Heated (4 page)

Kahron shrugged, thinking he would
love
to get into Bianca King. “Let’s call up the Deal twins and ride to Savannah,” he offered.

Kade’s handsome face immediately closed up. “Naw, I’ll pass,” he said, throwing his car keys up into the air to catch with ease.

Kahron chose his next words carefully. “It’s been a year, Kade,” he said almost cautiously, knowing the death of his brother’s wife, Reema, was a volatile subject for him.

In just an instant warm hazel eyes froze over. “A year ain’t shit, Kahron,” Kade answered, his tone cold, yet filled with pain.

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

Kade looked up and met his brother’s stare with the year’s worth of pain he suffered through. “I know you mean well. I even know Daddy throwing every pretty thing between here and Georgia at me is his way of helping, but I’m just not ready.”

Kahron felt sadness for his brother weigh his broad shoulders down. If he could swallow down his brother’s pain for him, he gladly would. That’s how the Strong men were. One for all and all for one.

Last year after his break-up with Shauna, his girlfriend of the last three years, Kahron had to deal with that loss. He took it at his own speed and his family respected that. A break-up was nothing at all like losing someone you love to death. So, if Kade wanted to set his
own time to heal, then Kahron respected that.

How could he not? Losing Shauna over foolishness had really gotten to him. He thought he had found “the one,” but soon she let small town gossip and lies turn a good relationship into constant battles, lies, and accusations. Never once had Kahron cheated on Shauna, but she wouldn’t believe him, so she became like Easy Rawlins, snooping and trying to investigate the truth in his words.

When he discovered that she let her lack of trust lead her to the arms and bed of another man, Kahron walked away from the relationship.

Trust was a major issue with him, particularly in a relationship. Without trust their was no foundation to build upon and at that point anything can happen to jeopardize the love.

“King agree to sell, yet?” Kade asked.

“No, not yet.”

“From what I hear it’ll be just a matter of time. It’s a damn waste, but his lost is your gain.”

Kahron his eyes filled with steely determination. “Exactly.”

“I’m sorry about last night.”

Bianca didn’t even bother to look up from the ledger at her father’s apology. She had spent the last hour going over his books and right now she wanted explanations more than empty apologies.

Hank rose from the chair, shuffling toward the bar in the corner.

“If you pour a drink I’m out of here. Today. Right now.” Bianca eyes went steely. “I mean it.”

Hank turned and faced her, pointing his finger at her in anger. “I’m
your
father, Bianca Renee King, or did
you forget that when you ran off.”

Bianca met his stare. “No, more like
you
forgot and that’s why I left.”

Hank turned away from her and settled his hand on the canister. The glass stopper rattled against the glass of the decanter from the trembling in his hands.

Bianca rose from the chair, coming from behind the desk to stand by her father. “This business was failing way before those things started happening three months ago. You’re over a hundred thousand dollars in debt, you’re behind on your property taxes, you have no income coming in right now, and you have a wife who is spending way too much money.”

The rattling increased until the liquid inside the bottle sloshed against the side.

Bianca touched his back. “Things are out of control because you have lost control, Daddy,” she told him softly, fighting the tears because now was not the time.

Hank closed his eyes as his grip on the decanter tightened. “You don’t understand, Bianca,” he told her, his voice tortured.

She released a heavy breath as she licked her suddenly dry lips. “You’re right, Daddy, I don’t.”

His shoulder shook with his tears and Bianca felt like her very soul was on fire. It was never easy to see your parents cry.

“I promise you I will fix this, but I need my Daddy. I need you to be the man you were before Mama died. It’s either that liquor or me and this ranch. The choice is yours.”

Bianca turned and walked away from him. When she heard him lift the decanter she went weak with sadness and she hugged herself as her tears flowed freely. “Oh, Daddy, why?” she cried, turning to him.

Hank flung the decanter into the barren fireplace with
more gusto than she seen in her father in a long time.

Relief flooded her body in waves and she rushed to him, burying her face deep against his chest as his arms surrounded her with bearlike strength.

