Levi retrieved a carton of eggs from the refrigerator, along with some mushrooms, ham, and cheese, to make them each an omelet for breakfast. Sarah was still in the shower—once again, his fault—because as soon as he’d soaped up his hands and begun washing her body, they’d both gotten distracted. Touching Sarah and feeling her soft, wet, naked skin beneath his palms had his dick wanting her all over again, even after his first orgasm should have left him sated. Except he didn’t have any condoms in the house—which he planned to rectify today—but that admission hadn’t stopped her from going down on her knees in front of him and doing the next best thing.
With her looking up at him with eager blue eyes filled with the desire to please him and warm water from the shower cascading over her shoulders, he knew there was no way he could resist her. Nor did he want to. Was he dying to feel her sweet, soft, innocent mouth sucking him off? Abso-fucking-lutely. But beyond that typical male fantasy, another part of him hoped that their physical connection would be the start to her trusting him with more than just her body. Because there was no denying that Levi wasn’t ready to let Sarah go anytime soon, and especially not until he knew whatever she was running from no longer had the ability to harm her in any way.
But all those thoughts fled his mind as he’d leaned against the tile shower stall with his hands tangled in her wet hair, and she’d whispered the words, “Tell me what you want. Show me how you like it best.”
In graphic, filthy words that had her wetting her lips in anticipation, he told her all the ways he wanted to fuck her delectable mouth, then watched as she took as much of his cock between those silky lips as she could and proceeded to blow his fucking mind—as well as his dick. She did everything he demanded and learned fast as to what he liked the most, even as her own instincts took over.
Her velvet-textured tongue caressed the underside of his shaft, and she gripped the base of his erection tight with her fingers while her lips slid up and down the rigid length of his shaft. And when she reached up and gently massaged his taut balls in her hand, he couldn’t stop his eyes from rolling back in pure gratification.
As she continued to work him over, all of her uncertainties vanished, and a sultry vixen took her place as she sucked him like she couldn’t get enough of his taste. With each pass, she relaxed a little more, enveloped him a little deeper, and they both moaned when the broad head of his cock finally bumped the back of her throat. She instinctively swallowed around him, squeezing the sensitive tip, and holy fuck, he had to grit his teeth against the blinding jolt of need to unleash the lust pulsing through his cock.
“Goddamn, Sarah. I’m going to come,” he warned her in a gruff tone.
She answered him by sucking harder instead of pulling away, destroying him and shredding his control. She closed her eyes, relaxed her jaw, and let him set the pace, even when he anchored his hand at the nape of her neck and started thrusting in earnest as he chased after another orgasm that was no less intense than the one he’d just experienced in the bedroom with her.
The way she’d accepted everything he had to give, and had swallowed every damn drop, had been just as scalding hot as when he’d marked her body with his come. Never had he felt so possessive of a woman as he had with Sarah in that moment, and he’d been shocked by just how much he wanted to claim her and make her his in every way that mattered.
Even now, the recollection was powerful enough to make him shudder all over again and had his unruly dick—which should have been completely drained by those two orgasms—perking up for more.
“Shit,” he muttered as he whisked half a dozen eggs into a froth. He could only imagine what it was going to do to him when he finally buried himself in her tight, wet heat and felt her come around his cock.
He exhaled a deep breath and rerouted his thoughts before they made him harder than he already was, especially if he intended to have breakfast ready before Sarah joined him.
Fifteen minutes later, he had two fluffy omelets on a plate, filled with sautéed ham and mushrooms and topped with melted cheese. Just as he finished pouring them each a glass of chilled orange juice, Sarah walked into the kitchen. Her hair was still damp from her shower, and he loved how fresh and natural her face looked without any makeup. She’d put on the same pair of thread-bare jeans that she wore to work that were much too loose on her and an equally old, faded T-shirt. Having helped her pack her belongings last night, he now knew she owned only a few pieces of clothing.
When their gazes met, she gave him a sweet, shy smile, and he knew the pink flush that suffused her cheeks was a result of what she’d just done to him in the shower. She might have been eager to suck his cock, but in the real light of day, she looked so prim and proper and was obviously still coming to terms with how easily she’d relinquished any semblance of modesty with him. While he, on the other hand, intended to coax that naughty behavior out to play every chance he got.
