by Chloe Lang
No one called his mother that. Not in Wilde. Not anywhere. Whenever someone did, his mom was quick to ask whomever to call her “Maude.”
With Gabby, she didn’t. “Thank you, Gabrielle.” His mom turned to him. “I’ll head to the cafeteria. They serve coffee all night. Would you like some, son?”
“No thanks.”
“I’ll be back shortly.” Then his mother looked at Gabby. “He needs his rest.”
Without waiting for her to respond, his mom left the room.
Gabby let out a big sigh. “That woman has never liked me, Seth. She hasn’t changed at all since I left.”
“What are you doing here?” he asked flatly.
Taking the same spot his mother had just vacated by his bedside, the woman—whom he’d once been engaged to—reached for his hand. He jerked it away.
“Seth? What’s wrong?”
“Plenty.”
“If this is about what happened with Heath, I’m so sorry. I was young. He forced himself on me.”
“Bullshit.” Seth knew better. His brother had seen Gabby for what she really was, even when he couldn’t. “Heath’s many things, but he’s no rapist.”
“I didn’t mean that. He tricked me. You know how he can be.”
Sure he did. Heath was a manipulator, but his intentions were always pure. When he’d seen him shoot Preston in the diner, saving Charly, the old anger from the past vanished. Heath’s actions with Gabby had saved him from himself and from Gabby’s greedy hooks.
“Then you left. The very next day. On to greener pastures.” He wasn’t angry or enraged. In fact, he wasn’t feeling a single thing for Gabby, good or bad.
His ex’s mouth dropped. “Seth, you loved me once. How can you say that?”
“Gabby, you are a gold digger. You’re only back here in Wilde to find another meal ticket. Lady, you need to move along because this bank is closed.”
* * * *
Heath couldn’t look away from Charly. She was sitting up in the bed with the sheet pulled up to her naked shoulders.
His brothers looked at him and then back at the woman of all their dreams. Watching Charly lose herself to the pleasure provided by his brothers had locked in his decision. She needed them and they, including Seth, needed her. Yet there was an obstacle in the way keeping the ones he loved from a real chance at happiness. Me. I’m the obstacle.
Tobias kissed Charly. “We’ll be in the lobby, sweetheart.” He left the bed and began to dress.
“Let him have it, pet.” Nate stroked her hair. He, too, got to his feet and put on his clothes.
“Doll, you need anything at all, just let us know.” Drake sat in the chair and slipped on his boots.
“You need anything right now, baby?” Dax asked. “Something to eat or drink?”
“Thank you, guys, but I’m fine.”
“It’s twelve fifteen.” Nate turned to Heath. “If you don’t come down to the lobby by two o’clock, I’ll be coming up.”
“Got it, bro.” He glanced back at Charly. Controlling his emotions came easily to him—until now, until falling completely in love with this incredible woman.
Her sea-blue eyes were filled with concern—for him. “I just need a little time alone with Heath. I hope you don’t mind.”
Nate smiled. “I think he could use some time alone with you, too, pet. He’s been through a lot today.”
“We all have,” Tobias agreed. “But especially, Heath.”
It was clear to him they all thought he was struggling with killing Preston, but he wasn’t. Taking a life wasn’t something he sought out, but there hadn’t been any other choice but to shoot Charly’s half brother. If he hadn’t, Charly and her mother would’ve certainly been killed and others, too.
His brothers each patted Heath on the shoulder as they left, adding to his anguish at what he must do next.
He’d run through all his options to fix things, but kept coming up empty. Leaving was going to be the hardest thing he’d ever done, but there was no other way to give his brothers and Charly the future they deserved.
Once the door was closed and he was alone with Charly, his gut tightened. Neither of them said a word at first, the gravity of the moment thick in the air.
“Heath, come sit on the bed with me.” She patted the mattress, and his cock lengthened in his jeans.
Fuck, I can’t do this. “I’m good here, sweetheart.”
