Chapter Eight
It should have been simple—a quick fuck with a beautiful, willing woman. Only it wasn’t simple at all. He told himself he was taking the higher road, keeping his hands to himself for the sake of Yukon. But since when had he ever passed up an easy piece of pussy?
This woman had gotten into his head. It was easy to believe he’d avoided her for his brother’s sake, but it was more than that. Somehow he knew Robyn would be his undoing. She brought out his deep-seated insecurities. City women had always treated him like shit when he traveled the circuit, assuming cowboys were brainless and only good for one thing. One in particular had stomped on his heart, making him cautious to this day. People from the city weren’t superior, they were assholes.
Robyn was different. She might have a fancy suit and high-priced education, but he could see beneath the layers. This girl was damaged, insecure, and for some reason she wanted him. He could practically taste her, her desire affecting him like some kind of drug. As much as he wanted her in his bed, she was too complicated. She was from a different world, and he knew getting involved with her would be a mistake. It was better to keep his distance until the damn rain let up so Robyn could get back to her real life.
Parker was freshening up in the bathroom when the lights snapped on. With the generator kicking in, they could dry out the basement and have the basic necessities. And he’d have to face Robyn again. A war waged in his mind—to give in or stay strong. He’d been mother and father to Yukon for too many years to count. Although he was only two years older than his brother, he’d taken on personal responsibility for Yukon. The least Parker could do was save his little brother the heartache he knew Robyn would give him.
Their houseguest wasn’t comfortable in her less-than-stellar accommodations, so there was no way she’d be interested in an uneducated cowboy. She’d been stressing about getting back to the city, so there was no point for Yukon to get his hopes up. Any connection they made would be severed as soon as she could get a ride back to her reality.
He’d just dried his face when Yukon burst into the small bathroom, nearly barreling him down. “Generator’s working!”
Parker pushed past him. “I kind of figured that one out. With the lights and all.”
“Well, I sure as hell didn’t expect it to start up so soon. Things are definitely looking up.” Yukon had a goofy smile on his face. He was no doubt dreaming of Robyn again.
Parker leaned against the door frame, listening to ensure they were alone upstairs. “Listen, Yukon. When she leaves, she won’t look back. A girl like Robyn isn’t meant for country living.” Parker didn’t want to hurt Yukon, but his fantasy needed a dose of reality.
“You don’t know anything about her,” he snapped.
“I know her type. She’ll probably fuck anything that walks. That doesn’t make you special.”
“Why do you always think the worst of everyone? Or is it you just can’t stand to see me happy?”
He did want Yukon happy, but unlike him, Parker wasn’t so easy to trust. His brother had never ventured out of their closed community, while he’d traveled the circuit and seen the darker side of humanity. Not all women were sugar and spice.
“I’m just giving you facts. Listen, don’t listen … whatever. Just don’t come bitching to me when you find out I’m right,” said Parker.
“She’s different. I can feel it.”
“It still doesn’t mean she’s ready to trade her briefcase for an egg basket. Use your head before you make a mistake you’ll regret.”
“I’m not a fucking kid, Parker. You don’t need to look out for me. I’ve been with plenty of women, and I’ve yet to shed a tear.”
That was true. Yukon had taken his fair share of women, local and passing through, to bed. He never wanted anything more than sex, never looked at any of them the way he looked at Robyn. What did it mean? Was it a mid-life crisis?
Regardless, Robyn had been ready and willing to give Parker a home run, so she couldn’t have special feelings for Yukon. He wished things were different, wished Yukon could find the happiness he deserved. But Robyn wasn’t the answer.
Robyn started to walk up the stairs, the creak in the fifth step an alarm they both knew well. They’d been trouble to the tenth degree growing up, putting their father through hell and back. When their dad would come upstairs to give them the belt, that same creak turned their blood to ice. Now it was all bitter-sweet memories.
They both stood still, not saying a word.
“The power’s back,” said Robyn as she reached the top of the landing. “That’s a good sign.”
“Hear that hum? It’s just the generator kicking on. The power’s not back to the town yet,” said Parker.
It pissed him off that Robyn was so anxious to get home when he knew Yukon was ready to sell his soul to make her happy.
“What can we do?” she asked.
Parker smirked. There wasn’t much space at the top of the stairs, all three of them only feet apart. “What do you want to do?”
She looked at him, unblinking, no doubt remembering their time alone. “If we can’t leave, I guess we wait it out.”
Yukon stepped between them. “You hungry, darlin’?”
Robyn nodded.
So, the little princess ate like the rest of them. He doubted she’d be impressed with anything they could offer her. She probably lived off sushi and weird fancy shit, not beef stew and potatoes.
They made their way downstairs, and Parker was surprised when Yukon led her to the formal dining room. Since their mother died, they’d never used that room. It was frozen in time ever since their father refused to use it, and it became the norm in their home.
Yukon snapped off the protective sheet from the large wooden table. “Have a seat, Robyn. Don’t worry about a thing.” His brother winked at their guest and shoulder bumped him as he left the dining room.
Parker gripped the back of Robyn’s chair with both hands, leaning down to whisper in her ear from behind. “Don’t lead him on. Hopefully we’ll have you back on your way soon.”
****
Robyn whirled around in her seat. “Excuse me?”
“Yukon won’t listen to my warnings, so I’m telling you.”
She glared at him. Back home, she was invisible compared to the women she worked with. For Parker to think she was some man-eater was laughable. Besides, despite her best efforts, there was something about Yukon that called out to her. If things were different, maybe another lifetime, she could see herself falling for a rugged cowboy like him. But like Shelly had told her, this was reality, and Prince Charming didn’t exist.
Robyn knew exactly what she needed, and it wasn’t either of these two men. They’d destroy everything she’d worked so hard for. Make her relive a dysfunctional cycle she was trying to break free of.
