Rick made a scoffing sound, then let out a short whistle. A bark answered him as a black and white Sheltie darted around the last stall and ran toward Rick. As soon as the dog got close enough, he jumped into the air and landed in Rick’s arms. The dog greeted his master with lots of whines and licks, and it was easy to see that Rick returned the love.
“This is Rebel.”
Rebel squirmed in Rick’s arms, then hurled his body at Gunner. Gunner caught him in midair and went through the same loving greeting that Rebel had given Rick. By the time the dog leapt out of Gunner’s arms to the ground in front of her, she’d already fallen in love.
She knelt down and let Rebel give her a few kisses, too. “You are such a sweetie. Is this your home, boy? Oh! Okay. Now that was a wet one.” She wiped away the slick of wetness from her cheek as Rick whistled, drawing Rebel back to him.
“Sorry about that. Rebel never met anyone he didn’t like.”
“I don’t mind. I love dogs. I just wish my apartment complex allowed pets.”
Rick motioned for her to follow him. “That’s too bad. I’d hate to be without a dog. Most of us don’t like dogs much, but we’ve always had at least one.”
“Yeah, me, too. But until I decide to buy a home, that’s what I have to deal with. Besides, I’m gone too much to have a pet.”
She narrowed her eyes, suddenly aware of what he’d said. “What did you mean about most of you not liking dogs? Don’t a lot of ranchers have dogs?”
“Sure.” Rick shrugged, averting his eyes. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”
She wasn’t quite sure why, but she didn’t believe him. Still, it wasn’t a big enough deal to keep questioning him.
She leaned against the first stall that Rick went into. The beautiful bay horse lifted his head and nickered at his arrival, then butted his muzzle against the man, obviously asking for a treat. Rick dug into his pocket and pulled out a small chunk of carrot.
“Here you go, Skipper. Hey, now. Don’t get greedy.”
Rebel scampered after Gunner as he went into the stall on the other side. Gunner took off the saddle and started brushing the horse she’d seen him riding. Kid leaned on the railing of that stall, but kept most of his weight off it. More than once, he’d ended up breaking whatever he was leaning on.
She studied the stall and the rest of the barn again. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t find fault with any of it.
“Do you ride, Mallory?” Rick bent over to examine the animal’s horseshoes.
A second before she’d started to correct him, to tell him to call her Mal again, she stopped. Her mother had named her Mallory and she’d never liked it much. It had seemed too girlish. But coming from Rick, the name sounded pretty good.
“I do. I took equestrian lessons when I was in my teens.”
Rick straightened up, his eyebrows lifted, and an amused expression on his face. “Equestrian lessons, huh? Folks around here just call it riding. Did you do the fancy jumping stuff and put pretty bows on your horse?”
He’d caught her slip up. Or had she wanted to impress him? Most of the time, especially when dealing with Texas ranchers, she preferred to keep her past hidden. As soon as they found out that she’d grown up with wealthy parents, they tended to disregard her opinions. She didn’t flaunt her wealth, which is part of the reason she’d taken the cashier’s job at the bank. Aside from giving to many charities and funding her research on animal cruelty, she stuck the rest into investments. She wasn’t even sure how much she was worth any longer.
“It’s called dressage and the fancy jumping stuff is called hurdles racing. And yes. I put pretty bows on my horse, but only for competitions.”
“I bet you wore the black coat and the little black hat, too.”
She let out a sigh, resisted the urge to face Gunner, then gave into it. “Yes, that’s kind of a requirement, especially when you compete. Go on. You can make fun of it all you want, but you have to be a damn fine rider to do the hurdles.”
Rick finished checking his horse over, then left that stall to walk toward the back of the barn. Tilting her head to the side, she watched him, enjoying the lazy way he walked. His butt was a fine thing to study.
Kid cleared his throat, breaking into her trance. She rolled her eyes at a grinning Kid and hurried after Rick.
“Have you ever done any cattle drives or barrel racing?”
“No, but how hard can it be?”
Rick shook his head and strode out of the barn to a large pen. A number of cows plodded around the arena, stopping every once in a while to munch on a patch of dry grass. “Harder than you’d think, I bet. Sitting a good saddle isn’t enough. You have to know the animals you’re dealing with.” He gave her a stern, piercing look. “Do you know cattle, Mallory? Or are they just big dogs to you?”
