Chapter Seven
The sight of Halley and that puppy had hit Kane hard. She’d obviously fallen for the poor, abandoned dog because she could relate to him, somehow. He’d seen her eyes when Lyndie had mentioned he’d been cold and frightened, then taken in and fostered temporarily. The situation had hit home and his heart hurt for all she’d lived through.
He might have issues with his father, but he’d always had a parent and a roof over his head he knew was safe, that he could trust. Something had obviously happened to Halley in one of those foster homes. She’d said the one where she’d been accused of stealing and thrown out had been a picnic compared to one of the others. Just what was she holding inside? And how could he get her to talk about it and unburden herself?
He glanced at her profile as they drove home in comfortable silence, the windows down on his Camaro. The scent of the ocean drifted into the confines of the car, a salty, warm smell he associated with home, and thanks to the hours he spent working on the deck, he now associated the ocean scent with Halley, as well.
He parked in front of her house and walked with her up the driveway and path. She let them inside and looked around.
“I’m going to have to dog proof this place,” she murmured. “Make sure no plants are on the floor or within reach and check for small pieces or things Monty could get into.”
“Yes, you will. But it sounded like he’s well trained so I think you lucked out.”
She walked into the kitchen and tossed her keys on the counter. “I’m excited.”
He grinned. “Can’t say I blame you.”
Her phone chimed from inside her purse. She took it off her shoulder and dug inside to pull out her cell. She glanced at the caller name and hit End.
“Nothing important?” he asked.
She met his gaze. “My mom,” she said.
He raised his eyebrows in surprise. In the last couple of weeks, she hadn’t mentioned hearing from her mother. “Is this the first time she’s called since the day she came over?”
Halley shook her head. “She’s been calling every few days. We’ve been talking and catching up.” Her cheeks flushed pink.
“You can tell me, you know. I won’t judge you for wanting a relationship with your mother.”
“Even though she was a drug addict and abandoned me when I was practically a baby?” She looked at him with wide, blue, concerned eyes.
He grasped her hands in front of them. “She’s your mother. If you need to give her a chance, then that’s what you do. I certainly can understand that.”
She swallowed hard and smiled, her shoulders relaxing at his words.
He was almost afraid to ask but decided to jump in. “Have you told your aunt and your sister you’ve seen her or spoken with her?”
She shook her head. “I want to. I even planned to but I chickened out. I’m nervous.” She bit down on her lower lip. “I know Phoebe will see it as a betrayal and Aunt Joy will work herself up worrying.”
“I get it but you’re an adult. You can do what you want. What you need or makes you happy.”
“You amaze me,” she murmured.
“Why is that?”
“Because you get me in ways nobody else does. Not even my family and they’re the closest people to me.”
He was glad she recognized how well they clicked and not just in bed. “I want to be the one to chase away your demons. You can trust me to be there when you need me. And when you don’t.” He lifted a hand and cupped her cheek in his palm, stroking the smooth skin with his thumb.
“I want to believe you,” she whispered and tipped her head into the cup of his hand.
“Then do.” He slowly lowered his head until his mouth brushed hers.
Once, twice, three times he glided his lips across hers, deliberately gentle and coaxing until she parted, opening for him. His tongue slipped past her lips, tangling with hers. A soft moan escaped her throat, and he slid his hand from her chin to the back of her head, angling her for better, deeper access. She tasted sweet, and he stroked the inside of her mouth and her tongue with his own.
“Bed,” she whispered, arching her body and pressing her breasts into his chest.
He lifted her into his arms and strode into her bedroom, gently laying her down on the bed. Not waiting, she slid her skirt over her hips and down her long legs, taking her panties along with it, kicking them both aside.
While his gaze came to rest on her sex, she arched her back and removed her shirt, tossing it onto the floor. A flick of her wrist and her bra went next. She’d kicked her shoes off at the door and now lay naked, splayed out like a goddess before him.
