by Layle Black
Jac climbed from the vehicle and quickly made his way to her side of the truck. If he had it his way he would bend her over the hood of the SUV and slide his cock inside her without further delay. He opted instead to be some semblance of a gentleman, at least until after the first time he got her beneath him. After which he had every intention of fucking her any way and anywhere he could. He helped her from the passenger side and they walked arm in arm toward the door. Selene was the first one to notice something was amiss.
“Oh my God!” Jac looked to where Selene was staring and instantly his blood ran cold. Grotesque lettering in garish red paint was splashed all over the front door and walls.
WHORE! SLUT! BITCH!
The perpetrator had not spared an inch, splashing paint everywhere as they went. Then he noticed the front door was broken open and barely hanging on the hinges. Immediately the cop in him came to the fore.
“Selene, I want you to go back to the SUV and get in. Lock the doors and don’t you move until I come back.”
“Wait, Jac….we should call the police.” Jac pushed her gently but firmly toward the SUV.
“I am the police, now get to the car.” Selene reluctantly went back to the truck and climbed in. Unable to do anything but watch helplessly as Jac walked into the darkened house.
Belatedly she realized she was shaking, fear making her heart race. The ugly vandalism all over her aunt’s porch a foreboding ending to what should have been the night of her life.
Chapter 10
“I am not moving into Remy’s house, Jac!” The tension in the SUV was a far cry from the sexually charged energy there had been on the way to Selene’s aunt’s house.
“You’re sure as hell not staying at Felicity’s tonight, Selene.” Jac’s voice was the epitome calm and not budging an inch. He checked out the house and saw nothing was taken but there had been more red paint used liberally inside as well. The same ugly words were splashed across several of the walls and hard wood flooring. A quick pass through the rooms told him whoever did this was more interested in psychological warfare than any real theft. The first call he placed was to the Sparks police because as much as he hated it he had no jurisdiction there. The second call was to Remy.
“Shouldn’t you be balls deep by now, mon frère?” His tone was gruff as if he’d just woken up. A quick glance at his watch said one in the morning. Fuck it. Jac cut right to the chase.
“We’ve got a problem.” The tone in his voice must have said it all because Remy instantly at attention.
“What’s a matter? Is Selene all right?” Funny how she’s the first thing on his mind, Jac mused.
“She’s fine but Felicity’s house got broken into while we were gone. They did a real number with red paint all over the house. They left a few choice words painted everywhere as a calling card.”
“Fuck! You know damn well who it was, Jac.”
“You’re most likely right but the cops here have to figure that out. I am bringing her to your place.”
“Bring her.” Remy said little else before he disconnected the call. Jac could practically feel the other man’s anger through the phone. He didn’t blame him. Jac was ready to kick some ass unrecognizable but being a cop he had to follow procedure …then kick some ass. Still fuming he ran back out to the car to see about Selene. His anger tripled when he saw her shivering and staring about anxiously. Some crazy son of a bitch was responsible for putting fear in her eyes and that was unacceptable.
“The cops are on their way and soon as they case the place we’re getting you out of here tonight.” Jac’s edict made perfect sense to him but the next hours would be spent convincing her. Damn, she was stubborn! Even after the police arrived and took a report she was determined to just lock up and head to bed as if getting vandalized was a daily event. After much convincing he managed to get her to pack a small overnight bag and bundle her back in his SUV. Jac thought all was in hand until he told her where they were going.
“Why am I staying at Remy’s? Why can’t I just stay at your place?”
“Well…technically I live at Remy’s. I gave up my own place because I was rarely there. Remy’s house is one of the largest in the Parish. His parents left him an old plantation house with eight bedrooms. He doesn’t mind the company and is more than happy to set you up for a little bit.”
Selene wanted to argue more but suddenly all the fight seemed to flow out of her. Exhaustion had her leaning back in her seat and the events of the night replayed in her mind like a horror flick. Who would do something so vicious? She wanted to deny it but Denny was the first name to come to mind. His last comment to her at the funeral reception had left her leery but she supposed he was what he had always been. A mean-spirited drunk but otherwise harmless. Now it seemed he was anything but.
Anger took the place of the tiredness. Who the fuck did he think he was? Vandalizing her Aunt Felicity’s home? The home of one the few people who ever gave a shit about her growing up? Hot tears of anger filled her eyes and poured down her cheeks. In the darkness of the car she felt Jac reach over to take her hand and giving a gentle squeeze. For a moment she wanted to reject the comfort but even that required more energy than she could expend. So they sat for the long ride into Clay Parish. She felt as she did as a young girl, forced out of her home because of Denny. She sighed, fresh anger making her tremble. The more things changed, the more they stayed the fucking same.
* * * *
Remy paced the wide expanse of his living room for what felt like the hundredth time. A cup of coffee sat cold and long forgotten on a nearby table. He’d been half asleep, having exhausted himself swimming laps in his pool. The entire night he’d tortured himself wondering what Jac and Selene were doing, where they went and how they were doing it. His mind had raced with a myriad of erotic scenarios involving the three of them together. The obsession finally drove him to the pool for some serious cooling off and a deep desire to exhaust himself enough to get some sleep. He was paying for his overexertion with serious cramps in his damaged leg but even that had been a welcome distraction. He had eschewed any pain medication because at one time he’d been overly dependent on it and had hampered his drive to recover.
