by Margaret Kay
Once back inside the apartment, he took both of her hands in his. She stared at him with anticipation. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, considering what complications he’d cause if he took her to bed, like he wanted to.
Kennedy held onto his hands, lifelines holding her in place, keeping her stable. Every cell in her body cried out for his touch, his kiss. Even if all they would have would be this one night, she’d take it and have no regrets.
When Sloan angled his head back, so he could look into her eyes, he marveled at how much bluer they looked against the dark hair. She was beautiful as a blond but was a complete knock out with her hair this way. He knew there was no more considering it. As his lips reached to hers, he slid both hands around her and pulled her close. This kiss was instantly hungry, ravenous. Every place he caressed her with his hands, his lips yearned to follow.
He felt Kennedy’s hands exploring his body as well. When he felt her hand brush over his anxious cock, he moaned for more this time. He didn’t tell her to stop. He continued to kiss her with enthusiasm. Reaching his breaking point, he lifted her from her feet and carried her the few steps to the bed. He laid her down gently and came atop her in one fluid movement, his body reveling in the sensation of her form beneath his. He couldn’t wait to feel their flesh pressed together with nothing between.
Kennedy was amazed how well their bodies still fit together, like perfect interlocking pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. The excitement that skittered through her drove her to brazenly push his shirt up so her greedy hands could take in the sensation of flesh on flesh. Her roving hands didn’t stop there, they dipped beneath the waistband of his blue jeans.
Sloan let himself go, fully enjoying every kiss, every caress. His lips worked their way down her neck, drinking in the taste of her. Her sighs and soft moans in reaction to his lips on her flesh drove him to work his way farther towards their goal, her rounded breasts, which heaved with every deep breath she drew in. Her peaked nipples strained against the thin material of the bra and the T-shirt, which captured his gaze. He wanted to strip every scrap of fabric from her.
When Gary pushed her T-shirt and bra aside, and his lips took her left nipple, her back arched of its own will, pressing her breast more firmly against his face. Her hands grabbed his head, her fingernails spearing his scalp.
It took little time from there for them to each rid the other of the unwelcome intruders, that were their clothing. Their bodies entwined, intimate parts aligned and barely touching, just enough to drive them both wild with want and anticipation.
She arched her back, pressing her wet opening against his hardness, which hovered just at her entrance. She was ready to beg, she wanted him inside of her so bad she could feel it.
Gary broke from the kiss and when she opened her eyes, she found his head now hovered just a half inch over hers. His pale green eyes no longer looked cold or hard. They were alive with passion and desire. She reached her lips back to his, but he pulled them away, flashing her a grin.
“I want you like I’ve never wanted anything in my life. My need to have you is greater than the first time we were together.”
She returned his smile with an erotic one of her own.
“But if you aren’t ready for this, or change your mind at any point, just tell me.”
Gratitude filled Kennedy’s heart. Combined with the lust flowing through her, the resulting feeling cascaded through her, bringing her a desire like she’d never felt. All she wanted was to give Gary the most pleasure he’d ever felt, anyway he wanted. Where over the past decade she endured and robotically made herself perform what was demanded, for Gary, she would freely give, his pleasure the focus of her acts.
All her thoughts halted when his hand glided over her abdomen. It circled over her thigh and brushed her between her legs, which she had spread for him. She gasped out a sound of pure pleasure, a sensation she hadn’t felt in longer than she could remember.
His lips pressed hot kisses over each breast, lavishing both with attention. His tongue drew a straight line down from there, circled her belly button before it made its way further south, through her soft, barely there, hairs that pointed towards the prize.
When Gary pressed an intimate wet kiss against her sensitive flesh, followed by a warm blast of his breath, lightning bolts shot to her core and she emitted a breathy moan in reply. Her mind blanked out; all thoughts that didn’t involve the incredible pleasure she was experiencing left her brain.
He easily brought her to an orgasm, unlike she’d had in years, and before she could recover, he entered her, thrusting in like his life depended on it. The fire that seared them both, consumed them, each touch, each kiss stoking the fire hotter and higher. It was familiar, yet at the same time, new and exciting, lover’s touches that could not get enough of the other, couldn’t contain the yearning for more, eager to reconnect, and eager to discover.
Sloan discovered the mature woman Kennedy had become. Once somewhat reserved, her repertoire now boasted sharp fingernails, ravenous caresses, and verbal cues and praises the twenty-one-year-old had not been comfortable enough to emit. Moans, pleasure-filled sighs and pleadings for more echoed through the room.
Sloan’s own grunts and tortured moans revealed a height of the control that proved the experienced man was capable of holding his release back. He practically screamed out, on the edge of pain, the pleasure so great, as his own orgasm tore through him, exploding and shredding his mind in the process. He collapsed in complete exhaustion after.
The level of trust Kennedy felt, clinging to Gary was startling to her. This man had once been her everything. She realized if she allowed herself to feel it, he could be again. Hell, who was she kidding, not herself. In that moment, he was. She was home, where she wanted to always remain. But admitting that to herself was scary. If he rejected her now, it would hurt all the more, a pain she may not recover from.
