Almost a Cowboy (24 page)

“That’s him,” Caroline whispered.

The broad back of the man on the barstool could be no one else. He was a Davies if Utah had ever seen one. Wide shoulders, thick arms. He had one steel-toed boot hitched on the rung of the stool and a glass of amber liquid in hand.

Yeahhh, this is gonna be fun.
Utah took Caroline’s arm and towed her right up to the man. He glanced at Utah and then at his glass. Then back again. Shock struck his features, and Utah figured this was exactly how he looked right now. It was like facing a mirror.

“Who the hell are you?” Jefferson asked.

Christ, even their voices were the same. But Jefferson seemed younger, still eager to jump on the back of the bucking bronco of life, where Utah was ready to settle down and live in peace.

Utah extended his hand. “I’m Utah Davies.”

Jefferson’s eyebrows shot upward almost to his short, regulation haircut. He’d taken off his uniform, but Utah could see he still wore a gun. The bulge was visible along his calf just above his boot.

Jefferson set his glass down with a thump and got to his feet. When he stretched to his full height, he looked Utah in the eyes. Leaning close, he said, “I think we’d better take this to the back.”

Just as Utah had suspected, Jefferson wanted to keep this on the down-low. He turned to the guy seated at the bar beside him. “I’ll see you at the station tomorrow, Sully.”

The other guy gave a nod, his gaze following Utah to the rear of the bar. Utah gestured to a table, tense and choking on the need to get everything out in the open. Caroline’s hand in his was the only thing that kept him in check.

Utah waved at the table. “Care to have a seat?”

Jefferson folded his arms and stared at Utah. “No, I do not. Who the fuck are you?”

“Utah Davies, son of Hollis. I can see that name rings bells.” Actually more like a gong. Jefferson hooked his foot around a chair, sliding it out and falling into it as if his legs couldn’t support him another second.

Utah and Caroline shared a look and then took seats opposite him. For a long minute, Jefferson and Utah stared at each other.

“How the fuck…” Jefferson swiped a hand over his face. “Hollis’s son?”

“Yes.”

“I suppose you’re from Utah just as I’m from Jefferson County.”

“That’s the gist of it. I’m sorry to find you this way. When was the last time you saw Hollis?”

Jefferson pressed his lips together, and Caroline suddenly sat back. Utah felt his own lips fold and realized they shared this gesture. They probably looked more like twins now than ever. Right down to the cleft in Jefferson’s chin, they were the same. Maybe Utah’s eyes were slightly more slanted or Jefferson’s fingers a bit longer. But overall, the likeness was unnerving.

“Two years ago. At least. I was never close to him after my mother passed away. He wasn’t there at the time, and I never forgave him for it.”

So they shared more than looks. Jefferson’s opinion of Hollis Davies wasn’t much better than Utah’s.

“How the fuck—just tell me what’s going on.” The command in Jefferson’s voice was born from years of telling people what to do.

“First let me introduce my…” Utah stuttered over the word fiancée. “This is Caroline Wilks. She’s the one who tracked you down.”

Jefferson gave her a brief nod before turning his attention to Utah. The depths of his eyes had a don’t-screw-with-me quality.

“Hollis is dead. He’s left a will and a trail of kids across the country.”

“What? You mean we’re not the only ones?”

“No. There are fifteen of us total.”

Jefferson shot out of his chair and paced the cramped area. Two people at a nearby table got up and slipped away to sit at another part of the bar. He threw a dark look at Utah. “You’d better start talkin’.”

Utah gathered his scattered calm. “Sit.”

Jefferson stomped two steps to the chair and collapsed into it with such force Utah suspected the legs might crack.

“Fifteen kids total. I have two brothers I was raised with, Clinton and Gunnison. We live in Utah. Caroline and I have just come through Colorado, where we met Aurora and Bennett.”

“Jeezus, a sister too?” Jefferson’s mouth was tight.

Blowing out a breath, Utah nodded and continued. “In Kansas we found a brother named Hays. And in Missouri, Camden and Emma. I take it your mother didn’t have more children to Hollis?”

“No. Goddamn that man! He had a fight with my mother and never came back. I still don’t know what they argued about, only that my mother was broken after that. I kept telling her he wasn’t worth it. He wasn’t around that much when I was young, anyway. Now I can see why.”

“Yeah, he was busy.” Utah’s dry tone roused a soft noise of amusement from Caroline.

“Damn.” Jefferson scuffed a hand over his face. Another of Utah’s gestures. He met Utah’s gaze. “Do they all look like us?”

“More or less, yeah. But so far you and I look most alike. How old are you?”

“Twenty-seven.”

Utah nodded. “Same age as Bennett. I’m a year older. It looks as if I might be the oldest of the group.”

“And you knew about all of this? Hollis’s trail of indecency?” Jefferson’s eyes took on a wild gleam. Hollis was probably lucky not to have returned. This man would have bowled over their father in his later years. Lord knew, if Utah had a poke at him…

He stopped the thought. If he were really able to speak his mind to his pa, what would he say?

I’d ask why.

“I didn’t know until my mother passed. I caught Pa looking at all of the pictures. He confessed at that time, and I left for good. Never cared to have anything to do with him after that.”

“And you’re rounding us all up? Why?”

“Like I said, there’s a will. We’re all needed at the reading.”

Jefferson pressed a fist to his mouth and shook his head. “Let me see your ID.”

“It’s in the truck.”

“I don’t care. I want it. You get it while I nab another drink.” Jefferson stood and waved at Caroline. “You want one?”

“Shot of Jack or Jim would be nice.”

