CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Ryanne
“The way that man of yours eye-fucks you for the world to see has me all sorts of hot,” Jessica whispers over at me, fanning her flushed face as we stand at the buffet table, dishing the girls’ plates.
I don’t have to look over my shoulder to know Justice is watching me, I can feel his gaze searing my skin. He’s been doing it all night, making me as hot as Jessica.
“Well, I’ve caught your husband checking you out quite a few times too, especially while on the dance floor,” I say, shifting the topic from me to her.
“Right? Even after all these years the man still can’t get enough.”
Her response has us both breaking into laughter.
“I’m really glad you came,” she says softly, her kind smile warming my heart.
“Me too.”
I’ve had a great time with her. It’s been a long time since I had fun like this. I was so nervous to come but the night has gone better than I expected. People have been friendly with welcoming me back but there is also no denying the questions in their eyes. Unavoidable, I suppose, considering the circumstance.
I think coming here has been good for us all. Amelia and Hannah have been inseparable, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen Thatcher this happy. He’s been the life of the party and my dancing partner whenever I’ve needed one, because heaven forbid his son have a romantic bone in his body. Thatcher is as talented on the dance floor as he is with his harmonica.
Amongst his joy though, I’ve witnessed something else, a distraction he’s had every now and again with Gwen Hamilton. I’ve caught him watching her in a way I’ve never seen him watch another before. At one point, it was so obvious I even called him on it, asking him if he knew her well. He laughed off the question and chalked it up to be nothing more than noticing a beautiful woman.
I could tell he was lying.
I have no doubt Thatcher has some secrets, ones that none of us know about, and I’m starting to wonder if some of those secrets have something to do with Gwen. My suspicion only grows when we reach the end of the table where Gwen is dishing out her broccoli casserole.
She has a hard time making eye contact, her smile nervous as she greets him. “Hello, Thatcher.”
“Gwen.” He nods. “You look as lovely as always.”
“Oh, thank you.” She lifts a hand to her hair, looking more than a little flustered before her gaze drifts to Hannah. “Who is this sweet little girl you have with you?”
“This is my granddaughter, Hannah J.” He introduces her with so much pride it makes my heart swell. “Isn’t she beautiful?”
“Very,” she agrees. “Hi, Hannah J. Nice to meet you, I’m Gwen.”
“Nice to meet you too, Miss Gwen.”
Gwen brings her attention to me next, gracing me with that same kind smile she gave Hannah. “Ryanne, it’s been a long time.”
“It has. It’s nice to see you again.”
She was always good to me growing up, especially when I was forced to go to her house for whatever dinner event she and Forrest had for the founding families. I think she felt bad for me. She knows what vile people my parents are, especially my mother.
“I’m sorry about Forrest,” I tell her, even though it’s only half the truth. I am sorry for her loss but Forrest Hamilton was as evil as the rest of them. How someone as sweet as Gwen ever ended up with him is beyond me.
“Thank you.” She glances at Thatcher, pain etched deeply on her face along with something else, something more.
There is definitely something going on here and my nosy self is dying to know what it is. By the look Jessica shoots me she’s curious, too.
“Well, I think it’s time we go back and eat,” Thatcher says, ending the awkward silence. “Have a nice night.”
“You too,” she whispers, her voice as sad as her expression.
Without another word, he takes Hannah back to the table, Gwen’s eyes following his every move.
I offer her a parting smile before making my own exit, Jessica falling in step behind me.
“What the heck was that about?” she whispers.
“I have no idea.” I want to question Thatcher further but decide it’s best to broach it another time when we are alone.
Once we arrive back at the table, Jessica slides in next to Craig while I take the only seat left that’s between Braxten and Justice.
Braxten slings his arm around my shoulders and steals a pickle off my plate.
“Hey, get your own,” I chide, elbowing him in the ribs.
“But yours is better.”
“How’s that?”
“Because I didn’t have to get up and get it.” He steals another one, tossing it into his mouth before giving me a cocky wink.
