Bear County 3
Cowboy Naughty
After witnessing a man change into a bear and another giving
birth, Sheriff Zackary Sparrow wants nothing to do with Clayton
Calabria. He runs in the opposite direction until he pulls Josh
Abrams over for speeding.
Clayton wasn’t sure if he should give up on Sparrow. It's been
over a year since he last spoke to the sheriff of Bear County. He
knew Sparrow was running from him and there didn’t seem to be
anything he could do about it. That was until a striking blond blew
into town.
Josh Abrams was looking to start over. He never thought to find a
handsome man chasing after him, let alone two. But when the
sheriff finds a gun in his backseat, Josh must prove his innocents
or risk going to prison.
When Sparrow is shot in a robbery, Clayton and Josh try to
convince the sheriff that he is better off with them. Will Sparrow
finally give in to his desires or will he refuse the two men and
continue on with his lonely existence?
Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Contemporary, Ménage a
Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Shape-shifter, Western/Cowboys
Length: 30,358 words
COWBOY NAUGHTY
Bear County 3
Lynn Hagen
THE LYNN HAGEN MANLOVE COLLECTION
Siren Publishing, Inc.
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: The Lynn Hagen ManLove Collection
COWBOY NAUGHTY
Copyright © 2014 by Lynn Hagen
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62741-877-5
First E-book Publication: June 2014
Cover design by Emma Nicole
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Letter to Readers
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COWBOY NAUGHTY
Bear County 3
LYNN HAGEN
Copyright © 2014
Chapter One
Sheriff Zackary Sparrow glanced over the report on his desk as he
listened to Deputy Dunham out in the hallway.
“You keep talking about running for sheriff,” Deputy Ranchard
said. “Do you really think it’s wise to boast about trying to take over
Sparrow’s job?”
Ranchard and Dunham were talking close enough for Sparrow to
hear. He knew Dunham had done that on purpose. But Sparrow
wasn’t going to let the man rile him. When reelection rolled around,
he would stand on his own merits.
Not resort to talking trash about the man who was running against
him.
“Time for a change,” Dunham replied with certainty in his voice.
Since the deputy had started here three years ago, Dunham had
been a pain in the ass. Sparrow knew Dunham was gunning for his
job. Let the man try. What everyone failed to realize was that the
deputy was all talk and very little action.
In a place like Bear County, it was important to get to know the
residents and their day-to-day lives. Dunham could care less about the
residents and their needs.
He was in this for the title.
8
Lynn Hagen
“Hey, Zack.” Angelina stuck her head into his office and winked
at him. Sparrow smiled at his baby sister. “Got some lunch out here
for everyone.”
“I’m good.” He set the report aside. “Thanks, though.”
She slipped into his office and closed the door. “Have you figured
out what happened to those drug dealers that disappeared?”
Sparrow knew what happened to Devil and his cronies, but it
wasn’t anything he could write in his report. Who would believe him
if he said that four bears had killed the bastards and then got rid of the
bodies? “Not yet.”
He’d been investigating Abraham Seville, better known as Devil,
for the disappearance of Carl Penton. He knew Devil had killed Carl,
and Sparrow had been working the case until Devil had been stupid
enough to enter the home of four bear shifters. The drug dealer had
gone after Noah—Jed’s mate—and Jed had killed the man.
And now the case of Carl Penton was colder than February
because Sparrow’s number-one suspect was dead. “Go enjoy your
lunch, Ang.”
“You work too much and…” Ang’s voice trailed off and then she
tilted her head. “You need to learn to have a little fun.”
Which only reminded Sparrow of Clayton Calabria. The man was
a hot Italian, and Sparrow always felt like the temperature rose a few
degrees when the guy was around. The problem was, Sparrow had
been avoiding Clayton for over a year now.
He’d come to terms with the fact that Clayton and his friends were
humans who could shift into bears, but what he couldn’t wrap his
head around was the fact that he was hot for a guy who was also an
animal.
It just seemed too damn weird to him.
Sparrow’s logical mind refused to believe what his own eyes had
seen.
Besides, after witnessing a man giving birth, Sparrow wasn’t
afraid to admit that he was a little freaked out.
Cowboy Naughty
9
What if he and Clayton had sex and Sparrow got pregnant? The
thought made his heart slam behind his sternum and sweat gather in
his palms.
“And what makes you an expert on my personal life?” he asked
her.
“Because I’ve known you since I was born and you always work
too hard and play very little.” She rested her hand on the door.
Sparrow knew that look. Angelina was going to interfere and that was
the last thing he wanted.
Sparrow narrowed his eyes. “Don’t even think about it, Ang.”
“What?” she asked innocently, but Sparrow wasn’t falling for it.
Not the innocent part—Angelina was as sweet as they came. She was
young, twenty-two to be exact, and was still green around the edges.
His baby sister still believed in fairy-tale romance and that all men
were inherently good.
He liked that she viewed life that way, but Sparrow wasn’t so
naïve. The part he wasn’t falling for was her acting as if she didn’t
know what he meant.
“No matchmaking.” He pointed a finger at her. “Stay out of my
private life.”
“Your protest is duly noted,” she said.
Sparrow sighed. She was going to interfere anyway.
He shook his head as he stood, grabbing his hat before putting it
on and walking toward his door. “Don’t you have to get to work?”
She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. “I’m heading that way.
I’ll walk you out.”
Tossing his arm over her shoulder, Sparrow squeezed her close
and then left the building with her. He kissed his sister on the temple
and then let her go. “See you tonight for dinner.”
“Be careful.” She got into her car and drove away, leaving
Sparrow standing there gazing over the town. It was growing, more
businesses opening up, a new influx of people moving in. He just
10
Lynn Hagen
hoped that Bear County didn’t lose its homey, quaint feel with so
many new things popping up.
Letting go of a deep sigh, Sparrow got into his black-and-red
patrol car and headed down Route 14. Not two minutes outside of
town he spotted someone speeding down the road.
Sparrow hit the lights and siren.
The beat-up Camaro slowed and then pulled to the side of the
road. Sparrow got out, hand on the butt of his gun as he approached
the car. When he stopped at the driver’s window, he rapped the glass
with his knuckles. “Roll it down.”
The man had been digging in his glove box. When the driver
turned to smile up at him, Sparrow was instantly in lust. The man’s
dazzling blue eyes were the prettiest things he’d ever seen.
The mechanical sound of the window lowering filled the air
before the scent of something fruity filled Sparrow’s lungs. If it was
an air freshener, then it was strong. But Sparrow had a feeling it was
something the guy was wearing.
“Do you know how fast you were going?”
“My speed thingy is broken.”
Speed thingy?
“License, insurance card, and registration,” Sparrow said.
The man reached up into his visor and grabbed a card. All the
while, Sparrow was trying his best to check the man out without being
too obvious. The guy was slim, had blondish-white hair, and was
drop-dead gorgeous.
Too bad Sparrow had to write this guy a ticket.
“I have my license, but I borrowed this car.” The driver handed
him the things Sparrow had asked for. The insurance and registration
were under Greg Abrams’s name while the driver’s license stated that
the driver was Josh Abrams. “My brother is in the service, so he said I
could use his car while he’s gone.”
Use it or steal it. Sparrow wasn’t certain.
Cowboy Naughty
11
He wasn’t going to be pulled in by a pretty face. “Did he sign
anything stating that you could use his car?”
The man’s face fell. “Well, no. But he’s my brother. I didn’t think
I had to have him sign anything.”
Sparrow was usually pretty good at reading people, but he
couldn’t get a fix on this guy.
“Then do you have any way to verify what you’re telling me?”
Sparrow gazed at the license. Josh was five foot seven, one hundred
and twenty pounds, and from Maine. “You’re a long way from home,
Mr. Abrams.”
“Please, call me Josh.” The man began to chew at his thumbnail.
“I can’t call Greg. He’s overseas.”
Likely story. “Sit tight.”
Sparrow walked back to his car and radioed in the information.
The station was supposed to be getting an upgrade. Sparrow had put
in a request for the patrol cars to be equipped with mobile data
terminals so he could simply put Josh’s information into a laptop, but
the request was still pending so he had to do things the old-fashioned
way.
Sparrow sat there enjoying the soft breeze that was blowing
through his car as he stared at Josh’s vehicle. The guy could be telling
the truth.
He hoped Josh was.
The dispatcher radioed him back, telling Sparrow that Josh was
clean and there was no report of the car being stolen. Sparrow got out
and walked back to Josh. But before he got to the driver’s window,
Sparrow glanced in the backseat.
What he saw changed everything.
Sparrow pulled his gun and aimed it at Josh. “Get out nice and
slow.”
* * * *
12
Lynn Hagen
Clayton pulled into a parking spot in front of the post office. He’d
come into town to pick up a package when he spotted Sparrow over at
the police station, getting out of his patrol car.
What caught his attention was the cute blond the sheriff was
pulling from the backseat.
There was something fruity on the air, like citrus and strawberries.
Clayton moved a little closer, still sniffing when he realized the little
blond was a bear shifter.
“It wasn’t mine!” the blond was yelling as Sparrow hauled the
cuffed man into the station.
Curious, Clayton followed.
The sheriff had been avoiding him since the human had witnessed
Dresden giving birth. The sheriff had walked right in as Dresden was
pushing the baby out. Seeing a stranger in the room, Harland had
shifted into his bear form to protect his mate, and Clayton had had to
do some fancy talking to stop Harland from killing Sparrow.
Those thoughts slipped away as the fruity scent grew stronger.
Clayton was more intrigued with the stranger right now than with
Sparrow not wanting to see him.
Clayton stepped into the cool building, his skin instantly itching as
his sweat began to dry. It was early summer and already the daytime
temperatures were well into the nineties.
“Hey, Clayton.” The dispatcher, Harold, smiled at him as Clayton
walked into the lobby. “Can I help you with something?”
Clayton shook his head, following that delicious smell.
It was almost as if it were calling to him, making him walk in an
almost-trancelike state. He reached the back hallway where he knew
the cells were located, but was stopped by Deputy Dunham.
“You can’t go back there.”
“Who was that guy?” Clayton asked as he tried to see past the
deputy.
“Not sure, but you’ll have to go back up front, Clayton.” The
deputy waved his hand toward the direction Clayton had come. He
Cowboy Naughty
13
didn’t want to go. Clayton wanted to find out who the blond beauty
was.
Instead, he decided to wait for Sparrow in the man’s office. Not
only was he going to get answers about the stranger, but he was going
to confront the man about what he had seen.
It was high time Sparrow came clean with him. He liked the
sheriff, and up until the human had found out about bear shifters,
Clayton had been sure the man liked him.
He took a seat at Sparrow’s desk, tucking his hands behind his
head as he heard Sparrow talking out in the hallway. When the sheriff
walked in, he came to a stop and Clayton could see the longing in the
man’s dark eyes before it quickly disappeared.
“What are you doing in here?” Sparrow moved over to his desk,
as if Clayton was supposed to jump up and give the man his seat.
He didn’t.
“Who was that guy you brought in?”
“I’m not going to discuss my cases with you. Now, tell me why
you’re here.” The man’s tone was brusque and Clayton didn’t
appreciate that. He hadn’t done anything to wrong Sparrow.
“Fine, then tell me why I hardly see you around anymore.” This
time, Clayton kicked his feet up on the desk. He knew he was pushing
his luck, but he wanted to get a reaction out of Sparrow.
“I’ve been working.” Sparrow knocked Clayton’s feet down.
“Now if you don’t mind, I have paperwork to complete.”
Clayton sprang to his feet and grabbed Sparrow by the front of his
collar. The man was big and muscular, but Clayton wasn’t worried
about Sparrow knocking him on his ass.
At least he hoped not.
Clayton knew he wouldn’t take Sparrow down easily if the guy
decided to tussle with him. But Clayton wanted answers, even if that
meant tearing this office apart.
“Just say it,” Clayton said roughly. “Say you’re afraid of me now
that you know the truth.”
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Lynn Hagen
Sparrow growled as he knocked Clayton’s hands free. “What’s
with you?”
The sounds out in the hallway reminded Clayton that the two
weren’t alone. He cleared his throat, lowering his voice. “I’ve waited
patiently for you to come around to the idea that I’m a bear shifter. I
figured a few weeks or even a few months. But damn, man. Over a
year?”
“Come around to what?” Sparrow walked behind his desk,
skirting around Clayton, but didn’t take a seat. He stood there giving
Clayton a look that should have stopped him in his tracks.
Good thing he wasn’t easily intimidated.
Clayton folded his arms over his chest. “Tell me you aren’t
attracted to me, Sparrow. Tell me you don’t want to fuck me just as
much as I want to fuck you.”
The image of the two of them naked sprang to mind, and Clayton
became half-hard. He had plenty of pent-up sexual frustration that he
was dying to take out on the sheriff. He would have no problem
locking the office door, bending Sparrow over the desk, and fucking
the man until they were both sweaty and spent.
His jeans became tight and uncomfortable.
“I don’t have time for this.” Sparrow took a seat, turned on his
computer, and pretended to ignore Clayton. But Clayton could smell
the fear on the man.
The question was, what was Sparrow so afraid of?
Clayton was tired of pining away for the guy. He didn’t want to
spend another year wondering when Sparrow was going to come to
his senses.
In short, he was sick of waiting and was going to grab life by the
balls. Either that or grab Sparrow’s balls. Walking around the desk,
Clayton stood behind the sheriff.
“What are you doing?” Sparrow turned, but Clayton put his hands
on the man’s shoulders and began to grind his fingers into the
human’s tight muscles.
Cowboy Naughty
15
“Just shut up and listen.” Clayton could still smell the faint fruity
smell on Sparrow. It must have transferred to the sheriff when he
brought his prisoner in. Clayton leaned forward, inhaling not only the
stranger’s scent, but Sparrow’s as well.
The combination was like an aphrodisiac to Clayton. “You’re
gonna stop running from me, Zackary Sparrow. I want you and I’m
not taking no for an answer.”
“Then you’re gonna be highly disappointed.” Sparrow shrugged
Clayton’s hands away. “Now get out of my office before I put you in
one of the cells.”
“Is it because I’m a bear?” Clayton asked before bending close to
Sparrow’s ear. “Or is it because you saw a man giving birth?”
“Out!” Sparrow shot to his feet, his face red with rage. Clayton
had his answer. The man was terrified that he would end up pregnant.
As much as Clayton wanted to reassure the guy that it wouldn’t
happen, he couldn’t. Shifters weren’t one hundred percent positive
who their mate was until they slept with the person and the person
became pregnant. The possibility was high that Sparrow would
conceive.
If the guy was indeed Clayton’s mate.
“Fine, but I’m not going far. You’ve run from me long enough,”
Clayton said as he headed toward the door. He turned as his hand
landed on the knob. “You can be scared all you want, but I’m far from
done with you.”
“Out.” Sparrow growled the word between gritted teeth.
Clayton walked out of the office, slamming the door behind him.
The noise gained him attention, but Clayton didn’t care.
Sheriff Zackary Sparrow was his and no one—not even the sheriff
himself—was going to get in Clayton’s way.
16
Lynn Hagen
Chapter Two
“You want to tell me why there was a sawed off shotgun in your
backseat?” Sheriff Sparrow asked as he stood outside Josh’s cell. “If
you think filing the serial number off is going to save you, you're
wrong. There are still ways to track this weapon.”
“I picked up a hitchhiker on my way here,” Josh explained,
remembering the guy clearly. But the hitchhiker had seemed so
harmless.
It had been a long drive from Maine and Josh was so bored that he
wanted to bang his head into the steering wheel. When he’d seen the
man on the side of the road, Josh had become excited, wanting
someone to talk to besides himself.
Josh hadn’t even protested when the stranger asked to stretch out
on the backseat and take a nap. If the guy had stashed a shotgun in
Greg’s car, then what else was back there?
Oh, god, what if there were drugs or stolen money hidden back
there?
Josh wanted to bang his head into the bars for being so stupid.
What had he been thinking?
Apparently he hadn’t.
Greg used to tell him all the time that being nice gets you
nowhere. Josh had never believed that.
He did now.
Well, it was getting him somewhere and that was straight into the
slammer. He’d never been in trouble a day in his life. He jammed his
hands into his armpits, forcing himself not to shake so badly. But it
Cowboy Naughty
17
wasn’t easy, not when his heart was hammering a thousand beats a
second and his stomach was in a tight knot.
“Did you happen to catch a name?” The sheriff curled his top lip
to the side. Josh knew that look. The man was trying to trick an
answer out of him. “Or is this another likely story you’re conjuring up
for me?”
“That is my brother’s car!” Greg had shipped out two weeks ago
and had told Josh he could use the car until Josh could afford one of
his own. Since Josh was currently unemployed, purchasing his own
transportation was a long way off.
This was turning into a mess from hell.
“I have someone looking into that claim.” The sheriff leaned his
beefy arm into the wall next to Josh’s cell. “But what I want to know
is why you’d pick up a hitchhiker in the first place—if that’s what
truly happened.”
It had been a stupid impulse. If only he could go back in time to
when he had first seen that damn stranger so he could pass the guy up
instead of pulling over.
Josh took a seat on the thin cot, wishing he’d stayed home instead
of driving across the country. “My cousin told me how much he loved
this town,” Josh confessed as he wrung his hands in his lap. “He said
it would be a good way for me to start over. I had no idea that I
needed something in writing to use Greg’s car and I swear I didn’t
know that stranger had a shotgun on him.”
“Your cousin?”
“Harland Macy.” Josh noticed how the sheriff stiffened at the
mention of Harland’s name so he began to talk faster. “Aunt Renee
has flown out here many times and each time she’s returned talking
about how much she loves Bear County. I swear, I’m not a bad guy.”
“No,” the sheriff said as he leaned in closer, his voice dropping to
a menacing whisper. “You’re a fucking bear shifter.”
Josh was stunned that the sheriff knew. But what shocked him
even more was the fact that the sheriff just turned and walked away, a
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Lynn Hagen
deep scowl on his face. Josh dropped onto his back, groaning as he
stared up at the ceiling. Why didn’t the sheriff like shifters?
What had Harland done to warrant such animosity from the
sheriff?
He turned his head, listening closely to the sound of approaching
footsteps. Although Sparrow was one hot-ass man, Josh wasn’t in the
mood to be further interrogated by the less-than-charming human. But
it wasn’t Sparrow who entered the back hallway.
Josh sat up, scenting the air as someone came into view. “You’re
a bear.”
And the newcomer was just as handsome as Sparrow. What was
with this town? Were all the men this good looking? Josh liked how
the guy’s hair stood on end, as if the man had just ridden a roller
coaster. It appeared windblown, but he could tell the stranger used
some kind of hair product to get the strands to stand straight up.
“Who are you?” the stranger asked as he cocked his head to the
side. The smell of soft leather and pine trees filled Josh’s cell. The
aroma reminded him of the many backpack trips he’d taken with his
uncle when Josh had been younger. It was like he was back in Baxter
State Park.
“Josh Abrams. And you?”
“Clayton Calabria.” The man stuck his hand out and Josh reached
through the bars to shake it. That name sounded familiar. Josh
wracked his brain and then remembered his cousin Harland talking
about someone named Clayton. He was one of the owners of the
Triple-B ranch and one of Harland’s good friends.
“You know Harland?” This had to be the same guy Harland had
talked about over the years. But his cousin hadn’t told Josh how
stunning Clayton was.
Clayton’s black brows shot up. “How do you know him?”
“He’s my cousin.”
Clayton didn’t look convinced. “I grew up with Harland. If he had
a cousin, I’d know about him.”
