Craving More (Nighthawk Security Book 2) Read online

  “Thanks, Travis,” Bridger says to him. He’s crouching over me now.

  “Anytime. I’ll see you guys later.” Travis stands up and leaves us in his office as if he knows I need a moment to collect myself.

  “Oh my God, Bridger, what am I going to do? How could he get out this early? You know as well as I do that anything less than a year is a joke, and three months of probation with anger management classes? That’s a crock of shit.” My words are coming out garbled, and tears are staining my cheeks.

  “Fuck,” Bridger grumbles before he pulls me up in his arms, lifting me as if I’m a child. My legs wrap around his firm waist. One hand is under my ass, the other is in my hair as he holds me to the crook of his neck, and I hold on as I let it all out. Every emotion I have is coming out: anger, sadness, fear, and did I mention anger? Bridger holds me the entire time, even while he walks us to the truck. He never sets me down, not even when he opens the driver door, moves the seat back, and slides inside.

  “Let it out, Kellie,” he coos softly, and I do exactly that in the arms of the man I know I’m already halfway in love with.

  Four

  Bridger

  The rightness of Kellie in my arms is more than I could ever explain. Sure, I’m the jokester of the group, always turning nothing into something of a prank. In the last few months, something inside me has changed. I’m still that fun-loving guy, but when it comes to Kellie and the situation she’s in, there’s nothing funny or easy about that.

  When she snuggles in deeper toward my body, I know she’s not ready to talk or face me. In fact, if I know anything about Kellie, embarrassment for breaking down and leaning on me will be written all over her face when she does decide to leave the safety of my neck. All I can do is hold her tighter while she gets it out.

  “Everything’s going to be okay,” I promise her while kissing the top of her head.

  That’s when she finally decides to show me those beautiful eyes of hers. Sure, her face is red and blotchy from crying, her eyes a watery mess, I see past all of that though.

  “I’m not so sure of that, Bridger.” She tips her head down, just now realizing her skirt is yanked up to the tops of her thighs. She moves her skirt down, more focused on that than the discussion we just had with Travis. As tantalizing as the view was, my sole focus is on the issue that’s reared its ugly head.

  “Yeah, it will be, sunshine. What do you say I take you home and feed you some dinner? We can talk or be couch potatoes.” I want her to know I’m not leaving her after all we learned this week, and I know for a fact today was a killer for her.

  “You don’t have any plans?” she responds, but I hear the hopefulness in her voice.

  “Nope, Slade and Drake can deal with whatever is needed today. It’s just you and me today, sunshine.” My fingers find her silky strands, placing them behind her ear. I want her to feel safe, especially with her world tilted on its axis. Kellie goes away once a month, only for a weekend. It’s something that she started as soon as she was settled in not only her job but also in her life.

  She would come back more relaxed as time went on, even if she didn’t know that I knew exactly where she was at all times of the day. One of the perks of giving her a work phone, but even without it, if she didn’t, I’d always have some kind of eyes on her.

  Slade and Drake knew she was going to be mine from the moment I laid eyes on her. Slade smirked. Drake laughed as if I didn’t have a chance in hell.

  Slowly, Kellie came out of her shell. She was still apprehensive around men, but her personality shined little by little each day.

  “That would be awesome. I could really go for some comfort food and a movie. As bad as this sounds, I’m not sure being alone right now is a good idea. Every scrape, footstep, or noise might set me on edge.”

  “Let’s get you in your seat. We can go get your car later on, or one of the guys will drop it off on their way home.” Her mouth forms into the shape of an O.

  “I like you here, Kellie, more than you know, but I can’t drive with you on my lap, and I’d never endanger your life.” I smirk to lighten the mood. That’s when I see the flush on her chest appear.

  “You’re right.” She moves and climbs over the center console, unaware of the view she’s giving me while she maneuvers her body. It takes everything I have not to glide my hands up the back of her thighs, feeling what I know is nothing but skin as soft as silk. I’d spread her legs apart, lick a path up her thigh until my mouth was on her pussy, even with the lace that I got a hint of a view of. It might seem like a hinderance, but I bet it would heighten her experience to feel my mouth through it.

