28. Chapter 28
Chapter 28
KAT
T he sun bled in through the crack of my curtains. Through slitted lids, I tipped my head back, panting. Heat roared through me, a pulsing ache building steadily between my thighs by wanted pressure.
With my heart racing, I mindlessly raised one leg and spread them apart even wider. Making room for each sweep, each encroaching rush of arousal with an unintentional rock of my hips.
I could get used to waking up like this. Scrunching my pillow with one hand, I slipped my other beneath the sheets draped around my waist. My body screamed with desire. Goosebumps raised along my skin, not from a chill but from the edging creeping within my veins.
Silencing the moan so my family didn’t hear, I closed my eyes. Closer and closer, every pulse that rippled from my center floated me higher and higher.
Almost painful. Almost excruciating. But entirely wanted. Needed.
I knew what was coming. The rush of release was right there. My legs quivered, each panting breath quickening. Right on the edge.
“Kat, you have a visitor at the—”
My eyes flew open as my bedroom door did. Snapping my gaze toward the threshold, every muscle in my body stiffened.
There my mother stood, her eyes locked onto me. Interrupting a very private moment.
“Kat, are you—” My mom remained as still and frozen as I did.
I could’ve sworn I locked the door…
But here we were, with my absolutely naked body that was only covered waist down by the sheets on my bed exposed.
“Are you…Are you pleasuring yourself? Not judging, just…” she gasped, her expression twisting between shock and a smile.
My fingers beneath the sheets tightened in Bernie’s hair, but no words were able to leave my mouth as he too, remained completely still.
I should’ve quickly covered the rest of myself with my blankets, but for whatever reason, I couldn’t move.
Like cement, I was frozen in place.
She remained rooted to the spot, unblinking.
Her eyes stayed locked onto mine. “I’ll go let Wyatt know you’ll be down in a bit,” she calmly said. “Next time you’re…taking care of yourself, all I ask is that you please lock the door. You have two younger brothers.”
“I—” My voice cracked as Bernie’s tongue flicked out between my legs. Twisting his hair between my fingers as a warning, I cleared my throat, hiding the rush he caused. “I swear I did,” I sheepishly replied.
Finally, my mom glanced away from me, and a gush of oxygen released from my lungs. Her brows knitted together as she studied the doorknob. Giving it a quick rattle, she scratched at her head for a moment. “Huh. Looks like you did. I think something is broken. I’ll have Dad take a look at it later.”
“Okay, thank you.” I swallowed as her eyes darted around the room, scanning everything but me.
“Anyway, hurry and…you know. Just come downstairs quickly,” she said and scurried out of the room with a slam of the door.
Closing my eyes, I whacked the side of Bernie’s head as he slowly pushed himself off of the mattress. The sheets slid away from my waist and down his back, exposing the very man, the very naked man, who’d been the cause of all of that.
“Have you never masturbated before?” he bluntly asked with a smirk, and my jaw fell open.
“First off, be quiet. Second, what the hell?”
He shrugged. “Just saying, seemed like she was rather shocked that you might be enjoying some alone time.”
“I’m not going to dignify your question with an answer. Now, up. You’ve gotta sneak out before someone sees you, and apparently Wyatt is asking for me.”
“He can wait.” Bernie frowned.
My gaze slid down his bare torso, darting between his legs as he sat back on his heels. Yeah, Wyatt could wait since I wanted to indulge on Bernie again. Besides, my blissful morning was interrupted and now I felt all…
What was it that I felt ?
“And that, Kit Kat, is a woman’s version of blue balls,” Bernie said.
I snapped my gaze up to his. “What?”
“That expression on your face, you’re feeling this strange frustration because you didn’t get to finish. Blue balls. But for a woman,” he explained, and I narrowed my eyes to slits.
“Get out of my room.” I sat up as he grinned wider.
“No.”
“Bernie, get out. I have to go see what Wyatt wants.” Shoving at his arm, he chuckled and then, without a sound, slipped off my mattress. I watched as he quickly dipped and gathered his clothes.
