His Ever After (Love Square) (25 page)

“You never know when the mood will strike for chocolate or chips during a movie. You can’t limit yourself to just one kind of snack,” I feign offense at her statement.

“Right.” She laughs again before her face sobers and she looks sad. “You can’t limit yourself to just one thing.”

I know what she’s referring to. She’s remembering the words I threw at her back when I was at a low point. When I threw in her face how many women I slept with. And then I went and made it worse by offering for her to join me and another woman.

“Kara, I –” I have no idea what I’m going to say to her. I just know I don’t like the look on her face or the fact that I put it there.

“No. It’s okay. I don’t know what my problem is. Let’s grab the soda and get going.” She walks hastily to the coolers and grabs a couple bottles of soda.

After checking out, we drive back to her apartment building. It’s an older building not too far from my apartment. There are four units, two on the ground floor and two on the top floor. Kara moved into this place not long after Brooke moved out. I’ve never been to her new place, and I’m curious to see where she lives.

She stops at a door on the right side of the hallway on the ground floor. Unlocking the door, we step inside, and I look around the small apartment. The living room is larger than I would have thought, with cream colored walls covered in various abstract paintings. She has a red couch with deep cushions, flanked by a floral chair and table. There is a smallish flat screen television hanging on the wall over an ancient fireplace that has different size candles inside the hearth. An old roll top desk sits on the far wall behind the couch, with an old wooden chair in front of it. There are papers littering the top of the desk, but it still looks organized. This place suits her perfectly. It’s simple, yet elegant and makes you feel comfortable. It feels like home.

To the left of the living room is a small eat in kitchen with two doors off either side. Both are open, and you can see that one is a bathroom and one is a bedroom. I’d give anything to get a tour of that bedroom. I need to stop thinking this way. I said I’d be a gentleman.

I set the bags of junk food on the coffee table and sit on the couch. Kara heads over to the DVD player set on a built in shelf next to the fireplace.

“I’m going to pop the popcorn. Do you want a glass for your soda?” She asks on her way into the kitchen.

“I’m good with the bottle. This is a nice place. A lot cozier than your last apartment,” I say still taking in my surroundings.

“Thanks. I like it. It’s not too big, not too small. Easy to clean.” She lets out a little laugh and turns away from the microwave. “We both know how anal Brooke was about having a clean apartment. I hated having to continually pick up after myself all the time. I’m not a slob or anything, but sometimes you just don’t feel like it.”

I sit transfixed by her beautiful smile and silently pray that she’s going to give me another chance someday. I know I was a major fuck up, but I’m going to try to be more cognizant of her feelings. I’m going to get her to trust me again. There’s no way she doesn’t still have feelings for me. I know from past experience, that you can’t just turn those sorts of things off.

Kara turns back to the microwave as it beeps, takes out the bag of popcorn and dumps the popcorn into a bowl. I watch her walk into the living room, itching to get my hands on her. The way her body sways. She has on yoga pants and a tight long sleeve t-shirt. You can see every curve of her body in those clothes. My mouth is watering, wanting another taste of her. She really is the most exquisite, beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. There isn’t a single thing I would change about her.

She sits on the edge of the couch, attempting to keep some distance between us. I’ll give her that for now. We’ll see what happens once the lights are low, and the movie is playing.

A half hour into the movie I reach over and put my arm behind her on the couch. I start to play with her curls, wrapping them around my fingers. She leans subtly towards me, and I scoot closer so we’re now touching. I put pressure on her shoulder pulling her into my side.

“We really shouldn’t do this,” she protests without making any moves towards ending our contact.

“Shhh… It’s not going to hurt anyone.” I run my hand lightly over her arm and lean back on the couch, so she has no choice but to lay on me. “It’s just two friends cozying up to enjoy a movie.”

If she didn’t still have feelings for me, I wouldn’t have been able to get her this close, this quickly. I feel like a smug bastard, knowing I can still affect her.

We lay together watching the rest of the movie. For as much as I would love to be inside her again, I know it’s not going to happen tonight. If I’m going to get Kara to trust me again, I need to take this slow.

