Defending Everly (Mountain Mercenaries #5)(66)

“And maybe wash your face,” Everly said with a chuckle.

He shook his head. “Nope. I’m gonna leave you there for as long as possible.”

“Ball!” she exclaimed, propping herself up on his chest and lightly smacking his shoulder. “That’s gross!”

“Nothing about you is gross,” Ball said with a smile. “Now scoot over and let me up. I need to put on some boxers so you aren’t tempted to jump me again when you help me clean my wound.”

Shit! She’d truly forgotten all about it. Everly scrambled off him so fast, she would’ve fallen if he didn’t put out a hand to steady her. “Damn! I forgot! Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

He didn’t answer, and Everly looked at him with concern.

Then she rolled her eyes. His gaze was glued once more to her boobs.

Leaning over, she grabbed his T-shirt, which was miraculously still clinging to the edge of the mattress. She pulled it over her head and barely resisted laughing when he blinked, as if coming out of a trance. She had a feeling flashing her boobs at him in the future would be a great way to distract him. “Ball? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he reassured her, then rolled off the mattress and stretched gingerly.

Everly devoured him with her eyes. Lying down naked, he was hot, but standing and displaying every inch of his rock-hard body? He was fucking phenomenal.

“Like what you see, Ev?”

“You know I do,” she told him, staring at the way his thigh muscles bunched as he walked toward her.

“My eyes are up here,” he quipped.

Everly didn’t even feel guilty for taking her own sweet time in meeting his gaze. Even semihard and still covered in a condom, his cock was impressive. She licked her lips.

“Fuck, Everly. Cut me a break here, would ya? I’m trying my best not to jump you and fuck you so hard, you’ll feel me every time you sit for a week.”

His words made her shiver. As it was, she was already going to be sore, considering how hard she’d taken him, but thinking about him being in charge in bed was enough to make her nipples tighten under his shirt once more.

He grabbed the back of her neck and forced her up on her knees on the bed. She was still shorter than he was in this position, and the way she had to crane her head up and back to meet his mouth was fucking hot.

He kissed her hard, the taste of herself on his tongue only making the moment more carnal than it already was.

Then he let her go and turned to head into the bathroom. “Give me a minute, then you can come in and help me clean my wound.”

Everly nodded, fell backward on the bed, and stared at his ass as he went. How she’d gotten so lucky, she had no idea, but she was going to hold on to him with both hands. Kannon “Ball” Black was hers. Period. Done. And she wasn’t giving him back. No way. No how.





Chapter Fourteen

Elise: I’m headed home on the bus now.

Everly: Why? I thought you had an Outdoor Club meeting?

Elise: I quit.

Everly: What? Why?

Elise: Because. I don’t want to talk about it.

Everly: Well, you’re going to have to. I’ll be home around five or so. We’ll talk then.

Everly: Hear me?

Elise: Yeah, whatever.

Everly: Go straight to the apartment and lock the door behind you. I didn’t arrange for anyone to come hang with you today because I thought you’d be at school until I got out of work.

Elise: I’m not a baby. I’m fine by myself. It’s not like I’m not used to it.

Everly stared down at her phone in dismay. Something was up with her sister. It had been brewing for the last week or so. She’d seemed happy the morning after Ball had gotten home from his mission. They’d had a perfect day on Saturday, and she’d said that Ball had been “awesome” the following Sunday when Everly was at work.

But something had obviously happened at school, because Elise had been sullen and withdrawn when she’d gotten home Monday night. And now on Friday, only a few days later, she’d apparently quit the Outdoor Club, which she’d been so excited about. They were supposed to have gone on a short hike after school today, and then tomorrow, they had a long eight-mile hike planned.

Everly had been looking forward to it because that meant she and Ball had the entire day to themselves. And he’d already informed her that they were going to spend it in his bed.

They’d spent every night together over the last week, and Everly had never been so content. It wasn’t the sex. All right, it wasn’t just the sex. It was sharing her day with him. Talking about the people she’d met and helped, and even the ones who weren’t so glad to have met her in her official capacity as a police officer.

He’d talked to her about the websites he was working on, and Everly had to admit she was always impressed. She hadn’t truly understood what was so hard about putting a website together, but that was before she saw the work that Ball put into those he designed.

They laughed while cooking together. They watched television, and Everly loved how Ball and Elise got along and teased each other. The last week had been everything she’d ever wanted in a relationship.

But something was up with Elise, and Everly didn’t have enough experience with teenagers to figure out what. Ball had told her to give her sister some time and she’d eventually talk about whatever was bugging her, but Everly wasn’t so sure.