Wicked Bad Boys (47 page)

K
evin was frustrated
. Snow started falling last night and didn’t look like it would ever stop. The original forecast was conservative when compared to what actually fell. Most businesses in town chose to close for the duration of the storm. Roads were barely drivable, and snow emergency responders were in place. He was stranded and felt so helpless. He wanted to be with Tara. He needed to be there to take care of her, instead of looking out the living room window, not knowing how she was doing. And she wouldn’t answer her phone. He wondered if that had anything to do with her new neighbor being there.

“What’s Tara been up to?” His father asked from where he was lounging on the couch, as if reading Kevin’s mind.

He turned to find his dad, head still buried behind the two day old newspaper, as there was no delivery during the storm.

“Couldn’t tell you.”

“Oh. I just thought you’d want to be at her place spending quality time with her, instead of sitting at the window and watching the snow pile up. Come to think of it, we haven’t seen her for a while. Did you two have a fight?”

“It’s been eight days, two hours, and twenty-three minutes, but who’s counting?” Kevin mumbled.

His dad raised an eyebrow and put down the paper. “Obviously not you. What’s going on?”

His dad really seemed interested, but Kevin didn’t want to focus on anything negative. It was hard enough to tell his parents about the officer stationed outside their own house, remaining in place until the blizzard forced them to take cover. His parents were missing Jake, and trying to get back into a normal routine. None of this was helping.

“Can we talk about it later?” Kevin stood up from the chair next to the window. “I’m going to my room. If anything exciting happens, let me know.”

He got to his room just in time to hear his cell phone ringing. Hope swelled inside him, but as he glanced at his phone, he frowned. It wasn’t Tara.

“Hello?”

“Hey Kevin. What’s up, dude?”

“Hey, Howard, how are you, man?” He sat down on his bed. He had not heard from him since Howard graduated from Alaska University at the same time as Tara. It was a surprise, to say a least. “Long time no hear. What are you up to?”

“You’ve got that right. It’s been too long. Not up to a whole lot right this second. You remember I moved out east, right?

“I think you mentioned south when we talked last. How long has it been?”

“Months, bud. Yeah, I found a gig at a marine life zoo out in Florida.”

“Sweet, man! Congrats.”

“Yeah, lucky break. Today I’m lounging on Miami Beach. It’s seventy-four degrees here, and talk about beautiful…the sun’s shining and the water is amazing.”

“What I wouldn’t give to be in Florida right now. We’re in the middle of a blizzard.”

“That’s why I was calling, man. Remember Jen?”

“Of course I remember Jen. You only dated the entire four years we were at U of A. How’s she doing?”

“Great now. We’re getting hitched.”

“Congratulations, bud!”

“Thanks man. It’s a small wedding, and neither of us have a lot of family. So that’s why I was calling, dude. I was hoping you’d come down.”

Kevin didn’t know what to say. He sat there for a while, trying to figure out how he could bow out gracefully without airing his dirty laundry. There were several reasons he couldn’t go. For one thing, he wasn’t allowed out of town.

“I’d love to, but—”

“Perfect!” Howard interrupted without letting him finish. “You can fly in on Friday and fly out on Sunday. If you could get away a few extra days, maybe you could even stay longer and hang with us through the week of Christmas.”

“Howard. I’m so tempted, man. But I really can’t. Thanks for the offer, but—”

“Is this about that girl…what’s her name…Tara?” Howard said. “I never really understood your relationship. You said you were friends, but there was obviously something there. I don’t remember you dating anyone.”

“I dated,” he argued. It hadn’t been often, but he’d had a couple encounters with women in his four years of college. “It doesn’t have anything to do with Tara. The timing is a little tough right now.”

“Okay, because you’re more than welcome to bring her along. You might only be friends, but friends can go on vacation together.”

He rambled on some more and Kevin got lost in his babble. Howard enjoyed talking. Kevin remembered that.

“And Tara’s pretty. I’m not really sure why you two never hooked up. Is it because she’s more like a sister to you?”

“She’s not like a sister. If you must know, we did get together.”

“Whoa…so you and Tara hooked up? Nice! I never thought you’d go for it. All those countless hours of denying you were interested and finally—”

“Look. Sorry, man. I just can’t come to Florida right now. I’m dealing with some personal commitments. The timing is really bad right now, but maybe after the New Year we can make some plans to come down.”

