Caught in the Act: Book Two: Independence Falls (4 page)

“I still can’t believe they let him in the front door,” she muttered as she went over to the desk and sat down, her hands moving over the keys as she opened the documents and started drafting their counteroffer. She paused and stared at the screen. The number was too low. She deleted it and started typing again. “I spend one night with him and they threaten him. But when he comes after our business, they don’t chase him away.”

Her hands stilled on the keys. What if her brothers found out Liam was coming after her again? If she said yes to Liam’s dinner invitation, and maybe more, word would get back to her brothers. What if she took it a step further, and this time, she seduced him?

The plan forming in her mind had revenge written all over it. But part of her wanted to be the one who walked away this time. And she couldn’t help feeling as if Liam deserved it.

It would have been one thing if he’d come to her seven years ago and ended their fling. She would have been just as heartbroken. And she would have felt just as stupid for believing that one night with him meant he loved her. But it would have spared her the humiliation of facing her brothers—and finding out from them that what she’d thought of as special had amounted to nothing more than down-and-dirty fucking.

She squeezed her eyes shut at the memory. A soft knock on the study door drew her back to the present.

“Katie?” Chad poked his head in. “Can I come in?”

“Sure.”

Her brother sank into the armchair across from the desk. Chad looked out of place with his torn jeans and grease-stained T-shirt. Of course, it was only late afternoon. In a few hours, once he’d showered and changed, he’d present a very different side of the hardworking truck driver to the women at the bar in town. She suspected that of all her brothers, Chad used the apartment over the barn—the only bedroom removed from the house, the one they were supposed to save for visiting guests—the most.

“I just wanted to let you know that if it comes to a vote, I’m on your side. I want to make enough from the sale for a down payment on a chopper.” Her brother, who was seldom serious, appeared lost in sentiment. “I don’t want to give up the business unless I can make Dad’s dream a reality. Flying helicopters was his first love, but he set it aside to keep the trucking company, to support us. And I’m with you, I don’t want to give it away.”

“We’re not going to,” Katie said firmly. “I have a plan. I’m going to talk to Liam.”

Chad leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. “If he tries anything, you tell me, OK?”

“I’m a big girl,” Katie said.

“I know.” Her brother flashed the smile that roped women in. “But I’m bigger.”

“I promise to call if I need you,” she said, feeling a tinge of guilt at using her brother’s protective instincts to kill their deal. But their family had worked too hard for too long to settle.

Chad pushed to his feet and headed for the door. “I’m going into town tonight. You?”

“Not sure yet.” It all depended on Liam.

He nodded. “All right. Don’t work too late, sis.”

She waited until he closed the door. Once the sound of his boots on the hardwood floors faded, she pulled out her cell and dialed. “Liam? It’s Katie.”

“Hi,” he said, and she heard the roar of machinery in the background. “Give me a second to move someplace quiet.”

She waited, listening as the sounds of the work site faded.

“Katie,” he said. “What can I do for you?”

“I’d like to accept your invitation to dinner,” she said, hoping she wasn’t making a huge mistake. “To talk business.”

“That’s . . . wow, that’s great. How’s tonight?” he asked. In the background, she could hear someone calling his name. “Six o’clock?”

“Fine,” she said. “I’ll meet you at your place.”

He hesitated. “Your brothers don’t know?”

“No,” she said. “And we’re not telling them.”

“Works for me, honey.”

I’m not your “honey.”
She bit back the words, quickly ending the call. It was time for Liam to realize he wasn’t the only one who could call the shots.

Chapter 5

L
IAM LEANED AGAINST
his bike trying not to feel like a freaking teenage girl waiting for a prom date. But he couldn’t stop staring at the road, waiting for a sign of Katie’s wagon. He glanced at his watch. Two minutes past. Had she changed her mind?

Shaking his head, he turned back to the house. He felt like a fool, freshly showered and shaved, wearing his only pair of jeans that weren’t shredded down at the bottom from catching on trees. He’d even thought about stopping by Eric’s place and borrowing one of his friend’s fancy button-down shirts.

