Her hips popped off the bed and she moaned, eyes slightly closed. She still watched him through lowered eyelids. She ran the tip of her tongue over her lips and that simple movement almost caused his undoing.
His hands clenched into fists and he locked his knees to keep from moving forward. He wanted her to bring herself to completion first. Her chest rose and fell, her hips responding to the rhythm of her fingers. She spread her knees wider and he fought the urge to bury his mouth against her, taste her slick, plump sex.
Time stood still as he witnessed the changes in her body, the flush growing at her chest, the tensing of her muscles, her lips parting, her breath now coming in little pants. Her toes curled and her body jerked, her hips thrusting toward the ceiling. Her low wail shot directly into his lower body and he twitched along with her. He imagined her inner walls clenching and pulsing around his hard cock.
One by one, pieces of his clothes landed in a pile, starting with his boots and ending with his boxer briefs. As soon as he was as naked as her, he moved, climbing on the bed, settling his hips between her thighs, cupping her flushed face in his hands.
“That was fucking beautiful,” he whispered, drawing her unfocused gaze back to him.
He spread his knees apart, taking her legs even wider. “Sorry, but I can’t wait. Not this time. But next…”
The head of his cock bumped against her slick folds until it was directly at her entrance.
Her fingers swept over his cheeks and down his jaw line. “Yes. Take me.”
With a push of his hips, he was inside of her. A part of her. The damp warmth, the velvety softness, the grip of her inner muscles. At this moment she was his.
It would never be this right, this good with anyone else. Only her.
He rocked slowly, enjoying the feeling of being sheathed deep within her. She squirmed underneath him, wrapping her legs around his hips, trying to pull him tighter against her.
He kissed her long and fully, their lips meshed, until he finally released her to kiss down her neck, find the hollow of her throat. Her moans, her groans, her cries vibrated against his mouth as he thrust into her over and over. She raked her nails over his back and the sting of her breaking skin made him even harder, thrust faster.
If there was a heaven, this was it. Nothing could feel better than this moment. Nothing. Until…
The sensation of an orgasm ripping through her along with her long, low wail made his balls tighten, his body tense. The rush of his own climax overcame him, filling her. He called out her name as the last pulse rocked him.
He wasn’t sure if he’d passed out, saw stars, or what. But when he caught his breath, her fingers were smoothing his short hair and she was murmuring something to him. Nothing important. Just words. He inhaled deeply and released the air slowly through his nostrils, coming back to earth, reality.
With a grunt, he shifted, relieving her of his weight. But he kept rolling until she ended up on top of him. His arms tightened around her and she tucked her face into the crook of his neck, snuggling deeper into his embrace.
He had one last lucid thought before his eyes closed.
She fit perfectly.
Lying on his back, Marc’s eyes popped open. He wasn’t used to having someone else in his bed. Maybe that’s why he became conscious, even though his eyes remained shut. He knew it was late, even without looking at the digital clock on the nightstand.
Leah moved restlessly beside him, making noises in her sleep. It almost sounded like a…yes, she was having a conversation. She was mumbling unrecognizable words while her hands flailed under the sheet. It wasn’t until she accidentally brushed him with her fingers that she instinctively reached out to grab him. The touch calmed her movements and slowed her muttering. Her head turned toward him and she sighed loudly.
Whatever had been bothering her in her sleep was now gone or solved. She shifted closer to him, laying on her side. She rested her thigh on top of his and her hand settled along his lower belly. She sighed deeply again, this time uttering very clear words.
“I love you.”
Marc’s heart stopped for a millisecond, then pounded so strongly he could feel it from his head to his toes. His head spun. He didn’t know what to think about her declaration. Especially since she was still asleep. Was she even saying it to him? She could be dreaming about anyone.
Right. Anyone at all.
With her head on his chest he smoothed her long tresses along his skin, running the dark silkiness through his fingers. Unable to fall back asleep, he stared at the ceiling for the rest of the long night.
Chapter 14
Marc whacked his flashlight against his palm. The damn thing wouldn’t light. It didn’t take a genius to figure out the batteries were dead. He dug through his patrol bag, hoping he had thrown in some spares. But no. The batteries in the flashlight were probably the extras. He couldn’t go without a flashlight, especially during the three to eleven shift.
Leah wandered into the locker room, her uniform shirt already half unbuttoned. She dropped her heavy patrol bag on the bench with a sigh.
The sight of her made him want to take her in his arms immediately, to feel her body against him. But he didn’t. This was work, he reminded himself as well as his independent cock. “How was your first shift going solo?”
“Quiet.” She barely acknowledged him. Maybe something was on her mind. Or something happened during her shift.
“Quiet because there were no calls? Or quiet because I wasn’t in the car with you?”
She looked up while pulling her shirt from the waistband of her pants. “Both.”
He wanted to ask her if she’d missed him. But that would just sound…like someone who was needing their ego massaged.
After she’d left early this morning to head in for her shift, he’d finally caught up on some sleep. The words uttered while she slept kept echoing in his mind, though. He wanted to ask her if they were meant for him. But again… He wasn’t going to put himself in that vulnerable position. If she wanted to say them while she was awake and vertical, then fine, she could. If not, then—
“Hello?”
