Nick wanted to throw something at the pair...maybe cold water. They were like two dogs in heat.
“And work,” his brother finally finished. His voice was so low Nick suddenly felt uncomfortable.
He felt like a damn voyeur and desperately wanted to get the hell away from the pair. Yet... Against his will, he was fascinated with their play. He watched as his brother bent to kiss away the frown that appeared on his wife’s brow before slanting his mouth over her lips.
“Oh, yeah?” she asked huskily when he released her mouth. Although she was obviously trying hard to keep the smile from her mouth, the dimple in her cheek flashed against her will.
“And who says she is going to be a he?” she asked with a shrug. “We could have a little A’kela in the cards for us,” she said. But the look in her eyes told the real story. Just like his brother, Nick knew his sister-in-law didn’t care either way, boy or girl.
Nick had to glance away; the intense look of love in his brother’s eyes was too much for him to see and not react. And right now he wanted to be pissed at his twin. Not want to hug him.
It was no secret that the couple was trying to have a baby. Neither was it a secret that if the baby was a girl, it would be named after their mother, and if it was a boy, it would be named after their father.
He turned back to the couple and caught the soft look in Key’s eyes and the small smile that graced the corners of his mouth as he steadily regarded his wife of six months.
Had he not loved his brother so much, and truly loved Sonia like a sister, he would feel real envy for the couple. Their love was so tangible; it wasn’t unheard of for one or usually both of them to be totally oblivious of anyone else in the room when they were around each other.
Deep and real.
He turned to leave and would have made it away had he not bumped into the chair he’d just righted, sending it crashing to the floor. He bit off a curse and picked it up.
“Hey, Nick, I didn’t see you there!” Sonia said, a deep stain of color washing over her sienna-colored skin as she realized he’d caught them in an intimate moment.
He grinned widely.
“Not like I haven’t seen you two like this before...disgustingly lost in the moment,” he grumbled playfully, not sparing her. She was family. The Family That Teased Together Stayed Together was his motto.
“In fact, I don’t think I’ll be able to look at the hot tub or the pool again in the same way after last week,” he said. He hadn’t really seen anything. But he’d hazarded a guess that, knowing his brother, something illicit had taken place in the hot tub. Without a doubt. He’d bet his last dollar on the fact they’d gotten busy there.
He brought his attention back to the pair.
His sister-in-law’s eyes opened wide and her head jerked, looking up at Key. Key leaned down, allowing his mouth to hover near her ear.
She blushed even harder at whatever his brother whispered in her ear, halfheartedly slapping away the hand that rested on her butt.
“Key!” she admonished, voice low, yet Nick clearly heard the sensuality in it. “Stop it, we can’t... I have work to do,” she stammered, but when he leaned down to whisper something else in her ear, her eyes widened and she bit the lower rim of her lip.
“Really? We can try that?” She gnawed on her lip, as though considering whatever it was his brother had proposed. “Okay...I’m game if you are. I can do edits later today,” she said, the blush growing. “Or tomorrow,” she finished and, giggling, allowed his brother to lead her away.
Leaving Nick to stare after them, shaking his head.
Freaks.
The grin returned to his face, but soon thoughts of Sinclair filtered back into his brain and how he’d deal with her.
And from the look of things, he’d not be getting any help from his family in “handling” the situation.
Which was perfectly okay with him, considering how...deviant he knew he could sometimes be.
He chuckled at the thought.
Good. He was flying solo. That had always worked best for him. It was best for others, even family, who probably didn’t know just how wicked he could be.
It was time to work on his plan.
Chapter 3
Nick pinched the high bridge of his nose and pulled his glasses away from his face, frowning deeply.
“What’s the problem, old man? Sight not as good as it used to be?”
Startled, believing himself alone, his thoughts still on Sinclair, Nick glanced up and away from the computer screen to see his foreman standing in his office doorway, arms folded over her breasts, eyebrow raised.
“Hmm... Last time I checked, you weren’t that far behind me in age, Alli-oop,” he replied sardonically, a small grin threatening to break free. “What’s up? Come on in,” he said, waving Ailani Mowry inside his office.
“Don’t want to interrupt,” she drawled, yet pushed away from the doorway and ambled inside his office nonetheless.
“Hell, it’s not like I’m getting any work done, anyway,” he growled. Although he wasn’t about to disclose the true reason for his malcontent, he couldn’t keep the irritation away from his voice.
He glanced at the monitor and realized Sinclair’s picture filled the entire screen. He could only imagine Ailani’s reaction if she saw that image as his screen saver. Like he needed that.
Swiftly, casually, he minimized the screen and maximized the previous screen he’d been viewing: a PDF showing the projected budget revenues for the upcoming quarter.
No sooner had the spreadsheet appeared on the screen than Ailani was standing beside the desk, peering over his shoulder.
