by Linzi Basset
By the time they walked back to the house, Chloe was more confused than she’d ever been.
* * * * * * * *
“I’ve booked my plane ticket.”
“You’ve done what?” Shona couldn’t hide the disappointment in her voice.
“I’m going back to Frisco tomorrow,” Chloe confirmed. She took a deep swig of the soothing Pinot Noir for the upcoming confrontation. Diana and Shona wouldn’t be satisfied with anything less than the truth.
“Why this sudden decision? You said you were staying for three weeks,” Diana voiced her disgruntlement with Chloe’s decision. “It’s been just over two.”
Chloe squirmed under their intense regard. They knew her too well and didn’t miss the insecurity in her eyes.
She thought back over the past two weeks. She’d been living a dream. The three men spoiled her with little unexpected surprises, and on top of that, they didn’t seem to get enough of her sexually.
Her brow furrowed.
Stop fooling yourself, Chloe. It’s more than that. You know that.
The thing she’d been trying to deny was that they had made her feel again. Her heart had become invested in the trio, in the life and the future they were offering.
Her heart missed a beat as she thought about all the evenings they’d spent in the kitchen, around the large table, just talking and getting to know each other. How tender they always were.
Mark and Wade had stealthily found their way inside her mind too.
But it had to come to an end; their overwhelming, yet tender, lovemaking; and the erotic spankings Rex loved to give her. It was a fairytale. One, not meant for her. She didn’t have what it took to be in a relationship of this magnitude. She couldn’t love all of them. It just was not possible. Love had come and gone for her.
Yep, been there, done that. Not again. I can’t go through such emotional turmoil again.
“Spill it, girl. What are you running from?”
“Or rather, who?”
They shot the questions at her one after the other. She gazed at them ambivalently. How could she explain something she didn’t understand herself? How could she tell them that she was scared out of her mind; of the feelings the three men invoked in her? Most of all, how could she tell them that she’d done exactly what she’d promised herself not to?
The heart doesn’t follow the mind’s direction. You know this, girl.
You’re not helping!
Just saying.
Her hand fluttered in a valedictory wave while her mind scrambled around to find the words that would end their questioning.
“You guys know me. I can’t be away from the business for this long. I have a feeling that I’m needed at the factory.”
“Bullshit and I’ll prove it to you,” Shona grumbled under her breath when she made the call. “It’s time you start trusting Camille to do her job.”
Chloe cursed. She should’ve known that Shona would act like this. The phone call was brief and the cell clattered on the table when she threw it down.
“There! No problem. They’re ahead of schedule with the new designs we’ve sent them. Now, the truth, Chloe. What spooked you now? I’ve never seen you this flustered.” Shona was candid, as always. She wasn’t scared to pull punches; especially when it was about their friend’s happiness.
“No, you’re wrong, Shona. We have seen her like this before.” Diana searched Chloe’s expression and smiled when her soft, “Fuck,” echoed in the room. “Once before; when she’d been in love.”
“Hot damn! You’re right. This is exactly how she’d acted with Trent,” Shona said animatedly. She slammed her hand on the table. “This calls for some bubbly! Does Rex have Pongracz?”
They were alone in the large kitchen of the ranch house. Rex, Mark and Wade had a meeting in town and it had seemed like the perfect time to inform her friends of her decision.
“Stop, Shona. No, Diana, don’t even try. I’m leaving tomorrow and that’s the end of it.”
“And when did you intend to inform us of this decision, Chloe?” Rex’s chilling voice asked from the doorway. “Or were you going to skulk off like a thief in the night—like you did that morning in San Mateo?”
Her head jerked around. Her shocked gaze was met by three pairs of belligerent glares.
“What . . . I thought you had a meeting,” she tried to dodge his question.
“It was cancelled. Answer me, Chloe,” Rex demanded.
Mark’s jaw was rigid. With a final angry glance at her, he turned and stormed to the front patio.
