Becoming a Legend Read online

  Just as quickly as it had appeared, the flash of lust on her face was gone, and she cleared her throat and stood a little taller. “Kane, stop it. I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but nothing is going to happen between us. Never.”

  He dropped one of his arms, making it easy for her to escape if she wanted. “Whatever you say, kitty.”

  She stepped away from him, glancing back and giving him a stiff, strange wave where she wiggled all her fingers exaggeratedly. The corners of his lips twitched into a smile, and his brows raised. Nora quickly dropped her hand to her side, looking mortified at her own unusual actions. “Um, yeah, okay, bye.” With a small laugh that sounded more like a nervous exhale, she turned and walked off.

  Kane chuckled to himself as he watched her from behind until she disappeared into the crowd.

  Not one to waste time, especially when the music was so good, Kane headed for the dance floor to enjoy the party. It took only seconds before a not-so-sober brunette he didn’t recognize slipped her arm around his, batted long eyelashes at him, and pressed against his left biceps.

  No words were exchanged, because none were needed. He wanted to dance, and she wanted to dance with him. He took her hand and let the beat move them around the crowded dance floor. The song was fast, and everyone was working up a sweat in the tight quarters, but he enjoyed every second of it.

  They danced together for several songs, and the brunette kept moving closer and closer. Normally, he wouldn’t have minded, but for some reason, tonight he just wasn’t interested in taking things further with her. Strange.

  The brunette spun around, shaking her backside for him. Kane let go of her hand and stepped back a bit, trying to keep a slight distance between them. He wanted to dance, but he wasn’t in the mood to feel up a stranger who was probably somehow related to his future sisters-in-law—especially when his mind was on someone else.

  As if he had conjured her up, Kane caught Nora out of the corner of his eye standing on the edge of the dance floor. The song came to an end, and she turned away, but Kane wasn’t about to let her go again. Excusing himself from the brunette, he waded through the crowd and caught Nora’s elbow.

  “You looked like you were about to dance, kitty,” he said, his lips near her ear.

  She shivered and looked up at him. “Maybe, but not with you.”

  “One dance.” He slid his fingers down her arm from her shoulder to her wrist, then took her hand in his. “Then you can ditch me for someone hotter.”

  She let him lead her a few steps onto the floor. “Till I find someone hotter? That shouldn’t be hard.”

  He smirked but didn’t reply; there was no doubt in his mind that once he had her out on the dance floor, she wouldn’t be looking at anyone else. Kane led her to the center of the crowd and pulled her to his chest. She looked up at him slowly, as if unsure what she should do, but when their eyes met and the next song started, she didn’t pull away.

  He let his fingers trail down her arms, loving the feeling of her soft skin, then lifted her hands to his shoulders. She locked them behind his neck, and together they swayed with the music. Her tongue slid across her lower lip, and it took every bit of strength he had not to taste her for himself.

  The tempo picked up, and he moved faster, guiding her along with him. She kept up pace perfectly, and he felt proud when he saw her smile as he spun her around in front of him. Nora collapsed against his chest, laughing, and he captured her small waist in his hands.

  “You’re a good dancer,” she admitted, and his brows instantly shot up in surprise at her out-of-character compliment. “I can’t believe you spun me around. I’ve never seen a guy do that except in the movies.”

  He chuckled slightly and kept them moving as the next song began. “You need to be dating some better guys then, kitty.”

  Nora dipped her head with the music, a slow smile settling on her lips as his hands held her waist. “I’m not dating anyone right now.”

  Kane pulled her even closer, bringing his lips to her neck and loving the soft silk of her skin against him. Her curls tickled his cheek, but her sweet vanilla scent was intoxicating. Nora shivered beneath him, her hands tightening around his biceps as if to keep herself from falling over. His lips found her ear, and he whispered, “Is that an invitation?”