I shake my head but it’s with a smile. In all honesty, the banter between us lately has been good for my heart and has made being at the farm easier. Knox, on the other hand, mostly pretends I don’t exist.
“Don’t you know it’s a cardinal rule when it comes to women.” Craig chuckles, bringing me out of my thoughts. “Never mess with their food.”
“That’s right,” Jessica says, taking a heaping bite of casserole.
“She’s family now,” Braxten says. “She has to share with me.”
I tense, my mind going to only one place, evoking forbidden images.
Sensing my discomfort, he leans down to whisper in my ear. “Easy, spitfire, it was a joke.”
Maybe to him, but I find it no joking matter.
Justice rests his hand high on my upper thigh, his touch scorching me from the inside out. I take a hefty sip of my drink, needing the cool relief. Between the two of them, they’re liable to burn me alive.
The tension eases as conversation picks up and flows throughout dinner. We share a lot of laughs together, especially at the expense of Craig and Braxten. It’s easy, comfortable even. In a weird way, it feels like we’ve been friends our whole lives.
When Hannah and Amelia head over to play horseshoes in the corner, I catch Thatcher looking across the way at Gwen again.
“You should ask her to dance,” I say quietly but the entire table hears me.
His eyes snap to mine, realizing he’s been busted. He shakes his head. “Nah, I don’t think so.”
“Why not?” I ask. “I’ll bet she’d love to have someone to dance with since she’s alone, especially with a man as good on his feet as you.”
The compliment has him sitting up a little straighter. “You think?”
“I know,” I say with a smile.
“Go on, Thatcher,” Jessica encourages, giving him the extra push he needs. “Show her what you’re made of.”
“Oh, all right.” He stands with determination, starting his walk to the other end of the barn where she sits with a few other women.
“Thatch going after the snatch,” Braxten chuckles.
Horrified, I slap his arm. “Stop it, you’re terrible,” I scold while everyone else at the table laughs.
“He’s crazy for associating with her,” Knox says, anger lacing his words.
“Gwen is sweet,” I tell him. “She’s not like the rest of them.”
“It’s true,” Jess says, backing me up.
He doesn’t buy it. “Right, that’s why she was married to the biggest prick of them all.”
I really have no argument for that because she did stay with him all these years, something I will never understand. It’s not like he treated her well. Forrest treated her the way he treated everyone. Like she was beneath him. Like she was lucky to be in his presence. I can’t imagine how miserable it would have been to stay with a man like him.
All of our gazes become riveted as Thatcher reaches her. I hold my breath, waiting on pins and needles for her reply, praying she doesn’t reject him. My fears are put to rest when she nods, a shy smile taking over her face.
Hand in hand, they walk onto the dance floor, Thatcher pulling her close and gazing down at her in a way that is breathtakingly beautiful. It’s then I realize he’s been looking at her with longing this entire night, one so deep I feel it all the way to my soul.
“They’re adorable,” Jessica gushes, speaking my thoughts.
“Adorable my ass,” Braxten grunts. “He’s a Creed. We aren’t adorable. We’re badass.”
I roll my eyes. “Speak for yourself. All you boys could learn a thing or two from your father. I’d love for someone to dance with me like that.” I shoot Justice a look, letting him know exactly who I wish that someone was.
“I’m sure there are quite a few men here tonight that would love to dance with you like that,” Jessica says, cutting a teasing smile at Justice.
“Ryanne knows better.” His voice is low, a warning hidden within his tone.
I quirk a brow, taking it just one step further to get under his skin. “Since when is it a crime to dance with someone, Justice Creed?”
His dark eyes dominate mine as he leans in close, his face only a mere inch away. “We both know no one touches what’s mine.” The possessive words send a shiver down my spine and goose bumps breaking out across my skin.
My gaze is held captive by his just as strongly as my traitorous heart. It isn’t until his attention is stolen by Teddy Roper that I’m finally able to take in a breath. Jessica shoots me a look like she’s about to die along with me.
