Sweet Southern Bad Boy

by Michele Summers

  Tad lifted his aristocratic nose even higher. “I’ve always had Katie’s best interests at heart. We have history together. And I know for a fact that Walter thinks Katie’s staying at the Lazy Oak Inn…not shacking up with the next American gigolo. Sure would hate for that to get back to him, wouldn’t you?” Tad had the nerve to laugh. “By the way, your Twitter fans want to know when your next porn flick is releasing.” Vance gave Tad points for the edge he detected in his voice. He guessed Tad hadn’t weaseled his way into Walter’s good graces without playing dirty on the side. But Vance hadn’t grown up in a military family without learning a thing or two about dirty warfare.

  Grabbing Tad by the shirt collar and lifting him onto his toes, Vance witnessed the fear in Tad’s eyes. “I’d be very careful if I were you. You don’t know who you’re messin’ with. Now get off my property.” Vance shoved Tad Pimp off his front porch.

  “This isn’t over, Kerner,” Tad sneered, yanking on his wrinkled shirt and running his fingers through his already receding hairline. “Katie’s a wanderer…she won’t play house for long. She’ll lose interest, like she does with everything.”

  “Just like she did with you?” Vance said in a dry tone, satisfied at the doubt skittering across Tad’s pale face.

  “You’ll be hearing from Walter…I’ll make sure of it,” Tad warned before he strode to his car in the driveway.

  “Shit a brick,” Vance said to no one in particular. Could he add any more stress on top of the pile he’d already amassed? Not only did he have Walter McKnight making threats and breathing down his neck, and a deadline looming over his head, but he had to worry about Tad Pimple showing up and upsetting Katie. And that disturbed him most of all. He didn’t want anyone upsetting Katie. And he felt certain Katie had been upset…a lot. She’d been manipulated and dismissed, and Vance’s twisted gut told him it went even deeper. And since he couldn’t claim to be taking the high road, because he’d sold his soul to deceive her too, that put him in the same cesspool with Walter and Tad Puke.

  Vance grabbed a bottle of cold water from the refrigerator and guzzled it, hoping to dissolve the burning lump in his throat. More subterfuge to add to what already swirled inside his head as he tried plotting his last book in the Honor series. Fighting, hatred, evasion, anguish…Vance wasn’t sure he was up for another round. He wanted calm, and he wanted peace. He blew out a heavy breath. Katie with her bright eyes, wide smile, and luscious curves was anything but peaceful for his state of mind.

  “Katie?” Vance knocked on the cracked bedroom door, allowing it to swing farther open. “You in here?”

  Katie sat cross-legged in the middle of the king-size bed, chin resting in her palm, wearing ratty gray sweats and a defeated expression on her pretty face. Gone was the confident woman in the sexy come-and-get-it dress.

  Vance hesitated. Shipping boxes littered the floor and looked to have been unpacked and then repacked with their contents. The sexy blue dress lay folded neatly on top of one of the boxes. “You wanna talk about it?” he asked.

  A rattling sigh escaped her lips. “I wouldn’t know where to begin.” She looked up, and Vance’s lungs seized at the tracks of tears staining her cheeks. “Sorry about all that drama. Don’t worry. I’m not running. I won’t renege on babysitting…even if you don’t sign the contract,” she added in a resigned voice. He should’ve been thrilled to know his job of deceiving her would require no effort on his part, since she planned to stay regardless, but instead, the vise around his heart only tightened. “But I need to get home as soon as this gig is up. It’s obvious I’ve displeased my dad and Tad again.” Katie sounded as dejected as she appeared.

  Vance didn’t like seeing this side of her. The crushed side beaten down too many times. He knew the feeling. Being dressed down by his dad had left deep scars. And he especially didn’t like seeing her upset over Tad Prick. Katie couldn’t pick her family, but she certainly had a choice in whom she dated. It didn’t take a degree in couples therapy to know this guy was wrong for her. Vance needed to hear the story inside her head. He needed to know what kind of hold Tad had on her, and why.