As soon as she reached him, he took her beautiful face in his hands and drew her mouth to his. She came willingly, and as soon as their lips touched, hers automatically parted on a welcoming sigh. He swept his tongue inside, tasting a subtle hint of the mint toothpaste she’d used to brush her teeth as he kissed her softly and slowly, seducing her rather than ravishing her.
Her hands came up to his chest and she melted against him. He loved that she was letting down her walls and trusting him, even if it was just physically for now. He’d take whatever he could get, and hopefully the rest of her would come around in time.
He eventually ended the kiss, and she stared up at him with dreamy eyes hazed over with desire. “Good morning,” she murmured.
He skimmed his thumb along her damp bottom lip and gave her a bad-boy grin. “Yeah, it was pretty fucking fabulous.”
She caught his sexy reference to the orgasms they’d both enjoyed and ducked her head to hide another rush of color to her face. “Whatever you made smells delicious.”
He handed her a plate and a glass of orange juice before picking up his own. “Good, because I expect you to eat every single bite.”
“Are you trying to fatten me up?” she asked in a teasing voice as she walked to the dining table and slid into the same chair she’d occupied last night. “Because between the pasta and the chocolate dessert you fed me at dinner, and now this huge omelet, I’m going to gain ten pounds.”
“I think we should aim for at least fifteen or twenty,” he said seriously as he started in on his own breakfast. While she wasn’t malnourished, there was no doubt in his mind that her previous diet hadn’t done her body any favors. She was too thin, and he was fairly certain it wasn’t by choice.
She picked up her fork but didn’t take a bite. “If I’m lucky, it’ll go to my breasts and not straight to my stomach and thighs,” she said wryly.
“Your breasts are fucking perfect just the way they are.” Those soft mounds of flesh had fit into his hands as if they’d been made solely for him, and in his opinion, more than a mouthful was a waste. “If I had any say in the matter, I’d distribute the extra curves to your hips so there’s something substantial for me to grab on to when I’m fucking you, and your ass so there’s a bit of padding to cushion my hard thrusts when I take you from behind.”
Her eyes rounded in shock, and he was satisfied to see that she didn’t look opposed to either scenario. Good thing, because that was just barely scraping the surface of all the dirty, sexy things he wanted to do to her.
When she didn’t respond verbally, he pointed his fork at her plate. “Now eat, all of it,” he ordered like a drill sergeant. “Or I’ll put you over my knee and spank you like a bad girl.”
Her blonde brows rose, but she didn’t seem against that kinky idea, either. Instead, a faint and sassy smile tugged at her lips. “Yes, Officer Kincaid.”
And there went his goddamn dick again, twitching at the husky sound of Sarah’s voice as she used his rank as a cop in a way that made him envision her in his handcuffs and him as the authority figure. Oh, fuck yeah. Tonight, she was going to find out exactly what Officer Kincaid was capable of.
After a few minutes of them quietly eating, Levi decided he needed to let Sarah know what he had planned for the day. He glanced across the table as he took a drink of his orange juice, pleased to see she’d finished more than half of her omelet.
“There’s some personal things I need to do today that will probably take me a few hours,” he said, waiting until she looked up at him before continuing. “I need you to stay in this house and not go anywhere while I’m gone so I don’t worry about you, okay?”
She shrugged as she cut another section of her omelet with her fork. “It’s not like I have anywhere to go, except to work tonight.”
“Good,” he said with a nod. “You can spend the rest of the morning and afternoon relaxing and watching TV. I have Netflix, so I’m sure you can find a couple of movies you’d like to see.”
She had no idea of his plans, but her job was going to change as of today, because he was done letting Sarah put herself in potentially dangerous situations. For the rest of her time in Chicago, he needed to know that she was in a safe environment, including at her job. But until he talked to Clay and had his brother’s agreement, he wasn’t ready to inform Sarah of that change to both her place of employment and to her work schedule. He was anticipating an argument when he did, and it was one he intended to win.
“I’ll leave my cell phone number with you. If you need anything at all while I’m gone, you call me, okay?”
She took a sip of her juice. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
That wasn’t the answer he wanted to hear. He placed his fork on his empty plate, braced his forearms on the table, and made sure she saw his serious-as-hell-expression. “But you’ll call me if you need anything, right?” he repeated adamantly.
