by Abby Wood
She slipped her fingers between his and squeezed. He held on to her tightly and blew out his breath. He might not have worked out his frustrations, but he’d reached a calm acceptance during his solitude.
“Sometimes…emotions are too close to the surface, and if I’d stayed in last night…” He pulled her over and slung his arm around her shoulder, hugging her to his side. “I’m sorry.”
She wrapped her arm around his waist and shook her head. “You did nothing wrong last night in town. You’re a better man than any I know.” Tilting her head up, she grinned. “Unlike me—I would have punched him in the nose.”
Kane chuckled. “I know you would have, little one. You’re a fierce fighter.”
“I’m glad you said that, because if you ever shut me out, it’ll be you who I’m fighting with.” She squeezed onto him. “With you, I’m the kind of woman I’ve always wanted to be. You’ve allowed me to feel free and loved, but I need you emotionally too.”
“Sex is good between us. The other stuff will come.” He chuckled before lowering his voice. “Thank you, Ana. I’m sorry for upsetting you.”
“When someone I love is hurting, it hurts me. You just need to put the whole mess out of your mind. Everything turned out okay, and—” She stumbled and grabbed onto Kane. “What’s wrong?”
“We’ve got company.” He stopped, stiffened and reached for her hand before leading her the rest of the way to the house. “I think we’ll start this new way of talking to each other after George leaves. Will you promise to hear me out?”
“What are you talking about? Who’s George?” She turned her back to the house and the stranger standing in the yard. “What happened? This isn’t about what happened last night at Chum’s is it? You didn’t do anything wrong. I’ll tell him. It was Pete. He’s a loudmouth drunk. Even Chum will back you up. I know he will.”
“Sh.” He pulled her closer and kissed her lips. Hard, possessive. “This has nothing to do with me, but you.”
She swallowed. “Me? What have I done?”
“Let’s find out.” He strolled over and shook the man’s hand. “George. This is my woman, Ana.”
George tipped his hat and smiled. “Miss Reynold. It’s a real pleasure to meet you.” He glanced up at Kane and winked. “You mind if we go inside, out of the heat?”
The pounding of her heartbeat echoed in her ears. What was going on? Did she break an unknown rule on the reservation? Did they get wind of the argument at Chum’s last night? She stuck her finger in the back loop on Kane’s jeans and stayed away from the man. If she was in trouble, she wanted Kane beside her. Oh God, I don’t want to leave here.
Chapter Fifteen
The ice cubes clinking in the glasses of water Ana carried into the living room made it impossible to understand the murmurs coming from the two men. Maybe if her hands stopped shaking long enough, she could concentrate on what the men were talking about, and figure out why they wanted to see her.
More than a little curious, she hurried back into the living room, passed out the drinks and took her place beside Kane. The coolness of the glass kept her from passing out, but if she dared swallow a sip to remove the tongue glued to the roof of her mouth, she’d surely choke.
“Thank you, Miss Reynold.” George wiped his mouth with the back of his arm.
She managed to nod.
The dark blond hair on the man’s head, hazel eyes and graying mustache gave her no hint as to who the man was, but he definitely wasn’t a Lakota. She raised her brows at Kane. He smiled and shrugged.
The man reached behind him and pulled out an envelope. “Here’s your earnings, Kane. You have three requests in there, and the dealer would welcome more English saddles. He wanted me to mention that the Eastern schools would be starting up soon and his customers always come around searching for new equipment for all the new riders signed up for private lessons. They’ll pay big bucks to have a unique saddle to brag about among their friends.”
“No problem.” Kane opened the seal, thumbed through the cash and shook the man’s hand again. “Thank you. It’s a good month.”
“Yes. It’s been surprising how well items have sold lately.” George laughed, brought out an envelope and held it out to Ana. “I believe this one should go to you, right?”
She shook her head and glanced between the two men. “N-no. I’m sorry. You must have me confused with someone else.”