After the movie ends, Kara puts in
The Field of Dreams
DVD, and we curl back up together on the couch. The fact that she chose to come back to me of her own accord has me mentally fist pumping. I’m so glad I ran into her tonight. I’ve made major progress with her. I can feel it.

Eventually, Kara’s weight settles fully into me, and her breathing evens out. I look down to see that she’s fallen asleep. I adjust my position so that my legs are on the couch, and I’m leaning back into the pillow against the arm of the couch. I tuck her into my side a little closer and close my eyes.

Yes. I’ve made a lot of progress tonight.

***

Knocking on the door has me opening my eyes and scanning my surroundings. Kara is still tucked into my side, and light is streaming through the blinds on her windows. I slowly ease my way out from under her body and head towards the door. The knocking becomes louder, and I’m surprised Kara is still asleep. She must have been tired last night.

I open the door to see a red faced Cory glaring at me. “What the fuck are you doing here?” He shouts in my face.

“Whoa, guy. You need to settle down,” I warn him and steady my stance, bracing for him to try and barge into Kara’s apartment.

“Jacob?” Kara asks groggily as she sits up on the couch. “Who’s at the door?”

“You little slut!” Cory yells at the top of his lungs. “You wouldn’t fuck me, but you’ll fuck him! I should have known you were a prick tease!”

I glance at Kara to see her face has gone pale, and she’s trembling.

“Cory, Cory, Cory. Don’t you know it’s not cool to scare women like that?” I just wonder how many other ways he’s scared Kara.

“I don’t give a flying fuck what you think, you cock sucker! You’re just as filthy as her!”

Cory’s face is now beet red and there is a crazy vein bulging down the center of his forehead. I wish I had my damn gun on me, but it’s with my shit piled on Kara’s coffee table. I have a feeling this guy is going to blow his top any second, and I need to be prepared.

“You need to leave. Kara doesn’t want you here. You do realize I’m a police officer, right? I don’t think you want to piss me off.” I warn him, still braced for an altercation.

“You’re going to regret this, bitch! I won’t let you get away with making me look like a fool! Your pussy is mine. Do you hear me? You’re nothing but a dirty, little whore!” He yells at Kara and starts pointing at her angrily.

I grab his shirt and push him into the wall. His head cracks the plaster with the force. “You ever talk to her like that again, I’ll show you what regret feels like. And don’t you dare threaten her. I find out you get anywhere near her again, I’ll make you wish you were never born. I promise you that.”

Cory spits in my face and struggles against my hold.

“Wrong move, buddy.” I turn towards Kara, who is now cowering in the corner of the couch. “Sunshine, grab my phone and hit speed dial one. When Dispatch answers, tell them Detective Matthews needs backup and give them your address.”

She nods woodenly and does as I told her. Once the call is placed, I move Cory further into the apartment, so I can reach my gun. The whole time he struggles against me and continues calling Kara names and threatening her.

“Kara, go in the bedroom and shut the door.” She continues to stare at the furious and partially out of control man. “Kara, Sunshine. Do me a favor and go lock yourself in the bedroom.” After a long moment, she finally looks at me and follows my orders.

Five minutes later, a patrol car shows up and Cory is arrested for harassment and assault of a police officer. Once the apartment clears out, I knock on the bedroom door. When she doesn’t answer, I turn the knob and open the door slowly.

Kara is sitting on the bed with her back to the headboard and is rocking herself back and forth. It breaks my heart to see her so terrified.

“Sunshine? This isn’t the first time he’s threatened you is it?” I ask the question even though I know the answer. She wouldn’t act this way if she wasn’t truly terrified.

Kara shakes her head and continues rocking. I sit next to her on the bed and gently set my hand on her knee. She jumps at the contact, but then crawls into my lap and curls into me as tightly as she can.

“Honey, you need to tell me what happened. I can’t protect you if I don’t know.”

She shakes her head and digs into my embrace a little deeper. I didn’t know it was possible for her to get any closer.