“That’s crap, cowboy. Have you forgotten what my profession is? I know the human mind and yours is dealing with a big pile of crap.”
“You think you can read my mind then?” He prayed she couldn’t.
“Not literally, but I do have some evidence that tells me you’re not yourself.” She pointed at him, releasing her grip on the sheets. “You did what had to be done.”
The cotton fell to her waist, exposing her lovely full breasts. What got to him even more was the concern he read on her face. “I’m fine, baby. You need to get some sleep.” And I need to leave, God help me.
She frowned. “Heath, you don’t have to hide anything from me. Talk to me. I will never judge you. You mean the world to me. Can’t you see you didn’t have a choice but to do what you did this morning?”
He’d never guessed her to have a sixth sense, but she was getting dangerously close to the truth. If he weren’t careful, she would wiggle his plan out of him. “I’m going to leave, baby. Let you sleep.”
“I guess I’m going to have to change tactics with you to get you to open up.” Her gorgeous eyes sparkled, making him burn with possessive lust.
He wasn’t about to ask her what she meant by that. He already knew. “You’re not in charge, love.”
“You need this.”
Fuck. Her words were tugging at his balls.
She smiled and winked. “Shall I pull out the big guns, cowboy?”
He shrugged.
“I need this, Heath. I need to feel you. I need to know you’re okay.” Her tone hypnotized him, tempting him beyond his will to resist.
“Nate called you an angel. You’re part devil, too, aren’t you?”
“I will be whatever you want me to be.” There was a twinge of panic in her voice that made his heart sink. “Please, Heath. For me. Come sit on the bed.”
He tossed his hat on the room’s desk. “I’ll get on the bed, sweetheart, but I won’t be sitting. You ready for that?”
She nodded.
He ripped off his shirt. Tonight he would make love to her. It was utterly selfish, but for the life of him, he couldn’t resist. She’d taught him how to live and how to love. Charly was his for tonight. Only his. This would be his last time with the woman who had changed everything for him. He would recall this moment again and again for years to come. By dawn, she and everyone and everything he’d ever known would be in his rearview mirror.
He would not look back. Ever. He was the one who’d fucked up everything for his brothers all those years ago. There was no fucking way he would fuck up their lives again. They would make her happy for the rest of her days.
* * * *
She couldn’t look away from Heath, as he stripped off all his clothes—shirt, jeans, boots, underwear, everything. His show got her pussy aching. Her inner channel clenched on the emptiness, expanding her craving to be filled, to be taken, to be overwhelmed by him.
He stepped to the foot of the bed in all his naked cowboy glory. The man was ripped from head to toe, and his erect, thick cock had a drop of slickness on the tip. Instinctively, she licked her lips as her desire swelled inside her.
“Remember, baby, you asked for this.” He crawled between her legs, slowly kissing and massaging his way up her calves and thighs.
By the time she felt his searing hot breath on her pussy, she was awash with need.
“I can’t wait to taste your cream, sweetheart.” But he didn’t lick her pussy. Instead, his lips and fingers came deliciously close but never touched her swollen, wet flesh.
She looked into his d
eep green eyes and saw his suffering. She wanted to ease his pain. But her words had failed to move him. Perhaps surrendering her body to him would reach him, communicating in deeper ways that might heal some of his hurt.
Lifting her legs over his shoulders, she tried to urge him forward.
“You’re too much, sweetheart.” His eyelids were narrow, but clearly his deepening thirst clawed at the back of his lips.
“So are you, handsome. So are you.”
His thumb pressed on her clit, making her back arch off the bed from the ache it gave. Yet he never moved his mouth to her sex. Instead he continued licking her inner thighs until her longing for his most intimate kiss was more than she could take. Fiery tingles burned hot within her.
“Please, Heath,” she pleaded.
“That’s better, honey. I love the sound of sweet begging from that pretty mouth of yours.” His head dipped down between her legs, and she felt his tongue bathe her mound. As hot sensations shook her entire body, she fisted the sheets.