“It’s yours, Ana. Last month I gave George one of the pictures you piled in the closet to donate to the fundraiser.” He brushed her hair back from her cheek. “He took the painting with him to New York with the other craft items he sells for the Lakota.”
“O-one of my paintings?” She scrunched up her nose. “Kane, they were only pieces I practiced on. No one would buy one.” Smiling gently, she turned to George. “He’s rather partial to anything I do, but I only paint for fun.”
George laughed and pressed the envelope in her hands. “I wish I had so much fun. I’d have retired years ago.”
“Kane?” She tried again to wave George off.
“Open it, Ana. That’s your earnings from the picture of the abandoned barn you did.” Kane stroked her back.
She stepped away, needing room to breathe, and turned her back on the men. The envelope was light, flat and seemed to hold nothing but air. She squeezed her eyes shut. Kane should never have given away her painting. Especially one she did years ago that wasn’t even good enough to put on a wall in her own house.
Opening her eyes, she slipped her finger in the corner of the sealed flap. Centimeter by centimeter she ripped the paper until she caught sight of a light blue check. She brought out the paper, held it up, and her jaw dropped.
This couldn’t be right. She swung around to Kane. He stood there with a smile bigger than she’d ever seen gracing his face. “Is this a joke?”
“No. The painting sold the first day the art dealer hung it on display.” George set his glass down on the coffee table. “He also included his business card in with the check and offered to pay for shipping from here to his gallery if you happen to have any other work you’d like to sell.”
She put the check back into the envelope. “This can’t be right. He must have made a mistake. Maybe one of the others sent paintings along too.”
“Ana.” Kane stilled her hands and waited for her to listen. “It’s real. The money is all yours. You earned it, and they want more. You can sell all those paintings you call garbage, little girl.”
“But—” she lifted her shoulders and whispered, “—I’ve never even had a lesson or… Kane, is it real? The check won’t bounce?”
“No.” He chuckled. “Monday morning you can go to your bank and they’ll tell you the money is yours.”
“I don’t know what to think.” She moved over to George. “Thank you.”
“No thanks needed. You’re not the only one who gets a cut of your profits. As you’ll see, I let Kane sign the contract for that piece after he explained you were throwing it away, but for future ones, we’ll need you to sign the paperwork and go over the percentages between me, the owner of the gallery and you.” He lifted his arm. “I’m going to go load the rest of the boxes. I’ll see you both tomorrow before I leave.”
Ana waited until the door closed, squealed and then jumped into Kane’s arms. He twirled her around the room. “Oh, Kane. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
The kiss she gave him was full of passion. She charged forward, nibbling, biting, sucking. She slid down his body. The bulge in the front of his pants showed her how excited he was too.
“I want you.” She stripped off her shirt, removed her bra and shimmied out of her shoes and shorts. “You are the most wonderful man.”
Kane kissed her fast, hard, and hurried down the hallway with her. She squealed again. Her body jumped with adrenaline and she da
nced in place. She’d never dreamed of having this much money in her life. Not grilling steaks or serving beer.
In no time, Kane had her plastered against the wall. His hardness pressed against her stomach. She clutched his shoulders.
“I hope you’re ready.” He lifted her off the ground and nuzzled her neck. “Condom’s on. You’re wet. And I want inside of you.”
Pressed against the wall, she wrapped her legs around his hips. He thrust his pelvis against her pussy to keep her planted in the perfect position.
His tongue lapped the curve of her shoulder. She reclined her head back against the wood and closed her eyes. Her womb pulsed and her pussy wasn’t only wet, but spasming in her need to have him connected to her.
Ana seized Kane’s head with her hands and pulled his face up. Opening her eyes, she stared into his. “Fuck. Me. Now.”
He set his forehead on hers. His breath fanned her face as he slid into her moisture. She gasped. All the excitement from today gathered into a ball in her core and throbbed, wanting to explode into a million pieces.
Each plunge of his hardness bucked her up. Her feet never touched the ground.
