Chasing Tiger Tail [Tigers of Twisted, Texas 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 5

  The ranch needed some work. A few sections of the fence were in bad need of repair. Other areas needed some clearing out. But there was nothing they couldn’t fix with some elbow grease.

  They walked for several more minutes, taking their time to soak in the environment. There was more to consider than just the facts when purchasing a property. It had to feel like home. Like a place where they could see their children running wild over the land.

  “Did she say there’s a house and barn?”

  Cam shrugged. “Yeah. On the far end of the place.”

  “Damn. It is close to Danna’s house.”

  “Yeah.” But it wasn’t. It couldn’t be. His gut twisted, hating even the possibility that the place could be hers. “We’ll have to check them out. Hopefully, Georgia had time to call and give the owner a heads-up about us coming.”

  “Even if she did, it doesn’t mean he’s going to welcome us with open arms. Most of the time prospective buyers don’t get to see the property until after the foreclosure and eviction.”

  Phil had a point. “True enough, but something tells me Georgia’s pushing this, wanting to get a turnover as fast as possible.”

  “Do you think it might be personal?” Phil waved a heifer out of his way. “She hit me as the type that would get personal even in business.”

  The same idea had struck him, too. “Maybe. Let’s tread carefully if and when we meet the owner. No need to make him any angrier than he probably already is.”

  Phil had opened his mouth to answer when the sound of an approaching horse caught their attention. Cam turned, ready to meet the rider.

  * * * *

  Danna knew the land as well as the back of her hand. Her horse, Gallagher, knew it even better, affording her the luxury of giving him his head and letting her mind wander.

  Things were happening too fast and too slow.

  On one hand, the impending disaster of losing their home to the bank was coming at locomotive speed. She’d wracked her brain trying to find an answer. How could they keep the ranch? Even if she sold all the horses and the cattle they wouldn’t have enough money to cover the past-due payments. Getting another loan of any kind, even one for law school, wasn’t going to happen at this point. Her father’s credit and hers was in a financial toilet.

  Could she get the Wills brothers to co-sign a loan? To do so, she’d have to ask them to put their ranch up as collateral. Even if they agreed to help—which would be nothing short of a miracle—Harriet would more than likely squash the idea. She wouldn’t risk her future to save her father’s or her sister’s.

  “Hey, Danna.”

  She jerked her head up. Cam and Phil stood in the middle of the pasture.

  Before she could wonder what they were doing, a flash of lust struck her like the strong winds of a hurricane.

  God, how I want them.

  Suddenly, they were like the air she needed to breathe. Like the sun above her and the land below her feet. She leaned forward, kicked her boot free of the stirrup, and was about to swing her leg over the saddle.

  And then caught herself.

  If she hadn’t, she would’ve hit the ground running toward them. She needed them, but need wasn’t a big enough word to describe the emotions tearing her apart. Her craving burned her from the inside out, torturing her for every moment she didn’t touch them.

  Somehow, instead of giving into the nearly overwhelming temptation, she gripped the saddle horn and dug her fingernails into the leather. Lust, passion, craving, none of it was right. She’d only seen them a couple of times, but each time she did, the damn connection grew stronger and more intense, fighting to take her over.

  Wicked, sinful thoughts invaded her. If she didn’t have Cam and Phil, if she never felt their hands on her skin, their tongues flicking along her body, their cocks in her pussy and anus, she’d regret it for the rest of her life.

  I want them so bad I can taste it.

  She had to close her eyes to stop herself a second time. Her hands loosened their grip only to have a mind of their own. Her fingers flattened against her leg while the other hand betrayed her even more by sliding up to cup her breast. Realizing what she had done, she opened her eyes wide and sucked in a hard breath.

  Shit and double shit.

  The men had started walking toward her then stopped. Their mouths parted and the flash of their amber brightened their eyes.

  And yet, she couldn’t stop. She fondled her breast already imagining Cam’s mouth on her nipple. Her hand slipped between her legs to find her jeans already wet and warm.