“I . . .” Chloe couldn’t stand Rex’s cold gaze. She jumped up. “I’m gonna see if Mark . . .,” she mumbled and ran after him.
He was lesser of the two evils. Rex on his own, in the mood he was in, was frightening enough. Add the acerbic look Wade had flayed her with; she just couldn’t stay and face their fury.
Rex watched her run out the door. “Who is Trent?” He asked in a quiet voice.
“You heard? Just how much did you hear?” Shona asked. She took a gulp of her wine. His anger wasn’t even aimed at her and she was weary.
“Enough. I’m waiting. Who is Trent?”
“The man she was going to marry.” Shona responded with a sigh.
“He died in a car crash on his way to the church, on their wedding day.” Diana finished shortly.
“How long ago?” Wade asked in a clipped voice.
“Ten years, give or take. It took her a long time to get over him. She promised herself to never fall in love again and she hasn’t. She never became involved in a long-term relationship. This is the first time she’s ever been with anyone who isn’t a two-day fling.”
Rex’s complexion had turned gray. His breathing became irregular, like he was struggling to draw air into his lungs.
“Trent who?”
“What? Rex, are you okay? You look pale.” Shona glanced toward Diane, alarm rife in her eyes.
“Answer me! What was his surname?”
“Sinclair. Trent Sinclair.”
Shona’s eyes widened at his reaction. His shoulders slumped and he ran his hands through his hair; looking absolutely devastated.
“You have to talk to her, Rex. We can’t allow her to walk away from us,” Wade said with forceful ardency.
“No. It’s better if she goes,” Rex responded dispassionately. Wade knew him well enough to know that he’d already closed his mind and nothing anyone would say would matter.
“What about us, Rex? Doesn’t our opinion matter? What if we don’t want her to go? I sure as hell don’t and from Mark’s reaction, neither does he,” Wade tried to reason with him.
Shona and Diana followed the discussion with hope in their hearts. Someone had to reach Chole’s long buried emotions. They knew it was Rex she was running from. She might be developing feelings for Mark and Wade as well, but he was the one she’d already fallen in love with.
“Then it’s your choice, Wade. But, I’m past begging someone to love me and stay with me. I’ll never be a stand-in for anyone.”
“What are you saying, Rex?” Wade asked, confused. He’d never seen Rex act like this. Not even when his wife, Eileen had left him. He’d been furious then.
“If she stays, I leave. I will sell my ranch shares to you and Mark.”
“What the fuck. Rex! Get back here,” Wade shouted after him when he simply walked out the front door. Wade was stunned and was staring straight at the two women; he didn’t appear to notice them.
“What the fuck just happened?” he wondered out loud, listening to the screech of tires as Rex took off in his Jeep.
“Where is he going?” Mark asked, walking back into the kitchen with Chloe by his side.
“Fuck if I know,” Wade still looked dazed by Rex’s abrupt departure.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for you to find out this way. It’s just . . . I can’t stay,” Chloe said softly. She couldn’t hide the unhappiness churning through her.
“Why do I
get the feeling you’re not happy about your decision, Chloe?” Wade asked in his usual frank countenance.
“You lied to us, Chloe. For two weeks, you made us believe that you were opening your body and soul to us. You played with our feelings. Fuck! We believed—I believed you were ready for a permanent relationship with us,” Mark berated her too.
“That’s not fair,” she said imploringly. “I told you! Dammit, Mark, I warned you that I don’t want a relationship.” She gasped as tears unexpectedly burst forth, spilling down her face. She never cried and it made her feel more exposed.
Her chin trembled. She gulped and looked toward the mountain visible through the window, like she was searching for something stable. There was static in her head. Similar to when Trent had died; the side effect of constant fear—constant stress she lived with—of being alone; keeping her emotions locked away from everyone around her. She could hear the sounds of her wrenching sobs, like a distressed child, raw from the inside. It took something out of her that she didn't know she had the ability to give. That part of her that had been lost all those years ago; like a theft of spirit, an injury no other person could see.