Needing a break from all the testosterone, I grab her hand and head to the dance floor when a more upbeat song comes on.
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph I’m about to combust from all that hotness,” she says, sounding breathless. “Those Creed brothers are something else.”
That’s putting it mildly.
Their intense presence can be suffocating at times and my morbid curiosity is no help either. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t often wonder what really happens when the three of them have taken a woman to bed in the past. But no sooner than the thought emerges, it’s quickly snuffed out by the jealousy. Thinking of Justice with anyone else has me feeling nauseous.
I glance over my shoulder to find his watchful eyes on me, that predatory instinct masking his expression. Holding his unrelenting gaze, my hips start their rhythm, feet stomping and body twisting to Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Back Road.”
His eyes darken further, never straying from mine as he brings the beer to his lips. Heat sweeps through me when I remember what he did to me the other night with a similar bottle, the forbidden images he brought forth by his erotic words.
Our connection is broken when Braxten leans over and murmurs something to him that has the three brothers standing and heading for the front entrance. Braxten stops to hug Hannah and Knox gives her a high five before walking out the doors.
Minutes pass as I wait for Justice to come back. Eventually, a slow song comes on and Jessica is whisked away by her husband, falling into a sensual dance.
I look around awkwardly for Thatcher but see he and Gwen are intimately talking in a corner. Turning around, I’m about to head back to the table but come to a quick stop when I find Justice standing only a few feet away.
My breath locks at the sight of him, strong and confident—always so powerful. Even now, here on this dance floor he is out of his element yet he doesn’t look one bit out of place.
“What are you doing?” I ask him.
“Waiting for you.”
My heart tumbles in my chest, a smile stealing my lips. It’s amazing what three words can evoke, what warmth and hope they can instill.
I collect a few steps, coming to a stop just in front of him. “Why? You gonna dance with me, Justice Creed?”
He pulls me against his hard body, his arms banding around me. “Yeah, and I’m going to grope you while doing it.”
My head falls back on a laugh. Rising up on my tiptoes, I wrap my arms around his neck. “I’ll take whatever I can get.”
He lifts me off my feet, bringing my mouth level with his for a toe-curling kiss. Everything and everyone falls away but the two of us, this moment in time coming to a standstill. I hold onto it long after the kiss is over, my forehead resting on his, fingers fanning his strong jaw.
“Where did you go earlier?”
“I walked my brothers out and said goodbye,” he explains. “Why?”
“I was worried you left me.” The admission is out before I can stop it, a note of insecurity in my voice.
“I’m not the one running, Ryanne.”
“I’m not either,” I whisper.
“Then marry me.”
I didn’t think those words could pack as powerful of a punch as they did the first time but I was wrong. They suck all the air from my lungs. If he only knew how much I want that. How much I want him forever, but not until I know I hold his heart as much as he does mine.
“Not yet,” I reply, the two words causing a deep ache in my chest and tears to prick my eyes.
Frustration burns in his dark irises but he keeps it at bay and doesn’t push. “Fine, then kiss me again.”
I smile at the demand, the heavy moment evaporating. “Now that I can do.”
My lips press to his, soft and gentle, and for the first time he doesn’t take over, he lets me set the pace.
He lets me love him.
“Is there room for me, too?” Hannah’s voice breaks us apart as she looks up at us hopefully.
“There’s always room for you, baby.” Justice places me on my feet to pick her up, his arm then curling back around my waist, pulling me in close as we begin swaying back and forth to John Michael Montgomery’s “I Swear.”
My heart dances to the same beat, wishing I could capture this moment in a bottle and keep it forever. Because this right here is everything I’ve ever wanted and more.
The song eventually ends but not this newfound place Justice and I have found ourselves in. The tension between us continues to rise, every look, every touch, stoking the fire that always burns between us.
