Chapter 15: Chapter Fifteen--I Fit In Better Than I'd Realized

“Listen, doll, never put your fucking hands on me. Next time, I’ll break every damned finger. One at a time.” I wiggled my fingers in her direction.

Bianca climbed to her feet, wiping off her short dress, tugging the hem down her thighs. “You have no idea what you’ve done.” Barbie squared up.

A fistfight with Ms. Barbie? Great. That’s what everyone needed to do first thing in the morning. I would, if she threw the first punch, or in her case, slap. But Lola would get involved, and that I couldn’t allow.

An idea popped into my head. A downright evil one at that.

I narrowed my eyes. “I’d love to see you try, with me being under Kalvyn’s protection and all.”

The earth stopped rotating. I swear.

“What did you just say?” She choked.

“You heard me, Bianca,” I said. “And you know what that means.”

The fight drained out of her. “I do, but the question is, do you?”

The crazy possession in her eyes pissed me off. Her audacity to show up at the lake, then hang around my site, like she had the right to. As if she thought she could push me around.

I saw red. And I liked it. “Of course I do. You saw us this morning. I saw you. Out on the rocks. What do you think we did all night?”

I took a step, and she took one backward. Her gaze darted back and forth.

Lola whooped just as a beautiful Ford F-150 screeched to a stop across from us. Kalvyn all but leapt from the truck, a bag in one hand, and a tray of coffee—see, the man is a god—in his hand.

I barely registered his presence though my desire to tear Bianca a new one. “All alone, out of the lake. Wet, barely clothed. You really think Kalvyn wants you? If he did, what the fuck was he doing with me, with you just down the road from his tent? Grow a brain, get a clue. Leaves Hell’s Gate and think about that for a while. Stop throwing yourself at a guy who couldn’t give a shit about you. It’s pathetic.”

“Bianca, ten seconds to get the fuck out of here,” he growled. “If I see you near Katrina again, I will make you pay for it.”

She whirled. “You gave her your protection?”

“Yes, I did. Five seconds.”

“You never gave me a formal proclamation!”

“I gave you much more than what you deserved, and you know it.” He gritted his teeth, which were a whole lot sharper than they were a minute ago. “Three seconds.”

She didn’t twitch a muscle. Lola was enthused with her touchdown dance and not paying attention.

Kalvyn’s entire demeanor changed. Suddenly he was all animal, completely capable of cold-blooded murder. I gaped at him as Bianca stomped from my campsite, toward the general direction of Sadie’s. He watched her go.

When he turned back, he placed his items on the table and stalked toward me. He touched my cheek, neck, and shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Then why are you shaking?”

Because of what I saw. Or think I did. Maybe I’ve lost my damned mind. That stupid nightmare is messing with me.

“Dude, that was totally awesome!” Lola danced around us. “You so freaked her out. I didn’t think she’d budge. You should’ve seen Kat before you got here. All like ‘bitch, he is mine, take a hike,’ and all that was fantastic. Should’ve been here.”

“I should’ve been.” His hand froze on my flesh. “You claimed me?”

“Huh?”

“Did you tell Bianca I was yours?”

“Umm.” Had I? “I might’ve.”

“She called Bianca pathetic,” Lola supplied. “Did you two really have great sex on the rocks by the lake?”

“I said half naked, didn’t I?” I murmured, caught in the inexplicable emotion in his eyes.

“Barely clothed, and the insinuation was totally there. Did you?”

“No,” I said. “There was no sex.”

Kalvyn surged, wrapping me up in his body, his mouth devouring me.

“Holy shit,” Lola squealed. “Porn in the morning is awesome!”

He lifted me, my legs wrapped around his waist.

“She could’ve killed you,” he said between drugging kisses.

“Yeah, I got that.” I pulled back. “But she didn’t.”

“Can’t leave you alone for a minute.”

“I handled myself just fine.”

He growled again. I loved that sound. “Would you have fought her?”

“If I had to. Did you expect me to just stand there, while she slapped me around?”

“Fuck no.” He carried me to the picnic table. “I brought you coffee.”

“If you don’t marry her, you must marry me. Ab-so-fucking-lutey,” Lola sang.

Kalvyn placed me on my feet, regret etched so beautifully on his face.

I ran a hand through my hair. Breakfast. Yes. A safe routine. Love routine. I’d pet my routine right now if I could. At least something was getting some.

Kalvyn pressed a café mocha into my hand.

“Sit,” I ordered.

“Yes ma’am.”

“Lola, darling, set up the camp stove, please?” I said somewhat shakily.

“Yes, oh domestic goddess.”

I rummaged through the coolers, pulling out a plastic bag of pre-cut, boiled potatoes, with small chunks of red onions and garlic. A packet of Italian sausage and carton of eggs followed. “Kalvyn, how do you eat your eggs?”

“However, you put them in front of me.”

I beamed. I should’ve guessed. Soon enough, the forest was filled with the sounds of sizzling sausage, and the scent of onion. I plated the food, setting several dishes in front of my captive audience. Kalvyn pulled me into his lap, popping a fried potato onto my tongue.

The new experiences kept piling up. The comfort of his arms was enough to make me forget the strange stuff. For now. That had become my mantra.

Lola’s ostrich complex became a way of life for me.