So Not a White Knight

by Starla Kaye

  His cell phone rang. Essie! Excitement curled through him before he tamped it down. Neither one had called the other. As he pulled the phone out of his slacks pocket, he read the caller ID. Dread wafted over him.

  “Hello, Dad.” He sat up, leaned against the headboard in the dimly lit bedroom.

  “Your brother and I have been talking. We’ve decided to go in on that construction company with you.”

  Trevon blinked. Had he heard right? His father had been against the idea of the non-profit construction company to build homes for needy single mothers, believing it couldn’t work. All they’d done was argue about it.

  “I don’t understand,” he said cautiously. Also, they had never discussed his father and brother being involved with the new company. He wasn’t opposed to the idea, just confused.

  “Sam told me to stop being so stubborn. Stop being determined to convince you to work for our company, something you have always been opposed to doing.” His father drew in a breath. “He convinced me that your plan is a good one. And he wants to be part of it.” He hesitated. “I do, too, son. If you’ll let me.”

  Trevon tried to get a handle on the changes in his father’s attitude. Sam wasn’t a surprise, but his dad was. Slowly, he smiled. “Yes, I would love to have the two of you involved with this project.” Another huge piece of the puzzle fell into place.

  “Good, good.” His father sounded relieved. “When can we get together in person and get the details figured out? Next week?”

  Trevon almost jumped on the suggestion, but suddenly there was something else he wanted to do first. Someone he needed to talk to, to thank for giving him a verbal kick in the ass to get his plan out of his dreams and off the ground.

  “The week after that. I’ll call you about arrangements later.” He took a second before adding, “Thanks, Dad.”

  He sat there for several minutes, stomach churning. Had he waited too long before contacting Essie? Should he just leave it all alone?

  His gaze slid to the battered book on the dresser across the room. He’d found it as they were taking a final look around the condo for what they had brought with them. She either forgot it or didn’t want it any longer. So he’d stuck it in his bag, along with the few unused condoms.

  He latched onto his excuse to call her.

  Her cell number was already back on his speed dial, although he’d never dialed it. Heart hammering, he placed a call.

  When she answered, he warmed at hearing her voice. “It’s Trevon. Have you got a minute?”

  ***

  Standing at the resort’s check-in counter, Essie couldn’t believe all that had happened to her in the last forty-eight hours. She had given her notice at work, much to her father’s frustration. She’d informed her mother she wouldn’t be there this weekend for Sunday dinner. And she’d made last minute flight arrangements to Kauai. All because the sexiest man in the world had called her three nights ago. Finally.

  She shifted, impatient, while the clerk finished her paperwork. Trevon’s surprise call had made her fight hard not to break into tears. Just hearing his voice again turned her into a needy mess. She wanted to see him in person, wanted to touch him. She should have been more resistant to even talking to him. Especially when he asked her to meet him here. She hadn’t even hesitated. How crazy was that?

  Wrong man for her, right man. Who knew? Time would tell. And she wanted another chance to figure it out.

  At Trevon’s request, she wore the skintight white dress as before. She tingled, remembering how he vowed to strip it off her right away. In return, she insisted he wear those same worn jeans, which she would be stripping off him as well. This time, she only packed a small bag. She did learn quickly. And she hoped she’d overpacked again, even with this limited amount.

  She battled the urge to scream at the clerk to work faster. Instead, she thought about Trevon some more. He promised to have a brand new box of condoms with him. She’d started to tell him that she would bring the infamous sex manual with her, but she remembered she hadn’t been able to find it. But she thought they could wing it this time.

  “Ms. Reynolds, I’ll help you with your bag,” the same teenaged boy as before said as he moved next to her. Then he blinked in sudden recognition. “Or is…?”

  As she turned toward him, Trevon walked up and grinned at the boy. “I’ll take it from here.” He handed the teenager a large tip.

  “You look…different,” she said, studying him. “Less troubled?”

  He ignored her bag and the few people nearby. He pulled her against him, his mouth claiming hers in the next breath, which he stole from her. If the size of the erection pressing at her was any indication, he’d missed her. Good. If he could read female signs, then he’d know by the way her hard nipples crushed into his chest and the way she quivered all over she’d missed him, too.

  “Oh, sweetheart,” he mumbled, releasing her the smallest amount. “We’ve got lots to talk about.”

  She wasn’t interested in talking. She stretched up to whisper in his ear, “I’m not wearing any panties.” She had taken them off at the airport, and it had felt wicked, naughty, too.

  He grumbled, “You’re killing me already.” He eased her away and snagged her bag then took off in a near sprint toward the condo.

  “Another race?” she teased, keeping up with him eagerly.

  He stopped to glance at her, a devilish look in his eyes. “Did we leave off with page 103 or….”

  Her shoulders slumped. “I couldn’t find the book.”

  He grinned, pleased. “Because I have it.” He winked. “I’ve been studying up, too.”

  “You took my book?” Should she be upset with him? Nope. Studying up? That sounded promising. A thrill spiraled through her, ending low in her vagina. “My white knight.”

  “Hardly,” he protested. “If I was one, I would have come after you much sooner than this.” He held her gaze. “I took the book as my souvenir.”

