by Roma, Laurie
“Fifteen? My, you were an early starter.”
His rumble of laughter vibrated through his chest into her body. In reaction, her pussy tightened on him, flexing around the semi-hard shaft that was still buried deep inside her. His laughter abruptly cut off, and she felt his cock swelling inside her again.
“Fuck,” he muttered.
“I thought we just did,” Kali said with a giggle, then yelped as he bit her shoulder lightly.
“You, my little fairy, are a tease.”
“How can I be a tease when you’re still inside me?”
“Good point.” He sighed. “I just want you to know that I had a full check-up when I had my knee surgery and I’m completely clean. Since then I haven’t been with anyone else.”
Hammer didn’t want to scare her and say that since the first time he saw Kali his dick hadn’t seemed to react to anyone but her. Just thinking about her could make him hard as hell, but other women just didn’t seem to appeal to him anymore. He only wanted his little fairy, and here she was, splayed out in front of him on the stairs with her pussy hugging his cock like it didn’t want to let him go.
Hell, if he could stay inside her forever he’d be a happy man.
“I’m clean, too. I just got myself checked out after I found out David cheated on me and I’m on the pill,” Kali said. Her eyes widened in surprise as his cock twitched inside her.
Yeah, both he and his damn dick liked the thought of being able to come inside her again with nothing between them. It was a primitive response he hadn’t been ready for. He’d never thought of having sex with any woman without the added layer of protection, but after feeling her slick heat bare, it would be impossible not to want it again.
“So…are you saying you’re okay with me coming inside you when we fuck?”
Shit! Why the hell did he say it like that? Was he brain dead? Kali wasn’t just some woman he wanted to jerk off inside…she was the woman he wanted to make his. Now that he’d had her he was damned if he was going to let some other asshole steal her away from him.
“Umm…I guess so. If we are going to be dating exclusively, I mean.”
Jesus, did she think that he wanted to go stick his dick in some other woman after he had his sweet, little fairy?
Not. Going. To. Happen.
Before he could do something stupid like take her again on the hard, wooden staircase, he slowly pulled out of her, missing the feel of her tight pussy hugging him so much he almost shoved it right back inside her. Instead, he hitched up his boxers and pants, then scooped her up in his arms. He loved the little squeal she let out as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt so slight in his arms and he lowered his head, unable to resist kissing her again.
Damn, he had just taken her like some crazed animal, but he couldn’t seem to control himself around her. She was the kind of woman that deserved soft kisses and candlelight, not some quickie against the wall or on the stairs. He’d make it up to her and show her that she wasn’t just some easy lay to him.
“We are exclusive, all right. You’re mine now, little fairy.”
The bemused look on her face just made her even more desirable. Hammer couldn’t wait until he got her upstairs where he could fuck her on her bed…or the couch. Yeah, he might not be able to make it into the bedroom before he had her again. He started up the stairs, but she shook her head.
“We need my keys. And we can’t just leave our clothes like that,” she said as she waved her hand in the air and curled into him in a half-hearted attempt to shield her naked body.
He looked down and saw the carnage that lay on the floor at the bottom of the stairwell. He cringed inwardly as he noticed he had basically lost control and ripped off her clothes before fucking her. On the stairs, for fuck’s sake!
Yep, he really was like a goddamn animal.
He walked down the two steps, bending down until he was squatting down next to where she had dropped the keys when he had first kissed her.
“Jared, put me down. I’m too heavy for you to do this while carrying me! Let me put my clothes back on.”
“Not going to happen, sweetheart,” he told her cheerfully. “Now, can you pick up the keys? Good girl. Why don’t you grab the box of cupcakes, too? I’ll come get our clothes later.”
Once she held the box of cupcakes and the keys in her hands, he started up the steps again. He bent his knees enough so she could use the key to open her front door to her apartment at the top of the stairwell. “So, as your new boyfriend and since you just insulted me, I think we should order in some dinner, then you should let me spend the night.”
“My new…how did I insult you?”
Damn, she was cute when she was flustered. Hammer looked around her apartment with curiosity. Taking everything in at a glance, he thought her apartment suited her perfectly. The living room was a wide, airy space that connected to a large open kitchen separated by a marble topped breakfast bar. She had chosen a pale golden color for the walls of the kitchen to match the deep-brown marble shot through with veins of gold and silver. The cabinets had frosted glass fronts with a silver handles, and he could instantly tell she had spent a lot of money on top-of-the-line appliances.
In the living room, the walls were a deep crimson color and copies of famous paintings hung in black rimmed frames. The room was filled with comfortable furniture arranged around a gas fireplace, and he started over to her couch as he frowned down at her. “By suggesting I couldn’t carry a little thing like you,” he said, answering her question.
She rolled her eyes at him as he walked over to her couch. “I’m not little.”
He sat down, then tilted her so he could slap her ass with his hand. She jerked on his lap and he felt his cock harden to full mast as her mouth fell open in shock.
Eyes wide, she gaped at him. “What was that for?”
