by Nina Lane
He draped the tarp back over the car. He could ask his father or Luke if Sugar Rush would sponsor the car show, but that wouldn’t be different from every single other time he’d relied on his family’s money to get something done.
He headed back to his Trans Am. Kate was the reason he was suddenly so antsy. She was only a year younger than him, but she had a high-powered job, a house, and probably a dozen investment and retirement accounts. She even had a plan for her love life. He had a trust fund and…stuff that was paid for with his trust fund.
On his way back to Indigo Bay, he detoured to Rainsville, where the Wild Child Bakery sat at the lower level of an old building that had recently been restored to its former glory.
Tyler went inside, appreciating the warm, homey atmosphere with numerous plants, colorful prints on the walls, and rustic wooden tables. People sat drinking coffee, reading books and newspapers, playing board games. Hannah, Polly, and their friend Ramona bustled around behind the counter, their voices rising cheerfully over the clatter of plates.
After greeting them and buying a doughnut and coffee, he sat at a table by the window. Not until he’d started coming here regularly had he appreciated all that Polly had created—Wild Child was a gathering place for so many people, a home away from home. They came for concerts, poetry readings, writing workshops.
Tyler would have envied Polly’s seemingly effortless abilities if he hadn’t known she’d made Wild Child such a success through hard work, creativity, and learning from Luke’s business expertise.
“Hey, man.”
Speak of the devil.
Luke pulled out the chair opposite Tyler’s and sat down with a cup of coffee. “What’re you doing here?”
“Just hanging out,” Tyler said. “You?”
“Waiting for Polly’s shift to end. We’re going to the Codswallop music festival for the rest of the weekend.”
Tyler sat back in his chair. His brother was wearing cargo shorts and a T-shirt, and dark stubble lined his jaw. Far cry from CEO Luke Stone with his tailored suits and ties.
“Yeah, she told me,” Tyler said. “What’d you do there?”
“Aside from get a contact high?” Luke grinned. “Listen to bands, eat, dance, sit around a campfire, nap in a hammock. Watch Polly hula-hoop.”
“You stay in a hotel?”
“A tent.”
Tyler raised his brows. “Seriously?”
Luke gestured to where Polly was restocking a tray of Declairs. “Whatever she wants, man.”
“Dude, you are fucking whipped.”
“Like cream. Never been happier.”
Tyler picked at his doughnut. An uncomfortable feeling rustled inside him. He’d always figured he was whipped, too—by women in general—but he wasn’t all that happy about it. Made him feel like an ass, actually.
But Luke had just one woman he’d do anything for. One woman he couldn’t say no to. One woman he wanted to keep happy. One woman who made him happy in return.
Maybe that was the difference between being jerked around and being…in love.
He shook that thought off.
“So where is this festival?” he asked.
“Field down near San Miguel, off Highway 5.”
“Yeah?” An idea sparked in Tyler’s mind. “How big is the field?”
“Few acres, I guess. Belongs to a farmer who’s been renting it out to the festival for years.”
“Does he rent it out to anyone or just Codswallop?”
“No idea.” Luke shrugged. “Why, you need it for something?”
“Maybe. Does Polly have the farmer’s contact info?”
“If she doesn’t, she can get it for you.” Luke studied him for a moment. “What’ve you got in mind?”
Tyler took a bite of doughnut to avoid having to respond. He didn’t want to tell Luke about looking for a venue for a classic car show. None of his brothers had ever disparaged his interest in cars, and Evan had always supported it, but it wasn’t an actual job.
The bakery door opened, letting in a rush of cool air. Kate walked in with her briefcase, her stride brisk and purposeful.
Tyler’s heart crashed against his ribcage. She wore one of her straight black skirts and a white blouse, but his body reacted to her as if she’d been standing in front of him wearing lacy red lingerie.
No, that wasn’t true. It had nothing to do with what she was wearing. He just reacted to her.
