“You have an open invitation to stay at my place anytime.” Keenan placed his hand over hers, squeezing her fingers.
Julianne kissed him, moaning in his mouth. A cell ringing interrupted them. She withdrew and Keenan took out his phone.
“Callaghan… I’m close to there, I’ll meet you. Okay.” He hung up, then said to her, “Sorry, I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later.”
They rose and Keenan kissed her gently before he left. She watched the door as it closed behind him. Julianne threw out their empty containers and went back to work.
Julianne followed the directions that Keenan had given her. She tapped her finger on the wheel as she drove. The entire week had been a tantalisation, wishing for Friday. She’d been useless at work today, watching the clock. Thankfully she didn’t have any meetings or deadlines. Julianne made the turn into his drive. She parked, grabbed her duffel, garment bag and purse then exited the vehicle. In rapid strides she walked up to the door. It opened before she reached it. Julianne didn’t stop—she stepped forward until she was pressed against his body and kissed him. Keenan wrapped his arms around her, holding her with that demanding touch. He returned her kiss, making her body tingle in anticipation. Keenan withdrew and smiled. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me too.”
A delicious smell registered. Julianne sniffed the air and looked at him questioningly.
“I made pot roast, mashed potatoes and carrots. I picked up a cheesecake for dessert. It’s all ready. Let’s eat.”
Keenan took her overnight bag and placed it at the foot of the stairs, the purse on top. He took the garment bag and hung it in the closet. When he returned to her side he held her hand and led her to the kitchen. As they went he pointed out the rooms of his home. In the kitchen he seated her, then served the food. When he sat they said Grace before starting to eat. As they ate they talked, flirted and enjoyed being in each other’s presence.
Later that evening, Julianne entered the bedroom where Keenan was already lying in bed under the covers. Her body still tingled from their explosive sex in the shower. Naked, Julianne retrieved her lotion and went towards the bed.
“What do you have there?” Keenan asked.
“My lotion.” She showed him the bottle.
“The one that makes you smell so good?” he asked, sitting up until his back rested against the headboard.
Julianne remembered he had asked her about it, and she nodded. Keenan held out his hand. She handed him the bottle then sat on the side of the bed.
“Your lotion is like nothing I have ever smelt before,” Keenan said.
“It’s specially made. My cousin has a store and makes fragrances based on what you request and your body chemistry. It is natural and doesn’t use lots of chemicals.”
“Come here.”
Julianne glanced at him. Keenan had removed the covers revealing his bare body. He opened his legs and gestured between them. Julianne did as he silently commanded. She sat at the foot of the bed and scooted back between his legs. She heard the click of the bottle opening then moments later felt Keenan’s firm touch smooth the cream over her skin. Julianne lowered her head as he rubbed his thumbs down the back of her neck then across her shoulders. Keenan massaged the lotion over her shoulder blades then along her back.
“Kneel.” His voice was husky.
Julianne knelt. With his hand he cupped her ass as he continued by rubbing the satiny cream over her butt. Keenan held her hips then his touch was gone and she felt the mattress shift. Julianne looked to the side of the bed, where Keenan now stood. She lowered her gaze. His protruding erection bobbed.
“Lie face down.” His voice was guttural.
Julianne lay down and she moaned as her body touched the warmth he had left behind. Keenan lowered his body over hers, pressing her into the bed as he straddled her lower legs. Using his fingertips he stroked down, rubbing circles as he spread the cream. With each touch Julianne whimpered and rocked against the bed. Keenan finished lotioning her lower body, even the backs of her heels.
“Turn over,” he whispered.
Julianne rolled over. She spread her thighs and watched him where he was kneeling at the edge of the bed. Keenan worked his way up from her toes as he lotioned each gently. Julianne shifted on the bed as he touched the side of her knee. Keenan stroked the skin then went up. He moved to her upper thigh, making sweeping circles on the flesh. Julianne canted her hip, wanting him to touch where she was wet and aching. He bypassed the area and moved to her stomach.
