Twins for the Bull Rider (8 page)

“That worm jump off your hook again, Jayden?” Pop called out. He stood several feet away, recasting his line.

“Yeah,” Jayden grumbled, lifting the rod higher and dragging the empty line up on the bank.

Dominic squatted at Jayden's side and rustled around in the grass to find the empty hook. He held it up between his thumb and forefinger. Using his free hand, he sifted through damp soil piled in a disposable foam cup to snag the tail end of a worm seeking escape.

“You got to wrap it around the hook, buddy,” he instructed. “Sometimes it takes a few sticks.”

Dominic held the frantic worm up, smiling when Jayden threw a hand up over his eyes. There wasn't an inch of space between his fingers.

“Ew. Its guts go everywhere.”

“Sometimes. But it's a means to an end.” Dominic waited for him to uncover his eyes. “See, you stick it once—”

“Yuck.”

“Then wrap it, stick it again...” Dominic paused to gain better control over the flailing end of the worm and pulled it snug. “And stick it one more time so it's all bundled up tight on the end of the hook.”

“Gag a maggot! I ain't doin' that,” Jayden wailed before darting behind Cissy's legs and burying his face in the back of her thigh.

Dominic rolled his lips together and forced his breath out of his nose. He didn't want to laugh out loud. It'd damage the boy's confidence.

“I hate to break it to you, Jayden,” he said. “But if you don't stab that sucker good, it's gonna fly off every time you toss that line out.”

“Dominic.” Cissy's tone and frown were serious but her mouth twitched. She reached up to swat a gnat. A big flake of damp dirt flew off her fingertip and landed on her chin. Both her hands were caked black with soil and worm waste.

Dominic grinned. No worries there
.
Cissy had no problems sacrificing a worm for the sake of the catch.

He rose and tipped his head down to Jayden, putting on the face he reserved for solemn occasions. “I'm sorry, Jayden. It's just a fact that you have to get acquainted with worm guts to catch a fish.”

“What about a plastic one? Can't he just use that?” Cissy reached back and smoothed her wrist over Jayden's head, keeping her soiled fingers away from his hair.

“If we were fishing for trout, yeah. But we're snagging bream. And they go after live bait.”

Kayden made his way over from Pop's side and held his hand out to Jayden. “Come on. Pop said we need to start cleaning the fish if we want to have 'em cooked for supper.”

Pop waved from his position, where he was already gathering up his tackle, and called out, “We've been out here awhile. 'Bout time to get these fish ready for frying. I'll take the boys on up and we'll get started cleaning 'em.”

“But I don't wanna go yet,” Jayden complained. “I ain't got but a few.”

Kayden snagged his brother's hand and jerked. “Come on. My bucket's full. You can have some of mine.”

Cissy's eyebrows rose and those deep blue eyes widened to almost twice their size. Kayden noticed, too. He twisted his chin over his shoulder and smirked.

“Yep. Just playin' nice like you told me to, Aunt Cissy.”

The words were almost sung. Kayden flashed Dominic a look as the two moved off, scrunching one side of his face into an oversize wink.

Dominic choked on his laughter and winked back. That kid was too smart for his own good.

“Don't encourage him,” Cissy advised, poking a dirty finger in Dominic's chest. She still held her “I mean business” tone but her own giggle destroyed the effect.

Jayden sprang back, barreling into Dominic's leg and tugged on his T-shirt. Dominic knelt down once more, bringing his face level to Jayden's.

“Thanks for takin' us fishin', Mr. Dominic.” Jayden's whisper tickled his ear with each rushed word. “I don't like the worms but I like the fish. And I'll do better next time.”

Jayden swung his head to the side and smacked a kiss on Dominic's cheek, then threw his arms around his neck and squeezed.

Dominic pulled him close and ruffled a hand through his soft hair before saying, “You can't get any better, buddy. You're already the best fishing partner a man could have.”

That new pride was back. It swelled in Dominic's chest and flooded his body. He had one more second to treasure it before Jayden slipped free to join his brother. The pair scrambled off, fishing rods clanging, to join Pop on the trek back up to the house.

