by Cyndi Raye
Robert was currently behind bars where he belonged and the threat against her was gone. That was the most important thing.
Jacob was touching distance away the entire time, growling menacingly every time someone made her the slightest bit uncomfortable.
She had asked him to make inquiries about Benny’s whereabouts the night before. After she had gotten her release papers from the hospital and the police had gotten the answers they needed, Jacob had brought her to the animal shelter.
He had called in a favor to have someone open up for them early so she could pick up her beloved pet.
Benny had been picked up by animal services after he had been found wandering the park yesterday. He was sporting a bandage on his front left foot but otherwise was none the worse to wear.
“I’ll drive you two home,” Jacob said and ushered them out as his friend locked up after the three.
The drive to her place was made silently.
She was exhausted and found herself flittering between wakefulness and sleep. Benny napped in the back, apparently feeling the effects of the excitement of the last twenty-four hours as well.
Jennifer was curled up in the passenger seat, facing her rescuer. She watched light and shadow play with the angles and lines of his face. He was dressed all in black - jeans and a plain shirt. A prickly stubble decorated the lower half of his face. He could not have gotten any sleep last night but he looked alert and ready to take on an army of bad guys if need be.
He looked the definition of sexy, bad boy vibes practically radiating off him.
If she was not bone tired, she was not sure how she would keep her fingers off him.
He was DeathGod88.
She found that she was not mad after finding out he was the real man behind DeathGod88. Or specifically, finding out he knew who she was all along while she was kept in the dark.
Looking back though, she wondered if she had deliberately kept herself in the dark about his identity. After all, with all he had shared in their talks, it would not have been hard to piece together who he was.
He touched her shoulder, making her realize she had dozed off and they had arrived at her place. He walked her and Benny to her door. Her keys had been lost during yesterday’s events but luckily there was a spare in one of the flower pots on the porch.
She turned the key in the lock but Jacob stopped her before she could enter.
“Mind if I look around? I want to make sure you’re safe.”
A few minutes later, Jacob had done a thorough sweep of her space and they were saying good-bye.
“If you need anything at all, call me no matter what time it is,” he urged, standing on the threshold of the front door. They had already exchanged cell phone numbers.
“I will, promise.”
He nodded and stepped back. “Lock up after me.”
Jennifer liked the quiet but as soon as she shut the door, the silence closed in on her like an oppressive blanket.
The solitude she loved so much now seemed like a prison.
Her breath came in pants and she felt panic pushing at the hinges of her brain.
She opened the door without a conscious mental command, ready to scream Jacob’s name. She needing him here with her. She could not face the next few hours alone. She would chase his jeep down if she had to.
That desperate course of action was not necessary because he was standing exactly where she left him, hand up as if ready to knock.
“I could not leave,” he said.
She launched herself at him.
He caught her easily, lifting her so that she could wrap her legs around his waist.
“Please don’t go. I don't want to be alone.” She muttered her confession against his neck.
“I’m not going anywhere. For as long as you will have me, I am staying right at your side.
He stepped inside and pushed the door shut against the rest of the world.
***
Jacob had never been so scared in his life.
Seeing the mad man with his hands around Jennifer's neck, knowing hewas trying to end her life…
He never wanted to feel that way again.
He also realized it was time to put on his big boy pants. He wanted Jennifer and at no other point in his life had he hesitated from going after something he wanted. This time would be no exemption.
Jennifer did not know it yet but he was about to become a fixture in her life.
He did not say so though. She would find out soon enough.
Today was about comforting her, taking care of her, making her forget the last few hours happened. His campaign to win her heart would begin tomorrow. She would have no idea what hit her.
He squeezed her tight one last time before loosening his hold. Her stomach growled and he knew the first order of business - feeding her.
Chapter Six
Jennifer slipped on the sexy lingerie.
In front of the full length mirror in her closet, she smoothed the garment over her curves, admiring the way it hugged them.
Tonight was the night. Fevered kisses and hot make out sessions were no longer enough. She was going to go to all the way with Jacob, finally.
Almost a month had passed since she was kidnapped. Despite the trauma the event produced, she could not help but be grateful for Robert’s manic actions. It forced her and Jacob to stop dancing around each other.
He took care of her the day after her capture, making sure she ate, had a hot bath and was dressed in her most comfy pajamas. He had urged her to rest then but too keyed up from her horrific adventure, she had talked him into watching a movie with her. They had settled on her couch. He had pulled her close and Benny had snuggled at their feet. It was the perfect scene.
Not ten minutes in, her eyes had drooped.
He carried her to her bed. Without her voicing her need, he had gotten in next to her. He held her while she slept, banishing any nightmare that would have crept up on her.
The next day, he sat her down for a talk.
