Page 18 of Wrangled Up (Menage a Trouble #2)

“I hate to see it rot on the vine.” Behind the house was a small kitchen garden with tomatoes and beans, which still needed to be picked.

What a bachelor did with all the produce was beyond her.

She could barely unload the daily eggs from the chickens.

Even the owner of the diner didn’t need more than a few dozen a day for the patrons.

“Be careful with that hot glue gun,” Letty advised.

On the table before her, Claire had a wooden plaque, two pots of different shades of pink paint, and a bunch of pink and silver gems. The glue gun set at her elbow, dripping goo onto a sliver of cardboard.

She took up the thin paintbrush and dipped it into the darker pink paint. In a flowing freehand, she wrote “Boom Boom”.

Letty came to look over her shoulder. “Always did have the prettiest handwriting, Claire.”

A faint smile touched her lips. She pushed the paint around the wood to thicken the lines. Then she used a second brush to highlight in pale pink.

“When I went into the craft shop in town, Marcella Evans couldn’t quit cackling at the reason for my buying these supplies.”

Claire slanted a look of amusement at her aunt. Half of Reedy thought both her and Letty eccentric. Growing up, girls had made fun of her, saying she was so weird that even her father didn’t want to be around her.

Her grip tightened around the brush as she added a final flourish under the alpaca’s name.

“Looks mighty nice. Think that animal will appreciate it?” Something in Letty’s voice told her that she lumped Christian and Tucker into said group of animals .

Tucker might not care, but I think Christian does.

She set aside the brush and swiped a curl out of her eye before taking up the glue gun. With her left hand, she pinched a hot pink star with tweezers and applied glue to the flat side.

Letty started humming a church hymn under her breath, and the pleasant tick of potato peels dropping into the wastebasket were soothing beats. After Claire had placed a row of pink and silver stars, she sat back to look at the name plate.

“Needs a few more stars on the top.”

“That’s what I was thinking.” Claire placed five more stars then added a couple hearts for good measure. When she looked at the finished product, she envisioned it hanging on Boom Boom’s gate.

“When are you gonna get to work on those fancy ankle cuffs for the beastie?” Letty washed her hands.

“Later. I’ll let this dry here in the meantime.” Claire had been thinking about fashioning some leather anklets for the alpaca. Letty had laughed outright after first learning of it, but it was something to take Claire’s mind off her sadness .

She pushed away from the table, taking her tea with her. She drained the cup and placed it in the bottom of the sink. “We’ll make applesauce and spaghetti sauce. I’ll make sure we have jars. Gonna go help Christian.” She dropped a kiss to her aunt’s baby soft cheek.

“Don’t be late for pork chops and potatoes.”

“Not on your life.”

Moving through the rooms of Tucker’s house felt oddly familiar now. Almost like being in the house where she’d grown up. The wood floors underfoot, the warm furnishings. Even the dim glow of the afternoon sun provided a feeling of belonging.

What happened when Tucker came home though? Better yet, if he came home.

After they’d finished washing the horses, Christian had called Tucker on his cell.

No answer. At that point, Christian had stormed off into the field, and Claire had gone inside to seek solace from her aunt.

She’d called off work at the diner several times since she and Christian had taken over the ranch, but she had to stop that.

She couldn’t afford to lose her job. Luckily, Christian was already laid off until the next construction job. She didn’t have that luxury.

Tomorrow I’ll go in.

She slowly drifted across the yard to Boom Boom’s pen. When the ball of wool trotted to the fence, Claire couldn’t help the smile that stretched her lips. Even with all the pain and confusion in her heart, she still had much for which to be joyful.

Automatically, she looked around for Christian. When she was outside, he was never far from her. But she didn’t hear him shifting feed in the barn or swearing at the chickens that were always in his way.

Her body responded too easily to him, but on some level, she felt as if she were being untrue to Tucker.

No, he threw us together. Her body lit up at the reverie of Tucker’s hand moving within her as Christian stretched her ass with his thick fingers. Their thighs pressing her from both sides as she climaxed between them. On them. For them.

She shuddered.

Boom Boom nosed her palm .

“I didn’t bring you an apple this time, you greedy pig.” She chuckled and patted the tuft of hair on its head. “You need a good shearing. We’ll have a spa day soon, okay, girl?”

