Adoring Her (The Heiress #3) Read online

  “Yes, as a matter of fact, I do.”

  She stepped closer, stopping only inches from my reach. “Want to do something about it?”

  I groaned deep in my throat and had to keep my hands clenched around the cereal bowl to keep from touching her. “I wish I could, but we’d be late.”

  Spinning on her heel, she pointed her gorgeous ass at me. “Your loss.”

  That was it. I dropped the spoon with a loud clang and reached her in seconds. My hand gripped her waist to spin her toward my chest. She collided with me, breasts pushing against my chest. “No, baby, it’s not my loss. It’s my gain. You see, while we’re in the car today for those two hours, I’ll be thinking about all of the ways I want to make love to you. I’ll be thinking of my dick pounding that sweet pussy of yours and my tongue exploring your body.” I followed my words up with a hard kiss. My tongue pushed through her parted lips to possess that smart mouth of hers. She moaned when I pressed my stiff cock into her abdomen, rubbing the length against her. When I pulled back and released her, she was left panting and gripped the island to steady herself.

  “For the rest of the day you get to be as turned on as I am, and I get to revel in the fact that I made you that way,” I smirked.

  She smacked me on the arm with minimal force. “You’re a huge dick.”

  One side of my mouth lifted. “Why yes, my love, I do have a big one. Thank you for noticing.” I winked at her and went back to my cereal. Although, sitting down with my dick painfully pushing against my jeans wasn’t fun in the least. I wanted to bury myself in her, but couldn’t. Shit. I should have factored more time in this morning.

  We ate quickly and were on the road by ten as planned. I insisted we take her Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT. When she asked why, I said it got the best gas mileage out of all of our vehicles. She eyed me suspiciously, but let it drop. I drove a jacked-up Ford F-250 and her other vehicles were a fully restored Shelby GT500 and a Vanquish. Did I know the actual gas mileage on any of them? Nope, but it was what I came up with as an excuse.

  Kasi still didn’t have any idea where we were going, however kept trying to guess throughout the drive. She was having fun with it, too. Some of the guesses were completely within our two-hour range, others were crazy. When I crossed the bridge into New Jersey, I really threw her. This brought on a whole new set of guesses.

  The car ride was long. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that long, but it felt like an eternity. I loved Kasi and loved talking to her, but I wasn’t chatty like she was. We listened to music, she read me some stuff off of her phone, and we talked about the move. All in all, it was boring as hell. I was hoping the ride back would be better.

  Once we exited the highway, all we saw were lots of trees, farmland, and houses spaced far apart. Finally, we arrived at our destination. A white mailbox with chipped paint, and the number five forty-four on it was at the end of a very unassuming driveway, shrouded on either side by tall trees. I turned right and began the drive down the gravel lane at a slow speed, careful not to kick rocks up onto the Jeep.

  Kasi turned her head and looked around. She was surprised and completely confused. I chuckled internally. “You brought me to a farm?”

  With a straight face I answered, “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “You’ll see.” That traitorous smile was itching to break free, but I was able to hold it at bay. She was watching me like a hawk. I kept my eyes straight ahead and took in our surroundings. A weathered red barn and metal silo were off to one side. Beside it was a large fenced in area where cows were grazing and swooshing their tails from side to side. Next to them was a small fenced area, which had sheep that still had their fuzzy wool to keep them warm.

  Once we reached the two-story, red brick Colonial house, I stopped the Jeep and opened my door. That was when the sound of many dogs barking hit me. Kasi climbed out and looked bewildered. I loved that she didn’t have a clue what we were doing here. Between the livestock and the dogs, who knew what was running through her head?

  Off to the right of the house was a large grey building, which had a high, white wooden fence around it, obscuring what was on the other side. There were no slats in between the planks of wood. Walking to Kasi’s side of the Jeep, I rubbed my hands together and laced my fingers with hers. We started walking toward the grey building. A light blue door was on the side, but we didn’t even get to it before a petite woman with short brown hair that came to her chin, came out. She met us halfway and surprisingly she was exactly how I pictured her by her voice. I thought of a motherly figure when we talked.

