River's Escape (River's End Series, #2) (25 page)

He shrugged. “I guess. I just imagine things that make more sense to me.”

Not a soul in the world knew who Ian was. Not even Jack.

“And it makes sense to you that this is how I should leave?”

“Yes.” She leaned her head down onto his thigh. His hand came down and combed through her hair. He let the strands thread through his fingers and fall back on his leg. “I just want you to have the life you deserve.”

“Because no one even noticed what your life was all about.”

“Not really,” he muttered softly. Silence descended between them and when she glanced up, he was staring absently at his hand, still rubbing her hair. She set her hand on his thigh and started to knead her fingers into his leg. His gaze narrowed. She stared at her hand before moving it up his leg to rest on his penis. It pressed back on her hand and his breath hitched with surprise. She lifted her head and leaned forward with both hands before undoing his belt buckle and his jeans. He barely moved. She eventually peeled the jeans back far enough that she could pull his blood-filled member from his underwear. It sprang up in front of her. He shifted enough to let it happen. She glanced up and he kept his eyes fastened on hers. She wrapped her hand around it, sliding along the smooth shaft. His hips shifted towards her instantly. She scrutinized it. Why did she find it so disgusting before? And so ugly? Why hadn’t she ever really touched him? She leaned forward and placed her mouth on the end of it. He drew in a sharp breath and his hands came to her shoulders before running through her hair. She felt sure he didn’t know he was doing it. He messed her hair up as she opened her lips and placed his hot organ into her mouth. It wasn’t how she imagined it in the least.

She didn’t know what she was doing, but his ensuing pleasure instilled her with more confidence than she usually had. She touched her tongue on him and he groaned as she did it again. She shifted on her knees, leaning forward and resting her hands on either side of him so she could tilt her head forward more. She started sliding her mouth up and down slowly. His hips rose and fell with her motions. Her hair was snarled by his hands. He always did everything he could to make her feel good, and to show her all the things she never knew her body could feel. For once, she wanted to do that for him, even if she had no idea exactly how to go about it.

She wrapped her hand around the base of him, finally swallowing him as deeply into her mouth as she could. It was shocking how far that turned out to be. He groaned, which was something he never did. Being a man who rarely articulated his preferences, Kailynn knew this was something he definitely liked. She did it again and again until he suddenly tried to pull her off him. It was way too fast for him. He could usually hold off coming as long as he wanted, or so it seemed. But not this time. The ensuing sense of power and domination Kailynn received from finally controlling his orgasm was almost as heady as the sex. She kept him inside her mouth as he came and some of it trickled down her throat. She didn’t love that part, but she liked making him feel so good. So quickly. He seemed almost helpless to her. His hands stilled in her hair and he moved them to her biceps. Pulling her up against his chest, his mouth descended on hers. His eyes were still closed and he didn’t seem conscious of what he was doing. He kissed her over and over until, quite shockingly, she felt him growing hard against her front again. Her heartbeat began to race. He turned her so her body was against the hood of the car. He skipped all the foreplay and everything. He simply lowered her pants, underwear and all, and lifted her up against the car’s hood before shoving himself inside her. She lay flat against the hood, despite how chilling it felt. But Ian held her hips down as he shoved inside her repeatedly, hard and fast, until she began screaming and clawing at the cold metal. He was standing over her with a sexy gaze that went straight to her core. She came as fast and hard as he had.

He emptied himself inside her and it felt like he was imprinting his mark in her. He leaned over her, his face resting on her stomach, still breathing hard. She lay there nearly panting, and utterly depleted. He eventually caught his breath and pulled her towards him. He wanted to get her off the cold car. He stood up and brought her up with him. As he held her close to him, she became sure she’d never before in her life felt as safe, loved, treasured, or trusted as she did right then.

Of course, nothing was resolved. Except she finally felt like she just might know something important about the man she was falling in love with.

