Chapter Twenty
It was unreal, the urgency and panic Kian felt as he raced down the road to find Roxie and Lily. She had told him they were both fine, but he wouldn’t believe it until he was there, until he saw them, felt them, knew they didn’t have life-threatening injuries. He’d warned Roxie that vehicle she was driving was a death trap, and less than a week later, she gets into a wreck.
One way or another, she was getting a safer vehicle. He didn’t care if it ended in them in a knockdown brawl. It was going to happen. He was a doctor, so he knew there were some things that simply were beyond his control. That didn’t mean he had to like it, and it didn’t mean he was simply going to sit idly by while those he cared about died of injuries he could have prevented.
His heart pounded, and he couldn’t get control of his breathing as he nearly broke the speed limit by double. It was okay with him if a cop started chasing him. Then he’d have emergency vehicles on the way to the scene of the accident. It had taken all that was inside him not to call that ambulance he said he was going to call.
Roxie had always been a stubborn woman. She could be injured and not wanting to make a big deal out of it because she was so focused on a damn animal. Not that Kian was against animals. He loved the furry creatures. It was just that he was more concerned about people.
Kian’s first true breath didn’t come into his lungs until he located Roxie’s car on the side of the road. She was standing in front of it, and he couldn’t yet see the deer. His eyes were focused fully on her. But as he came to a stop in front of her, he looked down, and sure enough, it was a yearling, the horns barely sticking from its small head. And the poor thing was twitching. Most likely, there was nothing he could do for the animal.
Roxie didn’t look up as he climbed from his truck and approached her slowly. Her face was washed of color, and she was gazing despondently at the creature on the ground. Shrugging out of his coat, he wrapped it around her shoulders, and finally, she looked up.
“I’m fine, I promise. I need you to check on the deer,” she insisted.
“I promise you I will, but I’m going to check you first,” he said, his voice commanding. He was in his element now, with a patient who didn’t think she wanted or needed help. He knew how to handle this situation.
“I told you I don’t have injuries,” she said, her eyes flashing to the deer again.
“Good, then this won’t take long at all,” he informed her.
She let out a frustrated breath but then allowed him to lead her to the side of the car. “I’d rather you were lying down,” he said as he looked around.
“I’m fine standing,” she said with a huff. “Get this over with.”
Kian did as thorough an exam as possible on the side of the road. He pushed and prodded, took her heart rate, and listened to her lungs. She sounded fine, and though she had some soreness where her seat belt had dug in when she came to a sudden stop, she didn’t appear to have any injuries. He’d feel a hell of a lot better if he could have her scanned as well, but those were expensive tests, and he knew she’d balk at them when there was no physical evidence indicating she needed them. Maybe he’d wait to begin that battle.
“You seem okay,” he said.
“I know I am. Will you check the deer now?” she huffed.
“No, I need to check Lily first,” he insisted. He opened the back door, and Lily was just waking up, her sweet little eyes shining up at him as she opened her eyes. She gave him a little smile before sticking her thumb in her mouth.
His heart melted right there in his chest as he reached for her and slid his fingers down her flushed cheeks. She didn’t appear to be injured at all, but he’d still feel better doing a basic exam on her.
Having no idea how to undo the straps securely holding her in, he had to move aside for Roxie to get her out of the seat. He watched, though, so he’d be able to do it next time. This was important stuff to know, and he wanted to be an active parent. He didn’t want his child raised by nannies or, if he took that route, solely by his wife. His own parents had been wealthy, and yes, they’d had staff in the house whom Kian and all his siblings had loved, but they hadn’t let the staff raise the kids. His parents had come to their sporting events and school plays. They’d been an active part of their lives. That was exactly how Kian planned on parenting.
“Come here, sweet girl,” he said after Roxie pulled her from the seat.
Kian’s heart melted again when the sleepy girl willingly held out her arms to him and snuggled against his chest as she continued sucking her thumb. Her small body was languid and warm, and he ran his hands gently up and down all her limbs before he listened to the soothing sound of her heart and lungs.
