by Ranae Rose
He paid more attention to Lucia than the food. She was so gorgeous – inside and out. He didn’t know what he’d done to deserve her, but hell, he wasn’t complaining.
Over a decade of police work had turned him into someone who relied heavily on gut feelings – those, and caution, were the unofficial currency of law enforcement. It had also left him somewhat cynical. And he couldn’t deny that when he was around Lucia, it just felt … right.
There was a difference between something feeling good and feeling right. This – what he’d started with her – was both.
It’d never been that way with Amber, Paige’s mother. It’d never been that way with anyone else at all.
“I wonder,” Lucia said, “if Paige would have any interest in pursuing swimming competitively, or maybe taking a class at the aquatic center just for fun. She has a knack for moving in the water.”
“I’ll ask her,” he said without pausing to mull it over.
Lucia was good for him. Good for Paige. He knew it instinctively. There was no danger of him deciding otherwise, only the danger of Lucia realizing she was too good for him.
And as much as he hated to admit it, that was largely beyond his control. All he could do was be as good for her as he knew how to be. It’d either be enough, or it wouldn’t.
He was fully aware that last time he’d been in a relationship, he hadn’t been enough.
Maybe this time would be different. He wanted it to be – wanted it more than he’d realized he was capable of wanting anything, anymore.
* * * * *
“That was a nice date,” Lucia said, blinking through a light, lingering wine haze. “Like something out of a movie: dinner and a long walk on the beach, moonlight and all.”
Jeremy guided her inside her house with a hand against the small of her back. “Just nice?”
In sharp contrast to his usual seriousness, his tone was teasing.
Hearing it made her heart rise up in her chest, buoyant and giddy, as she laughed.
She’d had the catch of the day and three glasses of wine. Jeremy had played the gentleman, paying for everything even though she hadn’t expected him to.
She’d make it up to him later. For now, all she could think of was one specific way in which she could make him very, very happy.
“Take it easy,” he said, locking the deadbolt as she gripped the front of his shirt, “or you’ll spend half the night sewing buttons back onto my clothes again.”
That sparked another giggle. “I feel bad for making you be the designated driver. Let me make you a drink.”
“Don’t feel bad. I never drink when I’m out, anyway.”
“Well…” She eyed the freezer, where she kept a couple half-empty bottles of liquor. The last time she’d used them had been two months ago, when she’d had a couple cousins over at her old place for a girls’ movie night in. “You’re not out now. What do you say?”
“I can’t say no to you. If you want another drink, I’ll have one with you.” He gripped her wrist and raised it slowly to his lips, simultaneously locking her in eye contact. “You’ve had three glasses of wine. Not overdoing it, are you?”
His obvious concern hit her like a breaker, leaving her awash in tender amusement. “I’m fine – that was almost two hours ago. But thanks for asking.”
He stroked the small of her back, fingers running slowly up and down her spine. “Whatever you want, then.”
Until they got to the bedroom, anyway. He’d take charge there, she had no doubt. But until then, it was her time to decide what they did.
She took advantage, mixing two Cuba libres. Nothing fancy – just rum and Coke with a hint of lime. It was an easy go-to drink.
“Hope you don’t have anything against rum.” She set them down on the kitchen table, where he joined her.
“I don’t have anything against anything you made for me.” He met her eyes over the glass’ rim as he took a drink.
Watching him sip that Cuba libre sent a frisson straight down her spine, and all of a sudden, taking the time to have cocktails together before heading to the bedroom seemed torturous. What had she been thinking? He was way too irresistible to just stare at from across a table.
But then, forcing herself to wait was winding tension deep in her core, and the tease was bound to be worth it when they finally indulged.
He knew where her bedroom was, of course. When they finished their drinks, he walked her there, guiding her through her own home.
Maybe that should’ve felt odd, but it didn’t. He seemed to belong there just as much as the familiar things she’d brought from Wilmington: her couch, her yellow-painted shaker table, her books, the old family portrait she’d hung on the living room wall…
That was part of his appeal: the way his presence seemed to complete any place, no matter where they were.
She couldn’t quite chalk it up to typical new relationship infatuation, either. He radiated something that appealed to her on a visceral level, something that made her feel content, excited and safe all at once.
It was a strange trinity of emotion, and she liked it.
When they reached the bedroom, he backed her against a wall and placed his hands on either side of her shoulders, as if shielding her from the rest of the world. “Hope your excitement last time didn’t boil down to just the uniform.”
Her heart skipped a beat at the memory of him in head-to-toe black, and when it picked back up, each beat was harder than the last.
“Not just the uniform, no.”
He looked down at his chest. “You can tear the buttons off this shirt, if you like. I’m not in a hurry to wear it again.”
She gripped the front of it, as if she were seriously considering taking him up on the offer.
Before she could move another muscle, he crushed his lips against hers.
His kiss was sure and deep; he broke the seal of her lips immediately and met her open mouth with his.
