Blue Ribbon Summer (The Baltimore Banners Book 3) (12 page)

Ian lifted his mouth from hers, his breath ragged, his heart pounding in his chest. He gazed down at Kayli, at her hair spread around her on the bed, at her parted lips and the rise and fall her chest. Her eyelids fluttered open, her eyes slowly focusing on him in the soft candlelight that bathed them.

Ian captured her gaze and held it, his eyes searching hers. He dragged his hand back up along her side, then clasped his fingers around hers and placed her hand against his chest, against his heart. He swallowed, hard, but said nothing, just continued looking into her eyes.

Kayli's tongue darted out and licked her lips as she eased herself up on her elbow. She dragged her hand from his chest, up along his neck to his face. He turned his head to the side and dropped a kiss on her palm.

"Make love to me, Ian. Please." Her words came out in a ragged whisper, hoarse with emotion. Ian groaned in response and stretched out on top of her, bracing his arms on either side of her. He lowered his face to hers, capturing her mouth with his, claiming her as her legs wrapped high around his waist, claiming her with a single hard thrust deep into her welcoming heat. Her hips raised up to meet him and her breath left her in a rush as he sunk even deeper into her.

He pulled out, slowly, then eased back inside her, torturing himself with the exquisite sensation. Kayli's head fell back and her eyes closed, and he stopped, holding himself steady above her.

"No. Look at me Kayli. Look at me." His own voice was hoarse with emotion. She slowly opened her eyes, slowly focused her gaze on him. He lowered his mouth to hers as he eased himself inside her, then pulled out.

Ian broke the kiss, lifting himself further above her, watching her, his gaze holding hers as he moved in and out of her. Slowly, one long thrust after another, her hot passage gripping him as he pulled out.

Kayli raked her hands along his back, holding him, urging him deeper as she lifted her face to his, as her lips grazed against his mouth. "Ian, please..."

Her ragged plea coupled with the raw emotion and need in her eyes dissolved his restraint. He plunged into her, sinking deeper, over and over, losing himself in her wet heat, losing himself in the depths of her eyes.

Kayli held onto him tighter, her face buried in his neck, her breaths a harsh rasp in her ear. She tightened around him and her head fell back, calling his name as she shattered around him.

Ian stilled for a brief second, watching the beauty of her face, her reaction, her need for him. Then he lost control and plunged into her, again and again, harder, faster. His low groan mixed with hers as she cradled him and led him on a trip to their own personal heaven.

#

Kayli slowly came awake, cocooned in a comforting warmth that radiated from the inside out and urged her back to sleep. Part of her wanted to give into it, to just close her eyes again and drift back to sleep.

But the light that seeped around the edges of the drapes was too bright, and years of routine and responsibility refused to let her escape. She shifted and felt strong arms tighten around her waist.

"Not yet." Ian's sleepy murmur rasped against her ear, followed by a gentle kiss on her neck that caused a shiver of delight to travel across her skin. Ian's hand slid up her side, from her waist to her shoulder to her neck, pushing her hair away so he could kiss her again, just below her ear. Her eyes drifted closed as a sigh escaped her, the touch of his lips against her skin feather-light, seductive.

His erection pressed against her bottom and she wiggled closer, feeling Ian's breath hot against her neck. He rolled her over and stretched himself on top of her, capturing her face between his hands. His dark eyes held hers, searching, making her own breath leave her in a rush at the naked desire so clear in their depths.

Desire, and something else she was afraid to examine, afraid to name. Wishful thinking, she told herself. And she closed her own eyes, very much afraid that he would be able to see what she wasn't yet ready to admit, not even to herself.

"Do you have any idea what you do to me, Kayli?" Her eyes fluttered open when he murmured her name in his husky whisper. Before she could catch her breath, before words she wasn't ready to speak tumbled from her lips, Ian leaned down and closed his mouth over hers in a long kiss that robbed her of all thought.

She wrapped her arms around him, holding her closer, her legs opening for him, already poised at her entrance. He tore his mouth from hers with a groan and pushed himself up, stretching to reach across the bed. He cursed, a guttural sound of frustration as he rolled away toward the night stand to grab a condom, knocking over a bud vase in the process.

Kayli laughed at his continued curses, smiling when he finally tossed her a look of mock surprise even as he sheathed himself with the condom. "Laughter was not exactly the reaction I was going for here."

