What the Heart Wants, page 24
I drop the sweater I’m holding on top of the pile in my suitcase, walk over to Cam, and wrap my arms around him. “I love you.”
He inhales deeply against my neck and hairline. “God, I hate how much I needed to hear that, sweets. And I love you. Come home with me, Suda Kaye. Let’s get some rest. We’re going to have a lot to deal with later on today.”
* * *
Camden was not kidding last night, I think to myself while staring at the shattered window that now boasts a huge tarp taped to the entire storefront.
Kyson appears at the door with a roll of duct tape in his hand. “Hey.” He quicksteps over to me and pulls me into his arms. “Jesus, I’m glad you’re okay, brown eyes.” He hugs me tightly, and for a moment, I rest in his easy warmth.
Cam clears his throat from behind us.
I smile and step back. “Thank you, Kyson.” I glance at the window. “For everything.”
He nods. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”
“Any news on the window repair?” Camden steps forward, hooks his arm around my shoulders, and forces me to lean against his side. Staking a claim if I ever saw one. Doesn’t upset me, though. I’ve been missing this for ten years. At this point, I’d do just about anything to stay wrapped up in his arms forever.
Kyson clocks Cam’s move and smiles cheekily. “Yeah, actually. Had the guy out first thing. He’s already measured and is working on the replacement. Luckily, he was called by the building owner across the street and was already working on new windows that are close to a perfect match for these. He’s got time on the builder across the way, but I swayed him to knock out the new window for Gypsy Soul. It’s going to cost a pretty penny.”
Camden nods. “Whatever it takes. Did he say he could have it done before the opening this weekend?”
“Yeah. It will be done in two days tops.”
“Two days!” I squeal and jump up and down with my hands in the air. “Woo-hoo! This is awesome.” I shimmy around in a circle as both men watch, matching grins on their faces.
Of course, that doesn’t stop the black Porsche that screeches to a stop at the curb behind Camden’s Rover, which brings my victory dance to a sudden halt.
Evie dashes out of the car at a dead run, her golden locks flying in the wind as she plows into me. Her arms wrap around me, and she squeezes me tight. “Oh my goodness, Kaye! Are you okay?” She holds me to her in a vise lock, arms clinging, nails digging into the flesh of my back through my clothing.
“Sis...sis...can’t breathe,” I choke out until she lets me go.
I suck in air and hold her a full arm’s length away from me. I notice that she’s in her pajamas, face free of makeup, and slippers on her feet. “Jeez Louise! I’m fine. What in the world is wrong with you?” I gasp and focus on her wild eyes and face. “Better yet, you look like you’ve been awoken from a nightmare. What’s going on?”
Evie’s eyes are completely wild with fear as she runs her hands up and down my arms until I hold her hands still. “I—I got a text with the picture of your window.”
“A text? I didn’t send anything. Cam?”
He shakes his head.
“Kyson?”
“Brown eyes, I don’t have your sister’s phone number.”
“Well then, how the heck did she get a text? Where’s your phone, Ev?”
Tears fill her eyes. “In the car. I thought you might be hurt. I just got you back and...and...I was so scared,” she croaks, her expression tormented.
I pull her into my arms and hold her close. “Go check her car, Cam.”
He lifts his chin and heads toward Evie’s Cayenne. I pet my sister’s hair and whisper words of comfort into her ear, promising her that I’m fine, nothing’s wrong or going to happen to me. Eventually, her erratic breathing slows down to a normal rhythm, and she sniffs and lets me go.
“Password for the phone?” Cam calls out.
“M-I-L-O, uh...I mean, 6456.”
I loop my arm around Evie’s waist. “Your password is Milo. Seriously?”
“Shut up,” Evie huffs and then crosses her arms over her chest protectively.
Cam focuses his attention on Evie’s phone. His entire posture changes as he reviews the text she received. His hands tighten into fists, his jaw locks as though he’s grinding his teeth, and a wave of fury rolls off him so hot I step back, bringing Evie with me.
