A Pair of Jacks (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Read online

  It seemed safe enough, she told herself, knowing Yuri couldn’t find them here, at least not for awhile. They had time to plan, time to decide how to handle Marie’s future if Yuri Yanukovich wasn’t killed. As long as he drew a breath, Marie knew the Russian would keep coming after her. Her life was pretty much fucked as she saw it for as long as Yuri Yanukovich lived.

  She lost track of time as she sat thinking about her future, or the lack thereof. She thought she could have stayed all night if she hadn’t heard the stealthy padding of feet circling her in the underbrush. Marie didn’t have much experience in the wilderness, but she didn’t think an animal circling her classified as a good thing.

  She didn’t know what she faced. Out here in the wilds, it could be a bear, a coyote, or maybe a wolf. She shuddered at the thought. Wolves terrified her. Ironic, she could face down an international assassin in the crowded slums of a city, but she grew close to losing it as she heard the stealthy footsteps of an animal to her hiding spot. Her panic continued to bubble inside her chest and her heart beat so fast, she thought she might pass out. Fainting would be bad, she thought. Really bad.

  “Jack.” His name came out as nothing more than a choked whisper.

  Through the trees, she watched the shadows darken and move with liquid stealth. Oh, God! Several shadows melted into the night. It was a pack of wolves. She would be torn to pieces just like the two men in the story. Why hadn’t they attacked yet? If she remained frozen with fear would they still assault her? As if to answer to her unspoken question, one of the wolves snarled in a low threatening growl that sent ice through Marie’s veins.

  “Jack!”

  She screamed so loud, the shadows stopped moving forward, disappearing back into the thicket of trees. For good measure, Marie screamed again. Her throat muscles burned from the raw power of her shriek.

  A wolf howled in the distant night and Marie leaped from the boulder, running as hard as she dared through the thick underbrush in the dim light. Tears blurred her vision as she continued to scream Jack’s name. She made it to the clearing before she heard the pounding of hooves bearing down on her and turned to see Jack galloping toward her on Ranger.

  He was pushing Ranger to the limit as he ran him hard in her direction. As he drew close, Jack leaned over, scooping her off the ground with one arm, knocking the breath out of her as he pulled her up onto the saddle, settling her on his lap. Once she was secure in his arms, he gently eased back on the reins, pulling Ranger to a slow trot. The horse could sense the wolves nearby and it pranced nervously, jolting Marie against Jack with uncomfortable jerks that would have knocked her off the saddle if it hadn’t been for her clinging around his neck like a frightened child. Which was exactly what she felt like with tears leaking uncontrollably from her eyes and her heart beating much too quickly.

  His large hand cupped the back of her head, pushing her into his chest, holding her tightly against him until he got Ranger slowed to a walk. “Good boy,” he encouraged the horse, turning him toward the nearby stream to let the animal get a drink of water after the long run.

  “It’s okay,” he murmured into Marie’s hair. “You’re fine.”

  She was trembling violently. Jack dropped the reins and put both arms around her. “They’ve gone. You’re safe. They were just curious about you.”

  Marie nestled her head under his chin, feeling the stubble of a day’s beard beginning on his chin. She reached up to touch his face, running her fingers across the roughness, searching for something to bind her to normalcy.

  “I’m afraid of wolves,” she confessed. “I know it’s silly, but I’d have rather faced a bear.”

  Jack chuckled. “A bear, huh? Well, you don’t want to go tangling with either bears or wolves, okay? I told you to stay close.”

  “I know.” Marie tilted her face up to place a kiss on the underside of his jaw, feeling the roughness of his beard stubble against the softness of her lips. “Thanks for coming for me.”

  Jack tightened his grip on her and she felt a swelling in his jeans making a hard lump under her butt. She squirmed against him, trying to relieve the pressure, her heartbeat quickening for a different reason as she felt him strain against the material at her movement.

  “I’ll take you back to the ranch,” he said hurriedly, the sound of his voice provocatively raw with need.

