Saving Me (Finding You #3) (3 page)

The kitchen was to die for with an added skylight above to let in extra light and it made the one at the apartment look miniscule. A large larder the size of a room hid behind double doors. I wondered if we would have enough pots and pans to fill all the cupboards and then decided that it would be a good excuse for a shopping spree. Kyle lingered nearby with a smile on his face, clearly enjoying my reaction to the house. His head nudged to the right to draw my attention outside, beyond the massive glass wall. A bright, glistening reflection nearly blinded me as the sun rebounded off the water of the pool. It looked similar to the Sapphire Island setting and drew me over to stand beside Kyle.

He knowingly winked at me. It was as if he could read my thoughts. I grinned at him for being so observant and rewarded him with a firm but quick kiss before we followed Joe into the bedroom wing.

The master suite overlooked the pool with its own private terrace. Plush beige carpet felt glorious underfoot and the walk-through closet leading through to the bathroom looked like it was huge enough to house a truck. Two giant, delicately carved pillars with real ivy twisting upward stood at the entrance to a round spa bath. I immediately pictured making love to Kyle in it and as I thought this, I caught his gaze before it roamed over my body, silently undressing me. When he did that I felt naked, regardless of how many layers I had on.

“You’re so stunning when you’re thinking of sex,” he whispered to me when Joe walked out to take a phone call.

“How did you know what I was thinking?” I said, more to hide my embarrassment than to glean an answer.

“I know that look you get in your eyes. Plus, I was thinking the same thing.” He closed the gap and pulled me to him, arching my neck up so his lips could open on mine.

My hand molded to the back of Kyle’s head to pull him in firmer, desire exploding inside me at our little forbidden tryst. Joe could have walked in at any second, which made my heart sprint faster.

“Angel, do you have any idea what thoughts cross my mind when you are near? I’d get arrested if I voiced them in public.” A moan escaped him as he kissed the corner of my mouth.

“Well, I can only imagine, but as we finish this tour of the house I want you to picture me in that black lacy number that I haven’t worn for you yet, standing in the doorway thinking wicked thoughts.” I let him go and walked out, turning once to see him close his eyes, almost grimacing as if in the pain of withdrawal.

I found Joe and let him lead me through the rest of the rooms ahead of Kyle. He would have to take a few moments to compose himself and let the effects of his longing, simmer. It was empowering.

Joe and I were done in another ten minutes, stepping outside to wait for Kyle.

The realtor made himself scarce to let us discuss the house in private. I didn’t know if leaving us alone again would be such a good idea but as Kyle stepped through the wall of glass he looked in control and calm—utilizing his fine acting talent. I couldn’t contain my enthusiasm.

“Kyle, I love it! I think you already know that, and judging by your reaction, you do too. It has its own private beach out the back and a large yard for Daniel to play in. What do you think?”

He looked at me and for a split second I was worried he didn’t like it, but when he took me in his arms and kissed my mouth tenderly, I knew his answer.

“I love it just as much as you do. I don’t care what it costs. You and Daniel are worth every cent. I would spend all I have just to see this look on your face. Oh and by the way, the next time you put those torrid images in my head, I’m going to have to drag you aside regardless of where we are and let you put your money where your mouth is. You nearly killed me back there.” His fingers cleverly trailed a path down the side of my neck, where his hand opened and slid inside my shirt and under my bra to cup my breast.

My breath paused as he played with my nipple in gentle circles.

“Do you know what I’m going to do with you when I get the chance?”

“I think I have some idea.” As much as I wanted to take this further we had business to take care of, so I gently pushed him away again. “Hold that thought. Now if you don’t mind, we have an answer to give Joe.”

Kyle’s face was all smiles. He was enjoying this. The fact that we were soon going to own the opulent residence couldn’t be ignored either.

“I can’t wait to tell Daniel! Thank you so much! At last we’re going to live like a normal family and have our own space to do whatever we want. We can sunbathe naked out the back if we want or kick a ball around. We can even get a dog and I really want to start that vegetable patch.”

“Let’s just take one step at a time. We’ll get ourselves settled in first and then we can get a dog and a vegetable patch.”

I could feel the joy radiating from him on our way to seal the deal. The day had turned out gloriously special after all and it wasn’t over yet.

I let Kyle close the sale with Joe and took a moment to look around the yard. It was every bit as magnificent as the inside of the house. It sat at the end of a sandy lane that allowed us all the privacy we needed. I finally had the family I’d always dreamt of. It was nice to belong. To be a part of something so amazing that I still had to pinch myself.

