Glancing at Richard’s darkening countenance, Maya clicked on the next one, which was written later in the same day. The e-mails started the day she’d left and continued through last night. The tone was the same in all of them, perhaps more annoying as they wore on, but all with the same high-handed manner.
“Well, that answers your question about flying home alone, doesn’t it?” There was no arguing the point, given the serious tone Richard used. If the situation wasn’t so troubling she might have found his territorial display endearing. Where did Frank get off harassing her like this when she’d made it clear she was through dating him? The tone of his e-mails sounded like he thought she was playing hard-to-get. Perhaps she hadn’t been clear enough when she talked to him.
“He’s pushy, but I hardly think—”
“Even if it was okay with me, which it’s not, Boone and Kendall will never allow it. We’ll go with you and help you pack up and make arrangements. One of us will drive your car back, too, so you have your own transportation.”
Pick your battles, Maya. “I understand. I just didn’t want to take you away from work.”
“You don’t need to worry about that. Chance and Clayton are both big on family and will understand. There are plenty of guys who can pick up the slack for us. We’re going on an overnight cattle haul with them soon.”
“I know. Boone mentioned it this morning,” Maya said as she selected all of Frank’s e-mails and deleted them with a click of the mouse. “I’m not sure what to do about Frank.”
“You let us worry about him. Your hand looks much better,” he said as he stroked the healing bruise surrounding the bite marks on her hand then kissed her knuckle.
Nice try, big boy. It was a decent effort at changing the subject.
“It’s better every day. What are you going to do about Frank?”
“Nothing, unless he shows up while we’re in San Marcos. He’ll get the picture soon enough.”
“I love when you go all protective He-Man on me, Richard. It’s sweet.”
Richard smiled at her, but she still detected a trace of unease in his posture.
“I don’t have any idea why Frank is so ‘into’ me. I never encouraged him or led him on. I was trying to be ‘just friends’ with him until he got pushy.”
“Sending you all those e-mails and the text messages you told us about seems like stalking behavior to me. You won’t have anything to worry about with the three of us with you. If you’re done here, why don’t you go put on that little bikini I saw you unpacking earlier?”
The heat in Richard’s eyes told her he wanted to see her in it, as well as out of it. She was fine with that.
* * * *
“You want to know what I think?” Boone asked her later that afternoon as they lay with their heads juxtaposed on the big flat rock. She was enjoying the cool breeze as it blew over her damp skin. Boone picked up a damp lock of her long, blonde hair and twiddled it between his fingers before releasing it to play in a similar fashion with her hardened nipple through the damp material of her bikini top.
“What?”
In his other hand he held the erotic romance novel she’d been reading out there a couple of days before. The pages were now slightly damp, much like the space between her legs.
“I think you should read us a bedtime story from Ms. Oak’s novel, here. She clearly knows a thing or two about ménage and I’m willing to bet her words would inspire my brothers as much as she’s inspired me,” he murmured as he laid the book aside and turned to crouch over her. She glanced down at the pronounced bulge at the groin of his cutoffs and hoped she’d soon be the grateful beneficiary of Sophie Oak’s inspiration.
She giggled as water from his wet hair dripped down on her and shrieked when he shook his head so droplets flew in all directions around her.
The four of them had just enjoyed a quick dip in the cold creek. At the moment, Richard and Kendall were retrieving the picnic basket she’d brought with them as well as a large blanket, which they were laying out in a shaded secluded spot under a tree on the bank.
She traced the sexy red tribal tattoo on Boone’s right bicep as he gazed down at her. Her cunt pulsed with the memory of his lovemaking the night before. He’d been careful, but forceful and demanding of her as well. She sighed longingly as she recalled the way he’d held her so tightly that she’d felt restrained, powerless, and insanely turned-on.
His dark brown eyes were hard to read, but the smile on his lips was tender and contented-looking. His neatly trimmed moustache and beard prickled as he leaned down and kissed her. She yielded to him as he wrapped his strong arms around her and embraced her tightly.