Chapter Nine
It hurt to watch Zoey leave with Dalton and Clint, but it hurt even more when they all came back on Sunday morning looking freshly fu-cked and satisfied. Tanner’s balls were bluer than the sky even though he had jerked off at least three dozen times in the week Zoey had lived on the Triple T.
He watched her easily step into an affectionate lover role with his brothers, and his heart ached to have her reach for him too. What he wouldn’t give to kiss her before he walked out the door each morning, a promise for the night to come. Instead, he started avoiding her more and more as he fought to control his blinding desire.
Sure it made sense that she would want Clint and Dalton. One had movie star looks and charm to back them up, while the other had a promising career as a doctor ahead of him and the ability to give her the security she never had as a girl. What did he have for her? A ranch that fought to stay profitable, and his six day work week from sun up to sun down with barely any time for her. No. He was absolutely not what was best for Zoey Carson. Even if he wanted her with every ounce of his being.
“Hey, Skipper, how’s it hanging?” Clint asked as he helped Zoey from the truck and carried a load of stuff into the house.
Tanner’s eyes were on Zoey, watching her every hypnotic movement as though his next breath depended on it. Get it together, man, she just slept with your brothers. Instead of cooling his ardor, the mental images his thoughts inspired just made his cock throb.
“Hey, Tanner,” she said softly, moving to stand directly in front of him. He had to fist his hands to keep from reaching out to touch her.
“Hey, Zoey, how was camping? Did they feed you enough?”
She laughed, “Oh yeah, I can’t say I’ve ever had a better tasting marshmallow. The bluff was beautiful, and the view of the sunset was…breathtaking.”
Tanner nodded politely as he shifted on his feet. Did she mean for her eyes to get all dreamy and her soft lips to part seductively? “I’m glad you had a good time. I have to go into town later for a few things, did you want to ride along?”
“Yes, that would be great. I think Dalton is wanting to talk to Doc Plass, so he might want to come along, is that alright?” She looked up at him with those big blue eyes and he nodded immediately.
Damn it. I’m supposed to be the one in control with women. How does this little drop of a woman manage to keep directing me? Feeling a surge of irritation, he stepped backwards and turned away from her deliberately. “I want to be back before sunset, so we’ll leave by noon.”
Without turning back for a response, he headed for the barn. Sunday was his day off from the ranch, but today he didn’t feel like relaxing in his own house. Instead, he would work so hard that he would forget to think about Zoey, and her whisker burned throat, or the missing buttons on Clint’s shirt. He would find a way to live with the hand he was dealt, somehow.
*****
The ride to town was filled with quiet tension. Tanner was giving both Zoey and Dalton the cold shoulder, and it was making things awkward. A big part of her wanted to just flip out on him and ask him what the hell his problem was, but in her gut, she knew she wasn’t ready to hear his answer. If he rejected her again, she wasn’t sure she could survive it.
Instead, she bit her tongue and acted like she wasn’t affected. Dalton was fidgeting on the seat next to her, and she finally reached out to lace her fingers through his. The gratitude in his blue eyes relaxed her a little. Here she was worrying about what Tanner thought when Dalton was getting ready to face his worst fears. Walking back into Stone River and possibly coming face to face with Walt or Minnie White.
“It will be alright,” she murmured. A small thrill went through her when he pressed a soft kiss to her temple and stroked his thumb over her palm.
“I know, how could it not be when I have you with me?”
Tanner snorted, and Zoey shot him an icy glare. When he pointedly ignored her, she huffed, “Well I doubt they will even be in town. It’s Sunday after all, surely there is a football game on or something.”
That made both men laugh. “You’re probably right, kitten. It’s just a lot to take in. I never thought I would be doing this,” Dalton swallowed hard.
“Doing what? Going to the Merc?” Tanner said with a snarky tone.
“Shut up, Skipper. You know what I mean.”
Zoey squeezed Dalton’s hand, “Things are different now. You’re not a little kid anymore, and surely they wouldn’t still be angry at you. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“She’s right, Professor. Walt and Minnie wouldn’t want you to keep running,” Tanner said, surprising them both. He looked up at their shocked faces, “What? I don’t always agree with her, but this time she’s absolutely correct. You’ve taken on a mountain of guilt you never had a right to own. It’s not fair to you, it’s not fair to the White’s, and it isn’t fair to Ben’s memory.”
