Finally, he laid a hand over hers. “Tell me everything.”
His firm yet gentle tone forced the words from her mouth. “My mom told so many lies over the years. It got to the point that she couldn’t admit the truth without confessing all of her deceptions. That would’ve made Mom lose the respect of the art community. At least, that’s my opinion.”
She sighed. “By the time I was old enough to question things, I was told that too much time had passed to make amends and to let it be, that it was none of my business anyway.”
“If it wasn’t for your mom, would you have told people you’d spent you summers here?”
She frowned. “Of course. I don’t regret spending time here with Dad. My parents were both flawed, but I loved them.”
“Look at me, Ronnie.”
She did. His command was one she couldn’t deny.
“Do you regret me?”
“No.”
He closed his eyes on a sigh. “That’s all I need to know.”
He got out and walked around the hood of the car. Her door opened. He lifted her out, but instead of setting her on her feet, he swung her into his arms. She let out an oomph and automatically linked her hands behind his neck.
“What are you doing?”
He closed the door. “Carrying you.”
The hungry, possessive look in his eyes sent her pulse racing. She sucked in a breath and held his gaze, trapped by a side of Kyle she’d never seen before. He looked as if he wanted to devour her.
The dome light cut out and left them in darkness. She tightened her hold on him. “Where are we?”
He started walking without answering.
She glanced around but couldn’t make out much. It was too dark. “Kyle?”
He twisted his hold on her and opened a door. They stepped through, and it closed with a click. “We’re home, Ronnie.”
“Home?” She scanned the room, but it was as dark as outside.
With an easiness that only came from familiarity, he carried her through the darkened space and took the stairs. He knew the way.
“You brought me to your house?”
He paused midstep. “You’re not afraid to be here with me, are you?”
“Of course not.”
He brushed his lips over hers. “Good. The place is a little rough and kinda messy. Don’t judge me in the morning for it. Only girl who’s ever seen the inside of my house is my mama.” He snorted. “And Mindy.”
His words sent a primitive thrill through her. She slid her fingers into the short strands of his hair and kissed him. He groaned and let her lead him into a dance she’d never found another man to match. Only Kyle could turn a simple kiss into a raw display of lust and love.
Oh God.
She pulled back. His heated gaze held hers, and she saw the confirmation she’d chosen to ignore. He still loved her, maybe always had.
The regret and guilt choked her. She buried her face into the crook of his neck, unable to bear the evidence of her selfish act. She hadn’t freed him to find love by walking away. She’d damned him to live alone. It didn’t matter who he’d screwed in the years they’d been apart. None of those women had touched his heart. She’d bet hers on it.
He massaged her bottom and started walking again.
Another door opened and Kyle’s scent swept out. His bedroom. A quick scan of the space confirmed her guess. Rumpled sheets covered his king-size bed. A single pillow lay in the middle. Wide-eyed, she glanced at him.
“I figured we’d try something new if you’re up for it.”
Her breathing quickened. Excitement tensed her muscles. “What’s that?”
He carried her to the bed and laid her in the middle, her head on his pillow. “Make love in a bed.” He ran his palm over her chest, pebbling her nipples with the stroke. “My bed.”
She licked her lips. “We never did make it to one, did we?”
“We almost did once.” He glanced at her. The question hovered in his eyes—did she remember?
“But Levi barged in to tell you about some baseball game.” She shook her head. “And didn’t leave until he gave you a byplay of the innings you’d missed—”
“Because I’d sneaked away to be with you.” He fingered the hem of her shirt. “You always made me so damn horny. I walked around with a perpetual hard-on all summer long.”
She chuckled. “I know, and I loved it. I couldn’t wait for June to come. I knew you’d be hard and ready for me.”
He reached under her skirt and lazily stroked her cleft. Arousal flowed with the first brush of his fingertip to her sex. She didn’t even think to deny him. His touch felt too familiar. He’d been her first lover, her first boyfriend, and the first guy she’d ever walked away from. Not her last. She’d broken quite a few men’s hearts in her time. Then again, hers had been stomped on just as much.
