Authors: Gena Showalter
“I’
M
SO
CONFUSED
right now,” Dane said, the whiskey still dripping from his lashes.
Kenna pressed a sweet kiss on his lips, making his blood boil with need. “Let me help clear things up. You need to get rid of the centerfold, and we need to finish what we started.” She trusted him. Besides, she knew him. He wouldn’t have brought a girl here if he’d had another one waiting for him, naked.
“I don’t know why she’s here,” he repeated, “or how she got inside. I have never given her a key. Never given
anyone
a key. And I told her we were over. I even—”
Kenna pressed a finger to the center of his mouth. “Less talking. More getting rid of.”
He wiped his face with the bottom hem of his shirt, the lifted material revealing a stomach roped with all kinds of muscle. “You are a treasure, Kenna Starr. You know that?”
Am I? I want to be. Want to be
his
treasure.
He raced after the centerfold. Kenna heard cursing—both male and female—and the shatter of glass. She tensed, harkening back to the discovery of her mother’s affair with Thomas.
Dane yelled, “Do not ever come to my home uninvited again. Do you understand?”
“I know you want me,” the girl yelled back. “You’re just fighting commitment. Your dad said so.”
“You called my father?”
“I’m here to prove I can be everything you want, Dane. Everything you need. Spontaneous. Sexual.”
More talking, but Kenna couldn’t make out the words.
First Jada, now this. He must make
every
woman feel as if she was the only one in the world capable of taming him.
Doesn’t bode well for me.
A few minutes later, Dane escorted a red-faced Courtney from the hall. He didn’t head to the front door.
“She parked in back,” he grumbled. They disappeared again.
At least she’d been dressed this time.
But...wow.
That’s
my competition.
Slender, without an ounce of fat. Waxed and stacked.
I’m not even in the same league.
“She’s gone,” he said.
Kenna blinked to find him standing in the entrance leading to the kitchen. He had one shoulder propped against the frame.
“Maybe...maybe I should go, too,” she said.
He gave an almost violent shake of his head. “No. You’re staying.”
Nerves forced her to add, “There are probably a thousand different reasons we shouldn’t be doing this, Dane.”
“And none of them are good enough, Freckles.” His low, husky voice drifted to her ears, a blatant caress. “I want you. You want me.” He loosened his tie, unbuttoned his shirt. “Do you deny it?”
Gulping, she pushed to unsteady legs. “No.” But he’d wanted so many others for so long, and there was absolutely nothing special about her.
More and more bronzed, muscled skin was revealed. “Earlier you mentioned something about negotiating to speed things up,” he said. “I agree that’s a good idea, so here are my terms. You will give yourself to me and I will take you. You’ll trust me not to hurt you. I will adore your body the way I’ve been dreaming about since the night of the party.”
He’d been dreaming about her?
“Are those acceptable terms?” he demanded.
“Well, what do I get in return?” she asked, just to be contrary. As if he hadn’t just promised to make her every dream come true.
“More pleasure than you’ve ever thought possible.”
She couldn’t stop the shiver sliding through her. “I agree, though I have one caveat. I get to adore
your
body the way
I’ve
been dreaming about.”
He flashed her a tender smile, one quickly replaced by desperate need. “Deal.” And then he was striding to her, discarding his shirt along the way. She barely had time to appreciate the smattering of tattoos running up his arms before he had her wrapped in his embrace.
His mouth found hers, and as his tongue thrust inside, mimicking the hard-and-dirty ride to come, it had a devastating effect on any resistance she might have still harbored. It was as if an atomic blast had just detonated inside her, and her hunger for this man was the last thing standing. The only survivor.
She devoured him with the same urgency he devoured her, giving and taking seemingly unquenchable passion. Her hands longed to be everywhere at once and moved from his hair to his shoulders and then to his lower back in quick succession. His skin was soft and hot and the muscle underneath rigid with strength. He wasn’t some untried boy, afraid to demand what he needed. He was all man, confident and controlled.
