Officer on Duty (Lock and Key Book 4) (10 page)

Jeremy nodded. “It’s all right. Liam, this is Lucia. She just moved in across the street. Lucia, this is my cousin Liam.”

“Hi,” she said, emerging from her post at the end of the hall.

“Nice to meet you.” Liam held out a hand.

She shook it and didn’t have to fake a smile. There was a slight resemblance between Liam and Jeremy, a similarity echoed in their height and the impressive breadth of their shoulders. Jeremy obviously came from the world’s most gorgeous family.

“You too,” she said.

“You probably heard, but we’re heading to the beach on Sunday. You’re welcome to join us, if you’d like.”

Surprise hit her, followed by a hint of embarrassment. Minutes ago, she’d been in Jeremy’s bed for the first time. They hadn’t even finished what they’d started, and she was already meeting his family and being invited on an outing.

It was fast, to say the least. And she would’ve felt presumptuous accepting.

“Maybe,” she said. “Thanks a lot for the invitation.”

“No problem. I’ll get out of your hair, now. See you Sunday, Jeremy.”

“See you then.”

Seconds later, Liam was gone and the door was closed and locked.

“Sorry if that was awkward,” Lucia said. “I didn’t mean to butt into your family plans.”

“Liam and his wife are the only ones who are family. Other than that, it’ll be a couple friends and their other halves. Paige and I go to the beach with them every now and again.”

“I see. That’s nice.”

“You up for joining us on Sunday?”

She hesitated. “You really want me there? Don’t feel like you have to invite me just because Liam did. I—”

“I’d be glad to have you there. I’m sure everyone would, including Paige. She thinks the world of you, especially since you pointed her in the direction of that salon.”

Her smile was sudden, involuntary and embarrassingly wide. “Okay, then. I’d love to go.”

“It’s settled, then. For now, though…”

His gaze slid slowly down the front of her body.

They returned to the bedroom, where he pressed her down onto the bed, removing her jeans and panties just like before.

This time, the anticipation was even more sweetly agonizing – the interruption had been a cruel tease.

She couldn’t hold back a gasp when he knelt and his breath hit her skin, and definitely not when his lips made contact with her pussy.

He picked up right where they’d left off, like they’d never been interrupted.

It was all so good: the press of his open mouth against her sensitive skin, the slide of his tongue against her clit and the gentle scrape of his teeth. She was powerless to decide what she liked best, until he sucked on her clit.

The sensation – the slick pressure – was incredibly direct and absolutely unyielding. It pushed her over the edge faster than she’d anticipated.

Pleasure pooled in her belly and rushed forward in the same second, flooding every inch of her, a single wave of sensation that broke when she hit a climax. It forced all the air out of her lungs and all thoughts from her mind, except for the ones that centered on Jeremy and what he was doing.

Every bit of her was frozen, except her mouth and hips. Her lips parted wider by the second, while her hips rolled, generating extra friction between her pussy and his mouth. So good, she could hardly stand it.

Eventually, she couldn’t. Lowering her hands between her thighs, she placed her palms against the top of his skull and gently pushed.

He backed off and rose, meeting her eyes.

All at once, she was aware of the way her chest was rising and falling, of the way her breathing was the loudest sound in the room.

There was a question in his eyes, though she was sure he already knew the answer.

“That was so good,” she said. “Thank you.”

He laughed, the sound low and soft. “I was only doing what any man would kill for a chance to. No need to thank me. Especially not after what you just did for me.”

The memory of his hard cock filling her mouth swept over her, causing her mouth to water.

“Then I guess we can both agree that this was good for both of us.” She felt herself blush, though she wasn’t sure why.

Maybe because even after what they’d just done, she was still in awe of how attractive he was. Physically, and otherwise. Now she knew that his appeal was more than just skin deep. In fact, he seemed just about as close to perfect as anyone could get.

The sense of awe deepened as he stood and reached for her hand.

His fingers were warm and solid against hers, a shelter of strong flesh and bone around her smaller hand. She liked the feeling.

She also liked that she could see he was still hard, his cock a stiff rod beneath his jeans. It turned her on, and even if she knew they couldn’t take things any further tonight, it was gratifying to know he was that attracted to her.

If they’d had more time, she would’ve suggested a trip to the nearest drug store so they could return with protection.

But they didn’t. What they’d just done would have to be enough, for now.

Even if she was already looking forward to the next time.

The aquatic center was swamped. The packed parking lot made it look like a big swim meet was happening, but the pool was empty, save for a small physical therapy class being held in the shallow end.