Zoey wanted to throw her arms around Tanner and kiss him for his words. They seemed to bring an entirely new light into Dalton’s eyes and his shoulders lifted again.
“Thanks for that,” Dalton gave Tanner a half smile, and the silence resumed in the truck leaving them all to their own thoughts.
By the time they arrived, Zoey was determined to find a way to bring Dalton and the White’s together. Her heart told her that Dalton had seen the situation through the eyes of a child, and he misinterpreted their feelings. If she could find a way to get him to talk to them, she just knew it would help him over his fear of remaining in Stone River. And if he stayed, well, that just opened all sorts of doors that seemed locked up tight before.
Tanner exited the truck and headed down the sidewalk toward the opposite end of town without a word, leaving Zoey and Dalton.
“I need to stop in and talk to Doc, will you be alright shopping alone?” Dalton asked as he helped her out of Tanner’s pickup.
She snickered, “Uh yeah, I’ve only been doing my own grocery shopping since I was eleven. I think I can manage.”
His fingers brushed back a piece of her long dark hair that had escaped from her ponytail. “Don’t be like that. I only asked because I don’t know if I will be alright alone. I miss you when we’re apart, believe it or not.”
Zoey felt a wave of warmth wash over her, and she melted. Accepting his kiss, she watched him walk across the street and into Thomas Plass’s office. Hopefully their meeting would be a good one. Doc Plass was in his early seventies and after his wife passed away two summers ago, he had been looking for a way to retire. Dalton might be the solution he needed.
Forcing her feet to move, Zoey went into the Merc and got to shopping. By the time she made her way up to the register she had her cart laden with groceries and she was feeling exhausted. The sleepless night filled with aerobic activity had zapped all of her energy, and she was in dire need of a nap.
Hal McCrite was waiting near the register as she started to unload her cart. Ignoring the cashier, he jumped right in and started to bag things as they were checked out. “So, you’re living with all three of the Keegan boys now, huh?”
Zoey didn’t even bother to look up. “I’m still living on the Triple T. If that’s what you’re asking.”
“And all three of them live there too?” Hal continued, and Zoey gave a sharp nod. “So does that mean wedding bells might be—”
“What it means is, that you need to mind your own business, McCrite. Unless you want to lose all of the Triple T’s business.”
Zoey jumped at Tanner’s voice. The angry look on his face was clear enough, and Hal stuttered an apology quickly finding something more pressing to do. Before Zoey could offer up her debit card, Tanner had his wallet out and was paying the grocery bill. The young cashier looked up at him with a smitten glow in her eyes Zoey found particularly revolting, but she kept her mouth shut.
The moment they were back at the truck, she thanked him.
“For what?” Tanner asked, looking puzzled.
“For putting Hal in his place back there. You didn’t have to say anything, but it means a lot to me that you did.” She gave him a small smile while handing him another bag.
Tanner froze, “I would never let anyone say something shitty about you, Zoey, and that includes insinuating that you’re fu-cking around.”
“But I am, aren’t I? fu-cking around?” She tried to hold his gaze, but ultimately her eyes dropped to stare at the tiny dark hairs that were peeking above the open collar of his shirt.
“Are you? Because I thought you might really have feelings for my brothers,” Tanner said softly. His fingers came up under her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Until you say differently, you are still under my protection.”
Again she experienced an oddly warm feeling from her belly to her clit as she stared up into his gold eyes. Did he know what that did to her? The fire that smoldered in his gaze answered her unspoken question, and she inhaled sharply.
Before she could say anything, he released her and resumed loading the groceries into the bed of the pickup. She watched as he carefully arranged everything cold into the two coolers they had brought specifically for transporting, and closed all of the other bags into the long silver toolbox that stretched under the back window. He was always so meticulous and careful in everything he did. It both amazed and bewildered her. The one thing he seemed unsure of was her.
A jolt of surprise shot down her spine. Tanner still wanted her. He wanted her in a very non-friend way, and it thrilled her to realize it. A plan was just beginning to form in her brain when Dalton walked up. His arms came around her, and he pressed a kiss to the crown of her head.
