I roll over in bed and stare in disbelief at the sun just starting to set in the sky. Down the hall, I can hear the gentle snores from the guys. It’s crazy that they go to bed this early. I feel like a child being punished, not a twenty-one-year-old girl.

It reminds me of when I was a kid and my father insisted I get to bed straight after supper so we wouldn’t be late on the Cinderella set the next morning. He bought some black-out blinds and put them up in my room, trying to convince me it was later than it was. But as soon as he left, I’d sneak out of bed and the light would slice across my room as I jealously watched the neighbor kids have fun on their banana-colored slip and slide. I longed to have a family like that. One where the parents worked and the kids were free to play and just be, well... kids.

Sighing, I grab my cell and type my name into the Google search bar. I’m not sure if my father has started to freak out about me being gone yet. I know there’s no way he’s going to let his cash cow just disappear without a trace. That’s why this ranch is such an amazing opportunity for me to hide out. He’ll never suspect I’m on some secluded cattle ranch working as a maid.

I tell myself this is a convenient hideout and nothing more. The fact the men I work for are both sexy, tall, strong, and handsome has nothing to do with my escape plan. It might be an added bonus, sure. But those lingering looks from Travis and the occasional cautious smirk I saw on Holden are probably just figments of my imagination. Still, I can’t help but indulge in the fantasy a little.

After a quick search, I see my name hasn’t hit the entertainment news yet. I’m contracted to do a sidekick role in a film that’s already being hyped as “the next Fifty Shades.” It’s about a woman who explores her sexuality in the underground world of sex BDSM sex clubs. I’m the chubby friend, of course. Although, the actress they hired for the main role isn’t a twig either, still I’m thicker in the thighs and my bottom is fuller.

Anyway, none of that matters, because I’m not going back. I don’t care how much buzz the movie is already getting or how much money I’m walking away from. My father would just soak it all up like a thirsty sponge anyway. Now that my mother has passed, there’s nothing keeping me in Hollywood anymore. It’s funny, under the big open sky in Ironwood Creek, I feel closer to her, knowing she’s smiling down on me from heaven, than I ever did visiting her at that Los Angeles center.

Once the news hits about me being unreliable and throwing the movie production sideways, it will ruin my reputation. No one likes hiring flaky actresses who don’t show up after they’ve been cast. It’s a pain for the producers to find a new girl for the role. Hopefully it’ll mark me with a red flag and no one will ever want to work with me again. Then, even if my father does track me down somehow, he’ll have no choice but to make money on his own for once.

Just like I am now.

The phone clatters as I put it back on the table and ease back into my comfy bed. Twilight casts beautiful blue shadows over the room. A smile kisses my lips when I think about what a great job I did making my first meal from scratch today. After the way the guys scarfed down those burgers, I don’t think they suspect anything. I was worried they might pick up on the fact I don’t have much experience in the kitchen, but they liked them so much that they barely said two words over the whole meal. That must mean they were pretty tasty. Maybe this job won’t be so hard to pull off after all.

My mind wanders down a million zig-zagging paths, doing everything but helping me get to sleep. I glance at the clock and wonder where the time went. How is it already after ten? If I have to get up at dawn, I better figure out how to shut off all these random thoughts. I toss around in the bed and do my best to block them out, but nothing works. It’s like the harder I try to quiet my mind, the louder it gets.

Lying on my back, I stare up at the blank ceiling in exasperation when Holden’s and Travis’s faces pop into my mind. Well, if I can’t shut off my thoughts, maybe I can give them some direction. I let my fantasy unfold, unlocking a hidden desire I never even realized I had as my hand slips under the blankets and between my legs.

I imagine being pressed tight between both guys, how I’d feel being the one woman they both want—no, that they need, more than anything. My fingertips slide under my panties, seeking out my sensitive nub. I stifle my moan with my free hand as I finally shut out all those annoying worries and thoughts. Focusing only on one thing. One desire.

And the two men who can give it to me.