Hale Series Boxed Set

by Marie James

  I head back into the school just as the last student is riding away with their parent. I head back to my room to get my purse, jacket, and cell phone. I’m planning to wait near the entrance for Kaleb to let me know he’s here. I don’t have to worry about locking up because the janitorial service is here cleaning.

  “Hey, Josie,” Martha Hall, a fellow fourth grade teacher falls into step with me on my way back to the front.

  “Hi, Martha. How was your day?” I’m polite, but know that Martha is less than cordial most days.

  “Meh, you know same ‘ol same ‘ol.” I just nod, trying not to engage. Negativity just leaves me in a bad mood. “I saw the police drop you off this morning.”

  I don't understand people who complain and want to bring people down. I mean if you're not happy with your life, do something to change it.

  “My boyfriend dropped me off this morning.” I don’t even try to hide the smile on my face.

  I can see Kaleb pull up to the curb in front of the school through the front glass. Oh thank goodness I don't have to wait with Martha!

  I watch him climb out of the car. He notices me the second I walk through the front doors. I resist the command from my feet telling me to run into his arms.

  “Holy shit.” I hear Martha say under her breath. Well I guess there are some things she can appreciate.

  “Have a lovely evening, Martha.” I say over my shoulder as Kaleb begins to stalk towards me. I swear I hear her say something about being a criminal and needing to be frisked but I ignore her. Why would I focus on her when this incredibly gorgeous man is looking at me like he's dying of thirst and I'm the last drop of water on earth?

  We crash into each other. I wrap my arms around his neck, his around my back, and he lifts me up so my mouth can reach his as he spins me around. Think super romantic movie, only better because it's Kaleb Perez.

  “I missed you, baby.” I whisper against his lips.

  He sets me back on my feet. “I missed you too.” I see him look over my shoulder “Friend of yours?”

  I know he's talking about Martha so I don't even chance a look back in her direction. “Not really. She did say she wanted you to arrest her.” I grin at him but roll my eyes.

  “Original,” he mutters. Apparently not the first time someone has looked at him and suggested it. “Let's get out of here.” I fall instep beside him as he helps me into the front seat of his cruiser.

  I wait for him to make his way around the car and busy myself with my seat belt.

  “How was your day?” I ask as we pull away from the school.

  “It was good. Not very productive, but no one shot at me or tried to stab me.” I know he means it as a joke but I can’t stop from wincing.

  The idea of him getting hurt at work nearly guts me. Knowing that every day it’s a possibility almost makes me reconsider having a relationship with a cop. My mom is a very strong woman but I can remember times when she sat in the living room watching the door, waiting for my father to come home, not knowing if she would ever see him alive again.

  He notices my frowning face. “Sorry, Josie.” He shrugs his shoulders. “Cop humor.”

  I decided to change the subject quickly. “My class is building overnight crystal gardens tomorrow.”

  “That sounds messy. Do you have all of the supplies? I’m sure I have Epsom salt somewhere at the house.” He grins over at me.

  “You know how to make quick growing crystals?” My panties just got wet from how sexy it is that he knows something like this.

  His smile is miraculous. “I love science. I’m really dorky when it comes to stuff like that.”

  “I think I just fell in love with you,” I say jokingly under my breath, still smiling at him.

  His only response is a mischievous wink in my direction and a squeeze of our clasped hands.

  We pull up in front of the house rather than the garage since we will be leaving shortly to head over to Lorali and Ian’s house. I follow him to the door and wait for him to unlock the door and deactivate the alarm. This man is serious about security.

  “What do you have to do?” I ask following him inside and closing the door behind us.

  He turns around, picks me up and throws me over his shoulder. “You.” He states and swats me on my butt while carrying me to the bedroom.

  Chapter 28

  Kaleb

  I love the sound of her squeal when I pick her up and throw her over my shoulder. I was able to make both of us come in less than a minute in the shower this morning and it did nothing more than getting me worked up, needy for more.