Her gorgeous breasts tempted him, dusky nipples made for his mouth. Her damp sex beckoned to be filled. He sucked in a shallow breath, his body eager to join her.
He kicked off his shoes, then quickly pulled out the condom he’d stuffed into his pocket earlier, knowing his patience with waiting was wearing thin. He shucked his jeans and tee shirt and stood, his cock erect and ready.
“See what you do to me?” he asked, gripping his shaft with his hand, pumping up and down in two swift strokes, his blood boiling with need.
Her eyes dilated, her pupils huge as her gaze zeroed in on his dick.
He ripped the condom open with his teeth and slid it onto his straining shaft before joining her on the bed, gliding his erection over her bared sex as his body came down over hers.
She moaned at the intimate contact, arching her hips grinding her pussy against his cock. He gritted his teeth and held back a groan of his own.
He leaned down and suckled her nipple, teasing, toying, pulling it between his teeth. When she gasped and moaned, he soothed the distended bud with his tongue, lapping where he’d lightly bitten, licking around her soft skin.
Her fingers came to his hair, pulling hard. “Now, Kane. I need you know.”
Unable to wait and knowing she didn’t want or need him to, he braced his hands on the mattress and raised himself over her. Gripping his cock in one hand, he teased her clit with his erection, gliding the head over the tight bundle of nerves until she was writhing with need.
“Kane, please.” She begged him again, and it would be his pleasure to give her what she wanted. He notched himself at her entrance. “Ready, beautiful?”
She nodded, her hooded eyes hazy with desire. Then he slid home, burying himself inside her warm, wet heat. He clenched his teeth, focusing on not coming right then. Instead he focused on her pleasure, sliding out slowly and thrusting back in deep.
She moaned, lifting her legs, arching her hips and pulling him in as far as he could go, her inner walls clenching around his cock. His body shook, and sweat broke out on his forehead and back, the searing heat bringing him closer to climax.
This woman meant more to him than he could or was willing to express, and the more he got to know her, the deeper he fell under her spell. It was fast but he’d never felt this much before.
He needed to see her looking at him, to note the look on her face as he took her higher. “Eyes on me,” he said and she forced her heavy eyelids open, those blue eyes focusing on his.
He ground himself into her and began a steady rhythm of pumping in and out, watching the rapturous expression on her face as she climbed higher. Sliding his hands up her body, he captured her hands in his, holding her wrists tight in his grasp.
Suddenly she stiffened and cried out, her orgasm triggering his own release, an incredible soaring, as he lost himself completely.
Afterwards, once they’d caught their breath and he’d cleaned up, he lay against the headboard, Halley’s head against his chest, her body aligned with his. Her steady breathing soothed him as he tangled his fingers in her hair and played with the long strands.
“So are you going to tell me about Liza?” she asked, her fingers tracing patterns on his chest. Her soft touch felt good and was making his dick perk up again.
Liza wasn’t a subject he wanted to get into while lying in bed with Halley… but he would because she’d asked. “We were involved a few summers ago. She was renting a house similar to yours on the other side of the bay. She brought her car into the shop and set her sights on me immediately.” He expelled a rough breath.
Thinking back, he could see the manipulation she’d used from the minute they’d met, but embarrassingly he’d been blind to it at the time. She was beautiful in what he now thought was a fake kind of way, but he’d been attracted to her and she’d played him well.
“She convinced me she was interested in something long term, which I now know was her way of keeping me in her bed for the duration of the summer. I’m not exactly proud of how I was taken in by her.”
“What happened?” Halley asked.
“I overheard her talking to her friend the same day I’d planned to discuss with her how we were going to keep seeing each other after the summer ended. Liza was saying that she couldn’t wait to go home at the end of the week. That I was great in bed but being with a mechanic was getting old. She was ready to hang out at the bars where she could meet a Wall Street guy or investment banker she could marry. Who could take her to nice places because Rosewood’s offerings were slim pickings compared to Manhattan.”
