Corralled (12 page)

The lights were on in the kitchen. Abe started chores every morning at six, just like clockwork.

Kyle parked beside Abe’s rig and shut off the engine. He turned around, resentment in his eyes. “I’m agreeing to this on one condition.”

LORELEI JAMES 9

“What’s that?”

“If Lainie’s in your bed alone with you for one night, turnabout is fair play.”

The thought of Kyle and Lainie alone together made him gnash his teeth, but it also strengthened Hank’s determination that his time alone with Lainie tonight would be memorable. Maybe even unforgettable. He said, “Fine.”

By the time they’d unloaded the luggage, Abe leaned on the front rail with a mug of coffee, watching them.

“Hey, bro,” Hank greeted. “Is there coffee left or did you drink it all?”

“Drank it. But I started a fresh pot when I heard you drive up,”

Abe said. “Got quite the merry little band with you, Hank.”

Hank tugged Lainie beside him. “Abe, this is Lainie Capshaw.

Lainie, this is my brother, Abe.”

Abe switched his coffee mug to his left hand and thrust out his right. “Good to meetcha, Lainie.”

“Likewise, Abe. Thanks for having me as an extra houseguest.”

He smiled. “No trouble at all. How long are y’all stayin’?”

“Just tonight. We’re heading to Gillette early tomorrow.”

Kyle dropped his bag and dust puffed out from where it hit the ground. “Hey, Abe.”

“Gilly.”

Hank smirked at Abe’s use of Kyle’s old nickname.

“Well? Don’t keep me in suspense. How’d you do in your CRA debut?”

“First place.”

“Outstanding. Was the purse worth more or the points?”

“Definitely the points. Although the money wasn’t bad. Ain’t gonna make me rich, but luckily I’ve hooked a rich travel partner to share expenses with for the next couple weeks.” Kyle nudged Hank when he snorted.

9 CORRALLED

“You guys taking the camper?” Abe said to Hank.

“You’re not using it for huntin’, are you?”

“Have at it. I’ll get Bran and a couple of guys to help us load it.”

“I’ll call him,” Hank offered. Part of the reason he wanted to see his friends was to show Lainie off.

She’s not really yours.

But she will be.

“Where am I crashing?” Kyle asked Abe.

“Probably be quietest down in the basement. Back bedroom.”

“Cool. I’ll be bright- eyed and bushy- tailed after a little shut-eye.” Kyle shouldered his duffel and lumbered into the house, the screen door slamming behind him.

No doubt Kyle was sore about the Lainie situation.

Hank focused on Abe. “Where is Miz Celia?”

“Who the hell knows? She’s been coming home at the butt crack of dawn for the last two weekends. Then she sleeps all damn day. She won’t tell me nothin’ about where she’s been or what she’s been doin’. Maybe you can coax something out of her.

I sure can’t.” Abe drained his coffee and grimaced. “Sorry for rambling, Lainie, when it appears you’re ready to fall asleep on your feet.”

“It’s okay. If there’s anything I can do while you guys are checking cattle or whatever, I’d be—”

Hank smothered her babbling with a decisive kiss. When he eased back, she blinked up at him. “What was that for?”

“For thinking you’re gonna be a maid, housecleaner, and cook.

What part of ‘guest’ is confusing to you?”

“The offer to help out is deeply ingrained in me. A little kiss ain’t gonna stop it, sorry to say.” She yawned. “As much as I’d love to chew the fat, if you don’t need me I will hit the hay.”

“I’ll be waiting in the machine shed whenever you two get done.” Luckily Lainie missed Abe’s lewd wink.

LORELEI JAMES 9

Lainie didn’t gawk at the surroundings of his home. He steered her half- stumbling form down the hallway. Damn woman. He’d bet she hadn’t slept a wink waiting for them to pick her up. He opened the door to his room, praying he hadn’t left it a pigsty.

She sighed dreamily. “That’s the biggest bed I’ve ever seen. Is it real? Or am I asleep, dreaming about an enormous marshmallow?”

“It’s real.” Hank managed to catch her before she face- planted on the carpet. “Whoa, there. Lemme help you.” He guided her to the edge of the mattress. “Let’s get your boots off.”

“I can do it.” She frowned. “Probably.” Another frown. “Maybe.”

While she debated, Hank lifted her foot and yanked off her right boot. Then her left. She fell back onto his puffy goose- down comforter with another blissful sigh. “Night, sexy bullfighter.”

