A Hero’s Haven

by Tessa Layne

  He pressed a kiss to her inner thigh, nipping just hard enough to leave a little mark. Then raising his eyes and capturing her gaze, he leaned in and slowly swiped his tongue up her wet seam. Her taste flowed over his tongue, sweet and sharp, and better than any drug.

  Her mouth dropped open and her eyes glassed over.

  “Like that, darlin’?”

  She nodded with a curve of her mouth. “Again.”

  Anything for her. He licked again, this time diving deeper, lapping up her honey then drawing his tongue to her clit, gently suckling the bud. He feasted on her taste as she continued to hold him captive with a molten stare. He reached for her hand, twining her fingers with his.

  She gripped him fiercely as she cried out, body shaking with her release, but still looking right at him. Yearning arced through him, squeezing his chest tight. No matter what happened between them, he would always remember her like this. Fierce and undone, hair tousled and eyes hot with lust. He continued to lap at her folds as she rode the waves crashing through her, coming to his elbows only when they slowed. He hovered above her, breathing ragged. “Taste yourself. Taste how beautiful you are.” He lowered his head, and she met him, curling an arm around his neck to pull him closer, and taking his tongue into her mouth. It didn’t matter how deeply they kissed, it wasn’t enough to ease the profound ache pressing against his chest.

  They broke apart. “I want you inside me, Cash,” she panted, diving inside his shorts to take him in hand. She squeezed and stroked until his vision fuzzed. Taking a steadying breath, he yanked down his shorts with her help.

  “I will never stop loving you, Kate.” He braced himself above her, holding his cock right at her slick entrance. “Even if tonight is the last night we have together. I want you to remember it like this forever. Remember what we have, and that wherever you go in the world, I will never stop loving you.” He punctuated each last word with a thrust of his hips, pushing slowly inside her until he was fully encased in her heat.

  She let out a shaky sigh. “Oh yes, Cash. Just like this,” she cried out as he slowly pumped into her, determined to make their union last as long as possible. “You know how much I want you.”

  The walls of her channel gripped him tightly. “Tell me,” he panted. “Tell me how much.”

  “Always. No one but you, Cash,” her voice trailed off in a moan. “No one makes me feel like you do.”

  Electricity burned a trail up the back of his legs, drawing his balls tight as she took him higher and higher. How could it feel this good when his heart was breaking? How could she make him lose his mind when he stood at the edge of the abyss?

  She undulated beneath him, and he slipped a hand between them, seeking her tight bundle of nerves. He brushed his thumb lightly across her swollen clit as he slowly moved within her, making sure each stroke filled her completely. Her legs gripped his hips more tightly, and she arched her back and came with a cry, tears leaking from her eyes.

  It nearly broke him, seeing ecstasy and heartbreak battle for supremacy on her face, and tears pricked his eyelids as he followed her over the edge into oblivion.

  CHAPTER 28

  Kate stared listlessly out the window as the plane touched down in a rainy Nashville. Her heart felt as bleak and gray as the skies. The despair on Cash’s face as she’d turned back one last time at security had cut her to the core. What was she thinking? Who in their right mind would leave a man like him? A fresh wave of tears threatened to overwhelm her.

  She puffed out her cheeks, letting out a slow breath. She’d see him again in three weeks when she returned to Resolution Ranch for the concert, and after that? She bit the inside of her cheek, fighting back a sob. Right now the barriers seemed insurmountable. But she’d made a recording, something that last fall, she thought would never happen again. So miracles could happen.

  Pulling her baseball cap low, she waited until the last person exited the plane, before grabbing her small carryon from underneath her seat and slinging it over her shoulder. She grabbed her guitar from the first-class closet. Even with the telltale sign she was a musician, no one had recognized her in Chicago, and hopefully, with Cheyenne circling in the pick-up zone, she could get out of the airport without drawing attention to herself.

