Coming Home: Baytown Boys Series

by Maryann Jordan

  “What did they want from you?”

  “I was told that, in the town’s interest, I needed to work on cleaning up the streets…keep the kids off the basketball courts, tell them to stay on the periphery of the beach and not wander through the crowds.”

  Mitch leaned forward in his seat, pinning Sam with his gaze. “Why you, Sam? Why not the others?”

  Sam’s face contorted in a grimace as though the answer pained him. “I’d hate like hell to think it’s because they think I’m dirty…or maybe not as squeaky clean. Fuck…” Sitting up straight, facing his firing squad, he replied, “I reckon they figured Ginny and Grant were former military and they always exuded a by the book attitude. Burt? I don’t know, but he also flies straight. It kills me to think of it this way, but they probably figured since I’m the oldest and closest to retirement, and I suppose because I’m more of a local good ole’ boy, they’d have a better chance of me doing their bidding.”

  The silence once more hung heavy over the table. Neither spoke for a long minute. Finally, Sam asked, “You want my resignation?”

  Mitch shook his head. “Nope. Absolutely not. What I want is your allegiance to me, to this department, and not to the city manager. I want the cop that my father served with back serving with me.”

  Surprise and relief shot across Sam’s face as he sagged slightly in his chair. Nodding, he said, “You’ve got it, Chief.” Standing, he turned to walk out of the room, stopping at the door and looking back. “Your grandfather was a good man as well as a good cop and chief. So was your dad. If anyone wonders if it can happen a third time…well, you’ve just proven it can. Proud to serve under you, Mitch.”

  Chapter 19

  As Mitch pulled up to the Inn, Tori bounced on her toes in anticipation. It had been many years since she attended the Fisherman’s Fair on the harbor. She had alerted her guests to the events taking place and they had already headed over to the fun. Jason came down the stairs just as Mitch walked through the door.

  “We’ll see you there,” Tori yelled as Jason moved out the door at the same time Mitch came in. Throwing her arms around his neck, she grinned, planting a kiss on his mouth. “Are you ready?”

  Mitch allowed her to own the kiss for a moment before taking over. Moving his lips over hers, he wondered how he had so quickly become addicted to her scent…her touch…her taste. Pulling away, he settled her back to her feet and grinned down at the excitement on her upturned face. “Looks like you’re ready for the Fisherman’s Fair.”

  “I remember it as a child, but I swear it’s been so long and Jillian told me that it’s even bigger and better!”

  Grabbing her hand, he twirled her around several times, enjoying her giggles as her long hair streamed out in a curtain about her head. “Oh, save those moves for the dance floor,” she laughed.

  A couple of minutes later, Mitch parked near the edge of the harbor, the crowds already formed and swirling around. Tents were set up along the boardwalk and the walking path between the harbor and the town. Their nostrils were immediately assaulted with the food tents’ tantalizing scents. Fried oysters, fried clams, fish and chips, fresh roasted corn on the cob, popcorn, sautéed zuchini and yellow squash, funnelcakes and cotton candy. Several church groups and women’s organizations had tables full of homemade bread, cakes, and pies.

  The fire department had one of the large fire trucks parked nearby and children were able to see it up close and even sit in the driver’s seat where their parents could take pictures. One of the local farmers brought his little ponies and, with them in a fenced-in pen, he offered pony rides.

  Local artists and venders had their wares for sale in other tents, now filled with beachwear, jewelry, paintings, carvings, seashells, and hand-painted silk scarves.

  “God, I’m hungry,” Mitch said as his stomach growled. “This will put me in a fried food coma!”

  “Why does food cooked out in the open in a fun atmosphere smell better than any gourmet in a fancy restaurant?” Tori wondered out loud, her eyes darting around.

  “I know what you mean,” Mitch replied. “I never thought about it as a kid but after being away from it for several years, it now just feels like…” he faltered, looking for the right word.

  “Home,” Tori supplied, smiling up at him.

  He dropped his gaze back to hers, eyes warm as he saw the same reflected back in hers. “Yeah…home.”

