The Hottest Ticket in Town

The first time she’d stayed here, Cora had filled a mug with fresh milk and given it to her with a mile-high stack of flapjacks for breakfast and Laci had never experienced something so good as Cora’s cooking coupled with milk straight from the cow. However, at first, Laci had been resistant, pushing away the milk with a polite “No, thank you” because she was mildly lactose intolerant, but Cora just laughed and asked her to try it.

“I’m willing to bet your stomach will tolerate fresh milk just fine,” Cora had assured her, but Laci hadn’t been too sure. Her daddy had dropped her off with these old folks and now they were trying to kill her, she’d thought. But her daddy had ingrained in her a respect for her elders so, sending a prayer to heaven, she drank the milk and ate the flapjacks. When her stomach didn’t immediately rebel, she stared at Cora in confusion, prompting Cora to say, “I was raised on a farm with nothing but fresh milk and there weren’t nothing like that ‘lactose intolerant’ stuff going around. You know why? Because we didn’t monkey around with the milk. It came straight to our cups as God intended and you can’t tell me that God don’t know what he’s doin’ when it comes to his animals. That stuff you buy in the supermarkets got goodness-only-knows-what inside it and none of the good stuff that was put there in the first place. That’s why your body don’t mind it.”

And after that, Laci never thought twice about drinking raw milk, until Trent came along and tossed it from her travel fridge, saying milk made phlegm and it was bad for her singing career. She hadn’t had a glass of milk—raw or otherwise—in years. Laci watched Kane until he disappeared into the barn and then went to the fridge. She found a glass container of milk and smiled. “Might as well make sure it doesn’t go to waste,” she murmured, pouring what was left into a mug and drinking it down. A sigh of happy nostalgia followed and she simply enjoyed the quiet moment.

Maybe it was weird, but she’d come to really appreciate the small things since she’d hit it big. Most times, she never talked about her childhood to anyone within her inner circle, much less reporters who asked. Her daddy had done a fine-enough job for a single father, but times had been hard and there was no way of prettying up that simple fact. Her time with the Bradfords had been the first stint of stability she’d ever had, similar to Kane and Rian. Not that her daddy had been abusive like the Dalton boys’ daddy, God no, but her daddy hadn’t always done a good job of providing a sense of home for his only daughter. Oh, Daddy...I wish you were still here. You’d know how to handle Trent.

All she’d done was run away from her problem, but it would be right where she left it when she went back. The dissatisfying smack of reality threatened to sour the milk she’d just enjoyed, so she let it go. She’d deal with that later. In the meantime, she was going to find a way to help Cora without stepping on her toes too much. She turned a critical eye to the kitchen. Maybe some new appliances? Surely that wouldn’t be overstepping too much. But first...she surveyed her glittering costume with a smirk; she needed to get a few things from town.

6 (#u953a2eef-f105-5946-a563-48c7a56fddce)

LACI DROVE INTO WOODSVILLE, sunglasses on, trying as much as possible to blend in, but really, that was a tall order, particularly while wearing the glittery sparkler of a costume that practically screamed, Hey, look at me! While that worked well for being onstage, it definitely made her stand out—in a bad way—in a small town where cotton blends were the norm. The last thing she needed was someone to recognize her and Trent to find out prematurely where she was. She knew she had to return at some point—she had a tour to finish—but she wasn’t ready to face that world again. Not yet. First things first, she needed to find some different clothes.

Laci walked into the first clothing store she found, a small consignment/thrift store. She cringed at the odd stares coming her way and hustled to the racks to find some simple jean shorts and T-shirts to get her through the next few days. As luck would have it, she actually found quite a few cute outfits and scooped them up before the stares turned into questions she wanted to avoid.

Standing at the checkout, she asked the clerk, “May I use your dressing room to change?”

“Sure, honey,” the woman answered, giving Laci a speculative and openly curious look. “That’s some outfit you have there.”

Laci risked a brief smile. “Costume party,” she answered with what she hoped was a believable lie, but she didn’t waste time on details and simply disappeared into the changing room with her new-to-her clothing.

The fact was, being a celebrity wasn’t quite what she’d thought it was going to be like. All those people wanting a piece of her every night was more than a little unsettling. All she’d ever wanted to do was sing. Now, people wanted more than just her voice, they wanted her damn clothing, too! Once, a woman had practically ripped a piece of her costume off her body, screeching with victory as she’d sprinted away from Security with her prize. Laci had been stunned that someone would want a piece of her sweaty costume and then a little freaked out because what was the woman going to do with it? But Simone had been pissed as hell because she’d spent hours sewing that costume.

