Forever Distraction

by Stephanie Jean

  “He handed me an envelope, and when I called him, he told me he was disappearing and I needed to create waves. The envelope had a flash drive and papers inside.” Her whisper was only intended for me.

  Owen’s growl echoed over the back of the vehicle. “When?”

  Katarina leaned back to look at him, her eyes shifting from me to Owen. “Coffee shop.”

  I carefully placed her in the seat next to me; the tension radiating off of Owen made me feel like I needed to protect her from him. I buckled her in and moved my arm around her shoulders to hold her close.

  “Nobody dies, Smith,” she told him, her eyes narrowing in an unspoken challenge. “Jared told me someone was after him. He got information for me to help me separate from Thomas, so stop the hunt. He’s a selfish prick, but he is convinced we were in love. He’s not going to hurt me.”

  Owen crossed his arms, visibly irritated at what she was saying. “I think it’s a good thing your grandfather’s dead, because he would’ve taken you over his knee for your constant stupidity,” he replied.

  Katarina broke her stare on Owen, leaned back against her seat, and defiantly laughed. When she finally pulled her annoyance together, she peered around me to get Owen’s attention. “If Jared didn’t do what he did to me, I would still be living with monsters. Think of Jared as a dark hero, a necessary evil. It was a pivotal moment, but I wouldn’t change it. The papers Jared gave me said at the age of sixteen I was to be married to Thomas. Please, leave Jared out of it.”

  Laughter roared out of Owen, and it was such a unique sound it made me laugh. “I want the information, all of it. I’ll review it, and if it’s helpful, I’ll think about what you just said.”

  “It’s at work in the top desk drawer; the flash drive is in my purse,” she said. Owen started dialing before she finished her sentence and the conversation was over. Katarina stared out the window, and I was left to wonder how she knew Owen would kill these men.

  “Princess,” I whispered into her hair, “how do you know Owen’s lethal?”

  She turned, eyeballing Owen as he hung up the phone. “I scared him once. I jumped out from behind the door and he screamed like a little girl—right before he pulled a gun on me. He told me he kills people for a living, and I know it was mainly to scare me, but I believe him.”

  Owen grumbled from the other side of the car, “I didn’t scream like a girl.”

  Katarina’s smile was huge. “Yep, you sure did. It was more like a Smurf—Smurfette, actually.” Her voice went up into a high whine as she mimicked, “‘Oh no, Gargamel, woe is me.’”

  I laughed, and just like that, she had Owen smiling and me grinning like a fool. She twisted to stare out the window after we settled, allowing me a vision of her side profile, all the sleek lines that make Katarina beautiful and sexy. I couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking about.

  ****

  The airport resembled a massive parking lot, with giant industrial buildings scattered on the outer edges and covered stalls filled with a variety of airplanes. We were directed toward a large plane at the end of the runway. Katarina got out after me and I led her toward the stairs and eased her into the fancy jet. It was more like a living room, with a table in the corner, couches spread out around the edges, soft chairs toward the back, and a giant screen against the pilot’s cabin. Katarina walked to the corner, sat on the gray, leather, built-in couch closest to the window, and I sat next to her. Owen followed, handing Katarina her purse. She opened a hidden pocket and pulled out a flash drive. I watched as her eye twitched, and the familiar resisting-of-the-eye-roll happened. He stuck out his hand and she slammed the flash drive into it.

  She turned away from me and my gut twisted at the cold feeling she sent me. I reached for my jacket and pulled out the camera Katarina had given me. “So, I have never been on a private plane,” I confessed to her. She slowly turned, and when she saw the camera, her face brightened. “It’s a first.”

  Her smile was exquisite, resembling the sun poking through on a cloudy day, and I might have moaned out loud. She took the camera and said, “So you’re a first timer.” My cock jerked when she stressed ‘first timer’. She fiddled with the buttons and it came to life, and then snapped a couple shots before the battery died. “We’ll have to charge it when we get to your house.”

  “Or, I could buy a battery when we land,” I countered.

  Her smile was smug and I adored it. I studied her face as it suddenly fell and she turned away. Her brain was a ticking time bomb, and I knew she was in a dark corner and I hated it. “What did you just think about?” She twisted in her seat to gaze at me and I could practically hear the wheels turning.

