Confessions of a Mail Order Bride - Complete (14 page)

“Kane Foster!” I squealed. Oh shit. He must have heard the crash of the copier. I whipped my hands, my panties dangling from them, to the front of my crotch to cover up. Except for the little bit of cover my hands and the skimpy, tattered panties provided, I was totally naked.

Kane Foster was the owner of Kane’s Bar and Grill. He had a reputation for being both blunt and tough with customers and employees. Though I didn’t know him well, I saw him around town on occasion. I’d waited on him quite a few times at the diner. He came in often and always sat at one of my tables. The way he looked at me when I waited on him made me squirm—his gaze was intense. He was one of the few coyote shifters in Shifter Villages. Kane was a tall, handsome man, with dark brown hair and green eyes that seemed to miss nothing. He had a rough edge to him that made him sexy yet scary at the same time.

“What the fuck is going on in here?” he demanded. “And what are you two doing in my office?”

Kane stared at me. I could feel my skin flush as his eyes slowly traveled the length of my body, taking in every line of my curves and narrowing as they landed between my thighs.

“Hey buddy,” Brad winked at Kane, “you understand when a guy wants to have some fun. Don’t you?”

Kane jerked his head, glaring at Brad. “Shut up Stanford.”

“I’m so sorry,” I whimpered.

Kane’s nostrils flared as he jabbed a finger towards the machine on the floor. “My copier is broken.” He picked up a chunk of the plastic and tossed it back down. “This is not fixable.”

“She broke the copier,” Brad said, pointing a finger at me. “It was her.”

“Is that true?” Kane glared at me.

“Well, yes…I guess so. Brad and I…” I looked over at Brad, hoping he would say something to take the pressure off of me, but he was acting like it was my fault. “I’m so sorry.” I was so flustered I wasn’t sure what to say.

“Get the hell out of here,” Kane demanded, his voice rich with rage.

“Ok, ok,” I whispered shakily.

“Not you,” Kane said. “Him,” he pointed at Brad. “You,” he said firmly pointing at me, “don’t move.”

Brad finished zipping his slacks and headed to the door. “Marcie, you should have been more careful with the copier.” He turned to Kane, “Marcie’s a lot of fun, Kane. You should try her some time if you haven’t already.”

My mouth dropped open. “Fuck you Brad!” I couldn’t believe what he’d just said.

Kane frowned. “I’ll deal with you later, Stanford,” Kane growled as Brad opened the door to leave.

Brad didn’t wait to hear anymore. He was out the door in a flash, not even bothering to look back at me.

I reached down for my clothes. That fucking Brad, I knew he was no good. But to throw me under the bus like that and then pretty much tell Kane I was a slut? Wow. That hurt.

“Did I tell you that you could get dressed?” Kane asked.

“No, but I…”

“Alright, get dressed,” Kane said. But he made no move to leave. He stood there staring as I nervously shifted from one foot to the other.

“Could you please turn around?” I asked timidly.

“Why should I turn around? This is my office. You seemed comfortable enough to strip earlier.”

I glanced at the floor. Every word he was saying was true. How could I have been so stupid as to fall for Brad Stanford’s BS again, get naked, and have sex in Kane’s office?

“Are you suddenly shy now?” Kane persisted. “Just minutes ago you were buck naked on my copy machine and now you are shy? I don’t think so.”

I grimaced. With Kane watching every move and studying my body, I quickly pulled on my skirt, bra and blouse nervously twisting the tattered remains of my panties in my palm.

When I’d finished getting dressed, I started towards the door. “I’ll get going now,” I said softly. I couldn’t meet his eyes.

“Not so fast,” Kane said. He pulled me back by the arm. “What does that look like?” he said, pointing towards the shattered copier on the ground.

“A, uh…copy machine.”

“And what does a copy machine do?” Kane pursed his lips, waiting for my answer.

“It um…it makes copies.” Why was Kane asking me these inane questions?

“Yes,” Kane said. “That’s right, a copy machine make copies.”

Kane reached down and picked up a piece of paper from the ground and flipped it over. It was the photocopy of my breasts. Even though Kane had clearly seen my naked boobs, it was embarrassing to have him see the photocopied image of them.

“It makes copies like this one. And I will admit, this is one of the better copies it’s made.” He arched his brows as he studied the print of my boobs.

I shrugged, but inside I was shaking. This was so humiliating.

“At least, it is supposed to make copies. But,” Kane waved his hand at the machine, broken in pieces on the floor. “I don’t think this one will be making copies anymore. What do you think?”

I hung my head. “I…I…guess not.”

“This machine was about five hundred dollars, and it looks like I’m going to need a new one,” Kane paused. “You’re going to have to pay me back.”

Shit! But of course he was right. What had I been thinking? Of course it needed to be replaced, Brad and I broke his machine. Well, technically, I guess I was the one who pushed it off the file cabinet, but still…

“I have some money saved. I’ll give it to you. I promise.”

“Oh, you’re going to pay me back alright,” Kane said. “I’m not worried about that.”

“Wha…what do you mean?”