Cowboy Naughty
19
“Harland has more than one,” Josh said. “And I don’t know why
he didn’t mention me, but we are related.”
“Huh.” Clayton scratched a chin that had a good day’s growth of
hair shadowing his strong jaw. “I’m gonna have to talk to Harland
about keeping such good-looking relatives a secret.”
Josh’s fingers curled around the bars as he gazed past Clayton’s
shoulder, praying the sheriff didn’t come back here anytime soon.
Sparrow didn’t look like the forgiving type and Josh had a feeling that
Clayton had snuck back to the cells without permission. “While
you’re at it, can you call him and tell him that I’m here?”
Clayton leaned an arm against the bars, his eyes scanning up and
down Josh’s body in a way that couldn’t be mistaken for anything
other than sexual interest. “What are you in here for?”
“Seriously?” Josh gaped at the man. “I’m locked up and you’re
trying to hit on me?”
“You got a really nice smell to you.” Clayton licked his lower lip.
“I can’t help it if my bear is attracted to you.”
“This is the most inopportune time, Clayton.” Josh let go of the
bars and took a seat. “Just please tell Harland to get down here.”
He watched as the shifter gave him one last longing look before
he nodded and left. Josh rolled over, tucking his hands under his
cheek. The guys in this town were cute, but it seemed that they were
equally crazy.
* * * *
The following day, Sparrow was at Lamont’s Trailer Heaven.
If Sparrow got one more complaint about Buck Buchanan, he was
going to ring the guy’s neck. It seemed every time he arrested the
troublemaker, the charges were somehow dropped. Buck was a
nuisance around these parts and Sparrow did everything he could to
keep the man from causing any more trouble. But his hands were tied
when Buck always beat the charges.
20
Lynn Hagen
“Whoever called you is a liar!” Buck shouted as Sparrow leaned
the guy over the hood of his patrol car and patted him down. “I didn’t
do a damn thing wrong.”
He knew that Buck was one of the drug dealers in this trailer park.
If his suspicions were correct, the main dealer. Unfortunately, Buck
didn’t have anything on him at the moment.
Too bad. Sparrow would’ve loved to have taken the man in.
Sparrow let him go and watched as Buck’s cohorts began
gathering around the patrol car. Sparrow was here alone. Even so, he
wished someone would try and pull some bullshit stunt with him.
He’d wipe the trailer park with these lowlifes.
“What’s the complaint, Officer?” one of Buck’s men asked as he
chewed on a toothpick.
“Who are you?” Sparrow didn’t know this one and his gut instinct
was telling him to watch the guy. He wasn’t loud like the others. He
had a look in his eyes that said he was smarter than all the men around
here combined.
“Jack Frost.” The guy gave the other men a wicked smile as he
leaned against a Caribbean-blue trailer that had sporadic rust spots
decorating the lower half.
“You look like you might be carrying.” Sparrow hauled the guy to
his car, bent him over, and patted him down. He’d called for backup
ten minutes ago. It should have been here by now.
“Carrying what?” the guy asked as he kept his fingers interlocked
behind his head. The hoodlum didn’t protest Sparrow searching him.
He didn’t argue or threaten Sparrow the way the others would have.
“I guess we’ll find out.” His search yielded nothing. Sparrow
grabbed the man’s wallet and opened it to see a driver’s license.
Pulling it free, Sparrow checked out the name. “Barry Sliman.”
Sparrow tossed the wallet and ID onto the hood of his car. “You look
like a slimy man to me.”
“Think you’re funny, cop?” Slimy man asked. The guy was slim,
built like a runner. He would be fast if he decided to take off.
Cowboy Naughty
21
“I think I’m fucking hilarious.” Sparrow released the man when
the other patrol car finally arrived. Figures. It was Dunham behind the
wheel. Sparrow was going to rip the man a new asshole for taking his
sweet time.
What did the guy think, that the trailer trash would take Sparrow
out and Dunham could slip into the sheriff’s position, no fuss, no
muss? It was going to take more than these clowns to take Sparrow
down.
“Stand the fuck back,” Dunham said to the men around Sparrow’s
car. He started throwing his weight around as soon as he exited his
car. Dunham reminded Sparrow of a peacock, displaying his colorful
feathers—all boast and no action. It was a show, nothing more.
That made Sparrow’s back molars grind together.
“I got this,” Sparrow said so only his deputy could hear him. “Do
some damn police work and pat the rest of those men down.”
Dunham didn’t look too happy at Sparrow’s orders, but complied.
Sparrow slid into his car and radioed in Sliman’s ID. As he waited, he
watched Dunham threaten the men he was checking. But it was
Sliman who caught his attention.
The man was watching Sparrow a little too closely.
When dispatch came back and said Sliman was clean, Sparrow got
out and gave the man his driver’s license back.
“Disappointed?” the bastard asked.
“Hardly,” Sparrow answered. He gazed over at Dunham. “Put
Buck in the back of my car.”
“For what?” Buck’s nostrils flared as he planted his legs wide.
Sparrow looked Buck in the eyes and said evenly, “You can sit
there and cool your heels while I write you a ticket for the noise
ordinance you violated.”
Too bad Sparrow couldn’t get him on something more, but he
wasn’t a dirty cop and wasn’t going to plant anything on the guy. It
would be nice to get him off the street, though.
22
Lynn Hagen
After serving the ticket, Sparrow and Dunham left. Sparrow
headed back to the station to check on his current visitor, Josh
Abrams. The man was lying in his cell, staring at the far wall. Just
like with Clayton, Sparrow was deeply attracted to this man but he
refused to fall for a bear shifter.
That didn’t stop his pulse from beating faster as he looked Josh
over. It seemed that even though he didn’t want to be interested, he
was. A sheen of moisture formed over his brow.
Sparrow was a man staring at his own downfall.
“Any news?” Josh asked as he sat up and brushed his hand over
his blond hair. Sparrow gazed down at the man, eating up the vision
in front of him. Big blue eyes stared at him from a flawless face,
waiting for an answer, and all Sparrow could do was watch how
Josh’s fingers slid smoothly through those blond strands.
His cock grew hard.
“Nothing yet.” He opened the cell door and handed Josh his lunch,
his eyes skimming over the delicate fingers Josh pulled away from his
head. They were long, slim, and Sparrow imagined they could bring
him hours of pleasure. “I still don’t understand why you would pick
up a hitchhiker. Do know how dangerous that is?”
Josh took the tray from Sparrow and set it aside before lifting his
left shoulder in a small shrug. “I guess I just wanted the company.
Driving that far kind of gets lonely.”
“That’s not a healthy way to pass the time.” Sparrow pointed to
the silver tray. “Eat up. I’ll go see if ballistics came back on that
shotgun.”
“It isn’t mine,” Josh reiterated as he stood. Sparrow had to get out
of that cell. If Josh moved any closer…
“What if it comes back as being used in some sort of robbery or
murder?” Josh’s hands shook as he curled his fingers into the palms
of his hands. His skin appeared a bit green as he blinked rapidly.
Please don’t let him cry.
Sparrow hardened his resolve.
Cowboy Naughty
23
“Pray that it doesn’t.” Sparrow left the cell and headed down the
hallway as he pulled in a few deep breaths, telling his cock to calm
the hell down. The last thing he needed was to walk back up front
with a hard-on.
When Sparrow rounded the corner, he saw Harland Macy at the
front desk, demanding to see his cousin. Of course, Clayton was with
the guy. This was turning out to be one hell of a day.
Sparrow needed an aspirin.
“There’s no way that shotgun belongs to Josh,” Harland argued as
he slammed the palm of his hand down on the counter. As Sparrow
looked at Harland, all he could picture was Dresden giving birth. He
couldn’t get that thought to go away. “He’s as harmless as a fly,”
Harland finished before he spotted Sparrow and turned, his eyes
narrowing. “Are you serious?”
“I am.” Sparrow ignored Clayton’s presence, but he could feel the
man’s eyes boring into him. His reaction to Clayton was a bit
different than it had been to Josh. A raw hunger welled up inside of
him and Sparrow had an urge to slam Clayton into a wall and fuck the
man.
No mercy.
Hard and fast.
“Are you charging Josh?” Harland asked. “If not, let him go.”
“I can hold him for twenty-four hours. Until the ballistics come
back on the gun that was found in the backseat of his brother’s car, he
stays.” Sparrow wasn’t budging on this one. He still had three hours
left to hold Josh. He knew what Harland, Clayton, and Josh were, but
he refused to be intimidated by the fact that they could change into
bears.
Really big bears from what he’d seen at the ranch over a year ago.
“Then release him to me,” Harland insisted. “I’m an upstanding
citizen and a pillar of this community. I’m not a flight risk and neither
is Josh.”
“The judge will have to decide that,” Sparrow said.
24
Lynn Hagen
“And when will the judge be in?” Harland asked.
“He’s in,” Sparrow answered. “As a matter of fact, Josh is going
to see him this afternoon.” He kept his eyes from straying over to
Clayton. Sparrow was not going to give in to the burning lust coursing
through his body. He wasn’t a dog chasing after a bone. He had more
willpower than that. He just needed to get Clayton—and Josh—out of
his damn station and out of his life.
“But you haven’t charged him yet,” Clayton interjected as he
moved closer. The smell of soft leather and pine trees filled his lungs.
It was the same scent he smelled every time Clayton was close.
Sparrow gritted his teeth and forced himself not to give in.
“He was still speeding,” Sparrow pointed out. “That charge
sticks.”
“Why are you being such an ass?” Clayton asked. “I’ve gotten
speeding tickets before and didn’t have to see the judge.” Clayton
moved closer and Sparrow had to resist the urge to take a step back.
The scent was overwhelming and making it hard for him to think, to
focus. “I know why you’re fucking with us. Is this how it’s gonna
be?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Sparrow moved over
to the front desk and grabbed a random file. He didn’t want Clayton
to think that he was running. “He’ll see the judge in about an hour.
You can either come back or wait. Your choice.”
Sparrow left the men standing there as he walked into his office.
After closing the door, he leaned against it, blowing out a long breath.
Why did it seem the more he saw Clayton, the more he wanted the
guy? He had a feeling he was fighting a losing battle.
Cowboy Naughty
25
Chapter Three
A few hours after his conversation with the sheriff, the man was
back. Josh stood when Sparrow came to his cell. He prayed that the
guy couldn’t tell that Josh had been crying. He glanced away, his eyes
sore and his throat burning. Josh hated himself for being so weak, but
the thought of going to prison for murder or anything else heinous
made his stomach twist into knots.
Please let that shotgun come back clean.
Josh cleared his throat and turned, keeping his eyes lowered. If he
looked Sheriff Sparrow in the eyes, he just might break down in front
of the guy and bawl like a baby. That was the last thing he wanted to
do.
He also didn’t want to be on the receiving end of Sparrow’s wrath.
“I’m sorry.”
The sheriff opened the cell and leaned against the bars. The cell
flooded with the scent of aftershave and salty ocean air. Josh tried
hard not to breathe it in. The smell made him want to curl up next to
Sparrow and rub his scent all over the human.
His bear growled, trying to urge Josh closer, but that would be a
mistake that Josh would regret. Sparrow hated him for being a bear
shifter. Josh still didn’t know why.
Sparrow looped his thumbs into his utility belt. “What are you
apologizing for?”
“For whatever Harland did,” he said. Thankfully he’d stopped the
shiver that threatened to wrack his body. Sparrow’s deep, melodic
voice was enthralling. “Please don’t judge me by my cousin. I swear
I’m not a bad guy.”
26
Lynn Hagen
“Listen.” Sparrow folded his arms over his well-sculpted chest.
The brown uniform shirt strained around Sparrow’s biceps. “I didn’t
mean to be such a prick to you, but after what I saw at that ranch—”
The sheriff shook his head.
Josh was glad no one else was back here with them. He didn’t
have to worry about whispering, but he made sure his voice was low
nonetheless. “What did you see?”
Sparrow cracked his lower jaw the way some people do when
they’re trying to clear their ears on an airplane. For the sheriff, it was
an intimidating sight. Was the sheriff about to rough him up or was
that something he did all the time? But Sparrow’s eyes, although
assessing, were kind—no matter how frightened he made Josh.
“I saw a man giving birth.”
Josh wasn’t sure how to respond to that. He wanted to ask if
Sparrow had enjoyed something that beautiful but knew from the
man’s reaction that the answer would probably be no. He ran his hand
through his hair, trying to figure out the best thing to say.
He had nothing. “So, watching that made you hate bear shifters?”
“No.”
“So then why do you hate us?” Even before Josh finished asking
the question, the answer dawned on him. “You’re attracted to one of
the men at the Triple-B and you’re afraid you’ll get pregnant.”
Josh stood there quietly as he turned the problem over in his head.
As much as he should hate Sparrow for arresting him, he didn’t. As a
matter of fact, as disturbing as the realization should be, Josh was
attracted to the human.
But he was also attracted to Clayton—even though he’d balked at
the idea of Clayton flirting with him while Josh was in jail. It was a
dilemma he’d never experienced before. There was no denying that
both men called to him and that his bear wanted desperately to
answer.
Josh wasn’t sure how to handle this.
“I’m done talking about this,” Sparrow said.
Cowboy Naughty
27
“Who are you attracted to?” Josh asked. He knew that Harland
was already mated, so it couldn’t be his cousin. From what Aunt
Renee had told him, Jed was mated as well.
So it had to be either Clayton or Bryson.
“It doesn’t matter.” Sparrow’s jaw tightened. “Now let’s get
moving. You have to see the judge.”
Josh took a step back. “I’m scared. What’s he going to do to me?”
“He’s going to make you pay the fine, unless that shotgun comes
back dirty.”
“But it wasn’t mine.” He argued the point once more, feeling like
a broken record. How many times did he have to say that before
Sparrow believed him? Josh was getting light-headed and the room
began to spin. Bile rose to the back of his throat while he gripped the
wall to steady himself.
“Whoa.” Sparrow grabbed Josh by his upper arms and eased him
onto the cot. “Are you really going to pass out? I thought bears were
tougher than that.”
“You’re an ass.” Josh breathed in through his nose and out
through his mouth. He hated the fact that his hands were shaking. He
hated everything about being here in this cell. All he wanted to do
was go home. “Not all bear shifters are badass.”
“Even the smallest of your kind can intimidate any human.”
Sparrow squatted in front of Josh and did something unexpected. The
sheriff brushed his fingers over Josh’s jaw as his deep, dark eyes
softened. “Relax, Josh. Like I said, he’ll only make you pay the fine.”
“The shotgun.”
Sparrow’s hand dropped away. “The report already came back.
The shotgun is clean and registered to someone. I’ve got my deputy
getting a hold of the owner.”
Josh sat there stunned for a moment and then red-hot anger filled
him, singing through his body as he clenched his hands into fists.
“You asshole!”
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Lynn Hagen
“I was trying to teach you a damn lesson,” Sparrow argued.
“Maybe next time you’ll think twice before picking up a hitchhiker!”
Josh lifted his fist, ready to knock the large man on his ass when
Sparrow grabbed his wrist, holding it firmly. “Don’t add assaulting a
law enforcement official to your charges.”
“I should kick you in the balls for making me agonize over that
shotgun.” Josh yanked on his wrist, but Sparrow had a tight hold on it.
“I damn near passed out from fear.”
“Good,” Sparrow said with a hard, rigid nod. “Then lesson
learned.”
In a moment of pure insanity, Josh leaned forward before Sparrow
knew what he was doing and planted a kiss on the man’s lips. The
scent inside his cell was so overwhelming, his relief so fierce, that
Josh found himself turning his anger into madness.
He groaned at the taste.
Sparrow snapped his head back. “What are you doing?”
“Kissing you, moron.” Josh leaned forward again. Sparrow moved
back but didn’t go far, so Josh moved just a little closer. When the
sheriff didn’t move again, Josh licked his tongue across the man’s full
bottom lip, teasing it before plunging his tongue deep.
Sparrow grabbed a handful of Josh’s hair, tilting his head back
roughly before he began to kiss back. His scalp tingled from the
roughness. His body came to life. Josh groaned. The man tasted
sweeter than honey. His tongue was rough, intrusive, and Josh opened
wider to allow the sheriff to take over. The cell suddenly became too
hot as the air all around them singed with electricity.
Sparrow tugged Josh’s hair a little harder as his lips left Josh’s
mouth and traveled over his jaw. Josh was aching to have the man
kiss every inch of his body. At this point, if Sparrow wanted to strip
Josh naked, he’d let him.
Josh’s cock thickened as he whimpered. Sparrow gave a low
growl, as if the sound of Josh’s throaty pleas turned him on. He parted
Cowboy Naughty
29
his lips, trying to pull in more air. Sparrow released Josh’s hair, his
hands traveling down Josh’s back. His touches became softer, gentler.
Josh started to lean back as Sparrow lifted from his squatting
position, hovering over Josh while his lips traveled even lower,
sucking the skin over Josh’s neck.
“Hey, Sparrow!” someone called from down the hall.
Sparrow quickly released Josh, standing there panting as his eyes
skimmed over Josh. The sheriff cleared his throat before he turned
and shouted, “Back here.”
This time Josh was trying to calm down from the raging hard-on
he had. He wanted another kiss. Hell, he wanted more than that. Josh
was glad for the moment of reprieve when Sparrow walked out of the
cell. He needed to pull himself together.
“Let’s go,” Sparrow said as he turned back around but didn’t look
at Josh. “I need to get you out of here.”
The man wanted Josh gone. But Josh knew this wasn’t the last
time he was going to see the sheriff.
Not by a long shot.
Not after that toe-curling kiss. The sheriff might claim he hated
bear shifters, but he’d just proven to Josh that he wasn’t as averse to
them as he claimed to be.
* * * *
Clayton leaned against Harland’s truck, his ankles crossed,
watching the door for Josh. They were still at the station waiting for
the little blond to see the judge.
“He shouldn’t be much longer,” Harland said from where he was
sitting on the tailgate. “I still can’t believe that prick made him see the
judge.”
Clayton started to agree, but frowned when he found himself
wanting to defend the sheriff instead. His bear didn’t like Harland
insulting Sparrow. The heat must be frying his brain.
30
Lynn Hagen
Pushing from the truck, Clayton headed toward the door. “I’m
going to check on him.”
“I’ll wait out here,” Harland said.
Clayton stepped back into the cool interior of the station, nodding
to Harold as he headed toward Sparrow’s office. Josh came out of one
of the doors down the hall, appearing a bit shaken.
His arms ached to pull Josh close and comfort the man. “How’d it
go?”
Josh gave him a wobbly smile that lit up Clayton’s heart. “I’m not
going to prison.”
Clayton smiled. “That’s a good thing.”
When Sparrow appeared further down the hallway, Clayton
narrowed his eyes at the sheriff. Sparrow turned away and began to
talk to one of his deputies.
“Let’s get out of here.”
“I’m all for that,” Josh said as he exited the station.
Clayton gave Sparrow one last look before he followed that fruity
fragrance, his eyes landing on Josh’s ass.
Josh might be Harland’s cousin, but Clayton planned on getting
some of that sweet little bear.
* * * *
Josh moved close to the window in the backseat of Harland’s
truck, soaking in the sun’s rays. He was glad to be free, able to smell
the fresh air. He never wanted to see the inside of a jail cell again.
As Harland turned into a long, curving driveway, Josh’s lips
slightly parted. The Triple-B ranch came into view and he was
amazed at the beauty of the place.
The two-story Victorian home was set back far from the road.
Dark-blue shutters adorned the windows of the pristine-looking white
home.
