Banishing Shadows

by Lorna Jean Roberts

  Silence reigned during the ride to her place. Cord concentrated on his driving so he wouldn’t stare at her silky legs, her creamy breasts or the way she nervously licked those luscious lips. She damned well should be anxious, because this little stunt had pushed him over the edge.

  The time for playing games was over. It was more than obvious that she needed a firm hand.

  His hand.

  Cord almost smiled at the concerned glances she sent his way. He knew the exact moment he’d realized she was a woman. She’d been eighteen, home from college and washing her brother’s car in tiny cutoff denim shorts and a tight tank top. It was no different than anything another girl her age would wear. But other girls didn’t catch his attention the way this one did.

  Her laugh. The hot little looks she sent his way when she thought he wasn’t looking. The way she bit her thumbnail when she was nervous.

  Damn, he had it bad.

  Worse—he couldn’t have her.

  She was young, sweet, innocent and his best friend’s sister. Her brothers would kill him if he hurt her. And he would. Cord wasn’t looking for a long-term relationship, didn’t deserve someone soft and sweet like Kayla.

  He’d done his best to stay away from her. It helped that he spent so much time overseas or on base. He was due to ship out again soon. He would have been fine, could have kept his distance.

  If she hadn’t put herself in danger.

  Her brothers had been too lenient with her, spoiling her after a car accident killed their parents. Kayla had been seven at the time. At twenty-one, Luke had been granted guardianship of her and fourteen-year-old Jed, Cord’s best friend. The twins had been eighteen, old enough to leave home, but they’d stayed to help Luke raise the younger kids. As far as Cord was concerned they should’ve locked Kayla away as a teenager and left her there until she was at least thirty.

  Letting her direct him, he pulled into a parking spot outside a large apartment building.

  “Wait there,” he demanded when Kayla grasped the door handle. He ignored her frown, striding around to open her door. Reaching in to pick her up, he was startled when she slapped his hands away.

  “Don’t touch me!” she snapped. Cord matched her scowl. Her eyes widened.

  “You have two choices, angel. I can carry you upstairs in my arms, or I can throw you over my shoulder and haul you inside like a sack of potatoes. Either way, you are not walking on that ankle.”

  “It doesn’t even hurt anymore,” she muttered, folding her arms beneath her breasts. He wondered if she’d done that on purpose—the move plumped them, making the already generous mounds overflow. He growled as he remembered how every lecher in the bar had drooled over her lush body.

  “Hard way it is then,” he announced when she didn’t answer him. He quickly grabbed her, depositing her over his shoulder.

  “Cord, no!” she cried out, wriggling frantically. “Please.” The please did it—as well as the tears in her voice. Turning her, he clasped her close to his chest and carried her into the building.

  “What floor?” he asked as he entered the elevator.

  “Second,” she muttered. She remained silent until he stepped out onto the second floor.

  “This is my door.” She pointed to a narrow wooden door on the left. “You still have my keys.”

  He shifted her weight, freeing a hand so he could pull the set of keys from his pocket. Unlocking it, he quickly strode inside, slamming the door shut with his shoulder.

  Cord set her on a couch inside the small apartment. Snatching her ankle, he whisked off her ridiculous shoe, happy to note there was only a little pain when he rotated her foot.

  “Cord, I’m fine. You can leave now.” He rose, but instead of leaving, moved toward her kitchen.

  “Where are you going?” Ignoring her, he located a bag of frozen veggies, then placed it on her ankle as a cautionary measure. Satisfied he’d done all he could, Cord turned to examine her apartment in interest, taken aback by the feminine look of the place. Soft green walls were a perfect match for the cream-colored sofa and dark green throw. Kayla had always been a messy tomboy. He’d half expected to find clothes strewn about the place and baseball posters tacked to the walls.

  “Surprised? What’d you expect, beer bottles and deer heads?”

  He almost winced at her caustic tone.

  “You’re in enough trouble, sunshine,” he replied calmly. “I wouldn’t try to prick my temper more.” He turned back to find her staring at him warily.

