“Maree, thank you again.” Kaycee pushed her plate away. “I enjoyed the pie. But right now I need to visit a bathroom.”
Fuck. He’d forgotten. She was like traveling with Cohen’s girls. They needed the pisser regularly too. His chair scraped the floor as he stood. “I’ll show you.”
“Super.” Her heels clicked as she followed him down the hall and into his room.
He flipped his bedroom light on and did the same in the bathroom. “I’ll bring in your bags.”
She rubbed at her neck. “Thank you.”
“No worries, luv.” Reluctantly, he closed his bedroom door behind him. He’d have liked to have stayed and worked the tension out of her neck and shoulders for her.
He grunted in the hallway as he nearly plowed over Travis.
“Big M, she’s a bloody looker. Most amazing eyes I’ve ever seen.”
“What color are they?” He folded his arms, rocked back on his heels.
“Uh.” A flush stained the young man’s face.
Thought as much.
Chapter Eight
Muscles coiled tight, Miller tried not to pace. But dammit to hell, Kaycee was in his bedroom, and he wasn’t. Instead he stood on the front porch brooding.
His friend.
Yeah, right. After all the times they’d rooted, she’d referred to him as a friend. Friends didn’t fuck like they’d been doing.
The night crawled by as he waited for her to put in an appearance. Another hour passed before he went inside. He supposed it wouldn’t hurt to check on her. Especially since they were friends.
His mum eyed him as he passed through the living room, but he headed to his rooms without a word.
As strange as it was to knock on his own door, he did.
“Yep?”
“You all right?”
“Yep.”
A frown pulled at his forehead. She didn’t sound fine. He tried the door to find it unlocked. Peeking in, he saw she sat Indian style in the middle of his bed. His heart rate kicked up at the sight of her on top of his mattress. His bed. The Yank sat on his bed. Her hair was loose and wild. Up north, he’d be in that bed with her. They’d both be naked…
Lust rocketed through his blood. Arousal settled in his groin.
“Mind if I come in?”
“Of course not. It’s your room.”
After a calming breath, he joined her inside and closed the door.
Kaycee ducked her head and went back to the book in her lap.
Uncomfortable, he shoved his hands into his pockets. Fuck, if he could turn back time, he would. He hated having to pull conversation from her. His chest rose and fell in a deep breath. “You want to come out and watch some telly?”
She shook her head. “No. I thought you’d all want family time.”
“T’s watching a game.” He stayed where he stood. “Mum’s dozing off in her chair.”
“Oh.”
“You reading?”
“Not really. I was rereading what I wrote in my journal.”
There was no telling what she’d written about him in there. He nodded in acknowledgement. A few times, he’d seen her write in her book. She’d said it was therapeutic.
“Are you ready for bed?” She scrambled off the mattress. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“No.” He watched her shove her journal into the bag she always kept handy. All her other bags remained stacked where he’d placed them along the far wall. “I’ll be the one to sleep on the couch.” Though he’d prefer to be in his bed with her, he did like the idea of her in his bed. Between his sheets where her scent would linger.
Eh, with her in here there’d be no sleep for him tonight. Or any other night she was there. The time would be agonizing as it slipped by. He wanted to be what covered her at night. He wanted to be her pillow once they’d exhausted one another.
“I’m not going to take your own bed from you.” She straightened. Her arms came around to cross over her breasts.
He opened his mouth to argue but changed his tactic. “You’ll have more privacy in here.” What he wanted was for her to be comfortable in his home. More importantly, he needed her to be at ease around him the way she’d been. “Never know when one of the family will stop by. T is always around.” The Thorns were a tight-knit bunch, they came and went on whims. Just as he did at his Auntie’s house and Co’s place.
She turned away and wandered over to the sliding glass doors. “I don’t want to make this situation any worse by sleeping in here.”
“What?” He joined her to stand to her right.
The pulse in her throat beat wildly. “I’m a little out of my element here.”
The woman was in the Australian outback. She was way out of her comfort zone. But he was no fool. That wasn’t what she meant. “Luv, I’ve no problems with you using my bedroom.”
“Well, I do.” She turned her stormy gaze his way. “I do, okay.”
“What is it?” Bloody fuck. What had gotten under her skin now? “Isn’t it comfortable enough for you?”
“The bed is wonderful.” She waved a hand, then pushed her hair away from her face. “It’s the biggest bed I’ve ever been in.”
Still not seeing the problem, he grunted. He’d special-ordered his bed so he’d have plenty of room.
“It smells like you.”
His prick twitched. Now that was an admission he liked hearing.
“This whole room smells like you.” Her eyelids lowered to shield her gaze.
He took a step forward, only to have her back away. Only days ago, she’d not have run from his advance.
“I can’t believe how things have happened. I’ve no clue how to act around you.” The admission filled him with regret. Christ, what a pig’s arse he was for hurting her. All he wanted was for her to treat him the way she had. He wanted how she’d made him feel back. “I liked the way you were…”
She cut him off with a roll of her expressive eyes. “I can’t imagine how many one-night stands, affairs you’ve had… I’m going to be honest.” She paused for a breath. “I don’t know how to be friends with someone…someone I’ve had…sex with.” A flush colored her cheeks.
