As soon as they disappeared, her knees wobbled beneath her, and she tried to catch her balance before she fell. But unfortunately for her, she didn’t manage it and ended up bumping into the car next to her. Thankfully, it was her Porsche. She quickly unlocked her convertible and dove inside.
Shutting the door, she snatched her keys off the console then jammed them into the ignition and started the car. She pushed the clutch in and shifted into first, squealing her tires as she launched forward.
Making it almost a mile out of town, she scanned the road ahead, looking for somewhere to pull off. As soon as she spotted a deserted country road, she slowed down and eased onto the dirt lane then drove past the first tree line.
Popping the car into neutral, she finally let the tears fall as she coasted to a stop then cut the engine off. No one could see her, and no one could hear her. So she allowed herself to completely break apart. She sobbed so hard she couldn’t breathe for it and so violently that her sides hurt. Yet she didn’t stop. She cried for all she was worth, which, according to them, was not much. But she didn’t quit until she had nothing left.
Finally, the tears faded away, and she pried open her bleary eyes. Glancing down at the only article of clothing that belonged to her instead of what her family had bought her, the only one she’d ever liked, she realized that no one would ever believe her to be that kind of girl. They wouldn’t want to know
her
, and she didn’t want them to, either. It wasn’t worth this. Nothing was.
She admitted to herself that in a lot of ways Shane had been right. She’d been bred to be a Blakemore, and she’d been taught to be one. And she didn’t even know how to be different. How fucking sad was that?
Heaving a long sigh, she lifted her eyes and noticed a majestic hawk soaring through the sky. As she admired the majestic bird, she promised herself that she would find a way to change her life. She would be everything that he’d said she wasn’t, and she would make damn sure that no one else knew anything about that side of her.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde came to mind. To everyone on the planet, she’d be the spoiled Katie-Anne Blakemore she’d been raised as, but she’d know the truth. She’d know who she really was. And that would fulfill her. It had to—because she couldn’t risk letting anyone this close again.
Present day, mid-January…
“I dare you to stay in Serenity for—”
Katie-Anne heard Jaycee’s words as they penetrated her agonizing trip down memory lane, and she was almost grateful. Until she remembered where she was and what Jaycee and Shannon were up to.
Katie-Anne was at the Blakemore’s kitchen table with her two closest friends, but their chat was anything but friendly or ordinary. The two women who were more sisters than friends were evoking her dare in quite possibly the worst way they could. They were going to make her stay, and that would destroy her.
The kitchen seemed to close in on Katie-Anne, and her breathing stalled in her chest. Each wall marched toward her, chanting inaudible threats and spewing silent venom at her. She felt threatened and taunted all at once.
Jumping up from her seat, Katie-Anne ran for the sink and bent over it. She took breath after breath to calm herself, but it was useless. There was nothing to stop this disaster, and she had no one to blame but herself.
Shannon jumped in, obviously not wanting to be left out, “Until after my wedding in March.”
Oh God. No!
Turning on the faucet, Katie-Anne scooped up two handfuls of water and splashed her face. The fluid splashed up onto the countertop and even a bit of it ran down her chin and dribbled onto her sweater, but she didn’t give a damn.
Switching off the faucet then swinging around, Katie-Anne said in disbelief, “But, that is two months away. That is—”
“Not long enough,” Jaycee interjected. “I think she should have to stay until I have the babies in June.”
“Oh, that is perfect, J,” Shannon exclaimed with an enthusiastic clap of her hands.
“I c–c–can’t,” Katie-Anne stammered as she stumbled over to the bay window at the far side of the kitchen. Staring into the darkness, she wracked her brain for something to use as an excuse. “I, um, have…”
What?
“Yes?” Shannon inquired.
“We’re waiting,” Jaycee added.
Katie-Anne jerked around. Since she had no defense or feasible explanation, she went on the offensive and snapped, “I just can’t stay for five months, not even on a dare. Okay?”
