20. Raegan

Chapter twenty

Raegan

The shower squeals when I crank the knob to turn it off. I close my eyes, my head falling back as I take a deep lungful of air.

Even after everything that happened today, Kellan didn’t let me off the hook for training. As soon as the movie ended, he’d dragged me to the training room to get back to it. This is my first time alone since everything that happened with Aiden, and then Dane, and I’m still reeling from it all.

Aiden locked me up.

He broke my trust. Again.

I may be able to understand that he’s always got the safety and best interest of the others in mind, but I’ve never had to be on the other side of that before.

I hate it.

And then Dane…

I never thought that there could be any sort of peace between us. That we could talk as friends. Share something between us. Watch a movie together again .

We didn’t sit right next to each other like we always did, but still. It was more than I ever thought I’d have again.

I grab my towel and wipe the water off, then wrap it around myself. I leave the stall and head for the bathroom door, ready to wind down in something comfortable—that will not be Aiden’s shirt—for the rest of the night while I try to sort through everything that’s happened.

I open the door and freeze when I come face-to-face with a broad chest in a dark shirt and leather jacket.

“Well, hello there, beautiful,” Kellan drawls above me. His arm rests against the door frame like he’d been waiting for me to come out. His other hand is hidden behind his back, his body filling the doorway so there’s no chance for me to slip around him if I wanted to.

His blue-green gaze starts at my bare feet, tracking up my damp and flushed skin to where a single turquoise towel covers me from armpit to barely past the curve of my ass. He slows and then holds his stare on the towel like he’s picturing exactly what’s beneath it from memory before his eyes keep moving to my collarbone and finally to my face.

There’s a heat in his look that causes my heart rate to accelerate and the air from my lungs to expel in a rush.

He looks every bit the big bad wolf here to gobble me up, and if that’s the case, I don’t think I could find the willpower to stop him.

“Kell…” I acknowledge slowly, wondering what he’s up to now. We’d just seen each other in training. At least this time, he didn’t barge in to interrupt and take over my shower. I’m a bit surprised he waited outside, though, which means he’s got something else in mind.

I try to peek around his back, but his body’s so large that he doesn’t even bother pretending to shift and keeps whatever he’s holding back there hidden. His teeth flash in a dangerous grin. “I know you’ve had a rough day, so you and I are going out to unwind.”

A sardonic laugh slips out. “Right. Because the best thing for me to do right now after Aiden locked me up and told me how much he doesn’t trust me is to go out.”

His grin widens. “Exactly.”

I huff and shake my head, though I can’t help smiling at him.

“When has anything Aiden said or done stopped you from having a good time, huh? Naw. This is exactly the time that we stand our ground and show him that you and I? We’re not afraid of anyone or anything. And we’ll have some fun if we damn well please.”

“A night of rebellion?”

“Of freedom,” he amends, swinging a dress out from behind him. He holds it out to me, and I stroke my hand down the soft fabric. It’s a navy halter neck short dress that’s perfect for dancing.

A small part of me shakes her head as I take the hanger from him. It tells me I shouldn’t go out of my way to piss Aiden off further, now that he’s proven he’ll do what he promised me. But I squash that part down.

Kellan’s right.

This is what he and I do, after all.

Aiden can stick a straw in his juice box and suck it.

I’m distracted enough by my thoughts and the dress that I don’t notice Kellan leaning forward until his beard tickles above my chest and his tongue drags over a stray droplet of water to my shoulder.

My heart stutters in my chest, and I squeeze my thighs together.

“Hurry up and get ready before I fuck you right here in the hallway and we don’t make it out of the house tonight.”

I lick my lips and barely have to turn my face to whisper in his ear. “Then move out of my way.”

Kellan’s chuckle is more of a rumble in his chest before he draws himself back and angles enough for me to slide by him. I keep the dress between us as a buffer to make sure we don’t give in to what our bodies want.

Once I’m free of the immediate space around him, I can draw a full breath of fresh, less-charged air and hurry to my room to close the door behind me. I’m quick to get dressed from there with the excitement of going out with Kellan. We always have a good time, and I could really use this opportunity to unwind after what happened with Aiden and Dane. And Vera and Ken Doll, too.

And that all happened in the last week.

Fuck, yes, Kellan was right. This is exactly what I need—not sitting and overthinking everything in my room all night.

I’m able to do a rough blow dry of my hair and put on some make-up with the small picture-frame sized mirror in my room that’ll have to do. Rather than styling my hair, I opt for one of the wigs I’d gotten for working at the bar that’s already styled.

