Sinful Protector

by Mia Ford

  I swallow the lump in my throat. Somehow, I feel like Jesse doesn’t just want to talk.

  “You’ve been coming to my apartment,” I say, lifting my chin.

  I’ve never backed down from Jesse. I’m not about to start now.

  “Yeah, figured I better keep an eye on you,” Jesse says, taking a step toward me. “I haven’t seen your mountain around lately. Run him off, did you?”

  I scowl. He should know, considering the note he left me. His expression is darkly pleased, and it makes me feel angry to know that I did what he wanted. Suddenly, I wish that I’d told Kyle everything, if only I could rub it in Jesse’s face that he has no control over me.

  “You said you’d leave me alone,” I snapped.

  “Did I?” Jesse laughs. “I don’t remember that.”

  And with a sinking heart, I know he’s telling the truth. He didn’t promise to leave me alone. He just told me what could happen if I didn’t leave Kyle.

  “Get out,” I say, straightening my shoulders. “This isn’t your apartment, and I don’t want you here. We broke up, Jesse. There’s no reason for you to be here.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong,” Jesse says.

  There’s an ugly expression on his face. I take another step back, and my heel hits the wall. Jesse grins.

  Then, suddenly, he’s there, dashing toward me, his arms outstretched. It reminds me of that night, when he accosted me on the street. But, this time, there’s no Kyle. I duck, but he grabs the blanket and pulls, and I’m too startled to let go before his hands are on my shoulders, shoving me back against the wall.

  “You shouldn’t have left,” Jesse snarls.

  His hands wrap around my neck and his fingers clench on my skin. I scratch at his hands, shocked and horrified by what’s happening. Doesn’t he realize what he’s doing? Does he realize that he could kill me?

  I look into his eyes. Part of me is hoping to find some sign that he’s just making a stupid, baseless threat again. But his eyes are wild, and there’s a horrible smile on his face as his fingers slowly tighten, making me gag as I frantically try to break his grip.

  He’s going to kill me, I realize dimly.

  From somewhere far away, I hear an almighty bang. Then Jesse is gone, his hands slipping off my neck, and I slide down the wall, heaving in huge gulps of breath, black spots in my vision. I’m trembling, unable to believe what’s happening.

  I hear a yelp and another bang, and I look up just in time to see Jesse falling over the coffee table. As soon as he lands, he scrambles up, but Kyle – when did Kyle get here? – advances on him, a look of fury on his face. He’s huge and terrifying, and he grabs Jesse’s shirt before drawing back his fist once more.

  “Wait…!” Jesse says.

  Kyle scoffs and then lands the punch. Jesse’s eyes roll backward and he slumps, making Kyle drop him to the floor in disgust. He straightens and looks around, his eyes landing on me.

  “K-Kyle?” I ask.

  I don’t know what’s happening anymore. I don’t know why Jesse wanted to kill me. I don’t know where Kyle came from. And now it’s suddenly over, and I’m left reeling, struggling to figure it all out.

  “Allison,” Kyle breathes. He strides across the room and drops to kneel beside me. He reaches out a hand and then pauses, as though he’s not sure if he’s allowed to touch me. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here.”

  An incredulous laugh bursts from me. Kyle just saved my life, and he’s apologizing?

  “I… I saw you walk off,” I say to him. This is the thing that is confusing me the most. “How did you know…?”

  “I got some information that I didn’t like and hurried back,” Kyle says grimly. “I was coming to warn you about Jesse. But he was already here. I’ve called the police. They’ll be here any moment. Jacqui, too. She told me what apartment number you were in.”

  “Jesse?” I ask, looking toward my ex-boyfriend; he’s still out cold.

  “We’ve been doing our research,” Kyle says, and a grin spreads across his face. “Turns out he’s wanted in a few states for various crimes. Between this and those crimes, he’s not going to be able to escape.”

  I’m stunned. While I was rattling around Jacqui’s apartment, feeling sorry for myself and trying to figure out how to fight Jesse, Kyle was out there collecting all the weapons we needed.

  I can’t help it; I laugh.

  “Allison?” Kyle asks.

