“I’m not glad when it takes her on the road with a man I barely know and into a place where there are potentially a bunch of people who want to murder her!” Carson fumed. Did these two not see how potentially dangerous this whole thing was for Kayla?
“My brother will look out for her,” Tegan said offhandedly. “He learned very early to play it safe.” She made a face. “It’s kind of disgusting actually. Ralston is my father’s favorite. Daddy has always thought that Ralston was like a carbon copy of him. But that’s just my dad being a narcissist. Truthfully, Ralston is a million times smarter with just about everything. Computers, money, and especially staying alive and undetected when snooping around, so don’t worry. They’ll be fine.”
“I don’t feel any better,” Carson groused.
Wrath smirked. “What would make you feel better?”
“Being with her.”
Wrath put his arm around Tegan and drew her down onto the bed beside him. “I owe you an apology, Tegan. You were absolutely right. They’re most definitely going to wind up together. In fact, I see them getting married before we do.”
“What?” Carson roared. “You can’t be—well, I suppose—I hadn’t actually considered it from that angle. I don’t even think Kayla is interested in marriage. The two of us can barely stand each other. That was like the first milestone in our relationship. Being able to tolerate each other for long enough to be in the same room.”
“It’s love,” Tegan sighed. She was grinning broadly.
“I think you’re just in a lovey-dovey mood because Wrath isn’t bleeding to death anymore,” Carson said. Even he thought he sounded like a petulant child. Then he turned to Tegan. “Do you really believe you can trust this brother of yours? He refused any protection from us. You don’t think that’s because he has something to hide?”
“Oh, I’m sure he has plenty to hide,” Tegan laughed. “But I’m sure that he’ll keep Kayla safe. I think, in the meantime, you should come up with a plan to apologize for being such an ass though. The girl didn’t do anything wrong. You can’t keep her under your thumb or in front of your eyes every second of every day. At some point, you have to acknowledge that she’s a grown woman who survived just fine even before you came on the scene.”
Carson sighed. She was right. That didn’t mean he was willing to just stand around Ava’s house and play nursemaid. Wrath had a nursemaid who was a hell of a lot better company than Carson ever would be. “Where’s your brother taking her most likely?”
“He has a building in the city,” Tegan explained. “It isn’t far from here. I’ll give you the address.”
Wrath made a low sound of disapproval. “Nash told us to stay here while he goes to have a chat with Stedman. We’re supposed to be disavowed, remember?”
“I’m not likely to forget that,” Carson told Wrath. “But if Nash isn’t here, he isn’t going to know if I am or not now, will he?”
*
Kayla stared open mouthed at the map displayed on Ralston’s computer screen. He had even managed to make it color coded. Buildings independently owned or managed by companies other than Hyde-Pierson Financial were in green. Kayla’s buildings were in purple, and the single piece of property that her uncle seemed to own outright was red.
“He owns my building,” Kayla mused. “My building. The building where my parents lived is the only one that he actually legally owns? How does that even work? My parents owned that!”
“I imagine it had to do with how the estate was managed after you were placed in his custody. If the trust had to sell something in order to maintain itself, then he would have had the option to purchase. That would be legal—in a manner of speaking of course.” Ralston seemed to reconsider. He leaned back in his big, cushy executive chair and laced his fingers behind his head. “Although, it’s very possible that he either had friends or was himself on the board that approved the sale for your trust. It’s all very bullshit complicated.”
“Bullshit complicated?” She turned to stare at him. “What does that mean?”
“It means that there’s a lot of red tape, but the red tape doesn’t really do its job because all of the people responsible for getting past the red tape are in each other’s pockets. In the last few years though, my father has pissed off too many people.”
“Like Sokolov,” Kayla guessed.
“Exactly.” Ralston stood up. He pointed to a section of buildings near a park. “This is what Wallace was talking about. He’s pushed these people out for no apparent reason. I think he thought he could bully his way through the sale, but the bank wouldn’t do it because you’re of age. They wanted him to have you sign off on it because it’s your choice now and not his.”
“No wonder he wants me dead,” Kayla murmured. She looked at three square blocks worth of real estate and saw exactly what her value to her uncle was. She had been worthwhile to keep alive because he had full control of the trust. As soon as she turned twenty-one, she had been a liability. Now he had a chance to bump her off.
“I want to go see him,” Kayla murmured. “I want to talk to him. I want to tell him that I know, and I want to tell him to his face that I’m done being his piggy bank.”
Ralston slumped back into his seat. “That’s not a good idea, Kayla. I brought you here to see this because I think you need to realize what you’re responsible for. You’re essentially these people’s landlord, and if you don’t take control of that somehow, then the displacement is just going to get worse. But confronting my father is a foolish idea. What would it get you?”
“A chance to find out why he did this to me,” she whispered. “I had to live with him. I had no choice. He could have given me away. He could have let Ava have custody. He could have kept himself as the executor of the trust and the will, but let me live with someone who would have at least tried to love me. He didn’t. I want to know why.”
There was a noise behind them. Ralston spun around and leaped to his feet. But it was Carson that came walking out of the shadows near the back of the computer room. Ralston glanced behind Carson as though expecting someone else. “Did you just bypass my security system by yourself?” Ralston asked with interest.