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31
When Harland said he owned a house with his best friends, he
failed to mention that it was more like a small mansion. White fences
lined the drive and there were horses grazing here and there. The air
smelled fresh and clean.
There were white-capped mountains in the background that made
the picturesque setting seam unreal. The place was just too perfect.
“Well, what do you think?” Clayton asked from the front seat.
“It’s simply breathtaking.” Josh had been in the wilderness of
Maine many times, but there was something awe-inspiring about a
horse ranch.
“Glad the shotgun came back clean,” Harland was saying and Josh
knew he was in for a lecture. “But what I want to know is how your
brain decided that picking up a hitchhiker was a smart thing to do?”
“I know. I know,” Josh said as he sat back, thinking about
Sparrow’s own lesson and that hotter-than-hell kiss. “I can promise
you that it won’t happen again. I’ve learned my lesson.” The pricey
speeding ticket was enough to make him balk. But what could have
happened if the shotgun hadn’t come back clean was enough to give
Josh nightmares.
Thank goodness everything had turned out okay.
“Bryson is going to get Greg’s car later,” Harland said as he
parked and got out. “I didn’t want you around that sheriff any longer
than you needed to be. He seemed to have it out for you.”
“Because of you,” Josh said as he hopped out and gazed around.
He wasn’t telling anyone about what he and Sparrow had shared in
his cell. His cousin would probably flip if he knew Josh had been
making out with the same guy who’d arrested him. “As soon as I said
I was your cousin, his whole demeanor changed.”
Harland sighed. “That’s because he saw my mate giving birth.”
“So, where are my little cousins?” Josh hurried toward the porch,
ready to meet Harland’s kids and to see his Aunt Renee. She’d been
gone for months and he missed her dearly. He was also ready to
change the damn subject.
32
Lynn Hagen
Josh planned on going back to the station just as soon as Greg’s
car was returned to him. Sparrow had sparked something inside of
him that Josh wanted to explore further.
He came up short when he entered a house filled with kids. There
were five in all, screaming and running around. The skin under his
left eye twitched at the noise level. Clayton walked up behind Josh.
He was so close that he could feel the heat on his back.
Josh wasn’t sure what to do.
Clayton had been making passes at him since they’d met. He liked
both men and felt greedy for wanting to get to know Sparrow and
Clayton better.
“Welcome to the loony bin,” Clayton said, his warm breath
tickling Josh’s cheek. God, he felt like such a slut. Josh had never
been shy when it came to sex or flirting, but two men? Really?
“That’s Markey.” Harland pointed to a short blond-haired child
with the prettiest blue eyes Josh had ever seen. “And that’s Austin
trying to keep up with his older brother.”
The infant was half wobbling and half running. If one could call
that running. There were three more children with Austin, one in his
cub form.
“Tyler likes being a bear more than he likes being human,”
Clayton explained. “He and his sisters are triplets.”
Josh’s eyebrows shot up. Twins were rare, but triplets were like
winning the lottery. And all five children were cute as a button.
“Let me show you to your room.” Harland guided Josh upstairs
and showed him to the third door on the left. “Supper will be ready
soon. My mate is a damn good cook.”
“I’d like to meet him.” Josh was feeling a bit overwhelmed. It had
been just him and his brother for the longest time. After his uncle
passed away, Josh and Greg had pretty much been on their own. Then
Greg had joined the service, wanting to serve his country, and that
had left Josh by himself.
Cowboy Naughty
33
Now he was in a house with so many people that he wasn’t sure
what to do. Harland took him back downstairs and gave him a tour of
the house. The inside was just as impressive as the outside.
The living room had plenty of open space, two couches, three
recliners, and a large-screen television. The room was decorated in a
modern style.
There were also toys strewn about everywhere. He could tell this
place was well used and well loved.
Harland took him to the kitchen next. Josh gazed around. It was a
typical country kitchen, but with updated appliances and a large
wooden table in the middle. The cabinets were yellow and white, the
walls as well. The spacious room was accessorized with an apple
motif.
“And this is Dresden,” Harland said as he kissed a very good-
looking blond. Clayton had rejoined them, and was now standing
directly behind Josh once more.
Josh moved quickly away, feeling guilty for wanting two men.
Even if he fancied the idea of being with both guys, what if one
turned out to be his mate? How could he look his mate in the eye after
sleeping with the other man?
Clayton frowned, but didn’t say a word as Josh moved across the
room and shook Dresden’s hand. “You have two very handsome
sons.”
“Thanks,” Dresden replied. “Two sons who are a handful.”
What Josh wouldn’t give to have a family of his own. He’d grown
up in a small one but wanted a large one with his mate—whenever he
found the guy. Although, seeing those five kids together made him
wonder if he could handle so many.
“Come on,” Clayton said, grabbing Josh by the hand. “I’ll show
you the rest of the place.”
Josh didn’t argue. He let Clayton drag him out the back door.
Once they were alone, Clayton spun on him, pinning Josh with an icy
glare. “You want to tell me why Sparrow’s scent is all over you?”
34
Lynn Hagen
Chapter Four
Clayton was spitting mad. He’d been trying to get with Sparrow
for a while, and now Josh showed up smelling like he’d bathed in the
human’s scent?
He was livid and didn’t care if it wasn’t his place to question Josh.
It ticked him off that he wanted Sparrow and the sheriff wouldn’t give
him the time of day, but the guy would make out with his damn
prisoner.
It also ticked him off that he’d been attracted to Josh from the
word go and Sparrow had moved in on the guy. He wasn’t sure if it
was shitty-ass luck or if the sheriff was just out to piss Clayton off.
“If you’ve forgotten that quickly, I was just released from
jail…where the sheriff happens to work.” Josh folded his arms over
his slim chest, jutting his chin out in a defiant manner.
Clayton could tell that Josh was lying to him. He didn’t know the
guy, so he backed off. Clayton had no right to be angry with this man.
It was Sparrow he needed to have a word with.
Spinning on his heel, Clayton went to his truck, got in, and took
off toward town. He wasn’t sure what game the sheriff was playing,
but Clayton wasn’t going to let the man get away with it. The sheriff
knew damn well that Clayton was interested in Josh.
He parked outside the station and walked in, right past the front
desk and straight into Sparrow’s office. He slammed the door closed
behind him as Sparrow looked up from some paperwork.
“Sure, drop in anytime.” The man sat back, gazing at Clayton like
Clayton was in the wrong.
Cowboy Naughty
35
Clayton jabbed a finger toward the sheriff. “You knew I liked
him.”
“Who?”
“Don’t play innocent with me.” Clayton moved closer and inhaled
deeply, smelling Josh all over the bastard. “What’d you do, grope him
in his cell?”
Sparrow shot to his feet, his face a mask of anger. “Be very
careful of the words coming out of your mouth, Clayton. The next
ones just might get you locked up.”
Clayton paced the office, telling himself that he needed to calm
down. What was really making him angry? Was it the fact that
Sparrow had made out with Josh, or the fact that Sparrow had pretty
much slapped Clayton in the face on this one? Was the guy sending
some sort of twisted message? “Why, Sparrow?”
“I don’t have to explain a damn thing to you.” Sparrow moved
around his desk, getting dangerously close to Clayton. His fingers
itched to pull that rubber band free and tangle his hands in the
sheriff’s long, black hair. Sparrow always wore his hair smoothed
back and tied. He was dying to see what the man would look like with
the strands flowing freely around his shoulders.
He just knew Sparrow would be even hotter.
“Both Josh and I are bears. What makes him so different that
you’d make out with him, but act like I don’t exist?” And then
Clayton realized where some of his anger was coming from. It turned
him on to think of Sparrow and Josh together. What kind of sick fuck
was he? Clayton didn’t share. End of story. Yet he was spitting mad
that Sparrow and Josh had gone behind his back.
Jeez. Clayton needed his head examined.
“Fine, I’ll give you the truth,” Sparrow said.
But was it going to be a truth Clayton could handle? He wasn’t
sure coming here had been the right thing to do. If Sparrow flat-out
told Clayton that he wasn’t interested, it would crush him.
“Go ahead.” He watched Sparrow watch him. The sheriff’s eyes
36
Lynn Hagen
held such pure heat that Clayton felt branded.
Sparrow shoved his finger into Clayton’s chest. “At least with
Josh, I don’t have to worry about him getting me pregnant.”
“You are such a basket case, Sparrow.” Clayton shoved the man’s
finger away. “As long as I don’t fuck you, then that won’t happen.
Hell, you might not even be my mate.”
Clayton was seven kinds of confused. His bear wanted both men.
But that was unheard of. No shifter was in a ménage relationship.
None that he knew about.
And he’d had a feeling since meeting the sheriff that Sparrow was
his mate. Clayton knew about the scent and what it meant. Every time
he was around Sparrow he was reminded of the ocean.
But Josh had a fruity fragrance the reminded him of citrus and
strawberries. How could two distinct smells affect him this way?
“Look, Clayton. You just need to—”
“Kiss you,” Clayton finished before he grabbed Sparrow and
shoved his tongue down the man’s throat. Sparrow tried to push him
away, but Clayton refused to be rebuffed.
Then things began to change and Sparrow was shoving Clayton
against the wall and there was nothing gentle about it.
It almost felt like months and months of pent-up frustration were
coming to a head. Sparrow grabbed Clayton so roughly that the guy
nearly pulled Clayton off of his feet.
But Clayton wasn’t being gentle either. He was pulling at
Sparrow’s hair, tugging the strands hard as he angled Sparrow’s head
for a better position. Their tongues were at war, their teeth clashing as
both men ripped at each other’s shirts.
Clayton was determined to get the man naked. He wanted skin
and he wanted it badly enough that he ripped Sparrow’s work shirt
down the back, the sound of tearing fabric filling the room.
Clayton was so turned on that his cock hurt. He was primed and
ready for whatever Sparrow wanted to do. This was what he’d been
waiting for. Some kind of reaction out of the guy.
Cowboy Naughty
37
“You swear to me that I can’t get pregnant?” Sparrow asked as he
bit Clayton on his neck. The pain ripped through Clayton, making him
moan in pleasure.
“Swear.”
“Then you’re about to get something that’s been a long time
coming.”
Clayton laughed. “I hope it hasn’t been coming that damn long. I
don’t need it spent before I can get to it.”
Sparrow grunted before he backed up, looking like he’d just
gotten into a fight with a hellcat as he crossed the room and locked
the door. He turned to Clayton, pointing his index finger at him.
“Don’t you dare scream in here.”
“No promises,” Clayton teased as he kicked his boots off and
dropped his jeans, showing Sparrow exactly what he had to offer.
This had to be some kind of psychotic dream. This was not what
Clayton had expected to happen when he’d come here.
But hell if he was turning Sparrow down.
They’d talk about Josh later.
Much later.
“Impressive.” Sparrow winked at Clayton before he unzipped his
pants, palming his own erection. Clayton nearly swallowed his
tongue. Damn, the man was well hung.
He would say hung like a horse, but because of Clayton’s line of
work, that was too weird.
“You need to come to me,” Clayton said as he began to stroke his
hard shaft, not only teasing Sparrow, but himself as well.
“Why?”
“Because my pants are around my ankles. And unless you want
me to fall over, bring me that big dick of yours.” Clayton licked his
lips to entice the sheriff to come over to him. The man’s nostrils
flared before he crossed the room.
Sparrow grabbed Clayton’s cock.
Clayton grabbed Sparrow’s.
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Lynn Hagen
Damn, the man had a much wider girth than Clayton. But he
wasn’t complaining. Hell no. Clayton’s head hit the wall as his
eyelids fluttered closed and his lips parted. It had been too long since
a hand besides his own had jacked him off. But he wanted more.
Much more.
Clayton shoved Sparrow’s hand aside. “Got any lube?”
Sparrow’s brow quirked. “Depends on why you want it.”
Clayton leaned forward and bit Sparrow’s ear. “I want you to fuck
me, handsome.”
For a human, the growl that left Sparrow was impressive. “I got a
bottle of lotion in my desk.”
Clayton grinned. “I’m not even going to ask.”
Sparrow rolled his eyes. “Dry skin, perv.”
“I’ll bet.” Clayton pulled his pants up just enough so that he could
hobble over to Sparrow’s desk. He swiped his arm across the desk,
knocking the contents to the floor. The noise had to have traveled
outside the office.
“Didn’t I tell you to keep it down?” Sparrow rounded his desk,
grabbing the bottle of lotion from the top drawer before returning to
Clayton.
Clayton shook his head. “You told me not to scream.”
A shot of lust coursed through Clayton when Sparrow shoved him
over the desk. The man wasn’t playing around, but neither was
Clayton. He’d waited on that sweet dick for too damn long and his
body was aching to feel the man inside of him.
He pressed his hands into the cool surface of the desk as Sparrow
shoved two fingers into his ass. Clayton groaned loud enough to wake
the dead.
“Don’t make me gag you,” Sparrow threatened as he scissored his
fingers before adding a third. The sheriff wasn’t wasting any time.
Clayton breathed through the burn of the stretch, gritting his teeth as
Sparrow fucked him like the man’s dick was already inside of
Clayton.
Cowboy Naughty
39
“You keep that up and I’m going to come.”
“Lightweight.”
Clayton bucked backward. “Hardly.”
The sound of a wrapper crinkling filled the air and Clayton knew
the man was using a condom. He wasn’t going to try and convince the
sheriff of anything. Clayton allowed Sparrow to feel as safe as he
wanted to. There was no way in hell he was going to end up in an
argument with the guy when he was this close to being fucked.
One strong hand gripped Clayton’s shoulder before Sparrow
drove home. His cock stretched Clayton wide, making the burn
intensify to an almost-painful pleasure.
Clayton breathed out through his mouth, closing his eyes as the
sheriff started to thrust deep and long. Even if Sparrow hadn’t used a
condom, there was no threat in Clayton getting pregnant. A bear had
to bite his mate in order for conception to take place. And since
Clayton was currently in no position to bite Sparrow, that wasn’t an
issue.”
But the man sure knew how to make Clayton fly. Sparrow didn’t
let up. Once again, it was as if the man was taking out months and
months of frustration. The desk scooted a little and the sound of wood
scraping across the floor filled the air.
Clayton started to moan louder and louder until Sparrow slapped a
hand over his mouth. “Damn it. Shut the hell up before you get us
both in trouble.”
He licked Sparrow’s hand, sucking on one of the man’s fingers
like it was a tiny dick, inhaling the masculine scent as he tried to
spread his legs further apart. But the fabric of his jeans at his ankles
prevented him from doing that.
Soon, Clayton forgot his struggle as the tension inside his balls
began to mount. He reached down and grabbed his cock, jerking it to
the deep thrusts. Clayton hissed, moving his hand faster as Sparrow
tried to fuck him to within an inch of life.
“Shit,” Sparrow ground out. “Close.”
40
Lynn Hagen
“Me too,” Clayton said on a ragged breath.
And then Sparrow did something wholly unexpected. The man bit
into Clayton’s shoulder, his blunt teeth clamping down so hard that
Clayton came, his cock exploding as he howled out his release.
Sparrow’s hand slapped back over Clayton’s mouth as the man
moved faster, releasing Clayton’s shoulder. “If we ever have office
sex again, I’m gagging you.”
Sparrow began to piston inside Clayton until the man’s moves
became erratic. And then Clayton heard the sheriff grunt loudly, his
hips knocking Clayton harder into the desk.
Clayton collapsed, his breaths ragged as he enjoyed the last
vestige of his orgasm. He felt Sparrow pull free but was too tired to
turn around. “Why did you bite me?”
Sparrow didn’t answer him, which made Clayton turn his head.
The man tossed the condom into the wastebasket before fixing his
pants. There was a peculiar look on his face before he said, “I have no
fucking clue.”
* * * *
The following day found Josh in Sparrow’s office. The blond
wasn’t coming on to him like he had the day before. In fact, Josh was
standing just inside Sparrow’s door, looking like he was ready to flee
at any moment.
“Can I help you with something?” Sparrow asked. He was still
kicking himself in the ass for giving in to Clayton yesterday. After all
the time spent fighting against his attraction, one damn kiss and he’d
fallen like a house of cards. Sparrow was still puzzling over his need
to bite Clayton.
Worse—depending on how one looked at things—it had been the
hottest damn sex Sparrow had ever had. The danger of being caught
was a thrill that had him daydreaming about what had taken place in
this office yesterday.
Cowboy Naughty
41
“I wanted to invite you to lunch.”
Angelina had been complaining that Sparrow had no personal life
and now he had it in spades. In all honesty, part of Sparrow’s
daydream had involved this little blond minx. He couldn’t understand
his attraction to both men. “Have a place in mind?”
Josh smiled and then nodded. “I made us a picnic.”
Well, I’ll be damned. Sparrow had never had anyone go this
length before just to spend time with him. He was both flattered and
confused. Were Clayton and Josh in cahoots together, setting him up
for the way he’d acted toward both of them? He wouldn’t put it past
Clayton, but he didn’t know Josh well enough to make that call.
“I’ll let the front desk know I’m heading out.” Sparrow stood and
was walking out with Josh at his side when he spotted Dunham
walking into the station. The deputy’s eyes immediately went to Josh,
assessing the man before Dunham looked away.
Sparrow wasn’t going to ask the deputy what his problem was.
The guy wasn’t worth the wasted conversation.
“I’m taking my lunch,” he said to Harold.
“Gotcha.” The man hadn’t bothered looking up from the magazine
he was leafing through.
Sparrow led Josh out of the building and into the bright sun of the
early afternoon.
“Harland dropped me off so I could pick up my brother’s car,”
Josh commented. “I had to talk him into it, considering you were
trying to sink me.”
“I wasn’t trying to sink you,” Sparrow said as he led Josh to his
motorcycle. He’d driven it in this morning, and secretly, Sparrow
wanted to feel the man’s arms wrapped tightly around him. “I was just
doing my job.”
He had to be losing it because the fact that Josh and Clayton were
bears was becoming less and less important. And since Sparrow had
found out that he couldn’t get pregnant by fucking Clayton, well, that
changed a lot of things.
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Lynn Hagen
He’d never bottomed before and Sparrow didn’t plan on trying it
now. Not with the risk involved. But he was pretty sure he could still
make Clayton scream. He smiled as he remembered how loud Clayton
had been in his office the day before.
“Why are you smiling?” Josh asked as he grabbed the picnic
basket that was sitting just outside the station door. Sparrow had had
one of the other deputies pull the car out front, in anticipation of
someone coming to pick it up. He just hadn’t expected that someone
to be Josh.
He took the basket and secured it to the back of his bike before
swinging his leg over and sliding his sunglasses into place. “Because
it’s a beautiful day to ride.”
And he planned on doing some very naughty things to Josh on
their little outing. If he was going to throw caution to the wind, he
might as well go all the way. He and Clayton weren’t exclusive and
Josh had fascinated Sparrow since the sheriff had first seen him on
that backcountry road.
“Liar,” Josh said as he climbed behind Sparrow, snuggling close
as he snaked his arms around Sparrow’s waist. “I smelled you all over
Clayton last night. You two had sex, didn’t you?”
Sparrow was at a loss for words. He normally didn’t discuss his
sex life with anyone and he wasn’t about to start now, but lying to
Josh seemed…wrong. “Why do you want to know?”
“Because if you two have something going on, I’ll back off.” But
Josh’s voice told a different story. The man sounded downright
dejected. Sparrow patted Josh’s hands before he started the
motorcycle.
“Nothing to back off from.”
“Really?” Josh sounded skeptical. “If screwing around with you is
nothing stellar, maybe I should take this lunch and have it with the
local wildlife instead.”