  “Kellie,” I groan. The look she gives over her shoulder tells me everything I need to know.

  “What?” This is what I’m talking about. Her personality shines given the right time.

  “I think you know what has me all but moaning your name,” I reply as she scoots into the seat and puts on her seatbelt.

  “Hmm. I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The coy look she sends my way lets me see her playful side.

  “Sure.” I put my seatbelt on, start up the truck, and we head to Kellie’s place. I’d much rather head to my house, but something tells me she’s not ready for that yet. Though, if things get worse like I suspect they will, it’ll be my place where she lays her head down.

  Slade, Drake, even Easton, and I all have the top-of-the-line equipment when it comes to home security. Each of us had a price on our head at one time or another, Travis probably more than any of us. He’s adamant about not needing anything, no matter what we offer. He thinks because his and Raelynn’s house is out on twenty acres means they’re okay. Now that they have Max though, they may change their minds. That’s probably something we should bring up to him again. I swear Nighthawk has been overtaken by children and siblings. Not to mention my own damn younger sisters. My parents had their hands full when it came to Peyton, Aspen, Rowan, and myself. That was part of the reason I joined the Marines right out of high school.

  Our parents did the best they could, raised us right, but there was no way they could afford to send us all to college. Not to mention, I knew that wasn’t something I really wanted out of life. My sisters, on the other hand, had the brains and willpower to go through with it. Little did they know I sent money back home to our parents to offset what their scholarships didn’t pay. It’s not like when I was overseas I had too much to pay for. The hazard money that we received kept me well in the black, along with some smart investing, so when Slade thought up Nighthawk, we all banded together, and it’s been nothing but up since then.

  We make the trek to Kellie’s home. It’s right down the road from the office. The cute white-painted house is a two-bedroom, one-bathroom small bungalow-inspired house. I know the original homeowners who are renting this place to Kellie. Of course, when you grow up in this small of a town, everyone knows everyone.

  We make the turn to go through our small downtown area that gives way to the residential area of Lodgeview until we make it to her place. I pull into her driveway and place the vehicle in park before saying, “Hand me your keys. I’ll check the place out, then come back and get you.”

  She doesn’t even question me, just grabs her keys and places them in the palm of my upturned hand.

  “Don’t let out Legend.” I do a double-take before I get out of the truck.

  “What?” I ask in a tone of confusion.

  “You mean you didn’t know about Legend? I figured you would have already broken in, did some reconnaissance. Isn’t that what you guys do?” Another facet of Kellie is unfolding. This is what I’ve been seeing off and on for a while, but that smart mouth of hers only makes me want to kiss her even more.

  “Not yet. Give me a few minutes, and I’ll go do that now. What are we talking animal wise? A poodle? A kitten?”

  “He’s a dog, but I think I’ll leave it as a surprise.” She winks, and all I can do is nod. I need to get inside her house, cl
ear it, and get her settled. I have a feeling she’ll need the comfort of her home, even after her hot little show she gave me.

  “I’ll be right back. Lock up.” I kiss her forehead, then I head inside.

  Five

  Kellie

  I’m chuckling when Bridger goes inside. He’s going to be in for the shock of his life when he opens the front door and Legend greets him. A month ago, I was walking by the pet store when I was out and about in the city when Legend looked up at me with his big ole puppy eyes and I was smitten. I filled out the paperwork and texted my landlords about what I was doing, knowing full well I’d need to send them a pet deposit, even going so far as doubling it because let’s face it—a Golden Retriever puppy chews. A lot. Bridger thinking I own a poodle is laughable though. Sure, I have no problems with them, but Legend melted my heart, and he’s given me a sense of peace I haven’t felt in a long time.

