by Kim Loraine
“If you’re going to say you dated that other guy, I remember. I’ve been purposely avoiding the topic because it doesn’t matter.”
“It doesn’t?”
“No. You’re not dating either of us. It’s the guy you’re with now who needs to be jealous.”
That sends a zing of anticipation through me. “I’m not with anyone.”
I swear his lips twitch. He tugs me a little closer against him as we walk on the flagstone path back to the house and I let his scent of leather and sandalwood carry me back to our days and nights wrapped in each other for just a minute.
“Okay,” he murmurs. “Deep breath.”
I follow his lead, walking into the foyer with my head held high. Everyone is already seated at the long table except for the two empty seats with placards on the fine china. Colton, along with everyone else, turns to look at me. His eyes hold confusion, discomfort, and more than a flash of jealousy.
Aunt Karen huffs out a frustrated breath and says, “There you are. Take your seat. You missed the cocktails already. Thank you for finding her, Sean. Chloe is a bit of a wild child.”
He smirks. “Oh, I’m sure I can rein her in.”
I nearly elbow him in the ribs, but think better of it. If Georgia didn’t tell everyone what happened when I walked in, maybe this didn’t have to be a big deal.
Colton stands when I get to my place and pulls out my chair. “I think we need to have a talk,” he whispers.
“Not now,” I say with a saccharine smile on my lips.
“When exactly did you date this guy?”
Settling in my chair, I reach for my already full glass of red wine. “I said, not now, Colt.”
“Fine, but if I have to share you with him I need the full story.”
I turn on him, anger burning in my chest. “No one is sharing me.”
The table goes silent. All background chatter ground to a stop at my overly loud announcement. Colton laughs. “On the big day. I just wanted to make sure we get the details worked out before Sunday.”
My cheeks heat and I stare daggers at him. Sean’s hand grips my elbow from his place at my other side. “I don’t care. I’ve got two arms. It’s not like we’re the ones getting married.”
Everyone laughs, but I see the hurt in Colt’s eyes at my dig. Sean’s fingers stiffen slightly too, but I can’t be sure if that’s real or imagined on my part.
“Right,” Colt says. “We shut the door on that possibility a long time ago.”
Thank God the server chooses that time to walk in with the family style meal. I eat with more attention to my plate than I’ve probably ever had in my life, and as soon as possible, I push back my chair.
“Dinner was great, Georgie. I’m going to head to bed. Sounds like tomorrow is going to be a long day.”
She gives me a pout, but doesn’t argue, even when I snag the open bottle of wine from the sidebar and take it with me.
3
Colt
* * *
Fuck. I’m an asshole, but I can’t stand the idea of that guy getting his hooks into Chloe without me getting the chance to tell her how much she still means to me. I stare at the empty chair next to me, wishing I hadn’t been a jealous prick a few minutes earlier.
“Excuse me,” I say, rising and setting my fancy cloth napkin on the table. I’m uncomfortable in this tie and jacket get up. It’s ridiculous that I can’t be in my wranglers and boots. It’s not like this is the wedding ceremony. But Porter is wound around Georgia’s little finger, and she’s a good girl who’ll do whatever her mama tells her. Not like Chloe. That girl always does what she wants, even if it meant breaking my heart.
I stride out of the house and across the lawn, toward my room. I’m angry, annoyed, and hard as a fucking rock because, damn if Chloe doesn’t look like pure sex on two toned legs. The light is on in the upstairs room of the smaller cottage house where my room is located. I see her silhouette behind the curtain, her hair is loose and flowing, and, sweet Jesus, she’s slipping out of that dress. My already hard dick throbs in my pants.
“So, I see why she dumped you,” Sean says from behind me. “You’re a fucking peeping Tom.”
“Fuck you, asshole. I don’t think she knows how sheer those curtains are.”
“You going to be the one to tell her?"
“In the morning. I need some time to process all this. I haven’t seen that girl in five years.”