  Shooting off a quick text to Cheyenne, she nodded her thanks to the flight attendants and deplaned. Every step she took away from Cash and toward her old life, felt heavier and heavier, until by the time she reached the pick-up area she felt like she was wading through mud.

  Cheyenne flashed her lights and pulled over the curb, flinging open the door. “Welcome home, hon.”

  “Back, not home,” she muttered.

  “Come again?” Cheyenne cast her a concerned look.

  Kate shook her head. “Not home. It’s not home. Maybe it never was.” The ache in her heart would only be filled with clean prairie air and wide-open skies.

  Cheyenne clucked sympathetically. “I contacted the realtor like you asked.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Aww, hon. Wanna talk about it?”

  She shook her head, watching the buildings fly by. “Are there still reporters camped out at the gate?”

  “Twenty-four-seven.”

  “How many?”

  “Six, maybe eight. Depends on the day.”

  Damn. It wouldn’t matter how long she stayed underground, they would never stop hounding her.

  “Okay. Stop at the gate when we get there.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I’m tired of running, Chey. I’ll answer their questions. Maybe then, they’ll leave me alone.”

  “Okay…” Cheyenne drew out the word doubtfully. “I have to warn you though, your mother is going to flip when she gets wind that you’re selling the estate.”

  Anger flashed through Kate. “Why? Because she won’t be able to live off me any longer? Because she’ll have to buy her own apartment in town? Have her own life? Too damned bad.”

  “That’s the spirit.” Cheyenne hit the steering wheel excitedly. “Finally taking the bull by the horns, huh?” When they arrived at the front gate, Cheyenne slowed the car to a stop, and Kate hopped out, approaching the group camped out by her front gate with cameras and recording devices.

  “Hi, guys.” She waved, laughing to herself at the looks on their faces as they recognized her and hurried over, snapping pictures. “Can I ask you a favor?”

  “Depends,” one man answered from behind his camera.

  “I’ll let you get your pictures, I’ll answer your questions, and then you’ll agree to vacate the premises?”

  The gaggle looked at each other uncertainly, no one wanting to make the first move. Finally, a stringer about her age broke ranks and nodded. “Sure. I guess.”

  Kate gave him the full force of her smile. “Great, thanks. You get to ask the first question.”

  Her answer acted like a domino and very quickly the rest of the reporters agreed. She stood patiently, smiling while they snapped their pictures. She removed her baseball cap and shook out her hair.

  “Take off your sunglasses?”

  Ugh. Her eyes were certain to be puffy and red. “You sure? It’s allergy season, and I don’t look that good.”

  “Okay, fine,” one of them grumbled.

  After a minute, the clicks slowed. “Ready for questions?” She turned her attention to the young stringer. He probably sold articles to Buzzfeed or TeenBop or something.

  “Why’d you cancel your tour?”

  She grit her teeth. This would be over in a blink, and then it would be over. She smiled placidly. “Emotional stress from the backstage incident I’m sure you all covered in great detail. And exhaustion. I’m sure you can imagine what kind of toll it takes to have people scrutinizing your every move twenty-four-seven.” She didn’t care if they took offense at her barb. It was true. “Next question?”

  “Why’d you color your hair?”

  “Boredom.”

  “Rumor has it you fired Frank Di
Angelo. Is that true?”

  She cringed. They didn’t waste any time getting to the juicy stuff. “Yep.”

  “Why?”

  She took a breath, biting her tongue. “Artistic differences.”

  “Really?” one of them asked, clearly not buying it.

  “Yes. I wanted to take my career in a different direction.” Let her mother and Frank chew on that.

  “Are you seeing anyone?”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to confess. But that would only rain down more trouble on the ranch. Mentally crossing her fingers and sending up a prayer that Cash didn’t see a story online, she lied. “Nope.”

  “When are you going back on tour?”

  Never. “Maybe later this year? I confess, I’ve enjoyed my hiatus. I’ve worked nonstop over the last decade. I think I’ve earned a bit of a rest.”

  “Any plans for a new album?”

  “Not at this time. Are there any more questions?”

