The Monroe Sisters

by Aliyah Burke

  “Wendy, please. Give us a minute.”

  “Fucking uproot my life and drag me across the world then uproot me again all without any notice, or even buying me dinner first.”

  “Wendy,” he warned.

  She swore and whirled around, stomping off. “Can’t even be in my own damn place without yet another man giving me orders and deciding my fate.”

  He rose and lifted Tara with him, even as he turned to follow Wendy with his gaze. His fingertips burned with the need to touch the woman he held.

  Why does my life have to get so bloody complicated?

  He slid her down his hard length until she had her feet again on the floor. “Tara.”

  “You want me to wait?” His wife posed the question in a hushed tone.

  God no. Then again, yes. He did. Forever. He wanted her to wait forever to be with him. At the same time, he wanted to spend this time with her and figure out what it was that had driven her to come find him here.

  “I should go explain this to her.”

  Again, that expression of hers wasn’t anything he could read and it bugged the shit out of him. While it may have been amazing for court, it sucked for him to try and get a bead on her emotions.

  He swore she withdrew into herself a bit before she nodded. “Go, do what you must. I should get going. I had only planned on being here for a short bit. If you need to talk to her, I can head out.”

  “You just asked me if you should wait.” He scratched his jaw. “I want you to wait.”

  “I’ll be better letting the two of you deal with this here. It’s her place and I was wrong coming here to make her have to listen to anything between us.”

  “You’re basically telling me if I go talk to her, you’re not going to be here when I’m finished.”

  “I’m telling you that I will head home and be there when you’re done here. I do apologize for interrupting your day.” Her tongue swiped along the seam of her lips and he longed to take the time to follow it with his own.

  “Tara,” he groaned.

  A smile came but he knew she could tell it was forced.

  “I’ll see you tonight.”

  The words that weren’t spoken were if you come home. She turned around and walked out of the place without another word.

  “Fuck.”

  He hesitated for a second, glanced back to where Wendy could still be heard cursing and slamming around in the back of her place, then went after Tara. He grabbed the gate and stopped the lift from closing.

  As he stepped in, her expression could honestly be called one of shock. He closed the door behind him and pressed the button again for the first floor, only to stop it between floors.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Giving us a spot to talk. We are always interrupted. So, we’ll stay in here.” The lift shuddered to a halt and he pinned his gaze on her. “Talk.”

  “I thought you were discussing something with Wendy.”

  “You wanted my attention, Tara. I’m giving it to you. All of it, one hundred percent. We’re not going anywhere. We’re caught between floors. If it takes you all night to tell me, we’ll stay here until you do.”

  “Not really a fan of elevators. Thanks, though.”

  God, he wanted to hold her. He forced himself to remain on the other side of the space from her because, were he honest with himself, he was thinking about fucking her right here. Not that he didn’t care about what she had to say, but because he couldn’t look at her and not be turned on. She was perfect to him and he wanted to indulge all his senses in her.

  “Talk to me, Tara.”

  “Can we get out of here?”

  “Tara,” he said, his patience wearing thin.

  “I know I’ve not been the easiest person in the world to live with.” She shrugged. “You know what I mean. Even when I wasn’t in your life, I was still there. A pain, doing what I wanted to do without any thought to you or your life.”

  He wasn’t sure what this was leading to and so opted to stay quiet and let her finish. Andrew noticed the tiny sheen of sweat on her brow. He got that she wasn’t happy to be trapped in there, but she wasn’t making him let her out and he was proud of her for that. But the silence continued too long and he had to break it.

  Some strong man I am, can’t even outwait her to tell me anything.

  “What are you saying?”

  “I don’t want you to go back to Switzerland.”

  Hope flared within him.

  “I mean…” She rubbed her palms against her hips. “I don’t want you to go alone. Or rather without me.”

  Epilogue

  Tara crunched on the small carrot stick she’d just plucked from the platter of fresh vegetables and sighed. There was nothing like it in her mind. Outside the large sprawling windows, the sun shone down on the emerald-green grasses that waved in the light breeze.

  “I could have done that.”

  “I don’t mind chopping vegetables, Mrs. Hilly. Even my sisters don’t think I can mess that up. Well, not too bad, anyway.”

  The woman gave her a smile, opened the large double fridge and pulled out some pie that she then put out on another counter.

  “Just so you know, I love pie too.”

  “I have another set aside just for you.”

  “Mrs. Hilly, I think you’re deliberately trying to spoil me.”

  “I pay her extra to do that, you know.” Drew poked his head into the kitchen. “Come on, baby. We have to go get your parents.”

  Joy filled her—she was excited to see them. It had been almost a year. Pushing up on her heels, she kissed Mrs. Hilly before nearly skipping over to Drew’s side.

  He reached out his hand and she placed hers within it, warmed by something so simple as his touch. Drew pulled her close and dropped a kiss to the tip of her nose. “I love you.”

  “You are loved.”

  Once in his car, this time without a driver, she propped her feet up on the dashboard and rolled down the window.

  “Thank you for allowing them to come for a visit.”

