Rascal (Edgewater Agency Book 2)

by Kyanna Skye

  She hooked her legs around his waist, linking them at her ankles while the flat of her hands pressed against his chest. He put his hands out on either side of her, almost as if he were about to do pushups.

  Slowly, he began to move with her.

  Her body tensed and moistened, her fingers digging lightly into his skin. The deeper he plunged the more her fingers dug at him. She had no fingernails, but the slightly painful but blunted sensation was nothing new to him. But coming from her, it was as if he had never felt it before in his life.

  “Oh, Chad,” she moaned softly, her hands hooking up under his arms to rest on his shoulder blades, hugging him closer to her.

  Their bodies pressed together, his face only lightly hovering above hers. He looked into her eyes as they moved together. Her eyes were searching, like she was plunging as deeply inside of him as he was inside of her. But her searching seemed the more passionate… the more personal. He could have gotten lost in those eyes and not cared if he spent the rest of his life searching for a way out. All he wanted was to be here with her, in this one perfect moment in time.

  “Tell me you want me,” she said, her voice almost sounding as though she were still on the verge of tears.

  “I want you,” he obeyed, kissing her neck.

  “Tell me you need me,” she added, a tear rolling from the corner of her eye.

  “I need you, Kelly,” he added, rising up to look her in the eyes once again. “I need you more than I’ve ever needed anything in my whole fucking life.”

  He saw it again, that look of pain on her face. But this time, he wasn’t about to let it go unchallenged. He cradled her as best as he could with his own body, as if he could shield her from all of the hurt in the world.

  And together, locked in the most primal of dances that a man and a woman could share, they continued to move to music that only they could make.

  The rest of the world just seemed to fade away.

  It was the beeping of her alarm that woke her.

  She blinked the sleep from out of her eyes as they went to her alarm clock. The clock told her that it was 6:30 A.M. She was confused a moment before she recalled that today was her day off. Ellie would be rising soon and she had to get ready to serve breakfast. And from the time displayed she was able to infer that she had only been asleep for an hour or so.

  No… less than that… we didn’t stop until… She couldn’t remember exactly when she had fallen asleep. She remembered that it had been close to 4 A.M. when she’d heard Chad in the shower. And their lovemaking had lasted for so long… God, maybe she had only been asleep for a few minutes?

  No, that didn’t seem likely. She felt rested, at least partially. It was clear that a full night’s sleep hadn’t been a part of her evening, but she felt as though she had slept for at least a portion of a long while.

  She wondered at that. How long was I asleep for? It didn’t seem right as she reached out to silence the annoying alarm clock. Her muscles almost felt as if they had been stretched to the point of snapping as she did so, then she relaxed, drawing her arm back in.

  Memories of last night came pouring back to her. Chad… the fire escape of her apartment… she remembered showing him Ellie… their time in the shower… and eventually they had wound up together in bed. Warm and tender as the latter thought had been, she felt groggy thinking about it.

  Was it a mistake to do that?

  Part of her thought so. Another part of her thought that nothing could have been more right. She recalled the passion of their lovemaking. The touching… the tasting… the kissing… the sensation of Chad feeling her inside and out… the tender words that they had exchanged… the exhilaration of doing things that she had only ever dreamt of doing before.

  In a way, it still almost felt like a dream. There was certainly nothing wrong about that. Something had been special about last night. It was as if she had found some long-lost personal treasure and had enjoyed the revelry of having found it again.

  Maybe Chad felt the same way?

  She smiled to herself at the possibility as she rolled over on her bed, half-expecting to find the warm and muscled form of Chad to be lying in the bed with her. But as her arm crossed the expanse of her mattress she found only empty space waiting for her.

  For one brief moment she thought that she had imagined the whole thing. But as she moved, she felt soreness in her muscles that promised that what she had experienced had been real. And the fact that she was naked under her covers confirmed that fact.

