16. McKenna #2
I shoved his hand off my hip, bracing on his chest to maneuver off of him, but as I looked up, my eyes met the forest beyond the window. And the man standing in it.
My entire body froze, my attempt to move halted.
Austin must’ve sensed it, because one moment I was upright, and the next, Austin’s arm was wrapped around my waist, and I was being flipped underneath him, the breath whooshing from my lungs.
His whole body covered mine like a protective blanket, his attention focused on the window. “What was it? What did you see?”
My heart thundered in my ears as a feeling of pure violation swept over me like a curtain. Had that man watched me fuck Austin? Watched as I touched myself and came on him?
“McKenna.”
I blinked rapidly, clearing the fog from my mind to find him staring at me intently.
Nothing about Austin was playful right now.
No trace of a smirk or cocky remark was to be found.
He was all ice, cold, sharp, and deadly.
“A man.” I swallowed, not realizing I was out of breath again—for an entirely different reason.
“Someone was out there. Watching us.” I inhaled, forcing the adrenaline coursing through my veins to slow for one fucking second. “Watching me.”
Austin was off of me in a flash, the front door flying open and banging against the wall as he stormed out into the night.
As the door fell shut, I shoved up on my elbows and stared at it, counting the seconds.
By forty, I was on my feet and wrapping shaking fingers around the handle.
I didn’t even know why I was shaking. Because some creepy man watched me get off?
Because I orgasmed on Austin’s cock barely minutes ago?
Because Austin was out there and I couldn’t hear or see a thing?
Was he hurt? Attacking someone? Had they gotten the upper hand?
Get yourself together. You’re stronger than this.
It wasn’t like me to freak out over something like this, but after the events of the past few weeks, my nerves were on edge.
That, and for some stupid fucking reason, my mind was concerned for Austin’s wellbeing.
If he got hurt, it’d take him off my hands.
Ensure I couldn’t fall for him any further than I feared I was.
But that wasn’t really what I wanted, and knowing he was out there, facing danger in nothing but his fucking underwear, only made me realize that all too clearly.
The door cracked, and I peeked outside. When I found nothing but the darkness of the forest sitting still among the chirping of crickets, I opened it wider and stepped outside.
The cold air bit at my bare legs, traces of my release all too apparent where the chill brushed against the wet area in between my thighs.
I ignored it, taking a few steps down the path.
“Austin,” I hissed into the uncomfortable quiet. Even the crickets seemed to stop their efforts to listen. For what, I wasn’t sure. I wasn’t even certain I wanted to find out, but if Austin needed help, I wouldn’t leave him to die.
I repeated his name, taking a couple more steps into the front yard to peer around the side of the garage. My bare feet sunk into the grass at the edge of the stone, and a twig breaking pulled my attention to somewhere behind me, off to the opposite side of the property.
I waited, every breath and beat of my heart feeling like it was on an intercom being projected over the forest floor.
Then, the loudest crack known to man ripped through the air, and I fell to the lawn with a scream.
I cupped my hands over my ears, willing the ringing to stop, but my efforts were futile.
I swore I could hear my name being shouted over the high-pitched sound, but I was too scared to open my eyes.
Too afraid to look death in the face as it came to claim me.
Even I knew what a gunshot sounded like, and that one was all too close.
Two strong, rough hands grabbed my wrists and I screamed, kicking out. Despite my attempt to injure whoever was in front of me, they held firm, and my name came crashing through my ears.
Austin’s voice was the only reason I pried my eyes open.
The only reason I was brave enough to allow myself the possibility of seeing what would surely kill me.
“Are you hurt?” Austin asked, his voice so strained, so full of worry and fear.
But his fear wasn’t like mine. It wasn’t paralyzing, making him stop like a deer in the headlights at the thought of death.
It was all powerful, like he could command the clouds to drop rain, and they would.
Like nothing could touch him. And in that, nothing could touch me.
“No.” But the answer wavered. It didn’t sound certain, not even to my own ears, which continued to ring.
His eyes flicked between both of mine before he scooped me into his arms and quickly carried me inside.
Rather than bringing us back to the couch, he stormed down the hall, into my bedroom.
He slammed the door shut with his foot, placed me on the edge of the bed, and walked over to the curtains to be sure there were no cracks in the material.
He peeked through the edge, then turned and crossed to his jeans where they lay on the bathroom floor.
Approaching me with a phone held to his ear, his gaze tracked me from head to toe, likely searching for injury.
Under the pressure of his stare, I wrapped my arms around myself.
“Someone shot at McKenna,” Austin said into the phone as whoever was on the other end of the line answered.
I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I could make out a very distinguished expletive before Austin went on.
“They were looking through her window when she saw them. I went outside, thought I was chasing them off, but then they shot at her.” Pause.
“No, she went outside.” Another pause. A subtle glare sent my way.
“I know. I’ll be having a talk with her about that.
” But when I didn’t send a scowl his way, his features lightened .
I guess I didn’t do a very good job hiding that the fight was slowly seeping out of me.
Austin turned away, walking a few steps to put space between us.
