Damesha went to pick up the puppy in his box but found the box gone. She looked all over the kitchen but simply couldn’t find the puppy, the box, even the bowl his water had been in was gone. A cold sensation of doubt washed over Damesha as she looked around the kitchen. Maybe she was crazy? Or maybe someone was in the house?
She ran straight up the stairs and into the bedroom, slamming the door and locking it. Leaning back against the door, Damesha tried to catch her breath. Her hand over her heart clenched into a fist as she screamed, terror suddenly filling her. Someone was in the room with her!
She turned back to the door, frantically trying to unlock the door with numb fingers as a light switched on. She slumped against the door, knowing something terrible was coming. She was about to turn around and plead for her life when the person spoke.
“Damesha? What are you doing? Stop screaming baby, what’s wrong?” Kane was out of the bed and in front of her, his pajama bottoms riding low on his hips. Sexy as ever, safe, fine. And there was Annie, yawning as she pawed her way out of the covers.
“What? When did you get here? Where have you been?” Damesha wanted to scream, tears fell from her eyes, but she wasn’t sure if it was relief or anger that made her cry. “What the hell is going on here?”
“Baby, we’ve been here all night, what are you talking about?” Kane sounded upset, concerned even.
“No you haven’t, you went out this afternoon and you have been gone for hours! You and Annie both!” She moved away from him as he tried to take her into his arms, refusing to be placated.
“But Damesha, we came back not long after that. We’ve been here ever since. You’ve been in your office all day. You wouldn’t even come out for supper and I made pizza for you!” Kane looked hurt as he walked back to the bed, sliding beneath the covers.
“No! That’s not true! I looked through the entire house. You weren’t here! Just that bullying little Chihuahua that growled at me! I looked everywhere!” She slumped into the bed, knowing something was wrong, knowing how the day had gone. Kane was lying, he had to be. But why would he lie to her? He’d never lied to her once since she’d met him!
Sliding down beneath the covers, Damesha felt Annie move close to her, felt a warm wet tongue scrape her palm, and blinked as the light went out. Had she imagined the entire night? Surely not?
Kane turned the light back off and pulled her close, Annie still managing to wiggle back between them. They’d often joked that Annie was their birth control dog because she was always wanting to be between them. Always.
“Baby, there’s no Chihuahua. You’re working too hard. Tomorrow you’re going to rest, that’s all there is to it. No more work for you, not for twenty-four hours!”
Damesha didn’t respond, couldn’t think of a response, so she just tucked her arm around Annie and Kane, and closed her eyes. Tomorrow she was going to call the doctor. Maybe the pregnancy was causing some issue? Maybe it was whatever psychic ability she had? She’d never really thought much about the ability, she’d accepted it long ago, and accepted that she couldn’t talk about it. With that knowledge, she’d decided that maybe not thinking about it too often would be a good idea too. Push it away, maybe it would go away, she’d told herself back then.
Now she had to wonder. Had she done some damage to her own brain by doing that? Sure, others would call her crazy for thinking she knew things, for seeing things, but that wasn’t true. She’d proved it by keeping a diary when she was younger. She’d even shown it to her grandmother, but the woman had burned the book in a metal trashcan instead of giving it back to her. No, maybe it was time to see a doctor about what was going on with her mentally.
Damesha fell asleep quickly, but her dreams were filled with nightmares. A tiny Chihuahua whose growling mouth grew bigger as she tried to back away from it turned into a shadowed man, stalking her through the house. That led into a dream of drowning and struggle, trying to escape the water that only grew deeper no matter how hard she kicked for the surface. She woke up the next morning drenched in sweat and fighting with the covers.
She sat up but closed her eyes as she realized it was all just nightmares, nothing more. Maybe even that whole episode with the Chihuahua and Kane going missing had been part of the dream? Damesha got up, nausea making her run for the bathroom as she stood. She hadn’t been sick often since she’d become pregnant but this morning she was quite ill. Cleaning her face and her mouth, she crawled back to the bed.
