STORY EXCERPT

Paul joined Shane in giving Wick a “what the fuck” stare? No way could he wait a second longer.

Besides, hadn’t they already discussed all of this? Now wasn’t the time to start changing their plans. “I’ve already knocked. Just let me take the lead.” He knocked again, this time a little lighter, yet still forcefully. Even now, with the door between them, he could feel the connection. He could sense her presence and know that she was so close by.

He had so much he wanted to tell her. So much he wanted to share with her. Not only his ranch but his heart. He wanted to let her know that they were her mates. For so many years, he’d practiced what he would say, yet when she opened the door, rifle in hand, he was suddenly at a loss for words.

Although he’d seen her on her ATV, her golden hair flying out behind her as she raced down the trails, he’d never realized just how beautiful she was. Long, blonde hair streamed around her shoulders like a golden waterfall. Her full breasts pushed at her T-shirt. The light in the camper behind her floated around her, making her seem like a goddess descending from the sun. She was curvy in all the right places, and his mouth watered thinking about how his tongue would skim over her flesh. Some people would say she was too heavy, but as far as he was concerned, she was the perfect size. He checked with his brothers. Judging by their hungry looks, she was the perfect size for them, too.

She lifted the rifle just enough to prove a point. “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

Her voice, albeit tinged with fear, was like a song sung by the birds in the trees. There was a melodic lilt to it that dove down into him, grabbed hold of his heart, and wouldn’t let go. It wasn’t until Wick nudged him in the ribs that he remembered he was the one who was supposed to talk.

He adopted his most charming smile and stuck out his hand. “Name’s Paul Shiloh. This one”—he jerked his head toward Wick—“is my brother Wick. The other one is my youngest brother, Shane. Wick’s thirty, and Shane is twenty-eight.” He didn’t need to see his brothers’ expressions to know that he sounded like an idiot. He was rambling. But what did they expect when a man spoke to his mate for the first time?

She frowned and, for a moment, he saw recognition in her eyes. Taking short sniffs, he could smell the sexual attraction on her. She was already getting hot and heavy for them, and she didn’t realize why. But he knew why. She was sensing the connection, too.

Then she seemed to shake it off. “I don’t care who you are. I don’t know what you’re doing here. And I want you to leave.” She jerked the barrel of the rifle at them. “Now.”

“We don’t mean you any harm.” He didn’t get the impression that she was afraid of them, but that she was simply leery, cautious, like any sensible woman would be. “It’s just that we were wondering what you’re doing parked on our land.” Totally not what he’d planned to say, but there it was.

She blinked, obviously caught off-guard. “This is your land?”

“That’s right. This is the Broken Bone Ranch. This is our ranch, and you’re squatting on it.” Inwardly, he cringed. What was he saying? Why was he challenging her? At the very least, he wished he hadn’t sounded so harsh, much less accused her of doing something illegal.

Shane let out a low growl, so low Paul doubted she could’ve heard it. It was a warning to Paul to watch his words. “Not that we mind. Still, we’d kind of like to know why people are taking up space on our land.” Shit. He wasn’t doing any better. She’d rattled him, making him keep babbling like an idiot.

“Are you running me off?” Her voice held a hint of worry.

And the verbal diarrhea kept coming. “You had to have known someone owned the land. Still, you didn’t bother checking. Why?”

Any hint of worry was gone in the combative glint in her eyes. “I didn’t have time to ask. So? Are you running me off or not?”

He wondered how feisty she could get. She had to be brave to have come out in the middle of nowhere by herself. At least, they’d assumed she was by herself. So far, they hadn’t seen anybody with her.

Damn it, I hope she doesn’t have a boyfriend. Or, worse, a husband.

He and his brothers had talked about the possibility of their mate being with another man. Worse, a fiancé. Or, even more horrible, a husband. They hadn’t liked to think about it, but they’d come to the conclusion that if she was already involved, then they’d still tell her who they were and that she was their mate. She’d have to make the decision to either go back to her current man or stay with them. Would she choose to leave? Or would the connection urge her to leave him for them? He sure hoped so. If not, he’d live a long, lonely life.

Damn. Don’t let her have a child, either.

If she and her man shared a child, then it would be a different matter. For the sake of the child, they’d back off without telling her about them. They’d commit themselves to a life of misery without her. His gaze jumped behind her, searching for someone else in the camper. He almost sighed out loud when he didn’t see anyone.