We were lucky he’d tossed them to the side of my bed that wasn’t visible from my bedroom door. Had my mother seen them… Shaking my head, I slumped forward, both ashamed and relieved. “My mother has never walked in on me naked. In any way before. She clearly didn’t care that I may have been taking care of myself, it was more her walking in…” I muttered, glancing toward Bernie.
He zipped up his jeans with a little jig. “Not even while you were changing?”
I shook my head. “With two older brothers, and then eventually two younger ones, I made a careful habit of always locking my door, being discreet when changing or doing anything like that. So, no. Not even then.”
A sly grin spread across his face as he tugged the black T-shirt over his head. “And now she thinks you were touching yourself.”
Groaning, I bumped my head against my knees as I scrunched myself up tighter. “Shut the fuck up and get out. Through my— ”
“Window. I know. Wyatt’s waiting at the front door, so there’s no way I’m going that way.” He glanced back at me and picked up his shoes. Crawling across the bed, his lips brushed against mine. “If you do end up…” His voice paused as his grin widened. “Finishing things, please video call me.”
His kiss briefly pressed against mine and then he backed up off the mattress. “You want to see me take care of myself?” I asked as he padded quietly to my window.
“Obviously. That’s hot as fuck.” He winked and then flipped the lock.
I lifted my middle finger and closed my eyes. Of course he would think that.
And, if I was honest with myself, the idea of him watching, sounded a little exhilarating.
Inhaling deeply, I flopped back on my pillow, wanting at least one more minute where there was only Bernie and me.
Conversations with him from last night sifted into my mind like a butterfly in the summer. Drifting in and out, I couldn’t help but fall even harder into him. Despite his sometimes-crass humor, he really was a sensitive guy.
Someone with a past that I somehow knew ate him up. But I cared for him all the same regardless of it. Regardless of anything he’d ever done, I still wanted him. Still desired him. He made me feel alive. And like I was the only one in the world that mattered to him. As selfish as that sounded, that was what I wanted .
Crawling reluctantly from bed, I glanced at my now-closed window. I hadn’t even heard him shut it. Not a sound had danced into my ears from his escape, which was incredible considering how large of a man he was.
Quickly pulling on some underwear, I jumped into a pair of jeans, and a simple grungy shirt, then slipped out of my room while winding my messy hair up into a bun. My bare feet tapped down the stairs, where I could see Wyatt’s outline waiting in the doorway. Something about him seemed…different. But I wasn’t sure what it was.
“Hi,” I said once I hit the landing, and he turned around to face me.
“Hey. Where have you been?” Wyatt asked, stuffing his hands in his jeans pockets.
“Uh, upstairs in my room? Why?”
“You weren’t around like you usually are during morning chores.”
Furrowing my brows, I tipped my head. One side of me wanted to lash out. Expose him for all of the shit he was involved in. I wanted to rip him a new one, tell him off right now. The smell of him, the sight of him, him pretending to be concerned about my whereabouts made me nauseous.
But the other side of me reminded me that I couldn’t. Not just yet. “Is that why you’re here?” I asked, feigning innocence and attempting to keep my voice sweet.
He nodded, almost a little too quickly to be normal. “I was concerned. Your parents said Emma took you home early last night from the cookout or whatever you guys went to because you were feeling sick.”
“Oh.” I raised my brows and forced a smile on my face. “I’m doing better this morning. Stupid time of the month, if you know what I mean.” I inhaled deeply, catching a hint of the smell of rain .
“Okay, I’m glad. You’re still good to accompany me on Saturday, right?” he asked.
I nodded. “Of course. Thank you for being concerned, Wyatt. That means a lot.”
He flashed a smile, bouncing from foot to foot. “You’re welcome.” He turned around, but I shot a hand out, catching the sleeve to his button-down.
“Can I ask you something though?” I quickly said.
Pausing, he spun back around. “Sure.”