  “Not yet,” Marie whispered, touching her lips to the stubble on his chin one more time. She licked her tongue across his jaw, enjoying the coarseness.

  Jack swallowed, and she felt him tense as her hands began to lift the bottom of his t-shirt.

  “Marie?”

  “Shhh,” she murmured, running her hands over the warmth of his body under the shirt, and feeling the ripple of his muscles as they danced under the tips of her fingers.

  * * * *

  Jack told himself she was using him to erase the memory of the day. She needed the mindless escape of sex, and he could almost forgive Reno for giving her comfort at the ranch. Sometimes, just to feel was enough. No emotional attachment, just the physical touch of another human to chase away the thoughts. He could understand that, he’d done it more than once himself. But could he live with it this time?

  Marie looked up at him. Her cinnamon colored eyes were still luminous with the aftermath of tears. Jack’s heart slammed against his chest trying to avoid the inevitable. He wasn’t going to escape this without getting hurt. He told himself he couldn’t have fallen for her this fast. But the shaking of his hands let him know he was only lying to himself.

  Gathering her face in his hands, he used his thumbs to wipe away the last traces of moisture before lowering his mouth to kiss the corner of her lips. His kiss was gentle this time, tasting the salt of tears that had gathered in the corner of her rosebud mouth.

  She wrapped her arms more tightly around him under the softness of his t-shirt and her hands stroked his back with encouragement. He moved his lips over her mouth, nudging her with his tongue and slipping inside as she opened for him with a sigh of enjoyment. Jack felt her body relax, melting into him. She was as pliant as a kitten when his hands found her breasts and caressed them, feeling the weight and the firm softness.

  He didn’t want to wait any longer. While she placed kisses on his face and neck, he unbuttoned her shirt, opening it wide for his viewing pleasure. His breath caught when he found the center clasp of her bra and freed her breasts to the moonlight. God, she is beautiful.

  He simply stared at her for a moment, watching her nipples harden under the cool night air. Dipping his head, he flicked one taut nipple with his tongue, and she flinched with the sensitivity of a woman already aroused.

  Sitting back in the saddle, he watched her face as his fingers rolled her nipples gently, playfully squeezing them between his thumbs and fingers. It was erotic to watch her eyes flicker shut as the sensation became so strong she shuddered with the joy of it, arching her back, inviting him to do more.

  Jack dropped his head to take her in his mouth, sucking hard as he steadied her with a firm hand on her back. She dropped her head back against her shoulders, moaning softly as his teeth scraped across the swollen tips of her full breasts.

  When he withdrew his mouth, her hands found the buckle of his belt.

  “Wait.”

  He pulled her into his arms and dismounted, dropping lightly to the ground like she weighed no more than a feather. He kissed her once before setting her feet on the ground so that he could pull a blanket out of one of the saddlebags. With an expert flip of his wrist, he tossed the blanket onto the grass.

  “C’mere, Marie.” He held his arms out to her as he settled onto the woolen blanket. She melted into his embrace, drawing a sigh of contentment as he lowered them both to the ground.

  Rolling half on top of her, Jack kissed Marie from her mouth to the rosy tips of her breasts, pulling at each nipple with a deliberate tug of his lips while his tongue rolled her against the roof of his mouth. She bucked up against him, moaning his nam
e softly, nudging him with her hips.

  Jack lifted her enough to slip her shirt off her back before he began unbuttoning her jeans. She was impatient, moving under his hands, pushing against his fingers as he combed through the tangled softness of her triangle, brushing one finger against the swollen nub of her clit.

  She sucked in her breath and stiffened, wanting more, but Jack left her pussy to tug the jeans down over her hips, giving his hands freedom to roam where they pleased. When she was naked, he drew back from her, enjoying her beauty as he pulled his t-shirt over his head, tossing it down on the hat he’d set aside.

  Next, he toed out of his cowboy boots and shucked his jeans, leaving him naked and ready for her touch. His cock was so hard, it hurt, pushing upward, straining with the need to thrust inside of her.