“Ouch.” Halley pushed herself up and slid on top of him, meeting his gaze. “Her loss,” she murmured, placing a kiss on his lips. “And my gain.”
He slid his hand into her nape and held her in place, kissing her hard and deep.
When he broke the kiss, she wriggled her hips. “Ready to go again?” she asked. She came to a sitting position on his waist and raised herself up, poised so she could take him inside her body.
“Condom,” he said, though he hated that word as it passed his lips. He wanted to feel her bare walls around his cock.
“I’m on the pill. It’s been a very long time for me and I’ve had yearly exams. I’m good if you are.” She offered him his wildest dream come true.
“I’m clean, too. Tested yearly and recently,” he assured her.
In reply, she gripped his cock in her hand and slid down on top of him. He groaned as her body stretched to accommodate his width and closed his eyes in utter bliss when he was sheathed completely.
“Eyes on me,” she said, and when he opened his eyes, she was grinning.
His own laugh was cut short when she began to move, riding him, gliding up and down, clasping herself around his shaft.
He reached out and cupped her breasts in his hands, molding and kneading them. A throaty groan escaped her throat. His cock pulsed at the sexy sound. His balls were drawn up tight, his climax not far away.
He pinched her nipples with his fingertips, rubbing the tight buds between his thumb and forefinger, nearly coming apart when she clenched tightly around him in response. With every downward slide, her hips rolled forward and she gasped, telling him she was close to coming, as well.
He wanted to flip her and pound into her, but he also got off on watching her make herself come around his cock.
Up, down, forward, grind. Up, down, forward, grind. She repeated the motions until her head tipped back and she came on a slow moan.
“God, Kane. So good. So good,” she chanted as she let go, the glorious look on her face a sight to behold.
Somehow he waited until she was finished, until every last contraction had rocked through her, before he began to buck up into her. He held on to her hips and slammed her down on top of him.
Without warning, she began to tremble again, and as he came hard, his entire being taken on an explosive ride, she screamed and rode out another orgasm beneath him.
* * *
Kane must have drifted off to sleep, because he was startled awake when Halley hit him with a flailing arm. It was still daylight and the clock read five p.m. They must have been exhausted from the festival to pass out in the afternoon.
When Halley hit him again, he rolled over to find her asleep but thrashing back and forth in bed. “No.” She smacked at the air with her arms.
“Halley,” he whispered, but she didn’t wake up. He nudged her arm gently and continued to call her name, louder this time.
“What?” She woke with a jolt, her eyes focusing slowly on his.
“Are you okay?” he asked in a gentle voice because she looked frightened and her body still trembled. He couldn’t yet tell if she wanted to be held, so he waited for now.
She drew her tongue over her lips and gave him a short nod. “Yeah. I’m fine.”
But she curled into a fetal position and he called bullshit. She was nowhere near fine. “You can talk to me, you know. I told you earlier, I’ll never judge.”
She shook her head furiously. “I can’t.”
He narrowed his gaze. “Why not? Get it out and you’ll feel better.” He hoped. She’d obviously worked herself into a state and was holding something terrible inside.
She curled further into herself. “I can’t talk about it, Kane. Not to you, not to anyone. I can’t even bring myself to say the words out loud,” she said, her voice cracking.
He didn’t wait for permission and pulled her into the safety of his arms. She stiffened, then relaxed, accepting the comfort. She released the hold she had on her tight muscles and wound her body around his instead of the little ball she’d contorted herself into.
“Whatever it is, it has power over you and you need to let it go.” He had a hunch and decided to push. “Is this about that foster home you mentioned?”
She nodded into his chest.
What could have her so traumatized? he wondered, then froze in horror at the thought that ran through his brain. “Halley, were you raped?” He nearly choked over the word, his entire body rejecting the idea.
She must have heard the panic in his voice, because she rushed to reassure him. “No. Not that.”
Then what? he wondered. “Let it out,” he urged her again.