  “Hey, you two,” Aiden called out from behind Finn’s tent, selling draft beers. “Come on over. Of course I have to card you, just so the Police Chief won’t shut our tent down,” he joked.

  Laughing, they pulled out their IDs and received yellow alcohol bands around their wrists. Each taking a beer from him, they moseyed down the food aisle and made their selections. Mitch went for the fried oysters and Tori had her eyes on the fried clams. With French fries, onion rings, and slaw, they settled on a picnic blanket on the ground near his parents.

  The mayor walked by, Silas at his side. As Corwin nodded to the crowd, he threw up his hand toward the couple, but Mitch observed Silas’ assessing gaze on Tori before sliding to Mitch’s face and immediately plastering on a smile in greeting. What’s up that man’s ass? I may need to have Gareth look into him as well.

  Soon, joined by other friends and family, the group settled back to listen to one of the local bands. Mitch sat with his knees crooked up on either side of Tori as she rested her back against his front. The sun began to drop in the sky, creating a panorama of swirling colors behind the band. He nudged her, whispering in her ear, “Dance with me, baby.”

  Standing, he reached his hand toward her and she allowed him to pull her to her feet. He led her toward the area in front of the band, fingers linked. With a twirl, he tucked her into his embrace, arms around each other, swaying to the music.

  Tori, lost in the moment, remembered a night at the fair many years before.

  The Fisherman’s Fair was in full swing and grandma let me run off with my friends after I helped her carry her famous pies. Well, famous to me, and I was sure they were famous to the whole world as well.

  Jillian, Katelyn, and I ran around, looking at all of the food tents, picking out just what we wanted to eat. Staring at the cotton candy vendor, I whirled around to tell Jillian what I wanted when I ran into a wall. Stumbling back, arms reached out and grabbed my shoulders, steadying me. I looked into the blue eyes of Mitch Evans. At fifteen, he was so gorgeous…much more so than I remembered from last holiday.

  “Hi!” I grinned, blushing as he smiled back at me.

  “Hey,” Mitch’s whisper broke through her memories. “Where were you just then?”

  Blushing, she ducked her head, attempting to bury it in his chest.

  “Oh, no,” he chided, lifting her chin with his fingers. “No secrets.”

  Huffing slightly, she said, “Well, if you must know, I was thinking about the fair when I was only thirteen and ran into you at the—”

  “Cotton candy vendor,” he finished.

  Eyes wide, she exclaimed, “You remember?”

  Leaning down to place a sweet kiss on her lips, he revealed, “Baby, I remember everything about you. Every time you came to be with your grandmother. Every game you sat and watched. I remember playing tag when you were seven and wanting to play something else when you were sixteen and in that tiny blue bikini.” Seeing her incredulous expression, he kissed her lightly once more. “Every. Single. Thing.”

  The following kiss lasted longer, although he restrained himself, knowing they were in a public place.

  As the song ended, and he twirled her one last time, she came back into his chest and said, “I remember everything too. While I was always excited to see the whole gang, it was you that I wanted the most.”

  Tucking her under his arm, he led her back to the blankets, and said, “Well, now, many years later, you’ve got me. All of me.”

  *

  Mitch and Tori barely made it to her suite on the third floor of the inn. Jason
and the other guests were still at the Fisherman’s Fair, so the couple decided to take advantage of the privacy to continue what had started on the dance floor.

  Kicking her bedroom door shut with his booted foot, he barely caught her as she whirled around, throwing her body against his.

  Slamming their mouths together, with tongues tangling, they vied for dominance as the kiss flamed hot.

  Tori grabbed his face in her hands, holding him in place as her lips moved over his, sucking his tongue into her warmth. Pushing her gently back, Mitch set her ass on the bed as he slid his hand underneath the hem of her dress, finding the scrap of lace that was the only thing between him and heaven.

  She released him long enough to scoot back on the mattress, giving him easier access to her legs. Lifting one leg, she laughed as he slipped off her sandals, tossing them aside.

