Peaches 'n' Cream (10 page)

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When something as big as Logan moved a table and chairs, the sound made an impression. When it was followed by deafening silence, Peaches pushed past Ryan and Damien as they tried to comfort her. Her heart pounded in her chest as she raced down the stairs, her men close on her heels. They entered the kitchen, gasping collectively as they discovered him unconscious on the kitchen floor. Peaches looked up from where she was huddled on the squeaky orange couch in the waiting room. Ryan sat beside her, holding her hand. He’d had it in a death grip for hours now. Damien was walking toward them. They jumped up, meeting him halfway.

“How is he? Is he going to be all right?”

“Yes. It was a blood clot. It took some work, but they took care of it. He should be out of here in a few days. They want to watch him for a while.”

“It’s my fault,” she said miserably, sniffing away a new bout of tears. “If I hadn’t put him on the floor, he wouldn’t have had to go through this.”

“I asked the doctor about that. He said it may have aggravated the situation, but it’s something that would likely have happened at some point. He pointed out that it was fortunate it happened when someone was there to help him, otherwise he would have died.”

“I guess that makes me feel less guilty.”

“Good. Now, let’s get you home. That storm will be here soon. We’ll have to help out on the ranch until he’s up to taking care of it.”

She looked up at them with wide eyes. “Who’s going to be here when he wakes up? Does he have family? Other than you guys?” They shook their heads. “I’ll stay. You guys go to the ranch.”

Damien shook his head. “We can’t leave you alone here. Who’s going to watch your back?”

“It could be days before we can get back into town. You can’t stay.”

“I am staying. Is he in his room yet?”

“Not yet. It’ll be a while before he’s out of recovery.” Her men crowded around her. The heat from their bodies, their closeness, gave her comfort, as did the hands roaming over her.

“Baby, we know you’re still feeling guilty, but you don’t have to.”

“You just don’t want to hurt my feelings. I know he won’t want to see me when he wakes up. If I can’t stay, then it should be Ryan.” When a mutinous expression came over his handsome features, she pressed herself close and looked at him with doe eyes. He melted instantly.

“You guys are the only family he has. He can’t be left here alone. He needs someone to be with him when he wakes up. And I know how much he likes you.” Ryan rolled his eyes. “He’s always trying to bash my head in.” 53

“Only because you needle him until he can’t take it anymore. Be nice. Hold his hand. Tell him how much you love him.”

“Okay. I’ll be there when he wakes up. But I am not holding his hand.” Pulling her close, he lowered his mouth to hers to kiss her long and hard, leaving her breathless and her pussy wet. “You be careful going home.” He patted the pocket with his phone in it. “Call me later. We can talk dirty to each other.”

“Pervert,” she said, laughing. Ryan was absolutely adorable. She couldn’t help but love him. He helped her into her coat, stealing an extra couple kisses before she headed down the hall with Damien close at her side.

With the weather worsening, it took twice as long to get back to the ranch as it had the night before. Damien drove competently, but it didn’t help much to keep her from gripping the door until her knuckles were white. If she’d been given a choice, she would have preferred to be driving. She wasn’t much of a passenger. When they got home, it was to discover one of the ranch hands clearing snow out of the drive and in the parking area. They waved to him as they climbed out of the truck. Damien pulled her close to his side as they headed for the rear door of the house.

“He’ll move the truck into the garage once he’s got all the snow cleared out. I’ll go help with the chores once I’ve got you settled in.”

They stood in the kitchen where just that morning things had gone from bad to worse.

She watched as Damien straightened the furniture. It had all been pushed to the end of the room when the paramedics had arrived. Turning on the light, she peeled off her coat and boots. She placed them by the back door with the men’s outer garments.

“I should help you.”

“No, I want you to relax. Go take a nice soak in the bathtub. It’s been a long day for you.” Peaches tried to smile when he walked up to her. It didn’t quite work. Damien lifted a hand to stroke her cheek. “He’s going to be okay, baby. Don’t worry so much.”