Dominic rubbed a hand over the base of his throat. He could still recall Jayden's insistent tug on his neck the first night they'd arrived. His whispered plea for Dominic to still be there when he woke up.

At the time, he'd shied away from it. Didn't feel he deserved that much trust or admiration given his reckless past and bad record of dependability. And, Lord knew, he wasn't built to be anyone's hero.

But that was then. He stood taller now. Stood prouder. Now he cherished every wistful glance and tender hug the boys gave him. He felt new and rebranded. As if he'd earned a second glance.

Maybe even a third...

“You're good with them.”

Cissy's soft murmur brought his attention to her. She was eyeing him again. Roving those beautiful blues over him and peering deep. He shifted from one foot to the other.

Damn, he'd give every dime he had if it'd buy him a way inside that guarded mind of hers. Give him a glimpse of what she was thinking. What she thought of him. But he didn't want to run her off. Or have her lock him out again.

Instead, he acknowledged a simple fact. “Because of them. They're easy to love.”

Cissy pinched her lips together and her face flared an even deeper shade of red before she looked away. The words seemed to disappoint her. She stepped closer to the edge off the pond, reeled in her line and picked off the remnants of a soggy worm.

“Their mom was like that.” Her brow furrowed as she tugged on the wet line to secure the hook. Fingers shaking, she used a lot more time and focus than needed to complete the task.

“Crystal?” he asked.

“Yeah.” She turned and bent to lay the fishing pole on the grass. “People were always drawn to my sister. I'm not sure if it was the same for our mom or not. We never got a chance to know her.”

“What happened to your mom?”

“She got pregnant with us before she got out of high school then passed away when we were born. Our aunt took us in. She and my cousin were all there was left of our family.” She stood, rubbing at the mud on her hands. “Crystal and I spent the first six years of our life dirt poor and crammed in a trailer with our aunt and cousin.” She sighed. “After a while I think it just got to be too much for my aunt. Twins aren't really two for the price and time of one.” Her laugh was humorless. “She gave us up for adoption. Crystal and I stayed in foster homes until we aged out of the system.” She shrugged. “When I got evicted from my apartment, I tried to contact my aunt. Turns out she died a few years ago,” she said softly.

She put her back to him, looking out over the pond. Focused on something he couldn't see.

“Crystal and I knew our aunt had been in a tough position. We understood why she thought she had to give us up. And we knew she loved us.” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “But, sometimes, it just seemed as if she didn't love us enough. As if no one did. As though we weren't worth the trouble.”

Dominic took a few steps toward her before forcing himself to stop. Hell, he knew exactly how that felt. Not being needed. Or wanted. He ached to reach out and wrap his hands around her upper arms and pull her against him. Urge her to lean into him. Make her feel his strength at her back and know she wasn't alone.

But his mind balked at shattering the moment. He locked his knees and waited.

“Crystal and I were each other's home.” Cissy glanced at him over her shoulder and tried for a small smile. “We never felt alone as long as we had each other. And we were identical, just like the boys. No matter how many strangers surrounded me, I could always look at her and feel like I belonged.”

Her mouth twisted. “Crystal never had trouble trusting people like I did. Especially men. That's how she ended up with Kayden and Jayden. She fell for this random musician and ate up every lie he fed her.” She frowned and shook her head. “No, that's not fair. Jason didn't always lie to her. As a matter of fact, he was pretty blunt on a lot of occasions. I guess she just heard what she wanted to hear.”

No longer able to restrain himself, Dominic crossed the last bit of distance between them, removing his hat and dropping it on the ground next to her fishing pole. He took her hands, turning them over a time or two and rubbing his thumbs over the thick dirt covering them. Giving them a gentle tug, he brought her to a sitting position beside him on the ground close to the edge of the pond. He dipped her right hand in the cool water, rubbing at her delicate fingertips to dislodge the dirt from them.

“Do the boys ever see him?” he asked. He didn't know how many answers he'd get, but he was willing to push for as many as possible.

