Love Me Knot

by Shelli Stevens

  He lifted his hand to stop her and she just laughed. It was such a soft, feminine sound, that his body reacted instantly to it and the image she made.

  He wanted her—with an intensity that wasn’t really familiar to him.

  Ryan caught her wrist as she tried to take another shot, and tugged her forward. Her laughter slowly died and her eyes widened with awareness.

  “You are absolutely gorgeous,” he said quietly. “Which I’m sure you hear all the time.”

  Pleasure flickered in her gaze, before long lashes swept down to cover it. “Considering I spend my days wearing scrubs and a ponytail, no. Not really. I’m not usually all dolled up like this.”

  Ryan caught her chin between his fingers and tilted her head up so she had to look at him again.

  “Scrubs or a frilly dress, I think you would still be stunning.” His gaze slid to her lips. “I want to kiss you, Ciara.”

  He heard her breath catch. “Are you asking my permission?”

  “I rarely ask permission, darlin’. You just caught me thinking aloud.”

  And then he closed his mouth over hers, cutting off whatever response she might’ve made. Her hands came up to his chest, but not to push him away. They clung to the lapels of his suit as he parted her lips with his own and slid his tongue inside to taste the sweetness of her.

  And god in heaven was she sweet. Ryan gathered her close, reveling in the softness of her curves pressed against him. He moved his hand up and down her back, tracing the silk of her dress.

  She moaned softly and responded to his kiss, exploring him as much as he did her. The kiss deepened and intensified, sending his thoughts careening and his control bordering on the brink.

  Ciara abruptly pulled away, breathing erratically as she burrowed her face against his chest.

  “Wow...” she whispered. “That was...I don’t even know what that was.”

  Exactly. Ryan let her go and took a step backward, a little stunned himself at the intensity of the kiss. He’d meant the kiss to be something seductive—a hint at what she could expect later tonight, but there’d been an intimacy. A jolting spark of chemistry that was totally alien to him.

  It was probably a damn good thing that she lived in Idaho, or Ciara might be the kind of girl to make him line up for that water his cousins were drinking.

  Ciara smiled, showing off a sparkling white smile as she tossed her hair. “Anyway, we should head back to your place. I’m starving.”

  He wanted to ask if she meant for more than a burger, but something told him she literally meant food. She was refreshing like that. He’d only just met her, but she invigorated him. Gave him the same rush that jumping from a helicopter into the Pacific did.

  Ryan followed her back to the car. From the pocket of his pants, he felt his cell vibrate, but ignored it. Messages could wait. Reality could wait. Because right now his world was all about Ciara and the night ahead of them.

  Chapter Three

  Had she lost her ever-loving mind? Ciara silently asked herself that question again as she followed Ryan Wyatt into his house.

  She’d driven thirty plus miles to go home with a stranger—a guy she’d known for exactly, oh, ten minutes. And why? For a hamburger she could’ve ordered on Second Street?

  You can’t be considering going to bed with him tonight. You can’t, you freakin’ hussy!

  But after that kiss...hell yeah she was.

  Ryan closed the door and flashed her another smile, and then waved her on. Ciara followed after him, her heels clicking on the linoleum in the entryway breaking the silence.

  She quietly observed the interior of the house. It was a cute place with high ceilings and a sunken living room near the front. The walls were decorated with blown up photos of the Oregon Coast, wildlife, and other nature images. Hmm. So apparently she wasn’t the only one who loved the view around here.

  Did he ever tire of it? His house seemed to be only a few miles from the ocean’s doorstep, judging by where he’d turned off the highway,

  Amazing.

  She smiled faintly. It was hard to imagine living so close to the sea. Idaho wasn’t exactly oceanfront property.

  “I’ll go fire up the barbeque. Make yourself at home.”

  Ciara nodded, hoping the relief she felt wasn’t as obvious in her expression. Butterflies still fluttered in her stomach. For a moment she’d wondered if he’d skip the burger and go straight for the seduction. The way he’d kissed her—hell, the way she’d kissed him back—had left no doubt what he ultimately wanted.

