Keep Me Safe

by Raquel Lyon

  Yes. She definitely lived in a pigsty, and the prize hog was growing fatter every day. “I suppose you’d prefer me to cover up every inch of skin.”

  “It’d be a start.”

  Ditto, she thought, letting her eyes drop to the beer belly spilling out between her father’s T-shirt and jeans. “Well, I like how I look. I’ll be back in an hour or so,” she said, making a swift exit and running to the car before he could stop her.

  Yvonne smiled as she opened the door. “I almost thought you’d bottled out on me.”

  “Got stopped by the fashion police.”

  “Huh?”

  “Never mind.”

  Five minutes later, they arrived at Crown Point. With the weather causing many of the town’s lovers to forgo the parks and rivers, and stick to the dry interiors of their cars, vehicles were packed along the hilltop clearing.

  Yvonne peered over the steering wheel. “Damn, I thought the rain would have kept people away. I wasn’t expecting it to be so busy.”

  “We could always try again tomorrow.” Or never.

  “You know I’m running out of time,” Yvonne said, swinging the wheel to park up in a free spot.

  “Go somewhere else, then?”

  “No need. This is exactly where I’d planned to shoot.”

  “Right here?” Molly asked, thinking it wasn’t the most picturesque part of the cliff top.

  “Right here.”

  Molly sighed. “Fine. What do you want me to do?”

  “Stick the CD in the stereo, and get some of this down you,” Yvonne said, passing Molly a hip flask.

  “What’s in it?”

  “Dutch courage. It’ll get rid of the nerves and loosen you up a bit.”

  “And I need to loosen up, why?”

  Yvonne retrieved her camera from the back seat and turned it on. “I want to get a few close-ups in the car, first. Then, when you get outside, I need you to dance sexily in front of the fence.”

  “Sexily? Oh, I don’t know if I could. Everyone’ll be watching.”

  “No, they won’t. They’re all too busy snogging each other’s faces off.” She placed her finger on the base of the metal bottle and pushed it towards Molly’s mouth. “Drink,” she said. She waited for the first mouthful to disappear, and then gestured for repetition. “Good. Keep that up and you’ll be fine.”

  “Can’t you do the sexy dancing bit?” Molly said between sips. “I could hold the camera.”

  “If you were holding the camera, it wouldn’t be my film, now would it? All you have to do is imagine it’s one of those times when you’re feeling really horny and your bean starts flicking all by itself. You know what that feels like, right?”

  Molly’s face creased into a smile, as she twiddled the flask’s cap in her fingers. Yeah, she knew exactly how it felt. There’d been plenty of flicking last night, when she’d dreamt about Kendrick.

  Taking another large gulp, she closed her eyes, let the liquid warm through her, and thought of him again.

  Chapter Eleven

  Kendrick

  The wipers struggled to clear the evening’s downpour from the screen, as Liam’s Honda navigated the winding road out to Crown Point and pulled to a stop on the top of the hill.

  Liam leaned forwards until his nose almost touched the windscreen. “I was expecting your bird’s paint job to stick out like a sore thumb, Rhys, but I can’t see jack shit.”

  “Maybe they changed their mind?” Kendrick suggested, hoping he was wrong.

  “Not if I know Yvy,” Rhys said. “Besides, it was already lashing it down when she mentioned coming here.”

  “Hang on. I think I see them,” Liam said.

  Kendrick squinted into the night. “Where?”

  “There.” He cocked his chin.

  Over by the metal fencing, erected to prevent jilted lovers from ending it all over the edge, the Subaru’s headlights lit up the wire meshing.

  “I see the car, but…” Kendrick said. “Can you drive us any closer?”

  “You want closer, you’re walking.”

  “Hey, look.” Rhys pointed from the back seat. “Someone’s getting out.”

  Liam’s brows knitted to a frown. “Who is that, and what the fuck is she wearing?”

  “It’s a rain poncho,” Rhys explained. “I bought it for Yvy last week when we went to the theme park.”

  “Why? Did you go undercover?”

