Double or Nothing (7 page)

“Morning, sugar.” Wes smiled when she filched a piece of bacon off the plate where he had the cooked pieces draining. “How are you feeling?”

How was she feeling? She munched on the bacon, enjoying the explosion of smoky flavor in her mouth, as she thought about it. “Good. I feel good.” Better than she had in a long, long time.

One corner of his mouth kicked up in a crooked grin and she tried not to notice how well he filled out an old pair of jeans with the knee ripped out and a plain white T-shirt. But it was no use. Her heart began to beat faster and her palms grew sweaty. Not to mention what was happening to other more intimate parts of her body. Really, after last night, Cherry figured she wouldn’t be horny for at least a month. Apparently, all it took was one glance of Wes cooking breakfast to push her over the edge into full-blown arousal.

“Coffee is ready if you want some. There’s sugar next to the coffeemaker and milk in the refrigerator if you want it. No cream.”

She wandered over to the counter and poured fragrant coffee into a thick pottery mug. She added a spoonful of sugar and stirred before tasting. It was exactly how she liked it—strong and hot—and it helped settle her nerves. “I could get used to this.”

When she realized what she’d said, she turned away and stared out the window. She couldn’t get used to anything. She was leaving in a few weeks when she got her father’s affairs straightened out. Sooner, if she could manage it.

She heard the clatter of the pan being removed from the stove, and then Wes was at her back, his arms wrapping around her. His strong hands rested on her stomach and his breath was warm on her neck. “Feel free to get used to it.” He kissed her nape, her jaw and then gently turned her head so he could press his lips against hers.

He tasted like coffee and bacon, like sex and hot nights. When he pulled away, she was breathless, her hands shaking. She carefully set her mug down before she spilled coffee all over herself. “Last night was wonderful,” she began.

“Yes it was.” He gave her a hug and left her, returning to the stove. She felt slightly bereft and completely confused. Maybe she was making too big a thing out of last night. For all she knew they did this all the time. Cherry ignored the knot in her stomach and the flash of jealousy that washed over her. After all, Remy had admitted they’d shared a woman before. Maybe it wasn’t anything special to them.

She took another fortifying mouthful of coffee and swallowed before setting it down again. She could be adult about this. They’d had a good time last night and now they could have breakfast before they took her home. It couldn’t be anything more even if she wanted it too, which she didn’t, she quickly assured herself. She had a life in Boston and the only way you’d get Remy and Wes off their ranch was in a body bag. They belonged to the land as surely as it belonged to them.

And why did that thought make her feel so sad?

The back door opened and slammed shut. Cherry turned and sighed as Remy walked in, took off his hat and tossed it onto a peg by the door. “Gonna be another hot one.”

Not that that was news. Not this time of year in Texas. That was the one thing Cherry missed about living in Boston—the more tolerable summers.

Remy caught sight of her and came toward her like a heat-seeking missile. There was no good morning, no easy smile. He caught her around the waist, yanked her against his hard, hot body and slammed his mouth down on hers.

Cherry grabbed his shoulders, needing something to hold onto in the sensual maelstrom. He smelled like horses and leather, sunlight and sweat. The smell of a working ranch. The smell of home.

She forced herself to push him away when all she wanted to do was pull him closer. These Smith men were dangerous to her sense of well-being. It would take her months, maybe years to recover from last night, if she ever did.

But she couldn’t have regrets. Last night, she’d learned more about herself than she’d thought possible. She’d never considered herself a real sexual woman until they’d taken her to bed. Oh, she’d enjoyed sex well enough, but it had never been as intense, so all-consuming that she’d all but lost herself.

That in itself should have scared the crap out of her, but it didn’t. Because deep in her heart she trusted Wes and Remy as she’d never trusted another man. They were part of her past, part of her home. There was nothing fake or put-on about them. You knew exactly where you stood with them.

“Breakfast is ready.” Wes’ voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she pulled away from Remy, struggling to catch her breath. While Remy had been kissing her senseless, Wes had put three plates of bacon, eggs and toast on the table.

