The Protectors

CHAPTER EIGHT

“I THINK OUR first date was simply spectacular, don’t you?” Stonewall asked as his lips moved from her neck to nibble her ear.

“Umm, most definitely.”

“I could get used to that, as well.”

She chuckled and he could feel the vibrations. She pulled away, out of his arms, and gazed up at him. “Considering how long it took to squeeze in our first date due to our hectic schedules, getting used to anything when it comes to us will be next to impossible.”

“Yes, but wasn’t the wait worth it?”

A huge smile touched her lips. “Yes, it was worth the wait. Thanks again for everything. You sure know how to make a girl feel special.”

“You deserve it, and if you recall, I told you at dinner that you were special.” He had a feeling that she didn’t take compliments well. As far as he was concerned, the best solution to that was to keep on giving them.

“Need any help?” he asked.

“Umm, you can set the table for me. It’s such a beautiful day, I thought it would be nice to eat out on the patio. It’s screened in, and on nice days it’s one of my favorite places to eat and spend time reading or lounging around.”

“No problem.”

“The dishes are in that cabinet. The eating utensils are there. And the mugs for the coffee are there,” she said, pointing the location of everything out to him.

“Thanks.”

He opened the cabinets and took out two of everything. But he couldn’t stop his gaze from roaming all over her, thinking she definitely looked good in that dress. And she smelled good, too.

“Just so you know, I can cook,” he said as he opened the drawer to get out the eating utensils.

She glanced back over at him. “Can you?”

“Yes. I’m no Chef Emeril, but I can hold my own.”

“What’s your favorite meal you like to prepare?”

“Lasagna.”

“I don’t know too many men, including my brothers, who like being in the kitchen near a stove. Who taught you?”

“Mostly my grandmother, but my mom taught me the basics.” He moved across the room. “Can you get that door for me?”

“Sure.”

She moved ahead to open the door that led to the screened-in patio. Honestly, even with his hands full he could have opened it himself, but he enjoyed seeing her legs in motion. “Thanks.”

“No problem. Everything should be ready in a few.”

“Okay.” He watched her leave and thought that was another thing he could get used to. Seeing her gorgeous legs in a dress instead of the slacks she usually wore.

* * *

JOY RETURNED TO the kitchen, thinking that she wasn’t used to having anyone, especially a man, in her home this early in the morning. This was definitely a first. It was also a first for her to sleep with a guy on their first date, but she’d done so with Stonewall by convincing herself it was long overdue. Had they gone out six months ago as planned, they probably would have shared a bed by now. And it wasn’t as if they’d just met and hadn’t kept in contact.

She noticed him opening the door to come back inside. “So, how do you think I did?” he asked, walking into the kitchen.

Although she knew he was asking her opinion about the table he’d set, she was thinking about his performance last night. “You did a great job. Now you can help carry everything out.”

He looked at the filled platters. “It looks and smells good, but do you expect us to eat all that?”

She chuckled. “Yes.”

They sat down to eat and piled the food on their plates. “At least let me pour the coffee,” Stonewall offered when she reached out to do so.

“Okay.”

Moments later she watched him dig in, take his first mouthful, close his eyes and moan. “These are great-tasting pancakes, Joy.”

“Thanks. While in high school I worked at a café where I learned how to flip eggs and make all kinds of breakfast meals. Pancakes were my specialty. I seldom prepare a meal like this for myself—usually I operate on doughnuts and coffee.”

“What do you eat for lunch?” he asked her.

“I rarely eat lunch. Most days I work through it.”

“What about dinner?”

She took a sip of her coffee and then answered. “Usually I grab a salad from someplace on the way home, but that could be anytime of night. I have no set time to leave work.” No need telling him that she’d pulled an all-nighter more than a few times.

He nodded. “How are things going for you at work?” Stonewall asked while spooning more eggs onto his plate. She was glad he seemed to enjoy the breakfast she’d prepared.

“Hectic as usual. Got at least fifteen homicides I’m working.”

“That’s a lot.”

