by J. A. Coffey
“Me either.” His stomach twisted uncomfortably. He wasn’t used to being blown off by women he was interested in. The feeling was foreign and distasteful, like swallowing cherry cough syrup after brushing his teeth.
They’d spent a week together—more time than he’d spent with any woman outside his family lately. And it wasn’t enough. Not by half.
Maybe that was why he was so into her. Why he didn’t want to let her get away. Kane rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. If only his friends could see him now.
She pulled out of the crowded lot and back down the street. “There’s a great gelato place near the garage if you’re in?”
Redemption. “In.” He grinned. “Definitely in.”
They drove the short distance back the garage, then walked a few blocks south for ice cream. The night breeze blowing in from the Sound was cool on his cheeks; it smelled of Douglas firs and fish and fresh beginnings. The whole night was magical—crisp air and the sound of her footsteps as they strolled back to the garage with a cone for each of them. Chocolate for her, Rocky Road for him. When they finished their cones, he took her hand.
Thankfully, she didn’t pull away.
“What will you do this weekend?” she asked. “No summer camp to occupy your time until Monday.”
“I have some leads on a new commercial landscape project downtown. A friend of mine knows the chief designer. I’m going to put in an application. Maybe he can use the help.”
“Isn’t that a step down for you?” She wiped the back of her hand over her sticky lips.
“Hang on.” He fished a napkin out of his pocket, and dabbed at the corner of her lips. Lips that probably tasted like honey and daisies and chocolate. Sugar, spice, everything nice.
“Well?” she prompted.
“I guess it is. But that’s how things go. Gotta work my way up from the bottom, right?”
“Not when you have other resources.” She frowned. “I mean, you’ve got money, talent, and clout in this city, Kane. Why not tackle a project of your own?”
“I never thought about it like that.” He’d always considered the Maverick name to be more like a heavy rock he had to crawl out from under. But he did have a fancy degree and a certain notoriety after the show that could go a long way toward greasing the wheels in Seattle.
Would it grease the wheels enough that he could pick his own project?
“I know I would, if I was you.” She nodded. He could almost see the gears turning in her pretty head. “With what you’ve got, there’d be nothing stopping me.”
He didn’t doubt it.
“There’s not much stopping you now from where I’m standing.” He brushed her hair back from her face.
“More than you know,” she muttered, hunching her shoulders as if she might crumple, the way his fender had.
He stopped. “You’re beautiful, talented, resourceful, and determined. What else is there to know?”
“I’m not like you, Kane. I’ve got a rough past. We don’t come from money. My mom ran off when I was ten. Dad died. Even after inheriting his house and the garage, I can barely pay my bills.” She was ticking things off on her fingers in her efficient manner.
“Okay.” He shrugged. Lots of his friends were struggling, too. Like Matt who was stuck in a lousy internship. Or Nate who bummed grocery and gas money when he blew his paycheck on tequila shots. “We’re all still figuring this out. And you seem to be handling it fine, from where I stand, Anna.”
She huffed out a noisy breath, like a tailpipe backfiring. “You hardly know me. I’ve done some stupid things!”
“Like what?”
That flicker of pain in the shadows of her eyes again. “Like…bad things.”
“It’ll take more than that to convince me.” If she told him, maybe he could help her with that pain.
“Fine. Once I turned a ‘69 Mustang into a giant penis.”
“You…what?” Laughter exploded from him as he tried to imagine a towering metal phallus. Had she used hub caps for the testicles? He shook his head. “That’s pretty edgy of you. Was it a statement or something?”
“It was supposed to be the lead guitarist from his favorite rock band—Wylde Ryder.”
“I’ve heard of them.” Understatement. They were the hottest alternative rock band to come out of the Northwest since the Foos. Odd choice for a garden sculpture, though. “Not sure how you could confuse a dude for a dick, though. Man-cave decoration?”
