Weekend Surrender (8 page)

“
The trick is to find the right rock.  It has to be flat and smooth, but not too big or it will be too heavy to bounce.” She spun and a rock sprung out of her hand bouncing several times across the glassy surface of the pond.  The delighted laugh that bubbled out of her throat filled an empty spot in Rogan’s soul.

“
I wouldn’t have taken you for a rock skipping champ.  Hudson was always the best at this game, just like I was always the best student, Parker was the heavy lifter and the athlete, and Sawyer was the funniest.  We each had our talents.”

She flashed him a smoldering smile,
“Oh, I’ve already figured that out.  You four are very talented men.”

Suddenly
the sensitive sweet side of Rogan disappeared as all of the blood pooled in his balls and his cock slammed against his zipper.  “No, love, you haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of our hidden “talents” yet.”

“
Really? I mean, I would have thought you would have given me your best game on the first shot, just to make sure you got a second chance…”

His eyes narrowed at the challenge, and he stepped menacing
ly toward her.  Stalking her as though she was prey.  “You weren’t impressed? I seem to recall a lot of screaming for an unimpressive event.”

“
I didn’t say I wasn’t impressed.  I just said I was disappointed you were holding back on me.  What other little secrets are you keeping bottled up inside of you, Rogan?”

Just like that
, he had her pressed against the wide trunk of a Maple tree, her legs spread on either side of his and her mouth parting underneath the onslaught of his kiss.  He devoured her, savoring her flavor, branding the feel of her skin under his fingertips into his brain. 

Sliding on
e hand down to cup her ass, he threaded the other hand into her thick hair and held her in place so he could make love to her mouth.  Their hips rocked together in a motion as old as time, and as seductive as a siren’s call.  He couldn’t bear the thought of being separated from her any longer, and he pulled back so he could release the button on her jeans, and she tugged at his zipper.

“
Hurry, Rogan! I want you!”

The roaring in his ears grew louder at her plea, and he groaned,
“Fuck.  That’s all I needed to hear, baby.”

It took another minute to get her boots and jeans off, but he didn
’t pause to finish stripping her.  Slipping a condom over his already aching cock, he lifted her until she locked her ankles around his lean hips lining her pussy up with him.  Placing one hand between her back and the rough bark of the tree, he used the other to guide and steady her hips as he sunk into her warmth.

Like adding kindling to a fire, he went up in smoke the moment his cock hit her cervix
.  The feeling of completion was intense, and he had to close his eyes to keep from telling her how much it meant to him.  She reached out to him, gripping his shoulders, and pressing her breasts into his chest as she buried her face in his neck.  Her moans echoed his thrusts as he took her fast and hard, not even flinching when she bit into his shoulder and climaxed in a magnificent display of sexual satisfaction.

Again and again he pumped his cock into her, refusing to allow himself to come because it would end the pleasure
.  Her whimper of pain froze him mid-thrust, and he jerked his head back to stare down into her face in horror.

“
What is it, love? Did I hurt you?”

She grimaced before giving him a small smile,
“The tree—”

Even with his hand between her shoulder blades and the tree, his enthusiasm had drilled her lower body into the bark
.  When he withdrew from her and turned her around, he could see the raw red skin where it scraped her.

“
Holy hell! I’m so sorry, Rach.” He reached for his zipper, but she stopped him by wrapping her hand around his latex covered cock.

“
Don’t! I don’t want you to stop, but we should probably find a more suitable location.” Relief rushed from his brain to his balls at her words and he cast a quick glance at the surrounding landscape looking for a spot that would be easier on her.  A frown puckered his brow as he considered and dismissed several locations before she spoke again.

“
Really? It doesn’t have to be so complicated Rogan.  Come on!” He couldn’t keep from laughing as she tugged her shirt off and then put her boots on her bare feet and meandered closer to the pond naked.  His laughter quickly gave way to raw lust while he watched her sweet ass sway back and forth like pond grass.  She walked all the way to the end of the dock before she stopped and shucked her boots off.  “What’s taking you so long? Don’t you want me anymore?”

“
Believe me, Rachel, watching you walk through the trees and grass naked has me harder than a fence post.  Now I’m just waiting to see what you do next.”

