by Aliyah Burke
She purred in the back of her throat and slid her tongue along his in response. Pulling her hand free from his, she wound her arms around his neck. The feel of her body pressed tight to his made the desire within him flare even more. He grew stiff within the confines of his pants and forced himself to end the kiss before it went any farther and he forgot they were in public.
Her eyes had darkened and the lashes had lowered, giving her a hooded, seductive appearance. Full plump lips were slightly parted. He bit back a groan when the tip of her tongue slipped out and skimmed the seam of her mouth. More than anything he could recall in his life he wanted the woman in his arms. And for all intents and purposes it seemed glaringly obvious she wanted him as well. He closed his eyes and struggled for control.
“I have to go, Justice.”
Her soft-spoken words splashed over him with the same effect as cold water. He stiffened and stared down into her eyes again.
“Something wrong?”
She shook her head. “No, not at all. I just have a very busy day tomorrow.”
He had no desire to let her go. However, staring into her eyes he could see signs of strain at the corners. Her mom’s been sick, man. She’s been working at the museum as well as the library. With a kind smile that hid his shame for the selfish thought he’d had, he brushed his lips lightly over hers.
“Of course. Let me get you home.”
They held hands back to his car although the walk was completed in silence. He held the door for her there, and again once they arrived back at her place. At the front door he stopped her from unlocking it and turned her to him. The outside light made her skin richer and reflected, much the same way the sun had, off the green flecks in her eyes.
“Thank you for tonight, Justice. It was just what I needed.” She glanced past his shoulder.
“My pleasure.” He wound a hand in her hair; the blended hues of her natural curls were soft against his skin. “I’m here if you need to talk, Kassidy.”
Her gaze came up to study his face as a slight lift of one corner of her mouth gave him a grateful smile. She swallowed a few times before she sighed heavily.
“Thank you.”
He plucked her keys from her hand and unlocked the door. With deliberate slowness, giving her time to pull away, he leaned close and pressed their lips together before he covered her mouth with his. He devoured its infinite softness. When Kassidy whimpered and sank into him, he ended the exchange. Helping her to steady herself, he skimmed her lips with the pad of his thumb.
“Good night, Kassidy. Sleep well.”
“Night,” she muttered before slipping inside her house.
He remained there until he heard her reengage the locks. Hands in pockets, he strolled back to his Vette, cast a final glance at the small house, then climbed in and headed home.
Chapter Four
Kassidy smiled as she sat with one eye pressed to the finderscope on her dad’s reflecting telescope. Turning the knob, she waited for the celestial body to come into view.
“So when do we get to meet this mystery man of yours?” her father’s graveled baritone asked.
Tilting her head so she could see him where he sat at his refracting telescope, she chuckled. “What makes you think he’s a mystery man?”
“Any man I haven’t met that you’re seeing is a mystery. Stop dodging the question. When do I get to meet him?”
She picked up on the I versus the we. “Soon, daddy. Maybe we can all do dinner some night.”
“What’s wrong with him?”
She’d been on her way back down to peer through the telescope but stopped at the question. Turning on the stool, Kassidy faced her dad.
“What makes you think there’s something wrong with him?”
“The fact you’ve not introduced him to me… to us.”
She understood. The last man she’d hesitated introducing them to had turned out to be a loser with a capital “L.” It was her daddy’s job to worry and he took that job very seriously.
“He’s been really busy, dad. He’s a lieutenant in the Coast Guard and they’ve been running extra drills. I haven’t seen him for four days myself.”
It was the truth. As was the fact she missed him more than she cared to admit. When he’d visited his sister in South Dakota that was different because he was out of state. Now he was in the same town and she still didn’t get to see him. That was difficult for her. They’d spoken on the phone but he was just getting off work and heading to bed. The one night they were planning on dinner together, he’d had to cancel. This weekend they had plans though and she fervently hoped they were able to keep them.
“A lieutenant in the coast guard, huh? Well, we still want to meet him.” Her father’s voice refocused her attention.
“Of course, daddy. Maybe this weekend I’ll bring him by.”
“Good deal. Now fill me in on what else is going on with you.”
With another smile, Kassidy peered through the eyepiece and stared at the quadrilateral of stars that formed the head of the constellation, Draco, the dragon. Tightening the focus, she zoomed in on Rastaban, Beta Draconis, which meant “head of the snake.”
As time passed, Kassidy and her father talked and caught up. This was one of her favorite activitiesto stay up with her father and stargaze. Many a childhood night she’d crept out of her room and would join him. It was their time, shared between father and daughter. To this day both those past and now present moments were infinitely precious to her.
The clock read four when she hugged her dad and headed home with Libby in tow. Kassidy woke around noon to the sound of her doorbell. Rolling out of bed with a frustrated groan, she padded to the door, rubbing her eyes.
“Yea?” she demanded, jerking open the door.
The UPS man stood there. “Sorry to wake you, Ms. Barrow, but we need a signature for this one.”
She gave Steve a soft smile. He’d been her UPS man for a long time now. Silent, she reached for the brown board and signed her name. “No problem, Steve. Thanks.”
