I was standing in the hotel bathroom, in my new underwear, practically shaking. I wanted to go out there and seduce him, but something just didn’t feel right. The more I thought about what it could be, the more my nerves took over.
It must have been a while, because Kingsley knocked on the door.
“Are you doing okay in there, babe?”
“Yeah, I’m just…” I looked around and grabbed my toothbrush out of my toiletry kit. “Just brushing my teeth.” I turned the water on and then grabbed my toothpaste.
The door opened and Kingsley walked in, wearing only his boxers. His taut muscles captured my attention and I missed my mouth with the toothbrush and smeared toothpaste on my cheek. He walked to me and wiped his finger across my face to take care of the mess.
Kingsley took my toothbrush out of my hand and tossed it into my toiletry bag. “I don’t think I can wait anymore. Not seeing how amazing you look in that.” He threaded his fingers through mine and pulled my arms out to keep me from trying to cover up myself.
“It feels amazing on me.” I stood up a little straighter, trying to get that confidence I felt in the other set back.
“I bet. It feels even better on my end.” He let go of my hands and pulled me into a kiss. It was long and filled with passion and the promise of more. “Last time we were together like this, it didn’t go well. I thought it might be time to give it another try. Maybe with me taking the reins since I’m more experienced.”
I nodded and wrapped my hands around his neck. Kingsley picked me up and placed me on top of the counter. He pulled me in for another kiss and gave my hair a little yank. I moaned into him and wrapped my legs around his waist.
He slid his hand up my thigh and tilted my torso forward so my head was up against the mirror. I dug my nails into his back, not too hard that I’d leave marks, but hard enough to get his attention.
“You’re getting feisty, I like this.” He bit my neck and started to suckle at my collarbone. He slid his palm up my stomach and onto the lacy fabric of my new bra. He stroked and groped as I practically panted in excitement. I finally couldn’t take the teasing and reached behind myself to unhook the bra. Then I chucked it behind him and thrust my chest into his hands.
Kingsley placed one hand on my lower back and pushed my boob even further into his palm. He grabbed my nipple and started to twist it gently. The noise that burst from my mouth could only be described as animalistic. I gripped my legs tighter around his waist, trying to ease the throbbing sensation I felt there.
“Now, now, calm down. We’ve only just started.”
I grabbed Kingsley by the hair and pulled his head up from my chest so that we had direct eye contact. “No, none of this ‘just started’ shit, I need it now. Grab a condom and take me to the bedroom.” The sexual tension I’d been feeling over the last couple days was pouring out of me and I felt like I’d explode if it wasn’t eased. I ignored the feeling in my gut and decided to go through with it. I wanted it to feel like the first time but I wanted to play a bigger part. Since he was already hard, maybe I could get it together and please him too.
“I brought one in my shower bag, why move?” He unwrapped my legs from his waist and went to move to his bag, but I stopped him. “What’s wrong?”
Blushing, I looked up into his eyes. “Before you get that, maybe I could try something else first? I don’t want to take control from you, but I want to make this work.” I hopped off the counter and grabbed his hips. Pushing him against the wall next to us, I went to my knees and slipped a finger in the waistband of his boxers. I pulled them down and took hold of him, grasping tightly.
He growled and his head fell back against the wall. Unlike last time, he was firm before I took him into my mouth. I heard a deep intake of breath from Kingsley, and it encouraged me to take him deeper. I tried to imagine my throat opening as wide as I could possibly make it, and I forced myself to go as far as I could. Then I slid back and repeated the process, slowly at first and then with gathering speed. I sucked hard as I got to his tip and flicked my tongue across it.
He raked his fingers into my hair and forced me a little too deep. I had a moment of panic as I struggled to breathe. But tonight was about pleasing Kingsley, so I took several deep breaths through my nose and continued until his breathing was almost as labored as mine. I took him in deep again and as I was sliding up, Kingsley removed himself from my mouth and picked me up, laying me on the counter again. He grabbed the condom and had it on in a ridiculously long second. Then he reached for my panties, yanking them off, and was inside me, awakening the sex goddess I longed to be.
Grabbing ahold of my shoulders, Kingsley began to bang out a fast and rough pace that left me practically shaking at the sensations flowing through me. A moan escaped my lips as I felt an orgasm building up inside me. Then it hit me, hard and fast, and I shuddered underneath him. My hands pulled at his hair while I tried to hold on to the last of the aftershocks.
