His to Protect

by Katie Reus

  His chuckle against her skin had a dark edge to it. His free hand joined his other one, grasping at the edge of her sweater. She started to turn, but he pressed his back against her, flattening her against the counter. “Don’t move until I say.”

  Okay, then. She could definitely do that. The command in his voice sent a thrill through her. As he slowly began lifting her sweater up, she moved her arms when he told her to. Cool air rushed over her skin as he tossed her sweater onto the counter.

  “I wanted to lift that summer dress up, bend you over the nearest surface and pound into you until neither of us could walk.” His hands settled on her hips as his lips began a light trail of kisses down her spine.

  Her inner walls clenched, needing to be filled by him. Breathing raggedly, she closed her eyes as his mouth moved down her back. It had been too long since she’d been with him and her body was tense with an unfulfilled hunger. The orgasm from a couple weeks ago had been wonderful, but she wanted more.

  “When I realized you were taken I kept my distance. But then I found out how fucking sweet you were and couldn’t stay away.” His voice was raspy, unsteady. “I knew being friends with you would kill me, but I wanted you in my life any way I could get you. I felt like scum wanting someone else’s wife, but I couldn’t help it. There was no avoiding what I felt for you.” Though she couldn’t see him, he had to be on his knees now. His lips feathered over the skin right above her covered butt.

  His raw confession shattered through her like glass, completely flaying her open. She’d had no idea he’d felt this way. Maybe she should have after the intense way he’d made love to her that night. “Kell—”

  “Don’t say anything. I just wanted you to know.” His hands moved around to her front again, and in seconds he had her jeans off so that she was standing there in just her bra and panties.

  She risked a glance over her shoulder to find him pushing up from his kneeling position. His pale eyes seemed darker, more intense, and his five o’clock shadow gave him a sexy, edgy quality that had her quivering with the need to jump him right there. Not to mention what he’d just admitted to her. She wanted to tell him how she felt, that she’d fallen hard for him. The house was fairly quiet, the only other noise the soft music he had playing trailing in from the living room.

  She turned to face him. “Kell, I—”

  “No. Talking.” That was when she saw the vulnerability in his eyes. As if he was afraid of what she might say.

  Before she could string more than a few words together, his fingers flexed around her hips and he lifted her onto the counter. With practically no clothing on, she felt so damn exposed and a little nervous about his reaction to her body. Before she’d been stretched out on the bed and the lighting had been sexy but they were under the bright lights of the kitchen. Nothing sexy about that. There was no hiding every little flaw she had.

  When Kell let out a shudder, his gaze raking over her entire body from head to toe with an almost reverent look, something inside her cracked open. Beneath that worshipful gaze, she felt beautiful, cherished. Kell was everything she’d ever wanted in a man. Hell, more than she’d imagined.

  Disobeying his order, she reached out to wrap her hand around the back of his neck and met his mouth in a hungry, frenzied kiss. She couldn’t stop herself. The need to have him inside her, filling her, was too much. She was already so wet it was almost embarrassing and she wanted him to claim her in the way only he’d ever done. She wanted to be completely dominated by him, to watch his cock pumping in and out of her and to see his face as he climaxed inside her.

  As their tongues stroked and teased each other, a loud pounding made her freeze. At first she couldn’t figure out what the sound was until reality slowly registered. Someone was pounding on his front door. Kell cursed under his breath, his features murderous. “Someone better be dead,” he muttered as he tore away from her.

  Charlotte slid off the counter and started dressing as he continued cursing and practically stomped from the room. She figured it was one of the security guys she knew was still watching the house and she agreed with Kell. Someone better be freaking dead. She was so primed for Kell right now she knew it wouldn’t take much for her to climax. Her nipples tightened pleasurably at the thought.

  That feeling disappeared as she heard a loud female voice shouting. After making sure her clothes were on straight, Charlotte hurried out of the room toward the front of the house.

