by Claire Adams
“Kylie? I never noticed you had your eyes on her,” he kidded, keeping his candor despite his teasing. “But man, I’m happy for you. Finally, you took my advice. Linda left you four years ago and never looked back, bro. You had to move on. That shit is long overdue.”
“Yeah. It is, right?” I smiled at him, surprised at how good I felt. It was a breath of fresh air. It was refreshing and amazing. I never thought I would feel this way again. I got lost in my thoughts for a moment.
Garren whistled and stood, popping me in the chest as he walked to the front. “Hey, Hunter. Someone’s looking for you.”
I glanced up to see Kylie. A smile spread across my face. She had to be the most beautiful woman in the world. I wasn’t just falling in lust with her, but love. Fuck me. I was probably already there.
Kylie stood before the glass display cases looking pretty as ever. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, highlighting her attractive, delicate face. She wore a red checkered blouse which was tied up a little above the waist. Her navel was peeking out, exhibiting her sexy curves for me to see. Those skinny, dark denim jeans she wore were precisely showing her nice, long legs. I could not take my eyes off of her, beaming as she showed her gun case in her right hand.
I hurried to greet her. She had to be there for some real target practice. Yes. I’d been waiting all damn day to see her.
“Nice seeing you, Kylie. You look beautiful.” I took a deep breath, completely swept off of my feet by her.
Her lips curved into a sweet smile, her cheeks flushed. “Thanks.”
I nodded at Garren, who knew my sign. I needed back up so I could spend a little bit of time with my newest obsession. I took her with me as we picked Vince from the back office. He was coloring some of his books again, but upon seeing Kylie, he wanted to come and watch the gun practice along with us.
“Okay, buddy. But you have to keep away and sit still as the shooting starts, okay?” I smiled down at him.
His eyes lit up. I guess I was not the only one thrilled by Kylie’s company.
The three of us walked out of the back door, coming into the range that was set up at the back of the shop. It was the ideal place to shoot some targets. I had put this up for the enthusiasts and interested people ready to learn some new, badass skills.
“So, let me see your gun again.” I motioned for her to pull it out.
She took the gun out of the case, looking prepared, as if she knew the basics of loading the gun. “Here you go.”
“Saying ‘I’m impressed’ is not enough. You’ve done your homework well, Kylie,” I kidded, seeing she had researched about the preparations for gun shooting and practice.
She smiled at me, walking past me as she proceeded to the shooting area. “I had a good teacher.”
Her sultry voice had my body hardening. There was no way I was going to be able to keep myself in check around her, but I had to. The little man was with us. I followed her, taking my spot beside her. “I’ll teach you how to shoot that target today.” I pointed my finger at a thin, flat wood that stood approximately a few feet away from where we stood.
“I’d like that.” She offered me a shy smile.
“All right. Let’s get on some protective gear and we’ll get to it.” I put on mine first and she watched me, mimicking my movements. She was too cute in her safety goggles and vest.
“All right. Just relax and listen to what I tell you to do. I’m here to help.” I positioned behind her, pressing my body to her back to enable better control over her grasp. She held the gun tightly in her hands, and I cupped mine over hers as I guided her toward shooting the target.
My face was close to hers, and I could hear her breathing speed up. I could tell that she was tense, although she suppressed her emotions inside of her. How badly I wanted to kiss her.
“Now, just aim at the target, Miss Kylie.” Vince’s small voice rose up beside her, pulling me back to reality.
“Now, on the count of three, pull the trigger. Remember, keep your grip tight and steady. You want to hit that target where you want him shot,” I whispered at her side, her hair near my mouth. She smelled sweet, like vanilla and lilies.
“One, two, three!” The sound of the gun clamored around the area as the bullet went flying at top speed. I looked at Vince who had taken a seat. He clapped upon seeing the target hit.
“Nice, now try it without my supervision.” I released my hold on hers, although I hoped I could touch her some more. She tried on her own, keeping her attention fixed on the target. She pulled the trigger, and the target was hit somewhere on the body, inaccurate but at least landing on the enemy decoy.
