by Lyz Kelley
“Joey?”
“Please, Mara. Let me just have a little taste.”
To his surprise, she turned toward him. “Only if I also get to sample.”
Her lips connected with his chest and worked up.
“Ah, Mara. Vixen behavior has consequences. The result of which you’ll be able to witness in a moment if you keep going.”
“You don’t always have to be in control, Joey. I wonder what Joey Gaccione’s like when he lets go?”
Mara’s teeth sank into his skin gently and he hissed. “Mara, are you sure about this?”
“I know I’ve been sending mixed messages. I’m just scared,” she said a bit sheepishly. “Yesterday reminded me again how easily life can change.”
“I get that.” He placed a finger under her chin and beckoned her to his lips. “Come here. Don’t be frightened.”
“Yes, Detective.”
His lips brushed her cheek and then the edge of her jaw. “I hope you’re not in a hurry.” His hand slipped under her T-shirt and palmed her breast, which fit his hand perfectly.
Her stomach muscles trembled. She pulled the towel from around his waist and found him. He gasped and slid his other hand up so he could cup both breasts and her erect nipples in retaliation, but the sensation was anything but punishing.
Her T-shirt disappeared faster than Buddy made it to his bowl for dinner. Joey threw the covers back and lifted up on his elbow. “Let me look at you.”
He placed his hand between her breasts and circled each mound, then continued downward until reaching her flat stomach. His right fingers moved over her ankles, then began sliding up her legs, stopping at each scar. He leaned in and kissed the six and eight-inch scars on each leg, then lay beside her when his back and arm began to spasm.
“My shoulder is still not in the best shape.”
“It’s okay. Maybe some other time.”
Refusing to allow her to misread intentions, he pulled her over on top of him. “That doesn’t mean I can’t take my time.” He cupped both breasts.
His hands trembled, yearning for something other than a fifteen-minute romp. The contrast between bed-bouncing sex and the tender, loving embrace narrowed. He wanted both. Now.
“Mara, I want to feel you around me.” His hands circled her waist and pulled her closer.
“Maybe if I leave a lasting impression, you’ll think about coming back.”
“You’ve already left a lasting impression.”
He’d already been thinking about coming back. In fact, he’d been thinking about not leaving. The more he thought about it, the more Mara had been right. He could make a difference in the community. He could bring some expertise to the local department, and he could be around for his family and Mara. Sure, he was part of the Seattle team, but there were a dozen more cops wanting to fill his slot. Elkridge had no one—well, no one that was qualified.
From the moment he walked into the flower shop, something had changed. He didn’t recognize the emptiness he’d felt for years until he was in her presence. She made him laugh, question his life, and invited him to enjoy simple things like holding hands. He wanted to make her understand, but expressing how he felt seemed impossible. But he had to try.
“Sam and I took a road trip the summer after I graduated. We were camping in Steamboat under the summer sky. I remember feeling like my life was perfect. I had a full-ride scholarship to school to play soccer, and life was mine to have. Then I got to school and was almost cut from the team. My grades sucked. I put all my efforts into improving. After I finally graduated, I just got on the treadmill of life. Not until I saw you and my family did I realize how much had changed. You reminded me of who I was back then. Who I want to be again.”
She placed her palms on his chest. “I like who I am when you’re around. I feel strong and sexy. I don’t feel blind.”
Joey traced a finger over her lips. “You are sexy. Mara Dijocomo, would you like me to beg?”
“A grown man pleading? What would the guys back in Washington say?”
“To hell with them. It’s just you and me, and I want you.” He pulled his finger straight down her chest. “I want you bad. And if I can figure out where my wallet is, we might be able to enjoy each other before the locksmith shows up to fix your door.”
“I should tell you, I never went off the pill to regulate my periods, so I’m good.”
Yes you are. He was clean, but he wouldn’t be irresponsible. He spotted his clothes neatly stacked on the chair, rolled her to his side, and carefully reached for his wallet, his muscles still smarting a bit. He dropped the foil-wrapped packets on the nightstand and settled back into bed.
“Now, where were we?”
Joey slid his hands up and over her breasts. He narrowed the gap between their lips to replace his imaginary images of her with the vivid realities of her body. She kissed him back, climbing over him on hands and knees, then slowly, slowly, slowly lowered to snuggle her body against him, connecting, stimulating, caressing.
His plan to take his time exploring each body part didn’t last. When chemistry and nature took over, his brain ceased functioning. He slid a hand between her legs and found her already wet and waiting, waiting for him. He let out a groan and reached for a condom. Sliding the protection into place, he reached for her hips, and pain raced up his arm.
To hell with my shoulder. For her, he’d ignore the pain.
He adjusted her position atop him and thrust up, pulling her down at the same time. She threw her head back, arched, and lifted slightly before encircling him more deeply, then repeated the motion. Their twin gasps of pure delight floated into the room. He pulled on her hips, controlling her thrusts, not wanting the pleasure to end too soon, but when she moved, rocking to meet his thrust, he decided the heck with waiting.
“Oh, God, Mara. You feel so good.”
“Please, Joey. Please.” Her words released on a sigh.
