Page 14

He’d been cockblocked by a cat.

Kane drove home, still off-kilter from the way the evening ended. He’d been ready to take Sierra’s offer and rid her doubts in the bedroom. Words could get twisted and tangled in context and intention. But his body couldn’t lie—the way he craved to hold her, to not only bring shattering pleasure but a safety he knew Sierra desperately needed. She pretended to be open to love, but Kane clearly saw her skills of protecting herself. The easy way she placed distance between any interaction or experience that could hurt.

Loss did that to a person. First her parents, then her husband. Each event forced her to dig deep and restart, stronger than before. The problem was with each rebuild, she’d lost a piece of her trust and confidence.

He knew her heart because his was the same.

They’d just gone different ways to deal with the crap. He’d avoided all romantic relationships, choosing to put his effort into work and chasing security. It was cleaner. Kane had never been left, but betrayal had been a cruel teacher.

It had been easy to fall for Sierra without walls, because she was the first woman he’d ever wanted with his heart and soul. All the ones before her were a blurred line of trophies; beautiful, hungry women who wanted the same thing—money and first-class experiences. The sex was satisfying and easy. He’d never formed any attachments, though many had tried. Kane believed his heart was simply not built for any deep emotions.

Until Sierra. When he was around her, the dirt from his past didn’t matter. He felt…clean. Seen. Alive.

Dragging in a breath, he went over his next options. If it wasn’t so frustrating, it’d be hilarious. The way Mo sat in front of her, his fuck-you gaze shimmering with male challenge, was something Kane had never experienced. It both pissed him off and gave him mad respect for the cat. He was scarier than a damn German Shepherd protecting his master from a break-in. Lord knows, he seemed almost as big.

He'd rejected both his advances and his bribes, but Kane loved a hard trial. The prize of winning Mo’s trust and loyalty held bigger stakes than normal. Because with the cat’s approval, he’d prove something to Sierra.

That he wasn’t afraid of hard things. That he didn’t intend to walk away.

That she meant more to him than anything else.

He didn’t blame her for being wary. When she asked if he hurt people, it had wrecked his insides to tell her the truth. Because even though he’d been betrayed and set up for fraud, his actions had still hurt everyone around him.

He’d trusted the wrong person because he’d been greedy for more. He’d ditched his brother in the pursuit of power. He’d betrayed Global Enterprises by refusing to do his job correctly, when he may have been able to catch the truth earlier on. Before his ass got thrown in jail and he was stripped of everything, he’d fought for.

Most of all?

He’d hurt himself.

No, he couldn’t lie and pretend he was guiltless. But it also meant showing her the man he was today. And telling her the truth.

About Derek. About his past.

About everything.

He needed to take that chance and put it all out there so she could make her own decision.

He’d never shared those pieces of himself, and it was a risk. If Sierra was disgusted, or refused to accept his choices, it was over before things had even begun.

But if she was going to leap, Kane would need to go first.

The road forward began with truth. Truth about how and when they’d originally met. Truth about their past and their intent for the future. Truth about their feelings and what that night had begun between them.

It had to start somewhere.

Good thing he was ready to take the leap.

But not yet.

He still had work to do with her heart. In the meantime, they had an engagement party to plan. She’d mentioned her top picks for the party and vendors but nothing was booked. He could use this upcoming week to lean in to planning and make appointments. She’d probably be pissed he was trying to lead, then step in.

So, he’d just show up beside her, offering his support and help.

Kane grinned. She hated not being in charge so that would set her off, but her temper was a turn-on and an important insight into how she worked. On what she needed.

On what made her happy.

Kane spent the rest of night doing research for Stealth. The challenge juiced him up, and he was eager to get back into the game and make some big money. He wanted to prove to Sierra that he was a sure bet and could easily provide her everything she could want. She was a strong woman who’d built her own legacy. Since New York, he’d had to start over, and it was important to show his own ability to rise and pivot to meet any challenge.

Therefore, Kane could not fail.

The week passed, and Sierra admitted it was getting harder to pretend Kane was a man to be politely kept on the sidelines.

She stared at him from across the event space where they gathered to fine tune the food and flowers for the engagement party. After going over Kane’s spreadsheets, she’d quickly set up appointments with two places that were frontrunners, eager to get a date nailed down and the party quickly planned.

For each meeting, Kane showed up with a broad grin and an enthusiasm that charmed everyone around him. Both owners—females—gushed about how sweet it was he took such an involved part in his best friend’s engagement, until Sierra was tempted to wave her hands in the air and remind them she was the one in charge.