  His laugh filled the interior. “Allowed them? Baby, we’re family. I love your parents—our parents—and welcome any time we get to spend with them.”

  Angling her head on the seat so she could better stare at him, she smiled. “I’m glad.”

  He pulled off the road at a park and put them far away from most people there. After stopping the engine, he faced her and took her hand in his.

  “How are you doing? I know it’s been difficult for you to not have work outside the house.”

  “I’m good,” she replied. “I’m working on passing so I can practice international law and then I will be pounding on the door for the ICC.”

  “If we have to move closer, then we will. Besides, you’ll be Stateside soon and can do some work there if you’d like.”

  They lived most of the year in Switzerland but lived for a quarter of it at home. She’d not quite been able to cut it out all together. So her parents were coming for two weeks and all four of them were traveling back to the States together.

  “I know. You’ve been nothing but supportive. And while I won’t lie and say it’s not been hard for me to go from doing what I did as an ADA to being able to sleep in any day I so choose.” She undid her belt and inched close enough to kiss him. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”

  He hooked his finger in the collar of her shirt and tugged before waggling his eyes at her.

  “No,” she said, shaking her head as if it would add compunction to her statement. “We’re on the way to the airport to get my parents. I’m not going there smelling like sex.”

  “You’d be happy and relaxed.” He pulled her closer. “How about I just lick this pussy of yours until you come all over my tongue?”

  She whimpered as her clit pulsed and cream gathered in her core. “Drew.”

  “Just like that,” he praised. Before she knew it, his hand was inching up her skirt, giving him access to her freshly s
haved pussy. “Fuck, I love you smooth like this. You’re so sensitive, especially when you’ve just been shaved. I love how much you tremble when I lick you. When I push my fingers into you, how you clench around me.”

  “God, Drew, this isn’t fair.”

  “One taste,” he said. “All I want is one taste.” His fingertips brushed along her pussy lips and she quivered. “Are you going to deny me? We have time and we’ll even get cleaned up before getting them at the airport.”

  He used his free hand to guide her head toward the back of the SUV. “There’s space back there. Or right here.”

  She shifted and moaned when his fingers touched her with slight brushes between her swollen lips, close but not touching her where she needed it the most. Her clit.

  “This isn’t fair, Drew.” Her voice was breathy. Her entire body gravitated toward him, craving anything and everything he might offer to her.

  “Then tell me what you want?” Another of the tantalizing all to brief touches.

  “You, inside me.” She gave in and undid his pants, reaching in to withdraw his thick length. Then she crawled over him, hitched up her skirt farther and settled over his cock.

  “Then put me inside you.”

  She lowered herself and sighed as he stretched her. Tara knew she’d never get enough of this man. Her love for him grew on a daily basis—yes, they had issues and she didn’t doubt more would crop up at some point, but right now, they were together and that was what she needed.

  Resting her head against his, she closed her eyes.

  “You are loved, Drew.”

  “As are you, Baroness.” He bucked up and she moaned before settling her hands on his shoulders. “Now take what you need.”

  She took him at his word and did just that.

  * * * *

  Andrew stared down at the paper in his hand. He wanted to wake his wife and share with her what he’d received today. But she was exhausted. The entire house had fallen asleep after a raucous evening with her parents. Parents who were in the other wing of the house, sound asleep.

  Right now, he didn’t care if they were or not. Padding back into his bedroom, he smiled as the silvery light from the moon shown down on the woman lying on her side, a pale-yellow sheet pulled up partway over her thigh as she cuddled a pillow against her torso.

  Perching on the edge of the bed, he reached out and pushed back a thick chunk of her ebony hair. She stirred but didn’t wake.

  “I love you so much, Tara. Thank you for loving me enough to stick with me.”

  God, he wanted to wake her up and share this with her, but he knew better. She had been more tired than usual of late but he knew she’d been studying hard.

  “Tara.”

  “Why are you muttering near me, Drew?”

  “You always call me Drew,” he commented. “You do know my name is Andrew, right?”

  It was a joke between them and she seemed determined to call him Drew.

  “I’m fairly certain I know the man I married.” She didn’t move the pillow, nor did she open her eyes, but there wasn’t any doubt she was laughing at him. “Why are you awake at this hour?”

  He lowered his head and kissed her shoulder. “I got some news I wanted to share with you.”

  That opened her eyes. His heart churned over once more at the love in her gaze. “You sound positively giddy. What happened? Wendy quit, or you decide to finally pay her what she’s worth and she’s staying?”

  He popped her on the ass.

  “Ohh, so that’s what you got. Are we starting something new? Spanking? Knots and ropes?”

  His cock jumped in his sweatpants, tenting them out, and he didn’t bother to hide any of it.

  “I would love to do some of that with you.”

  She shifted, her body moving sinuously along the sheets. “I’m about to fall back asleep, so tell me then join me.”

  He stretched out beside her and tapped her on the chin. “I’m going to need you to sit up. You have to read what’s on the paper.”

