As she hung up with Jordan, Kylie frantically dialed Reesa's number. She didn't answer, and Kylie cursed under her breath as she hung up and redialed. It went to voicemail again, and Kylie clenched her jaw, pacing back and forth across her small apartment. At the beep, she huffed and left a frazzled message. "Reesa, I don't know if you heard the news or not, but it's about to explode everywhere. Some woman is accusing Marcus of raping and beating her. I just talked to Jordan, and they're about to hop the plane home, but you need to be prepared for the shit to hit the fan. Please call me, let me know you're okay."

---

She hung up and kept pacing, shoving her hair back from her face as it blew around her. A few days away, and the guys managed to turn everyone’s worlds upside down. Jordan assured her the accusations were false, but they were in a rush to get to the airport and make the flight, Marcus having been held for questioning till the last minute, so he hadn’t given any details. The problem was, Reesa had trust issues anyway, especially since she’d just had a sore reminder of the horrible abuse she’d suffered at the hands of her ex-husband.

Reesa was going to flip out, and Kylie wanted to get ahead of it. She doubted Reesa had heard anything, since Marcus hadn’t made any calls, and her best friend had been at work all day. If Kylie could be the one to break it to her, she might handle it better. Kylie believed Jordan; they’d had enough time together for her to feel confident in anything he told her. He’d grown a little more comfortable being open and honest with his feelings, and while he still didn’t say he loved her, Kylie knew he wouldn’t lie to her or hurt her.

And she’d known Marcus long enough now to understand that he couldn’t do anything to hurt Reesa if he wanted to. This would blow over, this woman’s lies would be discovered, and everyone would live happily ever after. But in the meantime, Kylie had to prepare to deal with heartache and a disaster.

She tried Reesa again several times and texted Jordan, letting him know that he needed to come over as soon as they got back. In fact, she had a feeling Reesa would show up here anyway, and she texted him again to tell him to bring Marcus. It was the only way Reesa would talk to him. That’s how well she knew her friend.

Not an hour later, someone was banging on her door, and Kylie opened it to find Reesa with a wild look on her face, a mixture of fear, devastation, and rage. “Tell me what happened.” Ushering her inside, Kylie discovered that a reporter had accosted her, not even telling her exactly what the story was. kylie reiterated what she’d heard from Jordan as best she could, and she watched the stoic façade crack under the pressure of such a heavy accusation.

Rather than argue with her, Kylie just told her that she needed to listen to Marcus, let her heart make the decision. Then, she let the topic go and went to the freezer for ice cream. They sat and streamed reruns of old sit-coms, delving into multiple pints of the sweet dessert, and the hours passed with an anxious cloud hovering over their heads. She watched Reesa, who checked the clock far too often, checked her phone even more obsessively.

Finally, Kylie heard the door, and considering the hour, she knew it could only be Jordan with Marcus in tow. “Who is that?” Reesa asked suspiciously.

“Who do you think?” Kylie countered, getting up to answer. Her friend’s jaw dropped, and her eyes grew hard, but Kylie just shook her head. “You need to hear him out with an open mind, Reesa. This was the only way I could guarantee you would.”

“Are you going to stay?” she asked, sounding desperate.

But Kylie shook her head. “No, but we’ll be two minutes away, okay? You’ll be fine. Marcus is not a danger to you, okay?” The fact that Reesa didn’t look convinced spoke volumes, and it ate at Kylie’s heart, made her feel guilty. But it was time for Reesa to clean the skeletons out of her closet and say goodbye to old ghosts. Marcus was nothing like her ex-husband, and he was nothing like the monster this woman painted a picture of. Even if she didn’t know Marcus, she couldn’t believe Jordan could be so close to a man who would assault a woman.

She opened the door, finding Jordan standing behind a very ragged Marcus, who looked like a deer in headlights. Before she addressed the man she so desperately wanted to hold her, she eyed Marcus and told him under her breath, “Fix this.” He just nodded and moved past her. Grabbing her keys, she called back to Reesa over her shoulder, “We’ll be right downstairs, if you need us.”

Before she even had the door closed, Jordan wrapped her in a tight embrace, inhaling deeply as he shoved his nose into her hair. “God, I missed the way you smell,” he said, hoarse with exhaustion and likely emotional overload. She tipped her head back to kiss him, and he smiled. “Did you miss me?”