High wrought iron gates would keep out unwanted intruders with the state of the art security system for peace of mind. The giant oak rising tall and proud acted as a canopy above a litany of brightly colored shrubs that bravely withstood the strong sea breeze that had picked up.

Joe carried a “sold” sticker that he splashed across the “for sale” sign standing just outside the entry gates. Kyle found me and grabbed my hand, steering me to the proof that the house was now ours.

“Congratulations, Kyle, Dakota. You are now the proud owners of this lovely home. I hope you’ll be very happy here,” remarked Joe, walking over to shake both of our hands. The shift in his mood was evident as another deal was done.

“Thank you. I can’t wait to move in,” I squealed, barely able to contain myself from jumping up and down.

“Well, as soon as you get the money to us, you can start packing. The house has been vacant for some time as the owners had commitments elsewhere, even though they’ve only just listed it with us.”

“Congratulations, beautiful girl, you are now the owner of a luxury beachside mansion.” Kyle’s face was only an inch away. I breathed in his scent and tried to comprehend the vastness of his latest gift. I didn’t know what to say. I was speechless.

Kyle ended the exaggerated silence. “What are you thinking?”

“Just that I really don’t deserve all of this.”

“You deserve all this and more.”

“The only thing I need is you and Daniel.”

“Are you saying you don’t like my gift?” He frowned ever so slightly.

“No! I love it. No one has ever bought me anything that could ever compare to this. It’s amazing! I’m going to love living here and I’ll never be able to thank you enough for buying it for me. For us. What I mean is, I’ll be happy wherever you are.”

“I know you don’t care about material things. That’s one of the qualities I love about you. You’re the first woman I’ve ever wanted to do this for. I hope you don’t think it’s too extravagant.”

“Extravagant? Noooo. I’m sure it’s just pocket change for you.” We both laughed, said our goodbyes to Joe, and then headed for the car.

“I have enough money left to buy you that lunch I promised. Let’s go.”

Ambling down the sandy track, so caught up in our joy, we failed to notice the same black jeep Cherokee parked on the grassy verge that had sat behind us at the school.

Chapter Five

Dakota

“Let’s get some fish and chips to eat,” I suggested.

“Fish and chips? That’s odd.”

“No! I mean fish and fries. Sorry, I forgot you call chips, fries. I guess I’ll have to lose some of the Australian terms if I’m going to fit in here.”

“Ha, ha, ha!” Kyle laughed fitfully. “I knew what you were talking about. I was just teasing.”

“You like to do that, don’t you?”

“Yeah. You’re an easy target.”

I swatted his arm playfully.

Are you sure you don’t want something else?” asked Kyle before I could add a retort.

“What, don’t you like fish and chips?”

“No, actually I love them. I just thought you might like to go somewhere a little more upscale.”

I gently touched his face and soothed, “I told you, I’m not into fancy things. As long as I have you and Daniel, I have everything I need.”

“Are you saying we’re not fancy?” He was looking up at me through his divine lashes, fluttering them as if that might make him so.

I sniggered helplessly. “Well, no, Mr. Rutherford. I’m not saying that. What I am saying is that you’re perfect just the way you are. Fancy is overrated. You’re more than that. You’re handsome and smart and funny and warm and kind and—”

“Okay. Okay. I get it! Keep talking like that and I’m going to need to pull over and ravage you on the side of the road like I threatened earlier.”

“Hmmm, now there’s a very tempting offer.”

“I thought you were starving?”

“I always am, Mr. Rutherford.” I wasn’t talking about food.

A needy hum escaped from deep in his throat as he seriously considered the ulterior meaning.

“For the love of God, baby, I’m still coming down from my R-rated thoughts back at the house. I don’t know if I can hold out until tonight. In a minute we’re going to come to the seafood café. Do you want to stop or keep driving?”

My stomach growled again and that gave him my answer. “We’d better stop the hunger pangs first. I have a feeling I’m going to need all my energy.”

His eyes closed to half-mast as we sped up.

Sure enough, just up the road a little we spotted the café signs. I salivated as we parked outside and walked in to the smell of freshly cooked food. The woman behind the counter stared at Kyle as we neared and then suddenly realized who he was.

“You’re Kyle Rutherford, the movie actor, aren’t you?”

Kyle glanced at me, smiling. I was starting to get used to the fact that we couldn’t go many places anymore without someone recognizing him.

