Wilde Fire (2 page)

“Nate, shut up,” Dax and Drake said in unison.

Heath looked up at Phoenix. “Better get to your sweet prize. She’s

been pretending not to notice you.”

Phoenix nodded and headed to the reason he was here. As he

approached Jessie, her sparkling green eyes danced from him to his

cousins then back to him.

12

Chloe Lang

She stood and held out her hand for him to shake in a businesslike

manner. “Nice to see you again, Phoenix.”

Jessie’s hourglass shape was built for sin. He blatantly let his stare linger on her chest. When her lush lips turned down into the sexiest frown he’d ever seen, his dick hardened like quick-drying cement.

She withdrew the offer of her hand and pointed to him then to her

face, indicating he should raise his gaze.

Phoenix smiled and shrugged then went back to enjoying his

visual examination of her ample breasts. He longed to lave her nipples until she was thrashing against him like the other night when he and three of his brothers had shared her.

“Men in civilized locales know something about decorum, Mr.

Wilde.”

He laughed. “Aren’t you glad we’re not in any of those places?”

She rolled her eyes in a half-hearted gesture of frustration. She

tilted her head down.
Is she trying to hide something from me?

Thankfully, her attempt failed. He spied the corners of her mouth curl up, thrilling him. When she looked up, the smile was gone.

In a hushed tone, she said, “Can you be more like Jackson and try

to keep private matters—private?”

“You worried about those guys, Jessie?” He pointed to his

cousins, who were now eating their breakfast with great enthusiasm.

“I’m worried about everyone in this town,” she whispered. “What

happened with us needs to be kept between us, okay?”

“My lips are sealed.”

“Thank you.”

As she sat back down in the booth, he remembered threading his

hands through her silky auburn hair, kissing her lush lips, tasting every inch of her softness, watching her green eyes shed tears of

passion as she finally gave in to her orgasm. Though he’d only met

her less than a week ago, bedding her only three times, no one had

ever gotten to him the way she had.

He thought about what Jackson, his little brother, believed about

Wilde Fire

13

this incredible woman.
Maybe he is right about her. Maybe she is
the one
.

A voice behind him jerked him from his thoughts. “Howdy,

Phoenix.”

He turned his attention away from the beauty in the booth to the

speaker. Norma’s youngest daughter, Samantha, waved at him from

the other side of the counter. The nineteen-year-old flipped her long, blonde hair and smiled. Even when she’d been underage, Samantha

had been a tease, making him extremely uncomfortable. No matter

how much he and Jackson protested her come-ons, she never ceased.

For years, she’d made it clear to them that she wanted to be the next Mrs. Wilde.

Now that Samantha was an adult, he and his brothers were free to

pursue her. She was local. She knew the score about his family.

Marrying her made sense, but he’d never felt much for her beyond

friendship.

Phoenix tipped his hat toward Samantha. “Could you bring me a

Dr. Pepper?” He never could stomach coffee, which his brothers

teased him about ruthlessly.

“Sure thing, handsome.” Samantha sent a naughty wink his way

that didn’t sit well with him. The woman went back into the kitchen through the swinging door.

When he turned back to Jessie, he found her staring at him.

“So, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Jessie’s voice was oddly

sharp.

“Glad you’re already thinking about pleasure, angel.”

Though his dick was obviously on board to go for it with Jessie,

being with her put him at odds with so much he’d always known.

Jessie was an outsider. There were so many secrets that she likely

wouldn’t understand. Still, he wanted her. Maybe for more than a

night or two. Maybe for forever. If anyone was going to open a can of worms, might as well be him. But he’d have to take it slow and easy, even though it wasn’t really his style.

14

Chloe Lang

He tipped his hat then slid into the seat across from her in the

booth. Next, he grabbed her hand. Warmth shot up his arm, down his

torso, straight into his cock. “Mind if I join you?”

She pulled her hand free and looked nervously around the empty

diner. “Would it matter if I minded?”

