by Kells, India
The way he stretched her bordered on pain, but the way he rubbed against her inner walls caused the most fantastic sensation. When her sight cleared, Kingsley appeared in the throes of pleasurable pain beneath her but was still hanging on to his promise. That knowledge made her throb in a way she thought the fall would occur without her having to move.
Then her body took over. It surprised her at first, as if she was watching herself, but her body had been teased for too long, had lusted too intensely for him and had had enough. It wanted this hunger to be satiated and didn’t give a damn what had happened in her past. Only the present with Kingsley mattered.
Her hips started to piston faster and faster as pleasure overtook all common sense. As she squeezed hard around him, his body stayed still, but his voice confirmed the pleasure he felt. In a storm of sensation, she heard herself call his name, and he answered with a call as desperate as her own. His low and warm voice beckoning her was all she needed, and orgasm seized her body, making her burst like a flame.
At first, she heard her own cry of release, but it was soon drowned out by Kingsley’s who shook under her and quaked deep between her legs.
Knowing he was as lost in his own pleasure as he was, extended her ecstasy until she was utterly consumed and she fell over Kingsley’s warm and reassuring body.
It took a moment for them to have enough breath to speak, and it was Kingsley who broke the silence. “Syd, are you okay?”
And still, he took care of her. Unable to answer, she purred like a kitten and rubbed her cheek against his pectoral muscle.
All she heard was the rumble of his laughter. “Syd? I need to remove the condom before an accident happens.”
The man of common sense had spoken. With a wince, she disengaged herself from him and rolled aside as he headed to the bathroom. When he returned, Sydney immediately crawled to his side, snuggling close.
“Syd? Can I ask you something?” With increased laziness, she looked up at him. “Can I put my arms around you? Can I hold you?”
Such a simple request brought tears to her eyes, but she didn’t want him to see. He had done so much for her, more than she ever hoped, and he didn’t need to deal with her whirlwind emotions. Instead of answering, she nodded, and he closed his arms around her.
Wrapped around each other, Sydney enjoyed a newfound peace in his embrace before closing her eyes and falling asleep, trusting Kingsley to keep the monsters at bay.
Chapter Fifteen
Sydney woke from a dead sleep, her eyes flying open from a dream as the answer came to her. She knew what the key was for. Excitement tinged her belly as she remembered, the thrill of the chase burning her blood. She slid from beneath Kingsley’s heavy arm across her belly and reached for the key she had set on the nightstand beside the clock. It was six pm she noted as she picked up the key and turned it over in her hand.
“Syd.” Kingsley’s voice came to her ears and she twisted to see him on one elbow in the bed looking sexier than sin in a tousled way that stylists the world over spent hours trying to recreate.
“I remembered, Kingsley. I know what this key is for.” She knew she sounded hurried and excited.
“You do?” His grin widened as he reached for her, stopping short of touching her. Allowing her to move to him but not demanding it. She crawled across the bed to him, curling into the crook between his bent legs and torso as he curled his arm around her waist in a light hold.
“It’s from an old textile mill. See!” She shoved the key at him so he could see it. The key had the name Milton on it and was hard to see unless you knew to look for it.
“And this key is for a mill?” His voice was alert now but still soft when he looked at her.
“Yes, I had completely forgotten about it. My mom’s great grandfather owned it, but it was run down. He had left it to one of my grandmother’s cousins. My mom took me a few times. Apparently when she was young, she and my aunt would play there.”
“Looks like we have our next clue. Get dressed, and I’ll contact the team and update them on where to go. Write the address down.” She went to roll away to do as he bid, but he stopped her with a hand on her arm. “Earlier, what happened between us…” he started, and she stilled at the rejection she expected. “It meant something. It meant a lot. I don’t know what the future holds, Sydney, but I know I want you in it.”
Sydney was shocked by his words. Braced for the worst when the sweetness that was Kingsley flowed over her, she was unprepared for it. “Kingsley.” She lifted a hand to cup his face.
“You don’t have to answer, but I want you to know where I stand.”
Sydney remained silent processing what he had said, wondering if she was brave enough to take a leap with this man who, in a few days, had come to mean so much to her. “Thank you for telling me.” Her voice was but a whisper and she touched her mouth to his.
“You’re welcome.” His grin went all the way to his eyes.
They got ready in comfortable silence. Kingsley contacted the team while she dressed and then made sure the room was clear while she snagged her hair into a ponytail.
As soon as they walked outside he tucked her into his side, his arm around her, his eyes on their surroundings as he went into full-on protection mode. They made it to the car and silently he helped her into the passenger’s seat and then climbed in the driver’s side.
The drive to the rendezvous point with the team was uneventful and any other time would have been pleasant if it wasn’t for the memory of her uncle’s poison still festering under her skin. Sydney refused to allow it taint what was happening with her and Kingsley, and mercilessly pushed it back.
Kingsley pulled up a mile from the mill on an old, dirt track. He’d left the engine running but muted the headlights. The mill’s surroundings had been industrial at one time or another, but the town seemed to have moved all its factories to the other side of town closer to the highway. Now all that was left were memories and derelict, or near-derelict, buildings. It made Sydney sad thinking about it. Life had forgotten what these businesses had done for families in days gone by.
