Just One Kiss (21 page)

“No.”

“She’s really nice.”

Patience kept talking, but he wasn’t listening. Not to her words, anyway. He liked the sound of her voice, how she used her hands when she talked. Her eyes mirrored her emotions. From what he could tell, she was lousy at faking what she felt.

She would never make it in his business, never be one of those who could blend in, pretending for the sake of the mission. What was that old expression? She wore her heart on her sleeve.

She was tender and sweet and he wanted to get lost inside her, even if it was only for a couple of hours. Just being close to her made him more content.

“...open in August.” She paused expectantly.

“Will it be a festival weekend?” he asked, having listened enough to know they were still talking about Noelle’s store.

“I didn’t think to check that. I should mention that to her. What a great idea.” She rewarded him with a smile bright enough to power Fool’s Gold for a week.

A loud crash came from upstairs.

“You okay?” Patience yelled.

“I’m fine, Mom. But a drawer came out of my dresser.”

“Because she pulls them open with great enthusiasm,” Patience said with a laugh as she rose. “I need to check on her.”

“No problem.”

“Be thinking about what you want to do about dinner. If you’re feeling strong enough, we’ll eat down here. Otherwise, we’ll have a very delicious meal in her room.”

“The kitchen is fine,” he said, knowing if they went upstairs, it wouldn’t be for a meal. Because he’d reached the point where it was impossible for him to be around Patience and not want her. A dilemma he had yet to solve.

“Probably for the best,” she said as she headed for the stairs. “I think my mom started soup in the Crock-Pot. That could get very messy on a tray.”

* * *

I
T
TOOK
NEARLY
an hour for Patience to get Lillie dressed and her hair curled, then to see her daughter and her mother out the door. When they’d driven away, she hurried back to the living room.

“I’m sorry,” she said, coming to a stop in front of Justice. “You must be starving. The soup is all ready. I just have to heat some biscuits and serve the salad and we’ll be good to go.”

He stood slowly, his dark gaze never leaving her face. “Dinner can wait.”

“But it’s nearly six. Did you have a late lunch? Are you—”

He stepped around the coffee table and moved toward her. When he was close, he cupped her face in his hands and pressed his mouth to hers.

His lips claimed her with a sensual tenderness that left her equally weak and aroused. He put his hands on her waist and drew her against him.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” she murmured, desperate to cling to him but mindful that he was still healing. “You were shot.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Because it’s true. You lost blood and passed out.”

“I was tired.”

“You weren’t tired.” She put her fingers on his shoulders and stared into his eyes. “Are you sure we can do this?”

Not that she wasn’t interested, because she was. A single kiss and a little close proximity was plenty. Even as she stood there looking calm and concerned on the outside, on the inside she was already tingling.

Her skin was tight and hot. Her breasts ached and she felt pressure low in her belly. Classic arousal, she thought. Figures that Justice would be the one guy who could turn her on without even trying.

He moved one of his hands from her chin to the back of her head. He slipped his fingers through her hair and held her in place, then leaned in and pressed his mouth to her cheek, then her chin, then her jaw. The light, feathery touches were punctuated by soft words.

“I would very much like to try,” he whispered. “If you don’t mind being on top.”

His lips moved against hers. She drew back slightly.

“On top, huh?”

“If you don’t mind.”

She’d never been one to be aggressive sexually and was a bit nervous about taking control, but this was Justice. She could trust him. Just as important, she wanted him. Needed him.

His dark gaze was steady as she took his hand and led him toward the stairs.

They made their way to the second floor. Last time their lovemaking had been about rushed passion and heat. This time the desire still threatened to suck all the air from the room, but she was more conscious, more deliberate.

She took him into her bedroom and closed the door behind them. Light still spilled in from outside. She closed the curtains, then returned to stand in front of him. She carefully unbuttoned the front of his shirt, then slid it off his shoulders.

His gunshot wounds were still bandaged, the white gauze and tape a contrast to his tanned skin.

