Evidently, I was wrong.
Slowly, I approach her bed. “Kit.”
“No.” A choked sob rips from her throat, and she kicks her legs. “Please don’t kill me.”
As always, seeing her like this is the equivalent of someone cutting my chest open.
I flick on the light on the nightstand. “Wake up, Kit.”
Her voice is a raw shredded scrape as she flails around the bed. “Preston.”
“I’m here.”
She doesn’t register that, though because she lets out an ear-piercing wail that fucking crushes me.
When she yells for me again, I waste no time wrapping my arms around her.
She struggles for a few seconds, kicking and floundering, but then she wilts.
“Preston?” Her body feels like ice despite her sweat soaked skin. “Is it really you?”
She looks so dazed and weak, my chest knots. “It’s me, angry girl.”
Those hazel eyes go wide with panic. “It wasn’t before. He tricked me—”
“It was just a bad dream,” I assure her. “Besides, you know I’ll always keep you safe.”
I expect this to comfort her because it did last time…but it has the opposite effect.
Her tremors escalate. So do her sobs.
“You won’t.” Breaking out of my hold, she grips her hair and cries out, “You can’t.”
A range of emotions barrel into me at once. Anger, offense…and finally, resolve.
I’m not a moral, upstanding citizen and I sure as fuck never claim to be, but I’d protect this girl with my life without a second thought.
I grab her by the shoulders, forcing her to forget that damn nightmare and focus on me. “There’s nothing in the world that I wouldn’t do for you, angry girl. Nothing. Do you fucking hear me?”
She shakes her head, making it clear my words didn’t penetrate. “He said you can’t—”
“I can and I will,” I roar, causing her to jump.
I don’t care if God himself came to her in that nightmare and told her otherwise, as long as the fucked-up organ in my chest is still beating, I’ll always protect her.
Through any means necessary.
She nods slowly, appearing to finally grasp my words…and then she slumps against me—her soft sobs filling the room.
Jesus fucking Christ. She’s tearing me wide open.
I close my arms around her, pinning her to my bare chest. Her heart rate and breathing are erratic, and I’m hoping the close contact does the trick and calms her down.
It doesn’t, though. If anything, her heart beats faster.
Mine too.
I trace circles up and down her spine, trying to ignore the rush of lust that pulsates my groin whenever my fingertips brush over those little indents above her ass.
Goosebumps break out over her skin and I suppress a groan when her teeth scrape my shoulder.
I know she needs to be consoled and even though that shit isn’t in my DNA, I’m trying my best, but fuck…she’s playing with fire.
“Preston?”
“What?” It comes out with more bite than I intended.
Her voice is a broken, helpless whisper. “Make me forget for a little while.”
Those are the very same words I said to her that night.
Only this time, it’s not me asking.
It’s her.
Just like that, whatever self-control I had evaporates.
Blood rushes hot and thick through my veins as I dig my fingers into her ass and place her on her back, ignoring all the red flags and flashing warning signs blazing through my cerebellum.
Last time we were in bed together she was wearing cow footie pajamas, but that’s not the case now.
She’s in nothing but a thin white tank top and white cotton panties. Leaving little to the imagination.
I situate myself between her thighs, eliciting a sharp gasp from her. “Preston.”
She utters my name like a prayer she’s pleading with me to answer.
I run a knuckle down her cleavage, and she arches her back, granting me the visual of watching her nipples harden through the delicate fabric of her top.
Christ. I’m barely touching her but she’s responding like she’s having an orgasm.
I bite back a groan, the thought now compelling me to go on a mission to find out exactly what kinds of sounds she makes when she comes.
Leaning in, I hover my mouth over her nipple, intentionally teasing her. “You want my mouth here?”
Generally, I don’t question what women want in bed. Hell, I don’t need to. However, I’m not giving Kit a free pass to chalk tonight up to being seduced against her will.
I want her to acknowledge every move I make because she fucking asked for it.
Because she wants it, too.
Kit nods, but it’s not enough. I want to hear the actual words.
“Say it.”
“I…” She swallows. “I want your mouth there.” A shiver wracks her frame. “Please.”
I’m not done pressing her buttons just yet.
“Then what?” I give the fabric a little flick with my tongue. “Do you want me to taste them?” Enclosing my mouth around the bud, I pull it into my mouth before releasing it with a wet pop. “Suck them?”
“Yes.” Her eyes close and her sigh is expansive, like she’s defeated. “All of that.”
There it is.
Slowly, I shove her tank top up her stomach, taking in every sliver of buttery skin I uncover. Last time we were in this position it was dark, and my head was too fucked up to enjoy the visual.
But that’s not the case now.
I’m hard as a rock by the time I tug the material over her head, and her breasts are on full display.
A flush colors her cheeks, and her arms fly up to cover herself, like she’s embarrassed.
But she shouldn’t be. Kit’s not rocking a double D, but her tits are perky, and those pink puffy nipples drive me out of my goddamn mind.
In other words, “They’re fucking perfect.”
I’ve told her this before, but she must not have gotten the memo.
Plumping her tit in my hand, I draw her nipple into my mouth, taking urgent, greedy pulls that have her clutching my shoulder. “Oh, God.” Small needy whimpers fill the air when I give the same attention to the other one. The sound is a hard tug on my cock. “That feels so good.”
It’s about to feel even better.
I begin the slow, torturous descent down her body, stopping to lick and suck every inch of soft skin I come across.
I intend to explore and learn all her favorite spots tonight. Store them in my database as arsenal so I can drive her crazy whenever I want.
“Preston,” she hisses when I bracket my hands around her waist and tongue her belly button ring.
I’m not sure if it’s in warning because I’m edging closer to the holy grail between her legs…or because she likes it.
My gut tells me it’s both.
My thumbs sweep over her ribcage and I do it again. “Keep saying my name.”
Swallowing audibly, she looks down the length of her body at me. When our eyes lock, I bite the tender skin under her navel, leaving a mark. Her back bows as I do it, jerking like she’s a puppet on a string and I’m the master.
Suppressing a groan, I move onto her lower stomach, but pause when a tattoo I’ve never seen before catches my eye. Upon further inspection, I see the words, ‘Love me,’ scrawled in black ink.