by Reana Malori
“There are things about me…” she began, but Jaidon interrupted.
“That will never matter to me. The only thing that will ever matter, is that you’re here with me. Do you understand, Kenya?” he demanded. “You’re here with me now. For whatever reason, we’ve been given another chance to get this right. No matter what, I’m not giving this up. I’m not losing you again,” he implored.
At the wetness that appeared in her eyes at his words, he knew he was lost. With a growl, he pulled her close to him and captured her lips with his.
Tonight, he was no longer the monster who killed people in the dark recesses of the city. Tonight, he was just a man, holding the woman he loved in his arms. For now, that was all that mattered.
CHAPTER SIX
Waking up in Jaidon’s bed a week later, Kenya rolled over and pulled the sheet closer to her body. Her bones cracked and her muscles pulled tight as her body adjusted. Her hair was mussed and out of control. All her curls were gone and her hairdresser would be so disappointed. But she couldn’t regret it. This entire week with Jaidon had been amazing and she smiled thinking about all the sexy things they’d done.
Moving to sit up, the soreness between her legs made its presence known. Who knew Jaidon could lay it down like this on a daily basis? The man didn’t get tired. Advanced yoga had nothing on Jaidon Swanson. The positions that man had put her body into last night were unheard of. And where did he hide his muscles? Because lifting her up and holding her against the wall that way could not have been that easy.
“Wake up, sleepyhead,” Jaidon called out as he walked into the room with a tray of food. Her nose twitched at the smell of bacon and coffee. This was a surefire way to get her to wake-up in the morning. Food. It was funny how he hadn’t forgotten the things that made her happy.
“Good morning,” she said in a sleep-filled voice.
“How you feeling, baby?” he asked with a smile.
“You know exactly how I’m feeling,” she said while giving him the evil eye. “I don’t even know what you were trying to do last night,” she murmured as her hand reached out to snag a slice of bacon.
“That was your stress reliever,” he countered as he took a sip of coffee from his own mug.
“Um, that was not a stress reliever. Do you even know how sore I am this morning?” she asked.
“Yes, but are you stressed? That’s the question we should be asking.”
Kenya grunted in response. Now that she thought about it, her body did feel less tense. Her thoughts were clearer, and her immediate thought upon waking up, wasn’t “what the hell am I supposed to do about this case.”
Fine. Sure, she was less stressed. But she sure as shit wasn’t going to tell him that.
“Why are you so cheerful this morning?” she grumbled.
“My, aren’t we a Grouchy Gus?”
“This is the first day I can relax and from that shit-eating grin on your face, you have plans for us,” she said with a roll of her eyes. Spooning another bite of cheesy eggs into her mouth, she moaned at the taste. The eggs were fluffy and light and there was just enough cheese to make her taste buds want more. Jaidon was a damn good cook and he’d shown off his skills all week.
She wasn’t really annoyed with him, but she wasn’t going to let him off the hook for today. The man had plans for them this weekend, she could tell by the smug look on his face. That meant, there was no way she was getting any rest.
“Just go along with it, Kenya. I think you’ll have fun,” he teased.
“So, what time does this adventure start?” she questioned as she looked up at her man. Who knew that Jaidon would grow up to be such a gorgeous specimen?
Watching him as he stood up from the edge of the bed, his loose basketball shorts hung low on his hips as he strolled over to the walk-in closet. Leaning her head to the side, she stared closely at him as he lifted his arms to sort through his shirts. She didn’t think he realized that she could see him, and felt free to stare all she wanted.
“What should I wear today?” she asked.
A smile came over his face before he answered, “Something comfortable.”
Just as she was about to answer again, the vision in front of her changed. Jaidon winced as if in pain, and then the skin on his left arm seemed to blur and ripple. The smooth skin seemed to disappear and the scars that he’d had all those years ago returned.
Blinking her eyes, she refocused and his skin was smooth again. Jaidon continued shifting through his clothes, as if nothing had happened.
“What the hell? What was that?” she questioned.
Turning to face her, Jaidon had a concerned frown on his face. He walked out of the closet toward her. “What’s wrong?”
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she blinked several more times, staring at his bare flesh as if he would change again.
“Babe? You okay?” Jaidon’s concerned voice broke into her thoughts.
Lifting her gaze to his face, she laughed nervously. What the hell was wrong with her? Was the stress of work making her see things that weren’t there? “Yeah, I’m okay. Just still waking up, I guess.”
Although she said the words, she was still shook from what had happened. It was as if Jaidon’s scars had fully returned. It was clear as day. But it couldn’t be, right? He was standing in front of her right now, with a concerned look on his face. No scars could be seen. He was still as beautiful as he’d been five minutes ago.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Jaidon asked again, sitting down on the bed next to her.
Smiling at him, she thought it sweet how concerned he was about her. “Yeah, I’m fine.” Rubbing her fingers up and down his arm, her mind continued to whirl with questions. “You know, even if you had your scars, I would still want you.”
He froze at her statement. As she looked up at him, she saw that his eyes had gone a cold, stormy gray. She’d never seen that look before.
