Her Protector

by R. S. Lively

  Swallowing a sudden lift of nerves, I run my fingertips along the side of his face and nod.

  "But tonight, you were hoping…"

  "I've been hoping since the moment I saw you, Alice." He kisses the side of my neck. "The moment I laid eyes on you, I wanted to kiss you." His lips touch my shoulder as his fingers tease across my nipple. "To touch you. Spending time with you has only made me want you more."

  The press of his hand flat on my stomach, gliding down to the apex of my thighs, is confident and deliberate. His strength envelopes me and I feel surrounded by his presence. My legs are still pressed together, and his hand slips over the soft mound to rest on my thighs. He sucks my earlobe in between his lips and then whispers to me.

  "Let me touch you."

  I let my legs open and his hand runs down one inner thigh and up the other, sending chills along my skin and increasing my desire. Finally, one tender fingertip touches my core and I gasp. I bite down into my bottom lip and close my eyes, but Dean nudges my face gently with his.

  "Look at me."

  Opening my eyes, I meet his burning gaze. He kisses me softly until my teeth release. His hand explores me reverently, coaxing my clit out from beneath its hood with the silky fluids he gathers. My body is opening, readying for him, but Dean is in no rush. He watches my face, nurturing me, occasionally dipping his head down to sweep his tongue over my nipple or touch a kiss to my lips. My hunger for him is growing and I can't control my craving any longer. I lift my hand to stroke the muscles of his chest and down his tight abs. His cock jumps against my outer thigh and he lets out a soft grunt.

  Emboldened by the rush of pleasure rolling through me from his hand and the slumbering heat in his eyes, I bring my hand lower to scrap my nails lightly through the coarse black hair at the apex of his thighs. He draws in a breath, his face getting closer to me and his hand pressing slightly harder against me. Our foreheads touching, our eyes locked almost desperately on each other, Dean draws his hand through my folds and slips two fingers deep into my pussy.

  I draw in a strangled breath, my back arching and my hips lifting to push his touch further. Dean groans.

  "You feel so good." His fingers withdraw slightly, then plunge deeper. "I want to be inside you."

  I lick my lips, then his, nipping at his bottom lip with my teeth.

  "Please," I murmur.

  Dean kisses along my neck and chest as he pulls away from me. My body feels empty when his fingers withdraw, but I tell myself to be patient. So much more is coming. I hear the foil packet ripping and the slight sound of the condom rolling into place, then Dean is beside me again. He kisses me and maneuvers his body, so he is hovering over me. I draw my knees up so only the tips of my toes touch the bed and feel his cock stroke through my wet center. My nipples sweep over Dean's chest, making them harder and tighter, and I use my hands on his back to draw him down on top of me. His weight is intoxicating, and in an instant, he is inside me.

  He enters slowly at first, waiting as my body reawakens. It has been years since anyone has touched me like this, and the intensity of Dean makes it feel like this is the first time. Long, patient kisses relax my walls until he can sink further, and soon, I'm cradling his entire thick length inside me, feeling fulfilled in a way I have never imagined. His hips roll against me. Each thrust keeps him close to my body but touches places, sending sparks going off inside me. Our pace builds into a fast, steady rhythm as sweat glistens on his skin. I lick some away from his shoulder, savoring the salty taste of him.

  Dean buries one hand in my hair, cradling the back of my head and stroking my jaw with his thumb. Staring down at me, he strokes faster. My hips tighten to meet each thrust, and I can't hold back the high-pitched sounds pouring from my chest. His deep grunts join them, and I know we are climbing the same peak together. Pleasure moves through me like beams of light, and pressure tightens along my body, starting in my legs and moving up until my stomach, hips, and thighs constrict almost painfully. Dean kisses me, then moves his mouth to my ear, his lips close enough for me to feel them on my skin as he whispers to me.

  "I want to feel you come."

  His cock presses into me until it creates a shock of exquisitely pleasurable pain and I scream. My body clenches down around him. Dean pushes up on his hands to give himself more leverage so he can slam into me hard and fast before dropping his head back and letting out a growl, his cock throbbing inside me. The feeling of him spilling into me sends me toppling into a new wave of my own climax and I claw at his back, digging my teeth into his shoulder. Dean pulls me up close, moving back to sit so I'm in his lap, wrapped around him as our hips roll together through the waves of ecstasy.

  I struggle to take in a breath, but when Dean's mouth settles onto mine, I don't move away. I will happily sacrifice oxygen for the taste of his lips.

  Chapter Twelve

  Dean

  Two days later…

  "Do you really have to go?"

  Alice is sitting on her knees in the middle of the bed wearing nothing by my shirt, unbuttoned to just beneath her breasts. The sight is tempting enough to make me want to call up Mr. Pfeiffer and come up with a near-death experience that will keep me from having to go. I force myself to not climb back into bed with her and continue packing my suitcase.

  "Yes. But it's only going to be for a few days."

  "That's a few days too long."

  I lean over and kiss her.

  "I agree. Be waiting right here for me when I get back?"

  She laughs.

  "I don't think that's an option. I do have to eat. And that whole work thing."