“They used to. Every now and then for the first few years. Jason would come around to see Crystal and he'd spend some time with them. But then he and Crystal would always take off and I'd stay with the boys until she got back. It'd usually be a month or two. About as long as he had off between gigs at the time.”

“How 'bout since then?” Reaching down, he pulled his shirt from his waistband and wrapped her wet hand in it to rub it dry.

“Once or twice. When Crystal got sick, he came around more often to see her. By then, the boys didn't really know him. They just knew
of
him.”

She studied his movements. Followed his hands as they returned to the water to begin cleaning her other palm.

“Was that him on the phone that day? When you first got here?”

“You remember that?” She seemed genuinely surprised.

“Yeah.” How could he forget? That one call had altered her entire demeanor. Made her spine rigid and brought tears to her eyes.

Her lips parted a couple times but no sound emerged. She swallowed hard then everything came rushing out.

“He wants me to give them up. He says they'll be better off with two parents and a nice suburban home.” Disdain dripped from her words. “He says he loves them even if he doesn't want them. And that I'm being selfish for trying to keep them.”

Dominic lifted her hand from the water and wrapped it in his shirt, repeating his motions from before.

“Crystal and I weren't lucky like others,” she said. “We never got adopted or had a stable home. People were always coming and going out of our lives. I don't want that for the boys. And I promised Crystal I'd give them more than that.”

She ran her tongue over her lips in a nervous gesture. “Jason thinks I have nothing to offer them.” She hesitated. “Do you think he's right?”

“Hell, no.” Dominic's answer was immediate. It burst from his lips on a spurt of anger.

The bastard.
How blind could a man be? How could he not see how important Cissy was to those boys? What she brought to them?

He wrung his shirt around her hand with more force than necessary, wiping firmly at her skin and dragging every mark off her.

“Dominic, don't. You're ruining your shirt.” She issued a halfhearted smile and tried to pull her hand away. “I'm filthy.”

He shook his head. He released her hands and lifted his palms, smoothing off the fleck of dirt from her chin and cradling her flushed cheeks. Emotions he'd never felt before washed over him, leaving him weak and wanting.

“I've never met a woman more pure and sweet than you.”

Her rosebud mouth parted on a swift intake of air and he moved in, nudging her lips with his. He waited, giving her a chance to respond before asking for more. Every muscle in his body strained against his rigid hold.

To his relief, she met him halfway, pressing her soft mouth to his and trembling in his arms.

It was all he needed to let go.

His tongue swept between her lips, dipping inside and gathering the taste of her.

Sweet. Intoxicating.

He had to have more. Plunging deeper, he moved his hands into her hair, rubbing the silky, blond strands between his fingers. Her light, sweet scent drifted around him and he fell even deeper into the kiss. Into her.

A soft sound escaped her mouth and entered his own. He reluctantly drew back, pressing his forehead to hers and closing his eyes. She bunched her hands in his shirt and tugged him closer.

“Dominic...”

A question? A plea? Quiet cry of surprise?

He wasn't sure. But damned if her soft sigh and the sweet taste of her on his tongue didn't make him weak and desperate. Weak for more and desperate to hold on.

“Yeah?” he asked, speech slurred and husky.

At her silence, he opened his eyes and leaned back to find her studying him. Only this time, her gaze wasn't as focused. It was dazed and excited.

Her hands uncurled, leaving his shirt, smoothing up his chest and wrapping around his nape. Tingles spread over his scalp and down his spine when her fingers combed through his hair. The corners of her mouth tipped up, her expression shy.

Her big blue eyes wandered over his face and lingered on his mouth.

“Will you do that again?” she whispered.

Dominic's heart tripped in his chest.
Would he do it again?

If he did, he'd fall so fast there wasn't a chance in hell he'd be able to avoid the impact. But if he walked away, he'd never know how deep this feeling ran.

And he'd never know how far she'd let him in.

“Yeah,” he murmured, touching his mouth to hers. “As much as you want.”

Chapter Six

“One more, girl, and that's it.”

