by N. J. Walter
Debt of Honor
N.J. Walters
“One night in my bed.”
That’s what Derek Montague wants from Kaitlyn Jacobs in order to pay off the debt her younger brother owes. Now she has a choice to make.
Derek’s wanted the standoffish Kaitlyn for years. Using her brother’s debt as an excuse to get closer to her, he gives her one option if she wants to settle it—spend one night in his bed. He expects her to throw the offer back in his face but she agrees.
After one long, hot night of loving, Kaitlyn discovers everything is not what it seems. She’s not sure if Derek has made a fool of her or if this debt of honor could be something more.
A Romantica® western erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave
Debt of Honor
N.J. Walters
Dedication
To my amazing husband!
Chapter One
Kaitlyn Jacobs stared at the ripped check sitting in the middle of the large desktop and then back at the man who’d torn the darn thing in half. She clutched the pen in her hand so tightly she was half afraid it was going to crack. It took all her concentration to make herself relax. But then, Derek Montague always had that effect on her.
He leaned back in his massive leather chair, a big man in control of his world. He owned one of the largest ranches in West Texas and his family had made their money from oil, cattle and horses. His empire was diverse and it took a strong man to handle it all. But Derek did it with ease.
Kaitlyn had been forced to sell most of her family’s land years ago when her parents had been killed in a car accident. At eighteen, she’d been ill-equipped to run the place on her own and Daniel had only been eight, a bewildered, angry child who’d needed her attention. Derek had been twenty-five then, a man in every sense of the word. He’d bought her land at fair market value and offered to help her in any way he could. His dark eyes had pierced her skin and her heart when he’d made the offer. She’d taken the money for the land but she’d never asked him for anything, not until today.
“Why?” she asked, her voice flat.
“Because your brother is eighteen. He’s a man now, not a child. It’s time for you to stop bailing him out of the trouble he gets himself into.” Derek rested his hands on his flat stomach. “Hell, Kaitlyn, you’ve been pulling him out of scrapes since he was a kid. It’s time to cut the apron strings and let him grow up before he gets himself into some real trouble.”
“You don’t consider joyriding over your fields and leaving the gate open so a dozen of your cattle got loose real trouble?”
One corner of Derek’s mouth kicked up. “I did as bad at his age, but I paid the price and I learned there are consequences for my actions. He needs to do the same.”
She hated anyone telling her what her brother needed, especially when she knew they were right. Still, she needed to pay for the damage to the field and the gate. Thankfully, none of the cattle had been hurt and had been rounded up easily and returned to their rightful home or the hit to her checkbook could have been worse.
She knew Daniel was getting out of control. This past year, the quiet, cooperative brother she’d known had totally disappeared. She was just glad he was still in school and only had a few weeks until graduation. That was one hurdle they had to get over before she started trying to prompt him toward a career of some kind.
“Take the check, Derek.” She started to write another one.
“I don’t want your money.”
She stopped writing and glared at him. “Then what do you want?”
Something hot and primal flared in his eyes and his face hardened. “Something you’re not willing to give me.”
“How do you know?” It was foolish to taunt him. Like waving a red flag at a bull, but she was beyond caution. She’d been cautious her entire life, or at least since she’d become sole caregiver for an eight-year-old. For ten years, she’d worked at the local bank, kept her head down and stayed out of trouble, pushing aside her own dreams to take care of the only family she had left.
She’d never had regrets until these past few months. Daniel was slipping away from her and she didn’t know how to stop that from happening.
Anger and frustration pushed her as she shoved her checkbook and pen back into her purse. “Well, what will it take to cover the debt?”
“One night in my bed.”
Derek stared at the woman facing off against him. She was full of fire and determination and he wanted her. Hell, he’d wanted her for the past decade, but she stayed away from him as though he had the plague. The only thing that made it anywhere near bearable was the fact she treated all men the same. Oh, she’d had a couple of relationships over the years, but they’d never lasted long. A lot of men didn’t want to take on a woman who had responsibility for raising her younger brother.
Right now, his cock was hard as a fencepost and throbbing like a toothache. If she knew half of what he was thinking she’d run from his office and never look back. He still couldn’t believe he’d uttered those words to her.
He should feel like a bastard. Hell, most everyone thought he was anyway. He liked to think he was tough, but fair. He’d wanted Kaitlyn for years and wasn’t about to toss aside this opportunity. He’d worry about his conscience tomorrow.
“Well?” He studied her flushed face. “What’s it going to be?”
Her fingers were white where they gripped her purse. Even though she was tense, she was as pretty as a Texas summer day. She was wearing one of those business suits she wore every day at the bank where she worked. This one was pale blue and he could just see the hint of lace peeking out between her lapels. It was driving him crazy wondering what she had underneath that thin jacket.
Her long brown hair was swept up into some fancy style that seemed to defy gravity. It left her neck bare and accentuated her face. And she had a striking face. Not pretty, not beautiful, but striking. High cheekbones and a strong jaw hinted at the steel beneath the prim exterior. Her eyes were a dark blue, like the onset of a summer squall. And they were getting darker by the second.
