Secured Secret
Book 2: Secured Heart series
By
Charity Parkerson
Copyright Charity Parkerson © 2011
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--Warning: This book contains graphic depictions of sexual activity including oral sex and masturbation. It is intended for mature audiences not offended by explicit representations of sexual activity between consenting adults.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved.
Editor: Dionne Lister
Photographer: LunaMarina Dreamstime
CHAPTER ONE
It was the great chocolate vs. vanilla show-down that kept Genie Cook staring at the clear door of the ice cream case in the frozen food section of Buck’s Bargain Mart at ten thirty at night. She knew she should get the vanilla yogurt, but the calorie-laden, yummy goodness of the chocolate ice cream was screaming her name. Giving in to temptation, she quickly snatched the chocolate off the shelf before she could change her mind.
“You know, when I said you reminded me of my mother, I was paying you a compliment. My mother happens to be a very beautiful woman.”
Genie jumped a good foot, nearly dropping the tub of ice cream in her surprise. She hated it when people snuck up on her, but she refused to let Shannon Smith see her discomfiture. She calmly added her selection to the rest of her groceries. “I’m sure she is,” she admitted. “It’s obvious you come from good genes,” and it was. At six foot two, Shannon dwarfed her five foot six stature, and his golden skin and amber eyes were nothing short of perfection. The thing about it was that he was too perfect. His hair was brown, he kept it short-cropped, close to his head, and he possessed a body that could only be achieved by hours of daily gym time. A normal woman with an average body and average looks, such as herself, would end up crushed in his wake as he plowed her down on his way to his next woman.
Shannon leaned over and peered into her basket. “Good lord,” he exclaimed. “Are you having a bad day today?”
“I catch bad guys for a living, Mr. Smith. Every day is a bad day.”
“Call me Shannon,” he dug through her cart, lifting out a few of the items. “Chocolate glazed donuts, candy bars, and ice cream? Is this some form of chocolate therapy?” Not waiting for her answer he added, “If this is how you deal with a bad day you’ll be five hundred pounds in no time flat.”
Genie bristled at his words. “What do you care? Are you the fatty police?”
“Come have a drink with us instead,” he offered, his eyes shining with mirth. Genie looked around for the first time and noticed the twins Bob and Weave Sparks waiting quietly behind her. The twins were every bit as beautifully made as Shannon. Even though they were identical twins, it was easy to tell them apart because they were complete opposites. Tattoos covered Bob Sparks’ skin and he had shaggy brown hair and a short beard; but his sweet brown eyes (some of the sweetest she’d seen) made him seem very approachable, despite his wild appearance. Weave Sparks, on the other hand, was as clean cut as they came. His hair was military short and his face clean-shaven. There were no visible tattoos or piercings as far as she could tell, but the eyes were the same. Genie glanced at the three men, debating on what she should do. But, after looking down at her junk-food-laden buggy, she thought, screw it. If they turned out to be a cult of murdering psychos, at least they came in a beautiful package. “I’ll follow in my car.” She left her cart where it sat.
The Silver Star bar wasn’t a classy place. They didn’t serve food, there wasn’t a dance floor, but they stayed open late, and if you were lucky, you’d get your beer in a clean glass. They chose a corner booth and Shannon ordered a pitcher of beer along with a glass of ice water for Weave.
“How much longer are you guys going to be in town?”
“We’re leaving tomorrow,” Bob, answered while the other two men nodded. When she slid into the booth, Shannon slid in beside her leaving Bob and Weave to squeeze in opposite them. Weave was sitting directly across from her, and, with what felt like the entire room’s worth of long ass legs underneath the table, she was feeling boxed in, in a good way, sort of, like she was small and protected. Some small talk began around the table. When a loud cheer went up at the back of the bar, all three men twisted in an attempt to see what was happening. Genie spent many nights in this place, usually with the guys she worked with. “It’s a pool tournament,” she told them.
“Sweet,” Bob and Shannon said in unison before eyeing her as if they were afraid of being rude, and she shooed them with her hand. “Go ahead; it’s open to the public. So long as you have the cash to enter, they don’t care who you are.”
“Do you play?” Shannon asked.
She nodded. “But not well, and not tonight. I’m not going to feel abandoned, go, do manly stuff.”
Bob and Shannon both smiled brightly and slipped away before she could change her mind, but Weave stayed put.
“You don’t play?”
He shook his head. “Not for money, and definitely not if it means leaving a beautiful lady unprotected in a dive like this.”
She couldn’t help but be flattered by his compliment, but she didn’t like him thinking she was defenseless. “My service weapon is in the car, but make no mistake, I’m perfectly capable of killing any one of these rednecks at least eight different ways.”
He let out a low chuckle at her words. “By God. Shannon is right. You are his mother. That is exactly the sort of thing she would have said.”
