by B. B. Roman
“For what?” she laughed, sounding almost hysterical.
Kane gripped her fingers tightly, pulling her hand into his lap. “For coming with me.”
After what Lucie told him earlier that morning, Kane considered himself lucky that she even gave him the time of day. Knowing what she had gone through the very first time they were together, he had vowed to make it all up to her, and he was starting with this trip. It was time for him to show Lucie just how special she actually was to him.
~~*~~
Lucie didn’t like flying. That wasn’t a secret. However, she honestly expected Haley to be the one on the verge of tears, not her. But, for her little girl’s sake, Lucie was sucking it up, being strong. There was nothing to worry about, she knew. Statistics showed that there was a greater chance of being in a car wreck than in a plane crash.
She hated statistics. They didn’t help to alleviate any of her tension, so she didn’t know why she even bothered to recite them.
Holding Kane’s hand, attempting to absorb his strength, she tried to divert her thoughts to something more productive. Ever since she agreed to go to Hawaii with him, she’d been in a rush. Considering she had no idea how quickly she had to get ready, it was a good thing he finally told her when he did. Somehow, she still wasn’t sure how they had made it to their plane on time.
The captain’s voice came over the intercom and Lucie damn near came out of her chair. When Kane pulled her hand back into his lap, his thumb gently sweeping back and forth over her palm, she managed to relax. Slightly.
Fifteen minutes later, they were in the air without a single hiccup in the takeoff. Too bad they still had to do this one more time. Kane hadn’t mentioned it until they were signing in at the airline counter, but they had to change planes in Los Angeles and do this all over again. Her stomach was queasy just thinking about it.
“Mommy,” Haley said, grabbing the sleeve of her t-shirt and pulling gently. “Can I watch a movie?”
“Of course, honey,” Lucie replied, grateful for something to do.
Sitting still for several hours was going to be a difficult task for her, and likely impossible for Haley, but she was hoping they could get through it. At that point, they’d get to spend five glorious days in Maui and Lucie was secretly looking forward to some relaxing time on the beach. After what had happened this morning between her and Kane, she needed a little time to absorb everything anyway.
Telling him the events of the first night they were together had been easier than she anticipated, but seeing his own reaction to it had been harder. She’d been with Kane twice now in the last few days, and she detected that strong, alpha presence and the hunger that he barely managed to contain. Considering what they had gone through that very first time, she expected it. What she didn’t expect was the guilt in his eyes when he looked at her. He hadn’t hurt her. Not by a long shot. Yet looking into those intense gray eyes, she wouldn’t have known that. As much as she tried to reassure him, she knew Kane wasn’t going easy on himself. What could she say? “Please, I like it rough”? No, that probably wouldn’t go over terribly well, even if it were the truth.
She only hoped that he didn’t withdraw from her now that she had told him. Lucie was all for making love, the mating of souls and all that, but there were times when down and dirty was the only way to go. In fact, she craved that from Kane. For the last few years, she’d imagined so many scenarios, each of them leaving her hot and bothered and in desperate need of a release that never seemed to come.
Now... Well, now she had the opportunity to experience everything she’d ever dreamed of. As long as Kane didn’t go all perfect gentleman on her.
Chapter Eight
*** ~~ *** ~~ *** ~~ ***
Kane was so proud of his girls. Yes, that’s what he had been considering them for the past twelve hours during the flights and the layover in L.A. Both Haley and Lucie had done tremendously well for such a long trip, but now as they entered the posh condominium facing the beach, he was grateful they would have five full days of relaxation.
Or he hoped they would.
Apparently, Haley got her second wind somewhere between the airport and the condo, and keeping up with her was becoming increasingly more difficult. She was also getting a little cranky, but Kane couldn’t necessarily blame her.
“Let’s order room service and watch a movie,” Kane offered and watched his daughter’s eyes light up.
“Can we, Mommy?” she asked, turning to face Lucie.
Lucie glanced over at Kane and smiled.
