by Susan Stoker, Cristin Harber, Cora Seton, Lynn Raye Harris, Kaylea Cross, Katie Reus, Tessa Layne
“Still living in the FEMA park?”
“Yes.”
“Son in school?”
“Yes.”
“How’s he doing?”
His tone of voice belied his interest. “Fine. He likes school.”
“Anything else you’d like to tell me?”
She hated the open-ended questions. Say too much, or the wrong thing, and it could hurt you. Don’t say enough, and that could hurt you too. This time, she had an answer prepared. She laid the manila envelope on his desk. “You’ll see here that I earned my GED.”
His eyebrows shot up in two perfect arches. “Good for you.”
She swallowed hard, gathering her courage, and laid Dottie’s envelope on the desk. “I-I would also like to request that my probation be shortened.” Her heart galloped a mile a minute. Taking a belly breath, she continued. “I’ve been a model citizen over the last two years. I’ve held the same job, and this letter is from my boss. I’ve completed my GED per the terms of my probation, never been late to or missed a meeting, never had a positive drug screening, and my son has thrived in his new environment.”
Officer Marshall sat back, hands clasped behind his head. “You understand you’ll have to petition the court?”
She nodded.
“There’s a lot of paperwork to fill out, and it needs to be signed by both the prosecuting attorney and the defense attorney. Are you sure you want to do that?”
“Yes.” So that she could get her life back and never step foot in this building again? Hell, yes.
Officer Marshal leaned forward and stood. “I’ll bring it to the judge as soon as you have it on my desk. You can probably get a hearing in ten days’ time after that.” He narrowed his gaze, studying her. “I have to say I’m surprised. Most of you never make it out of the system.”
She didn’t miss the dig, and it raised her hackles. “What do you mean?”
He shrugged, pulling the envelopes across the desk. “You know, women like you.”
Asshole. She stood, clamping down on her temper just enough to ensure she didn’t say something that would ruin her chances. But there was no way in hell she was going to let that dig slide. “You mean women who’ve had a tough break? Who weren’t lucky enough to have a stable home life? Who did everything they could to make sure their children eat?” She glared at him for a long second. “Tell me exactly, and in small words so I understand. What does ‘women like you’ mean?”
Officer Marshall’s mouth thinned to a line and a flush pinked the skin on his neck, right above his collar.
“I will get you your paperwork as soon as possible. Thank you.” Shaking, she turned and marched out of his office clenching her jaw the forty-two steps to the secretary’s desk. All the way back to the elevator where she punched the button and a tear squeezed out of her eye.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Travis gave a low whistle as Elaine turned once for him, silk chiffon swirling around her legs. Dottie was right, the dress Emmaline created made her feel like a princess. “You look incredible.” He pushed off the bed and came to stand before her, skimming his hands down her arms. “I want to peel this back off you.”
She shivered the sexy burr in his voice, offering her mouth for a kiss. “We’ll miss dinner if we start again.” They were already running late, but they’d had to take advantage of being alone in the suite.
“Fine with me,” he growled into her neck, tongue darting across her collarbone. “We can order room service.”
She giggled pushing at his chest. “Weston is going to have a heart attack if we’re any later.”
Travis shrugged into his jacket while she fixed her lipstick. She hated the stuff, but Emmaline had insisted it made the outfit. Not that the outfit needed anything additional. The soft pink material felt like a cloud, the design somewhere between a Greek goddess outfit and a 50’s cocktail dress. The woman was a genius, and she’d never felt sexier.
“Showtime,” Travis said as he held out his arm.
Too bad the dress did nothing to ease the knot of worry filling her chest. Lawson would be here tonight, but surely he wouldn’t make a scene? She hoped so. A wave of nausea roiled her stomach, making her hands clammy. She wanted nothing more than to hide in the room and wrap herself in the soft sheets. But that wouldn’t help Travis, and she wanted this night to go well for him.
Focusing on the floor lights above the elevator, she tried to quell the nervous energy zipping through her. Two orgasms hadn’t done a thing to relax her. She bit down on her lip, rolling it between her teeth, then stopped. Her lipstick would come right off if she persisted.
