Banishing Shadows

Banishing Shadows

Lorna Jean Roberts

Fear is an emotion Kayla Sinclair is all too familiar with. An assault four months ago left her shaken, traumatized, scared of her own shadow. But now she’s determined to fight back. She’s taking control of her life, standing on her own two feet…which would be so much easier if Cord Marsden hadn’t swept back into her world, knocking her feet right out from under her. Sexy as sin, dominant and bossy—he’s the one man she’s always been wildly attracted to, and the one man she’ll never trust with her heart. Not again.

Cord has returned home with one thing on his mind. Seducing Kayla. Two years ago he ran out on her, and she’s haunted him ever since. Memories of her sweet taste, her luscious scent and her innocent touch fill his dreams. He’s come back, determined to win her trust and her love.

And he’ll allow no one, neither Kayla nor whoever’s threatening her, to get in his way.

Banishing Shadows

Lorna Jean Roberts

Prologue

Two years ago

Half wild with lust, she scarcely noticed him stripping the dress from her body. Naked, trembling with want, she stood before him—welcoming his touch, craving his attention. Lifting her easily, his hands strong and sure about her waist, he set her on a wooden desk, the surface cool and smooth against her overheated skin.

Gazing into his gray eyes, she shivered at the heated promise within. When he slid his hands up to her breasts, cupping them, small whimpers of part anticipation, part trepidation escaped her. He swirled his thumbs over her nipples until they were hard, distended nubs, sensitive to even the slightest touch.

The ravenous look on his face intrigued her as he slowly pushed her trembling thighs apart. Stepping between her legs, he skimmed his large hands around her shoulders, down over her breasts and stomach to her spread thighs. He ran a single finger through her damp folds, pushing into her slick passage, rubbing her swollen clit with his thumb. As she writhed in growing need, he whispered quietly in her ear, his smoky voice spilling hot, thick desire through her veins.

“Come for me now, Kayla,” he demanded. “I need to feel you come, feel you tighten around me. Come now, now…”

Damn it! Kayla lay on her bed, quivering with unfulfilled arousal as her daydream ended right before the climax.

Hers.

Urgh! She sat up. What she needed was a man—a real man, not a fantasy, not a character from a book or a movie.

And tonight that was exactly what she was going to get.

Giddy with anticipation, she moved to her panties drawer and selected a bright green G-string and matching lace bra. Carefully she drew her new, silky red dress over her head. She’d loved this dress from the moment she’d seen it. The sumptuous material was drawn tightly over her breasts, emphasizing the curve of her waist, and falling loosely around her stomach and thighs. She applied her makeup carefully, and then ran a comb through hair.

Lips pursed, Kayla glanced critically at herself in the mirror. Happy with the image reflecting back, she smiled. While she’d never be traditionally beautiful or supermodel thin, she was delighted with her transformation from denim-wearing tomboy to smokin’ seductress.

Desperate times called for desperate measures, and these were definitely desperate times. At twenty-one, she was the only one of her friends still a virgin. Not that she hadn’t had plenty of offers—she had. But she was waiting for a certain someone. Waiting for him to notice her, to fall at her feet and beg her for a date.

Yeah, well, obviously that hadn’t happened. Now she found herself having to take matters into her own hands. She’d spent two painful and humiliating hours being plucked, waxed and trimmed in preparation for tonight.

But the effort was definitely worth it. Her long, dark hair now gleamed where it lay in a smooth wave down her back. As Kayla turned from side to side, her short, red dress swayed. The low-cut bodice displayed her full breasts to perfection while the sexy underwear brought a flush of daring to her cheeks.

She’d tried dating other guys. But none of them ever made her pulse jump, her breath catch, her folds cream. She’d let some touch her, kiss her, hoping she’d feel some sort of desire. But they’d left her cold, uninterested. And she knew why. They all paled in comparison to the one man she truly wanted.

Cord.

Her brother’s best friend. The man she’d been lusting over since she was sixteen. Only he barely seemed to know she existed.

Tonight would change that though. Tonight, the fates were aligned. She was finally going to get laid and the relentless, unfulfilled state of arousal she lived with would be sated. No more imagining, no more dreaming, no more disappointment.

