Blue Ribbon Summer (The Baltimore Banners Book 3) (5 page)

Ian climbed the steps to the porch and nodded, a smile much like Jake's on his own square face. "Yeah, I picked it up yesterday. I felt bad for abusing the Beemer, but I'm already in love."

Kayli rolled her eyes but still didn't say anything, which was probably good because the two men were still talking about the truck. There was a small lull in the conversation and she finally unglued her tongue long enough to speak.

"You traded in your BMW for a pick-up?" The disbelief in her voice matched the disbelief in Ian's eyes as he turned his dark gaze toward her.

"What? No, of course not."

Of course not, he said. Like it was unheard of to only have one vehicle; like everyone could afford two brand new ones. "So you now have two vehicles?"

"Well, no. Four, unless you count the motorcycle..." His voice drifted off and he shifted uncomfortably, as if he suddenly realized how that sounded.

Kayli just stared at him, not even trying to hide her disbelief as an unwelcome and uncharacteristic spurt of jealousy surged through her. Well wasn't he the lucky one. He had four vehicles, including a brand new, shiny, heavy duty, full size extended cab pick-up. He had probably been laughing at her the entire time he had been forced to drive in their old beat up one that barely ran enough to get back and forth for hauling. She turned and fixed Jake with a cool stare.

"Remember when I was talking about leagues? This is what I meant." She walked into the house, nearly tearing the screen door off its hinges before it slammed shut with a loud bang. Which was so stupid because if the damn thing broke, there'd be just one more thing they'd have to fix.

She stormed into the kitchen and grabbed the plate with the sandwich and chips along with the sweaty glass of iced tea, planning on heading out to the back porch to eat before getting to work. Jake's expected appearance in the kitchen stopped her before she could escape.

"Do you want to tell me what that was all about?" His voice was quiet and controlled as he leaned in the doorway, his hazel eyes watching her coolly. She put the plate back on the counter and drained the tea before looking at him.

"Nothing. It was about nothing."

"Really?" Jake crossed his arms and stared at her long enough that she looked away, embarrassed and angry at the same time. "What's gotten into you, Kayli?"

"Nothing has gotten into me, okay? I just...I don't like feeling like people are laughing at me, that's all."

"Whoa, back up. What? Who said anything about anyone laughing at you?"

Kayli took a deep breath and blew it out between clenched teeth, knowing she was overreacting and not even knowing why. "Nothing. Nobody. It's just...he shows up here with his fancy clothes and flashy cars and he's probably laughing the entire time. And just...never mind." And she just needed to shut up because she should not be yelling like she was.

"What the hell are you talking about, Kayli? Who's laughing? Because I haven't seen it."

"Just...leave me alone, Jake, okay? I don't want to talk about it." She tried to push past him but he grabbed her arm and stopped her. The look in his eyes was all disappointment, which only angered her more.

"No, I'm not going to leave you alone. What has gotten into you?"

"Nothing. I'm just...tired. And I hate being reminded of how little we have, when I work so damn hard."

"Kayli--"

"No! Don't say anything. You're not here, you don't know how hard it is to keep everything going with you gone. You don't know what it's like, fighting off the damn sharks who're always showing up, trying to buy this place so they can turn it into a housing development. You don't know what it's like, wondering if I'm going to have use the property for collateral again, wondering if the next time will be the time the bank says no. That falls to me! And I'm tired of being the only one who has to deal with it every single day!" She pulled her arm from his grasp and pushed past him, not caring that her unfair words hurt him more than they hurt her.

She stumbled into the hallway and came to a halt when she saw Ian standing there, watching her. Their eyes met for a brief second before she turned again and headed toward the back door, pushing through it as she wiped her hand across her eyes. Lori and the twins came running toward her but she ignored them, heading straight for the four-wheeler and escape.

Someone was calling her name--it sounded like Jake--but she ignored him as she jumped on the ATV and fired it to life, then roared across the back lawn toward the upper fields, wanting nothing more than to disappear for a little while.

Kayli wiped her hands over her face one last time and took a deep breath, savoring the rich smells of hay and dirt and hard work. Her escape had lasted for close to an hour--much longer than she thought Jake would have given her. From the sound of footsteps coming into the barn, she figured he was done giving her time to feel sorry for herself, and was ready to give her a reality check. But first she needed to apologize, because she had been so out of line with the things she had said.

"Jake, I'm sorry. I didn't mean the things I said and--" She turned to face him just as the footsteps came to a stop, and jumped far enough back in surprise that she banged into the stall door.

"Um, sorry. Not Jake." Ian stood a few feet away and shrugged in apology, his eyes soft in the dim light of the barn. Kayli whirled around so her back was to him, her face heated in embarrassment and mortification, and prayed he wouldn't come closer.

Today was obviously not her day for answered prayers, because his footsteps echoed behind her and didn't stop until he was standing right next to her. He leaned his arms along the top of the stall door and stared down at the dirt floor, much like what she was doing.

