Meeks parted Francine’s legs with his knees and slowly entered her, stopping long enough to allow her body to accommodate his size.
* * *
Francine felt complete as she wrapped her legs around his waist, as if a missing part of her was finally being returned. Meeks caressed her face, brushing away tears she hadn’t realized she’d shed. He kissed her feverishly as he began to move in and out of her; the natural pace just seemed to set itself. Meeks increased the pressure and the speed, and his rapid movements began to lift Francine off the bed. She wrapped her legs tighter around his waist.
Francine knew her enthusiastic responses to his actions made Meeks want to please her that much more.
“I adore you...and now, you’re finally mine,” Meeks said as he stared into Francine’s eyes. He thrust deeply, and her body trembled with another orgasm. Meeks stayed with her, slowing his pace until she had another before he finally took his own release, fast and hard, a climax so intense he was making sounds that might’ve been foreign even to him.
Francine dropped her legs, and Meeks joined her on the bed where they both lay spent and breathing hard.
“You all right, baby? I was a little focused there at the end.”
“Yes...you...were,” she said, still trying to catch her breath. “Talk about a man on a mission.”
They both laughed. “Yeah...sorry about that. I’d planned something a little more slow and romantic for tonight—a little less passion,” Meeks said.
“Why, afraid I’d think you only wanted me for my body?” Francine asked.
“Exactly,” Meeks said, smiling. “But when you walked through my door, everything seemed to disappear from my mind. I just couldn’t help myself.” Meeks rolled to his side and sat up on his elbow. “I wasn’t sure I’d make it through dinner. I knew I had to have you.”
Francine smiled up at him. “You’re amazing, you know that?”
“So you say. I’ll be right back after I take care of this,” he said, gesturing at the condom.
Meeks returned to the bedroom to find that Francine had moved up on the bed and was lying on her stomach, half covered with the sheet, hugging the pillow and facing him. While she had the look of a very satisfied woman, she also looked like a woman in love. Her eyes were shuttered closed and Meeks wondered if the love he was seeing was real or wishful thinking. He definitely needed to find out.
He lay next to Francine and kissed her lightly on the lips. A slow, lazy smile spread across her face while her eyes remained closed. Meeks released a satisfied sigh, closed his eyes and joined Francine in his own blissful sleep.
Chapter 18
After thirty minutes in the shower with Meeks, experiencing the most sensual body wash and shampoo of her life—she just knew the man had magical hands—Francine dried herself off, wrapped her hair in a towel and dressed in one of his T-shirts. She laughed at the fact that she now had to go commando because Meeks had wanted her so bad that he’d ripped her panties right off. The thought sent another tingle down her spine.
Francine made her way from the bedroom and into the kitchen.
“Morning,” she said, smiling at the sight before her.
Meeks had left the shower first to get breakfast started. Dressed in low-riding drawstring sweatpants and a white T-shirt, he was standing over the stove scrambling eggs.
“Have a seat, beautiful. I have everything under control,” Meeks said. He reached for the carafe of juice he’d already pulled out of the refrigerator and filled two glasses.
“I can see that,” she said, taking a seat at the bar. “I feel weird sitting here with no underwear on, thanks to you.”
Meeks’s eyes twinkled with mischief. A wicked smile spread across his face, and his gaze lowered to her thighs.
Francine slowly shook her head. “Don’t even think about it.”
Meeks laughed, handed a glass to Francine and raised his. “To us.”
She raised her glass and nodded her salute before taking a sip.
They spent the next thirty minutes enjoying breakfast while discussing the latest political hot topics and debating the need for so many of the same type of reality TV shows. After clearing away the dishes and cleaning the kitchen together, Francine and Meeks relaxed on the sofa while searching through the Saturday morning TV cartoon choices.
* * *
Meeks sighed with satisfaction. He knew that having Francine with him like this, sharing meals and chores and ultimately ending up in his bed every night, was how he wanted to spend each day moving forward. He’d let nothing, not even her, stop that from happening.
He raised their intertwined hands and kissed them again. “I know this probably isn’t the best time to tell you this but...” He paused, weighing his words. “But I love you. Francine, I’m in love with you... I have been since we were kids, and I hope like hell you love me, too.”
Francine remained silent, but her whole body began to tremble. She offered a wordless nod because her lips parted, then closed, then parted again.
A wide smile spread across Meeks’s face. He pulled his hands free from hers and cupped her face. He used the pads of his thumbs to wipe away tears, then kissed each eye, her nose and her lips. “I’ll take that to mean you love me, too,” he said, smiling.
“Yes...yes, I love you, too,” Francine said after finally finding her voice. Her arms circled his neck, and she kissed him passionately.
Meeks’s heart soared at this realization, and in that moment, everything else just seemed to fade away—the past, the fighting and, surprisingly, the job.
He reached in between the sofa’s cushions and pulled out two packs of condoms. “Oh, a sofa with its own supply of condoms. Nice,” Francine said as they both laughed.
