Kansas Heat

by Kansas Heat (lit)

  That is if its brothers didn’t screw it up. Just the thought of what Knox had been up to all day had Jace straightening off the post. Cody and Knox had both agreed that Jace should handle corralling Amanda.

  For the life of him, Jace didn’t trust either one of his brothers’ words. It would have been best to give everything a few more days, but Jace feared if he didn’t produce Amanda within the next day, Cody and Knox might do something stupid.

  Actually, he was kind of afraid it already was too late, given how Knox had taken off for the day. Something to do with business and he had to go to Dodge City, which was more vague than Knox tended to be.

  Stuffing the empty dog food bag into the garbage bin, Jace waded through the pack sprawled out across the barn floor. The concerns Jace had been suppressing all day surfaced as he stepped through the double barn doors. Knox’s truck had not returned.

  Fearing the worst, Jace reached for his cell phone in the hopes this time his older brother would actually answer. He gave up hope as he stormed into the kitchen. Cody instantly caught Jace’s eye and redirected his concern in all new direction.

  “Why you dressed like that?” Jace dropped his hat onto its peg but didn’t bother with his boots. Tracking dirt across the kitchen floor, he closed in on his younger brother. “You going somewhere?”

  “Well, duh.” Cody laughed as he swiped his keys off the counter. “It’s Friday night, I feel the need for a beer.”

  Two months ago, Jace wouldn’t have thought anything of his brother’s response. After the past two weeks, where Cody had done little else but mope, Jace didn’t believe him for a second.

  “Cody—”

  “Now don’t get all ‘big brother’ on me, Jace.” Cody straightened up. “I’m not going to screw up your plans. I’m just going to have a beer.”

  “We have to work together,” Jace started in on his well-worn speech. Apparently, Cody had tired of hearing it.

  “Yeah, I got that,” Cody cut in impatiently. “By the way, you heard from Knox yet?”

  “No,” Jace growled, feeling the situation unwinding all around him. He swore, if his brothers fouled everything up, Jace would just go snatch Amanda up and disappear with her. He wasn’t losing his woman a second time.

  “Well, how about I go look for him?” Cody offered.

  “And where you going to look?”

  Cody pondered his answer for all of a second. “At the bar. I’ll give you a call if I find him.”

  “Cody,” Jace shouted at his brother’s back as Cody sauntered off.

  “Night, Jace.”

  “Well, shit.” Jace sighed, so much for his plans. They would have worked too.

  Chapter 50

  The long walk from Studs & Spurs across town to Sheriff Black’s house really wore through Knox’s buzz. So had Sherri Dixon, the damn woman annoyed him for several miles before he managed to be a sufficient enough ass to send her storming off back to the bar.

  That was fine by him. Knox didn’t know why she came along anyway. At least he hadn’t until he found himself lost in a town he knew by heart. It had taken probably twice the amount of time, but eventually he found what he was looking for—the sheriff’s house.

  Pausing at the end of the drive, Knox glared at the house in front of him. It wasn’t right. Amanda didn’t belong here. He’d tried to be polite, do things the proper and gentlemanly way, but no. Amanda wouldn’t have it.

  Well, this time he wouldn’t be asking. Knox would be taking. Replaced me has she? Not in this lifetime. Knox wouldn’t stand for it. That’s just what he intended to explain to the little darling right after the world stopped spinning.

  Down the street, a truck cut onto the road, taking a hard, fast turn. Light splashed over his legs as the truck came speeding down the road. All the noise and commotion triggered some reflex of Knox’s and he leapt for the bushes.

  Tripping over his own legs, he actually more fell into the bushes. The prickly shrubs broke his fall and bounced him into the grassy alley between the sheriff’s house and his neighbor’s. Knox lay in the grass staring up at the night sky as he heard the whine of a car’s brakes.

  Hopefully it wasn’t the sheriff because Knox didn’t want to get arrested like this.

  * * * *

  Cody stared down at his brother in amazement. Laid out on the hard ground, Knox grinned back up at him. Happy for no apparent reason, which could only mean one thing. “You’re drunk.”