“Hey.” Travis tipped her chin, voice gentle and sweet. “You’re gonna be great. We’re in this together, remember?”
She nodded, giving him a half-hearted smile.
“All we have to do is get through dinner.” He ushered her into the elevator and took her hand. “One step at a time. First we find Weston.”
Weston was waiting for them when they arrived in the lobby. “Lighten up you two. You’re not going to a funeral.” He flashed them a grin. “Elaine, you look stunning.”
Travis tightened his grip on her hand and leaned in. “He’s right, you know.”
Weston continued. “Cocktail hour is in full swing. All you need to do is circulate. I’ll be with you, and running interference if necessary. Lawson’s already in there. He’s too smart to be an asshole tonight. If you run into each other, just smile politely. Don’t say a word. Got it?”
They both nodded.
“And another thing. No booze tonight. I want you two to be the sharpest tacks in the room. Booze loosens people’s tongues and inhibitions, especially in a stressful situation. Got it?”
They nodded again. Apprehension settled in her bones, drawing her shoulders tight. She prayed Weston was right about Lawson. In eleven days it would all be over, and she could tell Travis everything.
“Once you sit for dinner, you’re home free,” Weston reminded them. “No one expects you to stay for the dancing. Ready?”
“Let’s get this over with,” Travis grumbled.
“Keep smiling. No matter what. I don’t care if the mayor’s wife jabs you with her stilettos, take it with a smile on your face.”
Elaine gave Travis an encouraging squeeze. “Got it, boss.”
They followed Weston into the crowd, and first thing, he introduced them to the fire marshal from Marion. They were off and running. The remainder of the hour passed in a blur of handshakes, platitudes, and so many smiles Elaine’s face hurt when she finally sat down in the chair Travis pulled out for her.
Weston had ensured their table was filled with their circle of friends and close colleagues. Dottie and Jeanine from dispatch sat across the large table. Weston to Travis’s right, Parker’s mother, Peggy Hansen, and Zack Forte to her left. On the other side of Zack sat Chief Castro and his wife, whose name she couldn’t remember. And lastly, Mason Carter. Mason and Zack, both gazillionaires, had set up a foundation to promote rebuilding and new businesses in Prairie, and had both been named to the future Warren G. Hansen Memorial Clinic board of directors. For billionaires, they were surprisingly down to earth. Zack always made a point of bringing Dax puzzle books when he came to town.
Chief Castro stood and struck the side of his glass with a spoon, quieting the tables. “Thank you all for coming this evening. Tonight, we honor one of our own. Parker Hansen, who many of you know is one of the finest firefighters and medics we have in the region. What you may not know is that he also runs a Forest Service hand crew, protecting a wider community from out of control wildfires. If you’ve read the pamphlet left on each plate, then you know he was injured in a burnover in Colorado. And while he’s projected to make a full recovery, the bills as you can imagine, are crippling.” Chief Castro paused and took a sip of his water. “I want you to look around this room. All of us act as safety nets for our individual communities. But we’re also part of a wider community. And tonight, it’
s up to us to be that safety net for Parker. Give back to him in his time of need. Now, I don’t doubt that we’d do that for any one of us. But tonight, it’s Parker’s turn. None of us is a silo. We live and work in community, and it’s an honor to be a safety net for someone who has been that so selflessly for others on a daily basis.”
Sitting there, contemplating the smiling faces at the table, listening to Chief Castro, she was struck. She’d only ever considered her net to be Dottie, and recently, Travis and Weston. But she was wrong. Everyone at the table cared about Dax, went out of their way to say hi to him in town, do nice things for him. And not because he was a charity case. But just… because. How many others in Prairie had she overlooked? Jamey Sinclaire for sure. The Hansens. Gratitude for this community of people filled her.
Travis nudged her and leaned in close. “Hey. You okay?”
