Kane

by Douglas, Cheryl

  “God, Mace…” I closed my eyes, knowing I had to do something to rein myself in before I lost it completely. I was used to being in control, deciding when, where, and how long. But somewhere along the way, I’d temporarily ceded control, and it felt good. Too good.

  “I like to watch you lose it,” she whispered, gyrating her hips as she planted her hands on my chest. “You’re always so powerful, so in control. But when I have you like this, you’re at my mercy and I love it.”

  I wanted to argue that I was in control, but we both knew I wasn’t. There was a time when being at someone else’s mercy would have scared the hell out of me, even in an intimate moment, but something about Macy reassured me. I trusted her.

  “Oh, Kane. Yes…”

  She was using my body, looking decadent as she indulged her desires. She escalated her speed and tempo, her breathing ragged, her screams echoing in my ears and off the paper-thin walls surrounding us, and I watched her come apart.

  She collapsed on top of me, burying her face in my neck. I held her, kissing her neck, her shoulder, any part of her I could. Because honestly, I couldn’t get enough: of her, her body, the feelings she aroused in me.

  When I felt she’d recovered, I moved slowly, her body still covering mine completely. She raised her head, kissing me until she’d erased my very last doubt. I was falling in love with this woman. Damn. How had I let that happen?

  I let the realization wash over me as I drank her in, imagining what my life would be like if I could somehow come home to her every night. My body responded as those images filtered through my head, spurring me on and encouraging me to make her mine in every way. She shattered just before I did.

  As we lay in each other’s arms, waiting for our breathing to return to normal, I whispered the only thing that wouldn’t scare her away, “I’m glad I came to Nashville, Mace.”

  I felt her smile against my shoulder before she said, “I am too.”

  ***

  I woke up before she did, and since she hadn’t been home to stock her cupboards, I took a quick walk to the store. I could understand why she loved living here. The city had great energy. But so did Tampa, and that was her home…

  To think she’d give up her dream of music for me was crazy, and I would never ask her to. Watching her play her guitar and sing, it was obvious that was what she had been born to do, but how could we reconcile our dreams when they were so different?

  Going through the motions at the grocery store, I continued hoping for a solution that never came. By the time I returned to her place, I felt despondent, wondering why we were wasting our time when we both knew we had no future.

  I was about to tell her how I felt, but one look at her sitting at her dining table, looking sexy as hell in one of my T-shirts, all sleep rumpled, with her small hands wrapped around an over-sized mug of coffee, made me decide heavy conversations could wait for another day. Right now, I just wanted to enjoy more time with her.

  “Hey,” she said, her eyes lighting up when she saw me. “You didn’t have to go to the store. I was going to do that just as soon as this worked its magic.” She raised her mug.

  “No problem,” I said, setting the bags on the counter. “Last time I tried to make you a ham and cheese omelet, my brother ate it, so I thought I’d try again.”

  I had no idea how to greet her. I wanted to kiss her, and after the two nights we’d shared, it seemed reasonable, but I didn’t want to take anything for granted. I had no idea how she felt about me this morning. For all I knew, she could want to go back to being friends… who happened to share the same last name.

  She walked into the kitchen and reached around me into one of the plastic bags. Her body was molded to mine, leaving me with little doubt she expected the intimacy to continue while I was here.

  “I could use a drop of milk in my coffee,” she said, reaching for the container I’d bought. “Thanks for this, by the way.”

  “My pleasure.” I cleared my throat, trying to ignore that she was half-naked and I wanted her all over again.

  “How about last night?” she asked, leaning against the counter as she watched me unpack the bags. “Was that your pleasure too?”

  I searched her cupboards for a mixing bowl, finally hitting pay dirt. “You have to ask?”

  “Well…” She tugged on the front of my shirt, drawing me away from my task and closer to her. “You haven’t touched me since you walked in the door, so I was starting to wonder.”

  Deciding it was time for us to spell out expectations, I asked, “Do you want me to touch you, Macy?”