“She’s perfect,” he said, not ever wanting to let her go.
“Yeah, she is,” Roxie said, her own voice soft. She shook her head, and the somewhat glazed expression on her face cleared as she held out her arms to Lily, who grumbled when she was taken away from Kian. He wanted to grumble, too. “You need to check on the deer now,” she insisted.
Kian sighed with frustration. He hadn’t wanted to give up his daughter—not when she was being so dang snuggly. But he knew Roxie was going to be a wreck until he made a completely inappropriate medical decision regarding the damn deer.
“We need a vet here,” he said. “If vets even treat wild game.” Hell, he didn’t know.
“It can’t be much different from a person to an animal,” she pointed out. “We both have organs and stuff.”
“True,” he said, unbelievably seeing her point. That wasn’t something he would have ever thought could happen. But he did know that in some small places, people have brought their animals to medical doctors when a vet wasn’t around. He had nothing to lose by trying.
Kian inched closer to the deer, which looked panicked as he neared. “Don’t you worry there. I’m a doctor and only trying to help you,” Kian said, feeling incredibly foolish for talking to the animal, which didn’t appear reassured.
It kicked its legs weakly, as if it wanted to get away but didn’t have the strength. He didn’t think the poor thing was going to make it, but he sure as hell didn’t want to tell that to Roxie, who had put her faith in him. If he messed this up, she might think he’d mess up everything.
Dammit. He was going to make sure the damn deer lived. Then, he’d have to make sure it went to a hunt-free zone, because he wasn’t putting all this hard work into an animal just to have it be dinner. Not that he minded a good venison steak, but he certainly couldn’t eat an animal he’d saved, or one that he put a face on. Crap, now he was getting all philosophical. He needed more sleep, he assured himself. Then he’d be back to normal.
As he knelt by the animal’s side, he continued to talk softly, and surprisingly enough, it began to calm. He ran his hands along its body and tried to feel for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing seemed out of place. He didn’t know deer anatomy, but it didn’t seem to have a swollen stomach and didn’t appear to have any broken bones. The thing might just be in shock and needing the cuts sewn up and disinfected. He might actually be able to save this thing.
“Is he going to make it?” Roxie asked, standing right behind him.
“I don’t know,” he said, not wanting to raise her hopes only to dash them. “But I think I’ll call Doc Evan and get him taken in. We might be able to.”
Doc Evan was a local vet with magical hands. Kian had seen more animals saved by his hands than by any other vet. He was in high demand, and it was a good thing the guy owed Kian a favor or two, because this was going to cost him.
Kian placed the call and explained the situation to the doc, and then had to grit his teeth as the guy laughed so hard, he couldn’t speak for several moments. Kian turned away so Roxie couldn’t see his scowl as he waited for the doctor to calm down.
“Man, Kian, I am loving this. You’re out there performing CPR on a deer to impress a girl. I gotta see it in person,” Evan said between bouts of laughter.
“You’re a damn vet. Aren’t you supposed to want to save animals?” Kian pointed out.
“I don’t typically make it a habit of saving roadkill,” Evan told him after a few more chuckles.
“Well, obviously, the damn thing isn’t roadkill yet,” Kian snapped.
“Okay, okay, I’m on my way,” Evan said before hanging up.
There wasn’t much the two of them could do as they waited for Evan to show up. Kian had no idea why Roxie was so invested in this animal. Maybe it was because she’d been the one who had hit it, or maybe she just needed a miracle, but because she was invested, that meant he was, too.
“Why don’t we let Evan take the deer to his place and we can swing by the hospital and have a scan or two?” Kian asked.
Roxie rolled her eyes at him. “I’m not going to tell you again that I’m fine. I’m staying with the deer,” she said, her voice firm. Both she and Lily appeared perfectly okay, and he wouldn’t insist any of his patients undergo unnecessary tests, but Roxie wasn’t just any patient. She was special, and Lily was his daughter.