“You got it. Utah, I’ll get you one too. You get that driver’s license.” Without more, Jefferson strode to the bar. Utah went outside to fetch his ID. When he returned, Jefferson took it and disappeared.

Caroline looked at Utah, as jittery as a deer on I70. Her leg bounced, and he rested a hand on her warm upper thigh. “What do you think he’s doing?” she whispered.

“I think he’s running my information. Checking if I’m who I say I am.”

A moment later Jefferson returned. He threw himself into the chair and slapped Utah’s ID on the table. “You and Ms. Wilks have outstanding tickets in Missouri.”

Caroline’s face scorched. “You said you’d taken care of those!”

“I will. We have ten days.” Utah squeezed her leg. He met his brother’s gaze, and everything seemed to click into place. They shared a smile.

Jefferson extended a hand, and Utah shook it. “Looks like we have some things to discuss.”

Utah tossed back his whiskey. Caroline swallowed hers like a pro—no sweet drinks with umbrellas for her. Once they all had a little liquid fortification, Utah and Jefferson started to discuss their father and their lives.

After some time, Caroline’s eyes drooped.

Utah squeezed her shoulder. “Let me tuck you into a hotel room somewhere. Jefferson, can you point me to a fabulous establishment?”

“Right next door.” He twitched his head in the direction.

Utah collected Caroline against his side and led her next door to the room with a three-hundred-dollar a night price tag. But seeing her ooh and ahh over the gleaming bath fixtures and the big jet tub and bounce on the “mattress like a cloud” was worth it. He helped her strip, lingering over her exposed flesh. Then he tucked her under the duvet and kissed her gently.

“I’ll be back soon. You get some rest. Because when I return, I’m going to ravage you.”

She stroked his jaw with her knuckles. “Promise?”

“Baby, you’re going to be well-fucked when I’m done.”

Her smile widened, and her eyes slipped shut. “See you then.”

Utah returned to the bar, where he and Jefferson talked until last call. About police work and the desire to raise cattle. About their mothers who had been dumb enough to fall for a man with more sex drive than brains. And about how Utah wanted to marry Caroline.

And Jefferson wanted to marry a woman who had been his partner. The precinct had dissolved their partnership once they realized they were in love. She’d since transferred to a department in the suburbs.

“But you want to spend your life with her?” Utah asked.

Jefferson stretched out his long legs and nodded. “If I can convince her to commit.”

At that, Utah couldn’t stop laughing. His brother’s eyes creased in confusion. “What is it?”

“I think we have the same taste in women too, brother.”

•●•

Caroline struggled out of a drugging sleep. Utah’s masculine, woodsy scent surrounded her, and her pussy felt as if it was on fire.

She woke with a start. Utah’s head was planted between her legs. She was opened to his tongue and fingers, her folds already wet.

He growled. “About time you woke up. I’ve been licking you for five minutes.”

She arched into his intimate kiss. “Thought it was a dream.”

“Hope I was in it.” He didn’t wait for an answer, just dipped his head to the job again. His tongue scorched a path from bottom to top. When he circled her nubbin, it hardened painfully. He drew it into his mouth and sucked.

Gasping at the pressure, she focused on his ministrations. Her pussy flexed as if begging for a finger or tongue.
Or cock.

Utah locked her thighs around him and wagged his head back and forth. She bucked, instantly on the verge of release. She wriggled to get closer to that hot, sucking pressure, but he ran his tongue down to her wet opening.

He slid in with a groan. She echoed it, twisting her hands in the super-soft sheets. She rocked against his mouth, taking him deeper and wishing for more.

When he withdrew, she followed him. He vibrated his enthusiasm against her sensitive pussy, and she fell still. White-hot need leaped in her core.

“Give me your fingers. I need your fingers.”

“Mmm.” He eased the tip of one in. Not enough.

“More.”

“Told you I’d make you beg.” He slid it in to the first knuckle. Too much teasing, damn him. Her pussy throbbed, and her nipples were hard pearls begging for his touch. She tweaked them herself, and he rumbled with appreciation.

Wiggling her ass, she pressed closer, trying to take his finger all the way. He performed a toe-curling figure eight over her clit. Juices flooded from her. But she wanted more.

“Two fingers,” she gasped.

He nipped at her clit with his lips, pulling back on it until she nearly came off the bed in bliss. When he added a second finger to her sheath, she cried out. He thrust in. Pulled out.

And suddenly she was stuffed full. He had to have three thick digits wedged into her pussy. She stretched around him, the burn out of control now. Plunging rhythmically, he clamped his mouth over her clit and batted it with his tongue.

Heat gathered. She lost focus and knew only ecstasy.

“Ohhhh!” She burst in a bright haze of pleasure. He pumped into her, drawing more spasms until her breathing was choppy and her walls turned molten around his fingers.

He pulled five more contractions from her well after she thought herself spent. Then he slowly eased his fingers free of her body and replaced them with his hot tongue. He cleaned her cream away even as he fitted one still-slick finger at her back entrance.

She sucked in a shaky breath. “Utah…”

“Shh.” He pressed on the ring of muscle until she grew relaxed. As he slipped the tip of his finger in, she felt her arousal sharply shift upward again. She pressed against his finger, wanting more.

“Think I could fill this tight ass with my cock?” His harsh tone raised the hair along her spine. Up the length of her body, his blue gaze smoldered with primal want.

“I…don’t know. You’re big.”

“I’d go easy. Let me have your ass tonight, Caroline.” The question wasn’t only about giving herself sexually, and they both knew it.