Authors: Avril Ashton
“Always something new to learn.” She winked.
“I’m learning that’s always the case with you.” He cupped her cheek.
She grinned. “True.” His stomach rumbled and she patted him there. “Come on. Let me make you a sandwich.”
****
“Do you love her?”
Ren jerked his head up as he chewed the grilled cheese sandwich McKenna had made for them. She sat opposite him at the small kitchen table, half her sandwich and iced tea gone, an odd, expectant expression on her face.
“The woman you’ve been searching for, do you love her?”
Shit. “Uh—” He swallowed.
She smiled. “It’s a simple question, Ren. You’ve been searching for her for a long time. You seem really determined to find her, and well, I’m curious.” She took a sip of her drink. “Who is she, and do you love her?”
Did he love her? “When I was sixteen and my brother twelve, our parents disappeared. They were involved in drugs.” And other stuff he probably had no idea of even now. “We were destitute and delinquent. A man, my mother’s employer at the time, took us in. He sort of unofficially adopted us. He had a daughter. She didn’t see me as a brother. I didn’t think of her as my sister.”
McKenna put down her glass but kept her eyes on him. “I see.”
No, she didn’t see. He shook his head. “I was good at pretending, denying what I felt. I didn’t want to mess up what my brother and I had. We had a roof over our heads and food in our bellies. I couldn’t fuck that up. I pretended for a long time, but Stella, she got tired of waiting for me to make my move. To take what we both wanted. I was nineteen, and she’d recently turned seventeen. One night I woke up to find her naked in my bed.”
“Oh, shit.”
If ever there was an understatement. “I was so tempted.” So tempted. “But I loved my brother more. I respected the old man too much to do that to him. I couldn’t break his trust in me like that.”
“What did you do?”
“I ran.” He shrugged. “Packed up right then, left a shitty note, and ran.” He took a breath. Let it out. “I haven’t gone back since.”
Surprise flashed in her eyes. “Why not?”
“I just—I didn’t know if I’d ever have the willpower to say no a second time. Then I dreaded having to explain to the old man why I’d left in the first place. I called my brother very once in a while, sent emails and postcards so they’d know I was still alive, but I was a coward.”
“I don’t think so.” She covered his hand with hers. “You did the right thing.”
He wasn’t so sure about that.
“My question stands though. Do you still love her?”
“I love her,” he said softly. “I don’t think I’m still in love with her. I want her to be safe. Want to give the old man peace of mind. I want that part of my life to be put to bed once and for all.”
She ducked her head. “What is it you actually do, Ren?”
He grinned. “A little bit of everything.”
“Keep your secrets,” she said. “That’s fine. Lucky for you that’s not what I’m after tonight.”
He met her gaze over the rim of his glass. “What are you after?”
Her lashes lowered then lifted. “I want in your pants. Want to ride you, feel you inside me. Right here.” She licked her lips and he felt in his balls.
“Right here?” He shifted in the chair.
She stood abruptly and stepped out of the fresh pair of panties she’d put on earlier. “Right here.” She threw the panties at him and he caught them. Bringing them to his mouth, he licked the damp crotch, shuddering at the taste.
Panties caught between his teeth, he pushed his chair back and watched her as she approached like a fucking predator. She dropped to her knees before him, freeing his prick from his boxers.
“I’m so wet for you,” she whispered, “you have no idea.” She licked her palm and stroked him.
Ren hissed, hips jerking and lifting to fuck her fist.
“Wanna sit on you, take you deep inside me so I can feel you in my throat.” She flicked her tongue out, catching the pre-cum beading out of his slit.
“Fuck.” He grunted. “Kenna.”
She sucked him, wetting him with her saliva. Taking him deep with a bob of her head. Ren held her at her nape, pushing up into her mouth, fucking her throat until she gagged and lifted off. She staggered to her feet and straddled him.