  She frowned before setting her mug on the counter behind her. “Why would you ask me that? Why wouldn’t I?”

  I raked a hand through my hair when she fisted her hand in my T-shirt, drawing her body flush against mine. She made it so easy to get distracted, to forget that I’d ever had cause for doubt. “I’m just not sure where we go from here. In a few days, I have to go back to Tampa and you’ll be staying here.”

  “Yeah? So?” She looked genuinely confused. “That was the plan all along, wasn’t it?”

  “Okay, here’s the thing,” I said, looking at her as I gripped her shoulders. “I’m afraid the more time I spend with you, the more I’ll like you.” Or love you.

  She grinned as though I’d paid her a compliment instead of voicing my concerns about getting my heart broken. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

  Blowing out a frustrated breath, I said, “I know we never agreed to anything more than sex. This arrangement was convenient, a way to get your ex off your back. But have you ever considered what might happen if one or both of us starts to develop real feelings?”

  Her blue eyes drifted down my body, locking on my boots. “Of course I’ve thought about it. I know this situation isn’t ideal. That’s why I wasn’t sure I should agree to it when you proposed the idea.”

  “Then why did you? Agree to it, that is?”

  “Honestly?” She looked up, her cheeks flushed. “I wanted to sleep with you.”

  My laugh was harsh, torn between disbelief and amusement. “We sure as hell didn’t have to tie the knot to sleep together.”

  “I know that,” she said, running her hands down my chest. “That was a totally crazy, impulsive decision that I swear was not my fault.” She raised her right hand. “I blame my lust-addled brain. Or you.” She bit her lip, looking perplexed. “Yeah, you. I blame you.”

  “Me? Why the hell are you blaming me?” I suspected she was teasing me, judging by the impish smile she was trying to suppress.

  “For being so sexy.” She stood on her toes, brushing my lips with hers while winding her arms around my neck. “Yup, this is entirely your fault. If you weren’t so hot, I wouldn’t have developed a crush on you all those years ago. I wouldn’t have been drawn into a friendship with you. I wouldn’t have wanted to sleep with you. And I wouldn’t have allowed you to talk me into marrying you.”

  Now I knew she was just trying to get a reaction out of me. Mission accomplished. “Well, I could say the same about you.”

  “You never had a crush on me.”

  “How do you know that?” Ever since I’d seen her at her sister’s apartment months ago, I’d barely looked at another woman.

  “Because if you had, you’d have done something about it.”

  “You had a boyfriend.” I shrugged. “Besides, our paths didn’t cross while Brody and Riley were broken up.” If they had, I had no doubt I would have been all over her, despite my brother’s warnings to keep my distance.

  She released me, leaning her elbows back on the counter as she scrutinized me carefully. “Would you have been interested in me? If we’d bumped into each other sooner and I hadn’t had a boyfriend, would you have been interested?”

  “I’m interested now, aren’t I?” There was evidence of my interest wedged firmly between us, so I couldn’t even try to deny it.

  “My sister says you’re a player,” she said, avoiding my rheto
rical question. “Just like the rest of your brothers.”

  I couldn’t even try to deny I’d dated more than my share of women and never with the intent of getting serious. But I’d rarely dated more than one woman at the same time and I always made sure they knew the score, so I didn’t think that made me a player. “Ryker hasn’t been a player since he met Mac. Same is true of Nex with Jaci, Seb with Skylar, and I don’t even have to tell you Brody would never cheat on your sister.”

  “Yeah, because she’d kill him if he did.”

  “He wouldn’t even be tempted,” I said with confidence. Riley was the only woman for my brother. “So maybe the Steele brothers can be tamed… when they find the right woman.”

  The light diminished in Macy’s eyes when she said, “I can’t be the right woman for you. We both know that.”

  Ouch. I couldn’t remember the last time a woman’s words had felt like a kick in the gut. “Why’s that?”

  “You love what you do. I love what I do. I can only do what I do here in Nashville. Your life is in Tampa, with your family and friends.”