Remy wore a pleased expression and his hair was slightly mussed. Had she done that? She must have even if she didn’t remember running her hands through his hair. At least he seemed to be as short of breath as she was.

Remy’s hand rested on her back, urging her toward the table. It was solid oak, an antique for sure, but they didn’t treat it as one. Cherry knew that table had been in this kitchen for as long as the house had been here and had served the Smith family even longer.

Wes stood by her chair, holding it out for her. Cherry slid onto the seat. Remy put her coffee mug down next to her plate before taking the chair across from her. Wes sat to her left.

Cherry scrambled to come up with something to say. What did a person say after a night they’d had?
Thank you
sounded stupid. It was what you said when someone held the door for you at the grocery store, not when they’d given you a night of heart-pounding, life-changing sex.

She shoveled some of the scrambled eggs into her mouth and chewed. Oh, they were delicious, light and fluffy and cooked in the bacon fat. She’d forgotten how good they could taste.

When Wes laughed, she looked at him. “What?”

He propped both elbows on the edge of the table and smiled at her. “I take it you like the eggs.”

“That obvious, am I?”

“The moan was a dead giveaway, sugar,” Wes assured her.

Cherry felt her cheeks getting warm, but shrugged. “I haven’t had eggs cooked like this in a long, long time.”

“You need to eat more.” Remy made his pronouncement before taking a large swallow of coffee. “You’re too damn thin.”

His heavy-handedness made her want to smack him. Instead, she tilted her chin up and shot back a quick retort. “You didn’t seem to mind last night.”

Remy stilled and his nostrils flared and it wasn’t anger she saw in his eyes, but sexual heat. Cherry swallowed hard and went back to eating. But her appetite had disappeared again and she picked at her bacon, leaving the rest of the eggs and the toast.

The silence grew until she thought she might scream. Just when she couldn’t take it for a moment more, Wes broke it. “What are your plans for today?”

When Remy didn’t answer his brother, Cherry looked up from her plate to find both men staring at her. “What?”

“What are your plans for today?” Wes repeated.

Oh, he’d been talking to her. She set down the remnant of the piece of bacon she’d been nibbling on and wiped her hands on the paper towel Wes had set out instead of a napkin. “Get the truck running and contact Daddy’s lawyer and the real estate agent.”

A muscle jerked in the side of Remy’s face and she wondered what had him so riled up.

“Stay the day.”

She turned back to Wes. “Why?” It was probably better if she left. The longer she stayed around them, the harder it was going to be to leave.

“We want to talk to you about the land.” Remy pushed back from the table, grabbed his empty plate and took it to the counter. “We could do a bit of riding and talk some before we take you to your truck.”

Cherry’s churning stomach settled. She hadn’t even realized how tense the thought of leaving was making her until Remy suggested she stay a while longer. She’d missed riding in the years she’d been away. She’d managed a few short rides since she’d been home, but she hadn’t liked to venture far from the house with her father so ill. The thought of taking a long ride and forgetting her problems for a few more hours was appealing.

Plus, this was the second time Remy had mentioned the land. She wasn’t surprised they might be interested in buying some of it. Her father’s ranch, hers now, bordered theirs on the eastern side.

“Okay.” She stood and started clearing the table. Remy gave a curt nod, while Wes patted her on the shoulder on his way to the dishwasher with his plate.

With the three of them working together, they had the kitchen put to rights in no time. Cherry tried not to notice how right it felt to be rubbing shoulders and bumping into both of them in the small space.

When they were done, Wes loaned her one of his hats and the three of them set off to the stables.

* * * * *

Remy reined in his growing impatience. He, who was known for his unending patience with horses, was running out of it when it came to one particular woman. When he’d walked in from doing chores this morning and found Cherry in the kitchen with his brother, everything inside him had settled and a restlessness that had plagued him for years suddenly disappeared.

Now all he had to do was convince her to stay.

He knew he’d been an ass this morning. First he’d kissed her senseless, then he’d told her she was too skinny. Way to go, Smith. Real smooth moves. At least she hadn’t bolted. But she had stopped eating and for that he was more sorry than she’d ever know. She’d been enjoying her food until he’d opened his big mouth.