“What’s up, Syd?” Kingsley glanced at her in the near dark.
“Just thinking about these buildings and everything they meant for towns like this has been forgotten. It’s sad that they are left like this, once big cogs in the industrial wheel and now reduced to broken windows and rotting wood.” For so long she had guarded her inner thoughts not wanting anything to make her vulnerable, but now she aired them knowing Kingsley would keep them safe.
“It is sad, and you see so much of it, not just here but in the UK and around the world. We build, and then we lose interest and move on. Big companies should be forced to utilize places like this or restore them. Sell them to families at a reduced cost so they could build cheap homes and a future for their kids.”
She heard the truth in his words and thought about what he’d said. Kingsley was a man who cared—about people, about the world he lived in, and wanted to make it better. “Why did you join the military?”
“I wasn’t much good at anything academic. Honestly, I joined because my brother couldn’t.”
“You have a brother?”
“Had. He died when he was nineteen. He caught adolescent meningitis at Uni. He was doing his degree to join the RAF as an Air Operations Officer. He thought it was the flu and kept ignoring it. His roommate found him and called the ambulance, but it was too late and he died of sepsis.”
“Oh, Kingsley, I’m so sorry.” Her heart broke from the emotion in his voice.
“Me too. He was the best older brother. There were four years between us, and I worshiped him. I decided if he couldn’t see the world in the military, I would do it for both of us. My mom took his death hard, but she was the proudest woman there when I graduated from the Royal Navy.”
She touched his hand with hers. “I bet she was. Thank you for telling me.”
He linked his fingers with hers and kissed her hand. “I lik
e sharing with you.”
Her belly did a little flip at the sweetness in his voice. She had no time to respond as out of the darkness, shadows began to descend on the car. Her body tensed and she almost stopped breathing.
“It’s okay, it’s our guys.” He exited the vehicle, and she followed suit.
“Hey, Sydney.” Caitlin smiled at her, Killian, her faithful dog like a black shadow at her side. The sight made her go from terrified to relaxed in seconds. James and two other men she hadn’t met were there too. Kingsley moved closer to her, his arm going around her back in a proprietary way nobody would miss as he quickly introduced her to the new men. She found she liked it. “Sydney, this is Cain Davis and Mason Bentley. Cain’s former ATF. Mason worked with SO14, which is the UK’s Royal Protection Unit, before moving to the US and joining the Secret Service.”
Sydney smiled at the newcomers and shook their extended hands. “Nice to meet you.”
“Any word?” Kingsley took a comm unit and extra clip for his gun that Mason handed him.
“No, they’ve been maintaining complete radio silence, so we have no idea where they are or how long we have. What’s the plan?”
“If you go on ahead to scout and secure the area, Sydney and I will follow and do the search. We get in, get out, and get home. I don’t like being this far from Alliance. Are Emme and Shane up to date with what’s happening?”
“Yes, they’ve called a meeting for tomorrow morning. Something big is afoot.” Mason’s frown caused Sydney’s gut to tighten. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good.
Kingsley motioned at Sydney to get back in the car as the team dispersed. Fifteen anxious minutes later they got the all-clear, and Kingsley looked at her. “We go in, we find the clue, and get out. If you want to reminisce, I’ll bring you back when this is over.”
“Fine, bossy-boots.”
Kingsley laughed at her answer, erasing the tension from the situation and making her smile.
Chapter Sixteen
Kingsley scanned the area, not seeing any of his team but he knew they were on the lookout, slowly surrounding the building. He had a horrible feeling about this and regardless that the area had been cleared by his men, it felt off somehow.
He turned to face Sydney. The last few hours he had seen a lightness in her that hadn’t been there before and it seemed to have changed her, steadied her. He wasn’t conceited enough to think it was his doing, but he liked to think he’d had a hand in it. Now, her face was once again guarded, and he mourned the relaxed look he’d seen in her eyes just moments ago.
He would see to it once this was over the look she had worn when she’d teased him would be the only one she wore. She’d had a shit time, and she didn’t deserve it. She deserved everything that was good, and he’d decided as she lay in his arms that he was going to be the man to give it to her. Her genuine warmth and sympathy on hearing about his brother cemented that decision.
Shoving that away for now, he once again scanned the area and saw nothing. With a small shake of his head he checked his flashlight and opened the car door before crossing to Sydney and putting himself between her and the open space. If bullets started flying, he would take them not her.
Reaching the door, they saw the lock was rusted, broken, and hanging uselessly. Pushing the door open slightly he listened and hearing nothing, not even a rat running across the concrete, he moved inside.
“I think the key is for the office,” Sydney whispered.
“Let’s move.” He took her hand and moved through the dark empty space toward an office located near the back. Old machinery and boxes made this place perfect for an ambush. The door was closed and as he tried the handle and found it locked, the hair on the back of his neck stood up. Turning, he looked around at the dark shapes and saw no movement. “Come on, I want out of here.”
