Ready-Made Bride

CHAPTER FIVE

“ARE you and Dad mad at each other?”

Megan glanced at Andrew, who stood on a stool next to the counter, spatula in hand. With a weary sigh, she removed a sheet of chocolate chip cookies from the oven. She set them on the stove, thinking back to the night on the porch when the dissension started. “Your father and I had a…little difference of opinion.” She pulled off her insulated mitt, put it in the drawer and turned off the oven.

Andy scooped up a warm cookie with his spatula and put it on the cooling rack. “About what?”

About how much a kiss meant. About how two people are skirting around the sensitive issue of how they really feel about one another. “Just grown-up stuff. Nothing for you to worry about.”

“But Dad hardly ever talks to you anymore.”

“I think he just has a lot on his mind.” Like inventing different ways of avoiding me.

She’d been shameless in her approach on the porch, but she didn’t care, and she didn’t regret her actions, not if that’s what it took to get through to the stubborn man and make him realize he was good and kind…and certainly not the monster the people of Linden believed him to be. He could no more have killed his wife than he would harm Andrew. She knew it and believed it, so why couldn’t he?

Her plan had backfired. While she’d reveled in his earthy, sensual kiss, he’d retreated. He’d warned her to stay away, that she didn’t know what was bad for her, but as she’d told him. it was too late. What she felt for Kane was overwhelming and a little frightening in its intensity, but she wouldn’t and couldn’t deny her growing emotions, despite his continual attempts to push her away. This morning’s ridiculous argument was a perfect example of his stubbornness.

Andy stacked warm, fragrant cookies on a small plate. “Maybe you could take Dad some cookies and talk to him,” he suggested, licking smeared chocolate from his fingers.

Megan shook her head. “I’d better not.”

“Please?” He looked at her with hopeful brown eyes. “Dad loves homemade chocolate chip cookies. Maybe if you take him some of yours he won’t be so grouchy.”

Megan smiled, appreciating Andrew’s creative attempt to get her and his father to reconcile. “I doubt cookies will change his attitude,” she said, wiping the counter.

He grabbed her arm and waited for her to look at him. “Please, Megan? I want Dad to like you as much as I do.”

Gently, she cupped his cheek in her palm, wanting to tell him that you couldn’t force someone to like you. The feelings were either there or they weren’t. Judging by that kiss, there was a definite spark between her and Kane, but sex and like were two different issues.

But when Andrew looked at her as if she had hung the moon and stars, she found it difficult to refuse his request. God, she was going to miss him. She knew a huge, empty void would fill her when she left.

Knowing she didn’t want to spend the next few days with this awful tension between her and Kane, she smiled at Andrew. “Okay, sweetie, I’ll give it a shot.”

Andrew threw his arms around Megan’s waist and hugged her tight. “Thanks, Megan!”

“Yeah, well, let’s just hope your father doesn’t bite the hand that feeds him.” They broke apart, and Megan tapped his nose. “While I’m talking to your dad, why don’t you water those pansies and gardenias I planted out front?”

He gave her a dimpled grin that made her melt. “Okay.”

Megan picked up the plate of cookies and headed for the back door, wondering if sweets truly could tame this savage beast.

The high-pitched whine of a power saw filtering from the barn made Megan wince. She hesitated at the entrance, debating on whether she really wanted to do this when Kane had made it abundantly clear, in his words and actions, that he preferred being alone while she was here.

Shifting on her feet, she glanced over her shoulder. Andy stood at the flower bed, spraying a stream of water at the colorful flowers she’d planted and watching her at the same time. He gave her an encouraging thumbs-up sign, and she knew she couldn’t back out now.

Running her fingers through her hair, she drew a deep breath to calm the nerves tumbling in her stomach. She moved into the cool interior of the barn, cookies in hand. Kane’s back was to her, and he hadn’t heard her enter. She stood there for a moment, discovering a fascination in watching him in an element where he seemed so comfortable.

