With an expert flick of his thumb, he flipped the silk bodice down and cool air struck her skin.
“Kane?” she gasped, only to be lifted high in the air.
Something velvety and wet flicked over her nipple and everything in Beth’s body clenched. He pulled the hardened tip into his mouth, tugging gently one moment, alternating with a strong suckling that sent fire through her veins.
Of their own accord, her legs grasped him around the waist and she grasped his shoulders. The rough texture of wood rubbed into her back as he somehow balanced her enough to pluck her other nipple between his fingers, then rubbed his thumb over the point. She hadn’t expected his hands to be callused and hard, but the proof was in the rough, splendid caresses.
Beth’s head fell backward in a daze. Through the leafy canopy overhead she saw a single star.
It seemed like the only light in the thick darkness, and she moaned. It had to stop. They couldn’t be doing this in a public park, however private it seemed.
Yet it was difficult to remember a reason for stopping when Kane palmed her other breast. It seemed to satisfy him, because a harsh groan came from his chest and the suckling from his mouth became so fierce it almost hurt. He gentled instantly, playing and shaping her with his tongue.
When her legs began shaking so badly she lost her grip, he lowered her to the ground. She lost his mouth on her nipples, but both his hands found them, and he joined their lips in an open kiss.
“Beth. Ah, Beth,” Kane groaned finally.
“We shouldn’t be doing this,” she muttered.
“I know.” He rested his forehead against hers, still playing with her breasts in a way that made it hard to think. “You’re like candy. So sweet. I’ve never known anything so sweet.”
“I’m glad you…um, enjoyed it.”
The sound of voices in the distance made Kane jerk upright. What had he been thinking? It was bad enough to risk his own exposure in the tabloids, another to take a chance with Beth. He fumbled with the bodice of her dress until she pushed him aside and covered herself.
“Same goes as earlier. Don’t apologize,” she warned shakily.
Kane closed his eyes briefly and prayed that no photographers had caught them. There were ways to take pictures, even in such low light.
“You’re right. The same goes for earlier,” he muttered. “It was a mistake, I shouldn’t have done it.”
“Then we’re agreed about everything.” Beth walked toward the lighted street. She stumbled slightly, and Kane caught her elbow.
“You’re mad,” he said.
“What ever makes you think that?”
“Intuition.”
The park was only a short distance from the Empress Hotel, and Beth held her head up through the elegant lobby and into the elevator. She was furious, but it wasn’t about being kissed.
Actually she was upset with herself over that part, but furious with Kane and his maddening notions about being responsible and calling it a mistake. In her heart she’d known he’d kiss her again. She could have avoided the evening stroll and going into the dark park.
But she hadn’t, and now she’d have to deal with the aftermath. Her body wasn’t cooperating with the solitary life she’d chosen. It wanted more. And the worst part was that it wanted Kane O’Rourke, a man she couldn’t have on any terms.
Chapter Six
What time was it?
Kane rolled over and blinked at the light coming through the window. It was his penthouse bedroom window, but it didn’t look right, somehow.
Rubbing his aching temple, he picked up his watch and groaned.
“I can’t have slept that late.”
He slumped back and covered his eyes. Actually he barely slept the past two nights. He’d gone over and over Saturday evening in his mind until he was dizzy. Beth hadn’t spoken a single word once they’d reached the hotel, she’d gone straight to her room and closed the door with a heavy snap. She’d been equally uncommunicative the follow day. Posing for the cameras, smiling on cue, but treating him with cool civility when they were alone.
Why had he said kissing her was a mistake?
It was, but a woman never appreciated being told something like that, particularly one as innocent as Beth. He wanted to call her, to make things better, but he didn’t have a decent excuse.
Kane rolled on to his back and shoved the pillow from under his head. It wasn’t any help remembering that even with the fiasco Saturday evening, he’d had a better time than he could ever recall having. Beth was fun and perceptive, with a wisdom that reached beyond her innocence.
God, she made him feel good. Ten feet tall with the simplest compliment. He didn’t know whether to be glad or unhappy that the weekend was over; Beth touched something deep inside him that he’d forgotten even existed. The temptation to see her again was overwhelming.
The doorbell jarred through his throbbing temple, but before he could think about answering he heard the jangle of keys. Since it wasn’t the day the cleaning service came, it had to be a member of the family. He would have to collect the various sets of keys floating around the O’Rourke clan; they didn’t need access to his penthouse.
“Kane, are you alive?”
Shannon.
He barely had time to drag a blanket over his hips before she burst into the room.
“Oh, good. You are alive,” she said, not appearing overly concerned. Under her arm were the inevitable newspapers.
“I don’t suppose it ever occurred to you that I might be sleeping,” Kane growled.
Shannon consulted her watch. “At nine in the morning? Why would that occur to me? Rain or shine, weekend or weekday, you’re at your desk by seven. You’re a workaholic, squared.”
Somehow, Kane didn’t mind being accused of that by his sister, it was hearing Beth suggest it that had bothered him.
“You still shouldn’t just barge in—I might not have been alone,” he suggested lamely.
