STORY EXCERPT

"I didn't read the fine print." Rusty shot him a withering look that almost made Jay chuckle. "I'm not being flip about this, Rusty. I'm being honest. I have no one to blame for the shit I'm in but myself. I'm the dumbass who went along with the bet. I put my name on the dotted line. No, it's not a legally binding contract, but the morality of it, the fact that I gave my word, is binding enough for me. I won't walk away. Not because of the ranch or my share tied in it, though yeah, I do want what's mine, but because a man's only as good as his word. For most of my life my word's all I've had, and I've always made good on it. I won't stop now. Therefore, whatever happens is my fault."

"And that bastard father of yours and a mother who wouldn't fight for her own rights, much less her son's," Rusty added. "I hear what you're saying, babe, but they made sure you didn't have many options in life."

Jay winced. He didn't like to think ill of his mother or father. All accounts put Guy Masters as a fair, decent, and hard working cowboy who loved his sons. Jay learned all of that to be true. He also learned it applied to everyone but the bastard son he'd sent away.

"I'm sorry." Rusty raked his long fingers through his ebony hair. Jay's own fingers burned to do the same. How many times did he fantasize about feeling that simplest part of Rusty Eubank? How many nights had he lain in the bunk above Rusty dreaming of lying beside the man instead, his hand idly gliding through Rusty's long hair as they talked about anything and nothing? "No matter what I believe, casting blame isn't going to get you out of this. There's got to be some other way, something that will save face and your hide."

"I'm open for suggestions." Jay turned fully around, lifting a booted foot to prop on the frame of Rusty's bed, his forearm resting on the frame of the top bunk. "In less than twenty-four hours, Guy is going to settle down with Longhorn and a handful of others at the main house and I'll be fucked. No pun intended."

"Only if he wins." Rusty started pacing again, though there wasn't much space for movement in the tiny room. He walked to the door, pivoted right, crossed the width of the room at the foot of both sets of bunk beds, and then pivoted again to pace between them.

Despite the severity of the situation, Jay's attention got caught up in watching the other man move. Each step pulled the pant legs of Rusty's jeans tighter around his strong thighs and a truly delectable ass. Each breath caused the white cotton t-shirt he wore to cling to his tense muscles and broad shoulders.

Jay dipped his head, clamping his thumb and forefinger over the bridge of his nose, and closed his eyes. He needed to focus on tomorrow night, on how to save his own ass, figuratively and literally, instead of letting his brain fall to his cock and its soul focus of wanting to fill Rusty's tight ass.

"Of course he's going to win." Jay dropped his hand and opened his eyes. "The bastard always wins. There isn't a soul in this county that can beat Brody Longhorn. And still they come from miles around for the opportunity to try."

Rusty stopped pacing and turned slowly to face Jay. His expression, so devoid of emotion, took Jay by surprise. Until Rusty spoke. "There's one man that can beat him. All I have to do is convince him to play."

Jay clinched his teeth to keep his jaw from dropping as he stared at Rusty. Surely he didn't mean what Jay thought he did. But, as Jay continued to gaze into Rusty's chocolate eyes, Jay knew that was precisely what Rusty meant.

"Don't." Jay said the word so quietly he doubted Rusty heard him. "I can take care of this myself. I don't need a man coming to my rescue." He certainly didn't need one who'd hurt Rusty as badly as Cole Duvall. Especially not one that Jay wanted as badly as he did Cole, despite his attempts to hate the man.

Would he be forever haunted by the one night he spent with the man, by a few close dances and a shared bottle of liquor? It sure as hell seemed that way. He might lay awake at night wishing he could be in the lower bunk next to Rusty, but when he closed his eyes Rusty wasn't the only man to fill he dreams. He saw Cole, too. The image usually came to Jay in the most erotic of forms. Cole, his broad chest covered by a muscle-hugging t-shirt, his lower body clad in tight jeans and cowboy boots, his blond hair mussed with a crease around the skull where his cowboy hat always sat. The masculine curve of his jaw would slide with the widening of the come-hither smile that had drawn Jay onto the dance floor, and he'd be lost for as long as the dream realm held him captive.

"He'll do it." Rusty's voice rang with conviction. "If he knows it's for you."

"He doesn't want me any more than he wanted you." Rusty flinched and Jay wished he could take the words back, but the damage had already been done.

Rusty grabbed his cowboy hat off the hook by the door and slapped it on his head as he reached for the knob. "You're wrong about that. I'm not sure what happened that night at the bar, but I've seen the way he looks at you. You're wrong. He wants you, and I'm going now to see that tomorrow night he proves it."

ADULT EXCERPT

A low growl rumbled from Rusty's throat, and his head dropped to rest on Cole's shoulder. "Yes, you are. Finally, you're here."

Rusty's words sounded thick with so much emotion Cole felt his eyes burn. He'd kept his distance from this man, denied himself all the pleasures of Rusty's body to keep from causing Rusty pain. Could it be possible he hurt Rusty in his attempt to protect the man?

