Kane and Steele

Chapter 11

Kane

She guides me into the house, me partially battered and bruised, not wanting to fight back because I know I could annihilate that little prick Steele. I refrain for Aurora's sake. I know she cares for him and I would never intentionally do anything to hurt her.

Steele leaves without further confrontation, probably already concluding he's lost this fight and most likely the battle with that outburst. Nothing he can say or do will help him side Aurora's emotions, emotions she doesn't feel for him, emotions he unrealistically believes she holds deep down but don't really exist.

"Kane?" she worriedly says my name, sitting me down on a chair in the kitchen. She's bending over, her tender fingers brushing softly against my cheek, the smoothness sending a quaking shudder down my spine, her flawless figure standing before me wearing a skimpy summer dress while her long thick black tresses linger down the front cotton....the absence of a bra underneath those long tresses turning my d**k rock solid.

"You sound concerned Aurora," I throw my head back with a chuckle," did you think Steele actually hurt me?" I'm fine, I don't think she knows that, she's too innocent, too sweet.

'I already see bruising below your eye. How can you act like what he did was nothing?" Her right hand takes the other side of my face with a grappling clench, her fingers on the other side slowly but gently trickle down, sending a rushing pulse to race through my soul. She takes hold, positioning my jaw so I have to look fully into her dark, concerned eyes and what I see is beautiful, amazing, something I'm finding almost impossible to resist. I've already almost kissed her once and I'm strongly tempted again, then I remember why I'm here refraining me from my impulses. I don't need to complicate her life anymore than it already has been.

"Because it is nothing. He got in a sucker punch, that's all. I'm more concerned about you. If you keep sleeping with him, he's never going to leave you alone. It's not like it's hard to figure out what you were doing with him in Jonah's office. It's not my place to tell you who you can sleep with, but he seems a little bit psycho when it comes to you and that's not really healthy." I attempt to divert the conversation away from me and put the focus on Aurora. I'm not worried about some jealous, overzealous cop when it comes to my well being. I can handle Steele. It's Aurora I'm beginning to become concerned over due to his twisted obsession. I'm here to make sure she is okay and Steele is starting to make me believe she won't be if she keeps associating herself with him.

Her hands slowly drop away from my face, a deep sigh releasing from her breath, she removes her gaze from mine, turning her head to the side with our eyes no longer meeting one another. She stands up, walking towards the refrigerator, retrieving an ice pack from the freezer, shortly returning by my side. She places it just below my battered eye, beginning to speak,"No, it's not your business who I sleep with, but I do agree Steele obviously isn't getting the hint and I don't like the way he's treating you. I should have ended things a long time ago. After tonight, I'm done with him. Now keep this on your bruise so it doesn't swell out," she places the ice in my hand, a flustered look lacing across her face. Aurora walks over to the other end of the kitchen table, taking a seat, looks over to me, then continues with her conversation. "Steele was my husband's best friend. Jason. He died in a car accident two years ago while in the line of duty. Jason was also an officer, like Steele."

"I'm sorry." I interrupt, seeing she needs a moment when it comes to talking about her deceased husband. There is now a deep sadness piercing in her eyes and through her tone that can't be ignored.

"Jason, Steele and I all had known each other since we were kids. When Jason passed, I felt really lost and Steele was there to pick up the pieces. I've been using him because I needed him to fill the emptiness that was left when I lost Jason. I've known Steele too long to know I could never love him the way he loved me, but it didn't stop me from sleeping with him anyway, from using him to try to fill what's missing." Tears start to form quickly, finding their way down her saddened cheeks.

"Again, I'm sorry for your loss. I had no idea," I try to be consoling. In reality I'm more sorry than she could possibly imagine. I also feel like complete s**t because I knew about Jason, I knew she grew up with Jason and Steele and I'm sitting here lying, acting like I have no clue who she is or about parts of her past. What makes it worse is that she felt she needed to run into the arms of that jerk Steele to seek comfort.

I decide to make my way over to her side of the table, needing to be near her, needing to comfort her. I take the empty seat beside her, placing down the ice pack, bringing one hand to her silky skin, attempting to wipe away the tears that have faltered across her distraught face. My other hand takes one of hers. I softly brush my fingers over them in a caressing motion in an effort to sooth her pain.

"I'm sorry. These are my problems and it's already affecting you because now Steele is harassing you." She says with a sniffle.

I know now, even though I'm being deceitful, I've made the right decision by coming here. If anything, I needed to protect Aurora from Steele. I just need to make sure she never finds out who I really am. The last thing I want to do is cause her more heartache. One way to accomplish that is to help her get Steele out of her life. The guy is toxic and will only hold Aurora back from moving on with her life.