“Yes, Chloe, you did. But your actions over the past two weeks supersede those words. You know actions speak louder than words.” Wade shook his head. “You fooled all of us, including Rex, who never opens his heart. Now, I’m afraid it was the last straw. He’s going to turn into a cold, hard shell. I hope you’re happy, Chloe.”
With those cryptic words, he strode outside, like a caged lion trying to break free. Mark followed close on his heels.
“Don’t listen to him, Chloe. He’s upset and didn’t mean what he just said. You’re not responsible for . . . fuck, Diana, now what?” Shona asked, watching Chloe run upstairs.
“Now we support our friend, no matter what. Somehow, I have a feeling this isn’t the last of it. These four were meant to be together.”
“Yeah, the question is, will Chloe realize it before it’s too late? And Rex? Something else ticked him off, Diana.”
“I got the same feeling, but we’ll explore that later. For now, let’s get Chloe packed up. We can’t leave her here. She’s coming home with me. The babies might be what she needs to soothe her.”
“And who knows, they might be just what she needs, to make her see what she’s losing out in life.”
“That, girlfriend, is exactly what I’m hoping for. It’s the only desire she won’t be able to fulfill if she doesn’t let anyone into her heart; to have children of her own.”
* * * * * * * *
Upstairs, Chloe closed the door, intending to lock herself in her room but she found she couldn't turn the key. Her fingers were jumping rhythmically, as if in spasm. Then her legs gave in and she crumpled on the floor. Her bowels suddenly churned.
Oh God, don't let that happen, not now.
She curled into a cocoon, fighting the terrible loosening of her bowels, the need to vomit. She was realizing that she might have made the biggest mistake in her life.
Her sobs battered away the walls that held her up, made her strong. They just . . . collapsed. With every tear that fell, another wall crumbled. Now that the water gates have opened, she couldn’t seem to shut them.
She was numb and allowed her friends to guide her outside and into Shona’s car without really noticing.
“I fucked up, you guys. I totally and completely fucked up,” she croaked as she settled into the back seat.
They glanced at each other. Their smiles were a combination of elation and relief that all wasn’t lost.
“We all do, at some point in our lives, Chloe. It’s how we fix it, that matters.”
“Yeah, Diana, but they are different. Rex is different. He’s . . . compelling in all aspects of his life. He does everything with passion. That’s why Mark and Wade have connected with him. It’s what makes them such a powerful trio. His passion is what drives their relationship, makes them stronger. But, he hates me now and he’s gonna do that with as much passion.”
Her voice thinned as she relived it again—that moment when he’d paused, just when they were both on the brink of a shattering climax. The reason she was leaving.
He tangled their hands together, kissed her softly and looked into her eyes. She couldn’t decipher the emotions that she saw flashing in the silver-blue eyes.
“You are the one, love. The one, who has the key to unlock my heart.”
Her heart filled with such elation, her body reacted subliminally and she experienced the hardest climax of her life—earth shattering.
“Rex . . .,” she whispered his name, but before she could voice what she’d been denying to herself, he uttered a primeval growl and followed her with an equally strong orgasm.
When she woke up in his arms that morning, her mind had gone in a tailspin. It could never be. She had made a promise. To Trent—at his graveside, that she would never love anyone but him.
Chloe had never broken that promise and now it tore her apart. That the vow she’d made to the only man she had ever loved, was the one she couldn’t keep.
Because she did; she loved Rex. The embryo of her biggest fear—that in such a short time, she’d come to love him more; much more than she ever loved Trent. And then there were Mark and Wade. Her feelings confused her. She couldn’t be in love with them too, could she? The human heart . . . her human heart wasn’t designed to cope with so much emotion.
Chloe would come to realize that the heart didn’t limit itself to one true love.
Chapter Fourteen
“Hmm, nothing as invigorating as a strong cup of coffee.”
