Absolution

by Reana Malori

  Julian took a deep breath, never taking his eyes from her face. “Answering a call about a kid is tough. I’ve been at this for twelve years, and those calls still hit me the hardest. Seeing your little man lying here, it’s tough.” Julian then looked her up and down, and her face heated from the blatant appraisal. “When it’s quiet at night, and the sirens have stopped, I think of you. Of what you’re going through. The way you felt when you saw your little Morgan lying there on the concrete.” Julian sighed deeply, “I think about you all the time. You don’t know me very well, but I want you to.”

  She interrupted him. “What does that mean?” The temptation was there, beating at her chest and other parts of her body. If she didn’t have Morgan to think about, she would have already accepted the invitation burning in his gaze. She’d been to this rodeo before, and she could see the desire reflected in his eyes. He wanted her, and she wanted him just as much. But she had responsibilities, and the primary one was lying in a bed three times bigger than his entire body.

  “It means exactly how it sounds. I would like to know you better. I want to see you smile more. I want to be there and watch as little Morgan gets better and goes home one day soon. And when you’re ready, I’d like to take you out to dinner. See you in a pretty dress, looking even more beautiful than you already are. That’s what it means.”

  Hyperventilating? Yup, she was losing her breath right here and now. Who was this man? And why did she feel such a pull to him? His words were honest, which she appreciated, but she was still nervous about taking him up on his offer. This was only the second time they’d seen each other, yet he made his interest known. Could she be honest with herself and admit the same? “How about we just see how things go?” She looked around, motioning with her hand. “I have quite a bit going on right now, and my focus has to be on Morgan.”

  A half-smile came over his face as he looked at her. “Yeah, I understand that. I don’t want to push you or anything, but I would like to be here with you as you sit with him.” He looked down at his watch. “I’m off for the rest of the day. My partner agreed to return the truck to our station. Unless you have other plans, I’d like to get started on that whole getting to know each other part of the deal.”

  Kori smiled at the light feeling passing through her from his words. She had a feeling everything was going to be okay. That her baby just needed to take a few more days to heal, and then he’d be coming home soon. It was what she needed to believe so she could continue living and breathing each day. There was no other option. Glancing at Julian, she gave him a small smile. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Well. Are you hungry?”

  “Starving. You may not realize this, but hospital food is shit,” she said with a small laugh.

  Julian laughed himself, nodding at her words. “Yes, it sure as hell is. Have a seat. I’ll be back with something good. Any preferences? Allergies?”

  She shook her head, a smile hovering on her lips. “No. I’m good with whatever you pick.” He winked at her, flashing a sexy smile in her direction before exiting the room. Kori could admit, it felt good to have a normal conversation with a handsome man who was interested in her.

  Grabbing Morgan’s tiny hand, she stared down at her son lying in that huge, sterile bed. This wasn’t fair. He should not be here. Tears fell from her eyes as she willed her baby boy to wake up. Kori wanted to see those light brown eyes looking up at her, and that gap-toothed smile brightening up her day. Lowering her head, she sent up a silent prayer. Kori wasn’t an overly religious woman, but she believed that someone up there was listening. But if this is what it took to bring her baby back to her, then she’d do it every day and twice on Sunday.

  Twenty minutes later, Julian returned to the room. Two bags of food and a couple of drinks in his hand. The smell of juicy burgers and salty fries wafted in the air, and she closed her eyes in anticipation. Her stomach growled, and Kori dipped her head in embarrassment. “If you can’t tell, I haven’t been eating very well these last few days.”

  “Then I’m glad to be of service. Come on, let’s eat. If you pass out from hunger, you won’t be able to take care of Morgan. Especially if you’re wasting away from this crappy hospital food. And to be honest, I like you just the way you are.”

  Kori stood at Morgan's side, kissing his forehead before walking over to the small table where Julian had laid out their food. “Won’t we get in trouble for this? How did you get this food in here, anyway?”

