Jeb had been waiting for that one. He was surprised he'd waited as long as he had.

"How do you mean, partners?" he asked.

"Are you lovers?"

Jeb pulled up on the reins and leaned forward in the saddle. G.o.d, he'd missed sitting on a horse out in the wide open s.p.a.ces while he'd been in prison. He looked up at the pale blue sky and then looked Kenny dead in the eyes.

"I reckon you have a right to know about us, but I'd be obliged if you wouldn't share it with Drew. If it comes up, we'll tell her."

"I guess I mostly want to know what your intentions are with her. She's the best friend I've ever had. She gave me a job and a place to stay when no one else would."

"Can't hide the fact that Marshall and I want her. She's an attractive woman, and smart. Plus, she loves the land as much as we do. Put all that together, and it's a h.e.l.l of an aphrodisiac for a man to swallow." He sighed and shook his head.

"I don't expect her to fall in love with one of us or both of us, but she's a woman with needs just like a man has. If she lets us, we'll take good care of her. If she doesn't, we'll mind her feelings and stay to ourselves. Choice is hers."

"You didn't answer if you and Marshall are lovers," Kenny prodded.

"We did what had to be done in prison to survive. That don't carry out here, though. That's all I'm saying." Jeb nudged his horse into a canter, figuring Kenny would either follow or not.

He could hear Kenny's horse behind him, so he didn't bother slowing down. He checked the fence as he went by, following the natural curve of the land. It sang in his blood. Being away from it had just about killed him and Marshall. Ranching had been their entire life. They'd planned to be running their own spread by now. Things happen and things change. There wasn't anything he would have done differently that day if he could have. The girl mattered. His momma had taught him well as a kid that you never disrespect or hurt a woman for any reason. You walk away until you can be civil.

It had been plain bad luck that he and Marshall had been convicted of manslaughter and sent to prison. The judge had been a friend of the family of one of the boys. They didn't have a chance when it was all said and done. Then they'd learned a whole new sort of life. It hadn't been an easy lesson, either. In there, you were one of two things. You were meat, or you were the man. They'd done what they had to do to survive. There was no use trying to forget about it. It had been part of what made them who they were today. It was one of the main reasons they continued to share their women.

When they'd been growing up, it had been a kink they'd shared. It added to the excitement and general pleasure of s.e.x. Now, however, they shared because it kept them close without actually being lovers. They needed that closeness between them. Maybe Jeb needed it more than Marshall did. He refused to think too hard on it.

He looked off in the distance and saw the herd grazing. Kenny caught up with him.

"That look like all of them to you?" Jeb asked.

"Nope. d.a.m.n it to h.e.l.l." Kenny cussed.

"Well, let's go see if we can round up some more."

Chapter Four.

Marshall finished up the ch.o.r.es in the barn after turning the horses out in the corral. They all looked in fine shape. The feed was all free of tampering, and he'd made sure to lock the back of the barn up tight. He refilled the water trough in the corral and looked around him. Pale blue sky reached the mountains ahead of him. He knew it would snow soon, and they'd be snowed in eventually. Montana was known for its harsh winters.

Next on his list of ch.o.r.es were the steps on the front porch. The top step was cracked and needed replacing. Then he would work on the railing. The entire house needed painting, but that would have to wait until spring when the weather was warmer and stayed that way.

He'd been putting the last nail in the step when he noticed the dirt trail of a vehicle coming up the road. Who in the h.e.l.l could it be? He called out to Drew through the open front door.

"Company coming up the drive, Drew."

"Coming."

She walked out on the front porch and cursed.

"Who is it?" Marshall stepped in front of her.

"Brett Gunnison. He owns most of the land around my ranch."

"What does he want?"

"Me to sell out to him."

Marshall nodded to her and stepped aside when the truck pulled up, a nice, new-looking Dodge Ram. He parked next to their old truck and opened the door to get out.

Brett Gunnison had blond hair cut close to his head and wore a new-looking Stetson. He wore shiny snakeskin boots. His beady eyes missed nothing.

"Drew. Good to see you."

"Brett. What do you want?"

"Is that any way to greet a neighbor?" he asked.

"Just spill it, Brett, what do you want?"

"Actually I came to warn you about a couple of drifters looking for jobs. Seems they've already made it here."

"What about them?"

"I was going to warn you to steer clear of them. They're dangerous."

"Really?" She took a step closer to Marshall and slapped her hands on her hips. "Since when have you ever worried about me?"

"Drew, honey. I've always worried about you. That's why I keep trying to get you to sell to me. It's no place for a woman alone out here."

"Well, I'm not alone. I have Kenny, and now I have a new foreman and Marshall here."

"See, there's where you're wrong, Drew darling. You have two ex-cons working for you. Now that's not safe." Brett took a step forward, and Marshall stepped back in front of Drew.

"Let me get rid of these two men for you. I'll call the sheriff out right now."

"If anyone needs to be leaving, it would be you," Marshall said.

"Drew, you can't mean to keep these convicts out here with you. They're dangerous men. They killed two boys," Brett argued.

"I know all about their past. I can hire who I want, so you might as well leave," Drew said.

"If you would just marry me..."

Marshall interrupted him.

"She said to leave." Marshall took a step toward him, the hammer still in his hand.

Brett eyed it then hardened his expression. "I'll be back, and your new hands better be gone, or the sheriff will get rid of them."

"He can't tell me who I can and can't hire, either," Drew pointed out.

Brett stomped over to his truck and climbed in. He backed out of the s.p.a.ce and then slung gravel all over the yard as he peeled out of the drive.

"You okay?" Marshall asked as he shielded her from the stinging gravel.

"You got the worst of it. I'm fine. Thanks for not losing your temper. It doesn't help with him," Drew said, climbing back onto the porch.

