by G. G. Andrew
She was going to his place after.
As the night wore on, the sun began to set and Kim’s dad launched into a discussion of baseball with Scott that lasted entirely too long, because wasn’t it time for him to head home, with her at his heels?
Not being a sports fan, Kim grabbed a deck of cards from inside to play with Lily. But a few rounds in, the girl was starting to look sleepy.
Scott slapped his thighs. “Well, I should probably get Lily home. We’re getting close to bedtime, right Lil?”
“No!” Lily protested, though she was obviously tired.
“Yes.” Scott stood and turned to her parents. “Diane, Gary, thanks so much for having us over tonight.”
“You’re welcome,” Diane said. “We were so glad to have you. Can I interest you in some leftovers? We’ve got plenty of chicken. Here, I’ll fix you a container.” Without waiting for his response, she moved towards the house and Scott followed.
Kim trailed after, calling, “Mom, he’s not some incompetent bachelor. I’m sure he doesn’t need our leftovers.”
“Actually I’d love some,” Scott broke in. “It’s good chicken. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever had chicken that good.”
His tone was casual, his smile polite, but Kim suddenly got a feeling he wasn’t talking about poultry anymore.
“See, Kim?” her mother said. “Let me just go grab the container for you to take home, Scott. I already prepared it, thinking you might want some.” She slid open the sliding glass door and disappeared into the house.
Kim turned to Scott. “That’s Diane Xavier for you. She would’ve forced the chicken on you even if you’d said no.”
“I wouldn’t have said no,” he said, his eyes twinkling in the twilight. “I’ve never had better chicken. It was incredible, and I’d love to have it again and again.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, sensing his flirting a mile away.
“I didn’t expect it,” Scott added, “but it was really juicy and—”
“Don’t say it.”
“—moist.”
She crossed her arms and smirked. “You have a filthy mind for such a Boy Scout.”
He walked up and whispered in her ear. “You have no idea just how filthy my mind can be.”
Her breath hitched, right as her mother opened the sliding glass door and started walking towards them. Kim stepped away from him a rush.
God.
Their flirting was playful, much less intense than she’d imagined. Less a dirty secret, and more like a present under the Christmas tree. Treasured and hidden from everyone’s sight, but with an anticipated unveiling. She wasn’t sure if it made the whole situation better or worse. She had a box full of shame back at her apartment and she didn’t need to add to it, but wondering if she and Scott could be something real and open and happening at her parents’ barbecue sent a shiver down her spine.
“Here we go, Scott,” her mother said, carrying a large covered dish. “No rush returning the container; we’ve got plenty.”
“Thank you.” Scott took the chicken and smiled his gratitude. Turning to Kim, he added, “Kim, I’d love to share with you what I’ve found out about your situation. Can you come over in half an hour, once I’ve got Lily down?”
“Oh, is that still going on?” Diane said, laughing nervously. Kim had asked Laurel to fill her mom in on their discovering that the flash drive was the item and the sticking it back in her mailbox, minus some details like meeting up with Hutch.
“Just some loose ends,” Scott replied, before calling over to his daughter. “Let’s head home, Lily.”
The girl shuffled over to him and gave Kim a sleeping smile. “Can you come over to my house and play princesses again?”
“Sure.” Kim ruffled her soft blond hair. “If your dad says it’s okay.”
She and Scott shared a small, brief smile with each other before he shouted his goodbyes over his shoulder to her father, sister, and Jamie, and walked towards their house.
“Have a good night, Scott, Lily,” Diane called as she watched them leave the lawn. Then, her voice lower, she spoke to her youngest daughter. “So will you be staying at Laurel’s tonight, or at our neighbor’s house?” She turned and scratched a fingertip on Kim’s shoulder. “You’ve got barbecue sauce on your shirt.” Without another word, she grabbed a dish off the table and walked inside.