  She sat up, noticing that the sun was already shining through her bedroom window, casting lances of light through the shutters of her windows. The sheets fell away from her body and though she was alone she self-consciously drew them back up to hide her naked form.

  She sniffed at the air. Something was different about it. She smelled musk, the aftereffect of dried sweat and pheromones and otherwise spent sexual energies lingered in the air.

  Her eyes went to a nearby chair. She saw her housecoat and the bra and panties she had been wearing last night resting idly upon it. She tried to remember when she had last been wearing them.

  The shower… Chad took them off…

  And Chad was nowhere to be seen.

  “Oh god,” she whispered to herself.

  She quickly swept from out of her bed and rushed to where her garments laid. She slipped her bra and panties back on and tucked herself back into her housecoat. As she moved she noticed how her muscles responded. She definitely felt tender, she had not moved as she had last night for quite some time. Some muscle groups felt as though they had not been exercised for a long time.

  She flew to her bedroom door, which she noticed had been left closed. She opened it and a new scent reached her nostrils. One that was enough to give her pause, for its scent was sweet and familiar.

  Pancakes?

  The sound of clanking plates and a low laugh froze her. She listened, her ears trained down the hall. She heard it again, the sound of plates clanking and the unmistakable sound of Ellie’s laughter. It was followed almost immediately by a low rumbling laughter that belonged to a man.

  Slowly, she inched forward in the hall towards the strange noise. A quick glance down the hall showed her that Ellie’s bedroom door was open. She went to her daughter’s room and peered inside. Ellie’s bed was empty, the covers had been left unattended as if she had just risen from sleep and began to wander about the house.

  That was strange. Kelly knew Ellie’s temperaments and when her child rose before she did, she had a habit of waking her up, asking for breakfast. Even on a day like today, when Kelly had time off from the diner, Ellie would still be awake and demanding her mother’s attention.

  She slowly moved down the hall towards the sound of the kitchen noise, the calm laughter, and the pleasing smell of what could only be breakfast.

  When she came to the bend that would lead her to the kitchen, she paused, listening to the voices just beyond. What she heard made her question her own sanity.

  “Would you like some more milk, your highness?”

  Chad?

  There was a response of excited half gibberish that Kelly recognized as Ellie’s voice, but she took it to mean, “Yes, please.”

  She arched a curious eyebrow and slowly peered around the corner. What she saw there made her think that she was in fact still dreaming.

  Ellie sat at the breakfast table, still clad in her pajamas but with her favorite princess tiara sitting squarely on her head, and a pair of pink fairy wings clipped to her back. Sitting adjacent to her was her teddy bear, with an empty plate and cup sitting in front of him, but he maintained his constant smile just the same.

  But the true wonder that met her eyes was Chad.

  He sat in the chair opposite Ellie. He was dressed in his clothes, thankfully, but his look was supplemented by the pair of pink fairy wings and princess tiara that matched Ellie’s that he wore. The wings looked tiny upon his back. She imagined that from Ellie’s vantage
point that they could barely be seen if at all. He almost looked ridiculous, this overlarge football player with tattoos running up and down his arms, dressed with fairy wings and a princess tiara on his head.

  But at the same time he looked… sweet.

  Before Ellie and Chad both, a steaming pancake sat on their plates. Ellie’s was slightly smaller and already much of the flapjack was gone. She had a healthy appetite this morning, Kelly saw. Chad’s plate was also partially cleared. And on the counter beside the stove there sat a small bowl of batter, ready to make more of the delicious smelling breakfast items if they wished.

  Chad poured milk into Ellie’s smaller cup, filling it halfway. When he’d finished, Ellie picked up her cup and drank from it, a milk mustache gracing her features, but she thanked him silently with a smile.

  I’m dreaming… I must be dreaming… she thought.

  Ellie’s eyes turned from Chad and went to her. “Mommy!”