He didn’t give her a chance to answer and she wasn’t sure she would’ve known what to say. Instead, he opened the gate, then waved her toward the cattle. “Feel free to check them over. Make sure we haven’t beaten or starved them. I wouldn’t want you to misrepresent us.”
“Trust me. I’ll tell it straight.”
One look around told her what she needed to know. None of the animals appeared neglected. If anything, they looked healthier than most she’d seen on other ranches.
“As you can see, we take care of them. We make sure they get the best feed and the medications to help them stay healthy.” He pushed his hat back and found her eyes. “I love my cattle, but I understand that they’re not pets. Cattle ranchers supply a necessary service to help feed people, but we make sure their lives and their deaths are handled the right way. Got any questions?”
The only questions she wanted to ask were about him. She couldn’t do that. “No. Not yet.”
If she’d dared, she would’ve asked him if he felt the same sizzle that she felt. But if he did, then what? Did he feel the same urgency? An urgency to grab hold and make him kiss her until her legs gave out? Did he feel the urgency to thrust her chest against his and fondle her breasts?
She wanted him and his brother more than she’d have thought possible. It didn’t make any sense, but the compulsion was there. It went crazy inside her. If they’d given her half a reason, she’d have let them strip her clothes, leaving her naked and vulnerable. Even with Kid standing nearby.
The world swayed around her as another flash of energy—
is it lust?—
swept over her. She had no choice but to reach out for anything—
him!
—to keep from falling over. Her hand fisted in Rick’s shirt as her hand disobeyed her mind.
“Mallory?”
Somehow, she’d ended up in his arms. Her heart pounded in an uneven rhythm. Her breath hitched in her throat. Her knees still felt weak, barely able to keep her standing.
“Are you all right?”
She lifted her gaze and found his mouth. His lips were firm, yet she had reason to think they’d be soft at the same time. She wanted, hell, needed to kiss him. Like a deep sea diver, she needed his kiss like it was air to breathe.
It wasn’t until her eyes found his that she lifted her other hand and took a hunk of his hair. Tugging his mouth to hers wasn’t professional, but to turn him loose wasn’t an option. If she didn’t have his lips on hers, she had no doubt she’d die.
His groan echoed the yearning inside her as his mouth crushed against hers. The groan flowed inside along with his tongue. He yanked her into his arms, forcefully molding her body to his. Answering him with a moan of her own, she nibbled on his lower lip until he tilted her head and deepened the kiss. The breath his kiss had given her was gone in the next moment as he stole it away. She welcomed his tongue inside, skimming hers over his to draw up more of his taste. Strong, girder-like arms enveloped her, bringing her onto her tiptoes. She reached up even more and bent him low over her body.
She thought she knew how to kiss and be kissed, but she was wrong. Until Rick had put his mouth to hers, she’d only been fooling herself. Other men’s kisses paled in comparison. What she’d believed to be desire before now diminished into a child’s fantasy. This was so much more, yet she couldn’t find a word that could describe it. Rick kissed her like a woman should be kissed, with power and control dominating her until she wanted to beg him to kiss her between her legs. She had to have more kissing and, God help her, more everything.
“Mal?”
At first she didn’t recognize her own name. Rick had called her Mallory and now nothing else seemed to fit. She was lost to him, ready to sacrifice the life she’d known for a few more moments of his kiss.
Someone cleared their throat and she dismissed it. Who cared what else was going on around them? Who cared if anyone else was alive?
“Are you having fun, man?”
Gunner.
At once, her body and mind was at war. She wanted Rick, craved him, and yet there was another she yearned for just as much. Could she have both of them?
It was Rick who finally broke the kiss and held her away from him. A rush of emotions overwhelmed her. Disbelief gave way to disappointment, and anger came and went in blistering speed, to be replaced with humiliation.
Gunner and Kid stood in the shade of the barn, staring at her. She would’ve expected Kid to be stunned at her behavior, but he wasn’t. Like Gunner, he had on a knowing smile that changed into a smirk that said “I told you so”.
“Hell, yeah.” answered Rick. He tipped his hat at her in a “thank you, ma’am” kind of way and stepped back from her.
