The Hottest Ticket in Town

by Kimberly Van Meter

  * * *

  AW, HELL. HE was only human!

  Kane’s mouth dried, his cock sprang to attention and his brain practically stalled as all systems just went on high sexual alert. Before he knew it, he was climbing that ladder because damn, if he was going to have the willpower to walk out that barn with Laci half-dressed waiting for him to do terrible things to her.

  He found her lying on the hay, smiling like a dirty little angel, and he nearly busted a nut right there. Get a hold of yourself, Dalton. Don’t go embarrassing yourself. He pulled his shirt up over his head and tossed it, unbuttoning his jeans as he went. She started to shimmy out of her panties, but he stopped her with a growl. “Let me,” he told her, pulling the tiny straps at her hips down, revealing that sweet pussy with its strawberry-blond curls. “Damn, girl,” he breathed, gazing down at her with the raging sexual hunger of a man who hadn’t felt a woman beneath him in too long when, in fact, they’d had sex just last night. But it’d always been this way with them—insatiable.

  “Remember what you did to me,” she asked in a small, teasing voice, biting her lip. “The first time you’d ever...”

  “Went down on someone,” he finished for her in a tight voice. “Yeah, I remember. You were my first for a lot of things.”

  “Got any more tricks up your sleeve?” she asked with warm, sultry approval.

  “Maybe.” He grinned.

  She practically purred as she said, “Show me, baby. Show me what you can do to me.”

  “With pleasure,” he said, wasting no time in going to the floor to gather her in his arms, drawing her legs up over his shoulders so that her sweetly feminine pussy was right under his nose. He inhaled deeply, loving her unique scent, then plunged his tongue between those folds, drinking in her gasps and moans, taking great care to listen to her subtle cues. When she thrashed, he pulled back, giving her time to recover but not enough time to allow her arousal to fade, then he slipped his finger inside her and tickled her G-spot, impaling her on his finger as his tongue swirled and sucked that tiny, responsive nub until she was crying out his name in tortured gasps.

  “God, yes, Kane!” She shuddered and sobbed as he sucked the orgasm right out of her, licking her juices and enjoying every subtle taste and nuance of her arousal. It was like the finest wine and hers was the only label he’d acquired a taste for.

  “Kane, Kane, Kane,” she said softly, repeating his name like a prayer as she rocked against the waves of pleasure still buffeting her. Her pussy clenched around his finger and he pressed her G-spot, smiling with satisfaction when she shuddered again with a moan. He could make her come again but he wanted to be inside her when she came this time.

  He withdrew his finger and popped it into his mouth, grinning when she blushed, but soon enough his cock was in her mouth, and she was sucking and licking, determined to send him over the edge just as she had before, but this time he had more control and he gently pulled away. “Not so fast, you little heathen,” he growled, turning her so that her back was to him. He reached around to pinch her nipples while nibbling her neck. Her pert, rounded ass pressed against him and his cock fit perfectly against the cleft. Leaving her breasts, he took his cock in hand and began sliding it against her flesh, teasing her with the head, causing her to gasp and push against him. “You want that cock, sweet girl?”

  “You know I do,” she answered, rolling to her back. “Are you going to tease me or actually give me what I want?”

  “Spoiled rotten,” he said with a beleaguered sigh that wrenched a laugh out of her as she looped her arms around his neck to pull him to her. “You shouldn’t always get what you want...you’ll become unbearable.”

  “Just try to tell me no and see what happens,” she warned playfully before sealing her mouth to his, instantly deepening the kiss between them as the heat leveled up. Everywhere hands and mouth touched and kissed ignited an internal fire that only one thing could quench. Impatient little hands grabbed his cock and rubbed until he allowed her to guide him to her slick opening. He plunged in without waiting, groaning as her soft heat enveloped him, encasing him in sweet oblivion.

  “Oh God, Laci,” he moaned, losing his ability to remain in control. “God, you’re so tight and wet.” So perfect.

