Justice for Milena

by Susan Stoker

  She bit her lip and looked away. Then she asked, “Are you really watching over the house from your car?”

  “Yes.” He didn’t beat around the bush.

  “Why?”

  TJ waited, but she didn’t look at him. He shifted JT on his lap and reached out to touch her chin and encourage her to turn her head. Their eyes met and he said, “Because if there’s even a one-percent chance Jeremiah wants to get his hands on you, he’s going to have to go through me to get to you. I think I proved that last night.”

  Her pupils dilated at his words, and TJ could see the pulse hammering in her neck. She wanted to say yes, he knew she did, but she was scared. He couldn’t blame her.

  “Me moving in is one thing. But you have no idea how much work a two-year-old is.”

  “I know I don’t,” he agreed immediately. “And that’s just sad. I should know. I’ve missed out on so much. I don’t care if he trashes everything I own. It’s just stuff. It can be replaced. But I won’t ever be able to get these years of his life back. Before I know it, he’ll be a teenager and will want to sulk in his room all night playing video games, and his old man will be too dorky and annoying for him to want anything to do with.”

  TJ returned the smile Milena gave him. “Give it a chance,” he cajoled. “Give us a chance. I can protect you better if I’m there with you. It’s one thing to chase someone away from the house. But staying here really isn’t safe. Anything could’ve happened last night. While I was preoccupied with whoever was in the yard, someone could’ve slipped inside through the front door. My apartment complex is safer. There are less ways someone could get inside. Sadie can come over whenever you want. In fact, I’ll probably insist on it, as I’d love to take you on dates. She can babysit while I wine and dine you. I…” He faltered, then forced himself to continue. “I have a lot I want to tell you. About that last mission. Why I was in the hospital so long.”

  “You don’t have to,” Milena immediately said, resting a hand on his, which had dropped from her face and was resting on JT’s little thigh.

  “I appreciate that, but yeah, I do. I’m not hiding anything from you anymore. Anything you want to know, ask. I’ll tell you everything. The only way we can work is if we don’t have any secrets.”

  “But…you don’t like talking about your time in the Army. About being a sniper.”

  He pressed his lips together, then took a deep breath. “I don’t. And I can’t say that I’ll want to continually rehash it over and over, but you have the right to know the kind of man I am.”

  “I know the kind of man you are,” Milena said softly.

  “You don’t. But you will. And if, after you hear what I’ve done you want to move back to your parents’ house, I’ll let you.” She opened her mouth to protest, but he pressed a finger over her lips. “But if you can accept it, accept me as I am, I’ll move heaven and earth to make you and JT happy for the rest of your lives.”

  Milena reached up and took his index finger in her hand and squeezed, pulling it away from her mouth. “I’m nervous about this, but I want to try. You hurt me so badly when you left, but it was because I loved you so much. I can’t say that I’m fully convinced you won’t do it again, but I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. Besides, I’d be an idiot to turn down your protection for JT.”

  TJ winced at that, but immediately blanked his expression. He looked down at his watch. “We need to get going if we’re going to get you to the clinic on time.”

  She nodded. “I’ll make sure Sadie is up so she can come out and watch him.”

  TJ watched as Milena left to get her friend. Her ass swayed as she walked away from him and he had to look away. The longing inside him to take her in his arms and prove once and for all that he would never leave her again was strong, but he resisted.

  She was moving in with him. He had time, he hoped, to slowly chip away at the bricks around her heart. The shield that he’d put there. By God, he’d dismantle that wall one brick at a time if it was the last thing he’d ever do. He’d make sure Milena knew he was serious about being there for her, or die trying.

  Chapter 10

  Three days later, Milena nervously stood in the elevator of TJ’s apartment complex with him. He’d picked her up from the clinic and told her he wanted to show her what he’d done to make his place safe for JT…and to get her approval.

  She wasn’t sure moving in with him was the best decision, but she couldn’t deny she was excited about it. TJ had the power to hurt her, badly, but after having another long talk with Sadie the other night, she’d decided to go for it. She only had one life to live, and something her friend said really stuck with her.

  She’d agreed the possibility TJ would hurt Milena was there, but then she’d said, “But what if he doesn’t? What if you move in and you find that he’s exactly what you’ve missed for the last three years?”

  And Sadie was right. Milena didn’t want to deny JT the chance to know his father, and she really didn’t want to deny TJ the right to know his son. Besides, deep down, Milena knew she still loved the man. If there was even the slightest chance they could get back what they’d had three years ago, she’d be an idiot to not at least try.

  Milena jerked when she felt TJ gently entwine his fingers with hers.

  “Relax, Doc. It’s going to be fine.”

  She nodded and gripped his hand harder, loving how it felt in hers. Startled, Milena realized she’d never held hands with TJ before.

  His was big and completely engulfed hers. His calluses felt rough against her own smooth skin. But this small gesture made her feel protected and cared for.

  The elevator chimed when they reached the fourth floor and TJ exited, not letting go of her hand. He nodded at a man and woman who were waiting for the elevator and continued down the hall.

  His apartment was at the very end of the hallway. He pushed the door open and stood to the side, gesturing for her to enter ahead of him.

