Kane

by Foster, Delaney

I’d imagined this a thousand times, but nothing beat the reality of Korie sprawled out on this bed wearing nothing but lace and a smile.

  Beautiful.

  Perfect.

  Mine.

  I was going to fuck this woman until she forgot every pair of hands that had ever touched her, every mouth that ever kissed her, every Shane Fredericks motherfucker that tried to date her. Just thinking about it pissed me off.

  I crawled between her thighs, placing my hips over hers and slowly started to grind against her. She closed her eyes and moaned. Fucking hell.

  I bent down and nipped her neck then kissed the spot I’d marked as mine. Something about her made me insane. I needed her to know—I needed the world to know—that she belonged to me. I bit then kissed. Teeth then tongue. All the way down her throat and across her collarbone. I wanted to mark all of her with all of me. She threw her head back and grabbed my ass, pulling me closer, deeper… harder against her sweet little pussy.

  “Bennett,” she begged as she pressed into me.

  “When we’re done, you won’t be able to stand the thought of not having me inside you,” I groaned against her skin.

  And not being inside you will fucking kill me.

  My mouth hovered over hers while I held her gaze and breathed her in. I rolled my hips against her again. She gasped and I swear to fuck I almost came right then and there.

  She unbuttoned my shorts and pushed them down along with my boxer briefs. “I’m tired of waiting,” she panted.

  The head of my cock brushed against her entrance. The panties needed to go. Now.

  I yanked the thin fabric off and sucked a shaky breath through my teeth. This was happening. I’d waited over a month for this moment, and I was going to savor every second of it.

  “Condom,” she warned as she reached for the nightstand.

  I shot down the immediate jealousy that coursed through my veins at the thought of her having condoms ready next to her bed.

  I ripped open the package and sheathed my cock, then closed my eyes and let myself sink into her. Jesus, she was so warm. So soft. Made just for me.

  Her nails dug into my back when I thrust into her the first time. Her back arched after the second. By the third, she was a moaning, writhing mess underneath me and I fucking loved it. I never wanted to be anywhere else other than right here, fucking her, for the rest of my life.

  I felt the familiar tightening in my balls. Oh no you don’t. Not yet.

  Without warning her, I shifted onto my back and pulled Korie on top of me. She guided herself down, stopping when she took all of me. I gripped her hips and let my fingers dig into her flesh.

  “Don’t fucking move,” I warned, and she smirked.

  My mouth still watered from the taste of her and it made my cock throb. Little by little, I lost my restraint, like threads snapping from too much weight. I was two seconds from losing my shit and coming like a goddamn virgin.

  She rolled her hips, grinding her clit against my pelvis. Her green eyes blazed mischief and heat.

  “Lean back,” I demanded and like the goddess she was, she angled her body backward.

  She clenched the sheets and slowly moved up my cock. And back down. Fuck yeah. I had the perfect view of her pussy from here.

  I reached forward and circled her clit as she started to ride. She cried out again. “Oh God.”

  That’s it, baby.

  God she was sexy.

  I watched my dick disappear inside her every time she slid up and drove back down. Again. And again. Until her walls clenched around me and I felt her legs shake against my thighs.

  Then I came.

  Hard.

  I growled through clenched teeth as I held her still on my lap and thrust into her through my release.

  The last thing I remember before falling asleep last night was looking down at Korie’s head on my chest. Her body molded perfectly against mine. We were made for this, for each other. Her eyes were closed and her breathing slow and steady. We’d gone through three condoms before I’d finally fucked her into a coma.

  I woke up before daylight and looked at her lying next to me. I was half asleep—sex drunk on fucking her—and I wondered whose dick did I suck to deserve this? All I could think about was how to keep her, how to spoil her, how to be a better man… for her.

  Fuck texting. Fuck calling. This… this is how I wanted to wake up every single morning.

  I lifted her arm from around my waist and slid out from underneath her. I hated every second of it. Every part of me wanted to stay tangled up in every part of her until the sun woke us up. But I knew all about small towns, and the last thing I wanted for Korie was judgmental whispers about the stranger who spent the night in her bed. So, I pulled the covers over her and went to the B&B to go back to sleep… alone.