“Tell me about it. Most of them didn’t get the attention they deserved when everyone was focused on the Erickson case. One in particular involves a woman who froze to death one night under suspicious circumstances. I guess you can say Murphy Erickson messed things up in Charlottesville in more ways than one.”

Murphy Erickson was infamous. The mobster had promised to kill everyone who’d been in the courtroom the day his sentence had been read, including Margo. Ten people had been killed before the assassin Murphy had hired was taken down by Striker while on the job, protecting her.

“Still no new leads on that? The authorities still don’t know who killed Erickson?”

“Not that I heard. It’s a federal investigation now and the Feds aren’t telling us anything.”

Her eyes lingered on him. He was finishing off the last of his pancakes. He’d eaten every single one. Knowing it was rude to stare, she picked up her cup and took a sip of her coffee, diverting her attention to the mountains that could be seen over the rooftops of the homes behind hers. On some days she wished she could see more of them but was grateful for the view she had.

“Breakfast was delicious, Joy,” Stonewall said, reclaiming her attention.

“Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it,” she said, standing to start clearing the table. No need telling him that she’d enjoyed preparing it for him, as well.

“So, what are your plans for the rest of the day?” he asked, standing to help her.

“I don’t have any. It will be one of those rare do-nothing days for me. What time will you be leaving town today?”

“Around five. I’ll check on Granny Kay and Mellie before taking off.”

“You don’t have to help me with the dishes if you’re pushed for time.”

“Who said I’m pushed for time? Besides, it’s the least I can do after you cooked such a delicious breakfast. Next time, I’ll fix breakfast.”

He’d said it like he was certain there would be a next time. That assumption from any other man would have bothered her, but from Stonewall it had the opposite effect. Made her feel good and gave her something to definitely look forward to.

When they reached the kitchen, she told him her dishwasher was broken and gave him the choice to wash or dry. He wanted to wash the dishes and tossed her the towel. “Don’t freak out at all the bubbles,” he said, squirting more dish detergent than she thought was needed into the sink. “I like bubbles.”

She rolled her eyes. “I like bubbles, too, but in my bathwater, Stonewall. Go easy on that stuff.”

He chuckled as he began washing the dishes. She watched, fascinated by the strategy he used in separating everything into stacks. He smiled over at her when he saw how she was watching him. “Anything wrong?”

“Why not just throw them all in together?”

“Not on my watch. My plates will never share the same water with my cups or eating utensils.”

She rolled her eyes. “First of all, those aren’t your plates, and I don’t care who shares water with who as long as they’re all clean in the end.”

“Chill. I got this. Let me do this my way. You like keeping your television on 24/7 and I like separating things when I wash dishes.”

“Just trying to help you save time,” she said, handing him the stack of plates. “You’re the one leaving town today.”

“And like I said earlier, I’m not pushed for time. Besides, there’s a reason I want to hang around a little longer.”

She glanced up at him. “Is there?”

“I get to spend more time with you.”

A part of her wished he didn’t stay stuff like that. Yesterday he’d told her he thought she was special, and now he’d let her know he wanted to spend more time with her.

“You just got quiet on me,” he said, handing her a washed plate that she thought he took longer than usual to rinse. Probably because it had been covered with suds.

“I hadn’t expected all this for a first date.”

“What’s all this?”

“You know. Flying to dinner in another state. A special dessert made just for me. A night of great sex. Having breakfast together. Sharing kitchen duties. All of that.”

“Umm, is something wrong with all of that?”

Why did he have to ask in such a deep, husky, turn-you-on voice? “No, there’s nothing wrong with it. I just wasn’t expecting it. Makes me wonder...”

“About what?”

“About what you expect,” she said, handing him the frying pan.

He didn’t say anything for minute as he handed her another plate. “What makes you think I have any expectations?”

“You’re a man.”

A smile touched his lips. “Yes, and you’re a woman. A woman I happen to like.”

“That’s a start.”

“Yes, I think so, Joy. All relationships have to begin somewhere.”

He’d just said the one word she detested. Relationship. Mainly because she’d been there. Done that. Refused to go that way again.

