Marshall pinched her c.l.i.t then soothed it with a finger, even as his two fingers pumped in and out of her a.s.s. He pressed down as he pumped them, and she was sure he could feel Jeb's d.i.c.k through the thin membrane. Jeb groaned and began pumping harder. His b.a.l.l.s bounced against her c.l.i.t and Marshall's hand. Marshall circled her c.l.i.t one more time then pressed down on it, sending her flying into a second o.r.g.a.s.m.

Jeb pumped once, twice, then came hard inside of her. His climax triggered a smaller one in her as the heat of his c.u.m penetrated the thin layer of latex separating their flesh. Her v.a.g.i.n.al muscles gripped his c.o.c.k as he slowly pulled out of her. She couldn't help but moan as he did.

Then Marshall withdrew his fingers. They both left her for a few seconds. She'd collapsed on the bed, too worn out to do much more than lie there. Jeb returned first and picked her up to sit in his lap. Marshall returned and pulled back the sheets on the bed. Jeb kissed her. It was a soft, slow kiss that didn't push to go anywhere other than where it was.

Drew wrapped her arms around Jeb and hummed her contentment before he rose and laid her in the bed. Marshall pulled the sheets up to her neck then bent down and kissed her as well.

"Get a good night's sleep, baby," he whispered before straightening up.

Jeb squeezed her shoulder and brushed aside a strand of hair that had stuck to her cheek.

"See you in the morning, Drew."

Both left, shutting the door behind them.

Drew's eyes drifted closed to thoughts of how relaxed she felt and how much she wanted more of them. Sleep claimed her before she could think more on that thought.

"f.u.c.k, Jeb, she responds like a dream. Drew was made for s.e.x. She loved everything we did to her. Even your spankings." Marshall climbed into bed and leaned back with his hands behind his head.

"She's our boss, though," Jeb reminded him.

"Doesn't mean we can't have a relationship with her," Marshall insisted.

"Means that when she's tired of us, we might not have a place to live or a job to work anymore," Jeb warned him.

"Yeah, but maybe that won't be for a long while. I didn't see you hanging back from her."

"Couldn't have even if I wanted to. She's too hot to ignore. You don't find a woman as self-sufficient and vulnerable all at the same time like Drew is. She begs to be taken care of." Jeb pulled the covers over him and turned on his side so he could see Marshall in the next bed. "She deserves a good man to do that."

"What about two good men?" Marshall asked quietly.

"Don't go turning this into something it's not, Marshall. We're nothing but ex-convicts. Even if she did want us for longer than a fling, the town folks would look at her wrong from now on." Jeb didn't want that to happen to her.

"They're already doing that by now if Brett has anything to say about it. He's probably done told half the county by now." Marshall turned on his side.

"Maybe, maybe not. Working a couple of convicts is a sight less shameful than bedding them," Jeb told him.

"We're living under her roof, Jeb. You think they're not going to automatically a.s.sume we're s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g her? It's going to get out one way or another anyway," Marshall said.

"Why are you insisting on this, Marshall?" Jeb finally asked.

"Because I could love her, Jeb. There's something about her."

"Don't do it, Marshall."

"Maybe it's too late," he said.

"f.u.c.k." Jeb ran a hand over his face.

"Tell me you couldn't love her, Jeb. Tell me that it hasn't already crossed your mind," Marshall demanded.

"It doesn't matter. I don't let my emotions rule me. You know that."

"Maybe this time you should let go of them."

"Don't ask the impossible of me, Marshall. You know my past."

"You killed in self-defense. We both know that. You're nothing like your dad was. I'm not a drunk like my father. We choose who we are, Jeb." Marshall stared at him.

Jeb couldn't see Marshall's face, but he could see his eyes. The light from the moon filtered through the curtains on the windows and reflected off of them. They were serious eyes that had aged hard while in prison. Could they make a go of it with Drew? She responded to them. She hadn't protested or acted afraid that Kenny would hear and know what was going on. Then she might be in her room even now worried about if Kenny had heard them.

Jeb sighed and turned back over to stare up into the dark. He had long ago accepted that he would probably never know the love of a good woman and have kids. Then, when he and Marshall got out of jail, he expected they would always be together and share their women. Still, he never expected Marshall would want to settle down. Didn't he realize the complications that would cause?

"What is it, Jeb? I can hear you thinking all the way over here," Marshall finally asked with a sigh.

"We both know we can't make a go of it with a woman on our own. We've tried, and it just don't work for us. We need each other to be there. How are you planning on this working with Drew?"

