Consent to Love Read online

  Consent to Love

  By Abby Wood

  Twenty-four-year-old small-town girl Ana Reynold serves beer at the local bar, tries to keep her beater car running, and dreams of a better life as a painter. If she can learn to make a decent steak, she might get promoted to cook—and earn enough for her real heart’s desire. Right now, that doesn’t include romance.

  But when she meets a tall, dark and sexy Native American man named Kane, Ana can’t take her eyes off him—or stop thinking about him. But she’d better. Everyone knows the proud Lakota who raises horses wants nothing to do with a townie barmaid who’ll bring shame to his people.

  Except Kane can’t get Ana off his mind. He proposes a red-hot weekend in bed, a no-strings affair to end Monday morning. Yet once Kane brings the outsider onto Lakota land, everything changes…

  44,000 words

  Dear Reader,

  April is a bit of a mixed-bag month, isn’t it? In some countries, like here in the United States, it’s tax season, which for many is either a very stressful time or a time of “Hurray! Tax-return money arrives!” We also get Easter weekend, which comes with days off for some. April is also the month where we finally (hopefully) really start seeing the change of seasons from winter to spring, let out a long breath and kick our children outdoors for longer periods of time (surely it’s not just me who does that?).

  So I guess it’s only appropriate that our releases this month are also a mixed bag. Carina Press is able to bring you an assortment of titles to help bust you out of any lingering winter blues. The month starts off with a smokin’-hot bang via Abby Wood’s erotic contemporary cowboy romance Consent to Love. Joining her in the first week of April are Sandy James with her contemporary romance Rules of the Game, and Regency romance The Perfect Impostor by Wendy Soliman.

  Also in the contemporary romance genre in April we have His Secret Temptation by Cat Schield, Serious Play by Bonnie Dee and Summer Devon, and North of Heartbreak by Julie Rowe. Historical romance author M.K. Chester joins the April lineup with Surrender to the Roman, and Juliana Ross heats up the Victorian era with erotic historical romance Improper Relations. Returning with three more books in her White series is author Susan Edwards.

  Talented Natalie J. Damschroder returns with another crowd-pleasing romantic suspense, Acceptable Risks. And if you love that book, make sure you check out her previous romantic suspense, Fight or Flight, from our 2011 release schedule!

  For those of you who prefer your romance a bit more…otherworldly, Kaylea Cross’s Darkest Caress is a paranormal romance of magical races, darkly handsome men and fiercely independent women. Ella Drake takes us to her vision of our post-apocalyptic world in Desert Blade, and new Carina Press author Kay Keppler’s Zero Gravity Outcasts takes readers on a science-fiction adventure with a hint of romance. Fans of male/male romance should be on the lookout for Brook Street: Fortune Hunter, the next in author Ava March’s regency historical trilogy.

  Last, but certainly not least, we’re very pleased to present debut author Christopher Beats’s steampunk noir Cruel Numbers this month. Visit Christopher’s alternate historical world in which the North loses the War of Southern Secession, one girl’s talent for analytical machines has made her a valuable asset in the new world, and steam-powered gadgets may give war veteran Donovan Schist the edge he needs to save his life, and hers.

  I think April’s schedule of releases is a good reason to wish for just one more snow day—so you can stay inside and read! I hope you enjoy these books as much as we have.

  We love to hear from readers, and you can email us your thoughts, comments and questions to [email protected]. You can also interact with Carina Press staff and authors on our blog, Twitter stream and Facebook fan page.

  Happy reading!

  ~Angela James

  Executive Editor, Carina Press

  www.carinapress.com

  www.twitter.com/carinapress

  www.facebook.com/carinapress

  Dedication

  To Dreams of Horses—You’ll recognize him. He’ll be bigger than life, but he’ll see you.

  Tough Turtle and Wise Owl—There might be two paths, but for you both there will only be one.

  Sneaky Coyote—There’s something about the quiet one. Use it wisely, and enjoy.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  The warm shimmer of desire grew stronger the longer the man leaning against the truck stared her way—leaving Ana Reynold’s legs weak, her face heated and her insides tumbling. She dared not break eye contact with him. What if she never experienced this phenomenon again in her life?

  A stranger in her rather predictable life, he stood out from the other men at the construction site. She sighed in pure female adoration. Despite how hard he’d worked all day, he’d directed his attention to her without speaking a word.

  His long black hair hung to the middle of his back, showing his Native American heritage. Highlights in the rich, dark color mixed in such a natural way any woman would pay a week’s paycheck to have the same hairstyle.

  Even with half of his face curtained, he seemed to soak up every detail about her. As if hearing her thoughts, he brushed the tendrils blocking his view and stared right at her. She smothered a moan. His interest pleased her, scared her and fascinated her all at the same time.

