by Mary Calmes
He just looked at me.
"Was it written in blood? In Trey's blood?"
"In his blood, and something else."
"What?"
"I don't wanna talk about this," he almost yelled. "Just help me figure out who would wanna hurt you."
"I dunno, Sam, it still seems like it could all just be a weird coincidence."
"Jory—"
"I mean, everyone but Trey obviously. I still think Roman's guys were—"
"Jory, come on," he sighed wearily. "Your license was on the victim and the resemblance was good. I mean, he could've been your brother."
I arched a brow for him. "He was as pretty as me?"
"Don't fuckin' joke around! This isn't funny! Watching those guys pull that kid outta that dumpster today... fuck! If I hadn't just left you I would've fuckin' lost it right there."
"Sorry," I said softly, running my fingers through his hair, watching it curl. "So what now?"
"Now you work from home. If Aubrey wants to see you, she—"
"No," I shook my head. "I won't be a prisoner in my own—"
"Goddamnit, J! How stubborn are you gonna be? Do you get that not only is there some whack job out there killing guys that look like you, but whoever the fuck it is has been stalking you for the last three years, maybe longer? Do you fuckin' get that?"
"What're you—"
"Whoever killed the teacher today stole your wallet or had somebody else do it a long time ago. I mean, do you get how fucked up it is to steal something from your intended victim years in advance, only to plant it on your current victim? That is twisted as shit and really, really spooky."
"Why kill other people? Why not just kill me?"
"Maybe he can't. Maybe something's preventing him."
"Him?"
"The chances of it being a woman are very small. Plus, from what we know about the killing wounds... the force... a woman couldn't have done it."
"Oh."
"So it's more than likely a man, and he's probably a good size guy from the damage that we've seen inflicted on the victims."
I nodded quickly.
"So you've gotta go into protective custody and—"
"Oh, fuck that, Sam!" I shouted, stalking out of the bedroom and down the hall.
"Jory!" he shouted, and I heard him striding after me before my arm was grabbed and I was yanked around to face him. "Goddamnit, you need to—"
"No, Sam. I am not gonna go through that again. I will not have my life flipped upside down because of something I didn't do. It's not fair and I won't do it."
"Jory—" he began, his voice rising.
"And then what?" I asked, walking away from him, turning at the couch to look back at him. "You're gonna bail 'cause you gotta go look for my stalker? You won't be able to protect me if you're so close to me?" I ranted, throwing up my hands.
"That's bullshit too. If you wanna go—then just go. If it's another all-or-nothing proposition for you—fuck it. I don't want this again. Once was more than enough."
We were silent, just glaring at each other.
"You're right."
"About what?" I said when I could breathe, crossing my arms.
"When I left the first time, it was an excuse. I wanted you, but I wanted my life to stay the same too. I used running down that drug connection as a way out."
"You ran away."
"Yes, I did."
I nodded. "If you're gonna run again, please do it now before I get in too deep."
"C'mere."
I crossed slowly back to him, like I was walking to the electric chair, and when he could reach me, he grabbed hold of my lapel and yanked me forward.
"Like you're not in too deep right now," he smiled slyly, his hands on my face, raising my chin for a kiss.
I melted against him, my hands on his forearms, kissing him back, deep and slow, wanting to make it last.
"I want you to stay home with me today, all right?"
"No, I need to get things together for Abe on Monday and I might see some clients this afternoon to make up for Wednesday—Thursday—whatever day, and there's just a lot to—"
He unbuttoned my suit jacket and his hands eased it off my shoulders. I heard it fall softly on the back of the couch.
He wasn't listening to me, but I had things to do. My business partner, Dylan Greer, had delivered a baby days earlier and I needed to prepare the office for Aubrey "Abe" Flanagan, who was going to be helping me out until Dylan got back from maternity leave. Even though it was Saturday morning, I had calls to make, e-mails to send, there was no way that I could just blow off my responsibilities to spend the day in bed with my very hot boyfriend.
