Slow & Steady #2: A Shameless Southern Nights Novel

by J. H. Croix

  While Sonny drew me in like a moth to a flame, I felt no attraction to Tyson, but the brothers certainly shared similar traits. Tyson was tall and built with short brown hair and piercing blue eyes.

  “You settling in okay?” he asked, taking the bag from me smoothly when we reached the trash bins. “I know the house is smaller than the other one.”

  “It’s fine, really. I don’t need anything more. It’s huge compared to my apartment,” I told him, wondering how he managed to make taking out the trash look like a graceful task. Wearing a gray suit, he seemed as comfortable in it as I was in my pajamas.

  He was about as tall as Sonny at six foot three, towering over me even though I was tall for a girl. Mama Lovett definitely took her vitamins when she was pregnant with all of these boys. Despite their size, the Lovett brothers moved with cool grace and purpose. There wasn’t a single clumsy bone in their bodies. Not to mention, they were handsome as all get out. So unfair.

  Tyson chuckled. “In that case, feel free to stay as long as you want.”

  “Thanks,” I said as we returned to the porch of the safe house. “And thanks for helping Sonny set this up.”

  Tyson walked me all the way to the door, even holding it open for me. “That’s what family’s for, right?”

  His blue eyes searched mine, for answers about what this was all about perhaps. I knew Sonny asked for his help, but I also knew he hadn’t given him many details about what was going on.

  Seeing I wasn’t going to spill his brother’s secrets, Tyson flashed me a polite smile. “Call if you need anything, okay?”

  “Thanks for the offer.” Sonny had programmed his entire family’s numbers into my phone for that very purpose, just in case I couldn’t reach him. “Marie came by earlier and said the same thing.”

  “She would.” His lips kicked up into a fond grin. It was easy to see the brothers really cared about each other, and their future sister-in-law. “I’m closer if you need a cup of sugar or anything though. Have a good night, Niki.”

  “If I ever need a whole cup of sugar, I’ll be sure to knock on your door,” I replied, smiling as I held onto the door handle. “You too.”

  He walked backward off the porch, giving me a quick wave before spinning toward his own house and disappearing inside. Sonny was lucky to have a family like his, despite what some people might think given the colorful history of their recent past.

  Marie had stopped by earlier, and we ran some errands together. I’d stocked up on groceries while shopping with her. Thinking of some of the fresh produce I now had in the fridge, I headed to the kitchen to whip something up. I had more than enough time on my hands.

  My phone lay on the counter in the kitchen when I walked in, its notification light blinking.

  Sonny: Stopping by after work. Hope that’s okay. Let me know?

  A thrill ran through me, all the way to the tips of my fingers and toes. I couldn’t help the anticipation that spun through me. As torn as I was about Sonny, I really liked him. Even though the whole situation we were in was nuts.

  All I’d been was a boring librarian who happened to be on duty when Sonny stopped by. Now, I was sharing a bed with him some nights, and my heart went wild whenever he was around. I might not know what to think about everything going on around him, but I couldn’t deny the depth and intensity of my attraction to him.

  Just thinking about him sent heat rolling through me. Conveniently, he seemed to have trouble keeping his hands off of me. Considering that I nearly melted whenever he was near, that worked for me.

  Relationship-wise, I had no experience of my own. My parents had a loving marriage, but most of my memories of that were marred and overshadowed by the later memories of their respective illnesses.

  My mom went first. Breast cancer took her from us before she really had the chance to teach me about love and relationships. I helped take care of her from the day she was diagnosed until the day she took her last breath.

  Dad didn’t go long after her. His heart couldn’t take it without mom. Born with some heart issues, complications he’d been fending off for years finally took him from me without him ever having had the opportunity to tease me about getting his shotgun out if a date ever dropped me off late.

  Between taking care of them both, school, homework and essentially running the house, I didn’t have much time for a social life. At the time, it didn’t seem important. It still didn’t really. I spent the precious time my parents had with them instead of out with some teenage boys whose names I probably wouldn’t even have remembered by now. I didn’t have any regrets; I was just a little lost about Sonny and my feelings for him.