Besides, I already promised Kellan I’d wear one for him sometime. I’m excited to see his reaction to it when we go out.

Once I’m ready to go, I knock on his bedroom door, expecting him to be waiting for me there, but frown when there’s no answer. I creep down the dorm hallway to peek into the open living area, hoping to avoid Aiden or Dane’s notice, when I see Kellan sitting on the couch with Dane.

Well, shit. How are we supposed to sneak out when Kell’s sitting right next to him?

I fake cough, hoping to draw only his attention, but they both look up and spot me, practically hiding against the hallway wall.

Kellan grins over at me. “That wig is hot, beautiful. I hope you’ve got it on tight for it to last all night.”

My fingers reach into the reddish-brown locks as my face warms, and I slip a glance over to Dane. He frowns at Kellan, then looks over at me. He takes in my wig first, then my dress and the long exposure of my legs, thanks to the shortness of the dress and my heels making them look longer than they are. His gaze is scorching as it drags down my body, heating my blood and causing my pulse to race beneath his scrutiny.

Then he blinks, breaking the spell, and hebrings his eyes back to mine. “The wig is a good call.” He turns back to Kellan, and I notice his tone sharpens. “Don’t do anything stupid like draw attention to yourselves. Have your fun and then come right back.”

Kell laughs and stands from the couch. “Yes, dear.” He places his hand over his heart. “We’ll blend in and not do anything to alert GE that we’re out and about. But don’t wait up,” he adds with a wink.

Dane scoffs at him and shakes his head.

“Aiden’s on his way here from the bunker, so we need to head out before we cross paths,” Kellan tells me as he closes the distance between us. I meet him halfway now that I know it’s apparently not a secret to Dane that we’re heading out. Just Aiden.

I’m setting myself up for another confrontation with Aiden, but that’s typical at this point. He’ll never trick me into using those cuffs again, so he can threaten me all he likes.

“You ready?” he asks, his big hand coming up to tease the fake strands of hair between his fingers while his eyes sparkle with mischief.

My body is alive and nearly vibrating with excitement at going out with Kell. Fun times. Drinking, dancing, and pissing off Aiden…what else could a girl ask for?

“Ready.”

Kellan brings us to a nightclub that fills the second to fourth floors of a building in the city. We get in past the line with a nod from the bouncer when he sees Kellan, which reminds me of just how well-known he is in this city.

There are different dance floors and DJs on each level, with their own bars and lounges to enjoy and their own theme for the night. The first floor is filled with foam and bubbles floating in the air, covering the dancers in the slippery substance from head to toe. We move to the second floor karaoke theme, and then to the top floor of the nightclub with a more standard style of what I’m used to.

I’m relieved he didn’t bring me to Hype, although I miss its aesthetic and vibe compared to this place. I move to the dance floor once it’s clear this is where we’re staying, but he grabs my wrist and orders us some drinks at the bar, then guides me to a table with stools to sit.

“Drinks first,” he shouts over the music to me just as a server brings a tray of shots and two tall glasses of whiskey to our table.

I nod and pick up the first shot, waiting for him to follow suit before we clink them together and shoot them back. A question that’s been niggling at the back of my mind since we left the firehouse pushes its way forward. “Why was Dane so okay with us leaving? I know Aiden was going to be there to keep an eye on him, but…”

“But you expected him to be pissed about us going out? Or jealous, since he can’t?”

I shrug. “Well, yeah. Either of those. Or both, really.” I take a sip of my drink and can’t taste any soda behind the burn of whiskey. Which is fine by me, but reminds me of how perfectly Portia made drinks at Hype.

“He’s not happy about it,” he answers me, and I almost choke on the next shot.

“Then why didn’t he put up a bigger fight? He didn’t seem mad.” And he didn’t snark or call us both out for being idiots like he definitely would have done not even a month ago.

Kell finishes his next shot, and I notice we’re going shot for shot as we respond to each other. “Let’s just say that this is a one-time permission slip from him, where he’ll cover our asses with Aiden. So we should enjoy it while we’re here.”

He holds up his glass to toast mine, and then we’re racing to chug the drink first and clear our table. I still don’t understand why Dane would cover for us, but decide to worry about it later. This is supposed to be us enjoying ourselves and having a good time, not trying to pick apart what Dane might be thinking.

Kellan walks around the small, circular table and holds his hand out to me. “Come on, beautiful. Let’s finish what we started on our last date.”