“Great. Keep on trying,” I spoke, crossing my arms before my chest as I watched her shoot more bullets toward the target. By the sequence of her shots, she seemed to have a good feel for her own gun. And she looked damn fine using it.
“I love it!” She smiled over at us.
Vince and I both smiled back, both of us with a sappy look on our faces, no doubt.
“Guess we’ve got a natural over here.” I turned at Vince who was still clapping his hands, impressed by her fast, adaptive skills.
“Not really if compared with you.” She put the gun down on the table, walking over to us. “This was so helpful, Hunter. I would like to return your kindness by cooking dinner for you guys. You should taste my specialty.”
My mind went to every naughty thought I could conjure up. She’d tasted me the night before, put I’d yet to open her up and drink her nectar. Dinner and then maybe she could be my dessert? But not tonight. Vince came first. He had to.
“Yeah, I think we would love that. But I think it needs to wait until this little hero gets well.” As much as I wanted to have dinner with her, I needed to be sure Vince was all well.
Kylie nodded in agreement. She was beaming beautifully, her sincere smile drawn on her angelic face. “Great then. I’ll be ready whenever you guys are.”
Chapter 12
Kylie
We wrapped things up, and Hunter walked me to my car. I stopped just before we got to it and turned to face him. I had to see him one more time.
“Today was fun.” I was smiling from ear to ear as I took the gun case from him.
He returned the same smile I wore, seemingly sharing the same experience as I did. “You are a fast learner. A joy to watch.” He leaned closer to me, my heart beating fast again. That similar feeling I felt when he was at my back, teaching my how to shoot re-birthed inside of me. I closed my eyes, anticipating a kiss from him.
Only when his lips touched my forehead did I realize he was kissing me goodbye. I opened my eyes again, struck by his gentle kiss on my head. “See you soon, Kylie.”
“Yeah. Okay.” I got into the car, a little disappointment. I wanted a real kiss. We’d fucked in the barn the night before. Maybe it meant more to me than it did to him?
I ignored my internal questions and waved at him as I drove off, my heart still racing. I had never felt this before. Butterflies fluttered inside my stomach. Although my eyes were on the road, my head was somewhere off in space. Somewhere above the clouds, thinking of things that caused my body to ache and grow wet.
I got to the store and parked, freaked out that I had driven without thinking about it at all. I walked in to find my mother waiting for me, the look on her face showing that she had been nervous.
“How did the gun practice go?” Her eyes were on the new novelette she had just started yesterday as she manned the counter. It was late afternoon, but the store seemed a little bit empty. I walked toward her and stopped.
“It’s pretty great, Mom. I got Hunter to teach me how to use the gun with a target.”
I pinned my name tag on the chest portion of my shirt as I stood before the counter. My mother was still reading her novelette as if she did not care much about what I had to say. She was still pissed about me disobeying her advice.
I walked over to her, taking the book out of her grasp. She stared at me with her
green eyes. Only then did I see that she was troubled and worried. I squeezed her shoulder and leaned over to kiss her cheek.
“Mom, we are going to be safe now. The gun will help us, in case things make a turn for the worse.”
She looked at me and ceded a weak smile. “And do you plan on using that scary thing if someone comes in here and threatens us?”
It was a good question. I shook my head, still uncertain about my intent. I hadn’t considered what I was going to do with the gun. All I knew was that having it, and knowing how to use it, helped me feel safe. Shooting a man was not part of my thought process. I wasn’t sure I could do something like that, no matter what.
“I’m not sure yet, Mom. Maybe, but hopefully, we don’t have to face something like that.”
“Yep. Hopefully not.” She went back to her romance novellas and left me to my thoughts. It was a dangerous place to be.
*
After my shift had ended, I decided to visit Bailey before going home. She had been worried sick upon hearing that my house had been broken into by burglars, but I never got the chance to see her and update her on the investigation. Now that I had some free time, I figured I’d stop by and see her and Cat.