She flashed him a seductive grin, before doing a cannon ball
off the end of the dock into the water.  Pleasure filled him, and maybe even a little pride.  This woman was unlike anyone he had ever been with.  She was proud and driven, with a witty intelligence that kept him on his toes but then, she would do something so off the wall like jump into a pond naked, knocking him to his knees.  She rose up nearly silently from the water like a sea nymph, water running down her face, and her brown hair slicked back on her head.  Those wide dark brown eyes met his, and she wiggled her finger in invitation.

“
Come on in, Rogan, the water’s warm.”

He didn
’t hesitate any longer, stripping his clothes off while he walked toward the sexiest woman alive.  Dropping apparel here and there, he managed to be down to his skin by the time he reached the edge of the dock.  Taking a page out of her book, he cannonballed into the water next to her knowing it would splash her, and hoping when he rose up she wouldn’t be pissed.

The smile on Rachel
’s face was electrifying as he inhaled fresh air and made his way to her side.  Without a word, he pulled her against him and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his hips.  Kicking off with his lower body, he swam them closer to the bank, not stopping until his feet hit the sandy bottom.  Here was perfect.  Here he had a stable base so he could gain momentum and rock this woman’s world. 

She was one step ahead of him, capturing his mouth in a desperate kiss that drew his balls up tight
.  Her thigh muscles were stronger than he expected and he groaned deeply when she lifted up and sank down onto his hard cock.  They were united.  Two pieces of one whole, meshed together in the water, writhing against each other in passion.  It was mind-blowing. 

Using
one hand to brace her neck so she couldn’t pull away from his mouth, he used the other to guide her hips in his preferred rhythm, and then he made love to her.  With every touch, stroke, and lick, they climbed higher up the mountain of desire. He didn’t release her lips until she started to tremble in his arms, and when he did, he was rewarded with a loud moan and his own name in her sweet, sexy voice.

“
Come for me, love.  Give it to me!” He thrust into her while pulling her hips down at the same time, giving them both the ultimate contact possible, and she exploded around him.  Her scream carried on the wind, and his yell echoed behind it.  Cum shot out of him, heating them both, and making her pussy much more slippery.  Slippery.  That word—that thought—brought him around like ice water on a flame. 

“
Oh fuck! Rachel, honey, don’t freak out okay.  The condom is gone.”

“The condom is gone.”

****

The condom? What?

It took a couple of seconds for Rachel to process Rogan
’s words, but when they settled, they were a heavy weight in her heart. 

“
You’re joking, right,” she whispered, staring into his worried eyes. 

“
Rach, I’m sorry! It must have slipped off when I jumped in, and I was just too focused on you to realize it.” Rogan really looked miserable.  His brown eyes were wide and nervous, and his hands clutched at her hips in a death grip.  Every muscle in his body was taut with anxiety as he waited for her reaction.

She wasn
’t sure what her reaction should be.  It was an accident, not something done deliberately, yet it could cause detrimental consequences for both of them.  Her stomach twisted as she imagined being pregnant with Rogan’s baby.  A miracle and a tragedy all in one blow.  The knowledge she was on birth control soothed her but didn’t completely eliminate the fear. 

This was
only temporary.  One weekend.  Forty-eight hours of hot, dirty sex with four brothers and then everyone went their separate ways…so why did her heart suddenly hurt at the thought of leaving tomorrow? She didn’t doubt for a second that Rogan would be a great dad, and would want a part in his child’s life, but how would his three brothers feel?

“
I’m on birth control.  I’m sure we’re alright.  No more accidents though, m’kay?” She forced a smile to her lips as he sighed with relief.

“
Thank God.  I promise, it won’t happen again, love.”

Rachel knew he intended his words to sound comforting, but instead they burned in her chest
.  Did he have to sound so relieved? Clearly she needed to keep the temporary status of this relationship front and center in her brain because Rogan was not interested in permanence.  The idea of her getting pregnant nearly sent him into an apoplectic fit.  No, it was for the best that she have her fun now and then pack her bags tomorrow and leave the Brooks brothers behind.

“
Let’s head back to the house, your brothers are probably wondering what happened to us.” She gave him a fleeting kiss before she disengaged herself from his body and made her way onto the bank. 

