Melody Anne's Billionaire Universe: One Sweet Summer (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Love by the Numbers Book 1) (10 page)

“Sneaking out on me?”

“Ha, ha. Never.” He came over and kissed her cheek. “Just want to make sure I’m rested for the big day tomorrow.”

“What big day?”

“Presenting the summer show applicants to my father.”

“Didn’t you do that already?” She sat upright, then remembered she was stark naked under the bed sheets. Kane’s eyes widened appreciatively and she grimaced, before grabbing the sheet to cover herself.

He tried to peel the sheets back for another peek and laughed when she swatted his hands away. “Not yet. Pops wasn’t home when I got back from dinner yesterday.”

Right, and today had been the final day of summer camp and they’d gone out to dinner. Made perfect sense, but something in the sound of his voice made her hands start to sweat.

“Do you think he’ll reject your recommendations?”

Kane stuffed his arms into the sleeves of his collared shirt. “Why would he?”

“Well, now you know about my dirty little secret. About the thing I did with the Mustang. I might not be suitable for the show.”

Kane stilled. “I’ve known from the first moment I laid eyes on your work that you deserved a place in the show.”

“And your father?”

His expression turned stony. “What about him?”

“Is he going to agree?” He’d said he had to get approval from his father. She didn’t want to get her hopes up for nothing.

“He will,” Kane assured her fiercely.

She tried to feel better, to believe him, but there was something in the set of his jaw that made her heart stutter. “Okay.”

“Can you have Frank or one of the other guys help you load up Bo and a few of your pieces and deliver them to the gallery this weekend?”

“Sure, if you think I should.” She bit her lip, the lip that Kane had been kissing. “Might be a bit premature until we know for sure.”

“My father put me in charge. I intend to see that the show goes exactly as I’ve planned.” He tugged on his jeans and tossed her a reassuring look. “I’m going to arrange for the other artists to begin delivery soon, too. Come whatever, you’re getting that show, Anna.”

She wanted to believe him. “My sculptures are in the storage unit at the yard. Fred’s got a key but I should be back in time to shift the pieces over for you. Aldo’s coming with me to Cali, remember?”

“Oh, right. I can handle it.” He punctuated the words with kisses down her neck. “You know I’d love to go with you, but…”

“Your dad needs you for the show. No problem. Fred knows I signed off on the application. He can hook you up with whatever pieces you need.”

“I’m glad you trust my expert opinion,” he teased.

“I do, Kane.” She looked down for a moment. “I do trust you.”

“Good.” He touched her cheek. “Let’s see… I definitely want Bo and at least two of the other smaller pieces. I’ll have to check the space.” His gaze drifted away from hers, melting into that California dreamin’ face. “The show starts in a couple of weeks, but you should be back by the opening, right?”

“Yep. Required attendance?” She brushed her hair out of her eyes. While Kane had said he wanted to make this permanent, did their one night together truly mean a relationship? She wanted it to.

“No, but I don’t think you’ll want to miss it.” His eyes sparkled. “You’re going to be the star, Anna. Then everyone will love your work as much as I do.”

“Sounds like the start of a terrific partnership.” Now that they’d finally come together, she didn’t want anything to get in their way.

“That’s just the way I like it.” He kissed her forehead. “Sounds like a plan.”

“There you go, already making plans.” She shifted under the blankets that smelled like him and tried to laugh off the lump in her throat.

He grinned. “I guess so. And I’ll be here waiting with champagne to celebrate when you get back.”

“What will we be celebrating then?” She didn’t dare suggest another dinner, because dinner meant evening and evening meant moonlight and moonlight led to all kinds of interesting things.

“Us.”

“Oh? Is there an ‘us’?” She brushed her hair out of her eyes.

“There most definitely is. Drive safe. See you when you get back.” He kissed her tenderly and then padded downstairs as if afraid there would be someone to wake.

She waited until she heard his truck start up outside before she let herself sink back against the pillows, inhaling the scent of his skin on her sheets and imagining a world where she could spend the rest of her days and nights just like this.

Chapter Nine

Eight hours later and he was still dreaming of her.

He stretched, yanking his covers up to his shoulders and remembered how she’d chuckled and swatted his hands off her ass as they made their way up the narrow stairs to her bedroom. Kane smiled. He loved that this was the Anna he got to see—the secret one, the playful one, the Anna who was just for him.

Her room had been an odd combination of girly, with a frilly white comforter and curtains, and mechanic, with stashes of old car parts, sketchpads and a pair of black boots.

She’d kicked the boots aside before opening herself to him.

Yeah, and he loved that too. Her willingness to trust and surrender herself to him went straight to his head.

She was all fire and flux. She would never back down, would never hold back from him, never pretend to be anything other than exactly who she was. And who she was, was completely wonderful.

He’d never felt so good. So complete. The only thing left was to broach the selections he’d made with his father and ensure her spot for the summer show.