She blushed, looking away for a moment before bringing her gaze back to his. “What about your mother?”
“She would have never said that.”
“I meant what is she like?”
Weave smiled, showing a set of perfect white teeth and pair of heart-stopping dimples. “I know. Hmm, she’s very sweet natured and quiet except for when she is with my dad, then she talks non-stop.”
Genie settled in, warming up to the conversation. “What about your dad?”
He rested his chin on his palm. “I don’t know if Ace Sparks can be described; larger than life maybe?”
“Ace Sparks, the MMA fighter?”
“Yep. That’s him.”
“So I’m guessing, that makes Sparky Sparks your grandfather?”
“You got it. So you understand that my family is a bit eccentric.”
She eyed him carefully. “You don’t seem eccentric. With t
he exception of your name, you seem fairly normal, and I’m guessing you didn’t have any say in the name thing.”
“After living your whole life with such a wild bunch of people you start craving normalcy. What about you, what’s your family like?”
“Oh where to start,” she said laughing. “My dad is a police detective in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.”
“You got to be shitting me,” he said cutting her off. “We were all three raised in Murfreesboro. Shannon’s dad owns Smith Brother’s fight club.”
“Oh my Goodness. I can’t believe how small the world is.”
“How did you end up living here, in Abernathy?”
“I worked for the Murfreesboro Police Department for a couple of years after college, and when I heard there was an opening with the bureau I applied. They transferred me to the Texas office,” she shrugged. “I love it here.”
Weave watched the way Genie’s eyes sparkled as she talked about the town. He was ashamed to admit that he wasn’t really hearing a word of what she was saying. He tried hard to concentrate, but everything else about her was so very distracting. Her blonde hair was twisted up into a clip, but several strands had escaped, leaving it a sexy mess. She was wearing trim, dark-colored slacks and a cream-colored silk blouse that left one-button-too-many undone so each time she shifted in her seat a flash of lace teased him, keeping him fascinated. She paused, and he feared he was going to be forced to admit that he wasn’t paying attention, but Shannon and Bob chose that moment to return, saving him from embarrassment. Shannon flashed a boyish grin. “These dudes don’t mess around; they were serious.”
“I take it you lost,” Weave commented dryly, drawing Shannon’s attention.
“Yeah, but it’s no biggie. I did meet a guy who might be interested in hiring us for an upcoming event, so it wasn’t a total loss.”
“That’s Shannon; always working,” Bob told Genie.
“Somebody’s got to,” Shannon said unfazed. “Anyways, we were talking about heading over to the all-night pancake house. Are you in?”
Genie shook her head, looking regretful. “I’ve been going strong since five a.m. I’m ready to call it a night, but thanks for the offer, and thanks for saving me from myself earlier. It would’ve taken me months to work off all those calories.”
Shannon leaned in closer to Genie. “Anytime, and if you ever need help burning off some calories, I’m your man.”
Weave felt a wave of jealousy roll over him at Shannon’s blatant sexual offer, but his fury was quickly cooled by Genie’s words. “No thanks. I think I’ll take a pass. I don’t really like having to wait in a long line to use the treadmill only to realize someone else has already sweated all over it.”
A burst of laughter escaped Weave’s lips as he realized she basically just called Shannon a whore. Which really wasn’t true, but he could see how he came off looking that way to others. Shannon chuckled, not offended in the least. “Come on. We’ll walk you to your car.”
Bob settled the tab, then argued with Genie all the way to her car when she tried paying her part of the bill and he refused to take her money. Weave hung back a few steps enjoying the view from behind. They arrived in three different cars since Genie followed them in hers and Shannon was in his SUV all day on the road selling, leaving Bob and Weave driving around in Weave’s truck. They exchanged goodbyes and phone numbers, then Bob and Shannon left in Shannon’s SUV before Weave even made it to his truck. He sat there for a minute watching Genie, and when he realized she wasn’t going anywhere, he drove up to her driver’s side. Rolling down his window he asked, “Is everything okay?”
She laid her head down on the steering wheel and groaned. “As it turns out, this day can get worse. My car won’t start.”
Weave jumped out, motioning for her to pop the hood. He stood for several minutes staring at the insides wondering what the hell he was doing. He didn’t know anything about cars beyond the basic mechanics, so really he was just wasting both their time. Slamming it closed, he walked back to her window. “Come on. I’ll give you a ride home, and you can call someone in the morning to tow it.”
She pulled the clip from her hair, running both hands through it in frustration. His eyes locked on the motion. She was beautiful.
“Okay. Let me get my stuff.” Leaning over, she opened the glove box and pulled out her gun. She stuffed it into her purse before stepping out of the car. He didn’t know why, but he found that sexy as hell. Who knew he’d be turned on by a gun-toting girl? He ran around the truck, holding open the door for her. She climbed inside, and he sprinted back around, getting behind the wheel.