  Before I left, I’d sent her a text to read as soon as she woke up.

  You looked so peaceful, I didn’t want to wake you. Today was amazing. Let’s see if we can make tomorrow even better.

  The scent of bacon and maple syrup hit me as soon as I opened the door to my room. I spotted the table full of food before I hit the bottom step.

  Mrs. Fredericks smiled at me as she set a bowl of scrambled eggs in the middle of the round dining table. “Good morning, Mr. Kane.”

  “Morning, Mrs. Fredericks.” I glanced at the old man who sat in a chair in the corner. “Morning, Mr. Fredericks.”

  He peered over the top of his newspaper. “Hmmph.”

  The woman waved him off. “Ignore him. He’s grumpy because he didn’t get his croissants this morning.”

  “Didn’t get much sleep last night either,” the man grumbled. He folded his paper in half and set it on the table beside him. “I take it you found the coffee shop yesterday?”

  Mrs. Fredericks made a noise low in her throat. Her husband glared at her from across the room. She placed a hand at the bottom of her neck and cleared her throat.

  “Excuse me. I guess I got a tickle,” she said then scooped a spoonful of eggs onto my plate.

  I grabbed a slice of bacon. “Thank you.”

  Shane rounded the corner and tossed a set of keys on an empty dining table. He slid a Braves cap from his head and hung it on the back of a chair before pulling it out and taking a seat. “Morning.” He looked around the room at our silent faces. “What’d I miss?”

  Mr. Fredericks stood. “Ted Jensen said he saw Korie walking around holding hands with some young guy yesterday. Good looking. Never seen him before.”

  It was me. I was the “some young guy.” I wanted to say it loud in case Shane didn’t catch on. Blame it on the testosterone. But I decided not to go there. Everyone turned their eyes toward me. I swallowed the eggs I’d been chewing and set my fork on my plate. I guess we were going there.

  “You know Korie?” Shane asked.

  “I do.”

  I know how she tastes, how she feels, and what it sounds like when she comes on my cock.

  Red heat crept up his neck. His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat. For once, I was grateful for the quick talk of a small town. Sorry, Ken, you had your chance.

  “Is that why you’re here? To see her?” he asked.

  I almost felt sorry for the guy. Then I looked at his perfect jawline and how his T-shirt clung to his biceps every time he lifted his arm. Yep. Zero fucks given.

  “It is.” I broke off a piece of bacon and popped it into my mouth.

  Mr. Fredericks’ boots trod heavily on the hardwood floor as he walked across the room. He stopped in front of his wife then kissed her on the cheek. So, he was capable of affection.

  “I’m going to take a nap. Damn dogs barked till two o’clock ‘cause somebody woke them up in the middle of the night.” He narrowed his eyes at me.

  “I’m sorry it was so late. I lost track of time.”

  “Mmm hmm,” he replied, then he turned and walked out of the room. A door slammed shut at the end of the hallway.

  “Because you were wi
th Korie?” Shane questioned.

  As much as I wanted to get a piece of paper and spell it out for him, Y-E-S, so he’d get it through his pretty head—I just smiled and scooted my chair back from the table because where I was until after midnight wasn’t any of his business.

  A bell above the door chimed a quick little song when I walked into the coffee shop. Korie stood behind the counter concentrating on whatever hot beverage concoction she was making. Her face lit up when she turned to face me.

  She sprinkled cinnamon on top of a layer of white froth then walked around the end of the counter. “Good morning, stranger.”

  She whisked past me to set the mug down on a nearby table. Her long, dark hair was pulled into a braid that draped over one shoulder. The black apron she wore hung loosely on her hips, and fuck me if she didn’t look every bit as gorgeous in jeans as she did in that tiny black dress. I wanted to prop her up on that counter and fuck her crazy. Right here. Right now.

  I slid onto a stool in front of the stainless-steel counter. “Good morning.”

  Korie came back and leaned against the counter across from me. “Sorry I fell asleep on you.”

