Crushed Velvet (7 page)

Rand looked mystified. “So, it’s like a boarding house…a hotel?”

Maggie nodded her head. How she was going to get this past him, she didn’t know.

“And so what’s your gig then?”

Maggie smiled because this answer could be all truth. “I do different jobs. Whatever is needed.”

“Mmm, well, I just came to see how you were doing. Don’t let me interfere with your job then.”

Maggie felt panicky. If she let him wander around he was going to figure it out.

“You need to show me to Daisy’s room, okay?”

Maggie gulped.

Rand smiled. “I know you want us to be friends and we will be, sweet Maggie.”

Yeah, maybe it would be better if she let Daisy handle this.
After all, she’d heard from most of the staff that Daisy could talk a coon out of a tree. Maggie stared at her dad’s handsome face.
Only my dad isn’t a coon and this isn’t a tree at all. It’s a stud-steak house run by my mom, and my dad is gonna flip when he finally finds out.

She looked closely and saw a determined glint in his blue eyes.
Oh boy, if I don’t show him, he’ll find her anyway.
“Okay, Pops, come on.”

NINE

Licked and stripped clean….

Cabin on the Flat River

“Well?” Marge Kincade stepped into the cabin. “There you are wearing a sheet and being fed by my engineer. Lookin’ happier than a glob of butter melting on pancakes!”

Kanda’s mouth snapped shut as it’d been gaping open. “So? I’m a grown woman, Ma!”

Marge turned her glare to Wade.

He shrugged. “She was injured out on the range and—”

Marge laughed. “I heard that story already from Trev.” Her eyes sparkled. “I just wanted to see this miracle of the ages for myself!”

Kanda huffed and sat up straighter.

“Well, Mister geophysical, I was paying you to find precious metals and here it looks like you’re mining something else altogether!”

Kanda gasped. “Ma!” She was mortified now.

Wade looked a little nervous, then he laughed.

She did a double take to his amused face. “What the hell is so funny?”

Marge ignored her sniping and made her way back to the door.

He shrugged his wide shoulders. “She’s right. I suppose I was surveying for something precious and I found it.”

Struck speechless again, all she could do was gawk at him.

“Time to get home, Kanda, and I will expect a report on my desk, Wade.” Marge turned from the door to look at him. “I swear, you must have lava inside of you, boy!” She cackled like mad as she made her way out.

Despite her ma embarrassing her, she knew Marge always told it like it was and Kanda couldn’t agree more.
Pure, molten lava—burning me to the ground.
She studied his face as he watched her ma leave.
Why would a man like him want me at all?
She was puzzled by him in so many ways.

“And here I thought I’d made a pretty good hideout. First, your cowboy brother shows up, then my Pops and now your fire-breathing mom.”

Kanda just stared at him, not really hearing anything he said.
I think I could just look at him all day long. Like a sunset that never ends. Why, he’s like a piece of art.

She never understood how people could stand around and stare at paintings and the like for hours. Now? She had a living, breathing statue of perfection. He was easy to look at, funny, bullheaded and powerful.
Hot damn, just grab me a lawn chair and I could drink from this tall glass of tea—forever.

He smiled slyly at her. “You don’t realize it, but I think I see sparks of fire in your eyes, Kandy girl.”

At the mention of the word
fire
, her cheeks did flame.

Chuckling, he looked around at the cabin.

“What are you looking for?”

He got down on his knees and searched under the bed. “This!” He threw her jeans up onto the mattress. “Of course your shirt isn’t gonna do, you’ll have to wear mine.”

Shaking her head, Kanda took the jeans up.

“Unless you wanna arrive home naked?”

Kanda laughed.

“I sure would like to keep you naked, Kandy,” he purred at her.

The purr caused goose bumps to rise along her arms. “Remember what I said about that? The riding backward with the gunny sack hat thing?”

“Nah, you look best naked and your face shining, like you looked in the river.” He sat down next to her and caressed her arms. “I never saw anything as beautiful as that.”

Gulping, Kanda tried not to look into those blazing blue eyes. Lost, hypnotized and forever caught if she stared too long. Talk about staring into the great but wonderful unknown.
Oh…I think—I love him?

“I want to give you that again and again.” He tugged her closer. “Just watch you writhing in passion. To watch you climax in my arms.”

Her throat closed all the way up now. His eyes did trap her and she couldn’t think straight.
What was it I was supposed to do just now?

Wade bit at his lip and watched her face. “I won’t get enough of you, sweet Kandy. Not for a long while.”