"Sam...."
My tie was worked gently loose and slid off, joining my suit jacket, before his fingers started working the buttons down the front of my shirt.
"Sam, I can't—"
"I could just rip it off like I did the one the other night, but I figured you didn't wanna explain two of them to your dry cleaner."
I let my head fall back and he kissed my chin and jaw as he got me out of my clothes. The shirt he let fall to the floor before he smoothed his hands up my sides, raising my arms.
I leaned back so he could drag the T-shirt up and over my head.
"Don't need this," he said, balling it up and tossing it onto the floor.
I stared into his eyes, marveling as always at the color, the deep smoky blue now absolutely molten with desire.
Impossible to miss the need there, and it was a great big turn-on knowing that I was the one responsible. I got him hot, just me, and that power was intoxicating.
"I'm not going anywhere this time, J," he said, his voice so low and sexy, a seductive heat in his gaze, his hands on my back moving over my skin causing my trembling. "I'll protect you. I won't let anything happen to my baby. I can't. What would I do without you?"
I could feel my body vibrating under his touch as a line was kissed down the side of my neck, over my collarbone to my chest.
"So beautiful."
Me? Was he kidding? I wasn't the one that looked like he was carved out of living stone. Not an ounce of fat on the man anywhere, just rippling muscle and warm, smooth skin.
Between his size—six-four—and massive build, he was absolute fantasy material, but instead of me worshipping him, he was standing there looking at me like I was the ideal.
"All that gold skin and your deep, dark eyes... Jesus, J, you kill me."
I swallowed hard as he bent and kissed me.
"I can't be away from you anymore," he said, his breath warm against my lips. "You know I used to wake up and want you, and go to sleep wishing you were there, and then I'd get up and go to work and the whole thing would start all over again."
I just stared up at him.
His chest constricted and his eyes showed me how vulnerable he felt. "I won't leave you again, ever. I promise."
"And you'll take care of me?" I asked playfully, leaning in to kiss him thoroughly, to suck and lick and make his breath shaky, his eyes cloud with passion. "Love me forever?"
"Yes."
He was at my mercy and I loved it. Who was dominant now? "You ready to scream my name some more?" I asked as I got my hands under his sweater, under the T-shirt beneath, my fingers sliding over his hot skin, over the hard, defined muscles in his back, moving around over the sculpted pectorals, down the chiseled, bumpy plains of his abdomen, the deep groove to his navel. "God, Sam, you're beautiful."
He suddenly grabbed me, my feet leaving the floor as he hugged me tight to his body before walking me back down the hall to my bedroom, and pinning me under him on the bed.
"Lemme tell you who's gonna be doing all the screaming."
I shuddered and my breath came out in huffs, the whimpering that he was after. He rolled me over on my stomach and then pulled me up to my hands and knees. I heard him getting undressed, his movements frantic, and the nightstand rattled when he yanked open the drawer.
"Listen to me,
" he growled in my ear, which covered me in goose bumps. "I got tested two weeks ago and I'm clean. I've never been with anyone but you without protection, but I wanted to be sure. So... we're done with the fuckin'
condoms."
I could only nod as he slid lubed fingers deep inside me.
"Say yes to me."
"Yes."
His mouth was on the back of my neck and he pushed inside me with one powerful thrust. I cried out as his slick hand slipped under me, wrapping around my cock, and he bit down into my shoulder.
"My beautiful baby."
I felt like the vibrating that was deep inside me resonated out, and I was shaking beneath him.
"Say my name!" he demanded, and his voice was barely his—more guttural, raw, filled with heat and lust.
"Sam," I said.
"I will take care of you," he promised, pounding down into me. "Say it!"
"Just you."
A hand tangled in my hair before my head was snapped back hard. "Tell me you belong to me."
"I'm all yours, Sam. I belong to you."
