by Kells, India
They walked for a few minutes, headed toward a local store that looked like it sold everything from cement to lingerie. Kingsley couldn’t relax, but he felt better knowing the team were on their way and would be able to offer back-up while he and Sydney looked for the damn clue.
“So we set up Forget-me-Not Flowers as a front for us to make contact with each other. When I was talking to Candy, it was actually one of the team. Ordering four red roses and offering to pay the last-minute delivery fee meant I was asking for back-up from four team members and it was a high-risk, urgent situation. The address was where we would meet, and the time was the meet time.”
“Wow, that’s genius.”
“Yeah, it is a pretty smart idea. The flower shop actually exists as a front in case anyone checks.”
“So we have a few hours before they arrive. Are we safe?” she asked looking around.
Kingsley stopped and faced her, taking her hands in his. “We’re safe for now, but I don’t want us to stay on the street. If you feel comfortable, I’d like us to get a room somewhere so you can get some sleep. I can catch forty winks on the floor, but I want us in the same room. The time it takes me to hear you’re in trouble from another room and get to you could be seconds that matter more than we want. You good with that?”
“Of course, Kingsley, I trust you. I know you would never hurt me.”
“I wouldn’t, sweet Sydney, but as I said earlier, I don’t want to do anything that would make you uncomfortable.” Keeping hold of her hand he walked them toward the store to get the phone and then they could get a room sorted out. After picking up a cheap mobile phone, Kingsley paid cash, and they checked them into a room at the local guesthouse.
One look at the big bed and Kingsley knew he might have overestimated his ability to keep his hands off Sydney. Taking a deep breath, he headed for the bathroom. “You get settled. I’m going to grab a quick shower.” A fucking cold one but he kept that thought to himself.
Chapter Fourteen
The shower had been a blessing, the hot spray soothing her frayed nerves and bunched muscles. Sydney bowed her head as the water pummeled between her shoulder blades.
Her brain had trouble relaxing, replaying images of her uncle hurting her over and over again. She knew it was because of her earlier confession to Kingsley. It had opened old wounds. She deliberately turned her thoughts to the man who’d appeared in her life like a knight in shining armor. Images of Kingsley pushed away the terror, taking over her thoughts, unknowingly saving her once more.
For so long, once she was alone, the traumatic events of her past had a way of rearing their ugly heads and garnering all her attention. However, since the British soldier had appeared in her life, she was better able to battle the dark demons in her head.
Even more surprising was the simmering desire that bubbled inside her belly and between her legs. Something unexpected and powerful happened every time she caught him glancing at her, and that latent heat exploded when they kissed. That brought hope she wasn’t as completely broken as she’d first thought. Desire hadn’t vanished with her uncle’s violation as Sydney had believed. It had just been locked away. And Kingsley Knight could very well be the key to unlocking it.
The possibility made her turn off the shower. Could she be so bold as to test her theory? There was an undeniable connection between them. He was always flirting with her. Were his actions true, or was it just the way he treated women in general?
Sydney dismissed that idea. She hadn’t known Kingsley long, but nothing in what he’d said or done had been a trick or deceitful. Her bullshit radar was on point and could spot a player a mile away, and so far, nothing had set it off.
Drying her hair and rubbing her body, she reached for the toiletries inside the bag the girls at Alliance had packed for her. After untangling her hair and brushing her teeth, she decided to put on a fresh t-shirt and shorts. There was a set of underwear as well, but as they were going to get some sleep, it was better to be comfortable. She could change again later.
Putting everything back inside her bag, she noticed a few foil packets at the bottom. It seemed they wanted her to be ready for anything including providing protection. Or was it the sign she’d been waiting for?
When she returned to the room, it was dark, the curtains closed to block out the afternoon sun but there was still enough light to see. It took a couple of seconds for her eyes to adjust. Kingsley was crammed on the small couch that was against the far wall. Barefoot, clad only in a pair of jeans, his eyes were closed, but she knew he wasn’t sleeping. She’d had time to watch him asleep in the car, and it was the only time his face was completely relaxed. From what she could see in the shadows, he was frowning.
Padding through the room, Sydney dropped her bag beside the bed and slid under the cool sheets. Being able to stretch out was soothing after so many hours in the car. Her hand moved to the empty side of the bed, and she thought of Kingsley, obviously uncomfortable because he was trying to be chivalrous.
“Kingsley? Are you asleep?”
His groan made her smile.
“You really want me to believe you can rest like that? Folded up like a pretzel?”
“I’ve slept in worse conditions. On a battlefield, sometimes the only place available is in the dirt, with a rock as a pillow. Believe me, this is very comfortable.”
“There’s plenty of space on the bed.”
The way he paused made her hope he was considering her offer. “Sleep, Sydney. I’ll be able to sleep as soon as I know you are.”
“And I won’t be able to sleep knowing you’re on that ridiculous couch.”
Sydney heard grumbling and more rustling and looked at him again. “If you don’t come over here, I’ll sleep on the floor next to you.”
The grumbling intensified, and she recognized a few curses before he stood and Sydney knew she had won.
