Chapter Twenty-Three
Katey
I woke with a start and raised my head to check my surroundings, an act that became a habit since I started running from Ethan. Only today I wasn’t on alert, my lids were heavy with sleep and my body was delightfully sore. And my bed was hard. Rock hard. Extra muscle-y. I pushed up on what turned out to be Sniper’s massive chest and looked down at his smiling face.
“Good morning.” His smile was lazy, but beautiful.
Stunning, really. It was so unfair. “Morning,” I groaned and tried, unsuccessfully, to push off his body. “Sorry.”
His hands landed on my ass with two loud smacks. “Don’t be. Waking up with soft curves on me ain’t bad.”
I rolled my eyes. “Careful of those compliments, Sniper, or I might think you like me.”
He barked out a laugh and squeezed my ass. “I think it’s clear that I like you.”
Ignoring the shiver that raced through my body, I sat back so that his morning wood slid between my folds. I let out a moan. “You think I’d be all sexed out but I’m not.”
“Must be all that good sleep I’m givin’ you.” He winked, his big hands still gripping my ass while he dragged me along the length of his cock. “Fuck, I love how wet you get for me.”
He was right, and under normal, real world circumstances I’d be mortified at just how easily I went from dry to dripping for this man, but the things he did when I was wet and ready were too amazing to be self-conscious. “Don’t let your ego get carried away.”
“Too late for that.” He laughed as he smacked my ass again and then lifted me out of bed. “I’m gonna fuck you in the shower and then we can talk.”
The last thing I wanted to do was talk, but I was curious about what had happened last night. “I might even participate in the conversation since I slept through the night without one nightmare.” I froze as I processed the words that came out of my mouth. “Holy shit! I slept through the night!” I was so giddy with that realization that I almost knocked us off kilter.
“That’s great news. Not to take credit,” he said and placed me on my feet while he adjusted the shower temperature.
“But here you are about to take credit.” I rolled my eyes as steam filled the bathroom.
“Maybe you slept so well because you slept on top of me.”
“Maybe,” I shrugged. “Or maybe it was the double orgasm you laid on me last night.” My nipples grew hard just thinking about the way he growled his pleasure and complimented me.
“In,” he ordered, and I surprised myself by stepping inside without argument. “I like it when you’re a good girl.”
Dammit why did I like it when he praised me so much? I didn’t know, and I refused to think about it too much, so I just shoved it down deep with other things I wasn’t thinking about like how silly it was to be so ridiculously happy over the fact that I’d slept through the night. Or the fact that I liked Sniper and not just his cock. “Are we showering or what?” I stepped under the spray and let the hot water soothe my aching muscles.
Sniper stepped inside and his big hands immediately went to my hair which was crazy because it was so short that there was almost nothing to it. The pixie cut was stylish and serviceable, but it wasn’t long or feminine.
When he touched my hair in that gentle stroke, my eyes fluttered shut and I leaned into his touch, which I really didn’t want to do. That, more than staying here at the clubhouse and sleeping with him, was a sign of trouble. I trusted him more than I should. Liked him more than I should.
I had to do something about this.
My hands slid down his body and he moaned. I gripped his cock and tugged on it, eliciting another moan. “Katey, fuck.”
I smiled and dropped down in front of him, taking his cock between my lips.
He growled again, louder this time.
I flattened out my tongue and it cradled the underside of his cock while my lips covered the top. I took him deep, to the back of my throat and the guttural sound he let out hit me straight between the legs. Suddenly I was consumed with the desire to make him moan, to make him feel good. I grabbed his thighs and sucked him off because I wanted to, not because I had to. I moaned around him, smiling when his legs shook.
“Oh fuck, Katey.” His hips moved just a little bit, just enough for me to know that I was doing a good job.
I moaned again and took him deeper, pressing my fingertips into the back of his thighs, moving him the way I wanted until his cock swelled in my mouth, and he exploded down my throat.
His legs trembled and low moans escaped while I kept his cock covered with my mouth. “Katey, babe.”
I smiled. It was the first time in a really long time that I gave a blow job because I wanted to, and I really fucking enjoyed it.
“That was… holy shit, Katey!”
I stood and wiggled my eyebrows, feeling good about myself as I showered and then left the bathroom. Sniper caught me and pushed me onto the bed where he returned the orgasmic favor quickly. Embarrassingly quickly.
“We should get out of here for a few hours. Get you some sunshine.”
I looked up at his wet smile, his wide shoulders still held my thighs apart, and I sighed. “Bait duty again?” I was being flippant, but I was genuinely curious since we hadn’t talked about whatever happened last night. And there was still the other thing I needed to tell him about.
“No Katey, not bait duty. Sunshine.”
“Sunshine? I’m not familiar.”
“Clearly,” he grumbled and pulled my ankle until I hovered on the edge of the bed. “Clothes. Now.”
“Bossy,” I mumbled under my breath as I got up and got dressed for sunshine, whatever that meant. Not that it really mattered since I had a very limited wardrobe for the past year. The upside was that it didn’t take long to get dressed.
