“You’ve gotta be kiddin’ here.” Kane blinked as he stood in the breezeway of the barn.
“It’s a Corvette,” Braden stated, his green eyes sparkling almost emerald.
“Really? Fooled me.” Kane’s sarcasm drifted into the loft where Evan peered down with a grin as he tossed a few hay bales over the rail.
“Ask him why he’s giving her a seventy-thousand dollar car. You’re gonna love this.” Evan stepped on a few boards, and then jumped out of the loft.
“I know why he’s doing it,” he said as he watched Braden survey his purchase.
“Braden, you’re acting like our dads used to act, or so the story goes. All of ‘em wanted to control Mom. Now you’re no different. You think by buying expensive gifts for Peyton, you’re buying a little insurance. You’re hoping she’ll do things our way until she graduates.”
“It’s worth a try.”
“It’s worth nearly seventy grand to keep her in line?” Kane rubbed his chin. “I don’t think so. Something else going on here?”
“Hell, no.”
“You responded too quick to the question.” Kane peered inside the car. “This is sweet.” He dared to even look. Then he dared to sit, turn the key and crank it.
He bent his ear and listened to the hum of six hundred and twenty horsepower. He didn’t know much about engines but he realized this little baby had plenty of get-up and go. He shook his head and stepped out of the sports car. “Hell, why not buy everybody one?”
“It’s not your birthday,” Evan pointed out.
Kane grunted.
Braden readjusted the ridiculous rope holding the bright red ribbon in place. The top of the car looked like it held the world’s largest squishy tomato on top rather than a beautiful bow with satin and silk ribbons.
“He likes her a little bit,” Evan reported.
“You don’t say.”
“It’s from all of us, you two helped pay for it too.”
Kane shook his head. “The dropped bomb.”
“Yeah, I took it out of the farm account.”
“Perfect. Where Peyton is concerned, you just don’t care, do you? Hell, why not sign over the ranch? For that matter, give her your damned horse. It cost about as much as this car.”
Braden shrugged and then poked him in the ribs and pointed toward the main gate leading into the property. Peyton’s car sped toward them. “Come on. Let’s hide over here.”
Before anyone protested, they crunched down in a nearby stall. They heard the four-door sedan move closer and closer. The engine died, sputtered to a stop like it typically did, and a loud shriek rang out as her tiny little feet carried her straight into the barn.
“Oh…my…God…” It wasn’t Peyton’s voice. Wrong footsteps.
Kane rolled his eyes. Braden obviously didn’t bank on Vicky. Just what they all needed today of all days.
Peyton’s best friend provided cleavage whenever she showed up at the place, and she was cute in an annoying sort of way. He’d noticed she continued to show up more and more frequently. She must’ve planned to move in too.
Vicky turned eighteen many moons ago so he’d already noticed her. He flirted too. It drove Peyton mad so he did it more than he might have if she didn’t give a bone. Boner. He could think it now.
Eighteen. The sweetest number in the world. He wanted to share all sorts of sentiments with her now, as a birthday present, if for no other reason.
Peyton, for once, must’ve been speechless. They all peered over the ledge and watched in amazement.
“Peyton, is this yours?” Vicky emphasized nearly every word she spoke.
“I…I…I…”
“Well, is it? Did anyone else have a birthday?” Vicky probed. Kane let out a huge sigh and blew their cover. Evan poked him in the ribs, and the men stood at one time.
“Surprise,” Braden smiled and waved his arms as if to say ta-da.
“It’s hers?” Vicky squealed.
“Yes, Vicky, it’s hers. Don’t you ever shut up?” Kane snapped.
He didn’t know why but having her there ruined the surprise for him, and he quickly decided she didn’t have good looking boobs either. They were supported by a push-up bra. He might tell her he finally noticed. Yes indeed. He was pissed she decided to spoil their surprise.
Peyton blinked. “I…I…I…”
“Can you speak, girl?” Braden asked.
“I…can’t…accept this,” she said finally.
“You can’t?” Kane wondered why. Did she plan on leaving?
“No. I can’t let you spend this kind of money on me.”
“You do know we’re the kind of folks with money, right?” Braden asked.
“He means they’re rich,” Vicky translated.
Her eyes darted from Evan to Braden to Kane and back to Kane before she moved onto Braden again. “You really want me to drive this machine?” She waited for an answer. She stared at the brother who liked to live like on the edge. Kane grinned. His thoughts exactly. She’ll need a chauffer.
Kane would’ve liked nothing better than to provide a provocative answer. No, I want you to drive me, I’ll handle the machine. He resisted the urge. Hell, maybe he didn’t even think it. He understood she needed his approval, more or less, so he tried to nod with it.
“Sit down in it. You’ll change your mind.” He had a hard time taking his eyes off the sleek metallic tint coat. The jet stream blue would look mighty fine pulling in their driveway with the top down. The image in his mind’s eye tempted far too much, and he almost saw her pulling through their gates now, her blonde hair free falling into a wild wind.
