Primal Surrender (16 page)

*****

Ryker slammed into the cabin feeling hopeless, helpless, and horny. The only woman in more than a decade to make his dick impossibly hard and she wasn’t willing to give him a chance if he wouldn’t share her with his older brother. How much more fucked up could his life get?

Mack was standing in the kitchen in the dark, drinking one of his beers, and Ryker lashed out at him. “I thought you had shit to do at the ranch? Isn’t your boss going to be pissed you cut out early? Oh wait, that’s right, you have a whole fucking family of bosses. If you don’t like what one says, you can just ask another.”

Instead of punching him, Mack cocked his head and gave him a half smile. “So she didn’t let you seduce her?”

Ryker froze in his tracks. Staring back at his brother, he suddenly felt like a royal ass. “I seem to have a knack for being a dick. I’m sorry. And no, she didn’t let me seduce her. She won’t because she wants you too.
Fuck
! What kind of a mess are we involved in with her, Mack?”

Sighing heavily, Mack opened the fridge and retrieved two fresh beers, passing him one before he led the way into the living room. Ryker took his chair, while Mack sprawled on the couch and propped his booted foot up on the coffee table.

“You know this is the first time in nearly a year you have had something besides your former career to bitch about.”

Ryker choked on his beer, and sputtered for an answer. “I guess she’s a good distraction.”

“Damn right she is. The way I see it, she is too caught up in what’s wrong or right for you and me. Or maybe we’re the ones who aren’t prioritizing right.” Mack’s thoughtful look and odd choice of words left Ryker scratching at his beard in confusion.

“Spit it out, asshole. What are you trying to say?” he snapped at his older brother.

Mack shrugged, “I want her happy. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her here and make her happy. What about you?”

His shock level had never been higher in his life, and he couldn’t formulate words to respond. When he rolled out of surgery and the doctor told him his career was over, he had felt a genuine physical loss in his life. It still burned in his soul. Then when the bank contacted him about his bouncing checks, and the funds management company his accountant worked for admitted all of his money had been transferred to an offshore account, he had been pissed. Shocked, but pissed. None of that compared to his astonishment over Mack’s question. He was offering to share his woman with Ryker, and at this moment Ryker wasn’t sure he could say the same.

“I don’t know if she would ever accept me the way she’s accepted you. She slept with you,” Ryker said, staring down at his hands.

“How do you know?” Mack asked.

Rolling his eyes, Ryker glared at him, “You came home strutting like a bull in mating season, brother. Don’t try to deny it.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Mack said, shaking his head. “But I think you and I better figure out where we stand, because she’s on the verge of running, Ryk, and I don’t know if I’ll survive it. Losing my business brought me to a low place, but losing my woman and my brother in one blow would kill me.”

“You aren’t losing me, Mack. And besides, you could rebuild the business if you wanted to. Hell, I’ll help you. We can take some of my money from selling the house and we’ll buy one of those properties Schmidt’s going to be dumping cheap. We’ll turn it into a workshop, and you can create while I sell.”

“You know, it’s not a half bad idea,” Mack said, before shaking his head. “I’m not good in business though, Ryk, and it would be a hell of a risk. I also know you don’t want to be tied to Stone River forever.”

Ryker stared back at his brother in confusion, “It’s not Stone River that’s the problem, it’s the lack of direction. If I had a reason to stay…”

His words drifted off, and he watched Mack absorb them in thoughtful silence. They both drank their beers as they mulled over the possibilities in front of them. Mack was absolutely right, there were a lot of risks involved with rebuilding the leather working business, but Ryker wanted to do this for his brother. If nothing else, it was a way to repay him for his kindness in the last year. Mack had put up with a lot of shit no one else would, and Ryker owed him.

“We could make it work, Mack. You have way too much talent to be working horses and mucking stalls for the rest of your life.”

Mack frowned back at him, “I don’t even know if I could sell a saddle anymore. People have forgotten my name by now. It was different when everyone in Texas knew who I was.”

“Let me do some research at least. If we can’t sell saddles here in po-dunk Stone River, Texas, home of the cowboy, then maybe you’re right about it being a bad investment,” Ryker agreed, holding his breath. Until this very moment he hadn’t realized how much he desperately wanted his older brother’s approval again.