"I'm not some hot-headed kid. I know when to keep my cool." Marshall climbed the steps behind her.

"Thanks for fixing that step. It was going to get someone hurt. I just haven't had the time to do half of what needs doing around here." Drew brushed back a tendril of hair that had come loose from her ponytail.

"It'll take some time, but we'll get everything done. The house needs painting, but that will have to wait for spring."

"Come on in and have a cup of coffee. I have cookies baked."

"I thought I smelled something good when I was turning the horses out," Marshall said.

He watched as she fixed the coffee. She favored her arm, but the bandage looked like it was dry and clean. It still amazed him that she'd been running this place with just Kenny for all those years. Most women would have sold out long before now. She said she wanted a home. That meant something to her. It meant a h.e.l.l of a lot to him and Jeb. But what were her reasons? He knew his and Jeb's. They hadn't had a real home since they'd been in their early teens.

When the coffee was ready, she poured him a cup and handed it to him. Their fingers met on the cup, and he felt the electricity pop across their fingers. He knew she had felt it by her sudden intake of breath. He looked up and saw it in her eyes as well. She swallowed and pulled back, letting him take the coffee cup. Then she opened a plastic bowl filled with sugar cookies.

"You can have three, but that's all," she said with a mischievous smile.

"Will you slap my hand if I take more than three?" he asked.

"You never know."

Marshall laughed and pulled out three cookies then reached in and took out one more. He handed it to her.

"Did you kiss them all?" he asked.

Her brows furrowed, a puzzled expression on her face.

"Isn't that how you make sugar cookies, kiss them to give them sugar?" Marshall teased.

"You're flirting with me, Marshall." Drew shook her head with a shy smile.

"That was my intention." Marshall took a step closer, pinning her back against the cabinet.

He leaned in and sat his coffee cup on the counter. He didn't touch her with his hands. He just leaned in and looked down at her face. There was no fear in her eyes as he bent over and slowly closed the distance between them. His eyes searched hers for any sign she wanted him to stop. Finding none, he took her lips in a soft kiss. He licked along her lower lip then sucked on it. When she opened to him, he slid his tongue in along hers, teasing and tempting her to play. He slanted his head and took more control of the kiss when she didn't balk or pull away. He pressed his body against hers, letting her feel his need.

Marshall's c.o.c.k was rock hard and straining in the confines of his jeans. He wanted her with a vengeance, but he wouldn't take her without Jeb. He'd tease her and pleasure her if she'd let him, but he wouldn't f.u.c.k her without Jeb there to help.

When he pulled back, they both stared into each other's eyes, panting for breath. She looked at him with a question in her eyes. He smiled and nipped at her chin with his teeth.

"Let me take care of you, Drew. I'll take real good care of you if you'll let me."

"It's been a long time for me, Marshall," she whispered.

"Too long," he agreed.

When she didn't protest, Marshall picked her up and carried her to the stairs and up them to the bedroom. He slowly removed her shirt then unhooked her bra and stared in wonder at her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. They were perfect. Her nipples were already pebbled and hard. He leaned in and licked one with a long, slow slide of his tongue. Drew whimpered.

"You smell like honeysuckle," he whispered.

He circled the other nipple with his finger then pulled at it. When she arched her back with need, he knew it wouldn't take much to send her over.

Marshall licked then sucked each nipple before kissing and nipping his way south. When he reached her jeans, he reasoned the boots had to come off first. Once those where dealt with, he unfastened her jeans and pulled them down her long, lean legs. Her thighs were strong from gripping a horse when she rode. Would they grip him the same way? He couldn't wait to find out. She wore panties that matched the bra he'd removed. He inched them down her body and off her feet before kissing her belly just above her mound. When she whimpered, he smiled and blew across the curls at her apex.

"Please, please," she begged.

"What do you want, Drew?" Marshall asked, just inches from her sweet p.u.s.s.y.

"I don't know. I want you to touch me," she pleaded.

He shouldered her legs farther apart and spread her p.u.s.s.y lips with his fingers. She groaned. He swiped his tongue across her c.u.n.t and hummed his appreciation.

"You taste like fresh mountain rain," he told her.

"Please, more."

He grinned and set to licking her from her a.s.s to her c.l.i.t and back down again. He circled her c.l.i.t with his tongue but avoided licking directly over it. He wanted to drag it out as long as he could. The longer she lasted, the greater the pleasure would be in the end.

Marshall teased her slit with one finger as he lapped at the honey sliding from her hot c.u.n.t. When he f.u.c.ked her shallowly with his finger, Drew tried arching her back to gain a deeper penetration, but he backed off when she did. Whimpering, she thrashed her head back and forth. He pushed his finger in deeper and slowly began pumping it in and out of her tight c.u.n.t. She groaned.

When he added a second finger and began curling them inside her, looking for her hot spot, she cried out.

"Yes."

"Do you like that, baby?" Marshall found the spot he was looking for and felt her shudder all over as he stroked it.

"Oh, G.o.d," she whimpered.

He began licking her closer and closer to her c.l.i.t until he felt her p.u.s.s.y muscles begin to quiver. He began to pump in earnest and latched on to her c.l.i.t and rode her o.r.g.a.s.m as she bucked and screamed.

d.a.m.n, he'd forgotten she was a screamer, he thought with a smile. Hopefully no one was close enough to hear her and worry.

He slowly eased from her and climbed up the bed to kiss her. She didn't balk at the taste of her own juices on his lips. She kissed him back.

"Thank you," she said in a breathy voice.

"My pleasure, ma'am." He pulled her sheet over her and sat on the edge of the bed.

"You're not going to f.u.c.k me now?" she asked, looking confused.