Heather's Challenge [Cattleman's Club 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Jenny Penn

  Forgiven and then eaten, because right then that’s all that Konor could think of doing—laying her down and licking his way right up under silken hem of her dress to devour the satiny curves it was clinging to. Konor’s mouth began to water at just the thought, and it took every ounce of his self-control not to reach for her as Heather came to a stop before him.

  Then she smiled and he knew he was doomed. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her and there were so many things he wanted to do to her. Heather wouldn’t object. She wouldn’t deny him. So why should he deny himself?

  Konor swallowed, silently reminding himself that this wasn’t simply about the ache burning in his balls. This was about something more, something special. That was what was at stake here and he needed to prove that to her. All he needed was a plan.

  A new plan.

  One that included his vision of Heather stripped down, spread out, and bound. Then he could explain things to her and take his time to make sure she understood them real well. He just needed to make a quick stop at home for supplies.

  Feeling the anticipation thickening in his blood, Konor rose off the couch to greet Heather, more than aware that her gaze dipped to the boner making his jeans feel uncomfortably tight right then. Her smile took on a wicked curl and he could all but sense her confidence harden as she came to a stop in the archway that led into the living room.

  “Well?” Heather settled her hands on her hips and cocked a pose that thrust her breasts outward. “Do I pass inspection, master?”

  Not by a mile, but Konor kept that answer to himself as he stepped up to give Heather a slow once-over, pleased at the way her nipples puckered beneath his gaze. The woman could dare all she wanted, but she didn’t stand a chance.

  “You look lovely,” Konor assured her with forced politeness as he glanced back up to capture her gaze once again. “And I prefer to be called ‘sir’.”

  “Very well, sir.” Heather smirked, barely concealing her amusement at that title. “Then what is next?”

  “Don’t worry about that, sweetness.” Konor dismissed her question as he offered her his arm. “I’ve got it covered.”

  Heather thought this was all just a game, but she’d learn. He’d teach her. It would be all the easier with Heather playing along. By the time she realized what she’d gotten herself into, it would be too late. Until then, Konor would allow her to think that she was in control even as he led her from the house.

  “It’s a beautiful night,” Heather commented as she followed him down the drive toward his truck. “Look at all the stars that are out.”

  “Isn’t that what I promised? Stars, frogs, and amore, as the Italians would say.” Konor smiled over at her as he opened her door, offering Heather a hand as she climbed up into the truck.

  “You’re not Italian,” Heather retorted.

  “No? Then what am I?”

  “Redneck, and this truck proves it.” Heather grunted as she lifted herself up into the truck, pausing only once she’d gained her seat to frown back down at him. “Why do guys always got to jack their trucks up?”

  “To go mudding.”

  That wasn’t the only reason, Konor thought as he caught a glimpse of Heather’s thigh. Her skin looked smooth and velvety. He could testify to how soft she felt and just how strong her muscles were when she clamped those thighs around his head. Licking his lips as he remembered her taste, Konor swore that next time he wasn’t going to be rushed. Next time he was going to get a taste of those luscious tits straining against the silky fabric of Heather’s dress.

  “Oh, please.” Heather snorted as she righted the skirt of her dress, tucking it in close to her legs. “I doubt you’ve ever taken this truck mudding.”

  “No, but I could. That’s all that counts.”

  Konor slammed the door before Heather could press him on that point. Suddenly anxious to get moving, he jogged quickly around to the driver’s side and hopped up into the truck with his keys already in his hands.

  “You must think I was born yesterday to believe that you bought this truck to go mudding.” Heather picked up their argument without hesitation, proving that she was just as stubborn as GD had warned him she was.

  “Honey, if you were born yesterday you wouldn’t be old enough to do the things that I’m planning on doing to you,” Konor muttered, more to himself than to Heather.

  She either wasn’t listening or hadn’t heard him. If she did, she didn’t bother to concern herself with the threat implied in his comment. Instead Heather remained doggedly fixated on the size of his truck.

