The woman continued, but Kassia didn’t make sense of it. Wife. Her stomach rolled and heaved at the implication that one word held. She never had any desire to be “the other woman,” and it made her sick to think she may have just crossed that line.
Picking up her cup, she immediately set it down once more on the table before lowering her head between her legs. She struggled to regain control of her breathing and the nausea which coursed through her. Palms were damp, and the tingle in her jaw told her she’d not mastered all the control yet. She would hurl at the slightest thing right now. She took several deep breaths until she lost the urge to paint her cousin’s floor.
“Kassia?” Heath’s deep voice filled the room, and despite what she currently felt about the words on the machine, his timbre created an intense longing within her. Damn her weak body. “You here?”
Her lip curled as she unfurled herself from the chair and grabbed her drink. She walked into the kitchen, rage increasing with each step she took and placed her unfinished mug of cocoa on the granite counter. When she looked up, he was in the doorway, leaning against the doorjamb, coming off as sexy as all get-out. His face was flushed from the cold, and the blue-gray of his button-down made her mouth water.
Squaring her shoulders, she met his gaze. “What do you need?”
His brows furrowed briefly before he moved toward her and leaned down to kiss her. Kassia sidestepped the action at the last second. Confusion was apparent on his face when he pulled away and searched for and held her gaze.
“Kassia? What’s wrong?”
The desire to let him hold her nearly took her to her knees. With a deep breath, she pointed toward the living room. “You have a message.” She’d no idea it would take so much out of her to not scream and yell at him. Grinding her teeth together, she forced herself to swallow the tirade begging to be released. No, demanding.
His gaze became shuttered as he looked at her harder. Suspicion warred in his eyes. “I have a message? Here?”
“Yes.” Kassia picked up the dishrag and replaced it over the divider of the sink.
“Who the fuck would call me here? The only ones who know where I am are you and Balt. No one tried my cell.”
As if she would feel sorry for him. Her fingers itched to slap him across the face but she refrained. Barely. She’d never gotten emotional to that extent over a man, and she wasn’t about to start now. She sniffed and wiped her hands down her pant legs. “Apparently, your wife wanted to get in touch with you.” Spinning on her heels, she headed to the other end of the open kitchen, needing to get some distance from him.
“My what?” he hollered behind her. “Damn it, Kassia, wait a second.” She didn’t stop until his strong hold jerked her back toward him.
“Your wife!” she bit off, trying to get her grip free. He refused to grant her that.
“I. Don’t. Have. A. Wife.” His words were forced from behind clenched teeth.
Kassia tugged again. “According to the message, you do. Will you let go of me?” Who knew her voice could be so cold and modulated. She’d never known. Now, she did.
Instead, he drew her in closer, her struggles futile against his superior strength. She knew if he didn’t wish to release her, she wasn’t getting away.
“No. Kassia, I swear to you, I’m not married. Never have been. Haven’t even been engaged.”
His fingers cupped her chin, demanding she not look away. She hated that she wanted to snuggle into his touch. “Well, someone didn’t tell her.” Damn it, why does my heart tell me to believe him?
“Come with me,” he said as he pulled her behind him into the living room.
Kassia balked. The one thing she didn’t want to hear was this woman calling herself his wife. “I’ve heard it, I don’t need to hear it again.” She yanked on her arm. “Let me go!”
“No! No, Kassia. I won’t. I can’t.” The words sounded dragged from the depths of his soul. His lips landed on hers and demanded her submission. A sob rose up from her throat as she gave it to him. As fast as he kissed her, he backed off as well. “You’re not going anywhere until I can get this straightened out.”
He pressed play and skipped ahead to the last message. Kassia tried to tune out the voice, but it was impossible. She could picture her. Cute, perfect, the all-American girl-next-door look. The message hadn’t even finished when Heath erased it. Obviously, he knew the woman. Kassia didn’t have a problem with him erasing it; she certainly had no desire to hear it a third time.
“Listen to me, Kassia. This is Jen Caprice. For a long time, she’s had her eyes on me and wants to be my wife, so much so that’s what she calls herself. She believes we’re meant for one another. She knows Balt and probably called him when she couldn’t get in touch with me. When I got back, I got a new cell, and she wasn’t one given the number. I didn’t want her to have it. I hadn’t any reason for her to have it. She was part of a life I’d left behind.”
His fingers stroked her cheek, but there was still strain on his face. Surely the explanation couldn’t be that easy. Could it?
“She still calls herself that. Even after all these years? Why? She must think something is there, or will be once she finds you.”
“I don’t give a damn what she believes. Never have. Jen wants to be my wife. She did when we were in high school, and when I joined the Army, she wanted to be the wife of a soldier. If that was what I wanted I would have married her. I never wanted to. Never did marry her. I’ve never wanted to be married before.” Heath brushed their lips together. “There is only one woman in my life that has allowed that notion to be entertained.”
Staring up at him, Kassia asked, needing to hear the words again, “You’re not married?”
His entire visage softened. “Not yet,” he said before he kissed her thoroughly.
She backed away, ignoring the look of pain in his expression. “I need to be by myself for a while.”