He gasped for breath, struggled to regain control as she palmed him and brought him to her center. He spat out her underwear. “Condoms,” he rasped. Shit. He couldn’t think straight. “Condoms.”
She hovered over him, teeth digging into her bottom lip. “I want… I always use condoms. Always.” She blew out a breath and it washed over his chin. “I’m also on the pill. Don’t want any chance of getting stuck with Salim, but I-I want to feel you. I want us naked.”
Ren blinked at her, trying to clear the lust from his vision and fighting like hell to think with his big head. “I’ve—I’m clean, haven’t been with anyone in God knows how long, but—” He still hesitated.
“The other men,”—she glanced away quickly then met his gaze—“Salim never let the other men touch me without protection.”
Fuck. She
shifted. His cock head brushed against her pussy, slick and wet, the promise of so much heat. He let his body make the choice and clasped her hips, held her tight. She sank down, taking him until he disappeared into the snug clasp of her wet cunt.
“Ah. Fuck!” He threw his head back.
“Yes.” She didn’t waste time, kissing him as she looped her hands around his neck and moved.
“Fuck, Kenna.” Already he wanted to come, lose his mind with the pleasure. She clung to him, her muscles contracting, swirling around his cock as she rocked back and forth and bounced up and down.
“Feels so good, Ren.” She nipped his jaw, nails clawing at his neck. “Fuck me hard.”
He did. Clamping down on her hips, he slammed her down on him, burying his face in her throat. He loved the sounds she made each time he banged deep, loved how her breath hitched, and her cunt got wetter, drenching him with her juices. Ren licked her neck, using his teeth to scrape against the delicious column.
She groaned and her pussy got tighter. He moved lower, nipping her chest. She released his neck long enough to rear back and pull off her T-shirt. Her tits bounced in front of his face and he dove in, catching a dark-colored nipple and biting down.
She cried out.
He eased up, sucking, soothing her before he switched to the other nipple. He bit her again, made her cry out again, then soothed her. He caught her tits in his hands, pushed them together, and sucked both dark nubs into his mouth.
“Oh God!” She clutched his head, arching into his mouth. “Fuck, yeah. Harder.”
He gave her what she asked for, squeezing her mounds while flicking his tongue over her nipples.
She rocked on him, sinking down as he slammed up into her. The pleasure was beyond anything he’d ever experienced, her body a tight sheath specially made for him. She spasmed with each pull on her nips, and his balls churned with every sound she made.
McKenna sounded ravenous, hungry, needy, like she couldn’t get enough. He knew that feeling. His body flamed hot, melting from the fire their loving generated.
“Fuck, Kenna.” He released her nipples and held her against him, taking her mouth. “You feel so good, baby. Burning me up, drowning me.”
She moaned for him, pussy convulsing around him. He fisted her hair, forcing her down on him, fucking himself deeper, losing himself. And his mind.
“Ren.” She got impossibly tighter, wetter, and arched.
Ren took her mouth, swallowed her cries and reached behind her, pushing a finger into her ass. She screamed and bucked. He felt it, her muscles churning, cunt gushing as the climax rocked her. Her fingered her ass until she stopped quivering then he reached for the bottle of olive oil in the middle of her kitchen table. Holding her still, he greased his fingers then pressed back into her ass, relaxed a bit from her climax. She gasped and settled, waited for him to make his move. Soft cries burned his ear as she held him tight and wiggled. He added another digit. Her body spasmed and he jerked, already on the edge of coming. He had to grit his teeth, counting in his head to hold off on the climax. Finally deeming her stretched enough, he lifted and repositioned her, his drenched cock tapping at her back entrance.
Taking her mouth, he fed her his tongue while sinking into her ass slowly. She whimpered for him, nails raking his shoulder. Her ass clamped down on him, the tightness suffocating. A few short thrusts and he couldn’t hold out, especially when she rocked her hips.
“Damn!” He gave up the control and came, his release jetting out, flooding and soaking her.
Marking her as his whether they acknowledged it or not.