"Don't be sorry, you've suffered a huge loss. I understand that Steele feels he needs to be there for you, be protective considering you two share a past, yet clearly he's not filling that void in your life. He thinks he owns you like some kind of property, like he should be able to control you and that he's the solution to your loss. He needs to let you live your life, but it looks to me like he has a sick obsession and you can't blame yourself for that. You're a very attractive woman. He's going to find any new man that enters your life as a threat. He doesn't come off to me as someone who's just going to bite their tongue when he feels he is in danger of losing you to somebody else." I remove my grasp from her hand, bringing my fingers under her delicate chin, lifting her face so her eyes that are now swelled and have sunken towards the floor can align with my focus. I need her to see my sincerity, to let her know she holds so much more value, "You've told him where you stand when it comes to him and he should respect that."

Aurora needs to realize what Steele is doing is only hindering her from finding happiness again and a sense of normalcy.

"I can't help but feel guilty though, and I've been in denial. I used him, I led him on by constantly f*****g him and taking so much comfort in his companionship. In high school, it was Steele who tried to date me first. We only went out on one actual real date together. Once the kiss happened at the end of the night, it immediately registered that there was a lack of sparks, at least on my side. I told Steele then that I could never see us being anything more than just friends. Jason and I had always seemed to have a chemistry I didn't share with Steele or any other guy. A few weeks later, me and Jason, along with Steele, went to a party together. We were all a bit tipsy and just having fun. I pulled Jason into the middle of the room and made him dance with me when someone started blaring "Replay" by Zendaya. Jason started lip syncing along, bobbing his head from side to side and swaying his whole upper torso trying to mimic, like he was Zendaya. He eventually grabbed my hand trying to spin me around but I lost my footing and tripped right on top of him. The next thing I knew, we were both on the floor staring at each other in an awkward silence. That's when we both felt it for certain, a sudden electricity seemed to flow right through us. Jason grabbed the back of my head, pulling my lips into his. It was the most intense kiss I had ever experienced at the time. Suddenly, it was like no one was in the room but the two of us, neither one of us caring if anyone was watching while our lips stayed locked. That's until Steele walked back in raging. He wasn't too happy seeing me and Jason together in that way and wouldn't speak to either one of us for over a month. Eventually, he accepted Jason and I being together. Jason and him were like brothers. Steele loved Jason too much to let a girl come between them."

I see a small semblance of happiness form on her face at the recollection. A minuscule grin developing with the words escaping her lips. My fingers are still under her chin. "You have nothing to feel guilty for." I attempt at a bit of reassurance seconds before I do something that's going to make me feel guilt. I start coaxing her face towards my own. My vision falls down to her tender lips. Without thought or hesitation, somehow I've brought my lips to hers. Our mouths quickly become entwined, Aurora taking hold of my head feathering her fingers through my hair grasping tightly. It only helps intensify the sudden invasion I've taken upon myself to devour her mouth while our tongues let themselves taste one another in a blissful glory.

Aurora begins to moan, our tongues mingling together in unity, her fingers feverishly running through my hair the more our kiss escalates into a heated passion. The vibrations of our entanglement send shivers down to my groin. Automatically, I can feel the fire every man who's ever loved her must have felt. It shoots throughout every inch of my anatomy, hungering for more.

"f**k!" I jerk back, disconnecting our bodies so we are no longer touching, or kissing, in any form or manner. The reality of the situation has kicked in. I've screwed up, letting my libido momentarily take control of my actions, "Now I need to apologize. We've just met and I'm taking advantage of your vulnerability." It's now seeped back into me that I can not get physically involved with this woman or establish any emotional attachments. "With me living right below you it's probably best if we don't start anything s****l. It could complicate our living arrangements."

From what I've learned about Aurora before I got here is that I don't need to worry so much about her letting her emotions become invested. I've done my homework. I have known ever since Jason she's not the type to get attached, especially to a man she barely knows. I probably have to worry about me more, since I feel I already know her from watching over her in the shadows these past few years. And then there's Steele. Not that I give a f**k what he thinks, but I know he's irrational and unstable when it comes to Aurora. He's already going to go bat s**t when he finds out I'm living here. If I am actually sleeping with her and he finds out, the consequences of his actions could be harmful to Aurora. I won't let that happen.

The sadness that had seemly been surrounding her only moments ago has now dissipated. My kiss a good yet still bad distraction from her sorrows. "You're probably right. I don't usually have s*x with my tenants." The thought along with the words escaping her mouth, bringing about a small chuckle as it simultaneously sinks in.

Nodding my heading off to the side with a bewildered questioning look, I jokingly reply," So you have had s*x with a tenant? You did throw in the word usually." My brows furrow, my eyes squinting when I finish my verbal attack on her blunder of wording. I make sure I emphasize the word usually when I end my sentence.

She laughs again. The sounds of her laughter are mesmerizing along with her stunning beauty. I find myself easily getting lost into another dimension when she's in my presence. It's like I've known her for years since I already knew so much about her before my arrival. Aurora is off limits. I have to remind myself for the umpteenth time. Somehow it doesn't want to absorb after that electrifying kiss that sent my body in turmoil. Recomposing myself after my thoughts briefly try to wander in the wrong direction, I let out my own chuckle.

Our prohibited encounter has now brought about another hunger. I can feel my stomach rumbling, "I need food. How about I run down the street and pick us up some dinner?" I'd prefer feasting off Aurora but that's not in the cards.

"Sure."