“No,” Shannon dissented. “Not okay. We played your little game. Well, now, it’s your turn, doll face. It’s time to pay the piper.”
* * * *
Landon stood, rooted to the floor in the Blakemore’s foyer, as he watched Katie-Anne disappear down the hallway with Jaycee and Shannon. They left all seven men standing in their wake, with frowns and a few grumbles here-and-there.
“If she weren’t pregnant,” Cade muttered, his aggravation evident, “I would spank her sassy ass.”
Gray snorted. “It looks like we’ve been going too easy on our woman, Cade. We’ll have to fix that soon or there will be hell to pay.”
“You think you’ve got it bad. My little sister has nothing on Shannon,” Randy groused. “She is a pain in the ever-loving ass. If I didn’t love her so damn much, I wouldn’t take half of her bullshit.”
Now, it was Drew’s turn to roll his eyes. “You would put up with everything she doles out and beg for more, you jackass. You’re such a sucker.”
“Like you’re not,” Jared retorted. “You reap the benefits of her recalcitrance every chance you get, Drew. I bet that all your dirty mind is thinking about right now is your hand smacking the curve of her luscious ass.”
Landon wished that he could spank Katie-Anne’s ass. But with the look in her eyes, she would likely rip him a new asshole or burst into tears. Either way, he would rather gouge his eyes out than deal with that.
Talking seemed to be the best course of action, and now seemed as good of a time as any. She and her friends might have thought they’d won, but they hadn’t. He’d make damn sure of that.
Landon shook his head, hightailing it down the hallway behind the women, and called over his shoulder, “You can discuss spanking them later, but I’m going to go get my woman
now
. My patience just ran the fuck out.”
Landon intended to barge in the kitchen and drag Katie-Anne out of there, but he stopped when Jaycee’s question drifted through the partially closed door. “You’re not really here, and you’re not staying. Are you?”
Landon froze on the spot, his breath stalling in his chest, as he waited for her to respond to the question. She replied with the answer he’d expected. “No, I’m not.” Her lyrical voice floated over the words that sent shards of glass through his heart.
Of course, she’s leaving, dumb ass. She thinks she has nothing left here for her.
Shane approached Landon, halting directly behind him. They were so close together that Landon could smell Shane’s musky cologne and feel his body heat against his back. But before Shane could say something and give away his shameless eavesdropping, Landon shot a look over his shoulder and mouthed, “Quiet.”
Shane grunted but complied.
In his distraction, Landon had missed the tail end of their conversation, but he caught enough to get the drift of it. The time for her dare had arrived, and her two friends had just bought him time to repair the whole clusterfuck. He had five months to fix everything. And he was starting right now.
Not waiting for Shane to follow him, Landon threw open the kitchen door and stalked inside. “Sounds like your friends are smart. It
is
time for you to pay the piper.” Marching across the room, he picked Katie-Anne up and threw her over his shoulder. “Let’s go.” With a nod to her surprised friends, he went out the door and into the cold, dark night.
He didn’t care whether or not Shane followed him—not right now. He needed to feel Katie-Anne in his arms. He needed his lips on hers. The past month had been too hard on him, and he was too starved for her.
Landon crossed the yard, his strides long and harsh. She jostled up and down over his shoulder but didn’t make a peep. He held her tight to him, keeping her safe and secure in his arms.
Her dress had ridden up, giving his hungry hands a chance to touch the longest, prettiest legs he’d ever seen. “Why are you wearing a short skirt in the middle of winter?” Landon asked with a growl.
Only Katie-Anne.
“You have to be freezing, kitten.”
“Not now,” she croaked, clenching her legs together as though hiding the moisture he knew had to be there.
Landon wasn’t cold either. His body felt ablaze, his skin so tight he felt as though he would burst out of it at any second. Tearing into the heated barn, Landon made his way to the bedroom adjacent to the office then burst into the room and flung her on the bed, following her down and covering her body with his. “That’s better.”
