Jeremy
Kenzie was in her room when I returned from kicking Chace out of the building. I didn’t hesitate to sweep her into my arms and hold her. I couldn’t believe the dude had the guts to enter her apartment and wait for her.
I felt sick thinking about what could have happened had I not been there when she got home. I knew one thing for sure. She wasn’t returning to this apartment until the locks were changed and Chace was gone. There was no telling what he would do next.
“We should have called the cops. You okay?” I whispered, running my hands through her hair.
“Yeah, a little rattled, but more disturbed than anything, and we can go to the cops tomorrow.” She pulled out of my arms to snatch her bag from the bed.
“We can?” She looked too happy and hopeful.
Sliding her phone out, she pressed a few buttons and I heard Chace’s voice echoing from the speaker. “You recorded it?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Hopefully, it’ll be enough to get a restraining order or something.”
“Good thinking.”
“I’m all packed. Thank you for tonight, Jeremy. For being there when I needed you.”
“Any time.” I wrapped an arm around her and walked her out of her apartment, locking the door behind us.
Kenzie turned toward the stairs.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Kenzie shrugged. “To wake Ryder.”
“No. You’re not leaving my sight. Not tonight.” I grabbed her hand and pulled her to my door.
“Are you sure?” she asked as I opened the door.
“Yes. Chace could come back anytime. He could be outside waiting in the bushes, for all we know. Do you really want to risk him following you to Ryder’s house, where Cole is?”
“No.”
“Then it’s settled. You’ll stay here tonight, and tomorrow we’ll go to the police station and show them that recording, then we’re going to buy new locks for your door so Chace can’t get in again.”
“Are you always this bossy?”
“When it comes to someone I care about, you bet your ass I am.” I pulled her to me.
“Well, I like it. All dominating and stuff. It’s kind of a turn-on.”
I groaned and dropped my head to her shoulder, taking three deep breaths before I threw her down on my sofa bed and peeled that dress off her.
“Where can I change?”
“Down the hall.” I reluctantly let her go and watched as she swayed her ass all the way, and then I threw myself onto the sofa and ran my hands through my hair. What was I doing, telling her to stay here tonight? I should have let her go to Ryder’s. At least there, she’d be safe…from me. I wasn’t sure I could stay away from her much longer. Tonight was going to be the ultimate test.
“Hey, Casanova, where are the beds?” Kenzie called from the other end of the hall. Her footsteps padded lightly back toward the living room.
“About that.” I winced and closed my eyes.
“What about that?” Her voice was soft but close. I opened my eyes to find her standing in the doorway in those damn short shorts and tiny tank top. The same ones she wore the first night she stormed in here angry as hell about my music.
I gulped and shifted on the sofa before patting the cushion beside me.
Kenzie walked over, her long, tanned legs just begging me to wrap them around my waist, and perched beside me.
“I don’t have any furniture.”
“Yeah, I kind of noticed. Where do you sleep?”
“Right here.”
She raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. I waited for a response but didn’t get one. Instead, she swung her legs up onto my lap and lay down, and making herself comfortable, she pulled the blanket from the back and draped it over herself.
“You just going to sit there, or are you going to join me? You’re making me uncomfortable,” Kenzie mumbled.
She didn’t have to ask me twice. I kicked off my shoes, pulled my shirt over my head, and dropped my pants on the floor then slid onto the sofa behind Kenzie. It was a tight fit, and I probably could have actually lowered the back of the sofa so it became a bed, but then Kenzie wouldn’t be snuggled against me the way she currently was.
I wrapped an arm around her waist and buried my face in her hair, inhaling the scent of her shampoo. Her fingers trailed patterns along my forearms, leaving goose bumps in their wake.
***
I woke in the morning to Kenzie’s head on my chest and her fingers tracing over the ridges of my abs. “Morning.” I squeezed my arm tighter around her waist and smiled when she jumped slightly.
“Morning.”
“Sleep well?”
“Mmm-hmm,” she mumbled and stretched her body along mine. I groaned and tilted my head back, enjoying the feel of her fingers on my skin. “You?”
“Yeah,” I choked out. In fact, it was probably the best night’s sleep I’d had since I found out she lived next door, because for the first time I wasn’t imagining what she felt like in my arms since I knew firsthand.
I stretched my arms above my head and rolled over Kenzie, intending to get out of the bed, but stopping short when she smiled up at me. I lowered my head and traced my nose along the curve of her neck, inhaling her skin. “I’m getting up now, before I decide to keep you here all day.”
“Maybe I want to stay,” she said, wrapping her legs around mine and pulling me into her.
“Kenzie,” I hissed through clenched teeth, barely able to control myself.
“Jeremy,” she whispered, her lips pressing against my chest, just above my heart.
Dammit.
I caved.
I lowered my weight gently over her, supporting myself with one arm, and then I dove for her lips, plunging my tongue into her mouth, relishing the way her fingers felt in my hair and the way her body wiggled beneath me. She moaned as I explored her mouth with my tongue and her body with my fingers. She was soft and smooth and so warm. I ached for more. But it was too soon. I wanted to do things right.
I broke the kiss and sat back, looking down at her, and she smiled. Her breaths were heavy, laboured. She was just as turned on as I was, and all it would take was one more touch and she’d be putty in my hands…or I’d be putty in hers.