But this was just a business dinner at the Ale House by the lake.
If
she ever showed.

Maybe this was Katie’s idea of payback. Hell, he couldn’t blame her. Looking back, he knew he deserved to be stood up, and a helluva lot more.

Katie’s beat-up wagon rounded the bend and turned into his driveway, pulling up alongside his motorcycle. She climbed out and walked around the car.

“Sorry I’m late. One of the goats got his head stuck in the fence,” she said.

“No problem. I’m glad you’re here. Hell, I was surprised you said yes in the first place.”

“Well, I was downright shocked by your offer.”

Liam chuckled. “So that’s what this is about. That number was just a place to start the conversation, and I think you know it.”

“You’ll have our response in the morning,” she shot back.

“Fair enough.” He cocked his head. “Still joining me for dinner?”

“I am.” She slipped her hands into the front pockets of her jeans. On her feet, she wore black cowboy boots, and on top, a fitted tank that hugged her curves—or what he could see of them beneath her jean jacket. He was dying to slip his hands under there and explore.

“But there is no way, I’m climbing on the back of that thing,” she added, nodding to his bike.

He raised an eyebrow, his lips forming a smile. He liked how she didn’t hold her punches. “It’s a lot more fun than riding in your chewed-up wagon.”

“I heard you kept your bike locked up all summer. How can I trust you’ll get us there in one piece?” She adjusted the thin black leather strap holding her purse. It ran from one shoulder to the opposite hip. He wanted to reach out, slip his fingers under the leather, and draw her close. But he couldn’t. Not yet.

“Katie, I’m still as good as I ever was on this bike.” He picked up the spare helmet resting on his motorcycle and held it out to her. “I kept it in storage because I didn’t want Georgia to get any ideas in her head about taking it for a joyride back when she was hell-bent on seeking one adventure after another.”

Katie stared at him for a minute, before relenting. She took the helmet, positioning it between her knees as she reached back and pulled her hair into a ponytail. Tonight, her naturally curly red hair hung long and straight.

“Georgia scared you, didn’t she?” she said.

He nodded. “Mostly because I didn’t know how to help her. She came back from the army with a laundry list of fears and nightmares that left her fighting to stay awake day and night.”

No matter how long he lived, he’d never forget the sound of his sister’s screams when she’d been lost in the throes of a nightmare. He’d wanted to erase her pain, her memories, anything to stop the nightmares. But he couldn’t. As much as he wanted to sometimes, he couldn’t change the past.

“Is she sleeping now?” Katie asked.

“Some. I think having Eric around helps.”

“They’re good for each other.”

“They are.” It had taken him a while to face that fact, but he had. “You changed your hair.”

“I used a blow dryer.” She held the helmet up, but paused before pulling it on. “Mind telling me where we’re going?”

“The Ale House,” he said.

“I thought you’d prefer someplace private.” Her green eyes flashed with the challenge he remembered from years ago.

“Trust me, honey, I’ll enjoy having you on the back of my bike for the next forty-five minutes. But if we’re talking business, a restaurant outside of Independence Falls seemed like the best place.” He straddled the motorcycle, rocking it off the kickstand. “Ready to climb on?”

Placing her hands on his shoulders, Katie slid onto the back of his bike. She positioned her feet and wrapped her arms around his waist. He could feel her breasts pressed up against his back as he revved the engine. Her thighs touched his—and shit, he wasn’t sure he’d survive nearly an hour of full body contact knowing that tonight wouldn’t end with Katie naked in his arms. But he couldn’t go there yet. He had to wait until the deal closed.

Needing to calm his body’s reaction to the close contact, Liam mentally recited the Latin names for trees native to this part of Western Oregon as he steered the bike onto the road and headed for the highway.

K
ATIE HAD A
long list of weapons in her arsenal, but none she could deploy on the Ale House’s crowded back porch overlooking the lake. She’d planned to seduce him, using her body, playing on his desires. But the public location, coupled with the motorcycle ride, had her at a disadvantage.

