Guardian of Her Dream [Hondo, Texas Wolves] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read online

His friend must have walked up the gentle slope where they had put their sleeping bags, and in the dark he hadn’t seen the edge of the cliff at the top of the hill. Over eons of time, the river had cut through the hill and left a steep, jagged cliff face. It didn’t help that they had taken a bottle of liquor with them that night.

  Come to think of it, why hadn’t Dutch shape-shifted when he fell? Had he already had too much to drink?

  He cherished his friend’s memory and wore his ring to honor him. Rafe had been wearing the ring that night recently after the testing ceremony during which he had lost the right to wed Kelly. He had stupidly taken advantage of her during the ceremony and had been disqualified as a result from any right to claim her as his wife. Beau was right. He didn’t deserve Kelly as his wife after pulling that stunt. He had thought he could protect her, but she didn’t need his protection.

  Rafe hadn’t been able to save Dutch’s life, but now he was the protector of everyone in his family, the entire pack, and everyone on their ranches. He had planned to return home to work on his parents’ ranch soon. He would take his work as foreman more seriously now that he had a second chance to prove to his dad that he was competent and loved the ranch as much as his parents did. He would work hard to make the ranch more successful and to make his parents proud of him.

  His best friend wasn’t able to become successful as a rancher. But Rafe had that opportunity, and he intended to make the most of it. The protecting power of his friend’s turquoise ring had given Rafe more time. He studied the dark-blue and silver veins in the stone. Finally, he slipped the ring back onto the third finger of his right hand. He wondered if he had the right to wear Dutch’s ring.

  He had felt responsible for Kelly’s protection, and he had pulled a stupid stunt at the testing ceremony. He had been desperate to make her his wife so he could take her home and keep her safe. But he had made the wrong decision and lost her. He knew now that Derek loved her and would take good care of her.

  Rafe planned to return home as soon as he was sure that Darlene was safe from any threat from the Hawks. Maybe he could talk her into going with him. He wanted to show her places in the area around Hondo, as well as on the ranch, that meant something important to him. She’d get a kick out of the old water hole.

  He couldn’t help remembering that night of the initiation when he and his friend had experienced their first shape-shift to their wolf forms. He remembered how they had shared their excitement after successfully morphing back to their human form following their race along the hillside as werewolves for the first time. They had covered the ground so fast, as fast as a racing horse.

  Rafe wished he could share that experience with Darlene. She was an amazing lady. He wanted to get to know her better. He was surprised to realize that he wanted to have sex with her so soon after the fiasco with Kelly. He doubted she would take to him being a werewolf though.

  Darlene brought out some strong needs in him. He wanted to bring her to the most amazing climax she had ever had, while he climaxed inside her hot, slick pussy. He wanted to watch her as her orgasm pulsed around his hard cock. Would she want to have sex with him? He figured he could talk her into it.

  She seemed to be having fun with him and the other guys in the pool. Maybe she would be interested in a ménage with him and a couple of the guys. They could give her a great ride. She seemed adventurous. She’d even be game, he’d bet.

  He would like to show her things around the ranch that he enjoyed, and secret places where he liked to hang out. He had never felt that way toward any other woman. And Kelly had already known everything about the ranch. Darlene had so much gumption that he had a feeling the unpredictable ranch life wouldn’t scare her away. She was a brave woman as shown when she stood up to him to protect Kelly from being found from her brothers.

  He twisted the ring on his finger. He wanted to have wild, no-holds-barred sex with her. His cock was stiff already with the vision of her naked and opening herself to him.

  “Darlene is an easy lady to like.” Ty was spread out on the lounge chair.

  Lucky stretched and sat up. “I was thinking the same thing.”

  Rafe heard the longing in their voices. That cinched it. Rafe couldn’t go after her for his own selfish desires. He and Ty had shared women before, and Rafe knew Ty might want to join in, if they could convince Darlene to give it a try. Dallas was always hesitant to take part in a ménage and rarely did. Usually Beau joined them, but he had already left for home.

  Rafe needed to keep his voice low so Darlene didn’t overhear his suggestion. “Lucky, are you interested in joining me and Ty in a little seduction of Darlene?”

