Remember Love: Saints Protection & Investigations

by Maryann Jordan

  Placing his hands on her jean’s waistband, he slid the zipper down after unsnapping the button. Her hands mimicked his, unzipping his pants at the same time, although she had to maneuver the zipper over his pressing erection.

  Stepping back so that her hands fell from his pants, he hooked his thumbs in her jeans and panties, sliding them to the floor. She rested her hands on his shoulders as he assisted her in stepping out of them.

  And there she was…finally, naked. Gloriously naked. His eyes feasted over her perfect form, the scent of her arousal almost unmanning him. As he lifted his gaze back to hers, he smiled. “Perfection,” he whispered, winning her grin in return.

  Trailing her eyes over his broad shoulders, down his muscular pecs and defined abs, she fought the urge to run her fingers over his stomach. “You appear to be overdressed for the occasion,” she said, her mouth dry with anticipation.

  A cocky smile on his face, Blaise moved his hands to his pants, pushing them down as well, kicking them to the side to land on the other discarded clothing. Fisting his massive erection, glad to be free, he watched her eyes land on his cock and widen. Jesus, she’s good for my ego! While he had never had any woman complain…and plenty had wanted a repeat performance…there was something about the way Grace stared at him. Need. Want. Lust. And even awe.

  Suddenly the thought hit him—if she can’t remember anything, what if she’s a virgin? One look at her enticing body almost had him convinced she could not possibly be one, but not willing to take a chance, he let his erection go, determined to seduce her slowly.

  Stepping forward until her breasts touched his chest and his erection prodded her stomach, he tipped her head up and once more plundered her mouth. Long, slow, wet kisses made his head spin and he hoped it had the same effect on her.

  The tingling between her legs had her seeking relief as she squeezed them together. Lost in his lips on hers, she barely realized he maneuvered her to the bed, laying her back on the soft mattress, following her down. His body pressed into hers but he propped his weight up on his arms. How did he do that without ending the kiss, she wondered, but the sensations slamming through her ceased all thoughts.

  Caressing her breasts, he kissed his way from her lips to the pulse point on her neck, nipping as he went. Marking her, he continued his path to the tops of her mounds, moving from one breast to the other until finally latching onto a distended nipple. Licking the areola, he then pulled it into his mouth, sucking deeply.

  The electricity jolted straight to her womb causing her hips to involuntarily lift against his, desperate to ease her longings. Chuckling as he felt her movements, he slid his hand down as he moved slightly to the side. His fingers found their prize, her slick folds welcoming him. Easing first one finger and then two, he scissored them deep inside, eliciting more moans from her parted lips.

  The scent of her sex combined with the sounds she was making in the back of her throat undid him. Sliding down her body further, he pushed her legs apart as his tongue lapped up her savory juices. Her hips bucked and he placed a large hand on her stomach to keep her steady. Thrusting his tongue inside, he moved his hand up toward her breast, tweaking her sensitive nipple.

  Lost in a sea of sensations, she lifted her gaze and kept her eyes on his head between her legs. With a nip on her clit, she jumped again as her orgasm rocketed her into orbit. Slamming her head back onto the mattress she allowed her body to float into space until it slowly came down.

  Finally able to lift her head again, she saw his lazy smile as he licked her arousal off his lips.

  “Aren’t you the cocky one,” she barely managed to say, still overwhelmed from her orgasm.

  Crawling over her body, his erection straining and eager, he said, “Babe, I’ll show you cocky when my dick is buried to the hilt inside of this gorgeous, soaked pussy.”

  His words turned her on more than she thought she could be. “You’re going to kill me with an overdose of orgasms, aren’t you?”

  “What a way to go,” he murmured, grabbing the condom from where he had tossed it on the bed. Ripping the package, he rolled it over his erection. Leaning back down, his lips met hers again. Reaching down to center the swollen head of his cock at her entrance, he slipped inside slowly. Deeper and deeper, he stretched her inner walls, happy to see no signs of discomfort from her.