Cissy jumped, her head smacking into the underside of a picnic table and her fingers fumbling over the red ribbon wrapped around them. She eased back on her heels and looked up with a laugh.

A young woman stretched over the edge of the wide wood table to peer down at her with raised brows. “Did you hear me? Just one more table to decorate and everything'll be set.”

Tammy Jenkins. She'd arrived at Raintree Ranch a couple of days ago with her cousin, Colt Mead, to celebrate Independence Day. They were both taking a short sabbatical, as they put it, from the rodeo circuit to enjoy the holiday. And they were both close friends of Dominic.

Dominic...

Cissy sighed. It'd be exactly a week tomorrow since their fishing trip. If she was being altogether honest about it, she could probably cite the number of minutes that had passed from the exact second his lips had touched hers. Her mind had wandered back time and time again to his kiss by the pond, leaving no room for any other thoughts.

Despite his strength, he'd been nothing but tender. Warmth pooled low in her belly at the remembered feel of his mouth on hers. His big, warm palms kneading her nape. His deep, sexy rumble a soft whisper over her skin.

As much as you want...

“Sorry,” Tammy said. “Didn't mean to break your concentration.”

Cissy blinked, realizing she was staring blankly at the disarrayed bundle of material in her hands. Tammy's fingers curled over hers, gathering up the wayward ribbon and bundling it back into the bow she'd been tacking to the smooth wood of the picnic table.

Cissy shook her head and smiled. “You didn't. I was just thinking about...”

About...
She scrambled to try to find a reasonable excuse for where her mind had been.
Dominic.

No. The party.

His mouth...

No. The horses.

His touch...

No—

“You're busted, girl.” Tammy grinned wide, brown hair streaming over her shoulders as she rose. She studied her through narrowed eyes. “I know exactly what you were thinking.”

Cissy bit her lip. The heat from the scorching July sun was no match for the embarrassment that blazed through her body. She opened her mouth but couldn't manage a sound, her useless jaw hanging.

“You were thinking about how nice it is to have a night off from those wild nephews of yours.” Tammy propped her hands on her hips, green eyes sparkling. “You'll be able to relax. Dance. And maybe even enjoy an adult beverage or two.”

Or find a dark corner and ask Dominic to kiss her again
.
Cissy clenched her teeth at the sudden thought.

Or ask him to touch her. Or ask to touch hi—

Stop it.
Stay focused
. She shouldn't have given in to begin with.

Cissy squared her shoulders and nodded. “You're right. That's exactly what I was thinking.”

Tammy winked. “Can't blame you. I mean, I fell in love with those two on sight, but good golly, Miss Molly! Those two spitfires could burn the world down with a wet match if they set their minds to it.”

“Who y'all talking about? The twins?” Jen Taylor, Tammy's friend and fellow barrel racer, arrived, plopping a basket full of condiments on the ground by the picnic table.

“How'd you guess?” Tammy asked, sharing a laugh with Cissy.

Cissy used the edge of the table to pull herself to her feet and eyed the decorative bow for any adjustments. The annual Fourth of July celebration at Raintree Ranch would kick off in just a couple of hours. She'd spent the better part of the day setting up with the staff and a few guest volunteers while the boys trailed after the Slade men.

It had been hard work but seemed like more of a treat. It'd been forever since she'd been able to socialize with other women her age. In the past, she'd spent the majority of her time with Crystal and the boys. And when Crystal became sick, her time had been split between hospital trips, work and worry. There'd been no time for fun. Or for herself.

And the cherry on top of it all was the fact that the boys would be spending the night out camping with the other kids as part of their Fourth of July treat. Pop and Logan would be leading the excursion, leaving her free of worry and able to enjoy the night's festivities. If Tammy and Jen's tales regarding past Raintree celebrations were even half-true, the night promised to be more than just festive.

“Where are the little toots anyway?” Jen lifted a hand to her brow, nudging a red curl back and shielding her brown eyes from the harsh afternoon sun.

