Page 52 of Going Deep

Sometimes sex meant so much more than just bodies grinding together. When it was done right.

She rose up on her elbows and shoved her hair out of her eyes. She couldn’t see what time it was, but from the angle of the moonlight slatting across the floor, it had to be late. They’d all have to get up in a couple hours.

What she should do was roll over and snuggle back in to sleep. But where was the fun in that?

Carefully, she lifted Colt’s arm and nudged aside Drake’s heavy leg. They both tended to wrap around her in sleep. It was the sweetest thing. Yeah, she got a little too warm and she’d choked a couple times from waking up with a mouthful of Drake’s chest hair, but she had few complaints.

So few she was waiting for the other boot to not only drop, but break a toe or two.

She scooted down to the end of the bed, and tossing a glance back, threw her legs over the footboard. The hardwood floor chilled her bare feet. She stood and, after taking another quick look back to make sure they were still sleeping, padded downstairs. A moment’s debate at the coa

t closet had her shrugging on Drake’s barn coat, though she knew she’d be sweltering in no time. She found her cowboy boots and slipped those on as well, giggling a little at the odd picture she must make in her getup. She was happy enough not to care.

Walking outside into the preternaturally still night was like stepping into another world. Darkness lay heavy on the trees and shrubs and draped the fences with thick cobwebs of gloom in spite of the slice of the moon high in the sky. The glow illuminated the stables, but it didn’t touch many of the paths and fields. In the distance, night creatures scurried and the fall wind skittered branches not yet bare. The grass gleamed from the sprinkler’s fresh dampening, and she breathed in the smell of overturned earth, manure and cool, clear water.

Out there, there was a whole world to explore. She’d begun to examine the one inside herself, the parts of who she was that were only being revealed with Colt and Drake, but she longed to learn more about the place she lived. She wanted to ride in the dark, with her hair blowing in the breeze and her inhibitions gone.

She just wanted, so fucking much.

Her feet started moving without conscious design toward the barn. Just inside the entrance, she fumbled for one of the lanterns hanging on the wall. The soft whinnies and snuffling of the horses made her smile. She loved the big beasts and needed to make more time in her schedule to spend with them. Maybe she could help out with—

“Oh,” she gasped, coming to a stop. They had half a dozen horses, with more being cycled in and out all the time, but the first stall contained a beautiful palomino with the most soulful eyes she’d seen. “You’re beautiful, aren’t you?”

Paige stepped closer and reached for one of the baby carrots in a dispenser near the stalls. First she held out the back of her hand, letting the pretty horse sniff her out, before turning her hand and revealing the treat. The horse gratefully took the carrot, chomping silently while she observed Paige out of those all-knowing eyes.

“You’re pregnant,” Paige said in surprise, taking in the swollen rise of her belly when she turned to move deeper into her living quarters. She looked pretty far along, though Paige wasn’t an expert on horse husbandry. If she continued spending time with her guys, she’d learn. She wanted to. They were such wonderful animals. Kind and strong warriors.

Maybe someday she’d have a horse of her own. Get out of her apartment above the Chinese restaurant and stop working so much, perhaps buy a place with enough acreage she could ride and work the land. All the things she’d dreamed about when she was living in the Northeast, taking accounting classes and planning for the day she could take over her grandparents’ business and really make something of herself.

The crunch of footsteps made her whirl around. Drake stood in the doorway, bare-chested, his hand tucked in the pocket of his tight jeans. Shadows clung to him in interesting places, highlighting the dips and hollows of his muscles and the vee above his low-slung jeans.

Holy shit, he was hot.

“Her name is Cupcake.”

“She’s gorgeous.” Paige swallowed over the sexual-fog-induced dryness in her throat. The unexpected sight of Drake or Colt had that effect on her with surprising regularity. “They all are,” she said, glancing around at the other horses poking their heads over their stalls.

He didn’t speak. Which probably meant he was pissed at waking up to find her gone. Had he worried?

Nah, he was probably just annoyed at having to do his civic duty to ensure her safety. Worry indicated…more.

“I didn’t realize you had one about to foal,” she said into the silence, worrying his coat’s braided leather belt.

Cripes, she’d forgotten she’d gone outside in just her nightgown and his coat. A couple of stablehands lived in the outbuilding just a few feet away. What was she thinking? One of them could’ve wandered out to check out the light she’d turned on at any time. She wasn’t indecent, and she also wasn’t embarrassed about being with the guys, but did she need to fuel the gossip fire that much?

An abundance of excellent sex had obviously addled her brain.

“Yeah, she’s got a couple weeks left at most.” He walked closer, his footsteps heavy on the haystrewn concrete. She was shivering long before his mouth settled against the pulse in her throat. “You weren’t planning on defying us and going out on a ride, were you, baby?”

“Defying you?” Her voice was as shaky as her body was burning up. From desire and irritation, from chagrin and defiance. God, so many emotions were pinging around inside her right now. “What am I, a horse you need to train?”

“No, you’re a smart, sexy, funny woman who makes us crazy.” His teeth skimmed the frenetic beat under her skin and liquid pooled between her legs. “It’s not safe,” he said again, and she closed her eyes before he could see her roll them. “Not just because of coyotes, but there are snakes and other animals in the underbrush. All kinds of things to make a horse jump.”

“I wouldn’t have gone far—”

“Not at all. Do you understand me?” He turned her toward him and cupped her chin with one hand. The other palmed her breast through her nearly sheer gown. “We won’t risk you. Or allow you to risk yourself.”

“I’m not some rube. I’ve lived here for six years,” she began, finding it hard to speak while his calloused thumb tormented her tight nipple through the material.

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