Love Runs Deep

by Gail Chianese

  “Kyle, is your brother stranded at work?” Leeann asked.

  Nic raised her brow and gave him a look he wasn’t sure how to interpret. Tell her the truth or lie? Not a fan of the second option, he went with his gut.

  “No. He’s at the police station.”

  Everyone stilled. Neither brother looked up. Her parents looked at each other. It was exactly what he expected and feared deep down. He didn’t belong with a woman like Nic Riley. She was a league above him and even if they did have a good thing going, her family would never accept him. Who wanted their daughter to get mingled up with a family of jailbirds? Because that’s what his family was, and even if he had escaped, their taint was all over him, constantly pulling him back into the mix. Hell, her dad probably had some up and coming young politician already picked out for Nic.

  After a moment, she made her way around the table to kiss her mom, give Reece a shoulder squeeze, and ruffle Liam’s hair, before stopping back in front of Kyle. “I’m coming with you. I don’t know why he’s there. I don’t care, but I’m standing by your side.”

  An hour after leaving the restaurant, Kyle, Nic and Keith were all back at his apartment. Keith hadn’t muttered more than thanks since they’d walked out of the Groton Police Department. Nic had refused to go back to the barracks. The whole way home her hand had rested on his leg. She hadn’t attempted to make small talk, rather she’d left the brothers alone with their thoughts and he appreciated her silent strength next to him more than he cared to admit.

  Keith made a beeline to his room.

  “Stop,” Kyle ordered.

  He turned around with a sneer on his face. “What? I said thanks for picking me up.”

  “Yeah, but you didn’t explain why you were there.” Kyle crossed his arms in front of him, his legs spread shoulder width apart.

  “It’s no big deal. I got off early and stopped a couple of buildings over to talk to this girl I’d seen around. They were having a party. Guess someone called the cops. One minute I’m standing there talking, the next she hands me her drink and says she has to use the bathroom. Then some jerk grabs me by the shoulder and whips me around. The elbow jab to his face was an automatic reflex.”

  “You were drinking and assaulted an officer?” He should never have let his mom talk him into this deal. Keith was as much trouble as his twin.

  “Do you ever listen?” Keith jabbed his hands into his hair and spun around. The kid paced down the hall, drew his fist back and stopped it within an inch of hitting the wall. He walked back to the living room and looked at Kyle and Nic. “I wasn’t drinking. Yeah, I hit the cop but I didn’t know he was a cop until after the fact.”

  “I warned you—”

  “Look, I did what you said. I did what Mom said. I’ve been clean since I got here. I’ve done nothing but go to work and come back to this boring ass apartment.”

  “Keith—”

  “I’m not Kenny. We may look alike, but we don’t share a brain. Got it?” Before Kyle could respond his brother disappeared into his room and slammed the door shut.

  “Guess he’s not ready to hear the part where I say I’m sorry?” Kyle dropped on the couch and looked at Nic, who had curled up in the chair with Princess PITA in her lap.

  “I might wait until morning. Give him a chance to cool off and for the embarrassment to fade.”

  She sat the cat on the chair as she got up and came around to the back of the sofa. She put her hands on his shoulders.

  “Planning to strangle me and put me out of my misery?” He dropped his head back until it rested between her pert breasts.

  She bent forward until they were a few inches apart and stared eye-to-eye. Her hands caressed the sides of his face. “No, just a suggestion. Try to have a little faith in your brother. He’s not a bad guy and he’s a hard worker.”

  She dropped a kiss on his mouth and slipped her hands back to his shoulders, gently kneading the muscles, working the knots that had formed during dinner.

  “How do you know?”

  “I might have made a run for the border and spotted him working one night. We had a chat during his break. He’s really proud of you and what you’ve become, Kyle. He might not say it or show it, but he respects you and looks up to you as to what he can do if he puts his mind to it. He simply needs some time and guidance to figure out what that it is.”

  The muscles started to relax under her skillful hands and the headache that had been building on the way home faded.

  “You amaze me.”

  “Why thank you, but in what way?” Her laugher chased the last of his tension away.

  “My family doesn’t exactly have a sterling reputation. I mean, there’s zero chance they’re going to be invited to the White House to dine, yet it doesn’t seem to bother you.”

  “Wait—no more dinners with POTUS? I’m out of here.”

  She wrapped her hands around his throat and shook him until he cried mercy.

  “For the record, I ate there once and I wasn’t the one invited, it was my parents, and it was kind of boring. Sure the food was delicious and it was kind of cool being in the White House, but the conversation was superficial. Beside, everyone’s family has some kind of secret. Even us.”

  He craned his neck around to look at her. “Yeah, what skeletons are the mighty Rileys hiding?”

  She came around, curled up on his lap and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. Leaning into him, she kissed him and whispered, “I’ll tell but remember this is top secret.” Another kiss, this time on the cheek. “The official story says that Granddad Riley left Ireland chasing a skirt… not my dearly departed Grandmother’s either. However, there’s a rumor that the real reason he left his beloved homeland was to escape the British Army and a cell for involvement with shall we say… a certain group that believed in a united Ireland and might have gone about it the wrong way.”