  I watch from the truck as Bridger opens the door, and my big ball of yellow fluff runs toward him. If he weren’t adamant I stay in his vehicle, I would have gone with him to video the entire thing. When Legend comes at you with his full speed, he usually barrels into whatever object will stop him.

  The view of Bridger and Legend is taken away by the closing of my front door. I deflate in my seat. Today has been a roller coaster, what with the way I climbed over his seat, flashing him. I don’t know why I did that, but the way Bridger was looking at me made me yearn for more. I’m sure the hot and cold personality I’ve had going on has him scratching his head.

  I can’t believe how Bridger dropped what he had to do today, his priority being to take care of me though I was trying to tuck my tail and run. Truth be told, I had my eyes on Bridger from the very beginning, from the moment I noticed his roguish good looks and the way his eyes roamed my body. It brought tingles out all over my body, but there was no way I was giving in to Bridger’s temptation. Even if his body was sin reincarnate with his sculpted cheekbones and eyes that captivate any passerby with the way one is blue and the other is green—even so, they carry warmth in their depths—and the way his jaw carried more than a hint of a five-o’clock shadow, plus his hair that’s shaved on the sides, longer on the top. Its rich chocolate color made me want to run my fingers through it to give it a tousled look. While his husky eyes were grazing over my body, I did the same. Sure, Slade and Drake were sitting beside him, but they didn’t hold a candle to Bridger. Oh no, his tall, lean build is muscular, but not in that beefed-up appearance, and if it weren’t for the hell Liam put me through, I would have definitely taken him up on the promise his eyes were offering.

  The knock on the window has me jumping in my seat. I look out to see that it’s Bridger, and there beside him on his leash is Legend. I open the door, and Bridger says, “You could have warned me about the attack dog.”

  I laugh. Legend is a lot of things, but an attack dog he is not. “I’m sorry. Did he lick you to death?” I joke.

  “Nah, he wanted a hug.”

  “That sounds about right, huh, Legend?” I slide out of Bridger’s vehicle, dropping down to his level as I talk to my puppy. That tail of his is going a million miles an hour.

  “Is everything okay? Can we go inside?” I ask as I give Legend the scratches behind his ear that he demands every day when I get home. I bend down, getting a whiff of puppy breath and a tongue that licks the side of my face, making me laugh.

  “Yeah, I am going to call Easton once you’re settled and get an alarm system installed, unless you’re willing to move into my place for the time being.” The slow smile that’s spreading across his face is letting me know he’d really enjoy that.

  I’m seriously contemplating it. I mean, this is a rental. The alarm will come out of Nighthawk’s budget, I’m sure, because I know how these men work. If they care about you in any capacity, whether it’s as a co-worker, friend, or see you as family, they lookout for you, no matter the cost.

  “Can I stay here for now, take it day by day? And if or when things get worse, I promise I’ll relocate to your house.” I look up from my stooped level. Bridger’s hand is out, his palm upturned once again. Without a second thought, I place mine in his as he helps me up. Legend whimpers, so I reach out with my other hand to pat his head. My boy, he loves attention.

  “That’s fine. Just know I’ll be staying with you from here on out.” He squeezes my hand. I nod my head, already contemplating how this is going to work out. Sure, I have two bedrooms, but that doesn’t mean there are two beds.

  “I’ll sleep on the couch. You can take the bed,” I tell him as I turn around to grab my purse from the floorboard of the car.

  “No way. We can sleep in the same bed together. You stay on your side, and I’ll stay on mine.”

  “You don’t ask for much, do you?” I question, turning around, cocking my eyebrow at him.

  “Who, me? Not at all.” We walk hand in hand to the front door. His other hand still holds Legend’s leash, who is following along with us.

  “Yes, you. I wasn’t talking to Legend.” I shake my head, not having the slightest idea how this is going to work out.

  “We’ll take it one day at a time, but Kellie?” he questions.

  “Yes?” We stop at the entrance to my house.

  “This is happening. It’s been building for months. We’ll go as slow as you need to, but I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.” His words leave me with my jaw slacked, like a fish-out-of-water effect.

