Then he took off my pajamas and kissed me again. He was really turned on. I could feel it in the tension of his body and the way his erection rubbed against me.
I loved how much he wanted me, like he could never get enough.
“I love you.” I gasped when our lips finally parted.
“That’s good to know.” He was busy taking off the rest of his clothes now, but he shot a warm look up to my face. “Because I’m pretty damned crazy about you.”
I smiled at him sappily until he was naked. Then he moved over me again, settling between my legs. I bent my knees as he slowly slid himself inside me.
We both groaned in pleasure when he’d penetrated me fully. He leaned down to kiss me again, slowly rocking into me.
I met and matched his motion as we fell into a leisurely rhythm, kissing at the same time.
After a few minutes, I felt his body start to tighten and his rhythm accelerate. His need was starting to take over.
The kiss broke apart, and I arched my neck, gasping. “I love this. I love you.”
He grunted something that sounded like he loved me too, but his motion had turned fast, primitive. When he got to that point, he could never really talk much.
Soon my grunts were matching his as the pleasure built again, and I cried out as an orgasm claimed me, rippling the sensations through my body.
He’d obviously been holding out for me because he let out a rough sound as his body froze and then released.
We were kissing again, clumsily, as the pleasure slowly faded.
Finally our mouths parted, and I wrapped him in a tight hug.
He rolled us over onto our sides, his sated shaft slipping out of me with the move.
We smiled at each other as we caught our breath, both clearly pleased with the interlude.
Then he finally said, “I’m hungry.”
“You’re the one who worked through dinner.”
“Did you save me any?”
“Yeah. It’s in the refrigerator.” I stretched and reached for my tank top, which was hanging off the edge of the bed. “Go warm it up if you want. I need to clean up anyway.”
So I went to the bathroom, and he went to the kitchen, and then I went to join him as he ate at the kitchen counter.
We went to bed afterward and talked for about an hour, about the plans for the security business and about my newly emerging career plans.
All in all, it was a very good night.
***
I had an evening class the following day that ended at eight o’clock.
With the Maxwell scholarship, I could finally afford to go to college, rather than just take one online class every now and then. I’d decided to commit to finishing my degree as soon as possible, since I eventually wanted to go to grad school and didn’t want to be in my forties when I could finally get a job at a museum, which was what I still wanted to do.
It was hard—to work full time and go to school at the same time, plus still helping out with my family. But at least I could see a light at the end of it, a life that I really wanted, that I could be good at.
This particular class—Algebra for the Liberal Arts—was not exactly within my field of interest. It was part of the general education requirements though, so I had to take it. A two-and-a-half-hour block every Wednesday night wasn’t what I’d call a good time, but I figured it was better to get it over with early.
That evening, as always, by the time the class was over, I was in a math-induced stupor.
I looked at the syllabus as the professor was finally wrapping up, and I counted out seven more weeks left of this class.
I could do it if it meant I could finally graduate from college. So far I was averaging a B, which I figured was pretty good.
I walked out of the building with a couple of the students in the class who always sat near me. They were complaining about the class, and I was just listening and smiling sympathetically.
They seemed very young to me, although they were probably just a few years younger. Roy, the male student, lingered after the two girls walked off in the other direction.
He was nice and smart enough and had a good sense of humor. He asked if I wanted to get some coffee to recover from the class, looking a little nervous about the invitation.
I sympathized with him. He was trying, and he’d have no way to know I was seriously dating someone. Or that I was probably eight years older than him. I smiled as kindly as possible as I said I had someone waiting for me.
As if on cue, Sebastian pulled his fancy car up to the curb in front of the classroom building.
He got out of the driver’s side, looking sexy and buff and vaguely intimidating in a black T-shirt and jeans.
Roy’s face fell as he saw who was waiting for me.
“Sorry,” I said with a sheepish shrug and another smile.
“Just my luck,” he muttered.
I waved at him as I walked toward Sebastian, who was waiting by the passenger door, frowning.
“Was that boy coming on to you?” he muttered, glowering at Roy’s retreating back.
“He asked me if I wanted to get some coffee with him.”
“And he didn’t know you were already taken?”
“Am I supposed to wear a sign that says, ‘I’m already spoken for by Sebastian Maxwell’?”
“That’s not a bad idea. Maybe I could get a T-shirt made.”
I shook my head at him as he took my bag and shoved it in the back seat.
“Thanks for picking me up,” I said. “And for helping Tyler with his car.”
“No problem. I’m not all that great with cars, but I can at least show him how to change the oil.”
“He likes you.” I’d been really encouraged by how well Tyler had taken to Sebastian. I was hoping he could be a good influence, a better influence then the friends he’d been hanging out with lately.
“He’s a good kid. I think he’ll be okay.” Then his expression changed. “Speaking of kids, that boy didn’t say anything inappropriate, did he?” he asked, looking back over at Roy, who was now almost out of sight.
“No. Of course not. He seems like a decent guy. He just asked me to get a cup of coffee. It does happen occasionally, you know. I said no.”
