Pure Temptation (Priceless)

Hell, I was all up in Ollie’s wedding, and her dad, Dave, has always been so sweet to me. The whole Hart family has, and nothing has changed since it became clear Kane and I are a thing. I’m not sure why I was nervous about seeing them. I should’ve known they would be accepting.

Boyfriend and girlfriend. I play the words on repeat in my mind.

Boyfriend? Is that what I’m supposed to call Kane now? It feels so right and so wrong at the same time. Maybe it’s because there is nothing boyish about Kane. But I’m not sure what else to call him and he’s not hiding what we are from anyone. He made that clear when we’d gotten to Hart Bonds about twenty minutes ago.

Even in the few pictures of him I saw when I was over at Ollie’s childhood home, he never looked like a boy. One of the pictures that always stood out to me is on the mantel. When I asked Ollie about it, she said Kane was twelve. I swear he looked to be the most serious twelve-year-old holding a fishing pole I’d ever seen in my life.

“Are you really going to work here?” Ollie asks, her eyes filled with hope. She and Jason came in a few minutes after Kane and I got to the office.

We were out spending the day together running errands when he’d gotten a call from his dad about someone they needed to pick up that had skipped bond or something. We headed right over to the office.

“Maybe.” I’m sitting on Kane’s desk.

He placed me here, then he dropped a kiss on my mouth and headed into his father’s office. The door is open, but I can’t make out what any of them are saying. His brother Ben and Ollie’s husband, Jason, are in the office with them too.

“Oh.” Ollie’s brows pull together. “Kane said I should come in and show you some stuff while they go on a run. I figured that meant you’d agreed to take the job.”

“He made you come in?” Well, crap. The point of me possibly working here was to take some of the load off Ollie. Not call her in on a Saturday to show me the ropes.

“He didn’t make me.” She laughs. “Besides, we were having lunch down the street, and I wanted to see what was up.” She smirks at me.

Ollie was one of the first people to point out that Kane was always staring at me. I kept telling her it was because he thought I was probably up to something, and he didn’t want her hanging out with me. I used to make her laugh, telling her that my pink hair probably scared her straight-laced brother.

That’s honestly what I thought the first week I met Kane: that he would think I was no good for his sweet little sister. Then I realized that he was just all-around protective of everyone, and that included me now. While that is true, I see now with me it was because he wanted me. I’m done lying to myself or letting my insecurities get in the way.

“I’m going to go with them,” Jason says, coming out of Carter’s office into Kane’s.

“Really?” Ollie melts into Jason’s side as he wraps one arm around her.

The other goes to her stomach to rest. I love how protective he is of her. I never thought I’d see the day someone would tame Jason and it wasn’t because he was some big playboy or something. In fact, it was the opposite. He brushed all females off. But the moment he saw Ollie, he was knocked flat on his ass.

“Or I can stick with you.”

“No, go. I’m going to hang out with Pink. Show her some stuff. She might be working here soon.” Jason glances my way.

“That would be a good fit.” Jason nods in approval. “You hated that call agency anyways.”

“They fired me,” I admit.

“Really?” He gives me a skeptical look. I shrug it off.

“Yeah.”

“Why didn’t you say something? You know I’ve been trying to get you to work over at the mine.”

“Jason.” I sigh, not wanting to have this fight.

The man has done more than enough for me. If it wasn’t for him, I have no clue what would have happened to my brother. He was the one to make sure I got into a good apartment and helped with securing me custody.

“Fine, but if shit doesn’t work out here, you’re with me.”

“It’s going to work out. Back off,” Kane barks as he comes back into the office.

I hold my breath, not used to seeing people push back against Jason. In the world I grew up in, he’s the law. Jason only smirks and takes a step back, taking Ollie with him so Kane can get by.

“I’ve got to go on a run.” He places his hand on the desk next to me. His massive body blocks everyone else out. If you were to walk into his office right now, I don’t think you could see me.