Lang, Chloe - Strong Desire [The Strong Cowboys of Wilde, Nevada 2] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever - Serialized)

by Chloe Lang

  Silence.

  As the dead air continued for a couple more minutes, she thought about how good Drake had been to her. The more her mind tossed that around in her head, the quicker her fury drained out. Why had she gotten so angry with him so suddenly? Her guilt returned faster than lightning striking. He’d been wonderful. She’d been the one who fucked up everything. “I’m sorry, Drake.”

  “You’re not the one to blame, sweetheart.”

  “Heath really isn’t here. He went to gas up the car.”

  The door opened, and the missing cowboy walked in. “Who are you talking to, honey?”

  “Drake,” she squeaked out.

  “Give me the phone,” he said, holding out his hand.

  Wondering if she should let the brothers talk, her hands began to tremble. “He’s back, Drake, and wants to talk to you.”

  “Put the asshole on, please,” the younger Strong’s voice came from her cell.

  Unable to refuse Drake, she gave her cell to Heath and sat down on the bed.

  “Hey, bro,” Heath said, with not a hint of anger in his voice. “Uh-huh…Right…Nope…Okay.” Then he pulled the phone from his ear and punched the red button, ending the call.

  “What did he say?”

  “Don’t worry about that, Charly. He and I will work out our issues.” He cupped her chin. “You look wonderful, honey. You ready for some breakfast before we head down the road?”

  She’d heard Heath’s side of the conversation with Drake, but not Drake’s. Clearly, Heath had been careful to give only single word answers, hoping to keep her in the dark. She folded her arms over her chest and moved her chin off his hand. “Tell me what he said, Heath. I have a right to know.”

  “You do and you will, but later. I need to talk with my brother first.”

  “Stop being so evasive. I know he’s pissed off.” Her gut tightened. “I think he has every right to be, don’t you?”

  “Yes, he does.” His tone was gentle but firm. “I’m not trying to be evasive with you, Charly.”

  “Well, you are.” Unshed tears stung her eyes. “Tell me what he said. Please.”

  Heath sat down beside her on the bed and put his arm around her shoulder. “I don’t want to upset you, honey.”

  “If you don’t tell me right now, Heath Strong, I’m going to be much more than upset.”

  “Okay. Drake said he was going to kick my ass once we got back to Wilde for making sure he couldn’t take you to Malibu.”

  Her jaw dropped. “You did what?”

  “I set it up with Tobias to get him out of the picture. I wanted some time alone with you, Charly.”

  “This was all a setup?” She wanted to scream. “I’m sure he suspects that we slept together.”

  “More than that. He knows.”

  She jerked away from him and stood up. “Let’s get back to Wilde, Mr. Strong.”

  Heath stood up and grabbed her hands. She looked away and tried to free herself but couldn’t.

  “Look at me, Charly.”

  “I don’t want to.” Angry tears streamed down her cheeks. “You tricked me and manipulated your own brother. What kind of man are you?”

  “A man who is in love.”

  Charly turned her head and gazed directly at him. “Not possible.” Falling in love had to take time and effort. They’d only known each other for a few days. But what she saw in his eyes made her question everything she believed. Her head spun and her pulse pounded.

  “Honey, I would’ve thought exactly as you just a few days ago, but now…after spending this trip with you, I know it is true. I want you for my own, Charly Wynn. I must have you.”

  “Well, you can’t. I–I…have another life course I’m set on.” More tears fell, still from anger but softened by her confusion. “How can I trust you again after what you’ve done?”

  He cupped her chin, and this time she didn’t jerk free of him. “Now that I know how much you mean to me, I wish I’d done it sooner. Sweetheart, know this, there isn’t anything or anyone that is going to change how I feel about you. Once you spend some time with Nate and Tobias, they will feel the same way.”

  Recalling why things were totally screwed up for her when it came to the brothers, she shook her head. “Right. You Strongs are divided up into two sets of three. Drake, Dax, and Seth on one team, and you, Tobias, and Nate on another. And I get to be the lucky ball the two teams get to pass around. I’ll pass.” She wiped her eyes, and then glared at Heath.