“Why would you say that?” he asked in a calm voice. Almost too calm.
“I don’t know. It was just something I felt I needed to say,” she responded softly. That two-second vision of him standing in the closet, scars and burns covering his body, gave her a moment of clarity.
It was amazing and wonderful seeing him in all his glory, with his smooth, unblemished skin. She was woman enough to admit that the version of Jaidon standing in front of her today was more appealing to most women than how he looked fifteen years ago.
But, deep down inside of her, she knew that if she’d seen him in the diner and his skin was still scarred and puckered from the fire that tried to claim him, it would have changed nothing.
She’d still be here with him. In his bed. Getting the best sex she’d ever had in her life. Eating an amazing breakfast made by the man she loved most in the world. His looks hadn’t mattered to her then and they wouldn’t matter today.
“You don’t know what you’re saying. And hopefully, you’ll never have to deal with my scars again.”
Her brow furrowed, “What do you mean? I thought your scars were gone forever?”
“That’s the plan. But you know how things change all the time. While I believe that the path I started down in college will eliminate the scars and they’ll never be visible again, that’s not a guarantee,” he said with some hesitation in his voice.
“Are you nervous?” she asked.
“About what?” he countered.
“What if they begin to come back? What if…whatever treatment you’ve done…doesn’t work? You said it wasn’t surgery, right? Which doesn’t make sense. What else could have removed your scars other than surgery?” Now that she started to really think about it, something wasn’t adding up.
“It was something new and untested. All I care about is that the scars are gone. Isn’t that the most important thing?”
Thinking about her answer for a second, she cupped his strong jaw in her hands. “No. Not to me. The most important thing is that I’m here with you. That we’re her
e together, after all these years. I loved you then, even when you sometimes didn’t love yourself. I love you still. Even if your scars were still there, I’m right where I want to be.”
“You love me?” he questioned.
Jaidon did that weird thing he always seemed to do. He looked at her for the longest time, his gaze seeming to delve into the deepest parts of her soul. His eyes roamed around her body, as if looking for something.
“Jaidon? You okay?” she asked.
A long time ago, she’d asked him why he looked at her the way he did. His response at the time was that he didn’t know what she was talking about. That he looked at her the same way he looked at everyone else. She’d let it go at the time. Now that he was back in her life, and still giving her those odd looks, she’d have to ask again.
Looking down at her, he smiled wickedly, “Yeah, baby. I’m okay. You know I love you too, right? I’d do anything for you Kenya. If I could hand you the world in my palms, I would.”
“I know,” she said with a small smile.
“Now. Since our day doesn’t start until later this afternoon. I have something else in mind to keep us busy this morning.”
Knowing the look that came over his face meant she was about to be loved up and down, she placed a hand on his chest. “Wait. I need to take a shower and brush my teeth.”
“No, you don’t. You’re perfect just the way you are,” he said in a sensual voice.
“And you’re out of your mind. After all the things we did last night, you’re gonna let me take a shower,” she declared as she scooted to the side of the bed. Placing her feet on the ground, she released the sheet from her naked body and stood up. He’d seen everything about her this week, the good, the bad, and the dimpled. Whatever reservations she had about showing her body to him had faded during the week. Especially after their marathon sex sessions.
“Where are you going? Baby, you know I’ll follow you. I don’t care if I have to take ten showers a day,” he said as his thick cock began to make its presence known. The tent in his shorts was proof of where his mind was at. In the gutter.
Good thing she was there with him.
“I never said you couldn’t join me in the shower,” she teased as she made it to the door of his large bathroom. “I may need some help washing my back.”
*****
Jaidon knew getting too close to Kenya was a mistake. There was too much death in his life. Everything he put out to the world was a lie. Even when he traveled all over the country helping companies protect themselves from the bad guys, they never knew that one of the worst men they would ever come across was standing next to them, sipping coffee and eating deli sandwiches. They had no clue that the person laughing with them about the game the previous night had spent the evening making a sacrifice. If they had any idea, they’d barricade the doors and call every police officer in the city. Fools.
Every day he lived in fear that the scars would return. That the method he’d used for the past twelve years would one day fail. But that was a risk he was willing to take. This was a second chance with the woman he loved and nothing would make him give her up again.
Walking into the large bathroom, he smiled as he saw her standing under the warm spray. The curtain was left open slightly, as if she knew he would be right behind her. She knew him so well. Stepping inside the shower, he brought his body flush against hers. When she released a moan of contentment, his cock hardened in anticipation.
“You feel so good,” he murmured in her ear. Bending his head down, he nipped the patch of skin between her neck and shoulder.
“Mmmm, that feels nice,” Kenya sighed.
His hands roamed up and down her wet body as the soap made her skin slick.
“Be careful of my hair,” she giggled.
“After everything I know about you, did you really have to remind me of that?” he said with a laugh.
Turning over her shoulder to look at him, the saucy smile that came over her face made his heart stutter a beat.
“I guess not,” she said, as she looked up and down. “How is it that he’s awake again?”
