by Susan Firtik
"The guard is gone...I mean, we should, cuz we have the files we came for...so I guess we should...uhhhh....we should be going...okay... then...let's go...please, we should...go."
He reluctantly loosened his hold on her. She was kind of hoping he’d hang on just a bit more...maybe try to convince her that he wasn't the bad guy she now thought him to be. Besides she really loved being hugged and held, and then there was his magic mouth and he had been kissing her ear then down her throat...but he let go when she asked. Damn, guess he isn’t a cuddler. Typical male I guess. Get in. Get out. Go away. Men!
"Lina? What’s wrong? Angel?”
She struggled to get back into her clothes, but she was having trouble with the buttons on her blouse. Keaton smiled and extended his hands to help her, until he saw her red-rimmed eyes and felt like a jerk. Again. His shirt was wet from her tears,
"What the fuck did I do? Tell me sweetheart." She wouldn't look him in the eye.
Keaton wasn’t used to sharing feelings or thoughts with anyone, but she looked so forlorn. He cupped her chin and pulled her head up to see into her eyes
"What’s the matter, Angel? Did I do something to hurt you? I don’t know what I’m doing with you...all this is so new to me... I’m not used to these feelings. You mean so much to me, I can’t stand to see you hurting. Please tell me...what’s wrong.”
Lina finally looked him straight in the eye, only because now she was angry.
"Nothing. Why would there be anything wrong? You win. The handsome hunk got the plain girl to open up in her bedroom and now he got her to hump his leg in the middle of a robbery...of sorts or whatever this is. I’ll just bet all the guys are gonna love this story. How much was that bet after all?" She was past being hurt now. Angry indignation shined in her pretty green eyes.
"Last I heard it was over $200 but it could go higher.” He couldn’t help himself. He smiled. He didn’t give a shit about that bet, as a matter of fact, he’d forgotten all about it until she brought it up.
She lost it! “You arrogant son of a bitch!” She hissed and turned from him.
You’ve no idea, Keaton thought and smiled, as he thought of how his mother, the she-wolf, was the “bitch” he was “the son of” and the “bitch” his father had mated and loved until his last breath. She would laugh hard when she heard that. Maybe not.
Even though he tried to get her to talk to him about what had happened between them, she gave him the cold shoulder, the stony glare, all the clichés. He was at a loss. This was very new territory for him also. Reluctantly he let her move away and he immediately felt lonely. This really was a new feeling, and he didn’t like it.
They walked quietly back toward the stairwell and elevators when they stopped suddenly at the sight of the night guard. He was dancing with a string mop! As angry and hurt as she was with Keaton, Lina had to smile at his moves. He was pretty good! Shaking her head, she looked to Keaton for advice. They couldn’t speak and they couldn’t leave the same way they came in. Keaton motioned his head as if to say “this way” and retreated into the hall they had just come from.
"I distinctly remember a fire escape on the alley side, where we parked." He was whispering but she’d had the same idea the moment he did.
"Yeah, I remember it too, but it didn’t look all that trust-worthy.” She shuddered remembering the ladders seemed to be missing from a few of the sections. What choice did they have? Out-wait the guard? Not likely. Knock him out? No, he might see their faces. Okay, so it was the fire escape.
She nodded and followed Keaton down the darkened hall, right past where they’d just been holding each other. Lina looked straight ahead and almost ran into Keaton’s back as he’d stopped, right in that alcove, his eyes glowing.
"You really are something, Angel. I will never forget tonight." Oh man! She was supposed to be mad at him for betting against her or for her or whatever! Then he goes and says that. Her chest heaved, breathing out a big sigh.
"Me neither...it was...magic.” They said the last word together as if rehearsed. Smiling, they held hands as they crept their way down the hallway.
"Before this goes any further,” she whispered, looking over her shoulder for the security guard, “I have to know why you made that stupid bet. It’s been stuck in my craw since I heard you men discussing me and who would fuck me first and I...”
Keaton interrupted her.
