Every Time We Touch: A Redeeming Love Novel (Book 5)

by Parker, J. E.

  The man’s smile dropped.

  Anger slid across his face.

  He took a single step forward; I retreated back two.

  Fear slithered up my spine as my brain screamed at me to turn around and run.

  Something isn’t right.

  I need to get out of here.

  Like, right now.

  I turned, ready to bolt, when a side door along the far wall—one which I hadn’t seen before—opened and Hendrix, followed by Kyle stepped into the bays.

  Relief washed through me.

  Busy looking down at his phone, Kyle didn’t see me right away.

  But Hendrix did.

  A smile tipped his lips heavenward when his eyes first met mine, but it faded the moment he read the expression—one of fear and trepidation—plastered across my face. That’s when he looked from me to the man standing ten feet away in front of me.

  “Oh, shit,” he mumbled to himself.

  At the sound, Kyle jerked his head up.

  His entire body snapped straight when his eyes met my terrified ones.

  “Kyle,” I whispered, feeling the surrounding air grow thick.

  Knowing something was wrong, he swung his gaze to the man whose name I didn’t know. In an instant, a sinister look crossed his face, making my heart race. “You motherfucker,” he growled, dropping his phone and the duffle bag hanging from his shoulder to the ground.

  The phone shattered as it bounced off the concrete, but Kyle didn’t give it a second glance as he stalked toward the man, his shoulders squared.

  “What did you say to her?” he asked, closing the distance between them, his hands fisted; one of which looked swollen and bruised.

  Did something happen?

  “Did you try to touch her?” he continued. “Because if so, you’re about to—”

  Terrified of what was about to happen, I rushed forward, intercepting Kyle before he could reach the man. Clutching the front of his shirt in my hands, I rested my head on his chest, absorbing the sound of his beating heart. “He didn’t do anything,” I rushed to say, praying he would believe me. “I swear.”

  Kyle said nothing as he wrapped a strong arm around my back, holding me tight against him. “Stay away from her, Carson,” he said, his deep timbre ominous. “I mean it.”

  Oh God, he’s Carson?

  My stomach churned at the realization. Though I didn’t understand why he scared me, sending me straight into fight-or-flight mode, I believed in trusting your instincts, and my gut was screaming for me to stay away from him.

  I planned on listening.

  Wanting to get out of there, I dug my fingers into Kyle’s chest. “I want to go back to your apartment, Hulk. I don’t—”

  The words died on my tongue when the side door opened again, and a third person entered the space. “What did I just walk in on?” Ty asked, curiosity lining his voice. “Is Kyle about to kill the rookie or what?”

  “Not funny, asshole,” Hendrix snapped. “Don’t you see Carissa standing in front of him?”

  Ty leaned to the side, looking around Kyle. When he saw me his eyes widened. “Oh, shit,” he said, repeating Hendrix’s exact words from a minute before. “What the hell is going on?”

  Ignoring Ty, Kyle wrapped a hand around my chin and tilted my head up, forcing me to meet his gaze. “You alone?”

  I shook my head. “Heidi and Ashley came with me. Both are supposed to go home with Hendrix so they can watch the girls after Maddie leaves for work.”

  His eyes flicked to Carson; then back to me. “Where are they?”

  “Pop’s office, I think. I saw the bay doors open, so I came in here because I didn’t think you’d be in there. I should’ve stayed with them. I shouldn’t have—”

  Kyle silenced me by a pressing a finger to my lips. “Shh, baby. You did nothing wrong.”

  I nodded, not wanting to argue. “Kyle, I want to go. I don’t—”

  The door behind me—the one I planned to run through—opened. Ashley’s voice followed. “Uncle Henny, have you seen…” Her voice trailed off. Then, “Uh-oh. What’s going on?”

  “Nothing,” Hendrix replied. “Go back inside, Ash.”

  I froze when another pair of footsteps echoed through the bays, announcing someone else’s arrival.

  Right away, I knew it was Heidi.