  “Welcome home,” he said softly. She bit her lip. God, those words sounded so good.

  Instead of doing what she really wanted to—flinging herself into his arms and begging him to take her to bed—she calmly walked into his space.

  His musky, earthy familiar scent entered her nose and she inhaled deeply. It was something she’d missed horribly after he’d left, and the memories from the smell left her almost lightheaded.

  “Are you all right?” he asked quietly from beside her.

  Milena realized she’d closed her eyes and probably looked like a dork just standing there in his entryway. She nodded and looked up at him. “Yeah….it smells like you. I just…it brings back a lot of memories.”

  His lips curved up at her words. He curled a hand behind her neck and leaned down and kissed her forehead, leaving his lips on her skin for a long moment before pulling back. “Your scent, those lemons, was the first thing I noticed about you too. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed it until I had it back.”

  Then he straightened and put his keys into a basket on a small table in the foyer. “I tried to do everything you mentioned the other day…putting away small items JT could choke on and getting those little locks for the kitchen cabinets, but I had no idea if it was enough. I called Daxton’s girlfriend—you know Dax, he’s been with you at the clinic a few times. Anyway, Mackenzie and Dax don’t have any kids yet, but she has a ton of nieces and nephews. She came over and helped me babyproof everything.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. Why are you so surprised?”

  Milena shrugged. “I guess I just thought you’d be upset at having your place disturbed.”

  TJ leaned in close. “I told you once and I’ll tell you again, as many times as you need me to, I don’t give a shit about the stuff in my apartment. It’s just that, stuff. I care about you and my son. I want him to be safe and happy here. And I want you to be able to relax when you step through that door. And you can’t do that if you’re constantly worried about what he�
��s putting in his mouth or if he’s going to be hurt.”

  She swallowed. Hard. God, he was going to be impossible to resist.

  Milena made a decision right then and there. Standing in his front foyer, before she’d even seen his apartment. She decided to give their relationship everything she had. She couldn’t do it halfway.

  He’d gone above and beyond to try to prove that he’d changed. He’d arranged it so he could be by her side every day for the last month or so. He’d spent every night for the last few weeks in his car, watching over her and JT. He’d gone out of his way to be nice to her parents and Sadie, and he hadn’t gone overboard, insisting she quit her job and hide out at home until the threat from the Joneses was over.

  Not only that, but he’d done his best to keep a respectable distance between them, even though she’d caught a look of such longing and lust in his eyes a few times it had made her knees weak.

  No, she was the one who’d been holding back. Guarding her heart and not letting him make even the smallest headway. She’d been the one to keep his son a secret from him. She’d been the one to keep him at arm’s length when he’d shown no indication he was the angry man he’d been three years ago.

  “I’m sure whatever you’ve done to the apartment is perfect,” she said softly. “As long as you’ve done the basics, we can figure out what else needs to be done once we move in.”

  He seemed to relax at her words, as if he’d expected her to be unbending and over-the-top about the apartment safety, and Milena realized once more how much she’d kept him at arm’s length.

  TJ then gave her a thorough tour of his space. He pointed out every electrical outlet and security cover and told her that he’d actually given his old coffee table to one of his friends because he thought the corners were too sharp. The new table was wood with curved edges. He had moved all of his DVDs and CDs to the highest shelves of the built-in entertainment center. Room after room showed his careful attention to detail in making sure his son would be safe in his home.

  He showed her an empty room, which he explained would be JT’s. There was a faint outline of a picture on one of the walls. It was a rough pencil drawing, the kind of thing artists did before they started actually using paint.

  “What’s that?” Milena asked.

  TJ shrugged a little self-consciously. “One of the guys I work with is married to an artist. I asked if she could come over and make the room a little more boy-friendly. She should be here tomorrow to finish it up.”

  Milena stepped closer to the wall and her eyes widened as the picture came into focus. She knew without a doubt it was going to be a masterpiece when it was finished. The art would take up the entire wall, and was going to literally be a jungle. And within the trees were dinosaurs. They peeked out from behind bushes and rocks.

  Turning to TJ, she said, “This is perfect.”

  “Really?” he asked.

  Nodding, not sure how he could think otherwise, she tried to reassure him. “My God, TJ, he’s going to adore this. He loves dinosaurs. He’s never going to want to leave his room.”

  “I didn’t want it to be too much, but when I saw the sketch of what she wanted to do, I told her to make it bigger, to make it cover the entire wall.”

  Without thought, Milena stepped toward TJ and stood on her tiptoes. She brushed her lips over his in a light kiss. “It’s perfect.”

  She froze as his arms came around her waist and he hauled her against him. She was still on her toes, and felt as though the two of them were in some sort of weird time bubble. A memory seared into her brain of another time they’d stood like this. She’d made him dinner and he’d come up behind her, kissing her neck suggestively. She’d turned in his embrace and stood on her tiptoes so she could reciprocate.

  Dinner had burned, but neither had cared.

  Milena felt her nipples peak and her panties grow damp from the erotic memory.

  She stared up at TJ, trying to read his emotions in his eyes. He moved then, slow enough that she could pull back if she wanted. His head dropped toward hers.

