Kace (Allen Securities #2)(17)
Author: Madison Stevens

Jessica jumped when the door slammed behind her.

“Is this about before?” He came to stand in front of her. She could smell the soap from his shower. “Because I was just teasing. You throwing yourself on me was one of the best things anyone has ever done for me.”

She shook her head. “It’s just…” She sighed. “What are we doing here?”

His eyes narrowed on her. “I’m keeping you safe, and we’re seeing where this goes.”

Jessica backed up. His hard eyes searched her face, and she was afraid he would see what she wanted to hide.

“I mean us.” She looked wildly around for a way out. “What are we going to do when all this is over? We can’t just keep playing house.”

He stopped and stared at her. This was it. The thing that would push him away.

She yelped when he pushed her against the wall with his body.

“So don’t play house with me,” he said. “Move in. Bring your sister. Marry me. Make babies with me.”

Her heart beat wildly in her chest, and she forced herself to breathe deeply.

“Are you crazy?” She stared into his earnest face.

“Yes,” he said flatly. “You are the only thing that has given my life any real meaning or purpose. You.”

He leaned forward, their lips nearly touching.

“I can’t.”

Kace leaned back slightly. “Why? Why can’t you?”

She tried to think about why she couldn’t just upend her whole life to be with a man that made her feel like she’d never really been alive. Jessica took slow breaths and looked back to him. His eyes were fixed on her, more determined than anyone she’d ever seen.

“Okay.”

Her answer echoed in the front entrance.

“Thank God,” he mumbled and swept her up in a kiss.

Unlike the others they had shared, this was a slow burn, the passion building until they were lost in each other’s embrace. The kiss left her aching and needy in ways that she didn’t even know she could be.

Kace pushed her against the wall, and she groaned when she felt his hot length against her.

He pulled away slightly to lift her shirt off and paused when he had. She felt a blush creep over her as he continued to stare at her bared skin.

“So beautiful,” he whispered when he released the clasp on her bra.

She smiled at his honesty. He was never going to sugar-coat things, but that made the things he said that much sweeter.

He leaned down and rolled her hardened n**ples against the roof of his mouth. She groaned and moved her body against his. Jessica huffed when she wasn’t able to center herself against him.

Kace chuckled and grabbed her thighs. She gasped when he hoisted her up and pushed his hard c*ck against her hot core. Gripping his arms, she reveled in the feel of the muscles beneath her fingers.

Her hands snaked behind him and grasped his hair to pull him back into a deep kiss. His warm fingers molded her breast to his hands and hissed when his calloused palms rubbed against her hard peaks.

He lowered her feet back to the floor, and she bit back a protest. When he came back up, he spun her around, so she was facing the wall.

Without much effort, he slipped her jeans down her legs, kissing and nipping the exposed skin as he went along. She stepped out and tried to turn but was stopped by his forceful hands.

His pants rustled as he pulled the zipper down. When she tried to look, he stepped out of her view. The crinkle of the condom came, and then she felt him, prodding her, bumping the hard head against her tender clit.

Without warning, he filled her to the hilt. He reached so far inside that she felt him pushing against her stomach. Kace stayed still for a moment and let her adjust. After a bit, she was able to gyrate her h*ps over him.

“Baby,” he groaned. “I can’t hold off much longer.”

“Fuck me,” she said and reached behind to push him against her walls.

Kace groaned. “You keep talking like that, and I’m not going to hold back.”

“Who told you to hold back?” She twisted her head and shot him a dirty look. “I said f**k me damn it!”

Kace let off a stream of curse words as he began to slam into her. She bounced into the wall as he gripped her h*ps with unyielding force. Jessica braced herself against the wall and pushed back against him.

Her h*ps bucked wildly. She came hard when his fingers gripped onto her br**sts. The more he pinched her n**ples, the harder her walls contracted around him. She felt him push hard into her one last time. The wave of her second orgasm hit, and she shook so hard her legs caved beneath her.

His hands on her h*ps gripped her hard to keep her from falling down.

When he pulled out, she shuddered at the loss. She turned in his arms and embraced him like she wanted to earlier.

“Let’s go to bed.” She yawned.

Kace nodded.

Chapter Seventeen

Jessica groaned with Kace kissed her for about the millionth time outside the shop.

“That’s it,” she said and pushed back on his hard chest. “I can’t sit out here kissing you all day.”

He stuck his lower lip out and pouted at her. She couldn’t help but laugh at how silly he was being. Although, she had to admit, seeing him dressed in uniform made her want to do things to him that wouldn’t be legal in a number of states.

She grinned at his sharp look and leaned over. Giving into temptation, she kissed him again and yanked on his cuffs.

“You bring these to bed, and we won’t have to worry about going off to work,” she laughed.

He groaned and lunged for her, but she was just quick enough to slip away in time.

“You don’t know what you do to me,” he complained. Jessica grinned.

“Oh I think I do, and if I’m right, I’m not that much different.” She shifted in her seat, only proving her point.

Kace took a deep breath and waved to Ryder through the window of the pastry shop.

“So just remember, no going into the house before Ryder checks it. You stay as a group. Just grab what you need and get out.”

Jessica sighed. “I’m not a baby.”

“I worry,” he said quietly. “I’ll meet you at the club, and remember I love you.”

Her heart beat wildly every time he said it. He loved her and he meant it. Not only that, but he would stop at nothing to keep her safe, which both frightened and flattered her.

“I love you too,” she said and blushed. This whole love thing was going to take more than just a few days for her to get used to.

He grinned when she climbed out and turned around. She knew how happy it made him and that, in turn, made her happy.

“Go do your paperwork,” she said through the window. “I’ll see you later.”

She waved to him once she reached the door of the shop.

