But we weren’t making love now.
No, this was fucking at its finest. I quickened my hips to match pounding thrusts. My orgasm built first from my soul before ripping through my heart and releasing from my mouth as a muted scream.
It was a good thing his hand was there. I didn’t relish the thought of explaining the throes of passion to Ken at such a young age. Something told me that her father wouldn’t appreciate the burden either.
When the fog started to clear, I became aware of the cans littering my feet and how my nails dug into the wooden shelves. A warm sensation traveled down my thigh, and I knew it could only be one thing.
I could feel his chest move against my back and the sweet smell of his breath fan across my skin. The jingle of his belt buckle as he fixed his pants echoed around me.
I was already answering to the consequences of my decision. It was in the possessive way he handled me as he pulled up my shorts and wrapped his strong arm around my waist to guide me from the pantry.
When we entered the kitchen, I was lucky to find no one waiting other than Ken, who appeared none the wiser. She’d made a complete mess of her pancakes as usual, and in my absence, had managed to pour nearly the entire bottle of syrup on her food.
“Ken, what did I tell you about pouring your own syrup?”
“I was hungry.”
It was official. I’m the worst mother in the world. I wanted to cry and assure her that she could pour all the syrup in the world, but I knew it wouldn’t reverse the last week or the last ten minutes.
I wet a towel and proceeded to clean up her face and hands. She usually fussed when I cleaned her up, and I realized that her attention was completely fixed on Keenan. They stared, completely enraptured by one another.
“Hi,” she greeted softly.
“Hello, Kennedy.” Keenan shook his head as if to clear it and said, “It’s nice to finally meet you.”
“What’s your name?”
“I’m… I’m…”
For the first time since arriving, or facing a girl ever, he seemed to be at a loss for words. She looked at him expectantly, and what happened next shocked me to my core.
Keenan fell to his knees.
Right there on the kitchen floor he collapsed.
Kennedy left her seat and walked to him. Slowly, I freaked out inside because what was happening before me only a monster could tear apart. How could I protect her from him if she accepted him without ever knowing who he was to her?
“Are you scared?” He nodded numbly, and so she rested a hand on his cheek. “Auntie Lake said no one can hurt you if you don’t allow it.” It came out a jumbled, three-year-old mess, but I’d been there when Lake told her, and so I recognized what she meant.
“She’s right,” Keenan spoke. Although his voice shook, he still sounded strong. Kennedy nodded once as if accepting his acceptance. “My name is Keenan.”
“Keenan,” she repeated, but it came out more like Keena. “Are you mommy’s friend?”
“Yes, I’m mommy’s friend, but I’m your friend, too.”
“You saved me from bad men.”
“Did they hurt you?” I held my breath even though I had asked her the very same thing last night along with the doctors who checked her over. When she shook her head, I exhaled quietly. Keenan took his eyes off Kennedy long enough to nod in my direction. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you sooner.”
The hard edge in his voice told me that he meant more than just last night. There was no way I could let this happen now if ever.
“Kennedy, why don’t you go upstairs and get ready so I can take you to the beach.”
Her excited shriek ripped through the air and just like that, the spell was broken. “Can Keenan come?”
I ignored the flinch from Keenan at hearing her call him by his name. “I don’t think Keenan wants to come with us.”
“Keenan does and Keenan will,” he said, but it came out as a threat. Fortunately, Kennedy seemed completely oblivious to the drastic change in his mood and atmosphere. She screamed her excitement before taking off to retrieve her bathing suit.
“Do you think a trip to the beach is a good idea so soon?”
I felt a flash of anger at the idea of him questioning my parenting skills so soon after just meeting her.
“I think it’s exactly what she needs. I don’t want this to be something that traumatizes her.”
“You don’t think it already does? She may not understand, but trust me when I say she’ll never forget. If you don’t think I’m right, try talking to Keiran.”
“It’s not the same thing.”
“But it could have been which is exactly why I’m sticking around. You can’t protect her on your own. You almost died because you can’t even protect yourself.”