Chapter 16
Reese
The essence of pizza lingered in the kitchen, the sweet fragrance of sauce and pepperoni, sausage and mushrooms still assaulting my senses.
Plus, my beloved Canadian bacon.
Kendrick had insisted on ordering pizza for dinner. Once it had arrived, he’d taken his plate with him, now doing God knew what. He’d done an excellent job of staying away from me.
I felt as if I was being punished, the penance for having any sexual desires for him worse than the flogging I’d received.
I’d come to the untethered conclusion men were far too complicated to deal with.
In my defense, the men I’d dated up to this point had all been self-centered pricks because that’s all I’d managed to meet in Jacksonville.
Or maybe I’d had my guard up to the point the nice guys had all been terrified of me.
I don’t know if it was the sun and the salty sea air offering a perfect life in some affluent ocean view villa that had created the group of narcissists I’d run into, but after a string of bad first dates, I’d tossed in the towel.
That didn’t mean I’d been happy about it.
I’d tried to pretend I didn’t mind lonely nights, enjoying my quiet time to do whatever I wanted.
However, after engaging in highly inappropriate carnal activities with Kendrick, I’d reminded myself at least a dozen times that I’d lost my mind the two nights before.
Completely. Totally. As if somehow the terrifying and humiliating days spent locked away had stripped me of all my mental faculties.
I’d also felt safe, which allowed the guilt to continue crowding in. My sister was still out there, still suffering and I felt safe. The mixture of emotions had kept me on edge for the last day and a half.
Kendrick and I had been like two ships passing in the night, only neither one of us had gotten much sleep. I’d found him the night before in the mission control room making lists and cross referencing what little information had been gathered. His frustration was increasing. So was mine.
As the hours ticked by, the fear that I’d never see my sister again increased.
I put the few remaining slices of pizza in the fridge then wiped the counter, which I’d done four times. With the twilight settling in, I was growing even antsier.
“Have a drink.”
The sound of his voice startled me and I jumped, half laughing when I turned around.
He was standing in the doorway of the kitchen in another pair of faded jeans and a Miami Heat tee shirt that had seen better days.
As anticipated, he was wearing his signature cowboy boots that I’d wanted nothing more than to run my fingers across.
Just like I wanted to do with his tattoos.
For some reason, I’d chosen one of the simple dresses hanging in the closet. Maybe because the air was sweltering outside, the bright sun beating through the windows making the house seem like an oven.
Or maybe the excessive heat exploding in every pore and blood cell was centered around our close proximity. Since I wasn’t allowed outside without a guard dog, there weren’t enough rooms in the expansive house to keep us from running into each other.
Broody vibes dripped off him in waves as they’d done the entire time I’d known him.
The look on his face was as heated as any I’d seen, his eyes making a dangerously slow trail down to my bare feet. Afterwards, he inhaled and ambled toward the refrigerator.
I stood silently, watching as he yanked out a beer. With the door standing open, he threw a look over his shoulder at me, offering a cold bottle.
“Why not.”
After he grabbed his, we stood a few feet away, taking cautious sips as if we were on a first date and had no clue what to say. I hid behind the bottle, taking a few sips until I noticed the box of chocolate-covered cherries.
He’d tried to do something sweet, forcing the poor delivery boy to stop and hunt down a box.
Maybe he was trying to say he was sorry or appease me.
Oh, why not? The chocolate was calling my name.
I ignored his presence and my beer, tearing open the box and plucking one delicious-looking chocolate ball into my fingers.
When I caught him staring, I shrugged. “I told you. I love chocolate. Have you ever had one before?”
All he did was shake his head with such slow and even precision that if I’d blinked, I would have missed it.
“You’re missing out,” I whispered, laughing softly as I brushed the back of my hand down my neck, tingling from the filthy thoughts that lingered.
He was paying very close attention.
I purposely turned toward him when I nibbled on the end, gathering a few shards of chocolate in my mouth. His chest rose and fell, his eyes becoming hooded. It was the way his nostrils flared that created additional warmth between my legs.
