Dirty Little Tease (Book 2) The Dirty Little Secrets Series

Chapter Fourteen-Lance

Hello, Lovelies,

Thank you so much for reading Dirty Little Tease!  I hope you are all having a great day!  I truly appreciate all of you.  I also would like to thank everyone who has read my Nanowrimo project, Jaded.  It means so much to me that you are giving it a chance.  

News: I am over 12,000 words into Jaded!  I actually think I might be able to reach that 50,000 for Nano.  Also, I am still self-editing Sparked.  I have talked to my professional editor, Kim Young and it will be going through professional editing soon after I am done with my self-editing.  I have added almost 5,000 words to the original to take care of plotholes and adding detail where it was.  So, I hope when it's done, you'll check it out.  

I hope you enjoy this chapter.  If you do, please consider voting.  Comments are appreciated.  If you have questions, comment or send me a message.

-XXXX Amanda

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The police finally allowed us to leave after two hours of recounting what had happened. Becca clung to me only releasing me to face Nica in the parking lot. Nica's face was tear-stained and her eyes were wide as she gripped her keys in her shaky hand. Jay stopped beside her, taking in her face with worry darkening his blue-green eyes.

"Are you going to be okay alone?" Becca asked as Nica's eyes widened. Her fear permeated the air, choking me.

"You can stay with us," I said, not wishing for the woman to be alone after being held at gunpoint.

"I-I couldn't," she stumbled over her words as she shook her head, "I'm sure you two need your space after-"

She couldn't finish her sentence as a tremble shook through her. Jay stepped forward, his mouth pressed into a thin line.

"You can stay with me...In Lena's old room," he said, his eyes roaming over her face as if afraid she would break, "You'll be safe there. I promise."

Her eyes widened, "I-I can't ask you to do that," she said, taking a shuttering breath, "You barely know me."

"I insist," he said, shrugging, "At least you wouldn't have to face this alone and if you feel better...Safer tomorrow I'll follow you home to make sure you're safe."

She swallowed, her dark eyes moving from me to Becca before settling on Jay's face, "Okay," she said, her voice small, "Thank you."

He took the keys from her shaky hand, "How about I drive you to my house? I'll bring you back here for your car tomorrow," he said, glancing at me and Becca, "I will have to drop them off at their house."

Nica nodded as we walked to Jay's car. We let Nica take the passenger side as we got into the backseat. Becca frowned, her bottom lip trembling as we pulled away from the place where she had almost died, her face crumbling.

"Becca?" I whispered taking her cheeks in my hands, wanting to take her pain.

"I don't think I can return to the restaurant," she said, her voice trembling.

"Then, don't," I said, realizing that her dream was to be a chef, "We'll find another place for you to cook."

She swallowed, "But money-"

"I have plenty of," I said, caressing her cheeks as she shook her head.

"Lance, I can't-"She said as another sob broke from her.

"Yes, you can," I said, pulling her against my chest, "Just let me take care of you. Let me do this."

I could tell this would be something she would fight later when she didn't feel so vulnerable but what she didn't understand was to keep her happy...To keep her safe, I would give her everything I had.

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We walked into our home...Our home. The word had no significance until Becca came to live with me. This place was simply the place I laid my head, leaving as often as I could because even when I lived with my grandfather, I had waited for the ball to drop again and lose everything. I took a deep breath because tonight the ball had almost dropped, and I wouldn't let that happen again.

She was still gripping my arm, pressing her body as close to mine as she could as if trying to convince herself she had lived. I turned to her, finding her eyes taking in everything, caressing each object before her face crumpled and tears fell down her face. Sobs tore from her in a way that was painful to witness.

I pulled her into my arms as she screamed, "Oh my God!"

"It's okay, sweetheart," I said, pulling her against my chest and letting her sob, "You're okay."

Her sobs calmed after a few moments, "I-I thought I wouldn't see you again," she cried, her body trembling, "I-I had closed my eyes accepting that I was going to die but I was already dying inside knowing that I was never going to see you again."

My heart shattered at the thought that she had come so close to death. I swallowed as tears burned my eyes, "I wouldn't have let that happen," I said, my voice gritty and torn, "I wouldn't have let you die."

"But it was so close," she said, her body trembling, "In those moments, I realized I didn't think of anyone else. I thought of you and I didn't want to lose you. It was tearing me apart."

I pulled away enough to tilt her chin with the tips of my fingers so she was staring into my eyes, "You will never lose me," I said, leaning forward to press my lips against hers, "I swear, I will fight death himself to stay with you."

She wrapped her arms around my neck, her lips touching mine tentatively before moving over them. I pulled her against me, deepening the kiss sealing my vow as she leaned further into me. I broke away from the kiss to stare into her eyes, wondering if we should take this further after everything she had been through.

"Becca-"

"Please, make love to me," she whispered, her voice still broken, "I need to feel you. I need to know you are still with me."

My heart thundered in my chest because I knew without a doubt that Becca was in love with me. They weren't just words to her. She loved me as desperately as I loved her.

Unable to deny her, I pressed my lips against hers leaning to pick her up to take her to our room. She trembled against me and I wasn't sure if it was from the fear or her need for me or both. A small sigh escaped her lips as I set her on her feet beside our bed, peeling her clothes from her body until she stood in front of me naked.

I kissed her until her knees hit the edge of the bed and we tumbled upon it. I took my time, gliding my fingers over her bare skin, relishing in each movement, each breath, each heartbeat.

My name fell from her lips as my fingertips skimmed over her cheeks, trailed by my kisses, down her neck and over her chest and abdomen before my mouth closed over her in the most intimate of kisses. The taste of her was intoxicating as I circled her with my tongue, causing her to arch against me until moans caressed my ears becoming the most heavenly noise I had ever heard and my name became a jumbled mess as I drank in the proof of her desire.

I nipped the inside of her thigh kissing her from thigh to toe before rising from the bed and removing my clothes with her eyes remaining on me, hooded in desire. The moment our skin touched we sighed, savoring the contact. A tremble shook through her as I entered her our lips meeting as I swallowed her cries.

"I love you," I whispered against her skin as the relief that I could say the words while she lived, moved through me.

"I love you too," She cried as her walls clenched me pulling me over the edge.

As I pulled her into my arms, I closed my eyes more thankful than I had ever been in my life that I was still able to feel the beat of her heart beneath my hand pressed against her chest.