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

by Jenny Penn

  This time he’d actually sunk to an all new low because, at least, last time he hadn’t put money on the bet. Now he’d turned her into some kind of whore. Once Konor claimed victory, Alex would no doubt get to help him spend his “buckles” or whatever Patton had called their club’s currency.

  That thought seared through Heather, cutting her with a bitter edge until she couldn’t stand the pain anymore. This had to stop. Alex had to go. Ignoring Patton’s worried look and Chase’s disgusted one, Heather stormed right up to Alex’s and laid down that order.

  “Get out.”

  She didn’t yell, she didn’t scream, but she could sense the ripple that command unleashed across the bakery as everybody drew still, allowing her words to echo loudly in the sudden silence. There was a moment, a single second, when Heather felt the heat of every single eye turning in her direction.

  Almost instantly, they shifted to Alex as the tension in the air rose along with the swelling tide of anticipation as everybody waited with baited breath for Alex’s response to that very public challenge. Chase rode at the head of that wave, his expression betraying a great expectation even as Patton’s betrayed her amusement.

  Heather stood stiffly, braced for anything as Alex rose slowly out of his seat. He could have argued, could have refused to listen, he could have even threatened, but he instead he said nothing as he reached for his wallet. Yanking out more than enough to cover his bill, he slapped the cash down on the table in a gesture that reeked of haughty outrage and the promise of retribution.

  Without a word, he swooped his hat up and settled the brim low on his brow, allowing the shadows to cut his features into hard planes. He cast one final glare in Heather’s direction before turning and walking away. The sound of the door clanging closed behind him held a finality that had Heather cringing as every gaze in the dining room switched back toward her. Some were amused, and some weren’t.

  Chase’s definitely wasn’t as his eyes narrowed in on her. Heather could feel the reprimand lurking behind the hard press of his thinned lips. He was holding back and it was paining him. Of course, Chase must like pain, otherwise he wouldn’t be with Patton, who clearly enjoyed antagonizing him.

  “Well, it seems like I’m not the only one looking to get spanked.” Patton smirked as she shot Heather a wink, though she could sense that the other woman was really baiting the hook for the man to her left.

  He took it, growling as his gaze shifted back toward Patton. “And just what the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “Nothing.” Patton batted her eyelashes innocently up at him as she answered to quickly to be sincere.

  “Nothing is never nothing with you,” Chase complained, though the heat in his eyes made a mockery of his protest.

  That heat simmered in a different direction as he sighed and glanced back at Heather. Her breath caught as she waited for him to speak. Most people didn’t know it, but the Davis brothers were part owners in the Bread Box. Back when Heather had been desperately trying to figure out a way to support her son, no bank had been willing to lend her the money to start up the bakery.

  The Davis brothers had, though it had been mostly Slade who had supported her idea. Back then, he’d helped renovate the bakery, but since then the brothers had stayed out of her hair, happy simply to receive their monthly cut of the profits. Of course, they’d never been at odds over anything before either.

  As Chase stood there glaring down at her Heather could feel the battle gathering within him. So could Patton, who worked quickly to interfere as she latched onto Chase’s arm and began tugging him toward the door. She managed to get him out of it without incident, leaving Heather with a dining room full of men who were now eyeing her less like a prize and more like a cat in a kennel.

  That’s just what she felt like, like she was trapped in a bubble of tension that consumed the rest of her day. As if one drama wasn’t enough, the day brimmed with discord, straining Heather’s patience as little battles seemed to erupt all around her. First there was Killian versus Kyle, and then Rachel versus Killian, followed by Kyle versus Cole with Hailey stuck in the middle.

  All in all, it was not a good day, and Heather was glad to see it come to an end. Having spent the better part of the evening brooding over her chores, she was eager to finally unleash all the frustration and outrage on a worthy victim. Heather had one in mind—Konor.

  He was the one she was really pissed at. He was the bullet in the chamber, the one who had seduced her into damn near falling for him. Just like Alex. They were well-matched, and she’d been a fool to think anything else just as they’d been fools to think she would stand back and let them get their laughs without having her say as well.

  Heather knew just what she was going to say, or at least she thought she did, but all the biting insults and well-rehearsed accusations that were burning on the tip of her tongue sizzled into a stuttered gasp when she finally managed to make it over to Konor and Alex’s place to beat on their front door.

  She’d been prepared for just about anything that could have greeted her, except for the sight of Alex wearing little more than a glistening sheen of sweat and those damn running shorts. They rode low on his hips, highlighting the tight, ripped ridge of his stomach even as they sagged down toward his knees, emphasizing the thick bulge of his calf. For a moment, all Heather could do was stare as every thought in her head condensed into one single demand.

  She wanted to lick him.

  To the trace the crisp creases his muscles cut under the tanned leather of his skin all the way down to where the dark curl of black hairs began to thicken into a line that disappeared beneath the elastic edge of his shorts. Just beneath that line the gray fabric began to shift as Alex’s erection grew large and hard beneath her heated gaze as if lured to life by the very thoughts making the drool gather in her mouth.

  She wanted to taste him. Wanted that so damn bad it was like a sickness. That’s just what she was—sick.