"Like it does with any other woman we've been with. Nothing's changed since before we went to jail. We share her. We can make her feel so much more together than apart. You know this. We've discussed it a thousand times." Marshall sounded angry.

"Only you're talking for keeps, Marshall. Not a one-night stand or even a few weeks of fun. Drew is worth a h.e.l.l of a lot more than a weekend fling."

"I know she's not a temporary kind of woman. I wasn't suggesting she was."

"What if she doesn't want both of us for keeps? What if she wants just you or just me? What do we do then, Marshall? Huh? What the h.e.l.l do we do then?" Jeb swallowed around the lump forming in his throat.

He knew Marshall could make her fall in love with him. She was susceptible to him. It wouldn't take all that much. Could he continue working on the ranch as if it didn't matter if Marshall and Drew hooked up? Could Marshall have a normal relationship with a woman without him? He knew he couldn't. He needed Marshall to temper his dominance, but what about Marshall?

"Then I guess we move on. I know I can't love her enough without you. I need you."

Jeb heard the bed shift when Marshall turned over. They were a pair. Neither one of them could operate without the other one. They needed each other, and nothing would ever change that. Prison had destroyed their independence. They'd had to rely on each other to survive. h.e.l.l, it was more than that, Jeb thought. How could he ever forgive himself for what he'd done to Marshall?

Worse, how could Marshall ever forgive him? He said it didn't matter. They'd done what they had to do to survive. He actually thanked Jeb for having the guts to do what needed doing. He didn't think he could have done it. It didn't ease Jeb's guilt, though. Nothing would take away the need he now had for Marshall. Except maybe for Drew. Being with her had kept him from wanting Marshall.

Chapter Six.

The next few days flew by. Thursday, Jeb and Marshall went to town to meet with the sheriff. They brought back the supplies Drew had needed to get them through the upcoming snow predicted for the weekend.

Neither of the men had visited her bed again since that one night. She wasn't sure if it was because she hadn't invited them or if they just weren't interested. Either way, it bothered her. If she had to invite them, she wouldn't be doing it. She wasn't some desperate widow in need of s.e.xual fulfillment by a man. She could take care of her own needs just fine without them. If it was because they just weren't interested after they'd had her, well she was glad it was out of their systems so they could all get serious about work.

Drew looked out the window of her office and noticed the clouds building in the distance. It wouldn't be long until they made it to the ranch, and the men were still out bringing in the last of the herd. They would pin them in a smaller area so they wouldn't wander off and get lost in the snow. It would mean keeping them with hay during the storm, but it had to be done, or they were sure to lose some cattle.

She'd spent enough time working on the d.a.m.n books. She needed to do something physical for a change. She donned her heavy coat and gloves and added the hat before walking outside onto the back porch. The rope she had ready was already tied around the post. All she had to do was walk it across the yard to the barn and tie it off there. She added the red material every few feet to warn a rider it was there. She carried the coiled rope, unreeling it as she walked across to the barn and tied it off on the hook put there for that reason. Then she strung the rope from the barn to the cattle feeders and watering troughs. They had already placed the heater coils in the water, so unless they lost electricity they wouldn't have to worry about breaking ice.

The generator worked for the house but didn't work for the barn. That was one of her next big purchases, another generator. She'd been saving for it all year long but didn't quite have enough money to buy it yet. She refused to go into debt for anything she didn't have to. Debts were what lost ranches. Brett had bought up most of his land from foreclosures. She'd be d.a.m.ned if he would get hers that way.

She checked the fence line around the area and found it all intact and st.u.r.dy. She checked on the horses and found them all fine with fresh hay and water. She checked the feed bags they'd locked up in the storage area. They all looked in good shape. With the men working like they did from sunup till sundown, there really wasn't much for her to worry about other than the meals and the housework. She was finally caught up on most of the office stuff. She'd finish that tomorrow or the next day.

Shovels. She'd forgotten about the shovels. Drew walked out to the old barn they now used as a toolshed and general junk building to pull out the snow shovels. She grabbed five shovels and dragged them over to the house. She left three there and leaned the other two inside the barn by the door. Finished, she stood on the back porch and thought about what else needed doing before it began to snow. They had plenty of hay in the hay barn, next to the horse barn. Maybe she should grab a few more things from the junk barn just in case. It wouldn't hurt to have a pickax and the regular ax by the back door.

