Sir Loin of Beef (Grade-A Beefcakes 1)

That she was The One. That while Duke was a fucking dumbass, he’d make it right. I’d make sure of it. I’d also make sure she was taken care of, that we’d prove to her, not matter what it took, that we wanted her for her. Kaitlyn Leary, no matter who her father was, or what he did.

I nodded to her in reply. From now on, we’d take care of her. She was under our protection. While I wanted to fuck her six ways to Sunday, I also wanted to love her. Cherish her. Keep her safe.

Seemingly content, Mrs. Duke took her husband’s hand and they walked back to their car. The others followed, giving us one last glance. She didn’t need all of them to comfort her, to change her mind about something that was so ingrained. I had no doubt they’d be pulling Kaitlyn into the family now. Dinners, shopping with the girls, whatever. They’d show her what a family was.

And right now Duke and I would show her what having men in her life was. How we were strong enough to carry her burdens too.

“Come here, baby,” I murmured when the worst of her tears had been shed, carefully pulling her from Duke’s hold. Wrapping her in my arms, I kissed the top of her head. She was warm and soft and it felt so damned good to hold her. She was right where I wanted her to be, where I knew she was safe, and soon, happy. If Duke and I had any fucking say about it, we’d spend the rest of our lives keeping this woman happy.

“Shh. Everything’s okay now. We’re here. We’re not going anywhere. Let’s go inside.”

Wiping her eyes, she nodded and let me lead her into the house, one hand wrapped around her waist. The place was small. Paint was faded on the walls, the wood floors scuffed. I could see into the kitchen, to the vintage linoleum and countertops, old but serviceable furniture in the living room. No matter that it needed some serious work, the place was immaculate. The scent of cinnamon, like holidays and baking, filled the air.

I stopped in the middle of the living room, tipped her chin up and then stroked back her hair with my palms. I got a good look at her. Dark, yet red-rimmed eyes, freckles across her pert nose, full lips I remembered kissing. Fuck, she was gorgeous. He

r hair was a wild tangle, like silk between my fingers.

“We mean it, Kaitlyn Leary. You’re the one for us.”

“I don’t understand how you can be so sure,” she said, her voice a little husky from crying. I wanted to change that, make it sound like that for a completely different reason.

Soon, but not yet.

“Have you ever felt like this with anyone else?” I asked.

She nibbled on her lower lip for a second, then shook her head.

Relief coursed through me and I couldn’t help but smile.

“Me neither,” I admitted. “It’s insane, but I want to kiss you, hold you, make all your sadness go away. I hope we’ve helped you get rid of the guilt.”

She blushed and glanced at Landon. He’d followed us in, waited quietly as if worried he’d fuck up even more.

“Seeing Mr. and Mrs. Duke helped. I’m so glad they’re okay.”

“Angel,” Landon all but groaned. He came over, stood at her side and settled a hand on her lower back.

“This morning, I was telling you all the things I wanted to say to your dad but never had the chance. How I felt, and shit, I’ve had so much anger I had stored up for him. When he went to trial and to jail, my parents were still recuperating. When he got out, my parents made us all promise we wouldn’t go after him. Wouldn’t get near him. And I didn’t.”

I remembered that and Mrs. Duke had made me promise as well. I’d have killed the man for the Dukes, buried the body where no one could find it if it made them happy.

But it didn’t. It wouldn’t. While I doubted they liked Don Leary, they were too nice to wish anyone dead.

Hearing what he’d done to Kaitlyn no doubt had changed their minds on that.

KAITLYN

Landon walked over to me, dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around the backs of my thighs. Surprised, my hands went to his shoulders and I cried out his name. I glanced down at his upturned face. He wasn’t going to let me fall. My cry was over, all the emotions having bled out. At some point, the rest of the Dukes left. I doubted I was done with it all—with them—but the roller coaster ride ended for now. The family actually seemed to like me. Well, they’d made it very clear they didn’t hate me.

As for Landon and Jed, they seemed to like me a lot.

And the way Landon’s hands roved, not sexually, but as if he needed the contact, to feel that I was right in front of him, was proof. Besides it feeling comforting, reassuring, cherishing, his touch left a heated path that made my nipples harden and my pussy go damp. My body couldn’t help but respond to him. It was as if it knew him. Knew he was safe, that this was right.

“I’m so sorry, angel. Forgive me, please.”

I nodded immediately. “I do. I understand.”

His shoulders relaxed beneath my palms, the muscles going from tense to just hard. “And you understand you were innocent in all this?”