“You were really hurt,” she murmured. “I have my doubts about this.”

“I don’t.” He reached for her hand and brought it to his groin. He was already hard.

She looked up at him and saw the fire in his eyes.

“I want you, Patience. I always have.”

“How am I supposed to resist that?” she asked, then raised herself on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his.

As their mouths moved together, she ran her hands up and down his arms. He shifted closer and pulled her against him. She parted for him and he eased his tongue into her mouth.

At the first stroke, she felt her blood heat. Liquid desire poured through her, making her weak and causing her to tremble. She needed him. She wanted to be naked in front of him, vulnerable. She wanted to give all she had, to connect with him.

She stepped back far enough to reach for his belt and then unfasten his jeans. One eyebrow rose.

“Taking charge?” he asked.

“You have a problem with that?”

“Not at all.”

He stepped out of his shoes, then bent down and pulled off his socks. She undid the zipper and pushed the fabric down. His briefs went with his jeans and he stepped out of his clothes.

He was naked before her. Aroused, masculine, his erection jutting toward her. She took him in her hand and rubbed the length of him. His blue eyes closed to slits as his breath came out in a hiss.

She tugged off her T-shirt, then kicked off her own shoes. The rest of her clothes followed until she was as naked as he. She gave him a little push toward the bed.

“Maybe you’d like to assume the position.”

He chuckled. “So it’s going to be like that, is it?”

“I hope so.”

He stretched out on the mattress, leaving enough room for her to slide in next to him. When he would have raised himself up on one elbow, she gently but inexorably pushed him onto his back.

“You can’t strain anything,” she told him. “You’re still in recovery.” She couldn’t help smiling. “I get to do what I want.”

“Are you taunting or bragging?”

“Both.”

She sat up and surveyed the situation, trying to decide what to do first. With a very naked Justice in her bed, the options were all tempting.

She rolled over to her hands and knees, then bent down to kiss him. He parted for her, his tongue ready to dance with hers. At the same time he reached up between them and cupped her breasts in his hands. After settling her curves into the palms of his hands, he used his forefingers and thumbs to tease her nipples.

Need flowed from her breasts to that place between her legs. The ache of arousal made her moan low in her throat. She kissed him deeper. Her hair tumbled down, brushing against his face and shoulders.

He shifted one of his hands from her breast to the inside of her thigh. He moved that hand upward until his fingers reached for her swollen center and began to explore.

He found the very heart of her but then moved on. He slipped a single finger deep into her before withdrawing it. He moved down the other inner thigh before sliding it up slowly, so slowly.

She raised her head and waited.

“Patience?”

She opened her eyes and found him watching her. Before she could figure out what he wanted, he moved his fingers into place, circling against her center, making her gasp with pleasure.

He gave her a slow smile. “That’s almost the best part. Watching you enjoy what I’m doing.”

“It works for me, too,” she whispered, finding it difficult to speak when all she wanted to do was focus on his touch.

He moved with a certainty that allowed her to give herself over to the sensations he created. The steady rhythm of his fingers against her clit sent heat spiraling through her. She rocked back and forth, moving in time with him, pressing down a little and finding it more difficult to catch her breath.

Wanting grew as she strained for her release. She bent down and kissed him, her tongue tangling with his. He slipped two fingers inside her and pressed up, slid out and repeated the motion. On his second thrust, she lost herself in her climax, her body shuddering. Muscles tensed and relaxed, her eyes sank closed.

When she’d finished, she drew back and saw him smiling.

“Good for me,” he told her.

“You should feel it from this side.”

She stretched out to open her nightstand drawer and pulled out a box of condoms. They were freshly purchased, which had given her a bit of embarrassment, but she’d been determined to act like a grown-up and take responsibility for protection.

He arched an eyebrow. “I see I don’t have to send you back to my room.”

“No, you don’t.”

She handed him the protection and he slipped it on; then he guided her as she straddled him. She slowly, oh, so slowly, eased herself over his erection, then sank down.

