Chapter 7
Axe
The kiss was even more powerful, a reminder of memories that should have been kept locked away. I thrust my tongue inside, enjoying every second of tasting her.
She struggled at first, a moan slipping past our lips. Then she slowly stopped squirming, even sliding her hands along my chest.
I wasn’t gentle but I sensed she didn’t want me to be, her tongue dancing against mine. The moment of intimacy was everything and more.
When I pulled back, easing her to the floor, we both turned our heads, Kenzie pressing her fingers across her lips.
A part of me was ready to apologize, but why? She’d done exactly as she had all those years ago.
Taunted me on purpose. Hell, I was a man, for God’s sake. And she was most definitely a woman.
She took a deep breath and pushed me away as she’d done before, finally breaking whatever crazy spell that had fallen over us.
That didn’t mean she was going to be allowed to get away without resting.
I scooped her into my arms to stop her from managing to escape, carrying her into the living room. When I plopped her down on the couch, she acted like she was going to try to disobey me by getting up.
With my index finger pointed at her, I offered a stern look. “You’re not going anywhere. Try and relax.”
“Relax? How can I?” Even her voice was breathless.
“Because you don’t have anything else to do. Now, if I get my drink, will you try and be a good girl?”
The smug look she was wearing quickly shifted into one of mischief. I’d seen the look more times than I could count. She’d been famous for offering the bored-out-of-her-mind expression when she wasn’t thrilled with something. Wade used to tease her relentlessly over it.
Wade.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen the man. Oh, yeah. How could I forget? We’d almost gotten into a fight at the hardware store.
“Fine. I’ll be good,” she threw back, her retort dripping with sarcasm.
When I was almost to the kitchen door, the last two words she offered both stopped me in my tracks and made me smile.
“For now.”
The girl was a handful and always had been.
Just before I snagged my glass, I realized carrying a secret torch for the woman was nothing new, but I’d thought after over eight years I was over the feelings.
Instead, the moment recognition had settled in, I’d been hit hard with the full force of longing just as I’d experienced before.
She’d never been mine, but I’d felt the loss for years.
Maybe the gut-wrenching pain I was experiencing was compounded by another loss.
With the bottle in one hand, the glass in the other, I returned to the living room. I don’t know why in God’s name I believed Kenzie would follow my directions under any circumstances. Not only was she not on the couch, she wasn’t even in the room.
Where in the fuck had she gone?
With no shoes, she wasn’t running away from me. At least yet. Plus, she’d taken her drink with her. Maybe that was a good sign.
She’d left on purpose to piss me off. Being rebellious fueled her personality.
It didn’t take too long to check the entire house. She was nowhere. Which meant she was outside.
I found her on the front porch on a swing I’d never wanted installed. My sister had insisted I’d use it every night. She’d been wrong. Kenzie was rocking back and forth, one leg under the other, appearing peaceful where her hellion personality had been intact before.
The rain was now lightly falling. Sadly, there were puddles everywhere, including in the gravel driveway. What a freaking mess. I placed the bottle on the table, resisting interrupting her. Maybe because I wasn’t certain what to say.
“It’s beautiful here. So peaceful,” she said. “The view is incredible.”
I was lucky in that the location was on a ridge peering out at a curved portion of the mountain range.
“Yeah, it is.” I wasn’t good with small talk. I’d never been, at least not really. I’d faked it well enough for when I was on the rodeo circuit, but that had never been me. I leaned against the front railing, peering out at my front lawn without managing to focus on anything.
“How long have you had the cabin?”
Shrugging, I had to think about her question.
“A couple years. There was a fire along the ridge and we saved the place from burning. The cabin had been abandoned and I kind of fell in love with it so I asked around who owned the place. The owner had inherited it from his grandfather, who’d recently died.
I took some time renovating it. Moved in about a year ago. ”
“Wow. I didn’t know you were handy.”
“You never did know very much about me. Besides, eight plus years can change a man.” I sensed she was studying me.
Or maybe I should say dissecting me. It was funny that our two families had barely tolerated each other over the years, my friendship with Wade a bone of contention.
Yet somehow, this girl had managed to become a part of my world.
