Captivated by Love (Grangers Book 1)

by Brenda Jackson

  He’d gotten several hand-made cards from every guy on his team except for Fontane. Sheppard suspected Fontane was still in a bad mood--a lot of his privileges had been taken away for six months. As far as Sheppard was concerned, Fontane had brought it on himself.

  All three of his sons had called and it had been great talking to them. They were doing fine and were making plans to see him in a few months. Although he much preferred seeing them together, he knew their visits would be at different times. Jace and Caden had visited him together at Christmas, but not Dalton. His youngest son had visited him a couple months later. Sheppard had a feeling Jace and Caden were upset with their younger brother about something, but neither had elaborated.

  He heard the knock on the media room door seconds before Ambrose entered. “Attorney Boyett has arrived.”

  #

  “Good afternoon gentlemen,” Carson said, walking into the room. Both men stood when she entered and returned her greeting.

  She tried keeping her gaze from lingering on Sheppard. Still, that was all it took, a handful of seconds to take in all of him. Was her mind playing tricks on her? Was Sheppard more handsome today than he’d been when she’d seen him last?

  Carson placed her briefcase on the table and, out of the corner of her eye, saw Sheppard sit back down. “I need to make an important phone call,” Ambrose said, heading for the door.

  When the door closed, she began pulling folders out of her briefcase. Although she didn’t know why Sheppard had wanted to see her, the timing had worked since she needed to apprise him of something.

  “Congratulations on getting Craig’s conviction overturned,” Sheppard said.

  She smiled. “Thanks.” Then her smile was replaced with a frown. “I got some bad news, Sheppard. I’ve already told Warden Smallwood.”

  Their eyes met and held way too long. “What?”

  Noticing the tense lines of his lips only reminded her of the taste of those lips. His entire mouth. “It’s about Matthew Fontane.”

  “What about Matthew?”

  “The parole board has removed his name from consideration.”

  Sheppard drew in a deep breath and patted the top of his head. “I figured they would after the stunt he pulled last month. When will he be eligible again?”

  “He won’t be.”

  The room got silent and she knew why. What she’d said meant Fontane would be serving all five years of his sentence without any chance of parole. “He brought this on himself, Sheppard,” she said.

  “I know,” he said in a low tone.

  Carson heard the disappointment in his voice and understood. A number of the young men he mentored had gotten their sentences reduced due to positive changes he’d helped make in their lives. He took that role seriously and had turned around even some of the hardest young criminals, convincing them they had more to offer society than a life of crime. Some of them never had a positive male influence in their lives until Sheppard. Because he believed in them, they began believing in themselves.

  “You did all you could. You can’t blame yourself that Fontane wasn’t cooperative. His failure to accept the reason he’s at Delvers continues to be his downfall,” she said, fighting the urge to go to him and wrap her arms around him.

  He leaned back in the chair and she watched the movement, thinking something as casual as that could increase her heart rate. Apparently he’d decided to sit farther away from her than he had at previous meetings. That didn’t bother her since she was able to see more of him. Her gaze soaked him up…especially how his orange trousers stretched across a pair of muscular thighs. Even dressed in prison orange, Sheppard Granger stood out. His charismatic nature was like a magnet. It was what continued to draw her to him.

  Forcing her attention away from him and back to the business at hand, she said. “And there’s something else.”

  “What?” he asked.

  She glanced back over at him and blood raced through her veins. The beauty of his dark eyes, as well as the perfect symmetry of his angular jaw were such a turn-on. “He’ll receive annual evaluations. If he continues to cause problems, additional time will be added. Every incident, no matter how minor, will add years to his sentence.”

  Sheppard didn’t say anything. Then as she watched, seemingly in one fluid motion, he stood and began pacing with his hands deep into his pockets. Her pulse kicked up a few notches. There was nothing like seeing the body of a well-built man in motion. Although troubled, his steps were smooth, suave and sexy. And his shoulders--broad and muscular--finally shrugged in resignation.

  He stopped pacing and glanced over at her. “Fontane won’t handle that news well.” He paused a moment. “I’ve got to get through to him.”

  Carson heard determination in his voice. She knew if anyone could get through to Matthew Fontane, it would be Sheppard. “And you will.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  Sexual chemistry which had been simmering around them from the moment she’d walked into the room, was flaring up to the boiling point and she couldn’t let that happen. Otherwise, she would be tempted to rush across the room and throw herself in his arms, begging to be kissed. The thought of him sliding his tongue inside her mouth stroked sensations within her.

  Trying to ignore the sexual energy stirring the air, she said. “By the way, I recently ran into three young men I believe you know.”

  He came back to the table and sat down. His masculine body appeared convulsed in erotic undercurrents. “Oh? Who?”

  “Striker Jennings, Quasar Patterson and Stonewall Courson.”

  His lips curved into a smile and she noticed a lushness about his entire mouth, especially his bottom lip. “Yes. I know them very well. How did you meet them?” Sheppard asked.

  “They work as bodyguards for a friend of mine.”

  Sheppard lifted a brow. “You’re a friend of the owner of Summers Security Firm?”

