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Kingsley

—Two Years Ago—

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Kenna narrowed her eyes and shook her head, stubbornly refusing to listen. Kingsley stepped toward her, pinning her to the wall. She needed to learn a big lesson.

Don't ever fuck with a Stafford.

"You're playing a dangerous game, brat." He raised his arms and planted his hands on the wall behind her.

Kenna arched her back. The front of him warmed. He looked between them. His cock throbbed to attention. She'd pushed her full breasts against him.

"You kissed me back." She softened her voice. "Your hand was on my ass."

He growled. "I was trying to get you off me."

Her hand cupped his cock through his jeans. "Explain this."

Fire lit his veins. It was impossible not to see how Kenna had grown up through the years. He stayed away just long enough that she'd physically change each time he returned to check on her.

The young woman standing in front of him was not the young girl who was mad at the world. Kenna had bottled all the anger and hurt she'd experienced in her short life into an out-of-control passion.

A passion she directed toward him any chance she could get. Instead of embracing her friends, foster parents, and teachers, she'd given him every precious emotion she refused to give everyone else.

And he knew what a fucking gift that was, even if Kenna hadn't hit the point where she understood what she was doing or why she chose him.

She only wanted love.

Being loved is a basic need, and most people take it for granted because it comes easily and freely.

But Kenna had only experienced losing love, and the pain had scarred her.

At one time, Kenna had all the love a girl could want, and she lost it all, one by one when her mom died, her dad died, and the state of Idaho took her away from her younger sister when they split them apart within the foster care system.

She wanted that love back more than anything, and she turned to the one person she felt safe with to fill that deep-seated need—him.

She fucking had his balls in her hand and knew she could do whatever she wanted to him.

Kenna's head tilted more, and she stroked him, sure of every touch. His toes curled in his boots. She wasn't old enough to have the kind of confidence that came with the experience of women twice her age.

He grabbed her wrist, halting her. "You're playing with fire, Kenna."

Her eyes searched his. "I'm not afraid."

His grip tightened, but his resolve to stop touching her wavered. He could feel the heat from her body, smell the sweet scent of her arousal, and see the challenge in her gaze. He leaned in, their faces millimeters apart, and whispered, "You think you're ready for this?"

Her pulse beat at the base of her neck, and she licked her lips, daring him. "I've been ready for a lot longer than you think."

Kingsley's gaze dropped to her mouth, and he bargained with the devil for a split second. It was only the two of them. No one would know if he fucked her. She'd been asking for it for months. Hell, years. Since she was sixteen years old, Kenna had made it clear she was open to having sex with him.

He snapped his gaze back to her, angry for believing they were the only two that mattered. "You don't even know what's going on."

He was her protector. Her guardian until she was old enough to live independently.

He'd done a favor for his dad. When Ridge Stafford spoke, people listened—and that included his sons. He and Zane promised to look after Kenna and her younger sister, River.

Their dad, sitting in prison for assault with a deadly weapon, owed Tom Pruitt a favor. In return, he and Zane carried out their part.

Tom Pruitt wanted his daughters to believe he was dead. But the truth was, he was sitting on death row in the state prison, waiting for the day his life would end.

He held the truth from Kenna because the lie was painful enough. She'd never be able to go through losing her dad all over again if she found out his secret.

She yanked her wrist free from his clutch and stepped closer, her breasts pressing against his chest. His body hardened more.

"Please, King," she murmured, her voice thick with need. "Don't send me back, thinking no one will ever love me again. That today might be the last time I ever get to see you. That you're getting ripped away from me, just like my family."

The air charged between them. Tension rolled through his body. He fisted his hands, banging them on the wall, fighting the urge to give her everything she wanted.

Kenna rolled her hips against him, biting her bottom lip. She pushed his boundaries, testing him, and a part of him was one hundred percent in on the game she played.

He leaned down. His mouth hovered over hers. "Are you sure?" he whispered.

Kenna pulled his face down to hers without a second thought, her lips crushing against his in a heated kiss that sent shockwaves through him. He tugged her closer, taking control of the kiss with years of pent-up lust pouring out.

She tangled her fingers in his hair, tugging him closer, dancing her tongue in and out of his mouth.

Her breath mingled with his. A rush of desire hit him low.

He gripped her ass, lifting her slightly so she could feel him fully against her. Kenna moaned into his mouth, attempting to climb him and failing.

He picked her up. She'd won. The game she played was far more complex and dangerous than she understood. But he couldn't fight her.

The world outside their embrace faded away. Only their pounding hearts filled the silence. Kingsley slid his hands underneath her shirt and spread his palms on her bare back.

She gasped into his mouth. He groaned, his grip tightening as he explored the curve of her waist and the softness of her hips.

He needed to touch every inch of her.

Setting her on her feet, his hands went to the front of her body, molding over her ribs, her breasts. She arched into his touch, her nipples pebbling against his palm. Kingsley's thumb circled the tightness, teasing until she writhed in his arms.

He broke the kiss, panting as he stared down at her. "You're going to get more than you begged for."

Kenna's eyes sparked with determination. "Show me," she challenged.

With a low growl, Kingsley claimed her mouth again, his other hand reaching between her legs to cup her sex. She was wet, soaking through her panties. He slid his fingers under the fabric, finding her clit and stroking with a firm pressure that had her hips jerking in response.

Her nails dug into the leather of his vest, holding on as he brought her closer and closer to the edge as she whimpered.