  The front door was open and Kell was on the porch, his hands on the shoulders of the same blonde woman she’d seen leaving his house a few weeks ago. She wore a skimpy green dress despite the cooler weather, her mascara was smeared and by her glassy eyes she looked drunk or high on something. And she was shouting in Kell’s face, her words nonsensical, as he tried to hold her away from him.

  One of the security guys who’d guarded Charlotte last week was behind the woman, a black streak of paint or dirt across his entire face. What the hell had happened?

  Charlotte had no clue what was going on, but turned to find her phone to call the police when the blonde spotted her. Her eyes filled with rage. “I’ve been fucking your boyfriend the past couple weeks whore, where have you been?”

  Charlotte froze at the vile words, feeling as if she’d been slapped. When her dead husband’s mistress had confronted her she’d been blindsided. Not because she was surprised by his infidelity but because of the animosity of the strange woman. It was the same now as the blonde continued screaming obscenities. For a brief moment, old insecurities bubbled up inside her, but she knew there was no way in hell that Kell had been with anyone the past couple weeks. Not after the way he’d just laid himself bare. Maybe she was stupid, but she trusted this man more than she ever had another man.

  Kell cursed again as he and the other man hauled the woman away from the front door. Charlotte quickly shut it, not wanting that maniac anywhere near her son, then she quickly found her cell. As she was wrapping up her call with the police dispatcher, Kell opened the front door, the collar of his shirt distended and scratches on his neck. Her eyes widened in worry, but he gave a sharp shake of his head.

  “I’ll be back in a sec.” He disappeared down the hall, then was back outside again.

  Following him only as far as the entryway, Charlotte watched as he slid plastic tie things on her wrists. Whatever they were they must be sturdy because the woman couldn’t seem to break them. Though she was certainly trying.

  Kell turned, his gaze locking on hers. “Stay inside.”

  Frowning at his order, she did what he said anyway, not wanting him to be distracted. Seconds later he was inside, looking disheveled and frustrated.

  “Are you okay?” She stepped toward him, worry flooding her.

  His jaw tight, he nodded as he scrubbed a hand over his face. “I didn’t sleep with that woman.”

  She blinked, surprised by the fear in his gaze. Fear that she wouldn’t believe him. Her heart squeezed. “I know.”

  He stared at her for a long moment, his shoulders relaxing. “You do?”

  She nodded. “You’re not like Andrew. I know that.”

  It was almost like a weight lifted from him at her words. Before he could say anything else, she continued. “I called the police and they’re on their way.” As if on cue, the sound of sirens in the distance rent through the air.

  “I called them too. Freaking nut job,” he muttered.

  “Who is she and what does she want?”

  For a moment he looked embarrassed, then just resigned. “We went on a few dates—but I never slept with her,” he interjected hastily, as if she’d be pissed about something he’d done in his past. “I ended things and apparently she’s a total nut. She uh, spray painted your car and when one of the guys tried to stop her she spray painted him. I could be wrong but I’m betting she’s behind your slashed tires too.”

  That actually made more sense, especially since the cartel had no issue with her and she’d never been able to figure out how
anyone had found out where she’d been staying so quickly. Despite the insanity of the situation, she let out a shaky laugh. “Is it crazy that I’m actually relieved it’s some nut job ex who trashed my car and not the Mexican cartel? I never thought I’d be saying that.”

  Kell pulled her into his arms, his grip around her tightening as she laid her head against his chest. She inhaled, loving the spicy, masculine scent she could easily get addicted to. “We’ll press charges and so will the guard. She assaulted both of us and defaced your property. I doubt she’ll do much time, but I’ll also get a restraining order against her and see if Harrison can talk to the DA.”

  Charlotte breathed in his spicy scent, letting it ground her. “We’ll figure everything out. At least I know life with you will never be boring,” she murmured against his chest.