In what seemed like one fluid movement Meeks took Francine’s shirt off, sat back against the sofa and pulled her leg across his lap so she was straddling him, riding him to a wave of pleasure that went on for what seemed like an eternity.
Only later, when they were sated and she was curled in his arms, did he notice it. “Shit... Francine, the condom broke,” Meeks said, his voice slightly higher than normal.
Francine sighed and her eyes widened.
“Look, baby, you don’t have anything to worry about. I’m healthy, and I’m sure you are too, so...”
“Yes, I am,” Francine said before he could finish his next thought.
“So I guess the only thing we need to worry about is the possibility of pregnancy. That is, unless you’re on the pill or something.”
“No, not anymore. After I got...hurt...”
“You mean after you got shot,” Meeks corrected, frowning.
* * *
Francine’s whole body tensed at his reaction. It was clear that Meeks was remembering that day. She reached up and smoothed out the lines on his forehead and gave him a quick kiss on his lips.
She watched as his shoulders dropped and his body relaxed.
“I got off track, and since I wasn’t seeing anyone...” Francine gave a nonchalant shrug “...I didn’t worry about starting up again. It’s the wrong time anyway. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“Well, if you’re not worried, I’m not worried,” Meeks said, staring in her eyes and brushing her hair off her shoulder. “Besides, knocking you up wouldn’t upset me in the least...not one bit.”
Staying at home barefoot and pregnant, waiting for your man to come home every day, just doesn’t seem like it’s your style. Jasmine’s words echoed in her mind, and for a minute, Francine froze. You’re just as strong and independent as I am. At least, from everything I’ve heard. Francine loved Meeks, but she still wasn’t ready to give up her whole life for him. They needed to talk.
Meeks started kissing Francine’s neck and collarbone, and she knew she had to stop him before she
couldn’t think, let alone talk. But before she could speak, he took her mouth with such possession that she flowed into him and let him take her on another journey. Important conversations would have to wait.
* * *
In fact, serious conversations of any type were put on hold. Spending a quiet weekend with Francine only confirmed to Meeks that he was doing the right thing in regards to how he planned to handle Tiffany’s case, as well as get the company out of the celebrity personal protection business. They were an international security firm for Fortune 500 companies around the world that held patents on state-of-the-art security systems. Once their latest patent—based on some of Frank Blake’s old designs, which Robert had modernized—was approved, financially, their company would be in another stratosphere. They didn’t need to cater to celebrities.
Before he could put his plan into action, Meeks saw Francine crossing the office floor, headed to the agency’s elevators and wearing the standard company uniform with her gun belt on her hip, diamond cross necklace around her neck and tracking watch on her wrist. Meeks knew this could only mean that she was planning to go work on Tiffany’s case, and he knew he had to put a stop to the nonsense immediately.
He caught up to Francine just before she made it to the elevators.
“Why are you dressed like that?” Meeks asked, frowning and looking her over head to toe. “And where are you going?”
Francine looked around her before responding. “Well, it is Monday morning, and I’m working, hence the outfit,” she said through visibly gritted teeth, clearly keeping in mind that they were in a public area as she gestured at her clothes with her hands. “And if you must know, I’m going to Tiffany’s place to check on the newly installed security system.”
“No, you’re not. I thought we cleared this up over breakfast this morning. I’m operations,” Meeks said, pointing to himself first and then back to Francine, “and you’re administration,” he continued sarcastically, not caring about where they stood.
“Like ‘you Tarzan, me Jane’?” Francine put her hands on her hips and glared up at him.
“What?”
“Never mind...look, you said I needed to stay away from Tiffany’s case and let you handle it, and I disagreed,” she clarified, reaching for the down button only to have her target blocked by Meeks’s body.
“Cine—”
Francine held up her right hand, then crossed her arms. “We’re not doing this again, and we’re certainly not doing it here.”
Meeks sighed. “Okay, look, we... I know how capable you are, but we have a team of extremely talented people, most of whom you’ve helped to train and develop, whose sole job is to do what you’re about to go do. Hell, we’re even stuck with Jasmine, who’d happily take the lead on things. Personal issues aside, she’s damn good at her job, and I should know since I was her mentor and even trained her on a few things.”
Francine sighed and dropped her arms.
“Why don’t we both just let them do their jobs while we do ours? Besides, if you have a couple of hours to blow, I can think of a much nicer way to spend it than crawling around in a hot attic checking on a security system we both know was installed correctly.” Meeks smiled and winked as he took a couple of steps toward her.
Francine looked around again, as if to confirm that they were providing entertainment for their staff.
“Well, since you put it like that.” Francine moved around Meeks and pushed the up button. The doors opened immediately. She walked into the elevator and said, “You coming?”
He smirked and followed behind her. As the doors closed he whispered, “Soon enough.”
As soon as the doors reopened to their floor, Meeks exited the elevator carrying Francine. He had them in her apartment, in her bedroom and undressed with him wearing protection in record time. Meeks reached for Francine’s ankles and gently pulled her to the edge of the bed. He wrapped her legs around his waist, grabbed her hips and raised her butt up off the bed. In one powerful thrust, he was buried deep inside her. He took her hard and fast; only this time he pulled back before he sent them both over the edge.
