by M. E. Gordon
Turning from the cool tile, I let my face take on the scorching water. Reaching down, I grabbed a bottle of soap and tried to wash away the night. The distinct smell reminded me how tenderly Kane had carried me away from that fucking nightmare. I had made a mistake, and I had paid the price. I had pushed away feelings I had for Kane, because I was scared. I was so scared of turning into her, that it had nearly led me to a worse fate. This was going to change me, not for the better. How was I going to face Nate in the bar tomorrow? I knew he would be there. I knew he was going to come find me. What if he tried again? What if he went after Kane? I had truly made a mess of things.
Stepping out of the shower, I reached for a towel, drying my body. Glancing at my clothes on the floor, I winced in disgust. I was going to burn them the first chance I got. Looking around the barren bathroom, there wasn’t a shirt in sight. What single man didn’t at least have a shirt lying on the floor? I guessed there was something I didn’t know about Kane. He was evidently a clean freak.
Drying my dripping hair in a towel, I flipped it back and saw a brush on the counter. Perfect! I took a moment to brush out the knots. Good thing he had such fuckable hair, otherwise, mine would be a ratty mess. Wrapping the towel tightly around my chest, I opened the door, praying that, one, Kane was still asleep and, two, that he had a shirt laying on the floor somewhere. Otherwise, I was going to have to rummage through his drawers. I didn’t want to do that, because some part of me thought that he had a drawer filled with woman’s underwear, some sort of sick trophy system. I didn’t think I could handle that right then.
Glancing around the door, I saw that neither one of my requests would be answered because he was fully awake and there wasn’t a stitch of clothing lying on the floor. Fucking clean freak!
“Hey,” I said, clutching at the towel.
“Have a nice shower?” he asked.
It was so obvious that he had a raging hard on. The sheet was virtually levitating.
“Yeah, can I borrow a shirt and some shorts? I don’t want to put my other clothes back on. It just reminds me--” I couldn’t finish my thought, and thankfully, Kane didn’t let me.
“I get it, you don’t have to say anything else.”
Getting out of the bed, he walked the few steps to his dresser, adjusting himself as he turned away from me.
I covered my face to hide my smile. I knew that, right then, I shouldn’t be thinking...things. But Kane, “adjusting” himself had a way of putting a smile on my face and a heat between my legs.
“This should work,” he said, turning from the dresser.
Striding over, he stood before me, the clothes between us. I looked down at them--a white under shirt and black boxers. My eyes wander up his bare chest. His blue eyes fixed on mine.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
Am I all right? I knew that, if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be “all right.” If it wasn’t for him, I’d probably still be in that dark forest huddled in a ball. His hand came up between our bodies. I watched it. The back of his fingers swiped at my cheek, the cheek that Nate had slapped. I shut my eyes the moment the memory came crashing back.
“Kitty, look at me. Don’t go back there, just look at me.”
I will my eyes to open at his words, they follow as commanded and the image of Nate disappears.
“There you are. Keep looking at me.” His voice was soothing and calming.
“You saved me.” Realization hits again, as I say this to him.
He licks his lips and that fire that had started in my core burned to life again. He was in boxers, his chest, bare. My body came alive around him. It always did. I always knew when he was near.
I know how the night had started out and it was fucking messed up, but now, I was standing in front of Kane, a towel and boxers were the only things that separated us. I was done fighting. I was wrong to stay away, I was wrong to think that I was going to turn out like her. I had been falling for the man standing before me from the moment I saw him. I didn’t want to miss out on anymore and, since I wasn’t going anywhere just yet, I was going to indulge in all that I had been missing.
He had a way of making things better and, most of all, he was making me forget what had almost happened tonight. I felt safe in his arms. I was forever in his debt. So with a nervous hand, I took a breath, knowing that once I did this, things were going to be different between us. I looked into his clear blue eyes, not seeing the rock star, or asshole, just Kane. I loved when he looked at me like that, because as I was seeing all of him, I was certain he was seeing all of me.
