“Your grandparents are very excited to finally meet you,” Adam tells me as we lie side by side on adjoining loungers around the pool.
“I’m looking forward to meeting them too.” I offer him a brittle smile as my stomach lurches to my toes.
He chuckles, reaching out to pat my arm. “There’s no need to be nervous, honey. They already love you.”
I scratch an imaginary scab on my arm. “I’ve never had grandparents before. I’m not sure how I should act.”
He sits up, leaning his elbows on his knees. “Just be yourself. Honestly, there’s no need to be nervous. My parents are very laid-back and looking forward to getting to know you.” He claws a hand through his dark hair, and I spy a few strands of gray that weren’t there before. “You can bring Kyler if that’ll help.”
I immediately perk up. “I can?”
He chuckles again. “Of course. I pretty much took it as a given that he was coming.”
“Okay. I’ll ask him.”
“I’m happy to come with,” Ky says, looming over me with a smile. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.” He hands me a drink, offering a second one to Adam.
“You’re sure?” My hand curls around his wrist.
He sits on the edge of my bed. “I’ll do whatever you want, babe. You know that.”
Adam chuckles. “I see you’ve said goodbye to your balls, Kyler.”
“Dad!” I shriek, utterly gobsmacked. Adam is usually pretty straitlaced, so to hear those words coming out of his mouth is a shock to the system.
His Adam’s apple jumps in his throat as he stares at me, eyes brimming with emotion.
I bite down on my lower lip. “What?” I look between him and Ky, totally perplexed. Ky’s expression is tender as he tucks my hair behind my ear.
“You called me Dad,” Adam whispers.
I did? Oh my gosh, I did. It was totally unconscious. Completely natural. My chest tightens at the look of utter delight on Adam’s face. I sit up, clearing my throat. “It just slipped out,” I whisper back, averting my eyes. “You don’t mind?”
Reaching out, he clasps my hands, and I raise my eyes to meet his. “Mind? Sweetheart, it feels like I’ve been waiting an eternity for you to call me that.” His shrewd eyes probe mine. “Are you okay with it?”
I look to Ky, and the reassurance in his eyes gives me the confidence I need. Slowly, I nod. “Yes, I think I am.”
Dad moves over to my lounger, wrapping his arm around my back and pulling me into his side. I rest my head on his shoulder. Ky blows me a kiss as he walks away, giving us privacy. Adam presses a tender kiss to my head. “I’m really glad we’re getting to spend this time together. It always feels so rushed when we meet for weekends. I’m looking forward to spending quality time together this week.”
“Me too.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I spy Whitney observing us with a sad look on her face. When she catches me watching, she spins on her heel, stomping off into the house. Adam sighs. “Is she okay?” I ask, shucking out from under his arm.
He scrubs his jaw. “I don’t know. She won’t talk to me. Won’t talk to her mother. I don’t have a clue what’s going on in her head.”
“But she’s here. That’s got to mean something.”
He nods. “I hope so. Perhaps she might confide in you?”
I peer into his hopeful, concerned blue eyes. “I think I might be the problem.”
He shakes his head. “You may be part of it, but there’s more going on with her. I wish I knew how to help her.”
He sounds so worried, so helpless, and the words just fly out of my mouth without any encouragement. “I’ll try and talk to her, and I’ll keep an eye on her. You don’t need to worry. I’ll watch out for her.”
Little did I realize what I was getting myself into.
The oldies are happy to stay in the house tonight, so we’ve decide to get a taxi into Wexford town to go dancing. Kev is refusing to come, which puts a bit of a dampener on things, but I’m not going to let his stubbornness ruin the night. I’m in our bedroom, applying my makeup, when there’s a knock on my door, and Whitney calls out my name.
“Come in,” I say, wondering why she’s deemed to grace me with her presence.
I perch on the corner of the bed, looking up at her as I wait for her to clue me in. “I need your help,” she says, startling the heck out of me.
“Okay.”
“I want to go out with you tonight, but Dad said no. I was hoping you’d talk to him for me.”
