hair, which fell just shy of his shoulders. A square-cut jaw with light stubble completed the tousled look, while a crooked nose just added to his tough aura. But it was his sky-blue eyes that pulled her in, hypnotised her.
She barely noticed his limp as he swaggered toward them, his white teeth gleaming behind lips that were surely too soft and full for someone so tough. His stare brushed over her slowly, appreciatively, before he turned his attention to Brandon.
The men did some back-slapping and chortling, and then Adam pulled back and said, ‘Good to see you, man.’
Brandon grinned. ‘It’s been too long.’
Adam nodded. ‘It sure has.’ He turned to Clarissa. ‘And this gorgeous piece is the station owner, I assume?’
She arched a brow. ‘Last time I looked I wasn’t a piece .’
His eyes crinkled at the corners. ‘Sorry, I’ve been hanging out with rodeo guys for too long.’ He looked anything but sorry. He stuck out a hand. ‘My name’s Adam.’
She clasped the warmth of his callused hand, trying to ignore the ping of awareness shooting up her arm. ‘Clarissa.’
He held her hand a few seconds longer than necessary and said, ‘I have a feeling we’ll get along just fine.’
She leant in almost involuntarily. ‘Oh?’
Brandon snorted and she jerked back guiltily. But Brandon’s frown was directed at the other man. ‘Ignore him, Clarissa. He’s a player and knows exactly the right things to say.’
She bit into her bottom lip as warmth flooded her body. She imagined the bull rider would know all the right things to do too.
Adam stroked a hand over the blond stubble on his chin, his stare gauging the stockman. ‘I seem to recall a time when you were a player too.’
Clarissa blinked at the newcomer, intrigued despite herself. ‘Really?’
Brandon shrugged. ‘Guess I ride horses more than women these days.’
Adam smirked. ‘I ride bulls, doesn’t stop me with the women.’
Clarissa’s mouth dried and her hand fluttered to her throat as her mind filled with a whole erotic book of dirty thoughts. Flaming hell, she really did need to get laid.
Brandon’s frown encompassed her too, as though he’d been witness to her naughty daydream. But the hand he swept out was for Adam alone. ‘As you can see, there aren’t any groupies out here.’
Adam turned to Clarissa and sent her a wink. ‘True. But as far as I’m aware, there is one very available lady.’
Clarissa gasped. After a long drought inside her bedroom as much as out, Adam’s frankness was an adrenaline shot in the arm. She craved the physical and emotional connection of two bodies joining, skin on skin. Needs that were amplified by the testosterone pressing in on her from all sides.
Brandon didn’t see it that way. His hands fisted at his sides and he stepped closer to Adam, a muscle in his jaw ticking. ‘She’s nothing to you other than your boss. Leave her the hell alone.’
Clarissa’s stare narrowed. Why was Brandon pulling the knight in shining armour routine on her now? He’d never reacted negatively to another man’s interest in her before.
Maybe because I’ve never been interested in return?
Adam put his hands up. ‘Whoa, easy, mate. We’ve never fought over a woman before, even one as lovely as Clarissa, and I’m not planning to start now.’
Brandon stepped back and blew out a slow breath. ‘Fuck. Sorry.’ He shook his head as if clearing it. ‘I’m just … she’s been through hell and back these last twelve months.’
Adam’s eyes cleared before he pressed a hand to his bare head. ‘Jesus, Brandon, why haven’t you two—’
‘Don’t,’ Brandon said with quiet authority. ‘Not now.’
Clarissa hardly dared breathe. These men were like two stallions in their prime fighting over the same mare. It was enough to make her head swim with hope and her pussy moisten with anticipation.
‘So when is the right time?’ Adam countered.
‘When Clarissa damn well says it is!’
Clarissa
She barely noticed his limp as he swaggered toward them, his white teeth gleaming behind lips that were surely too soft and full for someone so tough. His stare brushed over her slowly, appreciatively, before he turned his attention to Brandon.
The men did some back-slapping and chortling, and then Adam pulled back and said, ‘Good to see you, man.’
Brandon grinned. ‘It’s been too long.’
Adam nodded. ‘It sure has.’ He turned to Clarissa. ‘And this gorgeous piece is the station owner, I assume?’
She arched a brow. ‘Last time I looked I wasn’t a piece .’
His eyes crinkled at the corners. ‘Sorry, I’ve been hanging out with rodeo guys for too long.’ He looked anything but sorry. He stuck out a hand. ‘My name’s Adam.’
She clasped the warmth of his callused hand, trying to ignore the ping of awareness shooting up her arm. ‘Clarissa.’
He held her hand a few seconds longer than necessary and said, ‘I have a feeling we’ll get along just fine.’
She leant in almost involuntarily. ‘Oh?’
Brandon snorted and she jerked back guiltily. But Brandon’s frown was directed at the other man. ‘Ignore him, Clarissa. He’s a player and knows exactly the right things to say.’
She bit into her bottom lip as warmth flooded her body. She imagined the bull rider would know all the right things to do too.
Adam stroked a hand over the blond stubble on his chin, his stare gauging the stockman. ‘I seem to recall a time when you were a player too.’
Clarissa blinked at the newcomer, intrigued despite herself. ‘Really?’
Brandon shrugged. ‘Guess I ride horses more than women these days.’
Adam smirked. ‘I ride bulls, doesn’t stop me with the women.’
Clarissa’s mouth dried and her hand fluttered to her throat as her mind filled with a whole erotic book of dirty thoughts. Flaming hell, she really did need to get laid.
Brandon’s frown encompassed her too, as though he’d been witness to her naughty daydream. But the hand he swept out was for Adam alone. ‘As you can see, there aren’t any groupies out here.’
Adam turned to Clarissa and sent her a wink. ‘True. But as far as I’m aware, there is one very available lady.’
Clarissa gasped. After a long drought inside her bedroom as much as out, Adam’s frankness was an adrenaline shot in the arm. She craved the physical and emotional connection of two bodies joining, skin on skin. Needs that were amplified by the testosterone pressing in on her from all sides.
Brandon didn’t see it that way. His hands fisted at his sides and he stepped closer to Adam, a muscle in his jaw ticking. ‘She’s nothing to you other than your boss. Leave her the hell alone.’
Clarissa’s stare narrowed. Why was Brandon pulling the knight in shining armour routine on her now? He’d never reacted negatively to another man’s interest in her before.
Maybe because I’ve never been interested in return?
Adam put his hands up. ‘Whoa, easy, mate. We’ve never fought over a woman before, even one as lovely as Clarissa, and I’m not planning to start now.’
Brandon stepped back and blew out a slow breath. ‘Fuck. Sorry.’ He shook his head as if clearing it. ‘I’m just … she’s been through hell and back these last twelve months.’
Adam’s eyes cleared before he pressed a hand to his bare head. ‘Jesus, Brandon, why haven’t you two—’
‘Don’t,’ Brandon said with quiet authority. ‘Not now.’
Clarissa hardly dared breathe. These men were like two stallions in their prime fighting over the same mare. It was enough to make her head swim with hope and her pussy moisten with anticipation.
‘So when is the right time?’ Adam countered.
‘When Clarissa damn well says it is!’
Clarissa
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