by Chloe Lang
Phoebe looked down at their joined hands. “Maybe, but there’s so much to discuss before we go there, Mitchell.”
“Then we’ll discuss it.” It was the most important thing in the world to him. He wouldn’t mess up this chance.
“After we eat, okay?”
“Deal.”
Jacob and Josh brought over their lunch, which covered the entire table.
He and Phoebe ate the delicious food and sat quietly together.
I love this woman. God, how I love her.
When the door to the restaurant opened again, still on alert, Mitchell glanced that direction. Phoebe’s two brothers walked in. Seeing Shane made him tense. His old friend’s fuck up had been the catalyst to fuel the breakup.
Both Phoebe’s brothers were staring at Belle. It was obvious they were attracted to her, but he couldn’t imagine any way that the two of them could share her or any other woman for that matter, given their opposite backgrounds.
“Your brothers are here,” he told Phoebe, since her back was to the door.
Her eyes widened. “Maybe they’re here for lunch like we are.” She turned around.
“Sis,” Shane said, heading their direction.
Corey followed.
Mitchell saw the looks on her brothers’ faces. “Apparently it’s more than lunch for them, honey.”
“Scoot,” Shane told her.
“Sure.” She slid over, making room for him in the booth next to her. “Are you here to eat? Our food was delicious, as usual.”
“We’re not here for lunch, Phoebe.” Corey took a seat next to Mitchell. “We’re here to talk about your stalker.”
“Damn right, we are,” Shane said firmly. “Why haven’t you told us about this, sis?”
“Shane, you have too much on your plate for me to bother you with something that might not even be a big deal.”
“Someone stalking my little sister is a very big deal.”
“Damn right, it is,” Corey agreed.
“Did Lucas call you?” Phoebe’s feistiness was back in full. She wasn’t going to be steamrolled by anyone, even her brothers. “Or Ashley?”
“Lucas told us,” Corey answered.
Shane frowned. “Ashley is going to get a piece of my mind later for not letting us know.”
“Leave Ashley alone,” Phoebe shot back. “I made her promise. She answers to me.”
Corey tapped his fingers on the table. “How long has this been going on, Phoebe?”
Phoebe gave them all the details, which was even more than Mitchell had heard.
“I’m going to get this fucker.” Shane’s face was blood red. “I’m going to put a bullet between his eyes.”
Even though he wasn’t sure he could ever trust Shane again, he actually was in agreement with his idea. Anyone who wanted to hurt Phoebe didn’t deserve to live.
“Since you are not allowed to carry a gun while you’re on parole, brother, I doubt you can do that.” Phoebe’s tone was steady but Mitchell could sense the storm of worry brewing under her calm demeanor. She cared deeply for both her brothers but felt responsible for Shane. “This is exactly why I didn’t want to tell the family about this. I absolutely don’t want Mom and Dads to know. Do you both understand me?”
“I agree.” Shane’s face took on a shadow of guilt.
In that moment, Mitchell saw a glimpse of the old Shane he remembered.
Belle walked over to their table with Juan. “Sorry to interrupt, but I need to talk to Shane.”
Shane’s eyes lit up at the blonde beauty’s words. “You do?”
“Amber and I want to offer you a job at the Boys Ranch. Lucas told us this morning that you were looking. Is that right?”
Shane shrugged. “The sheriff says I should be.”
“Shane, we could really use your help.” Belle put her arm around Juan. “We’re on a tight time schedule to get the dorm ready before the rest of the boys show up. We’re housing the five early arrivals at Amber’s place. Twelve more will be showing up in December. We just don’t have much time.”
Corey and Phoebe were watching Shane, clearly hoping he would take the job. Their belief in their brother was something to behold. Mitchell wished for a turnaround in Shane, but he just wasn’t sure it would happen.
“Belle, helping you would be a fun job to me.” Shane winked and Belle smiled. “Would you like me to start now?”