He filled her completely. She moaned softly as newly excited nerves vibrated through her body. His breath caught and he swore softly. She braced herself on her hands, he placed his fingers on her breasts and then she began to move.

They made love carefully, her body sliding over his, moving up and down. He rode with her, arching his hips and keeping pace. Her eyes locked with his as the speed increased. She was aware of her rising tension, of the way she could feel every inch of him filling her, stretching her, taking her higher and higher.

He stroked her nipples, then squeezed them gently. She moved faster, sliding up and down on his erection, taking him deeper and deeper, pushing harder, wanting more.

She was getting closer. Her breathing increased until she could only gasp and push and pump, over and over until she had no choice but to find her release.

She cried out as she came. He stiffened beneath her, his hands moving to her hips and holding her in place as he pushed in and groaned. They were still as the waves of pleasure moved through them, and then he pulled her down and kissed her.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

J
USTICE
CLOSED
THE
door of the warehouse and turned to Felicia. “Are you sure?” he asked. “There’s still time to add you to the deed.”

Felicia shook her head. “I don’t want to be part of the company. I appreciate the offer, but I need to be done with that part of my life. I want to find work that connects me with the community. I want what you have—a meaningful romantic relationship.”

Justice pocketed the keys and walked toward his car. He was meeting the attorney representing the seller in a few minutes and would hand them over to her. Although the keys were the least of his issues, he thought, looking at Felicia.

“What are you talking about?”

“Your relationship with Patience,” his friend said with a sigh. “You had sex with her recently. Last night or this morning. Within the last twenty-four hours. Given everyone who’s living at the house, last night makes the most sense logistically, although you could be alone in the middle of the day. If you’re both upstairs and Lillie and Ava are...” Her voice trailed off. “You weren’t asking me about logistics, were you?”

“No.”

Felicia was a mystery, he thought. All women had secrets, but her mind was both a marvel and a curse.

“You want to know how I know about the sex thing.”

“I’m curious,” he admitted.

“You’re moving differently,” she said, studying him. “Your expression is more satisfied than usual. You’re not as tense. The changes are subtle. I doubt anyone else would suspect.”

No one else would begin to guess.

“I know,” she said glumly. “I’m a freak.”

“You’re not.” He pulled her close and hugged her, pleased the movements barely caused a twinge in his mostly healed body. “You’re special.”

“I don’t want to be special. I want to be regular. Boring, even.” She rested her forehead on his shoulder. “I see everything. It’s not fun. Plus, and I say this from personal experience, being intelligent is no guarantee of happiness.” She raised her head and looked at him. “I wish you’d fallen in love with me.”

“No, you don’t.”

“No, I don’t. I wish we’d fallen in love with each other. You accept me.”

“You’ll find someone else to accept you. What about Gideon?”

“I’ve been avoiding him.”

“Hiding?”

She stepped back. “No. I have a strategy. It’s based on avoidance.”

“How is that different than hiding?”

“There are some subtleties I can’t explain to your ordinary intellect.”

He burst out laughing.

She was one-of-a-kind, he thought. Her past had resulted in who she was today as much as his past had molded him. That was a truth that couldn’t be avoided.

“Stop avoiding Gideon.”

“Why? It was a single night in Thailand. Just because it was emotionally significant to me doesn’t mean it meant anything to him. Sexual intercourse starts a cascade of hormones in women. We are biologically wired to bond with a man during sex, and having an orgasm increases the effect. Men don’t have the same physiological process. For them a conquest is a reason to feel pride, not a precursor to planning for a long-term relationship.”

He couldn’t help smiling. “You’ve put a lot of thought into this.”

“Yes. I’ve been obsessing. I don’t like obsessing, but I can’t seem to stop.”

“You’re going to run into him eventually.”

“Statistically, I’m very capable of living in the same town and not seeing Gideon for at least five-point-four months.”

“That long,” he murmured, knowing better than to tease her about the point-four part. She was nothing if not precise.

