Can't Slow Down (Consumed by Love #2)

by Lizzie Hart Stevens

  “Relax, Lex, no one is honking yet.” Coen flips the overhead light on. I blink a few times, trying to adjust my eyes to the brightness. “Let me get a good look at you.”

  He tenderly holds my chin between his thumb and index finger, moving my head slowly right and then left.

  “Son of a fucking bitch, Lexi, I should’ve killed the little worthless bastard. Fuck!” Coen slams his hand against the light, turning it back off. Throwing the car back in drive he stomps on the gas and turns right. I lean back and sigh in relief. He’s taking me home.

  “Does your cheek hurt? Do you hurt anywhere else at all?” he asks again, gripping the steering wheel tighter. He’s really upset about this. I knew he liked me, but he’s acting like it’s his job to take care of me. Part of me wants to tell him that I’m not a damn ragdoll, that I can take care of myself. But the other part of me is overcome with relief and thankfulness. If Coen hadn’t shown up when he did, who knows what Patrick would have done to me.

  “Really, Coen. I just need a bath and some sleep.”

  He doesn’t say anything else the rest of the drive to my place. He seems concerned, but distant. Instead of letting me walk, he carries me inside the house. I’ve never been this fussed over before. Normally I wouldn’t stand for this sort of thing. I can take care of myself. I don’t need a man, or anyone else for that matter, looking after me. But tonight, with him, it feels different. Like he belongs here. Like I’m right where I should be.

  Coen sits me on the edge of the sink in the bathroom and draws me a bath. As we wait for the tub to fill he takes my shoes and socks off and finally breaks his silence.

  “I know you’re probably wondering what happened after you passed out.” He walks over to me and starts to gently help me out of my dirty work uniform.

  “Derek showed up and pulled me off of Patrick, I’m guessing not long after you passed out. He told me to get you looked at and somewhere safe and he would deal with that fucking asshole. He was extremely drunk and I might have banged him up a little, but he’ll live. Not that he deserves to.” Coen undoes the last button on my shirt and gently slips it off my shoulders. His eyes wander up one arm, across my chest, and down the other. He’s checking me for more injuries. Grabbing me gently by the waist, he lifts me off the sink so that I’m standing in front of him in nothing but my purple bra and black work pants. He then reaches over and shuts the water off in the bathtub.

  Coen is avoiding eye contact with me and I’m not sure why. When he stands back up he starts to undo the button of my pants but I stop him, placing both of my hands on either side of his face.

  “Coen, look at me. Please?”

  He sighs heavily. When he finally looks at me his eyes seem to be filled with hurt and worry.

  “Coen, I’m okay. I’m exhausted and maybe a little bruised, but I’m okay. And it’s all thanks to you. I don’t even want to think about what Patrick might have done to me if you hadn’t shown up when you did. So, thank you.”

  I run my hand through his hair and place a soft kiss on his forehead. I wish I knew what’s bothering him. I know he’s worried about me, but I can’t help feel like there’s something he’s not telling me.

  “Fuck, Lexi,” he forces out with a breath, “I thought you were going to get torn from my life as fast as you came into it tonight. This is why I was nervous about moving past more than just a one-night stand with you.” His voice trails off into the echo of bathroom. He takes a step back, undresses, and slides into the bath; holding his hand out for me to join him. “Come on, the water is getting cold. We both need to get cleaned up and get some rest.”

  I am so confused right now. Once I finish undressing, I take his hand and reluctantly slip down into the warm bath in front of him. Oddly, I don’t feel uncomfortable being naked in front him right now. After the amazing sex we had yesterday and what we went through tonight, that’s the least of my worries. After all, the man just saved my life.

  “I don’t understand, Coen. What do you mean? How does me being kidnapped by my asshole ex have anything to do with you not wanting a possible relationship with me?”

  He starts lathering us both up. “I don’t want to talk about it tonight, Lex. I just . . . we both need some rest, okay? You don’t need to worry about anything else today. I’ll stay over and make sure you’re safe tonight and make sure that headache of yours doesn’t get worse.”