  “You bought this truck to show off. Don’t deny it.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it,” Konor assured her as he popped his truck into reverse and shot down her driveway with enough speed to have Heather gasping as she scrambled for her seat belt.

  Konor shot Heather a wink and then hit the gas as he spun the wheel. The truck shot off down the road in complete defiance of the posted speed limit—a fact that Heather, mother that she was, couldn’t help but commenting on.

  “You’re going a little fast, don’t you think?”

  “Nobody’s ever accused me of going slow,” Konor drawled, enjoying the flush of color that stained Heather’s cheeks.

  “And I guess you don’t have to worry about getting a ticket, given your best friend is the sheriff,” Heather retorted, the irritation thickening in her tone with every word.

  “There is that, too,” Konor agreed easily, slowing down because he could tell it really did bother her. “But if you knew anything about Alex, you’d know he’d never cut me that kind of slack. Hell, he’d never cut anybody that kind of slack.”

  “I know Alex as well as I ever want to,” Heather shot back, her scowl darkening with a look that could have easily been mistake for anger, but Konor could see past the bluster to the pain lurking beneath her words.

  “I don’t think that you do,” Konor countered softly as he tread carefully into dangerous waters. “I think you think you know him, but you clearly haven’t got a clue.”

  “Yeah? Well, maybe I don’t want one. Maybe I’m not here to learn all about your best buddy. Maybe I’m here for you, sir, and if that’s not enough then…” Heather hesitated, seeming unwilling to issue the ultimatum she’d backed herself into. That didn’t stop her, though, from giving into the moment. “I guess you better turn this truck around.”

  “Don’t worry. You’re more than enough.” More than enough for both him and Alex, but Konor kept that opinion to himself. “But you can’t blame a man for wanting the future mother of his children and his best friend to get along.”

  “Oh, God,” Heather groaned. “You’re not going to start on that again are you?”

  “I’m thinking at least four kids. I’m hoping for all boys.”

  “Are you nuts?”

  “Including Taylor, so five in total.”

  Konor heard Heather take a deep breath, but her voice still quivered with tension as she began to try to reason with him. “Listen Konor, there is no way—”

  “No way?” Konor finally glanced toward Heather as he frowned. “Did you get a hysterectomy?”

  “What?”

  “Did you get fixed?”

  “No!”

  “Well then there is a way…a very obvious way.” Konor smirked, well pleased with the stunned amazement on Heather’s face. It took her a good minute to overcome her shock. Even then, she took the time to take a deep breath and release it slowly before trying once again to sound reasonable and not panicked. She didn’t succeed.

  “I know what you’re doing.”

  “Really?” Konor somehow doubted that, but he was interested in hearing what she thought. “And what’s that?”

  “You’re trying to mess with me.”

  “Am I?”

  “The flowers, the men—”

  “The men?” Konor choked on a laugh as he cast her a wicked grin. “I didn’t send you any men.”

  “Please,” Heather
scoffed. “Don’t insult my intelligence. My bakery was full of men, all day long. That’s not normal. Neither is having you hound after me. So forgive me for relating the two things together.”

  “Ah, it’s not that abnormal.” Konor dismissed her concern. “I’ve been interested in you for a long time.”

  “Yeah?” Heather coughed up a disbelieving laugh. “You hid it well.”

  “Of course. I promised Alex I wouldn’t make a move,” Konor explained, treading once again into those deep waters.

  “Really?” Heather’s tone froze over as she stiffened in her seat. “If that’s true, then why am I here?”

  Konor shot Heather a sly look as he pulled into the driveway of the rental he shared with Alex. He brought the truck to a stop in front of the garage doors before turning in his seat to confront Heather.

  “Because it’s time to let the past go.”

  “Is that right?” Straightening with full indignation, Heather glared across the cab at Konor. “And why should I? Has he ever apologized to me? Has he ever asked to be forgiven? No.”