Kim closed her mouth from gaping at her mother and looked down. Sure enough, a spot of dark red sauce was spattered on the shoulder of her top. Wordlessly, she followed her mother inside and made straight for the bathroom. At least the stain gave her an excuse to avoid conversation with any of her family members.
She dawdled long enough in there, reapplying lipstick and wiping at the stain, that she heard Laurel and Jamie giving their goodbyes to her parents. So she could avoid that interrogation.
But Jamie must’ve been driving them home, because a minute later Laurel sent her a flurry of texts.
You had sex with Scott Culpepper!!! Or you’re about to or something.
Maybe we’re having sex right now, Kim replied as she sat down on the toilet lid.
Eww!
You started it.
But that’s happening, right?
Kim couldn’t keep the smile off her face. It’s happening.
I knew it! The way you guys were looking at each other ALL NIGHT. She sent another text a moment later. Do you think Mom knows?
Oh, she knows, Kim texted. Trust me. She added some open-mouthed surprise faces to the text.
Uh-oh.
Kim didn’t know whether her mother would approve or not, but keeping Diane abreast of these things wasn’t always wise. She had her own ideas about what was best for her youngest daughter, and they didn’t always align with Kim’s.
Yeah, Kim texted. Sneaking out of here in a minute. Thinking of using bathroom window.
Your butt won’t fit.
Mean! But Kim giggled and added, I’ll be home a little late. But by eleven.
What, you don’t want to stay overnight there?? Run into Dad in the morning taking out the recycling or Mom on her morning walk?
Nooo… Just don’t wait up. She added a winking face.
Who says I want to wait up? Jamie and I will be upstairs doing creepy sex things.
Kim scrunched up her nose. I didn’t need to know that.
#payback. Laurel added another text. Be careful, okay?
Her sister probably meant being careful in more ways than one. Since she had returned the flash drive, her family felt secure that Kim was no longer in danger. Especially since she hadn’t told Laurel about tracking down the women. But there was another meaning to her sister’s words. Kim could be impulsive in other ways beyond stealing, and maybe since Laurel guessed she was sleeping with Scott Culpepper, she suspected Kim hadn’t exactly been prepared. And she hadn’t—neither of them had. They hadn’t used a condom.
Kim got herself tested regularly, especially since she’d been in recovery for her addiction, and she’d been lucky enough to never have gotten pregnant from the few times she’d been careless and stupid. But she didn’t want to make a habit of it. She had a brand-new box of condoms in her purse, and she was taking it with her to Scott’s.
She texted a quick goodbye to Laurel, then slunk out of her parents’ bathroom to tell them goodnight on her way out the door. Her mom was in the kitchen wrapping up leftovers. To her credit, Diane didn’t mention anything further about Scott, but lifted one eyebrow at Kim as she put a layer of plastic wrap over the leftover watermelon.
“Call me tomorrow, Kimberly.”
“I will.”
Kim went across the street to the Culpepper residence. Just as she raised her hand to knock at his door, Scott opened it from the inside.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hello.” He’d taken off his jacket and stood there in his light blue shirt, his forearms strong and tanned in the golden light emanating from inside. His hand gripped high on the doorframe,
and for a few moments his eyes raked her over, ankles to freshly-colored lips.
“I’m here to talk,” she said when his eyes met hers again, dark blue with heat.
His voice was low and firm. “Bedroom.”
It wasn’t a question, and he said it in a tone of voice that made it obvious they hadn't resolved their argument from earlier, but also like it was a foregone conclusion they were about to have sex.
Kim didn’t argue.
She followed him down a short hall to the master bedroom, which had light oak furniture surrounding a king-sized bed with a royal blue comforter. The bed was neatly made, of course. Hospital corners and everything.
Scott stood at the foot of the bed. He whipped off his shirt, dropping it to the floor. “Take off your clothes,” he ordered.
