by K. C. Crowne
Josie seemed to feel better, and she was telling Teddy everything that had happened too. Apparently the two of them had dated for some time. His trips out here were to see her for until they split up. Then, after that, he was coming out here to stalk her. The entire time, I had no clue. He was staying at my hotel, harassing and scaring one of my friends, and I had no idea.
Josie had been keeping to herself because she didn’t feel safe being out and about. She never told anyone since Wade had threatened her, saying he had money and connections, that no one would believe her and he’d never see a day in jail.
We were going to take this fucker down, though. He was on my shit list, and on the shit list of everyone I knew.
No amount of money or influence would stop us from fighting back.
We walked over to where Grant was talking to Teddy, along with Clive and the bartenders who’d escorted the two of them outside. I was worried Grant might be in trouble for throwing the first punch.
“Are you okay?” I mouthed to my brother. He nodded.
I listened as Teddy talked to the others. He made no comment about arresting my brother. And everyone seemed to forget about him punching Wade first. I guess once they all found out the guy was a psychopath, who hit who first didn’t really matter to anymore.
I was relieved.
Piper was at Grant’s side, which made me smile. The two of them were still denying that they had feelings for each other, but it was obvious to me. I let it slide, for tonight, and sought out Josie, who was sitting off to the side and speaking to Elle.
“It’s not a good idea to go home alone,” I told her. “Do you have someone who can stay with you?” Josie shook her head.
“I’ll stay with her,” Elle offered.
“Me too,” Felicity piped up from nearby.
I knew both women were badass, but they were no match for a guy liked Wade - especially if he brought weapons into the fight. I searched the area until I found Teddy preparing to leave.
“Hey, do you think there’s someone who could keep an eye on Josie?” I asked. “I don’t feel safe with her being alone.”
Teddy looked past me at the three women in the distance and nodded. “Yeah, I’ll do it myself.”
Poor Teddy. A day didn’t go by that he wasn’t working for the Sheriff’s department. He was one of the hardest working sheriffs I’d ever known. With that settled, I felt more at ease. Everyone would be safe for the night. Hopefully Wade wouldn’t show his ass again at all, but I felt pretty confident he’d stay in hiding for at least a little while longer. He had to lick his wounds - Grant had hit him hard, might have even broken his nose. Teddy was already checking at local hospitals just in case.
Kellen took my hand, lacing his fingers in mine. “Come on, let’s go home.”
God, I loved the sound of that.
There was no protesting from me. I let Kellen lead the way to his truck, leaving my car there overnight. I was too tired to drive home, and it just felt better to let Kellen be in control for a few minutes. As soon as I got into the passenger seat of the truck and buckled up, I closed my eyes and began to fall asleep.
I woke up when we pulled into Kellen’s driveway, gravel crunching underneath his tires. I opened my eyes and felt relieved. We were home. Yes, this would be my home before too long, and I couldn’t believe it.
In the back of my mind, however, I heard some of the girls’ concerns. Was it too soon? Were they right, did I hardly know this guy? Right now, I was staying with Kellen because of Wade being on the loose, but was I thinking clearly? Were we just in the honeymoon period?
I didn’t have too much time to think it over, though. Kellen climbed out of the driver’s side of the truck and opened the back door to grab Matilda.
I climbed out too, trying to shake the doubts out of my head. As soon as I saw my giant beast of a man with that little girl in his arms, all those doubts went flying out on their own.
He was wearing a black, fitted t-shirt that clung to his chest and showed off his thick, strong arms. His jeans were tighter than his shirt, and my eyes moved down his body and thought about the body under those clothes.
But he was more than just a good-looking man. The way he handled Matilda and watched out for me - reaching for my hand to guide me through the darkness and into his house - it wasn’t just the outside of him that was attractive.
We walked up the steps and into his house - our house - and everything just felt normal. Like I was meant to be there.
Kellen spoke softly, trying not to wake the little girl in his arms. “I’m going to put her to bed.”