“Yes!” Her eyelids fluttered under the pleasure.
He captured her mouth, swallowed her scream and ground his pelvis against her clit. It was all she needed. Her body stiffened, convulsed and shuddered through her orgasm. Her shoulders arched off the wall and sweet spasms caressed his cock. He thrust again, groaned and held himself still as he came.
Her head fell forward onto his chest in complete abandonment. The soft, warm puffs of air from her mouth came fast. “I love you so much.”
“Ah…Ana. You are my everything.”
She lifted her head. “How would you like to have someone around to help you with the horses…every day?”
He smiled and kissed her lips. “Tell me exactly what you want.”
“I want to quit working at Chum’s, stay home with you and concentrate on my painting.” Her vision blurred. She couldn’t believe this was all happening. “And I’d like to take painting classes if I can find any close by.”
“That sounds sensible to me.” He grinned.
“Oh God, Howahkan. Is this really happening?” She stroked his face. “What if I wake up from this dream and it’s not true?”
“It’s no dream.” Kane kissed her gently. “You need to believe in yourself as much as I believe in you, Ana.”
Chapter Sixteen
Sandwiched between Daphne and Sarah, Ana looped her arms through theirs and headed down the sidewalk toward Jilly’s Boutique. Her two friends had persuaded her to splurge for a new dress for Daphne’s party, and that called for a girl’s trip to Columbia County.
“It’s been a long time since I bought a brand new dress. I think the last time that happened it was for the freshman dance, and even that one was on sale. I’m glad you guys came with me.” Ana hurried forward and opened the door. “I can’t believe Kane agreed to go to your party, Daphne.”
“Why? Everyone is going to come.” She waved to a blonde woman straightening a rack inside the small clothing shop. “End of the summer is a time to celebrate. Pretty soon, the weather will have us huddled up in the house craving any kind of social interactions.”
“Yeah, I know.” Ana shrugged. “Kane’s quiet. He doesn’t really like parties…”
“At least ones off the reservation,” Sarah said quietly. “He always stays true to the Lakota.”
Daphne waved off Sarah’s explanation. “I think there should be a balance between the two. I admire him for his stance, but I also see how you have accepted living in Podunk, Sarah. Don’t you feel like you have the best of both worlds?”
“Yes. Every single day I feel truly blessed. I can’t imagine my life without Darrell.” Sarah gasped. “Did you see the price of this shirt? How do people afford to outfit themselves paying so much money for one shirt?”
Ana wandered away, browsing the racks for a summer dress. Nothing fancy, the dress had to be suitable for other occasions too. Her life wasn’t one of parties or dressing up. In fact, life had become a bit overwhelming lately. Even shopping for a dress seemed unnatural. She’d spent her whole life pinching pennies to pay her bills. Kane had urged her to enjoy a little girl time away with Sarah and Daphne, and she had to admit it felt nice to splurge a little.
“I found you the perfect dress.” Daphne held a skimpy red-sequined dress in the air.
Ana wrinkled her nose. “That’s so not me. I’d look silly wearing something so fancy in Podunk, let alone in Lakota. Although, I think it would be perfect for you. You could wear it on your next vacation. Maybe Vegas or Paris…”
“Hmm. I think you’re right. It would be perfect for me. I’m going to try it on.” Daphne laughed. “I might just have to buy a new pair of boots to go with it though.”
“I don’t know, Ana. With such a sexy dress, you’d sure get Kane’s attention.” Sarah giggled and pulled a shirt off the display. “How about this one? It’s pretty. You could match it with a skirt, and still be able to dress up a pair of jeans for other occasions.”
“It’s brown. It’ll make me appear anemic. I’m looking for something—” She pointed. “That’s it!”
A cobalt sundress with spaghetti straps, a tight bodice and a flowing skirt, almost transparent at first glance. Ana strolled around two racks and studied the dress on the mannequin. She nodded her head in approval. The light played against the dress, turning it into a magical gown, yet she could wear this anywhere. She rubbed the material between her thumb and forefinger. “Oh, Sarah. Feel it. It’s soft like silk.”
