Page 9 of Nice & Thick

Lo: A hotel?

Me: Absolutely not. Give me one minute.

“Lauren is in a flood zone. They’re making her evacuate, a mandatory type of situation. Her only option is a hotel. Can she please stay with you? Pretty please with a cherry on top? I’ll make sure it’s only her and not her ass wipe of a boyfriend.” I talk a million miles a minute, getting it all out, and then my thumbs are hammering out a text without waiting for a response.

Me: Go to Dad’s. He’s got plenty of room. I can’t tell you the state of his house, but he’s not in a flood zone, so you’ll be safe.

“Does she need a ride?” He doesn’t even miss a beat.

Lo: Is he sure?

Me: He’s positive, asking if you need a ride.

“Waiting on a response now. I’m going to go with no. You know how she is with her car. Where she goes, her car goes.”

Lo: Nope, packing my car now and heading out.

Me: Where is the name that shall not be named staying?

Lo: FUCK HIM.

“She good?” Dad asks after I stay silent a moment too long.

“Oh yeah, she might have a broken heart or be in her man-hater stage, though.” I hate that Lauren is going through this without me.

“Not worried about that. Tell her to send me a text or call when she’s on her way. Gonna let you go. Love you, Ky.”

“Love you, Dad. Thanks for taking care of Lo.” We hang up, and I get back to my best friend.

Me: We’re going to talk about this, whenever you’re ready. Dad said to call or text when you’re on your way.

Lo: I will, promise.

I toss my phone on the couch, close my eyes, and try not to worry about Lo and what she is or isn’t going through. This week is really throwing me for a loop. I take a deep breath and wait impatiently for Rhodes to come home.

12. Rhodes

“Damn, it’s getting swirly out there.” The minute I walked through the door coming from Whitecaps, Kyra came right to me. She told me about the conversation she had with her dad and the texts that came through from her best friend, Lauren. My arms wrapped around her, holding her as close as possible while she let the emotions leave her body.

“No more going out there. Whatever happens, happens,” she states with authority in her voice. I’d laugh, but I’m not a fool, and the last thing I need to do is add to her worry. Earlier, before the wind really started picking up, I noticed a couple of chairs were moving around. The luck I have, one of them would have been slung against my neighbor’s window or my own, scaring the shit out of us or breaking one of their windows. The good thing about this house being completely remodeled and updated meant hurricane proof everything up to category five. Anytime there’s a hurricane, they always manage to hit the hardest in the middle of the night. Exactly what’s happening with this one, and Mother Nature is already turning up the wind.

“It’s beautiful in a haunting kind of way,” she says.

“Yeah, it is. Come tomorrow when the storm has calmed, it’ll have a different kind of beauty.” Kyra is on the couch, legs tucked beneath her, a blanket tossed over her body, and a glass of wine in her hand. When I told her about the chair being tossed around, she tried to run for the door to do it herself, but I hooked my arm around her waist and brought her down to the couch. I knew what she had rolling around in her head. The concern she feels for me being on my prosthetic too long during the first couple of days has her turning into a worrywart. I did my due diligence, kissing my woman, shutting her up, and getting her so hot and bothered her thighs spread and I wedged myself between them. The chair could fucking wait. The minute Ky’s moan left her mouth, stopping was no longer an option.

My hand gripping her thigh slid up until the tips of my fingers grazed her wet folds. I nipped at her bottom lip, pulling it into my mouth to suck away the pain. Kyra’s hips lifted trying to get me where she wanted me. Fuck, it’s where I wanted to be, too, and I knew I’d have to take her with my fingers fast and hard with the weather blowing in. I thrust two fingers in at the same time, feeling her pussy ripple with pleasure, hooking them upwards, hitting her G-spot, and fuck, she came fast and hard. When she tried to return the favor, I told her not yet. Later, when the chairs were put away, I’d take her up on her offer.

“It’ll also be cooler for all of one day before the sweltering heat and humidity will come out to play.” Kyra is snuggled into my side, my arm behind her neck, and I’m holding her hand.

“You’re not wrong about that. Kade and I talked. We’re keeping Whitecaps closed for the next two days. Even with the wind coming through, we figure other business owners will need help cleaning up, and we’ll lend a helping hand.” I kiss the side of her head. The television is off, there’s music playing softly in the background, and we’re watching the plants on the sand dunes sway back and forth.

“That’s really sweet. I’ll help as well, plus someone has to make sure you don’t overdo it until your next appointment.” She's is going to give herself a damn ulcer with how much she worries.

“Not gonna do anything to make me slide backwards, sweetheart. Been there, done that. Should have had this surgery a couple of years ago when it first happened. I asked them to save it, thinking I’d be back in action in no time. What a joke. Having a permanent limp makes it hard to walk for long periods of time or carrying a brother out of a hostile environment when the need occurs.” Kyra moves, sliding her legs over my lap, hand going to the back of my head and playing with my hair.

“Did you struggle when you came back? You don’t have to answer if it’s intrusive.”

“Yep, twenty-two years in the service will do that to you. You’ve been to the doctors with me, picked up my medicine. There are days I still struggle. Sometimes, I’ll need more than the daily prescribed meds, some days I’ll hit the gym harder, and while the VA can be a pain in the dick, I’ve got a therapist I can call, too.” Kyra has a valid reason to ask me about more than my physical health. We’re doing this, her and me. She deserves every part of me, even if it might push her away.

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