He tasted good, like spice and lime. But the best part of the kiss was the heat and the sheer force of it – an enthusiasm that let her know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was devoted to her in mind and in body, at least for the moment.
With a man like Jeremy, that was a fantastic feeling.
CHAPTER 15
Lucia knotted her hands in Jeremy’s shirt, trying to pull him close. He was unmoving, though, so she ended up arching against him, pressing the front of her body against his as she tipped her head back against the wall.
A low moan rose from deep in his chest and made her lips tingle.
As the kiss deepened and her head spun, he swept her onto the bed, moving with one arm around her waist and the other in her hair. She half-floated, half-fell and would’ve stumbled if he hadn’t been guiding her.
His casual outfit was softer than his uniform, thinner. When he pressed her down onto the bed, layering his body over hers, she could feel every inch of him beneath the blue shirt and khaki pants. If she’d had any idea how sinfully soft and insubstantial his clothes felt against his hard body, she wouldn’t have been able to keep her hands off him on the beach.
Fingertips tingling, she pressed her palm against the stiff shaft of his cock. She could feel it easily beneath his pants.
He flexed his hips, slow and controlled, burning her palm with deliberate friction.
Her pussy drew tight, taking her by surprise, and she gasped.
He tightened his hold on her hair and kissed her more deeply.
She didn’t rip his buttons off, but it was a near thing. Her fingers slipping as she hurried, she undid his shirt, then pressed her hands against his bare chest.
He was warm to the touch, and she could feel his heart pounding. Its beat contrasted with the air of control he exuded, and it was thrilling to discover that his heart was running away from him – that some part of him was out of his control.
Just how fast could she make it beat?
Widening her thighs, she wrapped her legs around his waist.
He’d obviously noticed – finally pulling his hand from her hair, he slipped it between their bodies and rubbed her clit through the fine black mesh of her panties.
She arched against him, her legs loosening around his body.
It was apparently an opportunity he’d been waiting for. Before she could blink, he hooked his fingers into her panties and pulled, dragging them over her hips.
“Pretty,” he said, holding them up for a moment, wound between his knuckles.
Her breath hitched. She’d put them on for him, knowing they’d end up in his hands. But knowing hadn’t prepared her for the sheer thrill of seeing them caught in his grip while he leaned between her thighs.
She’d been excited, last time. And now she was doubly so: doubly because now she knew for sure that this would end in pleasure that’d light her up from the inside out and leave her glowing all night, even after he was gone.
Not every guy was capable of doing that. Sometimes, sex was just sex: nice while it lasted, but the thrill was over as soon as you climbed out of bed.
Sleeping with Jeremy was an experience on an entirely different level.
She undid his pants button and zipper with a little more grace than she’d managed with his shirt. When he was free, he was hard in her hand for just a second, and then he stepped back.
Frozen by the sight, she watched as he slipped off his open shirt and stripped out of his pants and boxer briefs.
It was the first time she’d seen him fully naked.
For a second, it was all she could do to remember to breathe.
He was lean and hard all over, a masterpiece of slender muscle. Most of his skin was tanned from days at the beach, and dark hair was dusted all the way from his chest to the sexy V of muscle between his hips.
He was hot – startlingly so. As panty-melting as he looked in uniform, he didn’t need it to take her breath away.
Best of all, he looked at her like she left him breathless too. Was it possible that she looked just as good to him as he looked to her?
The possibility heightened her senses and left her nerves buzzing.
“Has anyone ever suggested that the Riley County Sheriff’s Department put out a calendar?” she asked. “You know, as a fundraiser. Just an idea.”
She had no idea what the other deputies looked like, but one month with Jeremy on display would easily make the purchase worth it. With the proceeds, the department could probably buy a fleet of new cruisers.
“You’re the first to suggest it. Personally, I think it’s hard enough to cut it as an authority figure without hawking pin-up photos on the side. Better to leave that to the fire department.”
As if anyone there could possibly hold a candle to Jeremy. It was too bad for Riley County that the sheriff’s department wouldn’t be showcasing their men in uniform anytime soon, but then, that just meant the sight of him was hers alone.
“Guess I can’t complain about keeping this all to myself.”
She nodded at his hard body, her pulse picking up pace.
He leaned in between her thighs again, running the hem of her dress between his thumb and fingers. “I wouldn’t want to share you, either.”
She couldn’t keep a smile from surfacing. “You don’t have to. I’m all yours.”
He had her dress clear of her hips, raised to just below her breasts, in a flat second. She thought he meant to pull it higher, but instead he ducked his head between her thighs.
He wasn’t shy or slow; after a quick kiss against the inside of one leg, he stroked her clit with his tongue.
He ate her pussy like he enjoyed it, like he was in no hurry to quit. And that made it fast – pushed her into one of the quickest orgasms she’d ever succumbed to.
It was pulsing and quick, intense. She couldn’t wait to have another like it, but first she needed to catch her breath.
