Captured by Cowboys (Doms of Destiny, Colorado 1)

“I do. My brothers do. This is rural Colorado. This isn’t Denver.”

“I’m not an invalid. I can do some things myself like drying my own hair.” She winked, and his balls grew even heavier.

“Perhaps, but that doesn’t change that I’m drying you off.” He had no idea why he was coming on so strong. Why not let her towel off by herself? She seemed strong enough to stand on her own. If not, he could stay and catch her. Why not? Because he knew what he had to do. He knew what was best. Always had. Besides, drying her off would be his pleasure, even though it must remain on the up-and-up.

Being right and confident all the time had been his curse ever since losing his parents in the plane crash. The questioning and uncertain boy he’d been prior to their deaths had melted into nothingness, replaced by the person needed to keep him and his brothers together. Necessity had created the man he’d become, but time had grown the roots deep into his soul. Doubt didn’t hold a place inside him—couldn’t. Until Amber.

He toweled her long, lush hair, inhaling its coconut fragrance. Then he moved on to drying her soft, pale skin, imagining what it would feel like to touch such delicate flesh.

Women had a place in his world, and that place was at Phase Four. One day in the future, he and his brothers would choose one for a more permanent arrangement. At least that was what he’d imagined would happen—until her. Such a plan seemed jaded and naïve now.

“You’re sure doing a thorough job, cowboy.”

“I don’t want you catching a cold, Amber.”

Had his fathers selected his mother like some kind of prize heifer at the livestock auction? Of course not. He knew their story well. Before the accident, they’d told it often to him and his twin brothers. What a whirlwind of excitement and passion. Their mother was from Texas, not Destiny. She’d come to teach at the one-room schoolhouse. “It was love at first sight, boys,” Dad Rich had always said, causing Mom to blush and giggle.

“You’re miles away, aren’t you, cowboy?” Amber’s eyes sparkled.

“I guess I am.” He continued stroking her arms with the towel, though they were sufficiently dry. Maybe he was simply unwilling to end this intimate time with her, even though nothing wicked would come of it—couldn’t come of it. He’d lost his faith in possibilities, in dreams, in magic long ago. Facts made sense to him. Plans were his guide. Struggle was its own reward. Love at first sight? For his parents, yes. Not for him.

“There you go again, Emmett.” She smiled, and he knew that she had the power to bring sunshine. “What’s got your mind tied up in knots?”

Great description, though he would much rather see her tied up in his knots. “I’m wondering how long this rainstorm is going to go on for.” The playroom needed to be locked up. No sense in scaring Amber more than she’d already been. He made a mental note to do just that while she was eating her meal. “Almost finished.” He knelt down in front of her. She kept a towel around her as he dried off her silky legs with another. “What’s going through your mind? You seem better than earlier.”

She frowned, which made his gut tighten. The last thing he wanted to do was cause her pain. His question had been an idiotic one. Her mind was not her own. Her memories were gone, and he’d been stupid to remind her of that fact by his inquiry.

“You’re furrowing your brow, cowboy. Your question didn’t bother me, just made me pause for a moment.”

“Sorry, Amber. Too long in the saddle today, I guess. It’s been a long time since this old cabin had a real woman in it.” Loneliness was a constant companion of his. It wasn’t something he voiced aloud to anyone, even his brothers, but it was true. Having her here lifted a gray cloud inside him.

“I seriously doubt that. I did realize that I haven’t lost my entire mind. This is the United States, right?”

“Sure thing. Destiny is in Northwestern Colorado, almost to the Wyoming border. We’re deep in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.” The rain continued outside, reminding him it would be several days, if not a week or more, before he could take her to town. “Let’s get you some clean clothes.” He guided her to sit on the seat of the commode. “I’ll be right back.”

All his mother’s clothes were still at the house in town. He found a shirt and a pair of jeans from when the twins were teenagers, still too big for Amber, but they would have to suffice. He rushed back to the bathroom and found her just where he’d left her. She smiled at him, and his heart was hers.

“You think that will fit me?” she asked.

“It will keep you warm, sweetheart.”

“Thank you, Emmett.” Her voice cracked with apparent sudden emotion. “I’m not sure if I can ever repay you for what you and your brothers have done for me.”

Had he ever met a woman so upbeat and full of life? She was gutsy and brave and definitely not a pushover. She’d lost her memory, but instead of breaking down and crying, she was working hard to regain it. She’d been brave and trusted him and his brothers even when she should have been scared of them. Taming someone like her would be any Dom’s pleasure, but she wasn’t one of the subs at Phase Four. She could be someone’s wife or girlfriend or fiancée. Until he knew, it had to be hands off. That was how it was, whether he liked it or not.

“Sweetheart, there’s nothing you need to do. We’re happy to help.” More than happy. Could he let himself dream? He shouldn’t but couldn’t resist as he helped her on with the shirt.

The conversation with his two dads the week before their unfortunate death came back to him with a clarity that made it feel as if it had occurred a moment ago and not twelve years earlier. They’d spent time with him and his brothers discussing what it really meant for men to share a woman. God, how he would love to share Amber with his brothers. She was so perfect for all of them. Bright. Sweet. Kind. If only he knew if she were unattached or not, then he could know whether to let down his guard and put on the full-court press.

She stepped back and looked at herself in the mirror, tilting her head from side to side, obviously trying to decide what she looked like in the clothes.

Seeing her dressed in a teenage boy’s shirt added to her allure. She gripped the jeans, which were far too long for her to wear anywhere but indoors. “What do you think, Emmett?”

“You look amazing.”

“You’re just saying that, but I’ll take it.”

He looked at her bare feet, delicate and sweet, on the tiled floor. Instead of thinking about getting her some socks, his possessive lust shot up, causing his gut to tighten and his cock to throb.