“No. My client refused to honor his agreement.” Quickly, she related a story about some guy who’d contracted her to make a sculpture and then backed out of paying.
“He cheated you out of the money? What an asshole.”
“You could say that. So I pulled the sculpture apart and remade it into a giant peen.” She crossed her arms. “Fitting tribute.”
“Hilarious.” Kane chuckled again. “Did you yell ‘come at me, bro’ when you unveiled it?”
“No.” She wasn’t laughing. “That’s not even the worst part.”
Kane sobered. “What is?”
He tensed, waiting for the blow to fall.
“He was my boyfriend at the time.” She seemed on the verge of tears. “He said he loved me and he wanted to help launch my career. Instead, I’ve spent the last five years trying to fight off the damage from my stupid mistake.”
Kane rocked back on his heels. The person she’d trusted, who’d let her down, was the person who was supposed to love and care for her. No wonder she was so twitchy about going on this date with him, much less a relationship. She probably thought he’d pull the same move on her once he grew bored.
Little did she know he found nothing boring in his sweet, sizzling firecracker.
“It was dumb, a stupid reaction, I know, but my dad was sick and I thought I could trust Rick and it all went to hell when he screwed me over. I was going to use the money to pay down some of the hospital bills. Had to put it on credit cards, instead.”
Ouch. She’d had a knee-jerk reaction to a really shitty situation. Heck, he’d had worse. But it might complicate things for the summer show, depending on how far word had gotten out.
“So you lost your temper.” He put his arms around her slumping shoulders. She leaned against him and sighed. “Big deal. I hope the guy was embarrassed.”
“Him and his twenty coworkers. He’d thrown some kind of party at a bar in midtown, near the docks. Let’s just say the unveiling didn’t go well. I heard photos of it were made into memes and circulated in the office emails.”
Docks? Uh-oh. “Where was this again?”
“Bainbridge Island. Just across the ferry.”
Kane closed his eyes for a minute. Seattle was a big city with a long memory. Bainbridge Island was small town and even worse. Something about the rocky shores made residents cling to any shred of gossip like it was going out of style.
If Anna’s giant peen was well-remembered, he’d have to do some damage control to get Anna’s work into the summer show. Maybe his father’s assistant Marta would help him out? He’d enlist anyone he could to salvage Anna’s shining career.
“I know I overreacted,” she explained. “But I’ve learned from my mistakes.”
“Why do you need to justify this to me?” Couldn’t she see how much he cared about her? “I totally understand and I—”
Well, he couldn’t say that he loved her. But he was falling harder and faster than he’d ever dreamed.
“I just don’t like letting anyone down. Myself least of all.” Her puffed-up shoulders deflated. She spread her hands wide. “That’s why I don’t trust easily. Not when it comes to mixing business with pleasure.”
“I’ll take that as a personal challenge.” He’d call in every favor he was owed, if need be. The Maverick clout ought to count for something.
“What’s the challenge?” She hugged her arms around her middle. Kane removed his jean jacket and placed it around her shoulders.
“To earn your trust.”
/> “You already have it, Kane.” There was something hopeful and hungry simmering in her eyes. Something that made Kane want to bridge the gap between them, to finally make her his.
“Good.” He took her hand again, and again she let him. Though he didn’t kiss her goodnight, he did tell her, again, that he was looking forward to next week’s camp, just in case she thought he was a quitter.
The Dino might be done, but Kane Maverick wasn’t done with Anna by half.
***
He drove the Ferarri home and parked it carefully beside his father’s Mercedes.
“Car looks great.” His father lowered the garage door as Kane cut the engine. “Worth the extra time they spent on it.”
“Yeah, Pops… about that.” Kane stalked into the kitchen behind Carson.
“You know, son.” Carson blustered on, as usual, not waiting for Kane to finish. “I had my doubts about giving you responsibilities at the gallery. But you really seem to be dedicating yourself. Much more than I’d hoped.” He clapped him on the back.
