by Cali MacKay
A panic settled around her heart. Things were just so crazy right now, and it’d been mere weeks since he’d showed up on her lawn. “I love you, Keane—you know that. But things have been so shaky between us. I’m not saying no—I’m just asking for a little more time.”
“Fuck, Lil…I love you with all my heart.”
His clear disappointment at her request was killing her, but she had to stay strong.
“And I love you, Keane. There’s never been anyone but you. But things are crazy right now.” She held onto him when he tried to pull away, desperate to make things right between them again. “Keane…don’t push me away…please…”
As he pulled out of her grasp, her tears spilled over, leaving her to wonder if she’d made a huge mistake, if she should have just said yes. “You’re the one pushing me away, Lilly—not the other way around. And I get it—things are fucking insane. But if you truly love me, I don’t see how giving this more time will make any difference.”
“I’m not pushing you away—I’m just asking you to hold off until I’m not being stalked, until we’ve had the chance to just be together without being on the run, or wondering if there’s an imminent threat to my life.” Again, she thought of just agreeing to marry him—and yet it should be a happy moment, and not something drowned out by worry or fear of losing the other person.
“You know…I fucked up years ago because I was scared to commit, and things felt so serious. And now, I’ve fucked up because I want to commit.” He shook his head with a laugh that held no humor.
The pain in her heart felt like it might kill her. “It’s not like that, Keane, and you know it.”
“I guess I’ll just keep my fingers crossed that you won’t turn me down the next time I ask.”
Chapter 20
Keane thought Lilly would be happy—he thought she’d fucking say yes. His timing might not be perfect, but once she’d gotten over their past and had forgiven him, things had been amazing between them, even if it’d been just a few weeks since they’d gotten back together. And now, seeing the hurt in her eyes, seeing the worry there, was doing him in. “I need to get a bit of fresh air and we’ve yet to have dinner. It’s getting late, and we could probably do with a bite. I’ll run out to the chipper down the road. Will fish and chips do or would you prefer something else?”
“Let me come with you.” She chewed her bottom lip and took a step closer, before hesitating, things between them suddenly awkward—and he fucking hated it.
“I just need a few minutes to clear my head, Lil. And you’ll be safer here.” Closing the distance between them, he ran his hand down her arm and gave her a quick kiss. “I swear, I won’t be more than half an hour, depending on how quick they can get our food together.”
“I do love you, you know…” Her eyes shimmered, making him feel like shit for upsetting her. Fucking hell. Why did everything have to be so complicated? Wasn’t it enough that she was all he could think of? That she was his very heart?
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, his words but a whisper against her lips. “I know, baby girl. I love you, too. Nothing will ever change that.”
He meant it, meant every word, even if he was frustrated that she hadn’t said yes to his proposal. And the truth was, it was his fault for rushing things when he knew how skittish she’d been to even start dating him again.
“Don’t go just yet…” There was such need in her voice…it immediately had him going hard. And when she reached down to stroke him through his jeans, he had but a single thought.
He kissed her and kissed her again, his words spoken against her lips. “I’m going to keep asking you, Lil…I’ll give you more time, but I’ll keep asking, again and again, until you finally agree to marry me.”
“Good. Because I will eventually say yes, Keane—and then you’ll be stuck with me.” She pulled her top up over her head and flicked her bra off, before shimmying her jeans over her hips, catching the sides of her lacy panties with her thumbs and shifting them down so she could kick them off. “You’re wearing far too many clothes. You need to remedy that, or I’ll do it for you.”
Fucking hell…there’d be no taking things slow or gentle as worked up as Keane was with everything that had happened. He got rid of his t-shirt and jeans, before quickly discarding anything else that remained.
Grabbing her hips, he spun her around and pinned her against the sofa, fisting her hair as he pulled her head back and to the side so he could feast on her neck. His cock slipped between her plump ass cheeks and into her sweet cunt with a hard upward thrust, so she gasped and thrust back at him, giving herself over to what was between them. He fucking loved that about her…that she’d never been indifferent or halfhearted when it came to sex between them.