He laughed. “You need my help getting undressed?”

“Why can’t I just sleep like this?”

“Because I’ve fantasized about getting you nekkid between my sheets since the first time we met and I ain’t about to let the opportunity pass me by.” He stroked her hair. “It’s not like I haven’t seen you in the buff.”

“True. But I’m too tired to move.”

“I know, baby. Lift your arms.” Hank removed her shirt. Sweet Jesus. She wore the sheerest black bra he’d ever seen outside a lingerie catalog. The way the mounded flesh popped over the fabric hardened his cock. The tease of her peaked nipple poked into the material and begged for his hungry mouth. Somehow he tore his gaze away and tugged off her jeans.

Fuck. It figured she wore matching sheer black panties that hugged her sweet, feminine cleft. He peeled back the covers and gave her a gentle nudge until she scooted in.

When her skin slid over the cool cotton sheets, she moaned.

Loudly.

He half hoped Abe heard that.

9 CORRALLED

No, hopefully Kyle heard that.

Hank smoothed the springy curls from her face, reluctant to leave her. She looked so small and vulnerable . . . and perfectly at home in his big bed.

“You’re staring at me, Hank.”

“Does that bother you?”

“Depends on if you’re planning on doing more than looking.”

“Not right now. I ain’t gonna take advantage of when you can’t be a full participant in what I’ve got planned.”

“But tonight, when it’s just us, will you take advantage of me?”

He squinted at her, unable to tell if her words were exhausted babble. “Is that what you want?”

No answer.

“Lainie?”

“I want you to do all the things you’ve fantasized about doing to me when I’m in your bed.”

Had to be the tiredness talking. “No reason to hash this out now. We’ll talk later.”

“No.” Her eyes flew open. “Maybe it is lack of sleep giving me the courage to bring it up.”

“Bring what up?”

“You’ve held back with me, Hank. From the start six months ago, when we first starting sneaking around.”

Hank wasn’t sure if his tongue or his guts were tied in a bigger knot.

“Show me that side of yourself you’ve hidden from me.”

He swallowed hard. “And if it scares you?”

“It won’t. I’m tougher than you give me credit for. If I’m all in for everything a threesome entails, then you should be all in with me.”

“Hmm.” Hank let the back of his knuckles float up and down her jawline. “I’m not sure you’re completely coherent.”

LORELEI JAMES 9

“Try me.”

“If I spend the rest of the day getting primed to show you my kinky side, and I crawl into bed with a bottle of lube and a rope, will you freak out?”

“That won’t happen—”

“Good. Because, darlin’, you asked for it.” He smooched her forehead. “Sleep. If you think you’re exhausted now, it ain’t nothin’

compared to how you’ll be when I get through with you tonight.”

“Bring it, cowboy.” Lainie rolled over, leaving him staring at her back.

9

Hank filled an insulated mug with coffee before he wandered outside. The hazy sky weakened the light, a signal that they were in for a barn burner of a day. He tracked Abe to the new steel shed, which housed piles of odds and ends and busted machine parts beyond repair.

Abe had torn a motor out of an antique exhaust fan and was cursing at it under his breath.

“You oughta take that to Bob to fix. Quit pissing with it, Abe.

Jesus, it’s been, like, four months.”

“I’m not trying to get it to work, dumb ass. I’m trying to figure out if those guys building the wind turbines are using this old technology. If I can reverse- engineer it, I’m planning to build a turbine down by the west end of the creek. Take advantage of the fact that the wind blows so goddamn hard here and harness it into energy.”

That was ambitious. Although Abe hadn’t gone to college, he was the smartest man Hank knew. “Why’s this the first I’ve heard of it?”

Abe shrugged. “Been doin’ more thinking about it than talking.” He stared pointedly at Hank’s leg. “You were limping after you got out of the truck. You okay to work?”

9 CORRALLED

Hank waggled his mug. “A little caffeine therapy and I’ll be fine. What’re we doin’?”

“What do you think?”

He groaned. “Fixin’ fence. Damn. I hoped you’d finished that up while I was gone.”

Abe gave him a droll stare. “You ain’t been gone that long.”

The sound of tires crunching on gravel echoed through the open door.

“Guess who decided to grace us with her presence?” Abe said with an edge.

“I’ll talk to her.” Hank hustled out and caught Celia just as she’d started up the steps.

Why the hell did she look like she’d been rolling in the dirt?