  But Milena had no desire to pull away from him. She licked her lips. After her decision mere minutes ago, she wanted this. Wanted his lips on hers. Wanted to know if the desire coursing through her veins was only one-sided.

  Her eyes closed as she felt his warm breath against her cheek. He kissed her there, then his lips lightly brushed over her sensitive skin as he inched his way to her mouth. Then he was there. His mouth covered hers and they both moaned.

  At first, the kiss was tentative, as if they were both unsure. But when Milena opened to him, any reticence on either of their parts was lost. TJ’s tongue surged into her mouth as he took control. One hand came up to her head and held her to him as the other tightened on her back, pressing her harder into him so there wasn’t an inch of space between their bodies.

  Milena could feel his erection against her stomach, hot, hard, and oh so familiar. One of her hands shoved under his shirt and her fingernails raked against the small of his back as she tried to get closer to him. The other held on to his biceps as he bent her backward.

  All the while, his tongue dueled with hers. He refused to let her pull away from him. When she gasped for air, he nibbled on her lower lip. He thrust his tongue in and out of her mouth, imitating the act of making love to her. When she tried to push inside his mouth, he blocked her, twining his tongue around hers, forcing her to take what he gave.

  Milena went boneless in his arms, letting him do what he wanted. She loved it. Every second. She wanted to tear her clothes off and beg him to take her however he needed. She was ready, more than ready. One kiss was all it had taken for all her pent-up lust to come roaring to the surface. She wanted him. All of him.

  To her disappointment, instead of ripping her clothes off, he took his mouth from hers, hauled her upright, and buried his face into the space between her neck and shoulder, and held her to him in an embrace so tight, she didn’t know where he ended and she began.

  They stood like that for at least a minute, both breathing heavily, their chests moving in and out in tandem. Milena swore she could feel his dick throbbing against her stomach. Her breasts hurt because her nipples were so hard and she knew if she even brushed against her clit, she’d come.

  But still TJ didn’t move. Finally, she whispered, “TJ?”

  She felt him shake his head against her shoulder.

  Now she was worried. “TJ?” she tried again. “Are you okay?”

  She leaned her head away from him, as much as she could since he wouldn’t let her go, and turned to stare at his face.

  He finally looked up, and Milena was alarmed to see that his eyes were wet as if he was on the verge of crying. She never thought she’d ever see the day when Thomas James Rockwell cried.

  “Oh my God, what? Are you hurt? What’s wrong?”

  He shook his head, but didn’t take his gaze from hers. She saw him swallow hard before he spoke. “I never thought I’d have that again. I’ve dreamed about it for three years, but didn’t think you’d ever give me another chance.”

  Milena relaxed now that she knew nothing was seriously wrong.

  He took a deep breath and used his shoulder to wipe his face, then ran his palm down her arm until he reached her hand, clasping it in his own. “Ready for the rest of the tour?”

  Milena nodded, shell-shocked. She’d just seen TJ as vulnerable as she’d ever seen him before. He hadn’t seemed ashamed of his tears, which blew her away. She’d made the decision to give their relationship another chance, and it seemed as if letting down her guard had in turn lowered his. For the first time since he’d come barreling back into her life, Milena thought they just might have a shot.

  He showed her the second guest room, which was filled with boxes. He assured her that the room could and would be locked, so JT didn’t get into mischief in there. She hadn’t really thought about the ramifications of that second guest room being so filled with crap until he opened the door
to the master bedroom.

  The huge king-size bed immediately drew her eyes. The bedframe was nothing fancy, a simple solid head and footboard. But Milena couldn’t take her eyes off the mattress. It was covered with a navy-blue duvet, which looked ultra-soft and luxurious. It made her want to immediately go and lay down, test to see if it was as comfortable as it looked.

  And that made her think about the sleeping arrangements. Her eyes whipped up to TJ’s.

  As if he could read her mind, he said, “I want you here. In my bed.”

  “I’m not sure…I just…” Milena wasn’t sure what she wanted to say. Minutes ago, she’d been ready for TJ to take her however he wanted, but now, after she’d had a chance to rein in her raging libido, she wasn’t sure about taking their relationship to the next level so quickly.

  “It’s a big bed. We could sleep next to each other and not come close to touching.”

  She smiled, a memory flashing through her brain as if it had happened yesterday rather than over three years ago. “Really? You think that’ll work? I seem to remember you always hogging my side of the bed.”

  He blushed. TJ actually blushed, but he didn’t pull away from her and he didn’t try to hide his embarrassment. “Yeah, you’re right. It’s probably not possible. I might be able to keep my hands to myself, but the second I fall asleep, I know I’d unconsciously sneak over to your side and pull you into my arms and hold you as close as I could.”

  There went her pesky heart again, pumping out of control at his words.

  “I can sleep on the couch,” he went on, as if he hadn’t rocked her world. “I’ll have to ask you to keep the bedroom door open though, so I can hear if you need me in the night. I’m pretty confident in the building’s security, but I’m not putting anything past those assholes. With my luck, they’ll figure out a way to levitate and come in through the window in the middle of the night to get at you.”