by Jackson, Meg
“I should go,” she said in a strained whisper.
“Why?” Kennick asked, leaning himself up on one elbow, his eyes like black wells of liquid in the darkness. Kim faltered, feeling his arm snake around her back and pull her in close to his chest. She didn’t want to leave, but she’d assumed he expected her to. And she’d been determined to suck it up, put a smile on her face and be happy to have gotten what she wanted – even if it had only left her wanting more.
“Won’t your brothers be home soon?”
“Oh, darling,” he said, a chuckle in his throat. “Too late for that.”
Kim groaned. Sure enough, when she took the time to listen, she heard murmured conversation outside the trailer. How loud had she been? How long had they been there? They’d probably heard everything…
“Well, I mean, I just should, right?” she said, half-heartedly struggling against him. He released her with a sigh that stilled her.
“If that’s what you want, keshalyi. I like having you here,” he said. She was almost shocked enough to gasp. She hadn’t thought he was after anything more than a roll in the hay. Maybe he was hoping for more in the morning?
“Why?” she breathed, ashamed of the weakness in her voice, ashamed that she needed him to say it, needed to hear him say it. His teeth gleamed white as he smiled.
“I like you,” he said. “You’re funny. You’re brave. And that body…baby, who wouldn’t want to hold that all night?”
She blushed hard, happy the darkness hid it from him.
“Brave?” she croaked out, wondering what she’d done that had been so ‘brave’.
“I can tell how scared you were,” Kennick said with a yawn. “Yesterday. Tonight. You got fear in your eyes. But you came anyway, and you held your own. Don’t know what the hell you were so afraid of, but takes guts to face it.”
Kim pulled her knees up to her chest, considering this. She barely knew what she’d been afraid of, either. All she knew was that fear was her constant companion, and she spent every day spitting in its face, doing things that scared her shitless because she wasn’t going to be a prisoner to that anxiety. Maybe that was brave. She’d always thought it was just the way things were, her burden to bear.
“Now, you gonna force me to list off all the things I like about you,” Kennick said, reaching out for her again. “Or are you gonna come here and help me fall asleep?”
She bit her lip but yielded and curled herself into the space he offered, her head on his broad, muscled shoulder. She sighed, inhaling his scent of sandalwood and ink, and melted again.
Chapter Seventeen
The girl had a grip like corpse, the way she clung to his body, one thigh draped across his, arm across his chest. He liked it. She felt warm. By the way the light filtered slightly through the blinds, he could see morning was coming on quick. Faintly, down the hall, he heard Cristov snoring. The boys must have gotten into the rest of the wine last night; Cristov only snored when he was sleeping off a good drunk.
Looking down at the top of Kim’s head, he smiled. She felt right there. She felt like she belonged there. His grandmother’s words drifted back to him. He had bigger fish to fry than getting his love on, but you couldn’t stop things that were meant to happen. Maybe it wouldn’t turn out to be her. But God help him, he hoped it did.
The pressure of her body on top of his had exacerbated the usual response his body had to waking up, and when she shifted slightly in her sleep, her thigh sliding further up his leg to brush against his hardness, his balls churned. He lay one hand on her thigh, pushing it out slightly, releasing himself from her grip as he rose. Her eyelids fluttered, brow furrowing, but she didn’t wake yet.
She’d never managed to get those clothes of hers back on her body, and her delicate, creamy flesh was laid bare for him, making his cock jump in hunger. He had flipped her onto her back when he rose, and now he let his fingers run up and down her sides. She squirmed in her sleep, lips parting.
He let his hands linger on the sides of her breasts, rosy and perky, her nipples responding quickly when her rolled his thumbs over them. Only then did her eyes squint open, taking in the sight of him above her, his hands beginning to massage her breasts from below as his thumbs rolled over and around each nipple. She smiled, sleepy and lazy with pleasure.
“Did anyone ever tell you how fantastic these are?” he asked as he continued to favor her breasts, his growing hardness pressed against her stomach. She giggled and shook her head, shifting slightly, her thighs parting.
“They’re damn miracles,” he growled, leaning down to take one nipple between his lips, rolling his tongue over it before pulling away. His hips thrust against the soft curve of her belly, instinct taking over as he gazed down at her luscious form. “I’ve seen the Grand Canyon, but damn, woman, these are God’s masterpiece.”
At that, she let out a true laugh, and closed her eyes, a blush overcoming her cheeks.
“You’re just trying to get into my pants,” she teased, her body squirming underneath him as her arousal grew with each passing moment, his strong hands drawing forth her desire as they played with her now-tender breasts.
“You’re not wearing any pants,” he countered, and as though to prove the fact, he shot one hand down to her naked pussy and let his fingers part the lips slightly. Her mouth parted again then, though no words came out, her eyelids drooping as her hips responded the only way they could, by pressing forward, wanting to feel more of him inside her…all of him, if possible.