“Keenan,” she protested.
“Shh… Enjoy the sensation,” he said.
He kneaded his hands on her belly then along her ribcage—in between he poured lotion in his hand then rubbed it on her skin. Keenan straddled her as he worked, and she could see his erection was full with a glistening tip. Julianne moved her head back. Keenan spread the scent up her chest then across her neck before he stroked the lotion on her face. When he’d finished, Keenan sat back against her lower legs. Julianne inclined her head, watching him. Keenan got more then spread it on her inner thighs, then closer and closer to where she needed him. Julianne moaned, moving her legs restlessly. Keenan ran his thumbs, side by side, down the front of her pussy. Julianne rocked against his touch. Keenan spread her slit and flicked a finger over her clit. Primed, Julianne ground against his finger and came.
“Yes,” she moaned, shuddering as the pleasure flowed from her.
Keenan didn’t slow his caress. Julianne arched into his motions.
Keenan watched Julianne on the bed beneath him. Having her lay in the very spot that he had first imagined her being was sensory overload. It was different than he’d imagined, but so much better. He pressed his hands over her wetness as she continued to spasm on his fingers. Her sweet essence rose along with the scent of the lotion. Keenan shifted over her and reached for the condom he had placed under the pillow earlier. He put it on then thrust. Julianne gripped him with her lush pussy, taking him in.
Keenan closed his eyes, overcome at how right it felt to be inside her. Although this was only the third night they had spent together, they had made love so often the last time he already knew her body so well. Each joining only deepened their connection. Keenan moved forward, setting a slow ride. Julianne’s arms rested on his shoulders as she moved her hips in a lazy swirl. Keenan countered the motion. Julianne’s breath caught then she let it out in a whoosh. She tightened her fingers on the back of his neck then she clenched her inner walls.
“Julianne,” Keenan moaned moving inside her.
“Keenan,” she whispered hoarsely.
He stroked in then undulated his hips, repeating the continuous motions. With each movement Julianne called his name in a litany of sound. Keenan ground against her as he leaned over and kissed her. Julianne opened wide, sucking in his tongue, scraping her teeth along the tender skin, then bit down. Keenan shuddered as his cock jerked and he came. Julianne continued to kiss him, cradling him with her legs. Keenan rested against her, snuggling into her. Her satiny soft skin was welcoming, and Keenan inhaled the scent of it and of them. The sensation of rightness felt even stronger. Keenan listened to her heartbeat as she stroked his back.
Keenan knew it would take time for Julianne to accept their bond. He would show her that he wasn’t going anywhere. Keenan turned his head and kissed her gently.
Keenan kept true to what he set out to do. They continued to have their lunches when at work, spent as much time as they could together—which wasn’t as much as he would’ve liked, though he understood that Rissa would always come first for Julianne—they visited various places, deepening their connection. Keenan leaned against the railing of the balcony, appreciating the view.
“What are you up to?” Julianne’s arms came around his waist from the back.
“Waiting for the sunrise.” He pulled her in front of him.
Hugging her from behind, Keenan kissed the top of her hair, then went back to watching the darkened sky. The
balcony off her bedroom was one of his favourite places in her house. He tightened his hold—he couldn’t get enough of being with her. It had been three weeks since they’d become intimate, and each time was more intense than the last.
Julianne was understandably very cautious about having him sleep over with Rissa there. Sometimes, after they went out, she would come to his house and they would be together, just chilling out or having sex before he took her home in time to get Rissa. Times like this one, when they could spend the entire night together, he appreciated being able to wake up with her in his arms. He was trying to be patient with her, knowing she wanted to be sure of them before letting him and Rissa get to know each other. It wasn’t easy because he already knew he wanted her beyond just a simple relationship.
“Come on, breakfast is ready. I’ve set it up on the back porch. It’ll keep warm until after we watch the sunrise. We can watch from there.” She laced her hand with his.