“All done?”
Smiling up at him she nodded, “Yep, Tanner was just helping me load it up. How about you? How did it go with Doc?”
“You are looking at Stone River’s new family physician, well, so long as I accept the job that is. Doc Plass has been having more and more trouble with his arthritis, and he has decided to move to Tallahassee, Florida, to live with his daughter and her family. Finding a new doctor to take over a small town practice is about as hard as you can imagine, so he was elated to hear that I was back.” Dalton was watching his older brother as he answered.
Tanner was quiet for a moment before he smiled at them both, “Congratulations, Doctor Keegan, and welcome home.”
The two brothers shook hands and then hugged while laughing.
“This calls for a celebration before we go home!” Tanner said, giving Zoey a wink, “Robin’s is closed, so I can’t buy you a drink, Professor, but I can get you a cone from the Ice Cream Shoppe if you’re game?”
Dalton looked over at her, and she nodded, “Oh yeah, I think a cone with one scoop of chocolate mountain and one scoop of peppermint sounds perfect!”
“Well then lead the way, m’lady!” Dalton bowed elegantly gesturing that Zoey go ahead of him, and she did so laughing all the way down the street to the shop.
Dottie was behind the counter as always, her light gray hair with a soft blue tint was pulled up into her own unique version of a bouffant, and her green eyes were lined with blue eyeliner and eye shadow that gave her a particularly disturbing wide awake look. For all her makeup skills were lacking, her sweet genuine personality made up for it, and she greeted the three of them as they filed through the door.
“Zoey Carson, where you been girl?” She gave them all a once over and then her penciled eyebrow rose, “Hmm….guess you found better things to do, huh?”
“Miss Dottie, we are celebrating today, so we need three cones—two scoops each, as well as a small container of Butter Pecan to take home to Clint,” Tanner said, turning his most charming smile on the older woman.
“Whoa, two scoops? What’s the occasion?” Dottie asked as she pulled out three large waffle cones.
“New beginnings,” Dalton piped up, exchanging a glance with Zoey, and then waiting for Tanner’s nod of agreement.
“I’d say that’s a great thing to celebrate. By the way, welcome home Doctor Keegan.” Dottie put the emphasis on the doctor title, and Dalton flushed a little.
“It’s still Dalton for you, Miss Dottie.”
The older woman cackled at his discomfort, “You keep calling me Miss and I’ll be calling you son before long, sugar. Now, which flavors do y’all want?”
By the time they were finishing their cones, Zoey’s heart was feeling significantly lighter, and her sides ached from laughing. It seemed that Dalton’s decision to remain in Stone River had eased some of the rift between him and Tanner. Suddenly, anything seemed possible, and she went back to formulating a plan for seducing Tanner. If she could get him into her bed, perhaps she could get him to admit his feelings for her. At which point she would be glad to share her own, and they could talk about what happened next. Until then, she couldn’t let herself fall harder for his brothers. It would hurt too much if she was forced to give them all up later.
Tanner accepted the small pint of butter pecan ice cream that Dottie made up for Clint, and tucked it carefully into the cooler surrounded by frozen food so it wouldn’t melt. Before they could climb into the truck to leave, a startled gasp slipped from Dalton, and Zoey’s heart jumped.
Standing on the sidewalk holding a small bag of charcoal briquettes was Minnie White. Her face was a colorless as her name, and her hands were shaking. Tears filled her eyes, and Zoey’s heart broke when she saw Dalton take a step back as if he had been slapped.
“Dalton Keegan?” Minnie whispered. When Dalton nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets, she let out a small laugh. “Oh don’t look like that, son. I haven’t seen you in so many years…you just look so, grown up!”
His cheeks grew ruddy, and Zoey struggled with what to do. When she would have stepped forward to facilitate the awkward meeting, Tanner wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back again. The feeling of his long hot body against her back momentarily fried her brain.
“Hi, Minnie. How are you? How is Walt?” Dalton finally said.
“We’re both as good as you would expect. Getting old, but doing okay. I heard you were in Africa?” Minnie said, taking a step closer. Dalton seemed to relax now that he knew she wasn’t going to burst into tears.
