by Kelly Moore
“The steaks just got here. Can I fix you ladies a drink?”
“Do you have any red wine?” Jewels asks.
“Yes.” He picks up a bottle and shows it to her. “How about you? A beer okay?”
“Yes, please.”
As soon as we sit at the table, Jewels starts grilling him. “So, have you been married before? Do you have any secret babies? Do you have any brothers I might swoon over? And just exactly how rich are you?”
I swallow hard trying not to spew my beer all over her. “You don’t ask someone that!” I scold her.
“What, which part?” I know she’s teasing, but I’m not sure Connor does.
“It’s okay. No, no, no, and very. I hope I got those in the right order,” he chuckles.
“Too bad on the brother part,” she winks at him.
The rest of our evening was spent with the two of them picking on each other like brothers and sisters do. Connor was a little disappointed that I wasn’t spending the night, but I feel like I’ve been neglecting Jewels and really wanted to get her opinion of him.
“So, what did you think of him?” I ask as soon as we are back at our apartment.
“I really like him. He’s funny, sexy, and he seems to adore you.”
“But do you think it’s all a little too soon?” I plop down on the couch.
“The question is, what do you think? I don’t think there is any set time table on how long it should take to fall for someone.”
“I really do like him, but I feel like there is this other side to him that either I don’t know or he doesn’t want me to know.”
“Why do you say that?”
“He doesn’t come into the office much and he doesn’t talk about his day. Like what he does to fill his time. I’ve seen him go into this place called Kid Power. He doesn’t have kids. What would he be doing there?”
“Have you asked him?”
“No. I didn’t want to seem like the nosey girlfriend or that I was spying on him. I’m not even sure that is what I am to him.”
“You’re the one that wanted to keep the two of you secret,” she laughs.
“Then there was this thing at work today. I asked him about this code I discovered and he told me to forget that I ever found it.”
“Oh, now that sounds interesting.”
“What if he’s doing something illegal?”
“Honey, I think you need to trust your gut on him.”
I lay down and put my head in her lap while she strokes my hair. “My gut says he’s a really good guy. Everyone at work loves and respects him. Do you know he pays for each of his employee’s two-week vacations wherever they want to go? He also pays for employees’ children to go to college.”
“Sounds like I need to work for him,” she giggles.
“How could someone that sweet be bad?”
“I don’t think he’s bad, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have secrets.”
“But what if I could help him with whatever he’s gotten into?”
“I’m sure Connor Blaze is more than capable of dealing with anything.”
“I’m sure he is, but I’m worried.”
“Then talk to him.”
Chapter 8
The next day at lunch, I catch Connor in front of the Kid Power building again, hugging the same woman. Jealously takes over and I decide that I’m going to go investigate. I cross the busy street and open the dark-tinted door. A bell jingles and a cute little blonde looks up from the front counter with a frown on her face.
“Can I help you?” she asks tentatively.
“A friend of mine comes here a lot, so I thought I’d check the place out.”
“I’m sorry, our age limit is twenty-one.” She looks me up and down.
“What exactly is it that you do here?”
“I’m sorry, we have strict nondisclosure rules here.”
Every hair on my body is standing on end. “Nondisclosure rules at a kids’ place?”
“I’m sorry, but you will need to set up an appointment with our therapist for her to determine whether they can break the age rules for you.”
Therapist? “I don’t understand.”
A young woman comes through the door dressed in workout clothes as the phone rings. The secretary presses a button behind the counter and the doors buzz open. The phone rings and she looks down momentarily, allowing me to slip in unnoticed behind the young woman.
Several solid, windowless doors line each side of a long, narrow hallway. The girl disappears into one of the rooms toward the end. I work my way down the hallway, checking the handle on each door. All locked. The muffled sound of voices trickles out from behind the doors, but I can’t distinguish any particular conversations. I walk up a flight of stairs and find an open door that leads to a large changing room with rows of lockers in the middle and a closed-off shower on either side. Each locker has a girl’s name taped to it.
I hear footsteps and dodge behind a locker. The door opens and I hold my breath.
“I know you’re in here. The boss man sent me for you,” a woman’s voice says. She holds the door open, but doesn’t step inside.
I step out to see the woman that Connor kissed on the cheek. She’s very striking and physically fit. The long, dark curls falling around her shoulders are the same color as his, but she’s only about five feet tall.
“Come on,” she says as she motions with her hand. A low whizzing sound calls my attention and I look up to see a camera outside the doorway. Whoever it is has been watching me. She doesn’t say anything else. I struggle to keep up with her up five flights of stairs, gasping for breath by the top. She climbed them effortlessly.
She opens a heavy metal door and Connor is standing in the middle of the room with his arms menacingly crossed in front of him. “What are you doing here, Reese?”
I straighten my spine. “I could ask you the same thing?”
He visibly relaxes and holds his hand out to me. “You’re here now, I might as well show you around.”