Even though she’s probably only using me, I can’t help feeling happy that she’s come to me about this. This is the sort of thing you ask of your older sister, right? This could go some way toward breaking the wall down between us. I stand up. “If I do this, you have to promise to stay by my side. I’m not giving, um, Dad, my word that I’ll look out for you if you are planning to ignore me all night.” I level a stern look at her, watching her pout deepen.
“But—”
“No buts. And no sneaking off to hook up with Kent either. There’s no way you’re doing that on my watch.” I plant my hands on my hips.
Her eyes narrow, and I can tell she’d love to let rip at me. But she can’t. Not when she needs my help. Her foot taps off the ground, and I can almost see the wheels churning in her head. “What if I—”
“Nope. Those are my terms.”
“Fine,” she huffs, crossing her arms.
“Okay. Let me finish getting ready, and I’ll talk to him then.”
She strides toward the door, failing to keep the excitement off her face. At the last second, she turns around. “Um, thanks,” she mumbles, looking at her feet. Wow, miracles will never cease.
It takes a lot more than anticipated to get Adam to agree, but, finally, he relents. Whitney barely reacts when I tell her, having had time to compose herself since our last chat. I roll my eyes as Ky takes my hand, leading me outside to the taxi. “I hope you know what you’re doing,” he whispers. “This could be a complete disaster.”
“I know,” I sigh, getting in the backseat beside him. “But there’s no backing out now.”
The venue is set over three levels with the nightclub part residing on the top floor. We have a couple of drinks in the bar downstairs before making our way upstairs. Slick beats boom over the loudspeakers as we enter the club. The place is jam-packed, and the dance floor is a hot mess of writhing bodies. Couples are making out everywhere, and Kent rubs his hands together. “Hells yeah. This is my kind of place.”
“Let’s dance,” Whitney suggests, grabbing his hand without waiting for his reply. She yanks him out into the middle of the dance floor where we can’t see.
“And here we go,” Ky drawls.
I sigh. “This is going to be a long night.”
“Lighten up, you two,” Kal says. “They can’t get into too much trouble here.” He points at a booth to his left. “Kade reserved that one for us. We are right by the door, so if they try to sneak off for any kinky fuckery, we’ll spot them.”
I punch Kal in the arm. “Do not even joke about such a thing.”
“Have another drink or ten,” he mocks. “Just chill the fuck out. Besides, Kent isn’t a total idiot. He won’t do anything to risk things between you and your dad.”
“Are we talking about the same Kent? The one who knows no boundaries and does what the hell he wants whenever he wants?” My tone betrays my incredulity.
“Ouch.” Kal winces. “Don’t let Kent hear you have such a low opinion of him. You’ll hurt his feelings.”
“If he has any,” Ky remarks.
“Oh, he’s got plenty. Why do you think he acts like he does?” Kal throws that statement out before making a beeline for the bar.
The next couple of hours pass by in a haze of drinking and dancing. Whitney and Kent are stuck to eac
h other like glue, and they barely stop kissing to come up for air. However, they have stayed near us, and there’s zero groping going on, so I’m happy. They move off the dance floor as a slow song starts up, heading toward our booth where Kal, Kaden, Keanu, and Keaton are chatting to a bunch of rough-looking dudes. Ky reels me into his arms. “I don’t like the look of them,” I murmur, subtly nodding at the table.
“Kade will lock it down if necessary. Relax, babe. You’re worrying too much.”
The instant his hot mouth presses against my neck all responsible thoughts fly out of my head. Pulling me in even closer to his body, he smashes his hips against mine, demonstrating how turned on he is. “I love dancing with you,” he rasps, nibbling on my earlobe. “You’re such a sexy dancer.”
“You’re not so bad yourself.” I gasp when his hand squeezes my ass. “Ky.” I send him a cautionary look. “We’re in public.”