Rolling to her side, she didn’t stop trembling but she did begin to speak. “I was thirteen and in the last foster home before my aunt found me. The one after the place that accused me of stealing.”
He began to stroke her back. Slow, steady, reassuring strokes.
“They were a married couple, Elsa and Ray Cartman. And I was never comfortable there. From the first day, I didn’t like how Ray looked at me.”
Nervous and a little queasy, he wrapped his arms around her while she spoke.
“For a while, that’s all it was. Uncomfortable. But about a month before I left, I woke up one night because something felt wrong. I opened my eyes and Ray was standing over me.” A shudder went through her. “When he realized I was awake, he left. After that, he made it a habit of standing over me at night, so I stopped sleeping. I kept a light on in the room from that time on.”
He exhaled a long breath. He could understand how that would be traumatizing for a thirteen-year-old and even cause nightmares, but at least—
“It gets worse,” she said, surprising him. He’d thought, or at least he’d hoped, that had been the whole story.
“Go on,” he whispered in a rough voice.
“I… He… I woke up one night and he had unzipped his pants and pulled them down. He was stroking himself, masturbating while I slept. And before I could scream, he came on my bed, on me while I lay there,” she said, shaking like a leaf and rushing out the words as if expelling them would make them not as bad.
“Oh, baby.” He held her tight, rocking her into him even as nausea filled him and he had to hold back a gag. For her sake, he needed to be strong. After all, he was the one who’d forced her to relive this. “What happened next?” he asked softly.
“I screamed. Elsa came running. She blamed me for teasing him, tempting him to sin.”
Kane curled his hands into fists, then released them before she could notice. The last thing she needed was his anger. “Were you moved again?”
“Would you believe social services came the next day? My aunt had contacted them, looking for me. A day too late. Or a lifetime,” she muttered, breaking down in tears.
He couldn’t do anything except hold her as she cried, so he did, understanding, at last, why she had walls, why she didn’t like people, and why she preferred to keep to herself. Which made the fact that he’d gotten in a true miracle. One he wouldn’t take for granted.
* * *
Halley was shaky for the rest of the night. Kane hadn’t wanted to leave. In fact, he’d insisted on staying but she’d forced him to go. Sunday was dinner with his sister, father, and nephew, and she didn’t want him to miss his routine with his family. Though he claimed they were just bringing in pizza after the long day at the fair, she’d been firm. He needed to leave. Because she needed to prove to herself that she was strong enough to face her demons and handle them alone.
Kane was a good man and he’d been there for her in many ways, but it hadn’t changed her desire to rely on herself. To not trust in anyone too completely because she’d only ever been on her own.
Flashlight in hand and alone in the dark, she walked down the beach, letting her toes dip into the water. She listened to the roar of the waves and allowed peace to wash over her.
The past was behind her, she told herself. She had a good life. She had her sister and her aunt. Her mother seemed to be honestly repentant and wanted a relationship, which pleased her so much. When the time was right, she could even ask her mother what had happened to her baby sister, Juliette. Was it possible to locate her now? Hope trickled through her at the thought.
But for now, things were on an upswing. She hopefully had a dog coming home tomorrow. And she had a man in her life who understood her, and right now that was enough.
It had to be. No matter how much she was coming to feel for Kane, trust was something she didn’t think she had inside her. Not for the long haul, and he deserved so much more than she was capable of giving.
* * *
Early Monday morning, Halley had shaken off the effects of yesterday’s trip into the past. She hadn’t slept well, but she hadn’t had a nightmare, either.
Maybe Kane was right. Getting it out had helped. She hadn’t talked about that awful night since the therapist her aunt had made her see when she came home. Those visits had given her tools to pack the past away, and though she hadn’t done it one hundred percent successfully, she was coping day by day.
She arrived at the shelter, eager to meet Gail and hopefully finalize a doggie adoption. She needed Monty more than ever, something she realized as she’d tossed and turned last night. She prayed Gail found her to be a suitable home for him.