Blinking hard, she turned to him. So close, she could kiss him if she leaned in a little further. “Yeah.” She nodded. “Yeah. Just… happy.” It hit her like a load of bricks. She didn’t need a perfect life to be happy. Right here, with Travis at her side, surrounded by people she loved and cared for, she was happy. It bubbled up inside of her, like a spring that had just been uncapped.
She smiled at him without worry or reservation.
“I hope I have a little bit to do with that?”
“A lot, actually.” The words caught in the back of her throat, and she hesitated. Say it. Tell him. Letting out a shaky breath, she stepped out into what felt like thin air. “I love you,” she murmured so only he could hear.
Surprise registered in his eyes followed by delight, then fire. He reached an arm across the back of her chair and leaned in close, placing a soft kiss above her ear. “Can we leave yet?”
She huffed out a little laugh, warming at his innuendo. “Not soon enough.”
The remainder of dinner felt like the most exquisite torture. Every look, every hidden brush of their thighs or hands under the table designed to make the other squirm. After coffee had been served, the bar reopened and couples began to drift out to the dance floor. Travis pushed back from the table and stood, offering his hand. “Dance with me?”
Her body buzzed with anticipation, and her mouth curved in a slow smile. “Love to.”
Electricity snapped up her arm when he took her hand and her heart thudded a little faster. When they reached the parquet flooring, he spun her and pulled her flush against his body. “No it’s not a cucumber. Yes, I’m happy to see you,” he murmured into her ear.
She giggled breathlessly, even as her nipples pulled tight, aching for his touch. “We can go now, if you want.”
“Oh no.” He moved them in a slow circle. “I like feeling you like this.”
The music changed but their rhythm didn’t, and he sang the lyrics to Despacito soft and slow into her ear.
She tilted her head back, impressed. “I didn’t know you spoke Spanish.”
“Comes with the territory.”
“You mean when you were with the SEALs?” He nodded and pulled her closer. “Shall I translate?”
She flicked her gaze up to him as he serenaded her in Spanish. She didn’t have to know Spanish to understand what he was singing. The heat in his lively hazel eyes told her everything she needed to know. His hand settled at the base of her spine and pulled her closer as he gave a twist of his hips. The movement made his intentions loud and clear and sent her heart beating up somewhere around the hollow of her throat. A rush of heat pooled in the lace between her thighs. Her skin drew tight, goosebumps erupting everywhere.
He ducked his head, breath warm against the shell of her ear. “I want to see your hair dance. I want to be your rhythm. I want you to teach my mouth… your favorite places. Let me pass over your danger zones until you cry out and you forget your name.”
His words about did her in right there. Fire raced up her limbs setting her insides ablaze. The man’s voice was like liquid sex. Her mouth went dry at the thought of his mouth on her. Licking and sucking until she floated with the stars.
Her desire must have shown on her face, because he gave a low chuckle as he skated his fingers up and down her spine. “Remind me to play this song when we’re alone, and I’ll take you through it phrase by phrase.”
“I might combust if you do that.”
His eyebrows swept up and he gave her a smile full of sexy promise. “I hope so.”
Elaine glanced around, scanning the crowd. Bodies of the younger attendees writhed together on the dance floor and most of the older guests had drifted out to the bar in the lobby. “Travis?”
“Mmmhmm?” his chest rumbled.
“How about now?” she offered breathlessly.
He met her gaze, eyes hooded and heavy. Threading his fingers through hers, he navigated them out of the room and to the elevator. His body was taut, tight, as they stood at the back of the crowd. The elevator opened, but the crowd hardly moved and it was full again. Letting out a growl of frustration, he gave her hand a tug and led them to a side hall. He pulled open the door to the staircase, led her through, then spun her against the wall, caging her with his arms. “I haven’t been able to take my eyes off your tits all evening. They’re so perfect.” He slipped a finger under the deep vee of her neckline, grazing the swell, before taking her mouth in a searing kiss.
There was something so right about his mouth on hers. It settled her nerves while it lit up others. His tongue flicked at her lips, teasing until she opened with a little sigh, letting him claim her, giving back with her own licks and thrusts until her chest burst into flames.
“Someone will walk in on us here.”