“Of course we can.”
“Can I pick out what we’re going to eat, Daddy?”
Kane had been walking across the room, and he stopped mid stride, his legs no longer working the way they were supposed to. Turning to face the most beautiful little girl in the entire world, he didn’t know whether he should laugh or cry. Did she just call him Daddy? He still wondered whether his ears were betraying him.
He had dreamed of the day she would start calling him Daddy, but he knew he would never force her to. Hearing her call him Kane had been harder on him than he thought it would be, but now, his heart was doing somersaults in his chest and he was literally scared he actually might cry.
He looked up, met Lucie’s eyes and saw that she was crying. One single tear rolled silently down her cheek, and she smiled so sweetly at him.
“Of course you can, honey,” he answered Haley as he turned back toward the dresser he had been taking his clothes to. He needed a minute.
Or maybe twenty.
He admitted to feeling an overwhelming resentment when Lucie had finally informed him that he was Haley’s father. Despite the fact that he insisted on a paternity test, he had believed her. Aside from the anger, he’d felt something else too. Paralyzing joy. No matter what, he would never get the time back that he had missed with Haley, but Kane had never thought he’d have children, so finding out the incredibly beautiful little girl was his had shifted something deep down inside of him.
“Are you ok?” Lucie’s voice was soft, her hand warm on his back as she came to stand beside him.
“I will be.” He would be better than ok, that was for damn sure. He just needed some time to catch his breath.
“She loves you,” Lucie stated, sounding as though she were trying to make him feel better. What she didn’t know, there was no way he would ever feel better than he did right at that moment. For Haley to accept him as her father, even if she didn’t quite know what that meant, made everything better.
Pushing the drawer in, Kane took a deep breath and then turned to face his daughter. Walking quickly over to her, he scooped her up in his arms, turned her over his shoulder before flipping her back onto her feet while she belted out that sweet little girl giggle.
“All right, kiddo. What’re we gonna have for dinner?”
~~*~~
Lucie sat cross legged on the bed beside Haley, Kane on the opposite side of the bed leaning back against the headboard with a plate balanced on his flat stomach. They had rented a movie, one of Haley’s favorites and the two of them were waiting patiently for her to fall asleep. She was fighting it, every step of the way.
After Kane ordered food, they finished unpacking, and set up Haley’s things in the second bedroom. Lucie still wasn’t sure how the sleeping arrangements were going to work because sleeping in the same bed with Kane was what she wanted more than anything, but she didn’t want Haley to get any mixed messages either.
They weren’t a couple. In fact, Lucie wasn’t even sure what they were. They were on vacation, and yes, if she had anything to say about it, she and Kane would enjoy a little horizontal time together, but she knew once they were back in the real world, nothing would have changed. She wasn’t sure she honestly wanted it to either.
Kane and Haley were obviously making progress with their relationship, and she had to give credit to Kane. He had asked her permission to seek counseling for him and Haley in order to try and work through some of
the changes that were inevitable in the little girl’s life. Apparently, Haley was adapting better than any of them had expected her to.
She’d called Kane daddy and Lucie’s heart had undoubtedly missed a beat, or maybe two. Watching while Kane absorbed the words had been one of the most heart wrenching things she had ever seen. At first, she thought he might cry, but the big tough guy had managed to get through the moment without even a hint of a tear. He was stronger than she was.
Since that moment, Haley had probably called him daddy no less than fifty times, and he seemed to eat it up every single time. Lucie couldn’t blame him. This was a huge milestone for the two of them, and she was just happy she had the opportunity to witness it for herself. After all the heartache she had caused, seeing the bond between father and daughter grow stronger every day didn’t make her guilt lessen any, but she was grateful for the choice she finally did make.
“She’s asleep,” Kane whispered, breaking Lucie from her thoughts. Glancing over, she noticed that Haley was, in fact, asleep, propped on Kane’s shoulder, her teddy bear tucked beneath her arm. Glancing over at the television, she noticed the closing credits were rolling down the screen.