Or maybe not so controlled. “Need to touch more of you,” he rasped. He ripped off her shirt and tossed it away, then tore the center of her bra. He paused the scorching kiss long enough to stare at her bared breasts, the crests beaded and red, aching. “Pretty. Perfect.”
He fell back on the couch, dragging her with him so that she straddled his waist. He sucked on one nipple, then the other, flicked his tongue over them and bit, drawing deliciously agonized moans from her. The pleasure was unreal, more potent than anything she’d ever experienced before, sweeping her up, propelling her to a new level of awareness, where nothing but sensation existed.
She rubbed against him and cried out as a sharp lance of pleasure shot through her. He cupped her bottom, and urged her into a more dangerous rhythm, one that was constant. Rub...rub...rub...every point of contact electric, and all the while he continued to erotically torture her nipples.
Too much. Not enough.
“Dane.”
He set her aside and leaped to his feet to yank at her shoes, her jeans. He hooked his thumbs at the band of her underwear and removed those, too, leaving her naked. There was no time to entertain shyness. He gripped her by the knees and parted her legs. Cool air brushed against her most intimate place.
“So wet, honey. So beautiful,” he praised. He dropped to his knees, kneeling in front of her...and lowering his head.
She trembled, hoping he would do it...but also nervous—
He licked her.
Her hips shot up off the couch, and he did it again, a slow lick that branded her soul-deep. No one had ever...how could it be so...”More! Don’t stop! Please, Dane, don’t stop.”
He gave her what she begged for, and fire sparked to life in her veins, scorching everything in its path. Pressure built inside her, beginning between her legs...quickly spreading, building and building...
“You taste so good, honey. So sweet.”
Shattering.
An orgasm ripped through her, and she cried out his name. Every muscle in her body quivered with need, pleasure...satisfaction. Weakened, all she could do was sag against the couch.
Dane lifted his head, his eyes glazed with desire, his pupils blown. His lips gleamed in the light—he licked away the moisture she’d left behind. “You ready for me?”
“Yes.” Oh, yes.
“Let’s find out for sure.” He pushed her legs even farther apart, and slid a finger deep inside her.
That’s all it took. The pressure began to build once again, chasing away the weakness, leaving her gasping with need. She chewed on her bottom lip to silence a cry of desperation, but it escaped anyway.
“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” he asked, working a second finger inside her. “Every inch of you. Made just for me.”
His words...
slaying me.
The tight fit burned, but it was a burn she liked, and as he thrust and thrust, she arched into the movements.
He withdrew his fingers, and she moaned at the instant sense of loss. He stood and practically shredded his pants. Wasn’t long before he was naked and oh, he was magnificent. Muscled, as she’d known, with a long, thick erection weeping at the end.
He tightened his fist around the base, pumping once, twice.
She was mesmerized, and wasn’t sure how she found the control to say, “I’ve been tested...I’m clean...on the pill...never wanted to risk...”
“I’m clean, too. Never been with a woman without a condom.”
Without a condom.
The words echoed in her mind, and she realized that’s what she craved. Nothing between them. Just male to female, no barriers. Something he’d never had before.
“Dane,” she said, and the need in her tone drew a moan from him. “Could we...what if we...”
She didn’t have to say the rest. “No condom, honey? Tell me that’s what you’re trying to say.”
She gave a little nod.
“With you...anything.” He returned to his knees, tugged her to the very edge of the couch, so that her lower body was in perfect alignment with his. “I remember you wanted a list of reasons for us to be together. Well, here’s number one.” He positioned himself at her opening and pushed in one inch...two... His breathing turned shallow, and sweat trickled down his temples. “You’re so tight. So hot. Never felt anything this good,” he said, and grazed his thumb over her sweet spot.
A flood of arousal allowed him to slide the rest of the way in. “Yes.” Her back arched, her body welcoming him even deeper.