He came with lists of helpful suggestions, and asked questions that managed to even impress Sierra. It was annoying as hell to be jockeying for leader position in her own sister’s celebration.

They decided on the Currituck Club, which offered a coastal view and was situated on a golf course. It was a generous space with elegance and good food and had been Kane’s top choice.

Sierra had to agree, even though she hated the idea a non-local made the pick. When she’d grumpily admitted it, he asked how long it took to move to inner circle status. Then laughed when she advised him to lose his New York accent as the first step.

Now, they were picking out details and here he was again, in the middle of the afternoon where she’d figured he couldn’t leave work. As Alicia laid out stations of menus, centerpieces, and décor, Kane chatted with her while Sierra simmered with annoyance. The woman was completely turned toward Kane, basking in his attention and…

Giggling.

With a shudder, Sierra took control.

“Alicia? We’d appreciate it if we could take some time to look over these options and chat alone?”

The bird-like woman jolted in her chair as if Sierra had ripped her out of a fantasy. God knows, she probably had, one where Kane asked her out and began a romantic fantasy with a twist of erotic romance thrown in.

“Oh! Of course, of course, I’ll just be in the back and will check in if you have questions.”

With a last longing look, she hurried away, her sensible beige heels clicking across the floor.

Silence fell. Sierra crossed her arms in front of her chest, leaned back in the chair, and glared.

He threw his hands up in surrender.

“What? I didn’t do anything.”

Sierra gave a snort.

“Don’t you ever get tired of sprinkling your fairy dust around to unsuspecting women?”

He blinked.

“Honestly? No.”

A laugh escaped her lips.

“Why am I not surprised? How’d you get the time off to meet me today?”

“I never take a lunch break. Today, I did.”

“Lucky me.”

That lopsided grin appeared and made her heart beat faster.

“Look at how much progress we made in just a week? We make a great team.”

Sierra didn’t want to admit it, but he’d definitely brought his A-game. She figured he’d be pushy and treat their appointments like running a business meeting. Instead, Kane let her make most of the decisions without complaint. When he disagreed, he had a way of offering up his own suggestion without arrogance, allowing her to bend without feeling she lost something.

No wonder he was a master negotiator. When you left the table, you felt as if everyone won.

“You’re staring with that mulish expression. Which means, you’re trying to analyze me again.”

Surprise bubbled up. She shifted in her seat, suddenly aware of his intense interest. She’d never had a man study every reaction, trying to dig into her thoughts. Not even her ex had tried that hard.

“Nope. Just trying to focus on what will make Aspen happy. I’m thinking the seafood package with the dessert buffet. She loves her sweets.”

He followed her lead, allowing her the space.

“Great choice. But do you think the dessert buffet is overkill if we get them a cake?”

Damn, he was right. She wanted a kick-ass cake and it may get lost with the other desserts.

“Yeah, you’re right,”

she said a tad grumpily.

“You could add some of those Italian pastries in case someone doesn’t like cake?”

“Good idea.”

She circled it on the sheet and moved on.

“They offer all this other décor stuff but I want simple elegance. Fresh flowers in creams, white, and a touch of bright blue will soften things up. No bows or hearts. They have a butterfly garden option?”

Kane shuddered.

“Brick would hate that. Too cheesy.”

“Agree. These centerpieces are nice but nothing calls to me. It’s all so standard.”

Kane fished out his phone.

“I found this item on Etsy and forgot to send it to you. What do you think of these?”

Sierra stared. “Etsy?”

Were his cheeks getting red or was it just her imagination.

“I heard it was a good place to find creative solutions to parties.”

Her phone dinged. She looked up the link and studied the delicate fish bowls in blue sea glass.

“These are beautiful. We could fill them with water and floating candles.”

He nodded.

“Sounds good. Want me to order them?”

“We need the final guest list, don’t we?”

He shrugged.

“It may be backordered so I’ll order extra and people can bring them home.”

Sierra took in a deep breath.

“Okay. Umm, remember when you mentioned those sea turtle—”

“Soaps? Yep. Want me to get them, too?”

She couldn’t begrudge him the win.

“Yes, please. I thought that was a great idea.”

Sierra prepared herself for the smug satisfaction she deserved but instead, the man practically beamed with happiness.

“Thanks. I think Brick will really like it, too.”

And that’s when it hit her. He may have wanted to spend time with her, but Kane was actually enjoying being involved in each step. Curiosity stirred.

“Did you ever plan events for your company?”

she asked.