Still, he’d been watching them for thirty minutes straight, and there were zero signs of injury. He might have to let this one go. Taking a loss wasn’t easy for him to swallow.
Doc Evan showed up and cracked a few more jokes at Kian’s expense, then the two of them sedated the frightened deer before loading it in the doc’s trailer. Roxie insisted on following him back to his farm, where he had secure places for animals to recover.
Kian was at the back of the parade, not wanting her to drive the damn car, but since she insisted on not leaving it, he had no choice. He was tense the entire thirty-mile drive. He was buying her a new car and then dropping hers off a damn bridge. That thought cheered him up immensely.
They got to the farm, and a couple of the local kids were doing volunteer work, including Jeff, who ran up to see what was happening. He insisted on helping Doc take the deer into the barn, and there really wasn’t much for Kian to do.
“Want to get your hands dirty?” Evan asked.
“Nah, do you know what these hands are worth?” Kian said with a smug smile.
“Not much, in my opinion,” Evan told him with a wink.
Kian wasn’t at all offended. Evan had grown up with money himself but had never taken advantage of it. Evan hadn’t been as lucky as Kian and his siblings, though. His family had been super assholes who had treated Evan like shit. If it hadn’t been for his grandmother, he wouldn’t have received a dime to even go to school after his dad ran away with the nanny and his mom married some rich foreign guy and fled the country.
His parents were both pissed when his grandmother left her entire estate to Evan, and instead of giving either parent a dime, he invested in the community and continued his work as a vet. He was a good guy and somebody Kian easily called a friend.
“Can I take Lily to see the pigs? Mama just had a litter last week, and they’re pretty cute,” Jeff said.
Roxie looked to Kian for confirmation that their daughter was safe with Jeff, and he nodded, his chest puffing out that she was turning to him to ask.
“That would be wonderful, Jeff. Thank you,” she said, and the boy glowed at being trusted. It warmed Kian’s heart. It also went right over his head that he’d thought of Lily as their daughter. That might freak him out if he took the time to think about it.
“Can you grab that antiseptic, Roxie?” Evan asked.
“Of course,” she said, and for the next hour, she was Evan’s assistant, and Kian found himself on edge as the doc flirted shamelessly with Roxie, making Kian grind his teeth. He knew his friend was doing it on purpose to get a reaction from him. He also knew Evan wouldn’t make a move on her since everyone in the town knew she was his, but that didn’t mean Evan wasn’t going to torture the hell out of him. Kian looked forward to payback. He wouldn’t forget, not even if it took a few years.
“I think this guy might actually make it. He sure as hell is lucky you’re the one that hit him,” Evan said as he sat back on his heels, surprise in his eyes, his clothes bloody and hairy.
“Really? You aren’t just saying that to make me feel better?” Roxie said, wringing her hands.
“I really think he’ll make it,” he said again.
Kian found himself clenching his jaw so tightly, he was surprised his teeth didn’t snap when Roxie launched herself across the small space between her and Evan and held on tightly as she gave him a big hug.
She pulled back and gripped his cheeks, and for a moment, Kian saw the doc completely mesmerized by her. Yeah, she had that effect on people.
“Thank you so much, Evan, thank you,” she told him before hugging him one more time and giving him a smacking loud kiss on the cheek. “You’re the best.”
“Well, hell, if I’d have known I’d get that reaction, I would have been trying to hit deer just to save them,” he said with a chuckle.
“Yeah, you’re a true hero,” Kian grumbled.
“Damn straight,” Evan said as he winked at Kian. “I saved the day this time, and you had to stand by and watch me work.”
Kian grumbled at the doc, trying to decide if it was okay to punch him now that the animal was out of danger. He decided that might not earn him too many brownie points with Roxie, and right now he needed all the merit badges he could get.
Jeff and Lily came running back into the barn right then, both of their cheeks flushed as Lily talked a million miles a minute about how cute the pigs were.
“Can I have a pig, please, can I?” Lily asked, her eyes wide in her excitement.
