Make Me Stay (16 page)

That led us back to the bed, where we lay, panting and holding on to one another. The bed was wet from our hair. The only thing left on it was the sheet that I had pulled up from the floor to cover us. My room looked like a tornado had come through and I fucking loved it. I’d be happy to have it look like that from now on, as long as Kitty was here to help me keep it that way. I was usually a clean freak. I didn’t like my shit all over the place. The guys always gave me crap for it, but I didn’t see any ladies complaining, when they were able to fuck me on a clean pair of sheets and piss in a tidy bathroom.

Kitty’s head was resting on my chest as I ran my fingers through her still-damp hair. I never wanted that moment to end. I wanted that night to last forever. I had this sick feeling that it wouldn’t, that she wouldn’t let me give her “more” than what we just had. It fucking scared the shit out of me, so I held her tighter as the thought passed through my mind.

There was so much to sort out once the sun came through those windows, I’d give anything to keep the moon out longer. She was going to have to deal with Nate. I, for the life of me, didn’t know how to even begin that decision. I had a feeling she was going to try to block it out the same way she was blocking out her mother’s existence. I couldn’t let her do that. That fucker needed to pay for what he had done to her. I was going to make sure of that. Cop or not, he couldn’t treat women that way, especially mine.

CHAPTER 27

Caroline

I was content to lay there forever with Kane. I was going to put Nate Rodgers out of my mind and focus everything I had on Kane. That was my plan at least. Being with Kane made me forget about what happened last night with Nate. So, logically speaking, I should keep doing it--go to my happy place, out of sight, out of mind.

Our night together was everything I had ever thought it was going to be, and more. Since I wasn’t going anywhere, no job, no home, I was content to stay a while, make good use of our time together. I’d cross the bridge of fear later, but for now, I wasn’t afraid of letting him in. I was more concerned with forgetting everything with Nate.

I went to sit up from his chest. My bladder couldn’t hold its walls shut any longer. I needed to get to the bathroom.

“Where you going?” he asked, sitting up and grabbing my wrist.

I was up and off the bed, my legs crossed for dear life. “Let me go, Kane,” I said with urgency, tugging my arm from his grip.

“No! You’re not doing this again. You’re not going to run from me because you’re scared of turning into your mother. No fucking way, Kitty. You don’t get to love me and leave me anymore. You’re fucking stuck with me. I’ll watch out for you, I won’t let you turn into whatever it is that you’re afraid of.”

I was now bouncing on my tip toes to keep from peeing myself. Scrunching my face up, I bit my lip, concentrating really hard on holding it together, so I didn’t pee on his floor.

“That’s a very nice thing to say, but I need you to let go of my hand. Now!” I shrieked.

“No! You’re not running away again,” he yelled, tugging me back onto the bed.

“Kane! Let me go. I’m going to piss on your floor, if you don’t let me go.”

Never, had he let go of me so fast. I turned from the bed and ran on my tip toes to the bathroom, slamming the door behind me.

“For the record, I knew you weren’t bolting,” he yelled a few seconds later, from the bed.

I rolled my eyes as I washed my hands. “Un-huh,” I called back.

It was cute, and I loved that he wasn’t going to let me run, even though I had already decided not to. I was right. Things had changed between us.

I came out of the bathroom, sauntering back into bed. “Did you mean all that?” I asked, leaning over him.

I took a moment to brush the hair from his face, before I slipped my leg around his waist to straddle him. Lowering myself onto his lap, with his hands on my hips, I could feel him growing beneath me.
Again? This man is a fucking machine, like a real “fucking” machine
.

Just when I thought he couldn’t possibly be ready again, bam! He was. Not that I was complaining.

“Yeah, Kitty, every word of it.”

I’m not going to try to lie, but that scared the shit out of me.

He tenderly rubbed my hips with his thumbs as he spoke. “I mean it, I’m not letting go this time. You run, I’m running after you,” he said, sitting up from the bed and swallowing me in his arms.

“So does this mean that Kane Lawson is giving up his playboy ways for little ole me?” I asked into his neck.