"Whoa, nellie! Hold it! We never made any bet. That’s why I was joking earlier. I do remember the conversation but apparently you didn’t hear the entire thing. I told all of the workmen to treat you with respect and if they didn’t, they’d answer to me. Pete Warren made some smart remark so I asked Jason to keep an eye on you for me.”
"You did? Why? Apparently I can handle men like Pete. You stood up for me though? That was sweet and I thank you, and now I have to apologize too! Oh my God, you were patient with me and explained and I still believed the worst and almost ruined our time...back there..." She bowed her head, ashamed. He held up his hand to stop her speaking and then used it to lift her chin.
"There’s nothing to apologize for, Angel. I will always stand up for you and protect you. You didn’t ruin anything. You make all our stolen moments together...totally amazing.”
They continued on down the hall more relaxed and both smiling. When they came to the window near the fire escape, they found their luck was holding. The window was unlocked and opened easily and more importantly, quietly. Standing outside on the metal death trap, was not as easy. The fire escape was wobbly and unsafe at best. It was downright dangerous. Half the connector bolts holding it to the building were missing or dangling useless in rusted out screw holes. Every part of it was rusted and pitted from years of neglect. Lina’s hands tightened on the rail, metal flaking off, making her hold less than stable. She held her breath almost as tightly as she did the railing. Keaton climbed out, seeing her eyes wide with concern and more than a little fear. Sheer panic had moved in to stay. She could feel her insides quivering.
“This might not have been such a good idea.” She was hanging on for dear life—literally. Keaton smiled, then trying to reassure her as he swung over the rail and pulled the ladder down to the next level. He was like an acrobat! Lina had difficulty letting go. She felt as if she was in the air, falling with no safety net. When she finally scooted over to the ladder and stood, she turned around to step onto the ladder for her descent...not so fast! This was anything but funny.
She tripped on the first step, her leg went through the opening between steps, she grabbed several handfuls of air, then found herself hanging by one knee, upside down, swinging against the ladder. As she swung back, she banged her head. Damnit! That hurt!
She felt faint and nauseated hanging there swinging. She was really trying to hold it back. She felt Keaton lifting her up, he was talking...saying something...she couldn’t understand him and besides, her head hurt. She couldn’t concentrate on anything but her embarrassment, her need to throw up and getting the hell off this metal death trap.
Keaton lifted her into a sitting position and gently helped her climb down the first set of ladders. Only one more to go and she felt relieved but when she turned to thank him, she stepped into...nothing! The next thing she knew she was sitting in garbage that stunk to high heaven!
"Oh my God! I’m gonna puke! Ugh! Get me outta here! Oh crap this is disgusting! I can’t get out! I can’t stand this smell. Are there rats in here? Oh my God! I really hate small places, especially with rats and bugs...oh I hate fucking bugs! Pleeeease get me out of here! Hurry!"
She was panting and in full panic mode. She’d always been a little claustrophobic but this was worse! The smell was overpowering and the thought of skeletons decomposing came to mind—hence the panic. She was clawing at the side of the dumpster, breaking her nails, splitting her fingers open on jagged pieces of dirty metal. She frantically—and finally—got a foothold and climbed her way out, jumped to the rooftop of Keaton’s truck, hit it wrong, dente
d the roof badly and pulled off a piece of chrome from the window. Crap! She slid down to the ground where Keaton met her with concerned eyes.
"Are you okay, Angel? Did you hurt yourself? Talk to me!"
She just grinned at him, feeling safe once more. She kinda liked him being concerned about her. He was really very sweet. Then she frowned, her eyes wide, as she puked on his boots.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The drive was long and eventually neither of them felt the need to fill the silence with words...they would have time for conversation later. Even in that stretch of quiet, she could feel his fire crawling along her skin as if he was touching her. He stole long, hungry glances her way every so often, causing her to blush until she was mortified. He must be furious with her and she could only think of fire and him and heat and hot and… Ohhhh man!