  He winked, motioning for her to sit down. “Don’t worry about that. I have my ways.”

  Once they settled down to eat, Kori took a bite and closed her eyes at the flavors. “So good,” she moaned. Opening her eyes, she saw Julian watching, his gaze focused on her like a predator hunting its prey. Oh. My. Damn.

  At that moment, it wasn’t fear that rolled through her body. Oh no, it was pure, raw, burning desire. Taking a sip of her soda to cool her insides, she wiped her mouth with a napkin. “Are you going to eat?” She asked him.

  “Is that an invitation?” He quipped.

  Her gaze went wide at the innuendo, and she lost her voice for a second. “I meant, are you going to eat your burger?”

  Julian took a bite of his burger before taking a swallow of his soda before smirking at her. “Sure, you did.”

  Kori needed to take this time to get to know him. That’s what this little impromptu meal was about, right? Eyeing him as he ate his food, a smile still on his face as he stared at her, Kori shook her head. Oh, he was going to be trouble. “Why don’t you tell me about you. What makes Julian tick?”

  Wiping his mouth, he sat back and paused. “You really want to know?”

  “I do.” She nodded. Kori hoped whatever she discovered was worth the risk of taking a chance.

  THREE

  Julian

  Strolling into the hospital more than a week later, Julian couldn’t help but smile as he made his way down the sterile hallway. Morgan was finally going home today. He’d woken up the day after Julian’s first visit, the same day he’d brought burgers and fries for Kori. When he’d walked in that day, seeing her all by herself, sitting next to her small son, it made him want to hurt the man who’d done this to their little family. No mother deserved to have their child laid up in a hospital with wires all over their body.

  From that moment forward, Julian wanted to be by her side. There wasn’t a day that passed when he hadn’t checked on them. If he were at the station and couldn’t make it in person, he called. Hearing her voice wasn’t the same as seeing her beautiful face, but he had to make it work.

  His desire to know Kori better was bordering on the unhealthy. Julian also knew he was too far gone to pull back now. He wanted to protect her, take care of her, and make sure she and Morgan were safe. His arms were big enough to hold them both comfortably, all he needed them to do was walk into his embrace.

  These past few days with Kori and Morgan had been everything he’d hoped for. He’d shared things with Kori that had been locked away inside for too long. About his career, the expectations he placed on himself, and his childhood growing up. They discussed quite a few things, all except the one part of his past he wasn’t prepared to share right now. If he opened the door to that conversation, he knew she’d have questions. Julian wasn’t ready to go down that road yet. Dealing with that discussion would have to come later because he knew she’d have questions he wasn’t ready to answer.

  His family still gave him enough shit about what happened to last a lifetime. He didn’t need Kori doing the same.

  Opening the room door, he was met with smiles all around from the people lingering around the space.

  Not only were Kori and Morgan beaming at him, but so were Kori’s parents and her younger sister Janice. He’d met each of them over the past few days, getting to know each person as he tried to show Kori that he was worth having around. They were all good people, especially her parents. Janice, on the other hand, well t
hat little spitfire still had him confused. Then again, it wasn’t her that he was most concerned with.

  “Hi, Julian.” Morgan exuberantly called out as he walked through the door. “I’m going home today!”

  Julian walked up to Morgan, giving him a fist bump. “Hey, buddy. I did know that. And guess what?”

  “What?”

  He smiled at the toothless grin Morgan gave him. “I’m the one who gets to take you and your mom home.”

  “Yes,” Morgan said with glee, closing his fists and pumping his arm. “Are you ready to go, Mom?” he asked Kori. “I’m ready to go home. Oh, can we have pepperoni pizza today?”

  “We’ll see. First, we need to get your doctor in here so we can break outta this place,” she responded, pulling him in close for a hug.

  As Julian drove Kori and Morgan home, he reflected on how he was feeling. Glancing over at the woman sitting next to him, he thought about how quickly his head and heart knew she was someone he wanted to spend more time with. His gaze landed on Morgan, strapped into the large back seat of his SUV.