“Mr. Shane, I’ll show you the baby horse that Lady Dancer gave birth to this morning.” Juan grinned. “Uncle Emmett said he’s mine. I’m calling him Dragon Seeker.”
“Good name, Juan.” Mitchell smiled, happy to have another believer in town.
“Why don’t you have Corey bring you around five and we’ll have dinner?” Belle asked. “That way I can show you both around.”
Clearly, the woman was just as attracted to Phoebe’s brothers as they were to her. Belle might have only been in Destiny for a short time, but she was getting acclimated really fast.
Corey smiled. “I’ll be glad to bring him to the ranch, Belle,”
“Yes.” Juan’s excitement was evident to all of them. “Mr. Corey, I’ll show you Dragon Seeker, too.”
The marshal put his hand on Juan’s shoulder. “Looking forward to it.”
Belle smiled. “Gentlemen, I’ll see you tonight.” She turned to Phoebe and Mitchell. “Sorry to interrupt your lunch.”
Shane’s face lit up like a beacon. “It was our pleasure, Belle.”
Juan and Belle headed out the door.
Mitchell’s cell rang. “This might be Lucas.”
Phoebe sighed. “I bet he’s contacted Jason about the latest calls I got from my stalker. Apparently the whole town needs to know about this.”
“Of course he has,” Corey said flatly. “Jason is still the sheriff, sis. He should know everything when it happens.”
“Hello,” Mitchell said into his phone.
“Another brother with my woman?” a computerized-sounding voice asked. “You Wolfes will pay. She’s mine.”
What the hell? “Look, you motherfucker—”
His cell went dead.
Chapter Six
“Mitchell?” Phoebe’s heart thudded in her chest, anxiety flooding her entire body. “Was that…him?”
He nodded, and she stopped breathing.
“Fuck. I wonder how the bastard is able to get your numbers.” Shane’s tone was full of rage.
This was exactly why she hadn’t told her family about the calls. The last thing Shane and the rest of the Blues needed was to worry about her problem.
“And how does he know you were with our sister?” Corey asked Mitchell, assuming his typical big-brother role. “Does he know who you are?”
“No clue. We need to be on the lookout for a stranger in town,” Mitchell’s overprotective nature was in high gear, and she had to admit she was happy about that. “If anyone sees any outsiders, they need to report to Jason.”
“In the meantime, she’s not to be alone,” Corey demanded. “We can all take different shifts.”
“No.” Mitchell shook his head. “My brothers and I have this under control.”
Shane’s eyebrows shot up. “Jason, too? I doubt that. Even if that’s true, she is our sister.”
“And she is my responsibility, like it or not,” he stated firmly, grabbing her hand.
Corey stood. “I want to talk to Jason and see how he plans on finding your stalker. Phoebe, you’re with me.”
Mitchell’s face darkened. “I thought I made myself clear, Corey.”
This was getting out of hand. “That’s enough. I love how protective you are all being with me, but I’m a grown woman.” She turned to Corey and Shane. “Thanks, but I’m going to stay with Mitchell. Besides, since Corey and Jason are both lawmen, the two of you can hammer out what needs to be done better without me. Right now, I need to talk to Mitchell alone. It’s very important to me.”
Shane nodded and put his arm around her shoulders. “Si
s, I do trust Mitchell.”
She looked in his eyes and saw a hint of regret. “So do I.”
Shane turned to his old friend. “You’ll keep her safe?”
Mitchell nodded. “With my very life, Shane.”
“You better come with me then, brother,” Corey said.
“Why not?” Shane stood. “Jason and I haven’t seen enough of each other today.”
Corey bent down and kissed her on the cheek. “No more keeping me in the dark, sis.”
“I won’t.”
Shane looked at Mitchell and her. “Call if you hear or see or learn anything else about the bastard.”
“We will,” Mitchell replied.
She looked at Shane, praying he would follow all the requirements of his parole. The last thing she wanted was for her stalker situation to somehow derail her brother. “I promise.”