Damn, she had missed most of the movie thanks to her wandering thoughts.
Lucie climbed out of the bed and started to reach for Haley, but Kane waved her off easily. “I’ll carry her if you want to pull the blankets back on her bed.”
Making quick work of getting the bed ready for Haley, Lucie watched while Kane tucked her in before standing back and staring down at her.
“She’s beautiful,” Kane whispered. Lucie barely heard the words, but she felt the sentiment. He was a proud father, and that made Lucie’s heart break even more. How could she have been so stupid for so long?
Turning quickly, she escaped back into the other bedroom and quickly grabbed the empty plates and the bowl of popcorn Haley had been munching on earlier. With hurried movements, she returned everything to the small kitchen, rinsed the plates before stacking them in the dish drainer and dumping the popcorn in the trash can.
When Lucie was finished, she returned to the living area, studying the couch to see whether it actually folded out to a bed like she assumed. She knew there was an extra blanket and pillow in the hall closet, and this would work perfectly, even if it didn’t fold out.
“Are you ok?” Kane’s voice startled her, and she jumped, turning to face him. Surprised to see him just a couple of inches behind her, Lucie nearly stumbled backward, and she would have if he hadn’t slipped his arms around her and stopped her.
“I’m fine.” Ok, so she didn’t even sound fine to her own ears.
“You don’t look fine.” Kane smiled. “Well, that’s not entirely true. You look fucking hot, but you don’t look happy.”
Despite herself, Lucie smiled. Kane had a way of doing that to her.
“I was just trying to figure out how this makes into a bed,” she explained, her hand flailing backward hinting at the sofa behind her.
“Well, I’ve got a better idea.” Kane lifted her easily, and Lucie was forced to wrap her legs around him.
“I don’t want Haley to see us in bed together,” she murmured against his neck, giving in to the emotions that were overwhelming her.
Kane stopped, leaning his head back slightly so she was forced to look up at him.
“Do you trust me, Luce?” he asked, and she was instantly mesmerized by his smoky gray gaze.
“I do,” she said honestly. Lucie had always trusted him. That had never been her issue. The reason she kept Haley a secret from him hadn’t been because she didn’t trust him with their daughter. She had done the unthinkable because she was trying to protect him. In her mind, she didn’t want Kane to feel trapped.
“Then do exactly what I tell you to do,” he whispered as he continued moving toward the bedroom.
Kane carried her to the bed and then stood her back on her feet. Once she was planted firmly on the ground, she looked up at him, noticing the passion and anticipation that had replaced the concern she detected a few seconds ago.
“I’ll be right back. When I get back, I want you naked.” Kane kept his gaze leveled on hers. “And I want you standing right here where I left you.”
Lucie nodded her head in understanding, although she felt a little out of sorts. This was new to her. This place. This man. This feeling. All of it churned together making it difficult to breathe, much less think.
Kane turned and disappeared from the room. For two, maybe three seconds, Lucie hesitated. Finally, when the warmth that had started in her tummy penetrated her limbs, she began to move, quickly disrobing, tossing her clothes on the chair in the corner.
When Kane returned, Lucie was stunned silent as he stalked toward her sans his shirt. The man’s body was drool worthy. The way his shoulders bunched, his biceps flexed, and the perfectly sculpted triangle of his tricep tightened had her clenching her thighs together. That was only part of it. The ripple-effect of his washboard abs made her want to drop to her knees and trace every luscious line with her tongue until she’d gotten her fill of him.
Lucie was pretty sure that would never happen, and she got the impression Kane knew it.
Chapter Nine
*** ~~ *** ~~ *** ~~ ***
Looking at Lucie had never been a hardship. In fact, looking at her was one of the highlights of his day. That’s when they were at work. But here, right now, seeing her naked and waiting for him, Kane wasn’t sure he’d ever seen anyone as beautiful as her. Dressed, Lucie was stunning, no matter what she wore. Naked, she was captivating.
