by Jane Godman
“Everett, we were together for four years and you never once let me down during that time.” She smiled. “You made it fun and magical, but you also made sure I felt cared for. I was able to open up to you about my childhood in a way I’d never been able to do before. My life was finally okay, because you accepted me. You made me feel at home.”
When his jaw muscles relaxed slightly, her heart soared.
“We split up because of my problems, not because of anything you did, or didn’t do. And I have had four years of regrets.”
“Lyss—”
“This is my big speech. Let me get through it.” Her lip quivered as she tried to smile. “When we came back into each other’s lives, fate gave us a new perspective. The fun-loving days are over. We’re parents now, and we’ve been tested to the limit of our reason. Throughout everything, you’ve made sure me and Kennedy are your first priorities. You’ve kept your family safe. What happened to Caroline was horrible, but it hasn’t shaped you. It’s simply added another layer of empathy to the fine man you already are.”
He bent his head and took possession of her mouth, pressing hard and hot against her. The caress of his lips was enticing, and his tongue penetrated her mouth in a slow, seductive movement. Alyssa felt boneless as she molded herself to him, giving herself up to the sensations that swept through her. His body was as powerful and strong as she remembered, and the raw power he exuded stirred erotic memories alongside new passion.
“Uh.” She placed a hand flat against his chest. “Aren’t we forgetting something?”
“I have protection.” He nipped the lobe of her ear as he spoke. “I may not have had any use for it in the last four years, but those old habits are hard to break.”
“I’m glad to hear it. But I was thinking more about the fact that we have company.” She pointed in the direction of the crib.
Everett groaned. “I didn’t even think. I mean... I would have remembered. Eventually.”
She chuckled. “There is another bedroom. We can take the baby monitor with us.”
“Who said romance was dead?”
“You go first.” She gave him a gentle shove. “And don’t make a sound. Because if you wake her, it won’t just be romance that’s dead.”
A few minutes later, she joined him on the narrow bed in the smaller bedroom.
“Sneaking around trying not to get caught.” His eyes gleamed as he dimmed the light. “It makes it more exciting.”
“You are what makes it more exciting.”
Her hands slid under his shirt and along the sculptured muscles of his chest. Everett nipped at her lower lip, then, as she moaned softly, he began to devour her in long, hungry kisses. Her whole body was on fire as her hands glided over his chest and back.
Turning their bodies, he separated her legs with his muscular thighs, his hard erection pressing against her heated core through his sweatpants and her pajama bottoms.
Leaning back, he slowly undid the buttons on her top while raining kisses along her eyelids, jawline and down her neck. When the garment was fully unbuttoned, he pulled it open to reveal her breasts.
“You’re so beautiful, Lyss. I want to lose myself in you.”
His fingers on her skin left trails of static electricity. It had always been this way. His touch was a perfect pleasure, each time more intense and intoxicating than the last.
“More than chocolate-chip cookies.”
The reminder made her smile. It had been their private joke that they were more addictive to each other than their favorite foods.
“Better than buttered popcorn.”
The touch of his hands on her skin as he cupped her breasts almost sent her into orbit. When he bent his head to capture the tip of one nipple in his mouth, she arched her back and cried out. For Alyssa, sex was about so much more that physical pleasure. It was giving herself, body and soul. An expression of the deepest bond, an intimacy that was a declaration of belonging.
Although, right now, the things Everett was doing were all about physical pleasure.
His tongue flicked and swirled across her taut nipples, his teeth gently scraping before he tugged one tender tip into his mouth. Her hips lifted and gyrated as she ground against him. Slipping his uninjured hand between them, he moved it down inside the waistband of her pajama pants.
“I’m not exactly agile right now. Losing the clothes would help me a lot.”
While Alyssa wriggled out of her pants, he clumsily removed his own garments and took off the sling.
She slid a hand down his body, reminding herself of its delicious contours. “You’re not doing so badly.”
As he tipped her onto her back and positioned himself between her legs, Alyssa’s body arched to meet him. His mouth claimed her breasts again, licking, swirling, teasing and sending shudders of delight through her. Taking his time, Everett stroked the length of her body until every nerve ending was inflamed. Molten heat raged through her veins.
His fingers trailed lower until one finger slid inside her and his thumb circled. Her writhing body rippled with unimaginable pleasure as the slow-burning fire grew, then blazed out of control.
Within seconds, her head was spinning. He could always do the most amazing things to her, the connection between them making a fireball out of every touch. Everett’s mouth claimed hers, his tongue plunging inside in the same rhythm as his finger. Four years of being prim and proper, now she was biting back her screams as those magical fingers swirled and teased and did the most amazing things to her.
A bolt of pure pleasure ripped through her, taking her over the edge. Bursts of color flashed before her eyes and a series of volcanic eruptions had her thrashing wildly. Everett’s eyes locked on hers.
“I need you.”
“Yes.” It was more a gasp than a coherent word.
