Circle B Ranch Boxed Set

Chapter 2

My heart pounds as a painful migraine settles between my eyes. The alcohol I drank last night is giving me a run for my money as blood rushes to my head. I regret the two shots I took before Knox nearly punched in that guy’s face. I’d only been playing his stupid Kiss a Stranger game hoping that he’d get jealous and kiss me instead. We’d never crossed any lines before, and I’m not quite sure what to think. I went on the date with no expectations, but when I started drinking, I felt more confident than I had been.

Kiss a Stranger me Knox left for Eldorado hours ago to avoid getting his ass chewed out for being late to work. However, Knox showing up hungover and getting in trouble is nothing new. Though spending the day with him would’ve been interesting, I expected him to leave before the sun rose. His one-nighters should be called half-night stands. From everything he’s shared over the years, he never stays for breakfast unless it comes with a promise for round two.

half-nightWhen my bladder threatens to explode, I stand and wobble to the bathroom. Thank God it’s Sunday, and I don’t have to work until tomorrow. I’ll be chugging water all day hoping I don’t feel like utter crap in the next twenty-four hours. Being a nurse at the hospital means I’m on my feet the majority of the time. I work in the ICU, where there’s always a crisis, so I have to be on my A game. People’s lives are literally in my hands. When it’s crazy, I’ll spend the day sprinting from room to room.

Once I pee, I brush my teeth to get the alcohol taste out of my mouth.

And the taste of him.

himAfter I shower and dry off, I feel a million times better. I throw on some comfy yoga pants and a loose T-shirt, then a moment’s later, my lock pad beeps, and my door whips open.

“Hads!”

Kane?

Kane?“Hadleigh, where ya at?” he shouts, his voice echoes throughout my house, and he doesn’t sound pleased.

I walk out of my bedroom. “Right here.”

He rushes toward me in the hallway, lowering his gaze down my body, then back up to my eyes.

“Are you okay?” I ask. I’ve never seen him like this. He looks ready for a fight even though he’s typically the one ending them.

“I need you to be honest with me.”

I furrow my brows. “About what?”

“Did anything happen between you and Knox on your date?” He says the word with disdain.

dateBlinking, I stumble back a couple of steps. “Uh…that’s not really your business. I didn’t ask you about your date with Sarah.”

“You know nothing fuckin’ happened between us. And it’s my business because he’s my brother and you’re my best friend. It would change things, so I deserve to know if something is goin’ on between you two.”

I move closer, trying to read his expression. Not that I’ve had a ton of dates in recent years, but he’s never asked about them. That was juicy gossip I saved for Harper, my other best friend since grade school. She’s married with a baby now, so her priorities have switched from girls’ night out to romantic nights in. I love that for her, but I could really use some advice on what the hell is happening right now.

“Why do you care about this so much, Kane? You’ve never asked about my dates before.” I rest my hands on my hips and challenge him to come up with a better excuse.

never“Fine, ya really wanna know? You wanna know why the thought of you with my brother makes me physically ill?”

My throat goes dry as I watch his face turn from anger to hurt.

“Because you’re the girl I’ve been in love with since high school. You’re the one I’ve wanted to be with for as long as I can remember. So if you’re hooking up with my brother, let me know now so I can move the f**k on.”

His intense blue gaze holds me in place as I swallow hard, unable to breathe. My heart beats erratically, and I try to form the words to respond, but nothing that comes to me makes any sense.

“Whoa, wait a minute…” I step back, needing a moment to process this. “What do you mean you’ve been in love with me since high school? Are you just saying that now since Knox and I went out? I—”

“No, I’m not, but I am f*****g jealous. The one night I was away, he took you out. And every second you were with him, I was raging with envy. Then when I saw him this morning with a smug-ass look on his face, I lost it.”

“Kane! You didn’t…” I inch closer, hoping to somehow calm him. He looks unhinged.

“I got one hit in, but don’t worry, he’s fine.” He shrugs carelessly. They’ve gotten into more fights than I can count, but I didn’t expect them to physically fight over me.

physicallyI sigh with a groan. This is the last thing I wanted to deal with today.

“You seriously didn’t know I had feelings for you?” he challenges. This possessive and jealous side of him is different and hot as hell.