She rolled her eyes at him, as if he were being ridiculous. “Yes, Officer Kincaid.”
Oh, yeah, he was definitely bringing out the handcuffs tonight.
* * *
The first stop Levi made was to the Sleepy Time Motel. Even in broad daylight, the place looked like a fucking shithole, but at least he was there early enough that there weren’t any junkies, prostitutes, or drug dealers hanging around yet. He parked his truck and headed toward the front of the motel and the single glass door with a hand-written note taped to the window that read, CHECK IN HERE.
As he stepped inside the tiny office that was more the size of a cubicle with a long, high counter dividing the room into two even smaller sections, a buzzing sound announced his arrival. The office was empty, and when no one appeared to help him, he impatiently pushed the buzzer on the counter until a side door opened and an unkempt, middle-aged man with long, stringy hair and a grungy beard came stumbling out, wearing just a pair of flannel pajama pants.
“Jesus, man,” the guy grumbled irritably. “I was on the toilet.”
He ambled up to the counter, bringing with him the strong, unpleasant scent of having just smoked weed. The dude looked stoned, but since Levi wasn’t here in an official capacity, he didn’t give a crap what the guy had been doing before he’d arrived.
“What do you want? Hourly or daily rate?” the man asked as he searched for something beneath the other side of the counter.
“Neither. I’m not here for a room.” When the guy narrowed his gaze suspiciously, Levi explained. “You have a guest staying here by the name of Sarah Robins. Room 116. She’s been here a few weeks.”
Before Levi could finish what he’d been about to say, the other man cut in with an annoyed look. “What’s with this chick all of a sudden? Since she’s been at the motel, I’ve never seen her with a john, and now you’re the second guy that’s come in here asking for her by name.”
Levi didn’t bother correcting the other guy’s assumption. He was too caught up in what the man had just revealed. “What do you mean I’m the second guy who’s asked about her? When did the other person come by, and what was his name?”
“It was late last night and I don’t know what the hell his name was. I didn’t ask,” he said testily. “I told him her room number, and that’s the last I saw of him. It’s not my job to keep track of all the johns that stop in here.”
Levi’s stomach twisted with sudden unease. Some man had been looking specifically for Sarah, and he knew damn well it wasn’t for the reasons this jerk was insinuating. So, who was the guy and what did he want with her?
“Last night, her room was broken into and she was robbed.” Coincidence? Levi had no idea, but he didn’t like the fact that the two incidences had happened the same exact evening.
“Yeah, my maintenance guy texted me this morning that the bathroom window was busted open, and when he went inside, the place was trashed.” The other guy looked Levi up and down. “You here to pay for the damages, then?”
Levi almost laughed in the man’s face. “No. I’m here to report the break-in and check Ms. Robins out of this . . . place,” he said, catching himself before a more derogatory description fell out of his mouth. “She won’t be staying here any longer.” Especially now that he knew that another man had come looking for her.
The clerk leaned insolently against the counter. “Yeah, well, if the damages aren’t paid for, then Ms. Robins can kiss her deposit, and the rest of her week’s payment for the room, good-bye.”
Levi smiled, and it wasn’t a pleasant one. No, this was an I’m going to kick your fucking ass and enjoy it kind of smirk. If the asshole thought it was okay to threaten him, then Levi had no qualms doing the same. It wasn’t Sarah’s fault that her room had been ransacked, and there was no way in hell Levi was going to let this prick cheat her out of money that was rightfully hers and that she needed now that her stash had been stolen.
Reaching into his pocket, Levi retrieved his wallet and flipped it open to show the pothead his shiny police badge. The guy’s eyes widened, and he immediately went pale and took a wobbly step back as an oh shit kind of look appeared on his face.
“Yeah, that’s right. I’m a cop,” he stated, his tone smug because there was no doubt that Levi now had the upper hand in the situation. “Do you really want me to file a report with CPD for the break-in and robbery to get Ms. Robin’s payment back? Because if I have to take the time to write up a fucking statement, I can guarantee that there will be more than a few other offenses on the report, including you being under the influence.”
“No, no, of course not,” he backtracked quickly, though he didn’t look happy about parting with the money. “I’ll just write a check for the reimbursement.”
No way was Levi accepting a bank check from this dump and risking the chance that it would most likely bounce. “I want it in cash.”