  “The three of us?” Surprise filled Lucky’s voice.

  “Yeah, if we can talk her into it.” Rafe met Lucky’s questioning eyes. “That lady has a mind of her own. She might not be easy to convince, but I think she’s well worth the effort.”

  Lucky shrugged a shoulder. “She doesn’t seem the type to take part in a ménage.”

  Rafe shook his head, disagreeing with Lucky. “Once she finds out how good it is, she’ll love it.”

  Ty sat up and grabbed his towel. “Ordinarily I would take part, but I’d best head home and help out until you’re ready to get back to work as foreman.”

  “What about you all?” Rafe looked at Colt and Dallas.

  Colt shook his head. “I’m planning on leaving for home now that you’re feeling better. I hate to leave all the work for Beau and dad.”

  “Dallas?” Rafe asked.

  “Not this time. I’ll be headin’ home soon as well. I’ve got a girlfriend waiting for me.”

  Rafe grimaced in disbelief. How could they not want to seduce someone as hot as Darlene? “Have it your way. But you’re missing out on a great time.”

  “I’m planning on having a good time when I get home.” Colt grinned.

  “Ah. Some filly has finally agreed to go out with you?” Rafe couldn’t keep from teasing him. “Who is this poor, misguided young woman?”

  Colt shook his head. “That’s my business.”

  Rafe chuckled at Colt’s reaction. “Afraid I’ll steal her away?”

  “You’re too old for her. Come on, Dallas. Race you.”

  Colt dove into the pool, and Dallas followed, heading toward the diving board. Rafe watched them madly splashing toward the other end of the pool. It was just as well they were heading home. It would be enough to have to share Darlene with Lucky.

  * * * *

  “Finally, Rafe has gone in and we have the pool to ourselves without Rafe’s irritating jabs.” Colt raised an eyebrow at Dallas.

  Dallas gave a short laugh. “You got that right. Even though he’s my adoptive brother and I love and admire him, he can be as bothersome as a burr under a saddle blanket.” Dallas grinned at Colt.

  From where he sat on a lounge chair facing the house, Dallas saw Darlene come outside with a trayful of just-opened sodas.

  “Can I refill your glasses?” She smiled at him and Colt.

  “Thanks,” he and Colt echoed each other. They held their glasses out to her.

  “Ty is on his way to the airport with Jared.”

  “Yeah.” Dallas took a swallow of the cold drink. “He was in a hurry to get back and look after the ranch until Rafe arrived.”

  “I imagine you two are pretty bored just hanging out here waiting for Rafe to heal.”

  Dallas and Colt both shook their heads in denial.

  “No.” Colt shook his head. “You’ve been great. It’s been real nice swimming in your pool and not having to work on the ranch for a while.”

  Dallas nodded in agreement.

  “Don’t you miss your friends?”

  “Only my girlfriend, and I plan to see her soon.” Colt grinned.

  “You got that right,” Dallas agreed wholeheartedly.

  “You both have girlfriends?”

  They both nodded.

  “I’m not surprised. They must miss you. They’re lucky to hav
e nice guys like you to go out with.”

  Colt looked at Dallas. They grinned at the same time.

  “I’m lucky to have a girl like her,” Colt said. “She puts up with my working all the time at the ranch. We only get to go out together on weekends.”

  “What about you, Dallas? Do you spend all your time at the ranch?”

  “Yeah. We manage to meet up for a while some days. Like Colt and his girl, we go out on weekends mostly.”

  “Are you planning to look for jobs away from the ranch?” she asked.

  They both shook their heads. “No,” Colt said. “The ranches are our livelihood and our future.”

  “We’re hoping to increase the number of cattle we have now,” Dallas added. “Now that we’ve finished college, we both have some ideas we came up with in our studies that will change and improve our cattle business.”

  Colt nodded in agreement. “We’re both hoping to implement our ideas and update the way things are done on the ranch.”

  “Your girlfriends should be impressed. Those are great goals. I have a feeling you’ll be successful with the plans you have in mind.”

  “Thanks,” Dallas and Colt said at the same time.

