Kansas Nights [Kansas Heat 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (45 page)

Add in whatever the mayor’s wife told them, and Kathy’s employability rating in the greater Humble area was right around zero. Whatever happened with Collin, Jack, Amanda, the case, and anything else, Kathy still needed to make a living. Nodding over her decision, she cast a hopeful smile in Thomas’s direction.

“I guess so. Just tell me where to sign up.”

Friday, October 3
^rd

Five weeks later Kathy stood amid a sea of boxes and wondered how it had it come to that. Everything had unraveled. Her entire life had shifted in a matter of days. She’d been fired, her rental contract revoked, and all but her best friends had turned their back on her.

It just didn’t seem fair, especially given she hadn’t actually shot Marion Myers, or Benny. In fact, despite Agent Crankyass’s prediction, Kathy had cracked his case and saved Amanda. It might have taken the Feds a few more days to sort it out, but thanks to her exposing Marion the Feds had finally manage to trace their way back to the asshole who had stolen the money.

Did anybody bother to hank her? No. Just the opposite. Kathy might have actually been a little bitter about it all except that, technically, she had ended up in a better place. Thanks to Amos and his contacts, she now made more money, had a nicer rental, and lived in a town full of beefcakes. Of course, she already had one of those, too. Greedy bitch that she was, Kathy had kind of hoped for two.

Wherever Jack had disappeared to, he’d kept his silence and distance, leaving Kathy to assume it was simply over. Apparently he wasn’t even returning to claim his seventy-two hours. Collin, on the other hand, had clearly decided to claim the next seventy-two years if she was reading the signs right.

The man had barely left her side. While in Humble it had made sense that he stayed with her, that didn’t explain why all his stuff had shown up in her house. Things had gotten a little clearer when Collin had explained that he’d recorded a message on their answering machine. Apparently, they were now a “them,” except that Collin had forgotten to ask her if she wanted him to move in. Clearly he didn’t intend to either.

Not that Kathy would have said no, but it would have been nice of him to ask. They could have had a moment. Instead all she had were more boxes and less space. Even more irritating, Collin didn’t appear the least bit inclined to help her with the unpacking. Kathy cast a dirty look to where he was settled into his oversized recliner, watching TV and relaxing, clearly unconcerned about the mess around him.

Why shouldn’t he be? Collin had a bed, a seat, and a very large TV. He was set. Kathy, on the other hand, had nothing. It might be her house, but she slept in his bed, sat on his lap, and fought him for control over his remote. Beyond that they lived out of boxes, and it was driving Kathy nuts.

Every time, though, she began to think about doing anything, she became overwhelmed by the sheer volume of stuff to be done. Before she could buy furniture, she needed to pick out paint. Amos had said she could decorate as she wished and he paid her enough to finally afford some sense of style. Apparently, though, style required more creative vision and organizational skills than Kathy had.

“Oh, the hell with it,” she muttered, abandoning the boxes and giving up her attempt to accomplish anything with the rest of the night.

“You say something, sweetness?” Collin asked absentmindedly.

“I said unpacking sucks,” Kathy retorted as she came to a pause by his side. Pushing his arm out of the way, she crawled up into his lap, smiling when his arm lowered back down to wrap around her. Snuggling her cheek into his chest, she sighed as her eyes drifted closed. “I’m too tired to bother with it tonight.”

“You said that last night,” Collin pointed out, not that he urged her to get back to work. Instead the hand rubbing down her back worked her slowly deeper into his embrace. “I get a feeling we’re going to be living out of boxes for a while.”

“So?” Kathy couldn’t stop the yawn that drew out that word. “You know you could help.”

“I offered to,” Collin defended himself, daring to bring up the argument that they’d been engaged in for days. “But as I pointed out, you can’t unpack until you have someplace to put your stuff. We need furniture.”

“And I’ll get some eventually.” Kathy offered him the very same assurance she gave him every time he made that same point. “When I get the money—”

“I could just buy—”

“Then it’ll all be store-bought, overpriced crap. Trust me, I’ll get better deals at flea markets, not to mention they’ll be
unique
pieces.” Kathy loved to go antiquing, or at least she thought she would. She’d always wanted to, just never had the money to afford anything nice before. Now, though, with what Amos paid her, she had all kinds of fantasies she could try out.