“What, baby?” I swallow, not wanting to know but needing to anyway. “What does it say?”
“Below the picture, it says, ‘You are next, bitch.’”
My entire body instantly sizzles with a heat so intense I feel like I could throw fireballs from my hands like one of those superheroes in the comic books. “Are you telling me she threatened my sister?” I growl as though the very hounds of hell are nipping at my heels and amplifying my ire.
Camden lifts his hands. “Sweets...” he warns.
I take the few steps necessary to snatch the phone from Camden’s hands and review the text. There’s a picture of my destroyed shop window in all its mutilated glory. Just like Cam said, underneath the picture is the threat against Evie. Seeing those four words directed at my kind, loving, sweet-as-pie, would-never-hurt-a-fly, beautiful sister sparks a rage the likes of which I’ve never felt before simmering through my veins.
“I’ll kill her,” I yell, my fury so intense I can hardly contain it. “Where does she live?” I fist my hands, ready to do whatever I have to in order to get my sister out of this vile woman’s crosshairs. “She wants to take a shot at me, then bring it on!” I scream, letting the anger out where I stand in the middle of the sidewalk in front of my store.
Camden cups my neck on either side and brings us nose-to-nose. “You will do no such thing. We’re bringing this new development to the police. In the meantime, we’ll ensure that Evie is safe with us. I have plenty of bedrooms on the ranch. For now, let’s get her inside and into some clothes. We’ll have some coffee and call the police. Okay? Let’s take a minute to settle down. We will get justice, and Brittney will pay. I promise you that.”
His words register, and I glance over my shoulder to find Evie’s arms crossed over her chest, looking more vulnerable than I’ve ever seen her.
“Your sister needs you right now, baby. Go take care of her. I’ve got this.”
I lock my teeth, take a slow breath through my nose, and go comfort my sister.
* * *
“Mom, Dad, what in the world are you doing here?” Camden says while I place another handwoven scarf over the rack I’m assembling.
Patty Bryant bustles inside the store and pulls me into a hug. “Kaye, sweetheart, I’m so glad you’re okay.”
I hug Patty, allowing her motherly warmth and concern to filter through all the negative and bring some peace to my soul. “Hi, Patty.”
“Oh, stop that Patty business. You used to call me Mom and now that you and my boy are back together, all is right with the world once again. Isn’t that right, Coltrane?” Patty grins and looks over her shoulder.
Coltrane maneuvers around his son, opens his arms, and pulls me into them. “Darlin’ girl, I’m so sorry you were vandalized by that spoiled brat. When Porter contacted us after driving by the place this morning, we knew we had to hustle down and be here for moral support.”
I lean against Coltrane’s side and soak up his fatherly concern. My own stepdad and I have never had as easy a relationship as I’ve had with Cam’s father.
“And your brothers will be here shortly.”
“Call them off. Seriously. I’ve got the situation under control—” Camden attempts before his father cuts him off.
“Now, son, you know when family is dealing with a situation, we all pitch in.”
“Exactly. Sister! Bring it in!” Preston stands at the cusp of the door to my shop, both hands up and his fingers waving for me to come to him. I smile and run over to him, and he scoops me up into a big bear hug.
God, I missed this family.
Preston shakes me silly while holding me tight, then lets my feet touch the ground. “You need me to knock some sense into someone for you?”
I laugh heartily and shake my head. “Missed you, bro.”
He hooks an arm around my shoulder and tucks me to his side before lifting his chin up toward Cam. “What’s the sitch, brother?”
Camden sighs loudly and runs his fingers through his hair like he’s done for the millionth time today. “We’ve got the police dealing with this.”
“What can we do?” Porter says from behind us.
Preston and I spin around.
“Are you all right, Suda Kaye?” Porter’s voice dips gently, and he reaches out a hand to squeeze my arm.