  “I thought you were the sheriff,” Knox replied as if that had anything to do with why Knox was laying on the ground outside Tony’s house. Cody didn’t really care for the why, he was still stuck on the how.

  Feeling a little honor bound to find Knox, Cody had located his truck back at the Studs & Spurs. Instead of finding Knox in the pack bar, Cody had found the rumor mill running wild with the tale of how Knox had gotten plastered and stumbled out the door with Sherri Dixon under his arm.

  Well, at least she’d disappeared. Latching onto Knox’s arm, he tugged his brother back to his unsteady feet as Knox rambled on.

  “Yep. I gotta see the sheriff.”

  “Why?” Cody asked. “So he can kick your ass?”

  “Well, as to that, yeah.”

  Cody snorted at his brother’s idiotic answer. “Well, you want me to stand-in and kick it for ya?”

  Knox’s head had started to bob with a “yes” when he suddenly scowled. “Huh?”

  Sighing, Cody used his hold like a leash to start dragging Knox toward his truck. Objecting, but not fighting, Knox stumbled in Cody’s wake.

  “Hey, we’re going the wrong way. Amanda’s that way.”

  “Yes. I am aware,” Cody snapped. Shoving Knox into the side of the truck, Cody fumbled with the door. “But I don’t think you’re in any condition to see her.”

  “I already saw her.”

  Knox’s simple drawl froze Cody with the door in his hand. “What? Tonight?”

  “Earlier.” Knox pouted, looking across the road at the sheriff’s house. “I come here. I tell her I’m sorry, and I love her and you know what Amanda says to me?”

  Knox almost fell over sideways when he cocked his head at Cody. Catching his brother, Cody started maneuvering him into the truck. “Probably ‘go to hell’.”

  “She said we’d been replaced.” For a second, Knox’s gaze cleared with hard intent as Cody tucked his legs inside. “So now I got to go paddle her ‘cause she can’t be saying things like that. They ain’t true.”

  No, it couldn’t be and certainly explained why Knox had gotten his drink on. Planting a hand on Knox’s chest, Cody shoved his brother over. “Stay. I’ll handle the paddling.”

  “Well that’s no fun,” Knox complained into the bench seat.

  “Maybe not for you. Now, stay.” Slamming the truck door on his order, Cody groused to himself about the idiocy of drunks as he jogged across the street.

  Still, he should probably thank Knox. Surely his brother’s sins would outweigh Cody’s when it came time to face Jace. Not that Cody could worry over Jace when he had the more immediate concern of finding Amanda and confronting her.

  Peering through the side window, Cody saw one of the deputies from the hospital stretched out on the couch. He had a bowl of chips resting on his stomach, a beer dangling from his hands and both eyes glued on the TV. Making his way down the thin alley between house and prickly shrub, Cody checked one window after another until he paused in front of a narrow one. Obviously bathroom, the light shined through the steam fogging it up.

  Only a few feet over, more light spilled out of another window along with the sounds of drawers being snapped shut. With the blinds down, he couldn’t be sure it was Amanda, but Cody didn’t have much choice than to take a leap of faith.

  More accurately, a knock. Tapping on the window, Cody held his breath as the blinds split open and sure enough Amanda’s gaze narrowed on him. When they snapped back, he wondered if perhaps she wouldn’t perform as he expected.

 
His worry disappeared a second later when the blinds snapped straight up and he could see Amanda glaring down at him like some angel of vengeance. He could cope with that because Cody had nothing but dirty thoughts of corrupting Amanda right out of the nightshirt she was wearing.

  The silky, pink material stuck to her body, outlining her wet curves as water dripped down from her hair to pucker her nipples to hard points. As Cody stared at her glaring at him, all he could think was it had been two long weeks. Amanda better not give him too much attitude because honestly, he didn’t have too much patience.

  As if she’d ever concern herself with worry over upsetting him. Amanda didn’t even appear concerned over her state of undress when she started yanking on the window’s lock. True to her hot-blooded nature, she shoved it open with a bang and leaned out to start yelling at him.

  “What in the world are you doing out there?”

