Page 47 of Chasing Kaylee Kringle

“I belong to myself.”

“I know.” He kissed her. “But if another man looks at you, I’ll fucking tear him to pieces.”

Why is that so fucking hot to from Rick? When Ansel said something similar, Kaylee wanted to crawl out of her skin, but Rick’s possessiveness made her feel wanted. Cared for. Safe.

“That’s going to be an issue, considering people have eyes and I work with the public.”

“You know what I mean,” he murmured, kissing her forehead.

Reality came crashing down around them as his words sank in. He was talking about Ansel and his gang. The real danger that was still out there, that he wanted her to face head-on.

“I-I-I’m going to get cleaned up and lie down for a nap. I’m not feeling great.”

Rick reached for her. “Kaylee—” But she ducked under his arms and dodged his hands.

“Please. I just … need a moment.”

Rick nodded, and she hurried down the hallway to her room on wobbly legs, slamming the door behind her. She slipped her dress over her head and unhooked her bra, her breasts heavy with arousal despite her fear. A hot shower was exactly what she needed to gather her thoughts, calm her emotions, and determine her next steps.

As she stood under the scalding water spray, Kaylee made a decision. If she was going to risk her life in order to bring Elasia’s killers down, then she was going to live life to the fullest. No regrets.

A holiday bucket list.

Kaylee took a deep breath and turned off the water, stepping out onto the rug in front of the mirror. She wiped the steam off the glass, meeting her reflection’s determined gaze.

“All right, Elasia. This is for you.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Rick

Rick couldn’t sit still, pacing back and forth across the living room, being careful not to catch his foot in the decorative rug on her floor. He hadn’t taken a lot of time to appreciate the room and its simplistic setup, and now, when he needed a distraction, his gaze swept over the boneless gray couch he’d been sleeping on the last few nights, the snowman blanket folded over the back. Pumpkin’s enclosure resembled a cabinet at the bottom, and three out of the four walls of his enclosure were made of glass. There were no pictures around the room except for a framed black-and-white photograph of the town square. It was nothing like the colorful, girlish dorm room she’d left behind.

After she’d taken off, Rick went to her dorm, speaking to her neighbors, and the RA let him inside the room that she’d shared with Elasia. Both sides of the room were fairly clean, although Elasia’s had more clutter, but he remembered the walls on Kaylee’s side of the room had been covered with photographs of her family, friends, and even a few of Kaylee hugging a cat or a dog.

Ansel and his bikers had sucked the color out of Kaylee’s life, and he wanted it back for her.

He’d been waiting for her to come out for over an hour, his gut twisting with nerves. Did she regret what happened between them? Did she think he would use it against her, to get her to testify?

Damn, he hoped not, because he’d never be that big of an asshole.

Her bedroom door finally opened, and Rick spun around so fast, he nearly lost his balance. Her hair was wet and thrown up in a hair tie on top of her head. Wearing a hoodie and sweatpants, she padded across the wood floor in her bare feet, looking sheepish.

“How did I startle you? This is my house.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “I thought maybe you were going to sneak out the window and escape.”

“No,” she said, her expression serious. “I’m through running.”

“What does that mean?”

“When you arrest them, I’ll testify.” His heart jumped in his throat. “I’m still scared out of my mind, but Elasia deserves justice.”

Rick wanted to hug her and tell her again that she’d be okay, but after everything that happened between them, he was afraid that she’d tell him to go to hell. He’d taken advantage of her when he was staying in her house, and she was scared. At the time, he hadn’t realized the underlying issues that had led to what happened between them, but his power over her had tainted their relationship, and he owed her an apology. He just wasn’t sure how to broach the subject.

“About earlier,” she said, tugging at the bottom of her sweatshirt, “I want you to know that having sex with you was completely separate from my decision to testify.”

“It still shouldn’t have happened, though,” he said, watching her reel back like he’d struck her.