After Hours Desire (Forsaken Sons Book 3)

by Elizabeth Lennox

  “Honey, your coffee is on the house!” Sally laughed.

  Frankie smiled weakly, not exactly sure what to say. “Yes, well…”

  The deputy had already put the would-be robber into the back of the squad car. Frankie just wanted to get away. Away from the limelight. She had always felt more comfortable in the shadows and waved self-consciously to the other two remaining customers, plus the cook, all of whom waved back.

  Forty-five minutes later, Kade almost tore the swinging door off of the hinges in the sheriff’s station as he stormed inside. “Where is she?” he demanded of Dan.

  The sheriff simply pointed towards a desk and Kade’s eyes followed. There she was!

  “Frankie!” he whispered, hurrying to her side, muttering expletives with every step. When he reached her, he pulled her into his arms buried his face in her copper curls. “Damn it! I lost ten years of my life hearing about what you just did!”

  She pulled back, staring up at him. Feeling his arms tighten around her like this eased the pain in her stomach. Gone was the nausea and the tension and in it’s place was…peace. Happiness. All of the horrible feelings were gone. Kade was holding her and…she felt good. Tightening her arms around his neck, she breathed in his clean, male scent.

  “I didn’t really do all that much,” she muttered.

  She heard male laughter behind her. “She literally saved Sally’s diner from being robbed, all by herself.”

  Kade pulled back and looked down at her, cupping her face as he growled. “Don’t ever put yourself in danger again!” And then he kissed her. If there was any doubt about the status of their relationship, it was gone now. Obliterated by the passion that erupted between them.

  “I won’t,” she assured him, although Frankie knew that it was a lie. “Or at least, I won’t intentionally put myself in danger.”

  Kade closed his eyes, and hugged her tightly again. When he opened them again, he glanced over his shoulder at the sheriff. “Do you need anything else?”

  Dan was grinning hugely as he shook his head. “We might need her if this goes to trial, but the idiot confessed, so it’s pretty much an open and shut case. Thanks to your lady.” And he winked at Frankie. Frankie laughed self-consciously, but Kade was still sick with the fear that he could have lost her. Lost Frankie. Lost her only just having found her again after thinking about her and wanting her for six long months.

  “Let’s go,” he said, draping his arm over her shoulders. “I’m taking you home.”

  “I have my car,” she reminded him. “I’ll be right behind you.”

  Kade wanted to argue with her. He wanted to scoop her up and tuck her safely into the passenger seat of his truck. But he also knew that Frankie wouldn’t like it. He eyed her SUV for a long moment, then sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Fine. I’ll follow you. Just...” he bent down and kissed her lingeringly. “Be careful. I don’t think I could take another scare like that.”

  Frankie laughed, feeling free. And it felt amazing after the turmoil that she’d gone through this morning. She hugged him, then lifted up and kissed his jawline. “Fine. Follow behind me just in case an eagle decides to swoop down on the road home.”

  Kade rolled his eyes. “Don’t joke, Frankie.”

  “I just need to make one stop,” she told him. “I need to swing by the grocery store.”

  He took her hands, looking at her curiously. “Bessie just stocked the house. What do you need at the grocery store?”

  She shook her head. “Just…give me five minutes. I’ll be right back.”

  Kade watched as she moved away from him, something tightening in his gut. He knew that it was too soon to feel this way, but he wanted to go to the grocery store with her, to protect her and make sure that she was safe. He wanted to toss her over his shoulder and haul her home to make sure that she was always safe.

  He paced back and forth along the expanse of the parking lot, kicking gravel occasionally as he processed the completely irrational thoughts going through his mind.

  For years, women had chased him, stalked him, tried to trick him into marriage, tried to seduce him, and even tease him into a long term commitment. He’d resisted every effort, foiled their attempts to trick him, and maintained a cool, detached distance from his lovers.

  Until Frankie.

  She seemed to have shattered the mold and wiggled into his heart. Which was absolutely absurd. How could he feel this way about her? He didn’t know her well enough to feel this level of intensity.