He devoured me then, his mouth, his hands, flipping me over on my back like I was weightless, wrapping my legs around him, driving down into me while I called his name.
The power exerted over me, the absolute possessiveness, the need in him to dominate me, drowned everything else.
* * * *
Light, tender kisses were placed between my shoulder blades as his fingers trailed up from the small of my back to the nape of my neck and back down. Over and over, so gentle, causing slow heat to build in me.
"How ya feel, baby?"
"I feel good."
"Yeah?"
"Mmmm."
"I've got it bad."
"What's that?"
"Needing you, wanting you."
"I'd be lying if I said I was sorry."
He pressed his hot mouth into the middle of my back and kissed hard, sucking, and ending with a bite. It felt amazing.
"You like leaving marks on me." I grinned into my pillow.
"Yes, I do, and I love the noises you make when I do it."
He dragged his stubbled cheek over the small of my back and I nearly came up off the bed. "That feel good?"
My whole body was tingling. "Yes," I managed to get out.
"You know," he sighed, kissing my shoulder and the side of my neck, his hand sliding down over my ass and squeezing.
"You're the only person I ever wanted to actually eat."
"Go ahead," I exhaled deeply. "Eat me."
"Christ," he groaned. "I've never loved anyone the way I love you, Jory. It scares the shit outta me, I swear to God."
"Just stay with me."
I heard his breath hitch. He sounded like he was in pain.
"Lay down and hold me."
Instantly he was spooned around me and I was wrapped up in hot, sleek skin and muscle. He buried his face in my shoulder and his chest and groin were pressed to my back and ass.
"I need to get up and make some calls." I smiled as my eyes drifted closed.
"No, just rest."
"I haven't even done anything," I chuckled before I let out a long yawn.
"Well, you're going to rest because you're not leaving the apartment. I packed a bag, so I ain't leaving either. I'll order Chinese when we wake up and have it delivered."
I laughed. "We're just gonna hole up here, huh?"
"When we get up, we're gonna talk. You're gonna hate it."
"I could never hate talking to you."
His deep, rumbling laugh put goose bumps all over my skin. "We'll see."
* * * *
He was right. Being interrogated, especially since I was in love with the guy doing it, really stunk.
"I don't know," I growled at him, covering my face with the pillow.
"Think, J," he ordered, pulling the pillow away from me, propping himself up on his arm, resting his chin on his hand as he stared down at me. "Who hates you?"
"You, obviously," I groaned, rolling away from him to lay on my stomach. "For crissakes, Sam, you've been drilling me for like two hours already and we're just going around in circles. I don't know, okay?"
His hand slid over my ass and he squeezed hard. The motion gave me hope.
"Sam?"
"What?"
"You wanna drill me hard?"
"Quit," he patted my ass before his hand slid higher, to the small of my back.
"Maybe I should put your name on me, huh? Ink it right there where your hand is?"
"What? A tramp stamp—hell, no. If I put my name on you, it goes on the back of your right shoulder where I bite you every time I've got you down on your hands and knees." I felt him tremble against me.
"Let's go do it," I said, laying my head down on the cool sheet.
"Yeah? I can put my name on you?"
"Yes, Sam."
Instantly I was pulled over next to him, the heat from his skin sending a shiver down my spine.
"You think it's a joke? Do you have any idea how bad I want that?"
I rolled my head so I could see his eyes, and I was surprised at how dark, serious, and hungry they were. "I had no idea."
His eyes stayed locked on mine. "I don't know how to let people know that you belong to me."
"I tell them." I smiled at him, reaching out to run my fingers over his jaw. "You don't worry about that."
His sigh was deep as he looked in my eyes. We stayed like that for a while, just staring at each other.
"What are you thinking?"
"I just wonder if you'll miss it."
"What's that?"
"The milestones that come with being straight."
"Like what?"
I shrugged. "Like the big, beautiful wedding my brother Dane just had. You're never gonna have a Disney moment with me, ya know?"