  Carson must’ve looked at her wrong because the next thing I heard was a growl followed by Ty saying, “I suggest you look in the other direction, rookie, else I’ll beat what brain cells you have left right out of you.”

  I glanced over my shoulder at Heidi.

  Standing behind Ashley, her eyes were locked on Ty, a flirty smile on her face.

  Oh jeez, I thought. Here we go…

  Kyle turned, taking me with him. Keeping Carson within his line of sight, he looked over at Hendrix. “I’m taking my girl back to my apartment. You got Heidi and Ashley?”

  Hendrix nodded, his eyes on Carson. “Yeah, man, I’ve got em’.

  Kyle nodded, then lifted me into his arms, having forgotten about both his duffle and busted phone. “Tell your sister bye, baby.”

  Wrapping one arm around his neck, I used the other to wave at my baby sister. “Bye, Bug.” A small amount of fear nipped at my spine as we headed toward the door, but I knew there was no reason to worry. Even though Carson still stood there, a blank expression on his face, there was no way in Hades he’d get anywhere near my sister or Ashley.

  Hendrix would tear him apart first.

  Ty too.

  Heidi raised her hand and blew me a kiss before signing, “I love you,” in my direction.

  Heart swelling, I blew her a kiss right back and said, “Love you more.”

  Smiling, she rolled her eyes at me. “Take care of my sister, Hulk,” she said using her voice and once again surprising me. “I sort of like her… even if she is a horrible driver.”

  Kyle chuckled. “Always, Heidi.”

  It was the final thing he said before exiting the building and heading toward his truck. Once we reached it, he dropped me to my feet and pushed me against the driver’s door. His hands flew to my hips, and his fingers dug into my skin in an unrelenting grip. Pressing his chest against me, he looked down into my eyes, possession brewing in his pupils. “I missed the fuck out of you.”

  Such a filthy mouth…

  “I missed you too,” I replied. “A whole heck of a lot.”

  “Yeah?”

  I nodded. “Yeah.” He smiled and every ounce of fear that remained in my chest vanished. “Now the only question is, what do we do now?”

  His smile grew. “I’m taking you back to my apartment to get changed, and then I’m taking you to the beach,” he whispered, sending chills racing down my spine. “But first, I need something from you.”

  My brows climbed my forehead. “And what do you need?”

  “This”—his face dipped closer to mine—“is what I need.”

  Before I could utter a single word, his lips found mine.

  Twenty-Three

  Kyle

  It was after lunch when we made it to Pawleys Island.

  Seated behind the wheel of my truck, Carissa sat next to me, her head resting on my shoulder.

  Still enraged over what had gone down at the first station hours earlier, I’d been silent most of the hour-long drive. Jaw clenched tight, I gripped the steering wheel in a desperate attempt to keep the anger boiling in my gut in check. Witnessing Carson that close to Carissa had sent me into a rage, but one look at the terrified expression on her face, and I’d been ready to commit murder.

  The fear etched on her beautiful features as she stood there, her entire body shaking, had reminded me of Lily as she’d fought to escape the animal who’d taken her from me, and then stolen her life from her.

  I couldn’t stomach it.

  The only thing that had kept me from losing it was the rancid shit Ty had spewed all over me the night before. His words repeated on a loop in my head, a reminder of the
poison that simmered in my veins.

  I’d allowed Carissa to glimpse the darkness that lived inside me once before.

  It was a mistake I didn’t intend to repeat.

  Though I had plans to deal with Carson later, I would do it when she wasn’t near. I may not have known what he’d done to scare her, but I would find out.

  Whether I’d find out by looking at the station’s security cameras or by snapping a handful of his bones to make him talk, I wasn’t sure. With the way I felt right then, the rookie would need a set of crutches soon, maybe even a wheelchair.

  I was that pissed.

  “What are you thinking about?” Carissa asked, trailing a finger up my forearm. “You look like you’re about to pop a blood vessel.”

  Shit.

  Despite the rage that gripped me, I forced a smile and leaned back against the seat, trying my best to appear calm. “Nothing, Princess,” I lied. “Just ready to get to the beach.”

