Monroe, Marla - The Ranchers Take a Wife [Men of Space Station One #1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (10 page)

“Oh, thinking about what all I needed to get done today.”

“Hmm,” was all he said.

“Cam said to tell you he was checking the wheat field first.”

“You saw him before he left?”

“Yeah.”

Phillip walked over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “You okay, baby?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. What about you? Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah. What about you?”

“Fine.”

“Tell me what’s bothering you, Lacy. I can tell something’s up.” Phillip sat in the chair next to her and cradled his cup in his big hands.

“Is Cam disappointed in me? Does he wish I hadn’t picked you two as my husbands?”

“Lacy, he’s not disappointed. He likes you. He’s just got a lot on his mind with the farm and all. Like I’ve said before, he isn’t one to say a lot anyway. Has he said something to bother you?”

“No. I guess he’s just different from you. I can talk to you, and we get along fine, but I can’t talk to him.”

“Well, you can always talk to me. Relax around him and don’t try to push. He’ll come around more as we get used to each other. Things will be better once the crops are in.” Phillip leaned over and kissed her.

Lacy smiled at him. She hoped he was right, but she was still uneasy about the entire situation. If he never loved her, she could live with it. Lots of people lived together who didn’t actually love each other, but they at least cared. She wasn’t sure if Cam even cared that much for her.

“I better get out there and check on him.” Phillip stood up and drained his coffee cup before dropping a kiss on her head and walking over to the sink to leave his cup.

“I’ll see you in a little while, baby. Try to stop worrying so much. It will all be okay.”

Lacy watched him go and sighed. It was hard not to worry when all she had was time to think. Even when she was busy in the garden or canning, she thought about them, and ultimately, Cam. She wanted him to like her so badly it hurt.

Well, there was nothing she could do anytime soon anyway. Harvest would soon be on them all and there would be little time for anything but eating and sleeping. Maybe she would be able to make some headway with him once the harvest was over with.

Chapter Eight

Cam stomped off his boots at the back door right behind Phillip. He was bone tired but happy. They’d managed to get everything harvested before the rain and snow started. They would hitch the buggies up to the trailers and pull them to town the next day. Their part for the community would be over with for a few months. Relief pooled around him like puddles of water.

As soon as he slipped out of his boots and shed his coat, Cam headed for the shower. Phillip normally showered in one of the other bathrooms while he showered in the master bath. That way they would both be down and ready for supper at the same time.

It wasn’t until they were back downstairs that either of them noticed that Lacy wasn’t in the kitchen to greet them. Something smelled great, but she wasn’t there. Cam began to get worried. Where could she be?

“Phillip?”

“I don’t know. Let’s check the garden.”

They both walked outside the back again and began calling Lacy’s name.

“I’m coming. I was just trying to be sure I got everything before you plow it under.” Lacy appeared from between the rows of pole beans now brown and dry.

“Damn, woman. You had us worried,” Cam said in a growl.

“You okay?” Phillip asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry I worried you. I honestly didn’t expect you back till dusk. Did you get everything harvested?”

“Yep, it’s all in the trailers and ready for transport tomorrow. You will enjoy a trip to town,” Phillip told her.

“I have a grocery list a mile long.” She laughed.

They walked inside, and Lacy immediately began washing up. Cam watched her as she set aside the last of the vegetables she’d picked from the garden and began serving them. He couldn’t get his heart to stop racing. The thought that something might have happened to her had scared him. She was always right there when they came home.

He looked outside and sighed. She was right, though. It wasn’t dusk yet, and they had finished early. More than likely she was always out in the garden at this time of the late afternoon. He had jumped to conclusions like he always did around her. Why?

He avoided her eyes as she loaded his plate down with food. He couldn’t look in them without feeling guilty for snapping at her. He should apologize, but the words wouldn’t come. He always felt awkward around her now. It had been so long since he’d last touched her sexually. He almost couldn’t remember how good she tasted. No doubt she thought he didn’t want her anymore when the opposite was true. He wanted her with a vengeance, but truth be told, he had been too tired to do much of anything over the last few weeks except fall in bed and sleep.

Maybe he would remedy that tonight. He looked up at the same time she did. She smiled at him. He tried to smile back but froze. Instead, he picked up his empty plate and took it to the sink.

“That was really good, Lacy. Thanks. I’m going to go on up to bed. We’ve got to get an early start tomorrow. It will take longer pulling all the trailers behind us.”

“Glad you enjoyed it. I can’t wait to get to town tomorrow.” She smiled at him.

“I guess you miss other women around you. You can visit with some of them that are still there,” Cam suggested. Then he turned and headed for the stairs.

Phillip joined him in the bedroom about twenty minutes later. He began to strip to get ready for bed. Cam was already sitting on the side of the bed.