  As if that brought her back into reality, she climbs off the bed and starts getting dressed. I pause to watch her for a few seconds. The glimpse of her breasts as she slips back into her bra, and the shimmy of her ass as she puts on her pants, is going to have to carry me through until I get back. It's not going to be easy. Alice is all I've been able to think about, and the thought of being away from her at all, much less flying halfway across the country for three days, is not something I'm enjoying.

  If it were a new client, I might find a way to pawn them off on one of my brothers. I happen to know Asher is having a slow time and there haven't been any new animals born on his ranch recently, so he probably has the time to pull off a trip. But it's Mr. Pfeiffer, and the severe trust issues he developed during his brief foray into being Seth's client means he is not letting anyone finish up his bucket list but me.

  Alice walks me out to the car, and I guide her up against me for another deep kiss.

  "Are you sure you don't want me to drive you home?"

  She shakes her head.

  "I can manage. I did a lot of getting through the city without a car before you came along, you know." She gives me a playful grin. "Besides, I want to take advantage of this nice weather."

  "Nice might be stretching it a little bit."

  It’s a few days into March. Already springtime in other areas of the country. There are flowers starting to bloom and grass starting to turn bright green again just about everywhere. But in New York it just means the snow is barely starting to melt. But that's enough for Alice and I know well enough that I can't convince her of anything. She wraps her arms around my neck for a hug, and I let myself lean back against the car so I can cuddle her against me for a few extra seconds.

  "I'll see you when you get back."

  "I'll call you when I get back to the city."

  She kisses the tip of my nose and steps away so I can walk around to the driver's side of the car and climb in. I glance up at the rearview mirror and see her wave at me, then start down the sidewalk. Her hand smacks the pocket in her oversize cardigan, which I assume means her phone is vibrating and startled her. Sure enough, she draws out her phone and answers it. Holding it against her ear, she turns around and walks backward for a few steps so she can wave at me again.

  I'm assuming it's Lee on the other end of the line, but watching her talk reminds me o
f the things I still don't know about her. She said she needed to work today, but I still don't know what that means. There have been too many other things to talk about for me to ever wedge her career into the conversation. It may seem like a major detail of her life being overlooked, but it felt like a mundane aspect of her existence in comparison to everything else I've been learning about her.

  Knowing what she does for a living doesn't seem anywhere near as important as discovering she likes onions and olives on her pizza and always orders it baked well-done. It's definitely not as important as finding out she will very happily eat that pizza standing naked in the kitchen at midnight and then hop up on the counter so I can help her work off the carbs. Similarly, knowing how she makes money doesn't matter anywhere near as much to me as knowing she has spent that money on a collection of Halloween decorations she keeps out for longer and longer stretches each year until Lee finally revolts and packs them for her.

  Despite everything I have found out about her, it's time to find out more.

  Mr. Pfeiffer is standing nervously on the sidewalk when I get to the airport. His hands grip his small bag in front of him like it's a shield, tensing every time an attendant came too close.

  What did Seth put him through?

  "Good morning, Mr. Pfeiffer."

  "Dean, are you sure we're going to make our flight?"

  "I'm sure we will."

  He looks almost disappointed and glances up at the sky where a few wispy gray clouds have streaked across the blue.

  "It looks like rain. Do you think that will ground the flight?"

  "The weather is fine. I have flown in much worse conditions than this."

  I gesture toward the door and he follows me into the airport.

  "It doesn't look very busy. How long do flights wait for passengers who are late?"

  I pause.

  "What's going on, Mr. Pfeiffer?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "You are trying to find any way possible to not get on the flight. The flight, incidentally, that you asked for and that is on my company's private plane so other passengers don't matter."

  He leans toward me, his eyes flickering around nervously.

  "My horoscope this morning said the skies aren't friendly today."

  "Your horoscope?"

  "Yes."

  "Do you always read your horoscope?"

  I haven't heard him mention it before, and it's been my experience that people who live their lives based on horoscopes talk about it. A lot. Incessantly. Encountering one who wants to fulfill a bucket list item in a particular way because of their horoscope isn't unusual. Having one who I have already dealt with many times before suddenly whip out their reliance on astrology is something totally different.

  "No. This is new."

  I try to hold back a sigh.

  "Where did you find it?"

  "Mrs. Judy sent it to me."

  "Judy? Judy, my sister-in-law's best friend, Judy?"

  "Does that Judy go by Mrs. Judy Dufresne and translate the speaking of the stars for those willing to listen?"

  I rub my eyes with one hand.

  "I wouldn't put it past her. Why did she send that to you?"

  "Seth talked about her. I was having second thoughts about the skydiving thing and he said he trusted her, and she would let him know if it was a bad idea. I guess he gave her my information."

  "Mr. Pfeiffer, I promise you, the skies are perfectly friendly today. Why don't you take a quick break, splash some water on your face, and we'll get going? Aren't you excited?"

  "I am."

  "Good. I'll just be over there by the coffee shop."

  The smile on my face doesn't waver as he walks away, but as soon as he disappears into the bathroom, I yank my phone out.

  "Judy is not an astrologer. Stop it."

  I hang up before Seth says anything and dial again. This time it’s to Emma.

