“Now you’re twisting my arm,” she agreed with a laugh.
* * * *
Sonny watched the scene unfold undetected from his vantage point across the street. The cop and the big bodyguard left, and Kathy re-entered the building alone. His plan had worked a treat. Chuckie was out of the picture for good, the heat was off, and he was home free.
Her bodyguards though were a joke. They’d posed no threat to him or his plans. He was smarter than all of them combined on any given day. What he wouldn’t give to be a fly on the wall when he snatched her from under their arrogant noses. Their egos were so inflated they wouldn’t see it coming if it was gift-wrapped and labeled Christmas.
Sonny was confident his identity was safe; the small glitch in his plans had been corrected. Socrates would be delighted he was back on track, and he’d be in his good books once again. Anxious to have her by his side where she belonged and eager to get things in motion again, he stepped from his hiding place in the shadows and hurried down the street to where his car was parked.
On the short drive home, he fantasized about calling her. He’d had her new number for days, but couldn’t risk those losers catching on, that would be a disaster and would jeopardize the whole operation. No, best to keep her in the dark a bit longer and strike when they least expect it.
* * * *
It was nine-thirty when Ice knocked. He hadn’t even had time to drop his hand when the door was flung wide, and Kathy launched herself into his arms.
“I’m so glad you’re back, I’ve missed you.”
He caught her to him, hugging her body close as their lips connected. He felt the urgency for her still. It hadn’t faded and was as intense as ever. She looked incredible, but goddamn it, where the fuck was Havoc? He scowled, annoyed that she’d been the one to answer the door and not his buddy, but before he could raise the question, Havoc appeared behind her.
“Relax Ice, McKenzie’s been here, everything’s cool.” Havoc reported. Ice followed them inside and took a seat on the couch, pulling Kathy onto his lap.
“The DNA turned up a perp but when the cops went to investigate they found that the dude had OD’d days ago. That he was a user was common knowledge in his ‘hood, so it wasn’t totally unexpected. And for whatever reason, he’d fixated on Kathy. Who knows what goes through these scumbags’ minds. Anyway, the cops found her picture in his apartment, so it seems we can stand down.”
“That’s a load off,” Ice agreed. But when the big fella eased back into the couch and looked like settling in for the night, he decided to give him a nudge. “Does the rest of the team know?”
“Nah, not yet.”
Ice pressed home his advantage. “Do me one last favor man, and call them on your way home, give them the low down and tell them I’ll be in touch tomorrow.”
Havoc tossed him an I-could-so-ruin-your-plans look. He sent back a not-if-you-know-what’s-good-for-you glare.
Havoc sighed and stood. “Well, seems I’m not needed here, so I think I’ll head on down to Shenanigans and see if I can’t find some sugar of my own.”
“Good idea, we’ll talk tomorrow.” He slid Kathy off his lap and couldn’t shove Havoc out the door fast enough.
Kathy kissed Havoc’s cheek, “Thanks again, I do appreciate it.”
“Anytime you wanna watch scary movies, I’m your man.”
“I owe you bud.” Ice closed the door firmly behind him.
Chapter 16
The days passed without incident and merged into weeks. Kathy settled back into her normal routine. She was doing her best to put the attack behind her. Liz had been outraged when she’d learned of all the dramas that had taken place, and extracted a promise from her never to be so secretive again.
Shane was wonderful and had filled the void in her life. So much for casual, they were always together except when he was working away. She harbored the secret belief that his feelings for her went way deeper than casual, and that at any time now he would ask her to move in with him. She’d already started packing a few of her belongings in anticipation. It seemed a foregone conclusion. His friends accepted her, treating her like family, and it made more sense from a financial perspective, not that Shane needed money, but she could pay her rent to him rather than some faceless landlord. Yes, life was bliss. Her work was fulfilling, the other teachers had been friendly and supportive after the attempted kidnapping, and the principal even hinted at renewing her contract. Sarah was home after having given birth to a son, and Patrick couldn’t wipe the smile from his face. If only she and Shane had a baby, her life would be complete.
