by Tara Rose
“But didn’t Dalton meet them, too, then?”
Maverick shook his head. “Before Dalton’s mother had her fall, he and Bethany, his sister, used to visit us in Boulder every summer. When Trace and his father came here, Dalton was in Boulder. He never knew about it until Nash found a photograph of Uncle Leland, Jack Monroe, his son Jason, Bill Coleman, and his son, Trace, standing in front of the totem pole on Juniper Street. Their names and the date were written on the back.”
“Holy shit. But what was that photo doing in Nash’s basement?”
“It was mixed in with family photographs. His grandfather was still alive when the picture was taken, so Nash thinks he had it because of his long-term association with Bryce.”
“So now what will happen?”
“It’s already done. This morning, Dalton found muddy shoes and clothes in his father’s room. He took pictures of them and called Tommy, but by then the two men on Trace’s crew had already flipped on Uncle Leland.”
“Oh, Maverick. I don’t know what to say. What’s going to happen to him?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Dalton has moved out of his house. He’s at Pacos Farms with Wes and Summer.”
“Do you still have a job?”
“Dalton has assured me that I do, but Wes has also offered to hire me to work for Pacos Farms if I want to. Under the circumstances, I think I may take him up on the offer. Dalton said he wouldn’t blame me if I did.”
“Is that what you want?”
“I sure don’t want to work for my uncle any longer, and Dalton has never wanted anything to do with his family’s business dealings. I’m not sure what will happen to them now. Someone has to run the company, but I don’t think Dalton wants to do it.”
“Why doesn’t he want to run his family’s companies?”
“Because unfortunately, that’s not the end of the story where Uncle Leland is concerned.”
“How much worse can it get?”
He gave her a look filled with such pain that she got up and crawled into his lap, not giving a shit how many of her neighbors might be watching. He wrapped his arms around her and she breathed in his scent. “You remember me telling you that my Aunt Eileen, Dalton’s mother, took a bad fall when he was in high school?”
She nodded against his chest. “She’s at Shady Pines, right?”
“Yes. Dalton now has reason to believe that his father might have tried to kill her.”
“Oh my God. Is he sure about that?”
“Not yet.”
“I don’t know what to say, Maverick.”
“There’s nothing anyone can say. But thank you for letting me get all this off my chest.”
“Of course. Tell me what I can do to help.”
“Nothing. Just let me hold you right now.”
Felicity snuggled closer to him, wishing she could do something more concrete to help. But if what he needed right now was simply her presence, she’d gladly give him that much, and more. She tried to imagine what he was feeling, but couldn’t. Even all the shit that Brittani and now Harmony had put her parents through wasn’t as bad as what Maverick had just told her.
Possible murder and stolen money hidden behind walls. No wonder Kane was interested in the people of this town. If he was looking for weird phenomena, this place was a fucking gold mine.
Chapter Sixteen
Felicity had wanted to call in sick, but Maverick talked her into working her shift. He hadn’t wanted her to get in trouble, even though she’d assured him that she wouldn’t. She hardly ever called in, and she knew that John would forgive her for taking one night off. It’s not like no one else could make desserts, and her sweet bread recipe was posted where the other chefs could find it if need be.
Maverick drove her to work, and when she checked her phone and text messages on her break, he’d texted to say that he was moving into Wes’s house at Pacos Farms as well, and that he’d quit his job working for his uncle.
Felicity sat alone at one of the picnic tables outside, surrounded by chattering coworkers at the other tables, and tried to make sense of everything that Maverick had told her earlier, but she couldn’t. It sounded like something out of a crime novel, not an everyday occurrence in Passion Peak. When he texted again to ask if she needed a ride home, she called him instead. “You sound like you’re a bit busy right now, Maverick. I can walk home tonight.”
“Are you sure? I feel like I’m abandoning you.”
“You’re not abandoning me. I used to walk all the time before last week, you know.”
“All right. I’ll be up most of the night as it is, getting everything moved in and arranged. You should see this wing I have in the Danbury mansion. It’s almost as large as my entire house was. It has a private entrance, and my bedroom overlooks the lake on their property. Plus, there’s a workout room in the basement that I have the full use of, and they have two chefs. If I want something to eat in the middle of the night, all I have to do is call down and ask for it, like twenty-four hour room service in a swanky hotel.”
“It sound like you’ll be on a permanent vacation. I can’t wait to see it. Will you be able to bring all your toys and bondage equipment with you?”
“Everything. Don’t you worry about that. Are we still going hiking on Thursday? I can show you my new place afterward and put your mind at ease that the spanking bench is still here.”
A shiver ran up and down her spine as an image of being draped over that bench again rose up in her mind. “Absolutely we’re going. I can’t wait.”
“Me either. Did I tell you that I also I quit my job? I now officially am on the IT team for Pacos Farms, Incorporated.”
“Yes, you said that in one of your texts earlier.”
“I had to do it, Felicity. I couldn’t go back there and work for my uncle, knowing what he’s done.”