He rubbed his thumb over her clit. The familiar pulse in the bundle of nerves redirected her thoughts to the living, breathing man who’d always hovered in the back of her mind. “I always wondered why you never asked if I’d cheated on you.”
The gentle swipe of his finger stilled at the opening of her core. He shifted his gaze to hers. A challenge hovered in his direct stare. Why?
“Dad watched you.” Even though she’d never asked him to keep an eye on Kyle. She hadn’t minded getting the updates, however. Her life during those months away from Kyle had been lonely. Only her studies and obligations to attend her mother’s social events had kept her from wallowing in depression.
“Doesn’t prove anything. You and I both know how easy it is to sneak in a quick fuck.” He leaned closer, the tip of his finger dipping into her opening. “Give me the real reason.”
“I trusted you.”
“Why?” He whispered the question.
“Because I loved you.”
“Loved.” He turned away, taking his tempting finger with him. He rubbed circles on her inner thigh instead. Her mind hazed a little on a surge of reawakened lust. “I loved you too.”
She almost wished she’d said something different, but she hadn’t. The past couldn’t be changed. She’d moved on. Her relationship with Kyle had become a memory, nothing more.
“I loved your body back then. I know it’s silly, but I thought that if I ever saw you again, you’d look the same.”
She had a little extra softness around her middle and her breasts were plumper, but she liked how she looked. “I grew up.”
He swept his gaze over her, lingering on her breasts straining against her shirt and the vee between her legs. “You turned into a beautiful woman, Ronnie. You’ve shattered all my fantasies. You know that, don’t you?”
She flashed him a teasing smile, glad they weren’t talking about love anymore. Sex was easier to deal with. “I can’t say I care unless I starred in them.”
“You always have. Everywhere I go, I remember time spent with you.”
She didn’t know how to respond. Sure, he’d always held a special place in her heart, but she’d dated after him, even came close to moving in with a guy once. There was no reason to feel guilty for her relationships after she’d left Kyle. Except, with his brown eyes locked on to hers, she did.
“But small towns are like that. I remember almost hitting a bicyclist down at the corner of Fifth and Oak. To this day, I slow down going through there.”
He came to her rescue again. She couldn’t think of any guy she’d dated who’d been so attuned to her body language that he’d pick up on her tension and seek to ease it.
“Yeah, it’s a dangerous spot.” She mentally rolled her eyes at her lame response but couldn’t come up with anything else. Well, there was one thing that would stop the painful trip down memory lane. “You know, we have way too many clothes on if we’re going to fuck.”
“Patience, doll. We’re getting to it.” He skimmed his hands down her thighs to her ankles and slipped her heels off, tossing them across the room. With his thumbs, he rubbed her arches. She mo
aned. “Do you like that?”
“Yes, I hate wearing shoes, especially dress shoes.”
“You always were a flip-flop kind of girl.”
She grinned. It shouldn’t surprise her that he remembered all the little details about their youth, but it did. It also made her feel incredibly special.
“I still am.” She motioned toward the far end of the room, where her shoes had been tossed. “Those are for business purposes only.”
He worked his magic fingers over her calves. The first stroke sent a tiny bite of pain through her. He rubbed circles into the muscle. It loosened, and she went limp. “And you decided heels was an appropriate footwear choice for a five-hour road trip?”
“I had an appointment with the private investigator…” She bit the inside of her cheek. She hadn’t meant to mention the mess her life had become.
He let her foot drop and crawled over her. Propped on his elbows above her, he studied her. His eyes narrowed “Why do you need a PI, Ronnie?”
“I’ll tell you everything tomorrow.” No way would she draw Kyle into her issues. Knowing him, he’d want to slay all her dragons and carry her home on his steed.
She caressed his muscled chest in an effort to distract them both. The tiny hairs dotting it tickled her fingers. She focused on the sensation. It grounded her and stopped her from thinking about the uncertainties. Her mom’s big secret. And her regret.