Kathy refocused. Shane was picking her up after school, and they were going to the beach for a couple of hours relaxation.
* * * *
“It’s time for lesson number two.” Shane ran an index finger down her cheek.
She’d changed into her swimsuit after class, and had just settled on her beach towel after peeling off her work clothes.
Rolling onto her stomach, she rested her head on her folded arms and moaned, “I don’t want to.”
“As much as I like looking at that cute ass of yours, you gotta learn to swim. It’s a life skill that everyone should know. If you can’t swim you can’t dive, you can’t kite surf, you can’t body board, you can’t snorkel…”
“Blah, blah, blah.”
“We are going to do this, Kat.”
Kathy sat up and tucked her calves beneath her, flicked her hair over her shoulder where it fell like a burnished wave down her back, and looked Shane squarely in the face.
“I’m scared,” she admitted.
“There’s nothing to be scared of babe, I’ll keep you safe.”
Kathy recalled the first lesson he’d given her weeks ago. The day had been memorable in more ways than one. It was the day they’d first made love. “You let me go,” she accused.
“You were doing fine.”
“I almost drowned.”
“You were never in danger.”
“Please don’t make me,” she tried to argue her point, but he was adamant.
“I know four-year-olds braver than you.”
Shane was referring to Mandy Frost, who was like a fish in the water and was indeed braver than her on any given day when it came to swimming. “Do you always have to have the last word?” she groaned.
“Always, babe.
“You won’t let me go?”
“I won’t make you do anything unless you say so.”
“Promise?”
“You have my word.”
The sand, still warm from the heat of the day, scrunched beneath their bare feet as they strolled hand in hand to the water’s edge. The beach was all but deserted save for a few stragglers in the distance packing up their belongings. There was also no sign of the trainee SEALs that were a common sight along the foreshore performing calisthenics, ocean swims, or soft sand runs.
Shane led her into the ocean. There was no breeze to speak of, so the surf lapped the shore with gentle waves. It was late afternoon and although the air still held a hint of warmth from the day’s sun, the water was chilly. Kathy gasped as they waded out thigh deep.
“Don’t be such a wuss.”
“It’s freezing Shane.” She shivered.
“Get wet all over and you won’t notice it,” he advised.
“You’ve got to be joking,” she wailed as Shane dragged her further out. Despite her fear, she did trust him, and it wasn’t long before she was relaxed and floating on her back, her hair loose and billowing around her in a massive dark cloud. The two-piece blue suit she was wearing, although not transparent, was skimpy and showed off every curve and contour of her body, making her feel sexy. That Shane liked what he saw was evidenced in the hardness she’d felt at his groin when she’d brushed against him.
“I’m going to take my hands away now, okay?”
Kathy nodded her head in assent.
“Say it, Kathy.”
Shane had given her his word. Kathy
understood she had to verbalize her consent before he would release her. “Okay.”
Shane slowly removed his hands from under her back. “Concentrate, you’re doing fine,” he encouraged. “That’s it babe, just drift on the current and let the ocean support you.”
“This is fantastic.” Her tone bordered on confident as she floated by herself.
“Step two. Now that you’ve mastered floating One-O-One I want you to hold onto my shoulders while I swim underwater with you on my back.”
At the alarm that must have erupted on her face, Shane quickly clarified, “Just for ten seconds that all.”
Kathy hesitated. She wanted to protest, but ten seconds wasn’t long, and she didn’t want Shane thinking her a baby. She wanted him to be proud of her.
“You cool with that?”
“Only ten seconds?”
“Only ten seconds.”
Kathy climbed onto his back and hitched her arms around his neck.
“Hold my shoulders and try not to choke me,” he cautioned.
“I’ll try, but I’m not promising anything.”
“When I give the word I want you to take a deep breath and hold it, okay?”
“Oh kaay.”
“On the count of three. One, two, three.”
