Hale Series Boxed Set

by Marie James

  “What’s wrong?” He begins to pull over to the side of the road.

  I wave my hand to tell him to keep going. They are going to kill me! “I never called Lorali or Alexa about the other night!”

  “You didn’t call them?” He looks confused and surprised.

  “My phone was smashed and I never use the landline so I didn’t even think about it. Besides.” I whisper. “I’ve been distracted.”

  He grins big but doesn’t look over at me. How can he be happy knowing I’m about to step into his house with his girlfriend/wife there? This day just keeps getting worse.

  How am I supposed to act? Do I tell her? I feel obligated to let her know her man is a slime bag, but how do you just come out and say ‘I made out with your man and rubbed myself on him until I orgasmed?’

  I squeeze my eyes closed tightly and wish I were in a different situation. How could this be my life?

  Kaleb told me he lived in a house rather than an apartment but when we pulled up to the white stone home, my jaw hit the ground. His house was magnificent, the welcoming archway leading to the front door and the flowers along either side of the house running towards the back.

  “Your home is beautiful, Kaleb.” I tell him as we pull up. “It’s ummm…”

  “More than you’d think a cop would have?” Am I that transparent? I nod my head, because honestly it is.

  “I used the money my mom gave me from my dad’s life insurance for the down payment and a little extra to make it affordable for my income.” He explains and I’m once again sad that he lost his father. I don’t know what I’d do without my parents.

  I climb out of the car before he can make it out and around to get my door, sure that Mia is watching and do not want her to get any ideas. Only her ideas would be the truth, Josie.

  Kaleb carries my duffle bag towards the house and I follow behind him slowly, my stomach heavy and doing flips. I should’ve insisted that he take me to Lorali’s house. I’m sure they’d have no problem letting me stay with them. I’ll call her in a few minutes and have her send Ian to get me. The more I think about it the more I know I won’t be able to stay here. The guilt of our indiscretion is going to cause me to have ulcers.

  Kaleb opens the front door and turns off the security alarm on the panel to the right. The foyer is magnificent with vaulted ceilings and a beautiful chandelier. I’m looking up and taking in the beauty of his home when I hear a loud thudding coming towards us.

  Kaleb steps in front of me as a very large dog comes bounding towards us. “Halt.” He says in a stern voice. The dog skids to a stop as fast as she can, still sliding a foot or so because of the slick marble floor.

  Kaleb takes a few steps forward and scratches the beautiful creature behind the ears, but the dog never takes her eyes off of me. She whimpers and wags her tail rapidly.

  “Settle down, girl. We have company.” Kaleb grins in my direction. “Josie this is Mia.” He says introducing the dog.

  “This? This is Mia?” I feel like a complete idiot.

  “Not who you were expecting?” He continues to smile as I shake my head. “She’s my roommate. She’s been quiet cranky since she’s not been able to go to work this week. She has to stay home when I present to the Grand Jury.”

  “She’s a police dog?” He nods. “A German shepherd?”

  “Close, she’s a Belgian Malinois; they look a lot alike.” She whimpers again and her entire backend is now moving with her tail.

  “May I pet her?” I want to show this dog so much gratitude for just being a dog and not a woman scorned.

  “Meet Josie.” He tells the dog and Mia walks slowly towards me, showing more restraint that I thought she’d have with all of the wiggling she’s been doing.

  I hold my hands out, palms up for her to sniff. Mia circles around me twice, smelling and sizing me up before she sits down in front of me and rubs her head along my hands. I go in with everything and rub her ears, scratch her back, and itch under her chin.

  I talk to her and tell her what a perfect little thing she is and she drinks the attention up. “Does she need to potty?” I know he’s been at work all day.

  “Come,” he commands and Mia turns suddenly and follows Kaleb to the kitchen. I do the same, unsure of what to do next.

  I watch as he scoops a large bowl of food from a bag in the pantry and sets it down in front of her. She begins eating and I take a look around the kitchen. It’s a dream with ash cabinets and gorgeous marble countertops.

  “Thirsty?” Kaleb asks as he heads towards the fridge.