I knocked on their front door, and Bailey opened it. She had Cat in her arms but still managed to lean in and squeeze me tightly. Cat got pinned in between the two of us and cried out before squirming around.
The three of us laughed. I loved them both so much. They were a ray of sunshine in my life that I couldn’t live without.
“Come, have a seat.” Bailey walked toward the living room. “Take a load off.”
I picked up some of the toys that were scattered on the ground, putting them in Cat’s toy box. “Sorry for not calling or coming over sooner. I got a lot of things going on.”
She helped me in picking up the toys while Cat sat on the couch, occupied by the cartoons she was watching on the TV.
“It’s okay, Kylie. As soon as you have the time, you can visit us. You doing okay after everything? You sure moving back to your house is the best idea?” She looked at me with worried eyes resembling those of my mother.
“Yeah, things are back to normal, and I stayed there last night. It was good.” I shrugged. “Besides, Hunter keeps the neighborhood in check. And I feel safer now that he taught me how to use a gun.”
I picked up the last toy and placed it in the toy box. Bailey closed the chest, her eyes smiling at me. She looked like she just heard some new gossip in town. I looked at her with a questioning gaze, waiting for her thoughts. She pursed her lips. Pain in the butt.
“What?” I crossed my arms beneath my chest.
Finally, she ended my torment and spoke what was on her mind. “You’ve talked about nothing but Hunter these past few days. Is there something I’m missing?”
From the tone of her voice, I knew she was already fully aware of what was going on. I sat beside Cat, wrapping my arm around her tiny shoulders as I planted a kiss on her cheek.
“Maybe?” I laughed.
“So, tell me! Is it what I think? Did you sleep with him?” Her eyes widened. “Oh, my God. You lost your virginity to him, didn’t you?”
I couldn’t keep anything from her. She was my closest friend. “Yeah. I did.”
“What!? Really?!” Her whole face lit up.
“Yeah. I went over there to learn how to hold my gun, and one thing led to the other.” I ran my hand down my face, embarrassed as hell.
She glanced at Cat and leaned close, whispering her next words. “So, was he any good? Was he big?”
I blushed upon hearing the word big. I could still feel him inside me, the tremendous part of him that filled me up. “Yes. Excessively so. I can’t get it out of my head, to be honest.”
“How big?” She mouthed and held up six fingers.
“Ten.” I leaned back and let out a long sigh.
“What?” She stood up and walked around in a circle, looking like an idiot. “Are you kidding me? How did you? Were you able to… Did he hurt you?” She put her hands on her hips, her excitement all but gone.
“What? No.” I sat back up.
“Good.” She let out a sigh and dropped back down beside me. “Well, just be careful.”
“Of?” I laughed, half expecting her to say to be careful of his monster cock, but Cat was there. We were trying hard to behave.
“Of falling for a guy like him, Kylie. Relationships need attention and time, but Hunter’s priorities are filled up already. He’s got a son and a business to manage, plus being a volunteer firefighter would limit his time even more. It’s difficult to add yourself to his tight schedule, and I don’t want to see you disappointed. Take it from someone who faced the same dilemma.”
“I know the risks.” I felt defensive, which I hated, but she didn’t know him. He was different. He had to be. Everyone loved this man…including me.
“Hey, I want you to be happy. I know how you are. But also, I want you to be happy not only for a short period of time. I wish the best for you, and as your best friend, I don’t want you coming back here and crying due to heartbreak.”
“I know. I appreciate that. I’ll be careful, really.” I forgot about everything and laid back on the couch. Cat crawled up in my lap and wrapped her tiny arms around my neck. We stayed that way until the baby grew bored of me.
After helping to clean up Bailey’s living room, I decided to get ready and go home. “It’s getting late. I need to get some sleep. Thanks for letting me spill my news.”
