by Riley Storm
“Kal,” she tried to say, but he pressed a finger to her lips.
“I will protect you,” he growled.
Anne felt it in her body, his desire to keep her safe. It was so strong it was palpable. Why did he suddenly feel like she was his responsibility?
What was more, why did the idea not only ring true, but why did it make her feel so automatically okay with it?
There were plenty of questions filling her head, but right then, right there, with Kal’s massive arms wrapped tightly around her body, none of it seemed to matter to her. Anne was safe, and at ease, in a way she hadn’t felt for months, if not years.
So she let it linger on. Stretched it out for as long as she could, relishing every single second of it.
Will I always feel this way around him, I wonder?
And if she didn’t, was she going to have to uproot everything and move again? Could she even do that to Liam? That brought about the question of whether or not Kal was worth that sort of hurt.
And she didn’t have an answer.
Chapter Twenty
Anne
There was still so much she didn’t know, so many things that Anne needed to figure out. Yet despite the racing thoughts in her mind, her body was beginning to realize that it had been pressed against Kal for some time now.
She wasn’t moving away, and his arms continued to wrap around her shoulders, holding her tight to him.
Anne should break away. She should put her hands on his chest, yes, like that, and then push backward. Create some distance in between them.
No, don’t dig your fingers into his chest. Don’t tilt your head back, that’s not what you should be doing.
Her body was telling her something else though. It wanted him, and was making its desires known. It had been so long since she’d been truly, properly touched by another man. Being groped by patrons at her bar didn’t count.
And none of the relatively few men she’d ever kissed had been like Kal. A real man. Not just bigger and stronger than her, but also protective, nurturing, and funny! Kal made her smile all the time, and that had helped buoy her flagging spirits on more than one occasion.
He was also generous, caring and understanding. A trifecta that she wasn’t sure was legal for any man to possess all at once. At least, not the men she was normally drawn to.
Kal wasn’t one of those men though. He was a good person, someone always set on doing the right thing, and it showed. There was a pain in him as well, but he didn’t let that shadow the way he was with her. It didn’t bleed over into his treatment of her. Again, something she wasn’t used to.
Plus he feels so good when I’m pressed against him.
Finding someone who was a good hugger was like finding a four-leaf clover. Anne could stay wrapped up in his hugs for as long as he’d let her, and never get tired of it. Especially when there was a chance when they were alone, like now, that it might lead to more.
Sensing her changing mood, Kal looked down at her, head tilted slightly to the side. Anne hesitated for only a moment before looking up at him. Just as she’d suspected, the only thing she could see in his eyes now was a churning river of desire. It thrashed and rippled, eager to get out, yet restrained by something much, much stronger. His will.
It was impressive, and just knowing he had such control over himself around her sent a thrill down her spine. Because if he had to exert such force, it meant that she was able to provoke him enough for Kal to need it. And that was a power she didn’t mind having.
“Come here,” she whispered, giving him permission to kiss her.
Kal wasted no time, the interrupted heat of their intimate moment before rising back to the surface in both of them. It needed no encouraging, no further stoking of the flames. Both bodies responded at once, surging together as the gates opened in response to his lips touching hers, pressing against them with all the heat of the universe.
Anne gasped, her breath all but stolen away by the fiery taste of him. Her tongue flicked out, meeting his. Soft. Warm. Her mouth parted fully as Kal took control and pushed into her. His shirt wrinkled under her tightening fists, clutching at the fabric as her temperature spiked.
Hopefully Kal had locked the front door this time.
The reminder of the fight spiked a current of worry in Anne, but it was brushed to the side by Kal’s hand which slid past the small of her back and onto her ass, gripping it hard, pulling her upward. She rose onto her tiptoes in response, loving the way he all but lifted her from the ground with one hand.
“Let’s get rid of this,” he suggested as they parted for a moment, his fingers tugging at her shirt, working on lifting it up over her head.
Anne hesitated. If she did this, there would be no turning back. She wouldn’t be able to stop herself. Even at this point, she wasn’t sure that she could halt her own actions. Desire was a powerful thing, and it could override even the most logical of choices.
Fuck it. If Alexi can find me here, I’ll probably be moving on soon anyway. So why not have some fun first?
Throwing caution to the wind she put her arms in the air and let Kal strip her naked. He started with the shirt, but her bra followed after, revealing her post-motherhood breasts to him. She wasn’t sure how he would react. They weren’t terrible, but they weren’t those of a young woman anymore either.
The aroused growl that filled her bar was not the response she’d thought was coming, and when Kal came at her again, it was with a furious passion that caught her off guard.
Hands touched her everywhere, his mouth burning wherever it went as Kal tried to cover every inch of exposed skin. He grabbed her breasts, massaged them, gently twisting and pulling her nipples until they reached hardened points. Then he ran his tongue over them and she threw her head back and moaned, careful to stay quiet. She didn’t want to wake her son.
The last thing Anne wanted was yet another distraction.
Before she could truly process what was going on, his shirt was off and he was trying to pull her jeans down.
“These are blasted tight,” he rumbled, struggling to take them off without ripping them.
