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  Cade’s face twisted and he let out a groan. “Quit teasing me, Jess. I don’t need to hear this.”

  Letting her arms drop to her sides, she backed down. Nothing she said would convince him.

  “Fine,” she muttered, tightening the sash of her robe. “Don’t believe me.” She spun on her heel and started for the door. “I’m going to take a shower and then I’m getting some shuteye. Say hi to Brett when you see him.”

  The rich sound of Cade’s laughter followed her all the way up the stairs.

  ***

  Cade didn’t know what he’d expected when he ambled into the stables later that afternoon, but finding Brett standing in front of Dixie’s stall sure as hell wasn’t it. His footsteps faltered as he blinked to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. After Brett’s disappearing act in the small hours of the morning, Cade had felt sure he wouldn’t show his face on the ranch for a couple of days. Hell, he’d half expected Brett to pick up and take off as fast as his truck’s wheels could spin.

  He cleared his throat, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Brett didn’t look his way.

  “There’s something wrong with her,” he said, his voice low. “Take a look.”

  Concern brewed in Cade as he strode forward to inspect the mare. It took a few moments for him to notice the stiff movement of her neck and her awkward stance.

  “Did you call a vet?”

  “Yeah, Rob Daly’s coming up to check her out.” Brett turned from the stall and as he passed, Cade inhaled his masculine scent of soap and fresh sweat. He closed his eyes briefly, blocking the lust that threatened to sweep through him, and then returned his attention to the horse.

  “She’s got plenty of water in there?”

  “Yeah.”

  Cade turned and found himself staring at Brett’s squared shoulders. Remembering the intimacy of watching the guy get his ass fucked for the first time, Cade’s chest filled with emotion.

  As if sensing Cade’s eyes on him, Brett started toward the door. “I want to check out the land past the pastures,” he said, setting his Stetson on his dark head. “I know it’s dry, but with some irrigation I think we could use it for crops.”

  Cade nodded. Sounded like a practical way to escape his company. “I’ll hang around here till Rob arrives.”

  He watched Brett stride across the yard and tried not to notice the way the muscles in his ass flexed with each step. When Brett’s frame disappeared from view, Cade turned back to Dixie and reached out a hand to stroke her mane. She was a damn fine horse and probably the oldest they had. The stiffness in her muscles could be a symptom of old age but he was glad they were making sure.

  “At least he’s talking to me like a human,” he muttered, referring to Brett as he trailed his fingertips along Dixie’s silky hair. “I sure as hell didn’t expect that.”

  His thoughts flickered once again to the previous night and his gut twisted. He understood Brett being shook up about it. Jess had really pushed his boundaries last night. What Cade didn’t understand was why he was so shook up. The muscles across his shoulders strained tight. The pancakes he’d devoured that morning rolled around in his stomach. His mind kept replaying the events of the previous night, torturing him with vivid memories of Brett’s mouth-watering body, of the pure sexuality in his dark eyes.

  He’d loved every second of watching Brett lose control. Hell, he’d savored the sight of Jess’s dildo penetrating Brett’s virgin ass. But even as his dick had exploded in his hand, he hadn’t felt satisfied. He wanted more, needed more. In pain he’d listened to Jessica’s moans as she took all Brett had to give. Cade didn’t think he’d ever been more jealous in his entire life.

  The strong emotions scared him. He didn’t know where they came from, what brought them on. Brett stirred something inside him, something no one else could touch, and it made Cade sweat. If he’d thought for half a second he’d find Brett on the ranch today, he’d have stayed the hell at home. Safe from the unfamiliar feelings that were set to drive him crazy before the sun went down.

  He patted Dixie on the muzzle one last time and then headed back into the afternoon sun. The squeal of tires on the gravel out front reached his ears and he strolled across the yard to greet the vet. If he could distract himself with the workload they had on their hands, maybe the knots in his stomach would go away.

