Chapter Five
Jackson pushed through the door and gulped in the fresh sea air like a man drowning. There was something about Katrina Cross that got under his skin. He opened his mouth to vent some of his anger when he felt her small hand slip into his. Shocked, he stared down at the woman who had his emotions tied in knots. Surprisingly, the tension instantly eased from his body as if it had never been, and that left him feeling even more confused.
“What the hell am I going to do with you, Katrina Cross?”
She smiled at him. “You can buy me some ice cream.”
A startled laugh slipped free. “You just ate a cheeseburger as big as your head. Now, you want ice cream?”
“What can I say, I have a sweet tooth. I saw the ice cream parlor earlier when we parked. How can I resist a place called Creamy Delights?”
Shaking his head, Jackson strolled down the street with her at a leisurely pace that was completely foreign to him. He was also acutely aware that their hands were still linked together. Thinking back over his life, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d done something as simple as holding a woman’s hand on a soft spring night.
While they had been inside the pub, the day had faded into night. Stars were scattered across the dark sky overhead, and the sounds of laughter filled the air as people enjoyed the beautiful night.
She had been right.
This was turning out to be a date.
Jackson didn’t do relationships. Sure, he had sex, but he usually kept things simple. Straight-up sex, no emotional entanglements allowed. He made damn sure the women he hooked up with knew the score before the affair began, and if and when they started to push for more, he immediately called it quits.
He liked to keep things uncomplicated, which meant no messy emotional spillage or backlash that would ruin his quiet, organized life. But as he looked back over at the gorgeous woman walking next to him, a part of him knew that he could kiss the quiet goodbye. That was if he wanted to risk getting involved with her.
Hell, who was he kidding?
Jackson was already involved with her, whether he wanted to admit it or not.
He was usually attracted to pretty women who were just on the side of submissive. He liked them quiet, polite, and uncomplicated. Katrina Cross was the exact opposite of that. He’d bet a month’s pay that there wasn’t a submissive bone in her entire body. She was bold, brazen, and a little brash.
And dangerous.
Damn it, the truth was she fucking fascinated him.
“What’s your favorite?”
Her question startled him out of his musings. “Favorite what?”
She swung their arms playfully. “Ice cream flavor, silly.”
“I don’t really…I guess chocolate chip mint.”
“Mmm, good choice.”
He waited a few heartbeats, then asked, “What’s yours?”
“Chocolate anything.”
That made him chuckle. “That’s easy enough.”
They walked down the street in the direction they’d both found parking spaces, and she pulled him to a stop in front of the ice cream parlor, Creamy Delights. The shop was owned and run by an old friend of his, Elodie Simmons.
He’d met her when she’d first moved to the island to live with her aunt, Adeline, who was the current major of the island. He and Elodie had attended school together from middle school until they had graduated high school. The pretty blonde had always been shy and kind of quiet, but she’d been coming out of her shell since she had recently started dating Noah Diaz and Carlos Sanchez.
The shop owner was heading toward the front door, presumably to flip the sign, when Trinity pushed it open. With a sigh of resignation, Jackson followed her inside.
“Elodie Simmons, this is Katrina Cross. She just arrived on the island.”
Despite the last-minute intrusion, Elodie smiled. “Nice to meet you, Katrina. Welcome to Creamy Delights.”
Trinity breathed in the scent of sugar, vanilla, and waffle cones that filled the shop. “I’m sorry to barge in on you last minute, but I have an emergency. Must have chocolate, or all men within ten feet of me might be in grave peril.”
“Well, we can’t have that, now, can we? Let’s see what we can do about your emergency,” Elodie said with a laugh as she flipped the sign on the door, signaling the shop was closed for the night.
“Bless you,” Trinity said it with such sincerity that Elodie laughed again.
Trinity followed her back toward the counter and looked at the display case. There were several different ice cream flavors available, and she had to chuckle as she read the suggestive names given to each of the offerings like Butter Up My Pecans and French Kiss Vanilla.
“A scoop of Chocolate Bourbon Ecstasy.”
She turned her head to ask what he wanted and smiled when she saw Jackson was too busy looking at her ass to care about ice cream. She waited until his eyes met hers and was pleased when she saw the heat in his green gaze. He watched her like a predator eyeing his prey, but the poor guy didn’t understand that she was the real hunter in this game between them.
Glancing back at the display case, her lips twitched when she found the one she wanted. “And one scoop of Mint to Be Mine.”
How very appropriate.
“Two scoops?” Jackson stepped closer to her. “Do you really have room for that?”
