Destry Read online

  We lunged at each other at about the same time and went tumbling to the ground in a ball of arms and legs. No matter how much he pissed me off, I’d never actually hurt him; he was my kid brother. I pushed up and grabbed him in a headlock only for him to twist out of it and gain the upper hand, breaking away and reversing our positions.

  Laughter from the doorway had my head swinging around to find Ellie-May almost doubled over, holding her stomach and pointing at us. Amelia, however, was nowhere in sight. I rolled over and groaned.

  “You two buffoons just handed her to Braxton on a silver platter while y’all rolled around and played who has the biggest penis.” She was laughing so hard by that point, she had tears streaming down her face.

  “Don’t say penis,” Austin grouched at Ellie. She was the youngest of us all and we were not only fiercely protective of her, we also tended to forget she was almost twenty years old.

  Braxton lead me outside onto the porch as the sun was setting. The sky to the west blazed with pink and orange clouds, bathing the acres of surrounding land in a gentle, golden light. I’d honestly never seen a sunset so pretty before in my life.

  “Sorry, they get kinda intense whenever there’s a female around who isn’t related to us,” Braxton said, leaning against the banister of the porch steps. I stood opposite and took him in.

  His honey-wheat blond hair, spiked up in all directions, was clearly not purposely styled that way. It was the style of a busy cowboy who had ran his hands through his hair more than once. Probably in frustration at his brothers antics. A light stubble kissed his jawline, dusting his golden skin with the most delicious scruff. I wanted to touch it just to see if it was as soft as it looked. His eyes were what really grabbed my attention though; stormy blue with tiny flecks of mossy green that you wouldn’t notice if you weren’t looking hard enough, but it wasn’t just the color that pulled me in. There was a gentleness behind his gaze, one his brothers didn’t have.

  I didn’t know why, but I felt like I’d known Braxton all my life, when in reality, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Maybe it was the fact I’d been here a total of one day, and already these strangers had shown me more kindness than every member of my family had my entire life, or maybe I’d just hit my head harder than I thought.

  Braxton gave me a nervous smile, probably because I was staring like a total creeper. I saw a flash of teeth and his whole face transformed as he gave me a megawatt smile.

  Christ, can these boys get anymore damn edible?

  I leaned back against the banister opposite him and my eyes, of their own violation, did a quick sweep of his muscled chest clearly defined by the black tank that was plastered to him like a second skin. As he crossed his arms over his chest, his biceps bulged out further. I swallowed and averted my eyes quickly when he cleared his throat. He was clearly more than aware of the effect he had on me, but rather than be an ass, he just smirked and dropped his gaze to the ground at my bare feet.

  “It’s gorgeous out here.” I glanced over at the last remnants of light ducking below the horizon in the distance.

  “Mhmm, it really is something else.”

  Destry chose that exact moment to come stomping out and gave Braxton a death glare that would have had me taking a step back. Braxton, however, didn’t move except to stand up taller and hold his ground.

  I burst out laughing at the display of testosterone, and walked back up to the house shaking my head. I had no idea what was wrong with these guys, but damn if I didn’t want to find out. They’d made me laugh more in the last few hours than I had in a long time. Destry though, I was still wary of. I had the other two fairly figured out. Braxton was the sweet one. Austin was the flirt, but Destry, he was still a mystery. Yet my first impression about him being a cocky ass was lingering in the back of my mind. I had a feeling I was going to like it here regardless.

  X X X

  Curled up on the worn leather sofa only an hour after tonight’s testosterone tug-of-war, I hugged my mug of hot cocoa to my chest with a sigh. It was the best damn cocoa I’d ever had.

  “Mmmm,” I sighed and laid my head back against the soft cushioning behind me. The liquid chocolate wafted up, soothing me and making me feel warm and comfortable. The only sounds were the crickets chirping outside the large double windows. It was so comforting; my eyes closed briefly.

