Razing Kayne (29 page)

“W-what, why?”
She glanced nervously over her shoulder.

Kayne had his pants down around his hips in seconds. “I can't wait any longer, baby.”
He stepped up behind her, nudging her legs apart.
Settling against her thighs, his cock resting heavy on her tailbone.

“Like this?” Her brow furrowed with doubt, she bit her lower lip
.

Was she serious?

Of course she was; she'd never been taken from behind. Kayne wanted to howl as he
beat his chest in Neanderthalic satisfaction.
Heady indeed.

“Trust me, baby. You’ll like this.” He  pulled her back against him, one hand cupping
her breast, his thumb and finger teasing an oversensitive nipple while his other hand
palmed her belly and pulled her tight, letting her feel his erection nestled between
them.

Kayne whispered in her ear, explaining how he planned to take her, building her desire
back up, walking a razor’s edge of his own.

“Lean on the desk.” Bending with her, he nibbled her neck, lightly bit her shoulder.
A lion dominating his mate before mounting her.
He teased her, stroking the length of his shaft through her slick folds, feeling
her shudder with each pass over her most sensitive flesh.

Jess tried to shift her hips to take him inside. “
Please
. I need you.” 

Jesus Christ, he needed her too.

He poised, ready to feed his throbbing cock into her swollen sex. “Say my name,” he
growled.

“Kayne,” she panted.

“That’s right, baby, it’s me here with you.
Only me.”
He entered her slowly, sinking further and further with each gentle thrust until
he was fully embedded.

He clenched his teeth, fighting for control. “Am I hurting you?”

“No.” Her inner muscles contracted and relaxed. She gasped when he pressed deeper.

“You like?” He flexed his hips.

Jess planted her hands and pushed back into him in response, moaning as she rocked
forward, dragging almost off of him before thrusting backward and impaling herself.

With that simple act, all civility left Kayne. He rode her hard.
Long drags and deep plunges.
His fingers danced across her pebbled nipples. He sucked her delicate skin, marking
her neck, and she purred. He bit her shoulder hard, dominating her.
Claiming her.
Jess bowed up, every muscle clenched and convulsed.
”Oh God, Kayne!”

But he wasn't done with her, not even close. He was thoroughly out of control, and
his only thought was
mine.
She was his, and he was branding her.
Marking her as his.
Ruining her for all others.
There was no one else for her, and by God she was going to realize that.

Kayne pulled out and turned her around to face him. “Hold on to me.” He wrapped her
arms around his neck, not waiting for her orgasm-fogged response. His movements were
quick, jerky. Rough. He didn't feel gentle, he felt primal, possessive. She needed
to know she was his, and he wasn't letting her go. He was done sharing her with a
goddamned ghost.

Kayne lifted her, spreading her thighs wide, plunging into her as he backed her into
the wall.
Fucking her.

Not.
Letting.
Her.
Go.

Jess dug her heels into the small of his back, and Christ almighty, she was clawing
the hell out of his shoulders and back. She was as out of control as he was, and he
wanted to howl with the pleasure of it all.

He gave no quarter, and she offered none in return, yet his mind fought release
.
Then she shattered a second time and pulled him into the dark waves of ecstasy with
her. Kayne threw back his head and roared in satisfaction.

THIRTY-ONE

Kayne held Jess close as they descended the stairs on Thursday night. They hadn't
talked about what had transpired in Jess's office Monday afternoon, even if he still
bore the marks on his back. He felt his dick stir at the memory.
Down, boy!
They also hadn't discussed whatever ghosts she'd been running from in that moment
before she turned to him.

“Baby, are you feeling okay?” He brushed his lips across her forehead.

She’d been falling asleep the moment her head hit the pillow every night, barely rousing
when he crawled into bed and took her in his arms.