  She laughed. Coming here was definitely the right decision. But she should act a little more mature, less lust-crazed. “So, what do we have to talk about?”

  She thought back to their previous trip home, what they discussed on the flight. “You did it, didn’t you? You decided to start the company.” She was unbelievably excited for him.

  He nodded, his blue gaze warm as he spoke. “Thanks to your encouragement. I stopped just thinking about the idea and put things in motion.”

  “More to celebrate,” she said, happy for the first time in weeks.

  They started walking, and he glanced at her, curious. “More?”

  “I did it, Trevon. I quit my job.” Uneasy at first, she felt at peace with the decision.

  “Do you have some time for trying something new? Something well out of the chemical engineering field?” he asked, stopping again to look at her. “Working with me?”

  “That might be interesting.” She thrummed with desire to get this handsome man naked and in bed. “How about we talk…later?”

  “Probably for the best.” His heated gaze swept over her, and he chuckled then reached to finger her short hair. “I can see in your eyes a serious conversation isn’t on your mind right now.” He stroked the side of her face with the back of his fingers. “But, later, I do want to discuss the possibility of your working with me.”

  The idea held a lot of appeal. She looked for a new challenge. “Okay.” She leaned toward him, impatient. “Remember what I said in the lobby? The no panties thing?”

  He groaned. “Page thirty-three, ‘See-Saw.’”

  She blinked. “Oh, I remember seeing that, too.” She took his hand and dragged him down the sidewalk. “Come on, Sexy Beast. Time’s a wasting.”

  Also from Decadent Publishing

  www.decadentpublishing.com

  For Ruby’s Love by Starla Kaye

  Chapter One

  “Dadburnit!” Ruby swore her father’s favorite word as the pickup gave a last gasp before stopping on the gravel road
. She could hear him in her head, chastising her for not taking time to get gas in the last town. They’d always had a difference of opinion about when to fuel up. He preferred keeping the tank topped off, getting gas whenever the needle hit half a tank. She waited until the needle danced around E. Living on the edge had gotten her into trouble.

  With a heavy sigh, she pulled the key from the ignition. She would be footing it the rest of the way to the main part of the Circle C Ranch. At least she’d gotten onto the ranch road and eased over to the side as much as she could before the stupid truck started sputtering.

  The stubborn driver’s door gave the familiar metal-rubbing-against-metal creak when she shoved it open, setting her teeth on edge. One of these days she would have to get some work done—when she had two spare seconds. Money for repairs wasn’t as much of an issue as having free time. Her life had been hectic enough when her father was alive and they traveled constantly. By herself and needing to establish her own reputation…. Well, her life had gotten stressful.

  Make that more stressful. Almost three weeks late getting here, her phone call to Calhoun Cordell last night hadn’t been pleasant, and she’d promised him she would be at his ranch promptly at ten o’clock this morning. She would have been, too, if….

  No sense thinking about the list of mounting “ifs.” Just get your ass in gear and hoof it down the road! Woman up.

  Stepping from the truck, she shivered against the blast of frigid, January Kansas wind. Not a day meant for walking, but at least there wasn’t snow. Yet. The thick, white clouds looked ominous, this second day of the new year. She could imagine what the next few weeks or so would be like.

  She drew in a calming breath, reached into the cab, and snagged her sheepskin-lined jacket. She settled her hat down tight and grabbed the slouchy bag containing some of life’s necessities and a whole passel of junk.

  Before she could step away, pain wrenched her heart. Tears burned her eyes. God, she missed her dad. Every day it got a little easier to deal with the sudden loss of the man who’d been her mentor, her partner, and her solid rock for twenty-six years.

  This should have been his job, with her being his assistant like always. Although from the sound of the problem with Cordell’s horse, her dad would have put her in charge. With him beside her, he could have been convinced to allow her to deal with his traumatized horse. She would have her work cut out convincing the gruff-sounding rancher to give her a chance with the prized breeding mare.

  She dashed away tears and gave a last glance at the big, pink Ford half-ton truck and the attached nineteen-foot camper covered in decals from all over the country. It still seemed strange to be traveling alone and not as part of their mini caravan. For the last five years, she and her dad each drove their own rig with travel trailer. They each wanted personal space at the end of their long workdays. Loneliness ate at her.

  No time to deal with sad memories. She had a job to get to. A potentially unshakable cowboy to tussle with so she could do the job. She’d gotten a gut-deep sense of trouble in their difficult conversation.

  She tugged the collar up higher. Trouble seemed to be coming at her from all directions. Darn good thing she was made of tough stuff.

  ***

  Calhoun paced from one end of the great room to the other, stopping every few feet to glance out the wall of windows toward the ranch road. His mood soured with each passing minute. He should be helping with chores or working on his plans for purchasing the neighboring ranch. Or doing a hell of a lot more than waiting around.

  “Wearing a hole in the rug isn’t going to make them get here any sooner,” Daniel pointed out, patience in his tone.