  “Because—wait…what?” Konor scowled as Heather’s complaint registered. “Why would Alex need forgiveness?”

  “Because of what he did.”

  “What did he do?”

  “You don’t know?”

  “Heather!”

  “What do you think you know?”

  Konor took a deep breath as he fought back his irritation. She was being intentionally difficult, but he couldn’t let that get to him. He wouldn’t let it get to him. Instead, he took another calming breath and answered her in a clear and rational tone.

  “You cheated on Alex with Hugh…and ended up pregnant with Taylor.” There he said it, what everybody knew and what he was pretty damn sure nobody had dared to say to her face. Konor didn’t stop there but continued on, applying his own form of pressure to Heather’s patience.

  “I mean, what you did to Alex does kind of speak to your character but…I figured you’ve probably grown up a little since then.” Konor paused, pretending not to even notice the way Heather’s breathing had become a deep, gaspy sound. “Or, at least, I hope.”

  “And if I haven’t?” Heather snarled, her little fists clenched before her.

  “Then we all lose,” Konor stated simply as he gazed down at her. “Is that really what you want?”

  For one long, tense moment, Heather simply stared at him before finally blinking and lowering her chin. “I didn’t cheat on Alex.”

  The terse brittleness in that angry denial assured Konor of the depths of Heather’s sincerity. She was telling the truth, at least as far as she saw things, which left Konor confused because Alex had always been just as adamant in his version of events. So adamant, in fact, Konor had never suspected that there was another version, but staring down into the pain swirling in Heather’s eyes, he knew there was.

  “I couldn’t have betrayed Alex,” Heather continued on bitterly. “There was nothing between Alex and me to betray.”

  “You went out for over a month.” And everybody knew it, so there was no way she could deny it but Heather was going to anyway.

  “No, we played a game for over a month,” Heather spat back. “One where Alex bet GD he could seduce me and guess what? He lost.”

  Konor kind of thought they all had. Alex had lost Heather. Heather had ended up with Hugh, a clear loser. And Konor? Now his life was completely complicated because he’d been planning on Heather viewing the Cattleman’s Challenge as a compliment if not a little thrilling, but the odds were instead she would see it as a reflection of the past.

  What a mess.

  “Why are we parked in this driveway?” Heather asked, suddenly looking around with a renewed interest that didn’t fool Konor even though he allowed her to turn the conversation away from the tangled disaster of the past.

  “Because I got to grab some things before we head out.” Sucking in a deep breath, he turned for the door but wasn’t quick enough to escape Heather’s skeptical notice.

  “What things?” Her gaze narrowed on him, her suspicions evident in her tone.

  “Just some things,” Konor repeated as he shoved open his door. “It’ll take, like, a second. You don’t want to come in do you?”

  “How come you never answer any of my questions directly?”

  Konor smiled over the hint of a sulk in her tone and hopped out of the truck before turning back to assure her he’d be just a moment. Then he didn’t spare a glance back as slammed the truck door and hustled up the front path, moving fast enough to assure she couldn’t catch up if she tried. Thankfully, she didn’t follow, but he could all but feel the heat of her gaze tracking him until he disappeared into the house.

  It took him more than a second to gather up all the supplies he needed. All the while, he listened to the shower running down the hall. Despite his hopes of getting in and out without running into Alex, the shower clicked off almost immediately. By the time he swung his loaded-down backpack over his shoulder, he could hear Alex ambling down the hall. Sure enough, when Konor stepped back out of his room, Alex was there, wearing a pair of baggy sweats and not much more.

  “Hey, man.” Alex nodded toward him. “I was wondering where you were at…What are you doing all dressed up? Oh, please don’t tell me this has something to do with Heather.”

  Alex banged his head back against the wall, paying no attention to the fact that Konor had yet to respond to him. He didn’t notice the frown marring Konor’s features, either. It was with a heavy heart that Konor approached his best friend.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t have time to explain.”