“This ain’t gone be easy, Bunny,” he admitted, his chin atop her head.

“I remember a wise man saying that victory never comes easy,” she told him, leaning back to smile up at him.

Hank grunted. “A wise man, huh?”

Bianca shrugged. “I’m biased, sue me.”

And Hank laughed deep and rich and full in his chest.

“You ready to get to work?” Bianca asked, moving out of his grasp.

Hank released a heavy breath as he moved back to his seat. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Why do you think Kahron Strong is behind the sabotage?” she asked, as she took the seat behind the desk.

“That bastard,” Hank said without missing a beat.

A snapshot of her naughty dream flashed and Bianca literally shook her head to rid it.

“About a month after he came sniffing around asking to buy my land those damn shenanigans started,” Hank roared, leaning forward to slam his massive fist down on the desk. “He had the audacity to tell me I could either sell it to him outright or he’d get it one way or another eventually.”

Bianca’s anger began to stir. Yes, Kahron Strong made her panties moist, but she truly didn’t know the man from a can of paint. How badly did he want the King land?

“Did you tell the police?” Bianca asked.

Hank snorted in obvious derision. “Said there’s no proof.”

“Well, first thing Monday I’m going to pay the property taxes and settle some of these bills,” Bianca said,
hating the disappointment she felt that Kahron Strong might very well be her enemy.

“Bunny, you can’t—”

Bianca nodded as she tallied the bills on a calculator. “I can and I will.”

“Bunny—”

Bianca held up her hand as she pierced him with her eyes. “Daddy, trust me, right now you got bigger fish to fry then worrying about how I spend my money.”

Hank look at her with curiosity. “The booze, huh?”

Bianca nodded. “Oh definitely that
and
you have to tell Trishon there’s a freeze on all outgoing funds effective immediately.”

Hank’s face fell and he looked like telling his wife that bit of news was far harder then giving up the liquor.

Trishon parked her vehicle outside the Belks department store in Walterboro. She went sashaying into one of the few stores in the small town where you could buy designer clothing.

She really wasn’t looking for anything in particular. She just needed to get out of the house. With Hank and his precious Bianca holed up in his study, she felt a little… left out.

She would never admit it to a living soul, but Bianca intimidated her with her smarts and her money. Trishon hadn’t met too many women that made her doubt herself, especially since the day she snagged Hank King. Once she became Mrs. King she finally got the respect she always felt she deserved. Money had a way of getting respect in a small southern town.

When people saw her they saw a wealthy man’s wife, not the picky head little girl who grew up in a 14 X 60 metal trailer that didn’t have running water or nearly
enough space to accommodate the six children who lived their with their mother, grandmother, and aunt—all of whom were considered “slow” by the townspeople and the state.

Many a night they had nothing but dreams of food for dinner. When they did have food it was hardly a feast with stuff like fried salt pork and dry rice. Once they ate just the pot liquor that was left from collard greens they had the week before.

She always knew she wanted—and was going to have—better.

The only thing Trishon thought she had going for her was the way men liked to be in her company and tell her she was pretty and buy her nice things. So, she learned from a young age how to get what she wanted with what she had.

Most times she hated the feel of the men’s hands and the sounds of their grunting as they pumped away between her cold thighs, but sometimes—every once in a while—a man’s hands would warm her, soothe her, and make her feel wanted for the first time in a long time.

It didn’t matter if they didn’t have the decency to buy a nice hotel room to fill her with their desire. They would park deep in the woods in their cars and whisper heated words of her beauty in the back seat. Only to ignore her in the light of day.

But that was behind her now.

“How are you today, Mrs. King?”

Trishon looked up surprised by the saleswoman’s voice behind her. She smiled, pushing away her memories. “I’m fine, just fine,” she said.

Yes, she was Mrs. Hank King, and the days of hunger, shame, poverty, and pity were long behind her.

