“Cheryl ticks all the boxes. That slut Hayley was never in contention for the role. She’s a hole to fuck when I’m bored and need the distraction. Now she’s a pain in my ass because she’s messed things up with Cheryl, but I’ll get her back. There’s no other choice. I don’t have time to look for a suitable replacement.”
That asshole better hope I never get my hands on him because I will squeeze every last breath out of his body for disrespecting the girl I love.
“Boss.” The short, stocky dude steps up. “He’s turning blue.”
“Do I look like I fucking care?” Stanten roars.
“We need him to lure Hayley out unless you plan on doing that yourself?”
It’s like a light goes off in his head. Stanten drops Jesse and steps back, his face smoothing out into a calm mask. He dusts down the sleeves of his suit jacket and stares at his so-called friend with an emotionless expression. It’s scary as shit. Jesse slumps to the floor and instantly pukes all over his legs. It couldn’t happen to a nicer dude.
“Get yourself cleaned up.” Stanten kicks at Jesse’s feet. “Borrow one of my suits. Grab Hayley, and take her to the meeting point. Gonzalez will be waiting, and he’ll take it from there.”
Jesse nods, scrambling to his feet and running out of the room like a scared little pussy.
A few minutes later, they all leave the house and the SSA starts barking out orders. “Wentward, keep tabs on Stanten. Cunningham, I want eyes on those feeds twenty-four seven. Organized crime is loaning us a few bodies for surveillance, but I want you supervising. Higgins and Mead, you’re with me and the task force. We’ll go to Hayley’s apartment and wait for Roberts to show up. Kennedy, walk with me.” He snaps his fingers as the meeting is disbanded, and everyone scurries away. The sense of urgency is palpable in the air, but it finally feels like we’re getting somewhere.
I keep stride with SSA Clement as he heads toward his office. “Continue to trawl online for any evidence we might use against Stanten. Keep Cheryl at your place for the moment. However, I want to talk to her. I want to see how she might aid the investigation.”
“No,” I snap. “Leave her out of it.”
He slams to a halt in the corridor. “That is not your decision to make.” He scrutinizes my face. “I warned you not to make this personal. Are you too emotionally involved? Do I need to remove you from this case?”
My jaw is locked so tight it’s a wonder it doesn’t break. “That won’t be necessary.” I want to punch something. Preferably his face.
“Good.” He resumes walking and I keep pace with him. “You have twenty-four hours to tell her you’re an FBI analyst and explain about the case. I understand this has been a lot for her to process, but we don’t have the luxury of time. I want her in here on Saturday, at the latest. Understood?”
I nod, while the whole time I’m trying to think of a way of getting her out of this. And while part of me wants to come clean about everything, now isn’t the right time.
I’m only starting to win her trust again, and this will set us back. She’ll be furious when she finds out I’ve been lying to her even if it was in the interests of protecting her. I can’t risk losing her. Especially when she needs me to keep her safe. That asshole is not getting near her again. I don’t care if I have to fucking kill him with my bare hands to ensure it.
“Thanks so much for keeping her company,” I tell my brother as Eva hugs Cheryl goodbye.
“Anytime. It was good to catch up with her. You know I always liked Cheryl.”
“How is she?” I quietly ask, tossing my jacket on the back of the chair.
“She’s doing good. She’s angry, and she feels foolish, but she doesn’t seem scared.”
“That’s what I’m worried about.” I rub a tense spot between my brows.
Kade bores a hole in my skull. “Out with it.”
I glance over my shoulder, making sure the girls aren’t listening. “He’s not going to let her go, and he thinks making her friend disappear is the solution. The guy’s a fucking psycho Kade, and I’m terrified.”
Kade’s large hand clamps down on my shoulder. “We’ll keep her safe, but you can’t shut us out.”
“This is fucking dangerous, Kade. As bad as the situation with Garcia. I don’t want my family anywhere near this, so you’re to butt out, just like you told me to butt out when it was you in this position.”
“And you didn’t listen to me.” He sends me a smug, challenging look. “I’m helping. Get over it.”