Releasing the towel, I felt it fall to the ground, bunching at my feet, my eyes still locked on his. A cool breeze coming from the ceiling fan had me wondering if my nipples were hard from the cold or from him staring at me, completely naked.
He smiled down at me. “You dropped something.”
“Did I?”
Glancing down at the ground, I saw not only the towel at my feet, but the bulge that had returned to his shorts. My eyes found his again, as I bit the inside of my cheek nervously. Yes, I was nervous as hell. This wasn’t a fuck in the hallway, or a make out session in my room. This was going to be different, because I wasn’t going to stop it. I wasn’t going to end it. I was going to have to fight all my instincts to stop and just keep going.
Truth be told, I might have been suppressing what happened earlier, but I had also been suppressing the way I felt for Kane for over four months. If him holding me all night made me feel better about what had almost happened, then I was going to do it. If I would have been in his arms from the beginning, tonight wouldn’t have happened. I was going to have to face what happened tomorrow.
Right now, I only wanted Kane to kiss me, make love to me, and hold me until the sun came up and shone through the windows.
“Caroline, I don’t know what you’re asking here but--”
Since I had moved here, he only ever used my proper name, when he was being serious and this wasn’t any different.
“We don’t have to--I can just hold you,” he said, nerves ever present.
“Kane, I want you to do everything. I want you to hold me till I fall asleep and I want to wake up in your arms in the morning.”
“And by everything you mean, get you dressed?” he asked, holding up the clothes that were still in his hand.
“No, no getting dressed,” I answered back, shaking my head, my wet hair dripped down my back.
“So, by everything, you mean to say that you want me to--”
I sighed. “Kane! Shut up and kiss me.”
He dropped the clothes in his hand and crashed his lips down to mine. Finally! My hands went up and around his neck, the same time his snaked around my waist. My body flush with his, he backed me up till we were at the edge of the bed. The back of my knees hit it hard, making them buckle. Our kiss broke, as I fell back on the bed. Scooting, I make room for him. He crawled between my legs. I could feel the slickness at my core and the throbbing of my insides, begging for release, but he stilled over me. Leaning back on his haunches, he stared down at me.
CHAPTER 26
Kane
Beautiful didn’t even begin to describe the way she looked. She trusted me to take care of her. If you would have asked me four months ago, and if this would have been anyone else, I would have been running for the hills. I didn’t do “more” with anyone. But fuck if I wasn’t considering putting a fucking ring on her finger, so she wouldn’t do “more” with anyone but me.
I didn’t want to rush it. I didn’t want to do it like I had done in the past. I wanted to take my time, kiss every inch of her, and know every curve of her body. I wanted to know if I grazed the dimples above her ass, if she’d moan or laugh. I wanted to know if I kissed the inside of her thigh, would she buck harder or grab my hair and put me where she wanted me. I wanted to learn all those things about her, things I never took the time to learn about anyone else.
I wanted to cherish this because if I knew my
Kitty, she’d freak out and push me away. After we did it, there would be no going back to playful banter and “just friends.” After this, I was going to want more. God fucking help me, I wanted more. She had already ruined me for anyone else and, after tonight, she was going to destroy any ideas I might have had about being the playboy rock star who banged celebrities.
“Kane?” She whimpered my name from the bed.
“Yeah, Kitty?” I answered back, my eyes still wandering over her body.
“What are you doing?” she asked, as a seductive smile spread across her face.
Leaning over her body, I pressed my hands into the mattress on either side of her face. “I’m admiring my woman, so let me admire.” I smiled down at her. I brushed the back of my fingers across her cheek again. It was still a little red from that fucker.
“Fine, but only as long as you don’t stop looking at me like this. I like seeing you, Kane.”
“Same goes for you. Keep your wall down, so I can keep staring at you.”