“Please,” she moaned despite herself, now fully aware that her body was a slave for this man, that if he left her then, panting and wanting, she might actually die. Kennick swiftly grabbed a condom from the bedside table and tore the package open with his teeth, rolling it over his throbbing cock as Kim undulated beneath him, her hands coming up to run up and down his sides. Repositioning himself so that his cock parted her pussy lips and pressed against her damp slit, he lowered himself above her, their faces only separated by inches.
“Please what?” he teased, thrusting forward almost imperceptibly, taunting her with the barest hint of his cock inside her. She moaned and squirmed again, pulling at his hips to no avail.
“Please fuck me,” she relented, her eyes trapped in his sea green irises, the heat and smell of him intoxicating, her early morning brain rolling with a need that was no lessened by what he’d already given her the night before. “I want your cock in me, Kennick.”
Kim had never been one to indulge in dirty talk, but it felt right. It felt amazing. Almost as amazing as when he pushed himself inside her, spreading her once more, his impressive cock sliding into her wet slit slowly, the angle driving him deep inside her, so deep she could swear he was going to reach her womb. She groaned, loud and long, as her thighs gripped him tight, her ankles crossing to hold him inside her as her hips bucked upward until he bottomed out, every inch of him touching every inch of her.
“Jesus, baby,” he moaned into her ear, “I think this pussy was custom made for me.”
She could only groan her agreement as he began to thrust, slow and hard, into her warmth, his arms falling to grip her waist and pull her tighter to him. She was hot and wet and pulsing around his cock, ready and so eager, he didn’t know how long he could possibly last before releasing inside her. But as her body responded to his thrusts, moving in perfect rhythm, the pace increasing between them, he could feel her thighs quivering around his waist.
“That good, baby?” he cooed against her skin, feeling her heart racing against his chest, her desire rising with each stroke, deeper and harder each time. Kim nodded and moaned her response, a familiar heat creeping into her face and fingers, a tidal wave of pressure in her gut that rose and rose, impossibly huge, terrifying in its intensity. When that wave broke, she would be gone, washed away. And the more he drove into her, each stroke determined, as though he wanted only her pleasure, craved her orgasm as much as his own, she knew she was a goner.
With a rough gasp
, Kennick grabbed her thighs and pushed them forward, her knees bent against her chest, her feet hitting his chest as he continued to drive into her with relentless force, the new angle now driving him against her most sensitive places, places she’d never known existed.
Blinding pleasure swept through her body as she came quick and sudden, the tidal wave crashing over and flooding her body with white-hot ecstasy, blinding her as she screamed out his name and thrashed against him, rolling on her lower back as he plunged deep inside her and, with a groan, released his own climax, shooting wave after wave of cum against her clenching pussy, her contractions milking every last drop of cum from his dick.
Kim’s body, stretched to the limits of pleasure and beyond, shook and wilted underneath him as he panted and fell back onto his heels. Her feet lowered slowly to the bed, her legs shaking like jelly. Disposing of the condom and rolling over to her side, Kennick kissed the side of her neck, under her ear, inviting one last shudder from her still-reeling body. High on pleasure, she giggled and turned, wrapping her arms around him and yanking him close so she could feel his now-soft cock nestled against her still-wet pussy.
“You’re…shit, Kennick,” she said between breaths, her eyes trapped in his again.
“Really? I thought that was pretty good,” he said, feigning offense. She giggled again and then sighed, allowing her body to go limp as he curled his arms around her.
“What time is it?” she wondered aloud, not having heard an alarm go off. His arms shrugged around her.
“Morning,” he said. She huffed a sigh and rolled the top of her head against his chest, feeling more at home in his arms than she’d ever felt with anyone. One night could change so much, it seemed.
“I have work,” she said, realizing she’d have to give herself enough time to go home, get changed, brush her teeth and shower before going to the office. Typically, Kim would not have spent the night on a work night. Then again, Typical Kim seemed to be taking an extended vacation. One that was, perhaps, long overdue.
“Mmm,” Kennick responded, only hugging her tighter. “I could think of better work for you to get done if you decided to play hooky…”
Kim laughed and pulled herself away from the sweat-soaked embrace. The world outside of Kennick’s arms felt a lot colder, even with the summer heat outside. She groaned when she found her cell phone on the floor and saw that it was just past 7:30; she’d probably be late no matter what. But dallying would only make her later.
“I gotta go,” she said, hopping from the bed before the desire to stay could overwhelm her. Throwing on her clothes, she bit her lip when Kennick emerged from the bed naked, with no apparent plan to get dressed. His elegant, intricate tattoos invited her eyes to linger, and that trail of hair leading downwards between the V of his abs demanded her attention, too. But she had to go.
“When should I bring Ricky over to talk about the editorial?” Kim asked, straightening up suddenly, the subject having fallen somewhere behind the bookshelf of her mind during the night’s activities.
“Tonight’s fine,” Kennick said. “Ricky’s the sister?”
“Oh, yeah, sorry,” Kim said, realizing she’d never told Kennick her name. He gave her a strange look.