“We’re helping,” Eva says, coming up behind her husband.
Kade tucks her into the nook of his arm, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “Not happening, love.”
She punches him in the stomach and he groans, hunching over. Cheryl and I exchange amused smiles. “We’re a team, and whatever you’re cooking up will involve me,” Eva coolly replies.
“We’re not cooking up anything,” I say. “I want him to stay out of it. I want both of you to stay out of it.”
“You want me to punch you too?” she threatens, planting her hands on her shapely hips.
“No, ma’am.” I hold up my hands.
“Good. Then what’s the plan?”
It’s pointless to keep arguing, and maybe I can use this to my advantage without putting Eva or Kade in danger. I turn to Cheryl. “Have you ever learned to shoot?” She shakes her head. “Any objection to learning now?”
“Not a bit. I want to know how to protect myself.”
I nod. “Okay.” I look at Kade. “We’ll meet Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at the firing range. Alternate days we’ll meet in the gym for self-defense lessons.” I know Kade has been teaching Eva self-defense for months, and after the warehouse shooting, she finally agreed to learn how to use a firearm, so she has a head start on Cheryl, but I figure the moral support can’t hurt. Plus, they’ll be helping in a way that keeps all of them safe.
“Agreed.”
“I’ll need to talk to everyone in the family,” I add. “I want to upgrade the tracking software on everyone’s cells, and I have a few other items I want people to take.” I can see Cheryl smiling out of the corner of my eye. I pin her with a sharp look. “This is a James Bond and Jason Bourne comment-free zone.”
She smiles even wider, and I can’t hold onto my sharp look in the face of such devastating beauty. I return her smile, and so much passes between us as we stare at one another.
“We can talk to everyone when we’re in Nantucket,” Kade suggests, breaking me free of the spell.
I walk right up to Cheryl. “Do you have set plans for Easter, or can you come with because I’m not leaving you here unprotected.”
“Kev, I appreciate all you’re doing for me, but it’s not your job to keep me protected.”
I glare at her. “The hell it isn’t. And I’d like to see you try stopping me.”
Her chest heaves, and tears glisten in her eyes. “I don’t want to burden your whole family. And I don’t want to bring danger to your door. It’s not right.”
“You’re our family, Cheryl,” Kade says, helpfully stepping in. “You always have been, so don’t even try to deny it. And we protect our family. As for the danger, it’s been on our doorstep for some time. You’re not bringing anything that doesn’t already exist.”
“It’s true. We’re already entangled in this.” I cup her face. “Any other objections, or can I text Mom to set an extra place for you?”
“Kev,” she whispers, peering deep into my eyes. “Are you really sure about this?”
I silence her by pressing my lips to hers. I don’t know any other way to convey how serious I am about her and wanting to keep her safe, and I’ve been longing to kiss her again for years.
She melts against me, and I mentally fist pump the air. It feels like I’ve waited for eternity to hold her in my arms again, to feel her
mouth moving against mine. I angle my head, deepening the kiss, while I haul her close to my chest, snaking my arms around her waist. My head is drowning in so many thoughts, my heart swollen with so many emotions. I hear the soft tread of retreating footsteps as Kade and Eva slip out of the room, granting us privacy. Cheryl sighs into my mouth, and I wind my hands through her hair, kissing her with every ounce of love swirling inside me.
For years, I believed I’d never get to experience this again. Now I’ve got her back in my arms, I’m never letting her go.
She might not have accepted it yet, but Cheryl Keeland is the only woman for me. When I look at my future, she is all I see. I’m not backing down, and I’m not giving up. I’m going to bend over backward until I prove it to her.
Chapter 14
Cheryl
Keven kisses me like he never thought he’d get to do it again. I know I didn’t. His love wraps around me, blanketing me in a safety net I so desperately need right now. Despite my earlier bravado, I’m scared about Dan’s next move.
