The Tough Love Groom: Texas Titan Romances

by Taylor Hart

  He sighed. “Hey, I ate a hotdog the other day.”

  Pumping her eyebrows, she shook her head. “If the public only knew. It could change your whole image.”

  “Yes, the public. And where would my PR firm be then?” He grew serious. “Is that why you won’t come away with me?”

  She couldn’t help but smile. “You’re relentless.” But she didn’t feel as angry as she had earlier when he’d asked. The thought of a grandmother intrigued her.

  For a few moments, they just sat there, smiling.

  “What did you mean earlier when you told me you’d been thinking about football?”

  Immediately, she thought of being close to him, how she’d thought of the dinner cruise. “Nothing,” she said quickly.

  “No way.” He leaned in intensely. “You have to tell.”

  Hating that she felt this way, and hating that she did trust this man, she looked at her hands. “I was just thinking how …” She chickened out. “Never mind.”

  “What?”

  Adrenaline filled her, and her heart raced.

  “Song?” he asked.

  Hearing him call her by her last name amused her. “I was thinking how you always do your football speak, and I had actually thought a football analogy in my mind.”

  He grinned. “Good, I’m rubbing off on you.”

  His eyes sparkled, like they couldn’t wait for the entire joke to smile more fully, and her mind flashed to being in his arms at the dinner cruise. “What?”

  “What?” She hadn’t meant to think about that. “Nothing.”

  He shook his head. “Nope, we’re staying here until you tell me.” He crossed his arms.

  She thought, once again, that he was a bratty and entitled billionaire, but she didn’t say it.

  “Song,” he said in a deep voice.

  She sighed and looked back at her hands. She spoke quickly. “I was just thinking about being in your arms and how strong you are and …” It was coming out all wrong. “But not like your muscles.” She prattled on, looking up at him.

  The edge of his mouth twitched up.

  She waved a hand in the air, hating how tongue-tied she felt at this moment. “I was thinking about the dinner cruise, about when we danced and you held me. I was just thinking how good it felt to be held.”

  Their eyes were locked.

  She blinked. “A woman needs to be held sometimes.” This was getting worse, but she didn’t stop, already exposed. “See, this is what I’m talking about. Earlier, when I actually thought the football analogy, it was because I thought about how you’ve snuck past my defenses, but I was thinking in football terms, like the stuff you say to me. It just sounded more like an analogy you would say.” She stopped talking, feeling breathless. “I’m rambling …” She trailed off, feeling idiotic.

  His grin widened.

  “That was horrible. I don’t know why I said all that.”

  Kade hesitated, and she worried he thought she had lost her mind. Then she thought it might be good if he did think that because she was feeling so strange and weird. Things she didn’t want to feel for anybody were surfacing.

  Like right now.

  He leaned over and put a hand on top of hers on the table. “How about after work you just come to my place, and we’ll go see my grandma?”

  “Fine,” she said, unable to believe she’d actually agreed.

  His whole face lit up, and she thought he would literally spring from his bottom to his feet in one jump. “Really?”

  Excitement, angst, uncertainty, and everything all rolled into one pulsed through her. She stood, feeling extremely uncertain. “I shouldn’t." She looked at her phone. “It’s almost two. I’m late.”

  He dropped money on the table and stood, taking her hand. “Just tell DaVinci you were with a client.” He wagged his eyebrows. “It’s true.”

  She might have to, but she didn’t want to tell DaVinci. It would open another can of worms for her.

  Kade kept his hand in hers as they left the restaurant. “You’re going to love it. My grandma is amazing, but her house is even more amazing.”

  Turning, she decided she had to make sure he knew the boundaries. “Kade, you know I have a heart condition, but there are other things you don't know.”

  Taking both of her hands and pulling her against the side of the dive wall they stood in front of, he soberly evaluated her. “Have you killed anyone?”

  She frowned. He still had a small smile on his face. “Stop.” She tried to tug her hands away.

  He kept her hands. “Do you owe child support?”

  She glared at him. “Funny man.” Her heart rate went into hyper speed.

  “I know about your mom and dad.” He looked serious. “You mentioned your brother. What else do I need to know?”

  I’m never having that surgery everybody thinks I need, she wanted to say. She hesitated.

  A slow grin washed over his face. “Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure you know way more about me than I even know about me. So I’ll look forward to discovering everything about you.”

  She did know most things about him. Down to all his relationships, or lack of them really. She hadn’t really thought about that. Kade hadn’t had any serious things going on. Lots of dating, not lots of serious.

  Seeming to be on the same wavelength, he dropped one of her hands to put his arm behind her on the building and kept her other hand. He was close to her. Kissable close. He stared into her eyes. “Has there been someone, Felicity? Someone you don’t want to tell me about that you still love, or are you in a relationship I should know about?”

  The words sounded so vulnerable coming from him. Her heart started running wild. She smiled and put her finger slowly against his lips. “I told you, Kade. You can’t fall in love with me.”

  He grinned. “Yeah, but you never said you can’t fall in love with me.” A cocky grin filled his face.

  She glared at him, hating and loving this pull between them. Whipping out her phone, she ordered an uber.