“Oh, good, you haven’t left yet.” She spotted Luke and hurried over to the table, her steps slowing when she saw Tyler sitting there.
He frowned. He didn’t like being the second one she noticed.
“Morning, Kate.” Luke stood to take a file folder from her. “Ty, you can thank Kate for ordering the new equipment for the library.”
“I already did.”
Kate darted him a quick glance, a flush rising to her cheeks. She set her briefcase on a nearby table. “Nice to see you again, Tyler. Luke, I brought you the projected growth charts from the chewing gum sectors as well.”
“Great, thanks.” Luke leafed through the report. “We need to include data about the accelerated growth of the European and Asian markets. And I want reports from the presidents of the global divisions for the overall financial plan, with North America remaining the main reportable segment.”
“And a customer base of retail markets, wholesale distributers, vendors, drugstores, and concessionaries.” Kate took a yellow legal pad from her briefcase and wrote some notes. “With a marketing emphasis on brand recognition and superior product quality. Did you want me to include an update on the Cocoa Bean Team?”
“If Evan has finished the new mission statement on Sugar Rush’s corporate responsibility, yes.”
Kate nodded and continued writing, glancing up and meeting Tyler’s gaze with a sudden start—as if she’d felt him watching her. Her serious, concentrated expression disappeared for half an instant into a slight smile before she turned back to Luke, who was saying something about “joint ventures” and “strategic objectives.” She continued writing, obviously understanding everything he was saying.
Irritation gripped Tyler.
“Good, thank you.” Luke nodded after finishing another list of things for her to do. “Can you have the draft on my desk by mid-week?”
“Of course, sir.”
“And the SEC and Section 16 filings?”
Tyler shoved to his feet, knocking against the table hard enough that his coffee splashed over the edge of the cup. Both Luke and Kate glanced at him.
“It’s the weekend, sir,” Tyler snapped at his brother. “Do you pay Kate extra to be your assistant on the weekends, or is she just not allowed to have a life of her own?”
Kate gasped, her wide-eyed gaze flying from Tyler to Luke in shock. Luke looked at him in bafflement.
“Sir, I’m sorry,” Kate said quickly. “It’s really not a problem for me to—”
“You don’t have to call him sir,” Tyler interrupted, his hands flexing and unflexing.
“She knows that.” Luke quickly recovered from the surprise of the outburst, his expression hardening. “And her job is not your business.”
The fuck it’s not, Tyler wanted to snap. She’s my business. Kate is my business.
“Look, um…” Kate stepped closer to Tyler, the back of her hand brushing against his. “I’m happy to work on weekends occasionally, and Luke knows that.”
“You work more than occasionally on weekends,” Tyler retorted. “Do you ever say no to him?”
Her eyes flashed. “Luke would never ask me to do something if it were inconvenient for me.”
“Yeah?” A thousand emotions simmered through him—jealousy, anger, frustration, need. “But you would never tell him if it were inconvenient, would you? You just do whatever the hell he wants whenever the hell he wants it.”
“Watch it, man.” Eyes narrowed, Luke stepped between him and Kate, putting his hand on Tyler’s chest and pushing him backward. �
�You’re crossing a line.”
Tyler’s breath burned in his lungs. He’d already crossed the line. He was so far on the other side that he couldn’t even see the fucking line anymore.
A hush fell over the bakery. Behind Luke, Kate clutched her notebook, her face pale.
Tyler shoved Luke’s hand off his chest and stalked out the door. Resentment clawed at him. He couldn’t compete with his brothers, especially Luke. He’d known that when he was a kid—they were all older, smarter, goddamned better. Why would he ever think he could compete with the CEO over his super-assistant?
“Tyler.”
Kate’s voice stopped him in his tracks. He turned, his jaw tightening as he watched her hurry toward him, her black shoes clacking on the pavement and her briefcase clutched in her hand.
She came to a halt in front of him, her gaze searching his face, her breath fast.
“Well,” she finally said. “That was quite a show.”