She nodded but didn’t smile back. “You know you’re going to explain what really happened, right?”

“Of course, but I need coffee or I might pass out in the process. I haven’t slept in two days, literally.” He took her hand, intertwining their fingers, and guided her to the elevator. “She’ll be fine, Kylie,” he told her gently as they waited.

Kylie nodded as she turned to look at the door to her apartment. “It’s not her I’m worried about. I’m terrified she’s going to either be stubborn enough to break Marcus’ heart or angry enough to cut his throat.”

Jordan chuckled softly. “I can’t worry that much. Besides, he knows how close we are, too.” They’d agreed to go down to the all-night coffee shop downstairs for an hour or so, giving their friends time and space to work through the new demons that surrounded them. As they arrived on the bottom floor, Kylie glanced at Jordan from the corner of her eye. Would she believe him if he was in Marcus’ situation? She’d never known Reesa’s ex-husband, and she didn’t think she’d ever encountered another man that sadistic. She wasn’t jaded like her friend.

Still, a woman's word, and the beat-up face this woman had, would probably give her cause for concern. At the same time, she knew celebrities were targets for those stories because they had money. And a lot of women just wanted to get noticed. No, she decided, she trusted Jordan. He'd never lied to her, even hurting her with the truth at first rather than giving her something false to believe in.

“Why are you looking at me with those precious puppy dog eyes?” he asked, pulling her against his side with an arm around her waist. He smiled down at her as they stepped in line to order their drinks.

She sighed and shrugged. “I’m just glad that will never be us.” She pointed up, indicating Marcus and Reesa.

“I wouldn’t put it past some bitter bitch to accuse me of something like that, Kylie,” he said, completely somber.

“That’s not what I mean,” she told him. “It has nothing to do with the accusation and everything to do with the fact that I don’t mistrust you. Sure, Reesa has her issues and her PTSD, but that’s no excuse not to trust Marcus. He’s done nothing to deserve her doubt. And you’ve never done anything to deserve mine.”

He didn't say anything as they approached the counter, instead of ordering their drinks. Did he look troubled, or was he just tired? It was a stupid thing to wonder, considering his lack of sleep and the idea of his best friend facing possible prison time and a completely ruined image and career. Of course, he was tired. And troubled. She shouldn't have said anything about the possibility of him having to go through the same trauma.

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” she apologized quietly as they found a table by the window and sat down.

Jordan shrugged and shook his head. “You didn’t upset me, love. I’m glad you have such faith in me. It’s sort of nice to think that there’s a woman in this world who doesn’t get crazy and start throwing accusations just because I don’t answer my phone once. I trust you, too, you know. I wouldn’t have you with me if I didn’t.”

Even now, Kylie loved the sound of it when he referred to her as being ‘with him’. it was petty and childish, but in her heart, it meant so much she couldn’t help it. This sort of attachment was new to her. No matter how many times she’d tried, she’d failed to find love, and she’d regretted most of her attempts to do so. Jordan was different. He showed every day that he cared, even if he didn’t say he loved her. In some capacity, he must. It carried through in his actions, and at times like this when he talked about appreciating some of her characteristics.

“It takes two to build that trust,” she said, trying to be lighthearted about it but knowing she was treading in very deep, meaningful waters. Considering the hour, she decided it might be best to change the subject. “So, tell me what happened. How did this woman get a line on Marcus if he didn’t do anything?”

Jordan took a deep breath and launched into the explanation. Apparently, she’d felt the cold rejection of a man in love with someone else and somehow gotten herself into trouble elsewhere, then deciding to accuse Marcus. Neither of them knew who had actually assaulted her, or if she’d even faked it, but there were DNA results to confirm that Marcus was innocent. He’d willingly surrendered a sample, and Kylie had as much faith that he’d be cleared of the charges as Jordan did.

As he finished, Jordan’s phone rang, and Kylie frowned. The name ‘Krys’ popped up on his screen, and he ignored the call. It unsettled her, and she asked, “Who was that?”

“My stepsister,” he answered with a sigh. “She lives in Australia and tends to forget the time difference.”

