Faded Cotton (Erotic Romance) (18 page)

“What’s so funny?” Jen frowned.

“He fixed a, uh, um...he fixed a vibrator for
me one time.” Laurel was turning about thirty shades of red as she
rolled in laughter. Jen joined her, seeing the irony of it all.

“I’d tossed it in the trash can,” Laurel
tried to catch her breath. “He’d retrieved it and fixed it. Handed
it to me one day, out of the blue, and stated, very matter-of-fact,
“I fixed it for you.” The look on my face had to have been
priceless. After that, I didn’t throw
anything
away without
asking Robert first!”

They both rolled again, laughing so hard they
were hitching with tears running down on their face and sides
hurting. They would stop to look at each other and start roaring
again. They were doubled over in tears, laughing so loud that it
brought Jess and some of the other guards on the run.

“Are you two okay? Everything good?” Jess
said looking concerned, but keeping a cool, official demeanor.

Jen looked at Laurel, who couldn’t speak from
trying to contain her laughter and replied. “Yeah—everything is
just fine—everything is fixed perfectly.”

Laurel fell over on her side and busted out
laughing again, with Jen trailing her.

Jess and the other two guards looked at each
other quizzically, shaking their heads and started back off to
their posts.

“Women.” Jess said under his breath.

“Oh my gosh, oh lord, my sides hurt.” Laurel
said still giggling. “I think I’m going in to get ready for dinner.
I think this sun has my baked brain.” They doubled over in laughter
again.

__________________________

Dinner that evening became a story-telling
event. It was as much a family reunion as gatherings get, or
perhaps a roast of sorts; many of the stories were about Laurel.
Jen was taking it all in; she was feeling more like part of the
family with every meal. No longer dreading her time with the group,
she slid easily into the conversations.

“So you think that’s funny, huh?” Laurel
grinned, taking the goading and laughter well.

“It was hilarious! Here she was, flat on her
back after just giving me a speech about not getting bucked off.”
Brian was laughing heartily.

“Laurel taught me how to ride. I’m so tall,
but Laurel found a mare that was perfect height and temperament. I
love it, learned to rope, too. Then she figured she’d show me how
to break a horse.”

“She was on this sorrel filly, pushing her to
a lope, and the filly started bucking really hard. All of a sudden,
she was off the back of her, sailing through the air. She landed
flat on her back, all the air knocked out of her.
She—couldn’t—breathe—or—speak!” Everyone laughed at the thought of
Laurel being unable to talk.

Adam piped up, “Mom’s done some funny stuff.
She used to love going to school fundraisers. One winter, she went
as a 1920’s flapper. The dress was covered in beading. She didn’t
realize that it had started to unravel. By the time she figured it
out, her whole, uh, anyway, it was bare and there were beads
everywhere. Problem was, she was in the middle of a special dance
with the mayor. She had on a thong, so everyone got a show!”

“Here, here!” Jake grinned and brought his
glass up for a toast. “To the best show in the state of Missouri!”
The group roared.

“It
is
the Show-Me State!” Morrison
added. The sidesplitting laughter continued.

Seth piped up, “The first time we cooked
together when she was teaching
me
to cook, she burned a cake
because she forgot to set the timer. It smoked up the whole
house.”

“Yeah, but you gotta admit Seth, she still
did a damn good job. Your creations are amazing.” Ben Pisano was a
big fan of Texicana, Seth Stater’s restaurant and bar outside of
Fort Worth. After any case he worked in Texas, he found himself at
Seth’s door before returning to his post as an
Army
investigator.

“How did you get to know Laurel, Seth?”
Detective Jen was always working the puzzle.

Seth smiled, “I was literally homeless. I was
bumming a burger off her in Summerville, and she asked me if I
wanted to work for the hamburger. I wound up working for it and
stayed.” He chuckled.

“Seth stayed through college and culinary
school, still calls it home. He was gone to France for a while to
study.” Laurel beamed at him.

Rachel grinned, “So do I—call it home. I was
already there when she brought Seth home. I hated him for all of
about three days.” Seth turned to his wife and kissed her on the
cheek.

