Cowboy Love in Peril [Love: The Cowboy Way 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (6 page)

“Yeah, and escaping would be an easy way to do that. He could have come here and been out of the country before anybody caught up with him.”

Brandon shrugged. “Maybe there were too many things that could go wrong. Travers didn’t succeed, so who’s to say anyone else would. He couldn’t have any idea where I might be and he’d only have a small window of opportunity to get me. No, it’s much safer to bring me to him.”

“What makes you think he’s gonna tell you where she is anyway? Maybe he’s got a score to settle with her?”

“If he wants me bad enough, he will.” Brandon rubbed his hand along Wade’s thigh, probably trying to distract him, Wade guessed. “Buddy, trust me, will ya? I’ve been in tighter corners than this.”

Brandon smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Wade ground his teeth together, swallowing down another protest before he added to Brandon’s burden. The guy was off to face a killer, whose only wish in life before he died was to murder the man who’d shot his son. What Brandon needed was support, not being forced to answer stupid questions, or deal with Wade’s fear.

“What can I do?”

“Take care of Kimber and the babies. Don’t tell her what is happening and keep her out of Chelwood until you hear from me ...or somebody else.”

Wade’s gut clenched at the unspoken meaning behind the words, but he kept his eyes on the road, fighting not to let Brandon see how terrified he was. “What am I supposed to say to her? You know she always knows when I’m lying.”

“I spoke to her earlier, while you were speaking to the men. I told her I was just checking she got to her parents’ place okay, and that you were on your way.” Brandon laughed, and this time, it was genuine. “She didn’t seem too surprised when I told her you were coming.”

“Where does she think you are?”

“Meeting with a new supplier.”

Wade grimaced. “And what happens if you don’t come back?”

The silence hung between them, punctuated only by the sound of Wade’s tires on the road and the growl of the engine. Wade tried to picture a life without Brandon in it and got an almost physical pain in his chest as a result. The urge to mention the test he’d organized a month ago without telling anyone—the one that had confirmed his suspicion that girls were Brandon’s—was almost irresistible. But now wasn’t the time to spring something this huge on Brandon. There was also a very real danger that Brandon’s thoughts might be on what Wade had told him when he needed to keep his wits about him in order to stay alive. Wade couldn’t take that risk.

Brandon cleared his throat and then spoke so quietly, Wade had trouble hearing him. “Then you remind her how much I love you all and tell her I did everything I could to try and make it back to the four of you.”

“I’m gonna hold you to that.” Wade thought his jawbone might crumble if he clenched it any tighter, but he couldn’t break down, not now. Not when Brandon needed him to be strong for everyone.

“Pull in here a minute.” Brandon pointed to a cluster of trees at the entrance to a dirt track.

Wade swung the truck into the lane and turned to see why they’d stopped, when Brandon lunged forward, crushing Wade’s lips with his own. The force knocked Wade up against the door and his ass slid across the bench seat of the truck as his legs parted, giving Brandon the room to slot his thigh between them. Kissing him back just as fiercely, Wade groaned in agony at the thought this might be the last time he touched the man he loved, and rubbed his hardening cock against Brandon’s hip. Wade’s hands clutched at Brandon’s denim-clad butt, dragging him closer and urging him to thrust harder against Wade’s leg.

Brandon released Wade’s mouth and moved down to nibble at his jaw. “I should have known better than to think I would be able to simply kiss you good-bye.”

Wade could feel fingers tugging on the buckle of his belt, but he wouldn’t allow Brandon to continue, wrestling him onto his back and quickly pulling his long, hard cock out through the gaping fly of his jeans. Brandon hissed when Wade sucked his dick into his mouth, pumping up and down, matching the rhythm set by the hand he’d wrapped around the shaft. Wade knew he was doing it faster than Brandon liked, and maybe a little too rough, but the need to show Brandon that he loved and wanted him, to make up for any doubts Wade might have put in his mind, spurred him on.