  “I was robbed. I was thinking about how you took a gift from me.” She spoke slowly, like every word hurt.

  My heart took on a heavy ache that echoed through my entire body. “What did I take?” My mind was too numb to think about all of the possibilities, because there were mountains of things she could be referring to.

  “You took a first away from me.” Her eyes blinked and I watched her long lashes flutter closed, and I knew I was royally screwed. The look was regret, and I wanted to tear her from her seat and hold onto her like a mad man so she wouldn’t escape me. Fuck, I was insecure. Long seconds passed, but it felt like uncomfortable hours, but then she finished, “The first time you came in me—I wish I could have watched your face. I wish I could have taken a picture of it. I was your first, right?”

  She literally stunned me silent. Of all of the things…all of the crazy, fucked up things I have done and regretted, that one single thing was the furthest from my mind, because I didn’t regret it. A smile stretched over my face and hers immediately lit up. “You were my first and only. I make the same face I do now, because it always feels like the first time. You are incredibly soft and wet, and I’m not sure if it’s the lack of condom or the spark that’s always between us, but every time I am bare inside you, I can’t get enough. I am scared, grateful, and most of all, I am a greedy bastard. I want more and more…fuck, princess. Like I said, I can’t get enough.”

  “Why are you scared?” It was a thought she whispered aloud. Her face morphed into confusion.

  “I’m scared, because of how much I love you.” I traced my finger down her face. “I’m scared, because I am a lion and you are a butterfly.” I winked, knowing I changed ‘rabbit’ to ‘butterfly’, and she rewarded me with an easy smile. “I’m scared you don’t feel what I do, the intensity, and you’ll disappear.” I leaned over and kissed her, letting my tongue explore. The moisture in her mouth drove me insane. I could drink her. We continued to kiss, taking turns exploring each other’s mouth, breathing each other’s breath, and I could have done that for the rest of the day. My hand explored her body and her hair, never giving her a chance to have the last word, because nothing she could say would change how I felt.

  My mouth devoured hers, and the outside word drifted away. A pretend-cough broke our lips apart; I pulled away and Katarina groaned, the sound making me chuckle. Brian glared down at us and said, “I want to go over some details of the project you’ve been working on.”

  Katarina straightened her skirt and tucked her hair behind her ears, while Brian got comfortable on the other side of her, and they conversed the entire remaining hour of the flight. Owen and her other bodyguard sat closest to the door. Owen flipped through paper after paper of what I assumed was the documents Katarina had in her desk, the documents Brian brought, because I’m a hundred percent sure he’d already said his goodbyes to Katarina. I studied Owen as he searched through his jacket, pulled out a pen, and began circling things, and then I closed my eyes.

  A large, black Escalade with tinted windows and chrome accents was waiting for us when we landed. We loaded and immediately took off. The whole action was speedy and swift. I glanced back at the plane, knowing our luggage was never loaded into the vehicle. Katarina’s eyes distracted me. She was watching me closely, and I reveled in it. I
adjusted so she could get a better look, flexing my muscles, giving her my intimate stare and panty-dropping smile.

  “You have gorgeous eyes…I love you,” she purred—yes, purred; she was all pussycat right now. I was in her incredibly safe bubble and the world seemed to pause. I unbelted her and picked her up to straddle my lap. She giggled at my urgency, and my hand dove into her hair right before I kissed her. Our moans filled the air around us and I heard loud voices, but nothing mattered except this amazing girl in my lap. She pulled away giggling, and I looked over at the aggravated men staring at me.

  “That’s my sister; would you please stop doing that in front of me?” Brian grumbled. Katarina covered her mouth when she laughed; the sound warmed my heart and glowed in my goofy grin. Owen had his shades on and his lips in a straight line.

  “I don’t know if I can control it. Your sister,” I couldn’t take my eyes off of her, “makes me react without thinking.” She weaved her fingers through mine and I sighed at the erotic feeling.

  The drive was long and the dark tinted window made it hard to see out. I played with Katarina’s phone, sending her text after text. She filled the car with giggles as I told her what I wanted to do to her through the phone. The only time I didn’t question where we were going was when we turned down a long driveway, because I knew. I knew Katarina brought me home. Anxiety filled me and I crossed my arms over my chest, ready to put up a fight.