“Have a great one.” He walked down her steps and easily climbed into his vehicle before he drove off.
She sighed and stared down at the four boxes by her feet. Libby sniffed them briefly and headed back inside.
“Couldn’t take one in with you?” she snipped as her dog’s tail disappeared.
The dog snorted as if in response. Laughing, Kassidy lifted two of the smaller ones and took them through to the back porch then returned for the other two. She hefted the smaller of the two and used her foot to slide the larger one inside and through the house to the porch. Neither of them were light and she was breathing hard by the time she’d finished. But excitement ran through her. She’d been waiting on these.
Boxes through to the back porch and door closed, she dressed in yard clothes, grabbed a utility knife and a glass of tea before returning to the packages. A moan of pleasure left the moment the iced brew slid down her throat. Crouching down she made short work of cutting open the boxes.
Libby played ball with herself while Kassidy worked to set up her new stone birdbath and bird feeders. The ringing of the phone reached her while she moved the hose to fill the stone basin. Putting it down, she hurried into the house and grabbed the receiver.
“Hello?”
“Hello, beautiful.”
Justice.
Her heart rate accelerated and she found she had a nervous smile on her face. Licking her lips, she pushed back through the screen door to sit on the top step of the porch.
“Hi.”
“Am I interrupting anything?”
“Oh no. Not at all.”
“Okay, if you’re sure. You sound a bit distracted.”
“I was working out in the backyard.”
“Want some company?” he asked.
It took her a moment to realize she bore a silly grin on her face from his question. Even still, she nodded despite him being unable to witness it. “Are you done with work?”
<
br /> “Yes, ma’am. I’m heading for my car now.”
“I’d love to see you. Come on over. Come to the back gate.”
“See you in a bit, Kassidy.”
“Bye, Justice.”
The moment she pressed the End button, she squealed and stomped her feet upon the brick steps. From where she lay in the sun, Libby lifted her head, yawned and then went back to chewing on her ball.
“Thanks for the support, Libs.”
She worried her lip while debating going inside and changing into something prettier. With a shake of her head, Kassidy pushed up and headed back into the sun. I’m working in the yard. He knows this. I don’t need to get all prettified for him.
She went in, returned the phone to its base, and did a few other things before she headed back out. Once there, she broke down the boxes and put them in the recycling bin. Picking up the hose, she proceeded to fill the basin, an act that didn’t take long at all. She started when a low whistle floated to her ears.
Libby ran past her to the fence, her tail wagging a mile a minute. Staring over the top of the gate was none other than Justice. Her palms grew sweaty and there sat a large lump in her throat at the sight of him.
He must have driven straight here to arrive so fast.
“Justice,” she murmured, walking toward the gate.
“Hello, beautiful.”
Unlatching the gate, she drew it to her, silently beckoning him to come in. He strode toward her, each step masculine and predatory. His dark brown eyes swirled with a burning hunger that made her belly clench.
Justice stopped before her and cupped the back of her head before covering her mouth with his. Synapses firing out of control, she pressed into him. His taste, heady and addictive, sank deep into her pores. The scent that covered him, virile and fresh, embedded into her brain.
Her fingers curved into the soft brown cotton of his shirt as he supported more and more of her weight. He didn’t seem to mind that fact. One arm slid around her waist and he held them tighter together. A small moan of disappointment slipped from her lips when the kiss ended. His gaze burned even hotter than it had at the start of the kiss.
“I missed you,” he uttered, stroking his knuckles down the side of her face.
A flush rolled up her face. “I missed you, too.”
He backed away and leaned down to pet Libby while she took the opportunity to shut the gate and observe the man in the backyard with her. Justice wore a loose tee shirt which in actuality did very little to hide the strength of his upper body. Slightly baggy jeans and tennis shoes completed his attire.
Oh my! He lifted his head, met her gaze and winked. Almost like he knew her train of thought.
Standing up, he shoved his hands in his pockets. “Put me to work, Kassidy. What can I do to help?”
Take me inside.
“Are you sure? I mean, you just got off work.”
“I’m good.”
She had no doubt about that. Together they moved back through to where she’d been working. “Okay, if you could hang those feeders. Well, fill, then hang them.”
“You got it.”
After he walked away, Kassidy turned her attention back to the task before her. Dropping to her hands and knees she got to it. After a bit, a shadow fell over her as she reached for a large stone.
“Why was I hanging bird feeders and leaving you to lay rock?” Justice’s tone was deceptively calm. She could feel the tension radiating off him.
Wiping the back of her hand across her forehead, eradicating the telltale signs of perspiration, she sat up on her haunches. “Because I needed them hung?”
He crouched beside her, his expression disapproving and serious. “You, Kassidy, are a stubborn woman.”
She gave him a lopsided grin. “I’m not used to relying on anyone to do this stuff for me. If you really want to move some stuff, I could use another of the large burlap sacks. It’s right in the front of the shed.”
His heavy sigh informed her he wouldn’t let it go that easily. Rolling her lower lip between her teeth, she watched him lift the sack like it weighed nothing. It rested on one shoulder and she found her eyes glued to the bulging bicep. From beneath lowered lids she stared as he approached.