Remy had just started to drop off when his phone rang and Jac’s aggravated voice came through on the other end. The thought of Selene in danger had put Remy’s ass in gear more than anything on earth. Immediately he’d gotten up and prepared one of the many guest rooms for her. His parents had left him the house and the first thing he’d wanted to do was get rid of it when he got out of the Marines. The place was meant for a family and children and at the time he didn’t see himself having any of that. After much convincing from Jac he ended up keeping the place but it still felt lifeless at times. In the end it turned out to be a godsend. Remy had occupied himself doing repairs when needed and when those ran out he’d gone over to Felicity’s place to work on hers. Careful investments of the money left to him by his parents assured he’d never have to work again but he wanted, needed to spend his days doing something or risk going nuts from sheer boredom.
The sound of Jac’s SUV pulling up into the roundabout driveway in front of the grand old house alerted him of their arrival. He fought the insane urge to take a peek in the mirror to make sure he didn’t look like he’d just rolled out of the bed even though he just had. He walked to the door and opened it before he saw Jac’s vehicle had come to a full stop. He watched his friend leap out and walk to Selene’s door. When he saw her curvaceous form slide from the truck his body went into full overdrive. Down boy! The woman’s been through a trial and all you can think about is jumping her bones. He watched Jac lead her toward the house. Her steps were halting as if she was walking to the gallows. Remy felt wry amusement for her obvious mutinous behavior. It reminded him of when she was a teenager and driving them crazy with her stubbornness. How things had not changed.
“Welcome to my home, mon petite. I wish you coming here was under different circumstances.” Ja
c shot him a censoring look but Remy ignored him. Selene had never been a delicate flower and he wasn’t about to treat her like one. He’d rather see fire in her eyes than defeat. When her gaze met his he smiled in satisfaction. Pure fire stared back at him. That’s my girl.
“I don’t expect to be staying long, Remy. Tomorrow would be soon enough for me.”
Selene walked reluctantly into the spacious foyer and did a complete double take. She only caught a brief glimpse of the antebellum columns that graced the front of the house that screamed southern grace. The inside of the house was an elegant mix of old world charm and modern convenience. For some reason Selene would never have equated Remy with such a house but that just let her know how much she didn’t know about him. Curiosity to know more tickled at the back of her brain but she squashed it. Curiosity killed the cat, she thought to herself. Then she looked at Remy, who somehow made bare feet in jeans and a plain white shirt look like the cover of a Playgirl magazine. Selene shook her head in consternation. She had had one hell of an evening and now she was going to compound her problems by lusting after two men in one evening. She turned to look at Jac and found him watching her in turn, his gaze appeared strangely watchful. She recalled their conversations over dinner and the curious history of Clay Parish. Suddenly she felt like she just walked into a mine field. One false move and her world would explode.
“I have a room prepared for you just down the hall from mine. Jac’s room is down on the bottom floor…unless you prefer to be downstairs yourself?” Selene thought, yep...definitely a minefield.
“Down the hall is fine.” Selene chirped. The last thing she was interested in was finishing what she and Jac had started in the club. As much as it appealed to her to not be alone, all she wanted to do was sleep. Hopefully the sunrise would bring clarity with it.
Remy nodded and took Selene’s overnight bag from Jac and gestured to the long winding staircase. It didn’t take long to take her to the rather sparse guest room and show her where all the amenities were. He suspected he was not going to be getting much sleep just imagining Selene getting undressed and standing naked in the shower. All of that luscious skin slicked with water was enough to send his blood pressure through the roof. He set her bag down on the bed and turned to go but stopped when he glimpsed the bereft look in her eyes. Everything in him wanted to walk up to her and take her into his arms. Assure her everything was going to be all right. A fresh flood of anger filled him. Some motherfucker was going to pay for this and he was just the bastard to see it done. Overcoming his urge to touch her, Remy left her to get settled in and went to see Jac. He found him in the living room giving the empty liquor cabinet disgusted looks.
“I know you don’t have liquor in the house, Remy, but I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t kill for a whisky right now.” Remy reached in a mini fridge behind the bar and tossed Jac a bottled iced tea. Jac grimaced but opened the bottle to take a deep draw.
“So tell me again why we shouldn’t find that low life piece of shit Denny?” Remy was never one to beat the devil around the stump.
Jac laughed without an ounce of humor intended. “Because we don’t know it was him who vandalized the house, Remy. I’ve already talked to Sparks PD and they are going to check him out. Until then all we can do is sit tight and make sure Selene doesn’t go anywhere near Felicity’s house alone.” Remy shook his head in disgust. He paced over to one of the massive bay windows and looked out into the darkness.
“I will follow up on this as much as possible, Remy. You know that. I want her safe just as much as you do.” Remy sighed, his fingers spearing through the over long black thickness of his hair.
“I know you will, mon frère. I just don’t like waiting.” Jac smiled, shooting Remy a knowing glance.