At the thought of Simone, Laci almost picked up her cell and gave her a ring, but she couldn’t bring herself to do even that—not that she didn’t want to worry Simone, but she couldn’t take the chance that Trent might be lurking nearby. Trent’s not a bad guy, her daddy’s voice chided her from inside her mind. He’s made you a star and this is a fine howdy-do you’ve handed him for all his hard work. I raised you better than that, didn’t I?

Laci pursed her lips. True, Daddy, but Trent’s driving me into the ground. I need this. Just a few days, I promise.

Her next stop was the small, locally owned furniture store, Bleudell’s. She walked into the store and went straight to the appliances. Cora wouldn’t want something too fancy, but maybe something just slightly better than what she had. Maybe even the same model, only newer, she thought, eyeing the refrigerators.

“Can I help you find something?” The friendly voice at her back caused her to turn with a shy smile, a little afraid of being recognized, particularly by someone who might’ve known her when she was a kid spending her summers in Woodsville. “That there is a good model, but the best value is in the stainless-steel one.”

“It’s for a friend and she’s a little stuck in her ways, so I want to get something that’s close to what she’s got,” she explained to the woman wearing a polite, retaily smile. “I mean, I’d love to buy her the state-of-the-art appliance if she’d let me, but I don’t want to buy something she’s going to end up eyeing sidewise, you know?”

“Do I know your friend? Maybe I can help.”

She opened her mouth but thought better of it, saying, “No, I don’t think so. She keeps to herself. What’s the price on this model?”

“That’ll set you back about eight hundred dollars,” the saleswoman answered. “I can guarantee that’s the best price you’re gonna find in the surrounding area.”

Laci gave the woman a short smile, murmuring, “I’ll take it. Can you have it ready by the end of the day?”

“We can deliver it if you like, honey. Where’s it going?”

She shook her head, not wanting people gossiping when they found out it was for the Bradford ranch. “I’ll have someone pick it up. Can you show me the stoves?”

“That’s some friend you have. I wish I had a friend like you who bought me new appliances. Is this by any chance a special fella you’re buying for?”

Laci barked a laugh. “Goodness, no, just a friend. About those stoves?” she asked, gently directing the saleswoman with a smile. The woman took the hint and accompanied her to the stoves, where Laci promptly found one that was strikingly similar to Cora’s but newer and pulled her credit card. One swipe later, she had a receipt for purchase and a scheduled time for pickup later that evening.

An hour later, Laci had managed to buy everything on her list, including enough groceries for the next few days. It’d been a long time since she’d cooked a homemade meal and she was itching to see if she could still remember the basics. There was a certain level of happiness at the idea of cooking for Kane, even if she knew it was dangerous to indulge in such a fantasy.

Kane had certainly matured into a fine man, not that there’d been any doubt in Laci’s mind that he would. Kane was one of those genetically gifted individuals who’d never gone through an awkward phase in his life. From the moment she’d laid eyes on him that hot summer, her fifteen-year-old heart had started thumping like a jackrabbit’s foot and she’d about lost her ability to speak the English language. Yeah, he was that hot. Of course, she’d been a bit difficult back then, angry at the world for problems that had nothing to do with the people around her but everything to do with the fact that she felt abandoned and alone.

By the time she returned to the ranch, she came armed with a take-and-bake pizza that she fully intended to use as a little sugar on top of her request to Kane about picking up the appliances. Cora had always said with a wink that the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach and Kane seemed to fall in line with that advice because she’d never known the man to turn down a hot meal.

Humming a little experimental tune she’d been playing around with, she walked into the house, carrying the pizza and beer, and then returned to the rental car to get the rest of her bags. By the time Kane returned from outside, covered in sweat and dirt, the pizza was just about ready and the beer was chilled.

“What’s going on in here?” he asked, sniffing the air as he wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm, pinning her with a look that stripped her bare. Oh, heaven help me... He smelled like hardworking man with a side of sweaty, break-the-bedsprings sex, and Laci’s knees weakened as her mouth dried.

“Smells good,” he said, going to the sink and rinsing his face real quick. “You make pizza or something?”

“Or something,” she said, scooting away on the pretense of cracking a beer to hand to him, but honestly, she didn’t trust herself being within grabbing distance. Her head wasn’t screwed on straight if she was suddenly panting after Kane Dalton after what he’d done to her heart all those years ago. She began to hand him the beer, but then, on a whim, stopped and took a lingering sip before handing it to him. His gaze darkened, but a faint smile lifted his lips and she shivered against the wickedness that flashed in his eyes. Dangerous game, girl. Laci cleared her throat and shrugged because it was truly no big deal. “It’s nothing fancy, just take-and-bake, but I thought you might be hungry after all those chores.”

“You thought right,” Kane said, tipping the beer back with an appreciative swig, and Laci wasn’t above sneaking another look at those bulging biceps. “Ah, a cold beer on a hot day...that’s almost better than sex.”