  In silent understanding, everyone got out except Katarina and me. Is she going to leave me here? Is she kicking me to the curb? I was mad…I think, or maybe hurt. Katarina’s eyes remained locked on something outside. Her soft whisper sounded emotional, and it broke through my insecure thoughts. “I’m excited to be here.” She looked at me and tears filled her blue eyes, making my heartache. She glanced out again after I wiped away a fallen tear. “Who’s that?” She pointed at my granddad wearing a cowboy hat. His gray hair touched the collar of his red and black flannel shirt, my grandma standing close by his side.

  “That’s my granddad and my grandma.”

  Her eyes rounded with joy. “We have a granddad?”

  Ah shit. ‘We have a granddad’…the second best thing she said to me today. “We do; let me introduce you.” I maneuvered around her and took her hand. They were all here. Katarina must have called Jessie. “Katarina,” I froze, pulling her close to me, staring in her eyes, “why are we here?” There was no way in hell I was going to walk into another intervention. She wasn’t going to bring me here and then leave. Her face contorted in confusion, and then, at the realization I was freaking out, she smiled big, and I felt comforted as it washed all the negative thoughts away.

  “We’re here to get Bo. We have a couple hours. I didn’t want to wait another day without my dog. You gave him to me; do you remember?”

  My smile was effortless and hurt my face it was so big. “Worried about the dog? Really, princess?”

  She placed her hand in mine. “Don’t embarrass me. I want your granddad to like me,” she warned in her serious tone and then started to walk away, but I tugged her back into my arms. When her eyes drifted up, I kissed her. Her taste was something I needed; she was my fuel. Frickin’ hot too, her body melted into mine and I heard loud noises—cat calls and whistling around us. She pulled away and her face was dark pink as she playfully smacked my arm. “You just embarrassed me,” she whisper-yelled, and I chuckled.

  Chapter Twenty

  Food Fight

  Katarina

  It was like I had never seen beauty until I stepped from the car. So many colors surrounded us. The winters in California still held so many vibrant colors I had forgotten, or maybe it was just me; maybe my eyes were ready to accept the colors. I gazed up into the bright blue sky and the clouds didn’t appear gloomy. Instead, the gray inside was just another color, no longer a shade of black, but a glow. I inhaled the fresh air and felt revived and something else…lucky.

  My eyes shifted to the ground at the jingling sound of a massive black dog heading my way. I kneeled as Bo approached, his body wiggly and his dark pink tongue hanging out, and I knew he was smiling at me. He fell down in front of me and flipped over on his back, and I rubbed his belly as I told him how much I missed him. Smith Three was at my side with a bag of goodies, and I grinned as he handed it to me.

  Jason quickly moved to my side. “You got Bo gifts?”

  I licked my lips, trying and failing to hide the smile that was permanently fixed to my face. “Of course,” I removed Bo’s old, dingy collar and replaced it with the diamond-studded one I got for him, “Smith fixed the collar with the finder junk that he puts in all my stuff, so I won’t ever lose him.” I grinned at Jason and he grabbed the back of his neck, squeezing, signaling to me he was struggling with something.

  “Does it have to be so fancy? He’s just going to roll in the mud and jump in the lake.”

  “If he breaks it, no problem; I’ll get a new one.” I kissed Bo’s large, black head when I finished and handed him a bone. I also pulled a teddy bear from the bag.

  “Bo doesn’t need a stuffed animal,” Jason grumbled and it was starting to piss me off. These were my gifts to Bo and I didn’t need permission to buy my dog stuff.

  “He does. I am worried he gets lonely in his bed by himself all night.” I could sense Jason’s unease, so I leaned in close enough so only he could hear. “I want him to know how much I love him.”

  The sides of his mouth tipped up when I winked, and he slowly licked his full lips. “He knows without the gifts, and he can’t wait to spend the rest of his life with you.” He bit the inside of his bottom, moist lip and his gaze dropped to my lips, making me wonder who he talking about, him or Bo. The boyish way he loved me right now made me feel cherished, even worshipped.