“Not really,” he teased. “You have something against cowboys?”

“Maybe, but apparently the waitress doesn’t.” Her full lips

tantalized him, causing his blood to heat up.

“Jessie, are you jealous?”

Her cheeks turned red, pleasing him to no end. “Hardly. I am in a

bit of a hurry to get to the mine today.”

He took his cell out and looked at the time. “It’s ten-thirty. Not

too much of a hurry.”

She glared at him. “Whatever.”

“Sorry.” He laughed. “You’re getting into Wilde time. We don’t

rush here. I’m sure DC is a lot more frantic. Out here, we like to take things slow and enjoy life.”

“I’m starting to believe that.” Jessie sighed. “You know anything

about why Jackson had to leave?”

“Some. Did you order yet?”

“Yes. King Cakes.” She patted her belly and frowned. “If I keep

eating like this, I’m going to gain twenty pounds.”

“You have a flawless shape, angel. I know just how to work off

those calories, if you’re worried about them, though.”

She blinked then tilted her head. “You think so?”

“Know so. You remember what kind of trainer I am?”

Her mouth opened wide then snapped shut.

He leaned forward across the table. “Better than a treadmill.”

He watched Jessie bite her lip. She was so fucking sexy.

“Okay, cowboy. When I get back to DC, I’ll tell the owner of my

gym about you. I’m sure she’d love to put you on her payroll.”

Jessie leaving town wasn’t something he was ready to face. His

lil’ bro thought she was the woman who would be perfect for them.

Wilde Fire

15

Phoenix so hoped he was correct.

“I’d rather be on your payroll, angel.”

“You’re only saying that because of the skewed ratio of women to

men in Wilde.”

“You noticed that?”

She nodded.

“Wilde is a bit different than the outside world.” His town

continued to thrive and exist because of his family’s unconventional structure that had kept the silver mine undivided, and most locals

knew and accepted the unique makeup. Hell, due to the remoteness of the mining town, some had taken up the practice of plural marriages themselves. “Surely, you’ll be in town for awhile longer.”

“Depends. At least another week. It’s my understanding that your

oldest brother is running the mine.”

“Yes.”

“My records show that there are three co-presidents. There’s a

Daniel Wilde, Craig Wilde, and Dillon Wilde. Your dad and two

uncles?”

“Something like that.” Phoenix’s three dads and mom were the

sole owners of Wilde Mine, which he and his brothers would inherit

one day.

“Well, if your brother won’t see me, perhaps your father will.”

“They’re out of town. Austin is the top dog for now.” Phoenix’s

oldest brother hadn’t been with Jessie like him and his other three brothers had been. Phoenix’s cousins were more right than they knew.

If Austin had known that Phoenix and the others had slept with her

after he’d given strict instructions to steer clear while her

investigation was going on, he would’ve ripped all of them a new one.

Luckily, Austin was in the dark. For now. “Why are you all business, angel? Don’t you ever take a day off? Or a night?”

She took a sip of coffee. He spotted a little tremble in her hands, but her gaze never faltered. God, the woman amazed him.

“Let’s cut the crap, cowboy. I’m not an idiot. Did Jackson tell you
16

Chloe Lang

to keep tabs on me?”

“Not in so many words.” He liked her directness, and his dick

lengthened to the impossible, making him uncomfortable in his jeans.

“Jackson was needed in Colorado. We’ve got some land outside a

town called Bliss. The family is working on building a retirement

home there. Our parents think it’s time to expand our holdings.”

“Why Jackson? Are you buying more livestock for the family

ranch?”

“He’s got the skills they need right now. No livestock, though.”

His younger brother was full-blown cowboy, and Phoenix doubted

that he’d told Jessie about what he really did for the family business.

That was one thing Jackson liked to keep to himself, downplaying

how smart he really was. He’d graduated from high school at sixteen, got his undergrad at nineteen, and his law degree three years ago at twenty-two. Jackson had been called away by the dads for some legal matter they required him to advise them on at the site in Colorado.