“Yeah, but I’m back for good now. I’m going to be taking over for Doc Plass.” He was holding his breath. Zoey could see the tension in his every muscle.
“That’s wonderful news! I’m sure glad to hear it, Dalton. You know, I’d like to have you come over, if you want to. To see Walt, and…to talk.” Minnie’s words seemed to shock Dalton to the core, and he went pale.
“I don’t understand,” he said, his eyes jumping to Zoey, who was still held snugly in Tanner’s grip. “I thought you two hated me, for not saving—for what happened.”
Minnie shook her head, and tears finally started to fall, “Oh no, Dalton! Never once did we hate you! Have you thought that? All of these years? You poor boy! We went through such a hard time when Ben died. There were moments that I wasn’t sure we would either one survive it, but if you had gone back for him…well, every day I thank God that you ran for help instead of trying to pull him out. Otherwise we would have been grieving for both of you.”
Dalton’s eyes grew glassy with unshed tears, and the tension just seemed to drain out of him. “I-I never knew. I thought…”
“Will you come over tonight? Walt and I would really love to spend some time with you if you’re not busy, and we’re grilling steaks.” Minnie glanced toward Zoey and Tanner with a small smile. “Hello, Zoey, Tanner. Do you mind if I steal him away?”
Zoey shook her head, “No, Mrs. White. That’s fine, we were just on our way back to the Triple T to put away groceries, but Dalton should go with you. You guys have a few things to talk about.”
Dalton gave her a grateful smile, and then nodded. “Yeah, we do.”
Zoey accepted a small hand squeeze from Dalton, thankful and slightly disappointed that he didn’t offer a more public display of affection. She was, after all, in his brother’s arms in full view of the town.
Together, Zoey and Tanner watched him help Minnie to her car and leave with her. It felt as though in a matter of minutes a huge weight had been knocked off their shoulders. Dalton was staying in Stone River. He would have no reservations about it now, and that meant that all three Keegan men would be on the ranch for the rest of the time Zoey was.
Turning to face Tanner, she didn’t step away from his grip, she just placed her hand on his chest. “They aren’t the only ones that need to talk. I think we do too.”
Tanner stared down at her and she watched several emotions dance in his eyes before he took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay, but let’s get this stuff home first. If we’re going to talk, we’re going to do it alone.”
Zoey nodded and gave him a quick hug before letting him help her into the truck. The ride home was just as quiet as the ride into town, but the tension had drained away along with the sunshine. As she watched it sinking toward the horizon on the drive, apprehension and excitement warred in her belly. By confronting Tanner, she was either making the biggest move of her life, or the biggest mistake. Only time would tell.
Standing in the kitchen putting groceries away, Zoey had an odd sense of déjà vu as Tanner stood behind her watching, and waiting. Facing him was one of the hardest things she had ever done, but the anxiety on his face eased her own nerves.
Before she could speak, he held his hand out, “Come on, I know where we can go to be alone, and I want to show you something.”
Her heart skipped a beat as she placed her hand in his, and a flare of satisfaction lit his eyes. Just that little surrender to him obviously flipped his trigger. What would he do if she fell to her knees and begged him to love her? Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she lifted her chin, “Okay, but I need to let Clint know we’re leaving. He’ll worry if I don’t.”
Tanner’s head dipped, “Of course. I think he’s in the barn, so we can tell him while we saddle the horses.”
“Horses?” she asked in confusion.
To see the grin that split his face she would have ridden a horse across the country. “Yes, horses. That’s the only way to get to this spot on the ranch.”
She followed him out to the barn, their hands still laced together, and her heart racing. Clint was brushing patiently murmuring to an agitated mama horse when they came in the barn.
“How is she doing?” Tanner asked softly, and Clint glanced up in surprise, taking in their clenched hands with a raised eyebrow.
“Good. I think we’ll have a new one by morning.” Clint smiled at Zoey, “Hey, angel, did you get everything you needed in town?”
“Yeah, more than we expected.”
He stepped out of the stall and brushed a kiss over her lips, “Oh yeah, what else did you find besides groceries?”
“Minnie White.” She watched as his face registered the surprise.
