LAKE
As Kennedy chattered about school, I told myself I was silly to worry. He promised me he’d never give me a reason and I believed him. Forever was ours and there was nothing anyone could do to take it from us.
Even so, I’d completely bitten off three fingernails by the time I heard the sexy purr of his engine. When the door opened, I tried to appear casual while the kids screamed their excitement. My heart pounded as it always did when he entered the room, but this time for a different reason. With my back turned I could feel his presence and his gaze as he greeted his son, daughter, and niece. They fired questions at him as I turned off the oven and removed the meatloaf. It wasn’t long before I heard chairs moving around the table and then felt strong hands sliding around my waist a moment later.
“I’ve been in the room for five minutes, and you haven’t looked at me once. Should I be worried?” There was humor in his tone that I could tell was forced.
“Should I?” I couldn’t stop from returning. I felt him stiffen and wished I could shove the words back down my throat.
I waited to feel the heat of his anger that I doubted him as disappointment flowed through me. Instead, I felt his breath against my neck when he exhaled. “Never.”
Meekly I whispered back, “Okay then.”
He chuckled and then nibbled on the skin along my jaw. “Tonight, I want you alone.”
I shivered in his arms. Keiran didn’t make promises he wouldn’t do anything to keep. He kissed the spot where he nibbled and skimmed a finger on the sliver of skin between my lounge top and shorts. When he backed away, I wanted to call him back. “Dinner smells good,” he complimented as he helped me carry the plates to the table.
“I made the macaroni!” Kennedy announced unnecessarily.
“So I’ve been told,” Keiran quipped playfully. He pulled out my chair and indicated I sit with a dip of his head. After serving everyone, he took his seat, and we dived in.
The kids made a mess, and Kennedy demanded to know if it was the best mac and cheese ever.
We tried to keep our gazes from lingering as we answered their questions. Phee attempted to feed her father meatloaf which ended up in his lap. It didn’t deter her, however. Her giggle was infectious as she offered another chunk of meatloaf, this time with her fingers, which he gobbled up fingers and all.
Dinner lasted much too long. Keiran volunteered to clean up while I bathed the kids and dressed them for bed. It would be another few hours before they tired themselves out for the night.
We spent the time on the couch ignoring the movie playing as we competed to see who could last the longest without air.
Keiran won.
“Why are you so much better than me at making out?”
“I’ve had a lot of practice.” His grin widened at my look. “Jealous?”
“Why would I be?” I crawled into his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck. “I got it all.” He tried to kiss me again, but I pulled back, earning an impatient growl. “I want to know what happened this afternoon,” I said, suddenly serious.
His brows furrowed and then he exhaled and leaned his head back against the cushions. With his eyes closed, he muttered, “Lyons has been forcing the team to take steroids.”
My gasp made him wince, and I immediately tucked in my lips. When he didn’t say anything for several moments, I found myself saying, “You didn’t know?” I immediately regretted it when his eyes popped open.
“Of course not,” he bit out. His gaze was stormy as it connected with mine. His unwavering stare made me feel as if I were under a microscope.
“I just thought maybe it was the reason you've been struggling all this time,” I explained, answering his silent demand.
He exhaled through his nose. “One of the players told me everything after practice. None of them trusted me. I doubt Jeremy even does, but today was a breaking point.”
I could tell it bothered him and I found myself running my hands down his chest soothingly. “He had every reason to trust you.” My assurance seemed to hit a wall of doubt. “What are you going to do about Lyons?”
“I already took care of it.” He watched me for a reaction. My hands curling into his shirt was the only one I offered. “In the morning,” he continued, “he’s going to resign and convince Principal Lawrence that I should take his place as Head Coach.”
“Do you think he’ll do it?”
He shrugged as if it didn’t matter and tapped my hip, a silent request for me to move. Once I did, he wordlessly rose from the couch and headed upstairs.
I took a deep breath before following him upstairs. I stopped to check in on the kids and found them fast asleep among their sea of toys. After putting them to bed, I took my time entering our bedroom. I had no idea what to say or do. Keiran assured me the problem was taken care of, but confidence didn't put that weight on his shoulders.