The guy’s bloodshot eyes glared at him. “I don’t have that much money on hand.”
“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” Levi boomed incredulously. “Did you not hear me when I said I’m a cop? I know that ninety-nine percent of your hourly rate clientele at this hotel pays in cash. Don’t dick around with me.”
The man’s lips pressed into a thin line of annoyance, but he wisely held back the scathing words he undoubtedly wanted to spew at Levi. Instead, he said, “I’ll be right back,” then disappeared through the side door again.
Levi glanced at the time on his phone, giving the guy five minutes to return before he went and got the goddamn money himself. Luckily, the idiot returned in four and a half and slammed down a handful of dollar bills on the counter in front of Levi.
“See, now that wasn’t so difficult, was it?” Levi asked pleasantly after he counted the cash to make sure the guy had included the rest of the week’s payment and the deposit.
It was all there, so his job here was done, though he couldn’t stop wondering about the other man who’d inquired about Sarah. He pocketed the money to give to her when he got back home and smiled at the angry-looking clerk. “Have a nice day,” Levi said sarcastically, and headed back to his truck.
One errand down, one to go.
Before leaving the parking lot, Levi texted Clay: Are you around? I need to talk to you.
Clay’s response came back within seconds. I’m at the bar doing inventory. Is everything okay?
It wasn’t hard to imagine Clay’s worried expression. Old habits died hard for his oldest brother, who’d spent most of his life taking care of, and looking after, Mason and Levi. Everything is fine. I just need to ask a favor. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.
Levi drove toward the bar that his brother owned. Kincaid’s was located in a more run-down part of the city, and even though Clay had inherited a shitload of money from the previous owner, along with the bar, he refused to move the place to a better area. Clay didn’t need or want much, but he enjoyed the bar and patrons, though he spent a lot less time there now that he and Samantha were married.
When Levi arrived at Kincaid’s, he used the back door to the bar, knowing that it remained open during the early afternoon hours for deliveries. He found Clay in his office, sitting behind his desk and inputting information into his computer. He rapped his knuckles on the doorframe to announce his presence, and his brother glanced up and waved him into the room.
“Hey,” Clay greeted as Levi settled into one of the chairs in front of his brother’s desk. “How are the fractured ribs?”
“Still sore and bruised,” Levi said with a shrug, indulging his brother with the initial small talk. “But nothing I can’t deal with.”
A wry grin eased across Clay’s lips. “You and I both know if that had happened to Mason, he would have been whining to both of us every single fucking day about every little ache and pain.”
Levi laughed in agreement, because despite acting tough, their middle brother was far more melodramatic than the two of them had ever been. “That’s why I’m the cop, and not him.” Fucking pussy.
“Speaking of which . . . when do you go back to work?”
“Another two or three weeks, after my doctor clears me for duty again.”
Clay raised an inquisitive brow. “Are you bored out of your mind yet?”
Levi had been heading in the direction of boredom, until everything with Sarah had given him something to focus on. “Actually, the past few days have been . . . interesting, and I’m not talking about that ambush of nosey women arriving on my doorstep on Saturday,” he said pointedly, because Clay’s wife had been a part of that posse of inquisitive females.
Clay chuckled and held up his hands, absolving himself of that decision. “I had nothing to do with it. Mason is on a fact-finding mission about your mystery woman. He’s dying to know what’s going on between the two of you.”
Levi smirked as he stretched his legs out in front of him. “I’m sure he was disappointed when Katrina came home without any top-secret information about Sarah.”
His older brother inclined his head to confirm Levi’s suspicions, but Clay didn’t press for more details, even if his gaze was brimming with curiosity about the woman he’d met at the hospital. Instead, he changed the subject, which really didn’t change the direction of the conversation at all since it was all about Sarah.
“So . . . you’re not one to ask for favors,” Clay finally said as he leaned back in his leather chair and regarded Levi speculatively. “What’s up?”
Levi got right to the point. “I need you to hire Sarah as a cocktail waitress at Kincaid’s.”
Clay’s mouth opened, then shut again, clearly taken aback by the unexpected request. And clearly shocked that Levi’s favor was all about the woman they’d just been discussing.
Finally, after a few quiet moments had passed, his brother spoke.
“Why do you need me to hire her?” Clay asked.