  He frowned. “It’s not like that at all.”

  “Don’t lie to me again. I know the score. If Team Older Strongs and Team Younger Strongs want to pound it out for some woman to fight over, I’m out. Got it, cowboy?”

  “Hear me out, Charly. You are mine. You’ll come to see it my way in time. Besides, there’s more than you know in play here.”

  Though there were a million thoughts whizzing through her, she focused on just one in order to keep herself from falling completely apart. Heath intentionally deceived me. “Please. Can we go back to Wilde now?”

  He leaned in, apparently hoping to kiss her into a stupor again.

  Charly turned her head away from his full lips. “Please, Heath. I need time to think.”

  He stepped back.

  She looked back at him. His silence and gaze made her insides quake, but she met it with her own.

  “Okay, honey. Let’s go grab a bite.”

  “I’m really not hungry now.”

  Charly didn’t want to juggle two brothers, let alone six.

  Sure, she had feelings for Drake. Now after this trip with Heath, she had feelings for him, too. But her plan had always been to end up in Malibu, not Wilde. She needed to earn money to pay off her student loans, to help with her mother’s medical expenses, and to start her life.

  “You get your time, sweetheart, but I am making it my mission to ensure you are rested, safe, and fed. Understand?”

  “Fine.” She needed to shake off this fantasy about her and Heath fast or her heart, which had betrayed her twice, would break in two.

  Chapter Seven

  Glancing from the long road ahead, Heath watched Charly as she dozed on the opposite side of him in the front seat. His guilt continued to grow, as it had since he’d spoken to Drake. Charly had remained closed and guarded from the first mile out of Malibu.

  He’d stopped trying to engage her several hours before, leaving Charly to her thoughts. His own mind worked out his next course of action to win her over for good. He needed to talk to Drake before she did if he had any chance of salvaging the relationship with his younger brother.

  Still, nothing was clearer to Heath than the fact that Charly Wynn was the only woman for him. The last of his wild oats had been sown. No other woman would ever have a chance at his heart now that she’d come into his life and changed everything.

  If Charly couldn’t be comfortable in a plural marriage, that would have to be okay with him, but he prayed she could.

  Being in a marriage of one man and one woman had never been even a remote thought to him. He’d grown up his whole life knowing his future would be sharing a woman with Tobias and Nate. Now, a new idea surfaced. One that wouldn’t be taken well by the town or even his parents, but if it worked, one that would get him the girl of his dreams and give him back his brothers.

  He’d seen Charly wipe her eyes several times during the trip, but hadn’t said a word about it. Thankfully, she did finally fall asleep. Being an outsider, she did need time to process. He knew that.

  Drake had said more to him on the phone than he’d shared with her. His little brother was also in love with Charly. This was a totally fucked-up mess. If she couldn’t deal with loving more than one man, then, though he hated to dash Drake’s hopes, he must. His younger brother would have to find another woman for him, Dax, and Seth to marry. Tobias and Nate would have to find a woman to share without him, as well. So very strange to the way Heath was brought up, but whatever worked for Charly would
work for him. She was his future and his happiness.

  Though he hated to put her at odds with Drake even for a little bit, it was the only way Heath saw to win Charly fully. For now, dissuading her from his younger brother was necessary for his plan to work. Once the dust settled and Heath had her back in his arms, then he would move on to winning his brothers to his new idea.

  If anyone could bring his brothers and him together, it was Charly.

  He turned left at the next intersection with the blinking red light. This highway would take them not to Wilde, but to Elko. Charly would learn that he wasn’t the only one manipulating her.

  * * * *

  “What the hell do you mean that Drake told you to hold off on repairing my car?” Charly felt the acid at the back of her throat.

  The mechanic shrugged. “Sorry, Miss Wynn.”

  “‘Sorry’ doesn’t cut it, Harry.” She was furious. “Is it finished now?”