  “Hey, Morgan? You okay back there?”

  Morgan nodded his head in response, but Julian could see just how groggy and tired he truly was. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

  Kori turned her head to glance in the backseat at Morgan. Julian couldn’t help but notice how her face changed when she looked at her son. Already beautiful, when she got that look of love on her face, it made her look younger. More innocent. “We’ll be home soon, baby. Then you can rest a little before you eat something, okay?”

  “Okay, Momma.”

  On instinct, Julian grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly. “He’ll be okay. He’s going home, and that’s the most important thing.”

  She nodded. “Yes, it really is.” A small grin lifted her lips. “Thank you for doing this. You didn’t have to, but I do appreciate it.”

  “You don’t have to thank me, Kori. I want to be here for you and Morgan whenever you need me. There’s no place else I’d rather be.” Julian meant every word. Nothing and no one could have stopped him from being here in this moment.

  Following the directions plugged into his GPS, he followed the guidance on his dashboard screen toward a suburban neighborhood with large homes, manicured lawns, and two-car garages. As he noticed their destination getting closer, he groaned. This is where she lived? Compared to his townhome in Springfield, this seemed like a world away. Not that he lacked for money. He was single, invested well, and learned how to manage his finances from a father who’d owned a business for more than forty years before he retired. Pulling up to the address, he sat silent for a few seconds, getting his thoughts together.

  “Everything okay?” Kori asked, her soft hand came to rest on his bare forearm.

  As he looked down at where their skin touched, he wondered what he was doing. Why was he here? Sure, he wanted to be with her, but he knew how these things worked. What could Julian offer her that she didn’t already have? He raised his gaze and looked into her brown eyes, falling into the depths of her gaze. “Yes, sweetheart. I’m all good. Are you ready to go inside? I’ll grab Morgan.”

  “Thanks,” she said, her voice low and shy.

  After exiting the car, Julian picked up Morgan and carried him into the house, stepping inside behind Kori. “Where to?”

  “This way.” She motioned to a room toward the back of the house. “Instead of putting him in his bed, I think he’ll be more comfortable in the den. At least until I’m ready to get him upstairs for bed.”

  He placed the little boy on the sectional couch and stepped back. Kori covered him up with a blanket, giving him a kiss on the forehead, and stood straight. Julian could see wetness pooling in her eyes and knew she was still worried about the injuries Morgan was dealing with. He wasn’t a mother or a father, so he couldn’t understand the hurt she felt as she looked down on her son covered in bruises and casts.

  “Do you want to go into the other room?” he questioned. He needed them to be able to talk without fear of Morgan waking up.

  “Yes. Are you hungry? My sister stopped by earlier today to make sure my fridge was stocked with all the stuff Morgan likes, and some easy meals that I could make for him.”

  Trailing behind her, he couldn’t help but take in the view of her ass covered by those tight jeans. He knew what he wanted to eat but knew it wouldn’t be the right time to make that move. Although it had been just over a week since they’d first met, the connection he felt with Kori was undeniable. He knew she felt the same way about him. That pull. That need for more.

  Once they were situated in the kitchen, he sat down at the table, his long legs spread out in front of him. He watched Kori move around the kitchen, pulling out dishes and other food items from the refrigerator. Domestic. This was nice. His ex-fiancée didn’t like to cook for him. Half the time, he’d been the one in the kitchen, making sure they had food for the night. When she could force him to comply, she’d have them going out to dinner at local restaurants at least three to four times per week. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy going out for a nice meal. He just didn’t see the need to do it so often.

  “Want anything to drink?”

  He paused… looking her body up and down. “Some water is fine.”

  Kori placed her hand on her hip. “Don’t be nice on my account. You can have something stronger if you want.”

  “I wouldn’t feel comfortable driving after having alcohol. Since I’ll eventually have to leave, I want to be careful.”

