Kenny (Shifter Football League Book 2)

by Becca Fanning

  They turned into his driveway and the scent of tiger was evident.

  “How many do you think?” he asked.

  She closed her eyes and sniffed at the air. “Four. You want my help?”

  He shook his head. “I need you to be my get away.”

  “I’ll keep an ear out if you get in trouble. Just holler for me, and I’ll come.”

  When she stopped the car, he pulled open the door and ran to the house, shifting on his way. Before he could get inside, the four came from around the back, running as a line of tigers. He was faster, though. He cut a sharp left and ran to the back of the house, where he had a keypad that could open the garage door. It was tricky with his bear claws, but he punched in the code and the door started to open before they caught up to him.

  He hit the button to close the garage door, but they slid under before it closed. He shifted back, shut the interior door, and locked it. That might delay them for now, but it certainly wouldn’t keep them out forever.

  Kenny ran up the stairs two at a time and straight into his bedroom. There, he shoved clothing into a gym bag from his closet. He couldn’t think straight enough to make sense of what he was stuffing in, but hoped he was choosing well. He grabbed a bandana from his drawer and hoped that would work as a bandage for her arm.

  Heavy footfalls on the stairs alerted him that they had made it inside. He grabbed his gun from his bedside table and pulled back the slide as his bedroom door crashed open. He pointed the gun at them, and they froze.

  “Now,” he said. “I’m going to walk out of here, and you’re not going to chase me.”

  They kept an eye on him as he opened his wall safe for two last things—cash and his other gun and ammo. He tucked these things into the bag and walked toward the watching tigers. They backed up slowly until there was room for him to walk by. Glancing behind himself as he went to make sure no one snuck up behind him, he walked down the stairs and out the front door.

  Audrey sat out front, car running and ready to go. He broke into a run, still looking back to make sure they hadn’t come after him. He jumped into the car, and she took off.

  “How’d it go?” she asked.

  “Amazing what one gun can do.”

  “Did you shoot someone?” The panic in her eyes was obvious.

  He handed her the bandana and she quickly wrapped her arm.

  “No. The threat alone worked just fine.”

  She let out a sigh. “Oh good. So, now where to?”

  “Do you think we’re being followed?”

  “Doesn’t seem like it so far.”

  “Let’s make sure.”

  Kenny pulled on some clothes and directed her through multiple twists and turns as they worked their way closer to the cabin in the woods. It took twice as long, but it was worth it to make sure no one would know where they were. They pulled in and luckily, the place was still empty.

  “Do you own this place?” she asked.

  “Not exactly. I considered buying it. I just know it’s empty. As long as no one else comes to see it, we’re good.”

  She raised her eyebrows at him. “Okay… so how do we get in?”

  He’d been thinking about this part, too. Realtors had a fancy little app on their phone to get inside the lock box. He didn’t have that, of course, but he knew that the basement door seemed much less secure than the others. He’d made a mental note to replace it if he bought the place.

  He took out his knife and went to the basement door. There, he worked the blade into the lock and eventually, got it to pop open. Audrey followed him into the cabin, looking around in awe at the huge fireplace and the walls covered in stone. The place was gorgeous. It was why he’d almost bought it. Shining hardwoods floors, new appliances in the kitchen, large open rooms.

  “I think you should buy it,” she said.

  “Yeah?” he laughed. Though, now that he wasn’t playing ball, he wouldn’t be able to afford this place. His face fell. “Mayne once I’m back in action.”

  “You ran a lot today. I think you could get back to it. You might have to work harder, but you were amazing today.”

  “Thanks.” He pulled his mouth into a half smile. “Let’s put our things away.”

  They chose a bedroom and dropped off their bags, then headed down to the kitchen. Audrey had thought enough to bring some food, but it wasn’t much. They made ramen noodles and sat in the living room to eat. Kenny went on a mission to find wood so they could have a fire.

  He headed back down to the basement. In one room, he did find a large stack of wood and a wood carrier. But his real find was in another room. It must be the wine cellar because the walls were lined with holes for bottles. Either they’d run out of room in their packing, or maybe they left it on purpose for the new owners, but there was a large bottle of whiskey on one of the shelves. He laid it on top of the wood and took it all back upstairs.

  “Major score,” he said.

  He set the whiskey on the coffee table and filled the fireplace with wood.