“Reason two.” He pulled out, almost all the way, and she clasped at his arms in an effort to draw him back, but she needn’t have bothered. “Three.” He slammed back in. Out. “Four.” In. “Five.”
Yes, yes! She reached above and behind her to grab the top of the couch and anchor herself. Then...Dane...utterly...unleashed. He hammered into her, again and again. Hard, so wonderfully hard. The couch rattled over the floor, inching backward, but he maintained a bruising grip on her hips, holding her immobile, a vehicle for his pleasure...oh, the pleasure...more intense than anything she’d ever experienced before.
He thumbed her sweet spot again, and when she gasped he did it again, pressing with more force, before pulling out of her completely and putting his face between her legs, licking her again, driving her beyond the limits of what she thought she could bear, before he thrust back inside her, filling her, and she shattered, screaming his name, clenching on him, nails probably ripping the couch.
He rode her through the climax and just as she was coming down from it circled his hips, hitting her somewhere new. She erupted all over again. This time, he joined her, thrusting deep and staying there, shuddering against her.
* * *
D
ANE
LOUNGED
ON
the couch with Kenna in his arms. They would have been more comfortable in the bedroom, but he couldn’t bring himself to carry her in there. Other women had been in that bed. More than he could remember or count, and he didn’t want Kenna to join their ranks.
He didn’t understand the mind-set, but wasn’t going to fight it.
A soft blanket draped and warmed them. He might never get up, couldn’t bear the thought of letting her go, even for a moment.
“Did you always want to take over for your dad?” she asked, breaking the easy silence that had settled between them.
He smoothed his hand over the ridges of her spine. “I knew I’d have to, so I never allowed myself to consider doing anything else.”
“Even though you don’t like him much?”
“Even though.” It was odd, discussing his feelings like this. He’d never done so with anyone else, but Kenna knew his past in a way no one else ever had. She understood.
She traced her fingertips over his chest. “At least he values you. My mother...” She shuddered against him. “She doesn’t see my worth.”
Her worth.
Worth was determined by the price a person was willing to pay to obtain the object in question. What was she worth to him? Dane wondered.
He shied away from the answer, and sat up. “Your mother is an idiot. Excuse my use of the
I
-word. She doesn’t realize the prize she’s got, and that’s her loss, not yours. Her shame, not yours. There is
nothing
I would change about you.”
Kenna kissed the spot just over his heart.
The ache returned to his chest, prompting him to say, “I’ve got a surprise for you,” just to escape the conversation. “Come on.” He stood and tugged her to her feet. Then he almost changed his mind about leaving the couch—she was flushed, gloriously naked, and there was no female on the planet with curves quite so magnificent. But he wrapped the blanket around her and pulled on his underwear. He led her into the kitchen, set her at the counter and withdrew over forty small cartons of ice cream from his freezer.
“Ben and Jerry’s,” she whispered, a sudden well of tears making her eyes look like freshly washed emeralds.
The sight nearly undid him. “That’s not all.” He grabbed a burger from the refrigerator. He would never admit having to call eighteen different people to learn the answer to one simple question:
What the hell is a Krabby Patty?
“I was going to come to Strawberry Valley tomorrow, bring you everything,” he said. “I couldn’t stay away another day. But I’m glad you’re here.”
“Oh, Dane.” She pushed to her feet and walked over to him, slipping her arms around him, letting the sheet fall away. “Suddenly I’m feeling very hungry for something else.”
“Oh, yeah? For what, exactly?”
“Sundae à la Dane.”
K
ENNA
HAD
LEFT
HIM
, Dane realized. He was stunned. He was enraged.
Like a puss, he was hurt.
He’d taken her again. On the kitchen floor. Or maybe she’d taken him. She’d used his body as a buffet table and sampled the different flavors of ice cream. It had been kinky and sweet, cold and hot, all at the same time. It had been utterly mind-blowing. He’d never had so much fun with a lover. Had never laughed and played during sex.