  While they waited, he picked up her hand again.

  Part of her wished, begged, hoped he would forget her. That he would quit texting, that she wouldn’t have to break his heart when she told him the whole truth about her.

  Gently pushing a strand of hair back behind her ear, he searched her face. “Where have you gone, my redheaded Aphrodite?”

  A small smile played at her lips. “I’m not Aphrodite.” She scoffed. “Also, Aphrodite was Zeus’ daughter.”

  A scowl filled his face. “Gross, obviously I haven’t kept tabs on the Greek Gods.”

  She laughed. “Obviously.”

  He leaned into her. “Will you kiss me?” he asked and snaked a hand around her waist, pulling her into him.

  Her heart pounded, and she found she wanted to. Dang it, she really wanted to.

  His other hand cupped the back of her head and tangled itself in her hair as he gently pulled her closer.

  She still didn’t move.

  Right before his lips claimed hers, he said, “Tell me you want to kiss me.”

  There had never been a more sensual, more heightened, more all-consuming chemistry in her life. Every cell in her body hummed with energy charged by his. It was like the tiniest touch would make her implode.

  Even though she shouldn’t and it wasn’t fair and a million other things, she stared into those pools of blue sky and thought the actual Zeus might just be zapping her with his lightning bolts. It was the only explanation for this electric energy, and she couldn’t take it any longer. “I want to kiss you.”

  Their lips met, and explosions of passion filled her. His lips were soft, and he took his time, deepening the kiss.

  She grabbed him around the neck and pulled him closer, drinking him in, needing the solace and the strength and everything he was.

  His lips kissed down her neck softly, slowly, with determination, and his hands squeezed her around her waist almost to the point of pain. It was like she cou
ldn’t get close enough to him. Somehow, there was too much distance. All she could think about was how Kade had done the very thing she’d never wanted—he’d read her defenses and found an opening. He’d not only taken it, but he'd dominated the whole field.

  His lips were back to hers, and she felt herself coming back to her brain, her mind, her will. She pushed him back. “Kade,” she whispered, feeling like she’d just drunk from the lake of the Gods, danced with the immortals. “We can’t do this.” Unfortunately, there was no force in her tone.

  Still, every part of him seemed to pull away from her, letting her go. His hands were languid, like water ready to ebb, ready to flow based on her command, at her waist. “It’s already done.”

  His words, his cockiness, the truth of him, took her by such surprise that she choked out a laugh.

  She hated that she had allowed anyone, especially him, to get to this point. She shook her head, and all she knew was the fire that had started would be painful to put out. "I …”

  He nodded to the curb. “Your uber is here, I’ll see you tonight." He smiled playfully. “Come to my house at six. Bring an overnight bag and your swimsuit.” He lightly touched her nose. “It’ll be fun.”

  Moving to the curb, he opened the door for her.

  Feeling like she was in shock, she got into the car.

  He shut the door and smiled.

  The driver pulled away, and she put her hand to her heart, finally recognizing exactly what emotions she felt about Kade Kincaid.

  Fear and love.

  Chapter 21

  When Felicity showed up to Kade’s house, she tried to calm her shakiness. Her mother had been ecstatic she was going away with Kade, had even helped her pack. Which was odd because her mother had never encouraged her to date guys.

  “Why do you like him so much?” Felicity had asked grumpily.

  Her mother had gently touched her face. “Because he knows you, all about you, and the way he looks at you …” she’d broken off and sighed. “That boy loves you.”

  She wanted to argue, but she didn’t. She climbed the steps to his door, continuing to battle the feeling that she shouldn’t lead him on. She’d told him not to fall for her, but man, that kiss earlier in the day was unlike any kiss she’d ever had before with a man. Not that she had that much experience in her short twenty-four years. After all, she’d made an art of keeping men at a distance.

  The door flew open before she had a chance to ring the bell. With no warning, Kade grabbed her and pulled her into another kiss.

  She had no chance to do anything but drop her bag and let herself be kissed by him. Not the slow kisses from earlier. No, these kisses were fast and eager, mixed with gentle kisses around her face.

  She giggled.

  He laughed and finished with a final kiss on the lips.

  She held him tightly, letting herself relish being in his arms.

  “I missed you. Are you ready for an adventure?”

  Feeling her heart clutch, she searched those blue eyes. “I guess we’re past the blackmail friendship.” She winked. “So yeah, let’s go.”

  He winked back and kissed her again, smothering her with kisses down her neck. “Hey, I’ll still wear the friendship necklace if you want.” He kissed her neck one last time.

  She just laughed in response.

  Without preamble, he picked up her bag and grabbed her hand, pulling her through the house. She heard it before she saw it. The chopper was firing up. So a little trip to see grandma wasn’t such a little trip at all.

  He wasn’t stopping, just kept pulling her, getting to the back door and dropping her hand before pulling her out. “Are you ready to fly?”

  He looked the complete opposite from how he’d looked the other day when they’d gone skydiving: totally ecstatic.

  “Kade, I’m nervous!” She admitted as they got to the helo.

  He turned to her and grinned, throwing the bags to someone in the back when they got to the chopper, and yanking open the front door for her. “You’re the adrenaline junky! I thought you’d go crazy for this!”