Kane throat felt like he’d swallowed a monkey wrench. “I’m glad. About the car…”
“Later. We need to go over your selections for the show by next week, okay?” Carson poked his head in the stairwell. “Beverly? If you don’t come down right now, we’re going to be late for the show. You know how traffic is.”
“Coming, dear.” His mother swooped into the kitchen, and kissed his cheek. “I showed your father how well the new sprinklers are perking up the yard, Kane. Didn’t he do a good job, Carson?” she prompted.
“No time, Beverly. The show.” His father fumbled for his keys and a cigarette at the same time. “Good night, son.”
“Night,” Kane replied. The Dino was back safe and sound. His parents seemed happy. So why did he still feel as if he wasn’t out of the woods, yet?
Chapter Seven
“Pops saw the car. Never suspected a thing.” Kane whispered over his shoulder when they finally had a moment to spare, as he marched Jasmine Anderson to the sink at the back of the classroom. Anna nodded and herded the rest of the kids to line up.
“I’m glad everything worked out.” She smiled at him as he tenderly scrubbed blue paint off the little girl’s palms. Then, they led the kids out to the waiting throng of parents. He reached over and took her hand on the way back into the empty classroom.
With the work on the Dino officially over, it was like she and Kane had turned a corner. Now as they chatted in a classroom that smelled like pencil shavings and peanut butter and all she could think of was how she was going to miss seeing him every day.
“Yeah, I’m not sure if it was the responsible thing to do or not, but your work was impeccable and Pops is happy, sooo.” He shrugged. “You’re amazing, Anna. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Kane was different than she’d expected. He made her laugh. Think. He was easy to talk to, and she loved being around him, but she wasn’t sure if that meant friendship or something more. Her heart skipped beats just thinking about it.
Today didn’t seem any different than other days, and yet, it was. Every laugh from the kids seemed bittersweet, and every minute she spent with him claimed a new space in her heart. She kept zoning out as she imagined her work featured at The Mav—and what it would be like to date Kane.
She couldn’t have both, could she?
Kane nudged her shoulder, interrupting another one long staring contests with her future.
“What’s going on in that pretty head of yours today? You’ve been distracted since lunch.” He took her hand. His lightly calloused fingers played over her knuckles with a delicious, rhythmic stroke that sent tingles from her head to her toes and all places in between. “Have the kids worn you out?”
The fact that after two weeks he could read her better than anybody ever had was disturbing. But it was nothing compared to the awful, twisted feeling inside when she realized camp was almost at an end. Her time with Kane would soon be over.
“I was thinking of you, actually.” She’d been distracted by him for a lot longer than a few hours. More like two weeks. Nine glorious days of being by his side, watching him laugh, play and teach the students. She’d thought he was a reckless player, but every day brought some new facet of himself to her attention.
He stood up straighter. “All good things, I hope.”
Getting to know the real Kane Maverick had sparked a fire in places she’d never dreamed when she’d agreed to take him on. It was worth every minute she’d spent with a ball-peen hammer banging out the dents from his Dino.
“Maybe,” she teased. “You surprise me. I can’t say that happens very often.”
“You have a keen eye, Anna.” He closed the space between them. “And I like the way you’re looking at me right now.”
He waited a moment longer, enough time for her to count the seconds in heartbeats, but neither of them made a move to break the tension. A deep yearning flared in her midsection, like kick-starting an engine that had sat for too long. She tried to swallow past her suddenly dry mouth, to tell him this was all wrong, but the words wouldn’t come.
“Kane, I…”
“Enough of this, Anna. Kiss me.” His arms slid around her waist and drew her against the hard muscled planes of his body. As soon as Kane’s lips met hers, she knew she was in deep, deep trouble.
It was a kiss to end all kisses. Right here in the community center summer camp classroom.
His mouth was firm and skilled and oh so much more than she’d bargained for. They fit together, perfectly joined as if they’d been made for each other. Kane’s warm hands slid up her throat, to cradle her face, and all her moments of worry and wondering melted away. She felt tender and treasured and desired in his arms. Her dormant engine roared to life.