“McKenna is going to bed, so when you get here, you better be fucking quiet.” Then he hung up the phone and tossed it on the dresser.
His back muscles flexed as he pulled a hand through his hair.
His gaze seemed to be stuck on the covered window, seconds of silence passing before he finally spun to face me again.
The look on his face told me exactly what was coming.
“You never,” his shoulders visibly stiffened, his voice dropping, “ ever follow me if there’s danger. Do you hear me? I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if—” His words cut off, and his neck bobbed with a swallow. “If something happened to you, it would destroy me.”
I jumped off the bed, my tired mind already on the defensive. “Yeah, well, you’re not allowed to just go running into it, either! Haven’t you seen a single horror movie?” I flung a hand toward the window. “That’s exactly how they kill you!”
He shook his head. “Careful, McKenna. It’s starting to sound like you might care about me.”
My mouth popped open with a scoff of disbelief. “Are you kidding me right now?”
The unmoving set of his hard gaze was answer enough.
“Someone was lurking outside my window, and you think now is the time to tease me about being scared you might die ?”
“Would you rather I bring up the fact that you fucked me for the first time while I was sleeping?”
My jaw nearly hit the floor. “You told me I could! ”
“People also say you can jump off bridges, but I don’t see you running to do that.”
I crossed my arms, jutting out my hip. “Maybe I’ll start partaking in that in my free time.”
“Sure you’re not too busy waiting to believe I’m asleep so you can whip my dick out?”
“You faked it?” I practically screeched the words.
He shrugged, grabbing his jeans off the floor to pull them on. The sight reminded me that I stood here in only his shirt.
“You were enjoying yourself. Who was I to interfere?”
With a huff of pure irritation, I grabbed the closest thing to me. A photo album off the dresser.
And chucked it right at him.
He caught the book with annoying ease, inspecting the object. “If you wanted to start a family album with me, you could’ve just said so.”
“I don’t want a family with you!” I screamed, my hands curling into fists as I imagined wringing out his neck.
Austin arched a brow at my display of anger. “Then what do you want, McKenna?”
I opened my mouth to yell some pointless remark back, but immediately closed it. He was asking me what I wanted out of this? Well, the answer was obvious. “For you to leave me alone.”
He raised a finger in my direction. “Not happening.”
“You can’t ask that and then refuse to listen.”
“Did I say I’d listen?” He set the album back on the dresser, coming within inches of me where I still stood at its edge. “I asked what you wanted. I didn’t say I’d deliver. ”
My lips rolled together, the skin pinched between my teeth in near pain. “You’re insufferable.”
“You’re beautiful.”
“Stop that!” I shoved at his chest, but he didn’t budge.
“You’re going to have to try a lot harder than that to get me to stay away, kitten.”
“I’m not above committing murder.”
“Neither is half this town.” He grabbed my hands in one of his, holding them steady against the warmth of his bare skin. “You’re mad that you liked it.”
“Liked being shot at outside my home in the middle of the night by a stalker standing outside my window?”
His jaw ticked, eyes darkening for a moment before he corrected me. “Liked how I felt inside you.”
“ God . Do you ever stop? For one fucking second, do you ever think, ‘Hey, maybe I shouldn’t be such a cocky ass and should quit annoying everyone around me?’”
He was somehow drifting closer to me while barely moving, and I hated that I could feel every beat of his heart beneath his hard muscles. Hated that I liked it. Hated that I wanted to feel it pick up speed while I did unspeakable things to him.
I hated that he was right.
Would I ever admit that, though? Probably not.
Austin was an ass, and I was stubborn. I wasn’t sure which was worse.
“Go to sleep, McKenna.”
“That’s it? I just get told what to do by you now, too?”
His free hand came up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingertips lingering on my jawline. “Your eyes are bloodshot, and you’ re shaking.”
“It’s cold.”
“The heater’s on.”
“So?”
“So your body is tired.” He dropped my hands, but they stayed put while he glided his touch along my arm to my elbow. “Admitting it won’t kill you.” Something in his gaze told me he wouldn’t let it, even if it could.
My fight slowly receded with that, much like it had before. Somehow, Austin was beating down my defenses one by one while simultaneously building them up stronger.
“Fine,” I bit out, finally removing my hands from him.
Our eyes remained locked for a few more seconds.
Seconds that felt like a millennium to my heart.
Because behind that steely gaze and promise of death, Austin was soft.
My body ached to want to fall asleep curled up next to him, but my mind was too stubborn to say the words aloud.
To ask him to not have the guys come over so he could hold me while I fell asleep.
Instead of showing him the side of me I kept hidden under lock and key, I broke our trance and headed for my bed, not stopping until I was under the covers, the edge tucked under my chin.
And I could say Austin stayed until I fell asleep.
Or I could let myself believe he left the moment I turned away from him.
But even the most minuscule of cracks in my barriers knew—he was the reason I closed my eyes and didn’t hear the gunshot again.
The reason I slept soundly knowing that even if that man was still hidden in the trees, nothing would touch me.
Austin would never allow it.