“Looks like we’re going to be up in revenue significantly for the upcoming quarter,” she commented and, without asking, grabbed for the small chair near the desk. She dragged it over closer to his chair, her eyes never leaving contact with the monitor.
He glanced over at her as she peered at the screen, completely ignoring him and the chair. Ailani and he shared history. No two ways about it, she was a beautiful woman, even as she “hid” her beauty.
More often than not she was seen wearing her long thick hair in a tight French braid tucked beneath the battered pink cowboy hat she’d worn since the beginning of time.
Many had thought the two of them would end up together. But despite growing up together from the time they were children, and the short stint where they’d shared a romance, the two had maintained a platonic relationship.
He continued to watch her as her eyes darted over the graph. When she turned to face him, although her eyes were hidden behind the tinted glasses she typically wore to shield her sensitive eyes, he caught the scrutiny.
“So, tell me. What were you really looking at with such intensity when I walked in, Pika?” she asked, a smirk creasing the corner of her small mouth. “And don’t tell me it was this projection. It’s not even the one from this quarter,” she noted, crossing her arms over her ample breasts and waiting.
His eyes flew to the screen. Sure enough, instead of the PDF showing the budget for the upcoming quarter, it was the one from the last quarter.
Damn. His head was most definitely not in the game.
Just as he had with his brother, he feigned a nonchalance he was far from feeling and tried to play it off.
“Comparing last month’s feed budget projection with the actual cost, cross-comparing it with the upcoming fiscal year’s budget to determine if we need to reevaluate the project. And if so, do we need to make cuts in other areas to make up the difference.”
His response was quick and sounded knowledgeable.
He hoped she actually bought his bullshit.
There was silence for longer than Nick liked, yet he kept his eyes glued to the screen.
Ailani leaned forward an
d brought her body closer to his. A hint of patchouli and hibiscus wafted across his nose; a scent she’d been wearing for as long as he could remember.
She jabbed a short but manicured nail at the screen, pointing to one of the columns.
“Who came up with this projection? No way is this budget anywhere near what we’re looking at for the upcoming quarter, nor does it make any sense for the new fiscal year!” she huffed, her eyes scanning the document on the screen. “Between the hike in prices in grain and feed, as well as the new shipment of steers we purchased last year, we’re looking at a number substantially higher than this,” she proclaimed.
Nick breathed a sigh of relief.
An irritated Ailani was much more preferable to a discerning one.
Of everyone he was acquainted with, besides his twin, Ailani was one of the most astute individuals he knew. If she caught even a sniff, a whiff, that something wasn’t quite right, she’d hunt it down. The woman could teach his father’s best hounds the true art of the hunt.
Lucky for him, her hound-dog nose was holstered for the present.
She wasn’t paying much attention to him; her attention was purely on the ranch’s budget.
Despite himself, he bit back a grin. Good thing he now thought of Ailani like a sister, or her lack of attention would have been insulting.
She leaned even closer, the right side of her breast brushing against his shoulder.
“What are you thinking with these projections? Geesh, what would you do without me, Pika? Knucklehead...” she grumbled, pushing even closer, the side of her breast nearly colliding with his nose.
“I know you want me and all, but really, Ailani, could you get your damn boob outta my face?” he complained roughly. He barked out a laugh when she distractedly batted a hand at him, ignoring him as she continued to peruse the document.
“If I didn’t know any better, I would think I didn’t do anything for you, Ailani...but we both know that isn’t true. What with you practically nursing me and all,” he continued, knowing she wasn’t paying much attention to what he said.
“Pika,” she mumbled, her voice completely distracted. “Whatever,” she finished, dragging out the word, the frown on her face growing.
Without looking behind her, she blindly reached for the chair she’d dragged to his desk earlier. Moving it closer, she plopped down in the seat.
As she examined the document, Nick continued to make completely inappropriate, off-color comments to Ailani, chuckling when she continued to ignore his baiting.
If she even heard it. Which he doubted she did.
When it came to her job as ranch foreman, all else became background noise to her. Which made it even more fun for Nick to tease her.
Just as he grinned and opened his mouth to make yet another inappropriate comment about her boob pressing into his face, a cough at the door caught his attention.
“One of your men told me you were alone. But if I’m interrupting, I can...you know, come back later.”
His eyes flew to the door and the grin slowly slipped from his face.
He jumped from his chair like a soldier would when his commanding officer entered. So fast that his chair shot out from under him and probably would have toppled over had Ailani not caught it.
Not that he was giving his foreman any attention.
That honor went solely to the woman who had claimed more of his attention than she had any right to.
The woman who had him waking up in the morning, rock-hard shaft in his hand, finishing off the job she’d started. If only in his dreams.
Her voice alone brought his cock to full-on “salute” status. Just like the good soldier that it was.
Husky and low...it poured over him like scalding rain. Even as it held a chastising note, it was turning him on in ways he’d never experienced from simply listening to a woman’s voice.
Hell, maybe that whole chastising tone she had going on added to the overall effect.