  I just shake my head. I don’t know what to say about this. I should thank Kyle. I should apologize to him. I should explain why tears are dripping down my cheeks as my laughter turns to croaking sobs that force themselves from my bruised throat.

  But I don’t need to. Instead, Kyle’s arms wind around me and we sit there as I clutch at his warm jacket, listening to the sounds of the sirens coming ever closer.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Allison

  The next few hours passed by in a whirl of motion.

  I remember Jacqui, strong, cheerful Jacqui, bursting into tears as soon as she saw me, throwing herself into my arms and sobbing that she was sorry for leaving me alone, dropping a bag full of orange juice and flu medicine on the floor. I think I told her it was my fault, but I’m not sure if the words actually came out.

  Then there was the police. Bryant was there and his expression was dark as his officers hauled the dazed Jesse to his feet, cuffing his hands behind his back. He read a list of crimes, and none of them made any sense. Robbery? Assault? Murder? When did any of this happen?

  Bryant scolded Kyle, too, for being too rough, but he didn’t sound completely serious, and Kyle’s solemn apology lacked any sincerity. I heard Jesse yelling as he was escorted away, but I didn’t hear anything he said.

  Then Jacqui and Kyle were discussing something about living arrangements. My apartment isn’t safe. Jacqui is nervous about staying in hers after what just happened, especially with police tramping around it. Somehow, while I just stood there and let it happen, they came to an agreement; Jacqui was going to spend the night at her mother’s. I was going to stay at Kyle’s apartment.

  Which is how I find myself being shuffled through the door into a tiny, surprisingly clean apartment. There’s a few pictures on the wall of scenery and bikes, and there’s a guitar in the corner, bright and gleaming. The kitchen is clean and there’s only a sock on the floor under the table, which Kyle coughs and picks up, as though he’s embarrassed by it.

  Which I don’t get. He’s seen my apartment.

  “It’s clean,” I say blankly, the first thing that leaves my mouth.

  “Were you expecting mess?” Kyle asks dryly.

  “Sort of,” I admit. “You don’t seem the type to be overly concerned by a clean home. Then again, I probably do, and I can never seem to get around to it.”

  “Which turned out to be a good thing,” Kyle points out. “Since you’ll be moving soon.” He pauses. “If you want, I can come over and help you clean when you move. Fuck knows you need it.”

  I know he’s teasing me. But I can’t bring myself to smile as I sit on his couch. I think I’m still a little shocked by how fast everything is moving around me. I want answers. I want to give Kyle answers. But I don’t know where to start.

  “Jesse is going to jail,” Kyle offers, breaking the awkward silence as he bustles around the kitchen, making coffee.

  “For murder?” I ask.

  I still don’t understand that.

  “He was wanted,” Kyle explains. “In Washington. He killed three people.”

  I look at him, stunned. “How did you even figure that out?”

  “I have a detective friend,” Kyle says with a shrug, carrying over two mugs. “I hired him to look into it for me. He came up with a shitload of information, and we gave it all to the police.”

  “Right.” I don’t know whether to thank him or be angry with myself. “Is that why you got people to watch me?”

  “Ah… No,” Kyle says awkwardly. “I figured out that he
broke into your apartment on Wednesday night. The signs were all there. So, I figured, in case he came back…”

  So, Kyle had figured that out too. Was there any point to anything I did?

  “Look, I’m sorry,” Kyle says after a moment, and I blink. What does he have to be sorry for? “Is there somewhere else you want to go? I know you’re probably not comfortable here, but Jacqui was really pushy, and…”

  “Kyle… Shut up,” I say.

  Kyle’s mouth snaps closed.

  “Sorry,” I say. “It’s just… You have nothing to apologize for. At all. You’ve been watching over me, protecting me. You found the evidence to get rid of Jesse. You saved my life.”

  Kyle looks down. “If I hadn’t left, it wouldn’t have needed saving.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Please. I’m not surprised you needed a break. I’m sure it was hard watching over the woman who broke up with you.”

  The air in the room turns cold in an instant. We both look away, neither of us knowing what to say to that. I hadn’t meant to bring up our break-up. Then again, it needed to come up eventually.

  “Kyle… I’m sorry,” I say.

