When he loosened his hold, she bit her lip to hold back her protest. She wasn’t ready for it to end yet. He felt good; the security of his arms around her. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t seen the snake coiled there when she’d walked into the kitchen. It must have been hiding beneath the table. He was right; it had been close.
If Kyle hadn’t been here… The thought sent a shiver through her body.
Framing her face, he leaned back enough to meet her eyes and held her stare with an intensity that burned all the way to her soul. “Are you all right?”
She nodded. The genuine concern she saw reflected in those dark blue eyes sent a well of tears pricking her lids. Maybe it was a delayed response to her fear, or maybe it was because no one had ever looked at her like that before. She wasn’t naïve enough to believe it would ever go beyond this. The truth would always be there between them, but for a brief moment, she could experience what it was like to be with someone who cared for her.
His calloused hand swept over her cheek, fingers threading into her unruly hair as he continued to study her. “You sure? You look kinda shell-shocked.”
That was because she’d just been blindsided by a realization she wasn’t prepared to face. Truthfully, she’d rather have taken her chances with that rattlesnake than trust another person with her heart. She nodded again, afraid if she spoke, her voice would betray the emotion lodged there. But she wasn’t the only one feeling the effects of their adrenaline high. His gaze flickered to her mouth and she instinctively moistened her bottom lip with the tip of her tongue, an invitation he seemed to recognize as just that.
It wasn’t like he hadn’t kissed her before, she rationalized, attempting to calm the unexpected flutter of nerves in her stomach. Was this what they called butterflies? She wouldn’t know; she’d never felt them before. But whatever this was, it felt different...exhilarating and frightening at the same time.
He moved in slow, as if stating his intentions. Perhaps he wanted to give her the chance to stop him, because this was breaking the rules, but all he accomplished was heightening her anticipation for his mouth to touch hers.
At the last moment, her lids flickered closed and his lips touched hers. His kiss was familiar, intimate…gentle. At first. But as his lips brushed over hers once, twice. They lingered a third time and his tongue slipped between the seam of her lips. When she parted them to allow him entry, something inside him seemed to snap.
His fingers curled into her hair, his grip tightening. He growled something that sounded like, “Oh, fuck…” as he took full possession of her mouth. In all her life, Pen had never been kissed like this, her mouth thoroughly ravished. He tasted, licked, nipped, and sucked.
And then the bid for dominance was on, because if she didn’t get control of this moment, Kyle Scott was going to own her—body and soul. The man fucked like he fought, with skill, dominance, and aggression. And for a woman who liked to call the shots, that posed a problem.
Rising to her tiptoes still failed to give her the height advantage she needed, but she kissed him back with mirroring intensity. She bit his bottom lip, hard enough to draw a groan from his throat, but she doubted it was from pain. Pen thrust her tongue into his mouth, tangling it with his as she slipped her arms around his neck, tugging him down to her level and turning them so his back was to the bed.
She gave him a little shove and he went down more easily than she expected—too easily. She knew from experience he didn’t give up his back. “What’s your game?” she asked as she crawled up his body. Settling her hips over his, he raised his arms, locking his fingers behind his head. The prominent ridge of his erection hit all her sensitive places. The friction from grinding on him could have her coming in minutes. Combined with the visual feast of this fighter laid out beneath her—make that seconds.
“No game. I’m following the rules, Pen. You said no sex. If I touch you, I’m not going to be able to stop so…you made ‘em, you break ‘em.”
The distant whir of a siren cut him off and she bit out a curse that earned her an amused grin. Just her luck, interrupted before they even got started. Turns out when you call 911 to tell them there’s a rattlesnake loose in your house, it’s a bona fide lights and sirens emergency.
She barely had time to climb off him before vehicles were racing into her driveway. A strobe of lights flashed through the bedroom window and she parted the curtains to peer outside. Two police cars and an Animal Control van were parked outside. Neighbors were leaving their houses to stand out in their yards, and for the second time, her place became a neighborhood spectacle.