About the time the crowd begins thinning out, we start gathering up our own things and saying our goodbyes. When Justice mentions he has to stop at the apartment on the way home Thatcher offers to take Hannah with him.
She jumps at the chance. “Please, Mama?”
“You sure it’s all right? I ask, looking up at him.
“Of course. You two go on and do what you need to do. Farmer Hannah and I have some hot cocoa waiting for us back home. Just come to the main house for breakfast whenever you’re up.”
“Okay.” I lean down, giving Hannah a kiss on the cheek then stand and do the same to Thatcher, thanking him for everything. Afterward, Justice takes my hand and leads me out to the truck, the small touch dancing its way up my arm and into my heart.
By the time we make it to his apartment, entering inside, the combustible heat between us explodes like wild fire, consuming us both in a blaze of fury. He pins me against the door, our hands and mouths colliding, trying to dominate the other.
I fist his shirt, dragging it up his hard stomach, nails clawing and marking his skin. He helps me clear it over his head, his mouth only leaving mine for a second before he claims it once more.
Hard, rough, and demanding.
“I need to fuck you,” he growls. “Right now.”
“Yes!”
I always need him, his touch, his commanding ability to evoke things in me I’ve never felt, to deliver a mind-numbing pleasure only he can.
His large hands cup my bottom, lifting me off my feet while my fingers dive into his hair. Our mouths never miss a frantic beat as he takes us to the couch. I’m pulled down on top of him, my knees straddling his hips as his hard cock nudges the aching spot between my thighs.
He slips his fingers beneath the straps of my dress, slipping them down my arms and exposing my black lace bra. His mouth closes over my nipple poking through the thin fabric, teeth gripping so hard the sensation shoots straight to my core.
My head falls back on a cry of pleasure, fingers biting into his broad shoulders as I grind down on his cock, all but practically begging for it.
“Fuck, you want it bad.”
“So bad,” I whimper. “Please. I need you.”
A primal growl rumbles in his chest as he shoves his hands beneath my dress, shredding my panties from my hips and dipping his fingers into my wet folds.
“Oh god!” I whimper, pressing down on his seeking touch.
“You’re going to take my cock hard and deep, Ryanne, then you’re going to fucking scream for more.”
I already feel like screaming. Screaming for more, screaming for him to never stop, screaming until my throat is raw.
“Think we should tell them we’re here or just enjoy the show?” The amused voice penetrates our heated moment, slamming into me like a freight train.
Gasping, I press myself against Justice, my head twisting to look over my shoulder. Knox and Braxten are standing just outside the kitchen entry, their eyes locked on us.
They’ve been here the whole time.
Mortification sets in, my cheeks flaming as hot as the rest of my body.
“What the hell are you guys doing here?” Justice asks, sounding surprised and a little annoyed.
“I was about to ask you the same question.” Braxten crosses his arms over his chest, his eyes brazenly sliding down my half naked body. “Looking for an audience?” There is no amusement in those words. He’s completely serious.
My fingers bite into Justice’s shoulders, a sudden tension settling amongst us. Something dark that skates the line between forbidden and perverse. It’s both terrifying and thrilling. The latter is very hard for me to admit.
I look back at Justice, my heart banging inside my chest like a steel drum.
His hooded eyes search mine, a certain knowledge burning within. “What do you want, Ryanne? They can stay and watch or they can leave. It’s your call.”
“What do you want?” I ask, shocked the question even leaves my mouth.
He reaches up, his hand smoothing over my cheek in an intimate gesture. “I want you. Only ever you.”
Those words have a mountain of meaning. They seep into my heart and reach the depths of my soul.
“Would I like this chance to say goodbye? To show them what they will never have or touch? Yeah, I would, but only if I know you want that, too. It’s a one-time deal though. Whether you say yes or no we never revisit this again after tonight.”
I glance back at Knox and Braxten where they stand patiently, and I can’t help but feel both nervous and emboldened by the desire in their eyes. This could be the moment. The one to put an end to the resentment between us. Otherwise, I’m not sure we will ever overcome it. It constantly hangs over our heads like a dark cloud, following the guilt I harbor in my heart for coming between them.