“I know you’re grinning, lady. And let me tell you that being so hard-headed will get you nowhere.”
The mattress depressed on the other side of her. “It got you in bed. That’s something.”
The man chuckled. “Try to rest, Sydney. The team will be here soon, and I need your brain at full capacity to figure out that clue.”
He was right. Unfortunately, sleep usually meant nightmares, and that was something she couldn’t cope with right then. The accumulated stress was an inevitable trigger for her, especially after baring her soul to Kingsley earlier.
Trying some breathing techniques from her psychiatrist, Sydney shifted to her side, before realizing that when she was on her back the tightness in her chest wasn’t as intense.
“Sydney?”
“Sorry, give me a minute.”
Unfortunately, she started to feel bad which only increased her anxiety. Scrambling to get herself under control, she noticed Kingsley sit up.
“This was a bad idea, I’m making you uncomfortable. I’ll go back to the couch.”
Sydney reached for him and grabbed his forearm before he had a chance to leave. “No, please. I don’t want you to leave. I just need to get out of my head…”
She saw him hesitate before lying down again. “Are you sure?”
His voice was laced with concern, and somehow it pushed at her discomfort, her body remembering the way he made her feel instead.
“Talk to me. It helps. Please.”
Kingsley twisted to his side, his head on his bicep. “How does it help?”
She hesitated a little. “It distracts me.”
She could hear the smile in his voice. “I distract you? How come?”
No way she was telling him how his thick accent made her belly quiver and her thighs press together. But the man was persistent.
“Sydney, tell me.”
“You make me want…”
As if he knew, his voice was warm and teasing in her ear. “Want what, Sydney? I’m all ears.”
Her anxiety took a backseat, and shyness tried to take over, but her mounting desir
e was having none of it. She needed to decide what she wanted.
Opening her mouth and closing it, unable to say the words, she turned her eyes to him. There wasn’t any hurry or expectation in his. He was lying down, looking at her with a fascination she hadn’t seen before.
“If you can’t tell me, Sydney, show me. I’m riveted here. You’re safe. I swear on everything in me that I won’t move a muscle. I won’t touch you with anything other than my voice.”
Did he want her to touch herself? In front of him?
Immediately, she expected panic to seize her, but instead, her only emotions were fascination and curiosity. Tentatively, her hands went to her belly, making her t-shirt rise a little. Her fingers felt her skin, and she pulled the fabric up a little more.
In response, Kingsley sighed. “You can’t imagine how beautiful you are, lying there in the shadows, the faint light touching your skin making it glow. Is your skin as soft as I imagine it is?”
Following his words, her hands splayed over her stomach. It was a tame touch, but at the same time, something flared inside her.
“Sydney, honey, show me what you want. Slide your hands where you want me to touch you next.”
She didn’t look at him to begin with. Instead, her hands glided under her t-shirt and cupped her breasts in her palms.
“Syd…”
The shortened version of her name came to her on a groan as she touched herself and it made her warm inside. She dared a peek at him. His breathing had accelerated and his eyes were fixed on her hands.
He licked his lips before turning his attention to her. “If it were my hands there, I wouldn’t be still. Do you know what I’d be doing?”
At that moment, Sydney knew she was utterly lost. She had never felt so powerful or aroused in her life as she anticipated his next words. “What would you do?”
His smile made her heart flip. “I would fill my hands and squeeze a little. I would caress your skin, tease you a little, and myself too, because all I’d want to do is have a taste. I would close my lips on your nipple and bite it gently. Would you like that?”
It was her turn to feel breathless. Her mind pictured him worshiping her breasts and her body arched a little. Encumbered by her t-shirt, Sydney flung care to the wind and removed it. The air was cool on her feverish skin, but she didn’t care. Instead, her fingers started tracing slow patterns on her tender skin until she pinched her nipples.
Sydney moaned at the contact and it was echoed by Kingsley beside her. A quick look told her his eyes were on her body and there was a definite bulge in his pants. Knowing she had aroused such a dangerous man was exhilarating and she felt her own arousal spike. She loved that he controlled her, aroused her without touching her, let her set the pace while holding himself back, and she craved more.
“What’s next, Kingsley? Is that all you’d do to me?”
“Oh, sweetheart, I’d ravish your breasts a while longer until your body was begging for me.”
“Begging for you?”
“Yes. I’d know you were ready for more when your legs parted under my touch, your hips searched for my hand.”
“And would you touch me then?”
A dark chuckle came from his lips. “Oh, babe. I’d torment you some more. I’d run my hands up and down your belly, inching lower and lower until you were grinding over my thigh in desperation, seeking more pressure.”
She should have been embarrassed when her hips mimicked the words he wove, but she was past that point. Her palms traced the path he described, but she wasn’t about to tease herself when she was the one in control of her pleasure. Fingers snaking inside her shorts, legs spread, she covered her mound and squeezed hard. Despite the lack of direct touch, electricity coursed through her and she shivered.
“Kingsley.”
“I’m here, baby. I’m with you. Tell me what you feel.”
Mouth dry, she found the courage to look at him. His body was tense as a bow, his free hand now fisting the comforter between them. Only then did she slide her fingers through her slick folds, drawing a finger over her sensitive nub.