The meeting in his office was terrifying. I’ve never seen someone so enraged. Part of it was directed at Hayley, and part of it was directed at me. He swears it was only sex, as if that excuses it. He knows how I feel about cheating, so me hurling my engagement ring in his face shouldn’t have come as any surprise. The scariest part was how quickly he switched emotions. In the blink of an eye, he transformed from anger-driven rage to pleading with me to forgive him and begging for a second chance. I didn’t entertain it for even a second. I told him there’s no going back, and I walked away.
But I don’t think he’s going to go that quietly. And, quite frankly, the thought frightens me.
“Hey.” Kev breaks our kiss, peering into my eyes with concern. “Are you okay?” He grips the nape of my neck, flooding my body with warmth.
“Everything’s changing so fast, and I feel like I’m on a rollercoaster, and it’s going a hundred miles an hour, and I don’t know how to get off.” Hurt briefly flashes in his eyes, and he slides his hand off my neck, but I grip his wrist, holding it in place. “I don’t mean that in a bad way. Just that I need time to process. If we’re going to do this again, I need to be sure I can let go of the past and start with a clean slate.”
He pulls my head to his, pressing a delicate kiss to my lips. “I completely understand, and I don’t want to pressure you, but I can’t lose you again, Cheryl. I won’t survive it a second time.”
I blink back tears. “Neither would I,” I whisper.
He lifts his head, spearing me with an intense look. “Did you mean it? Last night, when you said you loved me?”
I cup his face, brushing my mouth against his in a feather-soft kiss. “Yes. I don’t think I’ve ever stopped loving you, but I’ve been in denial. And I’ve only just broken off my engagement, and you’ve recently come back into my life, and I just need some time.”
He pulls me into a hug, pressing a fierce kiss to the top of my head. “Take all the time you need, but don’t shut me out. And I want you to stay here where I can protect you. I don’t trust Stanten.”
I sigh. “Neither do I, and that scares me,” I honestly admit.
“Don’t be scared, babe. I’ll kill him before he lays a hand on you.”
Hayley is a no-show on Friday morning, and I fleetingly wonder if that’s because she’s shacked up in bed with my ex-fiancé. I don’t actually care. I’m just glad she isn’t here because it makes things less awkward.
I meet Kev, Kade, and Eva at the gym later that night for our first self-defense lesson.
I’m a terrible student.
In my defense, every time Kev puts his hands on me, I zone out, lost in the sensation of his touch. Kev figures out I’m distracted, and why, shooting me a cocky grin as he asks Kade to switch places. With Kade working with me, and Kev working with Eva, we actually manage to get something done. Then we all head out for dinner, and it’s one of the best nights I’ve had in ages.
We’re back at Kev’s place now, enjoying a glass of wine before bed. “I heard something interesting today,” I say, sipping the cool, crisp wine. “A little birdy tells me an anonymous donor made a sizable donation to the residential home with strict instructions that at least half the funds were to be used to purchase new cameras for the photography class.”
His brows climb to his hairline and he avoids looking at me as she speaks. “Yeah? That’s awesome.”
I get up and move over beside him. Taking hold of his face, I force his gaze to mine. “I know you did that.” My eyes probe his, and I see the truth. “And I think I fell a little bit more in love with you for it.” I lean in and kiss him slowly. “Thank you,” I whisper over his lips, as he pulls me into his warm body.
“I was happy to help, and you know I can afford it. If you need more, you only have to ask.” He hauls me into his lap, and my legs go on either side of his hips. My core aches deliciously, but I try to ignore my libido. “I have more money than I need, so if I can do some good with it, I want to help.”
“Your altruism is one of the many things I love about you.”
“It’s one of the things I love most about you too.” His hands slip under the back of my blouse, and I shiver all over from his touch.
“Wow, you’re really embracing the ‘l’ word,” I pant, my hips grinding involuntarily against his growing hard-on.
“I’m trying. I never want you to doubt what I feel for you.” His hand moves around to my belly and starts inching up.
“I don’t. Not anymore.” A tiny whimper escapes my lips as his fingers brush the underside of my breasts.
“Can I touch you? I really want to make you feel good,” he whispers against my lips.
“You already are, and yes, please touch me. I need your hands on me.”