The sun beamed in the large kitchen windows as Kane set the coffee pot to brew.

“Morning, son.” Carson padded in, cigarette pack and lighter in hand. One side of his greying hair was standing at attention.

“Pops.” Kane grabbed a mug from the cabinet. “I made coffee.”

“So I see.” His father set the lighter and cigarette on the counter. “You’re up early.”

“I am.” He’d even surprised himself, out of bed before the birds started singing. “Thought we could go over a few things.”

“I’m all ears.” His father’s sharp tone did nothing to diminish Kane’s happiness. “You’re in a rare mood. Things going well?”

“I’d say they were better than average.” They were freaking fantastic, in fact. Last night, he and Anna had connected in a way he’d never dreamed. He felt energized. Buoyant. And completely unconcerned with his father’s insults.

“And the selections for the show?” Carson rolled the white cigarette back and forth on the polished marble countertop.

Kane smiled, thinking of Anna’s sculptures, sure to be the centerpiece. While he’d chosen many worthy artists from the submissions, Anna’s sculptures were far beyond any of the others. “Fine, fine. Everything’s just fine.”

“Wonderful,” Carson said, but it sounded like the opposite—like he expected Kane to have screwed up. “Let’s see them.”

Kane’s smiled faded like fog burning off the Sound. His father’s grumpy tone didn’t bode well, but Anna’s work was definitely going to win him over. “Sure. I’ll get the files.”

He headed back upstairs, wiping his slick palms on the sides of his pant legs. There was no reason for him to feel nervous. After all, he’d done the research and checked and rechecked the entries. The pieces he’d selected bore a nature theme. Even the abstract landscapes were gorgeous, layered paintings that imparted a sense of open skies and far-stretching fields.

This was the age of environmentalism. People were intensely conscious of the world and their surroundings. The show was bound to be a critical and aesthetic success. Aside from Anna’s background, there was nothing that would set off his father’s temper. He could only hope no one remembered her past fiasco. Even Pops would have to admit the genius of her work.

Kane bounced down the back stairs, taking two at a time. Without shoes, he skidded to a stop on the marble tiles. “Here they are.” He spread his design and the slides on the counter with a flourish. “Ta da. The new and improved Maverick summer show.”

Carson gave him a dark look and set down his coffee cup to thumb through the list.

Kane held his breath.

Not the reception he’d hoped for.

Maybe he needed to explain his vision?

“See, they’re all natural. I thought we could tap into the recent discussions about the climate and our planet and show people a more innovative, upbeat show. Something that makes them feel good, instead of…er.”

Carson shook his head and Kane’s reasoning faltered. His father’s face darkened like a thundercloud the more he sorted through the selections. He flipped through Kane’s recommendations without a word, but by the last slide, Carson’s lips were compressed like a cleft in a granite rock.

Carson fixed his watery blue eyes on him, then reached over to light a cigarette. “Is this…some kind of joke?”

“No.” Kane’s jaw clenched. “It’s a spectacular design targeting multiple segments of the population. Just as I promised.”

“I tasked you with bringing new life to The Maverick and you give me meadows and fairy tales?” Carson’s nostrils were white and pinched.

“They’re not all nursery rhymes. Just these. See?” He pointed to Anna’s work. “And look, they’re made of—”

“I don’t give a damn what they’re made out of. It’s not appropriate for The Maverick.”

“And why not?”

“We are a serious gallery, son. Apparently something you know nothing about.”

“Her work is brilliant.” Kane gritted his jaw.

“It’s childish.”

Kane paused. He couldn’t afford to completely piss off his father. Not when he was set on his choices for the summer show. “In times like these, it might be nice to have a little humor and whimsy in the mix.”

His father flipped to the image of Bo Peep. “It looks like trash.”

Kane rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands, hiding from the disgusted look on his father’s face. “Vintage auto parts. Anna is a master craftsman.”

“Anna, is it?” Carson’s tone grew sharp and suspicious.

“Annabelle Thomas.” Kane stood up straighter. “A name you will want to remember.”

“Seems I’ve heard the name before…” His father stroked his chin. One hand fumbled in the pocket of his jacket for another cigarette. “She wouldn’t have any claim to your recent volunteer work at the community center, would she?”

“Actually, yes. She taught art to the Anderson’s granddaughter, Jasmine.” That should satisfy his father’s sense of propriety. “You probably heard of her that way. I ran into Joseph Anderson once during pick-up.”

“She’s a teacher.” Carson said the word as if it was something distasteful.

Jeez, what was it going to take to convince him?

“She’s an
artist
.” Kane’s neck heated as his annoyance turned to anger. “She’s completely amazing. You should see what she did on the Dino.”

Carson’s hand froze in the act of lighting his smoke. “What do you mean on the Dino?’ His voice was colder than a December breeze blowing off the bay.

Oh shit, oh shit.