“We don’t have anywhere to keep one,” Roxie said, and Kian felt his own heart breaking when tears sprang to Lily’s eyes and spilled over.
“I’ll bring the pigs to my house,” Kian said. The girl could have asked for anything, and he would have granted it, just to make that heartbroken expression disappear.
She turned to Kian and gave him a watery smile. “Can we live there?” she asked.
Hell yes! He was about to yell just that when Roxie cleared her throat, and he looked up, finding her intense look on him. He would be toast if he said that. Of course Lily was going to live with him, but he had to do it in the right way.
“Why don’t you come and visit first,” he said. He wasn’t going to tell her she wasn’t going to live there because they all knew she was. But, for the sake of his relationship with Roxie, he could slow down his normally wicked-fast pace.
“Can we visit the pigs, Mama?” Lily asked.
Everyone went silent as Lily spoke those words. It seemed like time stopped altogether, but Kian knew only a second or two had passed. He looked at Roxie’s radiant face, and his heart broke a little. She truly did love his little girl, and the slip of her calling Roxie Mama had sealed her fate. Lily needed Roxie. Kian needed Lily. It was pretty simple, in his own mind. The three of them would become a family. He just wasn’t sure how he was going to make that happen.
“Of course we can, sweetie, but they won’t be leaving their mama for a while, so we’ll just have to come here,” she said. Kian could hear the relief in her voice. She was afraid to come to his place. She was afraid of what she would feel. He had no doubt about it.
“I also have a cat that’s going to have kittens at any time,” Kian said, wanting to draw Lily back into insisting on coming to his house.
“Really?” Lily said, her eyes going wide again.
“Yep, so you and your . . .” He paused. Was he supposed to say aunt or mama? He didn’t know. “Um, you and Roxie can come and see them, maybe even be there when they are born.”
“Can we, please?” Lily asked Roxie.
Roxie was refusing to look at him. She was irritated he’d put her on the spot. Well, too bad. He knew what he wanted, and he wasn’t afraid to go after it. He’d told a white lie, though. He didn’t actually have a mama cat, but his brother had been complaining about a big pregnant cat that wouldn’t leave his back porch. It appeared as if Kian was officially adopting the stray now. He’d pick it up on his way home and hope the damn thing hadn’t popped already. He’d have to call his cleaning lady and see if she could pick up whatever the hell he needed to take care of a cat.
“I guess we’ll have to do that,” Roxie finally said, and Kian wanted to jump in the air and pound his fists. He wanted them to come to his place. Victory was his.
“Why don’t you all come out here this coming Saturday?” Evan asked, making Kian turn. He’d forgotten other people were even around. Roxie consumed him so much, he felt sucked into his own world whenever they were in a space together.
“What’s happening Saturday?” Kian asked. He wasn’t sure how much he wanted Roxie around his very eligible friend.
“I’m having a barbecue to thank community members who volunteer,” Evan said. Of course, at this, Roxie gave him a beaming smile.
“Oh, that’s so thoughtful,” she told him.
Never in his life had Kian had reasons to be jealous of another person, but he was feeling the green-eyed emotion pretty damn bad at the moment as the damn vet tipped his hat at Roxie and winked.
“I’m a thoughtful guy,” he said.
“Humility looks fake on you,” Kian said with a slight growl. Roxie turned and glared at him.
“You’re being rude, Kian,” she snapped. Then she turned back to Evan and smiled even more brightly. “And I think it’s amazing for you to do that. Lily and I would love to come.”
“I’ll pick you both up,” Kian said. There was no way he wasn’t going to bring her. He was certainly keeping his eye on her around the damn vet.
“We can get here ourselves,” she said. But he knew Roxie enough to know she wouldn’t be willing to get into a fight with him in front of people.
“There will be a lot of cars here, and we don’t want to take up too much room. I’ll bring you both, and then you can feel free to have a drink without worrying about driving,” he pointed out.
“Oh, I didn’t think about that. It might be kind of nice,” she said.
“Then it’s all settled.” Kian wouldn’t give her a chance to change her mind. “You can also check on the deer and pigs.”