  “What?” She stepped back slightly, her face flushing red as she blinked rapidly. “No way. I mean, I’m not dating at all right now.” Her hands perched on her hips as she cocked her head to the side. “And even if I was, you certainly wouldn’t be at the top of that list.”

  Kane laughed loudly at that one and grabbed her hand, pulling her back into their dance. Her hips pressed against him, and the friction between them made his entire body feel hot. “At least you’re a better dancer than you are a liar.”

  She rolled her eyes but continued to shake with the beat, and he moved right along with her. It wasn’t overly sensual or hot-and-heavy grinding, but rather lighthearted and fun. For the first time, they were enjoying being together without all the hostility between them.

  “One more dance,” he said as the beat switched over to a slower song. “To make up for that super-embarrassing wave thing you did earlier.”

  Nora snorted and let out a slight groan. “You remember that? Fantastic.”

  “I always remember seeing you, kitty.” He was smiling but not because of her sarcasm. Kane was just happy—genuinely enjoying spending time with the sassy beauty.

  “Always with the pickup lines,” she teased, but Nora couldn’t hide the grin on her face. There was an excitement in her eyes he’d never seen before. She pushed up on her toes and dropped a kiss on his cheek. “Thanks for the dance, Kane. I needed that.”

  A huge grin spread across his face as he watched her slip away into the crowd. She wanted him. There was no denying it. After pushing him away for what felt like forever, the stoic blonde was letting down her guard. The evidence had been right there, so obvious the whole crowd might have noticed if they’d been watching.

  He finally had a shot, and he was going to take it.

  Chapter 2

  “I thought you were going to get trashed.” Rory handed Kane a set of house keys as they stood by the entrance to the pub. Behind them, the party was winding down.

  Kane shrugged. He’d had one beer a few hours earlier, but despite what he’d said to his brother at the gym, it really wasn’t worth ruining his training regime by getting drunk right now. If he was really honest with himself, the threat he’d made about getting drunk was more because Rory had tried to tell him he couldn’t, not because he really wanted to. Defiant streak aside, nationals was fast approaching, and his anxiety about it kept him dedicated. “I figured someone could use a driver tonight.”

  “Everyone here is pretty plowed,” Rory agreed. “And with all five of us brothers, plus Casey, Clare, and Nora, we’re short on rides. Can you take Casey and Nora home? I’ll drive Clare, Fiona, and Kieran. Jimmy’s got Quinn and the parents. The car service we hired should have everyone else.”

  Kane nodded, not surprised that his rigid lifestyle had him lumped in with now-permanently-sober Rory, and their brother Jimmy, who was a New York City police officer. “Got it. See you at Legends in the morning?”

  “Yeah, I might sleep a little late, though. Get some cardio in if I’m not there, then weights.” Rory held up his hand and opened his mouth as if he might add something, but with a grimace, he shook his head instead. “I’ve gotta go find my passengers.” He turned and made his way across the bar.

  “Yeah,” whispered Kane under his breath. “Me, too.” He scanned the dwindling crowd but didn’t spot either of his charges. He should have figured finding them wouldn’t be easy.

  When he did finally locate Casey and Nora, he found them on the small loading dock behind the building, their legs dangling over the edge as they laughed and chatted. Despite the giggling, Nora’s face said they were discussing something serious. There was something wistful about it�
�almost sad. He didn’t like seeing her that way.

  Casey was holding a short metal tube with a significant amount of white smoke coming out of the end.

  “Shit, Casey.” He combed his fingers through his short, brown hair. “Are you vaping?”

  “Is that what this is called?” Casey held up the electronic cigarette and giggled endlessly. His cousin was definitely drunk. “Some guy at the party gave it to me. It tastes like pineapple!”

  “Case, I can’t believe you. Smoking is disgusting, and you have no idea what’s really in this thing. Some guy gave it to you? Fucking hell.”

  “It’s not disssgusssting,” Casey slurred.

  “Come on, let’s get you inside.” His glare landed on Nora. “Help me get her up since you obviously didn’t try to stop her from smoking.”

