Page 32 of Wrangled Up (Menage a Trouble #2)

Anger bubbled in Tucker’s chest. He faced his cousin, legs braced wide, ready to show him once and for all to keep his hands off his belongings. He eyed the broken leather in Dale’s hand. “What the fuck do you really want, Dale?”

“Well…” He dropped the bridle. “We each have something we want. What if you sign these papers and Darcy forgets about Boomerang?”

Tucker shook his head. Was the man flaming nuts? Tucker’s horses and water resources were much more important and valuable than a funny-looking, pink-anklet-wearing alpaca.

Claire will be devastated.

“No deal.”

He’d make it up to her. She would understand. But how did one floppy-tongued beast become a pawn ?

“How about this?” Dale withdrew a packet of papers from his coat. So like his father in mannerisms, the sight made Tucker’s stomach lurch. Until now, he’d never considered Dale to be much of a threat, but now he was seeing him for what he was—manipulative and crazy enough to be dangerous.

“I’ll leave these papers for you.” He unfolded the trifold sheaf and with a violent whack , he impaled the sheets on the nail where the bridle had hung. Like a wanted poster on a tree, the papers stared Tucker down.

“You sign and we’ll talk about letting your little gal keep her pet. Don’t want to upset someone with a hot little ass like that—”

The heels of Tucker’s hands hit his cousin’s chest before he knew what he was doing. Dale stumbled back a few steps but didn’t fall. In fact, he didn’t even get mad, as Tucker hoped. He just started laughing.

“Found a weak spot in Tucker Langley’s armor, did I?” He guffawed. The hackles on Tucker’s neck rose. Dale continued, “Funny. Never thought I’d see that again after Heather.”

He dragged her name out until Tucker’s mind was ready to snap. Fury was a hot charcoal in his chest. Glowing bright with pain and rage.

“Get the hell off my property, Dale, and don’t come back.”

“I’ll do that.” Dale gave a nod and started to back toward the barn door as if afraid Tucker would tackle him from behind. Good. I fucking might yet.

At the opening, he paused. “Oh, yeah, and I saw one of your horses up in the top field limping. Someone as conscientious of his stock as you will surely be concerned.”

With that, he disappeared.

“What. The. Fuck?” Tucker said to the silent barn.

“What was Dale doing here?” Claire’s voice vibrated the air like a gong in his soul. She stepped through the back door and closed it behind her.

Tucker ground his molars. The last thing he wanted to tell her was that they were squabbling over Boom Boom.

Her gaze took in his expression, which must have been thunderous. Then she tripped across the space and into his arms. He caught her against him, enfolding her tightly. Never wanting to let go. Dale had brought Heather into his mind again, but he had Claire to chase away her ghost.

He trailed his lips over the top of her head. “My cousin is sticking his nose into business that isn’t his.”

“He’s fueled by money. Did you see his boots and coat? He must require a lot of money to keep up his appearance alone.”

As always, she was a keen observer. Not only of people’s physical appearances, but she probably knew Dale’s depths and capabilities better than anyone.

Tucker locked her curves to him and replayed his conversation with Letty in his mind. He couldn’t hurt Claire—would do anything but keep her around for his own ends.

That meant that Claire deserved to be brought into the circle of trust. Tucker had never discussed his worth before, but if anyone deserved to know, it was her. They’d fill Christian in later.

He eased his hold on her, allowing her a bit of room. Catching her gaze, he gave her a small smile that felt tighter than he wanted. He dragged a deep breath into his lungs .

Before he could speak, she ran her fingertip over the silver ball stud below his lip. “You never told us why you decided to get this. It’s not exactly commonplace for cowboys around here to have piercings.”

He glanced down then returned his gaze to hers. “It means something to me.”

“Things like that usually do. What does it mean?” She held her breath as if awaiting the worst.

Sliding his fingers over the crest of her cheek, he then skated them down to her full lips. The pink curves taunted him. Too easily he could recall every nuance of her kisses. And her mouth on him.

