Chapter 21 #2
Without giving it a second thought, I went in search of her. She was in the kitchen, standing by the sink with her hands parked on her hips and her glare aimed at the guy I saw earlier.
“Shouldn’t you be out there with your wife, Bryce?”
It didn’t take a genius to figure out this was the guy Kate had told me about. The asshole who cheated on her with her sister.
“I’d rather stay here with you,” the cheating motherfucker said.
I’d already disliked him on principle, but the way he talked to Kate pushed every single one of my buttons.
Clearing my throat, I strode inside. “You wouldn’t be harassing my woman, now would you?”
The beady-eyed prick reluctantly glanced in my direction. He gave me that quick once-over all guys did when a threat walked in. I was taller by at least a foot and, thanks to a vigorous weight-training routine, much broader.
“Your woman?” he sneered. “I don’t see a ring on her finger.”
I stepped in beside Kate. The burn of her gaze so fully trained on me added fuel to the inferno raging through my veins.
“She doesn’t need a flimsy fucking piece of metal to remind her who she belongs to.”
Bryce opened his mouth, but I wasn’t done. “In case I wasn’t clear, Kate’s mine. Fuck off.”
“She’s got a mouth, I’m sure she can speak for herself.” Dickwad slowly, intently, looked her up and down. I wanted to poke his fucking eyes out. “Amongst other things.”
My vision blurred. “One word.” I got right up in his face. “One more fucking word. I dare you.”
My fist was ready and begging. But before I could introduce it to the asshole’s face, Kate’s fingers curled around my wrist.
“You heard him, Bryce. Leave.”
Bryce glared at me. I glared right back.
“Oh, for shit’s sake.”
I barely had time for Kate’s words to register when she hooked her hand around the back of my neck and pulled my mouth to hers.
The sparks from the day before grew bigger and brighter like it was the damn Fourth of July. My blood burned hot, need spreading through my veins like a wildfire.
I didn’t stand a chance.
This woman was going to ruin me. Especially if she kept kissing me the way she was.
It was intoxicating.
I craved more.
Banding my arms tight around her waist, I spun us, putting the counter at her back. As delicious as that mouth of hers was, it wasn’t enough. I had to taste every inch of her.
Starting with that delicate neck. Abandoning her lips, I kissed a path along her jaw before finally working my way down the column of her throat. So soft. Her skin was so unbelievably soft.
Shit. I was so lost in this woman.
A deep groan tore from my lungs when her hands swept up my chest to pull me closer. Only she didn’t pull. Flattening her palms, she shoved me away.
“You can stop now, he’s gone.”
The disappointment flooding my system was as unexpected as it was unwelcome.
“And what the hell was that anyway?” she hissed.
Holding her stare, I rubbed my thumb over my still-wet bottom lip. “If you have to ask, I wasn’t doing it right. I can fix that.”
Fury flashed in those pretty hazel irises. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. What were you trying to do? Mark your territory? You gonna piss all over me next?”
“Daaamn.” I whistled low. “My Kitty Kat’s kinky.” Placing my hands on either side of her hips, I caged her in. “I can certainly work with kinky.” My head dipped, first looking into her eyes before lowering my gaze to her chest.
Her shirt wasn’t formfitting but that didn’t stop me from getting a glimpse of her nipples straining against the cotton of her tee. My mouth salivated. The memory of my lips wrapped around that puckered tip shot to the forefront of my mind.
Slipping my hand under her shirt, I dragged my palm up her satiny smooth middle. Her breath hitched. I grinned.
“Don’t pretend you didn’t like it.” I flicked my thumb over her covered nipple, grinning wider when a gasp pushed over her lips. “That it didn’t get you dripping fucking wet for me.”
“Ooookay.” That wasn’t Kate’s voice. “Guess I’ll just come back later.”
The right thing, the decent thing would have been to remove my hand. I didn’t. My thumb worked in a slow circle, teasing her with a barely-there touch, over and over again.
“Tristan,” she hissed. Although it sounded more like a prayer.
No one else said anything so I presumed the scary one had left us alone.
“Yeah, baby?” I murmured next to her ear. “Tell me what you want. What you need.”
For one sweet, sweet second, she arched her back and pushed deeper into my touch. She snapped out of that real fucking fast. Gripping my wrist, she yanked my hand out of her shirt. Her palms connected with my chest next, shoving me a few steps away.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Her breaths came fast and hard. It wasn’t all anger. “My mom or dad could’ve walked in.” She thrust her finger in my face. “Don’t do it again.”
My gaze snagged on her finger before slowly returning to meet her glare. Arching my brow, I silently reminded her of what that little move did to me.
I’d never seen a woman ball her hand into a fist so fast. Nor had I seen Kate’s cheeks so stunningly red. I quite liked the look on her, and I would’ve found more ways to put it there if we hadn’t been interrupted again.
This time, it was Kate’s mom. She was there for me. Hooking her arm through mine, she led me to the patio.
“I want to know all about the man who’s swept my Katie off her feet.” The woman beamed at me. “You must be something wonderful for her to bring you home.”
Just like that, the calm I’d found with Kate—if you could call being turned the fuck on, calm—evaporated. In its place that desperate need to flee that’d sent me into the house in the first place.
My skin prickled with a new awareness I didn’t like. My feet were restless. And my damn walls came up fast. Thick and heavy, they deterred every kind word, every sweet smile, and gentle touch.
Without meaning to, I’d shut down, only catching a few of Mrs. Rivera’s words here and there. She talked about Kate, and as desperately as I wanted to listen, my brain wouldn’t let me.
My thoughts raced as the unease from earlier grew into a snarling beast. Over my shoulder, I caught sight of the sliding door.
I should leave.
Get up and run the fuck away from this house. Away from Kate. And Millie. And the unwanted things they made me feel.