Tied Up, Tied Down (22 page)

She hadn’t meant to sound petulant. She hadn’t meant to make him mad either. “I realize you want to be with your family.”

“Wrong.
You
are my family.”

Before she could respond, footsteps echoed up the stairs. Kade grabbed her hand and towed her into the next room and quietly closed the door.

“What are you doing?”

“Findin’ someplace private where we ain’t gonna be overheard by everyone.” Kade crowded her against the wall. “You wanna tell me why you’ve got that lost look in your pretty eyes and why you’re hidin’ out in the damn bathroom?”

Because I was adrift until you showed up.

“Sky?” he prompted.

“I’m tired, I’m so tired all the damn time and it’s been stressful meeting your whole family at once.”

“I imagine. Despite what you think, we can go home right now, if you want to.”

She was ridiculously thrilled he considered her place home. She reached up to wipe a grease smudge from his nose. “Got a little dirty playing with your big boy toys, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. Sorry.”

“Don’t be. It looks good on you.” Sky let her fingertips wander over the angles of his face, cheekbones, jaw and up to his forehead. “Very, very good.”

Kade stared at her in that way which made everything feminine inside her go all soft and moist.

“Anyway, Grama Kimi just absconded with Princess Eliza and she’d probably throw a fit if we attempted to leave.” Skylar brushed a piece of hay out of his hair. He smelled good. Like earth and animals and machinery. Like home.

“Can’t have Grama disappointed,” he murmured.

“No.” She continued to stroke his temple and the smooth section of skin in front of his ear, loving the chance to touch him however she pleased.

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The air in the room seemed heavier, thicker with intent. His. Hers. For once, she didn’t fight it. She embraced it. Encouraged it.

“Know something, Mr. McKay?”

“What, Miz Ellison?”

“The truth is, I looked lost and lonely because I
was
lost and lonely. I missed you.

Even though everyone has been really nice and welcoming, it’s not the same if you’re not with me. Then I really seem like a whiner for feeling that I don’t belong here with these people.”

“You lumpin’ me in with ‘these people’, Sky?”

“No. That’s not what I meant.”

“Then where do I fit in, darlin’?”

Hoping to lighten both their moods, she teased, “You fit in me perfectly.”

“Cheeky woman.” Kade turned his head and kissed her forearm. Then lightning fast, he pinned both wrists above her head with just one of his rough-skinned hands.

She squeaked with surprise. “What are you doing?”

“Enforcin’ a new rule.”

“Is this like the naked rule?”

“Yep. If you touch me, I get to touch you.”

“You are touching me.”

“Not where I wanna be touchin’ you.”

She wet her lips just to watch his eyes flare with desire. “And where would you like to be touching me?”

“Everywhere. But I can get real specific in a helluva hurry.”

“Show me.” She arched into him as he nuzzled her neck. “Please.”

“Goddamn, Sky, I want you so fuckin’ bad I can’t think beyond hikin’ up your skirt and nailin’ you against this wall.”

Her silent chant of
do it, do it, do it
throbbed in her blood so loudly she hoped he’d hear it.

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Kade breathed in her ear, “I’ve been thinkin’ about last night all damn day. Have you?”

“Uh-huh. It was the hottest sex ever.”

“When I get you home, I’m gonna try my damndest to turn it up a notch or ten.”

His mouth was like liquid fire on her skin. “Kade. I-I don’t want to wait until we get home. I want you now.”

“Thank you, Jesus. I was wonderin’ how fast and sweet I was gonna hafta talk to do this.” He tugged at her skirt until it pooled around her ankles and he crushed his mouth to hers. His hand was between her legs, stroking her through her panties. He broke away momentarily to whisper, “I love the skirts you always wear. Not only do you look sexy as hell, nothin’ like easy access to this hot body I can’t get enough of.” He kissed her again.

Skylar whimpered at the contrasting sensations. His tight grip on her wrists. The feather light touches on her pussy as he sucked the air from her lungs and common sense from her brain.

Gradually his fingers slipped beneath the elastic and into the slippery wetness. He thrust his fingers inside her and she twisted from his hold.

Her freed hands zeroed in on his belt buckle.

“Guess I’m gonna hafta remind you who’s in charge later.”