  “Hey, I told her not to. Is Rory inside? I’m not as drunk as she is”—Nora pointed to Casey—“but I still don’t think I should drive.”

  “His car is full. I’m taking both of you home,” Kane said as they helped Casey to her feet. Grabbing the electronic cigarette from her, he turned it off and threw it into a nearby dumpster, where it landed with a sharp clang against the bottom.

  Casey fell against his side, still giggling as she hugged his left arm with both of hers. Her breath smelled like booze and pineapple, and he was not a fan.

  Ignoring him, Nora was already heading for the door. “I’ll get a ride with Rory. You should take Casey home.”

  “There’s a luau in my mouth!” Casey shrieked with laughter as she took a step forward. Her feet somehow tangled together, and she squealed as she stumbled and tipped over.

  Nora lunged forward to help her but was too far away to make a difference. Thankfully, Kane managed to hook his arms under Casey before she hit the ground. “I need help with her, Nora. You’re riding with me.”

  She surveyed him as he scooped his cousin into his arms and cradled her against his chest. “I guess you’re right. She’s drunker than I thought.”

  “Not drrrunk, just sleepy,” Casey murmured, her eyes already closed. “Wasss there even tea in thossse Long Island drinks?”

  Kane blew out a loud breath. “Jesus, Casey. There’s like five shots in each one of those.”

  Casey popped her head up again. “That would have been goooood to know four drinksss ago.”

  Kane shook his head, then nodded his chin toward Nora and then the door. “Can you get the door?”

  Nora opened it and followed them inside and through to the front bar area. The previously dimmed lights were now turned all the way up, and a cleanup crew was already getting to work pulling down the decorations. A few stragglers stood by the front door, probably waiting for the next car from the car service Rory had arranged.

  When Kane spotted Rory near the door, he caught his eye and nodded down at Casey.

  Rory chuckled softly. “I remember those days. Or, more to the point, I don’t.”

  “Thank God for that, brother. You were an even bigger asshole back then.”

  Rory had been sober for well over a year, and every Kavanagh was grateful for it. His career-ending injury had left him addicted to prescription pills and self-medicating with alcohol. After meeting Clare, he’d done a lot of hard work to get himself clean and get his life back in order.

  “See you tomorrow, Killer. Bye, Nora. Thanks for all your help tonight. Clare said to ask you to call her tomorrow. Something to do with bridesmaid dresses.”

  “Will do. Good night!” Nora gave Rory a kiss on the cheek and then followed Kane and Casey out the door. “Where are you parked?” she asked.

  “Around the side.” Kane looked down at his cousin, trying to gauge her level of consciousness as Nora reached the front of his SUV and waited for him to unlock it. “Casey?”

  “She’s passed out. I don’t think she’ll be waking up anytime soon.”

  “Shit. This night is such a clusterfuck.”

  Nora shrugged. “She’s young. We’ve all had nights like that when we were her age.”

  Kane pushed his cousin farther onto his shoulder in an attempt to free up one hand so he could reach for his keys. She wasn’t very heavy, but her being total dead weight made maneuvering with her in his arms extremely awkward. Casey’s limbs flailed in every direction as he tried to find his pocket, and he began cussing up a storm under his breath.

  “Are you having a seizure or something?” Nora asked. “You look ridiculous.”

  He sighed loudly and looked up at the dark night sky. “I can’t reach my keys. You’re going to have to get them.”

  “Where are they?” she asked.

  “My front pocket.”

  Nora’s hazel eyes widened as she glanced down. “Your pants pocket?”

  “They’re the only pockets I have.”

  Nora shook her head and crossed her arms over her breasts. “I’m not putting my hand in your pants, Kane.”

  He chuckled. “Well, it’s a good thing I didn’t ask you to do that then. Just reach in my pocket and get my keys.”

