Chapter Seven
Kiera stewed while she worked on the vehicle. She changed the oil filter, checked the spark plugs and replaced those too. Her brothers. They were out of control. A betrothal contract. Dammit, she’d find her own man thankyouverymuch.
“Hey, Kiera.”
Kiera belted her forehead on the raised hood and muttered a curse.
“Sorry,” Reg said. “Didn’t mean to take you unawares. You told me to remind you when it’s time for me to leave for my dentist appointment.”
“Yikes, I forgot. You go. I’m almost done here. Just need to check the oil and water and it’s good to go.”
Kiera completed her work on the car and stalked around to the front. In between customers, she rang the young girl who owned the car she’d completed and told her she could pick it up.
Oscar, one of her brothers, ambled around the corner, his blue eyes lighting up when he noticed her. “There you are.”
“If you’ve come to order me back home to England, you can go away again.”
His good cheer didn’t falter. He slung his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her lightly. “Why don’t you want to come home?”
“I was tired of the social whirl,” she said tartly. “I wanted more from my life.”
“You couldn’t have taken up a new hobby?”
Incensed at his ready reply—a typical, masculine one—Kiera bared her teeth at him and let loose a growl.
“Humans,” Oscar murmured, staring out at the forecourt.
“Convenient for you,” Kiera snapped. Pasting a smile on her face, she turned to welcome the customers. Moving on automatic, she pumped gas and accepted a tire for mending. When the customer drove off, she turned to Oscar. “What’s going on?”
“We’re taking some time off to visit our favorite sister.”
“Stop foolin’ around. Tell me the truth.” Oscar didn’t do innocent well—not with the perennial twinkle in his eyes. Closing the distance between them, she poked him in the chest with her forefinger. Since he was feline like her, she didn’t hold back. “Why did the three of you come on holiday at once? Why are you pressuring me to mate with weasel William?”
“I say,” Oscar said, his upper-class accent imbuing his words with shock. “Can’t a chap make an innocent visit to see his sister?”
“Not if you come waving marriage contracts.” She poked his chest again. “Spill.”
Oscar sighed and his bravado faded. “Matthew has a gambling problem. Things are tough at the business. We’ve downscaled and hope to pull things together. Our associates can keep things ticking over for us until we return. Besides, with communication these days, it’s easy to set up an online meeting.”
“You’re lawyers.” Kiera didn’t have to pretend shock. “How can things get tough for you? Everyone goes to lawyers when things are bad.”
“Matthew dipped into the trust account. Tyrone and I managed to pay it back but word spread and we lost clients. We’re lucky we haven’t faced an inquiry and disciplinary action from our peers. Tyrone and I hope to talk sense into Matthew while we’re out here.”
“But you and Tyrone didn’t do anything wrong.”
Oscar’s mouth twisted. “Doesn’t matter. He’s our brother. Guilt by association.”
“How did you afford to come out here? Polo school can’t be cheap.”
“It isn’t, but Tyrone and I figured a change of scenery might prove beneficial.”
“It’s a short-term fix. He’ll need to get help.”
“Don’t you think we understand that? He’s our big brother and we love him, but he has to want to help himself.” Oscar paused, his chest rising and falling with a sigh. “He won’t admit he has a problem.”
Kiera’s legs took on the consistency of cooked pasta noodles and she sank against her brother, taking comfort from his embrace. “And the marriage contract?” she whispered. “Where does that come into it?”
Oscar’s arms tightened around her momentarily before relaxing. “He hasn’t admitted anything, but William must’ve loaned him money.” Oscar turned her to face him, a troubled expression settling on his usually happy-go-lucky face. “William didn’t like you turning down his proposal. For some reason he wants you regardless.”
“Payback?”
“Don’t know, but I wouldn’t trust him.”
“I have no intention of becoming William’s mate. He gives me the creeps.”
“Me too,” Oscar said, giving a theatrical shudder. “Luckily, I’m rooming with Tyrone this trip. I don’t like the way William stares at my arse when he thinks I’m not looking.”