  Fuck. She held up her arms for him and his heart did a double flip of anticipation. She is so fucking beautiful. He hadn’t wanted a woman the way he wanted her in a very long time. It was more than her beauty. It was her spirit. She’d been devastated by Xavier’s death, but she held up and didn't make herself a burden. When she told her story, she didn’t see herself as a victim of a lonely childhood. She had inner strength that Jack admired. Not to mention the woman had sexy in spades. And here she lay with her arms upraised and her angel face waiting for his kiss.

  Jack lowered himself to her, taking her mouth with his while his hand cupped her pussy, feeling the moistness of her need and the heat of her desire. His fingers traveled the seam of her body, gently pushing her apart so he could explore.

  He knew the second he hit the right spot. She gasped, arching her back, shoving her hips tighter against his hand as his fingers did a slow, stroking exploration of her. She twisted and sighed, breathing out his name as her hands cupped the back of his head, drawing him into a nearly painful kiss.

  He let her come apart as his fingers pinched the swollen bud of her clit. He knew he’d timed it right when she clawed at his shoulder with an urgency that made him shiver as her nails scored his skin.

  “Ohhhh, Jack, don’t stop…please don’t stop,” Marie begged, spiraling into an orgasm that left her breathing ragged as Jack coaxed the last bit of sensation out of her body. He watched her swim in the climax he offered her, thinking he’d never seen a woman so open to pleasure without the need to make it a relationship.

  When she opened her eyes to smile at him, Jack settled over her, nudging her legs apart, so he could cradle himself in the V of her legs. His erection found its way home, pushing between the sensitive folds of her pussy to enter the tight confines of her body.

  Marie liked it hard, Jack read that early in her reactions. He gave it to her like she wanted, without hesitation. When the engorged head of his cock pushed through the outer barrier of Marie’s cunt, Jack shoved his hips forward, hard, burying himself in her liquid heat.

  Marie returned his passion, straining upward, helping him as he shoved into her. Fuck, she’s tight. She clamped around him with every thrust he made. Her legs wrapped around his waist and her heels dug into his hips, pushing him deeper into her pussy with every stroke.

  Jack groaned low in his chest and Marie did some little thing with her inner muscles that made his head spin. He plunged into her with a controlled passionate violence and she whimpered in pleasure, her legs tightening their hold around his hips. Unconsciously, she dug her fingernails into the skin of his shoulders, sinking deep enough to draw blood.

  “Fuck, woman.” He was breathing so hard, he could barely speak. His balls ached to be released and he stroked faster, groaning as she deliberately worked those inner muscles again, contracting on him until he thought he’d explode.

  “Jack.” She screamed, and he came, his climax tearing through him, slamming into Marie as she jerked up to meet him, pulling his head down for a kiss. Her body twisted against his on the knife-edge of her orgasm and Jack felt his own body begin to shake, his muscles tense in response, and he gave her everything he had, collapsing against her when they both had reached their limit.

  Chapter Six

  Reno was waiting for them on the porch when they rode back to the ranch. Jack dismounted with Marie in his arms, refusing to put her down. He carried her up the steps and into the house like he might a small child.

  “She okay?” Reno asked worriedly.

  Jack pushed past him, heading upstairs to the bedroom. “She’s fine. Got a little scare from a pack of wolves.”

  Reno’s eyes narrowed when he got a good look at Marie under the house lights. “Yeah, I can see how scared she is.”

  Jack glanced down at Marie, giving himself away in the process. She didn’t look scared. She looked like a woman who had been well fucked and thoroughly satisfied. Her lips were swollen, her cheeks flushed pink and her eyes looked dewy and unmistakably content.

  “Leave it alone, Reno,” Jack warned, glancing at the man who had been his brother for the last twenty-five years. He knew Reno wanted her too, but hell, Reno wanted every beautiful woman he came in contact with. And he usually got her, too. Marie was different. Jack wasn’t going to let Reno have a fling and then move on like he always did. Except, in all fairness, none of the ladies Reno left behind seemed to complain. He’d stayed friends with most of them. Well, maybe not with Debbie Branson. She still wanted to cut his balls off, but she was the exception.