His brows rise. “Five?”
“Yeah. I know it’s a long time and I should be over it, but I thought I was going to marry her.”
He doesn’t respond for a moment, then lets out a short laugh. “This is going to be a hell of a weekend.”
“Look, she might not be important to you, but she was the love of my life. She still is. I’m throwing my hat back in the ring if she’ll let me. So stay out of my way.”
“Sorry, not happening. I’m not stepping back now.” Sean’s eyes blaze as he takes a step toward me. “My hat’s already been thrown. I lost her once before. It’s not happening again.”
“We’ll see.”
He walks away, hands in his pockets, confidence in his stride. How can he feel so sure of himself if he wants her so badly? I’m a fucking wreck.
Noise from above makes me look toward the deck outside Chloe’s door. She comes out, not seeing us as she brings a glass of wine and a paperback with her. Dressed in a pair of sleep shorts and a too big t-shirt, she’s temptation wrapped in a feisty package. One shoulder is exposed and her hair tumbles down her back. The waves shine in the porch light, making me want to tangle my fingers in the strands and see if it’s still as soft as I remember.
I need to talk to her. But I don’t know if now is the right time. I’m not sure there ever will be a right time to hash this all out.
She lets out a heavy sigh and turns her face up to the moon. “Why are you punishing me?” she says, and my chest tightens in response. Seeing me is a punishment?
I can’t stop myself. My feet move me toward the stairs that will lead up to her. The sound of my footsteps on the stairs has her sucking in a sharp breath and standing.
“Who’s there?”
“It’s just me,” I say, easing into the situation. “I saw you up here. Thought maybe we could talk.”
She crosses her arms protectively over her chest. “Why, so you can throw it back in my face that we’re not together anymore?”
“Look, I’m sorry. I guess, five years might be a long time, but it’s still fresh for me. I loved you. You didn’t choose me.”
Hurt flashes across her features and I wonder why. She broke it off with me, not the other way around. “I tried to do the right thing.”
“How was not being together right?” Then I stop myself. Holding up a hand, I say, “I’m sorry. It doesn’t feel right to me, but obviously we were in different places. You can’t force yourself to love someone.”
She steps closer to me. “Colt, that’s not how it was. I did love you. But…”
“You loved the other guy more than me.” I hate the way those words feel. When we started dating, I knew she was seeing other guys. Fuck, I was seeing other girls. But it became all too clear that she was the one for me after just a few weeks. I broke it off with the other girls, expected she’d do the same, but I was wrong. “What kills me is that I said I loved you and you left me for him. But where is he now?”
Her jaw clenches and she takes a harsh breath. “It didn’t work out. None of it. But I’m glad. I was twenty-two, barely ready to start my life as an adult. I wasn’t ready to settle down.”
I let those words sink in. She’s right. At twenty-two, I’d been a careless kid who thought a full tank of gas and frozen pizza in the freezer meant I had what I needed to take care of a family. “God, you’re right. We were so young. It’s hard to forget though. You were my one great heartbreak.”
She reaches for my hand and I let her. The contact makes need spark in my veins. “You were mine.”
&
nbsp; “Do you ever think about us?”
“All the time.”
“I’m not crazy, right? It was…”
“Intense.”
I thread our fingers, tugging her close enough her breasts brush my chest. “Perfect.”
My free hand trails along her bare shoulder, across her collarbone, up her neck. I could kiss her right now. I could make her mine tonight, but would I get to keep her in the morning?
Leaning in and offering her lips, she whispers, “Colton.” It’s more of a plea than anything, but I can’t tell what’s truly behind it. If she’s asking for more or questioning whether we should do this.
I back up, just enough to put distance between us and break the spell our connection has cast. “Breakfast is at ten. I’ll save you a seat.”
Walking away from her has to be the hardest thing I’ve done in a long time. Harder than driving fence posts or digging cattle out of piles of snow left by a freak storm. But if I want to keep her, I have to do this right. I have to show her why she made the wrong choice when she didn’t pick me.
