Daniel

It’s a short flight, and we touch down just as the sun is rising. I rush back through the airport and to my Mercedes with almost a sense of tunnel vision. I've got a single mission: get home and assess the situation.

Kita's late-night phone call upset me more than I want to admit. Who does Lizzie think she is, coming to my home? Trying to upset Kita? This is a whole new level of behavior, and I'm not going to stand for it.

Ever since my conversation with Candace I've been turning the implications over in my mind. If Lizzie has been involved in surveillance without authorization, she could be looking at a felony. She could be looking at jail time. We need to have a serious conversation very soon.

The miles go by without even registering on my brain. I'm completely on autopilot as I guide the Mercedes back home. After parking it in the garage, I jog around the front of the warehouse, looking for signs of intruders. Some of the plantings have been trampled, and the doormat is askew. I'm guessing two people, maybe three.

That's fine, ladies. You will be named as accomplices.

But even as I think it, I get a twinge of guilt. The plain fact is, there's only going to be one or two of them who are really responsible for what's going on. The rest just kind of go with the flow, letting Lizzie Whitmore boss them around, implicate them, maybe even form a shield for her. She is quite sophisticated that way. Kind of makes me wonder where she learned it.

Then again, I don't care. She's crossed a line, and there are going to be consequences.

After the garage door closes, I punch in the second code that double locks the door. The space is reinforced with extra security measures. Every window has roll-down screens. Every door has hidden bolts and panels. It's two layers of brick and one layer cinderblock, basically an aboveground bomb shelter if it needs to be.

I like to feel safe. There are a lot of bad people in the world.

But then again, there are a few good ones too. I dash up the stairs, taking them two at a time and pushing aside the framed photograph next to my bedroom door to reveal the security panel. After punching in the code, I hear the door unlock and open it carefully.

Even though I was prepared for it, the sight still sort of takes my breath away. There, in the middle of my oversized bed, I can just barely make out the curve of Kita's blonde hair, fanning over the pillow. I can hear her breathing slowly, calmly. I advance a few steps, careful not to wake her. Her hands are curled under her chin and she sleeps with her lips slightly parted, completely peaceful.

It's a relief. She shows no signs of distress and I'm glad that she followed my instructions and chose to sleep here. I felt a million times better knowing that there were safeguards in place for her.

Just as I'm about to back away, her eyelids flutter. She raises her chin and looks directly at me, as though she fully expected me to be there. Her lips broaden into a sleepy smile and she raises one hand, catching mine in her warm, supple fingers. I automatically squeeze back.

“I didn't mean to wake you,” I whisper. “I just got home. I just wanted to check on you.”

“Thank you. Good morning,” she murmurs sleepily.

“Okay I'll just let you be…”

I move to back away, but she tugs at my hand.

“No… stay. You must be so tired.”

She half rolls over, patting the wide expanse of the bed next to her. She is so tiny, she barely makes a dent.

“Well, I guess I am tired,” I admit.

Doubt creeps into my mind, but I kick it away with a vengeance. I walk around to the far side of the bed and fold the blankets back, slipping underneath but keeping a safe distance of about two feet. As soon as my head hits the pillow, I feel myself sink gratefully into the mattress. It is nice. It's warm in here. Comfortable.

And she rolls over under the blankets, moving closer to me, edging up and putting her head on my shoulder. To my surprise, she rests her palm against my sternum and tips her chin up to look at me, blinking.

“This is all right?” she asks me.

I'm sure she can feel how quickly my heart is pounding. It is all right. It's more than all right.

“Thank you so much for taking care of me last night,” she whispers, then wriggles up, moving to plant a sweet, delicate kiss on my cheek. When her lips brush against my skin, my body comes alive. I can feel every outline of her alongside me, from the pressure of her wrist against my chest to the curve of her belly against my waist.

“Kita, all I care about is your safety,” I mumble, realizing it's a half-truth. I actually care quite a bit more than that.

She pulls away so she can meet my eyes, smiling sweetly at me. “I love it when you say stuff like that.”

Then she leans forward again, brushing her lips close to mine. Her upper lip slides across mine gently, filling my mouth with the sweetness of her breath.

All those thoughts I've been trying to prevent crash through me all at once. I feel her body against mine, taste her on my lips, and hunger overwhelms me. My arms fold around her and I pull her to me, taking her mouth in mine, pressing against her lips as softly as I'm able, but it's all too much.

She kisses me back with light flicks of her tongue, exploring my mouth as I explore hers, sucking the breath out of me. As soon as I taste her, I want more. I want to taste all of her, want to consume her, to absorb all of her scents and flavors.

My hands roam down her sides, her ass, squeezing handfuls of flesh against my palm, trying to touch her all at once. She drapes her thigh across my middle and my cock jumps painfully.

I want to come so fast that it wouldn’t be fair. It isn’t right. I want to wait.

“Let me taste you,” I groan urgently into her mouth. Her eyes fly wide, blinking.

“Please?” I ask and wait. She bites her lips together and then nods.

Tearing the sheets back from our bodies, I expose her on the bed. She's wearing just a long T-shirt, with pink cotton panties underneath. As slowly as I'm able, I hook my thumbs under the sides and drag the panties over her smooth thighs then fling them to the floor. She presses her knees together tightly, suddenly shy.

“It's all right, Kita. Open up for me,” I ask her firmly.

Her hands drift up to her face, and she takes her knuckle between her teeth as she slowly lets her legs fall apart. I don't want to pressure her, I want her to want this. When she does open her thighs, I gasp at the loveliness. She's completely bare, her skin smooth and creamy, opening into a pale pink furrow of sweetness. I can see just the rose-petal colored opening, glistening with moisture.

One hand slips easily under her, lifting up from the small of her back. As her thighs slide over my shoulders, pushing her knees father part, I watch the petals unfurl, revealing the darker hidden lips.

At the first swipe of my tongue, her taste fills my mouth. Salty and decadent, yet sweeter than anything I've ever tasted before. I hear her moaning as I cover her sex with my mouth, flicking lightly at her clit with my tongue, teasing her and teasing her until she begins to rock against me.

The smooth skin slides back and forth over my hungry mouth, and I lap at her channel until she shudders, crying out against the back of her fist. Her legs clamp over my ears and I gulp the deluge of honey that she releases into my eager mouth.

When her trembling subsides, I lean over and take her into my arms, pulling her tightly to my chest. Her breath comes out in shallow, animal pants and I hold her to me as close I can.

“That was beautiful,” I sigh into her hair, kissing the top of her head. “Did you like that, baby?”

She nods urgently, pushing back so she can meet my eyes. Her gaze is slightly glassy. The tip of her nose is pink and she is still slightly breathless.

“Was it… okay?” she asks me timidly.

I chuckle, knowing there's no way she could possibly know how amazing that was. How could I even explain it to her?

“The most delicious thing in the world,” I tell her, and it's true. “Now just put your head down and rest a little bit, okay? Let's just lay here together for a little while.”

Obediently, she falls against me and I just hold her, waiting for the moment her breathing slows and I can feel her drift off against me. I wonder if I've ever been quite this happy. It's such a simple thing, to connect with her. It's effortless.