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43
“You mean have a picnic by yourself?” Sparrow pulled out of his
parking space and drove onto the road. “That sounds pretty pathetic to
me.”
“My life story.” Josh leaned his cheek into Sparrow’s back and
didn’t say another word until Sparrow found a remote place to pull off
and park. They were far enough from the road that no one would see
them, and the open field was perfect for an afternoon of eating and
fucking.
Thankfully, he’d grabbed a travel packet of lube and a condom
from his desk drawer before leaving his office. Things might not pan
out that way, but it was better to be prepared.
Josh took his time laying out the blanket as Sparrow walked over
to the small stream a few feet away. “Tell me, Josh. What is a mate?”
He’d been thinking about that one word ever since Clayton had
brought it up. He knew what it meant for animals in the wild, but Josh
and Clayton weren’t wild animals. Maybe it had a different meaning
for their kind.
“It means fate handpicked two people to be together,” Josh
explained as he pulled a container out of the basket. “Why, where did
you hear the word?”
“As long as I don’t fuck you, then that won’t happen. Hell, you
might not even be my mate.” Clayton’s words spun around in
Sparrow’s mind. “So how do you know if someone is your mate?”
Josh paused while emptying the basket to gaze up at Sparrow.
“What’s with the sudden interest in mates?” The man’s eyes began to
grow larger as he jumped to his feet. “Are you Clayton’s mate?” Josh
looked as if he were ready to kill Sparrow. “How dare you let me take
you out knowing you have a mate!”
“Calm down.” Sparrow turned away from the creek and joined
Josh. “I don’t know anything about mates. That’s why I was asking
you.”
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Lynn Hagen
Josh’s eyes dropped to Sparrow’s stomach and Sparrow had his
answer. “Of course, one of them gets knocked up. That’s how you
know if someone is your mate.”
Josh crinkled his nose. “No offense, but I can’t imagine you
pregnant.”
Neither could Sparrow. That had been part of the problem. There
was no way in hell Sparrow was carrying around a baby for nine
months. It was nine months, right? “How long is a bear shifter
pregnant?”
“Three months.”
“So that person would show right away?” Even though he’d used
a condom, after Clayton left Sparrow had worried that he’d done
something irreversible, like knocked the man up. He needed answers
and Josh seemed the perfect person to get them from.
The man nodded. “It’s like one human trimester happening in one
month instead of three. The cub grows pretty fast.” Josh cocked his
head to the side. “You still haven’t told me why the sudden game of
twenty questions.”
Sparrow smiled and waved at the blanket. “Let’s eat. I’m
starving.”
“And you’re going to answer me before this picnic is over,
Sparrow.”
Sparrow knew he was playing with fire where Josh and Clayton
were concerned. So why wasn’t that thought stopping him from
wanting to fuck Josh?
Cowboy Naughty
45
Chapter Five
“I don’t get it,” Clayton said as he helped Harland’s mother with
the dishes. “How can my bear want two men? It just doesn’t make
any sense to me.”
“Life is full of mysteries,” Renee replied as she handed him a dish
to rinse. “Truth is often stranger than we imagine. I have heard of
three people in a relationship before, but just like Noah’s triplets, it’s
very rare.”
Clayton wasn’t even sure how it would work, but there was no
denying what his bear felt. Okay, who was he kidding? There was no
denying what he felt as well. Sparrow was like a silent warrior, his
looks and personality tenebrous. Josh, on the other hand, was light,
full of smiles, and made Clayton’s heart sigh.
Wait, did he just think that? Clayton shook his head, trying to
dislodge the damn poetic thoughts. But Renee caught the gesture and
laughed. “I know it’s impossible to wrap your head around. All I’m
saying is don’t fight what your bear wants.”
That wasn’t why he had shaken his head, but he let her think that.
Placing the last dish in the rack, Clayton kissed Renee on her cheek
and then headed outside.
He spotted Jed over by the stables with Tyler running around him
in his cub form. The horses seemed at ease with the bear. Of course,
they were used to it considering four bears owned the ranch.
Tyler came running at him, head butting Clayton on his leg.
Clayton picked the cub up and tossed the tyke over his shoulder.
“Have you seen Josh?”
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Lynn Hagen
“Oh, no. I’m not getting involved in that,” Jed said as he brushed
one of the mares down. “Settle your own affairs.”
Clayton frowned as he set the cub on his feet. “What does that
mean?”
Jed eyed him critically. “You really don’t know?”
“No.”
“Harland gave Josh a ride into town and Josh was carrying a
picnic basket with him.” Jed turned to face him. “I’m not sure what’s
going on, but promise me you won’t kill anyone.”
Sparrow.
Clayton hadn’t hidden the fact that he wanted Josh. And he had
thought that Josh wanted him as well. Clayton couldn’t technically get
mad considering he’d let the sheriff fuck him yesterday. But he had to
admit that the idea of Sparrow and Josh together without him stung.
Double standards.
Pulling out his cell, Clayton walked away from Jed as he dialed
Sparrow. The phone rang so long he thought it would go to voice
mail, but the sheriff picked up. “Sheriff Sparrow.”
“You sorry sack of shit,” Clayton said as he curled his fingers
around the phone. “What kind of game are you playing?”
“I’m not the one playing games,” Sparrow answered. “Tell me,
Clayton. What are you and Josh up to?”
Clayton could hear Josh protesting in the background, telling
Sparrow he wasn’t playing any games, but Clayton had a feeling
Sparrow wasn’t listening.
“First you come to my office and all but throw yourself at me, and
then Josh shows up wanting to go on a picnic. Sounds to me like I’m
the one being played.”
“I’m not playing you!” Josh shouted in the background. “Take me
back to the station, asshole.”
Clayton grinned at Josh’s indignant tone. The man was feisty
when riled up. He liked that quality in the guy. He wished he could
see the man’s flustered face. He bet Josh was gorgeous when mad.
Cowboy Naughty
47
“Seems to me we have a similar interest,” Clayton said. He wasn’t
going to fight Sparrow on this. He was going to join him.
“And what’s that?” Sparrow asked.
“Josh.”
“And here I thought you were interested in me.” Sparrow clucked
his tongue. “I must be losing my touch.”
Clayton chuckled, his anger dissipating. “Oh, you haven’t lost a
damn thing and I am interested in you.”
“Greedy bastard, I see.” Sparrow paused. “So you’re saying that
you want to tap that ass at the same time?”
Clayton was instantly hard at Sparrow’s suggestion. He knew how
good a lover the sheriff was, and the thought of watching the man
fuck Josh was the biggest turn-on of his life. “Such naughty thoughts,
Sheriff Sparrow.”
“Been known to get kinky in my time.” The man’s voice had gone
deep and he knew the sheriff was just as turned on as Clayton was at
the idea of both of them fucking Josh.
“I’m not a goddamn piece of meat to bid on,” Josh said loudly.
“Screw both of you.”
“Oh, I plan to,” Sparrow said to Josh. “Now sit down before you
fall over.”
“Where are you?” Clayton asked.
“Goldilocks and I are on a picnic. Does the big bad bear want to
join us?”
Hell yeah. Does a bear shit—never mind. “Give me your location
and I just might show up.”
Clayton had never been more primed and ready in his life. The
playful banter between him and Sparrow was not only sexy, but it
made Clayton want to jack off right there on the phone. Too bad he
was standing on the side of the house, in plain view.
He sure as hell hoped he made it to the picnic before he exploded.
“On second thought, I think I just might keep Goldilocks for
myself.”
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Lynn Hagen
“Stop calling me that!” Josh shouted.
“You wouldn’t dare,” Clayton said in challenge. He was already
heading to his truck. If Sparrow started without him, Clayton was
going to beat the man with his dick. “Besides, I thought you were
terrified of getting pregnant.”
“From what you told me, as long as no cock is shoved up my ass,
I’m safe. Unless you were lying to me.”
“Nope, wasn’t lying. Now tell me where you are before I hunt you
down.” That would take too much time. Clayton prayed the man
wasn’t going to torture him by withholding his location. Even if he
shifted into his bear form, Clayton would have to know which
direction they were in.
“Take the service road off of Jepsen and then veer right when you
hit the fork,” Sparrow said. “And, Clayton?”
“Yeah?” Clayton was panting by the time he started his truck and
raced down the driveway.
“Don’t be late. I’m not waiting for you.”
Clayton didn’t have to be told twice. He hung up, tossing the
phone in the passenger’s seat as he tore down the road.
* * * *
Josh was furious by the time Sparrow hung up his phone. “Just
who in the hell do you think you are?” Part of his anger came from
the nervous energy humming through his body. It was true that he was
attracted to both men. But there was no way in hell he was sleeping
with them at the same time.
They’d lost their ever-loving minds. “What kind of a guy do you
think I am?”
A part of him settled when he saw the look in Sparrow’s eyes. The
man wasn’t as confident as he had pretended to be on the phone. It
was good to know he wasn’t the only one worrying about this.
Cowboy Naughty
49
“I think you’re the kind of guy who knows how to let two men
show him a world of pleasure.” Sparrow moved in so quickly that
Josh barely had time to catch his breath.
So much for Sparrow being nervous.
Even though the guy was human, Josh could see pure predator in
the man’s obsidian eyes. Sparrow might not be one hundred percent
sure about where things were going, but the man seemed to be
onboard. The sheriff pulled Josh into his arms, kissing along the line
of his jaw.
Josh wasn’t the type to engage in behavior like having sex with
two men at the same time. “I’m not too sure about this,” he said to
Sparrow as the sheriff continued to kiss him down his neck. Josh
shivered, curling his fingers into the man’s shirt as he tilted his head
to the side.
It had been too long since he’d felt the touch of a lover.
He was on the most extreme edge of arousal as Sparrow worked at
Josh’s pants, unfastening them, pulling Josh’s cock free. The pad of
the sheriff’s thumb ran over the head and Josh hissed, his ass
clenching, needing to be filled. He heard something in the distance,
but Josh was too far gone to concentrate on the noise. He could care
less if someone was driving past them. He wasn't going to let Sparrow
stop.
“Just relax.” Sparrow’s voice was heavy with sexual heat, his
breath coming out in soft pants. “Don’t be alarmed, Josh.”
He had no idea what Sparrow was talking about until Josh felt
something solid at his back, a wicked heat that made him feel even
hotter than the temperature of the bright, sunny day.
Clayton had arrived.
Josh stiffened.
He was sandwiched between the two. Clayton pressed into his
back and Sparrow left no room in the front. He wasn’t sure what to
do. The dynamics seemed simple enough, but with so much muscle
surrounding him, Josh couldn’t think straight.
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Lynn Hagen
Josh had never thought he would have anything remotely close to
this—two handsome, stubborn alpha males bidding for his time.
Sparrow sealed his lips over Josh’s neck, sucking up a bruise. His
insides formed knots, his muscles locked into place.
“Relax, hon,” Clayton said from behind him as his hands
skimmed over Josh’s waist. “It’s just us, no one else.”
Sparrow continued to suck erotically at his neck. The sensation
only made Josh’s cock harder, throbbing painfully in Sparrow’s hand.
Josh tried hard to stop his body from shaking, but it was so
overwhelming being trapped between the two.
He held his breath as Sparrow slowly began to work Josh’s pants
free. Sparrow pulled away from Josh’s neck and yanked Josh’s jeans
down and off. He stopped momentarily to remove Josh’s shoes, and
then Josh was naked from the waist down.
God, I’m about to have sex with two men. The thought startled and
excited him in the same measure. But Josh couldn’t just stand there.
He pulled at Sparrow’s shirt until the man lifted his arms and allowed
Josh to slide it over the man’s head, tossing it aside.
The skin-to-skin contact was amazing. He also felt the solid wall
of flesh behind him and knew that Clayton was already undressed. He
must have stripped down as soon as he’d left his truck.
Josh began to panic. He wasn’t sure if he could go through with
this. The heat from both men scorched him and Josh started to lose his
bravado. He began to think about his earlier protest. What if only one
of them was his mate? Could he live with the fact that he let another
man fuck him in front of his mate?
“Wait.” Josh pressed his hand into Sparrow’s hard chest and
nearly whimpered at how good the man felt.
Clayton moved even closer, his hand on Josh’s hip. All three sank
to a kneeling position as Clayton’s hands slid over Josh’s ass.
“Tell me to back off and I’ll move away,” Clayton said as he
pressed his lips to Josh’s ear. “I swear this to you.”
This was his chance to say no, to tell both men he didn’t want this.
Cowboy Naughty
51
But he did. As much as Josh feared that only one man was his
mate, by god, he didn’t want either to stop what they were doing. He
wanted the pleasure they were offering.
Josh didn’t say a word, but neither did he relax. He just knelt
there, his breathing shallow. Clayton’s heat began to slowly seep into
Josh, his cock pressing between Josh’s butt cheeks.
The man didn’t move away.
Splaying his fingers, Clayton ran his hand down Josh’s chest.
When his hand reached Josh’s lower stomach, he felt the head of
Clayton’s cock pressing against his back entrance.
Clayton was rock hard.
“You look so good between us,” Sparrow said. “Like a little minx
here to destroy our senses.”
Josh wasn’t sure what Sparrow was doing when he moved away.
He blinked a few times and then looked over his shoulder to see the
sheriff digging in his jeans.
Before he could register what was happening, two lubed fingers
breached him. Josh’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as he fell to
all fours. As Clayton stretched him, he felt something nudging at his
lips. Josh opened his eyes to see that Sparrow had returned, naked,
and was kneeling in front of him.
Josh opened his mouth, sucking the cock to the back of his throat.
He thought he would be too nervous to be with both men, that it
would be too overwhelming. But for the first time in Josh’s life, he
actually felt alive, free.
Sparrow’s taste exploded in his mouth, the hot, musky scent
filling Josh’s lungs as the sheriff inched his shaft in deeper.
Josh dug his nails into Sparrow’s powerfully corded thighs as the
sheriff began to move in short bursts, fucking Josh’s mouth in quick
snaps. Sparrow’s large hand cupped Josh’s chin as the man’s cock
plunged in and out of his mouth.
“Those lips look so damn pretty wrapped around my cock.”
Sparrow ran the back of his knuckles over Josh’s jaw. “So pretty.”
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Lynn Hagen
Clayton began to kiss Josh down his spine as his fingers worked
to bring him so much pleasure. They scissored and then drove deep
before he pulled back and did it all over again.
Josh glanced up and his eyes widened when he saw Sparrow and
Clayton kissing each other. Never before had he seen anything so
damn erotic. He momentarily forgot what he was doing as he watched
the two dominant predators growl into each other’s mouths, each
grabbing at the other’s head, trying to control the kiss.
Fuck, that is damn hot.
There was no way Josh was going to make it with all of his senses
going wild. The fragrance of soft leather, pine trees, and the ocean
filled the air. But before he could pull away to tell Clayton to slow
down, he felt the blunt head of Clayton’s cock nudging at his ass. Josh
moaned around Sparrow’s shaft before Clayton began to work himself
into Josh’s body.
Josh inhaled the flare of desire that seemed to be filling the air. It
was a strong, spicy scent.
“So tight.” Clayton’s voice was barely above a whisper, thick and
husky. The sensations were like a firestorm, taking Josh under as he
whimpered.
Sparrow pulled his cock from Josh’s mouth and leaned back for a
moment, his dark eyes watching as Clayton fucked Josh.
“Damn, you two look good together,” Sparrow said before gazing
down at Josh. “Does it feel good?”
Josh nodded, feeling his cheeks blush at Sparrow watching them.
Sparrow grinned at Josh and then winked before he began to move
behind Josh. He glanced over his shoulder to see Sparrow take up
position behind Clayton.
Clayton’s movements halted as he leaned further over Josh and
Josh knew what was about to happen.
Sparrow was about to fuck Clayton.
* * * *
Cowboy Naughty
53
Josh wiggled below Clayton, making it hard not to move. But
Clayton kept still—somewhat—as Sparrow’s fingers slipped inside of
him. He moaned, wondering if he’d ever felt anything better than
having thick fingers inside of him and a tight ass wrapped around his
cock.
“We meet again,” Sparrow said into his ear with a light chuckle.
“Only this time we have a delicious blond to play with and you can
scream as loud as you want.”
“Shut up and fuck me already,” Clayton said. He wasn’t sure how
much longer he could stay still. Josh was so damn tight.
Clayton hissed as Sparrow grabbed his hair, pulling on the spiky
strands as a low rumble vibrated through the man.
Sparrow was human, but fuck if he didn’t sound like a predator.
His eyes narrowed before he tilted Clayton’s head back and then
yanked a bit harder on Clayton’s hair. He forced Clayton closer
before devouring his lips.
Their tongues dueled as Sparrow’s fingers slipped free, replaced
by a rock-hard cock. Clayton growled into Sparrow’s mouth as
Sparrow plunged deep into Clayton’s ass.
When Sparrow pulled his head back, he could see the hot fires of
desire swimming in the depths of the man’s eyes. The sheriff nodded
and Clayton began to fuck Josh, driving his cock deep, feeling
Sparrow’s shaft at the same time.
The two men made Clayton feel raw and wild things that
threatened his very sanity. He had a feeling that Sparrow was his
mate. He’d felt that way for a while. But he had the same feeling
about Josh as well.
He didn’t understand it, but there was no denying the fact that his
bear wanted both men.
Sparrow kissed a path over Clayton’s shoulder, sending tiny
shocks of electricity along his spine. Josh curled his fingers around
Clayton’s, squeezing tightly as his breathing became labored. The
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Lynn Hagen
man was close and Clayton wanted to make sure that Josh was well
taken care of. He licked along Josh’s shoulder before sinking his
canines deep.
Josh cried out, jerking his hips, crashing into Clayton as his hole
began to milk Clayton’s cock. Clayton fucked the man harder,
keeping Josh pinned below him as Sparrow pistoned into Clayton.
Clayton couldn’t hold out. Not when Josh’s body felt so damn
good. Not when Sparrow was fucking him, hitting his sweet spot on
every stroke. The dual sensations shattered him, making Clayton
release Josh’s shoulder as he shouted out his climax.
And then Sparrow’s movements slowed before he pulled free. For
some strange reason, Clayton knew what Sparrow wanted.
Clayton slipped his cock from Josh’s body, moved aside, and then
stretched out on the blanket as Sparrow moved in, filling Josh’s ass
with his cock.
Clayton’s eyes widened when Sparrow bit down on the same
exact spot that Clayton had. He knew Sparrow’s blunt teeth wouldn’t
penetrate Josh’s shoulder the way his had. But damn. The man should
have been born bear because his possessive growls were very
impressive.
“You two are trying to kill me,” Josh shouted as he bucked back,
matching Sparrow stroke for stroke. Clayton felt naughty as hell as he
watched the two. He leaned down and slipped under Josh, sucking the
man’s spent cock into his mouth.
“Oh, god!” Josh shouted as his shaft began to fill.
Clayton let Josh fuck his mouth, drive his cock deep. Sparrow
never let up, hammering into Josh’s ass like it was the last time he’d
ever fuck the man. Clayton had never heard such desperate groans,
such wild moans. The sounds blended and Clayton wasn’t even sure
who was making them.
He flexed his throat muscles, squeezing Josh’s cock before the
man cried out, coming for the second time. Clayton swallowed every
last drop as he heard Sparrow shouting Josh’s name.
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He backed up, seeing the liquid pleasure in Sparrow’s eyes as his
movements slowed, sweat pouring down the side of his face. Both
Josh and Sparrow collapsed as Clayton chuckled.