***
Twenty minutes later we were on his bike and a short ride on the highway later we pulled up to the most unexpected place. “A carnival? You don’t strike me as a carnival type of guy.”
He let out a deep laugh and took my hand. It was an unconscious move that I decided not to question. “Who doesn’t like overpriced games? Carnival food? Rides?”
“Good point.”
“I know.” He wore an arrogant smile but since my limbs were relaxed and the sun felt good on my skin, I didn’t call him out on it.
“How about we get some funnel fries?” I hadn’t eaten since last night and sex was an excellent calorie burner, at least sex with Sniper was.
“Sounds good.” We stood in line, and I let the sun warm my skin while I tried to find my courage to tell Sniper everything.
We walked around the carnival grounds and shared the fries. “I’m sorry about all of this. I know you agreed to help me, but I think this ,” I motioned between the two of us, “is more than you bargained for.”
He took the empty container from me and tossed it in a trash can as we passed it and then hooked an arm around me. “I didn’t agree to a certain amount of trouble, Katey. I agreed to do whatever it takes to keep you safe, so don’t go worrying that I don’t know what I signed up for.”
I sighed. “It’s not that, it’s just a lot and well, I’m sorry that I’m so much.” It was the story of my life, at least before Ethan. I was too focused on my studies. Too serious. Too inhibited. And then with Ethan I was never enough—never pretty enough, or smart enough, or fun enough.
“Look at me Katey.”
My gaze obediently shot up to meet his.
“You’re not so much ,” he sighed heavily and grabbed my chin so that I couldn’t look away. “You’re sharp and feisty, kind of grumpy as fuck, sexy even though you’re in desperate need of a few extra pounds and you are… just right. Even when you’re a pain in the ass, I like you and I shouldn’t.”
“Because you’re protecting me?”
He laughed. “Because what the fuck would a doctor want with a guy like me?”
“Besides the physical package, you are entirely too appealing, Sniper. Believe me.”
He grinned. “You’re hot for my body?”
I rolled my eyes. “Obviously.”
“Good.” He took my hand and clasped it palm to palm with his before dragging me to several different rides.
I couldn’t remember the last time I smiled and laughed so much, probably back when I was an undergrad, back when I had girlfriends and when bad boyfriends meant a weekend of too much sugar and cheap booze. We spent hours going from game to game, ride to ride until we were tired, and our skin was sun kissed. “You were right, this is just what I needed.”
“I’m usually right about most things.”
I laughed again and looked up at him with what felt like genuine affection. I knew I was in trouble—funny since I was running from trouble of the same variety, but I couldn’t seem to help myself. “And so modest too.” I pointed to the giant Ferris wheel with the flashing lights. “Are we ready, or are you scared of heights?”
He glared at me like he was seriously offended. “I’m not scared of anything.”
“I’ll bet there’s one thing you’re afraid of,” I told him, but I didn’t expand on it. In my experience men were afraid of one thing above all else. Their emotions.
“It’s not a fuckin’ Ferris wheel,” he grunted and tugged me into place at the back of the line.
“I guess we’ll find out, won’t we?” It was fun, teasing a big strong guy like Sniper and feeling confident that he wouldn’t hit me for dinging his ego.
He held my hand as we advanced in line and even once we were seated inside the cage he kept hold of me. It was a heady feeling, to think someone actually gave a damn about me enough to want to protect me. To think I was worth protecting. “I need to tell you something.”
My body stiffened but I relaxed immediately and nodded. Of course that’s what this was about. This whole day wasn’t about me or us because there was no us. I wriggled free of his grasp and held my hands in my lap. “Okay.”
“Ethan is up to something.” Sniper fidgeted with his hands as he spoke. “Last night I learned that he knows where you are and that he’s coming for you.”
I swallowed down the bile that rose in my throat. “Okay. So what’s the plan?”
“There is no plan, honestly. He’s watching, I’m sure of that. But I’m not sure where he’s watching from or who he has watching us.”
“So that’s what today was, putting on a show.”
“No. It was about getting you out of the clubhouse, so you don’t go stir-crazy.”
Right. “Sure.” I turned to him. “Okay so he’s watching, presumably waiting for his opening to what, kidnap me? Kill me?”
Sniper nodded and reached for my hand again. The move wasn’t calculated, it seemed like he needed it, so I didn’t pull away. “My guess is both. He wants to make you his, permanently. Once he finds out we’re married he’ll probably want you dead.”
I sucked in a shaky breath and nodded. “Thank you, for being honest.”
“I’ll never lie to you Katey.”
Unlike me the lying liar who can’t tell the truth to save her life. “Okay. So?”
“So, we go out and spend time together and let the world see just how madly in love we are. He’ll be so fucking furious he’s bound to show his ugly face and if we’re lucky, make a mistake.” His smile was absolutely wicked, and it drew me in, closer and closer until our lips met in the middle.
It was a thorough kiss, hot and sweet at the same time. It was confusing as hell after a day filled with affectionate touches and shared smiles. It felt like a real date dammit and my poor deprived heart wanted to believe the lie.
My head wouldn’t let me.
So for just a few minutes, I let my heart lead the way.