Ali’s eyes lit up, and she grinned from ear to ear. “Thank you, it was my mom’s recipe. I don’t think it tastes as good as when she used to make it, but I followed it step-by-step.”
“You made this?” Cane asked shocked. She saw the blood start at Ali’s neck, creeping up until her cheeks and ears were bright red.
She looked away and said, “Yeah, I have been cooking since I was about twelve. This was my parents’ diner. My brothers and I took over when they died last year.” Ali was still looking away, but slid the chair out on the other side of the table and sat.
“Oh, I’m so sorry about your parents,” Cane said. Not knowing what else to say, she started to eat again. Ali smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes, and stood again. She walked over to the door and flipped the closed sign.
She looked back at Cane and said, “It’s a good thing you came along when you did because it’s closing time. With this being a small town most people choose to eat dinner at home with their families, so we close early.” She came back over to the table and sat down again. Ali watched Cane quietly as she ate. Growing a little uncomfortable from the attention, Cane looked up and asked, “Do I need to leave so you can finish closing?”
“No,” Ali said quickly, “we don’t get many visitors here, and I’m not really popular with the few girls my age, so I am enjoying talking to you.” Cane smiled and couldn’t help but to think back to when she was Ali’s age. She didn’t have any friends either. All the girls her age wouldn’t talk to her because they were either jealous or afraid of her because of her looks. She mainly stayed to herself. Knowing how Ali felt, she decided that she would try to come in each day while she was in town and talk to her. Not only did it benefit Ali, but Cane as well. It was nice to have a conversation with someone other than Sam, also one that wasn’t all about what a disappointment Cane was or how she screwed up something, like forgetting to put the top on the toothpaste or not putting enough salt in something she cooked for dinner. Snap out of it, Cane thought to herself. No more pity parties, you are free now.
Looking up at Ali, she smiled. Just then the door opened and in walked the handsomest man Cane had ever seen in her life. Her breath caught, and her mouth went completely dry. She tried to swallow past the lump in her throat, but it was no use when he turned and looked at her. He had the same bright green eyes and black curly hair that Ali had, only his hair was cropped short, coming a little past his ears and to his collar in the back. His hair looked like he had been running his hands through it all day but still managed to look good. His nose looked like it should be on some Greek statue somewhere, not too long or broad, just perfect. Cane moved her eyes on down his face and stopped when she got to the most gorgeous set of lips that she had ever seen. They were both full and pink. The bottom lip looked liked it was just waiting for someone to bite and suck on it. Cane didn’t realize that she had her mouth hanging open and was licking her lips until she saw his mouth go up into a small, crooked smile. Snapping her eyes up, she realized that he had been watching her the whole time, and by the way he was looking at her, he knew what she must have been thinking. Her heart felt like it was about to jump out of her chest it was beating so hard. Sam never had this kind of effect on her, and she was with him for eight years. She only laid eyes on this man and her body started to go crazy.
It’s just the stress and relief of escaping Sam, she told herself. She just needed some rest. She smiled at the man and looked away. Ali walked over to him and hugged him.
“You ready to go yet, squirt?” he asked.
Ali smiled, shuffled from foot to foot, and said, “No, I’m sorry. I kind of got distracted talking to Cane, but I was almost finished before she came in. It won’t take me but about ten minutes to get done.” With that she turned and walked through the double doors into the kitchen leaving Cane alone with the gorgeous stranger. She noticed that he was tall about six foot three, and he was huge. His shoulders were broad, and he was wearing a black T-shirt that looked like it was molded to his body. Cane could see muscles from his chest right down to what looked like twelve-pack abs. They certainly weren’t a six-pack. She couldn’t help but to wonder what he looked like under that shirt. Going lower, she could see that he was wearing faded jeans that fit low on his hips. She liked the fact that from what she could see through his jeans that his thighs and legs were just as muscular as his top half. She hated to see guys like Sam that went to the gym daily and worked on nothing but their upper body so that they came out not able to put their arms down due to so many muscles but looked like they were walking on toothpicks.
