Blood Kiss (Savage Security Series Book 1) (15 page)

Mike ran his hands down her back and said, “Hell yeah, that’s where you belong.” He gave her ass one last squeeze.

With a giggle, Alisha hopped up from the couch and headed to the guest room. She closed the door behind her and dug through her bag. She pulled out her toiletries and grabbed her pajamas. She glared at the bland pajamas fisted in her hand and frowned. When she packed earlier, she hadn’t planned on sleeping with Mike. If she had, she would’ve brought something sexier to sleep in. She probably should have brought a back-up set of pajamas. At the very least, she could have brought a sexy bra and thong. But she’d convinced herself at the time that it was too soon for them to have sex. But now, he’d lit a raging fire in her that only he could put out. So with frustration, she zipped up her bag and went into the bathroom. Alisha began her bedtime routine and slipped into her pajamas.

She decided to take one last look in the bathroom mirror before heading to Mike’s room. Since this was their first time she felt she should put some effort into her appearance. She needed to look good even if she planned on going to sleep when they were finished. At her perusal, she decided that she needed a touch of powder and a little lip gloss.

She ran the powder brush over her face, concentrating on her nose and cheeks, and then swept the lip gloss over her lips. She rubbed her lips back and forth against each other to smooth out the gloss. Then she squeezed a small dollop of raspberry scented lotion into her hand and spread it across her abdomen and arms. Since her hair had flattened while they lay on the sofa, she leaned over and let her hair hang down like a curtain. She ran her fingers through the strands, trying to give it a little umph. When she flipped her head up, her hair was a delightful mess. She smoothed her honey-blond hair back into place with her fingers and whispered an encouraging, “Here goes nothing.”

Mike brushed his teeth, took off his jeans and shirt, pulled the covers back on the bed, and waited. And waited. And waited.

Not a whole lot rattled him, but her delay as he sat on the bed in his too-tight, boxer briefs was beginning to concern him.
Was she coming, or had she chickened out?
His erection ached to be freed from the restraints of the cotton briefs squeezing the life out of him, but he felt it was tacky to be completely naked when she came in. So he waited awkwardly on his bed.

If he’d known she’d taken this long, he would have taken matters into his own hands. He knew he’d have no trouble getting it up again. But now he feared he’d embarrass himself if he did take matters into his own hands, because that would be the moment when she’d walk in. As it was, he felt like he was about to burst and hoped he could restrain himself long enough to not humiliate himself.

He swiped his hand through his hair and inhaled deeply as he stared at the doorway. He wanted Alisha in his life, and if she was chickening out on him right now, that was okay. He had enough courage for both of them. He’d see her through this nightmare, and then he’d be there by her side to enjoy the ride afterwards.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood. Even though his cock ached, he wasn’t about to put any pressure on her. He decided to go to her and let her know that she didn’t need to feel rushed. They didn’t need to do anything tonight.

He slipped his t-shirt over his head and headed towards the door. As he rounded the doorframe, Alisha exited her doorway and they nearly walked into each other. “Woah,” he said and grinned as his hands found her waist. His blood surged as her eyes raked over his body, stopping on the pronounced bulge in his briefs. A beautiful tinge of red highlighted her cheeks.

Alisha realized she was ogling him, so she pulled her eyes off of his crotch and looked into his face. “Sorry it took me so long,” she stammered.
Should she admit to primping for him?

Mike’s too tight briefs felt even tighter as he stared at her. All her good parts were highlighted in the snug t-shirt that clung to her breasts and showcased her nipples. A pair of too short and too tight shorts teased him too. He
really
wanted to get those shorts off of her.

“I thought that maybe you changed your mind,” Mike said, trying not to be rude by staring at her nipples even though they were screaming for his attention. “That would be okay. If you did,” he added.
Please don’t change your mind,
he begged.

Alisha’s pink tongue caught his attention as she slowly licked her lips.

Ah, the torture continues.