  She wandered around the house, taking in the décor and getting a vibe for the man who lived here. It didn’t scream bachelor pad, which was kind of a surprise with the way he’d picked her up.

  “There, that didn’t take too long.”

  Ciara turned as he came back into the room.

  “How often do you do this?”

  Oh, Jesus, I actually asked that out loud?

  Ryan arched a brow. “Do I do what?”

  “Umm, bring girls home that you barely know.”

  He was quiet for a moment. “Do you really want me to answer that?”

  “I...” Her stomach knotted. “No, actually, I don’t.”

  Because whatever air of spontaneity had inspired her to drive back to his house, dissecting Ryan’s history with women would kill it.

  Ryan’s expression flickered with open curiosity as he crossed the distance between them. “Actually, not as often as I used to.”

  He cupped her face again and traced her cheek with a feather light fingertip.

  “There’s no pressure, Ciara. I have no expectations.” His gaze softened. “I’m cool if you just want to have burgers and head out.”

  Something inside her melted a little. Obviously he wanted more, and if she were honest with herself, so did she. But he wasn’t going to pressure her for it.

  “Well I can’t really just drive off into the sunset, because your car is back at the pavilion.”

  “No worries. I can have one of my cousins drop it off.”

  “You have some pretty nice cousins. What about brothers or sisters? Do you have any of those?”

  He nodded. “I have a younger sister.”

  “Was she at the wedding?”

  Something flickered in his eyes. Frustration? Anger? Whatever it was, it wasn’t a happy emotion.

  “No she moved back east a few years ago. Doesn’t really like to visit all that much, but she sends her son out each summer for some uncle/nephew bonding time.” He let her go and turned away. “Let’s grab those burgers and head out back.”

  Ciara adjusted the strap of her purse and followed after him.

  “What about you, Ciara? Brothers and sisters? Only child who was ridiculously spoiled?”

  She hesitated. “I have an older brother.”

  Which was the whole reason she’d come here to the Oregon Coast, but she didn’t elaborate on that. Didn’t want to tell him all the unhappy details that she’d dealt with this week.

  “I bet he’s all kinds of protective of his pretty little sister.”

  The light, teasing note in Ryan’s voice had her stomach sinking. Lance protective? That was a joke. He barely acknowledged her as his half-sister.

  Ciara followed him outside into the warm summer sun. She drew in a deep breath and enjoyed the mix of the barbeque and crisp, salty sea air.

  “I don’t think I could ever get tired of the smell of the coast,” she murmured.

  She glanced beyond the fence of his yard, and in between trees and other houses she could see the blue of the ocean.

  “It’s pretty incredible.” He pulled his phone from the pocket of his pants, glanced at the screen, and then frowned slightly. “I’m going to run inside and make a quick phone call.”

  Ciara smiled. “No problem.”

  He gestured to a few wooden chairs sprawled on the patio. “Make yourself at home. I’ll just be a second.”

  “Will do.” She walked over and took a
seat in one of the chairs.

  Leaning back, she closed her eyes and tried not to think again about what exactly she was doing here.

  Ryan closed the sliding glass door and hit dial on Todd’s number.

  “Dude,” he muttered when his cousin answered, “shouldn’t you be leaving for your honeymoon?”

  “Yeah, we’re heading to the airport now.” Todd sighed. “What the hell are you thinking, cuz?”

  “What am I thinking?”

  “With Ciara? What the hell are you thinking?”

  Ryan laughed, but when his cousin didn’t join in, he quickly snuffed it. Irritation pricked as he turned his back to the door so Ciara wouldn’t catch his expression if she happened to be looking.

  “I’m thinking about getting laid tonight, that’s what I’m thinking. Is that a fucking problem all of a sudden?”

  “Actually, it is. You know who she is, right?”