  “Sure.” I respond.

  He leans into the fridge, taking inventory. “Beer, soda, water?” He lifts his head back up and peers over the door in my direction.

  “Wine?” I smile hopefully.

  His smile falls. “Sorry, no wine. I can go buy some though.” I shake my head. “I do have vodka!” He says a little too quickly.

  I narrow my eyes at him, contemplating the idea. “Do you have any juice to mix with it?” I grab a stool at the breakfast bar, pull it out, and sit down.

  He bends his head back into the fridge and I can hear as he shifts things around inside. “Orange juice!” He exclaims enthusiastically.

  “Perfect.” He pulls glasses down from a cabinet and grabs ice and the vodka from the freezer. “Don’t make mine too strong.” I request as he begins to pour the vodka in to the glasses.

  He winks at me, his glass getting at least twice the alcohol he poured into mine. “Not a big drinker?”

  “Not really.” I respond. “You?”

  “I’ll have a few beers every now and then, but this vodka I’m sure I’ve had since New Year’s.” He tells me holding up the still nearly full bottle. “I work too much and get called out too often to not have a clear head.”

  He slides my glass over to me and I take it gratefully, raising it to my mouth for a tentative sip. I watch as he walks around the counter to Mia who has finished her meal and opens the back door for her to go out. Mia sits and whimpers, looking back in my direction. “She’ll still be here when you get back.” He says and points outside. Mia bounds across the back porch and into the yard.

  He walks over and pulls the stool next to me out and takes a big sip of his drink before he turns his body towards mine. I watch him from the corner of my eye.

  “You left out super early the other morning.” He watches me but I don’t respond to him. “You shut down on me when I was at your apartment and I want to know if everything is ok. With you. With us.”

  I bring my glass to my lips before I respond. Us. I like the sound of that now that I know Mia is in fact a beautiful K9 and not a woman being cheated on.

  “I heard you mention Mia,” I admit. “I thought she was a girlfriend or a wife.” I lower my eyes to try to hide my embarrassment.

  Kaleb’s warm hand reaches out and caresses my neck, his large thumb under my jaw, indicating his desire for me to raise my eyes; I comply. “I figured that out this afternoon. I wished you would’ve asked me about it instead of shutting me down. I’m not a cheater, Mariposa.” I love that he has a nickname for me, the sound of it off his tongue so sensual and full of care.

  I sigh when his thumb runs across my bottom lip and I’m hit with the desire to suck it into my mouth. I see his eyes darken when my tongue sneaks out and tastes the tip of his finger, and hear a low growl from his chest.

  “I only have eyes for you, Josie. Only you.” He whispers as he leans in and slants his mouth over mine. Unable to resist the urge to feel more of his body heat against mine, I slide off of the stool and stand between his legs, my arms reaching around his shoulders.

  He pulls my lower lip through the soft grip of his teeth and electric bursts hit my core. I’ve never met a man who charges my body the way Kaleb does; the change is pure bliss and a long time coming. The feeling of his hot mouth sweeping over my neck and along my shoulder only intensifies my need for him.

  I groan and pull him towards me until I can fee
l his erection against my stomach. I want to reach out and pull him free; please him and make him come like he did with me the other night. I lower my hands from around his neck and settle them on his thighs; basking in the pride I feel when his muscles jump and ripple under my touch.

  I slowly slide my hands up either thigh as his lips hit mine once again. I wish I was smoother and more experienced so he wouldn’t see me as an amateur, but my trembling, unsure hands give me away. The fingers of my right hand graze over the tip of the bulge in his pants and feel rather than hear his sharp gasp against my mouth.

  Just as I’m about to repeat the actions his phone starts to ring and buzz on the counter top causing me to jump slightly at the sudden intrusion into our moment.

  “Ignore it,” he mutters against my lips as the phone stops ringing.

  I pull my mouth from him, my hands settling on his knees. His bright green eyes seem darker, more lustful. I lean in to kiss him again and the phone begins ringing again. I feel him grip my hips just a pinch tighter in frustration.

  “You should probably get that,” I incline my head to the phone buzzing incessantly across the counter.