  Kyle gives me a forced smile. “Are you breaking up with me again? Because it was bad enough the first time.”

  “No!” I exclaim. “No, I’m not. And I shouldn’t have broken up with you the first time. It was stupid and it didn’t amount to anything, anyway.”

  Kyle frowns, confused. I fish my wallet out of my pocket and find the card. Slowly, I hold it out to him.

  “You probably figured out that Jesse left those flowers, too,” I say, tired. “This card was with them.”

  Kyle takes it, his eyes moving slowly over the words. His face is expressionless.

  “I’m sorry,” I say again. I give him a small smile. “If it’s any consolation…I really missed you. I…really did want to try, even if we don’t have much in common. I mean, I like sushi and comedy movies, and you prefer hamburgers and actions, and I listen to love songs, and write poetry, and my favorite color is blue…”

  “Same,” Kyle suddenly says.

  “What?” I ask, derailed.

  “Blue,” Kyle says. He looks up, his eyes intense. “My favorite color is blue, too. Does that count as something in common?”

  My mouth goes dry. I still can’t read the emotions on his face, but my heart is starting to beat faster.

  “It probably does,” I manage to say.

  Kyle looks at the card. Then, slowly, he rips it up and allows the pieces to fall to the floor. He reaches out and carefully cradles my face in his large hands.

  “Good,” he whispers.

  His lips meet mine and he licks my lip, requesting entrance. Heat flashes through my body as I wind my arms around his neck and push back into the kiss, slowly opening my mouth and touching my tongue to his.

  When breathing becomes an issue, Kyle pulls back, trying to catch his breath. He trails his hand down my neck, lightly touching the purpling bruises. Then he dips his head and presses a soft kiss to the marks, making my breath catch and my eyes burn.

  “Good,” he repeats, raising his head again. “Fuck, Allison, I can’t tell you how much I missed you. I wanted you so badly.”

  “What did you want?” I ask, shifting closer to him.

  Kyle’s hand runs down to the small of my back and presses me closer. His other hand is still on my cheek.

  “You,” he says roughly. “Your laugh. Your stubbornness. Everything. I just wanted you.”

  I don’t know what to say to that. It opens something so much larger than I want to admit to right now. So I just cling to Kyle, needing to feel the touch of his hands, wanting his skin against mine, pressing myself as close to him as I can while we’re both still sitting on the couch.

  I still don’t know what I did to deserve this. But I’m selfish enough to want to grab onto it and never let go anyway.

  I slide my hands up to the zipper on his jacket and tug it down, revealing the white shirt that’s underneath. I breathe in his musky scent and push the jacket over his shoulders, which he rolls to help me, his eyes never leaving me, watching my every movement. I look up at him; his eyes are burning straight through me, and it sends a thrill down my spine.

  “I want you,” I say, my voice rough with need. “Now.”

  We stare at each other for a second that lasts forever. And then Kyle’s arms wrap around me, tugging me forward and into his lap, his mouth finding mine with feverish desperation, biting and licking, exploring every inch of my mouth. I lift myself up, my hands on his cheeks, my nails digging into his skin as his hands dart under my shirt and press against my bare skin, his fingers spreading out around my hips. His handprints are like fire burning themselves against me, and he’s pulling me impossibly close.

  I swing my leg over him and straddle his hips as I push him back, kissing him hungrily, not caring if we stop to take a breath. I want all of him. I feel like I’ve been suffocating, and, now that Kyle’s in front of me, I can finally breathe.

  Questions burn in my mind. What did Kyle know? What did he suspect? Why is he accepting me back so easily? But they’re washed away on the tide of passion that is flowing between the two of us, a flickering flame bursting into a raging inferno as I tug at his shirt and pull it up over his firm abs, feeling his muscles contracting beneath my touch. We break the kiss and his back arches as I pull the shirt up and over his head before throwing it to the side.

  “Tell me what you need,” Kyle pants.

  “I need to touch you,” I reply.

  If I can touch him, it means he’s really here, underneath me, and the nightmare is finally over. It means that all my wishes have come true. Jesse is somewhere that he can’t trouble me anymore, and Kyle is mine.