Kane stared at me, his green eyes intense. “I mean…there are things other than cash that I’m interested in.”

I frowned. “I don’t know what you are getting at.” But there was little mistaking the glint in his eyes. My guts told me exactly what Kane wanted.

Kane tapped the wall thoughtfully. “I’ve watched you at the Dixie Diner...”

“And…” I swallowed.  The way he was looking at me, like he could eat me with a spoon, was making me so uncomfortable.

“You’re a beautiful woman. I like your pretty face and your curvy body.”

“O-okay...”

“I know you’ve been with a lot of the men.”

“Fuck you Kane!” What a friggin’ nerve! I’d heard Kane was blunt and it was obviously true. My skin was bristling.

“Calm down, Marcie. I’m just stating the facts.”

I could practically feel the steam coming out of my ears. I was so angry. “How dare you say that Kane Foster?”

“Well, you have.”

“That’s none of your business.”

“I just wanted you to know that it doesn’t bother me.”

“How very kind of you,” I spat the words out of my mouth.

“And there are
other
things that are more important to me than this money.”

“Wha—what?” Was he suggesting I have sex with him instead of paying him for the machine?

“I think it’s time for a change,” Kane stated.

“Get to the point, Kane Foster,” I said with a bravado I didn’t feel.

Kane’s eyes glinted. “Alright, I’ll get to the point. You need a man to love and protect you. I need a woman. And I choose you, Marcie, to be my mate.”

The bills in my hand had that worn feel to them. I was holding a wad of five hundred dollars in tip money that I’d earned working long hours dishing up eggs and ham, chicken fried steak, grilled cheese sandwiches, onion rings, and bacon burgers.

I blinked back tears as I thought of the money. I had been so excited to use the money I’d worked my ass off for to buy the car I saw advertised in the paper. But now that I’d made this one stupid mistake, there would be no car for me. It was almost one half of the money that I’d saved, and it didn’t feel good knowing I’d have to hand it over to Kane. But Brad and I had broken his copier, and Kane needed to be paid for it. I’d tried to get half of the money from Brad, but unfortunately he was nowhere to be found and he didn’t bother to answer my calls. It sure wouldn’t feel quite as bad if I were handing over two hundred and fifty dollars instead of five hundred—bad, but not quite as bad.

My face flamed as I remembered Kane telling me I didn’t need to pay him but could be with him instead. I could see the animalistic lust and desire in his eyes as he told me he wanted me as his mate.

“
What! You want me as your mate?” I sputtered.
“
You don’t even know me, Kane!”

“It’s just something I can feel in here. I know it to be true,” Kane thumped his chest.

“Oh, really Kane?” I inquired sarcastically. I had to admit, Kane was hot as hell, but what a nerve he had. Did he really think I would fall for his bullshit about choosing me as his mate just to get laid?

“I think you must be lonely, too,” Kane said, his eyes boring a hole into me.

“That’s your opinion…” I didn’t want to admit it to him, but I knew he was right. I had been with a lot of men, but my heart ached for something more, even while I was with them.

“I like you, Marcie. I like your look, your spunk, and your energy. I know we could do well together.”

“Yeah, right,” I muttered. He sounded so sincere…maybe, just maybe I should give him a chance.

“And, it doesn’t hurt that you’ve got a bangin’ body…” Kane added.

I knew it. Kane was just another sweet talker looking to get into my pants. He just wanted me because he thought I would give him a good time in bed. “You disgust me!” I spat.

“Oh, thanks a lot,” Kane said sourly. “Won’t you give me a chance?” he asked, his voice softening.

“Fuck you, Kane,” I turned on my heel. “I’ll bring your money by tomorrow at noon.”

Tomorrow had come quickly and now it was time to pay up. As I swung open the door to Kane’s Bar and Grill, I mentally prepared myself. I was going to make good on my promise. I’d hand him his cash, avoid any chatter, leave, and then hopefully avoid Kane Foster for the rest of my life. A hostess at the bar greeted me as I walked through the door.

“I’m here to see Kane Foster.”

“Are you Marcie Shore?”

“Yeah…” I had to wonder how much Kane had told her. Did everyone know I’d broken the copy machine while I was being pounded by a low life?

“You can go to Kane’s office. He’s expecting you,” the hostess said. “It’s the third door down to the left.” She pointed towards a hallway.

“Thanks.” I knew all too well where Kane’s office was—Brad Stanford had shown me, unfortunately.  I swallowed hard. It was going to be difficult to hand over this money, but I didn’t have much choice.

I tapped sharply on Kane’s door.

“Come on in,” Kane barked from the other side.

I walked into Kane’s office, closing the door behind me. He was sitting behind his desk, leaning back in a large, black chair and staring at me. I had to admit, he looked hot. His dark brown hair was mussed just a little and his chin had a day old scruff.  He was wearing a green muscle tee that set his pecs off.  A lickable tat of a fire-breathing dragon snaked up his arm. He looked very, very sexy. I shook my head. It wasn’t right that he was so deliciously hot when he was such a bastard.

