Briar's Cowboys (14 page)

“Tomorrow, my lawyer will be over with papers.”

Jax’s head snapped to his former boss.
Jax
was Robert’s lawyer.

“He’ll discuss the Last Chance’s needs with me and we’ll draw up the paperwork. You
will
sign it, because you’re not going to get a better deal than this one. Once you’ve completed the contract, I’ll transfer the agreed amount to your ranch’s bank account.” He held up a hand when Briar started to protest. “No. End of discussion. Jax, first thing in the morning. I know you have responsibilities there, but this takes priority.” He pointed at Briar. “No arguments. I’m the patriarch of this family. You’ll listen.”

He gave Briar a nod then addressed everyone at the table in general. Without another word, he stalked out of the bar. Briar let out a disgusted sound but didn’t stop Jax as he wrapped his arms around her from behind and pulled her in to his chest.

“I don’t want his money,” she griped.

“Done deal, baby.” At least, she wasn’t protesting Brian’s proclamation that she was taken and that Jax, Ram, Cannon and Hawk were her men. “Think about the ranch and what’s best for it.”

She swung out an arm, indicating the bar. “
What
do you think I’ve
been
doing?” she asked angrily.

Ram traced a finger along the bit of lace showing at the edge of her shirt. “Showing off what’s ours.”

She slapped away his hand. “Please. A bit of lace doesn’t equal cheating.”

Twisting away from Jax, she stalked toward the door, her resemblance to her cousin unmistakable in her bearing.

“We’ll meet you at home,” he said to the men. He raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Perhaps in the barn.”

“Yee haw,” Ram growled.

Leaving his partner to explain, Jax hurried after Briar before his ride home took off.

* * * *

“We care about you, Briar,” Jax said when they we were almost to the ranch.

Briar didn’t want to hear that. She was still angry about the way the evening had gone down, and not so sure she’d have a job to go to tomorrow—through no fault of her own.

“I know you do,” she replied sharply.

“Then why are you so mad?”

“Why?” she demanded. “You five just walked in and hijacked my life tonight. I had a plan. I had the problem handled. That’s what I do. I take care of things.”

“Because you’ve always had to,” he acknowledged. “But you don’t have to anymore. Don’t you get that? It’s not you against the world from now on. You have me and Ram. Cannon and Hawk. Robert. Verity. Her guys. You never have to be alone.”

“I don’t know how to do that.” She blinked hard to get the tears from her eyes. She didn’t want to cry. She
wouldn’t
.

“We’ll help you.”

Briar wasn’t so sure anyone could help her with this, but she nodded. They talked about inconsequential things the rest of the way home. When she pulled up to the house, she saw Jax’s truck was parked in front of the house. He’d brought it over from the Flying D after she’d hired him, and he and the others generally used it to get back and forth from town.

“That Ram. Such a speeder,” Jax commented, following her stare. “I didn’t see him pass us.”

He didn’t sound even slightly surprised so Briar shrugged. There was more than one way to get here from Daly’s main drag. If Jax didn’t think it was weird, she wouldn’t.

She turned off the pickup and climbed out. Jax met her at the foot of the steps leading to the porch.

“You know hide and seek?” he asked.

“Of course—”

“Run, Briar.”

“What?”

His eyes were darkly sensual as he gazed down at her under the pale moonlight. He lifted an eyebrow, the side of his mouth lifting. “Run.”

Oh…
A flutter set up in her middle as she realized the game was afoot. She was the prey about to be tracked by four very horny, slightly irritable hunters. A shiver, having nothing to do with the cold, slid through her as the possibilities filled her mind. What would they do to her when they caught her?

Jax closed his eyes. “One…”

He was really serious about this.

“Two…”

She looked around. Where was she supposed to run to? It was too cold out here to go far or to stay outside for long. A sliver of light shown from beneath the door of the equipment barn, beckoning to her like the proverbial cheese to the rat. It was a trap. She was sure of it. But as Jax counted three, she took off, sprinting toward the enclosure.

Bright light momentarily blinded her as she yanked open the door and ran inside the heated structure. If they’d intended her to hide here, they’d chosen well since they kept this barn heated.

