Blane knocked on the door and waited. After a minute or two, the door opened to reveal Kandi. As he’d expected, she was dressed in expensive lingerie. The champagne silk nightgown had tiny straps over her shoulders with a lace bodice, the deep V neckline revealing a lot of cleavage. The fabric floated around her ankles as she backed up, beckoning him in with a smile.
“Glad you could make it,” she said.
“Your text said you needed to see me,” Blane said, careful to keep some distance between them once he’d shut the door.
“I do,” Kandi said, walking down the hall to her parlor. She went to the sideboard and poured two drinks, offering one to Blane. “I hear you’ve been slumming lately.”
Blane took the drink, frowning at her. “What are you talking about?”
Kandi took a healthy swallow before answering. “I know about the bartender. The redhead that looks like she graduated high school yesterday. A little young, don’t you think?” Bitterness laced her voice. “I mean, I know men like women younger and younger now, I just didn’t expect you to be like other men.”
Blane sighed. “I didn’t break up with you because of your age,” he said. “You’re a beautiful woman.” Which was true. Kandi was in her early thirties but looked like a woman in her twenties.
“Then why?” Her plaintive tone made guilt twist in Blane’s gut. “It’s supposed to be you, us. We’ve planned it forever. Why are you doing this to me?”
Blane shoved a hand through his hair in frustration. God this was so fucking hard. It was easier when she was pissed and mad, but when she was like this, it just killed him to hurt her. Setting his glass on a nearby table, he walked over to her, resting his hands lightly on her upper arms. She tipped her head back to look at him and tears made her eyes bright.
“Please, Kandi-cane,” he said, calling her the nickname he hadn’t used in years, “please listen to me. I love you, you know that. And you love me. But we’re not in love with each other.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks and Blane brushed them away. “We’ve become a habit, you and me. You don’t deserve that and neither do I.”
“You’re my best friend,” Kandi whispered. “I can’t lose you.”
“Shh, you won’t lose me,” Blane said, pulling her close and hugging her. “We just need to step back. We tried to make it work, but we’re meant to be friends, and that’s all.”
Blane leaned back so he could see her again. Her face was pale, but she’d stopped crying. “Soon you’ll meet someone that makes you feel like you’ve never felt before,” he said. “And you’ll fall in love and you’ll be glad we called things off. I promise.”
Kandi pushed against him and Blane let her go. “You have no idea, do you,” she accused with a bitter laugh. “You are such an arrogant bastard, Blane.” She was crying again as she seethed at him.
Well, so much for consoling her. It didn’t seem to matter what he said. Short of getting back together, she was going to be pissed no matter what.
“I’ll see myself out,” he said flatly.
“When you’re done screwing little girls, don’t think you can come crawling back to me, because I may not be there,” Kandi called after him. “You’ll have to beg me to take you back.”
But Blane was already out the door. It had been pointless to come here, pointless to try and assuage Kandi’s wounded pride. He wondered what she’d do now, if she’d give up and move on like he’d told her to do. Kandi wasn’t the type to let things go. Hell hath no fury and all that.
Glancing at his watch as he drove, Blane realized the bar should be closed by now, which meant Kade should have gotten the drive from Kathleen. He headed back to the bar, parking nearby and making his way through the back alleys.
There they were. Blane drew his gun and pointed it just as Kade spun around to face him. How he’d even heard him, Blane had no idea. Sometimes he thought Kade had a sixth sense, too.
“What are you doing here, Kade?” he called.
“Blane! I’m here,” Kathleen yelled back.
Kade grabbed her arm and they said something Blane couldn’t hear, but in a moment, Kathleen was walking toward him. When she was close enough, Blane grabbed her around the waist.
“What are you doing out here with him?” he asked. Hopefully, she’d given the hard drive to Kade.
“I thought it was you,” she said. “He surprised me.”
Blane glanced down, realizing she was wearing Kade’s shirt. What the hell? “What happened?” he asked.
“I got shot. Sort of. Just a graze, I guess.”
