“Come on, Archer. There’s cops all over this place.”
I kicked him again. “Help!” he shrieked. People stared at me with a bit of horror on their faces.
I grabbed Zoe’s hand. “Let’s go.” We didn’t waste any time walking back to the car.
“I don’t know what he was thinking.” She turned to me when we got in the car. “Now you’ve got blood all over your face. I need to get you cleaned up. Is there somewhere nearby we can go?”
I started the car, still so furious I could’ve killed the man. “We’re leaving,” I said through clenched teeth and slammed on the gas.
“Where?”
“Back to my house. You know what he told me, Zoe?”
“What?”
“He said that I couldn’t always be with you.” She went white. “He followed you to the club that night, didn’t he?”
“Yeah, he did.”
“And how often has he been coming into the store?”
“Nearly every day.”
“I don’t know what to say to this. He’s dangerous, and he’s obsessed with you, and now he’s trying to bash my head in. You’ve got a real problem here.”
“I’m so stupid.” She let her head fall.
“Don’t say that. You’re not stupid.”
“No, I am. Chloe warned me about this guy, and I didn’t listen. She told me to have him sent to jail when he first started coming in, and instead of doing that, I put up with him. Now he’s running around trying to attack any guy who talks to me. But you have to believe me, Archer.” I heard the distress in her voice. “I didn’t know he was like this. I thought he was harmless.”
“I wouldn’t blame you for this. I’m worried about what he’s going to do next.”
“I am, too.” She sounded drained, so different from the way she sounded when we were dancing that it made me want to turn around and hunt down that freak just so I could hear him scream one more time.
Instead, I took a deep breath and turned my focus on her. “I’m sorry. I completely lost it. It just makes me so angry.”
“It was unreal the way you dropped him on the ground like that.”
“Well, he’s not very big.”
She laughed. “No, but he sure screwed up your face.”
“I’ll be fine. I’m taking you back to my place for a bit. I’ll get cleaned up, and we’ll go from there. Is that all right?”
“Of course.” After some time had passed, she said, “Thank you, Archer. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I don’t think I could’ve done anything else if I tried.”
When we got back to the house, Zoe found her way to the kitchen, and I watched from a stool on the counter as she pulled out an ancient bag of frozen peas from the back of the freezer. “I have cold compresses in the bathroom upstairs.”
“I prefer the traditional method. Here.” She pressed it against my cheek and started working on wiping away some of the blood. She was so attentive and gentle. I barely even felt it when she swiped the cut on my nose. “Sorry.”
“No, it’s okay.”
“You don’t have to worry about me, you know. I can take care of myself.”
“I believe it.” Her arms were firm and toned from the work in the bakery. “I’m just glad I got a chance to defend you.”
“You could’ve gotten arrested.”
“Eh, it was self-defense. Besides, I’ve got great lawyers.”
She set her rag down. “You defended me.” She reached out and kissed me then pulled back. “That was…”
I pulled her forward and kissed her, this time longer, letting her lips open slowly like a budding flower as I swept my tongue over them. Her breath caught in her throat, so I took a chance and slammed my tongue through her mouth. She seemed to go limp, solely driven by the experience now, so I led her further and reached up to her shoulders to slide the strap of her dress down. She reacted instantly and started stroking the head of my cock through my jeans.
“I want to taste you,” she whispered almost shyly.
“No.”
“Why not?” The look on her pretty face told me that she was a little hurt by my response.
I responded by lifting her up onto the counter and setting her down. Then I drew back and trained my eyes on her. “Because it’s your turn.” I lifted her dress and pulled her panties down.
Chapter Eighteen
Zoe
The fire that started when I watched Archer drop Mr. Beetle to the ground spread slowly, growing larger and larger until I was consumed by it, lying on my back in Archer’s kitchen, my dress hiked up above my knees as he dove his head between my legs, his breath spreading up my thighs.
He moaned and flicked his tongue over my pussy.
“Oh, God.”
“You like that?” He clamped his finger down on my clit. I jolted. His finger twisted through me.
“Yeah, I love it.”
He flicked his tongue over my sex, driving his finger deeper, twisting it slowly. He took his time, easing me into it, his finger moving in and out, his tongue moving over my clit. He was hitting my spot now. Moisture was building up, like gas to the fire, and I could barely control myself.
He lifted his head up and his eyes locked on mine. “You’re so wet. You ready to come for me?” He rubbed my clit in between his thumb and forefinger before leaning down to roll his tongue against my soft skin.
My legs shook, and my whole body buzzed. I couldn’t do it now, not without getting a taste of his cock inside me, but he was too good. His finger was like a burning ember, scorching through all of my self-control. I couldn’t fight something as powerful as that.
I cried out and threw my head back. The fire rose inside of me, growing brighter until there was nothing else but that finger of his and the eruption, like a wave of warm water that exploded out from between my thighs, up my stomach into the farthest reaches of my body.
Archer watched the whole thing, smiling and nodding his head. He stood up straight and slid his hands down his pants. “You want this, don’t you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I sat up.