She looked at him, her expression apologetic, and perhaps lined with a small amount
of fear. “I'm so sorry, I'm just tired—”

He laid a finger against her lips. “Don’t. I'm the one who’s sorry. I've been keeping
you up half the night, even though you're busy from sun up to well past time the kids
go to sleep. I have no willpower when it comes to you, and I’ve been thoughtless to
your needs. It’s okay to tell me ‘no.’ At least once in a while.”

“I like that you reach for me in the night,” she whispered so softly he wasn't sure
he'd heard her.

“Baby, don't you know you're my lodestone?” He pulled her around to face him. “My
needle always points toward your sweet little kitty,” he said huskily.

Jess giggled as he’d hoped she would.
“My
kitty
?”
She was so beautiful, but when she laughed, when she was happy, it was incomparable.
Lord, how he loved her.

He brushed the hair back from her face with both hands
.
“
My
kitty,” he mock growled. “And it's a very nice kitty at that. It loves to be petted
and purrs in response, and it's very happy when I feed it wild cock.”

Jess laughed and
blushed
a little. He loved that about her too. That beautiful sweet innocence that radiated
from her, opposite of the life he'd lead before her.

He kissed her softly,
then
rested his forehead against hers. “I reach for you in my sleep because I dream of
you, Jess. Hot erotic dreams where you're doing wicked things to me with your mouth,
and I'm doing things to your sweet body that I'm sure are illegal in some states.”

Damn, if she didn't turn three shades of red at that admission. And that plump bottom
lip of hers disappeared behind her teeth.

He gently ran his thumb across those lips. “Those fantasies are so
vivid,
sometimes I can't tell where dream ends and reality begins. Later, I realize all
the while I was actually touching you, readying your beautiful body to take me, but
it's not until I'm over you and in you that I know I'm awake. Then
it's so clear what was dream and what is reality that I wonder how I could ever confuse
the two.”

He felt her flinch and he
knew
what she was thinking, and his heart broke. How could anyone have ever made her doubt
her worth? “Reality is so, so much better than dream.
You
are so much better than any dream I’ve ever had.”

Jess wrapped herself around Kayne and clung to him. Her heart physically ached from
holding the words “
I love you
” inside. She couldn't say them first. Not this time, not with this man. If she voiced
those feelings, she would be giving him the power to crush her. She now realized she'd
never loved Jarred. Not really. She'd been in love with the idea of him. She'd loved
the way he romanced her. In the beginning, he'd made her feel like she was the only
one who mattered, but it had all been a lie. Now she understood there had never been
chemistry between her and
Jarred
. She'd never craved him the way she did Kayne. Maybe that had been their downfall.
Maybe Jarred had been in love with the idea of her, too.

Kayne was different in so many ways. He made her blood sing. Hell, she got wet merely
talking to him over the phone. She loved the way he dropped his voice, all dark and
husky, and it didn't matter what he said, it turned her on. He could probably make
her orgasm reciting a grocery list if he tried hard enough.

She loved the way he constantly touched her.
Sometimes sweet and innocent; a brush of lips to her temple, a caress of his knuckles
down her cheek.
Sometimes it was hot, frantic, have-to-have-you-right-now, vertical sex. Lots of
times it was somewhere in between. Regardless of the setting, if she was within reach,
his hands were on her, and it seemed he went out of his way to make sure she was within
touching distance.

He gently tugged her arm. “Come on, baby, you're exhausted. I want to take you to
bed. I want to hold you while we sleep.”

And he did. She slept wrapped safely in his arms until the wee hours of the morning
when the dreams claimed him. She gasped awake as he surged inside of her, her body
on fire from the dream he'd dragged her willingly into, and she clung to him as he
took her with slow deep strokes, whispering
her
name again and again, as if he knew she needed to know he was with
her
, until orgasm claimed them.

THIRTY-TWO

Friday morning found Jess dragging herself out of bed. Kayne had long since left for
work, and she needed to get the children dressed, fed, and off to school.