No more thinking about Sam, she told herself, he is out of your life and you never have to see or think about him again.
Suddenly feeling uncomfortable alone with a guy so big, Cane quickly stood, pulled some money out of her pocket, and laid it on the table. She turned behind her and grabbed her backpack off the back of the chair. When she turned back, he was standing next to her table smiling. He held out his hand and said, “Hi. I’m Duncan Matthews, Ali’s brother.”
Cane grabbed his hand quickly and mumbled, “I’m Cane.” She tried to let go of his hand, but he held on tight and just stared at her. His hand was huge and covered hers completely, but he didn’t hurt her. After another tug he slowly opened his hand and let hers go. Without saying another word Cane eased past him and walked as fast as she could out the door. She didn’t stop or look back until she got to her room and locked her door. Leaning against the door, she tried to slow her breathing and fight off the panic attack that was about to consume her.
“He is not Sam,” she chanted over and over again in a soft whisper.
When Duncan grabbed her hand and wouldn’t let go, shear panic just came over Cane and she couldn’t get out of the diner quick enough. She walked over to the bathroom and splashed some cold water on her face. She looked in the mirror and noticed the dark circles under her eyes. “You just need sleep, that’s all,” she said to her reflection and began getting ready for bed.
Once in the bed, Cane had enough time to realize that this would be the first time that she slept alone since her sophomore year in college six years ago. Cane had a feeling that if she stayed in this town long enough, she just might not mind sharing a bed with Duncan Matthews. Shaking her head at the random thought, she drifted off to sleep.
* * * *
Duncan couldn’t believe his eyes. He couldn’t help thinking about Cane. She was the prettiest woman he had ever seen in his entire life. Hell, pretty wasn’t even the right word for what she was. He had never seen anything like her in his twenty-eight years. The only word he could use to describe her was unique. Her eyes were like nothing he had ever seen before. They seemed to hypnotize him and draw him in. When she was looking at him, it felt like she was looking through him right down to his soul. Her hair was as white as sugar and hung down her back in a ponytail. Her skin looked like the creamiest caramel that he had ever seen, and he knew that if he were to touch her, she would be as soft as silk. He wasn’t able to see much of the rest of her body because of the way she ran out of there so fast, but from what he saw she was slim with nice breasts that were not too big but not small either. They looked like the perfect handful, or mouthful for that matter, he thought to himself with a smile. At a loss for words, he just stood there like an idiot with a grip on her hand when he introduced himself. He knew he wasn’t squeezing her hand too hard, but it was odd the way her eyes got as round as saucers and she started to shake all over. He didn’t have time to figure out what was wrong because she bolted out the door as soon as he let her hand go. It was as if she was scared to death of him, and he wondered why. He didn’t have time to think too much about it because Ali came out from the back at that moment.
“Awww, did Cane leave already?” she asked.
Duncan nodded his head yes and asked, “Are you ready to go, squirt?”
“I have told you guys not to call me that,” she said frowning as she went to clear the bowl and glass tha
t Cane used. After locking up, they jumped into Duncan’s truck and headed home. They drove in silence for a little while before Duncan cleared his throat. He wanted to know what his sister knew about Cane, but he didn’t know how to ask without letting his sister know that he was interested in her.
“So,” he said clearing his throat again, “what did you and Cane talk about?” He saw a huge grin spread across his sister’s face and couldn’t help when his grin matched hers. It was rare thing this past year to see his sister smile, and he was glad to see it.
She turned in her seat a little to face him and said, “I really like her. We didn’t talk much, and I mainly did all the talking, but there was something about her that made me want to sit down and talk to her. She made me feel comfortable just being around her, like we could have been best friends if she was my age.” Ali smiled again and sat quietly.
After a couple more minutes when Duncan realized that his sister wasn’t going to say any more, he asked, “Did Cane say how long she was going to be in town?”