  “Oh, I’d be very, very nervous if I were you,” he drawled. “You don’t even realize that you walked into a bar filled with some of the lowest scum in the city, do you? You know the big man who approached you, the one with the beard?”

  She nodded.

  “Well, that pillar of society just got out of jail for assault with a deadly weapon. He’s known for his particular skill with a knife, he loves to carve things and I’m not talking turkeys, you get me?”

  She paled. “How do you know that? Why were you there? Who was that man you were talking to?”

  “I know because I do my research before I walk into strange places.” He was satisfied when she lowered her eyes guilty. “That man I was talking to belongs to a gang called The Vipers. Heard of them?”

  She nodded. He knew she would have, they’d been in the news a lot lately—none of it good.

  “An army buddy’s little sister moved here six months ago. She’s gotten herself in a bit of trouble with The Vipers, not that she’ll admit it. So I told my buddy I would look into it, seeing as how I’m on leave and he’s halfway across the world. I was trying to find her tonight. If those guys had discovered my identity or even suspected what I was there for… Well, let’s just say you walking into Purgatory like that could have ended very badly. For both of us.”

  She remained quiet as if assimilating that. When she’d walked into Purgatory, his stomach had dropped. Arousal and fear a sickening mix. He’d had to work hard not to react visibly. Fury had quickly followed. His stomach churned with thoughts of what could have happened to her tonight.

  “Now, your punishment can go two ways.” He dropped his voice to a soft croon, causing her to glance at him warily. “Either you can be a good girl and raise your skirt and bend over that table, or you can be a bad girl.”

  If circumstances had been different, he would have laughed as her jaw dropped in shock before anger lit her eyes. But now that she was safe, his command over his temper was slipping.

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  He sighed in mock disappointment. “Looks like you’ve opted to be bad then.” As he took a large step toward her, she quickly threw up a hand to ward him off.

  “Stay right there!” Panic shone brightly her eyes and her fear stopped him as little else could. “What punishment? There’s not going to be a punishment.”

  “Oh yes there is.” He deliberately kept his voice soft, his arms crossed over his chest. “There is most definitely going to be a punishment. Yours. Because you dared to put yourself in danger. Because you walked into the worst bar in the city with no thought to your safety.”

  He took a step forward.

  “Because of those reasons you are so getting spanked.”

  For a moment Kayla thought the glint of amusement in his eyes meant he was joking. Then she realized he was simply enjoying himself.

  She narrowed her eyes at him, determined not to let on how aroused she was.

  “You can sure as hell try,” she challenged him, immediately realizing her mistake as a ruthless smile crossed his face.

  Kayla’s temper flared hot and wild. “I’m a grown woman, Cord. I can go where I like, when I like, and you have no say in the matter. You certainly have no right to punish me. Who the hell do you think you are, my fath— Argh!” Her words ended on a scream as he moved forward, trapping her in his arms, pushing her back until she was lying flat on the sofa with him leaning dominantly over her.

  He kisse
d her, and it was more than she could ever have imagined—more intense, more passionate, more consuming. She was given no time to think—could only react, drawn into the whirlwind heat he was creating.

  Cord raised his head and she protested the loss. His lips turned to the sensitive skin on her neck, nibbling and sucking until endless shivers of sensation raced through her body.

  “I need you, Cord, please.” He was driving her wild. “Touch me, oh God, touch me.”

  His gaze devoured her, baring her soul. Sitting, he stripped off her dress so she was lying in just the lacy bra and miniscule G-string.

  As he continued to stare down at her, her insecurities rose, stealing some of her pleasure.

  “Cord?” She cursed her trembling voice, the weakness she betrayed as her hands crept across her rounded stomach.

  “No hiding.” His hands grabbed hers, placing them over her head. “Don’t move,” he warned as he undid the front clasp of her bra.

  Her breasts spilled from the cups. His gaze was intense.

  “I know they’re a bit big, but—”

  “Jesus, woman, do I have to gag you?”

  Kayla quickly shut up at his rough words. Their groans intertwined as he surrounded one stiff nipple with his lips, drowning it in the haven of his warm mouth. As though her nipples were precious, his mouth and tongue worshipped them. He seemed to know how to drive her crazy.