“I didn’t see you complaining when you were looking at my ass earlier while we were working,” she teased, twisting at the hips so he could get an eyeful now. The jeans had come down past her ass, but stalled there, stretched tightly over her legs.
“Maybe. But at the time I could only imagine the things I wanted to do to you,” he said in that thick voice that sent shivers down her spine.
So feral and raw, it spoke to her inner animal, that being of lust, and awoke it.
“What do you want to do to me?” she whispered, hopping up onto the bar so he could strip her of her clothes entirely.
“Well first I want to get you naked,” he stated, eyeing her underwear, but leaving it on for the time being.
Stepping forward he pushed between her legs, running his fingers up the insides until he reached the peak. Anne tightened, waiting expectantly for him to run them over her center, but he stopped just short.
“That wasn’t nice,” she pouted, realizing that he was going to tease her.
Reaching out she dragged the nail of her index finger across the bulge in his pants. Not hard, just enough to catch on the fabric and cause a little vibration he’d be able to feel through it.
Kal hissed, and in his eyes she saw the frustration that she’d felt a moment ago.
Something slid across her clit and she gasped in surprise, nowhere near expecting him to do that just yet.
“Two can play that game,” he growled. His touch was light and short, but tantalizing enough that both her hands went to work on his jeans, undoing the belt, button and zipper in short order.
“I really don’t want to wait,” she whispered, somehow awkwardly managing to pull everything down. “I want you now.”
Kal nodded, and then he casually ripped her underwear off her. Literally tore it off and threw it somewhere.
Anne yelped, then
covered her mouth, eyes shooting upward as she waited to see if the noise had stirred Liam.
Kal also waited, his eyes unfocusing for a moment.
“He’s still asleep,” he pronounced a moment later, stepping in so tight that his shaft was resting on her leg as he kissed her hard.
“How can you tell?”
“I have really good hearing. He didn’t even stir. You’re good,” Kal said.
Anne nodded, and spread her legs wide as Kal positioned himself between them. He licked his fingers and gently played with her, bringing her wetness out, preparing her for him.
She gripped his shaft, stroking it, watching his face, noting when it got tight, when he stiffened and what sent pulses of blood through him. Anne wanted to learn how he liked it, what made him harder and how she could best get him off. For the first time she felt like her efforts at being a good partner wouldn’t go to waste. Not with Kal.
When he finally entered her it caught her by surprise. She was so focused on him that the abrupt penetration caused her to cry out, burying her face in his neck, digging her nails into his skin as she fought to keep herself quiet.
“Sorry,” she managed to gasp as he pulled back slightly.
“Don’t ever apologize,” he rumbled, hooking his left arm under her leg and around her waist, keeping it in the air. “Ever.”
Then before she could reply he slid forward, several inches this time. Anne’s body adjusted, taking him in. He was bigger than anyone she’d been with before, and had the girth to match. It forced her to work to accept him, but she’d never backed down from a challenge before.
Certainly she wasn’t going to now with Kal. She wanted all of him inside her, craved that feeling, knowing that he would fill her completely in a way she’d never experienced before.
Kal made a wordless noise as he went ever deeper and this time she did her best to squeeze down around him.
“You do much more of that you’re going to find I don’t last very long,” he said tightly into her ear.
“I’m not going to need long,” she whispered back.
Kal took more control as they adjusted to one another, laying her back onto the bar, hooking her legs over his shoulders so he could look down at her. Anne wasn’t sure she’d ever felt more exposed, given how blatantly his eyes roamed her body.
Yet it only seemed to engorge him more, heightening his arousal. Kal’s groans grew deeper and closer together as he moved in and out of her, one hand or the other always caressing her body, maintaining that connection between them.
“Oh god yes,” she moaned, losing her self-control as the pleasure mounted. Anne’s head lolled back, her eyes closing. There was just the two of them now, alone, and she was focused on their connection.
Something warm and firm pushed against her center, moving in little circles in time with Kal’s thrusts. Anne gasped at the sudden influx of pleasure. She wouldn’t last much longer like this.
“Kal,” she moaned, covering her mouth with her arm to stop herself from getting too loud. “Oh, Kal.”
He was pumping faster now, desperate to hold on.
“So close.” She hadn’t meant to speak the words, they sort of slipped out.
Kal didn’t change a thing. Anne slipped away as her reality was pummeled with an ecstasy she couldn’t ignore. Her body began to shake and she grabbed at her breasts as they bounced wildly every time Kal slammed into her.
She held her breath as her climax approached, arrived and slammed into her in the span of three seconds. Her body was wracked with spasms even while Kal held tight, never stopping, prolonging the pleasure second after second.
“Sorry,” he gasped abruptly, withdrawing, as he groaned, losing control.
Anne’s breath returned with a gasp as warm liquid splashed across her skin, the evidence of Kal’s pleasure a welcome sensation. She loved knowing and seeing the signs of his pleasure, of pleasure she had given to him, with her body. It was empowering in a way she simply couldn’t explain.
“I um…” Kal began sheepishly.