Once there, she walked inside and found Lyndie behind the desk. The place smelled of antiseptic, which meant at least it was clean, and there were dog pictures hanging on the beige walls.
“Hello,” Halley said.
“Hi!” Lyndie jumped up from her seat. “I’m so glad you’re here early. We’re going to have a lot of people show up to claim pets they looked at yesterday. It’s empty now so Gail will have time for you.”
“Yay for good timing,” Halley said.
Lyndie grinned. “Why don’t you fill out the paperwork first so that’s complete. I’ll give it to Gail and then she’ll come talk to you.” She picked up a clipboard with forms attached and handed it to Halley.
She sat down in a chair and filled out the detailed questionnaire. Besides the basics, name and address, etc., it asked if she’d ever owned a dog, if she was home or worked during the day, how long the dog would be alone, and other things. They also asked for references, so she put down Kane and her sister, who she’d then texted and given a heads-up that she might be getting a call.
Halley answered the form honestly, hoping they wouldn’t hold the fact that she’d never been a pet owner against her.
She handed back the clipboard and asked, “Can I see Monty?”
Lyndie smiled. “You bet. I’ll go get him and Gail. Be right back.” She walked out a door behind her and returned minutes later with the small black dog in her hands. “Here you go,” she said, handing her the dog.
She snuggled him into her neck and inhaled his shelter smell, wrinkling her nose. “You need a bath,” she whispered, knowing that would be her first order of business if she was lucky enough to be able to take him home.
About ten minutes passed, after which a tall redhead walked into the front of the shelter. Lyndie disappeared into the back room.
“Hi. You must be Halley. I’m Gail Spencer.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Halley said.
“I see you two are bonding?”
She nodded. “He’s such a sweet boy.”
“He is. He’s come a long way. You’d be getting a real gem. He’s housebroken and crate trained but he’s also very much a Velcro dog. Meaning, he wants to be where his people are. I looked through your forms briefly and I see you work from home.”
She nodded. “I paint. Of course, I’d keep all my supplies up high and away from him,” she rushed to assure Gail.
“That’s good to know and a plus for a dog like Monty. We’ve grown very attached to him, but I have a German shepherd who needs long walks and I’ve had to separate them sometimes. My shepherd girl is a bit territorial.”
“I understand.”
They spoke for a little longer, and all the while, Halley held Monty in her lap. The little dog snuggled against her stomach, a feeling of warmth and attachment filling her.
After a bit, Lyndie walked over and gave Gail a thumbs-up.
“Your references checked out and I like you,” Gail said. “You’ve got yourself a dog.”
Halley’s breath left her in a rush and unexpected tears filled her eyes. “He’s mine?”
“A little more paperwork, a payment, I’ll give you a list of items you can buy, and come back for him whenever you’re ready.” Gail’s smile thrilled Halley because she knew the woman wanted to give him to the right home and she approved of her.
Halley kissed Monty’s smelly head. “I’m going to give you the best home, sweet boy. We’re going to have a good life together.”
“I’m sure you are,” Gail murmured.
Halley spent the next few hours buying pet supplies, taking everything home, and setting up her house. She put a crate in her bedroom and another in the same room as her easel, just in case she needed to lock him up safely, dog bowls, food, toys… so many toys, and assorted other things on the list given to her by the shelter.
She returned later in the afternoon and took her dog home.
* * *
Kane had never seen Halley so content as she’d been over the last week. Bringing Monty home had done something to soothe her soul. She’d needed the dog as much as he’d needed her, especially after Kane had forced her to relive that horrible night in her past. He ought to feel guilty about dredging up the memories, but he still believed she’d needed to exorcise them by talking. He hoped she’d stop dreaming about it someday.
Right now it was early morning and he was catching up on paperwork before heading to work on cars for the day, and he needed to focus more on the pages in front of him and not his personal life. He worked for another half hour, lost in thought when he was interrupted.