The real activity was all happening in the fitness room adjacent to the gym. Lucia had never seen it busier. Dozens of women had shown up for the women’s self-defense class.

Her usual teen fitness class had been cancelled for the occasion, and she’d tried her best to convince her students to attend the self-defense session instead. She smiled when she saw several of the girls filter in, dressed in shorts and t-shirts instead of their usual swimsuits.

Her heart skipped a beat when Paige and her grandmother arrived.

Her face warmed too. It’d been three days since she’d spent time alone with Jeremy while Paige had been at the movies. She still felt hot and slightly dazed when she thought about it.

Since then, she’d spoken to him briefly. He’d caught her on her porch once after arriving home from his shift, and had come by to tell her that Paige and Meredith had registered for the self-defense course.

They’d also exchanged phone numbers, and she’d asked about his leg.

He’d claimed it was feeling much better, but she’d noticed his slight limp. Somehow, he’d talked his boss into allowing him to return to work after just two days off, even if it was only to sit at a desk.

The short conversation had been sweet torture. In the days since their encounter, she’d had plenty of time to ruminate on how challenging it would be to get time alone with a single dad – especially a busy one like Jeremy who was so devoted to his job.

She had the beach trip to look forward to in a couple days, and she
was
looking forward to it. A day of sunshine and sand with Jeremy, Paige and his friends was bound to be fun.

But another hour or two with just Jeremy – well, that would be much more. What they’d done had been exhilarating. Gratifying. So sensuous she still found herself breathless when she thought about it.

But it’d also been something more than just a physical adventure. Getting so close to him had drawn up feelings from a deep well she hadn’t realized anyone could tap into after such a short period of acquaintance.

She’d enjoyed making him feel good just as much as she’d enjoyed the pleasure she’d taken from him. She sensed the pressure life had heaped on him and had loved seeing it melt away, leaving him free and happy, for just a little while.

He made her want to see him like that – made her want to do that for him again.

What she wanted most of all, of course, was to take things farther than they had – get to know
every
inch of him in every way she could.

But she had to push that from her mind as she crossed the room to greet Paige and Meredith.

Both of them smiled.

“Thank you so much for letting us know about this,” Meredith said. “I feel safe with Jeremy just down the street, but he’s not always around and you can never be too careful. Especially with everything that’s been going on.”

Meredith laid a protective hand on her granddaughter’s shoulder. “I’ll sleep better knowing Paige can protect herself, too.”

Paige looked embarrassed, but didn’t shy away.

“They say this is stuff any woman should know,” Lucia replied. “I’ll feel more confident knowing it, too.”

She wasn’t about to stop carrying pepper spray in her purse, but a little self-defense training couldn’t hurt.

She made a quick round of the room, saying hi to the girls from her class before things started.

The class was pretty impressive. Not that she was an expert judge, but it was more thorough than she’d expected. They learned not only how to strike an attacker, but also how to break free from a stronger person’s hold. Even how to free taped or zip-tied wrists.

The instructor was giving detailed instructions on how to escape from a trunk when something else snared Lucia’s attention.

One of her students, Olivia, had backed out of her place in line and was slumped against the back wall. Already fair-skinned, she looked downright pale. Sweat had matted her blonde hair to her forehead.

Lucia slipped quickly but quietly toward her.

“What’s up?” she whispered when she reached her side. “Feeling sick?”

Olivia shook her head. “I’m okay. Just … tired from practicing those punches.”

Lucia bit down on her lower lip. She knew full well that the athletic sixteen year old was too fit to be so exhausted by a few self-defense drills. She could swim laps around an Olympic-sized pool and climb out with a smile on her face.

“Are you sure? You look pretty rough.” She pressed the back of her hand against Olivia’s forehead, feeling for fever.

She felt slightly warm, but that was probably just from exertion.

“I’m fine.” She stood up straight, no longer leaning against the wall. The smile she directed at Lucia didn’t quite reach her eyes, but she looked toward the place she’d abandoned in line like she wanted to reclaim it.

“Okay, but let me know if you don’t feel up to sticking around. I can give you a ride home if you need me to.”

Olivia assured her she’d be fine and that her mom would be picking her up afterward, and that was the end of it.

Lucia stayed close and kept an eye on her. Although she moved a little sluggishly, she didn’t fall out of line or slump against the wall again.

Lucia still worried about whatever was bothering her. She couldn’t help it – she felt a sense of responsibility towards the girls in her swim class. If her mother or any of her aunts knew how much she cared about the girls she taught, they’d say it was redirected maternal instinct, and that she needed to get started on a family.

