by Chloe Lang
Heath placed the empty glass on the bar and looked at the woman he’d been studying since seeing her for the first time at the rehearsal in the chapel last night.
“Another?” Craig asked.
He was determined to follow through with the test, wondering if Charly would come to his bed soon. Of course things might turn the other way for once, and the woman might refuse him, but something about the prize pushed Heath’s desires way past the reasons he played the game. Dangerous territory. But he’d never shied away from danger, and he wasn’t about to start now.
“Yes.”
“I’ve seen that look before. I can’t believe it. You Strong cowboys are too much. Can’t you leave some women unscathed for the rest of us single guys?”
The folks in Wilde really didn’t know how sharp the wedge was that existed between him and his younger three brothers, believing it was only sibling rivalry run amuck. The rift had separated Tobias and Nate from the twins and Seth, too. The six of them kept up appearances in town, eating at Norma’s Diner together and playing poker at Sneaky Pete’s together. But when it came to women, the gloves came off.
Heath shrugged. “Get in the game, Craig. There’s no one stopping you but you.”
“I can think of some fellows who are making it tough for me, namely you and your brothers. So, the game is on tonight, too?” the bartender asked.
“Yep.” Guilt crawled out of the dark corner of his mind. But he couldn’t allow himself the luxury of self-recrimination. He had a job to do, and by God, he would do it.
“Who’s your prey tonight? Shelby? Tina? Marcy? Luna? Sheri? Dawn?”
“None of them.”
Drake, his youngest brother, walked through the tent and across the dance floor. He headed straight for Charly, having gotten first dibs with the gorgeous woman.
Heath’s younger brother was typically a player at heart, but something about his demeanor with Charly at the wedding and here at the reception troubled him. Before Drake got in too deep, Heath needed to act tonight.
Drake placed one of his arms around Charly’s shoulders in the universal sign of “this is mine.” That didn’t bother Heath one bit. He’d bested his little brother many times with women before. Confident or not, he was mesmerized by Charly.
Watching her across the dance floor held him in a spell. Her long, dark hair grazed her shoulders like a silky waterfall. Her curves tempted him beyond measure. She was the most appetizing morsel in all of Northern Nevada. He should know. He’d bedded most of the other morsels in the county and many other parts of the state.
“Her?” Craig snorted, pouring whiskey into his empty glass. “Fresh meat. Here we go again.”
“So I’ve been told.” In a single gulp, Heath downed the whiskey. It tasted smoky and provided a familiar burn going down his throat.
“One more?” the barkeep asked.
He shook his head and pushed the empty glass away. Another glass would’ve addled his thoughts. No. With his target clearly identified, he wanted to be sharp.
“She’s not from here and clearly doesn’t know the whole story with you guys.”
“I’m sure about that. Just makes it more interesting.” Heath wondered what Charly’s angle really was. “Still, she’s here to see her cousin marry five men. She knows enough.”
“Heath, you can always find justification when you need it.”
“Wrong, Craig. I don’t need justification. I see what I want and I go for it.”
Freshly shackled, Phoenix and Dallas walked up next to him.
“What do you want, cuz?” Phoenix asked.
“Not a what, Phoenix, a who.” Craig shook his head in a clear sign of disgust. “I bet that someday one of your six cousins’ conquests will turn the tables on them.”
“That’ll be the day.” Heath grinned. “Pour us three whiskeys, bud. One for me, and one for each of these poor suckers who have been broken by one incredible bride.”
“Suckers? You sure you want to say that to me, cousin?” Dallas asked, pounding his fists on the bar top in a mock show of anger. Then he laughed. “Don’t knock it, Heath, until you’ve tried it.”
“I’ll marry when I turn forty-five and not before. Got some wild oats to sow.”
Craig’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s another twelve years.”
“Thirteen, but who’s counting?” Heath patted Dallas on the back. “Craig, pour one for yourself.”
“Will do. I’d love to toast these lucky bastards.” Craig pushed the glasses in front of each of them. “To the Wilde brothers and their amazing Jessie.”