“You’re frowning. Did I say something wrong?”

Joy met his gaze. She could tell him that no, he hadn’t said anything wrong and he was imagining things. Or she could tell him the truth. She chose the latter. “It’s that one word I try to stay away from, Stonewall.”

He lifted a brow. “And what word is that?”

“Relationship. The thought of it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”

He didn’t say anything as he handed her another item to dry. “I imagine there’s a reason it does. Would you like to share it with me?”

She was about to tell him no, but he’d been honest with her, and about some pretty personal stuff. “His name was Omar Elwood, and we became involved my first year of making detective. He knew what I did for a living, but he began resenting all the hours I put in to work cases and felt he was competing for my time. So I tried to do both, to build a productive relationship with him as well as be a model employee at work.”

She drew in a deep breath. It was almost draining just thinking about that time. “That was the worst period of my life, trying to juggle both. But Omar still wasn’t satisfied. He worked in management for a shipping company with a nine-to-five job and couldn’t understand why my workday couldn’t end at a normal hour. Things got even worse after we got engaged and moved in together. His expectations of my time became even more demanding. I realized that he wanted me to be the one to do all the giving, make all the concessions. I tried and always felt under pressure, stressed out, overworked and, when it came to Omar, underloved.”

She didn’t say anything for a moment as she remembered that time and how she’d bent over backward to please Omar, but it had never been enough. “I found myself making mistakes at work because I wasn’t getting enough sleep at home. Definitely no support. I was nearly at my breaking point when I took a look at myself in the mirror one day. I had lost weight and was unhappy and it showed. I knew I had to get away for a while. To go somewhere alone to think about what I really wanted in life.”

She took the next item he handed her to dry. “I came here for a week. Just so happened a friend of mine from high school had inherited a house from an aunt here in Charlottesville and leased it out as a furnished rental property. She suggested I come here to get away since the house was temporarily vacant. I took her advice and fell in love with the area.”

A smile touched her lips. “It was the best week of my life. I found the people to be friendly, the area beautiful and the town much to my liking. Before returning home I applied for a job with the Charlottesville Police Department. I even got an interview before leaving. After returning to Baton Rouge, I ended my engagement to Omar and returned here within two weeks. Luckily we hadn’t set a date for our wedding.”

He dried his hands on a paper towel. “I’m sure your fiancé wasn’t happy with your decision, though.”

She shrugged. “No, he wasn’t. He thought I was making a mistake to choose a career in law enforcement over him. Inwardly, I disagreed and knew it was the best decision I could ever make. I had to do what made me happy for a change. Although it gets crazy at times, I love my work.”

There was no need to tell him that breaking her engagement with Omar was like getting her life back, finding a sense of the freedom she’d given up to Omar, who’d tried being her ruler. And now that she’d gotten used to her independence the past two years, there was no way she would ever give it up again for any man.

She leaned against the counter. “So, there you have it. I don’t want a relationship, steady or otherwise. I’m not ready to let a man back into my space. However, I’m a person with physical needs just like anyone else, and wouldn’t mind getting together with someone to take the edge off every now and then. It doesn’t always have to be about sex, mind you. I would also enjoy an occasional movie, dinner, walk in the park, mountain climbing...”

He lifted a brow. “Mountain climbing?”

She chuckled. “Yes. I’ve never done it before, but it seems like something that could give my body a good workout.” She would admit that making love to him had given her body a good workout, as well.

“You’ve engaged in take-the-edge-off kind of affairs before?” he asked her.

Was she imagining things or was his gaze drifting to her mouth more often than not? She could feel her lips tingling from him looking at them. “No. It will be my first time. Once I moved here and began working, my life was even more hectic than it had been in Baton Rouge. I worked the streets for six months to get used to the city. Then, when I became a detective I wanted to do a good job, which meant putting in long hours. No time for a man.”

There was no reason to tell him about some of the crap she took, being one of the few female detectives. She had to earn the other detectives’ respect, especially when they found out who her father was. She had to prove she hadn’t gotten the job due to any favors.

