Chapter 20

Kyle was the first to wake, finding her sleeping peacefully on her side. He’d spent the night awake, worrying about her, and had finally made up his mind. Leaning over her, he began to pepper her face with soft kisses.

She stirred awake easily, a smile gracing her lips as she opened her eyes.

“Morning,” she murmured.

“Morning, beautiful. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

“Kyle, it’s not a surprise. I can feel it poking me,” she teased, a giggle escaping her lips. She rolled onto her back, wrapping her arms around his neck.

As she arched her hips against him, he momentarily forgot the words he’d planned to say. Instead, he kissed her deeply.

Their hands began to roam, exploring each other’s bodies. Their desire escalated, and they made love.

An hour later, he rolled onto his side, pulling her close. “I’m taking you away for a few days.”

She tilted her head to look at him. “Why? Where?”

“I think you need a break from this place, to be able to go out and have some fun. I’m not sure where yet.

“I need to sort out my schedule and make sure everything’s in order here before we leave. We’ll head out on Friday.”

“Is this just to get me out of the way when Roy and his men raid the house?”

“That’s part of it, but I also think it’ll do you good to get away. Roy actually suggested it a while ago.

“I also want to take you out to dinner, maybe even dancing. But it depends on where we end up.”

He had it all planned out. They’d slip away late Friday night and drive until they were far enough away.

The night before they were set to leave, Joe showed up at Kyle’s place with two large pizzas and a couple of bottles of wine.

“Hey, guys. I figured you might be getting bored up here on your own, so I thought I’d come keep you company.”

Kyle would have preferred to be alone with Kiera, but Joe was a good friend and had been a great help, so he welcomed him in.

“Pizza sounds great. Come on in,” he said, taking the wine from Joe.

“Where’s Kiera?” Joe asked, setting the pizzas down on the coffee table.

“She’s in the shower, but she’ll be out soon. Open the wine while I go let her know you’re here.”

“Just don’t decide to join her and leave me here all alone,” Joe joked, chuckling.

Kyle shook his head, smiling as he walked away. He found Kiera just stepping out of the shower and handed her a towel, stealing a quick glance at her.

“You could have joined me, or if you want, I’ll go back in with you,” she teased, giving him a sultry smile.

He returned her smile. That was a tempting offer.

“As tempting as that sounds, we can’t. We have company. Joe’s here, and he brought pizza. I wanted to warn you so you didn’t walk out in something revealing.”

He pulled her into his arms for a quick kiss before pulling away. “I’ll see you after you get dressed.”

When she joined them in the living room, dressed in jeans and a cotton blouse, the sight of the pizza made her stomach growl. She loved pizza. It was her favorite food.

As the men stood up, she felt a sense of worth wash over her. No one had ever treated her with such respect before, and these two men made her feel good about herself.

“Dig in while it’s hot,” Joe said, handing her a plate and pouring her some wine.

They chatted, ate, and eventually decided to play a board game.

“I’m taking Kiera away for a few days,” Kyle announced as he rolled the dice.

Joe’s eyes shot up to look at him. “Do you think that’s wise? What if someone sees you together? Isn’t it safer for her to stay here?”

“We’re going far enough away where no one knows us. And it’s only for a short time. I need a break from here. The last few days have been hectic downstairs.”

“Where are you planning to go?”

“Nowhere specific. I’m just going to drive until I find a place where we can be alone and relax.” He looked up at Joe. “It sounds like you have a problem with us going away.”

Joe shook his head. “No, I don’t have a problem. I think it will do you both a world of good to get out of here.

“I’m just worried about the two of you out there alone with no backup. At least here you have the safety of your home and your brother-in-law to help protect you both.”

“Okay, you guys, enough serious talk. Are we playing this game, or what?” Kiera asked, hiccuping loudly. “Oh, excuse me,” she said, covering her mouth when she hiccuped again.

Both men looked at each other and smiled. Her cheeks were getting red, and she was slurring her words. They knew she was getting tipsy.

When she tried to stand up, she stumbled backward, landing in Kyle’s lap, and she giggled, followed by another hiccup.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I think I’ve had too much to drink. Maybe you should put me to bed.”

He lifted her up into his arms. “Just give me a minute, and I’ll be right back,” he said to Joe as he carried her to the bedroom.

“Night, Joe,” she said, waving to him as she was carried away.

Kyle laid her down on the bed and helped her get undressed. Not bothering to put her nightgown on, he just covered her up with the covers.

He preferred it when she slept naked. He loved the feel of her warm naked skin against his.

When he leaned down to kiss her, she wrapped her hands around his neck. “Come to bed and I’ll do things to you that will make you scream out my name,” she said, yawning.

He chuckled. “Sounds good, but you’re in no shape to do anything. Get some sleep, baby, and I’ll be with you shortly.”