There was nothing to dry off on, so she forced her clothes on over her wet skin, grimacing as her jeans chaffed against the raw scrap
e on her lower back.  As erotic as it was to be taken against a tree, she now felt the fantasy was grossly exaggerated.  She would likely have a bruise there for weeks.  A black and blue reminder of what was, and what could never be. 

Rogan climbed out of the pond beside her and began to dress
. When they were both put back together, he grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips.  “Thank you, love.  That was one of the most memorable moments of my life.”

She giggled at his gallantry,
“The look on your face when I jumped in the water was priceless.  Now, let’s go.  I didn’t realize we had been out here so long, but my stomach is growling.”

Rogan studied her face for a moment, looking like he had something he wanted to say, but instead he tucked her hand in his large one and led her back up to the horses
.  He silently helped her mount hers, leaving her with a soft pat on her round ass before gracefully mounting his own.  Rachel turned her horse to follow him, allowing herself one more quick look at the pond, hoping the memory of the moment would be burned into her brain forever.  It would be something to look back on and remember how wonderful it was to just let go of everything for a few minutes, and enjoy spending time with someone who wanted her around. 

Shutting out all of her regretful mental meanderings
, she followed Rogan back up the slope and in the general direction of the ranch house.  Knowing three other men awaited her attention there made her heart skip a beat, and her tongue go dry.  She couldn’t remember why she agreed to this in the first place, but she was sure as hell glad she did. 

It didn’t take them long to reach the ranch house, and Rachel hurried to change into a pair of shorts instead of her damp blue jeans.  The last thing she needed was more chafed skin when she still had twenty-four hours of horny men ahead of her. 

By the time she reentered the kitchen
, Rogan had scrounged up sandwich fixings and was already digging into a plate of food.

He glanced up at her with a guilty smile,
“Umm… help yourself.”

“
I see you wait like a hog at a trough,” she said with a giggle.

“
Sorry, I was really hungry.  I promise I’ll be a perfectly polite gentleman later.”

She
leaned forward and licked a dab of mustard off the corner of his mouth before whispering, “I prefer you when you’re not being polite, and I avoid gentlemen.”

Lust speared through her as she watched his eyes darken and his jaw clench, but before he could respond Hudson walked in the kitchen door
.  He froze as he surveyed the scene and then let out a low wolf’s whistle.  “Damn, you two could melt an igloo with the heat coming off you.  What did I miss? Catch me up so I can play too.”

Rachel let out a loud laugh, and
accepted the hug and kiss Hudson offered as he reached her side.  “Rogan took me out skinny dippin’, and now he’s feeding me so I don’t wither away after burning so many calories last night with you fine
gentlemen
.”

She winked at Rogan as she enunciated the word, and he grinned back
. 

“
Ah yes, we must make sure to keep your energy levels up.  We don’t want you wimping out on us before the end of our contract,” Hudson said with a serious look on his face. 

“
Wimping out? If I didn’t know you were joking, funny man, I would hurt you for that comment,” she said flippantly, throwing a potato chip at him.  When he caught it in his mouth and shot her a wicked grin, she stuck her tongue out at him.

“
Honey, do your worst.  I promise I’ll love it.”

“
On that note I have to leave you two.  I have some work I need to get done this afternoon.  Hudson, Mack said that there is a fence down on the North ridge, can you make a run up there and check it out before dinner?”

“
Yep, maybe I’ll take Rach out with me.” Rogan disappeared into the office shutting the door behind him, and Hudson shot her a questioning glance to which she shook her head in the negative.

“
Uh uh.  This cowgirl needs to rest her weary ass and stay off a saddle for a few days.  Wet denim isn’t good for soft skin, and it’s been years since I rode regularly.”  She stood to put her plate in the sink, and Hudson snagged her arm tugging her into his lap. 

“
Rode hard and put up satisfied, right, Rach?”

She couldn
’t stop the laugh that tumbled out of her, or the feeling of comfort and contentment she got when one of her men was holding her.  Her men.  That’s how she was beginning to think of them.  What a scary thought.  If they knew she was starting to have feelings for them, how would they respond?

Ice cold fear filled her belly, and she pushed away from Hudson
, shutting that line of thoughts down quickly.