He reached into the top drawer of the nightstand at the side of the bed and found a condom. Holding up the foil-wrapped package, he gave Alyssa a rueful smile. “I can use my right hand for some things, but this needs a little more precision.”
“I’ll help.”
Taking the condom from him, she opened the wrapper. Everett eased back, watching her with a playful smile as she grasped his length, positioned the rubber over his head and rolled it down.
“You’re good at that.” His voice was husky.
She shifted his position until they were face-to-face. “I’ve seen you do it often enough.”
He groaned, pulling her to beneath him again. Holding her hips, he opened her legs wider with his thighs, pressing his erection against her.
“Look at me, Lyss. I want to watch your face.”
He pushed into her, his movements measured as he gave her time to adjust to his size. Alyssa lifted her hips, urging him on. Slow and steady could wait. She wanted more this time. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as her pelvis ground against his. Everett responded with a single powerful thrust that buried him deep inside her. His single groan was everything she needed to hear.
He pulled back slowly, then drove deeper into her again, sending darts of pleasure searing her nerve endings. The breath left her lungs, leaving her pulsating, burning, flying. Her muscles were already spasming around his hardness as she gasped for more. And he gave it. Driving faster and harder, consumed by the need to push deeper into her body. Raising her hips to meet his thrusts, he lifted her higher into a continuing spiral of ecstasy.
Her body tightened around his, gripping and pulling him deeper. As the first shudders of her orgasm started, Everett’s own release hit. Harsh and hard. He threw back his head and joined her in a mind-shattering climax.
The last four years melted away as their bodies stilled and he held her close, warm and snuggled and safe.
* * *
Alyssa was his drug. One touch and Everett was addicted all over again. Not that he cared. He was happy to si
nk deeper into this enchantment.
“I missed this so much.” Her lips tickled the curve of his neck.
He buried a hand in her hair, testing its softness. Tilting her face to his, he stroked down her cheekbones to her lips. Kissing her was like tasting heaven and they moved together like dance partners who knew the routine but were excited by the endless interpretations. Their bodies fitted together perfectly, made for this moment, falling into a natural rhythm.
He got to his feet and held out his hands. Regarding him warily, Alyssa bounced into a kneeling position.
“You’re injured.”
“I can still do this.” He hoped he was right. If not, he was about to fall flat on his face and take her down with him. Not the best look for a guy hoping to keep the rekindled romance alive. “Grab another condom and wrap your legs around me.”
Her trust in him was absolute and she instantly did as he asked, tightening her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Holding her with his hands on her hips, he walked to the bathroom. Alyssa squirmed against him, her movements sending a series of electric shocks pulsing along his hardening shaft.
Keeping his left hand under her buttocks, he turned on the shower, adjusted the temperature, then stepped right in. The water cascading over them heightened every sense. Pinning her against the tiles, he grasped her hips again. Bending his head, he lapped at the water trickling between her breasts.
Wriggling out of his grip, Alyssa gave him a mischievous smile before placing the condom on the soap dish and dropping to her knees. Using the wet tiles to help her shimmy closer, she halted when her face was level with his erection. Using the tip of one finger, she traced around the head, then up and down the shaft, tilting her face to watch his reaction.
Everett leaned back, mesmerized as she took him firmly in her hand, and opened her lovely mouth. Her tongue flicked out, licking the tip, lightly probing and he sighed as fireworks went off inside his head.
“You were always amazing at this.”
Right there, as he was swept up in the intensity of an erotic moment that made his eyes bulge, he realized his heart was mended.
And I didn’t know until now that it had been broken.
Alyssa smiled at the compliment, using her tongue in a circular motion to lick him like an ice cream, before traveling down his shaft and back up again. Finally, she held his length between both hands and lowered her mouth over his head, sucking in, then pushing out. All the while, her probing tongue teased, and her hands massaged. Everett saw stars.
The blood pounding in his ears drowned out all other sounds. When his jaw clenched and his eyes closed of their own accord, he knew he was dangerously close. Reluctantly, he eased away from that magical mouth. Alyssa looked up at him with a question in her eyes.
“I won’t last.” His voice was raw as he pushed her up against the tiles again.
This time he tore open the condom packet with his teeth and they got the protection on together. Taking hungry possession of her mouth, he drove his hard length straight into her. Alyssa gasped and tipped her head back.
“Don’t stop.”
He was fiercer this time, sure of himself and of her, driving them both to the edge hard and fast. Her body moved in time with his, meeting his demands and driving him onward. Lava coursed through his veins, consuming him. Four years without her. How had he survived?
The fire that Alyssa had started with her lips was growing and spreading, roaring through him. He felt her start to contract, her muscles clamping him tighter and drawing him deeper as her whole body thrashed.
A primal growl escaped him as the first explosions of his own volcanic release hit. Then he was soaring high, barely breathing, clinging to Alyssa, who was boneless in his arms.
He didn’t know how many minutes passed before she spoke.
“I think I can stand now.” Her voice was faint.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m worried about your arm.”