“Yeah, Port, I’m fine. Thank you for coming. Thank you all for coming, but you didn’t need to—”
“That’s what families do for one another.” CJ ambles up to Porter’s side, hands in his pockets, a surly expression marring his otherwise handsome face. Briefly I wonder if I’ll ever win over CJ, though him being here does say a lot about how he feels about me.
Camden groans and looks up at the sky. “Guess the gang’s all here.”
I giggle and let go of Preston to get my guy to relax. I place my hands on his chest and look up at his handsome face, waiting for him to focus on me. When he looks down, I smile. “Baby, you have an amazing family and they care about your happiness—”
“And yours, my dear. No woman has ever been right for my boy besides you. We’re just all so thrilled you’re back,” Patty announces sweetly. “We’re here for you and my son.”
“Thanks, Mom.” I smile and give her a wink before bringing my attention back to Camden. I run my hands up and down his chest. “It’s okay. The more the merrier, right?”
He chuckles and wraps his arms around me. “You’re right. Let’s start with you telling us what we can help with to finish up the store. You can work on your special pieces until the detectives on your case have an update.”
“Well, to start, I imagine we’re going to have to remove everything from the window display in front and set them off to the side until the window can be repaired.” I point to two stacks of boxes along the far wall. “All of these boxes need to be unloaded, some product displayed, and others put in the storage room in the back. And then there’s Evie—”
“What about Evie?” Porter’s voice lifts in volume and grit.
I lick my lips and widen my eyes at Cam. “You didn’t tell them about the threat?”
“Who’s threatening Evie?” Preston’s muscular chest puffs out, reminding me of a dragon inhaling just before it obliterates an enemy with a blast of fire.
Cam’s head drops down, his chin toward his chest. “Hell, the last thing we need is my brothers vying to protect Evie—”
“What do you mean, protect her?” Porter chimes in. “What are you not telling us?”
“Evie got a threatening message from whoever did this, which we are assuming is Brittney. The message basically said Evie was next,” Camden fills in.
Preston edges me aside and grips the lapels of Camden’s suit jacket. “And you neglected to tell us this?”
Camden shoves Preston’s hands off him. “Back off. I didn’t neglect to tell you anything. None of this is any of your business. Like I said, the police are dealing with both threats. Evie is upstairs right now, working.”
Within seconds, Porter and Preston are dashing up the stairs.
Cam lifts his arms and intertwines his fingers at the back of his head. “Jesus...”
I grin. “Right! Who knew that Preston and Porter had a thing for Evie?” I clap. “This could be good, especially since Milo’s married and out of the picture.”
“Who the hell is Milo?” He narrows his gaze and a bit of a sinister look flashes across his eyes. “You mean the guy that was helping you? Native American guy. Long black hair. He’s into Evie?” Cam places his hands on his waist and waits for me to respond.
“I told you that a long time ago. He’s actually friends with one of your brothers. He worked with another tribe member to get the foundation’s help years ago.”
For a moment, Camden looks at me like I’m wearing a multicolored clown wig until he apparently works it out. “Oh shit. Milo...” He closes his eyes. “Milo Chavis is CJ’s friend from college? Hell, I didn’t put the two together before because I was so focused on thinking you were dating the guy. I don’t recall being part of the project he worked on before. Evie’s into him?”
“Uh, yeah, only been half in love with him since we were kids.”
“Wow, that’s gonna be awkward for Porter. He’s always had a thing for Evie.”
“Not really. Last week, Evie ran into Milo and his wife. He’s definitely out of the picture now.”
“Guess so.”
“Then why is Preston rushing to check on Evie?” I frown, worried that my sister is about to get in the middle of a Bryant brotherly battle for the damsel in distress.
“Because he loves you both like sisters. He’s fiercely protective of his family. He won’t intrude on Porter finally making his play for Evie.”