She caught a glimpse of movement from the corner of her eye and glanced at Kyle as he crossed the room and headed for the door. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going out there. Someone’s got to let them in.”
“But—”
“I’ll be fine. Stay in here and I’ll let you know when it’s safe to come out.”
But that freaking snake could have been anywhere by now, just waiting to strike. Before she could argue anymore, Kyle cracked open the door and peered out. He must have decided the coast was clear, because he slipped from the room, pulling the door closed behind him.
Chapter Fifteen
“Does this kind of thing happen very often?” Kyle asked the Animal Control officer as he watched the guy carefully place the hissing snake into a cage.
“It happens.” He loaded it into the back of the van. “Just not in a place like this. We’re in the middle of the suburbs. These guys are reclusive desert creatures. He’s probably more scared of you than you are of him.”
Kyle eyed the rattler giving him the death glare through the fine wire mesh and shook his head. “Yeah, I’m not so sure about that.”
The AC officer chuckled. “I s’pose this little guy gave you quite a fright.” He shut the van doors and extended his hand. “It was nice meeting you. Wish it could have been under better circumstances. It’s not every day I get to tell people I saved Kyle ‘The Killer’ Scott.”
Kyle laughed and took hold of the man’s outstretched hand, glancing at his name tag on breast pocket of his uniform. “No, I guess not. Thanks for saving my ass, Robert. My girlfriend will be pleased to know we’re now reptile free.”
“Glad I could help.” The man hopped into the van as the last remaining officers pulled away. The van started forward and then abruptly stopped. A moment later, the driver’s window slid down. “Maybe you should take my card. In case you get anymore uninvited guests.”
The guy stuck his arm out the window and handed Kyle a business card.
“Thanks, man.” Kyle pocketed it and waved him off, glad this whole thing hadn’t turned out worse. He was anxious to get back to Pen, back to where they’d left off. For the life of him, he couldn’t read that woman. Just when he thought he was starting to figure her out, she upped and changed the rules of engagement. He’d never been more disappointed to be rescued in all his life than when he’d heard those untimely sirens wailing down the street.
Then again, perhaps it was a blessing because he was starting to have some serious feelings for her, and Kyle had never had sex a woman he cared about before. With Pen’s Walls of Gibraltar, pursuing a “for real” relationship with her might be a recipe for disaster, and considering how every other aspect of his life was in chaos, that might not have been the best idea. Pen needed stability. She needed someone she could rely on. He hadn’t realized how critical that was until she went off on him for missing their appointment at the police station.
All things considered, he wasn’t sure if he could be that guy for her. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, he just didn’t know if he could. In the next few days, he was going to have to make some serious career decisions. Willow’s prognosis was guarded, and until she woke up there was no knowing how much she was going to need him. Against his better judgment, he’d decided to appeal Campoli’s parole on her behalf. If that bastard wanted to keep her out of the courtroom bad enough to t
ry to kill her—again—he’d make sure the guy never saw the light of day. Whether behind bars or in hell, the untouchable Sean Campoli would pay.
“Kyle?”
Pen’s voice was a welcome lure, pulling him from his reverie. He glanced up at the woman poking her head out the front door and couldn’t help but smile. She was so beautiful. No question, he wanted her. But as unsettled as things were with him right now, it wouldn’t have been fair to her to take this relationship down a physical road. And damn if that revelation didn’t disappoint him.
“I saw the Animal Control van pulling away and figured it was safe to come out.”
“It’s safe.” He stepped onto the porch, and she opened the door wider for him to pass. Once inside, she caught his wrist and tugged him to a stop. He could tell something was on her mind. Was she going to tell him their kiss in the bedroom was a mistake? He already knew that. Kyle waited patiently for her to choose her words. She was impossible to read. Of all the women he’d known, and there had been a lot, he’d never met one like Pen.
