Wicked Man (4 page)

teenage hormones to flood her body. The memories washed over her,

and she remembered how she fell in love with the boy who now sat

behind the door she stared at. Would he remember those feelings too?

Recall how they’d fit together perfectly? How they’d made plans for a

future that never happened?

What if he rejected her? After all, communication through IM

was vastly different than meeting someone face to face, and it had

been a long time since they’d last seen each other.

Trembling, she knocked upon the wooden frame and waited.

“Come in,” he shouted.

Her heart pounded so hard she thought it would explode. The

slight tremble in her hand showed just how nervous she was.

Excitement and terror wrapped around each other and hugged her like

a wet blanket, smothering her. Abbott wasn’t sure if she wanted to

vomit or pee her pants. Instead, she took a deep breath, calmed her

crazy nerves, and opened the door.

Chadwick sat with his head bent as he read some piece of

paper. Larger than life. Beautiful. Gruff. And she could barely believe

she was looking at him. That this moment was real. His hair was still

the same beautiful shade of brown, but a little longer since it brushed

his shoulders. He seemed bigger. More muscular. His leather cut fit

his body like a second skin. She closed the door behind her with a soft

click then waited for him to acknowledge her.

“What is it?” he asked. The hand over his mouth muffled his

words slightly.

She didn’t answer.

He lifted his head, and she watched the exasperation disappear

instantly as their gazes met. Held. He blinked, as if not sure what he

was seeing. Desire pooled in her stomach. The need to hold him.

Touch him. Kiss him, because almost overwhelming.

“Abbott?” he asked softly. Hesitantly.

“Hello, Chadwick,” she managed to say through bone dry lips.

The butterflies in her belly were doing somersaults. The high

expectation she’d had for this very moment rolled together with her

nerves, and she wasn’t sure what to do. She didn’t know how to stand,

or what do to with her hands.

He stood up so fast, the chair rolled away from him to crash

into the wall. She jumped, and her heart accelerated with a slight thrill

that shot down to her pussy. Wetness flooded her panties from his

forceful display. “Am I dreaming this?”

She shook her head. “No. I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

He didn’t say anything, not for a long moment. His blue eyes

stayed frozen upon her face. He didn’t blink. He didn’t move. She

almost thought he didn’t even breathe.

“Who let you in?” he finally asked.

It was not the romantic words she was hoping for. He simply

sat there, staring at her, and it made her a little nervous.

“No one,” she replied and hugged herself in a protective

gesture. “Am I bothering you? Should I go?”

“Don’t you dare fucking move,” he said tersely. “I’ve been

picturing you across from me for eleven years. I’m trying to

determine if I’m hallucinating and if I am, I don’t want the fucking

antidote.”

Her heart melted. She knew exactly how he felt.

“It’s me, Chadwick,” she whispered, and opened her arms.

“I’m standing right here in front of you, but I was hoping for a hug.”

Faster than lightning, he bolted from behind his desk to scoop

her up into his massive arms. He pressed her into him, holding her

tight as he bent over her smaller size and buried his face in the crook

of her neck. His breath was hot upon her skin, sending shock waves of

awareness down her body. He’d pinned her arms so she couldn’t hug

him back, but it was okay because being in his arms was all she’d

dreamed it would be.

Perhaps it was a horrible cliché, immediately falling in love

with someone by a single touch. She and Chadwick may have known

each other before, but that was practically a lifetime ago. A previous

existence where gold existed over the rainbow, and hearts and flowers

could solve everything. Instant love was nothing but a terrible plot

device for movies and books. But as she stood within his embrace, her

body remembered him. Her heart tapped out his name in perfect

harmony. And her soul… Christ! For the first time in eleven years,

her soul felt whole. She didn’t know any other word to use to describe

how she felt
except
for love.

She already dreaded the day Billy caught up with her.

Finally, after several moments, he let her go and took a step

back, although he kept his hands on her shoulders.

“What do you mean no one let you in?”

“Don’t be angry with the boy at the gate door,” she said. “But

you need a different security system.”

“Hmm,” he replied. “I’ll be pissed at him later. Right now I

can’t stop looking at you. Or touching you. I’m afraid if I do, you’ll

disappear on me.”

“I had to see you,” she murmured as she raised a hand and

traced the sharp angle of his face. He closed his eyes and melted into

her touch. Time had given him an edge he hadn’t had as a boy. The

man before her was sexy, handsome, and he made her body ache for

him in the most basic of needs.

“Dear lord, Abbott,” he said softly. Achingly. “I’ve missed

you. Where’ve you been?”

“Everywhere,” she said simply. “But I’m here now.”

“Yes.” He opened his eyes and she gasped at the fire that leapt

from their depths. He cupped her face with his palms and tilted her

head up. A predatory gleam caused her hands to shake, caused her

body to shiver with anticipation. He ran his thumb across her lips and

she saw his eyes followed the gesture. It made her half wonder if he

prolonged her anxiety on purpose.

Abbott didn’t think she could take much more of the sweet

torture, caught in the purgatory between heaven and hell. She yearned

for his kiss so much it was like a painful ache in her heart. She could

barely breathe, barely think. He had such a wicked touch she felt like

she was falling, so she closed her eyes tightly, needing to block him

out a little to regain her footing in the world.

“Look at me,” he commanded in a gruff voice.

Helpless, she obeyed, and her gaze fell upon his mouth.

Unable to stop herself, Abbott reached up and touched his face. His

lips. With her thumb, she traced over the perfect line and they parted

ever so slightly to kiss the pad.