“Naaah, she was all starry-eyed from the
minute she laid eyes on him. Took them quite a bit to figure things
out though. I think I replaced a TV remote and a window over that
one!” Laurel chuckled. “Jen, our family loves hard and fights just
as hard or harder.”

Heads nodded, laughter bubbled, and drinks
were tipped in agreement.

“How did you do it? Taking in a total
stranger I mean,” Jen asked.

Laurel grinned at Seth. “Something in his
eyes. I knew he wasn’t going to hurt me or Rachel or Shannon. He
just needed a place to call home, a fresh start. Rachel came home
with Shannon that summer to live with us. It was comical for a
while before they figured out they were crazy about each
other.”

“So Ben, how did you wind up being CIDC
instead of a SEAL?” Jen mused.

“Dunno.” Ben was a man of few words.

That seemed to hit everyone who knew him as
funny, he smiled behind his drink, and more laughter bubbled
up.

After dinner, the group moved to the study
for drinks and catch-up chatter, the rain outside making the
interior entertainment area a necessity.

Laurel found Jake at her side. “Want to get
some fresh air?” Jake’s voice was warmer than his usual cool,
commanding one.

Laurel sighed knowing she was going to have
to deal with him sooner or later. “Okay.” They stepped out under
the protection of the lanai, watching it rain.

“So, are you enjoying the beach?” Jake pried
with a light opener.

“Jake, get to the point. What do you want?”
Laurel cut him short, trying to avoid revisiting her feelings about
him.

“Laurel, what will it take for us to go
forward?” Jake pleaded quietly.

She had no idea why she had said it. “Kiss
me.”

Jake looked at her, his blue eyes twinkled at
the proposition. He set his drink down on the table and took
Laurel’s slowly from her to set it down as well. His actions were
slow and deliberate. He studied her face. Searching, he found
questioning eyes that brimmed with fear and uncertainty. He gently
pulled her to him, watching her.

Laurel met the familiar lips with hers. She’d
wanted to cross him off her list, to tell him there was nothing
there. She wanted to know that there was no longer anything between
them. After all these years, she needed to put an end to what was
once the fiery love affair of their youth. She’d put him out of her
mind for so long, how could there be anything left?

He dipped slowly to reach her mouth. His lips
strong, sweet, and wet on hers. Heat flooded her. She pressed
against him, moaning in pleasure, then jerking in surprise at her
own reaction.

He pulled her back to look into her eyes once
more. Shock, disbelief, and a spark of passion accompanied welling
tears. Unable to control himself after years of burying how he felt
for her, he slid his arms around her waist and pulled her to him
hard. His kiss was passionate and insistent. He parted her lips
with his tongue to caress her mouth, and she returned the advance.
It fueled his desire; he pulled her harder yet. His erection
aching, he pressed into her, nearly begging to bury himself deep
within her. He kissed her cheek, trailed down her jaw and down her
neck.

Fire shot through her at his kiss, his touch
sending the electricity of desire coursing through her veins.
Laurel shuddered and gasped, feeling him hard against her.

She felt like a cheating woman. How could she
have allowed a flame for Jake to flicker all this time. Was it
there all the years she was married? She was sure that anything she
had felt for Jake was dead and buried the day he walked away from
her. If he’d done it once, he could damn well do it again.

She pulled back from him and slapped him hard
across the face with a resounding smack.

Jake chuckled, “I love you too, sweetheart.”
His eyes sparkled; he rubbed his cheek and smiled a knowing smile.
“Are you really that surprised that I still do that to you?” He’d
always been able to read her like a book and it looked like nothing
had changed.

Laurel turned on her heel and walked off,
leaving a string of expletives in her wake. She damn sure didn’t
love him anymore—or did she? What in the hell was it that heated
her when she stood near him and then melted her into liquid at his
kiss?

__________________________

“Hello, Miss Delaney.” Jess LeGrande smiled
at her, holding the door to her room open, “I have permission to
have you accompany me on a training exercise today.”

She had been hoping the knock at her door had
been Adam, but when she opened it, there stood Jess. “What? Where
is it?” Jen was curious. She was overdue for a good physical
challenge.

“We are hiking through the back side of the
island this afternoon.”