I’d hated her tagging along. Maybe because in a way she’d become like my little sister.
Which was another reason the fact my balls remained tight as drums around her should be considered shameful.
But it wasn’t.
“Eight years is a long time. I assume you live here alone.”
I slipped in a quick glance, noticing the blush on her cheeks as if embarrassed. “Is that a not so subtle way of asking me if I’m married or involved?”
She tried to act nonchalant while shifting on the swing. “Just curious. I mean a man like you should be married.”
“I’m not certain whether I should take that as a compliment.” With a look over my shoulder, I shook my head. She always enjoying toying with me. “No, I’m not married. How about you? Some hot man back in Billings?”
When she snorted, I was reminded once again of the past, a little tic I’d loved making fun of. “I’ve learned something very valuable in the last few years. Men are all alike. They usually want one thing.”
“One thing, huh?” I prompted and turned slightly as I took a sip.
“Yep. Hot sex. They’ll do anything to get it including making fools of themselves. Once they taste the forbidden fruit, they grow bored and can’t keep their dicks in their pants.”
“Wha—at?”
Her answer was so unexpected I spit out the entire swallow, coughing as soon as I did. She swung her leg out, moving it back and forth to create momentum with the swing. “Did I hit a nerve?”
After wiping my mouth, I shook my head. “You generally just say what’s on your mind. How did you ever become an attorney?”
“Well, you don’t know me any longer either. My skills might surprise you. Let’s just say my boyfriend found my replacement while we were still living together.”
The need to fix things in her life was just as strong if not stronger than before.
“Ouch. Nothing would surprise me about you. And for what it’s worth, the guy you were dating was a real asshole.
You’re better off without him.” Hearing about the jerk had me wanting to take a drive to Billings.
“Bastard.” My barb seemed to thrill her.
“Is that a compliment from you?”
I took another sip of my drink. “Yeah, well, maybe a lot has changed in my life. Does that mean you’re not going back?”
Her frown was telling. She hadn’t wanted to return to Missoula. “I don’t know what I’m doing. Losing my job and the place where I lived in one afternoon wasn’t on my to-do list for the year.”
“Maybe change is good. At least that’s what everyone kept telling me after the injury.”
“Is that why you stayed in town? I remember you telling the entire world when you became rich and famous, you were going to leave this place and never come back.”
I snorted. She was right about that. The answer to her question was more complicated than I cared to admit.
“I meant to leave. I thought about it. I just… I don’t know.
After my mom got sick, everything I thought I’d wanted changed.
Besides, you didn’t go that far away. We all have a tether to our past that keeps us grounded even while pushing us out the door. ”
“How profound,” she muttered then jerked back, her eyes opening wide. “Wait a minute. Your mom was sick? Why didn’t you tell me? Is she okay now?”
“First of all, we weren’t on speaking terms and from what I can tell, still aren’t. However, I’m surprised Wade didn’t mention it.”
We studied each other for a few awkward seconds. “Wade and I aren’t any closer than you and I ever were or could be, but you’re right in that maybe we can call a truce. It’s not like we were best friends. You were my brother’s BFF. I was just the annoying tagalong younger sister.”
The hint of anger in her voice was exactly as I remembered. “Maybe you still are.”
At least that garnered me a smile.
Chuckling, I took another sip of my drink. “So what now? I’m sure your family will be happy to have you home.”
“I don’t know about that.” Kenzie shook her head.
“I thought Wade might have told you that I pissed my family off when I headed so far away for school. My dad couldn’t understand why I didn’t take some business classes at the community college.
Then I pissed him off again when I refused to return for Christmas the first couple of years.
When I accepted the job in Billings, I didn’t talk to my dad for over a year.
That’s how pissed off he was. He wanted to control me and I’d had enough of that growing up. ”
“Wade mentioned you were happy. That was it. I don’t need to tell you this, but your father was always a hardhead.” Actually, he was a pain in the ass. When I grinned, she softened.
“Yeah. I don’t think much has changed. Your mom’s illness was why you dropped off the rodeo circuit. Wasn’t it? I mean I know you were injured, but you were always so close to your mother.”