Canyon

by Brenda Jackson

  Grabbing her robe off a chair, she left the bedroom, securing the safety gate in place before going down the stairs. Except for the night-lights Canyon had installed, the rooms were completely dark, but Keisha had no problem finding her way to the kitchen. Canyon had left the curtains open, which gave her a full view of the moonlit sky.

  The first time Canyon had brought her to visit this piece of land it had been at night and except for a few grassy areas the land had been wooded. They had parked and talked under the huge sky dotted with beautiful stars. And later they had made out in the car under that same sky. That night they had initiated their own private lover’s lane.

  Now Canyon had built a home here, possibly on the same spot because it sure as heck looked like the same sky. She knew that sounded crazy, but she was convinced this portion of sky belonged only to Canyon’s Bluff.

  “Couldn’t sleep either?”

  Keisha swung around when Canyon walked into the kitchen. She was immediately slammed with an overabundance of lust when she saw what he was…not wearing. He was in his bare feet, shirtless with his drawstring pajama bottoms riding low on his hips and clinging to a pair of powerful thighs.

  The moonlight coming through the window encased him in a sensuous glow. Tingling sensations bombarded the area between her legs. Heated lust flared through her bloodstream and instinctively she pressed her thighs together.

  Drawing in a shaky breath, she said, “No, having one of those headaches.”

  “Oh.”

  He knew about her headaches since she’d had them in the past when things hadn’t gone quite like she’d wanted at work and she’d gotten stressed out about it.

  “Come and sit down,” he said, pulling out a chair from the table.

  She glanced at the chair and then back at him. She knew what he wanted to do. Whenever she’d had a headache, Canyon used to rub her temples and ease the nagging pain away. She didn’t know how he did it, but he would do it every time.

  “Keisha?”

  She swallowed. At the moment, headache or no headache, the last thing she could handle was Canyon’s hands on her. But even as she had that thought, a fierce, agonizing throb pierced through her head, propelling her to move toward the chair. As soon as she sat down, she inhaled his masculine scent and instinctively breathed in deeper to pull in the heady aroma.

  “Now close your eyes and relax,” he said in a low, throaty tone that sent a ripple through her. She released a low groan when she felt his fingers slowly rake through her hair. She closed her eyes when she felt the heat of him behind her, gently massaging her scalp and placing light pressure at her temples. He kept up the kneading, working out the pain and soothing the ache.

  He leaned down. “Feeling better?” he asked in an incredibly sexy voice, while the warmth of his breath fanned the side of her face.

  Unable to respond, she nodded. The gentle scalp massage sent delicious shivers through her, replacing one kind of ache with another. She recalled the last time he’d done this. It had been a little more than three years ago. She had been stuck in litigation with what she thought was the case from hell. The opposing counsel had tried more than once to belittle her in front of the jury and she’d fought to retain her cool, which had resulted in an overpowering headache.

  When she’d gotten home, Canyon had sat her down at the kitchen table and massaged her scalp and temples. By the time it was over, he had gotten rid of her headache but had left her wanting him…like he was doing now. Back then, he’d pulled her out of the chair, stripped her naked, laid her out on the table and made mind-blowing love to her.

  “You can open your eyes now. And if you follow this up with an aspirin, you’ll feel good as new in the morning.”

  Drawing in a shaky breath she slowly opened her eyes. What about tonight? Would she feel as good as new tonight, too? She didn’t think so…not as long as the tingling between her legs continued.

  “Thanks, Canyon.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Keisha eased up from her chair and he slid it back under the table. She turned toward him. “You have a special touch,” she said and then wished she could bite off her tongue for saying so.

  His lips slowly spread into a smile, revealing a dimple that was normally kept hidden. “You think so?”

  There was that sexy voice again that made her shiver. “Yes.”

  He chuckled softly. “Glad you still approve…of my hands…and what they are capable of doing.”

  She swallowed, wishing he hadn’t gone there. “Well, I guess I’ll go back upstairs.”

