His To Protect (Elite Force Security Book 2), page 8
“Salty, do you have anything to add?” Ax asked, putting a temporary halt to the images running through Ryan’s head depicting how he hoped the night would end.
Honestly, he had almost no idea what Neil had already shared. He’d tuned out a good ten minutes ago. There wasn’t a chance in hell he would admit that. “No.”
Several months ago, Elite Force had been contacted by the parents of a teenage girl from Virginia who was lured away from home by a violent Baltimore-based organization that’d been pimping out girls as young as fourteen while also making sure the drug problem in the city continued. Almost immediately the firm partnered with the local authorities to get all the girls safely home and at the same time eradicate the organization. With no hesitation, Neil Foley had volunteered to go undercover. Today he’d had another meeting with the organization’s second-in-command, meaning Ryan and Keith had spent much of the day inside a run-down apartment in an unsavory neighborhood listening to Neil’s wire in case he needed backup. Although an essential and often beneficial assignment, it was also the one they all dreaded because it was boring as hell. Well, unless something went wrong, and then the adrenaline kicked in. Today the meeting had gone as Neil hoped.
“What about you?” Ax directed his question across the table to Keith this time.
Keith shook his head as he checked his watch again. He hadn’t shared his plans with Ryan; actually, he’d been unusually quiet today despite the hours they’d spent together. But whatever they were, the guy was eager to leave. He’d looked at his watch at least three times in the last fifteen minutes.
“Then we’re done here. Neil, let me know the next time you’re in contact with Roche.”
Thank God. He liked the people he worked with and what he did, but he’d had enough of both for the week.
“I’m heading over to Cooper’s Smokehouse. Either of you interested?” Neil asked, pushing his chair away from the conference table.
He often stopped at the barbeque joint in Alexandria after work for dinner and a beer. Any other night, he’d take Neil up on the offer. “Not tonight. I already have plans.”
“Next-door neighbor again?” Keith asked.
Ryan nodded as he sent Kenzie a text message letting her know he was leaving work soon and should be home in about a half an hour so she could come over whenever she wanted.
Neil grabbed his cell phone and stuck it in a back pocket. “The one that came to your cookout? Thought about asking her for her number, but after the way you kept looking at her all night, I got the feeling you were interested in her. Any plans tonight, Keith?”
“Sorry, I’m meeting some friends. See you both later.” Keith didn’t elaborate or stick around for any questions.
Friends or a friend? Maybe Keith had finally grown a set and asked Maddie out. If he had, it would explain his eagerness to leave tonight. Ryan preceded Neil into the hallway. “Have a nice weekend. See you on Monday.” At least he hoped he didn’t see Neil or anyone else until Monday. Unfortunately, in this line of work, there were no guarantees.
“Yeah, you too.”
Ryan stopped at his desk long enough to grab his keys, and then he split before anyone decided a late Friday afternoon conversation was a good idea.
The perfect evening for a ride in his convertible greeted him outside. He hadn’t checked the weather for the rest of the weekend, but he hoped they were in store for more of the same. After being stuck inside an apartment that reeked of fish and old cigarettes for much of the day, he wanted fresh air and plenty of it. So rather than use the car’s air conditioning, Ryan put all the windows down and pulled up a playlist on his cell phone before heading out of the gated parking lot.
He was less than a block from work when the guitar riff from one of his favorite songs interrupted the chorus coming from the speakers. A glance at the screen confirmed it was a call he wanted to take and not another of the endless junk calls he, like most people, received daily.
“Hey, Adam. What’s up?” It’d been at least a week since he last talked to his brother.
“I’m heading up to see Mom and Dad this weekend.” His twin brother’s voice, which he was told sounded exactly like his, came through the car’s speakers.
Damn it. He didn’t need to hear anything else. Adam had a key to his house, and when he was in the area, he came and went as he pleased. The same was true in Ryan’s case, although he traveled down to North Carolina much less than Adam came to Virginia. If his brother was driving north, he planned to spend the night at his place. Usually, Ryan enjoyed having his brother around. Tonight wasn’t one of those times.
“But I’m at your place now. Just checking if you’re on an assignment or if you’ll be around tonight.”
Anyone else, he’d tell them to get lost. He’d even consider telling one of his other two brothers that tonight, but not Adam. While he had great relationships with both Kyle and Ben, they were nothing like the one between him and his twin. So telling Adam to find another place to sleep tonight wasn’t an option, regardless of what his dick was telling him.
“On my way home now. I’d tell you to make yourself at home, but I know you already did.” Ryan ended the call before Adam could get in a comeback.
His brother had the worst timing. Although he didn’t need to change his plans for the night, an overnight visitor meant he had to alter them. Earlier in the week, Kenzie had understood when he’d been forced to change their plans. Ryan hoped she remained that way tonight.
***
Crazy or not, she never left the house without saying goodbye to Marley—and Silver, if the cat was around. More times than not, Silver was off somewhere in the house happy to be alone, and occasionally Kenzie envied the cat for her ability to do that. If Kenzie had to guess, the cat was upstairs at the moment in her bedroom, soaking up some sun. She’d most likely stay there as long as the sun did; then she’d find her way to the kitchen and nibble on her food.
