by J. M. Madden
As soon as he could, he slipped away. The details of Logan’s family had lingered with him, and he wanted to at least do a preliminary search before he went home. Tonight, they would be at the dinner and if he didn’t do it now, it wouldn’t get looked at until tomorrow.
Shannon came into the office as he slid behind his desk, and he smiled. Looking at her always made him smile, no matter the mood he was in.
“Are you back to looking for Logan’s family?” she asked, moving to hover over his shoulder. She rested her other hand on his back.
“I haven’t gotten that far, but yes.”
John logged into his computer and started pulling up some of the sites he frequented to dig up dirt.
“I’m not going to lie, John,” Shannon said softly, “I feel for Logan. And I worry that if we don’t find him something, he’s going to do something drastic.”
He looked up at her sharply. “What do you mean?”
She shrugged. “Just some of the things he’s said makes me think... well, I think he’s thinking about suicide. This seems like some kind of checklist he’s going through to let himself go. Some kind of bucket list, almost.”
John blinked, looking back at the keyboard. The thought had occurred to him as well, though maybe not as clearly. There was something a little... lost about Logan. He felt a little sick as he wondered if John was helping him check off the list. “Well, maybe we can find him something to live for. Give me a little time and we’ll go get the boys.”
Shannon leaned down and nuzzled him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “I’ll be out at my desk. I love you.”
“I love you too, babe.”
He watched as she exited the office. Hopefully something would pop out at him to give him a direction, because he hadn’t seen it earlier. It sounded like Logan needed some kind of connection.
An hour later he wanted to punch the keyboard in frustration. Nothing was coming out right. He’d done property searches and death searches, searched the genealogy websites, and tapped into a somewhat shady database. All to no avail. He didn't have enough information to engage the background check services he normally used, so he would have to hope he happened across something random. Actually, he needed to interview Logan again. Maybe they could invite him to the dinner. He wasn’t part of LNF, but he was a vet alone in a town he didn’t know anything about.
When he texted Duncan, his partner agreed immediately.
I would have suggested it myself if I had known. A lot going on today.
Definitely. Thanks. Hey, Shannon and I are peeling out early. She’s dying to see the kids.
No problem. See you at dinner?
Absolutely!
Shannon grinned when he rolled into her reception area and snatched up her bag and coat. With a wave at the lingering men, they climbed onto the elevator.
“I feel like we’re skipping school,” she whispered.
John chuckled, loving the bright shine of her eyes. It made the disappointment he’d been fighting with the Logan search fade away. They had a few precious hours to savor together before they had to be at the dinner.
The boys were overjoyed, of course, to see their mother. Wyatt bounced up and down in her arms, but Caden curled up against her and pressed his face into her neck. Caden had always preferred his mother’s arms, and there were no substitutions.
John wondered what would happen if they added another baby to the mix. Somebody would be mad. Displaced.
They packed the boys into the truck and headed for home. Shannon was twisted around in the seat as far as her seatbelt would allow talking to the boys and listening to their gibberish. It was adorable. John could decipher a fraction of what they were saying. Shannon seemed to be able to understand even the smallest of sounds. He knew she was guessing as much as he was, she just made it more believable.
When they got home, Shannon unloaded the boys to the driveway, then reached into the back for her suitcase. Caden stuck close to his mother and tried to help her with the bag. He was more of a hindrance than a help, of course, but Shannon still let him. John guided Wyatt ahead of him and unlocked the front door, shooing the boy in before he rolled into the room. They left the door open for Shannon and Caden to bring her bag in.
Carmella met them at the door, the golden flag of her tail waving. She gave Wyatt a long lick up the cheek, sending him into giggles. When Shannon walked in the door, Carmella went crazy. It had been just as long for the dog as it had been the family.
“I love all the love,” Shannon laughed, ruffling the dog’s fur. Then she gave John a critical look. “Or did you not feed her while I was gone?”
