I’ll announce contest winners tomorrow! ~DD

Today’s theme, Family, narrowed my choice of excerpts to the obvious story. Who better than the Kinzie brothers to define what family is? Three handsome, determined, like-minded siblings intent on capturing their girl…

“…Put into the mix three sexy brothers who happen to be cowboys and who are hot for one lucky female? You have a sexual, erotic masterpiece!” 5 Stars and Top Pick!, The Romance Reviews

“…Delilah Devlin just makes this type of story such an adventure as well as a hot ride… You will never go wrong with a Delilah Devlin story and you will never be disappointed.” 5 Cherries, Whipped Cream Reviews

“Cleverly written, Breaking Leather breaks the mold when it comes to ménage stories… Highly recommend.” Sizzling, 4 1/2 Stars, Sensual Reads

One for remembrance…one for healing…and one to seal her heart forever.

Chrissi Page has tried to find one man who heats her bed the way the Kinzie brothers did one shameful night years ago. She’s failed miserably, leaving her with no choice but to bank that inner fire—and keep a lid on her inner bad girl.

She’d been weak, unable to choose between three men who appealed to her in different ways. And when they’d confronted her as a tease, anger had boiled over into a passion so wild, she’s still trying to live it down.

Since that night, Ezra, Cade and Joshua have individually sown their wild oats with pretty much the entire available female population of Two Mule, Texas. Yet nothing erases the attraction they still feel for Chrissi. And when she ends up stranded on the road near their ranch, it’s their last chance to turn their mutual obsession into an unusual proposition.

One weekend, three on one. If she can’t stand the heat, they’ll let her go on with her life. And try to find a way to live with the hole she’ll leave behind in theirs.

Warning: A girl who thinks she can’t have it all, and three brothers who set out to prove otherwise. One on one, two on one, and three on one; bondage in the wild; a bit of riding crop action. And a pickup truck load of emotion.

Chrissi watched Josh lead away his tall roan gelding and breathed a sigh of relief. She’d thought her worst fears had already been realized when Ezra arrived to rescue her. Seeing Josh and Cade, in close proximity to Ezra, had sent her body into apoplectic shock, stirring up all those old memories.

Foremost in her mind, she remembered skinny-dipping in the river with them. Innocent enough since Ezra was her boyfriend and had approved. And how could she resist when the three brothers had eagerly shed their clothes?

Sweet Jesus, the three of them, so alike and yet so different… She’d gotten love-drunk on the sight of them.

Ezra, older by only a year than the other two, had always seemed so much more mature. His body even then had been broad and sturdy—ripped from his shoulders to his calves. His size and strength had always made her feel safe, except during sex—but then his largeness and sexual intensity thrilled her, frightened her almost, she’d wanted him that badly.

Cade had been the quiet one. The nice one. Always courteous, always respectful, but his slow smile, so seldom seen, had had the power to melt her to her toes. And although the most reserved of the three, the memory of being held inside the circle of his strong arms whenever she’d suffered a fright was a cherished one.

And Josh, dear God, Josh was the golden child. Blond where the other two were dark-haired, his tall, lean body and the wicked glint in his crystal blue eyes, as though he was always ready for an adventure, had never failed to make her hot. How many times had she smoothed her thumb over that dimple in the center of his chin and warned him not to break a woman’s heart? Why hadn’t she taken her own damn advice?

That day by the river, the sight of their tall, tanned bodies, lined up prettier than any Chippendales’ review, had sucked the air right out of her lungs.

She hadn’t been as eager to get naked, feeling a little insecure among so much perfection, but they’d teased her, joking with each other, jostling and shoving until she’d laughed at their antics and joined them.

Even then she’d felt their combined illicit allure. Her nipples had prickled, her sex had tightened—but she’d been relieved to know she wasn’t the only one affected as each of the boys’ cocks had hardened.

They’d laughed, as though it was the most natural thing in the world to watch each other get hard. Her stare had lingered as she assessed their size, the slight upward curve of their shafts, the ruddy tan color that gave way to a reddish-purple at their fat, round crowns. When they’d grown silent, she’d dared an upward glance.

Ezra’s steamy blue gaze had locked with hers. “Not anything to be ashamed of, Chrissi. We’re guys. It’s what happens when we’re around a pretty girl. Only you can’t always see it when we’re dressed.”

She’d thought about that often, wondering how many men walked around with hard-ons inspired by a stray glimpse of an attractive woman. Not something she wanted to think about, considering she’d been living like a nun for a very long time.

“Open the door,” Ezra repeated, his voice sounding as rough as gravel. She shivered at the quiet intensity of his order. Even after all this time, she wanted to do exactly what he asked. However, she knew where her submission would lead.

She folded her arms over her chest and looked away.