“I know, babe.” His tongue licks a line up the side of my neck, and now I’m the one grabbing him to me, my hands slipping under his shirt, exploring the contours of his muscular back. “But I can’t control myself around you. Not when you look so fucking gorgeous and I want to rip the clothes off your back and bury myself deep inside you.”
“Oh, God.” I groan. “What the hell are you doing to me?”
“I know what I’d like to be doing to you,” he teases, tracing his lips along my collarbone. An intense shiver ripples through me, and my knees buckle. All semblance of control evaporates. Grabbing his hand, I take him with me as I stride toward the bathrooms. There are no separate bathrooms here, just a row of individual unisex toilets with their own door. The one on the end is currently unoccupied, and I run toward it before someone can beat me to it.
Ky laughs quietly. “I like your thinking.” He pulls me inside, locks the door, and then pushes me up against the wall. His eyes are dark with lust, and the ache between my legs intensifies. “I’m so fucking hard I think I might combust,” he admits, slipping his hand under my dress and caressing the inside of my thigh. I grip his shoulders, shivering and quivering under his expert ministrations. His fingers brush over my knickers, and I suck in a gasp. Slowly and deliberately, he rolls my dress up to my waist. He cups me there, and a downright wicked look repaints his face. Lightning fast, he rips my knickers off, pulling them down my legs in one expert move. I’m frantically popping buttons on his jeans at the same time, whipping them down his legs along with his boxers.
He slides one finger inside me. “Always so ready,” he whispers, slamming his mouth down on mine with urgent need. I claw at his back, fisting my hand in his shirt as I pull him to me. He lifts my thigh up and enters me in one confident thrust. I moan into his mouth, as blissful tremors invade every inch of my body. He pushes me in farther to the wall, and I wrap both legs around his waist. My fingers dig into his shoulders as he pumps into me. He holds me up with one hand, the other braced on the side of the wall. The door rattles as he thrusts into me harder and faster, and I dig my fingers into his back, biting his shoulder to smother the urge to scream from the top of my lungs. Every part of my body is on fire, and I can’t get enough. Every time with Ky feels different than the last time, and I love how he makes me feel so much. My core throbs almost painfully, and I know I’m close already. This is naughty and dirty and I’m loving it. Perhaps it’s the taboo factor or the thought that people outside must know what we’re doing, but it doesn’t take me long to reach climax. Ky covers my mouth with his, capturing my moans and screams, grunting as his own release consumes him.
Sweat rolls down my back, adhering my dress to my skin. Ky rests his head on my shoulder, and I run my fingers through the silky strands of his hair. “That was so hot,” I croak, struggling to get my breath and my voice back on track.
“Damn straight.” I can hear the grin in his tone.
Slowly, he lifts his head, and his gaze collides with mine. We stare at one another, and it’s as if he can see inside me, straight through to my soul. When I look in his eyes I detect the extent of his devotion, and my heart swells to bursting point. No one will ever love me as much as Kyler Kennedy. “I love you, Faye.” He kisses me sweetly, in complete contrast to the way he just dominated me.
“And I love you.” I cup his face, and my heart is full with so many emotions.
With great tenderness, he eases my legs down onto the ground. After cleaning me up, he snatches my knickers off the floor, helping me step into them, before smoothing my dress into place. He is tucking himself back in his jeans when the sounds of banging greet my ears.
“Faye! Ky!”
The hammering grows closer and more insistent as I lock eyes with my boyfriend. Kal calls out our names again, along with a few choice expletives. Chills snake up and down my spine at the undeniable panic in his voice.
Ky buttons his jeans up and takes my hand, opening the door just as Kal reaches it. Kal smirks momentarily, scanning our flushed faces. Just as quickly, the smirk withers and dies.
I put gentle pressure on his arm. “What is it? What’s happened? Is Whitney okay?” It’s the most logical assumption.
His lips pull into a grim line. “We have a problem.”
Chapter Eleven
Kyler
“What kind of problem?” I ask, steering Faye out of the bathroom and ushering her into the main room.
“A Kent and Whitney disappearing act kind of problem.” Kal confirms our worst fears.