“Hey, man. No worries.”

“And I’ve got to head out? It was good to hear from you. Congrats on the wedding too, man. Thank you for calling. I better go.”

“Yeah, sure man. You take…”

Kevin disconnected the call without giving Howard a chance to complete his reply. He threw his phone down, irritated that he’d allowed his frustration get the best of him. He needed to find a way to talk to Tara.

K
evin woke
up the next morning and stared out his bedroom window. The snow had stopped. He ran downstairs and turned on the TV, roaming through channels until he spotted the weather station.

The numbers are in and much of Washington State saw almost twenty-eight inches of snow. Thousands of people will be digging out today. Plows have been out all night working their best to clear the roads. Most weather alerts have been lifted, and motorists are advised to take caution when driving today.

He barely slept last night thinking about her, and didn’t want to spend another day without seeing her. He would beg her to forgive him and take him back if he had to. He ran upstairs and grabbed some clothes, then headed to the shower. The sooner he got to her, the better he’d feel. The shower was quick and he was dressed in no time. He ran back downstairs and heard his parents in the kitchen.

“Dad, can I borrow your truck?” he asked, bursting in.

“Hello to you, too,” his dad replied sarcastically. “What do you need the truck for?” he asked, reaching into his pocket and producing the keys.

“I want to go to Tara’s house and make sure everything’s all right. The emergency road ban has been lifted.”

“Can’t you call her? The emergency might’ve been lifted, but there’s lots of snow out there. You probably won’t be able to get to the truck, let alone drive it out of the driveway.”

“I have to try,” he argued. He didn’t want to call her, because he worried that she would tell him not to bother coming.

His dad tossed him the keys. “Be careful out there,” he said.

“I will.” Kevin looked between his mom and dad. “Thanks, Dad. See you soon, Mom!”

He hurried out of the kitchen and threw on his coat, hat, and boots. He made a point of choosing one of the hats Tara had knitted for him. Met with a snow bank in their front yard, he waded through the thick snow and found the shovel to dig out the truck. It would take a while to dig out, but he didn’t care.

T
ara snuggled
against the arm that caressed her. Her mind drifted to Kevin and how much she wanted to be with him. He gently rubbed over her arm and she groaned. He touched her hand, gliding his finger up and down so gently. She shifted her body against him, feeling the need growing inside her body. As her eyes remained closed, she was lost in the glorious sensation of his touch. She lifted her palm to his bare chest. Her hand remained covered by his as she glided her fingers over each ridge along his chest. “Hmm…” she sighed.

By touch alone, she admired his hard body as her eyes fluttered open. “Good morning, beautiful,” he said. A smile brightened his eyes.

“Good—” She pulled away and jumped up when she realized Reggie had climbed into her bed. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“You let me stay over, remember?”

“Yes, on the couch. Not in my bed! Get out!”

“Come on Tara. You know you want me. Come back here and I’ll take good care of you. I’ll show you moves you’ve never seen before.”

Reggie tried to grab her hand, but she kept the bed between them and continued to evade him.

“I don’t know who you think you are, I’m not interested in you, Reggie. I have a boyfriend. Now it’s time for you to go, okay? Please. Just leave.”

“You know you want, me, Tara. You weren’t exactly pulling away when I slid into bed with you.”

“I was confused. I thought you were Kevin. You, on the other hand, knew exactly what you were doing.”

He laughed. “Listen here, princess, when a beautiful girl makes advances on me, I don’t back away from them. You called my name while I was beside you. It didn’t sound like you were fantasizing about your boyfriend.”

She rolled her eyes. She’d talked to him late into the night, until finally she went up to sleep. It didn’t come as a surprise that he was the one on her mind. But for him to get in her bed was inexcusable. And now he wouldn’t leave.

“How exactly did I make advances on you?”

“What was last night when we talked on the couch then? Friendly conversation? And why did you phone me before that? The furnace switch was off, I’m sure you could have figured that out.”

Tara couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“I’d be more than willing to take your man’s place, if you know what I mean.” He took a long stride forward and was now in her space, crowding her and not letting her leave. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him. Before she could react, his lips were pressed to hers.

Her body reacted instinctively and she pulled away and slapped him hard on his face. Before her palm connected with his cheek a second time, he grabbed her wrist.

