Sophie Oak - One to Keep

Max and Rye surrounded their wife. They hugged her and kissed her, whispering words of comfort to her. Their hands found her belly and rested on the child growing there.

“Where are the sheriff and Zane and Callie?” Laura Niles was on her formidable heels as he stared at the cell. Jen stood inside, watching him with hooded eyes. He could still remember the way she’d cursed him as he locked her inside.

He spoke to Laura, but he couldn’t take his eyes off Jennifer.

“Hospital. Mel’s with them. No one is critical. Nate was shot, but it was in his shoulder. He doesn’t want anyone visiting until tomorrow.” Stella patted his back as she walked past. “I’ll head down anyway.

Someone will have to sit with Mel. And maybe translate for him. He has a theory about the aliens taking over pharmaceutical companies. It could go really poorly for those doctors.” Laura hurried after Stella. “I’ll keep you company, Stella.” Marie and Teeny had been left behind, too. They were one of Bliss’s oldest couples and ran the Trading Post together. Nate’s deputy, Logan, called them both Mom. After Max assured them Logan was all right and was simply handling the paperwork with the feds, they decided to stay on and man the station so the men could get some rest.

Rest. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to do that. A weird, angry energy was thrumming through his veins. He wanted to hit something—or fuck someone. Not someone. Jennifer. Sinking himself into Jennifer’s soft body would take away the pain.

He shook off the thought. He couldn’t use her like that. It would mean something to her. Hell, it would mean something to him, and neither one of them was ready for that. She was so damn young, so impetuous. Tonight had certainly proven that.

“Come on, Jennifer. I’ll take you home.” He owed her that, at least. She was so beautiful, even with mascara running down her cheeks. She took a hand wipe from Teeny and washed off her face.

He would have to stay away from her. He couldn’t ask Max or Rye to take her home. He had to do it himself, but he needed to keep his distance, or he would make a mistake they would both regret. He could feel it.

“Fuck you, Stef.” She shoved her way past him.

Volcanic rage threatened to overtake him. It wasn’t about her, but she was going to take the brunt unless she stopped pushing him. Hell, she’d been pushing him for a year and a half, ever since she waltzed into Bliss and declared she’d come to learn from him. She’d wanted him to teach her his techniques.

Stef didn’t teach. Not art at least. Now the finer points of Dominance and submission, that was another story. The Dom in him responded to her lack of respect. He followed her as she strode out of the building.

The early autumn air was already taking on a distinct chill at night, but it did nothing to cool Stef’s blood. Watching her walk away spurred his instincts to track her down. She walked quickly, as though she knew the danger she was in. Stef followed, blood pounding through his system. His thinking brain kept reasoning that he would just follow her and make sure she got home all right.

But that dark, dirty part of him knew what this was—a hunt that would end with him taking her down.

He quickly opened the door to his Land Rover, stashed the shotgun, and followed her. Her shoes clicked on the sidewalk as she passed the town hall and rushed across the street. He knew exactly where she was going. Her tiny apartment was over the diner. Stella had rented the little studio to her when she’d taken the waitressing job there. Jen turned the corner of the alley that led into the parking lot, and Stef jogged to catch up. He wouldn’t let her close the door on him.

She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned. She fairly vibrated with rage. “What are you doing, Stef?” That was an awfully good question, and he didn’t have much of an answer. He came up with the safest one he could find. “Protecting you.”

She rolled those green eyes. In the moonlight her skin looked like fine porcelain. “From what? Max said all the bad guys are dead.” He groped for an answer to that. “But the bikers are still around.

Until they know the hit is off Zane, they’ll still look for him.” She walked straight up to him and shoved a finger into his chest.

“Then go protect Zane. I don’t need your protection, Stef. I don’t want it, and I don’t want you.”

“Liar.” She’d always wanted him. She’d thrown herself at him. He just hadn’t thought it was a good idea to catch her.

She shook her head. “Nope. After the stunt you pulled tonight, I have zero desire to have anything to do with you. As a matter of fact, I should thank your perverted ass. Thank you, Stef. Thank you for finally showing me what an asshole you are. It totally frees me up to find someone who can actually get it up around me.” He actually saw red. It swam in front of his eyes like a mist, clouding everything, making the world seem a little unreal.

She just kept talking. “I think that tomorrow I’m going to do what Callie didn’t manage to do. I’m going to find myself some hot tourist and fuck the hell out of him. I’ve wasted a year and a half hoping you would actually see me. That’s not going to happen because you can’t fuck a woman who doesn’t kiss your feet. Can you, King Stefan?” He tried to breathe deeply. “Stop. Jennifer, if you stop now, I might be able to walk away.”

“If there’s one thing I am sure of it’s your ability to walk away from me.” She turned on her heels. “Go back home, Stef. I’m done with you.”

He reached out and grabbed her, hauling her back by her wrist.

She stumbled, but he caught her.

“What are you doing?” She yelled the question as she tried to get her balance back.

Stef was done talking. Talking didn’t mean anything to her. He’d tried to explain. He’d tried to stay away. He’d tried to be her friend.

She wouldn’t stop pushing. He planted his shoulder in her midsection and had her in a fireman’s hold before she could move.

Her hands beat on his back. He welcomed the sensation.

“Put me down, you jackass!”

He climbed the stairs toward her apartment with no thought but getting her inside and showing her just how fast he could get it up around her. He could handle the accusation that he was an asshole.

That was a simple, documented fact. But he was always hard around her. Fuck, half the time he couldn’t breathe when she was around.

And he knew he couldn’t think. How could he be expected to when all the blood in his body shifted to his cock the minute she walked in a room?

He reached out and opened the door. It opened without the need of a key.

“Damn it, Jennifer. Anyone could walk in here.”

“Yeah, I’m getting that now.” She pounded on his back. She tried kicking her legs, but he had a good hold on those. “Let me down, Stef.”

He set her on her feet and shut the door. He had her in a neat little cage now. She wouldn’t be able to get away from him. She stumbled, trying to put some distance between them.

“Get out.”

He looked around and quickly found what he needed. She had a pile of folded laundry in a hamper on a table in the small kitchen area.

Delicates. He selected a tiny pink thong. It would look lovely between the cheeks of her ass. He had another use in mind.

“OMG, you are such a perv,” she ranted on. “You’re going to steal my panties? You ignore me for over a year, and then you steal my undies?”

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” He heard his Dom voice turn on. It was low and seemed to come from a place deep inside his chest. It felt good to lose control, like a drug running through his system, lighting up his every nerve.