  Coming in, but Cody didn’t say it. Instead he showed her, gripping the window sill and starting to pull himself in. Typical Amanda, she started smacking his shoulders, cussing at him.

  “Hey! Get out! You dumb, son of a bitch, I didn’t open the window for you.”

  “Then you shouldn’t have opened the window in the first place,” Cody shot back, keeping his voice in a whisper despite the TV blaring in the other room.

  Amanda’s eyes narrowed on him and with a huffy sniff, she turned her back to him. “I’m going to get the deputy.”

  “Then he’s going to have to shoot me.” This time Cody didn’t bother to keep his voice down, calling Amanda’s bluff. “I ain’t going nowhere until I’ve had my say. I’m due that, at least.”

  “You’re due?” Amanda whirled around with her gasp. “And what scorecard are you reading because the only thing you’re due, Cody, is a daily beating.”

  “Even a guilty man is allowed to have his say before he’s sentenced, Amanda.”

  “Fine.” Snorting, she rolled her eyes at him as she moved over to the bed. All prim and proper like she wore a suit instead of a flimsy nightshirt, Amanda sat down on the edge of the bed and glared at him. “Go on, have your say.”

  “Well.” Cody blinked, thinking about it for a second. “I guess I really don’t have anything to say.”

  Amanda laughed at him as if he’d told a joke, but just for a second. Then her smile hardened and her ass started to lift off the mattress. “I’m going to get the deputy now.”

  “No!” Cody all but slid onto his knees right at her feet. Catching both her wrists in his hands, he managed to keep her from escaping. “I mean to say, I came here to answer your questions.”

  “My questions?” Amanda’s brow lifted. “What questions?”

  “The ones that have been running through your head for these past two weeks and don’t bother to deny it,” Cody rushed out as she looked to object. “You wouldn’t be human if you didn’t have questions. So just ask.”

  Amanda’s chin tilted up and she studied him for a tense moment. “And I could believe your answers?”

  “I never lied to you.”

  Amanda smirked instantly as his pledge. “That’s rich.”

  “I haven’t,” Cody growled. He could take being called a lot of things, but not a liar.

  “No.” Amanda nodded. “I guess technically storing discs of you fucking other women, giving me hand-me-down jewelry, and putting me second to last on some stupid list doesn’t really count as lying. Funny, then that I just fail to trust you.”

  “Amanda—”

  “What?” she snapped. “What can you possibly have to say?”

  “First, those were Knox’s discs, and he’s the asshole who gave you the necklace.”

  “You’re just going to put this all on Knox then, Mr. Big Mouth?”

  “Knox is an idiot.” It pained Cody to add, “So am I. Look the discs should have been destroyed, but you know that it isn’t like Knox was sneaking into his room to watch them. I don’t think he ever did but with the women who—”

  “Not helping,” Amanda growled out.

  “They’re all destroyed now,” Cody offered quick as he could. “And Knox never gave the necklace to Sharon. I know that doesn’t mean much to you, but we go back to the idiot part, and he honestly didn’t see anything wrong with what he did.”

  “Are you done?”

  “Damnit, Amanda!” She drove him nuts with her dismissive attitude. Cody probably should have just left this to Jace because he didn’t know what the hell to say. “What is it you want?”

  “What do I want?”

  “Whatever it is, just tell me and I’ll give it to you.”

  Amanda drew herself up and visibly braced herself before asking, “I want to know why I was second to last.”

  “What?” The question threw Cody for a moment.

  “I can get over the disc thing. I can certainly get behind the Knox is an idiot defense. I can even understand how the three of you came up with that stupid list.”

  Amanda paused, her jaw clenching as pain flashed in her gaze. When she spoke again, Cody could hear the tremor in her voice. “That doesn’t explain why I was second to last. Not after Jace’s bullshit about falling in love with me so many years ago.”

  “Jace had his reason.” Cody just didn’t know if he should be the one to tell her.

  “Really?” Amanda didn’t appear to care if she insulted him, much less pissed him off. “What? He wanted to sow his wild oats or something?”

  “No, but Jace knew Knox would be difficult. He always is. If he had put you at the top of the list and you hadn’t managed to wrap him around your finger, Knox would’ve found an excuse to dismiss you.”