Whatever it was, it—she—had him hooked.
Her voice was velvety smooth and sexy, the type that reminded him of rainy days and sleeping in with a lover. But then his glance ran over her, head to toe. As hot as her voice was, it was nothing compared to her body.
Damn.
Live and in living color. On his turf... With no more provocation than that, his cock stirred.
Although he’d only seen pictures of her from the internet, those pictures were scorched permanently into his mind.
One of those images came to mind. The one he’d found of her at the Wildes’ ranch and had printed out on the spur of the moment. The same one he’d glanced at just last night before he’d succumbed to sleep.
The dream spurred from that image had been one that had haunted him as he’d wakened. His cock hardened even more as his gaze raked over her now.
There was no denying who stood in his doorway, one arched brow raised, small bow-shaped lips pursed, stiletto-heeled foot tapping.
Sinclair Adams.
Chapter 4
Confrontation time.
Sinclair kept her expression tight.
Closed.
Control... She had to keep it around her like a security blanket.
She was afraid if she didn’t, she would lose it.
Control was her best friend. Especially now. Thoughts of what her last few hours had been like, from the time she’d arrived in Hawaii and the fiasco surrounding all of that...to now, as she observed the scene in front of her. In one all-encompassing swoop, from the large office with its floor-to-ceiling windows that faced a gorgeous picturesque scene straight out of a movie, to the desk in the center of the room...and the commanding man who sat behind it.
There was also a beautiful woman with massive breasts standing close by... Sinclair took it all in. Okay, so maybe she was being catty. The woman’s breasts weren’t all that massive.
No matter, she thought, tightly reining in her envy.
She was squarely in the middle of the enemy’s camp. She felt her back stiffen as she lifted her chin, automatically “preparing.” For what? She would wait and see.
Her gaze made a swift survey of the office, taking special note of the custom-built book cabinets and the obviously expensive furnishings.
The walls were painted a muted deep red. One wall was nothing but an assortment of mirrors in various sizes and shapes.
Bold decorating choice, just like the red. The color choice and the mirrors were oddly erotic to her.
She shook her head, negating the thought before it had a chance to bloom any further in her mind. She continued her quick assessment.
There was an array of beautiful oversize rugs covering the polished hardwood floor, and a variety of artfully arranged statues that she would love to get a closer look at, had she been here for any other reason than the reason she was.
She brought herself up short.
She hadn’t come to the Kealoha ranch to admire the beautiful furnishings, the amazing scenery...or the exotic-looking woman who was now staring at her as though she knew her.
She was here for business. She turned her attention to the man she’d come to do battle with.
And that is exactly what it was in her mind: a battle. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the woman standing so close to him.
And it definitely wasn’t any of her business who the woman was. The same woman whose breasts—breasts that Sinclair doubted were her own—had been pressed against the side of Nick Kealoha’s face as if she were about to breast-feed the man, when Sinclair had approached the door.
Sinclair knew she was being unfair; she didn’t know the woman. For all she knew the massive boobs could actually belong to the woman. She mentally shrugged, pretending not to feel the least bit of anything about the woman, her breasts, or wh
ere they had been pressed....
Nor the man they had been pressed against. Not really. None of that mattered.
She was just feeling a tad bit...irked. She took in a physical and figurative breath and silently recited one of her favorite quick-but-calming mantras. It took a few seconds longer than normal, but she got it together.
She turned her gaze to Nickolas Kealoha, after nodding to the woman next to him. His gaze was already locked and loaded on hers.
This time, the breath she took was anything but figurative. Nickolas Kealoha was breath-stealingly fine.
Bright blue eyes kept her regard from beneath thick lashes, lashes that from the distance she was from him seemed impossible...ridiculous for a man to possess.
Even though he was sitting behind the desk, the sheer...massiveness of the man was enough to make her breath catch at the back of her throat. She had to remind herself to breathe. In. Out. In...
Big arms, thick with bulging muscle, were pressed against the desk. His chest seemed carved from granite. She bit back the moan when she caught sight of the small tuft of hair that splayed from beneath the fitted black T-shirt he wore under his chambray shirt.
Her gaze cataloged the long, muscular, thick thighs that even the simple work jeans he wore couldn’t disguise. At his lean waist he wore a belt and large buckle with some type of crest. From her vantage point she couldn’t tell what exactly was depicted on the belt buckle.
Because, yes...she was only interested in his belt buckle and most definitely not the thick...outline...that lay just south of the buckle.
“Like I said... If I’m interrupting anything...” she repeated. She cleared her throat and allowed the sentence to dangle.
“Of course not,” the woman cut in, before Nick could say a word. “I was just leaving.”
Sinclair saw him cut the woman a quick glance, no doubt cataloguing the shit-eating grin on her face, just as Sinclair had seen the sly look on the other woman’s face, as well. It hinted at a long association, a certain familiarity.
To Tame a Wilde (Wilde in Wyoming) Page 3
