Disobedient Cowboys [Lone Wolves of Shay Falls 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (25 page)

A sickening crunch later, it was over. For Jess, anyway.

Caleb, with bright red dripping from his fangs, turned to where Stephen and Randall had frozen in the middle of their own bloody battle. Randall had gone rigid, staring over at the body of his fallen brother—which was melting away into human form.

The howl he let out at the moon was filled with eerie despair, and the sound joined with the wail of sirens pulling up out front. At the sight of Caleb and Stephen closing in, Randall fell silent. With one final look at his dead brother, he turned and made a dramatic leap over the railing. She heard his footfalls crunching away through the night, and neither of her mates gave chase. They shifted back and ran to her instead.

“Are you all right?” Stephen asked through heavy, panting breaths.

“You’re the one who’s hurt,” she said, eyeing the bite marks oozing all over his flesh. She risked a glance down at the man whose throat no longer existed and tried not to picture Stephen or Caleb lying that way.

“I thought only silver could kill a werewolf,” she said, still clutching the knife that was dripping red.

Rose heard commotion inside while Caleb wiped his bloody mouth on the dish towel Ted had abandoned. “A few things can harm us. Gettin’ our airway removed by another werewolf is one of ’em.” He put an arm around her as they stared at the body. “He died the exact same way as his father. And with not even a single lick more honor.”

The sheriff’s department burst out onto the deck, and she suddenly realized how things must look. A naked man lay dead of obvious violence, and two more naked men were covered in injuries. And she held a weapon that dripped with the dead man’s blood. How could she possibly explain?

Officers were yelling, and Caleb pulled away from her as he and Stephen were instructed to turn around and put their hands on their heads. A tall, thin deputy strode up to her, but not too close. He had his gun drawn, but not aimed at her. “I said drop the weapon slowly.”

The knife clattered loudly on the deck when she did as instructed, all the while lost in thoughts over what she could possibly say. He was still speaking to her, but she wasn’t following the words. There was no way he would believe that Jess getting his throat ripped out had been an act of self-defense. That werewolves had been to blame.

When she looked up at him, however, she startled. The deputy’s eyes glittered with small yet distinct flecks of gold beneath the brim of his hat. Perhaps he’d believe the story, after all.

Ted burst out on the deck, arguing with one of the officers as he rushed over to Rose’s side. “Are you all right, my dear?”

Rose looked up to see that Delores and Jo had, in fact, stayed behind, looking wide-eyed and frightened in the doorway.

She nodded.

“These three are all heroes,” Ted shouted at the lawmen. “They saved my life from the man and wolf who tried to attack me.”

That changed the tone of the encounter completely, though it was some time before the officers had finished taking statements. It was much later when Rose sat in the great room, a blanket around her shoulders to ward off the chill that refused to leave her bones while Stephen and Caleb stood out front, finishing up with the werewolf deputy.

“I still can’t believe what you did,” Ted was saying. “Protecting me that way.”

Rose looked up to see him and Jo staring at her. Delores walked over and handed her a cup of hot tea.

“Yes, such a brave thing, standing in front of my Ted that way,” Delores said, and Rose accepted the tea gratefully. The woman shuddered. “To think, that man had a pet wolf that he used to help him commit home invasion robberies. What a terrifying prospect. I can’t thank you enough.”

Rose and Ted exchanged glances.

“It was nothing, really,” Rose said, taking the tea gratefully. “I just reacted.”

“It was far more than nothing,” Ted said. “Thanks may not be enough, but I can show you my gratitude.” He leaned back in his chair, resting his hands on his rounded belly. “How would you like a staff position at Shay Falls Community?”

Jo’s head snapped around as Rose’s eyes flew open. “What?” they both asked.

“You heard me. Full-time position, not a temporary traveler contract.”

“But, Ted,” Jo blurted out, “you realize she’s been terminated for unethical conduct.”

