Page 224 of Ride a Cowboy

Bridget felt a wave of relief pass through her. “Oh thank God. I mean, not that she’s dead, but?—”

“I know what you mean, Bridget.”

“What are we going to do?”

“I was going to see how you felt about staying here at the ranch tonight.”

It was what she wanted, what she was about to request, but she was surprised to hear Rodney suggest it. “Here? Why?”

“Because I think I’m finally selling the last of my soul to the devil. I’m going to break into a dead woman’s house to look for a flash drive.”

“I’ll come with you.”

Rodney quickly refused. “The hell you will. I’ve broken every rule beaten into my head during my police training since we left Oklahoma. Leave me some scrap of dignity. I’ll feel a hell of a lot safer with you here. Besides you’re about as quiet as a bass drum. I can’t imagine how hard it would be to go into someone’s house undercover with you.”

She narrowed her eyes, ready to protest his insult, but they didn’t have time for the argument. And he was right. She was clumsy as hell, especially in the dark.

“Fine. I’ll stay here. What happens if you don’t find anything?”

Rodney sighed. “Then I’m afraid we may have to crash the reception after the funeral. Maybe try to question the relatives. Somehow.”

She could tell from his tone Rodney didn’t like that option.

“You two didn’t make it very far,” Mark said as he joined them.

Rodney quickly shoved the obituary back in his pocket as Mark handed Bridget a sweatshirt.

“Not sure where Jessie keeps her sweatshirts and I didn’t think she’d appreciate me rifling through her drawers. Brought you one of mine. Might be a bit big.”

“This is perfect. Thanks.” For several minutes, she tagged along as Mark showed Rodney around the stable, introducing him to the horses. It gave her time to consider Lyle’s message. They’d broken the first half of the code and it had led them to Ellen Updyke in Saratoga. Bridget silently prayed Rodney would find the flash drive tonight, so they could put the rest of infuriating puzzle away.

After dinner, Rodney claimed he had a headache and announced he was heading back to the inn for the night. Neither of the twins questioned his departure, obviously assuming she’d set it up with him because of their invitation.

Jacob declined to watch a movie with them, opting instead to head to bed with a book.

Matt grasped her hand and started to take her into the living room, but she held back.

“Where’s your bedroom?” she asked. She’d spent most of dinnertime alternating between anxious butterflies in her stomach and an ache between her legs. She wanted to sleep with Matt and Mark, even if the idea of taking on two wholly masculine, very virile men at the same time made her nervous as hell.

Mark pulled her close. “Bridget, we don’t have to do anything tonight if you aren’t ready. There’s a guest room that you’re more than welcome to?—”

She held up her hand. “Stop right there. The only way I’m sleeping in a guest room is if you two are with me.”

Matt took the hand she’d raised in his and led her down the hallway. “Then so be it. Both of our bedrooms are upstairs, but so is Jacob’s. Tonight we’ll sleep in the guest room. Lucky for us, it has a nice, big bed.”

She followed Matt into the room, then turned to watch Mark close the door and lock it.

He gave her a guilty grin. “Just making sure we’re not disturbed. Jake is a nosy fucker. Wouldn’t put it past him to come looking for us later when we don’t come up.”

She giggled. “Do you think he’ll be scandalized when he realizes we’re all in here together?”

Mark shook his head. “My kid brother? Hell no, nothing shocks that guy.”

Matt turned her to face him. She sucked in a breath at the pure hunger in his gaze. Rather than speak, he simply bent forward and kissed her. His lips grazed hers softly at first before he deepened the action. She reached up to wrap her arms around his neck, letting her fingers glide through his thick, dark hair.

His hands grasped her face, gently turning her head this way and that so he could advance the kiss, keep his lips on hers. It was heady, dizzying, perfect.

She heard Mark approach, felt his hands grip her waist from behind. He didn’t try to break her and Matt apart. Instead, he added his warmth to the union, pressing his lips softly against the back of her head.

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