  “All right.”

  Why was she still standing there? Keisha asked herself. Why couldn’t her feet move? Why was Canyon pinning her with those gorgeous dark eyes? And why was she standing there staring back?

  She didn’t remember who made the first move, all she knew was that it was made. He slid his warm arms around her, drawing her to him. And knowing what was coming next, her lips twitched, eager to be joined with his. He lowered his head and the connection was made with a precision that sent shivers all through her. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his tongue eased between her lips.

  She groaned when he deepened the kiss as hunger sent blood rushing through her veins. She’d known after their first kiss that no man kissed like Canyon. This was his calling, and she was a willing recipient. Her mind was flooded with memories…but this kiss was even better.

  Keisha forgot about her vow to never let Canyon Westmoreland get close to her again. To never let him hold her, kiss her or make her moan. Because, at that moment, he was doing all three. And she was powerless to resist.

  He deepened the kiss and heat flowed from his body to hers, setting the lower part of her body on fire. She felt his strong thighs pressing against her and thought, Lordy. His thick, hard shaft was cradled between her thighs, feeling as if it belonged there. Right there. Only Canyon had the power to manipulate her desires to his will and play havoc with her emotions.

  And then suddenly, he broke off the kiss and his hands fell from her waist. The disconnect was so sudden she almost lost her balance. He quickly reached out to keep her from falling and she gasped when it hit her full force what they’d done. What she had let him do. She had to get away from him, to put distance between them, and she needed to do it now.

  “I’m going back to bed,” she said, backing up slowly. “Thanks for the head rub.” She turned and was almost out of the kitchen when his words stopped her.

  “Trust me, Keisha.”

  She stopped walking, tightening the robe around her and turning around. “What?”

  “If the reason you got that headache is because you’re worried about all the suspicions Detective Render raised, then I want you to believe that I won’t let anyone hurt you or Beau. I want you to trust me about that.”

  Trust him? She drew in a trembling breath. The same man who’d betrayed her with another woman wanted her to trust him? A frown lined her brow, but as she stared at him, she saw something in the depth of his dark eyes that made the frown dissolve.

  He wouldn’t let anyone hurt her or Beau. She could trust him regarding that.

  Without saying anything, she nodded before turning and quickly walking out of the kitchen.

  * * *

  Canyon watched Keisha leave while licking his lips, savoring the taste she had left behind. She’d left her fragrance behind as well, and it was just as arousing. It didn’t help matters that when she’d tightened the robe, she’d emphasized her full breasts, her trim waist and her curvy hips. And then when she’d walked out of the kitchen the material had stretched across one delectable-looking backside.

  His memory had been jogged, remembering scenes of that same body in several other outfits…like that short, slinky red dress she’d worn when he’d accompanied her to her firm’s Christmas party
several years back, and that short, black lace dress she’d worn to the Westmoreland Ball.

  And then there was a flash from the past of that body wearing nothing at all. Now, that was a memory that had his body getting hard, making him want things he was better off not having. Especially when those things concerned Keisha. There was no place for this fierce hunger or for the assault on his senses that had come from kissing her.

  But he could no more not kiss her than he could stop his heart from beating. Touching her, running his fingers through her hair, listening to her moan had pushed him over the edge, had made hot, potent lust flare up within him. Desire had taken control of his brain. Yes, kissing her had been foolish, but it had also been a detriment to his peace of mind. If he’d thought he couldn’t sleep before, he sure as hell wouldn’t be able to sleep now.

  Moving across the kitchen, he went to the refrigerator and pulled out a beer and popped the tab. Hell, he truly needed something stronger but he would settle for this. It had been one hell of a day and was moving into one hell of a night. He’d missed most of it already.

  He glanced over at the clock on the stove and saw it was just about midnight. He’d thought it was later than that. But who could keep time when it was taking all his effort to keep a level head around Keisha. He’d known Detective Render’s visit had left her pretty uptight. Hell, who wouldn’t be uptight, considering someone had paid a pair of goons to send her into a panic.