The back of her jeans were dusty, from the frayed white strings dragging on the ground by her boot heels to the dark smudges covering her back pockets.

“I assume you ain’t goin’ to church dressed like you’ve been mud wrestling?”

Celia spun around, as much guilt on her face as mud splatters.

“Oh. Hey, Hank. I thought you probably got in late and you’d already be sleeping.”

“Obviously.” Celia’s resemblance to their mother increased damn near every day and spooked him a little. He let his eyes sweep over her, from scuffed boots to mussed hair. Yep, the front side of her clothing was as filthy as the backside. “Where you been?”

“Did Abe send you out here to grill me?” she demanded.

“No. I can see you’ve been up to no good with my own eyes.”

“See? You’re just like him! You automatically assume I’ve been doin’ something bad.”

“If it wasn’t bad, then why don’t you answer my question?” He sipped his coffee, waiting for the wildcat to hiss and scratch.

LORELEI JAMES 9

“Because I don’t answer to you. Or to Abe. I’m not a child, Hank, and I—”

“Spare me the rant and the reminder of your age. You’re right, Cele, you don’t have to answer to me. But what you
do
have to do, as long as you’re living here, is pull your weight. Which it don’t sound like you’ve been doin’. I count on you. So does Abe. And when we can’t even talk to you about it without you flying off the handle? Something’s goin’ on. Tell me.”

She glared, then focused on kicking the crap out of a clump of red dirt that had fallen off her boot.

“I don’t give a good goddamn if you were out all night partyin’ in some damn mud hole. Suck it up and check the cattle.

Right now.” Hank held up his hand at her automatic rebuttal.

“Before you ask, me ’n’ Abe will be fixin’ fence before it gets too hot, so by all means, complain and I’ll send you with him instead.”

“You suck.”

“Yep. Also, be warned— Kyle is sleeping in the guest bedroom downstairs, so you’ll be sharing a bathroom with him.”

“What? Why can’t he stay in the guest bedroom upstairs? He’s
your
friend, Hank, not mine.”

“Because I already have someone staying with me.”

Celia’s bloodshot eyes narrowed. “Who?”

“My girlfriend, Lainie.”

“Yeah, right. Since when do you have a girlfriend?”

“You answer my question about where you were last night and I’ll answer yours.”

Another mulish look.

Hank grinned at her. She was so damn easy to tease. “I’ll introduce you to her later. Now git before I change my mind and find something worse for you to do than mope as you ride around in the truck.”

9 CORRALLED

“You really do suck.” She flounced past him and roared off.

“Nicely done,” Abe said behind him.

“Thanks. Think she’s got a boyfriend she’s hiding from us?”

“Maybe. She’s at that age.”

“She’s
past
the age, bro. Most of her friends are already married. Hell, she’s only two years younger than you were when you got hitched.”

“Don’t remind me,” Abe said.

“Fine. Where we workin’?”

“Section over by the bluffs. It’s a two- man job, so I’ve been saving it special for when you got back.”

“You suck,” Hank shot back, and Abe laughed.

9

When they returned hours later, Lainie was sitting in a patch of sunshine on the front porch. Alone. Had she and Kyle already fucked like bunnies while he’d been out sweating like a pig? Jealousy surged through him.

You’ve no right to it. Lainie has all the control in this situation, so
buck up and deal with it or you’ll just piss her off.

Besides, she was his tonight. All night. Any way he wanted her.

By the time Hank reached the steps his smile for her was genuine.

“All rested up?”

“Mmm- hmm. I’ve been out admiring the scenery and the solitude. Gorgeous place you guys have.”

“Thanks. We like it.”

Her gaze lingered on his upper thigh. “How’s the leg?”

Sore as hell.
“Fine. Is Kyle up?”

“I haven’t seen him.”

Good. “You hungry?”

“Starved.”

“I’ll hop in the shower and then rustle up something to eat.”

“If you point me toward the kitchen, I can fix lunch.”

LORELEI JAMES 9

Abe ambled up. “Tell you what. Hank tells me you’re a med tech.”

Lainie nodded.

“How’s about you check his leg, because he’s been favoring it all damn morning, and I’ll figure out what to feed us.”

Abe. What a fucking traitor.

“I knew you were lying.” She drilled him in the chest with her index finger. “Get your butt in the shower. And after that I’m looking at that leg.”

“Lainie—”

“Move it or I will drop your pants right here in front of God and everybody.”