Western Ties: Compass Brothers, Book 4 (18 page)

Colby had dragged out some big speakers earlier in the day for tomorrow’s reception. Stepping behind the table, he fired up the music, playing impromptu deejay for the evening. Sawyer laughed when Jake and a bunch of other ranch hands pulled Cindi into the middle of a fast-paced Texas two-step. Sam kept trying to cut in, but every time he approached, another ranch hand stole her away. Sawyer’s head spun as he watched the dancing antics. He and Sam had spent a few afternoons catching up on the front porch. He’d known about Sam’s penchant for group sex forever. Sawyer wasn’t surprised when Sam mentioned that he and the hands weren’t exactly shy about sharing Cindi. Apparently the time Sam spent in the big city hadn’t changed his brother that much. Sawyer was comforted by that thought.

Sawyer caught sight of Leah sitting off to one side of the makeshift dance floor, laughing at the ranch hands. Sawyer thought about the deep sexual connection he’d made with Leah. He and Sam had gone off at eighteen to explore not only the world, but their darker sexual tastes. Now he was home again, and he realized what he’d been looking for had been here all along.
 

Leah looked lovely, achingly so. He hadn’t managed to steal more than a few words with her all night, but that was about to change. A slow country ballad came on and he stood, intent on staking his claim. Before he could reach her though, Jake managed to beat him to the punch. The sexy cowboy spun her onto the floor and pulled her too close for Sawyer’s comfort. He watched them for a few moments, his jaw clenching as a haze of red-hot anger permeated his body.

He took two steps forward, intent on beating Jake’s smugness into the ground. The ranch hand whispered something in Leah’s ear, and she blushed. Sawyer balled his fists. Game over.

“Hey, cowboy.” It took Sawyer a moment to realize his path had been blocked. Looking down, he saw Beth, her head tilted to one side like she was posing for some fashion magazine. The girl had always had an over-inflated opinion of her looks, flipping her long blonde hair often, wielding it the same way a soldier did a weapon. Worst part was he’d fallen for it all—lock, stock and barrel—in high school. Damn, he’d been a dumbass.

She took a deep breath and made certain the action drew his attention to her barely covered breasts. Her tank top was cut so low she was leaving nothing to the imagination. He recalled the pretty yellow blouse Leah was wearing tonight. She’d left the top two buttons undone, treating him to peek-a-boo glimpses of her sexy cleavage. He preferred Leah’s teasing to Beth’s in-your-face obviousness.
 

“Hi, Beth.” He’d managed to avoid her all night. Seth had apologized for inviting her when he realized how uncomfortable her attendance made Sawyer. Beth had taken her interest in horticulture class and turned it into a career. She was the only florist in town. Seth said Vicky had thought it only right to invite her since she’d done all the flowers for the ceremony.

“It’s about time you got back to Compton Pass.”

He wasn’t sure if she was chastising him for leaving JD alone or issuing a flirtatious rebuke for leaving
her
alone. Both annoyed him. “Coast Guard duty called these last few years. I’ve been out at sea a lot lately.”

She ran her hand suggestively along his chest. “Is that right? Must’ve been lonely out there.”

She took a step closer, whispering, “You know, now that you’re home, maybe we should pick up where we left off when we were younger. I loved the things we used to do together.”

Sawyer recalled the summer before he left for the Coast Guard. He’d begun to suspect some of the darker aspects of his sexuality, and he’d found a willing playmate in Beth. She loved having her ass spanked.
 

He sighed, equal parts regret and disgust as he recalled his non-discerning taste in women back then. For years, he’d drifted from bed to bed with faceless, nameless women searching for something he’d never found. While he liked the edge, the excitement of the act, at the end of the evening, he’d always been left wanting more.

He glanced at Leah, who was laughing at something Jake said. He hadn’t felt that way with her. Ever.
 