The woman raced around from behind the counter excitedly. “I saw your latest movie. It was wonderful. You’re such a great actor. My daughter loves you too. She’s going to freak when I tell her you were here. Would you mind signing this napkin for her?”

Kyle took it all in his stride, thanking the woman and then proceeding to sign her napkin.

The middle-aged fan looked like she would nearly burst when he handed it to her. “I’m sorry to bother you but my daughter would never have forgiven me if I arrived home without an autograph. What brings you in here?”

“Well, we were in the area,” said Kyle. “We’re a bit hungry and couldn’t wait any longer. We’d like to order some fish and a large serving of fries.”

The woman seemed chuffed that a movie star was talking to her and ordering something in her café. I tried not to giggle.

After we received our lunch and said goodbye to the star-struck lady, we made our way down to a nice spot on the beach, directly opposite the car. The wind that blew earlier had died down to just a whisper and the water glistened.

As we sat down, I shuddered. Apprehension grabbed me with both hands out of the blue. Goosebumps pricked my skin again like a thousand needles. Some deep, intrinsic fear gnawed away at me…a fear I hadn’t felt since living in Australia. Everything I had fought so hard for was lost to memories and there was nothing I could do to stop it. The beach faded away along with Kyle and was replaced with the kitchen that I had shared with John.

A kitchen I had spent hours upon hours pouring my heart and soul into, preparing the food that would feed the ungrateful coward. I slid along the floor, leaving a trail of blood from the liquid oozing from my head wound. Fingers clawing at the white tiles, desperately trying to get traction to propel me over to the bench so I could reach my cell and call for help. Darkness was creeping in again, disturbing what little vision remained. I didn’t know how long I had been sprawled on the cold floor, unconscious, but upon waking, I’d lain still. Expectant. Waiting for him to finish me off. Waiting for footsteps that thankfully never came. Above the jackhammer in my head and the struggling beats of my heart there was nothing but silence.

Inch by excruciating inch I closed the gap to the kitchen cupboards. With each movement my head erupted in pain, causing me to cry out. Each wail seemed to echo off the walls.

Tears mingled with blood that dripped onto the tiles.

Just as my knuckles hit the skirting at the base of the cupboards a hand touched my arm causing me to spiral out of the kitchen.

“Are you cold?” a warm, loving voice queried.

Waves. Ocean. Sand. Kyle. Remission. I sank into my surroundings, letting the hideous visions of my waking nightmare fade. I shook my head in response.

“No.” I didn’t know where the sudden ambush of memories had come from. It had been so out of the blue. I had almost forgotten about the dried rose for a while.

“What is it then? You look like someone just walked over your grave! Are you still rattled about this morning?”

Was I rattled about the gift that morning? Hell yes! Had I been thinking about it? Not directly. No. It was as if a switch had been flipped in my brain, not allowing the happiness I’d been feeling over the house purchase to take hold.

The memories felt so close to the surface. Memories I thought I’d dealt with but obviously couldn’t ever deal with until John was nothing but a memory.

The idea that he could be in the same city brought with it much alarm and trepidation. Until he was out of the picture, the anxiety would never ease.

“I’m sorry. I guess it’s bothered me more than I thought. The fact that I even have to think about that maniac is distressing enough, let alone not knowing if he may be here. Watching. Following.”

“Hey. Nothing is going to happen to you as long as I’m around.” His gentle hand caressed the side of my neck, his thumb feathering lightly over my jaw.

“How can you be so sure? I mean, really sure? You can’t protect me twenty-four hours a day.” It was true. No one could protect me around the clock. If John wanted me, he would find a way.

“We’ll work something out, I promise. I’m not going to let you get hurt. That is, if he’s even here. We don’t know that for certain.”

“He’s here. I just know it. If someone else had delivered that envelope on behalf of John that would mean it had to travel from Australia in a suitcase. You saw the envelope. It didn’t have a crease on it. He wrote my name on the front so it originally came from him.”

I knew I was right. It was as plain as day. John was toying with me. Waiting for the right moment to strike. There was no other explanation. Could Kyle really protect me?

“Let’s not talk about it for now. Please? I just want us to enjoy our lunch. Enjoy our time alone together without worrying about what might or might not happen. We have so much to celebrate. We’ve just brought a house! A home. Focus on that.” His hand had moved from the side of my neck to the back, where he pulled me closer until his lips were almost touching mine before he added. “Now, let’s eat our fish and
chips.”

His lips softly touched mine, teasing and inviting, but they didn’t hover long. We were both hungry and the food would soon be cold.