“I know you’re scared, but I’m here now. I won’t let him hurt you. Tell me what happened,” I gently continue trying to coax the details from her.

She takes a shaky breath and proceeds to tell me how that sick fuck didn’t want to take no for an answer last weekend after they left Murphy’s. Kara invited him in, and he took that as a silent invitation to take what he wanted from her.

“He didn’t touch you, did he?” My hands clench at the thought.

“He touched my breasts and tried to put his hand down my pants, but I got away from him.” I can feel her tremble in my hands thinking about what he did to her.

“Did he hit you?” I ask, afraid of the answer.

She shakes her head against my chest, and I feel a small shred of relief that it didn’t get as far as it could have. “He just said some really nasty things to me and threatened me like he did earlier.”

“We need to go down to the station so that you can file charges and we can apply for a restraining order. I don’t want that fucker coming near you again.”

She nods, and I wait while she dresses. My gut instinct is telling me that this is far from over.

Chapter Seventeen

I knock on the door and bounce from foot to foot. It’s getting cold out. After you few minutes, I knock again when no one answers. I try the doorknob, relieved to find the door is locked.

Come on, come on, come on. I chant over and over again trying to warm myself. You’d think her landlord would heat the damn hallway.

I knock one last time, louder than I normally would. I know she’s here. She didn’t have to go to work today. Please let her be here. The thought of her alone, walking the streets sends a shiver up my spine.

I reach into the pocket of my jeans to get my phone and try calling her, when the door flies open and my eyes look up to find a mostly naked Kara standing in front of me. I swallow hard as my eyes travel over her still glistening wet body, wrapped in a towel. Her long, curly hair is hanging wet and limp over her shoulders, dripping more water down her chest. I watch a few drops slide down over the swell of her breast before disappearing behind the towel.

It’s been three weeks since I slept on the couch with Kara. I still haven’t experienced her naked body again. I haven’t even gotten a kiss out of her. Whereas my body is on board with taking her, I know I need to be smart about this. That’s why I’m taking my time and showing her she can trust me, and that I really do respect her. It isn’t easy, and I spend lots of time with my hand these days, but it will be worth it in the end.

Kara crosses her arms under her pert breasts, plumping them up a little over the towel and clearing her throat, knocks me from my thoughts. My eyes slowly drag back up to her face. She’s giving me an evil eye, but I can’t bring myself to feel ashamed for blatantly checking her out. She’s mine, whether she admits it or not, so I’ll look as much as I damn well please.

“I take it you were in the shower,” I say huskily.

“Yes. What are you doing here? I thought I was meeting you for lunch in another hour?” She asks while moving from the doorway and gesturing for me to come in.

“We were, but I had to come over here and tell you some news. Cory finally posted bail today. He must have convinced some sorry sap that he works with. A woman came through today and they had no choice but to let him out about a half hour ago. I came right over to let you know.” I look at her with concern as she starts to tremble slightly. It could be from the fact that we just let cold air in, and she is wearing a towel, but I highly doubt it.

“What now?” She asks, the worry in her eyes prevalent. She knows that Cory is going to be gunning for her. He’s an ass and not very smart. I was relieved when we found out he had no family to bail him out of jail. A restraining order is a necessary step in the judicial process, but it means jack shit to these crazy fucks that stalk and torment their victims.

“You stick to me like glue. I want to know where you are at all times. And if I can take you there, then I will. If not, you will be sure to stay in well-populated areas and try to never be alone if you can avoid it.”

“I don’t see how that’s always going to be possible, but I’ll do my best,” she replies and looks at me like I hold all the answers. It feels like a sock to my gut knowing she’s putting her faith in me to keep her safe.

“Good. Now go get dressed before I can’t be held accountable for my actions.” Her nipples are now poking through the fabric of the towel, and I feel like cursing.

She gives me a saucy grin and struts to her room, shutting the door behind her. What a little minx.

I find myself grinning. She might not realize it, but she just told me without a word that I’m making excellent progress with winning her back.

I sit on the couch to wait for her and will my cock into submission. This girl is going to be the death of me.