  Pushing all the way, balls to her ass, he groaned as her tight sex grabbed his dick and held on. He felt her arms wind their way around his neck as her legs circled his hips, opening her up even wider. Settling his hips securely, he moved out in slow agony before plunging in again.

  She felt his rhythm increase as he thrust harder and harder. The delicious friction soon had her moaning, desiring nothing more than to orgasm to relieve the need.

  Continuing to rock her body, Blaise was lost in the euphoria as his balls tightened and his lower back muscles contracted. Please come again…I can’t last! “I am,” she gasped and he realized he spoke his thoughts out loud.

  Just then she cried out his name as her second orgasm exploded. Hearing his name on Grace’s lips was all it took for him to grind himself deep inside, pulsating until every drop was drained.

  He fell on top of her, barely managing to roll slightly to the side before crushing her. Unable to move further he lay, half on her, his heart pounding erratically. Never, fuckin’ hell, have I ever felt like that before. Not speaking, he continued to pant, hoping sweet words were not needed at the moment, unsure he had the breath to speak.

  She lay, his heavy weight comfortably pressing on her side, her heart pounding. Her arms still wrapped tightly around his, her hand slowly stroking his shoulder. Closing her eyes, she reveled in the feeling of their sweat-slicked bodies together.

  After several long minutes, the comfortable silence only broken by their breathing as it became steadier, he lifted his head and peered into her eyes. Their warm sparkle met his gaze.

  “You okay, sweetheart? I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

  Shaking her head slowly, she moved her hand to cup his cheek. “I don’t think it would even be possible for you to hurt me,” she replied honestly.

  Grinning, he kissed her lips before saying, “I’ll be right back.” He left the bed reluctantly, striding into the bathroom to dispose of the condom.

  She watched his magnificent ass as it moved away from her, but as he swaggered back into the room, she decided it was the front view that would win the prize. His walk was sure and confident.

  Leaning up on her elbows, she suddenly wondered what was expected. Do I go back to the guestroom? Does he want me to stay here? What should I—

  “Grace,” his gentle voice interrupted. “I can hear the rush of your thoughts.” He opened the door, allowing Gypsy and Ransom to come trotting into the room. “Floor,” he commanded and the two obediently curled up on the rug. Sliding back onto the mattress, Blaise pulled the covers over their cooling bodies.

  “I want you here. With me. All night. And every night from now on,” he confessed, as his arms pulled Grace in tightly.

  Kissing her lips softly, he tucked her in and for the first time in as long as she could remember, she fell asleep instantly.

  Chapter 16

  “Grace! If you bring home one more stray, we aren’t gonna have any room left in the house,” dad called out as I walked into the den, my arms full of two little kittens.

  Mom walked in from the kitchen. “Dinner’s ready, you two—Oh Lordy, child, what is in your hands?”

  “Mr. Fields said they were in the alley at the back of his grocery store and in the garbage. Mom, we can’t let them eat garbage.”

  “Grace Marie Kennedy, you would have the whole house filled with animals if you could.” Mom walked over, taking one of the kittens out of my hand, cuddling it close to her chest. “Well, I suppose you can let them grow a little before finding new homes for them.”

  Grinning, I hurried into the laundry room, grabbing an old towel from the hamper. Placing the kittens on th
e soft material, I turned around and almost ran into my dad.

  He held a box out for me, his lips curving into a knowing smile. “Figured you’d need this, Gracie.”

  Grabbing the box from his hands, I gave him a quick hug before turning back to my task. Placing the box on the floor, I scooped up the towel with the purring kittens and set them inside. “Now you’re warm and safe,” I told them, jumping up to get some food. By the time I was in the kitchen, mom was holding out some food for me.

  “Hurry up and feed them so you can come to dinner.”

  I did as I was told and in no time, tucked my legs under the table for the blessing. My father’s rich voice carried as he prayed. Tonight, he blessed the food and our family as always, then added, “And God bless our Grace, as she cares for your creatures.”

  Holding on to my giggles, my fingers drifted along the fur of my dog, Max. Feeling his soft tongue lick my hand, I hoped momma didn’t see or she’d make me go wash my hands again.