“Let me go!” she said through clenched teeth. She pulled her hand away and hurried out of her room and downstairs to the front door before screaming, “You need to leave now, Reggie!”

He sauntered behind her, stopping in the living room to get his shirt and other clothes. Finally he got the message. She stood at the door, taking a few slow breaths. Her heart was beating so fast that she needed to calm down before she could made eye contact again.

“You don’t have to be this way, Tara. I can see you’re interested in me, and I’m your closest neighbor, so—”

“Will you please stop talking!” she ordered. “I’m
not
interested in you. Put your shirt on and get out of here.”

As the words left her mouth, she heard a knock at her door.
Who could that be
? She walked over and looked outside. It was Kevin. She turned back to him as he still stood there, shirtless.

“Please, put your shirt on,” she pleaded, this time with more urgency.

Kevin was standing outside, waiting for her to open up and the last thing she needed was for him to see Reggie at her place with no shirt on. Reggie did as he was told.

She took a deep breath and opened the door. “Hi Kevin…I’m so glad you’re here. Come in, honey.”

“I…” Before he made it in the door, Tara planted a long kiss on his lips. As they pulled away, Kevin turned to Reggie.

“Oh. You had company, Tara?” He stared at Reggie and then slowly turned back to Tara. “I thought maybe you were…I mean, I stopped by to…I thought I could…” He paused, after seeming to try to get out the words and failing. Tara could see his face tense up as he assessed what might have been happening before he showed up. “I didn’t mean to bother you, Tara. See you later.”

He turned on his heel and darted from the door.

“Kevin…wait!” she called. Quickly facing Reggie, she added, “I need you
gone
.” She slipped on her boots and ran out the door with nothing but pajamas on. Kevin bolted, so she had to rush after him through the piles of snow on the path to the road, and only made it to Kevin’s truck as he’d gotten it started.

“Kevin, please don’t go!” she begged.

“You’re going to catch your death standing here with no coat on, Tara,” he mumbled, without looking at her.

“I don’t care,” she said. “I need you to come back inside.”

He looked up. The only emotion she saw in his eyes was pain. Maybe some anger too.

“Why?” he asked. “It looked to me like you have it under control. Someone’s there to help you with whatever you need…”

She reached in and grabbed his hand. “It isn’t like that. Let me explain. Please, Kevin.”

When their eyes met, he slowly nodded, shut off the car and walked with her back to the house. She sighed with relief. Once he heard it all, he would see it was all a misunderstanding—and possibly some poor judgment on her part. But at least he’d know the truth.

K
evin was
careful not to make contact with Tara’s hand, body, or any other part of her. He didn’t know what to think about the strange guy at her front door, shirt half open. When they got up the front steps, the man was just leaving. He looked at Kevin and there was a hint of smile on his face. All Kevin could manage was a look of disdain.

“You must be Kevin.”

He didn’t acknowledge the man, so the stranger continued.

“I’m Reggie.” When Kevin only glared at him, he added, “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

This time, Kevin’s interest was piqued. “Is that so? I’ve heard nothing about you.”

Reggie’s smile faded. He started to move past them, but turned around and said, “For the record…you’re one hell of a lucky man.”

Kevin was ready to charge forward first and ask questions later, but Tara grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the door.

“Goodbye, Reggie!” she said.

The door closed behind him as he left and she finally let go of Kevin.

“Would fighting really solve anything?” she asked, pulling off her coat and putting it back on the coatrack.

“Might make me feel better,” he said sarcastically. He remained near the door, still wearing his coat, hat, and gloves. “So you got me back here. Start talking.”

She wrapped her arms around him and melted into his arms. “I missed you so much Kevin. I wish I wasn’t so bull-headed, leaving you like that on Thanksgiving. I was so sure I was doing the right thing for everyone. I was wrong, right up to when you called two nights ago. And I made a stupid mistake letting this guy fix the furnace. He seemed nice when he came to welcome me to the neighborhood, but turned out to be a first class jerk.”

“Did anything happen between the two of you?”

“No. Well yes.”

“What!”

“No not what you think hun. He tried to hit on me just before you got here—”

“Hit on you how?”

Tara hesitated. She could imagine how Kevin would react to him getting into her bed, but she didn’t want to lie or keep anything from him anymore.

“He came into my bedroom and kissed me even after I asked him to leave.”

