by Ali Parker
"The cop’s not getting under my dress, and I didn't have anything clean except these ass-flossing panties." She relaxed against him, her fingers playing along the strong muscles of his chest and abs. "I don't want to go without you. No one else shows up when the shit hits the fan."
"The shit isn't going to hit the fan. Do whatever you and Victor are going there to do, and come home to me." He used his other hand to lift her face toward his. "Just be careful, okay?"
"I will." She moved up to straddle him and pressed her hands into his upper chest as he groaned and closed his eyes.
"Fuck, I need you." He shifted his hips up and latched onto her thighs, jerking her forward to drive his erection against her soft center. "Go lock the door."
"No, bad boy. No time. I'll have you when I get back." She leaned down and kissed him again.
Marcus trapped her against him with one hand to the back of her pretty head, and the other petting her ass in a slow sensual motion. "I need a full night. Save the first one for me."
"Of course." She kissed him again and got off the bed. "No hitting on the nurses. I've seen some pretty ones around here."
"Are you getting jealous, Kate Jarrett?" He lifted his eyebrow, almost wishing she were.
"No, never. I just don't want to share my bed with another woman." She shrugged.
"Would you expect me to share mine with another man?" He lifted his eyebrow again.
"Only if I'm between the two of you." She chuckled and walked out, leaving him hard, needy and thinking about things he might not have otherwise.
Chapter 9
Jon
He hadn't spoken to Kate in two days, but keeping up with Marcus was almost as good, at least for staying in the know. The last conversation they'd had left Jon wanting to go get her so badly, to hold her or comfort her, but she wouldn't let him. Her words continued to wash over him that she wasn't alone. Obviously she was with Victor, and though he didn't want it to upset him - it did. A lot.
He finished throwing a pair of jeans and a few t-shirts into the bag that already held slacks and a few button-up shirts. They wouldn't be in New York for more than a few days, but knowing Victor even a little, Jon knew that dressing up was going to be part of the gig.
The bastard was all too ready to let Jon go, but with the prize being access to Kate's body, Jon wasn't too shocked. They would be taking a private jet, and someone named Zak had texted him a few times over the last two days, giving him instructions and the time to be at the hangar.
He'd have to ask Kate who the new guy was, but from his use of words via text, he wasn't American.
After checking the house one more time, Jon locked up and got in the car, taking the shortest path possible to get to the airport. He wanted to see Kate - desperately. The hope was that he could lock down his neediness so he didn't overwhelm her with it.
She'd agreed to let him go in Marcus's place, but just as her bodyguard, her second in command. She didn't want a damn thing from him, or so she had said. He could tell that something still burned inside of her where he was concerned. The brief moment on his bike at the station a few days before when he hauled her downtown was proof enough.
He had a bridge to rebuild with her, and he was more than willing to do anything necessary to make it happen. He loved her, and his mother was right. When you love someone, you fix it. No matter what. No matter how.
Stopping at the hangar, Jon parked the car, grabbed his bags and paused before walking toward the lone plane on the tarmac. He pulled a picture out of his pocket that he'd found in Adam's box and smiled. It was two cliffs, each beautifully depicted. One on the left of the page and one on the right. A bridge connected them, but it was done in a way that if Jon tilted the page, the bridge disappeared. It spoke volumes to him, as it must have to Adam. There were three words on it, and Jon had spent the last two days muttering the phrase to himself over and over.
"Always a way," he mumbled and folded it back up before walking toward the plane. He needed to remain calm, cool, and collected as best as possible. Kate had a way of unraveling him and turning him into a childish fit-throwing imbecile. "Not today, Miss Jarrett."
After taking a quick glance around, Jon walked up the small metal stairs and ducked his head to get into the plane. Kate had her back to him, her short black dress pretty and sensual. She turned and nodded toward him, but didn't speak. Her black hair was down, hitting the middle of her back as her legs went on for days. The dainty heels she wore looked damn good on her, but seemed so out of style for her. She was tough, strong and could kick ass as good as most men. Seeing her looking so feminine and soft left his heart racing in his chest, his cock hardening painfully in his slacks.
"Where's your boss?" Jon asked and moved to start putting his luggage up.
"He's already there, and he's my partner. I don't work for anyone." She turned her head slightly and gave him a hard look.
He couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm thinking I owe you an apology. Several actually."
"You think?" She turned and pressed her hands to her hips. "What part of stay off my case and turn a blind eye do you not get?"
"It's hard to do with you, Kate." He turned to face her, stepping closer and breathing in subtly. Nothing turned him on more than her delicious smell, her taste coming in at a close second. "You know that."
"I get it, believe me, I do, but you've been a torrential asshole lately." She reached up and poked her finger into his chest as anger burned by her pretty features.
He caught her hand and lifted it to his mouth, kissing her palm twice before she jerked her hand away. "All I can tell you is that I'm sorry. Truly. I was immature and hurting. I still am, but that shit is locked up for this trip. Okay? Just a capable guy here to guard you and protect you through this adventure."
She tilted her head to the side as if studying him. "We'll see. You say a lot of shit that you don't come through on."