“Don’t you know that women have a whole different stomach specifically for dessert?”
“I can attest to that,” Elodie readily agreed as she scooped up very generous servings of each ice cream flavor and put them in waffle cones that had been molded into colorful plastic cups. Trinity took both cups, then held one out to Jackson.
“I don’t want ice cream.”
“Sure, you do. Everyone likes ice cream. And this way I can try both without feeling like a total pig.”
“Ah…okay.”
“You guys can hang out in here if you want,” Elodie offered. “I’m just going to be cleaning up.”
“Thanks.”
Trinity started to protest when Jackson pulled his wallet out to pay at the counter, then shrugged it off and carried both ice cream cups over to one of the small tables set up in the front of the parlor. Since she paid for dinner earlier, it was fair that he treated her to dessert.
The shop had a retro feel to it and was decorated with pastel colors that were pleasing to the eye. As was habit, she took a seat with a view of the entrance. The shop was obviously in a good location since there was a decent amount of foot traffic walking by. There were a few disappointed faces that glanced at the ice cream parlor’s closed sign, but most of the shops in the area besides the bars and restaurants were already closed.
The ice cream parlor probably could have done brisk business if they stayed open a little later, but she knew businesses on islands ran on their own schedules. Trinity saw a tall, older woman approaching the shop carrying a purse the size of Texas, and she pushed the door open, completely disregarding the closed sign.
The woman was wearing a denim dress with a wide white belt that had a huge silver buckle in the front. Her soft gray hair was fashioned into an elegant chignon, and she had a pair of bright red glasses hanging from a beaded lanyard around her neck.
“Hello!”
Jackson had turned at the sound of the door opening, and he nodded at the newcomer. “Good evening, Madam Mayor.”
She scoffed as she shut the door. “Jackson, I changed your diapers. As I’ve told you a million times, I think you know me well enough to call me Addie.”
Trinity wanted to laugh at the resigned look that settled across his face before he turned back to pay for their ice cream. Addie’s sharp eyes met hers across the room. If she were made of weaker stuff, she might have squirmed under the intense scrutiny. Instead, she simply met the mayor’s gaze and smiled.
“Well, now, who do we have here?” Without hesitation, Addie walked over and held her hand out. “Hello. I’m Adeline Carrington.”
Trinity approved of the woman’s firm grip as she shook her hand. “Katrina Cross.”
“Welcome to Crescent Island, Katrina.”
Whether the mayor knew enough of the locals to distinguish Trinity was a visitor or if it was simply a guess, it was on the mark. “Thank you, ma’am.”
“Please, don’t you start that, too. Call me Addie.”
“But you never changed my diapers,” Trinity quipped.
Addie threw her head back as she roared with laughter, and Jackson’s lips twitched with amusement as he took a seat across the table from Trinity.
“So, what brings you to our island, Katrina?” Addie asked sweetly, her gaze bouncing between them. “Are you staying long? I must say, you two make a striking couple.”
“Addie…” Jackson said in warning.
“Okay, okay, I’ll behave. I just stopped by to coerce my niece into having dinner with me. My men are bowling tonight, so I need to find something else to do to say I’m busy.” She held up one perfectly manicured hand. “If I break another damn nail like the last time they dragged me to the bowling alley, one of them will die.”
Elodie chuckled as she continued cleaning the counter. “Auntie, I don’t think you should be casually speaking about murder in front of our good lieutenant.”
“It would be justified.”
“You’re a menace, Addie,” Jackson muttered.
“Why, thank you, Lieutenant Stone.” She patted his shoulder. “Okay, I will stop interrupting your date. It’s so rare to see you out and about with a companion that I had to witness it with my own eyes, though.”
“It’s not a date,” Jackson protested automatically, but even he didn’t sound very convinced by his own words.
“Sure, it’s not,” Addie said placatingly. Then, she turned to whisper loudly to Trinity. “Don’t mind him. The poor boy never dates, so he’s forgotten how it’s done.”
Trinity flashed her a grin. “I really like you, Addie.”
“Jackson, it’s nice to see you with such a charming young woman. Don’t mess it up. Katrina, it was lovely meeting you, and I hope to see you around town. We have a lot to offer, and I’m sure you will enjoy yourself while you are here. Now, I’ll leave you two alone to enjoy your ice cream. Elodie, I’m in the mood for a margarita. How about La Cocina? I know your boyfriends are working tonight, so I won’t take no for an answer.”
“I’m always up for margaritas,” Elodie told her aunt. “But I still need to clean up and finish closing.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll head over there now, and you can join me when you are done.” She gave them all a cheerful wave, then left the shop, taking her whirlwind of energy with her.