****

True to form, Ian didn’t say anything. They adjusted their clothes and started to exit Shane’s shop. It had become a place she’d never think of again in the same way. She was somewhat surprised she hadn’t scratched the car with her nails. Holding her hand, Ian was locking the door behind him when a voice came up suddenly.

“What the fuck? No. Damn, that had better not have been you.”

She whipped around to find Caleb standing there. He was a few feet back with his hands on his hips, glowering at her, then at Ian. She glanced up at Ian, unsure of what to do.

“Were you…? I thought it was Shane with someone. I—”

Caleb was alternately glancing from her to Ian. Ian’s face tightened at Caleb’s tone and he replied, “None of your business.” Taking a step, Ian tugged her hand to follow him.

“None of my business? You’re in there fucking my little sister, and you think that’s okay? You dirty asshole, how dare you even touch her.”

Before she could see what was going on, her brother began running and tackling Ian. She stood there for a prolonged second in total shock. Caleb had Ian on the ground, and the two were starting to fight. She screamed when her mind eventually caught up to the unnecessary violence she saw before her. “Caleb, stop it! Damn it! Stop!”

Her cries soon brought Jack from the barn and Shane from the front of the house. Erin wasn’t far behind. The two combatants were swiftly pulled apart. Ian jumped onto his feet, blood trickling from his nose as he wiped it on his shirt sleeve.

“What the hell is going on?” This time, it was Shane’s voice.

“He’s taking advantage of my sister. I thought it was you in there. He was… Ah, Jesus man, how could you do that to my sister? I thought Shane was the only one I had to keep off her. It never occurred to me that it could be
you
.”

Caleb was shaking his head. Instead of being hot and bothered, he looked crestfallen as he stared at her and then at Ian. Kailynn stood there looking bewildered.

“You warned Shane to stay away from me?”

Caleb held his arm against his chest and glared hard again at Ian. “I warned off all the assholes you dated. They touch you, and I make them eat their own balls. I was pretty clear on that. I just thought it would have been Shane. Not
him
.”

She stared with her mouth open at her brother. Never did she suspect he even noticed whom she brought home. Never did he act as if he cared if she stripped and screwed them right in front of him. She could not get her head around the idea that Caleb actually cared so much.

“You’re really serious about this?”

Caleb shifted his face towards her. He seemed to finally see that she was shocked. “Yes, I’m serious. You’re my little sister. You’re so much better than all the riffraff around here. Jordan and me have been making sure that’s clear to all of them.” Caleb didn’t seem to connect that how he lived his life at age twenty-five, was not so different from the riffraff she dated.

She should have been mad. She should have inquired if Ian were all right and apologized. She should have been blushing and embarrassed, since everyone was out there and seemed to figure out what happened: her brother heard Ian and her having sex in Shane’s shop. Instead, she suddenly rushed forward and threw her arms around her brother’s neck. They were within inches of each other so she could do that easily. She put her head on his shoulder, in awe that he cared. Although it was Caleb acting backasswards
,
it was also his own, personal way of showing he loved her. She was just unaware of it.

Caleb patted her back and finally mumbled, “Hey, it’s okay. Why are you so… Well, I don’t know what you are. Aren’t you mad at me?”

Kailynn finally leaned back. “You probably shouldn’t have attacked the guy I’m with. Or threaten to make him eat his balls. I just never knew you cared.”

“About you?” He pushed her back and closely scrutinized her face. “Hell, Lynnie, I love you to death. Why would you think anything otherwise?”

She felt her heart bump. Why indeed? He looked so hurt by her, she smiled. “Because I just didn’t see it. I’m sorry, Caleb, I should have.”

“But Ian Rydell?” His voice sounded pained. He shook his head, and once more, began glaring at Ian.