  “You smell like me,” she whispered in his ear, adding with a sultry giggle, “That turns me on.”

  “Total confession—everything about you turns me on,” he admitted in a strained voice as he tried to slow his thrusts. He wanted her to come first or he’d never forgive himself. Grabbing her legs, he hoisted them over his shoulders and rammed himself hard against her G-spot, knowing that it would drive her crazy. He wasn’t wrong. Laci cried out, her eyes squeezing shut as her breasts bounced with each thrust. “You like that, baby?” he asked, grunting as he pounded her hard, nearly dying from the pleasure of being inside her. “God, Laci,” he choked out as the sensation of pure carnal heaven cut off his vocal cords. “I’m gonna come, girl!”

  He lost all reason and within seconds he’d lost his load, too. Spilling inside her hot sheath, his hips pumped as if a demon was working the machinery and he was helpless to control it. His seed burst from his cock in hot jets, and he’d never felt his heart so close to exploding than in that moment. “Oh God, girl,” he muttered, barely able to form the words as he collapsed on top of her, pressing soft, weak kisses along her collarbone as they both breathed heavily. The scent of hay and sex filling the air and creating one helluva mental trigger so that every time he walked into this barn, he’d never think of anything aside from Laci—even more so than when he’d been a kid.

  And then his brain kicked back in and he asked, “Um, are you... Hell, I should’ve asked first... I’m sorry, Laci...”

  She surprised him with a husky laugh and wrapped her arms around him, saying, “I’m protected. No babies for this girl while she’s on tour.” He should’ve been relieved, but for some reason the knowledge fell flat. A baby with Laci. He’d never considered it with anyone else, but...maybe with Laci... No, what the hell was wrong with him? He rolled off her and started to find his clothes, immediately shaken by the completely screwed-up notion that’d somehow wedged itself in his mind. Laci, noting his sudden change in demeanor, frowned as she grabbed her bra. “You okay?”

  He forced a grin. “Right as rain, baby,” he told her, not wanting to ruin the moment when he didn’t even know where the errant thought had come from. He helped her up and then after they’d dressed, they began to walk back to the house. When Laci slipped her hand into his, he closed his fingers over hers, but he didn’t know what they were doing aside from confusing the hell out of each other.

  Laci flashed him a bright smile as she pulled forward and said before disappearing into the house, “You’re not getting out of washing up, Dalton. I’ll get dinner, and you clean.”

  He tipped an imaginary hat her direction, but his smile faded the minute she was behind the front door.

  What a fine mess.

  It’s just sex, a voice argued, but he knew that was a bunch of horseshit.

  It’d never been just sex with Laci and it never would be.

  And that was what he had to deal with.

  Somehow.

  12

  LACI HUMMED UNDER her breath, that fragment of song coming to her as she served up the pot roast, content for the first time in a long time. Maybe it was the little things that she missed the most and hadn’t realized were so very important to a country girl like herself. She smiled as Kane exited the bathroom, all cleaned up and looking yummy as ever. What was it about that man that drove her crazy? It was as if there were a trigger inside her that released a whole circus of crazy inside her heart and then it was all about trying to wrangle the monkeys that were tearing stuff up. Except she liked the monkeys and she didn’t care what kind of damage she’d end up having to clean up later. Yeah, that
was the pure crazy part and she knew it.

  Pot roast, red potatoes and green beans, that’s good eating right there, she thought with pride as she served up their plates. One thing Cora had taught her was how to plate a good dinner that’ll stick to the ribs because hardworking country men needed something real on their forks. “None of that fancy foo-foo stuff,” Cora had scoffed.

  “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, you mark my words, Chickpea,” Cora had told her one hot summer day while in the kitchen. Laci had grinned, loving the nickname Cora had given her from the minute they’d met. “A man—a real man, mind you—wants meat and potatoes, stuff that goes down to the gut and stays there a while. Some ladies think the way to bend a man is with their pretty face and a lot of this—” Cora wiggled her hips and Laci had laughed “—but they’d be wrong. Good food keeps a man where he belongs.”