  “Niki! You here?” Sonny’s voice called out, the sound of the front door slamming shut behind him knocking me out of my melancholic reverie.

  Shaking off my confusion, uncertainty, and pangs of longing to call the parents I no longer had for advice, I blinked hard and gave myself a mental shake. “In the kitchen.”

  I could hear his footsteps as he came closer, turning around as he strode through the door. He must’ve already changed after work because he was wearing a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt that hugged his muscled torso.

  Without stopping, he opened his arms, and I walked into them, the strength of him enveloping me in a big hug. Sonny’s arms were becoming like home to me.

  “How was your day?” he asked, his lips brushing the hair at the top of my head as he spoke.

  My voice was muffled, my face half buried in his chest. “Nothing too exciting, yours?”

  Hesitating before he answered, he breathed out, “Same.”

  He stepped away from me, turning to the stove. “Is it a special occasion? That smells great.”

  “Yup,” I said cheerfully, trying to focus on just being here with Sonny instead of the thoughts I was having before he arrived. “It’s today.”

  “I like that.” He wrapped his arms around me from behind while I dished up our food. It reminded me of how we’d gotten started the first night we’d spent together and the memory awakened my body, his touch sending an electric shiver through me.

  I leaned into his strong, hard chest, tipping my head back to rest on his shoulder. “Marie and I went running errands earlier, shopping with her got a bit out of hand.”

  Pressing his lips to my neck, Sonny dusted hot kisses over my skin, pulling my bottom flush against him, the hard ridge of his cock pressing into me. “Let’s not talk about Marie right now,” he said.

  “Agreed.” I arched into him, savoring the low growl that came from his throat. He spun me around in his arms, slanting his lips over mine in a kiss that left me breathless. With his lips on mine, in the cage of his arms, a familiar ache built at the apex of my thighs.

  Sonny lifted me high against him. My legs curled around his waist, a moan escaping when I felt his hardness against me. He walked us back until my bottom bumped against the counter. He slid me onto it, the surface firm and cold under me. I was too wrapped up in Sonny to care, kissing him deeply as I tightened the cage of my legs around him.

  His hands were everywhere at once, traveling up my back, his thumbs brushing the undersides of my breasts. Hooking his fingers beneath the hem of my shirt, he pulled it up. I raised my arms to help, breaking our kiss only for as long as it took for the shirt to come off.

  My nipples hardened to little peaks, drawing Sonny’s attention as I pressed my breasts to his chest. Reaching between us, his thumb teased a nipple as I flexed into him, a low cry escaping when he pinched it lightly.

  The ache between my legs grew, my panties damp against me. I needed him. Now. Moving forward on the counter, I rocked into him, moaning as little bursts of pleasure shot from my core.

  Within seconds, he had my shorts on the floor as I tore at the buttons of his fly, murmuring at the feel of his hard, hot shaft as I curled my palm around it. Grabbing a condom from his jeans, he rolled it on and lined himself up with my entrance.

  We were both breathing heavily, g
lancing down to where our bodies were about to meet before our lips crashed together as he surged inside. My hands tangled in his hair, while he gripped my hips, holding me steady as he thrust into me.

  The feel of him filling me was delicious, the stretch and pull driving me wild as he moved rhythmically, every stroke sending need spinning tighter and tighter inside. Pressure gathered intensely as he drove me to the edge. I reached my peak quickly, shuddering roughly with a cry as pleasure scattered like fire through me. Sonny followed soon after, his hips bucking into mine as he groaned into our kiss.

  Our attraction was like that; it burned fast—hot and heavy. We never did eat dinner. It was forgotten on the stove as we lost ourselves in each other. Again. Twice more that night before we finally dozed off.

  Chapter Three

  Sonny

  The sound of my alarm buzzing punctured my sleep. I rolled over and hit the snooze button, although that was something I almost never did. Niki’s legs were entwined with mine; her head tucked against my shoulder. Her breath gusted against my skin as she slept.