  I lay her gently on the bed and take the few steps to the dresser where I divest myself of my badge and firearm, laying them on top of the dark wood. She watches every move with hooded eyes, periodically snaking her tongue out to lick her lips. Being the generous man that I am I give her exactly what she wants. I remove each piece of clothing at an antagonizingly slow pace, making sure I fold and situate each item on the top of the dresser before moving on to the next one.

  She groans and I watch as she slides off the bed and stands to the side. Returning the torture, she slowly unbuttons her blouse and I watch as she releases it and it drifts down to the floor to pool at her feet. Her remarkable breasts are incased in seductive white lace, just the hint of her nipples evident. It’s my turn to moan; I want to beg her to speed up and at the same time hopes she takes forever to disrobe. Her gorgeous body, both my heaven and my hell.

  I’ve halted my undressing, opting to stand there and watch her. I take note of how sure her fingers are now, completely opposite of the unsure movements she had just days ago. The knowledge that she’s more comfortable around me takes my breath away.

  She turns, presenting me with her back, sweeping her hair over one shoulder. “Help me,” she pleads.

  I cross the room faster than I intend so I can reach out and touch her. She whimpers when I sweep my hands around her stomach and release panting breaths on her exposed shoulder. “I missed you today.” I whisper in her ear.

  “How much?” She asks breathily.

  “I nearly attacked you outside of the school.” I answer truthfully. “But I saw your co-worker. I hardly had the restraint.”

  She moans when my fingers begin to wander lower on her belly, dipping under the waistband of her skirt. “What’s stopping you now?”

  “Is that what you want, Mariposa? You want me to attack you?” I nip at her ear and cup her lace covered breast in my hand.

  “I never want you to hold back, Kaleb. One hundred percent honesty, even with this.” Her heart is hammering against my hand and her breathing is shallow.

  “You sure?” I’d never abuse her or take something she’s not offering but having the ability to be myself without having to hold back is an incredible gift.

  I register the scant nod of her head against my shoulder. I’m not the type of man to get off on being aggressive with women, but with Josie I want it all, hard and fast and slow and gentle. My mind has been racing with thoughts of her the entire day. After spending the weekend wrapped around one another the separation today was almost unbearable.

  I nip roughly at her shoulder as I reach between us and unhook her bra. The low moan that escapes her lips at my aggressiveness makes my cock thicken further in my boxers. I reach into her beautiful golden hair and grip a handful, tugging her head back on my shoulder.

  “You’re mine.” I grunt huskily in her ear, my voice gravely and sure.

  “Yours,” she whispers in a pant.

  I release her, take a step back from her, and run my hands up her arms as her bra falls to the floor. Her skin is covered in goose flesh. I glide the tips of my fingers down the center of her back from the nape of her neck to the waist of her skirt and back up, taking pride in the shiver that follows my touch.

  When my hand crests over her shoulder I grip her hip and press the top part of her body with subdued forcefulness. My actions have the top part of her body sprawled across the
bed, her ass jutted out.

  Rather than removing her skirt I just flip it up and let it bunch around her waist, knowing the puddle of soft fabric will come in handy later.

  I lick my lips in appreciation at the sight of her ass, hugged in black lace panties that cover half of her cheeks but leaving the sexy as fuck curve of her bottom exposed. My eyes feast on her, dining on the demure sexiness that she doesn’t even realize she has.

  “You have a perfect ass,” I praise reaching up to cup her cheeks, unable to resist the urge to touch her any longer.

  I roughly grip a handful of her luscious ass in my hands and notice the way the fabric at the apex of her thighs grows darker, a sure sign of her arousal. Without reason I grip the sides of her expensive panties and in seconds tear them to shreds and drop the destroyed pieces of delicate fabric to the floor.

  Gripping her ass again I pull her cheeks apart; I falter when I see copious amounts of wetness glistening at her delicate pink slit. I drop to my knees behind her and lap up her arousal. She bucks against my mouth at the sudden intrusion of my tongue into her heat.