I glanced around the room. The mess from the shattered copier had been cleaned up but there was no copy machine in its place.

“Have a seat, Marcie,” Kane said, waving his hand at the chair in front of his desk.

“No thanks. I won’t be staying long.”

I’d planned to just lay the money down on the table and leave. After all, I knew Kane thought I was a slut. The other day, he’d acted like we were meant to be together when I knew he was just looking for a good time. I felt like slapping his face or screaming at him, but I resisted the temptation.

“Here’s your money, Kane—five hundred dollars.” I placed the bills on his desk. I wanted to slam them down but didn’t, no sense stirring up more trouble. It was hard to look at the cash as I placed it on the surface. All that money, gone in a flash. Ugh. It was like going to the doctor when you paid for a check-up. You had to do it but usually had nothing to show for it, like a new pretty pocketbook or a pair of cute shoes, when you left. In this case, it was something even bigger—the partial payment for my new car—and my new life.

“Thank you, Marcie.”

“Aren’t you going to count it?”

“I trust you,” Kane responded.

“Ok, well if that’s all then.” I turned to go.

“I saw you on Vic’s site.”

Shit! I turned around to face him. “You mean the ‘Luscious Lads and Ladies’ site?” I asked, though I knew exactly what he meant.

Kane nodded.

“That, ah…that was a mistake. I was just fooling around.”

“I see,” Kane said. “So...you were just fooling around, and somehow accidentally uploaded a photo and bio to the ‘Luscious’ site?”

I swallowed.  “That’s right. They’re supposed to take it down. They just haven’t gotten to it yet.”

“So, you’re not looking for love?” Kane peered at me intently.

“No, I’m totally not,” I lied.

Kane raised his brows, “Really?”

“Well…I mean, I…” I looked at Kane. He was patiently waiting for me to finish. Why did I have to lie about it anyway?

“Yes…yes, I am looking for love,” I admitted. “I just shouldn’t be looking for love with a man in Shifter Villages, and especially not one on the ‘Luscious Lads and Ladies’ site.”

“And why not? Shifter Villages is growing. It’s a great place to mate and raise a family. And the ‘Luscious’ site is new, but it has already made marriage matches.”

“Everybody here knows me, and, well…” How did I share that with my bad reputation, posting my desire for true love on the site just meant I’d be the laughing stock of the town? “I just shouldn’t be…that’s all.”

“Why?” Kane persisted.

“Well, I…” I blinked back the tears. “I just don’t want to talk about it.”

Kane frowned. “Marcie, I know I came on very strong to you yesterday.”

“Just a bit,” I sniffled.

“I’m sure it was a lot for you to take in, but I meant every word I said.”

“Uh huh…” Oh boy, more Kane bullshit.

“I want to apologize if I said anything to upset you.”

My eyes widened in surprise. “You…you do?” He really
should
apologize for mentioning how I’d been with other men and acting like I was his intended, but I was surprised he admitted it.

“Yeah, I like you a lot and it just came out.”

“You’re just horny,” I mumbled.

“What did you say?” Kane asked.

“Nothing…you were saying…”

“The truth is, I’ve felt like you were meant for me for a while. I was waiting for the right time to tell you.”

“And yesterday was the right time?” A shiver ran through me as I thought about Kane’s eyes exploring my curves as I stood buck-naked in his office.

“No, it just came out,” Kane shook his head. “My animal just took over. Honestly, that’s never happened before with anyone, but with you…well…I just couldn’t hold back. I’ve wanted to tell you for a while.”

“Well, you sure picked quite the time to tell me,” I said.

“I meant it,” Kane said. “You’re spunky and sassy and beautiful. And I just…well...I should have waited for another time.”

“Uh huh…” Boy, men could sure come up with a crock of shit when they wanted to get laid. “It wasn’t the right time. But thanks for the compliments. Now, are we done?”

“Not quite,” Kane looked at me thoughtfully.

I tried to give him a hard look, but I was squirming under his gaze.

“I still want you for my mate.”

“Not happening,” I replied.

“Sadly, I thought you would say that. But, I have a proposition for you.” Kane picked up a pencil and tapped it on his desk.

“Oh, and what would that be—another opportunity to be with you?”

“Look, I want you for my mate…and you’re obviously looking for someone too. So, maybe you don’t think we’re perfect for each other...”

I snorted, “That’s an understatement.”

Kane ignored me. “…why can’t we be friends and lovers too—no strings attached.”

“Sort of like a friends with benefits arrangement?” I said nodding, but inside I was seething. Did this guy ever quit?

“Exactly,” Kane agreed. “We’ll just provide each other companionship till you find the right one. Then we can go our separate ways.” He picked up the pile of bills I’d set before him and rifled through them. “And of course, as good friends, you won’t have to pay me back.”

He shoved the money across the desk towards me. “What do you say?”

“Oh, so now you are pretty much offering me money for sex?”

Kane’s face reddened. “No, I mean I…” I could see Kane was flustered. 

“Why, what a great idea, Kane,” I said in my sweetest tone. “Not!” I picked up the bills and threw them back on the table. “Hell to the no!”