Kayli bit down on her lower lip, trying to smother her smile as he rolled back toward her. Then all laughter died as he stretched his full length on top of her, his mouth possessing hers as he entered in one swift penetrating move. Kayli arched up to meet him, her breath escaping in a heated rush as he filled her.

"I need you, Kayli." He thrust into her again, hard, his eyes capturing hers, demanding that she meet his gaze. "God, I've never wanted anyone the way I want you. I can't get enough of you."

Kayli arched against him, wrapping her legs high around his waist, urging him deeper. "Ian, I--"

His mouth captured hers, swallowing her words before they tumbled free. She closed her eyes and gave herself up to him, her body surrendering to his demands as he eased himself out then plunged deeper, eased out and plunged deeper. Over and over, again, until he pushed her over the edge. The immediate world shrunk to just the two of them as wave after wave of pleasure poured over her, through her. Ian grabbed her hands and held them over head, his mouth hot against hers. His rhythm quickened, becoming almost urgent, sending more waves crashing through her. He pulled his mouth from hers and threw his head back, calling her name in a low growl through clenched teeth. He pushed into her one last time, a shudder racking his strong body, then collapsed against her, his breathing harsh and ragged.

She wrapped her arms more tightly around him, her body still cradling his as slow tremors moved through her. Kayli turned her head, dropping soft kisses along his jaw, her breathing finally slowing. Ian shifted, just the tiniest bit so he was looking down at her, his dark eyes penetrating her with a serious and thoughtful gaze. Kayli thought about the words that almost fell from her lips, thankful now that he had stopped her, whether inadvertently or on purpose.

"Kayli, I..." She held her breath as he paused, his eyes still searching hers. Long seconds went by before he dropped a quick kiss on her mouth and offered her a small grin. "I think I could get too used to this."

Kayli swallowed, hoping her disappointment didn't show in her eyes as she smiled back at him. "Me, too."

His smile faded and he looked away for a second, his expression serious once more. He turned back to her, his mouth opening to say something, and Kayli waited. But he merely offered her another small smile and shifted to her side, then pulled her tightly against him. "Just lay here with me for a little bit, let me hold you while you sleep."

She swallowed back her disappointment and snuggled closer, finally closing her eyes. She would enjoy this time, the here-and-now, and take everything else one day at a time.

Kayli pulled up on the lead and closed the latch of the chute, checking for a snug fit before tying the lead off and grabbing the dryer hose. "Okay Shelly, here you go. Do you remember how to do it?"

The young girl offered her a bright smile and nodded before eagerly taking the hose and aiming it at the just-washed heifer. Kayli watched her for a few minutes, offering a few tips until Shelly had the powerful blast of air aimed correctly. Satisfied she was doing it correctly--or as correctly as a seven-year-old could be expected to do it--Kayli moved to the tack area and grabbed another scotch comb and a leather halter. She stepped into the aisle and looked around, searching for Lori and Sara.

The noise level was loud as always. Cattle bawling, the loud hum of dryers, and over it all, shouted conversation. She took a deep breath, inhaling the scents of hay and cattle and fried dough, and smiled. This was the second day of the three-day county fair, and the most hectic day scheduled.

Yesterday was set-up, and fairly laid back once everything had been set. Tomorrow would be laid back until noon, when exhibits were released and everyone moved all at once to leave. But all three girls were showing today, in several different classes, so the pace was a little more frantic.

But it was a good practice run for the State Fair in a few weeks, a fun-filled crazy ten days that officially signaled the end of summer. And it was a good way to keep busy, to keep her mind off the fact that Jake was leaving in a few days, heading back to California.

Please God, just let him being going back to California.

And Bonnie would be back before then, which meant there would be no reason for Ian and the girls to stay at the house. Kayli didn't want to think that far ahead, though, didn't want to think about how different and quiet the house would be with just her and Lori.

How things might change between Ian and her...

She shook the morose thoughts from her mind and looked around, finally spotting Lori and Sara leading the steer from the wash rack. Kayli moved toward them, watching as they maneuvered the large animal into the second chute, waiting to see if they needed any help. But Lori had everything under control, which left little for Kayli to do except supervise and offer advice wherever she was needed.

"Kayli!"

She turned around at hearing her name, and felt her heart do a triple beat when she saw Ian walking toward her. Maybe 'walking' wasn't quite the right word. He was pushing a wheelbarrow overloaded with hay and feed down the aisle toward them, and she could see he was having trouble maneuvering around the chutes and over the different hoses and cords that filled the aisle. The load was off-balance and Ian could barely see over the top--a certain recipe for disaster. Kayli quickened her steps, but still didn't reach him in time to prevent the wheel barrow from tilting when he tried to push it over it a hose. And instead of just letting the load go, Ian tried to catch it. The weight shifted and everything tumbled off.