“Good morning, sunshine! How did you sleep?” Kane came in carrying a tray with hot tea, orange juice, bacon, fried eggs, two biscuits and a banana. Damesha ran back to the toilet. “Damesha?”
Kane followed her in and soothed her as she was sick, placing a cold washcloth on the back of her neck and holding her hair out of the way. Damesha would have been grateful but couldn’t think enough to form the words. When the spasms stopped and she hung her head on her arms Kane picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. The eggs and bacon had disappeared. He brought her the milky tea and she sipped at it gratefully.
“Thank you, my throat is so raw.” She leaned back against the pillows, hoping that was the end of it all.
“Seems we’ve traded places today. You stay in bed, Damesha. When you feel like it, try to eat something. I’m going to eat mine downstairs so it doesn’t bother you. I’ll be back up in a few minutes.” Kane kissed her forehead and went out the door.
Just like that, the events of the night before were dismissed. It must have all been a dream, she told herself. It must have been part of this being pregnant sickness she was experiencing now. A really long nightmare that just didn’t seem to end caused by her illness and pregnancy. That was all.
Damesha didn’t stop to think why a normally independent, curious and capable woman stopped questioning what she knew to be real. She just wanted the world to stop spinning and her stomach to calm down. It wasn’t a matter of being right or wrong, crazy or sane; right now she just needed to feel better so she could get back to normal.
Damesha slept throughout the day, Kane checking on her and bringing her light snacks. Kane took her short responses, snappy tone, and peevishness as part of her pregnancy. He knew about it but wasn’t sure she did. He was waiting to tell her, until the time was right. Of course, she should have realized by now but things had been hectic for them since they met. The accident didn’t help matters. He felt guilty about that but there wasn’t anything he could do.
A truck had come out of nowhere, aiming right for him. The large black truck slammed right into him, and he’d tried to swerve to avoid the other truck but it was no use. He’d hit something that flipped him, and had barely escaped alive. Now he was determined to protect himself and Damesha at all costs. Even if that meant protecting her from herself.
He and Annie spent the day downstairs making a cradle for the baby, the baby he wasn’t supposed to know about. A man knew these things though, if he was an attentive lover and partner. The signs were there.
A warm feeling had filled his chest since he’d first sensed something was different and it only grew. Kane knew it was love, it had started with Damesha. The baby made it grow more and more. Kane had never known these emotions, these feelings, but he knew what they were. His own family was cold and emotionless most of the time. Life had not been roses and sunshine for him and his brothers, even if they’d had everything they asked for. They hadn’t had what they needed most and that was obvious to Kane now.
His need to provide for his child, to take care of the baby and its mother was overwhelming and almost drove him to his knees sometimes. He knew Damesha’s current illness was nothing more than nerves and her pregnancy; time would heal her and make her whole again. He just hoped she’d forgive him for the things he was about to have to do.
Chapter 11
Damesha woke up the next day with a foggy memory of the events of the last forty-eight hours. She wasn’t sure what had been real and what had been a part of the dreams she’d been having.
Did they have a Chihuahua now? Pushing her hair into a bun she wandered into the bathroom to prepare for the day. At least the nausea was gone.
She brushed her teeth and dressed, heading down to make breakfast. Kane was still asleep and though she wanted to feel peeved at him she knew he’d catered to her every need the day before. Deciding she needed the same cure she used for a hangover, she headed down to the kitchen for some orange juice and breakfast. She wasn’t sure what she could take while she was pregnant so she left the medicine off of the menu. She made a note to find an OB/GYN in her area, and started breakfast.
Kane came down happy and charming as usual. He hugged her from behind, pressing into every inch of skin he could.
“I’m glad to see you up, baby. Feel better?” His words soothed her, his voice a balm rather than the irritant it had been yesterday.
She let herself relax against his body for a moment but moved as she felt Annie wiggling at her knees.
“Yes, I do. And I think Missy wants feeding. Can you do that?”