“Oh shit. Where is Dalton, is he alright?” Gone was the playful teasing Clint she knew, and in his place stood a concerned brother.
Releasing her grip on Tanner, she stepped closer to Clint, and pressed her hand to his wide chest to ease him, “He’s fine. Minnie asked him back to their place to talk. It seems Dalton has been wrong about how they have felt all this time. He’ll be back later tonight. Oh, and he took the job from Doc, so I guess he’ll be staying permanently.”
Clint wrapped his hands around her waist, and swung her in a circle as he laughed, “I knew it! You are an angel! If it weren’t for you, none of this would have worked out.” His mouth captured hers in a passionate kiss that hinted at deeper emotions. Zoey chose to ignore the reciprocating flutter in her chest as she pulled away from him.
“You’re a goof, Hollywood.” She was giggling at him, but she stepped back to Tanner’s side. The tension in his shoulders seemed to relax a little when her hand slid back into his.
“So that’s how it is, huh? Leaving me to run off with my older brother?” Clint said. Tanner inhaled sharply, but Zoey could sense that Clint was just teasing her.
“Yep, but only for a little bit. Tanner wants to show me something on the ranch. You can eat leftovers if you’re hungry, or I will fix something when I get back.”
Clint’s eyes widened and a frown line appeared between them, “Angel, I have been handling myself for a long time, you don’t have to worry about taking care of me.”
She smiled, “I know, but I like to.”
“Well in that case, I’ll see you later for dinner.” Clint didn’t pull her away from the silent Tanner this time, instead he just stepped closer, pinning her between the two of them, and kissing her one more time like his life depended on it. She was stuck between two hard cocks based on the matching ridges behind their zippers, and she moaned with pleasure as her tongue danced with Clint’s.
When he finally released her, he met Tanner’s eyes with a cocky grin, “Take care of my angel, Skipper. I’m growing pretty attached to her.”
Tanner rolled his eyes and snorted before tugging her along behind him to the tack room to collect saddles for their mounts. As they rode out of the barn, Zoey caught a glimpse of Clint watching them from the shadows. He looked nervous and pleased all at once, and her stomach flipped over. This was it. No turning back now. She had to face Tanner head on—once and for all.
After about ten minutes of stewing over what to say, she got fidgety. The sun was almost set, and dusk was upon them. It would be much harder to ride back home in the dark, especially when she wasn’t a very experienced rider.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” she asked Tanner’s broad back with an irritated huff. He looked magnificent in the saddle. His button down shirt hugged his wide shoulders, and stretched over his flexing muscles, while his sexy ass fit the saddle perfectly. She imagined straddling him while he rode, and letting the rocking sway of the horse force his cock deep into her hot pu-ssy. For just a moment her fantasy got the best of her and she faded out. By the time she was aware of her surroundings again, she realized she hadn’t even heard whether or not he answered. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.”
“That’s because I didn’t answer you, baby. You need to learn patience. Good things come to those who wait.” Tanner didn’t even turn to acknowledge her while he spoke, he just kept up the same even gate on his mount, like he had nowhere important to be.
“And you need to stop playing mind games. It’s getting old.”
She might have said more, but they had just topped a small rise and she found herself staring down into a dark hollow of trees. It wasn’t unusual to see a spot of trees on the ranch, but smack dab in the center of this cropping was an enormous tree that seemed to be glowing in the dark.
“What is that?” her voice came out a breathless whisper, as awe overwhelmed her earlier ire.
“The glowing tree,” Tanner responded, watching her as she took in the spectacle.
“Is the tree actually glowing?” She cocked her head and narrowed her eyes trying to determine the cause of the light. It seemed to be moving all around that one huge oak.
“No, come on, let’s get closer.”
Tanner nudge her horse ahead of his, and she heard him chuckle when she realized the source of the light. “Fireflies!”
Thousands of the tiny beetle bugs were blinking in the shadows of the oak and its cousin trees. They swarmed over each other in the air in front of the thick trunk, making it look from a distance as though the tree itself was lit up.
“I don’t understand. How is this possible? Why are they all here?” she asked, allowing Tanner to help her dismount.