  Turning to look at her, I brushed her tangled hair away from her face, the blond locks like gold in the early morning sun filtering through the shades. I lay back and tried to motivate myself to get out of bed. I really, really wanted to stay in bed, right there with Niki. This wasn’t a common issue for me. Since I worked rotating shifts as a SWAT team member, I was used to making do with whatever sleep I could grab and getting right back to work when I woke up.

  With Niki draped over me, this bed was heaven. Waking up with her there definitely made getting out of bed a challenge for me.

  My phone buzzed again, distracting me from the lush curves of her outlined by the crisp white sheet draped over her. I groaned, my hand shooting out to silence it before it woke Niki.

  Only, it wasn’t my alarm.

  The incessant buzzing snapped me out of my Niki stupor, spurring me on to get out of bed and take the damn call. I managed to extricate myself from her without waking her and slid out of bed. My feet hit the soft carpet, and I grabbed my phone, seeing Zach was the party responsible for making me leave my personal slice of heaven.

  Glancing back at Niki’s sleeping form, I decided to let the call go to voicemail. I didn’t want to answer right now. Instead, I texted Zach and told him I would meet him for coffee.

  Niki stretched on the bed, turning over and snuggling back into the pillow. I couldn’t help the smile that crept onto my lips as I watched her. Leaning over, I dusted a kiss on her forehead and sighed, wishing for once I was the type of person who would call in and fake being sick.

  But I wasn’t.

  Reluctantly turning away from her, I headed to the bathroom and turned on the shower, waiting for steam to fill the room before I stepped into it. Warm water cascaded over me. Tilting my head back, I squirted some of Niki’s shower gel into my palm and lathered up. The door creaked and the next thing I knew, Niki was stepping into the shower with me.

  “Good morning.” I smiled, tugging her to me.

  She looped her arms around my neck, a sexy, sleepy grin on her face. “Morning sunshine. Sleep well?”

  “I did.”

  Having her completely naked, wet and in my arms when I had to get to work wasn’t a good idea. I was getting hard, and no matter what I tried, I couldn’t talk my body down. “I’d better get going.”

  Niki’s sky blue eyes grew wider, her small hand snaking between us to curl over my cock. “Now?”

  “Now.” I was already tempted to turn this moment into so much more, but I was going to be late, and I really needed to talk to Zach. “I’m sorry.”

  If it were anything else I had to do, I would’ve stayed with her. Niki leaned up on her toes, taking my chin between her thumb and index finger to tilt my chin down so she could press a kiss to my lips.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, a furrow forming between her brows as her eyes narrowed. “You’re tense, and it shows. Did you hear something from someone?”

  I shrugged, sweeping her hand from my chin and dropping a kiss in the center of her palm. “I’m just hoping to resolve this whole mess.”

  Vague, but I hadn’t told her about Maclin’s murder, and I didn’t want to. My life was crazy enough as it was. I was worried telling her about Maclin would terrify her. There was also the possibility that giving her the information would put her at risk, which I absolutely would not do.

  “Is that all it is?” she asked, worry darkening her eyes as they pierced mine.

  “That’s all.” Running my hands up her back to tug at the ends of her hair, I lowered my lips to hers. They parted beneath mine in a soft moan as she kissed me deeper.

  Niki tasted like mint, body warm and slick against mine. The kiss took on a life of its own, becoming more intense as our tongues stroked and tasted and explored.

  Pulling away from her took even more effort than getting out of bed had especially given that my cock was now throbbing and begging me to stay. Forcing myself to draw away, I gave myself a firm mental shake. “I really gotta get going. Talk later?”

  “Stay safe out there.” Her lips pressed into a thin line, matching the worried one between her brows. She let it go though, turning to grab her shampoo bottle.

  “Always.” I stepped out of the shower, toweling off and rushing to get dressed to make it to meet Zach on time.

  He was already at the coffee shop when I got there, chatting with Waylon who was delivering two coffees to Zach’s table. Waylon flashed a wide grin when he saw me, patting me on the shoulder as I sat down. “How you doing, man? I bet you’re better than me.”