“I can’t imagine how hard that would have been, or how devastated you are by this.”
“I don’t think the full impact of it has hit me yet. Right now, I’m just trying to take it one hour at a time. I miss you, Felicity. I wish you were here right now. I should have let you call in sick.”
“I miss you, too.”
“I’ll call you later, okay? Or, in the morning. Or both.”
She smiled and cradled the phone against her ear. “It’s a deal. Talk to you soon.”
After she disconnected the call, she watched the clouds scurry across the sky and turned her face into the breeze. It was going to rain. She could smell it. It might even get cold enough to snow soon. There was snow on top of the mountains already in some places. Winter came early in this part of the country.
She was about to go back inside when her phone rang, and this time it was Kane. She answered it, honestly glad to hear from him. She needed someone to talk to right now. “Hey, that was good timing. You caught me on a break.”
“I’ve been listening to local gossip at The Saloon, and I called to make sure that Maverick was okay. I figured you’d know.”
“Is that where you are?” She could hear country music in the background.
“Yes.”
“That was very sweet of you to call and ask about him, Kane.”
“Well, it’s obvious how much you care for him, and I care for you, so there we are. Are you all right?”
“I am, but I’m honestly not sure if Maverick is right now.”
“Is he picking you up after work?”
“No. He’s moving out of his house, and he starts a new job in the morning. I thought under the circumstance, he needed a night off from chauffeur duty.”
“In that case, I’d like to offer my services. What time are you off?”
Felicity smiled. “Ten thirty.”
“I’ll be there.”
Felicity heard from Maverick one more time before her shift ended. He called her briefly to tell her again that he was really looking forward to Thursday, and that things were busy and crazy at Pacos Farms tonight. Dalton, Summer and Wes were tryi
ng to piece together everything that had happened, and all three were very upset over how involved Leland was in this mess. He apologized again for not being able to drive her home from work, and she told him that Kane had called and was picking her up.
“Oh. Okay.”
“Is that all right? Maverick, if you don’t want him to, just say the word.”
“No, it’s fine. I told you all that, Felicity. I’m here if you need me, though. All right?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“I love it when you call me that.”
“And I love calling you that. It makes me feel like you’re really my Dom.”
“Is that what you want, Felicity?”
“Yes, Sir. It is.” As soon as she said the words, she knew it was what she’d wanted from the moment that Maverick had first mentioned it.
“Then we’ll have to talk seriously about it on Thursday. I don’t want to just play at it, Felicity.”
“Neither do I.” It was true. She understood that now in a way she hadn’t before. It didn’t seem odd or sudden that she’d simply blurted it out. It felt right. She wanted to be his sub, but she had a lot of questions so she was glad they were going to talk about it so soon.
When she went out to the employee parking lot after her shift, Kane was lounging against a picnic table. He smiled when he saw her, and as she climbed into the passenger seat of his car, she couldn’t help but notice several curious glances from coworkers.
Apparently, Kane noticed them as well. Before he had pulled out onto Sandcherry Road, he commented on them. “What have you told your coworkers about me?”
“Nothing. It’s none of their business.”
“I haven’t exactly made myself welcome in town, have I?”
“You were at The Saloon tonight, right? How did that go?”
“All right. I mostly listened to gossip. Van and his crew were there for a while, but then they all went home.”
It suddenly struck her how lonely he must be. He had no family or friends here. “You never did tell me where you’re from, Kane. I know you said you travel a lot, but where is home? Maverick said you told them all that you were on your way to Salt Lake City. Is that where you’re from?” She couldn’t tell from his speech pattern or accent which part of the country he was from.
“I’m from back east.”
She smiled. “East of what?”
He gave her a droll look. “Ha-ha.”
“I wish you’d trust me.” She had no idea why she said it, but it had the desired effect. The affected grin finally left his face, and as he turned onto Arapaho, he gave her a thoughtful look.
“All right. I’ll tell you the whole story.”
“Finally. Thank you.”
She led him into the house and couldn’t help but remember the first time Maverick had been in here. They’d barely made it upstairs before having sex. Would Kane expect the same thing? She turned to face him and caught him glancing around at the woodwork and dark, muted paint colors she’d chosen. No neutral walls and beige carpeting for her. She liked houses that had a personality, from the colors on the walls and flooring, to the landscaping outside.
“This is beautiful. Did you choose the colors and furniture?”
“Thank you. Yes, I did.”
“I love it. It’s so comfortable in here. I feel like I could just put my feet up and kick back for hours.”
“Well, come on in then. I have a big screen TV and everything.”
He chuckled. “How can I say no to that?”
“Do you want anything to eat or drink?”
“A beer if you have it.”
She showed him into the living room. “Make yourself at home. I’ll be right back.”
Once she returned with a beer, she asked if he minded waiting while she changed clothes. “I hate the grimy way I feel after working in those kitchens. I won’t be long.”