“A week,” was all Ali said, and he knew that he wasn’t going to get any more information from her. Okay, so he had a week to get to know Cane. Duncan smiled and thought about his best friend Logan. He couldn’t wait for him to get back in town tomorrow so he could see Cane. Duncan knew that Logan would be just as speechless as he was when he saw her. Hopefully, he, Cane, and Logan would be having a lot of fun together this week.
Chapter 2
How had he found her so quickly? Cane was gasping for breath as she ran through the forest. She felt like she had been running for hours. Her lungs were on fire, but even with the pain in her legs and side, she had to keep going. If he caught her this time, she knew he would kill her. Cane kept running afraid to look back. She was barefoot, and with each step she took, she could feel sticks and leaves jabbing into the soles of her feet leaving them bloody and raw. She could hardly see where she was going. The forest was so dense and there was a thick layer of fog coating everything. Suddenly Cane could see what looked like a light coming from a small cabin up ahead. She turned and began running for it. Somehow she knew if she could just make it there she would be safe. Even though her legs felt like they had tuned to jelly hours ago, Cane began to run faster. She was covered in sweat and her heart beat against her ribs. She could see the front porch of the cabin now. The light she saw was coming from the open front door. She could also see someone standing in the door but couldn’t tell who it was because they were silhouetted by the light coming from behind. Just a few more steps, she thought as she closed in on the cabin. Just as she began to leap onto the porch with her arm stretched out in front of her, she felt an arm snake around her waist from behind and snatch her out of the air. The breath was forced out of her lungs and she couldn’t scream. She reached again for the figure standing in the doorway just as he stepped out onto the porch reaching for her. All at once she recognized him as the man she met in the diner, Duncan, just as she also heard Sam whisper in her ear, “Caught you.”
Suddenly, Cane was jolted from her sleep. She was covered in sweat and the covers were tangled around her legs. Her heart felt like it was about to jump out of her chest, and she was out of breath like she had truly been running in the forest. She felt tears running down her cheeks and didn’t even realize she was crying. Taking a deep breath, she untangled the covers and stood.
“It was just a dream,” she told herself, “just a really scary dream.” Cane glanced at the clock on the nightstand and saw that it was 7:15 a.m. Knowing that she would never get back to sleep, she decided to take a hot bath to try and relax. She could feel the tension rolling through her body and knew that she needed the bath, if only to relax her muscles. Her body was one big ball of stress and had been for the past six months ever since she decided it was time to put her plan into action. Walking into the bathroom, she turned on the faucets. The bed and breakfast she was staying at was an old Victorian-style house that looked like it hadn’t been remodeled or changed since it had been built, including the old claw-foot tub that sat in the middle of the room. Cane actually couldn’t wait to sink down into it. The room quickly began to fill with steam, and Cane removed the T-shirt she slept in and frowned at it. She had no choice but to sleep in the shirt because she didn’t own any nightclothes. Sam never allowed her to wear anything to bed. He always said that any woman of his should always be ready and available whenever he decided that he was ready for sex.
Shaking her head to clear unwanted memories, Cane looked around the room and saw a basket sitting on the counter that held small soaps and shampoo bottles. Walking over to it, she saw that it also held a small bottle of lavender bubble bath. Quickly taking the top off, she poured the entire bottle into the tub. She brushed her teeth while she waited for the tub to fill. When she was done, she turned the water off and slowly slid into the scalding water. She knew that the water was a little too hot and that her skin would be a nice shade of red when she got out, but she didn’t care. She needed this really bad. After rolling up a towel and tucking it behind her neck, Cane lay back and closed her eyes, with a deep sigh. She could slowly feel her body begin to relax. She couldn’t help but to think about the dream she had. She understood why she would be dreaming about Sam. After all, the man had done nothing but torture her for the past eight years. “That’s not completely true,” she mumbled. The first year she met him was one of the best years of her life. She was a freshman in college and he was a junior. It was the first time in her life that she felt accepted and loved. He made her feel like she was the most precious thing in the world. It wasn’t until her sophomore year that everything began to change.