“Is this what you want?” With her body tight around his cock, he pounded the next thrust into her, and then the next, his pace focused and intense, his need for her ever-consuming.
Raking his teeth down her neck, he bit her shoulder as she pushed back into him, taking him even deeper as she gave him the answer he was looking for even as he continued to take her. “I’ll always want this, Keane…I’ll always want you…your touch, your kiss, everything…you’ve always been my very heart. My everything.”
“Just like you know you’ve always been mine.” His pace quickened, spurred on by her words, by his insatiable need for her, his love for her.
He pinched her nipple, tugging and teasing it, before slipping his hand down between her legs to her slick clit as his other hand gently grasped her throat, pulling her back to him. The energy built inside him as his thrusts quickened, her hips rocking back to meet his, taking him deep, until she was crying out and quivering in his arms, as her orgasm raced through her. But he didn’t slow, continuing to take her hard as he rode that fine edge until she finally tipped him over. He came with a primal cry, the energy lashing his body as his cock pulsed, shooting his cum deep inside her until he finally stilled, his breath coming heavy against her hot skin as he held her to him.
“Fuck, Lilly…you’re always so amazing.” Their coupling had soothed his jagged edges, though he still wanted more—a lifetime of more. As he pulled out of her, he kissed her cheek with a smile. “Is it too soon for me to ask again—or do I need to make you come a few more times, so you’re delirious from all the orgasms?”
“If you’re expecting me to say no to more orgasms, you’ll be disappointed.” She turned to face him, worry still clouding her eyes. “And I will say yes, Keane…I just can’t do it right now. I’m sorry.”
He brushed his hand down her cheek and, cupping her neck, he pulled her in close, kissing her soft and sweet. “I won’t give up, Lilly…not ever.”
She looked up at him, managing a smile. “I wouldn’t expect you to. Now, go get us those fish and chips—with lots of malt vinegar. I’ve worked up an appetite and I’m starving.”
He stole another kiss—longer, harder—and then got dressed as she gathered her clothes up off the floor and tossed on her tee to quickly cover her up since it was just long enough. “I’ll be right back—half hour at the most, I hope.”
“Perfect—just enough time for me to hop in the shower.” Holding her clothes to her chest, she turned to go with a smile over her shoulder when he stopped her.
“I’ll lock the door from the outside, but just do me a favor and set the security system behind me. I don’t want to take any chances.” He shrugged into his jacket and headed toward the door.
She gave him a final kiss and followed after him. Once he stepped outside, he locked the door behind him, and then waited to hear the beep of the security system. Good.
The street was bustling with people getting ready to go out and start their weekend, and though Keane loved the energy of living in a city, he found that he preferred the quieter life he’d carved out for himself in Portmore—not that the quaint seaside town didn’t have plenty going on. He just hoped that once they got back, Lilly would consider moving in with
him.
He was waiting for his order to be filled at the local hole-in-the-wall chipper when his phone buzzed. Hadley. “Hey...please tell me you have some good news for me. Really? A name? Thank fuck.” Ash Sullivan. That fucking bastard. Keane grabbed his food and handed the guy the money. “Do we know where this asshole is?”
“Yeah…Keane, it’s not good. He’s in Ireland—probably Dublin.”
Chapter 21
Whoever had renovated Wyatt’s place had done an amazing job when it came to picking out the shower fixtures. Once she’d rinsed the shampoo out of her hair, Lilly let the hot water pound onto her shoulders and back, hoping Keane would hurry up and get back so he could join her while she was still naked.
She couldn’t help but linger. Long, hot showers were definitely a favorite of hers, and they did wonders for helping her with her stories. It seemed like showers and driving around town helped to clear her head so the ideas flowed—and if she was having any problems with her stories, that’s when she usually figured things out.