He grabbed a measuring tape from his worktable and measured the huge slab of pine he’d just cut, then made marks on the wood with a pencil. He put on his protective glasses, hefted the scroll saw and cut out the scalloped edges. The scent of sawdust filled the air, blending with other tangy, woodsy smells. Particles of dust and wood settled on his black hair and broad shoulders.

The muscles beneath Kane’s blue chambray shirt bunched and rippled as he maneuvered the saw to his whim. Her gaze drifted lower, to the way soft denim outlined his firm buttocks and strong thighs. The man had an incredible body, powerful and lean and down-to-earth sexy. Her pulse acknowledged the attraction with a sudden flutter.

When he turned the power tool off and set it on the worktable, Megan decided to make her presence known. “What are you making?”

The fingers running over the rough edges of wood stilled but he didn’t glance in her direction. “A headboard.” His tone was abrupt and flat and didn’t encourage conversation.

Megan experienced a twinge of annoyance. Determined to chisel a few notches out of that damned emotional barrier he erected whenever she was near, she walked toward him. “For yourself?”

“For my sister. Her birthday is in July.” He pulled off his plastic glasses and tossed them onto the table.

“Diane, right?”

“Yep.” Still he didn’t look at her.

“Are the two of you close?”

“Close enough,” he said brusquely, and grabbed a square piece of sandpaper.

Boy, was he ever a wealth of information, she thought in mild irritation. Prying personal stuff from him was worse than trying to coax a turtle from his shell. “Does she see Andy very often?” she persisted.

He brushed his fingers over the wood he’d just cut, then followed it with the sandpaper, his gaze narrowed on the task. He was quiet for so long, she thought he either hadn’t heard her or wasn’t going to say anything. Finally, as if he sensed she wouldn’t let the question go unanswered, he said, “She hasn’t seen him since after Cathy died, but she calls.”

Megan was pleased that Andrew at least had a good relationship with his aunt, even if it was a long-distance one.

He continued with his work, ignoring her. She sighed in frustration but wasn’t totally discouraged. She glanced at the thick piece of wood Kane intended to shape into a headboard. The pine was smooth except for the raw scalloped edges he’d just cut and was now trying to sand. The potential for an exquisite piece of work was evident in the intricate detail of the design.

Remembering the toys he’d made for Andrew and that Andrew had told her he’d made most of the furniture in the house, she said, “You make beautiful pieces of furniture. Have you ever thought about contracting your work?”

His body visibly tensed. “Nope.”

“Well, you should consider it.” When he didn’t respond, she set the plate of cookies on the table beside him. “I brought a peace offering,” she said softly.

He stopped his sanding and finally looked at her, a mocking smile lifting his mouth. “I suppose Andrew sent you out.”

“Yes,” she admitted, stunned by the heat in his green eyes. The man did an excellent job of keeping his distance emotionally but made no attempt to distance himself from the physical awareness that crackled between them. “But I wanted to talk to you anyway.”

Lifting a dark brow, he picked up a cookie and bit into it, chewing slowly. “‘Talking’ is what got us into trouble the other night. Or have you already forgotten what kind of trouble our conversations lead to?”

She flushed at his bold reference to their kiss and at the way his gaze focused on her lips, but she wasn’t about to shy away from his callous manner. “Is that what you call what happened between us? Trouble?”

“I call it a mistake.”

Liar, she thought. There had been too much raw need in the way his mouth had taken hers, too much hurt that needed sustenance. She’d given him that much, if only for a brief time.

As if he’d read her mind, his gaze darkened and he said, “If you were smart, you’d forget about that kiss.”

That’s kind of difficult to do when you branded me straight to my soul. Shaking that thought from her mind, she focused on the reason she’d come out here. “Do you plan to avoid me until I’m gone?”

“I’m gonna try.” He tossed another cookie into his mouth.

She didn’t know whether to feel indignant or amused by his valiant attempts to keep them separated. “What if I won’t let you?”

Bracing a hand on the worktable, he leaned close. “What makes you think you have a choice in the matter?”

“What makes you think you do?”