  Rafe walked outside and joined them. He sat down beside Darlene on a lounge chair.

  “Will you have some fruit juice or a soda?” she asked.

  Dallas had a feeling Rafe wanted to stick around here with Darlene for a good while yet.

  “How about a swim first?” Rafe asked Darlene.

  “Maybe in a little while.” She smiled at Rafe.

  Dallas decided to change the topic a bit. “Your pool is a lot nicer than the swimming hole we’re used to. Although it reminds me of the times all us guys have gone swimming in the big water hole on the ranch. No mud to stir up in the water, and no snakes to worry about.”

  “Somehow, I think a swimming hole would be lots of fun even with the mud and snakes.” Darlene grinned, her pretty face even more beautiful.

  Dallas couldn’t help thinking about his girl. “It’s more fun when my girl can go with me, that’s for sure.”

  “You mean us guys aren’t good enough for you anymore?” Rafe teased.

  “You got that right,” Dallas said.

  Rafe glanced at Colt. “I hope Colt doesn’t abandon us guys for a girl.”

  “Sorry, Rafe, but I would rather spend time off with my girl.”

  “Hell. You guys are no fun.” Rafe looked at Darlene and smiled.

  “Sounds to me like they’re having fun.” She raised an eyebrow at Rafe.

  “You think they’re old enough yet to know how to give their girls a good time in the old swimming hole?” Rafe asked her.

  “I’m sure they are.” She looked at Dallas and Colt.

  Dallas noticed that Colt looked peeved with Rafe. Dallas would hate to have his friendship with Colt strained by Rafe’s irritating jibes about their girlfriends. Dallas was more comfortable around Colt than anyone Dallas had known except for his adoptive mom, his girl, and Rafe.

  “Let’s cool off in the pool.” Rafe swept Darlene up in his arms without asking.

  “Rafe, put me down right this minute.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He promptly dropped her into the pool. He jumped in beside her as she surfaced.

  “Rafe!” she sputtered.

  He laughed as he pulled her into his arms and started floating down the pool with her on top of him.

  “Watching them sure makes me miss my girl,” Colt said softly beside Dallas.

  “I was thinkin’ the same thing.”

  “Let’s go inside and call ’em.” Colt grabbed up his soda and headed indoors.

  “Great idea.” Dallas collected his drink and almost beat Colt through the open den doorway.

  * * * *

  Darlene balanced herself on top of Rafe’s hard abs with her arms bent to support herself. “Rafe, you are the most—”

  “I thought you would enjoy a little swim,” he said, interrupting her with his innocent voice. He grinned at her. “Can’t hurt to give it a try.”

  “It’s customary to ask if a lady wants to swim.”

  “Would you have said yes?”

  “Probably not.”

  “That’s what I figured.”

  She couldn’t think of an appropriate answer to him as the hard ridge of his cock pressed against her belly. This was a bad idea. She pushed against him, intent on ending this before it started.

  He closed his big hands around her arms and held her right where she was. “I just want to hold you, babe.”

  He’d called her babe. Oh, dear. “Rafe, this is not…”

  “What can it hurt to enjoy a little fun with each other?” he interrupted her again.

  “I have no intention of becoming involved with anyone, especially someone who is as overbearing as you are.”

  “We don’t have to be more than good friends taking pleasure in each other.”

  That sounded like he wanted to have sex with her. “That won’t work.”

  “Is it because I’m not worthy of you?”

  “No.” He was so exasperating. She had no intention of giving in to a man like him. “You’re all alike. You only want one thing from women…sex. After that you want to run the woman’s life and hire a private eye to keep watch over her activities.”

  “You think so?”

  “Yes, I think so.”

  “This is different.” His soft voice threatened to draw her in. “You’re different. You’re always on my mind. And I didn’t borrow that line from the song. I mean it. I can’t quit thinking about you. I keep wondering what it would be like to have hot, wild sex with you. Let me show you a good time. I promise you won’t be sorry.”

  She feared she would be very sorry. She’d never had “hot, wild sex” with any man before. She wouldn’t let any man get that far with her. She’d never let a man take advantage of her in that way. But maybe it would be all right to kiss him.