“Fine. Whatever. Help me get these damn jeans off—”

Laughing softly, he said, “I love that you’re impatient,” and stripped the denim to the tops of his boots, clamping his hands on her ass. “Wrap your legs around my waist as I lift you up.”

“I’m too heavy—” earned her four sharp smacks on her ass that stung like a bitch.

“Hey!”

“More where that came from if you say shit like that again.”

He hoisted her against the wall. His cock impaled her in one swift movement.

Skylar gasped.

“Ssh.” He kissed her and began to thrust slow and steady.

She wreathed her arms around Kade’s neck and held on.

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They moved together, lost in each other, straining closer to that point of no return.

His cock seemed harder, thicker, hotter as he didn’t pull completely out. Made for a very intense intimate connection and one she knew she’d searched her whole life for.

Or did the
hurry hurry hurry
feeling stem from the chance they might get caught?

Maybe, but sex with Kade had an edge. His hands gripped her butt, pushing, pulling, grinding and the constant contact with her clit sent her spiraling into a short, intense orgasm.

Kade swallowed her cries, never missing a stroke.

When she quit gasping, he put his mouth on her ear. “I love to make you come. It gets me off.” His hips pistoned faster and he groaned against her throat. She felt each hot pulse as his cock emptied inside her. She realized she could feel it because he hadn’t worn a condom.

Ah. So he had noticed her admission she was on the pill. It was just like him not to comment.

Even as Kade was trying to catch his breath, he panted, “Skylar. Marry me.”

She whispered, “No.”

“Worth a shot.”

He smothered her laugh and set her back on her feet. Her underwear was ruined so she used it to wipe up the milky liquid trickling down the inside of her thigh.

Kade’s eyes glittered possessively as he fastened his belt. “Is it chauvinistic to say I like seein’ my seed runnin’ down your leg?”

“Yes.”

“Mmm. Then I’m really a pig because I sure like makin’ love to you without a condom.”

She rolled her skirt up, wondering why she wasn’t icked out by going commando. In fact, it primed her for more sexy and naughty fun. “Look, I didn’t tell I was on the pill—”

“We had an unplanned pregnancy, Sky. You don’t gotta explain nothin’ to me. But I’d like to think you woulda told me at some point.”

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Certainly not the reaction she’d expected. But she was slowly figuring out that just because Kade McKay was even-keeled, he wasn’t the most predictable man she’d ever known, and maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing.

“What do you say we get our girl and head on home?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

They snuck back downstairs like a couple of guilty teens.

Outside, dinner was in full swing.

“Aunt C ain’t gonna let us leave without eatin’ first,” Kade said.

“I am kinda hungry. We can stay, if you want.”

A look of gratitude flashed in his eyes and he kissed her cheek. “We’ll go right after, I promise.”

After they loaded their plates, Kade was called over to talk to his dad, who was proudly holding Eliza. She ended up sitting with Kade’s cousins, Remy and Chet West.

She knew them since their construction company had remodeled her store in Sundance, but for some reason, she hadn’t made the West/McKay family connection.

The beefy guys were as equally fine-looking as their McKay counterparts, but fair-haired, fair-skinned, bulky, like a band of Viking warriors, rather than the “black Irish”

looks associated with the McKays.

Chet said, “Hello, Skylar. Our lucky day. I was hopin’ a single woman would join us.”

“One that isn’t related to us,” Remy added. “Speaking of related to us…Aunt Kimi has been cartin’ around your beautiful baby.” Remy leaned forward, his hazel eyes dancing with humor. “You could’ve told us Kade is her daddy. We can keep a secret.”

“In this family? Right.”

He smiled, flashing his dimples. “You’re catching on quick.”

“My cousins are socially inept, so I’ll introduce myself. Blake West.”

The man at the end of the table had a halo of golden curls adorning his deeply tanned face. His eyes were the color of melted milk chocolate. “Nice to meet you, Blake.

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Explain the family affiliation, even though I’ll probably forget. Apparently pregnancy and childbirth has sucked out all my memory brain cells.”

“My father, Darren West, is Kimi and Carolyn’s brother.”

“Are you in the construction business?”

“I help them out occasionally, but my main occupation is raising sheep.”

“Sheep? Is it a family operation?”