“I am well aware of that. Your impatience is legendary. I am surprised you haven’t asked about our date yet.” Remy turned about to face his friend, a sheepish smile on his own face.
“That was not far behind. I am sure if I got close enough to you right now I could smell her on you. Did she taste as good as I think she did?” Remy didn’t try to hide the hungry envy from his voice. The sudden flush suffusing Jac’s face was telling enough. He’d gotten to taste of what Remy had spent most of the night obsessing about.
“I am not one to kiss and tell but I will tell you that what I have sampled has me addicted. Remy, if not for what happened at Felicity’s house I would be inside her right now.” Jac didn’t pull punches and that was just fine with Remy. He was going to have a hard enough time trying to get any sleep as it was and nothing would make that easier. For a moment he thought about going back out to the pool for another couple of laps but the dull ache in his leg was a warning not to. For a moment the old anger at feeling helpless reared its familiar head. Taking a deep breath he bid Jac goodnight and headed toward his room and his very large and very cold bed.
Chapter 11
Selene awoke with an uncomfortable start. She was immediately struck with the unfamiliarity of her surroundings. With a rush, the events from the night before descended on her with a deluge of images and…sensations. How could it be that one of the most sensually adventurous nights of her life would be coupled with one of the most terrifying? Her aunt’s beautiful house vandalized and violated because of some sick bastard’s idea of fun. Curling over on her side she let emotions wash over her. All her life she’d felt like she’d had to keep up a front. First with Denny because bullies like him smelled fear and then she headed out on her own. The big bad world ate vulnerable people for dinner and she’d always made sure she would never be mistaken for one.
Selene sat up in the spacious bed and took a good look around her. The room was decorated with the same sparse old world elegance that seemed to pervade the rest of the house. At least the parts of the house she had seen. By the time Jac had brought her here it had been well after two in the morning. A little late to ask for a tour of the place. Although she loathed to crawl from underneath the thick goose down of the comforter she was cocooned in, she knew nothing came from hiding from the world no matter how comfy the hiding place.
She went straight to the large bathroom for a shower and to brush her teeth. The bathroom had the same open plan that gave an air of space without feeling clinical. The place even sported an old fashioned claw foot tub that she could well imagine long languid baths with candlelight. No time for that, she thought crossly. She needed to get her ass back over to her aunt’s house to sort out the mess that had been left for her last night.
After a quick shower she dressed in the comfortable jeans, loose white top and sandals she had snagged last night before being hustled away by Jac. In hindsight she had to appreciate that he was there with her last night. She shuddered to imagine what would have happened if she had been in the house by herself when the intruder came calling.
Selene stepped into her sandals and neatly packed all of her things into the overnight bag. Stepping into the long hallway leading to the winding stairway Selene was immediately assailed with the mouthwatering smell of chicory coffee and bacon. Walking down the hallway she passed an open doorway to a huge bedroom. She assumed it was Remy’s room with all the telltale signs of male occupancy. To include clothes strewn across the bed and the sexy smell of clean smelling woodsy aftershave that made her mouth water just as much as anything brewing downstairs. A sudden image of clean smelling male skin and severe lack of clothing blew through her mind like a heat wave.
Selene gave herself a mental kick in the ass and headed for the staircase. She’d never considered herself sex crazed but within the last forty-eight hours she would definitely qualify as sex distracted. She’d had one of the most erotic experiences of her life with one man and now she was looking to explore the pants of another. It had been the wine, she reasoned. She’d been emotionally overwrought lately with the loss of her only real family member and reading those letters from her mother had made her feel like she was missing out on something. By the time she reached t
he bottom of the stairs she had herself and her situation all figured out and reasonably compartmentalized. That was all blown to hell when she reached the kitchen.
“Good morning, baby girl.” Jac’s slow southern drawl was like a heated lick along the base of her back. He stood leaning against the counter dressed in his uniform complete with gun belt and aviator glasses tucked in his shirt. The uniform inspired all sorts of fantasies that involved hand cuffs and being told to “spread ’em.” Selene silently scolded herself for being so easily distracted and tried like hell to appear unshaken from her suddenly over active libido. What were these men doing to her? Suddenly she goes from a sparse dating life to sex banquet. Jac’s close shorn black hair was still wet from a recent shower and glistening strands gave her an intense urge to her run her fingers through it. Would it feel as silky brushing across her naked breasts? Or in the inside of her thighs as he licked and sucked at her clit. Compartmentalize, damn it! Mentally she chided herself to maintain some semblance of control but that didn’t stop her body from desiring a repeat performance from last night.
“Hey there, petit oiseau.” Selene turned to see Remy standing at the stove stirring something in a large sauce pan. There was a time she hated his nickname for her with a passion. Little bird. She’d thought it made her seem young but now it just did something to her. Suppressing a full body shiver of awareness, she looked over his tall lithe form dressed out in snug low slung jeans, a blue button-down shirt and heavy workman boots that made his legs seem even longer. The shirt was tucked in so she could just make out the impressive bulge between his thighs. Compartmentalizing was really not working out, she thought with frustration.
