Sanctuary (Family Justice Book 3)

by Halliday, Suzanne

  He was on a roll, so what was the point of stopping there? “You think Lacey and Victoria are normal? Jesus! Think again. Drae? He’s as fucked up as they come. And Alex. Holy god. You don’t even know. So if it’s normal you’re after, this ain’t where you’re gonna find it, babe.”

  There was fast and then there was what Heather did when he stopped ranting. He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen anyone move like she did, but in the blink of an eye, she was plastered to him with her arms wound tight around his neck.

  “You’re right,” she groaned. “I’m sorry. That’s an old excuse, and I heard myself saying it and just wanted to scream.”

  He took fast advantage of their positions and the fact that her hands were engaged and out of his way. Quickly lowering the zipper on her skirt, he pushed it down, thrilled to discover white lace garters and a sexy little belt they attached to.

  “Fuck me,” he growled. Staring greedily at the treasure he uncovered, Brody had to pry his eyes away so he could pin her with a look. “Good god, woman. How can you not think you’re sexy as fuck?”

  Ten seconds later, her blouse was on the floor along with his slacks and briefs. She looked toward the bed, but he had other ideas. Taking her hand, he drew her to the desk chair, sat down, and stared up at her.

  “I thought,” she mumbled. The way she bit her lip made his cock turn to stone.

  Oh, he knew what she thought. “There are other ways to make love than just on a bed.”

  Her dazzling smile lit up the room. “I miss your sexy leather lounger.”

  He snickered and ran his fingers down her stomach. “Ah, so you’re a Tantra convert, are you?”

  “Will you teach me?” she husked in a breathy voice. “I want to learn.”

  Life. It was wonderful.

  Grinning like an idiot, he fingered the hydraulic lever on the chair. “Lesson one. These chairs are adjustable.”

  “Ah,” she quipped. “How convenient.” Looking at him up and down and from side to side, she put her hands on her hips and eyed him up but good. “A little higher, I think,” she said with a hand gesture.

  “Oh. So that’s how it is. Hold on then.” He chuckled and quickly adjusted the chair’s height. “How’s this? Proper height for m’lady?”

  “I think that’ll do nicely,” she told him before making a circuit through the room, turning the lights either down or off. “Gotta set the stage, create some ambiance.” She laughed softly, glanced around, then approached him—stopping right at his knees.

  “Naked looks good on you.” She studied his rigid cock for a moment then fluffed her hair with a sigh. “Bra, garter belt, panties, and stockings. Gah! I feel so overdressed.”

  Realizing a bit more practice would be needed before he could claim to have some smooth garter unsnapping moves, there was a second or two of awkward fumbling to get through before he detached the garters from her lace top stockings and unhooked the snaps on the sexy belt. Women’s lingerie, while mostly a technical mystery, was undeniably hot and crazily arousing. If it weren't for the fact that he had better things to do right this moment, he would have been more than content to just sit there and look at her.

  “The panties can go,” he grunted when the first waves of her deliciously feminine scent overtook him. “But the stockings stay.”

  Heather put her thumbs inside the sides of the delicate silk and softly asked, “Would you like to do this or should I?”

  Shifting forward, he ran his hands up the outside of her thighs and pushed her hands away when he reached the waistband of the white panties. “Oh, I think this is very much my job. Don’t you?”

  He didn’t wait for an answer. He didn’t need to. Her body was communicating directly with his. He saw her stomach quiver when he started to slide the silk down her ass. He smelled the excitement she couldn’t deny when he peeled the small scrap of nothing off her mound.

  Tossing the silk aside, he looked at her approvingly. Every time he saw the sweet cluster of soft curls she used to hide from him, a layer of horny was added to how she made him feel.

  “Come here, sweet lady,” he demanded. “On my lap, love.”

  She looked so adorably unsure when she lowered onto him. Brody immediately buried his face in her neck and started kissing. He put his hands on her waist and held her still while he feasted on skin that was soft and responsive. He knew she liked when he bit her and they’d get to that. Later. But right now, he was going to show her another way to get the shivers.