The locks sprung. The door slammed open. Startled, she glanced up, but Ezra already had her wrist inside his hand and was pulling her from the seat.

She slid to the ground, stumbled against him, and felt that rock-hard chest she’d sighed over for years. Resisting the temptation to explore, she shoved away.

“You always this stubborn?” he bit out.

She tossed back her head. “Guess you don’t know me as well as you thought.”

“I know more than you think, Chrissi.”

She arched an eyebrow. “You don’t know me. You haven’t for a very long time.”

“I know you’re wet.”

Her jaw sagged.

He turned on his heel and walked away.

“Am not,” she whispered furiously. She turned to pick up her purse where it had fallen from her lap to the dirt and closed the cab door. Then, stiffening her backbone, she strode toward the porch.

The screen door slammed behind him as he walked inside without giving her a backward glance. She hated it when he did that, pretended his mama hadn’t taught him any manners, because she knew it was deliberate. Something he did when she disobeyed him. A punishment.

And he knew she liked punishment.

She gave a silent moan and climbed the steps. The sooner she placed that call the better. Already she felt some of her carefully erected reserve crumbling away beneath the liquid heat her proximity to Kinzie testosterone generated.

Entering the house, she noted that not much had changed since Mr. and Mrs. Kinzie had moved to Padre Island to enjoy their retirement. That had happened after Cade and Josh graduated; Ezra had already been in charge for a couple of years.

And word was that Ezra was a capable rancher. Fair to his employees and as hard-working as any hand. So were Josh and Cade, although Josh liked his playtime.

She’d heard about his exploits, all the women he’d been through. Gossip about the other two had been harder to glean, but she knew they hadn’t been celibate for long after she’d departed their lives.

Even though it had been her decision, she’d still been hurt. She’d nursed an aching heart for a very long time. However, she knew she’d done the right thing. There wasn’t anywhere their relationship could go but straight to hell.

She glanced around, looking for a phone, but her attention was caught by the warmth of familiar surroundings. Wooden floors, yellow walls, brown leather sofas and Indian rugs were cozy and inviting, even if the tall, vaulted ceiling and huge iron chandelier hinted at their wealth. The Kinzies didn’t act like boys who’d been born with silver spoons in their mouths. They’d been raised to work hard. Something she’d liked about them from the start. Raised by a single mom on a tight budget, she hadn’t let her head be turned by their wealth.

“It’s nice seein’ you here again.”

She turned to find Josh right behind her. How had he gotten here so quickly? He was a big man, as tall as his brothers if a little leaner, but he moved with a pantherish grace. “You still like sneakin’ up on women, I see.”

His lopsided grin made her heart do a flip-flop. The dimple in the center of his chin kept him from being too beautiful, and lent him a roguish appeal. She’d never been able to hold a grudge against him. His boyish charm was infectious and got him out of all sorts of scrapes.

“I didn’t sneak up on you. You seemed lost in thought. You remembering us?”

“Remembering what?” she deadpanned.

He arched an eyebrow. “Remember who you’re talkin’ to, missy. I knew all your secrets.”

Including one big fat secret that had spelled the end of all her dreams. “And you blabbed them to your brothers. You shouldn’t have told, Josh.”

“I am truly sorry about that. It wasn’t the time. I know that now.”

“There was never a right time for what we did,” she whispered harshly. She glanced blindly around, looking for a telephone. “Dammit, I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to use your phone.”

Josh’s gaze slid away, and he rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, there’s gonna be a slight problem with that…”

She swung back. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, Ezra removed all the phones from the house.”

“What?”

Josh reached behind him and pulled something from his pocket. When he held up a screwdriver, he gave her a sheepish shrug. “I was in charge of disablin’ your car.”

Her eyes widened, and her heart began to thump hard inside her chest. “And Cade?” she asked, her tightening throat. “What was his part?”

“Oh, Cade was in charge of gettin’ the room ready for you.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“We’re kidnappin’ you, kitten.” His grin was wide, joyous even.

She stared at him like he’d grown two heads. “Are you insane?” she shouted. “You’ll be arrested!”

“Only if you press charges. We’re hopin’ you won’t.”

She shook her head, dumbfounded. Her face was hot, her stomach lurching. Hadn’t this been exactly what she’d been afraid of? “I think I’m gonna be sick.”

His grin vanished. “Through here,” he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the bathroom just off the entrance.

Chrissi accepted the push of his hand at the back of her neck, bending over the bowl to empty her stomach. When she straightened, he handed her a moistened washcloth.

“Not the reaction we expected,” he said quietly as she washed her hot face.

“What the hell did you expect?” she said, embarrassed and aiming a deadly glare his way.

Josh shrugged. “A lot of hollerin’.”

“Ya think? Take me home.”