“I haven’t changed my mind,” she said. She slipped her hand under his t-shirt and his abs clenched at her touch. Then she grabbed the hem of his shirt and started to lift it over his head.

That was all the encouragement he needed. He finished the job for her, ripping the shirt over his head and dropping it on the floor. He slipped his hands around her waist and lifted her. She wrapped her legs around him while his hand went under her ass. Their mouths connected, and she ground herself into him as they kissed their way to his bed.

All thought shut down as he went on automatic. Stopping beside the bed, he set her down and slipped her t-shirt over her head. Her nipples begged for his attention, and he couldn’t wait any longer. He sucked one into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the bud. The gentle moan he elicited from her encouraged him. He kissed his way to her other nipple as he freed her of her tight shorts and worked her ass with his hands.

She struggled to peel his too tight, boxer briefs from his body, but all his attention rendered her weak and apparently feeble minded. She slowly slid the fabric down, trying hard to pull it over his erection without letting the fabric snap back onto him.

He noticed her struggling with his briefs, and he
really
didn’t want to get snapped. He chuckled and pulled away from her breast. “Here, let me,” he said. The deep rumble of his voice went straight to Alisha’s lady parts, and she missed his hands on her body while he ridded himself of his briefs.  

He kicked his briefs to the side and zeroed in on her again. His fingertips trailed over her waist as he guided her onto his bed. Then he knelt over her as he feasted on her body.

Alisha was lost in the overwhelming sensations that assaulted her. She reveled in the masculine hardness of his body. The way he looked at her made her feel safe and wanted. None of her past lovers had ever looked at her with such intensity before. She smiled and let her legs fall open as he positioned himself on top of her.

Mike awoke with his arm over his head and a very feminine arm draped over his chest. He looked at the clock on his nightstand. He had five minutes before the alarm would go off. He couldn’t help the naughty smile that resulted as a few good ideas crossed his mind. He inched the sheet down so he could look at a very naked and very beautiful Alisha. He stroked his fingertip over the gentle curve of her back. Tiny goose bumps raised on her delicate skin as he traced the upward rise of her ass that called out to be cradled in his hands.

His morning hard-on begged him to wake her. He was beginning to think that his cock was a genius. He could do what he needed to do in five minutes. She stirred, turning her head and rolling onto her side. He rolled into her, spooning her. She nested into him.

“Morning,” she rasped. She slipped her hand back and felt his thigh, her fingers brushing the course hair on his leg. “Is this for me?” she asked as she found his erection.

“Special delivery,” he whispered in her ear.

She chuckled and stroked him. “You better make it worth my while.” She looked over her shoulder. “We’re in a time crunch, and I have to get ready for school. I can’t be late.”

“I work best under pressure,” He said, nipping her shoulder. She giggled as he flipped her over and his hands roamed over her body. By the time the alarm sounded, they were coming down from their high together.

“You do work well under pressure,” she panted, tracing the curve of his bicep. “Well done.” She bit her bottom lip and realized that buying a gun could end up being one of the best decisions of her life. She could see herself with Mike for a very long time. Perhaps forever. He was definitely a keeper.

The alarm on the phone continued to play. The awesome buzz from morning sex quickly clouded over with reality. He had a full day ahead of him. Today was an important day for Savage Securities. They were to provide extra security for a popular reality television star who was dipping his toes into the seedy pool of politics. The man was coming into town for a quick, secret meeting and wanted some basic security. Mike couldn’t bail on his work, which was why he wanted Alisha to hang out at Savage Securities. He knew she’d be safe there while he did his job, but she refused. She was as stubborn as she was beautiful.

Alisha pushed herself up to a sitting position, pulling the sheet with her to cover her breasts. “I should get in the shower.”

Mike tugged on the sheet, but she held it firmly in place. She shot him a look that was supposed to intimidate him but only turned him on more. “You don’t have to cover up on my account,” he said with a wink.

“Mike,” she said his name slowly, drawing out each syllable as her cheeks flushed.

He’d never understand women. One minute they were naked and letting you touch and lick every inch of their body, and the next minute they were trying to hide and cover up as they scampered away. He wasn’t sure if it was adorable or idiotic.