Kingsley grabbed my hips and pulled them closer to him, increasing his already rampant pace. I tried to look into his eyes as pleasure overtook him, but they were closed tight. Breathing as if he’d run a marathon, Kingsley pulled out of me and quickly dealt with the condom. Then grabbed his boxers off the floor and started towards the door.
“I’ll let you clean up, or whatever it is girls need to do.”
The door closed and I was left feeling a little empty. I didn’t know what I was expecting, it wasn’t like we could cuddle in the bathtub or anything like that. I brushed the feeling aside, realizing it was ridiculous, and also realizing that I didn’t think to grab pajamas.
I opened the door in my underwear, trying to cover any lumps I was ashamed of, and smiled at Kingsley lying in the bed.
“Sorry, I forgot pajamas. Maybe I could borrow your shirt or something?” I wanted to die of embarrassment.
“Why? You have that beautiful underwear set, why would you cover it up?”
“Um, I’m not really comfortable with that.”
“Listen, Annabelle, you’re beautiful. I wouldn’t be with you if you weren’t, and I don’t want you to feel like you need to cover yourself up and hide. In there,” he pointed to the bathroom, “I saw all of you and it was amazing. Why would you take that beautiful view away from me? Frankly, I think it’s a little selfish,” he teased with a smirk.
Biting my lip to keep the huge smile off my face, I crawled under the covers with him and laid my head on his shoulder.
“See, this is nice. Actually, it’s more than nice. It gets me excited for round two.” Kingsley started to stroke the top of my breast where the lace of the bra met my skin.
I brushed his hand away and fluffed my hair a bit. “If you’re lucky,” I told him, and gave him a little nudge.
“So, what were you up to yesterday? You mentioned that things were a little crazy.”
“Things with Violet took a weird turn when the guy who attacked her tried to threaten her so we were trying to make sure she was okay.”
“Did everything turn out okay?”
“Yeah, no need to worry about it. She went to the cops and they are looking into it. We were just really worried about her. I guess it’s just a little terrifying to think of anyone trying to hurt her.”
“Right…” Kingsley pulled his arm out from underneath me and turned to look at me, and it was menacing. “I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt that you had misspoken, but you just said ‘we’ twice. I’m only going to ask you this once. Who was ‘we’?”
“Well, it was Jason and me. Listen, he and Violet are best friends and she needed us both. We were only alone for maybe half an hour. While we were trying to figure—”
“No,” Kingsley screamed, and climbed out of bed. “I told you I didn’t want you alone with him. Why would you deliberately do that? Where was Christie? Why couldn’t she go off with Jason? Why did it have to be you?”
I climbed out of the covers and crawled over to him, stopping just before where he was standing. “Christie lives off campus and wasn’t there. Some creep left Violet dead flowers and threatened her, we had to handle it right away. What did you want me to do?” I begged him.
“You could have called me. If someone is threatening Violet and you’re with her all the time, did it ever cross your mind that just maybe you might get stuck in the crosshairs? I could have called out of work and stayed with you so this wouldn’t happen.” He reached out and held my face between his hands.
“You’re right. I should have come to you, but I didn’t. But I’m here now. Let’s not ruin the night.” I touched his arms and gently stroked him.
“What happened when you were alone together?”
“I can’t tell you the particulars, since it involves Violet’s case.” I looked down, wishing I could tell him about Finn, and Berneli, and how Jason had shown me the pictures, but I couldn’t do it. It wasn’t my secret to tell.
He dropped his hands from my face and I watched the anger return. “I think there may be another reason you won’t tell me. I see it in your eyes, Annabelle.” Kingsley stalked away from me and leaned against the window frame.
Quickly, I slid off the bed and rushed over to him. I was terrified of losing him and all of a sudden felt panic building up inside of me. I couldn’t not tell him, but he was going to freak out when he heard. Maybe if I did tell him, he’d trust me. This was what I wanted, or at least what I decided I wanted two seconds ago.
“Kingsley, listen, something did happen. Jason was acting weird and he kissed me, but I pushed him away. I told him that I was with you and I wanted to be with you.”
Kingsley wouldn’t turn to look at me, but I saw the muscles in his back contract and his frustration became evident. “You pushed him away?” he asked the window.
“Yes, I pushed him away.”
“Good, but now I need to kill him.” Kingsley rushed through the room in long, fast strides and grabbed his bag. He went to the bathroom and slammed the door shut.
