He swallowed stiffly and brought her hands up to his lips. “Soon, I will soon enough. ‘Cause God help me, I’m going to explode if I don’t.”
After he dropped her off at school, Kane headed for David Taylor’s office. He waited in the parking lot until he saw Taylor pull around back and then he walked inside. By the time he stood in front of the receptionist, he heard David talking to his secretary.
“Do me a favor and order two dozen long-stem yellow roses. Delivery is for Peyton Storm out at the Cartwell ranch. Leave the card blank.”
“Yes, sir.”
Roses. He planned on sending her roses, long-stem yellow ones, to their ranch. The man had nerve, and a lot of it.
“Can I help you? Sir, do you need some help?” The receptionist looked at Kane like she’d asked him once or twice before. He stared at her blankly.
“Yes, I’m here to see David Taylor.”
“Can I get your name?”
Kane stared back at the brunette. She was a pretty woman, petite, large breasts. Taylor had a man’s toy right in his front office. Why the hell did he have to fool around with Peyton?
Kane licked his upper lip. He could still taste her, smell her. Damn if she wasn’t right. She once told him she’d taste like candy and the woman tasted pure and sweet. Too bad for David Taylor because Kane didn’t share well, and he damn sure wouldn’t share his candy.
“That’s okay, I know he’s here,” Kane said as he placed his hand on the doorknob, turned it and went inside.
“Sir! Wait! You can’t go back there.”
David met him at the end of a narrow hallway with his hand out ready to shake it. “Well, I’ll be damned. Kane Cartwell? What brings you out this way?”
The secretary he undoubtedly asked for small favors shot him a knowing smile and then moved the hell out of the way.
Kane ignored his hand. “I need to talk to you.”
“I’m due in court in about fifteen minutes. Can it wait until this afternoon?”
“No, it can’t,” Kane said as he moved toward what he assumed was Taylor’s office.
“Ladies, hold my calls.” He followed Kane into the office and shut the door.
“Kane, why don’t you have a seat? Can I get you something to drink?”
Kane looked at the wet bar in the corner of the expansive law office. “Are you the reason Peyton is drinking now?”
“Peyton?”
“Yeah, you know the one. The girl you buy two dozen roses- long stem roses, and send them without a card-her. In fact, while I’m on the subject, those roses better not arrive today.”
“I can explain.”
“Bet so. Wanna do it with your wife around to hear it?”
“Kane.” The man looked worried. “I-”
“How about your kids? Want them to hear all about it? I don’t have a problem with it if you don’t.” Yeah, he’d aim below the belt before he’d let this man anywhere near Peyton.
“She’s eighteen. You have two kids, a wife, a family, something to build on together. What the hell are you thinking?”
He dropped his head. “I’m not.”
“Hell no, you’re not.”
“I can’t think around her. She makes me crazy.”
Kane saw death. “She makes you crazy?”
“You don’t understand what it’s like with us.”
Kane wanted to tell him she was using him to get to the Cartwells and blow his fantasy love affair to hell and back. He decided against it.
“Have you jeopardized her in any way?” Now he sounded like Braden. Why the hell didn’t he just ask if he’d fucked her?
“You mean, am I sleeping with her?”
“Yeah, precisely. Are you?”
The man watched Kane closer now. “Well I’ll be damned.”
“Answer the question.”
“You’re just like your daddy. I can see it in your eyes. You’re crazy in love with her. You’re so mad about her that you probably don’t even know you love her yet.”
Kane swallowed stiffly. “I asked you a question, and this has nothing to do with my father.”
“Of course it does. Your mother drove every man in this town nearly to his knees and now you have one just like her living in your house. Worse still, especially for Peyton, you look and act like one of the men who ruined everything for you and your brothers.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Maybe I’ll tell you sometime. I’m not sleeping with her, but I didn’t know she belonged to a Cartwell or else I would have…reconsidered pursuing her.”
“You knew she lived with us.”
“I knew your brother took her in and wanted to help out her mother. I should’ve figured out the rest.”
Kane wiped the sweat off his brow. “She’s nothing like my mother, for the record. Peyton’s strong and-”
“Boy, I knew your momma and your daddy. You don’t have to tell me anything. There are two women who have passed through these parts with those looks. Your momma was one of them and while Peyton doesn’t remind me of your mother much, she reminds me of something else more.
“She reminds me of what it feels like to be a man, a man who wants a woman so bad it could kill him. But again, I didn’t know she wore that proud Cartwell collar, and if I had, I wouldn’t have gone near her. I swear it.”
Kane narrowed his gaze on him and then gritted his teeth. Mentioning any kind of collar was a bad idea. Few people around town knew about Kane’s lifestyle, or at least the one he lived before Peyton moved in. The few who did saw him in the clubs which meant the man in front of him was already on the path to disaster. Peyton provided a slight diversion but she may have been one of many.
“Go home to your wife tonight and love her. We’re going to take care of Peyton until she doesn’t want to live out at the ranch anymore. When that day comes, she’s free game, but until Braden gets her raised and out of the house, she’s off limits.”
A wide smile replaced the man’s thoughtful frown. “I imagine you boys won’t turn her back out to graze among the locals.”
“If I have my way about it, she’ll stay for awhile.”
“I imagine, since you made a trip here this morning, you’ll find a way to make it happen.”
All day long Peyton daydreamed about Kane. She hoped he’d felt the same burn too, the same desire-filled air sweeping around him as he drove back to the ranch. She crossed her fingers tightly hoping he’d show to pick her up and then sweep her into his arms like he did before. With the same ache, the same uncontrollable need, she’d felt for him for some time.
When the final bell rang, she rushed to her locker, gathered her books and ran straight into Vicky. “Where’s the burning bush?”
“Funny.”
“Can you give me a ride home?”