Cissy motioned across the wide expanse of the field, focused on constructing one more bow from the last of the red ribbon. “They're over there helping the guys set up the portable stage for the band.” Her laughter traveled down her arms and shook the ribbon in her hands. “Or, at least, they're over there anyway.”

“Well, I hope they've been drinking that bottled water we left out for them.” Jen fanned her neck, her nose wrinkling. “It's hot as Hades out here.”

“And speaking of hot,” Tammy whispered.

Cissy glanced up from her handiwork and followed the women's gazes through the hazy air to find Dominic, Logan and Colt making their way over to the picnic tables. The three ambled across the high grass, shirts saturated with sweat and clinging to their chests. Jeans tight and pulling in all the right places.

It was a sight no fully bred Southern woman could resist.

“Mmm, mmm,
mmm
.” Jen's fanning turned furious. “Maybe this
is
Hades. Because those have got to be the three hottest devils in Georgia.”

“Two,” Tammy said. “Colt doesn't count.”

“Why not?”

Tammy's mouth stretched on slow, exaggerated syllables. “Because he's my cousin.”

“So? Doesn't mean I can't have a gander.” Jen eyed her from the side and shimmied her chest suggestively.

“Ugh, Jen.” Tammy rolled her eyes. “You're ruining the moment for me. And don't let Colt hear you say that. His head's big enough as it is.”

“Don't worry.” Jen smoothed a hand over her fiery hair, her expression sly. “I know how to handle Colt.”

Tammy's groan was long suffering.

Cissy ducked her head and laughed. Today was definitely more of a treat than work. Though she couldn't say she hadn't enjoyed the past few days of ranch labor.

She admired Dominic's long stride, recalling how his jeans had stretched over the thick muscle of his thighs when he'd squatted at her elbow to repair a fence earlier that morning. Since their fishing trip, he'd jumped into the daily fray of chores. Most often the ones near her or at her side. And afterward, he always made it a point to find an evening activity they could enjoy with the boys. She'd begun anticipating those two late-afternoon hours with Dominic as much as Kayden and Jayden.

Still, Cissy made certain their frolicking didn't interfere with work. She'd clocked in six days this week and had managed to pay off the dab of engine work and two of the new tires her car had required to be put back in working order. Only two tires left to pay for and she'd owe nothing more to Logan's mechanic friend. She'd be free and clear of debt, allowing the small stash of money she'd earned to flourish faster.

But she'd learned not to sacrifice too much of the time she spent with Kayden and Jayden, planning to reserve one day every week just for them. And it was an added bonus that Dominic seemed to enjoy being around them. Because she'd found herself growing more and more eager for his company.

“Hey, ladies.” The trio had arrived, and Colt leaned on the picnic table with big hands, trailing his gaze from the top of Jen's head to the tips of her turquoise boots. “Gotta say, makes a man's work a lot easier having such pretty scenery on the job.”

“Really?” Jen mocked with a bewildered tone. “What was it that struck your fancy? The cow patties or the horses' behinds?”

Colt grinned, running the tip of his tongue over his lower lip. “I don't know. It was a tough call.” He smirked when she turned and bent over to retrieve the basket she'd stowed by the picnic table. “Though I'm rather partial to behinds.”

Dominic chuckled and slapped a hand on his friend's back. “Ease up, man. You're getting into dangerous territory.” He turned to Cissy and winked.

“Nah.” Colt pushed away from the table and jerked his chin. “Jen and I have an understanding.”

“Yeah,” Jen chirped, rising and looking at Dominic. “I understand Colt's hit his head one time too many falling off bulls. So he suffers from delusions. Like the one where all women adore him. I just don't pay him any attention.”

“Baby, you can't help
but
pay me attention,” Colt defended, rubbing a hand over his broad chest.

They all laughed as the two sparred. Dominic drew closer, curling a hand around Cissy's hip.

Cissy stood taller and ignored the heat of his touch.
Focus on work
.

The stubble on his jaw brushed her temple...

No distract—

...right before his sensuous mouth touched her ear.

“Have to agree with Colt,” he murmured. “Work does go a lot faster with you around.”

