His Ever After (Love Square) (26 page)

***

“I think you should stay with me for the time being. I have an extra room,” I say as I bite into my submarine sandwich.

“Not going to happen,” Kara replies back while wiping her mouth with a napkin.

“Why not? The fact that Cory disappeared is a troubling one. He could be anywhere,” I remind her of the fact that her ex is a real threat. A few other officers and I have been keeping unofficial tabs on the jerk, but he fell off the grid a week ago. My gut is churning, telling me that something big is going to happen. I never go against my gut.

“I know and I’m grateful to you for watching out for me. I just don’t want to live my life in complete fear. Besides, we both know why you want me at your place. I already told you that we aren’t going back there again.”

“This has nothing to do with sex. It has everything to do with keeping you safe. The thought of that fucker touching you or hurting you, cripples me with fear. And I’m a trained cop. That’s not supposed to happen. Please just make this easier on me.” I reach across the table and thread my fingers through her hands. She’s been so good about everything this last month. She never complains about reporting in or having Mack, Brad or me escort her somewhere. During the day, Kara is rarely alone, and I like it that way. My biggest concern is at night, though. She is alone just about every night unless I crash on her couch. My neck can’t take another night of that sleeping arrangement.

“Let me think about it. I’ll let you know today for sure.” She glances at her watch and starts piling up her garbage. “I need to get back to work.”

I take the last bite of my sandwich and put our wrappers and empty drinks in the trash. We walk out into the brisk air and make our way back to the youth center that she works at. It’s an old house that was converted into a center for troubled kids, ages five through eighteen. Kara is a counselor there, specializing in working with teens. I’ve had the opportunity to see her in action with them. It is mind blowing how intuitive she is, and how much she genuinely cares for them. And you can tell they respect her just as much in return.

Kara stops at the door, leaving me on the last step. We are mostly at eye level now. She places her hands on my shoulders and leans in to whisper, “I can take it from here. You can get to work now. Thank you… for everything.” Her lips brush against mine, and I have to stop myself from taking more than she’s giving.

“You’re welcome,” I say with a smile and watch her walk into the center.

I turn to walk down the steps and stop abruptly when I see a dark figure lurking across the street and down a few houses. I try to act nonchalantly as I head that way. I don’t want to tip off the individual.

When I’m a few houses away, the figure turns and bolts down an alley. I chase after it, turning down another alley, following after them. When I get to the street that the alley spills into, there’s no one around. I curse and kick the side of a building. I have a bad feeling about this. Kara isn’t going to have much of a choice. She’s moving in with me tonight.

***

We arrive back at Kara’s apartment later that night, both silent. I’m waiting for her to either tell me she’s going to move in or for me to have to force her to move in. Walking in, I slip off my shoes and coat before sinking into her couch.

“Want a beer?” She asks, making her way into the kitchen.

“I’d love one,” I reply, watching her retreating form. “Did you give anymore thought to what we talked about today?”

“Yes,” she says as she hands me the beer bottle.

“Well?” I ask, getting annoyed that she’s stringing me along with her one word answer.

Kara sighs and sits on the couch next to me, facing me. “I don’t like it, but if you think it’s necessary then I’ll do it.”

Relief courses through my body now that she’s agreed. I reach over and grip her foot, bringing it to my mouth and kissing her arch. “Thank you,” I whisper before putting her foot in my lap and massaging her instep.

Kara moans and her head falls back. “God, that feels so good. Wearing heels all day is killer and your fingers are magic.”

I watch in fascination as her eyes close and her face is caught up in the rapture of bliss while I massage each of her feet in turn. It reminds me of what she looks like when she comes. I’d give anything to see that face again.

I take the opportunity to catch her off guard and lean over to touch my lips to hers. I leave them there, hovering over her mouth waiting for her acquiescence. Her eyes open and give me a dreamy, glazed look. Her tongue darts out and licks not only hers, but my lips too. I suck on it, enjoying the way her breath catches.

