by K. M. Scott
Her body met mine with each time I pushed into her as my demons whispered, “She’s not frightened. Show her why she should be.”
But I didn’t want to hurt anymore. I wanted what Abbi gave me. I wanted to love.
Sliding out of her, I rolled her onto her back and slowly planted kisses down her body, loving the look of ecstasy in her eyes. With my thumbs, I spread her open and ran my tongue over her delicate skin to her clit, swollen and waiting for attention.
Abbi moaned softly above me and quietly begged for me to give her what she needed. “Oh, God…right there. Oh, that’s it…”
I kept my eyes focused on her and sucked her clit gently into my mouth, flicking the tip of my tongue against her silky skin. She closed her eyes and bit her lower lip, and I watched as her expression softened as my mouth inched her toward release.
Lifting my head from between her legs, I ran a finger down her wet slit, adding another as I reached her entrance. Her hands urged me back to where I’d been, but instead I slid two fingers into her, curling them against the tender skin of her willing cunt.
“You’re so wet,” I whispered against her body and slowly pumped my fingers in and out of her, loving the sound of her moans. She was close, and I knew all it would take to send her over that delicious edge would be a few more deliberate drags of my tongue over her clit.
She pulled me by the back of my head to take her to that place, and a few seconds later her orgasm exploded inside her. Dragging her fingernails across my scalp, she closed her legs around my head and rode my mouth in that erotic way that never failed to thrill me.
When her thighs finally stopped quivering, I sat back on my heels and licked my lips to savor the taste of her as she grinned sweetly up at me. “You look beautiful lying there like that.”
“Like some boneless creature totally satisfied by an incredibly hot man she loves?” she said with a giggle.
“Exactly, except that man loves her too.”
I showed up to the weekly meeting with Cash and Stefan late, but as far as I was concerned, I had an excuse—spending time with Abbi before the shit hit the fan. It hadn’t yet, which made me wonder what was going on in the D.A.’s office since I should have heard something by now. Every day I woke up expecting to hear something from Jessup, but he’d heard nothing and we’d taken the position that no news was good news.
“Nice to see you again, big brother,” Stefan teased as I sat down next to him. “We were wondering if you’d ever show your face again or if you planned on spending the rest of your days playing house with Abbi.”
“I would if I could, but then who would run our little funhouse upstairs?” I joked as I folded my hands behind my head.
“Any news from Jessup?” Cash asked with concern in his voice. “It’s been over a week. Long enough he should have heard something.”
I shook my head, as baffled as he was. “No. Nothing yet. I don’t get it either. Have you talked to Mason?”
“No. I’ve called a few times, but his secretary always takes a message and he hasn’t gotten back to me. I don’t like that.”
I sighed and blew the air out slowly. I didn’t like Mason’s behavior either. Stefan jabbed me in the arm. “Let’s call him now. Enough fucking around with these two. If he’s going to try and bury us, then let’s hear it from him instead of playing these fucking cat and mouse games.”
Turning to look at Stefan, I had to admit he’d really changed from the selfish younger brother who irritated me to no end to someone I knew had my back. It was a nice change.
Cash seemed less impressed with this new Stefan. “This is a delicate matter. We need to tread carefully.”
“Talk about shit we’re not doing. Cash, this guy thinks he has us by the balls. We need to show him and that brother of his that not only isn’t Kane going to jail for a simple bar fight but that Jethro asshole should consider himself lucky Kane didn’t fuck him up more for messing with Abbi.”
“Thanks, Stefan,” I said in near shock.
“We’re brothers, Kane. When someone fucks with one of us or the women we love, they fuck with all of us. Right, Cash?”
We both turned to face him, and he sat with his mouth hung open in similar amazement at Stefan’s brotherly behavior. “Okay, maybe you’re right. I might have been playing this too cautious. It’s up to you, though, Kane. You’re the one who has to pay in the end if this is a mistake.”