Although she’d just finished the manuscript she’d been working on, she was already figuring out the storyline for the next novel in her series. Her hero would be a bad boy biker and the heroine would be a far too serious and determined law student working her way through school at the local bar. They could get into all sorts of fun and trouble.
She heard the shower door open behind her, and turned to face Keane with a smile. “I was hoping you’d join me.”
Except that it wasn’t Keane. Lilly’s smile died even as her survival instincts kicked in.
Tall and far too strong, the intruder grabbed her as she screamed and tried to fight him off. He pulled her to him as she struggled to get away from him, her footing slippery in the shower. He held her naked body against him as she screamed herself raw and tried to slip out of his grasp, elbowing him so he’d let her go.
She couldn’t let this happen. Not again. She fought him with all her might, panic and adrenaline flooding her veins, her memories of Dylan mixing with the present, as her fear overtook her while spurring her on to keep fighting.
With her struggles, she barely felt the pinch to her neck. But she did feel the burn of something entering her system…and then…the darkness…closing in…her body going limp as she was swallowed by the darkness…
***
Lilly’s head swam against the inky blackness as she fought to free herself of the sleep that wanted to pull her back under. She came to with a startled start, her heart galloping inside her chest with a surge of adrenaline, remembering that she had to fight. She fought to get free, her struggles futile as her head continued to swim, even as she realized that her hands were somehow bound with some form of restraints. Her eyes popped open, plunging her back into her nightmare as she realized that she was no longer in Wyatt’s loft—and she was no longer safe.
“You’re awake… That makes me so very happy.” The man, her captor—Sirius—gave her a smile, though his eyes held a glint of crazy excitement that did nothing to reassure her that all would be well. He was sitting next to her on the edge of the mattress, her handcuffed hands preventing her from getting away, though as she struggled, the blanket he’d covered her with shifted enough to reveal that she was still naked. “I’m sorry that we’ve gotten off to such a rocky start. I did try to get in touch with you after you stopped answering my emails, but that didn’t seem to work. None of that matters now that we’re no longer apart. And…I’m sure that with time you’ll see that this is a good thing, that we’re perfect together. As I’m sure you know by now, I’m your biggest fan.”
Her eyes stung with tears and her body trembled with the tension of her fear, even as she tried to stay calm. Where the hell was she? It appeared she was in the bedroom of an older home. A cottage maybe? But how long had she been out—and what the fuck had he done to her while she’d been unconscious?
Now, however, was not the time to lose her wits and start panicking. She had to stay calm…had to convince him that he’d made a mistake—and she had to get the hell out of there.
Keane… Her heart ached at the mere thought of him. He’d be so worried about her…or had he come home when Sirius was still there and Sirius had hurt him to get away with her? The thought of Keane coming to harm nearly did her in as she tried her best to hold it together.
“If you’re a fan of my writing, then why are you doing this to me? Please…just let me go. I promise not to press charges if you just return me safely.” At this point, she’d tell him anything if it meant she could get away from him.
The scary part was that he looked so…normal. Tall, lean, handsome enough, albeit with a somewhat forgettable face, grey eyes and sandy brown hair. He couldn’t have been much older than she was. He looked like he could be any guy—not some psychotic stalker.
“I can’t let you go. Not when we finally have a chance to be together. Don’t you see that we’re meant to be, Piper—or should I say Lilly?” Taking a deep breath, as if fighting to stay in control of his actions, Sirius brushed her hair from her face, his touch lingering as she tried to pull away, a shiver of repulsion and fear racing through her. “In a way, this is perfect. It’s just like Jax and Erin. At first, she wants nothing to do with him, but eventually she realizes that he’s the only one for her. Their love is meant to be. And just like that, I know you’ll come around, even if it takes time. I’ll make you love me, Lilly.”
