Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
Andy downed the rest of his beer and crunched the can in his hand. His teeth clenched, his body tense as he watched Kane leading his woman onto the dance floor.
She didn’t even look back. Not once.
Jealousy flared through him, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.
If he went and cut in, everyone would talk about it. Especially when he pulled Kat into his arms and kissed her in front of her entire family. Because that’s exactly what he’d do. More than anything, he wanted to claim her as his for everyone to know. Even her family.
Fuck the consequences.
“Whoa, tiger.” Symon, who’d appeared next to him, holding his baby girl in his arms, spoke just loud enough for only Andy to hear. “You might want to give that can a break before anyone else puts two and two together.”
Andy looked down at the crushed can in his hands and quickly tossed it in a nearby bin. He shook his head and looked up at his friend. “There’s nothing to put together.”
Symon put his hands loosely over Poppy’s ears. “The fuck there isn’t.” He dropped his hands and kissed the baby on the top of her head. “Right now, I think I’m the only one who sees it.” He shrugged. “That and the conversation we had the other day…it didn’t take much to figure it out.”
“I told you, there’s nothing to figure out.” Andy tried to look away, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Kane, who had his hands on Kat.
“Right. You keep telling yourself that.” Symon chuckled. “But don’t worry, it’s not for me to tell. I’m not going to say anything.”
“Say anything about what?” Asher joined them. He offered Andy another beer, but Andy shook his head. “Oh.” Asher pointed over the crowd. “About that?”
Andy didn’t have to look to see that he was pointing at Kat and Kane.
“That’s not a match I saw coming,” Chase said, joining in the conversation.
“I don’t like it.” Craig shook his head. “Nothing against Kane, but?—”
“He’s not good enough for her.” Andy swallowed back a possessive growl.
“Exactly.” Craig pointed at him. “He’s a good guy, but he’s not right for Kat.”
“I don’t know,” Asher said. “He owns a business.”
“With his sister.”
Asher shrugged. “We have a family business. ”
“It’s different,” Craig insisted. “Besides, I thought we decided to keep men away from her.”
“We did.” Damn it. Andy really needed to just shut up and stay out of it. But he couldn’t help himself. “Besides, I agree with Craig. He’s not good enough.”
“So, who is good enough for Kat, Andy?”
If Symon hadn’t been holding his baby, Andy would have punched him square in the jaw. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth when Symon stirred the pot even harder.
“You?”
He didn’t have a chance to reply, because it was Craig who spoke up first. “Yeah, right. You know I love you, man. But there’s no way I’d let you anywhere near Kat. It’s a good damn thing you’re like a brother to her.”
Right. A brother.
Andy glared in Symon’s direction and swallowed hard before nodding once. “Good thing.” He turned and caught a flash of green as Kane spun Kat out of his arms before catching her and holding her close.
Andy’s blood boiled through his veins. There was no way he could stand there and watch them for another moment. Not without doing something he would regret.
“You’ll have to excuse me, guys. I need to find a bathroom and a bottle of water.”
He didn’t wait for a response and didn’t risk another glance in the direction of the dance floor before pushing his way through the crowd in the opposite direction.
Kat tried to stay in the moment with Kane, especially considering Annie had already pointed out how obvious her connection with Andy was. But she couldn’t help but sneak a glance over in Andy’s direction on her last spin.
He was watching her and even from the distance, Kat could see he didn’t look happy. Surely he knew Kane was just a friend? Still. She knew how she felt when she saw Andy with Jess.
She twirled out to the end of Kane’s arm before he spun her quickly back to him.
“Your dress is incredible,” he said with a smile as his hand once more found her back.
“It is made for spinning.” Kat smiled but didn’t meet his eyes. She hoped she wasn’t giving Kane mixed signals. It was just a dance.
They moved together with the music until the band wrapped up the song. The moment it was over, Kat took a step to the side, putting distance between them, and clapped and cheered for the musicians on stage.
“How about?—”
“Thanks for the dance.” They spoke at the same time.
Over Kane’s shoulder, Kat looked to where Andy had been standing with her brothers. He was gone. She quickly scanned the crowd and caught the flash of his green shirt that matched her dress sneaking to the end of the plaza toward the river. “Sorry.” She gave Kane an apologetic smile. “There’s something…” She shook her head. “I have to go. Thanks, Kane.”
Without waiting for his response, she slipped through the crowd. Kat avoided the section where her family was sitting and moved straight to where she’d seen Andy go.
There were fewer people at the far end of the plaza. “Andy!” Her voice was mostly swallowed up by the band, who’d resumed playing.
She saw another flash of movement and moved through the darkness between two buildings that led to a back alley.
“Andy?”
She heard the crunch of gravel and spun around. “Andy. What the hell are you?—”
The question was lost as he caught her mouth in a hungry kiss.