For a moment, she gave in to the fantasy of a hot interlude with the guy she’d been crushing on for weeks. No fallout, no consequences, no dirty aftermath.
He shifted position, and the rasp of his stubbled chin against hers sending jolts of electricity through her veins. His tongue sparked a blaze of pleasure, sizzling down to her spine. Her head whirled. It was as if every other kiss she’d had in the past had been meaningless, just a sketchy prelude to this kiss. This man.
She pressed against him, savoring the scent of his cologne. Kane tugged her closer, his hands sliding to her hips, and sealed his lips over hers again. Her knees buckled and she sagged against him, creating delicious friction against the cleft of her thighs. He wrapped his hands around her backside causing her to move up and down against his leg. Each movement sent shivers down her spine, repeating like waves rolling off the Sound.
Oh, wowsers. She buried her face in his chest to smother her shocked gasp of pleasure. Did she still have her clothes on? Why, yes, she did. They weren’t even skin-on-skin and he had her ready to go off like a rocket.
“You feel so good, Anna,” he muttered against her mouth.
So did he. But they were locking lips inside the community center where anyone could burst in on them. “This is crazy. We can’t do this here.”
“You’re right.” His voice was thick with desire. “Not here. Where?” His lips were still burning a trail down the sides of her neck.
Here, there, everywhere, she sang in her head. She felt dizzy as his strong thighs pressed between her legs, his heavy breathing filled her ears, and his hands circled the span of her waist. She savored a sharp prickle of desire as he nipped at her shoulder.
A crash sounded in the hallway, near the front doors, and she heard a child’s voice inquire about a lost lunchbox. As the receptionist told the kid to go check the classrooms, Anna’s lust-fogged head cleared. “Wait, we can’t do this.”
Kane’s lips stilled on her neck. “At all? Or just here?”
“I’m not sure.” Oh God, she hated herself right now. For wanting him and for not being able to have him.
“Okay.” His face tightened as he dragged his hand through his dark hair, making it stand up
in spikes, like a dark angel’s halo. “I can wait. Let me just…get myself under control.”
Kane headed to the restroom while she tried to regain the use of her knees.
Her whole body was on fire and screaming at her to finish what they started. From the bulge in Kane’s jeans, he had to be feeling the same. But they’d only known each other for a short time, and now their time together was ending. The summer camp was nearly over. She was going before his father’s critical eye for the summer show, but Kane seemed really confident his father would approve. After the show had ended Kane would go on to…whatever it was he did, and she’d hopefully have launched her career.
No matter what her body said, her head said they couldn’t. It wasn’t just the upcoming show. Her family had grown up on chrome and diesel fuel. His world was all caviar and champagne. It could never work. Would never work.
No matter how much she might want it.
Anna dragged her hair off her face and tucked the back of her T-shirt into her shorts. When the kid with the missing lunchbox arrived, she helped him find it and sent him on his way. She thought about ducking out before Kane got back, but that would be the coward’s way out.
He returned from the restroom before she had a chance anyway. They finished packing up the classroom in silence—kind of an intense, knowing silence where they were both thinking about the kiss.
“Let me walk to your car,” he said.
She raised her eyebrows at him as she shouldered her bag. “It’s right beside your truck.”
“Still.” He smiled, that easy, charming smile, and took her hand in front of the receptionist and everyone as they exited the community center.
Butterflies danced in her stomach. What car part would she use to depict those? She broke the silence first. “You know, Kane, I’m pretty sure your parents wouldn’t approve of us seeing each other.” She stared at the tufts of grass growing between the concrete pavers, afraid to see his expression.
He laughed. “Probably not.”
She stopped short on the sidewalk. “Is that why?”
“Why I want to date you?” They continued toward the cars until they stood between them. They could drive off their respective homes, right now.
