Destined to Be Three (5 page)

Sighing quietly, Jaycee listened to the lyrics of “We Danced” by Brad Paisley. The country crooner sang,
“And we danced. Out there on that empty hardwood floor. Chairs up and the lights turned way down low. Music played, we held each other close…”

Jaycee wondered if Cade realized this was the scenario she’d dreamed about since the first time she’d heard this song. This setting was what movies were made of. All romances needed a scene with lovers on a dance floor in the soft, pale light, dancing to their perfect love song.

Only, they weren’t lovers, the dance floor had some kind of icky coating, and the neon Come On In or Fuck Off sign was distractedly blinking at her. Okay, it wasn’t really the setting for a romantic movie, but she didn’t give a shit. This was her fantasy, not some director in Hollywood’s. Cade was in Jaycee’s arms, and they were dancing to her favorite song. She could have been anywhere, and it would be magical.

Cade kissed the top of her hair. “I’ve missed you, Jaycee.”

Tears sprang to Jaycee’s eyes, and she wanted to respond to his sweet words but couldn’t speak around the lump in her throat. Before she found her voice, Brad belted out the last line of the song,
“Yeah, we danced,”
followed by the final chords.

Stepping away like a scalded cat, Jaycee wanted to scream out,
Hallelujah!

Cade smiled, knowingly, with a hint of derision. “Now was that so bad, darlin’?”

Without waiting for her answer, Cade grabbed her by the arm and pulled her toward the bar counter. As they drew near, Jaycee saw Gray deeply entrenched in a heated conversation with Douchebag Cowboy Number One and Douchebag Cowboy Number Two.

Katie-Anne and Shannon stood close by, egging on the men engaged in the pissing contest.

Jaycee heard Number One inform Gray, “She ain’t got no ring or collar. That makes her fair game. I’m feeling mighty horny, and that little filly sure looks like she knows how to fuck a man every which way but loose.”

The man never had a chance. Gray’s fist smashed into his face faster than the strike of a cornered snake. The asshole’s head snapped backward, and he groaned.

Number Two stepped forward to defend his comrade, but Cade was quicker and a hell of a lot meaner. He grabbed the man by his collar, spun him around, and slammed him against the counter. Cade got in Number Two’s face and snarled, “You fucktard. Keep your hands off of him, or I guarantee you will regret it. I would love nothing more than to rip off your dick and shove it so far up your ass that you choke on it.”

Number Two sputtered and spat a bunch of mumbo jumbo, but Cade ignored him as he watched Gray punch Number One again. He reared his arm back for a third hit when Jaycee launched herself at the idiots.

“All of you are being immature assholes,” she scolded, elbowing her way into the center of the circle. She pointed at the bleeding cowboy and the restrained cowboy. “You two need to disappear. I don’t give a shit where you go. Just get away from us.”

Turning and pointing at Cade, Jaycee ordered, “You, let the bastard go. They’re not going to pull anything. Even they’re not that dumb.

“And you,” Jaycee informed Gray as she stalked him, going toe-to-toe with him, poking her finger into his chest, “are going to let them go without any more bloodshed. Do
not
push me on this, buster.”

Impatiently, Jaycee tapped her foot while waiting for their obedience.

All four men stared at her with equal parts shock and indignation.

Number One looked at Number Two and grumbled, “Hell, she ain’t worth it. No piece of ass is.” Then he stomped off angrily with his friend following behind.

She hadn’t taken two breaths before Gray and Cade moved into her personal space, making her body temperature rise rapidly.

Gray greeted her mockingly, “Hello, there, hellcat.” His lips twitched as he made a half-assed effort to hold back a grin that was sure to be condescending.

“Asshole,” Jaycee replied as coldly as she could summon considering her cunt was going up in flames.

She crossed her arms over her tight, throbbing nipples. There was no need to give Gray any more ammunition against her, her hormones included.

Karma was one evil bitch, and she’d cursed Jaycee well. The more her pigheaded men fought her, the hotter she got. The need to surrender overrode her common sense.

“No kiss for us?” Gray taunted.

Calm down.
She had to keep her cool. Otherwise, she would kill them or fuck them on the floor of this oh-so-lovely establishment.

“I think that’s our cue to leave,” Katie-Anne said, looping her arm around Shannon’s elbow.

Shannon whined, “But I want to stay. I was about to see if the bartender had a stash of popcorn behind the counter. This will be better than a movie.”

Katie-Anne snickered, pulling Shannon away. “Come on, Shan, I’ll take you to see a real movie. I have a feeling a sister does not need to be present for this one.”

As soon as they had gone, Jaycee, Gray, and Cade were enveloped by blessed stillness. She didn’t let that lull her into a false confidence, though. The explosion was coming.

Cade, Mr. Impatience, conceded first. “Why don’t we go somewhere a bit more private and talk?”

“No,” Jaycee cried with more volume than she’d intended.

“Aw, come on, darlin’,” Cade griped. “We don’t want to air our dirty laundry in front of a bunch of strangers.”

Theatrically, Jaycee pretended to survey the empty bar with her eyes. When she was confident her point had gotten across, she arched an eyebrow at Cade. “What strangers?”