  Chad turned to see her. For a moment, she half expected him to embarrassingly pull the tiara and wings from off his head and back to save himself from any embarrassment. But to her astonishment, he only smiled as if this were the most natural thing in the world and that he had done it hundreds of times.

  Ellie dropped down from her chair and sped towards her, throwing her arms around her legs and hugging her the only way a four-year-old knew how. She squealed with delight, her energy already up and ready to sap Kelly’s already depleted strength. She hugged her child back. “Hi, baby,” she greeted the eager girl.

  “Good morning,” Chad said as he rose to his feet.

  Kelly’s eyes went to him, watching him as he moved. He didn’t carry himself like there was any alcohol in his system. Somewhere in the back of her mind she noted that that meant he was alright to travel, but some part of her wanted him to stay right here. She wanted things to be just as they were, here and now, and that they would never change.

  “Morning,” she replied, feeling herself blush a little. For a moment there was silence between them until she cast around for something to say, her sight returning to the bowl of batter on the kitchen counter. “It smells good. I didn’t know you could cook.”

  He shrugged. “I’m a man of many hidden talents, I guess.”

  I learned that last night, she thought to herself, her cheeks flushing more.

  “Would the queen like her breakfast?” he asked, sweeping into a deep and almost impish bow. “The princess of the castle has enjoyed her breakfast. I suppose mommy would like some as well?”

  Ellie jumped up and down excitedly on her feet. “Say, yes, mommy!”

  Spurred by her child’s enthusiasm she smiled and realized the gesture that he was making was for Ellie’s benefit. “Why, yes… the queen would very much like to dine with the princess.”

  “I’ll prepare thee a feast, straight away,” Chad said, striking an upright and soldierly pose as he marched like a wind-up soldier to the kitchen where he began preparing another pancake on a steaming skillet.

  Ellie laughed and clapped her hands delightedly at the sight. Kelly couldn’t help but smile as well.

  They enjoyed their breakfast, much of which involved small gestures and jokes on Chad’s behalf that Ellie found nothing but hysterical. Kelly had never seen her laugh so much. Not even with Rachel in the house. It seemed to her that the newness of a fresh face did wonders for her child.

  The morning carried on and Kelly was surprised to see that Chad couldn’t seem to tear himself away from Ellie’s side. They played Candyland, Ellie’s favorite game, and she stomped him every time they started a new game. They played hide and seek, to which she also noticed that Ellie demonstrated new skills in finding places to hide. And in keeping with appearances, Chad was invited to Ellie’s tea time, in which her favorite teddy bear and a small assortment of other stuffed animals were invited.

  Unable to help herself, Kelly took out her phone and began to take pictures of this large pro football player drinking invisible tea with a little girl, now dressed in one of her silver princess dresses. The sight of them together was like magic. He took to Ellie like he had been here every day for her whole life. And what was more, Ellie seemed to relish the attention that she was getting.

  They played other games. Ellie removed her toy violin from her toy chest and put on a show-stopping concert for Chad and her both, to which she received enormous applause.

  They sat at the table and drew on paper pads. Ellie drew something that looked much like a house with trees and lots of flowers in front. Kelly was uncertain what Chad had drawn, but Ellie seemed to find it amazing nonetheless, especially when she put stickers all over his creation.

  They took a brief break to help her wash the dishes. Kelly washed the dishes before handing them off to Ellie, who dried them with practiced expertise, and then passed them in turn to Chad who put each plate, pot, pan, bowl, and piece of silverware exactly where Ellie instructed him to. It was strange having Chad so near and doing things that seemed utterly out-of-character for him.

  Kelly was almost jealous.

  It wasn’t until Ellie was finally tuckered out enough to need a nap – and nearly an hour ahead of her usual time – that Kelly felt the weight of the previous night bearing down on her. The old emotions of them being together long ago and then again last night seemed to clash inside of her, creating a storm that she was unsure how to weather.