  He went impossibly still for a moment but as the police siren grew louder he stepped back, his expression carefully guarded. She wasn’t sure what she’d said to elicit that reaction, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it. “I’m going to check on Reece but I’ll be out here in a few minutes.”

  After kissing him, she hurried to the back of the house. By now she was a pro at filling out police reports. She just hoped this was the last one she would have to fill out for a long time.

  Chapter 11

  Cecil stuck to the shadows next to the empty house across the street from his intended target. He’d gotten damn lucky with the help of an old friend from high school. After managing to get a copy of the police report on Mateo’s murder—no small feat in itself—he’d gotten the witness’s name and phone number. For the past couple weeks his friend had been trying to track the damn thing. Of course Cecil had to lie to him about what it was for because if he’d told the truth—that he planned to eliminate the owner of the number—he’d have been out of luck.

  Watching the spectacle of the crazy blonde woman across the street, he realized he might be able to pin the planned murder on someone else. Or at least he wouldn’t be the only suspect once it all went down. What a fucking psycho.

  The past couple weeks he’d been living in pay-by-the-hour motels and keeping a low profile and he’d been about to give up on her and just split town when his buddy had called with a hit.

  A small part of him felt bad because she had a kid, but what the fuck ever. He’d grown up without a mom. Life wasn’t fair.

  The only thing holding him up now was the obvious guards she had. Something that surprised him. Unfortunately he hadn’t been able to find out much about her. He could have had his friend get her info but that would have caused too many problems if the cops ever came sniffing around. Not to mention his buddy would have gotten nosy and probably figured out exactly why he was after her. As it was, Cecil had told him the woman owed him a shitload of money and he just wanted to collect his due.

  He could hear sirens in the distance but he wasn’t too worried. The house he was hiding near was empty. A for sale sign stood in the front yard and one of the windows in the back didn’t have curtains or blinds, showing a clearly empty house. If he could figure out if the place was alarmed he might break in later. Once the cops had left of course.

  The big guy who had been outside earlier strode back out with something in his hand. Cecil didn’t know his name but it was clear that the guy lived in the house and that he had some sort of training. Either one of the men could have hurt the blonde but they were carefully restraining her. Cecil squinted, trying to see what was in the guy’s hands. Flex-cuffs, he realized when the other man put them on the thrashing woman’s wrists behind her back.

  She had to be on something, acting all crazy like that. The front door opened again, and the dark-haired beauty, Charlotte Bastien according to the police report, stepped out, but only a few inches. She still hovered in the doorway but the big guy must have heard her because he turned and shook his head, saying something too low for Cecil to catch.

  Immediately the woman did as he said and moments later, the guy followed. Having seen enough for the time being, Cecil slipped back into the shadows. He couldn’t be sure but it looked like the woman lived there. Maybe with the guy. This was a really nice neighborhood and the fact that there had been a guard sitting across the street when the blonde maniac had showed up said that either she or the man she was with had serious money or connections. And she was being careful.

  She couldn’t be stupid. She had to know he was out there and a real threat. Normally people were easier to target, but all he’d have to do was watch and wait. No one could be protected all the time. Once she was alone or he created a situation where he could make her that way, he’d strike.

  But he wouldn’t make her suffer, and he’d try not to do it in front of her kid. He wasn’t into torture or any of that shit. He just wanted her dead so he could get the hell out of town and far away from Renaldo Diaz. One of the boys from the gang had told him Diaz was definitely hunting him and it was only a matter of time before that bastard found him.

  Right now he was living on borrowed time unless he could flee Miami and start over. A new name, new city, new fucking life.

  Chapter 12

  Charlotte tried not to drool at the sight of Kell’s muscular arms as he leaned against the window of the driver’s side of her vehicle. Well his actually, since he was letting her drive his truck. The word ‘whore’ had been spray painted across her car so she wasn’t driving it anywhere until it was cleaned. She’d just gotten new tires and replaced her broken window from the previous damage and she really hoped she wouldn’t have to take her vehicle to the repair shop again after this.