Kanda was shivering just by the sound of his deep voice.
So, he felt strongly about her too! Maybe, this could work. Maybe…?

Sighing as if he had some regrets, he stood up and grabbed his boots. “I think I scared you just now. I promise to take it easier.” He sat on the edge of the bed and tugged on a boot.

“Easier?” she whispered.

He put on the other boot. “Yep.”

“No!” she shot back.

He turned to look at her.

Embarrassed by her heated outburst, she shook her head. “I don’t want easy.” She nervously fiddled with her jeans and couldn’t look at him. “I want the man I had—in the river.” She looked up into his eyes now. “You. Just the way you are. Hell, I’ll take the man I roped; he was tied down and still knocked me for a danged loop!”

Wade looked serious now as he tilted his head at her. “I don’t know.”

Kanda felt confused again.

“If I jumped you every time I had the urge?”

Kanda gasped and lowered her eyes.

“You may have to tie me up again, just to stop me for a bit, so you could rest up.”

Her eyes shot up again. “You really feel like that—really?”

He nodded. “Really, really.”

“But how can that be?”

“I just know I want you every time I look at you.”

Kanda’s heart pounded so loud she felt it banging in her ears.

“That’s why you’d better get into some clothes or I might start another dammed fire, Miss Ropin’ Ripper.”

She giggled at the joke and realized again how he could make her laugh in an instant, no matter how she was feeling. She gazed over at the man shirt lying on the bed that he’d found for her, grabbing it up, she raised it to her nose. His scent was now imprinted in her memory, probably forever.

Fear crept in.
What was happening here?
She was falling hard for this Aussie man. Her heart could get smashed to bits if she didn’t watch out. She suddenly wondered if she could find something to make this man less appealing to her.

There has to be something. He’s funny, hot, hard-bodied and bullheaded.
So powerfully sexy, he makes me want to stay here and be loved by him…burned by Wade fire till I died!

She tugged on her jeans as she watched him go through the door to check on her horse
. I’d better be trying to find this unholy factor about him or I’m gonna be a goner. Licked and stripped clean like a steak bone in a freakin’ dog pound!

TEN

If luck was a bright penny,

then I would be a tarnished dime.

Daisy’s Roundup Room

Daisy was out of breath as she grabbed her overnight bag and rushed to the closet to get her shoe bag. She was always packed and ready to go. A habit she formed throughout her life. She’d been on the line of the law here, running this ranch and even though she had the protection of a few officials in high places? A fast girl knows when it’s time to run fast.

Now that Rand had showed up.
Time to sprint and quick-like.
Yeah, she knew he might eventually, but not this soon.
I can’t see him, I just can’t!
She grabbed the shoe bag and hurried out of the walk-in closet.

“Going somewhere?” Rand stood in the middle of her room.

Daisy dropped the bags as little shocks kept running along her nerve endings to her brain.

He stood tall and wide as usual, his physique just the same as all those years ago. Sandy blond hair with just a touch of gray at his temples.

It was his voice that struck her dumb though. That voice could excite a freakin’ nun on Xanax. He could just read a grocery list and a woman might climax when he got to the meat section.

Gulping, she didn’t know what to do or what to say. A real miracle for Daisy Plush. Always there with the first and last word. She prided herself on it. “Yep.” Was her response.
Pithy, Daisy, real eloquent!

He stepped closer and gave her that smile.

Oh no! Not that.
He could smile and the room would get brighter. Dang, she forgot about that.
Okay, now the deck is just temporarily stacked that’s all; you can beat him.
She hoped he would just up and disappear like he did in all her dreams for the years since she last saw him.

“I just wanna talk, Daize.”

Her body was shaking and she knew she was gonna turn into a California jolter if he didn’t leave and real quick.
Keep the poker face, your ante will come, just keep focused.
“Just get out!” she whispered weak-like.

He shook his head and took another step toward her. “How about I just say…no.”

Dammit, I’m always pulling up the joker card.
Daisy was unnerved to say the least as she wrung her hands. “No?”

He nodded. “We aren’t enemies and I don’t see the harm—?”

“Harm?’ she squeaked.
My sanity, my soul…gone! Harm is all you are.

He tilted his head. “I don’t remember ever hurting you.”

Daisy’s heart pounded.
Sweet Jesus, he is so dammed sexy!
“No. But you could’ve so easily.”

Rand laughed dryly. “What kind of defense is that?” He stepped closer. “I never would’ve.”