The tension in his shoulders eased a little. He rubbed the back of his neck.
“I…it just pisses me off that he wants you at his beck and call all the fucking time. Why should you be?”
Her forehead creased. “Well, I told him when he first hired me that I was available twenty-four seven. And I was. I didn’t know anyone or have any friends when I first moved here, and I had no real EA experience…so it made sense to devote all my time to learning on the job. I wanted to do the best I could.”
“That was two years ago,” Tyler reminded her bitterly. “Pretty sure you know how to do your job now. And you don’t need to jump every time he calls.”
“Actually, I do.” She slanted her gaze away from him. “I need to be indispensable.”
“Everything okay out here?” Luke walked toward them from the bakery, the lines of his body tense. “Ty, you want to tell me what’s going on?”
Tyler held up his hands, expelling his breath in a rush. “Nothing, man. Just being an ass.”
Luke looked from him to Kate. “Kate?”
“Everything is fine, sir. Tyler and I had a little misunderstanding earlier, but we’ve worked it out. I assure you this will not affect my job performance.”
Tyler couldn’t stop a curse from escaping. Kate shot him a warning look.
“If there’s a problem between you two, I need to know about it,” Luke said.
“No problem.” Kate and Tyler both spoke at the same time.
Though Luke didn’t appear convinced, he gave a short nod and stepped back. “I’m going. Kate, you call me immediately if you need to.”
“Yes, sir.”
Luke pointed at Tyler—a “watch yourself” gesture—and strode back to the bakery. Kate moved toward Tyler.
“Why did you do that?” she asked.
His hands flexed. What the fuck was he supposed to say? That he didn’t want to show her how to attract another man? That now he was jealous of his damned brother, who had all of her time and attention? That she was the first woman he’d ever felt so possessive about and he wanted her to belong only to him?
Yeah, spill his guts and then listen to her little speech about how they were just temporary fuck buddies and he wasn’t the one she really wanted. Not for good anyway.
He turned, yanking open the passenger side door of his car.
“Get in,” he ordered Kate.
She hesitated, glancing back at the door of Wild Child closing behind Luke. Tyler’s blood burned. The second of waiting felt like an hour. Then she climbed into the car, putting her briefcase on the floor.
Tyler slammed the door and got into the driver’s seat. He reversed and pulled out of the lot, peeling onto the street with a squeal of the tires.
“Tyler, slow down.” Kate put her hand on his thigh. “Can we please talk about this?”
He gripped the steering wheel. He didn’t want to talk. Too much shit was tangled up in his chest, making it hard to breathe. He swerved, pulling the car off the road and into the shadow of a deserted barn.
After killing the engine, he looked at Kate. She was watching him, all flushed and beautiful with her hair like silk and her eyes sharp and intelligent. He took her glasses off and set them on the dashboard.
He rested his hand against the side of her face. The feeling of her breath on his wrist, right where his pulse beat rapidly, eased some of his anger. Then she turned her head and pressed a kiss against the center of his palm.
A hard shudder rocked through him. Before he could grab her, haul her toward him, Kate was unbuckling her seatbelt and closing the distance between them. Their mouths collided in a hot, hungry kiss that jolted him with lust. His head filled with her taste, her scent, the feel of her lush body against his.
He grabbed her hips, yanking her heavy skirt up to her hips. His heart hammered. He gripped her stockings and yanked, ripping them at the thigh. Kate gasped, her eyes widening in shock. He pushed the seat back and hauled her onto his lap so she was straddling his thighs.
“What if someone…” Kate’s words trailed into a moan as he pulled the torn nylon away and put his hand between her thighs. Her panties were damp, the cotton clinging to her inner lips. His dick stiffened.
“Fuck,” he muttered, pressing the cotton into the crevice of her pussy. “I knew you’d be ready.”
“I’ve been ready since you walked out last night.” Kate put her hands on either side of his jaw and lowered her head to kiss him. “I feel like you flipped a switch inside me. Turned on a light.”