He thrust his index finger into her pussy and caught her clit between his lips. Her toes curled as every nerve ending ignited into a million points of need.
“That’s my girl. Give me your delicious cream.” His head went back down, once again, licking her into an utter state of frenzy.
This was too much. More than she’d imagined. “P–Please… I can’t take any more.”
He didn’t relent one inch. “You can and you will, sweetheart.”
Uncontrollable trembles rolled through her body as he continued the oral torture, searing her with maddening want.
He was ravenous yet restrained. Just as she got close to release, he would back away, releasing her throbbing clit. Each time, she reached a new height of intense desire.
Again, he thrust two fingers into her channel, making her head spin and her body ignite.
“Please, Heath. Please.”
“Let go, my love, and come for me.” The tenderness in his tone was all it took to send her over the edge into the fathomless whirlpool of this orgasm, the climax he’d created for her with his very capable, manly mouth.
Her pussy clenched on his meaty finger like a vise.
As her release continued to rock inside her, her cowboy crawled up her body, kissing the entire way.
He licked her neck and moved to her ear. “You’re more than I ever dreamed of, sweetheart,” he whispered. Suddenly his voice deepened and shook. “I love you, Charly Wynn.”
She stroked the back of his head. He leaned up and gazed down at her. His pain wasn’t gone at all. In fact, it was even more present than before.
She’d failed him and that crushed her. “Heath, I love you. Everything will be okay. You’ll see. You have to believe that.”
Chapter Nine
Unable to sleep, Seth clicked the remote, changing the channels on the TV. He found nothing but thirty-minute infomercials touting the latest weight-loss product, exercise videos, or get-rich-quick program. He hit the “off” button, and the screen went blank.
This was going to be one of the longest nights of his life, no doubt. He couldn’t wait to see Charly again, sweep her up in his arms, and cover her with kisses. With the anchor of the past cut loose, he couldn’t be happier.
He looked over at the empty chair with his mother’s magazine on the seat. After Gabby had stormed out, his mother had returned with his dads. The exhaustion on his mother’s face had been easy to see. He’d convinced all of them he was fine and would rest better alone. His mom had finally acquiesced after he’d promised to call her the minute the doctor showed.
He thought about getting up and grabbing the magazine, then changed his mind. Northern Nevada Ladies Magazine wasn’t something that he would enjoy. Still, there wasn’t much else to pass the time until the top of the hour when his nurse would come in and take his vitals again. He looked up at the clock and watched the red second hand tick.
He shook his head and grinned, sitting up in the bed and swinging his legs off the side. Time to accept the fact that the only thing he had to pass the time was his mom’s magazine. Why the hell not.
He settled into the chair with the magazine in hand. Surprisingly, there were some interesting article titles that intrigued him. He began with “Setting Up the Perfect Nursery for Your New Arrival,” imagining Charly holding their baby in her gorgeous arms.
Just as he finished reading the piece, the door to his room opened.
Heath looked him in the eye and then looked at his reading material. “Anything interesting in there?”
“You’d be surprised, bro.” He pointed to the empty chair beside his. “Take a seat.”
“I can’t stay.”
For the first time in years, he was happy to see Heath. “I’d like the company.”
“I have to hit the road.” Heath kept his hand on the door. “I just came to see you before I leave.”
He’d never seen his brother look so troubled before. “What do you mean ‘hit the road?’ There’s no livestock sale until next week. Are you planning on a little vacation? Forget it. If you think you get a pass from work on the ranch because of being the hero yesterday, you’re wrong.”
Heath frowned. “I was no fucking hero.”
“Yes, you were. That motherfucker would’ve killed Charly if you hadn’t been there. You saved her.”
“We all saved her.” Heath, who normally never gave anything away in his expression, had storms blowing across his face now.
“True, but you did the heavy lifting like you always do for us.”