“I have until October. Unless I made a mistake in the calculation.”

“And what are the odds of that?”

“Exactly.”

A white Mercedes pulled into the parking lot and a woman stepped out. She was dark-haired and wearing a tight red suit. Her heels were too high, her makeup too heavy and she eyed Justice with a predatory gleam.

“Trisha Wynn,” she said as she approached. “I’d heard you were yummy.”

Justice took in the fine lines around her eyes and mouth and guessed she was passing for someone in her forties, but could easily be close to sixty.

“Justice Garrett. This is my friend Felicia Swift.”

The lawyer gave Felicia a quick once-over, before shaking hands with both of them. Her fingers lingered over Justice’s.

“Business associates,” she said with satisfaction. “Nice.”

Justice had never felt like prey before and wasn’t sure he liked it now. He stepped back slightly.

“We’ve finished filling out the paperwork to begin the negotiation,” he said.

Felicia fished the folder out of her bag and handed it over. “Justice is buying the property with two partners. Neither of them is here, but I’ve enclosed the real-estate power of attorney for both of them.”

Trisha opened the folder and raised her eyebrows. “Ford Hendrix? I’d heard rumors, but I wasn’t sure they were true. He was a handsome boy, if I remember correctly. When is he coming back?”

“Soon,” Justice said.

“He’s concerned about reuniting with his family,” Felicia said. “The intensity of close familial bonds can be difficult as one transitions from military to civilian life.”

Trisha blinked at her, then turned her attention back to Justice. “Who’s the third man? Angel Whittaker. He sounds lovely.”

“I don’t think you could take him, ma’am.”

Trisha sniffed. “First of all, do
not
call me ma’am. Second, I could certainly take him if I wanted to. I’d have you begging in fifteen minutes, only my assistant is out today and I have to get back to my office. Still...” She swept her gaze over him. “It might be worth it.”

Justice held his ground without saying a word.

She held up the folder. “I’ll review your offer and get back to you later today.”

She smiled once, then returned to her car. Justice released a breath he hadn’t known he was holding.

“That was impressive,” Felicia said as Trisha drove away. “I want to be like her.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Not the overly aggressive attitude. While I’m sure she’s very sexual, it’s more of a defense mechanism. I meant the flirting. The car.”

“You want a Mercedes?”

“I want a car that says who I am.”

“They already make those. They’re called Smart cars.”

She rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. She has style.”

She had teeth, Justice thought, thinking he would make sure never to go alone to a meeting with Trisha. While he had no doubts about his ability to protect himself from the older woman, he didn’t want to get into a situation where it was an issue.

Felicia glanced down at her jeans and pale yellow blouse. “Do I need a makeover?”

He held up both hands. “Not going there.”

“You’re right. I need to talk to a woman. Maybe Patience. She’s very nice.”

Finally a topic he was comfortable with. “Yes, she is.”

“Do you think she’s in love with you?”

Justice’s relaxed mood disappeared instantly. “Why would you ask that?”

“It’s a reasonable question. You’ve been spending time together. You’re sexual partners. You stayed at her house. It’s obvious you care about her and she must feel the same way. After all, she’s trusting you with her child. For a single mother, that is more emotionally significant than inviting you into her bed.”

Patience in love with him? He hadn’t considered the possibility. She wasn’t, he told himself. They were friends and there was chemistry, but anything more...

What? Anything more was out of the question? Why would Patience think that? She didn’t know enough about him to realize how damaged he was, and she wasn’t the type to trust easily.

“I can see by the look on your face that you hadn’t considered that things might have gone further than you anticipated.”

“Did she say something?” he asked.

“No, but we’re not that close. I doubt she would confess her feelings to me. Besides, she knows you and I are friends and she would be concerned about my loyalties. Female friendship is based on emotional sharing rather than events.”

Justice glanced around, as if looking for escape. “I care about her,” he admitted. “A lot. She’s special. Sweet and funny. Lillie’s great and Ava’s tougher than any soldier I know.”