I roll my eyes at the reminder when I’d forgotten about our night out and he kidnapped me from Hype. “That wasn’t a date. And this isn’t either,” I retort, even though my hand drops easily into his, and my stomach flutters at the arrogant grin that tells me I can say what I want, but he’s calling them dates.

We move onto the dance floor that’s less packed with bodies as Hype is, but considering there are three floors, I guess there’s a bit more room. It’s still busy enough that we have to move through the crowd to find a good spot for us where I can feel like I’m blending in with the other dancers.

I dance to the beat, doing what I always do, as I let the music run through my body and take control. I’m surprised by how well Kellan moves in front of me, using his arms and hips in a way that screams sex and strength. It isn’t long before I see other girls eyeing him and trying to move in. It’s easy to ignore them after the third attempt when Kellan clearly only has eyes for me, shifting himself away from them and closer to me to make his intentions clear.

I feel trapped in his gaze as we both move and bump and grind with the music, eventually drawn closer to one another by some invisible magnet until my arms are wrapped around his neck, my legs straddling one of his as I grind my hips against him, and our eyes lock.

I lose track of time as one song easily bleeds into the next. The dance floor is a sweltering mass of bodies and movement, heating my skin and making me sweat. My lips are parted to gather more air while we dance and watch each other as if the rest of the club doesn’t exist.

Kellan’s hand drags down my lower back to my ass cheek. He squeezes it firmly in his grasp and then uses that grip to pull my body further against him until I can feel the hard press of his cock through his jeans. His head dips down and I tilt my face toward his, grateful for the added height from my high heels which means I don’t have to push up on my toes and he doesn’t have to lean too far to reach me.

His lips crash into mine. My arms tighten around him, gripping his neck and moaning into his kiss as he eats me alive while I grind my pussy over his leg.

He breaks away from me and flips me around, my back to his front, with his hands on my hips and yanking me back against him as he moves us together to the beat of the music. I want to complain at the loss of friction, but one of his hands slips beneath my dress.

When his fingers find that I’m going commando, he nips at my ear and growls, “You’re playing a dangerous game with a dress this short, beautiful. But if you were looking for me to fight any guy that gets close to you, then challenge accepted.”

Kellan’s finger slips inside me before I have a chance to respond, and all conscious thought leaves my brain in an instant. My body sinks onto his finger, taking it in greedily and desperate for more.

My arms move up over my head to wrap around his neck so I have something to hold on to as my body tries to take anything and everything he wants to give me. It doesn’t matter that we’re still in the middle of the dance floor or that there are hundreds of people around us who could see.

The very idea that we could get caught, that we’re sneaking this in public, sends a rush through me that heats my skin in a different way than dancing never could.

“Fuck, beautiful. I really will kill any man who tries to touch you tonight. This better all be for me.” He adds a second finger, pumping it in and out of me while his other hand somehow keeps us both on the beat of the music as if nothing’s happening.

Thankfully, Kell can multitask, because I’m doing a shit job of focusing on anything other than the feel of his hand. I’m lucky I’m still standing, honestly, and when he brings his slick fingers to tease my clit, my knees shake and test my resolve to keep my shit together so he doesn’t stop.

His mouth nibbles along my shoulder, which shoots straight to my cunt, and I can feel a warm trickle of desire before his fingers fill me up again. There are three this time, though, and I gasp and moan out without care. Kellan’s other hand shifts in front of my dress, his hand pressing down against my clit and moving it in a slow but steady pressure while his fingers do the work of driving into me until I cry out once an orgasm rips through me.

I collapse against him, using his body and hands on me to stay upright while my jelly legs try to remember how to work properly. He draws me up against him, turning me like a doll in his arms that he can move as he pleases, then makes me watch him suck his three fingers clean in my daze.

“You’d better learn to walk fast, Bambi, because I’m not through with you.”

Right.

I use him for support to test my legs, and as soon as he sees that I can stand on my own, he wraps his arm behind my back and propels us through the crowd to some planned destination. He snaps at a few people who don’t move immediately out of his path, but we finally make it to…

The bathroom?

“Wait—” I start, suddenly unsure of what his plan is.

Kellan yanks the door open and brings us both inside. He lifts and sets me on the counter, then turns on the guy still pissing in one of the urinals. “Out!”

“Dude, I’m in the middle of a stream—”

“Then put a cork in it for later and get out.” Kellan widens his stance and crosses his arms over his chest.