The real fear that stirring up the hornet’s nest might cause me to have to leave Abbi sooner than I ever wanted to raced through me, but I couldn’t just sit around and wait to find out my fate.
“Do it,” I said, silently hoping that it wouldn’t be just another mistake I’d made.
While I watched Cash dial Mason’s number, Stefan said quietly, “Shay told me to say hi. She’s worried about you with this. I told her not to worry. If anyone can handle this kind of thing, it’s you. But when all this bullshit is over, she’d love it if you and Abbi would come over for dinner when she gets back and settled in.”
“I have no idea how you got that woman, Stef, but she’s done you a world of good. I can only hope Abbi can do that with me.”
“I’ll take that as a yes for dinner,” he said with a laugh. “And don’t worry about this.”
“Mason, do you mind if I put you on speaker? Kane and Stefan are here and I’d like them to hear what you have to say.” Cash put the conversation on speaker and put down the phone. “Okay, would you mind repeating what you just said?”
“Gentlemen, as I just told Cash, my brother is doing much better and has decided not to press charges. I’ve already set the wheels in motion so the D.A. won’t be pursuing this. You did beat him up pretty well, Kane, so I don’t think bumping up the monthly payments to twenty-five grand is out of line. If we’re all in agreement with this, I say we put this ugly business behind us and continue with what has been a very successful business relationship on both sides, don’t you agree?”
You could have heard a pin drop as we all sat there staring at the phone. Mason didn’t sound like he was joking, but charges dropped and no time whatsoever for me? It sounded too good to be true.
Stefan looked at me with big eyes, and Cash mouthed, “Take it.” How could I say no? I’d make up the difference in Mason’s monthly cost with my own money so my brothers wouldn’t be hurt by my mistake.
“Okay, Mason. It’s a deal.”
The phone stayed silent for a moment, but then he answered, “Great! Cash, I’ll call you later this week and we can iron out the money details. Have a good day, gentlemen.”
Cash quickly picked up the phone to express his concern for Jethro’s health, but in seconds he hung up and shook his head in disbelief. “I wish I could take credit for what happened there, but I don’t think it was me. I have no idea how that came about, though.”
“Always looking a gift horse in the mouth,” Stefan said. “Who cares how it happened? All that matters is Kane is in the clear and we only have to pay five grand more a month.”
“I’ll pay that myself,” I said, still not sure why Mason and his brother had decided not to do everything in their power to make sure I saw jail time. “You two shouldn’t suffer for my mistake. I’m sorry about all this. I thought I’d changed, but when I saw that fuck’s hands on Abbi, I lost it. I should have found another way to handle things, though. For that, I’m sorry.”
Cash nodded, but Stefan refused to agree. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Kane. If someone put their hands on Shay, I’d tear their fucking limbs off. I’m sure even Cash with his three-piece suits and business manners there wouldn’t be all about talking to some guy who was manhandling Olivia. This place can be rough, and we’re supposed to protect them.”
Once again, my younger brother had stunned me with his new attitude. “Thanks, Stefan.”
“I’m sure Abbi will be thrilled to hear the news. I don’t see any reason we can’t have the rest of our meeting tomorrow, so why don’t you go tell her?” Cash offe
red. “Samson can run the top floors for another night. Go celebrate.”
“I think I’ll take you up on that.”
“Good. Tell Abbi we said hi and we look forward to seeing her back here again too,” Cash said with a smile. “And at the wedding.”
In all the hassle of my beating Jethro and facing prison, I’d forgotten about Cash and Olivia’s wedding. “I’m sorry this all happened so close to your big day, Cash. I didn’t mean for any of this to end up causing so much trouble.”
“Don’t worry, Kane. Olivia and I are just happy you’re not going to be hearing about our wedding through prison bars.”
“Me too because if I have to get dressed up in a tux, so do you,” Stefan chimed in. “So if you need to put the beatdown on someone else, wait until after the wedding, if possible. Olivia will never forgive us if Cash doesn’t have all his groomsmen.”