Keenan let her lead him back into her bedroom, through the house to the back porch. Exiting the house, his breath caught, as it did every time he saw the oasis that was there. Kendall, Julianne’s sister and her business partner, was a landscaping genius. The flowers, trees and lighting made the area feel comfortable, elegant and homely, while the pond, surrounded by a variety of trees with benches next to it, made you want to relax beside the water.
July had just started, thus the pre-dawn morning wasn’t too humid. Keenan strolled to the table on the left side of the wraparound porch. Julianne had set the table with flowers in the centre. Their hot breakfast was under a dome to keep it warm, juice was in a pitcher and a pot of coffee and one of hot water sat to the side. He held out her chair, then took his seat next to her, putting his arms around her. Julianne leaned against his shoulder as they waited for the sun to rise.
Julianne had given him a driving tour around the entire property on which she and her siblings had homes. At each, he became more impressed by the talent of Reid, her brother, and Sampson, her cousin, who had designed and built each home—unique to whomever it belonged to. The houses did have some things in common, though—they all had wraparound porches, and a pond. Julianne had even shown Keenan some of the houses on the other Locke Estate's. They, too, were beautifully designed, all of the work put into them being kept in the family. She hadn’t taken him to see her parents’ or her aunts’ and uncles’ homes, but had mentioned there was a lake in the centre of their property that they all shared. And Sampson, years ago, before he and Reid had gone into business together, had redesigned their homes.
The more he learnt about the Locke family, the more impressed he was by them. It was just as Julianne said—they worked hard. He’d met quite a few of the Lockes, and they were friendly and down to earth.
But I still haven’t been introduced as the man in Julianne’s life. Keenan rolled his shoulders. Julianne rubbed his chest softly. It was the one thing that was bugging him from the time they had started dating—Julianne had become more open, but when he met the people she worked with at Moments, her introduction on who he was had been hesitant. She had come around since then, yet he still felt there was a wall she was keeping up. Although he’d met some of her family at the weekly poker games, it was just as a friend of Harmon’s.
The sun rose, majestic with reds, oranges and yellows across the sky. Keenan held the woman in his arms, enjoying being with her in this moment.
I need to be patient. She’ll let me fully into her life in her own time. At least, he hoped she would.
Keenan set his pen down and stretched. Absently he glanced at the cramped office he shared with two other fire investigators for the A shift. At the moment, it was empty, as it had been when he’d arrived a few hours ago. His fellow investigators were probably out working on a case.
Altogether there were nine investigators based in Delko Street Firehouse, and they shared three offices. Although they all worked out of the Delko Street, they handled all the fire investigations for that station and the other firehouses in Singleton. The scheduling of shifts for fire investigators was on the same rotation as the firefighters. For any shift there was always coverage of at least three fire investigators on at all times.
Keenan liked working the A shift, which meant he worked days through the week, no evenings or weekends, though he was occasionally on call for emergencies. It was preferable to shifts B and C—a string of days followed by night shifts, with every other weekend.
Moving his mouse for his personal laptop, Keenan looked at the image of himself and Julianne that she’d sent earlier via email. Since he worked on Shift A, he would not have ordinarily met her. But the night of the fire he’d been called in when one of the other shifts needed another investigator.
Keenan shifted in his chair wanting to see her now, but knew he had to make it through his shift before he could. He was glad he would be in her presence soon. For the past few days, Julianne had been busy with work then had been spending all her free time helping Rissa with a project that she had to have completed for when her class started in the new school year. He’d talked with Julianne each night over the phone and she’d filled him in on how the project was coming along. Keenan had got a kick out of hearing her enthusiasm—Julianne had been really into making the best presentation for Rissa. Personally, he thought it was her competitive nature coming through. Keenan smiled as he read her message again.
“A little temptation to get you started for later. Looking forward to a quiet night in.
Jules”
She was right—it did tempt him. The picture was of him and Julianne from the last time they’d gone rollerblading. He had his arms around her as they posed, and she had on one of her sexy rollerblading outfits. Keenan smiled, remembering they had rushed to his place and he had enjoyed stripping it off her, piece by piece, kissing each part of her he’d revealed. “What has you smiling so goofily?” a gruff, raspy voice asked.