“I think this threesome thing was a hit,” Clayton said as he used
his knuckles to caress Josh’s back.
“Speak for yourself,” Josh said before he yawned. “You two were
definitely out to kill me.”
“Oh, come on now, sugar,” Sparrow said as he stretched out on
the other side of Josh. “It wasn’t that bad, was it?”
A sexy grin appeared on Josh’s face before he buried his face in
the blanket. “No.”
Sparrow winked at Clayton. “I think we got a shy one here.”
“Shut up,” Josh said and then chuckled. “You’re not allowed to
point out my flaws after both of you”—he shook his head—“you
know.”
“What?” Sparrow asked. “Fucked you?”
Clayton laughed when Josh tried to swat at Sparrow. But the
sheriff was quick and rolled away before going to his knees. “I hate to
be the one to ruin such a fantastic picnic, but I have to get back to
work.” Sparrow leaned down and nuzzled Josh’s neck. “You were
very sexy, darling.”
Clayton curled around Josh, pulling the smaller man close as
Sparrow began to dress. “I think I’ll take a nap in the sun,” he said,
“since I’m not expected back at the ranch until later this afternoon.”
Clayton licked the bite wound on Josh’s shoulder before he
noticed that Sparrow had broken the skin with his blunt teeth. If Josh
got pregnant, how would they know who the father was? Would that
make Clayton and Josh mates, or Josh and Sparrow mates? Clayton
wasn’t sure of anything.
Maybe it was time he called his mom. Even though a shifter didn’t
know who his mate was until that person got pregnant, he had a
feeling that his relationship with these two men was something very
rare—as Renee had said.
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Both men smelled damn good to him, but that didn’t mean
anything. For bears, it was hard figuring out who your mate was
unless you knocked the person up.
Now it was a wait-and-see game.
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Chapter Six
The following morning, Sparrow was sitting in Pheasant Run Café
when he spotted Jack Frost coming into the diner. Barry Sliman was
alone as he took a seat at the counter.
Although he didn't know the man, that niggling feeling returned.
Sparrow couldn’t figure out why he kept getting a bad feeling around
this guy. Somehow, he knew the man was more dangerous than Devil
had ever been.
Barry ran with the crew down at the trailer park, but there was
something different about this one.
The waiter walked over to Sparrow's table, turning up the carafe
and filling his coffee mug to the brim once more. He smiled, but
Sparrow only had eyes for the man at the counter who was ordering
breakfast.
“Is there anything else I can get for you, Sheriff?” the waiter
asked. He set the carafe down and tore Sparrow's order from his pad,
setting it on the table.
“Two dozen donuts to take into the station,” Sparrow answered as
he finished off his breakfast. The waiter smiled, nodded, and headed
back over to the counter.
As he took a drink of his coffee, Sparrow watched two men walk
into the diner. They were unfamiliar to him and Sparrow pretty much
knew every resident in Bear County.
One had a thin jacket on with the hood pulled over his head. His
eyes were scanning the place as if he had seconds to mesmerize the
diner interior. Something wasn’t right. The other guy seemed cocky,
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Lynn Hagen
confident as he walked up to the counter, his eyes fixated on the
waiter.
In one quick motion, the confident man pulled out a gun and
aimed it at the waiter as the jittery man pulled one as well, aiming it
directly at Sparrow. “Not one fucking move, cop.”
They had to be morons. There was no other explanation for these
two robbing a diner when a sheriff was sitting at one of the booths.
Sparrow looked at Barry to gauge the man’s reaction. Was he a part
of this or was it just coincidence that he’d come in moments before
the robbers?
“Empty the register,” the confident man yelled at the waiter. “And
then take me to the safe.”
“W–we don’t have a safe,” the waiter answered.
Sparrow jerked in his seat when the robber slammed the butt of
his gun into the waiter’s head. The guy went down hard. A woman
screamed as a baby started crying.
“Leave him the hell alone!” Sparrow shouted too late.
The cocky son of a bitch walked into the kitchen and came back
with the cook, shoving the guy into a seat before he went back to the
register.
The one holding a gun on Sparrow was a little too nervous. His
hand was shaking and Sparrow was afraid the guy would accidently
shoot him. He had to take back this situation before anyone else was
hurt.
There were plenty of drug users over in the trailer park and
Sparrow had a feeling these two were looking for some cash for their
next fix. If they had been professionals, they would have robbed the
bank, not a damn diner.
“Look, no one has to get hurt here,” Sparrow said. “Why don’t
you let these people go?” He was referring to the elderly couple
huddled together in the booth behind him and a family of four on the
other side of the diner. The family had a small infant with them and a
child that looked around the age of nine.
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Sparrow had to get these people out of here.
“Take his gun,” the cocky man said to Mr. Shaky.
“But he’s the sheriff,” Mr. Shaky said. “We just came in here for
some cash.”
The guy behind the register came back around, walking up beside
his partner. “And do you think he’ll just let us walk out of here?”
“What are you going to do to him?” Mr. Shaky asked. Sparrow
locked eyes with Barry to see the man studying the two robbers
intently. There was something in the man’s eyes, something that said
he wasn’t going to just sit there and let this happen.
That was all Sparrow needed, a civilian getting caught up in this.
He tried to shake his head no, but Barry wasn’t looking at him any
longer. His gaze was burning holes into the robbers’ backs.
“We take a hostage,” the confident one said. “That’ll get us out of
here without the sheriff coming after us.” A malicious gleam entered
the man’s eyes. “Or we could just kill him.”
Sparrow wasn’t keen on either choice. The two just viewed him as
a small-town cop, some country bumpkin that didn’t know his pistol
from his prick.
What these two didn’t know was that Sparrow had a dark and
shaded past that he didn’t talk about. It was a past that included
mercenary work. He’d been part of a covert group that had gone into
different countries to extract hostages and take out those who posed a
threat to the United States government. Columbian drug lords, arms
dealers, human traffickers, and every piece of shit known to mankind
had been on his list.
Back then, he didn’t have any rules or guidelines he had to follow.
But he did now. He wanted to snap both these bastards’ necks but
wouldn’t because of the innocent bystanders.
Knowing he was taking a huge risk, Sparrow slowly moved from
his booth, his hands in plain sight as he stood.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” the confident one
asked. “Did I tell you to get up?”
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“Take me as a hostage and let these other people go,” Sparrow
said.
“Do I look stupid to you?” the cocky man asked.
Sparrow really wanted to answer that question, but didn’t want to
antagonize these men. Right now, they had the upper hand, but
Sparrow planned on changing that real soon.
“If I take a cop, the whole damn police station will be after us,”
the man said. “And then the Feds will get involved.”
“Then just take the money,” Sparrow said. “There’s no need to
hurt anyone else.” He wanted to go check on the waiter. The guy
hadn’t gotten back up and he feared the worse. The robber had hit the
waiter hard enough that he could have killed the guy.
“I think I’ll take this one.” The guy moved over to the counter and
shoved the gun right into Barry’s temple. He nodded toward his
partner. “Get the cash.”
Barry moved before Sparrow knew what the man was up to. He
swung his arm up, knocking the gun away before he slammed his fist
into the robber’s abdomen.
Sparrow hurled himself at Mr. Shaky, taking him down and
disarming him before the guy had a chance to get a shot off. He
cuffed the robber and then got up, grabbing the cocky man but not
before Barry landed another solid punch.
“That’s enough!”
Barry glared at Sparrow. “You’re welcome.”
The family and the elderly couple flew from their seats and ran
outside. Sparrow knew who they were and where they lived, so he
wasn’t worried about getting statements right now.
Sparrow reached for the radio on his shoulder when the cocky
man spun, swiping his foot out. But Sparrow was faster, slamming his
fist into the man’s face. The man dove toward the floor, grabbed the
gun that was lying there, and pulled the trigger.
He saw Barry tackle the guy, taking him down as Sparrow fell to
the floor, clutching his stomach.
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Fuck, how had he not seen that one coming?
* * * *
Clayton had just pulled into the space in front of the feed store,
Josh sitting next to him, when he saw three cop cars and an
ambulance right outside the diner. All lights were flashing but no
sirens were blaring—at least not on the stationary vehicles. There was
another ambulance, but it was already taking off, heading in the
direction of the hospital, lights and sirens at full blast.
“I wonder what’s going on,” Josh said as he unbuckled his seat
belt, gazing through the windshield. “Was the food that bad?”
Clayton shook his head as he got out. He spotted one of the
elderly residents of Bear County standing nearby with his wife. They
both looked shaken up. “What’s going on, Mr. Creadly?”
The elderly man turned and Clayton could see the guy was paler
than usual. “Two hoodlums came in to rob the diner. But Sheriff
Sparrow stopped them. Poor waiter was assaulted though. Hope he’s
going to be okay.”
“Sheriff Sparrow was shot,” Mrs. Creadly added as she stood
there trembling. Her husband patted his wife’s shoulder with a hand
riddled with age spots. “I hope both men will be okay. That sheriff is
a hero,” she finished.
Clayton’s heart lodged in his throat as his mind tried to grasp what
the couple was saying. He didn’t want to believe it. “The sheriff was
shot?”
They both nodded. Clayton and Josh took off toward the diner just
as Sparrow was being wheeled out. Blood coated the hand Sparrow
had over his abdomen. His face was pale and set in a grimace, and
Clayton feared the man wasn’t going to make it. There was too much
blood. Even though Clayton was standing outside, he found it hard to
pull air into his lungs.
“Is he going to be okay?” he asked one of the paramedics.
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Please let him be okay.
“We’re here for you,” Josh said as he approached the stretcher.
Tears shimmered in his eyes as he brushed his hand over Sparrow’s
hair. “Clayton and I are going to the hospital. Hang in there.”
Sparrow didn’t answer them. It was like he was awake, but
wasn’t. Clayton’s chest hurt, like a sharp knife was piercing his heart.
“Won’t know until the doctors look at him,” the paramedic said to
Clayton. “Single shot to the stomach. It doesn’t look good. Hopefully
it didn’t hit any vital organs.”
Hopefully. Clayton didn’t like that word.
He knew the paramedic. Bear County wasn’t all that big and
everyone knew everyone else. “Thanks, Martin.”
The guy nodded as he and his partner loaded Sparrow into the
ambulance. Clayton turned and spotted a cop car with two men in the
backseat. He stormed over and slammed the side of his fist into the
window.
His bear was close to the surface, urging him to pull both men out
and tear them to shreds for what they had done to Sparrow. The anger
was like a living, breathing entity as his eyes dropped to the door
handle. All he had to do was open it and he would get his vengeance.
“Hey!” Deputy Dunham shouted. “What the hell are you doing?”
Clayton shoved a finger toward the window, curling his upper lip.
“If he dies, I’m coming after both of you.”
“Get away from the car,” Dunham said. “Now.”
Clayton spun on his heel and headed toward his truck, Josh right
next to him. They both climbed in before Clayton took off toward
Bear County Memorial.
“Do you think he’ll be okay?” Josh asked as he clutched his seat
belt in a strangling grip. “That was a lot of blood.”
“He’ll be fine,” Clayton answered.
Sparrow had to be fine.
He couldn’t imagine losing the guy. Their relationship was just
starting out and Clayton couldn’t wait to explore their future together.
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63
After what they’d shared yesterday, he was damn sure things would
work between the three of them.
Clayton had known the sheriff since he’d moved to Bear County
from the shifter community he used to live in. He’d always thought
the man ruggedly handsome, a force to be reckoned with. There was
no way a bullet could take the man out. Clayton wasn’t going to
believe it.
“You know,” Josh said as Clayton raced down Route 252. “I grew
up with just one brother. My parents were always away on business.
They had a firm together. Not a large one, but one that had them
traveling a lot. When I turned twenty, my parents moved overseas. I
used to go backpacking with my uncle a lot, until he passed away.
When Greg joined the service, I felt a bit lost.”
Clayton listened as he drove, wondering where Josh was going
with this.
“But then Harland and my Aunt Renee told me about this
wonderful town. I thought it would be a good place for me to start
over, to find some kind of purpose in life. And then I met you and
Sparrow.”
“And?”
Josh glanced at Clayton, his eyes misty. “And now that I’ve met
the both of you, spent time with you, I can’t picture my life without
either of you in it. My bear is attached to you and Sparrow.”
“I called my mom,” Clayton said. “To get some answers about
three men being mates.”
“What did she say?” Josh asked.
“She said her second cousin on her father’s side mated two men.”
“How did they know? Did two of them get pregnant?”
Clayton had talked to his mother well into the night, trying to
understand how three men could be mates. It was hard enough
figuring things out when only one mate was involved. The scent alone
wasn’t enough to go on. It wasn’t one hundred percent accurate when
determining who your mate was. Only pregnancy could provide
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complete confirmation. “She just said that you know. That, deep
down, your bear tells you and you just have to listen.”
Which contradicted the whole scent thing. But after talking with
his mom, it kind of made sense. Even if the scent was there, his bear
should know who he belonged to.
Clayton had never really talked to his parents about mating. He’d
been so busy growing up with his friends, getting into trouble, and
then joining the service that he hadn’t paid attention when his mother
tried to tell him in his teenage years. But he knew that his bear was
telling him that both Josh and Sparrow were his.
“I kind of know what she’s talking about,” Josh said. “My bear
wanted both of you as soon as I met you and Sparrow. It was
confusing as hell.”
Clayton nodded. “That it was. But now we know. All three of us
are mates.”
After parking in the hospital lot, both Clayton and Josh raced
inside to find out any news on Sparrow.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Calabria. But the sheriff is in surgery,” the nurse
behind the desk said.
Clayton turned to see other cops slowly filtering in, their eyes
pausing on him and Josh before they took a seat.
“Why do I feel like we’re not wanted here?” Josh asked as he
looked around.
“It’s just Dunham who’s giving off that vibe,” Clayton said as he
spotted the deputy walking through the door, cocky as ever. He had
an urge to smack the guy. “Come on, Josh.”
Clayton led his mate to the other side of the waiting room. They
both sat before Clayton pulled out his cell phone and called home.
As he dialed, Angelina rushed through the double doors, her eyes
wild as she glanced around. She was tall, slim, and had the same dark
Native American looks her brother had. Her black hair was loose,
flowing down her back. It fanned out when she spun and looked
directly at Clayton.
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She hurried over to him. “Tell me he’s going to be okay.”
Tears filled her eyes and spilled over as she stood there, twisting
her hands together.
“He’s in surgery,” Clayton answered. “How did you find out?”
“Dispatch called me.” She took a seat, curling her legs up to her
chest before wrapping her arms around them. “What happened?”
“Someone tried to rob the diner,” Josh supplied.
She glanced at him. “Have we met?”
Josh introduced himself.
“I didn’t know Harland had a cousin,” she said.
“I seem to be getting that a lot,” Josh answered.
Angelina assessed them both with interest, her eyes bouncing
from Clayton to Josh. Clayton felt like he was under a microscope. He
knew Ang was a smart gal. Would she guess that her brother was in a
ménage relationship?
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I get why Clayton is here, sort of. But I
don’t understand why you’re here.” She looked directly at Josh.
Josh’s cheeks heated as he glanced up at Clayton.
Her eyes widened slightly. “You’re dating my brother, aren’t
you?”
Clayton cleared his throat. She was now part of the family and
sooner or later she’d find out. He just wasn’t sure how she was going
to react. Clayton wasn’t embarrassed about his relationship with
Sparrow and Josh. “We both are dating him.”
She sat there for the longest time staring at the two and then a
slow smile spread across her face. “And here I thought my brother
was an uptight guy who didn’t know how to have fun.”
“You’re not mad?” Josh asked.
“Is he happy?” she asked.
Clayton nodded.
“Then why would I be mad.” Her smile widened. “Now he can’t
say a word about who I date.”
“You’re sneaky,” Josh said.
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She shook her head. “Nope, just cunning.” Ang turned her head
and stared at the double doors before turning back to them. “How bad
was his wound?”
Clayton didn’t want to tell her. As strong-willed as Ang was,
hearing her brother had been shot in the stomach would more than
likely tear her apart.
“We’ll know after surgery,” he answered.
The three of them sat there, waiting.
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Chapter Seven
As they walked away from the nurses’ station, Josh slapped
Clayton in the stomach with the back of his hand. “I don’t care if you
were doing it to get us in to see Sparrow. If I ever see you flirting with
someone else besides me and Zack, I’m going to slice your balls off
and hang them on my rearview mirror.”
“Graphic.” Clayton rubbed his stomach. “I had to, Josh. You
could see that she wasn’t about to let us back here.”
“Yeah, but it’s kind of odd that I’m Sparrow’s fiancé while you’re
pretending to be his brother. That’s just weird on so many levels.”
Josh understood why Clayton had had to flirt with the nurse, but his
bear was ready to do some damage. If he’d had to stand there one
more second, he just might have gouged her eyes out.
Clayton looked warily at Josh. The man better be wary. That
hadn’t been an idle threat.
Cheating was a deal breaker.
It was also a neck breaker.
Josh pushed the door open to the sounds of machines beeping and
the smell of antiseptics. He hated hospitals. When his eyes landed on
Sparrow, Josh felt tears stinging at his eyes and his throat constricted.
He moved over to the bed, his hands fluttering over Sparrow’s body
before landing on his mate’s arm. “Sparrow?”
Clayton walked up behind Josh, placing his hands on Josh’s
shoulders. “He’ll be fine, hon. The nurse said the bullet went through
his left side and out the back. That was a good thing. It didn’t hit any
vital organs.”
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It didn’t matter to Josh if it was a good thing or not. He hated
seeing Sparrow lying here in this bed. He wanted to take the man
home and nurse him back to health.
Sparrow’s eyes began to flutter open. Josh held his breath. Soon
he could see the man’s dark-blue irises. “Who the hell shot me?”
“You don’t remember?” Josh asked.
“I remember,” Sparrow said. “Tell me those two bastards are in
jail.” When Sparrow tried to scoot further up his bed and failed
miserably, Clayton moved in and helped.
“They are,” Josh said. “And from what I hear, some guy name
Barry Sliman helped you capture them.”
Sparrow grunted. “Great, now I have to thank a drug dealer.”
“It could be worse,” Josh pointed out. “We could be attending
your damn funeral. Stop being so sour and be thankful you’re alive.”
Josh’s emotions were a wreck. He’d been out in the waiting area
for hours, fretting over Sparrow’s condition, ready to rip someone’s
head off. He’d gone from glad his sheriff was alive, to angry, to
weeping. He wasn’t sure what was wrong with him, but seeing
Sparrow gazing up at him was the best thing he could have asked for.
“What’s the damage?” Sparrow asked as he fiddled with the tubes
and wires connected to him. He took the finger monitor off, tossing it
aside.
“Clean shot,” Clayton said. “You’ll make a full recovery.”
“Then get me the hell out of here.” Sparrow tossed the sheet aside,
but Josh grabbed it and forced it back over the sheriff’s lap.
“Stop it,” Josh said. “You’ll need to be in here until the doctor
clears you.”
“Just don’t get too excited with your sponge bath,” Clayton said.
“Some of those nurses are damn good looking.”
Sparrow lifted his hand and flipped Clayton off. “Trust me,
keeping up with you two is enough. I’m getting too old to chase tail.”
“Not the right answer, but good enough for now,” Josh said as he
sat on the edge of the bed, running his hand over Sparrow’s
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disheveled hair. It was normally pulled back into a long ponytail, but
today it was loose and damn if it didn’t look good as it cascaded over
the man’s shoulders. Josh couldn’t help but play with the strands as he
sat there.
“Got a thing for hair?” Sparrow asked as he leaned his head back
and stared up at the ceiling.
