Briar's Cowboys Read Online Free PDF Page A

what was passing between the three of them now. She bit the side of her lip, appraising them, but she didn’t ask any questions. “I’ll go heat water then. It is cold out here.”
    “Briar,” Jax said. He stepped to Ram’s side and shrugged off his coat. Not awaiting her permission, he slung the garment around her shoulders. Clearly, he and Ram couldn’t let her run off without confirming she had a chance with them—and that the two of them had a chance with her. Getting her warm would give them a few more minutes. They had to move quickly. Daly wasn’t the place to take one’s time with courtship. If a claim wasn’t made, there were plenty of other cowboys willing to step in.
    Thankfully, Jax was on the same page as Ram. Conferring about this wasn’t necessary. The two of them had worked together so closely over the past years, they almost read each other’s thoughts.
    At the bemused expression on Briar’s face, Ram glance over at Jax. Immediately, he understood, having secretly experienced the same attraction on more than one occasion. With his jacket around Briar, Jax was left in an olive-colored thermal shirt with a second cream-colored thermal beneath it. The sleeves were pushed up, exposing his powerful forearms while the garments molded Jax’s muscular torso as if they were a loving, second skin, the fabric delineating his firm pecs.
    “You were…sixteen when your mom moved you from Daly, right?” Jax asked, cutting to the chase.
    “Yes,” she replied, her brow furrowed.
    “Do you…were you aware of how things are here?”
    “Rustic and a little backwoods?” she said. Understanding filled her intelligent gaze, and one side of her mouth tilted upward, even as the color in her cheeks deepened. Obviously, she meant to give Jax a difficult time though he was being so careful.
    “Polygamous,” he countered baldly. Ram liked that about Jax. He struck deep to the point and didn’t bother with pussy-footing around a subject.
    Her eyes widened slightly, before she schooled her expression—a talent she’d no doubt learned in the big city. As a bartender, she probably had to hide her thoughts a lot. Right now, she didn’t appear shocked. In fact, she looked a bit intrigued. Ram hoped she was interested enough to consider trying on a ménage for size while she was at the Last Chance.
    “I heard rumors,” she hedged. “My friend, Verity, dated two guys back then.”
    Ram tilted his head. “Patrick and Sim, right? She’s married to them now. Well, in a Daly-type of marriage.” He put his hand on Jax’s warm shoulder, enjoying the new experience of freely touching the man. “A lot of men in town like men. And a lot of those same men like women.”
    “Okay…” she replied, drawing out the word. She didn’t pull her hand free or run—that was a good sign.
    Briar wasn’t dumb. From what Jax had discovered about her—and shared with the crew—she’d graduated in the top of her high school class then gotten a double, if somewhat useless, degree in photography and anthropology. Getting by in the big city while tending bar in a rowdy joint, she’d earned street smarts. Ram suspected she understood exactly where he and Jax were coming from.
    As he watched, cogs clicked into place in her mind and she looked from one man to the other, knowledge darkening her eyes. Her hand flattened over her breasts as her breathing accelerated. “Are you…? I…I just got here.”
    Ram steadily studied her, letting her know he wanted her and timing didn’t matter. He was confident Jax conveyed the same. They wanted each other, and they wanted her. “In Daly, we’re driven more by opportunity, lightning strong need and the willingness of the woman we desire.”
    Briar pursed her lips, amusement dancing across her features. “So it’s just because I’m available, then? You boys should probably get out more.”
    “Hardly.” Ram shook his head, stepping closer, but as he reached for her, she shoved Jax’s