Trinity leaned forward and whispered, “Who was that masked woman?”
He grunted in amusement, then shoved a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth.
“I’ll be in the back if you need me,” Elodie called out before disappearing into the back of the shop.
“You probably have questions,” Jackson said once he and Trinity were alone.
“Questions?” Trinity asked as she studied the chocolate treat in front of her. There were chocolate-covered nuts, caramel ribbons, and tiny pieces of chocolate cookies mixed into the rich, chocolate bourbon ice cream. There was so much good stuff packed into that one little cup that she wasn’t sure where to start.
“I’m not sure what you’ve heard about the island, but Addie mentioned her men and Elodie’s boyfriends earlier—”
“Oh, you mean the poly thing? Yeah, I heard about that.”
Lifting her spoon, she took her first taste of the ice cream. Moaning, she closed her eyes as the sugary treat sang on her tongue. The bourbon mixed with the chocolate almost made it taste like a frozen malt, and the salted caramel ribbon was the perfect compliment.
Jackson froze with his own spoon halfway to his lips at the sound of her moan. Son of a bitch, that was the sound he imagined she’d make in bed. His cock surged to life, pressing against the zipper of his jeans so he had to shift in his seat or else suffer permanent damage. When her eyes opened again, he could see they were dazed with the pleasure of the chocolate delicacy. He felt a surge of lust shoot through him like a jolt of electricity.
He wanted to be the one to put that look on her face.
“Here.”
Jackson’s voice was a rough growl of need as he offered her his own spoon. He watched as she slowly leaned forward, never taking her eyes off his as she wrapped her lush lips around his offering. His pulse sped up as she moaned again.
Her eyelashes fluttered with the pleasure of the flavors she was experiencing, but she kept her gaze locked with his. Damn her, she was seeping into him and overwhelming his senses like the scent of vanilla and sugar in the air.
This whole damn evening had been foreplay.
Since the first moment he’d met her, she had challenged him, teased him, pushed him until he was on the edge of madness.
Hard and aching, he finally lost it as he watched her little pink tongue peek out to swipe at a stray bit of cream on her lip. He surged to his feet, taking her with him as he stalked to the door. Pulling her outside, he barely remembered to shut the door behind them as he took a cursory glance around. He dragged her into the dark alley next to the shop, away from prying eyes, and drew to a stop behind two large garbage bins.
“Jackson! I wasn’t finish with my ice cream! What are you—” Trinity argued but was cut off by a fierce snarl from him as he pushed her back against the brick wall, caging her body in with his much larger frame.
“I want you. Damn it, I shouldn’t want you like this.”
His lips crushed down on hers, voraciously feeding off of hers as he sought to sate the lust roaring through him. Instead of dulling it, the fire of desire burned brighter at the first taste of her.
The flavor of her burst on his tongue as he shoved inside her mouth, stroking and dueling with hers. She tasted of chocolate and mint with a hint of some addictive natural flavor that he knew was all her. Unable to help himself he shoved against her, rubbing his jean-covered engorged cock into the apex of her thigh.
He let out another growl of need and jerked her up, both of his hands cupping that perfect ass of hers. Feeling those long legs wrap around his waist, he began rocking his hips against her, driving them both crazy with need.
But it wasn’t enough.
He needed more.
He wanted to pull her shirt off and feast on her bare breasts like a ravenous beast. He needed to feel her tight little pussy clasped around his cock so damn bad he was close to ripping off her jeans and taking her right there.
Christ, what was he doing?
This was crazy.
They were in a fucking alley, and he was acting like a randy schoolboy letting his libido rule his judgment. He tore his mouth away from hers, gasping for breath. Bracing his forehead against hers, he struggled to regain some semblance of control.
Only she wasn’t helping…at all.
Trinity had practically soaked her jeans as soon as he’d shoved her up against the wall. God, she loved a man with moves. When he pulled back, she gave no quarter, knowing if she gave him time to think that would be the end of this hot little display of caveman antics.
Reaching between them she quickly undid his belt, unbuckled his jeans, and shoved her hand into his beneath his boxers to grab hold of his thick cock, swirling her thumb over the head leaking with pre-cum.
“Sweet Jesus, Jackson. How the hell do you pack this thing away in your jeans? You’re fucking huge!”
“Fuck!” He let out a laugh, then he groaned in pleasure. “We can’t do this here.”
“Why not?” she asked, nipping at his lower lip. “There’s no one here. People can’t see us from the street. God, you’re big. So hot and hard. I want this inside of me.”
