Deadly Beginnings

by Jaycee Clark

  He’d given her a wonderful, beautiful day and she’d been rude to him when he’d bought her a gift.

  Kaitlyn swallowed. Her parents raised her better, Grammy did as well. Not looking at him, she took a deep breath and said, “Thank you, Jock.”

  He turned into her driveway. “For what? I had a great time today. I made you smile. I made you laugh. I even riled you.” He smiled. “It was fun.”

  She couldn’t help but chuckle.

  He slowed as he pulled up to her cabin, which looked nothing like his. The porch roof sagged so the house looked like it was smiling.

  “Is this place even safe?”

  Kaitlyn shrugged. “I assume. They gave me the key. It’s some old family place and they were nice enough to let me stay. Floor’s sound, walls don’t creak.”

  He glared through the windshield. “Not the floor or walls I’m worried about.”

  She laughed as she reached into the backseat to get the bag of art supplies. He turned so they were looking at each other.

  “Thank you. I don’t suppose you’ll let me pay you ba—”

  “Nope.”

  “You could at least let me finish.”

  “Could, but figured it was wasted breath, so I’d save you the trouble.”

  “Hmm . . .”

  He glanced back at the house and she grabbed her bag, reaching over to open the door.

  “I’ll get it.”

  Kaitlyn waited for him to walk around the car and open her door. He’d done that all day. Opened the door for her, waited for her, she wasn’t used to it.

  He held her hand when she climbed out but didn’t let her go when he shut the car door. They walked to her porch and he looked around the shadows. “Your place is really back off the way.”

  The teasing was gone from his voice.

  “I’ll be fine. I was fine last night and the night before.”

  He looked around, a frown between his brows. “All the same to you, I’ll see you safely inside and make certain no one is waiting on you.”

  She looked to the door and shivered, then nodded. “Thank you.”

  Kaitlyn reached for the lock, holding the key she’d pulled from her pocket.

  Jock held out his hand. “If you don’t mind?”

  Rolling her eyes, though silently relieved, she gave him the key and let him open the door. Her cabin was small, all open floor plan, so it didn’t take but seconds to make certain she was indeed safe here.

  He silently turned in a circle, studying the windows, then the roof, and finally shook his head.

  Kaitlyn set her art things on the table.

  The fall days were cooler and she shivered, realizing she’d need to start a fire.

  Jock opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again.

  She waited.

  He closed his lips, the frown still in place.

  Kaitlyn walked up to him and he turned to her, gave her his undivided attention. Maybe that’s what it was with him.

  “Jock, you can go now.”

  He thrummed his fingers on his thigh. “I did have a great time today. More fun than I’ve had in a long, long time.”

  She smiled. “Me too.”

  “I don’t like leaving you here by yourself.”

  Kaitlyn cupped his jaw, running her fingers along the hard line, noting he had more dark stubble than he’d had when she’d met him by the lake.

  “I’ve a feeling you are a good man, Jock Kinncaid. I’d almost forgotten what those were like. Thank you for my art supplies. Thank you for lunch and for the hike and for a wonderful day.” She looked at his chest and swallowed. “Thank you for being my friend when I didn’t know how very badly I needed one.”

  His own hand held hers to his chest.

  His sigh ruffled the top of her hair. “Ah, Kaitie.”

  She looked up just as his head lowered. His other arm wrapped around her back, pulling her closer just as his lips met hers.

  The man kissed like he did everything else with her—he was clearly in charge, but yet, waiting on her.

  She leaned into him and felt the change in him instantly, the muscles beneath her hand tightening. Kaitlyn opened her mouth and ran her tongue along the seam of his lips.

  He made a noise in his throat and pulled her closer, his hand going from holding hers at his chest to skimming up her arm to cup the back of her head as he took over and deepened the kiss.

  The kiss warmed her, melting her stomach to flutters and summersaults even as tingles danced down her spine and over her skin.

  Jock kissed her open mouth, demanding yet waiting. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe to kiss him even better.