Kyle could see how her complexity would scare off most men, but then he wasn’t most men, and he was no stranger to baggage. Sure, she had plenty of it, and she kept that shit packed tightly away, but then he had his own luggage he was toting around, so no judgment there. Bottom line, she intrigued the hell out of him. If he wasn’t worried about scaring her off, he might’ve let her know just how much.
“Thank you.”
Okay…he wasn’t expecting that. She seemed hesitant to meet his eyes, so he took her chin between this thumb and forefinger, guiding it up. “For what?”
“For this. For everything. For saving me from that snake. For being patient with me when I know I’m not the easiest person to be around. I know you’ve got a lot going on in your life right now, Kyle, and I’m the last thing you need—”
“Hey…don’t do that.” His other hand slipped around the side of her neck, his thumb gently rubbing up and down. He could feel her pulse racing beneath his touch. The temptation to pull her into his arms was strong, but he resisted. He didn’t want gratitude being the reason she softened to him. “I don’t need you to thank me, Pen. I told you before, I’m here because I want to be. I suppose there’s never a convenient time to be stalked.”
She laughed at his poor attempt at humor, but the sadness in her eyes weighed heavy on his heart. He wanted to ask her about it, but everything was always a balancing act with her. If he even acknowledged the tiny crack in her armor, she’d seal it up and fortify her barriers. Every step forward had to be on her terms, in her time. And he’d have been lying if he said it wasn’t frustrating as hell because, more than anything, he wanted her to let him in.
But he was learning that everything with Pen was give and take. He knew he had to open himself up to her first, let her see the vulnerability and ugliness inside him before she’d ever trust him with hers. The problem was, he’d become a master at hiding it. He was just as broken and fucked up as Pen—she just didn’t know it.
She surprised him by stepping into his arms and hugging him tight. She felt so good pressed up against him. Her soft, generous curves fit perfectly against him. Just holding her, he could feel the tension ease from his muscles. This was what he needed—to climb into bed and hold her. Maybe actions spoke louder than words and, in silence, they could both find some much needed healing.
She didn’t protest when Kyle swept her into his arms and carried her into his bedroom. This she understood. This she could rationalize. What she could not reconcile was why, after everything, did this man still want to be with her? But then the answer easily came once he laid her out in his bed. Sex—he wanted sex. She wasn’t surprised. She wasn’t even offended, because truth, she wanted the same thing from him.
He didn’t speak as he crawled in beside her then turned her on her side facing away from him, tucking her against his body. His arm, heavily roped with muscle, slipped around her waist. But then he stopped moving, seeming content to just lie there behind her.
She tensed, little alarms going off in her head. “What are you doing?” This was not what she thought was going to happen when he’d brought her in here.
“Just give me this, Pen.”
His husky voice was a sexy rumble near her ear. She could feel his breath—soft exhalations skating down her neck. Her nipples hardened, tingling with anticipation for his touch. When it didn’t come, the ache moved low between her legs, but then something in her chest felt warm and full when he said, “I’ve had a shitty day, and I’m so goddamn exhausted. Just let me hold you. Can you do that for me?”
She tried to answer but her throat felt thick. She nodded and he burrowed deeper, curling his big body around hers, his face tucking into the curve of her neck. “That’s my girl.”
His words shredded her. Pleasure rolled through her at the utter masculine contentment in his voice. His… No one had ever called her his before. No one had ever wanted to. And yet, another part of her panicked. She belonged to herself and no one else, because she would never be controlled by anyone again.
Kyle’s breathing slowed and his body gradually relaxed. When his hold on her eased, she knew he’d drifted off to sleep, and there she was, left alone with her thoughts. Should she risk waking him by trying to sneak out, or honor his request and stay? He’d done so much for her, it was the least she could do. But she feared the price her heart would pay might be too steep.