  She smiled. “Yes, Roland Summers and I have known each other for years.” A smile touched her lips. “I stopped by his office last week and the three guys were there. I met them a while back but this was the first time we’ve held any kind of conversation. Imagine my surprise when they mentioned they knew you. Small world.”

  “Yes, small world.”

  Sheppard tried ignoring the dash of jealousy that raced through him. He had no problem calling the emotion what it was, although he had no right to be jealous when it came to her. But he couldn’t help it. Although he’d never officially met Roland Summers, he’d heard a lot of good things about him from Striker, Quasar and Stonewall. They often said what a great guy their boss was. They’d also shared that he was a widower in his thirties.

  And Carson was a divorcee also in her thirties.

  Sheppard couldn’t help wondering how close she was to Roland. Were they dating? Lovers? It really wasn’t any of his business one way or the other. However, he wanted to know.

  “Was there a reason you wanted to see me today, Sheppard?”

  Yes, there was a reason, but first he wanted her to explain the nature of her relationship with Roland Summers. Instead of answering her question, he had one of his own.

  “You and Roland Summers?”

  She lifted a brow. “Yes? What about us?”

  “Sounds like the two of you are close.”

  “We are.”

  His throat constricted as disappointment settled in his lungs. “Yet, you’ve let me kiss you.”

  It suddenly dawned on Carson what Sheppard was thinking. “Yes, I let you kiss me because my relationship with Roland isn’t like that. He’s six years younger and I consider him the brother I always wanted, but never had.”

  She closed her file, wanting to make sure he fully understood. “I was friends with Roland’s wife Becca before I met Roland. He was a cop serving time, framed by a bunch of fellow bad cops and she wanted me to prove his innocence and get him released.”

  Sheppard didn’t say anything for a minute. “You did
get him out but not before his wife was murdered,” he said, as if he’d heard the narrative from somewhere. Or maybe he’d researched her on internet, the way she’d done him.

  “Yes. Roland took her death pretty hard. We both did. Becca had become a good friend. Now he’s a good friend.”

  She didn’t say anything for a minute and then said, “I hope you don’t think I could kiss you and be involved with another guy.”

  Sheppard tilted his head back, wanting to see her fully. At that moment, he knew the answer. No, he didn’t think that. He also knew something else. He wanted to kiss her. He had to kiss her again.

  Easing out of his chair, he took the few steps to where she sat staring up at him. “To be honest Carson, whenever I’m around you, it’s hard for me to think at all. My mind is too busy wanting you. I see you and I want you. I smell you and I want you. We touch and I want you. I can’t think for wanting you, Carson.”

  He heard the ragged breath flowing past her lips. God, she breathed and he wanted her. “The reason I asked you to come here today is because I had to see you again. I tried, but I can’t fight wanting you any longer, although I know I should. Even when I know wanting you will get me nowhere. I have nothing to offer you.”

  She shook her head. “Please let’s not go back to that again.”

  “It should not have been taken off the table, Carson. After our last meeting, I’d pretty much reached some firm conclusions.”

  “Such as?”

  “Such as when I saw you again, I intended to make things absolutely clear that there’s no way anything could get started between us. It would be a waste of time and energy. A no-win situation.”

  She eased out of her chair to stand in front of him. “I hate to break the news to you, but things have already gotten started, and I happen to see it as a winning situation. So what if you can’t take me out to dinner or show up at my place every now and then? I took myself off the dating market some time ago so…”

  “Why?”

  She leaned back against the table, resting her hips on the edge. His gaze followed her movements. “I don’t have time to go into all the gory details. Just take my word for it.”

  He didn’t say anything and could only reach one conclusion. “Bad first marriage?”

  “The worse. Pence Denmark could teach a class on Fundamentals of Being an Asshole 101. Then there are the single men out there who think I owe them something…namely in the bedroom. Unfortunately, they found out I don’t need them as much as they like to think I do. So not having you constantly underfoot won’t bother me.”

  He wasn’t quite sure what to make of that. “So what are your expectations?”

  She tilted her head at an angle that showed what an attractive neck she had. It was both graceful and elegant. A smile curved her lips. “I don’t have any, other than I’d like to get to know you better before I invite you over for dinner.”

  He chuckled. “Invite me over? Will twenty years be long enough? I might not be going anywhere until then. I can’t even count on parole in eight.”

  She shrugged her beautiful shoulders. “Think positive, Sheppard. I understand you have a private investigator working hard to get you out of here.”

  “And you heard that from whom?”

  “Three men who’re ready to see you more often.”

  He figured she was talking about Striker, Quasar and Stonewall. During one of their visits, he’d mentioned that his father had hired a top notch investigator to obtain enough evidence to submit for the reopening of his case. He hadn’t mentioned anything to them about the recent developments, though. He refused to get anyone’s hopes up.

  “That doesn’t mean anything,” he stressed.

  “I think that it does.”

  “The guy isn’t the first private investigator my father has hired to get me out of here. I refuse to get my hopes up about anything and suggest no one else does either. So if you want to get to know me because you’re banking on me walking out of this place a free man anytime soon, then I suggest that you don’t.”

