Reed laughed. “Weren’t you a little old for that? You might’ve been a virgin but you knew about sex.”
“I did, but it wasn’t that talk. It was about how Dad Gene saw life. He was proud of us both already, but it was hard for him to tell us. You remember how he was.”
“Yes, I do.” And the similarities continued on in him. “Talking is overrated, too, if you ask me.”
“I didn’t, bro.” Sawyer smiled, and then he looked him straight in the eyes. “You and I have always shared the beds of women together.”
“True. If it weren’t for me, you would’ve stayed a virgin your whole life, I’m betting.”
Sawyer shrugged. “Maybe so. Our lifestyle is all I know. I can’t even imagine any other way of being.”
“Me, too.” Reed felt overwhelmingly weary. He had to make him understand even if it ripped his own conscience in two. “But our lifestyle is considered aberrant and fringe on the outside and in Illinois—where she comes from.”
Sawyer sighed. “True. All true.”
God, he hated the look on his brother’s face, the look of fading hope. He wished he could let himself risk it all, risk his heart, but he couldn’t. He was already in way too deep with Nicole. Time to save himself and Sawyer from impending loss and pain.
“Yes, I’ll settle down if you’re ready, but we need to choose someone other than Nicole. Someone from Destiny—or from one of the many towns where people understand our ways like Bliss or Wilde, Nevada—not Chicago, Illinois.”
* * * *
Slipping out of her clothes, Nicole thought about how long it had been since she’d been with a man. Any man. Over eighteen months. There were many good reasons why it had been such an extended dry spell for her. One, the few experiences she’d had were at best okay. Two, the men she’d been with were slam-bam-thank-you-ma’am kind of guys. The type of foreplay she’d been exposed to mainly consisted of sixty seconds of kissing, another sixty of breast massaging, sixty more of the guy stripping her of her clothes, and then sixty seconds of clumsy fingers touching her body. Four to five minutes tops before “magic time.” Jerks. But the main reason for giving up on men altogether was it was better to be alone. Besides, sex didn’t hold much of an appeal for her. She’d never understood what all the hoopla about sex was in the first place. It was either a myth society continued to perpetuate or she was certainly missing something.
Getting into the warm bath, she wondered if Reed and Sawyer would know how to help her to experience this so-called “orgasm.”
For Christ’s sake, get ahold of yourself, Nicole. I’m here for one reason and one reason o
nly.
Even though the water felt surprisingly sinful on her skin, she vowed to herself to keep her thoughts under control. She decided to go ahead and wash her long hair. It would take a good deal of time to dry and even more to brush out, but she wasn’t going anywhere tonight, thanks to Sheriff Wolfe and Henry’s meddling.
She plunged beneath the surface, disturbing the warm liquid and drenching her locks. She took the plastic bottle of shampoo and squeezed out a generous portion of its contents in the palm of her hand. The gel’s coconut fragrance, one of her favorites, seemed odd to her. Reed and Sawyer were beautifully unrefined. They seemed more suited to a no-nonsense shampoo like Head and Shoulders. She doubted they’d ever even heard the word “metrosexual” here in Northern Colorado. They were manly men. Cowboys. So how did this ill-matched milky-scented shampoo with conditioner make it to their back porch? Perhaps no woman had decorated the bachelor-motif cabin but that didn’t mean there hadn’t been women visitors other than their sister. A sudden stinging jealousy nipped at her insides. Would they lie to her about that? They had no reason to. That thought softened the harsh green she was feeling. Maybe the only female to come here was their sister.
Why do I even care? Good God, what’s wrong with me?
She continued with her bath, washing her hair. After a good rinse, she grabbed one of the towels on the table and dried her dark strands. Once the bulk of the water was squeezed out, she wrapped her hair up in the towel. She took a cloth and began washing her skin. After her soothing cleanse, she curled her fingers around the glass of iced tea. The brothers had added lemon and just the right amount of sugar. The cool drink on her tongue and the warm water on her skin created one of the most relaxing moments she’d ever experienced. Placing the glass back on the table, she closed her eyes as her favorite Lee Ann Womack song began to play. Listening to the lyrics, another vision of Reed and Sawyer filled her mind, but this time she was part of the dream, dancing blissfully between them.
Reed held her hand and spun her around the floor, his stunning blue eyes reaching deep inside her. “Chicago, you’re fantastic. I’m so glad you agreed to dance with us.”
Sawyer took his turn with her, showing off his dancing skills, too, capturing her attention with his lush manly lips. What would it feel like to have them on her skin? On her nipples? Between her thighs? A tiny moan left her mouth, as her need expanded deep inside her.
Anxious and excited, she felt her heart race in her chest. Her knees buckled, and she would’ve hit the floor if Sawyer and Reed hadn’t been holding her between them. God, it was the most wonderful place to be. Something amazing was filling every atom in the room and beyond. The air sparkled with pinpoints of light and smelled of honeysuckle. Even her cowboys’ skin sparkled like diamonds in this misty expanse. She felt giant tears of joy in her eyes. So long she’d struggled. So long she’d been alone. Was this what happiness felt like?
A change of music to a slower tempo made her body burn even hotter. Sawyer pulled her in close, taking her breath away. Without so much as even a hint of jealousy, he passed her off to Reed. The mischievous brother held her tight against his rock-hard torso, moving her around the heavenly room.
God, she loved being here with these wonderful cowboys, feeling safe and secure. Loved.
Reed and Sawyer lifted her up into their arms and the dance floor vanished and in its place was a dreamy room with a big comfy bed in the center of the space. Her heart fluttered in her chest as they placed her tenderly on the fluffy comforter. Reed and Sawyer got onto the bed, positioning her between them. She lowered her head to the silk-covered pillow. The bed began to slowly spin and rise up. As they started caressing her, warmth filled her body. Her eyes softened. Tingles spread through her. Her senses had never been so alive, so heightened.
“Chicago,” Reed said tenderly. “We’re here for you.”
“We’ll always be here,” Sawyer chimed in.
She believed them, trusted them, and wanted them. She felt accepted, desired, and she no longer felt alone.
Reed’s fingertips stroked her back, igniting every nerve ending inside her.
Being between the two sexy wranglers made her hesitations vanish and her instincts break through. Suddenly, both of them were stripped off their clothing. She felt her eyes grow as big as saucers as she gazed at the perfect male physiques right in front of her. She looked down at her own body, which was magically free of attire, too. Normally, she would feel too exposed and fearful to let anyone see her this way, but not now, not with Reed and Sawyer.