He kissed her softly before she drifted off to sleep. He was head over heels for her, not just her body, but her entire being. He took one last look at her peaceful slumber before heading back to Joe.

“Someone’s going to have a hell of a hangover,” Joe said, a smirk playing on his lips.

“She was out cold the second her head hit the pillow. Damn, Joe. I didn’t know love could feel this amazing. And it’s all thanks to you.”

“Me? What did I do?”

“You were the one who spotted her profile and pointed her out. You helped me find the love of my life, and for that, I’ll always be grateful.”

“I’m glad I could help. She’s special and clearly didn’t belong on that site. I’m actually a bit jealous of you. I wish I had found her for myself.

“Who knows. We might have clicked, and she could have been the love of ~my~ life.”

“Joe, it doesn’t work like that. Kiera and I had this immediate connection. There was chemistry and sparks flying between us from the moment she first walked through my door.

“Don’t worry, buddy. There’s a special woman out there for you.”

“Yeah, maybe. So, any updates from Roy on the case? Any leads?”

“They found a house they think is where the girls are kept. It’s been under surveillance for a few days, and they’ve seen the two men who brought Kiera here going in and out.

“They’re waiting for the warrant to search the place, which should be any time now.”

“Wow, how did they figure out where to look?”

“She remembered a smell when they were bringing her here, a fishy smell. So the cops searched and found a seafood processing factory. I guess the house was hidden in the woods, out of sight.”

“She’s a smart girl,” Joe said, scratching the back of his head.

“You want to know what else?”

“Sure,” he answered, all ears.

“Her ex, Charlie Richards, was seen going in and leaving an hour later.”

“So you think he’s involved?”

“It seems like it, but we’re not sure what his role is until he’s brought in for questioning.”

“Haven’t they done that yet?”

“I guess not, since I haven’t heard back from Roy. It’s only a matter of time before they catch those guys and shut them down. Once that happens, Kiera can move on with her life. We both can.

“Until then, I’ll make sure she’s safe and those bastards don’t get their hands on her.”

“They better hurry. She’s only got two and a half weeks left before I have to hand her back over to the site. What are you going to do if it’s not resolved by then?”

“Then I’ll take her away from here. Roy mentioned she could go into the witness protection program. If it comes to that, I’m going with her.”

“I was just thinking, maybe you should let me take her instead. It might be safer for all of us, and you have your business to worry about.

“You know she’ll be safe with me, and I won’t make any moves on her.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I doubt she’ll go anywhere without me. Besides, I want this time away with her, and I can keep her safe.”

Joe just sat and stared at him for a moment. He knew he wasn’t going to change Kyle’s mind about him taking her, so he dropped the subject.

“Okay. Just be careful, and watch your back. It’s getting late, so I’ll head out. Have a safe trip, and I’ll see you when you get back.”

Kyle walked Joe to the door. He promised to call him once he got back from their trip.

He had a hunch that Joe had a small crush on Kiera, but he also trusted Joe and knew he would never try anything with her.

After cleaning up the mess, he went to bed. He stripped down and slid in next to her, wrapping his arm around her. She didn’t stir when he pulled her closer, only snuggled into him.

He woke up early to the sound of her retching in the bathroom. He got up and grabbed her robe and went to see if she was okay.

She was on her knees with her head over the bowl, so he went over and draped her robe over her shoulders and then held her hair back.

“Oh God, why did I have to drink so much,” she said, her throat raw and scratchy.

“I shouldn’t have let you, but you were having so much fun,” he said, placing a kiss on her neck. When she was done, he helped her up. “You go back to bed and get some rest.”

“But our trip. I need to pack and get ready.”

“We’re not leaving until late tonight, so there’s plenty of time. Now back to bed.”

“All right. Just let me wash up and brush my teeth.”

While she was doing that, he went and made her some tea and dry toast. He found her in bed. She had put on a nightgown by the time he returned to the bedroom.

“I hear dry toast is good for an upset stomach.”

“Thank you,” she said and took a sip of her tea. “I hope I didn’t make a fool of myself last night around Joe.”

“You didn’t. You were hilarious. I have some things to do downstairs, so while I’m gone, I want you to get plenty of rest. You can pack later when you’re feeling better.

“Oh, and make sure to bring along a nice dress. I plan on taking you to dinner and dancing at some point.”

Her eyes sparkled when she smiled. “Oh, I can’t wait. I’ll finally get to wear the earrings you bought me.”

“You have been wearing them.”

“I know, around here, but I want to be able to wear them with a nice dress outside the suite.”

He placed the palm of his hand against the side of her face.

“I get it, darling. Once we’ve sorted out this website chaos, I’ll take you out. Anywhere you want. I love you. But now, I really need to head out.”

He drew her in, planting a lingering, affectionate kiss on her lips before he left.