  Heather closed her eyes and fought back the wave of lust that flushed through her, struggling against the tide to remember that she was hurt and outraged and ready for a reckoning. Alex helped revive that sentiment as he finally broke the silence with a condescending drawl that grated on every one of Heather’s nerves.

  “Is there something you wanted?”

  Heather’s eyes popped open at that biting question as she took in more than just the gloriousness of Alex’s physique, like the living room full of exercise equipment over his shoulder or the porn playing across the wide screen TV. It was muted, but Heather still got more than an eye full before she quickly turned away.

  “I just…” Heather paused, trying to find some place safe to look at and settling on Alex’s nose. “Is Konor home?”

  “Is that all you got to say to me? Is Konor home?” Alex repeated in undisguised disgust.

  “And what should I say?” Heather demanded to know, her temper chaffing at his tone. “Thank you for screwing with me once again?”

  “I didn’t do anything to you,” Alex shot back, amazingly capable of not only lying outright but also perfecting false indignation.

  “Oh, spare me the denials,” Heather spat. “I know the truth. You and your buddy set me up to be some kind of prize. What was the plan? To let Konor bang me and then spend the reward on some cheap sluts out at your club?”

  “Trust me, sweetness, that’s still the plan.”

  Without thought Heather’s arm lifted, her hand pulling back before slicing through the air. Alex caught her wrist in his fists before Heather even realized she was about ready to strike him. With a hard jerk he pulled her in close enough to feel the heated wash of his breath across her forehead as snarled down at her.

  “You better watch it, sweetness, because I do hit back.”

  Unbidden, Patton’s comment about spanking flashed through her mind, carrying with it a heat that left her feeling more threatened than Alex’s warning. He wouldn’t hit her back. Not unless she begged for it. For a mo
ment, Heather weakened as the impulse to challenge him and test the boundaries of his patience nearly overwhelmed her but Heather had already pushed her luck far enough that day.

  “I didn’t come here to listen to your tired lectures.” Heather jerked her arm back, retreating until Alex’s intoxicating musk didn’t fill every breath she took. “I’m here for a pound of Konor’s flesh.”

  “What? Didn’t your boyfriend tell you he’s working?” Alex sneered, letting her go as he watched her stumble backward with the patience of a hunter toying with his catch.

  “I know, but—”

  “You know? Then you know that firemen have forty-eight to seventy-two hour shifts?” Alex asked with ill-concealed impatience. “They don’t get off at the end of the day, little girl. They got to work through the night.”

  There was something lewd and almost predatory about the way Alex growled over those words, but it was the patronizing tone that had Heather’s palm itching to smack him once again. She managed to control the urge this time.

  “Now, go away.” Alex straightened up as he glanced pointedly back at the TV. “I’m busy.”

  Before Heather could respond with a suitably cutting comment, Alex slammed the door in her face, leaving her standing on the stoop with her cheeks flaming and her hands clenched around her purse as she swore that one day she would give Alex Krane his just deserts.

  Right then, though, she had Konor to deal with.

  * * * *

  “Aw, yeah! It’s happy jack time!” Brian Straw, known now simply as Senior because of his tendency to call his namesake Junior, hung his head over Konor’s shoulder and grinned. “Those look fucking delicious.“

  Konor bit back a laugh as he shrugged away from Brain. “They’re going to taste even better, but there is no need to drool on me.”

  That earned him a snort as Brain moved off to grab a glass out of the cupboard next to Konor’s head. He filled it with the tea he retrieved from the refrigerator before settling a hip against the counter to watch Konor carefully stuff his secret sausage mix into the thin casings he’d set to soak nearly an hour ago.

  “You know what that kind of looks like?” Brain asked as he waved his glass toward the long sausage swelling to life beneath Konor’s hand. “Latex, stretching to accommodate a big, ol’—”

  “Thanks,” Konor cut him off, not interested in having his appetite ruined by hearing the rest of that idea. “They’re intestines.”

  “Ew, man!” Brian took a step back as he wrinkled his nose in disgust.

  “Pig intestines, actually,” Konor explained as if Brian had asked.

  “Really, man? Why you got to ruin everything?”

  “Oink. Oink.”

  “You are one sick fuck, you know that?” Brian shook his head in mock disgust as he headed for the door. Before he could storm through it, Kurt popped into the kitchen, wearing a big grin and a sparkle in his eyes that put Konor instantly on alert.

  “Hey, Konor, somebody’s here to see you,” Kurt called out cheerfully. “Wanna guess who?”

  That question alone assured Konor of just who had come, but before he could respond to Kurt, Brian snickered.

  “Heather Lawson?”

  “Oh, yeah.” Kurt nodded, sharing a grin with Brian. “And guess what?”

  “What?”

  “The lady does not look happy.”

  “Oh, no.” Brian breathed out in appalled amazement. “Don’t tell me Konor’s in danger of losing another one?”

  “I’m wondering if Konor’s shamed the fire department once again and let a couple of deputies steal his lady away for a few good times,” Kurt lamented.

  Konor ignored both his friends as he washed his hands and dried them off, letting them make their jokes and have their chuckles. It really didn’t bother him, but then again it hadn’t bothered him when Killian and Adam had lured Gwen away. She had just been another fuck. Nothing in the least bit special. At least not to him.