  “Fuck,” I hear him grunt, the exasperation clear in his voice.

  Chapter 10

  Kaleb

  “Perez.” I bark into the phone with more frustration than I should probably have since I was about to put the brakes on this kitchen make out session anyways. Yeah, keep telling yourself that.

  “Is Josie with you?” I hear Ian demand angrily in my ear.

  “Yeah, man. She’s here.” I answer as the sudden realization that she never called her sister when we showed up at the house. It’s like the rest of the world falls away when I’m with her; apparently it’s the same for her.

  “Lorali stopped by her apartment and there was police tape across the busted up door. She’s freaking out! Why the fuck didn’t you call me? Why the fuck didn’t she call anyone?” He’s seething and I can almost feel all of his anger through the phone.

  “Calm down, Ian.” Josie’s eyes go wide when she realizes the mistake we both made. I run my hand along her cheek and have the urge to just hang up the phone when she closes her eyes and leans into my touch.

  “I can’t calm down, Kaleb. My girl is going crazy and that puts me on edge. Surely you can understand.” I nod even though he can’t see me. I’d flip the fuck out if I showed up at Josie’s apartment and saw what Lorali saw, not knowing where she was.

  “I can put her on the phone if you want to verify I’m telling the truth.” I wait for him to answer but I can tell he’s trying to wrangle in his anger. “We were planning to call but briefly got distracted.” Hell, I’m still distracted with her running her tiny, warm hands up and down my thighs, stopping mere inches from my still rock hard cock.

  I hear him chuckle. “Yeah, I bet.” Being unable to concentrate on what Ian is saying, I draw the hand that brushed against my cock so seductively to my face and kiss her palm and the tip of each finger.

  “I’ll let Lorali know that’s she’s safe and to give her a call. Tell Josie to turn her phone on. It keeps going to voicemail.” Ian demands.

  “Her phone is broken but we’ll get her another one tomorrow. Have Lorali call my phone.” I instruct him.

  “Will do, man. Let me call her back.” Ian says.

  “Later.” I answer.

  I place the phone on the counter and lick the tip of her middle finger, watching her reaction to my mouth on her.

  “Kaleb,” she pants as her eyes grow heavy and she steps back in between my legs, closing the distance that grew when the phone rang.

  I place her hand against my cheek and feel her fingers flex against the stubble on my chin. I release my hold on her and allow her to trail her fingers over my face and down my neck. The phone rings again with an interruption I knew was coming.

  “Your sister,” I say and hand the phone to her without answering.

  She winces and answers the phone, immediately pulling it from her ear. I can hear Lorali’s voice though the phone and she’s not happy. I jump off of the stool when I hear Mia whimper at the back door. I kiss Josie on the cheek and go to let her in. I then busy myself with making dinner on the other side of the counter from Josie.

  I can hear her trying to calm her sister down and assuring her that she’s fine. I hear a whispered, “I want to stay here.” From Josie and it makes me smile as I pull chicken breasts from the freezer and place them in the microwave to thaw.

  “Kaleb?” I turn towards Josie. She has my phone clutched to her chest. I raise my eyebrows at her, asking her what she needs as I dry my just washed hands off on a kitchen towel. “Is it okay if Alexa and Lorali stop by tomorrow?” She rolls her eyes. “They want to make sure I’m still alive.”

  “Of course.” I respond and smile at her shaking her head like she knows the thought is crazy.

  I write down the address on the notepad I keep at the breakfast bar and turn it towards her. She reads it off to Lorali and after a few more assurances, Lorali is satisfied enough to let her off the phone.

  “Sorry about that,” she says.

  “Don’t be. Sorry I distracted you,” I give her a mischievous grin.

  “I like your distractions.” She replies seductively.

  I clear my throat and turn towards the microwave as I thicken in my pants at her words. “Do you like asparagus?” She doesn’t respond and I turn my head towards her. The disgusted look on her face tells me no. “Fresh green beans?” That gets a smile out of her.

  I open the fridge and pull the produce bag of green beans out. “Can I help?” She asks as I reach into a lower cabinet and pull a steamer basket and pan out.