  Shit. Todd’s words slid through him with an ominous warning that he wouldn’t like what he heard next.

  “Apparently I don’t, so why don’t you tell me?”

  “She’s Lance Daschmoore’s sister.”

  Ryan’s fingers tightened around the cell phone. The blood in his veins pounded harder and he closed his eyes against the red filling his vision.

  No. It wasn’t possible.

  “Lance doesn’t have a sister.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t think so either. But apparently he does. Where are you guys?”

  “At my house.”

  “Well take her home. Walk away from this, Ryan. It’s just a big old mess.”

  Ryan opened his eyes again and turned to look out the window at Ciara. She was sitting in the wooden lawn chair, her head tilted back as she looked up at the sky.

  She might claim to be spontaneous, but there was an air of innocence about her. A hesitancy that showed she didn’t just jump in without careful consideration.

  He wanted to go outside and pull her into his arms—kiss the hell out of her like he had on the side of the road earlier.

  Which was so completely fucked because she was the sister of the man who’d nearly destroyed his sister’s life.

  Chapter Four

  “Ryan are you still there?”

  “Of course I’m here,” he snarled.

  “Look, I know you’re pissed. But you need to remember that she had nothing to do with what Lance did to Anna. Ciara’s innocent.”

  My sister had been innocent too.

  He couldn’t manage more than a grunt in response.

  “You should just stay away from her, Ry—”

  “Go on your honeymoon, Todd.” All emotion slipped from Ryan’s voice. “I appreciate the head’s up, but don’t worry about this.”

  He ended the call, silenced his phone, and shoved it in his pocket.

  His jaw flexed as he stared out at her. She hadn’t moved, but now gazed around his property with open curiosity. But he wasn’t really seeing her. All he saw was the image of his sister four years ago, curled up in her bedroom, sobbing uncontrollably.

  When he’d finally calmed Anna down, he’d found out that she’d been dating a man who’d sworn he loved her and wanted to marry her. Then she’d gotten pregnant and discovered he was already married.

  After hours of trying to balance his rage at the man and keeping his temper gentle for Anna, Ryan had gotten her to confess her lover’s name.

  Ryan had driven the fifteen miles to the nearby town of Danton and showed up on the man’s doorstep to confront the bastard.

  “Look, I’m a married man and I made the mistake of tapping some ass on the side,” Lance Daschmoore had ranted, leaning out the door of his house. “But your sister means nothing to me, and I don’t give a shit if that little bitch is knocked up. I’ll send her a check for child support if she can prove the kid is mine, but you tell her I’m also happy to foot the bill for an abortion.”

  Ryan had been prepared to knock the guy out cold, until he’d seen the face of a young kid pressed against the second floor window looking out at them.

  He’d gone home and hadn’t breathed a word to Anna of what had transpired between them. She’d had the baby with the love and support of her family and close friends, but had refused to name Lance on the birth certificate as Drake’s father or go after him for child support.

  Fortunately, not even been a year later, she’d met and fallen in love with a tourist from Ohio. They’d gotten married and moved back to his hometown, where the guy had legally adopted Drake.

  Ryan blinked, snapping out of the harsh memory as Ciara stood up from the lawn chair and approached the house.

  She pulled open the sliding door and stepped inside, her gaze darting to his. “Hey. Do you have a bathroom I could use?”

  Her eyes. They were the exact same color as Lance’s. He could see it now—had never forgotten that glaze of indifference in the son of a bitch’s eyes that day.

  “Down the hall to the right.”

  Ciara flashed him a hesitant smile. “Thanks.”

  He watched her disappear into his bathroom, and let out a slow breath.

  She was too sweet. Too nice. How the hell was she Lance Daschmoore’s sister? How?

  Ryan grabbed the ground beef from his fridge and strode outside, needing a distraction.

  But it didn’t help. All he could think about was that asshole and how he much he hated him.

  And the fact that his sister is in your house now.

  The burgers had only been on the grill a few minutes when she came back outside.