He drew in a slow breath, all expression draining from his face. In place of his usual, affable smile, his tight features resembled Ezra’s more than she would have believed. “I’m afraid I can’t do that. We made a pact.”

“A pact?” She knew she was echoing him, sounding stupid, but she still couldn’t get her head around what was happening to her.

“All or nothin’,” he said, nodding.

“All of what?”

“Us.”

She didn’t need it spelled out. She got his meaning in one hot second. “Then it’s nothing,” she croaked, her mouth drying instantly.

“We aren’t acceptin’ your answer. Not until Sunday. So don’t even try to talk us out of it.”

“You won’t get away with this. When I don’t show back up at the office—”

“Macy’s in on it. She’s not callin’ the cops. She thinks Ezra’s makin’ a play to get you back. She thinks it’s romantic.”

“Macy doesn’t have a heart. She’d never think a kidnappin’ was romantic.”

Josh’s lips twitched. “They sent me to sweet-talk her.”

“Bastard,” she whispered, knowing exactly how Macy must have reacted. When Josh turned on the charm, there wasn’t a woman who wouldn’t melt. Even hardhearted Macy.

“You always said I had a silver tongue.”

“But I bet it was your smile that did her in.” She could have bit her lip for admitting that because his eyelids drifted down to give her a smoky glance.

“Does my smile bother you?”

“I’m immune.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Yeah, she was a big, fat liar. She needed a little space to shore up those crumbling walls. “I have to pee.”

He gave her a nod. “There’s a new toothbrush in the drawer for you too. I’ll be outside.”

Listening? Like hell. “You don’t have to hover over me. I’m not gonna throw up again.”

“We aren’t leavin’ you alone this weekend. Not for a minute.”

She shook her head, suddenly weary of thinking and of fighting the inevitable. “Why?”

“Because Ezra seems to think we bother you.”

“Then wouldn’t you want to bother me less?”

“Not that kind of bother. He thinks we still turn you on.”

Chrissi felt ready to scream. Seven years, and they still read her like a book. “Ezra’s an idiot. The only thing you three do is drive me crazy.”

“Oh, I hope so, kitten.”

She slammed the door in his face.

* * *

Cade sauntered up to Josh, who leaned against the wall next to the bathroom door. “How’s she?”

“She threw up when I told what we’d done.”

Cade grimaced. “Hell, do you think it’s just food poisonin’?” Or could they really have frightened her so much she’d emptied her stomach? Cade didn’t want to feel sorry for her. They had a plan they’d vowed to stick to no matter how pitiful she acted.

Josh grunted. “Think Ezra’s right? That she makes a big show of avoidin’ us because she never got over what happened?”

Cade glanced away and let out a deep breath. “Ezra knew her best. How about I take over now to reacquaint myself.”

Josh gave him a quick smile. “Sounds like a good idea. She’s a little perturbed with me at the moment. Where’s Ezra?”

“Where do you think?”

“I might join him for a lap or two. Might relax me.”

Cade watched Josh stride away to the pool, then leaned an ear against the door. He heard harsh mutters, a couple “dammits” and a “bastard”. He felt a smile stretch his mouth. She couldn’t be too scared if she was cussing rather than crying. The doorknob turned and he backed away, wiping his expression clear.

She glanced up, giving him a quick once-over before she met his gaze. “You the next shift?”

“I am,” he said agreeably. “Thought I’d ask if you wanted a drink?”

“So you can loosen me up?”

“If you’re afraid that’s possible, I’ll give you a soda.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Only if I get to open the can.”

“Are you afraid I’ll slip something in your drink?” His lips twitched. “I think I’m almost insulted.”

“You kidnapped me. I don’t think there’s much you wouldn’t dare.”

“Only when it comes to you, sugar.”

Chrissi rolled her eyes. “Don’t ‘sugar’ me. You are not gonna wear me down. I don’t want to be here.”

Cade ignored that last statement, taking heart from the fact her grumbling sounded halfhearted. “Would you like a drink? I’m havin’ a beer. It’s hot out there.”

She let out a deep sigh, and he noticed the lines of tension around her lips. She looked tired.

“How about I promise that we won’t make any moves. That we’ll spend the evening just havin’ a nice relaxing time. It’ll be like old times, before…”

“Even if we wanted to, we can’t go back.” Her glance slid away, and her mouth twisted. “I missed us, you know. We were friends.”

Cade barely resisted the urge to slide his hands around her and draw her close. If anyone needed a hug more, he’d never seen it. “You trusted us. We let you down.”

“Yes, you did. But I should have had better sense too.”

“See? We were young and stupid. We don’t have to be enemies.” When her expression eased, he gave her a small, coaxing half-smile. “Want a beer?” He held out his hand, holding his breath until she tentatively slid her palm inside his.

