The initial hesitancy of their first night together was gone. The soft moans coming from deep within her shook him as nothing ever had…until her legs relaxed, opening wide, inviting him to continue. Kane sucked in a ragged breath, realizing his mistake. He’d underestimated this woman and her effect on him. Not only was he too damn close himself, but he’d been a fool. He hadn’t saved himself by not making love with her. He’d drawn himself in deeper.
He picked up the pace with one hand, easing his finger inside her smooth, wet heat with the other. She gasped aloud. Lowering his head, he drew the tip of her nipple into his mouth and tugged gently with his teeth. That’s all it took.
The spasm hit her hard and she arched off the couch. The moist clenching and unclenching around his finger hit him even harder. His own body was close to the breaking point and she hadn’t even touched him. He opened his eyes in time to watch her face contort with pleasure he gave.
“Kane.” His name burst from her lips unexpectedly and the sound triggered an intense reaction so strong, he could no longer remain in control. He straddled her until their bodies aligned, grinding himself hard against her, searching for the fulfillment he’d deliberately denied them both. His unexpected climax took him by surprise. Seconds later, Kane eased himself off her. She couldn’t take his weight any more than he could handle what he’d just done. Another battle lost. He couldn’t afford to let it happen again.
“That was…”
“Don’t say it,” he muttered. He’d lost control. Around Kayla, it seemed to be a permanent state.
“Incredible.” She turned to her side and gazed up at him with trusting eyes. It was more than he could stand. He started to walk away.
“Don’t!” Her harsh tone startled him. “Don’t you dare walk out on me.”
“You need space.”
“You mean you do.” She dressed in silence before turning back to him. She ran her fingers through her disheveled hair. “The second you drop your guard, you back off.”
He was surprised she read him so well. He shouldn’t be. There’d been a connection between them from the minute they met. He raised his hands in a gesture of defeat. “You got me.” Kane walked back to where she stood, hands in her front pockets, her expression guarded. He hated that look when directed at him.
He placed his hand around the back of her neck and drew her close. Tasting her lips brought him more pleasure than he could have imagined. Too much. He broke the kiss.
Her dark lashes fluttered upward. “Do I?” she murmured.
He didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “Yeah, you do.”
Light entered into her green eyes. She looked like a starving cat that had finally found a scrap of food and wasn’t about to let go. Of him. Damned if he couldn’t get used to the idea—and that unnerved him.
He grasped her chin between his hands. “But don’t get used to it, sweetheart.” Kane knew he was talking more to himself than to her.
He met her even gaze. The glow in her eyes didn’t fade as he’d expected it to. Kayla had obviously decided to take him on and that put him on edge. Her next words proved him right.
“You’re used to being alone.”
He couldn’t dispute that remark.
“But you don’t have to be.”
She was wrong. Because alone was safer.
Her hand wandered to the front of his jeans. He was hard again, but had no intention of losing control one more time. He reached for her wrist, but instead of pulling her away, he pushed her closer, letting her wrap her fingertips around the heavy bulge in his jeans. He groaned at the absolute perfection he found in her touch.
“Not everyone leaves, Kane.” Her whispered words penetrated his thoughts.
She removed her hand, twisting her fingers together in a nervous gesture that revealed she wasn’t any more comfortable with the dynamic between them than he was. Sexual tension and an emotional pull. They couldn’t deny either. The difference was, she’d obviously decided to take control, to push past her barriers in order to reach him. Which meant he’d made the right decision.
Someone had to keep their distance, to make things easier in the end. “Why don’t you go over those books while I jump in the shower?”
“Sounds like a plan.” She nodded, ceding control.
Kane knew it was merely a temporary reprieve.
KAYLA WALKED INTO HER bedroom, pausing at the pile of clothes Kane had left lying in a heap on the floor. She liked the casual familiarity the sight implied. Not that she suffered from any delusions that he intended to be a part of her life. That much was obvious.
But she preferred to cling to the hope of the less obvious. The fact that she’d taken control and reached past his defenses yet again. She bent down and picked up his shirt and jeans, clenching Kane’s clothing in her hands. By the time the case was over, he’d understand the difference between being a loner by choice—or necessity.
And thanks to Kane, she was becoming a woman in charge of herself, and her life. One who no longer feared her sexuality. This wasn’t an experience she could regret, no matter what the outcome. But she’d do everything in her power to direct it in her favor.
She tossed the jeans over her arm and something fell to the floor with a thud. Kayla bent down to retrieve his wallet, some spare change and…
“What’s this?” Even as her hand grabbed the foil packet and held it up to the light, she knew.
And if Kane went to this much effort to avoid making love to her, to avoid the very intimacy that would enable her to breach his defenses, he had no intention of succumbing. Ever.
She’d been wrong. She hadn’t gotten to him. Not even close. She brushed at her eyes before a tear could fall. When had Kayla Luck ever affected a man on any plane other than the physical? She should have known better before. She certainly knew better now.
But she had no time for self-pity. She had more important concerns than her love life. Kayla grabbed the five books with possible information and shoved them into an oversize bag. Kane might have directed the course of things so far. But no more.