She moved away from the alpaca and strode out into the field behind the barn.

Christian was often found here, working on an odd piece of equipment.

It turned out that Tucker had a lot of broken chainsaws, weed eaters and other things that would keep the property nice-looking once fixed.

It kept Christian’s hands busy to fiddle with these repairs.

The sun fractured around a big cloud, beaming down in random spots as she crossed the field and mounted the hill. Tucker sure was lucky to have this kind of land. All inherited, from what she gathered, and old money, if she was correct in judging the men who claimed to be his relations.

As her boyfriend, Tucker had never talked of his possessions or flaunted wealth.

He didn’t take her for hundred dollar meals at Brisbee’s Steak and Sea Restaurant on the outskirts of Reedy.

And he didn’t lavish her with jewelry. Even if she were this type of girl, Tucker wasn’t that guy.

Also, they’d only been together two months.

He was a rough and tumble, sidle up to the bar at The Hellion, go out for a midnight drive kind of man. And that suited her just fine.

Had it also suited his lost fiancée, Heather?

An itch of jealousy slipped down her spine. It was so wrong to be jealous of that poor woman just because she had loved Tucker first. But it was impossible to keep the envy out of her heart for a woman who still held such power over him.

Claire dragged her feet to the top of the hill, purposely crushing the grasses so she could drink in the earthy scent.

It invoked thoughts of her childhood, of lying back and gazing up at the stars.

On one rare occasion, her father had been at her side.

She’d pillowed her head on his arm and felt like the most loved child in the world.

About time for his monthly phone call.

With her father in and out of her life, it was no wonder she enabled Tucker to do the same. But it wasn’t exactly right, was it? A woman should be treated better .

She reached the top of the hill and peered out over the landscape. Rolling hills, mountains in the distance. Horses dotting the ranch like tiny fleas on a dog’s back. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of stirring dust. And out of the dust walked a man.

Her breath hitched and her heart did a slow flip. Christian’s solid form drifted down the dirt path, boots churning the dry earth. He walked with a rolling swagger that drenched her panties instantly. Her breasts seemed to swell, pressing hard against her shirt.

His arms swung loose at his sides, but he gripped a coil of rope in his gloved fists.

Oh my God, where’s his shirt?

At some point, he’d stripped it off and tucked the end into his back pocket. It moved with him, brushing his leg in a way she longed to do.

Who was she kidding? She wanted to rub herself all over him.

She stuck two fingers into her mouth and blew. Her shrill whistle pierced the air. Christian stopped walking and looked straight at her .

Her heart throbbed once…twice. Then it flipped again and sped out of control. Racing, just like her feet were now. Without conscious thought, she’d taken off toward him, running through the grass like a lovestruck woman in a cheesy commercial.

The matching corny grin claimed her features.

Christian kicked it into high gear too, walking impossibly fast even for his long legs. As she neared, she was able to see the harsh rise and fall of his chest and sweat beading his torso.

She drew up short, her curls jiggling forward as if to reach him first. She released several small pants that had nothing to do with exertion.

“Hell, Claire.” He yanked her flush against him.

Dark heat slithered low through her belly. He jerked her off balance, and they tumbled into the high grasses, his strong body pinning hers. The scents of wild switchgrass flooded her senses, along with hard-working male musk .

He stared down into her eyes for a single beat before slamming his mouth over hers. Claiming her. Devouring her.

She nipped at his lips and tongue, writhing to get closer to his extreme heat. His steely erection ground the V of her legs, causing her clit to swell and throb.

“I need you. Right here. Now.” He spattered kisses down her throat to the tops of her breasts even as he adeptly stripped her.

“Hurry,” she breathed. She raked her fingers over his shoulders and down his spine, weaving them under the fabric of his waistband.

He flashed a crooked grin, then ducked his head and sucked her nipple through the cloth of her shirt. Gasping, she arched, seeking more of his insanely hot touch.

When he popped her jeans button, she thought she’d combust. His scent maddened her. The heat of his skin drove her out of control.

He sank his teeth into her nipple hard enough to make her squeak. But oh, what a delicious feeling. Her skin broke out in goose bumps. Then suddenly, he manhandled her out of her top and bra, her jeans, panties and boots, until she was stretched bare beneath the hot harvest sky.