“Piggies,” Lily said, her face brightening.
Right then, Evan’s old yellow Lab came lopping around the corner, and Lily was distracted by yet another animal. She went over, and the old boy rolled over on his back so she could scratch his tummy.
Kian couldn’t help but laugh when the dog’s head rolled side to side with his tongue out as Lily curled up into him and scratched his belly.
“She needs a dog,” Kian said.
“I know,” Roxie said. He looked up and saw guilt in her eyes. “I just can’t afford it right now.”
“I can,” he insisted.
She gave him a stern look. “She’s not deprived. I’m taking good care of her.”
“We can both take care of her. She doesn’t have to go without,” he said. This argument was getting old.
“Sometimes, when children get too much, they turn into spoiled little brats. I don’t want that to happen to her. I want her to work for the things she truly wants. She will appreciate it so much more then.”
Kian was about to argue, but he saw her point. His parents hadn’t handed him and his siblings anything. They easily could have, and there had been definite advantages in having money, but they’d all worked hard, and because of that, they had good ethics.
“You’re absolutely right. Let’s figure out ways for her to have the things she desires by earning them,” he said.
Roxie seemed shocked by his compromise, and he wondered if he’d always been that much of a dictator that people didn’t expect him to meet them halfway. He didn’t think so, but maybe he’d have to ask his siblings their advice on the matter.
“I can agree to that,” she said, and Kian felt as if he’d just won a gold medal. Damn, he enjoyed making this woman happy.
Roxie’s phone rang, and she stepped out the door of the barn so she could take the call. Kian found himself wanting to know who was on the other end of the line, but he realized it was truly none of his business.
Lily rose to her feet and looked to the door, her sweet face worried for a moment, but then she zeroed in on Kian. She walked over to him and held up her arms. He gratefully lifted her into the air and held her tightly to his chest. She snuggled against him, and within what seemed seconds, she was still, her breathing even.
He felt pressure in his eyes at the love and trust his daughter was showing him. It was the best gift he’d ever been given. When he looked across the way, he saw Evan looking from him to Lily and back, his eyes rounding in surprise. Kian didn’t even want to hide it.
“She’s my daughter,” he said, pride filling his voice.
Evan seemed speechless for the first time in his life. He opened his mouth, shut it, then opened it again. He knew there were a million questions, but Kian wasn’t sure how to answer them.
“Okay, then,” Evan said, and Kian’s respect for the man grew even greater. Just like that, his friend accepted Lily as his daughter. He didn’t try to pry, didn’t need to ask questions. Maybe it truly would be that simple with everyone. Kian hoped so. He just knew he loved Lily, and because he loved her, anyone who knew him would love his little girl as well.
Roxie walked back in, looking tired and slightly stressed.
“What’s wrong?” Kian asked.
She moved close to him and brushed back some hair from Lily’s forehead. “She’s had an exciting day,” she said softly. Her stress seemed to dissipate as she laid her hands on Lily. The little girl certainly was good for taking away any ill feeling.
“What’s the matter? Do you need to talk about anything?” Kian asked.
She looked at him, and he saw the conflict in her eyes. She was deciding if she wanted to share with him or not. He wanted to drag it out of her, but instead he softly rubbed his daughter’s back and tried to keep his face neutral. He was just a friend there to listen if she needed it. She didn’t have to see how much his heart was racing.
Finally, she sighed. “It was the detective. They have nothing new on the case with my sister. I would just really like some answers so I’m not constantly looking over my shoulder,” she admitted.
“I know it might be difficult for you to talk about your sister with me, and I can’t say enough how sorry I am about what happened, but just know you can share anything with me,” he told her.
Moisture sprang to life in her eyes, and she looked away for a moment as she sniffed, then gave him a slight smile. “Thanks, Kian. I appreciate it. There’s really nothing to tell right now,” she said.