4

Sunday afternoon after fighting her way though Tri-shon’s dinner of meatloaf with a cornflake crust and mash potatoes—with the skin—Bianca turned her Volvo down the drive leading to Circle S Ranch. Finding the ranch hadn’t been a problem because Kahron had purchased the old MacDonald Farm and Bianca had spent many a lazy afternoon playing on the ranch with her then-childhood friend Sara.

It was obvious to see the improvements Kahron made, having grown up on a ranch and working on ranches as a vet. Bianca had to admit she was impressed.

But she wasn’t there to survey the land.

Bianca pulled in front of the house. Kahron was leaning against the back of a pick-up truck talking to a tall, slender guy with a short ’fro. They both looked up as she slowed her vehicle.

Kahron’s eyes were shaded by his ever-present aviator shades, but Bianca knew he was looking at her. Her pulse raced as she came to a stop beside them.

“Are you behind the sabotage of my father’s business?” she asked, cutting to the chase.

Kahron stared at her for a long time and she won
dered what he was thinking.

“I didn’t know there was any sabotage going on,” he told her, turning his head back to the ranch hand he was talking with. “Excuse me for a sec, Dante.”

“Sure thing, boss.”

Kahron walked toward her car. “How are you today, Bianca? “he asked in a calm manner as he placed his hands on the door and leaned down a bit to stare at her.

Bianca felt overwhelmed by his presence, but she had to remind herself that this man might be trying to ruin her father’s business—what little business there was left. Visions of riding him naked and wild astride a horse just weren’t appropriate—no matter how enticing.

“I’d be doing a whole lot better if you’d leave my father the hell alone,” she told him, forcing a coldness to her tone that she honestly didn’t feel.

Kahron’s jaw tightened and although she couldn’t see those eyes, she could easily imagine them filled with irritation or even anger.

He opened her car door and then stepped back to wave his hand toward the house in some misguided attempt at an invitation to take the conversation inside.

Bianca looked up him, indignant at his forwardness. She leaned over in her seat to close the door back. “When you take over paying the car note then you can run this,” she told him with spunk, just before it slammed close.

“Why all this anger? Where’s the lady I was talking to last night? What’s your problem, beside the fact that your obviously bull-headed like your daddy,” Kahron told her.

Bianca let the bull-headed comment slide… for now. “My problem is someone trying to ruin my father, that’s what,” she told him.

“So I guess I forced your father to drink his life away,”
he bit out.

The truth cut like a knife, but Bianca blinked away any show that his words hit home. Instead she flung the car door open.

“Umph.”

The door had hit against Kahron’s legs and Bianca got pleasure from that.

Kahron frowned deeply.

Take that
. Bianca faced him and then waved her hand toward the stairs leading into
his
house. “Whenever you’re ready,” she said, as he continued to stare at her through those shades she wanted to snatch off his face and stomp on.

Kahron used his knee to nudge the car door until it swung close, before he led the way up the stairs. When he got to the door he stepped aside. “My office is the first door on the right,” he said in a low and intimate voice near her ear as she breezed past him to enter the foyer. “Be back in a sec, Dante.”

“Okay, boss.”

Bianca shook off the shiver of awareness he caused. Her eyes quickly took in as much of his home as she could as she walked to his office. Everything was in warm, masculine tones with clean lines and for some reason that surprised her.

It was then—for the first time—that she wondered if he was married. Was there a Mrs. Kahron to stroke her fingers across that hellified body?

Good time to ask
, Bianca thought as she recalled her dream.

“My father’s business isn’t for sale,” Bianca said as she entered the room. “No matter what.”

She turned to face him as he strode in behind her, but her eyes and lips rounded in surprise when he pushed
his shades atop his head and didn’t stop moving forward until he was standing in front her and clasping her face with his calloused hands.

Thump-thump
.

That was the double-beat of her heart.

Bianca stepped back and Kahron stepped forward, his hands still there on her cheeks—warm and enticing.

Thump-thump-thump-thump
.

“What are you doing?” she asked, as she tried to step back from him.