His face tightened with rage as he reached for the door handle. “Where does he live? I’ll kill the fucker.”

“Kevin, no! It’s fine now. I asked him to leave. And now he’s gone. He got the hint and he’s gone now, okay?”

“No it’s not okay. I’m gonna need to have a talk with that son of a bitch.”

“No Kevin. Just leave it alone. It’s done. And don’t talk like that; about killing anyone. Especially now, with Jake…”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. But no neighbor is going to try anything with my woman just like that. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, but you can’t imagine what I went through in the house for the last couple of nights—”

Her voice halted as the lights suddenly flickered off again, darkening the hallway. She threw up her hands and looked to the sky. “Not again. The power’s been going on and off like this since the storm began.”

He frowned. He hadn’t had a single outage at home. Suddenly he felt even more guilt for not being there for Tara.

“God, I’m so sorry, Tara. I should have come here sooner. I was an ass. Plain and simple.”

“Maybe we both were. I could so use a coffee now. I’ll fill the kettle and the coffee pot for next time the power comes back on.”

“And all the stores are closed in town, otherwise I’d go get us some.” he replied, pulling off his winter clothes.

He headed into the kitchen, where she was already busying herself at the coffee pot. “So how did you manage the last few nights?”

“It was not fun, that’s for sure. Time just kind of dragged on and I lost track of how many times I lost power. The furnace can barely keep up. Can you feel how cold it is in here?”

“Oh yeah,” he mumbled, leaning on the wall near the kitchen door, looking at her. He still felt a little awkward, but mostly guilty. “I meant what I said on the phone. I’ve missed you terribly, Tara.”

She stopped in the middle of pouring the water into the coffee maker. “I meant it, too. I’ve missed you.”

Kevin couldn’t resist anymore. He walked up behind her, set down the coffee maker from her hands, and turned her around to face him.

“Make me a promise,” he said, cupping her face with both hands.

“Yes?”

“No matter what goes down from now on, that you and I are in it together. I can’t see a future without you, Tara.”

Her eyes welled up with tears as he looked at her. “I promise. I love you so much, Kevin. Being with you means everything to me. I’ve spent most of my time wondering what you were up to and if you were thinking about me.”

He kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I was…I always have been. I called so many times, just hoping to hear your voice.”

“It was so hard not taking your calls, Kevin. I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to give you mixed messages.”

“Well, I just had to make sure you were okay. In fact…” He hesitated. He hoped she wouldn’t get angry at his next statement. “I have a little confession to make myself.”

“What do you mean?”

“I asked the police to watch both our homes.”

Her eyes widened. “You mean whoever’s been parking a big white van outside? When he nodded, she let out an exasperated laugh. “Thank Heaven!”

“I didn’t think you’d be this understanding. Another van has been watching my place, too, but I hadn’t been around to tell you and I was afraid you’d be upset about it.”

She shook her head. “You don’t understand. I spent the past week worried about that van. I thought maybe Jake got another vehicle to use, and when it wasn’t here during the storm…I didn’t know what to think.”

“They called me and told me due to staff shortages during the storm, they couldn’t be stationed outside, they’d pass by off and on. Have you noticed anything strange lately?”

She shook her head. “It’s been pretty quiet. I have to admit, it’s mostly been my mind playing tricks to scare the crap out of me.”

“How do you mean?”

“Oh, nothing. Had a few bad dreams about him. The last one was so vivid though—”

“It’ll pass when things settle down for good.”

“You know, I watched the news right up to before the storm made the cable service so choppy. They haven’t mentioned anything about new murders. Do you think Jake left town for good? Maybe he got scared off when they posted about the vehicles he’s been seen driving.”

“It’s possible,” Kevin replied, but he didn’t want to get her hopes up.

In fact, he didn’t want to talk about Jake anymore. He wanted to get back to rekindling what they’d lost. He leaned in and gave her a soft kiss on her lips.

“I love you so much, Tara.”

“I love you, too, Kevin.”

“Do you think maybe we could get back to where we were? Christmas is only a couple of weeks away, and I need you beside me.”

“I should never have left, Kevin. Yes. I want to get back to that place. We belong together.”

“Don’t ever leave me like that,” he whispered in her ear, and trailed soft kisses to her lips. There was so much lost time to make up for.

