Chapter Seven
Myla opened the door the next day and had to bite her tongue to keep from moaning. Kaleb looked amazing in jeans. They emphasized his large, muscular legs and tight ass, but also cupped his manhood in a way that sent streaks of need through her body.
He had on a dark blue button-down shirt with rolled up sleeves, showing off his thick wrists and the strength in his hands and forearms.
“Woman, if you don’t stop looking at me like that, we’re going to be in trouble.”
She sucked in a deep breath, felt her face heat with embarrassment, and took a step back to let him in. “I’m sorry.”
He stopped even with her and cupped her face. “Don’t ever be sorry for that. I love looking at you, too.”
She nodded.
“Are you ready to go?” he asked.
“Yes. Let me get my purse.”
Kaleb’s eye roamed over her, which sent a shiver of awareness in her.
It was the first time he’d seen her in jeans, and the ones she knew hugged her curves perfectly.
The light gray short-sleeved, button-down shirt she wore was loose.
She didn’t like wearing tight clothing, especially since the attack.
“Now who’s staring?” she asked when she turned around to face him.
“You’d better get used to that. There isn’t anything I don’t already adore about you.”
She walked to him and ran her finger down his chest. “You haven’t known me long enough. There’s probably plenty about me you won’t like.”
“I doubt it.”
She grinned and walked to the door. “Are you ready?”
“Yes. Have you eaten?”
“No.”
“We’ll pick up a hamburger at the food court if that’s okay?”
“It sounds perfect.”
He helped her into his truck.
He reached for her hand and held it on the drive to the mall. He snatched it up again after he’d lifted her out and locked his truck.
They must have looked in every store in the enormous place. They’d spent hours at the mall. First, they ate lunch, and then they window-shopped after buying his niece’s birthday gift.
****
There wasn’t a time he didn’t have his hand on her in some way. The more time he spent with her, the more he craved her.
The first few times he caught men looking at her, he’d found himself gritting his teeth. He knew it was ridiculous to feel insecure. Myla showed him in so many ways how attracted she was to him, and he never found her looking at other men.
He’d dated a few women since the explosion that changed his life, but none of them made him feel the way Myla did. He knew if he didn’t get a grip on himself, his over-the-top possessive jealousy could get out of hand and maybe push her away. And that’s the last thing he wanted.
“Are you ready to go, Baby?”
Myla nodded her head. “I can’t think of anything else I want to look at.”
“All right, let’s head out.”
His phone rang before they got to the exit doors of the mall. “Hold on,” he said, and pulled it out of his pocket. “Hawkins.”
“Yeah, any chance you can come to the office? I’m having a problem getting a file to come up, and no one else here knows how to do it.”
“Sure. I’ll drop by now.”
“Hey, thanks, man.”
He stuck his phone back into his pocket and then reached for her hand. “I have to stop at the station. It won’t take long. I promise.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Myla said and snapped her seatbelt on.
It took less than thirty minutes to get to the police department. He parked against the large white building and then turned to her. “Do you want to come in with me or stay here?”
“If it’s okay with you, I’d like to come with you.”
“No, I don’t mind. Let me come around and get you.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist as he walked into the building. He’d wave every time he heard his name called, but kept walking.
He pushed the button for the elevator and kissed the top of her head as they waited.
“Oh, isn’t that so sweet?”
Kaleb rolled his eyes. “Knock it off, Ray.”
He tightened his hold and led her into the elevator when the doors opened. He held in a sigh when Ray followed them in.
“So, are you going to introduce us?” Ray asked.
Kaleb looked down at Myla and bit his lip to keep from smiling at the scowl she had on her face. Ray was an ass, and he knew he’d have to keep Myla back from slugging the guy.
“This is Myla. Myla, that’s Ray Ferguson.”
She wrapped her arm around Kaleb. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said, but her tone was anything but warm.
“And you’re a pretty little thing. Why the hell are you with this guy?”
Kaleb coughed to hide his chuckle when her face got even darker.
“You could put a hundred guys in front of me, and I would choose him every time.”
Kaleb grunted at the look of shock on Ray’s face. It was getting harder and harder not to smile.
“She’s a tough little thing, isn’t she?”
“She’s a bit protective of me,” Kaleb said and tugged her closer to him.
Ray looked dumbfounded, which he understood. Kaleb was twice her size and outweighed her by at least one hundred pounds.
When the doors opened, the guy walked out and turned. “It was nice to meet you.”
“You, too,” Myla said.
Kaleb led her in the opposite direction. “Ray didn’t mean anything by that.”
“He was an ass,” Myla said, bluntly making Kaleb chuckle.
“I’m going to have to keep you close to prevent you from hurting someone. You’re a feisty little woman.”
She looked up at him and smiled. “Only with you.”
He rolled his eyes and then grunted when she elbowed him.
“Come on. We need to go this way.”
They walked down a few hallways until they came to a bigger room with desks sectioned off.
“Kaleb,” a man yelled and lifted his hand.