The setting sun’s rays invaded the room through the open curtains, bouncing off Kennedy’s red locks and causing a radiant glow on her pale skin. He held her tightly to his frame, enjoying the sensation of her soft flesh against his firm muscle. The contrast didn’t escape him. She fit perfectly against him, as her body always had. Over a decade passing since they’d held each other, hadn’t changed that.
Sloan was relaxed, content. His thoughts centered on how to ask her to stay with him, or in the very least, thinking of what questions to ask her to feel her out if it was a possibility. His phone buzzed with a text message. It was from Shepherd. ‘Bring Kennedy to my office, immediately.’
“Oh, shit,” he moaned. “Shepherd wants to see us both in his office right away.”
She raised her head from his chest and glanced out the window. “Could something be wrong?”
“I doubt it,” Sloan said, but he did have a sinking feeling he didn’t like.
They reluctantly got out of bed and dressed without saying anything more. They took the stairs down to five, to Shepherd’s office. The door was open. Sloan glanced at the man who sat at the conference table with Shepherd and Cooper. He didn’t know him. That sinking feeling in his gut turned into a twisted knot as he shut the door.
“Kennedy, this is my friend, U.S. Marshal Michael St. Vincent. He’s here to place you in WITSEC and bring you to someplace safe,” Shepherd said.
Kennedy’s eyes darted between the U.S. Marshal and Gary. The Marshal wasn’t supposed to be there until tomorrow. She and Gary hadn’t had the chance to talk. Everything was different now. She didn’t want to go with the Marshal, especially if it meant she couldn’t have any contact with Gary. No, it wasn’t just that. She didn’t want to go period. She knew she wanted to stay with Gary.
“Right now, Shep? I thought this wouldn’t be happening until the morning,” Gary asked.
“Is this a problem, Sloan?”
His eyes went back to Kennedy. Yes, this was a big problem. He thought they’d have time to talk, thought he’d have time to feel her out to see if she would stay. It wasn’t anyth
ing he could just come out and ask her, and certainly not in front of Shepherd, Cooper, and this Marshal. Shepherd was gazing intently at him. He remembered there was a question hanging out there. “No, sir, no problem at all.”
Kennedy’s eyes darted back to him. No problem? How could he say that? For her, this was a huge problem. Then a crushing disappointment hit her, realizing he didn’t want her to stay. What they’d just done didn’t mean as much to him as it had her. Her vision became blurred as tears filled her eyes.
After witnessing what he had in the stairwell and knowing how stubborn both Sloan and Kennedy were acting, Mother decided he needed to talk with Shepherd. He approached Angel’s desk. “Is Shepherd free right now? I need less than ten minutes.”
“Sorry, Danny. The Marshal is in with him now and I have no idea how long that meeting will last. Do you want me to call you when he’s free?”
“The Marshal is in with him right now?” Mother demanded.
“Yes,” Angel confirmed, confused why Danny seemed so upset by it.
Mother took off down the hall at a full run. When he reached Shepherd’s office door. He knew he had to stop Kennedy from leaving. He rapped once, loudly, and then opened the door without a response from within, a disrespectful act no one ever committed. He entered, and upon seeing both Kennedy and Sloan within, he closed the door behind himself.
“What the fuck?” Shepherd demanded. His face showed how angry he was at this breach of respect.
Mother stepped over to Kennedy. “I’m sorry, Shepherd,” he apologized. “I had to stop her.” He took both her hands in his. “You have to tell them how you feel and that you don’t want to go. You have to tell them that you want to stay here.”
Sloan saw red, literally. Mother’s hands holding Kennedy’s, him imploring her to confess her feelings, him begging her to stay. “You back-stabbing fucker!” He cursed and then lunged at Mother. He landed two solid punches, taking the bigger man by surprise.
Shepherd slammed his fist onto the conference room table, the loud smack overtaking all other sounds in the room.
“Atten-hut!” Cooper barked.
Immediately, both Sloan and Mother came to attention.
Kennedy took a step back, eyes wide, unsure what to do.
“What the hell is this about?” Shepherd demanded. “Trio, explain yourself.”
“I’m sorry, Shepherd, but I had to stop these two stubborn dumb-shits before they both made the biggest mistakes of their lives. Neither wants Kennedy to leave. They’re both still in love with each other but are too damned stubborn to speak up.”
Sloan broke from his stance and turned to face Mother. “You busted in here to stop her from leaving me?”
“Yeah,” Mother said like it was such a stupid question that he shouldn’t even have to answer. “Now seriously, you both need to get over your twenty-one-year-old bullshit and start acting like adults for fuck-sake. Sloan, I know you don’t want her to go, but the question is, did you tell her you wanted her to stay?”
Sloan shook his head.
“Why not?” Shepherd barked.
“I wouldn’t want to ask and have her say no,” Sloan admitted.
“I wouldn’t say no,” she said, gazing away from him.