Her body hummed from head to toe as if she’d been pressed up against a vibrator without hope of release while her hands clung to Liam’s hard, sculpted body. Those muscles toned to perfection from felling trees and wielding chainsaws, made her mouth water and left her aching. Right now, she wanted to pull him into a quiet corner, strip away his clothes, and enjoy every inch of him.

But if she let go of her anger, if she gave in to desire, she had a bad feeling all she would be left with was hurt. It would be like ripping off the Band-Aid covering a wound that had yet to heal.

She studied Liam out of the corner of her eye as the waiter set down her beer and his soda. They placed their orders—a veggie burger for her and a bison one for him. Liam added an order of the spinach/artichoke dip to start.

“Spinach, huh?” she said.

“Bacon-wrapped scallops were my first choice, but seeing as you’re the only woman I know who doesn’t enjoy bacon, I went with the dip,” he said.

“You remembered.” And her mind, still distracted from their ride, wondered what other facts he’d stored away.

“That you’re a vegetarian? Yeah, I remember. I’m not saying I approve. No one should bypass bacon,” he teased. “Even Georgia thinks it is a sin.”

She arched an eyebrow. “Have you told Georgia about this?”

“That I’m taking you to dinner?” He raised his soft drink to his lips. “No.”

“And Eric?”

“I didn’t see him today,” Liam said. “I was out on a job site harvesting a tract of land for Wilson’s widow. Your brothers agreed to haul the logs to the mill tomorrow.”

She crossed her legs, allowing her jeans-clad calf to brush up against his under the table. It was time to reach into the arsenal and deploy her weapons. She watched as his eyes widened in surprise. “Spent all day running your chainsaw?”

“No.” He set his glass back on the wooden tabletop, but kept his leg firmly pressed against hers. “I was operating the mechanical timber harvester. The land over there is flat. No need to have guys out there cutting with chainsaws.”

“You sat all day, pushing levers?” She shook her head, raising her beer to her lips and taking a sip—and felt his gaze drop to her mouth. “Well, that ruins the image of the tall, dark, and handsome lumberjack wielding dangerous machinery, doesn’t it?”

His eyes narrowed and he reached across the table. Claiming her hand, he turned it over and ran his thumb across her palm. Her breath caught. Maybe she wasn’t the only one who could play this game.

“Katie, if it makes you happy, I was running chainsaws from the moment I set foot on the job site.”

“Hmm,” she murmured, feeling his light, teasing touch from head to toe. “Without a shirt?”

He leaned back in his chair, withdrawing his hand as he let out a low laugh. “Not a chance, honey. Not a chance.”

The waiter interrupted, placing the spinach/artichoke dip on the table between them. Katie shifted in her seat, breaking contact with him. Looking at this man, she couldn’t picture him behind a desk, pushing papers and reviewing financials. “Do you miss being out there every day? In the forest?”

He shrugged. “Most days I still am.”

Her brow furrowed. “I thought Eric wanted you to take a larger role in the business side of things.”

“That’s part of the deal,” he said. “And I’ll tell you one thing, if all business dinners are like this one, I should have moved into the office a long time ago.”

“Doubtful.” She suspected that most of the men negotiating deals with Moore Timber had zero interest in seducing Liam. She dipped a cracker into the steaming dish.

“I’m curious,” she continued. The question of why he was here, why he’d tossed out a low offer now, when she was on the verge of closing the deal with Black Hills, was ever-present in her mind. “If your first love is working in the field, why did you agree to spend time in the office? Negotiating acquisitions doesn’t seem like your thing.”

Liam glanced out at the water. “I don’t want to follow in my father’s footsteps and work in the forest until the end. That land we walked through the other day?”

She nodded, picturing the trees and the things they’d done below them. She tried to push the thoughts away, but the memories refused to budge. Shifting in her seat, her thighs rubbed together and she drew her lower lip between her teeth.

Liam chuckled. “You remember.”