  Another growl.

  His arms tightened as he lifted her, still kissing her. She wrapped her legs around his trim waist and realized again how wide the man’s shoulders were.

  Her back hit the wall or the door, though his hands covered her spine. She gasped as his body pressed hers even more, breaking the kiss.

  He trailed kisses over her chin, her jaw, to her ear, where he kissed just beneath it. Kaitlyn shivered.

  “A soft spot. I love finding those,” he whispered, his mouth kissing and licking over her neck.

  Kaitlyn titled her head back against the door.

  Jock Kinncaid was a dangerous man. He made her feel. Feel more than she probably should.

  His mouth trailed lower to her collarbone, where the tip of his tongue burned along the curve. She shivered again.

  “Another one.”

  She’d never felt like this. Not ever before.

  She’d heard of women wanting. Simply wanting.

  A want that tempted.

  A want that burned.

  A want that could consume.

  One hand left her back, caressing softly beneath her sweater. When had he removed her sweater? She realized it was hanging by one arm. Her shirt was no match and she assumed he’d dive right in, or tug it from her pants.

  Instead, his hand simply caressed along her rib cage. Up and down, up and down, slow and easy from her waist to under her arm, grazing the side of her breast.

  He growled again and eased back. His eyes were a deep indigo, a muscle bunched in his jaw. “I should go.”

  “I should let you.”

  His eyes bore into hers. “I don’t want to leave you here, alone, far from everyone.”

  She licked her lips, her heart racing.

  She’d been a good girl all her life.

  All her life.

  For the first time, other than wishing her parents were alive, or wanting med school, she wanted something with everything in her. Wanted to be daring. And stupid. And rash.

  She started to ask him to stay, but he spoke first. “Come with, Kaitie. Come back with me so I know you’re safe.” He glanced above them. “And I know the roof won’t collapse on top of you.”

  Kaitlyn smiled, bit her lip and finally nodded. “Okay, Jock. I’ll come with you.”

  His grin lit his eyes. “Grab your things. Let’s go. Your place is cold.”

  She did as he asked and threw her things into her knapsack, not that she’d brought very much.

  “That’s it?” he asked, glancing around.

  “Well, and my purse.” And a book she’d bought at a bookstore.

  He tilted his head and looked at the knapsack, an old canvas one that had belonged to her father.

  “You, Kaitlyn . . .” His voice trailed off and he frowned.

  “O’Reilly.”

  “You, Kaitlyn O’Reilly, are not like any other woman I’ve ever met.”

  “I bet.” She slung her purse over her shoulder and followed him out the door and back to his car. Once there he helped her in. As he climbed in, he didn’t immediately start the car. He turned to her.

  “I don’t want you to feel like you have to come,” he said softly. “That wasn’t what I meant. I just don’t like the idea of you here alone. What if he—I can’t just—Damn.”

  Kaitlyn l
icked her lips. “I don’t . . . Well, it’s been a lovely day and I’m sure you have lots of things to do and I don’t want to impose—”

  He leaned over, his hand going behind her head to nudge her forward. “You are not imposing. I asked you to come with me.” He kissed her again.

  When they both came up for air, she thought that maybe she’d only have this one weekend. One weekend for something bright and beautiful.

  One weekend to feel special.

  To feel cherished.

  She pulled her bottom lip in and nibbled on it. Looking at him from beneath her lashes, she said, “Thank you. I don’t really want to be alone.”

  His eyes darkened, narrowed, then he nodded once and kissed her forehead.

  As they drove back down the curving road, he said, “I should warn you, Kaitie lass. I always get what I want. And right now, what I want most is you, but you just came out of a bad relationship and—”

  “We haven’t . . .” she blurted.

  “Haven’t?”

  Kaitlyn swallowed. “That is, we haven’t. Landon didn’t want . . . That is.” She took a deep breath. “Never mind.”

  She felt his eyes rake over her. “Ah. Haven’t. I knew the man was an idiot, I just didn’t have a clue how much of one he was. Well, no, it’s good he didn’t . . . you haven’t . . . Hell, never mind.”