He sat back, his hands coming up to hold my face. “You better fucking believe it. This ride is shut down for everyone but you, baby,” he said, raising his brows and kissing my nose.

Again, that scared the shit out of me. Him giving up the way he had always lived his life. Don’t get me wrong, it was fucking hot, but I knew more than anyone that giving up a part of yourself could backfire. It was just a matter of time before it all went to shit.

But fuck if it doesn’t feel good to know he’ll be all mine until then.

***

There it was, that stupid sun. It had come up, even though I was willing it not to all night. I awoke to not only the light, but to Kane’s head, sleeping soundly on my bare chest, his arm slung over my stomach, his leg hitched over mine.
I could get use to this.

I was pretty sure that, that wasn’t the morning sun. I glanced around, finding a clock on the nightstand. I was right, it was almost noon. I must have stirred too much, because Kane’s head of fuckable hair moved on my chest. His chin sat between my breasts as he looked up at me. Through sleepy eyes, he smiled up at me. “Morning, Kitty.”

“Morning,” I answered back, running my fingers through his hair.

“I don’t want to, but I have to get up and piss. Don’t go anywhere,” he said with a wicked grin.

“I’ll be here,” I said, raising my eyebrows.

The moment he was out of sight and behind the door, the bubble that we had been in since he carried me away had popped. Nate came crashing back to the forefront of my mind. Me staying here and turning into my mother and killing myself because I would become so unhappy was a close second, but mainly it was Nate.

I sat farther up in the bed, pulling my legs in closer, my head resting on my knees. I sat there, reliving every disgusting moment, every kiss with him, the way he’d touch me, and of course when he had drugged me and then slapped me.

The sting on my cheek came back. My hand clasped over my cheek, I was terrified that it would happen again when I saw him.

The door to the bathroom opened and Kane walked out. The instant his eyes found mine, he rushed over to the bed and climbed in next to me. “Talk to me. Don’t go there, don’t build it,” he begged, taking the hand at my cheek into his.

He sat with a leg on either side of me. His arms then went for my legs. Undoing my tight ball, he set them over top of his and brought me closer to him.

“He drugged me. He almost raped me last night.”
Yeah, I can’t handle this.

“He didn’t, baby, and he won’t do it again, to anyone. I think we should tell B and he can talk to the chief. He’ll believe B. You can press charges. We’ll get him put away where he needs to be.”

I looked at him. My deep frown must have made my eyebrows really scrunch together, because they hurt. I wasn’t doing that. No one was going to know about last night but us.

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “No one is going to know about this but me, you, and him. We are definitely not telling my dad.”

“Kitty, you have to tell him, so that fucker can get locked up. I know you heard him say he had done it before.”

I kept shaking my head, getting more upset at every word that left his mouth. “No, Kane, I’m not. You’ll be with me, and I’ll stay near Dad. I won’t give him that chance to get close to me.”

That was my plan from the beginning--out of sight and pray to God out of mind.

“Caroline.”

Oh fuck, he said my name
.

“I can’t just sit back and let that fucker get away with touching you like that. He slapped you, or don’t you remember.”

“Well, you’re going to
have
to sit back, and thanks, but I do remember, I remember everything and I probably will for the rest of my life.” I scooted back from him, moving my legs from over his. I went to the edge of the bed, my feet barely touching the floor. I saw the white shirt, that I had on for all of fifteen minutes last night, right next to my feet. I stood from the bed and snatched up the shirt from the floor. I pulled it over my head and went in search for the boxers Kane had tried to give me.

“Caroline, come on. You can’t be serious about letting him walk.”

Pulling my hair out of the shirt, I turned back to him, hands on my hips. “I’m serious as a fucking heart attack. Drop it, Kane.”

He stood up, grabbed a pair of shorts from the floor, and put them on.

“No, I won’t drop it. You’re not going to push this away like you did your mother. Not on my fucking watch. I wasn’t there for that, but I am here for this. I will not let you put it out of your mind and pretend like it never happened. It did. It fucking sucks, but it happened. Now you have to do something about it. Nate cannot get away with this, and you and I are the only ones who can stop him.”