And took Ian with it.

Kayli halted, her eyes widening at the sight of Ian sprawled on the concrete floor, partially buried under the bales of hay. He pushed a bale from his lap then stared down at his hand. An expression of what could only be described as abject horror crossed his face. His mouth opened, no doubt to let out a string of expletives at landing in a pile a cow manure, then quickly snapped shut. Ian looked around, his eyes taking in all the kids around them, and he rolled his eyes before catching Kayli watching him.

"Don't even say it!"

Kayli couldn't stop the laughter that burst from her, a steady stream of hilarity that brought tears to her eyes. She doubled over, pressing her hands against her stomach for long minutes until she could finally catch her breath. She wiped her arm across her face and closed the distance between them, reaching down to grab one of the loose bales. Ian took it from her and placed it on the righted wheel barrow, then looked around for something to wipe his hands on.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it." Kayli pulled a rag from her back pocket and handed it to Ian. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He wiped his hands clean and bundled the rag, looking around for someplace to put it. He finally shoved it in his back pocket with a shrug the grabbed the handles and started pushing again. "So where do you want all this stuff?"

"Over in the tack area." Kayli pointed over her shoulder then helped Ian maneuver around the different obstacles. "But I'm not sure why you brought all this stuff. We already have enough."

"Ask Jake."

Kayli nodded and looked around, searching for her brother, but didn't see him anywhere. "Is that why you two disappeared earlier?"

"Uh, yeah." Ian set the wheel barrow down then grabbed a bale of hay, lifting it out and walking past Kayli to drop it behind the tack area. She watched him, trying to figure out why he seemed distracted.

"Ian, is everything okay?"

"What?" He faced her, his expression blank and distant. His gaze cleared a little when his eyes finally met hers and he offered her a small smile. "Yeah, everything's good. Don't worry about it."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yup, I'm sure." He leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss. "C'mon, let's get the rest of this unloaded so I can actually watch the girls when they go do...whatever it is they're doing."

Kayli nodded and helped finish unloading, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something had happened, that something had changed.

She just didn't know what.

Or why.

#

"Uncle Ian, you missed one!"

"This one here!" Sara leaned across the table and dabbed a huge drop of green ink on the micro-thin paper. The color pooled and spread, covering three numbers instead of one. Seconds later, someone called "Bingo!", and the crowd erupted in groans as the winning numbers were verified. Shelly leaned over and pulled the losing sheet of numbers off the pad in front of Ian, smearing green ink over the fresh sheet.

Which was just as well, because Ian's mind wasn't on Bingo, on cattle shows, or even on the people around him. He glanced over at Kayli and offered her a quick smile, but it was obvious she could tell he was still distracted.

And after his earlier conversation with Jake, was it any surprise that he wasn't?

His gaze scanned the crowd as people moved around, taking advantage of the brief intermission. If he hadn't been so distracted, he might have enjoyed the novelty of just being here. If anyone had told him a month ago that he'd be sitting down, playing Bingo, he would have laughed.

Worse still...if he hadn't been so distracted, he'd actually be enjoying himself. He had even won an award himself last night, at the cake auction. Granted, it wasn't a real award, just a ribbon thanking him for being a buyer but he had a feeling he'd be displaying the green and white rosette someplace special.

Ian capped the green ink bottle and pushed back from the table, offering Kayli and the girls a brief smile. "I need to find Jake. Any idea where he is?"

"He's probably back with the cattle. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to talk to him about something." He leaned down and gave Kayli a quick kiss, then stuck his tongue out at the twins when they giggled. Being silly was better than worrying about the concerned look Kayli was giving him, and there was no doubt in his mind that she knew something was wrong.

Damn Jake for making him promise not to tell.

Ian walked away from the mingling crowds, moving toward the areas where the cattle were set-up. The human noises slowly disappeared, replaced by the quieter sounds of shuffling hooves and low bawls, of contented animals munching on feed or hay. His booted steps created a dull echo around him, blending with the other noises to produce a natural backdrop of sound. And Ian realized he felt...normal. Comfortable. Like he wasn't an outsider, like he fit in.

The feeling was almost as disconcerting as the promise he had made to Jake.