He shook his head. “I’ve got to go.”
“You’re in a really sour mood. Charly is alive. Her mother is alive. We should be celebrating.”
“You will be.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you, Heath?”
“Nothing. I only came to say good-bye. I’ve screwed things up long enough.”
Realizing what his brother was actually planning, he stood. “Cut the crap.”
“Let’s not do this again, Seth.”
“Stop being a pussy. We’ve danced around this for years. It’s time to clear the air, don’t you think?”
His brother sighed. “Why not? I fucked up a long time ago. You’ll never forgive me for that. I don’t blame you. Charly deserves her happy ending. So do you and our other brothers. The only way I see that happening is if I step aside.”
“You’re wrong.”
“I’ve said my piece. Good-bye, bro.”
Seth grabbed his arm. “How the fuck can I get through your thick head?”
“Let me have it. I deserve your worst.”
“I can’t believe we’ve let one incident define how we act with each other for all these years.”
Heath’s eyes closed tight. “Gabby?”
“Yes, Gabby. You knew what a fucking gold digger she was. I couldn’t see it then. I believed I was in love, but I was so young and very stupid. I’m not saying what you did was the right way, but perhaps it was the only way to get through to me at the time. You were ready to sacrifice yourself to make sure she didn’t get her hooks into me and the twins.”
“Maybe so, but it destroyed the bond the six of us had.” His tone was laden with ancient sadness.
“And now our girl has recreated that bond.” He put his arm around Heath’s shoulders. “You’re not the only one to blame. I was an ass and a fool. I let Gabby pull me into her clutches and believed all her lies. Without you, my life would’ve been ruined. I regret it took me so long to see that. I love you, bro. That’s never changed.”
His brother’s eyes were wide. “Seriously, you think you can share Charly with me?”
“Absolutely.”
“My God, I can’t believe this.” Heath grabbed him and gave him a bear hug. “I love you, bro.”
“Hey, don’t forget I have a concussion.”
Heath laughed and released him. “Pussy.”
“You’re the pussy, bro. Not me.” He smiled. It felt amazing to have his brot
her back.
“Our lady blows into town and gives me back my brother.” Heath shut the door. “God, I love her for that and so much more.”
“Speaking of Charly, I’ve got an idea.”
“Taking after me, now?” Heath asked. “What’s on your mind?”
“You remember that night she tricked us to meet, hoping to run a makeshift therapy session with us, and we turned the tables on her?”
“Of course.”
“Well, I think we need to set up our own ambush for her.”
* * * *
Charly sat next to Seth in the passenger seat of his truck. “Are you sure you’re okay? I really could’ve driven, cowboy.”
“You heard Alex. I’m perfectly fine.” Seth squeezed her hand. “How are you doing, baby?”
“I’m feeling great.”
“That’s music to my ears, sweetheart.”
He turned the vehicle left, which was opposite from his parents’ house where they were headed. “You sure you’re okay? You were supposed to turn right, not left.”
“We don’t have to be at my parents’ for several hours. I want to stop by my house for a little bit, love.”
“Okay. You’re the boss.”
“You got that right, baby.” His arm came around her shoulder and he pulled her in closer. “You’re going to love what I’ve planned for you today.”
“I’m sure I will.”
There were quite a few people joining them at the Strongs’ barbecue. Her mom and Wayne were on the list. Jessie, her husbands, and in-laws would be attending, and also Charly’s men, save Heath. He’d called her saying he would be out-of-pocket for a few days. How could she get through to him? To Seth?
“Is Gabby still in town?” she asked.
“I don’t think so.”
“You’re going to have to pay for her dress, you know.”
He shrugged, pulling the truck through the cattle guard to his place. His gate was already open. Odd. It never was left that way the whole time she’d stayed with him.
There is no better time than the present to work on repairing the relationship between Seth and Heath. “I’m in love with six men, Seth. Crazy? Yes, but true. I love you and Heath. You know that, don’t you?”