  “Tomorrow. I promise.”

  “Make sure it is,” Heath said from behind her.

  She turned and glared at him. “I can handle this.”

  He shrugged. “Okay. I’ll let you.”

  Charly twisted back around and faced the man who had been holding her car hostage. She spat, “What did he say to you that made you agree to not work on my car?”

  “Charly, don’t push the guy. Drake’s the one at fault here, not Harry.”

  Without turning, she said, “You have enough blame of your own, Heath. I’ve got this under control, and in my estimation, they are both guilty.”

  “Again, I’m so sorry, miss. But I am a sucker for love, and Drake is completely gone for you.”

  Her guilt nearly had her gasping for air.

  “Harry, that’s enough.” Heath’s tone was firm. “I think it’s time that Charly and I got back on the road.”

  Harry didn’t adhere to his request, but continued frantically, “Miss, Drake said that he was in love with you and just needed a little more time with you to win you over. There was something about driving you to Malibu for some interview.”

  “This is too much to deal with.” Charly shook her head. What have I gotten myself into? Her heart stung, and tears welled up in her eyes.

  Heath put his arm around her shoulders. “Honey, let’s get out of here.”

  She pulled away from him. “This didn’t quite work out the way you thought, did it?”

  “What do you mean?” His eyebrow shot up.

  “I may not be a mind reader, but I do have two degrees in psychology, mister. You thought if I learned that Drake had something to do with my car not being fixed, you would eliminate him as a competitor.”

  “Guilty as charged, sweetheart. I didn’t think Harry would spill the beans about my brother’s confession of having feelings for you.”

  “Stop trying to play me, cowboy.” She turned back to the mechanic. “Get my car fixed.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Let’s go, Heath.”

  * * * *

  “You’ve got nerve, Heath. That’s for sure.” Tobias took a long drink of his beer. “She must be something else for you to fall so hard.”

  The Horseshoe was pretty empty this time of day. The only other people in the place besides Heath, Nate, and him were Wade and Wyatt Masters. They were identical twins, like his own younger brothers, Drake and Dax.

  “Charly is amazing, guys.” Heath hadn’t touched his drink. “This will work.”

  “Your guilt is going to be the death of you, bro.” Nate patted him on the shoulder. “She’s not from Wilde. I don’t see how it can work.”

  Heath shook his head. “Hear me out.”

  Tobias had never seen Heath be so insistent. Sure, he was the master manipulator in the family, but he normally worked behind the scenes to get what he wanted, presenting a cool, devil-may-care attitude. Could he actually be telling the truth?

  Nate motioned Colleen to bring another round. “You might get the twins on board with this, but Seth...not a chance.”

  Tobias agreed. The old hurt about Gabby hadn’t gone away. Seth had been the one insistent on marrying her, despite what everyone knew about the woman. Drake and Dax had been mesmerized by the gold digger, too.

  When Heath had taken matters to the next level, the damage he’d left was irreparable.

  “Seth will be tough, I know. But once you get to know Charly, you’ll see.” Heath clearly still carried guilt for his actions from all those years ago.

  Still, Tobias believed that if Heath had it to do over, he gladly would to save the younger three from the pain that woman would have brought them. “Six guys and one woman won’t go over with our parents, or anyone else in town. It’s a three to one ratio, you know that.”

  His eyelids narrowed. “What about our cousins?”

  “That’s entirely different,” Nate answered. “That’s about keeping the mine undivided. They get a pass.”

  “We should, too.” Heath pounded his fists on the table. “The ranches should be combined. Once done, the new ranch would be the biggest in the state.”

  “So that’s why you’re wanting us to jump on board with your crazy plan, bro?” Nate’s face darkened. “To get a bigger ranch?”

  “Hell no. This is about Charly and getting our brothers back. Remember what it was like before Gabby?”

  Tobias did remember. He missed those days. The six of them were so very close. There was a brotherly trust and love that couldn’t be shaken...well, until Gabby wormed her way into Seth’s and the twins’ lives. Things had spun out of control after that.