“Um, Landon…”
“Not now. Just not now.” That was all Landon said before he smashed their lips together, his mouth ravaging hers. He wanted for the kiss to be perfect, to be memorable. But the time for that had passed.
Fevered desperation gripped Landon’s body the moment their lips met, and he went insane. At first, she held still, not letting his demanding tongue inside her mouth. Then, when he least expected it, she moaned and opened her lips. Landon dove inside the heated cavern, his tongue tangling with hers. His mouth danced over hers, and she softened her lips against his as she wound her arms around his neck.
She played with the hair at the base of his neck, her tiny fingers winding the short strands around and around. Shifting beneath him, she rubbed her entire body against his, and he groaned loudly. The deep, desire-filled sound masked the noise of boots against the floor as Shane joined them.
Landon slid his hands down her sides then pushed them up underneath the sweater she wore. She wriggled with a moan, granting him better access. He glided his hands up the side of her ribcage to the outer edge of her satiny mounds. They seemed larger, more swollen in his hands. But it could have been his imagination.
Jerking his mouth from hers, Landon groaned, “God, I’ve missed you.”
She looked up at him, her eyes looking dazed, and smiled sweetly. “I—”
“Well, look at what we have here,” Shane interrupted whatever she’d been about to say, pissing Landon off royally. “My best friend and
my
wife
in bed together.”
Katie-Anne gasped. Blinking up at Landon in confusion, she spoke to Shane across the room. “I’m not your wife any longer.”
Holy fuck. This is going to get ugly.
Landon rolled off of her, sitting up and facing the man who was about to blow the socks off their woman. He’d be lucky if he didn’t end up smack in the middle of the crossfire that would inevitably erupt.
Reaching out and taking her hand, Landon helped Katie-Anne sit up. Instead of moving, she remained where she was, next to him.
Shane stood by the door with his body reclining lazily against the wall and his feet crossed at his ankles. He looked far too calm, far too relaxed.
That wasn’t going to last long.
“Are you sure about that?” Shane inquired, his question sounding as though he was leading her somewhere. Of course, he
was
about to lead her somewhere. She just didn’t know it yet.
Katie-Anne cautiously watched Shane who eyed her. The two seemed to be at a complete stand-off, which had Landon’s heart rate increasing.
This is not good. Not good, at all
.
Katie-Anne ended up caving first and snapped, “I’m sure. When you signed those legal papers, it dissolved the marriage.”
Shane grinned condescendingly, his face so arrogant that even Landon wanted to slug him. “Who said I signed those stupid things?”
Landon shot his hands out to stop her from launching herself at Shane, but she was off the bed before he had a chance. She rushed toward Shane aggressively. “You better have signed them, asshole.”
“Or what, little one?” Shane asked, sounding completely unaffected by her antagonism. “Are you going to punish me? Are you going to leave again? What are you going to do? Because the way I see it, you are stuck with me until I decide to sign them or until a judge will grant you a contested divorce.”
Shane smiled arrogantly, looking down at Katie-Anne who looked volatile enough to kill him just so she didn’t have to look at him. “Don’t forget, Judge Caldwell collects
cars
, and we are his favorite mechanics.”
Katie-Anne gasped. “You wouldn’t.” The shock on her face and in her voice was priceless.
“Oh, but I would,” Shane disagreed. “I have fucked up many times. And, hell, I may not even like you or your lifestyle half the time. But you are mine, Goddamn it. And I won’t give you up without one hell of a fight.”
“Aw,” Katie-Anne sneered, “how sweet. I don’t like you, but you belong to me.” She snorted. “Fuck you. I belong to no one.”
“Bullshit,” Landon growled, responding for the first time since Shane had entered the picture. He jumped off the bed and stormed across the room, trapping her body between his and Shane’s. “You’re mine. Damn it, you’re ours—even if the bonehead said it in the stupidest way possible.”