24. Blake
24
BLAKE
I’m out of patience.
Kori and I bust through the door of my bedroom in the middle of some heavy kisses. Our hands feel each other up. My feet move us toward my bed. Her legs are notched around my waist, her fingers tangled in my golden mane.
The second the bed’s a few feet away, I’m wrenching her from my mouth and dropping her down. I don’t wait for her reaction before smashing my lips back to hers and beginning to work off every piece of clothing she’s got on.
Kori matches my kisses. She bites at my lower lip and claws nails along my forearms. She’s playful and enthusiastic like we’re playing another game. We’re locked into another competition and she’s going to fight me on who’s the victor.
A ball of energy that makes the moment that much hotter.
It feeds into my need to dominate. Pin Korine down and show her how I’m going to pleasure her beautiful fucking body ’til she’s coming so hard she’s screaming my name for all of Pulsboro to hear.
Including Stricklin. Especially Stricklin.
So he knows who it is bringing Korine a level of pleasure he never could. The same man who she should’ve been with all along.
For him to know she was never his in the first place.
I flip Korine onto her stomach once I’ve stripped her bare. She twists and squirms as if she intends on escaping out from under me.
Another kind of foreplay between us.
My length frames hers. My hands cover hers. She bucks against me all while I tease her wherever I can. I kiss the spot behind her ear and tell her how fucking hot it is that she’s got so much fight in her. That she’s always trying to one up me.
Her breath’s turned even more ragged than before. She’s like a damn naughty cat that’s about to go on the attack and scratch the hell out of me. I welcome it as I nuzzle her neck and then lean back onto my haunches. My palms slide down her body, appreciative of the skin that feels smooth and supple to the touch.
Korine pushes her ass back at me like the naughty tease she is. I groan at the sight of her ass rounded like a peach I’d love to bite the hell out of and then grip her thighs to bury my face in between.
My tongue slides over the slit of her pussy. Teasing her and tasting every drop of the wetness I find.
Searching, exploring, testing to see what draws the most reaction out of her.
Korine thrashes as I do. She grinds her ass back against me whenever I find the right spot that makes her thighs shake and breath gasp out of her.
I palm her ass, spreading her apart, dining on her like I’m eating a gourmet meal—and I am. Kori’s pussy is as delicious as it gets.
Just tasting her and inhaling the most natural feminine scent of her makes me harder. Every reaction she gives as she moans only pumps more blood to my cock.
My tongue flicks at her, swirls inside her, swipes up and down the softs folds of her ’til I’m sure she’s about to lose it. She’s so damn close she’s seconds away from coming.
Then I stop. I’m raising up and grabbing by the hips and pushing myself against her to remind her of my hardness. The huge erection that’s swollen and hot and so damn ready to be inside her.
She pants and rocks back. Sexy as hell as she tosses a look at me with dark bedroom eyes. I can’t resist. I lean over her and take her by the lips in a passion-fueled kiss. At the same time I’m guiding myself into her.
My cock slips inside her sopping pussy. Her walls ripple around me. Her warmth envelops me on all sides.
A primal-sounding growl revs up from the deepest part of my chest.
Our kisses deepen. Our pants grow shallower and rougher. Korine rocks against me and I squeeze her hip and start stroking into her.
Slow.
Long but deep.
We build together, rocking as we kiss and ride the stroke I’ve set. The passion between us burns in the air. It takes over the room and turns it into an inferno. We’re burning up, on fire from the heat that breaks out on our skin.
I lift myself up in the same moment I push Korine down. She stretches out beneath me. Only her ass remains in the air. I plow into her even deeper at this new angle, reaching new bundles of nerves inside her. Her walls quiver around me as her whole body does the same.
She quivers and writhes, clutching at the comforter and burying her face into it.
She screams into the fabric and tells me how big my dick feels.
“More… Blake, right there… please…” she whimpers.
I grunt in answer, barely able to keep myself in check. The way her pussy’s gripping me has me in a fucking chokehold.
It makes me go faster, pound into her harder. Pressure’s welled up inside me, ready to explode. Ready to sink deep and spill.