  She was nervous, but maybe he was just a bit as well? Was she ready for this? With him?

  He was so careful with her.

  But she had always been a good girl and—

  “You can stay in the guest room. Or . . . wherever you want,” he told her as they rolled to a stop. “I’m a bastard for even mentioning it.”

  Taking a deep breath, she said, “No. No, you’re not. I want one bright, shining weekend.”

  Silence filled the car.

  She dared a look at him from under her lashes. He was staring at her. Kaitlyn couldn’t help it, she grinned. The bands around her chest eased as he grinned back and tapped her chin with his finger.

  “Bright, shining weekend? I’m pretty sure we won’t have a single problem with that, Kaitie. If it’s what you want, I’ll make sure you get it.”

  The wind had picked up along with the clouds. As they exited the car, Jock grabbed all the bags, her supplies, her knapsack, even her purse, plus a small sack of groceries they’d picked up for him.

  “Give me something,” she told him.

  He looked at her, ran his gaze down her, then slowly back up. Her stomach clenched at the heated look in his eyes. He started to say something, then reconsidered and shook his head. “I’ve got it.”

  As he got even with her, she said, “But my hands are empty.”

  He transferred everything to his left hand and reached out, grabbing her left hand with his right. He brought it up to his mouth and kissed the back of it. “Not anymore.”

  They walked to the house and she opened the door with the keys he gave her. Her bags were left on the stairs. Kaitlyn followed him to the kitchen.

  Thunder rumbled in the distance. She rubbed her arms.

  Chapter 4

  “Don’t like storms?” he asked her.

  She shook her head. “Not really. No. My parents died because they were driving home in a storm. Thunder always reminds me. Stupid, I know, but there it is.” She shrugged.

  Jock put the milk and eggs away, watching as she busied herself, unpacking the apples and washing them.

  “Do you have a bowl to put them in?” she asked him.

  Jock just leveled a look at her.

  Kaitlyn went to exploring the cupboards until she found a bright blue bowl and carefully placed the apples in it.

  Jock poured them both a glass of wine. “Come on, let’s go into the den.”

  She followed him with her glass, sitting on the floor as he started a fire. The heater was going fine, but he wanted a fire.

  Jock wanted her, no doubt about it. Had since the first moment he’d seen her at that stupid gala. Only wanted her more since she’d invaded his dreams, his thoughts.

  After today you’d think he was a boy with his first—

  First.

  He was her first.

  Or was he? She’d only said she and Dr. Dick hadn’t done it. He couldn’t hold back the grin. It didn’t matter if she’d been with anyone else, not as far as he was concerned. The last few years had taught him many things about women. All he cared about was that the doctor was done in her life. And that the bastard had never touched Kaitie that way. It shouldn’t matter to him, but it did. Not that he wouldn’t still want her if they had, but they hadn’t and there was more satisfaction in that than there should be.

  Jock shook off the thoughts and set the poker back into its slot. He sat on the floor leaning back against the couch with Kaitie.

  They listened to the fire grow, the wood popping and crackling. He noticed she drank very little of her wine.

  “Don’t like red?”

  “What?” she asked.

  He motioned to her wine with his own glass. “The wine. I’ve got other things. Water, tea probably. Some pop—Coke, I believe, is in the fridge.”

  She smiled. “Wine’s fine. I was just thinking.”

  He watched the firelight play on her face, all but glow in her hair.

  “Kaitie, we really don’t have to . . .” He thought about what to say.

  Her eyes rose to his. “Changing your mind, Kinncaid?” She blew out a sigh. “You sure know how to get a girl’s hopes up and then dash ’em down.”

  He ran his tongue around his teeth. “I never said I didn’t want to. With you. Hell, truth is, it’s what I’d love to do, but I don’t want you to feel like you have to, that I’m pressuring you, or making you or—”

  She set her wine aside on the coffee table and scrabbled to her knees. She took a deep breath and then climbed on him, her knees on either side of his hips.

