Page 69 of Wrangled Up

He jerked back. Gave Christian’s cock one last slow pump then released it as pain froze his heart. Did he really have any business giving himself to Christian and Claire if he couldn’t even fucking orgasm without thinking of Heather?

In a blinding second, the pendulum of his decision to stay swung sharply to the other side. He could leave his lovers to each other—watch their love build until their initials were emblazoned in gold on a linen invitation.C and C.

There could never be C, C and T.

Afraid to hurt Christian further, he gave him one last brush of his lips. Then still breathing heavily, he tried for a smile. “I’ve got horses to tend.”

He zipped up, mess and all, and headed out to his truck. Deep down, he knew he was being a coward for leaving Claire to deal with her father alone. But Letty was there and could obviously handle the big truck driver.

And Christian would probably walk into the kitchen and charm Jake Mickelson with his solid, down-to-earth personality. By the time Jake walked out, he’d be ready to write a check for a big wedding.

Tucker revved his engine and headed down the drive toward town, away from too many emotions.

He needed a beer.

Chapter Ten

“Hey, Davis.” Shady’s familiar twang rang through the house phone into Christian’s head.

He shook his head. Did he have a tab at The Hellion that needed paid? He hadn’t gone for a beer run in weeks. “Yeah?”

“I got your buddy down here, drunk as a Wyoming skunk and picking fights with the customers.”

“Fuck.” Christian swung his gaze to the homey scene in the kitchen, where Claire and Letty were coring apples for sauce. Jake had made himself comfy with a newspaper and a cup of coffee.

He lowered his voice and said to Shady, “I’ll be there in ten.”

Pocketing his cell, he fished in the front of his jeans for his keys. Then he poked his headinto the kitchen. “I’m running into town for a few minutes. Need anything, Claire?”

She looked up from the mess before her. A little curl hung in one dark, amused eye. “No, we’ve got everything we need.”

“‘Kay. Be back soon.” He swung toward the front door, and a laughing echo of “Quickie Mart” followed him.

In the truck, he gnashed his molars in frustration. No chili dog in the world could ease his anger with Tucker. He’d been home less than a day. During that time, he’d delivered countless orgasms, had a wrestling match with Claire’s father and a pissing contest with his relatives over the land. Now he was down at The Hellion, drunk off his ass?

“Damn idiot,” Christian muttered.

He spun up gravel in his rush to get down the drive and on to the main road. Veering around the massive pothole at the mouth of the driveway, he locked his boot to the pedal and took off.

He didn’t exactly relate to Tucker’s thought process. His fiancée had been gone for years. While grief never went away, it lessened in time. Christian suspected that Tucker wasclinging to his pain, nurturing it as a way to protect himself from ever getting hurt again.

Did he believe Claire would cut his heart out? She was as sweet as they came. Saccharine. But maybe it was time for her to get pissed too and give Tucker a hard talking-to. If she finally got angry…

Christian’s mouth quirked at the corner at the thought of his calm girl getting riled up as she’d been when they met. Too easily he could picture her beautiful face flushed pink and her curls rioting around her head.

But this was perhaps the worst part of the situation. Tucker was taking advantage of Claire’s good nature, and dammit, she deserved better.

Tucker said he was running straight at him and Claire. For a moment, warmth infused Christian’s chest, tingling through his body and down to the low throb of awareness where Tucker had penetrated him earlier. God, the pleasure he’d gained from being joined with the man he loved.

He shifted as his cock began to swell. When he found Tucker, he was going to give him a good reaming too—with words. When he was sober, Christian would show him whocould run the show. Tucker wasn’t the only one who could take what he wanted—and Christian wanted to deliver more pleasure to Tucker than the man had ever known.

When he bumped into the parking lot of The Hellion, he spotted only one available space, clear at the end of the lot. The place was hopping tonight. Loud strains of music blared from the rough wooden walls. Even the big sign above the doors seemed to tremble with the bass.

Inside, he spotted Tucker right away. Mostly because the guy was the center of attention—shirt off and roped muscles straining as he hurled himself at two men who circled him. Tucker was slightly unsteady from too much alcohol, but the bald determination on his red face told Christian that he could do some serious damage to these guys.

“Langley!” Christian’s holler brought Tucker’s head up. He focused on Christian. At that moment, a lanky man with tight Wranglers hugging his spaghetti thin legs took a chance. He lunged forward and delivered a sharp uppercut to Tucker’s jaw.

Tucker roared with fury, fists clenched. He lowered his head and charged the man. Hecaught him off his feet and threw him to the dirty wooden floor. Cries reverberated from the girls in the crowd, and the men jeered.

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