“Hear, hear.” Heath took the whiskey straight up from the barkeep, downed it, and then turned his attention back to Charly.
The other three drank their liquor and slammed the empty glasses back on the counter.
“I see.” Phoenix grinned, clearly realizing who he was looking at. “Be careful, Heath. I know Charly’s cousin. The women in that family don’t play fair.”
He turned to Phoenix. “Neither do I.”
“It’s just the game, guys,” Craig grumbled. “You know your cousins.”
“Looks like the younger Strong cowboys have a lead on that front.” Dallas slapped Heath on the back.
Heath turned back to Charly just in time to see Drake kiss her. “Damn.”
“You need to really think about what you’re doing.” Dallas never beat around the bush. He always spoke directly and truthfully. Heath appreciated that in him. “You may think this is a game now, cuz, but if she’s anything like Jessie, she’ll be under your skin in no time.”
“Not a chance.” But he wondered if Dallas might be right. He was already more intrigued with Charly than he should be. Sure, she was a new challenge within reach, but his longing for her seemed to be expanding just being in the vicinity of her. What would happen to him when she was under his control, giving him the sweet treats of her delicious body? Likely his lust would dampen, like it always did after a conquest.
“Whatever you do with Charly, don’t piss Jessie off.” Phoenix glared at him. “Play nice with her cousin or you’ll have to deal with me, understand?”
“Really? You think you can take me, Phoenix?”
“That would be so easy.”
“Better be careful with him, Heath. My money would be on Phoenix, not you.” Dallas chimed in. “Besides, it wouldn’t just be him coming for you, cuz. Piss off our wife and you’ll get a whole bag of fury you don’t want to open up. Seriously, be careful with Jessie’s cousin. Okay?”
“Already whipped and you haven’t even had your honeymoon.”
“Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it,” Phoenix offered.
“I’m happy for you guys, but it isn’t for me. Not now.”
“Maybe not ever,” Craig interjected.
“You, Nate, and Tobias are getting pretty long in the tooth.” Dallas shook his head. “You better not wait too long to settle down.”
Phoenix nodded. “Drake, Dax, and Seth have plenty of time to land a woman. But it looks like Drake already has it bad for Charly Wynn. And if I know him, his twin isn’t far behind, and that means Seth will get on board shortly.”
“I’m with Heath on this one, guys.” Craig wiped the bar top. “Just because you like the ball and chain doesn’t mean it’s for all of us.”
“You think any woman would want your flabby ass?” Dallas teased the man.
The bartender, who sported some impressive biceps, smiled. “You’d be surprised how many women I can attract.”
Dallas, the most open of the five Wilde brothers, smiled broadly. “Marriage isn’t for everyone, I know. But I’m glad that me and my brothers have found the woman of our dreams.”
Heath couldn’t believe how in love and happy all the Wildes seemed. Sure, Jackson had always been pretty upbeat, but the other four had always been moody and dark, especially Austin. Their bride had changed everything for Heath’s five cousins.
“How about it, Heath?” Phoenix cocked one e
yebrow. “Why don’t the three eldest Strongs grow a couple each and see if what we have with Jessie runs in her family?”
“Too soon. There are just too many women on the banquet that I want to sample.”
“You’ll never change, Heath Strong.” His mother sidled up to him.
“Don’t start, mom. Not now.”
“Wouldn’t think of it. This is a party. After the wedding, though, you boys better get ready for a family meeting with me and the dads.”
“You’re too much, Aunt Maude.” Phoenix hugged her.
Dallas scooped her up in his arms. “You can say that again, bro.”
“I am, aren’t I, Heath?”
“Yes, mom. Way too much.” He laughed.
His mother had been pressuring him and Tobias since they’d both turned thirty. One year later when Nate turned thirty, the dads had joined in on the nudging. When he passed thirty-one, their parents had turned up the heat to way past boiling for the three of them to find a wife. He couldn’t imagine what would happen if Nate hit another birthday and the three of them weren’t bringing around a girl for their parents to meet.
