Chapter 2
Every protective instinct in me is on overdrive as I pull up next to Kira’s older Ford sedan on the side of the road. She’s in the driver’s seat, her forehead resting on the steering wheel.
Fuck. When Kira sees me and gets out of her car, she’s not the little girl I used to know – she’s a criminally sexy woman. Everything falls away as I stare at how her jeans hug her deliciously full ass, and the V-neck of her t-shirt gives me a tantalizing glimpse of her chest. Conflict rages in me as my cock stiffens in my jeans. I need her in my bed. I know it’s wrong, but I want to lose myself in her gorgeous body and give her pleasure.
Get it together, man. This is Slade’s daughter!I cough, mentally giving my straining cock an ice-cold shower. Little Kira is not the woman I should fantasize about having in my bed.
“Hey, Squirt,” I greet Kira, using the nickname her father always used.
“Wes, hi.” Kira’s voice is awkward as she stands in front of me.
Instinctively, I pull her into a hug and let the strength of my hug convey all the emotions I’ve felt since I lost my best friend and she lost her dad.
“Kira,” I mumble, forcing myself not to hold her too long. If she were anyone other than Slade’s daughter, I’d do anything and everything in my power to win her over and get her into my bed. “It’s good to see you. I wish the circumstances were better.”
“Me, too. You look the same,” she says, stepping away from me. As her eyes look me over, I stand straighter and flex my muscles before I even realize what I’m doing. Kira must have men falling at her feet. “Thanks for coming, Wes. I didn’t know what to do.”
Kira’s eyes are red like she’s been crying, and every fiber of my being wants to make all this right for her. Since mustering out of the Army, I haven’t had the desire to do much of anything. But right now? I’d do anything to make Kira happy. She’s my only link to Slade, and I’ll be damned if I’ll let anything bad happen to my best friend’s little girl.
I motion toward the front of the car and pop the hood, waving my hand to dissipate the smoke curling above the engine. “What happened?”
“Engine made noises. There was smoke. I barely got it to the side of the road.” Kira waves her hand at her car. “I don’t know much about cars. Sorry.”
“Kira, you have nothing to apologize for.” Though if she’s been neglecting essential maintenance, that’s a conversation we’ll have to have, but not today. Poor girl is clearly all torn up, and adding to her grief is the last thing she needs.
“Okay then. I’ll have a look.” At a glance, it looks like a straightforward repair. I step back and look at the ground under her engine. “Looks like you got an oil leak.”
“Is that… Is that expensive to fix?” Her eyes crease with new concern.
I watch as she pulls at the bottom of her t-shirt and worries the hem with her fingers. “Kira, don’t worry about the cost. I promised your father I’d look after you if you needed help. This is the absolute least I can do for you.”
Relief and gratitude light up her face, and some of her tension unwinds. Kira wears all her emotions, and it’s plain as day to see how on edge she is because it’s certainly not normal to look like your world is ending just because your car broke down.
“Thank you, Wes. I mean it.” Kira steps closer and puts her hand on my arm. Every instinct tells me to wrap her in my arms and never let her go. “I feel bad for only contacting you when I need something.”
“Again. You don’t need to apologize. I’m glad to see you, and I’m glad to help.”
Kira suddenly wraps her arms around me and hugs me with a force that makes me stumble. I return her hug, catching myself when she leans into me and presses her soft curves against my body. Desire rumbles deep inside me, and I hold her tight for another second before gently releasing her. Kira looks up at me in surprise, her sweet pink lips parted, and damn if the sight of the tip of her tongue doesn’t make me want to fucking devour her.
Whoa, Wes. This is Slade’s daughter, not some young co-ed. Slow the fuck down.
I cough and try to clear the sudden image of Kira astride me, naked, her heavy tits bouncing as she looks into my eyes and rides my cock.
“Where were you going?”
“I was headed to class at the university, but I’ll never make it there on time. Class started,” she glances at her phone, “twenty minutes ago.”
“Do you have other classes after this?” When she nods, I walk over to my bike and pull the extra helmet out of a side bag. “Then I’ll take you to school and drop you off. I’ll have one of the guys come out and tow your car to the shop, and I’ll get started on the repairs. Sound good?”
Kira grabs her backpack and locks her car, giving me the keys. She hops up behind me on the bike and wraps her arms around me, and a peace settles over me that I haven’t felt in years. By the time I drop her off, I know I’m treading in dangerous waters. Slade would no doubt have some fucking choice things to say if he knew how I was thinking about his daughter, but he loved Kira’s mother. He told me time and time again that when you meet a woman and there’s a magnetic connection, you can’t ignore it.
I just never expected to feel that kind of connection with Kira.
“Thank you so much for the ride and helping with my car. I don’t know what I’d have done without you, Wes,” Kira exclaims, giving me a hug that does nothing to staunch the filthy fantasies I’ve been having about her. I pull back my hips and legs while she hugs me to ensure she doesn’t feel the raging boner she’s given me.
“You’re welcome. Any time you need help, all you have to do is call and ask, and I’ll be there. Always.” I look into her blue eyes, hoping to convey how serious I am about this. “Now, do you have a way to get home?”
Kira falters and looks away. “I could ask my friend, Juliet…”
“No need. You text me when you’re going to be finished, and I’ll come pick you up. Until I’ve fixed your car, I’ll take you where you need to go.” I ain’t no gentleman, but this is the honorable thing to do. Plus, it’ll let me spend more time with Kira, which will only make me happy.
“Are you sure?” Kira’s eyes widen in surprise.
“Kira. It’s no trouble. I promised your father I’d look out for you, so this is me fulfilling my promise to him. Now, you text me when you’re finished with classes and whatever you’re doing, and I’ll come back and take you home.” When she starts to protest again, I cut her off. “Kira, you’re not a burden. I’m not going to leave you stranded while I work on your car. Head off to your next class, and I’ll get back to the shop and get to work on your car. I’ll give you an update when I pick you up this afternoon.”
“You’ve always been a man of your word. I remember that about you.” Kira says, her eyes never leaving mine. “Dad always said you were the most honorable man he knew, after himself,” she says, finally smiling a little.
“I’ll see you soon, Kira.”
* * *
“What’s going on here?This Ford isn’t on the schedule.” Mack eyes Kira’s car as Kid backs the tow truck into the lot and positions the Ford close to the garage bay.
“You know my buddy I mentioned? Slade?”
“Yeah, the one who didn’t make it home?”
I nod. “I promised to look out for his daughter, Kira, which is why I came to Jefferson. Her car broke down.”
Mack gives me a long look, and I can see him wondering if hiring me was a mistake. He shifts his gaze to Kira’s car. “We don’t do charity here,” he says, his voice gruff.
“Not a problem,” I say quickly. “I was planning to do it on my own time and pay for the parts.”
“Good. I understand the bond you had with Slade. Rebel Autos work takes priority, but you do this on your own time, and you can pay for the parts at cost. We take care of our own, especially other soldiers and their families.”
I look at Mack with gratitude and give a short nod. “Appreciate that. It shouldn’t take long. Looks like an engine oil leak. I’m going to take care of that, then do a full once-over on everything else.”
Even if Kira doesn’t want to spend time with me, I’m still going to make sure her car is safe. I wouldn’t want to tell Slade how seeing his daughter unleashed a wave of desire in me, but I’ll honor my promise to him to look out for her. If Kira only calls me when she needs help, that’s fine. I’ll always be there when she needs me, no questions asked.