STORY EXCERPT

Dylan Jacob’s partner, Gabe Henderson, eased over to him with a beer in his hand, finally looking relaxed now that the drug lord was about to stand trial for murder. It was about damned time, too. Their co-owners at Elite Detective Services were hosting this get together in celebration of the momentous event as well as in recognition of all the twenty-four hour shifts they’d endured before Riley and Gavin captured the scum sucker. Even after two months, Dylan’s thirty-three-year-old body hadn’t quite recovered from sleeping in the van all those nights on a too-short, hard mattress. 

Gabe nodded toward the cluster of women giggling on the sofa. “You think Ceci will show?”

She was the woman they’d protected during the ordeal. “I hope so.”

While the madman had targeted her, it was her best friend who’d been kidnapped by mistake. All during those tense times, Ceci kept muttering she wished they’d taken her instead of Sarah.

He and Gabe had only spoken a few times to her since the event, mostly to see how she was holding up, but they never asked her out as they both felt—okay, he believed—that she needed time to sort through her feelings. Trauma had a way of fucking with the mind, making a person question right from wrong, and deciding whether to change priorities.

Gabe shook his head. “Maybe she doesn’t want to relive the nightmare. Hell, the second she steps in this room with everyone involved in the case, she might remember what it was like to be cooped in the house with two strangers.”

That would be them.

“She’s had time. Besides, she’s a survivor.” Dylan had seen her steely resolve shine through under the intense pressure, almost as if she’d gone through something this terrible before. While they’d protected her from the drug lord who wanted revenge, Dylan had glimpsed the real Ceci Armstrong—one who was strong yet vulnerable—and he liked what he saw.

“But why break open the wound?”

“She loves her sister and wants to celebrate her newfound freedom.” He didn’t need to mention it would be healthier if she talked about what happened to those who’d been through a kidnapping. He understood firsthand how sharing a piece of himself many times over had helped him heal after seeing so many die in the war.

“Ceci told me she was too busy to socialize, so maybe she won’t come.”

He knew what Gabe was doing. He was trying to let him down easy. “That’s her lame excuse for not getting close to us. She knows we’ll be here.” Dylan glanced once more at the door as he thought he’d heard a car door slam. “I bet she’s taking extra care to look good.” He didn’t know why she bothered as they’d seen her in her pajamas, and in tears with red-rimmed eyes, hugging a carton of cookie dough ice cream for support, but there was never a time when she wasn’t beautiful. “Oh, shit.”

“What?”

“Maybe she’s late because she wants to look good—only it’s not to impress us.” Hell, Pleasure was crawling with single men, and her sister had invited many of them.

Gabe waved his beer. “Finally! The great optimist sees the light.”

Damn. There was no doubt Ceci found both of them physically attractive. At first, when they were at her house keeping watch, she’d bring them drinks and even cook for them. Then one night they’d stayed up talking and the next day, it was as if she’d dipped herself in ice. He tried to tell himself it was either her fear that the murderer would come after her or they had connected so deeply, it scared her to death. “She’ll come.” I hope.

“Maybe she’s working,” Gabe said.

“What planet are you from? She’s a day trader. The stock market closed hours ago.”

Gabe shrugged. “Come on, there are a lot of other pretty women we can talk to.” He headed over to where they’d congregated.

Their co-owner’s fiancée, Brooke, who happened to be Ceci’s sister, had invited several of her girlfriends, but he wasn’t in the mood for small talk. He wanted Ceci and only Ceci. There was something about her that called to him. She was a caregiver, yet she didn’t seem to want anyone to know. It was partly her secretive nature that intrigued him.

Normally, Gabe was the one who found the ladies for them to share. So far, though, they couldn’t agree on any one in particular. Maybe it was more accurate to say that once the women found out they lived in a fairly primitive log cabin in the middle of nowhere, liked to fish for their dinner instead of going out to a fancy restaurant, and rode dirt bikes on mud tracks for fun, the smart ones ran.

That was precisely why Gabe claimed Ceci wasn’t the one for them. But just because she drove a Lexus, dressed in expensive clothes, and had a Masters degree in business from Wharton, it didn’t mean deep down inside, she wasn’t a pioneer woman at heart.

Dream on, man. Maybe Gabe was right. She was out of their league.

However, Gabe was hopeful things were about to change. Last month, their other two partners, Max and Liam, caught a case in Pleasure and asked if Gabe and Dylan wouldn’t mind switching offices until things settled. He really didn’t care one way of the other, but Gabe said the women were more plentiful there. So now they commuted to Bozeman, an hour away from here. More women did nothing for him.