“I got a thing for your hair,” Josh replied.
“I’m finding out that he has a lot of strange kinks,” Clayton said
as he took a seat next to the bed. “Guy likes to put ketchup on his
damn scrambled eggs.”
“That’s not a kink. That’s a habit I’ve had since I was little,” Josh
defended. He turned to Sparrow. “Clayton and I have decided that
you’re coming home with us. You need someone to take care of you
while you recover.”
“Whoa,” Sparrow said. “I have my sister.”
“Can she be there all the time?” Josh asked. “Do you really want
her to give you sponge baths?”
Sparrow grimaced. “Not in this lifetime.”
“Then it’s settled. And if you resist me on this, buster, I’ll
handcuff and kidnap you.” Josh knew he was being a bit highhanded,
but there was no way he was leaving Sparrow to his own devices. The
man needed him and Josh was going to make damn sure his mate had
the best care possible.
“Pushy,” Sparrow said.
Clayton chuckled. “That he is. Bossy as hell, too. But he’s right.
You can’t go to your place and try to take care of yourself. That’s
what you have us for.”
“I thought it was just for the great sex,” Sparrow said as he closed
his eyes. Josh could tell the man was tired and needed his rest.
“It is,” Josh said. “Just think of me rubbing that sponge all over
your naked body.”
“Now that sounds like a winner,” Sparrow said before yawning.
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“We’re going to head out,” Josh said. “Is there anything you want
us to gather from your place?”
“Clothes and toiletries,” Sparrow mumbled. “Back door is always
open.”
Josh gazed up at Clayton. “The man has no sense of self-
preservation. Who leaves their back door unlocked?”
Clayton grabbed Josh’s hand and pulled him from the bed,
heading toward the door. “You don’t live in the big city anymore,” he
said. “Things are different around here.”
That was an understatement. But Josh was glad he’d traveled to
Bear County—he wouldn’t have met Sparrow or Clayton if he hadn’t.
Josh and Clayton were almost bowled over at the door when
Angelina rushed in, hurrying over to her brother’s bed.
Josh closed the door, giving the siblings their privacy as he and
Clayton headed out of the hospital to gather the things Sparrow would
need.
* * * *
Sparrow settled into the lounge chair on the back porch. As he sat
there, he watched Clayton breaking in a new horse. Sparrow was still
healing, still having difficulty walking for long periods of time. That
bullet may not have hit any vital organs, but it sure as shit had done
some damage. He wasn’t even allowed to lift anything heavy until he
was fully healed.
Although Sparrow knew that he wasn’t physically ready to go
back to work, the last thing he wanted to do was leave the department
in Dunham’s hands.
“How are you feeling today?” Josh asked as he took a seat next
Sparrow.
“Better than yesterday.” Sparrow winked at Josh. “Before long,
I’ll be able to fuck that pretty ass of yours.”
Josh rolled his eyes. “You’re incorrigible.”
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Sparrow’s mouth watered when Renee brought out a tray of
lemonade. It was a hot one today but Sparrow was tired of sitting
inside. It had been over a week since he’d been shot and Sparrow was
antsy, ready to get back to work. He wasn’t one to sit around and be
idle.
“Thank you, Renee,” Josh said as he took both glasses from her.
“I’d sit and chat with you fellas but I gotta get back inside with
the cubs. Y’all enjoy your cool drinks.”
Sparrow raised his glass to her before taking a long swallow. The
cool liquid slaked his thirst. “I have my doctor’s appointment
tomorrow.”
“I know you’re anxious to get back to work. But even if the doctor
clears you, you and I both know you’re not ready.” Josh set his glass
down and turned to face Sparrow. “Don’t push it or you can end up
doing more harm than good.”
Sparrow’s eyes wandered over to where Clayton was standing.
The man had a powerful build, lean muscles, and looked damn good
in jeans. Sparrow might be hurting, but there wasn’t anything wrong
with his cock. As Clayton worked the horse, Sparrow watched those
corded muscles flex.
Josh chuckled as he lifted his glass from the table and poised it
close to his lips. “You’ll have to wait for the doctor’s clearance, stud.
No strenuous exercise, remember?”
Sparrow clucked his tongue as his eyes raked Josh from head to
toe. “Darling, who said I had to move?”
This only made Josh chuckle even harder. “You know as well as I
do that you’ll never be able to lay still. You’re too much of a take-
charge kind of guy.”
Josh had him there. Knowing he wasn’t going to get any sex until
he was seen by the doctor made Sparrow one ornery-ass man. “So I
am supposed to waste this perfectly good hard-on?”
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Josh’s eyes fell to Sparrow’s shorts before the man sucked in his
lower lip. Sparrow became harder as he studied Josh’s sensual lips,
imagining them wrapped around his hard shaft.
“Nice try,” Josh said as he lifted his eyes to look at Sparrow. “But
I’m not going to do anything to risk your recovery.”
“You’re risking my sanity,” Sparrow grumbled. His complaint
was cut short when the back door opened and Noah walked out with
his triplets, Markey and Austin hot on their heels.
“Uncle Spiro!” Markey shouted as he hurried over. Thank
goodness Josh was quick, grabbing Markey before the kid could dive-
bomb into Sparrow’s lap. Not only would the little guy have
aggravated Sparrow’s injury but he probably would’ve crushed his
balls in the process.
Someone needed to teach the boy about the family jewels.
“I told you Uncle Sparrow has a boo-boo,” Josh said as he lifted
Markey over his head and gave him a raspberry on his tiny belly.
Markey screeched with laughter before Josh set him on his feet.
And then the rest of the kids wanted a raspberry. Noah sat down
next to Sparrow as he chuckled. “You’ve got to admit that Josh is
great with kids.”
Sparrow watched as Josh chased the toddlers around the yard. He
caught them one at a time, blew into their belly, and then set them
down before chasing another. Sparrow had never thought about
having kids before. Because he was gay, he’d never thought it was a
real possibility.
Although he himself refused to get pregnant, he started imagining
Josh with a swollen belly. The thought appealed to him on so many
levels that it stunned Sparrow. His mind took him down a path that
he’d never traveled before. What would it be like to come home to
Clayton and Josh? Sparrow lived alone, which meant he ate and slept
alone as well. Sure, he had Angelina. But his baby sister had her own
life.
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He could see his home filled with tiny feet, pattering around the
house as his children played. Sparrow’s chest ached at the thought.
He wanted kids.
“Hello?” Noah waved his hand in front of Sparrow’s face. “Where
did you go?”
“Heaven,” Sparrow replied before he cleared his throat. His heart
beat a little faster when Clayton walked toward him. The man had a
strut that would have any woman swooning—and plenty of men, as
well. Clayton looked delicious enough to eat.
Noah blushed. “If you stared at Clayton any harder, his damn
clothes would fall off.”
Sparrow laughed so hard that he had to hold his side. As Clayton
approached, the cowboy smiled as well. “What’s so funny?” Clayton
asked.
“Sparrow was just telling me about a juicy piece of meat he’d love
to have,” Noah said.
Clayton tucked his work gloves into his back pocket as his grin
grew wider. “Just tell me what you want and I’ll make sure Dresden
cooks it for dinner.”
Noah and Sparrow glanced at each other and then burst out
laughing.
* * * *
After his doctor’s appointment the following day, Sparrow swung
by the station just to check on things. Clayton and Josh weren’t too
happy about his insistence, but he didn’t trust Dunham. In the past
two years, Dunham had swayed a few deputies to his side, stating that
Sparrow was too soft with the citizens and insisting that was why the
drug-infested trailer park was out of control.
“Good to see you back,” Harold said. “Ain’t the same without you
around.”
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“I’m not back just yet,” he replied. “Just checking on some
things.” A few more people smiled and told Sparrow they were glad
he was fine.
Sparrow passed down the long hallway to his office. Pictures of
retired or deceased law enforcement men and woman hung on the
wall, along with plaques and awards. The smell of fresh-brewed
coffee filled the air around him as he heard laughter coming from the
back of the station. The break room seemed to be in full swing, with
some cops just sitting around watching television until their shifts
started while others took their breaks. It was close to lunch.
The air conditioning was starting to cool his skin as Sparrow
opened his office door and stepped inside. Clayton and Josh had
elected to wait for him in the truck, both stating that they didn’t want
to raise any eyebrows.
Everything around him appeared normal, untouched. But Sparrow
had always been able to tell when someone had trespassed on his
personal space. Someone had been here, in his office, more than
likely snooping around.
His first thought was that Dunham had come in here, trying to find
some dirt on Sparrow to use against him. But it could have been
dispatch, or someone trying to locate a file. There was no way to tell
for sure.
“People are saying that you’re a hero.” Dunham filled the
doorway, leaning his thick shoulder against the frame. From day one
Sparrow hadn’t liked this guy. It wasn’t that the man was cocky and
arrogant so much as it was that he was manipulative and had a look in
his eyes that said he would do whatever it took to get what he wanted.
“Not a hero,” Sparrow said as he stepped around his desk. “Just
doing my job.”
He dug a small key from his front pocket and was reaching for the
lock on his desk when he noticed that the wood was scratched.
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Someone had tried to, or had succeeded, in breaking into his desk.
He lifted his eyes and flashed an annoyed look Dunham’s way, but
the man seemed unfazed by Sparrow’s expression.
“Oh, come on,” Dunham said. “Everyone is talking about how
you took a bullet to save those customers.” But the man’s tone wasn’t
filled with praise. It was filled with bitter resentment. Sparrow
clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. But he
kept what he really wanted to say behind his lips. Getting into a
sparring match with Dunham wasn’t what he’d come here for.
“Was there something you needed, Deputy?”
Dunham’s lip peeled back for a brief second before his mouth
smoothed out. His dark, straight brows drew together so that a crease
appeared between them. “Hope you feel better,” Dunham said
begrudgingly before turning and walking out.
The only thing Sparrow could do was shake his head. He’d caught
the coldness in Dunham’s eyes. Sparrow wasn’t sure if it was his
position the guy was gunning for or if he had it in for Sparrow
himself. That line was becoming blurred.
Seconds later, Josh popped his head into the doorway. “You
gonna be much longer? The sun is beating down on the truck, and
even with the AC on, it’s boiling out there.”
“I was just about to leave.” Sparrow opened his drawer and pulled
a few files out that he wanted to take with him. Luckily, they were
still buried under blank request orders. If someone had been snooping
around, they hadn’t dug very deep. He locked the drawer again—for
what good that would do—and tucked the files under his arm before
walking back toward the front.
“Hope you come back soon,” Harold said as he waved.
Josh’s eyebrows tugged together as he bit the corner of his lip,
gazing up at Sparrow.
“What is it?” Sparrow asked.
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“Why are you taking your work home with you?” Josh asked as
they exited the building into the blinding sunlight. “You’re supposed
to be recuperating.”
“Light reading.” Sparrow slid into the driver’s seat as Josh
climbed in on the other side, settling next to Clayton.
“He’s bringing his work home,” Josh complained to Clayton.
“Traitor,” Sparrow said before pulling his truck onto the road.
“Maybe it’ll help,” Clayton said. “It’ll give him something to do
besides complain about lack of sex all the time.”
Josh chuckled. “Good point.”
Sparrow drove into the sun, having to pull his visor down. He’d
tucked the files between him and Clayton, making sure they were
safe. They were profiles he didn’t want anyone else to get their hands
on. It was a case he’d been working on secretly for over a year. If
Dunham had seen them—Sparrow shuddered involuntarily as his
mind refused to even finish the thought.
Clayton must have mistaken his shudder for being cold. The man
turned the AC down a bit. Sparrow was still marveling at how
Clayton and Josh fussed over him. He’d never really had anything
like that before. Not on this level. He’d fought his attraction toward
Clayton for so long that it surprised him how quickly he was able to
accept the guy once he let his fears go.
But he still wasn’t willing to get pregnant. That prospect wasn’t
even on the table.
“Does anyone else want a big, fat pickle?” Josh asked out of the
blue.
Both Sparrow and Clayton frowned. The Piggly Wiggly sold
those super-sized things in individual clear packets, the pickle still
swimming in its juice. Sparrow had always thought them disgusting.
“Not particularly,” Sparrow answered.
“Me either,” Clayton said.
“Can we stop at the store?” Josh asked. “I got a hankering for
one.”
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Sparrow didn’t see why not. It wasn’t like he had anything else to
do. He made a U-turn and headed back toward town. As he pulled in
front of the grocery store, he spotted Jack Frost and a couple other
guys hanging out in the parking lot, smoking cigarettes and leaning
against a red beat-to-shit truck.
As Sparrow drove past them, he locked eyes with Barry. The man
gazed at him for a moment and then looked away, laughing at
something one of his buddies had said.
The niggling feeling was still there and Sparrow wished to god he
could figure out what bothered him so much about Barry Sliman.
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Chapter Eight
That evening, Clayton sat at the table as he stared at the people he
called family. Sparrow was on his right, Josh on his left. Taking a seat
at the head of the table wasn’t his way of declaring himself the head
of their love triangle. It had just happened to work out that way. He’d
come into the dining room first, famished after working all day.
The room was brightly lit and there was laughter all around.
Renee was still here, which was odd. She should have returned home
by now. He wondered if her extended stay had something to do with
Jack, because her eyes were focused on Noah’s dad and she was
smiling at every word that left the man’s lips.
Clayton’s eyes drifted over the white walls and pictures that hung
around the room. The sounds of people talking, laughing, and eating
mingled to form a melody that lit his heart as Sparrow nudged
Clayton’s knee.
It was a subtle move, a reminder that he was there, sitting next to
Clayton. As Josh talked with Dresden, the man continually bumped
Clayton’s arm, or touched his hand that was resting on the table. He,
too, was reminding Clayton that he might be paying attention to
Dresden, but his thoughts were on his mate.
Things seem surreal as Clayton inhaled slowly and then let out his
breath. His thoughts turned and he reflected on Sparrow getting shot.
If his sheriff hadn’t been so lucky, the chair to his left might now be
empty. There would be no lean thigh bumping into his, no deep voice
talking with Harland. Clayton took a second to let that lulling voice
sink into his skin, soaking it up, and appreciating it more than ever as
his lips curved into a smile.
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“This is good food,” Bryson said to Dresden.
The blond man smiled. “Thanks.”
Clayton caught the way Harland stared at his mate. There was a
deep glint of love in Harland’s eyes as he looked at Dresden like the
man hung the moon. He remembered not so long ago when all four
men who owned the Triple-B ranch ate separately, at the diner, or
dined on prepackaged meals each night.
They had been happy. For the most part. Their day-to-day lives
had been filled with work and a sense of purpose and pride. But now
that Clayton had Sparrow on his left and Josh on his right, he knew
there had been something significant missing.
His eyes strayed to Bryson, wondering if the man was going to
find his other half. Bryson’s smile was genuine as he teased one of the
cubs with a biscuit. But Clayton had also seen the man staring off into
the distance, a look of longing in his deep-grey eyes. The bear shifter
wanted what the rest of the men had found.
A mate.
But he showed no outward sign that something was missing in his
life. Bryson wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t be jealous of everyone
else’s happiness. Still, there had to be some resentment that he was
still single. The man was just good at keeping it bottled up.
The conversation didn’t lull, didn’t skip a beat until everyone’s
plate was clear. The clattering of dishes being gathered filled the air.
Clayton pushed back from the table, his stomach full, his heart light.
His brows drew together in mild confusion when he saw Josh dip
his spoon into his baked beans before dipping it into his dessert cup
filled with caramelized apples. Josh ate the combination and then his
eyes rolled, like he was tasting heaven on earth.
Come to think of it, the man had been eating strange combinations
for the past week.
Just yesterday Clayton had caught Josh dipping celery into a jelly
jar.
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When Harland turned his head, he saw Sparrow staring strangely
at Josh. The man’s dark eyes focused intently on Josh before he lifted
them to gaze at Clayton.
Clayton shrugged. He wasn’t sure why Josh craved odd mixtures
of food.
When the table was cleared, Dresden and Harland took their two
boys and headed into the living room. Jed and Noah grabbed their
triplets and walked outside, no doubt going for their ritual after-dinner
walk.
Jack and Renee were talking, laughing, and the smile on Jack’s
face was like a beam of bright light. Bryson gazed at the couple for a
moment before he left the dining room.
“Does anyone else have a yen for some cherry pie?” Josh asked as
he licked his spoon clean before plunging it back down into his beans
and then dipping it into the apple bowl. “How long is the Piggly
Wiggly open?”
Clayton felt a flip in his chest as his heart began to pulse in his
throat. Something clicked inside his head so fast that he felt
breathless. He knew why Josh was eating the weirdest food.
His mate was with child.
It was just an educated guess based on the evidence he’d
witnessed. Clayton’s eyes dropped to Josh’s stomach and he noticed
the small distention. It could be from the way Josh had devoured his
dinner. A food baby, as Bryson sometimes called it when the man ate
four helpings.
He also noticed a rosiness to Josh’s cheeks that hadn’t been there
before. The man seemed to…glow, radiate.
Josh polished off the rest of his food and then sat back, burped,
and slapped a hand over his mouth before he chuckled.
Clayton grazed his fingertips over Josh’s jaw and smiled. Sparrow
tapped Clayton with the back of his hand, his gaze still a bit off—
thunderstruck. “Is he?”
“I think so,” Clayton replied. “Sure as hell eats like it.”
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“Eats like what?” Josh asked as he stood, stretched, yawned, and
then turned. “I’m going to bed. Maybe I’ll get a cherry pie
tomorrow.”
Clayton watched Josh head upstairs before he turned to Sparrow.
“I think I’ll call the doctor to examine him.”
Sparrow’s eyes were on the steps Josh had just ascended. There
was a strange expression on the guy’s face. The man’s voice was low,
smooth, and disconcertingly calm. “I’m going to head to my sister’s.
I’ll be back.”
Clayton’s heart beat faster as he watched Sparrow walk out the
front door. What had that look been about? Was Sparrow
disappointed that Josh might be pregnant? Was the man inwardly
panicking? Was the baby something that he even wanted?
With Sparrow’s quiet departure, Clayton was left with a dozen
questions and no answers. Fear prickled inside of him, in his chest, his
head, and his hands.
What if Sparrow had changed his mind and was working up the
nerve to tell Clayton that this wasn’t going to work out, that he
wanted out of this relationship? The man hadn’t declared his love or
even said that this was what he wanted.
But neither had Clayton or Josh. They had yet to explicitly say
that they wanted to be mates and that this was the life they were
choosing.
Unsure of what to do, Clayton pushed from the table and headed
toward the stable. He was going to take a ride and hopefully come up
with a solution. Because if Sparrow started running again, Clayton
might not get the man back.
* * * *
Josh sat there with his lungs burning, his breath trapped inside of
him at the doctor’s news. He was going to have a baby. Why he was
so terrified was a mystery. Family was the most important thing to
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bear shifters. That’s what his mother had taught him. To find one’s
mate and start a family was the biggest blessing one could have in
life.
So why wasn’t he overjoyed?
But even though Josh's mother had taught him the high value of
family, his hadn't been present much of his life. The disconnect
between his parents expressed value and their action was part of the
reason for Josh's fear.
He stared straight ahead, focusing on the intricate lace pattern of
his curtains, the wind blowing through the leaves just outside his
window, and the sun chasing shadows along the forest that sat to the
right of the house.
“Josh?” Clayton said his name before snapping his fingers, but
Josh couldn’t seem to focus. There was a teeny tiny cub growing
inside of him. Deep in his belly. It didn’t feel real to him. He took a
deep breath and held it in an attempt to relieve some of the pressure
that was building in his chest.