  He heard the slide of the patio door again and then her approach. Usually he loved the sexy rhythmic sound of a woman in heels—it was so feminine and sensual. But now it just increased his frustration.

  “I love the smell of a barbeque.”

  Ciara’s soft words greeted him before she arrived at his side.

  “It’s good stuff.”

  His skin itched. He was trapped and restless as he tried to avoid looking at her. If he did he’d likely unleash a hate filled glare that she didn’t deserve. Or he’d jerk her back into his arms and kiss the hell out of her again.

  He couldn’t do either. She wasn’t Lance, but she was his blood. And that was bad enough. Guilty by association in his book.

  His jaw flexed as the realization slowly sank in. There was no way he could sleep with her now. He’d send her on her way, just like Todd had told him to do.

  The next hour passed almost agonizingly slow in a mix of small talk and silence. He didn’t make the mistake of asking about her family again and she didn’t volunteer any information.

  He watched some of the excitement and flirtatiousness that he’d enjoyed in her personality earlier seep away. Saw the awareness sink in that something had changed between them.

  The smile faded from her face and her gaze didn’t meet his quite as often as they ate at the patio table. Then, only when the sun had begun to set, did she push back her chair.

  “I guess I should go.”

  Where was the relief? Ryan stood, trying to figure out why the hell his gut clenched with disappointment.

  “Let me walk you out.”

  “Thanks. And thank you for the burgers, they were great.” She strode ahead of him, walking toward the sliding glass door.

  In a minute she’d be gone. A mistake that should never have even happened. Out of his life and—

  “I just have to know.” She spun around and faced him. “Was it something I said?”

  Fuck. Ryan didn’t even pretend that he didn’t know what she meant.

  “No, it wasn’t anything you said or did.”

  Ciara sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The setting sun traced pink fingers of light over her slender body, making her beauty seem almost ethereal.

  Don’t touch her. He curled his fingers into fists.

  “It’s just we seemed to really hit it off earlier and were having fun and then...something happened.” She looked away. “I was too forward,
wasn’t I? I usually don’t do this. I never go home with a guy I don’t know and I’ve never had a one-night stand.”

  Damn, she was blaming herself? “Ciara...”

  She chewed on her lower lip and shook her head. “And I never have casual sex—”

  “Ciara—”

  “I was just really drawn to you and thought we had this instant attraction, but maybe it was one-sided. And oh my god I can’t even believe I’m saying all this right now, because I’m sure I sound like a complete id—”

  Her nervous prattle cut off when he slid an arm around her waist, and pulled her hard against him.

  “You’re not an idiot,” he muttered thickly, before lowering his head and covering her mouth with his.

  He was the idiot, because he was kissing her when he’d told himself to walk away. He didn’t want anything to do with Lance’s sister.

  Oh yes, you do. You want to fuck her until she can’t see straight.

  Hell, he was already having trouble seeing and thinking rationally at this moment anyway. Not with Ciara’s soft curves pressed hard against him and his tongue exploring the temptation of her mouth.

  What the hell was he thinking?

  You’re thinking about getting laid, and why shouldn’t you? It’s not like you’re looking for a serious relationship anyway. Sleep with her, get her out of your system, and walk away.

  His cock ground against her belly as he deepened the kiss.

  He could have tonight. One night of forgetting whose blood ran in her veins. One night of it just being about them.

  Tomorrow, he’d walk away.

  She doesn’t do one-night stands. You’ll hurt her.

  Ryan silenced the persistent voice of his conscience.

  Anna had gotten hurt too. That was life. Who knew, maybe tonight, him fucking Lance’s sister and walking away was just karma at its God damned best.

  The guilt that rocked through him almost cut through his lust. Almost. But then Ciara wrapped her arms around his neck and moaned, kissing him back with an intensity that rocked him to the core.

  He slid his hand to cup her breast through her dress. Found the nipple already hard and heard her telltale whimper of pleasure.