  I can’t wait for you to do it again. Maybe next time, I’d stay instead of sneaking off like a pussy.

  “It wasn’t the first time,” I chuckled.

  She rolled her eyes then a slow smile spread across her lips. “And probably not the last…”

  Not if I can help it.

  “Maybe next time, you’ll let me wake up with you too,” she said, and her smile said she was teasing.

  I didn’t laugh. I’d fuck her to sleep and wake her up the same way every day if I could.

  I wondered what people would say if they saw my car in her driveway as they drove past in the morning. “I forgot how fast people talk in small towns,” I said and Korie stood up straight and furrowed her brows.

  “Say that again? What does a guy who lives in Houston know about small towns?” She giggled then shook her head.

  Out of all our conversations, I’d never told Korie about Clover Creek. I wasn’t ready for her questions. What happened? Why did you leave? I’d open my closet and show her my skeletons… one day. Today was not that day.

  “I’ve been places. I’ve seen things.” I smirked and hoped she didn’t dig deeper.

  She grinned and leaned forward on the counter again. “Right. Costa Rica and snowy mountains.”

  Her fingers brushed mine, and I had to plant my feet on the floor to keep from climbing over the counter and kissing the shit out of her. She placed her hand on top of mine. The doorbell chimed, but she ignored it. I heard Alyssa’s voice behind me as she greeted whoever walked in.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a three-hundred-pound fish,” Korie said.

  “There’s nothing like the thrill of looking out across the water and watching a marlin that size gulp down your fly.” I locked my fingers with hers. “Well… almost nothing.”

  Her eyes caught and held mine. It was easy to get lost in them, to get lost in her. My lips parted as my eyes fell to her mouth. Fuck it. I was kissing her.

  I leaned over and brought my forehead to hers. “I want to take you with me,” I told her. I got the feeling she’d never left Georgia. I wanted to take her everywhere, to show her everything.

  She blinked fast then exhaled like she’d been holding her breath. “What?”

  “Fishing. Skiing. All of it. I want to take you with me.”

  The soft curve of a smile touched her lips. “I think I’d like that.”

  “I know you would.”

  I licked my lips and moved my mouth closer to hers. The doorbell chimed again, stealing Korie’s attention from me. She looked up and over my shoulder then took a deep breath.

  A female voice echoed through the coffee shop. “Oh. My. God, Rie. You had a date? And I had to hear about it from Jordyn?”

  Korie exhaled loudly then straightened her shoulders. Something about the voice seemed familiar, although I had no idea how. I’d never been to Hickory Falls until yesterday. She spoke again, and I closed my eyes and said a prayer. I knew that voice. And that voice obviously knew Korie.

  Dear God, please, please, pleeeeease don’t let this be happening.

  Stella burst through the door like she’d been running from the cops. Bennett’s eyes fell closed then opened again, searching mine for some kind of explanation. Unfortunately, Stella was unexplainable. She was a mystery—along with where all the socks go once you put them in the dryer.

  She darted between tables and around chairs to get to the counter. “Seriously, Korie? A date. And apparently a really hot one. And you know Mrs. Stephenson was all over that juicy tidbit. When did this happen?”

  I dropped Bennett’s hand and cleared my throat. I opened my mouth to introduce my best friend to the man in front of me but stopped when Stella turned pale and speechless as soon as she saw his face.

  Her mouth dropped. “Bennett?” Stella brought her hand to her chest and heaved a sigh. Her confused expression widened into a full-blown grin. “Ohmigod, you came to Hickory Falls? How did you know—” Her eyes moved from his to mine. “Were you in on this?”

  I glanced over at Bennett. Stella leaned over and placed her hand on his arm. His jaw twitched and my stomach turned to knots. I breathed in shallow, deep breaths. We stared at each other, silent. My hands trembled. My mind reeled as I fought through a haze of confusion and disbelief. She knew his name. She touched him like they were intimate. Her smile—Stella was elated.

  “Rie,” Stella repeated. “Did you bring him here? Did you do this for me?”