  “Cord, I need you inside me.”

  He kissed her again, moving his other hand to her breast. Rubbing his fingers over the hard nub, he stared at her through eyes that were heavy-lidded, lust-filled and determined.

  The walls of her sheath clenched as his torment continued—one warm, strong hand moving slowly down her body until he was cupping her mound. Without direction, her hips thrust up, pushing her pussy against his hand, searching for friction, for release. Answering her unspoken demand, he brushed a thick finger against her pulsing clit. Her hips stilled as she savored the wicked thrill of his touch.

  Raising his head, Cord met her gaze with his. The hard desire she glimpsed in the depths of his gaze made her breath catch. She was almost frightened by his need, by hers. A need so intense it bordered on pain—a need that rode her hard, demanding to be set free.

  “Come now, Kayla,” Cord commanded.

  “No,” she cried out as he increased the pressure on her clit. She could feel it building, feel each flick thrust her that bit higher, drive her a bit more wild.

  “I want you inside me. I want us to come together.”

  Cord shook his head. “I want you to come now. And, baby, I always get what I want.” His lips descended on her nipple again, licking, sipping then biting hard. Oh god, it was painful and so very pleasurable. She shattered, orgasm rushing over her in thick waves, tearing her from reality.

  Shuddering, lost in dreamy afterglow, she barely felt him moving her thighs apart. Cord raised her left leg, placing it across the back of the sofa. He then placed her other foot on the floor, leaving her open, exposed. With a gasp of realization, she quickly tried to close her legs, but he held her easily in place.

  “Ouch!” She cried out as a slap landed on her sensitive lower lips. Like the bite to her nipple, the slap induced a curious mingling of pleasure and pain. “What the hell was that?”

  “Just a little slap, Kayla. Keep your legs where I place them.” His velvety rough voice sent a tingle up her skin.

  “What are you looking at?” she asked as he stared at her pussy. Inwardly, she cringed at the vulnerability she heard in her voice.

  “You.” He glanced up, his eyes filled with such hunger, such lust that she gasped in shock. “You’re beautiful, all pink and moist. I wonder how you taste.”

  He lowered his mouth, swiping his tongue through her folds. Her hips rose in shock at the sensation, a cry of wonder escaping her lips before she reached down with one hand to grasp at his hair desperately.

  “Wait! Stop!” she cried out.

  Cord raised his head. He narrowed his eyes at her warningly.

  “Didn’t I tell you to keep your hands above your head?”

  “You’ve got to stop.”

  “Why?” The annoyance disappeared as genuine confusion clouded his face.

  “B-because I don’t like it.”

  He arched one eyebrow in mocking sarcasm. “Angel, there are two things I will not take from you. One is putting yourself in danger. The other is lying to me. Now put your arm up and let me get back to my treat.” His mouth descended. She grabbed at his hair, ignoring his furious snarl.

  “What if you don’t like it?” she asked hesitantly.

  He stared at her heavily. “Has anyone ever eaten your pussy before?”

  She blushed at his crass words, shaking her head.

  “Poor baby,” he crooned, delight in his eyes. “Kayla, your taste is sweet, syrupy and addictive. Believe me when I say I’m going to get as much enjoyment from this as you are. Arm back and keep it there,” he ordered.

  Heat so intense she was surprised it didn’t singe her hair fled up her body as he tortured her pussy with his tongue, his lips, even his teeth. Long, smooth glides of his tongue up and down her folds made her hips pulse as waves of bliss spilled through her body to pound against her clit. It wouldn’t take much, a few swipes over that sensitive bundle of nerves and she knew she would drown in intense rapture.

  As if sensing how close she was to coming, Cord pulled back, kissing the top of her slit. “Easy, baby, easy,” he crooned, giving her a chance to calm down before the ecstatic torment continued.

  She thrashed her head back and forth. Like a thief in the night, his lips and tongue stole every thought, every breath. Kayla heard the needy whimpers, suddenly realizing they were coming from her.