  Vance toed off his loafers, strode to the bed, and flopped back against the pillows. “Come here.” He pulled a startled Katie into his chest, wrapping his arm around her stiff shoulders. The smell of her clean hair made him light-headed. Her fragrance of orange blossoms with a hint of sadness curled through his nose. “Relax. Let me…hold you.” His body wanted to do a lot more than hold delicious, sad Katie. He wanted to consume her inside and out. But he clamped down his raging desires in order to help her. Katie needed his understanding and a strong shoulder to cry on. And he could provide both. Even if it killed him. Vance picked up the end of her braid and tickled the side of her face, trying to ease her tension. “I’m not here solely to get you naked, although I wouldn’t be opposed if you so desire…” She lifted her head and narrowed her gaze at him. “I’m here if you want to talk. I’m a good listener. Maybe I can help.” He nestled her against his chest and kissed the top of her head. “But you have to open up to me.”

  “I don’t know if I can,” she whispered. “I’m not proud of my history. It doesn’t show me in a very good light.”

  Speaking of light, Vance twisted and flicked the bedside lamp off, casting the room in shadowy darkness. “Better?” Light from the moon filtered in from the French doors. “I’m not here to judge, Kat,” he murmured against her silky hair.

  Katie snuggled against him, curling her arm across his waist. Torture. Vance sucked in a huge breath, channeling his more noble instincts. He could do this. For Katie.

  Chapter 14

  Katie knew what Vance wanted. A story she hated reliving. Saying it out loud made her sound worthless and weak. And she didn’t want anyone latching onto her vulnerability. Inslee knew the whole story. She always sided with Katie, like a true best friend. Tad sensed the truth, but he had crossed over to the dark side and agreed with her parents. Her brothers remained neutral, but being successful, high-powered attorneys, they struggled with Katie’s lack of direction. But with Vance, she didn’t feel the censure or the prejudgment. He’d been open and honest with her from the beginning—except when it came to the contract. She knew he was stalling, only because he really didn’t want strangers roaming all over his property. She got it. Now he was asking her to expose her soul and let him in, to trust he wouldn’t crush her like a bug beneath his boot.

  She heaved a thick sigh and took a leap of faith. In Vance. “The truth is my parents see me as a huge disappointment. I don’t live up to their expectations. Never have.” She twisted and stared at the moonlit ceiling, the back of her shoulder resting against his. “When I was younger, I remember overhearing a conversation where my dad said he couldn’t believe McKnight blood ran through my veins. And that I disgusted him.” Katie felt the tension emanating from Vance even as he gently ran his rough palm up and down her arm. His quiet support encouraged her to go on.

  “It was the year I hadn’t signed up for any academic or social clubs at school. Instead, I chose to stay home and play around with my photography.”

  “How old were you?”

  “Fourteen. First year of high school. I didn’t have the drive or grades like my brothers. And I was never class president or a member of the Honor Society. My mom kept pushing me to try out for cheerleader.” Katie gave a soft snort. “As if. My whole life…it’s been like they never knew me. Or I just wasn’t significant enough. They’ve always been super busy with the studio and my mom’s charitable organizations. Somehow, they always seemed to forget about me.”

  “Christ,” Vance muttered.

  Glad for the darkness that hid her face, she swallowed around the lump forming in her throat. It wasn’t an easy story to tell, because to most people, Katie lived a charmed, privileged life, wanting for nothing. Her dad ran a successful studio, allowing Katie access to all kinds of stars. What did sh
e have to complain about? Most people would trade places with her in a skinny minute. She should be counting her blessings, not complaining about her parents’ lack of attention. But Katie had never cared about the trappings surrounding her, or the Hollywood stars who came and went. She had always craved her parents’ attention. She wanted to belong to something. To feel connected to her family. After years of trying to please her parents, she realized her efforts were never good enough. Somewhere along the way, her parents stopped believing in her. They focused on her brothers’ accomplishments, and Katie felt ignored. Invisible. Even as an adult, she couldn’t shake it.

  “But that wasn’t the worst thing,” she heard herself saying. Katie shouldn’t be telling Vance these stories about her family. It wasn’t like she’d been physically abused or starved or left in foster care.