Growing up, he and Mack had had an ideal childhood. They were the best of friends until high school when Ryker began taking football more seriously. By the time Ryker graduated, Mack had already left home and was apprenticing for another leather artist. It wasn’t the same tight knit relationship as before, but they still talked regularly. As the years passed, they drifted further apart, and before long, the only time they spoke was at Thanksgiving and Christmas. When their father died, Ryker had only been able to fly in for a two-day visit for the funeral because of his schedule. He had left Mack holding the reins of the family, even though he knew Mack was dealing with his business going bankrupt.

Since then their mother had deteriorated into Alzheimer’s and Mack was the one who made the effort to drive to Dallas once a month to see her. Each time Ryker made some excuse to skip the trip, because he wasn’t ready to face a stranger who didn’t recognize him. How many other ways had Mack taken control and handled things for him, so he could continue being selfish and immature? A deep sense of regret and acceptance filled his chest, as he realized just how much his older brother had sacrificed for him. Perhaps it was time to return the favor.

“If she chooses you I’ll back off,” Ryker said, feeling the sting of the words straight through to the bone. “I just want her happy.”

The wide smile on Mack’s face was slightly unsettling. “That’s what I was hoping you would say, little brother. I have a plan, and it involves you pulling out all of your best moves and seducing her. Are you in?”

Ryker hesitated, shocked by Mack’s reaction. He had expected him to say thanks and leave it at that. The fact that he wanted Ryker to stay involved was mindboggling. Leaning forward, tense with anticipation, he listened as Mack began to fill him in on how they could work together to reroute Claudia’s plan for her future.

Chapter Nine

“Thank you for inviting me out tonight, ladies. You have no idea how much I needed this.” Claudia accepted her seven and seven from the bartender, and followed Rachel and Zoey across the half empty bar to a table.

“I’m just glad you joined us. Rach and I really only have each other to hang out with, and I can only take so much of this wench. You’ll understand when you know her better,” Zoey said, winking conspiratorially.

Rachel smacked her shoulder, “Hey! I resent that.”

“You mean you resemble that?” Zoey asked, waving to get the waitress’s attention. “So what are we eating, ladies? Salads or cheese fries?”

Claudia and Rachel both answered together, “Cheese fries,” and then burst into laughter.

“Thank God you’re not one of those prissy women who pretends not to eat real food,” Rachel said. “Lately it seems all of my new clients are city folks who want to buy a country home. It’s painful to take them to lunch. If I wanted to watch a rabbit eat grass I could sit on my back patio.”

Nodding in understand, Claudia wrinkled her nose, “I have to do my share of grass eating when I’m back home, trust me. Here I feel like I can relax and enjoy myself. Nobody seems to care if I’m thirty pounds overweight.”

Zoey looked askance at her, “Overweight? You’re joking right?” She flashed an irritated look at Rachel, “She’s got to be joking, right?”

“I don’t think so, Z. Sounds pretty serious. I think she’s been poisoned by the city. It’s all the carbon monoxide and crowded spaces. Just does things to the brain.” Rachel was shaking her head in resignation. “It will take us years to undo the brainwashing.”

“You two are hysterical. I’ve always fought my weight, but lately I haven’t fought as hard. There’s something ridiculously comforting about a giant cheeseburger with bacon on it.” Claudia sighed wistfully and sipped her drink.

“Years, I tell ya,” Rachel whispered to Zoey. They both wore matching sad expressions, making Claudia giggle and roll her eyes.

“So please tell me how you two ladies managed to snag almost a whole baseball team of sexy Texas men between you?” she asked, propping her chin up on her hand and finding a comfortable seat for the story. “Your families are the only families like this I’ve ever met, and I’m curious how it happened.”

Rachel smiled, “I started the whole ball of wax. Actually my guys did. See, I had been dating a guy named Mitch who cheated on me—”

“Douchebag,” Zoey grumbled under her breath, making Claudia laugh.

“An enormous one! Anyway, when the four guys—Rogan, Parker, Sawyer, and Hudson—found out I was single they decided to make a play for me. I opened the door by seeking out a one-night stand—”

Zoey interrupted again, “You mean you kicked the door open and waved your perky tits at them!”