They stood nose to nose, boots to the tips of her espadrilles. Heat and the musky scent of man surrounded her, stirring something within her to vibrant life. Green eyes flashed with a multitude of emotions ranging from anger to passion. Knowing how easily their tempers could flare into desire, her heart picked up its beat.

She blew out a deep breath to release the chaos in her. “Dammit, Kane, do you think we can try and be civil to one another?”

“Why?” His tone brooked no compromise. Neither did his defensive stance.

“For Andrew’s sake! He’s upset because we aren’t talking. I don’t want to spend the rest of my vacation walking on eggshells when you’re around, or trying to make polite conversation.” She rubbed her forehead, forcing herself to calm down. When she looked at Kane again and saw those shadows in his gaze that tugged at her empty soul, she knew she was ready to take a chance at what she felt for him. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but I care for you-”

“You know nothing about me, Megan,” he said, cutting her off. He turned away and tossed his tools into a metal box.

She wasn’t about to let him retreat, not when she’d just bared a part of her heart. Stepping closer, she curled her fingers around his forearm, exposed by the sleeves he’d rolled up. He froze and looked at her with an icy glare.

She wasn’t daunted. “I know enough to realize you’re a very special man.”

His mouth curled into a bitter smile, and he pulled his arm from her grasp. “Yeah, so special I got a line of women knocking down my door.”

“Maybe you would if you dropped those damned shields and let someone past this tough facade of yours. You put on a real good act, Kane, but I’m not falling for it.”

He dropped a hammer into the metal box with a loud clank and gave her a quick, sweeping glance. “Don’t disillusion yourself, sweetheart. What you see is what you get.”

“What I see is someone who’s been hurt and betrayed. I know that feeling, Kane.”

Rough laughter escaped him. “Do you?”

His words would have mocked her if it hadn’t been for the pure torment in his eyes. “Yes, I do,” she whispered.

He straightened, and she watched him erect those internal barriers that kept him safe from anything that threatened his emotions. She wanted to tear them down, even if it meant risking rejection. What had started as a promise to Andrew had turned into a personal quest.

Now, she was willing to risk her heart. “Have you ever known that something was so right? That what you felt for someone transcended anything you’ve ever experienced before?”

His jaw clenched. “No.”

She bravely upped the stakes despite his denial. “Well, that’s how I feel about you.”

Part of that fortress crumbled, giving her a glimpse of the vulnerable man beneath. “What do you want from me, Megan?”

What she wanted scared her to death, because she couldn’t remember ever feeling so in love with a person. The fear was real, because he wouldn’t be an easy man to love, wouldn’t let her close enough to love her back. “I… I don’t know.”

Something dark and indiscernible flared in his gaze. He started toward her, and she instinctively stepped back until her spine pressed against the cool, plank wall of the barn. She had no idea what he intended.

He braced a forearm on the wall by her head, trapping her within the close proximity of his body. “I know what I want from you.” His voice was low and raspy.

Her heart raced at the sudden gleam in his eyes. The heat and scent of him filled her nostrils, and she pressed her palms to the wall behind her for support. “What?”

He spread his callused fingers around the base of her neck and pressed his thumb to the erratic pulse in her throat. “To finish what we started the other night.”

Damn him, he was trying to frighten her, but she wasn’t about to be bullied by his harsh tactics. She lifted her chin and steadily held his gaze. “Then do it,” she said.

Surprise, then something wild and reckless were reflected in his expression. Slowly, he framed her face in his large hands and moved closer so his thighs bracketed hers.

His mouth covered hers. He swallowed her startled gasp, then immediately deepened the contact. The tips of his fingers slipped into her hair, tangling in the strands while his lips and tongue continued their sensual, sweeping assault.

Sliding her hands up his muscled chest and around his neck, she held on for dear life. He insinuated a thigh between hers, and she shamelessly made room for him, welcoming the seductive pressure. His mouth slipped over hers, and his hands stroked her curves, molding her to him.

