Scandal: The Reckless Series, Book #3 (The Reckless Crew) (13 page)

“
A
re
you going to tell me why you’re pacing a hole in that perfectly nice rug that hasn’t done anything to you ever?”

I look up to Chloe who just shut her notebook.

“I’m going to Tennessee with you,” I blurt out.

She fiddles with her fingers and finally responds, “I want to go alone.”

She’s up on her feet, standing in front of me with her hands pressed on my chest. “I love you and want you forever, but this is something I need to do on my own. I need to stand on my own two feet alone.”

“You need protection. I’ll let you do everything by yourself.”

“Listen to me, Kip. If I never stand on my own then how am I going to ever get through life a whole woman? I need this time.”

“Sit.” I ease her down onto the couch and crouch before her. “I need to tell you about my mom and the guilt I’ve carried for years. Hell, I still carry the guilt when I have nightmares of her screaming for him to stop.”

She nods for me to go on and takes both of my hands then rests them on the top of her thighs.

“My parents divorced when I was young. I’d thought my world ended when my mom left us, but it didn’t. She soon found a new man and remarried. My dad didn’t like me going over there much, but I loved my mother.” My voice cracks talking so openly about her. “We’d spend an amazing afternoon together and she made me my favorite dinner.”

Chloe has tears rolling down her cheeks when I tell her each painstaking blow my mother took.

“She was protecting me from him. Chloe, I stood there and did nothing. I tried to fight him off, but it didn’t work. I ran. I fucking ran from my own mother being beaten to death.”

“You were a boy. You didn’t have a choice.”

“And now I’m a man. I have a choice and I won’t let you go alone.”

She takes a long gulp and then nods. “I want to do it on my own.”

“I know, baby, I get it.” I clutch her hands, hoping this last part doesn’t piss her off. “I’ll have eyes on you in Tennessee.”

“How?”

“I used to be a police officer. We’re family.”

“Okay, but I really think Zack is going to let this go.”

This next part pains me to think, let alone speak. “I think he has guys on you now.”

“What?” It’s a panicked screech that tears my heart in two.

“There was a guy outside the gas station staring at you. He started to follow you into the bathroom.”

“What did he look like?”

“It wasn’t Zack.” I’ve looked that slimy fucker up on the Internet and have his face memorized.

“What did he look like?”

“Dressed in black and a beast of a man. Dark hair and dark eyes.”

She begins to tremble.

“Chloe?”

“I’ve seen him watching me two other times.”

“Where?” Now, I’m fucking pissed.

“The bowling alley and the coffee shop the other day with the girls.”

“Has he tried talking to you?”

She shakes her head no. “He just stares.”

Chloe erupts into sobs as violent tremors take over her body.

“Come here, baby, I’ve got you.”

I pull her into my lap on the floor and hug her to my chest.

“It’s my greatest fear, Kip, he’s taken everything away from me, right down to my confidence.”

“He won’t win. I’ll make fucking sure of that.”

I let her cry and wail in my arms until her tears are dried up. I pack her to bed and lay beside her. My insides boil that I didn’t fucking tear that other man to shreds earlier. I should’ve trusted my gut, but I second-guessed myself.

Well, that shit is over. Not happening again. Ever.

Chloe dries her last tear, but the fear still lingers above her. I have one mission right now, taking that away forever. I will be hopelessly forever taking it away for her. She deserves so much better. I stand to my feet with her in my arms. She’s light as a feather compared to the weights I’m used to. I could hold her like this forever, clutched to my chest in safety. It’s unrealistic, but I would do it for her.

I lay her gently back on the bed and watch her sweep her wild hair from her face. She’s a fucking gorgeous piece of artwork. I slip her pants down then tangle my fingers in her lacy thong, tugging it down. My body lowers on hers, with most of my weight on my elbows and not her. A reverent ache takes over my body. I need her now. I need to taste and touch her, sharing my soul with her.