"Explain that."
"The whole finding your princess deal, Sam," I rolled over on my back and stared at the ceiling. "You're never gonna have the happily ever after with me."
"No?"
"C'mon, none of the great movie moments happen between two guys. That's not how it works."
"No?"
"No," I promised him.
"I think you're wrong. I think, in real life, magic happens every day," he said, rolling over on top of me, staring down into my eyes. "But even if it doesn't, who cares? I don't need a happily ever after, J, I just need the ever after part. The adjective can be whatever. Up and down ever after, sometimes rocky ever after, crazy ever after—I don't give a shit. As long as you stick around, we'll just do the best we can, day after day."
The tears welled up in my eyes and he got blurry.
"Jesus, you've got a soft heart," he chuckled, wiping the tears from my temples. "And baby... don't let anyone ever tell you you're not a princess."
"Oh screw you, Kage!" I shoved him away from me.
When he held me down and kissed me breathless I thought my heart would stop. But it turned out that beating for Sam Kage was its main function.
Chapter Two
As I walked through the market pushing the shopping cart later that afternoon, my phone went off. Chinese food had not sounded good after all, so we had opted to cook.
"Hello?"
"Jory."
"Hey," I smiled into my phone. My brother sounded really good. Why he was calling me when he was on his honeymoon I had no idea, but I was always happy to hear from him.
"What are you—"
"I need you to pick Aja and me up at the airport tomorrow morning."
"Ohmygod." I stopped walking, standing up straight from leaning on the cart. "Why? What's wrong, Dane?"
"Aja's dad had a heart attack yesterday."
"Oh no, oh Dane, I'm so sorry."
"No, it's okay, he's okay, but we just both think we need to be there."
"Sure, of course," I said on an exhale. "Tell me what—"
"He doesn't even want us to come home early," he said tightly, "but I've got other things on my mind,
so it's good that we're cutting this short."
"Oh yeah? Like what?"
"Oh, I dunno... Detective Kage, for instance."
There was a heartbeat of silence. "Oh shit."
"Oh shit is right! What the hell are you thinking?" The last came out in a roar.
It made sense that Dane was livid with me. The last time he had seen Sam Kage was three years ago. I had taken a bullet for the man and then Sam had left me alone in the hospital to heal. To Dane—who had taken care of me afterwards, been there when my boyfriend was not—it looked like a cold, heartless bastard had been allowed back into my life. To him I was insane, my logic drowned in a sea of desire.
"Are you even thinking?"
"Dane, I—"
"May I have the phone?" I heard Aja ask.
"No, I need to—"
"Jory," Aja came on the phone. "Hi, honey."
"I'm so sorry about—"
"It was a teeny-tiny-itty-bitty little heart attack," she soothed me. "He's going to be fine. I just want to see him for myself, you know?"
"'Course."
"But I must say, I have never seen Dane like this," she said softly. "Who in the world is Sam Kage?"
"He's—how did he even find out?"
"Rick Jenner has a new girlfriend, I guess, and she somehow works with you?"
"Aubrey Flanagan, yeah."
"Well, apparently she saw you and this Sam guy somewhere—"
Oh yeah. "Crap, I forgot about that."
"Jory, what is going—"
"Dylan had her baby."
"Oh how wonderful! I'll get her something as soon as I get back."
"Where are you now?"
"We're already in New York, we're taking the red-eye out tonight."
"I'm really sorry about your dad."
"No-no, it's okay. He's okay. I think Dane's more upset about you and... tell me all about this Sam person."
"He's just—see... I'm sure Dane thinks he's gonna hurt me, 'cause I was in trouble the last time Sam was around, but I love him, and now with these murders, he should know that with Sam here that—"
There was a sudden gasp of indrawn breath. "Ohmygod, what did you say?"
I filled her in on what Sam had told me, without all the gory details.
"Ohmygod," she cried and I heard the phone hit the floor.