He managed a breathless laugh. “I think it’s healing well. Although I won’t share the details of how I’ve gained that information with my physiotherapist.”
Holding her against his chest, he lowered her until her feet connected with the tiles. Making sure she was steady before he released her, he left her for a few minutes while he took care of the condom. When he returned, they showered together the way they had always done.
Afterward, he wrapped her in a towel, dried her all over, then carried her into the small bedroom and placed her gently on the bed.
“We’re staying in this room?” Alyssa smirked. “Does that mean we’re not done for the night?”
He gave her a mock leer. “I may have other plans for you before morning.”
When he’d finished drying himself, he lay next to her, cocooning them both within the warm bedding. As he drifted off to sleep, he reflected that there was nothing in the world like the feel of Alyssa’s naked body cradled protectively in his arms.
* * *
When Alyssa woke, she took a moment to let her surroundings sink in. Warm hard body pressed tight up against her back. Muscular arms wrapped around her. Delicious postsex glow. She smiled as the memory of the previous night came back.
But there was something wrong. Her smile quickly faded as she realized what it was. The room was in complete darkness.
But we left the lamp on...
Her hand went out, reaching for the baby monitor. Instantly, her worst fears were confirmed. The green light that indicated it was working wasn’t on. When she tried the switch on the lamp, nothing happened.
“Everett!” She was on her feet, scrabbling in the darkness for her clothes.
“What’s happening?” She heard the bed move as if he was sitting up.
“The power is out.”
They burst from the room at the same time, Everett in his boxer briefs and Alyssa halfway into her pajamas. The master bedroom was lit by the glow of Kennedy’s battery-operated night-light. And the crib was empty.
Alyssa’s knees buckled and she covered her face with her hands. “She’s gone. Our baby girl...”
As Everett used the light on his cell phone to check the windows and doors for signs of a break-in, she sank to the floor, sitting with her back to the wall.
When he returned, Everett hauled her to her feet. “You can faint when we’ve found her. Right now, Kennedy needs us both.”
Shocked at his harsh words, Alyssa sucked in a breath. “This is all your fault. If you hadn’t distracted me with sex, I wouldn’t have left her alone!”
“Keep yelling if it gets the adrenaline pumping and makes you feel better, but get dressed while you do it.” He gripped her shoulders, giving her a push toward the closet. “The person who took the baby disabled the alarm from the outside, then pried the kitchen window open. He, or she—I’m going with she—was small enough to squeeze through it. After cutting through the electrical wiring it looks like they picked up Kennedy and walked right out through the front door.”
Alyssa pulled on jeans and a sweater. “I’m calling 911.” Picking up her cell phone, she stared at its screen.
“It’s a good plan,” Everett said. “Any reason why you’re hesitating?”
With fingers that shook wildly, she opened the tracking app she’d activated the previous day. Holding it up, she showed him the screen. “I know where Kennedy is.”
He studied the map with its flashing dot for a moment or two. Dragging on his own clothes with lightning speed, he grabbed his car keys. “Throw some bottles of formula and bananas into the pink-elephant bag. You can explain on the way.”
“Wait.” She had to run to keep up with him. “Will you be okay to drive?”
He flashed her a quick glance over his shoulder. “My arm held up okay when I was distracting you in the shower. I think I can manage to turn a wheel.”
&nb
sp; As they followed the tracking signal along the still dark roads, Alyssa alternated between feeling completely numb and totally terrified. Dark thoughts clouded her mind. If Kennedy wasn’t around, would Georgia inherit the Dodds’ money and property? Was that what this was all about?
“I wanted to find a way to keep Kennedy safe if Georgia tried to snatch her.” Tears trickled down her cheeks as she explained how the bracelet and button linked to the app on her cell phone. “I never imagined we’d be putting it to the test so soon.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about it?” Everett asked.
She blew her nose on a tissue. “I thought you’d laugh at me for being overprotective.”
He briefly placed a hand on her knee. “I’m so thankful for your overprotectiveness.”
She glanced at the map, her fears increasing as she noticed the direction in which the tiny dot was heading. “Could Georgia be planning to take Kennedy across the Mexican border?”
“If she is, she hasn’t taken the most direct route,” Everett said. “I’m not going to rule it out, but the main thing is to catch up with her. I’ve messaged Casey and told him to put more pressure on Joe Meyer. If he knows where Georgia’s hiding place is, we may find that’s where she’s heading.”
“She won’t know how to care for Kennedy.” Alyssa choked back another sob. “Our baby will be so scared when she wakes up and we’re not there, especially if she recognizes Georgia as the person who hurt her mom and dad.”
“We’re going to find her and bring her home.” He was so resolute that she let his words soothe her and drive some of her doubts away.
After about half an hour, the dot on the map stopped moving. “Where is that?” Everett asked.
“It’s near Deming, New Mexico.” Alyssa checked the location. “But it isn’t a town or city. It appears to be the foothills of Cookes Range.”
“I don’t know the area, but it sounds like the perfect hiding place for someone on the run.”