“Then you’re not having the right kind of sex,” she countered with a mildly teasing grin. Were they flirting? It felt like flirting, which was probably a bad idea.

“Maybe you’re right,” he said, his gaze unreadable, but his body language was having a full-on conversation with her ovaries. “Pepperoni?”

“With sausage,” she answered, her breath catching when he walked toward her. Was he going to kiss her? He had that look on his face as if he was going to bend her over and take her right there on the kitchen counter—and if she were being truthful, she wouldn’t lift a finger to stop him. But just as he crowded her personal space and she angled her lips to his, his chuckle broke the spell as he deposited his empty bottle in the trash bin behind her under the sink. Drat. Way to get your hopes up, Laci. You’re just standing in the way of the trash can.

“Why, Laci McCall...is that disappointment I see?” he murmured, still crowding her. Hell yes, that’s disappointment, but she sure wasn’t going to admit that and gave his chest a firm push with a scowl. He backed away with a deeper chuckle of amusement, his hands up in a mock gesture of surrender. “All right, all right...no need to get prickly. I was just asking.”

“Go wash up—you smell worse than a pig rolling around in a mud pit,” she told him, which was a complete lie, but she didn’t want him thinking he had her figured out and twisted around his finger. If anyone was going to get twisted, it was Kane. She’d be sure of that. “Don’t spend all day in there, either. I’m starved,” she added on as he walked away.

“Yes, ma’am,” Kane said with an exaggerated drawl that sent arousal coursing through her body. Once he was out of the room, she let out her breath in a whoosh as she sagged against the sink for a minute to catch her bearings. She’d plainly underestimated the raw, animal attraction still pulsing between her and Kane, even after all these years. Maybe it was stupid to share the same space together, even for a few days. It’d taken her a long time to get over Kane, although if her reaction to him was any indication, maybe she never had.

7 (#u953a2eef-f105-5946-a563-48c7a56fddce)

KANE STEPPED INTO the shower, his thoughts humming at a fine clip. His muscles ached, his head throbbed, but none of that seemed to matter. He wasn’t thinking straight—that much was evident by the fact that he wanted nothing more than to lift that cute country skirt and slide his cock so deep into that soft, willing flesh that his hands shook at being denied. Sure, he’d played it cool with Laci, but it’d taken everything in him not to give in to those lips, presented so sweetly for the taking.

Hell, as bad ideas went, messing around with Laci ranked up there with the idea of a four-cylinder truck trying to pull a fifth wheel, but that didn’t stop him from picturing Laci’s pretty mouth doing pretty dirty things to his cock as he slid the soap over his body. Like a good soldier, his cock rose for duty and he wasn’t above palming it with a soft groan. Laci, Laci, Laci...what the hell are you doing to me? He shouldn’t want her—he’d left for a reason—but knowing that soda was bad didn’t stop millions of people from reaching for a bottle of sugary poison. That’s what Laci was—sweet, sugary poison.

And damn, if he didn’t want a big ol’ gulp.

But he was an adult. He could govern himself. Just because he wanted her so badly he couldn’t see straight didn’t mean he had to give in to that internal pressure. He could be friendly and keep his thoughts in the PG department. Well, he could try anyway. Keep it together, she’s only here for a few days and then it’s back to business as usual, he told himself as he finished.

He toweled off and dressed in clean jeans before heading back to the kitchen, where he found Laci dishing up two slices of pizza and pulling a fresh beer from the fridge. She sure was pretty as a picture, he noted as he slid into the seat at the old dining room table. She’d swept her blond hair up in a messy ponytail so that a few tendrils escaped and curled in the summer heat and he licked his lips, not because the pizza was making his stomach growl but because he desperately wanted to taste the salt on her skin as he ran his mouth along the column of that beautiful neck. Did she still taste like rainbows and whispered promises the way she had at seventeen? What? Now you’re a damn poet? Eat your pizza before you do something stupid.

Obeying the curt order in his head, he stuffed his mouth with a bite and grunted his approval, choosing to keep his gaze off Laci and on his plate, but as luck would have it, Laci was feeling chatty.

“So tell me what you’ve been up to all this time,” she asked, making conversation as she bit into her own pizza, wiping her mouth with the corner of her hand like a true country girl, more interested in her food than social niceties.

He bit back a laugh at how stupidly sexy he found that. Was everything she did sexy? Pretty much. He took another bite and answered around hot cheese, “Me and Rian own a business together in SoCal.”

Her brow went up in interest. “Yeah? What kind of business?”

Kane hesitated, not sure if he wanted to share personal details about his life, but then his mouth was moving before he could stop it. “We own a company called Elite Protection Services. We provide protection details for high-profile clients.”