Never taken a woman without a condom, just as he’d told her. Never trusted a woman enough not to try to trap him with a baby. But he trusted her, and the experience had blown his mind...and body.
Afterward, they’d watched several episodes of
Sherlock,
where Kenna had tried to solve the case before the detectives. She hadn’t, but her guesses had been adorable.
It’s always the butler. You’ll see.
There doesn’t seem to be a butler in this episode, honey.
That’s because someone is
secretly
a butler. Moron.
To her great surprise, he’d found her ticklish spot and tickled her until she’d cried for mercy.
And after
that,
she’d yawned and suggested they go to bed. He’d told her he was too comfortable to move, and that they should just sleep on the couch. Which had been true...but not the whole truth. She’d gone quiet and stiff, but they’d eventually fallen asleep.
When he’d woken a few hours later, she had been gone. He’d searched for her, but hadn’t found any sign of her. Then he’d noticed her car was gone.
She’d really left him.
He was used to walking girls to their car the moment the sex ended, because he’d always dreaded having to have a conversation afterward. They always wanted to learn more about the man they’d just rolled around with, which was understandable, but he never wanted to share, and never had the same need to know. Nothing wrong with the girls—everything wrong with him. He got that. He was ice, and nothing could melt him.
Except Kenna. He’d been looking forward to morning sex and snuggles—
seriously,
when did I become such a puss?
—and talking and sharing and learning, but she’d freaking left him.
He called her cell, but she didn’t answer. Every fiber of his being demanded he go after her and haul her back. Tie her to his bed, if necessary, and pleasure her so intensely she vowed never to leave him again.
His mind got trapped on that, the image of her bound and at his mercy. His blood heated.
Mind on the task at hand!
He couldn’t go after her. It was dark outside, and he might scare her, cause her to drive recklessly, maybe wreck into a tree.
He called her again, and this time, gritted out a message. “Are you proud of yourself? Happy you left the man-whore sleeping while you snuck out? At least let me know when you make it home safely.”
He paced the house as he waited for a response. He’d always loved the solitude here, but now he couldn’t stand it. It was too quiet, too isolated.
This is what I deserve.
He’d finally reaped what he’d sown, now forced to partake of the same fruit he’d fed to so many others—it tasted bitter.
His phone buzzed, and he dived for it. Not a call, as he’d hoped, but a text.
I’m safe.
That was it. No apology. No explanation.
He chucked his phone across the room and scrubbed a hand down his face. What the hell was going on with her? What had he done wrong?
By the time the sun rose, his temper was honed as sharply as a blade. He showered, hating to lose the scent of Kenna’s strawberries, but knowing he’d be unable to function otherwise. He dressed in one of his many suits and headed to his car. He would go to work. If she called, they would talk. If not...
I’m done.
He didn’t need this hassle.
He almost ripped the handle from his car door. Before he slid inside the driver’s seat, he spotted his mother’s sedan in the distance.
Don’t need this, either.
But he waited. She would only follow him to the office.
Dust spat from her tires as she eased to a stop. When she emerged, she didn’t approach him, but remained standing behind her open door, as if she needed a barrier between them. Ms. Christine Michaelson was a tall, regal woman with hair as dark as his. No gray had dared intrude. As usual, she wore a dress suit that showcased her slenderness.
“Do you have any idea how many calls I’ve received last night and this morning?” she demanded.
Should have seen this coming.
“No, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”
“Eight.”
That meant eight of his employees would be fired today. They were the only ones who’d seen Kenna and him together. “Wow. That many?” he asked drily.
“Is the whore’s daughter here?”
Dane stomped to her, snarling, “Don’t ever talk about her like that again. Do you hear me? She’s the best person I know.”
His mother flinched, but otherwise maintained her stance. “Clearly all the time you’re spending in Strawberry Valley is rotting your brain.”
Maybe so. “That’s my business, not yours.”
“Don’t be so obtuse. You’re a man of great wealth. Your business is never yours alone.”