Kathy drew in a big one and squeezed her eyes shut. One minute she was in the sunshine, the next she was being swallowed by the sea. She counted off the seconds in her mind as she clutched Shane’s neck for dear life.
Six seconds, she wrapped her legs around his middle gripping him with her knees.
Seven seconds, her eyes flew open.
Eight seconds, she started to panic.
Nine seconds, Shane broke the surface.
Ten seconds, she dragged in deep gulps of air, filling her lungs to capacity.
“That wasn’t so bad now was it?” he said prying her fingers from his throat.
Kathy shook her head and started to laugh. “It was amazing, exhilarating,” she admitted.
“I knew you could do it, babe.” He gave her a slow grin that spread from ear to ear.
Still draped across his back, wet breasts pressed hard against taut muscles and feeling pretty darn flirty, Kathy reached down and tweaked his nipple, giving it a sharp twist.
Shane groaned out loud, flipped her round to face him, and settled her on his hips. In one quick maneuver, his hand was down the front of her bikini bottoms and his fingers inside her before she had time to blink. Kathy squirmed, but he held her fast.
“Uh, uh sugar, you started it.”
“I was just playing Shane, besides we’re in public,” she protested. But he kept right on working those magic fingers deep inside her, probing every slippery inch. She wanted to tell him to stop, but when he circled her clit with the pad of his thumb, making her hotter despite the coolness of the water, her body betrayed her, and she made a strangled sound in the back of her throat. God, she wanted him.
“Come on Kathy, tell me what you want,” he coaxed, probing her deeper.
“You already know what I want,” she accused, riding his hand.
“Say it,” he ordered, removing his fingers. “Say the words, Kat. Tell me you want my cock right up inside you.”
“I can’t.” She darted a feverish look toward the shore then rested her eyes on his.
“Say it, babe.”
His blue eyes smoldered dark, the rich timbre of his voice compelled her to say the words he demanded to hear. “I want you inside me, you know I do, but we can’t, we don’t have any condoms and people will see.”
*
Ice did a one-eighty of the beach, “I won’t come inside you and nobody’s watching, there’s no one here,” he said as he wrenched her bikini pants down to her knees, yanked one leg up, and slipped it through the opening. He rolled his trunks down just a bit, and his erection nudged the entrance to her pussy. Kathy widened her legs, and he pushed into her, grabbing her ass for leverage as he thrust deep.
Ice had never done the nasty in the ocean. The risk of being caught gave him a rush the likes of which he’d never experienced before. He powered into her with the thrill of it. But he wanted more. The heat of the moment had him untying her halter top and freeing her luscious breasts. Taking full advantage of her exposed state, he drew the plump rosy tip into his mouth, sucking off the salty water and tugging at it gently with his teeth.
Kathy arched and rode him harder, clenching his manhood with her tight sheath and bringing him to the brink. She licked the rim of his ear with her hot wet tongue then in a husky voice whispered, “I love the feel of your big cock filling my pussy.”
Geezus. It was too much. He lost control and abruptly withdrew, jettisoning his seed into the current. She’d said it so quiet, just a breathy whisper, but it was so fucking erotic. Bizarre. He’d had women talk dirty to him before, and it didn’t do much for him, but when those profane words came out of her sweet mouth, it was such a turn on. It floored him. “I’m sorry babe I was too close, you drive me wild, I couldn’t wait for you. The consequences weren’t worth the risk.”
Kathy let out a little whimper at his abandonment, he hadn’t brought her to orgasm, but he was about to remedy that.
*
Unfulfilled and still on the edge, Kathy wanted him back where she could feel him pulsating inside her. Filling her up. She’d never used language like that before, it made her feel deliciously wicked, and she thrilled at his reaction.
“Okay babe, your turn.”
Shane plunged two fingers inside her, withdrew, and then plunged deeper. The friction of pushing and probing her pussy again and again caused her to thrash and writhe as he worked her into a frenzy. Her mind must be unbalanced to allow him to do this in such a public place, but her body betrayed her and she was putty in his hands. She lifted her hips. allowing him better access. When he stroked her clit with his amazingly talented fingers, her vagina spasmed, sending her to the very edge of sanity.