Kane tore his mouth from Megan’s and buried his face against her neck. His ragged breathing blew hot and damp over her skin. “Oh, God, Megan,” he gasped. “What are you doing to me?” His lips skimmed over her throat, followed by the soft caress of his tongue. “I want you so badly I ache constantly.”

Plunging her fingers into his thick hair, she lifted his head to meet his gaze. For once, his barriers were down, his fear of falling for her evident in his beautiful, stormy eyes. “Then you know exactly how I feel.”

“I don’t want this.” Trembling fingers gently touched her jaw, giving her a little more of the tenderness she knew he hid beneath layers of hurt. “You don’t want this.”

Grasping his hand before he could pull it away, she placed warm kisses on the tips of his fingers. “I do. More than anything.”

He closed his eyes, a groan rumbling in his chest. “No. It won’t work between us.”

She could feel his caring, could feel him fighting the attraction. She nuzzled his palm, wanting to give him everything in her heart. “Maybe you’re wrong.”

His big body shuddered, but he managed to shake his head. “I’ll only end up hurting you!”

Lifting her mouth to his, she nipped at his bottom lip, teasing and distracting him.

“Megan-”

“Shut up and kiss me, Kane.”

He stared at her with dark eyes, denying himself what he wanted. She licked her bottom lip and arched slowly into him. “Kiss me again,” she whispered.

With a low growl he did just that, a bottomless, soul-searching kiss brimming with emotion and a yearning so intense she could taste it. Maybe, just maybe, she thought, there was some feeling between them that could be nurtured into something stronger and infinitely more precious. If only he’d allow himself the chance.

His mouth left hers and charted a path to her earlobe. He caught the sensitive flesh between his teeth. His light stubble grazed her sensitive skin, and she shivered. His fingers worked on the buttons of her blouse, slowly undoing them. Cool air brushed across the upper slopes of her breasts, and her nipples tightened against the lacy webbing of her bra. He plucked at the sensitive tip through the sheer fabric until she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out.

A vague but logical part of her brain intruded on the moment, a cold dose of reality. “Kane… We can’t do this. Not here.”

“Megan…” His mouth moved to hers. “What am I going to do with you?” he asked between kisses.

Lord help her, she knew what she wanted him to do, but the sound of approaching footsteps instantly cleared any lingering fog clouding her good judgment. “Kane,” she said, turning her head from his lips and pushing his shoulders. “We have to stop.”

His mouth landed on her neck, and he nuzzled her. “Come to my room tonight.”

She squirmed frantically, which only served to link their bodies more intimately. “We can’t, Kane… please stop-”

“Oh, my goodness!”

A woman’s shocked voice echoing from behind Kane accomplished what Megan hadn’t been able to. Megan shook her head, wanting to apologize to him, but panic choked her. Kane straightened, the desire in his gaze eclipsed by apprehension and a gut-wrenching degree of dread. With a tenderness that made her heart ache, he pulled the sides of her blouse together and covered her decently before turning to face the woman standing just inside the barn. He was more concerned about her reputation than his own obvious arousal.

He brought his hands to hips and narrowed his gaze. With a resilience that amazed Megan, he composed himself into that cold, distant man.

Quickly buttoning her blouse, Megan shifted her gaze, looking over his shoulder to the woman. She was short and stocky, with graying brown hair and thick-rimmed glasses. One hand held a briefcase. Cradled in her other arm was a clipboard. Megan squinted at the identification tag pinned to her plain blue dress. The only words she could discern were Dept. of Human Services in big, bold type across the top of the tag. Megan held back a groan of dismay. The woman was a social worker!

“What can I do for you, Mrs. Henderson?” Kane asked, his voice so cold, Megan was surprised the woman didn’t get frostbite.

Mrs. Henderson pursed her lips. She set her briefcase on the ground, then jotted a few notes on a piece of paper attached to her clipboard. “I was just following up on a complaint, but I can see for myself that we have a problem here.”

“How do you figure? This is my home, and what I do here is my business.”

The woman raised an incredulous brow. “Including consorting with females in the middle of the day with your son just outside this barn?”

