Chapter Twelve
What was she doing? She could blame it on the rain, the fireplace, or her overactive libido, but for whatever reason, she had tossed the caution she had carried around like an anvil on her back and kissed Kace Ryker.
Since she and Drew divorced, she would never have dreamed of being this forward with a man she hardly knew. Caution always rang in her ears like an old cast-iron bell. She hadn’t even wanted a man near enough to touch her, but God help her, she wanted this man’s hands on her.
He cupped the back of her head and pulled her closer. Relief washed over her like the cold rain outside. If he had rejected her, she would have died from embarrassment. His tongue pushed her lips open, and an uncontrollable groan escaped her. Her fingers found their way into his silken hair, still damp from the storm. Since he arrived at the spa earlier, she’d longed to glide her hands through those dark strands.
The thunder rolled over the tiny cabin and shook it, or maybe that was her shaking. Lightning cracked on the thunder’s heels, and white light flashed behind her eyelids. The power and painstaking orchestration of the storm outside gave her courage to go on kissing him. The storm inside her grew too and threatened to sweep her away.
Her hands wanted to explore him in a way different than her job ever allowed, but she kept them up by his neck, still slightly tentative of letting go completely.
His hands ran down her back and settled at her waist. He took the kiss deeper, and she wanted more—more touching, more pressure of him all over her body. The heat in the room made sweat pool between her breasts, but she wasn’t ready to take off her clothes. She inched closer to him and wrapped a leg around his waist. His erection brushed her most sensitive spot, even through her jeans, and the room spun out from under her. What if all this kissing made him dizzy too?
She eased back and broke the connection. Her chest heaved from the breath he stole.
He blinked. A look of confusion crossed his face, but his hands still held her waist. “You wanted me to kiss you back, right?”
“I don’t know what just came over me.” She sounded like some dumb woman in a nineteen-fifties movie. She knew what had come over her. She was stuck in a cabin with the sexiest man she’d ever been with, and he’d kissed her back.
“I’m kind of hoping it was me.” He flashed his bright smile.
Heat ran over her skin again. He had read her mind.
“Do you feel okay? You know, your head?” She could be taking advantage of a sick man, and that would be terrible.
“Never better, babe. No concussion symptoms now.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
She ran the pad of her thumb over his full, wet bottom lip. His tongue darted out and licked her skin. She wanted him to do that again and everywhere else, but she placed her hand on his chest and allowed the beating of his heart to vibrate against her.
“I…I’m…” Her hormones and her sense of responsibility dueled in her head. She couldn’t make up her mind. Kiss him again or get off the man’s lap.
“Please don’t say you’re sorry because I’m not. I’ve wanted to kiss you for days now, but I didn’t think you’d appreciate that. On the racetrack I’m in charge, but this stuff, the kissing and hopefully the sex, you’re in the driver’s seat.” He shifted so she faced him, her knees on either side of his waist, giving his erection more access to her, but his hands never left the spot on the small of her back. He didn’t lean in again to kiss her either.
Sex. Oh, she wanted to have sex with him, but it was too soon. She hardly knew him. He didn’t know her either. He didn’t know her past. She could never tell him about Drew hitting her. The humiliation would drown her, but could she have sex with a man who didn’t know the whole truth? Sex maybe. What about making love? And at the end of the day, he was a race-car driver, a professional athlete whose first love would always be the sport. She had been down this road before. A relationship with Kace would end badly for her.
So she kissed him again because she couldn’t seem to stop herself. His hands went up the back of her shirt, taking their time on each vertebra until he reached her bra. With skilled fingers, he flicked loose the hook. His hands came around to her breasts and massaged her in slow circles. She leaned into the delicious pressure and let out a long, heavy gasp.
She allowed her own hands to explore the texture of his abdominal muscles. They traced their way over his pecs and behind his back. All the while, he kissed her as if he wanted to drown in her, or maybe it was her imagination because she certainly wanted to swim in the deep end with him.
A log split on the fire and interrupted them with a solid crack. Reason, which her raging hormones had shoved to the back of her brain, fought its way forward. She had allowed the moment, the clandestine afternoon, to get the better of her. She didn’t want to be any man’s one-night stand, and she wasn’t in a position to have a relationship with Drew lurking around. Not to mention her desire to build her business and the simple fact she was a mother with a five-year-old child who needed to be her first priority.
It nearly killed her, but she pulled away. “We’d better stop.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “I was afraid you’d say that.”
She eased off his lap and sat beside him, smoothing her shirt down with shaking hands. The wind howled its own protest against her decision. For spite, that storm would rage on so they couldn’t leave. And once it was totally dark out, they’d have to stay the night. “Can I explain?”
“You don’t have to.” He patted her leg and inched closer to the other edge of the small sofa. There wasn’t much room for a man his size to go.
“I think I do. I just threw myself at you, and ten minutes later I’m pulling the plug.”
He tossed her a sideways glance and laughed. “That’s an understatement, but like I said, this is up to you.”
She rubbed her hands over her thighs to calm her nerves. “I like you. Obviously.” Heat climbed up her neck. So much for calm . “I’m not normally that forward. I don’t want you to get the wrong impression, and there’s my working for you that could be a problem. I need my job, and I need a stable place for Royce to live.”
He took her hand in his. “I’m not your boss. My brothers are. Even my mother, but not me. That doesn’t mean I don’t have a say on what happens at the ranch, but I don’t get involved in the day-to-day stuff. No matter what happens between us, I would never allow it to affect your job. And I know you’re not the kind of woman who takes sex lightly.”
