Lost (Book 6 of the Forbidden Series)

6

Zeke leaned against the old metal railing of the second level of the motel overlooking the parking lot below. He had been up for an hour now just thinking. Kat was sleeping so peacefully in his bed. Something told him she didn’t do that too often. He didn’t want to wake her, so he decided to get some fresh air and be alone with his thoughts.

He had in his young life dealt with all sorts of women with all sorts of baggage; but a grieving widow, what had he gotten himself involved in? He had been happy with the way things had been going. Ask no questions and tell no lies, but now there was so much left unsaid between them. So much he wanted to know about her. He wanted to tell her about himself.

Perhaps if he had known more about Kat, he would have never been so insensitive as he had been when he asked about her husband. He had felt like a cad when her beautiful eyes filled up with tears. What else was he going to do, make fun of her dead dog, or the fact that she couldn’t have kids or some other tragedy in her life?

Zeke watched the people below coming and going. In and out of the diner, in and out of their rooms. The bar across the parking lot was already entertaining their lunch customers. He needed to know more about her he decided. Only how did he do that without revealing things about himself? He couldn’t tell Kat the truth without jeopardizing everything he had worked for, and he couldn’t tell her the lie. She was not the type to accept and forgive the man he pretended to be. Zeke was trapped between two lives, and neither of them could include Kat.

Right now, he was an enigma. Just two people having fun with no consequence or expectations. It was perfect. How could he tell her anything about himself? What could he tell her? Tell her the lie? Tell her he was a drug runner and a criminal with a record a mile long for assault and other violent crimes. She would think he was a monster and run away. He couldn’t tell her the truth about himself it would put both their lives in jeopardy if anyone found out he was a cop. Was it possible to tell her half-truths without actually telling her anything? Or was it wiser to pretend last night had not happened and continue their relationship as it was?

Zeke watched as Jared rode up with three others. Seth among the three waved up at him as they headed into the bar. He had worked too long to get this close, and he still had a way to go. There was too much at stake to risk it all over his personal life. Women came and went, and Kat would be no different, but bringing down this drug ring would only happen if he played his position right. He was either going to get the collar or die for his efforts. Getting involved with Kat on any meaningful level was not safe or fair to her.

***

When Kat woke, Zeke was nowhere to be seen. She sat up in the bed and held the blanket to her breast. She hadn’t slept that well in so long she honestly couldn’t remember feeling so well rested. She slipped from the bed and wrapped the sheet around her body. She walked around the small suite and peeked into the washroom. Zeke was not there. She made her way over to the window and pulled back the curtains to look outside but did not see him. Looking around the room, she noticed his boots were gone. He must have gone somewhere.

Kat was alone and not sure where Zeke had gone or when he was coming back. She was left to her own devices in his room, perhaps an opportunity to get to know him without asking any questions. She was not normally one for snooping, but so far, she had not done anything she would normally do so why start now. Zeke had said he had lived in this room for two years. There must be something in here that revealed information about him.

Kat walked over to the kitchenette. She opened the cupboards and the mini fridge. She found paper plates and some food that looked out of date, a lot of beer, nothing telling. She shut the fridge and walked over to the drawers under the television. She pulled it open and started going through his clothes. Lots of torn jeans and some old t-shirts, nothing special. She moved his clothes around, and her fingers brushed something hard. Kat pushed aside a shirt finding a gun and a box of bullets. She didn’t know what to make of this. Zeke had it but not on him, why would he hide it? Why did he need it? Who was this man?

Kat shut the drawers and began to search the nightstands looking for ID or something that was personal, but all she found were takeout menus. She had searched the whole room and found nothing that said anything about the man that called that room home. Kat had invaded his privacy and turned up nothing for her efforts.

Frustrated she decided to shed the sheet and shower. Kat removed the sheet she was wearing and placed it on the bed. Going into the washroom, she twisted the knobs and turned on the water, holding her hand under the water to judge its temperature. Once the water was nice and hot, Kat turned on the showerhead and stepped inside drawing the curtain closed. She held her face under the water letting the warmth wash over her.

Kat stood there under the water for a long time just experiencing the soothing feeling of the hot liquid on her skin. She then reached for the shampoo and began to wash her long hair. She lathered the soap then washed it all out. After which she took the soap and washed up rinsing herself off as she went. Kat placed the soap back on the ledge and was about to turn off the water when she thought she heard the door open. She paused and listened then she heard the shower curtain behind her move.