John made a face at her. “Do you seriously think I would forget to feed my own dog?”
There was no way in hell he was going to admit that he had, in fact, forgotten. There’d been food in her bowl the first night, but the second night, it had only been when she’d whined that he’d remembered to refill her bowl. He’d done the cats, then, as well.
“When are these kids going to be old enough to pull their own weight?” John huffed, removing Wyatt’s coat. “Is it time to assign them chores, yet?”
Shannon laughed, as he’d wanted her to do. “I’d be happy if they’d just learn to go to the bathroom on their own. We’ll have plenty of time to give them chores.”
Shannon moved through the house, kicking off her high-heeled boots and slipping into a pair of house tennis shoes. The dog and the kids trailed along in her wake, waiting for some scrap of attention. The Pied Piper of the house who doled out loves.
John had a feeling he wouldn’t be getting any personal attention in the near future. And he was pretty much okay with that, although his body was clamoring for some kind of touch. Yes, he’d been touching her ever since they picked her up at the airport, but they had to keep it PG at the office. It was a standing rule. There had been a few close calls in the break room and shower over the past few years. So, Duncan had put out a memo limiting PDA. John, since he was a partner, had been bending that rule a little bit, he admitted, but he and Shannon had never been caught in flagrante delicto.
Wyatt brought him one of his favorite trucks. John played with him for a little while and listened to Wyatt’s chatter. The kid could spin a story, even if John only understood a little bit. It was fascinating listening to the rise and fall of the natural cadence of his words.
“Hungry, Daddy.”
Wyatt held his arms up to John. He gathered the boy against him and rolled into the kitchen. Caden must’ve been hungry too, because Shannon had just given him small cup of goldfish crackers. She handed a second cup to Wyatt, and the boys sat on the floor together, munching and playing.
John caught Shannon’s gaze. There was a soft, hazy expression on her face that was precious to him. It meant she felt like her heart was overflowing with love, and her home was complete. He loved making her feel that way.
And she made him feel that way as well. Yeah, he liked to be the bad ass in the group, but the past few years had really softened his heart. John knew that if Shannon wanted another baby, he doubted he could tell her no. He didn’t necessarily agree with the timing, but he would go with what her heart wanted.
Besides, anything that would get him more sex would be a good thing.
The gods seemed to understand his need because after the boys ate some snacks, they started to get a little drowsy. Shannon slid a look his way, her eyes lighting with an internal fire. “I might have a chance to take a shower and get rid of the travel grunge,” she murmured.
“And I might have a chance to make you retake your shower,” John said, grinning.
Shannon grinned as well, and even more important, she didn’t say no. In fact, she quirked one of her brows at him and gave him a sexy little hip wiggle.
John settled onto the couch with the boys and turned on their favorite YouTube kid. Who could have imagined the audience there would be for farm toys breaking down in mud, and phantom hands coming in from off-camera to fix the equipmen
t and get it moving again? The kids could watch hours of this ridiculousness.
Within just a few minutes of settling down to watch the endless videos, both boys were nodding off. John knew that this nap would be a fairly short one, though. Eventually they would wake up and be ready to go again. Trying to plan ahead, he tucked light blankets around each of them and put a toy in front of them. Wyatt got the lion toy. When they woke up they usually did so slowly, playing for a little while before they rolled off the couch and called for them.
One afternoon when he and Shannon had been stealing some time alone, they realized that one of the toys, a hard, plastic lion with four piano keys, always went through the same series of songs when a certain button was pushed. The boys loved the lion, though the songs could drive he and Shannon to the loony bin. It really wasn’t the best sounding machine, tinny and a little off-key, but the kids loved it, Wyatt especially. When they woke from sleep the boys always pressed the button to send it into the musical loop.
