A Kingpin Love Affair: The Complete series(22)

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The next morning played out very similar to the first. It was awkward and even though he was a bit eager to get away from me, he hadn’t run from me this time—that alone caused my heartbeat to skyrocket.

He wanted to touch me in ways a man had never been allowed to, and I wanted to let him, solely because I felt safe with him. I felt desired, and though he showed it strangely, I felt cared for.

For someone to have that kind of hold over someone else’s emotions showed how much power they had over you. It was clear as day he had that type of power over me. I showered and dressed while he made breakfast, and as I braided my hair, my nose caught a whiff of coffee in the air. And was that bacon?

Once I was finished with my hair, I allowed the smell to guide me into the kitchen. As I closed in on Jared, I couldn’t remove my eyes from his body. His dark hair was a mess all over his head and his attention was focused on cooking breakfast.

His black shirt clung to his body, and for the first time in my life, I was jealous of another person’s shirt. Especially his. It got to rub against him, cling to his muscles, his abs, and his skin.

“Morning,” he said gruffly, pulling me from my ogling stare.

“Morning,” I replied, feeling as if I had been caught doing something wrong as I took a seat at the table. Not that staring was wrong—one couldn’t help it when someone that good looking was right in front of you. More so the thoughts that were swirling around inside of my head when I was staring at him.

He shot me a smile, relating my thoughts to his as he placed a plate of food in front of me. I smiled back at him, digging into my food right away. Anything to keep my mouth from running.

“Were going to the gun range today. I found some old lights down in the basement, so when we get home, I’ll set them up for you.” Food caught in my throat and I almost gasped for air. Did he just say gun range?

“Gun range?” I asked in confusion. He shot me an evil smile, one that should’ve scared me. Instead, it caused my blood to sing loudly and my heartbeat to pound in my ears.

“Don’t you remember what I told you last night? I want to teach you how to shoot a gun. Not only is it important for a woman to know how to do so, but it’s important to be able to protect yourself in general. Especially in a case where your attacker may be able to out power you. Having and knowing how to use a gun correctly could ultimately save your life.”

He wanted to put the power back in my hands. I told myself day in and day out that I wasn’t a victim, but a survivor. Since being rescued, it was all I had been doing. Surviving. I wasn’t really living because I was afraid of what was lurking on the other side of the door. I needed to move forward. But how could someone move forward in their life when they were afraid of change, of people or simply the dark?

“I….” I wasn’t sure what I had wanted to say. I couldn’t tell him no because, even if guns scared me, they had protected me back when those FBI agents swooped in and saved us. For every good thing, there was an evil one to everything in my life.

He eyed me hesitantly before sliding off his chair and coming to stand next to me. “I know it’s scary, and that everything in your life is scary right now, but I can’t allow you to stay here and not know how to protect yourself. If you don't do it for yourself, then at least do it for me… Because if something ever happened to you, and I knew there was something that I could’ve done, I would never forgive myself.” As my eyes met his, I felt the sentiment in his words and knew they were true.

I would be the reason for his downfall, and instead of bringing him back from the darkness, I would be sending him deeper into it. I needed to give him this peace of mind. I nodded my head, signaling I would go, even if it were just for him.

Silence consumed both of us as we cleaned the dishes from breakfast. Once done, I went back into my room and slipped my boots on as Jared grabbed the keys.

I followed him out into the garage, all the while watching him pull his leather jacket on. This was the one place in the house I had never been before, I thought as I took in the two cars parked side by side. I panicked as he headed for the bike that was off to the left. I would never in a million years get on that thing.

“We aren’t taking that, are we?” I asked, looking at him as if he had grown two heads.

“Oh, yes, we are, Isabella,” he said grinning as if he fed off my terror. I stopped dead in my tracks just short of the bike. It was black and sleek, and I wondered if it sparkled in the sunlight.

“Are you scared?” I could feel his breath on my neck as he reached around me to start it. My body reacted to his voice and the sound of the motor roaring to life. Terror consumed me, but underneath it was curiosity. A need to know if it would vibrate under my thighs and how my body would feel wrapped around his as the wind blew through my hair and against my skin. Would it be like flying?

He placed his hands on my hips, skimming his fingers over my skin causing me to bite my lip in reaction. God, I had never wanted to moan out in pleasure so much in my life.

“I promise I’ll go nice and slow….” His voice was sex on a stick as he lightly lifted me from my feet, placing me on the back of his bike.

Pulling my hair back, I allowed him to place a helmet on my head and then he was sliding in front of me causing our bodies to glide against one another’s. The friction alone caused a spark, a flame of fire to ignite between the two of us.