A million different things were rushing through my mind at that moment. I didn’t know what to think. Kingsley was who I wanted. When I kissed him, it felt amazing. My stomach exploded with a million different sensations and it was…erotic. I kept telling myself this was what I wanted. The inky feeling inside of me that kept trying to contradict it was just because I was scared of what he and I could have. That had to be it.
I heard a loud crash in the bathroom and I was scared. Kingsley looked furious and a dreadful thought passed through my mind. What if Kingsley really did hurt Jason? It would all be my fault. Kingsley could get in trouble and possibly ruin his chance at becoming a full-time firefighter. Jason…damn, I didn’t know what would happen if Kingsley tried to hurt him. I couldn’t be responsible for ruining both of their futures.
“Kingsley,” I called as I ran to the bathroom and pounded on the door.
“Annabelle, not now. Let me be for a few minutes.”
I ran back next to the bed and grabbed my clothes from my bag. I shoved my legs into my tights and yanked the zipper up on my dress. Gathering the rest of my things, I waited at the bathroom door for him, ready to chase after him if need be.
Kingsley emerged from the bathroom, glassy eyed and furious. He was shaking and rushing around the room, throwing his clothes on fast.
“You don’t need to do any of this. Nothing is going on between Jason and me. Didn’t that moment in the bathroom prove anything to you?”
“You mean when we fucked? That’s not making love. I would have shown you what making love was later tonight. I would have held you in my arms as I was inside you, professing my feelings through my eyes as I watched ecstasy overwhelm you. Then, when you reached your ultimate level of pleasure, I would have pulled you against me and fallen asleep to the beating of your heart pressed against mine. That would have proved something to me. Instead, you proved nothing earlier except that you can give an adequate blow job. So please, don’t try to stop me. You’re mine and this guy needs to back off.”
Tears rushed down my face and I stood for a moment, watching him tie his shoes. I was horrified at what he’d just said to me. Was that really what he thought of me? Then again, I’d basically said I cheated on him. He stormed past me and headed toward the door. I reached out, just barely managing to grab his sleeve.
“Kingsley, I did tell him to back off. Earlier today when I saw him, I told him I wanted to be with you.”
He closed the door and turned around, glaring at me in such a way that I was left frozen. I’d never really been scared before, but at that moment, I could have fallen over from fright.
“You saw him again today?” he asked me slowly and quietly.
Goosebumps stood up on my arms as I nodded. “It was an accident. We were both in the cafeteria at the same time. It’s going to happen. We go to the same small school.”
“There you go again with that ‘we’ crap. Annabelle, I’ve had enough of this. We are leaving and I’m going to teach that jackass a lesson.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me all the way to his SUV.
People kept looking at us, and I thought a few of them wanted to help me, but I shook my head at them. This was my mess and I had to think of a way out of it. Kingsley unlocked the Range Rover and we both climbed in. He pulled out of the parking lot and the silence became too much. I had to talk him down.
I reached out for his hand that was resting on the gearshift. He quickly pulled it away and glared at me. Again, I couldn’t help but notice how glassy his eyes were. Maybe he had been crying or something. This was how he looked when he’d found out his friend was dead. It made sense. He didn’t want me to see him weak again.
“Please, Kingsley, you don’t need to do this. I’m trying to think of you. Violence isn’t going to help you become a better firefighter. Isn’t that what you want?”
“’Course that’s what I want,” he said, slurring his words a little. “But you know what? I will get there without your input.” The slurring continued and a different thought crossed my mind. He looked wrong. Something was not right.
“Kingsley, I’m just trying to help.”
“I don’t need your help. I’m going to pound that guy’s head into the ground until he bleeds all over the grass. It’ll be like Christmas, the green and the red. What do you think about that? I know how much you fuckin’ love Christmas.”
My pulse quickened as he shot me a quick glance. Kingsley was unrecognizable as pure hatred had taken over, but he wasn’t done, and neither was the slurring.
“I’m going to take those chicken arms and break them so he can never hold a woman again. And then I’m gonna fuckin’ pull his tongue out. Screw that if he thinks I’m going to give him a chance to touch my woman again.”
“Kingsley, you can’t do these things,” I begged, shivering at the thought of it all. Maybe before he was just upset and exaggerating, but now, I didn’t know what he was capable of. I was shaking, more terrified now than of anything I’d ever experienced before.
“I will do whatever I want. He shouldn’t have touched another man’s girl. Besides, why do you care? Huh? You’re mine, so what the hell does it matter if he’s dead?”
“Because I love him!” I screamed, barely registering what I was saying.