“Oh, no. Don’t think you’re going to get away that easy.” He slipped out of his pants revealing his engorged dick, up and ready. “Here.” He grabbed my ankles and drove his cock deep inside me, letting it rest so he could take in the way my mouth hung open and my eyes rolled into the back of my head.
“Fuck me,” I told him.
“Yes, ma’am.” His cock was like a jackhammer, pounding in and out. He was moving so fast that I lost track. All I could do was cry out, soft at first, then in fierce, sharp jolts in time with his relentless drilling.
He was grunting, staring down at me, meeting my eyes with his mouth curled up at the side. He fell on me, his lips like sweet magma fueling the flames that had taken over everything else. It was more than a fire now. It was a steaming volcano, gaining pressure, mounting as his cock slipped through.
The explosion was coming. It wasn’t a small burst or a little wave. This was a mountainous peak, shaking and shuddering in time with his movements. When it blew, there would be nothing left of me but that unforgiving force and the electric tension swirling around us now.
Archer’s face was bright red, scrunched, and serious. It seemed like this was more than just sex for him. It was the serious business of bringing intense pleasure to the woman he wanted.
He drove through, let his cock rest on my g-spot, deeper now, and the mountain exploded, spewing fire and magma, ripping through me, devouring skin, flesh, and bone. My eyes rolled into the back of my head, and I was vaguely aware of a sound pouring out of my mouth, but I was too engrossed in the explosion to register it.
Archer was spewing hot liquid inside me, shuddering just like I was. He was feeling the full force of the blast. I could see it in his face, and I could feel it in the way his cock seemed to jump inside me. Finally, he pulled it out and grabbed a paper towel to wipe himself off.
&n
bsp; “I don’t know how you do that,” I said.
“I thought it was you.” He threw the paper towel away and pulled up his pants.
“A combination, I guess.”
He bent down to kiss me and help me up off the counter. Then he pulled away. “I have to tell you something.”
I knew this was the secret that had been keeping Archer away from me. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“I was afraid.” He couldn’t even look me in the eye. “I didn’t think you’d want to be with me once I told you. That’s why I was afraid of letting myself get close to you. Because you’d leave me. And I knew that I’d just get hurt when you did. Even now, I’m taking a risk. But you’re worth the risk.”
My heart sank in my chest. “You’re married.”
“No, I’m not.” He whipped around to face me. “I’ve never been married.”
“Then what could it be? What could you tell me that would make me run away?”
“I have twins.”
“That’s it?” I asked, smiling. “Oh, you poor, misguided man. You thought I would leave over that?”
“You’re not upset?”
“No, of course not. I want to meet them. Are they here?”
“No.” He stood up straight, no longer subdued or brooding. “But I have pictures.” He pulled his phone out to show me.
“Let’s see. Let’s see!”
“Here.” He pulled up a picture of two red-faced little boys wearing baby blue beanies. Their eyes were closed slightly, and they were both reaching up into the air as if to grab a piece of heaven.
“Aw, they’re so cute. How old are they?”
“Almost a year. This one’s Abel.” He pointed at the smaller one. “I guess you could say he’s the runt, but he’s the sweetest. And this is Andrew. He’s my little brute.”
“They are so darling. Why would you hide that from me?”
“You don’t understand, Zoe.” He put his phone away. “I wake up every night to the sound of them screaming. Once I get one to bed, his brother wakes him up. It takes me hours to get them to sleep, and half the time when I do, it’s already time for me to go to work. I don’t think I’ve gone a full week without staying up all night since they were born.”
“Then you need help.”
“And that’s the thing. I couldn’t ask you to be a part of that. You have work to do, and your job involves a lot of manual labor. You couldn’t work after staying up all night.”
I laughed and waved my hand to dismiss what he was saying. “Archer, my business is my baby. It keeps me up. I go without sleep as much as you do. If I enter your world, and I think I will if this continues, I won’t be sacrificing anything.”
He shook his head. “Do you know what this is like?”
“Yeah, I do.” I took his hand and tilted his chin toward to me to look him in the eye. “I’m telling you, it’s okay. It’d be an honor to be in their lives.”
He pressed his lips together and looked away. “I want to believe you, but raising those boys has been the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”
“Let me prove it to you. Can you do that?”
“That’s exactly why I’m telling you. I don’t want to dismiss you or give you the cold shoulder the way I did before. I want to be with you.”
“Good, because I’m not going anywhere.”
“No, you’re not. Not after that freak attacked us downtown. What if he finds your address? You can look it up online.”
“I didn’t think of that.”
“Will you stay?”
“Of course. Sleeping next to you would be the second greatest thing that happened to me tonight.” Archer reached down and grabbed me up off the floor. He cradled me as he walked me up the stairs. This time, I didn’t protest. It felt so good being close to him. His body was like solid fire, masculinity embodied. He laid me down on the bed then collapsed next to me, pulling me closer so I could rest my head against his chest.