“What I realize is that she was willing to save the life of a man she barely knew at the risk of her own,” he snapped back. “Rose gave more thought to my needs than hers, and she cared deeply enough about others to jump in and fight for their safety. I can’t think of better qualities to ask for in a nurse at my hospital. Can you?”

Jo gaped at him for a moment, and then shook her head. “It’s your decision, of course.”

“Actually, it’s Rose’s decision.” He turned to her. “What do you say, my dear? I realize Shay Falls might seem second-rate compared to Hawaii, but perhaps you wouldn’t mind sticking around a while.”

A smile all but burst out of her. “I think I’d like that,” she said. “I wouldn’t mind calling Shay Falls my home.”

“Good,” he said, beaming. “Stop by human resources next week.” He rose from his chair. “Meanwhile, I’m guessing there’s a certain doctor you’ll want to share the news with.”

She was way ahead of him. As the flood of sheer happiness inside her echoed back from where the men she loved stood out front, she’d bet that they already knew.

A warm, moist breeze caressed Rose’s skin while the lull of ocean waves lapping the shore drew her into a deep, profound state of relaxation.

With a satisfied smile, she turned her head to gaze at the man lying on the beach beside her. In his current pose, Caleb looked much more like a vacationing movie star than a “once a cowboy,” and she couldn’t stop staring. Dark sunglasses hid his eyes, and his hair was slicked back with saltwater. Wet swim trunks clung to his thighs and the enticing bulge between them. Drying ocean surf left salt traces on his tanned, muscular body, and she had an urge to lick it off. Too bad the private beach wasn’t private enough to indulge that whim.

Caleb’s hand reached over to glide gently along the sun-warmed skin of her arm. “Have I told you how incredibly damn sexy you look in that bikini?” he asked, still lying on his back without looking at her.

She glanced down at the flimsy triangles of fabric covering strategic mounds on her body. “Not in the past twenty minutes.”

“You know I can’t be held responsible for the things I want to do to you when you’re wearin’ yellow, right?”

A sexy little laugh escaped her throat. “That was the whole idea.”

With that, Caleb flipped over to face her, pulling down his sunglasses enough so she could see the tops of his mesmerizing eyes. “And you’re out in the open near the roar of water, too,” he said seductively. “Definitely brings back memories.”

His need for her flowed around them, joining with hers. “Yes, it does,” she said quietly. “I just wish Stephen were here to complete that picture.”

“Your wish is my command,” she heard, along with the sound of feet shuffling through the sand.

She glanced up to see Stephen, wearing dry trunks and a short-sleeved shirt that hung open, bringing drinks from their room nearby. He stopped over her, shading the sun with his body while he offered her a glass.

“What’s this?” she asked as she scooted herself upright on her towel.

“It’s called sex on the beach,” he said with a grin.

She smiled back. “I’d love to investigate that concept if there weren’t other bungalows sharing this stretch of sand.” She took the glass and lifted it in toast. “For now, I suppose I’ll have to satisfy myself with this.”

He handed Caleb a glass and sat down on the sand beside her with his own.

“You were definitely right,” she said, taking in the waving palm trees, glittering ocean, and wisps of pale clouds. “Vacationing in Hawaii is preferable to working here. Oh, and don’t let me forget to send out the postcards on the table.”

“Speaking of which,” Stephen said, “when you left to sunbathe, you mentioned hearing from your mother.”

She nodded. “Finally got a letter back. I wrote to tell her about my new job—and about you.”

Caleb moved over to sit at the edge of her towel. “You told her about Stephen?”

She gave him a wink. “And you, too.”

His brow arched. “What did you say, exactly?”

She shrugged. “I told her the truth.”

“What?” Stephen said, sounding a little alarmed. “You told her everything?”

“Not
that
truth,” she said, sipping at her drink. “I told her I was in a domestic partnership with two incredible men. I didn’t, however, mention the extra hair and teeth you sometimes grow.”

“What did she write back?” Caleb asked, laying a hand on her knee.

Rose sighed, mostly because of the little shudder his touch sent through her. “She hopes I’ll be as happy as she is with her Roberto.”