“
Something like that I suppose.  Where are Sawyer and Parker by the way?” The distinct wobble to her voice belied her airy question, but she refused to meet Hudson’s questioning gaze, focusing instead on clearing away the dishes from her own meal. 

“
Parker is in the barn, and Sawyer…um…honestly, I’m not sure where he wandered off to.  Hey, Rachel, are you okay? Did I say something wrong there?” She turned away from the dishwasher and ran into his broad chest, letting out a squeak of surprise.

“
Oh, sorry, Hudson.  No nothing is wrong.  I think I’m just antsy.  I don’t sit still very well.”

He stared down at her with a curious frown marring his beautifully chiseled face, and for a moment she thought he would argue with her, but he didn
’t.  He just pressed a kiss to her lips, stealing her breath and leaving her week-kneed, before he lifted his head and smiled.  “Alright, I’m going to head on out but when I get back this evening, you and I are going to take a bubble bath I think.  A good hot soaking and a massage will ease those aching muscles.”

She sighed and let her eyes roll skyward,
“That sounds heavenly.  You’ve got a date, cowboy.”

Hudson gave her another brief kiss then headed back out th
e door leaving her alone in their kitchen trying to keep her emotions under control.  When she agreed to this last night, she had no idea what a veritable rollercoaster of feelings she would be jumping on.  From one moment to the next she wasn’t sure if she wanted to walk away from them, or if she wanted to fall to her knees and ask them to keep her.  This was truly not her brightest moment.  She should have walked away last night.

Like a movie
, the events of the last twenty-four hours rolled through her mind.  Every single explosively hot orgasm tightened her stomach and made her pussy clench.  No, she wouldn’t go back and change her decision.  If nothing else, she would have those memories to fantasize about for the rest of her life.  She knew there was no future here.  Four men and one woman was not a stable relationship.  All of her life she had watched her mother struggle with a broken heart, and if she bared her soul to the four brothers, she knew she would find herself nursing an emotional wound too.  It just wasn’t worth it. 

Gaining her control back, she decided the best way to keep her mind
off the future, was to focus on the present.  A smile graced her face as she prepared a couple of sandwiches and headed off toward the barn in search of Parker.

****

Parker had just finished spreading hay in one of the stalls when Rachel sauntered into the barn looking sexy as hell.  Short denim shorts that rivaled anything Daisy Duke ever wore showcased her long, slim legs that ended in tiny bare feet with sexy pale pink toenails.  The afternoon sunlight caught her brown hair making it glow a copper color, and her big brown doe eyes looked a little apprehensive as she looked around the barn. 

“
It must be my lucky day,” he said as he leaned the pitchfork against the wall and began removing his leather gloves.  He waited for her to come to him, pleased when she did so as soon as she spotted him. 

“
I figured you probably hadn’t had anything for lunch yet, and Rogan, Hudson, and I just had sandwiches.” She held a plate out to him with two sandwiches on it, both neatly made and cut in half diagonally.  For some reason the little extra effort sucker punched him in the gut.  How many years had it been since a woman cared enough about him to make him lunch? When he tore his gaze away from the tiny triangular sandwiches, he found her staring at him with an odd expression.  “Well?”

Embarrassment flooded through him,
“I’m sorry, what did you ask?”

Her lips turned down in dismay, and she suddenly looked very uncomfortable
.  “I just asked if you could take a break, but if you’re busy it’s no big deal.  I could use a nap, so…yeah…maybe I should just go back inside—”

She started to turn away from him, but he reached out and grabbed her hand, stopping her words and her motion.  “Wait, don’t go.  I will gladly make time for a break as long as you promise to sit with me while I eat.”

The smile of pleasure that graced her beautiful face was nearly enough to unman him, and he
swallowed back a groan. 

“
Sure.”

He led her out the doors of the barn and over to several bales of hay that were stacked near the corral
.  She barely glanced at the seat he gestured to, and he watched in surprised fascination as she took several steps closer so she could lean on the fence and watch his horse in the enclosure.

“
Did you enjoy your ride this morning, sunshine?”

She gave him a confused look before nodding,
“You mean with Rogan? Yes, I had a great time.  He took me out to the pond, and I taught him how to skip rocks.”