Throughout the morning she thought of Kayne, of the things he'd said to her, of the
way he'd made love to her in the middle of the night. He hadn't said the words, hadn't
told her he'd decided to stay, and yet her traitorous heart couldn't help but wonder
and hope.

If he did stay, how would she feel spending a lifetime with a man who didn't love
her? She knew he cared for her. He showed her that every day in so many little ways.
But would it be enough to know he simply honored her and their marriage? Or would
it slowly eat at her soul to know she wasn't special enough to make him forsake his
vow to never fall in love
?
To always wonder if he dreamed of a different life, but was simply far too honorable
to ever admit he'd made a mistake in staying?

Kayne's honor was one of the things she loved most about him, but it was also his
downfall. His word meant everything to him, and once he made a commitment, he'd honor
it or die trying. That honor also meant he'd never give her meaningless words, like
Jarred had. How many times had he said he loved her and walked out the door and into
the arms of another woman?

Shouldn't it be enough to have a man who treated her well, but was never able to say
the words? Yes, damn it, it should. It should be enough. She knew people who searched
a lifetime to have the type of relationship she and Kayne had. They were friends who
worked together side by side for the sake of their children, and they had unbelievable
chemistry. So why wasn't it enough? Why couldn't she be happy with the here and now
and pray that he never went away?

Regrettably she knew the answer. For once in her life she wanted to be loved because
a man chose to, not because he had to.

Jess pushed the depressing thoughts out of her mind. The truth was
,
Kayne had never been given a choice. She’d been part of the package deal of Gracie.

“Come on, kiddos,” Jess said to Isabelle and Gracie. “Mama is running late, and Grandma
Polly is waiting for you.”

Jess was herding Isabelle and Gracie into the garage when the front doorbell rang.
She debated whether to answer, but the little girls made the decision when they took
off running, their little arms and legs pumping in a race to be the first one to the
door.

Jess managed to disengage the alarm a second before Isabelle opened the door for the
delivery driver. Her heart gave a hard thud and slowly rolled when she saw the beautiful
bouquet of lilies, orchids, and roses. Jess quickly signed for the flowers, but was
told, when she tried to tip him that it had already been taken care of. Jess smelled
the fragrant blooms as she walked toward the kitchen. She hadn't even read the card,
and she was already close to tears over the flowers. They were simply the most beautiful
bouquet she'd ever seen.

She pulled the card out of the envelope and read it.

Please have dinner with me tonight.

Reservations for 7 pm.
Be
ready by 6 pm.

Sitter already arranged. ~ Kayne

P.S. Wear something sexy!

Oh my God! She was going on a date with Kayne. She felt like she was back in high
school and had been invited to prom by the captain of the football team. And how stupid
was that? He was her husband, for crying out loud.

By six, the butterflies in Jess's stomach were dancing a tango. She couldn't understand
why she was so nervous about going out on a date with Kayne. Good God, he'd seen her
naked, had his tongue on every square inch of her body, so it defied logic that him
seeing her fully clothed would illicit this type of response.

When she'd dropped the little girls off at Polly's this morning, she learned that
Polly and Del were picking the other kids up after school and watching them for the
night. Polly couldn't give her a clue as to where Kayne was taking her. All he'd told
Polly was “someplace nice,” like that was a lot of help.

Kayne walked up behind her. “You look absolutely stunning, Mrs. Dobrescu.”

Jess met his heated gaze in the dressing mirror. She couldn't help the blush that
stained her cheeks at his blatant appraisal. She was finally wearing the red silk
dress. Its tags had finally come off tonight.

She'd taken her time this afternoon, scrubbing and exfoliating every surface on her
body before waxing it to a silky smoothness. She’d then covered every square inch
of herself with almond-scented body butter. After her hair had been taken out of hot
rollers and fat curls piled high on her head, Jess had applied just a hint of makeup
before rolling on sheer, garterless, silk stockings.