  Before going to the store, Canyon had made a pit stop at Dillon’s to tell him about Detective Render’s visit and what had transpired. Dillon agreed that keeping Keisha and Beau within arm’s reach here in Westmoreland Country was the best thing. He figured it would be advantageous if the Westmoreland men met to come up with a plan. Dillon had made the calls and within half an hour his brothers and cousins had arrived. They’d decided that if Canyon couldn’t be with Keisha, one of the other Westmoreland men would be.

  Now, tilting the can of beer to his lips, Canyon took a long, pleasurable gulp, licked his lips and frowned. Why could he still taste Keisha? Hell. Would he ever find peace from the woman? Evidently not, and now she was under his roof and would be for another week. And it had been his choice. He had asked, and she had reluctantly agreed. Now she was here and he had to decide how he felt about it.

  If tonight was anything to go by, then what he was feeling were emotions that he shouldn’t be feeling. This was a woman who thought he had betrayed her, a woman who hadn’t told him he had a son even when she’d had every opportunity to do so.

  Yet at the same time, he thought, taking another gulp of beer, Keisha Ashford was a woman he would protect with his life if he had to. It would be easier to protect her if she was here…and if he could keep himself from kissing her again.

  Nine

  “So, what do you think of this outfit, Keisha?”

  Keisha glanced over at the clothes. Lucia held up a pair of little boy’s jeans with a miniature work shirt to match. It was cute, and she could see Beau wearing it. She smiled. “I like it. Do they have it in a 3T?” Although Beau was two, because of his height he was wearing a size larger.

  “Yes, I’ll grab one for you,” Lucia said excitedly.

  Keisha grinned as she watched Lucia. Keisha obviously wasn’t the only woman who liked shopping for her child. She was convinced the Westmoreland ladies had her beat. They had shown up on Canyon’s doorstep at one o’clock with Canyon’s younger brother Stern following behind them. Stern was only twenty months younger than Canyon and also an attorney at their family-owned firm, Blue Ridge.

  Stern had advised the women that he was their escort for the day, and since none of them had questioned what he’d meant by that, Keisha could only assume everyone had been told of Detective Render’s visit and his warning. Until they found out who was responsible for the craziness going on with her, it would be best if she took every precaution when it came to her and Beau’s safety. And she was discovering the Westmorelands believed in looking after their own. The idea that she was now included in the mix because she was Beau’s mother was mind-boggling.

  So now she was in Kiddies’ World Boutique surrounded by five women, who if Keisha wasn’t careful could become her new BFFs. She’d taken a chance on Bonita after they’d met at a spa when she’d moved to Denver the first time and look what had happened. It had taken her a long time to even consider making new friends again.

  “Think we got enough things for Beau?” Pam asked, coming up to Keisha holding outfits she’d grabbed off the racks for her sons Denver and Dade.

  Keisha couldn’t help but grin. “We bought too much if you ask me.”

  “Well, you heard Canyon’s orders to get whatever you wanted,” Chloe said, tossing the outfit for Beau in Keisha’s cart and a cute little dress for her daughter, Susan, in hers.

  Yes, he had said that, but it hadn’t made her happy. She couldn’t help frowning at the memory. When Canyon had offered her his charge card, she had refused to take it, telling him that she could pay for Beau’s things without his help. He’d merely slid the card into her shirt pocket and said, “Humor me,” before walking off.

  “For what it’s worth, I agree you should humor him, like he said, Keisha,” Pam said softly. “He wants to feel he’s doing something for Beau.”

  Keisha released a sigh. “He did something for Beau yesterday. You should see all the stuff he brought back from the store. He got plenty of safety items, but he also bought Beau a lot of toys he didn’t need.”

  “Sure Beau will need them,” a pregnant Kalina said, grinning. “Kids can’t have too many toys.”