Kane obviously needed to be shaken up on many different levels. She hadn’t been in control sexually, that much was obvious. But there were other ways of taking control and showing Kane there was more to life than being alone.
The mysteries of Charmed! had yet to be unraveled. She could do that without Detective McDermott. The sooner she did, the sooner she could get back to the life she knew best. Her life without Kane.
She picked up the phone, called Catherine and asked her to meet her at her favorite hideaway. As she replaced the receiver, the shower shut off. The silence echoed in her ears. In minutes Kane would emerge, his dark hair damp from the shower, droplets of water on his skin. She ignored the traitorous thudding of her heart, refused to acknowledge the blood pulsing through her veins. Instead she bolted for the front door without looking back.
KANE WALKED OUT of the bathroom, drying his hair as he went. The silence struck him immediately. His nerve endings, honed by years of experience, went on alert. “Kayla?”
No answer. He didn’t call again. His gaze traveled her bedroom. The pile of clothes he’d worn earlier was missing and he realized he heard the hum of the washing machine in the background. But she was gone.
He recalled what happened the last time she’d gone off on her own and his gut churned. She should have known better than to run off. He should have known better than to trust her now that she was back on her feet. Hell, he should have known better than to trust himself. Kayla distracted him in every way possible. His instincts were off, his edge dulled and softened.
He stalked through the house, taking in every detail. Nothing was missing except…the books. He now knew exactly where she’d gone, evidence in hand. A walking target.
Kane muttered a savage curse. When he got his hands on her, he’d throttle her. Never mind that what he really wanted to do was throw her onto the bed and finish what he hadn’t allowed himself to do before. �
��Damn.”
He dropped his towel and threw on his clothes, then shoved his feet into his shoes and grabbed for his keys. He had to wrap this case up and get the hell out. He slid into the car, checked his gun and pulled his cuffs out of the glove compartment. The woman drove him to distraction. At this point, he’d cuff her to the damn bed if that’s what it took to keep her safe.
THE MUSTY SMELL OF OLD books permeated her nostrils, making Kayla feel safe. She rounded the end of a long aisle and saw Catherine pacing the floor at their allotted meeting place.
She touched her sister on the shoulder. “Hi, Cat.”
Catherine turned. “Thank God you’re okay. That emergency call scared me to death. Where’s your guard dog?” She glanced over Kayla’s shoulder in search of Kane.
Kayla shrugged. “I don’t know and I don’t care.” Liar. She cared too much, which was what had gotten her into this mess.
“He let you out alone? After he promised he’d protect you? I should have known the man was slime.”
“I snuck out and, if I recall, you liked him well enough the first time you met.”
“That was before he took advantage of my innocent sister.”
“Don’t you think you’re laying it on a little thick, even for you?”
Catherine stepped forward and touched her cheek. “You look like you’ve had your heart trampled and broken. So no, I don’t think I’m overreacting.”
Kayla eased herself into one of the fabric-covered chairs. There weren’t many places in the public library that were comfortable and secluded, but three floors down from the main level, nestled between History and Research, Kayla had carved out her personal space.
“Did you know that men were very literal creatures?” Kayla asked.
“How so?”
“They say what they mean and they mean what they say. If a guy says he doesn’t want to get involved, he doesn’t want to get involved. No hidden agendas exist. There aren’t any fairy-tale endings and there’s no such thing as the right woman changing a stubborn man’s mind.”
“I’d like to strangle the snake.”
“Why? He never lied to me. Now sit. We have to talk.” Kayla patted the chair across from her. Catherine meant well, but discussing her feelings for Kane was too personal. Kayla wouldn’t divulge details, not even to her concerned sister.
She’d cope and deal with it on her own. “What do you know about Charmed!’s less discussed activities?” Kayla asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Look at this.” She dug into her bag and pulled out one of the crossword books she’d taken from the house. “Lists of names, dates…” She fanned the pages for her sister to see.
“Shut the book, Kayla.” The deep voice took her by surprise. A familiar feeling of warmth curled inside her stomach.
“The iceman cometh,” Catherine muttered.
“Shut up.” Kayla and Kane spoke at once.
Instead of being insulted, Catherine merely continued undeterred. “What shouldn’t she tell me?”
“Anything.” Kane’s dark gaze bored into Kayla’s. If he was aware of Catherine as anything other than another body in the library, no one would know. He had eyes only for her and, if the steely glint in them was any indication, he was furious. She could match and best him on that score.
“Keeping secrets, Detective?” Catherine asked.
“None that concern you.” He spoke to Catherine, but his gaze didn’t swerve from hers. The intensity Kayla saw there unnerved her.
Catherine’s stare bounced from Kane to Kayla and back again. Apparently she sensed the undercurrents running between them because she stood and reached for her purse. “I think that’s my cue.”
Kayla rose. “You don’t need to go.” She could handle Kane without Catherine’s help, but she refused to let him drive her sister off.
