“Eat up, Beau. Aunt Pam is on her way.”
She glanced up at Canyon. “Pam is coming for Beau?”
“Yes. We have a lot of business to take care of this morning, and I called and asked if she’d mind watching Beau. She thought it was a wonderful idea. The other day Beau and Denver played well together.”
“Yes, but she has one in diapers. Three might be a lot for her to handle.”
“Not for Pam. Dade isn’t walking yet so he doesn’t get in as much trouble. She mentioned that Chloe would be coming over later with Susan and Rembrandt and they plan on making it a fun day for the kids.”
“Oh.”
Canyon didn’t say anything for a long moment. He just stood there studying her with intense eyes. Finally he asked, “You don’t have a problem with the plans I made for Beau today, do you?”
A part of her did. She hoped she could make him understand. “I’m just used to making decisions about Beau on my own. Before, it’s just been me and him.”
He nodded. “I understand, but now there’s the three of us. And if I ever do anything you don’t agree with or that you’re not comfortable with, let me know.”
Keisha knew she was being silly. There wasn’t a single mother out there who wouldn’t want the father of her child to take an active role…especially if that role was a good one. And there was no doubt in her mind that Canyon and his family would be good for Beau.
“Keisha?”
She saw the concern in his eyes. “No problem. I’ll just go upstairs and change. What time are we meeting with the attorney?”
“At noon. But I need to take you home first to get Beau’s birth certificate.”
“All right. I’ll go upstairs and get dressed and be right back.”
* * *
She was quiet, Canyon thought, glancing over at Keisha. They were in his car, on their way to her place and she hadn’t said much. Keisha had been okay when Pam had arrived for Beau, but it seemed that once they’d driven away from Westmoreland Country, she’d withdrawn into her own thoughts.
He’d been trying to keep the conversation going by talking about the man who’d been elected mayor of Denver during the time she’d been gone, and what a great job the guy was doing. He’d even brought her up to date on his great-grandfather Raphel and how Megan’s husband, Rico, was involved in investigating his great-grandfather’s past. It seemed Raphel had been involved with other women before marrying their great-grandmother, and one of those women had borne him a child. That meant they could have more cousins out there somewhere. Westmorelands were big on family and they hoped Rico’s investigation would shed light on who those cousins were and where they were now.
“You okay?” he asked her.
She glanced over at him. “Yes, I’m fine. Just feeling a little disgusted again about my house and the condition it’s in, and worried because the police are still clueless about who did it.”
He heard the frustration in her tone and understood it. He hadn’t mentioned that he’d spoken to Pete this morning because there hadn’t been anything new to report. “Well, I think we have the best police force around, if that makes you feel any better,” he said, reaching over to take her hand in his when they came to a traffic light.
A small smile touched her lips. “I’ll take your word for it.”
His hand returned to the steering wheel when the traffic light changed. “So tell me how your mom is doing. Is she still a radiologist at that hospital?”
“Yes, and she doesn’t plan to retire anytime soon.” She then told him about her mother’s breast cancer scare and how she was glad she had been with her during that time. “She took a leave of absence when Beau was born because she refused to let anyone else keep him while he was so young,” she added. “So she kept him for eight months, and I appreciated it.” She paused a moment and then said softly, “I think she might be seeing my father again.”
Canyon was certain if he hadn’t needed to come to a stop at another traffic light, he might have slammed on his breaks anyway. He looked over at her. “Your mother and your old man?”
“The man who got her pregnant? Yes,” she clarified. She drew in a deep breath and then added, “I never told you this, but my father saw me when I was fifteen. It was then that he realized my mother hadn’t lied after all.”
No, Canyon thought. She’d never told him that. In fact, she’d only told him how the man had denied the baby was his when her mother had told him about her pregnancy. “So what did he do when he realized you were his child?”
“He tried making up for lost time, but it was too late. I knew the whole story of how he’d broken my mother’s heart, and I decided that I didn’t want to have anything to do with him.”
So in other words, Canyon thought, she had totally dismissed her father and kept him out of her life—just like she’d done with him. “So what makes you think your mother has hooked back up with him after all this time?”
“Because as I got older I realized something.”
“What?”
“That she never dated another man. She had friends and work, but she made me her life. For years I just assumed she enjoyed being independent, but now I can see things differently. She was hurt by his rejection, which is why we moved away from Texas. But now I believe the reason she never dated is because she couldn’t give her heart to another man.”
Canyon didn’t say anything. What she said was probably true because he’d once walked that same road. When Keisha had left Denver believing the worst about him, he’d been hurt and it had taken him a while to get back into the dating scene. But even then he’d known he would never love another woman the way he’d loved her.
“And lately,” Keisha said, breaking into his thoughts. “She’s been bringing him up each and every time we talk. It was subtle at first but now she’s been trying to convince me that he regrets not accepting me as his, he regrets turning his back on me for the first fifteen years of my life.”