  “Please, Cord, I need you inside me.”

  Cord groaned, sending delicious vibrations through her body.

  Kayla had reached the end of her endurance when he rose so they were face to face. His lips brushed hers and she found herself swept up in a heated kiss. Again she disobeyed him, moving her hands down his hard, muscular back.

  He muttered in satisfaction as her attention was stolen by the head of his cock nudging at her entrance. With one hard, firm thrust he entered her, plunging through her untouched passage, her screech of pain captured in his mouth.

  They both paused before his gaze caught hers.

  “You’re a virgin.” It wasn’t a question.

  Kayla smiled nervously, wondering at the air of tension surrounding him. The muscles in his neck were strained, his face set in hard lines. He eased back a little and she whimpered at the mix of pleasure-pain.

  “We have to stop.”

  “What? Why?” She clasped her legs around his hips.

  “You deserve better than this for your first time.”

  “Don’t you dare stop! This is exactly what I want. Besides it’s too late, it would be cruel to stop now. Please, keep going.”

  Cord stilled, and for a moment she thought he was going to ignore her. Then with a groan, he inched forward, pushing himself inside her and she let out the breath she’d been holding in a whoosh. Muscle gave way, sucking him in. He thrust, slowly at first, building up faster, harder until she screamed her release.

  Cord let out a shout, throwing his head back as he followed her over. Kayla ran her hands down his tense back, marveling at the feel of him. Finally, she had him.

  And it was better than anything she’d ever read, seen, dreamed about.

  It was perfect.

  “That was wonderful. I never even imagined… Can we do it again?”

  “This was a mistake.”

  “What?” she asked, certain she’d misheard him. She must have, right? Cord stood, staring down at her as if seeing her for the first time.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “What? Why? I don’t understand.” She sat, covering her breasts with her arm. Suddenly she didn’t feel sexy and beautiful. As if he saw the shame in her eyes, he knelt beside the so
fa with a groan.

  “What did I do wrong?” she whispered. Part of her was shocked by the vulnerability in her voice. But then she’d wanted him forever. “I know I’m inexperienced, but I—”

  “Shh, you were perfect. But you deserved something beautiful, romantic your first time. God, you deserved a damn bed at least. Not me, not like this. I’m sorry, baby.”

  She peered around for her dress, desperate to cover herself. “I didn’t want something soft and romantic, what a bore. I wanted hot, fast, hard. I wanted you. I’ve wanted you for a long time, Cord. Dreamed about it. And now you-you’re hurting me.”

  Now she was starting to wonder why she’d wanted him. There was only so much rejection a girl could take.

  “I’m so sorry, Kayla. The last thing I wanted was to hurt you. I went too far. I never meant for this to happen. I lost control. It’s unforgivable.” He clasped her cheeks in his hands and stared at her intently, his gaze roaming her face. “Find a nice boy, someone who treats you right, who takes you on dates, someone to settle down with and have babies. I’m not that man. I can’t be a little girl’s dream. I’m not who you should be fantasizing about.”

  Her cheeks grew hot as he hit the nail on the head. “You arrogant prick. I was after sex, not a lifetime commitment.”

  He stared at her for a long moment before rising. She stood up as he walked toward the door. “Cord, wait.” She limped after him, wincing slightly as her ankle protested. He turned at the door.

  “Kayla?”

  “Yes?”

  “Lock the door behind me and stay the hell away from Purgatory.”

  She gaped in shock as he left, slamming the door shut behind him. Kayla stood there for a good five minutes before her disbelief wore off and fury took over.

  “You-you asshole!”

  Chapter One

  Present day

  Kayla Sinclair sat in on a wooden stool in her brothers’ favorite bar and fought to hold on to her composure. She’d agreed to have a drink at The Rusty Hammer tonight because she wanted to feel normal again—yet she felt more lost and alone than ever. Being surrounded by others seemed only to exacerbate her isolation. Emotions buffeted her on all sides—happiness, anger, fear, joy—everywhere she looked she saw life. Except when it came to herself, then she saw a scared woman insulated in her own little bubble.