The younger three brothers were getting a pass from his mother, for now. Though also thirty-one, Seth was a little younger than Nate. The twins had only turned twenty-seven a few months ago. Heath knew it wouldn’t be long before his mother began putting his three younger brothers in her “I want grandchildren before I die” claws.
“Oh, Heath. What am I going to do with you?” She grinned, put her hands around his neck, and pulled him down for a kiss on the cheek.
He loved his mom so much. After marrying their dads, Maude had adopted him, Tobias, Nate, and Seth. The twins were her biological sons. Though there was no actual genetic connection, his mom had always loved and treated him and his other brothers as if they shared DNA.
“Boys, there are more ribs that need to be eaten. Also, some of my homemade potato salad is still left.”
“Lead the way, Aunt Maude.” Phoenix grinned.
Dallas squeezed her again. “I can never resist another helping of your potato salad.”
“You coming, son?” she asked.
“No, thank you.” Heath smiled. “I couldn’t eat another bite.”
She winked at him. “I love you, son.”
“Love ya, mom.”
Without another word, she and his two cousins headed to the buffet line.
Again, he turned his attention back to the woman new to town.
Charly maneuvered her way through the crowd with Drake following protectively behind. Like a predator, Heath would wait for the best opportunity to pounce. He studied the room for any advantage.
Jessie stood alone by the cake table, and for the first time since the party had started, she didn’t have a crowd of people around her. About twenty feet away by the band, Drake offered a toast to the other three grooms, Jackson, Denver, and Austin. With his younger brothers slightly distracted, Heath’s opportunity came.
Luckily for him, Drake didn’t notice when Charly drifted away toward Jessie.
Heath’s plan locked into place. He would meet Charly at the cake table. Given Jessie’s status at this party, she’d be whisked off by some well-wisher in a minute or less. Then he would have Charly all to himself.
“Game on.” Heath smiled and walked to the cake table.
Chapter Two
Charly headed straight to Jessie. There’d been no chance to say two words to her cousin since the ceremony, and she had many more than two she wanted to say.
She’d been lukewarm on the wedding, but that had changed. Now that Jessie was not surrounded by a group of people or her grooms, this was the chance she needed. Charly wanted Jessie to know that she wished her well and believed in her future happiness with her new family.
Even though Charly, being from the South Bronx, had seen all kinds of crazy things in her life, what she saw around the wedding reception flattened her. Maybe the variety of kissing triples and quadruples shouldn’t have shocked her since she’d already been informed about the plural-marriage norm for the little town, but it still did. In fact, she actually stopped in her tracks at the spectacle around her.
To her right, she spotted three smoking-hot cowboys surrounding one woman who was receiving touches and kisses from each of them with no sign of jealousy evident from any of the men. To her left, she saw more of the same. Most groups under the tent consisted of two or three sexy men pampering a single woman. She wondered what the women thought about the whole arrangement. Try as she might to imagine what it would be like to be one of those women, she couldn’t. No wonder I was a virgin for so long. No imagination.
She turned back and saw Drake raising a glass to three of the new grooms. When he’d professed his love for her the other night, she’d been stunned and thrilled. She felt love for him, too. But how could it ever work out between them? Fuck-fuck-fuckity-fuck.
All she needed to think about was Malibu, the interview, the new job, and the salary she would receive. Whatever else happened after, she would deal with later.
“Charly, get over here.” Jessie’s voice pulled her from her musings.
Approaching her cousin by the cake table, Charly noticed how radiant Jessie looked. She’d never seen her more beautiful. “This is quite a town you have here, Jess. They don’t leave much to the imagination, do they?”
“I know. Actually, tonight is pretty tame. I think it’s out of respect for the parents and the older crowd. You should’ve seen my face the first time I walked into the Horseshoe and there were people nearly having sex on the tables.”
Charly felt her cheeks heat up. “Sex on the tables?”