He deserved that, but instead of combating it or defending himself, he turned and finished putting his stuff up before taking his seat next to her. "Who's Zak?"
She sat down and crossed her legs before glancing over at him. "He's Victor's brother. He's a good guy from what I can tell."
Jon held his sarcastic rebuttal and nodded, leaning back and closing his eyes as the jet's door closed and the captain announced their take off.
Kate gasped as the plane lifted, and Jon glanced over at her, noticing the tension on her beautiful face.
He took her hand and squeezed it softly. "It's all good. Nothing to worry about."
She nodded and pressed her teeth into her thick bottom lip, squeezing her eyes shut. She was beyond breathtaking, and his heart ached deep inside of his chest to think he'd almost given her up.
Before he could talk himself out of it, he turned a little and leaned toward her, pressing his face to the top of her shoulder and breathing in. "Hear me. I'm sorry."
She turned and opened her eyes, focusing solely on him as hurt filled her expression. "Sorry doesn't always work, Jon. Sorry doesn't save lives, or offer hope. It tries to patch a hole you dug with your indecision or lies or anger."
He nodded and moved in closer, pressing his lips to the side of her neck and holding the other side of her face while he worshiped her in his own way. He was far beyond taken with her, and just being around her left him emotional, raw, dizzy.
"I know. I'll make it up to you. Anything you want."
"I want you to help me this weekend, and then leave me alone. I can't keep doing this with you." She turned and brushed her nose along his as her fingers pressed against his chest, shoving him back. "Love doesn't really exist. You think you're going to find it with me, but I think you're wrong. That makes you angry and you lash out, but I'm tired of being hit. Find someone else."
He moved back as her fingers dug into his chest. There wasn't much to say, though he wanted to spout a million things. Kate needed actions, not useless words. He'd already outworn his welcome with those.
"Tel
l me a little about Billy." Jon sat back in his chair and tried to change the subject. "Marcus and I are going to work on taking him out when we get back. I want to know how you guys got hooked up if you don't mind."
She nodded, her breathing a little off. "He offered me an out when I needed it. He was there when I left home, and gave me a place to sleep, food to eat, and made love to me every night."
Jon forced himself not to react. He'd seen Billy Turner. The guy was a piece of work. Just thinking about him naked and wrapped around Kate caused Jon's stomach to sicken. "He was the one that saved you?"
"Yes, and Marcus saved me from him." She ran her fingers through her dark hair and turned to look out the window. "Victor's hoping to do the same, but one thing no one seems to understand this time is that I'm not a child anymore. I don't need saving."
"You don't?" Jon asked as he reached out and touched her hand again, unable to help himself. Somewhere deep inside of him, he knew that she belonged to him, that she was his girl and would be for the rest of his life. He just needed to make amends, prove himself and bring her to the center of that same understanding.
"Not by Victor." She turned back toward him and glanced down at their hands before returning her attention to him.
The depths of emotion that swam in her eyes left him torn. Every cell in his body screamed for him to rush forward and offer her the world, comfort, peace, safety, but he held his tongue.
"By who?" He shifted to lean in closer, wanting the conversation to be more intimate.
"I don't know, honestly. I thought it was going to be you, but I'm not so sure anymore." The softness in her tone, accompanied with her expression, continued to destroy his resolve.
"I want it to be me, Kate." He leaned in and touched the side of her face, pulling her toward him but half expecting her to jerk away.
"I should deny you anything you ask of me." She closed her eyes as he kissed her once, softly and tenderly. Tears dotted her eyes as he opened his eyes and watched for her reaction.
"You should, but don't. Please." He brushed her tear away, realizing that so much more lay beneath her hard exterior than she allowed anyone to see - even Marcus. "I won't make another promise that I can't keep. Kill me if I do."
"I will. I promise." She pulled him down for another kiss, opening herself up to him.
Jon didn't waste any time in pressing his tongue deep into her mouth and shifting in order to tug her into his seat with him. He cradled her in his arms and put his angst and devastation into the kiss, groaning against her moans and working hard to show her just how much he loved her.
She broke the kiss and pulled back, letting out a sardonic laugh. "How do you have me in your lap kissing you already? I hated you ten minutes ago. I still hate you."
"I know you do, but I plan to prove why you shouldn't. I've been a horrible bastard, and I don't come close to deserving you. I'm going to work to be the man you need me to be, Kate. I promise that much." He slid his fingers through her hair and swallowed every endearing word he wanted to speak. He would whisper those against her skin later that night if she let him. The thoughts of her being with Victor or Marcus or anyone else were locked away. He would have to simply remain focused on her being with him until things changed. And they would change. He would make damn certain of it.
Chapter 10
Kate
Her heart raced as Jon slept next to her on the plane. He was the one that belonged on the outside, looking in. The one that should never get another chance with her, and yet two things held her to wanting to try again, and again, and again.
The first was Adam. Jon reminded her of his little brother so much, his warmth, his smile, his kindness when he showed it. Some part of her wanted to cling to all of it in hopes of a better day. The other thing was the undeniable attraction between them.