“I’m going to get ready for bed myself,” I said, stifling a yawn.
He nodded and walked down the hallway to Matilda’s nursery. I felt bad for him having to come out so late with the baby. I didn’t want to wake them, but Grant had called Kellen. Kellen hadn’t been sleeping, no surprise there, but the baby had to have been.
Of course he had to come and get me, though, because that’s just who he was.
I followed Kellen, splitting off from him to head into the bathroom. One look in the mirror, and I knew I’d need to do more than just the usual bedtime ritual. Mascara ran down my cheeks. My makeup from the night was smeared and felt gross on my face. My hair was a frizzy mess. I’d tried to curl my hair for our evening out, and it had looked nice when I left earlier in the evening, but the summertime heat had done a number on it.
I stripped out of my clothing, letting my skirt fall to the floor and tossing my blouse on the bathroom sink. I’d pick it up later; I was too tired to think. Turning on the shower, I waited for it to warm up before stepping inside.
Kellen’s master bath had a large shower with glass doors and two showerheads - one overhead that felt like rain falling around you, the other a more traditional shower nozzle.
I turned the overhead showerhead on and closed my eyes as the warm water rushed over me, running down my body, relaxing the tense muscles in my neck and back. I was so caught up in the sensation, I didn’t hear the door open and close. I opened my eyes just as the shower door opened and Kellen, naked, stepped inside.
Instantly, I was more awake. My gaze moved over his body, taking in every inch of his chiseled physique. He stepped under the water, his skin glistening as the rivulets fell down his body. He pulled me close, burying my head into his chest as he hugged me tightly, kissing the top of my head.
“We’re going to need to be more careful for a while,” he said, speaking into my hair as if he was inhaling my scent.
“I know,” I agreed. I hated being held captive, but he was right. I didn’t know what we were up against. I never imagined Wade to be as dangerous or as predatory as this. I didn’t know he’d hurt women before until I’d spoken to Josie.
“I can’t lose you.” Kellen lifted my chin and forced me to stare into those baby blues of his.
I felt like I was drowning in those eyes. Like I was lost inside of them, yet I didn’t want to go anywhere. I just wanted to be lost with him forever.
Our lips met, and I opened my mouth to him. His tongue brushed against mine, sliding against the roof of my mouth as he held me close. His body was hard against mine, and I could feel his excitement growing by the second.
I slipped my hands down his body, taking his cock between my fingers. With our mouths exploring one another’s, I gripped him as best I could in my tiny hands, stroking him gently. A moan escaped his lips, but he didn’t stop kissing me. His mouth moved lower, down to my neck, nibbling gently on my flesh as I jerked him off.
Kellen shuddered and grabbed my hands, yanking them up over my head. He pushed me backwards until I was pressed against the wall. He held me there, and I was completely powerless to stop him.
Not that I wanted to.
I never wanted him to stop kissing me, teasing me. I wanted every part of him, and I wanted him now.
“Please, Kellen,” I begged, nibbling my lip.
Kellen lifted me into his arms, and I wrapp
ed my legs around his waist. I never once thought about how dangerous it might be; it didn’t even occur to me that he might slip. But he held himself up, kept his balance, while holding me.
I grabbed his cock, guiding it toward my hole since Kellen’s hands were holding me up. He thrust into me, parting my lips and sliding inside me with ease.
I held onto him for dear life, my nails digging into his flesh as he buried his thick cock inside my pussy. I cried out as he went deep, almost too deep, brushing against parts of me that had rarely been touched before.
Kellen’s strong body moved with perfect balance and rhythm. He held me up as if I weighed nothing at all. I felt so small in his arms, sandwiched against him and the walls. The water continued washing down us like raindrops, warming our bodies on the outside as the friction of his cock in my pussy warmed us from the inside.
Just feeling him inside me, stretching me open and pummeling into me again and again, was overwhelmingly pleasurable. No one had ever made me cum as quickly as Kellen did. Hell, even I couldn’t manage to bring myself to orgasm this fast, but there was something about him that drove me over the edge time and time again.