  The way he was propped up with his arms crossed over the top of the frame with him looking in at her was way too sexy. After that nut job had been arrested last night they hadn’t taken up where they’d left off in the kitchen. Reece had been fussy all night and she’d been too damn tired to even think about sex. Luckily Kell had been a huge help with their son. Amazing what a difference having another person around to help out could make.

  “I don’t like letting you go alone,” he murmured, almost sulking. Which made him impossibly adorable. She didn’t want to go either, but she’d put her life on hold for weeks and it was time to get into a normal routine. And she wasn’t missing this meeting.

  “I’m not alone. I’ve got a guard at all times.” Something she wasn’t complaining about. She was still freaked out that a murderer she’d seen was still out there, but she couldn’t remain in hiding forever. Vincent was in an SUV in the driveway right behind her and he’d be her shadow all day. While he might look like a pretty boy she also knew he’d been a SEAL and it was clear Kell trusted him. That alone spoke volumes. “Besides, you can’t miss this. It’s too important.”

  He gritted his teeth for a moment, but finally nodded. “I know.”

  There was a one-day local job for a senator’s son and the man had handpicked Kell because he knew him from his days with the FBI. Kell had saved the man’s life five years ago and considering how new he was with Red Stone there was no way he could turn this job down. It would look great for him at work and she didn’t want to take that away from him. Not when she was perfectly fine and protected. “I’ve got my phone on me and I swear I’ll answer it no matter what—except during my interview, but I’ll text you right before I go in and as I’m leaving.” She might not plan on going back to teaching for a few years but the past couple weeks had made it clear she needed to be doing something outside of the house for her own sanity.

  She wanted to start working as a tutor at a local community center. It would only be a couple nights a week and her mother had agreed to help out with babysitting when Kell couldn’t watch Reece. Even though it was a volunteer position she still had to do a face-to-face interview.

  Reece started fussing in the backseat so she leaned over to Kell and gave him a quick kiss. “I need to get him to my mom’s and you need to get ready.”

  He looked hesitant but finally nodded. “You’ll answer any time I call?
”

  Fighting a grin, she nodded. “Yes.”

  “Okay.” He motioned to Vincent who then reversed, leaving her enough room to back up. At first she’d been surprised that he wasn’t riding with them, but Kell had told her it was harder to tail two vehicles and they wanted to see if anyone followed her. Plus he’d given her a small gun for the drive over—though she wouldn’t be bringing it into the community center with her.

  She waved at Kell as she drove away. She was having lunch with her mom, then leaving Reece for a few hours so she could do the interview. By the time she picked him up and returned home Kell would probably be there too.

  She was looking forward to that way too much. Butterflies took flight in her stomach any time she thought of him or what she hoped would happen between them tonight.

  The drive to her mom’s house didn’t take long and even though she invited Vincent to have lunch with them he declined, keeping watch over the backyard as she and her mother ate on the lanai. It was a clear sunny day without a cloud in the sky but it was in the low 50s with no humidity. A rarity in Florida, even in February.

  “So…how are things with you and Reece’s father?” her mom asked carefully as she sat back against the padded sling rocker chair.

  Unlike the majority of her friends and even her father and sister, her mother had known about Charlotte’s problems with Andrew. While they might not be as close as Charlotte would like, her mother was surprisingly intuitive sometimes.

  “Ah, good.” Okay, that didn’t come close to covering what was going on with them.

  Her mother was silent for a moment as she regarded Charlotte with dark brown eyes so similar to her own. “Are you sleeping with him?”

  More surprised than anything, Charlotte’s mouth almost dropped open. She leaned back against her own chair, her half-eaten Panini forgotten. “Not yet.”

  “A man doesn’t ask a woman and her son to move in with him without wanting anything more serious. He might have said this arrangement was temporary, but he has every intention of making it permanent—and I think you want that too.”