Corey walked over to Hiro. “If you see any strangers here, I want to be called immediately, Mr. Phong.”
“Trouble?”
“It’s Destiny,” Shane said. “There’s always trouble brewing here.”
“I will call you, Marshal. Haven’t seen anyone lately. Not since the Russian’s house exploded anyway.”
Corey and Shane turned back her direction for a moment, then they left.
She loved her overprotective brothers, especially now.
Mitchell put his arm around her shoulders. “Time to go home, baby.”
“Lead the way, Mr. Wolfe.”
* * * *
Mitchell sat next to Phoebe on her sofa. She’d poured them both a glass of wine. It was evident to him that she was having trouble getting out what was on her mind, so he decided to take the bull by the horns and dive in. “I’ll go first.”
She nodded. “I’d like that very much.”
“When Lucas called me this morning about him being with you, he told me that he had explained everything to you. Do you understand why we turned Shane over to Jason back then?” He held his breath as he waited for her answer.
“You thought it was the right thing to do.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “I get that now.”
“Phoebe, what happened to Shane broke my heart. I’ve always loved him like my own brother. But when Lucas and I found the marijuana in his sleeping bag, we honestly did not know what to do. We’d never experienced anything like it before. We felt we could fix this before you had to know about it, not realizing the whole thing was going to blow up sky high. Our whole plan, our whole intention, was just to get him help. It turned out all wrong.” If he could go back in time and change the way he handled it, he would. Unfortunately, life didn’t work that way.
“I know, Mitchell. You all meant well.”
“Lucas and I only went to Jason because we knew he would know what steps to take to get Shane into rehab. Had we thought Jason was going to throw the book at him, we wouldn’t have. I swear.” He still didn’t understand Jason’s actions.
Tears rolled down Phoebe’s cheeks. “It was such an emotional time. I let my mind convince me that you never really cared for me. If you did, I thought, how could you hurt my brother that way? Hurt me that way?”
“I’m sorry we handled it all wrong. I hate that I hurt you.” She had to accept his apology. His whole world depended on it.
“We all did things we regret,” she said softly. “I was so convinced I closed the door on all of you. When Shane came back from prison, my heart started to change. I realized I let the three men I loved most in the world walk right out of my life. For three years, I kept telling myself I was doing the right thing. But every time I saw any of you, my heart broke a little more.”
“I believe all of our hearts were broken, sweetheart.” He reached out and touched her hand. “It’s been far too long.”
Her delicate fingers curled around his, filling him with such joy.
He leaned forward and kissed her tenderly.
She returned the kiss but suddenly pushed him back.
“What’s wrong?” Was it too soon?
“I’m not here to break up you and Kaylyn.”
What was she talking about? “Kaylyn? Kaylyn Anderson?”
“Yes. Mitchell, I saw you two together last night at the O’Learys’ Halloween party. And the closeness between the two of you was obvious.” She leaned back, folding her arms over her chest, reminding him of how stubborn she could be.
He laughed, realizing what Phoebe had seen at the party. “You’ve mixed things up in your pretty little head.”
“I know what I saw. This is a mistake. You have every right to move on. Three years. I can’t expect you not to go on with your life. That’s not fair.”
He couldn’t move on with his life without her. “It’s the sound, baby.”
She shook her head. “What? Sound? How tired are you? Maybe we should talk about this later.”
“Honey, remember that night you and I made love under the stars.”
She smiled. “I’ll never forget. It was our first time together.”
“You fell asleep in my arms. God, that was a great night.”
“It was, Mitchell, but I still don’t understand what that has to do with Kaylyn.”
He grabbed her hands. “That night I told you about the sound I heard in my mind. Remember?”
She nodded.
“You, lovely lady, are the music. You always have been my muse.” Overwhelmed by his love for her, he pulled her in close and squeezed her tightly. “Though some know I’ve been seeking out our sound, you alone know how long I’ve been searching.”
“I do,” she said sweetly. “Since Lover’s Beach.”