  And yet, he’d felt this strange power she had over him even back in Dallas. Which was probably why he hadn’t gone after her that night. Even as every instinct screamed at him not to let her go, he’d watched as she’d stepped into that elevator.

  And vanished from his life.

  Now she was back and…he didn’t want to let her go. Still, he didn’t know how to keep her either. She’d left early this morning to get whatever it was she needed from the inn.

  Frankie walked out of the grocery store and her arms were full of…three bags of apples? What the hell?

  “Why do you need so many apples?” he asked, plucking two bags out of her arms and placing them behind the passenger seat of his pickup truck.

  “I did some research on what treats horses like and…well, Maple was so sweet yesterday.” Frankie looked down at the ground seeming to be…self-conscious? “I was hoping to go for another ride today, if you have the time.” She looked at him, then glanced quickly away. “And if that was the case, then I wanted to bring a treat for her.”

  Kade’s heart skipped a beat. Looking down at her, he wanted to kiss her again and never stop. But instead, he held back, tipping his hat back slightly. “Apples are good for horses. They love them.”

  Frankie nodded, still not looking right at him. She looked down at her boots, at the horizon, at the doors to the sheriff’s office, biting her lip slightly before she…shrugged? Finally, she looked up at him. “So…will you let me ride her again today?” she asked, those green eyes seeming to see into his soul. “And maybe teach me a bit more about how to ride?”

  He moved closer, going on instinct now. “I’ll tell you what,” he began. “You come on back to the ranch. Plan to spend the rest of the week with me there and I’ll teach you anything you want to know.”

  “About riding?”

  He laughed, nodding his head. “About riding.”

  Those pretty, green eyes narrowed. “A horse?”

  He shrugged. “Anything you want to ride, I’ll teach you.”

  There was a loud sigh, then she grinned, her green eyes sparkling with mischief now. “That sounds like a good deal. But I don’t want to be in your way.”

  He pulled her closer. “I want you in my way.”

  She laughed at his innuendo. “I guess I have a bit of vacation time coming up. Why not? Montana is a gorgeous state. So yes,” she decided with a nod for emphasis. “I accept your invitation. But I’ll still work on finding that woman and what she was doing here as well as why she left in such a hurry. Something tells me that she’s up to no good.”

  “Deal.” He took her hand and led her to her SUV. “Let’s stop by the inn and get the rest of your stuff. Then we’ll head home.”

  Chapter 6

  Frankie turned her face towards the bright sunshine, enjoying the warmth on her face. This was the life, she thought. Every morning, she woke up in Kade’s arms. Every morning, he made love to her before he showered and headed down to work in his office for a few hours. She’d spend that time in the library, digging into the bits of information she’d been able to figure out about the mystery woman. And every afternoon, Kade took her riding on Maple, teaching her more riding skills, as well as showing her how to read the land and the mountains.

  It had been a glorious week in Kade’s arms and she didn’t want it to end. Unfortunately, she’d finally figured out who the woman was. Two days ago. She’d kept that knowledge to herself because she hadn’t wanted this vacation to
end. She didn’t want to go back to reality. Frankie didn’t want to go back to Seattle and the cold, grey days. She wanted the sunshine! She wanted to nurture her friendship with Maple and…she wanted Kade!

  But as with every vacation, she knew that it had to end. She had to go back to Seattle and her job. The emails were piling up, but she kept ignoring them, not wanting anything to intrude on her time here in Montana with Kade.

  She needed to get back to her friends. Her apartment was probably covered in dust and grime by now.

  Her guilt over leaving that day of the robbery still haunted her. As she looked over at Kade, Frankie knew that this was going to end, but what had happened that day?

  It had only been the intensity of that night, she told herself as she watched Kade fix yet another break in the fence line. But that didn’t make sense because the sex had only become more powerful over the past week. Every time he touched her, she felt that heat wash over her.

