Greeley's Spyce (27 page)

Kacy‘s hand clutched the door harder. ―I was on my way out.‖

Seeing her feet clad in her fuzzy slippers, he blinked. ―It won‘t take

long.‖ Ernst stepped closer, knowing she would step back. Kacy did. Putting

one strong hand on the door, he shut it behind him, sealing them away from

the outside world, closing out the cold autumn morning and the nosy

neighbors.

Her home was warm and he felt like he belonged in it. With her.

Turning his head, he glanced into the kitchen where he saw two cups sitting

on the table. A fierce spurt of anger filled him. The fact that Jacob Trask had

sat with her made him instantly furious.

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Taking a deep breath, he slowly glanced back down at her face,

which seemed delightfully focused on his midsection. Standing there, he felt

himself twitch and grow beneath her heated stare.

―How are you doing?‖ Ernst questioned as her head flew up to meet

his gaze.

Skepticism filled her fathomless copper eyes. ―Don‘t tell me you left

your hoochie to come ask me how I am doing.‖

A warm feeling surrounded him.
You’re jealous, my schatzi.
―I didn‘t

leave anyone.‖

The brief pain that crossed her eyes shattered that warmth. Ernst rea-

lized she figured that woman was waiting for him. ―I have the things you left

right there,‖ Kacy blurted out before he could speak again. ―Don‘t worry;

everything is clean.‖

His pale gaze followed her extended finger to find a brown bag sit-

ting by the door.
If I take that bag, it will be over for us.
Intentionally ignoring

the bag, he focused back on her face. ―What was he doing here?‖ The ques-

tion seemed to throw her for a moment and she didn‘t answer. Ernst stepped

closer, engulfing her with his size alone. ―What. Was. He. Doing. Here?‖

Again, Kacy clenched her fists. ―Jake?‖

―Yeah, him,
Jake
.‖ Ernst didn‘t stop his hands. One finger trailed

down the soft curls that framed her face. Her hair always felt like silk to him,

especially when it flowed across his skin as they made love. ―Kacy?‖ he

murmured as that lone finger turned to two with his thumb caressing her

bottom lip.

―He…he…he was telling me about some more things I can do to

make the house more secure. About my options in dealing with Kirby.‖

Ernst knew this was the first time she had ever willingly told him

that man‘s name. Swallowing his rage at the thought of the man who had laid

a hand on her body, Ernst ran his other hand up her arm to slip around the

back of her neck, sending those electrical impulses through her. ―Why were

you out with him?‖

―I just met him last night. We weren‘t out.‖ Smacking both his hands

away from her body, she took a step back. ―Which is more than I can say for

you. What gives you the right to ask me about dating when you were out on

one?‖ Kacy‘s tone had grown cold.

―I was doing a favor for a friend.‖ Ernst didn‘t like the way her eye-

brow rose. ―I didn‘t want to go out with her. Jesus, Kacy, all I have thought

about is you since I was dumb enough to walk out of your door four months

ago.‖

Her arms crossed under her breasts, drawing his attention to them

for a brief moment before he looked back into her eyes. ―And the kiss on the

boardwalk? That was what, your way of telling her you weren‘t interested?‖

Sarcasm laced her voice.

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I knew she was there. Damn it! Why did she have to see that?
―I didn‘t kiss

her, she kissed me,‖ he explained.

―So that makes it okay?‖ Her tone was almost understanding and

Ernst fell for the trap.

―Yes.‖

Her eyes grew twice as hard as diamonds. ―That‘s nice to know. So

when Jake kisses me, if I don‘t kiss him, it is okay.‖

―Hell no!‖ Ernst shouted.

―If it is good for you, then why not for me?‖ Kacy taunted.

―No man kisses you,‖ he growled. His hands grabbed her shoulders

and pulled her so there was no light between their bodies before his lips

covered hers. It was a dominating kiss and when he pulled away he added,

―Except me.‖

Kacy‘s hands wound into the supple leather of his jacket as his

mouth lifted off hers. Apparently, that brief contact wasn‘t enough and she

jerked him back so their lips mashed together.