  Shirtless and glistening, his chest was solid, hairless and oh-so-sexy. He must’ve stood six feet two inches without the boots, taller, bigger and more powerful than the other men around him. She licked her bottom lip. Why he showed her the least bit of attention confused her but sent her imagination running wild.

  Earlier, she’d brushed against him going through the crowd. Her head had barely come to his collarbone. She shivered. It had taken all her self-control not to lean into him, press her cheek to his chest and enjoy the firmness of a male body.

  She had no right to dream about what it would be like to experience his fingers roaming over her skin. She curled her hands into fists, her nails digging into her palms. He was out of her league in more ways than one. He belonged with someone equally as beautiful and sophisticated. Not her. She was a part-time barmaid who rarely paid someone else to cut her hair and wore second-hand clothes. Plus, she only had enough sexual experiences to hold up two fingers. Oh sure, she talked big, but deep down she wasn’t one to throw caution to the wind and spread her wings.

  In her experience, men came in two types: the kind who tried too hard to impress her and the other so
rt who oozed calm confidence not meant to draw attention. Unfortunately, the more secure they were, the more she let her fear of rejection hold her back.

  Besides, he must come from the reservation. Lakota men were known to be picky about keeping with their own kind. She’d never stand a chance with him.

  “Looks like the men are taking a break. Why don’t you take a round of beer over, and then we’ll clean up.” Chum, the owner of the bar where she worked, passed her a tray laden with Dixie cups filled with the cheapest beer he carried.

  She glanced into the back of Chum’s truck, took the drinks and carried them across the yard. Her thoughts jumbled as if she had just woken up from a nap after pulling an all-nighter. Not allowing herself to peek and find out if Mr. Gorgeous still watched, she kept her chin tucked and made her way over to the others.

  “There’s our gal.” Buck relieved her of one beer and motioned to the other guys to come over. “Drink up, men. Work’s over for the day, and Chum left us a keg. We’ll have us a real party.”

  Ana couldn’t see him, but she felt him staring, eating her up the longer she stayed in view. She strolled along the perimeter of the group. Her smile wavered as she handed out the rest of the drinks. Her nipples peaked. She grabbed the tray with both hands, finding her limbs weak and unable to support the weight of the remaining two cups.

  She waited until the drinks were gone. Unable to stand around and let him get his fill of her, she hugged the empty tray to her chest, turned and hurried back to Chum’s truck. She wavered on the edge of losing control, and she didn’t want to draw the attention of the other men. Their crudeness would dash away the pleasure she received from the new guy.

  “All done?” Chum handed her a black trash bag.

  “Y-yes.” She slid the tray in the box and turned around to snap the garbage sack open. “I’ll go ahead and pick up the trash by the barn.”

  “Hang on. You okay?” Chum touched her arm. “You’re not getting sick, are you?”

  She shook her head and gave him a smile. “Nah, germs are afraid of me.”

  Chum chuckled. “Good. I don’t want you calling in sick. You’re the best employee I have. I need you to work.”

  “Oh, you big softie. What would I do without such a caring employer?” She patted his oversized stomach. “Go ahead, get out of here. Your wife’s probably got dinner ready. After I pick up around here, I’m heading home too. I’ve gotta take advantage of my night off. I get so few of them from my slave-driver of a boss.”

  Ana walked away, leaving Chum laughing, but she stopped halfway to the others and turned around. “Hey, Chum!” She waited until he lifted his head. “It’s a real nice thing you did for Darrell.”

  He waved her thanks off. “Hell of a thing for a man to lose his whole barn to a lightning strike. It’s the least the community could do to help him resurrect a new barn, and since I can’t be climbing ladders anymore, it was my pleasure to supply the drinks.”

  The new Quonset wasn’t a replica of the two-story barn Darrell lost, but it gave shelter against the weather. He’d at least be able to house the animals and equipment he’d been able to save from the fire. Without a way to support themselves through the winter, the Shanks would have a rough time keeping their farm together.

  She stepped through the two-by-six frames and began to pick up the piles of cups on the ground. In the hot weather, the men had drunk their weight in soft drinks and eaten tons of pre-made sandwiches. Sheltered inside the part of the building already finished, she sat down out of sight of the others and inhaled deeply.

  At one time or another, Ana had met everyone in town. It wasn’t hard to do when the current head count was only three hundred and forty-eight. Her admirer stood out among them all with his quiet demeanor. He seemed to keep to himself, even when working, and the other men naturally gave him a wide berth.

  She glanced down at her legs, frowned and leaned over more to brush the dust off. Nobody said living and breathing dry dust during the summer was easy, but it came with the territory. Oh well, it’s time for me to go home anyways.

  She raised her head and gasped.