  Like the predators they were, they were on her.

  Chapter Four

  Cam took Danna’s arm and pulled her off her horse. She fell into his arms. Phil came up beside them then lifted her away from his brother. Her horse snorted and pranced away.

  She was beyond thinking, beyond caring about the future. Only then and there mattered. Only the men mattered.

  My mates.

  I have to have them.

  The thoughts pounded through her head over and over, driving her body to march with its own litany. She wrapped her legs around Phil with a steel grip.

  Hands covered her, pulling at her clothes, frantically searching to touch body parts. Her hands copied theirs, tearing at their clothes. She unlocked her legs long enough to allow Phil to tug her panties and jeans to her ankles, then off along with her shoes. Raising her arms once, she made it easy for Cam to jerk her shirt off. Her bra soon followed.

  Using her feet, she pushed against Phil’s legs and sent his jeans falling to his feet. She tugged at his shirt, popping it open to reveal his hard-packed chest.

  The fever spun between them, burning bright and hot. At last, she felt their fingers slip between her folds and butt cheeks. She clung to Phil and leaned back against Cam.

  “Phil.”

  He took her nipple, mumbling his answer against her flesh. His hand cupped her pussy as he drove his fingers deep inside her.

  Cam’s hard cock pushed against her ass crack. His fingers shoved inside her anus. He nibbled on her neck, a low growl warming her skin.

  She arched and turned her head so Cam could capture her mouth with his. Kissing him deeply, she shoved her crotch against Phil, urging him to hurry.

  Phil slipped his palms along her legs to hold her steady. With a snarl, he bent back and slammed his cock inside her pussy. Her cry broke free of Cam’s kiss. She rode her mate, her hair bouncing around her shoulders.

  “Fuck him, Danna. Show him how much you want him.” Cam whispered in her ear. “Fuck him hard. Cream for him.”

  She gritted her teeth, determined to do exactly as Cam wanted. Phil’s cock filled her, stretching her. She cried out again, the sound dissolving into small grunts of pleasure. Her body was theirs and they controlled everything she did and felt.

  A slap to her ass startled then thrilled her. A second and third followed, stinging their way through her flesh to her pussy’s heat. Wetness flooded her, tracking down her inner thighs as her climax erupted.

  Phil caught her nipple with his teeth. The pain of his bite grew harder as fangs replaced them. “That’s it, baby.”

  A hand made its way between her legs and then was gone. Sucking noises came from behind her.

  “You’re as sweet as a honeysuckle, hon,” murmured Cam.

  She whimpered as the wave of her release rolled over her. Phil slammed against her again then paused. His growl started low then grew in sound and intensity until his moan lead the way to his orgasm. One more ram against her and his body shuddered as his need rolled out of him.

  Her feet hit the ground for only a moment before Cam turned her around, picked her up, and shoved his cock inside her. He banged her so hard and fast she forgot to breathe. At last she sucked in a breath, her body responding, revving up again as the sensation of Cam’s curved cock found its way to her mark.

  He pounded into her, his fingers digging into her ass cheeks. She clutched his hair and pulled h
is mouth to hers. The kiss mimicked their coupling. Needy, intense, unrelenting.

  Over and over, she gave herself to him until at last, her body could stand no more. The climax burgeoned from her core, spreading outward like a bull charging a matador. She cried out again as his cock stroked her spongy spot and shook her. Cam’s growled out release mixed with hers until, together, they crumpled to the ground.

  Their coupling ended too quickly, and yet it had been perfect.

  The breeze chilled her body as she lay on top of Cam. Her heart thundered, but his was working as furiously as hers. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her sweaty body against his.

  The craving, the need that had overtaken her diminished, changing into a different kind of yearning. Her body was satisfied, but her heart still longed for more. Even as her arms shook, she pushed against him, and went to her knees beside him. Shakily, she got to her feet.

  “I—” And yet what could she say that made any sense?