Before the day started for the masses, Chloe was already in the kitchen, fully dressed and ready to go. Outside, it was still dark. Nowadays, she couldn’t tell the difference between the morning or evening. For the past two months, since her return from Tucson, she was usually at her desk at the factory before sunrise and worked till she was dead on her feet.
She missed the vibrant greens of the trees and the brilliance of the sun and the ocean. She longed for the multitude of hues from the city parks in the early morning. Now, all she saw was the artificial glow of the street-lamps that looked shallow and dull as she drove past them every day.
“No apples. I guess I better do some shopping,” she muttered as a search through the fridge and groceries cupboard offered nothing to nibble on.
Chloe was in survival mode. Work was all that mattered; the only way of keeping her mind busy during waking hours. She didn’t want to think; to remember; to long for missed opportunities. And most of all, deal with the regret that rode her back until she felt hollow under the pressure.
“Oh, for goodness sake, where the devil are all these people going to this early?” She grumbled irritably. “You'd think the road would be empty at six in the morning. Everyone should be asleep, right?” She downshifted and settled in for a long tiring trip to work. “Gmphf, as if.”
Hours later, she sat back in her chair. She was listless and couldn’t get any design to work. To be honest, she’d had a designer’s block since her return from Tucson. Her thoughts usually filled with visions of a man staring at her with ice-blue eyes. And those words, those damn words kept hounding her.
“You are the one, love. The one who has the key to unlock my heart.”
Her cell phone rang and she answered it distractedly.
“Chloe Walker speaking.”
“Hey, girl. How are you?”
“Shona, what a surprise. It’s not time for our weekly conference call is it?”
“Nope, but I am in town.”
“You’re in Frisco? Really?” Her voice rose in excitement. She missed her two friends fiercely, more now than ever.
“My hubbies have a huge deal they are working on and we’ll be here for a week. And guess what?”
“You know how I hate that question, Shona,” Chloe reprimanded her. “I can never guess, so why don’t you just tell me.”
“Mitch surprised me wi
th invites to the opening night art exhibition of your favorite artist.”
“No! John J? I tried to get an invite but couldn’t manage to get one. It’s the first time he’s doing an exhibition. He only paints on commission and doesn’t need to exhibit because his paintings are extremely sought after and show up in elite art circles anyway.”
“I knew you’d be pleased. I’m on my way. Chill the wine so long, girl. We’ve got time for some pampering this afternoon.”
“Ehm . . . I’m not at home. I’m at the factory.”
The silence that followed her words was condemning.
“I thought we agreed that we’re giving Camille free reign to run the operations, Chloe.”
“Oh, I’m not interfering at all. I’ve just moved . . . well, I’ve moved my office here. I don’t work at home anymore.”
“I knew it! I told Diana something was wrong. Get your ass home, Chloe. You better be there to open the door for me in thirty minutes. Don’t let me send Mitch to come and pick you up. Believe me, you don’t want that.”
“Shona—”
“Choose, Chloe. Thirty minutes or Mitch?”
“Geez, you’re turning into a tyrant! Okay, I’ll pack up and leave in five minutes.”
“Good. Don’t make me wait. We are gonna have a serious talk, you and me. Why four people have to suffer is beyond me.”
“What are you talking—Shona!” But her snarky friend had already ended the connection. Chloe packed up and was on her way in less than five minutes. She wouldn’t put it past Shona to do what she’d threatened. If there was one person Chloe walked circles around, it was Mitch. He was an expert at mind-fucking and she had no desire to be on his bad side.
She had just opened a bottle of Sangria when the front door opened.
“Chloe! Where are you?”
“You don’t have to wake old aunt Greta three doors down, Shona.” Chloe berated her dryly from the kitchen. The entire ground level of her comfortable beach house was open plan with a cozy and inviting atmosphere.
“It’s so quiet in here I thought you were still on your way. You always have music playing in the background.”