Spencer woke up two hours later with her upper body resting on his and her limbs entangled with his. He slowly untangled them and slid from underneath her. He was hungry and he was sure when she woke up she would be, too. So, he put on some joggers and a t-shirt and headed to the kitchen to cook dinner.

Thankfully he had the presence of mind to have taken out some steaks to thaw in the fridge this morning. He looked for some potatoes. He was halfway done with cooking when his phone pinged with a message. Rinsing off his hands and hurriedly drying them, he picked up the phone to see a text message from Reed.

Hey is Matthew up there with you? I just got a call from my Uncle asking if I had spoken to Rose and that she was supposed to be meeting with Kane for the Holidays.

Wanting to find out why Landry said his daughter was meeting up with Matt, he called Reed instead of texting him.

“Hey, Reed, It’s Spencer. What the hell do you mean she was supposed to be up here with Matthew?”

“That’s what that jackass told me. I called Matthew, but he told me that he was busy in a meeting right now and would call me later, but you know your brother. So, I texted you, I was hoping a text would get through. You have never met her before so you probably don’t know what she looks like, but she is a pretty little thing and I am worried about her. I know it is not your problem, but could you check to see if she is in town? Her phone is busy every time I try to call her.”

“Reed, she is here. Landry is a lying prick. He sent her up here to seduce Matt, I am guessing since he claims she is with him. She ran off in to a ditch yesterday and I brought her back here. She said that she was supposed to spend the Holidays with you, according to her dad.”

“What! Why would that prick do that?”

“Because he wants us to drop the charges. I used her phone to text him back saying his plan didn’t work.”

“Good, so she is nice and safe on your watch. I am glad. Matthew would have seduced her and from their past encounters, I am sure my cousin would have been putty in his hands and I don’t want her hurt.”

“What do you mean?” He was getting really fucking pissed. Was there a thing between his brother and Rose? He had to ask. “Were they seeing each other?” He prayed that wasn’t the case. Anxiety washed over him as he waited for Reed’s response. He felt that maybe he was just a substitute for his brother.

“Well, it was a long time ago that they met and Matt was really into her, but she was a minor at the time. He was planning to go after her when she was older. I don’t know if she was interested, but she did say he was really cute, according to her father, but nobody can trust what that bastard says.”

Spencer just sat there quietly, trying to overcome the feelings of guilt, anger, and the most painful one…bitter jealousy.

“Spence, I am so glad you are there with her. I can come back and get her in a few days. I am off on an emergency trip to Vegas. I know she will be safe with you.”

“No problem. I will take good care of her.” They hung up and all of the sudden Spencer had no appetite. He had technically stolen his brother’s girl or at least someone he liked. He knew that Matt was not her boyfriend, it was some guy named Rick, so at least he didn’t steal her away from him, he just moved too slow.

Rose had woken up to her phone ringing. She picked up the phone with sleepy eyes and automatically answered, just as she naturally would before she met Spencer. “Hello,” she said groggily. “Rose baby, are you ok? I got your text message, but I know that it couldn’t have been you to be so cruel.” Oops she really should have looked at the caller ID, it was Rick. She looked around the room but didn’t see Spencer anywhere, and she could smell something good cooking. Thank goodness, he was nowhere near because he said he didn’t want her to talk to her ex-boyfriend and that he would end their relationship for her. Obviously, he did via text, and she should be mad, but she never contradicted his demand. “What text message?”

“That is what I thought. Who are you with that would play games like that?” Rick sounded truly relieved and that hurt her heart that she would have to hurt him.

“Rick, I may have not sent a text message to you, but I am sorry, it is over between us.” There was a long pause before he replied, “So is there really someone else?”

“I am sorry. I never meant this to happen, but yes, there is someone else.”

“You are a fucking bitch. You deserve the bastard. I hope you realize what you have lost.” There was a click and her screen showed he had hung up on her. She wanted to confront Spencer and was about to when she smelled something burning.

He sat there until he smelled something burning and saw Rose running out of the bedroom and to the stove to put out the steaks that were now burnt.

“Spencer, are you ok?” She was looking at the man she had accidentally fallen in love with, and he had an angry visage as he stared out in space.

She touched his shoulder, startling him out of his jealous haze. “Tell me, who did your father really send you out to see.” He had grabbed her wrists tightly and pulled her close so her face was mere inches away from his. “Reed of course, what has gotten in to you?”