  “Take your time. I’m still listening,” Vance said in a low, rough voice, tightening his hold as if to shield her from her past.

  She drew a shuddery breath. “Once, when I was twelve, we went camping as a family. Camping in the sense that we stayed in a well-equipped cabin out in the middle of the woods. Otherwise, my mom would not have come. My dad and brothers would go on these long hikes and leave me behind because I couldn’t keep up. I wandered around the campsite with my camera and took pictures.” Vance shifted, pulling her closer. “On the third day, my dad and brothers were off fishing and my mom was napping inside the cabin, and I wandered farther than usual to take pictures of some wildflowers. When I returned to the campsite a couple of hours later, they were gone.”

  “What do you mean?”

  The steady beat of Vance’s heart gave her courage. “They had packed up and left. Without me. The cabin was locked, and the site had been swept clean. It was beginning to get dark, and I was terrified. You know how suddenly you hear things like coyotes howling, snakes rattling, bears rustling? I’m sure none of things actually happened, but when you’re alone and scared to death…that was all I could think about.”

  Vance suddenly turned and pinned Katie beneath his ferocious gaze. “They left you? How long?”

  Four hours. Katie had waited, huddled on the porch of the cabin with her back against the wall, crying. Terrified. The memory came back to her in sharp detail; her body shook despite Vance’s heavy weight.

  “They eventually remembered…m-my mom had had a hair appointment, and she hadn’t wanted to be late. My dad dropped her off first before coming back to pick me up.” And then proceeded to lecture Katie the entire way home about being irresponsible for wandering off.

  “How long?” Vance gritted between his teeth, giving Katie an insistent shake.

  “F-four hours.” Katie lowered her eyes, mortified at her admission.

  “Those heartless assholes.” Fury vibrated through his big, solid body, furious on her behalf. No one, with the exception of Inslee, had ever completely taken her side.

  Vance shook, and Katie heard the emotion in his voice. “It’s okay, honey. You’re safe with me,” he said in a husky voice. “Don’t cry.” He gently wiped her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs. Katie swallowed a sob, along with the memories threatening to engulf her. She didn’t want to turn into a puddling mess of salty tears. Baring her weaknesses and vulnerability in front of this hulking, scary, but mostly lovable pirate had been a huge risk. He now held all the power in his strong, capable hands, along with her heart. And he could destroy her.

  * * *

  Vance didn’t know how long he held Katie in his arms, but eventually her breathing evened out and she fell asleep. It would be a long time before he could do the same. Her camping story reached out and grabbed him by the throat. Who did that to a twelve-year-old child? The terror and fear she must’ve felt made Vance want to smash heads…starting with Walter McKnight’s and ending with Katie’s selfish mom. His mind filled in the gaps of the stories she hadn’t told him.

  Vance pulled the covers up and settled Katie more comfortably against his side. In the quiet darkness, he examined his own life with more clarity. His family wasn’t perfect, but he knew he had people who loved him and he could rely on. His mom had always been supportive, and his older brother, Eric, had looked out for Vance when they were younger. Vance had always felt secure. In that respect, he’d had it way better than Katie.

  But the similarities they shared with disapproving parents put Vance on edge. The chasm between him and his dad had expanded over the years. Vance hadn’t figured a way to close the gap. He thought by honoring war heroes in his books his dad would accept his apology, but his dad hadn’t acknowledged Vance as a writer, much less read his books. Where did he go from here? If only his dad would meet him halfway.

  Vance hated that Katie wallowed in uncertainty, trying to make her parents happy. And he hated the machinations of her manipulating dad.

  His gut split in two over the part he’d played in deceiving her. He’d made a deal with the devil, and it was a living hell. Vance kissed the top of Katie’s head. A fierce impulse to protect her swarmed over him. He would make damn sure Katie never found out what he and Walter had cooked up. It would destroy her.

  Vance had sensed strength in Katie from the first day. Fighting her own insecurities, she allowed the world to see her big heart and capacity for love. Vance wanted to care for her and give her the security she craved. He wanted to give her a family she could call her own. He would move mountains with a thimble to give the woman he loved—

  Loved.