Tonight, Kayla was determined to turn her dreams into reality.

* * * * *

The bar looked like a place nightmares came from, or drank in. Shivering slightly, Kayla stood hesitantly on the broken sidewalk. That the derelict wooden building before her managed to remain standing was surely an architectural miracle. The timber was so eroded there were gaps where the interior light shone through. And she couldn’t even check the place out by peering in the windows—they were all boarded up.

“Oh brother,” she muttered nervously.

The name of the bar blinked down at her in mocking red neon.

Purgatory
.

Was that a warning? Just what the hell was she getting herself into? Why did Cord have to be in this bar? There was a cocktail bar ten blocks over that was so much nicer.

Maybe this was a mistake, maybe she should just go home to that tub of Ben & Jerry’s sitting in the freezer…
No!
She shook her head. She was here. If she wimped out now she’d be a virgin until she was sixty.

She could do this.

Nothing was going to stop her.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and stepped into hell. She hadn’t thought it possible, but inside was actually worse than outside. It was cramped, smoky and the floor was so sticky it pulled at the soles of her shoes. Mismatched tables and chairs sat haphazardly about the room, while dark booths lined the bile-green walls.

The dim lighting was sheer genius—it surely hid a multitude of sins. Too bad it couldn’t hide the customers—they were rough, crude and repugnant. It took every ounce of determination she had not to turn tail and run straight back out the door. Kayla took shallow breaths to avoid gagging as the mingling scents of body odor, tobacco and stale alcohol assaulted her. That tub of Ben & Jerry’s was becoming more and more tempting.

Slapping on what she hoped was a sultry smile, Kayla walked as quickly as she dared across the room, cautiously hopping onto an unstable barstool. Crossing her legs, she was careful not to flash her underwear to the apes in the bar. Two of them had actually pinched her ass on her way over, while another had practically drooled on her foot. Urgh! Shuddering with revulsion, she turned to study the room.

She didn’t see him and a surge of panic almost had her bolting. But then she found him. Half-concealed by shadows, Cord sat in a booth with his back to the wall. A small, hunched man sat across from him. Kayla gulped, her heartbeat quickening when her gaze met his. She had no idea how she’d bypassed him the first time. He was glaring right at her, and boy, his gaze was hot enough to burn.

Unlike the rest of the bar’s patrons, Cord was clean, if a little scruffy. Rolled shirt sleeves revealed strong, tanned forearms. Dark chestnut hair brushed against his shirt collar, which sat tightly across wide shoulders. She loved those shoulders, had fantasized about running her hands over them, stroking them, caressing them—broad, straight and defined with slick muscle, they looked strong enough to carry the world. That was what he represented to her—strength, sex, mystery, sex, heat, oh, and did she mention sex?

Then the sheer fury heating his gaze struck her and all her senses screamed run, run now! Adrenaline pumped through her veins as the loud beating of her heart forced all other noise to recede.

Ignoring the urge to race out into the night, Kayla quickly gulped down her drink, barely tasting it before hopping off the barstool. She grabbed the table, holding on until she was steady in her unfamiliar shoes.

She forced herself to walk calmly toward the ladies’ room. She knew Cord tracked her progress, could feel the smoldering burn of his gaze.

Stepping inside the bathroom, she grimaced. Obviously no one believed that cleanliness was next to godliness in this place. Breathing through her mouth, she attempted to touch up her makeup in the tiny, dirt-caked mirror.

“Shit,” she cursed when the bathroom door banged open. Rubbing at the streak of eyeliner now running down her right cheek, she peeked over at the man standing by the door. Recognizing him immediately, she didn’t know whether to jump his bones or run away in fear.

“I could think of stronger words to use, kiddo,” Cord drawled. He closed the door, leaning back against it and folding his arms as he scowled. Even though she wore four-inch heels, he still managed to tower over her.

“Kiddo?” She tried for a seductive smile. “Really, Cord, surely you’ve noticed that I’m all grown-up.” Kayla brushed a hand over her curves, thrusting her chest out. To her extreme disappointment, he barely spared her body a glance.

“What the hell are you doing here, Kayla?”