“It’s going to take years for you to furnish this house, isn’t it?” Collin sounded almost amused by that idea.

“I let you keep your chair here, don’t I?” Kathy glanced up to offer him a sickly sweet smile with that reminder. It had Collin smirking as he shook his head over the threat implied in her tone.

“You wouldn’t have any place to sit if you didn’t.”

“Hmm.” Kathy wiggled, rubbing her hip along the thick erection poking her in the side. “You sure about that?”

Collin growled, his hand clamping down around her waist to hold her still. “If you’re going to tease like that, sweet meat, you better be willing to pay the price.”

“Any time, stud. Anywhere.” The yawn that struck out of nowhere ruined Kathy’s sultry come-on, turning it into an insincere-sounding offer that had Collin snorting.

“Just not now,” Collin retorted, clearly amused. “Right?”

Kathy chose to ignore that. Giving up her attempts to tease him, she let Collin’s warmth infuse her with the calm, soothing sense she got whenever he held her close. The consistent
thump
of his heart echoed like a lyrical toll beneath her ear. The gentle, rhythmic beat of his heart lulled Kathy toward sleep as her body began to give under the stress of the past few weeks. Not that she could truly escape the one worry that lived with her always.

“You heard anything?”

It was the same question Kathy asked Collin every night, the one she’d asked right after he’d assured her Jack was safe and alive that first night five weeks ago. Just like then, Collin intentionally misunderstood her.

“Let’s see.” Collin drew the words out, pausing as if to consider the matter. “Did I tell you what my friend at the Bureau said?”

“He said that they had made several arrests. You told me…” Kathy’s words faded into a murmur as Collin’s hand slid up her back. For a moment she could only groan as his fingertips circled with heavenly delight over her scalp.

“Amanda isn’t in any danger anymore,” Collin reminded her, his touch trailing back down her neck. Little ticklish sparks raced down her spine, perking Kathy back up enough to find her voice and her ability for words returned.

“What happens to the recovered money?”

“It goes into Uncle Sam’s account.”

“So, I guess the government made out in the end.”

Another yawn caught her by surprise. This one drew out more than her words, but had her stretching as her whole body arched and then collapsed from the sudden release of tension.

“Tired?”

“Maybe just a little,” Kathy allowed even as she nuzzled herself tighter against his chest. “I think I’ll just close my eyes. Will you hold me?”

“For as long as you want,” Collin assured her with such sweetness that Kathy couldn’t help but smile. She drifted off to sleep just like that, happy and content.

* * * *

Collin had just finished stripping Kathy and tucking her into bed when his cell phone went off. He didn’t even need to look to know who it was and considered letting it go straight through to voice mail but knew that would just entice Jack to keep calling. It didn’t honestly bother Collin that Jack was keeping in touch. He just wished his old partner would call sometime other than midnight.

He also wished the idiot would let him tell Kathy that Jack intended to return, but Jack had a plan. A plan he hadn’t shared with Collin, but insisted Collin take part in. He was to do what he was told, when he was told. Every night, though, when Kathy pathetically asked about Jack, Collin came a little closer to telling her the truth.

That strain sounded in his tone as he snapped his cell phone open. “What?”

“Are you with Kathy?”

“She’s asleep.”

“Good.” Jack cut in, sounding less than interested in hearing the rest. “You going to let me in?”

“What?” Collin asked, caught off guard. With his attention turned to giving his normal, quick rundown of how Kathy’s day had gone, Collin didn’t catch Jack’s question because what he heard didn’t make sense.

“The door,” Jack explained slowly as if Collin needed the special speed, which he did right then. “Open it.”

“You’re here?” Collin asked even as he wrenched open the front door and stared in dumbfounded amazement at the man standing on their porch. Surprise did not lead to happy in that moment as Collin’s gaze narrowed on his friend. “What are you doing here? And why didn’t you tell me you were headed this way? I could have done with some warning.”