Before he could dispute her decision, she ducked under his arm and ran to the door, swiping her coat on her way out it. Bundling up as she hastened down the outdoor steps, she trudged through deep snow, snow which the ploughs had a hard time keeping up with, and made her way up the street and over to the park.
She paused by one of the numerous trees surrounding the lake, using its trunk to support her weight. The snow and wind swirled around her, however, right this second, she didn’t feel any of the cold. All she could think of was the call and that voice.
Pulling her cell out of her pocket, she dialed up her cousin, Balt. It went to his voicemail, and she didn’t even leave a message, just hung up and dialed again.
“What, JoJo? Do you have any idea what time it is here?”
“An hour ahead of me. Tell the bimbo you’ll fuck her later.”
“Wow, what’s got your goat? You aren’t usually so cranky.” She heard the rustle of bed coverings and rolled her eyes. Her cousin had no shame. “How are things with you and Heath?”
“Did you give some woman named Jen your number to call him?”
“Yes? She said they’d been childhood friends, I figured he could use as many as he could get. Wasn’t going to give his cell out, though. I can block her number. Why?”
“She called claiming to be his wife.”
Silence met her statement. “No, that’s not right, he’s not married.”
“Are you sure, Balt? How do you know for sure? It’s been a while since you’ve seen him. How do you know he didn’t marry someone?”
“Because I know Heath. He’s never wanted to marry. I’m sure some of that has changed since…well, that whole thing. But I am as positive as I am you’re my cousin that he’s not married.”
Words she had been hoping for, so why didn’t she feel any better? That large knot in her stomach still wouldn’t leave her in peace.
“Have you gone and fallen in love with him, JoJo?”
It was like he stood right before her and could see her expression. She worried her lower lip and shifted her wei
ght between her feet, mulling over her answer.
“Damn it, JoJo, talk to me!”
“Don’t yell at me, Balt.”
“I’ll kill him. I’ll fucking kill him. Rip off his God damn arms and beat him to death with them.”
“I thought you told me to give him a chance,” she interrupted softly.
“A chance, yes, a spot in your bed? Hell, no. Hell, fucking no!”
“At least you know more about him than the skank you’re fuckin’ down there,” she snapped, displeased that suddenly Heath wasn’t good enough.
“This ain’t about me, JoJo. Just wait until the others hear about this.”
“Really, Balt? You’re going to tell Mel and Caspar about this? To what end? I’m not in diapers anymore. If I want to sleep with Heath, then God damn it, I’ll sleep with Heath.”
“And do you?”
This time the question didn’t come from her cousin. It came from behind, and she slowly pivoted to find Heath standing there. She could see strain on his face, and she figured he’d not taken his pills yet. And he was still on his feet; normally, he had to get off his feet in the afternoon and rest his muscles.
“What are you doing here?”
“Is that bastard there? Put him on the phone this instant,” Balt demanded.
She ended the call, lifted her chin, and faced the man she had fallen in love with. Completely. Head over heels.
“Do you?” he asked in response to her question.
“Do I what?”
“Want to sleep with Heath?”
Shit, even now, she could feel her body gravitating towards him, as if he were her drug of choice, and she, the addict. No, that was wrong. Drugs shouldn’t be thought of when comparing what they had. It didn’t matter. Good, bad, or otherwise, he was the one she wanted.
“Kassia?” he asked, limping to stand before her.
His hands remained in his pockets, and she wanted him to reach for her. “Does it matter?”
“Very much so.”
How she longed to believe him. “Why are you here? I said I needed to be alone.”
“You’re mad, you left the house, and I don’t want you to run away without coming back. If you need to be alone, go. I’ll follow from a distance, but I’m not leaving you completely alone.”
“You can’t follow me around. What about your leg?”
He shrugged, never releasing her gaze. “I’ll find a way.”
Even now she could see the pain his eyes desperately tried to hide. “I’ll go back to Balt’s, but I still want to be alone.”
His nod was nigh undetectable, but she got it. They walked in silence, and she couldn’t keep her attention from drifting back to him. Even injured, he carried himself with such poise and an undercurrent of danger. Back at the house, he remained by her when she shrugged out of her jacket then trailed her to the room.
“Just one thing before I leave you alone, Kassia.”
“What?”
“This.”
He kissed her. Slanted his mouth over hers and told her everything in that one kiss no words could ever say. As he lifted her up into his arms, Kassia sank into him. Should I ask more questions? Should I be more suspicious? Or should I trust him. As he laid her back on the bed, she had her answer. Trust.
He stroked a hand down the side of her face and backed away out of the room, closing the door behind him. Giving her what she wanted. Alone time. Only, now, she wasn’t so confident that’s what she wanted anymore.
Heath shut his phone off. Balt had been calling him nonstop, and Heath finally answered, telling Kassia’s cousin to mind his own damn business. He had the rest of today—which wasn’t much, and it was Christmas Eve—then Christmas before he and Kassia went their own ways.
If that’s what would happen. Lord knew he didn’t want it to. He wanted that woman more than he wanted anything in his life.
He knew Kassia understood Jen wasn’t his wife, but she was still hurt and a bit leery. She tried to hide it, but he could see right through her attempts. Right now, she slept after.
