Twin Temptations (2 page)

Chapter Two

Lilly was bussing a table when he walked into the dark smoky bar. He waived his hand in front of his face as he passed a table of chain-smoking cowboys. Finding a seat in the back, he watched Lilly work. Damn, she was beautiful. He’d give anything to take those long black curls out of the messy haphazard ponytail.

He watched as she spotted him and chewed on that raspberry coloured lip of hers. It must taste damn good because she seemed to chew it enough.

Straightening her shoulders, Lilly lifted her chin and walked over. “Ranger.”

“How come you’re the only one outside my brothers that can tell me and Ryker apart?” He asked, giving her his best playboy grin.

“You have two dimples, Ryker only has one. Now, what can I get you?” Lilly asked in a business-like tone.

“I don’t suppose you can spare a couple of minutes to talk to me?”

Lilly turned her torso to glance at the clock over her shoulder. The movement accentuated her already large breasts even further and Ranger had to swallow a groan. “I get a break in ten minutes. If you’re still here, I’ll give you a couple minutes. Can I get you something from the bar?”

“Bottle of Michelob.”

He watched the natural sway of her hips as she walked back toward the bar. Ranger caught himself staring and quickly looked around. Good, no one was paying any attention to the queer in the corner. After what happened with Lionel Hibbs, Ranger reckoned any bigots in town had learned their lesson. He didn’t care if he disgusted people with his relationship with his twin, but he’d be damned if he’d let people try and intimidate him because of it.

Lilly came back with his beer, she set the bottle on the table and turned without a word.
Oh boy, he had a hell of a lot of climbing to do to get himself out of this hole he’d dug.

The more he watched her, the more animated she became. He wasn’t sure if this was the way she usually was at work or if she was trying to get him riled up. Regardless, Lilly was doing a damn good job of it. Ranger watched as she rested her hand on her cocked hip, laughing at something one of the cowboys at the bar said. When he saw the man smooth a hand across her ass, Ranger stood. Running on pure instinct he stalked toward the bar. He knew Jeff, and he wasn’t someone he wanted Lilly around.

Lilly must have seen Ranger coming because she quickly turned to face him and put up her hands. “Stop,” she warned. “Just go back to your table and I’ll be there in a minute.”

Ranger was taken back by the vehemence in her voice. He narrowed his eyes and studied her for a few second. Lilly put her hands on her hips and stared right back. Deciding it wouldn’t do much good to apologise for earlier if he was an ass now, he turned on his heel and went back to his table. He couldn’t help but to feel like a kid who’d just been sent to his room.

His vibrating cell phone snapped him out of his pout. He looked at the caller ID and saw it was Bub. “Hey, sorry, I’m running a little late.”

“You want me to come over? Our dinner’s getting cold. Betty put them in one of those nice insulated containers, but sitting here’s just making everything soggy.”

“Give me ten minutes. Lilly’s just walking over to take her break. Boy, Bub, we gotta talk. Lilly actually snapped at me a few minutes ago.”

“Damn, what did you do? Lilly’s one of the sweetest people I know.” Ryker chuckled on the other end of the phone.

“Some asshole was taking liberties with her ass and I guess I took exception to it. Lilly shut me down fast.”

“Who was taking liberties with our girl?”

He didn’t dare tell Ryker that asshole had been Jeff Brown. “Doesn’t much matter whose hand it was. By the way she reacted it wasn’t an uncommon occurrence.” Lilly was almost to the table, his heart lurched despite himself. “Here she comes, be there as soon as I can.”

Ranger drank the rest of his beer as Lilly looked at him with narrowed eyes.

“What do you want, Ranger?” She crossed her arms, accentuating her breasts and stared at him.

“I wanted to apologise for earlier. Ryker was kicked by one of the cows and was…you just surprised me.
 
I didn’t mean to snap at you like I did.” Ranger watched as Lilly bit down on her plumb bottom lip.

“I shouldn’t have just walked in like that, I know, but I can’t say it didn’t hurt when you yelled. And as far as that…” Lilly motioned toward the cowboy at the bar, “…that is none of your business.”

Ranger felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end at the statement. “Do you always let men grope you while you work?”

Lilly sighed and leaned forward, resting her arms on the table. “Listen, Ranger, I’ve spent a good portion of my adult life mooning after two people who obviously aren’t interested. This is my time. I’ve decided to live life to the fullest and if a pat on the ass from a good-looking cowboy happens, I’ll decide what I want to do about it, not you.”

“You’re wrong about those two guys not being interested, but you’re too young for what they have in mind. You need to live a little before you settle down.”

“Ha,” she said, getting right in Ranger’s face. “Either make the offer, or butt out of my business.” Lilly stood and bent over, her lips barely touching Ranger ear as she whispered. “I guess the only thing you have to worry about is whether I’m still available once you think I’m old enough.” She finished with a lick to the shell of his ear. When she pulled back it was to look directly into his eyes. “You want me to live a little? You just sit back and watch.”

Lilly turned and sauntered off, sweet ass just swaying from side to side like she knew she’d drive Ranger crazy. He blew out a long breath and shook his head. Shit, had he just talked to her or issued a challenge? Ryker was going to kill him.

Ranger stood and after giving Lilly one last glance, walked out. Pulling up in front of the diner, he decided not to tell Ryker about everything that had happened. It was bad enough that he’d opened his big mouth about the ass groping incident. He sure didn’t need to tell him Lilly was thinking about other men.