“Are you still taking the lead?” asked Wick. “Because if you are, you’re doing a piss poor job of it.”

ADULT EXCERPT

She found Wick chopping wood. His shirt was off and lying on top of a pile of wood. His tanned bronze skin glistened under the sun, droplets of sweat sparkling against his body. She sucked in a quick breath, momentarily mesmerized by the country Adonis. His body was toned without an ounce of body fat. His lean waist and his ripped abdomen tensed as he lifted the axe above his head then brought it down on the piece of wood, splintering it in half. Muscles rippled in his arms as he brought the axe up again and again. She might’ve stood there, unnoticed, for an undetermined length of time if he hadn’t stopped to wipe his brow and turned to see her.

“Hey, I didn’t see you there. Did you need something?”

Yeah. You.

Thankfully, once again, she didn’t say the words out loud. Instead, she shook her head and tried to think straight. “No. Nothing. I was just kind of taking a walk.” She hoped she didn’t sound as lame as she thought she did.

He leaned the axe against the stump. His legs ate up the distance between them as he strode toward her. The closer he got, the more forceful the sensation inside her grew. What was it that stirred her emotions so much? It was more than simple attraction, but she couldn’t put a name to it.

Yet maybe that’s the way real love works.

Love?

Oh hell. Stop thinking like a teenage girl.

Yet if any man inspired romance, it was Wick. His dark eyes sparkled, a sexy gleam lighting them even as she saw bits of amber burst to life. Her breath came in quick pants, and for a moment, she felt woozy. “I don’t mean to interrupt—”

Before she could finish the sentence, he grabbed a hold of her and drew her into his arms. Her breath left her in a whoosh of air.

“I can’t put this off any longer.” His tone was gruff, husky, his need all too apparent.

He kissed her then, roughly, without a hint of softness. As different as it was to Shane’s kiss, she, nonetheless, loved it. She made a whimpering sound as she clung to his shoulders, his sweat wetting her fingers. He bent her backward with the force of his kiss, and her hair fell away from her shoulders. Unable to resist, she kissed him back.

Her hands slipped to his broad chest and felt his warmth under her palms. She swore she could feel his heart beating rapidly, matching her own fast heartbeat.

She should stop him, but she was still purring from the attention Shane had given her. The need she’d experienced with Shane burned brightly again, this time growing even hotter.

Wick broke the kiss and lifted her into his arms, much as Shane had done. Taking her with him, he set her down on top of the nearby woodpile then tore at her blouse, undoing the buttons as fast as he could. Once he had her shirt parted, his mouth found her breast and latched onto her nipple. She leaned backward, her hands pressed against the hard wood, her chest thrust toward him.

Fuck me, please. Fuck me.

His hands gripped her jeans and, with one hard yank, brought them to her knees. Her panties were gone in the next instant. Taking hold of her ass cheeks, he slid his tongue down and over the rise of her stomach. With one quick look, he knelt between her legs and shoved them wide.

Oh, yeah, she thought as a moan rolled out of her.

Putting her legs over his shoulders, he dove in and put his mouth to her pussy. She let out a small yelp and threw her head back. He ate at her, devouring her with his teeth, nibbling at her aching clit. His tongue swirled around, over, then dipped inside, drinking all her juices. He sucked, he bit, he swiped his tongue over her throbbing clit again and again.

The climax hit her hard and fast, threatening to make her lose all sense of equilibrium. Her body shuddered as her release stormed through her. Yet he didn’t stop.

She cried out in the pain of ecstasy as yet another climax grew in the wake of the first one. Could she withstand the pain? Would her release come before she broke apart? When it came, it came hard and fast, tearing her apart and rending another cry from her.

When at last he stood, he wiped her juices from his face. “Now it’s my turn, baby.”

Her chest heaved with her labored breaths as she stared at him, trying to comprehend what had happened. How it had happened. She wanted him, especially when he undid his belt buckle and pulled the flap of his jeans apart. His huge cock stuck out and pointed straight at her.

“Fuck that.”

Although she recognized Paul’s voice, she still had a difficult time believing he was there. Where had he come from?

“We weren’t going to do this. Not yet.” Paul shoved Wick aside then planted his feet apart as though ready to fight.

Wick’s face, contorted into a snarl, was more animal than human. “I don’t give a crap what we said.”

Paul’s gaze scanned her body, and she could see from the gleam in his eye that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. Still, she could also see that he struggled, unwilling to give into the passion that flamed in his eyes.