Understanding what she wanted, Ernst took control of the kiss as he

slid his hands around her ass and lifted her off the floor only to carry her

back to her bedroom. Along the way, his jacket was removed and dropped in

the hall; and when they got to the room, his shirt was partway up his chest.

Ernst ripped it off the rest of the way and his mouth found its way

back to hers. Her fingers were busy lowering his jeans and boxers, shoving

them over his lean hips. Ernst mimicked her action and soon footwear and

both pairs of jeans were on the floor. It didn‘t take him long at all to dispose

of her sweater and bra.

Once they were both naked, he laid her on the top of her bed and en-

tered her velvet warmth in one smooth stroke. Their mouths stayed con-

nected as he began to move deep within her core.

Her body rippling with pleasure, Kacy drew back and buried her

face into his shoulder. Ernst in turn put his face into her neck and left his

mark on her. Orgasm after orgasm overtook Kacy as he moved within her.

His touch was amazingly tender as he allowed her to find her releases first.

No words were spoken as he increased his speed and depth at the

feel of his own approaching climax. One final thrust later, and he came deep

within her body, covering her with his sperm and praying this would make

her pregnant. Staying within her, he rolled to the side and gathered her as

close to him as he could, draping their sweaty bodies with the comforter

folded at the foot of her bed.

Exhausted and finally content, both fell into an entrenched and

much-needed sleep. They were relaxed for the first time in four months. For

unknown reasons, they were allowed undisturbed dreams as they traveled

through the world of Morpheus. No restless turning, no unwanted awaken-

ings. They were slumbering in the perfect place—one another‘s arms. All was

right in their world once again.

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Aliyah Burke

Kacy awoke first.
It had to be a dream, just like all the other times Ernst

has come back and made love to me.
Slowly her eyes opened, expecting the warm

feeling that coursed her body to fade only for the usual disappointment to

replace it. It didn‘t, and what met her eyes was the chest of the man who had

been in her dreams every single night for the past few months.

The realization of what she‘d just done filled her with a maelstrom of

conflicting emotions. On the one hand, she felt so perfectly content lying in

his arms. But the part of her predisposed for sabotage wouldn‘t let her forget

him with that other woman.

Unconsciously, her body began to tense. The reaction from the slum-

bering man who still held her was to bring her closer to him and tighten the

grip he had on her body. His square jaw covered with morning stubble rested

on the top of her head. ―Shhhh,‖ he murmured as they both fell back to sleep.

This time when Kacy awoke, she was alone in the bed lying on her

belly with her hands under her. She groaned in dismay. ―I knew it was a

dream.‖ Bracing herself for the pain and loss, Kacy rolled over to get out of

bed.

Those feelings never made it. Striding through her bedroom door

was the man from her dreams. Ernst Zimmermann.

He only wore a towel that hung dangerously low on lean hips. The

midmorning fall light from the windows bounced off the few water droplets

remaining on his tanned skin. In one hand he had a glass of orange juice.

Their eyes met and Ernst smiled gently at her as he placed the juice

beside her on the bedside table. Hands pulling the blanket up to cover her

nakedness, Kacy swallowed as he sat on the bed near her. Her body slid

towards him as his weight shifted the mattress.

―Hello,
liebling
,‖ he said softly as he brushed their lips together. Kacy

could feel his smooth skin for he was clean shaven now.

Kacy pulled back and stayed silent. Wariness filled her gaze as she

glanced around the room before settling back on his face.

―Oh, no, Kacy,‖ Ernst began with a shake of his still-damp head. ―I‘m

not letting you chase me off again.‖ Those amazing eyes of his grabbed hers

and wouldn‘t let go. ―I never should have left the last time.‖

―This was a mistake,‖ she blurted out, tugging nervously on the

blanket covering her nudity.

―You‘re right,‖ Ernst agreed immediately.