“What is this place?” I step toward him.
“First, let me introduce you to my sister, Jade.” He turns my shoulders toward the woman I followed up.
She has a brilliant smile. “Sorry to scare you. My brother here wanted to teach you some kind of lesson.” She holds her hand out for me to shake. “Welcome to Kid Power. Connor is the owner, but I run the show. I’m a licensed therapist that helps kids get over trauma. We also teach them self-defense.”
“Not at all what I was thinking.” I shake her hand.
“What were you thinking?” Connor laughs.
“I’m kind of embarrassed to say.” My face feels completely flushed.
“Connor’s told me a lot about you. I’m glad that someone is here that can keep him in line. I’d love to stay and chat, but I have a meeting with one of our kids.” She leaves the room.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this place?”
He takes my hand and walks me over to a row of computer monitors. “This is part of me I don’t like to share. I set this place up a few years ago. When Jade was in her teens, she was brutally attacked. Physically, she healed. Mentally, I didn’t think she would ever recover. She got involved with a place like this and it saved her life.”
“So, the two of you are paying it forward, so to speak.”
“Yes.”
“But, why so secretive?”
“These girls need a place to feel safe. No outsiders. My name alone brings in crowds. I own the place, but my real name is not on it anywhere.”
“And all the security cameras?”
“The girls wanted it. There are so many nooks and crannies in this old building, they wanted to know that they could be secure at all times. A lot of the people that hurt these girls are still out there.”
“Wow, this is awesome. The two of you should be really proud. Do you teach the classes here?”
“I do a few, but we have a staff that handles most of the training. Would
you like me to teach you a few moves?”
“I’m not really dressed for it, and my boss might not like it if I took the rest of the afternoon off.”
He pulls me to him. “I’ll take care of your boss. There are extra clothes in one of the lockers. You don’t really need shoes.”
“Okay, then. Where should I meet you when I’m changed?”
“Go to the third floor, second door on the right.” He smacks my lips with his.
I run downstairs to change. I feel so much better now that I know about this place. I still don’t know why he wouldn’t share it with me. Something is scratching at that brain of mine again. For some reason, I can’t help but think it has something to do with that code. I brush it off and quickly change into what looks like karate pants and a top.
When I find my way to the room on the third floor, he is already waiting for me in the middle of what appears to be a boxing ring. “Are we going to fight?” I ask, climbing between the ropes.
“No, all the other classrooms are taken right now. This will help break your fall.” He points down.
Two hours later, I’m soaking wet and doubting if I am physically able to get off the floor by myself. He has taught me several moves, but each one lands me flat on my ass. He’s so damn big and strong, I don’t think I could ever get the better of him.
Jade walks in smiling. “Is he not playing nice?” I roll to my side to look at her.
“I don’t think he’s playing at all.”
Connor bends down and picks me up by the waist. “Let Jade show you how it’s done. I lean on the rope to hold myself up. “I highly doubt that her five-foot frame can flip your grape-ape self,” I huff out.
“Watch and learn, cupcake.” He swats me on the ass.
I turn to face the middle. Jade gets in position and he charges her. In two seconds flat, he’s lying on his back with her foot in the middle of his chest.”
“How the hell did you do that?”
“Lots and lots of practice.”
I can’t help but laugh at his mammoth body lying underneath her size five foot. “I’d love to see that again.”
He stands up and obliges. They walk through the motions with me step by step.
“Your turn,” Jade taunts.
I get in position like she taught me and he charges. Following Jade’s form, I manage to flip him onto his back. But before I can celebrate, he grabs my ankles and yanks me down onto my ass. I hit so hard it knocks the wind out of me.
Jade is standing over me. “You can’t let your guard down at any time.”
“Got it,” I suck much-needed air into my lungs.
Connor crawls over to me. “Are you okay?”
I nod.
“I think she’s had enough for today,” Jade says and climbs out of the rink.
Connor lays down beside me and holds my hand. “She’s right, I was pretty rough on you.”
“There is not a part of me that won’t feel this tomorrow. I think I may have to call in sick,” I laugh. Even that hurts.
He rolls to his side and looks at me. “I know a few parts that won’t be sore,” he teases and raises his eyebrows.
“You, mister, are not getting laid until I can move and participate.” I push his chest and he laughs.
He stands and holds his hand out. “Come on, go get a shower. It will be getting dark soon and I need to lock up.”
The hot shower eases the sting in my muscles. No wonder his sister is so fit. I couldn’t believe how easily she took him to the ground. I love what they are doing here.
“That had to be the longest shower in the history of showers,” Connor says, looking up from the security monitors.
“It felt so good.” I walk over and stand behind him. “No wonder you don’t come to the office. I’d rather hang out here, too.”
“What do you say we go back to my apartment and do a little work out on each other?” he says with a sultry tone.