“I’m sure the reporters are going to report that next.” With a broad grin Shannon tossed her newspapers on the bed. “And they’ll have a pretty good idea with whom.”
“Sheeesh.”
Kane picked up the first and saw a large picture of him talking with Beth on the bow of the ferry. He was leaning toward her, and they both seemed quite intent. The headline above the photo read,
Billionaire Hits It Off With Reluctant Date.
“That’s not so bad,” he muttered. “It was Sunday and must have been a low news day.”
“Take a look at this morning’s paper.”
A low whistle came from Kane as he saw a neat sequence of pictures taken of him kissing Beth on the Victoria dock. The headline simply said,
WOWZA!!!
A sidebar article was titled,
Romance Blossoms In Victoria.
The first paragraph was devoted to speculation that Seattle’s most eligible bachelor might be off the marriage market.
He sighed. “Beth is not going to like this.”
His sister’s face was mischievous, a clear signal she still had news to share…news that probably wouldn’t make him sleep any better.
“Out with it,” he ordered.
“There have also been numerous reports on the television, and Patrick’s station has been flooded with callers, all wanting to know how it’s going. He’s got a major audience tuning in to hear the smallest development. So we thought that maybe you could keep seeing Beth for a while to keep the interest up. Patrick really hates asking for another favor, but you can’t buy this kind of publicity.”
Kane’s gaze dropped back to the photos. They were relatively harmless, but they did suggest something was developing. Something intimate.
And they were also an excuse to go see Beth.
Damn. He’d sworn he would never do Patrick another favor. Of course, it was an oath he’d never be able to keep, but his resolve should have lasted a little longer.
“Get out,” he told his sister. “And tell
my assistant not to expect me today.”
“She’s going to have a heart attack.”
“Shannon.”
“I’m going, I’m going.”
With a flip of her hand, Shannon sailed from the room. Kane waited until the front door clicked behind her, then climbed from his bed. Fifteen minutes later he was in his Mercedes, headed once more for Crockett, Washington.
Beth lay on her back and gazed at the cloudless sky as she swung back and forth. She’d watched the sun rise, and though the air was still cool in the shade, she could tell it would be a warm afternoon. Her leg was slung over the edge of the double-wide hammock, nudging the ground every so often to keep the movement going.
She shouldn’t have gotten so upset with Kane and being kissed, but she’d never felt anything like that before.
Kane O’Rourke was practically a stranger and yet her body had gone off like a firecracker in July. Cripes, if she’d been like that with Curt it would have been nearly impossible to wait for the wedding before going to bed together. Beth moved restlessly and she wished she had a big old cat curled up next to her. Hammocks and purring cats should go together.
“Oh…blast,” she muttered, a strong kick of her foot sending the hammock in a wide arc.
She’d had a lot of ideas about sexual attraction and her own body—wrong ideas, apparently. Kane had shattered every one of her preconceptions on those subjects.
In the back of her mind she registered the sound of a gate opening and closing, but she was too deep in thought to pay attention.
“Nice yard you have back here,” said a deep voice.
Kane.
It didn’t surprise her, though he was the last person she should have expected. As usual, he looked sophisticated and sexy, even in his jeans and shirt. A far cry from her worn shorts and sweatshirt with the sleeves whacked off above the elbow. She was dressed for messy work; in a couple hours she was going to a painting party down at the family crisis center.
“To what do I owe the honor?” Beth asked. “Weren’t you supposed to go back to work today?”
Kane shrugged and slid into the hammock, with his head down by her feet. He tucked a couple of newspapers between them and yawned lazily. Her heart turned over. As an overworked businessman he was attractive; relaxing in a hammock he was devastating.
“Kane?”
“I take it you haven’t read the paper.” He said it more as a statement, than a question, and Beth stuck her head up.
“Am I not going to like what I read in the newspaper?” she enunciated carefully.
“Well, that depends on how good a sense of humor you have,” he drawled. “Take a look and see for yourself.”
Her pulse skipping, Beth grabbed the newspapers he’d brought and scanned them quickly. It didn’t look that bad, certainly no worse than she’d expected before the weekend started. After all, she’d gone on a “date” with one of the richest, most handsome men in America. There were bound to be stories and questions and people wondering if it would lead to anything.
“Could have been worse,” she said.
“Lots,” Kane agreed.
“So why are you here?”
For the first time since they’d met, he seemed at a loss for words, and Beth’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“Kane?”
“Uh, well, it seems my brother’s radio station is getting flooded with calls. I guess the suggestion of a romance between us is stirring up a storm of interest. Shannon says it’s all over the television, too.”
Beth levered herself up on her elbows, instantly alarmed. “They don’t know about the…the park?”
“No.”
He shook his head and she sank back relieved.
“Not so far as I know,” he added.
“Oh, great. Not so far as you know. That’s really reassuring.” She pushed the newspapers at Kane and covered her eyes with her arm. “Do you think Hard Copy will notify you before they run the story, or do we have to hold our breath until then?”