I marveled at how Kyle’s simple words could lift my spirits. I licked my lips, tasting where his had been, and agreed to try and put all negative thoughts out of my mind again and just enjoy the day for what it was. I was safe with Kyle, not bleeding on my kitchen floor, teetering precariously between life and death. I should be counting my lucky stars and practicing gratitude. As long as I had Kyle’s love and devotion, I could fight my demons.

Digging into the deliciously crispy fries and fish, we stopped talking and ate like two horses.

In only moments, all that was left of lunch were a few crispy crumbs and some red puddles from the leftover ketchup.

Kyle lay on his back after we were finished, pulling me down beside him. He drew me in close. I nestled into his side, resting my head on his firm chest, listening to his even heartbeat.

“Let’s talk about our new house,” Kyle purred, kissing the top of my head. “Do you think you’ll be happy there?”

I propped up on an elbow, running my hand under his shirt, feeling his valleys and ridges.

“Hmmm. I don’t think you even need to ask that. As long as you’re with me, I’m happy. And Daniel too, of course!”

“Once we get settled, we can think about going to visit your folks if you want to.”

I sat up, looking at him with hope unfurling in my belly. “Really?”

“Sure. You didn’t get to see your dad because of what happened. I’m sure he’d love to see you. Plus, I’d like to meet them both.”

The idea of flying all that way didn’t appeal to me but I wanted more than anything to see my parents. “That would be great if we could all go together. Let’s maybe wait until after Christmas?”

“Of course. We’ll be tied up until then anyway.”

I pulled him in for a quick kiss. “You’re so good to me.”

He wiggled his eyebrows playfully. “Honey, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”

“Oh really? Well, if what I’ve seen from you so far, is nothing, I can’t begin to imagine what’s coming.”

His thumb reached up to trace my bottom lip. Kyle licked his as his eyes moved to my mouth and then back up to my eyes. His pupils had enlarged, the atmosphere suddenly charged with lingering sexual tension from earlier.

***

“I could make love to you right here and now. It reminds me of our time on Sapphire Island.” His voice sounded so gravelly and intimate that I let myself go.

I kissed him frantically, touching his forehead before tracing the outline of his face. I needed to drown in him and forget everything else. “I know. I want you too. If we weren’t so exposed, I’d just rip your clothes off and kiss you all over.” It was whispered against his mouth.

In response his tongue plunged past my lips and filled my mouth, his groan vibrating through me. The passion was just as intense between us as it had been the first night we’d kissed. I ached for him and only felt complete when we were entwined together.

“Daniel will be finishing school soon,” I added, not wanting to stop but aware that time was our enemy.

Kyle glanced at his watch, pointing out that there was no hurry. “We still have around sixty minutes.”

“I want longer than sixty minutes.”

His hand was under my shirt cupping my breast, kneading it into submission. “You sure?”

“No.” My body came alive at his caress. “I’m not sure of anything when you touch me like that. I think I’ll take what I can get, though.”

“Oh what I want to do to you right now. You should be inside my head at this moment.”

His greedy mouth stifled any more talk, taking my mouth with a fury that burned my insides and made me forget. No more nightmares today. No more negativity.

His thigh was in between my legs as he rolled on top so I could grind against him while he mauled my breasts with his adept fingers. Sand was in places it shouldn’t be. I was mindless with want. The very sound of his panting drove the thirst through me like a rabid beast.

“Pull your panties down. I can’t bear it any longer. I have to have you.” The sexy command out of his swollen, desirable lips was enough for me to fully surrender.

Briefly scanning the deserted beach, I inched down my panties under the pretty, floral A-line skirt and then I moved provocatively against him, tearing them down to my feet and then off. His hand instantly found my moist core as he inserted two fingers while making sure the skirt was hiding anything from anyone who might surprisingly appear on the beach.

A look of wonder on the cusp of a growl from Kyle had me smiling with glee. “Baby, you’ve shaved.”

“I was going to surprise you tonight but you just couldn’t wait. You like?”

A muscle in his jaw throbbed. “That is so damn hot! You feel so smooth and soft.” The two fingers now wiped the juices of my desire over my skin where the pubic hair had been before rubbing the sensitive spot that would bring me to orgasm.

Kyle grunted out an expletive, throwing his head back wildly in relinquished control.

“Undo my jeans and pull them down.” I stared at the man I loved whilst unzipping his fly. I could see staggering need in his eyes and in his open mouth, waiting and ready to take mine again.