“I had my suspicions, but I didn’t know for certain. You never freaking told me!” I shout, getting angry at how he went about this. “I’m not a goddamn mind reader, ya know?”

“I don’t want to upset you, Hads. I’m sorry.”

“How was I supposed to know when you never said anything? You’ve been my best friend since forever.”

“I didn’t want to make things weird and awkward between us. If you rejected me, our friendship would’ve been over. If we dated and broke up, I’d never get to see you again. Every time I was close to confessing, I chickened out. You gave me so many mixed signals that I didn’t know where you stood. But f**k it, now it’s weird, so it might as well be out in the open.”

“I gave you mixed signals?” I ask in shock. “I thought our friendship was mutual. You’re throwing all of this at me, and truthfully, I don’t really know how to respond.”

I“Well, what if I told you I think Knox’s all wrong for you? You deserve better, and he’d only break your heart. Deep down, I think you know that too. If you gave me a chance, I’d prove how amazing we’d be together. We already know everything about each other and practically act like a couple between going out to eat and you crashing at my house on the weekends. Why is it so crazy to think I wouldn’t be attracted to you or want more?”

I contemplate his questions. My brain is hardly working today as it is, and this isn’t helping the hangover.

“I don’t know,” I reply honestly. “I’m really confused, but I know I don’t want to hurt you. I’m sorry if that’s not what you wanted to hear, but I’m very conflicted at the moment.”

Without a word, Kane closes the gap between us and pushes me against the wall. He squeezes my hips and pulls our bodies together.

“What are you doin’?”

In his deep, husky voice, he says, “Something I should’ve done a long-ass time ago.”

He cups my face and slants his mouth over mine, capturing my lips in a heated kiss. I wait for my mind to freak out, but it never does. Instead, my body melts into him, and I fist his shirt, tilting my head back so he has full access.

I often wondered if kissing Kane would feel like kissing my brother. It doesn’t.

It doesn’t.A moan escapes my throat when he slides his tongue in and massages it with mine. This kiss is hot and eager, and the heat between my thighs surprises me. Kane groans as he slides a hand behind my neck and up into my hair, and I contemplate ripping off his shirt. Knox isn’t the only one with tattoos. Kane also has them on his arm and chest, along with a six-pack of abs that I’ve seen dozens of times but have never explored.

With that thought, I lower my hands and slide them underneath his shirt, feeling his muscles tighten beneath my touch. He leans into me, his erection poking into my lower stomach, and the urge to release him consumes me. I wonder if he has d**k piercings too. I’ve never had such vivid and intense thoughts of Kane before, but now that they’ve surfaced, I know they won’t just go away.

“Hads,” he murmurs, softly breaking our kiss. We pant into each other as he rests his forehead on mine. “You have no idea how goddamn long I’ve wanted to do that.”

“Why’d you stop then?” I whimper, almost pouting like a child who got their favorite toy taken away.

“Because if I didn’t, I’d rip off your clothes and f**k you until we both passed out from pleasure. And that’s not how I want this to go. I want to take you out. Spend time with you. This isn’t just about s*x for me. I’ve imagined you underneath me more times than I can count, but I don’t want it to be the basis of our relationship. I want you to want this too, Hads.”

My throat suddenly goes dry, and I wish I could give in to what I’m feeling, but I know that’d be impulsive. I’m too indecisive to truly know what I want in the heat of the moment.

Kane looks at me, patiently waiting for me to respond, but instead, tears fill my eyes.

“I’m torn because I don’t want to hurt you, and at this point, no matter what I do, someone will get hurt. Whatever choice I make will affect us forever. That’s a lot for me to grasp, so I hope you can understand that I don’t have an answer right now.”

He lowers his eyes with a nod, and the guilt creeps in. A part of me wants to jump him and give in to what my body’s feeling, while the other wants to have an emotional breakdown.

“Can you give me some time to think about all of this? I need to have a clear mind before deciding anything, and right now, I’m dealing with a massive headache.”

“Yeah, of course. I’ve sprung a lot on you. I didn’t mean to, but I couldn’t keep it in any longer.”

“Thank you.”

Kane leans down and presses his lips to my cheek. “I’ll wait for you, Hadleigh, if time is what you need. But if you don’t have feelings for me, tell me before it’s too late.”

Before I can say anything, he heads toward the door, then walks out—leaving me hot and flustered.