“I don’t know. You have me in the mood for games. Let’s say, whoever makes it back to your place first gets to be in control. You have to be on foot. No hitching a ride or taking the subway and I get a head start.”
“I don’t know, it’s starting to get dark outside.”
“You don’t live that far from here.” I say, kissing the outline of his ear.
“Your first challenge will be getting out of this building. The front doors automatically lock at six and it is six-fifteen.” He looks at his watch.
I lean over him and look at the monitors, scanning each of them. “I think this looks like a good exit point,” I say with my finger on one of the screens.
“Good girl. But it locks in two minutes, so you better get your sweet ass moving.”
I take off my heels and sprint down the flights of stairs, making my way through the maze of halls until I find the exit, which leads into a parking garage. I get my bearings and head toward the main street, darting past people hustling to get home. I step out into a cross walk and almost get run over by a biker, who hurls some choice words back at me over his shoulder as he rides off. I decide to take a short cut through the subway that will take me to the street that Connor lives on. I rush past people nonchalantly standing in line waiting to board the subway, thinking to myself that I must look like a lunatic running barefoot through the station. The street lights come on just as I make it through to the other side. I rush into his apartment building and impatiently wait for the elevator. It slowly makes its way to the top, stopping on almost every floor. I rush to his door but it’s already open and Connor is sitting on his couch with his feet propped up on the coffee table. He glances at his watch.
“What took you so long?”
I throw my bag, completely out of breath yet again. “You cheated, didn’t you?” I huff.
A shit-eating smiles plays on his face. “Yeah, the front door doesn’t lock on its own.”
I lay down and put my head in his lap. “You’re an ass.”
He roars out laughing. “No, I’m just a control freak.”
“I need another shower.”
He almost knocks me off the couch when he stands up, scooping me in his arms and carrying me to the shower. He reaches in, turns the water on, and steps in with both of us fully clothed.
“Connor, our clothes!” I laugh as he sets me on my feet.
“You said you needed a shower.” He peels my soaking wet clothes from my skin.
I return the favor. “You couldn’t let me have control just one time?”
“Don’t you know you have all the power?” He devours my mouth. My hands are all over him.
“I want to taste you like you do me,” I rasp and get on my knees. His cock is already full and twitching. I lick the dew off the tip and he groans. I look up and keep my eyes on his so I can see what I do to him. I draw him into my mouth and swirl my tongue. He’s so thick, I don’t think I will be able to swallow him. He groans as his hands find my hair. I start a slow torture of taking him in and sucking on my way back up his length. His eyes start to glass over and I double my efforts. His hips are starting to move forcefully toward me.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” He says with his teeth gritted tightly together. I simply blink and nod. I want nothing more than to make this powerful man lose control. When he does, he roars loudly. The warmth of him spills into my mouth. I swallow every drop of him while looking into his amber eyes.
I stand and start washing my body. He tries to keep his hands on me, but I won’t let him. “This time, it was all about you.”
“I’m more than capable of doing it again.” He rubs his already hardening cock against my back.
“I know you are, but just this once, can I be in control?” It’s not that I don’t want him inside me, it’s that I want to be the one who brings him nothing but pleasure. I turn in his arms and grasp his cock, stroking him hard until he comes again on the shower floor.
Chapter 9
Over the next several weeks, after work, I hang out wi
th Connor at Kid Power. I actually get to know some of the girls that they are helping. They fall all over him when he walks into a room. I know how they feel. I’m pretty doe-eyed myself when it comes to him. I’m barely at my apartment anymore because I spend all my free time curled up in his arms.
His security business is so successful, it’s growing by leaps and bounds. Tonight is just another night spent working late to set up new firewalls. The office is empty – everyone else has gone home. As I’m inputting codes, I come across the file code that Connor was so adamant about me forgetting. For the first time since I’ve studied it, I realize the code is written backward – edajsevivrus – Survives Jade – Jade Survives. It does have something to do with Kid Power. I know I can break the code now, but do I want to? My finger lingers over the keys. I know whatever it is, it can’t be good. And now that I’ve found it and reformatted it, someone else might be able to also. I rummage through my desk drawer to find a jump drive. My cell phone rings, startling me.
Connor’s face lights up my screen. “Hey,” I answer and continue with what I was doing.
“Your bad-ass boss man making you work late again?”
“Yeah, something like that.” I lean back in my chair.
“I have a surprise for you.”
I hear the elevator door open. “You’re bringing me dinner?”
“No, but you will like it. When are you coming home?”
“Wait, you’re not here at the office?” Suddenly I’m scared.
“No.”
“Someone just came up in the elevators.” I whisper.
“Do you have your gun?”
“No. I left it at the apartment.”
“Get out of there, Reese.”
I get up and turn off the lights in my office. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“Jade said there was a man in a hoodie lurking around Kid Power. She called the police, but they couldn’t find him. Go to my office and hide. I’m on my way.”