The raw emotions on Knox’s face, displaying the need for this time with his brother, this one last time, only solidifies my decision.
“No touching,” I tell them, voice trembling.
“I’d never allow that.” Justice gently cups my chin with his fingers, bringing my gaze back to his. “You sure about this?”
I nod. I want to do this. For them, for us. It’s a moment I think we all knew would come. Deep down, I did. It scares me because my heart only beats for one man, always and forever, but I also know all three of theirs are strongly connected. I’m praying that once this is over we can move on with our lives. That Justice and I can have what we’ve always wanted and his brothers can finally let him go…at least from this part of their lives.
My eyes remain on Justice as Knox and Braxten enter further into the room. My pulse ramps up, throat dry and palms clammy.
Justice sweeps a piece of hair out of my face, soothing my nerves. “Don’t be nervous, baby.”
“I don’t know what to do,” I confess shakily, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Kiss me.” The demand is low and rough, the sound prickling my skin.
I press my lips to his, but that’s where my control ends. He ravages my mouth, hand fisting in my hair, awakening the desire in me once more. An all-consuming blazing desire that only he can evoke.
In the distance I hear the others moving around behind me, the sound of a lighter flicking open before the scent of cigarette smoke fills the room. Just knowing they’re behind me has me growing wetter. My hips move as I grind against his hard cock again, seeking relief.
“Good girl, show them how much you want me.”
His fingers move to the back of my bra, unhooking the latch and slowly dragging it down my arms before tossing it aside. My nipples harden to painful peaks, his hot breath whispering over the tight points as his hands mold, feeling their weight.
“Such pretty tits and they’re all mine.” He feasts on them like a starved animal, his fiery tongue lashing, igniting the blood in my veins and obliterating any and all inhibitions.
I curl an arm around his neck, arching to offer him more and forget about everything but us.
His hands slide up my thighs, lifting my dress over my hips and exposing my naked flesh to the eyes behind me. I’m too lost to think about it, his mouth inflicting exquisite torture.
He cups the bare round globes, wet finger teasing my puckered entrance. My gasp screams through the room, mixing with the dark and forbidden.
A growl penetrates the air, one that doesn’t come from Justice.
His eyes move over my shoulder to his brothers, the possession silent but powerful before they come back to mine. If I’m not mistaken, I’d swear this is harder on him than he’s letting on.
“Mine,” he says, his possessive eyes penetrating my heart.
“Yours,” I whisper.
He hooks a hand behind my neck, bringing me in for one more kiss. I deepen it, pouring everything I feel into it and more, letting him know that no matter what happens from here on out, he is all I want.
Resting my forehead on his, I take a moment to catch my breath, because I know once we go further there’s no turning back.
“You ready?” he asks.
At my nod, he pulls the bunched up material at my waist over my head, leaving nothing else to be unveiled, then he turns me around, bringing my back to his naked chest. I suck in a sharp breath at the scene before me.
Braxten sits in one of the adjoining chairs, his shirt off, revealing a powerful body like his brother’s. The most beautiful dragon tattoo marks his warm skin tone, from the left side of his ribs to his hip, disappearing behind him. His jeans are undone, exposing his very stiff and very big cock. He strokes the hard flesh up and down, lust wild in his eyes.
Knox sits next to him, still fully clothed, a cigarette resting between his fingers. The smoke dances around his face, his expression a mask of pure stone but there’s no denying the hard-on bulging through his jeans. Amongst the carnality that bleeds from him lies something else, something darker.
Something painful.
Justice’s hands rest on top of my clenched thighs, but he makes no move to open them, his mouth pressing to my neck—kissing—suckling—coaxing. “It’s your move, baby.”
My tummy quivers, anticipation thickening the air as I hesitate, though I’m not sure why.