“Or thanks for dragging it out of you?” She laughed and pulled me in for a quick hug. “Don’t be a stranger, stranger.”
“Never.” I kissed Cat on the head and walked out toward the car.
I began to drift away from reality as I drove home. Dinner with Hunter and Vince would be so nice. I hoped it would be sooner rather than later. I loved to cook, and even more so, I would love to cook for the two of them.
I drove down my street and forced myself to focus. The same car I’d seen before the burglary was the driving by the house. Shit.
Trying not to make a scene, I turned around and headed back toward my mother’s house. I didn’t want to bother Hunter, but I sure as hell wasn’t staying home alone. I called the cops when I got back on the main road, and they promised to send someone over.
I wanted to ask if they could do it permanently but knew how ridiculous I was being. It was probably a fluke. Or maybe a different car.
No, I was lying to make myself feel better. Too bad that shit wasn’t working.
Chapter 13
Hunter
Vince had always been a morning person, but he was still in his room. It had been a week since he’d gotten sick and things got better for a while, but he seemed to have relapsed somehow.
I had talked to his teacher, telling her about his condition. He was still nauseated and dizzy, but he persisted on going back to school. The teacher understood his situation and wanted Vince to take some days off rather than going back and lapsing into sickness again. She promised to get him some notes for him to study at home.
I walked toward his room and caught sight of him lying on the bed with his hand on his stomach. He looked pale again, as if his fever had returned.
“Hey, buddy. Are you okay?” I asked, seeing him half awake.
He shook his head. “My head hurts, Dad. Even my stomach, my body, everything.” He groaned, his hands pressed hard to his stomach.
“It’s going to be okay. I’m right here.” I excused myself to call Garren. I had to take off another day.
“Yeah, man. You should take Vince to the doctor. Don’t worry about the shop; I’ll take care of it.”
He was right. Time to get some help. It wasn’t a small flu bug that would disappear on its own.
I dressed Vince, carried him in my arms, and put him into the car. I should have done this a long time ago at the first sign of his illness, but things were too hectic for me, and honestly, I’d expected it to ju
st go away.
I drove to the hospital as worry filled my insides. Please let my little man be okay.
As we arrived at the nearest hospital, the nurses assisted me as they took Vince to the emergency room. He was still curled into a ball, pressing his tummy, talking about the pain he was in. I held his hand tight, being the only thing I could do to support my son. I wished it was me in pain instead. Seeing him suffer broke my heart.
“Kindly wait here, sir. We can take it from here.” I watched as they checked on Vince, the doctors, and nurses attending to his pain. He was very responsive, telling them everything he felt. They seemed relieved since it made it easy for them to pinpoint what meds to give him. After a few minutes, he looked calmer, less in pain.
One of the doctors approached me. “How long was he feeling this pain?”
“About a week ago, Doc.” I felt embarrassed answering his question.
The doctor scratched his head. “Right now, we can’t tell what’s going on, but we’ll take some blood and figure it out. We need to run a few more tests to know what put him in this situation.”
“I understand.” I nodded, feeling like shit.
“Whenever things get a little out of hand, you should take him here immediately. You should check on your son and see if things are still in the normal range. An on and off fever that keeps up after a week is too long, Mr. Yonnie.” He left me alone in the hallway, walking back inside the emergency room to attend to the other patients.
I wrapped my arms around myself and pressed my back against the wall. How could I have let Vince be sick this long? What the hell was I thinking?
I wasn’t thinking… Focusing on ensuring my business was successful and bringing in loads of money was my top goal. I had neglected him, and now he had to pay the price for my mistakes. It simply wasn’t right. I couldn’t bear seeing him suffer due to my bad decisions. He deserved so much more. Damn Linda for leaving us both. I hated her with a passion, though doing so only made me feel worse.
“Mr. Yonnie, can you come over here and let’s get some lab work for Vince today? Everything is in-house, so it should be pretty fast, pretty easy.” A pretty nurse waved me over to her station.