Fury filled Blane. Couldn’t Kade have just done what Blane said one fucking time? “You shot her?” he bit out. Kade didn’t answer, which just pissed Blane off more.
“No, no!” Kathleen said, tugging on Blane’s shirt. “Someone else was following us. Kade didn’t shoot me. He helped me.”
Blane stared at Kade. He’d better pray Kat was telling the truth or Blane was going to kick his ass.
“Please, let’s just go,” Kathleen begged, pulling on his arm.
Acquiescing, Blane backed up until they rounded the corner before lowering his gun. He led Kathleen to his car and she relaxed into the seat with a sigh.
“Tell me what happened,” Blane said.
“Kade was waiting out back for me,” she said. “I wouldn’t have gone except I thought it was you. We were supposed to meet in Monument Circle. I guess he didn’t think I’d show. Anyway, he had a gun so I didn’t really have much choice but to give him the drive.”
“And that’s when you got shot?”
“Someone started shooting at us,” Kathleen said. “We ran and he shot back, but one of the bullets hit me.”
“Do you need to go to the hospital?” Blane asked.
“No, it’s not that bad.”
It could only have been Jimmy shooting at them. But why? A message to Blane? Or did Jimmy know Kathleen had found something? Blane had mistakenly assumed Jimmy would leave once he’d delivered the message. That assumption had nearly cost Kathleen her life. Was Jimmy waiting for her at her apartment, ready to ambush her? If so, he’d be waiting a long time.
It wasn’t until they were pulling up to Blane’s house that Kathleen spoke again.
“Why are we here?” she asked. “You should have taken me back to my apartment.”
“I’ll feel better with you here,” Blane replied. No need to scare her by telling her his suspicions about Jimmy. She didn’t argue as they went inside. “Can you make it to your room by yourself?” he asked. “I have a phone call to make.”
Kat nodded and headed upstairs while Blane went to the den. A few moments later and he was on the phone with Frank.
“Kirk, glad you could call,” Frank said.
“Well, Jimmy made it quite clear that you expected to hear from me.” Blane cut to the chase. “I thought you were going to let me handle this,” he said. “Instead, you’ve got Dennon and Jimmy both on the hunt for Mark’s evidence.”
“I saw no reason not to put all my best people on it,” Frank replied.
“If more people die, it’ll only draw suspicion,” Blane said. “You need to call off Jimmy.”
“The election is in a few days, Kirk. We can’t afford anything to go wrong at this point.”
“I understand that. Just trust me.”
Frank was silent for a moment. Finally, he said, “All right. You’ve got twenty-four hours. Then we’ll take matters in our own hands.” He hung up.
Shit. Blane leaned back in his chair with a sigh. He could really use a cigarette about now. Hopefully, Kade could get the information off the drive and it’d be enough to not only thwart Frank and TecSol’s plans, but also put them behind bars. And Kathleen should be safe. For now.
Speaking of which . . .
Blane got up and took the stairs two at a time, anxious to check on her. After grabbing some ointment and bandages, he went to her room. When a knock at her door produced nothing, he stepped inside.
/> The bathroom door was ajar a few inches and he slowly pushed it open. Kathleen appeared to be in the bathtub.
His day was definitely looking up.
Crossing to the sink, Blane leaned against it, openly taking in the view the spot afforded. Thank God he didn’t have bubble bath. The water was clear, giving him an unobstructed look at Kat’s naked body. She appeared to have fallen asleep, her head resting on the back of the tub.
The water lapped lightly at her breasts like a lover’s caress, her chest rising and falling with each breath. Her knees were pressed together and bent, modestly hiding the most feminine part of her.
The curve of her neck held his gaze, the delicate pulse that beat just under her skin, and Blane abruptly realized there was nothing he wouldn’t do to protect this woman. So trusting of him, perhaps naively so. Her innocence and purity was something to be cherished, it was so rare.
Kat deserved to be made love to, deserved to experience what sex could really be. And Blane would be more than willing to show her.
Just then she woke with a start, jerking upright when she saw him. Blane appreciated the view until she slid back down in the water, a rosy flush creeping into her face and neck.
