He glanced up and down the beach.“Just making sure no one is around.I wouldn’t want anyone calling the police, thinking that I’m attacking you for real.”
Her smile fell briefly before she could recover.Thankfully, he didn’t notice.“No, that would definitely not be a good thing.”
More than he could possibly know.
Chapter11
It was beautiful out, and KC felt more relaxed than he had in a very long time.With each passing day, he was more convinced the reason was the woman standing before him.
Positioning himself behind Maura, he wrapped his right arm around her neck and his left around her waist, pulling her against his chest.Her ponytail was just below his chin, and he could smell the floral-scented shampoo she used.He still didn’t know what the name of it was, but every time she was near, the aroma tantalized his nose and warmed his blood, driving him halfway to insanity.
She felt so soft against his hard body.He wished he could grind his pelvis into her ass and nuzzle her neck.Would she let him or push him away?
KC didn’t know how badly she’d been affected by the mistreatment she received from her ex-boyfriend.He did know many women had difficulty being intimate with another man after leaving an abusive relationship, depending on how much physical and emotional damage had been done.A lawyer he’d dated for a few weeks several years ago had volunteered part-time at a woman’s shelter and told him a few horror stories of the anonymous clients she saw there.
Pulling out of his daydream, he realized they were still standing there, facing the ocean, with his arms draped around her.Was she breathing as fast as he was?Was her heart racing double-time like his?He couldn’t be sure.He did know he wanted to stay this way for a while and just drink her in, but it was undoubtedly asking for trouble.
“Uh, Maura?”he asked, trying to control his body’s response to being so close to her.
“Yes?”
Was her voice huskier than it had been a few moments ago?He knew his was and cleared his throat.“Are you waiting for something, or is there a reason why we’re just standing here?”
“I, um, was waiting for you to tell me to start fighting you.”
A sarcastic grin spread across his face.“Do you think an attacker will tell you when it’s okay to start resisting?”
“Well, when you put it that way ...”
She never finished the sentence as she began using her hands, elbows, feet, and even the back of her head to escape him.Caught almost entirely off-guard, KC nearly had his nose broken as she reared up in his arms and threw her head back toward his face.She employed every trick and technique he had taught her over the past few days.Trying to avoid getting hit by her flying limbs, he stepped backward and tripped over a piece of driftwood that had escaped his notice.Losing his balance, he fell backward, and because his arms were still around Maura, she was pulled down with him.He shifted his body so she wouldn’t get injured, and she landed on top of him as he hit the sand.
She quickly flipped over to face him but remained draped across his upper body.His eyes were closed, but he heard the panic in her voice.“Oh, my God, KC!Are you okay?Are you hurt?”
He made a strangled noise, which was a mix of laughing and moaning.“Just my ego.Listen.Do me a favor, will you?Do not, under any circumstances,do nottell my team or my family I was taken down by a woman who is barely half my size, or I’ll never hear the end of it.”
He opened his eyes and found her face a mere six inches from his.She smiled, but her eyes were still filled with concern for his well-being.He inhaled sharply as he gazed at her soft, pink mouth.Her body stilled.His eyes flickered toward hers, then returned to her mouth as her tongue darted out to moisten her lips.Slowly lifting his head toward hers, he paused.When she didn’t retreat, he cupped her cheeks in his hands and crushed his mouth to hers.It took a moment or two, but then her tense body softened against his hard one.He kissed her as if his life depended on it and let out a growl when her lips parted, granting his tongue entry.
Moving one hand to the back of her head to hold her in place, he skimmed his other hand down her neck to her back and then even lower.Wriggling her torso, Maura tried to get closer to him, and KC felt his cock harden immediately.He wanted to strip her naked and take her right here, but it was the middle of the morning, and anyone could walk by any minute now.Knowing they should stop didn’t mean he did because the kiss seemed to take on a life of its own.She matched every sweep of his tongue with one of her own.Her taste was like sunshine—crisp, clean, with just a hint of spice—and it was as close to heaven as he had ever been.
He rolled, taking her with him until their positions were reversed.Her hands stroked down his torso and delved under his shirt.He groaned at the contact as electricity coursed through his body, making him harder than he’d ever been in his life.His hips bucked almost involuntarily into hers.She gasped and then moaned.Clutching her hips, he ground his erection against her mound.The woman was burning him alive, and he wasn’t sure if he would survive.
A dog’s bark in the distance broke through KC’s consciousness, and he slowed his exploration of her mouth until he finally pulled away.He stared at her through heavy eyelids.Her eyes were dilated, uncontrolled passion raging in them.Her lips were red and swollen, her ponytail in disarray.He knew he had never seen a woman as beautiful and seductive as this one before him now.
The dog barked again, and both their heads turned toward the noise.Further down the beach was a family of four and an exuberant Collie strolling in their direction.KC didn’t think the parents of the two young children would appreciate a sex education display on the beach, and he rolled to his left.Laying on his side so his back was to the approaching family, he faced Maura.She was still out of breath from their brief encounter, and he could see she was as disappointed as he was that it had reached an incomplete end so hastily.
He hoped she would want to continue what they had started later in the day.But for now, he glanced down at his tented sweatpants and then back at her with a devilish grin.“I think I better take a quick swim.Otherwise, I’ll look really funny walking around like this.”
Her feverish blush was adorable.“I ...I think that would be a good idea.”
Grasping her hand, he brought her palm to his lips.Giving it a quick kiss and a swipe of his tongue, he let it go, then jumped up and ran to the ocean.Not bothering to remove his clothes, he barely paused to toe off his sneakers before diving into the cold surf, allowing it to temper his raging desire and throbbing cock.All the while wishing he could have done it in a more pleasurable and satisfying way.
On the way home from Big Al’s that afternoon, they stopped in town to invite Dan Malone to dinner.While KC strode toward the hardware store, Moriah veered off to the little boutique a few doors down.At the shooting range, she realized all her clothes were sweats, jeans, T-shirts, and sneakers—none of which were decent enough to wear out to dinner.They were just the necessities for a frightened woman on the run, but with KC’s help, she began to feel stronger and safer with each passing day.
There was no way anyone could trace her to this little town, which most, if not all, of Chicago had never even heard of.Maybe she could settle here for a while and find a job that paid off the books—it would be too risky to use her real name and social security number.Unfortunately, that also meant she couldn’t finish her degree under an assumed name.
Stepping into Petals Boutique, she decided to find something dressy and fun, as long as it wasn’t too expensive.While her duffel bag held a significant amount of money, she couldn’t spend it on a bunch of frivolous purchases in case she needed it for an emergency.But even though they weren’t exactly going on a date, she wanted to find something KC would be pleased to see her in.Something that would turn his head.
Neither had mentioned the fiery kiss they’d shared on the beach, but she had been hyper-aware of him for the rest of the day—more so than usual.Every innocent or deliberate touch had sent an electrical current surging through her veins.And then there were the little looks they kept giving each other.She felt like she was back in high school, and she and the cute new boy were trying to work up the nerve to talk to each other.
