.”

“You’re still mighty touchy about the subject,” Eli said.

“It’s hard to accept that you’re good and whipped, even when
it’s by someone as great as Kai.”

His brother gave him a self-satisfied grin. “Glad to hear
you finally cop to it.”

“I’d rather you not broadcast the news to the rest of the
family. Mom’s already foaming at the mouth for grandkids.”

“You know me better than that. I gotta say though, I never
thought you’d ever want to share Kai. I kept waiting for one of you to change
your mind and back out at the last minute. Don’t get me wrong, it was fucking
unforgettable and I enjoyed myself tremendously. Wouldn’t mind a repeat either.
But still, I was prepared to leave with my balls hurtin’.”

“I sorta surprised myself,” Fritz said. “And then she blew
me away by agreein’ to it too.”

Eli dug around in the cooler, pulling out a beer this time
instead of water. He wiped the excess moisture off the outside of the bottle
before twisting the cap off. “There’s a certain amount of risk involved in
introducing that sort of thing into a serious relationship, even if it happens
just once.”

Fritz pursed his lips, thinking. “Guess that means I trust
her, huh?”

“And her you,” Eli supplied. “And I suppose me too, to a
certain extent. Otherwise she would’ve never done it.”

While Fritz processed that surprising bit of deep insight
from his older brother, he grabbed a beer for himself. He
did
trust her,
and it felt damn good, like he could push any lingering doubts away and start
looking ahead to their future together. Stop worrying about when the other shoe
was going to drop.

He swallowed a mouthful of beer. “Let’s knock off for the
day.”

Eli slid off the tailgate, gesturing with his bottle at the
long row of pulled fencepost and coils of rusty wire lining the middle of the
field. “What about loadin’ up the mess? We leavin’ that job for tomorrow?”

“Nope. I’m gonna leave it for Sage’s lazy ass. He’s gettin’
way too accustomed to that air-conditioned office and padded chair.”

When they drove up to the barn, Kai’s car was parked in her
usual spot. Eli stepped out of Fritz’s truck and right over into his with a
tired wave. Fritz knew the feeling. With every step he made up the flight of
stairs to the loft, the muscles in his shoulders and lower back tightened
another notch.

Kai was sitting at the bar, her laptop open and papers
spread everywhere. Her hair was twisted into a messy knot on top of her head
with a pencil stuck through the middle, defying gravity. As bad as he wanted to
pluck that tiny fencepost out of its nesting place and see all that blonde silk
tumble down around her shoulders, he was too damn exhausted to follow through.

She looked up and smiled as he ducked his head for a quick
kiss. He knew he smelled awful, but she never acted like the scent of hard work
repulsed her. Not that he expected her to rub all over him like a cat in heat,
it was just nice knowing she wasn’t one of those prissy women who curled their
lip at a little dirt and sweat earned through manual labor.

“If I’m not out of the shower in twenty minutes, come check
on me. I might pass out from exhaustion.”

She poked her lush bottom lip out, stroking his cheek with a
fingertip. “Poor baby. Your mom is expecting us for supper. Want me to call and
cancel?”

“No,” he tossed over his shoulder as he headed for the
bathroom. “I just need a cool shower and a power nap, then I’ll be good to go.”

After he showered, Fritz pulled on a clean pair of boxer
briefs and collapsed on Kai’s bed while she pecked away on her keyboard.
Building her new business empire, he thought proudly, as his eyelids grew
heavier and heavier.

A warm hand rubbing his bare back roused him from a deep,
dreamless sleep. He opened his eyes to see Kai stretched out on the bed next to
him, her head propped in her palm as she watched him. He checked his mouth for
drool—he’d been that far out of it. With a low groan, he rolled over and dry
washed his face with his hands. “How long was I asleep?”

“Couple hours,” she said.

“Seriously?” Sure enough, when he glanced toward the French
doors, it was almost dark outside. “Well, damn.”

“I called Ruby and told her we wouldn’t make it. She
understood. Said she’d save us leftovers.”

He drew a knuckle across the smooth strip of skin showing
between her shorts and top. Just that simple bit of contact was all it took to
send lust ricocheting through his body. It settled with a heavy throb in his
groin. “Aren’t you hungry?”