  Her rosy lips were kiss swollen and his beard had slightly abraded her chin. Catching his gaze, she whispered, “I want to feel your beard everywhere.”

  Halting in his perusal, he cocked his head to the side. “Everywhere?”

  Her only answer was a saucy grin as she lay back, settling her legs over his shoulders.

  Leaving her sundress on for the moment, he shoved it up to her waist and snagged his fingers into her panties. Dropping to his knees, he pressed his face against the silk of her panties, the scent of her sex rising to meet him. Dragging one finger along the material, he found the evidence of her arousal. Giving a strong pull, he ripped the lace, exposing her wet folds.

  “My panties!” she complained, although her breathy voice gave little credence that she was upset.

  “I’ll buy you more,” he breathed, dropping his head between her legs, where he buried his face.

  If he thought her lips were nectar, her wet folds were a drug…pure nectar. Lapping her juices as he plunged his tongue inside, he knew he had just found his addiction.

  He moved his lips upward to latch onto her clit as he inserted one finger deep inside. Curling it, he found the exact spot that caused her hips to buck off the mattress. Smiling against her folds, he watched as she leaned up on her elbows to watch him, her eyelids hooded in passion.

  “Mitch…I…I…need…”

  Answering her with another suck on her clit, she flung herself back on the bed, her hair falling from her headband into a riot on her pillow. Her hips undulated against his face, but he kept one hand on her stomach, gently pressing to hold her in place. Her insides tightened and her breathing became more ragged. “I…ah…” As he added another finger deep inside her core, he lifted the other hand to her breast and rolled her nipple between his fingers while giving one last tug on her clit. Her senses on overload, she exploded in tingles radiating outward as her orgasm flared.

  Quivering, she allowed her body to go along for the ride until the last spasm slowed. Tori was barely aware of her back on the bed with her legs over Mitch’s shoulders as the cool of the room finally penetrated. Lifting her head to gaze down at him once more, she saw his slow, easy smile as he licked her juices from his fingers.

  She smiled at him, a twinkle in her blue eyes. “Oh, damn.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment,” he teased.

  “Oh, yeah. Absolutely a compliment.”

  He rose from the side of the bed, unbuttoning his shirt as she watched him eagerly. He quickly stripped it from his body and his pants followed, allowing her to focus on the muscles underneath.

  “Better than Christmas,” she moaned, feasting her eyes on his rock hard body.

  Now naked, he leaned over and pulled her to a seated position. With her panties in shreds and her sundress bunched around her waist, it only took a second for him to divest her of the rest of her clothing. Mitch slid his hand from her shoulder down her arm, barely touching her skin before he grasped her hand in his, stepping back to admire her beauty. Her porcelain skin appeared luminescent in the moonlight streaming through the white, lacy sheers on the balcony doors. Her breasts beckoned and he trailed his fingers over the delicate lace and soft mounds.

  Her nipples beaded against his touch. Their hardened pearls begged for his mouth. Obliging, he pulled one nipple deep into his mouth, watching as her head fell back exposing her long neck.

  Her fingers held onto his shoulders, short nails digging in as his mouth did wondrous things to her breasts. Moan after moan filled the air, barely cognizant that the sounds erupted from her own mouth.

  Lost in the feel of her luscious mounds against his face as he moved from one breast to the other, deeply sucking each nipple in, he nipped them with his teeth before soothing them with his tongue.

  She glanced down as her hand circled his prominent erection, sliding over the silken shaft from root to tip. He watched as she licked her plump lips before he crawled over her body. Her curves beckoned and her long hair spilled over the pillows. Jesus, I’m gone. Totally. Completely. Gone. No woman could compare.

  Finally at her lips, he latched on, moving deliberately over her. She tasted herself on his tongue—the heady combination of her juices and his own scent had her sex quivering again. Pulling him in tightly with her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, she begged, “I need you inside now, Mitch. Please…”

  He pulled away from her arms as he twisted his body to lean over to snatch his wallet from his pants. Grabbing a condom, he rolled it on slowly. Lifting himself back over her, he placed his eager cock at her entrance.