“But?”

He turned to Felicia. “You know me, probably better than anyone. Do you have to ask why it would be a mistake?”

“Yes.”

He turned away and started for the car. Felicia caught up with him and put her hand on his arm.

“Your father is dead, Justice. You’re not him. You’ve made your own way. If you were going to turn out like Bart Hanson, it would already have happened.”

He glared at her. “I killed. I was a sniper. They didn’t come looking for me, Felicia. I volunteered. You know what Bart was. How can you know what I willingly did and not say I’m just like him? The only difference is I stay on the right side of the law.”

“Exactly. You respect the rules of society. You understand the dynamics of a community being more successful than a single individual. We all have darkness inside us. Life is about balance. That doesn’t make you your father.”

“You know that for sure?” he asked bitterly.

“Yes. I know it empirically and I believe it in my heart. I have faith in you. You’re the one who thinks otherwise.” She released his arm, but her affectionate gaze held him as firmly in place.

“She’s who you came looking for,” she said softly. “If you won’t trust yourself, then at least trust her.”

Six months ago, he would have told her she was wrong. But now he wasn’t so sure. Felicia was right about Patience. She believed enough for ten men.

* * *

“M
AYBE
I
should go back to college,” Felicia said, holding her latte in both hands.

“Is there a degree you don’t have?” Patience asked.

They were sitting in Brew-haha. Felicia had come in and Patience had joined her. The store was quiet, at least for now. Patience glanced toward the clock on the wall. The midmorning lull would give way to the late-morning rush, but for this moment in time, there were only a few customers.

“I was thinking of getting a teaching credential. I like kids.” Felicia shrugged. “But I don’t know if I’m any good with them. Do you think I could volunteer at a local school and find out?”

“You don’t have very long. School’s out in a couple of days.”

“Oh.” Felicia’s green eyes turned sad. “That’s right. Summer is traditionally the time for a long vacation. When I lived at the university, I worked year-round, so I didn’t pay much attention to things like breaks and vacation.” She frowned. “Of course, that would explain why there were suddenly fewer people in the lab.”

Patience was glad she and Felicia had made friends, but she had to admit the other woman was fairly strange. Not scary, just different. She’d always assumed that being smart was an asset, but Felicia proved the cliché of “too much of a good thing.”

“Won’t you be spending the summer helping Justice and his friends get CDS up and running?”

“I’m only helping them organize the space and then setting up accounting books and making a schedule.”

Only, Patience thought, remembering how long she’d worked to get her store open. “Something you could do over a long weekend?”

“Probably. The physical work will take longer, but the guys can do that.” She sipped her latte.

“What about medical school?” Patience asked.

“I’ve thought about that. The thing is I’m not very good with people.” She managed a slight smile. “You may have noticed.”

“You have a different style,” Patience said diplomatically. “Are you concerned you wouldn’t be able to relate to your patients?”

“Mostly. I imagine I would start talking about their disease and then I’d forget myself and draw a technical diagram. By the end of our conversation, he or she would have either fainted or run screaming from the room.” She looked at Patience. “I wish I was more like you.”

Patience nearly dropped her coffee. “Me? How can you say that? I never even got as far as community college. I went to beauty school and took night classes.”

“Life isn’t about getting an education,” Felicia told her. “It’s about the bonds we form. The connections. You have a wonderful daughter. You’re close enough to your mother that the two of you share a home. My parents couldn’t wait to get rid of me and I’ve never been able to make many friends. Especially women. My social skills have improved but...” She opened her hand, in a gesture of helplessness.

If Felicia had been anyone else, Patience would have teased her about being so beautiful. But she felt the other woman’s pain and wanted to help.

But before she could say anything, the door opened and a man and a woman walked into the store. They were in their early thirties. The woman was pale, with short light brown hair and big blue eyes. She was thin and there was something about the way she walked. Her gait was slow and unsteady. The man wasn’t much taller than her, but he was broad-chested and looked strong. They walked up to the counter.