“What I wanted to do since I first laid eyes on you, B,” Kahron whispered softly, the pressure of his cool breath against her lips increasing as his head lowered to hers.

She gasped and her mouth filled with his breath just as his lips pressed down upon hers.
Jesus
, she thought, before a sweet moan of nothing but pure pleasure escaped from the back of her throat.

Thump–thump–thump–thump–thump…

Kahron lightened the pressure of his hands when he felt no resistance, but he deepened the kiss, lightly tracing her full, plump lips before his tongue eased inside to circle her own.

Thump–thump–thump–thump–thump–thump–thump–thump–thump–thump…

Bianca shifted her head from the right to the left as Kahron began to lightly suckle the tip of her tongue.
Oh, see that… now that feels good
. She lifted her hands to lightly grasp his sides, vaguely taking in the hard ripples of his abdomen beneath her clinging fingers.

She became aware of a movement down her abdomen, stopping at the top of her thigh. Pressure. Hardness. Length. Thickness. Trouble. Bianca’s eyes
widened in shock and… w
ell, fascination.
Oh My God,
is all that his…

Thump–thump–thump–thump–thump–thump–thump–thump–thump–thump–thump–thump–thump–thump–thump–thump–thump–thump–thump–thump…

Bianca used her teeth to clamp down lightly on that wily tongue of his, even as the bud between her legs throbbed with a beat all its own.

Kahron’s eyes opened as he stared down at her in surprise.

Their eyes locked.

Hers were defiant.

His amused.

She released him and stepped away from him. “I’d advise you to keep it to yourself in the future,” she warned him, crossing her arms over her chest to help put pressure on her aching and taut nipples.

“Now why would I do that when you seemed to be enjoying it so much?” he teased, moving to sit at his desk.

“Woulda been better if you had a Tic-Tac,” she lied.

Kahron just threw his head back and laughed.

She stared at him with her finely arched brow raised. In truth she was more angry at herself than him. Her intention was to give him a piece of her mind… not her tail!

“Why do you want my father’s ranch so bad?” she asked.

“I want the land,” he answered simply.

“How far will you go to get it?” she returned, as she stepped closer to his desk and stared down at him. “There’s a burnt barn I’m curious about,” she said, even though she wasn’t one hundred percent sure the barn had been vandalized.

Kahron tilted his head up to look at her. “The authorities say it was an accident. Word on the street is your father
probably did it for the insurance.”

She didn’t bother to tell him her father didn’t even have property insurance on the barn.

“What you fail to understand—no matter how many times I tell you—your father doesn’t need help ruining his business,” he said, rising from his chair.

Bianca eyes darted to his lips and she hated herself for it. “Since you know so much about the ‘word on the street,’ make sure you get the word out that King Equine Service isn’t for sale. If I find out who the a-hole is with the spare time on his hands to harass my father, I’ll make sure they’ll regret it, and that includes you, Kahron,” she told him in steely tones she was proud of, before turning to leave him and the odd chemistry they made in the room.

“Bianca,” he called out to her.

Moments later a warm hand circled her forearm.

Bianca whirled around, her face confused.

Kahron let his hand rise to lightly hold her chin. “I promise you I haven’t done anything to sabotage your father’s business,” he told her huskily, his eyes measuring hers.

Bianca’s eyes searched his.

“Let me take you to dinner?” he asked in that sexy and raspy voice of his.

Acute awareness shimmied over Bianca and she wondered what drew her to this man. She tilted her head back to free his hand from her chin. “I don’t think so,” she answered, turning and walking out the house.

Kahron stood to one of the windows lining the front wall of his office. He watched as Bianca walked to her car. She paused, turned, and started back toward the
house. His heart stopped. She turned again, walked back to her car and got in, eventually driving off. He stood there until she turned the car down the long dirt road leading to the main highway.

Bianca spent the rest of the day trying to come up with a plan to save the ranch. It was about more than money. She could just float the cash into the business to keep it going, but if her father’s reputation was destroyed and people didn’t trust him to get the job done, then the money was useless.

