Allister, J. Rose - Displaced Cowboys [Lone Wolves of Shay Falls 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) by J. Rose Allister

hadn’t wanted any fuss over her birthday, but she let her mother have her way. She knew why it meant so much to the woman. She was trying to make up for lost time, though Terra knew it was too late for that. One wrong glance at the wrong moment had stolen two and a half years from her forever. Awkward party conversation and helium balloon bouquets wouldn’t change that.
    The throbbing in her body slowed, and a heavy exhaustion settled over her, like a weight pressing her down in the tub. The day had taken its toll, which wasn’t surprising since she’d had more excitement in the past few hours than in the last six months combined. More than her entire life, really.
    She stifled a yawn that her hand felt too heavy and lazy to cover. She would only linger in the soothing water for a few minutes. After that, she had to figure out how to extricate herself from this insane adventure and get back to the parents who were no doubt ready to call out the National Guard. A plan for doing so hovered just out of her reach, and she was still considering what the hell to tell her folks when her eyelids fluttered closed.

Chapter Five

    Terra felt her shoulders being shaken, followed by the sound of a man swearing. “Terra,” the voice said. “Damn it. Come on back, honey.”
    The shaking, she realized, was only due in part from someone tugging at her shoulders. Her entire body was quaking, and her teeth were chattering from a bone-numbing chill that likely explained the weird dream she’d been having. She was standing in the snow outside Connor’s mountain cave, trying to yell through the storm for him to let her in. Why hadn’t she just gone inside? There was no door, just a gaping maw at the entrance. She didn’t need permission to come in from the snow. Of course, maybe rushing into a cave wasn’t the smartest way to save herself from the freezing pressure slowly circling her chest. Animals lived in caves, dangerous animals that might swallow her whole if she wasn’t careful.
    “Terra, darlin’. Wake up.”
    The cowboy lilt filtered through the hazy thoughts, and her eyes shot wide open. Still, it took a few moments of furious blinking through the fuzzy view to bring the man into focus.
    “Connor?”
    “What are you doin’, lyin’ in frigid water? You tryin’ to catch pneumonia?”
    Water sloshed around her as her shaking limbs made a clumsy attempt to help her sit up. Shit, the water was cold now, and so was she. Her fever had broken big time, and she was shivering almost violently. But she was so very tired.
    She frowned and let her eyes fall blissfully closed. “Leave me alone. I have to get back to the cave.”
    “No, Terra. You have to wake up.” Connor dipped an arm into the water and fished out the drain plug. The low drone of water circling out echoed in the room, as did his voice. “We gotta warm you up right now.”
    He rose and scooped her wet body straight up out of the tub. She cried out groggily, and although her hands grabbed around his neck of their own volition, she instinctively began wriggling to get out of his grasp.
    “Connor, stop.” Her words came through choppy, considering her chattering teeth. “Don’t carry me. Stop .”
    With a start, she realized her slippery skin was not the only bare flesh in the room. Jesus, he was naked, too. Her struggle shot maddening friction between their bodies.
    “Where are we going?” she said when he turned and started for the doorway.
    “To put you under the covers so Nash and I can warm you up.”
    “No!” She thrashed harder. “Put me down, Connor. Let me go now .”
    He complied, sliding her down his hot, muscled flesh inch by torturous inch. When her bare feet were more or less on the cold tile floor, he drew her against him, and she sucked in a shaky breath. His erect cock was pressed against her lower belly, sparking a warmth that thankfully wasn’t as malicious as the fever that had gripped her before. Yet this burning felt even more