Keep him away from you, Daize
. “Stop right there!”
Bluff him out…it’s your only card.

Rand kept smiling. “God dammit you look—?”

“Old?” she piped in.

He shook his head. “Nope. Gorgeous as always.”

Too many God dammed aces up this man’s sleeve
. Daisy huffed. “Well, you still look…”

“Yes?”

“Never mind. Just leave!”

Rand stood his ground.” Nope, ’fraid not.”

Daisy stomped her foot. “I just can’t see you—I can’t!”

Rand chuckled. “You’re seeing me right now and the ground hasn’t opened up yet.”

There it is, more charm with that humor of his and he’s stacking the deck.
She was close to hyperventilating
. I really do expect the floorboards to collapse at any moment.
I’ll fall again and things will never be the same.
“I mean it. I’ll…” She looked all around the room.

“Yeah? You’ll what? Stop me?”

Daisy became desperate and she turned, picking up her Tiffany lamp.

Rand’s expression remained calm, as if he expected the move.

Raising it up, she took a deep breath.
I’m callin’ and he’d better duck!

“It’s awful pretty to be breakin’ just to warn me, Daize.”

Nope, not playing your game, Mister sexy man
. Daisy hefted it and threw it his way.

Rand caught it in his large hands and raised it up. “Expensive weapon.” He snickered.

“Dammit!” Daisy stomped her boot again. “I’ll call the cops!”
Another bluff.

Rand stared at her blankly for a few seconds and then he laughed hard.

“I mean it, I will!’ she threatened.

“Go ahead.”

Daisy swallowed heavily again.
Callin’ my bluff, damn the man!

“But…you’d better tell them to bring the paddy wagon too.”

Her eyes met his.
Whoa now, Daisy, do not look into those blue devil eyes, do not!

“They’ll have a lot of people to round up, especially the male kind who will be cryin’ in their little speedos as they’re hauled away to the hoosegow.”

With his calling her bluff, Daisy sighed.
I always hated gambling. If luck was a bright penny, then I would be a tarnished dime.

“Then there’s the Madame of it all, seeing that this supposed bed and breakfast is a house of…” He looked around. “Beef for sale, is it?”

“Now, you listen here!”

“No!” he retorted in a louder tone. “You’re raisin’ my daughter in a house full of male prostitutes?”

Daisy backed up.
He trumped me. He knew about it all along.

Rand didn’t look amused anymore.

“I knew it!’ Daisy shouted. “You just came here to put me down!” She knew better though; he was the kindest man she’d ever known.

Rand stepped close and he was gaining ground in the space between them. “I would never do that.”

“Oh yes, you would! All men are the same; they don’t think a woman can---”

“Shut the hell up!” Rand stated in a low voice.

He knows me too well and trumped me again.
She closed her mouth. He never yelled and he never demanded anything at all; he didn’t have to. Him, just being Rand, always made her want to fall to her knees.

“Don’t play all that arrogant men stuff on me. I never judged you or tried to change you. God dammit, Daisy, can we just talk?”

Daisy knew she couldn’t stay in the same room with this hell fire angel of a man. She would spontaneously combust and turn to a dust of ashes. Shaking her head, she stepped back again.
Time to admit I’ve lost this hand.

Rand sighed. “Well, how about I talk and you listen?

“No!” she blurted out. His voice was the sound of addiction—an addiction to pleasure, like sweet harps on the clouds. Smooth as silk and twice a nice. She wanted to slap her hands over her ears just to play it safe.

He seemed to get a glint in his eye and he took a step back. “Well, then let me just look at you. I won’t say a word.”

She knew she couldn’t take a
Rand stare
. It would surely be the beginning of the end. In the old days, he could seduce her with just his eyes. Yeah, she never woulda believed it neither. But they say some men can look at ya like they’re undressing you. This man could look and you would willingly strip yourself bare!
Nope, can’t go there either!

He studied her flushing face and his gaze lowered to her ample bosom, stopping at the leather and lace topped corset, then slowly lowered to her spandex wrapped thighs and leather spiked heels. He let out a male sounding groan.

“Stop that!” she seethed, as she held her hands together to keep from tearing her own corset loose and giving him an eye full.

He threw his gaze back up to her face. “What?”

“You know what!”

He shrugged his wide shoulders. “I didn’t
say
a thing.”

“Oooh!” she shouted and grabbed her bag, throwing it at him as she leapt for the door.
My last and only card left: The hightailin’ Queen of the chicken shits!