She glanced around finally and saw they were the center of attention. “Yes.
Ian Rydell.
But thank you for warning
everyone
away from me, big brother. You’ll never know what you did for me.” She lifted her face to Ian, and his mouth tweaked up in a special half smile just for her. He knew exactly what she meant. If Shane had even remotely seemed friendly to her, she’d have gone after him, and he, most likely, wouldn’t have turned her down. No doubt, it would have been a short affair that broke her heart and meant nothing to Shane. But more importantly, she would have never discovered Ian.

Jack whistled. “Damn. It would be nice if I ever knew what the hell was going on around here.”

“My shop? You two? That’s really… gross. I’m going to have to disinfect the entire thing.”

“Stop. My ears,” Caleb said, frowning and covering his head. Kailynn was embarrassed, totally burning up in a blush, but still grinning manically at her brother. He was so sweet. So appropriately grossed out by his sister having sex. He just never seemed to care, and it followed if he hadn’t felt at all protective toward her, and was still so obnoxious, then he must not really have cared what she did. She should have cared that the man she’d had a crush on for years was totally grossed out by her actions. But… she didn’t. Not in the least. She was more interested in what she learned in the shop, and what she did in the shop, and knowing her brother loved her, and her dad was proud of her.

She kissed Caleb’s cheek. He blushed and it made her heart lift. A small laugh bubbled from her mouth.

He glared at Ian again. “You deserved that sucker punch, you stupid ass.”

She patted his arm. “Don’t call him names. He’s been good to me.”

She didn’t raise her eyes to Ian’s now. She knew he was listening, evaluating, judging, and deciding what to think and feel. He’d let her know when he was ready.

“I suppose you’re not a virgin any longer.”

“How did you know I was?”

Jack and Shane both fidgeted while staring hard at their feet. Erin listened with a giant grin on her face. Okay, not the best group conversation, but here they were. “
Was?”

“But you always acted like…” She had no idea her brother knew anything personal about her, let alone, expected anything from her.

He shrugged. “Hell, I’m your brother. I was just messing around with you. I didn’t mean to hurt you or anything.” He directed a mean scowl towards Ian. “You’d better be careful with her. I swear to God, if you fuck with her, I will feed you your own balls.”

Ian wasn’t amused by the ridiculous image Caleb kept describing. He remained stoic and merely inclined his head just an inch. “I fully intend to be.”

Erin cleared her throat. “From past experience, I know a girl really doesn’t need an audience at a time like this. So we’ll all leave you alone.” She smiled and winked at Kailynn as she pulled on Jack’s hand and jerked her head at Shane. She also smiled at Ian.

Caleb’s eyebrows furrowed. “Dad said you were going off to college. You’re not stopping that, are you?”

“No, she’s not.” Ian answered. He stepped forward and nodded at Caleb. “What were you doing here?”

He barked out a short laugh. “Funny, I was looking around for you. Never imagined I’d find you…”

“Let’s pretend that part didn’t happen,” Kailynn quickly interjected.

Caleb winced and nodded in agreement. “Anyway, I was coming to ask you for a job. My dad just gave me a talking to, about how Kailynn had done too much for us, and Jordan and I did nothing. He said she was leaving for college soon, and that if I wanted to continue to live there I had to start picking up the slack. He wants us to get full time jobs, and help him. I heard you planned to do all these expansions and new buildings, and I thought maybe you’d have something for me and Jordan. Except, now I can’t find Jordan.”

Ian nodded. “Yeah. No shortage of stuff that’ll need to be done. I can find you something to do.”

“Don’t think I’m working
for
the guy doing my sister.”

She slapped Caleb’s bicep. “Don’t be an ass. One has nothing to do with the other.”

He gritted his teeth. “Fine. But just so long as you never do that again.”

“That?” Kailynn asked, surprised he’d even try to bargain.

“That, as in, I’ll ever again have to think about my little sister…No, I can’t do it. For the love of God, just be more careful.”

“Maybe you should apologize for attacking Ian.”

Caleb grinned and shook his head. “I might have to work for him. But I will never apologize for something I’m not sorry for. He deserved it.”