He’d taken her out on his motorcycle, intent on tying her up and expanding her sexual boundaries. Instead, she’d thrown him for a loop with her virgin fantasy and he’d ended up making love to her. He hadn’t lied about it being a first. She
was
his first in that regard.

He looked at Beth and knew his days of sleeping with strangers, with women who didn’t mean anything to him, were over.

“I’m sorry. I don’t think that would be such a great idea.”

Her wolfish grin grew. “You know, I’ve grown up too, Saw. I’ve heard the rumors about you. I can take the harder stuff. Tie me up, whip me, force me. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

He shook his head, wishing there was some easy way to let her down. “It’s not that. It’s not a good time. Not with the wedding, JD’s illness…”
Leah.
He’d left the last unsaid, though she was the only valid reason for his refusal.

“I could help you erase all of that from your mind.”

He nodded. She probably could. But he realized he didn’t want to forget it. If he was going to take control of his life, he needed to start by opening his eyes and accepting what was going on around him. “I’m not interested in forgetting. Excuse me.”

The song had ended by the time he reached Leah’s side. He forced himself to take a deep, calming breath when she hugged Jake and thanked him for the dance. The ranch hand tipped his hat, and then caught sight of Sawyer.

“Hey, Saw. Come to steal my girl away?”

Sawyer shook his head. “Nope. I’m here to reclaim
my
girl from you.”

Jake wrapped his arm around Leah’s shoulders, pulling her too close. Sawyer sensed Jake was purposely poking the bear, but he couldn’t understand why. “Is that so?”

Sawyer narrowed his eyes in warning. “Yep. Sure is.”

Jake shook his head. “You Compass brothers are something else. Think you can sashay back into town whenever you feel like it and grab up any pretty girl who catches your eye.”

“Jake. You don’t want to push me on this.”

Jake shrugged, unconcerned. “Maybe I do. You see, I asked Leah for another dance and she agreed.”

Sawyer turned to her, the jealousy he’d managed to lock away, resurfacing. It wasn’t a comfortable emotion for him, but he couldn’t shake loose of its grip.

“Sawyer—” Leah raised her hand, clearly afraid of what he might do.

“Take a walk with me, rose.”

Jake stepped forward like he would interfere, but Leah moved faster. “Okay. Fine.”

Jake looked at her. “You sure you’re okay, Leah?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Sawyer and I have a couple of things we need to hash out. I’ll only be gone a minute.”

Jake gave Sawyer a hard look. “I’ll be here.”

Sawyer grinned and shook his head. “You’ll be waiting a long damn time.”

Leah took Sawyer’s hand and dragged him away before Jake could reply. He let her draw him all the way to the front yard before he halted their escape.
 

“What the hell was that about?” she asked. “Jeez, Sawyer. Could you be a bigger caveman?”

The temper that had been simmering beneath the surface sparked and caught fire. “As a matter of fact, I can.”

He grasped her hand and tugged her forcefully toward the barn, not stopping until they were at the base of the hayloft ladder. “Climb.”

She shook her head. “No.”

“Fine.” He bent over, placed his shoulder to her middle and lifted her fireman style.

“What the hell—” Her protest was cut off when Sawyer climbed the ladder. He wasn’t sure if it was shock or fear that held her still, but at this point, he wasn’t going to ponder the question too deeply.
 

Once they reached the loft, he set her down. The second Leah’s feet found solid ground again, her anger returned full-force.

“Have you lost your mind?”

“Yeah,” he said. “I think I have. Doesn’t matter though. You and I had an arrangement.”

She put her hands on her hips. “Oh yeah? And what was that?”

He stepped closer. “I told you you’re mine.”

She scoffed. “Oh, stop with the Tarzan chest beating. We’re fucking, Sawyer. Distracting each other from real life. That’s all this—”

His head exploded. “Fucking?” The other night had been as far from fucking as it got. “Jesus.”

His breath was labored, his heart beating rapidly.
 

Leah rubbed her temples wearily. “I need to go before we say something we—”

He blocked her path. “No. We aren’t finished. Not yet.”