“How do you know that? You just met me.” She pushed off the couch and stood by the fireplace. The wind swooped down the chimney and pushed the flames around, angering them.
He followed her and brushed the hair away from her face with a soft touch. His lips lingered near her ear. “Background check.” A smile broke wide on his face and made his eyes light up with mischief.
“Kace Ryker.” He had used the same answer to prove Izzi was safe with her. Tara swatted at him.
He leaned back and barked out a laugh. “Okay. Okay. In all seriousness, I just know, Tara. Instincts maybe. I have to trust my instincts on the track in order to win. I’m trusting my instincts now. I also think something happened between you and Drew that you don’t want to talk about. You don’t have to, but whatever that thing is would make you take what we were doing seriously.” He ran his fingers down her arm and gave her chills.
She clasped his hand in hers. “I can’t be a one-night stand. That’s not how I’m wired.” She held his gaze because he needed to know how important this was to her.
“Who said anything about one night? If we’re as good as I think we will be, I want at least a week.” He winked, and she took a turn at laughing.
Laughter made her belly fizzle. A rush of heat and joy ran over her and mixed with the warmth of the fire. “You make it so easy to be around you. I feel like I can relax with you.”
It had been ages since a man could make her feel at ease. After what had happened between her and Drew, and losing the baby, she believed an intimate relationship might never be possible. What if she misjudged another man the way she had misjudged Drew? But Kace with his intuitiveness and his caring for Royce and his trusting her with his illness made her want to try again with a man. Not just any man. Him.
“My helping you relax doesn’t sound like a bad thing.” He placed soft kisses on her neck. “We don’t have to make any promises. Let’s take it one day at a time and see what happens.”
“Can I at least try to call home first?”
“First?”
“You know.” She nodded in hopes he would get the message, and she wouldn’t have to say it.
“Oh, yeah.” He backed up with his hands in the air.
“Can I use your phone? Mine died about an hour ago.” She had forgotten to charge it earlier in the day.
He dug the phone out of his pocket and tapped in his code to unlock the screen.
“I’m going to stand right outside the door.” She opened the door, and a gust of wind rushed in, beating down on her. Rain dropped in sheets and bounced off the ground, wetting her feet. She slammed the door and moved to the closed window.
Three bars on the phone lit up. “I think we might have some service.”
“Sometimes we get lucky. You’re definitely getting lucky with a storm outside. That almost never happens.” He dropped down onto the sofa and reclaimed his coffee.
She had installed a landline in their cabin, giving her a sense of peace. The battery would never need to be charged, nine-one-one would always be able to find them, and Royce would always have access to a phone at home. She dialed the phone number and waited while the phone rang and rang. She was about to give up.
“Hello, Haden residence,” a soft female voice answered.
“Izzi? It’s Tara.” Her heart swelled. She would be able to speak with her son and know he was okay. Then she could wait out the storm with Kace and let whatever was going to happen, happen. Just as he said, one day at a time.
“Yes, hi. I’m so glad you called. The storm is terrible, and we’re all worried about you. Is Uncle Kace with you?”
Static came across the line and sliced through the words. She could still make them out, but the reception wasn’t playing nicely. She moved away from the window. “Yes. We’re fine. We’re at the hunter’s cabin.” She raised her voice to make sure Izzi could hear her.
“Hang on.” A muffled sound mixed with the static as if Izzi moved the phone. “The hunter’s cabin. Yes,” Izzi said to someone in the room with her.
“Is Drew there?” She moved back by the window.
“…he took Royce…an hour ago.” The static broke up what she said again.
“I didn’t get all of that.” She pressed a finger to her ear to drown out the screeching of the wind.
“He…an hour…Tara? Can you…me?” Hissing and cracking continued to interject into the conversation.
“Izzi, I can’t hear you. Where are Drew and Royce?”
“…my dad…find you. Glad you’re okay…” The call went dead.
She stared at the phone. The no-service message popped up in the corner. “The line went dead.”
“I’m surprised you were able to get through at all. Is everything okay at home?”
“I think Drew took Royce someplace.” She tried to suck in air, but a rope of pain and worry tied itself around her chest. Paranoia and the plot of every child-abduction movie slithered into the corners of her brain.
“Maybe they just went out for some food.”
“Yeah. You’re probably right.” Or maybe Drew took Royce and planned on never coming back. No, that couldn’t happen. Drew would never run away with their son. Royce was like a new toy right now. He’d get bored soon. He always did. At least she had to believe that.
She handed back his phone. “Thanks.”
“I’ll leave it right on the table in case anyone tries us again or if you want to use it.”
She curled up on the couch beside him and wrapped her arms around his waist, needing the connection. He tucked her against him and rested his chin on her head. She inhaled the scent of him, clean and strong, and closed her eyes. Cuddling with him on the couch untied some of the tightness in her chest.
“Everything will be okay, Tara. My family won’t let anything happen to Royce.”
She trusted Kace and his family. They were the kind of family she had wished for growing up. Even one sibling would have made the burden of her parents and the violence easier to carry. All the Rykers looked out for each other, and their mother was present. For her entire life, Tara had looked out for herself.
She eased back to meet his gaze. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For holding me and not expecting anything else.”
“Hey, I’m just glad I can be here for you.” He tucked her against him again while the beating of his heart drummed in her ear.
Sitting entwined on the couch wasn’t sex, but it was what she needed.
For now.