She closed her eyes and a soft sound of appreciation escaped her. It was impossible to concentrate on anything other than the warmth of his big palm on her and the spicy scent of him surrounding her.

She cleared her throat, taking a step back and angling away to the last picnic table. She focused on centering the bow just right before tacking it to the wood corner and saying, “Well, I think we've all accomplished a lot.”

“Too right, girl,” Tammy added. “And it's getting close to party time. You boys wanna join us for a preparty drink?”

“Sorry, no can do, ladies.” Colt dragged a hand through his blond hair and tugged at his soggy shirt. “Gotta wash the stink off me so I'll be presentable for tonight.”

“How gallant of you,” Jen observed, lips twitching.

“Don't worry, baby,” Colt murmured with a sexy wink, “I'll be sure to save a dance for you.”

Jen smiled wide. “You hope you'll be that lucky, cowboy.”

Tammy looked at Logan. “What about you? Ever since we got here, you've done nothing but work. Care for a drink with old friends?”

Logan tipped his hat, tossing Tammy a quick glance. “Thanks, I appreciate the offer. But I've got to make the rounds and make sure everything's in place for tonight.”

He turned, taking long strides back to the main house.

Jen whispered out of the side of her mouth, “That is one heartbroken man.”

“I know,” Tammy said quietly. “He's been through a lot. Hasn't been the same since his wife left. Just wish there was something we could do to cheer him up.”

Colt issued a sound of disgust. “Why don't y'all stay out of that man's business?” He cocked his head at Dominic. “
Women
. I'm gettin' the hell outta here before they start in on mine.”

“Oh, we don't have to work hard for that, Colt, seeing as how anything with two legs and a bosom is your business.” Jen teased at his retreating back. “How 'bout you, Dom? You playing tonight or what?”

A muscle in Dominic's jaw jumped. He glanced away, shifting his weight from foot to foot. A deep flush of red swept up his neck.

Cissy's stomach dropped. She busied herself with unnecessary adjustments to the bow she'd tacked up.

“No thanks, Jen,” Dominic answered. “I need to get cleaned up a bit, too.”

Dominic's boots appeared beside Cissy's sneakers. She hesitated before glancing up, striving for a blank expression.

“We left the boys with Pop,” he said. “I'll send them to your room later. I know they'll want to say goodbye before they set off for camp.” He leaned down, brushing a kiss across the bridge of her nose. “Think about going in soon. You're getting sunburned.”

“All right.” Cissy shrugged, trying for nonchalance but failing miserably.

Dominic's dimples broke out. “Save me a dance, okay?” He tipped his Stetson before walking away, his broad shoulders and slim hips an achingly impressive sight.

Dancing
. When was the last time she'd danced?

Cissy nibbled on her nails, freezing when she caught Tammy and Jen staring openmouthed. “What?” she asked.

Tammy recovered first, her voice soft. “Are you thinking of playing tonight, Cissy?”

Cissy resumed gnawing her nails, wincing when she hit the quick. Was she seriously entertaining the idea of cutting loose with Dominic?

No distractions
. That aggravating voice in her head returned and she knew she should listen. It was a bad idea. She couldn't possibly—

But did she want to?
Heck, yes
. The answer reverberated in her head, drowning out all other thoughts.

Tammy's hand touched her elbow. “You're entitled to some fun, Cissy.”

“Yeah,” Cissy said. She lifted her chin and firmed her features. “Yeah, I am.”

“Well—” Jen adopted a mischievous expression “—what did you plan on wearing tonight? Because I have a little blue number that will knock Dom's socks off.”

Little was right
. An hour later, Cissy stood in front of the dresser mirror in her room, pulling at the hem of the sundress Jen had loaned her and barely managing to make it reach midthigh. Cissy shuddered to think of where it fell on Jen. The other woman had to be at least three inches taller than she was.

She scooped up the half-empty wineglass off the dresser and took a deep swig. Shaking her arms out to release some nervous tension, she glanced over her shoulder at her reflection. This was definitely a new look for her. Much more risqué than she was used to.