  “So you’re saying that if I learn to cook real good, I’ll never be alone?” Laci asked.

  Cora smiled and smoothed a worn hand over Laci’s head with a warm smile and squeezed her chin lightly. “My little Chickpea, I would never steer you wrong. A woman has many talents, many gifts, but her true talent is revealed in the kitchen. Now, grab that sack of flour and bring it over. I’m gonna show you how to properly bread a chicken leg. Ain’t nothing better than fried chicken on a summer night and that’s the truth, but the secret is in the scald, my sweet girl. All in the scald.”

  Laci roused herself from the memory and realized Kane was watching her intently. “You okay? You looked like you’d disappeared from the table.”

  “I did for a minute,” Laci admitted, shaking off the reverie before returning to Kane with a smile. “I was just thinking about Cora. Remember how she used to call me Chickpea? I don’t know why, but whenever she called me that, I always felt loved. Weird, huh?”

  Kane graced her with a smile filled with love for Cora and said, “Nothing weird about that. Cora is a special woman. She has a way of reaching into your heart and finding all the weak spots so she can shore it up with her unique brand of duct tape.”

  Laci laughed. “You’re right. God, I hope she’s okay. Have you heard from Warren at all?”

  “No, not yet. I thought to give them a call tonight, but I didn’t want to pester them in case Cora is resting. I don’t know what the treatments are like and all that, so I figured it was best to wait, but I’m getting antsy, too.”

  Laci nodded, concerned. “She has to pull through. I feel like such a shit for not staying in better contact with them. They’re like my family—my only family since Daddy died—but my schedule has been so...well, hectic, you know?”

  “Same. I mean, I suspect being on tour’s no picnic, though. I’m sure the Bradfords don’t hold a grudge against you.”

  She didn’t worry about that. Cora and Warren were loyal to the core. Once they let you in, it would take a nuclear blast to knock you free. But still, she knew where the fault lay and it was with her. There was no excuse for abandoning them the way she had. “I wish I could cut the tour short. I’m done with being in a different hotel every night, a different city by the following night. It’s wearing on my nerves something fierce.” She rubbed at her temples as a tension headache sprang from nowhere at the mere mention of returning to the tour.

  “So cut it short. It’s your tour, right?” Kane said, as if that was the answer. Bless his heart, he didn’t know the first thing about tour responsibilities, but she didn’t hold it against him. When she simply graced him with a patient smile, he frowned and said, “Now, I know you think I’m talking out of my ass but damn it, Laci, you’re the star. That ought to come with some kind of privilege, right? You collapsed on the stage in Memphis. What’s gonna happen when it happens again? You’re playing with fire, girl.”

  “I wish I could just quit the tour, but there are people relying on me for their livelihood, Kane. I help feed their families. I can’t just quit because I’m tired,” she told him.

  He hit her with a stern look. “Exhaustion and fatigue ain’t the same and you know it. Your manager isn’t doing you any favors by booking you into the ground,” he maintained. “Listen, I understand you feel responsible for these people—I get it, I have a payroll, too—but in your case, they know a tour isn’t supposed to last forever. If you have to cut your tour short, they’ll just find someone else to work for on another tour. And no one is saying you can’t ever tour again, just give yourself some breathing room, for crying out loud.”

  “I wish it were that easy,” she said, shaking her head. Why were they arguing? Criminy. She just wanted to put an end to this conversation and go back to enjoying their dinner. “I know what, why don’t we go down to the fishing pond and see if we can catch some fireflies. I remember doing that as a kid and there’s just something about it that I miss.”

  Kane shook his head, returning to his plate, and she knew he was swallowing whatever else he had to say on the matter. “Sure, that’s fine,” he said, around a forkful of roast. As he chewed, he closed his eyes, clearly enjoying the food, even if he was bothered by the conversation, and Laci thought to herself, Cora, that crafty old bird, was right. When all else fails...stuff a man with good food.