  “It’s the grown men you have to worry about,” Bella said, smiling. “Jason asked his cousin Thorn to build him a motorcycle.”

  “Um, you ladies ought to check out Micah’s speedboat back in D.C.,” Kalina said, laughing.

  Keisha was amused when each woman told a story about their husband’s favorite new toy. She saw how easy it was for them to laugh at themselves and with each other, and she knew this was what she’d missed out on by not belonging to a big family—a special connection, a camaraderie and a closeness that extended to the women who had married into it.

  She glanced to where Stern was sitting in a chair near the entrance of the shop, his legs stretched out in front of him and his Stetson riding low on his head while he talked on his cell phone. Like his brothers and cousins, Stern was tall and ultra-handsome. He had long lashes to die for and a smile that could snatch a woman’s breath right out of her lungs.

  He didn’t seem the least perturbed at having to hang out with a bunch of women today. And he hadn’t gotten in the way. This was the second store they’d visited and at both locations he’d hung back, grabbed a chair and sat near the entrance while talking on the phone. But she was fully aware of his alert gaze, which had checked out all the people moving in and out of the store. His actions reminded her of just how serious her predicament was. It might be a while before the police found out who’d targeted her, and she couldn’t expect a member of the Westmoreland family to be her bodyguard that whole time.

  “Keisha?”

  She shifted her gaze back to the women and found them staring at her. “Yes?”

  “We’re not trying to get in your business, because heaven knows all of us have had our ups and downs with Westmoreland men. But is there a reason you didn’t want Canyon to know about Beau? We know about that incident you walked in on with that woman. We’re not judging. But still, didn’t you think he had a right to know about Beau?” Pam asked softly.

  Keisha tried not to be defensive. She bit back the impulse to tell them to mind their own business. These women had befriended her when they didn’t have to. They had been nothing but kind to her. Even Bailey, who’d joined them at the first shop they’d visited before leaving to meet a friend for lunch, had been nicer to her today.

  Al
l of the women before her had married Westmoreland men. Megan, the only married Westmoreland sister who still lived in Denver, hadn’t been able to join them because she’d been called to the hospital this morning as the anesthesiologist for an emergency surgery.

  Keisha wondered how she could explain her reasons so that they would understand. “When I left Denver three years ago, I was hurt and felt betrayed. I didn’t want to see Canyon ever again, and I wanted no contact with him. I was determined to have my child without any man’s help, like my mother did. I thought at the time that Canyon didn’t deserve anything from me. As far as I was concerned, he’d lost any rights to his child.” She paused. “I now admit that I was wrong to feel that way.”

  Admitting she was wrong about something she’d believed so strongly at the time was a big move for her. “If I had to do it again I would handle things differently. No matter how or why our relationship ended, I should have told Canyon about Beau.”

  There, she’d said it. All it had taken was to see Canyon’s interactions with his son over the past forty-eight hours to know how good they were for each other. Beau’s acceptance of Canyon had been quick and absolute, and the same thing could be said of Canyon’s acceptance of Beau.

  Pam gently touched Keisha’s shoulder. “That’s a start, Keisha.”

  Was it? Keisha asked herself more than once over the next four hours they spent shopping.

  There was still the issue of Canyon’s betrayal. She had forced that nightmare out of her mind and had refused to consider that she’d been wrong. But what had she really seen? Although she hadn’t caught Canyon and Bonita in bed together, Bonita had been naked, and Canyon had walked out of the bathroom with a towel around his middle.

  Hadn’t that been enough? Why would Bonita lie and say she and Canyon had slept together when they hadn’t?

  * * *

  “You okay, Keisha?” Pam asked with concern in her voice as they made a turn onto the road leading to Canyon’s Bluff.

  “Yes, I’m okay,” Keisha replied, but she wasn’t. She felt a headache coming on, similar to the one she’d had last night. The same one Canyon had relieved her of…before he’d kissed her.