“That’s a dumb thing to apologize for,” he said, striding forward to collect her half-clothed form in a tight embrace. “You should save your apologies for times you really need them.”
“Mmm,” Kim hummed as she felt his skin against hers, the heat between them unrelenting. “Then I’m sorry I have to go to work right now.”
He laughed, the rumble in his chest pleasant against her cheek.
“That’s more like it, Little Mayor,” he said. “Much more like it.”
Chapter Eighteen
Watching Ricky and Cristov spar was like watching a tennis match.
“Are you going to let me write one thing down this whole interview, you kindergarten drop-out?”
“I'd love to, I'm just making sure you don't accidentally write down my name over and over again instead of his answers.”
Ricky snarled before turning back to Kennick.
“So, your father bought this a few days before she was murdered?”
It had been easy to convince Ricky to take on the assignment. In fact, Kim hadn't had to convince her at all. The night after Kennick had invited Kim over for dinner, she'd called her sister with a brief description of what she'd learned that afternoon.
“Oh my God,” Ricky had squealed over the phone, her voice high and excited. “You are officially the best sister of all time. This is like, serious juice. Like Tropicana, not from concentrate.”
Kim smiled. Ricky was a sucker for mysteries. Ludlum, Carver, and Christie littered her bookshelves. And she was always complaining about the lack of newsworthy stories in Kingdom.
“Are you sure Don will be okay with you writing something so…scandalous?”
“Don can suck my big fat dick,” Ricky snorted. “I’m the only writer worth a damn on the whole staff. I write what I want. When can I meet him? I mean, you know, I wanted to interview one of the new business owners, anyway, you know, for a profile, but this is way better.”
“Um,” Kim said, suddenly realizing that Ricky meeting Kennick could be a bit awkward. Not for any reason she could pinpoint but….
Don’t lie to yourself, Kim said. You know exactly why it will be awkward.
It was true. Kim didn’t like the idea of Ricky meeting Kennick because Ricky had an awful habit of being completely oblivious to Kim’s crushes, and stealing them away for a two-week affair, rendering them utterly un-dateable for Kim. Guys responded to Ricky’s flirtatious nature, her spontaneity, the sense of excitement and rushing she brought to the table. Kim had a much slower, subtler approach; too subtle, if you asked Ricky.
“I didn’t know you liked him!” her sister would cry when the truth came out, usually months after the man in question had flown the coop. “You need to tell me these things! Or, you know, actually act on your desires, for once.”
But Kennick, somehow, seemed like he might be the kind to be impervious to Ricky’s charms. Kim didn’t know why, but something about him was different. Not easily swayed by a charming giggle and a bouncy ponytail, Ricky’s trademarks.
“I’m seeing him tomorrow,” Kim said. “I’ll ask him.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line.
“Seeing him or…seeing him?” Ricky asked, pointedly. Kim bit back a smile.
“Seeing him,” she said and held the phone away from her ear as Ricky squealed again. The girl had the squealing powers of a piglet.
“Kim’s got a date with a gypsy.” Ricky said, talking to someone else on the other end of the line when Kim put the phone back to her ear.
“Who’re you with?” Kim asked
“Tricia’s here,” Ricky answered. “We’re coming over. Right, Trish?”
“Comin’ over!” called a second voice, somewhat muffled. Kim could tell her best friend had gotten into the wine, and hoped her sister was sober enough to drive.
Kim and Ricky had grown up next door to Tricia, and they’d been best friends since they were little. The three girls had spent that night talking about what Kim would wear, what it would be like to date a Rom, and watching My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding online.
Now, as Kim and Ricky sat in the Volanis' trailer, with Cristov and Kennick sitting opposite them across the table, Ricky was scribbling furiously in her notebook as Kennick laid out his manilla folder of evidence. Kim was impressed with the straightforward, emotionless way Kennick answered Ricky's probing questions, and the way he abided his brother's infuriating method of flirting.
“Pretty impressive little scoop, huh? Bet it's got your reporter senses all tingly,” Cristov said, interrupting the flow of the interview, eyes twinkling. Kim noted the way Ricky determinedly bit back her smile.
“You know, being a member of the press, I can always tell when someone's hiding something,” Ricky shot back. “
And when a guy talks a game like you, he's usually hiding something pretty tiny.”
“Tiny? Oh, honey, there's nothing I love more than exceeding expectations,” Cristov shot back. “Come on, let me prove you wrong.”
“Fat chance, cockroach-dick,” Ricky said before turning back to Kennick, who effortlessly returned the conversation to the matter at hand. After another hour and a half of the same thing, the conversation constantly being derailed by Cristov's innuendos and Ricky's rebuffs, she closed her notebook, tucking her pen into the pages with a humming sigh.
“This is gonna be good,” she said, smiling at Kim with gratitude.
“Thank you for speaking with us,” Kennick said, offering his hand across the table. Ricky took it, giving it a professional shake. “Do you have plans tonight? Either of you? We're having a party, I'd love to give you a chance to meet some of our people.”