  I trail my tongue all over and up the seam between her cheeks, skating delicately over the tiny pucker. When she pulls away from me, no doubt because of the unfamiliar sensation of my tongue there, I growl and smack the top of her ass with a heavy hand.

  “Quieto.” I bark, slipping into Spanish before I can stop myself. “Hold still,” I say only marginally calmer.

  I glide my hands between her slightly parted legs and reach my arms over her hips until I have her pinned against my face. I devour her relentlessly, every inch that I can reach with my lips or spear with my tongue. I hear her distant whimpers and can feel her wiggling her hips, one minute grinding her pussy against my mouth the next she’s tugging and trying to get away. I smile against her slickness knowing that the sensations running through her body are both tantalizing and confusing her.

  I continue to lap at her as I slowly glide one of my thick thumbs against that tiny forbidden spot, my spit having lubricated her enough for me to dip the tip of my digit in ever so slightly just as I suck her swollen clit into my mouth. She jolts violently and I can feel the pulsing of her core both against my mouth and the thumb that is now situated deeper in her from her bucking. The orgasm rolls on and on as I refuse to stop sucking on her sensitive nub and gliding my finger in and out of her until the convulsing stops.

  Eventually her body calms and she whimpers against the covers. My mouth and chin are dripping with her juices and I’m forced to wipe my stubbled chin on the inside of her thigh. I grin as I stand, noticing the bright red hand print I left on her ass. The sight of it is almost maddening, an urge to brand her as mine washes over me.

  I hook my thumbs into the side of my boxers, shove them down my legs, and take a step forward nestling the length of my throbbing cock under her and against her cleft. Rocking myself back and forth against her folds I grip her ass, one hand clamping down on the reddened spot from earlier.

  “Are you ready for me, Josie?”

  “Mmmhmm,” she answers weakly, obviously still consumed by the powerful orgasm that just wracked her body.

  I shift my hips back and forward slowly, gently thrusting into her.

  “Fuck,” I hiss as I slide into her tight hot center.

  I seat myself fully and hold my hips static as I calm myself. The effort is two-fold, I don’t want to come too quickly and I also don’t want to hurt her. Eventually I’ve calmed myself enough to move inside of her, slowly stroking my entire length in and out to the very tip.

  I curve my body over hers and kiss across her shoulders and down her spine, torturing myself with the gentle ministrations.

  I watch her hands as she fists the blankets in her tiny hands. She raises her head off of the bed and it’s the first movement other than the minute swirl of her hips periodically that she’s shown since she came against my mouth.

  “Harder!” She demands.

  My body stops, my rigid cock still and unmoving deep inside of her. I grab a handful of her hair and pull her back until her back is gloriously arched and her head is against my chest. I nip at her ear and she turns her face towards mine. I take her lips with repressed violence, sliding my tongue against hers. I pull my mouth from hers and watch as her amazing blue eyes begin to regain focus.

  “Do you want it hard, Josie, or just harder?” I’m hoping she knows the difference, if not she’s about to find out.

  “Hard,” she says her voice sure.

  I push her head back down to the bed and grip the fabric at her waist with my free hand as I slowly withdraw from her. Just as I’m about to fall from inside her I slam back in and keep my hips moving. I thrust into her repeatedly, loving the sound of my balls as they slap against her engorged clit. I don’t know how it’s even humanly possible but she tightens further as I slam into her.

  My hand is still tangled in her hair causing her back to arch seductively. Fuck she’s gorgeous. I’ll never get enough of this woman.

  “Oh, God!” her voice is gruff, strained from the angle of her throat as I pull her hair. “Please, Kaleb!”

  “Fuck, Josie! Tell me what you need!” I plead with her. My body is wound so tight I know I’ll explode any second and I need to send her over the edge before I jump myself.

  “Spank me!” She screams and my hand is raised and answering her command before my brain has a second to think about it.

