Archer (18 page)

T
he rowdy atmosphere inside Corner Pocket fit Jane’s mood. The drinks came fast, the music played even faster, and all her friends crowded around, admiring Bluff. She leaned to the side and kissed Charlene’s cheek.

“Thanks, hon. I couldn’t bear to leave her alone in the car when I thought I might have lost her forever.” She passed the cat to Sabrina.

“If the inspector comes while you’re here, slip out the back door. Understand?” Charlene winked.

“Perfectly.” Jane smiled. “Nobody will know we were even here.”

Across the table, Sabrina sat down beside Garrett. She couldn’t help staring. The thought of those two getting together thrilled her. If only her brother would wise up and see that Sabrina was crushing on him. So far, he hadn’t clued in on what everyone else saw when they were together.

Garrett lifted his beer, eyeing the cat, and fell into watching Sabrina with Bluff. Jane squeezed Kage’s thigh under the table. Her brother could deny his attraction to Sabrina all he wanted, but he was definitely noticing her. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her whenever she wasn’t looking at him, which was almost constantly.

She leaned against Kage’s arm. “How do you think your uncle got a hold of Bluff?”

“Don’t know and probably won’t find out.” Kage leaned back and put his arm across the back of the booth. “If you’re ever alone and he approaches you, I want you to walk away. No acting tough. He’s not a man to trust.”

“Do you think he’ll bother you again?”

His fingers went to the back of her head, pulling her closer to him. “Yeah. There’s no running away from family, despite my hate for him. He’s bad news, baby. We can’t ever let our guard down.”

She nodded. She understood his worry, but he wasn’t alone anymore.

Tony strolled to the table and squatted down on Jane’s side but looked at Kage. “Hey, that woman who was with your uncle at the garage…you know her?”

Kage shook his head. “Nope. She’s probably one of his women, unless he’s changed his ruling and is bringing females underground.”

“Damn.” Tony inhaled through his nose. “I could swear I’ve met her before, but that’s crazy.”

Kage leaned forward. “Why?”

“There was a woman, down in Clatsop County, going through the police academy a year ago when I took a safety course for my concealed weapons permit. She was doing drills outside with her squad when we broke for lunch. Smoking hot, you’d never imagine she’d lift a hand and risk breaking a nail, but she was tough. She looks exactly like the woman with Archer.” Tony stood. “Damn, she was sexy. Just thinking about her, you knew she’d burn you.”

Kage stiffened. “You think this woman is the same one and will cause problems for the police bureau?”

“Nah, I doubt if it was her. Probably a good thing, since Archer has a habit of ruining any woman connected with him. Besides, I can’t see him getting cozy with a shield.” Tony heaved a sigh.

“Tony! Get your ass over here.” Lance motioned from the pool table. “Hurry up and break, I have to leave in fifteen minutes for a two-day stakeout.”

Tony walked off, and Jane curled into Kage. “Let’s go home. I’ve had enough excitement for the day.”

He kissed her forehead. “You got it.”

She stood beside the table, hugged Garrett goodbye, and pried Bluff out of Sabrina’s arms. Warmth flooded her at having her cat back with her.

“You need to go to the little kitty’s room? Hm?” She rubbed her nose on Bluff’s ears before turning to Garrett and Sabrina. “Thanks for everything, you guys. I swear, from here on out, I won’t cause any trouble.”

“Stop thanking us.” Sabrina gave her a one-armed hug. “We’ll talk tomorrow. Maybe I’ll stop in at the garage and we can make plans to hit the mall this weekend if you can get away from Kage long enough.”

“You’re not hanging out at the garage. We have work to do.” Garrett crossed his arms. “It’s not a place for women.”

Sabrina only smiled. “Like I said, I’ll come by the garage.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Jane fought a grin.

Kage curled his arm around her neck and led her toward the door. Before they reached the exit, Charlene planted herself in their path. With her fists on her hips, she stared up at Kage.

“I don’t have that much time, and I’ve decided I’m not letting this go without saying something.” She hitched her thumb at Jane. “The girl loves you.”

Kage raised his brow. “Good thing, since she’s sleeping in my bed.”