“Sure. Uh, I guess she’ll be going out with me today. Do you mind?” Kane tiptoed around the question, concerned she might still be in the same bad mood she’d been in yesterday. She’d yelled at him for taking Annie downstairs with him when he’d brought her dinner last night. She’d wanted to cuddle, apparently.
“That’s fine, babe. Whatever she wants to do. Who’s mommy’s sweet girl?” Damesha bent down to pet the dog, which gave her cheek a swipe, but ran away as she heard the bag of dog food crinkling. Damesha laughed and washed her hands before plating up pancakes and sausage.
“You, uh, sure you don’t want me to spend the day at home?” Kane asked after breakfast. He was helping Damesha wash up the dishes and pulled her to him once more. His warm breath caressed the nape of her neck as he pulled her back to his front. She shivered in his arms, desire suddenly burning through her.
Damesha knew she loved Kane and she knew things were weird at the moment but who else should she be taking solace in at the moment? She remembered how nasty she’d been with him the day before, and the anger and resentment that had caused it, but now she felt deflated and wanted her normal life back. Sure, she could call Erika in New York, cry her heart out, maybe even talk about running back home, but that’s not what she wanted. Kane was what she wanted.
Turning her head, she sighed as Kane’s hands came to her breasts, cupping the tender globes in his hands. Gently he found her nipples through the thin cotton of her nightgown and teased them into stiff peaks. A longer sigh escaped her lips, her head going back to lean on his shoulder.
Kane’s lips burned down the long, dark trail of her neck, to the spot where her neck and shoulder met. Damesha heard him give a groan of triumph as her sighs turned to a low growl deep in her throat. Her hips pushed back against him, teasing him, teasing herself as she felt him harden against her bottom. She needed him, needed to be his.
“I’m not going anywhere just yet. Somebody needs some attention!” Kane turned her in his arms, backing her up against the counter. She braced herself, wondering exactly what he had in mind. Kane’s hands moved down her body, tracing a path of heat down her sides. His body moved with his hands until he was kneeling on the floor, pushing up her nightgown.
“Oh my.” Damesha breathed, her excitement rising as Kane pressed his face to her lower abdomen. His hands cupped at her stomach and she inhaled sharply. His thumbs weren’t staying put, rather, they were exploring the heat between her firm thighs, seeking out her hidden depths.
Damesha watched as his tongue stroked at her folds, and desire burned hotter in her veins. When he pushed at her outer leg, she moved to give him better access to her. Pressing her open with a grunt of satisfaction, Kane dived into Demesha’s sex, driving her mad with hot, wet, tiny circles that traveled up her crevice until he found the spot that made her clench his hair in her hand.
Kane’s tongue stroked Damesha’s clit, exciting her, then making her moan as he flattened out the organ and laved at her swollen bud. With slow, languid strokes he tormented her, holding her prisoner between desire and completion. Damesha squirmed, needing release, her body yearning for the explosion of pulsing muscles and quivering flesh that came with orgasm. But Kane prolonged her torture, keeping her in limbo as her hips thrust into his face, her cries of pleasure padded by her thighs.
“Please, Kane, please. Baby please, just let me come.” Damesha’s words were a plea, almost a sob as she shuddered there at the counter, her foot still braced against the handle of a drawer. “Please, baby.”
Kane gave a chuckle of satisfaction, of domination, and he finally gave her what she craved the most. He turned her once more and Damesha braced herself on the counter, her right leg going up this time to give him better access to her. She could feel him behind her, tall, strong, and hot. She waited for his penetration, waited to feel that first hint of his invasion as he slid between her nether lips and when it finally came, when she felt the wide tip pressing into her, she gave in to her desire to scream.
It was a shout really, a triumphant noise of satisfaction that ended when he bottomed out inside her honeyed heat, unable to press any further into her. Kane’s hand moved around, between the front of her thighs, sliding into the slick depths of her folds. He found her clit and his fingers pressed into the nub, finally sending her into the oblivion she sought.