But I fight the urge. I fuck her harder. I flip her over and bend her into a new shape. Both of her legs behind her head, I sink in whole. Both of us groan at how deep I’ve gone and how good it feels.
A couple strokes more, Korine comes. Her pussy clenches tighter than ever and her creamy juices flood me.
I go crazy, losing any restraint, working my hips fast. I come in close and plant a kiss on her. Her soft hands clutch at my face as I fuck away and experience every inch of her sopping wet pussy ’til I can’t hold it off another moment.
My orgasm slams into me. My dick twitches inside her, my release filling her up. I grunt, sucking on her tongue, coming in her soft, wet pussy.
Korine comes a second time—the familiar flutter of her walls around me only adding to my pleasure.
It takes us what feels like an eternity to come down from our highs. I’m a sweaty, out of breath mess crashing beside her. Leftover adrenaline still pings me. My heart’s hammering so hard it could bust out of my chest.
But most of all, as I glance over at Korine, all I want to do is hold my girl.
Lay with her and sleep at her side and be together like we’re supposed to be.
Things won’t be easy. Difficult times are ahead. We’ve got no shortage of problems. But we’ll figure them out together.
Korine seems to read my mind as I wrap my arms around her and kiss her brow. She snuggles into me and murmurs she’s sorry.
“For trying to leave you. Then and especially now.” Her breath tickles my throat.
I hold her to me and stroke her bare back. “You thought you were protecting me.”
“How did you?—”
“Whatever it is he told you—or you think you’d accomplish by breaking up—you’re wrong, Kori,” I say. “The only way we’re ever gonna get through this is together. You realize that, right?”
She sniffles, then nods. I feel her body quake against mine, a tell-tale sign she’s on the verge of tears. Probably upset by whatever fucked up shit he’s done or said to her. I hold her ’til she’s calm again and we’re both drifting off…
* * *
The sweet notes of peaches tease my nose. Light and summery even on the coldest winter day. My arm tightens out of sleepy instinct, my face buried deep into the familiar crook it knows so well. Soft skin and supple curves press against me, relaxing any tension in my muscles. Making me feel so damn at ease.
Calmer than I’ve ever been even as, in the recesses of my mind, I recognize I’ve got no shortage of troubles.
Those can wait. For now, I just want to soak up the warm comfort of the moment.
It goes on for hours. ’Til, gradually, dawns spills into the room by way of the part in the window curtains.
We’re so damn in tune with each other, I sense the moment Korine stirs. It’s in the subtle shift of her body wrapped up in mine. Her gentle fingers skim over my forearms locked about her hips and she nuzzles my face with hers.
I tighten my hold even more, taking in a deep inhale of her scent at the pulse point of her neck. Eyes still closed, voice low and raspy from sleep, I mutter, “Still early out. Another hour.”
Her smile’s a sound. “You forget I’m opening the shop?”
“So what? Open late. Nobody’ll give a fuck. Least of all me.”
“Mama has a doctor’s appointment. I already broke my rule about staying the night.”
My hold breaks and I roll onto my back, curling an arm under my head. “Then if you really want to go.”
“It’s not that I want to go. More like there are things I need to do.” She scoots up into a sitting position, the heavy blanket sliding down far enough that her bare thighs come into view. A distraction of silky smooth, golden-brown skin that’s too damn enticing first thing in the morning.
I force my attention to the ceiling, caught between a thread of bitterness and arousal— and a neediness that feels like it’s more dangerous than either of the others.
I don’t want Korine to go. I don’t want there to be some chasm between us. ’Cuz despite what happened last night, things still feel… unsettled. Like if I let her out of my sight, she’ll be gone for another ten years.
“Blake, look at me,” she murmurs. “I meant what I said last night.”
“Which part?” I snap before I can stop myself. “The part where you wanted to quit on us or the part where I made you come so hard you said I was the only man you’ve ever really wanted?”
Her expression softens. So damn beautiful, her short pixie hair sticking up and all. “You guess. Which do you think I meant?”
I blow out a breath. “I know where your heart lies. You can’t fake that kinda intensity. But it’s where your mind is that I’m worried about. That’s always caused us a hell of a lot of trouble.”
“What are you saying?” She frowns, her brows knitting.