Charlene shook her head. “I mean, she loves you, not loves sleeping with you.”

“I know that too,” Kage’s murmured.

“Oh.” Charlene looked at Jane. “You’ve had a lot on your mind lately, and a little slow to catch on. Do I have to explain what he’s doing with you, because he might’ve had more women than we can count, but he’s never taken one to his house and especially not his best friend’s sister.”

Jane laughed, glancing up into Kage’s eyes. “I think I get it.”

Charlene studied them both. They grinned back.

“Come here and give me some lovin’ too, and then get your butts home.” Charlene held out her arms. “You two are going to make me cry. I’m hap-skippy for you.”

“Thanks, Charlene,” Jane whispered, holding her friend. “It means a lot to both of us.”

On the car ride home, Jane stroked Bluff’s back as the cat slept on her lap. She replayed the day, and couldn’t deny that Kage’s uncle freaked her out a little bit.

From all the stories she’d heard, she’d been expecting a monster, but he looked so much like Kage, it surprised her.

“Can I ask you something?” She turned to him.

“Yeah.”

“There must’ve been a time in your life when it would’ve been easier to stay with your uncle after your father went away. What made you decide to step away from your family?” she asked.

“You,” he said.

“No. I’m serious.” She leaned her head back against the seat. “You were just a boy, and family means security to a child. You’d just lost your mom and dad.”

He pulled onto the lane heading toward his house and slowed down on the gravel road. “I am serious. There was a time, I did think about going with Uncle Darrell. I was struggling with building a good reputation for myself, but it wasn’t easy. The Dentons tried to talk with me, but I was young and headstrong, then later the hormones hit and every day seemed like a struggle. I guess I was afraid to rely on them. Looking back, I should’ve.”

“So, they set a good example for you?”

“Yeah. They were pillars of the community, and demanded respect. That kind of presence got attention from everyone they met.” He turned into the driveway and cut the engine. “That’s not what motivated me though. Like I said, it was you.”

“I don’t understand. We were friends through my brother, but I was younger than you.” She slipped her seat belt off without waking Bluff.

“You’re not the only one who wanted to kiss the night you woke me up on the couch, baby.” His gaze warmed and he sighed, his lips curving. “You were beautiful. I swore from that day on, I wouldn’t do anything to make you doubt what kind of a man I was. I wanted you to look at me and see Kage, not another Archer. Then I waited, hoping one day we’d run into each other, the timing would be right, and you would see I’m nothing like my family.”

Oh, wow. She swallowed. “I didn’t know…”

He smiled and cupped her cheek. “Now you do, so what are you going to do with the information?”

She laughed softly. “Take you to bed?”

“Good answer.”

Inside the front door, he took Bluff from her, set the cat on the floor, and kissed Jane. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs around his hips, and took everything he offered with his mouth.

When his lips left hers and trailed along her neck, she whispered, “I want you.”

“Fuck,” he muttered, holding her tighter. The evidence of how much he wanted her was evident in the hardness of his body.

He carried her to the bed, set her on the mattress, and planted his hands on either side of her. She squirmed out of her jeans, taking her panties off too. Then she wiggled out of her shirt, melting as he stripped out of his own clothes. “I need you right now.”

“Don’t want to be anywhere else.” He slipped the laces out of his black boots, kicked them off, and toed off his socks.

She managed to smile through the tears pooling in her vision. “I love you.”

“I love you too, baby,” he whispered back.

He ran his cheek against hers, his whiskers tickling her skin. She shivered at the tenderness he gave her. His hand roamed up her belly to her breast.

“I never want a time when you’re not in bed with me.” His voice filled with emotion sent her stomach fluttering.

“’Kay,” she agreed, because sleeping without him wasn’t possible. He made her feel safe, loved, and most of all, she wanted to give him something he needed.

Then his hand slid between her legs, and his long finger filled her. His mouth latched onto her nipple. She arched off the mattress at the deep pull that shot straight to her core. She sank her fingers into his hair and moaned.

He slid out of her, circling, stroking, and bringing her higher. Emotionally raw and vulnerable, everything hit her at once, and she spiraled out of control. So desperate to connect with him, she could feel her orgasm building before he even entered her.