  She lifted her chin. “And I suggest you let me think for myself, Sheppard. But then, there could be another reason why you’re so hesitant about us getting to know each other.”

  “What other reason is there?”

  “That you don’t want to get to know me as much as I want to get to know you.”

  Sheppard wished he could look her directly in the eyes and say that was true, that there was no point. But they’d gone through that already and she refused to let it go. And if he was honest with himself, he would admit he wanted to get to know her.

  At that moment, he decided to take the road of honesty. “You’re wrong Carson, I do want to get to know you. But you deserve more.”

  “And I’ve told you that--”

  “I know what you’ve told me, but I’m afraid I’ll let myself get caught up with you and start believing in possibilities that I shouldn’t.”

  She took a step closer to him, reached out and took his hand, curling her fingers around his. He tried to ignore the spike of heat that speared though him with her touch but couldn’t. “I talk to a lot of guys you’ve mentored here at Delvers, as well as with Striker, Quasar and Stonewall. The one thing they tell me is that, more than anything, you gave them hope. You had them believing in possibilities.”

  She paused a moment. “Why can’t you believe in those possibilities for yourself, Sheppard? Why can’t you have the same kind of hope you instill in others? That same belief that there’s something better out there for you, that it’s okay for you to believe that you deserve something more as much as anyone else does? You do deserve it. So take it…and take me in the process. ”

  Before Carson could take her next breath, Sheppard quickly leaned down and captured her mouth, immediately robbing her of her senses. Catching her tongue, he drew it into his mouth and began feasting on it with a hunger that made intense need race up her spine, settle in her mid-section before trickling between her legs.

  Shudders speared through her while strength was drained from her body. Blood gushed to her head, making her feel dizzy as his tongue began mating with hers. She was filled with the taste and scent of him and couldn’t get enough of either.

  And she felt him, the hardness of him, pressed against her. His erection was huge and firm and only added to the intense desire building inside of her, firing a need she hadn’t filled in years and reminding her she was woman who deserved to believe in possibilities as well. Along with that same hope.

  She felt his hand move from her waist to take a firm grip of her hips, sitting her on the table. It was a good thing--she would have slid to the floor from the impact of the mouth mating so sensuously with hers. Only Sheppard could kiss her with such sizzling desire and ravenous passion. He was the one man who could demonstrate how much enjoyment you could derive from a kiss. He was so thorough. So painstaking methodical as he pushed her over the edge, lick by delicious lick.

  Carson felt his hand move up her bare thigh, move underneath her dress and inch its way between her legs. His fingers began stroking around the material of her panties and--

  They suddenly broke off the kiss and he snatched his hand from underneath her skirt when they heard conversation outside the door. Panting, Carson rested her head against Sheppard’s neck, inhaling his scent and wondering if she was capable of ever breathing normal again. Then, as effortlessly as he’d placed her on the table, Sheppard eased her back on her feet. The gaze staring down at her was like a flame sucking up oxygen from the room

  “You’ve presented a good argument, which proves what a good attorney you are,” he said.

  “And?” she asked, barely able to get the single word out. Just looking at his lips made her wish they could kiss again.

  “And I will go along with what you suggest. That we get to know each other better.”

  She couldn’t hold back her smile. “I think you’ve made the right decision, Sheppard.”

  “But th
ere is one condition, Carson.”

  She lifted a brow. “And what condition is that?”

  Carson saw resoluteness in his features and knew whatever this condition was, he would not be swayed. “Under no circumstances, no matter what opportunities are presented to us, will I take you. In other words, we won’t go any farther than we just have. Kissing is as far as any intimacy will go between us.”

  She clearly understood what he was saying, but decided to ask. “Not even a quickie?”

  He shook his head. “Definitely not that. I’m not proud of what I almost did to you earlier. Sitting you on that table

  and--”

  “You didn’t hear me complain,” she interjected.

  “Regardless, you deserve more than being made love to inside this place. I refuse to change my mind about that, Carson. So if you don’t think you can accept my stipulation that we get to know each other without any real type of intimacy, then I suggest we end things between us before they begin.”

  She had no intention of ending anything. “Fine, we’ll play by your rules, Sheppard.” And then before he could think of any other conditions to tack on, she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his mouth down to hers in another kiss.

  8

  Carson stepped out on her patio to inhale the night air. It was hard to believe it was October already. Forecasters had predicted cooler weather with the days ahead and she wasn’t ready for them. Leaving sunny Florida to move to Charlottesville had been hard and she doubted that she would ever get used to the sharp contrast in the temperatures.

  She took a sip of her wine and looked out across her back yard. Purchasing a home instead of moving into a condo had been a decision she hadn’t regretted making. While married to Pence, they had leased a condo in Tampa and more often than not, Pence would complain about the neighbor’s loud music, kids putting their hand prints on his precious car or neighbors allowing their dogs to do their business near the walkway. There were constantly disagreements between him and the neighbors, and because she was married to Pence, she would get caught in the crossfire.