Cane lay in the tub and tried to will herself not to think about Sam and that night seven years ago. Trying to focus her mind on something else, with a smile she thought about Duncan. Remembering her reaction to him the night before, she realized that she had never had that kind of reaction to anyone before, not even Sam. He was absolutely gorgeous, and he had literally taken her breath away. Cane wondered why she dreamed about him and why in her dream she knew that there would not have been a safer place in the world at that moment than in his arms. Wishful thinking, she thought. Still, there was something about him. Lying in the tub she thought about Duncan’s eyes and his very muscular body. She couldn’t help but to notice that her nipples were standing at attention and she was beginning to feel that familiar tingle that started in the pit of her stomach and worked its way down between her thighs. It had been so long since she felt any kind of arousal that she was kind of shocked that a man that she had only seen once and knew nothing about could do this to her.
“You have completely lost it,” she said. “The last thing you need right now is a distraction.” Knowing that Sam would do everything in his power to find her, Cane decided that the best thing to do was to keep to herself so that she could focus on staying hidden still, but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t think about Duncan. Soaping her hand up, she slowly traced a finger around one of her nipples. She sucked in a breath of air as her nipple tightened and went rock hard, sending tingling sensations down between her legs. What would it be like to make love to someone who was gentle and actually cared about her? Someone who would put her needs first and make sure that she enjoyed herself instead of getting themselves off as fast as possible and then rolling over to go to sleep? Another picture of Duncan popped into her head. She bet that Duncan would be a wonderful lover. Keeping a picture of Duncan in her mind, she imagined that it was his fingers instead of hers circling her nipples, pinching, and pulling on them. Moaning, Cane continued to play with one nipple while the other hand slowly slid down her stomach to the smooth skin between her legs. She imagined Duncan whispering all kinds of erotic things in her ear as his fingers slowly penetrated her and stoked in and out while his thumb slowly circled her button. Lifting her hips, Cane ground against her hand and quickly brought herself to a shattering climax. Breathlessly, she sank back down into the tub and laughed. She thought she
needed a hot bath to help her relax, but the way she was laying limp in the tub, she realized that a nice strong orgasm did the job even better. Quickly washing, she got out of the tub and dried herself off. She used her favorite lotion that smelled like vanilla and honey and threw on a pair of old comfortable jeans and a T-shirt. Her breasts were small and perky enough to go without a bra, so she didn’t put one on. With nothing else to do, she flopped on the bed, grabbed the remote, and began flipping channels.
Chapter 3
“What do you mean you still have no idea where she is?” Sam said with a growl into the phone. He was beyond irritated. He had no sleep last night, and it was all Cane’s fault. How could she do this to him? To be honest the thought that she would ever leave him never crossed his mind. After all, he was the only person in her life that ever accepted her, and that was not an easy thing to do. It took him a while to get past the freaky eyes and hair, but when he did, he was able to see that she could be the perfect woman with a little help and training. He spent eight damn years training her to be what he wanted, and this was how she repaid him. Sam slammed his fist on his desk, drawing looks from several guys in the precinct. He didn’t care. He just wanted her back, and her wanted her to pay. By the time he was done with her, the bitch would never think of leaving him again. He realized that Kevin was still talking and started to listen again. “I was able to track her to the bus station, but after that it’s like she just disappeared,” he said.
“I am paying you good money to find her. I don’t want to hear she just disappeared. Find her,” Sam snapped. After giving a few more details about his search, Kevin agreed to check back in later and hung up. Sam smiled to himself. There is no way she could have gotten far. It was only a matter of time before Kevin found her, and then she would be right back where she belonged. This time he would not make the same mistake twice. He would make sure that there was no escape.
Davis, Keyonna - Nowhere to Hide [Pine Valley] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) Page 2