“I guess that’s one of the drawbacks of dating a college girl. She gets hit on by all the boys.”
I giggled and stretched up to kiss his frowning face. “And now I guess I’m only allowed to get hit on by one particular man.”
“That’s right.” He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me against his body. “I’m the only man who is allowed to hit on you.”
“And that goes both ways, you know.”
“I know. I’ve been giving my most off-putting glare at any woman who approaches me.”
I wrapped him in a hug, loving him so much that I couldn’t help but show it. “I don’t think you even have an off-putting glare.”
“I do too.” He edged back so he could look down at my face. “How’s this?”
I laughed at the exaggerated grimace he gave me. “That’s perfect. Very intimidating. I expect you to give that look to any woman who looks like she might hit on you.”
“Got it. You’re the only one who gets to hit on me.”
I leaned my cheek against his chest, trying to hear his heartbeat. “Good. That better be true for a really long time.”
“Forever.”
“Sounds perfect to me.”
Epilogue
Sebastian
“To Gavin,” I said as I raised my glass. Soon the guys were doing the same. It would have been his birthday today, and it only seemed fitting that we got together and drank a toast to him. In a perfect world, he’d be here with us, and we’d be celebrating.
Unfortunately, we lived in an imperfect world.
“I’ve got the next round,” Levi said as he stood and grabbed the pitcher before heading over to the bar. I stared after him for a long moment until Declan brought me around by punching me in the arm.
“What?”
“You okay?” he asked, motioning between Levi and me.
“It’s just hard, you know? I mean, we’re all sitting here, and it’s cool that we can get together and reminisce about Gavin and talk about the good times and the bad ones, but for Levi, he’s got to go home to Harper and her family, and it’s a completely different vibe.”
He nodded. “I was actually kind of surprised that he came out with us at all tonight. I thought for shit-sure that he’d need to be with her.”
I shrugged. “I know that they all went to the cemetery today and had dinner together, but Harper understands how important it is for him to have this with us too. I just imagine that it’s emotional overkill for him.”
Declan nodded, and before the mood got any more depressing, he finished his beer and slammed his mug down on the table. “Which brings up another point.” I looked at him in confusion. “It’s getting pretty damn depressing around here. You guys are dropping like flies.”
“Not me,” Cole said as he lifted his mug and saluted himself. “Life’s too short to spend with just one woman.”
“Amen to that,” Dec agreed. “The way I see it... Levi and Harper? That was bound to happen. I mean, clearly he’s crazy about her. But you?” He looked straight at me as he spoke. “I thought more of you.”
“What the hell does that even mean? What’s wrong with Ali?” I almost wanted to get up and deck him—he brought out my violent side—but I was mildly curious about his logic.
“It’s nothing against Ali. She’s great. It’s the fact that you fell so damn fast. I mean... it was crazy.”
“It wasn’t really fast,” I reasoned. “I fell for her when I was nineteen, and then my family interfered. I never thought I’d see her again—let alone get another chance with her.”
Declan shrugged. “Whatever. I can see hooking up again, but you didn’t have to go and get so serious with her so damn fast. There was no reason to get so serious so quickly.”
“Think what you will, but when it happens, you can’t always control it.”
“I will,” Declan said, reaching for the pitcher Levi had just placed on the table. “There’s a thing called self-control. You should look into it.”
“No way.” I poured myself another drink. “The way that I see it, losing control was the way to go. Ali’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“What are we talking about?” Levi asked, returning and looking between Declan and me.
“The fact that the two of you are now officially whipped,” Declan said.
“And off the market when we just started to get settled back into civilian life again.” Cole winked at a blonde standing at the bar. “Now if you gentlemen will excuse me, I don’t have a curfew, and I intend to see if the lovely lady at the bar has any plans for the evening.” He raised his glass to us as he walked away.
“And you’re not worried about him?” I asked Declan.
“Hell no! He’s going to go over there, take that woman home, and tomorrow he’ll have forgotten her name. C’mon! What’s happened to the two of you? We all used to talk about how we couldn’t wait to get home and have our freedom! Now? I feel like you have to get the ‘okay’ from your women before you’re allowed to come and hang out.” And then he sat back in his chair and sulked. Actually sulked.
“Look how cute he is when he pouts,” I said to Levi, and we both started to laugh. “Are you seriously sitting here and throwing a hissy fit because we have women in our lives and you don’t?”
Dec rolled his eyes. “Of course not. And I’m not having a hissy fit.” He straightened in his chair and leaned on the table. “I’m just saying that I thought the four of us were going to have more time together. Gavin’s life was cut short, and we talked about how much we wanted to live—to experience everything that life had to offer—before it was too late. And now... now you’re both done.”
“I don’t see it like that at all,” I told him. “The way I see it is that I’m still able to experience everything life has to offer. It’s just that now I have Ali to experience it with me.”
“Harper encouraged me to come out with you guys tonight,” Levi said. “I thought she’d want me there with her and her folks, but she knows what you all mean to me and what Gavin meant to me. She’s not hindering my life, Dec. She’s making it better.”
