Chapter 19
After KC tucked an exhausted Moriah in her bed and told her he would join her soon, she immediately fell into a deep sleep.
He stood watching her momentarily from the doorway as her chest rose with every inhalation and fell with every release.
She looked so small in the king-size bed, and her dark hair contrasted sharply with the white pillowcase.
He couldn’t help but think he had never met a woman who meant this much to him and had never expected to.
But they needed to free her from this horrible mess she was in before he told her how he felt.
Then, if she was willing, they could decide if what existed between them was something that could last a lifetime.
For the first time in his life, he prayed it was.
Closing the bedroom door, he ambled to the living room, where his brothers and uncle were still seated.
They’d spent the rest of the late afternoon and entire evening going over the little intel they had obtained and trying to devise a strategy.
Sean would contact Agent Samson again in the morning to check if the man had acquired any further information for them.
They also decided Uncle Dan would inform his good friend, Matt Griffin, the local sheriff, of what was happening in his town in case the Malone men needed any additional assistance.
Brian advised his uncle that Griffin could call him with any questions.
In the meantime, they would keep Moriah safe and hidden in case Brian’s phone call to Detective Parisi had raised some red flags.
Leaving for the night, Brian and Dan said their goodbyes with promises to call in the morning.
Sean was taking KC’s bedroom. No one had batted an eye over the fact that KC would be sleeping with Moriah, and she had been too tired earlier to be embarrassed about it.
He planned to stick to her like glue until this was over.
The day had taken its toll on her. In telling her story for the first time, the deaths of her family hit her again with full force.
She was terrified, but the brothers and their uncle had assured her nothing would happen to her on their watch, and she’d thanked them for their vows of protection.
When KC raised his eyebrows at the stash, his SEAL teammate held up a hand to halt a verbal question.
“Don’t ask, don’t tell. I could only scrounge up six alarms on short notice, but I was able to pick up two receivers for you.
I hope that’ll be enough. If not, I can probably locate a few more in the morning and run them back down. ”
“No, this should be fine,” KC assured him as he glanced around the living room. “The only easy access points are the windows along the deck and the back door, so this will be plenty. The other door leads down to the garage, and you can’t help but hear the overhead door roll up.”
T3 snorted. “I doubt you’re dealing with rocket scientists. They’ll take the easy way and probably kick the backdoor in.”
KC thanked his teammate as he left and promised to call if he needed more assistance.
Now, before getting some sleep, Sean and KC began the task of attaching the silent alarms to the doors and windows that could easily be breached.
They also set up a receiver in each of the bedrooms. With the house as secure as it could be for the night, KC clapped his brother on the shoulder on his way to the hallway.
“Moriah changed the sheets on the bed earlier for you. See you in the morning, bro. And thanks for coming.”
Sean let out a soft “Yee-haw,” which had KC chuckling all the way to the bedroom. It had been a long time since the brothers had played cowboys and Indians or cops and robbers together, but this was the first time as adults that they were teaming up against a real enemy.
After placing his loaded weapon on the nightstand next to him, within easy reach, KC climbed into bed and stretched out next to Moriah.
The silent alarm receiver sat on the dresser, where he could see the flashing red light and hear the low warning alert if it went off.
He was still dressed in his jeans but had taken off his T-shirt.
He didn’t expect any trouble tonight. However, he wanted to be able to move in a hurry if he had to.
Gently, he wrapped one arm around Moriah’s torso and brought his leg over her thighs in a protective embrace. He was rewarded as she snuggled closer to him in her sleep. Before he realized it, he succumbed to the darkness himself.
Red. Dark red. Blood . . . on the floor . . . on the walls . . . on the ceiling . . . on her family. Oh, God, no! Mama! Susan! Nicholas! Please, God, no! Run! They’re coming! Run!
Moriah awoke on a half-choked scream. KC was instantly alert, scanning the room for a threat, his hand on his weapon. When he was sure it was all clear, he turned toward her to see her sitting up, sweating and breathless.
“N-nightmare,” she managed to stutter through gasps of air, sorry she’d awakened him.
His body relaxed, and he returned his gun to the nightstand. Edging closer to her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her damp forehead.
“It’s all right,” he murmured as he rocked her. “I’ve got you. Everything’s okay. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
Swallowing several times, she leaned into his gentle caresses. He stroked her upper arm with one hand and the sensitive outer swell of her breast with the other. The tension eased from her, and she slowly sagged against his hard body.
Closing her eyes, she concentrated on his touch instead of the horror of her nightmare.
She inhaled deeply, his masculine scent soothing yet seductive.
Her body began to hum with desire as her breathing became ragged.
Tilting her head back, she brushed her lips against his jawline as his coarse nighttime stubble abraded her tender flesh.
When his mouth met hers, Moriah kissed him back with fervor.
She wanted to cherish every moment with him in case things didn’t work out in their favor.
Part of her wanted to run to prevent danger from coming to KC and his family’s front door, but the rest didn’t want to leave the man she was falling in love with.
Her hands roamed over his bare chest, back, and shoulders. God, she wanted to lick him. Taste him. Devour him.
Please, don’t stop, she silently begged. Let me feel you. Please, let me feel alive again.
The blood pooled to her core, and she moaned with desire. She needed him . . . his comfort . . . his strength. As his lips left her mouth and trailed down to her neck, she whispered, “Make love to me, please. Help me forget the pain.”
She didn’t have to say it twice. His lips found hers again, and he kissed her with everything in him. His hands gripped the hem of her shirt and slowly dragged it up her body. But Moriah didn’t want slow. She wanted . . . needed him fast and hard.