  “Good, huh?” Destry’s voice caught me by surprise, making me jump a little. I looked over to see him leaning casually against the doorframe with his ankles crossed and a small smirk playing on his lips as he raised his own mug up to his mouth and took a sip. The man was pure unadulterated sex on a stick; there wasn’t a single inch of him that wasn’t solid, hard muscle. His muscles beckoned to me, taunting me to lean in and lick and bite. I felt my cheeks warm when his gaze landed on me; he’d clearly caught me ogling him and found it funny. I tucked my bare feet further up under myself and looked down at my mug.

  “You made this?” I asked a little surprised. I assumed it was a Braxton, since he’d been the one to hand it to me before he went to bed. I didn’t even realize anybody was still awake; I was so lost in the peaceful quiet of the big old house.

  “Sure I did.” He pushed off the doorframe and walked over to a big over-stuffed reclining chair, dropping down into it and filling the entire thing, making it seem as if it were tiny.

  I knew I was supposed to say something but I was transfixed with the way his arms looked in his navy blue cotton t-shirt, the way it pulled tight across his broad shoulders and defined chest. His arms looked like they were close to tearing the sleeves in two. He was without a doubt, the sexiest man I’d come across, and he didn’t have to do anything to flaunt it; it was a natural kind of good looking. His strong jaw sporting the five o’clock shadow would make any sane woman want to nibble on it. His eyes were a striking blue with nearly invisible gold flecks; they were bright yet they held a guarded curiosity. Destry cleared his throat, snapping me back to the now; he was looking at me expectantly, so I’d clearly missed whatever it was he had been saying while I made a fool of myself gawking at him.

  “Sorry? I was off in my own little world,” I admitted, hoping he wasn’t going to call me out on my bad manners.

  “I was just asking if you wanted me to show you around tomorrow.” He shifted in his seat looking uncomfortable for whatever reason. I was a little surprised by his gesture; it was not at all what I was expecting.

  “That’s really nice of you. I would, however, like to help around here anyway I can.” His short sharp laugh and roll of his eyes had me confused and a little annoyed.

  “Darlin’, I’m pretty sure work on the ranch might near kill you, or at least break a few of your nails.” His smart words got under my skin. Did he think we were living in the 1800s? I could do anything he could do, and I could do it with more class and a cute ass.

  “Umm, sexist much? I’m more than capable of getting my hands dirty,” I told him with a glare.

  “Maybe in the city you could do a spot of gardening, but out here, it’s real work.” He shook his head and sipped his cocoa looking relaxed and not at all bothered that he’d just royally pissed me off.

  “What time do we start in the morning?” I asked defiantly. I wasn’t about to let an asshole guy tell me I couldn’t handle a bit of hard work.

  With a smug look on his face, he told me, “Four am, sweetheart.” I bit the inside of my cheek to stop from telling him I was nobody’s sweetheart.

  I stood up, walked over to him, handed him my empty mug and smiled sweetly. “Equality and all that jazz. I wouldn’t want you going around thinking it was a woman’s job to be in the kitchen.” His stunned expression made me giddy. I’d one upped him. “See you at four, cowboy.” I heard his grunt as I walked off toward the stairs. Knowing he was watching me the entire way, did wonders for my damaged ego

  X X X

  Rolling over, I stretched my arms up above my head and yawned, pushing myself up onto my elbows. I flicked my eyes ov
er to the clock perched on the wall. It was before five in the morning and I was awake. “The damn sun isn’t even up yet,” I grumbled, sliding out from the warmth of the double bed. Hell knows what I was thinking the previous night. I needed my head examined or my pride cut down some.

  Shuffling down the stairs twenty minutes later, I tried and failed to put a spring in my step, just to show the obnoxious ass I was able to wake up at the same time as his highness and look good doing it.

  “She won’t hack it.” Destry’s voice stopped my zombie-like movements in an instant. I stood stock still on the bottom step and strained my ears. The smell of food assaulted my nostrils and my stomach made a tiny rumble.

  “Sure she will. I’ll bet she can even keep up with Braxton for most of the day.” Austin laughed. More clanging of plates being put down and shuffling of feet made it harder to hear what was being said.