Kiera frowned. “You think he wants a beard?”
“William has a beard… Oh!” Oscar chuckled. “You mean a gay beard?”
“His family is traditional.”
“You mean they have delusions of grandeur,” Oscar retorted. “They made their money in trade. They don’t have our blue blood.”
A snort escaped her. “Now who’s being catty.”
From force of habit, Oscar scanned their surroundings before replying. “I am a cat.”
Kiera pinched him, sidestepping his return attack. “So you are.” A small truck pulled up by the pumps. “Behave. I have customers.”
“Want me to take care of them while you work out in the back?”
“You want to pump gas?”
“Something to put on my CV,” Oscar said. “I might need a reference to get another job.”
“Be my guest. I’ll get to work mending punctures. Shout out if you need anything.”
Half an hour later, Tyrone arrived. “Do you want some help?”
“Sure. There are clean overalls in my apartment.”
“Have you seen Oscar? He disappeared and didn’t tell me where he was going,” Tyrone said when he returned dressed in a pair of overalls. “What do you want me to do?”
“Oscar is minding the front of the shop for me while Reg is at the dentist. You can take a look at the blue sedan over there. It’s in for a full service. The checklist is sitting on the driver’s seat.”
She and Tyrone worked for almost two hours, exchanging chatter and catching up. It was good spending time with her younger brothers. They weren’t stuffy like Matthew. Around four, she stopped and made tea for them.
“I’m even breaking out the biscuits,” she said to her brothers. “Leave the door open and you’ll hear if any customers arrive.”
“How serious is it between you and this Joe character?” Tyrone asked. “His scent was all over your apartment.”
“I like him. A lot.”
Oscar sent her a direct look. “Are you going to mate?”
“Neither of us is in a hurry.” She could admit the truth but didn’t want Matthew to discover her subterfuge.
“Matthew won’t give up until you’re officially mated,” Oscar said.
“You told her?” Tyrone glowered at his older brother.
“She deserves the truth. If things get much worse, we’ll have to sell the family estate,” Oscar said.
“Are things that bad?” Kiera asked in shock. Their grandfather would turn in his grave. It saddened her to learn Matthew had fallen so low and expected her to help fix his mess. He was her older brother and meant to care for her.
“It’s that bad,” Tyrone confirmed. “Oscar and I are okay because of the money grandfather left us. We’ve both invested, but Matthew… Matthew refuses to admit to his gambling addiction.”
“We can’t live his life for him,” Kiera said. “At some point he will have to take responsibility for his actions.”
“Hell, speak of the devil,” Oscar said.
Kiera glanced up and watched Matthew and William swagger into her workshop. “Don’t you mean devils?”
“Now, now,” Tyrone chided.
A customer rang the bell out the front and Oscar leapt to his feet. “Saved by the bell. I’ll leave you to the lectures.”
“Thanks,” Kiera said dryly. “You’ve made my day.
”
* * * * *
Joe arrived at the farm before Kiera and, after a quick wash, started dinner. Emily had taught them how to cook. It was a simple matter of scrubbing potatoes and putting them on to bake while he made a salad and a marinade for the steak.
Everywhere he looked, he saw Kiera. She’d added small touches everywhere in the kitchen—three pots of herbs, a bowl of apples and a jar of striped red-and-white mints. Her subtle perfume. Kiera made a difference. She made the farmhouse more like a home.
The hours advanced, and it was after seven when Kiera’s truck pulled up outside the house. She paused to remove her footwear before entering the kitchen. Her face bore the weight of exhaustion plus a couple of black smudges.
“Tough day at the office?”
“Something like that,” she said with a tired smile at him.
Unable to help himself, he skirted the kitchen counter and went to her. He drew her into his arms and gave her a hug. The minute he touched her, a sense of contentment flooded him. The intense yearning for her levelled into an ache in his balls instead of a raging hard-on. During his dinner preparations, he’d decided he’d drag her off to bed the second she walked in the door. Now, seeing her fatigue, he changed his plan.
