Unwanted Heat

Nicholas

The drive back to New York is quiet, Kenzie spends most of it sleeping with her head on my shoulder. Nothing about this trip was expected, but yet again somehow it has made me feel closer to her than when we left. We’re stopping by the bakery before heading back to the condo so she can meet with Cara to catch up the bakery. As much as I don’t want to, when we pull into the parking lot, I wake gently wake Kenzie.

“We’re here, baby…”

“Already?” she groans.

“We can still go home if you’d rather reschedule this for tomorrow.”

“No, I promised Cara and Ginny I would meet with them today. They already stayed after closing-I’d feel horrible if I then canceled. It shouldn’t take long.”

“You sure? You still seem tired.”

“Maybe I wouldn’t be so tired if someone didn’t keep me up half the night,” she blushes even as she tries to smirk.

“You enjoyed every minute of it.”

“Hmmm… that I did.”

I lean in, kissing her deeply before we get out of the SUV. Carter uses the key to unlock the front door of the bakery. Carter and I set up at a table in the lobby after greeting Ginny and Cara. Hunter escorts the girls to the office in the back before continuing on to check the rest of the building. Even though Kenzie didn’t think we would be here long, I start up my laptop to respond to a few emails while I’m waiting.

“Everything okay?” Carter asks when Hunter returns.

“All’s clear.”

“Any concerns at PFS?” I ask.

“Nothing out of the ordinary.”Belonging to NôvelDrama.Org.

I spend the next hour working, blocking out Hunter and Carter reviewing security measures for a few upcoming events we have planned in the next couple of weeks. After about two hours, Kenzie finally returns to the lobby with a stack of folders in her hands.

“Everything go okay?” I kiss her quickly when she approaches.

“Yup,” she smiles back. “We have an outline for the new website and the start of a menu redesign.”

“Where’s Ginny and Cara?” Hunter asks.

“They left through the back door about 10 or 15 minutes ago, I just wanted to finish up my notes from the meeting.”

“We could have given Ginny a ride home-”

“She was leaving with Cara.”

“Okay good… you have everything you need for the website?”

“I think so. I can’t wait to get the online catering page up and running! It should make it much easier for businesses to place their orders.”

“As soon as it’s up and running, we can have Melody place a test order with it. She can give you honest feedback on her experience from an ordering perspective,” I suggest.

“I’ll talk to Melody-”

“Don’t move!” Carter yells before darting in front of me.

“WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?”

I pull Kenzie behind me on reflex, stepping further in front of her. Carter’s hand immediately falls to the gun that is at the waist band of his pants. The gun that I tried insisting he didn’t need when he first started working for me because I didn’t think I would ever be that much at risk. It was only when he refused to accept the position, unless I agreed to allow him to carry, that I finally agreed. As I stand here right now, taking in the sight before me, I’m reassured that I made the right decision in hiring Carter.

“ANSWER ME, DAMN IT! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU

DOING HERE???” I scream over Carter’s shoulder. I’m tempted to push him aside, and forcefully remove her from the bakery. The only thing stopping me right now, though is the fact that Kenzie is behind me. I know he would protect her, but I worry his first instinct would be to protect me, thus, leaving her exposed and at risk. That is a risk I’m not willing to take; so despite my first instinct being to end the scene in front of us, I keep a firm hand on her arm, protecting her, even as my eyes never leave the foyer.

“I’m here for you,” the woman in front of us answers, without looking at me.

“What the fuck do you mean you’re here for me? You’re not allowed to be here!” I remind her.

She doesn’t answer me, instead she remains leaning against the counter, dressed in a skin tight red dress. Just before I look away, I notice her hand, gripping a large knife pointed toward the floor. My breath catches when it finally hits me and my mind starts racing at the possible ways this will end. Did she really think she could walk in here and try to kill me? She had to know that Carter still worked for me; did she really think she could get past him?

“I asked you a question,” I hiss in frustration and anger. Once again, I receive no response to my question.

“Sir,” it’s only when I hear his voice, does my attention go to Hunter, who is standing across from us at the other side of the lobby with his gun drawn and ready. He mouths to us, “police on way.” I’m not sure how he did it, but I’m grateful that he was able to notify the police, as it at least means help will eventually arrive. Now, I just need to keep her from killing anyone in the meantime. I nod slightly at Hunter in acknowledgement, and try to calm the ever rising anger, threatening to boil over inside of me. I need to separate myself from the situation, to turn my emotions off, like I do when I’m negotiating with a new client.

“What is it you want?”

I try a different question in hopes of at least gaining some insight as to what is going through her fucked up mind right now. I fucking want to know what the hell she thought she would accomplish by showing up to

Kenzie’s bakery threatening us with a knife!

“I need you and you need me-” again she answers without making eye contact with me.

“You need me? What the fuck could you possibly need me for? I don’t need you; I don’t even fucking want youI never fucking wanted to see you again! Why the fuck would you think I needed you? I have everything I could ever possibly need, or want in my life and none of it involves you,” I gently squeeze Kenzie’s arm in a desperate attempt to convey to her that somehow everything is going to be okay. “What is it you think that I could possibly need or want from you?”

“I can give you what you need,” almost in slow motion, I watch her head rise and she glares at Kenzie behind me. I stay focused on the knife in her hands, which at this point is thankfully still pointed at the ground, but I know at any moment that all could change. “She will never be enough for you; she can’t give you what you need. She-”

“Enough! You know nothing about Kenzie, or my relationship with her, and you certainly know nothing about what I need!”

“She will never give you what you need! She won’t go to The Blue Moon with you, she won’t let you tie her to the bed so you can fuck her however you want, she won’t let you whip her with a belt until it is coated in blood-”

“Shut the fuck up! I never hit you until blood was drawn-how dare you imply otherwise!” I cringe knowing that Kenzie is hearing the lies spewing from her mouth. “You were the fucking one who asked to be tied to the bed! That was your kink, not mine!”

“But, I would let you do that to me, because that’s what you need! You need a woman that you can take your stress out on! She will never be that person! She doesn’t even enjoy fucking! Did you know she fakes it?

She can’t even-”

“You know nothing about me!” Kenzie yells from behind me.

“I know more about you than you think. He told me all about you -” she cuts herself off before she can finish her sentence. “Who the fuck are you talking about?” I ask.

No answer. Complete silence. Where the fuck are the police?

“What Nicholas needs isn’t about sex,” Kenzie says calmly, as she moves so she is standing next to me, instead of behind. I try to pull her back but she doesn’t budge, instead she plants herself next to me, so she is pressed against me. Her hand slowly moves up my chest before resting over my heart where she simply leaves it for a few seconds. “He needs someone to love him, someone to trust him and whom he can trust in return, and someone who doesn’t look at him and see dollar signs.”