“Please, baby... I need...please,” Francine cried as her legs tightened around his waist.
“No, baby...not yet. We’ve only just begun.”
“Yes, now! Meeks...please,” she cried as she arched her back and swiveled her hips faster and faster. Meeks could see how determined Francine was not only to take her own pleasure again, but to make sure he took his, too.
Surrendering to her will, Meeks followed her lead until finally he couldn’t hold himself back any longer. Her inner walls gripped him just before she screamed out his name. He followed with his own release.
Meeks collapsed on top of Francine. “Sorry, Cine,” he said between breaths. “You...all right?”
“Sorry? For what?”
“That last time was a little bit...rough,” he said as he rolled onto his back.
Francine laughed. “Yeah, I’m fine. You know me, Meeks. I’m not made of glass. I’m pretty strong.”
Meeks held her gaze as he marveled at the strength she showed every day, succeeding in a male-dominated field, the fierce way she fought for the things she believed in and the unconditional love she had for her family. He pulled her into his arms. “I know you are,” he said as he kissed her temple.
“What time is it?”
Meeks checked his cell phone that was on her nightstand. “Almost noon.”
“If we don’t get out of this bed, we’ll never get anything else done today,” Francine said.
“Lunch before we get back to work?” he asked.
“Sure, I’ll make a chicken salad. Feel free to shower first.”
Meeks gave Francine a quick peck on the lips, got up and made his way to the bathroom.
In the shower, he looked at all the delicate bath products that surrounded him. They all screamed Francine, and he quickly realized that deciding to shower at her place before going to conduct a team meeting with twenty men was a mistake. But leaving now with the scent of sex all over him would be an even bigger one.
Meeks took another look around, opened the door and yelled, “Cine! Do you not have anything in here that doesn’t smell like a girl?”
Francine walked into the bathroom laughing. She held out a bar of plain white soap and an unopened shaving kit set. “Here, maybe this would be better,” she said, handing him the scent-free soap.
A shaving kit and men’s deodorant. “Why do you have these?” he asked.
“This is a leftover from last year’s team gift for the guys. If you paid closer attention to what we give out, you’d know that.”
“Bless you,” Meeks said before giving her a not-so-quick kiss. “Care to join me?” he asked.
Before Francine could respond, Meeks had grabbed a condom from the bathroom drawer, pulled off her robe, drawn her into the shower, propped her against the wall and was inside her.
“But what about lunch?” she protested.
“You are lunch!”
Francine held on for the ride as Meeks took the idea of showering together to a whole new level.
Chapter 19
Nearly five weeks had passed and Francine still hadn’t had a chance—or more accurately, had not found the nerve—to talk to Meeks about their relationship and where he saw things going. There hadn’t been any additional word or sightings from Tiffany’s stalker since they’d agreed that, because Jasmine had been forced on them, they should utilize her skills. They decided to let her and their team take the lead on Tiffany’s case. Francine realized that taking a small step back and relinquishing some control didn’t mean she was giving up, or worse, giving in. Besides, she knew Farrah would keep her apprised of anything she felt Francine needed to know.
Things had been going so well between M
eeks and Francine that she thought maybe she had no reason to be too concerned about his tendency to try to control everything, including her. During the day Meeks tried not to interfere with her work or her schedule, and they spent their evenings together at either his place or hers. Francine was feeling more comfortable with her decision not to have “the talk” with him and dissect their relationship. That is, until she read an incident report on Tiffany’s case that she had never seen before.
The phrase that most stood out to her in the report read: “Still no sign of Jergens, but extra security for the photo shoot is in place. Blood on flowers confirmed to be that of suspect Lee Jergens, as were the prints on the bottle of perfume.”
“What the hell?” she said, scanning the document a second time.
Francine looked at the report again and realized that the incident report was sent to her in error. It was meant for Meeks’s eyes only. This was a follow-up to several others that he’d already received and failed to mention to her.
“Damn you, Meeks!” Francine yelled. She picked up her phone and dialed her sister. “Farrah, can you step into my office when you get a second?”
Francine sat, drumming her fingers on her desk, as she waited for her sister’s response.
“Sure, I’ll be there in a few. You okay?” Farrah asked.
“No... I’m not okay,” Francine said and disconnected the call. “So much for not interfering in my work,” she said as she reread the report.
Francine turned to her computer and after doing a little digging, she retrieved all the reports she’d obviously missed from the company’s central database and began to read. The most surprising and hurtful thing was the fact that Meeks was still on the case. He was leading things from afar.
Francine looked up the moment Farrah walked in. Farrah froze when she saw the priority case file on Francine’s desk and quickly shifted her gaze to the floor before turning to close the door. That was all the confirmation Francine needed. Her sister was also in on the plan to keep her out of the loop.
Farrah sat in the chair across from her sister’s desk. “What’s up, Cine?” she asked, crossing her legs and resting her forearms on the chair.
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