  I’m too tired to argue. I lean my head back against his chest and try to free my mind of worry. Tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow, Coen will talk to me. For tonight, I’m going to let this amazingly beautiful man take care of me.

  I MUST BE COMPLETELY out of my fucking mind. I knew better than to let this girl get under my skin, but somehow she’s managed to slip between the cracks of the walls I’ve worked so hard to build and made herself at home.

  Lexi falls asleep in my arms after our bath, as I carry her to her bed. The light from the bathroom ricochets off the hallway walls to illuminate her bedroom just enough for us to see. As I gently lay her down onto her pillow her eyes flutter open.

  “Coen, what happened to Patrick after we left? Isn’t he going to come looking for us? Maybe you should have called the cops,” she says sleepily, but obviously concerned. She yawns while stretching, causing her tits to jut upwards, begging for my touch. I don’t think she realizes what she’s doing to me. I close my eyes and swallow hard, willing my dick to not react. Thankfully by the time I open my eyes she’s under the covers. As much as I would love to bury myself deep inside of her right now, she needs to get some sleep.

  I walk around to the other side of the bed, slip off my boxer briefs and lie down next to Lexi.

  “No, Lex. We’re safe. You are safe. We can handle this. Derek made sure that Patrick knows who he’s messing with.” I roll over onto my left side, now facing her direction.

  “What is that supposed to mean?” She shifts quickly onto her side, now facing me, and props her head on her hand. She’s suddenly wide awake, looking angry and confused.

  “It means he roughed Patrick up a little more and told him he better watch his back. We know this is serious, Lex, but Derek and I can protect you. If Patrick was serious about hurting you, he would have done it without all of the threats. He was just feeling like a tough guy because he was drunk.” I reach over and gently caress her cheek. “Patrick doesn’t know this little detail, but Derek put a tail on him. Todd, one of our street racing acquaintances, does some underground private investigating on the side. Patrick won’t even be able to think about coming anywhere near you without Todd knowing about it.”

  “You guys honestly think Patrick gives a shit? I don’t, Coen. I don’t think it’s enough. He clearly isn’t going to let this go.” She rolls over and starts to grab the covers to throw them off and climb out of bed, but I grab her arm.

  “Lexi, stop. I know you’re pissed. But please trust me.” I reach over and lightly graze my thumb across her cheek while placing a soft kiss on her plump, beautiful lips. Resting my forehead against hers, I try to reassure her that everything will be okay. “Derek and I can handle Patrick, sweet cheeks. He won’t come near you again. Derek has someone keeping an eye on him. He’ll be sorry if he tries anything stupid again. I can promise you that.”

  She lies back onto the pillow and gazes up at the ceiling as a tear rolls down her cheek. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, Coen, but I’m so thankful you’re here.”

  “That works both ways, Lex. You’ve turned my world upside down in a matter of two days and as fucking crazy as it is, I don’t want to lose you now that I have you.” I brush a strand of her auburn hair off her face and wrap my arm around her waist. I pull her closer and softly kiss her behind her ear. “Now get some sleep.”

  3:32 A.M.—SUNDAY MORNING.

  My eyes shoot open. I’m sweating. I’m not in my own bed. I start to panic until I remember I’m at Lexi’s. She’s lying beside me, her hair splayed across her pillow. The sight of her calms me almost insta
ntly. I’m mesmerized watching her chest rise and fall in a perfect rhythm. The sheet is just barely covering her perky, gorgeous tits. My cock hardens almost instantly when I remember how good it felt being buried balls-deep in her the other night.

  I roll over, deciding it’s best if I just go back to sleep right now. Tomorrow I plan to show her how she should be treated by a man.

  Hours later I wake up to the tantalizing aroma of bacon and eggs. The sun is bright, shining through the blinds. I hear dishes being moved around loudly in the kitchen. Lexi’s side of the bed is cold. She must have gotten up a while ago. I glance over at the clock on her dresser. It’s almost 8:30 in the morning.

