Her Alpha Cowboys Read online

  “She said we can come back tomorrow.” I smiled. “She’s going to tell us whatever we want to know.”

  Daisy Lynn was giving me the same incredulous look. “But… how? How did you piece all of those things together? How did you know for sure?”

  My smile grew wider. “I didn’t. I just had a hunch.”

  “So, you’re saying that all of that…” Janessa laughed again. “All of that was a bluff?”

  “I think you’re my new hero,” Daisy Lynn added.

  “All a bluff,” I confessed. “But a pretty good one. I was pretty sure the odds were in my favor once I’d put a few of the pieces together.”

  And yeah, it had definitely been a gamble. If I had been wrong, it probably would have created an extremely awkward scene. But I hadn’t been wrong.

  This time, my gamble had paid off.

  “You guys should’ve seen Becca today.” Janessa’s voice carried over the scattered conversations happening across the dinner table. “She was such a badass.”

  Oh, God.

  My cheeks instantly felt hot as Justin, Cade, Boone, Dade, and Cordell all turned to look at me. The only people missing were Cole and Prescott, and that was only because they were out on duty patrolling town.

  Of course, Daisy Lynn had probably already told them about my “badass” activities earlier in the afternoon.

  “I really didn’t do anything,” I lied, trying to get some of the attention off of me. “I just made a couple of observations while we were at the wake today.”

  Janessa snorted. “A couple of observations that knocked Nora Statler’s socks off. You should have seen the look on her face! Man, I wish I’d had my phone out so I could have snapped a picture. That look was priceless.”

  “What happened?” Cordell looked confused. “Our quiet, shy Becca was a badass?”

  Our Becca?

  Maybe I needed to be a badass again and remind him of the reasons why I wasn’t his—or Dade’s—quiet, shy Becca.

  “She walked right up to Nora,” Janessa continued. “And bluffed her way into another meeting. Nora wants us to come over tomorrow so she can tell us all about the oil maps she has and what she and Isaac were planning.”

  Justin’s eyebrows shot up. “Becca, you did all of that?”

  I nodded. “Yes, sir. I just put together a few bits and pieces and… I guess it worked.”

  “Good job.” He grinned. “I might have to start dealing you in on my monthly poker game with the guys down at the co-op.”

  I laughed. “I don’t know how long I could have kept the bluff going if she hadn’t given in so easily. But I’m hoping we’re at least one step closer to getting some useful information about everything that’s been going on around here lately.”

  Janessa and Daisy Lynn were both smiling and nodding along, but I couldn’t help noticing that Dade and Cordell were definitely not smiling.

  Not that I really cared, of course.

  Maybe they didn’t like the thought of me lying. Or playing poker. Or getting praise from everyone else at the table after I’d turned down their offer to have a threesome.

  Whatever.

  It didn’t really matter what they thought of me, did it?

  I caught Cordell’s gaze as I looked back around the table, but he looked away before I could figure out why he and Dade had suddenly gone quiet.

  But again, I didn’t care.

  Much.

  Maybe they were starting to see that I was a little more than just “shy, quiet Becca.”

  Dade and Cordell went the rest of the meal without speaking another word to me.

  Which was fine. Good. Great, even. I didn’t care.

  That was what I’d been telling myself, anyway. But as I slipped out the kitchen door and took off under the moonlight toward the stables, I had to dash away the angry tears that had been welling up in my eyes all night.

  Because even though most of me—the logical, thinking part of me—didn’t give a damn about what Dade or Cordell or anyone else thought… another part of me did care.

  My heart cared, and that was super annoying.

  I was smart. I was nice. I was a good person. If they couldn’t see and appreciate those qualities, then I shouldn’t feel bad about cutting them out of my life.

  Except… ugh.

  I wanted them in my life. But not just as a one-night stand.

  “Whatever,” I muttered under my breath as I eased the big stable doors open just wide enough to slip inside. “I don’t even know what I want. And even if I did, I probably couldn’t have it.”

  I usually didn’t indulge in self-pity, and I didn’t have a very high tolerance for people who did. But I felt like I’d earned a little self-pity over the past few days. Being the strong, smart, quiet one wasn’t very rewarding.

  Case in point: My friends had a whole harem between them while all I seemed to get were a bunch of angry looks wherever I went. The diner, Nora’s house… the dinner table.

  It was getting a little old, honestly.

  I walked over to the horses—Cordell and Dade’s horses—and reached out to nuzzle the nearest one who had poked his head over the stall door. Before I’d come to stay at Janessa’s ranch, I hadn’t known much at all about horses.

  And now… well, I still didn’t know much, if I was being honest. But I knew that they were gentle and sweet and soothing. And the stud horses that Dade and Cordell owned were in a whole other category. They were beautiful—all sleek, shiny coats and rippling muscles. They had a calming but very masculine energy, kind of like their owners.

  “How did I know I’d find you in here when I saw the light on?” a familiar voice called out from behind me.

  Ugh.

  Apparently just thinking about Dade and Cordell could conjure them up from thin air. I turned and looked, frowning when I saw both of them standing there.

  “I just came in here to get away from everyone,” I said, hoping they’d take the hint. “I’ve had a long day. A long few days. Not that I’d expect either of you to care.”