  “Explain? ” Alex straightened up with a scowl, finally appearing to realize that something was wrong. “Explain whaaaaaahhhhhhow!”

  Alex crumbled to the floor with that howl as Konor kicked his knee out from under him. Konor didn’t spare Alex as much as a glance as he stepped over him. He certainly didn’t concern himself about the pain his friend was in, but he did worry about the anger that would be soon to follow.

  “I’ll explain later,” he called out as he hurried toward the door. “Just know you are doing me a big favor!”

  “Sonofabitch!”

  Behind him Konor could hear Alex pulling himself off the floor as he escaped into the cool night air. Konor’s steps picked up speed as he raced down the path, though he did take the time to stow his backpack in the truck’s bed before climbing behind the wheel.

  “Is something wrong?” Heather asked as Konor jammed the key into the ignition.

  “Nah.” Konor shook his head and pumped the gas pedal, revving the engine loud enough to drown her out for a second. That’s about all the time it bought him. By the time the noise had died down, Heather was already leaning forward to squint through the windshield at Alex, who had thrown the door open and had started to hobble down the path.

  “Is that Alex?”

  “Yeah.” Konor nodded and threw the truck into reverse.

  “I think he’s hollering for you.”

  “I’m sure he is.” Konor spun the wheel and sent the truck whipping out into the road. He didn’t even let it come to a complete stop before he slammed it back into drive and took off down the road. Heather’s attention remained fixated on Alex, though, as she pressed her face against the window and craned her neck to study him.

  “Is he hurt?”

  “He’s definitely hurting.”

  “I think he fell over.” Heather snapped around in her seat to glare at Konor as if she knew it was his fault. “Well? Aren’t you going to go back and help him?”

  “What do you care?” Konor shot back, taking the opportunity to needle Heather and hopefully turn her attention. “I thought you hated him?”

  “I never said that,” Heather shot back indignantly before glancing back at Alex. “I don’t think he can walk. He looks like he’s crawling up the path. You really should go help him.”

  “And give him a chance to hit me?” Konor laughed a
nd shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

  “Why would he hit you?” Heather’s elegant brows wrinkled with confusion, and Konor wondered if she knew just how adorable she looked sitting there frowning up at him.

  “Because I kicked him,” Konor answered matter-of-factly.

  “Why did you do that?”

  “Because it’s the easiest way to take him down.” Konor glanced over to give Heather a pointed look. “He’s got a bad knee.”

  “He does?”

  “Yeah, an old football injury.”

  One that Konor had caused, which kind of made using the information against Alex a double whammy. He deserved it, though. Thanks to his past stupidity, he’d just made Konor’s task a whole lot harder, if not damn near impossible. Konor shot Heather a quick glance and smiled.

  “All you have to do is kick his right leg out from underneath him and he’ll go down on his knee. After that, he won’t be capable of moving fast for a good hour plus.”

  “That’s horrible!” Aghast, Heather gaped at him as if he’d just confessed to a murder. “Why would you do that to your best friend?”

  “Because he deserved it.” Konor shrugged.

  “I don’t want to be the reason you two are fighting.” The solemn tone in Heather’s quite statement warned Konor that she was serious. That was just the reaction he’d been fishing for.

  “Don’t worry. The fight is over,” Konor swore.

  “Good.” Heather turned around in her seat to glare out the window only to jerk forward and glance from side to side. “Where are we?”

  “By the lake.”

  Konor drew the truck to a stop a good forty feet back from the water’s edge and killed the engine along with the lights, leaving the moon to cast its sensual glow over Heather. She did look lovely. Reaching out to trace the graceful curve of her neck, he smiled at the goose bumps that chased his finger all the way to the thin strap of her dress. Heather trembled beneath his touch, her breath catching and lifting her breasts in a tempting offer Konor felt hard pressed to deny.