“I can’t help it. He and I practically hate one another. Still, I was starting to feel like I could care for him, if he’d just let me in.”

“Don’t beat yourself up over it. Once we know he’s okay, we’ll find a place to live. I’ll call Colt and see if there’s any property up for sale. We’ll all start over fresh. Ryan and I’ll sell our shares of the ranch back to Logan.”

A plan that should have given her hope only made her feel worse. Because of her, the men’s friendship was splintering apart. She knew they loved one another, that they were as close. How could she live with herself, knowing they were only doing this because of her? She couldn’t.

“No. I don’t want you to do that. Lots of things were said and done today. I already regret my part in it. I was pushing something that just wasn’t supposed to happen. Please don’t make this situation worse. Wait until Logan’s out of the hospital and feeling better. Then you guys can talk things out.” She looked down at the floor, then back up at him. “If you still want to leave, then at least we’ll all know you tried.”

Though she had promised she wouldn’t leave them, Peaches thought that she might have to do so. That she might consider doing so must have occurred to Damien, because he yanked her close suddenly. “You are not leaving,” he said fiercely, passionately. “You can’t help the way Logan is. Now that we’ve met you, I can see that it wouldn’t matter what woman we 54

brought here. There would always be something wrong with her. Sally was a fluke. He would have been done with her by now, because she was shallow. She knew how to get everything she wanted from us. When she used us up, she took off.” Damien bent his head, rubbing his nose against hers. “You’re the real thing, baby. Ryan and I both know it. We’ve connected with you in a way we have never connected with another woman. It’s because you’re special. You’re the woman for us.”

This heartfelt declaration moved her like none other could. She wouldn’t think about leaving right now. She would try to help them heal their friendship with Logan, knowing she could never be fully happy if she continued to be the cause of problems between them. Time, it healed all things, right?

The days were filled with one thing. Snow, and lots of it. With biting winds, the snow blew in sideways, making great drifts, causing numerous problems for the ranch hands and Damien. She rarely saw him until it was well into the evening.

Ryan was still in town with Logan, who was rapidly healing and would be out of the hospital sooner than expected. The doctors could find nothing else wrong with him and were op-timistic about his future health.

Peaches found cleaning the house from top to bottom was an excellent way to keep her mind from working overtime. Though she didn’t like to criticize anyone, she thought the woman who cleaned for them had certainly cut some corners. Things that should have been done had been overlooked or just ignored. Things men typically wouldn’t even bother to check. The area under the couches was a perfect example. Granted, they were large, and would be difficult for an older woman to move, but when she got them moved she found about three years’

worth of dust bunnies, popcorn, socks, one pair of boxers, four dollars and some odd cents worth of coins, a comb, a lighter, and six pieces of gum. Thankfully, the latter was of the un-chewed variety.

Cleaning, sweeping, and scrubbing her way through the house, she was satisfied with the end result. Glass gleamed, rugs looked fluffier, and the wood moldings throughout the house shone from her vigorous polishing.

As she looked around she noted that every room could use a fresh coat of paint. It would have to wait. It wasn’t her decision to do so. It was basically Logan’s house. She cleaned it, but she wouldn’t be making any other changes. Dirt removal was the limit.

Once the cleaning was done, she decided to cook meals and freeze them. That kept her busy for a few hours. She prepared enough meals for a couple of weeks. Chicken, meatloaf, stew, and spaghetti were meticulously packaged for freezing. If it was hearty and a man would enjoy it, she made it. She also baked pies and cookies. By the time she was finished, she had the freezer packed, taking care that the precious pizzas were on top.

She smiled slightly as she closed the lid and locked it. That had been a good evening.

They had almost liked one another for a few hours. And that kiss! Wow, that kiss had been nothing short of spectacular. It had made her nipples harden and set her pussy to aching with hot desire. Sighing, feeling the heaviness returning to her heart, Peaches tried to think of something else to keep her mind busy.