Opening his eyes and looking up at Brandon when he began to pant, Wade saw his lover’s head fall back against the door of the truck, his throat convulsing in time with his ragged breathing. Brandon bit down on his lip as his forehead creased into a frown, looking as if he was fighting not to let himself come too hard. But Wade knew how to make sure he would. Reaching up, he grabbed a handful of Brandon’s shirt and physically dragged him forward to make him watch what Wade was doing.

Swirling his tongue around the head of Brandon’s cock, Wade moved his head from side to side before sliding his lips down to the root and taking all of it in. Sweat broke out on Brandon’s abdomen as his hips began to buck, his legs scrabbling across the seat as he tried to thrust up into Wade’s mouth. Wade doubled his efforts, grunting with pleasure when he felt the cock in his hand start to contract and Brandon’s jerks and moans intensified. A tug on Wade’s hair gave him a second’s warning Brandon was going to come, but he didn’t pull away to finish him off with a hand, as he usually did. The first hot jet of cum splashed onto Wade’s tongue and he moaned in pleasure, turned on beyond distraction by the sight and sound of Brandon coming very hard. Wade swallowed again and again, determined to take every last drop Brandon had to give, until he felt the hands in his hair tighten their grip and his head was pulled away from Brandon’s glistening red cock.

“Stop, Wade.” Brandon’s voice came out in a raspy groan and they both smiled at the sound. “Fuck! That was amazing. If I knew you were gonna react like that, I’d leave town more often.”

The atmosphere in the truck got heavy again, and Wade closed his eyes so Brandon wouldn’t see how worried he was. He turned back toward the steering wheel and waited for Brandon to put his clothes straight.

“What are you doing? Get down here so I can return the favor.” Brandon sat up and looked as if he was going for Wade’s fly but stopped when he raised a hand.

“There’s nothing I want more than to fuck you right now, but we haven’t really got the time. So, you know what, I’m gonna let you owe me one. That way, you gotta make sure you come back.” Wade grinned, hoping Brandon would buy his act and not push it further.

Brandon stared at Wade solemnly, and didn’t return his smile. “I will. I promise I will.”

They drove the last few miles to the base in silence, and Wade figured Brandon would understand why he got out of the truck at the gate, tossed the keys over to him, and walked away without saying good-bye.

“Oh, God! You know, don’t you?”

Kimber didn’t wait for Wade’s reply, turning to stride across her parent’s lawn, gesturing that he should follow her away from the house so they would be out of the earshot. He took his time making his way over to her, probably as reluctant to have the impending conversation as she was.

She’d been looking forward to his arrival from the minute Brandon had called her and told her Wade was on his way. Kimber had regretted her hasty decision to leave the guys for a couple of days almost instantly. The twins had been asleep in the back of the car for most of the two-hour trip to Eager, giving her the time and space to think. Running away from the problem helped nobody, and had been a total waste of time, if Wade’s comment to the girls a few moments ago meant what she thought it did.

He’d walked in, kissed her in a way that was almost inappropriate considering the fact her parents were around, and the kids were crawling across the room toward him as fast as their pudgy hands and knees would carry them.

Wade had looked as if his heart was melting as he bent down to scoop them up into his arms. “There’s my gorgeous girls,” he’d said, pressing a noisy kiss to their cheeks, “that one’s from me.” He smiled as they squirmed away from his bristled chin and giggled as he kissed them both again, “and that one’s from your daddy.”

God only knew how she’d managed to hold her emotions in check long enough to ask her parents to keep an eye on the kids and drag him from the room.

Escudilla Mountain dominated the view from the garden, and she stared at it once more, as she had so many times in the past, summoning strength from its beauty. The mountain was one of her favorite places in the world and presided over a large aspen forest that provided a home for much of the state’s elk and black bear population. One day when they were up to the challenge, she would take the girls for a hike in the lower hills, but not today. Today she had to find the courage to turn and face Wade. His gentle touch on her shoulder made it easier, although she couldn’t yet meet his eyes.