She had no idea how long she laid there, staring out the bedroom window. Kyle hadn’t drawn the curtains and it was a clear night. Countless stars twinkled in the backdrop, and the crazy impulse to wish upon a particularly bright one crossed her mind. What would she wish for? For this to be real? For this madness with her stalker to be over? Because when it ended, so would this charade with Kyle. Or maybe she could wish to forget all the horrible things of her past so she could finally feel normal, someone worthy of a guy like Kyle Scott. Perhaps she was being selfish and she should wish for Kyle’s sister to be all right.
With everything he had happening, he seemed to be hanging on by a thread. The vulnerability he’d shown her tonight was a rare glimpse of the tough-as-nails MMA fighter. He’d gifted her with a view of him the rest of the world would never see, and it had warmed her cold, jaded heart.
In the end, she wished for none of those things, having fallen asleep as she pondered her many choices. As with life, she’d missed her chance…or had she? When she opened her eyes to the faintest hint of dawn breaking through the midnight sky, the man who was slowly stealing her heart was still snuggled up behind her, and the faintest twinkle of her wishing star was fading. It seemed fate was making its choice for her, because for the first time since she could remember, she’d slept through the night with no nightmares.
Kyle stirred, but a quick glance behind her proved he was still asleep. That was just fine. She preferred to be gone when he woke. In light of these new revelations, she felt nervous—skittish—and was not up for the awkward morning after routine. Today was going to suck bad enough as it was. She needed to get into the office early and start canceling Vi’s appointments.
At the thought of leaving Kyle’s warm, comforting embrace, a pang of disappointment pinched her chest. Exhaling a regretful sigh, she slipped from his bed and tiptoed out of the room. Before pulling the door closed, she gave him one last parting glance, taking the time to fully appreciate the beautiful fighter. What was wrong with her? Any woman in her right mind would be thrilled to wake up in Kyle Scott’s bed. Yet here she was, sneaking out of it.
I’m such an idiot.
But still that didn’t stop her from walking out the door and silently pulling it closed behind her. She made a quick detour to the kitchen, putting on a pot of coffee before heading to the bathroom to shower. She purposefully turned her thoughts from Kyle to muse over an equally distressing concern—Violet. She hadn’t answered any of Pen’s calls or returned her texts. This wasn’t like her to just up and quit with no notice. She cared too
much about her reputation and her patients to abandon them like this. Pen really wasn’t looking forward to dealing with the fallout from her patients—especially from Bob. He was going to lose his shit when he discovered she was gone. She’d been suspecting for a while now that he had a thing for his therapist, often coming in early, and loitering after his appointments.
Vi was always careful and respectful to keep her patients’ confidences, but when Pen brought her concerns about Bob forward, she’d admitted to having the same worries as well. Vi’s partner, Jim Hendricks, was certainly going to be in for a surprise when he returned to find a jam-packed schedule. Feeling the urgency to get started on the clusterfuck her friend had left her with, Pen exited the shower and quickly got ready for work. Dressed in a simple red button-up blouse, she tucked the hem into her black pencil skirt as she headed for the closet to fish out her pair of black and red checkered pumps. She finger-combed her hair, fastened the mass of blonde curls on top of her head with a clip, and after a quick swipe of mascara across her lashes, she was out the door.
Her thoughts were so consumed with all the work ahead of her at the office, that when she entered the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee for the road, she let out a startled yelp when a voice said, “Morning.”
Pen skittered to a stop, her hand flying up to her racing heart. “Holy shit, Kyle. You scared me!”
He was sitting at the kitchen table, casually sipping a cup of coffee. Dressed in his usual attire—gym shorts and no shirt—Pen was starting to recognize a theme here. Either this guy was a straight up exhibitionist, or he was trying to torture her with his hotness. Neither one was particularly appreciated at that moment.
“If you hadn’t snuck out of my bed, you would have known where I was.”
In for the Win (Against the Cage Book 5) Page 13