“I did no such thing!” Rachel said indignantly.

“You came to Robin’s that night planning to have a rowdy romp with a random cowboy. If that’s not offering up a buffet to a starving crowd then I don’t know what is,” Zoey said.

Their waitress brought their cheese fries and they all dug in. Claudia grinned as she watched the other two women enjoy the fattening treat. It was nice to be out with females who weren’t looking at her like competition. Once they had all eaten enough to stave off starvation, she prodded for more of the story.

“So you came to the bar looking to get laid, and then what?” she asked.

“Before I could even put my plan into action the Brooks brothers spotted me and they offered up their…er…services for the weekend,” Rachel said, blushing slightly.

“The weekend?” Claudia lifted an eyebrow at the pretty brunette.

“The
whole
weekend. Nothing but hot monkey sex with four hunks for a whole weekend. Can you believe it?” Zoey said, throwing her hands up in the air. “Lucky bitch.”

“The agreement was I would spend the weekend with them at their ranch and then we would walk away friends. No strings attached,” Rachel finished.

Reaching out, Claudia took Rachel’s hand and stared pointedly at the enormous diamond adorning her left ring finger. “Looks like we need to have a discussion about what “no strings attached” means, hon.”

Zoey let out a bark of laughter and Rachel’s blush deepened. “Well I did walk away against my better judgment, but what I didn’t know when I left their house that day was they had already sealed the deal. I found out a couple of months later I was pregnant with Juliet, and when I told them, it changed everything. We’ve had our ups and downs though, don’t get me wrong. How many relationships are rock-solid after only forty-eight hours of wild sex? They didn’t even have to live through PMS for the first nine months of our relationship.”

“I think Sawyer nearly cracked the first time you got your period. He showed up at the ranch begging Tanner to hide him,” Zoey snorted.

“Wow. I can’t even imagine what went through your head when you realized they wanted you to be in a permanent relationship with all four of them. Do you know whose baby it is?” Claudia asked.

Rachel shook her head, “It never mattered. From the moment she was conceived Juliet had four fathers who loved her. We’re very lucky ladies her and I.”

“How did the town react?” Claudia asked and then she cringed, “I’m sorry, I’m being very rude with my nosey questions.”

Shrugging, Rachel smiled, “Don’t worry about it. I’ve been asked much worse, and we’re friends. Or at least I hope you consider us friends.” After Claudia nodded her agreement, she continued, “The town was shocked of course, and there have been a handful of negative reactions, but for the most part they are supportive. I grew up here and the Brooks family is one of the founding families of Stone River. They can pretty much do whatever they want around here.”

“It’s the same with my guys. The Keegan family didn’t help found the town, but they’ve been here for several generations. They have donated so much money to the school system and the town I think Tanner could walk through it just wearing a hat and spurs and not get even a raised eyebrow,” Zoey said.

Claudia sipped at her drink while silently wondering how she might have reacted if one of her coworkers showed up at work and made the announcement she was marrying four brothers. It would certainly ruffle feathers back home. Her father’s most of all. He would go apeshit if he knew she was even flirting with both of the Thompson brothers.

“How did the guys know sharing a woman was what they wanted?” she asked.

Zoey snorted, “Mine didn’t exactly. I’ve always had a thing for Tanner, but the one time I reached out to him he was a jerk, so I forced myself to give up on the possibility of us getting together. When my apartment got bought out by Schmidt last summer I had to find a new place to live. Thanks to my mom I barely had two plug nickels in my pocket, and Tanner was the only person I knew I could stay with until I found a place.”

“Wow. So you became his roommate and then just fell in love with him and his brothers?” Claudia asked.

“Of course not. His two brothers, Dalton and Clint, were smarter than Tanner was. They fell in love with me first, and the three of us had to work to convince him it was in his best interest. It’s hard to believe we’ve been married for almost six months already,” Zoey said, twisting the platinum wedding ring on her finger.

“You’re telling me! We’re getting ready to celebrate our two year anniversary!” Rachel exclaimed. “As hard as juggling four husbands is, I wouldn’t go back for all the money in the world. Those guys and our baby girl are my happily ever after.”