But he didn't say anything. Minutes went by and he still didn't say anything. And the silence went on for so long that Kayli shifted from one foot to the other, uncomfortable and embarrassed. And mortified. If she could have disappeared into the dirt, she would have. She needed to apologize, she knew she did, but her voice was simply frozen.

"If I did anything--"

"You didn't." Kayli shook her head emphatically, interrupting him, silently berating herself for waiting so long to say anything that Ian had a chance to speak first. She took a deep breath and let it out in a rush, her eyes focused downward. "I...I'm sorry. About back there. I, uh, I was out of line. With all of it. So, I'm sorry."

She could have added more to the apology, could have offered at least a small explanation, but getting the apology out had been harder than she thought it would be. Kayli didn't think she could manage more than that right now.

Silence continued to stretch around them, and Kayli shifted again. She had thought--hoped--that Ian would just turn around and leave after she apologized, but he didn't move. She shifted her eyes to the right so she could look at him without his realizing it, and was surprised to see that he had turned to face her, his dark gaze studying her.

Kayli turned away, uncomfortable at the intensity she saw in his eyes. She moved away from him, walking toward the corner of the barn then turning around and heading toward the door before turning and heading back to the corner, looking for something to do.

"Do I make you nervous?"

Ian's quiet question stopped her aimless wandering and she looked over at him. He was still leaning against the stall door, one hand casually resting along the top, the other hand tucked carelessly in the front pocket of his jeans.

"Nervous? No, of course not." Which was so patently untrue. She was going to hell for lying, she knew it.

Ian pushed away from the stall door and for a second, she thought he was going to walk toward her. But he merely changed positions so his back was against the door, both hands now tucked into the pockets of his jeans. The stance was casual, unthreatening, laid back. He didn't move, just stood there quietly, his eyes following her as she walked toward the other corner. Like he was waiting...for something.

Nervous, he had asked her. Yes, he made her nervous, for reasons she didn't understand, and reasons she didn't want to admit. Not to herself, especially not to him. He made her nervous because of his good looks, his smile, his easy-going manner. He made her nervous because she adored how he was nothing more than a big teddy bear, a complete push-over when it came to his nieces.

He made her nervous because it would be too easy to like him--no, too easy to like him
more
. He made her nervous because she didn't know how to act around him, didn't know how to talk to him or what to say because she was so afraid whatever she said would make her sound like some kind of simple country bumpkin.

He made her nervous because he made her want things, feel things, think things.

He made her nervous because all of those things were so completely unlike her that she didn't know how to react.

Yes, he made her nervous. Especially as he stood there, so still, his eyes watching her, seeing everything. She wondered what it was he saw when he looked at her, then decided she was probably better off not knowing. Especially now, after her stupid outburst, after throwing a temper tantrum and tearing off up here to the old barn and wallowing in self-pity for an hour.

She didn't have to see herself to know what she looked like: disheveled hair falling out of her daily pony tail, face flushed and probably--no, definitely--streaked, clothes covered in dust and grime. Yeah, there wasn't much to look at right now, yet he continued to watch her, his steady gaze intense and disconcerting.

Nervous? No, that was putting it too mildly. He made her want to turn and run away.

Worse than running away, he made her...want.

And she suddenly wondered why he was even here.

"Um, was there something you wanted?" Her voice was too loud in the quiet of the barn, disturbing several of the barn swallows that permanently roosted in the rafters above them. Ian cleared his throat and finally cast his gaze downward, away from her, as he shifted slightly.

"I just came to see if you were alr--if you needed anything."

"Oh. I thought Jake would have done that."

Ian looked up and met her gaze, a small half-smile on his face. And wouldn't it figure that he had the slightest dimple in his left cheek. Funny that she had never noticed it before. "He was going to, but I asked if I could come instead."

Kayli pulled her gaze away from the newly-discovered dimple. "Oh. I, uh, didn't hear your truck pull up."

"That's because I walked."

"You walked?"

"Yeah. Good thing I wasn't wearing those fancy Italian loafers, huh?" He pointed to his feet and Kayli automatically looked down, noticing the well-worn work boots covered in dirt.

Her face heated in embarrassment at the reminder of her scathing remarks and she looked back up at him, ready to apologize again. She was surprised at the seriousness in his gaze, even more surprised when he pushed away from the stall door and took a few uncertain steps in her direction. He stopped a foot away, and he looked almost as uncomfortable as she felt.

"I wasn't trying to flaunt anything, and I certainly wasn't laughing at you. At all."

"No, I know. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what I did. I...too much time out in the sun, or something. I guess. I was out of line and shouldn't--"

"I was trying to impress you."

His words hung in the air between them, effectively silencing her. Kayli snapped her mouth closed and stared at him as his eyes quietly searched hers. Her face heated again and she looked away, her gaze darting everywhere as she tried to figure out what he meant. He laughed, a short bark of sound that sounded anything but humorous. She looked back at him, saw him run one hand through his thick dark hair then shake his head.

"Yeah, that seriously backfired."

