by Chloe Walsh
“For my wife,” I heard Kyle declare in a gruff tone, drawing my attention back to him. “Because I’m a fucking asshole and she somehow loves me anyway.”
Sighing heavily, he placed the guitar strap on his shoulder, stepped up to the other microphone, and nodded once in confirmation. “Every single word, Princess.”
His endearment caused every female in the bar to scream and every muscle in my body to clench in anticipation.
And then he began to strum a soft, haunting melody that Mike quickly fell into step with.
Kyle’s voice hit me like a hammer to the heart.
His eyes found mine and the deep, sexy timbre of his voice sent tingles down my spine and jolts of pleasure straight to my groin.
His eyes never once left my face as he changed chords effortlessly, the gravelly undeniably sexy rasp of his voice silencing every soul in the bar.
My heart hammered against my ribs as Kyle’s voice rose effortlessly with each high-note.
I fell into the words that drifted out of his mouth and curled around my heart like a blanket of warmth. Belting out the tune on his guitar, his voice reverberated in my mind.
His eyes bore into mine as he inclined his head in my direction, willing me to hear his meaning. He closed his eyes, immersed in the words he sang, his private perception of the lyrics.
Then he blinked and he was back with me, singing to me, only to me, and the bar and every other person in here disappeared.
The song ended, Kyle shrugged self-consciously, thanked the crowd, and I stood like a dummy gaping up at him in adoration, with tears streaming down my face.
“Wow,” Karen breathed.
“Told you,” Cindy said smugly as she fanned herself with a beer coaster. “H.O.T.”
“Karen,” Derek husked as he came and stood in front of her, his eyes locked on her face. “We need to talk,” he told her, reaching out to stroke her cheek with his thumb. “Come outside with me.”
“All right,” she her tone shaky, as she hopped down from the barstool and placed her hand in his.
“You got the car keys, ice?” Derek asked softly, his eyes never leaving Karen’s face.
“Sure,” I mumbled as I tugged the lone key from my cleavage and placed it in Derek’s outstretched hand.
Kyle and I could get a cab home.
Derek and Karen needed some alone time . . .
“Are you not going to talk to me?” I demanded the second we stepped inside the front door. Kyle had climbed off the stage, called a taxi and taken us straight home. He hadn’t spoken to me once and I was losing my patience with his childish behavior. The only good thing about this night was the fact that Derek had somehow coaxed Karen into Kyle’s car with him—and my mother was asleep in the spare room, therefore she wouldn’t hear our lovers tiff.
“I’m the one who’s mad at you,” I informed him. “You were the one who gave me a vivid recap on your sexual history.”
“Keep talking,” he sneered as he stormed into the kitchen. “I saw the way you were dancing with that creep,” he hissed. “He wants you.”
“Kyle,” I growled. “You can’t seriously be jealous of Danny freaking Valentine.”
“Have you seen yourself?” He demanded. “The way he . . . I’m not blind and I’m far from stupid, Lee. I see the way he looks at you. I’m so fucking angry, I feel like I’m choking.” Kyle shook his head and clasped the back of my neck, dragging me closer. He was breathing hard, his face flushed. “So yeah, I’m fucking jealous.”
“Have you seen yourself?” I demanded in a shocked tone as I stepped back from his grasp and gestured for Kyle to look at himself. “Why in god’s name would you think I’d even contemplate looking at another man when I have you?”
He didn’t look at himself.
His eyes never left my body.
They were wild, feverish, and possessive.
“Because you’re too fucking good for me, that’s why,” he snarled. “And I have a hard fucking time reining in my temper.” A stab of desire swelled low in my stomach. “And even though I fucked our night up, all I wanna do is strip you fucking bare and own you.”
“Then do it,” I husked before making a running dive for him. “Own me.”
Kyle caught me easily.
Wrapping my legs around his waist, I welded my mouth to his, kissing him deeply. Tasting every inch of his mouth, devouring this beautiful, sexy piece of male specimen. Mine, I thought as my body shivered in delight.