  "Hey, Dean."

  "Judy cannot give horoscopes."

  "What?"

  "Judy cannot give horoscopes."

  "What are you talking about?"

  "Give me to Judy."

  Emma mutters something and a few seconds later, Judy comes on the line.

  "How did you know I was with Emma?"

  "You cannot give horoscopes."

  "I was right, though."

  "No, you aren't."

  "Yes, I am."

  "No, you aren't."

  "Is it or is it not rainy?"

  "What?"

  A crash of thunder snaps my eyes toward the doors, and I see a sheet of rain pouring from the sky. How the hell?

  "Unfriendly."

  "Don't give horoscopes."

  I shove my phone away just as Mr. Pfeiffer comes up to me, one finger pointing behind him at the doors.

  "You said the weather was fine."

  "It's just a brief storm. Why don't we get on the plane and have something to eat?”

  He nods and we start toward the gate. A gift shop catches my attention out of the corner of my eye, and I stop in front of a display at the corner of the door. Taking out my phone again, I snap a picture of the wide-eyed baby doll.

  'Hello, Dolly!'

  I type in and send it to Alice.

  A snap of a nearly-empty hot sauce bottle perched suspiciously on the corner of a table in the waiting area becomes another message.

  'Some Like It Hot.'

  The next morning, a man with a blond bouffant that defies both reason and gravity becomes 'Hairspray'.

  Later that afternoon, a sign lying in the grass, a slug making its way across, becomes 'Rent'.

  By the morning of the third day, I know I'm falling for her.

  It's a feeling I'm not used to, and one I wasn't expecting to happen this fast. My attraction to her had been immediate. The more time I spend with her, the more fascinated by her I become. The rush of emotion goes well beyond missing the feeling of her body beneath mine and her kiss on my lips. I don't know what it is, but I want more.

  I'm packing my suitcase for the trip home, glad to have gotten through the next item on Mr. Pfeiffer's list without a hitch, when my phone rings. A picture of Alice nibbling the end of a piece of pizza glows up at me from the screen.

  "Hey," I answer.

  "I know you said you would call when you got back to the city."

  "It's fine. I'm glad to hear your voice. The plane leaves in about three hours, so I'll be back late tonight. Want me to come by?"

  "I can't tonight, but I did want to tell you it's my turn to plan something for us. You've done such an amazing job surprising me, I want to see if I can surprise you a little."

  "I like the sound of that."

  "Don't get your hopes up too much. It's not going to be that groundbreaking."

  "Are you going to be there?"

  "Yes."

  "Then I'm in."

  "Good. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye."

  "Bye."

  I end the call, but before I can toss my phone aside to finish packing, it rings again.

  "Text me when you get back to the city, so I'll know you're safe."

  Chapter Thirteen

  Alice

  The phone falls from my fingers onto the bed, but I'm not looking at it. My eyes are still glued to the laptop in front of me and the words slashed across the email filling most of the screen. I draw in a shuddering breath and let it out as I force myself to read through the messages again.

  'Miss Larkin,

  It is becoming increasingly obvious you are not understanding the gravity of this situation…'

  My hands start shaking as the next few lines sink into my mind.

  '...irresponsible.'

  '...refusal to live up to your word and fulfill your business commitments.'

  '...acted in good faith.'

  '...severe and unavoidable consequences.'

  '...in your best interest to complete your obligations if you do not want to force our hand.'

  The message turned into just
a jumble of letters scattered across the screen.

  "You need to stop reading it."

  Lee holds a mug of hot tea toward me. I accept it and hold it against my cheek, breathing in the smell of mint and honey.

  "I can't. It keeps drawing me back in."

  "Why? What about reading that sort of nastiness over and over again is so appealing to you?"

  He holds his own mug higher as he scrambles up onto the bed beside me, tucking his legs under him and leaning back against the headboard before taking a delicate sip.

  "Are you done?"

  He looks up at me and nods.

  "Yes."

  "OK." I let out a breath. "I don't know. I feel like I can't possibly be reading this right. No one is this horrible. If I keep reading it, maybe there will be something that will just jump out at me and show me they aren't really that terrible."

  "Like a popup with a bust of confetti that says 'No big deal! Hugs and kisses'?"

  "That would be nice."

  "Honey, people are that mean. Close the computer."

  I lower the screen and pull up to my knees to look at him.

  "What do you think of Dean?"

  "I wish I'd been the one to go cook the dinner so I could have drizzled him in chocolate and offered to tongue-sponge it off."

  "Yep. That's a visual I didn't need. I mean, what do you think of him for me."

  "The man brought you flowers. Like real flowers. No man has ever brought me flowers." He stops and looks into the distance as if watching a thought pass by his eyes. "No. No. That's not true. There was that one time when I came home to all the flowers in my living room from that one guy. But that was a funeral arrangement, and that turned out to be a whole different situation."

  "Yes. Well, I've decided I'm going to tell him about the theater."

  "You're going to do what?"

  The shocked, disapproving tone in Lee's voice surprises me and I lower my cup away from my lips before even taking a sip.

  "What's wrong with that?"

  "I thought you said you don't want to get too close to him."