“I could have Shannon check it out, but then I’d have to explain what happened, and I thought you probably wouldn’t want me to.”
Beth shuddered. No, she didn’t want his sister knowing about the park. “Let’s keep it between us,” she said. “And hope it stays between us.”
Kane was silent for a long minute and Beth opened her eyes.
“Well?”
“I wanted to explain,” he said slowly. “About that night.”
“I don’t think I can handle any more explanations.”
A long sigh came from his chest. “But you need to understand. When I called it a mistake, it was because I’ve lived with prying reporters and cameras for a long time and knew better than to take that kind of chance. But you don’t have any reason to think about dodging gossip on some entertainment news program.”
Kane watched Beth’s expression and knew she didn’t entirely believe him. Why should she? He’d handled things badly, hurting her feelings along with her pride.
“Well, anyway…everyone is awfully interested in our so-called romance, and they’re listening to Patrick’s radio station in droves because his DJ’s are…uh…”
“Talking about it?”
“Yeah. I listened to KLMS on the drive over—apparently they’ve started an hourly marriage report update. Will we say ‘I do,’ or won’t we. That sort of thing,” he said, disgusted.
Beth glared. “I’m sorry it’s so awful. They must think you’ve lost your mind to be interested in someone like me.”
Jeez.
When it came to Beth he was an expert at sticking his foot in his mouth. “Actually I figure everyone is amazed at my improved taste in women, but I don’t enjoy being in the headlines. I’ve avoided the media spotlight as much as possible, and now we’re both in the middle of it.”
She didn’t look annoyed, just thoughtful, and he drew a breath of relief.
“As much as I hate it, this kind of interest could go a long way toward making Patrick’s station a success. So he thought it might help if the two of us were seen together a few more times. And since we’re going to be in the public eye whether we want to be or not, it seems harmless.”
“A fake romance for publicity’s sake?”
“Not just for that,” Kane said quietly.
He drew another deep breath of fresh air and glanced around Beth’s backyard. Her house was small, but it was located on a large plot of land, bound at the far end by a wooded area. Flowers grew in cheerful profusion around a rock garden, and water trickled from a fountain in the center of a lily pond. On the opposite side he spotted a plentiful vegetable garden.
Like Beth, it was calm and peaceful, with a beautifully understated complexity. This was a garden that she’d taken time to design and grow and appreciate.
“There’s nothing fake about wanting to become friends,” Kane said simply. “I like being with you. I feel different, better, more the way I used to before things got so complicated. You’re good for me.”
“I don’t see how that can be true.”
“It is.” He stretched lazily and thought about the mountain of work on his desk. He had a large staff, maybe it was time to start delegating. Things wouldn’t always be done the way he liked, but that wasn’t necessarily bad. Not if he could lie on a hammock and enjoy a summer day with a friend.
Of course, he’d never wanted to make love to a friend the way he wanted to make love to Beth. That was a wrinkle he’d have to learn to handle.
“How about it, Beth? Surely you can stand spending some time with me. We were enjoying ourselves before I went and blew it.”
Beth rolled on her side, with her back to Kane to keep him from seeing things she didn’t want him to see. She didn’t have any illusions. While he seemed to have a fleeting attraction to her, nothing would come of it, not even friendship.
The hammock dipped for an instant as he twisted, then Beth felt a blade of grass tickling her bare instep.
“Stop
that,” she ordered, curling her foot.
“Only if you’ll tell me what you’re thinking.”
“I’m thinking I’ll look ridiculous.”
“That would be me. Everyone is going to roll their eyes and say I’m lusting after a sweet thing young enough to be my daughter.”
She turned around with an exasperated frown. “I’m twenty-six, not sixteen. Unless you got a much earlier start in the romance department than most boys, you’re nowhere near old enough to be my father.”
He chuckled. “There’s an eleven year difference in our ages. That’s quite a bit.”
“No, it isn’t.”
“Yes, it is. I’ll be called everything from a cradle robber to baby snatcher.”
“Then why bother?”
Kane’s shoulders lifted and dropped. “I have trouble saying no to my family. Though in this case I was looking for an excuse to call you. I didn’t like the way we left things yesterday.”
“We didn’t leave it any ‘way.”’
His eyes grew more serious. “That’s what I mean. You were hurt and angry—with good reason—and I couldn’t help it. I’m used to being able to fix things.”
Drat. Beth sighed and rested her cheek in the palm of her hand. She didn’t know what to do. This was Kane’s chance to help his stubbornly independent brother, and she could help. She believed in families, which is why the Crockett Family Crisis Center was so important to her.
On the other hand, since meeting Kane, her safe, comfortable life had become inadequate. Of all the men in the world, why did it have to be Kane O’Rourke to upset everything?
“All right,” Beth agreed reluctantly. “But I’m due at a painting party down at the crisis center in a little over an hour, so I can’t talk about it now.”
“Sounds like a good start to me. Would they mind if you brought someone along?”
She stared.
An image of Kane O’Rourke patching drywall and getting splattered with flat latex didn’t add up.
A Date With a Billionaire Page 8