“Just me and dad. We ain’t land barons like the McKays, got a small spread that barely supports us. So my older brother, Nick moved to Denver.”

“Really? My sister just moved
here
from Denver. What does your brother do?”

“He’s a cop. Upgraded to detective last year.”

Ironic, considering India had spent time in the slammer in Mile High City, not that she’d share that tidbit, despite the McKays wouldn’t think twice about tossing that in the conversation.

After a few minutes of polite chitchat, Remy said, “So what’s going on with you and Kade? I hear he’s living with you?”

Chet groaned. “Jesus, Rem. You’re as bad as Aunt Genevieve. I can’t take him anywhere, I swear.”

A large shadow fell across the table. Sky looked up, expecting to see Kade, but Cam McKay hovered over her. The man was huge; he had to be at least six-foot-five. His shoulders were damn near as wide as the picnic table, yet not an ounce of fat clung to his enormous biceps and flat stomach. With his buzz haircut, camouflage pants and tight T-shirt, he epitomized the lean, mean, fighting machine depicted in the army ads on TV.

“Pull up a chair, Cam,” Chet said.

Cam plopped down. He offered her a smile. “Have we met?”

“No. I’m Skylar Ellison.”

“Nice to meet you, Skylar.” He offered his hand. “I’m Cameron McKay.”

Sky tried not to stare, but Cam didn’t look much like his brothers, beyond having those same blue eyes. With dark blond hair, he resembled Chet, Remy and Blake more than the McKays, except for Carter. Still, he was striking looking, if a bit menacing.

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“Who are you here with?”

“She’s here with me, Cam, and if you don’t let go of her hand I’m gonna hafta break yours,” Kade said.

Cam brought her hand to his lips and took his own sweet time kissing her knuckles.

Kade growled.

“Just kiddin’, K, sit down and chill out.” Cam grinned. “Congrats are in order on your daughter.”

“Thank you.”

Kade sandwiched himself on her other side. “Glad to have you home, cuz.”

“Good to be here, although it’s a little weird seein’ all the women and babies around my brothers.”

She listened while the guys chatted, at obvious ease with each other on a level Skylar didn’t understand. The only person she’d ever shared that kind of connection with was India, and only in the years since India became sober. When Kade put his hand on her leg and squeezed, she was touched he’d sensed her mood.

“If we set it up for Wednesday night, everybody oughta be able to come right?

Kade? You in?” Cam asked.

“The Golden Boot? Yeah. I could swing by. We ain’t gonna start hayin’ until Thursday.”

“All the more reason to celebrate. That part of ranchin’ sucks ass.”

“Which is why we’re very glad we aren’t ranchers,” Chet said, and clinked his beer bottle to Remy’s.

Cam added his longneck to the toast at the last second and said, “Amen.”

Sky noticed Kade looking at Cam oddly. Was it surprising to him that Cam admitted he didn’t want to ranch?

“You think Colt will come?”

“I dunno. He ain’t stepped foot in the place in the year since he quit drinkin’.”

“Maybe we oughta go someplace else, so he don’t feel uncomfortable,” Cam said.

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Sky faced him. “That’d make him feel worse. Just invite him like you normally would. Either way, it’s his choice.”

“Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it. Six o’clock, Wednesday night, at the Golden Boot.” Cam leaned over to give Kade an intimidating stare. “Skylar’s smart, beautiful and throws good fillies. Remind me again, why she ain’t got your ring on her finger?”

Chet and Remy both went, “Ooh.”

“’Cause she keeps sayin’ no.”

Skylar blushed.

“Then she’s even smarter than I thought,” Cam said with a wink.

Amidst the sounds of more laughter, Sky heard Eliza crying. Kimi approached and Kade scooped Eliza in his arms before Sky stood.

“That’s our cue to get home.” Kade held out his hand to Sky. “Ready, sweetheart?”

“Yeah.”

“I think she’s just tired, son. If you want to put her down with the other babies…”

“Nah, she’s been a handful this week. Skylar and I are both beat. Tell Aunt C

thanks.” He kissed Kimi on the top of the head. “See ya, Grama.”

Once Eliza was in her car seat in the back of the deluxe cab, and they were driving down the dusty road, Skylar scooted across the bench seat to sit right next to Kade. She set her head on his shoulder and sighed.