“The news just needs to sink in,” the doctor explained. “Give him
a moment to absorb things.”
Josh needed more than a moment.
The doctor left the room. Sparrow and Clayton sat on the bed
beside him, both men frowning. Josh clasped his hands in his lap,
watching as a blue bird flew from one branch to another outside. He
breathed the pressure out and then nodded. He could do this.
Hopefully.
He didn’t have a choice. The deed was already done and he was
going to carry this cub until he gave birth to it.
His throat grew dry.
“Do you want me to get Noah and Dresden?” Clayton asked.
“Maybe they can help you through this.”
Josh knew he had to pull himself together. He shook his head and
patted Clayton’s and Sparrow’s knees. “I’m fine. It was just a bit of a
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shocker.” Part of him did feel fine, but there was also a part of him
that was twisted into hard knots.
Two weeks pregnant.
Wow.
“We’re all going to be fine.” Sparrow’s voice was thick with
emotion and Josh was surprised it was the sheriff who seemed to be
on the verge of tears. He’d always viewed the man as strong. Not
even a bullet taking him down had changed that. But it seemed that a
baby had the man shaking in his damn boots. Clayton had told Josh
about Sparrow taking off after dinner last night.
When Sparrow had come back, he hadn’t said a word, just went to
bed and fell asleep.
“Are you going to be okay?” Josh asked. Even if Sparrow wasn’t
all right, Josh knew the man wouldn’t admit to such weakness.
Sparrow was too much of an alpha male to tell Josh that he was
scared. But Josh could see the worry in the sheriff’s eyes and knew
the man wasn’t ready for this.
None of them appeared to be.
“Let’s get some fresh air.” Clayton pulled Josh to his feet and
guided him toward the bedroom door. “It will do us all some good.”
Josh had known the risks when he had unprotected sex with
Sparrow and Clayton. But the reality was more daunting. He placed
his splayed hand on his stomach, wondering…just wondering.
Sparrow placed his warm hand on Josh’s back. Whether to help
guide him or steady himself, Josh wasn’t sure. They walked down the
steps and out the back door in silence. Not even Markey’s smiling
face as he passed them lifted the stupor Josh was in.
The three walked for a long time before Josh said, “What are we
going to do?”
Sparrow, who was lagging a bit, pursed his lips as he gazed up at
the trees. There was a light breeze and the sun was hiding behind
some clouds, but it was warm enough that Josh wished he’d worn
shorts.
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“Have a child,” Sparrow answered. “I think it’s a little too late to
think about condoms.”
“Are you mad?” Josh asked.
“No.” Sparrow shook his head, but Josh could see something was
bothering the man. He looked introspective, as if contemplating the
world. “This might not have been planned, but I think we can get
through this.”
“Get through this?” Josh asked as he halted his footsteps. “You
sound like this is some ferocious storm that will pass. This is a
lifelong commitment, Sparrow.”
“We both know that,” Clayton said. “And no, neither of us is
mad.”
“Oh, I’m glad you know what Sparrow is feeling because he sure
as shit hasn’t told me.” Josh walked a few paces ahead, wishing he’d
come out here alone. He reached up and rubbed his temples, telling
himself to calm down.
“Josh.” Sparrow grabbed his arms, pulling him to a stop. “You
know I’m not good with words. I just…” Sparrow paused. “Wow, it’s
a mind blower, you know?”
Sparrow breathed deeply and Josh watched his chest rise. As he
exhaled, he cupped the side of Josh’s face.
“Okay, so we’re going to be parents.” Clayton walked up beside
the two. “We do have help, you know. Harland and Jed seem to be
doing a damn good job with their cubs.”
“Cubs,” Sparrow groaned and then his eyes darted to Josh. “Will
the baby be born human?”
For some reason, this made Josh laugh. He bent at the waist and
grabbed his knees, tears streaking down his face. The pressure in his
chest once again faded as he stood, using the palms of his hands to
wipe at his eyes. “You are too damn funny.”
“I was serious,” Sparrow said.
“Yes, the baby is born in human form,” Clayton answered with a
short laugh. “What did you think, he’d spit out an actual cub?”
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“How would I know?” Sparrow groused. “You don’t have to poke
fun at me.”
Josh stared at both men and love surged through his chest, a warm
feeling not unlike an ache. They were going to be fine. The shock had
thrown them for a loop, but the three of them would fumble through
this.
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Chapter Nine
It had been almost three months since Sparrow had been shot and
he finally felt like things were getting back to normal. He could move
with ease now without being in pain.
“Have I ever told you how good you look in your uniform?” Josh
asked as he attempted to sit up in bed. When the man had first started
showing, the sight of Josh’s distended stomach had been strange to
look at, and Sparrow had found himself stealing quick glances every
chance he could get.
It was amazing what someone could get used to over time.
“If I wasn’t running late, I’d thank you for that compliments.” He
winked at Josh in the mirror before strapping on his duty belt.
“Are you sure you don’t have five minutes to spare?”
The man was teasing him and Sparrow was tempted.
“Babe, the day it only takes only five minutes for me to appreciate
that sexy body of yours is the day I need to be put out to pasture.”
Josh laughed.
“Now stop distracting me.”
From the mirror, Sparrow watched Josh roll from left to right and
then left again. He pushed to his hands and knees and then inched
backward on the bed until he reached the edge and then Josh slid until
his feet touched the floor.
When Josh stood, Sparrow’s eyes were drawn to Josh’s rounded
abdomen. It still left him in awe that the man could be carrying his
child.
Did it matter that the babe might be Clayton’s? It had at first. But
then Sparrow came to the conclusion that no matter whose baby it
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was, he wasn’t going anywhere. He couldn’t imagine his life without
Clayton and Josh. They had become the two most important people to
him.
And Sparrow planned on knocking Josh up again. So the odds
would sooner or later be in his favor—if they weren’t already.
“What?” Josh stood there staring at Sparrow before he looked
down at his stomach. “Do I look that bad?”
Sparrow turned from the mirror and pulled Josh close, placing a
kiss on the man’s forehead. “How can you look bad when you radiate
such beauty?”
“Brownie points for you.” Josh smacked his arm. “Now let me use
the bathroom. This baby must be lying on my bladder.”
Sparrow released Josh before grabbing his hat from the dresser.
He took one last look at his mate before heading to work.
Clayton was downstairs, waiting on the porch.
Sparrow smiled. “How nice, a sendoff.”
The side of Clayton’s mouth twisted into a smile that quickly
disappeared. “I hear there’s a lot of trouble at the trailer park.”
“Worried about me?” Sparrow placed his Stetson on his head.
“Well, yeah.” Clayton settled his backside on the railing, crossing
his hands over his thighs. “What if you get caught up in some crazy
shit and get hurt again?”
Sparrow sighed. “We’ve talked about this, Clayton. It’s my job to
help others and put away the bad guys.”
Clayton chewed his lower lip and Sparrow could tell the man was
trying to think of something to say that would stop him from going
into work.
He appreciated the man’s concern. He really did. But this was
Sparrow’s life, his career, and he wasn’t going to give it up because
some yahoos were acting like asses.
After his former career, Sparrow knew settling down in a small
town was what he wanted. He’d had enough of the fast life, of
traveling across the globe. He’d traded in his mercenary status for a
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job where he didn’t have to watch his back every second of every day.
“I’ll be careful.”
Clayton nodded, but Sparrow could see the man wasn’t happy.
“Just stay away from that park,” Clayton said.
“I can’t do that.”
“Trouble’s brewing,” Clayton warned. “Big trouble. I have friends
over there that tell me what’s going on. Things are getting worse. A
lot worse. I don’t want you caught up in anything.”
“You said that already.”
Sparrow started to walk away but turned instead, closing the
distance before stopping in front of Clayton. He grabbed the man’s
chin between his fingers and lifted Clayton’s head until they were
staring each other in the eye.
“I worry, Sparrow.”
“I know.”
“We have a baby on the way. I don’t want him or her growing up
without you.”
Sparrow was touched deeply by what Clayton was saying. He
pressed his forehead into his mate’s, extending his lips until they
touched Clayton’s.
Clayton’s eyes jetted around until they finally landed on
Sparrow’s.
“All I can say is that I plan to make it home every night and I will
do everything in my power to make sure that happens.”
“Things go wrong.”
“They do.”
Clayton let go of a long breath. He pulled his forehead away and
then rested his cheek on Sparrow’s shoulder. Sparrow hesitated for a
moment and then wrapped one arm around Clayton’s back.
The closer Josh came to his delivery date, the more Clayton
worried. Sparrow never argued with the guy. He knew the fear
Clayton was going through. Anyone choosing to be with a law
enforcement officer knew the risk.
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But this was Bear County, not a busy metropolitan area. Although
he’d been shot once already, Sparrow knew he was safer here than
anywhere else.
“Now I’m really running late.”
Clayton chuckled into Sparrow’s shoulder. The sound wasn’t
filled with merriment, but resignation.
What Clayton was feeling mattered to Sparrow, but there was
nothing he could do about it. “I have to go.”
Clayton lifted his head and gave Sparrow a slow-burning kiss.
Sparrow groaned, cupping his mate’s face before he pulled away.
“I’ll see you tonight.”
“You better,” Clayton said as Sparrow dug his keys from his
pocket and slid behind the wheel.
As he pulled down the drive, he could still see Clayton watching
him in his rearview mirror. He hoped that once the baby was born,
Clayton would ease up.
Then again, the man just might get worse.
Sparrow spent the rest of his day going over station budgets,
handling a few disputes in town, and spending time with the elderly
residents at the local nursing home. They loved when he showed up.
Sparrow was a great listener and sat for a good hour as Mr. Sendil
regaled him with stories of his youth. The man was quite the character
and, from the stories he told, had led a very exciting life before
retiring.
Now the elderly gentleman sat in a wheelchair, oxygen tubes in
his nose, stopping once in a while to catch his breath.
Sparrow sat patiently and waited until Mr. Sendil began again.
The town’s young people could learn a lot from the elderly if they
took the time to volunteer here. The residents were filled with a
wealth of history.
Mr. Sendil lifted a shaky, liver-spotted hand that was paper white,
the skin sagging as if ready to fall away. He patted Sparrow on the
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shoulder. “It’s high time you got going. You’ve listened to me ramble
long enough.”
“Nonsense.” Sparrow got up and grabbed a cup of coffee, taking it
back to the old man. “I love hearing about how you and your buddies
attended Woodstock or how you traveled the world. You’re a very
interesting man.”
Mr. Sendil laughed, but it sounded more like a drawn-out wheeze.
“Tell that to the ladies. Maybe I can pat a few behinds.”
Sparrow chuckled softly as he shook his head. “Still got it?”
“Never lost it!” Mr. Sendil waved him away. “Now go.”
Sparrow said good-bye to the staff before heading out. He passed
the pond outside the home, the water like liquid steel as it reflected
the color of the sky.
He was ready to call it a day.
That was until his radio squawked. Sparrow gripped the mic on
his shoulder. “Go ahead, Harold.”
“Got trouble at Lamont’s Trailer Heaven.”
Clayton’s warning filtered through Sparrow’s mind.
“What is it?”
“Mrs. Berchman called in. She said there’s some suspicious
activity right outside her home.”
That could mean anything from a prowling stray cat to a drug
deal. He wished she had been a little more specific.
Sparrow sighed. So much for heading home. “I’ll handle it.”
He drove through town and then out toward the trailer park. The
further outside of town he went, the more dilapidated the scenery
became. There were rows of houses that looked like they’d seen better
days, some yards filled with junk vehicles or retired farm equipment.
Not all the houses were in disrepair. Quite a few were stunning to
look at, with sprawling lawns and well-manicured flower beds.
There was no bad side of town in Bear County. The combination
of well-to-do and poor blended seamlessly. The only thorn in
everyone’s side was the trailer park.
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The department logged many complaints when it came to the
residents there. It was a shame, though. A lot of the people who lived
there were older. It was the younger generation ruining things.
Sparrow had tried his best to get rid of the trash that brought the
place down, but for every lowlife he arrested, another sprang up. The
hoodlums were weeds and Sparrow did what he could to rip them out
at the roots.
All was quiet when he pulled into the park. This time of day most
of the people were having supper—something Sparrow wished he was
doing right now. Dresden was cooking ribs and Sparrow’s mouth
watered at the thought.
He turned down a few streets and then saw what Mrs. Berchman
was complaining about. Some guy was standing right in front of her
trailer, distributing drugs.
Sparrow watched the transaction take place before the guy spotted
him and took off. Sparrow slammed the car into park and then got out,
giving chase.
As he ran, he radioed for backup.
Sparrow hadn’t been working out like he used to and he could feel
the burn not only in his lungs, but his muscles as well. His left side
started to ache but he pushed past the pain.
The perp threw something over a fence, but Sparrow wasn’t going
to stop to retrieve whatever it was. He’d go back once he had the guy
in custody.
A car pulled out from a narrow street, almost clipping Sparrow.
He slammed his hand on the hood as he skirted around it, spotting the
suspect racing around the corner.
They were heading to the outskirts of the park. There was
nowhere else to go unless the dealer ran into the large forest that ran
for miles behind the homes.
He was about to give up when he spotted the perp climbing a
fence. That fence belonged to Mrs. Coppen. The lady lived alone and
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there was no way Sparrow was allowing the scumbag to break into
her house.
Gripping the edge of the wooden fence, Sparrow leapt, swinging
his legs over before landing on his feet on the other side. He grimaced
as his left side throbbed harder, but he didn’t let the pain stop him, not
when he could see the back patio door slide open.
Unsnapping his holster, Sparrow removed his gun and moved
slowly toward her house. He stayed in a semicrouch as he neared the
back wall.
A cat ran from the door and Sparrow almost shot the damn thing.
From the darkness of the kitchen, Mrs. Coppen appeared. She peeked
around the doorframe and then pointed toward her driveway.
Sparrow holstered his gun and took off.
As he approached the forest, a gunshot echoed over the treetops.
Sparrow ducked, grabbing his gun again.
“Come out with your hands over your head!”
A second shot was fired and Sparrow felt the bullet whiz past his
thigh. White-hot fingers of pain radiated through his left leg. He
jerked forward but knew he couldn’t go down.
Sparrow slammed his back into a large tree for cover before using
his mic to tell Harold to send as many men as he could. He told the
dispatcher his location.
“They’re on their way, Sheriff. Dunham is closest.”
A rumbling growl vibrated in his throat. He pressed the palm of
his hand into his leg and immediately regretted doing such a dumb
thing. When he pulled his hand back, it was layered with his blood.
Scanning the area, he didn’t see the guy anywhere.
Sparrow moved slowly, using the dense foliage for cover. He
pulled air into his lungs and then let it out slowly, letting his old
training take over. As he stood there, Sparrow listened closely.
A twig snapped.
He followed the sound before stopping again to listen.
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He could hear the sound of sirens in the distance, but Sparrow
tuned them out.
His phone began to vibrate in his pocket. Sparrow couldn’t answer
it right now. It vibrated three more times before the text message
chirp sounded, echoing in the quiet forest.
The bullet hit the bark right by Sparrow’s head, sending splinters
of wood everywhere. He slipped further behind the tree.
“You’re not going to escape,” Sparrow called out.
Dunham and two more deputies moved quietly through the grass,
heading toward Sparrow. More sirens sounded and Sparrow knew that
Harold had indeed sent the entire department.
He smiled when the K-9 unit arrived.
His department might be underfunded, but Sparrow had insisted
on a K-9 unit. Living in a town where ranches and wide-open fields
were common, it only made sense to him.
Deputy Forez nodded at Sparrow.
Sparrow nodded back.
The deputy released the German shepherd and Sparrow watched
as Hulk took off. It was only a matter of seconds before someone was
screaming for help.
Sparrow moved in, aiming his gun at the perp as Forez retrieved
Hulk.
“Good job, boy.” Forez rubbed Hulk behind his ears.
Sparrow wasted no time. He dropped his knee on the dealer’s
back and yanked the man’s hands behind him, cuffing the guy.
“You shouldn’t have run,” Sparrow said into the man’s ear. His
voice was a growl as he led the guy from the woods.
“I need a hospital!” the perp shouted as he wiggled in Sparrow’s
arms and then swung his leg out, his foot slamming into Sparrow’s
injured leg.
Sparrow cocked his arm back and slammed his fist into the guy’s
face. “Settle the fuck down.”
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“Police brutality!” The man repeated himself over and over again
until Sparrow shoved the guy into the back of one of the patrol cars.
“Need a lift to your car?” Forez asked as he opened the back door
to his car and stepped aside so Hulk could hop in.
Sparrow’s phone chirped again.
He pulled it out to see that Clayton had messaged him. Tapping
the screen, Sparrow’s heart froze.
Josh in labor!
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Chapter Ten
Clayton paced the living room, his cell phone gripped tightly in
his hand. He’d called Sparrow a dozen times and had sent two text
messages. Where in the hell was he?
Josh sat on the couch, rubbing his belly and breathing out slowly.
Clayton had tried to take the man upstairs, but Josh said he wasn’t
going anywhere until Sparrow showed up.
“If you guys keep having kids like this,” Jack said from the
recliner, “we can apply for our own zip code.”
Clayton glanced at Noah’s father. The man held his hands up.
“I’m just saying. Not that I don’t love having them underfoot. Makes
me feel young again to wrestle with the little shin kickers.”
Josh slammed his eyes closed and moaned, his face pinched.
“Where the hell is he?”
The doctor had arrived ten minutes ago. The man sat there idly,
strumming his fingers on his medical bag, his eyes continuously
darting toward the door. They were all waiting for Sparrow to get
there.
If he didn’t hurry, Josh would have no choice but to deliver the
baby without the sheriff.
Renee had taken the children out back to play, trying to keep them
occupied. But it seemed one of them was determined to be there.
“Josh?” Markey said as he walked into the living room. “You
belly hurt?”
Harland and Jed were in the living room, along with Bryson who
stood at the bottom of the staircase. Bryson looked as if he were ready
to jump into action at any second.
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“Come on, kiddo,” Harland said as he tried to gather Markey into
his arms, but the toddler raced around the couch.
“Josh hurt,” he said. “Get him some tea.”
Clayton smiled. Renee felt tea was the cure for everything and it
seemed Markey had been paying close attention to her. He grabbed
his stuffed alligator from the floor and handed it to Josh. “Ralph
makes belly aches go away.”
As much pain as Josh appeared to be in, he smiled and accepted
the toy. “Thanks, buddy.”
Markey looked pleased that he’d helped. Once Josh took the toy,
Markey allowed Harland to take him back outside.
The sound of tires screeching in the driveway drew everyone’s
attention. Clayton moved over to the window to see Sparrow jumping
from his truck, a harried expression on his face as he raced toward the
front door.
“About time,” Clayton mumbled to himself before he turned
toward Josh. “Sparrow is here. I’m taking you upstairs.”
Clayton slid his hands under Josh and was pulling his mate into
his arms when Sparrow burst through the front door. “I’m here!”
“Oh my god!” Josh shouted. “You’re bleeding.”
“Just a graze,” Sparrow said. “I’ll live.” He turned toward the
doctor. “Shouldn’t you be pulling the baby out or something?”
The doctor chuckled. “Soon. Why don’t you get a shower before
you join us?”
“Make it quick!” Josh shouted before his head fell into Clayton’s
chest as he groaned. Clayton didn’t waste any time. He hurried
upstairs and took Josh into their bedroom.