  My girl said nothing, only offered me a sweet smile as I flicked on my turn signal and made a sharp right onto a private road that led to an even more private beach. Desolate and devoid of the crowds that inhabited the sandy shores further north, Lottie’s Beach—the place where we were headed—was perfect for the day I had planned.

  When the ocean came into view, Carissa sat up, leaning forward.

  “It’s beautiful out here,” she said as I pulled into an empty gravel lot and parked next to a small wooden hut. “Wait.” Eyes on the beach, she looked from the right to the left. “Where is everyone?”

  I pointed toward the wooden sign in front of us. Sprawled across the front of the aged wood in bright white letters were the words, Private Beach. No Trespassing.

  “This is a private beach?” Her eyes widened. “Will we get in trouble for being here?”

  Shifting the truck into park, I killed the engine and removed the key. “Nah, baby, we won’t. Ty’s papaw owns it; he lets me visit whenever I want.”

  Carissa’s mouth formed an O.

  Yet she said nothing.

  A million dirty thoughts raced through my head at the sight. The most prominent among them: I want those lips wrapped around me.

  “Come on, Beautiful Girl,” I said, popping open my door. “Let’s go.”

  I climbed out of the truck.

  Carissa followed.

  Grabbing the cooler, along with the overfilled beach bag off the back seat, I shut the door behind us and followed as my girl crossed the lot and headed toward the shore.

  Once she reached the sand, she turned.

  I stopped walking.

  Standing chest to chest, she tilted her head back and looked up at me. “We’re really all alone?”

  I nodded. “Shouldn’t be anyone else for a mile and a half in each direction.”

  A small gust of wind blew around us, mussing her hair and sending her scent—one I craved every minute I wasn’t with her—in my direction. I inhaled, pulling the soft lavender notes deep into my lungs.

  My heart raced.

  A sly smile spread across her face. “So, if all my clothes happened to fall off, no one would see me, right?” Her smile grew. “I mean, nobody but you.”

  I sucked in a breath as my mind conjured up an image similar to what she’d described. The blood flowing through my veins diverted and headed south, straight to my hardening cock. “Carissa…” My voice sounded rough to my own ears. “If you get naked in front of me, you better be prepared for what comes next.”

  “Hmm,” she hummed. “Tell me, Hulk, what would come next?”

  I opened my mouth to respond, but she pressed a single finger to my lips, silencing me.

  “Nevermind,” she quipped, dropping her hand and taking a few steps back. “Don’t tell me. I’d rather find out on my own.”

  Before I could process her words, she gripped the hem of her tank top between her fingers and ripped the baby pink material over her head. My jaw slackened when I glimpsed the simple bikini top covering her tits. Sky blue and constructed of two triangles and a handful of strings, it revealed her creamy skin while hiding the parts of her that my mouth desperately wanted to taste.

  “Carissa—” I started.

  “Hush it,” she interrupted, freeing the button on her jean shorts. “Can’t you see that I’m trying to get naked here?”

  I stared like a fool as she tugged the silver zipper down and pushed the faded denim down her smooth thighs, revealing matching bikini bottoms. My fingers itched to untie the strings that hung over her hips, holding the scrap of material together.

  Intent on doing just that, I let the beach bag slip from my grasp.

  Carissa had plans of her own.

  After kicking her discarded shorts to the side, she untied the thin strings herself, letting the bottoms fall to the ground.

  Her top swiftly followed.

  Naked as the day she was born, she stood before me, a blush staining her cheeks. Stepping forward on unsteady legs, she closed the small space between us and trailed a shaky finger down the center of my shirt-covered chest, stopping an inch above the waistband of my tented shorts. “You’re wearing too many clothes,” she whispered, her gorgeous eyes never leaving mine. “Maybe you should do something about that.”

  Her actions were daring, her words bold.

  She was trying her best to appear confident, but the expression she wore was proof of the nerves that consumed her. My girl was anxious and most likely apprehensive of the new territory she navigated.