“I think I do. As for Charmed!, I know less than you. Aunt Charlene thought I was the wild child and rarely confided in me.”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Kayla laughed. Catherine never begrudged Kayla her relationship with their aunt. She’d had little in common with the older woman, but Kayla knew in her heart, Aunt Charlene had loved them both. When push came to shove, though, the Luck sisters had relied on each other.
Catherine turned to Kane. “I don’t know what the hell’s going on between you two, but if you hurt my sister, I’ll make you wish you’d never heard the name Luck.”
“I believe it,” Kane muttered.
“I can’t believe you’re letting him run you off,” Kayla said.
Catherine leaned close, her voice low. “I looked into his eyes. The man’s fallen hard. He just doesn’t know it yet. He’ll take care of you.”
“I don’t need him…”
“Yes, you do. You’re not wearing more fashionable clothes for my benefit, you’re doing it for his. Because you finally trust someone enough to let the real you out.” Catherine gave her a quick hug. “You know where to reach me.”
Kayla squeezed her back. She loved her concern as much as she loved her sister—even if she was seeing things between herself and Kane that didn’t exist. In Kane, Kayla had imagined a depth of caring and a need for love in a man who had none. Catherine had obviously been fooled as well. But her sister meant well. They were family and, in Kayla’s eyes, that meant everything. Not that a loner like Kane would understand or even care. She glanced over. He stood off to the side, his rigid body language ensuring no one could mistake him for anything but the loner he was.
Despite everything, a huge part of her still wanted to teach him the meaning of belonging. She stifled a harsh laugh, knowing how little he desired from Kayla Luck.
She waited until her sister disappeared around the stacks. “How did you find me?”
“Instinct. You were either here or with your sister. Both happened to be true.”
Kayla latched on to his mention of Catherine. “Cat deserves to know what’s going on, Kane. Keeping her in the dark isn’t your decision to make.”
“No,” he agreed. “It’s yours. The more she knows, the more danger she’ll be in. I have enough trouble keeping tabs on you. I don’t need to add her to my list.”
He took two steps closer. Her personal corner of the library was small. Kane’s presence made it seem even smaller. She inhaled for courage and smelled his masculine scent. Her body reacted, recalling more intimate times between them.
Her brain reminded her she’d been intimate. He’d been far away. “You can take me off that short list of yours, Detective. I don’t want any more from you than you want from me.”
“In that case, sweetheart, we’re in big trouble.”
Her eyes widened. Her lips parted and her breath caught in a noticeable hitch. Kane wanted her more than ever before. He prayed for restraint. “Give me the books,” he said, grasping for a distraction.
She shook her head. “I want to work on turning them into a complete list.”
“So you brought them here.”
“I can concentrate better here.”
Away from you. He didn’t have to hear the words to know she meant them. Which was no excuse for reckless action. His relief at finding her unharmed warred with his fury at her lack of concern. “You made yourself a walking target.”
“This is a public library.”
Kane glanced around the secluded area. He’d walked down three flights of an empty stairwell and wandered around numerous cubicles and stacks before finding the right one. “Looks pretty damn private to me. And you came here alone, our only evidence could easily have been grabbed.”
She cringed.
“Not that I don’t think you can decipher these, but I want them in a safe place. I’ve got a friend at the precinct who’s more a bookworm than a cop. He’ll cull the information in no time.”
“Fine. They’re yours.” She shoved the books at him hitting him hard in the stomach.
He stifled a grunt.
She grabbed for an oversi
ze bag on the floor. “I’m out of here.”
She took two steps. Kane grasped her by the wrist, pulling her against him. He couldn’t let her dictate their next course of action. She had no business on the streets alone, but that wasn’t the only reason he wouldn’t let her go.
Her silken hair smelled of lemons, her skin fragrant and fresh. He didn’t just want to keep her alive. He needed to keep her alive.
Because that’s the way she made him feel.
“Let me go, Kane.”
“I can’t.”
“You already got what you wanted from me.”
“You don’t believe that.”
“I’ve found a foil packet that says otherwise.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” He tensed, unsure of what she meant.
“Don’t like being caught?” she taunted. “Then you shouldn’t have left your clothes in a pile and I wouldn’t have been so quick to help out with the laundry.”
“Son of a bitch.” His breath rushed out in a hiss. “You’re telling me you left the safety of the house, you risked your life because…”
“Because I want to control my life.” She squared her shoulders. “Besides I don’t want your pity, and that’s what you gave me earlier. I came on to you and you didn’t want me, but you were too much of a gentleman to admit it and make things more difficult, so you…”
“Back up. You think I don’t want you?” The thought was absurd beyond belief. He’d never wanted a woman as badly as he wanted Kayla, never let a female get inside and mess with his head before, and that was telling. She was getting to him, a little at a time, taking control and leaving him with none.
He couldn’t let it go on much longer, nor could he allow her to think she meant nothing to him.
He turned her around. She had no choice but to face him. Tilting her head with his hand, he forced her to look him in the eye. Shimmering moisture glistened in hers. Damn. His methods of protection backfired in more ways than one. Instead of shielding her, he’d hurt her once again.
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