I feel her gaze on me the whole way down the stairs, but I force myself not to look back.
She still wants me.
4
Sean
* * *
The next morning, one thing is clear. Colton is the other guy. He’s the one she left me for after I popped the question and she shot me down. He has to be. But fuck if I know what happened between them. I expected her to be married to the man I lost her to, and instead I find her single and obviously still affected by us both. How did this all play out? Did he fuck things up so badly with her that she left him after he won? If that’s the case, he doesn’t deserve her now.
My boots crunch under the gravel as I walk to the main house. I need coffee. It was torture knowing Chloe’s room was above mine all night long. I could hear her pacing. She didn’t sleep last night. Neither did I.
“So you’re under me,” Chloe says, her soft raspy voice making my body react with a rush of desire.
I turn and face her. She looks fresh as a daisy, her long hair pulled into a ponytail, a soft pink sleeveless dress hugging her curves. I grin. I can’t help myself. “Not yet, bunny.”
Her cheeks go pink to match her dress, and she flicks her gaze down to my boots and dark denim. “Boots, huh? Aunt Karen won’t like that.”
“That’s too damn bad.”
She smirks and leans in. “Don’t let her hear you. She’s vicious.”
My stomach growls and the two of us laugh. “Come on. I need to get some food in me if I’m going to be tasting wine all day with you.”
“Do you even like wine?”
“It’s okay. I prefer whiskey.”
She lets me place my palm on her lower back as I open the door for her, and the two of us walk in together. “You know, I think there are a few distilleries out there too. Maybe we can sneak you over to one or two today?”
Hope flickers in my chest. “You want to be alone with me?”
“I’d rather be alone with you than Aunt Karen.”
I laugh out loud as we walk into the dining room. There’s a buffet set up with coffee carafes, pitchers of orange juice and chilled bottles of champagne, as well as piles of hot food. I load up on flapjacks and bacon, while she takes eggs and sausage, as well as a heaping serving of fresh fruit.
“Sit with me,” I say while pouring both of us cups of coffee.
She bites her lower lip and those big eyes blink up at me, but she nods. As soon as we’re seated at the table, the crowd comes in. Her aunt and uncle, Porter and Georgia, as well as the other three couples who are serving as the bridal party.
“Where’s Colt?” Porter asks, looking around with a frown on his face.
I couldn’t care less where he is, so I simply shrug and sit back in my chair, drinking my coffee slowly. But, of course, the man walks in at that moment, all smiles, hair damp from a shower. “Sorry I’m late.” He saunters over to the buffet and fills his plate, then takes the seat next to Chloe. “Mornin’, darlin’. What did I miss?”
She murmurs, “Morning,” into her coffee cup, and avoids both our gazes.
He just had to come in here and make it awkward. “Chloe and I are making plans for today,” I say, casually taking a piece of bacon from my plate.
“Oh, good. You guys have worked everything out,” Georgia says. “Thank God. Today would’ve been so awkward if you hadn’t.”
“There’s not a problem,” Chloe says, sitting up straighter, voice tight.
“Great.” Georgia opens her gigantic purse and hands all three of us a sheet of paper. “Here’s a list of all the wineries we’re visiting. They all know we’re coming, but we’ll be going in smaller groups so we don’t overwhelm them all. Just tell them you’re with our party.”
“Who am I riding with?” Chloe asks, and I hope to God Georgia does me a favor here.
Georgia bites her lower lip and gives us a guilty glance. “We separated all the couples. I didn’t think you’d mind sticking to your groomsmen for this. But that was before…I can change it. You can join Porter and me.”
“Oh, Georgia, no. You can’t do that. It’ll mess up the entire itinerary. Besides, Chloe can hold her own with these two boys.” Karen shoots a pointed look at Chloe, who takes a sharp breath. “She wouldn’t want you to sacrifice your plans just because she doesn’t want to be sandwiched between two handsome cowboys.”