He imagined that wasn’t going over well with her since she tended to see things as black or white. “How do you feel about that? About your mom getting back with him?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I want to think I have no feelings one way or the other. It’s her life. However, I don’t understand how she can be so forgiving.”
“Why? Because you wouldn’t be so forgiving?” he asked, trying to keep his voice calm when frankly, he was getting annoyed with her attitude. “In that case, it’s a good thing that you thought I betrayed you and not the other way around.”
At her confused look he explained, “If I had been the one seeking your forgiveness because I mistakenly thought you betrayed me, chances are I wouldn’t have gotten it.”
* * *
Canyon’s words left Keisha speechless. What could she say? Her own mother had made a similar assertion to her yesterday. Okay, she would admit that forgiving didn’t come easily for her. And she would even concede that her inability to forgive easily was the reason she’d kept Beau from his father for two years. However, she’d been wrong to go that far and had admitted that, asking for Canyon’s forgiveness. And he had forgiven her. Was she being too hard on her father? Did he deserve to be forgiven like she had been?
“We’re here.”
She snapped out of her reverie and glanced around. They had pulled up in her driveway and there were several vans already parked there. “What’s going on?” she asked, already opening the door to get out.
“The cleaning team I hired is here.”
When she reached his side, she turned to him with a look of surprise on her face. “You hired a cleaning team?”
“Yes. I had to talk Pete into giving me your key and he only did so after I told him what I planned to do. I didn’t want you to worry about cleaning up the place and it had to get done. A few years ago there wa
s a fire at the home Bella inherited from her grandfather. This same company came in and did an awesome job, so I figured they could do the same here. I contacted them Saturday and I think you’re going to be pleased.”
Keisha couldn’t say anything. Saturday hadn’t been a good day for them and they hadn’t been on the best of terms. Yet he had cared enough to hire some company to come in and get her house back in order. She took his hand in hers and held his gaze. “Thank you.”
She meant it more than he would ever know. She hadn’t looked forward to coming here today, knowing what she would find. But he’d been kind enough to take care of it for her.
“You’re welcome.” He tightened his hand on hers. “Come on, let me introduce you to everyone.”
Keisha met the owners of the company—Mr. and Mrs. Helton—and their crew. From the moment she’d walked over the threshold she’d seen firsthand what a great job they’d done. Already they had righted her house to the extent that she couldn’t tell it had been trashed. A new coat of paint had been applied to her walls and new carpeting had been installed throughout the house. All of the colors matched her original interior design choices. The kitchen was spotless and the floor tile was a gleaming white. She thought her house looked better now than it had before.
“The clothes that were thrown all over your floors have been taken to the cleaners or have been washed,” Mrs. Helton said. “Are you pleased, Ms. Ashford?”
“Yes,” Keisha said without hesitation. She glanced around her bedroom, amazed. A new coverlet and new fluffy pillows were on her bed. The new carpeting, a shade of tan darker than what had been there before, was the perfect blend. She’d seen Beau’s room and her office and those rooms looked incredible, as well. “Your company did a fantastic job.”
The woman beamed. “Thanks. Mr. Westmoreland said to make it special for you because you were special.”
Keisha glanced over to where Canyon stood in the hallway, talking with Mr. Helton. “Well, you followed his instructions by doing an outstanding job.”
“Thank you. Unless there’s something else you think we need to do, we’ll be leaving now.”
Keisha nodded. “No, everything looks great.”
The woman nodded with a smile on her face. “If you see anything we’ve missed after we leave, just give us a call. Our card is on your dresser and another on your kitchen counter.”
“Thanks, I will.”
The woman left and Keisha went into her bathroom and marveled at the new set of towels, matching throw rugs and shower curtain. A beautiful vase of artificial spring flowers that looked so real—she leaned down to sniff to make sure they weren’t—looked perfect sitting on the new vanity.
“Keisha?”
“Coming,” she said, leaving the bathroom to find Canyon standing in the middle of her bedroom. Did he always have to look so good? Have so much testosterone oozing from every pore? Her heart began pounding like crazy in her chest as she slid her gaze over the full length of him.
“Looks good, doesn’t it?”
“Most definitely,” she said, fully realizing they were talking about two different things.
He looked at her and smiled. “I’m glad you’re pleased.”
“I definitely am. However, I might have bad memories of how this place looked, unless…”
He raised a thick dark brow. “Unless what?”
She didn’t say anything for a moment while toe-curling desire trickled through her. And then she moved, walking over to stand in front of him. “Unless the bad memories are replaced with good ones.”
No one could credit Canyon with being slow. But then it could have been the way her hardened nipples pressed against her shirt that gave her away. He took a step closer and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Need my help doing that? Replacing those memories?”
She leaned in closer to him. “Are you volunteering, Canyon?”
“Yes, I’m volunteering.”