  ***

  The knots in Cade’s stomach didn’t go away, but they relaxed slightly over the following few days. He focused on the work through the day, then Jessica through the night. He only saw Brett on the brief occasions when their paths crossed in the yard or the fields, but their eyes never met and only a grunt of greeting passed between them. Neither Cade nor Jessica came into contact with Brett after hours and despite the uneasy feelings that still clawed at Cade, a longing to be near the other man again took over.

  “We should invite him over tonight,” Jess said on Thursday night, four whole days after their tryst.

  Cade shot her a look of warning and she lifted her shoulders in an innocent shrug. “Just for dinner.”

  His eyes returned to the paper he was reading. “He’d say no.”

  “Well, I think I’ll ask him anyway.”

  Cade tried to appear unfazed as he flipped over a page, but the black and white words blurred on the paper. He waited, holding his breath as Jess punched a number into the phone. She held it to her ear. After a minute it became clear Brett wasn’t picking up.

  “I really wanted to see him before I go home,” she said, flinging her body into a chair. “Are you guys talking yet?”

  “Nope.”

  “Could you start please?” She lifted her feet into his lap and wiggled her toes. Today her nails were painted crimson. “I’m sure he misses me.”

  “I’m sure he does.” Cade put down the paper and wrapped his hand around her ankle. “Why don’t you go up there on Saturday before your flight? I’ve got to pick up some supplies in Steeplecrest. It’ll be just you and him.”

  She leaned forward, her eyes softening. “But I want it to be the three of us. It’s so much hotter that way.”

  Laughing, he shoved her foot off his lap. “I don’t think that’ll be happening again,” he said, getting to his feet. “Not any time soon, at least.”

  “I really screwed things up for you, didn’t I?” she said quietly, a sheen of guilt covering her eyes.

  The smile faded from his face. “No, sweetie, of course not.” He leaned down to kiss her forehead. “The guy just needs some time. So do I, if I’m honest.”

  “You’re really into him, aren’t you?” she said, making the question sound more like a statement.

  His gaze dropped from hers as he shrugged. “Nothing I can’t get over.”

  “I wish you didn’t have to get over it.” Her lips curved in an optimistic smile. “Maybe you won’t have to.”

  He shook his head, trying to control the flare of hope her words elicited within him. “Can we talk about something else?”

  “Of course.”

  As she launched into a recap of a telephone call she’d received from an editor at some big-shot New York magazine, he zoned out, his mind stubbornly set on thoughts of Brett. Why hadn’t he picked up his phone? Was he out tonight? Picking up chicks at Billy’s? Living a life completely separate to Cade’s?

  His stomach churned. He couldn’t lose his relationship with Brett. Though it was strained and full of unfulfilled desires on his part, Brett was too important to lose, even if that meant they could only be friends. Somehow he had to figure out a way to get their camaraderie back or else life on Steeplecrest Ranch wouldn’t be worth living.

  ***

  The days following the night at Cade’s place dragged as Brett struggled to keep his mind busy. The nights, without the distraction of ranch life, felt even longer. His bed was in a constant state of disarray—covers bunched at the foot of the bed and sheets twisted in a tangled mess. But the lack of sleep wasn’t wearing him out. His mind was fully aler
t and his body sizzled like a livewire. He didn’t know what Jessica and Cade had set off inside him but it felt like a ticking bomb just ready to explode in his veins. Every muscle in his body throbbed for something he couldn’t put his finger on. He knew in his gut that Cade would know how to ease the ache and, in the dead of the night when Brett’s cock jutted out angrily from between his legs, it was all he could do not to swing his legs over the side of the bed and take a stroll down to the Armstrong house.

  On Friday morning, confident Cade would still be in bed with his body curled around Jessica’s soft curves, Brett wandered out toward the pastures to check Paul had fed the cattle. He’d take the four-wheel drive out on the plains today just for the hell of it. Imagining the warm breeze on his face as he bound across the land, dust flying through the air behind him, he already felt the tension in his muscles relax. But as he rounded the corner of the barn and faced one of the paddocks, he stiffened, stopping in his tracks.

  In the center of the paddock a horse he didn’t recognize jerked and whinnied, its legs lifting in the air. Brett cast a brief glance at the animal, but what commanded his attention was the man the horse was trying to throw off.