  Removing her bra next, he trailed his fingers briefly over nipples that looked needy. Gathering her mass of hair into a tail with one fist, he used the commanding grip to angle her head as he kissed and licked her neck, shoulder, and chin. Nipping her earlobe, Brody growled into her ear. “Lesson one. Trust. Put your hands behind your back.”

  When she instantly complied, he was fiercely pleased. She was also starting to grind on his lap. Heat from her center made the slight pulsing moves sexy as fuck. Satisfied she was steady straddling him, he used his free hand to cup a breast and massage the fleshy globe. Swiping his thumb back and forth across a peaked nipple, he felt her first shiver and smiled.

  Wrapping his fist tighter in her hair, he devoured her flesh with his mouth while his fingers worshipped her breasts. Through it all, she whimpered softly but her hands remained clasped behind her back.

  “Grind on my dick, baby. Cover me with your sweetness.”

  When she breathed a husky, “Oh,” and circled her hips, he could feel how wet she was. Her arousal was the fuel for the fire raging inside him. It was fucking hot as shit how fast she started to tremble and shake, but she had another lesson to learn.

  “Easy, baby,” he groaned. “You don’t want to come yet.”

  She whined softly, but he grabbed her hips and dug in, instantly slowing her movements. “Lesson two.” Her whimper made his sex twitch. “Feel everything. The excitement. The pleasure. But don’t make those feelings about chasing an orgasm.”

  He felt her calm. When he said, “Good girl,” she shuddered from head to toe. Feeling the exquisite body spasm ripple through her, he let out a husky groan.

  When he was sure she was ready for more, he lavished a shitload of pent-up desire on her tits. “You have beautiful breasts. So pretty,” he told her between fierce suckles.

  “Brody,” she groaned. “Please. I have to touch you.”

  His reply was a deep grunt. Her hands appeared briefly and then tunneled into his hair. She didn’t know it yet, but she’d just opened the door to her next lesson. With their faces mere inches apart, the made eye contact. And not just any contact. Brody felt as if he was being sucked into a bronze-colored wonderland. It was electric. He could see her desire.

  She was gyrating on his lap. Not wildly or insistent. Because her feet were on the floor, she had full control of her movements. Her juices flowed, covering them both. She wasn’t the only one on a razor’s edge.

  “Lesson three.” Was that him growling like that? Thinking maybe he‘d better watch his tone, he quickly threw down a Fuck that when he saw the way her eyes flared at his gruffness. The sexy counselor responded to his heavy-handed ways.

  “Eyes on me. Do not look away.”

  Heather bit her lip and held his head tighter. Letting his hair grow out came with a bonus. She liked grabbing on, and he very much enjoyed when she did.

  Softly feathering his fingers down her spine, he caressed the sensitive flesh at the top of her ass, felt her little shiver, and repeated. Over and over. He was teaching her through touch to release all the tension in her body. It was all about energy. Hers. His. Theirs. Flowing together. Becoming one.

  “Now, breathe with me.” Her swift intake of air wasn’t quite a gasp—but damn close. “Easy, love. Remember—just feel. Let it happen, Heather. Don’t force it.”

  They clung to each other like that for a long time. His hands stroking her back. Hers wrapped around his head, as she stared into his soul. They breathed as one. It was an amazing f
eeling. He’d never been this present before. Ever.

  When it felt right, he lifted her up and got into position. They didn’t talk. Words would ruin things. They communicated on a deeper level. He could feel their shared energy in the breaths they took, could see it in her eyes. She understood. They were as one already before she gracefully took his throbbing cock into her body.

  He had no concept of time. For all he knew, a decade passed. There was only Heather. The intimate bond they formed was nothing short of sublime. The trust she gave so freely, the indescribable intimacy. And yeah, the love—all of it mashed together and created a sense of euphoria that overtook him

  Gazing into her eyes, he saw and felt the exact moment she started to fall apart. They called out each other’s name. His hips bucked upward. She moaned and he almost lost consciousness when her inner muscles contracted violently around his cock.

  Every muscle in his body burned with a desire so big he had no hope of controlling it. Not that he wanted to. Her hips undulated. She never looked away. He held her tight.