“
R
ight here
?” Tara asked as Kevin slipped off her clothes one by one in the kitchen. “It’s a little chilly don’t you think?”

“I want you so bad, Tara” he groaned. “I’ll warm you up.”

He kissed along her neck and down to her breast. God how he missed her. And every moan she made got his cock harder. All he wanted was worship her body. He kissed down to her navel and heard her moan so loudly it near unraveled him. This was his woman, and he needed to feel her everywhere. He parted her legs gently and blew on her clit.

“Oh…Kevin,” she groaned, slipping her hand through his hair. “I missed your touch.”

He slid his tongue over her clit and she hissed. He could barely wait to take her.

“Tell me your pussy is mine, Tara,” he said between his tongue’s attack on her clit.

“Oh God, yes baby it’s all yours,” she managed to say in a whisper, pulling his head closer to her as she rocked her hips for more contact.

Kevin darted his tongue into her opening and it seemed like her knees buckled, but he continued to ravage her. She was close. He could feel it. He pulled away just enough to slide two fingers inside her. As she rocked on them, he looked up at her admiring the abandon on her face.

“Ride my fingers until you come, baby.”

He felt her undulations intensify and latched on to her clit.

“I’m. Coming. Kevin. Oh. God!”

She let out a squeal and he could see he hit her sweet spot. Her body trembled and her knees near completely bucked as she came. Kevin stood up to hold her so she wouldn’t fall, and let her rest her head on his chest.

“I want to feel you inside me Kevin,” she said as she panted for air and unzipped his jeans. “I’ve missed you so.”

“Me too, baby,” he whispered, pushing his pants and boxers down his body.

He lifted her up onto the counter and stood between her legs, spreading them to get in position. He held on to her hips, and with a single, hungry thrust, he was inside her, feeling her tightness around his shaft.

“Fuck.”

He couldn’t wait any longer. He buried his cock deep inside and began to rock back and forth, finding a rhythm that drove him to the edge. He felt her arms lock around his neck and saw her head drop back as she groaned her pleasure. Her hips were rocking with his pace and he knew she could come again soon.

“Come with me, Tara,” he rumbled.

As he felt her channel tighten against his shaft, he let his orgasm release into her with one final blow. His body tingled from head to toe as he came, and he let himself enjoy the moment as Tara collapsed into his chest. After a few minutes, they slowly recovered from their bliss.

“I want you again, Kevin,” Tara whispered. The sound vibrated through his chest, like music to his ears.

T
ara fell back
on the bed, groaning as she hit hard against the mattress.

“I need you.”

She pulled him on top of her and lifted her head to press her lips against his. She let him own her mouth as his tongue dueled with hers. She moaned when he kissed her neck. It was so electrifying, feeling his touch again. She pulled him closer, rubbing her hands up and down his back as her clit throbbed with need.

His breath turned hot against her skin as he hungrily sought her breast. She grasped his hair with a force, and dug into his skin.

“You’re so sexy when you’re rough,” he said as he looked up at her. Her pussy trembled at his words. He latched hard onto her nipple again, and she felt his hand snake down to her mound. She was so aroused she could come from his touch.

“Oh God, baby,” she whimpered, bucking her hips up as her body begged for him to enter her.

He continued to suck her nipples, as if not noticing how she squirmed beneath him, but soon he was on board. He lowered himself on her and she could feel his massive erection twitch against her slit.

“Yes…” she hissed, moving her opening against his cock, and clawing at his back to pull him closer. She thrust herself up harder, until she couldn’t go any farther. He was teasing her. She moved her body again, shifting so she could feel his bulge press against her. She writhed beneath him. He brought his mouth back up to hers and kissed her passionately as his hands trailed down her sides and wrapped around her waist. She was anxious to feel him inside.

“Fuck me, Kevin. Fuck me hard.”

Finally, he complied. He lifted off her just enough to slip inside, gently at first, but she needed him to pick up the pace. She bucked her hips up hard to meet his slow yet deliberate thrusts, and cupped his ass for leverage. She cried out as he began to pound harder and deeper into her.

“Yes!” She screamed. Her climax broke from its reins again and wracked through her body as she felt his body stiffen, and then his release inside her. She collapsed. It felt so good to enjoy the afterglow and Kevin on top of her, keeping her warm and safe again. It was as if they had not missed a beat, except it felt better than before.