  With an overly dramatic sigh, she nodded. “Fine.” Pushing the pillow at him, she sat while he scrambled to move the item so he could stare at her.

  “I think you should be naked at all times.”

  She shook her head even as her grin grew. “Really? You want me to entertain in my birthday suit?”

  “Entertaining me, yes. Yes I do.”

  Tara waited until he stood up and ran her finger along the length of his cock. “What would be nice is for you to be to drop the sweats and let me suck this cock of yours.”

  He captured her wrist and drew her away from his dick. Not an easy task, because he wanted to have her hand and lips on him. Stepping back, he retreated for the sheet of paper he wanted her to read. He brought it back to the bed and handed it to her.

  She didn’t take it, just stared at him.

  “Tara.”

  “Strip and I’ll read it. Right now, you have the advantage over me.”

  “Baby, I don’t have any advantage over you, you’ve always had the advantage over me.”

  “Drop the sweats, handsome. Then I’ll take the paper.”

  Listening, he did his best to ignore her sharp intake of breath as he removed his pants and stood before her naked.

  “Paper.”

  She cleared her throat. “Right.” Beckoning with her hand, she took it from him and scanned it.

  Tara furrowed her brow and he wanted to pace, but really, who paced while naked with a hard erection? Many, perhaps, but he wasn’t one of them.

  She lifted her head. “Is this for real?”

  Holding her gaze, he nodded. “Yes.”

  She launched herself at him and he caught her. Their lips fused as tongues dueled for supremacy. Words faded as he gripped his cock and lined it up to her wetness. Pumping his hips, he pushed deep inside her heat.

  Tara sank her hands in his hair and gripped him, holding his face where she wanted it. He took them to the bed, careful not to crush her beneath his larger size. She latched her legs around him, keeping him fully within her body.

  Not that he wanted to leave, because he had plans to stay this way for a long, long time. This was his woman—he wasn’t going to give her up for anything and would spend the rest of his days making sure she knew how much he loved her.

  Capturing control, he wrested it away from her and began thrusting hard and fast into her wetness. Her slick walls held him as she was, tight.

  Her mewls became moans and they grew louder still. Baron Andrew Coleman roared with release as his wife screamed his name beneath the moonbeams, her body bowing to his touch. The paper lay on the floor forgotten, the heavy bold print at the top still legible in the soft light.

  Welcome Baroness Tara Coleman to the ICC…

  I WON’T SAY GOODBYE

  Book three in

  the Monroe Sisters series

  When danger forces close quarters, can love survive?

  Sergeant Detective Derek Savvas is attracted to the woman he met in the hospital. He wants to pursue these feelings, but this professor is harder to crack than some cases he’s worked.

  Shai Monroe teaches math at the college, however she’s been getting threats. Because of them, back into her life comes a man she’s been unable to forget. She ignores the danger until it explodes around her.

  Unwilling to let her continue risking her life, Derek issues an ultimatum—either he moves her to a safe house, or she allows him to move in with her. When it all settles, will they still be standing or will one of them have said goodbye?

  Trademark Acknowledgements

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

  PowerPoint: Microsoft Corporation

  Acadia Denali: General Motors Company

  Pictionary: Pictionary Incorporated

  Crown Victoria: Ford Motor Company

  Subaru Outback: Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha TA Fuji Heavy In
dustries Ltd

  Les Misérables, “Bring Him Home”: Wilkinson, Colm

  G.I. Jane: Hollywood Pictures

  Taser: Taser International, Inc.

  Chapter One

  Derek “Sav” Savvas frowned up at the torrential downpour that hadn’t ceased in close to twenty-four hours. A lot of shit had shut down in the aftermath of the storm that didn’t seem keen on moving away.

  Sure as fuck didn’t stop crime.

  He shook his head as he drove down the rain-sluiced ramp and into the parking garage. Much more of this and they would be swimming from their cars to the door. It appeared the drains were working overtime to keep up with all the water.

  After he parked and shut off the engine, he closed his eyes for a moment and rubbed his temples. Some days he hated being a detective and this was one of them. Having to deliver the news that a loved one had passed, escort them to the morgue for identifying and then ask them all kinds of questions that quite honestly were just rude.

  His partner was enjoying some much-needed time off so for the moment he was running solo. Not that he minded. Derek was more than capable of handling the job on his own. Trudging inside, he nodded as he passed familiar faces through the bullpen to his own desk.

  He’d just hung up his coat and was making his way through the close-spaced desks for the coffee machine when he bumped into another detective.

  “Damn. I’m sorry, Lopez. Wasn’t paying any attention to where I was going. Just focused on the coffee.”

  The man didn’t seem to register what he’d said for his scowl never lessened.

  “Figured you be by sooner or later once you heard the news. You do realize that there are other detectives capable of handling cases and keeping somebody safe.”

  Cocking an eyebrow, Derek stared down at the shorter, much more rotund man. “First off, I apologize for running into you stating I was too focused on coffee. Second, I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about because I just got back in. Third, not really appreciating the attitude. What the hell’s your problem and what is this case that I’m supposed to be taking away from you?”