  That was what bothered her, she realized. Kade had a special kind of power that terrified her. It was the reason she wanted to go back to Seattle, but also the reason she wanted to stay here. After running away that first morning, she’d castigated herself repeatedly for her cowardice.

  And yet, there were more moments when she wanted to run. To hide from the feelings that Kade stirred inside of her. The code she’d developed all those years ago had completely failed her.

  Her reactions now seemed completely rationale. Who wanted a person to have that kind of power over another? Just the thought terrified her all over again!

  What in the world was she doing here? Why hadn’t she already left?!

  Her eyes drifted to Kade as he strained against the fencing. When he finished, he brushed the dust from his legs and moved over to Bart, stuffing the tools back into the saddlebags.

  “What’s wrong?” Kade asked, moving to Bart’s side.

  Wrong? Everything, she thought. “Nothing,” she said aloud. Everything! She wanted to run. But that was cowardly. Ugh! What was she doing?! Her life wasn’t here! It was back in Seattle!

  “What’s with the strange look in your eyes then?”

  Frankie cringed inwardly. He knew her too well!

  “I found her,” she blurted out. Why had she said that? Why?

  Kade’s silver eyes widened. “Her?”

  “Yes. The woman. She lives just outside of Miami.”

  Kade’s hand rested on Frankie’s thigh. “Who is she?”

  Frankie sighed and stared up at the sky. This was it, she thought hopelessly. This was the beginning of the end. But she needed to do this.

  Didn’t she?

  Yes. She needed to get back to her life. If she stayed here any longer, she wouldn’t leave. And Kade, he deserved better.

  “Her name is Jocelyn Hisson.”

  “And?” he prompted, then frowned. “Wait. Why don’t we head back to the house first? Then you can tell me more.”

  A moment later, he swung up into the saddle. With a wink, he silently challenged her to race him back.

  Frankie smiled weakly as she put her heels to Maple’s sides. There was no way she could win a race with Kade. He was on a larger horse with stronger legs. But she loved galloping on Maple. She loved the freedom of racing through the tall grass, seeing the cows lift their heads in bored curiosity as horse and rider whipped by. She loved the wind in her hair and the thrill of pushing herself to better her riding skills.

  But they reached the ranch too quickly and Maple pranced to a halt, then waited patiently as Frankie slid off to the ground. That was something Frankie still hadn’t mastered. The art of getting on and off a horse was difficult to do gracefully. For her, it was more of a controlled fall.

  The issue of her horseback riding skills was a conversation for another day, she told herself. Then smiled to Kade, knowing that he was waiting for more information on the stranger.

  Chapter 7

  Miami, Florida was one of those hot, humid places that never seemed to cool down. Even in the evening, the temperatures cooled down to a low simmer while the humidity increased, making the world feel sticky and ugly.

  Or maybe that was just because Frankie was in a bad mood. Coming here had been easy enough. They’d simply boarded Kade’s private plane and flown across the country in decadent luxury. But Frankie hadn’t been able to enjoy the flight because she knew that this was the beginning of the end.

  Now they were standing in front of a scuffed up apartment doorway in a seedy looking building and Frankie wanted to turn to Kade, who was standing behind her, and beg him to…what? What would she ask of him?

  Mentally, she admonished herself to stop dreaming and just get the job finished.

  “Are you okay?” Kade asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

  Frankie felt it, felt the heat and the frisson of excitement that never seemed to dissipate whenever Kade touched her.

  She looked up at him, fighting back the tears as she stared into his silver eyes for a long moment. “Just…frustrated that the mystery is at an end,” she told him lamely.

  Before Kade would respond, Frankie lifted her hand and knocked, forcing a smile as the woman opened the door. “Jocelyn Hisson?” Frankie asked.

  The woman’s smile of greeting turned to confusion. “Yes? Do I know you?”

  Frankie shifted on her feet, smiling at the woman. “We’ve never met, but I know your work.”

  The woman’s smile gave up completely. “My work? I work in a coffee shop,” she explained. Frankie noticed the woman’s eyes darted around the apartment complex courtyard. “What are you talking about?”