“Okay,” he said. Though he wanted to know the entire conversation she’d had with the detective, he decided not to push her right then. The more she learned to trust him, the more she would open up. He reminded himself it was a marathon, and he wasn’t in a hurry. It might feel like he needed to be, but they were building this relationship slowly so there’d be a solid foundation.
“I should get Lily home so I can get her settled for the night. This day has been pretty exciting, and she’s going to have a difficult time sleeping,” she told him.
The thought of letting Lily go caused an ache unlike anything he’d ever felt before, and Kian wanted to cling more tightly to his daughter than ever before, but he knew that would only cause Roxie to close up. If he wanted this to go smoothly, he couldn’t just think of himself. He had to think of Lily, and of Roxie, too.
“Want some help?” he asked. He might not push her, but he’d keep offering his services.
She looked at him for an unguarded moment, and he held his breath, hoping she would accept his offer. He’d love to be there for their nighttime routine. Hell, for that matter, he wouldn’t mind tucking his daughter in to bed, and then tucking Roxie in as well. He could certainly help her have an excellent night’s rest.
She shook her head, though, and he felt utter disappointment. He hadn’t really thought she’d let him come by, but he’d been hopeful all the same. This patience stuff truly was a load of crap.
“I’m pretty worn out. I think I just want to make a cup of hot tea and read until I go to sleep,” she said.
“What are you reading?” he asked as he walked with her back to her car.
Her cheeks flushed, and he was incredibly curious now. He couldn’t remember ever reading something that would embarrass him. Okay, maybe the copies of Hustler he’d read, solely for the articles, of course. If his mom had ever walked in while he’d been immersed in one of those magazines, he’d have been truly mortified.
“Oh, you wouldn’t recognize it,” she said, looking away. Now he had to know!
“Come on, you tell me what you’re reading, and I’ll tell you what’s on my Kindle,” he said in his persuasive doctor’s voice. It always got his patients to open up to him.
Her blush wasn’t going away. “It’s just mindless entertainment,” she grumbled.
Kian placed Lily in her seat, and she didn’t stir at all, but her tiny fingers gripped his shirt and tugged a little bit more on his heart. He brushed Roxie’s hands away and buckled his daughter in. He’d watched Roxie, and now he had it down. He only fumbled a little bit.
“It’s called, um, In the Heir by Ruth Cardello,” she murmured.
He carefully pried Lily’s fingers from his shirt, and she grumbled before shifting her hand to her mouth and sucking her thumb. He had a hard time turning away from his daughter, but he was incredibly curious about Roxie’s reaction to a book.
“What has you blushing?” he asked. He shut Lily’s door and trapped Roxie against the side of the car, not allowing her to escape. He wasn’t touching her yet, but now that it was just the two of them with no one else around and Lily asleep in her seat, Kian was getting a lot of ideas that had nothing to do with kids—well, maybe making kids, but that was for later.
“I’m not blushing,” she insisted, but the color rose in her cheeks, completely contradicting her words.
“Oh, you’re definitely blushing,” he said. He stepped closer, his body fully coming to life. That flush in her cheeks made him think of how many other ways he could bring color to her body. She blushed all over when she was turned on, and that had him ready to explode in seconds.
“What is this book about?” he asked. She refused to look him in the eyes.
“I have a thing for romance books, okay,” she told him in a huff.
“What’s so embarrassing about a romance book?” He really was confused. He wasn’t letting her leave until she explained.
“It’s not embarrassing. It’s just a romance book, and there might be a little bit of steam to it.” She finished her sentence very quietly. At those words, Kian’s imagination came to life.
“What do you mean by steam?” he asked. Now, only inches stood between them, and his lower region was throbbing painfully.
“Well, I don’t read romance for the sex, but she . . . um . . . well, this author definitely writes some sexy scenes,” she said. The heat coming off her cheeks could burn him now.
“What’s this book called again?” he asked.
“In the Heir,” she said.
“Hmm.” There was no way he was admitting his curiosity.
“So, you like reading about sex?” Damn, he was turned on right now. He didn’t know women read about sex. It wasn’t like he’d ever seen a girl’s porn magazine in the stores. Not that he’d looked for one, though. He couldn’t imagine a bunch of naked men in a magazine would sell.