I followed the sound of the running water from inside the master bath. My pulse spiked when I glimpsed his tall, muscled body through the steam covered glass. His head was bent under the hot spray as he appeared deep in thought. I admired him for a moment, in awe that he was mine before I stripped out of my clothes and slipped inside the stall. He tensed when he became aware of my presence but kept his back to me.
“Look,” my hand curled around his bicep. I tugged until he conceded and faced me. His face was somber as he stared down at me. Water dripped from his dark hair and tan skin. I tried not to ogle. “We can spend the night worrying about the decision of a man who doesn’t deserve a second thought…” I let his bicep go and took his cock in my hand, stepping closer until our bodies were flush. “…or we can have that alone time you promised me.”
A grin tugged at his lips until he could no longer resist it. His cock was now hard in my hand as I stroked him. Nuzzling his head in my neck, he purred, “Did you think I would forget?”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
He growled, and I yelped when he slapped my ass. I glared up at him, promising retribution, as he massaged the sting. “You looked so fucking hot in that dress today, Mrs. Masters. I wanted to fuck you against the blackboard for extra credit.”
Oh, God. Memories from a particular time on a classroom desk played vividly in my mind, and I realized I would let him do it again no matter how wrong and dirty and hot it was.
“If you do well tonight, Mr. Masters, I’ll give you an A.” He had been kissing his way down my neck when he froze. The next second he was reaching behind me and shutting off the water. I stared, trying not to let confusion kill the mood. “What—”
He silenced me with a deep kiss. “Put on the shortest skirt you can find and meet me in the garage.”
I felt the look he gave me between my legs and then he was gone before I could question him. There was no way we were going anywhere without the children, so I was left confused and a little excited as I did what he ordered.
Feeling sexy and exposed in a gray pleated skirt and a white crop top, I followed him into the garage. It was dark and a little cold. Wrapping one arm around my middle, I reached for the light switch.
“Don’t.”
My heart rate instantly picked up speed. He was close, yet he sounded so far out of reach. His tone was one I hadn’t heard in a long time.
I felt eighteen again.
Fear flooded me at the same time my arousal slickened my sex. “Where are you?” I whispered as my eyes took its time adjusting to the dark.
“Come find me.”
I scanned the length of the garage but came up short. Gingerly, I moved down the steps, shivering at the cold air. I wanted to demand he end the game but the part of me that answered to my need to be filled appreciated the anticipation.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are.” I toyed with him as if I weren’t the one being hunted.
His answering chuckle echoed around me. I swung around, thinking I pinpointed his position when arms closed around me from behind. I gasped and kicked, real fear taking over.
“What sexy prey you are.” His breath fluttered over my skin, covering me in goosebumps as recognition dawned.
“Keiran…” He began walking backward, taking me with him. I heard a door open, and then we were inside his backseat, surrounded by his scent. I willed my heart to slow as I said, “Why are we in your backseat?”
“Because you’re the prettiest girl around.” My head swam at his sudden change in tone and though it was just a part of the game, yet my heart still skipped a beat.
“Me?” I played along, blushing.
“You," he confirmed, making me hot all over. "Want to go steady?”
“I’ve never done this before.” I was the innocent virgin again, and he was the bad boy I couldn't stay away from.
“Don’t worry.” His hand slid under my thigh, lifting it until my knee touched the driver’s backseat. “I’ll show you how.” I could feel the door pressing into my back as my breathing became uneven.
My cotton panties felt too confining, my nipples pushed hard against my thin t-shirt, and the material of my skirt felt abrasive against my skin. He leaned in, as if sensing my discomfort, and kissed my lips.
“Have you ever had your pussy kissed?” I shuddered against the door. He was going to destroy me with a simple game.
“No.”
His smile was wolfish. “And if I wanted to?” He removed my white sneakers. “Would you let me?”
“I– I don't know.”
His chuckle was dark and rich. “If you don’t like it, I’ll stop.” His hands slid up my legs, under my skirt, to the band of my panties. “But I promise you’ll like it.” He pulled them slowly down my legs and whispered, “So fucking much.”