I graze her lips with mine, soaking up her taste. Her knees weaken, allowing my body to fit perfect into her. Her gorgeous brown eyes are cloudy with fear and love staring back at me. The need floating from her awakens my inner soul and I realize in this moment I’ll never be able to live without her.

It happened fast and it’s something I’m still having a hard time fully comprehending. Chloe came into my life and swept off with my heart. I never had a chance to fight any of this, but I have all the desire to fight like a raging motherfucker to keep it.

My thumb caresses her smooth cheek while I let my lips linger on hers. I’m taking it slow, soaking up every part of her. Chloe lightly shakes underneath me and then she kisses me. Her lips melt into mine and our tongues tangle in a slow dance that I never want to end. Her moans float into my mouth and become mixed with my own.

I pull my mouth back and kiss the line of her soft jaw and then lower down her body. My lips love her collarbone with light kisses while my hands roam up and down her side. I’m at her abdomen kissing it lightly and clutching it in my hands. It’s our future in there that we will build together.

I
keep going
until I’m breathing in her core. It’s the sweetest smell on Earth. A rich honey that I’m always starving for. I kiss her lightly on her core over and over until she has her hands tangled in my hair and pulling on it. I know she wants more right now, but I’m going to devour her at my own pace tonight.

After dozens of kisses, I finally dart out my tongue, licking through her folds and moaning when her sweet syrup is on my tongue. I use my hands to pull her legs up over my shoulders. I keep my palms splayed on the top of her thighs, keeping her as close to me as possible.

Her hands move to cover mine as she mewls out her pleasure. I usually use my fingers to help her work herself into glorious bliss, but not tonight. I’m going to do it with my mouth and take my time letting her feel pleasure as long as possible.

Her hips begin to buck into my mouth with each brush of my tongue. I swirl her bud with my tongue and she begins to beg for more. Her cries fuel my need to keep her here on the edge. I continue to coax her with my tongue, taking her so close to the precipice and then pulling back. Chloe takes over my actions squeezing my head between her thighs and bucking up to me. She’s begging with her words and actions.

I feast on her one last time before sucking her bud into my mouth. She shivers under me while still singing the sweetest song of pleasure. I place lazy kisses on her core while she dissolves underneath me.

Standing from the bed gets me a frown from my girl. When I unzip my jeans and let them drop to the floor, she perks up on her elbows to watch me. I slide my boxers down to the floor and step out of them.

Chloe’s bottom lip is clenched under teeth and I smile at her. I’m about to give her everything. She’s held my heart for a while, but she’s about to have everything from me. I’m giving her my soul and have no regrets.

I easily cover her body again and take a moment to kiss her. I pull back and see a few tears rolling down her cheeks. The pads of my thumbs catch her tears before they roll onto the bed. I’ll always catch her.

With a flex of my hips, I fill her, and still in the silent moment. Our bodies are connected, we we’re meant for each other, our hearts poured from God’s hands to become one. We’ve both been through hell and now it’s our time.

I drop my forehead to hers and clench my eyes shut. We’ve already shared everything that needs to be shared via words. This moment is ours to meld our bodies together. I slowly begin to move in and out of her. I refuse to pick up my pace no matter how much Chloe urges her hips up to mine.

I keep the slow, rhythmic pace of our hearts, moving in and out of her until I feel the bottom of my spine tingle and my balls tighten. I’m so fucking close but refuse to indulge. This is my forever.

Chloe palms my cheeks and brings her lips to mine. She seals them with a hard kiss and it’s my final undoing. I spill into her and feel her tight center clench around me as I do. Our moans are lost into each other’s. My world is whole again after a very long time of not being so.

W
e don’t move
from our connected position for long silent moments. I finally roll over and bring her to my side with both of my arms numb and tingling back to life. I keep her head tucked to my chest and trace smoothing circles on her back.

We don’t move or talk in the dark room. Chloe’s breathing becomes a slow song that eventually puts me to sleep with the love of my life safe in my arms.