“Tonight I want to explore your body.” She glanced at him from under her lashes. “That is why you brought me here, isn’t it?”
He grasped her wrist before she reached his waistband. “It’s one of the reasons, not the main one.”
“Really?” She tugged his zipper down with her other hand and fisted his erection. Warm, smooth, and hard, his length felt so good sliding over her palm. “What could possibly be more important than sticking this rigid cock inside me?”
The penis she held jerked. She raised a brow and flashed him a naughty smile she knew would excite him.
“Your safety.” He sat back on bent knees and drew her with him so she knelt in front of him. He settled his hands on her hips. “Your happiness.” With an upward stroke, he lifted her shirt, exposing her stomach. “Your pleasure.”
He tugged her top off. A rough curse fell from his lips. He touched the ugliest bruise on the swell of her left breast. She flinched.
He popped the hook on her bra and cursed some more. “Talk, Ronnie.” He brushed her skin near the imprints of her attacker’s fingertips. “If some fucker raped you, he’s going to die.”
Chapter Five
Kyle seethed. He’d never been angrier in his life, not even when he’d shown up at Ronnie’s dad’s place with an engagement ring in his pocket, only to learn she’d left the night before. The wide-eyed look she wore didn’t help. He couldn’t tell a damn thing from it.
“Answer me.”
She licked her lips. “No, he didn’t rape me. I hit him with a sculpture I was in the middle of packing when he broke in. He was arrested and charged.” She climbed off the bed, grabbed one of his shirts from the floor, and walked toward the door. “Where’s the bathroom?”
He followed her and blocked the doorway with his body. “Dammit, Ronnie, don’t walk away from me.”
“I’m not. I’m just no longer in the mood for sex.”
He cupped her cheek. “Okay, doll, but please talk to me. I’m worried about you.”
“Look, if you want to talk, we’ll do it over coffee.” She motioned to the bed. “This is too intimate of a setting to talk about the mess my life has become.”
She had a point, and the sheen of moisture in her eyes reflected the state of her mood. He didn’t want them to come together, only for her to have regrets in the morning, thinking he took advantage of her.
He pointed to the door leading to the attached bathroom. “That’s the only clean one.”
She snorted. “You’ve embraced bachelor life, haven’t you?”
Glad the sadness on her face had been replaced by amusement, he shrugged. “Like I said, the only girl who’s ever been here is my mom, and even she’s stopped coming by. Too messy, and I won’t let her clean it.”
A warm grin spread over Ronnie’s plump mouth, making her look like some sort of goddess, beautiful and untouchable. “I can picture your mom cringing.”
“And lecturing me.” He settled his hands on her waist and spun her before he gave in to the urge to pull her into his arms. “Go on. Get a shower. Whatever. Make yourself at home.”
She caught her lower lip between her teeth. “You don’t mind?”
The very thought of Ronnie naked in his tub and using his soap made that primitive male side of him emerge. Ridiculous, he knew, but he wanted his scent on her. And dear God, he couldn’t wait to see her in his flannel. No panties. No bra. His dick twitched.
He cleared his throat. “Nah, anything I have is yours to use. I’ll make us an early breakfast. Do you still like blueberry pancakes?”
“I do, but not the frozen kind. Toast will be fine.”
“I don’t buy much prepared food. I make pancakes from scratch. Just got a fresh pint of blueberries from the farmer’s market too.”
She stared at him with an odd expression on her face. Confusion? Awe? He couldn’t tell.
“You cook?”
He bit back his annoyance. “Yep, learned from Levi. Him and Jack bought a restaurant and bar in St. Marlowe.”
“Wow. I must say I’m impressed.” She let her gaze roam over him in a heated perusal. “An incredible body, a great personality, and you can cook. How are you still single?”
He cracked his jaw. “I haven’t been in the market for a wife.”
“Too bad.” She flashed him another grin. “Because you’d make some lucky girl a good husband.”