Kane thrust into her slow and hard, hitting all the right places, but she needed more. As the spasms bloomed inside her, sending her into a land of release and oblivion, she needed more, and pressed back against him, her cries one long stream of pleasure. Damesha could feel Kane, long and hard inside her and she didn’t care about anything else in that moment. All that mattered was the slide and pull of his cock inside her walls, stroking every inch of her.
The pleasure didn’t end. It kept building and boiling over with each stroke of Kane’s length. Damesha tried to signal that his fingers were too much on her overly sensitive clitoris, but he ignored her, and kept driving her deeper into the well of darkness that was her pleasure. When she could endure no more, when she hung limply from the counter, her body replete, she felt the pulsing explosion of Kane’s release. Only when he’d given her everything she could take did he allow himself release. She gave a faint smile as Kane groaned a guttural cry of pleasure behind her.
Their bodies sank together, Kane bracing himself on his hands so he wouldn’t crush Damesha as he kissed each bit of her flesh he could see. They caught their breath, ragged gasps turning to even breathing and sighs. Damesha reveled in Kane surrounding her, loving her, and keeping her safe.
“Shall I stay home today, my love?” He whispered the words into her hair, his warm breath sending shivers down her spine.
“I don’t know, your hip is still healing. Maybe we should wait for round two.” She pushed up, needing to stand.
Kane moved away and pulled his pants back on. She hadn’t even realized he’d taken them off. Funny how you didn’t notice things in the heat of the moment. Straightening, she looked over at Kane with a smile.
“How is it today? Let me see it.” She moved to him, pulling at his shirt.
“It’s good, I can take care of it from now on.” He moved back, stepping away from seeking hands. “I’d best get to going then. I’ll see you at lunch time, probably. Annie, you coming girl?” Kane stepped to the back door, taking his keys from a hook on the wall as Annie came bounding into the room once more. The humans had been making puppies so she’d wandered off.
Damesha smiled as Kane and Annie left but the smile melted away as she realized he’d not wanted her to have a look at his wound. Why? Dismissing her suspicions as silly, Damesha went into her office and opened her laptop. A quick shower and she’d get back on her project.
The hours passed quietly, but around eleven o’clock she heard the sound of an elephant trumpeting in the woods behind the house. Damesha’s calm never cracked, she simply found a streaming music service on her laptop and turned the m
usic up. It didn’t exist if she didn’t hear it. With a tight smile, she went back to typing and lost herself in the project until Kane and Annie came in for lunch.
Kane was making himself a sandwich, tossing pieces of ham and cheese down to Annie who made them disappear quickly, when Damesha walked into the kitchen. He gave her a bear hug and went back to his sandwich making.
“Want a sandwich darling?” he asked absently as he fed Annie another piece of ham.
“No wonder she likes you more, you feed her constantly.” Damesha pulled bottles of juice from the fridge and some chips from a cabinet before setting them on the table. “And yes, if you can spare a piece of ham, I’ll have a sandwich.”
“You need to spend less time in that office and more time outdoors. Get some air. Why don’t you come riding with me this afternoon?” He put the sandwiches on a plate and sat at the table with her.
“I might, you know. I haven’t been anywhere since I got back. I’m getting tired of staring at the same walls. Yeah, I will go with you.” She ran upstairs to get dressed and came back down to see Annie looking rather dejected.
“Oh baby, we’ll be back before you know it. You can chase off any scary monsters that might come around.” Annie gave Damesha a doubtful look and put her paws on Damesha’s hand. “That little face, oh you know how to give a guilt trip!”
Damesha got down on the floor to love on Annie for a moment, the dog swiping her nose with adoration and forgiveness before Damesha stood back up.
“She’ll be fine, Damesha. She can get out, she has food and water. She’ll be fine.” Kane went to the back door and took down his keys again. Kane was a creature of habit when it came to some things. Damesha pushed the thoughts away that threatened to intrude on her tranquillity and followed Kane out of the door. It was time to see where they lived.
Kane (Alexander Shifter Brothers Book 1) Page 9