Emmett shook his head. “Not ‘someone,’ Cody. Some things. Animals. Livestock. She’s a flesh-and-blood woman.”
“And what nice flesh, too,” Cody added.
Emmett stood and glared at Cody. “Get a fucking grip. This isn’t some wish come true for us. We’ve got a woman who was in some kind of accident. We don’t know who she is or where she comes from. Our responsibility, our only responsibility, is to try to do the best we can in a terrible situation. That’s all. Nothing more. Do you understand me?”
Cody slammed his glass down. “Don’t try to play dad to me, Emmett.”
Bryant knew this song and dance well. Emmett and Cody normally didn’t clash, but when they did, when they saw a challenge from opposite sides, it could be World War Three. Like him, no doubt, their dicks were responding to the woman back in their parents’ bedroom, creating a conflict with their minds—a virtual tug-of-war between instinct and rationale. Not what they needed now. Not one to normally step in between them, he knew he must. “Guys, aren’t we getting ahead of ourselves?”
“Hello.” A small, sweet voice from the hallway startled him.
He spun around and gazed at the most ravishing vision he’d ever seen. Wrapped in the quilt Emmett had placed on her, her bare feet stuck out from underneath the blanket. But it wasn’t her little feet, tiny fingers, or pale skin that held his attention. As tantalizing as those were, it was her eyes that he couldn’t stop staring into—wide with full lashes and the color of whiskey.
* * * *
Her head was pounding and her heart was racing. Was this some kind of nightmare? “Where am I?” she asked the three men. They all looked like they’d just stepped off of a Western movie set.
They rushed to her side, sending a wave of panic through her. She stepped back.
“You’re in a cabin near Destiny, Colorado. Are you okay?” the one who looked to be the oldest asked.
She closed her eyes, trying to recall who he was to her. What came to her was emptiness.
Her mind was blank. Zippo.
He was a dark-haired stranger with a cleft chin. Very handsome, yes, but alien. She had no recollection of him or the other two men.
“No.” She wasn’t okay. Nothing made sense. Even breathing was difficult, and she coughed several times.
“Let’s get her back to bed,” the tallest of the three said, placing his arm around her waist. Big brown eyes captured her with their intensity. He blinked his long lashes, mesmerizing her. Beautiful but rugged was the only way to describe such a man. His perfect lips were moving. Had he said something else?
“Wait. Please.”
He tightened his hold on her. She wasn’t sure what to do, but with her legs so wobbly, the added support had to be welcomed.
The need to clear her head, to know what was happening was even more agonizing than the pain in her body, which seemed to be coming from everywhere. “Who are you guys?”
“We’re your rescuers, sweetheart,” the mirror image of the man holding her said. Standing in front of her, he held out his hands for her to take.
“I’m either seeing double or you two are twins.”
“Beautiful and smart to boot. You’re quite the package, mystery lady. Yes, we’re twins. I’m Cody Stone and the moody, quiet one holding you is Bryant. The guy on your right is Emmett, our big brother.” Cody didn’t wait for her to grab his hands but interlocked his thick, manly fingers in hers. “And who are you?”
What a simple question, one that any sane person should be able to answer without a single thought. She opened her mouth to tell him, but was shocked to realize she didn’t have an answer. Slamming her lips together, she closed her eyes. It was on the tip of her tongue. I am…
Opening her eyes, suddenly her vision blurred and all the color of the room faded into a grayness. Her body chilled as a wave of iciness swept through her.
“Grab her,” Cody said. “She’s passing out.”
* * * *
She coughed and felt the heaviness spin away. In its place came a brief calm, but as her consciousness took a better hold of her mind, the trance faded quickly, leaving only pain and fear.
“She’s back with us.” The voice, still unfamiliar to her, was from the cowboy who called himself Cody.
She forced her eyes open. “Yes. I’m awake. How long was I out?”
“Sixty seconds, tops.” Another stranger. Why was she with people she didn’t know?