“Where do you want it?”
There’s a loaded question.
It took a moment to find her voice. “In the area up to my left.” She pointed. “Just set it by the myrtle. Please and thank you.”
“What’s it for?”
“Landscape cover.” She focused her attention back on the flagstone before her.
Justice hunkered beside her. “Have you done all of this?”
“No. My grandma planted almost all of these flowers. I’ve done some of the rock work.” Content with the location of the stone, she readjusted to the pile near her and pulled another one the size and color she wanted. “It’s relaxing for me. Kinda makes me feel closer to her now that she’s gone.”
“What are you using?”
“This is Three Rivers Quartzite. It’s a hard multicolored flagstone.”
“Well, it’s a beautiful backyard. So is the front. Put me to work.”
Holding the dark gray stone, she met his gaze. “The bag you just carried over here can be dumped by the tree. Just try to keep everything within the retaining wall boundary.”
“You got it.”
She watched him surreptitiously as he opened the sack and lifted it to slowly pour out the contents. With a smile she got back to finishing the last bit of stone she had to lay and set.
* * * *
Justice found his gaze returning to where Kassidy worked diligently on her hands and knees. Running a hand over his short hair, he leaned on the rake he currently used to smooth out the contents he’d dumped. It was a large sack of crushed pecan shells.
The day was pleasantly cool and a wind had begun to blow, bringing with it the promise of a storm. He lingered over the image Kassidy presented. Her amazing mass of curls gathered up off her neck, exposing the swanlike and delicate lines she had. She wore a pair of fitted, well-worn, holey jeans that highlighted her cute little bubble butt. Dirty slip-on shoes covered her feet. She wore a short sleeve, baby blue button-down over a red shirt.
Dirt streaks graced her face and he swore he’d never seen anyone so desirable in his entire life. He couldn’t figure her out. She wasn’t impressed by his car nor the fact he had a boat. This was a woman who enjoyed life. Knew how to extract pleasure from every aspect of life. Or so it seemed.
And yet…
She kept part of herself private. He wanted access to it. He wanted it all.
With a sigh, he moved his gaze to where Libby lay sprawled on her side in the afternoon sun. Even as relaxed as she was, the dog made sure she could keep an eye on her owner.
Sights back to Kassidy, he watched her stretch. Hands settled upon her lower back, she arched. The action pressed her breasts forward and up. His mouth grew dry and his palms sweaty. Her figure was to die for. Another thing she didn’t seem to notice or even care about.
Keep it together, man.
She pushed effortlessly to her feet and headed toward him, the sun making her glow. Skimming his top teeth with his tongue, he watched her walksmooth, seductive, siren-like and yet at the same time, completely natural.
Her gaze dropped to the ground and a large smile filled her expression. “Looks wonderful. Thank you so much for doing this.”
“Not a problem.”
“Why don’t we take a break? I have some tea made up. Go grab a seat.”
“Sounds great.” He strode beside her up the steps then headed for the hammock on the shaded end of the porch.
“Be right back,” she said as he reclined in the comfortable swing.
Closing his eyes he gave a gentle push with his foot and that was the last thing he knew. He stirred and opened his eyes. The sun had begun to set. Crap, I can’t believe I fell asleep. Sitting up, he noticed Libby lying near the door. She raised her head
and returned his stare. When he swung out of the hammock, she rose and padded down the steps. Following her with his gaze, he stared over the bushes and found the backyard empty. He walked to the screen door and knocked.
“Kassidy?”
“Come on in.” Her voice filtered to him.
He walked in and Libby brushed by him. Kassidy stood in the kitchen and he shrugged sheepishly when she looked up at him.
“I’m so sorry—”
She waved away his attempt at an apology. “No need to say anything. Dinner’s just about ready if you’d care to stay.”
His heart swelled and he smiled at her. “I’d love to.” He cast a glance down over his attire and frowned. He was dirty and sweaty. “Do you mind if I use your shower and clean up?”
Her head jerked up from where she’d been chopping veggies to stare at him. He remained silent, well aware he may have just overstepped with her.
She licked her lips, slowly. “Sure. Down the hall and on your right. The cabinet by the door will have everything you need.”
“Thank you.”
He left before he lifted her and carried her with him to share the shower. Heading to his car he grabbed his bag then jogged back in. His shower was a quick one, but in the terms of improving how he felt and smelled it was gigantic. Standing before the mirror wearing only a towel around his waist, he stared at his reflection.
He didn’t want to mess this up. The moment he’d laid eyes on Kassidy he’d known she was special. He’d meant the words he’d uttered to Kelly about Kassidy being the future Mrs. Justice Graham.
“So why am I standing in here?”
He’d not had many serious relationships and he had no real clue as to how to proceed. Were his sister here, he’d ask her for advice. But she wasn’t. With a fortifying sigh, he dressed in record time and hung up the towel. Leaving the bathroom his nose was bombarded by the smell of fritters, chicken, and more.
At the end of the hall, he dropped his duffle to the floor and continued on to the kitchen. Kassidy stationed herself at the sink washing out a pot, Libby lay on the floor and jazz played, creating a more intimate mood.
