He caught her wrist. “It’s private.”
“So, I’ll come back out here tomorrow and look. It’s a long way out here to satisfy curiosity but I will come back. I earned a key to the place, you know.”
She watched for a flash of recognition. One telling sign to let her know he took her at her word. Oh yeah, she’d drive back out because she realized what she would find.
“Leave it alone, Peyton,” he deadpanned. This time, he placed his hand on her waist to move her out of his way. She still didn’t make it easy on him. Her knees refused to bend. She stayed put.
“Show me.”
“No. Let’s go. Somebody has a birthday dinner to eat and a friend waiting. Evan and Braden will wonder where we are.”
She stretched her arms over her head and let them fall. Her palms settled on her thighs. “I’m legal now, you know.”
He refused to stare at her breasts when she tried to get his attention. Instead, he concentrated harder on her face. Damn if she wasn’t a pretty thing.
Ah shoot, why not notice the boobs? He allowed himself the indulgence. With her scoop neck white T-shirt, and perky little nipples pressing through the thin material, when she stretched, he looked. He stared hard. It was long overdue.
“I didn’t get a birthday kiss,” she pointed out.
“Yes, you did,” he reminded her. “Three hugs and three kisses.”
“On the cheek, only on the cheek.” She pointed where.
“I’m not kissing you, Peyton,” he told her.
When Peyton first moved in, she gave them attitude. Every day started with a new game. One day, she’d leave the bathroom door open while showering. The next she ate breakfast in her thong and bra. It was never-ending. He moaned. Until she realized they didn’t look because of her illegal age status. Oh boy, a long winter straight ahead rang out with trouble.
“Have it your way.” She stooped again and pulled the white leather bag from under the sink.
Before she opened it, he caught her hand and tugged her against his body. “Listen to me, little girl, we’re not opening this for your virgin eyes.” He tore it from her grip, and she shrugged then walked out.
He tossed it on the counter so he wouldn’t forget to take it with him. If he forgot it, she’d come back to snoop. What he had tucked away inside might scare her to death.
On second thought, knowing Peyton, she’d probably strip.
“I bet it’s your loss,” she teased.
He followed her into the bunkroom. She climbed to the top bunk, and let her legs dangle over the wide iron frame. She twirled a few strands of hair. “It is, isn’t it?”
“What? Not living out here?”
“No, I mean, I bet whatever you’re toting in your sling pack, you can use on your women. Since I’m very much a woman now, it’s your loss.” She rolled over on her stomach and stared at him. “Are you sure you don’t want to go get your little goodies? We’ll pretend we don’t know one another and play house.”
“Come on, Peyton, let’s pretend we do know one another and play house. I’m taking you home.”
She crossed her ankles, twirled her hair again, and looked down at her nails. “I’m not ready to go.”
He scratched his head, studied her for a long time, felt his dick twitch, and waited. The gnawing sensation he usually had around her didn’t kick in, the one reminding him of why giving in to her advancements might work into a real dumb idea. At least when he felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck, he stopped long enough to consider what he wanted to do most and why he shouldn’t give in to temptation.
His conscience must have been out to lunch or on an extended break. Either that or her birthday really changed everything.
His dick throbbed as he stared at her chest. Yep, in a matter of twenty-four hours, things definitely changed. He was hungry, and he stared at the source of where he’d find his fill.
With a grunt, Kane walked back in the living area and picked up the remote control. He clicked the television on before he flipped through the local stations. He plopped down on the sofa and rubbed his hand through his hair. He looked like a man ready to stay awhile. The package in his pants provided even better ideas. He glanced down at the bulge and cursed under his breath.
“Peyton, I’m ready when you are. Remember, Vicky is waiting. We need to start home.” He closed his eyes and leaned his head back. Damn her for making his dick hard and double damn her for trying before she even blew out the candles on her birthday cake.
At least then he’d have some sort of proof, something solid to etch in his memory to remind him of her new ‘legal’ status. He refused to feel guilty now and since he decided he didn’t, boy oh howdy, he really needed to get her out of there.
A few minutes later, she tip-toed across the room and he expected her. She started by his chair in pursuit of his big boy toys. He reached behind his head, snapped her wrist and tugged her onto his lap. He meant to stop her, and he managed to do it.
He didn’t mean to catch her weightless body and keep it sprawled across his lap. He didn’t want to make it easy for her to wrap her slender arm around his neck and he damn sure didn’t mean to kiss her.
His lips took control and changed all plans once she melted down his defenses. She locked her eyes on his mouth, her mouth watered, lips parted and well, it was her birthday. He might as well act like Braden and give her everything she wanted. Well, almost everything.
Peyton giggled when she landed across his lap, and she fully expected him to kiss her. Of course he would, she initiated it. She’d tried for over three months to get his lips on hers and failed each and every time. Now, he was there, nipping at her lower lip and tracing her jaw with a hungry mouth. Oh God, she’d never had a kiss like this. His tongue traced over her mouth and those dark brown eyes looked at her with a whole lot of lust. She lost her mind watching him.
His tongue swept along her tongue. Her heart turned cartwheels as he kissed her without enough deliberation to stop the act they were certain to find. What a man, she thought, as she curled her fingers into his blond hair.
She ached for this kiss to continue forever, and she wanted it to last long enough for him to realize he liked her, wanted her enough to take her in the bedroom and strip her down to bare bones. She wanted him to show her what he kept in his satchel. She’d heard stories. She’d eavesdropped in the local shops enough to know Kane liked it rough and wild. She wanted the animal in him to come alive in her.
She clutched him closer, tugged at his shirt, ready to rip it, and right then and there, it ended. He grabbed her wrist and glared into her eyes.
He swallowed tightly. She did the same.
“We gotta get outta here.”
She brushed his hair away from his forehead. “Kiss me again, Kane. Please kiss me again.”
His mouth curved into a wary smile. “Happy birthday, Peyton.” He licked his lips and she thought he might give her one more for the road. Wishful thinking. Instead, he stood and then dumped her where he’d been seated. Then, he strode across the hardwood floors, locked the door leading to the docks and grabbed her hand on the way out. “Let’s go.”
He shouldn’t have kissed her.
The lone thought reeled through his head as he drove them back to the ranch. She said she couldn’t drive because her knees turned to squish and jelly. He made her knees turn to mush.
No, he shouldn’t have kissed her.
Braden and Evan wanted him to keep her away from the house long enough to set up for a surprise birthday party. He imagined Vicky made herself available for the surprise.
His brothers were probably having a field day checking out her ass and boobs. Everyone liked to look at Vicky.
A common tease, Vicky possessed a saucy reputation. If he had to do a teeny bopper, he might consider Vicky. She didn’t live with them. She was safe…and legal. Plus, rumor had it, the girl could blow a man like nobody’s business. Yeah, he’d think about Vicky.