He needed her wet, plump, and ready.

Her knees buckled. He caught her, walking her backward to the hotel bed until she tottered and lost her balance, sitting on the bed with a plop. He went down with her, spreading her legs.

He slipped the tip of his pinky in her pussy, stroking in and out with slow deliberation. Kenna held on, not moving. That told him everything he needed to know.

She hadn't been with anyone else.

He moved his mouth to her neck, licking, sucking, nibbling his way to her ear. "I can stop," he whispered.

He needed to give her an out. She postured, coming across as unbreakable. But this was no longer a game she played. It was her virginity.

And he knew her better than she knew herself.

She wasn't as tough as she wanted him to believe. There was a sensitivity about her that allowed all the things in her short life to scar her.

He wanted inside her. To get deeper, beyond the scars, and heal the hurt.

"I'll hate you forever if you stop," she whispered.

Her hips rocked against his hand, her breath coming in gasps as she chased the orgasm that was out of reach. He found her clit again, circling it with the perfect amount of pressure as he quickened his pattern.

Her body moved under no direction from Kenna. He nibbled her ear. "That's it. Take it."

With a cry, she came, convulsing in his arms. He held her through it, slowly drawing out her pleasure until she went limp and trembled.

He put his lips on her ear. "We can stop now—"

"No." She inhaled a shaky breath. "I want you ."

With a growl, he yanked her shirt over her head, pulling her bra over her breasts. He leaned down and captured a nipple in his mouth, biting and suckling until she moaned. His hand left her pussy, struggling with his belt.

Kenna pushed his hand away and undid his buckle, and managed to get his jeans open, springing his cock free. A surge of arousal pulsed through him, making him bigger. Harder. Longer.

He would fill and stretch her in ways she had never imagined.

Her eyes widened, a mix of fear and excitement in her gaze. He held still, slowing.

"It'll be uncomfortable when I push inside you," he whispered.

She nodded, trusting him.

"Slip your panties off." He pushed himself to his knees and dove his hand into his back pocket for his wallet, where he had a condom.

Kenna raised her hips and worked the tiny strap of cloth off her legs, dropping her panties on the floor. He rolled on the condom, noting she couldn't take her eyes off his cock. She hid her true feelings. He wasn't sure if his size struck fear in her or fascinated her.

He positioned himself between her legs. Not taking the chance to change his mind or ask her again if she was sure she wanted to have sex, Kenna wrapped her legs around the back of his thighs, hitting that sweet response, and his pelvis bucked forward.

He positioned himself at her entrance. The tip of his cock nudged her opening. Looking at her until she locked eyes on him, he paused.

"You're mine now," he whispered, and then pushed inside.

Kenna's eyes rolled back in her head. An uncomfortable groan escaped her lips. He held still for a moment, giving her time to adjust, and then he moved.

Slow. Steady. Deep.

Kenna inhaled swiftly, scraping her nails on his biceps. "King."

It wasn't a protest. It wasn't fear. It was surprise. It was pleasure.

He moved his body faster. Determined to show her what sex was all about, he found his arms shaking as he held himself above her and his pace grew erratic. He breathed heavily as he approached his own climax.

"King." Kenna slapped his shoulders. "Yes."

Her body spasmed around him in pleasure. He groaned, no longer able to hold himself back. His hips stuttered before he shot his load.

He hung his head, trying to gain his second wind. He'd crossed a line he never thought he would. But the taste of her was addictive. He'd wondered what it would be like to have her sweet body wrapped around him and his dick buried deep inside of her.

"You're mine." His voice thickened. "Mine."

Her eyes searched his, looking for reassurance. Kingsley knew she was scared, but he also knew that she craved intimacy—craved him. He had seen the way she looked at him, the way she watched him. Tension between them had grown over the years, and now it exploded into something raw and untamed.

He kissed her gently. She melted into him. He could feel her trust. Her surrender. His chest tightened, taking on more responsibility.

He'd fucked her.

Guilt filled his gut. He pulled out of her, taking that time to pull off the condom and drop it in the trash can beside the bed.

Kenna sat up, wincing. He gritted his teeth, knowing he'd done that to her. In the matter of minutes, he'd taken her virginity.

She inched her way to the side of the bed and sat beside him. Her gaze searched his, a flicker of something new in their depths. "You'll help me find him, right?" she whispered, the words barely audible.

His chest tightened. He stood from the bed, tucking his spent cock back into his jeans and fastening his belt. From the moment he found her and initiated himself into her life, she'd always had the same request.

And every time he answered her, she'd leave, not liking what he said.

"Kenna, your dad is dead." He tucked his pistol back underneath his belt.

Her eyes flashed with anger, lighting her features. "You're lying. He's out there. I just need to find him."

He sat on the bed with her and ran his hands through his hair. "He's been dead for years."

Her face crumpled, and she scrambled off the bed, grabbing her shirt and pulling it back on. "Fuck you." Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "I hate you."

Before he could calm her, she was gone. The door slammed behind her. He sighed, staring at the orange shag rug beneath his boots. He'd promised to protect her, to be there for her, and now he'd destroyed her.

He and his brother had watched over River and Kenna for the last six years as a favor to their dad, who owed Tom Pruitt

In two months, she'd graduate and no longer be under the state's control. He planned on being there to take her to Gem Haven, where she could live and take the time to figure out what she wanted to do with her life.

"I'll make it up to you, Kenna," he whispered. "I promise."