Kacy‘s eyes grew wide with amazement that he would say such a

thing. ―I am?‖

Ernst nodded. ―Yes, you are.‖ At the glimmer of sadness and accep-

tance of loss on her face he continued, ―We should have talked it through first

before we made love.‖ One hand gathered her chin and stared straight into

her eyes. ―Making love with you Kacy can never be anything but perfect. In

no way could it be a mistake.‖

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Unsure of what to say or how to respond to his words she just stared

at him. Her fingers tried to wring out the color of her comforter.
He was with

another woman before he came to you. Get rid of him!
her mind yelled. Kacy

whimpered in distress as she tried to get the voices to stop. ―I need to get

dressed,‖ she mumbled for lack of anything else to say.

Ernst reached behind him and handed her the thick robe she wore in

the wintertime. ―We are going to talk this through, Kacy,‖ he vowed before

leaving her alone to get out of bed and dress.

Kacy took her time in the shower. Part of it was spent with the hot,

pounding spray washing away her salty tears. She knew she was in love with

the man waiting for her in her house. What she didn‘t know was if she were

strong enough to deal with what being in a long-term relationship with him

meant.

Wiping the mirror with a towel, she glanced at her reflection as it be-

came visible. Her features were haggard. Eyes were puffy and red, her skin

sallow and pasty. Slipping the robe on, Kacy made sure the towel on her

head wouldn‘t move and she walked out of the bathroom.

―Brunch is ready,‖ the masculine voice that had a million ways of af-

fecting her spoke from one end of the hall.

Pasting on a weak smile, Kacy turned and walked towards him. He

had put on his clothes with the exception of his shoes. Leaning against a wall,

his eyes never left her progress.

Stopping her with a touch he whispered, ―Do you want to change

first?‖

―Why are you here, Ernst?‖ Kacy asked point blank.

―Because four months ago, I told you something and then left, some-

thing that I had wanted to say to you for a long time. Something I never

should have left after saying.‖

Licking her lips, Kacy searched his face for the truth. His gaze was

guileless as it stared directly back into her coppery one. It didn‘t waver, shift;

all it did was hold hers. ―I just don‘t know,‖ she grated out.

He fixed the thick collar on her robe. ―Don‘t know about what? Me?

Us? What don‘t you know about?‖

―I don‘t know what to believe,‖ Kacy said, closing her eyes and try-

ing to block out his image.

―What does your heart tell you?‖ Ernst took one of her hands and

placed it over his chest, allowing her to feel the rhythmic beating of his own

heart. ―What does mine tell you?‖

With a deep breath, Kacy held her hand still. She moved her free

hand into the fold of the robe to rest upon her own damp skin. After about a

minute, her eyes opened to meet his uncanny yet steadfast gaze.

He nodded knowingly. ―As one,‖ Ernst spoke in a low velvety tone.

―They beat as one.‖

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Opening her mouth, Kacy shut it to nod. Ernst took the hand on his

chest, kissed the back of it, and tugged her towards the dinning area. ―You

need to eat something.‖ His words were followed by another kiss as he

helped her into a chair.

C H A P T E R T W E N T Y - F I V E

Glancing over to the digital readout on the microwave, Kacy was

amazed to see it was nearly eleven. Blinking, she looked at the spread before

her on the table: scrambled eggs, dry wheat toast—the way she liked it,

bacon, sausage, fresh fruit, diced potatoes and a batch of sweet rolls. There

was orange juice and coffee as well.

Ernst didn‘t take his usual seat across from her. Instead, he sat beside

her and never gave her a moment‘s rest from his spectral-hued but watchful

stare. Ernst dished her up a little bit of food and placed it before her. ―Please

eat something,‖ he said as his voice broke with huskiness.

Tilting her head so she couldn‘t see his piercing eyes, Kacy picked up

her fork and took a small bite of eggs. One thing was for sure, this man sure

could cook! Her appetite back, Kacy began to eat. When she reached for her

cup of coffee, she noticed that Ernst was just sitting there. Watching her. One