  “Your research? On Kade Wilson?” Frankie prompted, now more than ever convinced that this woman was doing something illegal.

  The next moment proved it. The woman’s eyes initially revealed shocked panic, but she rallied quickly, covering her gaffe and straightening her shoulders. “My cousin?”

  Frankie didn’t even blink. “Oh, so you’re related to Mr. Wilson?”

  Jocelyn folded her arms protectively over her stomach. “Of course. I’ve been researching my family history for a while now. I came across Kade’s information and was excited to find him.”

  Frankie didn’t believe her for a minute. “May we come in?”

  The woman was again startled and blinked, her shoulders tightening slightly. “We?”

  “Yes,” Frankie said, stepping to one side so she could see Kade behind her. He’d been standing just out of sight, his shoulder leaning against the wall of the apartment complex. He hadn’t intended to hide, but Frankie had asked him to follow her lead.

  “Oh!” she gasped, stepping back, her eyes darting from one to the other. Then she glanced behind her.

  “Is someone with you?” Frankie asked. “Are we interrupting something?”

  To her credit, Jocelyn rallied extremely well. “No! You’re not interrupting anything,” she gushed, stepping back to allow them to come into her apartment. “My boyfriend is here. But I’d love to introduce Kade to him!”

  An almost painfully thin man with pale skin and dark, greasy hair came out of the bedroom, scratching his stomach and stretching as if he’d just woken up.

  “Honey,” Jocelyn announced, a tinge of desperation to her voice. “This is my cousin, Kade Wilson?” Frankie watched and caught the slight widening of Jocelyn’s eyes. Obviously, the woman was trying to silently signal the man, who still seemed oblivious.

  The guy stopped, his hand in mid-scratch and blinked blankly at Jocelyn, then noticed Frankie and Kade. “Oh!” he muttered, stepping back slightly. But he caught himself and moved forward, extending his hand to Kade. “Hey! You’re some sort of relation to my girl here, aren’t you?” he asked, slinging his arm over Jocelyn’s shoulders as Kade shook his hand.

  Frankie realized that Kade was about to directly deny the relationship, so she stepped in before he could. Frankie knew that they needed to understand more about these two people, understand their motivation before leaving. If there had
been even the smallest doubt about the veracity of this woman’s claim, the look she shared with her boyfriend, destroyed it. They were scam artists, she thought with perfect conviction.

  “I was surprised by the amount of information that you left behind back in Montana. What caused you to leave in such a hurry?” Frankie asked. “I arrived the same day that you left town. And you left behind two boxes of news clippings.”

  Jocelyn blinked, her whole body going stiff with surprise. “You found the boxes?” she echoed, glancing at Kade nervously. “I thought that the lady who ran the place would just toss everything.”

  “Oh no,” Frankie replied, waving her hand as if the mere suggestion of Phoebe throwing anything away was crazy. “Phoebe wouldn’t ever do anything like that to someone’s personal property. She saved everything and, when she looked inside after you left, discovered that everything inside of the two boxes related to Kade, who is a friend of hers. So she told Kade and he came out and picked everything up. I’ve been going through those boxes, trying to determine who you were.”

  Jocelyn’s mouth fell open. “I didn’t leave any personal information in those boxes,” she claimed, her tone turning indignant. “So, how the hell did you find me?”

  Frankie smiled. “I’m a private investigator. Kade hired me to figure out the mystery of those boxes.”

  “But…” Jocelyn looked worried now. But as Frankie and Kade watched, she again rallied quickly. “Well, that’s just great!” she gushed. “Come on in. Let me make some coffee.”

  “We’re outta coffee,” her boyfriend said. “Let me go get a shirt and I’ll run out to the store and grab some for ya.”

  Jocelyn’s smile was tight. “That would be great, sweetie.”

  Their endearments didn’t sound very sincere.

  “I’m fine. I don’t need any coffee,” Kade announced. “But if you two need some, feel free. Just don’t do it on account of me.”