“Okay. Which way are we headed?”
Genie gave Weave directions to her house and settled in for the ride. They rode in a comfortable silence, and she sat sideways in her seat so she could watch him as he drove. The lights from the dashboard cast a glow across the lines of his face, and she found herself clutching her hands in her lap to keep from reaching over to brush her fingers across them. She felt this strange need to see for herself exactly how soft his skin was. It was odd that a sexy man propositioned her once tonight and she balked, but now found herself wishing this man would make her the same offer, because she wasn’t so sure she’d be able to say no. Which just goes to prove that everyone wants what they can’t have.
“Just to recap, so far tonight you have passed on a game of pool in order to stay with me. Drank only water, I’m assuming, just in case you needed to be the sober driver, and now you’re stuck having to drive me home while your friends are out picking up drunken chicks at the pancake house.”
He glanced over at her briefly before switching his gaze back to the road. “You make me sound so boring.”
“No. You’re more like a knight in shining armor.”
He stayed quiet for so long that she wondered if she unintentionally insulted him. Finally, he said. “What a twisted view you have of me.”
He pulled into the driveway of her small house. Jumping out, he circled the truck and opened her door before she could get the chance to. A short sidewalk led to her door, and he walked next to her in silence, both hands shoved in his pockets. She dug her keys out, unlocking the door and cracking it open before turning to say goodbye. He stared past her shoulder into the darkened house. “Just for the record, I skipped out on the pool tournament because I’m selfish, and I knew I’d have you to myself if I did. I drank only water because I’m a recovering alcoholic,” he met her eyes, holding her gaze. “I have no desire to go out and pick up drunken chicks since anyone I found would be a poor substitute for you.”
He leaned forward setting his lips over hers, and she felt as if the world dropped out from beneath her feet. Everything tilted on edge, and she found herself clutching at his shirt as if she were reaching for a lifeline. His tongue brushed hers and she was pretty sure she was purring. He pushed her through the front door and kicked it closed behind him. She found her back shoved against it as all rational thought fled the scene. They fought for dominance and she tried climbing up his body. He tugged at the hem of her shirt and the sound of material ripping rent the air as a few buttons went flying. She tugged just as violently at his t-shirt, forcing him to lean away for a half a second while she yanked it over his head. He returned to her mouth and she felt her bra fall away beneath his clever fingers as she worked on his belt. When her bare breasts brushed the hair on his chest for the first time, she moaned at the sensation.
At the sound of Genie’s moan something inside him snapped. He couldn’t wait a second longer to be inside of her. He lifted his head, searching the room with his eyes, realizing they had come in through the kitchen. Bending at the waist he quickly jerked the rest of her clothes away before sweeping her up into his arms and setting her up onto the edge of the kitchen table. She managed to set free his erection and stroke her fingers down the length of him. He gently brushed her fingers away positioning his self at her entrance. She fell back onto her elbows at the motion and he surged for
ward, his knees nearly buckling at the feel of her tight heat surrounding him. Gripping her hips between his hands, he pulled her against him as he moved inside of her using her sighs as his guide. When he felt her begin to spasm around him, he leaned forward sucking her nipple into his mouth and calling on all his will power to draw her pleasure out as long as he could. He could feel the tension building, and suddenly an orgasm ripped through him, stealing all the oxygen from the room. It seemed to go on and on unlike anything he could ever remember experiencing before. Resting his forehead against her collarbone, he sucked air into his lungs, trying desperately to catch his breath. When he regained his strength, he lifted his lips to hers briefly before glancing around the room “Where’s your bedroom?” She lifted her hand pointing towards it. He lifted her into his arms. He was nowhere near being finished with Genie Cook.
Weave set her gently on the bed, and Genie curled onto her side watching him as he stripped out of the rest of his clothing before joining her on the bed. Turning on his side to face her he used his arm as a pillow. They just stared at one another. Genie knew she should probably be embarrassed, or feel at least a little ashamed, but she only felt a strange sense of rightness. Weave just sort of appeared out of nowhere knocking her on her ass. Meeting him was a lot like being side-swiped by a bus.
“Are you going to hate me in the morning?” She joked when he stayed silent.
His bright smile slashed through the dark. “Probably.”
Her gaze traveled the length of his body as she burned the sight to memory. He was all sinewy muscle like a runner, and his six-pack made her mouth water. That just happened to be her biggest weakness. She lifted her hand, brushing her fingers along them, stealing this moment of pleasure. He sucked in his breath at her touch, and she lifted her eyes to his. “Are you ticklish?”
He seemed to be holding his breath, but he shook his head and she did it again just to see what would happen. He let out his breath in a whoosh. “Liar,” she accused.
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