“My reputation is not the best. People say I am a player. A bad boy with no scruples. I can’t claim that their judgements are completely false or that they’re not mostly deserved. But since you’ve come into my life, my perspective on life has changed. All those things I said to you as DeathGod88, I truly do want them – to date you and get to know you better. You make me want things I never had before. You make feel things no one else ever has. What I’m trying to say is – I’m ready to leave the playing field behind and you’re the one who makes me want that,” he had said. “I’m asking for a chance with you, Jennifer. Can you give me that?”
She had looked into his eyes, saw the sincerity and vulnerability in them and had told her brain to take a back seat for once. Her heart, a hopeless romantic behind her guards, had her saying, “Yes.”
He whooped and pumped the air like he was the luckiest man on earth before pulling her in for a hug.
“You won’t regret it, Jennifer, baby,” he had said and so far she had not.
He had been nothing short of gentle and considerate with her. He took her out on romantic dates, played video games with her on the days they stayed in and generally doted on her.
When they were out, he only had eyes for her even when other women made it obvious they would love to be in her shoes. He had introduced her to his friends and made sure she was made to feel part of the group. Everyone said he was a changed man with her in his life.
She soaked up his attention and adoration, loving how he forced her out of her mold into more social situations but knowing when to pull back and allow her to recharge. Just as she had always known, she had not been able to keep her heart unaffected. She had not been able to keep from giving it to Jacob.
She was in love with Boot Key Harbor’s most notorious Bad Boy and she found no regret in the fact.
And even crazier when she looked into his eyes she saw her emotion reflected there.
She was ready to take the next step with him.
She was ready to make love with him.
It was obvious he desired her. He always touched her like he couldn’t help himself. He told her she was beautiful at least once a day. His gaze heated every time he looked at her.
Still, he had made no move to make them intimate. He was giving her time to be sure he was not in this just for sex.
She was sure about his intentions and her own body was demanding they become joined as one.
She heard the key turn in the front door to her apartment and shortly after he announced, “Honey, I’m home.”
They spent most of their time together at her place and she had given him permission to use the spare key to come and go as he pleased.
She left the bedroom. The feel of the lace on her skin made her feel gorgeous and sensual. The look in his eyes when he saw her made her feel wanted and desired. Needed.
He had been carrying a few grocery bags. They fell to the floor from his suddenly slack fingers.
She closed the distance between them and slid her hands up his chest and shoulder to twine her fingers around his neck. She pressed close and felt the effect on his body. Feminine power added to the heady mixture of sensation making her center wet and inviting of his attention.
“We don’t have to. I’ll wait as long as you need,” Jacob’s mouth said while his body contradicted him. His hands went to her waist to pull her closer and his hips motioned against her in desire.
“I don’t want to wait. I want you to take me. Make me yours in every way.”
He groaned, “Oh, baby. I’m trying to be a good guy but you’re killing me here. You have any idea the things I would do to you? With you?”
“Show me those things. I want to know everything with you.” She went to her tippy-toes and kissed the underside of his lower lips, running her tongue over his skin.
His fingers delved into her hair and his mouth covered hers. His kiss was insistent, the usual control he exercised gone.
Jennifer had no experience with seduction. Apart from a terrible first time in high school and a lackluster experience in college, she was a sexual novice.
Yet, she knew just what to do to make him tremble for her. Instinct guided her and she knew the touch of her hands in certain spots would make him groan and sigh.
He lifted her and brought her back to the bedroom not wasting any time shredding her of her clothes. She returned the favor, pulling his shirt over his shoulders while placing kisses across his skin, desperate to feel all of him against her own.
Mouths tasted and hands petted in heated foreplay before they came together explosively.
Jennifer had no doubt she wanted moments like this for the rest of her life.
***
“I’m in love with you.”
Sunlight filtered through the curtains of Jennifer’s bedroom windows. It cast a golden hue over the white covers of her bed and the nude bodies on it.
They had spent the entire night tangled with each other.
Jacob tried to show Jennifer how he felt with his body but now it was time to say the words despite his fear that she did not feel the same.
In the light of morning, Jacob’s heart was laid bare.
He started babbling. “I mean, I know our relationship is still young and I’m not suggesting we get married tomorrow or anything. Although, I do want to watch you walk down the aisle as my bride. And kids. I want as many kids as you will give me. Saying that might not help my case if you’re looking to keep things casual. But I can wait for you to get used to the idea. Maybe one day you might feel the same. I-”
She stopped his tirade with a finger on his lips.
Real smooth, stud, he admonished internally. He should have waited to tell her. Maybe after their romantic connection had been solidified by a few more months. Maybe then she could love a misfit like him. Maybe-
She brushed his hair away from his face and leaned over to kiss him softly.
“I love you, too.”
She breathed the words against his lips.
He smiled, an expression of joy. “Yeah?”
She smiled back. “Oh yeah. And that married with kids idea? I’m liking it.”
“Yeah?” he said again, happiness robbing him of his vocabulary.