A smile curved her lips as she felt Zeke’s hand brush her wet hair aside as his lips kissed her neck. “I was just getting out.” She said enjoying the way his mouth felt on her neck and shoulder. His arms came around her and pulled her back. Kat melted back against Zeke’s hard body loving the masculine feel of him. His hand moved down her belly and slipped between her legs. Kat sighed when Zeke caressed her intimately his fingers pressed inside her, probing her.

“I heard the shower,” Zeke whispered against her ear, “and suddenly felt very dirty.” His breath on her ear sent wicked shudders straight to her core. She felt his erection pressing against her bottom while his fingers tormented her silken folds, making her shamelessly slick. His free hand cupped her breast, his fingers toying with the swollen erect n****e. An intense tingling pleasure coursed through Kat and her head fell back against Zeke’s shoulder as he manipulated her body to the peaks of ecstasy.

Zeke pushed Kat against the shower wall. The tiles were cold against her hands and breasts. He entered her from behind forcing himself deep inside her. His hand held hers against the wall as he thrust into her with urgency. It was so primal, so forceful; it excited her. The waves of elation engulfed her as the rapture took them both. She cried out as her body quaked and quivered.

Zeke grabbed a fist full of her hair and pulled her head back, his mouth crushed against hers in a demanding kiss. His tongue plundered the recess of her mouth. She returned his kiss with her urgency. Zeke made her feel alive after having felt dead for so long. She never wanted this feeling to end. Kat felt his body tremble and he groaned as he tried to hold back his gratification to extend hers.

Kat pushed back against him meeting his upward thrusts and caused him to moan loudly. “God, you are so good.” Zeke groaned, his hands moving around her waist and forcing her down harder, impaling her on him. She cried out as she came, her scream exciting him so. Zeke gave her three more quick hard pumps and let out his own strangled cry, and his boy rocked against hers.

They stood under the running water for a long time motionless and basked in the aftermath. When Zeke finally moved he released Kat, and she almost lost her balance. He took her arm and helped her to stay on her feet offering her a mischievous smirk. “I suppose I ruined your shower.”

She almost laughed and handed him the soap. He most certainly had, and now she had to wash all over again. She spent the next ten minutes finishing up her shower and playfully swatting Zeke’s wandering hands away. They turned off the water and dried off. Zeke had brought in her bag from outside which she was grateful for. She placed the bag on the bed and unzipped it. Opening the top, she searched through her clothes and pulled out a one-piece blue dress with a v-cut hemline and a scooped neckline.

Zeke had dressed in a pair of leather pants that looked sinfully good on his fit body, completing the look with a white t-shirt. He had tied his long blond hair back in a short man bun and then stretched out on the bed to watch her dress. He reached into her suitcase and looked through her clothes. Kat’s style was so drastically different from his or the other women that were around. “Look at you, every day you look like you stepped out of a fashion magazine. Are you a model?” Zeke asked curiously.

Kat smiled. “No.” She said. She was not a model, but she had been known for setting a few trends. It was all part of being at the top of the celebrity food chain. Image was very important in the telephoto lens of fame, and when you had as much money and experience with it as she did, image sort of came naturally. She didn’t think about it.

“So, what do you do for a living?” He asked looking up at her.

Kat looked at him for a moment she didn’t want to lie to him, but she wasn’t willing to expose herself. Then again, he had already commented on how much she looked like herself. She had managed to convince him otherwise. Would he even believe her if she admitted the truth? She probably shouldn’t take the risk.

“I’m not working.” She admitted. It wasn’t a lie. She hadn’t been working for months. “I haven’t worked in almost a year.”

“How do you survive?”

Now that was a bit harder to explain. She had a lot of money. Between her royalties and those of her late husband’s Kat was an insanely wealthy woman. She didn’t ever have to work again if she so chose. “I live off what my husband left me.” She said elusively. The mention of her dead husband put an end to his prying. Zeke was uncomfortable with the subject. Once she was dressed, Kat closed her bag and placed it on the floor. “Where did you go this morning?” She asked curiously as to his disappearing act.

Zeke lay back and put his arms behind his head. “I had to go talk to someone, nothing special.”

“What are we doing today?” She asked climbing onto the bed with him.

He shrugged his powerful shoulders. “I don’t know. What do you want to do?”

Kat smiled as she thought about it. She had spent the last few days wrapped up in his world. Perhaps it was time to give Zeke a taste of hers. “We can do anything?” She asked sweetly.

“Sure, what the hell.” He said, having no inkling as to what was on her mind.

“Great.” She smiled. “Is there an art gallery downtown?”

“A what?”