Page 2 of Eye of Her Storm

“And how your voice gets all breathy.”

“How you press your thighs together.”

“The flush that rides up into your—”

“Stop it,” she exclaimed, her voice all breathy and full of lust.

Damn. It!

“Fine. Fine, you caught me. Yes, I want you. But here’s the thing,” she said, grasping for straws. “I want four guys. Not just you two. I want the whole Daly package. Four cowboys. All. Night. Long. Permanently.”

Again, lies…but she was desperate and not thinking quickly with the pain stabbing through her skull. Spinning on her heel, she walked away before either man replied.

But you wouldn’t mind two, would you? You like how Seth and Tai smell—all the time— and it turns you on, even when they’re all muddy and sweaty from the range.

Her stupid inner voice needed to shut the fuck up. Determined to escape her thoughts, the men hounding her and the noise of the wedding reception, she marched toward the tent’s exit. She’d already spoken with the bride and groom, and they knew she was heading out early, so she made a beeline for outside without detouring to see them. Her bed and the oblivion of migraine meds beckoned.

The cool autumn air hit her hard as she stepped outside the cavernous, white tent erected for the reception. Suddenly dizzy from the rapid change in temperature, she grabbed for the top of the split-rail fence running beside the path. Her unsteady legs wobbled, and she staggered slightly. This damn headache! Breathing heavily, she pressed her palm above her left eye, hoping the reverse pressure could dull the throbbing. Nothing helped, not really.

“Hey! Are you all right?” A strong arm curled around her waist to steady her, while another went around her shoulders. Seth. Tai. And right now, she had no strength left to fight them. Weakly, she leaned on their support while they helped her to a bench a few feet away.

“I’m not drunk. Promise,” she insisted, wishing their arms didn’t feel so good as they braced her. “I’ll be okay in a second.”

“Shh…” Tai urged, tugging her onto his lap and pulling her head to his shoulder. Seth sat against him, angling her legs over his thighs. He curled his fingers under her exposed calf, holding her there. His other arm went around Tai, while Tai held her and kissed her temple. They must look like quite the cozy trio. Right then, despite all her protesting not moments ago, she just didn’t care. She needed their strength and their warmth. Just for a few minutes before she went home. Alone. Because truth be told, she was scared. Really, really scared. Not of these men or the relationship they offered or being tied to one place or the Daly Way that often came with living here.

No, she terrified her. Her own body scared the life out of her.

Being a nurse, she knew this pain wasn’t good. The doctor she worked for hadn’t pulled any punches when he’d noticed her physical distress. He’d given her a checkup then insisted she see a specialist in the city.

Not wanting to dampen the mood surrounding Moon’s wedding, River had kept it all a secret and probably done the best acting job of her life. Her twin sister had been through so much over the years—all four of the siblings had, but Moon had suffered the most. River wanted nothing to impede her twin’s happiness now that she’d finally found it with her new husband, Pete.

Still, River had never been so scared. Whatever was going on inside her, it wasn’t minor, and she knew it would be life-changing. She’d suffered migraines her entire life, but this was something else. It presented different from the other pain she’d frequently battled.

Breathing deeply, she fought back the rising panic that had kept her on edge for weeks. The men’s strong arms and their light caresses helped. Though everything within her yelled to just get up and escape to her car, she sat there with them and let them just hold her and give her their support.

Tai gently stroked the back of her head, and she closed her eyes. For the first time, she allowed herself to savor these two cowboys who wanted her so much.

Would it be so bad to give in…just this once?

She wasn’t fooling herself. After next week, when she got the specialist’s results, her life would change forever. Deep down, she sensed it. Shouldn’t she indulge now before she knew for sure what was happening? But was that fair to Seth and Tai? Giving in to a night with them would only make them more attached. They’d get hurt.

Just for one night. Give them just one time. Take what you need, and make them understand it’s just this once.

She snuggled her face deeper into Tai’s chest then grabbed Seth’s hand.

“One night,” she whispered against her better judgment. She looked into Tai’s gaze then into Seth’s.

Seth’s lips parted in surprise, and his eyes darkened with desire. Even in the lamplight outside the tent, she could see the slight differentiation in his irises, one a darker amber than the other. It was just one of the many facets that made him interesting.

She looked back to Tai, noticing the scar that bisected the outside of edge of his right eyebrow. He’d told her he’d gotten it in a fight with a cow and a barbed-wire fence.

“One…night…what?” Tai asked, hope lighting his eyes. Seth’s hand tightened on her calf.

“Exactly what you think,” she said, with a small smile, feeling shy all of a sudden. That was a weird feeling for her. She was always self-assured and confident, brash even, but this was Seth and Tai. God knew they’d been after her for as long as she’d been in Daly. Did they want the face she showed the world, or did they understand what was beneath…the real River?

“Jesus…” Seth breathed. “Thank you, Jesus.” He lurched to his feet, knocking River’s feet to the ground. Just as quickly, he turned and lifted her into his arms so they were chest-to-chest and her toes were a few inches from the ground.

Damn, he was strong. She’d known he would be, but she hadn’t guessed the half of it. He moved her as if she weighed nothing. She shivered as she envisioned him over her. She’d fantasized about it enough times, but now, flush to the wide breadth his chest, the plates of hard muscle nearly like rock against her sensitive breasts, the reality far-surpassed anything she’d imagined.

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