Kane shut the door behind him, flipping the lock to avoid any mishaps in the event Haley woke up in the next hour or so. An hour didn’t seem like nearly enough time to do what he wanted to do with Lucie, but he also wasn’t sure he could last more than a few minutes. The woman made his skin overheat, and his dick to react like a hair trigger.
“I think you’re a little overdressed,” she stated in that sweet, raspy tone that sent chills down his spine. He loved her seductive husky voice, and watching her heart shaped lips form every syllable.
“You think?” Kane knew he was overdressed, and the only thing he was wearing was his jeans. He’d disposed of his shoes and socks before the three of them had taken their spots in the big bed to watch a movie. After checking on Haley and making sure the main door was locked, he’d dropped his shirt somewhere along the way.
“I want to taste you.” Lucie’s words surprised him, and based on the way her eyes widened, he was pretty sure she hadn’t intended to speak them out loud.
His only response was the animalistic growl that surged from somewhere deep in his chest. As he closed the gap between them, Kane pulled the button on his jeans from the mooring and then slid the zipper down. Once he was within touching distance of her, he stopped, staring down into her chocolate brown eyes and feeling as though someone had sucker punched him. She made him breathless, and the anticipation he felt at the thought of touching her again made him feel like a teenager.
Kane had been with a number of women in his lifetime and experienced more than his fair share of raunchy, take-what-you-want sex, but none of that compared to even the buildup he felt when he was with Lucie.
His mind drifted back to the conversation they had shared just that morning, and he almost flinched at the memory of what she said he had done to her. Although her description never hinted at her distaste for what had happened between them, Kane was still mortified at how he had treated her. He was almost grateful that he didn’t remember because he wasn’t sure he’d be able to look her in the eyes ever again.
She deserved gentle, loving caresses, not slammed up against the counter fucking, although that part of him was clawing to get free, to take her without hesitance... to own her.
“I don’t want sweet and gentle,” Lucie whispered in the otherwise silent room, her words bringing him back to the moment. For half a second, he had to wonder whether she had read his mind
.
“You deserve that,” he replied, moving his hands to the gentle curve of her waist, his gaze roaming down the sexy, sleek column of her neck to the gentle curve of her collarbone, then beyond. Her breasts were tipped with sweet, dusky pink nipples, hardened and begging for his mouth.
“I want you, Kane,” Lucie whispered, taking another step closer until her breasts brushed against his chest. “I don’t want gentle right now. I know that’s not who you are and for at least the next few days while it lasts, I want the real you.”
Kane didn’t bother to tell Lucie that he was looking for more than the next few days. He had come to terms with that somewhere in the last few months and last night had solidified it in his mind. He didn’t just care about Lucie and her wellbeing because she was the mother of his child. He loved her. Deeply and with everything he was.
It wasn’t something he expected to happen, but he wasn’t going to fight it either. There was no point. For most of his life, Kane had wondered whether he would ever have that something more that others had found, and he had all but given up hope. That was until he met Lucie.
Not that he could say as much out loud.
“Are you sure?” he asked the question, although he could see the desire in her warm, dark brown eyes staring up at him.
“Positive,” she confirmed, then lifted her hand to his head, sliding her fingers into his hair and pulling him closer until his mouth met hers.
The kiss started out sweet, but within seconds it took a carnal turn. When Lucie nipped his bottom lip, her fingers lacing into his hair, sending shards of pleasure/pain racing through his scalp, Kane knew this night would be unlike any other.
Pulling back, Kane didn’t take his eyes off of her. If she wanted this, he was more than willing to give her everything he kept bottled inside, but he was going to do this his way. It was the only way he knew.
Stepping away for a moment, Kane managed to turn off the lights and pull open the curtains on the oversized sliding glass door in the room. He pulled open the glass, allowing the warm breeze to blow in off of the ocean while the moonlight eased in and provided a romantic glow.