Leaning fully on her now, I nibble my way across her cheek, down her jaw and neck. My hands start to roam under her shirt. It’s as if they have a mind of their own. Her body is soft and warm, sending my libido into overdrive. I’ve been watching her for the last two months and not being able to physically be with her has been so damn hard, no pun intended.

Kara’s small hands make their way under my shirt and rub up and down my back. I wish she would rub a little lower.

I lift my head and stare into her eyes, before bending my neck so I can kiss her again. Her mouth tastes like perfection right now. My tongue curls around hers and she matches me with each thrust I make in her mouth. She’s my equal, neither of us has the upper hand. And the realization of this slams into me, my heart practically beating out of my chest.

I start grinding my hips into hers. I can feel the warmth radiating from between her legs as she wraps them tightly around my waist, rocking up into me.

“Are you sure?” I ask while looking down at her, not bothering to stop my movements. Each slide of my jeans encased cock against her mound is heaven and hell at the same time.

“Yes. I’m sure. I want you to make love to me.” Her cheeks blush and she bites her bottom lip, looking unsure. I put that uncertainty in her. It’s my fault she is afraid I don’t want her.

“Sunshine, I’ve been dying for you to say that to me.” I grab both sides of her head and bring her mouth to mine. It’s wild fire from that point forward. My brain is no longer functioning. My lower head is making all the decisions, and it’s telling me to get her naked and fast.

Once I have her naked beneath me, I trail kisses down her chest, stopping to lick and gently suck on each nipple. My tongue paints circles around her belly button before moving down between the apex of her thighs.

I spread her wide, looking down at how beautiful she is. I can smell her arousal, and my mouth starts watering, wanting a taste of her.

I start off slow, lightly nipping, licking and sucking her. I can feel her frustration when I won’t let her go over the edge. Each time she starts to squirm, I pull back and plant soft kisses on her thighs before going back for more. Once I know she’s fully primed and ready to detonate, I insert two fingers and pump rhythmically along with the flicks of my tongue against her clit. Her fingers twist in my hair and she grinds herself on my face.

“Yes, yes, yes!” She chants over and over. “Just like that. Oh God! I’m going to come.” And then she shatters, giving me everything I could ever possibly want. I make my way up her body, kissing softly and bringing her down from her high.

She uses her grip on my hair to pull me to her, kissing me deep and wet. “Mmm… I taste good on you,” she whispers against my mouth, and I feel my cock jerk, hearing her naughty words. I unbutton my pants and push them down my hips as quickly as possible. Kara has me turned inside out with need.

“Kara, I’m dying to be inside you,” I groan, thrusting my cock through her folds and nudging her clit with the tip.

“Please, Jacob. I want you inside me, more than you know,” she pants as I continue torturing both of us.

I reach down and find the condom in my wallet. As she reaches out and grabs the package from me, we are suddenly interrupted by the sound of my phone ringing on the floor. I dig through the clothes, cursing the whole time. I look down to see Mack’s name flash on the screen. This is a definite hazard of my job.

“I need to take this,” I murmur before answering the phone.

“Another one bites the dust,” Mack says low and menacingly. “I’ll text you the address.”

“Fuck! I’ll be there as soon as I can.” I throw the phone on the floor and scrub my hands down my face. My cock is now soft and sad, thanks to the turn of events. I feel like I should be giving him a pep talk.

“I have to go into work,” I say regretfully as I plant a kiss on her mouth. “Can we pick this up later?”

“Of course. You go catch the bad guys.” She gives me a pensive smile before reaching for her clothing on the floor.

“I’m really sorry. If I could, I’d finish what we started. I want nothing more than to make love you.” I run my fingers through her hair and gaze into her eyes, trying to communicate how much she means to me. She isn’t ready to hear the words yet. And I don’t want her to think I’m just saying them to get in her pants.

“I know. Go. The sooner you go, the sooner you can get back.”

I lean down and kiss her one last time. Walking to the door, I call out over my shoulder. “Be sure to lock it when I leave.”

***

It’s after one in the morning when I finally get back to Kara’s apartment. I slip my key in the lock and quietly make my way in. The house is dark and quiet. Standing in her bedroom doorway, watching each rise and fall of Kara’s chest, I breathe a sigh of relief that nothing happened while I was away.