But she knew it was just the way she’d always been. When people worked their way into her heart, they had every bit of it.

Her gaze drifted toward Paige, and she felt a pull in her chest, one that brought her over-active heart and what it wanted to the forefront of her mind.

* * * * *

Beverly gripped a cup of chamomile tea until her knuckles went white. There were four seats at her kitchen table, and she always sat at the one nearest the stove.

It’d been almost two years since anyone had sat in any of the others.

The tea scalded her tongue, and she kept her spine straight as it burnt its way down into the pit of her knotted belly.

The same old question haunted her: why hadn’t Sarah returned her calls?

For the thousandth time, she turned and reached for the phone on the counter, a corded landline she’d had since Sarah had been in diapers. Its beige plastic body matched the peeling wallpaper, an ecru damask pattern that yellowed a little more every year.

Pick up, pick up, pick up.
She willed Sarah from God only knew how many miles away as the phone rang.

Nothing. Like her prayers, the call went unanswered.

She looked around the kitchen. It had once been her favorite room in the house, but now she saw it for what it was: a dingy alcove, as suffocating as a chamber in a rabbit warren. The countertops were stained and the cupboards scuffed, the linoleum and appliances dated. A box fan whirred in the only window, a substitute for the air conditioner that’d given up the ghost weeks ago.

Alone in the shabby heart of her home, she felt the solitude as keenly as she felt the sweat dampening her armpits and the back of her neck. Misery. It had become her constant companion, as suffocating as the Carolina summer humidity.

She didn’t even cook for herself anymore. Not really. Subsisting mostly off of cereal and frozen foods, she ate only when she remembered to, which wasn’t always often. The longer her daughter was gone, the less of an appetite she seemed to have.

Sarah had always been a difficult child, but she was Beverly’s only legacy, no matter how heartbreaking. She couldn’t give up, no matter how many things had gone wrong lately.

She would get in touch. Would make things as right as they ever could be. Would bring Sarah back to make their house a home again. Despite her mistakes, Beverly would welcome her with open arms. Children were gifts, and she never let herself forget that.

She needed to remember. The world needed to remember. Family was everything.

* * * * *

Guilt swamped Jeremy as he pulled into the public parking lot at Sea Glass Beach. The day was gorgeous and so was Lucia, who rode in the passenger seat of his car. Paige sat in the back with a bag full of towels and sunblock.

As he pulled the key from the ignition, he was fully aware that he may have overstepped a line by inviting Lucia to the beach. Looking back, he’d more or less obligated her to come.

He’d wanted more time with her. For himself and for Paige, who’d taken a liking to her. But what right did he have to ask for it, just because they’d come so close to sleeping together?

Lucia hadn’t offered anything more than physical intimacy and he knew it. He had Paige and his job – those responsibilities didn’t leave him with the kind of time a woman deserved from a man. He’d told her as much, and they’d agreed to seek pleasure in what little time he had.

Just like he’d done with the last woman who’d touched him. He knew he was lucky to get that much from Lucia, but that truth hadn’t stopped him from riding the coattails of Liam’s invitation and encouraging her to join them that weekend.

Sweet as she was, Lucia had agreed. Now, here they were.

“What a gorgeous day,” she said, unbuckling her seatbelt. “The water looks calm, too.”

He nodded, his mouth suddenly dry. Her being so sweet about all of it only made his guilt that much more poignant.

Was she really so glad to be there, acting like there was something more between them than there really was?

Acting like they were a family, really.

Maybe he hadn’t just overstepped a boundary; maybe he’d steamrolled over it.

And she was too nice to put him in his place.

“How strong of a swimmer are you, Paige?” Lucia asked.

Paige climbed out of the car and shrugged. “I’m okay.”

“Want to race?”

“Out there?” She nodded toward the water.

“Yep.”

“Umm…” She stood frozen on the asphalt as Jeremy exited the car and pulled the bag of beach towels from the back. “I don’t like to swim out too far.”

“Not even if you have someone with you?”

“It’s not that. It’s about, you know, sharks and stuff.”

Lucia smiled. “I’m sure the sharks around here have better things to do than worry about what we’re up to. Besides, you know they’re attracted to color contrast, right?”

She reached up and snapped the halter tie of her dark green bathing suit. The color stood out bold against her golden-brown skin. “On the off chance that one gets curious, it’ll go for me first, I promise. That should give you plenty of time to swim to safety.”

Paige grinned. Her pale lavender swimsuit blended much more closely with her fair skin. “You’re crazy.”