“What did you break?’ Kaleb asked when they came even with his friend’s desk.
Jeff looked at Myla and then back to Kaleb. “I didn’t break anything. I just think I temporarily lost it.”
Kaleb snorted and flicked his hand. “Move it.”
Jeff gave up his chair to Kaleb.
Kaleb could see that Jeff’s curiosity was getting the better of him.
“Jeff, this is Myla. Baby, this guy and I are both studying to be detectives.”
Myla raised her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Jeff shook hers. “Yeah, you, too. I didn’t know you were dating anyone, buddy.”
Kaleb grinned. “I didn’t know I had to tell you everything.”
Jeff rolled his eyes.
Myla stood behind Kaleb, set her hands on his shoulders, and tried to keep up with what he was doing.
“He’s good, isn’t he?” Jeff asked her.
She nodded. “He’ll have to show me some of his tricks.”
“He’s tried to teach me over the years, and I still have a hard time.”
Kaleb looked at them over his shoulder. “It’s only because I grew up with a schoolteacher. I didn’t get away with not doing my homework.”
Myla chuckled.
“Okay, there it is. Let’s see if you can go a day without having to call me.”
“Since you’re going to be here tomorrow, I won’t have to call.”
Kaleb snorted and stood, giving Jeff back his chair. He wrapped an arm around her waist.
“If that’s it, we’d need to go.”
Jeff reached out and shook Myla’s hand. “It was nice to meet you. I hope to see you again soon.”
“You, too.”
Kaleb waved as he maneuvered them back out of the building.
He turned to her after they were both in the truck. “Thank you.”
“For what?” she asked.
“For not being upset that we had to stop...”
She looked surprised. “Of course not.”
He grinned at her. “And for not belting any of my associates.”
She huffed out a laugh. “You’re very welcome. I can’t guarantee it won’t happen in the future.”
He threw back his head and laughed. “My own little protector.”
She rolled her eyes. “Stop teasing.”
“I’m not, Baby,” he said and cupped her cheek to turn her head his way. “I’ve never had anyone as protective of me, besides you, and although I don’t want you hurting anyone, I like the fact that you care so much.”
She smoothed the hair off his forehead. “I do care. Very much.”
He pulled her to him and took her mouth. Whistles were what stopped him from pulling her onto his lap. He looked up and grunted as the other cops stood whistling and smiling.
“Let’s get out of here. We still need to stop at the grocery store.”
She nodded and grinned.
Kaleb grabbed a basket from the tower inside the door, but kept his other hand connected with her in some way throughout the store.
They picked up two steaks, potatoes, fresh green beans, and a bottle of wine.
He looked down at her. “Anything else you can think of?” He watched her face go beet red. “What, Baby?”
“I...”
“Just tell me,” he murmured.
“Condoms,” she whispered and then ducked her head.
He kissed the top of her head and chuckled. “You’re smart to think of them. I know I have some at home, but I don’t know how many and how old they are.”
He smiled when she nodded, squeezed his hand, but kept her face tucked against his chest.
She was adorable. He knew she was uncomfortable discussing something so personal, but she somehow found the courage to speak up, despite not being prepared. Everything about her told him she was a little. He just didn’t know if she would accept the lifestyle.
He wasn’t going to tell her he’d been prepared. It hadn’t been that long since he’d had a woman, so the condoms were still viable. He just didn’t want her to know that.
Her grip on his hand tightened as they walked down the aisle. He stopped them in front of the condom display.
“Which one?” he asked.
Myla turned and looked and gasped. “There are so many choices.”
“Haven’t you ever bought condoms before?”
She shook her head. “No. I can’t remember even seeing them in stores.”
A rush of tenderness hit him. He hadn’t realized how innocent she was. In this day and age, he thought everyone above sixteen had dealt with condoms or seen enough on TV not to be embarrassed by it.
“There are a lot. Do you want me to pick?”
She nodded. “I wouldn’t know where to start.”
He glanced at them and grabbed a big box of regular condoms. He set it in the basket and grabbed her hand again.
He noticed she still wouldn’t look up at him, so he stopped them before they got to the checkout. He tipped her chin up with one of his fingers so he could see her face.
“Baby, there is nothing to be embarrassed about.”
She grabbed onto the hand that held her chin. “It’s just ... I don’t want you to think ... you know ... that I’m slutty.” She immediately closed her eyes as a red tide covered her face.
If he thought it would take time to fall in love with her, he was wrong. Falling for her didn’t startle him so much because they’d only been on a few dates.
“There is no way I would think that, Baby. As far as I can see, you’re perfect in every way, and I thank God for getting us together.”
Her eyes slowly opened, and tears glistened, but a smile spread across her face. “I feel the same way.”
He tipped his head down and kissed her softly on the lips before he raised his head. “Let’s get out of here.”
She nodded.
Kaleb got them through the checkout and out to the truck. He took one look at her and then put the truck in “drive” to take her home. He was excited to see her in his house. He thought about the family he planned to have, and as of that moment, he couldn’t see anyone else but her in it.