Stephen set his drink in the sand and moved behind her on his knees to massage her shoulders. “Who’s Roberto?”

Rose’s eyes rolled. “Some guy she met last month in Cabo. She was vacationing there to get over a traumatic breakup.”

Stephen’s hands on her flooded her with well-being, and she gave in to his strong fingers and closed her eyes to lift her face to the afternoon sun. Did her mother ever feel this way about the endless parade of men she’d met? Even aside from the added security of being able to sense what her mates felt for her, Rose doubted it. It was hard to imagine anyone else on earth feeling the way that she did. Then again, maybe all people in love thought so, too. Hopefully someday, Often-Wed Wendy would find the partner who would put an end to her frequent reaffirmation of the nickname. As Rose gazed at her men, she knew that she wouldn’t be earning a similar one. Not ever.

Caleb shifted their bodies so that her legs were out straight and he was straddling her shins. While Stephen kneaded her rubbery shoulders, Caleb made broad, sweeping strokes up and down her suntan-oiled thighs. Her breathing grew shallow as she leaned against Stephen’s torso, aware that all their senses were heating up into something far less innocuous than a shoulder massage. Soon, Stephen’s fingers were reaching lower each time he rubbed over the front of her shoulders, and Caleb’s were reaching higher with each upward stroke on her legs. The moment Stephen’s hands grazed the tight buds poking against her bikini top was timed perfectly to the brush of Caleb’s fingers against the fabric covering her tingling pussy.

The jolt of desire the dual contact sent through her almost prompted her to spill her drink. “Guys,” she said, arching when Caleb’s next stroke lingered on her clit, “I’m getting dangerously close to doing something that will get security called on us.”

“What, two hot men ain’t enough for you now?” Caleb said teasingly as his hands grew bolder. “Now you want one in uniform?”

Despite his teasing, the sound of laughter farther down the beach stilled his touch.

“I have a sudden urge to check out our hot tub,” Stephen said, pulling Rose to her feet. “Right now.” He swept her up in his arms. “Caleb, bring the drinks.”

Caleb grabbed the glasses and strode alongside them as Stephen headed for the gate of their bungalow’s patio. “I let you mark my shoulder, and now I’m nothing more than a glorified cabana boy?”

Stephen flashed him a look. “You
let
me mark you? I think not.”

“Maybe I decided to let you win.”

Stephen used his knee to push their way through the gate, and he set Rose down by the in-ground Jacuzzi that was surrounded by sweet-smelling, tropical flowers in their private courtyard. She watched as he stalked toward Caleb, who’d just set their drinks on a glass-topped side table.

“Any time you think you can best me in a rematch, you’re welcome to put your hands on me and try,” Stephen said.

Caleb tossed his sunglasses on the table and ran a smoking-hot gaze over every inch of the other man’s body. “And what if I don’t want a rematch right now? Am I still welcome to put my hands on you?”

Stephen leaned closer. “You’re lucky you’re so damn good-looking.”

The men’s passion fairly collided as Stephen pulled Caleb into a fierce kiss, and Rose felt the shock of arousal coursing through all present. Their cocks sprang to attention immediately, tenting their bathing suits while their tongues thrust into each other’s mouths in a way that made her ache. She dallied with the idea of sitting back idly in the hot tub and watching the two of them drive each other insane with passion. Still, the echoes of their probing fingers still lingered on her nipples and clit, a sensation heightened by the sight of them clutched together so desperately. Bathing suit trunks dropped to the cement beneath them, and she knew if she was truly going to sit this out, she’d be doing so while naked and writhing in masturbation.

Or maybe not.

With a tiny smile, she turned away and stood on the first step in the hot tub, then reached behind herself to grab hold of the bow tied snugly against her spine. She’d barely tugged one of the strings when she heard Caleb’s out-of-breath voice.

“Don’t touch that bikini, darlin’,” he said. “You know that takin’ off that pretty yellow suit is strictly my job.”