“Yup. I’m all yours, bad boy. And you’re mine.”
“Yeah.” He pulled her close and slipped into her welcoming warmth. Maybe that way he could show her that she owned him heart, body and soul. Forever.
And the last bad boy of Boot Key Harbor fell in love......
Thanks for reading the bad boys stories. Keep reading to see what other books are available. I would love to hear what you think, kindly leave a review if you have the time.
Other Books By Cyndi Raye
If you haven’t read the Tomorrow series, Forever series or Escape series, sample the first book, a free book called What Tomorrow Brings, free on Amazon for you to download. Check out the beginning of the adventures and love stories in the beautiful, sexy, moonlit skies of the Florida Keys.
Click here to download What Tomorrow Brings
Here’s a sample:
Maggie yawned and shook her head. A wet tongue licked her cheek and warm air crept up her nose. As she forced eyelids open, she knew who stared her in the face!“Doggie, get! Go on!”
A hand reached out and rubbed the long haired setter’s shiny coat. Like clockwork, every morning when the sun came up, Maggie tried to do a bit of work sitting on the lounger outside her rental unit and this dog without a name would give her a kiss just as she was about to doze. Each time without fail she tried to discipline the pup but it never worked. There was something about a big, soft-haired pup licking her face that made her cave in to his sweetness.
“I’m sorry,” a deep voice cut through the air behind her. “Jax, come here.”
The pup jumped off Maggie and ran over to the deep voice, it’s tail wagging back and forth. It was about time the owner showed up, she thought. Maggie had started to wonder if the dog was a stray, and yet the fenced-in yard showed proof the hairy dog belonged right here.
She turned her head then slid dark shades down her nose. Wow! A wet man stood by the patio, droplets of water cascading from every inch of rock hard ripped flesh. The sun shone in her eyes, but she could see he wore little except a low cut pair of shorts and a towel flung around his neck. Dark hair, a bit long and plastered against his head and a stubble along his chin made him appear rugged and sexy. He must’ve been out for a swim.
A slow smile crept across Maggie’s face.
“I know. That’s the reaction I get,” he remarked.
“Are you serious? You just said that?” She stared at him. He was not only a hunk as her mother would say, but a bit haughty as well. Weren’t men like that a thing from the past, found in those old fashioned historical romance books?
He grinned. “I’m talking about Jax. He knows how to charm the hearts of pretty women.” His deep smile caught her off guard and the compliment didn’t hurt a bit. She blinked and tried to focus. Did he wink at her?
Maggie didn’t have time for this charmer right now and was about to tell him so. She opened her mouth then clamped down on her bottom lip as she remembered her mother’s famous words. Don’t give the devil his due, Kate McCoy always said. Instead, she began to think this man, tall and dark with droplets of wet dripping from a well maintained body, was like one of the self-proclaimed heroes from her best-selling romance novels. Were the gurus right, she wondered, when they said if you kept thinking and believing something it would happen right before your eyes? Did that whole secret thing work? Had she conjured up a man from the waters of the sea?
Maggie sighed. Being captivated by any man was not on the agenda today. This was not the reason she’d traveled to the Florida Keys.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I must apologize for Jax jumping on you. I’m pretty certain this wasn’t the first time it’s happened. I try to keep him from doing so but he’s pretty quick the minute the door opens. He kn
ows when someone is on the property and makes it his purpose in life to lick anyone who’s out here.”
Maggie grinned and shaded her eyes with her hand, then realized her sunglasses were still hanging on the tip of her nose. She pushed them back up and tipped her head. “Apology accepted. I don’t mind, to tell you the truth. The last few days he saved me from falling asleep out here and getting burned. It’s very easy to do.”
“The lure of the water and scenery tends to do that.” He strolled over to where Maggie lounged in the chair and held out a hand. “I’m Jake Hatfield, and you’ve already met Jax.” At the sound of his name, the pup wandered over. “You must be Maggie McCoy.”
“Are you serious?” she uttered as her shoulders began to shake. “You’re a Hatfield and I’m a McCoy?” She stretched out her hand, laughing in delight.
Jake laughed too, a rich, deep sound that made him seem way too sexy and she was sure he knew it. “My company rep did comment about our names,” he replied. “It didn’t seem so funny then.” He bent down beside the lounge chair, his hand still holding on to hers. “I understand you want privacy to work and you have no worries here. This is one place where you will have it, except for Jax maybe.”
Maggie squirmed in her seat. “I was under the impression I would be alone.” She gazed down and realized he’d encased her hand in both of his, holding on to her a bit longer than usual. She shook herself loose, then cocked her head and stared at him. “Was that appropriate?”
Jake shrugged. “Sorry, it was not.”
You don’t look one bit sorry. She grinned. “No, it wasn’t,” she murmured without conviction. He was hitting on her. She shook herself, there was no time for this. She needed to write if she wanted to stay on top of her game.