“Chase, you gonna be around in two weeks?”He shook his head. “Hitting the event in Memphis.”“Good luck.”“Thanks.”After he picked up trash and shoved the remaining beer in the fridge, he plopped on the couch. Too early to hit the hay. He snagged the remote and started flipping through channels. About ten minutes into mindless surfing, his cell phone trilled. He looked at the caller ID. It read: private caller.Ginger.Kane answered on the fifth ring. “Hello?” His smile dried. “No, it’s okay. I told you to call me. I’ll be right over.”By the time Brandt reached Jessie’s trailer on the outskirts of Moorcroft, he’d lost the edge of rage his clueless brothers’ comments had invoked.Few people knew about his temper. Brandt took great pains to keep it hidden, as it was an embarrassing trait he’d inherited from his father. He scowled. He’d rather have male pattern baldness than sudden bouts of fury with no outlet besides taking it out on the people he cared about.He sat in his truck and
“Uh-huh. Want me to get it?”“Please.” Kane watched the uneven rise and fall of Ginger’s chest. Choppy breathing. Flushed face.Sweat soaking her skin. He swiped away a few stray tendrils stuck to her damp neck. “Ah sugar, what am I gonna do with you? You still won’t ask for help when you need it.” He ran the backs of his knuckles down her cheek and murmured, “I’m stickin’ around to take care of you, whether you like it or not.”Hayden returned and handed him the thermometer.Kane hadn’t a clue how to use it. “How does this thing work?”“You hafta put it in her ear. Probably she should be awake.” Hayden stood in front of Kane and shook Ginger’s shoulder. “Mommy?”No response.Hayden whispered, “I couldn’t wake her up before, either.”It pained him to do it, but Kane pinched the underside of her arm.“Ouch. Stop.” She mumbled, “Leave me alone,” and attempted to turn away.“Mommy?”She rolled flat, blindly reaching for Hayden’s hand. “I’m here. Just give me a sec.”“We need to take your
“Can’t say as I’m unhappy to hear that.”She rubbed her face on his pec. “You’ve pretty much ruined me for any other man.”“How’s that?”No response.“Ginger?”She’d fallen asleep.When Ginger woke up alone, she assumed she’d dreamt of Kane cuddled up to her all night. He’d been so warm and solid. Sweet. Comforting. Saying such loving things. Showing his vulnerable side while offering reassurance he didn’t see her as weak.Had to’ve been a dream.She’d scooted up to rest against the headboard when Hayden tiptoed in. “Mom! I came to see if you were still sleeping.”“I’m awake now. Has Grandpa fixed you breakfast?”Hayden frowned at her. “Mom. What are you talking about? Grandpa’s in Deadwood, remember?”But…if that was the case, who’d been watching Hayden?Kane sauntered in and set his hands on Hayden’s shoulders. “Mornin’, Red. How’re you feelin’?”Like a total idiot. Like I lost an entire day in a fever-fueled daze. “So it wasn’t a dream,” she muttered.Kane frowned. “Excuse me?”“Ne
He sank his teeth into her earlobe. “You must be feelin’ better if you’re bein’ contrary first thing.” His warm breath drifted across her cheek. “Say yes, Ginger.”“Yes, Ginger,” she teased.“There’s that smart mouth I’ve been missin’ something fierce.” He kissed her, sealing their lips together.Clothes disappeared. Kane pushed inside her on a long, smooth glide and her body was ready for him.He made love to her sweetly, passionately. The intimacy of being cocooned in their own little world in the predawn hours amazed her. Body to body, heart to heart, face to face.When his pace increased, it sent them spiraling into the abyss of pleasure together.More dreamy kisses. More feather-light caresses. He whispered, “Go back to sleep, sugar. No reason for us both to be up.” He headed for the shower as she snuggled into the sheets that smelled like him.Ginger awoke an hour later. She saw Kane’s wristwatch on the nightstand and knew she hadn’t been dreaming.“And then Buck came over. We t
“Like a yard light?”“Exactly.”“Maybe if you cut the headlights.”Kane clicked the lights off, even the interior lights.Talk about dark and spooky. Ginger focused on the blackness out her window. A snow squall faded and she caught a fleeting glimpse of light. “There. Straight ahead.”“You sure?”No. “Yes, I’m sure.”“Hope you’re right, Red. If I run over a fence, you’ll be out here fixin’ fence with me early summer.”“I know how to wield a pair of wire cutters, so bring it, cowboy.”Kane gunned the truck. For a second it felt as if they were airborne. They landed hard and Ginger held onto the support strap hanging from the top of the doorframe.“Sorry.” Snow covered the windshield as they annihilated another drift. The wipers whisked away the remnants in a rapid slap slap slap and they skidded to a stop.“We’re here.”Ginger made out the faint orange glow of the porch light. Snow had drifted in front of the screen door up to the door handle.“Looks like I’m gonna hafta shovel again
He kissed her then. With such sweet surrender she felt tears prickling the back of her eyelids. She felt him get hard again. He rocked into her as he kissed her. Their mouths weren’t apart for any longer than a second or two, as they remained locked together, lost in each other. The waves of pleasure didn’t crash over them, but built slowly, sweetly, until they were swept away.After lolling in the moment, Kane withdrew and rolled to his back. He kept holding her hand and kissed her knuckles. “So you warmed up?”“Uh-huh. And sleepy.”“We’ve got nowhere to be. Go ahead and take a little nap if you want.”Ginger snuggled into him, resting her head on his chest. “Will you stay with me?”“Yep.”“Red. Wake up. Hayden’s on the phone.”She jackknifed, completely disoriented. “What?”“Your cell rang and I answered it. Hope you don’t mind but I didn’t want you to miss the call.” He handed her phone over.“Hello?”“Mom? Guess what? We’re snowed in and the hotel has a pool and an elevator and me
“Then you’d better strip them clothes off and crawl in bed.”“Kane—”He was right in her face. “No arguin’ with me. Do it. Now.”Ginger’s hazel eyes sparked defiance for a second. But she whirled around and stomped to the bedroom. About halfway down the hallway, she tossed out, “This’d better be good, McKay.”Any leniency he might’ve had vanished with that challenge.He snatched a bottle of lube and his other supplies from the bathroom. He locked the bedroom door and saw the outline of her body beneath the covers. “Ginger, I’m givin’ you a choice. Handcuffs or rope?”Slowly, the covers peeled back. Her hair appeared first, since it stuck straight up from static electricity. “You’re serious.”“Yep. Choose or I will.”Ginger smoothed her hair back and studied him. “Rope.”Kane lifted his hand and let the length of rope dangle from his fingertips. “On your knees, arms above your head, palms on the mattress.”It might’ve surprised him that she turned over and assumed the position without
He ground his teeth. In all the times she’d called him in the last year, nothing had been earth-shatteringly important.Every time he and Jessie had connected in the last two weeks, he’d managed to keep the phone call short. He wondered if she’d noticed. Then in the last week he’d stopped answering her calls altogether.Goddammit, cutting Jessie out of his life hurt like a son of a bitch. He’d realized the night he’d raced to her rescue that she’d never see him as anything but the helpful brother of her dead husband. Hell, she’d even told him she considered him like a brother.Brandt grunted. His feelings for her were so goddamn far from sisterly it wasn’t fucking funny.“Brandt. Buddy, you’re up.”He took the cell phone out of his pocket and set it on the table. He grabbed his cue and lined up his shot, trash talking with Tell, Dalton and Ben as they finished up their weekly pool game. After he scratched on the eight ball, he grudgingly gave both his little brothers ten bucks, and li