  “I need to feel you,” I murmur into his ear.

  I reach down and fumble with his belt, scooting back slightly so I can reach it. He’s rock hard in his jeans, and I palm his erection with one hand while I pull on the buckle with the other. He gives me a guttural groan, his hips jerking up at the pressure, his body writhing beneath me. I pull the buckle loose, finally, and thread the belt through before tugging it completely free. Then I pop the button and tug down the zipper.

  I can see his penis straining against the soft material of his boxers. I lift myself and pull Kyle’s jeans down over his hips. He kicks his legs out to help me, and the jeans drop somewhere on the floor. He’s only in his boxers now, and his chest is heaving as he lowers his eyes to watch what I’m doing. I grin at him and then wrap my hand around his clothed erection.

  He groans, low and deep, throwing his head back. I can feel the heat from his cock even through the material, but it isn’t enough. I pull back and tug his boxers down and over his legs, throwing them aside too. I look up.

  “I need to taste you,” I say.

  “Fuck…” Kyle moans, drawing in a deep, shuddering breath.

  I push myself back even further and lean down. I blow softly over his cock which shudders at the feeling. He’s so hard already, and I’ve barely even touched him.

  “Do you want me to suck you, Kyle?” I ask him.

  “Yes, fuck, yes,” Kyle groans out.

  I smile at his reaction, wriggling a little on his legs. It feels heady to know that I can make him feel so deeply, to watch him come undone at my touch. I want to watch him fall to pieces underneath me, and to know that I was the one to do it, that he wanted me to do it.

  I lean down, my eyes never leaving his, and lick the tip of his penis. His entire body shudders and he groans again, this time without words. I taste the leak on the top, swirling my tongue around it and licking my lips as he watches. His eyes flutter closed and he tosses his head back, too overwhelmed to say anything.

  I press a soft kiss to the tip and the lick down the length of it, reaching up to hold his hips in place as they buck up violently, seeking more. I lick my way back up it again, lapping at it and tasting the salty sweat of his skin, and, when I reach the tip,
I open my mouth and wrap my lips around it, giving it an experimental suck.

  “Fuck!” Kyle gasps.

  I suck harder, bobbing my head down on his cock. His legs twitch underneath me, I shift to settle my weight more fully on them, keeping him from moving as much. I feel his hands run through my hair and tangle in the strands. He pulls lightly on my hair, and shivers run down my spine as I move down on his erection, taking as much of it into my mouth as I can.

  “Shit, fuck, Allison,” Kyle groans.

  I hum around his penis, sending vibrations through it, and Kyle’s entire body jerks. Fascinated by this reaction, I do it again, and Kyle’s hand tightens on my hair.

  “You’re killing me,” he groans. “Fuck, Allison, it’s too much…”

  I want to pull everything out of him. I breathe through my nose and relax my jaw, sucking insistently on his cock now, trying to draw an orgasm out of him. His hands clench and he tugs harshly on my long hair, both trying to stop me and keep me in place so he can feel more of me. Every brush of my clothes on my skin sends sparks through me, and my fingers dig into the skin of his hips, my nails scratching him. I’m gripping hard enough that I must be leaving bruises, but I don’t care. He doesn’t seem to, either, or perhaps we’re both just too far gone to think about it right now.

  “Allison…” Kyle moans. “Stop… I’m going to…”

  I chuckle around his erection and suck again. I know that he’s about to orgasm, and I’m driving him there as quickly as I can, wanting to see him fall apart beneath me. I release his hips and run my nails up his side, scratching lightly as his sweaty skin as I hollow my cheeks and suck one last time, my tongue licking the tip.

  I feel him shudder, and then his cock twitches right before he comes. I taste his salty release, and I pull every last drop from him before I pull back, his flaccid penis finally relaxing. Kyle is panting, his eyes half-lidded as he watches me, his chest heaving.

  “Shit,” he pants.

  I smile and slide over the top of him, running my hands over his muscled chest, and cup his face in my hands. Then I kiss him, giving him a taste of himself as I pull his tongue into my mouth, encouraging him to nip and lick. His whole body is still twitching with his release, and I smile against his mouth as his arms come up around me, pressing me into him.