Deciding to continue to be honest, she said, “I never really thought about men, definitely hadn’t shown interest in one until that night I met you.” She chuckled. “You definitely caught my eye.”

“And you caught mine.”

And now here they were, standing in her kitchen after a night of hot, blazing sex. “I’m sure with your hectic schedule you aren’t interested in a serious relationship, either, right?” she asked him.

He nodded and then said, “Right. I’ve never dated anyone seriously. In high school I dated but didn’t have a steady girlfriend. And then, after I got out the slammer, I figured I needed to work on improving me and not take on the responsibility of anyone else. I preferred things that way. I guess I still do.”

She smiled. “Great! We want and don’t want the same thing.”

“What I really want is to see you again.”

“And I want to see you again, too. Let’s keep in touch. Hook up again when we can as a diversion.”

“As a diversion?”

“Yes, as a diversion and nothing more. So, what do you think?”

He reached out, wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her body to fit snug against his. “I think if a diversion is all you want, then that’s what you’ll get, Joy.”

And then he lowered his mouth to hers.

* * *

A SHORT WHILE LATER, as Stonewall drove away from Joy’s home, he still felt a trickle of intense pleasure flow down his spine. He felt that way each and every time he kissed her. And that last kiss, the one they’d shared in her kitchen before he’d left, still had his tongue tingling and his erection throbbing.

He’d wanted more. However, like he’d told her, he knew her limitations. Although she’d tried not to make it obvious, he could tell by the way she moved that her body was sore. And he refused to be a greedy ass where she was concerned.

That meant another hookup with her would have to wait. For how long, he wasn’t sure. He definitely wouldn’t be like the guy she’d been engaged to who’d tried placing demands on her time. It had taken nearly six months for them to get together, but he hoped it wouldn’t be another six before there could be a repeat of last night.

Just thinking about the time they’d spent together and all they’d done sent a spike of heat into his gut. Even now his pulse was kicking in response to the memories. And as far as the diversion thing, that didn’t bother him. It was just another name for a relationship of convenience. Been there. Done that. Had no problem doing it again.

At that moment his cell phone rang, and he clicked a button on his steering wheel to answer it. “Yes?”

“You didn’t get arrested for kidnapping, did you?” Quasar’s voice responded through the car’s speakers.

Stonewall chuckled. “I told you that I wouldn’t and that most women would think what I did was romantic.”

“You never know. How did things go?”

“Dinner was great. The entire evening was great.” And that was all he intended to tell his friend. “Don’t forget I’m flying out today,” he said to change the subject.

“What time do you leave?”

“In a few hours. I’m on my way to see Granny Kay and Mellie before I go. And you know the drill.”

“Yep, I know it.”

Now that he traveled quite a bit, he’d asked Striker and Quasar to check in on his grandmother and sister from time to time while he was away. “Thanks.”

They talked for a few minutes longer and then hung up when he pulled into his grandmother’s neighborhood. He didn’t want to admit it but he was missing Joy already. But how could he not when he’d had the best sex of his life last night?

After parking his car, he walked into his grandmother’s home. He wondered how many times he had to tell her to keep her doors locked. There might be a better crew of people living in the area now, but still a thief was a thief.

“Granny Kay?” he called out.

“I’m in the kitchen. Just got in from church.”

He glanced at his watch. He knew church service ended at noon, but as usual his grandmother had hung around for the fellowship hour. One of her own making. She would see church members she hadn’t seen since Wednesday night prayer meeting. Wow! Four days. But it had always been that way for Katherine Courson. He recalled she would make him and his sister sit inside the church while she made her rounds saying hello to everyone.

He entered the kitchen, crossed the room and placed a kiss on his grandmother’s cheek. She was still dressed in her Sunday best. Big hat and all. His grandmother always had dressed well, and he recalled his grandfather would get into the act and wear a shirt the same color as her dress. For years they’d coordinated their outfits that way. Stonewall had always thought it was amusing.

He glanced around. Except for her, the kitchen was empty. “No guests today?” It wasn’t uncommon for her to invite others to dine with her.