  As I lifted my eyes after the blessing…

  The table floated away…as another scene drifted in.

  The German Shepherd puppies bounded over, tumbling over each other to claim the visitor. I knelt down, my arms wide as I accepted the bundles of fur crawling onto my lap.

  “Oh, my gosh, they’re gorgeous,” I laughed, falling backward on the grass and allowing the puppies to crawl over me.

  The K-9 breeder smiled down at me and said, “Well, just like I promised, you get the pick of the litter. Any one of these pups will make a good K-9 dog for you.”

  “How will I ever pick?”

  Sure that I would never be able to choose which puppy to buy, I sat cross-legged on the grass, watching the dogs carefully. One furry bundle of energy kept coming over to me, sniffing first me and then sniffing over to where my purse was sitting on the ground about ten feet away and back again. Finally, the puppy plopped herself down next to me, her brown eyes staring at me as she cocked her head to the side while her brothers and sisters continued to tumble.

  Scooping the small dog up, I knew. Somehow, I knew she was the one. She picked me. Looking up at the breeder, I grinned. “This is it. She’s the one.”

  “You got a name picked out,” he asked, as we walked back to his house.

  I thought…my parents are gone, college is over, I’m working in law enforcement but want to move into a new career as a dog handler. I have an apartment, but know I’ll move when she’s old enough for us to work for something like the TSA…I live like a gypsy. And she’ll now be with me as we train together. “Gypsy,” I answered. “Her name is Gypsy.”

  The farm began to fade away as dark trees came into view…

  “Oh, Jesus, I have to get out of here! I have to go!” My car was hurling down the twisty mountain road, taking the curves too fast. “Gypsy, hang on, girl!”

  The black night closed in on all sides with only my headlights beaming ahead…and the two yellow globes of the headlights following far behind…getting closer and closer.

  The crash of metal. The loss of control. The downward plunge. “Aughhhhhh!”

  “Grace, Grace. Wake up! Come on baby, wake up for me. Breathe, baby, breathe.”

  She stopped thrashing as she felt the pressure of a heavy thigh covering her legs and hands rolling her toward a large, muscular body. The already familiar scent of Blaise filled her senses.

  Panting, her throat raw from crying out, she blinked awake, orienting back to his bedroom. Oh, God. A dream. A nightmare.

  Blaise muttered soft, nonsensical words of comfort for a few minutes, holding her body tightly to his. His hand smoothed her hair back from her sweaty brow, kissing her forehead. Her body slowly stopped shivering, her heartbeat steadying. Rolling over, he turned on the lamp by the bed.

  “I’m okay,” she whispered into his chest, her arms tightening around him as his warmth and the light chased away the last of the dreams. “I was dreaming.”

  “You’ve been twitching for a while now, but I wasn’t sure if I should try to wake you or not. I’m sorry, babe. Next time, I’ll wake you up.”

  Leaning back so she could gaze into his concerned eyes, she shook her head. “No, no, it was good. At least to start with. Blaise,” she gasped, “I remember my parents. I dreamed about a time when I brought home two kittens and, just now, I realize that was a memory.”

  He listened to the nervousness in her voice and questioned, “Do you remember everything or just those times?”

  He loosened his grip and she sat up, rubbing her hands over her face, sucking in great gulps of air. Her mind seemed a jumble of memories flooding back, but she attempted a smile. “I remember…I had a dog named Gunner. I remember hunting Easter eggs in the backyard and one of our dogs kept finding them first. Dad used to say that I should train dogs to hunt for things.”

  Curling her legs up under her, her quivering voice stronger, “I remember happy times. It’s like an old movie is playing in my head.”

  Blaise chuckled but did not get a word in before she continued in a rush, as though if she did not speak her thoughts, they would all go away.

  “I remember my bedroom when I was little was green and yellow and that was why I painted my bedroom those same colors when I rented my apartment.” Her eyes, bright with tears, searched his once more. Grabbing his face with her hands, she whispered, “I remember…some things. But, Blaise…I can’t remember my parents dying.”