  “Wow,” Audrey said, picking up the bottle. “I guess I’ll get us some glasses.”

  She went to the kitchen and returned with two glasses, then opened the bottle and poured them each some. He got the fire going using a fire starter and a lot of patience.

  He sat by her on the sofa, close enough for his leg to touch hers, and picked up his glass.

  “Shall we toast?” she said.

  “To health and wealth and staying alive,” he said.

  “And to love.” She clinked her glass against his and took a sip.

  They said nothing for a long while, just sipped at their drinks and watched the fire dance.

  Finally, she looked over at him. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Okay…”

  “When we were at Kara’s, you said you loved me.”

  “I did.”

  “Were you just saying that? Or did you mean it?”

  He had to make a fast decision. Was it too fast to admit he loved her? Would this freak her out or with everything that had happened, would she want to hear him say it? He had messed this up so many times, he didn’t want to take the chance he’d screw up again.

  He looked into her eyes, trying to decide which was the right answer. But there was no sense in denying it. No point in lying to her now.

  He nodded slowly. It must have been the right answer. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. It wasn’t a long kiss, but it was significant. She moved so slow when it came to these things, and as many times as he’d wanted to sweep her up and kiss her hard, he always retrained himself so he wouldn’t freak her out. But she’d made the first move.

  He leaned forward again, putting his hand on her cheek to kiss her again, longer this time. She didn’t pull away.

  When the kiss ended, she whispered, “Say it.”

  “I love you.”

  A grin spread across her face. “I like hearing that. I love you, too.”

  He sat up, backing away from her. “What?”

  “I love you, too.”

  He pulled his eyebrows together in shock. He hadn’t dreamed in a million years that she’d return the words. In fact, he’d known she wouldn’t. But she just had.

  “Are you sure?” he asked. Not that he wanted to talk her out of it, but he didn’t need her coming back later and saying she hadn’t really meant it.

  “Yes, I’m sure. You’ve been there for me and protected me. I’ve watched you change and grow over the time you’ve spent in the hospital. I’ve watched you deal with some really hard things and come out on the other side better for it. I see your struggles and your loneliness, and it all makes you an incredible man. I admire you, I respect you, and I love you.”

  She shrugged and took another sip of her drink. He stared at the fire for a long while, letting her words sink in.

  “I don’t think I’m anything much,” he said. “Especially if I can’t play football anymore. But, I’m glad you see all of that in me. You
’re an incredible woman. I don’t deserve you at all, but I’ll do whatever I can to be my best for you.”

  She kissed his cheek and snuggled up close to him. Her closeness and all the things she said, and maybe a little bit of the whiskey, had him feeling warm all over. He wanted her now as much as he ever had. Maybe more now that they’d confessed their love. What would it be like to have sex with someone who loved him back? Was that something they’d even be able to do anytime soon? Or would it take months of them working up to it? His dick stiffened just imagining touching her.

  He poured them two more drinks and took several sips. If he was going to get through the night and not be able to touch her, he’d need to do it smashed.

  Chapter 19

  Audrey couldn’t remember the last time she’d gotten drunk. Some wine here and there was part of her normal schedule, especially on her days off. But she’d drunk a significant amount of whiskey and it was making her feel very good. And very bold, for that matter. She couldn’t believe she’d told Kenny she loved him, then kissed him. These were things she wanted to do, but had feared doing. The alcohol helped, though.

  She pressed close against him, and his presence was warm and comforting. She felt very safe with him. And she hadn’t felt that way with anyone, ever. She had been comfortable with her last boyfriend, sure, but she hadn’t felt this safe with him. And it had turned out that she shouldn’t have because she wasn’t safe with him. But Kenny knew her deepest issues, and he still loved her. And he respected her need for space and to take things slow. And, she thought, if she was ever going to be able to make love with anyone, it would be him. Someday. Who knew how long it would take to work up to that.

  As she leaned against him, he started rubbing her arm, trailing his fingers up and down her bicep, letting the palm of his hand casually brush the side of her breast. It made her nipples hard and his touch felt good. She made another bold move. It wasn’t a big move and to most people probably wouldn’t be a move at all, but it was a big deal to her. She angled her body and turned just right so that his hand fell onto her breast.

  Of course, then he immediately pulled it away. That was good, though. She liked that he did that. It made her that much more secure in what she did next. She reached for his hand and moved it back to her breast.