I blow out a breath and pull my hair into a messy bun on top of my head, using the scrunchie I have on my wrist. “This has been quite a day. Broken windows. Police. Your family stepping in to help. Porter finally getting a chance to make his move on Ev. Jeez, tomorrow is going to be utterly boring.”
Camden chuckles and pulls me into a hug. “We can only hope.”
I frown and let a small niggle of fear surface. “Do you think she’s really capable of hurting my sister?”
He shakes his head. “No, I don’t. I think she’s upset and acting out. That doesn’t make her dangerous physically, but it’s obvious her mental status is not healthy. The woman needs to be dealt with, though I assume it’s nothing a little community service and one helluva shrink can’t fix. You and Evie are going to be just fine.”
“Thanks, for being here, for being you. I’m sorry that she hurt you, but I’m not sorry it led us here, to one another.”
He grins and runs his nose along mine. “Now that we both can agree on. Come on, let’s get this place ready. Mom’s already got boxes open and is bossing Dad around. If you want things your way, you’re going to have to direct the show.”
I chuckle. “I’d rather check on Evie. Make sure the Bryant brothers aren’t freaking her out.”
He nods. “Good idea. I’ll get Mom and Dad on getting us all some food. How’s that sound?”
“Wonderful.”
“Wonderful is what you are, Suda Kaye. You get hit with all of this craziness and you take it all in stride. A lot of women would be cowering in the corner, crying. Not you. You’re pulling up your bootstraps and getting to work to fix what was broken. I adore that about you.”
I tip my head to the side and smile. “Couldn’t do any of it without you.”
“That’s what I’m counting on, sweets. You never having to do anything without me again.” He kisses me swiftly and lets me go, heading to have a chat with his mother.
I make my way to the stairs, and once I get to the first step, I look over my shoulder and see his parents nodding and putting on their coats. Camden’s father pats his son on the back, and his mother kisses his cheek. As they walk toward the front entrance, they wave at me. I wave back, but my eyes don’t leave the man I love.
That’s when it hits me. I don’t want to do anything without this man in my life. Ever again.
With the knowledge that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, I head upstairs to check on my sister.
19
Camden presses his head back into the pillow, his corded neck stretched, the muscles bulging as he moans. I run my tongue up his length and spin a circle around the bulbous, weeping tip.
“Jesus, sweets.” Camden’s fingers tunnel into my hair, and he grips so tight it pulls at the roots.
The pleasure ripples from my scalp down my spine to land hotly between my thighs where I’m desperate for attention, but not until I’ve made him lose his mind. I suck hard at the tip, flatten my tongue, and lave at the sensitive underside until his hips are powering up as I descend, taking his length as deep as I can. Once the knobbed head bumps the back of my throat, I hum, knowing the exact reaction I’m going to get.
Camden presses my head down, his cock plunging down my throat where I swallow, giving him exactly what he needs.
“Holy hell, I’m going to come.” He grips the sides of my face as I hollow out my cheeks and suck hard, bobbing up and down until his entire form is squirming and he’s gritting his teeth, his eyes shut and those beautiful hands digging into my skin. “Want to come inside you, Suda. Need it. Now!” he growls and yanks me up off his length and flips me to my back.
He spreads my thighs, grips my ass, centers his cock, and plows inside. This time, I’m the one moaning, stretching my back and pushing my hips up to get more of him. Always more.
“Want deeper,” he grates between his clenched teeth.
“Take what you want, baby.” I pant against his ear as his length pounds me into the mattress.
After a few more glorious thrusts, Cam reaches for my knees, slides his hands under them, and presses me in half as he gets up on his knees to take me deeper. His length drills inside of me, touching places I didn’t even know he could, dragging along the sensitive, swollen walls, sending waves of intense pleasure careening through my body. His gaze leaves mine as his head falls forward to watch his cock enter and retreat.
“You’re so beautiful. Us together is pure beauty, Suda Kaye. Open your eyes, baby, and look. Watch me take you.” His voice is dripping with carnal lust, and his eyes are wildly focused between my thighs.