Those tapered fingers danced across the phone. The scent of clove and spice hit her nostrils and she fought the urge to take a bigger breath; to gather his distinctive fragrance into her lungs so she’d have it later. Now, she was the one blushing from the intimate thought.

“No, we had people on staff for that. I guess I never got to throw a party for anyone before. It’s more fun than I thought.”

Her heart stopped, then beat faster. She kept her tone neutral.

“Hmm, no birthday or holiday parties for friends or family?”

“Nope.”

He didn’t seem concerned from the lack of that experience.

“What about you? Do you like having parties thrown for you or no?”

“Never had those either.”

He looked up and flashed his famous grin.

“I saw the way Aspen ripped open your gift. She seems to love surprises.”

Sierra tucked away the facts he’d shared to analyze later.

“Oh, yeah, she’s like a kid when it comes to that stuff.”

“But not you.”

She tilted her head. He said it like a statement, not a question.

“I’m not big on them, no. What gave it away?”

A shrug lifted his shoulders.

“You were surprised too many times before.”

His gaze lifted to drill into hers.

“And most of them weren’t good. Makes sense you’d try to avoid those experiences again.”

Her defenses shattered. His words cut right through bullshit and told her he saw all the broken pieces. And that he didn’t care. Hell, he was there for all of it, and suddenly, Sierra needed to give him back something.

“I’m going to tell Aspen tonight. About us.”

Kane stilled. The connection between them tightened, burned, sparked. His direct stare ripped away the barriers and dove deep. They both knew it was a turning point and there would be no going back. His voice was a rough mix of velvet and gravel.

“You sure?”

No. But she nodded.

“Yeah. It’s time.”

His muscles relaxed. Emotion flickered over his carved features, but quickly smoothed out.

“Good. I’ll tell Brick. I’d say we could talk to them together but I know you’d rather do it in private with Aspen.”

Sierra winced.

“I’ll need some time to explain why I’ve kept this from her. Better to have our privacy. Sisters can be complicated.”

“I can imagine.”

She cleared her throat, not sure what to do with this sudden intimate moment.

“Well, I think we’re set and can call Alicia back in.”

“Sierra?”

She cocked her head.

“Thank you.”

There was no need to pretend. They both knew she’d made the first step admitting they were moving toward something together. If he’d been arrogant or pushy, it would’ve been easy to pull back or run. Instead, his green eyes glittered and her hand trembled and everything inside of her softened into surrender.

“How are we doing?”

Alicia chirped, breaking the sacred moment.

Kane didn’t break eye contact, gripping her gaze like a tight hold, taking charge.

“We’re fine.”

“That’s great! I’m happy to sit with you and go over all the choices you both—”

They didn’t respond. Just kept staring at each other while the sexual tension hummed and sang wildly in the air.

Alicia cleared her throat.

“I’m just going to give you a bit more time!”

The woman hurried out. A smile touched Sierra’s lips.

“I think we scared her.”

“Don’t care.”

He deepened his voice and his spell.

“Just care about tasting you again. Everywhere.”

She tried to speak, but nothing came out. Her skin flushed and every part of her grew sensitive and achy. She wanted this man just as badly as that initial night, in the rain, in the dark. She wanted his tongue and his cock and his dirty mouth. And she wanted him in the bright morning light, with no more shadows or secrets.

“But after tonight, there’s one more barrier.”

She frowned. “What?”

“Mo. Did you bring him to Flirt?”

“Yes. Brought him yesterday for an hour to test things out. He liked it. Brooklyn and Prim love him.”

“Not surprised. He definitely has an affinity toward females. He’ll be a tough one to crack.”

Humor danced and played with sweet erotic sensation.

“Think you can?”

she teased.

“Yes, my sweet flirt. Because once I do, I’ll be buried deep inside you, swallowing your screams and your pleasure. That’s worth walking through damn fire.”

She was already on fire, her flesh heated and stretched too tight, her core wet and needy. He took a breath, as if he scented her, and a primal greed flickered over his face, reminding her of a fierce, predatory, protective…

Wolf.

A sliver of panic set in. Things were moving fast, and she needed space. Sierra jumped from the seat and hitched her purse on her arm.

“I have to go.”

He blinked.

“Do you want me to—”

“Tell Alicia I’ll call her with payment and details to get it booked. I have to go,”

she said again.

Damned if the man didn’t turn a bit arrogant. His eyes flashed with a knowledge that showed he knew exactly why she was running, but he’d allow her escape.

This time.

Without hesitation, she headed out, not afraid to admit this was one time pride had to take a back seat to her innate instinct to flee.