“I know you guys haven’t spent as much time with Ali as you have with Harper, but I think once you get to know her, you’ll see that she’s not someone who is going to hold me back either.” I took a pull of my beer. “You watch,” I said to Declan. “Someday it will be your turn, and we’re going to just sit back and smile.”
“And point and laugh,” Levi said for good measure.
“It will be a cold day in hell when you’re sitting back watching me take the fall with any woman. There are far too many to choose from, so I won’t ever have to decide on just one.”
I looked at Levi, and we both cracked up again. “Okay, you keep telling yourself that.”
“What? It’s true!” Declan said defensively. “I’ll bet you five grand right here, right now, that you won’t see me settling down with any woman ever.”
It was tempting but a little too broad. I shook my head. “Ever is a pretty long time. I’ll wager on say... five years. I’ll give you a five-year span, and to be honest, I don’t think I’ll even have to wait that long. I’ll see your five grand and say that you’ll be taking the plunge and you’ll be taking it willingly.”
“Dude, this is going to be the easiest five grand ever. You sure?”
I laughed. “Oh yeah. I’m positive.”
“Just make sure you let Ali know where the food money’s gone.” Declan gave us a confident smile as he stood. “And just be sure to let her know that I offered you a way out.” He swaggered away to join Cole at the bar.
Yeah, I’d let him have his time to prowl now, but I knew him better than he thought. He’d always been kind of a player, but that lifestyle didn’t really give you the things that matter.
Life happened sometimes. It changed in the blink of an eye. We witnessed that firsthand with Gavin. The gut clench was still there but not the oppressive guilt I’d felt about it even last month.
It almost felt like Gavin was here—with us—and that he might be sitting between Levi and me. That he was happy for us.
Levi turned to see what the other guys were doing, but I raised my glass one last time. To Gavin. To happiness. To peace.
Excerpt from Protecting the Girl Next Door
“Mommy, would you please hurry up?”
The question was posed with impressive gravity and earnestness, despite the fact that it was asked by Lily, my six-year-old daughter.
I piled up the homework handouts I needed to grade tonight and stuffed them into my bag. “You know you have to be patient after school since I can’t always leave right away.”
Lily gave me a long-suffering frown. “I know. I’m being ex-treme-ly patient.”
I tried not to giggle at her conscientious pronunciation of the word.
Lily had long, dark, wavy hair that was presently styled in two very neat braids, and her pink backpack was propped up against her legs. Her hair and blue eyes were like mine, but her seriousness and her smile were just like her dad’s.
She wasn’t showing me the smile at the moment. I knew it was hard for her to have to hang around after school until I was ready to go. Overall, it was convenient for me to teach fourth grade at the same small, private school my daughter attended—the very same one I attended growing up—but this last half hour as I was scrambling to get things done always dragged for her.
I clasped my bag and then noticed books all over the floor near the bookcase. “Can you run pick those books up for me? I’ll just finish erasing the board, and we’ll be all done.”
She sighed dramatically but didn’t argue as she trudged over to the scattered books.
To distract her, I asked, “You had a subs
titute today, didn’t you? How did you like him?”
“Mr. Curtis. He was strange.” Lily had squatted down and was busily collecting books.
I paused and glanced over at her. “Strange in what way?”
“He only wanted to play.”
I’d only seen the substitute teacher briefly from down the hall. He wasn’t on the regular sub list, and I didn’t know anything about him. He looked fairly young and had golden-brown hair and an athletic body. Not the typical substitute for a first grade class. “Well, playing can be fun, can’t it?”
“I guess, but we didn’t do spelling words or math or anything.” Lily paused from neatly shelving the books and gave me a solemn frown. “I’m going to forget all my subjects before Mrs. Bradbury comes back.”
“No, you won’t.” I made my voice sound cheerful, but I was secretly worried. I’d seen a number of substitute teachers who mostly just filled the day with busy work to make it easy on themselves. If it was just a day or two, then it was no big deal. But Eileen Bradbury was out on maternity leave and wouldn’t return for at least ten to twelve weeks.
Lily might just be in first grade, but she couldn’t lose that much of her schooling.
“He was probably just getting to know everyone on the first day, and you’ll get into your subjects tomorrow.”
“I hope so.”
I slung the strap of my bag over my shoulder and smiled as Lily placed the last books on the shelf. She was very intelligent, and she did everything with infinite seriousness. Sometimes I thought she should have some more fun since she was just six, but reading and schoolwork seemed to be what she found the most fun.
“Ready?” I asked her.
“Yes.” She straightened up and pulled on her backpack, which looked almost as big as she was. “I’m ready.”
“We can do some reading tonight to make sure you don’t forget anything.”
She seemed to perk up at this news, and she reached for my hand as we walked down the hall and outside toward the car.
The school was quiet now since students had been dismissed almost an hour ago. The staff parking lot was about half-empty.
“There he is,” Lily announced as I was searching for the keys in my bag. “Mr. Curtis.”
Protecting the Enemy (The Protectors) Page 16