“Oh, Jesus Christ,” Shepherd sighed. Then he pointed to Cooper. “Take Trio to your office and deal with him.”
As Mother passed by Sloan, he offered him his hand. The men shook and then pulled each in for a shoulder bump. “You’re welcome. But don’t ever punch me again,” Mother said.
Sloan’s lips tipped into a grin. “Just inside the sparring ring.” Then his serious expression met Shepherd’s, who still looked pissed. He came back to attention. “I’m sorry, sir.”
“I don’t do drama. Do you both understand that?” Shepherd stated. Then he glanced at the Marshal, who stood back with a grin on his face. “Hand her envelope number two. I was right again.”
St. Vincent shook his head. “That’s two for two. Maybe you should let your guys get out once in a while.”
Shepherd laughed a full belly laugh.
Kennedy had no idea what any of that meant. She stood awkwardly beside Gary, waiting for someone to tell her what was going on. Was she going to be allowed to stay here with him?
“Okay, Sloan, do it properly this time,” Shepherd said in a tone Kennedy couldn’t define. He still sounded pissed.
Sloan turned Kennedy to face him. “Stay with me?”
“Yes,” she replied. “How can you not know how I feel about you? The question is, do you really want to be with me?”
Sloan nodded his head, wondering how she could even ask that. “Yes, I want you here with me Kennedy. I don’t want to say goodbye to you again.” He embraced her right there in Shepherd’s office.
“Uh-hem,” Shepherd cleared his throat. “Now that that’s decided, kindly take the documents, clear out of my apartment on nine, and take her home to your place, Sloan. Take a few days to get her settled. You’re on leave until Tuesday at zero seven hundred. I’ll have a meeting invite out to you for that morning to take care of some administrative items.”
“Yes, sir,” Sloan replied, though he wasn’t sure what administrative items he was referring to.
Kennedy opened the envelope the Marshal handed her. Her Illinois Driver’s License with an address in Schaumburg, and the name Kennedy Lee Cole on it was there with a credit card in the same name and her passport.
“I don’t understand. How did you get these made so fast?”
“It’s what we do,” St. Vincent replied.
Kennedy read the address out loud. “That’s your address?” She asked Sloan.
He nodded yes.
“I don’t want to keep my first name. I’ve given it a lot of thought. I want to go by Kaylee, my first initial and my middle name,” she insisted.
“The paperwork is done up this way, for now,” Marshal St. Vincent said. “Kennedy Lee Cole is what’s on all the ID, go by what you want for now. I’ll touch bases back with you in about a month and we’ll change it then if you’re still sure. No travel outside of the area during that time, and after, you will have to notify me if you plan to go anywhere, got it Sloan?”
“Yes, and thank you.”
“What are you waiting for?” Shepherd asked. “Take off.”
“Yes, sir,” Sloan repeated.
“And Sloan, get your asses to Lassiter if any more of that drama creeps in. That will not ever happen again in this office. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, sir,” he repeated. Then he led Kennedy by the hand, out of Shepherd’s office and closed his door. In the hallway, he pressed her against the wall and kissed her with so much passion that the fire that burned between them earlier, instantly reignited.
When their lips parted it took a second for them both to recover. “We’re really doing this?” She asked with an excited smile. “We’re really getting back together?”
“We already are, as far as I’m concerned,” he confirmed. “Come on, let’s get our stuff and go home.”
They had their belongings from the apartment in less than five minutes. They held hands as Gary drove his SUV to his condo, with a quick stop to pick up Chinese takeout. Gary insisted he had no food at his place. Kennedy couldn’t help but excitedly gaze at the surroundings as they drove. This was her new home. She was anxious to see it in daylight.
“Your boss really seemed pissed,” Kennedy said.
“With Shepherd, what you see is what you get. He speaks his mind, often bluntly, but then it’s over for him. He doesn’t harbor any feelings or anger after the fact. But he does expect whatever it was, he told you, to be followed.”
“Is Danny in trouble?” Kennedy asked.
Sloan laughed out loud. “As far as I know, no one has ever burst into Shepherd’s office like that, not even Cooper, and Cooper is second in command, our XO. It’s respect, and respect for rank is everything.”
The truth was, he wasn’t sure if Mother was in
trouble or what kind of trouble, he’d be in. He knew Shepherd and Cooper would take into consideration why Mother had broken in. Sloan also, in the back of his mind, had to believe he was in trouble for striking Mother the way he had. As far as he knew, no Operator had ever struck a team member out of anger before, least of all in front of Shepherd in his own office.
“About my job, Kennedy, I am away for work a lot, like eighty percent of the time. It’s the job.”
She took a moment and thought about it. “I don’t care. I’ll be happy with the twenty percent you’ll be here. It’s better than not being with you at all.” Her voice was firm and decisive. She gave his hand a squeeze and beamed a smile at him.
They were stopped at a red light. He viewed her smile and returned one of his own before kissing her until the light turned green. “And, I get scrambled at all hours of the day or night when I’m on active. I’m not sure you understand what you’ve signed up for.”