That explained the late hour. “Your stepsister?” It was the first she’d heard of a sibling of any kind.

He rolled his eyes and smirked. “Technically, we were just friends in high school. My mum started seeing her dad after we graduated, and they married a few years ago. She usually calls to complain when they skip town for some last minute global adventure or to warn me if they’re coming to visit without telling me.”

For some reason, jealousy took hold in Kylie’s chest, and she had to ask. “Were the two of you ever together?”

He laughed, a loud, belly sound. “Fuck no! Krys and I never had any attraction to each other. Besides, even before I came here to play ball, I didn’t date much. I never felt the need to settle down with anyone, just like I told you.” His smile faded, and he reached for her hand. “This is the most serious relationship I’ve ever had, Kylie, in case you haven’t realized that yet.”

While that made her preen, it also gave her an uneasy feeling. Trying to take the edge off her anxiety, she kept asking questions. “Is it weird? You know, being related to someone you grew up with by marriage?”

“Sometimes it’s strange to think about it. More than anything, we both hate the way our parents are so sexually oriented. We get weirded out at the thought of them having sex.”

Kylie had to laugh. “Most people feel that way about their natural parents as soon as they learn how babies are made. At least you were basically adults when they started sleeping together.”

“True. Still, I wouldn’t exactly call it a blessing.” He smirked. “It doesn’t affect me as much as it does Krys. I don’t live around it anymore.” He checked his watch. “Do you think they’ve had enough time to work out their shit? I’m tired, and all I can think about is crawling into bed with you and then sleeping until the world spins around a couple of times.”

It had been about an hour, and Kylie nodded. “I think it should be fine. They’ve either worked things out or ended things at this point. If we leave them any longer, we could end up with a disaster on our hands.” She could imagine Reesa tearing the place apart in anger, or worse, the two of them going at each other in emotional wreckage.

Letting Jordan lead the way, she trudged back into her building and into the waiting elevator. Thankfully, they arrived to find two very happy people, wrapped in each other’s arms, with news that the DNA results were back and had already struck a match to someone else. Kylie couldn’t have been more relieved, and she eagerly shoved the two of them out the door. It was her turn to celebrate the return of the man who warmed her bed and had stolen her heart.

As she closed the door, Jordan’s phone rang again. “If that’s your sister, you should answer. She obviously needs to talk to you.”

He sighed and shook his head. “I’ll call her in the morning. She’ll be up late, so I’ll get her.” She noticed the dark circles under his eyes and towed him to the bedroom, where he practically fell in the bed as he shrugged off his shirt and yanked off his pants. When she turned off the light, she swore he was asleep, but as she laid down, he curled around her, pulling her against him.

“Goodnight, Jordan. Get some rest,” she whispered, tilting her head up to kiss his forehead. But instead, he captured her lips and dug his fingers into her hips, pushing his knee between her thighs to spread them.

“How can I sleep with something so enticing next to me? I need you, Kylie.” His words were strained, filled with a desperation she’d never heard from him before. He sounded like a wounded man who needed narcotics to kill the pain, and he clung to her as if she was the cure for it all. Her temperature spiked, and her heart pounded against her ribs, so she didn’t protest.

Instead, she laid a hand on his cheek, caressing it gently as his fingers trailed up her side and curved around her breast. She sighed into his mouth and arched against him. Jordan’s touch remained tender, tickling down her stomach and toward her center. He traced a line just above the waist of her pajamas, making liquid pool in her panties as her body readied for him. When his hand dipped inside and found her slit, he fingered her with a gentle touch, running teasing lines back and forth until she moaned.

Slowly, carefully, he rolled over on top of her, his cock hard against her thigh as his tongue sought her throat, licking circles at the hollow beneath before trailing down between her breasts. He flicked it against her navel as his hands closed over her breasts, and she gasped at the way he massaged her, with the lightest of touches as he rubbed her nipples with the pads of his thumbs.

This wasn’t their usual coupling. There was never this much tenderness, and as he kissed along her pelvic bone and then up her ribs while only hand crawled up the other side, Kylie wondered if this was what it felt like to make love. Her heart ached as much as her pussy, and she felt tears pricking at her eyes with as much fervor as the muscles in her lower stomach bunched in response to his attention.