  I slip on my boxer briefs and head into the kitchen. I start to rub my eyes and try to adjust to the morning light but just as my feet hit the cold tile floor, I stop dead in my tracks in awe at the gorgeous sight before me. Lexi’s hair is tied up loosely into a bun, her headphones are on, and she’s dancing around her kitchen in nothing but an oversized t-shirt. She must be feeling better. She hasn’t realized I’ve walked into the room yet. She starts singing the lyrics to “Crazy Bitch” by Buckcherry and shaking that sexy ass of hers.

  I cross my arms and lean up against the doorframe, enjoying the view, until she realizes a few moments later that I’m standing there. She instantly freezes and slowly slips off her headphones, letting them rest around her neck.

  Lexi clears her throat. Her cheeks are flushed.

  “How long have you been standing there?” she asks.

  “Long enough to enjoy a little show.” I smirk and wiggle my eyebrows suggestively. “I take it you’re feeling better?”

  She sits two plates full of bacon, eggs, and French toast on the table and walks over to me, wrapping her arms around my waist. She looks up at me with her big brown eyes and smiles sweetly.

  “I still have a small headache, but it’s tolerable.” She shrugs and hugs me a little tighter. “It’s nothing a little Tylenol can’t control. I’m just so thankful for everything you’ve done for me, so I wanted to surprise you with breakfast. You do like bacon I hope?” Lexi squints, hoping that I’m not going to tell her that I don’t.

  “Are you kiddin,’ sweet cheeks?” I lean down, cradling her face in my hands and kiss her forehead. “I fucking love bacon.”

  She smiles and lets me go before turning around to grab a couple of forks from the utensil drawer and hand me one.

  “Good. Let’s eat. I’m starving!” she exaggerates as she sits down at the table.

  I run my hand through my hair and give her a sly grin. “I should probably put some clothes on first.”

  Lexi raises an eyebrow at me. “Coen, there’s no one here besides you and me, and I spent the last hour and a half cooking. I appreciate you wanting to have proper table manners and all, but sit your ass down and eat before it gets cold.” She looks at me sternly as she bites off a piece of bacon.

  I can’t help but laugh. “You are so cute when you’re bossy.”

  WHEN I WOKE UP this morning and was lying in bed watching Coen sleep, I decided that I wasn’t going to let Patrick ruin whatever is starting between Coen and me. I definitely won’t forget what he did, but I’m sure as hell not going to mope around and pout about it either. Dad always taught me that when something bad happens, to go ahead and have a little cry about it if you need to, then get up, dust yourself off, and move on.

  I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t hovering at the back of my mind, though. I know Coen said Derek has eyes on Patrick, but I also know what Patrick’s like. If he wants something bad enough he will stop at nothing to get it. No matter the cost. Hopefully, if I stay busy enough today, I’ll forget about it. That’s part of the reason I started cooking as soon as I got out of bed. But the main reason is that this man deserves it, and then some, for what he did for me last night. I mean, no matter how into each other we both are, we still have only known one another for three days. He didn’t have to save me.

  Coen and I have been chatting all through breakfast. I asked him how he found me and he mentioned that Patrick left a note on my doorstep stating that Coen better make it to the warehouses by 7:30 p.m. and he was to bring $500,000 with him. He gave Patrick a couple of broken ribs instead of the cash. I have a feeling that it’s not going to slow him down, though.

  Coen’s black eye doesn’t look as bad in the daylight as it did last night. It’s not swollen shut at least. I can still see the gorgeous green irises sparkling at me when he flashes those dimples.

  “How’s your eye?” I sit my fork down on my plate and lean back on the chair. I fold my arms and cross my legs, trying to keep myself from checking that all the doors are locked for the umpteenth time this morning. I don’t want Coen to know that I’m worried Patrick might come back. But I make a mental note to get some pepper spray to carry with me, just in case he does come back.

  Coen swallows hard and licks his bottom lip, as his gorgeous green eyes travel slowly up my legs. They stop for a moment at the hem of my shirt before his gaze finally meets mine and the corner of his mouth curls into a smirk.

  “Coen?” I look at him questioningly, waiting for his reply.

  He blinks a couple times and shakes his head.

  “Huh? Sorry, Lex. I was thinking about how amazing lunch is going to be.” He drags his top teeth across his bottom lip. “My eye is okay, nothing I haven’t dealt with before.”