He glanced to his right, as he had many, many times in the past hour and satisfaction filled him to see Cherry riding alongside him and Wes. The mare she was on was an even-tempered lady with enough spirit to make her interesting. He wasn’t worried about Cherry. He knew she could ride and obviously in her years away she hadn’t lost her skills.

“You mentioned the land.” Cherry had obviously felt his gaze on her and had decided to take the bull by the horns and start the conversation.

Remy reined in his horse. “Let’s stop a spell.” It was time for a break anyway. Cherry might still be a good rider, but he’d bet his favorite hat that her backside was beginning to complain right about now.

There was a stream a few yards away so he dismounted and led his horse toward it, letting him drink from the trickle of water running across the ground. Much more dry weather and the stream would be nothing but a dry bed.

Wes and Cherry dismounted and watered their horses as well. Remy tied the reins onto the branch of a scraggly looking tree and the other two followed suit. No way the branch would hold if his gelding chose to test it, but Remy wasn’t worried. He’d trained Pepper from the time he was born and knew the horse would stay.

There really wasn’t much shade to be had, but there was nothing to be done about that. They wouldn’t stay long. Remy reached into the saddlebag and pulled out a couple of bottles of water. “Here. You need to stay hydrated.” He held the bottle out to Cherry. She took it and twisted off the cap, drinking deeply.

Wes took off his hat and wiped his forehead with the arm of his shirt before putting it back on. Then he took a swig of water from the bottle he dug out of his own pack.

Cherry looked so beautiful, so right standing next to them on their land. Her curly hair was damp with sweat and several tendrils stuck to her neck. She tilted her pale face up toward the sun, her eyes closed. She gave a deep sigh and lowered her head.

“Let’s sit.” Remy wanted to get business out of the way so he could focus on their personal relationship. Cherry wandered closer to the bank of the small stream and sat. He tried not to notice the stiffness in her gait. She was going to need a rubdown later or she wouldn’t be able to move tomorrow.

Wes settled beside her and started the conversation rolling. “You know we raise and train horses.” When Cherry nodded, Wes continued. “We’ve kept it a small operation.”

“But exclusive,” Remy added. Rich folks from around the country brought their high-priced, unmannered horses to them to train. Plus, the stock they bred themselves went for a fine dollar. He plucked a piece of dry grass out of the ground and twirled it between his fingers.

Cherry’s face was partially hidden by the brim of her hat and Remy suddenly wished she wasn’t wearing it so he could see her eyes. “Dad mentioned what a wonderful reputation the Double S has.”

Remy could hear the sadness in her voice and knew she was thinking about her father. He reached out and took her hand in his. She tilted her head back until he could see her lovely brown eyes.

“We have two men who come in five days a week to help with the basic chores, but Wes and I do the most of it ourselves.” Remy wanted her to understand what they did at the Double S, what he and Wes had built up over the past decade. He wanted her to be as proud of the place as he was.

She nodded and shifted her position slightly. He saw the faint grimace of pain and silently swore at himself for taking her out so far. It was going to be a long ride home.

“You want to buy some of the land from Dad’s—I mean, my place.” Remy could tell just saying it aloud was painful for her. He knew what it felt like to lose the only parent you had. His father had passed five years ago, but he and Wes still missed the old man.

“Yup, maybe a hundred acres. We’d like to have more, but that’s about what we can swing at the going rates.” Remy hated the thought of the land going to some stranger who might not appreciate it the way he did, the way Cherry’s father had.

“I’ll talk to the lawyer and have the papers drawn up.”

“Just like that?” Remy was slightly surprised by her reaction. There was no talk of price or trying to negotiate.

Cherry shrugged and rubbed the back of her neck, the motion pulling the front of her top taut against her full breasts. “Just like that.” She gave him a faint smile. “I know and trust you two and know you won’t cheat me. Plus, I like knowing that at least some of the land will belong to someone I know will take care of it.”

Wes surged to his feet. “If that’s settled, we should get going. The heat is getting to be too much for Cherry.” When she started to object, Wes shook his head. “You’re not used to it anymore, sugar. Plus, I know you’ve got to be stiffening up some.”