  My pulse hammered in my ears. My eyes bounced from Bennett to Stella then back to Bennett. “You two know each other?” The question was a knife to my heart because I already knew the answer.

  Stella huffed a laugh. “You’re kidding, right?”

  Ice ripped through my veins.

  “This is Bennett,” Stella continued.

  Panic gripped my throat.

  Her voice got quiet and the smile faded from her lips. “The guy I met at Claire’s wedding?” She let go of his arm. “The one I told you about?”

  The one she danced with. The one who held her like he never wanted to let her go. The one who never took a girl on more than one date. I choked back a cry. Bennett reached for my hand, but I yanked it back.

  Recognition flickered in Stella’s eyes and she flinched. Her voice fell to a whisper as she looked at Bennett. “You aren’t here for me, are you?”

  He lifted his head and sat up straight. “I didn’t even know you were here,” he told her as he shook his head.

  Bennett looked over at me, and I dropped my eyes to hide my pain from him.

  “But you know Korie?” I heard Stella ask.

  “Yes.”

  “And you’re here… for her?” she added. Her voice broke at the end.

  I lifted my eyes and met Bennett’s gaze. His eyes pleaded with me to say something. “Yes,” he answered her but kept his eyes locked on me.

  Stella gasped then glared at me. “I tell you everything,” she bit out at me.

  My heart shattered. For myself. For my best friend. For Bennett.

  “I was going to tell you—” I started.

  Stella raised her hand to stop me. “Don’t. Just. Don’t.” She forced a small smile when she glanced back at Bennett. “It was nice seeing you again.” Then she turned and walked out the door.

  “How do you know her?” Bennett asked as he walked around the counter to where I stood. He walked forward, stopping right in front of me.

  I swallowed the sob that rose in my throat and looked up at him. I needed him to comfort me. I needed to get lost in him. He grabbed my hand, and I shuddered. The floor felt as though it were caving in and consuming me. My chest tightened. It hurt—physically hurt—to look at him knowing the one thing I wanted was the one thing I could no longer ever have.

  “She’s my best friend.”

  Bennett dragged me
into the kitchen behind the counter. “We can talk to her. She’ll understand.” He brought my hand to his chest. “It’s going to be okay.”

  I pulled my hand away. “What part of ‘she’s my best friend’ confused you?”

  I stepped back. He moved forward.

  “Stella is the one who’s confused.”

  I folded my arms across my chest and held my ground. “Can you blame her? Four days ago, you were with her. Now you’re here with me. What’s she supposed to think? What am I supposed to think?”

  “I wasn’t with Stella. She was at a wedding. I was at a wedding. Along with one-hundred and fifty other people.”

  I wanted to throw up and scream and run away all at the same time. My breath caught in my throat. I wanted to be angry… I tried to be angry, but I couldn’t.

  “Why were you there? At a wedding in Clover Creek, Texas of all places?” I asked.

  “Jayce is my best friend. I’ve known Claire for years.” He reached forward and cradled my cheek in his hand. “There’s so much I need to tell you.” His voice never wavered, even though I felt like a volcano was about to erupt inside my body.

  How was he so calm?

  “You can start with why my best friend would think you were here to see her.”

  He dropped his hand and heaved a sigh. “I don’t know.”

  “You mean you didn’t spend the whole night talking and laughing?”

  He raked a hand through his hair and looked up at the ceiling. “It was a wedding. Everyone was talking and laughing,” he explained when he looked back down at me.

  “And dancing? She said when you held her it felt like you never wanted to let her go.” My throat burned as I choked back a sob. Piece by piece, my world crumbled around me. “I know that feeling, Bennett. Because I felt the same way last night.”

  He closed his eyes and hung his head. He inhaled a long breath then looked up. His face twisted as though his thoughts pained him. “Don’t do that. What happened last night is nothing like what happened at that wedding. Not even fucking close. I wanted you to be there. I wanted it so bad. I danced with Stella, yes. Because we had to as part of the wedding party. And yeah… for a minute I pretended she was you. I wanted her to be you. Maybe that sounds stupid, but I—”