  The stranger stood directly in front of her. She raised her chin until she looked into his eyes. She swallowed. Lordy, he’s a big man. His onyx-colored eyes framed in black lashes were startling. She glanced away, afraid he’d see how much his presence made her skittish. She couldn’t think of a single thing to say.

  The bag leaning against her leg skimmed her bare calf. She reached for it automatically, and then realized he’d picked the sack up off the ground.

  “Take a break. I’ll do it.” He turned and began to collect the rest of the trash, glancing back at her as if to make sure she didn’t move from her spot.

  She gripped the edge of the boards she sat on and bit her lip. She shouldn’t let him do her job for her. Regardless of volunteering their time to help out, Chum was paying her a half a day’s wages for serving the refreshments.

  Uncomfortable waiting and doing nothing, she stood and gathered the paper plates and napkins on the other side of the barn. She couldn’t remember a time when she’d responded to a man with such intensity. She actually quivered watching him move about the barn. Her skin prickled, and to her surprise, her panties dampened.

  Ana carried the trash over to the man and dumped the items in the bag he held out for her. “Thank you. I can take the garbage now.”

  His fingers brushed hers. She jerked her head up at the rush of tingles she received. “T-thank you…”

  “Howahkan.”

  “Excuse me?” She tilted her head.

  “My name is Howahkan.” His cheek twitched and he leaned forward. “Or, you can call me Kane.”

  She smiled. “How-wah-kan…that’s beautiful. I mean, your name is pretty.”

  His brow rose. “Pretty?”

  “I’m making a mess of things, aren’t I?” Ana groaned and shuffled backward. “Thank you, H-Howahkan.”

  Embarrassed, she moved to leave, but he stepped up and curled his fingers around her wrist. “Wait.”

  “Yes?” She stared at the ground, not trusting that she wouldn’t make even a bigger fool of herself.

  “You didn’t tell me your name.” He reached out and lifted her chin. “I bet it’s pretty too.”

  She pressed her lips together. He was teasing her, maybe even flirting. She smiled. “Ana. Ana Reynold.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ana.” He dropped his hand from her face. Something about him seemed familiar, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what caught her attention. “Are you staying for the party?”

  “No. I figured you guys would like a night to yourself. You don’t need one woman sticking around to put a damper on the party.” She smiled before dropping her gaze.

  “Will you stay?” Kane hooked his finger under her chin again and made her look up at him. “For me? You can keep me company while the men do their thing. I have to wait until Darrell is done here tonight to take me back home, and I’m not one who likes to drink.”

  “You’re not from around here?” Why did her question come out breathless? She stood up straighter and cleared her throat. “I mean, I haven’t seen you around town before.”

  “I live on the reservation.” His thumb stroked her cheek before he became aware of what he was doing and dropped his hand. “Darrell is married to my sister. I came to help after I found out about the fire.”

  “Sarah’s your sister?” She laugh
ed and relaxed. Sarah gave her cooking lessons on Thursdays, and not once had she mentioned a younger brother or family nearby. That must be why it seemed as if she’d met him before.

  Loud music came from behind her, and she flinched. “I think the crew’s done working for the day. I better get out of here. It was nice to meet you, How…Kane.”

  “You’re sure you won’t stay?” He walked beside her.

  She shook her head. “No. I should go home. I came to help Chum, my boss, and planned to go home and finish a few projects before I have to go back to work at the bar tomorrow. Besides, I spend most of my days around those guys… It’s nice to have a break from them.”

  “Maybe I’ll see you again when Sarah gets back from the reservation and I come to visit.” Kane smiled. “We’ll talk another time, Ana Reynold with the pretty name.”

  Not trusting herself to leave without changing her mind, she hurried over to the house and placed the sack beside the garbage can by the back door. She wanted to jump in the air, laugh hysterically and wave back at Kane, but she held herself together long enough to get back to her car before sinking into the driver’s seat and squealing in private.

  She couldn’t wait to go home, plop down on the couch and remember every detail about today. If she was lucky, she could spend some time fantasizing about being with such a man and relieve the sexual tension Kane had created inside her. Besides, staying here only fueled her imagination. He could easily turn into the kind of man who’d break her heart without even knowing it. Her habit of falling in love with a dream got Ana in trouble every time. Usually the men disappointed her, and the one time she’d fallen hard, the guy had embarrassed her so deeply that she no longer allowed herself to jump into a relationship fully.

  She grabbed her purse off the floorboard, found her key and turned the ignition. She hated being insecure, but she’d been wrong before, and she was sure she’d be wrong again. She set her sights too high. There were definite qualities she wanted in a man, and topping the list was someone who could make her feel like a woman…not a girl. She turned the key again and frowned. Oh, come on you piece of junk. Not now.