Renee had prepped the bed. The thick birthing blanket was spread
out—something they used for the mess of the birth. It was lined at the
bottom with absorbent material so the fluids wouldn’t ruin the bed.
There were stacks of pillows situated at the headboard, and a small
table set up for the doctor to set his bag on.
She was a gem.
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Sparrow hurried past them, dropping a kiss on Josh’s head before
he rushed into the bathroom. The shower turned on as Clayton laid
Josh on the mattress.
“Is there anything you need?” he asked Josh.
“No,” Josh panted. “You and Sparrow are here. That was all I
wanted.”
“It seems the men in this house are full of surprises,” the doctor
said. “First triplets and now a three-way mating.”
Although the doctor had been checking on Josh throughout his
pregnancy, this was the first time he’d made a comment about the
three men being in a ménage relationship.
“Guess so,” Clayton answered as he stripped his mate and placed
a thin sheet over his waist. Sparrow was out of the bathroom in less
than five minutes.
“How’s the leg?” Clayton asked, his eyes wandering over
Sparrow’s thigh. He didn’t see any blood. That was a relief. But he
was still pissed. Ever since Sparrow had gone back to work, Clayton
had worried.
And rightfully so, judging by the blood that had been on the man’s
pants. He’d wait until things settled down before he had a talk with
his sheriff.
“Fine,” Sparrow replied as he moved closer to the bed. “Told you,
just a graze.”
Josh cried out and Clayton forgot his anger…for now.
It took two hours of labor and a lot of cursing and sweating.
Clayton was feeling the weariness in his bones by the time Josh gave
birth. But nothing had prepared him for the sight of the child as the
doctor handed the newborn over to Renee.
Clayton instantly fell in love.
“A healthy little boy.” The doctor smiled.
When Renee cleaned him up and brought him over, trying to hand
the bundle to Clayton, he felt dizzy, ready to pass out. “I can’t hold
him. He’s too damn small.”
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She turned to Sparrow.
The man’s hands were shaking as he took the bundle from her.
Clayton moved closer, standing right by Sparrow. The baby had a
head full of blond hair and the darkest, bluest eyes he’d ever seen.
Renee adjusted the baby, showing Sparrow how to support the head
before she began to clean up the mess she’d made cleaning the baby.
Clayton wanted to help her, but couldn’t pull his eyes away from
his son.
“Have you thought of a name?” she asked.
Both Clayton and Sparrow turned toward Josh, but the man was
fast asleep. Over the course of Josh’s pregnancy, they’d tossed around
names.
Josh had tried to incorporate both Sparrow’s and Clayton’s names.
He’d even teased that if it was a boy, his name would be Clarrow or
Spayton. All three men wholeheartedly agreed that those names were
not going to work.
They’d decided on Sparrow’s father’s name, with Clayton’s
father’s name for the middle.
“His name is Kaneonushkatew,” Sparrow said and Clayton could
hear the pride in the man’s voice. “It means ‘one that walks on four
claws.’ But we’ll call him Kane for short.”
Clayton chuckled. “He’s going to hate us for that.”
“Nah,” Sparrow said. “My father would have loved it and we’ll
make sure Kane is proud of his name.”
“His middle name is Adriano,” Clayton said. Renee stood there
staring at the two as if she’d never seen them before and then she
smiled.
“Your father is going to get a kick out of this.” She crossed the
room and hugged Clayton. He couldn’t wait to call his mother. Too
bad she couldn’t get any time off of work to fly out here, but Clayton
understood. His parents had promised to visit in a few weeks.
“Now, Mr. Calabria,” Sparrow said. “Hold your son.”
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Clayton’s gut clenched as he extended his arms, terrified he’d
drop the small bundle. He remembered how Renee had shown
Sparrow, careful to support the head. As he gazed down into Kane’s
eyes, Clayton felt a protective urge course through him.
They’d created this child and Kane was perfect.
Clayton turned toward Sparrow. “I love you.”
Sparrow’s eyes widened slightly. None of them had said the L
word yet and Clayton hated that Josh wasn’t awake for this. But the
overwhelming emotions had him raw, exposed, and he wanted his
sheriff to know exactly how he felt.
Sparrow wrapped his hand around the nape of Clayton’s neck,
kissing him on the cheek. “I love you, too.”
* * * *
A week after Kane was born, Clayton and Sparrow drove into
town to shop for some more baby items. Sparrow had some strange
notion that Kane needed his nursery filled to the brim.
“I’m telling you, he doesn’t need a damn race car,” Clayton
argued. “He can’t even sit up. How’s he going to drive a battery-
operated car?”
“But I want him to have it,” Sparrow said. “Besides, the other kids
can ride it until Kane’s old enough.”
Clayton groaned. The man was impossible. “The other kids aren’t
old enough either,” he pointed out.
“Fine.” Sparrow didn’t look too happy. Clayton chuckled, kissing
his mate’s cheek. “Stop pouting.”
“I’m not pouting,” Sparrow defended as they walked from the
clothing store, arms filled with shopping bags. They both paused
when three patrol cars raced past them, sirens blaring.
“What was that about?” Clayton asked.
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“Don’t know.” Sparrow set the bags in the back of his truck and
pulled his cell phone out, dialing someone. “Hey, Harold. What’s
going on?”
Clayton growled as he, too, tossed his bags inside. “It’s your day
off, Sparrow. Find out tomorrow.”
Sparrow held up a finger, his features darkening as he talked with
Harold. Clayton grew curious. He’d never seen Sparrow look this
angry before, not even when the man had ordered him out of his
office. His features were lethal, reminding Clayton of a predator.
Sparrow shoved the phone into his pocket, walking to the driver’s
side of the truck. “You need to find a ride home.”
Clayton shook his head as he gave Sparrow a wary look. “What’s
going on?”
He got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Those patrol cars
had torn out of here like they were chasing the devil. If it was that
bad, Clayton didn’t want his mate going anywhere near whatever was
going on.
Sparrow seemed to consider things for a moment and then waved
to the truck. “Get in. I’ll explain on the way.”
Clayton still didn’t want his mate to go, but at least now he would
be there to ensure the man didn’t get hurt. He slipped in, buckling his
seat belt before Sparrow took off.
His anger flared and his stomach sank when Sparrow pulled into
the trailer park. He should have known that if it was something this
bad, it would happen in this hell hole.
What Clayton hadn’t expected to see were FBI cars parked at odd
angles and a large black box truck. Men in handcuffs were being
hauled into the truck. He spotted Buck climbing into the back and felt
a sense of relief. That guy had been a nuisance for years.
“What the hell is going on?” Sparrow shouted at the closest FBI
agent after getting out of his truck. “Who is in charge around here?”
A big, beefy man in his late forties, maybe early fifties turned,
eyeing Sparrow before walking over. “I am.”
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Clayton stood close-by, listening to Sparrow and the agent go
back and forth. His mate was livid, shouting. He eventually calmed
down, but he still looked pissed.
“We’ve been working this case for close to a year and a half,” the
agent said. “It was on a need-to-know basis.”
“You couldn’t have given me the courtesy of telling me there was
a sting going down in my jurisdiction?” Sparrow asked.
“We didn’t know who all was involved,” the agent said.
“Someone was supplying the known dealers around here and we had
to work this until we could figure things out.”
Clayton thought about how Devil had broken into their home and
tried to kill Noah for witnessing the dealer shoving someone into his
trunk. If he’d had to bet, he would have sworn it was Devil supplying
the drugs.
But Devil had been dead a long time and the drugs were still being
sold. So, who had been supplying them?
“You.” Sparrow narrowed his eyes as a wiry man approached
them. He turned toward the agent. “Why isn’t he in custody?”
“That’s the thanks I get for helping you take down those robbers
in the diner?”
This had to be Barry Sliman. Clayton had heard the man’s name
mentioned in conversations about the robbery, how Barry had helped
Sparrow. But he had no clue who the man was.
“You’re a damn drug dealer,” Sparrow spat. “You should be in the
back of that truck with everyone else.”
Deputy Dunham walked over, a cocky grin on his face as he
approached. He eyed Sparrow critically as he shoved his thumbs into
his utility belt. “I was here when it went down. Collared a few of the
men myself.”
Clayton knew how Sparrow felt about Dunham. The man was
gunning for Sparrow’s job. He even spoke of running against the
sheriff at reelection time. Clayton had taken an instant dislike to the
man when he’d found out how manipulative the deputy was.
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He could see the expression on Sparrow’s face. The man wasn’t
happy with Dunham’s news.
“So who was the guy supplying the drugs?” Sparrow asked the
agent.
Clayton jerked in shock when three FBI agents walked up behind
Dunham and cuffed the man. Dunham didn’t go quietly. He wrestled
with the agents, taking one down before he grabbed another’s gun
from his hand.
“What the hell are you doing?” Sparrow asked as he stepped in
front of Clayton. “Have you lost your mind?”
“He’s the big dog around here,” Barry said. “The guy bringing the
heroin and cocaine into the park.”
Dunham had one of the agents in a choke hold as he began to back
away. “I’m not going to prison,” he said. “Just back off!”
Clayton tried to shove Sparrow behind him, but the sheriff wasn’t
having it. He was a hell of a lot bigger than Clayton, but Clayton had
shifter strength. Even so, trying to move the sheriff out of his way was
like trying to move a parked train. The man was solid, unyielding.
“I won’t have you shot again,” Clayton said between gritted teeth.
Sparrow didn’t answer him. His eyes were locked on Dunham.
Clayton leapt sideways when he heard a gun going off. He
crashed into Sparrow’s hard frame when Dunham jerked and then fell
to the ground. He wasn’t sure what was going on until he looked over
at the deputy and saw a bullet hole in the man’s temple.
He was going to have nightmares for weeks. Dunham’s empty
eyes seemed to be staring right at him. Clayton closed his own eyes,
glancing away before Sparrow helped him to his feet.
“Damn it,” Barry cursed at the agent who was holstering his gun.
“He didn’t deserve to take the easy way out.”
“Who the hell are you?” Sparrow asked.
“Agent Anthony Armstrong,” Barry said.
“You’re a fucking agent?” Sparrow gaped at Armstrong. “I knew
there was something off about you. I felt it in my gut.”
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“You’re a smart man,” Armstrong said. “There were a few times I
thought you’d figured me out.”
Clayton took a seat on the tailgate of Sparrow’s truck as his mate
talked for a while with the agents. He couldn’t understand why
Sparrow put himself in harm’s way all the time. He constantly
worried about the man. What if it had been Sparrow that Dunham had
grabbed instead of an agent? It made his stomach queasy just thinking
about it.
But as he stared at Sparrow talking with the other men, he could
see that his mate really did love his job. A few of the residents came
out, staring at what was going on and Sparrow immediately went to
them, reassuring the residents that everything was fine.
The man was the perfect person for the job. He cared about the
community and Clayton knew it wasn’t this exciting all the time.
Especially now that the hoodlums had been cleaned out of the
park.
Sparrow walked over to him, kissing Clayton on the lips. “I guess
you can stop worrying about me now.”
Clayton breathed Sparrow’s scent in and his chest tightened at
how much he loved this guy. “That’s going to be a problem, sheriff,
because I’ll never stop worrying about you.”
Sparrow grinned as he grabbed Clayton’s hand. “Come on. Josh is
waiting on us and I want to see our son.”
Clayton followed Sparrow to the truck.
He’d always follow Sparrow no matter where the man led him. He
had a family now, a son, two mates, and Clayton wasn’t sure how he
ended up being so lucky, but he knew he would never take his family
for granted and he would never stop worrying about them.
He never would have guessed he could love his family so much,
but as he gazed at Sparrow, he knew that love would only strengthen
over time.
* * * *
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Josh sat curled up on the couch as he watched Sparrow’s sister
and Clayton’s parents fuss over Kane. Clayton’s parents had brought
so many gifts that Josh was surprised they got everything past airport
security.
“He’s so beautiful,” Angelina said. “I’m going to be spoiling my
nephew rotten.”
They’d let her in on their little bear shifter secret. Angelina had
been stunned, and then pissed that Sparrow hadn’t told her before
Josh had given birth. She complained that she’d missed out on his
entire pregnancy.
Sparrow had reassured her that Kane wouldn’t be the last baby.
Josh wasn’t so sure about that.
Sparrow walked into the living room, grabbing Josh off of the
couch. It had been three weeks since he’d given birth and he finally
felt like his old self again.
“Why are you taking me away?” Josh asked as he stared at
Angelina holding his son.
“He’ll be fine,” Ang said. “I think I can manage to watch after
him while Sparrow steals you away.”
Josh hesitated but Sparrow was insistent. He pulled Josh off of his
feet and tossed him over the man’s broad shoulder.
“Put me down,” Josh said, feeling his face heat with
embarrassment. Sparrow ignored his protest as he carried Josh
upstairs. He wasn’t sure what was going on until Sparrow entered
their bedroom, locked the door, and then set Josh on his feet.
Clayton walked out of the bathroom buck naked, wearing only a
seductive grin. Josh’s heart began to beat faster when he saw just how
hard Clayton was.
He turned to Sparrow to see the sheriff getting undressed. “What
are you guys up to?”
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“Something very naughty,” Clayton answered as he moved closer.
“It’s been three weeks since I’ve had a piece of you and I’m horny as
hell.”
Josh backed up, only to run into a solid wall of muscle. Sparrow
was directly behind him, stopping Josh from getting away.
“Where are you going, darling?” Sparrow’s warm breath
whispered across Josh’s ear. “We’re just getting started.”
Clayton cupped his face. “Have I told you lately how much I love
you?”
Oh, this wasn’t good. These two had a wicked gleam in their eyes,
telling Josh that things were about to indeed get naughty.
“No,” he answered.
The side of Clayton’s mouth turned up into a smile as he cupped
Josh’s face. “I love you, Joshua Abrams.”
Josh’s throat grew tight as he gazed up into Clayton’s dark eyes.
Sparrow’s heat pressed into his back as his sheriff slid his arms
around Josh’s waist. “I love you as well.”
Josh blinked away the moisture in his eyes. “You’re only saying
that because I popped a baby out for you,” he teased, feeling his
insides turn into jelly. Even though he’d been with both men for
months now, he still got nervous when they were intimate together.
He knew over time that he would get used to their relationship,
but it was still so new, still so exciting. He prayed that feeling never
went away.
“There’s that,” Sparrow said. “But I can guarantee it’s not the
only reason.”
Josh groaned when Sparrow began to kiss along the back of his
neck. He tilted his head to the side as Clayton dropped to his knees,
unfastening his pants before taking them off. Josh hissed when
Clayton swallowed his cock.
“You like that?” Sparrow asked, lifting Josh’s shirt until he pulled
it over Josh’s head.
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“Y–yes.” Josh shuddered as Sparrow moved away. But he was
back seconds later, lube in hand.
Clayton licked along Josh’s shaft, sending currents of electricity
along his spine. He was close. It had been just as long for him and he
was ready to explode.
And then Sparrow shoved two fingers into Josh’s ass.
“Ah,” Josh shouted, his hips bucking forward as he came down
Clayton’s throat. Sparrow wiggled his fingers, making Josh’s climax
shoot even higher. Clayton sucked every drop of seed before pulling
back, rising from his knees.
Josh slumped against Sparrow’s chest.
“Oh, we’re not done,” Clayton said. “Not by a long shot.”
A third finger slid into Josh’s ass, making his knees wobble.
Clayton chuckled. “Let’s get him on the bed before he collapses.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.” Sparrow removed his fingers and then
lifted Josh into his arms. Josh didn’t object to being carried. He was
too boneless to argue.
Sparrow laid Josh down and then winked at him. “I think maybe
you should just watch me fuck Clayton.”
Josh’s interest perked up, along with his cock. He turned on his
side and greedily drank the sight in as Sparrow stretched Clayton.
Watching two large, muscular men getting hot and heavy was the
biggest turn-on Josh had ever experienced. They were like two titans
clashing together, a hell of a lot more aggressive with each other than
they were with Josh.
He was okay with that. Josh didn’t like to be handled roughly. But
he knew that Clayton and Sparrow weren’t always soft and gentle.
The men needed an outlet for their aggression and they had each other
for that.
Besides, it was sexy as hell to watch the two go at it.
Sparrow wrestled Clayton down, both grunting, sensual heat in
their eyes. Josh palmed his cock, giving himself lazy strokes as
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Sparrow tossed Clayton onto his hands and knees and drove his cock
deep.
Josh’s heart thundered at he watched.
“Damn it, Sparrow,” Clayton said before he hissed. “One of these
days I’m going to beat the hell out of you for tossing me around.”
Sparrow slapped a hand on Clayton’s ass. “You like it and you
know it.”
Josh chuckled. Clayton may protest, but Sparrow was right.
Clayton looked like he was in heaven as the sheriff began to pound
into Clayton’s ass.
He didn’t care how many times he watched the two, it was always
fascinating to him. Josh moved closer, licking along Clayton’s lips as
Sparrow snapped his hips. Clayton moaned into his mouth before
pulling away.
“Get under me,” Clayton said. “I want to feel your tight ass
around my cock.”
Sparrow slowed and Josh could see the raw heat in the guy’s eyes.
“You heard the man.”
Josh slipped under Clayton, lifting his legs to wrap around his
mate’s waist. Sparrow held his ankles as Clayton worked his shaft
into Josh’s ass. He rolled his eyes, his body humming to life as he was
filled. “I thought I was supposed to watch?”
Clayton growled deep into Josh’s ear. “You are watching.”
Josh’s thoughts fled as Clayton began to move. His fingers dug
into Clayton’s shoulders as he moaned.
He knew he could get pregnant again. The possibility was strong.
They had all agreed that they wanted a large family. Josh just didn’t
plan on popping cubs out one after the other.
But as he looked into Clayton’s eyes, and then Sparrow’s, he
knew he could never deny either man. If he got pregnant, they’d deal
with it, just like they had before.
He nipped Clayton’s ear, whispering, “I love you.”
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“You better be saying that to me,” Sparrow said from behind
Clayton.
“Or what?” Josh asked, feeling a bit mischievous. “You’ll give me
another speeding ticket?”
Sparrow threw his head back and laughed as the three slowed,
taking their time exploring one another. Their mating might not have
been conventional, but Josh didn’t care.
He was in the arms of two men who loved him and his life
couldn’t be better.
* * * *
Sparrow sat on the back porch, looking through the files he’d
taken from his desk as he sipped his cold glass of tea.
They were old case files on jobs he’d done in the past. He kept
that part of his life hidden. It was so long ago and he wanted to keep it
in the past.
That’s why he hadn’t wanted Dunham to get his hands on them.
The trial against the dealers was still pending.
He should have known that Armstrong was a cop. Especially
given the way he moved in the diner when he took the robbers down.
His moves had been too strategic for a drug dealer.
He closed the files and tucked them beside him when Josh brought
Kane outside. “Your son wants you.”
Sparrow reached for Kane, cuddling the cub close. Josh took a
seat next to him, both gazing off into the dwindling sunlight. Clayton
came out, taking a seat next to Josh.
The three sat there on the back porch, enjoying each other’s
company as Sparrow gazed down into Kane’s handsome face. His life
had taken a turn when he’d finally stopped running and given in to
what he really wanted.
He tucked Kane close and sat back, staring at the men who made
up his entire world.
Cowboy Naughty
109
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lynn Hagen loves writing about the somewhat flawed, but
lovable. She also loves a hero who can see past all the rough edges to
find the shining diamond of a beautiful heart.
You can find her on any given day curled up with her laptop and a
cup of hot java, letting the next set of characters tell their story.
For all titles by Lynn Hagen, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/lynn-hagen
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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