“I’m saying… Kori, if you even try to sacrifice yourself…”
I trail off on that ominous note, leaving the rest to hang in the air as a mystery. But she gets it as my gaze slides over and meets hers. There’s a dawning in them before she quickly switches to glancing around the room.
“Don’t say it,” I warn. “Don’t even think it. Anything that’s happened—I don’t regret shit. I’ve got you back in my life. Which means none of it’s a mistake. All of it’s been worth it. The good, the bad, the fucking ugly.”
She bends her legs at the knee then leans forward to drop her face into them. “What are we going to do? How are we going to deal with what we’re up against? He won’t stop, Blake. He’ll never stop.”
“Then we’ll make him stop.”
“I don’t see how that’s possible. He told me he’d make sure you’re thrown behind bars.”
“I’ll handle it.”
When she raises her head and opens her mouth, I swoop in with more reassurance.
“I will,” I say, sitting up. I reach for her, pulling her toward me. Her almond-shaped eyes have no choice but to peer into mine as I hold her face and my thumbs trace the curve of her cheeks. “I’m gonna figure something out. I’ll put a stop to it.”
“Something that’s legal?” she offers weakly.
I answer by pressing a kiss to her lips. “Don’t worry about it. You at least got time for coffee?”
* * *
Ice-skating on Valentine’s Day is a longtime Pulsboro tradition. Starting up around Christmas and ending by the time February’s over, a portion of the town park’s turned into a rink for families, friends, and couples alike. No night’s a bigger hit than the night of Valentine’s Day.
Men everywhere decide it’s a simple and easy way to spend some time with the special woman in their lives.
I’m not the only King who brings his old lady by. Mace and Sydney show up. Bush and his old lady do too (who also happens to be his wife of sixteen years). Even Ozzie turns up with some chick none of us have ever seen before.
She holds out her hand to shake Korine’s and Sydney’s, then moves onto Bush’s wife.
“I’m Sparkle,” she says, beaming wide.
Korine shakes her hand before glancing over at me and the rest of the guys. I turn to Ozzie with brows raised myself. He gives a shrug.
“I met her at the Titty Bar,” he whispers not-so-subtly.
Sliding my arm around Korine’s shoulders, I break away from the rest of the group. We head to the nearest bench and tie on our ice-skates. Korine smirks over at me, her fingers quick on her laces.
“What’s that smirk for?”
“You don’t remember, do you?”
“Remember what…” Then it hits me, and I smirk too, rubbing at my jaw. “The night we came after-hours to skate.”
“Senior year.”
“Twenty-eight degrees out.”
“My nose was about to snap off.”
“I kept you plenty warm.”
The corner of her lip quirks up. Just slightly. “You did… ’til you fell on your ass.”
“Ten years, and you won’t let me forget.”
“How can I when I’m the better skater?” she asks silkily as she rises up and then pushes off to slide through the open gate and onto the ice.
I rush to catch up with her. Never mind the fact that it’s true—Korine’s always been the superior skater.
We enter the crowded ice rink engaged in our own little battle of wills. Korine’s half a pace ahead of me. I’m coming up from behind, grinning for every quick glance over her shoulder she gives. Her eyes always find mine. A damn diamond-like sparkle in them.
Then she’s speeding up again. I’m scrambling to keep up. We play this game several times ’til I’m winging her on the left and catching her by surprise. Sweet laughter plays from her throat like a night song I could listen to for the rest of my life. Pleasant and musical and so damn infectious that it makes me laugh too.
I push myself harder, the blades of my skates blurs on the ice, and I cut her off. Scooping her gloved hand up in mine, I take control of the moment by dragging her with me. Korine’s such a graceful skater that it doesn’t throw her off for a second. She glides along with me, going where I lead us, weaving between other skaters on the rink.
The light never leaves her face. Neither does the subtle smile that touches her lips. Nothing but trust shines in her eyes.
I turn so that I’m backward, drawing her toward me. We sync up, slowing down, coming together for a kiss on the lips.
My lungs fill with Korine like she’s the air I breathe. An intense feeling that comes on strong and consumes ’til it’s taken over everything. So damn deep it almost hurts .