What was wrong with her? She’d never lusted after a man before. He couldn’t still be interested in her. Could he? She was too much work! But he’d seen her almost naked, hanging from a ladder upside down three stories up, falling headfirst into a disgusting trash dumpster, climbing out onto the roof of his fancy truck, and then just for giggles, she’d thrown up on his boots. What a turn-on, huh? Yeah, he was gonna be completely taken with her now. But he was still watching her.
He couldn’t stop smiling. She was so beautiful. Not one drop of grace or balance in her beautiful body. The first time he met her, she was falling. Now he was falling...in love with her. Damn. She was a klutz waiting for an accident to happen and Keaton couldn’t be happier about it!
Grinning and shaking his head, he figured she was probably one of the few humans who might actually need his help and based on tonight, he hoped she’d need his help all the time. He could still smell her arousal. When she came, he nearly roared how he loved her! Her small moans and whimpers drove him mad. He had much more to teach his “little one,” his “Angel”, but she wasn’t quite ready for all that...not just yet. But soon. He could only groan.
She was hopeless in the most adorable way. He kept glancing at her, watching her redden, wanting those kissable lips against his or better yet, watching her hot lips cover his cock. That cock had suddenly decided to make another grand appearance. Keaton wanted to hold her by the hair and thrust into her hot mouth while her tongue worked its magic.
Groaning against the uncomfortable position his hard cock was in and the thoughts and fantasies he thought of, he adjusted himself. When he quickly looked at her, she’d been watching his crotch and was licking her lips with a gleam in her eye he hadn’t seen before. Not from her anyway.
He just couldn’t keep it down with this marvelous specimen of human female so close at hand. Hands. He wanted his hands all over her, but mostly he wanted to feel her breasts again. The soft skin and the hard nipples in contrast with each other. He was almost drooling, he wanted those nipples in his mouth. He wanted to dip his fingers into her hot channel. Wanted to taste her juices as he watched her twitch and jerk and hear her moan his name!
Now his jeans were incredibly tight, and the bulge did not go unnoticed. She watched his eyes as he’d listed the many things he wanted to do to her. She shivered, then blinked rapidly to break the spell. How could she know what he was thinking? It was like she could hear his thoughts. She wasn’t sure what she would do if they stopped and he tried to kiss her again...or any of those wicked things he was supposedly thinking of doing with her!
She wasn’t angry with him anymore, but she was wary. Keaton’s body, his eyes, his humor, his abs…and oh lordy, that chest and his shoulders, made her ache in a way she’d never felt before. She was so confused. She thought Keaton must be angry with her though. He was awfully quiet. She’d sure made a mess of things. She cringed at the mess part and thought of his boots. That was just so gross!
That huge “man-part,” as grams had called a man’s genitalia, was making his jeans look very uncomfortable and making her very nervous. No, make that excited. Did he really want her? Would she be able to look him in the eye again? Would they have sex again? Or rather, finally have sex, as the last interlude was rather one sided and almost fully clothed? Was that considered sex?
Keaton was shocked. He felt the beginnings of the connection between mates as he could hear some of her thoughts. Those she didn’t keep hidden from him. She was so innocent she didn’t recognize if she’d had sex with him? He didn’t want to intrude any farther into her thoughts but by watching her face he could tell she was still pondering. Now she was thinking how she never got to feel what his huge cock would do to her as he pushed it slowly inside her. Keaton groaned at that thought.
Okay enough of that. She was almost writhing on the seat. She moaned and crossed her legs. This was such a strange way for her to feel, so quickly. Sure, she had her moments with a fingertip vibrator, but this was so much more and although very exciting, it was frightening that someone could affect her so deeply and so quickly.
It was affecting him also. He was listening to her thoughts and she was pushing him over the edge. She heard him groan as he adjusted himself with his left hand. She had another thought. What if she...uh...? Would he let her, maybe, you know, help him out? Another flush of embarrassment hit but this one had the added effect of traveling down her spine with a sudden tightness. Now, she was wet and aching, just from looking at his cock straining to get out. Yummm, was her next thought.