“I did.” Carson shrugged. “I had quite a knack for that sort of thing in the Middle East. There was a civilian contractor who did private security over there. He taught me a few things.”
Kayla wasn’t interested in hearing about security systems. “Are you mad at me?”
“No.” He shook his head. “But I’m taking you home. Then tomorrow, we’ll go talk to your uncle. If you still want to.”
Kayla nodded. “I want to. And thank you for letting me.”
“It’s not up to me to let or not to let you,” Carson murmured. “You’re one of the most capable women I’ve met. But I’ll stand by your side if you’re okay with that.”
Kayla felt a profound sense of relief. “Yeah. I’m okay with that.”
Chapter Nineteen
“I’m sorry that I left Ava’s without settling things between us,” Kayla told Carson.
He made a low sound in his throat that she could not interpret. They were inside her loft. It felt odd to be here when she knew that this building—this building she had always considered to be the one that should belong to her—was in reality her uncle’s only piece of real estate in Southie.
The windows were still boarded up. Things had been so hectic that Kayla had forgotten to call a contractor to have them replaced. It would be expensive as hell, but maybe she would send her uncle the bill. After all, this place belonged to him.
The shadows had come and gone. It was full night. She had lost track of time between the trip to the bank, Wrath’s injury, and then her discovery at Ralston’s. Did any of this matter anymore?
Then Carson stripped off his black T-shirt, and suddenly her mind was too busy looking at his gorgeous chest and belly to think about anything else. Her fingers twitched as she itched to draw him or sculpt him. The intricate network o
f muscle, sinew, and bone that made up this man’s body was the perfect model for a masterpiece.
“Don’t move,” she whispered.
He raised an eyebrow, but Kayla was already reaching for her sketchpad. She moved toward the bed. Kicking off her shoes, she climbed up onto the bed that was still rumpled from the two of them the night before. She could smell him on her sheets, and it gave her a profound sense of satisfaction.
Carson was still standing in the middle of the room. He kicked off his boots and started to take off his pants. Kayla glanced up and felt her mouth go dry. Oh, this was going to be just about the most erotic drawing that she had ever done!
He sauntered over. She watched the muscle move and play beneath his golden skin. There was just the lightest dusting of hair across his arms and below his belly button. The rest of him was bare and satin soft.
“What are you doing?” He tried to look over the edge of her sketchpad, but she pulled it up to her chest.
“You can’t peek,” she told him. “I don’t let people see my work until I’m finished.”
“You’re drawing me?” He seemed both surprised and amused. “Why?”
She gestured that he should join her on the opposite side of the bed. “Because you’re gorgeous. That’s why.”
Kayla wasn’t even annunciating her words properly. She was too busy sketching. The lines seemed to flow right from her brain to the pencil with no lapse. She smeared a few here and there to highlight those yummy areas on either side of his belly. The transverse abdominal groove—or so her anatomy and art class had taught her. They were those beautiful lines that gave the male body its V shape.
Finally, she sat back and looked over her frantic work. It wasn’t perfect by any means. It wasn’t even really finished. Yet there was a sense of Carson in this picture that seemed to be oddly perfect in nature. The man on the page was no-nonsense. He stood straight and tall and was unashamedly male. The indefinable sense of honor she got from Carson had translated itself to her charcoal pencil as well.
“So?” he prompted. “Because I’m getting really impatient over here.”
“For what?” she asked absently.
“I want to make love to you, and there’s a sketchbook in the way.” He sounded so serious. “I’m about to decide that I don’t particularly care if I get stabbed with a pencil though. So, fair warning.”
Kayla laughed. She set the sketchbook on her nightstand and turned to face Carson. She still had her clothing on, although her shoes had come off as soon as she stepped inside the loft, just as they always did. She hated shoes. She always had.
Then Carson tackled her to the mattress. He stared down at her for just a moment and then lowered his mouth to hers. The kiss was long and deep. She reached up and rubbed her fingers over his close-cropped hair. He moved his lips hungrily over hers. Their tongues tangled together, and Kayla felt her body soften with desire.
An ache built between her legs. She lifted her right calf and hooked it over his thighs. The action spread her sex beneath him, but there was no friction. She needed more. She needed him inside her, and she for damn sure needed out of these clothes.
“Please,” she moaned. “Please, Carson.”
He pulled back just enough to grab hold of her shirt and tug it off over her head. Her bra seemed to melt away as his skilled hands reached behind her and popped the clasp. She pushed the restrictive thing away and moaned in delight when he cupped her bare breasts in his hands.
Kayla started squirming. She didn’t want him to stop squeezing and kneading her breasts, but she really wanted her pants off. She put her feet flat on the mattress and pushed up just enough to shove her pants off. The soft yoga pants got stuck around her knees, and she was left to use her toes to scrape them down her legs.
“Finally!” she muttered.
Carson’s low laugh made her belly tighten with need. She didn’t want to wait. She didn’t want anything but him. Right here. Right now. She wanted that thick cock deep inside her pussy, but he seemed inclined to go slowly.