“Fuck,” he groaned, sliding his hands down to squeeze my ass hard.
My hands ripped at his shirt, desperate to feel his skin against mine.
Skin on skin.
Kyle on me . . .
Freeing the buttons, I pushed his shirt away to gain access to his chest. Tearing my mouth from his, I locked my lips around his nipple, tugging on the tight bud with my teeth.
A deep guttural sound rose from his chest and then we were moving.
My back hit the cold door of the refrigerator first, followed by Kyle’s body slamming roughly against me.
His fingers made short work of my dress. Using one hand, he shoved the front of my dress down to pool at my waist, and used his other hand to hoist it over my thighs. His hips kept me in place as he ripped the side of my underwear, his lips never leaving mine.
I was naked, bare and completely at the mercy of this powerful, unrestrained man.
Something had snapped inside Kyle.
He was out of control, and I loved every second of it.
“Say it again,” Kyle snarled as he slipped one of his hands between our bodies and freed his erection from his pants. His lips attacked my neck almost savagely.
Oh god, I could barely breathe, let alone think straight, when I felt the head of his hard, pulsing cock rub over my slit. One of his hands held his erection–denying me–and the other was dug roughly into my hip.
I wriggled against him, pushing myself onto his hardness. I was slick with desire and when I pushed against him, he slid right in.
“Own me,” I gasped, surrendering myself to his onslaught, to him. “I’m yours.”
He groaned and I threw my head back in ecstasy, losing my mind in the process.
My mind switched off. Only my body powered me now—fueled by the carnal urge to ride him, take him deep. He filled me to the point of pain, his body dominating mine, as he lunged into me, each thrust unyielding, each kiss conquering.
“Feel me,” he bit out, quickening his pace, deepening his thrusts. Capturing my jaw with his rough hand, he forced my face to his. His eyes were hard, his jaw straining. “Feel me inside you, Lee.”
“I feel you,” I cried out, meeting him thrust for thrust. He was marking me. I knew he was. I felt like he was going to rip my body in half and I would die screaming in pleasure.
He was taking what was his and he wanted me to know it.
“Take all of me,” he ground out. “Now.”
Suddenly the pressure of his erection inside me intensified. His body drove into mine.
Grabbing my waist, he dragged my hips downwards onto each tortured plunge. His rhythm was animalistic and feral. I’d made love with Kyle.
I knew this was different.
This was fucking.
His chest was heaving and coated in a glistening sheen of sweat. His eyes were unfocussed and hungry, roaming over every inch of my body. He was deeper than he had ever been. This was more, so much more . . . Heaven.
The pressure . . . the build of my orgasm quickened. I clenched myself around him, tried to close my legs, the sensations flowing through me almost unbearable. I knew in that moment that Kyle had held off with me, he had never given me his all . . . until now.
“Give me all you’ve got,” I rasped as I ran my tongue up his neck, tasting the salty dew permeating from his passion. “And I’ll take it.”
“You fucking better,” he snarled, grabbing both of my wrists with one of his hands
and pinning them above my head. As wild as Kyle’s behavior was, as uncontrollable as he was becoming, I hadn’t an ounce of fear inside of my body. This wasn’t about me fearing Kyle; this was about Kyle claiming me.
His movements were so erotic, every stroke of his cock was premeditated, designed to rub me in all the right spots . . .
“I’m gonna come,” I cried out, the throbbing of my clit taking over, vibrating through me, melting my thighs like jelly. His body pushed while mine sucked. His hips ground between my legs once more and every inch of my body tensed before falling apart in his arms. Tingling, sparks of pleasure shot through my core, causing my body to spasm around his.
Kyle went off with me and the heat of his orgasm flooding into my body, mixing with mine, lengthened the niggling throbbing in my clit. Our bodies jerked until every last divine pulse of our joint orgasm departed and I sagged in his arms.
“Where did you learn to do that?” I gasped.
“Uh . . .” Kyle chuckled against my neck. “Is that some sort of trick question, princess? Because I’m not sure I feel comfortable answering . . .”