  Her face changed, a look of sadness coming over her. “Oh. Well, if you have someplace else to go, we’ll be fine. You don’t have to stay.”

  “Did I say I have somewhere else to be?” Julian repeated her words, giving her an intense look. He wished women wouldn’t do this shit. If she wanted him to leave, she should just speak up. “I’m here because this is where you are. Not accepting a drink has nothing to do with wanting to leave or be somewhere else. I want to be here. Do you want me to leave?”

  After giving him a long look, she nodded. “No. I’d like you to stay for a while.”

  “Then this is where I’ll be,” he winked, drumming his fingers on the dining room table.

  Shaking her head at him, she grinned. “Okay, fine. I also have sweet tea. Would that work?”

  He stood and walked over to her, bringing his body within inches of hers. He could almost feel the heat between them as he looked down at her. Lips separated in shock as she gazed up at his larger form. “Sweetheart, I’m a guest in your home. Whatever you want to give me, I’ll gladly take.” Julian’s message was about more than having water or tea.

  “What if your appetite is bigger than what I have to offer?”

  He smiled at her, his arms coming up to rest on the countertop behind her. Leaning his head down, he brought his lips close to hers. “You don’t get it, baby.”

  “What’s that? What don’t I get?”

  “I’ll take whatever you’re able to give me. I don’t need it today, or even tomorrow. But from the first moment I saw you, I knew there was something special between us. My appetite is big… I’m a hungry man… and I will indulge as much as I possibly can, whenever the opportunity arises. We’ll go as slow or as fast as you want. Just don’t ask me to stop spending time with you and Morgan or push me away.”

  Kori shook her head. “No. I’m not going to push you away. But don’t you think things are moving too fast?”

  “No. Not at all. I think things are moving the way they’re supposed to. Time doesn’t matter. You can know someone for years and not know anything about them.” Julian paused. “You may never know who the person really is inside, because all they show you is the superficial shit they show the public. Or, you can know someone for days… a week…” he paused meaningfully, “and know, without a doubt, they are the person who makes you yearn for something more. That’s who you are to me. You make me crave a normal life. I want to be here with you
as you take care of Morgan. Do I know where this is going between us?” He shook his head as he lifted a finger to trail down her soft skin. “No, I don’t. But I do know I’m not walking away from you without doing everything in my power to make you see that I’m for real.” He hadn’t meant to say all that, but the words continued to fall from his mouth. It wasn’t like him to give away so much, especially not this soon after meeting someone. But with Kori, he couldn’t help himself.

  “Julian…” She went to say, but he stopped her.

  “Kori, I can’t explain it. I just know that it’s happening. If you want me to slow down, or want me to back-off, just tell me. You should be comfortable with everything we’re doing. I’m not here to make life more difficult for you.”

  Nodding, she looked away for a second. When she brought her gaze back to his, Julian could tell she’d decided something. “I feel drawn to you, too. I didn’t want to notice you, especially when I was dealing with such a horrible situation, but I couldn’t help it. Since that day, I haven’t been able to get you out of mind. When you’re away from us, I want you to come back. The nights you had to stay away for work, I’d pray you’d be safe so you could come see us the next day. Whatever this is between us, I want more of it. I don’t want to stop.”

  A smile came over his face at her words. “That’s what I’d hoped you’d say.” Leaning down slowly, he brought his lips to hers. He wanted to give her a chance to pull back or ask him to stop. She didn’t. Pressing his lips against hers, he felt something akin to peace flow over his body. Her soft mouth met his, and his dick immediately thickened within his jeans. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her body closer as he deepened the kiss. Everything in him wanted to rip off her clothes and fuck her where she stood. Their kiss deepened, and Kori ran her fingers through his hair. The sound of her moans met his ears, and something clicked in his mind. Bending slightly, he pushed his thick cock into the vee of her legs, pressing himself fully into her sweet spot. Fuck. He wanted to be inside her.