by Lola Drake
Juliet’s eyes began to tear as she watched the destruction of the swelling inferno. She hung up the phone once the dispatcher had all the information, continuing to listen to Jake’s call.
“Drive-by shooting and Molotov cocktails. The place is on fire as we speak…. I don’t give a shit. Get your ass over here immediately. And wake up that damned DA!”
Jake turned towards Juliet as he ended the call, “Moments like this, I miss those old landline non-cordless phones that you could slam down, with that harsh ring, you remember those? Pressing ‘end’ on a cell phone doesn’t have quite the same satisfaction.”
Juliet couldn’t help but laugh at the tremulous smile he gave her. Sparks from the fire seemed to shine within his eyes, but his expression told her just how badly he felt. Without a word she stepped forward as he opened his arms to her, pulling her close against him. She couldn’t turn her eyes away from the blaze that hungrily consumed her home. It didn’t seem real. Yet with Jake rubbing her back and his chin resting firmly on top of her head, she knew she could handle it.
He tapped her chin to lift her face up towards his. “I’m so sorry, Jules.”
She closed her eyes with a sigh, longing for him to comfort her with kisses instead of words. Whether or not he would have done so she’d never know, since approaching sirens captured their attention.
“Come on.” He pressed a hand in the small of her back to lead her around the side of the house. As the fire trucks, police cars, and ambulance screeched to a halt, he laced his fingers with hers and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “You’re going to get through this. I promise.”
He kissed her cheek before releasing her hand, holding up his badge as he jogged towards the fire fighters. Juliet surveyed the chaos unfolding on her street, wondering if someone had heard the gunfire and called immediately for a cavalcade like that to arrive so fast.
She stumbled toward the uniformed police offers, only vaguely aware when a paramedic draped a blanket around her shoulders and gave her a quick exam. Other than being covered in soot and ash, she hadn’t suffered any injuries. Her house, on the other hand…
Jake returned to her side only a few moments later. He gently wiped some soot off her cheek.
“Let’s get you out of here. Harris is on his way. He can deal with securing your house once the fire department is done.”
Juliet nodded, feeling numb as exhaustion overtook her. She couldn’t believe she’d just gotten out of the hospital this morning. First a gunshot wound. Now someone had burned her house down. What had happened to her nice, orderly life? And would she ever get it back?
****
Jake took one look at Juliet’s pale face and wrapped his arms around her to lead her to his car. He didn’t know if she realized how tightly she clenched his shirt, but he did know he liked the feel of her head resting against his shoulder. Her palpable sadness reached out to devour him as he buckled her seat belt without her seeming to notice. She stared silently out the window throughout the drive, even when he reached over to take her hand in an attempt to offer some comfort.
He parked at a hotel and assisted her out of the car. She felt fragile, almost breakable, in his arms. Every protective instinct he possessed surged to the surface. Hadn’t she been through enough? He yearned to whisk her away to somewhere safe, far away from everyone and everything. Perhaps a deserted island somewhere, where he could ease all her pain.
She made no comments on the hotel he chose, and didn’t say a word as he checked in. He had no idea what to do for her. When they finally reached their room, Jake maneuvered her to the edge of the bed so she could sit down. He returned a moment later with a cup of water and damp washcloth to wipe the ashes from her face. Her eyes rose to meet his – the first sign of awareness he’d gotten in the last hour. Smoothing her hair back off her forehead, he leaned closer to her to slowly clean off some more dirt.
“Do you have the energy to shower again? It might make you feel better.”
Juliet shrugged. Her eyes shone with unshed tears, compelling Jake to pull her into his arms and simply hold her. He stroked her hair and massaged her neck as he kissed the top of her head. Juliet pulled back, just enough to look up at him. Her stare captured him with its unexpected intensity. He wiped away a tear sliding down her cheek, tracing the salty liquid across her lips. Her breath quickened with his touch.