Ryker jumped in with the take-out bag. “It’s about time you got here. He set the bag in the seat between them before reaching out to squeeze Ranger’s thigh. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I apologised for being an asshole when she walked into the office. She accepted my apology but said it had hurt her feelings.” He pulled out onto Main Street and headed toward home.

“And?” Ryker inquired.

“And nothing. I finished my beer and left.” He refused to look at Ryker, afraid he’d give away his deception.

As soon as they pulled off the county road onto their long winding driveway, Ryker moved the bag to the floor and scooted over next to Ranger. He kissed Ranger’s neck and moaned. “Why do I smell Lilly back here?”

“She leaned in close to talk so the whole bar wouldn’t hear. She must’ve been wearing perfume.” He jumped a little when Ryker grabbed the hardening shaft between his legs.

“Then tell me why you have lipstick on your ear?” Ryker asked.

“I just did,” Ranger said in a defensive tone. “She leaned in and whispered in my ear.”

Ryker’s eyes narrowed at the obvious omission on Ranger’s part. When Ranger stopped the truck in front of the garage, Ryker grinned. “You know I’m gonna be smelling on this neck all night.”

“Be my guest,” he said, and gave Ryker a quick kiss. “First let’s eat, I’m starving. After dinner we’ll get a nice ice-pack and ice your leg while we watch TV.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Ranger grabbed the bag of food before Ryker could. “You’re going to have enough problems getting up the steps without carrying something.”

“Ahh, you’re always thinking of me,” Ryker teased and batted his long black lashes.

“Always,” Ranger replied with a wink.

With a large ice pack and towel in hand, Ranger crawled back in bed. “Let me put this under you so you don’t get the bed all wet,” he said, carefully lifting Ryker’s leg to spread out the towel. He looked down at the still swollen bruise. “Have those pain pills kicked in yet?”

“If they’d kicked in already I’d be asleep.” Bub ran his fingers through Ranger’s hair as he adjusted the ice pack. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” he said, placing a kiss on the heated skin. “I think you should stay home tomorrow and keep this elevated.”

“Stop frettin’, it’s just a bruise. Besides,” Ryker said, pulling him into his arms, “you know I go crazy when I’m here without you.”

“I could call Sonny.” He kissed Ryker’s neck up to his chin, running his tongue over his heavy five-o’clock shadow.

Ryker lifted his chin to give him more room to play. “I love Sonny, but he’s not you. He’s always so jittery when he’s away from the ranch, he makes me nervous.”

Ranger continued to distract Ryker with kisses while he thought about Lilly. Her words kept going round and round in his mind. Damn, he sure wished he knew what she had planned.

“What’s wrong,” Ryker asked.

“Nothing. Go to sleep, Bub.”

“Now that’s the second time you’ve lied to me tonight. What happened with Lilly?” Ryker drew lazy circles over Ranger’s back.

“I told her we were interested in her, but she needed to live a little first. She just got this really strange look on her face, and then she licked my ear and told me to sit back and watch while she did some living. I guess I’m trying to work out what she meant. I mean, I think I know, but I can’t see Lilly getting wild just to prove something to us.”

Ryker cleared his throat, and tilted Ranger’s head up to look at him. “Why can’t we just ask her out on a date? I’m sorry, but I really don’t understand why we’re waiting. I know I’m not the only one with feelings for her so why wait?”

How could he tell Ryker his greatest fears without sounding like a selfish asshole? He’d fought with himself for four years, ever since that day Lilly had first caught them. The heated look Ryker had given her almost boiled his blood. Was it jealousy or fear?

“Ranger, talk to me.”

“We can ask her, I’ll call her this week and see when her next day off is,” he agreed, not wanting to analyze his feelings.

“Really?” Ryker grabbed Ranger’s head and pulled him forward, thrusting his tongue into his mouth. “Turn off the light, I got a man to thank before these pain pills kick in.”

Chapter Three

Driving to work the next afternoon, Lilly gripped the wheel so tight her knuckles turned white. “What were you thinking?” She couldn’t believe she’d told Jeff she’d go out with him. “Okay, calm down and take a breath,” she said out loud. “You’re almost twenty-two years old, it’s past time you explored the dating scene.

“But Jeff? Of all the men you could have spread your wings with, why’d you have to say yes to him?” Even though she’d asked herself that same question over and over since the previous night, she already knew the answer. Because he would give her the experience Ranger and Ryker seemed to want her to have. Evidently the twins weren’t into virgins. A bark of laughter erupted from her throat. “Just my luck. I’ve saved myself for two men only to find out they want me more experienced.”

Pulling into the lot, Lilly parked her fifteen-year old Toyota Corolla beside the light pole. Taking a deep breath, she rested her head on the steering wheel. So many sleepless nights she’d spent since she’d first seen Ranger and Ryker kissing in the feed shed. Watching the two of them felt like looking into the sun, you knew it was dangerous but you couldn’t help yourself. Lilly had watched them for several long, passionate minutes before they’d heard her sigh.

They’d jumped apart so quick it made her head spin. While Ranger turned red and told her they’d be out in a minute, Ryker just stared at her, his eyes heavy-lidded with desire. She may have only been seventeen, but she knew what that look meant. From that moment on, she hadn’t given other men the time of day. She knew someday, Ryker and hopefully Ranger, too, would follow through on that look.

Well, she knew what they wanted from her, and come hell or high water she would do anything she could to get herself the experience they seemed to require. She’d cut off one her red Dead Zone T-shirts so that it now exposed her belly ring. The shirt along with her short denim skirt and red cowboy boots should attract plenty of attention. Friday nights at the Zone were always packed with the town rowdies, and tonight was hers for the taking.