“Oh God, don’t stop, please don’t stop,” she begged as she neared her peak. Her labored breath audible over the sound of the lapping waves around them.
Shane kept up the rhythm. She drew his head to her pebbled nipple, and he obliged by taking it into his mouth. As he tugged at the tip, she threw back her head and screamed as her orgasm burst upon her.
“God, you’re amazing,” she gasped, collapsing against his chest sated.
“You’re not so bad yourself.”
“How did you become so talented?”
“It’s a gift, babe.”
They both laughed, and then Shane kissed the tip of her nose and said, “Come on, I’ll take you home, you’re starting to turn blue.”
* * * *
Sonny was livid; he lowered the telephoto lens, his worst fears confirmed.
There could be no denying it now. The evidence before his eyes was blatant and he’d captured it on camera. Later he would print it as a reminder of her betrayal. The sly bitch was no better than the others, in fact she was worse, just another whore who needed to be taught a lesson. To think he’d thrown over Lindy for her, and this was how she repaid him.
Sonny stormed home in a black mood. Whether Socrates vetoed it or not, Kathy would pay dearly for her treachery. He flicked on the computer, his fingers flying over the keys as he tapped out his message.
Socrates,
Project soiled. Game over.
Sonny.
What the fuck was wrong with him? Why did he always fall for the bad women?
He truly believed Kathy was different, that she was special, pure, but once again, he’d been duped. Would he ever learn?
He got up from the desk and strode up and down the living room in a quandary. No matter what Socrates advised, before the week was out, she’d be nothing but a distant memory.
He was hungry and making dinner would pass the time. It would also give him something else to chew on while he waited for a reply. He took four eggs, a couple of tomatoes, and a half eaten leg of ham from the refr
igerator that he set aside for slicing. The large carving knife lay on the bench top, its silver blade reflecting the dying rays of sunshine that shone weakly through the grimy pane. He picked it up and tested the weight in his hand, an idea crystallizing in his mind.
Kathy would pay the ultimate price for her treachery, but before she did, he’d teach the little slut what it was like to be fucked by a real man. The thought of her tied up and helpless while he ravaged her body gave him a boner, and he rubbed his crotch. Easy boy, he cautioned and dished up a plate of food. Plan it. Timing was everything.
Attacking his meal like a starving man, he mulled over her routine. Turbulent thoughts tumbled and twirled in his mind until he’d determined the best time and place to snatch her, but he would play it by ear as to what day presented the perfect opportunity. The familiar beep of the computer had him jumping to his feet to read Socrates’ reply.
Sonny,
Sanctioned
Socrates.
The die had been cast. Kathy had sealed her own fate.
* * * *
Ice was worried, something was definitely wrong. He knocked at Kathy’s door for the third time this evening. It was now eighteen hundred, and there was still no sign of her. At first, her lateness hadn’t fazed him. He’d thought she’d just been held up at school or missed the bus, but as the hours ticked by his uneasiness grew. He hadn’t spoken to her since last night when they’d arranged to meet after school today. She’d still been asleep when he’d left this morning.
He couldn’t shake his gut feeling. When she still hadn’t shown up thirty minutes later, he contacted the police. They weren’t concerned though. Her case had been closed, and she hadn’t been missing long enough for them to get involved, or to even file a Missing Persons Report. And as luck would have it, Jesse McKenzie was not on duty until later.
Damn, he couldn’t just sit around and do nothing. What if she hadn’t made it to class today, what if she’d met with an accident or worse?
He rang the local hospital, but there was no record of her being admitted, at least that was one positive. The next thing he needed to do was talk to Meredith Frost to confirm whether Kathy had even been at school today. He picked up his car keys and headed for the basement. Less than fifteen minutes later, he was pounding on Frosty’s front door.
Desire Unleashed Page 22