The thick red-plaid blanket spread in the center of the barn erased any lingering questions about their plans. They planned to have their way with her here—once they caught her, which meant she needed to hide. Or maybe she should take off her clothes and wait on the blanket.

The thrill of chase made her decision. She’d hide.

But where…

The spacious barn had originally been constructed as a secondary holding area for heifers that needed closer attention. Though she’d been told there was no evidence of it ever being used, at least recently. There were several stalls toward the back near the rear doors. She headed for those. She’d hide behind equipment back there.

The first stall didn’t offer any concealment, but the second was packed with bags of the minerals added to the cattle’s feed. Squeezing inside, she ducked into a small space between rows.

Crouching, she waited. Her pussy throbbed at the ideas of what they’d do to her. They could have sex in the house, so they must have something else in mind.

“Briar!” Jax thundered as the entry door creaked open. He’d fallen completely into his role of angry pursuer, and from the sounds of his tone, tonight would be a little rough. She grinned at the idea and sank farther back in the crevice.

“Come out, come out, little mouse,” Ram called.

Her heart hammered. He sounded too near. Had he come in with Jax? Or…had he been in here the whole time, watching her? She closed her eyes and bit her lip, realizing they probably knew exactly where she was. Ram, Hawk and Cannon had watched her scurry over here.

Heavy footsteps approached and she tried to control her breathing. She’d play the game and make it fun for all them.

The stall’s door squeaked as it swung open. “Look what we have here,” Hawk said. Opening her eyes and rolling her gaze upward, she saw him towering over her.

“No,” she yelled as he reached for her. She tried to move back, but she was out of space. He grabbed her, hefting her over his shoulder. “No! Let me down,” she demanded, squirming in his grip.

“Silence,” Jax commanded. “You’ll take your punishment. You’ve been a very bad girl.”

Yeah, she had. She’d confess to whatever they wanted. “I didn’t do anything,” she argued, staying in her role.

“Put her on the blanket,” he growled in response.

The second Hawk set her down, she rolled to scramble away. Cannon tackled her, and his muscular body held her face down to the soft quilt. She tried to buck him off, a strange desperation falling over her. The more she fought, the more aroused it made her.

“Let me go,” she demanded.

“Turn her over,” Jax ordered.

Three sets of hands were on her, flipping her over and holding her down as she kept struggling. Ram pulled her arms above her head and tied her wrists with thick rope. The end was anchored to a post several feet away. Even if she managed to move from their grasp, the rope would keep her from going too far.

“That blouse is a spankable offense,” Jax proclaimed, standing over her as Ram got up and walked toward the cage holding all their tools.

“Please…I didn’t mean to—”

“And those jeans have tripled your punishment.”

“Punishment,” she echoed.

His arms crossed over his chest. “For your transgressions, I’m giving you to my three ranch hands to do with you what they will.”

That hardly sounded bad. She struggled to keep from grinning. “No…please…” she begged, yanking at her bindings. Being bound and at their mercy was doing strange things to her insides. Her pussy was still puffy from the vigorous sex earlier, but as they surrounded her, she felt cream seeping into her delicate folds. She was in for another hard pounding.

Ram came back with a large pair of shears. Silently, he knelt by her feet.

“No!” she cried, more fervently this time, pulling her legs away from him. Cannon and Hawk grabbed her ankles and pulled her straight once more. She shook when she felt the edge of the cold metal against her skin as Ram slid one edge of the large scissors under her pant leg.

“Don’t,” she whispered, arousal stealing her voice. She could barely breathe as he snipped all the way to her waistband. One side of her jeans fell open. Immediately, he went to the other leg and cut that one in the same away. He yanked away the fabric, leaving her panties.

He caught her eyes as he straddled her hips. Lightly, he drew the tip of the scissors along her outstretched arms then over her shoulder and down between her breasts to run over her belly to her hem. Rather than unbutton her low-cut shirt, he opened the shears and cut from the bottom of the edge to the collar. Holding the ragged edge of the cloth, he sliced across her breasts to reach her sleeve. When the fabric was split, he repeated his action. Sitting back, he pulled away the destroyed shirt.

She shivered in only her scraps of lingerie, the garment’s lace and sheer red nylon.