A moan slipped from her throat, and Kat melted into his touch.
Andy’s hands were all over her. Her own hands tugged at his shirt and pulled it from his tight dancing pants so she could slip them under the fabric and feel the heat of his skin.
“You drive me fucking crazy, woman.” His hands moved up her legs, under her dress, and his fingers dug into her ass, lifting her up.
She responded by wrapping her legs around his waist and crushing her lips onto his again. She was starving for him.
Andy backed her up until Kat’s back hit the brick wall of the building behind her. “I need you so bad.” His voice was rough in her ear. “Watching you dance with…I fuckin’ hated it, Kitty Kat. You’re mine. ”
Pleasure shot through her at his words and straight between her legs, where she was already so wet for him.
“I’m yours, Andy. Always.”
He growled and nipped at her lip. One hand held her in place while the other searched between her legs and found the scrap of panties she’d opted to wear instead of the sheer pantyhose that had been part of the costume because it was far too hot of a night.
If only she’d known just how hot her night was going to get.
She tore her mouth from his so she could focus on the task of undoing Andy’s pants and shoving them down to release his hard cock.
Her hands fisted his length, and he moaned. “You’re killing me.”
“The feeling is so mutual.”
Kat lifted her hips, and Andy guided himself to her entrance but stopped. “This is crazy.”
She nodded. “It is.”
“Anyone could see us.”
“Then we better be fast.”
He groaned and dropped his forehead to hers. “There’s no way I can walk away from you right now. I need you so bad.”
“Not as bad as I need you, Andy.” She gripped his ass cheeks with her fingers and urged him on. It was risky. Beyond risky. Her entire family was only steps away. Not to mention the rest of the town. The odds of being found out were ridiculously high. And as much as Kat hated hiding their relationship, it wasn’t the right time to say anything.
Still.
She couldn’t have stopped herself for anything in the world. And she was pretty sure Andy felt the same way. They needed each other with an intensity that was beyond anything either of them had ever felt.
Andy thrust deep into her heat, and at the same time caught her mouth in a kiss to swallow any noise she would make.
He filled her completely and he felt so good inside her, it only took moments before Kat felt the start of her orgasm building within her.
Andy’s thrusts came hard and fast. His hand protected her back from slamming into the brick wall. Not that it would have mattered. The only thing Kat could feel was the pure ecstasy of having her man claim her in such a way.
Soon, her orgasm crashed through her at the same time Andy took his own release.
It was fast, furious, and the hottest thing Kat had ever experienced.
“Holy shit, woman.” Andy cupped her cheek in his hand.
“My thoughts exactly.” She giggled as he slowly lowered her to the ground. “I can’t believe we just did that.” She straightened her dress while Andy put himself back together. “I mean, my apartment is right there.”
“No way.” Andy tucked a hair behind her ears and shook his head. “I wouldn’t have made it.” She started to giggle but he looked so serious her laughter died on her lips. “I want to be with you, Kat.”
“You just were, silly.” Once again, she tried to giggle. She took a step toward the plaza. They would need to get back soon before they were missed. “Isn’t that?—”
He stopped her by grabbing her hand and pulling her back into his arms. “No. I mean, I want to be with you. Let’s tell them.”
More than anything, she wanted that too. But it was too risky. Her brothers…her sister…they would freak out. There was already so much going on. So much change. And they’d be so mad. Craig would hate Andy if he found out. She’d lose him. And she couldn’t risk that.
Kat shook her head.
“Kat. I?—”
“No.” She refused to look at him. “I told you. We can’t say anything. Not now. Not with everything…I can’t.”
“Why not? Why can’t we? You’re an adult. And it’s not like I’m some random guy. I’m?—”
“I can’t lose you, Andy.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“But I could. Don’t you get that?”
She could see it on his face. He didn’t understand.
“Craig could…and they’d be so mad.” She shook her head so hard, her whole body moved, causing her fringe to fly around. “I can’t deal with it right now. Not with everything else. We’ve been through so much as a family. What if th ey aren’t okay with it? What if they freak out and cut you out?”
He opened his mouth but he couldn’t speak, because he knew it was a possibility. A very real possibility. It wasn’t a secret that all her brothers had some sort of ridiculous protectiveness over her. And it had only gotten worse after their father died. As if they personally were responsible for her future.
“You know they could.”
He swallowed hard and reached for her again. “That’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
She looked at him, the silence between them growing until finally she whispered, “But I’m not.”
“Where did you go?” Charli descended upon her the moment she saw her. “I’ve been searching—are you…” Her sister’s gaze scanned her up and down, finally locking onto her face. “Are you okay?”