  Needing to confirm this was what she wanted, I dropped the cooler to the ground, not giving a shit if it cracked in half. A damaged cooler was easy to replace, but fixing a broken Carissa would be a helluva lot harder.

  My heart slammed against my rib cage as I cupped her upper arms, letting the heat from my palms bleed into her. “You sure this is what you want, Princess?” I slid my hands over her shoulders, up her neck, and into her hair. “I know we’ve messed around—that’s putting it mildly—but if you’re not ready for more, we can wait. Hell, baby, I’ve waited three years. I’ll wait another thirty if you need me too.”

  Moments of silence ticked by.

  Tick Tock.

  Tick Tock.

  Then, “You really mean that, don’t you?”

  I did mean it.

  With every bit of my fucked-up heart.

  I may have been an over-the-top possessive caveman who walked around shouting the word mine to any male who dared look in her direction, but taking something Carissa wasn’t ready to give wasn’t an option.

  If she wanted to wait, I would.

  If she needed more time, I’d give it to her.

  Keeping her safe and secure—mentally, physically and emotionally—were the only things that mattered. As long as I had her by my side, I was more than willing to jack off every day for the rest of my damn life; though, I hoped she’d lend me a helping hand occasionally.

  “Yeah, Beautiful Girl,” I replied, answering her previous question. “I do.”

  Tears filled her eyes as she rested her palms against each side of my throat. “Want to know a secret?” she asked, mirroring the question I’d asked her the day before.

  I nodded. “Always.”

  “When you say stuff like that, it makes me fall a little bit deeper—” she paused “—makes me lose my heart a little bit faster.”

  Her entire body trembled as I pulled my hands from her hair and wrapped my fingers around her wrists. “Give it to me, Carissa,” I whispered, lowering my face toward hers. “I swear on my life I’ll take care of it.”

  A single tear slipped down her cheek. “I know you will.”

  Raw emotion welled inside me.

  I dipped my head to take her lips with my own, but before I could, she stepped back. A heart-stopping smile spread across her face as she wiped away the single tear that had fallen with the back of her hand.

  “Hey, Hulk,” she whispered, “remember yesterday when you said you’d chase me?”

  Knowing fu
ll-well the game she wanted to play, I smiled. “All you have to do is run, baby.”

  In the blink of an eye, her smile shifted from heart-stopping to devious.

  “Catch me if you can.” Her laughter rang out as she spun and took off toward the water, her round ass bouncing with each step she took.

  A predatory smile spread across my face.

  “Doesn’t matter how fast you run, baby,” I whispered to myself. “You’ll never outrun me.”

  I stripped off my clothes.

  Then I gave chase.

  Twenty-Four

  Carissa

  I’d almost made it to the safety of the water when Kyle’s big arms wrapped around me from behind, stopping me in my tracks. How he’d managed to strip out of his clothes and catch up to me before I dove head-first into the waves, I had no clue.

  The man is faster than a dang cheetah…

  Effortlessly lifting me into the air, he held me bridal style. “You thought you could get away from me?”

  “I’m not that dumb,” I replied, wrapping my arms around his neck. “I know you’ll never let me get far.”

  “You’re damn right.” Chuckling, he kept moving forward, carrying me into the water. Tiny droplets of salt water peppered my calves and thighs, then my back and shoulders as a small wave crested, then crashed next to us.

  I screamed when Kyle lunged forward, diving under a wave, and submerging us in the Atlantic.

  When we surfaced seconds later, my guy found his footing and adjusted me in his hold. Elbow deep water swirled around us as I circled his lean hips with my legs, anchoring myself to him.

  Neither of us spoke as we stared into each other’s eyes, our hearts beating in unison.

  Unable to bear even an inch of space between us, I slid my hands into his hair, tugging on the wet strands. “Kyle,” I whispered. “Please kiss me.”

  He obliged, taking possession of my aching lips.

  I moaned, purring into his mouth, twining my tongue with his.

  Holding me with one arm, he placed his huge palm on the back of my head, pulling me closer and deepening the kiss.

  My skin heated; my head grew dizzy with lust.