He swallowed back a sharp rebuke. The animosity between them was new to him. He’d spent the bulk of his life trying to be a source of happiness for this woman. Trying to make up for his father’s actions—hell, his own actions. The affair hadn’t started until after Daniel’s death...a death his mother had always blamed him for, and rightly so. But that meant she also blamed him for the affair. At least in part. He saw it in her eyes sometimes, before she could mask it.
A man has to take care of his family. No matter what.
This was his mother. He owed her loyalty, not stress.
Kenna’s defection had messed with his head, that was all.
“How could you be with her?” Christine asked, her chin trembling. “How could you humiliate me like that?”
“She’s not like Roanne,” he said, backing off.
“Please! Not like Roanne? The apple never falls far from the tree, darling, I promise you that.”
What about me?
He knew he’d never change her mind about Kenna. Why even try? “I’ve got to go,” he said. “Move your car. Please.”
“We’re not finished here.”
“We are.”
“Dane Thomas! You’re proving my point, acting just like your father.”
That. That’s what she thought about him. But he said, “I’m sorry you feel that way. I am. But I need you to move your car. I’m due at work.”
She stood in place, stubborn to her core. Fine. He sealed himself inside his Audi and, though it took some expert maneuvering, managed to get out of the driveway without hitting his mother’s vehicle.
He sped down the road...and bypassed the exit for the office, heading instead for Strawberry Valley. Damn it, he needed to see Kenna, to hold her. To forget this horrid morning, and start fresh—with her. Why had she left him?
He made a hands-free call to her cell. When there was no answer, he phoned the office and rearranged his schedule.
But Kenna wasn’t at home. He drove to Two Farms. She didn’t usually serve the breakfast crowd, but could have changed shifts with someone to come see him yesterday.
He made his way inside...and found her taking the order of an older couple. Muted bruises under her eyes, tension tightening her mouth. His jaw clenched. She worked far too much. And now, all he wanted to do was sweep her up in his arms, carry her away and pamper her.
Conversations tapered to a quiet as he closed the distance. Kenna looked over to see what was going on and stiffened. Not a promising start.
“Kenna,” he said. “We need to talk.”
Her cheeks flushed a deep scarlet. “Dane. Don’t do this. Not here. Please.”
Last night she’d begged him and he’d loved it. Today, not so much. “When?”
“I don’t know. How about...never?”
“That’s not going to work for me.” He remembered her aversion for town gossip and forced himself to back off. For now. But he couldn’t leave her.
Wouldn’t
leave her. “I’ll wait till after your shift.”
She gasped, saying, “But that’ll be hours.”
“Well, you’re worth waiting for.” He claimed a table outside her section, and as the time passed, watched her rub her back and realized she was sore. Her feet probably ached, too. He scowled. He had enough money to live luxuriously for a hundred lifetimes, and yet his girlfriend had to work herself to the bone? No. It wasn’t right, and he wasn’t going to stand for it. He had to fix it. But how?
As shifts changed—and Kenna’s continued—he ordered food he couldn’t bring himself to eat from each of the different waitresses, and endured person after person sitting across from him, offering him advice, having guessed the nature of his relationship.
If you want to tame a wild filly, you’ve got to offer her sweet treats.
All those words did was make him want to ride Kenna out of her hurt.
My Myrtle gave me fits when I decided to give up my oat-sowing ways and be with her, but I kept showing up everywhere she went and eventually she couldn’t imagine her life without me.
Had Myrtle considered filing stalking charges first?
Had Kenna?
Give the girl time. She’s a stubborn one, our Kenna, but I can tell she likes you. The tension between you two is going to ensure my Robbie gets a
very
nice afternoon delight.
His newest waitress, Jessie Kay, clearly knew what was going on before she ever reached his table.
She threw a menu at him and planted her palms right in front of him, leaning close. “Too bad for you Kenna isn’t on that menu. You can’t place an order for her, and I can’t carry her over to your table.”
Blunt. “Your point?”