“Every time you insult yourself you are gonna get spanked, baby. No one insults you…even you. Got it?” He reached up to caress her cheek and pressed his lips lightly to hers. “You’re mine now, and I take care of what belongs to me. I won’t ever hurt you, so I don’t want you thinking that, but I don’t like it when you put yourself down. You’re so fucking perfect, Kali.”
She reached up and wrapped her small hand around his thick wrist. “I’m not perfect, Jared. Although flattering, that is also a pretty high standard for you to set for me. I can’t help but worry how you’ll feel when you really get to know me better.”
“Kali, I know you. Hell, I’ve been watching you since I bought the building across the street.”
“You have?”
He chuckled. “Yeah. At first it was just because I thought you were hot, but the more I got to know you, the more I wanted you.”
“I had no idea. I’ve watched you, too,” she admitted shyly.
“Have you now?”
Hammer lowered his hand, brushing the back of his fingers against her tight nipple and watched her shiver. His cock throbbed in response and he shifted her on his lap so she was straddling him. He wrapped his hand around her neck and pulled her close so he could capture her lips with his. Surprise filled him as she took control of the kiss this time, and he let her push her tongue in his mouth where it stroked against his. She leaned forward, rubbing her breasts against his bare chest until he groaned with need.
“Jared…”
“Yeah, baby?”
“I love kissing you.”
“Thank fucking God for that.”
She chuckled as she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him again. He wanted to take her. To shove his pants off and slam her body down onto his cock, but he forced himself to hold back. He would take this time slow if it killed him, and the way she was rocking her body against him made him think it just might.
The phone rang in the background, but they both ignored it. Needing to be inside her again, he was about to carrying her into her bedroom, but froze in place as the answering machine clicked on and the voice of an irritated wo
man filled the room.
“Kalista Rose? It’s your mother. I just got off the phone with your cousin Bethany, and she is very upset. I think it is very inconsiderate for you to insist on bringing someone with you to the wedding, considering we both know how unlikely it is for you to be able to find another date in time.”
Hammer felt Kali stiffen in embarrassment and he felt his own anger spring to life. How dare her mother speak to her that way!
Kalista’s mother’s sigh could be heard over the line. “Really, darling. You could never hold onto a man like David if you don’t take care of yourself. I tried to warn you that eating all those sweets was just going to make you fatter. It’s such a shame that silly little shop of yours has damaged the only real chance you had at finding someone. Anyway, I told Bethany that I would make sure this date of yours isn’t just one of you girlfriends you decided to bring along. Really, it’s very selfish of you not to think of my sister and your poor cousin on her big day. They have to worry about paying for all the dinners and it’s not like they have a trust like you do. Speaking of, your father and I think it’s time for you to reconsider signing over the trust to us. It’s obvious you haven’t been making very good decisions on your own, and we worry what you are doing with all that money. Call me back.”
The message ended and Hammer was surprised he wasn’t shaking with the rage coursing through him at the sight of the tears in Kali’s eyes. Going with instinct, he said the first thing that came to mind. “How the hell did you turn out so sweet with that crazy bitch as your mother?”
Kalista let out a laughing sob as she threw her arms around his neck and burrowed closer to him. His arms immediately wrapped around her, hugging her close, and he took the throw from where it was draped over the back of the couch and pulled it around her trembling form. She felt him press his lips to the top of her head as he stroked her back in a soothing motion.
“I’m sorry you had to hear that,” she whispered against his neck.
“I’m not.” Shock had her pulling back to look at him. He lifted his hands to gently wipe away the tears that had fallen onto her cheeks. “You warned me that your family wasn’t nice, but honey, that woman sounded pure evil to me. Like wicked witch material if I ever heard it.”
She gave him a shaky smile that tore at his heart. “I try to avoid them as much as I can.”
“I don’t blame you. Sometimes…” Hammer paused as he tried to choose his words carefully. “Sometimes words can hurt more than a fist.”
Kalista nodded, desperately relieved that he understood. Her lips trembled, and she took a shaky breath. “Still want to go to the wedding with me?”
He drew her back into his arm and held her tight. “Baby, you aren’t going without me.”
She let out a little sigh and stroked a hand over his chest. “Thank you.”
“See if you still want to thank me after I punch your ex in his stupid fucking face.”
She had to laugh at that. “You swear a lot.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I don’t really mind. Especially when we’re…”
He tilted his head down so he could look at her. “When we’re, what?”
She could feel herself blush. “You know.”
He pressed his hand over hers to hold it still on his chest. “Ah, so my little fairy likes when I talk dirty to her? What I know is if you keep petting me like that I am going to take you on this couch.”
A mischievous glimmer entered her eyes. “Is this your idea of a workout regimen for me? You know, Becca and Zoe said they wanted to take the self-defense class with me. I hope you aren’t planning on giving this type of one-on-one instruction to everyone.”
He slowly smiled. “Nope. I have a special plan just for you. Tell you what, I’ll put together some sort of self-defense class for you and your girlfriends in a few days. For now, you and I have some of our own cardio to do.”
“Oh, really? What do you have in mind?”
“Why don’t I just show you?”
Kali smiled at him and he stood up, carrying her in his arms. He followed her directions into her bedroom, kissing her softly as he walked.
“Why do you call me a fairy?”