He removed his mouth and his hand and she whimpered.

“Together, baby. Don’t come without me. Not tonight. I need you,” he said.

He grabbed behind her knees and pulled her legs up, spreading her more. She latched her ankles around his waist. His weight came down. He slid into her, so hard, so heavy, and so pleasurable. Her back came off the bed again. “Kage.”

He moved back and forth. Fast and hard. She reached up and wrapped her hands around the back of his neck, lifting her upper body, and kissed him. Her tongue clashed with his, and he ground his pelvis against her with each stroke of his hardness.

He sped up, taking and giving, needing her as much as she needed him. She scrambled to get closer, almost frantic in her need to ease the hurt that had touched both their lives. He growled in her mouth, and the vibration was enough to push her over the edge. Every cell in her body exploded, and she hung on to him, loving every deep pulse in her lower stomach.

He tore his mouth away from hers and threw his head back, groaning his release.

She came down from the orgasm gently with the help of soft, long strokes from Kage. She collapsed on the bed, smiling lazily up at him. She roamed her hands across his chest, amazed at the strength coming from one man.

And he was her man. Stubborn, strong, and honorable with a touch of badass. She smiled tenderly. He was perfect for her.

“I always want to see a smile on your face, baby.” He rolled off her, bringing her with him.

The seriousness of what they were creating together excited her. “Honey, I do love you. I don’t want you to think I said it just to say it.”

He ran his finger along the curve of her cheek. “I know.”

She caught his hand. “I’m sorry. I screwed up everything we could’ve had together. I just never imagined—”

“It’s over. Done.” He shushed her. “We’re together now.”

They lay in each other’s arms, catching their breath. Bluff jumped onto the bed and rubbed against Kage before climbing onto his chest and settling down. She smiled. Her badass guy and her cat. Watching them together was about the most adorable thing she’d ever seen, but she kept that thought to herself.

“Take your cat, baby. I need to get something.” He waited until she settled Bluff on the mattress beside her before getting off the bed and walking out of the room.

“What do you think he’s doing, kitty? Maybe he’s going to feed you, hmm?” She stifled a yawn. “It’s good to have you home, Bluff.”

Kage walked back into the bedroom carrying a bag. She sat up, reaching for her shirt, and slipped it over her head. He leaned down and kissed her.

He handed her the sack. “It’s for you.”

“What is it?” She held the gift and smiled at him.

“Something you need.” He sat beside her.

She scrambled to her knees. “A gun?”

“No gun.” He groaned, hooking her neck and chuckling into her ear. “Something more important.”

She opened the drawstring and peeked inside. A box lay at the bottom. She flashed her gaze at him. Oh. My. God.

She dove inside and pulled out a red velvet hinged box. She paused, looking at him. “Seriously?”

H tilted his brow. “Open it, baby.”

Inside, a gold ring with two diamonds, side by side, sparkled up at her. Kage took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto the finger of her left hand. She struggled for breath.

“What’s this mean?” she whispered.

“I know you’re in my bed. You know you’re in my bed.” He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her fingers. “Now everyone will know you belong to me.”

She blinked through the tears. “This is way better than a gun.”

He tossed the bag out of his way, lay her down on the bed, and hovered above her. “I love you, baby.”

“I love you too.”

Then he kissed her. Again. And again.

Romance author Debra Kayn lives with her family in the beautiful coastal mountains of Oregon on a hobby farm. She enjoys riding motorcycles, gardening, playing tennis, and fishing. A huge animal lover, she always has a dog under her desk when she writes and chickens standing at the front door looking for a treat. She’s famous in her family for teaching a 270-pound hog named Harley to jog with her every morning.

Her love of family ties and laughter makes her a natural to write heartwarming contemporary stories to the delight of her readers. Oh, let’s cut to the chase. She loves to write about real men and the women who love them.

When Debra was nineteen years old, a man kissed her without introducing himself. When they finally came up for air, the first words out of his mouth were
Will you have my babies?
Considering Debra’s weakness for a sexy, badass man who is strong enough to survive her attitude, she said yes. A quick wedding at the House of Amour and four babies later, she’s living her own romance book.