“Okay, am I going to be equipped?” Jen really
didn’t like the idea of going into unfamiliar territory without the
appropriate gun and knife. At least they could give her a standard
issue Mk 23. The .45 caliber would do.

“I’m not at liberty to arm you, Miss Delaney,
if that’s what you are asking.”

“Humm. Are
you
going to be
appropriately equipped?” Jen asked.

“Yes, ma’am.” Jess grinned a sideways
grin.

“Then, yes, I’d love to see the island.”

“Consider what you wear, ma’am. Some of the
territory we will be covered with heavy undergrowth.”

“When do we leave?” Jen asked.

“In an hour. I’ll be here to retrieve you.”
Jess was ever formal.

The group headed out with daypacks, hiking
gear and the SEALs with M4A1’s strapped across them. Skirting the
perimeter of the landing strip, they moved off into the lush green
at the base of the mountains. Parrots squawked and announced the
entrance of the strangers.

“What was that?” Jen laughed hesitantly as
she ducked the buzzing.

Jess laughed, “You just got buzzed by a
hummingbird.

“What else is out here?” Jen looked a little
wary.

“Lots of parrots, parakeets, other birds,
snakes, different species of rodents, lots of insects, lots, and
lots of insects. Jess watched Jen’s reaction.

“Well, it’s beautiful anyway.” Jen did her
best to ignore his remarks, knowing that he was devilling her,
looking for a reaction. She marveled at the beauty of the island,
trying to take in everything an inch at a time.

They had hiked about thirty minutes through
lush tropical foliage, into a wooded area, when they came to the
island’s lagoon. The four looked at Jess, without much more than a
smirk, which Jen didn’t pick up on. Agreeing to meet up in an hour
at the head of the lagoon, they separated. The four others were
planning to hike the mountain to do some mapping and
surveillance.

“Um, should I trust you?” Jen’s police
instincts took over easily.

“Well, you could surprise me as easily as I
could surprise you. We both have training,” he chuckled, “but
honestly I just thought you might like some down time in an amazing
place. You’re a beautiful woman, Jen Delaney, but I took an oath to
obey orders from my commanding officer, and I have an order to
protect you. You know, ‘against all enemies foreign and domestic’?
That is what I intend to do. Besides, I’m a gentleman, if I’m going
to kiss you, you'll damn sure want to be kissed.”

He stopped and looked at her for a few
seconds before he continued. “I’ve been back here once before. It’s
incredible. You’ll like it.”

Just lay things on the line, very matter
fact.
She was amused by his comments. He
was
a
gentleman, he’d proven that before—at least so far. She still
wasn’t sure about his intentions, though.

“Well, I could put you down, but it would not
be easy. You are a big guy. What are you, six-six?”

“Six-seven,” he grinned a sideways grin, “and
capable of throwing you over my shoulder.”

She shook her head. He wouldn’t be the first
Navy SEAL to throw her over his shoulder. She thought of Adam.

Two brothers, two SEALs, two gentlemen.
Great, what does it take to get a guy as hot as either of these two
to forget about being a gentleman for a little while? She shook her
head. Jen guessed the problem was her, not them. The problem was
getting a little old, too. She shook her head disgusted with
herself.

The lagoon was beautiful, crystal blue water
rippling gently from the motion of the falls. As they neared the
base of the small mountain at the back of the lagoon, Jen could see
and hear water pouring from a waterfall.

“Wow, I thought this stuff only existed in
movies! This is incredible. The water is so clear, it’s just
beautiful.”

“I knew you’d like it.” Jess smiled broadly,
beautiful white teeth, little dimples in his cheeks and the soft
cleft of his chin now pronounced. “Last one in is a rotten egg!” He
said as he pulled his t-shirt off.

“But I didn’t bring a suit!” Jen
protested.

“Miss Delaney, I’m betting what you have on
underneath your clothes covers more than the bikini you were
parading around in yesterday. Come on.”

He was right.
What the hell
, she’d do
it. How many times does a girl get to go swimming in a waterfall,
on an island in the middle of the Caribbean, with a guy who ought
to be on a “sexiest men alive” list? Jen piled her clothes and pack
with his. She knew the cotton panties would be hopeless when soaked
with water, but maybe she could keep that part of her under
water.