Page 56 of Save Me

I nod.

“A couple of years ago I did a piece on a daycare chain in the state. Turns out the director was embezzling money the parents paid.” She opens her mouth but stops. Something sparks in her eyes, though she doesn’t say anything.

“What is it?”

She shakes her head. “Something about my current investigation just clicked.” She waves a dismissive hand in the air.

“Anyway, some of the single parents had extremely high expectations for their kids. They were four and five year olds, but their parents were already talking about elite high schools and college.”

I press my lips together, remembering the article.

“I deduced that some single parents must make up for what they think is missing from their children’s lives. They believe that since they’re the sole provider and motivator in the household, they have to be twice as hard.”

She gives me a small smile.

“That’s a generalization, of course, every parent is different.” She bumps my shoulder. “Can you tell there was a brief period in which I wanted to go into psychology?”

A half grin touches my lips.

“You would’ve made a hell of a therapist.”

She rolls her eyes playfully. “Why do I get the feeling that I could say I wanted to be an underwear model, and you’d still say I would’ve been perfect for the job?”

She lets out a laugh at her joke, but my smile drops. My eyes heat as I imagine her posing in front of cameras in nothing but lace panties. The image itself is enough to have my body responding.

Then rage pulses through me. I think of the photographer and the legions of people who would see her in nothing but panties, and it pisses me off.

“Abso-fucking-lutely not.” My voice comes out dark and laced with jealousy.

Kennedy’s eyes widen. “You can’t be serious,” she says. “You’re not jealous of a hypothetical underwear modeling career, are you?”

“Damn straight I am,” I reply honestly.

She shakes her head. “I don’t like jealousy.”

She’s serious.

But so am I when I reply, “It’s a trait of mine you’ll have to get used to.” I lean in and place a kiss underneath her ear. “Because when it comes to you …” Another kiss. “There’s no other way for me to behave.” I catch her earlobe between my teeth.

Kennedy sucks in a deep breath.

When a shudder runs through her body, I move to her lips and devour her mouth. My little warrior responds in kind. She lets me kiss her as deeply as I desire.

My cock, which was already halfway erect, comes fully alive. I wanted to wait, to give her more time. For the first time, taking her to my bed. But fuck that.

When I push her to her back, she goes willingly. Then she suddenly pulls away from my incessant kisses.

“What about the show?” she pants out, breathless, and her lips swell from my kiss.

“What sho—” I stop, remembering the whole purpose of bringing her here. “You can see the Broadway street performances from here,” I explain, spoiling the show. “Next time,” I say before aggressively kissing her again.

Kennedy moans into my mouth, making my dick press painfully against the zipper of my pants.

How I ever thought I could be alone with her for this long and not fuck her was a stupid miscalculation on my part.

She wraps her arms around my shoulders, pulling me closer, and I’m a goner. No. I’ve been a goner for this woman.

When she wraps her legs around my waist, I grind my hips into her core.

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