“Christ, Juliet…”
She took his hand in her own, turning it over to kiss his palm before pressing her cheek against it. “Make me forget all this for a little while. Please. I want you to…”
He couldn’t listen anymore. Groaning, he swooped in, capturing her mouth with his, a fire even hotter than the one at her house erupting between them. He couldn’t count how many times he’d imagined this since walking into her hospital room. Even so, the reality far surpassed all his fantasies. He kissed a path down her neck, flicking his tongue against her skin. With a satisfied sigh, she tilted her head back to give him better access. His arm snaked around her waist to pull her flush against him. She let out a little moan that drove him crazy, smothering all remaining concerns about bedding his best friend’s sister. He had to feel her bare skin. See her naked body. Now.
Juliet apparently felt the same way. She slid her good hand up his back, pushing the shirt out of the way and following its progress with her mouth on his skin. He was amazed his skin didn’t ignite on the spot. And, when her hand slipped into the front of his jeans and captured him in a firm grip, he could feel his eyes roll back in his head. He grabbed her wrist to stop her. The hurt look in her eyes surprised him.
“That feels too good, Jules. I don’t want this to be over too quickly.”
“Oh.” She blushed.
He couldn’t stand it. Their mouths came together again, almost violent with need. Again, Jake had to force himself to pull back and take a couple deep breaths. He took her face in his hands, caressing her cheek with his thumb. “God, you’re beautiful.”
Her smile overwhelmed him. Tenderly he crawled forward, pressing her down as he kissed her, until she lay flat on the bed beneath him. Juliet gazed up as if her entire world had narrowed to just him and that moment. When he slid his tongue into her mouth she matched it stroke for stroke.
Jake lifted off her, and she whimpered in protest, blindly reaching out for him. He laughed, kissing her hand. “I’m not going anywhere. I just want your shirt off and don’t want to hurt you.”
“Oh.” Juliet sat up and let him slide it off.
She hadn’t bothered with a bra, much to Jake’s delight. His eyes drank her in, and he had to touch her again. He filled his hands with her breasts, flicking his thumb across one nipple and watching it pucker. But that was no longer enough. He had to taste. He bent forward, pressing her back onto the bed, and took one breast into his mouth, letting his tongue take over for his fingers. She smelled like jasmine. Her scent permeated his every breath. Underneath that heady odor, her skin somehow tasted like vanilla. He had to have more. He kissed his way into the valley between her perfect breasts and repeated the process with the other, his hands sliding down to cup her ass, pulling her closer to him. Like a starving man in a desert suddenly stumbling upon a hidden oasis, he felt as though he could utterly devour all of her.
“Please,” Juliet begged, “I’ve waited almost twenty years for this.”
“I’d say the same but that would make me a pedophile.”
“How romantic.” Shaking her head at him, she rolled until she straddled him, running her fingers through his hair. “What am I going to do with such a sweet talker like you?” She leaned in close until her mouth almost touched his. But when he leaned in for her kiss, she jerked her head back with a smirk, licking her lips.
“Oh really.” Grasping her hips, he flipped her back underneath him. “You think you can tease me, huh?”
“Absolutely.”
“Hmm…. We’ll see about that.” His fingers slid down between her thighs. Juliet let out a gasp. “How about
now?”
“What?” Good, she had lost the thread of the conversation. “Oh God, Jake. I want you now.”
He swallowed hard as he completely forgot what they’d been talking about too.
“Not yet.” He kissed his way down her stomach, pulling her pants and underwear off as he slid down the bed. He could smell her arousal, so Jake slipped one finger inside her, followed by a second. He couldn’t hold back a groan. She was hot and wet and so tight around him. Her eyes started to drift closed.
“Look at me,” he commanded. “I want to watch you come. I want to see the look in your eyes when you let go.”
Using his fingers and tongue he drove her up and up until she shattered. Before her body could relax Jake practically ripped off his own clothes.
“We’re not nearly done yet,” he growled, positioning himself between her legs. She started to giggle, he thought, until his first thrust cut off all sound. She lifted her legs to wrap them around his waist, drawing him even deeper inside her.