He moved his hands from her face to run down her arms, her

waist, to settle on her hips and pull her body firmly into his. His

tightened his fingers. They were so close nothing could come between

them, her softness melting into his hardness. Now she was no longer

nervous. No longer scared. This was Chadwick, the man she’d loved

for all her adult life. Time might have romanticized him in some

regard, but nothing could explain the rush of sensation as he looked at

her with an equal mixture of lust and love. She wanted this and knew

he wanted it too.

She sank her fingers into his hair. “Kiss me,” she whispered.

He moved one hand around to her ass and pulled her up just as

he grabbed the back of her knee and brought it up. She wrapped it

around his waist and she felt his cock, big and rock hard, against her

pussy.

His mouth brushed hers, lightly. So soft. Her eyes fluttered

closed and she waited. Again, feather-like against hers, teasing until

she wanted to scream with need. And then he kissed her. Claimed her.

Abbott encircled his neck with her arms and lost herself in the

sensation of his drugging kisses. Everything crackled with electricity,

a force that drove out all thought except for the one that wanted this

moment to last forever. She kept her arms around his neck tightly

because, honestly, her knees were wobbling so much she wasn’t sure

she could stand on her own. So she clung to him as he made love to

her mouth. The world stood still as time completely ceased, and they

were the only two people in the universe. Taking on a grinding,

seductive life of its own. His fingers dug into her ass, holding her in

place as he ground his dick against her femininity. The only thing

separating them were a few items of clothes. The thought caused an

ache deep in her belly, made her pussy lips swell with want. She was

so turned on all she could think about was having his big cock plunge

into her until they both spiraled out of control.

When they needed air, they broke the kiss and simply stared at

one another, labored panting echoing around them. Did the wonder

she saw in his eyes reflect what was streaming inside her? She’d

thought nothing had changed but she’d been wrong, something

monumental had changed between them. The teenage girl crush she’d

had on him had morphed in a very adult, very sexual way. The riot of

feelings surging through her could never have been experienced by a

young girl because she wouldn’t have known what to do with them.

They were scary enough now.

“Wow, lady,” Wick murmured. His gaze landed back on her

mouth.

“I was about to say the same about you,” she said a bit

breathlessly.

He pulled her into his arms and hugged her. The rapid beat of

his heart let her know he was just affected by their kiss as she’d been.

“I haven’t heard from you a few days,” he said. She loved how

his voice rumbled through his chest. “You haven’t been on Chitchat.”

“Had to make my way here,” she replied. “Been traveling by

bus, so no Internet.”

“I wish you’d have told me where you were. I would’ve come

and got you.”

“I don’t ever reveal where I am,” she said. “Not online.”

He pulled back and placed his hands on her shoulders, forcing

her to look him in the eyes. “You know you can’t run anymore. You

know I won’t let you.”

“It’s safer if I do.”

He frowned. “I can protect you.”

“I meant it’s safer for you if I do,” she corrected.

“Wait. You’re concerned with
my
safety?”

She nodded.

He chuckled. “Oh sweetheart, you never have to worry about

me being safe. I can take care of myself.”

“Even you can’t stop a bullet aimed at your head,” she said.

Why couldn’t he understand this wasn’t a game? That she wasn’t

hiding just for the hell of it? Anger, pain … they reared their ugly

heads and made her break out of his grasp. “You think I haven’t tried

to get help? That I haven’t
asked
someone to help me? You think I

like always being on the run? You don’t know anything, Chadwick!”

“Okay,” he said calmly. “Then tell me.”

“It’s better for you if I just disappear.”

“Oh no,” he said harshly. “You are not leaving here. Not

without telling me what’s going on and who you’re running from.

You came back here for a reason. You snuck into my compound for

something, Abbott, and now it’s time you told me.”

He was right. Maybe all along she’d been unconsciously

heading back to him, tired of always looking over her shoulder. Tired

of running. Pretty soon, she’d be out of places to run to, and besides,

it didn’t work. She firmly believed there wasn’t any safe place

anymore. Abbott’s shoulders slumped in defeat.

“The truth is I’m done running,” she whispered achingly. “If

he finds me, so be it.”

“Who?” he snapped.

“Billy Walker.”

He looked at her blankly for a moment, and then the memory

must have clicked into place because he snorted in derision.

“The computer nerd I graduated with?” he asked.

She nodded. “I came to see you a few days after you left for

basic, only I didn’t know you’d left. You never called me again.”

He closed his eyes briefly in remorse. “Oh shit. Abbott, I

never meant to hurt you like that.”

She threw him a wry smile. “Eric told me you were gone, and

the worst part was that you hadn’t even said good-bye. Never even

told me you were leaving. I hated you in that moment and from that

anger, Billy wormed his way into my life. Everything was great at

first. I thought I’d found someone to replace you.”

He winced at that.

“But then little things began to change.”

For a moment, those little things came back at her. The first

time he’d smacked her. Nothing too hard, or serious, but it had been

enough to shock her. The first time he’d actually hit her, right across

the jaw, knocking her unconscious. When she’d woken up she’d been

naked in bed, with an aching face, and with the smell of stale cum

lingering on her body.

“I’m glad you found me on Chitchat,” she said. “You left a

message and I stared at it for a long time before I replied. I couldn’t

take the chance, you see. At least, I thought I
shouldn’t
take a chance but eventually, I had to talk to you. And I’m so thankful I did.”

“What did the mother fucker do to you?” Wick demanded.

“Don’t say nothing because I can see
something
on your face.”

“Typical abuse at first,” she said matter of factly. “Just like

every sob story out there of abused women.”

“Don’t say that shit,” Wick said harshly. “I would never hit a

woman, no matter what. And if I found out any one of my club