  The wind was making his hair swoosh all over and hers too. “You’re crazy!” She yelled back, loving being with him way too much.

  He grinned and did a crazy face, pointing to the passenger seat. “Get in!”

  She laughingly complied.

  He put a headset on her then dashed around the helicopter and shook hands with the guy who had started it.

  Kade was talking with the guy about the flight plan.

  Was this for real? Was she actually going to fly on a helicopter with Kade piloting it?

  She’d seen him doing this on clips, but this was insane.

  He got in the pilot seat and began punching buttons. “You ready?” He turned to her.

  “This will take us to your grandma’s house?” She smiled and let out giggles of anticipation, but held tightly to the arms of the chair, as if they would save her if it all went wrong.

  Letting out a whoop of a holler Kade said, “This is the only way to access Grandma’s house!”

  The helicopter tugged off the ground with a jolt and then went forward and up. He flashed a happy smile at her as he zoomed into the sky. She marveled at how, at this moment, he looked exactly as he did on the big screen during games. Completely competent and intent on what he was doing.

  She was horrible with direction and didn’t know where exactly they were going, but she saw that they were flying over Houston and then Galveston.

  “Where does your grandma live?” She half spoke, half shouted into the speaker.

  “You’ll see, Song. Be patient.” He winked at her before turning all of his focus to flying.

  Less than an hour from when they had taken off, they were descending down to what looked like an island. Felicity was astounded even more that the island had what looked to be a castle on it. He landed on a strip next to the castle and turned off the chopper.

  Two guys came out of the castle and moved toward them.

  Kade smiled at her, taking off his headset. “What do you think?”

  Dumbfounded, she shook her head. “I think I’m way out of my league."

  Reaching over, he gently tugged off her headset and scoffed. “Whatever, it’s time to play on Mt. Olympus.”

  A dumb grin washed over her face, and she pushed his shoulder, not sure if she liked how he was using her references to the gods as his own now. “So you really do think you’re Zeus?” She hollered as he hopped out of the helicopter then came to her side and opened the door to help her out.

  “Well, if you want me to be.” He gently picked up a strand of her hair.

  She let out a laugh. “How come I feel like you’ve managed me when I’m the one who’s supposed to be handling you?”

  Gently, he leaned forward, kissing her.

  She loved the feel of him, the smell of him. She couldn’t get enough of him and would be lying if she said she didn’t love the way he so clearly adored her.

  He grinned and pulled back. “You ready for the tour?”

  She nodded.

  They got out and started walking toward the grand structure hand in hand.

  “Has your family always owned this?” She looked around in wonder.

  “Grandma has lived here since I was little." He shrugged. “My mother’s mother. She’s tough, introverted, never thought my father was good enough for mother. I think that’s partly why dad had to become a billionaire—to prove to himself and grandmother he was good enough.”

  She was overwhelmed by the massiveness of the walls and this whole situation. “How does the press not know about this?"

  Kade shrugged. “Oh, they do. Some. My father, as you know, works hard to control our images and to keep certain things private. We’ve never done stories from here or anything."

  When they got to the very old doors, two men pulled them open. He expected it to be antiquated and was surprised to see it was new and kept up. Yes, it felt English old style, but t
his courtyard had a fountain and flowers and wasn’t too big.

  They walked on cobblestone.

  "This was owned by royalty, of course. It was taken back in possession by the Spaniards when they were colonizing the new world.” Kade explained the history comfortably. “About a hundred years ago, my great-great-grandfather on my mother’s side won it in a round of cards with some pirates. My grandfather came here and revived it. He was a pirate too."

  “Are you making this up?”

  He laughed and put his arm around her. “Nope.”

  She marveled at the story, and the scenery, unable to believe how the flowers smelled, how she felt like she was in a fairy tale.

  Kade pointed to one half of the castle. “That wing is in total disrepair, and we don’t use it.” He kept walking through another door with ivy around it and roses into the castle.

  Coats of armor decorated the walls. She had never been to Europe, but she’d watched plenty of documentaries on castles. This place was textbook.

  Kade grinned and took her to a wall with many old-looking things on it. “This is my family's crest.” It was a cross with a circle around it and a rose at the top. “My grandfather had to sell a lot of the Spanish treasure to keep this place going, but he never sold the island or any of the really important stuff.” Kade grinned at her.

  She was completely shocked. “Earlier today I started to feel like maybe Kade Kincaid is a normal guy. Then he helicopters me off to an island and explains his family owns it and a castle. To top it off, it was built with pirate money, and by the way, here’s the family crest."

  Lifting a shoulder, it looked like he was trying to be humble. “I don’t like to oversell."

  Smarting, she wondered what Kade’s childhood must have been like. Insane. Tutors, trips all over the world. A castle.

  He took her hand. “I’m just me.”

  Without thinking, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

  Only, she couldn’t pull back because his arms were around her, and his lips were on hers, again.

  Butterflies invaded her stomach, and she held onto Kade, giving him her lips. Getting lost in his touch, his scent, the way his facial hair was softer than she had imagined.