Just the prospect that one day I could take a breath and Korine wouldn’t be around anymore, terrifies me to my core. It leaves me on edge to the point I’d do anything to make sure it never even comes close to happening.
I want to kiss this woman. Hold this woman. Protect this woman with everything I’ve got.
For as long as I’m alive.
My girl.
We wind up gliding over to our own pocket of the rink where we get a real moment of privacy. I curve my fingers along the shell of her ear, tucking some of her short hairs away, and we share another small laugh about the last time we were here.
“You’ve gotten better,” she says. “Have you been practicing?”
“Sure have. Waited ten whole years for this opportunity. Wasn’t about to fuck it up.”
She leans closer, burying her face in my chest to stifle a giggle. “Thanks for bringing me out. I’ve been wanting to go ice-skating forever.”
“We’ll do it every year from now on,” I promise, linking our fingers on both hands. “Even if it’s after-hours.”
“Spend the night. My place this time,” she whispers, tipping her head back in a signal for another kiss. “Please.”
“How can I turn down these lips?”
I seal our impromptu plans with another kiss of ours.
Once we eventually move off the ice, we join back up with the others. Korine goes off with Sydney, Bush’s wife, and Sparkle to grab some hot cocoa from the nearby vendor. I hang back with the rest of the guys.
“You two looked like fucking Disney on ice out there,” Mace says.
Ozzie snorts. “Aside from all the tattoos.”
“Doubt Disney would ever have a biker for a character,” I point out, sliding fingers through my hair. “It was good to get out tonight. Some fresh air. Some fun around town.”
Bush nods from my left. “Real fun. ’Cept the missus and I have reached our bedtime.”
“You stay up ’til the butt crack of dawn all the time, Bush,” Ozzie laughs.
“That’s when I’m riding solo. When I’m riding with the missus, I’m tired by ten and in bed by eleven. You boys wouldn’t understand. Wait ’til you’ve got the ol’ ball and chain weighing you down.”
“We’ll see if him and Sparkle ever get that far.” Mace cocks a brow at Ozzie. “Something tells me probably not.”
“You doubt me and Sparkle now, but we’re in it for the long haul. Or whenever her ex gets out of the slammer. Whichever comes first.”
The three of us can only shake our heads with the same thought on our mind—Ozzie’s being Ozzie. Bush bids us good night and wanders off to go collect his old lady.
“So,” Mace says after a moment, his hands deep in his jean pockets, “have you figured out how to move forward?”
I inhale a sharp breath that just as soon leaves my lungs. “I know one thing and one thing only.”
“Which is?”
“Korine’s mine.”
Mace’s features twitch in momentary confusion. “Figured that went without saying.”
“No,” I say in a tone that’s equal parts certain and lethal, “you don’t get what I mean. Korine’s mine—she’s my girl, and I’m going to make sure it stays that way. No matter what I’ve gotta do.”
Mace and Ozzie share looks though remain silent. Their lack of response is as ominous as my words.
“If I’ve got to bend the rules to make that happen, I will. If I’ve got to destroy a man, I will. If I’ve got to make sure he never sees the light of day again, I will.”
“Cash…” Mace says slowly. “He’s a cop. Whatever we do has got to be smart. Careful.”
“Strategic,” Ozzie offers. “I’m all for guns blazing. You know I am more than anybody. But Mace is right, Cash. You’re already on that dipshit’s radar.”
“I don’t care.”
“We’ll come up with a plan. Something that’ll make sure Stricklin backs off. Maybe hire one of the Barrera’s to do it—they’d probably be willing to carry out an assassination so our hands are clean. We’ve got options.”
I appreciate Mace’s reassurance, but I shake it off, my golden hair following suit. My attention’s on Korine even from thirty feet away, where she’s smiling as she chitchats with Sydney and Sparkle.
So happy and carefree. Unburdened and beautiful.
All things she deserves every waking moment of her life.
All things I’d kill to ensure she has.
So long as she’ll never have to sleep another night worried by what danger could be coming.
She’ll never have to know the details.
“I told Korine I’ll handle it,” I say, tearing my gaze off her. I pierce the other two with a look that’s eerily calm and resolute. “And I meant it.”
Whatever it takes.