  My brother stepped in to ruin the mood. “Break it up, love birds.” I laughed at his animal reference and Jason chuckled, creating the familiar want inside my body. I slipped my fingers through his and he led the way.

  His family was scattered in front of his house and I was excited for my brother to meet the people who raised my beautiful man. When we were close enough, I began to introduce my brother. I started with the wiggly boys, who broke away from their parents and were screaming their way down to us, “Uncle Jason!”

  He let go of my hand and bent down just in time to sweep the four giggling children into his strong arms. The embrace was heartfelt and created watery eyes from the females surrounding the front deck of Jason’s home.

  I started with the oldest. “This is Jake.” I bent down and gave him a gentle hug. “He’s a joke telling machine.” I glanced from my brother to Jake as the boys exchanged handshakes. “Do you have a joke for us?”

  Jake took a moment, then he smiled before he started, “Do you know how to make a tissue dance?” He paused, his blond hair and brown eyes moving when he shifted his head from Brian to me. “You put a little boogie in it.” I giggled, because I found Jake to be adorably charming and his joke surprisingly funny. Brian grinned, and I heard Smith’s boisterous cackle rattle from behind me. Jake bowed like a true performer at the response.

  I glanced at the next little guy. “This is Josh.” We exchanged a hug and he moved to my brother to shake his hand. “Josh has a magical fingernail.” He held up his finger, displaying the nail that was newly growing in.

  Brian high-fived him. “Girls like magic, Josh.”

  Josh didn’t wait another second before asking, “Want to touch it?” Brian ran his finger over it, and Josh informed him, “Katie doesn’t like to touch ouchies.” This brought another huge grin from my brother.

  Jake moved to the front again. “You’re Katie’s brother?” Brian nodded to confirm. “Do you pull her hair like Uncle Jason pulls Aunt Jessie’s hair?”

  Brian eyed me slowly and then looked at my hair, but I couldn’t read him well enough to predict what he was going to do next. “Nah, Kat is scary when you make her mad. Her eyes shoot fire and her hair turns into snakes.”

>   Jake nodded his head in understanding, and then he stepped away slightly frightened. I introduced Jason’s sister Janie and her husband Jerry as the parents of the two boys. Then, I kneeled as little Jack strolled into my arms and let me hug him and kiss his brown head. “This is Jack. He is all about trucks.” Jack’s brown eyes met my blues and he gave me a cheeky grin. Brian stuck his hand out, Jack high-fived it, and then pulled a tiny red car from his overalls and gave it to my brother.

  “Hey, Jack. Do you know what kind of car this is?” Jack stared at Brian as if he was about to reveal a secret. “It’s a Healey Nash. Your Auntie Katie has a big Healey Nash; it’s lucky number seven. You have to come see it.” Little Jack nodded vigorously and Brian handed him his car back. All I could think about was that Brian had just referred to me as Auntie Katie; my heart squeezed and my face flushed red out of embarrassment that he assumed so much. I quietly hoped no one else heard. I peeked up and looked around at all the females, and seeing water filled their already shiny eyes, I knew they heard him.

  Jasmine wandered over to me and threw her chubby, little arm around me. I grinned at her two tiny braids and kissed her cheek. “This is Jasmine,” I told Brian. She glanced at my brother, but didn’t make a move to release her hold around my neck. He attempted to coax her, but she didn’t budge. “Jasmine shares my love for Bo and her Uncle Jason.” She quickly glanced at Jason and stuck her arms out in a signal for him to take her. I handed her over and introduce Jessica as Jason’s twin, and Jonah, her husband. My brother’s eyes lit up and I could read his flirting a mile away.

  “It’s Jessie…everyone calls me Jessie.” She gave him a goofy grin and a dark pink covered her cheeks. I want to laugh at the effect my brother had on women.

  “If you don’t mind, I’d like to call you Jessica.” He gave her a cocky lip curl and she giggled.

  It irritated me, and I leaned in close so only my brother could hear me. “Will you not openly flirt with the married sister of the man I am having sex with?” I hissed. He pulled away and I heard another boisterous cackle from Smith. Brian stared at me with unmasked disgust, and I kind of wanted to laugh.