Page 2 of Embracing Desire
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Ryland McKade strode over to the outdoor ring to see Jed, his best friend and lover, working with one of the horses.What an interesting day it had been.Katie was back.He grinned.She hadn’t recognized him when he pulled her over earlier.He was sort of surprised, but then not.It had been eight years, and he’d changed a lot in those years.
Katie had changed too.The second he realized it was her, his heart stuttered.Part of him wanted to ask her why she’d stayed away so long; another wanted to yell at her for leaving, and another wanted to drag her out of the car and kiss her until neither of them could breathe.
“Be with you in a second, Ry,” Jed yelled, leading the horse to the barn.
Ry raised his hand to let Jed know he’d heard him.How would Jed feel about Katie being back?Katie’s leaving had left Jed floundering for a while.He and Jed had become lovers after she’d left.How would she feel about that?Ry ran his hands through his dark hair.His stomach tumbled around, and his groin tightened.
Eight long years, and Katie looked almost the same.She’d cut her long, deep brown hair to her jawline, and he had to admit it looked good on her.Her green eyes had been filled with confusion when he’d pulled her over.
In their brief encounter, he noticed a confidence in her voice that hadn’t been there before.How her breasts rose and fell beneath her shirt when she looked him over.
“Hey, Ry, you’ll never guess who called me today.”Jed strode out of the barn.
“Who?”He watched Jed amble over and rested his foot on the lower rung of the fence.
“Miss Mazie.”
“Katie’s gran?Is she okay?”It didn’t matter that Katie had left him and Jed all those years ago, Miss Mazie was still part of their extended family.
“Miss Mazie, yes.Katie’s coming home.”Jed avoided eye contact.
“I know.”Ry placed his hand on Jed’s forearm, feeling the muscles tighten.
“How the hell did you find out?”Jed’s blue eyes widened.
The astonishment in Jed’s voice made Ry laugh.“I pulled Katie over ten miles outside of town.”
Jed frowned.“Katie was speeding?”
“Let’s walk.”Ry didn’t want to discuss this where Jed’s workers could overhear.They fell into step and strolled away from the barn, out toward the open pasture.“What did Miss Mazie say?”
“Just that Katie had called her, and she’d be home today.”Jed pushed his hat back and rubbed his forehead.“Miss Mazie always liked us.”
“Yeah.”Ry stared out at the land without really seeing it.Katie was back, and his mind raced with the possibilities along with all the potential disasters.Was she back to stay and ready to accept their lifestyle?Or was this just a visit?Perhaps she was involved with someone, or she couldn’t accept them as they were.
“How did she look?”Jed asked, his tone eager.
“Beautiful.”Ry closed his eyes and pictured her again.“She cut her hair, but it suits her, and she’s filled out.She’s a woman now.”
“What did she say to you?”
Ry opened his eyes and laughed.“She didn’t recognize me.”
Jed chuckled.“That is surprising.”He sauntered over to the big oak tree and leaned against it.“What are we going to do?”
“I don’t know.”Katie had run right after her eighteenth birthday, two nights after he and Jed made love to her and explained what they wanted from her.They both wanted a relationship with her.A true committed poly relationship, along with some bondage and discipline.
“Miss Mazie invited us to a welcome home party for Katie tomorrow.”
Ry’s fingers clenched.Could he get involved with Katie again?Hell, who was he kidding?The woman still had him tied up in knots, and he didn’t mind it at all.“I won’t hide who I am from her, Jed.”
He’d learned to control the anger he had at her abandonment of him and Jed and channeled it into learning more and more about being an excellent Dominant.
“I’m not asking you to.”Jed placed a hand on Ry’s shoulder, squeezing gently.“Maybe keep your u¨ber dominant side toned down a bit.You do tend to get a little overbearing.”
“She ran, Jed.I’m not sure I can handle her running again.”