“A picture.” Keenan glanced at Morgan James, one of the other fire investigators.
Morgan’s lanky frame moved slowly towards him. His tanned face was strained and his limp more pronounced than usual. He sat in the chair beside Keenan’s desk and sighed, rubbing his fingers through his black hair. He turned to him. His dual coloured eyes—one brown eye and the other hazel-green—studied him.
“Is it the secret woman you’ve been seeing?” Morgan asked.
Although there was no admonishment for not introducing her in Morgan’s tone, Keenan felt guilty he hadn’t. Morgan was a local, like he was. He’d served in the military before coming home and joining the fire department about eight years ago. He’d actually signed as a firefighter and had extensive paramedics training, but due to an accident, he’d changed fields and become an investigator. It wasn’t until Morgan became an investigator that Keenan realised they’d gone to school together. Morgan had been about three years behind him, so Keenan hadn’t really known him until they’d met at the firehouse. They had clicked, becoming fast friends, and hung out often—except for lately, when he had been so busy with Julianne and reconnecting with Harmon. Remorse filled him.
“Mor—”
“Don’t,” he cautioned.
Knowing Morgan, Keenan knew he was warning him to not apologise. He frowned, wanting to say something, but knew it would only piss Morgan off.
“Live with it. Now tell me about your lady,” Morgan said.
Keenan turned the laptop so that Morgan could see the picture.
“Ahhh…someone who shares your passion for skating. Wait a minute… I know her,” Morgan said.
“How do you know Julianne?”
“Yep. That’s her name. Julianne Locke. She was my first call when I joined the station eight years ago. I’m glad to see she’s okay,” Morgan said.
Keenan frowned. “When you had your accident.”
“Yep.” Morgan’s face blanked, and his tone clearly said he was through discussing it.
“How would you remember that?” Keenan prodded.
> He hadn’t read the full report when he had investigated the fire at Moments Deuce. There had been no need.
“How would you remember an accident from eight years ago?”
Chapter Six
“What accident?” a jovial voice interrupted.
“Morgan seems to know my girlfriend, Julianne,” Keenan replied without looking at Tommy Gibbs, who had spoken.
“What? You introduced him and not us? Wait until I tell Willy this.” Tommy harrumphed.
Keenan turned to him. Tommy had a sly smile on his face. Keenan could just imagine the tall tale Tommy was already concocting to tell his wife, Wilhelmina. She wouldn’t believe Tommy, but would still call him to guilt him about leaving her out of the loop.
“Don’t set Willy on me. I haven’t introduced Julianne to anyone yet. We can have a barbecue next weekend. I’ll let you know what day,” Keenan said.
“I’ll tell Willy. She can bring her four cheese macaroni. How does Morgan know your girlfriend?” Tommy asked.
“He recognises from her from her picture.” Keenan gestured.
Tommy looked at the screen. His brown eyes widened, then he muttered, “I’ll be damned. It’s her.” He glanced at Morgan. “Wasn’t she—?”
“Tommy.” Morgan’s tone was mild, but there was a warning behind it.
Uncharacteristically, Tommy stopped speaking. Keenan wasn’t sure what it was the two men didn’t want to say.
“Is there something I should know?” he asked.
“It’s not relevant to you and Julianne.” Morgan stood, then continued, “She’s strong, and a hell of a woman. You’re lucky, buddy.”
Morgan squeezed his shoulder. Keenan opened his mouth to pursue it. The radio crackled at the same time the bell for a fire rang out. They all went into motion, recognising the call was going to be a bad one and they would be needed. Keenan grabbed his bag and headed for his SUV. Tommy and Morgan were ahead of him. He donned his shades before he stepped into the midday sun. The humidity had increased steadily over the last few days. It was just early July, and, if this was any indication, Keenan knew they were in for a nasty, hot and long summer. When he got into his vehicle, he followed behind Morgan’s.
Hurricane Page 9