  “Okay, just one kiss. Let me kiss you once. If you don’t like it, I’ll never ask you again. I’ll respect your wishes.”

  Had he read her mind? Oh, God, he was tempting. What would it be like to have Rafe kiss her? Would he hold her gently, or would he crush her in his strong arms? What if she couldn’t convince him to let her go after one kiss?

  “You promise that if I say no, you’ll be fine with that?”

  “Absolutely.” He pulled her closer.

  Already, she felt threatened, as if she was losing control of the situation. While they had been discussing this he’d floated them to the shallow end of the pool, and now he sat down on the steps and leaned against the side, pulling her slowly up his hard, muscular body. Her legs slid along his long, strong legs. The water lapped gently beneath her breasts. He lowered his head and brushed his lips across hers. His kiss was tentative, his lips firm and soft at the same time.

  Breathing in his familiar scent of warm male and expensive citrus aftershave, a frozen emotion inside her began to melt and was replaced by sexual arousal. It clouded her good sense. She parted her lips, and he delved deep with his warm tongue, stroking every surface gently. His moan of pleasure made her want more. Surely, it would be all right to just kiss him.

  She held back her own aching moan and slipped her hands up his hard chest and over his broad shoulders and bulging muscles. What did he do on the family ranch to build such hard muscles? His skin was warm and smooth beneath her fingers. She loved the feel of it beneath her fingertips.

  His hands cupped her hips and pulled her snugly against his hard erection. He succeeded in making her labia and vaginal opening ache and swell as his cock rubbed against her clit. She slipped her fingers through his thick, wet hair. My God.

  He angled the kiss, delving deeper, and she tangled her tongue with his, tasting him, caressing him. He tasted of slightly sweet lemon flavoring. One of his hands slid gently up her side and cupped her breast, teasing the nipple with his fingers. His tongue stroked hers with the same erot
ic rhythm she imagined he would use as he plunged inside her vaginal passage with his hard cock.

  She inhaled swiftly as a jolt of burgeoning heat shot to her labia, and her fluids gathered at her swollen opening. “Rafe,” she whispered with urgency against his mouth. The sensations he caused just by teasing her breasts made her want him pushing his hard cock inside her opening.

  He responded by ravaging her lips with his. She moaned deep in her throat and curled her fingers around the back of his strong, corded neck, tilting her hips to rub her sensitive flesh up and down against his cock. Her breath came faster. His hand left her breast and inched her bikini bottoms down below her hips. He slipped his hand between their bellies to the now-swollen, sensitive flesh between her thighs. He slid his hand further.

  She gasped when his tantalizing fingers smoothed across her labia and found her engorged clit. He rubbed slowly back and forth. The extreme pleasure made her groan. She spread her thighs wider apart, giving him more access and an obvious invitation for him to explore and pleasure her. He made her want more. She couldn’t believe how much more she wanted.

  “Just how I like it. A smooth, shaved pussy,” he said. “So soft. Makes me want to lick you and taste you there.”

  Heat rose to her face. “I don’t shave for sex. I shave because I like to wear a bikini in the pool. It just looks better if everything is bare.” Admitting that to him made her feel awkward. She shouldn’t have admitted it, especially to him. She pushed against him, suddenly feeling ill at ease.

  “Babe, I’m really glad you do. I love the velvety feel of you.” The rasping sound of his voice soothed her misgivings and increased the aching heat as his fingers slid across her opening and back up through her labia to her clit, circling it and returning to her opening.

  He covered her mouth with his and kissed her deeply. She couldn’t get enough of what he was doing to her. Up and down, and up, and his fingers slid downward again. One finger delved inside her opening slowly, so slowly, and no farther than his first joint. She groaned from her need. She wanted him deep inside her channel and curved her lower body to take more of his caress into her vagina. At last, his finger pushed deeper. A sharp moan of pleasure escaped her. He circled her clit with his thumb. In and out, his finger stroked her slick flesh. As he turned her to her side slightly, he broke their kiss and bent to brush kisses across her belly. He licked and nibbled.