Kim tried to pick up her dropped jaw from the floor. Though they’d had sex before, she hadn’t really seen him up close. His torso was firm, lean and chiseled, probably from jogging and weight-lifting. Milk had done his body good, and she couldn’t help but take a moment to appreciate that.
“Your clothes,” he reminded her.
“You suck at foreplay,” Kim said, but she peeled her tight black shirt off and tossed it on top of Scott’s.
His eyes lingered on her chest. She was grateful she’d worn her black lace demi-cup bra. It was a couple levels above her everyday lingerie, and it pushed her breasts up in a way that made it hard for men not to notice. Particularly when her breathing was growing heavy like it was now, making her cleavage rise and fall.
Scott was noticing. But all the blood hadn’t left his brain.
“How long are you going to keep doing this?” he asked.
“Doing what? Taking off my clothes?”
“No. Tracking down these women.”
She ran her fingers through her hair. “As long as it takes for one of us to find out who’s behind all this. Care to race?”
“No.” He unbuttoned his pants. “I don’t like you doing this.”
“Yeah, I got that impression.”
“As I said before, you don’t know who these women are. They could be complicit. And even if they’re not, they might not be the kind of people you want to meet up with.” He unzipped his pants and pulled them off.
“That woman who owned the cupcake shop seemed really dangerous,” Kim said, but then her mouth went dry at the sight of Scott standing there in only his boxers. God, he was incredibly edible.
And from the looks of it, already incredibly aroused. This wasn’t foreplay for him, but a drawn-out strip show for sport, or a design to make her squirm in more ways than one.
“Take off your pants,” he said.
She obeyed, turning in profile so he could see a hint of her ass in black panties as she shucked her capris off to pool on the floor. “You’re certainly bossy tonight.”
“I’m trying to see if you can follow orders in any context,” he retorted. His gaze skimmed her legs, but then his eyes met hers again. “Huh,” he said, like he’d figured something out.
“What?” Kim asked.
“It just occurred to me you only take an item of clothing off when I do.”
“So?”
“You don’t want to be any more naked than me. It makes you vulnerable.”
“Whatever.” He was probably right, but she reached behind to unfasten her bra. She slipped it off her shoulders to release her breasts. Her nipples were tight, her body flushed with desire. She tossed the black lace on his pants.
He swallowed.
“Some of us don’t like to be caught with our panties down,” she whispered.
“Take down those panties and lay down on the bed,” he said. “Now.”
She felt a surge of excitement rush through her body. This was his lecturing-criminals voice, she guessed, or something close, but she didn’t mind. She was beginning to like this firm Scott as much as she liked him helpless underneath her, groaning and calling her name.
Still, she enjoyed putting up a good fight. She put her hands on her hips. “Why should I? You haven’t taken off your boxers yet.”
With a frustrated growl, Scott yanked off his underwear. “Kimberly,” he said, gritting his teeth.
“Okay, okay.” She smiled and hooked a thumb on each side of her black panties, but she took her time removing them. Scott was practically shuddering, and she was as wet as she’d ever been in the presence of a man.
“The bed,” he said.
She got on the blue comforter and crawled up to the head of the bed. He followed her, and as she turned to lay on her back, he got on top of her, propping himself above her on his forearms and boxing her in.
She felt the warmth from his skin only inches away, and it made her toes curl.
“Are you listening to me?” he asked. “About the list?”
“Yes,” she said. “I’ll be careful. But I’m not going to stop. I need to do this. For myself, and for all those women.”
“Then tell me who you’re seeing, and where, and when.”
She paused. “Okay.”
“Okay?” He raised his eyebrows at her. Their faces were close, their noses almost touching. He smelled like springtime, a medley of grass tinged with ozone, the smoke from her parents’ grill, and a hint of manly sweat.
“Okay.” She shifted, and the tip of his erection brushed her hip. She bit her lip with impatience and arched her body up until her nipples brushed his chest. “Is there anything else?”
“You shouldn’t go out alone at night, or back to your parents’ without me accompanying you,” he said. “You should let someone know your whereabouts at all times.”