“You can’t be serious.” If her posture got any straighter he feared she might snap in half. Kaitlyn was a strong woman to carry the load she had all these years. But her brother wasn’t a child any longer and Derek had waited long enough.
“Deadly serious.” He leaned forward and she started to jerk back in her chair before she stopped herself and leaned forward instead, challenging him. “If you want to settle this debt, I want you in my bed for one entire night and you have to agree to do exactly what I want.”
She raised her hand to touch her hair even though not one strand was out of place. He could see the fine tremors in her arm and almost relented. Almost. Instead, he tried to reassure her. “No one will know but us.” He rose, walked around to the front of his desk and crouched in front of her. He took her hand, bothered by the fact it was cold.
She licked her lips and he almost groaned aloud. “How…how would that be possible?”
She was going to agree. Derek tamped down his excitement and kept his voice level and his words logical. “I’d pick you up and bring you out here and drive you back in the morning.”
Kaitlyn was already shaking her head. “No, that won’t do.” She eased back in her chair, putting some space between them. “I’ll drive myself and park up near the road and walk down.”
God almighty, the woman was stubborn, but if that’s what she wanted, he’d live with it. After all, he was getting exactly what he wanted. Still, he protested. “I don’t want you traipsing around the ranch in the dark.”
Her chin tilted higher. “I can take care of myself.”
And that had always been the problem. He’d wanted to take care of her, but she’d never given him the t
ime of day.
He straightened and shrugged. “Suit yourself.” He didn’t like it but figured she’d be relatively safe on his land. There weren’t too many varmints around.
“When?” She stood and took a step toward the door.
“As soon as possible.”
Kaitlyn placed one hand on the doorjamb. She looked calm and composed in her heels and fancy suit. He couldn’t wait to strip her out of her clothes and discover the passionate woman he’d seen lurking beneath the cool exterior all these years. “Tomorrow night. It’s Saturday and most of your hands will go into town.”
He nodded. “What will you tell Daniel?”
The glare she shot him would have felled a lesser man. “Certainly not the truth.” She nibbled on her bottom lip and his cock swelled. It was all too easy to imagine that clever mouth on various parts of his anatomy. “I’ll figure something out.”
Derek slowly walked toward her. He stopped when the tip of his boot brushed against the toe of her low-heeled shoe. They were so close he could smell her skin. It was warm with a hint of lavender. Not perfume. Not strong enough. Probably lotion, which meant her entire body would smell that good.
He leaned down and brushed his lips over hers. Her breath caught in her throat. “Sealed with a kiss.” He took a step back, otherwise he’d sweep her into his arms and carry her up to his room right now. “Everything will be okay.” For some reason he felt the need to reassure her. In spite of her outward composure, he knew he’d shaken her with his unconventional demand.
Her eyes darkened and she frowned. “I’m not so sure of that.” Turning on her heel, she strode down the hallway and out the front door of his home. He watched her the whole way, his eyes glued to the gentle sway of her perfect ass. He reached down between his legs to adjust his cock, trying to find a more comfortable position. It didn’t work.
“Damn it.” Derek stalked back to his desk and swept the pieces of her check into the garbage. He didn’t regret what he’d done. He couldn’t. He’d waited ten years to get Kaitlyn where he wanted her, and he consoled himself with the knowledge she could have said no. He’d told her she didn’t owe him anything. It was pride making her come tomorrow night, her need to feel as though she’d paid the debt owed him. But it was still her choice and she could always call off the whole thing.
That notion didn’t make him feel any better. He grabbed his Stetson from the corner of his desk and jammed it on his head as he headed toward the back of the house. Work was the best thing for him. Anything to get his mind off the hours between now and tomorrow night.
Kaitlyn was shaking as she drove off the Double M ranch and hit the blacktop that headed toward town. It was anger making her shake, she told herself. It wasn’t arousal. It couldn’t be.
But it was.
She eased over to the side of the road and put her car in park. She sat there, gripping the steering wheel until her knuckles were white. “What have I done?”
Her voice sounded strange, almost as if it wasn’t hers. She felt disconnected from reality. Had she just agreed to spend the night in Derek’s bed, doing whatever he wanted?
Another shiver racked her body and goose bumps raced down her arms. She felt cold one moment and hot the next. She completely ignored the fact that her nipples were puckered and her breasts felt heavy.
She’d known Derek all her life and had been very aware of him for the past decade. How could she not? Derek was a prime male specimen and she was only human. But female intuition had warned her to stay clear of him. Derek was a hard man and he’d gone through a lot of women over the years. Not that he was ever mean or lied to them—word got around fast in a town this small. No, every woman knew that his first and only love was his ranch. Any woman would play second fiddle to that.
And he never made any promises either. The gossip grapevine was alive and well in their small town. In spite of the way he never stayed long with one woman, Derek had managed to remain friends with most of them. Not an easy feat.