  When they’d exhausted her with their banal and cliché questions, including her favorite shampoo, she held up a hand. “C’mon, guys. You know you can’t ask me things like that. I have endorsement contracts, and it wouldn’t be fair to the companies I have relationships with. Thank you for your time, and for giving me some space.”

  She stayed rooted to the ground as the group dispersed and drove away. A weight lifted off her shoulders. Cheyenne gave her a high-five when she crawled back into the car. “You handled them perfectly, girl. I’m so proud of you!”

  Longing for Cash pulled at her. He’d be proud too. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t disturb him, it would be too painful, but she couldn’t resist sending him a brief text.

  K: Missing you <3

  Her heart sank when they parked in the circle drive, and he still hadn’t texted back. He was probably driving. He’d said he was driving back to Prairie as soon as she was on the plane. Turning off her phone, so she wasn’t tempted, she grabbed her bag and hopped out of the car, going cold when she spied her mother waiting at the front door, a frown etched on her face. So she wasn’t going to waste any time, huh? Steeling herself, she lifted a hand in greeting. “Nice to see you, momma.”

  “Is that all you have to say for yourself?” she snapped. “You’ve tossed everything into chaos, and the best you can come up with is nice to see you?”

  “Was I supposed to tell you the truth?” she muttered under her breath. Next to her, Cheyenne snickered. “Well, I’m home now, momma, so let’s have a talk. Would you like some sweet tea?”

  “Heavens no. I want to know why I sent a realtor packing.”

  Cheyenne sucked in a breath.

  Heat flashed through Kate. Keeping her eyes pinned on her mother, she spoke. “Chey, do me a favor, call the realtor back and explain momma was confused.”

  Cheyenne barked out a quiet laugh. “My pleasure.” Her voice was laced with outrage.

  “Momma, do you really want to have this discussion when I’m not even inside?”

  With a huff, Helene stepped aside and let Kate pass, following her into the great room.

  She’d miss this room, the way the floor to ceiling windows drew the outside in. For whatever reason, she’d always drawn strength from the view, and she needed it now more than ever. Turning to her mother, she began. “Momma, we need to talk, would you please have a seat?”

  Spine ramrod straight, Helene sank onto an ottoman in front of the large stone fireplace. “Say what you need to say.”

  “There’s not much to say. I’m listing the estate. Today.”

  Helene’s eyes grew wide. “No,” she shook her head vehemently. “I forbid it.”

  “Momma, you can’t, and you know that,” Kate reminded her gently. “But I will purchase you a condo wherever you like. Nashville, Florida, New York. Wherever you like. But only one.”

  Helene’s face was stone, but her eyes flashed anger and hurt. “Why are you doing this to me?”

  Kate nearly felt sorry for her, until she remembered everything she’d learned from her lawyer. It was time to cut her mother off for good. “I could ask you the same, momma. Brian did some digging. You’ve taken far more of my royalties than you should have. You took advantage of my naiveté to help yourself for far too long. And that stops today.”

  “This is about your crazy idea that you can produce, isn’t it?”

  “It’s not such a crazy idea, momma. And if it turns out I’m not so good at it, oh well.”

  “You’ll make a fool of yourself, Kaycee.” Her eyes glittered.

  “Stop calling me that, momma. I’ve gone back to my given name.”

  Her mother glared daggers. “I made you into what you are today.”

  “And I’m grateful, but you’ve always made it clear what a burden I was. So now I’m setting you free, momma. And I’d like your blessing.”

  Helene shook her head. “You are making a terrible mistake.”

  Kate’s throat grew tight. Her mother would never accept not being in control of her life. Maybe someday. She hoped. But for now? She’d have to shed her mother along with everything else. The knowledge tore at her. “Momma, don’t do this. Please. I want you to be happy for me, to be as excited as I am about this next phase of my life.”

  “How can I be excited when you’re throwing everything away? Everything that I worked for? Everything I sacrificed?” she croaked.