“Is that something you’d like to see, Ms. Wynn?” a deep, masculine voice behind her asked.
Charly whirled around and saw one of Drake’s brothers, Heath. The tall, chiseled man wore a black cowboy hat and faded jeans. She’d seen him without the hat in the chapel at the rehearsal and wedding, where he’d actually touched her on the shoulder, sending a hot shiver down her spine.
Heath’s hair was short and blond. His chin was dimpled, and he sported a five-o’clock shadow. But it wasn’t any of those things about him that unnerved her. It was his sea green eyes, with a hint of blue around the irises. His lashes were the thickest she’d ever seen on any man.
Charly resisted the urge to blink. “Why? Do you moonlight as a male dancer at the Horseshoe, Mr. Strong?”
“For you? Absolutely.”
Charly felt her face begin to burn, but she vowed not to show that he was getting to her. “Too bad. I’m fresh out of dollar bills, cowboy.”
“Call me Heath.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “Best to move along for an easier mark. And you can continue to call me Ms. Wynn.”
His lips curled up into the sexiest smile she’d ever seen. “Not a chance, Charly. I see what I want right in front of me.”
“Heath, leave the poor girl alone.” Jessie pulled on Charly’s arm and gave the cowboy a big smile. “She’s only been in town for a short time and you wolves are already circling.”
“What’s up, sweetheart?” Austin walked up. His tone held a hint of threat. “My cousin bothering you?”
Heath turned to the eldest of the grooms and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Everything’s fine, buddy. Just getting to know the new girl in town. Can’t blame me, can you? I think feistiness runs in the family.”
Austin pulled Jessie close to him. “If it does, Heath, you better be careful or you’ll be a goner.”
Jessie hit his chest playfully. “What do you mean by that? You know, Austin Wilde, it isn’t too late to get an annulment.”
Jessie’s groom answered her with a full-on kiss that went on and on with no regard to decorum. Charly couldn’t look away, though she knew that would be the proper thing to do. The couple looked amazing together.
When their kiss ended, Charly realized that Heath had put his arm around her shoulders while she’d watched the disp
lay. She should’ve pulled away, but didn’t. What harm could happen in such a public setting? A bit tired from all the activities, she actually appreciated the stability his frame offered.
Austin cupped her cousin’s chin. “I’ll never back out. I love you, Jessie Greene Wilde. You’re mine forever. Understand?”
“Yes, Sir. I love you, too, Austin.”
“Let’s go find you a place to sit down, pet. You’ve been on your feet for too long.”
Jessie nodded then turned back to her. “Charly, will you come with me and this big lug?”
“Go. I’m fine.” She thought the two needed a moment together. “I can take care of myself.”
The couple walked away, leaving her alone with Heath. His arm remained around her shoulders.
Folding her arms back over her breasts, she asked, “Do you mind removing your hold on me?”
“Of course I mind, but for now, I’ll play gentleman.” As promised, Heath’s arm was removed from her shoulders. “So, how long you in town for, Charly?”
“I’m on the road tomorrow.” Something about him was making her nerves jump like popcorn. This cowboy was self-assured, arrogant, and so very masculine—a recipe for disaster for her.
He motioned to a couple of seats near the bar area that had been set up under the tent. Her feet were killing her, so she nodded her agreement, unfolding her arms off her chest.
“Come with me, gorgeous.” He turned and headed straight for the chairs by the bar.
She blushed, but did follow him, taking a wicked peek at his perfect ass.
“Charly, I heard that your car is in the shop in Elko.”
Just as she imagined, news traveled fast in small-town Wilde. “Yes, it is. The mechanic better get it fixed quickly, or else.”
“Tough little thing, aren’t you? Here we are.”
The chairs were tucked away behind some shelves that held more ice chests and glasses for the bar. Good thing. She didn’t want to be on display for the whole town of Wilde to study.
“Thanks.” She plopped down on the folding chair. “Mind if I take off my heels? I don’t wear them often, and my feet could use a break.”
“Be my guest, gorgeous.”