She flinched at the whip of displeasure in his voice but forced herself to tidy her makeup calmly before turning to face him.

“Well, that’s not a very nice way to greet me,” she murmured.

His only discernible reaction was a raised brow. Kayla shrugged, hoping it appeared nonchalant. In reality, nerves had her stomach clenching and roiling, while she couldn’t still her shaking hands.

“I heard about this place from Jed and figured I might check it out.” What a porker that was, and boy did he know it. But she wasn’t about to tell him the truth. It wasn’t as though she’d meant to eavesdrop. At first.

“Really,” he drawled. Although his tone was light, his sharp gaze slashed at her, shredding her remaining confidence. “Funny, I can’t imagine Jed ever telling you about this place. Do your brothers even know where you are, little girl?”

She glowered at him. She wasn’t a child. And no, Jed hadn’t told her about this place. Cord had, when she’d overheard him telling Jed he’d be here tonight.

“I’m not a child, Cord,” she snarled. Straightening, she gathered up her dwindling courage and sashayed toward him until her breasts hit his chest. His expression remained stern but his body stiffened, his nostrils flaring. Her nipples sharpened at the contact, sparks of pleasure shooting off through her bloodstream.

Kayla smiled, batting her eyelashes. She walked two fingers up his chest before he captured her wrist, pulling her hand away.

“You want to play with the big boys, do you, Kayla?” His voice was slightly husky. It danced along her nerves, leaving flickers of heat in its wake.

“A big boy, hmmm? That sounds promising.” She licked her lips. “Perhaps we could—”

Abruptly his other hand caught hers as she reached around to grab his ass, his face turning hard and cold.

“Save it, Kayla, you’ve already messed this night up enough for me. The last thing I want is to fuck you in the bathroom of a seedy bar.”

She winced at his harsh tone.

“Now listen to me closely. I’m going to walk back into the bar. You are going to wait here. I’ll wrap up my business then come back and get you and we’ll leave out the back way. Do not leave this bathroom. Understand?”

Obviously she didn’t answer him quickly enough as he grasped her shoulders, shaking her roughly.

“Understand?” he growled.

“Yes!” she cried out, trying to move from his grasp, disappointment and shame swirling in her stomach.
Don’t cry, don’t cry.

With that, he turned around and walked out without a backward glance.

“Bastard!”

She kicked the wall in frustration, gasping at the pain inflicted on her poor, innocent toes. Turning back to the mirror, she straightened her shoulders and touched up her makeup.

The man was pure asshole, and she was through with trying to snag his attention. There had to be another man out there who would drive her libido insane. She simply had to look harder.

And she would ensure that Cord never found out about her fantasies. She did have some pride left after all.

He could order her around all he liked. But there was no reason she had to obey him. She wasn’t about to cower inside the bathroom like a coward and she wasn’t going to sneak out the back.

Mind made up, she exited the bathroom and, without looking over to where she knew Cord sat, made her way toward the door.

Before she could make it there though, a large man stepped into her path.

“How much?” he rumbled.

“Excuse me?” Breathing shallowly, she tried not to gag as his onion breath nearly sent her to her knees, and oh, eeww, was that food stuck in his beard?

“How much?” he asked again, grabbing suggestively at his crotch.

Kayla gaped up at him as his meaning hit her. A prostitute? He actually thought she was a prostitute?

“There’s not enough money in the world, asshole! Now get out of my way.” A big hand grabbed her arm roughly when she tried to move past him, shoving her back against a table. She winced, that was going to bruise.

“Think you’re too good for me do you, bitch?” he snarled, leaning in.

Oh, brother.

Any minute now he was going to kiss her, provided she didn’t expire from the stink of his breath. Although she didn’t think that would deter him any.

Abruptly, she found herself released as the bear turned, roaring. Glancing over with a relieved smile, she was shocked to see that it wasn’t Cord coming to her rescue. Instead, a smaller, dark-haired man in a leather jacket two sizes too big for him had his face up in the bear’s space.

“What the fuck are you doing?” roared the bear, huge paws clenching into fists as he snarled at her rescuer. Leather man looked up at him, his lips curling into a parody of a smile that was more hideous than happy.