I lay my head against his chest and feel his powerful heartbeat pounding against my ear, picking up speed as his hands tighten on my shoulders.
“When you’ve trained in martial arts for as long as I have, you learn to keep your emotions in check. I could tell by how he carried himself he’d be easy work if it came to blows, but a fighting man never takes anything for granted. So I had to stay calm. But trust me, Kelly, I’m fucking furious. He’s lucky I didn’t snap his goddamn neck for barging in here like that.”
I look up into the fury of his expression, touched by his words. “I thought he was done with his sick games. It’s been months since he last showed up. He won’t leave Mom the hell alone. It’s like he can’t believe anybody would dare to break up with him, which is stupid because he’s a terrible person. Of course, Mom would break up with him.”
He sighs, leaning down to lay a surprisingly tender kiss against my forehead.
“I can’t stand the idea of him showing up when I’m not here. My job is to protect you, to protect the family we’re going to build together.”
I shiver under the heat of his words, letting them wash over me. “But what the heck can we do? I’ve talked to Mom about moving and she refuses to. We installed a security alarm, but he has things that can disable them. I didn’t even know they existed before.”
Kaleb nods. “Yeah, the security companies use them. He must’ve gotten his hands on a bootleg one.”
We walk over to the couch, Kaleb dropping down and pulling me into his lap. I slide effortlessly into his embrace, a sizzling warmth moving through my body when I feel how full of pent-up throbbing lust he is, even now.
“I’m going to hire a security firm to keep tabs on you and your Mom until this bastard is dealt with.”
“How am I going to explain that to my Mom?”
Kaleb thinks for a moment, eyes intense and brimming with animal protectiveness. “Tell her you told Natalie about what happened, and she spoke to me and I offered to arrange it, as a friend of the family.”
“I don’t like the idea of lying to her,” I murmur.
“Then let’s tell her the truth,” Kaleb says passionately. “And let’s tell Natalie, for that matter. You’re right. We shouldn’t lie. It’s going to be damn difficult, but it’s better than sneaking around.”
“No.” I’m shocked by how harsh my voice sounds. “We can’t tell her. It would break her heart.”
He stares at me for a long moment, something like rage entering his expression. “We can’t keep this a secret forever, Kelly. Unless you didn’t mean what you said. Unless you don’t feel the same.”
I leap up from his lap, the flickering flame inside of me mutating and becoming something darker, meaner, rage-filled. “I didn’t say that, did I? But we can’t…”
“We have to,” he snarls, rising to his feet, looming over me the same way he did in the bedroom.
Chapter Ten
Kaleb
I stare at my woman, no less beautiful and captivating now that she’s clothed than when she was naked. Even after confronting that Lennie lunatic, my body still roars out for hers, the primal pulse inside of me commanding me to claim her at this moment.
She gazes at me and then aims her gaze downward. “I can’t stand the idea of telling Natalie and hurting her.”
My sigh comes out ragged. “What’s the alternative? We’re going to be together forever. We belong together, Kelly. You fucking belong to me. I’m going to take that tight virgin hole when you’re good and ready – and then what… What are you going to say to her when you turn up one day with a swollen belly filled with our child?”
She spins away from me, her wavy hair flying. “Don’t yell at me, Kaleb.”
I laugh in disbelief. “I’m not yelling. I’m talking truth to you.”
She spins back, her eyes wide. “This is all moving so fast—”
I stalk forward, closing the distance between us, and grip her shoulders.
I still her words with a kiss.
She gasps, the sound muffled, and then sinks into it the same way she did at the studio. She moans through the tight press of our lips, as our mouths open and our tongues magnetize to each other.
I growl and slowly slide my hands down her body, grabbing greedy handfuls of her hips, pulling her so it’s like we could sink into each other and become one right now.
“I fucking need you,” I snarl, keeping my lips close to hers so I can taste her tempting breath. “Your body needs me. We can’t fight this.”
“I know,” she whimpers, gazing up at me in that adorably innocent way, the same way she will when she’s on her back and I’m driving my manhood deep inside of her. “I’m not saying that. But the idea of telling her makes me crazy.”