Braden walked over and handed her the keys. “There’s a house key on it too. Boathouse key is the white one, looks like plastic. I figure if you’ve got a convertible, might as well have somewhere to drive it on a pretty day.”
“But of course, why not? The boathouse is the logical place for teens to hang, huh?” Kane gritted his teeth, and Evan laughed as he slapped him on the back.
Now, Kane wanted to kill him. Braden tried hard to screw things up where Peyton was concerned. For a man who didn’t want their houseguest fucked, he sure allowed her access to the wrong toys.
Kane wanted to scream. The boathouse? His private haven? The place where he romped the occasional gal pal after one too many drinks, and his one true escape from work and life and everyone in it?
“Do you think you might want to spoil her just a little bit more?” he finally snapped.
Braden started for the lower field. “Happy Birthday, Peyton.” He ignored Kane. Smart move, actually, because Kane felt confrontational now.
Since Braden expected a better reaction from Peyton, he never looked back. Braden pouted like a woman sometimes, and right now, his feelings were hurt. Let him go talk it over with his damn horse, Kane thought. Quizzard had more sense than his owner.
Evan shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. They won’t use the boathouse.”
“Oh yeah? Check out the jumping up and down over there. Sure they won’t.”
They looked excited enough to pop a few buttons on their blouses. They giggled, danced, and held hands as they continued their little dance moves. Yeah, that boathouse had their names scribbled across it now. Before long they’d paint it pink and hang bikinis from the deck.
“I take it the lake is more interesting than the car?” Kane studied their faces and noticed how they forced solemn expressions as soon as he asked.
“No, oh no. Are you kidding? Look at this car!” Peyton squealed.
Oh hell. A squealer. What he’d do to make her yelp for him. He looked at his brother, and Evan chuckled before he ran his hand over the front of his pants. Evan liked a gal with lungs too.
Kane grunted. The girls locked hands again and jumped up and down.
“They act like a couple of school girls,” Kane said as he walked out of the barn with Evan right on his heels.
Evan didn’t have a hard time reminding him. “They are a couple of school girls.”
Kane narrowed his eyes on his older brother as he tried to get Quizzard’s attention. The stallion ran loops around him. “She hurt his feelings or his pride?”
“Both.”
“Then I’ll talk to her.”
“I’ll do it,’ Evan offered. “All you’re going to do is piss her off when you start harping about the twenty-five thousand dollars we each pitched in for the cause.”
“I’d like to have a say-so ever now and again. He spent our money without thinkin’, and it just doesn’t seem right, you know, spoiling her like she’s ours to spoil.”
“She is ours to spoil,” Evan reminded him as he turned around and stared back toward the noise. “At least for now.”
“Great, he bought the added features.” Kane grumbled. “The car is loaded.” His dick twitched reminding him the car wasn’t the only thing loaded. He rubbed his hand across his denim jeans. What he had was just more lethal, or it would be soon enough.
The girls turned up the stereo volume. It blared so loud, the horses began prancing in their stalls. The men watching the display of true sex appeal stood in the breezeway and stared at swaying hips, bouncing boobs, and an erotic dance designed to tear at a man’s balls.
“Good Lord.” Kane rubbed his hand over his cock again.
Evan slapped his back. “Hell, give her a few weeks before you start that shit.”
“I’m thinking a few minutes. She’s of age now.”
“Don’t matter. Braden will kill ya.”
Kane shook off his dirty thoughts and changed the subject. “I guess every teenager wants a jamming car stereo.” And every man wants a woman who can move like her, he thought. “She’s going to thump all the way to school.”
“Admit it, you don’t mind if she’s thumping to the music just as long as it doesn’t draw unnecessary attention to the car or a few guys who might want to do some thumping of a different kind.”
Kane looked at his brother cross-eyed and walked back to the barn. Peyton reached a decision while they left her to check out her new gift. She loved the car. He didn’t even have to ask. She had on her shades, her hair pulled tight against a hair clip and her head bobbed to the music.
“Man! I love this car, Kane. It’s rockin’, huh?”
Why ruin her day by grumbling about price? “Yeah, it’s pretty cool, Peyton.”
Vicky elbowed her in the ribcage and then hurried off to grab something out of Peyton’s old clunker. Kane saw the set-up and almost laughed.
“So, uh, have you driven her yet?” She patted the steering wheel.
“Nope.”
“Bet you’re dying to though, aren’t you?” she stepped out of the car and propped her hip against the door when she shut it.
“Nay, I kind of think someone else should get the honor.” He nodded his head toward the pasture.
Peyton covered her mouth with her hand and then let out a sigh of frustration. “You all are so good to me and look at me. I didn’t even say thank you.”
“No thanks needed here, but…” He rubbernecked in Braden’s direction. “If I had to guess, he’s been out here all morning trying to imagine how you’d react when you saw it.”
“I guess I failed the test.”