But then his expression turned serious. “I want to build my own place on that land. Make a home, something nice. You probably didn’t notice when we walked through with the goats, but I’ve already started thinning the surrounding forest. When I’m done, it will look like a park.

“But it’s about more than just the land,” he added. “I want my kids to have a future and choices—beyond logging or joining the military.”

“Wow.” She didn’t have another word. The Liam she’d known, the man she’d met out in that field, he hadn’t looked much beyond one night of pleasure.

But that was before he lost his parents to cancer. Before his sister graduated college and joined the army. Before he waited day and night for Georgia to come back, knowing he couldn’t keep her safe. Katie had a feeling that Georgia’s choice had a ripple effect, one that continued even now that she was home.

“Georgia could have done anything with her life,” he said quietly. “But for reasons I still don’t fully understand, she joined the army. If I’d had something more to offer her here, a way for her to continue in school . . .”

“She would have gone anyway,” Katie said. “Georgia wanted to make her way in the world.”

“Yeah. I know.” He polished off the last of the dip.

“But you hate losing control.”

Liam studied her, not saying a word as the server removed the dip and set down their burgers. “You remember that too, huh?”

“I was angry with you for a long time, Liam,” she said. “But I never wanted to forget that night.”

And even if she wanted to, she couldn’t escape those memories.

“Are you still?” he asked, picking up his burger. “I know your brothers hold a grudge. It was written all over Brody’s face when I stopped by. But do you?”

“No. It was a long time ago.” And that was a big, fat lie. She wouldn’t be here if she didn’t. But this time, it was about more than a grudge. She wanted payback for the way he’d hurt her—and she wanted him to stay far, far away from Summers Family Trucking.

“When I think about you,” she said softly, leaning closer, “I don’t envision friendly dinners in crowded places. You were always an orgasm-first, talk-second kind of guy.”

He raised an eyebrow as he set his burger down and wiped his mouth. “Maybe I’m turning over a new leaf.”

“What if I liked the bad boy who spent his days working with his hands in the woods, and his nights getting down and dirty under the stars?”

Heat flared in his eyes. That look promised wicked things. “I haven’t changed that much. But I’d like to wine and dine you first. And talk.”

“About?”

“Whatever you want.”

“And then?” she challenged.

“You want me to spell it out?” His voice was a low rumble.

She nodded and her pulse sped up. Her body was hovering precariously close to needing things from him. Naughty touches, stolen kisses, and so much more, as if it hadn’t gotten the memo that this was an act, a show put on to trick Liam.

“Do you see that cabin over there?” Liam leaned back in his chair and pointed at the lake.

She glanced over her shoulder. “Which one?”

“You might need to come over here for a better view.” He pushed back from the table and patted his lap.

“I’ve seen a cabin before, Liam.”

“Humor me.”

Katie rose and moved to his side of the wooden table. Bending over, she offered him a view down her tank top. Liam took the bait and stared, his jaw tightening. While she’d grown wiser since the last time he had stolen a peek down her shirt, her breasts hadn’t changed one bit. She’d always been on the small side. But back then, he’d labeled them perfect and given her every reason to believe him.

Without warning, he looped an arm around her waist, drawing her down to his lap. The hard ridge of his erection pressed against her bottom.

She shifted her hips, rocking against him, letting him know she hadn’t missed the evidence that he was turned on. “I get the feeling you’d rather be somewhere else,” she murmured.

“We’ll get there.” His lips brushed her ear as he spoke, keeping his voice low. “And when we do . . .”

He nipped her ear and Katie closed her eyes, feeling his palm flat against her belly. “I promise to take my shirt off for you.”

His thumb brushed the underside of her bra. Her breasts would barely fill his hands. She knew that for a fact. But every inch of skin covered by her lace underwear was super sensitive. She bit back a long, low moan, knowing that if he touched her again, even through the barrier of her clothes, she wouldn’t be able to keep quiet.

“What next?” she demanded, opening her eyes and focusing on his words. “After you take off your shirt?”

He let out a low chuckle. “How about I start before I undress?”