  Jock could only hold his wine and stare at her. Completely at a loss for words.

  “You are you. I know what it feels like when a man is making me do something. Or pressuring me to do things I might not otherwise. Or how my stomach twists when he does those things, how it feels like I have to do things or act a certain way or say things I wouldn’t. I know what it feels like to be someone else, and not be me because I’m afraid of disappointment or worse.” She leaned in and kissed his lips, hers trailing over his cheek to his ear. “I don’t feel any of those things with you. I’m just me. I want to do this with you. You.” Her sigh warmed his ear as she pulled back. “But if you’re not up for it, or you’ve changed your mind,” she said on a grin. Her finger teased the vee of his shirt where he’d kept the top button undone. “Well, I wouldn’t want the great Jock Kinncaid to feel pressured into doing anything he didn’t want to do—”

  “You are a handful, Kaitlyn,” he told her, clasping her to him and leaning up to set his own wine aside.

  “You’ve no idea.”

  He raised a brow and grinned at her, his hands rubbing up and down her back.

  “Oh, really?” he asked her, pulling her closer.

  She wiggled against him, her fingers playing with the ends of his hair against his nape, sending chills dancing over his skin.

  “Really.”

  “So what should I watch out for?” he asked her, leaning in to kiss her.

  Her mouth smiled against his. “I can be stubborn.”

  He chuckled as he kissed her, his mouth moving to kiss along her jaw, down her neck. “I think I figured that out for myself.”

  “Such a smart man.”

  He kissed the skin just beneath her ear and felt her tense against him, but she tilted her neck to the side, giving him more access.

  His hands spanned her back.

  “What else?”

  She ran her fingers through his hair. “I rather like getting what I want.” She took a deep breath when he pulled her lobe between his teeth. “I’d forgotten. I like to know what I want.”

  “Hmmm
. . . That’s always a good thing.”

  “It is.” She pulled back and cupped his face in her hands. “I know this is a . . .” A crease furrowed between her brows. “That is, you have your life. I have mine. We’re just here. This weekend.”

  Is that what she thought?

  “Maybe this weekend is just the beginning, Kaitie.” He turned his head and kissed the center of her palm.

  Her smile was sad, didn’t reach her eyes, and the dimple didn’t wink at him. “I’m not going to think about tomorrow. Or later. Or next week.” Her eyes searched his. “I just want now. I just want this. Us. For now. Can you give me that, Jock?”

  His own hands ran up her arms to cup her face, his thumbs rubbing along her jaw, his fingers lost in the hair at the nape of her neck. “Kaitie, I’ll give you whatever you want.” And more.

  Her eyes still searched his and he realized for all her spunk, for all her sass, she was still wary, still cautious. But with him, clearly, she was getting over that.

  “What do you want, Kaitie?” he asked. “Tell me what you want.”

  She licked her lips, glanced beyond him to the foyer, then back to him, a slow smile starting across her mouth. This time, her eyes crinkled and that damned dimple appeared. “You. Here. In bed. I don’t care. I just don’t want to think, Jock. I just want to feel. You make me feel. I don’t know if that’s good or bad. Or what. But I just . . . want this. You. Me. Tonight.”

  “And maybe tomorrow?” he said, wanting them back on a lighter note, the shadows gone from her eyes.

  “Well,” she said, “I suppose that’ll depend.”

  She started to stand, but he shook his head and clasped her waist to him. “I’ve got you.”

  She wrapped her legs around him, her arms around his shoulders, and kissed him as he stood and carried her from the room.

  He pulled his mouth from hers. “Maybe I want tonight and tomorrow. So I need to know what that might depend on.”

  She laughed against his mouth. “How well you perform. I mean, the rumors . . .”

  “A handful,” he muttered, leaning against the wall on the stairs and kissing her until they were both gasping.

  “Hurry up,” she muttered, raining kisses along his neck. He made it to his room and the bed. Lightning flashed across the room and thunder echoed.