Just as she looked blankly around the kitchen, as if she would find inspiration there, the back door opened and Damien stepped in, stomping the snow off his boots and onto the rug 55

by the door. His handsome face was rosy from the cold. He smiled when he saw her. Hurrying across the kitchen, she helped him remove the many layers of clothing he was wearing.

“Hi, baby.” He bent to kiss her lingeringly with icy lips. Their lips clung as he raised his head. He looked around the kitchen, noting the extra shine. “I see you cleaned it again. It all looks great. Did you get your cooking done?”

Shivering a little from the icy cold clinging to his clothes, she pulled his heavy outer coat off. “Yes. All done. The freezer is full. I’m afraid I’m out of ideas as to what to do next.” His down vest came off next, then a hoodie he wore under that. She shook out each and hung them up so they would dry and warm. “I have breaded pork chops in the oven. There are also scalloped potatoes and green beans with ham.”

Damien laughed and kissed her nose. “I’m going to weigh three hundred pounds if I keep eating your cooking. I won’t be able to get on a bull next season.”

“It wouldn’t be able to buck,” she teased, finally reaching the final layer. She stroked his chest, feeling the hard muscle beneath the thick flannel shirt and long underwear.

“Unfortunately, that’s what makes the score. Mmm, I smell something else.”

“Brownies.”

“Wicked temptress.”

It was Peaches’s turn to laugh. It was a soft, husky sound. She ran her finger over his firm, chiseled lips. “Wait until you see what I’ve made for a midnight snack.” Strong arms swept her close. “Something sweet?”

“Absolutely.”

“Decadent?”

“No doubt about it.”

“Will Ryan be eaten by jealousy because I get the treat and he doesn’t?” Peaches didn’t answer that one. With a grin spreading across her face, she danced away from him. “I’m going to go upstairs for a quick shower. Anyone here want to join me?” They played a lot at night. She knew he made a special effort because she still had moments when guilt ate at her. She was also missing Ryan.

When he lunged for her, Peaches laughed and ran. Damien chased her up the stairs, growling comically, his fingers trying to catch the tail of the flannel shirt flapping behind her.

Cats leaped from the bed as they ran into the room, having learned there was no place for them on it when their humans were being playful.

Snagging her around the waist, Damien swung her around and then pulled her close to the hard length of his body. They stared at one another for long moments, heat charging between them. The throbbing length of his cock told her that if she let it, the shower would not be a quick one. Just the thought of his cock burying itself in her pussy made it slick with the cream he so loved.

“Baby,” he growled, “I have to fuck you. Here, in the shower, it doesn’t matter. I’ve thought of nothing else all day. Actually, I couldn’t think about anything else. Ryan kept texting me, asking me if I had fucked you yet today. I’ll be glad when he’s home and can join us.”

“Me, too.” Pulling back, she began peeling off her clothes. “I miss him so much. It’s amazing how he just became a part of my heart. Both of you have.” Naked, she dashed into the shower, giggling happily. Damien followed. They lathered, they rinsed, and they fucked until they were breathless and weak. Kneeling on the tile floor of 56

the shower, she finished him off by sucking the length of his cock into her mouth, swallowing every drop of salty cum as it shot from his body in strong bursts.

When they got to the kitchen, they stopped dead. Ryan and Logan were seated at the table, each with a plate full of food. “We had to start without you,” Ryan said, jumping up from the chair to sweep her up into his strong arms. Smiling, she ran her fingers through his sandy brown hair. “I hope you don’t mind. There seemed to be plenty in there.” Peaches nodded as she hugged him tightly and pressed her cheek to his chest. Ryan’s heart beat steadily beneath her ear. Inhaling deeply, she took in his scent. “There is plenty. I cooked extra to freeze. I missed you. I didn’t think they would have the road cleared yet. It’s been snowing so hard the last few days.”

“The main roads aren’t too bad. Slick in places, but passable. It took time to get here, but we made it. Logan was getting to be a bear. We had to come home before they banned him from town.”