"But you're still thinking too much," Jay said as he stepped into Cole's line of sight. Both of Jay's hands came up to touch Cole's temples. Jay's wide, calloused fingers felt so incredibly gentle. "I can almost see the wheels turning in your gorgeous head. Stop them, Cole. Let those wheels rest for tonight."

"Just for tonight?" Cole heard himself ask. Was it too much to hope they wanted nothing more from him beyond tonight? Was it too much to fear he'd only get them for one night?

"For starters." Jay's gaze held his. Cole saw the amusement flowing in the other man's incredible river eyes, but he saw the promises causing the waves, too, the conviction betraying Jay's obvious belief that tonight would only be the start.

Cole all but heard the wheels grind to a stop as he shut off his mind, cutting off all thoughts except those that allowed him to feel the intense bliss of finally being between the two men he wanted most.

* * * *

Jay framed Cole's face with his hands and closed the distance between their mouths. He didn't break eye contact even as their lips met and, because of this, he saw when Cole surrendered.

Cole surprised Jay, laying one on him nothing like the tender brush of lips he stole from Rusty back in the horse stables. He captured Jay's mouth in a kiss that controlled, devoured, and claimed in its ferocity and delicious pressure. His tongue drove between Jay's lips, sweeping over Jay's tongue and licking the roof of Jay's mouth in a way that drew low purring sounds from Jay's throat. His hand closed on Jay's nape, fingers delving into Jay's curls and knocking Jay's cowboy hat to the ground in the process.

Jay hardly noticed the absence of the hat as he angled his head, allowing Cole to take the kiss deeper still. Cole tasted of heat and arousal, a heady mix that had Jay's toes curling in his boots. Even when Cole kissed him at the bar, the one and only time Jay'd ever gotten this close to the man, it hadn't been this consuming, this fantastic.

Jay's hands fell from Cole's face. He grazed his palms over the stubble of Cole's cheeks, his wide neck, his strong shoulders. Cole's hand remained like a vise to Jay's nape, his other arm winding around Jay's waist to clamp their bodies together, front to front. If Cole could've pulled Jay inside his skin, Jay believed in that moment the man would've done it, and Jay wouldn't have had any complaints.

Cole's body made a rigid wall of muscle and heat against Jay. At nearly the same height, their bodies molded in perfect alignment, chest to chest, stomach to stomach, cock to cock. Jesus, the man had a helluva cock! Jay writhed against it, grinding his own pulsing erection to Cole's fierce length. Only then did Cole break eye contact, wrenching his mouth from Jay's in an animalistic growl.

"Damnit, Jay, are you trying to kill me?"

Jay let a small smile tilt his tingling lips. "No, just pleasure you." He splayed his hands flat on Cole's shoulders and brought them down, absorbing the feel of each hard angle and rigid muscle beneath his palms. He didn't stop until he encountered Rusty's arm still encircling Cole's waist. Lost in his kiss with Cole, Jay had forgotten about Rusty. He met Rusty's gaze now, though, over Cole's shoulder and saw approval and encouragement in his chocolate depths.

Jay felt Rusty slide his free hand between Jay's and Cole's bodies, between their groins. Rusty cupped Cole's cock and Jay watched as Cole's eyes rolled with pleasure. His head fell back to rest once more on Rusty's chest and another quietly whispered, "Damnit," escaped his lips.

Rusty dipped his head, catching Cole's lobe between his teeth. "Do you want me to leave you two alone?"

Jay's heart skipped. No, he couldn't. They meant to take Cole together, to show Cole they could give him the satisfaction he required to keep him sated and happy. Not that Jay didn't believe he could do that alone. He knew he could please Cole two ways from Sunday for the rest of their lives. But he didn't want to do it alone. He wanted Rusty there with them always.

Cole released his hold on Jay's waist, but not his grip on Jay's nape. He lifted his head, locking his gaze with Jay's. Jay felt Cole's arm shift and knew he'd reached behind himself to grab onto Rusty. "You've walked away from me once." He tipped his head back, this time meeting Rusty's gaze. "Don't do it again tonight."

Flames leapt in Rusty's eyes, mirroring the ones licking the inner walls of Jay's cock. "We won't do it tonight or any other night."

Cole visibly gulped at the love and conviction that rang in Rusty's tone. The man's use of the word we obviously didn't get lost on Cole. Cole's head came up again, his fingers twisting in Jay's curls as their gazes met. He opened his mouth to say something, but Jay stopped him with a vow of his own.

"And we'll make sure you don't walk away from us." Jay knew Cole understood the implications of his words. Still, he felt the need to make himself perfectly clear. "The Duvall curse ends here with us. You saved me tonight. Now it's our job to take care of you."

Even as he spoke, Jay began unfastening the buttons of Cole's shirt. With each inch of tanned flesh he exposed, his mouth watered more and more. He leaned in, tracing Cole's collarbone and throat with his tongue. He pushed Cole's shirt off his shoulders and bent his knees, finding Cole's nipple and closing his lips around the hardened bud.