He ran a hand through his hair. The years of resentment came rushing back. His friends from high school all had kids, wives, and happy little homes.
He had a cat.
“Come down when you’re ready.”
He turned his back on her and stepped into the hallway before he told her the reason behind his single status. Seemed like he was the only one who’d been affected by the sex they’d shared.
And he had about ten minutes to decide what he was going to do about it.
* * * *
Kyle drained the bacon and scrambled up the last of the fresh eggs he’d gotten from his parents’ farm. The table set for two had a stack of pancakes, orange juice, and a bowl of fresh fruit. Only thing missing was Ronnie.
While he waited, he studied the kitchen, with its granite countertops and the oak cabinets he’d made by hand. He could see himself cooking a big breakfast on weekends. Maybe sharing it in bed with Ronnie. Or stepping around her on weekdays while they both rushed off to work. Dozens of scenarios flashed through his head. They all involved the blonde dual-degreed businesswoman naked in his shower, the one he’d bent over her car and fucked like they were two horny teenagers again.
She undid him. Her passion and wildness still excited him. She also made him yearn—not what he’d planned.
He’d wanted her to resent leaving him. The way she’d watched him on the drive afterward made him think she might. If anything, he’d planted the seeds of it. How he handled the next few hours with her would determine their path. It wouldn’t take her long to hang whatever paintings she’d brought. She didn’t need electricity to do that, only sunlight.
Once she realized Wyn worked at the garage, Kyle wouldn’t have an excuse to keep her here either. Wyn would drop everything to fix her car or at least patch it up until she got home. If Kyle were lucky, he’d have all of Sunday with her, not a day more. Come Monday morning, she’d be gone. It was obvious she’d decided to come here on the spur of the moment. She hadn’t even brought a change of clothes.
A day. He had one lousy day to remind her of why she’d loved him in the first place. He didn’t have any delusions about fixing what had gone wrong a decade ago, not tha
t he even knew what that was. No, best he could accomplish was to convince her to give them another shot. He’d drive to Virginia every damn weekend if he had to, but he’d make things work. He’d learned persistence over the years.
After he got his ring on her finger and moved her into his house, they’d finally have the life he’d planned, right here in Sander’s Valley. Of course, money would be an issue. ’Cause he refused to touch a dollar of hers.
Frank, Ronnie’s dad and a local from St. Marlowe, had always said a curse hung over the Axel fortune. All the Axel heirs stretching back into the mid-1800s had died violently. With Vivien Axel’s murder, Kyle couldn’t quite help but wonder if it weren’t true. He’d never really believed in nonsense like curses and such, but the facts sure did make a person wonder.
It was just another reason Ronnie needed to distance herself from the Axel Gallery and the great family legacy. As Vivien’s only child, she was the heir. The millions of dollars and countless priceless artifacts attached to her family belonged solely to Ronnie, the last Axel. That’d been another point of contention with Frank. He’d hated Ronnie not having his name, but none of the female heirs changed their names.
And they all died in random acts of violence. Just like Vivien.
A chill ran down Kyle’s spine. The unexplainable premonition he’d sometimes felt with Ronnie surged. She was going to be next. He couldn’t shake the feeling. His heart knocked against his ribcage. He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. Sweat slickened it. The pulse under his palm raced.
Deep breath in, slow breath out.
He repeated the controlled inhale and exhale until his heartbeat returned to normal, but the tightness in his gut didn’t ease. He was right. He freakin’ knew it. Ronnie had to break the cycle, put the Axel gallery where it belonged…in someone else’s hands.
Moving here would force her to do it. Determination took hold. She’d called him her hero. Well, he’d come to her rescue again. If it worked to his advantage, all the better. He only wanted her in his life, always had.
With the thought came a sense of rightness. He’d win her love. This time they wouldn’t repeat the past. They’d conquer it.
Rewind & Go: A Blue-Collar Billionaire Romance (Sander's Valley Book 1) Page 5