  She walked toward us and stuck her hand out to me. “Hi, I’m Debbie. You must be Radek.”

  “I am,” I said smiling and shook her hand.

  “And this must be Kasi. It’s a pleasure to meet you, dear.”

  Kasi greeted her in kind. “It’s nice to meet you, as well.” Even though she was confused as hell, her manners were firmly in place. “Please forgive me, but I’m not sure what we’re doing here. I’ve been kept in the dark.” She shot me an evil look.

  “No worries, dear. Radek filled me in over the phone. How about we go inside and I show you to your surprise?”

  “Okay,” she nodded hesitantly. Kasi looked up to catch my eyes. I knew, had we not been standing in front of a stranger, she would be firing questions at me left and right. My lips were pinched shut to remain quiet and stop myself from smiling. With Debbie’s back turned, I received a swift smack on my arm. I pretended not to feel it.

  We stepped through the door and past a small counter with a computer on it and a few chairs in a seating area. There was a tall glass case that had various sized trophies in it with dogs atop them. Kasi looked at them as we walked by. I kept tugging on her hand to keep her moving. Debbie led us through another door that was a long room full of dog runs. There were high chain link doors on either side of us. Inside each one was a smaller door at the back, which I assumed led to an outdoor run. Only a handful had dogs inside them, leaving most of them vacant, but those dogs barked loudly at us as we went past. I had to resist the urge to reach out and let them sniff me, since I didn’t know if they were friendly or not.

  “It’s a good thing we’re in a bit of a lull or the noise in here would be deafening,” Debbie yelled.

  “I can imagine,” I called back.

  At the end of the room was another door. Debbie opened it, waving us ahead of her. We stepped out into the large fenced-in area. The one behind the tall, white fencing we saw on the side. The cold air hit me again as my feet met the frozen ground. I couldn’t wait until it warmed up. Not only could we shed these damned coats, but I would also get to see my girl in small dresses again. Those toned legs of hers did a number on me.

  “You two stay here. I’ll be right back,” Debbie said, pulling me from my thoughts of Kasi’s body.

  She crossed the frozen, grassy area and opened a door to a smaller building. This place was a maze of buildings. She came back moments later with a beautiful, but small, completely black German Shepherd puppy on a leash. Walking toward us, she stopped a few feet away, and the dog sat down next to her without a command.

  “This is Lily. She’s four months old and a purebred. She was bred on the premises. She comes from a long line of champions and workers. Her parents have excellent temperaments, but also have a strong protective instinct. I’ve been breeding Shepherds for a long time and am proud of my dogs.”

  “May I pet her?” Kasi inquired.

  “Of course, dear.”

  As Kasi approached, Lily stood up and wagged her tail like crazy. She crouched down and Lily promptly started licking her face. I loved dogs, but I was glad it was her getting her face cleaned by a tongue, rather than me. When Kasi looked back at me she had this look of pure joy on her face. I loved that look. I wanted to keep that look on her face for eternity.

  “I think she likes you,” Debbie marveled.

  Kasi was running her hands over the dog’s shiny, smooth coat. Lily lay on th
e ground and rolled over onto her back with her feet up in the air so Kasi could scratch her belly. I couldn’t resist and bent down to do the same. Come on. Cute puppy belly, yeah, I was a goner.

  “So, what do you think of her?” Debbie asked.

  “She’s gorgeous,” Kasi beamed.

  I held her eyes. “Want to take her home?” The look of sheer surprise on her face made me smile wide.

  “What?”

  “She’s yours, Kasi. If you want her, that is.”

  She glanced up at Debbie, who nodded in agreement, then back at me. Lily was standing again and practically dancing in excitement. Debbie bent down and unhooked her leash. She became a blur of black fur as she ran around the yard. We were laughing when she started to bounce back over to us like a small deer.

  “Are you serious? We can bring her home?” She was smiling and looking back and forth between Debbie and me.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Debbie responded. “I just need you to fill out some paperwork. Radek told me all about you, and how your dog saved you from someone outside your house. He said you were interested in getting another dog and asked if I had any available. I kept this little girl from the last litter and have been training her. When he called, I knew she was meant for you.”