I slide my arm over the back of Chloe’s chair. There is no way in hell I’ll let this chance pass me by. “No worries, ma’am. We can share. Colt and I will behave.”
Colt snorts. “Sure will.”
“It’s fine,” Chloe says. Then she turns to face me and mutters, “Alcohol and ex-boyfriends. What could go wrong?” The humor in her tone makes me laugh. If she was joking about this, maybe things would progress from stilted too easier. Maybe I could get her to give us another chance.
Breakfast goes by quickly, the three of us not making much conversation with each other. I think we all have the same idea. Focus on getting out of this powder keg before Karen inadvertently winds Chloe up and she snaps.
The conversation at the other end of the table is loud and completely Georgia-centric. Thank fuck.
“Walk you to your room, bunny?” I murmur when I see Chloe’s finished with her meal.
“I don’t need an escort.”
“I know. I just like to look at you.”
Colt lets out a low grumble. “She’s not gonna fall for your shit. Chloe’s not the kind of girl who likes sweet talk.”
“Seems to me, you don’t know what she likes. Or you wouldn’t be sittin’ there in the same situation I’m in.”
He stands, a frown on his face, but he doesn’t argue. Instead, the man holds a hand out to Chloe and cocks his head, asking her to come without using words. She looks from me, to him, then stands. “I’ll walk on my own.”
It’s hard as hell not to follow her, but this woman isn’t the kind who’ll enjoy being chased. She’ll push me away if I do that. I learned first-hand what loving her too hard, too soon, could do to a man. So, I watch her walk out of the dining room. I refill my coffee, return to my seat, and force myself to pretend my heart isn’t already in her hands.
5
Chloe
* * *
Rich people. That’s the only answer for what has gotten me into this situation. I’m seated between my two ex-boyfriends in a huge SUV as we drive over a bumpy road that’s taking us to the first winery of the day. Could I have sat in the front next to the driver? Nope. He said he wasn’t willing to have a drunk girl up front with him. Asshole.
The car sways as we hit another rough patch of gravel. I lean heavily against Colt, not letting myself enjoy his firmly muscled chest or the warmth from his body. Sean grabs my arm to steady me at the same time, and touching them both makes things low in my body tighten in a way they shouldn’t.
“Are we almost there?” I ask, desperate to get out of th
is vehicle if only to take a breath of fresh air not laced with their combined pheromones.
“Looks like it,” Sean says, pointing to his left where the sprawling winery finally appears.
“Shit, it’s huge.”
“That’s real sweet of you, darlin’.” Colt’s words make my cheeks heat and my thighs clench.
“You wish,” I offer, needing the car to stop right now so I don’t do something I’ll regret in the morning.
When we finally pull into the parking lot, I practically crawl over Sean to get outside. The sun beats down on my skin, but my face is already so warm I barely register the difference in temperature from the car to the grounds. My ankle wobbles in my stupid heels on the gravel, and before I get the chance to pull myself together, both Sean and Colt are at my sides. They’re holding me, keeping me from falling, but most of all, touching my bare skin. “I’m okay,” I say through a tight throat.
“You should have worn your boots,” Sean says, nudging my heel with the toe of his leather clad foot.
“I’m not at the ranch. Not in the arena. I can dress up, you know.”
“The only way I’ve seen you is in your jeans and boots or in nothing at all,” Colt offers. “I prefer nothing at all.”
I roll my eyes and pull out of their grasps. “Not happening.” Then I stride carefully toward the winery entrance.
“We’ll see.”
“Back off, asshole.” Sean’s voice is more of a growl. “She doesn’t want you anymore.”
“She doesn’t want you either.”
I turn to face them both and cross my arms over my chest. “Stop this. You two are acting like cavemen right now. I’m sick of it. We all have histories, I get it. It’s awkward and confusing. But neither of you gets to fight over me, you understand?”