Pushing his hands out of the way, she ripped the shirt over her head and shoved her underwear off with a speed that surprised him.
Before he could respond, her hands were at the fly of his jeans, making fast work of the snap and zipper.
Within seconds, he was long and stiff in her hands as he pushed his pants to his knees.
He let out a low growl as she pushed on his chest with one hand until he was lying on his back and she was straddling his thighs.
Her other hand stroked his length, and his eyes closed as his hips bucked.
Leaning down, she continued torturing him with a steady rhythm while exploring and teasing his upper body with her mouth and tongue.
She licked, kissed, and nipped his upper torso, not missing a single inch.
KC lay there, letting her take the lead as he knew she needed to right then.
She had very little control in her life at the moment, but she had this control over him, at least for a little while.
His fingers caressed her thighs and hips, but then she slid further down on the bed as his hands went to her upper arms and shoulders.
She felt him shiver as her tongue darted across his dark nipple before sucking on it.
Reveling in her power over him, Moriah continued down his taut abdomen.
He flinched as she nipped at his oblique muscles and threaded his hand into her silky hair, urging her on.
KC knew she needed absolute control over their lovemaking this time.
Her life had spiraled out of control, and he was willing to give her this chance to regain some.
He might end up insane from the excruciating torment she was putting him through, but he was a tough guy.
He could handle it if he had to. Holy fuck!
Her tongue circled the head of his penis, and he damn near exploded.
He gasped in near ecstasy and half-heartedly tried to pull her off his dick. “You—you don’t need to do this.”
“I know I don’t, but I want to.” Her answer was husky and seductive, giving him no choice but to lay there as her mouth began a full-fledged assault on his cock and his sanity.
KC tilted his head so he could watch her through half-closed eyelids.
Fuck, he had never seen a more erotic sight than this woman taking him into her mouth, her pouty lips encompassing him, her teeth scraping lightly along his length.
Her long, silky hair lay across his hips and thighs, tickling his skin.
Reaching out, he palmed her head as she bobbed up and down.
Her tongue licked the thick vein on the underside of his cock all the way up to the notch just below the tip.
Opening wide, she took him all the way to the back of her throat and sucked, making him groan loudly.
His hips thrust in time to the pace she’d set again.
Holy fuck, he’d died and gone to heaven. If she kept this up, he wouldn’t be responsible for shooting his load down her throat.
Just a few minutes longer.
He could last a few more minutes of this erotic agony.
He had convinced himself of that fact a second before her hand gently squeezed his balls, and she increased the pace of fucking him with her mouth.
When the tingling started at the base of his spine, he growled, then tightened the grip on her hair and pulled her off him.
“Stop! I can’t take it anymore. Get up here, you. ”
Moriah allowed him to tug her upward until she was straddling his hips.
He ran his fingers through her folds and found she was drenched with desire and more than ready for him.
Grasping his cock, he held himself erect as she lowered herself down onto him.
The tip of his cock parted her pussy lips as she eased down his length, her heat almost burning him alive.
But it was too slow for him, and he couldn’t take it anymore.
He thrust upward while clutching her hips and pulling her down hard until he was buried to the hilt inside her.
She gasped as her clit hit his pelvis. Lifting her off him, just high enough to make an impact, he slammed her down repeatedly, setting an intense rhythm that he couldn’t slow if his life depended on it.
Her inner walls stroked him higher until he felt his balls draw up, ready to explode.
Shifting his hand, his thumb stroked her clit, and she flew, taking him with her.
Holding himself deep within her, he came in streams as she milked him dry.
Biting her lip, she muffled her scream to keep his brother from hearing her broadcast the intense orgasm that was pulsating through her body.
As the last of her tremors faded, she fell in a heap across his upper torso with him still inside her.
Lying there on his heaving chest, completely sated, Moriah struggled to regain her breath.
She closed her eyes as KC slowly ran his fingers up and down her back.
He wanted to fall asleep like this . . .
with her body draped across him, and the two of them still joined below.
As the orgasmic fog began to clear from his brain, reality gave him a shock.
Holy fuck!
He froze in disbelief, and she sat up to stare at him, her brow furrowed in confusion.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, staring at his stunned expression.
“Um, fuck, I’m not sure how to say this . . .” Shit, he was a stupid ass. “But we didn’t use a condom.”
“Oh, my God!” she yelped as she leaped off him to the other side of the bed. Her eyes were wide in alarm. “I’m sorry! I didn’t think.”
“That makes two of us. And don’t apologize for my stupidity.
I’m the one who’s supposed to wear the damn thing, so it’s my responsibility.
” Pulling her into his arms, he coaxed her into lying next to him, then touched his lips to the top of her head.
“I’m clean, sweetheart. I had my routine blood work for the military a few weeks ago, and it’s been quite a while since I’ve been with anyone else. ”
She rested her head on his shoulder. “I’ve always used protection, and it’s been a very long time for me too. But what happens if . . . if . . .” She let the end of her thought hang between them.
His fingers lifted her chin until her gaze met his. “If I just got you pregnant, we’ll deal with it. I promise. I would never run from my responsibilities.”
“I know. I just don’t want you to think I did this on purpose.”
“I’m more at fault than you are, Moriah.
I was obviously thinking with the wrong head.
” He chuckled and let her go for a moment so he could pull his jeans back up from around his knees.
Turning on his side, he settled her into a spooning position, tucking her tight against him.
“Think you can get through the rest of the night without any more nightmares.”
Moriah nodded, her hair brushing against his cheek. “I think so.”
“Good.” Relaxing against each other, they eased back into a satisfying and comfortable sleep.