“Don’t start, Phillip,” Cam said before Phillip opened his mouth.

“Start what?”

“Start with the
be nice to Lacy
spill you are always giving me.” Cam climbed into the bed and pulled the covers up but sat back against the headboard.

“I wasn’t going to say anything, because you were nice to her before you walked up here.”

Cam was about to reply, but Lacy walked in.

“I’m going to take a quick shower and I’ll be right out.” She disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

“We should buy her something nice while we’re in town,” Phillip said.

“What?”

“I don’t know. We’ll just look until we see something that suits her.”

“You know her better than I do, you choose.” Cam laced his hands together behind his head.

“If you would take the time, you would know her better, too,” Phillip pointed out.

“Don’t start, Phillip.”

“Hell, just shut the fuck up.” Phillip finished undressing and climbed into bed.

A few minutes later, Lacy walked out with the towel still wrapped around her. It was warm in the bedroom, but after a hot shower, she was probably chilly.

“Come on in the bed before you catch a cold,” Cam said.

She smiled at him and dropped her towel to the floor before climbing over him and slipping beneath the covers. Cam pulled her over toward him. She looked surprised, but she didn’t hesitate to wrap her arm over his chest and settle her head on his shoulder once he had scooted down in the bed so she could.

His good intentions were to initiate sex with her and make her feel good, but after only a few minutes of holding her, he began to drift. The scent of her hair against his face lulled him into soft sleep. The next thing he knew, the alarm was going off and she was climbing over him to turn it off.

“Hey, watch where you put your knee, woman.” He moved out of the way just in time to avoid singing soprano the rest of the day.

“Sorry.” She climbed off the bed and headed for the bathroom.

“Damn, it’s time to get up? I was really snoozing well,” Phillip complained then stretched.

“Yeah, me, too.” Cam waited on Lacy to get out then got up to get dressed.

“Do I need to wear extra clothes, or will I be warm in the buggy? I haven’t been in it during this time of year before.” Lacy looked at Cam.

Cam looked at Phillip. He didn’t know what to tell her. Phillip ignored him and continued pulling on clothes.

“Um, I think you’ll be warm enough with a coat,” he said.

“Thanks.”

She pulled on a navy blue sweater that looked good with her blue eyes. He almost said as much, but Phillip beat him to it. Cam scowled at it, then regretted it when she quickly looked down.

“We better get on the road. Lacy, why don’t you ride with me down there and Phillip on the way back?” he suggested.

“Okay. That sounds fair.” She gave Phillip a knock-you-down hug and kiss before following him downstairs.

She pulled out some sandwiches she’d fixed the night before to eat on the way down. He hadn’t expected her to have anything ready for them to eat. She thought ahead, another reason she was perfect for them. If he could just get his head out of his ass and tell her.

He helped her climb up into the buggy and closed the door. Then he walked around to his side and climbed in before starting the engine. The buggy levitated to two feet and he took off, pulling three grain trailers behind him. Phillip pulled up next to him with three behind him. He waved at them. Lacy waved back. Cam nodded.

“Don’t get up or down from the buggy when it’s running, Lacy. It’s dangerous,” Cam said.

“Okay. How long did you say it would take to get there this time?” she asked.

“About three hours, give or take a few minutes. Are you getting tired already?” he asked.

“No, just wanted to know how long I had.”

“Why?”

“So I could do this.” She scooted over and began unfastening his jeans.

“Hey! What in the hell are you doing?” He couldn’t believe it. She was going to go down on him in the damn buggy.

“I’m going to suck your cock while Phillip over there watches.” She nodded toward where Phillip in the other buggy was giving him a thumbs-up.

“He’ll wreck the damn thing, Lacy. This isn’t a good idea.” He didn’t try and stop her.

She had his jeans open and his cock out and in her mouth before he could think of another word to say. She swallowed all the way down him and he sped up without meaning to.

“Fuck, I’m going to have a damn wreck.”

“Let’s see how good a driver you are, then.” She scratched at his balls through the denim, sending electrical sparks all over his body.

Cam looked down as she swallowed him all the way down again and groaned. Her lips were already swollen from sucking on him, and red as ripe cherries. Seeing them wrapped around his dick just about sent him over. She sucked him up and down until he was meeting her halfway and barely paying attention to the road.

“Fuck, yeah. Let me feel those teeth on me. Not too much. Yeah, that’s right.” He ran a hand through her hair and pulled it back out of the way of his line of vision.

He liked watching her mouth stretched tight around his cock. Lacy drew almost all the way off him then swallowed him down again. She did this several times in a row, and he knew he was going to come.

“I’m going to fill your throat with my cum, baby. Hold on.” He pushed her head down and held her as he shot his cum into her throat.