“You can use my shower,” he said with a smile. He pointed to his en suite bathroom. “Do you want coffee?”

She reached over the bed and grabbed her t-shirt from off the floor. She slipped it on, keeping her back to him, and then shimmied into her shorts. “I’d love some coffee,” She said, hopping out of bed. “Let me get my stuff, and I’ll hit the shower.” With a look at the clock, she fled his room and headed for the guest room to get her things.

Mike could get used to her hopping out of his bed. No, scratch that. He could get used to her hopping into his bed.

He swung his legs over the side of his bed, scrubbed his hands down his face, and headed into the kitchen. Although his blood was pumping, morning sex will do that to a man, he still needed a good shot of caffeine. He had a feeling his mind would be preoccupied with Alisha today, and he wasn’t sure he would survive the separation anxiety.

The ride to the school was quiet and tense. Mike gripped the steering wheel as if he were trying to snap it in two, the way a hunter would snap a chicken’s neck after days of starvation. Alisha drummed her fingers along the car door and tried to think back to the magical time of tenderness and sex that occurred not too long ago in Mike’s bedroom, but all that just seemed like a fantasy now. She could tell he was angry, and it not only hurt her, it ticked her off. Just because they had sex didn’t mean he could control her and make decisions for her.

The problem was, she knew they hadn’t just had sex. What they’d done had united them on some level. There was nothing casual about it. They were two people who cared about each other and were trying to unite on a physical and emotional level. At least that’s what it was for her. She did care about him, and the way he’d worshiped her body, she had to believe that he cared about her.

She tired of watching the trees blur past them as they drove to school. She turned and looked at him. “Why are you so angry?” Alisha worked up the courage to ask. “What’s wrong?”

Was she serious?
He turned and studied her face. She looked genuinely puzzled. “Are you serious?” His voice rose at the end of his question.

“You were happy this morning.” She motioned with her hand between the two of them. “
We
were happy this morning.”

“Hmm,” Mike grunted and then focused on the road as he turned into the school parking lot. “This morning you were safe in my arms. Now I’m handing you over to some madman. It pisses me off.”

She turned in her seat to face him and reached across to cab to massage his neck. Her emotions were mixed. She wanted to ease his tension, but she couldn’t give in to his request that she hang out at his work all day. Her job was important too.

He pulled up to the curb in front of the school. She gave the back of his neck one last good squeeze and said, “We went over the rules. I won’t leave school property with anyone.” Man, she felt like she was twelve and going over the rules for when her mom dropped her off at the mall with her friends.
Should she tease him and say she wouldn’t go to the bathroom without a buddy?
Probably not a good idea at the moment.
He’d left his sense of humor at the condo.
“I will trust my instincts. If I feel like something is off, I will call you right away.” She pulled his hand to her mouth and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of his hand. “Mike, I’ll be okay. He’s not going to try anything while I’m at school. At the most, he’ll leave me a note.” She shrugged, attempting to downplay how creepy even getting a note was to her.

“If he gives you a note,” Mike began.

“I’ll call you,” Alisha interrupted.

“I don’t like this,” Mike grumbled.

“Consider your position on the record,” she teased. She looked over her shoulder at the elementary school that awaited her.
Were there really dark, billowy clouds around the school blocking out the light of the sun and emitting an aura of darkness, or was that just her overactive imagination and fears taking over?
She turned back to look at Mike. She wasn’t going to let him see her fears. She smiled bravely for him, leaned across the cab of his truck and kissed him. “I’ll see you later. Have a good day at work.”

“Be safe,” he said. When she closed her door, he felt as if his heart was torn in two. He’d wanted to walk her inside, but she’d refused him. She said that would lead to too many questions and her coworkers would likely pounce on him. He was pretty confident he could handle them, but she assured him that women who worked in predominantly male-free environments couldn’t be trusted when a hot male showed up. She’d seen what happened to the cute guys that were naïve enough to wander into school zones, and she wanted to protect him from that.