“It’s been a long time for me too,” she said at his awkward attempt to start conversation. “I couldn’t have gone much longer. Don’t sweat it, that was amazing.”
Kal grinned. “Oh, okay. Cool. Um.”
“Over there,” she said, pointing to the left to her stack of rags for cleaning the bar. She’d never imagined having to clean herself up from the bar, but these were certainly strange times.
“Guess I’m going to buy you some new rags,” Kal joked as they cleaned themselves up.
“And a new set of underwear,” she said, shaking her head. “Someone got a little eager there.”
Kal gave her body an up and down stare that he repeated several times. “Not going to apologize one bit when this is what I got to work with.”
Anne giggled, flattered by the compliment even if she didn’t entirely believe it.
Then again, you have the physical evidence of his enjoyment, so maybe he’s not completely lying.
“I wasn’t asking for an apology,” she said with a flirty wink. “Just a new set of underwear.”
“Let me watch you try it on and I’ll buy you a new wardrobe of them,” he growled lustily.
Anne bit her lip. “Start with one, and then we’ll go from there.”
Kal chuckled, remembering to keep it quiet. “No promises that I won’t wreck any more of them. One might not be enough.”
“Either you’re going to start buying me a lot of underwear, or I’m going to start going commando then if we’re going to do this again,” she joked, realizing that both of them had fallen into the idea that this wasn’t a onetime thing without really discussing it.
The oddest thing was, Anne wasn’t sure she was upset by that.
“I can handle both of those outcomes,” Kal growled.
Not that upset at all.
As long as Kal remained who he was, and didn’t change on her, like others had in the past. Anne wasn’t sure how she would deal with a sudden revelation like that.
Or if I even could, at this point. I’ve had enough of that.
Chapter Twenty-One
Kal
He left the bar bright and early the next morning, heading deep into the mountains once again, his truck rumbling up the winding roads. The sun was coming over the horizon far to the east, promising a clear-skied sunny day.
Despite the warm beautiful weather that was on its way, Kal was of mixed moods. He wanted to be ecstatic. After all, the way the night had gone after he’d come in, finally coupling with Anne, and staying up until all hours of the night, that should have put him in a great mood.
It was there, at the back of his mind, but he couldn’t afford to dwell on it. Opening the window now he let the breeze flow through the cabin of his truck, the fresh air helping to keep him awake. Kal hadn’t slept that night, instead staying up to keep watch.
He’d chased off Clifford and Goldenrod, making it very clear that he wasn’t interested in playing their games, but he doubted they would give up so easily. Nothing more had happened throughout the night, but he wasn’t dumb enough to consider the matter ended. No, they would come after him again.
Better they do it up here, in the mountains, where I can do what I need to.
Kal had been forced to hold back the night before. Out here he could do whatever he deemed necessary to protect himself. Including ending the threat. For good. It wasn’t the option he preferred, but it was beginning to look more and more like Viko was up to something bad.
And Kal was the only one who could expose him.
That was the intent of his mission today. He was heading back to Clan Atrox, to look through Gunnar’s room again. Now that he knew Viko was hiding something, he was determined to find what his men had taken. Perhaps he could figure it out by understanding what wasn’t there. Assuming they had found it, of course.
He was welcomed through the gate without issue—this time he drove in, instead of leaving his truck parked
outside. Atrox’s courtyard was small and his truck essentially prevented anyone from leaving, but Kal wasn’t about to get jumped leaving their property a second time.
“Back again?”
Turning at the voice, Kal nodded his head in greeting to the tall, distinguished head of Clan Atrox. “Good morning Victor,” he said calmly. “How are you?”
Victor shook his hand as he came near. “Quite well thank you. Had a wonderful morning flight. It’s going to be a warm one today. I can feel it in the air. My scales were all but tingling with it.”
Kal tried not to let his envy show. It had been far too long since he’d let his dragon side out and gone for a relaxing morning flight, before the sun was up, when the humans of Five Peaks wouldn’t see him in the air. He missed those early mornings.
“What brings you back?”
“Gunnar, sir,” he said, taking a chance.
“What about him? Haven’t seen him since you came by the other day.”
Kal frowned. “You saw him that day?”
Victor took a moment to think about it. “No, but I assumed you did.”
Could he trust Victor? The man was the head of his clan, and one of the more respected ones as well. Kal should be able to tell him the truth, and not expect it to come back on him.
“What’s going on Kal?” Victor asked, watching him closely. “Where’s Gunnar?”
Apparently he was still as sharp as ever.
“I don’t know,” Kal said honestly. “I was wondering if perhaps you knew?”
“No,” Victor said, looking dark. “Are you telling me he’s missing? Why didn’t you say something the other day?”
“I didn’t know at the time,” Kal said.
Why are you not telling him about what Viko’s been up to? Why doesn’t he know?
So either the commander was keeping Victor in the dark on purpose…or he didn’t want anyone else to know that Gunnar was gone, because if he was found, it would somehow point back to Viko.
“Are you positive he’s missing, and not just gone off on his own?” Victor asked sharply.