  She explodes before my palm and fingertips can register the sting from the blow. I plunge deep inside of her and stop, the pulsing gushes from my cock matching the convulsions of her orgasm. My entire body releases a shudder as I bend over and softly kiss her back.

  I reach up and pull back the soft waves of hair that is covering her face not sure of what I’ll find. For a split second I’m terrified I took it too far and she’s going to be crying and upset that I was so rough with her. All fears are dashed when the only thing I see on her face is a beautiful sated smile.

  “You are so fucking amazing,” I whisper against her jaw.

  I watch her face as I slowly pull my still semi-erect cock from her body. The low moan she emits makes me want to put it right back in, and if we didn’t have prearranged obligations this evening I would be doing just that.

  “You want to skip going to Ian’s?” I murmur, my lips against her back as I cup her sex in my hand, allowing my two middle fingers to languidly dip in and out of her, loving the feel of our combined wetness as it coats my hand.

  She stands from her bent position on the bed and turns towards me, effectively removing my teasing fingers. Biting her lip and looking me in the eye I feel both of her tiny hands close over wrist, and watch with astonishment as she brings the slick fingers to her mouth. By the time she’s done licking and sucking my fingers clean, burying myself back in her is all I can think about.

  She lets my fingers fall from her lips and I trail them down to her breast and sweep my thumb across her perky nipple. “We can’t skip it. I need to talk to Alexa and Lorali.”

  I do my best to keep my face from dropping. “You can talk to me about anything, Josie.” I want to be her confidant, her anchor, the first person she thinks of when she needs to talk to someone.

  She giggles and bites her lip. She looks so innocent and pure, nothing like the girl that was demanding I smack her ass a few minutes ago. “I can’t talk about you to you. I have to talk to them about you.”

  I smirk at her. “All good things I hope.”

  “The best.” She reaches up and kisses me softly on the cheek, grabs my hand, and tugs me to the bathroom for a quick shower.

  Chapter 29

  Josie

  We showered quickly. Kaleb watched me like a hawk while I dressed and still kept his eyes on me even when he was putting his own clothes on. I haven’t said much and I know he can sense that something is off and it’s eating him to death. I know I won’t be able to avoid the conversation that I know is going to make it worse.

  It�
��s not until we’re in the truck and driving across town that he finally says something. I’ve been staring out the window, watching as the houses and stores go by, hoping he doesn’t call me out on my distance. I don’t say anything as he pulls into a dimly lit parking lot and puts the truck in park.

  I feel him shift in his seat and I know if I glance at him I’ll see his body turned towards me. I don’t; I want to put this conversation off as long as I can.

  “Josie,” his voice is strained and I resist the urge to look at him. He reaches and clasps my hand in his. “I took it too far. I won’t ever do it again.” His voice is low and filled with regret.

  I turn my head towards him and notice the pleading and remorseful look on his face. It nearly guts me.

  “What are you talking about?” I’m certain the confusion is all over my face.

  “I was too forceful. I took you too hard. I hit you!” He closes his eyes and drops his head.

  “Stop!” I say with more intensity than I had intended. He jerks his head back up. “I loved what we did. Don’t think for a second that you took things too far. I wanted everything you did. I begged for it.” And this was the crux of the issue. Never in my life have I ever dreamed I would want someone to do those things to me.

  When I would picture lovers, my sex life included slow and sensual. Him gently rocking into me, whispering soothing words in my ear as he loved me slowly. I never would’ve imagined I wanted him to smack my ass after he fingered me there, bringing me to orgasm.

  He watches my face, like he’s trying to figure out if I’m telling the truth. “You’ve been distant since our shower. You’re making me feel like you regret it. I never want to be something you regret, Mariposa.”

  This amazing man. How did I ever get so lucky for our paths to cross?

  I hang my head. “I’m embarrassed.” I mutter under my breath.

  I feel his finger under my chin as he tilts my face upwards.