  “Momma,” Kate cried, kicking herself for the tears that sprang to her eyes. “I can never sing again. I’m moving on. I have to move on.”

  Her mother stood, looking regal and terrible. “Then you’ll have to do it without me.”

  Kate gasped at the intensity of pain that shot through her. She blinked rapidly, hanging on to her control by a thread. She’d figured confronting her mother would be unpleasant, but not like this. Some secret part of her had continued to hope, even in the face of all the evidence, that her mother could give her the love she’d always craved. That she’d make enough money, win enough awards, that someday her mother would be happy. “Momma, it doesn’t have to be this way,” she whispered, a tear spilling over her cheek. “Please understand.”

  Helene’s voice was cold as granite. “I wish you the best of luck, darling.” She tossed her head and walked out the door.

  CHAPTER 29

  Sweat dripped down between Cash’s shoulder blades as he worked to hammer shingles into place on the last of the cabins they were building for the first crew of veterans. His shirt stuck to him as the late April sun beat down hard. Next to him, Travis drew up, wiping his forehead. “We’ll have thunderstorms tonight. I’d bet money.”

  Cash pulled off his damp shirt, tucking it into his back pocket. No sense in soaking it through. “Let’s get this roof finished then.”

  They’d had thunderstorms every night he’d been back at the ranch. Without Kate, it had been rough, but he was managing. The first night, he’d helped himself to Travis’s couch, thoroughly unnerved by the thunder. But the next morning Travis had suggested he load a meditation app on his phone. Cash couldn’t say if it was the app, or just that he was used to the sound, now that they’d had eight days running of spring storms, but he wasn’t bracing for the thunder as much.

  Too bad the app hadn’t done anything to ease the way his lungs felt like they were being ripped from his body when he thought about Kate. When he missed her late at night, when he contemplated a lonely future without her. He could only hope the fierce pain would pass in time, and pray that when she returned for the concert, he could convince her to stay.

  Travis popped two nails between his teeth and went back to hammering shingles. “If I was a wagering man–”

  “And you’re not.”

  Travis huffed out a laugh as he hammered. “But if I were. I’d guess you’re at loose ends without the charming Kate Montgomery. There something you want to tell me?”

  The space between Cash’s shoulders grew hot even though he hadn’t had his shirt off long enough to sustain a sunburn. He swallowed u
ncomfortably.

  “I miss her.” He could admit that much to Travis.

  They’d texted a few times, and he’d done his best to give her space, take his lead from her, but it was slowly killing him. Late the other night, he’d buckled and reached for the phone, dying to hear her sweet husky voice. But their hurried conversation hadn’t been enough. Not for him, at least.

  The sound of a car nearing captured their attention.

  “What in the hell?” Travis grumbled, turning to squint into the sun. “Who in the hell is driving a car out here?”

  A navy jaguar slowly made its way down from the rise and the driver was doing a piss-poor job of maneuvering between the rocks. “Oh shit,” Cash cried out, sliding down the roof. “They’ll high center in a heartbeat.”

  Travis followed him down, gently landing next to him as an older, very stylish woman removed herself from the car. Dressed in wool slacks, with a chiffon scarf covering her head, driving coat, and big round sunglasses, the woman picked her way through the mud and prairie grasses until she stopped a stick’s throw away. She looked like she was right out of an episode of Mad Men. “Which one of you is Cash?”

  “Ma’am?” Cash stepped forward, offering a hand.

  She refused with a brittle smile and obviously giving him a thorough once over. It was clear he was not to her liking. “So you are the young man who has convinced my daughter to sell everything and move west?”

  Was this Helene Montgomery?

  His interactions with her on assignment had been limited, and all bundled up it was hard to tell… but her voice, the over-articulated way she spoke… This didn’t make any sense. Why was she here? “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about… Ma’am,” he added, because she looked like she expected that level of deference.

  “Come, come, Mr. Aiken. Don’t play coy with me. I know all about how you seduced my daughter into thinking she can run a record label.”