Drew walked back to the old barn and began rummaging around in the mess for the axes. She saw something out of the corner of her eye, but when she turned her head, there was nothing. She searched for the axes and finally found the wood ax, but still couldn't locate the pickax. She started to carry the one she'd found back to the house when something knocked over some bailing wire behind her. She turned around.

"Who's there?"

There was no answer. She called out again but still no answer.

"Probably rats come in out of the cold ahead," she told herself.

She turned around and something hit her over the back of the head. She went down, and everything went black.

"Man, I'm hungry," Kenny said as they tied off the gate.

"I could eat a horse. No offense, Crooner," Marshall said, patting the horse's neck.

"Let's finish this up so we can get inside where it's warmer. That snow is on its way. We need to get something to eat and some rest before it hits," Jeb warned them.

They finished securing the gate and rode over to the barn. They quickly took care of the horses and saw to their feed and water. Then they checked the hay barn to be sure it would be easy to get to.

"Looks like Drew has already strung the ropes for us," Kenny said.

"She got the show shovels out, too," Marshall noted.

"Let's get inside and see what's for dinner." Jeb shoved his hands into his pockets. They were cold, gloves or no gloves. The wind had picked up.

They piled into the washroom and peeled out of their outer garments, hanging them on the hooks by the back door. They cleaned their boots then washed up in the big sink. Still, Drew hadn't appeared to welcome them. While it was unusual, Jeb didn't think much of it until Kenny started calling out for her.

"Maybe she has the office door closed," he said and took off for the living room and the office on the other side of it.

Jeb checked the pot of chili simmering on low on the stove. There were biscuits ready to put in the oven with a plastic cap over them to keep them fresh.

"She isn't in the office," Kenny said with a look of worry on his face. "I checked upstairs in case she took a nap, but she isn't up there, either."

"h.e.l.l, all the horses were there, so she didn't go off riding somewhere. Check the trucks, Marshall." Jeb grabbed his coat and gloves and put them back on.

"They're all there, Jeb."

"Let's check the out buildings for her. Kenny, you stay here in case she shows back up. We'll be back in a few minutes," Jeb said.

Kenny didn't look happy about staying behind, but he knew someone needed to, and Jeb was the foreman now. Jeb looked at him before he walked outside.

"Go ahead and get the first aid kit out. I don't have a good feeling about this."

Kenny nodded and walked back into the kitchen while Jeb and Marshall finished dressing and walked outside.

"Do you want to split up, or check together?" Marshall asked.

"Together. I don't like this one bit. She isn't one to go off like this," Jeb said.

They started with the horse barn and checked every stall and room, then walked around it. Then they moved to the hay barn and climbed around on the hay to be sure she hadn't fallen between any of the bails. After walking around the hay barn, they walked around the two smaller corrals.

"What's next, Jeb?" Marshall yelled over the wind. It had picked up over the last thirty or so minutes.

"The other side of the house. The old barn is over there. I'm not sure why she might be over there, but we don't have much more to check."

They trudged through the wind to the junk barn and walked inside. There was no electricity out there. They couldn't see a d.a.m.n thing.

"f.u.c.k, Marshall, run to the house and get a couple of flashlights. I'll wait right here for you."

Marshall nodded and took off for the house. A few minutes later he returned with two high-powered flashlights.

"She hadn't come back so far," he said as they turned on their flashlights and began searching the area for Drew.

Jeb found her lying on the ax and cursed, afraid she'd hurt herself with it. He was almost afraid to turn her over.

"Marshall! Over here!" he yelled.

Marshall hurried over with his light and they searched her for injuries. When they turned her over and there was nothing there, Jeb knew a sense of relief. He pulled off his gloves and stuffed them in his pockets. He ran his hands over her face and hair where he encountered the sticky spot at the back of her head.

"Is there anything around here that might have fallen on her?" Jeb asked as he picked her up in his arms.

Marshall shown the light around and shook his head. Don't see anything over here that might have fallen on her. You think the ax did?"

"I don't see how. It was beneath her. Bring it with you, though. We might need it."

Marshall followed behind him as he carried Drew to the house. Kenny must have been watching for them, because he held open the back door for them to come inside.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked.

"She has a b.u.mp on the back of her head that's bled some. Something hit her there," Jeb told him.

"Can you carry her upstairs?" Kenny asked.

"I've got her," Jeb told him.

"Someone had to have hit her," Marshall said. "There wasn't anything around that might have fallen on her."

"Right now, let's see how bad she's hurt," Jeb told him.

Jeb carefully laid her on the bed on her stomach. She weighed nothing and now didn't move. It unnerved him to see her still like this.