My whimpers turned to cries of pleasure, which turned to a scream. I was thankful the sound of the shower would dampen some of the sounds, because I simply couldn’t control myself. I couldn’t stay quiet no matter how hard I tried.
I came on his cock, my pussy spasming and clenching around him. His grip on me tightened, his nails buried in my ass. I’m sure he felt every quiver of my pussy around his cock, and it took everything in him not to lose control and cum on the spot. I could see it in his clenched jaw; he was trying so hard not to cum yet. I came hard, screaming his name, my face buried in his shoulder as the last wave of pleasure rolled over me.
My legs continued trembling as he put me down on my feet again. He steadied me and with a growl demanded, “Turn around.”
I turned around, and he helped position me. His hands were greedy and desperate for me, and I was more than willing to comply. Anything to make him feel as good as he made me feel.
I was bent, slightly, with my ass in the air. My hands were on the glass doors, holding me up. Kellen grabbed my hips, pulling me against him until our bodies crashed into one another.
He thrust into me with such momentum, I feared we might break the glass doors. Thank God they were sturdy. With each thrust, they rattled on the hinges but stayed in place. He fucked me hard and fast from behind, slamming his body into mind harder than he ever had.
An animalistic growl came from deep within his chest, and I knew he was close. I knew those sounds; I recognized the way his breathing quickened before he came. I thought about how good his pulsing, throbbing cock felt inside me, and how his hot seed filled me up.
I wanted it. I wanted it so fucking bad.
Kellen thrust into me another time, going as deep as his cock could reach. He exploded inside me, pumping me full of his load. Our moans blended together and became one as we came together. It was so magical how his orgasm brought out one of my own, how our bodies writhed and shuddered together as the rest of the world faded. Nothing else mattered at that moment, just the two of us and our union.
Kellen held me for a few seconds after our orgasms ended. He didn’t seem to want to pull out of me, but when he did, I felt the familiar warmth of his cum inside me.
Gently, Kellen helped steady me on my feet again, and he pulled me close, kissing me and holding me. After a few minutes standing underneath the rushing water, he grabbed a washcloth and lathered it up with body wash.
He proceeded to wash me, staring at my neck and chest and working his way down. His rough hands coupled with the wash clothed massaged my flesh, working the soap into my skin. I closed my eyes and relaxed as he kneaded my tight muscles. He moved lower, using his hands to wash my most sensitive parts, touching me intimately before moving further down, cleaning my legs.
He turned me around and cleaned my back, hitting all the hard to reach spots. After a shower like this, a regular one wouldn’t even come close. I was in Heaven.
He quickly washed himself before turning off the water. He got out first and wrapped in one of his oversized towels.
Now I was ready to sleep. All the worries from earlier were so far from my mind. Kellen had managed to relax me, to soothe me and comfort me. And as I fell asleep in his king-sized bed, wrapped in his arms, I wasn’t sure why I ever doubted my decision to move in with him.
Ooo000ooo
“Wow, look at this turnout!” I exclaimed as I walked into the ballroom.
I had expected a decent turnout for the auction, but it seemed like everyone in town had decided to attend - and I do mean everyone.
Josie was in one corner, her arms wrapped around her, almost like she was hugging herself to keep warm. Her eyes darted around the room. She looked more uncomfortable than scared, and I headed toward her. Before I could reach her, Teddy sidled up to her and she smiled brightly. She dropped her arms and seemed to relax.
I didn’t want to step in the middle of their conversation; they seemed to be enjoying each other. I went back to Kellen and took his arm. He had Matilda in a carrier on his chest.
Piper rushed over to us, eyes wide. “Leah, did you know Josie had a baby?”
“What? No way,” I exclaimed. No one could keep a secret like this in Liberty, not even Josie.
Piper nodded. “Yeah, he’s one month old, around the same age as Matilda. I had no clue she was even pregnant.”