Kane cleared his throat. Time to fess up, for real. “There was a minor accident the day you handed me the summer show. Some Buick crossed the line and scraped the fender. I knew replacing it would ruin the value, so I asked Anna to use her considerable skills to repair it.” He lifted his chin. “I took care of it, Pops. And as usual, you never noticed.”

His father had never acknowledged the things he’d done. From helping out around the house to trying to find his path to a new future. Carson was always there with his sour judgment and his disappointment.

“You’re telling me you lied about getting it detailed?” his father’s face turned a mottled shade of red. This was a nightmare. His and Anna’s both.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t think you’d understand.”

“I knew it didn’t take a week to get it detailed,” Carson said.  “Of all the irresponsible—”

Kane kept his voice as steady as possible. He’d made this mistake, but he didn’t want it to ruin Anna’s chances. “I was wrong not to tell you the truth, but I didn’t think you’d give me a chance to fix it. And I did, Pops. I found someone competent. More than competent. And I paid for it. I paid a lot.”

Carson glared at him. “As much as I paid for your degree in gardening?”

“Come on, Pops,” Kane spat back. “Go look at it right now. You won’t be able to tell any damage was ever done. She’s
that
good.”

“And now you want to put her in my gallery?” Carson ran his hands over his thinning gray hair. “Is this why you’re pushing so hard for this girl? Some sort of payback?”

“Anna isn’t a girl. She’s a woman.” All woman and definitely all his.

“As if you have any concept of what that word means. Your mother and I have been subjected to every ridiculous parade of unsavory, unsuitable women…”

“Unsuitable for what?” Kane exploded.

Carson didn’t answer, just shook his head. A bit of spittle frothed the corner of his lips. “Now you expect me to believe that your sudden interest in this artist’s work has nothing to do with trading favors.”

“She’s not that kind of woman. I…” Kane stopped short. “She’s amazing and talented and beautiful and…” And what? What did he feel for Anna?

“You love her.” Carson frowned.

Kane gritted his jaw. He was heading that way, yeah.

“No need to say it. I can see it etched all over your face. This is even worse than I’d imagined.”

“Worse? How could loving someone be the worst thing you imagined for me?” Kane ran his hand over his scruffy chin. “My whole life you’ve been after me to be more, to live up to your legacy. Well, I think I’ve found that with Anna.”

His father crossed his arms. “You don’t know the first thing about this girl.”

“And you do?”

His father clicked a few buttons on the laptop. “Not too many people turning cars into pseudo-art out there. It reminds me of... Seems I recall hearing about this little artist of yours. Are you sure her work isn’t represented elsewhere?”

“What…what are you doing?” Kane’s heart leapt into his throat.

“Checking in to this master craftsman you want to risk The Maverick’s reputation on, not to mention my Dino, which you’re never touching again, incidentally.” He took a long drag as the browser loaded. “Aha!”

Kane ran his hand through his hair. “Pops, wait.”

“Apparently I know a good deal more about her than you do.” He smiled triumphantly. “I got this from Richard Melbourne. He’s junior executive at our shipping company. We had dinner here at the house the other evening.”

Wait a minute. Richard Melbourne was Tricky Ricky?

Kane shook his head.

“Not surprised you weren’t attentive. Richard was a former client of your little sculptress of trash. Paid good money for a piece to be crafted out his Mustang. Do you know what she did?”

He knew what was coming, but not how to stave it off. “Turned it into a big bad wolf?”

“Hardly. She made him a…a….” His father’s face turned red. “A male organ out of the parts.” He pointed to an animated gif of the giant Mustang peen. “It was horrendous.”

Ugh, thank God Anna had never seen that. He didn’t know whether she’d laugh or cry.

“I heard a different version. I heard Rick refused to pay.” Perhaps that would convince his father—and perhaps pigs would fly. “He made himself a joke.”

“Of course he wouldn’t have paid for that monstrosity,” Carson snapped. “She made him a laughingstock.”

“Yeah, I heard he refused to pay before she...revised it for the unveiling.” He wanted to punch something. He knew Anna. Knew her like she was part of him. She was forthright and responsible and she wouldn’t be vindictive without a reason. Richard Melbourne’s refusal to pay was a damned good reason.  “He had it coming.”

“I’m sure that’s what she told you. I didn’t raise you to be so gullible. Or so dishonest.”

There’d be no convincing his father, he knew that now. He was going to have to call Anna and give her the bad news. His heart ached. “Are you checking into the backgrounds of all the artists I suggested or just the one I’m dating?”

“Dating? Trading favors, more like. I should’ve known that you’d make light of this. Honestly, son, you have no sense of propriety, no sense of duty.” Carson sighed and clicked off the laptop. “I should’ve known better than to leave this up to you.”

Kane held up his hand, slicing the air like a garden hoe cutting through weeds. “Hold up. My head, my heart, and my freaking expensive college degree, say that Anna’s art has every right to be in the summer show. It would be a hit. I know it. If you don’t want to be a party to that, then I don’t need to be a party to this.”