And she’d promised to spend a night in his bed.
What had she been thinking?
Obviously, she hadn’t been thinking at all. Not about the debt Daniel owed Derek. Not about making things right. The only thing she’d been able to think at all is that she had a chance to make all her sexual fantasies come true.
For years, Derek had starred in all her late-night sexual fantasies, both when she’d been awake and sleeping. He was big and strong, his hands calloused and hard.
She licked her lips, her mouth suddenly dry at the thought of having those hands on her body. Her phone rang, jolting her back to reality. She dug through her purse and grabbed it, groaning when she saw the number.
“Hey, Daniel.”
“I won’t be home tonight.” No hello or how are you, just straight to the point.
“Where will you be?” She did her best to keep her voice level. They did better when she didn’t yell.
“I got a job.”
“Really? Where?”
“I can’t talk now. I’ll tell you about it later.”
“Daniel,” she began, only to realize she was listening to dead air. He was already gone.
“Damn it.” She tossed her phone back in her purse, put her car in gear and slowly pulled back onto the road. She couldn’t afford to just sit there and daydream about tomorrow. She had to get back to the bank and finish her shift. After that, she had to try to track down her wayward brother. Tomorrow she had housework and chores to tackle.
And tomorrow night… She shivered again and then shook off all thoughts of Derek Montague. At least by the end of tomorrow night her family’s debt to him would be paid and she’d finally have lived out all her sexual fantasies. Only time would tell if Derek would live up to them.
She very much feared he would.
Chapter Two
Kaitlyn walked as fast as she dared over the field. She’d parked her vehicle well off the road, hiding it behind a stand of trees. She felt stupid to be skulking around as if she were doing something wrong. Both she and Derek were single adults. Who cared if they slept together?
She should call off the whole thing. She’d offered to pay for the damage to his property. He’d turned down her offer of money so it was his problem, not hers.
She slowed until she came to a full halt. What was she doing? She’d obviously lost her mind.
She’d spent the past twenty-four hours alternately worrying about where her brother was—Daniel still wasn’t answering her calls and hadn’t come home last night, but thankfully he’d left a message—and second-guessing her decision to sleep with Derek. She was an emotional wreck and physically exhausted. She hadn’t slept well last night and had tried to work away her worries. Her house had never been so clean and her small yard was as neat as a pin.
She looked forward and then back. Which way to go?
“What’s it going to be?” The deep male voice startled her and she jumped back, stumbling slightly before righting herself. Derek stepped out of the shadows and into the moonlight.
“I didn’t know you were there.” She placed her hand over her racing heart and tried to slow her breathing.
“I know.” He came toward her and stopped about a foot away and held out his hand. “Come up to the house, Kaitlyn. We can talk.”
She knew if she took his hand she was agreeing to do a lot more than simply talk, but the idea of spending time with Derek and being in his bed tantalized her. Knowing she’d already made her choice or she wouldn’t be here, she reached out and took his hand. His strong fingers closed around hers and he tugged her forward.
They walked in silence for a few minutes. “I really didn’t think you’d come.”
Kaitlyn didn’t know whether she should be insulted by his words or worried that he’d actually hoped she’d stay home. “I can go if you want.” She tried to pull her hand from his but he tightened his grip and pulled her closer.
“No, you’re here now and you’re staying.” He sighed and
rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. “At least for a while. I know we agreed to one night, but I won’t hold you to that. You can leave whenever you want to.”
The house came into view. She’d always loved the two-story home with its wraparound porch and dark-green shutters. A large swing sat at one end of the front porch and Kaitlyn wondered what it would be like to sit there on a summer afternoon, drinking an ice-cold lemonade as she watched for Derek to come in from the fields.
She stopped suddenly. She couldn’t think like that, not for a minute. This was one night and one night only. To imagine it was more would only lead to heartbreak.
“You okay?” She could hear the concern in his tone.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” She started walking again and hurried up the steps, deliberately not looking at the lovely swing.
Derek opened the door and held it for her, inviting her into his home. She’d been here yesterday, but that was different. Tonight she was here for a whole other reason.
Kaitlyn took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold.
Derek shut and locked the door, letting out a low breath of relief now that he had Kaitlyn inside his home. It had been touch and go there for a moment and he’d half expected her to bolt. She was nervous as a filly near her first stallion.
He cocked his head to one side and studied her as she glanced nervously around the foyer. She was wearing jeans and boots, topped by a plain T-shirt and navy-blue sweater. She hadn’t exactly dressed up for tonight. But he’d smelled that lovely lavender scent wafting up from her skin. He couldn’t wait to see if she smelled like that all over.
“How about a drink?” He headed into the living room and hoped she’d follow him and not take the opportunity to bolt. He had to get her to relax or tonight would be a fiasco. “Whiskey?” He went to the small bar in the corner of the room and paused with his hand on the bottle.
“You go ahead. I’m not much of a drinker.”