  “They’re already near two hours late.” He turned to face the man he didn’t quite have a label for. They were lovers, but he had trouble calling Daniel that because he still saw lovers in terms of male/female. They were life partners—another label that didn’t fit, since he believed partners lived together and they didn’t. He did know the damn good-looking man was a big part of his life, and about the only person able to calm him down when he got riled.

  Daniel set aside the business magazine he’d been reading. “Something must have happened.”

  “They were supposed to have been here three weeks ago.” He ran a hand through his hair, making a mental note to find time for a trim. His hair always seemed to need cutting, something never very high on his list of priorities. The endless To-Get-Done-Some-Damn-Time list and the nightmares he still had about the fire were almost more than he could bear these days.

  “I should have told her no when she called yesterday. I should have called the other man the vet told me about.”

  “R.T. McMurtry is the best horse whisperer around. You’ve checked him out. I checked him out. He’s worth waiting a little longer for.” He patted the place beside him on the leather sofa. “Come sit down. Let me rub your shoulders and get the knots out of the muscles.”

  The warm, inviting look in Daniel’s brown eyes tempted him to let the man massage the tension away, soothe him. But he knew even a simple touch could lead to something they shouldn’t be doing. Not with the McMurtrys arriving at any time. Besides, his ass was mighty tender after their early morning round of burning up the sheets in the wild way they seldom did.

  He shook his head. “Later, but thanks.” His offer made him a little less edgy, but no less annoyed.

  “Maybe you should call them.” Daniel’s eyes mirrored disappointment at the turn down. He’d been beyond patient and given up a lot of his time this last month in particular to be around and support Calhoun.

  “I figure it’s their place to call and let me know why the hell they’re so late.” He fisted his hands at his sides and sucked in a breath then blew it out in a long exhale.

  Daniel stood, stretched his arms above his head, and swiveled side to side. “I’ve been sitting here too long watching you pace.” He lowered his arms. “I think I’ll go make a couple of phone calls. I’m still trying to arrange next month’s trip to Kauai.”

  He couldn’t help admiring his friend’s long, lean body, couldn’t stop his immediate erection. Poor timing. He wasn’t going to act on his urge. Forcing aside the lusty thoughts of what he wanted to do, he focused on the Kauai subject. Daniel had been hounding him for a year about the two of them getting away to his vacation home.

  “I can’t leave right now. Not with all the rebuilding going on here. Not with the negotiations just starting.” Shit. He wished he could take the last comment back. He didn’t want argue.

  “With spring’s arrival, you’ll come up with a whole new set of excuses.” His gaze narrowed. “You were rethinking buying the other ranch. Didn’t we decide you already have a lot to handle with this one?”

  He grimaced. How many times had they talked about this? Too many. They never agreed, probably never would. “It’s no different than you merging your business with another one and taking on more responsibilities. Hell, you do every few months.”

  They stood there, silently challenging each other. Two stubborn men. Sometimes he wondered what they were doing together, how they managed to get beyond the moments when they butted heads. Yet, he couldn’t imagine life without him, and he believed the man felt the same way about him. Why else would the man put up with his sour moods of late? All this worry since the barn burned down and he’d lost two valuable horses wore on him. The worst part had been trying to deal with his traumatized quarter horse, Starbright, the backbone of his breeding program. She also meant a hell of a lot to him personally.

  “Sorry. I’m just—”

  Daniel moved in front of him, touched his shoulder, and cut him off. “Forget it, I don’t want to argue. You’ve got enough on your mind. We’ll squabble over these issues later.”

  Inhaling the familiar scent of his lover’s expensive cologne and the man himself, he gave in to at least some of his growing need. He cupped Daniel’s head with his hands and pulled him closer. Getting no resistance, he put their mouths
together and took what he hungered for. He kissed him long and hard until their breathing turned rough. Between the barriers of denim and khaki they rubbed their cocks together.

  The hell with it! He craved relief.

  Daniel’s hands slid around him. As he began kneading his ass, he sucked in a breath. He did the same. Their chests pressed together. He sensed that the man’s desperate need matched his own. Sore ass or not….

  The doorbell rang, loud and demanding.

  “Shit!” He snarled, and they jerked apart. He fought to calm his aroused body and gave his lover a regretful look. Piss-poor timing.

  The bell rang again.

  “Someone’s impatient,” Daniel said, his voice deeper in his aroused state, tinged with frustration. “Better answer the door.”

  Calhoun took another couple of seconds to gather enough confidence to face whoever it was without showing them the raging hard-on bulging out the front of his jeans. Who would be ringing his doorbell? His ranch hands would call his cell phone or knock. He wasn’t expecting anyone other than McMurtry and his daughter, but they would drive up in front of the house. He would have heard them.

  He pulled open the over-sized front door and gaped at the bit of a woman shivering on the porch. She appeared a foot shorter than him and a good sixty or more pounds lighter. What hit him most were her eyes—an odd dark green, like jade or something. Her eyes narrowed as he looked her over.

  Finally, she stretched to her full minimal height and bristled at him. “When you’re done checking me out, do you think you could let me inside? It’s colder than cold out here.”

  Daniel stepped beside him and intervened. “Let the lady in, Cal.” He looked around her and asked, “Where’s your car? Assuming you drove here.”