He led her to the kitchen table and pulled out a chair. Gently pushing down on her shoulders, he urged her to sit. “Would you like a beer? A juice?”
Kiera rolled her shoulders and gave a tired sigh. “A beer sounds good. I’ve been repairing punctures most of the afternoon. I’m parched.”
“You saw your brothers again. I can smell them on you.” Shit, that didn’t come out the way he intended. “I mean, it’s good that you saw your brothers. They didn’t hurt you again?” He’d rip them apart if they tried to manhandle her.
“No. Oscar and Tyrone visited me at the garage. They wouldn’t let Matthew hurt me.”
Joe didn’t understand her confidence. He knew a determined man when he saw one. Matthew Pascoe appeared driven and, for some reason, he expected Kiera to obey his orders without question. Another glimpse of her face made him postpone his questions. “One beer coming up.”
“I should clean up first.”
“Stay there. Have a beer while I run a bath for you.”
“You don’t have to wait on me.” Surprise tinged her words.
He wanted to pamper her because she’d given him so much when she’d forced him out of his apathy. Helping with her man problem gave him a purpose. Sly’s absence still hurt but lacked the same keenness. “It’s no trouble. Dinner will be ready when you are.”
Joe grabbed a bottle of beer from the fridge and poured it into a glass for her. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and handed her the beer. In the bathroom, he turned on the taps. While the water was running, he located a bottle of bubble bath and a memory surfaced of him and Sly and Maggie. Gritting his teeth, he forced the recollection away and opened the bottle, adding a dollop to the water. Immediately a mass of bubbles foamed up, covering the surface of the water.
His hand wavered as he reached for candles and a box of matches. Ghostly laughter echoed through his mind and he fisted his hand. Maggie was a traitorous bitch. Tonight he’d make new memories with Kiera and scrub his mind free of Maggie Scarlet. Determined, he headed back to the kitchen.
“Are you ready for your bath?” he asked, obviously interrupting some deep musing because Kiera started when he spoke.
“I haven’t finished my beer.”
“Take your glass with you. I’ll be in to scrub your back in a few minutes.” Joe intended to open the bottle of wine in the fridge and join Kiera in the bath. The urgency he’d exhibited before Kiera’s arrival home had subsided and he found he wanted to give her romance.
Real romance.
None of the manufactured, phony stuff he and Sly used to get into a woman’s pants. This time he wanted to give and didn’t expect anything back in return. The feeling was new. Unexpected, but he intended to go with his instincts.
He grasped Kiera’s hand and tugged her to her feet. “Come on.” He led her down the passage to the bathroom. The slight catch in her breath when she caught sight of the flickering candles and the foamy bubbles brought a wealth of satisfaction. “Let me help you undress.”
In answer, she set her beer down and lifted her arms. He whisked her T-shirt over her head, unfastened her bra and peeled the plain cotton away from her breasts. The contrasts between her plain underwear, her occupation and her innate sexiness always charmed him. She didn’t have an ounce of pretense in her, and after Maggie, he found Kiera restful and soothing. His fingers glided down her rib cage to span her waist. Because he could, he leaned in to steal a kiss before swiftly removing her jeans and panties.
“You’d better test the water temperature yourself. It should be okay.”
Kiera trailed one hand through the bubbles. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me,” Joe said gruffly. Part of him felt guilty about his original impulse to screw her silly. It showed he shouldn’t always go with his first idea. Sometimes a carefully laid plan worked better.
She climbed into the tub and let out a sigh of pleasure. “There is plenty of room for two. Why don’t you join me?”
Joe grinned. “I thought I might. Back in a minute.”
The phone rang and he strode into the kitchen to answer it. “Is Kiera there?”
One of her brothers. Joe didn’t know them well enough to make a guess as to which brother was calling. “She’s just arrived home from work. I’ll get her to ring once she’s finished cleaning up.”
“I intend to take her as my mate.”
Ah, the prospective boyfriend. He didn’t seem like Kiera’s type. Too polished, and he had a weak chin. “Not if I have any say about it.”