I threw my hands up, my eyes burned with the promise that tears were close by. “I can’t,” I said with a shaky voice.

“Yes, you can. I’ll be right by your side. I’m not leaving. We’ll do it together.”

He walked over to me, rubbing my arms. I stood before him, still shaking my head. I wasn’t strong enough to do it. I didn’t want to be labeled or looked at any differently.

“Can you imagine what people are going to say around this fucking small town, when they find out the daughter of the local bar owner is calling rape against a cop! No one’s going to believe me.” I knew Kane thought we’d have more clout with him saying he walked in on it, but he was a fucking man whore, no one was going to believe him either. They’d all take Nate’s side for sure. It was a lost cause. I just had to convince Kane not to open his fucking mouth.

We stood there arguing back and forth for the next fifteen minutes. He wasn’t budging and neither was I. The sound of my phone ringing from my pile of clothes in the bathroom made us both pause. I had put my phone in the cup of my bikini while we had been at the lake yesterday. When I stripped in the shower last night I placed it on top of the pile of clothes. So when it began ringing, I huffed away and went to grab it, leaving Kane standing there, fuming.

“Don’t answer it. We need to figure this out, now!” he said, following me into the bathroom.

I bent over, taking the phone in my hand. I didn’t recognize the number, but I’d take any excuse I could to end the conversation with him.

“Hello,” I said into the phone, turning away from Kane.

“Can I speak with Caroline James?” the friendly, female voice asked.

“This is she.”

“Miss James, this is Cynthia at J&K Marketing. I was wondering if you had a moment to speak with me?”

CHAPTER 28

Kane

What the fuck just happened?

I left her in the bathroom, talking on the phone. I stalked out, pacing the length of my room. I could hear the guys down in the kitchen, their muffled voices laughing and carrying on.

My life had changed so drastically since Caroline arrived. Mostly for the better. I mean, I could honestly say she had me by the balls, and it felt damn good. When
we
were good, I loved it. I loved messing with her, I loved making her laugh, and I
fucking
loved making her scream my name. I got it all from her. I didn’t need anyone else, and she was fulfilling every single desire I ever had.

She changed me. I didn’t care about having sex with different women. I didn’t care about competing with the guys over who had the best number, because I did. I had Kitty, and she was
my
ten. I kept pacing the room, my hands firmly on my hips. I racked my brain, trying to figure out a way to handle the whole Nate situation. It would be easy to do what she wanted--let her forget--but that jackass deserved to be locked up. A wave of anger washed over me. I thought back to how he was laying between her legs, touching her, kissing her body. I reached out and punched a hole clear through the drywall.

“Shit,” I yelled, shaking my hand, which was going to fucking hurt tonight when I played. Still shaking my hand, I turned, hearing the door to the bathroom close. Kitty was leaning against it, a confused smile on her face, the obvious glimmer of a tear in her eye.
What the hell now? I can’t take anymore drama
.

“Who was on the phone?” I asked, gaining her attention.

She looked up at me, her smile getting wider across her face.
Okay, smiling is good, right?
Flicking my hand one last time, I was taken off guard as she rushed to me, locking her arms around my neck, her face buried in my shirt. I hugged her tightly, one hand on the middle of her back the other just above her ass. I couldn’t tell if she was laughing or crying.
Maybe I’ve bitten off more than I can chew
. Women were so fucking complicated. It was then I remembered why I never got in relationships with them, but Kitty was different. As good, bad, and confusing as it was, I wasn’t going anywhere. I was strapped in, and ready for crazy town, so long as she was strapped in next to me.

“I got it!” she said into my neck.

“You got what?” I paused for a moment as my heart sank to my stomach. “Oh fuck, did you think you were pregnant? Tell me you got it. I can’t be a dad, not now, I’m not ready.”

Why isn’t she saying anything?
I loved the girl, but I couldn’t be father. What if she was knocked up, I can’t go from having a sex schedule with four different women, to falling in love and having a kid in four months, I needed time to process that shit.

I yanked her hands from my neck, grabbing her shoulders to stare at her.

Her eyes were glistening which made them look like liquid.