  “I got it.” I wink at her and fill the pan half full with water and place it on the stove.

  “A man who cooks? I could get used to that!” She giggles.

  “I wish you would,” I respond with more husk in my voice than intended I realize when her cheeks flush. I plug in the counter top grill so it can heat. “Another drink?” I ask when I notice her glass is empty.

  “You trying to get me drunk so you can seduce me?” She teases.

  I walk around the counter and shimmy between her open thighs, kiss her neck, and whisper in her ear. “I don’t think you have to be drunk for me to be able to do that, Mariposa.” She shutters when I lick her neck and bite her lobe.

  “No,” she answers breathily.

  I pull away suddenly and laugh at the groan of frustration she emits.

  “Why do you call me Mariposa?” She asks.

  “It means butterfly in Spanish,” I tell her.

  “Is there a reason you say it to me?” She busies her hand on her empty glass.

  She raises her eyes to me when I begin to speak. “You were incredibly timid the first couple of times I saw you, but when we went to coffee and we started talking you just came alive,” I explain. “It was like watching a cocoon open up and this beautiful butterfly emerge.”

  She’s grinning at me as I walk back in between her legs.

  “A butterfly,” she whispers.

  “My butterfly,” I specify before kissing her lips tenderly.

  The ready beep of the counter top grill pulls me away from her and back into the kitchen. I grab the chicken from the plate, sprinkle seasoning on it and place it on the grill. It hisses when I close the lid. I turn the stove on under the pan of water.

  “I was afraid to call you,” Josie admits.

  I look at her with what I’m sure is a confused expression. “Afraid? Why would you be afraid?”

  “I was afraid I was reading you wrong. You’re…” she pauses. “You’re incredibly…handsome. I didn’t think you’d be interested in me. I convinced myself it wasn’t possible, even when Alexa and Lorali were pushing me to reach out to you.”

  “Wouldn’t be interested?” I say incredulously. “You’re an absolutely beautiful, amazing woman. Who wouldn’t be interested in you? Surely I’m one in a long list of guys v
ying for your attention.”

  She laughs and shakes her head. “I keep to myself Kaleb. I don’t…” she pauses again. “I’m not very experienced.” She blurts out.

  I smile at the idea of her inexperience. It helps keep my Hispanic heritage at bay. The part that makes me want to mark her and never let her out of my sight, informing all others who she belongs to. The part that tells me to fight to the death to win her affection and never let her go.

  Before I know it, I’m back in between her legs, stroking her cheek. “I like that.”

  “My inexperience?” She asks.

  I nod my head. “It means I don’t have that many people to hunt down.” I wink at her, letting her know I’m joking. Kind of.

  “One.” She says.

  “You’ve only been with one guy?” How is that even possible? She’s gorgeous and twenty-two.

  “Once.” She corrects. “If you can even call it that.” She qualifies under her breath.

  “You’ve only made love once.” Her flat laugh makes me take a step back.

  “I wouldn’t call it making love.” She sighs and I wait for her to go on. “I got drunk at a college party and it seemed like a good idea.” She shrugs. “Turns out it wasn’t.”

  “I wish it were me.” I admit. “No woman’s first time should be regretted.”

  She leans and kisses me softly. “I just wanted you to know. In case we…you know. If you wanted to…I just don’t want you to be disappointed.”

  I lick her lips. “Oh I want to, you know…” I chuckle as I turn her words back on her. “But I promise you, Mariposa, I’d never be disappointed.”

  “I want you so bad,” she says and grinds her center against the erection I can’t seem to get rid of in her presence.

  I kiss her hard, snaking my tongue into her mouth to meet hers. She’ll have me coming in my pants if I don’t slow this down. I pull my mouth from her, but not before she sucks on my tongue.

  “Fuck,” I pant against her mouth as I lean my forehead on hers. “We need to slow down, Josie or we’ll never get to dinner.”

  She licks her lips and takes a few measured breaths; her attempt in calming her own need. I close my eyes and try to remind myself that she’s here all night; possibly for days even. We don’t have to rush into anything.