“I gave the asshole back his flash drive,” she said. “He doesn’t know we made a copy, or that we got into his so-called secure file.” She didn’t want to talk about this anymore, and it wasn’t just that she had a hot naked man on top of her. It made her nervous.
“Still,” Scott said, his face hardening. “There are a lot of nasty people out there, and I wouldn’t put anything past this scumbag. You should—”
She reached her hand between their bodies then and grasped him. He stopped talking, letting out a groan. His lips moved like he wanted to say more, but with a few tugs and squeezes, she effectively derailed his argument. His eyes shut as he groaned again, and she smiled to herself.
“Kimberly…”
She was starting to like that, too.
His eyes opened, the blue startling her anew. She was still touching him, but he looked determined and ready for a counterattack. His mouth dove for hers, capturing her lips in a kiss she should’ve seen coming, but made her moan all the same. As he stoppered her mouth with his tongue, his hand reached down to the slickness between her legs. He slid one finger inside her.
She gasped and her hips bucked.
“How’s this for foreplay?” he said into her ear.
“A little better,” she said, slurring the last part as he slid a second finger inside.
“Still not there yet?”
“No...” She pressed her legs together, trapping his hand. She couldn’t help but writhe against him.
“You don’t have to do that, you know,” she mumbled.
“Do what?”
“Touch me.”
“Oh, you mean touch you like this?” He began sliding his fingers in and out, in and out, ever so slowly.
She arched into him.
“I’m already wet enough for you,” she said once she’d caught her breath. “Can’t you read the clues?”
He increased his speed, his pressure. “I can read the clues just fine.”
Dipping his head, he took one of her nipples into his mouth, then moved to the other. He had her pinned to the bed with points of pleasure, the bundle of nerves at each spot sending shockwaves to the others, like lines drawn to create constellations.
She knew he was ready to be inside her. She could feel the thick hardness of him as he pressed closer to her. He even seemed harder than two minutes ago, if that
was possible. This was him letting the lady go first.
“Are you always such a gentleman?” she sputtered as waves of pleasure hit her with every parry of his fingers, flick of his tongue.
“Kim, this isn’t about me being a gentleman,” he said. “This is about me wanting to make you come so hard you say my name again.”
Sure enough, he brought her to the breaking point a minute later, and as she dug her fingernails into his back, she screamed something—even she didn’t know what—as she came in an intense, almost painful burst against his strong hand.
“Shh,” he whispered, chuckling low in her ear.
“Happy now?” she said, panting.
“Almost.” He reached a hand to the drawer of his nightstand and rifled until he found a box of condoms. “I’m prepared this time.”
“Ever the Boy Scout.”
He pulled out a condom, but it was connected to a long strip of others. He flung the strip on the bed. “I got the jumbo pack,” he explained.
Kim tore off a condom, offering it to him. “Well, later tonight, when we run out of these and the ones I brought, we’ll just have to hit the pharmacy.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Kim
Kim needed coffee, and her sister’s brew just wasn’t cutting it.
She’d only stayed at Scott’s a few hours the night before. They could’ve gone several more rounds, but they both knew it wouldn’t be good to have Lily wake up to the confusion of a woman in her father’s bed, and she guessed her mother was spying on how long she was there. She reluctantly slid out from between the sheets, her body still humming with desire.
“I caught you with your panties down,” Scott said languidly. He lay naked under the sheet, arms bent behind his head, and watched her, his eyes half-lidded.
“Not for long.” She pulled her underwear on.
“I’ll call you,” he said.
“Uh-huh.” But she shot a shy smile his way as a parting gift. Scott Culpepper could bone.
This morning, she had the sore muscles to prove it.
Kim rose early—before her sister could come downstairs and assault her with questions; the curiosity thing ran in the family—stepped into a fresh pair of capris and a white blouse, and headed out to grab a decent cup of coffee.