  “Don’t be an idiot. Just make sure you’re ready to bring her back to the house if she looks like she’s struggling.” A chair scraped against the wooden floors “She’s a city girl and I can guarantee she has no idea what she’s in for today,” Destry said with amusement.

  I’ll show him, I mused to myself as I stepped into the kitchen–slash-dining room. The massive ten-seater table was set and plates of breakfast foods were laid out. A handful of delicious smells hit my senses all at once. Pushing Destry’s smart comments to the back of my mind, I said my good mornings to everyone. Saving the cocky cowboy for last, I smiled hugely at him. When he turned around to face me, I forced myself to appear a hundred times more awake and peppy than I actually felt.

  A loud crash had my attention snapping to his hands, and then the floor. “Ah, you can’t wear that,” Destry grumbled when he took in my appearance, clenching his jaw tightly as he focused on a something over my shoulder.

  I looked down at my clothes and back up again with a scowl. Who was he to tell me I couldn’t wear what I wanted to? I was three seconds from opening my mouth to give him a serving when a gaping Austin stood before me and groaned, “I—ah, they’re short and that’s… Jesus Christ, you’re freaking hot!”

  “Like I said, you can’t wear that,” Destry sighed and bent down to pick up the plate he’d dropped.

  “I can and I will. They’re shorts and a shirt. Not a big deal; get over it,” I chastised him. My mother had forever told me what was the ‘proper’ thing to wear and I wasn’t about to let a bunch of horny boys tell me I couldn’t wear what I wanted.

  “I’m headin’ out to round up the cows. See y’all soon.” Braxton grabbed his hat from the hook by the back door and left.

  I squatted down in front of Destry to help pick up the last of the mess when I registered two less people. “Where are your grandparents?” I asked quietly, hoping they were still asleep; I didn’t want to wake them.

  “Gone away for a week to visit our cousins.” My eyes snapped up just as he looked away from the swell of my breasts against my white cotton tank. Destry cleared his throat and focused on the pieces of crockery. “They left earlier.”

  “Well, we should get going. Braxton isn’t going to move those cows himself and I’d hate for him to think I couldn’t keep up.” I smiled sweetly as he registered the fact I’d heard every word he said. I grabbed the Stetson I’d borrowed from Ellie-May and a piece of buttered toast, popping the corner in my mouth before walking out the back screen door.

  When I didn’t hear it shut behind me I looked over my shoulder to find Destry with his own hat in his hand, his eyes watching after me. I stepped onto the compressed gravel and slid my sunglasses onto my face, pretending to know exactly what we were supposed to be doing.

  The rumble of an engine peaked my interest as Braxton rode out of a huge barn on a blue four-wheeler. The pure power of the engine had my scalp tingling and excitement building. I’d never been allowed to ride one; this hadn’t stopped me though. On a few occasions, I’d snuck off and hired one just so I could get away from the madness of my parents and their rules. A smile crept over my face as I climbed over the short fence and jumped down. Braxton winked at me and pulled the quad up in front of me, giving the engine a rev that had me throwing my head back and laughing.

  “We’re takin’ the truck.” Destry’s gravelly voice close to my ear startled me, and I spun around, almost tripping over my own feet. His big hands shot out, grabbed me by the waist, and pulled me against his solid body. I could feel the warmth of his tanned hands through my light cotton tank. Goose bumps broke over my arms as I tried to hold back a shiver of want. His muscled arms had me doing a slow crawl up to his wide shoulders, which promised he was very able to lift a girl up and give it to her anyway she might want it. His grip on me tightened slightly as my nipples hardened under my bra. My breathing became heavier when he licked his full, soft lips, and without my consent, my own tongue darted out to mirror the action. I bit down on my bottom lip to stop the small moan I could feel working its way to the surface. Looking up, his blue eyes sparkled down at me, desire written all over his face, a look that was quickly sending my breathing into dangerous territory.