He watched her until she disappeared behind school doors, and then he pulled away. As the miles separated them, his anxiety built. He knew he’d made the wrong decision.

Alisha stepped into the hallway and walked past the school office. The office was separated from the hallway by a half-wall. A large, sliding window sat on the half-wall and divided the office from the common space of the hallway.

The school receptionist, Mrs. Hughes, called through the open window, “Hi Alisha, Mr. Brown wants to see you.” Mrs. Hughes tilted her head towards the principal’s office that was down a little hallway in the office behind her desk.

Alisha stopped and adjusted her school bag on her shoulder. “Okay. Thanks.” She stepped into the office and stood beside Mrs. Hughes’s desk. The woman was a ‘rock star’ office manager. She managed to memorize every kid’s name, teacher, and grade each year. Her accomplishments never ceased to amaze Alisha.

“Did you have a good weekend?” Alisha asked.

Mrs. Hughes laughed and slid a paperclip onto a stack of papers. “Yes, but too busy though. Mark had a soccer tournament, and Laura had a gymnastics meet. I had to be in two places at once. I’m still recovering,” she chuckled and picked up another stack of papers.

Alisha snorted. She remembered all the stress she and her brother had put her parents through with all their after school activities. “Such is life, right? At least they’re good kids.”

“Amen to that. Anyways, that’s what makes it all fun.” Mrs. Hughes’ face beamed as she slid the papers into the automatic stapler.

Alisha chuckled, “For sure. Well, have a good day.” She gave a little wave and continued down the little hallway towards Mr. Brown’s office. He seldom asked to see her, so she wondered what this was about. She’d finished with her observations for this year, so she didn’t think he needed to plan anything like that.

She knocked lightly on the door and listened.

“Come in,” Mr. Brown called from behind the closed door.

Alisha turned the handle and stepped into the well-organized office. A bookcase with curriculum guides, child psychology books, teaching manuals, and a few personal photographs lined one wall. A big window was behind Mr. Brown’s desk. The blinds were cracked, so light streamed in and made it difficult to look directly at him. Alisha squinted.

“Please sit, Ms. Woods.” Mr. Brown stood and motioned to the chair across from his desk. He watched as she set her bag on the floor and eased into the chair across from him. He sat again, resting his arms on his desk.

He wasn’t sure how to start this conversation. He wasn’t good at this stuff. He worked hard to keep his work life and personal life separate, and he appreciated it when his teachers did too. He studied her face and realized that she squinted as she looked at him. “Oh, let me get the blinds,” he said. He stood and twirled the handle on the blinds. The room instantly darkened.

Alisha was grateful that she could see better, but the overhead light was off, so now it was a little too dark for her comfort.  

Mr. Brown chuckled and motioned with his hands. “Well, now it’s too dark,” he said with a low laugh as he walked towards the door and hit the light switch. The fluorescent lights flickered and lit the room. “That’s better,” he said as he walked back to his desk. He sat down, interlocked his fingers, and rested his hands on top of the desk.

Alisha liked Mr. Brown, but as she sat across from him right now, she looked at him through Mike’s eyes. She suddenly felt a little nervous as she thought of him as a potential threat. He’d managed to single her out and get her behind closed doors before the morning bell even rang.
Mike would have a conniption if he knew it hadn’t even taken two minutes for her to be lured to a dark, secluded room by her stalker.
She exhaled a large breath and forced her lips into a shaky smile.

Her blue eyes roamed over him. He couldn’t help but feel nervous. He was acutely aware of his looks. People seemed to do one of two things. They either stared at the scar, or it was painfully obvious that they were NOT staring at the scar. They weren’t trying to be rude, but they just couldn’t help themselves. But Alisha never stared at the thick scar that divided his face and ran down the length of his neck. Alisha had always been different. She let her eyes roam over him as if the scar was not there. It was as if she didn’t see it at all and not as if she were trying to
pretend
to not see it.