  She’d voiced all of the same concerns I’d been struggling with, but I wasn’t ready to concede defeat. “We wouldn’t be the first people to make a long-distance relationship work.”

  “But to what end?’ She sighed. “It’s not like it would be a short-term thing. We’re not students going to college in separate states or on a one-year work contract in another city. We have jobs and lives in two different states. That isn’t going to change.”

  I hated that she was right. “Why don’t you go grab a shower while I make us breakfast?”

  She seemed surprised, maybe even a little hurt that I hadn’t argued with her. “I’m going to a friend’s bar to rehearse before our set tonight. Brendan will be there, so it might be a little weird. If you want to do some sight-seeing instead of coming with me, I’ll understand.”

  “I want to come with you.” Not only did I want to see her perform, I wanted to keep an eye on her ex, to make sure he’d gotten the message last night.

  “Okay then, I’ll be back in a few.” She gestured to the coffee pot. “Help yourself.”

  That’s the problem, I thought as I watched her walk down the hall. I can’t help myself. My heart didn’t seem to understand there was a very valid reason why I couldn’t fall for her.

  Chapter Six

  Kane

  Obviously intent on putting this morning’s conversation behind us, Macy held my hand all the way to the bar and didn’t release it until we walked inside.

  “Hey, Jake,” she said, winking at the guy behind the bar. “Keeping out of trouble?”

  He winked back, grinning. “How can I get into trouble with my favorite girl out of town?”

  Favorite girl? What the hell? Even from a guy’s perspective, the dude was good-looking. He was wearing faded jeans, cowboy boots, and a gray shirt rolled up at the sleeves to reveal a hint of ink above his elbows. His dark hair was slicked back as though he’d just gotten out of the shower and his eyes were dark, but his smile was bright white and slightly crooked, as though he couldn’t wipe it off his face in Macy’s presence.

  “You’re just saying that,” she said, waving at a waitress wiping down tables. “Brendan’s not here yet?”

  “No, he didn’t call you?” The bartender drew a beer and slid it across the bar to Macy. “He just texted to let me know he couldn’t make it to rehearsal today. Said he’s not feeling so great.”

  I assumed he’d gone out on a bender last night and was nursing a hangover. Since Macy didn’t seem too concerned about him, I sure as hell wasn’t.

  “Oh,” Macy said. “That’s okay. I can still do my thing, if you don’t mind?”

  He smirked. “Mind? You know I love to watch you do your thing, girl.”

  This guy was really starting to get on my nerves.

  As though Macy could sense my tension, she slipped her hand through mine and tugged me closer to the bar. “Okay, Jake, I know you didn’t think I could get any crazier, but I’m about to prove you wrong.” She held up her left hand to reveal the band I’d given her. “We got married in Vegas last weekend.”

  His jaw dropped as his eyes drifted from me to Macy and back again. “You’re shittin’ me.”

  “Nope,” she said, laughing. “I kid you not. I’m a married woman now.”

  He clutched his chest, stumbling back. “You could have just shot me, and it would have hurt less.”

  Shut the hell up, asshole. “Kane Steele,” I said, offering the douche my hand.

  Accepting my hand, he said, “If it’s all the same to you, I think I’ll just call you Lucky Bastard.”

  “Careful, now,” she said, laughing. “I should probably warn you Kane’s job requires him to carry a gun.”

  “Oh yeah?” he asked, looking me up and down. “Cop?”

  “Yeah, SWAT.”

  “Huh. I wouldn’t have pegged you for a cop.”

  “Why’s that?” I asked, claiming one of a dozen empty stools circling the bar.

  “Thought you’d be a musician like Mace.”

  Macy rested her palms on my thighs as she stepped between my legs. “Kane, you sure you don’t mind hanging out here while I run through the set once or twice? We can grab a quick bite when I’m done.”

  “No problem.” I kissed her. Sticking around would give me more time to get a read on the bartender who clearly had a thing for my wife. “Take your time.”