  Cade sat on the horse’s back, his hands gripping the animal’s dark mane as he struggled to stay upright. His denim-clad thighs locked around the beast, the heels of his boots digging into its sides and his bare chest, golden beneath the sun, glistened with sweat. A Stetson sat on his head, casting his eyes in shadow but Brett knew Cade’s gaze was trained on the horse, his sole focus. Behind him, beneath the brim of his hat, shaggy blond hair curled outward, trailing over his muscled shoulders each time his head tilted back with the force of the horse’s movements. Brett’s gaze roamed over the other man’s face, noting the clenched jaw, the tendons standing out along his neck—a result of the exertion it took to control the animal. Dropping his eyes to Cade’s thighs, he felt his insides clench as he watched the muscles flex, clamping around the horse’s body.

  The whinnies began to lessen in strength. Beneath Cade’s body, the animal’s efforts to throw off its load eased. It continued to buck, its movements weakening until finally it gave up and stilled, giving an angry snort. A cheer penetrated the silence and Brett blinked, glanced to the side and spotted Jimmy. The old man opened the gate to the paddock and jogged toward the horse.

  “That was magic, son,” he said, his craggy voice loud with excitement. He patted the horse’s muzzle, shaking his head in amazement. “Look at her. She’s tame as a kitten.”

  Brett held back as Cade swung his leg over the horse and dropped to the ground. He pulled the hat from his head and shook out his hair. Before Brett thought to make a getaway, Cade’s blue eyes, twinkling with excitement, found his. Holding his breath, Brett waited for the excitement in Cade’s gaze to fade into wariness. After all, they hadn’t made eye contact in days. But Cade’s expression remained triumphant as he jerked a thumb toward the horse.

  “What do you think of her?”

  He looked at the horse, appreciating for the first time the strong, well-proportioned body and the glossy mahogany coat. “I’ll have to see her in action first.”

  Cade’s shout of laughter rang in Brett’s ears. “Did you hear that?” Cade demanded, looking to Jimmy in disbelief. “What does he need to see after that?”

  Jimmy shook his head, looping a piece of rope around the horse’s neck. “Don’t listen to him, boy. He ain’t never satisfied.”

  Letting out a chuckle, Brett felt himself relax. Even as Cade approached the fence, he stayed put. But the moment Jimmy led the horse away he regretted the decision to stay. Alone again.

  Cade grabbed his shirt from the top bar of the fence and shrugged into it, leaving it unbuttoned. “Should have put a saddle on first,” he said, swiping his hand over his ass.

  Brett’s gaze darted to where Cade’s hand brushed his backside before he tore it away again.

  “Where’s Jess?” he asked, needing to break the silence. As soon as her name fell from his lips stark reminders of their night together pooled in his mind’s eye. Damn it.

  Cade didn’t miss a beat. “Still in bed,” he said casually, lifting a bottle of water from the ground and twisting off the cap. “She leaves tomorrow night.”

  “Right.” Silence descended again and this time Brett couldn’t think of anything to break it. “I’ll see you later,” he muttered, turning from the fence and starting toward the pastures. A couple of yards later Cade’s shout had him turning back.

  “Aw, come on Brett,” Cade called from behind him. “Would you just get that stick out of your ass and get over it?”

  His mind begged him to ignore the question, to keep on going, but he knew he had to deal with this some time. He stalked back to the fence, glaring at Cade as the guy leaped over the bars.

  “Get over what?” he asked, folding his arms over his chest.

  Cade’s chuckle riled him up even more. “You’re acting like the kid in the locker room. The one with the small dick.”

  Brett’s eyes widened as fury tightened his fists into balls at his sides. “Are you saying I have a small dick?”

  Cade raised an eyebrow, eyes still brimming with laughter. “Not at all.” He leaned his elbow on the fence and crossed one foot behind the other, tapping the hard dirt ground with the toe of his boot. “I just can’t figure out why you’re so pissed that I saw you naked.”