  “Here you go, baby.”

  She took her clothes from Phil and hurriedly dressed. What had she been thinking? Having sex in the middle of the pasture? Out in the open? What if someone had come along?

  “Don’t do that, Danna.” Cam got to his feet and tugged his jeans up.

  She found it difficult to look at either of them. “Do what?”

  “Don’t beat yourself up about this. It was bound to happen.”

  Confusion and anger mixed together with a renewed urgency to have them again. She’d been thrown by the connection but she’d be damned if she’d let it rule her mind as it had ruled her body. “No. It wasn’t.”

  “Yes, it was,” argued Phil. “We’re your mates. You can try, but you can’t fight it.”

  She ran her fingers through her hair. “Watch me.” Whirling around, she searched for her ride.

  Thankfully, Gallagher hadn’t strayed far. Taking his reins, she stuck her foot in the stirrup and pulled herself up.

  “Danna, come on. Don’t do this.”

  She shook her head at Cam and backed her horse away from them. The more distance she put between them, the better. “This was a mistake.”

  “The hell it was.” Phil’s voice was low yet hard, determined.

  She had to change the subject. If she didn’t, she’d end up back on the ground, begging them to fuck her again. “What the hell are you doing on my ranch anyway?”

  Cam’s mouth opened as he gave his brother a quick look. Something was up.

  “We came to take a look around, hon.”

  Hon. She would’ve laughed if anyone else but Cam had called her that.

  “Why?” The second exchange between them didn’t help her feel any better. “What business is it of yours?”

  Cam didn’t want to tell her. That much was obvious in the clench of his jaw.

  “Georgia Gill at the bank said the ranch might be available soon.”

  “We didn’t realize it was your ranch,” added Phil.

  She suddenly found it hard to breathe. Having Georgia tell her that foreclosure was coming was one thing. She’d thought she still had time to save the ranch. But to send people to look at the place? People who were ready to buy it? The reality of her situation hit her dead on.

  “My ranch isn’t for sale. Not now. Not ever.”

  “I’m sorry, Danna, but that’s not what the bank said.” Cam’s voice was soft with an underlying tone of pity to it.

  Yet all the sympathy in the world wouldn’t help. “I don’t give a damn what Georgia said. It’s not for sale.”

  “Danna, don’t worry. You’re our mates. Once we buy the place, it’ll still be your home.”

  “I told you. It’s not for sale.” She yanked on the reins, turning Gallagher around.

  Yet before she put him into a gallop, she twisted around in the saddle, needing to set the record straight again. “Get it through your head. I’m not going to mate with you. Damn the connection.”

  She put her heels to the horse’s sides, breaking him into a trot. Leaning forward, she urged him to go faster. The wind whipped her hair behind her as she raced back to her home. As much as she hated it, she couldn’t keep the thought from invading her mind.

  How much longer will it be my home?

  * * * *

  “Georgia Gill, you’re lower than pond scum.”

  Danna had spent the night tossing and turning, torn between going to find Cam and Phil and wanting to scratch Georgia’s eyes out. She’d often wished she’d been born with shifter blood, but now she was both grateful and angry that she’d been born human. If she’d been able to turn a tigress loose, to shift and grow fangs and claws, she would’ve hunted the bitch down and exacted her revenge.

  Instead, she’d had to wait until the next morning when the bank opened. Customers and employees alike scattered as she stormed across the bank’s lobby and into Georgia’s office.

  Georgia came to her feet with the desk between them. Alarm danced in her eyes but she kept her face as serene as ever. “What can I do for you, Danna?”

  “You can go to hell.”

  “I’m sorry, but no can do.” Georgia laughed, but her smile soon faded. Her lips curled into a snarl. “Don’t make threats, sweetie. You don’t want to go up against me.”

  She knew Georgia wouldn’t bring out her panther. Many of those in the bank were shifters, but a few were humans who might not know about shifters. If she did, the world would find out that supernatural creatures existed. Then she’d have to answer to the entire shifter population.