They slowed for a moment as he looked down at her, her hair spread across the pillow, her lips swollen from his kisses. He couldn’t remember ever wanting a woman as much as he wanted Juliet at this moment.
She playfully bit at his earlobe and his rigid control snapped. He pulled out then plunged back in, faster and faster. Their sensitized bodies slid against each other. Everything burned as they climbed towards that final peak.
“Now I get to watch you,” she panted as his eyes met hers. In blissful surrender, her entire body clenched around him. His arms trembled as she triggered a release in him so fierce he couldn’t hold back a shout as he exploded. Drained, yet more satisfied than he’d ever been before, he sank, boneless and sweaty, on top of her.
He carefully shifted toward her good arm, pulling her with him, not wanting to part from her. Even now, he couldn’t stop kissing her hair, her cheeks, her lips.
“You definitely didn’t want that twenty years ago,” Jake murmured, stroking her hair. Even covered in ash and soot, with her hair mussed from his hands, she still looked stunning. “Or even seventeen years ago, when we actually met.”
“Okay, fine. But I’ve wanted to kiss you for seventeen years.”
“Glad I could fulfill your greatest fantasy, then.”
Juliet swatted him playfully. “I definitely didn’t say you accomplished that.”
“Oh really. Well, we’ll just have to do something about that, then.” He pulled her closer, gently touching the deep shadows under her eyes. She’d been through so much today. He admired her that she hadn’t collapsed into a pile of tears – a reasonable reaction under the circumstances. But not his Juliet. He knew the adrenaline rush would fade, and unfortunately, she still had a long road ahead of her. Even if she didn’t want to admit it, she had to rest.
“After you get some sleep,” Jake amended. “You’re still recovering.”
Juliet fought off a yawn, but looked so sweet and sleepy Jake cuddled her closer, wanting to make her feel safe and protected. If only they could stay like this without ever having to deal with the aftermath of the shooting or the fire. He had a bad feeling he wouldn’t be able to make her feel safe for long.
****
Around dawn, Juliet awoke. Jake slept like the dead beside her, his face mashed into the pillow, one arm draped across her. Even in his sleep, his hand had somehow found her breast and cupped it gently. She laughed, slipping from his grasp and tiptoeing toward the bathroom. They had woken up several times during the night, unable to get enough of each other. She couldn’t blame him for being tired, even though she felt happier and more energized than she could ever remember.
Juliet stepped into the shower, letting the hot water ease her wonderfully sore body. She hadn’t known sex could be like that. But had it been the same for Jake? Had he felt what she did? Deep down, she knew she needed to stay guarded. Jake didn’t do relationships. And maybe she didn’t really have such strong feelings for him. After all, it had been a pretty emotional day.
Closing her eyes with a sigh, Juliet reminded herself that once she testified and the current danger disappeared, so would Jake––back to his own life. She’d been the one to initiate things, not him. So she had no reason to expect that he wanted anything from her beyond some fun when she offered it.
Hearing a noise, her eyes flew open and she let out a scream as someone opened the bathroom door. Jake held up his hands as if in surrender.
“Holy shit, you scared me!”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to.”
Ridiculously, she felt the need to cover herself as Jake scrutinized her through the glass shower door. He had touched and tasted every inch of her, but showering was personal. Wasn’t it?
“Damn, you look good wet.” He stepped into the shower to join her.
“What are you doing?”
“I have to get clean too, don’t I? I’m being environmentally conscious. You know, trying to save water and all.”
“Uh huh.”
He wrapped his arms around her. “Besides, you’re injured.” He gestured at her arm tightly wrapped in a plastic bag. “Won’t this be easier if I help?”
His help made her simple shower take nearly an hour, particularly when she decided to have some fun and “accidentally” dropped the soap. Kneeling to retrieve it, she wrapped her mouth around him.