He shrugged, “No one really knows. Pops had some students from the University down here running tests, but they never came up with a good answer. It’s just always been like this. Every summer in the evening at dusk you can come out here and find this tree all lit up like it’s covered in Christmas lights.” He caught one of the glowing bugs as it broke away from its friends, and held it cupped in her hands for her to see. “This used to be the site of an old well, which is why the trees grow so tall right here. There is plenty of water still under ground to sustain them. When they tested the tree, they estimated it to be about a hundred and fifty years old.”
Zoey stared up into the glowing ball of creatures in awe. It was a truly magical sight. The sun was barely peeking over the horizon, so very little daylight remained, allowing the bioluminescence of the bugs to be that much brighter. In fact, the greenish yellow glow didn’t just light up that one spot. She was able to see into all corners of the small circle of trees. At least fifteen oak trees formed a unique little hollow that allowed the magnificent spectacle to safely occur.
“Why have I never heard about this?” she asked, taking a seat in the grass to watch the fireflies dance.
“It’s not like this is easily accessible, and if we started broadcasting that it was here, everyone would want to see it. The Keegan family has always felt like it was our duty to protect it.” Tanner sat next to her, leaning his back against one of the smaller trees for support. “I know I hurt you the other night, and I’m sorry. I thought I was doing the right thing by protecting you.”
Zoey turned to face him, biting back a sigh as the glow of the fireflies lit his face so that she could see his frown. “I know you weren’t trying to hurt me, but it seems like you’re always protecting me. Don’t you understand that I’m not looking for a knight in shining armor? I want a partner in life, but I want that person to be willing to stand behind me when I need to handle my own business. Sure, I want him to be willing to take up the sword for me if necessary, but that doesn’t mean he’ll have to.”
Tanner shook his head, “You can’t have it both ways. I’m a controlling person. I like things in my life to be neat and orderly, and—”
“And you have a strong sense of obligation and responsibility. All of those qualities are things that I love about you,” Zoey responded, laying her hand in his, and squeezing him. “What else is stopping you?”
Tanner remained quiet for several moments, and Zoey was afraid he wouldn’t answer. When he finally did, his answer surprised her. “I don’t know if I can share you.”
She stared at him in confusion, “Wait, you didn’t want me when I offered myself to you, but now that your brothers want me you don’t want to share me?”
“No! Yes! fu-ck, I don’t know. Look, I think of myself as Dominant in the bedroom.”
Zoey’s laugh rang out, “Did you think I would turn you away for being bossy in bed?”
“Do you know what Dominant means? It means I have to have control of certain things, but it mainly means I want my partner’s complete trust and I want to protect and coddle her.”
She nodded, “Yeah, I know what it means, Tanner. I’ve read plenty of erotic romances, and I have a few submissive fantasies of my own. What I don’t understand is why you think I would turn you away for that.”
“I’ve gone to a local BDSM club with Parker to see if it suited me. It did in some ways, but the biggest thing that it taught me is that I’m not a lifestyle Dom. I like to play, and add elements of BDSM into my sex, but I don’t want anyone referring to me as Master, or expecting me to pick out her clothes.”
Zoey sighed with relief making Tanner laugh this time. “I’m glad to hear it, because I’m not sure I could call you Master without laughing.”
“fu-ck, I’m making a mess out of this.” He jumped to his feet and began pacing. “Doms don’t share.”
“Why?” Zoey didn’t move from where she sat, but her body was quivering with nerves. Could she possibly make him understand?
“Why? What do you mean why? What kind of Dom would I be if I shared my woman with two other men? With my brothers, no less.”
She waited for him to turn and meet her gaze. “Do you think less of Parker for his choice to share Rachel?”
“No, but that’s different.”
“Uh, pot meet kettle. It is not different. Parker shares Rachel with his brothers because he can see how much she loves them all. He’s willing to do what’s best for her first and foremost. Have you ever even bothered to talk to him or Rogan, or even Sawyer or Hudson? They will tell you that they make time to be alone with Rachel as well as all together because that’s what she needs. Rachel has even gone to The Cage with Parker. They enjoy a little bondage and discipline play occasionally, but the other guys don’t as much.” Zoey stood and brushed the grass off her butt, “You know, at one time I thought that you were the strongest man I knew. The kind of man who didn’t take shit from anyone, and would always be there when he was needed. I need you, Tanner. I need you, Dalton, and Clint, but if I can’t have all of you, then I don’t want any.”