He took her lips in another scorching kiss as she used her legs to help shove his jeans down over his hips, the weight of his gun on his belt helping them to slide lower. “Katrina…”
“I want you, Jackson. Right here, right now.”
Breathing hard, Jackson tried to reengage his brain. He couldn’t fucking think with her small hand wrapped around his cock. “God, I want you, too. But I don’t have anything with me to protect you. I just had my mandatory checkup two weeks ago and I’m clean. I haven’t been with anyone since, but—”
Her hand had paused mid-stroke, but she began moving her hand up and down his thick cock again. “I’m on medical leave for an injury I sustained a month ago and I’m on the shot. I checked out clean and I haven’t had sex in months. I’m protected.”
Jackson’s breath hissed out as his cock jerked in her hand at what she was saying. He’d never fucked without a rubber before, and he was tempted, truly tempted for the first time.
It wasn’t smart. He knew that.
He’d just met this woman, but he wanted her with a vengeance that stole his breath and made his heart pound, not to mention his dick. Before he could really think about it, he found himself pushing her legs down so she was back on her own two feet. He paused for a heartbeat, then he ripped at the zipper of her jeans.
Wild elation filled Trinity as Jackson went to work on her clothes. His face was set in with such determination that he looked like a warrior preparing for battle. If it was a battle he wanted, it was a battle he was going to get. But their sensual clash of wills would only lead to both of them ending up victors.
They were in an alley, only steps away from the people strolling on the sidewalk who were enjoying the night air, but she didn’t give a damn. It was so deliciously naughty, and the thought of getting caught only turned her on even more.
She yanked the gun out of the back of her jeans a second before he pulled them down past her hips. She slapped her weapon on the top of the garbage bin next to her so it was still within reach, and started to turn around to face the wall, only to have Jackson stop her.
“No. I want to see you. If we’re going to do this, I want to watch you come while I’m inside you.”
His voice was a low rumble of sound that sent a shiver racing through her entire body. Trinity toed off one of her shoes and shoved her jeans and panties down off that leg. With a small jump she was back in his arms, their mouths fused together, her legs wrapped around his waist again.
“Then do it. Come inside of me, Jackson. I want to feel you.”
He cursed as she positioned herself over the bulbous head of his cock and pushed down, sliding the thick shaft into her hot, wet pussy. He was so hard it was like seating herself on a spear. Her head fell back against the wall as she let out a low moan, relishing in the exquisite feeling of her muscles parting to let him inside her.
“God, you’re so fucking tight!”
He let out a low moan that brought a smile to her lips. She wanted to slam herself down on his massive cock and ride him until they were both found their release, but he was just too damn big.
She felt his hands gripping her ass as he began pumping himself inside of her using a slow, measured rhythm. He pushed in a little, then pulled out again, each time gaining more depth into her tight sheath. She lowered her mouth to his neck and licked at the skin above the collar of his shirt, then bit down lightly. She hissed in pleasure as he shoved hard, spearing her completely on his thick cock until he was balls deep.
“You okay?” he panted out.
“Oh, yeah. Give me more, Jackson.”
She ran a hand over the shorn head and leaned back to stare into his eyes. They were partially hidden by the darkness in the alley, but enough dim light reached them from the streetlights to allow them to see one another.
Jackson’s hips pulled back, then he pushed forward again, never looking away from her. There was something about his intense gaze that made her feel exposed. Like he could see more of her than she normally allowed people to see. Pushing those troubling thoughts aside, she flexed the muscles of her pussy on his invading cock and was rewarded with a low growl from him.
“Give it to me, Jackson. Give me your big cock. Pound me into the wall.”
“Jesus Christ! The mouth on you…”
“You like it.”
“Fuck, yeah, I do.”
Jackson’s hands dug into her ass, holding her in a bruising grip as he did exactly as she’d asked. Fusing his mouth to hers, he began pounding into her with a hard, punishing rhythm. His thick shaft rubbed against the sensitive walls of her pussy and his pelvis hit her clit with every thrust, making her moan with pleasure.
“More, more…” she demanded as he continued to thrust inside her.
She tightened her grip around his neck and began rocking her hips to meet his. The sound of their flesh slapping together thrilled her, adding to her sensory overload. They were two shadows, moving as one in the darkness. The ecstasy they chased waited just out of reach, and as they drew closer, she felt like a stick of dynamite that was about to explode.
Her eyes drifted closed as she gave into the pleasure, simply wanting to feel.
“No,” he hissed out. “Look at me. Keep your eyes on me, baby. I want to see what I do to you, how I make you feel.”