But recently he’d noticed a change in her. At first he pretended not see the difference in her personality and easy-going spirit. Whatever she was going through was none of his business, but the change had progressed to the point where he could no longer pretend to not see that something was negatively influencing her life. His time in the military had served him well. He prided himself on the key leadership skills he’d learned and now applied to his civilian life. And as a principal, he shouldered the responsibility for his students’ and staff’s safety. But now, whenever he looked at Alisha, he knew something was wrong. Anxiety poured from her eyes and tensed her lips. He couldn’t sit by any longer. He had to intervene.

He took a deep breath, steepled his fingers, and leaned back in his chair, trying to appear casual. “Alisha, thank you for coming to see me.”

“Of course,” she replied. She crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap. She tried to smile, but it just felt forced.

He didn’t like what he was seeing. Normally she was joyful and happy. She was one of his favorite people at the school. He could always count on her effervescent personality to brighten the day, but something was smothering her.

He leaned forward in his chair and said, “I don’t want to interfere in your personal life, but it appears that something is bothering you. Are you okay?”
Was she having man issues?
He internally groaned. He certainly didn’t want to step into that minefield.

Alisha fiddled with her fingers.
Had he been watching her?
“What do you mean?” She tried to keep her voice steady, but she couldn’t hide the concern in her tone.

He leaned back in his chair again, attempting once again to look casual while he really just felt awkward. “Usually you’re very happy. For the past few weeks you’ve seemed… distracted.” He hated this. It was so much easier dealing with men. You swear a little. They swear back. A few words are exchanged that hint at what may be the problem. Then add a ‘fuck you’ or two, and the problem is solved. But women are so much more complicated. Maybe he shouldn’t have gotten involved. This would probably come back to bite him in the ass.

She tried to control the panic she felt when she realized that he’d been watching her for weeks. “You’re watching me?” she whispered, her eyebrows pulling down in concern while her stomach turned.

Fuck!
Mr. Brown put up a hand and shook his head. “No, no,” he stated emphatically. “Please, you misunderstand me. You know I love this school. This is my home away from home. I try to notice everything so I can make it the best school in the district. And something is obviously bothering you. I just want to help if I can.”

Alisha couldn’t help herself. A cold sweat broke out along her body. Her armpits felt damp and she wiped at the nape of her neck. Her emotions were getting the best of her, and she cursed herself for it. A tight ball grew in her stomach, and a salty tear dripped down her cheek.

I knew I was right.
Mr. Brown stood and walked around his desk to stand in front of her. He leaned against his desktop and pulled a tissue from the tissue box. He waved it like a white flag as he handed it to her.

Alisha dabbed her cheek and looked up at him. He was fit and certainly fell between the right height and weight for her stalker.
Why couldn’t he be morbidly obese?
Then she’d know it was safe to trust him. “You’re right,” Alisha admitted. “I’ve been dealing with some personal issues.”

She took a deep breath and looked at his family picture on the bookcase. He looked happy. But weren’t family photos staged? Did her stalker have a family? She had always assumed he was some desperate, single guy.

“I’m dealing with those issues,” she tried to say confidently. “I promise that they won’t affect my teaching.” She plastered on a fake smile.

“That’s not why I’m asking,” he replied. He didn’t want to sound like a callous bastard, upset because her personal garbage was leaking into her work. “Please know you can come to me if you need to. My door is always open.”

Alisha nodded, grabbed her school bag and stood. “Thanks, Mr. Brown. It’s nice to know you care.”
Was that too much?
She groaned internally. If he was her stalker, had she just encouraged him to dig around more in her life?

Alisha walked out of his office and jogged up the stairs. She headed straight down the hallway for her classroom. She sighed deeply as she shut her classroom door and surveyed her well-organized room. Every table group, with its little bin of sharpened pencils, glue sticks, rulers, and crayons surrounded by colorful kid-sized chairs, set her world right. This was her kingdom, and she did her best to rule it with loving kindness and a sprinkling of justice when needed. No stalker could get to her in here. In here she was queen.