As if realizing the implications of what they’d done, Kane swore vividly. “Did the Lindens send you?”

“That’s confidential information,” she said, lifting her chin haughtily.

Kane released a harsh breath. “Yeah, well, it wouldn’t be the first time they’ve filed a complaint against me.”

The woman looked from Kane to Megan, eyeing her with a small degree of disdain. “Seems to me they had good reason.”

Kane swore again and scrubbed a hand roughly over his jaw. Guilt weighed heavily on Megan. She’d been responsible for what had transpired, or at least she’d been the instigating party. If she hadn’t challenged Kane and returned his kisses and caresses with such fervor, their escapade never would have gotten out of hand.

But it had, and they’d been caught And if she didn’t do something fast, Andrew would be the one to suffer the consequences.

She stepped next to Kane. He glared at her, tripling her guilt. He was furious, she knew. At her, himself and the situation. But beyond that green fire she witnessed fear and knew it was for Andrew’s welfare.

Megan glanced at the social worker, willing to take all the blame in order to protect the two people who’d come to mean so much to her. “Mrs. Henderson, this isn’t Kane’s fault-”

“He seemed a willing party, Ms…?”

Megan flushed. “Megan. Megan Sanders,” she said, watching as the woman made note of her name. “This isn’t what it seems.” Desperation laced her voice.

“Really?” The other woman scrutinized her with mocking curiosity. “Then maybe you’d like to explain what I saw?”

Suddenly, Megan realized how she must look after Kane’s passionate assault. Her hair fell in wild tangles around her face and shoulders, and her lips still tingled from his thorough kiss.

Her stomach flipped, and she scrambled for a plausible excuse. “I…we…” No believable explanation sprang readily to mind.

“Megan, leave it alone.” Kane’s voice was strong, steady and sure, despite the hard edge to his jaw. “Why don’t we go up to the house so we can discuss this?”

Mrs. Henderson nodded and picked up her briefcase. “That would be a good start.” Turning, she marched out of the barn.

With a long, resigned sigh, Kane started after her.

Megan grasped his sleeve, halting him. He met her gaze, and the worry shimmering there hit her like a fist to the midsection. What kind of penalty would he pay for their tryst, she wondered? Somehow, she knew it would be steep.

God, he probably hated her.

“Kane, surely that woman is only bluffing about the Lindens filing a complaint.” The desperation in her voice was real.

A bitter smile twisted his lips. “Just like everyone else in this town, Mrs. Henderson is in the Lindens’ pocket so deep-or rather, Patricia’s pocket-that I wouldn’t put it past Patricia to make sure Mrs. Henderson finds some kind of fault in this visit.”

“Oh, Kane, I’m so sorry,” she whispered, the words inadequate for the irreparable damage they might have done.

With a gentleness that made her heart ache, he brushed his knuckles across her smooth cheek. His eyes softened with regret, and a hint of a real smile touched his hard mouth. “So am I, Megan,” he murmured. “So am I.”

She watched him walk away, stunned at his display of tenderness and even more surprised that he didn’t blame her. The knowledge nearly made her cry in relief. But there wasn’t time, not with a social worker waiting to decide Andrew’s fate.

She exited the barn in time to see Kane talking to Andrew. As she approached the pair she heard Kane tell his son that he had to take care of business with Mrs. Henderson and that he needed Andrew to play outside for a while. Andrew didn’t look assured but obeyed his father.

In Kane’s living room, Mrs. Henderson set her briefcase on the floor next to the recliner. She kept her clipboard in hand, staring at Megan in obvious disapproval. Before Megan could sit on the sofa, Kane’s deep voice stopped her.

“Will you excuse us, Megan?”

Her first instinct was to protest. They’d both been a party to what happened in the barn, and if Mrs. Henderson’s reprimand affected Andrew, she wanted to be involved. But one look at Kane’s grim expression made her realize he had the most at stake and wanted to handle the situation alone.

Casting him an understanding look, she skirted the coffee table. “I’ll go get us some refreshments.”