With every thrust she took him higher, climbing to the top of the cliff, so high he was ready to take off.
His hands spread around her small waist, and he groaned her name when her muscles tightened around him. When she threw her head back and her body pulsated around him, he swore he’d never seen anything more beautiful—then one more thrust, and another, and he followed her right off the tip of the peak, catching her when she collapsed on his chest, wrapping his arms around her protectively. “I think you just crushed every fantasy I’ve had so far.” He lifted his head to kiss her shoulder.
A soft sniffle caught his attention.
He rolled and tucked her into his side. “Did I hurt you? If I hurt you—”
“You didn’t hurt me. I just never thought…I didn’t think. Would you make love to me again?”
Not another word was needed. Words weren’t required, for the urgency had disappeared and the sweet, slow, dance had begun again. A soft pink hue crept into the room from the early morning sunrise, and he watched her body arch and bend and reach for him again and again.
He skimmed his hand down between her legs, his thumb applying pressure in the right spot. She turned and applied lips and tongue to his nipple, her teeth erotically scraping the edges.
His focus and determination intensified.
“There. There. Don’t stop!” Mara inched her way up his body.
He nibbled on her lips while her body vibrated beneath his hand. Kissing her eyes, cheeks and neck, he continued to stroke while her ecstasy stretched to new heights.
Her mouth opened slightly. “Joey,” she whispered.
He cupped her breast while he hovered over her core. She lifted her legs for him to thrust forward, to lock their bodies together. Her fingers entwined with his.
Finally, when his back couldn’t move any longer, he rolled, pulling her into his arms, folding her body into his. Protecting. Cherishing.
“You’re so beautiful and delicate and so intense and fiery. Mara Dijocomo, you’re a surprise.”
She was a marvel mixed with
trouble. Not just the sexual kind. The get-fired-from-your-job kind. Because he seriously could stay here, with her, forever.
At the moment, releasing the woman in his arms seemed impossible.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“I’m going to beat you until you’re a bloody pulp.” Tony’s anger preceded him into Mara’s bedroom. “If you’re sleeping with her, you had better be thinking about buying a ring.”
“I can explain.” Joey moved to shield Mara with his body. “…I think.”
“No, you won’t,” Mara said, climbing over Joey and, pulling a sheet with her. “There’s nothing to explain. How did you get in here?”
“With difficulty. I left you a message three hours ago to tell you you’re an aunt. When I couldn’t get hold of you, Gina refused to let me stay at the hospital. She was worried.”
I’m an aunt. “Are Gina and baby okay?”
“Both are fine. Little Anthony is a strappin’ seven pounds, eight ounces and twenty-one inches long. I left them sleeping. I just came to check on you, take a shower, and get some different clothes. I’m going back in a few hours to pick them up.” The exhaustion in his voice, and the fact that he’d needed to leave his wife to check on her, made her feel guilty. “By the way, two guys were hanging out by the front door drinking coffee. They were here to fix the rear door, so I put them to work. But a broken door doesn’t explain why this monkey is in your bed.”
“And he doesn’t need to. You might say thank you. Did you look around downstairs? The shop’s wreckage wouldn’t have been cleaned up if it weren’t for Joey. Speaking of wreckage, how are you?”
“I think Gina broke my hand during delivery, but everything else, luckily, is intact. Ask me again in about four hours, after I’ve gotten some sleep.”
The tension in the room and the glorious ache of her body made her light-headed.
“Buddy needs to go out. Tony, would you take him?”
“Why’s Buddy got a bandage on his foot?”
“I’ll explain later. First I’m going to make breakfast for all of us. You can shower and eat here if you like, since I know you have no food at the house, and you won’t let this go. If we’re going to discuss it, at least let’s talk about it with clothes on and maybe full stomachs.”
Buddy, upon hearing the word out, started up his usual tail-thumping, body-wiggling routine, then joyfully followed Tony down the hall.
“That wasn’t the alarm I was hoping for this morning.” She said a little prayer, hoping Joey didn’t regret the indiscretion. “Do you know where my pajamas went?”
“Let me get them for you.” The bed shifted when he got up.
A moment later, a wad of cotton landed in her lap. She dressed in clumsy silence. Sore muscles reminded her of what Joey’s callused hands could do when his fingers homed in on spots of intense erotic sensitivity. She didn’t mind the soreness. In fact, she hoped the ache would last as a blissful memory of what Gaccione could do when he took her body into his protective custody.
“How are your back and shoulder?” Mara asked, trying to break the awkward moment.
“I’m fine.”
Fine. What is that supposed to mean?
“Give me five minutes in the bathroom, then it’s yours. Don’t worry about Tony. I’ll make him some pancakes. Maple syrup always puts him in a better mood.”
“Mara, I want to explain something.”
“Whatever you’re going to say, don’t.”
She didn’t want to hear about regret or disappointment, or any other excuse he’d come up with in the last five minutes. Explaining he’d made a mistake after loving her into oblivion not only wasn’t required, it was unwelcome.
“Kym told me you changed your flight. You should check with the airlines to get your seat assignment for tomorrow,” she said, keeping her voice light and airy to hide the hurt.
“I would rather find out if Walters is in custody.”