  “Hey, fellows.” Colleen set down three more beers. She picked up Nate’s and his empties. Then she looked at Heath’s full mug. “Still working on that, I see. Usually you’re the Strong that keeps me hopping to bring refills.”

  Heath drained the mug in a single, long gulp. Then he handed her the empty glass. “I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

  “Apparently so.” She smiled. “Just let me know if you need anything else.”

  After she was back behind the bar, Tobias said, “I’ve never seen you like this before, Heath.”

  “Just give Charly a chance, and you won’t be the same either.”

  * * * *

  “Drake, please don’t come by tonight. I’m exhausted and need some sleep.” Holding her cell to her ear, Charly sat in her hotel room alone. Though wearing her most comfy pj’s, she didn’t feel comfortable. They were blue, much like her current mood.

  Her eyes were swollen from crying. Her mind told her what she had to do, but her heart wouldn’t budge an inch. Malibu was her logical choice. Wilde, and the men in it, would never work for her. But trying to not think about them every second was proving impossible.

  “My asshole brother is the one to blame for this mess, Charly. You have to believe that.”

  Heath had left her, under protest, about an hour ago.

  “You guys are acting as if I’m your girlfriend. I’m not.”

  “I want you to be more than just a girlfriend, sweetheart.”

  “I know. But you went behind my back with Harry about my car. Not the right way to start a relationship.”

  “Charly, I know I fucked up with that.”

  “Yes, you did. And you’re all moving way too fast for me. I had a plan before I came to Wilde. I’m sorry.”

  But despite her career goals, two faces kept popping into her head—Heath and Drake.

  Marriage? Well, that wasn’t even on her radar. But she could almost see her way clear into a plural relationship, if—and only if—it was with those two men. But that couldn’t be. It wouldn’t work for her.

  “Plans can be changed, Charly.”

  She sighed. “Yes. And maybe they will, someday. But like I told you earlier, I honestly care for you both. I can’t help it. It’s just how I feel. Besides, isn’t this town all about sharing?”

  But she knew the answer already. Drake and Heath had been segregated into opposing groups of three—Heath with the othe
r two older brothers, and Drake with the other two younger. What she wanted wasn’t possible, not even in Wilde.

  “This will all work out for you and me, sweetheart. I promise.”

  “We can sort this out tomorrow, Drake.” Procrastination wasn’t normally the course she chose, but with her mind so scrambled, it was the only option possible at this hour. “I’ve just got to get some rest.” Switching off the lamp beside the bed, Charly knew that was futile. There would be no way she would get any sleep tonight.

  “Okay, sweetheart. But I will be at your door first thing in the morning.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I’ll be done here at the ranch in a couple more hours. Then I’ll be at my house which is only ten miles outside of Wilde. If you need me tonight, call me. I’ll head straight to you.”

  “I’m glad.”

  “I love you, Charly.”

  She wanted to say it back to him, but couldn’t. The risk to her heart was too great. Besides, she didn’t want to lead him on either. “Drake, you know how I feel about you.”

  “I do. And my job is to make sure you keep falling until you can say those three words to me, too.”

  She sighed. “Good night, cowboy.”

  “Good night, sweetheart.”

  She put the phone on the nightstand and stretched out on the bed.

  Heath had tried to talk to her on the way from Elko, but she just couldn’t. He was an amazing man and lover, but his trickery to get her alone had left her with many doubts. Still, it was clear to Charly that Heath wanted her. She wanted him, too, but she also wanted Drake.

  “Leave it to me to screw up everything when it comes to men.” She shook her head and actually smiled at the irony of it all, being too exhausted to cry anymore. I’m being ridiculous.

  Two-timing hunky cowboys had never been a real choice for her. Malibu was her future. Nothing else.

  A knock at her door jolted her from her thoughts.

  She walked over to the door and stared through the peephole. Heath grinned back at her.

  “I told you I wanted to be alone. Why are you here?”