He fuses our mouths together in a searing-hot kiss as his hand moves up, cupping one of my tits through my bra. I gyrate against him, and he thrusts his erection up against the softest part of me. I moan, unashamedly, into his mouth when he yanks one side of my bra down, exposing my bare flesh to his hand. He rolls my hard nipple between his thumb and forefinger, and I gasp as my body floods with heat. “More,” I mumble as his lips devour mine. He breaks the kiss momentarily to remove my blouse, and then he slowly drags the straps of my bra down my arms, his greedy eyes following the movement.
“Fuck, Cheryl. You’re gorgeous.” He cups first one, then the other, breast, weighing it in his hands. My chest heaves, and a shot of liquid lust whizzes straight to my core. “These are bigger than I remember.”
“I hadn’t finished developing when I was last with you,” I groan, as he starts kneading my sensitive flesh.
“I’m going to fuck these,” he says, smushing my breasts together. “Someday soon.” I don’t have a chance to respond because he leans in, flicking my nipple with his wicked tongue, and I cry out, overcome with pleasure. He lavishes my breasts with attention, nipping, licking, and sucking, and I’m writhing on his lap, my panties completely soaked. I palm his erection through the denim, biting my lower lip when I feel how hard he is for me. I fumble with the button on his jeans, but he stops me, pulling my hand away. “Not tonight. Tonight is all about you.”
“But—”
He places his hand over my mouth. “No buts.” He pierces me with a warning look. “Now lie back so I can remove your jeans.” I lie down on the couch without hesitation. It’s been so long since I’ve had an earth-shattering orgasm, and I’m starving for it. Hell will freeze before I refuse him. Kev’s the only man to elicit screams of pleasure from me, and I need that so badly right now.
Slowly, he peels my jeans down my legs. When I lift my hips to shimmy my panties off, he pushes down on my stomach. “Not yet.” Flinging my jeans aside, he starts a slow perusal of my leg, licking his way up from my ankle to my calf and on to my thigh. I think I might come before he’s even touched my cli
t; I’m that turned on. Burying his nose in my panties, he inhales deeply, and a loud groan flies from his lips. “Fuck, you smell so good, babe.” He presses his nose in farther, and I squirm on the couch.
“Kev, please.”
Grabbing the lace material of my panties and pulling it into a tight line, he slides the material up and down my slit, teasing me with slow gliding motions. I need to come so badly that I cry out in sheer frustration, bucking my hips and pleading with my body. He doesn’t torture me anymore, instantly ripping the panties off and diving between the apex of my thighs with his mouth. His tongue licks up and down my slit before he slides two fingers inside me.
I’m so wet I can barely feel it until he adds a third digit and curls his fingers in the right spot. Pressure is building and building inside me, and when he sucks hard on my clit, while his fingers pump furiously in and out, I explode, climaxing hard, seeing stars as I buck and thrust while Kev keeps his fingers and his mouth on me.
When I’m sated, like a boneless jellyfish on the couch, he extracts his fingers from my pussy and puts them into his mouth. He pins me with dark lustful eyes as he licks my essence off his skin, and I watch as he sucks his fingers dry, my arousal spiking again. Then he leans down and kisses me tenderly. I taste myself on his lips, further igniting my desire.
No man has ever aroused me as much as Keven, and I can’t believe I forgot how much we turned each other on. I was so wet for him back in high school, and from the moment we slept together for the first time, we were insatiable for one another. I reach out for the bulge in his pants, but he stops me a second time. “Not tonight, babe. You need time, and I can wait.”
“I’ve changed my mind,” I hiss, making a grab for him again. “I want you inside me, Kev. I want to feel you moving in me, with me. I want to remember how incredible we are together.”
Grabbing a blanket off the back of the couch, he lays it over me, leaning in to kiss me again. “I want that too, Cheryl. I want it so badly I could cry. But we’re not going to rush this. When I’m inside you again, it will be when you’re one hundred percent sure about us.” He takes my hand, pressing a delicate kiss to my wrist. “We don’t have to rush. We have the rest of our lives to figure this out.”
Forgiving Keven: A Stand-Alone Second Chance Romance Page 12