“Maybe you can move to Brooklyn.”
His lip quirked. “Let’s not get hasty.”
She refused to smile. “I’m sure there’s a ton of skyscrapers that need overtaking.” Curiosity urged her to prod. “Unless there’s another reason keeping you away?”
She kept an impassive façade, not ready to challenge him on his brief jail stint. Better for him not to know she was poking around in his past. It would blow her ruse of not giving him a second thought.
His gaze sharpened, but after a moment, those broad shoulders lifted in a shrug. “My chosen profession is full of pressure. Sometimes, it pushes people to do things. Another good reason to step away from the game.”
She’d sift through the mysterious words later. Right now, Sierra got ready to double down on all the reasons he shouldn’t consider staying longer, when a female voice interrupted them.
“Kane—your ears must’ve been ringing. I was just saying how I keep playing phone tag with you!”
Sierra took in the woman standing next to Kane, her hand laid on his shoulder as if staking claim. Callie worked in the local bank and had been quite vocal about her interest in dating Kane, though Inez confirmed date was a pretty loose word for what she wanted. The woman was known to like to break in the hottest tourists or locals before anyone else could sample the goods. Usually, Sierra wouldn’t care—hell, she hadn’t before she’d known who Kane really was—but the way Callie licked her lips like he was a buffet in Vegas was pissing her off.
Kane tilted his head up with a warm smile. “I’m honored you’d want to even play tag with me, Callie,” he said, earning a ridiculous giggle. Sierra almost rolled her eyes at the awful line. “You know Sierra, right? I’m just keeping her company until her sister arrives.”
“Of course! Good to see you.” Callie gave her a polite nod, then refocused on the prize. Sierra wondered why he’d been so specific about why they were together. Was he simply honoring her request not to start any gossip? Or was he trying to tell Callie not to worry?
She stayed quiet as they chatted, obviously flirting. Callie’s hand squeezed his shoulder. Kane chuckled at something she said and touched her hip.
Sierra tried not to fume.
Finally, they broke apart with a promise to see each other. Kane resettled and gave her a satisfied grin. “Well, that was fortunate. Any idea where to take her this weekend? Someplace she’d really like?”
Sierra drank more wine. “Callie and I aren’t close friends so I’m not sure what she’d like,” she muttered.
“Hmm, then I’ll go classic. Dinner and drinks at home afterward.”
“You’re living with Brick,” she said, molars grinding painfully.
“Her place, then. You were right when you said there were plenty of women to enjoy around here. They’re all so welcoming.”
Temper flooded her bloodstream. The image of him kissing Callie, those overblown Botox lips opening under his, made Sierra cranky and a tiny bit reckless. “Be careful. She likes to gossip, plus you don’t want to begin leading women on around here.”
He cocked his head. Those bright green eyes delved deep, stirring up all the emotions she’d been fighting since he sat down. “Thanks for the warning. But as you mentioned before, sometimes sex is just sex.”
The softly spoken words punched her in the gut. Her vision blurred with white-hot jealousy at the thought of him taking Callie to bed, giving her endless pleasure as she screamed his name.
Sierra struggled for calm. A glint of satisfaction flashed in his gaze, but it took all her concentration to stay in control and a stupid, fake, half-smile on her face. “Right. Doesn’t matter to me what you do.”
She finished her wine, realizing at this pace she’d need Aspen to drive her drunk ass home. If she survived.
“So you’ve said. At least me being with Callie will take any heat off you.” His tone dripped with concern. “It’s funny how things change, right? Think about it. Four years ago, I only cared about work, and you were getting out of a marriage. Now? You’re a proud workaholic with no intention to settle down, and I’m starting to think that’s exactly what I need.” His finger traced the rim of his glass. “Get a nice place, a job that’s more flexible, and a steady relationship. Chill out. Smell the flowers and walk on the beach. I think I’d like a serious girlfriend.”
Her eyes felt as if they were about to bulge from the sockets. Was he serious? She leaned over. “I doubt you’re ready to compromise for love,” she practically hissed. “Especially with Callie! Corolla is not a place for you to settle in and get comfortable.”
He propped his elbows on the table and moved his body forward, so their faces were inches away. “Is it wrong to realize you suddenly want…more?” Kane paused, dropping his voice to a sexy growl. “What about you, Sierra? You’ve rebuilt yourself, launched a successful business, and have a great home. Is that all there is? Or sometimes, do you also crave—more?”
Everything fell away except the scorching memory.
“What do you want, beautiful?” he asked, tightly gripping her hips, poised at her entrance. She gripped his hair and twisted wildly, the ache between her thighs driving everything from her mind except how bad she wanted him inside her.
The demand ripped from her trembling, damp lips. “More.”
He thrust inside and she cried out. Slammed her head against the wall as she arched.
“Like this?”