He brushed his hand along her inner thigh, moving it out so she was spread in front of him, but he didn't go for her center. Instead, his lips trailed over her thigh, down to the back of her knee as he lifted her leg. He kissed and licked at it, driving her mad. She'd never realized what a sweet spot it was until now, and everything inside her tensed, ready to burst. The orgasm built, but just as it was ready to overtake her, Jordan slid back up her body, easing his weight on top of her as his mouth found hers.

The kiss was passionate, slow, and it drew every emotion she felt out of her so that she clenched her body around his, determined not to be separated by anything. She wanted his body, but more than that, she wanted him. And he was giving himself over to her in small measures, coaxing her to the edge and then taking her back into the intimacy of sex, like a roller coaster, up and down.

He combed his fingers through her hair, but he didn’t tug at it, didn’t make a single fast or violent motion. He took his time, paying attention to every small part of her body, and when his mouth closed over the crease between her thigh and her sex, Kylie cried out with the force of the pleasure that consumed her. She shook and trembled, and her skin burned as her pussy convulsed with the need to feel Jordan’s cock inside her.

She wrapped one leg around his hips, urging him forward. “Please, Jordan.” She never begged. “Please, give me what I need before I go up in flames.”

She felt him shudder at her words, and he lowered himself between her thighs, stroking her slit with the thick head of his erection. She knew she was coated with the moisture of her own release, and as he aligned himself with her opening, his movements maddeningly slow, she could feel that he’d covered himself in it.

Kylie moaned, half from the sensation of his cock pressing into her and half from the idea that he bathed in her passion. With a long, teasing stroke, he thrust into her, and a wave of bliss swept over her unexpectedly, a cooling breeze of an orgasm like she’d never had before. She threw her head back and gasped, unable to speak or scream as it rolled from her core outward through her limbs and then to her head, making her mind fuzzy.

“I can barely control myself,” Jordan gritted out, and Kylie felt the twitching inside her, the way his cock jumped as it was enveloped in her warm wetness. “God I want to come right now, but I’m not finished with you.”

“You feel amazing,” she whispered, threading her hands around his neck and pulling him into a kiss. As his tongue darted in and out of her mouth in languid motions, he began to rock in and out of her with the same slow pace and rhythm. Everything about this sensual exploration sent her reeling, and it heightened the usual unsurpassed arousal in her to a breaking point. This was unparalleled pleasure, and she wanted more.

She could die happy in this moment, she realized as Jordan’s ministrations spoke what he couldn’t put into words. If this wasn’t love, she didn’t know what the emotion entailed. He leaned over her, their chests against each other, and she hugged him to her, rocking with him in that gentle but firm motion. She curled her legs around him, drawing him as close as she could and urging him deeper. Jordan met her demands with a soft groan, and he thrust his arms under her, embracing her as he filled her to the hilt.

She welcomed every inch, and when he shuddered and stilled buried fully inside her, she realized she was shaking, her body and mind so enthralled that she had no control over it. She’d asked for this, and she’d been gifted with it. She would accept it willingly, even if it racked her body with sensation she could barely handle.

Jordan started moving again, long, slow, determined strokes, and he grunted with each thrust. Kylie squeezed her legs tighter around him, lifting her hips from the bed to draw him in deeper. She held on, not letting the bubble burst despite the pressure, and when she felt him falter, she clenched her jaw waiting. His orgasm sent her into convulsions of ecstasy, the mutual release so powerful she felt like a bomb had exploded in the room, shaking everything around them.

The earthquake seemed to last forever, dissipating slowly with aftershocks coursing through both of them that caused a spasm to make one of them jerk every few seconds. At length, everything came back into focus, and all she could hear was Jordan’s heavy, satisfied breathing in her ear, his head tucked into the crook of her shoulder. Her hair blew slightly with his exhales, tickling her shoulder and neck, and she sighed in absolute contentment.

She no longer doubted or questioned anything about their relationship or Jordan’s feelings. Kylie may not have heard the words, but she felt them now. He loved her, and that was enough. With that knowledge, she could be patient and make this work. It was all she’d ever wanted, and she’d finally found a perfect man to fulfill that desire.

She fell asleep with his weight still on top of her, his spent cock still inside, and it was the best sleep she’d had in a long time.