  “Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to take one of your personal dogs.”

  Debbie smiled. “Yes, very. I have plenty of other dogs, dear. In fact, one of my females is due to give birth in a few weeks.”

  Kasi turned to me. “This is such an amazing gift.”

  Looking down, I brushed a loose piece of hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. “I want you safe and protected. You said you thought of getting another dog, so here we are. It makes sense.”

  Her smile fell a little. “What about Ace? What if he doesn’t get along with her?”

  Debbie interjected. “Radek told me about your male Shepherd. He said he’s very social and gets along well with other dogs. Come inside where it’s warm. I’ll tell you how to introduce them. I bet they become fast friends. If not, I can give you the name of some certified trainers in your area that could help.”

  An hour and some paperwork later, we were back on the road with the addition of one very rambunctious puppy. Debbie also sold us a crate to put in the back of the Jeep to keep her safe during the drive. I didn’t want to buy one ahead of time and ruin the surprise. Debbie was kind enough to let me purchase one from her. Kasi smiled the entire way home and thanked me repeatedly. The dog wasn’t cheap, but I would pay that, and a hell of a lot more, to see that look on her face.

  2

  A week and a half flew by, and I mean flew. I blinked and had to get ready to leave for work. I had officially moved in and Kasi got to meet some of my friends. As a thank you, we all went out to dinner the night of the move. My friends all got along great with her, not that I had any doubt. I mean, she was Kasi Markson: gorgeous, sassy as hell, and intelligent. Who wouldn’t like her?

  I barely had time to get Kasi armed and comfortable shooting the gun before I had to leave. She wasn’t happy about having it, but knew it was necessary, especially while I was away. Ace and Lily hit it off better than we could have hoped for. We even found them sleeping curled up next to each other the second night she was home with us and had found them that way every night since. Of course, Lily wasn’t the protector that Ace was, but we were confident when she got bigger she would be. It was bred into her.

  Did I want to leave my girlfriend alone for a night? Fuck no. Was I nervous? You bet your ass, but I had a job to do. One more job. Kasi had the security system on the house upgraded to a level I didn’t even know existed for residences; that made me feel marginally better. I also gave her the phone numbers of two of my friends that lived close by who had helped with the move. Each could be at our door within five minutes. That way if something was worrying her, she could call them, and they’d hang with her. In the back of my mind, I knew she’d never call them. If there was an issue, I would bet she’d call the cops or try to handle it by herself, which only made me more nervous about leaving.

  It was only one night. I kept repeating that in my head, because somehow I was hoping it would make me feel better. Yeah, that didn’t work. Kasi had managed just fine without me until that whack-job showed up. Shit, what if there were more people like him out there trying to get close to her? I knew I shouldn’t think like that, but my mind automatically went there. This was the single most important person in my life. If anything happened to her I don’t know what I’d do.

  Six in the morning came fast the next day. Ace and Lily greeted me as soon as my feet hit the floor. Kasi slept soundly and I was hoping she stayed that way. After a quick shower, I grabbed the bag I packed the day before and walked downstairs. Opening the front door, I let the dogs out and got their food ready. They ate, I ate, everyone was full. I wrote a quick note for Kasi, and left it on her nightstand, before giving her a gentle kiss on her head.

  I tried not to let on how worried I was the days leading up to my leaving. She knew, but maybe not to the extent I actually was. Seeing her lie there, so vulnerable and beautiful, made my chest ache. I hated leaving her. Everything in me screamed not to go, however, I didn’t have a choice. Last job, I told myself again. One night.

  I climbed up into my black, lifted Ford F-250 and set out for my final flight for anyone but Kasi. My truck was my baby; second to Kasi, of course. A lot of work was put into it and every penny was well spent. The throaty sound of the exhaust made smile every time I heard it, except today. I wasn’t sure if anything was going to make me smile today. I knew I’d have to plaster one on for the people I was flying. They didn’t deserve my mood. That was mine, and mine alone, to deal with and keep pushed down.

  I arrived at the airport on time, ready to get the trip over with. All of the preflight checks were done, and I made sure everything was ready to go. I needed to get the show on the road, or sky, if you will. Relaxing in the cockpit, waiting for my clients to board, I decided to check my phone. There was one short text from Kasi.