  “She didn’t want to get her hair wet on the water ride.”

  Liam laughed. “Was she afraid pink dye would run down her face?”

  “You know, you can be real mean sometimes. Remind me to repay the favour when you get a girlfriend. That is, if I haven’t gone senile by then, because…” He tilted his head. “When was the last time you had a date?”

  “Think you’re a big comedian, don’t you? Getting a date’s a bit difficult when our boy, here, keeps snagging all the available women.”

  “Well, maybe you’ll get a look-in now he’s moving on to the unavailable ones.”

  Kendrick, who’d screwed up his eyes to watch Yvonne wrestling to poke the camera lens out from under her poncho, twisted his head to shoot Rhys a warning glare. “She’s not with Barbie,” he snapped. Rhys was about to get a fist to his face, if he didn’t shut the fuck up.

  Luckily for Rhys, Kendrick felt a slap on his arm. “Hey, is that the lucky woman?” Liam asked.

  Kendrick’s head shot back round, and he sucked in a breath.

  “She’s definitely smokin’. I’ll give you that,” Liam added.

  Kendrick couldn’t reply; he was too busy staring. Illuminated by the car’s headlights, Molly was standing in front of the wire, with the rain slowly seeping into her hair and clothes, looking just like the doe he’d first met at the store. It had only been twenty-four hours since he’d last laid eyes on her, but already it felt like a lifetime. The world slowed and narrowed until all he could see was her. Her lips were moving, but he heard nothing other than his own rapid breathing mixed with the pounding of his heart.

  Overhead, the sky exploded. Lightening split the heavens, but Molly appeared not to notice. She closed her eyes and her head fell back, allowing droplets of rain to splash off her face and run in rivers down her cheeks, as a haunting melody filtered through the night and picked up the beat. Her mouth opened to catch the rain, and her tongue ran over her top lip. Kendrick’s blood heated. What he wouldn’t give to do the same. He could hear voices, but had no idea what they were saying. Molly swaying to the music held him mesmerised. Her hands smoothed down the sides of her sodden T-shirt, stretching it over her voluptuous breasts, and then back up, taking the material with them and tantalisingly exposing just a hint of white, cotton panties. It was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and although he realised other people were probably watching her dance too, it was as if she were putting on a show just for him. He wanted more. It was torture being this close, and yet, not close enough.

  He opened the door.

  “Where the fuck are you going?” Liam shouted.

  Kendrick slammed the door without answering, staying focused on his goal, as Molly continued gyrating her hips, lifting the T-shirt higher and higher with each turn. His dick hardened at the sight. Some day soon, it would be him making her panties wet, instead of the rain.

  Changing his course to approach her unnoticed, he positioned himself behind her. In direct line of the camera.

  Yvonne spotted him immediately and briefly took her eye away from the viewfinder, before continuing to film.

  Molly raised her arms to give a sexy, little wiggle. Deep armholes in the side of her T-shirt revealed the absence of a bra, and Kendrick caught a curve of bottom boob. Christ. Now he wasn’t just hard, he was fucking throbbing. His eyes trailed down her soaking-wet body. With her T-shirt doing very little to cover her, it wasn’t difficult to imagine her naked, and he would have given anything to see the real thing. He took one step forwards, and then another,
until he was directly behind her and close enough to touch her. Would she run if he tried?

  Focussing on her ass, he placed his hands on her hips, with his only thought being to get into those panties and bury himself deep inside her. And when she didn’t immediately object, he pulled himself against her until her ass was nestling into his crotch. Jesus, she felt good rubbing against him. Only as he bent to kiss her shoulder did she suddenly notice his presence and twist from his grasp.

  Her eyes widened and, through heavy breaths, she blurted, “You’re real?”

  “Last time I checked.” He chuckled.

  “But… What are you doing here?” She tilted her head. “Did you know I was going to be here?”

  Kendrick allowed the faintest of smiles to cross his lips. There was a fire in her he hadn’t predicted and it amused him, but he didn’t want to alienate her completely. “Guilty.”