“Go ahead. I’ll be sitting in front of this thing with my eyes glazed over.”
She laughed. “Okay. If you get hungry, help yourself to anything in the kitchen.” She was already heading for the stairs when he called her name. She poked her head in the room again.
“Thank you, Felicity.” The look in his eyes could only be called sadness.
“For what? Inviting you in?”
“For being so gracious and accepting of me. I’m a stranger here, and I know how it is in small towns.”
She didn’t really know what to say, so she simply smiled. “You’re welcome. I’ll be down in ten minutes.”
* * * *
Kane watched her curvy ass move under her chef’s tunic as she retreated back into the hallway. It took every ounce of willpower he had not to follow her upstairs. When he heard the sound of a shower running, he groaned softly. What would she do if he simply shed his clothes and stepped inside with her? Would she freak, or would she fuck him silly?
And where could this possibly go, even if she did fuck him?
He’d said he’d tell her the whole story, but once he did, she’d realize there was no future for them. Would that be enough for her? She had her cowboy, and Kane could understand and accept that, but where did that leave him? This was exactly why he’d always avoided getting too close to anyone when he traveled around, looking for ghosts, shifters, or anything else for that matter. It was a dead end.
So, what had happened this time? Why had he allowed it to go this far? Sure, he’d had his share of flings from time to time, but nothing serious. And nothing that progressed to sex. That wasn’t his style. Having a fuck buddy for a short-term thing in Anywhere, USA was likely to wind up with the fling coming back to haunt him once the woman found out who he was and where he was from. So he never chanced it.
And any long-term relationship he’d tried to have at home had ended in disaster, for much the same reasons. No one saw past his family name or his money. No one had ever bothered to look inside at the person behind the name. Until Felicity, that is.
Kane didn’t need a psychologist to tell him that he’d built enough walls around himself to keep everyone out for the rest of his life. He knew he’d done that. So, why had he allowed this pretty redhead so far inside so them? And what the hell was he doing in her house, stretched out on her very comfortable sofa, watching her big screen TV and drinking her Coors, while she was upstairs taking a shower?
He was setting himself up for big trouble here, only he didn’t give a shit that he was doing it, and that scared him. He should leave, right now, while he still could. Before he told her too much. Before he told her enough to make her care about him. There was something in her big brown eyes that compelled him to spill his secrets. Hell, there was something about this entire fucking town that made him want to build a home, put a picket fence around the yard, plant some flowers, and send out Christmas cards. And Kane had never felt that way about a woman or a town before. Never.
He was in deep shit here, and there was only one way to stop this runaway train before it jumped the tracks. He actually turned off the TV and was in the process of standing, intending to make his way to the kitchen to dump the rest of the beer in the sink, when he heard footfalls on the stairs.
Felicity’s hair hung down past her shoulders in damp locks, conjuring up images of that sexy, curvy body naked and swimming in a lake somewhere, high up in the mountains where no one could see them. She wore PJ bottoms with geometric designs on them, and her tank top was the color of sunflowers. Her nipples were slightly taut, and Kane’s dick jumped to attention at the sight of them. Her face was free of makeup, but she didn’t need any to begin with.
Either she had no fucking clue how delicious she looked right now, or she knew exactly what she was doing, and he was about to be seduced by this siren who had already captivated his heart. Did it matter which was true? He sat back down on the sofa. He wasn’t going anywhere tonight until she kicked his sorry ass out the door, and he knew that. He’d known it the moment they’d walked into this house.
Chapter Seventeen
Felicity glanced at the TV, which was off. “Nothing good on tonight?”
“I want to talk to you without it on in the background. Is that all right?”
“Sure.” She sat next to him on the sofa, but not too close. His expression was so serious, she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear what he had to say, but it was too late now.
“Do you want something to drink as well?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I’m fine.”
He sighed and placed the beer on the coffee table in front of them, moving a coaster underneath it. Felicity smiled, but didn’t thank him out loud for doing that. It was enough to know that he’d realized there were no water marks on the table, and that she had the coasters out for a reason.
“I’m from a small town in Connecticut that you’ve probably never heard of. Winston. My family pretty much owns it. They’re into wireless communication technologies and turning over real estate, and most of their business ventures are overseas where labor is cheap.”
He said all this as if he were reciting multiplication tables by rote, or reading the most boring poem in the world. There was no emotion. Nothing that gave away how he felt.
“My parents are still alive, but I rarely see them. Between their jet-setting around the globe and their almost constant charity events designed to make them look like philanthropists instead of the greedy people they truly are, I pretty much need to make an appointment with their personal assistants just to talk to them on the phone.”
“Do you have siblings?” She didn’t know what else to ask right now, but she realized how right she’d been in interpreting his life as lonely.
He shook his head. “My older brother, Davis, died in a freak boating accident when I was only five. He was seven. I don’t remember him.”
“I’m so sorry.”
He shook his head again. “Don’t be. As I said, I don’t remember him. And I hope that doesn’t sound cruel.”