“Kane?” His sister came up to where he sat in the office of the garage.
“Hey, Andi. What’s up?” He couldn’t imagine why she was here instead of at work at the flower shop.
She settled into the chair across from the metal desk. “Dad’s up. Or should I say not up. He’s sleeping instead of getting up for work.”
“Shit. I hadn’t looked at the time. I’ll call him.”
“Don’t bother. I woke him and he said to go away, so whatever. That’s the least of my problems.”
He narrowed his gaze. “What else is going on?”
She leaned forward and propped an arm on the desk. “I went to my wallet this morning to give Nicky money for a class trip, and I was short about a hundred dollars. I just went to the bank yesterday, so I know what I had in there.”
Ugly reality settled on his shoulders. “You’ve got to be shitting me,” he said, though he knew she wasn’t. He ran a hand through his hair, wondering what their next step should be.
“I don’t know if I can keep doing this,” she said. “I know I’m living in his house, but I’m paying for everything, which I don’t mind, but I can’t keep feeling like I have two children to worry about. I think Nicky and I need to move out.”
Her words smacked him hard, but he understood where she was coming from. “How about we sit him down together and give him a choice. He can move into an apartment and pay for himself or you and Nicky can rent a place.” Either way she wouldn’t be living with the day-to-day problems of an addict.
She twisted a strand of her hair between her fingers. “That would work,” she murmured, looking as sick as he felt at the prospect of confronting their father.
He reached out and grasped her hand. “It’ll be okay. Either way. And if you need to move, I’ll look with you and help you out. I bet there are some houses for rent that you can afford. I’d hate to see you move into a smaller apartment, coming from a house with a yard.”
His nephew loved playing basketball on the driveway and riding his bike, and Kane didn’t want to take that away from him because his grandfather was irresponsible and had an addiction problem.
“Thanks, Kane. I hate to make it your problem.”
“Hey. He’s our father. I think that makes it our problem. All the responsibility shouldn’t fall on you.”
“Okay.” Her shoulders relaxed at his reassurance. “So what’s going on with you and Halley?” she asked. “Is everything good?”
“I think so.” He hoped so. He’d pushed her and she’d forced him to leave, but he hadn’t gotten the sense she was upset with him.
And when he’d worked at her house this week, their routine had been normal. She cooked dinners, they hung out, occasionally had sex if he wasn’t too exhausted from working and she was in an upbeat mood. He just couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t as all in as he was and it bothered him. Or more likely, she wouldn’t let herself fall hard because of those damned walls she had up. He wasn’t sure what else to do to get her beyond her past and to be able to trust.
“I like her,” Andi said, interrupting his thoughts. “When I stopped by to apologize for dad’s behavior at dinner… well, for arguing in front of her, she was really great. We talked for a while. I think she’s good for you. She’s so understanding and sweet. Unlike an unmentionable woman in your past.”
He frowned at her for bringing up Liza, but he was glad his sister liked Halley. It meant a lot to him that the two women in his life got along, more that they liked one another.
“I’ll forgive you for mentioning the bitch,” he muttered. He picked up a pen and rolled it between his hands, a gesture he always found soothing. “But yeah. Halley’s great. She has her own issues that keep me at a distance sometimes.” He wouldn’t be sharing that information with his sister. It wasn’t anyone’s business but Halley’s.
“I know there’s been a lot of gossip about her and her family over the years, but she seems to have her head on straight regardless of what went on in her past.” Andi wrinkled her nose. “Then again, perception can be just that. But if anyone can get through to her, you can.”
He laughed. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“No problem.” She picked up her purse and rose to her feet. “Okay, I’m late as it is. I need to get to work.”
He walked her to the door. “Let’s pick a time to talk to Dad.”
“Yeah,” she said on a sigh. “Maybe Sunday night?”
He nodded. “Works for me.” There’d never be a good moment for that conversation, so they might as well just bite the bullet and dive in.