  “Why would you say that?” Cordell asked, looking genuinely confused.

  “Of course, we care.” Dade shook his head. “Why do you think it pisses us off when you take these crazy risks?”

  “Crazy?” I rolled my eyes. “And what would you have me do instead? Sit up in my room out of sight while you guys take care of business?

  “Honestly?” Cordell asked, then sighed and ran a hand back through his hair. “Honestly, no. I wouldn’t want you to do that. But I don’t love that you have a tendency to charge into something head first, guns blazing, with no thought about the potential consequences. I don’t love that at all.”

  “We had some buddies like that in the Marines,” Dade said, his tone quiet and serious as he exchanged a look with Cordell. “Emphasis on the word had.”

  Some of my anger faded away as they spoke. I understood what they were saying, and I couldn’t even pretend that they were wrong. Not completely wrong, anyway.

  “I don’t understand why you guys care,” I said. “I mean, okay. I get it. You’re worried about me getting hurt. But if all you want with me is just a little fun, just a little fling, then… what does it matter? I’d rather you just leave me alone than keep leading me on.”

  A look that was a mixture of hurt and confusion crossed both of their faces at the same time. Dade spoke up first.

  “What makes you think we don’t care?” He shook his head. “Of course, we care what happens to you—and that’s regardless of anything else. Making sure you’re okay has nothing to do with our attraction to you.”

  “And we are attracted to you, for the record,” Cordell added. “But just because we were trying to see if you were interested in us doesn’t mean we don’t want more. We’re both ready to settle down, Becca. It doesn’t always have to be one thing or the other.”

  I blinked.

  Why were they suddenly making so much sense? Of course, it didn’t always have to be one thi
ng or the other, but it had felt like they’d only been interested in one thing before.

  I took a step toward Cordell. “So, you’re both really interested in… in maybe more than just a one-time thing?”

  “Absolutely.” He nodded, his eyes moving quickly from my head to my feet and back again as I took another step. “But we don’t want to rush you. We’re not trying to talk you into anything you don’t want to do. That’s not us. That’s not who we are.”

  Only a couple of feet separated the three of us now, and I couldn’t help but smile as a mischievous feeling bubbled up inside of me. “Prove it,” I said.

  “Huh?” Dade asked.

  “Prove… what?” Cordell sounded just as confused.

  “You both think you can take things slowly, right? Well… prove it.”

  “What do you want us to do?” Cordell asked.

  My smile grew even wider as I made up my mind. I knew exactly I wanted from them. From both of them. “I want you to kiss me.”

  Chapter 9

  Cordell

  “Kiss you?” I asked. “But… how is that going to prove anything?”

  Not that I was opposed to the idea—just the opposite, in fact. I’d literally been dreaming about kissing this girl for days now. But after the way she’d glared at us at dinner—and then again just a few minutes ago—I honestly didn’t know what to think.

  “Dude, are you crazy?” Dade looked at me like he thought I really might, in fact, be crazy. “You don’t stand there and ask a bunch of questions when a girl tells you she wants a kiss. You stop whatever you’re doing and kiss her.”

  “Yeah, but… well, fuck it.” I put my hands up in a mock surrender. “There are plenty of other things I don’t understand. One more won’t hurt.”

  “It’s okay if you don’t want to,” she said, her eyes sparkling as she teased me. “But I thought that was what you wanted last night.”

  “Oh, it was.” I nodded. “Believe me, it was.” I held out a hand and pulled her close, taking a moment to look into those big, blue eyes once she was just a few inches away from me. “I still don’t know what this is going to prove, but I’m more than happy to kiss you anytime you want.”

  I leaned in and barely brushed my lips against hers, waiting until her eyes drifted shut and she melted against me before finally claiming her mouth with mine. Fuck, she was so sweet, so sexy… and then when a tiny whimper escaped the back of her throat?

  Yeah, it was all I could do to keep from carrying her right out of that barn and into my trailer.

  I moved my hands up and down her back, loving the way she felt against my body. I kissed her deeper and she opened her mouth to me, letting my tongue entwine with hers.

  Reluctantly, I broke away. I had to. Any longer and I’d have been begging for more.

  “There,” I said, my voice sounding low and gravelly to my own ears. “Was that the proof you wanted?”

  Her eyes opened and she swayed a little on her feet as I took my hands away from her waist. “Hm? I… yeah. That was nice.”

  Nice.

  I couldn’t help but smile. If that kiss had just been nice, I couldn’t even imagine what hot would feel like.

  “Is it my turn now?” Dade asked, rubbing his hands together. “I get a shot at proving… whatever it is. Right?”

  “More proof is always a good thing,” she answered, stepping closer to him.

  I watched as they kissed, my already rock-hard cock throbbing at the sight. Feeling her against me had been hot as hell, but seeing her get lost in the moment with Dade, too?

  Yeah, I could definitely get off on that.

  When they broke their embrace and she backed away, I could see that she was practically in a daze, her pupils blown with desire.

  Hot.

  As.

  Fuck.

  “How was that?” Dade asked, a cocky grin spreading across his lips as Becca found her footing again. “Do we win something now? Anything else you need to test?”