  “Did you follow me?”

  Yvonne appeared at their side. “As much as I hate to interrupt the budding hostility, I've just had a fantastic idea for a finale to the video.” She paused and her eyes flicked between them. “Would you mind awfully… kissing?”

  Molly whirled to face her friend. “Are you kidding me?”

  “No. It’ll be great. Stay right there while I line up the shot again.”

  “I’m game if you are,” Kendrick said, closing the space between them, once more. “How about it?”

  “What?” Molly shook her head incredulously. “No.”

  Did she really dislike him that much, or was there more going on with Barbie than she’d let on? Of course, there could be another reason, but it was a long shot. Irritated by a dark strand of wet hair sticking to the plump apple of her cheek, he smoothed it away. She flinched.

  “Afraid you might like it?”

  She stared up at him defiantly. “I’m not afraid,” she said quickly, blinking away the rain.

  He could read girls well enough to know there was a flicker of interest in her eyes, so what was stopping her? “Then what’s the problem?”

  “This is good stuff,” he heard Yvonne say, “but let’s get to the juicy part. I’m running out of battery.”

  Molly’s eyes remained fixed on his, and her lips parted. Lips waiting to be tasted. Lips he’d wanted to taste from the moment they’d first met.

  What are you waiting for, you pussy? She hasn’t run. This is your chance. Take it.

  Reaching up to touch her cheek, his heart raced, as he waited for her to slap his hand away, but instead, her gaze fell to his mouth, and her chest heaved, giving him all the green light he needed. He angled his head, and paused, before dipping to brush his lips over hers. As soft as he’d imagined, and sweetened by the rain, they tasted even better than he’d thought possible. A tiny shiver ran through her body, and excited by the possibility of her not being cold, he pulled back to gauge her reaction, and found more than interest in her eyes. There was a need, a quiet need, unlike his shameless one, but there all the same. Bringing his other hand up to cup her face, he claimed her mouth again, tentatively running his tongue along her lip line, until she opened up to him. Her breasts pressed against his chest, and he ached to touch them. With any other girl, he would have been on them in a shot, but Molly was different. With her, he sensed the necessity to take his time, so he held his reserve and deepened the kiss.

  Without warning, she pushed him away. “Stop,” she said. “That’s enough.” She looked away from him and threw her hands in the air dismissively. “I’m sorry, but this is taking it too far, Yvy.”

  “It’s okay. I’ve got plenty to play with,” Yvonne said. “This is going to be great.”

  “I’d like to go now,” Molly said, walking towards the car.

  Kendrick’s heart sank as he followed her. “Wait up. You can’t just leave,” he said, as she climbed inside and closed the door. Banging on the roof and peering through the window, he shouted, “At least, give me your number.”

  Yvonne walked around to the driver’s side. “Thanks, Rick.” She winked. “You did good.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Molly

  She’d convinced herself she was playing a part, and that it didn’t have to mean anything. After all, actresses kissed actors all the time without getting involved, didn’t they? But then, she’d allowed the delicious sensations to overwhelm her, and forgotten to act.

  She shouldn’t have let it happen. It was as if she didn’t possess a single ounce of willpower—well, maybe the tiny bit that forced her to end the kiss. But seriously, was a pair of pretty eyes enough for her to forget why she couldn’t let a man into her life? Molly must have asked herself a variety of similar questions, hundreds of times over the last twenty-four hours, but she’d failed to come up with any answers. Her mind kept reliving how it had felt to be in his arms. How when he kissed her, the rest of the world disappeared. She’d loved it and hated it, at the same time: loved the way he tenderly caressed her neck and the warm feelings he incited in her, hated how much she wished things could be different. Getting a taste of something wonderful had almost made her lose control, and that frightened her.

  Being out of control was not an option. She needed a certain amount of order in her life to get through the shitty parts. But what if being with Kendrick could slot into the orderly part? Would that not make it better? As much as she’d tried to convince herself of the possibility, his reputation preceded him. It took a certain kind of girl to be okay with how he jumped from one bed to another, and back again. She could never be one of those girls. If circumstances ever allowed her to find love, it had to be with a one-woman guy.