“When will your brother be back?”

“A couple of days.” Before Jackson had left, he’d called him with

strict instructions to keep up the full court press with Jessie. His younger brother hated leaving, but he told him that it might be a

chance for Phoenix to get to know her better.

Before ending the call, Jackson had given him his marching

orders. “Spend some quality time with her, bro. In no time, you’ll

know that she is the one for all of us.”

Jessie cleared her throat, pulling him back to the here and now.

“You drifted off for a bit. What were you thinking about?”

“How I was going to keep you out of trouble in Wilde. It’s going

to be a challenge.”

“I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.” She sipped her coffee, wetting her mouth with the dark liquid. As long as he got his cupful directly from her lips every day, he could actually see himself

learning to love coffee. Wouldn’t his brothers be surprised?

“I don’t doubt that, Jessie. But you still haven’t met with Austin,
Wilde Fire

17

and I think I can help you get a meeting.” Phoenix’s eldest brother had been putting Jessie off for nearly a week. So like Austin to keep his plans to himself. The guy was an uber-control freak, and Phoenix believed refusing to see her was some kind of plan to keep her off-balance.

“How can you help me see your brother?” Her green eyes

sparkled. She was intrigued.

“Let me give you another tour of the mine today. I promise you’ll

meet him.” He knew when his brother took his dinner and where.

Austin wouldn’t like an ambush, but that didn’t matter. If Phoenix got to spend more time with Jessie, then his brother’s wrath would be

worth it.

“I probably shouldn’t trust you, Phoenix.”

“Sure you should.” He reached across the laminate top of the table

and squeezed Jessie’s hand. When she didn’t pull it back, potent

voltage rolled up his arm, down his torso, and into his balls.

“All right. But you better deliver on your promise of me seeing

Austin.”

“Oh, I’ll deliver that and more. You won’t be sorry, Jessie.”

“I’m not so sure, cowboy.”

18

Chloe Lang

Chapter Two

Jessie sat in the truck next to Phoenix. She’d never seen such

breathtaking male beauty in her life. He could’ve doubled for the

perfection of Michelangelo’s
David
, even though he wore a cowboy hat, T-shirt, jeans, and boots. But it wasn’t just his looks that got to her. His intensity and wicked ways unnerved and delighted her

beyond reason. Against good judgment, she’d agreed to let him take

her to the mine today.
I’m an idiot.

He looked at her with his big hazel eyes, causing her to experience a bit of vertigo. “You look flushed, angel.”

“I’m all right.” She tasted the deception on her lips.

“Would you like to hear some music?” He kept one hand on the

steering wheel, and one hand went to her thigh, sending a warm

shiver through her body.

She considered asking him to remove his hand but didn’t. Instead,

she answered, “That’d be nice.”

“Great. I think you’ll like this.” He punched some buttons on his

iPod, which was connected to the stereo in his truck. The sweet sound of a piano filled the cab.

“That’s not country music. And me thinking I knew you.” But she

didn’t know much about any of the Wilde brothers. How could she?

She’d only been in town for a week. Still, one thing she had

discovered was the brothers really knew how to pleasure a woman.

And something she’d never thought would happen in Wilde, of all

places, had happened. She’d lost her virginity here.

She could never forget how wonderful Phoenix’s brother Jackson

had been that night. The last few days with him had been amazing.

Wilde Fire

19

Though spending nights with Jackson was untimely, given her current work assignment with his family’s mine, she hadn’t been able to

refuse him access to her hotel room, or her body.

Curious, she grabbed Phoenix’s iPod. “What else would I find in

here?”

“Some jazz, hip-hop, alternative, heavy metal, classical, and yes,

even country.” He turned on the wipers as a light rain dotted the

windshield. “I’m multifaceted, Jessie. Besides, your mind seems to be buzzing, so I think some soothing tunes might be best for you right now.”