  Her smile dropped and he instantly regretted her excitement being replaced with sadness. “It doesn’t matter,” he rushed. “It’ll come back. This is just a start. You’re safe now.”

  Continuing to sit quietly for a few more minutes, she shook her head, wincing in pain. “I also can’t remember the night of the accident…other than the accident itself. I…I…can’t pull that up in my mind.”

  “It’ll come back, babe.”

  “But what if it doesn’t?”

  “Well, if you remember some events in your life up to the accident night, then that’s really good. That means you’re claiming your life back. Just leave that night to us Saints. We’ll find out what happened.”

  Tossing back the covers, Blaise swung his long legs over the side and stalked to the bathroom. Grace heard running water and watched as he came back to her, a glass of water in his hand.

  “Here, drink this. You’ve been sweating and talking so much, you must be parched.”

  She took it gratefully, downing the entire glass before handing it back to him. Looking up, she said, “Maybe I should go to the guest bedroom. I don’t think I can go back to sleep. My mind is racing.” He set the glass on the nightstand then climbed into the bed after tossing some pillows against the headboard. Leaning back, he settled her into his arms, comfortably.

  “You stay with me, sweetheart. Do you want to keep talking? About whatever comes to your mind.”

  Relaxing, she said, “I don’t know what to say. When I think of my childhood, I now remember so many things…they come to me in flashes.” Twisting her head up, her eyes capturing his, she added, “It feels so good to remember my parents…what they looked like. How they talked.”

  His arm tightened in a gentle squeeze but he kept silent, allowing her to speak freely. Her voice, stronger and steadier now, continued to relate the memories she could recover.

  Yawning widely, she snuggled deeper into his arms. He listened as she began to yawn more and more between her reflections until she finally grew quiet and he felt her body sink into his. Sliding down, bringing her with him, he once more tucked her into his embrace as he listened to her steady breathing. Sleep had claimed her once more and he wanted to be there if more dreams or nightmares crept into her slumber.

  Thrilled she now had many memories back, his mind turned over to the night of the accident. What happened? Where were you? And who tried to kill you? Remembering his vow of earlier, he closed his eyes. We’ll find out what happened.

  *

  The Saints sat around the conference table the next
morning reporting on their investigations as Mitch listened in.

  “So, your feelings about Carter Boren?” Jack prompted after Blaise and Chad reviewed their interview.

  “He’s got the motive. He’s competitive and envious of her skill with Gypsy. Grace was getting the job he wanted and the employment would get him out of his mother’s house and on his own. Means? I didn’t see any dents in the front of the two cars in the driveway but that doesn’t mean that he wasn’t involved. He may have had repairs done.”

  “I’ll check to see what his car registrations are and what work he’s had done…if he put it on a credit card or made an insurance claim,” Luke volunteered, turning to his bank of computers.

  “What about opportunity?” Marc asked. “She was not near anything else, so the question still comes down to why was she on that road.”

  “What other impressions did you get yesterday?” Jude asked.

  Chad shook his head, saying, “Everyone had great things to say about Grace, but not one of them did a thing about her being missing…if they even knew. Douglas Wilkins from the K-9 Training Facility gave us info about her relationship with Carter and Jocelyn when they were there. Grace had already graduated by then, so he had no further contact. It would be unlikely for him to be involved. I was less impressed by Bernard Tanner and Preston Solter, from the RIA TSA office.”

  “Neither of them seem to give a fuck that she just stopped coming to work,” Blaise growled. “Both talked about what a good trainee she was and how they were glad to get her. But when she stopped coming, they just made the assumption she was no longer interested in the job.”

  “So they hired Carter?” Bart asked, his face registering his incredulity. “Without checking to see what happened to Grace? That makes no fuckin’ sense!”

  “They claim that some of their trainees quickly learn the job isn’t very glamorous and the long twelve hour shifts are not what they want,” Chad said. “They’re also understaffed and overworked, so they claim, and that was another reason they just jumped to the next person on the list.”