So now they’d had sex. That hadn’t been the word she’d begged him with. Make love to me. More regret hit him in the gut. He forced himself to take a step back.
“Anyway, I know we weren’t supposed to get personal. Now I understand why.” She wouldn’t look his way. “I can’t imagine how uncomfortable you must be with me here.”
How the fuck did he bring things back around? “Kaycee…”
“I promise to get out as soon as I can.” She stood with her arms protectively around herself once more.
Bugger me. Agitated, he raked a hand through his hair. The stacked bags caught his attention. Without another thought, he crossed the room and started shifting his belongings from one drawer to another.
“Wait. What are you doing?” Kaycee approached him but he ignored her. He cleared out a second drawer. “Will you stop a minute?”
She clasped his shoulder, sending a jolt of awareness through him. No sooner had she touched him than she withdrew her hand. Had she felt the connection to?
He looked up. Her breath had quickened. What was the spark that never failed to catch fire between them? His continued reaction to her more than intrigued him.
Refocusing on the task at hand, Miller cleaned out a third drawer for her to use before he stood. “You can use these for your belongings.” How intimate it’d be to have her belongings among his own.
“I can’t.”
At his closet, he shoved all his belongings aside to free up space for her things. “I’ll find you some hangers.”
“Oh, please wait, Miller.” Kaycee’s wide gaze pleaded something he couldn’t name. “This is strange, don’t you think?”
“Strange?”
“Yes, weird.”
“Sharing my room with you isn’t queer.” Well, maybe a little. It might not sit well wi
th his mum. But he didn’t have a clue as to what he was doing. It all boiled down to his desire to spend as much time with her as he was allowed.
A rush of breath sent a lock of hair away from her face. “I don’t want to make you feel any more awkward than I already have.”
For a long moment, he stood there staring at the Yank. She was a little fruit loop to be worrying over him. He wasn’t uncomfortable around her. Not in the sense she meant. Truth was, he’d never been more content around someone before. And that worried the fuck out of him. Good things didn’t happen in his world. Still he wanted what time with her he could get.
“I told you once I don’t do anything I don’t want to.” He searched for the right words. Words that didn’t let her in on how comfortable with her he’d become. That wouldn’t do either of them any good. She wasn’t sticking around in the long run. And even if she did, his track record proved what they shared was on a crash course.
His prick pressed against the material of his pants. But he tried to focus past his need. He wanted to toss her down on his bed and root until the sun came up. Though as nervous as she appeared now, he supposed it was best not to start anything further between them. So he’d settle for her company. “I don’t mind you being here.”
Big gray eyes followed him to the door.
“I’ll be right back with those hangers.”
Unfortunately, his mum joined him in the spare room that had once been his brother Cohen’s. Miller dug into the extra closet in hopes he wouldn’t have to face what no doubt was coming.
“She’s a beauty.”
Yep, he hadn’t thought she’d allow him to slip in and out without a word. “Eh, she is.” Reluctantly, he turned to face her. “Mum.”
Making it clear she planned to bend his ear, she sat in the old rocker that now stayed in the corner of the room.
“Travis thinks you hooked up with the Yank.”
Teeth clenched, he bit back a curse. Bugger Travis.
“He’s enjoying himself telling your cousins you brought a sheila home.”
T had a big bloody cakehole. “Mum, I need you to leave this alone.” He needed everyone to leave it alone. All he was after was some stolen time with the Yank. That was it. He was always realistic. His father had beaten the frame of mind into him regularly enough. All too soon, she’d be gone.
Slowly, her foot rocked her back and forth. “I just want you to be careful.”
It was useless to tell her he’d been a grown man for a long damn time. He gave her his back and pulled a hanger down.
“I’ll never forget how things went with Emily and Denae.”
Not a chance he’d ever forget how either of the relationships had gone down either. Though he couldn’t be happier for Ethan and Denae. But Kaycee was like neither Em nor Denae. She wasn’t like anyone he’d ever met. He couldn’t possibly deserve someone like her in his life.
“You know everything I’ve done, I’ve done because I want to see my boys happy.”
Another hanger joined those already in his hand.
“You’ve always been special to me, Miller.” She sighed. “You remind me so much of your father.”
That was not a good thing in his opinion. The admission ate at him. He turned around to meet her gaze. No loathing rested there in the depths of her aging eyes.
“I’d look at you as you grew into a man, amazed at your strength of character. I’ve always been so proud of you.” She rested her head back. “Little Co used to tell me you were my favorite.”
“That’s BS.” His chest rumbled. He wasn’t his mum’s favorite. Not by a long shot. “Hell, Ethan and Cohen got by with everything.”
“Oh, son. You never saw how much you meant to me.”
“Mum…” He gulped a breath. Bloody hell, how had they gotten onto this topic? He knew his mum cared for him, for them all. She’d sacrificed for them. More than any woman ought to.
“Everything I did, I did for you.” She closed her eyes. “I stayed with your father because of you. For you. I wanted you to have this land you loved so much.”
A knot caught in his chest. “What?”
“I knew how much this land meant to you.”