Her hand snaked up my chest, around the front of my neck, and finally to the back of it. Tugging me closer to her, she licked her tongue at my lips. Clutching at the back of her neck, I let my lips find hers, our tongues dancing back and forth. She was the sweetest thing I had ever tasted and I never wanted to stop. Her breasts were full and heavy in my hands, her nipples, already taunt and asking for it. I moved from her mouth, making my way down her neck. Kissing the tops of her breasts, I latched my mouth down around her, flicking my tongue over and suckling tenderly on her nipple.
Her body arched off the bed, her hands lost in my hair as she pulled me closer. I released her and headed over to my next stop. She was wiggling and moaning the whole time, and fuck if I wasn’t ready to explode in my pants just from sucking her tits. I couldn’t wait any longer. I stood from the bed. She followed me, sitting up herself and scooting to the edge. I yanked my boxers off as fast as I could. I stood there, as she admired the view, flexing my muscles a little. Yeah, I did that shit. She was licking her lips, hungry for what I had. I didn’t think I had ever been that hard before. It was almost painful.
She stood from the bed, just as I was going to come back to her. Her hands found my chest, running delicately up and down my body, outlining the indents of my abs with a single finger. It gave me the chills. She then came to my V. A finger on either side, she let them move together and meet at the bottom. My friend twitched at her, begging to be touched next. Kitty didn’t disappoint either. She wrapped her hand around my length, moving up and down with ease. I let her have her fun for a while, but I couldn’t let her keep doing that or I’d embarrass myself.
My hand found the back of her neck, her hair still dripping wet. I ran my hand up the front of her thigh and over her core. I was hoping like hell that she couldn’t tell my hand was shaking. I let a finger slide, and I mean slide, between her legs. It was warm and welcoming, and I couldn’t wait to lay her down. So, that’s exactly what I did. I pushed her back. Letting me go, she braced her arms on the bed as we lay back down. My hand still between her, she was quivering every time I ran my finger over her soft spot.
“Kane! I can’t hold on any more, please,” she begged through a panting breath, while trying to reach for me.
I wiggled my fingers faster, smiling against her face as I kissed her. I’d get to that, but right then, I was going to do it this way first.
“Kane! You fucking ass--ho--le,” she screamed out in pleasure, gripping my back with her nails.
I swear she drew blood. Her core squeezed my fingers and I fucking loved every minute of it, until she punched my arm.
“I told you, I couldn’t hold on. Why didn’t you listen?” she asked, still panting and arching off the bed.
“I heard you, but I have a check list. That’s just the first on the list. We got at least...I don’t know...ten more to get through,” I said, smiling down at her.
She shook her head and hit my arm again, smiling like the Cheshire Cat. Yeah, she liked it. She couldn’t say a damn thing in return. We spent the next six hours checking everything off my list. I learned that, yes, she did moan when I kissed the dimples on her back. Also, like I had guessed, she pulled me by my hair and put me exactly where she wanted me when I kissed the inside of her thigh.
I had lost count of how many times I’d made her scream my name, but I knew exactly how many times I had screamed hers. Five, to be exact. Twice in bed, once on the kitchen table, once on the wall, and once in the shower.
We were getting some beers and nourishment, when she sat up on the table. I was sitting in a chair when she spread her legs around me. Her feet were resting on the arms of the chair. She moved the long shirt she had on up her thighs while I sat back in the chair and watched. I’d never be able to eat on that table again without imagining her legs spread wide while...I indulged.
The wall was like coming home. I was standing at the foot of the bed after our snack, putting my boxers back on when she ran at me full speed and jumped up in my arms, her legs wrapping around my waist. I kicked off my boxers, which were only around my ankles, and shoved her up against the wall.
The shower was our attempt to “clean up.” Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen. She was standing in front of me, her ass wet, glistening, and facing my spoiled friend. Her long hair stretched longer from the water, and it sent a trail of water that ran right down her ass. It didn’t take long before her hands were splayed on the tile as I sank into her. The water falling around us made for an added bonus as I slammed into her.