Parker laughed loudly
.  That was what he loved about Rachel Morgan.  She found the fun in everything she did.  “Good, you’ll have to grant me the privilege of taking you out on the trail sometime.  The Carrion River is only about a day’s hard ride from here, and there are several good camping sites around there.”

A wistful expression drifted across her features and she pursed her lips as though deep in thought
.  She didn’t even acknowledge his words, and it stung.  He bit into a sandwich and forced himself to chew.  It was probably a great sandwich, but at the moment it tasted like sawdust.  His normally take charge attitude was suffering a major setback and the blame lay solely at her feet.  When she was around he couldn’t seem to focus on anything, but her.  The idea that she wasn’t feeling the same way was painfully sharp in his brain. 

“
What’s his name?” she asked as she watched the stallion graze in the field.

“
Romeo.”

She laughed and it rippled through him
teasing at the need in his gut.  “Really? Where is Juliet?”

“
Pregnant in the other barn.  She should foal anytime, so she can’t be with her lover.”

Rachel
’s eyes lit up as she finally turned and faced him.  “That seems rather unfair.  To take two star crossed lovers and keep them apart when she’s obviously facing something so monumental.”

He couldn
’t resist rolling his eyes.  “Yeah…well, I have a pretty good feeling they will be back together soon enough.  Besides, Romeo here is quite the ladies’ man.  Juliet is the third mare he’s knocked up this year.”

“
Really? Wow! Impressive odds.  Guess Juliet probably learned her lesson.  The pretty ones are always the playboys.” She looked up at him through her eyes lashes with a teasing smile, but he couldn’t help but think there was more to her statement than just a joke. 

They sat watching the big black stallion as he slowly moved around the corral, and Parker hurried to eat the rest of his meal
.  When he swallowed the last bite and put the plate down on the hay bale, he looked up to find her watching him instead.  A wave of apprehension went through him.  This was the first time he had been alone with her, and all he wanted was to strip her clothes off and claim her in every physical and emotional way, but it was more important they talk.  He had questions he needed answered.

“
Do you want a quick tour of the horse barn?”

Her eyes lit up, and she nodded,
“That would be great!”

They headed across the yard to the main horse barn where most of their pregnant mares were housed
.  He reached out and took her hand as they walked, lacing their fingers together when she didn’t resist.

“
I’m glad you came with us this weekend, Rachel,” he said softly, and she turned surprised eyes up to him.  A warmth filled the chocolate pools as she smiled back.

“
Me too.  I haven’t had this much fun in years.”

“
You could stay longer, you know.  You don’t have to leave tomorrow.” His breath caught in his chest at her silence, and he felt her pull away from him.  Emotionally she was bruised, maybe scarred, and he wasn’t sure how to overcome her fears just yet.  Choosing to let the subject drop, he started to talk as they walked through the barn.  “This is Freckles here, and she is having her first foal, and next to her is Magic.  Doc is pretty sure she is having twins this time.  The gray one there is Ghost Dancer, she’s new to the ranch, and she isn’t pregnant, but she’s awfully skittish.  She’s a rescue horse, so we have a ways to go before she’s comfortable here.  We’re taking our time getting to know each other right now.”

“
A rescue horse?” Rachel moved very slowly to the door of the stall where Ghost Dancer was moving restlessly. 

“
Yeah, I don’t know the whole story but the way I understand it, she was found nearly starved to death and badly injured from whipping sores that hadn’t been treated and hadn’t healed.  A few more days, maybe a week, and she would have died.  Sawyer can probably give you more details.  He was the one that went and got her when the agency called.  I couldn’t leave that weekend.”

She watched him closely, and he reached out to brush her dark hair away from her cheek
.  “So you’re telling me that Mr.  Parker Brooks, badass cowboy, has a soft spot for abused and injured animals?”

He shrugged in response, and she giggled, stepping closer to him
. 

“
Well, Mr.  Brooks, just so you know, I find that to be a very sexy quality in a man.”

That got his attention
.  His cock throbbed behind his zipper, coming to life in a painfully obvious way, and he groaned when she pressed a little kiss to the bottom of his jaw.  “You’re playing with fire, sunshine.”

“
Yeah, so maybe I’ll get a little burned.  It is awfully hot in here.” She reached for his zipper and he stopped her with his lightning fast reflexes.  “Hey! What’s the problem?”