“They’re on their way. A couple who just moved to the area.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. His grandmother was so trusting. “What do you know about them?”

His grandmother smiled. “Nothing. That’s why I invited them to dinner.”

It would be a waste of his time to tell Granny Kay that wasn’t exactly how things worked. In his book it was best to get to know people before inviting them into your home.

Stonewall checked his watch. He had some time since he was packed already. Maybe he ought to hang around and meet these people himself. He knew his grandmother considered herself Dear Abby, Dr. Phil and T. D. Jakes all rolled into one. Others in the neighborhood saw her as the threesome as well, and always sought her advice on a lot of things.

“So, how was your date, Stonewall?”

He leaned back against the kitchen counter and raised a brow. “Who said I had a date?”

“Mellie. She was at church and asked had I heard from you to see how your date went.”

He needed to remind his sister to keep her mouth closed. The only reason he’d told her was that she’d invited him to a concert in town. He’d turned her down and, without thinking, told her he was planning his own date for that night.

“It was nice.”

“Any details you want to share?”

“Nope.”

Not a single one. He wouldn’t even tell her about the extra step he’d taken with the cake and using her recipe to pull it off. He’d asked her for the recipe and she’d given it to him, no questions asked, and he’d been glad for that.

“You’re leaving town?”

“Yes. Later today. I think I’ll just hang around and watch a game on television.”

“Yes, you do that.”

He wasn’t fooling his grandmother one bit. She knew what was keeping him there. He would check out this couple she had invited to dinner and then leave. As he grabbed the remote off the table and settled down on the sofa, thoughts of Joy again filled his mind. Mainly thoughts of how she’d looked when he’d made love to her. Beautiful.

“Do you want to join us for dinner, Stonewall?” his grandmother called out to ask.

“No, I’m good.” He chuckled to himself while thinking that thanks to Joy, he certainly felt good.

At that moment the front door opened, and automatically his hand went to his Glock. He wasn’t as trusting as his grandmother. He relaxed when he saw it was Mellie, and couldn’t help but smile. This was the younger sister he adored even if she did get on his last nerve at times. She liked being bossy. Some days he could ignore it. Some days he could not.

He knew he had a beautiful sister. All of his friends had made that fact known to him just in case he was too dense to realize. He hadn’t been too dense. But you didn’t mess with his sister. Amelia Ursula Courson could take care of herself.

At the age of eighteen she began entering a number of beauty pageants for the scholarships. It still bothered him sometimes that his grandmother had been forced to cash in their parents’ life insurance policies that should have been used for his and his sister’s college education to pay his legal fees.

Mellie had once been Miss Charlottesville and Miss Virginia. She’d even competed in Miss USA and had come in third. All the scholarships she’d earned had helped pay for medical school.

“I thought you left town today,” she said, leaning over to give him a peck on the cheek.

“I do leave today. I just dropped by to check on things before heading out.”

She dropped on the sofa beside him. “And how was your date?”

There was no need to tell her to mind her own business, because she wouldn’t. “It was nice.”

“You want to tell me about it?”

“No.”

Mellie laughed and he couldn’t help but smile. Then he asked her, “What do you know about this couple Granny Kay invited for dinner?”

“Nothing, which is why I decided to drop by.”

Stonewall nodded, feeling more at ease. He shouldn’t have been surprised that Mellie had this. “When will I get to meet her?” his sister asked.

He glanced over at her. “Who?”

“The woman you waited over six months to date.”

He frowned, wondering who’d told her that. Striker? Quasar? Who else had known?

“It was just a date, Mellie. Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

She smiled. “Okay. I won’t, but only if you don’t. If you do then I will. I love you, big brother.” After placing a wet, sloppy kiss on his cheek and deliberately making that annoying sound that came with it, she got up and went into the kitchen, where he could hear his grandmother moving around.

He wondered about what he’d told his sister—that his date with Joy hadn’t been a big deal. Instantly he knew he had lied. It had been a big deal, and he couldn’t wait for it to happen again.