  “Well I’m glad your eye is okay, but you just finished breakfast, so how can you already be thinking about lunch? I’m stuffed.” I place both of my arms behind my head and arch my back, stretching in the chair. I know exactly what dirty boy over there is thinking, but it’s so much more fun to make him say it out loud. My nipples are hard and I’m wet just thinking about it.

  Maybe getting lost in a moment of bliss with Coen will help distract my mind from worrying. I stand up to grab the empty plates and clear the table, but when I glance over at Coen, his cock is standing at attention and straining against his boxer briefs. I can’t help but stop dead in my tracks.

  He quickly pulls me into his lap and I yelp, “Coen! You’re going to make me drop these plates!” He has one arm around my waist and uses his other hand to take the plates from me one at a time and sets them back down onto the table.

  “You think you’re stuffed now, sweet cheeks. Wait until I get you back into that bed.” He winks at me and smirks as he slowly slides his hand up the inside of my thigh, slipping his middle finger under the side of my panties and between my wet heat. His other hand slides up my neck and fists the back of my hair, pulling me into a passionate kiss. His hands are saying he wants to ravage my body but his lips are trying to be gentle. I relax into him and moan in ecstasy. I need this. I need to get lost in him.

  A short moment later he breaks our kiss and with lust-filled eyes he groans as he sucks my juices from his fingertips.

  “Mmm, damn, Lexi. So fucking good.”

  Taking my head in his hands, and placing his forehead against mine, he sighs.

  “I’m sorry, sweetness. I just can’t keep my hands off you. I’m thinking with my balls and not my brains today. You should be resting.”

  Coen kisses me and tenderly lifts me off of his lap. I’m not sure whether I’m pissed off or impressed that a man has thought about putting my own needs before his own. He starts cleaning up the dishes.

  “Why don’t you go on back to bed and relax and I’ll clean this up real quick,” he suggests.

  He looks so sexy standing at my sink, his boxer briefs snug against his firm ass. It isn’t helping to calm the fire he already started when he pulled me into his lap. His back muscles are covered with tattoos and are so defined. I’m convinced that a fit, tattooed man washing the dishes in his underwear has got to be one of the hottest things on this planet.

  Coen told me to go back to bed, but I plan on having a surprise waiting for him when he returns from the kitchen. I walk into the bedroom and over to my dresser, opening drawer after drawer trying to fin
d anything even remotely sexy to put on.

  I really need to go shopping, apparently.

  I settle on my only matching bra and panties set. They are teal and trimmed in black lace. Just as I’m closing the draw the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end and a shiver runs down my spine. I turn around quickly, expecting and hoping to see Coen standing there, but there’s no one. Glancing to my left I notice the window is open just a crack. Maybe Coen opened it when he got up this morning.

  Calm down, Lexi. You’re just on edge because of Patrick’s bullshit yesterday. There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for the window being open.

  I shake my head, trying to ignore the paranoid thoughts that are starting to creep in. What if Coen didn’t open the window? What if it was Patrick? What if he snuck inside the house while Coen and I were having breakfast? I quickly check my closet and under my bed. There’s no one in either place. And I just realized how badly I need to sort through my messy closet. I take a big deep breath. I have to get past this. I change into the bra and panties and lie down on the bed, propped up against the headboard.

  Hurry up, Coen. Please.

  The blinds are open just enough where I can see across the street over to Derek’s place. He’s outside washing his truck. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and the trees are swaying in the gentle breeze. All seems to be right in the world. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Coen’s here. Derek is home across the street. I am safe.

  Suddenly I feel the air shift around me and my pulse starts to quicken. My eyes shoot open to see Coen standing next to the window with a set of clean clothes in his arms. The sight of him calms me.

  “Wow, Lex.” The tip of his tongue wets his lips and his green eyes are full of lust and desire. “You aren’t exactly making it easy for me to keep my hands off of you so you can rest,” he says, closing the window. “I hope you don’t mind, it was a bit stuffy in here this morning, so I opened the window to let some fresh air in.”