  “How many times do I have to tell you? I’m not letting the ranch go.” Danna kept her voice low, her hands clenched at her sides.

  “Oh, sweetie, it’s out of your hands now.”

  Fury lost the battle with fear. A shiver trembled through her. “What does that mean?”

  Georgia took a folder from her “In” box. “I’ve started the paperwork. It’ll only be a few more days, a couple of weeks at the most, before your ranch is the property of the bank. By then, I’ll have found a new owner.”

  “And what about my father? Where is he supposed to go? Or are you okay with kicking an old man to the curb?”

  Georgia shrugged. “I don’t know where he’ll end up and I don’t care. Maybe he can stay in the back of Roar permanently. Or maybe he can go and live with Harriet and her mates.” Her dark eyes narrowed. “Rumor has it that you’ve found your mates, too.”

  She wouldn’t talk about the Nordstrom men. Not with this woman. “I’ll get the money to pay the bank.”

  Georgia rolled her eyes like a teen hearing her parent promise the impossible. “Seriously? Do you really want to play that old game? So tell me, Danna. Where are you going to get the money? You know you have to make the back payments, too, right? I, um, the bank won’t accept anything less.”

  Danna’s mouth worked as though doing so would help her find an answer, yet she remained silent. The answer was the one she’d fought against. Accepting charity wasn’t her way, but if she asked, she was sure the people, her friends, in Twisted would help out. They’d pitch in and combine their money.

  “You’re thinking about asking everyone in Twisted to help out, aren’t you?”

  She hated that Georgia had guessed correctly.

  “Oh, sweetie—”

  “Stop calling me that,” Her voice was low and filled with vehemence.

  Georgia’s evil smile grew. “Sweetie, even if they all gave something, they couldn’t get enough cash together. Besides, you’re not the type to accept a handout.”

  “Danna, are you all right?”

  Georgia’s smile changed, losing some of its wickedness. “Cam. Phil. It’s so good to see you again. I was hoping you’d drop by. How’d you like the ranch?”

  Danna fought to compose herself. If she hadn’t been so caught up in her anger at Georgia she would’ve felt their presence. Now that she was aware of them, her body came alive, taking her feelings and shaping them into a yearning so strong that, for a moment, it
made her vision blur.

  Georgia narrowed her eyes as her gaze jumped from Danna to the men and back. She spoke in a whisper filled with surprise. “So it is true. You did find your mates.” Her tone grew cold again. “I never thought— But I should’ve guessed.”

  Danna had to get out. Had to get away from both the awful woman and the men who could scramble her thoughts with one look. Moving stiffly, she pushed past the men who tried to take her arms. “No. Leave me alone.”

  She rushed out of the bank with the sound of Georgia’s taunting laughter following her. Instead of going to her truck, she darted to the right and ran down the sidewalk. Where she ended up didn’t matter as long as she couldn’t hear Georgia any longer. Where didn’t matter as long as she couldn’t see the men she was destined to mate, the men who were taking her ranch from her.

  She let out a yelp then twisted around to face Cam. His grip on her was tight, almost painful. “Let me go!”

  “Danna, we need to talk.”

  “No, we don’t.”

  “Yes, we do.” Phil didn’t touch her, but he was just as intense as his brother.

  “You’re buying my ranch, aren’t you?” She jerked her arm free, but didn’t run. Instead, she wanted to stand and fight. “That’s why you were at the bank, isn’t it?”

  Cam’s face relaxed, softening into a compassion that tore at her gut. The last thing she wanted from them was pity.

  “Yes. We want to buy the ranch. From your father.”

  She glared at him, putting all her anger into it. “It’s my father’s ranch, but he’s put me in charge.” A sob broke free, embarrassing her. She struggled to pull herself together. “Don’t you get it? I failed him. He was counting on me to turn the ranch around, to make the payments, but I fucked up.”

  “You fucked up? What about him?” asked Phil.