“You didn’t flunk any kind of test with him. Braden wants you to like his gifts, enjoy them, behave, and graduate. It’s pretty simple with him, Peyton.”
“And with you? Is it pretty simple with you?”
He grinned, “What the hell do you think? You’ve lived with us for three months. If you don’t know by now, kid, you’ll never know.” Kane started toward the tack room. “Go tell him thanks, brag on him a little bit and stroke his ego.” Then come on back here. I’ve got something in between my legs that might need a little stroking too.
Peyton ran over and threw her arms around his neck. It was the first time she’d ever hugged him. For the most part, Kane stayed out of her way and while her breasts mashed up against his chest, he understood why he’d tried to steer clear.
His cock came alive and damn near danced right out of his pants. She’s eighteen, he reminded himself. Yesterday, it was wrong. Today, the law and society says it’s okay.
He turned away from her before she looked down. God help him, if she looked at his bulge and caught him with a boner today, he didn’t know what he’d do. Nope, the little vixen was checking out his feet. Evan once told him why the girls all checked out a man’s shoes. Kane decided it was something they must teach the gals in sex-ed.
She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Kane. I love it.”
“Then love it enough to take care of it,” he growled and immediately patted himself on the back for sounding out like a big brother, or a guardian. Then his mind went crazy and thank goodness his mouth refused to follow suit.
And don’t let any boys in it. And don’t drive too fast. The car can get away from you. And don’t let any boys in it. Don’t fuck in it or take your shirt off or go down on a guy while he’s driving it.
“Shit.” He picked up his gloves, shoved them in his pocket and then kicked the barn door with everything he had in him, which didn’t make any sense at all. He took a big drink of air, gulped it right in and held his breath until his cheeks filled with hot air. She frustrated the hell out of him. He kicked the door once more and turned around. There, he found Vicky’s curious eyes.
“Ah hell,” he grumbled before he picked up his gait and headed outside.
Now he’d done it. He’d pitched an immature fit in front of Peyton’s BFF or whatever she called her and if he knew Vicky, her mind churned. She’d interpret what she saw precisely the way it was. Ninety days of desire-driven, hard core sexual frustration kicked into the side of the barn by the guy with a hard-on stout enough to split wood.
Maybe she didn’t notice.
Yeah, right.
Peyton gave Evan a tight squeeze and headed down to the fields where she found Braden. She called for him like he’d disappeared out onto the open range somewhere and wouldn’t be able to hear her. Cupping her hands over her mouth, she hollered again and again.
Finally, he scrambled up the hillside with his thousand dollar horse behind him. Okay, so Peyton realized they paid more than a few thousand for a horse. They insured the damn thing for crying out loud.
“Braden, there you are.”
“Something wrong, Peyton?”
“No, nothing except I’m impolite. I’m as rude as some cowboy spittin’ tobacco on a lady’s new shoes.”
His mouth twitched. “Rude, you say?”
“Yep, I believe so.” She leaped forward and gave him a quick hug before she kissed his cheek. “I love the car.”
“I’m glad, Peyton.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Have you driven it yet?”
“You mean I’m supposed to drive it? I thought some considered it a collector’s item, and you wanted me to keep it in the barn. Kind of like you do that ass you’re dragging behind you.’
She meant the horse.
He took her as literal and immediately, his face turned blood red.
“I meant Quizzard, not your ass,” she clarified.
“I understood what you meant.” He didn’t.
“Vicky and I are going to study for a bit,” she reported.
“Okay.”
“Braden, thanks again. The car is bad.”
“It is?”
Evan walked up as she said the word. “Bad is good.”
Braden narrowed his eyes. “I’m in my twenties, not over-the-hill.”
“Just keeping you straight.”
“Take her for spin, Peyton, but get Evan or Kane to ride with you until you get used to the feel of the road. It’s a car with a lot of power, and it’ll get away from you if you’re not careful.”
She pulled Evan’s arm. “Come on, take me for a drive.”
“I wish I could Peyton, but the guys are going to be here any second to pick me up.”
“Oh, I see.” She stuck her lower lip out and started to pout.
“Yep, I figured I’d go drink one for you since you’re still three years shy of your twenty-first birthday.”
She just bet. If she knew Evan it was something more than drinking with the guys. She’d bet on some gal getting fucked in her honor to keep him out of her bedroom later.
Lately, Evan stared her up and down. A few times, she’d caught him with his hand on his cock. Usually, it happened after he spotted her eating breakfast in her panties and bra.
“Listen, Kane wants to drive it. So ask him to take you for a spin.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
She laughed out loud. He didn’t even realize what he suggested. Kane most definitely wanted to take her and the car for a spin.
Peyton headed straight for Kane. She saw him at the barn entrance. He held onto a hitching post and tugged at his boots.
“Kane, will you take me for a drive?”
He winked. “Damn girl, if you only realized what you’re asking.”
Oh but she had a pretty good idea. She was blonde but far from dumb.