It ended up being a great alarm clock for John and Shannon. Or maybe, timer. The loop gave them enough time to get up and take care of their own morning business before they had to go care for the boys. Or, it gave them a warning when they were making love. When they heard the songs start, they knew they had a finite amount of time to get done. Pop Goes The Weasel was the last song on the loop.
Of course. Seemed appropriate.
John chortled as he wondered what the guys at work would think if they knew he made love to Old McDonald, The Wheels on the Bus, and Pop Goes the Weasel.
By the time he made it into the bedroom, Shannon was already stretched out on the bed, towel barely covering her. After having the kids, her breasts had settled into a fullness they hadn’t had before. She worried about the stretch marks, or the slight sag, but John loved every inch of her. Her breasts could make him harden in seconds. And she knew that. It was why she was posed like this, just for him.
“You know it’s harder than hell to get into the bed with a hard-on,” he grumbled, setting his brakes and shifting himself up onto the mattress. Shannon helped him undress, sliding the jeans down his legs and the socks off his feet. John had long ago stopped arguing with her about the help, because it actually helped them both out. If he could be making love five minutes sooner, hell yes, he would let her strip off whatever she wanted to.
Once he was undressed, he rolled onto his side to peer down at her. “You are stunning. I missed you like crazy, and not just because I had to take care of the boys.”
Shannon’s eyes darkened. “I missed you, too. I’m glad I went to the conference, but I missed you desperately. And when the plane was delayed, I about cried. I’m so used to seeing you every day...” She nuzzled at his jaw, running her nails over his chest. “We don’t have long. Between the kids waking from their nap and the dinner, we only have a couple of hours to do everything we want.”
He grinned, cocking a brow at her. “Well, I guess I’d better get going, then...”
Leaning in he kissed her like he’d wanted to all day, without others watching or being nearby. Shannon moaned into his mouth, her breath sweet with her own distinctive flavor. With one hand he traced his fingers down her bare shoulder, down her chest and over her nipple. Nudging the towel away he drifted over her tummy and to the patch of dark curls at the apex of her thighs. With a breathy little sigh, she lifted one knee, a clear invitation. John didn’t need any further urging, his fingertip teasing along the seam of her lips. Shannon had already been thinking about this little interlude, because her own arousal eased the path of his finger inside.
John could have groaned at the feel of her wetness. His dick hardened to the point of pain, but he wanted to, needed to, make sure she was taken care of first. No matter what time constraints they were under. She deserved it and she needed it.
Leaning down to press kisses to her shoulder and chest, he slipped one finger inside her folds, finding her clitoris. Her body tightened around his fingers, a clear indication he was touching her the right way, and he stroked harder. With a breathy sigh her hips surged into his touch, arching in time with his movements.
Lowering his head, he took her lips again, moving with her subtle shifts and grinds. Then he began to vary his touch the way he knew she loved, going deep into her body, then shallower along her clit. Within just a couple of minutes her body began to twitch and quiver.
“Oh, John...”
His own body ached, but pride demanded that he satisfy her first. She had to find pleasure with him, every single time.
And when the orgasm gripped her body in a convulsive spasm, the shared pleasure was almost enough to push him over the edge as well. His cock swelled at the sight and sound and even smell of her pleasure. It was glorious.
It took her a few moments to come back to him, her lashes lifting as she looked up at him and smiled. “That was incredible. But I think I need more.”
“Good,” he chuckled. “I know I do.”
She laughed, swirling her fingernails over the hair of his chest. He shivered, anticipating the pleasure to come. “I want you to ride me,” he whispered.
Immediately, she shifted, going high above him. John rolled to his back, pushing his legs where he needed them. Then Shannon was lifting her own long, sleek thigh over his hips. No matter how many times they did this, he cherished the sight. She was a beautiful woman, and he was proud and humble that she had chosen him as her life partner. He never would have imagined he would be good enough for her and every day he tried to be the best man he could be, for her.
Because this is what he got in return; a hot woman who craved his battered, broken body and found something to love about him.