“Because you are. You’re my pretty little fairy.”
She let out a wistful sigh that had him taking her lips again. He would make love to his little fairy on her bed. Take his time like she deserved, and show her how truly special she was. That telephone message from her mother had infuriated him, but it also helped him understand how much damage her parents had done to her self-confidence over the years. He was in her life now, and there was no fucking way he was going to let her be around her family without him there to protect her. Sure, she was a strong, capable woman, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to be there for her.
She would learn over time, she wasn’t alone anymore.
He’d make damn sure of it.
Chapter Five
Kalista drove down the long driveway leading toward Beaumont Manor and gawked at the picturesque view. The sun was bright and shining over the paved driveway that was lined with tall trees, and the lawn was well tended, even for January in Texas. Evelyn Beaumont’s property looked like one of those estates people only saw in magazines or old movies that highlighted the glory days of the south.
The first building she saw was a large plantation house with columns lining the front porch of both of the second and main floors, making it look stately and grandiose. She wasn’t surprised to see a number of motorcycles mixed in with a few trucks and a van in the small parking lot near the side of the structure. She knew that the plantation house was now being used as a boarding house for former soldiers who were transitioning back to life away from the battlefield.
Kalista continued down the road for a few more minutes, passing a large barn that was the size of a warehouse. She knew that was the rescue center by the large sign on the building, but noticing the parking lot next to the structure was full of cars, she wondered why there were so many people there on a Sunday afternoon.
She continued driving around a large pond until she reached Evie’s house, then gasped at the sight. The elaborate residence was made of stone, with large glass windows and a tiered roof that made it seem almost Zen-like. A massive two story building sat in the center with two ranch-style wings spanning from the main structure, making it look like it was three houses connected into a large “U” shape. The design was far more modern than the plantation house, but both buildings seemed to suit the property.
Evie walked out of the front glass doors, wearing jeans and a camel-colored coat that she had paired with a Burberry scarf. Even dressed casually, the blonde looked stunning. She came down the steps with four beautiful, well-behaved dogs flanking her sides as Kalista parked in front of the house on the circular drive. Two of the dogs were clearly German Shepherds while the other two were Belgian Malinois. Kalista wouldn’t have had a clue what those noble looking dogs were, but she had seen pictures of them with information about their breed on Evie’s website.
“Hi!” Kalista said after she had turned off her car and got out. She was instantly glad she had worn jeans and a long sleeve shirt under her white coat. The air was chilly outside, despite the sunshine.
“Hi, Kali. Thanks for coming today.” Evie shot Kalista a rueful smile. “I guess I should have asked you if you are afraid of dogs before you came here.”
“I’m not,” Kalista assured her. “Oh wow, they’re so beautiful.” She knelt on the ground and held out her hand. All four dogs seemed to quiver with glee, their tails wagging at the thought of meeting a new friend, but they simply sat there, looking up at Evie for permission before they moved from her side.
After receiving a release command from Evie, all four dogs surged forward, licking and rubbing against Kalista until she was laughing at their exuberance.
“Sorry, they love people. This is Lancelot, Gawain, Percival and Galahad.”
Kalista’s eyes wi
dened. “You named your dogs after knights of the Round Table?”
“Yep, all four of them are trained for search and rescue, so it seemed fitting. They are my best guys.” Evie walked over to rub two of the dogs on their backs. She loved her dogs, and relaxed when she saw how comfortable Kali was surrounded by the cheerful animals. Wanting to distract them, she pulled out four tennis balls from a small bag hanging at her side, holding two in each hand. “Hey, guys! Go get’em!”
She hurled the balls across the yard and Kalista watched the dogs fly after them, then turned back to look at Evie’s home. “I have to tell you, your house is absolutely amazing.”
“Thank you. I really love it, too.” Evie waved her hand toward the building. “I live in the main part of the house. The right wing belongs to my cousin, Francesca, and the left, my cousin Beckett. Francesca is an author so I can go days without seeing her, and Beckett is our resident veterinarian. He works at the clinic in town three days a week, but the rest of the time he can be found in his office here over at the kennel.”
“I thought you have three cousins who live here,” Kalista said.
“Hunter, my oldest cousin, lives over at the boarding house. He says he wants to be available if any of the guys over there need anything, but I think he is more comfortable over there because he’s a former soldier, too. Truthfully, I think he does a good job connecting with the guys that stay here, even if he doesn’t talk much. Did Hammer tell you what happened to him?”
“No, he didn’t.”
Evie shrugged. “They don’t talk about that kind of stuff much. Hunter was a Navy SEAL, and he was in a pretty bad explosion when he was overseas. I don’t know exactly what he was doing, he doesn’t talk about that stuff, but he was badly burned on one side of his body.”
“Oh my God. I’m so glad to hear he made it home.”
“So am I,” Evie said with feeling. “My parents died when I was still a teenager, but my aunt and uncle didn’t hesitate to move their family here to take care of me. My cousins were great, and we became close almost instantly. When I talked to them about starting this place, everyone supported the idea. Now, we all get to do something we love. Even my uncle, Tony, and Madeline work at the kennel. They live in that house over on the other side of the pond.”