"Oh." Kayli looked away again, not knowing what to say. She wanted to ask him why he thought he had to try to impress her, but couldn't bring herself to voice the words. And the more time that passed, the harder it was to think of anything else to say. One minute went by, then another, and the air between them became heavy and oppressive.

Kayli shifted, and her movement seemed to unfreeze Ian, because he moved, too. He took a step toward her, then another, stopping so close that she could feel the heat of his body. She swallowed nervously and looked away, telling herself that she was imagining things, that she was reading way more into his nearness and that if she was smart, she would take a step back and tell Ian that she had work to do, that she had to get back.

But she didn't. And then he said her name, his voice barely above a whisper, and this time when she looked up at him, she knew she wasn't imagining anything. His eyes held hers, serious, searching. And then she did try to step back but she was too late because he reached out and gently cupped his left hand around her arm and pulled her toward him, his right arm closing around her waist and holding her against him. She placed her hands against his chest, thinking that if she was smart, she would push him away.

And then his head dipped closer, his lips barely touching hers in the lightest of kisses, and she stopped thinking. She tilted her head up and leaned into him, and he deepened the kiss, his mouth coaxing hers to open, his tongue sweeping in and meeting hers, hesitant at first, then more boldly as she responded to his seeking.

Kayli felt a whimper in the back of her throat, heard the breathy sound between them, and she pressed herself even closer. One hand curled into the soft material of his shirt, and she ran the other up his chest and around the back of his neck.

Ian deepened the kiss even more, as if he could breathe all of her in. His arm tightened around her waist and he shifted his hips against hers, letting her know exactly what kind of effect she had on him. She moaned again, a soft sound against his mouth, and pressed herself even closer. Her need spiraled and grew with each sweep of his tongue, with each stroke and caress of his hand along her back, with each press of his hips against hers.

But then, without warning, he gentled the kiss, easing himself away from her, pulling back just the slightest bit. Ian finally broke the kiss, stepping back just enough to let the cool barn air sweep between them, but he didn't release his hold on her, even when she uncurled her hand from his shirt and tried to pull away.

She felt the demanding pull of his gaze and finally looked up at him, torn between running away in embarrassment and tackling him to the dirt floor. Something of her indecision must have shown in her face because he offered her the slightest of smiles and pressed his lips against hers once more for an all-too-short and gentle kiss.

He cleared his throat and took a small step back, and the air that replaced his hold chilled her skin. Ian's strong gaze held hers and she had no idea what to say, or even what to do.

"I'm, uh..." Ian cleared his throat again and smiled. "I'm pretty sure your brother has every intention of kicking my ass if we don't get back soon."

"Oh." The word came out breathy and hoarse, and Kayli cleared her own throat, looking down at her feet. "Yeah. We can--"

Ian reached out and pulled her against him, his mouth crushing against hers, claiming, demanding. Kayli melted against him, hungry for his touch, desperate to feel his body pressed to hers. His hands cupped her bottom and pulled her to him, holding her against his hard length. She ran her hands along his back, finding the hem of his shirt and pulling it up, the hard muscle and hot flesh of his back alive under her touch.

Ian pulled his mouth away from hers and dragged his lips along her jaw. She tilted her head back, giving him access to her throat, and shivered at the heat of his mouth and tongue against her skin. Her touch lost all shyness; she wanted to feel him, all of him. She grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it the rest of the way up, dragging the material over his head. Ian pulled away from her long enough to untangle his arms from the shirt and toss it to the floor, then crushed her to him once more, his mouth hungry and demanding.

Kayli let her hands roam over his heated flesh, feeling the muscles in his back bunch under touch. She reveled in the feel of his firm skin beneath her hands, reveled in the hard definition of his arms and shoulders and chest. His breath hitched and he broke off the kiss, his head tilted back, his jaw clenched as she lightly ran her fingertips across his broad chest, teasing his nipples.

Her hands dropped lower, skimming the taut skin of his defined abs, following the dark line of hair that ran from his chest to disappear into the waistband of his low-slung, worn jeans. His hands closed around her wrists, stopping her even as she wondered how far she dared to go. She looked up at him, the heat she felt racing through her veins matching the heat in his dark gaze as he looked down at her. He loosened his hold on her wrists and pulled her arms behind him, then reached up and cupped her face in his hands, lightly rubbing his thumb against her lower lip.

They watched each other for a long minute. Kayli's heart pounded in her chest at the burning look in his eyes, and she felt herself leaning into him again, needing to feel his kiss, his touch. His mouth opened, but instead of leaning closer to kiss her, he leaned back to speak.

"I have been watching you for the last week, wondering what you would taste like, how you would feel. My imagination didn't even come close." The whispered words were husky and hoarse, and sent a spiral of heat shooting through her. And then he leaned forward, kissing her again, a hard possessive kiss that left her breathless before he pulled away and stepped back.

He cleared his throat and offered her another small smile. "But as much as I want you right now, I want to do this right even more. And that does not include a surprise visit from your brother." He leaned down and grabbed his shirt, shaking it out before pulling it on. Kayli laughed and pushed his hands out of the way, then promptly pulled the shirt off him again.