She thought she’d done a good job putting herself back together, but there was probably no hiding the myriad emotions slamming through her. “I’m fine. Just tired.” It wasn’t a total lie. She was exhausted from pretending she was totally okay with denying anything real with Andy.
She was tired of all of it. Especially the look on his face when she told him no again.
Maybe she should just do it? Rip off the Band-Aid and tell her family she was sleeping with Andy and that they were?—
“Kat?”
Steven, her father’s trusted employee and executor of the will, appeared through the crowd.
“Steven? Hi. What are you doing here?”
He laughed, and the sound soothed her the way a comfortable blanket would. Something about Steven reminded her so much of her father and made her feel, even for the tiniest bit, that he was still there.
“Are you kidding, Kat? I wouldn’t have missed this for anything.” His smile was warm. “You were fantastic.”
Something about Steven giving her accolades made her blush. She ducked her head and shrugged a little. “It wasn’t a big?—”
“It was a very big deal.” He stopped her. “That’s why it was on the list. Everything on the list is?—”
“Private.” She lifted her eyebrows and gestured to her sister, who was still in earshot.
Fortunately, Steven was sharp, and he picked up on it right away. “I understand. That’s actually another reason why I wanted to see you. There’s one more thing I need to discuss with you.”
Kat’s stomach flipped. Was there another list? Or something more that she didn’t know about? Secretly, she already kind of thought she’d gotten off easy compared to some of her siblings. But maybe she’d been too hasty?
She let Steven lead her to a quieter spot.
“Don’t panic,” he said. “It’s not bad, I promise. ”
“I’m not worried.”
“Okay.” He chuckled. “But it does have to do with the last item on your list.”
“So you mean, my Spanish is good enough?”
He chuckled. “There wasn’t really an end goal where that was concerned. But yes. You’ve made pretty good progress with your Spanish lessons. And I think your father would have agreed with that. Your painting, too. The landscape you dropped off at the office last week is gorgeous. I’m having it framed for my living room.”
“You are not.” Kat’s mouth fell open.
“I am, too. It’s very good. You have a lot of talent, Kat.”
Instead of protesting again, she simply smiled. “Thank you, Steven. That means a lot, coming from you.”
“It’s exactly what Michael would say, too.”
Hot tears pricked at the back of her eyes, but she wouldn’t allow herself to cry. Not there.
“So the only thing left on the list is…”
He nodded. “The campout.”
“I’m hoping you came here to tell me it was a mistake and I don’t need to do it at all.” Just thinking about the backpacking trip sent her pulse racing. It was far more terrifying than anything she’d done already—and that included jumping off the bridge and dancing a sexy salsa in front of the crowd combined.
“Sorry, Kat. But I did come here to give you this.” He handed her a small bag. “The package isn’t to be opened until the first night.”
“Wait.” Her head jerked up. “The first night? I thought I only needed to do one night.” Kat wanted to yell, but she kept her voice low. She really couldn’t deal with her siblings knowing about the backpacking trip. Not tonight, of all nights. It was far easier to keep it to herself.
His smile was kind. “That is the requirement, yes. But your father did hope you might stay out for a bit longer.”
Automatically, she shook her head. “Oh, there’s no?—”
“Don’t make a decision now.” He stopped her with a gentle touch on her arm. “You can wait and decide later. Maybe even once you’re there. Remember, it’s not meant to be opened until you’re there. Whenever that is.”
She looked down at the bag and back at him. “I don’t know when…I haven’t really decided…”
“You don’t need to tell me anything.”
They were quiet for a moment, neither of them speaking while the festival wound down around them. The band was finishing up their set, which meant soon, the lights would come on, and everyone would head home.
After a moment, Steven’s smile dipped a little. “Are you okay, Kat?”
The question was so unexpected coming from him, that Kat almost laughed until she saw his serious expression. She swallowed hard. “Of course. I’m fine.”
“With all of this, I mean,” he said. “You’re handling it okay? I know that…well, I can’t help but notice you haven’t been to your father’s grave lately.”
Automatically, Kat took a step back. “How…how did you know?”
“It was a guess, mostly.” Again, his smile was kind, if not a little sad. “I visit myself, and I know you usually leave fresh flowers when you go.”
It was true. Kat had made it a point to visit her father’s grave on the second Friday of every month, the same day that she would have gone for their father-daughter lunch date.
“I’ve been…” Dammit. The tears that were threatening earlier slipped out. She swiped at her eyes. “I’ve been busy. It’s been a lot.” She shook her head and took a deep breath before looking at Steven again. “I’m fine.” She stepped back, the conversation over as far as she was concerned. “Thank you for this.” She lifted the bag containing the mystery package. “Is that everything?”
The older man nodded slowly. “Just try to remember that your relationship with him was as unique as this list is. He had a reason for everything. And if you take time to let yourself, you’ll see what those reasons are.”