She shook her head. “Sawyer, I can’t—”

He cut her off. Covered her mouth with his and silenced her. Leah fought him for a split second before her hands stopped shoving against his chest and started caressing it. As he kissed her, he moved her back until they hit the edge of the pile of hay.

He looked at her. Her lips were swollen from his hard kisses, her face flushed. He’d never experienced this driving need to possess a woman so completely before. Obviously she didn’t know the difference between fucking and making love. He’d show her.

“Kneel.”

Leah obeyed without question. Sawyer’s dominant side took over. He unzipped his jeans, shedding them and his shoes. He gripped his erection, holding it in front of her face. Leah licked her lips, her gaze glued to his face.

“Open your mouth.”

Again, she followed his command. Sawyer moved forward, pressing the head of his cock inside. “You think this is fucking?”

She gave him a questioning look, unable to respond. Sawyer moved deeper, thrusting until he brushed the back of her throat.

Leah’s hands gripped his ass, drawing him nearer with tight fingers. She swallowed his head and for a moment, Sawyer saw stars. He increased the pace. In the past he’d taken care, held back. He shouldn’t have spared the effort. It was clear she didn’t need his gentleness.

The thought sent a surge of anger through him, and he dragged his cock away. He reached under her arms to lift her. He wasn’t being careful with her. He couldn’t find that ability any more.
 

She’d killed him with her accusation. Hurt him more than he thought possible.

Once she was standing, he lifted her skirt, breaking the elastic on her panties and tossing them away. “Just fucking, right, Leah?”

She hesitated, looked confused. She nodded slowly. “That’s all.”

“So be it.”

He pushed her to the wall of the loft, forcing her face-first against the wood. “Spread your legs.”

She complied. Sawyer ran his finger along her slit. She was soaking wet.

He shoved two fingers into her tight cunt, and Leah groaned. He pounded them into her body. When her muscles began to flutter, signaling her orgasm, he removed them.
 

Leah cried out, but he silenced her with a slap on the ass. “You know the rules of our
fucking
.”

He stressed the last word, and Leah winced. He was being an ass, but he couldn’t hold back his pain. This meant more to him. So much more. She hadn’t felt the same way.

He took a step away, applying pressure on her shoulder at the same time he pulled her hips toward him. “Bend over.”

Leah kept her hands flat against the wall, trembling slightly when Sawyer separated her cheeks. “I wish I had some lube. I’d fuck your ass right now.”

“God,” she whispered. “Please.”

He spanked her again. “No.”
 

He placed the head of his cock into her body, and she gasped. “Please, Sawyer.”

“I know what you want, Leah.”

He shoved inside with one hard blow. Only Leah’s hands on the wall kept her in place.
 

Was she interested in Jake? Was she planning to end her affair with Sawyer to start a relationship with the ranch hand?

She was Sawyer’s. He wouldn’t let her go, wouldn’t allow Jake to lay a fucking finger on her.

Mine.
The word replayed in his head, the single syllable matching the rhythm of his rough possession.
Mine. Mine. Mine
.

Leah came loudly, her cunt squeezing his cock so hard he felt dizzy. It didn’t stop him, didn’t slow his pace. He needed her to know, to understand what it meant to belong to him.
 

Her second orgasm came quicker, accompanied by Leah’s sobbing gasps for breath, for respite.

He lifted her slightly, taking care to remain in her body. With two awkward steps, he managed to get her to the pile of hay where he dragged her down to her knees. Throughout it all, he kept them connected.
 

Clutching her hips, he began anew, pummeling her body with thrust after deep, hard thrust. Leah’s arms crumpled beneath her, her face rested against her hands on the floor. The new position opened her up even more, and he drove in faster.

When she came again, Sawyer was helpless to resist the impulse to join her. Her pussy squeezed his cock so deliciously tight, he feared she would bruise it.

They collapsed in a heap. Sawyer held his softening cock inside her, even as the truth of what he’d done crashed in on him.