  His thoughts froze on that one word. For months, he hadn’t looked at another woman, much less hooked up with one. In only four short days, California Katie had disrupted his life like an earthquake measuring ten on the Richter scale.

  Katie mumbled something in her sleep, burrowing closer and entwining her leg with his. Vance swallowed a groan, loving the feel of her soft curves draped over him. His heart took a tumble. He’d never felt this kind of connection. In the interior of the dark room, what he wanted became crystal clear. His spine prickled. Vance wanted to give Katie everything she desired and deserved. He wanted to be her family. Her rock. Her home. If that wasn’t love, he didn’t know what was.

  * * *

  Katie stretched and moaned at the same time. Why was her pillow so hard and uncomfortable? Her eyes popped open. The dawn’s gray light illuminated the shadowy bedroom. Katie’s hard pillow was none other than Pirate Man’s chest. She stopped breathing. How long had she slept? In this bed. With Vance Kerner. Without moving, Katie tried to determine if she was still clothed. She didn’t feel naked. In fact, she felt hot and uncomfortable from sleeping in her clothes. Yes! She still wore clothes. A gasp of relief escaped her lips.

  “You awake, cupcake?” Vance rumbled near her ear. Thankful for the gray light so he couldn’t witness her morning-after shame or the raccoon eyes she had to be sporting from sleeping in her make-up, Katie surreptitiously moved her hand where her mouth had been resting to check for drool. His shirt was dry. Thank the Lord.

  “Yeah,” she croaked. “Sorry for using you as my pillow. You must’ve been uncomfortable.” She scooted away from his warm, mind-robbing heat and swiped beneath her eyes with her hands, hoping to rub away yesterday’s mascara.

  Vance stretched like a big black panther. “My pleasure. You doing okay?”

  Everything from the night before came flooding back, and a new flush burned her cheeks. “Yeah, about that…I shouldn’t have unloaded on you. And sorry about Tad. I’ll make sure he doesn’t disturb you again. He can be a bit…pushy.” Along with arrogant and annoying.

  “I can handle that dirtbag. Don’t worry about me.” Vance swung his legs off the bed. “Stay put. I’ll brew some coffee, and then we can talk before the Three Musketeers come charging in.” He strode from the room in his rumpled, heavenly glory. Katie flopped back against the pillows and groaned. Talk about what? She’d told him more than he needed to know, and didn’t that make her look like a
spineless loser? A grown woman struggling for her parents’ approval and still hung up on some slights from her past. She should be over all this by now.

  Katie hustled to the bathroom and stifled a cry at the sight of her tear-streaked, make-up-melted face. She quickly washed up and threw on a fresh pair of jeans and clean knit long-sleeved shirt. She found her ballet flats next to the boxes of clothes she planned to ship back. She reached out and touched the soft fabric on the pretty blue dress, wishing she could get away with wearing it, but Tad’s blunt words had had a crushing effect…like getting hit in the face with a cream pie. Katie knew her limitations. Pretending to be someone new was a recipe for disaster.

  “I hope you’re not planning to send those clothes back.” Startled, she straightened with a jerk. “Because that little blue number was a total knockout.” Vance handed her a piping-hot mug of coffee, and Katie’s fingers brushed his, reaching for the cup. The jolt of electricity hadn’t dimmed…she shivered with anticipation. And the fiery light behind Vance’s dark eyes told her he felt the same.

  Katie focused on her coffee, breathing in the dark-roasted aroma and allowing the hot liquid to wake up her foggy brain. “Um, they’re really not my style. I’m more of a plain—”

  “Stop. Don’t say another word.” Vance pushed her down on the leather bench at the foot of the bed. Playing with her fingers, he said. “Kat, there’s nothing plain about you. But you dress like you’re trying to blend in with the senior set.” Katie winced at his accurate description. Vance put aside his coffee and pried open one of the boxes, pulling out tops and skirts and slacks.

  “Vance…please. Put it all back. I’m not keeping the clothes because…” Katie almost choked on her coffee at the sight of a pink push-up bra with matching skimpy panties, dangling from Vance’s fingers. Lingerie Inslee had insisted she buy.