“I know what your problem is. Kenna took off, and your wittle-boy feelings got huwt. Well, boo freaking hoo. You say you want to talk to her, but why don’t you admit the truth? You really want to scold her. Well, go ahead. Scold her and lose her. You haven’t cornered the market on fear of commitment, you know. Kenna is dealing with her own problems.”
Damn. She was right.
She also wasn’t done. “Sitting here sulking isn’t going to do you any good. The only thing you’re likely to get is a case of hemorrhoids. And maybe a side of fries. But I’ll expect a hefty tip.”
* * *
K
ENNA
’
S
DAY
HAD
gone from bad to worse. First, she’d forced herself to leave Dane, telling herself she’d had half a night with him and that would have to be enough. If he didn’t find her worthy of his bedroom, what hope did they have for a future?
Then this morning she’d realized the night had left her feeling sated and sore and reeling and desperate and happy and sad and hungry and humiliated and treasured and rejected at once. All the conflicting emotions were screwing with her mind—because she wanted him back.
Maybe they could make a relationship. So what if he found her lacking—
So what? Really? Have I no pride?
Lost in thought, she ended up screwing up most of her orders, even dropping plates and spilling drinks. When Mr. Calbert called her back to his office, she prepared herself for some cursing and name-calling. Only, he sat behind his desk and pulled at his collar. He was so sweaty his hair was plastered to his scalp.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Cutbacks,” he shouted, then cleared his throat. He petted the telephone that wasn’t ringing and said, “I have to make some cutbacks, and since you’re one of my newer hires, I have to let you go.”
What! One of his newer hires? “I’ve been here for over four years.”
“Times are tough,” he continued, practically wheezing now.
“I’ll take a pay cut.”
“That won’t...that won’t help.”
He was lying to her. He had to be lying. She had heard nothing about cutbacks and business had been booming lately. “What’s going on? Is this because I broke so many dishes today? I’ll pay for them. Just take the money out of my check.”
“No, no. Speaking of your check.” He slid an envelope across the desk.
She sat there a moment, dumbfounded. “Mr. Calbert—”
“I’m sorry, Kenna,” he interjected. “But you need to leave now.”
She grabbed her check and numbly pushed to her feet. Was this day really happening or was this a nightmare? She was now without a job, a means of supporting her daughter. For no apparent reason! Trembling, she stepped out of the office. Jessie Kay and Brook Lynn stood by the soda fountain, watching the restaurant fill up fast as...Dane went from table to table with his checkbook in hand.
“He’s giving donations to everyone for everything,” Jessie Kay said, awed. “From Joey Middleton’s orthodontic work to Jolene Shepherd’s Sunday barbecue and tea. No one will be talking about anything else for months.”
Why would he do that?
For me?
She wanted to care, she did, but she was still too numb, hanging by the end of a very thin rope.
“Oh, Kenna. What’s wrong?” Brook Lynn asked.
“I was fired,” she said.
“What!” the girls demanded in unison.
“I will flat-out
murder
Calbert,” Jessie Kay said, and stomped away before Kenna could stop her.
“What reason could he possibly have for letting you go?” Brook Lynn asked.
“Cutbacks.”
“But...”
“I know.”
Brook Lynn hugged her tight. “Maybe this is a blessing in disguise. You’ve got some free time now. You can go do everything on our fun list. Live a little. Finally. Jessie Kay and I will cover rent this month, and I’ll catch up on the list later.”
No, she had to find another job ASAP. She would not allow her friends to shell out more than their fair share. But now wasn’t the time to mention that. “I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
She grabbed her purse and left the crowded restaurant before she broke down. The sun was high and glaring, summer creeping in.
“Kenna!” Dane raced up behind her. “You’ve made it too difficult to wait until we’re alone, honey, so I’m doing this here and now. I know you’re afraid I’ll cut and bail on you, but I want you in my life—I need you in it. You make it better. Make
me
better. Give me another chance to prove it.”