The Officer (Forbidden Encounters 2)

Lucy

* * *

“What’s going on? What’s wrong?” I ask when I see a sleep ruffled Kenton on the other side of my door.

My heart pounds and breaks at the same time. He must know it was me he saw there. That’s why he’s here. That’s why he pulled up, sirens blazing to my front door.

“I needed to come to your rescue. It has come to an end,” he says. He’s not making much sense but my body trembles and I fight back tears. I was desperately hoping he couldn’t tell it was me there in the warehouse. I guess that was a longshot hope.

“Oh no Lucy, please don’t cry. Please don’t cry,” he begs. He laces his hands in my hair at the back of my head and kisses my forehead whispering sweet nothings in my ear. “Lucy let’s go to bed, please. Can we just go to bed for now?”

I sniffle and step back so he can walk into the house and close the door. Picking me up, he tucks me against his chest and carries me down the hallway. I don’t know what to think of what’s going on. It wasn’t the reaction I was expecting when I heard the sirens or saw his face at the door. His eyes are wild, his body is shaking, and a part of me wonders if he has gone mad.

That his grief was from the knowledge of my betrayal. How can I trust him?

My father made me choose between the man I love for another man I love, and for that I can never fully forgive him.

We get to my room and in two long strides, he lowers me to my bed. He quickly kicks off his shoes and crawls in under the covers next to me. Wrapping me in a blanket of heat from his body as he curls up next to me. His arms and legs wrap around me in an unfamiliar shell of comfort. I have never been in his arms like this. This is something different. This is more tender. More desperate.

And though it is something I have never done before, not quite like this, I know exactly what we both need. Tilting my face up to his, I kiss with every ounce of longing and desperation in me in case this is the last night I get to be in his arms.

Because in my heart I know. After he finds out it was me in that warehouse, he is never going to forgive me.

I slide my hands up and around his neck and begin to pour myself into the soft kisses. “Kenton,” I whisper, “make love to me.”

Saying nothing, he rolls, pressing my body into the mattress, his eyes burning into mine. I arch beneath him as the weight of him between my legs fills me with demanding desire. I have never wanted anyone the way I want Kenton; I want him all the time, which drives me crazy.

Smiling in the dark, I enjoy the way his body fits perfectly against mine as my legs rise, wrapping around his trim waist. Watching him from beneath, his eyes darken, and I feel his breathing change. It's shallow, as his eyes look down, watching as my hands slide his shirt up and off. My hands move over his shoulders, and he closes his eyes, enjoying the sensation of skin against skin.

I love how he responds to my touch as if it alone could soothe away the deepest pain. He opens his eyes slowly, leans toward me, pressing himself harder against my center, sending blood pulsing through my body. I gasp in pleasure, always in awe of the way he moves me.

He's smiling now, as his eyes flicker from mine to my parted lips. My heartbeat quickens in anticipation as his lips move closer to mine, closing the gap as he slides his hands up to my face, gently caressing me, before leaning in and fixing his mouth on mine in a slow-burning kiss. The kiss deepens as he slides his hand back down, cupping my breast.

My legs part further as I reach down, freeing him from his pants. I enjoy the way he feels in my hands, long and hard; the feeling alone is almost enough to make me wet.

His eyes close in pleasure as I stroke him. His breath is uneven as he slides his hands up my nightgown now and pulls down my panties and drops them to the floor. Looking into my eyes, he slowly grinds against me; our centers pressed tightly in a way that has my eyes rolling back in pleasure. I want him so badly, I feel like I'll go mad without him inside me.

As if reading my mind, he slips inside me, filling my body with his. I gasp in pleasure as his mouth fixes on mine as if to catch that first breath of delight. He grinds against me at a slow

heart-pounding pace, as his hands slide up and grasp my hair. Sliding my hands up the length of his body, enjoying the way the lean muscles tighten under my touch, I slowly drag my nails down his back. He groans in pleasure, his eyes watching me now in a way that leaves me breathless.

"Lucy," he murmurs, his lips now tracing kisses from my ear down my neck. Fixing his mouth on my throat, he bites gently. I gasp in pleasure and surprise as I arch beneath him, loving the way Kenton moves against me. He has such a beautiful body, I wish there were more time to enjoy it, but with all that is pressing down on us now, I wonder if this might be our last night together. The very idea has my heart breaking in my chest, and I feel a single tear trickle down my cheek. I never want this to end; I want to live and die in his arms, to forever be entangled between these sheets, feeling his heart pounding against his chest and reverberating in mine.

Chapter Eleven

KENTON

The early dawn creeps in and sheds light illuminating a small bedroom. Frowning against the sunlight, I raise my hand and cover my eyes. Where am I? The room is relatively unfamiliar to me. Turning my head slowly, I notice a small nightstand. The clock is blinking 7:05 AM.

I never sleep until seven and I never sleep anywhere except for my home or the office. Raising my arms, I find that I am unable to move. What is obstructing me? Sitting up is now impossible. Looking over to my right, it all comes back to me. Last night’s adventures and misadventures. I had the most awful nightmare of my entire life. And considering I am an officer of the law, that means a great deal. I have seen a lot in my twenty years on the force, enough for any man to have flashbacks. It was part of what led to my divorce and why I moved to Wyoming years ago. I had enough of the big city life and needed the peace and tranquility of the countryside. My ex-wife didn’t want to leave the city. She did for a while but in the end, she hated the small town and ended up moving back to the city.

I don’t have nightmares near as often as I used to, though. I think that is why last night shook me to my core. Looking over now, I see the lovely Lucy in bed. In the early morning light, I just know, my nightmare was just that. A nightmare. Nothing more. She wasn’t there last night.

I love the way she curls up against me in her sleep. It seems natural for her to want to turn to me and it gives me hope that on a subconscious level, she knows that I am a safe person. This says a lot considering she’s had so few safe people in her life. Yes, I know Noah loves her in his own way, but he never puts her first.

For years I had to sit by and watch him disappoint that little girl, who, despite her parent’s flaws, grew into a remarkable woman. After our incredible lovemaking session this morning though, I think it is time I start telling people that we are together. Maybe not today, but the time is growing closer as I realize how important we are to each other. In fact, last night was a major sign that we are making real progress in our relationship.

Who would think that I, a forty-year-old man, could go up to my nineteen-year-old girlfriend, pour my heart into her, and she would have the emotional maturity to comfort me? I know exactly what I need. Understanding on such a deep level is so rare in relationships. I am incredibly lucky to have her in my life.