“So good,” she moaned. “You make me feel so fucking good.”
Her back scraped against the wall as he continued to pummel her with the full force of his strong body, but she didn’t care. That bite of pain only added to her pleasure.
“This is what you get, Katrina. Pushing me, teasing me. Naughty girls get fucked, hard and fast. Hold on, baby.”
His nostrils flared and his jaw clenched as he jerked his hips faster. He increased the tempo of his thrusts to a hard, driving beat. Her swollen clit was hard and aching, and she felt her body tighten with her impending release.
“Harder, Jackson. Make me come. Fuck me harder, and I’m going to come all over your big cock.”
“Do it,” he commanded. “Come, baby. Let me feel you clench around me.”
She gasped as the pressure increased until it was too much to contain. When she finally exploded, her pussy clenched down hard on his pistoning shaft.
“Oh god, oh god…” she chanted as she shook with the pulsing waves of her climax.
Jackson watched her face as the ecstasy tore through her. He had never seen anything more beautiful, and that was enough to send him spiraling toward his own release. He thrust once, twice more, then buried his face into the crook of her neck. He bit down on her shoulder to muffle his loud groan, hips jerking as he spilled himself inside her.
A door opening in the alley had Trinity reaching for her gun. She held it down out of sight as she saw Elodie come into view, highlighted by the lights from inside the shop.
Jackson let out a vicious curse as the light spilled out, exposing where they’d been concealed in the dark alley. Elodie’s mouth fell open as she stood frozen in the doorway with a bag of garbage in her hand.
“Oh, shit! Sorry…I, umm, I’ll just…later.” She spun around and slammed the door shut, once again leaving them hidden in the shadows.
Trinity couldn’t help it. She burst out laughing at the horrified look on Jackson’s face.
“You think this is funny?” he asked, incredulously.
“Yeah. I do.”
“Well, I don’t.”
“Jesus, Jackson. Don’t worry. The jeans on my ankle were covering your ass if you’re worried she saw anything.” She sobered as she realized that he really was angry.
“That doesn’t change the fact that she knows what we were doing. That’s my goddamn boss’s niece. How the hell am I going to explain this? I’m a cop, for Christ’s sake. I have a reputation to protect, and you’re—”
“You’re going to want to be very careful finishing that sentence,” she warned softly.
She lowered her legs from around his waist so she was once again standing on her own two feet. She pushed him back a step so his semi-hard cock slid from her pussy, followed by a trail of his cum.
“Who I am is the woman who has your cum dripping down her leg.”
“Jesus, Katrina.”
“What? You can do it, but can’t talk about it?”
“I didn’t mean it like that.” He paused. “Aren’t you worried she saw us?”
“Actually, no I wasn’t. Not until you freaked out, that is.”
“I didn’t freak,” he snapped as he pulled his jeans back up and buttoned them.
He sounded insulted, but that was too damn bad.
She was insulted, too.
Trinity reached down and pulled her panties and jeans back up her legs. She slid her shoe back on as she fastened her jeans. Silently, she picked her gun up off the bin and slid it back into place in the waistband at the small of her back. Disappointment flooded her. He had just taken a very erotic experience and left her feeling cold and slightly regretful.
That in itself would have been enough to piss her off, but the pang of hurt he had also caused was something she had never experienced before. Since she didn’t know what to do with the feelings careening inside of her, she chose to retreat until she could get a better handle on her emotions.
Finally, she looked at him, her face void of expression. “Obviously, this was a mistake.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to.”
Jackson rubbed a hand over his head. “Look, I’m sorry. This isn’t the way I wanted this to go.”
“Clearly. You started this. You pulled me back here, so if your virginal sensibilities are all atwitter now, get over it.”
“Katrina, you are taking everything I say the wrong way.”
She held up a hand to stop him from saying any more. And to stop herself from punching him in his fucking face. Since that wouldn’t be fair of her simply because she was hurting, the restraint was necessary. That didn’t mean he got to walk away without taking some of the blame.
“I’ve never done something like this before, Jackson. It was wild and exciting, and I loved it, until you ruined it. So, maybe we should just leave it as an experience for us to remember and go our separate ways.”
His brows furrowed in frustration. “I’m not done with you, Katrina.”
“Well, I’m done for now. Call me when you get your head out of your ass.” She walked a few steps, then turned to glance over her shoulder at him. “You know, for a guy that lives on an island known for its kinky shit, you seem to have some very rigid rules you follow. Be careful, or it just might end up biting you in the ass.”
With that, she turned and walked out into the night, leaving him behind.