“It’s beautiful. With the natural highlights in your blond hair and your blue eyes, you’ll shine.” Sarah stepped over to the rack. “What size are you?”
“Six.”
“I should hate you for your size alone, but I don’t.” Sarah laughed and handed her the dress on a hanger. She gave Ana a gentle push and followed her back to the dressing room. “Step out when you have it on. I want to see how I’d look if I lost forty pounds.”
Ana closed the curtain in the dressing room, stripped off her clothes and slipped the dress over her head, letting it slide onto her body and into place. She studied the three-way mirror. A slow smile grew. This is the one.
“Come on, Ana. Let us get a peek at you too.”
The curtain moved. “You’ve got five seconds, and then we’re coming in,” Daphne added.
Ana peeked out. “It doesn’t matter what you all think of my choice, I’m buying it.”
Daphne crossed her arms and nodded in approval. “Good for you. You’ll need shoes. We’ll head over to Dexter’s next door and pick out the perfect pair.”
“Let me see.” Sarah stepped forward.
Ana swept the curtain to the side with a swish and put her hands on her hips, tilted her shoulders in a provocative pose and waited. It didn’t take long for the compliments to come. She owned this dress. With one new outfit, she’d gone from country girl to sultry woman.
“My brother’s going to have a heart attack.” Sarah shook her head. “You’re…even more beautiful than normal.”
“That outfit begs for a man’s touch. We’ll all have to rope Kane away from you at the party. There is no way your guy will be able to keep his hands off you.” Daphne pulled Ana out farther into the waiting room and paraded around her. “The material shimmers. It’ll be perfect for wearing at night with the lights on.”
“Do you think so?” Ana pulled the material on her legs out and peered down. “It’s not too much, is it?”
“What are you talking about? It’s lovely.” Daphne smiled.
“I don’t know…” She walked back into the dressing room. “Maybe it’s too fancy for Podunk.”
A snort came from the other side of the curtain. “H
ell, Ana, wearing a new pair of jeans is too fancy in this area, but every woman deserves to pretty herself up once in a while and feel beautiful.”
She slipped off the dress. “I guess I feel guilty. I’ve never bought anything frivolous before. Well, except for my paints…”
“I am happy for you,” Sarah said. “And to think…I have an original Ana Reynold painting.”
Ana laughed and left the dressing room. “I keep pinching myself.”
“You’ll be famous. I see your paintings on everyone’s walls in the future. Everywhere you go, people will bug you for interviews.” Daphne led the three of them out to the front of the shop.
“I wouldn’t go that far. I’m lucky to sell my paintings with the other items coming from the Lakota people.” She handed the dress over to the sales clerk and smiled at Daphne. “I was afraid I was being misrepresented, but after talking to the dealer he assured me my pieces were not being sold as coming from a Native American.”
Sarah scoffed. “You worry too much. There are laws in place that forbid someone from selling artwork labeled as crafted by a Native American without proof of the artist belonging to a tribe. The dealer would be fined, and possibly his business shut down if he tried to con buyers by lying.”
“I didn’t know that.” She blew out her cheeks. “That makes me feel better.”
Sarah giggled. “Just so you know, not having your artwork included with the rest of ours as being made by a loincloth-wearin’, bow-shootin’, teepee-livin’ Indian, doesn’t mean you’re not part of the family now. Whether by blood or union, you’ve become a Lakota.”
She leaned over, hugged Sarah and whispered, “Thank you.”
* * *
Smoke curled up into Kane’s face. He held his breath and pressed the heated metal plates together. Singeing the edges of the leather in the heat of the day was foolish, but if he planned to go to the party with Ana tonight, he had to do it now and get it done.
Once he lost the ability to hold the air inside his lungs, he tossed the strap over the barrel to cool and stopped for the day. Ana should be arriving home any moment, and he still needed to clean up and grab a bite to eat.