  He sucked in a breath and squeezed gently. “Are you okay with this?” he whispered.

  “Yes,” she said. “I trust you. I want to be able to move forward some day.”

  He took his time caressing her, moving from breast to breast. He pulled her back to him and wrapped his arms around her so that he could touch her with both hands. He even slid them slowly down to the edge of the hem of her shirt and slipped up under.

  “Just tell me when you need me to stop,” he said.

  “I will.”

  But his hands on her bare skin felt wonderful. The warmth in her spread, and as he slid a finger under her bra and teased her nipple, she felt a tingle below. It was a strange sensation. She’d shied away anything sexual for so long, it was like she’d forgotten what desire and pleasure felt like. He continued to touch her, and she wanted more.

  Kenny moved very slowly, and she appreciated that. She needed that. Every time he tried something new, he did it hesitantly and waited for her to stop him. When she didn’t, he kept going. Now his fingers trailed her stomach, sending shivers over her. He unbuttoned her jeans. Her heart raced, but she let him continue. She wanted him to continue.

  He pushed his hand into her jeans and swirled his fingers over her panties. She could feel her own dampness. She lifted her hips to press into him, to tell him she wanted more. And he responded. He slid his hand under her panties.

  She gasped when his hand touched her clit. It’d been so very long since she’d been touched and the sensation sent a wave of chills through her. They were pleasurable chills, though. Kenny froze when she gasped. She again, lifted her hips toward him and he pressed down on her.

  He moved his hand in circles over her clit, making her dizzy with the delicious feeling of it. He worked his way down and pushed a finger insider her. She let out a moan of pleasure. Being touched by him, knowing he would stop as soon as she told him to, made her want him that much more. Because she was in control. And he wouldn’t hurt her.

  He moved his finger in and out, but his hand was restricted by her jeans. She put her hand over his, and he retreated. But then, she stood to face him.

  His eyes were on her, slightly confused. She slowly pulled her shirt over her head. His eyes widened. She removed her bra, then stepped out of her jeans, then her panties.

  He gulped and came to stand beside her, their backs warmed by the fire. He kissed her and held her. She lifted his shirt, too. She wanted to see his bare chest and feel his hot skin against hers. She wasn’t sure about what she was doing next, but she must have had just enough whiskey to make her brave. She unzipped his jeans.

  He helped her push them to the ground and he stepped out of his pants. His thin boxer shorts were no match for his large hard on and it threatened to burst the fabric at the seams. It looked almost painful. So, she pushed those down, too. She looked at his cock for a moment, standing proud and reaching toward her. She put her hand on it and squeezed. She stroked him a little up and down, and when he moaned at her touch, she grew even wetter.

  She lay down in the thick rug in front of the fire. She liked the way the heat touched half of her body, making it hot, while the other side was cooler. It gave a nice contrast of feeling. Her heart was racing, but she felt like she had to do this. If she didn’t have sex at some point, she never would again. And she trusted him. She had to keep reminding herself that she trusted him and that he wouldn’t hurt her.

  He positioned himself overtop of her and kissed her for a long while, caressing her breasts and not making a move near her lower parts. She relaxed into it and things started to feel good again. He slid down her body, kissing along her stomach, then to her lower lips. He put his tongue on her clit and started flicking and pressing it against her. She’d never had this done before and, while it felt strange at first, it also felt wonderful.

  The pleasure coursed through her and she felt the even more unfamiliar feeling of orgasm creeping up on her. He gently pushed a finger inside her and the combination of his mouth on her and his finger in her pushed her over the edge. She came, crying out loudly in the feeling she hadn’t felt in years.

  Her body thrummed with the after effects and he came back to kiss her again. She could taste herself on him. He played with her nipples more, and made an occasional stop with his hand to circle around her clit. Her head spun with the intense feelings of it all.

  She knew now, more sure than she’d been about anything tonight, that she wanted him. She wanted to go all the way, to feel him inside her. She sucked up her courage and whispered in his ear.

  “I want you to make love to me.”

  He looked at her for a long moment. “You’re really sure?”

  She nodded. “You make me feel so good and I trust you.”

  “I didn’t bring anything, though.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t have a condom or anything. I never dreamed we’d be doing this.”

  “Oh,” she said. “Well, it doesn’t matter. I can’t get pregnant.”

  “Right.” He trailed a finger along her cheek. “I wish you could. I want to make a family with you.”