“I don’t care,” he growled, nipping at her earlobe.
“Not exactly the image you want to convey as future county sheriff.”
Letting out a frustrated sigh, he pressed his forehead to hers. “Tell me why I’m doing this again?”
Before she could form an answer, he swept her up into his arms as if she weighed nothing and turned for the stairs, taking them two at a time.
“Travis,” she squealed, a giggle bursting from her. “I can walk.” Her protest was half-hearted. She had to admit, she liked it when he got bossy and took over.
“Not fast enough,” he muttered.
In no time they were on the top floor. The man wasn’t even winded. He pushed open the door and stepped into the hall, striding the short distance to their suite. He kissed her again before letting her slide along his length as he returned her to the floor. So. Hot.
He whipped out the key card and tossed it on the credenza as he pulled her into the room and locked the door. This time, there was no hitch of fear, no niggle of worry. Only naked anticipation of what was to come next.
“Now,” he said, voice sliding over her like hot caramel. “Where were we?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Elaine slowly backed into the room, pulse racing. “I think you were about to very gently, without ripping my pretty dress, remove my clothes.” She turned around, and peeked back over her shoulder. “You might want to start with the zipper?”
Travis closed the distance between them, eyes hungry. She lifted her hair off her neck and his hand came to her waist. The sound of the zipper broke the silence and cool air hit her back as the dress split open.
“No bra?” he asked as the zipper paused.
No other things either. But he’d discover that soon enough. The zipper tugged again continuing down the curve of her back and exposing the skin all the way to her bare bottom. Travis hissed out a breath as his hand slipped through the opening and caressed a cheek. “Naughty.”
She loved the effect her little surprise had on him. And the way her body responded to the husky burr in his voice. Her clit pulsed expectantly and a needy ache blossomed between her thighs.
Travis slipped the dress down her arms and the dress pooled at her feet, a sea of pink chiffon. “Like Venus rising from the sea,” he murmured as he drew a finger along the bottom curve of her
ass. “Widen your stance,” he said thickly. “And hold onto the chair.”
Grabbing the back of the chair, she opened her legs and gasped as his finger dove into her slippery recesses, rubbing over her clit. She leaned into his fingers, wanting more, and relishing the electric shocks moving through her. His hand came to her breast, and his breath was hot on her ear as he teased her nipple. “You’re so hot in nothing but a pair of heels. I want to fuck you hard and fast tonight.” His words incinerated her, and when he gently squeezed her clit she came undone with a cry.
He chuckled low and kissed the back of her neck. “We’ve just begun.” His tongue blazed a trail down her spine, starting another fire in her belly. Dropping to his knees, he slipped his fingers from her, replacing them with his mouth.
She threw her head back, moaning. He licked through her slit, flicking his tongue across her sensitized clit before sliding back and thrusting into her entrance. Her head swirled deliriously as the sensations ripped through her body.
“You taste so good, smell so sweet,” he groaned, starting his pattern of licking and flicking again.
“That feels so good, Travis,” she gritted out between gasps.
He squeezed her thighs, pulling her legs wider. “Come for me, sweetheart. Come on my tongue.”
She canted her hips into him pursuing the building ache, riding his tongue to a crashing release. Her knees buckled and he caught her, gently lowering her to the floor. Through a blissed-out fog, she heard his jacket hit the floor, followed by the jingle of his belt. Propping herself up on her elbows, she watched avidly as he stepped out of his pants, erection springing free. Her mouth watered at the thought of taking him into her mouth, tasting him. She flipped to her knees, drawing her palms up his thighs.
“Grab hold of the chair,” she said, turning his words on him.
He braced his hands on it and gazed down at her through hooded eyes which turned molten when she cupped his balls. His cock bobbed, hard and heavy in front of her. The scent of his arousal hit her, spicy and hot. She leaned in and sucked the top of his thigh where it met his torso, washing her tongue over his heated skin. Reaching up, she ringed the base of his cock with finger and thumb not quite touching and stroked up. He groaned and thrust into her hand. Delight at his reaction surged through her, stoking her own fire.