“Carson,” she whispered. “Stop teasing.”
“I’m not teasing,” he argued. “I’m enjoying. I never get to enjoy. I’m always in too much of a rush.”
She would have opened her mouth to protest, but he started using his fingers to explore. He stroked her belly, circled her navel, and then dipped lower to touch the short, crisp hairs on her mound. Kayla stilled as she held her breath and waited for the wonderful moment when he would gently spread her sex open.
His fingers danced so close that she sucked in a quick breath of anticipation. Then he dipped his long index finger between her pussy lips and carefully circled her clit. She was so wet. The sound of his finger touching her was probably the most erotic thing she had ever heard.
CARSON MARVELED AT just how wet Kayla was for him. He very gently and carefully parted her nether lips and stroked the warm folds. Her cream was everywhere. It coated his fingers and soaked the palm of his hand as he began to rub her sex in tiny circles. He placed the palm of his hand against her lips and clit and used his fingers to tease her opening. She squirmed and panted with each touch.
Finally, he inserted one long finger into her pussy. He gently rubbed the muscular walls of her sex even as he lowered his mouth and took one of her nipples into his mouth. The taste of her was exquisite.
He flicked his tongue over her nipple and then sucked it into his mouth as far as he dared. He pulled hard, pressing the nipple against the roof of his mouth and using his tongue to stroke her warm flesh. She arched her back and pushed her breast against his mouth.
Finally, he could feel her inner muscles begin to soften. She was getting ready to come. He could feel it. He wanted more. He wanted to be inside her when she came.
Withdrawing his finger, Carson braced his weight on his arms and settled his hips between Kayla’s legs. He gazed down into her face. Her full lips were parted in a look of anticipation, and her eyes were bright with excitement.
He pushed forward. The end of his cock pressed against her opening. He felt the soft flesh yield. The slow penetration was almost torture, and yet the reward of being fully seated inside her body was so very good that it made every second worth the wait. He began to move slowly. In and out. He flexed his buttocks and heard the wet sound of his flesh joining with hers. She wrapped her legs around his waist and held tight. The motion pulled him in deeper.
Carson closed his eyes. The intensity of each thrust made him grunt like a beast in full rut. He moved faster. He pushed harder. He strained against her sweet cleft and felt her body welcoming him each time. The heat of her was intoxicating. Then he felt his orgasm pooling at the base of his spine. Liquid fire trickled down the backs of his legs and left him feeling on the verge of fulfillment. Satisfaction hovered just out of reach.
Sweat beaded on his brow. Everything seemed to come together in a maelstrom of physical sensation and emotion. He wrapped his arms around Kayla and pushed into her as hard as he dared. Something snapped inside, and suddenly he was convulsing as he poured his seed into her welcoming body. The warm embrace of her inner muscles seemed to melt around him. Her high-pitched cries of release blended with his low growls of completion, and the two of them were joined in orgasm together.
Carson had no notion of how much time passed. His lungs and heart were working overtime. It felt as though everything inside of him was straining toward this moment and this woman. Finally, he rolled to the side so that he wouldn’t crush her smaller frame beneath his. He looked over at her, and the sight of her breasts bobbing up and down with each labored breath was strangely gratifying. It was one of those moments where a man wants to jump up, do a fist pump, and scream “Hell yes!”
“What are you thinking?” Kayla whispered.
Carson could not stop the slow smile that spread across his face. There was no way he was going to tell her that he was having one of those adolescent moments. He searched for something that might be more appropriate. “I was
just thinking that I’ve never known a woman like you.” No. That wasn’t quite right. “I’ve never been with a woman like you.” Wow. That wasn’t any better. He sighed.
Kayla was giggling. She turned to face him and rested her cheek on his bicep. “I think I’ll call that a compliment. But what do you mean?”
“Too many women waste a lot of time trying to pretend that they don’t like sex.” He could not believe he’d said that out loud. “At least that’s what it feels like from the male perspective.”
She seemed to consider this. “I can see where you might see it that way,” she reasoned. “Maybe women are concerned that they’ll be judged if they act as if they enjoy it. It’s as if the belief is that women are whores if they like sex. The double standards are pretty rampant, you know?”
He put an arm around her and held her close. Breathing in the scent of her hair, he had the thought that he never wanted to be with another woman. He just wanted Kayla. He wanted this—this moment—for the rest of his life. How was that going to work?
Chapter Twenty
Kayla stood outside her loft and stared at the neighborhood around her. It wasn’t one of Boston’s busiest or most happening places, but there were a lot of people that called this area home. Many of the industrial buildings had been refurbished as apartment buildings. There were a few little parks where children played basketball or skipped their way through hopscotch patterns. It was a place that Kayla had called home for a very long time. She didn’t like the idea of her uncle trying to turn it into some kind of dense industrial park or worse, razing the buildings in order to sell the land. As with most big cities, in Boston, land was a hot commodity.
Carson gently nudged her with his shoulder. “Ready to go?”
“Not yet,” Kayla murmured. “I want to go check out a few of the buildings that Ralston was talking about last night. I need to see what it is I’m trying to talk to my uncle about.”
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