  For Alex though, she’d been a stand-in for Heather and he hadn’t taken her betrayal lightly, a fact that everybody seemed to notice. Unfortunately for Konor, his name had gotten dragged down with Alex’s, which was just why he’d finally decided it was time to take action. Soon enough, he’d be the one to get the last laugh.

  That thought fortified Konor as he crossed through the lounge. Silence followed in his wake as the men shifted behind him, all rushing to watch out the window as Konor descended the steps to find Heather waiting for him in the large truck bay. Like Kurt had said, she didn’t look happy, but Konor didn’t let that stop him from greeting her like nothing was wrong.

  “Hey, sweetness.” Konor swept her stiff form up into a quick hug that ended with his arm looped over her shoulder. It was the perfect way to start steering her around the truck and toward some semblance of privacy, but Heather’s temper wouldn’t wait that long.

  “Don’t ‘hey, sweetness’ me,” Heather snapped, shrugging out from beneath his arm to turn and confront him with a simple, ominous statement. “I know.”

  “I’m sure you know a lot of things. Would you care to be more specific?” Konor asked, knowing better than to volunteer any apologies before he knew what specific crimes he was being accused of.

  “About the challenge and why all of a sudden you and every other Cattleman is interested in me. Patton told me.” Heather paused as she gave him a moment to respond, but Konor kept his lips sealed tight, inciting her temper and causing her to snap at him. “Well? Don’t you have anything to say for yourself?”

  On the surface, things might have appeared to be detonating. They certainly weren’t going according to plan. At least, not his primary plan, but Konor had backup plans covering all contingencies, including this one. His plan was to do nothing.

  “Say something, damn it!”

  “My hearing is quite good, so there is no need to shout,” Konor informed her calmly, causing Heather to flush so red that he had to wonder if she was in danger of popping a vein and dying right there of sheer indignation.

  “I’m allowed to shout!” Heather roared. “I’m my own free person and you can’t stop me! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

  Konor winced as Heather tipped her head back and let out a blood-curling scream. It ended with her foot lashing out and kicking him square in the shin. Konor winced and stumbled backward, shooting Heather an injured look.

  “Hey, there is no need to get violent,” Konor complained.

  “You, sir, are an ass,” Heather informed him with a renewed haughtiness that matched the upward tilt of her chin. “A tasteless ass and quite possibly a diseased one, given your warped and deviant sexual proclivities. Since I have no need to collect any STDs, I’m going to move on and find a man who knows how to get the job done without needing to call in backup.”

  With that declaration made, Heather turned on her heel and walked away as the room overhead erupted into a laughter so raucous it rumbled clearly all the way down in the bay. Konor could feel each and every chuckle roll over him until the weight finally snapped the strings of his self-control.

  Against all better sense, he spoke up, loud and clear.

  “You can run, rabbit, but you can’t hide. I’ll see you in nineteen days to collect what I’m owed.”

  Chapter 12

  Friday, May 23rd

  Alex watched the clock mounted on the wall before running a gaze over the thin crowd of customers littering the Bread Box’s dining room. The place was empty, making his presence and Heather’s attempts to ignore him all the more pointed.

  She’d been doing that a lot these past three weeks. Refusing to speak to him, look at him, and even serve him on occasion. For his part, Alex had ignored her attempts to ignore him. If she didn’t get him a coffee, he got his own and along with a slice of pie that she charged him double for.

  He hadn’t complained, and Alex couldn’t help but smile over the memory of how red she’d flushed. She’d looked so comical standing there with her fists clenched by her side and her f
ace crunched up into a look like she’d just smelled something foul. He’d half-expected for smoke to start pouring out her ears, but amazingly, she managed to hold her tongue and simply glare him back into his seat.

  Alex admired that amount of self-control. It tempted him, making him itch to see what it took to break it, but that was just the bastard in him. His conscience reminded him that he’d done more than enough damage already. Besides, Heather made sure he was at least fed from then on, even if she didn’t bother to actually take his order.

  Without complaint, Alex ate whatever she put in front of him, even if it was the bottom-of-the-pot coffee and day-old pastries. He had to figure eventually she’d wear herself out and things would return back to their normal level of hostility. They were getting there.

  Slowly.

  At least things with Heather were moving in the right direction. Alex’s relationship with just about everybody else sure as hell wasn’t. While nobody could prove that he’d broken club rules and told Patton all about the Summer Challenge, he’d nonetheless been found guilty in the court of public opinion.

  Having been tried there, he’d also been sentenced to putting up with the junior squad’s obnoxious, sometimes outright belligerent, response, along with the more seasoned member’s politer but nonetheless colder cut. Hell, most of the guys weren’t even speaking to him.

  GD was. Even if he had an ulterior motive for agreeing to meet Alex, he still showed. Alex watched the big man saunter into the bakery’s front door and hesitate for the half second it took GD to lock eyes on him. Like a man on a mission, he strutted straight up to confront Alex over his table with a brusque greeting Alex had come accustomed to lately.

  “Hey, man, you called?”