Tugging her to her feet, he lifted her up and carried her out of the shower, dropping her soaking wet onto the bed. “I knew it was far too early to get up.”
“Definitely,” she agreed, reaching for him.
Her hand fisted in his hair, pulling him toward her with a confidence she’d never felt before. With no restraint this time, Jake immediately took her breast in his mouth. Sensations slammed into her, and she arched off the bed in delight. His hands and mouth roamed her body as though he had to sample and savor all of her.
The moment he entered her, an orgasm slammed through her. Jake filled her so exquisitely she couldn’t stop herself from crying out. But she felt far too good to be embarrassed by the wildness of her response: a first for her. Jake followed a moment later, fusing his mouth with hers as he let go.
“Wow.” He breathed raggedly, staring down at her. “I didn’t think I could possibly come again after all those times last night. But damn if you don’t have a knack for proving me wrong.
She laughed, arching up to kiss him again. Jake accepted her playful lips then deepened the moment, stroking her hair as his tongue caressed hers. Still inside her, he pulled her close against him.
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” he promised.
Juliet started to smile, but the solemnity on his face stopped her. “Really?”
The corners of his mouth turned up as he touched her face. “Really.”
He leaned down to kiss her again, but a harsh knock at the door shattered the mood.
Jake swore loudly.
“At least the interruption came after we were done this time,” Juliet pointed out. It didn’t seem to improve Jake’s mood in the slightest. “We could ignore it.”
Jake shook his head. “It’s probably the detectives about last night.”
Juliet dove under the covers as Jake stomped to the bathroom to snatch a robe off the hook on the door.
****
Detective Harris and Michael Wetherby stood in the hallway, waiting expectantly. “Special Agent Parker, thank you for taking charge last night and getting Miss Morris to safety. It’s much appreciated.”
“Cut the crap, Wetherby. Where the hell were you?”
Wetherby’s affable smile slipped a notch. “I’m truly sorry for what happened to Miss Morris. I should have gotten her into protective custody immediately instead of heeding her request to go home. May I speak to her?”
“She just woke up. Why don’t we meet you in the restaurant in a few minutes? You can order us some coffee.”
Wetherby nodded. His obvious sincerity mollified Jake’s temper. He knew m
ost of his anger over Juliet almost getting killed was directed entirely back at him. If he’d been paying closer attention instead of trying to get into her pants, maybe he could have done something more to prevent the fire, or at least he could have run outside once he heard the car to catch a license plate or something. Seeing Wetherby brought back home how much danger Juliet could still face. He had to be an FBI agent for her, and stop acting like a horny teenager with no control over his hormones.
One look at Juliet’s face squelched the last of his amorous mood and brought his guilt slamming home. Her face appeared too pale, probably from her injury and sleepless night, another thing for which he could only blame himself.
“What do you think they want?”
“Probably just to go over your testimony again. Wetherby will want to ask you more detailed questions about last night.”
Juliet picked up her filthy outfit with a forlorn look. They had driven straight from the fire to the hotel so they had nothing to wear but their soot-covered clothes.
Jake helped her get dressed, struggling to keep his arousal in check as his fingers brushed against her body. Exhaling slowly, he forced himself to stay in FBI mode, moving deliberately away from Juliet as they headed down the hallway.
Some patrons stared at the filthy newcomers as they made their way through the maze of tables. Jake studiously ignored them. As requested, Wetherby had ordered them all coffee along with a platter of pastries. The pallor of Juliet’s face announced like a flashing neon sign how anxious all of this made her. He’d promised himself he’d move things back onto professional ground with Juliet, but surely he would offer comfort to a nervous witness. With a nod to himself at that rationale, he reached over and took her hand. Yet the moment they touched, he quickly gave her hand a squeeze then let go, jerking his arm back to his side. Touching her no longer felt as simple as it had yesterday.
“Miss Morris,” Wetherby began, “I’m so sorry for everything you went through last night. I should never have allowed you to return home.”
“It’s not your fault. I wanted to. And you can call me Juliet, please.”