“Last night, I heard Kaylyn singing and I knew I’d found it, Phoebe. I found our sound—our music.” Again, there were no words to express what he was feeling for her. Only the music—our music. “You have to hear it. The band practiced all night with Kaylyn. It’s amazing.”
“Oh my God, Mitchell. I had no idea Kaylyn could sing. I’m so happy for you.”
“For me? For us. For you and me.” He devoured her mouth, recalling their first time on the blanket under the stars. He felt her lips part, welcoming his kiss. He sent his tongue into her moist mouth, hearing the music fire up in his head again after long last. “I love you, Phoebe. I’ve never stopped loving you. I will always love you.”
“I love you, too. No matter how much I tried to push you out of my heart, it always belonged to you.”
He lifted her off the sofa and into his arms. “You’re mine, baby.”
She leaned her head into his chest. “Yes, Sir. I’m yours.”
Hearing her submissive tone caused his cock to harden and his balls to grow heavy. He carried her into the bedroom, gently placing her on her comforter. “It’s been far too long, sweetheart.”
He bent down and unbuttoned her blouse and she reached up and unbuttoned his shirt. Removing her silky bra, he skimmed his hands over her perfect breasts. “God, you feel so good.”
The way she moved her fingertips over his chest deepened his connection to her. They were rediscovering each other’s body, becoming enmeshed again in the love they’d buried.
“I love you so much, Phoebe. God, I was a fool to let you walk away. I swear I will never let you go.”
“I won’t ever walk away again, Mitchell. I love you so much. I trust you with my heart.”
Her words thrilled him beyond belief. Her love and trust were all he’d ever wanted.
Mad for the taste of her lips, he kissed her again. “You’re mine.”
“I’m yours.”
Another possessive kiss. “My baby.”
“My man.”
He kissed her neck, enjoying the softness of her skin. “I’ve missed you so much.”
She kissed him back. “I’ll never go away again. I promise. I need you, Mitchell. I need you so much.”
Lost to the intense, familiar emotions, they undressed each other slowly, kissing and caressing and touching. It was as if they couldn’t get enough of each other.
He’d never felt like this with any other woman, so in sync, so connected, so right.
* * * *
Phoebe looked into Mitchell’s eyes and felt her desire for him explode.
He kissed her taut nipples, adding to her hot shivers. Why? Why did I starve myself of this amazing man? Three years without him had left her empty and lost.
She grabbed hold of his cock, her need so great, so demanding. Unable to bring her fingers together around his girth, she remembered how wonderful it was to touch him, to feel him, to surrender her body to his.
I’m with him again.
“I love you with all my heart,” Mitchell said. He had always expressed his emotions for her without hesitation from the very beginning. She loved hearing every word.
“I love you, too.”
He moved down her abdomen, kissing her tenderly, creating a line to the place she needed him most. When his mouth covered her pussy, she gasped, memories of their past times together flooding through every thought, every cell, everywhere.
Wrapping her legs around his neck, she grabbed the back of his head, lost to her desire for him to claim her once again. Her need for him to go deeper was more than she could bear. “Please, Mitchell. God, I need you. I’ve needed you for such a very long time.”
“You have me, Phoebe. I’m yours. Now and forever.” His hot tongue hit her clit and created an explosion inside her body.
Unable to hold herself back, she came. Sensations shot through her, hot and electric. Every inch of her seemed to ignite, as she thrashed under him. “Yes. Yes. Yes.”
“Give me your cream, baby. Every drop.” He licked her into a frenzied state.
She could barely catch her breath. “I need you deep inside me, Mitchell.”
“I want that, too, baby.” He moved his body until the tip of his cock was pressing on her swollen folds. “I love you with all my heart.” He thrust his dick deep inside her pussy, filling her so completely.
“I love you, Mitchell. God, how I love you.”
Her words seemed to spur him on more as he sent his cock in and out of her pussy, adding to her pleasure.