Oh, fuck no. His heart hammered like a steal spike being driven into railroad ties. Oh, Christ, Mum. This land has never meant more to me than you do. Without you the land would have meant nothing. For his mum he’d learned to fight his old man tooth and nail. No matter what she said, this land mattered to her as much as it did to him.
“I know you’ve never thought much of me…”
“More BS.” Where had she gotten that idea? From the moment he could stand up to his father he’d protected her.
“I know I shouldn’t have stayed with your father. But I stayed for you. You deserved your share of this station.” She smiled gently. “Your granddad was right—even while you were a little boy he said you’d do right by this place. No matter how your father threatened, I wasn’t going to let him rob you of it.”
No matter how he tried, he’d never understand why his father hadn’t cared for him.
“You know what I’m thinking?”
He blinked.
“I’m glad things didn’t work out with Emily the way you wanted back then. She wasn’t near good enough for my boy.” She stood and raised a hand before he could say anything. “And we both know Denae wasn’t right for you.” The gleam returned to his mum’s gaze.
“Mum…” No, he didn’t trust the expression she wore.
Smiling, she shuffled toward the door. “I just want you to be happy.”
“I’ve never asked anything of you.” That was the truth, he never had. At least not since he could hold his own. “I need your word now. You’ll stay out of…this, away from Kaycee.”
“I’ve learned my lesson.” Her hand rested on the doorframe. “Oh, there’s plenty of your favorite ice creams in the freezer.” She left him.
He blew out a breath.
Bugger me.
Nope, he’d have to be on guard. He wasn’t buying his mum’s word.
On his way back to his bedroom, he collected two half gallons of ice cream and spoons.
He discovered Kaycee on the floor in front of his dresser with a suitcase nearby. At the bed, he dropped the hangers on the mattress. “You want some ice cream? I’ve brought two flavors.”
On a moan of pure longing, she turned her head. “Do I have to choose? I’ve a weakness for ice cream.”
“Nope. You can have both.” Miller didn’t try to fight the grin. “I’ve got a sweet tooth.” Ice cream, cake, cookies, candy—he never turned down sweets.
At the dresser, he took the lids off and passed her a container along with the spoon. “Your mom won’t mind that we eat from the cartons?”
“Nope. She doesn’t eat ice cream.” He took a bite of the chocolate chip. “Now drinking from the moo juice jug gets her pissy.”
“I’ll remember that.” Keeping hold of her treat, she stood. “When did you add these rooms? I noticed you have an office.”
“Four, five years ago.” He followed her. “I gave up on mum moving into a new home so I built a master suite with an office.” He grasped for more to say, “If you’re interested, there’s wireless Internet access. T’s on the computer a lot.”
“I hope you don’t mind.” A flush stole up her cheeks. “I peeked.”
“You’re welcome to anything that’s mine.” He took another spoonful.
“Thank you.” Using her spoon she pointed toward the office. “I saw your collection of model planes.”
“Eh. They’re a bitch sometimes. Fiddling with them.” He faced a palm out to her. “My fingers are clumsy.”
Quietly, she flipped the light switch on inside his office. When she ducked out of sight, he followed.
A few feet away, she stood staring at a half-dozen rows of model birdies. “You really love airplanes, don’t you?”
“Eh. I’ve been flying since I could piss by myself.” In the beginn
ing, his granddad had put him in his lap.
“No way.” She licked her spoon clean.
“Times were different then.” He shrugged.
“Yeah, I guess they were.”
“My granddad taught me.” He’d been nine years old when his granddad had died. His life had changed for the worse then. While his old man had always been quick with his fist, he’d gone a little crazy after his dad’s death.
“I had to take my driver’s test three times.” Dimples peeked out from a smile.
“Should I be worried?”
“No.” She exchanged ice creams with him. “I bet I’m as good of a driver as you are a pilot.”
He snorted.
Kaycee laughed. “You know, you’ve got a bit of an ego.”
His right brow arched.
“At least when it comes to your piloting skills.” She nodded, as if agreeing with herself before taking a bite.
“If I have an ego it’s well deserved.”
“I know.” He was treated to another breathtaking smile. “You saved us, remember?”
He took a steadying breath at her banter. It felt at least for the moment that his Kaycee was back.
Kaycee inhaled the pillow and moaned. She loved Miller’s scent. Simply loved it.
“Kaycee.” A nudge pressed into her shoulder. “Kaycee.”
Holy snap. Never would she forget that bone-melting voice. That dreamy accent. She rolled over to discover the object of her fantasies towering over the bed.
“I tried knocking.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “G’day, luv.”
“What time is it?” She eyed the window. With the sun rising at least she knew God was awake.
“About four.”
What a horribly early hour to wake. “Aren’t you sleepy?” She moaned.
“Nope. Breakfast is on the table.”
“Oh, thank your mom, but I’ll pass.” She’d stayed up late organizing her things. Miller had given her half his closet and six drawers total. She’d given up the argument. Who was she kidding? She didn’t understand him, but he’d been trying to be friends. So she’d accepted. It’d been so strange to see her things hanging alongside his.
True Blue Love: The Thorns, Book 3 Page 11