“You’re all right, aren’t you, Mal? You didn’t like inhale too much horse shit and have a stroke, did you?” At her narrowed eyes, Kid attempted to cover a chuckle with a cough.
She wasn’t about to stand there and let Gunner and Kid make fun of her. Putting her head down, she marched past them. “Come on, Kid. Let’s get moved into our rooms.”
Yet when she was halfway down the middle aisle of the barn, she couldn’t help but overhear Gunner’s teasing words.
“Would you like my brother to meet you in your room and finish your, um, research?”
She didn’t dare turn back. If she did, he’d seen the blush on her face. Instead, she did the only thing she could think to do. She lifted her hand in the air, then stuck her middle finger toward the ceiling. Their laughter followed her all the way back to the van.
* * * *
Gunner pulled Rick away from the grill. “Don’t you think you’re pushing it?”
Rick pretended ignorance, then flipped one of the juicy burgers. Flames leapt upward as the grease dribbled on the coals. The other side of the grill contained thick pieces of steak. “What are you talking about?”
“Cut the crap. You haven’t cooked out in over a month. Now that we have Mallory here spouting animal cruelty, you’re dying for a good, all-beef hamburger? You’re baiting her and you know it.”
Rick flipped another burger. “Yeah. So what? I like seeing her all riled up. Besides, we eat meat, plain and simple. The faster she figures that out, the better it’ll be.”
“Fine, but I’m heading for town once she gets a whiff.” He’d let his brother catch her wrath. Afterwards, maybe she’d be more receptive to talking—or kissing—him instead of his brother.
“Coward.”
He didn’t clue Rick in on his plan. “Yep. I’ve got a big old yellow stripe running down the middle of my back.”
“That’s a load of crap, but if that’s how you want to play it, then that’s fine with me.” Rick slid two of the burgers onto a nearby plate. He shot a cocky glance at Gunner, then went back to manning the food. “Did you pick up anything unusual about her?”
“Damn it. I knew it. You felt it, too.” Gunner had sensed the connection from her the moment he’d dismounted and seen her big, green eyes. He’d assumed his brother had felt it, too. At least, he’d hoped he had. That was the way it was most of the time, but even as rare as it was, sometimes the woman both werebears wanted as their mate didn’t feel the instinctual bond with both men. If that had happened, it would’ve devastated them.
They hadn’t had time to talk about it until now. Besides, he’d wanted to take his time to think about it first.
Rick hooked the spatula on the side of the grill. “So you’re sure? At first, I didn’t know if I was imagining it or not. But then, once she laid one on me—”
“Hold up.
She
kissed
you
?” He’d gotten jealous when he’d seen Rick and Mallory in a fierce lip lock, but the fact that she’d initiated the kiss made it even harder to take. Sure, they planned on sharing their future mate anyway, but as brothers they had more than enough sibling rivalry to go around. He’d wanted to be the one to make, or get, the first move.
“She sure did. Shocked the hell out of me, but it was every bit as good as I’d hoped.” Rick glanced over at the picnic table where she and Kid were talking, their heads bent over a notebook she’d been furiously scribbling in. “She’s the one, all right.”
“That’s something. After all these years, I figured we weren’t going to find her. Hell, I was even going to suggest that one of us take off and try to find her.”
Gunner couldn’t believe their luck. Not all werebears found their intended mate. Or, if they did, she wasn’t always available. Sometimes she was already married, or even worse, dead. The special connection, that instant bond that all werebears and their mate felt, was supposed to bring them together, but sometimes even fate got its wires crossed. They’d heard others talk about the bond, the invisible rope that many called an electric current, but hadn’t let themselves think about it too much. Yet the older they got, the fear that they wouldn’t experience it had grown stronger.
“Well, she’s here now.”
“That she is, little brother. That she is.”
For once, Gunner didn’t mind being called his “little” brother. “Wouldn’t you know it?”
“What?”
“It figures that our mate would show up with a huge chaperone by her side and a head full of nonsense.”
“She’ll learn the truth soon enough.” And yet Rick’s voice held an edge of doubt to it.
“At least, the truth about us.” The information she’d told them about Lawson Industries, however, hadn’t sat well with Gunner. If it was true, then they’d want no part of them. “What if she won’t change her mind? How’s she ever going to fit in with a bunch of bears? We like meat and that’s not going to change.”