  Chad closed the door to Ellie’s room, leaving it open only part of the way as he knew it had been last night. And with silence finally returning to the apartment, he turned to look at her, a smile on his face. Not a lustful smile, like she had expected. Something else was there. It was something that spoke of… contentment.

  “She played hard,” she said softly, not knowing what else to say. “She usually doesn’t go down for a nap for at least another hour.”

  He smirked and finally removed the tiara from off of his head, examining it in his hand like he’d never seen one before. “Well, I guess all that NFL conditioning is good training for dealing with kids.” They stood in silence for a moment before he spoke again. “She’s a good kid, Kelly.”

  “The best,” she acknowledged.

  “She’s a lot like you.”

  It was meant to be a compliment, she knew, but the words dug at her like a bulldozer. She diverted her eyes downward, extending her hand out to take the tiara from him as cover for diverting her gaze. “Thanks,” she said, turning away, unable to look at him. The weight of her lies from the past evening was starting to crush her and that weight was supplemented by the fact that she had watched her daughter enjoy an entire morning playing… with her father.

  “Listen… about last night…” he began.

  “It was great,” she acknowledged, but her tone was flat and without enthusiasm. It was like she was talking about the color of the walls of her apartment.

  “Uh… I would have chosen a different adjective,” he replied, trying to be humorous. “Something more along the lines of… I don’t know… amazing, maybe?”

  She felt the pressure of her lies building. He was being sweet, just like he had been the first time that they had slept together. And she was able to gauge that he was being honest with her. He had already gotten the sex… he had no reason to keep pouring on the charm unless he meant it. She was compounded by her lies and the desire to suddenly see him gone became just as important as wanting him to stay when she’d first awoken this morning.

  “Listen, Chad,” she said, trying to muster her courage. “I… I don’t know what to make of all of this.”

  He shrugged. “Well, I don’t either… but that’s what makes it kind of exciting, doesn’t it? I mean, we can figure this out together.”

  She shook her head. “How? I figure you’re not going to be around long after the wedding, are you?”

  He froze at that, his eyes falling guiltily to the floor.

  “See?” she pointed out. She saw an opening and decided to take it. “Chad… last night was amazing
. But, we both know that it can’t lead anywhere. So let’s just say that this was one time for old time’s sake… and we’ll just leave it at that.”

  He looked up at her. There had been something reminiscent of joy and pleasure on his face a moment before. But now, he almost looked hurt by the suggestion that she had silently made. “You want me to leave?”

  The words bit into her like a Great White. Last night, with him drunk on her fire escape, she had wanted nothing more. But now, only uncertainty lived where desire had been. She wanted him to go… but part of her also wanted him to stay. Confusion was seeping into her every thought.

  “Yes,” she said, the word seemed to bite her tongue even as she said it. “You did great with Ellie today, really. But we both know that… that a kid complicates things…”

  “But that’s just it,” he said, sounding surprised. “I actually had fun playing with her today. And that may not seem like much but I think–”

  “It’s done now,” she said, her voice resolved though she didn’t feel it. “You need to go, Chad.” She looked at her watch. “I remember Susie’s itinerary and pretty soon she’s going to need help setting up for the rehearsal dinner tonight. She’s going to need you there. And you have to pick up your tux today.”

  The look of hurt on his face became as solid as cement. This time the hurt that rebounded within her, she knew, was entirely of her own making. She had thought of this for so long… she had wanted it. But to her own shame she had only ever imagined what it would be like. Chad had his career and she knew that he wasn’t about to give that up. Not for anything.

  “Right,” he said, his voice level with her own, though she could hear the hurt in his voice. Slowly he took off the fairy wings that had been on his back since this morning and passed them to her. “I’ll pick you up in time for the rehearsal dinner tonight.” He walked to the door and slowly opened it but before passing through it he turned to look at her.

  He said nothing, though she could tell from the look on his face that something was still weighing heavily upon his mind. And without a word he passed through the door and into the hallway beyond.