  Cody could tell he was getting through to her. Amanda didn’t look thoughtful, but she did look more disgusted. Actually taking her sour expression as a good sign, Cody pressed on quickly. “See, it only takes one brother’s ‘no’ to dismiss a girl. Jace couldn’t risk it, but with you on the bottom, Knox would be worn down, more ready to accept—”

  “Me,” Amanda cut him off. “Because I wouldn’t have been more acceptable at the top of the list. I get it.”

  Score one for Amanda, because she managed to twist his point all around. “It wasn’t like that. I just—”

  “Save your breath. You think I can’t do the math?” Amanda demanded. Rising up from the bed, she toppled him backward. “Let’s see, you’re paying off my dad, Knox is giving me extravagant gifts, you guys have a list of women with a grading system to ascertain which one would be the suitable wife and guess what? Little old Amanda Johnson’s ripe for the buying.”

  Her tirade carried her around the room with sweeping arms as she played out her drama. “Maybe not the top of the line, but really, any woman of class or dignity wouldn’t fall for your bullshit.

  “No, of course not.” Amanda shook her head, coming to a stop to glare down at him. “You need some plain, old Jane whose most exciting moment in life is waiting for the new season of House to begin. That’s somebody you can wow with cheap poetry and expensive gifts. What is it, Cody? All those women give you such a headache, you figure you’d buy yourself one on the cheap and just fix me up to your liking?”

  Cody could feel every single cell in his body go red-hot with rage at her words. The force of his indignation shot him to his feet. All his guilt and compassion smoldered to ash under the heat of hurt. How dare she suggest such a thing.

  “We made some mistakes. I grant you that, Amanda,” Cody snarled as he advanced on her. Amanda had no retreat but two steps back into the wall. “That doesn’t give you the right to accuse us of trying to buy you. Trust me, Amanda, if the three of us didn’t actually love you, we wouldn’t put up with half your shit.”

  Chapter 51

  Cody didn’t give Amanda a chance to rebut his harsh growls. He barely gave her the half a second to comprehend them before his lips brushed against her. Instinctively she tried to jerk backward but had no room to escape. Despite his words and the tension in the muscles, she could feel pressed a
ll along her body, Cody seduced instead of assaulted.

  Slow and soft, he whispered butterfly kisses over her mouth, sparking each pass with a little nibble, a hint of aggressive demand. Her resistance melted away as feelings she had no control over guided her forward. With a quiver, her lower lip dipped. Cody took immediate advantage of the slight weakening, mounting a full on assault as he went from seducer to ravager in an instant.

  Amanda didn’t have the power to deny the need he inspired in her. Her body collapsed under its own weight, and she fell deeper into Cody’s embrace. Her hands twined around his neck as she anchored herself and went to her tippy toes to return Cody’s kiss with her own demand.

  They dueled for control of the kiss, Cody weighing down the scales in his favor as he sent his hands to torment her. Large, heated palms spanned her back, pressing her into his hardened strength. Even as he held her to him, he stepped forward, forcing her back until the smooth, cool wall held her pinned in place.

  It clicked reality back in for a moment. Always so attuned to her, Cody must have read her sudden hesitation. His head lifted and despite the moment, she could see the concern darkening his gaze.

  “You’re going to hate me in the morning for this, aren’t you?”

  Probably, but Amanda didn’t want to worry about that now. It had been two weeks, and she was so lonely. She needed this, just this one time. It would help hold her defenses when they found out about the baby. Amanda would need strength then but didn’t have it now.

  With a gentle tug on his neck, she arched her own body in a silent statement of just what she wanted right then. She needed this, needed him. Her heart bloomed to life, coming out of its cold, darkened shell, as the reality of having her love in her arms again warmed her from the inside out.

  Despite any concerns he might have had, Cody didn’t resist the invitation she issued. He didn’t even hesitate as his hand roamed over and under the lip of her nightshirt. Tracing a heated path down her spine, his calloused fingertips dipped beneath the edge of her night shirt and swooped upward to brand her ass with his heated touch.