“No!” she insisted before calming her voice. “I like reading about romance,” she told him.
“With sex?” he pushed.
“The sex just happens to be in there,” she insisted.
“I can teach you all about sex,” he said, leaning in closer, his body now brushing hers.
“You did teach me all about sex,” she reminded him.
“And we had fun, didn’t we?” he pushed.
He found his fingers tracing the curve of her cheek and jaw and was encouraged when she didn’t push him away. Her eyes dilated, and he ran his fingers down her neck, finding the place her pulse was beating out of control.
“Yeah, but that was a different time. We were so young,” she said.
“Just because we get older doesn’t mean we have to grow up,” he advised.
“That’s exactly what it means. We can’t act like kids forever,” she told him.
“Why not? What’s so wrong with being youthful? Take Millie, for example. She wears her hair in any color she feels like, and she still dances like she doesn’t care. She will live her life until the day she dies and have no regrets as she releases her last breath.”
“Your positive outlook on life was one of the things that drew me to you,” she said, her guard down, her body relaxing against his as he continued pressing into her.
“It’s been a long time since I felt positive,” he admitted. “You make me feel like anything’s possible.”
It was true. When he was with Roxie, the world was at his fingertips. He loved it. She brought something out in him no one else could, and he didn’t want to let go of the feeling, not ever.
“Maybe you just buried it,” she said, but she was no longer looking in his eyes. Her gaze was on his lips, and he didn’t even want to control the hunger drifting through him.
Bending down, he gently kissed the corner of her lips. She sighed as her mouth opened. He wanted to take her fiercely, but he didn’t allow himself to. He had to remind her of their languid days of lying on a picnic blanket, worshipping each other’s bodies.
He kissed the other corner of her mouth, and she wiggled against him. He pulled her bottom lip into his mouth and gently bit down before sucking on it. Her hips rocked against his. His hand drifted to the back of her head, and he held on tightly as he angled her just where he wanted her and closed his lips over hers, giving her a lazy kiss as his tongue traced her mouth before drifting inside and retreating again.
Her moan rumbled against his mouth, and he had to fight not to lose control, but this was about seduction, not satisfaction. He continued slowly kissing her as one hand drifted down her side, a shudder racking through her frame. He ran his hand down the back of her leg, then gripped her beneath the knee and pulled her thigh up so he could cradle himself against her heat.
She squirmed in his arms as she wrapped her hands behind his shoulders and gripped him tightly, trying to intensify the kiss. He released her lips, and she whimpered until he kissed along her jawline and sucked the skin at the base of her throat. She was melting in his arms, and he was losing the battle of keeping control of himself.
“Invite me over,” he begged. He was more than happy to beg now. He’d started this as seduction, and now he just wanted to sink inside her and stay there all night long.
She sighed as her fingers tugged his hair. He kept licking her throat as he waited for her decision. But then she reached around the front of him and applied pressure to his chest. She wanted him to let her go.
Though he knew he could seduce her into submission, he wanted her trust even more than he wanted her body. He allowed her to push him back. Her cheeks were bright-red, and her eyes dilated as she looked at him.
“I need to go,” she said, her voice husky.
He wanted to argue, but he didn’t. He just caressed her cheek for a moment before taking another step back, then another. She didn’t move. He was five feet away from her before he smiled. Damn, she was a sight to behold.
“Sweet dreams, Roxie,” he said with a confident grin. Then he forced himself to turn around and leave. He whistled as he made his way back to his truck. Kian had plans tonight. He had a book to download, because he sure as hell wanted to know what it was that had gotten her all worked up.
The night was still young. Maybe, just maybe, he could talk her into a nightcap. He never had been one to give up hope, and with his pants scratching his very prominent arousal, hope was all that was allowing him to walk away.
Roxie was going to be his again. He’d make damn sure of it. They wanted each other and, even more than that, needed each other. He was going to prove it to her in any possible way he could.