“Got it.”
I turned to walk away and stopped, needing to say more than just thank you. “You guys have been really great through all this. I know we’ve all worked together here, but it wasn’t always that way outside the club. I know that was mostly because of me, but when I needed you both, you were there. I won’t forget that.”
Cash and Stefan nodded. “You know what Stefan always says. We’re brothers, Kane. Not by the same mother, but we all have our father’s blood. That means something. You stood by me, and when I couldn’t see the truth about Olivia, you could.”
“And you were right there to give me advice when I was screwing things up royally with Shay. This is what brothers do. We bust balls, but when push comes to shove, we back each other up.”
“Well, thanks. I won’t forget this.”
I thought back to all those years growing up when my mother worked every day to poison me against Cash and Stefan. All that time I could have had brothers instead of fake enemies. That was all in the past now. For the first time in my life, I felt like I finally had family and love around me.
I could get used to it.
* * *
STANDING AT the kitchen sink, I felt Kane press up against my back and whisper, “I have good news.”
I turned around with wet hands and looked up into his blue eyes to see all the worry from the past few days gone from them. “What? Tell me!”
He leaned around me to shut off the water and nuzzled my neck. “I have the night off from work and so do you. And Mason is making sure all the charges are dropped. I don’t know what happened, but I’m guessing I have a guardian angel watching over me.”
I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him close. “Oh, that’s wonderful, Kane! I knew it would work out.”
“You were right. I believed in what you said and it all turned out okay. He wants more money each month, but I’ll pay that so Cash and Stefan don’t have to suffer for what I did.”
“Is it a lot?” I wondered, curious to know how much he planned to make Kane suffer in that way.
Kane shook his head. “No. It wouldn’t matter if he wanted every cent I have. I’d pay it if it meant getting to stay with you.”
I held him close to me, loving his devotion and hoping he’d understand when he found out what I’d done. Like him, I’d give anything to have him free.
“I have to admit I’m a little surprised he didn’t want anything else. A few grand more a month is a small price to pay for beating that brother of his. He didn’t say he wanted anything more, though.”
I looked up into his eyes and smiled. The stress and fear I’d seen in them for days was gone, replaced by that gentleness they always showed when he was around me. “Sounds like he’s all about the money. Those kind of people are the easiest to deal with. They always have a price.”
“Enough talk about them. I think I want to lay in bed all night with you, only getting up to get food and drink. How does that sound?”
How it sounded was perfect. The problem was I had to be at Jethro’s bar by nine and with Kane home, there would be no way I’d be able to. As much as I hated lying, I needed to find a way to get out of the house so Gemma could take me to work at his bar.
“I heard from Gemma a little while ago. I need to go to her place tonight. She’s feeling bad about how things are going with the new guy.”
“I thought they were still in the honeymoon phase,” he said with a smile.
“Guess not. I’d planned on staying with her until you got out of work.”
He nuzzled my neck and whispered, “I’d rather you stay with me, but if she needs you, I can’t say no. When do you need to leave?”
“She’s not picking me up until eight, so we have some time.”
Kane lifted his head and flashed me a sexy grin. “Good. I’m going to have to fit in a night’s worth of lovemaking in just a few hours, though.”
“I think I can handle that,” I said with a giggle, loving how playful he was now that he’d gotten the good news that I’d helped make happen.
Lifting me into his arms, he kissed me and I wrapped my legs around his waist so he could carry me upstairs to the bedroom. We’d christened every room in the house already, so I joked as he laid me onto the bed, “I guess tonight’s a bedroom night.”
He kept his gaze on me as he slid out of his shirt. Licking his lips, he grinned. “You say that like it’s boring.”
“Not at all,” I answered as I watched him slip off his pants and stand at the edge of the bed naked in front of me with his cock getting harder by the moment. “I don’t think any man with a cock piercing can be called boring, Kane.”