  She smiled and shook her head. “No, I think you both passed with flying colors.”

  Not gonna lie, that little compliment felt good after getting the silent treatment from her for most of the night. Still, what was all the testing and proof about?

  “Now can I ask why you wanted us to kiss you?” I gave her an inquisitive look, then added, “Don’t get me wrong, it was hot as hell, and I definitely want to do it again. But let’s make sure we’re all on the same page here.”

  “Honestly?” She arched a perfectly manicured brow. “I wanted to see if you would both respect me enough to back off when I wanted to stop. A lot of guys might say they’re interested in more than just sex, but when it comes down to the heat of the moment, well…”

  “Seriously?” Dade frowned. “What kind of asshole would keep pushing for more once you’ve told him to back off?”

  “You’d be surprised,” she answered. “But neither of you did that.”

  “No, of course not.” I shook my head. “Not gonna lie, you make me horny as hell. But I can respect the boundaries you’ve set.”

  “Same here,” Dade added. “We might be horny, but we aren’t assholes.”

  “No, you aren’t assholes,” she said with a quiet smile. “But… I think maybe I need to do another round of testing to make sure tonight wasn’t just a fluke.”

  It took me a second to realize that this was her way of saying she wanted to try something else with us. That had to be a good sign, right?

  “We’ll run all the tests you need,” I purred. “We’re big fans of the scientific method.”

  “Right.” Dade nodded. “I mean, if it’s for science—count me in.”

  She laughed. “You guys might be the sexiest scientists I’ve ever come across…”

  “We’ll probably leave the actual science to you,” I quipped, returning her smile. “Like I said, we’re just fans.”

  “So, what can we do?” Dade asked. “Because all joking aside, I want you to know that we really are good guys. A little rough around the edges, maybe, but still pretty good.”

  “I don’t doubt it,” she answered. “I honestly never did. I just… didn’t know where I stood with you. I was only half-joking when I said I needed to do some more testing.” She shrugged. “I have a very analytical brain. That’s just how it works. And I trust my brain a lot more than I trust my heart these days.”

  Hearing her describe the way her brain worked actually made a lot of sense. It explained why she always seemed to catch herself when she started to have a good time—that was her brain kicking in to overrule her heart.

  I could sort of relate, since I often found myself doing the same thing. Dade, on the other hand?

  Well, I knew from years of friendship and from the confused look on his face that he operated in exactly the opposite way. He led with his heart and only engaged his brain later.

  Sometimes much later.

  But that was one of the reasons why he and I meshed so well as friends. Probably one of the reasons why he and Becca seemed to be drawn to each other, too.

  “So what’s the next test?” I asked, repeating Dade’s earlier question. “We like a challenge.”

  She looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, “I think we should all go out to dinner together. Just the three of us. That will probably be a nice test.”

  “Done,” I breathed without hesitating.

  “How about tomorrow night?” Dade asked. “We’ll take you somewhere that isn’t the greasy diner downtown.”

  Her eyebrows shot up. “Really? A real restaurant?”

  I laughed. “Does that get us some extra-credit points?”

  “Definitely.” She grinned. “But I’m pretty sure neither of you will need it.”

  I couldn’t stop smiling as the three of us walked out of the barn together. For the first time in my life, I was actually looking forward to a test.

  Tomorrow night couldn’t come fast enough.

  Dade and I walked Becca back up
to the house and made sure she was safely inside before we headed back down to our trailer.

  What had started out as a tense, rocky evening had turned into a hell of a good night.

  “Did that really just happen?” Dade asked, apparently feeling the same way. “Did she just tell both of us to kiss her?”

  “And then say we should take her out on a date,” I added.

  “Yeah, that’s kind of crazy, considering how quickly she shot us down before.”

  I shook my head. “This is different, though. We’re the ones who fucked that up before.”

  He cocked his head to the side as I opened the door to the trailer and stepped inside. “What do you mean? She wanted us to be honest with her, and that was what we did. Can’t really fault us for that, in my opinion.”

  “No, but we should have realized that she isn’t just looking for a good time, Dade.” I kicked off my boots and sank down on the too-small sofa in what might have been called a living room if it was about five times bigger. “This girl is special. She’s not just some hookup from the bar looking to party with us.”

  He sat down at the two-seater dining table a few feet away. “Yeah, you’re right about that. There’s something about her that’s just… she’s not like anyone I’ve ever met before, that’s for sure.”

  “Exactly. And she’s also a hell of a lot less experienced than any of the girls we’ve known before. We should have taken that into consideration.”

  He looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah, we probably should have thought that out a little better. But I think she understands now that we didn’t mean any harm. And I mean, yeah, sex would be fucking great with her, but that’s not all I’m about.”

  “I think she’s starting to see that after tonight,” I agreed. “That’s what those little tests were about. I thought she was just playing games at first, but I get it now. It was just her way of protecting her heart, like she said.”

  The more I thought about it, the more sense it made. She was young, and she had obviously been treated like shit by some asshole guys before us. She just wanted to make sure we weren’t going to do the same thing. I definitely couldn’t blame her for that.