Kingsley’s groan felt like agony. “Syd… I’m begging you, talk to me. How am I touching you?”
“You… your hand is between my legs. I feel you teasing me, touching me everywhere but the spot that needs it most.”
“Am I? And what does it make you feel?”
Feeling bold as she pleasured herself, Sydney slid her hand across the bed and cupped his straining erection and started caressing his hardening length. “How do you think it makes me feel?”
The curses that fell from his lips almost made her blush, but his body clearly battling his own gratification made her moan even louder.
“Shit, Sydney. Remove your hand, or I’m going to come in my pants.”
The idea of him coming undone was appealing, but when her core clenched hard, sending shivers throughout her body, it was clear that she had another decision to make.
She let him go, pushing her shorts down before her good sense could stop her. Riding the wave, Sydney rolled on top of Kingsley and kissed him. Her breasts were plastered against his muscled torso; her head was spinning as Kingsley kissed her like she was the last source of air in the world. His lips were almost bruising, his beard scratching, but she didn’t care. The only thing in her mind was that she wanted more. So much more.
As she ran her fingers through his hair, touching every available inch of skin she could reach, she realized he wasn’t touching her back. “Kingsley.”
He was breathing hard now, sweat beading over his forehead and with such a fire in his eyes, it was almost frightening. “Yes, Syd?”
“Why aren’t you touching me?”
He laughed, but the sound was more a moan. “I don’t want to trigger a bad reaction. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life, but you’re too important for me to fail.”
When she straddled his hips and straightened up over him, she noticed his fists gripping the comforter like a lifeline. “I don’t want to make you suffer, that’s not what I want.”
He swallowed hard. “It’s a sweet kind of suffering, don’t worry about it.”
She hesitated a second. “And if I want more?”
Her question was vague, but the way he looked at her, so serious, it was apparent he had understood. “Tell me what you need, Sydney, and I’ll give it to you. Anything at all.”
Her heart squeezed at this generous, selfless man. It was obvious he was fighting his instincts with every fiber of his being to put her first. His strength built her own courage. “Can you lay still and let me lead? I understand if it’s too much to ask and you want to stop.”
“No!” It was almost a shout, but Kingsley quickly brought himself back under control. “You take the lead. But you need to be explicit. I’ll follow your directions.” A smile bloomed on his face before he repeated his earlier words. “My body is at your disposal.”
It was her time to swallow and jump. “I want your hand.”
“Where? I told you, be precise or I won’t move.”
“On my breast, please.”
He did as she said, his wide palm cupping her breast. Between her legs, she could feel him hard and throbbing under the denim cloth, but his hips didn’t move an inch. Neither did his hand. He had told her to give him detailed instructions after all. “I want you to do what you described to me, what you said you would do to me if you touched my breasts.”
Only then did his hand start to caress her. Her eyes locked with his, and it was apparent he was on high alert for any adverse reactions, and that knowledge allowed her to relax.
Pressing down on his erection, her hips started to move a little. “Both hands, please, use both hands.”
He complied, and she pushed herself more into his touch. When he pinched her nipples and tugged at them a little, it was as if an electric current went straight between her legs.
Sydney leaned back, putting her hands on his jeans-clad knees. “
I want your hands lower, please.”
It was impossible for her to say the words, but Kingsley understood. “Yes, Ma’am.”
And his fingers lightly tickled her ribs, pausing a hair’s breadth from when she wanted them the most. She tilted her hips, and his rough fingers circled her clit, making her shudder.
Closing her eyes, all she felt was his hand teasing her mercilessly, making her rise higher and higher before withdrawing a little then pushing her higher again.
Her legs trembled, and she knew she was on the verge. She pushed his hand away, before bending and taking his lips. His taste, his demanding lips, blurred her mind as her hands roamed his body. Her hands hitched in the waistband of his undone jeans and started to pull as she lavished his quivering abs with kisses.
His erection freed, she heard him say her name, but she was too far gone and took him in her hands. This time, his entire body bowed and shook.
Kingsley clenched his jaw, his voice a warning hiss. “You’re playing with fire. I’m good, but not that good, Syd. Please.”
He was now the one who begged, and she smiled, her thumb spreading his essence over his head. He could warn her all he wanted, tell her she could call it quits at any time, but in her mind, there was no going back.
Reaching for her bag, she came back with a foil packet and started to open it.
He covered her hands. “Be sure, Sydney. Don’t do this for me, please. I couldn’t live with it if you went too far, too fast because of me.”
She kissed his hand and pushed it aside. “I’m desperate for you. Are you going to deny me?”
Again, he breathed harshly through clenched teeth and took the packet from her hands to sheath himself. Once he was done, his erection bobbing in anticipation, he took a bracing breath before grabbing the headboard with both his hands. “You’re in the driver’s seat. God have mercy on my soul.”
The mouth-watering man offering himself to her removed any remaining doubts. Holding him in her hand, she teased herself a little bit, rubbing him against her sensitive folds before finally positioning him and impaling herself with his thick length.