Mastered by Mavericks (Doms of Destiny, Colorado 3)

“Me, too, baby. Sawyer and I have suffered loss. You have suffered loss. It’s time to grab on to each other and enjoy the next chapters of the rest of our lives.” Reed planted his mouth on hers, and she felt her heart rush to him. His tongue swept along the ridge of her lips and then plunged in.

She was filled with happiness as Reed’s mouth left her and was instantly replaced by Sawyer’s. Her toes curled as he claimed her with his lips and invading tongue.

Sweet emotions of acceptance were racing through her, blossoming into a warming sensation throughout her body. The kissing session continued for a few minutes until her lips throbbed deliciously.

When it ended, her cowboys looked at her with hazy, warm eyes.

Then a buzzing sound pulled her back. It came from her cell in her jacket.

“Leave it, baby,” Reed said.

“You know I can’t do that.” She pulled out the cell and looked at the screen. The call was from Jason. “Can we table this discussion for later?” Not waiting for an answer and happy to have a moment to catch her breath, she clicked the green “talk” button. “Hello, Sheriff. We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“I’m at the jail,” Jason said.

“I thought the guy was at the clinic.”

“He is. Charlie is there, making sure he stays put. Shouldn’t be a problem since the doc is keeping the prick sedated. Come to the jail first.”

She was about to ask him why when the call dropped. “Damn.” Clicking the call back button didn’t reconnect the call. “We’ve got to go.”

“Okay, but we’re not finished talking,” Sawyer said.

“You’re right about that, brother.” Reed

turned the key in the ignition and fired up the engine. “She’s still holding back, right?”

“Yep. I think your intuition is as good as mine lately.”

“Only with her,” Reed said, driving them down the road.

The hours with them had flown by. Never had Nicole’s emotions been so raw, causing her head to spin and her heart to race. She no longer doubted Reed’s intent. As much as Sawyer wanted something more permanent from her, so did he. But she couldn’t see how it would work. They were both ready to toss the life they’d known their entire adult lives for her. There was no way she would ask them to do that. Besides, there would eventually be a time when they would regret their choice.

She needed to remain focused on finding Henry. That needed to be her only goal, even though her heart was trying to shove her into the arms of these beautiful cowboys.

I’ve got two amazing men who want me and God knows I want them. What’s wrong with me?

She closed her eyes and felt the hard truth swirl in her head. Reed and Sawyer deserved better than her, better than a fuckup, an addict.

Chapter Fourteen

Topping the rise on Turkey Pass five miles from the Silver Spoon Bridge into Destiny, Sawyer saw black smoke coming from somewhere in the town. “Oh shit. Do you see that?”

“Yep,” Reed said. “Chicago, we’ve got to make a detour to the firehouse.”

“Reed and I are volunteer firefighters, sweetheart,” he added.

“Of course. No problem,” Nicole answered. “Can you tell what’s on fire from here?”

“No. It looks bad though.” Reed increased the speed of the truck, clearly wanting to get to the action fast. “Whatever is on fire is in the northeast part of town.”

Sawyer knew Destiny like the back of his hand. That could be any number of homes or businesses. Blue’s Diner. The Dream Hotel. Or the clinic—the place they were going to join Jason and meet up with Charlie to question the prisoner. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach that their detour wasn’t a detour at all.

* * * *

Nicole watched the dark smoke contaminating the blue Colorado sky.

Reed brought the truck to a sudden stop, unable to go farther up West Street due to the blockade in the road. “Sawyer, there’s Jason.”