I drew a deep breath for encouragement, reminding myself that what I was about to ask, was to sell this charade even more. To hopefully keep all doubts about things at bay in Wyatt because, if roles were reversed, and my partner had suddenly become willing and asked for a date after years of saying no, I’d question why. So, I had to make sure he had no suspicions about us.
Yet.
“What changed?” I asked.
His brows furrowed, the shadow from his cowboy hat darkening his confusion. “Changed? What do you mean?”
“You never noticed me. You became friends with Sawyer long before you ever noticed me. You noticed Emma, talked with Emma with me standing right next to her before, but you never noticed me,” I began, and he shook his head.
“No, I noticed you. ”
“After the inheritance situation. After your parents said you’d only get it once you were married to me . Then you noticed me. And I found out that you suggested marriage to me.” I paused as his brows flickered.
Anger briefly tightened his jittery features. “I didn’t know you knew about that.”
“I do, and it’s okay.” I gave him another smile, and swallowing the disgust, I reached forward and brushed my hand down his arm. “But something changed from then to now. I see it’s different now. Even if that’s why you noticed me at first, something changed. So, I’m asking what changed.”
His tongue flicked out, wetting his bottom lip and then he exhaled. “Bluntly put, you’re the kind of girl that all moms love but boys don’t notice. Especially with your friend Emma around. So, I don’t have to worry about you. I don’t have to worry about other guys looking at you, or you having other options because you’re fat. I like that you’re not insecure about your body, but even I know you’re not experienced with men because nobody sees you.”
Wyatt paused as my stomach dropped. The blood ran cold in my body as his backhanded compliment shifted. His words and tone tightened, arrogance lifted upon his tongue as he continued. “I like that you’re a virgin, because you’ll not know anything different than what I decide to do to you. Hell, even your boyfriend in high school only dated you because someone dared him to since you’re chubby, so it only reinforces the fact that you won’t end up jealous if some girl flirts with me. And you won’t leave me for some other dude.”
“Wh-what?” I asked, wrapping my arms around myself .
He tipped his head. “You didn’t know about your ex, did you?” A manic chuckle escaped his chest. “Yeah, I looked into you when my parents told me I had to either pick a wife, or they’d pick one for me. I wanted to know the type of girl that they would accept without questions as well as who I would be marrying. And wouldn’t it just be my luck that it’s someone as plain and undesirable as you but with a family situation and reputation that I need.”
Gritting my teeth, I fought the boil of frustration curdling the blood in my veins. He was clearly high on some drug.
“I get to live out my life on this ranch, with a wife who has no other options, leaving me open to do whatever the hell I want to do. Doesn’t that sound perfect?” He reached forward and flicked a thumb beneath my chin, lifting it so my gaze met his.
“Wear red on Saturday,” he said and then dropped his touch from my skin as if a hot knife had slit his finger.
Faking a smile, I nodded. “Red it is,” I said.
I wanted him to think I was compliant. I wanted him to think his words dug salt in the wounds he thought he’d created. I wanted him to think that I had no one but him. That there was nowhere else for me to go.
But the opposite exploded within me. I couldn’t wait to absolutely lay him out soon. I couldn’t wait for him to find out that someone had noticed me. Someone completely incredible. And dangerous.
Someone violent.
Someone who I knew would stop at nothing to protect me .
Even more so, I couldn’t wait for him to realize that Bernie wasn’t the only one who had noticed me. Ford had. In a different way than Bernie, but Ford had seen me as well.
Wyatt’s back faded from view as he strutted away from the house and down toward all of the vehicles parked like a used car lot in the driveway.
And the grinning face of someone who brought me excitement and security slipped into my peripherals. Bernie slid his hands behind his back and stepped up onto the porch. Leaning against the side of the doorframe, his grin widened even more.
Suspicion crept through my bones. “What did you do? I thought you’d be gone by now.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, well, I wasn’t about to leave you alone with him.”
“I told you I can—”
“Handle yourself. I don’t doubt it, baby. But I am a bit sadistic. And petty. And he called you fat.” One eye of his twitched as the engine to a truck roared to life.