Blane grabbed a nearby towel. “I want to see your injury,” among other things, “and how your cuts are healing.”
Kat didn’t argue. She just pulled the plug and stood, allowing Blane to wrap the towel around her. His gaze dropped to the curves of her breasts above the fabric.
“I wonder how far down the blush goes,” he teased, which made her skin turn even redder. He laughed, her modesty charming, and lifted her in his arms. Carrying her to the bed, he rested her on it and sat beside her.
“Let’s take a look,” he said, but she grabbed his hands, stopping him from removing the towel. “Shy tonight, Kat? I don’t recall you being shy last night.”
At the reminder, she groaned and covered her face. “A gentleman doesn’t remind a lady of her embarrassing behavior,” she mumbled behind her fingers.
“Ah, yes,” Blane said, sliding his hands up her thighs and under the towel. “But I’m not a gentleman, am I?”
Removing the towel was very much akin to unwrapping a present, though she wasn’t exactly something Santa would bring. The perfection of her skin was marred by a livid scrape on her side. Blane frowned and moved her arm above her head, turning her slightly, so he could get a better look.
Lips thinning, he grabbed the ointment he’d brought and, as gently as he could, rubbed some onto her skin. Even so, a breath hissed between her teeth. Carefully, Blane placed a bandage over the wound.
It was the bare width of his hand, the lapse of skin between the wound at her side and the area over her heart. None of this would have happened if he hadn’t led Jimmy right to her. Then he’d left her, alone and unprotected, save for Kade.
“What is it?” Kat whispered. “What’s wrong?”
Blane’s gaze lifted to hers and he made himself tell her the bald truth that she probably hadn’t even thought about yet.
“Four inches,” he said. “The difference between life and death for you tonight was four inches.”
She said nothing to this, the rosy tint of her cheeks fading somewhat.
Blane tore his thoughts away from the morbid path they were traveling. This hadn’t been what he’d intended tonight. If he begged her forgiveness, she wouldn’t understand. She’d want to know why he was guilty, and he couldn’t tell her that.
What he could do was take care of her, in every sense of the phrase.
“May I see how the cuts are doing?” he asked, sliding his hand down to her hip.
Her blue eyes widened and Blane could practically feel her body tense under his hands.
She shook her head. “They’re fine,” she squeaked.
Nerves. Kat wasn’t playing the shy virgin, as so many women were wont to do, but actually was one, in any practical sense. A quickie in the back of a car was a shitty way to introduce a woman to the art of lovemaking. No wonder she was tense. She’d never been seduced, much less by someone who knew how.
Blane reached up to her hair, grasping the band holding the ponytail that had teased him earlier tonight and sliding it down until her hair was free. His fingers slowly combed through the silken strands until the heavy mass rested over the curve of her shoulder, just brushing the side of her breast.
Kat’s gaze was rapt on his, her pupils dilating and her breath coming faster. Blane moved slowly, deliberately, letting her absorb his movements. This was a seduction, not an ambush, and the ending was a foregone conclusion. She just needed to trust him.
Sliding his hand under her knee, he bent her leg, exposing the soft ivory skin of her inner thigh. He moved so he was situated between her thighs, then did the same thing to her other leg. It wasn’t until he’d positioned her the way he wanted her that he dropped his gaze.
The cuts from yesterday were better and Blane lightly traced them with his fingers. For what he had planned, they were healed enough to not cause Kat pain.
Her spread thighs were a temptation Blane couldn’t resist, lust making his heart pound as anticipation heightened his senses. His dick was stiff with desire, but he knew it wasn’t time yet. She wasn’t ready, instead eyeing him with trepidation.
Blane bent and moved further down the bed before pressing a kiss to the inside of her knee. His lips brushed the satin skin of her inner thigh, his tongue tracing a long cut. Her legs trembled under his hands and he tried to soothe her. He wanted to pleasure her, not scare her. And nothing made a woman quite as warm and willing as an orgasm.
“I want to kiss you, Kat,” Blane said. It wasn’t really a request, more of a warning, because he was quite sure this hadn’t been one of the activities she’d experienced in the back of that sedan.