  Brett’s eyes bulged. “Are you fucking serious?” Even as he uttered the demand, heat crept up his neck. He held Cade’s gaze, hoping he wouldn’t notice how uncomfortable he’d made him.

  “Well, then you tell me what the problem is.” Cade looked at him expectantly, boot still stubbing the ground.

  For a moment Brett was too mad to speak. “I don’t have a problem,” he bit out eventually, resisting the urge to lash out at Cade’s smirk of disbelief. “Forget it,” he said, wishing he could press rewind on the past couple of weeks. “I guess I just don’t like sharing women, that’s all.”

  Cade’s eyes pierced into him, giving Brett the uneasy sense he was being interrogated. He struggled to maintain a deadpan expression. What he really wanted to do was sucker-punch Cade in the stomach or maybe even…

  He didn’t let the thought finish in his mind. He didn’t want to know how it ended. Because despite his protests, he knew Cade was right. He hated that the other man had seen him naked. Every time Cade looked in his direction now he felt as if he was being stripped. It didn’t make sense. He knew Cade was into girls. Hell, the guy hadn’t been able to get enough of Jessica’s sweet body the other night. So why did he make Brett feel this way? And why the fuck was his traitorous mind suddenly noticing things about Cade he shouldn’t be noticing. Like the curve of his lower lip. The way his blue eyes hardened when he was pissed. The goddamn definition of his stomach muscles.

  Realizing he’d been staring at Cade for God knows how long, he backed up, ready to run. Cade’s gaze followed him, the challenging glint in his eyes fading to confusion. Nausea swelled in Brett’s stomach. He turned and headed blindly in the opposite direction. He didn’t care where he was going. As long as it was as far away from Cade as possible.

  He managed to avoid Cade for the rest of the day and for the whole of Saturday morning. At noon on Saturday he returned to the house to grab a bite to eat. He stood at one of the kitchen windows that overlooked the backyard as he munched on a sandwich. A few yards of patio sloped downward from the veranda across to the line of cedar trees guarding the end of the house. Beyond the trees lay a rectangular swimming pool, the blue water barely visible from the kitchen through the gaps between the thick green foliage.

  Brett’s eye caught on a movement through the trees and his jaw stilled. Now who was sneaking around out there?

  Leaving the remains of his sandwich beside the sink, he headed out onto the veranda and jumped down the steps. In a few quick strides he crossed the patio and followed the narrow path, still lined with pots of his mother’s flowers, to the s
wimming pool.

  The midday sun reflected off the surface of the pool and beamed into his eyes, momentarily blinding him. He blinked until his vision cleared and then blinked again. There, stretched out on a sun lounger, lay a very topless Jessica. With her arms straight at her sides and her face pointed upward, she painted a picture of relaxation. He drank in her long, tanned limbs and the small swells of her breasts. The hard berry nipples jutted toward the sky. A scrap of purple material covered her mound.

  His dick immediately reacted to her practically naked state, twitching inside his boxers. He adjusted himself in an effort to make himself more comfortable and managed to catch her attention in the process. Her head turned to him and a catlike smile spread across her glossy lips. Rising up on her elbows, she pushed her sunglasses into her hair.

  “Hey there, stranger,” she greeted, her tone light and teasing. “I was wondering if I’d get to see you before I go.”

  He held out his arms. “You’re seeing me now.”

  “Yes, I am.” She sat up fully, her tits bobbing with the movement. Swinging her legs over the edge of the lounger, she patted the empty space her feet left open. “Come sit with me.”

  “Nice of you to offer,” he said, taking a seat and grinning at her. “It’s not like it’s my lounger or anything.”

  Her expression was immediately apologetic. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, leaning closer to him, so close her nipples were a hair’s breadth from his arm. “Cade said you had a pool and I couldn’t resist.”

  “It’s no problem,” he said, eyes fixed on the hard tips of her breasts. “What time do you leave at?”

  “Five,” she replied, her lovely mouth twisting in a grimace. “I’m sure going to miss this place.”

  He glanced up into her regret-filled eyes. “You’ll come back, right?”

  A wicked smile curved her lips. “Are you going to make it worth my while?”