Rough, Raw, and Ready (Rough Riders #5)(50)

“No, that’s just not the norm.”


“Dag was so far in the closet he suffocated in there,” Chassie said. “I don’t know what normal is. I’d rather be hurt by upfront honesty than hurt by a long-standing lie.”


“I used to think that too.” Edgard picked at the plastic seam in the tablecloth.

Finally Chassie’s nerves couldn’t stand whatever he was hiding. She covered his hand with hers. “Tell me.”


“I saw Dag that night I was in the gay bar in Denver.”


Her stomach swirled her coffee into a frothy latte. “Who was he with? Shit. No, don’t tell me.” She inhaled. “Yes. Tell me. Please.”


“A skinny, young Goth looking kid. No one I knew. No one from the circuit. No one I’d ever seen, which wasn’t surprising. They were dancing…and dammit, Chassie. I don’t wanna—”


“Tell me. He’s dead and I realized too late that I barely knew him or his life outside of here.”


Edgard locked his gaze to hers. “Dag looked happier than I’d ever seen him.

Comfortable in his own skin. After seeing him smiling and relaxed with that twinkie, I knew why he’d been so damn combative on the circuit.”


Hot tears sparked in her eyes. “The last year he was so angry. And drunk. God. He was always drunk and when he was home he and Daddy were always at each other’s throats. I’d’ve given anything to see him happy just one time. Did he recognize you?”


“No. Dag didn’t see me. And I was used to dealing with Trevor and his secrecy and denial so I never let on I saw him.” He sighed. “Hell. I never even told Trevor I saw Dag, Chass. But it stuck in my head and eight months later I returned to Brazil.”


“So there’s been no one since Trevor?”


“I didn’t say that,” Edgard hedged. “I tried a couple random encounters in Sao Paulo and I felt…worse than when I was obsessed with getting laid. I met a guy, Reynaldo, who did some remodeling for me. We hooked up, we were out, but it was casual. Six months into it I took Rey home to meet my mother and the rest of my family. He knew my heart wasn’t in it, even when I never mentioned Trevor to him.”


Chassie frowned. “Never?”


Edgard shook his head.

“What happened when you took him home?”


“My mother didn’t like him.” His humor vanished. “Then she died and everything went to hell. Reynaldo…” He scrubbed his hands on his scalp. “Chassie, can we stop talking about this now? Please?”


“I think that’s probably smart,” Trevor said as he sidled into the kitchen. “I’m sorry about your ma, Ed. I know how close you were to her.”


“Thanks.”


Trevor poured the last of the coffee in his mug and shut off the pot. “Cattle been fed yet?”


“No. But Greta has.”


He scowled, but it was playful, not mean. “Damn goat’s probably eatin’ better than us.” Trevor put his hand on Edgard’s shoulder; more loverly than friendly. “I’ll take care of the cattle. You comin’ along to help me?”


Edgard beamed from Trevor’s simple affectionate gesture. “Absolutely.”


They belong together. You can’t come between them.

Chassie’s inner vixen offered her jealous side a seductive dare, Oh yeah? Stick around and watch me because I plan on being between them a lot.

Yes, it was shaping up to be a very promising day.

Chapter Twenty-one


True to her mental promise, a couple hours after supper, as the three of them were watching TV, Chassie said casually, “Anyone hungry?”


She paused, waiting for them to look at her. When they did, she vamped, “For a Chassie sandwich?”


Silence.

Trevor said, “I’m famished. How about you, Ed?”


“I could eat again.”


The next thing Chassie knew, Trevor whooped, plucked her up and raced upstairs to the bedroom with Edgard hot on their heels.

“This ain’t gonna be a leisurely meal,” Trevor said as he set her down.

Edgard added, “More like fast food.” He whipped off his shirt, then went to work on his buckle.

Chassie noticed Trevor’s socks balled up and his jeans undone.

“Whatcha waitin’ for, darlin’? Strip.”


Her fine motor skills suffered when faced with the reality of these two hot, naked men. Her face heated. Her heart pounded. She just…froze. Yeah. Big talker. Taunting them and acting like petrified wood as she realized both those big cocks would be buried inside her.

“Lemme help.” Edgard unbuttoned her blouse, kissing each inch of skin he bared.

When he reached the last button, he fell to his knees and worked on her jeans.

Trevor moved in behind her and slid her shirt off. His lips trailed across the slope of her shoulder as he unhooked her bra, dragging the straps down her arms. Edgard tugged until the denim pooled around her ankles.

Then three of them were buck-ass nekkid. Chassie was feeling unsure when Trevor spun her around.

“I’ll get the condiments,” Edgard said, causing Trevor’s sharp bark of laugher.