“Stop whining and get out of my way. I’m moving in,” Jack retorted as if Collin should have figured that out minutes ago. Reaching down to hoist up the two duffel bags slouched at his feet, he brushed past Collin to step into the living room and drop them in the corner. “There. Now I’m done.”

Collin had to laugh at that as he shook his head at his old partner. “You and Kathy are remarkably alike in the oddest ways.”

“Huh?” Jack blinked, taking in that comment and still ending with a confused look softening his features.

“Look around,” Collin suggested with a nod to the room. Jack glanced around, checking everything out with a curious gaze before shrugging.

“Whatever, man. You got anything to eat?”

“Pizza in the kitchen. Come on, I’ll show you.” Collin led the way through the arched opening that separated the formal dining room from the living room. As he wove his way through the boxes cluttering the otherwise empty room, Collin prodded Jack to make sure the situation was as he assumed it to be. “So, you’ve truly quit now? No going back?”

“Ha,” Jack snorted at that suggestion. “It took me three weeks to get out and two weeks to recover. I’m not going back, but I am wondering where the hell all the furniture is. You’ve been here, what? Two weeks?”

“A little longer and you can take that grievance up with Kathy,” Collin retorted in an exasperated enough tone to ensure that Jack wouldn’t pick too hard at that sore subject. Of course, once he started, he found it hard to stop. Despite his intention to let it go, Collin found himself growling over the limited hospitality he could extend.

“And don’t be expecting to eat off of plates,” Collin warned Jack. He paused to flip on the kitchen light so Jack could see the dirty look he shot him. “She’s not sure which box they’re in, but I can offer you a paper towel.”

“She’s driving you a little nuts, huh?” Jack asked, sounding concerned but not the least bit guilty as he flipped open the lid of the pizza box.

“Actually I think she’s been handling the move pretty well.” Collin snapped the lid back down, catching Jack’s hands in the box’s cardboard mouth. Instantly Jack’s gaze lifted to meet his and face the accusation Collin had waiting for him. “I think it’s the losing the man she loves part that’s had her feeling miserable.”

“What?” Jack blinked, drawing back in obvious shock. “You’re blaming her mood on me? I haven’t even been here.”

“That’s my point!” Collin released the pizza box, giving it up with a heavily outraged sigh. “Yep, just like her. Just as damn aggravating.”

“I’m going to take that as a compliment,” Jack declared as he started loading up a paper towel with the three remaining slices.

“Take it any way you want,” Collin shot back. “All I have to say is that your plan better include a lot of groveling and poetic declarations of dying devotion, because otherwise that woman is going to kill you.”

* * * *

Jack shot Collin a dirty look for sounding so smug. “Don’t you worry. My plan is a good plan.”

Collin didn’t look convinced by that reassurance. “So you say.”

“I’ve never had any woman complain before.” Neither had Jack ever put half as much thought into a seduction before. That had to count for something.

“I guess we’ll know the truth soon enough.”

“Just right after I fuel up,” Jack assured Collin, feeling his confidence return despite Collin’s obvious doubts. He paused by the refrigerator door to cast Collin his own smile. “Then we’ll settle this dispute. Am I to take it there aren’t glasses either?”

“Everything is in a can.” Collin turned to head back to the living room, tossing his last crack over his shoulder. “And don’t worry, even if your plan fails, I got your back. I know how to make the sweet meat purr, make her forget you’re even there.”

Jack snorted at that, but didn’t bother to pick up that gauntlet. Truth was, his plan was a little risky, especially given Kathy’s volatile nature. As much as Jack hated to admit it, he might very well need more than Collin’s assistance tonight. Of course, he could also do with a place to sit and eat.

Following Collin back into the living room, Jack stalled out to scan the room and come to the realization that the recliner was the only seat in the whole place. “Seriously, man. This is ridiculous. Why haven’t you forced her to buy furniture?”

“
Force Kathy
?” Collin snickered at that idea before casting a quick look around the room and shrugging. “Nobody forces Kathy, and besides, she gets very emotional when you bring up the furniture. Trust me, you don’t want to go there.”

“Emotional? Over furniture?” That didn’t sound like the Kathy Jack knew, but apparently it didn’t surprise Collin. Either that or he’d just gotten used to the situation. He didn’t even appear interested in his own answer.