She rose from where she sat on the top step of the porch to lean against the rail. She crossed her arms over her chest as she listened to the sounds of a sweet summer Carolina night.

There was so much that needed to be done and certainly more than she could do in two weeks—and that included making sure her father got sober.

How she could expect his old clients to have renewed faith in him when she had none?

“Oh, Daddy,” she said with a heavy release of breath.

Throwing the bottle of liquor in the fireplace had been a grand and dramatic gesture, but it didn’t really guarantee that he would never drink again.

Her father’s sobriety. Repairing the barn. Ordering inventory. Recruiting new business. Trying to woo back old business. Hiring staff. Trishon’s spending. And, oh Lord, Trishon’s cooking.

One was bad enough, but all of them combined was going to send her to Charter, the mental hospital in Columbia.

And that’s
if
her growing infatuation with Kahron
Strong didn’t jack her up first.

“Whoo,” Bianca sighed, her eyes slowly closing as she remembered the taste of the man. His scent. His touch. His hardness.

Impressive hardly seemed the right word to describe it.

I promise you I haven’t done anything to sabotage your father’s business
.

Bianca was usually a good judge of character and her first impression of Kahron had not made her think he was untrustworthy, deceptive, or criminal-minded. Her father thought he was behind the fire
and
the man admitted he wanted the land, but then, how reliable was her father’s opinion?

Had the fire department been wrong in their assessment of the fire’s cause? What of the other pranks? They seemed mild in comparison to burning a barn.

It just made sense that Kahron would be the one to benefit most from Hank being in a situation where he had to sell his business.

I promise you I haven’t done anything to sabotage
your father’s business
.

“Oh, hi Bianca. I didn’t know you were out here.”

She turned to find Trishon stepping out onto the porch, a pack of cigarettes and a lighter in her hand. Bianca hated smoking and certainly didn’t want to intake second-hand smoke, but she remained quiet. “Just getting some air.”

Trishon just nodded and moved to lean forward against the railing as she exhaled a long and thin line of silver smoke.

“Do you know Kahron Strong very well?” Bianca asked, curious about the man.

Trishon tilted her head a little to look at Bianca as she placed the cigarette back between her lips. “Well
enough I guess. Why?”

Bianca shrugged, turning her head back to look ahead at the shadow of the treetops against the night sky. “Daddy thinks he’s behind the fire,” she said.

“From what I hear he wants the land bad enough.”

“Yes, but the authorities said it was the wiring,” Bianca insisted, not sure if she was trying convince Trishon or herself.

“Like they can’t be wrong.”

“Outside of that, though, you ever heard anything bad about him?” Bianca asked.

“Aw hell, he ain’t no saint, Bianca,” Trishon spouted, flicking her cigarette to send the ashes circling into the night air.

Bianca leveled her eyes on the woman and fell silent.

“He’s a heartbreaker, too. That’s one dog I’d stay clear of if I was you,” Trishon added, as she raised her hand to cover the next cigarette she was lighting.

“I can lookout for myself, but thanks.”

Another stream of smoke. “Poor Shauna cries behind his cheatin’ ass
all
the time.”

Bianca felt her stomach drop—if that was at all possible.
Who in the hell was Shauna
?

“That’s his girlfriend,” Trishon answered, as if reading Bianca’s thoughts.

“That man’s personal business is of no concern to me,” Bianca added, even though she felt oddly betrayed by the news.

It was Trishon’s turn to fall silent.

“Daddy sleeping?”

Trishon tilted her head back to blow smoke rings through her pursed scarlet lips. “He’s watching one of them cowboy movies he loves so much.”

Bianca smiled softly. “He loves John Wayne, of all
things.”

The women fell silent again and nothing but the sound of night creatures filled the air.

“I love your father, Bianca.”

Bianca bit her bottom lip, her eyes narrowing as she stared off in the distance. “That’s good to know,” was all she said.

“And he loves me.”

Bianca felt the woman’s eyes on her so she fought not to roll her own eyes heavenward. “Trishon—”