Chapter Nineteen
Archer
When I opened my eyes, I saw Zoe. Her head rested on my shoulder, and her chest rose and fell softly. I’d never seen anyone look so peaceful. She was perfect, a master’s sculpture, molded from flesh and bone. I could’ve stayed there for years, but something was tugging at me. She needed help, and I couldn’t ignore that.
I got up, careful not to wake her, and pulled my phone off the nightstand to make a call.
“It is five in the morning,” the voice on the other end of the line said.
“I don’t care what time it is, Jo.” I walked out so Zoe wouldn’t hear me. “Somebody I care about is in trouble.”
“Wha—who?”
“A girl I’m dating. Her name is Zoe. She runs a bakery downtown. There’s this homeless person who keeps coming by and harassing her. Then last night he attacked me with a metal bar.”
“What’s he look like?” Jo asked.
“He’s small with thick glasses and dirty black hair that he slicks back. You won’t miss the guy. He smells like rolled cigarettes, and he looks like he hasn’t showered in years.”
“Nothing like that fresh, woke-up-in-a-ditch smell.”
“It’s disgusting. He’s obsessed with her. He follows her around and tries to attack any guy who talks to her. It’s sick. And it’s only a matter of time before he goes after Zoe.”
“What can I expect?”
“I don’t know yet. Nobody knows, but he’s got some sort of mental issue. I don’t know if it’s a developmental disability or a mental illness—probably both.”
“Is he coherent or off in La La Land?”
“A little bit of both. None of that matters. You have a gun, and you know how to use it. I’m worried that he’s going to come back after what happened last night.”
“Sounds about right.”
“I want you to keep an eye on Zoe while she’s at work. How soon can you get there?”
“I’ll be there within the hour. What’s the place called?”
“Zoe’s Bakery.”
“Does she know I’m coming?”
“I don’t want to tell her, honestly, but I don’t want her to have to worry. I’ll talk to her about it when she wakes up.”
“If she’s not okay with me being there, I can’t go on the property.”
“You can if she doesn’t notice. I don’t think she wants to bring the cops out. Just do your job. I’ll add in a bonus if you catch the little shit.”
“Do you know his name?”
“No, and neither do they. Try and get something on him if you can.”
“I’ll do my best.” Jo hung up.
I walked back into the room and laid down. I landed too hard and jolted the bed. Zoe started to roll over, her arm rising into the air. Then she smiled, and I stopped caring. That was gratification enough. I kept my eyes trained on her, studying the way her eyelashes fluttered before she opened her eyes to look at me. She reminded me of a wide-eyed child, still in love with the world.
“Hey.” Her voice was like honey, warm and sweet.
“Can you just keep doing that over and over? You’ve got my heart pounding.”
“You’ll get more than one chance to see me wake up.” She stood up.
“I’ll take every opportunity I can.” I got up, too, and started making the bed.
“Military to the core.” She watched me fold the covers under the mattress.
“You can bounce a nickel on it.” I stepped back to look over my work.
She walked around the bed and wrapped her arms around my neck. “What would you do if I started jumping on it?”
“I’d grab you and throw you down on the bed. Then I’d tear off your clothes and slam into you, just so I can see the look on your face.”
She reached around and pinched my butt. “I wish we had time for another go.”
“Can I at least make you breakfast?”
“Yes. I’m interested to see your cooking skills.”
“I doubt they’re as
good as yours.” We headed downstairs. “What would you like to eat? I have pancake mix, eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuit mix. I could make us some white gravy with sausage.”
We walked into the kitchen and she looked into the pantry. “Are those chocolate chips?” she asked, pointing up to the highest shelf.
“Yes.”
“Pancakes with lots and lots of chocolate chips.”
“Coming right up.” I pulled out the pancake mix and chocolate chips. “I did something.”
“What?”
“Don’t get mad.” I ducked down to pull out a mixing bowl and a measuring cup.
“I can’t promise that.”
I sighed. “I can’t have you going to work alone without protection.”
“I have a gun.”
“I’ll bet it’s locked up and empty.” I measured out the mix and poured it into the bowl.
“Yes, but…”
I gave her one of my disarming stares. “I have a guy who I work with sometimes. He does private security. His name’s Jo, and we worked together in the Navy. I called him up this morning. He’s going to be watching the bakery. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No, not at all. Listen, Archer. I know you’re apprehensive. You want to make a good impression on me, and I feel the same way, but you don’t have to keep apologizing and worrying that I’ll run out the door. I’m here, and I don’t plan on going anywhere.”
“You mean that?”
She walked up behind me and wrapped her arms around me. Then she reached up to my ear and whispered, “Yes, I do.”
I felt a shiver drop down my spine. “All right.” I turned to face her. “I’m going to make you a promise, and this time I mean it.”
“What’s that?” she asked.
“I’m done. I’m not putting up a front any longer. It’s just me from now on. The real me.”
“And I’ll do the same,” she said. “No secrets, no lies, no worries.”
“It’s a deal.” I kissed her. I turned back to the pancake mix and checked the box to see how much water to pour in.
“One and one-third,” she said and pulled a knife out from the holder on top of the counter so she could open the bag of chocolate chips.
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