Dark faces taunt me in my dreams. They say horrible things and I refuse to hear them. I find Chloe’s shining face in all the darkness and focus on it not letting the nightmare win out. It works. Soon she’s there next to me holding my hand with her bright brown eyes

Our future is before us and she’s guiding me down a path that’s been sculpted just for us. Her grip on my hand loosens and I struggle to find it, but there’s nothing. The dark faces are back, leering at me. One of them has Chloe by the hair dangling her face in front of me and when I look for the rest of her body, it’s gone. It’s just her neck and head dangling from the monster’s hand. The life in her eyes has vanished.

I bolt up from the bed fighting the flooding horror threatening to consume me. Chloe’s still wrapped up in my arms snoring lightly. Her face is peaceful and relaxed. My palm slaps down on my forehead and I let it go. It’s just the nasty nightmares wanting to control me, but they can’t.

It takes me a long time before I’m able to drift back to sleep and it’s a not a very deep one at that.

“Kip.”

I feel a hard thump on my thigh.

“Kip.”

My face is shaking in the palms of Chloe’s hands before I come to.

When my eyes open, she’s shaking, and in my face.

“Someone is in the house,” she whispers.

I fight to comprehend the words coming out of her mouth. I wipe my hand over my face, trying to decipher if this is another nightmare or real life. She shakes me again and then I feel her trembling body against mine and I know it’s all too real.

A loud thump on the window draws my attention in the pitch dark room. I look over to it and see the brown-eyed man dressed in black.

He shouts, “Wake up. Someone is in there!”

My head spins with confusion before I leap up from the bed. A dark figure crosses the room at the foot of the bed. Before I can react, it’s lunging on the bed for Chloe. I bolt into action, springing to the side and landing between them. I roll the fucker to the floor, fighting for the upper hand.

It’s a masked man and he’s no pussy fighting back. I feel metal between us and I’m not sure what kind of weapon he has.

“Lights. Call 911,” I scream to Chloe.

But then the thought of the man on the outside floods my memory. We’re being ambushed, taken over by evil. She follows my instructions even though my gut is telling me it’s a bad idea. A very bad idea…

When the lights flash on, I spot a gun and knife between the intruder and myself. I throw them both to the side and then cram my forearm down on the man’s throat when he scrambles for the gun. I’ve caught him by surprise and finally have him in a choke hold. He can’t move.

I take advantage of having him in my hold and punch the man hard. Bones break under my fist and I don’t stop until his mask is soaked in his own blood. He finally weakens beneath me and I’m only fueled with adrenaline, ready to beat the fuck out him.

“Kip!” Chloe screams.

I look up to her huddled on the bed with the phone to her ear. “There’s another guy.”

“Grab my gun on the nightstand.”

She scrambles until she’s clutching it. “I don’t know how to use it.”

“Don’t point it at me.”

Jesus, she’s waving it around like a fucking wand.

“Point it at the door. Slide the safety by the trigger and be ready to shoot.”

She nods her head and continues explaining the situation to the operator on the other end. In a matter of moments, the house is being lit up with red and blue lights. The officers on the scene take the man into custody. A few of them case the house and surroundings for the other man. But he got away again.

We’re taken down to the station and I painfully listen to Chloe explain the whole scene from her waking up and seeing the man staring at her to me going ape shit crazy. She tells them all about Zack and the divorce hearing just a day away. She flies out tomorrow. I check my watch and realize she fucking flies out today.

They don’t give us much information, but I know from the police escort we receive back to my dad’s house they found something. The officer let me know that everything would be faxed to the courts in Tennessee and the man will be held responsible for the break in and attempted murder. The weapons on him were enough evidence of his intentions.

I wait until Chloe’s in the house with Boozer before I ask the question, “Was the man from Tennessee?”

The officer only nods.

“Is he connected to Zack Blackwell?”

He nods again. “Can’t tell you, but I’d keep a close eye on that girl.”

I nod and watch him get in his patrol car. A flash of pain strikes me as I watch the man in uniform pull out of my driveway. That used to be my life. Part of me wants it back so desperately after protecting and caring for Chloe.