Looking over my shoulder at the couch, I make an executive decision to sleep in her bed tonight. After seeing yet another dead woman’s body, I need to feel the peace she brings me. Tomorrow the Feds will be coming in to take over. I feel like such a failure, being unable to catch the killer.

Turning off those thoughts, I look over at Kara’s sleeping form. My body is still straining with need as I watch her. She’s wearing a tank top and underwear. Nothing else. For as much as I’d love to wake her up and bury myself in her wet heat, I can’t bring myself to interrupt her slumber. Instead, I undress and climb in behind her, curving my body around her and spooning her tightly.

I awake some time later with a start. My body is shaking, and I’m covered in sweat. My chest heaves, and I have to force down the bile that is creeping up my throat. That was one hell of a nightmare.

“Jacob? Is everything okay?” Kara says sleepily, while turning her body to face mine.

“Fine. I had a nightmare,” I say absently. I struggle to push the horrific dream image out of my head.

“Tell me about it.” When I shake my head, she puts her hand on my chest and says, “It will make you feel better. You need to release the demons.”

I sigh and put my hand over hers, keeping it rested over my heart.

“I was called to a warehouse. They found another victim. When I walked in, it wasn’t just some faceless woman lying there. It was you. It –” I stop, replaying the dream in my head and shaking again.

“Shhh, it’s okay,” Kara whispers and wraps me up tightly in her arms. “I’m going to be fine. It’s okay.”

Eventually, her warmth and love rock me back to sleep. That peace she always gives me, wrapping around my heart.

Chapter Eighteen

“Matthews,” I bark into the phone without looking at the caller ID.

“Hey, it’s me. Are you going to be home for dinner tonight?” Kara asks softly into the phone.

I lean back in my chair with a grin. I love that she calls my place home. It’s only been a week, and I’m enjoying being able to live with her. Just knowing she is there, warms my heart. It’s not at all a hardship having her stay with me.

Much to my dismay, we haven’t been able to pick up where we left off the other night. I’ve been working late trying to find something about this murderer. Even though the Feds have taken over the investigation, the Captain made me their primary contact for our office. Mack and I are still allowed a little leeway with the investigation, as long as we don’t step on their toes. I’ve actually worked with the two agents assigned to the case before, so it helps that they already trust me, and that we have a good working relationship.

By the time I get home at night, Kara’s already sleeping. And when I wake up, she has either already gone to work or almost out the door. I can’t thank Brad enough for taking her every morning so that I don’t have to worry about her being by herself. I just wish we could spend some more quality time alone, preferably of the horizontal variety. Don’t slap me just yet, I’m a man, and it’s a well-known fact we think about sex like every thirty seconds or some shit like that.

Kara and I sleep in the same bed every night as well. She didn’t even suggest that she stay in the guest room, she just looked at her suitcase sitting on my bed and started unpacking. I knew I passed a major hurdle when that happened.

“I’m not sure. Why? Are you making something good?” I murmur into the phone, wishing I could hold her right now.

“If you were going to be home, I thought about broiling a steak. If you aren’t, I might just have leftover meatloaf.” Did I mention Kara is a good cook? I’m truly blessed between her hot, little body, her sweet and caring personality, the way she can burn up my sheets and of course, the way she cooks. She’s perfect. How I could have ever tried to throw her away is beyond me.

“That sounds fucking delicious. I’m starving. I’ll plan to be home around six. We’ll spend the evening together,” I reply as my stomach makes a little growl at the thought of a nice, juicy steak.

“Perfect. I’ll see you then,” she replies before hanging up.

I set the alarm on my phone, so I won’t be late and turn back to my computer. I continue to search through our criminal database, hoping to catch a break and find a similarity between this killer and the other criminals we’ve caught. We were able to retrieve a partial print at the last scene. Normally, our guy is very thorough. Not only does he wear a condom, so that there is no DNA, but he also cleans up the scene before leaving. I’m talking vacuum, bleach, wiping down of surfaces. He is methodical and thorough, and it is royally fucking us over.