He snapped his attention back to her before he got a hard-on and ended up pounding her against the barn wall and forgetting to tell her about his real situation with his family.

“The piercing symbolizes a new beginning for me. When I… ran …I left behind people who are important to me to chase a ghost.” His voice broke, his throat tight on the word that meant his lost love.

Claire’s eyes darkened with sympathy, but a spark of something else lived there. Sadness? Did she think he’d never love her as much as he’d loved Heather?

“Go on…” she said quietly.

“Well…” he looked at his boots, then back up, “…some people believe that hanging silver in a stable will keep ghosts away.”

Confusion settled over her features.

He traced the outline of her mouth with his thumb. “And in the stable that houses my soul, I’ve hung my silver.” With his other hand, he flicked his lip stud.

Understanding flashed in her dark eyes, quicksilver bright. A soft sound broke from her, and she lurched onto her tiptoes at the same moment he claimed her mouth.

Desire coated his nerves, numbing him to anything but this woman. Claire, beautiful girl who deserved a better man than him. But maybe between him and Christian, they could fulfill her every need.

Tucker drove his tongue into her mouth, gathering her flavors. He started to harden, lengthen, and clamped down on it immediately.

When he withdrew, she followed him. He groaned and grasped her shoulders, holding her steady while he told her the reality of the situation—the reason that his family would probably try to put him in the grave if he refused to sign those papers on the wall.

“Baby, I have to tell you about Leon and Dale.”

“Yes?” Her voice was a breathless whisper. He glided his finger along her collarbone, feeling her tripping pulse.

“They want me to sign those papers because it’s worth millions of dollars to them.”

“Chris and I figured it was something along those lines.”

“And it affects me quite a bit too. If I sign, I lose my clean water for my stock and the ranch is a worthless wasteland.”

She nodded, a little curl bouncing on her brow.

“But if I don’t sign, I lose out too.”

“How so?”

“I lose two million dollars that could be added to my already sizable fortune.”

Her breath hitched as if he’d run a finger over her slick seam. Damn, he wanted to. “Sizable…fortune? ”

“Yeah, I’m sitting on an egg here, as is Leon. I want you to quit your job at the diner, baby. Let me take care of you. We need you on the ranch.”

She started and blinked at him for a moment.

Finally, the tension flowed out of her shoulders.

“I don’t know if I can do that. I’ve taken care of myself forever—well, with Letty’s help.

I’ll have to think about it. I do love being on the ranch rather than listening to people talk my ear off.

But I wouldn’t accept your offer without working for it. ”

He glided a hand down her side, giving her the eye.

“Not that. I’ll be in charge of the alpacas.

” Her tone was so solemn, he searched her face for signs of emotion, afraid she’d be angry that he’d kept this information about his fortune from her, after two months of dating.

Hell, he’d never even bought her the trinkets of a typical beau—flowers, charm bracelets.

After a long minute, she looked him fully in the eyes. “So I’ve been fucking a millionaire all this time?”

He couldn’t stop himself from smiling at her question. “Yeah, I guess.”

“That’s good. ”

“Is it?”

“Yeah, you can use your money for things.”

Unease threaded through him. He didn’t peg her as a money-grubber, but…

“Like what?”

She lifted her wrists. Each wore a little pink circlet where the rope from the previous day had chafed her white skin. “I know you boys are fond of your ropes, but could we please get something a little softer? Silk? Satin?”

A huff of laughter and relief burst from him as he yanked her into his arms. He dangled her inches off the wooden floor and with her lips dangerously close to his. Leaning in, he captured her mouth in a long, tongue-tangling kiss that left her gasping and him as hard as a fucking telephone pole.

“Silk it is, baby.” He whirled her to the wall, pressed her back against it and proceeded to maul her mouth, breasts and finally dropped to his knees and worshipped her pussy until she was a puddle of sweet female.

The silver in the stable was doing the trick.