“I thought I was the only one who knew, right up until this very minute.” Wade placed a finger under her chin, urging her to look up at him. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“I...I wanted to talk to you both about it, but I was too scared. I’ve tried to push it to the back of my mind in the hopes that I wouldn’t have to deal with it, but that’s not fair on any of us, especially not the kids. They have a right to know who their true father is. Besides, it might have been a little easier to do if you’d broached the subject first.”

Wade closed his eyes but not before she saw his anguish turn them a dark, stormy gray. “You’re right. Of course you are. I just guess I thought I could bury my head and not have to deal with it.”

“When did you begin to wonder?”

“One morning, a couple of months ago.” Wade took a step back and thrust his hands into his jeans pockets, his eyes hidden by the brim of his hat when he looked down and kicked at a weed with the toe of his boot. “Have you told Brandon?”

Kimber’s stomach fluttered at the thought of having to have this conversation again. “My intention was to sit you both down and ask what you thought about getting a paternity test done. I didn’t know you’d already figured it out. Have you discussed it with Brandon?”

“No.” Wade kept his head down so she couldn’t read his eyes, but Kimber didn’t need to be looking into the face of the man she loved to know he was in pain.

“He might not have noticed.”

“I guess not.”

The thought it might be killing him to keep talking about it damn near tore her heart out, but she had no idea how to handle it. “He always says they look like me. Maybe he can’t see himself in them the way we can?”

Wade turned his gaze toward the mountain that was silently watching over them all, his face scarred with a sadness she hadn’t known him capable of. But when he turned to her and tried to smile, only managing to muster a weak imitation of his usual cocky grin, that was actually more of a grimace, Kimber realized he was trying to put on a brave face for her benefit. “He’s had a lot on his mind.”

She blinked away a sting of tears, struggling to keep a grip on her emotions while her parents were so close by. “Maybe we should wait until Brandon is around to talk about this? He really should be here.”

“Why?” Wade’s harsh tone made her jump. “Because the kids are none of my business any more, is that what you mean?”

Kimber felt her knees threaten to give way as she reeled backward, like he’d reached out and slapped her. The tears she’d been keeping at bay overwhelmed her, and she turned to run, desperate to escape the evidence of his pain. His words hadn’t shocked her so much as having her worst fears realized had—that the day had finally come where her world would fall apart, and she would know for sure there was a price to pay for all the happiness they’d shared.

“Wait!”

Wade’s shout brought her to an abrupt stop. Hurt as she was, she knew Wade was hurting even more and she wasn’t about to make him chase her through the woods surrounding her family home in order to talk to her.

“Fuck! I didn’t mean that, Kimber.” He took a step toward her, as if afraid she’d run again if he got too close. “I’m real sorry for what I said. It’s just the thought of losing you all terrifies me, ya know?”

Kimber closed the distance between them, stunned by the raw emotion twisting his usually handsome features into a pained mask. “What could possibly happen that would ever make you lose us? The fact Brandon is probably the girls’ father doesn’t change how much they love you or how much I love you.”

“I know, but think about it from my side. If I hadn’t forced Brandon to leave town, you two would probably have gotten married and had kids anyway. Don’t get me wrong, I am glad I didn’t manage to fuck up all our lives but that’s thanks to you and Brandon, not me.”

“What are you saying? You can’t think we don’t love you...that we don’t need you?” Kimber looked at the rock of a man who she’d relied on, trusted, and damn near idolized since she was a teenager, and wondered what could happened to shake him to the core like this.

“I’m saying, I don’t deserve you.” Wade put up a hand to stop her as she rushed to reassure him. “Let me finish, honey. I’m the luckiest son-of-a-bitch on the planet. I know that better than anyone. I’ve been arrogant, proud, and stupid my whole fucking life, yet you and Brandon still want me. Do you understand how it feels to get this much love, this much happiness, and know you haven’t done a damn thing to earn it?”

Kimber couldn’t let him continue. She flung her arms around his neck, sobs wracking her body as she struggled to speak. He held her tight, stroking her hair and whispering apologies, his voice rough with emotion. When Kimber finally managed to stem the flow of tears enough that she could talk, she let go of him and pulled away, then punched him in the arm as hard as she could.