  “Catch me,” she whispered a second before a sensation he’d never experienced took them under. Pressing against him, her head fell back and her hands went limp as her body milked his cock and oozed with release while her pussy quivered around his sex.

  He felt all of it. His cock swelling. Her delicious inner flesh heating up and softening, readying for his essence. The way she tightened when the climax took over. He even felt his cock shoot off, jerking with the effort as the pleasure threatened his sanity.

  They both shook in the aftermath. It had almost been too much. Almost. But what they shared proved to Brody that this was right. They belonged together. No matter what.

  Without overthinking it, he held her tight and kissed her softly until their quaking bodies calmed. And then, pushing the hair away from her beautiful face, he took his heart and placed it carefully in her hands with three life-changing words.

  “I love you.”

  DINNER WAS GREAT. Hilarious, eye-opening, and great despite the fact that the dining room in Alex’s hotel room, the one advertised as having seating for ten, barely held that many—much to Meghan’s chagrin. The only thing saving the day was the cast of characters making the evening quite a ride.

  It was the core of Family Justice gathered around their table. She’d found this family almost by accident and certainly by whim. They were the people she tied her future to in all their quirky, fucked-up glory.

  Victoria and Draegyn, who, as always, were right by Alex’s side. Cameron and Lacey were there too and so were Parker and Angie. And, for the first time, Brody was at the table. The missing piece, Justice’s prodigal son, had returned to take his rightful place among them. And he’d brought someone new into the mix. Someone who Meghan could tell was shaking things up in a big way.

  “And so the little shit grabbed an entire box of ammo and took off into the desert. I’ll tell you what,” Drae boomed with laughter. “That was almost the end of Justice.”

  He was in the middle of telling a bunch of bald-faced lies and extremely tall tales that had everyone else cracking up. She chuckled to herself. Draegyn St. John. Storyteller. Sure, why the hell not? He and that steel-trap mind of his were probably going to end up writing the Justice biography someday. And what interesting reading that would make.

  Climbing off Alex’s lap, she straightened like an old lady with a hand on her back and a groan. She hadn’t put much effort into taking care of herself lately and had to really stop and think when she’d been in her studio last.

  Lacey caught her eye when she went to the drinks cart. Discreetly waving her over, Meghan poured them each a seltzer, added a slice of lime, and smiled at her Justice sister when she handed it off.

  “I love you, Mrs. Cameron.”

  Lacey grinned. “Feeling nostalgic, are we?”

  She looked around the room and her heart did a little jig. “He’s happy, right?” The odd question came out of nowhere, but Lacey looked at her as if she’d been expecting her to ask.

  After sipping the seltzer, she smiled at Meghan over the rim of the glass. “I remember the day I met the Major. He was shocked, I think, by how young I was and oh lord. The look he gave Cameron?” She snickered loudly. “That was the moment I realized that Alex Marquez was way more than just the guy in charge. And when he kissed my hand? Ahahahaaaa. I thought my big bad brooding lover was going to have a canary.”

  Meghan laughed at the picture Lacey’s memory created. She could see it all. Cam’s scowling frown. Alex’s unspoken challenge. Even the hand kissing.

  “We had our first, um, tiff, I suppose you could call it—about Alex. The hand kissing pushed him over the edge. I thought it was charming but Cameron? Not so much. I was also brand new to the compound and didn’t know they all talked s-h-i-t about each other nonstop. So when he made a snarky comment about Alex’s manners, I wasn’t having it.”

  Meghan wasn’t sure which was funnier. Lacey spelling out the word shit instead of just saying it or Cam showing jealousy where the Major was concerned. Feeling Alex’s eyes on her, she turned and smiled. The man kept a close watch on her and she didn’t have any kind of a problem with it. Not at all. Knowing he had her back gave her a sense of safety and of belonging that made her feel complete.