She pointed in the direction of the nightstand. “The phone’s over there if you want to call. I’ll start breakfast.” She walked down the hall, hoping to avoid hearing what she wasn’t ready to accept.
“I’ll just be a minute,” Joey said more formally, more detached but kindly, more I’m going to leave tomorrow, and we shouldn’t have gone there.
Mara’s feet shuffled along the wood floor until she reached the kitchen. Her fingers gripped the tiled counter and dug in. No way would she cry. Not in front of Tony. Not in front of Joey. Not going to happen.
Buddy came bustling into the kitchen. The heavy clomp up the stairs could only be Tony.
“Want some pancakes?” She turned toward the door. “I’ll make berry compote, unless you want syrup.”
“I want to know why you and Gaccione were in bed in the buff.”
She grabbed a pan from the skillet rack. “You may want to know, but you being curious doesn’t mean I have to tell you anything. One of these days you’re going to have to accept that, while you’re still my big brother, I’m no longer a little girl.”
“We’ll see about that. I’m desperate for some coffee.” A kitchen cabinet above the counter opened and the rich, bitter smell of French roast made her stomach churn.
“I know what you’re up to, and it’s not going to work. Joey is permanently off the discussion list. However, you, the baby, and caffeine we can talk about.”
“Got any milk?”
“There’s a new carton on the top shelf.” The noise from the lower floor penetrated through the stairwell door. “How does the store look? My impression is Joey, Kym and the team they assembled did a nice job getting everything put back together.”
“You said Joey was off-topic.”
“What about me?” Joey asked, entering the kitchen.
Mara’s heart squeezed at the sound of his voice. Gone was the tenderness, the passion, the softness. “Tony was just saying what an awesome job you did cleaning up the store. Weren’t you, Tony?” If the ‘be gracious’ hint wasn’t big enough, she’d hit him over the head with a large skillet, the one she conveniently held in her hand.
“Yeah, man, thanks. Want some coffee?”
“Don’t have time. We have to go down to the station.”
The word we made her forget what she’d reached for in the pantry. “We?”
“They found Mark. I’d like you to come down to the station with me.”
A cup slammed against the kitchen counter so hard she flinched.
“Mara’s not going. Mark messed her up enough the first time. She doesn’t need to go through that again.” Tony’s heavy-handed, big-brother protectiveness had become chin-hair-pulling tiresome.
“Mara doesn’t need to worry about Mark anymore. He OD’d last night. His dad found him this morning. Mara, if you’re up for it, I’d like to take you through his place to see if we can double-confirm he’s been the person following you.”
“What do you mean following her?” Tony stepped in front of her.
“Tony. Stop. I didn’t want to worry you.”
“So, what are you going to do? Ask her to sniff him?” Tony’s sarcasm held a full heap of anger.
“Something like that.”
Tony took another step and Mara reached to pull Tony back and placed her body between the two chest-beating hulks. “That’s enough. Both of you.” Turning to Joey, she let the agitation in her stomach settle. “Poor Mr. and Mrs. Walters. They must be devastated. Do I have time to shower?”
“I’ll wait.”
Tony gripped her arm. “Mara, come to your senses. Don’t do this. There’s nothing to be gained by going. Kym told me you gave your statement last night. Don’t get involved.”
All the reasons not to help rolled into a perfect floral bundle, all pretty and perfect, but only one beautiful, thorny reason to go remained—Joey needed answers, and she wanted to know whether Mark was the person who’d followed her into the grocery store. In her heart, the decision had already been made.
“I’ll be okay. You need to
let me live my life, and learn to trust me.” She patted Tony on the cheek and turned to Joey. “Give me twenty minutes, and I’ll be ready.” If this was her last chance to help Joey find a path to his happiness, and her to find peace of mind, then she couldn’t let the opportunity pass.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Mara fumbled for the door handle and exited Joey’s SUV. Her hand automatically dropped to where Buddy’s head would have been, but he hadn’t come along for the ride. She craved the comfort of combing her fingers through his fur, especially having spent the last several hours at the station reviewing the event sequence. She missed her constant companion, but Joey would take care of her. She had no doubt.
“There are several police cars here.” Joey placed his hand on the small of her back to move her sideways so he could close the car door. “Ernie Barker is heading our way. You might remember him from school.”
She clutched her walking stick under her arm and allowed Joey to escort her forward.
“Ernie,” Joey greeted the deputy. “Thanks for allowing us to take a look.”
“What is she doing here?” Annoyance, and possibly a bit of denigration, added a nasty undertone to the deputy’s question.
“Someone’s been following and harassing her. I’d like to make sure Mark was the person stalking her. She’s got a good nose. Let her see if she can ID the smell.”
“You’re joking. Right?” Ernie puffed out the question on a chuckle.
“It’s very irritating when people talk about me as if I’m deaf.” Mara stepped into the conversation. “I can hear perfectly well, and would like to try. Mark isn’t the type to do laundry every week, so there should be a residual smell.”
“I don’t know about this.” Ernie released a skeptical huff, “but I guess she should know what her ex smells like.”
Mara winced at the hostility in Ernie’s statement, just as Joey stiffened.