“I’m not interested in either of you. If it wasn’t for this storm, I’d be long gone.”
“My point exactly.”
She turned back around in her chair, heat creeping up her collar. What an asshole!
Parker took a seat across from her as Yukon came back into the room.
“Stew is warming up. Shouldn’t be long,” he said, sitting and folding his hands on the table. He stared at her, the intensity making her feel like she was being stripped, layer by layer. If it wasn’t for the rain breaking the silent hush, she would have been able to hear them all breathing. She knew Parker was watching her, too, judging her every move.
“So … how long have you been farming?” she asked Yukon. Small talk was better than uncomfortable silence.
“All our lives. The farm was passed down to us. It’s the only thing we know.”
She bit her lower lip, thinking of more safe topics. “Do you like it? Farming, I mean.”
Yukon smiled. “There ain’t much choice in the matter, besides, I’d never abandon the family farm … or our town.”
“Have you ever been anywhere else?” she asked.
“No need.”
“The city’s not what it’s cracked up to be, either. The grass isn’t always greener,” said Parker, chiming in.
“It’s not so bad. I like the chaos,” Robyn said. “I’d go crazy living out here. It’s too isolated, too quiet.”
“What you hiding from?” asked Yukon.
Robyn felt like he could see everything, even her darkest secrets. As far as they knew, she was a perfectly normal woman in their town on business. “Why would you ask that?”
“Our father always told us that a man afraid of silence is hiding from his demons.”
She swallowed hard. Robyn didn’t have demons, not really. Her childhood had been fucked up, and she missed the mark as an adult, but that wasn’t the same.
Or was it?
She liked the chaos because … she didn’t want to remember anything. And it helped her forget the loneliness.
“I don’t have demons. I just like a certain lifestyle,” she said, trying to convince herself as much as them.
Even the rain couldn’t kill the white noise this time. She squirmed in her seat as both men assessed her. Why did she feel like this was an interrogation?
“What kind of lifestyle is that?” asked Parker. “Everything money can buy?”
“Maybe,” she snapped.
“Then I guarantee you, that’s not much at all.” Parker smirked at her. “A little time away from the big smoke might be just what the doctor ordered. Around these parts, our motto is hard work and loyalty.”
“There’s nothing wrong with me,” she whispered.
Yukon cleared his throat. “I’ll get the food. That’s a good start to feeling like yourself.” He glared at his brother. Now that he’d mentioned food, she realized how hungry she was. The rich, savory scent hung heavily in the air.
Alone with Parker again.
They had a stare off, and she hated how vulnerable he made her feel. And despite the rift between them, he still made her horny. He ran a hand through his damp hair, looking too sexy for an asshole. “Why do you hate me so much? You don’t even know me,” she said.
He didn’t answer her, but undressed her with his eyes, a slow, sensual assault.
She whispered harshly so Yukon couldn’t hear them. “And I’m not some kind of whore like you make me out to be. I’m sure you’re both way more experienced than me.”
“Is that so? Just how many men have you had, Robyn?”
“That’s none of your business.” She crossed her arms, her jaw clenched down tight.
He tilted his head to the side. “And still not married?”
“Neither are you.”
“Touché.” He wet his lips, leaning over on his forearms. Very hard, muscular forearms. “Why is a beautiful woman from the city still single?”
The way he said beautiful left no room for argument. He meant it, a matter of fact, not just a word. For some reason, a compliment from Parker felt priceless.
“Because where I work and play, the women are perfect. Men expect it, and women change themselves to meet those expectations.”
“Not you?”
“Not yet.”
He frowned, his teasing quality fading. “What do you mean by changing? I can’t see a thing wrong with you, darlin’.”
“Well, I don’t know about the women in your town, but where I’m from they consider me overweight.” She felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment. “And old.”
“Then the men in the city are fools. They obviously don’t know how to handle a real woman.” Once again, the mood they’d created in his bedroom was back. Robyn felt entranced by the cowboy, ready to submit body and soul—so unlike her.
She was going to fish for more compliments when Yukon entered the room with two bowls. He set one down in front of her and sat down with the other.
Parker grumbled and left the room.
“It’s all homemade. It was our mother’s recipe,” said Yukon.
“Smells great,” she said, giving the stew a stir. At this point, she’d eat anything. “Do you mind me asking about your parents?”
The brothers weren’t old. She guessed in their forties.
After his first bite of stew, he answered. “Our mother died when we were just boys. She would have been around our age when she passed. Her death broke something in our father. He never remarried, never moved on. We still say he died of a broken heart.”
“Wow, I’m so sorry. That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard.”
He smirked, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I keep promising myself I won’t end up like him, you know, dying alone. But here I am, heading down the same road.”
“Don’t say that,” she said. “Any woman would be happy to have you.”
He stared at her, making her breath catch.
“What if I want you?” he asked.
The moment was emotionally charged. She thought of her own life and battle with loneliness. She didn’t want to hurt him, especially after everything Parker had told her, but she knew she couldn’t go down this path. Her mind had become clouded, reality fading away the longer she stayed with the brothers. But once she got back to the city, this would all be a memory.
“I hardly know you, Yukon. I’m talking about women here, in your own town.”
“I’m not interested in any of them,” he said, before continuing to eat his food. She did the same, and she wondered if the topic was closed.
Robyn watched Yukon eat, sneaking discreet peeks. He had a strong jaw, rough with stubble—such masculine features. His upper body was built like a brick house, his shirt clinging to all those home-grown muscles. Why wasn’t she falling head-over-heels for this cowboy’s attention? She knew everything about him was sincere, unlike the bastards back home who only wanted in her pants. It was her own ideals and expectations that kept putting on the brakes. She couldn’t give up now, not after a lifetime of struggling to make something of herself.