They moved into the office and Sydney went directly to the filing cabinet. Using the key and some wiggling she opened it. Her radiant smile came to him in triumph, and he took a second to enjoy it.
“Quick.”
Pulling it fully open she started going through the files dismissing them until she came to one named ‘Princess Pea.’
Taking it out she tucked it in her jacket and then closed the drawer. “This is it. Dad used to read me The Princess and the Pea when I was a kid.
“Great, let’s go.” His command was cut short when a bullet shattered the glass beside his head.
Instinct took over. He dropped to the floor covering Sydney with his body before activating his comm. “Report, report! We’re under attack. Location is the office on the south-east corner.”
James’s voice rose above the noise as he advised them he was heading in their direction. He must have been close because the firing switched directions, targeting him and the rest of the team.
Kingsley crawled to the window and checked outside. Shadows moved, but he couldn’t be sure if it were friend or foe. “It looks like they snuck up on us through the forest.” He heard a noise inside the remains of the mill. “Possible intruders inside.”
This time Caitlin answered, her voice cold and clipped. “Entering the mill from the north entrance, following attacker. Stay put. Mason in pursuit. Cain is rounding up the other side, covering our flank. James is closing in on you two from outside.”
Kingsley cursed under his breath, not that he had a choice but to stay where they were. They were pinned and he wasn’t going to risk Sydney’s life. He had to rely on the four operatives to get them out of there alive.
Sydney was shaking when he looked over at her. “Don’t worry, the team has our back. I need you to stay calm and do exactly what I tell you.”
She nodded, but he could see her control was hanging by a thread. She followed his signal to remain low and behind him. Gun drawn, he remained at an angle by the door so anybody trying to enter the office would get a bullet between their eyes.
“Corner sniper out. I saw two others running, but they were going around the corner. Mason, we need somebody else inside.”
James’s voice came back over the comms. “Cain and I are busy, and Cait is outnumbered.”
Two shots came from inside the mill, and a man howled in pain. It seemed Caitlin was slowly and surely turning the odds in their favor. More shots sounded followed by someone running. Not being able to act or move almost drove Kingsley crazy.
A massive explosion came from outside causing the decrepit building to shake as dust rained down.
Before Kingsley could ask what had happened, James came on the line. “Bad news, King. Your Mustang has been blown to kingdom come.”
“Don’t care about the fucking car, find me a way out, now!”
The sounds of a firefight intensified inside the building.
“My side is clear. I’ll run to the window, and cover you while you get out that way.”
Keeping an eye on the door, Kingsley peeked at the window and saw James at the edge of the trees.
“Too far. We’d be in the open too long.”
“Better than remaining inside. Cain, Mason, Cait, keep them occupied for the next two minutes, starting now!”
James rushed toward the glassless window before reaching his hands up. Kingsley took Sydney in his arms and passed her to James, praying that for the few seconds they were helpless the bad guys had better things to do.
James took her in his arms and Kingsley had just put one leg out to follow when someone barged inside the tiny office space. With less than a second to spare, he pushed away and fired, and the attacker retreated.
Sydney called his name, but instead, he focused on James. “Get her out of here and keep her safe!”
In an instant, he blocked everything out, and his mind reverted to the familiar consciousness of a soldier. It was a state that was hard to explain, similar to having everything slow down around him, and becoming hyper-aware of his surroundings.
When he rolled past the door, Kingsley’s shot was deadly accurate, and the thin man behind the door d
ropped to the floor before he even realized he was dead.
“James and Sydney are gone. I’m still in the building. State your positions.”
Cain was still outside, checking the entrances and any possible incomings. Caitlin was in position and about to take down two of the intruders inside the building. Mason was in trouble though. He’d been cornered behind some rusty machinery that didn’t offer enough cover.
“Mason, I’m headed your way. Try not to shoot me, okay?”
The former SO14 and Secret Service agent sneered at his joke. Not a surprise as Mason was stiff as a board, which probably stemmed from all those years guarding the Royal family. “Shut up and get your butt in here, King.”
His voice was low, a sign that the targets were looming close. The battleground was anything but simple, as sound reverberated into the empty space, making it difficult to pinpoint locations, and the internal brick walls that remained blocked the view every other step.
Moving stealthily was hard as the ground was full of rubble and grit, announcing his arrival, but also helped in locating Mason’s stubborn guests.
When Kingsley finally found a secure hiding place, one of the men had shifted and was unreachable. The second one was in his sights, but if he fired, he would reveal himself.
The first man moved again, attempting another angle to kill Mason, and Kingsley knew he had the opening he wanted.
He only had seconds to make his move. He was silent as a ghost as he moved into position behind the man and swiftly broke his neck.
Keeping quiet, Kingsley carried the dead man back to his hiding place and searched him. No comms on him, but a wallet. He didn’t have time to check so pocketed it, as well as the man’s cell phone after making sure it was turned off.
He could hear more shots being fired in the distance, and Kingsley used the sudden burst of noise to burst around the corner. The remaining man was about to take a shot at Mason just as he tackled him to the floor. The silence was broken as the man shouted and grabbed Kingsley roughly by the collar.