  Jack carried Marie all the way to her bedroom, setting her down gently, smiling once before he lowered his face to kiss her goodnight. “You get scared, or have bad dreams, you yell, okay? I’m next door.”

  “I’m on the other side,” Reno said dryly, standing in the doorway, leaning his shoulder against the doorframe with his arms crossed. “If you don’t want to wake up Jack, just thump on the wall, honey. I’ll hear you.”

  The men glared at each other, but it was a good-natured challenge. Marie laughed, stepping forward, hugging them both in turn. “I’ll be fine. Thanks for everything, guys. See you in the morning.

  * * * *

  Reno settled into bed, putting his hands behind his head. He should back off. It was obvious Jack wanted the woman, but damn, something about her made it impossible to just hand her over to his brother without a fight.

  He thought back to the times he and Jack had shared everything in their lives. He could remember being four years old and staying with his grandparents while his mother and father went to the hospital to bring him back a new brother. Reno was pretty excited about having a brother. He really wanted an older brother so he could hang around with him in the park and play ball without Mom watching him, but he’d take a younger one. In a year, when he was a big kid, he could take his little brother to the park by himself.

  It had been a miserable winter night, cold and rainy with a lot of snow coming down. That excited Reno even more because he knew it was close to Christmas and he’d get to show the baby all the lights and presents. His mom told him the baby wouldn’t understand, but Reno hadn’t known how anyone couldn’t understand what Christmas was.

  He lay awake for hours, worrying his grandma half to death by repeatedly asking when they’d be back with the baby. She finally got firm enough with him that he stayed silent, but as soon as she left the room, he went to the bedroom window, watching for the car to return.

  He fell asleep with his head on the windowsill when flashing red and blue lights woke him up. He first thought his dad had made a surprise for him, bringing the baby home in a police car. Sometimes Dad did stuff like that. He was a cop, and once in a while, he took Reno for a ride, letting him turn on the lights and siren when they reached the town limits and no houses were nearby for the noise to disturb.

  Reno jumped up, planning to greet them when one of the officers looked up at the window where he stood and it wasn’t his dad. A woman officer looked up at him with tears on her face. Reno got a really bad feeling. When his parents thought he was asleep, they’d talked about things they didn’t want him to hear. He remembered his dad talking about going to people’s houses to tell
them someone had died. Reno wondered who had died that his grandma knew.

  After Christmas, he went to live with his aunt and uncle, Sallie and Walter Eagleman, because his grandma said at her age she couldn’t raise him. Grandma explained that Aunt Sallie and his mom were sisters. She promised him Aunt Sallie would care for him like his mom, too.

  Despite the love he found in the Eagleman home, Reno talked a lot about the baby brother that had been killed in the car wreck that also took both of his parents’ lives. If he couldn’t have his mom and dad back, he still wanted a brother.

  Reno smiled to himself remembering that’s what he’d asked for the next Christmas. He remembered the shocked look on Sallie and Walter’s faces, and the whispered conversations he’d overheard when they thought he wasn’t paying attention, but it wasn’t long before seven-year-old Jack came home to live with them and be his older brother.

  Jack took the job of being an older brother way too seriously. And that was the problem. Reno owed Jack a lot, even more than Sallie and Walter knew. He fixed just about every mess Reno got into as a kid, and Reno managed to get into several. Jack took the fall when Reno stole a car in their high school days. He sat silently, taking all the blame while Walter berated him for doing such a stupid thing. The car belonged to a friend of Walter’s and that was the only reason it didn’t go on Jack’s record. The man refused to press charges when he found out about Jack’s involvement.

  Now, Reno thought his brother wanted this woman and he should just step out of the way and let things progress in their normal fashion, except he couldn’t. Something in Marie’s striking cinnamon colored eyes held him captive. She wasn’t like the other women he had toyed with. If he had to put his finger on the difference, he couldn’t have explained what it was. But he’d find out. Given time, he’d know exactly what made Marie Maxwell so special.