“Did Dylan put you up to this?” He had to be the one behind this whole thing. It wasn’t like there were a whole lot of guys who browsed the romance shelves. “Is that why you’ve taken me? So he can get some sort of sick and twisted pleasure by living vicariously through you?”
“No, Lilly… Not at all. Don’t you see that all this…all I’ve done…is because I love you—and I need you to give our love a chance. Dylan was never worthy of you. He told me what he did…bragged about it, bragged about how he’d fucked you, made you scream, and how you were now a famous author.” His jaw tightened with a visible anger. “But he wasn’t worthy… Nothing more than a dumb fucking criminal I got stuck sharing a cell with.”
So he’d been in prison already. That couldn’t be good. And though Sirius knew Dylan, at least Dylan hadn’t sent him to find her. Clearly, the guy was delusional if he thought they were like the characters in her books, but the fact that he didn’t like Dylan and what he’d done to her, at the very least, left her feeling hopeful that she wouldn’t have to go through the same nightmare Dylan put her through. “Is that how you found out about my books? Through Dylan?”
“I’d like to think it was fate, Princess.” Princess… Jax’s nickname for Erin. Fuck…he really had gone off the deep end. Yet, maybe she could figure out a way to use it to her advantage—and at least Dylan wasn’t directly involved, by some small miracle. “But yes…it was through him that I got to know you. The more Dylan spoke of you, the more curious I got. Once I managed to get my hands on your books…I finally felt whole, like I’d found what I’d been looking for my entire life. It was as if you were speaking directly to me. I was Jax—and you were my gorgeous Erin.”
“But you can’t be Jax. Because Jax would never kidnap Erin. He’d never hurt her—he’d never want her to be scared of him. He’d protect her and keep her safe.” She thought of Keane once more, her heart hammering inside her chest. How long had she been drugged for? And where the hell was she? Keane must know by now that she was missing. He must be looking for her, but how the hell would he find her?
Sirius shook his head, his lips pursed together. “All this is exactly for that reason, Lilly. I am protecting you. I’m keeping you safe from those men you’ve been with. Those men who don’t—”
“Let me stop you right there, because you’re the one who’s taken me against my will, and handcuffed me to the bed naked. And if you care about someone, that’s not what you do. You don’t kidnap them and scare them to death. You don’t stalk them.” She might still be scared, but she was pissed off too. And she h
ad every right to that anger. “You need to uncuff me. Now. And you need to let me go.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.”
Chapter 22
Keane set their food down on the kitchen counter, surprised Lilly wasn’t already waiting for him, though he knew his girl certainly liked her hot showers. She would happily stay under the pounding spray until the water ran cold.
He called out to her, as he started heading toward their room. “Lil…I’m back. Food’s getting cold.”
She wasn’t in the room, but he could still hear the shower running, so he knocked on the bathroom door. “Hey, baby girl…wrap it up in there.”
Nothing. He didn’t bother waiting, barging into the bathroom and finding it empty as panic gripped him. “Fuck!”
There was water all over the floor and the bath mats were a mess. There’d either been a struggle or someone had dragged her, disrupting the mats. Not that it mattered. She was gone.
He didn’t waste any time looking around the loft, knowing that he wouldn’t find her. Sirius already had her. But how? How the fuck did he get to her? Did he pick the lock? Override the security code? Not that it mattered. That fucking bastard had kidnapped her and stolen her away. She was on her own, scared and vulnerable, and at a madman’s mercy.
He tried calling her phone—and heard it ring over by the nightstand. What the fuck was the Irish version of 9-1-1? Would the cops even take her abduction seriously or would they make him wait a given amount of time before bothering to look for her?
9-9-9. That was the number he needed. He called and gave them the information he had: Wyatt’s address, told them about Lilly missing, how she had a stalker who’d followed them over from the States, how they’d come here to try to escape him—and he gave them Sirius’s name. They were sending someone to take a statement, but it already felt like too much time had passed. Fuck.