  Safe travels today and don’t worry about me. I know you are even if you won’t admit it. I have Ace and my new gun. I’m good.

  Yeah, that didn’t put my mind at ease. The only thing that would was if I was there with her. I shot a quick text back to her saying I loved her and would see her tomorrow. I may have even put one of those heart emoticons with it. I’d never admit that to any of my friends, of course. They’d bust my balls for days over that shit.

  Ten minutes later, a couple in their late forties boarded. They had their two kids with them and were going on a business trip to Ohio. Luckily, it wasn’t a long trip. I normally didn’t find out about my client’s personal affairs. Sure, some were chattier than others, but I didn’t regularly sit down with them and discuss their lives. Most preferred it that way, which was fine by me. That meant they didn’t try to dive into my business. I didn’t tell anyone about me. It was all pleasantries and that was it. You want to know about me then search the Internet. There was plenty of shit on there to keep everyone occupied.

  After introductions were made, I prepared for takeoff. God, I loved to fly. It was where I felt completely at peace. Here and in bed with Kasi. There was something about being up in the clouds above all of the chaos of the world below. While I had a set travel course, I still felt free in the air. To know this powerful jet was being controlled by me was a heady feeling. Now, skydiving was a different story. There was no way my ass was jumping out of a plane. Hell. No. I’d rather stay inside.

  The flight out to Ohio was smooth; exactly the way I liked it. Once we were on the ground, and I was in a car on the way to the hotel, I texted Kasi and told her I arrived safely. She shot me a quick message back saying she was staying in for the rest of the day. Aubrey, her friend and business partner, was going to come over so they could have a girls’ night, whatever that meant. I didn’t know if Aubrey would be spending the night, but I was hoping she was. Not that she was bod
yguard material or anything, but maybe two women would be harder to fight than one. Power in numbers and all of that.

  My mind was a jumbled mess of all of the things that could go wrong while I was away. Honestly, I hadn’t given it much thought about her being alone until the incident with the guy outside of her house. I mean, I worried about her, but knew she was a tough woman who could handle herself. Shit, she lived alone for a long time. It wasn’t new to her.

  What was new was this drive inside of me to protect her. I’d never felt like that about anyone or anything before. I was a perpetual bachelor, living my life how I wanted to. The only thing that kept me on a straight path was my job. I never took it for granted. Not everyone could say they had a job they loved, but I could. My time in the Air Force solidified my love of flying. I felt fortunate I was able to carry on that love when I left the military.

  My career also brought me to the woman I loved more than life itself. Kasi was always talking about fate and how our paths were meant to cross. Before her, I would have thought that was bullshit, but I was a firm believer now. How else could I explain how this woman was brought into my life? That her pilot got sick and I happened to be free? What I did know was that I was damn thankful for her.

  Two days and one night without her; I could do this. I could deal, right? Okay, maybe not, but I was going to try not to text her again to make sure she was all right. Aubrey was coming over and I needed to get my possessive and protective sides in check. Although, there were times when Kasi thought those sides were sexy as hell, and damn if that didn’t stroke my ego. She knew exactly what to say to make me feel like king of the world. God, I loved her.

  The hotel I was staying at was nice, the bed comfortable, and the television worked. I watched it for a while, even drifted off for an hour. I thought I could stay in my room all night, but when I woke up I was full of nervous energy. Stupid catnap.

  My stomach rumbled, alerting me to my need for food. Grabbing my wallet, I headed to the restaurant in the hotel. I didn’t bother changing out of the jeans and t-shirt I threw on when I got to my room. The restaurant was pretty empty and plenty of tables were open, but I decided to eat at the bar. When I’m alone I prefer the bar. People don’t look at me and wonder why I’m by myself when I’m sitting there. There were a couple of large screen televisions with the night’s football game on. I wasn’t a huge fan, but rooted for the Steelers when I watched. Tonight they weren’t on, so it was more of a distraction than anything. A distraction that wasn’t working well. I even tried people watching, however the few people here were as boring as me.