She spun on her heel and walked back to her horse leaving Tanner behind. It took her a couple of tries to get her foot in the stirrup because she was struggling to see clearly through the tears in her eyes, but once she did, she turned her horse and set off for the ranch house. She didn’t care that it was dark and she was alone, all that mattered was her desire to escape the pain in her gut. Her make or break moment had broken her heart into millions of pieces. Tanner would never let go of his ideals enough to even try.
A few seconds later the sound of a horse came up hard and fast behind her, startling her and her mount. Turning, she saw the hard line of Tanner’s jaw in the moonlight before he reached out and grabbed her reins from her hand.
"I'm not good enough for you, damn it. Don't you get that?" His chest heaved and she stared back in stunned fascination as he glared at her.
"What?"
"I'm a rancher, not some college educated doctor, or anything. I'm just a cowboy who works his fingers to the bone from dawn to dusk. I'm in the saddle just minutes after I swig a pot of coffee, and I fall out of the saddle when the hunger in my belly gets too bad to think straight. Occasionally I want to be able to tie a woman up, and spank her ass, or tease her until we’re both mindless. I want her to submit to me, and trust me with every ounce of herself because she knows that all I want is what’s best for her. You have to just stay away from me. I know you think that you want me, but you don't deserve this life, Zoey. You deserve so much more."
Refusing to be pushed away, she reached out and pulled the reins back into her grip, “What in the world gave you the idea that I needed a man with a college education to make me happy? And I will gladly let you tie me down and fu-ck me senseless, spank me, flog me, dominate me. Please! All I have ever wanted is for you to give us a chance. I've wanted you for years, and every time I've gotten close to you, you've pushed me away. Do you know what that does to a girl’s self-esteem?"
"I told you I never meant to hurt you. I was trying to protect you. I am happy for you and my brothers, but I can't get in the middle of it. Those two are what you need.”
"You’re right, I do want Dalton," Zoey said softly, and her heart clenched when Tanner's strong shoulders drooped in defeat.
"But I want you too, and for the record, I want Clint as well. Yes, I know that's stingy, and ridiculous, and maybe it all started out of pure jealousy over my best friend having four hot men—" A low growl rumbled out of his chest. "Oh shut up, they are hot, but not as hot as you three. Maybe I started out wanting to try a ménage, and ended up finding out that I need it too. I want all three of you. For the long haul, however we can make it work. I don't care if you're in the saddle six days a week, as long as at night you're in my bed, and on Sundays you make time for me. Don't you get it you jackass? I love you."
Tanner’s jaw dropped open, and he and his horse came to a dead stop. Zoey slowed her own horse, and turned to face him. Moving closer so she could see the expression on his face in the faint light, she waited for the hammer to drop. She had admitted her feelings for him, now he would go running.
"Tanner?"
He lifted his gaze to meet hers, and she had to take a deep breath at the heat in his eyes. "Sundays, huh?"
"Sundays. All day long."
They stared each other down for a few more moments before she spoke again. “You were my rock, Tanner, when everything else in my world fell apart I was able to come to you for unconditional help. I don’t care what you do for a living, or where you’ve been or will go in your life, but I won’t accept you saying you aren’t good enough for me. Period. You have been my protector for too long, now it’s up to you to make the choice to be my lover too.”
He leaned over, and took her chin between his thumb and forefinger, forcing her to lean to the side in her saddle to meet him in a kiss. Their lips smashed together, teeth clashing, tongues battling, and Zoey’s pu-ssy wept for joy.
When they finally pulled apart they were both panting for air and Tanner was grinning. “We need to get home, so I can show you just how much that means to me, baby.”
Turning her horse, she laughed, “Then what are we waiting for, cowboy? Let’s go!”
As much as Zoey wanted to gallop across the grass to the ranch house, she knew it wasn’t safe in the dark. Instead, she followed his lead slowly but carefully back home. Once there, he took both horses from her and pressed a quick kiss to her mouth. “My room, fifteen minutes.”