He’d always known he was attracted to her, that he’d yearned for her for years, but he hadn’t really known how much he missed her until that precise moment. Her hand felt just right—small, slender, warm. He tightened his grip and gave her a guarded smile. Not enough to make her worry, he hoped.

He turned and pulled her behind him, like old times, drawing her deeper into the living room to the bar at the far wall. He opened the fridge and grabbed two Shiner Bocks, uncapped them and handed her a bottle. He held his up until she klinked her glass against it.

They both took a long draw from their bottles.

Her sigh when she set it down was louder than his. A faint smile tugged up one corner of her mouth. “It’s been a long day. I needed that.”

“Heard you were up at the Dunstan place,” he said. “How’s Lettie doin’?”

Her smile was tight, but it was a start. “Fine. She’s eager to move in with her sister in town. They plan to go to bingo on Tuesdays and have pedicures every Friday.” She gave a little laugh. “Don’t get me wrong, I know she misses her husband, but she seems ready to move on.”

“She deserves a little fun. Couldn’t have been easy livin’ out there, the two of them, for so long. Gets lonesome.”

“Do you get lonesome?” Her lips pressed together. “Scratch that. It’s none of my concern.”

Cade leaned back against the bar, resting on his elbows, then gave her a waggle of his eyebrows. “Admit it. I’m gettin’ to you.”

She shook her head ruefully. “All three of you are getting on my nerves. I want to go home.”

“And you will,” he said, nodding. “Come Sunday—if you still want to.”

Her face grew serious as she eyed him. “I don’t believe you of all people went along with this.”

“Because I’m so boring?”

“No, because you’re the most honorable.”

He remembered the biggest test of that honor—she did too by the shadow that crept across her face. He’d failed her, going along with his brothers. “There’s not a day we don’t regret what went down. The way it happened anyway. It was the wrong place.”

“It was just plain wrong. Every part of it.” She set her beer on the bar.

“I won’t ever believe that.”

“Why don’t you all find some other girl to tag team,” she bit out, an underlying tremor in her voice. “I’m sure there’s a whore or two in town who’d be only too happy to oblige.”

“That’s what you think we made you?”

Her mouth trembled, the corners turning down, and she wrapped her own arms around herself. Giving herself the comfort he wished she’d let him offer.

Hoping to distract her from unpleasant memories, he pushed from the bar. “Day’s nice. Let’s head out to the patio and rest a spell.”

She gave a vague nod, and followed him as he headed toward the French doors and the sounds of water lapping against the sides of the pool. Ezra would know how to reach her. She’d always trusted in his strength. No matter how bad things were now, he had to hope that deep down she knew she could lean on at least one of them.

* * *

Chrissi dragged her feet as she followed Cade to the pool. Another of those places that she’d just as soon forget. She remembered the time after Mr. Kinzie’s heart attack, when the boys’ parents had taken a vacation to reaffirm their gratitude to both be alive and together. Ezra had had a tough time, stepping into his dad’s shoes, when the ranch hands and his brothers hadn’t learned to respect an eighteen-year-old, no matter how big and smart he was.

She’d lived for the hours when he’d finished up working for the day. They’d escape to the pool, take a leisurely swim then lay naked in each other’s arms on one of the loungers. It had been an unspoken thing between his brothers and him that those hours were his time, that no one was to interrupt.

She’d savored the attention and loved even better that he’d turned to her for comfort and escape from all his worries. She’d been deeply in love with him for years, but even though she’d been the only girl he dated, she hadn’t been sure he returned the feelings, at least not to the degree she felt them.

Cade leaned against the boulder next to the pool, watching his brother skim below the surface, then turned his head to watch her.

Chrissi ignored him, glancing into the pool. Then she couldn’t take her gaze from Ezra’s honed body. She felt a moment’s satisfaction knowing that he was bothered by what had passed between them on the road and inside his truck—that she’d driven him to this. Swimming was his release valve.

She wasn’t surprised that he was nude. And right now, despite what she knew he wanted to have happen this weekend, it didn’t feel like a gratuitous peep show. His powerful arms and thighs cut through the water, his face breaking the surface now and then for him to gulp for air. At the far end of the pool, he curled like the competitive swimmer he’d been and shot toward the opposite side again.

Chrissi watched him, her skin getting hotter, her belly cramping, not from any nausea but from desire so strong she knew she was past resisting.

She heard a scrape beside her, felt hands cup the notches of her hips and pull.

For all of a second, she resisted, and then she melted against Cade, her breath leaving in a long sigh. She didn’t want to be this easy. But what was the point? “Cade?” she whispered, giving a little moan as he kissed her cheek, her temple.

“Yes, baby?” he said, gliding his hands over her belly, then up to cup her breasts through her clothing.

“Go away.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

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Jody Wallace
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