  Jake watched her walk away, shaking his head. “I thought for sure once she was done with Brendan, I’d get my chance.” At my quizzical look, he slid the beer Macy hadn’t touched closer to me. “You know how it is—to know her is to love her. I wouldn’t have made a move while she had a boyfriend, but…” He shrugged. “I guess it doesn’t matter now, does it?”

  “No, it doesn’t.” I took a sip of the draft beer as I watched him wipe down the counter. “So you’ve known Macy a long time then?”

  “Yeah, about five years. Me and my brother own this place. She draws a big crowd, especially on Friday and Saturday nights.” He chuckled. “Of course, more than half of them are guys hoping to score with her.”

  And I’d thought her ex was the only one I had to worry about. “Guess they’ll be as disappointed as you were to hear she got hitched.”

  “So what’s the deal with you two?” Jake tossed the rag under the bar before he leaned back, crossing his arms. “How come I’ve never heard her talk about you?”

  “Macy and I go way back.” My cell phone rang, and I pulled it out to check the number. Gabe could wait. “Her sister’s been dating my brother since they were teenagers.”

  “Oh yeah,” Jake said, snapping his fingers. “She mentioned something about her sister getting married. Your brother’s that poker player, right?”

  “He was.” Now he was a high school gym teacher and coach, and the job had given him a renewed sense of purpose.

  “How does your brother feel about you and Macy?” Jake asked, watching Macy chatting with the waitress who’d been wiping down tables earlier.

  “He’ll get used to the idea.” If I ever decide to tell him.

  “So you’ve had a thing for her for a long time too?”

  I chuckled before sneaking a peek over my shoulder. Macy’s eyes met mine, and I wondered how I hadn’t fallen for her all those years ago. “She was too young for me back then. Eight years isn’t a big deal when you’re pushing forty, but it sure as hell is at twenty-five.”

  Jake laughed. “I hear that. If it’s not me, I’m glad it’s someone like you.”

  “What do you mean by that?” I asked before downing more of the beer.

  “Brendan wasn’t right for her. She needs a guy who’s got his shit together.”

  “And that doesn’t describe her ex?” Since this was one of my rare opportunities to learn more about Brendan, I decided befriending the bartender was a small price to pay for information.

  “No, he was too insecure for
a girl like Macy.”

  “Meaning?”

  “She’s sexy as hell, and loves to flirt. It’s harmless, right? That’s just the way she is, but it pissed Brendan off. He kept trying to rein her in.”

  “How’d he do that?” I could imagine the weasel I’d met last night trying to control a free-spirit like Macy.

  “He’d get all pissed off, start yelling and throwing shit. Happened here a couple of times,” Jake said, drawing a soda for himself. “I told him if he didn’t get his act together, his days of playing here were numbered.”

  “So he has a temper?” Whenever Macy talked about him, she described him as a good guy who cared about her. She hadn’t mentioned the darker side to his personality, but after last night, I was convinced he had one.

  “Oh yeah.”

  “You think he’s dangerous?”

  He shook his head slowly. “No, man, I don’t think so. Of course, now that Macy’s out of reach, he might go off the deep end.”

  I definitely didn’t like the sound of that. “Go off the deep end…?”

  “I don’t think he’d hurt her,” Jake said. “He’s more of a masochist, if you ask me.”

  I didn’t want to think he might be able to guilt Macy into taking him back, but anything was possible.

  “I’ve got to check in with the cook before the lunch rush, Kane. It was nice meeting you.”

  “Yeah, you too, man.” Instead of feeling better about Macy’s ex, I suddenly felt a whole hell of a lot worse.

  ***

  Brendan bailed on their set, which left Macy alone to entertain the crowd. Judging by their reaction, they didn’t mind, and neither did she. After she’d performed half a dozen songs, she told them she was going to take a quick break. She was energized by the time I helped her off the stage, her skin and eyes glowing.

  “You were great, baby.”

  “Thanks.” She wrapped her arms around my neck, standing on her toes to kiss me. “I love that you’re here.”

  And I loved that her ex wasn’t. “Me too.”

  “I know country music isn’t really your thing, but—”