Chapter Nine
“What’s gonna happen with Salim?” Ren asked at McKenna’s ear.
They’d moved from the kitchen to the living room, lying on the couch side by side. Ren held her
tight. She felt secure in that embrace. Felt warmth inside and out.
Until he brought up Salim.
Valid question though. What was she going to do about Salim? Something had to be done, that was for damn sure. She couldn’t continue to operate under his thumb, afraid he’d drop the hammer at any time. She’d never dreamt she’d do what she’d done with Ren. Sleep with someone else. Sure, Salim fucked whoever he wanted, she knew that, but she’d never been brave enough to tempt fate and his resolve by doing the same thing. Maybe somehow she’d known it wouldn’t be worth it.
But Ren.
Totally worth the aggravation. Totally worth whatever Salim would do if he ever found out. Not that she’d go blabbing. Their one night would be her secret, something to keep her warm if she had to crawl back into Salim’s cold bed. Someplace to disappear to in her mind. Decisions needed to be made. She’d been putting them off for far too long.
She shifted until she met Ren’s watchful eye. “I have a decision to make about my mother,” she whispered. “I can take her off the machines or just let her languish there while her body continues to shut down on its own.”
“Do you think she’d want that, being kept here by the machines?” Ren’s thumb feathered over her jaw.
“Dunno.” She shrugged. “I think I’m being selfish, keeping her here when I already know she’s gone. The woman she used to be, her mind, her body, she’s gone.” Only a shell remained.
He kissed her nose. “Sounds like you know what you have to do on that score.”
“Maybe. I don’t know what I’m gonna do about Salim. It’s going to be hard, you know?” She caught his hand, twisting her index finger around his. “Dealing with him, it’s not my favorite thing.”
“Do you want me to do something?” he asked softly.
Do something? “Like what?” She rose on her elbow and gazed down at him. His face was blank, giving nothing away. But she wasn’t fooled by that. There was something lurking under all that smooth cool she couldn’t quite put her finger on. “What would you do?”
He shrugged. “I’m sure I could think of something to make sure he leaves you alone. If that is, indeed, what you want.”
“Your history with him, you know things,” she pointed out.
His lips curved, but he didn’t speak. That was a yes.
“Why though?” she queried in a husky voice. “Why would you go out of your way to help me? I’ve been nothing but a thorn in your side.”
His teeth appeared, the grin stretching the scar on his cheek. “Yes, you’ve been a pain, but I like some pain with my pleasure.”
“Ha. Ha.” She kissed his forehead. “Why, Ren?”
His smile floated away, replaced by a focused seriousness on his face and in his eye. “I care for you, McKenna.” His eye flashed. “You know that. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here right now. And I know you feel the same since there’s no way you’d jeopardize your mother’s life.”
She nodded slowly. “I do.” Blinking furiously, she looked away. “I care.”
“I wish I could stay,” he murmured. “I wish I could give you what you deserve. I’m sorry that I can’t.”
More and more she got the impression it wasn’t really a “can’t”, but a “won’t” where Ren was concerned, but McKenna didn’t voice her doubts. She didn’t call him on his words. She had no rights here. She had Salim to deal with, and Ren had his past and the woman he hadn’t stopped loving for well over a decade.
So yeah, they had one stolen night then he got to go be rescuer and savior for another woman while McKenna stepped back into the role of her life.
“You don’t have to do anything about Salim,” she assured him. “You go do whatever it is you do. I’ll deal with Salim. I’ve been dealing with him for this long. I can’t focus on that until I take care of my mother.”
“Okay.” He tightened his arms around her.
It was well past midnight, getting closer and closer to the time when he’d release the grip he had on her, when he’d leave, walk away, taking his warmth and her sanity with him. She could beg, but what good would that do? At least she got to have this time with him. At least she got to experience him. She couldn’t bring herself to ask for anything more.
Maybe after all she’d done, she didn’t deserve anything more than one night with the man she was actually falling for.