I was shocked. I looked at Josie, who was deep in conversation with Teddy. I’d like to ask her if it was true, but now wasn’t the time. “How did you find out?”
“Elle and Felicity were staying with her,” Piper said. “And I guess her mom watches the little boy sometimes, but it explains why she hasn’t been going out a lot, I guess.”
“Why would she not tell us?” After everything we'd been through, it was hard to imagine Josie would continue to keep something that big from me.
Piper shrugged. “My thought is, well, who would the father be—”
My eyes widened and my jaw hit the ground. “Wade? No, way—”
“It adds up,” Piper whispered, pulling me further into a corner away from a group of people. “And Elle said she seemed nervous to let anyone know about him, like the info might get back to Wade and he’d somehow use that get back to her.”
It all made sense now, Josie’s disappearance when she was with Wade. And she continued to stay away even after they split because she had a secret baby.
I glanced her way, my heart breaking. All this time, she felt like she was alone. She didn’t think anyone would help her and her child.
“We can’t let this get out of our little group,” Piper said.
“Of course not. I wouldn’t tell a soul. Neither would Elle or Felicity, besides you, of course.”
“Yeah, well, they told me because we want to help her. We’re just not sure how,” Piper said.
“We’ll figure something out, don’t worry.” I patted Piper on the arm as Grant walked over to join us.
“Some people over there are asking about how the auction is going to work,” he said. “I told him I’d have to get the boss.”
I nodded. “I’ll be right over.”
The entire sheriff’s office was there, making sure nothing happened. I glanced around the room, thankful for everyone who was there - especially Teddy and his guys. People felt safe here.
I felt safe here.
Matilda fussed, and Kellen mouthed, “Dirty diaper.”
“Go change her, I’ll be fine here.”
Kellen didn’t look so sure, but when I pointed out several sheriff’s deputies, he finally relented. “I’ll be right back.”
He hurried off to the bathroom, and I walked over to the people who had questions, Cora and Sam Hubert, an elderly couple who were friends with my parents. I smiled as I approached. They were interested in Kellen’s woodworking the most. After asking about plac
ing a bid, they wanted to know more about the person who built the pieces.
“You’re in luck. The man who built them just stepped out for a second, but he’ll be—”
My words were cut off by the sound of alarms. Everyone in the ballroom went silent as the fire alarms proceeded to sound. My heart raced as I pushed through the crowd, looking for Kellen and Matilda. People hurried toward the exits. I didn’t smell smoke, and I prayed it was a false alarm. Though after everything that had happened lately, I wasn’t so sure.
Phillip caught my eye and waved me down. “There’s smoke coming from the lobby. We need to lead everyone out the back.”
Fuck.
I tried to call out, telling people to avoid the lobby, but it was chaos. The bathrooms where Kellen had gone were also in that lobby. I rushed toward the lobby, telling everyone else to go out the back. But many of them followed me.
“No, stop,” I yelled, blocking the hall to the lobby. I pointed toward the other end. “Fire exits are out there. Go that way, go to the garden and pool area.”
People pushed past me, and we could all smell the smoke. This wasn’t a false alarm, this was the real deal. Smoke billowed from the entrance of the hotel as more and more people rushed that way, frightened and confused.
My heart was racing. This could be bad, very bad.
Teddy rushed over to me, pointing me toward the exit. “You need to go too, we’ve got this.”
Levi, one of the local firefighters, was also in attendance, and I saw him rush into the lobby. Sirens could be heard from outside, meaning more firefighters were on the way. Teddy and his deputies were also working the scene, ushering people out.
I needed to focus on finding Kellen and Matilda.
I ignored Teddy’s orders to exit with everyone else and ran down the hallway toward the smoke. As I got closer to the lobby, it became harder and harder to breathe. I couldn’t see anything in front of me and used the wall as my guide. I knew the hotel well enough, having played here as a kid and working here all my life, that I was fine, even blinded. I could walk these halls with my eyes closed.