  “Fuck no.” I watched as Amelia rode off with her head thrown back laughing, one arm wrapped far too low around my brother’s waist, the other holding her hat on as the wind flew through her hair. An insane urge to go after them and snatch her off Austin’s bike crashed over me. I took a few steps before it occurred to me that I didn’t care if she was plastered up against my brother. No, I didn’t care one little bit. I did, however, ponder while I jumped on my own quad; I needed to know what it was about her that had me behaving like a petulant asshole. “City girl,” I scoffed as I hit the gas, taking my frustration out on the bike. I forgot about my plan to take my truck, knowing the quad would get me around faster and cool me down.

  Even with the breakneck speed I was pulling, I still didn’t catch up with them. Just as I pulled in, I spotted Austin leaning against his bike beside Amelia, smiling down at her with his hand leaning on the seat behind her ass. I turned the bike off, threw my leg over it, which landed on the ground with a thud and took large strides toward a smiling Austin. My jaw ticked as I ground my teeth with each step.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” I fumed at him, glaring from under the wide brim of my hat. I clenched my hands by my side trying to calm my shit down. “You could have killed her, you idiot.” Austin pushed off from his bike and took a step toward me. I knew this was a sore point, yet I did it anyway. Austin had more than a few ghosts in his past and our relationship was one where we constantly provoked each other.

  “Don’t push me,” Austin growled, his eyes going stone cold and deathly serious.

  “Okay, what are we doing out here? Am I supposed to stand around while you two measure your dicks, or are we working?” My eyes bugged out as I turned toward little miss prim and proper. Pushing away from the four-wheeler, her hands placed on her hips, her tits strained against the thin fabric of her white tank. Did she really just say that?

  “C’mon, Amelia. I’ll show you how things work while these two zip their pants back up.” Braxton offered her an arm. She hooked her arm around his and they walked off toward the small cluster of cows.

  “The fuck is your problem, D?” Austin drew my attention back from watching her walking away from me yet again.

  “Nothin’,” I grumbled, rubbing my forehead in frustration.

  “Yeah, right. You’ve had a boot up your ass since you first saw her.” Had it been that obvious?

  “She annoys me. She’s just a pain in my ass is all.” The loud bark of laughter he let out was enough to tell me he believed jack shit of my explanation. With a slap on my back, he jogged off to start work, leaving me standing there getting more and more agitated by the second. How the hell was I supposed to work with a chick flouncing around my pastures with hardly a scrap of clothing on her tight little body? As it was, I’d had a hard-on from hell since she came into the kitchen that morning.

  “Gotta get laid,” I mumbl
ed to myself while I pulled my tools out of the storage compartment. I had a feeling it was going to be a very long day.

  X X X

  “Lunch!” Austin called out, dropping his tools. I pulled my hat off and ripped my cotton shirt over my head, tucking it into the back pocket of my jeans. The sun was beating down hard and hot, making me sweat like a whore in church.

  “How you holdin’ up?” I asked Amelia as we walked toward the big, shady oak tree. I was used to the heat working in the sun all day; I doubted she was.

  “It’s hotter than Hades out here,” she puffed. I did a double take when I noticed her thin tank was not only drenched in sweat but see-through. I directed my eyes straight ahead and walked a little faster, willing myself not to gawk while mentally planning a night out at the local bar. I needed a cold beer and some company. It’d been too long since I’d had any of that kind of companionship and my dick was reminding me of the fact almost constantly.

  A squeal had me jumping out of my skin and snapping my attention from my internal thoughts.

  “Gahh, that was cold.” Amelia laughed and splashed a cup of water back at a laughing Austin. I glared daggers at Austin messing around with her like they were great friends.

  “Take it down a notch, D.” Braxton’s low whisper had my head whipping to the side. I grunted in response. He continued, “This girl’s gotten under your skin, huh?”

  “No,” I sighed. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow and in disbelief. “Maybe a little. She’s not what I expected,” I admitted. Braxton and I had a different relationship to what I had with Austin. While Austin and I were like fuel and fire, Brax and I had a more gentle relationship; he saw through my bullshit.

  “Figures.” He smiled, looking down at the dirt he was kicking with the toe of his boot.

  “Out with it then,” I sighed, knowing there was no use ignoring him; he’d bug me until he put his two cents worth in.