  “You’re saying your dad’s father was a criminal?” His voice rose in shock.

  She laid her finger across his lips. “Shh, ‘tis a secret I’m telling. And don’t be letting Liam and Reece fool you none. They might be all proper now, but as lads they… well, let’s say they took an awful lot after their granddad and were always up to no good.”

  He laughed at her faux Irish accent and slipped his hands behind her head to bring her in close. Somehow this woman got him. Knew what he needed, when he needed it and without him knowing it had worked her way under his skin. Suddenly he understood his friend Mace a little better and sympathized a heck of a lot deeper with the man. How did he make it through the days with his wife so far away? How was he going to deal with Nic being deployed and him being left behind?

  His chest ached at the thought and he held on tighter.

  “Hey, is everything okay?” she whispered.

  The emotion was too new, too raw, and it closed his throat off, leaving the words stuck. He silently nodded and slid an arm under her legs and lifted her. Without a word he carried her into his room, and laid her on his bed thankful he’d taken the time to clean up the place earlier. Not that she hadn’t seen his room in all states before, but tonight was different. He lit the candles he’d bought that afternoon and toed his shoes off into the closet.

  “Ooh, flowers. Are these for me?”

  He turned to find her leaning over the vase he’d forgotten about on his nightstand sniffing the bouquet. The candles cast the room in a soft glow transforming it from a basic room to something romantic. But it was the smile on her face that sent his heart skipping a couple of beats. He’d seen some magnificent sunsets before, but none were as breathtaking as Nic Riley when she smiled.

  Not knowing what to say that didn’t fall smack in the middle of a cliché or sound so stupid she’d break out laughing he simply nodded.

  “Come here.” She crooked her finger at him. One moment he was across the room and then the next he stood before her at the edge of the bed.

  He didn’t know how
to describe everything going on inside his head—his body, yeah sure that was pure chemistry—but his brain was another thing. It was like Nic had cast a spell and when she looked at him he couldn’t refuse her anything, his mission was to see to her every want and need, to protect and to love.

  Did that make him whipped?

  If so, he didn’t care.

  “Let me love you, Nic.”

  Her eyes grew big, turning from a warm honey brown to dark chocolate. She reached up to undo his shirt buttons as he slid the zipper down on her dress. He slipped the barely there strap off her shoulder, following its path with kisses before turning his attention to the other side. She had the sweetest, smoothest skin he’d ever felt.

  The dress fell to the bed and he sucked in his breath at the sight of the matching red silk panties. They took their time undressing each other, exploring, as if this were their first time or last time and they were committing every curve, every dip, every texture to memory. They exchanged sweet, lingering kisses and deep passionate kisses until both were panting for air.

  Dipping his finger deep inside her, he found her more than ready for him, but held off taking her until he brought her to orgasm.

  “Kyle, inside me. I want to feel you fill me up.”

  Only then did he slip inside, and it was she who filled him. With each stroke he came closer to home. Nic wrapped her strong legs around him and dug her fingertips into his shoulders. His muscles strained as he held back his release, alternating between shallow and slow deep thrusts. Nic threw her head back, her eyes half-mast, and arched into him as she whispered his name. The contractions wrapped around him and moments later he plunged into the abyss.

  While his physical energy had been spent his mind whirled as he lay with Nic curled up against him. Everything about tonight had been different. Not better. Not worse. Just different. Maybe it was the knowledge that with the trial coming up, she’d be deploying shortly after. The thought turned everything inside him into knots and he pulled her in tighter, the emotions forcing those words to the surface.

  “Nic, I—”

  The Imperial March sounded from other room and Nic slipped from his bed.

  She grabbed his shirt and pulled it on. “I’ll be right back. That’s my dad and if he’s calling this late, it’s got to be important.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Nic walked back in the bedroom with the phone to her ear, listening to the bombshell her dad had dropped. Her gaze shifted to Kyle lounging in bed. The sheet had fallen when she got up, leaving him more than half exposed to her viewing pleasure. As her dad’s words hit her, she turned her back on Kyle and hung up.

  He had to be wrong.

  This couldn’t be happening.

  It had to be a lie. A sick, twisted lie.

  The candles flickered, shadowed flames licked across the walls threatening to burn the place down. The room grew hazy and air refused to enter her lungs. Her dinner pushed its way up, catching in her throat, unable to make it past the lump lodged in the way.

  “Nic, what’s wrong?” Kyle’s soft, warm voice grazed across her body, leaving her raw and exposed.

  It took several moments for her to register he was crouched in front of her and she was sitting on the floor with the phone clutched to her breasts.

  It had to be a lie.

  The slate gray eyes studying her that had not long ago been filled with passion were now filled with concern. This man before her couldn’t betray her in such a way.

  Could he?

  “Nic, honey? Is someone hurt? Sick? Let me get dress and I’ll take you wherever you need to go.” He looked around, probably for clothes and she reached out for him.

  “Everyone’s okay. That was my dad. He got a call giving him a heads up on the case. Stone has named a new accessory. Actually he’s named an officer, saying he was following orders to videotape me and disperse the tape. That this officer didn’t want me or any woman onboard submarines and thought this was a good way to show the problems it would cause.”