He flicked his tongue over his lower lip. “We’ll get to that later. Right now, I had something else in mind.”
Still fully clothed, I lay back and he slowly removed my shirt and shorts, kissing a path from my neck to my breasts. He slid his hands behind my back and removed my bra, tossing it to the side before he turned to take one excited nipple into his mouth. Flicking his tongue over the taut skin, he sent strings of need weaving through me straight to my core.
I ran my hands over his short black hair, holding him to me as he gently bit down on my tender skin. Even now, with his teeth marking me, Kane was gentle. I knew somewhere inside his demons could make that change at any moment, but that fact didn’t frighten me.
Only the threat of losing him frightened me, but tonight I’d be at Jethro’s bar to make sure that didn’t happen. If Kane could protect me, I could do the same for him.
“Angel, everything all right?”
I looked down at him and nodded. “I’m all right.”
“Did I do something to scare you? I didn’t mean to hurt you, if I did.”
“No, you didn’t do anything wrong.” I cradled his face in my hands. “It’s perfect, like always.”
Kane slid up my body to kiss my lips, softly and sweetly showing me he loved me as he whispered, “I would never hurt you intentionally, Abbi.”
“You never hurt me, Kane. From the moment you came down to see me behind the bar that night, you’ve been kinder than any man I’ve ever met. The rest of the world may see the cold man, but I never do.”
“I don’t care about the rest of the world when I’m with you. All I care about is that you’re happy. Tell me you’re happy, angel, so while you’re at Gemma’s tonight I can be happy without you.”
Never before had anyone been so able to make my heart ache with just words. I wanted to tell him the truth—that I had made that deal with Mason Jennings because I loved him and would do anything to keep him safe. I couldn’t, though. He’d never let me go there to work for that man and then that awful councilman and his disgusting brother would make sure he went to jail.
I couldn’t let that happen. For the first time in my life, I had a man who loved and protected me. That kind of man was worth any risk to keep.
“I love you, Kane. I would do anything to make you happy. I’ve never felt so loved and protected in my life, and that’s all because of you.”
“I swear I will never let anyone hurt you again. Never.�
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Kissing him, I ran my hands over his muscular back and whispered in his ear, “I know, and I won’t let anyone hurt you either.”
He made a contented sigh and slowly slid into me, stretching my body to accommodate his cock. With every inch, I felt those metal studs drag along my tender skin, like the sweetest torture I never wanted to end. When we were completely joined, I wrapped my legs around his waist and tilted my hips to feel him against my most sensitive spot.
“You feel so fucking good, angel. Like your body was made for my cock.”
Rearing back, he left me empty and desperate to feel him fill me again. Scratching my nails down his back, I pushed my hands against his firm ass and whimpered, “Come back to me. I want you so much.”
Kane thrust his hips forward and buried himself inside me with a low groan. When he was like this—powerful and sensual—I wouldn’t have been able to deny him anything. I adored him. His masculine smell. His throaty voice whispering sexy words as he fucked me. How his body brought me to heights of ecstasy no man had ever even come close to. Those beautiful blue eyes staring down into mine as his every movement aimed to please me.
His hands balled into fists in my hair, and he tugged hard, telling me he was close. Pumping into me, he groaned, “I can’t hold back, angel.”
“Don’t hold back ever,” I moaned as I wrapped my arms around his strong shoulders. “I want all of you, Kane.”
He came with a rush, filling me until I was sure I couldn’t take any more of him. His mouth plundered mine, nearly taking my breath away as the first strings of my orgasm wound through my body. He made love to me until the very last tremor subsided and all that was left was the two of us in each other’s arms.
“I love you, Abbi. You’re my everything,” he whispered against my cheek as he rolled off me and pulled me close.
Resting my head on his chest, I snuggled up against him and listened to his heart slowly return to its normal beat. “And you’re mine. Whatever happens, I want you to always remember that.”