The door behind him opened and he spun around. Holy shit. Ceci! One glance and his heart was already a goner. In her three-inch-booted heels, she was only a few inches shorter than his six-foot-one-inch frame, making her perfect for kissing. It was like finding the ideal lure for a fish, and he was ready to reel her in.

ADULT EXCERPT

Dylan dropped a knee on the bed. “Doesn’t a woman prefer length over girth?”

Gabe grabbed his cock and lowered it, aiming the head right at her face. “A woman wants it thick to stretch her pussy wide.”

Did he really just say that? She swallowed another laugh. The men she affiliated with in Philadelphia with never talked about something as intimate as what their cock did to her pussy. She should be offended but wasn’t. Their attitude was actually refreshing.

“You know, boys, I’m still on the fence about who’s better.”

Gabe looked over at Dylan. “You hear that? Our woman is on the fence. Boy, do I have a post for you to sit on.” He cocked a brow. “Get it? Fence post?” He wiggled his cock.

She cracked up. His accent had thickened so much it had turned into a drawl.

Dylan faced him. “You’re a pig, Gabe. Ceci is a lady who needs some tender loving, not some hot to trot cowboy who just wants to poke her.”

Who would have thought all this dirty talk would turn her on?

She held up her hands. “Whoa. The only way to truly decide is to taste each of you.” Then make love with you.

“Wahoo.” Gabe whirled an imaginary lasso in his hand. “You can start with me, baby.”

She crawled over to Dylan. “While I appreciate Gabe’s enthusiasm, you’re leaking and I need to clean you up.”

He smiled. “You go right ahead and slurp away.”

Before either of them decided they wanted something other than a blow job, she pulled Dylan’s cock toward her and licked the salty pre-cum from his slit. He tasted yummy. Now she wanted to have him make more.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Gabe walking to the side of the bed. When he crawled next to her she lifted her head.

“Easy, baby. If I got to wait, I want to touch you.”

She had to tell them soon. Better make it now. “I’ve never had a cock in my ass.”

He grinned—actually grinned. “Don’t worry. You’re not ready. But when the time’s right, I’ll take you to heaven and back.”

Dylan cleared his throat and mumbled, “Bullshit.”

These two were going to be handful, that was for sure. She winked and returned to Dylan’s cock. She didn’t want to do the standard suck and grab. He deserved to be teased and tormented just like she bet they’d do to her. What she knew of Dylan, he’d appreciate a slow touch. She leaned on her elbows and wove her fingers together to show him she wasn’t going to touch him yet. Starting with his balls, she flicked her tongue around in small circles, pressing inward at random times.

“Jesus, Ceci. You’re killing me.”

She wasn’t sure of his level of sincerity until she glanced up at his slit and more pre-cum had bubbled out. She’d have to make sure he didn’t detonate too soon. Leaving his balls alone for the time being, she dragged her tongue up his thick shaft, zigzagging her way over his throbbing vein. Before she got halfway, Gabe widened her legs and leaned his belly against her rear.

“Ignore me, baby. I’m just getting comfortable.”

She had on her panties so he couldn’t surprise her with a cock.

He reached around and gently lifted her breasts. “These are amazing.”

She hated her tits. While she wasn’t overweight, her breasts had always been too full. Men loved them when she wanted them to love her. When Gabe gently stroked her covered tits, she got the sense that even if she’d been almost flat chested, he would have enjoyed them.

Dylan tapped her head. “You remember me?”

“I was giving you time to recover.”

He chuckled. “I won’t be recovering until after I’ve sampled your sweet pussy.”

Her cheeks heated so she kept her head lowered. She wasn’t used to men who were so outspoken, but their attitude made her feel as if she could tell them anything—well, almost anything.

She drew her tongue up his cock until she finally reached the head of his dick. Then she hovered her mouth over him and swirled her tongue around the circumference as if she was sampling her ice cream. Dylan grabbed a handful of wet hair and pulled it taut.

“Suck on it. Hard.” His groan was her reward.

Wanting to please him, she lowered her mouth and gently slid her lips downward. When no more of him would fit, she ran her tongue around his length.

“Deeper, sugar, deeper.”

The tip was already banging the back of her throat, but she swallowed to open up and managed another half-inch. To her that was victory.

Gabe popped open the back of her bra, and it felt as if her breasts dropped two inches. The push-up bra had held her in tight, and now her tits were hanging free.

“I can’t wait to suck on these,” Gabe said as he slipped his fingers under the material and twirled her nipples.

Unexpected sparks shot all over her body. How could his touch ignite her so quickly? With his free hand, Dylan grabbed her shoulder, and cut off her musings. She lifted her head and with more pressure drove down on him.

He groaned and stepped back. “Enough. I can’t last. Gabe. Get her on her back.”