Where Marcus was her equal, her partner and perfect match, Jon was her alpha. The one that could stand alone as her man, the one that had stolen her heart for pure purposes to simply love her. She and Marcus would forever be bound together, which was a comfort, but the thrill of holding tight to Jon was something she couldn't deny herself.
After not being in a relationship for the last four years, having a chance at one was the one thing that kept her playing the fool. She stopped herself from reaching out to touch him, and instead decided to remain a little more guarded this time around.
She had very little doubt that Jon could follow up on his promises. It was whether or not he would. She would have to dig into his past and better understand where his extreme indecision was coming from. Surely after losing Adam, he would have a bend toward being straightforward and following through on his words, but it was as if his reaction was the opposite of that.
The one thing she couldn't handle in her ever-shifting world was someone giving hope only to snatch it away time and time again. Jon had done just that.
Pressing her cheek to her shoulder, she studied him. Dark hair covered his chin and cheeks, the goatee framing his beautiful lips perfectly. His eyelashes were long and rested against his high cheekbones, fluttering every so often as he slept. The thick muscles of his arm took up most of the room between them, and his strong chest lifted subtly as he took deep breaths one after another.
A sigh left her, and she had to promise herself that she wouldn't let the Adonis next to her steal her heart again simply because of his looks. He had made one promise during their flight together - to work on being the man she needed him to be.
She was ready to hold him to that promise fully.
Jon was rather tight-lipped on the ride over to the hotel, but she was as well. With the promise of picking up a new client, she should have been excited or perhaps a little nervous, but in all actuality, she felt very little. Selling drugs wasn't her future, but she could bide her time until they unhooked themselves from the drama that Victor, and now Billy, brought with them.
"Do you think Marcus will want to stay involved in this when we're done?" Kate glanced toward Jon as they pulled up to the hotel. Her assumption was that Jon was staying for the long haul, which might be short lived, but time would soon tell.
"In selling?" Jon parked the car and got out, meeting her at the trunk and pulling out their bags.
"Yeah. I assume we're going to take out Billy and then Victor. I just can't help but wonder if Marcus plans on taking their spot." Kate reached for her bag, but Jon pushed her hand away softly.
"I got this. Just open the door." He moved in behind her as she smiled at the bellman who opened the door for them.
Walking toward the check-in counter, Jon caught up with her. "I would assume he would."
"And how do you feel about that?" She glanced over at him as they moved up to the line of people who were waiting their turn to check in.
"I'm good with it. If that's what makes Marcus happy... I'd support it." He shrugged.
Her eyes widened a little as surprise raced through her. "You'd support that? Are you and Marcus lovers and no one told me?"
He chuckled. "No. I'm interested in you and no one else."
"Ahhh..." Kate turned and moved up to the counter, giving her name and turning back to Jon as the woman typed in the information. She narrowed her eyes a little, trying to figure out who'd taken Jon Peterson and replaced him with this new doppelgänger.
"Marcus and I had a few long talks over the last couple of weeks. Where we don't see eye to eye on most things, I think we've come to the conclusion that we're going to be in each other’s lives in one way or the other. So... I support him. He's starting to take Adam's place for me. Weird. I know." Jon nodded toward the lobby. "I'll wait over there."
"Okay." Kate turned back to finish up her business with the clerk as her thoughts moved around the possibility of sharing the future with both of them. She'd never been with more than one man at once, and now due to situation and circumstance, she was with three. Victor was a must, but the other two...
It's comfortable.
Where she woul
d have once given someone else hell about having two men in their life, she couldn't muster the condemnation she imagined herself feeling. It was too right to be wrong, simply put. If they could both accept it, then maybe the future looked even more different than she imagined.
"This assuming that you let Jon back in," she mumbled.
"I'm sorry?" The hotel clerk spoke softly, pulling Kate from her thoughts.
"Oh, sorry. I was talking to myself." Kate took the keys and walked toward Jon. "We're in the penthouse. I assume Zak and Victor will be staying with us. Victor’s weird about keeping everyone together."
"All right." Jon walked with her to the elevator, pulling their luggage behind them. "I want you to know that I've worked out this shit with Victor in my head. I understand your having to sleep with him. I only ask one thing."
"What's that?" Kate forced herself to appear calm, though she was anything but.
"Don't flaunt it in front of me. I know he'll want to, but I'm asking you not to let that happen." He turned and touched the side of her face. "If I did that to you, you'd stab the bitch I was with."
"No I wouldn't. You're a free man." Kate smirked and held the door open. "But... I will try my best to keep him away from me while you're around."
"Thank you," Jon bit out between his clenched teeth.
Kate couldn't help but smile at his reaction. He was jealous, and where she would hate to be in his position, teasing him a little was more than deserved after all the shit he had put her through. She wouldn't do it, but it was a nice devious thought to chuckle about.
Jon knocked on the door, and Zak opened it, turning his attention to Kate as a smile lifted his thin lips. "Kate. Good to see you again."
She gave him a quick hug and turned. "Zak, this is Jon. He'll be my bodyguard this weekend. Jon, Victor's brother, Zak."
"Actually, just a good friend, but we've been calling each other brother since we were kids." Zak extended his hand. "Come in. Don't touch any of the products, and mind your own business and we should be good."