She’d done the same to him. A blazing hot, white light glowed in the center of his chest with the force of a hundred suns. He pushed her underwear to the side and drew his finger over her heat, the tight little button of her clit.
Kate shuddered, sliding her hands to his shoulders. “Wait.”
She drew away from him only long enough to unbutton her shirt. Her fingers trembled. Tyler’s breath stopped when she tossed the shirt onto the other seat and worked the clasp of her bra. Her breasts popped out, her nipples so pink and hard he lowered his head to close his lips around one and suck.
“Tyler…” She gasped, driving one hand into his hair and putting the other on his groin. “I need you.”
He fumbled to yank open his jeans and push them down his thighs. His dick stood straight up between them, already hard enough to ache. Kate licked her lips and grasped his cock, working her hand up and down in a perfect rhythm.
“Do you have a condom?” she whispered.
“Glove compartment.”
She leaned over to find the condom, releasing him only long enough to unwrap the packet and sheathe his erection. He clutched her waist, lifting her and positioning her right at the tip of his cock.
With a low moan, she sank down onto him. Tyler rested his head against the back of the seat, his whole body tensing with pleasure as her tight heat enclosed his shaft. He dug his fingers into her hips and thrust upward once.
“Move.” He slipped his hand back to give her ass a little slap. “Make yourself come on my dick.”
“God, Tyler…” Kate clutched his shoulders, her breath coming in hot puffs against his face as she lifted her body and brought it down again, enveloping him in bliss. “This is so…”
He half expected her to say something like so wrong, so dangerous, so illegal.
“…incredible,” she finished, squirming so her ass rubbed against his thighs. “I had no idea it could feel like this.”
“I’ll show you a thousand other things that feel even better.” He palmed one of her breasts, tweaking her nipple. “Work yourself on me. Nice and fast.”
Perspiration broke out on her skin. She adjusted her position, tightening her knees around his hips before she started moving up and down in earnest.
Fuck, yeah.
That was what he wanted—her gorgeous tits bouncing, her head thrown back, her whole body writhing like she couldn’t get enough. Again and again her pussy enclosed him, driving him to orgasm as fast as she was driving herself. Little moans burst from her thr
oat every time she slammed her body downward.
The windows fogged. The smacking noise of flesh hitting flesh filled the car. Sweat trickled down his temple. His muscles strained with the effort of holding back, but just when he thought he couldn’t stop himself, Kate came with a sharp cry, her body rippling and convulsing. He grabbed her hips and thrust upward, shooting inside her with a force that shook the earth.
She gasped, falling against him in a sweet, damp bundle of heat, her breath warm against his neck.
“Wow,” she whispered. “We could get arrested for this.”
He squeezed her ass. “Totally worth jail time.”
She giggled and pressed a kiss on his shoulder. She drew her hand down his chest and let it stop right over his heart.
Chapter
FOURTEEN
Kate never knew she could feel like this. Like glitter was sparkling through her veins. Like she was inside a shiny, translucent soap bubble, dipping and swaying through a lush tropical forest. Like her heart had infinite possibilities, a universe dusted with stars.
Needless to say, she found it difficult to concentrate on work when she returned to Sugar Rush on Monday morning. Her mind kept drifting to Tyler, replaying the time they’d spent together over the weekend.
Everything about him was imprinted in her memory—the timbre of his deep voice, his sexy smile, the way he looked at her like she was a tasty little candy he wanted to eat right up.
And of course, she couldn’t stop thinking of all the ways he’d touched her, kissed her, licked her. Her body hummed, as if it were awakening after a long state of dormancy.
But overlying all her warm, gooey feelings was a flashing red Danger sign, reminding her that a fuck buddy friendship was almost the opposite of an honest-to-God relationship. And the latter was what she wanted. She couldn’t let her feelings for Tyler run loose and wild, regardless of her current state of starry-eyed bliss.