  Bridger pulls on my hand, and for the first time, I’m going to see where things go and do as he says, take it one day a time.

  Six

  Bridger

  Watching Kellie’s mouth open had me thinking wild thoughts, but I know that won’t be happening, not any time soon at least. When I told her I’d be staying with her, the look of shock on her face almost had me rethinking my plans. I don’t want to push her too fast and too far. All these months later though, I can see she’s starting to feel for me what I’m feeling for her.

  “Make yourself at home. There may even be a beer in the fridge, and the remote is on the table. Watch your shoes. If you take them off, Legend likes to eat the strings. I’m going to change, then I’ll be back.” I watch her the entire time she walks down the hallway until she disappears.

  This place is a logistical nightmare from a security point of view, and for the second time today, I’m thinking I should have made Kellie pack a bag and stay at my place. Though, my house has more than one bed, so this may work out better for me in the long run.

  I sit on the couch, Legend bounding up to sit beside me. He places his head in my lap and nudges me until I pet him. “Yeah, Legend. I know.” I pet him before getting my phone out and making a couple of calls. The first being Leo. I’ll have him ride over with Drake, let him stay here with Kellie while I go grab some clothes from my place.

  “Hey,” Leo says on the other end of the line after the first ring.

  “Yo, can you drive Kellie’s vehicle over here, hang out with her while I stop at my house to grab some clothes, and then we’ll take you back to your car?”

  “Sure, I have nothing planned for the evening. You don’t have to take me back to the shop. I’ll have one of my brothers swing by and pick me up when you get back.” Leo has come a long way from the fuck-up he once was, and I know his mom couldn’t be more thankful. For that matter, all of us are. I think the matter with Taylor solidified he needed to quit his bullshit while he was ahead.

  “Thanks. Take your time. We’re just hanging out for the time being.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll text when we’re on the way. Her spare keys still in your office drawer?” Leo asks.

  “Yeah, top right drawer,” I grunt. That’s another thing I’ll have to tell Kellie about, though to be honest, she does drive a company vehicle. Nothing like the Tahoes and Suburbans we guys ride around in. She’s in a smaller SUV. Still, her knowing I keep her spare key in my office won’t make her jump for joy.

  “Hey, did you get
everything squared away?” Kellie walks out of her bedroom, and fuck me running, there is no way I’ll be leaving her with Leo now. She’s wearing what I’m assuming is her loungewear around the house without anyone here, and I know I’ll be texting Leo to tell him what to pick up from my house instead of him sitting with Kellie. There’s no fucking way, not with what her body is encased in that has me swallowing my tongue and fumbling for words. That would be because my woman’s body is encased in what most would say is nothing big, but with it wrapped around her body, she may as well be naked and laid out on a silver platter for me.

  Her white tank top shows off the globes of her breast, full, perky, and what I’m assuming unencumbered by a bra with the way her nipples are pointing through it. The loose shorts leave her legs bare, but the socks she’s wearing that go up and over her knees… God damn, if I weren’t sitting down, I’d probably fall to my knees.

  I clear my throat before saying, “Yeah, but I’m going to make a change of plans first.” Kellie’s face contorts for a moment until she realizes I’m staring at her body. That’s when she decides to close this wrap thing around her body, obscuring her from my eyes.

  “You do that. I’ll order dinner. Anything particular you want? I think the only place that will deliver is Crave, or we can go pick something else up?” she fires off.

  “Sunshine, come here,” I demand. She shuffles her feet until she’s standing in front of me. I widen my legs, and Kellie moves closer. The tips of my fingers graze the back of her thighs, my eyes are on hers, and I tell her what I need to.

  “I promise I won’t take anything you aren’t willing to give. You don’t have to hide your body from me, Kel. Okay?” My hands grab her firm thighs, pulling her until she’s straddling my lap. I don’t press for her to get close to my cock. If I did that, Kellie would be liable to run into her room and lock the door.