That led us back to the bed, where we lay, panting and holding on to one another. The bed was wet from our hair. The only thing left on it was the sheet that I had pulled up from the floor to cover us. My room looked like a tornado had come through and I fucking loved it. I’d be happy to have it look like that from now on, as long as Kitty was here to help me keep it that way. I was usually a clean freak. I didn’t like my shit all over the place. The guys always gave me crap for it, but I didn’t see any ladies complaining, when they were able to fuck me on a clean pair of sheets and piss in a tidy bathroom.
Kitty’s head was resting on my chest as I ran my fingers through her still-damp hair. I never wanted that moment to end. I wanted that night to last forever. I had this sick feeling that it wouldn’t, that she wouldn’t let me give her “more” than what we just had. It fucking scared the shit out of me, so I held her tighter as the thought passed through my mind.
There was so much to sort out once the sun came through those windows, I’d give anything to keep the moon out longer. She was going to have to deal with Nate. I, for the life of me, didn’t know how to even begin that decision. I had a feeling she was going to try to block it out the same way she was blocking out her mother’s existence. I couldn’t let her do that. That fucker needed to pay for what he had done to her. I was going to make sure of that. Cop or not, he couldn’t treat women that way, especially mine.
CHAPTER 27
Caroline
I was content to lay there forever with Kane. I was going to put Nate Rodgers out of my mind and focus everything I had on Kane. That was my plan at least. Being with Kane made me forget about what happened last night with Nate. So, logically speaking, I should keep doing it--go to my happy place, out of sight, out of mind.
Our night together was everything I had ever thought it was going to be, and more. Since I wasn’t going anywhere, no job, no home, I was content to stay a while, make good use of our time together. I’d cross the bridge of fear later, but for now, I wasn’t afraid of letting him in. I was more concerned with forgetting everything with Nate.
I went to sit up from his chest. My bladder couldn’t hold its walls shut any longer. I needed to get to the bathroom.
“Where you going?” he asked, sitting up and grabbing my wrist.
I was up and off the bed, my legs crossed for dear life. “Let me go, Kane,” I said with urgency, tugging my arm from his grip.
“No! You’re not doing this
again. You’re not going to run from me because you’re scared of turning into your mother. No fucking way, Kitty. You don’t get to love me and leave me anymore. You’re fucking stuck with me. I’ll watch out for you, I won’t let you turn into whatever it is that you’re afraid of.”
I was now bouncing on my tip toes to keep from peeing myself. Scrunching my face up, I bit my lip, concentrating really hard on holding it together, so I didn’t pee on his floor.
“That’s a very nice thing to say, but I need you to let go of my hand. Now!” I shrieked.
“No! You’re not running away again,” he yelled, tugging me back onto the bed.
“Kane! Let me go. I’m going to piss on your floor, if you don’t let me go.”
Never, had he let go of me so fast. I turned from the bed and ran on my tip toes to the bathroom, slamming the door behind me.
“For the record, I knew you weren’t bolting,” he yelled a few seconds later, from the bed.
I rolled my eyes as I washed my hands. “Un-huh,” I called back.
It was cute, and I loved that he wasn’t going to let me run, even though I had already decided not to. I was right. Things had changed between us.
I came out of the bathroom, sauntering back into bed. “Did you mean all that?” I asked, leaning over him.
I took a moment to brush the hair from his face, before I slipped my leg around his waist to straddle him. Lowering myself onto his lap, with his hands on my hips, I could feel him growing beneath me. Again? This man is a fucking machine, like a real “fucking” machine.
Just when I thought he couldn’t possibly be ready again, bam! He was. Not that I was complaining.
“Yeah, Kitty, every word of it.”
I’m not going to try to lie, but that scared the shit out of me.