Sitting on the couch, he absently rubbed his sore thigh and blew out a breath. What was he going to do to keep her? She wasn’t going to change her plans of leaving, he knew that much. And he had to be in South Carolina for that weekend in January.
“What the hell am I going to do?” Shaking his head, he sighed. “Wish you were around, Blarney, to give me some advice.”
He rested his head against the top of the couch and sighed again. It was as if she were already pulling away from him. It broke his heart to think of spending even one day without knowing she was his to love, for the rest of their lives.
His eyes flew open, and he got to his feet. One more thing he could try, and the entire time, he’d be praying it worked. He slipped on his coat and left the house, flagging down a taxi.
Darkness had fallen by the time he made it back. All the Christmas lights shone through the night. The sounds of the city had been muffled. Covered by snow and more falling, it just took on another quality to it. He took his time going slowly up the steps. The tree he’d hauled in there, just to see the smile on her face, could be seen from the window. She’d decorated it beautifully, and its lights and other decorations shone as well.
Inside, he got to work on fixing the meal. He was chopping veggies for the salad when she appeared from the room. He bit back a groan as she walked across the linoleum floor to the fridge. Rumpled. Well pleasured. Sexy as all get out. Three things she looked to him.
“Sleep well?” he asked.
“I did, thank you. I would have made dinner.”
“Not a problem. You’ve done most of the cooking, keeping me fed. I don’t mind. Why don’t you go watch television or something? It’ll be ready in about fifteen minutes.”
She didn’t leave. Instead, she sidled up to him and placed a hand on his arm. Flexing his fingers around the knife handle, he glanced at her.
“How’s your leg?”
Sore as all get out. “It’s okay. I took my pills a bit ago, and I’ll get off it after supper.”
“All right.” She pushed up on her toes and kissed his cheek before leaving the room.
Nope, there was no way in hell he was letting her get away. During the meal, she remained more than a bit subdued.
“What are you thinking?” he asked, drinking some coffee.
“How nice it will be to get back to Texas.”
Ouch. That hurt to hear. He merely nodded. “Are you leaving soon for work or do you have some time to recover from being up here?”
Her gaze flashed to him when he said “recover” before she looked away. “I have until after the first of the year. Then, I’m off and running again.”
“So no plans when you get back?”
“Other than lying on the beach and soaking up some rays? Nope, can’t say that I do. Why?”
“Just curious.”
She seemed to shrink a bit. “Oh, okay.”
Maybe she wasn’t as ready to let him go as she had been trying to convince herself. He hid his hopeful smile behind his mug.
“What about you?”
“Me? Oh, nothing until I head to South Carolina.”
“You’re staying up here until then?”
“Not sure yet. I think I’ll wait for Balt to get back. He’s made it clear he wants to talk to me.”
Her eyes widened. “I’m sorry. I’ve told him what we did here was none of his business.”
Protecting him. That had to be a good sign. “I’m not worried about your cousin. Balt’s a lot of bluster but he knows if he hits me, it’s fair game, and he won’t want to get his face messed up.”
She snorted. “That’s true. He is really concerned about his looks.”
That was putting it mildly. But Balt was still a good man despite his need to look in a mirror so often.
“I just don’t want you to have to take the blame for our little…” She shrugged.
He leaned forward, arms resting
on the table. “Our little what?”
She waved her hand around. “You know.”
“No. What do you call it, Kassia? What would you call it if you were telling your friends? Were you slumming with the southern country boy who used to be a solider? Vacation fling? What?”
Her eyes grew wide. “Slumming? How can you think I’d say that? I don’t think that at all.”
He pushed back from the table and went to her side. “Then what, sweets? What am I?”
Lord, she smelled so good. He wanted to lower his mouth to her neck and just take a bite. He could see the goose bumps all over her skin. He could count them with his tongue if he just leaned a bit closer.
“Crowding me.”
“Yes, I am. Answer me.”
“Just…just a guy I had a thing with.”
He tipped up her face. “Just a guy? A thing?”
Before she could say another word, he scooped her from the chair, ignored his screaming leg, and carried her into the living room and lay her down on the floor near the tree. Sliding his hand into her hair, he angled her head where he wanted it and kissed her. Desperation nearly overwhelmed him as he struggled to go easy with her. He wanted to take her hard and fast, make sure she never forgot this “guy’s” name or the “thing” they had.”
“Heath?” she said as he tore off her clothing.
“Just a guy and a thing he shared with you.”
He kissed her again, cutting off her protest. Nothing else was spoken between them for the rest of the night. He did all he could to show her he loved her with touches. But he didn’t trust himself not to say something stupid again.
Bearing her back to the thick rug, he covered her body with his own. Briefly ending the kiss, he drew back and stared at her. In the twinkling lights from the tree as well as the flickering flames from the fireplace, she looked so enticing, he wasn’t sure what to do with his feelings. She lowered her gaze and he shook his head.
“No. Watch me, Kassia. Watch me as we make love.”
A Naughty Little Christmas (Cowboys, Cops, and Kilts: 8 Seasonally Seductive Romances from Bestselling Authors) Page 21