He was about to assure Dione that his only desire was for Rebecca to be happy, that as long as it did not hurt or distress her in any way, he would not stand between her and her family. Though he was arguably the most independent among his brothers, he understood the strong bond of blood, how much he and his brethren subconsciously drew from one another, how – even though they were all grown men - they unquestioningly looked to Jack as the patriarch of the Callaghan clan. Before he could say so, however, Aidan stepped in, tapping Kane on the shoulders in an old-fashioned request to dance with his mother.
Dione’s words stayed with him, echoing over and over again. Yes, he was a possessive man. He took care of what was his, and there was nothing on this earth that was more his than the woman who had become his entire universe. He would do anything for her. He would kill anything that threatened her; in fact, he already had. And he would do it again without question, without remorse, if need be.
Rebecca was aware of this. She’d witnessed what he was capable of first-hand in the jungle. Instead of seeming frightened or repulsed, however, she had thanked him for it. Granted, she didn’t know about Johnny Fields, but he had never intended for her to. It was enough that she was safe.
And hadn’t she done the same for him? Hadn’t she risked her life to save his in that same jungle, killing so he would be spared, despite the way he knew it tore into her soul? Hadn’t she refused to leave him when that alone nearly decimated her own chance to emerge unscathed?
No, he thought after a moment. Even then they had recognized each other as kindred souls. Deep down, she knew and understood him on a level no one else ever had. She would never fear his intensity. On the contrary, she basked in it.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Kane’s eyes followed Rebecca on the dance floor, now in the arms of his brother, Jake. She caught his eyes then, gave him a smile that exploded inside him. He felt only the slightest hint of envy, laced upon the edges of the much larger anticipation of holding her in his arms again.
“Come on, big guy. Dance with me.” Kane felt a tug on his hand and looked down to see Taryn grinning up at him. A quick glance toward Rebecca rewarded him with another smile, and he knew that she was doing some anticipating of her own.
“You move pretty good for a guy who’s been shot in the ass once or twice,” she teased, those glittering violet eyes holding amusement and something else – genuine happiness for him.
“Only once,” he growled, giving her a pointed glare. She laughed. “Just be glad I like you. Could have been worse.” He snorted, his eyes seeking out Rebecca again.
“Such a serious face for such a happy occasion,” Taryn noted. “What gives?”
Kane looked down at her, conveying his thoughts with just a look.
“Hey, I know you’re not big on sharing, but you and I, we have our secrets, don’t we?” Taryn said. “For example, I know Susie Matthews shared her cookies with you in Kindergarten.”
Taryn ignored the icy look he gave her, as usual. “And you know that I kissed a boy under the slide in second grade.”
The corners of his mouth twitched, remembering their highly unusual sharing session up at his cabin. It seemed like so long ago. “Only after you stomped on his foot and punched him in the nose.”
“Exactly,” Taryn said with a wide grin. “So you see, you and I, we already have a precedent for confiding in one another here.”
He arched a brow, usually the only warning required to cease and desist. She continued as if he hadn’t. “I knew you had a thing for Rebecca all along. You were the one a little slow on the uptake. It’s why I set up that whole blind date thing.”
Kane growled softly under this breath. “Payback is a bitch, little one.”
Taryn laughed. “My point exactly. Since you felt it was your duty to ensure that I ended up with the love of my life, I felt compelled to assist you with yours. We’re even. Now, tell me what’s going on.”
Kane sighed. He wasn’t the Iceman anymore. The realization probably should have bothered him more than it did. “What are the chances of you dropping this?”
“Slim and none.”
“I could just hand you off to your husband and be done with you.”
“I could just shoot you in the ass again.”
Kane made a particularly quick move, swirling Taryn to the right. Had he not had such a good grip on her, she might have sailed right across the room. A few of his perfect white teeth gleamed. “You could try.”
“Yeah, like I would do that to Rebecca. She’d probably wait on you hand and foot, spoil you rotten.”
Kane laughed. Taryn did have a knack for amusing him. And they did share a unique bond. It was against his nature to ask for help, but where Rebecca was concerned Taryn always did seem one step ahead of him. Perhaps she could shed some light on the cause of this vague, growing sensing of unease he had.
“Rebecca seems... preoccupied.”