She couldn't figure out where this was coming from. It wasn't like she was a total virgin. Well, she wasn't totally a virgin or totally inexperienced and yeah...okay so she hadn’t really had S-E-X but just because she didn't know all the ins and outs—she chuckled at that one, that didn't make her an idiot. She wasn't a slut. Although, maybe she would try to be sexy, ya know, if that’s what he wanted. Because he was just too damn sexy! Those eyes drank her in when he looked at her, his lips, OMG, and all the rest.'
She groaned. Stop that! Don’t look.
Once you look, you’ll want. You don’t even know what to do with it if you DID get it.
She answered herself. Yes I would!
She realized she was moaning and wanted to touch him. Oh my God…could she be more pathetic?
Lina looked. Oh shit!
He was so beautiful. Lina knew he hated that. But he was! Everything about him screamed man and sex and lust and more than that, she felt like Keaton wanted to protect her, make her safe. Confusing and comforting. That was beautiful. Why her? Wait just a damn minute! No more of that damnit! Why not her?
She knew she shouldn’t stare but his jeans fit him so well and poor baby, they were really tight now. He had to really be uncomfortable. She knew how his penis felt in her hand and how huge it was. Shivers ran up and down her spine. She was actually salivating at the thought of tasting him again. She wanted to know how it felt to have him holding himself over her, skin to skin, lips to lips, waiting for her to say, “Yes! Take me! Make love to me! Make me yours!”
Crap. She knew before he growled, she’d said that last part out loud. Quietly but nonetheless, he heard it. Damn she really needed to get a handle on that. Lina sneaked a look his way and yup...he was watching her with those pretty green eyes and yup...they sure did glow when he looked at her like that.
"Keaton, look, I’m sorry." Damn. She sounded whiny. "I just...well...sometimes I talk too much, to myself or the wall, whatever, but I didn’t mean to make you mad, and I know I should probably think more of myself, and not be so self-depreciating. I’m working on that, it’s just that you are such a...a gorgeous man, yeah, I know...a beautiful man. You’re so tender and gentle, then rough and sexy, it’s such a turn-on, you have no idea. And I...really love that about you, but you’re a very good looking man and I know I’m not very pretty.”
Again, he tried to interrupt her but she continued over his objections.
"I know that about myself and after a lifetime of hearing negatives, well you start to really believe all of it. But then you come along and make me feel like maybe I could be what someone wants. I almost
feel compelled to be with you and that frightens me, but..." When he tried to say something, she held up her hand and continued.
"Please, let me finish and you can say whatever you feel you have to say. All my life, in the background, the last choice but with you, I feel front and center, on stage with spotlights on me. I love the feeling, it’s wonderful, thank you, but it also scares the hell outta me. I’ve never had this much attention and I don’t know how to feel about that, except...you make me feel...pretty and even sexy and I...” she trailed off.
He growled. She couldn’t tell if this growl was anger towards her or, like the others he’d made around her, filled with promise.
"You don’t anger me, Angel, I am not mad, quite the opposite actually. If we weren’t in such a hurry, I’d pull over and show you how not angry I really feel! I cannot, for the life of me, see how you can be blind to your own worth and how very beautiful you are. Someone in your life has made you think less of yourself. Your self-confidence is bruised. You are beautiful. If I have to say it again, I will. You are tall and I love that about you. You are clumsy at times and it’s endearing. You are beautiful! Not just on the outside either. I’ve never been good with talking about how I feel. I wish I could find the fancy words, lil one, to show you what I see when I look at you. You are everything any man would want and so much more.”
"Did you just call me little one?" She was grinning and snorted a short laugh. "Like I’m such a tiny lil thang.” She added with her best fake southern twang.
"Yes, I did, and you are when I stand next to you, I feel like a big ox and you seem small and lovely, soft and female, and your scent. Oh! Your scent! And the way you laugh…and when I kiss you...I lose myself. You are an incredible woman and you need to start believing that...because I..."
He stopped short and wiped his face with his large hand, trying to compose himself. He felt like he couldn’t breathe with her within arm’s reach. Then again, he wasn’t sure if he could ever breathe again without her.