“It’s you. Now that he’s had a taste, he’s being greedy,” Jaidon drawled as he pressed his thick cock up against the crack of her ass. “Let me in, baby. I need to feel you again,” he implored as he felt her thick ass begin to move against him.
Oh, hell. He was fucking addicted to this woman. Only she could make him want more than the life he was currently living. If only for a while, he would take the gift of having her in his arms. Life for him wasn’t easy. Happiness always came at a price.
“Jaidon,” she whispered into the small area of the shower. Her lean arms reached up behind her. Soft hands clasped at the short strands of his wet hair, tugging his head closer to her as his thick fingers delved into the wet folds of her swollen pussy. He’d put her through the ringer last night—hell, all week—and she’d been able to take him every time.
She was made for him and he was made for her. No matter how they’d gotten to this point, he knew she was the one for him. He inhaled deeply and got a slight hint of her unique scent and his teeth clenched. “I need you again, baby.”
“I know. I need you, too.”
Grabbing her hips in his strong grasp, he canted her ass toward him as he bent his knees. His stiff cock bobbed and weaved as it sought out her warmth. Finding the entry point to her wet sheath, he exhaled a deep breath as his thick, mushroomed head pierced her softness.
Heaven. That’s what it felt like to be inside of her. Nothing had ever felt this good or this right in his entire life. Sliding deeper inside, one of his arms wrapped around her stomach as he pulled her tighter against his body.
Pulling out of her body, he turned them around so that his back was under the flow of water from the showerhead, he knew things were about to get messy.
“Hold on to me, Kenya,” he growled into her ear. His lips trailed kisses along her face and neck as he entered her again, wrenching a gasp from soft mouth. Jaidon began to take deep strokes inside of her warm channel. Her moans and gasps speared him forward. It would never be enough. He’d loved Kenya for almost half of his life and he wasn’t about to stop now.
From that very first moment when they’d met each other, she’d burrowed her way into his heart. To have her in his arms, to be making love to her now, was unlike anything he’d ever known. He’d give up anything in his power to be like this with her forever.
Just as he had that thought, he felt the tingle of his orgasm rushing up through his body. Kenya also began whimpering and begging for more. Pleading with him not to stop.
“I love you, Jaidon,” Kenya whispered the words as her body went stiff and she clenched around him, falling into her orgasm.
Jaidon released inside of her, his gaze going hazy as his body stiffened. Bursts of light shown behind his lids as he unconsciously grabbed her tighter.
His mind had gone blank for a few seconds, which was not normal for him, even when he began to go through the change. Taking deep breaths as his vision returned to normal, he wondered what the hell that was all about. After a few moments of letting their heartbeats calm down, he shifted to turn off the water.
“Let’s get out of here. We have things to do and I have more plans for you later today.”
“Is that right?” she asked with hooded eyes.
“Oh yeah, baby. Rest assured, I’m not done with you yet.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Sitting next to Kenya as they drove to his surprise for the afternoon, Jaidon thought about their conversation earlier today.
Kenya was too damn smart. When he was standing in the closet, he’d felt the sudden sting of the change. It had only been for two seconds, but clearly it appeared on his body long enough for her to see it.
Damn… What was going on? He’d taken a sacrifice a little more than a week ago. He had at least another month to go before he needed to worry about the change. Something was wrong.
“Hey
, baby, you’re quiet. You okay?” Kenya asked from the next seat.
Lifting their joined hands to his lips, he gave a soft kiss to her skin before resting them on his thigh, “Yeah, I’m good. Just want to make sure I don’t miss the turn.”
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” she smiled as she batted her thick lashes at him.
Their time in the shower had been a distraction. He’d needed to get her mind off what she “thought” she’d seen when he was in the closet. But the two additional times in his bed were for pure pleasure. If he hadn’t wanted this outing for himself as well, he’d probably have canceled the whole thing and stayed in bed with her all day.
“No,” he answered her question. Turning back to the road, he was determined not to fall for her charms…again.
“You’re no fun,” she pouted, which he thought was damn cute.
“I’m all the fun you need,” he countered.
“Yes, you sure are,” she said with a laugh.
They fell into silence for a bit as he exited Interstate 495 and turned onto Interstate 66. He could feel her eyes shifting to him as she tried to figure out exactly what he was doing and where they were headed.
“So, have you been watching the news this week?” she asked.
“I try to catch it in the mornings before I begin work. What’s up?”
“They found some guy in an alley the other day. Looks like he’d been shrink-wrapped.”
Trying not to show any response to her words, he knew exactly to what she was referring. “Shrink-wrapped? Like he had been put in plastic wrap?”
“No, not really. It was weird. It was as if he’d been sucked dry. They were talking about it at the District attorney’s office last week. His skin had shrunk and the body looked to be freeze-dried and drained of blood, but he wasn’t. Not only that, the body was still warm to the touch, even though he’d been dead for days. When the coroner conducted the autopsy, there was still blood in the body. There weren’t any puncture wounds or anything. It’s just odd. No one can explain it,” she finished on a sigh.