“You can’t—”

Kell grins savagely at him, reaching out to grab the man by the back of the neck.

“Shit! Shit! Fine, just give me a sec…” The guy fumbles at his pants to zip up while Kellan’s already moving him to the door. He barely finishes putting his dick away before Kellan throws him out of the room.

He stalks down the stalls, banging each door open to make sure they’re clear, then shoves the table of courtesy condoms and body spray in front of the bathroom door to block anyone else from entering.

His gaze is dark when it finds its way back to me, still sitting on the counter between sinks where I’ve been too busy watching in shock at what he was doing.

“Kell, was that necessary—”

He grabs the back of my neck, reminding me of the way he’d taken control of that other guy before he kisses me into submission. My legs part on instinct, letting him stand between them, while he uses his free hand to work his pants open.

I pull his hair tie free so I can grip and hold his dark brown hair while he pushes me further back into the counter and against the mirror.

Kellan unties my dress at the back and then frees my breasts. His tongue swirls around one nipple, sucking it deep and then surprising me with a bite that makes my pussy clench.

“Fuck!” I curse, my hands gripping his hair while he tastes the mix of soap and sweat on my skin.

“Put your elbows down,” he orders me. It takes me half a second to register what he’s asking for as I see him shoving his pants the rest of the way down and off before his dick is free and thrusting into me. My forearms on the counter keep my head from crashing back into the mirror as he drives into me.

I can’t do anything at this point but hold on as he fucks me on the bathroom counter like a wild animal.

Garbled sounds escape my mouth that I have no control over as he brutally brings me to the edge again.

My lower back coils and tightens, wrapping around my spine in a death grip that has me gasping for air until it finally snaps. Pure pleasure explodes through me, rushing through my body and limbs like water from a broken dam. I scream out for anyone on this plane or the next to hear me.

Kellan drops over me, though his hands keep his body from falling on me, as he catches his breath and watches me.

One hand tugs at my fake hair. “Take this off.”

I forgot I even had it on.

I’m still panting beneath him, waiting for my soul to return to my body, but my hand moves on autopilot at his command and starts pulling the clips free so I can slide the wig off my head.

His hand moves to my hair, my real hair, before his hold tightens. “Before you overthink things, you’re going to listen to what I have to say.”

“Really?” I gasp out, still breathless. “Now?” It hasn’t passed my notice that he’s still inside of me.

“Now. You scared the shit out of me when you tried to run away last night. I don’t know what happened or why you did it, but I need to know that you’re not still planning on leaving.”

“I-I’m not.”

Kellan shifts, and I can feel him hardening again already. I bite my lower lip to keep my whimper quiet.

He slowly drags himself out of me, and I breathe a sigh of relief. But it’s short-won because he’s sliding me off the counter on my own two feet and turning me around before his cock buries itself back in me. The moan that breaks through my lips is low and deep. His fingers are slick as they slide and rub around my clit, and my body clenches instinctively to his touch, no matter how tired it may be.

He yanks my hair back, making sure I can’t look anywhere else but in the mirror. My hair is a wild and tangled mess, my lips swollen and breasts bared above bunched up navy fabric. Kellan’s wide frame is a looming shadow behind me, his own dark hair loose to his shoulders, his expression fierce as he watches my reflection.

“Tell me that again, beautiful,” he growls in my ear.

His hips move back and forth in an agonizingly slow rhythm as his fingers circle and stroke and rub with the perfect pressure to bring my body to heel for him once again.

“What?”

“That you’re not going to run away again the second I’m not looking. That if something is wrong, you’ll come to me first. You won’t pack your bag and leave without a fucking word.”

“Y-yes,” I agree in a low murmur.

“Look at me when you answer that, beautiful. I need you to look into my eyes and promise me you won’t disappear on me without a word.”

My eyes find his in the mirror. He’s watching me fall apart like I’m on display for him. And there’s nothing I can do about it. My hips rock back into him for more, but it’s his fingers playing me so well that has my next orgasm creeping up on me.

I never realized how hot it was to watch yourself being fucked in a mirror. Or seeing the look in Kell’s eyes as he watches me watch myself .

“Yes. Yes! I promise!”

My orgasm is coming faster now, ready to bring me to ruin in seconds, when his fingers and dick are suddenly gone in an instant. I’m shaking as it slips away, and I cry out with frustration at the loss and the smirk on Kellan’s face.

“Good. And now you’ll always remember that promise.”