“Cold?” Jax asked, still standing over her. “You’ll be warm soon. Cannon?”

Ram moved away and Cannon dove over her. Hands pushed up her arms. He circled her forearms just below the bindings. “I’m going to make you scream,” he told her.

“Promise?” she asked. She parted her legs and canted her hips into him.

“I told you she’s a randy one,” Jax said.

Randy didn’t begin to describe the heat boiling through her.

“Scissors,” Cannon said, holding out his hand. Ram slapped them into the younger man’s hands as if he were a soap opera surgeon.

“Don’t you dare!” she exclaimed as he positioned them in the center of her bra where a thin strip of fabric held the cups together.

“This bra has seen too much action tonight,” he muttered. “Every guy at the bar wanted to see it and rip it off you.” Before she protested further, he sliced the fragile nylon and the cups sprang apart, freeing her breasts. He dragged the flat of the metal down her stomach. “Stay still,” he whispered.

Her breath caught as he carefully cut her panties from waistband to the back of her pussy, exposing her sex, but leaving her underwear on.

“Just what we’re after,” he said, cupping her sex while he leaned over her on one arm. “Miss Rhodes, you’re so wet. Is this exciting you?”

“No,” she lied, playing along for as long as her mind and body let her. She struggled against the rope, aroused by him touching her while she was restrained. His fingers pushed into her pussy. He pumped deep into her passage, curling against her g-spot and sending sizzling shocks of reaction into her womb and out to her limbs.

“Yes,” he growled. “This is what happens to naughty girls.”

Caught up, she stared up at him, stunned by how serious he seemed.

“Kiss me,” she begged.

He shook his head. “Bad girls don’t get kissed. They get fucked.”

Reaching between them, he jerked his belt then opened his pants. When she thought he’d pull them off, he only pushed them down enough to free his cock and sheath it with a condom.

He wasn’t even taking off his clothes. This was sex. Just hot, torrid sex. This game made her even wetter—he was rutting on her as part of the play.

She groaned as his thick erection surged into her. He didn’t give her walls time to adjust before he started pistoning, fucking her hard as he pushed toward his own release and left her to her own devices.

They really were a little angry, she realized as she lifted her hips to meet each drive. They were playing a game, but deep down they still weren’t happy about her job, and they really disliked her provocative work clothes. This punishment role-playing was more than sexy antics. It was a bit of a catharsis.

Understanding, she sank into it, fully satisfied by everything going around her. Cannon’s pubis repeatedly struck her clit, driving her closer and closer to orgasm and proving the scene wasn’t one sided. He’d said he’d make her scream. As her cries echoed in the cavernous barn, she knew he’d spoken the truth.

Tension twisted in her belly, tightening, preparing. It still took her by surprise when the spasm exploded through her, and her release flowed onto Cannon. She screamed as her body bowed helplessly beneath him as he pumped through it. She was still shaking when he grunted and plowed forward one last time.

Her breathing shuddered rapidly from her as she stared up at him, stunned by the violence of her reaction to this. “Cannon,” she whispered, but he was already moving. He winked at her as he moved away.

Ram took his place, equally as intense as his predecessor had been. Like Cannon, he’d only pushed his pants down enough to expose his cock. “He went easy on you,” he said as he rolled on a condom. “Turn over and get on your elbows and knees. Get your ass in the air,” he ordered.

He waited as she struggled to turn. When had all these men gotten so demanding and dominating? With a secret smile, she admitted she liked it. She liked their power over her.

She could only imagine what she must look like with the torn panties spread around her pussy and framing her swollen, wet lips. She was only getting wetter as Ram ordered her around. Cannon had played with her, but Ram owned her. He spread her labia, exposing her rigid clit. “What a pretty little nub,” he said. “I have something for it that I picked up in Gillette last week.”

She struggled to look over her shoulder. “What—”

Her question ended on a shriek as he clipped something on her. A sharp bite of pain then exquisite pleasure swamped her senses, and she knew she was done playing. All she cared about was the sensation, the touching, all of them getting off.

She moaned, moving her hips and was startled to hear a ringing sound. A bell dangled from the clip, telling everyone when she moved—and she could barely stand
not
to move. She needed to be fucked.