Furrowing my brows, I studied him. “Again, what did you do?”
“Someone may or may not have loosened the drain plug on his truck.”
As the engine faded down the drive, he slowly brought his gaze back to mine.
“For the oil pan?” I asked.
He shrugged, but the smile didn’t lessen. “Also, he’s got maybe half a gallon left of gas, but someone may or may not have messed with the gas gauge so it won’t show him a proper reading.”
“Benjamin,” I scolded. But my heart fluttered with glee .
He wiggled his brows. “Oh, and he might be missing a few lug nuts. You know, one or two per hubcap.”
“What the hell, Bernie?” I giggled, despite my accusatory words, and he chuckled as the rumble of the engine dissipated into the distance.
“Also, there may have been some contact between nails and tires.”
“Just one tire?”
He shook his head. “Two. And who knows if the nails will accidentally fall out.”
Closing my eyes, I bit down on my bottom lip. “Anything else?”
I heard him inhale deeply. “Uh, nothing you need to know.”
“Of—”
“Bernie?” my mother, once again, interrupted something private with the man I was absolutely smitten by.
“Hey, Mrs. Fisher,” Bernie smoothly replied, and I opened my eyes as he raised a single brow in my direction and folded his arms over his chest. His pecs bunched beneath the movement. Footsteps padded against the hardwood behind me, coming closer until they stopped beside me.
“What are you doing here so early?” she asked.
I glanced her way and then her eyes widened. “Kat, what is Bernie doing here at this hour in the morning?”
“I heard she went home early last night because she was sick. Just wanted to check in and make sure she was okay,” Bernie replied for me, and my mom pursed her lips as the television crackled to life in the living room.
“That’s the lie you’re going to go with? The same one that Wyatt used,” my mom said, shoving her hands on her hips with a cocked brow .
Pursing my lips, I glared at my mom. “Is he not allowed to be worried about me?”
“He is. Unless—” She cut herself off mid-sentence, a gasp filling the doorway from her. “You’re leaving . As in leaving because you’ve been here all night.” My mom slid her gaze from Bernie toward me as my cheeks flushed warm. My stomach dropped to my toes as I sucked in my bottom lip.
And then a knowing smile of approval slid upon my mom’s face. “You didn’t come home early with Emma because you were sick, did you?”
“Hold up,” Bernie interjected.
The humor wiped from his face as quickly as a shadow vanished at dawn.
The drastic change was abrupt enough that my mother didn’t attempt to argue with him.
He stepped closer to the house and tipped his head. “Is that a live broadcast?” he asked.
“What are you talking about?” my mom said, turning slowly to follow his stare over my shoulder. I instead studied Bernie, knowing he had a habit of being more devious than he let on.
“The news on the TV. Is that happening live or a rerun?” He took another step forward, crossing the threshold, and stopped directly in front of me. His warm breath washed against my face, steady and rhythmical.
“It’s live. Hank watches it every morning during breakfast,” she replied quietly.
Straining to hear, I zeroed in on the jumbled words behind me. The tension in the news anchor’s voice had even Levi and Beau silent. “As of this moment, the evacuation of headquarters for the Defense Intelligence Agency is still ongoing. No intel has been reported as missing at this point. There are six confirmed casualties so far but more are assumed. With no claim by any known terrorist organization, the investigation of this bombing will remain open, limiting what information can be shared. For your—”
My focus shifted back onto Bernie as a wicked grin slowly spread across his face once more, and her voice became mumbled white noise in the background.
He winked. “Distraction,” he whispered, leaned forward, and quickly pecked my lips with a kiss. “See you later, Kit Kat.”
And he was gone as quickly as the wind arrived.
That sly, absolutely incredible man.
With a howl, dark clouds rumbled across the sky, picking up dust and pollen.
A storm had arrived.
I quietly closed the door as my mom remained locked onto the news report, and I slipped up the stairs unnoticed.
Now, the only question that remained was whether or not to video call Bernie if I decided to indulge in the very act I imagined he was thinking about as he rode his motorcycle home.