His brother didn’t hesitate to point out the strong and direct language Levi had used when most people would have asked the question in a more casual manner, like, “Would you be able to hire Sarah?” The word need implied an emotional connection to Sarah, as well as a personal stake in what happened to her.
And he couldn’t deny that he felt both of those sentiments.
Clay was waiting for an answer, and Levi knew he owed him an explanation, which would also help his brother to better understand the situation. “For starters, Sarah works at the Circle K where I was shot.”
“She was the one who was getting robbed the night you were there, right?” he asked, remembering what Sarah had told him at the hospital.
“Yes. The asshole had a fucking gun pointed to her head,” Levi said, uncaring of how protective he sounded. “The mart is also in a shitty part of Englewood, and I’d feel much better if she worked somewhere . . . safe.”
“Where you can keep an eye on her?” Clay asked with a raised brow.
“Where she’s surrounded by people I trust,” he clarified. “Also, she’s been living in a motel for well over a month, and it’s the kind that rents by the hour because that’s all she can afford.”
Clay winced, his expression immediately sympathetic, because they both knew all about the sacrifices a person had to make when they were scraping every penny to get by. “Jesus.”
“And last night, her room was ransacked and robbed,” Levi went on so Clay would understand how dire Sarah’s situation really was. “Whoever went through the place tore it apart and stole all the money she had. And she didn’t have much to begin with.”
“And she’s still staying there?” Clay asked incredulously.
“Are you fucking kidding me? Of course not.” Levi looked Clay in the eye from across the desk, realizing how much he was about to reveal about his personal life—which was something he didn’t share openly. Not even with his brothers. It was all part of that control issue of his and learning at an early age to hold everything inside. “Sarah is staying at my place.”
Surprise flickered in Clay’s eyes, and a lazy smile kicked up one corner of his mouth. “Damn. And here I thought I was the only one in the family with the White Knight Syndrome.”
Levi’s brother was known for helping those who were down on their luck in some way, like the damsel in distress he’d rescued, who’d landed in his bar months ago in an attempt to escape marriage to a man she didn’t love. Now, that same woman was Clay’s wife.
“Don’t worry, your nickname, Saint Clay, is still intact,” Levi assured him with a teasing grin. “Unlike you, I don’t make it a habit of rescuing women.”
Clay tipped his head curiously. “The fact that you don’t make it a habit, yet this woman seems to be the exception, is what intrigues me.”
Levi had grown up being the one who always analyzed people and situations, and he realized that he didn’t like being on the receiving end of his brother’s scrutiny. “I’m just trying to help Sarah through a hard time, not marry her,” he said sarcastically.
Clay’s eyes glimmered with amusement. “Yeah, well, take it from someone who knows firsthand. Helping the right woman isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”
Things had worked out well for Clay, but for as much as Levi was coming to care about Sarah, she’d made it clear that she wasn’t staying in Chicago much longer. And while a huge part of him didn’t want her to leave, Levi also knew that he had no right to ask her to stay when he’d never been able to sustain a long-term relationship with any woman before. The last thing he wanted to do was lead Sarah on only to break her heart somewhere down the line. None of which meant his stomach wasn’t in knots at the thought of her taking off and him never hearing from her again. He’d just have to cross that bridge when he came to it.
Levi also had no desire to elaborate with Clay, so he brought the discussion back to his original purpose for being there at the bar. “You never answered my question. Will you hire her?”
Clay rubbed a hand across his chin as he considered the request once again. “Does she have any experience working in a bar or waitressing?”
“Did Samantha?” he shot right back, reminding his brother that his wife had never worked any job before walking into Kincaid’s that fateful night.
Levi had no idea if Sarah had ever worked in a bar or a restaurant, but he wasn’t about to let Clay use any lack of experience on her part as an excuse not to hire her.
Clay chuckled. “Point taken.”
Leaning forward in his chair, Levi braced his forearms on his thighs. “Just give her a chance to prove herself. That’s all I’m asking.”
“You care about her,” Clay murmured. The words were a statement of fact and not a question.
Yeah, Levi cared, probably more than was wise, but he wasn’t about to confirm or deny his brother’s comment. “Sarah’s had a rough life, she’s struggling right now, and I just want to make this one thing easy for her.”
Clay nodded in understanding, because if there was one thing his brother was very familiar with, it was the hardship and struggle to survive and get by. “Then consider her hired.”