“Don’t be shy, Ryanne,” Braxten coaxes. “Show me that sweetness my brother gets to sink into every night.”
His words are like an accelerant, fueling the flames roaring through my body, but it’s Knox’s pained expression that gives me the courage to slowly spread my legs. As I do, Justice drapes each one over his strong thighs.
“Fuck!” the curse flees from Knox, his jaw tightening, gaze riveted.
“I can see how wet she is from here,” Braxten groans.
“Fucking soaked,” Justice murmurs in my ear, eliciting shivers.
I turn my head toward him, needing to feel the roughness of his cheek, the heat of his breath on my skin and the reassurance in his eyes.
“They’ll never know how soft you feel.” His right hand massages my left breast while his other coasts down my quivering stomach. “Never know how tight you are or taste your sweet moans.” His fingers delve, spreading my arousal before he pushes two of them deep inside me.
I gasp and squirm.
“Because this pussy only comes for me. Isn’t that right, Ryanne?”
“Yes,” I whimper, my voice practically unrecognizable.
“Tell them. Tell them who you belong to.”
I look them both in the face and don’t hold back. “Him,” I whisper, “he’s all I’ve ever wanted. He’s all I’ve ever had.” The admission has emotion building in my throat, because in this moment, in my most vulnerable form, I need them to understand how badly I need him, too.
Without him, I am not whole.
I turn back to Justice, mouth seeking. His tongue delves in while his fingers work in and out of me, pulling those moans he was talking about straight from my chest. My arms lift, hands anchoring on his neck as I match each thrust of his fingers.
“That’s my girl. Fuck my fingers, Ryanne. Show them how pretty you look when I make you come.”
The orgasm sweeps through me like a desert storm, spinning into a pleasure of destruction. I cry out his name as he pulls every single pulsing sensation from my body. He brings his wet fingers to my parted lips, swiping them gently before he sucks them into his mouth.
Braxten nostrils flares, his tongue darting out to wet his lips, as if seeking to taste my arousal.
“Lean forward, baby.”
I do as Justice says, noticing Knox’s gaze dropping to my swaying breasts, but he continues to rein in his need and I have no idea why. Braxten doesn’t deny himself one bit.
I hear the clink of Justice’s belt as he frees himself. His strong hands lift my hips, bringing me to sink down onto his thick cock in one smooth motion.
I cry out at the fullness of him, my hands planting on either side of me.
Justice lets go of a guttural groan, the rough sound trickling down my spine.
Braxten’s fist works himself harder and faster, his face savage. “Do you like it, Ryanne? Like it when my brother fucks you hard and deep?”
I nod, my teeth sinking into my bottom lip as I take every slow thrust Justice delivers.
“You have no idea what I would do to you right now if I were allowed,” he continues. “Unfortunately, my brother has always been so fucking greedy with you.”
“Always,” Justice growls, his rough voice whispering in my ear. His hand fists in my hair, yanking my head back. “They will never touch what’s mine, and after tonight they will never see it again.”
My short breaths come out hard and fast as his cock thrusts deeper. I chance another look at Knox, witnessing a heartbreaking pain I can’t even begin to understand. The demons in his eyes rock me all the way to my core, literally making my heart bleed. This isn’t about sex for him. Not even close.
“Fuck her harder!” he finally speaks, his voice as tortured as his eyes. “Please, man.” The plea is as heartbreaking as his expression.
Justice unleashes, jackhammering into me hard and fast. My screams of pleasure tear through the room, mixing with the sound of slapping skin.
All three of their groans fill me, unleashing a desire that’s too much to bear. Unable to take any more, I come again, crying out Justice’s name as he slams into me over and over again. He finds his release too, and amongst the groan, one word echoes above all else.
Mine.
After it’s done, I fall against his sweaty chest, turning so I can bury my face into his neck. He pulls the blanket from behind him and covers me with it; his arms holding me close as his lips press a kiss to my damp skin.
My mind and body reel from what we just did, and I pray it’s something we can all come back from.