“Wow, I didn’t think you’d ever stop kissing,” Victoria said from the other side of the counter. Ryder coughed loudly. She suspected it was to cover the laugh.

“Hey, I don’t think I would want to stop kissing him either,” a short girl with curly blonde hair said next to Victoria.

Jessica laughed. “Hey, Taylor.”

“So what’s up with all the man-cakes around here? And where do I sign up to get one of my own?” Her fairy-tale cute face was no match for the foul mouth that Taylor had developed over the years.

“Love to help you out with that, but there’s no list.” She looked over to Ryder. “Unless you’ve got a brother you want to torture a bit.”

Ryder laughed loudly. Jessica smiled. It wasn’t often that people were able to see that side of him. She only wished her friend could see that as well. Jessica peeked around the corner to see Irene watching him intently, her cheeks bright with color.

She slipped behind the counter and moved to the door leading to the back.

“Still hiding I see,” she said when she had stepped into the back.

Irene shot her a dirty look.

“It’s not like that,” Irene said.

“Oh?” Jessica looked into the front to see Ryder looking hotly at Irene.

“No,” she said and smoothed her apron over skirt. “I’m just very busy.”

“Are you still going to go with me over to the house?” she asked.

Irene creased her pretty brow and stared at Jessica. “Of course I’m going.”

Jessica looked back to Ryder. “Well, he’s our ride.”

They walked further into the shop, where Irene was working on a new batch of cookies. The still warm sugar cookies rested on pans. Jessica snatched one from the pan before Irene could tell her not to.

“Oh you know how much I hate that,” Irene complained.

Jessica grinned at her. “Maybe I know and just find it funny.” Irene continued to glare, and Jessica started to feel bad. “So how has business been?”

Irene smiled brightly.

“Things are going great,” she said. “Business is really starting to boom, and the girls have been such a help.”

She smiled warmly toward the front. It was hard not to see the love she had for her cousin and Jessica’s sister.

“So.” Jessica clapped her hands and walked around the small kitchen. “You ready to go to my place?”

Irene stepped closer and glanced toward the door.

“Is it really that bad?” she asked. “I mean, I know you got the letter, but is it really so bad you can’t go back to the house still?”

Jessica shrugged. She knew Kace might be over-reacting, but honestly, putting her sister at risk wasn’t something that she wanted to do. Ever.

There’d been reports on the news of an explosion at sea. Finn wouldn’t confirm if it’d been the arms shipment, but Kace and Jessica assumed as such. They’d been surprised the Russians hadn’t already retaliated. A little extra safety definitely wasn’t out of line.

“It’s a risk,” Jessica said. “I honestly can’t even guess when this will all be over. I thought that things would come to a head after they shot up the club, but it’s been nearly three days, and we haven’t heard anything.”

Irene washed her hands and then grabbed the dough on the table. She rolled it out with the ease and precision of someone who had been doing it for years.

“I just don’t know how you do it there,” she said. Jessica noticed her hand shook as she picked up a cookie cutter. She placed her hand on top of Irene’s.

“I’m being as safe as I can be,” she said and squeezed her hand. “I know you worry, but it will all blow over. Last thing the Russian mob wants to do is make this into something where the police want their heads on a pike.”

She pulled away and moved to the other side of the metal work table.

“Wanting to take out Finn and some of his guys makes sense.” She looked into Irene’s clear green eyes. “I’m just an easy way to make a point to Finn. It’s not something against me, I just happen to be around.”

Irene stopped slapping the cookie cutter into the dough and looked up. Her eyes were filled with tears, which she quickly dashed away.

“If anything happened to you,” she started.

“It won’t,” Jessica said firmly. “I’ve got Kace protecting me.”

Irene gave a small smile and nodded.

“So what’s going on with that?” Irene asked shyly.

Jessica sighed and leaned against the table as her friend finished cutting the cookies. She watched as Irene lined them up on a tray.

“Kace is…” Jessica giggled. “He’s complicated and amazing and…” She shrugged. “I’m in love with him.”

Irene whirled around and jumped when the oven door snapped shut.

“Love?”

The reaction wasn’t totally unexpected considering Irene had very little experience with men in general.

“Isn’t that a little fast?” Irene set the potholders on the table.

Jessica laughed and nodded. “Yup. And crazy, but it doesn’t change how right things are with him.”

“So are you going to start dating?”

Jessica cringed. “He’s asked me to move in with him.” She giggled after she thought for a moment. “Actually, he asked me to move in, get married and have babies.”

When she looked at Irene, she burst out laughing. Her eyes were so huge, they looked like two saucers.

“And you told him yes?” she whispered.

“Well,” Jessica said. “Actually, I think what I said was okay.” She grinned at her friend.

Irene frowned. “You shouldn’t joke about this.”

Jessica reached for Irene’s hands and gave a squeeze. “Life is too short. We’re taking it day by day, and for now, we are focusing on getting past all this shit.” She smiled. “But I’m really not rushing into this. I’ve dated. I know what I want and don’t want. Kace makes me happy and it’s not often that I’m happy like that.”

Irene came around the table and wrapped her in a warm hug. “If you’re happy, I’m happy.”

Ryder cleared his throat at the doorway.

“Sorry to interrupt,” he said, looking directly at Irene. “But we need to get going.”

Irene hurried to busy herself with the stove.

Jessica turned to Ryder and gave a nod. His eyes turned back to Irene, and he gave a sigh before walking back to the front. When she turned around, Irene was placing the hot sheets on the table.

“You know,” she said when Irene looked up at her. “You might give that whole happiness thing a try.”

Irene wrinkled her brow and glanced to the door.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said firmly.

Jessica held up her hands. “Okay, just saying.”

Irene yanked off her apron and slammed it onto the table.

“Shouldn’t we be going?” she asked.

Jessica laughed and followed out the door.