“Be a good boy.” Kenzie scratched Marley behind the ears, and in return, he looked at her as if she was about to abandon him forever. “Don’t look at me like that. I’ll be back soon.”
Unconvinced by the words, he followed her to the front door. “It won’t work tonight, buddy.” On occasion, she took him with her when she left. Regardless of whether or not Ryan would welcome the dog into his house, she didn’t want a third wheel, even if it would be a furry one, around tonight. She doubted Ryan would want one either. The little time they’d spent together so far this week had been inside a busy restaurant. Not exactly the type of place where one could get up close and personal, and tonight she wanted to get as close and personal as humanly possible. She didn’t expect to get any disagreements from Ryan’s corner either.
Kenzie scooted out the door before Marley’s pleading puppy dog eyes changed her mind about bringing him along, because when it came to him, she was a big softy. He seemed to know it too.
The dark blue convertible parked in front of Ryan’s house caused an odd combination of disappointment and annoyance to settle in her stomach. They hadn’t discussed any specific plans for tonight or really the weekend except for the Nationals game tomorrow. However, she’d assumed they’d be alone. If he planned to have other friends over, it would have been nice if he’d let her know in advance. Nothing in his texts this week suggested anyone else would be here.
She was near the edge of her driveway when Ryan’s front door opened and he jogged down the steps, causing her feet to slow as a burst of heat cascaded over her, forcing any other emotion aside. He might have a friend over now, but they wouldn’t stay the night. Eventually, they’d go home, and the two of them would have the rest of the night to enjoy each other’s company in ways that involved very little conversation and no clothing. At least she hoped that was how they’d be spending part of their time together.
Picking up her pace, she met him in the middle of his driveway. While they were alone, she wanted to give him a proper greeting. Stepping closer to him, she slipped her arms over his shoulders and pressed her body against his. “I missed—”
Pushing away from him, Kenzie studied his face. The man in front of her looked like Ryan, but at the same time, he didn’t. She couldn’t explain it. But something was off.
“You—” Ryan didn’t finish whatever he intended to say because behind him the door banged closed.
“Hey, Kenzie. I was just coming over to get you.”
At the sound of Ryan’s voice, she glanced past the Ryan standing in front of her, whom she’d almost kissed, and watched a second one head in her direction.
Heat crawled up her neck as Kenzie eyes swung back for another glimpse at who must be Adam. Ryan had told her he had a twin brother, but nothing he said suggested they were identical, and no family pictures were hanging on his walls to tell her. And thanks to the lack of information, she’d almost kissed Adam while standing in his brother’s driveway.
Despite the audience, Ryan tugged her against him and covered her mouth with his without a word to his brother. The movement of his lips against hers quickly sent any embarrassment into hiding for the moment, and a fresh dose of desire swept over her.
“I missed you this week.” He whispered the words against her ear before tugging gently on her earlobe.
An exaggerated throat clearing reminded Kenzie they weren’t alone. Considering the fact Ryan had transferred his lips from her ear to her neck, he was content to ignore his brother and continue with what he was doing. If they were alone, she wouldn’t object at all to Ryan’s current activity. But having him tease her while another man with the same face, whom she’d hugged, looked on was simply too weird for her.
Taking a step back, she moved out of Ryan’s embrace and looked in Adam’s direction. She’d almost kissed the man, so he deserved at least an apology. For all she knew, Adam had a girlfriend or fiancée inside the house. Even if it was a mistake, she wouldn’t be too happy to walk outside and find another woman kissing Ryan because she thought he was his brother. “I’m sorry about that.”
Adam grinned, something Ryan had done many times around her, and when he did, she often wished for a place to sit down. But although their features were the same, she didn’t fear her legs would give out.
“Don’t worry about. It happens a lot,” Adam replied.
She hoped he meant people confused them a lot rather than the wrong women kissed them a lot. “I knew Ryan had a twin. But I didn’t know you were identical.” She shot Ryan a look of annoyance. “If I’d known, I think I would have realized you were Adam sooner.” The longer she looked at Adam, the more she picked up the subtle differences, such as the tiny scar near Adam’s right eye and the slight difference in their hair length.
She’d more or less thrown herself at the man, so shaking his hand seemed silly. Regardless, she extended her hand toward him. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“I think we’re past handshakes, Kenzie.” Adam wrapped an arm around her and kissed her cheek, ignoring the glare Ryan sent his way. Nodding in Ryan’s direction, he dropped his hands by his sides. “Considering the way he’s looking at me, maybe I better sleep with a knife under my pillow tonight.”
If Ryan were giving her a look like the one he was giving his brother, she’d be running for cover. “Might not be a bad idea.”
Ryan’s arm went around her waist, and he pulled her back against his side. Unlike earlier, she wouldn’t be able to get away from him easily. Not that she wanted to anyway. She’d spent more time this week than was probably healthy thinking about him and how they could spend their time together.