She was a little bit frightened of him right now, but not that he would physically hurt her but emotionally he would wound her. She saw his phone in his hand and knew that he had to have received a message or text from someone, making him doubt her assertions.

“Reed texted my phone earlier and it said your father believes that you were going to meet up with Matthew. Were you going to meet up with him?”

“Have you lost your mind? You are taking my father’s word on this? A man you said you couldn’t trust and yet, the first time he says something makes everything I said to you no longer true.”

“I am confused, Rose. I planned on having a quiet vacation to cope with the stress and changes in my life, but I am blown off kilter by the most beautiful, tantalizingly, adorable woman and the feelings she created in me. I want to believe you, it is just my jealousy that if Matt had been here, you would have been his.”

“Wow! I am trying to not get mad right now because you have a tendency, in this short span of time, to say shit to piss me off and not mean it that way. I am not a whore, so I wouldn’t have bedded your brother because he was the only man available. I was dating the same guy for the last three months and we didn’t go all the way. Are you upset that I met Matt first?”

“I am upset because Reed tells me that you two were attracted to each other when you two met before and that had you been older he would have made his move. So, since you are older, well, that’s where I am going with this. I…”

“Spencer, yes it was nice to have an older handsome man flirt with me, but I was never interested in your brother. I thought he was cute, yes, but I didn’t want him like that. Your whole family is really good looking, even the women, but I don’t want them either. My attraction to you isn’t because I missed out on not having your brother. I am not quite sure what it is that draws me to you.”

“Maybe it’s because I was pushy and didn’t give you an option. If Matt had been here, maybe you would have submitted to his pushy and demanding nature?”

“Do you want to call Matt to have him come and see? I could let him charm me out of my panties, and maybe I could see if he can make me come like you do.” She wanted to laugh as she watched his anger rise.

“The hell you will. You are mine. I will fuck his ass up if he even tries to fuck with you.” He pulled her into his chest.

“Then calm down. I don’t want your brother, I want you! You do know that I had seen Matt before I left for school and I was already seventeen. I didn’t wait for him to try and talk to me. I hurried away because I remember what he had said about wanting me when I was legal.” She was getting annoyed with his jealousy. They haven’t even been around other people and he was jumping to conclusions.

“Then why didn’t you tell me you had met him before if you didn’t want him?” The vulnerability in his words made her anger fade.

“Because you were breathing down my neck about me being in cahoots with my father. I was afraid if you knew that, you would have thought I was here to seduce him.” She reached her arms around his neck and pulled his head down, “Kiss me, the only Kane man for me.” She touched her lips to his and softly invaded his mouth.

He pulled slowly away and told her softly, “I already told you I was keeping you either way, but I am glad you didn’t, babe, because I would have knowingly stolen you from Matt.” He grabbed her closely to him and kissed her with pent up desire then abruptly stood up and walked away.

“What?!” She looked at him with a cross pout.

“Baby, I am hungry and I am sure you are ready to eat. We are not done for the night by a long shot. I was trying to make a nice dinner for you, but that didn’t work out.” He looked over to the burnt watered out steaks that sat in a dirty pan.

“I guess it is sandwiches again? I will make them today, handsome.”

“Okay, well I tried, baby. One night I am going to make you the best dinner you have ever had.”

She made him a turkey and ham sandwich with pickles and tomatoes. She liked all those things, but she wanted lettuce, too. They ate in companionable silence.

“I guess that explains why he sent me here thinking whatever his plan was would work, at least your brother and I had met before.”

“Yes, don’t remind me. I wish I had met you last year. You would have brightened what had been a rough year.”

“I am glad it was you, too, Spencer.” Spencer stood out of his seat and leaned across the table and kissed her right on the nose. “You are perfect, baby. God, you have me wrapped around your pretty little fingers.”

“Ooooh, can I have you wrapped around my fingers?” Rose winked at him suggestively.

“Damn it, woman, I am only one man!!! You are going to wear me out.” He gave an over exaggerated sigh with his hand on his forehead.

“Fine, old man. Good night,” she tossed her napkin at him and took off running.

“Old man? I will show you what this old man can do,” he chased after her, catching her before she hit the bedroom door. 

“Ha he he he, stop, I give up, you don’t have to tickle me.” She couldn’t stop his invading hands tickling her so she decided to fight back and thankfully Spencer was just as ticklish.

Their game of tickling turned into much more. They made love one more time that night.