  As she spoke, she leaned forward and snagged her dress off the floor and pulled it on. She stood up and searched the room for her underwear.

  “That’s bullshit. Every officer on the boat supports the rights of women to be on submarines.” He stood and pulled on a pair of jeans from his closet, not bothering to button them or put on his boxer-briefs.

  Any other time and she’d be turned on.

  Frustrated, she flipped on the light and started flinging the sheets around to find the rest of her clothes. Spotting a flash of red as the sheet settled, she reached under and snagged her panties.

  “Before all this happened, I would have said the same of the entire crew,” she said. “Stone proved that notion false.”

  Now dressed, she looked around for her shoes and purse.

  “Did he say who the officer was behind this scheme?” Kyle asked.

  She froze, her gaze glued to the flowers on the nightstand as she answered. “You.”

  A string of profanity so impressive it would have caused the saltiest of sailors to blush burst from Kyle. Nic didn’t interrupt. She took one last look and walked into the living room, where she slipped on her heels and grabbed her purse. Kyle met her at the door.

  “You believe him?” His voice was filled with pain and shock.

  Nic blinked twice and it hit how her reaction and actions must have appeared to him. Yes, initially doubt ran through her mind, but when she looked into Kyle’s eyes she knew it for what it was… a lie.

  “No, of course not. It’s just my family. Well, my parents are understandably upset. I need to talk to them.”

  “Do you want me to go with you?”

  He kept his hands to himself and she missed his touch.

  She ran her hand through her hair and laughed. “Umm, not a good idea. Not yet anyway. Liam sounded a bit upset and Reece was far too quiet. You might want to steer clear of them until they leave town. I hear Block Island’s a lot of fun. You should check it out tomorrow.”

  “So guilty until proven innocent?” He crossed those arms over his chest when what she really wanted was them wrapped around her.

  “No, it’s not that at all. They’re overprotective. Big brother syndrome. You get that, right?”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  But his body language said the opposite. Anger, hurt, and disappointment all radiated off of Kyle in tsunami-size waves. If it hadn’t been for pure willpower she would have instinctively stepped back. Instead she reached out and cupped the side of his face.

  “I’ll call you tomorrow after they leave.” With a quick kiss she was out the door.

  * * *

  The way she’d left things with Kyle last night didn’t settle well with Nic. All through breakfast her stomach turned and twisted whenever she thought of the look in his eyes as she stood at the door to leave. Damn Stone for putting doubts in her mind and shame on her for letting him.

  If she showed up on Kyle’s door and he closed it in her face, she wouldn’t blame him one bit. After all, what had he done to deserve her lack of faith in him? Bust the guy selling the video. Stand by her side through it all. Give her a shoulder to cry on? Yep, those were all perfect reasons for her to cast aside the past few weeks and paint a big black V for villain on his chest.

  She was pretty sure the amoebas on the fleas on a hyena’s butt could look down on her, and she’d have no right to complain.

  “Lily Nicole, are you in there?”

  “Oh, what?” She pulled herself out of her self-recrimination and met her mom’s worried look. “Sorry, was thinking about work.”

  “I asked if you’ve spoken to Kyle since your father called you last night.”

  Well, yeah because I was in his bed…nekkid at the time.

  “Uh, yes. We did talk. I mean I told him about the accusation and assured him that no one in my family believed such nonsense about him.” She shot Liam a steely-eyed dare.

&nb
sp; “Why are you looking at me?” Liam held up his hands in surrender. “Why does she always think the worst about me? What about Reece?”

  “Well, you did chase off most her of her dates in high school when you came home to visit,” her mom supplied.

  “Where is Reece anyway?” Nic looked around for her other brother, who hadn’t met them at the restaurant.

  “He’ll be here soon.” Her dad said setting down the menu. “He had an errand to run.”

  “Trust me, big brother, I told Kyle to steer clear of both of you,” Nic said. “Neither of you are very good at keeping your noses out of my business or listening to me for that matter.” She turned to her dad, before Liam could respond. “Pops, you don’t believe Stone, do you?”

  It doesn’t matter what they think. I’ll stand by Kyle, just like he did with me, she thought but deep in her gut her family’s opinion and support did count. Sure she rebelled growing up, did her own thing like any other teen and when it came time to decide on life after high school she went Navy against all their wishes. The choice hadn’t stemmed out of disrespect for their feelings, but out of pride in what they’d done, the sacrifices they made on a daily basis for their family and country.

  She wanted to follow in their footsteps, stand by their sides, and know she contributed to this great country. And she didn’t want to do it tucked safely behind a desk far from the action either.

  Her father took so long to answer that she started to worry. A rebel she may be, but her dad had never let her down in his judgment of others.

  “Based on what I’ve heard about Lieutenant Hutchinson, our conversations and more importantly from the way I’ve seen him look at you, no. There are some things you can fake and others that you can’t.”

  “What do you mean?” She asked slowly. How did Kyle look at her? Other than with lust in his eyes and oh man, she really hoped that’s not what her dad meant.