  “Good to see ya man,” I replied, reflexively nodding to Waylon. I grabbed the coffee and nodded thanks to Zach.

  He winked, jerking his head to Waylon as the barista sighed, a slight frown forming. “I was just telling Zach I have the worst luck with women. I’m being serious. I think I’m cursed.”

  Zach chuckled, lifting his mug. “He was just about to tell me about this curse when you got here.”

  Waylon released a heavy breath, his eyes cutting to the sidewalk like he was trying to look for someone. “So many troubles with so few girls. Let me just say this, you guys are lucky you look the way you do.”

  “If a girl’s only after your looks, you deserve better than her anyway, man,” Zach said with a solemn nod. He sounded about a million years old, but I nodded as if I agreed with his so-called wisdom.

  Waylon rubbed his jaw, twisting a towel between his fingers. “I could settle for less than I deserve.”

  He winked jokingly, perking up and hurrying off to help another customer. Zach frowned after him, shaking his head. “That guy needs a win.”

  “True.” Waylon was a good guy, but unless he was exaggerating, he did seem to have terrible luck with women and relationships.

  Turning his attention to me, Zach picked his phone up off the table and powered it down without looking at it. “Learn anything from tailing Maclin last week?”

  I shifted in my seat, pulling my own phone out of my pocket and turning off the power. “Not much.”

  Except for his newly deceased status. Cringing internally, I was torn about whether to tell Zach about Maclin’s death or not. He’d risked so much for me, and I could use all the help I could get, but asking him to carry this secret with me was too much.

  Plus, I was still wary about trusting anyone with that information except for my brother. Making a decision on the spot to keep quiet about it, for now, I added. “Harris mentioned he hadn’t seen him around. Maybe he’s given up on us after he got into it with Harris.”

  Shortly before Maclin’s murder, Harris had drawn the line with him about how he was treating the members of our department. Things got so heated that Harris ordered Maclin out of our station.

  Zach sipped his coffee, a thoughtful expression on his face. His lips formed a tight line as he set his cup down, spinning it on the table. “I’ve been thinking, and hear me out on this one before you
say anything. You told me to trust my gut, and I’m trying to do that again. It’s telling me Chief Harris may know more than he’s letting on.”

  My head snapped back, my brows jumping up. “What?”

  “I know how it sounds, but I can’t shake the feeling that there’s a part of the picture Harris is holding back, or not letting us see.”

  Well, then. I had no idea how to respond to that. My own gut also told me something was off, but the situation was too personal for me to trust that instinct. I had to stay objective.

  “Maybe. We can’t rule anything out yet.”

  Zach nodded his agreement, sharing a few more concerns. I half-listened as I thought about Harris and wondered if Zach was right about him. The other things he mentioned paled in comparison to Harris possibly knowing more than he was letting us in on.

  We finished our coffee while Zach talked and made plans for the next few days. When we were done, I pushed back from the table at the same time Zach did. “Let’s keep our eyes open and our ears to the ground. We’ve already made a lot of headway. If we keep shaking it up, something’s bound to come rattling loose soon.”

  “You got it,” Zach told me, walking beside me as we made our way out of the coffee shop. “See you at work in a few.”

  “I’ll hang back a couple of minutes. Give you time to get settled before I go in.” Zach and I agreed it was better to talk about all of this away from the station and any of the curious ears in it. There was far too much at stake to risk anything leaking before we were ready to make any official moves.

  Zach saluted me and walked to his truck, driving off to work. It was a nice day out, and people milled on the sidewalk, talking and walking as they soaked up the early morning sunshine.

  A few white, puffy clouds floated high overhead, and faint music played from the stores beside the coffee shop, drifting out onto the sidewalk where it mingled with birds flitting about, people chatting, and cars passing by.

  A tranquil start to the day, which I could barely appreciate as I crossed the street to my truck. Between this investigation into my father’s case and Niki, my head was a chaotic place to be.