The moment Blane moved his head between her legs, she balked, letting out a squeak and trying to scoot away.
As if it would be that easy for her to escape him at this point.
Her attempt to get away set fire to his blood. Easily holding her in place, Blane nuzzled the triangle between her thighs, inhaling the sweet scent of her arousal. She stilled and Blane took that as consent, his hands moving to part her folds, eager to taste her, a flavor no one would know but him.
She was fire under his tongue, a sweet crackling of electricity that shot straight to his groin. Blane’s hips reflexively pressed against the bed as he lapped at her. He pushed her thighs further apart, exposing more of her to his eyes and mouth. Kat was whimpering now, completely at his mercy. Her warm, wet folds were silk against his tongue, the engorged tissue of her clit begging for him to take it in his mouth. He teased the bit of flesh, flicking it again and again before dipping his tongue inside her, bringing Kat to the edge and keeping her there.
A litany of sounds fell from her lips mixed with his name, spoken in broken whimpers and gasps. Lust rode him hard, but Blane held tight to his control. His cock begged to be where his tongue was. Taking her clit in his mouth, he sucked hard and she shattered, crying out his name as she came.
Blane crawled up Kat’s body, stopping along the way when he couldn’t pass up the chance to kiss a spot or two, or three. He nuzzled her neck, licking the pulse pounding under her jaw.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered against her lips before kissing her, letting her taste herself on his tongue. Her hands tangled in his hair, her leg curling around the back of his thigh.
Reluctantly, Blane pulled away and she made a sound of protest. Scooping her in his arms, Blane carried her to the open door.
“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice a throaty purr. She sucked at his neck and Blane smiled to himself. Warm and willing, her nerves forgotten.
“Taking you to bed,” he said, carrying her down the hall.
“We were just in bed.” The warm brush of her lips against his skin sent a shiver through him.
“Not my bed.”
Blane set her down in the center of his bed, aware
in the back of his mind that this was the first woman he’d allowed in this position. He couldn’t explain the sudden need to bring her in here, nor did he want to dwell on it.
He stood, but didn’t get far, Kat reaching for his shirt, tugging him back toward her so she could undo the buttons. Her hair lay in waves down her back and Blane buried his fingers in the silken mass as his mouth found hers again, their tongues tangling in a heated kiss. She managed to push his shirt down and off his arms, then her nimble fingers moved to his belt.
Blane pushed her onto her back, climbing on top of her, his hips cradled between her thighs. She persisted at his belt until Blane brushed aside her hands so he could pay homage to her amazing breasts. The little noises she made started again as Blane licked and sucked. He quite literally could spend hours just doing this.
Reaching down between her legs, he pushed two fingers inside, testing her readiness. Kat cried out and Blane went still.
“Am I hurting you?” he asked.
She shook her head, gasping, “More.”
Blane was only too happy to oblige, her slick heat coating his fingers as he stroked her, slow but relentless, until she was begging him.
Turning away, Blane quickly shed his remaining clothes and put on a condom before returning to Kat.
“Tell me if anything hurts you,” he said, conscious of the need to be gentle. Kat nodded, the trust in her eyes as she gazed at him further prodding his protective instincts.
Pushing inside her was a master’s class at self-control. Blane gritted his teeth to keep from thrusting into her, going slow to allow her body time to accommodate him.
“God, Kat,” he said on a rough exhale, “you feel incredible. So tight.” The words were desperately inadequate a description, but all he could come up with at the moment. She seemed to understand his heartfelt appreciation though, wrapping her legs around his waist and arching her hips, pushing him the rest of the way in. Blane groaned at the sensation, his eyes slamming shut.
“Make love to me,” she whispered against his lips, and it was like dangling prey in the path of a hunter. Blane kissed her, his tongue mimicking his cock, thrusting inside the welcome heat of her body. His control now gone, Blane distantly hoped he wasn’t hurting her, but judging by the way she was kissing him back and the scratch of her nails on his back, he wasn’t.
Turn On A Dime - Blane's Turn (The Kathleen Turner Series) Page 17