“I thought you were leaving to get some food,” Ryan said.
Although it was obvious to anyone with ears that Ryan wanted him gone, Adam ignored his brother. “Is he this rude to you? Because if he is, I’ll take care of it for you. It wouldn’t be the first time I had to teach him some manners.”
“He’s thoughtful around me.” She could pull out a whole list of other adjectives but saw no need to. The little glint in Adam’s eyes let her know the single word was all the ammunition he required.
“Thoughtful?” He shook his head in disbelief. “Ryan doesn’t know the meaning of the word. Are you sure you’re not thinking of thoughtless? Or maybe tedious? People have used both words to describe my baby brother here.”
Her lips twitched, and it took some effort, but she contained a smile. “Positive.”
Adam glanced at his brother before focusing his attention back on her, and she couldn’t help but wonder what it was like to look at a person with the same face as you. Was it like looking in a mirror? Or did they know each other so well that they saw more the person inside rather than what the rest of the world saw?
“Sorry, Kenzie, I know my brother, and I’m not buying it. We’ll talk when I get back.”
She had a feeling they would, and in the process, she’d get to hear every embarrassing story Adam could think of about his brother. Kenzie didn’t doubt Ryan would repay the favor. If nothing else, it would be an entertaining and perhaps informative night.
“Take the long way home,” Ryan called over his shoulder as he started to walk them across the driveway toward the front steps, leaving Adam behind.
Letting him know how much she would have appreciated knowing he and Adam were identical twins was on the tip of her tongue, because she wasn’t in the habit of throwing herself at men. The fact that she’d just done so was perhaps the most embarrassing thing she’d done in her adult life. Before she could tell him that or anything else, he closed the door behind them and slammed his lips down on hers. Seconds later, his hands tugged the elastic holding her hair up in a ponytail and he backed her up against the door, trapping her there with his body.
Labeling what he was doing to her mouth a kiss was wrong. Unfortunately, her brain couldn’t come up with an adequate word. And when he moved his lips away from hers, it was like a giant had snuffed out all the sunlight in the world. Like a little child, she wanted to stomp her feet and demand that he return to what he’d been doing.
“Sorry I was so busy this week,” he said between kisses against her neck. Ryan pulled a handful of her shirt free from her waistband and touched the bare skin underneath. Slowly, his hand skimmed up her stomach before settling on her breast.
“I—” Kenzie sucked in air as his thumb flicked across her nipple, and he smiled against her neck. “—understand.”
And she did. Some jobs followed a set schedule and allowed people to make plans not only days in advance but weeks. Others, though, changed daily and forced you, as well as those in your life, to be flexible and understanding. His job was one of those, and she didn’t expect or need any apology.
Ryan’s other hand sneaked under her shirt and released the clip between her breasts holding her bra closed. Like he had on the outside, he flicked his thumb across her taut nipple, intensifying the ache already building between her legs.
If he planned to get her all hot and bothered, she would repay the favor. Maneuvering her hand between their bodies, she freed the button on his cargo pants and slipped a hand inside. Kenzie traced the head of his erection with her fingertip, eliciting a groan from Ryan.
Closing her hand around him, she gradually slid her hand down the length of him, his skin soft and hot against her palm. “How long do you think Adam will be gone?” She’d been thinking about Ryan naked and inside her for much of the week. If she needed to wait hours for it to happen, she might explode, especially after this little petting session.
With no warning, Ryan yanked her shirt up and over her head. Her bra quickly followed her shirt, and where either landed was anyone’s guess. “Long enough.” His mouth took the place of his fingers against her nipple.
It was all she needed to hear.
***
Moving her head off his shoulder, Kenzie propped herself on an elbow and looked at him. Thanks to his fingers, her hair looked like she’d gone through a wind tunnel set at maximum speed. Her hair wasn’t the only visual evidence of their recent activities either. Kenzie’s lips were red and swollen, and he didn’t need to look at his back to know he was sporting some scratches.
“You should have told me you and Adam were identical.”
The sight of her naked breasts within arm’s reach made it difficult to concentrate on much else. The tone of her voice suggested he better do his best though. Reaching up, he brushed a piece of hair away from her eyes and tucked it behind her ear. “I thought I did.”
Honestly, he couldn’t say one way or the other. Maybe if they weren’t both naked, he could focus on something besides rolling her onto her back and making love to her again. But after what he’d just experienced, it was unlikely to happen. He’d had sex with plenty of women. None of those times compared to what they’d just done.
She shook her head, causing her hair to sway against his chest. “You only mentioned you had a twin.” She flopped back down next to him and stared up at the ceiling. “I can’t believe I almost kissed him.”
“You’re not the first person to mistake one of us for the other. And trust me, Adam wouldn’t have minded if you kissed him.” But Ryan sure as hell would have, even if it had been an accident.
“It’s still embarrassing.”
Fear and embarrassment were two emotions he’d stopped feeling a long time ago. Neither served much of a purpose in his opinion, so why bother with either. “Forget about it.” Leaning over, he passed his lips across hers and covered her breast with his hand.