“Surely, they can’t have gone far. They are probably just outside making out like bandits.” Faye’s tone sounds hopeful, but she looks crestfallen and panicked. I place my hand on her lower back, rubbing soothing circles with my thumb.
Kal grimaces, and my chest tightens. “What don’t I know?”
He gulps. “We think they’ve gone with those guys we were talking to.”
“What?” Faye shrieks, almost piercing my eardrums. “They looked dodgy as fuck! How could you let them go with them?!”
Kal rubs the back of his neck. “We didn’t let them leave. They gave us the slip.”
Faye throws her hands in the air. “We were gone for, like, ten minutes, and you lost them. Great.” Her voice drips with sarcasm.
“Hey, hang on here a sec, Faye. No one said we were on babysitting duty, and we weren’t the ones having a sneaky fuck in the bathroom.”
“Kal.” My tone cuts through him. He will not speak to Faye like that even if it’s the truth.
He holds up his hands. “Look, let’s not argue. We need to figure out where they’ve gone.” His cell pings as he leads us back to the table.
“How the hell did this happen?” I ask Kade.
He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Those guys latched on to us, and they wouldn’t take the hint, but I wasn’t going to tell them to fuck off either. At least two of them were high and acting weird.”
“Oh God.” Faye looks like she’s going to puke.
I tuck her into my side. “It’s okay. We’ll find them.” I urge Kade to continue with my eyes.
“They invited us back to their place, but we declined. Then Kal went to the bar with Keats, and myself and Keanu went to the toilet, and when we came back, they were all gone. I’ve texted Kent but he’s ignoring me. Do you have Whitney’s cell number?” he asks Faye.
She grabs her purse, extracting her phone. “Fuck!” Her chest heaves. “I’m out of charge.”
“Okay. No one panic. I have a lock on Kent’s location,” Kal says, and Faye exhales in relief.
“Kev?” I ask, jumping to the obvious conclusion. Kal nods. Dad insisted years ago that monitoring devices were embedded in all our cells. At first, I was disgusted at the lack of privacy, but over the course of the last year, there have been plenty of occasions when I’ve been grateful for his foresight. Now is definitely one of those times. “Let’s go.”
We head outside and flag down a taxi. This one only
takes four passengers, so we make Keanu and Keaton promise to take a separate taxi home, and then the rest of us bail in. Kal shows the driver his phone, and he heads off in the right direction.
Faye is trembling beside me, and I wrap her solidly in my arms. “Try not to worry. Kent won’t let anyone hurt Whitney.” Unless he’s overpowered or outnumbered, but I don’t voice those thoughts.
“What the hell were they thinking? What if something happens to them before we get there?”
“We’ll get there in time, and they aren’t that far ahead of us.” I hope.
We head out of the busy town, traversing quieter roads. When the driver turns off a poorly lit road onto a narrow dirt track that looks like it’s in the middle of nowhere, my panic starts to kick in. There are no streetlamps on this road, and we are surrounded by acres and acres of unoccupied green fields. In the background, the perimeter of a large, dense forest offers no comfort. The taxi bumps along the track, and even the driver is looking nervously around which doesn’t bode well. Kade and I lock eyes over Faye’s head, and he shares my concern.
“It looks like they’ve stopped,” Kal says in a clipped tone, showing the driver the phone.
He nods. “It should be around the next bend.”
The car trundles up the road. As we turn the corner, a dim glow appears in the distance. I squint in the darkness just about making out the blurry structure of a building. We get closer, and the building becomes more solid. The house is two stories with a stone façade and a thatched roof. Scaffolding on one side suggests a work in construction. Kal turns around, gulping as he pins me with an apprehensive look.
“Please stop here,” Kade instructs the driver when we’re about three hundred meters away. He pulls out a hundred-dollar euro note, stuffing it in the man’s fist. “If you wait here for us, I’ll double that.”
The Irish Getaway: A Kennedy Boys Optional Short Novel (The Kennedy Boys) Page 9