The dress was full length silk, with a hint of spandex that allowed it to cling and
mold to her everywhere, and had a slit that barely stopped before it reached her hip.
A rhinestone embellished V-neck plunged deep to an empire waistline, showing more
than a little cleavage. Two narrow straps snaked over her shoulders and crossed in
back, leaving her bare to the rhinestone inset that rested over the upper swell of
her butt.

Speaking of bare, Jess had tried the dress on with panties only to discover even a
thong was highly visible, so now she was absolutely naked underneath. A shiver ran
through her, and her nipples tightened. She glanced up to see if Kayne had noticed.
His hot gaze said it all. If they didn't leave now, they'd never make it out of the
house.

Jess stepped into her red, stiletto heels with their tiny straps and rhinestone accents
that perfectly matched the dress and watched Kayne's eyes all but cross. She laid
a hand against his chest. “You look very handsome yourself, Mr. Dobrescu.”

She was proud her voice didn't quiver. Handsome was such a benign word for how he
looked. He wore an expensive charcoal-gray, three-piece suit that appeared to have
been tailor made for him. A red tie broke up the crisp white of his dress shirt.

***

Kayne shot his cuffs before offering Jess his arm. “Shall we?”

He couldn't remember the last time he'd been on a date. It had to have been back in
college, but obviously it hadn't been too memorable, because right now, he couldn't
even pull up a face, much less a name from the recesses of his memory. Everything
in him was focused on the stunning woman at his side.

He'd known she was beautiful, but this... This was turning heads, stopping traffic,
someone grab a defibrillator hot. And that dress...
Good God
, was it even legal for her to step out of the house in that? She was every fantasy
he'd ever had, and he was so goddamned hard he could
cut glass
. From the look of her puckered little nipples, she was turned on too. Shit, they
had to get out of here.
Now.

When they reached the garage, Jess’s steps faltered.

He motioned to the car. “You don't mind, do you?” He'd uncovered the Vanquish, and
it now sat ready for their date.

She smiled up at him.
“No, not at all.
I've only ever ridden in it once. I had been mentally calculating how to get in and
out of a truck in this dress.”

He'd like to help her out of that dress. He glanced at his watch. They didn't have
time for it without missing their reservations. Damn.

Kayne helped her into the car while he still had some semblance of sanity left.
Motherofgod,
he was never going to make it through the evening!

Jess fiddled with the air vents. “Did I thank you for the flowers?”

He shot her a grin as he tried to get comfortable. Sports cars were not designed for
someone who was six-four, even if they cost six digits. “Only about a dozen times,
but you're welcome.”

Jess bit her bottom lip, looked away. “Sorry.”

She was nervous, Kayne realized
.
That made two of them.

“Don't be sorry, I like you thanking me.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

***

The maître d’ led them to a quiet, out of the way, table that overlooked the creek
Their
waiter served a phenomenal meal. An appetizer of baked clams, lump crab, and escargot-stuffed
mushrooms was followed by fresh Maine lobster paired with seasoned vegetables and
a lemon
-pecan rice.

They relaxed as they ate and talked. Kayne recalled his time in
college,
his passion for drawing, and Ben and Luann's other children. Jess confessed that
Luann had been calling her a couple times a week just to say hello and let her know
she was there if Jess needed anything. Kayne knew from Ben that the conversations
were more than that, that Luann genuinely liked Jess and enjoyed the time they spent
talking. It appeared Jess enjoyed the conversations as much, and it meant everything
to Kayne that his mom thought so highly of her.

When the violinist’s version of Lonestar’s
“Amazed” began, Kayne stood and held out his hand. “Dance with me.”

Accepting her hand, he led her to the small dance floor, took her in his arms, and
swayed to the soft music. Even with heels she barely reached his shoulder, but she
fit him in every way. He closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the rightness of her
in his arms. Kayne swallowed hard, fighting back emotions of doubt. This was Jess.
She wasn't anything like his biological mother Nina or Oksana. It was okay to love
her, because even if she never loved him in return, a life spent with her would still
be better than anything he'd ever had. But Christ, he wanted her love.