She entered the kitchen and smacked herself on the forehead. “Refreshments, Megan?” she murmured as she sagged against the counter. “This is hardly a social call.”

Needing something to keep her busy, she filled a tray with glasses, lemonade and cookies, which took all of three minutes. Impatient and restless, she paced the kitchen floor. Unable to stand another moment of confinement, she stood by the doorway connecting the two rooms and strained to hear the conversation drifting from the living room.

“Kane, Andrew needs to be in a stable environment, preferably with the guidance of two parents, not one who acts on frivolous desires,” Mrs. Henderson said sternly. “It just isn’t appropriate that you have a woman living with you-”

“Megan is not living with us,” Kane replied, his voice tight with frustration.

“Regardless, it doesn’t help matters that I’ve caught the two of you in a… well, a compromising position that is hardly conducive to Andrew’s mental health.” The woman sighed heavily. “I’m sorry, Kane, but I feel I have no other choice but to put in a recommendation that the Lindens receive temporary custody of Andrew until we can evaluate the situation further.”

“I’ll fight it,” he said, his tone vibrating with anger.

Megan heard the sound of shuffling papers. “The report I’ll be writing up and submitting today won’t look good on your behalf.”

“But I’m certain it’ll look good on the Lindens’ behalf,” Kane added bitterly.

Megan clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle the sob of despair working its way out of her throat. Tears burned her eyes, and the room began to spin.

Oh, Lord, what had she done?

Closing her eyes and bracing herself against the wall, she frantically searched her mind for something, anything, to remedy the awful predicament she’d gotten Kane into. She’d never forgive herself if she was the cause of tearing father and son apart, not to mention the resulting scandal that might hurt Andrew.

Then, like a godsend, an answer to their problem floated into her mind. Her solution was outrageous, but necessary to save Kane’s reputation and keep Andrew where he belonged-with his father.

Not giving herself time to rethink her plan, she quickly picked up the tray of refreshments and strolled into the living room. Tension swirled between the adults. Kane looked at her, and the devastation and misery lining his pale face gave her the courage she needed to execute her plan.

Focusing all her hospitality on Mrs. Henderson, she placed the tray on the coffee table and sat next to Kane, so close that her thigh pressed against his. She didn’t miss how he subtly shifted away so they weren’t touching. “Has Kane had a chance to tell you our exciting news?”

The woman frowned and peered at her over her glasses. “What news is that?”

“Megan,” Kane interrupted, his voice low with warning. “I don’t think Mrs. Henderson cares about that news.”

He didn’t want her help. Well, he didn’t have a choice. “Oh, quit being so modest,” she said sweetly as she poured lemonade into their glasses with a surprisingly steady hand. “You know everyone is going to find out sooner or later.”

“What are you talking about?” Mrs. Henderson persisted.

She gave Kane a quick look that implored his trust before glancing at the social worker. “Well, Kane and I have been corresponding for a year and half, and he’d just asked me to marry him before you walked in on us. I’ve accepted his proposal.”

The woman’s brows rose so high they practically blended with her hairline. Skepticism shone in her eyes.

Ignoring her quivering insides, Megan smiled at Kane, who sat motionless beside her. The calm before the storm, she thought The only clue belying his shock was his hands, fisted on his thighs, and the muscle ticking in his cheek.

“Isn’t that right, honey?” Megan asked, knowing Mrs. Henderson would want him to confirm her claim.

His mouth thinned into a tight facsimile of a smile. Megan held her breath, waiting for Kane to either expose her lie or seal their future.

What seemed like an eternity passed. Then, as if finally realizing he had no other possible alternative if he didn’t want to lose his son, the word wheezed out of him. “Yes.”

Recovering, Mrs. Henderson softened her dour expression. Her face mellowed in approval. “Well, I honestly don’t know what to say!”

Megan looped her arm through Kane’s stiff one, knowing there’d be hell to pay once Mrs. Henderson left. It didn’t matter, because she’d saved Kane and Andrew a ton of heartache.

Looking at her husband-to-be, she smiled adoringly. “How about congratulations?”