Holding her softly rounded hips in his hands, he guided her onto his cock. “Fuck,” he breathed as she sank down onto him. Her damp hair hung to the side, just brushing her breast. She felt so damn good. He adjusted his own hips on the bed, then pulled her close. He loved feeling the cushion of her breasts against his chest and looking down to see the depth of her cleavage.
“You are such a great piece of ass,” he murmured, teasing her in for a kiss.
Shannon giggled. “Thank you for the compliment. Your peepee is pretty nice as well,” she breathed.
“My big peepee,” he corrected, drawing her hips tight to his own. They both gasped, finding that sweet, sweet position that they both loved.
Then Shannon went still, her head cocked toward the door. “What the hell...I think the kids are awake,” she breathed. “I hear Old McDonald. Damn it.”
Fuck... John focused on the feel of her body gripping his. They were on a deadline now, and she hadn’t had her second orgasm. They started moving, each of them aware that their little interlude could be derailed at any moment. The door was shut, of course, but... Shannon sat up on his hips and her head fell back as she rode him, her breasts swaying and her fingers tightening on his chest spasmodically. She knew that he wouldn’t come until she did again.
The Wheels on the Bus started to play. There were only three more short songs.
Shannon reached down and rubbed her clit as she rocked on him, and John could feel the beginning of her orgasm. Her grip on his cock tightened, and she began to moan. His own release was climbing, fast, and he prayed that she would get there quick, because he was holding his release back, deliberately not hitting that perfect spot. Then she was there, giving that sweet, high keen she had as pleasure overwhelmed her. She cried out and slammed down onto him, and John shifted that tiny little bit to find his release. He jacked up into her, his body no longer under his control, and let the pleasure take him. The final strains of Pop Goes the Weasel drifted through the house, and Shannon disintegrated into giggles.
7
Logan snapped awake, his legs throbbing. Glancing around the room, he tried to figure out what time it was. A shaft of sunlight streamed across the bed, obliterating his vision. The alarm clock sat just beyond the light. Curling into a sitting position, he breathed through the pain.
Obviously, he’d slept through his last dose of pain medication.
Lowering his legs to the floor, he wiggled his toes, trying to get the circulation running again. Finally, he was able to see the alarm clock. 603 pm. Marigold had dropped him off a couple of hours ago, and he must’ve immediately crashed.
Whatever. He could always use a nap, considering he barely slept through the night. Ever.
Feeling like his legs had recovered, he pushed to his feet and staggered to the bathroom. When he returned, he sank into the office chair and turned to face the plate glass window.
The jagged, snow-capped mountain skyline called to him. As they’d driven into the city earlier it had drawn his attention over and over again. Something about it appealed to his sense of alone-ness. From here there was no way he could see people on the mountain range, and it was easy to imagine he was the only one around. If he looked down, he could see the moving traffic and even some people on the sidewalks below, but the mountains called to him. Since this trip was open-ended, maybe he would take some time to explore those mountains.
Then reality crashed in and he looked down at his legs. Maybe not.
Before he joined the Army, he’d been an active kid. School had held no appeal to him, but he’d gotten through it. If he’d had his way, he would’ve stayed in Virginia tinkering on cars and hanging out with his buddies at night. Eventually he’d realized that he wasn’t going to be satisfied staying in the same neighborhood and doing the same things. He wanted more. More than just spinning his wheels in the same town he’d grown up in and avoiding his home life. Any time he’d gotten a few bucks in his pocket, he’d traveled. No great distances or anything, sometimes just to the next state to see what he could see. The Army had seemed like a great choice to let him see some of the country and get paid. His father hadn’t been happy about that, but the older he’d gotten, the less Logan had cared what his drug-addicted, abusive father said. Then one day his father had told him he would absolutely not be joining the Army. Period. Not after the way they’d treated him. Unfortunately, Chris had never learned that Logan very often did the opposite of what he demanded just to be contrary.