Kayne leaned in and began softly singing in her ear. The artist spoke of the scent
of his lover’s skin, the taste of her kisses, the way she whispered her secrets. It
was as if the song had been written about Jess.

Jess glanced up quickly then away, but not before he saw the moisture in her eyes.
When he reached the line describing how she touched his heart, Kayne’s voice faltered
.
He’d asked them to play this song specifically. He’d planned on singing the words
to her here, with her in his arms, but there was a lump in his throat that wouldn’t
let him get the words out
.
Then the song
ended, and Kayne guided her off the dance floor. All eyes were on her; the men’s filled
with lust, the women’s with envy. She was all elegance and grace. Beauty personified,
and not just on the surface. Jess's beauty radiated out from her soul.

Once the waiter cleared away their dessert dishes,
Kayne took Jess’s hand. “I want to talk about us.” He took a deep breath and slowly
let it out
.
“When we stood in court that day and I agreed to marry you, I had no idea what I was
in for...” 

Jess closed her eyes and faced away.

He studied her for a moment, seeing resignation and perhaps a little fear. “Baby,
trust me. Just trust
me,
this is not what you think.”

***

Jess looked pleadingly into his eyes, begging him to tell her all was okay. That he
hadn't brought her here to say goodbye. Was she not enough for him either? Jess couldn't
hold his gaze and had to look away again, desperately fighting a losing battle with
tears.

Kayne's other hand appeared on the table in front of her, and his palm slowly opened
to reveal a black velvet box that he laid on the table between them. Jess's gaze snapped
to his, searching for an answer. She didn't understand. They were already married.
But why would he give her a ring if he was leaving?

Kayne took her hands in both of his, his gentle smile full of understanding but not
completely hiding the hurt. “When Judge Johnson gave us the option of getting married,
I thought he was crazy. I feared I'd be stuck in another marriage with no way out.
But I couldn’t bear the thought of losing Grace...
or
hurting you.”

He caressed the backs of her hands with his thumbs. “I loved Oksana because she was
my wife and the mother of my children, but I wasn't in love with her. She wasn't my
true love, and I was miserable, Jess. I have never said that before; I don't think
I even truly realized it until I had something to compare it to. This time with you
has made me realize so many things.”

He lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to her knuckles. “There’s
a lot in this life I’m uncertain about, but the one thing that is perfectly clear
to me is that I don't want this—
us
—to end. If someone asked me to sit down and make a list of everything I wanted in
a wife, I could sum it up with one word: you. You surpass any list I could create.”

He laughed nervously, studying her as tear after fat tear fell from her lashes. “I'm
hoping those are happy tears.” He reached out to brush them away with his thumbs,
only for them to be quickly replaced by others. Kayne rounded the table and dropped
to his knee in front of her. “Please don't cry, baby, I'm trying to tell you I love
you. I'm
in
love with you.”

Jess was speechless. Kayne was in love with her?! It seemed impossible. God, she'd
longed to hear those words from him, but now that he'd said them, she was afraid to
move, afraid to
breathe,
afraid she'd shatter the moment and find it had been nothing but a dream.

“
It's
okay, Jess.” He looked away, swallowing hard. Clearing his throat he continued. “You
don't have to love me back—”

Jess slapped a hand over his mouth. Oh God, what had she done? She'd just sat there
staring at him and he'd thought… “You think I don't love you? I've been in love with
you almost since the day we met. I tried so hard to hide it, because I thought you
didn't love me, but I thought you knew anyway.” Jess ran a shaky hand through his
thick black hair, studying his face through her tears. “I love you.” She whispered
the words and punctuated them with a sweet lingering kiss.

Jess jumped at the sound of applause. She'd forgotten where they were. Kayne laughed,
wiped at his own damp eyes. Taking her hand once again, he leaned in close and said,
“I want forever with you.” He sat the box in her palm. “Please say yes.”