  Lacey watched their eye exchange with a sigh. “Alex is one of those men who never seem unhappy. I often think his power comes from some inner reservoir of calm. It takes a lot to ruffle Dad’s feathers.” They both smiled and saluted each other with their drinks. “But after you came along, sweetie—he changed. Like overnight. Is he happy?” She shrugged. “He’s transformed. Cameron says you saved him, Meghan. I honestly don’t know whether to congratulate or thank you.”

  God. She swallowed the lump lodged in her throat and sniffed back a wave of emotion. “He means everything to me,” she murmured passionately. “Everything. I just want him to be happy.”

  “Meghan, honey … see all these people? They traveled across the country to hold you two up as you take this huge step. That sort of unconditional support can only come from love. We all love Alex. And we all love you. And we love the two of you together. This is Family Justice, Mrs. Marquez. And this is what we do. Bottom line. Alex can’t be happy unless you’re happy, and you can’t be happy unless he is. So to answer your question … are you happy?”

  Lacey always brought it, and she never failed to amaze Meghan by how deep she was. Cameron’s blond-haired Ponytail might be young in years, but she was the oldest soul in their group.

  She put her glass down then took Lacey’s from her hand and placed it next to hers. Drawing her into a mighty hug, she murmured, “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure, Irish. Now, stuff the wedding tears and let’s dish. What do you think of the newb? She’s not what I expected from Brody but my goodness! The man can barely take his eyes off her.”

  Considering the unexpected addition to their quirky circle, Meghan said what she’d thought the minute they arrived. Something was different. “You know,” she drawled as her arm slid through Lacey’s. They stood there arm-in-arm surveying the animated group making the formal dining room look like an airport lounge with drinks everywhere and plates of munchies spread out across every flat surface. “I met her a couple of times before tonight. Once by accident in the lobby and this morning at Baxter’s. Each time, I got the same impression. Sort of buttoned up and proper with a childlike inner core. Guaranteed she’s messed up in some way.”

  “Brody,” Lacey inserted with an agreeing nod.

  “Exactly.”

  A short silence ticked by as they each considered Heather Clarke. Lacey hadn’t shown surprise with what Meghan said. So she wasn’t the only one who saw it.

  “Anyway,” she continued. “I like her, and if you pretend you don’t feel the weird vibe she sometimes put off at me, I’ll strangle you. She obviously means something to Brody. But something feels different tonight.”

  “Mmm. I think we proba
bly spooked her this morning. Just a little bit. My husband and I talked about it. He says we’re kind of overwhelming when you put us all in a room together.”

  Meghan chuckled and squeezed her sister’s arm. “True that.”

  “I like her too. And so does Victoria, although you know her. She’s starting mischief already. Did you get that we’re all going shopping tomorrow morning after your dress fitting? I distinctly heard Tori say something with the words sexy, shoes, and red all in the same breath.”

  “Oh, lord. Is she playing dress-up doll again?” They laughed. “That worked out so well for Parker after she gave Angie that damn stretchy square of material she swore was a dress.”

  “Right?” Lacey’s sardonic drawl as they looked at Tori was so perfect.

  Huddled in one corner of the table, Angie, Heather, and Tori were in deep discussion with the feisty wife of Draegyn St. John clearly holding court. Meghan imagined her stirring the pot and mentally cracked up. Nobody does it better, she thought.

  “Do you think she’ll come to Arizona with him? Part of me can’t imagine Brody bringing her here to meet all of us if he wasn’t thinking along those lines.”

  Lacey paused. “I think he’s in love with her but maybe hasn’t come to terms with what that means. She’s a lot harder to read, but I agree. Something’s different from earlier.”

  The men started moving into the living room, and she heard talk of cigars and brandy out on the terrace. Perfect timing. While they went off and did their good ol’ boy, back-slapping thing, she and her Justice sisters could get to the bottom of the Heather and Brody mystery.

  Squeezing Lacey’s arm one last time, she quipped with a sly laugh, “Looks like game on. Tell you what. You focus on getting the four-one-one on her Arizona plans, and I’ll see what she gives up about her background.”

  “Deal. Let’s do this.”

  They fist bumped. Meghan grabbed a bottle of wine off the cart as Lacey juggled the glasses. “Lock and load.” She laughed as they went to join the ladies.