Gray watched their byplay emotionlessly, not joining in but not speaking or moving, either. She wanted to grab the trough at the end of the bar and pour all of the ice over his head. Then he wouldn’t be so damn stoic.

“Fuck me,” Cade thundered. “Do you have to make everything so damn difficult?”

“No thanks, Cade,” Jaycee thanked him with sarcasm dripping from each word. “If you need to be fucked, Gray’s your man.” She patted Cade’s broad chest, attempting to ignore the feel of his muscles under her hand. “It was a nice offer, though.”

Gray finally lost his patience. “Goddamn it, that is enough,” he shouted.

Cade and Jaycee didn’t question him. They shut up and waited for his next words. When he said nothing, they all stood together awkwardly.

After several moments of very intense, unnerving silence, Gray spoke. “Jaycee, we are going to talk. It may not be today, but it will happen. If you want to leave right now, go for it. But, you need to get one thing through your thick skull. Leaving isn’t going to change a fucking thing. It’s temporary, sweetheart.”

Not giving him a chance to change his mind, she did what she did best. She ran.

Chapter 4

Cade still seethed two hours later, sitting with Gray in the nicest motel in Paloma, Kansas, which wasn’t saying much. “Shit, this is a dump,” he complained, picking up the already-used plastic cup someone had left behind and tossing it into the trash can across the room.

Gray glowered at him.

Defensively, Cade threw his hands up in surrender. “Just saying.”

“Stop bullshitting me, Cade. You’re pissed at me for letting her go.” Gray angled his body back and reclined against the headboard impatiently. He folded his arms across his chest in obvious annoyance. “Just get it off your chest.”

Cade pounded his fist on the table. “What the fuck were you thinking?”

“Don’t hold back anything,” Gray directed dispassionately.

Cade ignored Gray’s sardonic tone. “Don’t be a bastard, Gray. You let her go, again. Have you lost your mind?”

“Do go on, Cade,” Gray encouraged, persuasively, in his too-calm voice.

Cade knew he was so spanked when he finished his tantrum. Gray would make sure of that, but at the moment, it felt too damn good to stop. Cade figured if he was going to get punished, he might as well earn every smack.

“Goddamn it, Gray. We’ve been here before. Don’t you dare fuck it up! I can’t lose her a second time.”

“I am not fucking up a damn thing, Cade. If you would calm down for a minute, you would see that.”

Cade lost it. “Don’t be a prick. I am not calm, and I won’t be calm until she is lying in bed between us. Why do you have to act like you don’t care? I know you love her. I was there the day she walked out and never came back.” He ran his hand through his thick hair in frustration. “Can’t you admit it’s killing you like its killing me? This is never going to work if you don’t let the past go and start opening up to us.”

“Don’t you think I know that? Damn it, Cade. I lost her once because I couldn’t give her all of me. I have no intention of doing it again. But, it isn’t easy.”

For as long as Cade had been with Gray, he’d never seen the man lay himself so bare. Maybe they were making progress, after all.

Swamped with the need to be closer to Gray, Cade stood up and walked to the bed before sinking down next to him. It was hard to not reach out and touch him, but Cade knew Gray would not be receptive at this point.

Cade would have to wait for Gray. It was too damn bad patience was not his forte. “We’re in this together, Gray. One for all and all for one. Or some bullshit like that.”

Gray’s lips quirked. “Talk about being hypocritical. You want me to have some deep, emotional conversation, and you’re cracking jokes.”

Cade winked overtly at Gray. “And you love me, asshole,” he reminded him.

“Unfortunately, for me,” Gray teased with obvious affection.

“Good. Now, can we jump to the portion of the evening where you fuck me? I’m horny.”

Gray laughed, an honest-to-goodness laugh. “You always sucked at waiting for what you want.”

“I just love to suck.”

“Of that, I have no doubt.” Gray crooked his finger. “Come here.”

Cade didn’t hesitate. He crawled toward Gray, reaching him straightaway since the bed was too small for two large men to keep their distance. Cade lay down next to Gray and waited.

“I think that I said come here. Not lie next to me.” Gray’s impatience was palpable.

“My apologies, sir,” Cade retorted, keeping his head lowered so Gray wouldn’t see the broad grin on this face. He felt like provoking Gray tonight.

Gray tsked him. “What have I told you?”

Cade remained mute and refused to raise his head.

“I am Gray. You are Cade. Jaycee is Jaycee. We do not live the D/s lifestyle, and I will not answer to Sir or Master. Ever.”

Cade barely held back a chuckle. He loved to torment Gray.

When he finally reined in his expression, Cade lifted his head to meet Gray’s deliciously dark eyes. They always reminded him of chocolate ganache, soft and smooth.

Gray’s eyes smoldered. He looked like a volcano moments before erupting, and Cade was the tourist standing at the bottom, admiring the view. He was about to get singed, and he couldn’t be happier about it.

Cade’s cock hardened instinctively, knowing Gray was as hot for him as he was for Gray. From the time he’d had his first hard-on, his dick had never failed to respond instantaneously to Gray or Jaycee.

The thought of Jaycee and Gray made his head nearly explode, his cock lengthening to epic proportions. All he wanted was to get his dick inside of Jaycee’s hot little cunt while Gray fucked him from behind, the harder, the better.