She nibbled on her bottom lip. “Do we have time? There is that matter of our appointment with an attorney at noon.”
“We’ll make time.”
Pulling his cell phone out of his pocket, he punched in some numbers without taking his eyes off her. Moments later he said into the phone, “Hey, this is Canyon. We’re running late, Roy.”
There was a pause and then. “How late?” He smiled down at Keisha as he continued to speak into the phone. “At least a couple of hours. Maybe three.” Then, “Fine. We’ll see you then.” He clicked off the phone and slid it back into his pocket.
Keisha felt her pulse beat wildly near her throat. “The front door?”
“Locked.”
She sighed in anticipation. She knew that look in his eyes. It had been there each and every time he’d made love to her.
He cupped her face between strong hands, leaned closer and whispered huskily, “I want you.”
She whispered back, “And I want you.”
Within seconds, his hungry mouth was devouring hers, mating with her tongue like he owned it. Possessing it. Claiming it. All in the sweep of his tongue as he took her mouth with a skill that was all consuming. No other man could make a kiss so stimulating and erotic. A moan of lust she couldn’t contain forced its way out of her throat.
With their mouths still locked together, he backed her toward the bed. When they reached their destination, he lifted his mouth from hers and began removing her clothes. Lifting her blouse over her head, he proceeded to slide her skirt down her hips. She was left in only her bra and panties. He reached behind her and unhooked her bra. Eager, he cupped the twin globes of her breasts in his hands, his fingers brushing across the nipples. As though on cue, her body flamed at the juncture of her legs and she moaned deep within her throat.
Then he released her breasts, crouched down on his haunches and pressed his face to her feminine mound and drew in her scent.
Keisha knew what he planned to do, and when he licked her through the silk of her panties, she tightened her hands on his shoulders. “Canyon,” she said, whispering his name on a shivering moan.
* * *
Canyon pulled back to ease Keisha’s panties down her legs, barely able to contain his hunger. Before she could take her next breath, he parted her feminine folds and put his tongue inside her.
One of the things he’d missed most was this. Her delicious taste. She trembled hard and he held her firmly by her hips, intending to have his fill and give her pleasure. Over and over, he flicked his tongue over her and lapped up the taste of honey.
She moaned and arched forward. He continued to hold her hips as he felt pleasure ripple through her, making her say his name. The sound infiltrated his brain, intoxicated his soul and whipped him with just as much pleasure as it seemed she was feeling. When the last tremble passed through her, he slowly stood, gathered her close and then tumbled her down on the bed with him.
* * *
“You still have your clothes on,” Keisha mumbled, when he slid off her to stand by the bed.
“Something I’m about to remedy,” he said, pulling his belt through the loops of his jeans.
She rested against one of the huge pillows and watched him while aftershocks of pleasure strummed through her. With her gaze glued to his body, she watched him undress. First his shirt. “Mmm,” she said as he eased his jeans down his legs along with his briefs. The man was so well endowed. “It’s always nice to revisit the Grand Canyon.”
“Glad you want to,” he said in a deep, sexy voice.
“Oh, I do.”
After sheathing himself with a condom he’d taken from his wallet, he returned to the bed. When his knees touched the mattress, he dipped his head and brought his mouth straight to her mouth, mating with it in slow easy strokes. Moments later, breaking the kiss, he pulled her to him, placing her back to his chest.
A shiver of anticipation stirred through her. There had never been a dull moment with Canyon in the bedroom and she had a feeling he was about to reacquaint her with some of those times.
After pushing her up to her hands and knees and turning her to face the headboard, she felt him caress the contours of her back, thighs and backside. She sucked in her breath when his fingers eased between her legs and found her wetness. Then he replaced his hands with feathery kisses.
When she thought she couldn’t handle it anymore, he mounted her from behind, sliding into her, clamping her back to his front, thrusting in and out of her with slow, measured strokes. She closed her eyes, wondering if she would survive all the pleasure.
And then the tempo changed. He pounded into her harder, faster, while stroking his hands over her breasts. The sound of flesh slapping against flesh pervaded the air and she couldn’t help but moan. Her muscles, greedy for his invasion, clinched tight with each inward thrust.
A shiver began in the pit of her stomach and spread. She tried forcing it back, not ready for an explosion just yet. Not wanting this to end. Her body was ready, but she wasn’t. She wanted to go on and on, and enjoy each powerful thrust.
“Let go, baby,” Canyon whispered close to her ear as he increased the tempo even more. “I won’t let go until you do and the pleasure is killing me,” he muttered the words in a savage growl.
She let go. Screaming at the top of her lungs while he rode her hard, their bodies locked together. He let out one hell of a sensuous snarl, before roaring out her name. Moments later, as they tumbled down in the bed, he gathered her close.
She felt the aftershocks leave his body and hers and knew it would be a while before either of them had the energy to move.
Canyon Page 13