Marc concentrated on Leah. “Yeah?”
“You disappeared for a minute.”
Marc shook his head to clear it. “Sorry.”
Leah shrugged. “I’m beat. All that extracurricular activity last night isn’t conducive to getting up at half past the ass crack of dawn.”
She did have dark circles under her eyes, which could explain the emotional distance she was keeping. “You want to meet me on my break for dinner?”
She hesitated before she answered. “No. Your mom called me and asked if I’d be home for dinner tonight. I promised her I would.”
His lips flattened out and he nodded. “Okay.”
“Another night.”
“Sure.”
She slid her trouser belt out of the loops of her pants and hung it in her locker. “You okay?”
“Yep.” He lifted his flashlight. “Hey, can I borrow your Maglite? My batteries are kicked.”
“Yeah, I don’t care. Just make sure to put it back when shift’s over.” She tilted her head toward her patrol bag. “In there.”
Marc unzipped the bag and dug around. His hand brushed against something paper. A report from her shift? Without taking it completely out of the bag, he peered at it closer. An envelope. With the return address of a police department near Philadelphia. One closer to home for her.
What the fuck.
“Find it?”
Marc tucked the envelope back in the bag and felt around until he found the flashlight on the very bottom. “Yeah. Got it.”
“All right. I’m out of here. I’m looking forward to your mom’s cooking tonight. I think Teddy and Amanda might come over to hang.” She headed out the door. “Just throw my bag in my locker, will you?”
“Sure.”
“Okay, thanks. See ya.”
“Later.” The exchange was like a couple of co
workers, not like two people who had spent hours last night exploring every inch of each other’s bodies.
She rushed out of there like she had a hot date. He stared at the empty doorway for a moment, then peeked his head out, making sure she was gone. She was splitsville. He went back to her bag and pulled the envelope out. The top had already been sliced open, so he didn’t feel so bad when he pulled out the correspondence.
The letterhead matched the return address. He skimmed the two-page letter once, his stomach dropping to his feet. Then he sat on the bench and read it slower the second time.
The letter spelled out a conditional offer of employment from Valley Forge Police Department. Skimming the salary and benefits, he realized they were offering her more money and better benefits than what she was getting here. He was sure it was a busier—certainly not quiet—city which could offer her more opportunities to grow.
The letter invited her to an oral interview with a panel of three ranked officers: the chief, the patrol sergeant, and a captain. It even listed the time and date to report. Marc glanced at his watch. Three weeks from now.
He had no way of knowing if she’d responded yet. But if she wasn’t interested why would she still be carrying around the letter? Wouldn’t she just have thrown it out? And why hide it?
He refolded the sheets of paper and carefully placed them back in the envelope. It was then that he realized he’d missed some delicate handwriting on the back.
* * *
L, this came in the mail for you. I hope it’s what I think it is. It would be great to have you back home. You make me very proud. Miss you. Love, Mom.
* * *
She’d be foolish not to go. He’d be foolish to let her.
He was in for a long shift because now he had hell of a headache.
On her way back to the Bryson’s, Leah stopped at the liquor store. She figured she’d pick up a couple bottles of wine, especially for after dinner if they ended up all sitting around playing cards. Ron and Mary Ann loved card games and whenever they had guests, they tried to rope them into playing at least a few rounds of Gin Rummy.
Last night’s late activities and a couple glasses of wine may put her to bed sooner than later, though. And she had to get up early for another daylight shift tomorrow.
Poor Marc was stuck on second shift for the next couple days, while she, the rookie, was getting the coveted seven-to-three shift. She wouldn’t be surprised if Marc was a bit bent out of shape about it. Though he had said nothing to her.
At checkout, three older women were ahead of her in line. All about the same age and gossiping about random town folk. Leah didn’t give it much thought until a familiar name perked her ears.
“Oh, Bea! Did you hear? Max Bryson’s wife bought a pregnancy test at the pharmacy.”
“No! I bet Mary Ann is excited to finally become a grandmother!” Bea said, like it was a major scandal.
“A dream come true for his mother,” the other gossip queen, who was not Bea, added.
“She’s been waiting so long,” gossip queen number one chimed in.
“About time one of those boys man up,” Bea said with slight disapproval in her voice.
Man up?
Leah gritted her teeth. If she ever had a pregnancy scare she would be sure to buy a test from the next town over. No. Scratch that. Online and in discreet packaging.
Bea turned her attention to Leah. “Hey, I know you. You’re that new lady cop in town. Lee, right?”
Oh shit. “Leah.”
“Leah. You live with Ron and Mary Ann?” Like Bea didn’t know the answer already.
“Yes, temporarily.”
“So, is it true? Is Max’s wife pregnant?” gossip queen number one asked.
She wasn’t going to contribute to the rumor mill, even if she did know the answer. “Sorry, I’m not privy to that kind of information.”