  “I fell for you when I was eight years old,” he confessed. “There’s no other woman for me.”

  Her brilliant smile was his reward. Pushing into her tight warmth, he let out a sigh as his body found its home. He refused to give into the desire to rush. Thrusting, first slowly and then faster, he found his pace as his cock dragged along the inside of her core, the friction causing his arms to quiver as they held himself over her body.

  She bent her legs at the knees, opening herself as wide as she possibly could to accommodate his body. His pelvis rubbed against her clit, the shivers it elicited starting from somewhere deep inside and beginning to shoot outwards. The pressure built and she threw her head back on the mattress, her eyes tightly shut, sparks flying in the darkness behind her eyelids.

  “Come on, babe,” he encouraged. “Let go and come with me.” His order was gentle, but the meaning was clear—he was holding on by a thread and wanted her going with him.

  Still thrusting, he leaned down, taking a taut nipple into his mouth, biting slightly as he tugged on the sensitive flesh.

  Screaming his name, she fell apart, the sparks finally igniting, the explosion ripping through her body. He watched as her face tensed with the power of her orgasm, his balls tightening and his own climax roaring through him and into her. His arms quivered as they held him up, the muscles in his neck standing out as he strained before collapsing onto her waiting body.

  For a moment they lay, their breaths labored, as the euphoria washed over them. Realizing he weighed her down into the mattress, he rolled to the side, taking her with him. Their bodies still crushed together, slick with sweat. Her breasts pressed against his chest, heartbeat to heartbeat.

  Slipping out of the bed several minutes later, he hurried to the bathroom to dispose of the condom. Stalking back into the room, comfortable with his nudity, he saw her eyes roving his body with the same appreciation that he had on his face when he looked at her.

  Sliding underneath the covers, he pulled her body into his, as had become their habit at night. His mind drifted to the future and how they could make this work. I don’t want to live in a room above the Inn, but my cabin doesn’t have enough space.

  Hearing him sigh heavily, she twisted in his arms, her gaze seeking his. He stared into her face and inwardly cursed himself for causing her worry. Before she could ask, he said, “Sorry, babe. I wasn’t sighing about us. Promise.”

  “Then what? The case?”

  He lifted his hand to caress her cheek. “Actually,” he smiled, “I was just thinking ab
out how much I love having you in my arms. And…how I don’t want it to end.”

  He said no more, wondering if her thoughts would take her down the same path. He did not have to wait long.

  “I don’t want us to end either.” Holding him closely, she ran her fingers over his beard. “Mitch, I had a bad marriage and honestly thought that I’d never want to be involved with someone again. I thought I could never trust anyone again.” Smiling in the dark as the moonlight cast a glow over his face, she continued, “But I never imagined that life would bring us back together. Not even when I moved here. I thought you were gone for good.” Sighing, she added, “But if living here made me happy and allowed me to have my childhood memories of times with you, then I was good with that.”

  He leaned forward the bare inch it took to claim her lips and placed a whisper soft kiss there. “I thought of you every time I thought about my childhood here in Baytown. Sometimes, remembering this place was the only thing that got me through my time in Afghanistan and Iraq.” Chuckling, he added, “But I always just thought those were memories to hang on to. I never dreamed I’d come back here to live. And I sure as hell never thought I’d have a chance to make love to my Tori.”

  “So what now?” she asked timidly.

  Kissing her softly once more, he said, “First on my list is keeping you safe and finding out who the hell is after you. Then…we’ll talk about our future. And believe me,” he kissed her again, “we’re gonna have a future.”

  Chapter 20

  A few days later, just as the sun began to rise, the lonely beach welcomed the walkers, searching for the ocean’s treasures.

  “Last night’s storm helped bring more glass up on shore,” Katelyn commented, bending over to pick up a few more pieces of sea glass. “Ooh, look at the deep green of this one,” she cooed, holding it up for Tori to admire.