  * * *

  KANE DIDN’T HAVE any right butting his nose into Laci’s business, but once the barn door was open, it was real hard to chase after the horses. The idea of Laci going back on tour when she was plainly exhausted rubbed him all sorts of wrong, but what could he do? In the overall picture, he was no one in Laci’s world. The truth pinched but he wasn’t in a habit of sugarcoating bullshit just because he didn’t like the smell. So that left him with one option: swallowing his opinion and letting her run her own life.

  And he hated that option.

  Laci grabbed her plate and his after he’d finished his last bite and then after they’d washed and put away the dishes, they grabbed some Mason jars and headed outside. Laci slipped her hand into his and they walked into the humid summer night, the sound of cicadas buzzing all around them, and Kane felt his tension draining away. He’d forgotten how soothing that sound was. He lived in the city now, where, although his house wasn’t exactly planted in the middle of downtown, the night sounds were nothing the way they were in the country, where nature flanked you on all sides.

  “Admit it, this was a good idea,” Laci teased, bumping him with her shoulder playfully, and he nodded with a small smile, which she matched with an even bigger one. “I’ve missed this so much,” she said with a sigh as they walked toward the creek that cut its way through the property and fed the pond. As they approached, bullfrogs belched their night song from the reeds and there was something so perfect about the moment that Kane was momentarily pulled back in time to when he and Laci used to come to this very spot for a few hurried kisses and wild, fumbling embraces stolen between chaperoned moments. Laci must’ve remembered, too, because she cuddled up close to him with a contented sigh that tickled his soul in a way that could only be called dangerous. “I’ve missed you, Kane. Why’d we lose touch with each other? I’ve needed you in my life.”

  They settled on the bank and Kane pulled his boots off, wiggling his toes in the soft, cool grass, taking a moment before answering her. “Life took us in different directions,” he said, prepared to leave it at that, but Laci wasn’t satisfied with his answer.

  “It didn’t have to. Why’d you leave me? I know you still care about me, which means you cared about me then, but you still left me behind as if I didn’t matter. Why’d you do that, Kane?”

  “I thought we were going to catch fireflies,” he said, half joking.

  “I know. But I’ve got questions that never got answers and you’re here now and I figure it’s a good time to get those answers.”

  He sighed, wishing she’d just leave things be. She wasn’t going to like his answer and it was going to ruin their entire evening. A firefly drift
ed by and he pointed, hoping to distract her. “There you go, your firefly. Better catch it, darlin’, before it goes home.”

  Laci snagged his chin gently and dragged his gaze back to her, serious as a heart attack, and he knew there was no running from the conversation she was meaning to have. That was the thing about Laci, she was damn stubborn when she put her mind to something. He exhaled and gave up any hope of the evening ending well. “Laci, why’d your daddy leave you here every summer so he could go logging?”

  She drew back with a frown. “To make money for the winter,” she answered. “But you know that.”

  “Yeah, I do. Your daddy was always looking out for your best interests. Unlike mine who didn’t give two shits about me or Rian, your daddy cared.”

  “Yeah? I know he did. He had his faults but he was a good man,” Laci agreed slowly, her confusion obvious. “Where you going with that?”

  He exhaled with a rueful chuckle. “I’m not sure you want to know, but since you’re doing the asking, I’ll answer.”

  “Okay, then. Out with it,” Laci said.

  “The truth of the matter is, when your daddy came to me and said that I needed to make myself scarce so you could do what you were meant to do, I knew he was right. You wouldn’t have made your dreams come true if I was hanging around like a stone around your neck. I made the choice and I stand by it. Besides, it wasn’t completely noble on my part,” he admitted. “Part of what I said to you that night was true even though it hurt to say it. I realized that you were going places, going places I couldn’t go, and I knew I didn’t have what it took to be your backstage man. I don’t like to share, Laci. And sharing you with the world? Hell, that’s just beyond my understanding or capacity to do.”

  “My daddy told you to leave me?” she asked, her voice troubled. “But why? Why would he do that? He knew I had feelings for you.”