Joe cast a quick glance down the passage. This wasn’t any of his business. Don’t be a pussy. You like her. Go for it. Truth. He didn’t owe the other man a thing.
“I don’t want to argue with you.” What he wanted was to get rid of this bozo and get back to Kiera. Bathtub. Naked woman. No decisions necessary.
“My thoughts exactly,” William said in his prissy, English accent. “I’ve signed a betrothal contract. We’ll mate once we return to England.”
“I’m with Kiera,” Joe said. “I’ll tell Kiera you rang or you can visit her at the workshop.” He hung up on the man midsentence. Damn, he’d have to tell Kiera he’d rung. Hopefully it wouldn’t spoil their evening.
Joe grabbed a bottle of chardonnay from the fridge and opened it. He poured two glasses and headed back to the bathroom. “Hey, are you asleep?”
Her lashes fluttered. “No, just resting my eyes.”
“I brought you a glass of wine.” He removed the empty beer glass and placed it on the vanity.
“I might keep you.” Kiera sat up to accept the glass from him, baring her breasts to his interested gaze.
Bubbles clung to her rosy skin, her nipples hardening while he studied them. “And I might let you.”
“When am I gonna see some skin?”
Joe shucked his jeans and T-shirt. “How’s that?”
“More.”
“I promised you I’d scrub your back. I don’t want to get distracted.” Joe grabbed a washcloth and lathered it up with soap. He squatted beside the bath. “Lean forward.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I want to.” Pleasure flooded him each time he touched her. It didn’t matter that the contact wasn’t sexual. It was the connection that counted and made his feline purr with satisfaction. He ran the cloth over her back and once he’d finished, he eased his hands around to wash her breasts. Once she’d bathed and he’d fed her he’d spend the rest of the evening caressing her, layering his scent over her body. That bloody Englishman would soon understand Kiera belonged with him, and not a single betrothal contract would make any difference.
Once he’d finished, he slipped his boxer-briefs over his erection and climbed into the tub b
ehind her. Warm water and soft woman. Oy, it didn’t get better than this. He nuzzled her neck and pressed her back against his chest.
“You still feel tense, babe.”
“Family problems.”
He cupped one breast and using gentle fingers, he tugged on her nipple, pulling it until a tight bud formed. Smiling against her neck, he kept fondling her, testing her reactions to his caresses. He sought out her ticklish bits, gradually working lower. When his fingers coasted down her slit, she sighed and parted her legs for him in a silent offer. His chest swelled at her open acceptance.
“Feel good?”
“Yes. Let me touch you too.”
“This is for you. I want you nice and relaxed.” As he spoke his finger grazed her slit and went lower still to sit at her entrance. A purr rattled through her, making him smile. An ache fired to life in his balls but he ignored it, enamored with her reactions to each of his ministrations. Her juices allowed his fingers to glide over her smooth folds, each teasing tap of her clit bringing a reaction from her. A moan. A sigh. A tightening of her muscles. He slipped two digits inside her, giving her something to bear down on when he increased the pace. Soon she shuddered in his arms, her channel clenching around his fingers, clasping them.
When she stopped quaking, he removed his fingers and teased both of them by playing his teeth and tongue over her marking site. Dangerous stuff, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. There were worse things than spending the rest of his life tethered to Kiera.
Her backside wriggled against his cock, and his balls ached savagely. “That’s not very comfortable.”
Laughing, Joe moved her off his lap and curled his arm around her waist. “You haven’t drunk your wine.”
“I’ve been busy. A strange man accosted me in the tub. He snared my attention.”
“Didn’t your parents tell you to watch for strangers?”
“My grandfather in particular. He said the tall, dark, handsome ones were the worst. And if they had green eyes. Well! That was a sure sign of a rogue.”
“Too late to flee, babe.”
“Joe, the last thing I want to do is run.” Kiera turned and kissed him, a tender joining of lips that reverberated inside him. Kiera Pascoe was the dangerous one. He had no idea how he’d let her go when the time came. Hell, he didn’t want to let her go at all.
My Twin Trouble Page 10