She threw a twenty on the counter and told the clerk to keep the change. With two bottles of wine tucked under her arm, she pushed past them to escape the store and the gossip queens, the bells jingling loudly behind her.
If Amanda was pregnant, there would be more wine for Teddy and her. And if she refused a glass, that was a tell-tale sign that there may be a bun in the Bryson oven.
The mouth-watering smell of whatever Mary Ann was making for dinner hit her as soon as she walked in the front door. Chaos came barking through the house and spun three times in front of her, then ran behind her to herd her into the kitchen. Typical border collie.
“What’s cooking?” she asked as she walked into the kitchen. A chorus of hellos and glad your homes surrounded her. She had to take a moment to collect herself as she realized these people were truly becoming her second family.
She immediately thought of the letter she got from the Valley Forge Police Department. The offer was tempting. How could it hurt just to take the interview? It would open up opportunities within law enforcement for her. And she’d be closer to her mother, who she missed. But she still couldn’t help the feeling of guilt at the thought of even considering it.
Other than the group in the kitchen, her mother was the only real family she had left. Besides a few estranged cousins and a second cousin. If she could just talk her mother to move up here, she’d be set.
Small town life could be boring, yes. But after living in a heavily populated community and in an area where traffic was always a snarling nightmare, Manning Grove was a refreshing change. Did she really need nights out at the clubs? Or to go bar hopping?
Hell no. She’d never hung out with girly girls anyway. Her best friends growing up were always the boys in the neighborhood. They’d play outside for hours and not go home until the street lights would come on. They’d get dirty, climb trees, skin knees, and jump bikes off of homemade ramps. Fun, adventurous things. Not painting on buckets of makeup, putting on false eyelashes and nails, and going to a club to drunkenly grind against strangers. That was never her thing.
She considered Amanda. Here was a woman who had loved the big city and now was content with small town life. Wasn’t she?
And who didn’t love Teddy? He always lit up the room and would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it.
And Greg was like everyone’s little brother.
Ron and Mary Ann had stepped in like a second set of parents. They were truly caring and loving. Nothing fake about them. Her mom would love them.
And the Bryson’s sons… Honest and hardworking. They took pride in serving their community and their country.
They were a close knit family…all except for one. The son who wouldn’t come home even when he was able to.
One day she’d meet this mysterious Matt. If she didn’t take the interview appointment at VFPD. But if she didn’t, would she regret it later? What harm would it do to just interview? She could always say no if they offered her a position.
Amanda caught her eye and tilted her head toward the living room. They both slipped away before the other three noticed.
“What’s going on, girlfriend? It looks like you’re carrying a heavy load.” Amanda moved to the couch and patted the seat beside her.
“Just tired. Late night. Early morning.”
“Nah. It’s more than that.”
Leah wanted to change the subject. “Speaking of heavy load…I heard a rumor when I stopped for wine.”
“Uh oh. Those nasty rumors.”
“I just wanted to let you know what’s going around town.”
Amanda pressed a fingertip to her lips and looked toward the ceiling. “Hmm. I wonder what it could be.” She laughed. “That I’m knocked up?”
Leah raised her brows. “Are you?”
“Yeah, we think so. I still need to make an appointment with my gyno to be a hundred percent sure. But yeah.”
“Are you happy about it?”
“The truth?” Amanda hesitated and took a deep breath. “I’m scared.”
“I would assume most people are.”
“
No. Like I never thought I’d be mother material. I never even had any maternal instinct. Then I inherited Greg—and Chaos—which stuck me with responsibilities I never wanted. Until suddenly one day I did. I wanted to take care of Greg and that damn dog. And by that time, I realized I didn’t have to do it alone anyway, Max had forced his way into my life, whether I liked it or not.”
Leah could picture Max not taking no for an answer. Marc and him were just alike. But it worked out in their case. They seemed passionate, content, and really in love. There was an obvious spark between the two. Leah was a bit envious.
“Speaking of…where is Greg?”
“At home with Max. They decided to watch movies and make popcorn. I should’ve left Chaos behind to eat all the dropped kernels. I know when I get home, the living room is going to look like a blizzard hit.”
They both chuckled. Amanda laid a hand on her flat belly and became pensive.
“Wait.” Leah tilted her head toward the kitchen. “Do they know?”
“Oh hell no! You need to keep this on the D.L. Now only you know. And the rumor mill. Well, and Max, obviously, but he was there during the making of the little demon spawn inside of me. I hope it was one of his good sperms that found my egg. And it better be a girl.”
Leah laughed. This woman had no filter. She loved that the other woman spoke her mind. She leaned over and gave Amanda a hug. “Well, congratulations to you guys. I hope your demon spawn comes out healthy.”
Amanda squeezed her back. “We decided not to tell the fam until after the first trimester is over, rumors be damned. Those first three months can be tricky and I don’t want to disappoint the future grandparents. I know they’re already hurting with Matt being gone so long.” Amanda patted Leah’s thigh. “So, I heard you passed training with flying colors. Max is very pleased to have you on the force.”
“Yeah. I’m on my own now.”
“And Marc?”
Brothers in Blue: Marc Page 18
