six foot three, and two hundred pounds, the seats confined him. Good, he thought, she won’t get laid in this car. Braden probably thought the same thing when he bought it.
Peyton continued to bat her eyes and bent down for her purse, pretended uninterested in the pending conversation and pulled out some Dentyne. “Wanna a piece of gum?”
“No.”
“I’ve got some candy too. Wanna peppermint?”
“No.”
“Wanna pop my cherry?” She smiled deviously.
“No.” Yes! Hell yes! He blinked to be sure he heard her correctly. The first bead of sweat burned his brow. “What did you say?”
She laughed. “It’s a game.” She pulled out a hand-held device. It looked like a palm pilot.
“It’s called Cherry Popper.”
He let out a sigh of relief and shook his head. “Don’t tell me, the winner is the one who pops the most cherries.”
“You got it.”
“Great.”
“I bet you’re a big winner, aren’t you, Kane?”
He pulled back on the road and concentrated on the pavement in front of them. If she didn’t shut up about popping cherries, he was going to pop his zipper, and then Lord only knew what else he might snap. Oh yeah, he’d go for that cherry, if she still had it. If not, he’d look for a fuckin’ strawberry.
A few minutes later and they pulled through the gates of the ranch. Balloons decorated the gates and a sign with streamers directed the traffic expected. Her eyes immediately danced with excitement.
“A party?”
“Looks like it.”
“Are you serious? A real birthday party?”
“Good God Peyton, it’s a party. It’s not a car.” With a seventy-five thousand dollar price tag.
“You don’t understand,” she shouted excitedly as she jumped out catching the keys as he threw them to her, “I’ve never had a party before in my life!”
He stopped where he stood as she ran off toward the pool area. Her sweet little apple-bottom ass shifted back and forth as she hurried toward the noise.
He looked back at the car again. “Damn, that’s sweet.”
“Yeah, but it’s not as sweet as she is, now, is it?” Evan’s knowing eyes met his brothers as he walked out of the barn.
Instinctively, Kane ran his thumb over his lower lip, and for a second, he remembered how wholesome her lips tasted. He resisted the urge to tell Evan all about her hot little mouth. He didn’t want anyone to hear them and from the looks of things, they’d invited everyone in the county to the biggest celebration of the year.
Peyton Storm’s eighteenth birthday party.
“They look good enough to fry up for breakfast.” Vicky giggled as she sipped on her Shirley Temple drink. She dipped the two cherries in and out of the liquid.
Peyton eyed the long stems for a second and then glanced over at Kane. He watched those cherries too and once Peyton caught his eyes, he laughed and turned away.
“He likes you,” Vicky pointed out.
“Yeah, I know he does.”
Vicky pressed her friend for details immediately. “Did you do what I think you did while you two rode around town?”
“Hell no. I wish.”
“Still nothing?” Vicky probed.
“Nothing.”
Peyton smiled. For now, it was her secret. One shared private moment with Kane Cartwell.
“I don’t believe you.” Vicky laughed but her laughter soon dropped to a low grumble. “Oh…my…God.”
“What?”
Peyton turned around and caught a glimpse of Frank Sanders making his way around the patio area, working through the crowd with a bouquet of flowers. He definitely stood out with his gift in hand and his bright multi- colored shirt.
She glanced back to the Cartwell brothers. “They invited him?”
“Why wouldn’t they invite him?” Peyton snapped.
Vicky’s lips twitched. “For starters, you almost fucked him, and Evan almost broke his jaw for trying it.”
“I didn’t almost fuck him,” Peyton corrected. “We made out and they blew it out of portion.” She tilted her chin upward, in the direction of her guardians, as if Vicky had no idea who she meant.
“He asked Braden to take you to homecoming.” Vicky’s lips formed a tight line. “Braden and Evan said no, in case you’re interested.”
Peyton glanced at the Cartwells and then back at Frank. “I kind of thought so.”
“You knew?” Vicky asked.
“I guessed it when he asked Marcy Johnson to go, she must’ve been second runner-up.”
“Did you ask him about it?”
“Nope, not really. I don’t particularly care.”
“Guess you have your sights on someone else?” Vicky smiled and waved at the Cartwells.
Braden, goofy as ever, lifted his hand as if he started to wave back in much the same fashion.
Thank God he didn’t. Peyton would’ve died right there. He was too sexy for his own good but didn’t act it. Of course, Braden really wanted to do right by her. He promised her mother and since he spent the better part of ten years eating breakfast at the diner where she worked, they were tight friends. When Braden made promises to his friends, he kept them. Everyone in town admired him.
Frank walked over to her and handed her the flowers. “Happy birthday, Peyton.” He leaned in and started to kiss her.
Peyton’s hands flew to his chest. “My watch dogs are nearby.”
“Yeah, I see them. I can’t steal a birthday kiss?”
Peyton bit her lip and then thought what the hell. As an adult now, she could make her own choices. Surely they wouldn’t care. If they did, let them look the other way.
“Thanks for the flowers,” she said as she took them and slapped them against Vicky’s chest.
She didn’t bother to notice the grumble in her best friend’s voice. Instead, she grabbed Frank’s hand and led him to the other side of the pool where many of her friends danced in front of the band.
Frank’s arms draped around her waist, and they began swaying nice and slow. The first slow song of the night allowed Peyton to fall right into Frank’s body as his hands rubbed over her lower back.
She’d lost the casual wear as soon as she realized she had party guests waiting and now she wore a fitted short skirt and sleeveless turtleneck, the fall air still humid enough to allow for it. The cotton material cropped at her waistline and she felt Frank’s hands on her bare skin within seconds.
“You’re daring, tonight.”
She smiled before she snuggled into his arms.
“You’re not their kid sister and they did invite me,” he whispered into her ear before nipping at her earlobe.
“Oh God, you can’t do that here.” She shuddered and closed her eyes. Right then and there, she imagined Kane touching her, swaying across the patio with her in his arms.
“Then, I’ll do this.” He lifted her chin and kissed her.
And she kissed him back. Poor Frank would never know how much she used him, but in the moment, she had opportunity. Since her classmate gave her the chance, she wanted to take it. Leap at it. Seize it.
Her hands cupped his face, and she kissed him like a woman kisses a man. She wanted to be sure the
