This time, Lia grabbed the shot and tipped it back, swallowing until the glass was empty. She set it on the table with acrack.
“Because he’s dead.”
“When?” Travis asked softly. He leaned over the coffee table, grabbed her hand, and squeezed. He needed the closeness when it was obvious she wasn’t into talking.
Cam’s hand landed on her knee in a similar gesture of support. Even though Travis knew whatever she was going to say next was going to suck donkey balls, he was happy that the three of them were already pulling together like a unit.
“The day they took me,” Lia bit out. “Those assholes killed him. Three rounds and he was down.”
“Then I’m even more glad we fucking ended them and lit up their camp like the Fourth of fucking July,” Cam said, wrapping his arm around Lia’s shoulders. He pressed a kiss to her temple. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. I had no idea.”
She squeezed Travis’s hand. “Wish I’d known sooner, would’ve made them suffer even more.”
Lia smiled sadly. “He died protecting me. Hell of a big brother, right?”
“The best,” Travis replied.
Lia dropped Travis’s hand and reached for the bottle. “I think that deserves another drink.”
Neither man protested as she filled her shot glass again and tossed the whiskey back.
The card game all but forgotten, Travis focused on Lia. How incredibly fucking amazing she was. She’d been through so much, and she’d clawed her way back every single time.
Travis folded his cards onto the table. “Think I’m done with this hand.”
Lia set her glass down on the table more carefully this time. “I think I’m done with this game.” Her eyes landed on Travis before shifting to Cam. And then she did something completely unexpected—she grabbed the hem of her T-shirt and pulled it up and over her head.
The black cotton floated to the ground, and Travis damn near swallowed his tongue at what Lia unveiled: No bra—just ripe, delicious tits. Bigger than a handful and tipped with perfect, brownish-pink nipples.
Instinctively, Travis reached for the shirt she’d just discarded and started to hand it back.
“What are you doing, sweetheart?” Cam asked, his words steady and calm. Travis had to wonder if Cam’s heart was hammering as hard as his at the sight of Lia’s perfection. Lia turned, her tits bouncing, and Travis swallowed back a groan at the movement.
Fuck.This woman would destroy him. No doubt about that.
“I’m done playing games. You say you’re in, then let’s make this happen. I don’t want to think about anything tonight. I want to push all the other bullshit aside, and justfeel.”
Travis fisted the shirt in his grip. Were they really ready to jump in headfirst? Whatever happened here tonight would change everything. He’d been the one to push this—even more than Lia had—so if it fell to shit, it was largely on him.
Cam must have been operating on the same wavelength—no surprise there since they could practically finish each other’s sentences—and asked, “Are you absolutely sure? Because we can all put our clothes back on and finish our card game and call it a night.”
Lia shook her head. “I’m done playing. I want real.”
Cam looked to Travis, and Travis only hesitated for the briefest of nanoseconds before he nodded.
“Okay, then we’re still gonna take it slow. Get used to each other. And you’re gonna let us call the shots from here on out, but if we do anything you don’t like, or anything makes you uncomfortable, all you have to say isstop. In here, no means no and stop will bring it all to a halt.”
Lia nodded, her fingers digging into the cushion of the couch. “Okay.”
“Then I think Travis should come over here and give those gorgeous tits some attention while I finally get a taste of those sweet lips of yours.”
Travis didn’t have to be asked twice; he stood, gripped the coffee table with both hands, and lifted it out of the way. Lia’s eyes widened as he dropped to his knees in front of her.
“Can’t have anything getting in my way.”
Her mouth opened into a small O, and that’s when Cam leaned in, cupping her jaw, and turned her face to his. Travis waited for the jealousy, for the surge of possessiveness that even he wasn’t sure he’d be able to hold back … but nothing came. He was too caught up in watching Lia’s eyelids sink closed and the sweet little sounds coming from her lips. He couldn’t wait to make her moan so loud the entire ranch could hear it.
Cam pulled away. “Just as sweet as I imagined.” He brushed her hair out of her face and pulled it back behind her shoulders.
Travis stayed motionless until Cam looked to him and raised a brow. Travis shook out of his momentary paralysis and tilted Lia’s chin back down to him.
When her eyes met his, he skimmed the backs of his fingers along her jaw.Hell.Her skin was so goddamned smooth. He followed the arch of her neck down to the hollow of her throat and slowed at the swell of her breast.
“So fucking smooth.” He continued his descent, skimming the backs of two fingers over her puckered nipple.
Lia released a quiet moan and her nipple hardened further. He trailed back up to her chin, then back down the slope of her other breast, circling the areola.
“Can’t wait to have these in my mouth.” He smiled at Lia’s absent nod. Watching her every reaction, he rose up on his knees, ghosted his lips over hers, before following the same path he’d taken with his fingers.