“Not that,” I squealed, blushing. “I meant the guitar. Where did you learn to play the guitar?”
“I took some lessons when I was fourteen,” he mumbled, kissing my shoulder.
“You’re amazing,” I sighed. “The way your fingers moved . . . wow.”
“So, I’m forgiven for being an asshole?” he asked quietly, his arms tightening around me.
“Yeah,” I said with a smile. “You are so freaking forgiven.”
I was dying. I was dying and the kitchen wouldn’t stop fucking spinning. Even chewing my toast hurt and that wasn’t an exaggeration. Jack had turned against me last night, the bastard, and I was paying for my gluttony.
My only comfort was the fact that I’d never felt so sated in my life. I’d thought I would feel nervous about the fact I was due to visit Rachel in an hour, but I guessed banging my wife against the refrigerator last night had helped reduce my tension. Jesus . . .
“Would you like more toast, Kyle?” Tracy asked and I winced.
“No,” I croaked out. “Thanks anyway Tracy.” Raising my head slowly, I turned my head in her direction. “Had you any trouble with the kids last night?” I asked before taking a small sip of coffee.
“Which kids?” Tracy teased. “If you’re asking about Hope and Jordan, then no, they were perfect angels.” Taking a seat at the table, she smiled wryly. “Their parents on the other hand . . .” Her voice trailed off and I closed my eyes.
“Yeah,” I muttered. “Uh . . . sorry about the noise.”
“Don’t worry about that,” she chuckled. “And it was Jordan’s parents who caused most of the noise.”
My head snapped up. “Derek and Karen?” I grinned. “They’re here?”
“They were,” Tracy chuckled. “They left about an hour ago with Jordan.” She smiled fondly. “They told me they were going out for the day.”
“Huh.” I scratched my jaw and chuckled. “I guess he worked it out.”
“Are you worried about today, Kyle?” Tracy asked gently. Reaching over, she covered my hand with hers. “I hope you find closure.”
“Yeah,” I sighed, pushing the thought of facing Rachel to the back of mind. I wouldn’t think about it until I got there. “I hope so, too, Tracy. I really do . . .”
“Good morning,” Lee chirped as she strolled into the kitchen, grinning from ear to ear, with Hope crawling after her and Kevin chasing after Hope. What a sight. . . .
Kissing the top of my head, Lee skipped over to the kettle and poured herself a cup of coffee before turning to face me. “How’s your head?” she teased.
“Which head?” I shot back with a smirk. Lee reddened and Tracy coughed loudly. Chuckling, I pushed my chair back and stood up. “You sure you’re okay to go on your own today?” I asked Lee, hating the fact that I wouldn’t be with her when she got her biopsy results.
“Yes, Kyle,” she said softly. “I’ll be fine. What about you?” Taking a sip of her coffee, she held her cup in both hands as she studied my face. “Will you be okay on your own?”
“Yeah baby,” I muttered. Walking over to where she was standing, I dropped a kiss to her forehead. “I’d better get a move on.”
It was time to face the music.
“Are you sure?” I whispered, not daring to speak any louder in case I was dreaming and raising my voice would make me wake up.
“There’s no mistake, Lee,” Dr. Michaels said, grinning broadly. “The AKI is reversing. Rapidly. The function in your damaged kidney has increased to seventy-four percent in three months.”
Wiping the tears from my cheek, I let out a cry of relief. “I can’t believe it,” I admitted, laughing and crying at the same time. “It’s really happening?”
He nodded kindly. “Yes Lee, it’s really happening. Congratulations.”
“I have to tell Kyle,” I sobbed, pulling my phone out of my pocket and dialing his number.
“Hey baby, you okay?” he asked the moment he answered.
“Kyle?” I practically screamed down the phone. “Kyle,” I repeated before bursting into another bout of tears.
“Jesus Christ, are you okay, baby?” he demanded. “What’s wrong? Is it bad news?
“No, no,” I wept, wiping my nose and I cried and sniffled happily. “It’s amazing news. I’m getting better,” I squealed. “I mean my kidney is getting better. The AKI. Dr. Michaels says it’s reversing. Rapidly.”