  “If this is some perverted attempt to—”

  Casey groaned and flung one arm over her head, forcing Kane to shift his stance so he wouldn’t drop her. “I don’t know how I can do anything perverted with my hands occupied like this.” He sighed, trying to reposition Casey against his shoulder once more. “Unless standing here all night is what you planned for your evening, can you please just get the damn keys?”

  Nora shifted from one foot to the other, sighing with exasperation. “Fine, but you better not like this.”

  He shook his head. “You’re asking the impossible.”

  “I’m serious,” she huffed.

  A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Be as serious as you want, but there’s no scenario that exists where I wouldn’t like your hands on me.”

  Nora’s mouth fell open, but she didn’t look upset. She looked…intrigued? Kane wiggled his eyebrows as he stepped closer to her, a teasing smile spread over his face. “Come on, kitty. Don’t be shy.”

  “You’re disgusting,” she said as she regained her composure and tentatively slid her hand into his pocket, fishing around for his keys.

  While he’d been half teasing, the moment her hand was pressed up against him with only the thin fabric of his pocket separating her hand from his thigh, it took all his willpower to concentrate on anything else and remind himself that he was still holding his cousin.

  Nora’s hand jerked, her spastic movement driving her fingers harder against his flesh. The breath backed up in Kane’s lungs as his body tensed. She froze for only a second, but it was long enough to tell she was aware of touching him.

  Thankfully, her fingers finally curled away from him, and the jangle of his keys as she pulled them out and stepped back broke the tension. They stared at each other for a long moment. It was hard to tell in the parking lot’s blue-white light, but her face seemed flushed. Her lips parted and her tongue slid out to wet them.

  “Are we in Hawaiiiiiii?” Casey suddenly blurted out from her near-comatose state, then promptly fell back asleep.

  Kane jolted, startled. “What the ever-loving fuck?”

  Nora laughed. Not just the giggling he’d heard between her and Casey earlier. Not a friendly chuckle. She was full-on belly laughing. Her head thrown back, she clutched her stomach and howled, and he couldn’t help but laugh along. The streetlights flashed off her bright hair, and her breasts heaved against the top of her tight cocktail dress, which did nothing to help him keep his thoughts clean.

  “Let’s get her home,” Nora finally said, still overcome with a giggle from time to time.

  She unlocked and opened the back door to the SUV, and Kane carefully sat his cousin down behind the passenger’s seat. Casey immediately slumped to the side, but Nora and Kane worked together, Kane holding her upright while Nora buckled her seat belt.

  As the buckle snapped into place, Nora backed away from the car. Maybe it was her proximity, or her sweet vanil
la scent, or the way he could vividly recall the feel of her hand brushing along his thigh in search of his keys, but the sudden mental image of Nora lying on her back, hair splashed across a pillow, gripped him. A chill raced through his body and settled low in his stomach, followed by a burst of heat much lower.

  “There, she’s in.” Nora moved to open the passenger’s-side door.

  Kane quickly put his hand over the door handle so she couldn’t open it. “Let me get that for you,” he said, lifting the handle and opening the front door while simultaneously closing the back door.

  Nora narrowed one eye and peered at him with suspicion. “Since when are you a gentleman?”

  Kane shook his head. She had a bad habit of pushing him away with her sass and sarcasm, but that ended here and now. “I’m not who you think I am, Nora.”

  —

  The inside of Nora’s cheek was raw from all the abuse she’d subjected it to that evening. Every time Kane had come near, every word he’d spoken to her, every veiled glance he’d sent her way had kicked her heart into overdrive. She’d taken to biting her cheek to stem the way her body reacted as she became hyperaware of his presence. Why did she always have to fall for the bad boys of the world? The ones who would take everything and give nothing in return.

  And yet, as she watched him round the front of the car, his brown hair falling over his downcast face, his movements stiff, he appeared genuinely hurt by her flippant comment. She wasn’t even sure why she’d said it. She didn’t understand why she said or did a lot of things whenever he was around—it had to be some sort of defense mechanism, a way of keeping her distance from him.