When a few drops of the delicious cherry cordial oozed from my lips, my hero took a deep breath. Hero. That had a nice ring to it. Allowing a slight husky moan to escape, I dragged my tongue through the luscious liquid, refusing to lose a single drop.
He tilted his head, the hold on his beer tightening.
When I chomped on the cherry inside, a soft yet distinctive sound flowed past my lips. There was something magnificent about the ooey-gooey chocolate, much more of an aphrodisiac than anything else I’d ever tasted.
Just as I opened my eyes again, I realized he’d taken a step closer. Perhaps teasing him was a very bad idea, but I was unable to help myself, using the tip of my pinky, sliding it around my lips. His beer disappeared, unwanted.
Unneeded.
He remained silent, his insufferable mood driving me almost as crazy as the scent of his aftershave. Why did men choose to wear it when they weren’t interested in taking a step outside the house? Just to drive women crazy? Well, he was doing a very good job of it.
When I dared grab another chocolate, he followed the line of my hand, taking a deep breath the moment I wrapped my fingers around the candy. Before I could plop the second one in my mouth, he snapped his fingers around my wrist, easily able to pull me toward him.
As he peered down at me, he lifted my arm, forcing me to feed him the chocolate. What could be more enticing than watching a man chomp down on a piece of candy he’d never experienced before?
The moment he did, fondant slipped past his lush lips and it was as if a dam was broken.
Only this time, I was the aggressor.
On my tiptoes, I captured his open mouth, forced to lean into him to keep my balance. Together, we shared the piece of candy, our lips colliding, our tongues entwining.
Within seconds, he’d yanked me even closer, fisting my hair and tugging my head. Between the taste of his mouth and the chocolate, I was high on the sweetness.
The kiss became explosive as the hunger we shared refused to be denied any longer. I’d never wanted a man as much as I’d experienced with Kendrick and right now, I was no longer capable of keeping my distance. No matter the justified rationale.
With the candy finished, he devoured my mouth, taking full control as he’d longed to do. I’d seen the look in his eyes, the hardcore famished yearning that had been the very reason he’d kept his distance.
He wasn’t any more patient than he’d been before, yanking the hem of my dress. I wiggled in his hold, fighting with him. But all I was doing was driving the thick bulge between his legs against me, creating unimaginable friction.
There was even more of a controlling need in him.
I could smell the power on him, a perfect combination with the musk of his aftershave.
His actions became rougher, greedier. Even more dominating, the kiss was just a reminder that for the time being, I was his.
Why was it that every time I thought about his possession of me, I tingled all over?
When he finally broke the kiss, I was so breathless I couldn’t think clearly.
“You taste divine.”
I tugged at his shirt until I could reach my hand underneath. A smile slowly curled across his face as he studied me, allowing me to press the tips of my fingers against his chest. But as soon as I did, a deep growl rumbled from the depths of his chest.
“You taste like sin,” I responded, no longer tolerating his shirt. As I yanked the thin material, I was shocked it ripped in my hands, laughing nervously. “Oops. I hope that wasn’t your favorite.”
“In fact, it was. You owe me. More than just a shirt.” He yanked it away, ripping the rest until he was able to toss it aside.
“What kind of payment will you take?” I brushed my fingers across his collarbone, drifting them ever so slowly to his chest. As I darted my eyes to his face, I could read his thoughts clearly and loved every one of them.
“Anything I want.”
“Mmm… We’re playing with fire.”
“And suddenly, I just don’t give a damn.”
He shoved me against the island, cupping both sides of my face, his eyes shimmering before he darted them back and forth.
It was another moment where all time stopped, the echoing sound of my rapidly beating heart heard the only sound besides his labored breathing. Tiptoeing around each other had been nothing more than a powerful draw, an intolerable force of nature.
“I can’t wait to drive my cock into your wet pussy. And tonight, I’ll claim your tight asshole as well.”
His filthy words made me shudder. He lowered his head slowly, breathing across my face.
When he captured my mouth once again, I was torn between the building lust and the rational woman who knew letting go was likely not a good idea.
Yet all sense of purpose faded as he kissed me as if he was taking his dying breath, the sensations tearing through me impossible to describe.