The line was silent.
“Kyle, did you hear what I said?”
I heard him quiver then sigh heavily. “You’re serious? This is real?”
“It’s real,” I cried, smiling through my tears.
“I’m on my way,” he choked out. “I need to see you.”
“No, wait you can’t just leave,” I argued. “You need to see her. Get closure.”
“Fuck it. I’m coming home.” Kyle growled into the phone.
“Kyle, you’ll see me in a couple of hours,” I chuckled. “We’ll celebrate then.”
“Celebrate?” I heard him scoff. “Baby, when I get my hands on you we’ll do more than just celebrate.”
“Okay,” I giggled. “I’ll see you soon. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” he whispered before the line went dead.
“He’s pleased?” Dr. Michaels asked, smiling fondly at me. “You two deserve a little good fortune.”
“We definitely do,” I said brightly as I pushed back my chair and stood up. “Thank you so much,” I added quickly, eager to get home to Hope and Tracy and tell them my good news. My life changing news . . .
“I actually need to talk to you about something else, Lee,” Dr. Michaels said gesturing for me to sit back down.
“Oh?” I shook my head. “What is it?”
“Just about something I discovered in your last blood test,” he said in a gentle tone and my heart sank.
Please don’t be bad . . .
Please don’t be bad . . .
“It’s good news,” he chuckled. “Well, your husband will certainly think so.”
“Tracy?” I called out as I rushed inside our front door. “I’m healthy,” I called out. “I got the all clear.”
Walking into the kitchen, I froze when I noticed the small pool of blood on the kitchen tiles.
My stomach churned.
My whole body went on high alert as I turned around and ran down the hallway.
“Hope?” I screamed, flinging open the door of her nursery. “Hope . . .”
Panic filled me when I noticed her empty room.
All her clothes were gone.
I felt something strike the back of my head and pain tore through my skull. The pregnancy scan Dr. Michaels had given me slipped from my fingers seconds before everything went dark.
As I sat inside the visiting room of the state penitentiary, I had the weirdes
t feeling.
Something wasn’t right.
There was a huge fucking swell of dread in my stomach—feeling of impending doom—which was ridiculous since Lee had been given the all clear. She was getting better. I should be fuckin ecstatic. I was ecstatic, but something was seriously creeping me out.
Weird . . .
Shaking my head, I focused on the woman sitting behind the panel of glass. “You won’t believe me when I tell you I’m sorry, will you,” Rachel said through the hand held phone device we were using to hear one another.
“No,” I said flatly.
“I am,” she sighed. “And I need you to know that I wasn’t well back then. I’ve been getting some treatment while I’ve been here.”
“What do you want Rachel?” I asked wearily. “You wanted to see me. I’m here, but I’m not gonna sit here and listen to you talk about your treatment because, frankly, I don’t give a fuck about your treatment. The only treatment I care about is my wife’s treatment after you put two fucking holes in her body. And my best friend’s treatment after you blew the love of his life’s brains out all over my kitchen floor.”
She flinched. “How is . . .”
“Lee?” I asked coldly.
“Yes,” Rachel winced. “I suppose she’s Lee Carter by now.”
I stiffened “One word against her . . .”
“I’m not,” she sighed. “I’m so relieved that I don’t have two deaths on my conscience.” She stared at me for a moment, her green eyes wide and focused on my face. “You were always going to love her more,” she sobbed. “Weren’t you?
“Yeah, Rachel,” I replied. “I was.”
“I saw you that night,” she whispered. “I might have been out of my mind at the time, but I saw you.” She gripped the receiver tightly. “You changed in front of my eyes. Everyone noticed. Your eyes locked on that girl and you were . . . you were different. I saw it and I felt it. I even tasted it in the air. It was like something inside of you switched on.”
She shook her head and sighed. “A buzz . . . an electric current or cord of some sort shot through your body and met the same cord that had shot out of hers.” She stared straight at me. “I’ve never witnessed anything like it.”
