bit her lip. "Mmm," he groaned. “Delicious.”
A pink hue stained her cheeks as she reached up to wipe away and smear of chocolate off his lower lip. Before her thumb could move away, however, he grabbed it with his soft, plump lips and sucked it off. The pink hue turned to a red and she returned to the task at hand. It was at this point Ricky figured out that they would have to take it slow with her.
The summer weeks passed by faster than any of them foresaw. The cousins sent letters to their granny, both mentioning the wonderful girl they had found.
Every day the cousins grew closer to her and her to them. The sexual tension grew until it was thick enough to cut with a knife. She learned that Nash liked to read and eventually they all spent the hour after dinner reading aloud to one another.
None of them were ready for the night when every came to a head. A freak, torrential down pour hit the state and the three of them rushed around on their horses to carrel the cattle back into the barn. If they let them stay outside, the wet and cold would take more than a few of the cows. Jessi couldn’t afford to lose any of them.
By the grace of God, they were able to get them all into barn. Even though they were all soaked to the bone, they still had to unsaddle the horses and feed them. They had done some hard work and deserved it.
Adrenaline coursed through all their veins, but Ricky and Nash were feeling it the most. They were getting more and more competitive with winning her over, both wanting her more than anything they had ever wanted in their lives.
When Nash went to help Jessi with her saddle all Ricky saw was red. He wanted to be doing that for her. He wanted her to notice him too. He didn’t even fully know what he was doing when they walked out of the horse’s stall. His fist went flying right into Nash’s cheek. He stumbled back and glared at his cousin. “What the hell did you do that for?” Nash yelled.
Ricky narrowed his eyes in return. “You know why.”
Nash ran at Ricky, hitting him in full force with his body. They fell to the concrete and rolled around, trying to get the upper hand. Fists and curse words flew.
“Stop it!” Jessi screamed. “What the hell has gotten into you two?” She began to sob, confused by their rash actions.
The sound of her crying broke them out of the rage and they stopped. They rushed to her side. “We’re sorry,” Nash said and rubbed her arm.
Ricky pushed a strand of loose hair behind her ear. “The adrenaline just got to us.”
“It’s more than that. Tell me what else is going on. Now.”
More tears fell down her cheeks and neither man could bear to tell her what had caused them to give into their aggressive, primal urges.
“It’s stupid, really,” Nash said.
“Tell me.”
Ricky sighed. “We like you, no, love you. These past couple of months have made us both see what we have been missin’ in our lives. I reckon our need for you just finally broke the dam.”
The realization dawned in her eyes during that moment. Her classic flush appeared on her cheeks as she covered her mouth.
“We crossed a line, I can tell. We’ll be gone by morning,” Nash said. He turned and started for the hayloft, but a hand on his wrist stopped him.
“No. Don’t go. I…. feel the same for the both of you.”
“The both of us?” Ricky asked.
She nodded and bowed her head, unable to look at either of them, as she admitted her true feelings. “Ever since my husband died, I thought I would never want anyone else. Then you two came walking into my life and I found myself wanting the touch of a man again. I know it’s selfish, but I want you both. I’ve dreamed of it.”
The cousins glanced at each other. They understood what she wanted. An understanding passed between them, they wanted to give her what she wanted.
“Do you really want both of us,