  “Hey, Dolly Daydream! I asked where the sugar is.” The middle-aged man waved a hand in front of her face.

  “Huh? Oh. Sorry. Last aisle, top left.” She pointed.

  She had to pull herself together. It was one night. One kiss. Not a freaking life-changing experience.

  The man returned and paid for his sugar, but as he left the store, another guy entered—the last one she wanted to see.

  The nerve! At least, his hands were free of sharp instruments, this time, but how could he think it was okay to stroll back in here as if the other night hadn’t happened? Pressing the till drawer to check it was secure, her eyes flicked up to the security camera. It was almost time for her boss to emerge from the back office and begin key jangling any remaining customers out of the door. She said a silent prayer for him to show up soon, as her unwanted customer approached the counter.

  “Hey, doll face. How about you and I hit a drinking hole, after closing?”

  Without looking up, Molly pretended to straighten a display of mint gum. “No, thanks.”

  “Aw, come on. A few drinks, a little dancing, maybe test the springs out in the back seat of my car?”

  “I’m not interested, Chris.”

  “My friends call me Barbie.”

  “And it always sounds weird when I hear it. You might be tall, but you’re not blond or female, and besides, I’m not your friend.”

  “You were pretty friendly, a couple of weeks ago, and I thought we could continue where we left off.” His fingers brushed her hand, and she snatched it back.

  “Well, you thought wrong. That was before the other night, and besides, I was drunk.” Where was Frank? What was taking him so long? She couldn’t avoid eye contact with Chris, forever.

  “You didn’t object to receiving some of my spoils.”

  “You didn’t leave me much choice in the matter, if I remember.”

  “Did you buy something nice?”

  “Yes, thanks. So if you want your money back, you’re out of luck.”

  “I don’t want it back, and there’s more, where that came from, if you’re nice to me.”

  Anger festered in Molly’s stomach. Who did he think he was? Who did he think she was? A tart, by the sound of things. Her eyes narrowed, and she finally met his gaze. “You’ve picked the wrong girl, if you think that will work with me.”

  Pausing
for a second to rest his arm leisurely on the counter, he stared at her and narrowed his eyes. “He’s no good for you, you know. He can’t give you what you need.”

  Who the hell was he talking about? In fact, why was he still talking? Could he not see she had no intention of going out with him? “And how would you know what I need? You don't know me.”

  “Like I said, I want to change that.”

  “I prefer things the way they are. So unless you actually want to buy something, I suggest you leave. We’re about to close up.” And if she had to get the keys and shove him out the door herself, she would.

  “I know. That’s why I’m here. This way, you don’t get the opportunity to stand me up.”

  “How could I stand you up when I’m refusing to go anywhere?”

  “Do I get a reason?”

  “Have I not made myself clear? Do I need to spell it out? If there was ever a chance of us becoming friends, it vanished on Saturday night. I don’t go out with criminals.” Crap. Had she really said that out loud? What if Frank had been behind her? Would he put two and two together? Think before you speak, you idiot. She looked over her shoulder, nervously, as Barbie leaned over the counter.

  “You wanna talk criminal? How about that two-bit mechanic you were seen with last night? Why don’t you ask him about his brother’s gambling buddies, just about the biggest criminals around here? Whatever you think of me, you won’t find me mixed up in that kind of shit, but I wouldn’t take bets on your new squeeze. Perhaps, you should check his back pocket, the next time you’re feeling his ass? You might find he smokes more than plain tobacco.”

  Molly had no idea whether Chris’s words held any truth in them, but if they did, they only served to fuel her mind with another excuse not to get involved with Kendrick. After all, if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably— “Whether I was feeling his ass, or not, is no concern of yours.”

  “Scum like him aren’t worth your time. The only thing that dipshit has going for him is he knows his way around an engine. So if you’re gonna start dick measuring, let’s be clear about who you’re comparing.”