He made it difficult, pressing his mouth against hers and taking another kiss.
Then he went to her dresser, opened the top drawer and took a condom from the box.
She took advantage of the opportunity to steady her breathing, although she couldn’t slow her heartbeat.
Last time, he’d put her knees on his shoulders and held her tight, defying gravity as he’d fucked her at the edge of the bed, standing the entire time.
This time was different. Without boots on, he could join her on the bed.
Could and did.
Things were different from the start. He was only over her for a second, then he sank down onto his back, pulling her close as he rolled.
She straddled his hips, and he put his hands on hers.
It was a reversal of the first time: him looking up at her, instead of down. The intensity of his gaze had heat smoldering just below her breastbone.
And she stared right back, gaze roving all over his chest and shoulders, all that tanned skin and dark hair. Both were surprisingly soft.
He reached between them, and she expected him to wrap a hand around his cock and press it against her pussy lips. Instead, he touched her clit and then below, teasing.
“Ready?” he asked.
“After that? Of course.”
“Good.” He slipped a finger deeper.
A tremor raced through her, making her body clench. Not only was she ready for him, she was extra sensitive. Coming did that to her, and it made his touch feel even more exquisite than before. The finger he’d buried inside her had her biting her lip and holding her breath.
But it wasn’t enough. Not when she looked down at his dick, straight and thick, fully erect.
She gripped it by the base and guided it to her body, succumbing to temptation and pressing it against her clit.
As she rocked her body against the head of his cock, he moved his hand, plunging deeper, and she moaned.
It felt good, but she couldn’t keep it up for long. It could only be a tease as long as his cock was still outside her.
When she stopped rocking, he withdrew his fingers.
She rose up a little then sank back down, burying him inch by inch, until he was balls-deep and the head of his dick was pressing far inside her, causing an ache and a burst of pleasure at the same time.
In that respect, it was just like last time: he went deep. Went deep and stretched her in a way that intensified the feeling, making her head spin.
At first, it was so overwhelming that her determination to come again wavered. But when he touched her clit, he did it softly enough that she couldn’t help but savor it.
Enjoyment quickly turned to desire, then determination to have what she craved. As he rocked her, her pussy drew tighter and tighter, until she reached another peak.
The best part wasn’t the way he rubbed her clit, or even the way he thrust inside her, deep and deliberate. It was the way he said her name as she tipped her head back and squeezed her eyes shut.
His voice was rough and the hold he still had on one of her hips was tight. Knowing that he enjoyed making her come doubled the pleasure.
“Damn, Lucia.” He gripped her even tighter, and she was aware of the ache in her hip, just like she was aware of the ache deep in her core.
Both brought more pleasure than pain.
When her pussy finally stopped contracting around his shaft, he rolled her over and lay between her thighs, still inside her.
And thrust even harder, burying a hand in her hair and gripping her shoulder with the other. The force of his movements swept directly through her and made the bed shake beneath them.
It didn’t seem like the same bed she spent every night in, alone in the dark and quiet.
When he came, she wrapped her arms tightly around him, holding on with her nails biting into his back.
All that powerful muscle shifting beneath her hands was a good feeling, though not as good as him
coming inside her. They were using a condom, but it still left her feeling close to him on a bone-deep level, even after he pulled out.
He took her by the hand and helped her up, until she was sitting next to him.
Heat burnt in her cheeks and upper chest, a lingering manifestation of the rush he’d given her.
The only thing that tainted the glow of satisfaction was the realization that their date was just about over.
She’d be sorry to see him go.
Maybe it was a little soon for being sorry, but being around him was just that good.
* * * * *
“Thanks for the ride,” Paige said, staring out the passenger side window like she couldn’t wait for Wisteria Plantation to come into sight.
“It’s no problem.” It was only a fifteen minute drive from Magnolia Street, a quick trip through the pine-heavy rural portion of the county. “I only ask one thing in return.”
“What?” Paige shifted her gaze to Lucia, her eyes going wide.
“I want to know if you see anything.”
“What, like ghosts?”
“Uh-huh. Everyone knows this place is supposed to be haunted, but I want to know the truth.”
“Alicia, Kerry and Sasha all say it is.”
“Really?”
“They swear. I think Liam might believe it too, but he won’t talk about it. I bet he saw something.”
“Interesting. Who knows what you might see on the tour then?”
Paige shrugged. “I know some kids at school who’ve gone on the tour, but I don’t think they saw anything. I’ll tell you if I do, though.”
Lucia smiled. “Your grandmother will be picking you up in a couple hours, but you can always come across the street to fill me in.”
“Okay. Hey…”
“Yeah?”
“I was thinking of asking my dad if I can sign up for that swim fitness class you teach.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. It’s every week, right?”
“Tuesdays and Thursdays. You don’t have to come to both days though if you can’t make it. It’d be great if you signed up – I think you’d love it.”