Ian shook off the thoughts and quickened his steps to reach the tack area. Jake was filling water buckets but didn't bother to look up. It didn't matter, because he knew Jake was aware of his presence. He closed the distance between them and leaned against the metal post, just watching until the water buckets were filled. They each grabbed two, then took them over to the cattle to let them drink.

"I thought you were playing Bingo with the girls."

"I was, but I guess I'm too distracted to pay much attention."

Jake leveled him a blank stare then switched an empty water bucket for a full one. "Is that right?"

"Yeah." Ian shifted his hold on the bucket, tightening his grip so he wouldn't drop it as the cow dipped her head in further. "Jake, I'm not sure how comfortable I am with this whole thing."

Jake didn't say anything, just gave Ian another unreadable look. Several minutes went by as the cattle finished drinking. Jake stacked his empty buckets, then took Ian's and did the same. He placed them off to the side, then reached over and unfolded one of the camp chairs propped in the corner. He took a seat, and motioned for Ian to do the same.

"What aren't you comfortable with?"

Ian swallowed a sarcastic bark of laughter and stared down at his folded hands. Jake made it sound like it was no big deal, when the exact opposite was true. In fact, it was such a big deal that Ian didn't even know where his list of 'uncomfortable' started.

No, scratch that. He did.

"How about lying to Kayli, to start with?"

Jake was quiet for a long time, his gaze distant as he stared at something only he could see. He finally shook his head, whether to clear it, or mentally telling himself "no", Ian didn't know. "I'm not saying lie to her. I don't particularly care for that part myself. I just...I don't want her to know. Not until after I leave."

"Jake, this whole thing...I still don't understand. Why do you have to do it this way? And why not just tell her? You can't think for a minute that she'd have a problem with it."

"I think I know Kayli a little better than you do." The statement was almost like a slap in Ian's face, even though he knew it was true. Jake was her brother, of course he knew her better. But it still stung. And Jake must have realized the effect his words had on Ian, because he waved his hand as if to brush the words away. "She's...she has too much faith in Cole, believes too much that he's really changed. I can't put that much trust in him. I won't. If I do and something happens to me...I just can't."

"I thought you two were getting along."

Jake shrugged and leaned back in the chair, folding his hands neatly behind his head. "It's more of a wary truce. Definitely on my part, probably on his part, too. I can't just forget everything that happened like Kayli has. I can't make myself trust him like she does."

"But you'll trust me?"

Jake turned his head and met Ian's questioning gaze head-on. There was such an intensity in his eyes that Ian finally looked away, unable to bear it.

"Yeah. I do."

Jake's answer surprised him as much now as it did yesterday when he first brought the idea up to him. And Ian was just as uncomfortable--just as confused--now as he was then. "What about Lori? Can't you just sign it over to her?"

But Jake was already shaking his head in answer, just like he did yesterday. "It doesn't work that way. Like I told you, I already checked into it. I can't just sign it over to any family member, and if something happens to me, it goes to the next surviving direct family member. That's Cole. And I can't let him have two-thirds control of everything. I just can't."

"But what if he really has changed?"

"I'm not willing to take that chance. There's too much at stake. The only thing I can do is 'sell' my portion, or sign it over to a third party."

"So you won't trust your bother, but you'll trust me? How do you know I won't sell it off to some developer or something?"

"I just know. And if, for some reason, my gut is wrong...I know where to find you." The threat was clear, both in Jake's flat gaze and his steely expression. Ian leaned back in his own chair and closed his eyes, trying to find some way out of this whole mess.

He did not want to be in the middle of this. It wasn't something that he was prepared for, wasn't something he even wanted to be part of. When Jake had approached him yesterday and presented him with the entire convoluted idea, Ian had laughed. Why on earth would Jake sign his portion of the family farm over to him? Ian had thought it was some kind of joke. Even after Jake had explained that if anything happened to him, his portion would automatically go to Cole. Not to Kayli, not to Lori. To Cole--the brother he had only recently been reacquainted with, the brother he still didn't trust.

When Ian had asked if Jake had talked to a lawyer, to find a legal way around it, Jake had just leveled a flat gaze at him, letting him know that yes, he had already checked.

When Ian suggested that things could be straightened out in the courts, Jake had laughed. Yes, he grudgingly admitted that maybe they could be--even though Jake had already looked into that and was told otherwise. But either way, it would take a lot of money, money that Kayli didn't have to waste to fight a battle she would surely lose.