“Somebody will see.”
“Impossible. No one else exists.” He brushed a thumb over my knee soothingly. “Do you want to stop?” He watched me through the dark, waiting for my answer.
On the contrary, I wanted to scream at him to end the game and fuck me. I shook my head. He slid closer, his lips moving to my neck when I needed him much lower. “What else haven’t you done?” he questioned as he sucked on the skin of my neck.
“I…” I couldn’t form a complete thought when his fingers found their way under my skirt again.
“Have you ever come?”
I nodded my head yes without thinking. He stopped sucking on my neck, and I was perversely excited by the jealousy darkening his gaze. “Who made you come?”
“I did.”
Slowly, the corner of his lips tipped up. “Yeah?” As I nodded, I felt his fingers skirting higher. “How?”
“With my fingers.”
“Here?” I gasped and trembled when his thumb brushed my clit, sending the bundle of nerves into a frenzy. “Answer me,” he ordered gently. I nodded, wanting more of his fingers. “Did you put them inside you?”
He teased my sensitive entrance with his fingers. “Yes.” I inhaled and finally, mercifully, he filled me. I exhaled little breaths of air the deeper he explored.
“Kiss me.” I didn’t hesitate and leaned forward. I kissed him deeply as he pleasured me with his fingers.
“Keiran,” I gasped when I felt my orgasm building. He was torturing me slow when I needed him fast and hard.
“Do you need more?”
“Please.”
“I’m going to fuck you. Would you like that?”
“God, yes.”
“First things, first, baby.” He slid down, and the very next moment his mouth was on me, sending me to a place I never wanted to escape.
Brokenly, I moaned, “You’re going to ruin me, Keiran.”
“I’ll piece you back together,” he promised before making me come on his tongue.
It seemed for a moment that I would never stop coming. I felt his hands on my hips, tugging me lower until my back met the seat. I was floating somewhere far away, and in the distance, I heard his zipper lowering, felt his breath on my skin, and then him… deep inside me.
He moved slowly. I was no longer a virgin being deflowered. I was the second half of one soul finding love all over again. He was the other.
When we came together, and our breathing returned to normal, I sighed happily and wrapped my body tighter around him. He peeked one eye open and grinned. “That didn’t go as I expected.”
“You were supposed to ravish me.” I pouted, faking disappointment.
He slid his hand around the curve of my ass. “Next time.”
There was a lingering ache when he left my body. I quickly cupped my hand over my pussy to keep his come from leaking onto the seats. Noticing, he used his discarded shirt to clean me up. He wore a faint smile as he did.
“I think you like getting me dirty.”
“I was thinking about getting you pregnant.”
I frowned even as I felt a blissful flutter and longing in my lower belly. Playfully, I nudged him away with my foot. “We discussed this.” Since Phee came so soon after Trey, we agreed to wait a few years before trying again. I could feel him staring me down, but I refused to meet his gaze. I knew he’d break my defenses if I did. Snickering because he knew it too, he helped me out of the car. I gasped when my bare feet met the cold concrete. I hadn’t bothered putting my shoes back on or my panties for that matter. He lifted me up and carried me inside. “I’m going with you tomorrow morning.”
His surprise was evident as he moved us through the kitchen. “Why?”
“Because if Lyons bitch up I’m going to punch him.”
He snorted and carried me upstairs. “So everyone can say I need my wife to fight my battles?”
He didn’t sound the least bit worried, so it was my turn to snort. “You’re my damsel.” This time he looked genuinely affronted. “Aw,” I cooed, “you’re so cute when you wear your ego.”
Shaking his head, he entered our room and tossed me on our bed. I watched him pull his clothes off. He jerked his chin, ordering me to do the same. I got as naked as he and then we crawled under the covers.
Silently, he pulled me close. I was wrapped in his arms and blanketed by his heat. The rhythmic beat of his heart was a lullaby, and as I fell under I knew there was nothing left inside it I had to fear.
End of Part Three
