CHAPTER FOUR #6
She blushed. What they just experienced was far from that.
“I meant until I got older, and saw how in love my friends were with their husbands. I also learned a lot nursing, but I still couldn’t get beyond that fear that it was going to be horrible.
Some things stay with you when you’re young and vulnerable. ”
“I won’t let him near you again.”
Her heart swelled with the promise. “I can handle him. I’m not seventeen anymore.”
“You did well, I admit, but sometimes that’s not enough. I’ve seen some horrible things in my line of work. I’ve prosecuted men who’ve been warned off their wives, or girlfriends, just to have them go back and really hurt, or kill them.” He swallowed hard and took another drink from his glass.
She watched him carefully. Something else was bothering him. “I confessed. It’s your turn.”
He stared at her for a moment. Then to her surprise, nodded. “I guess it’s better to hear from me than public knowledge, which is usually riddled with gossip. It’s morbid Tammy. I know you’ve heard some horrific things too, but I think this is about as bad as it gets.”
“I can handle it.” She’d seen some pretty horrible things come through the emergency room doors. Things she would never talk about. Things that happened to small children and the vulnerable.
“I know you can or I wouldn’t tell you,” he said honestly.
He took another drink from his glass before he continued.
“I prosecuted a man for raping and murdering women in his neighborhood. He was a sick bastard, but for some stupid reason the judge let him out on bail before the trial. He looked innocent I suppose and had a good lawyer. He was a family man, ties to the community—shit like that. He owned a dry cleaning business. His lawyer argued that he needed to provide for his family during the trial, so he let him go with a quarter of a million in bail.”
“What happened?”
“I was the lead ADA, but I had a good friend who also worked out of the office with me. He was my co-chair. We were close actually, probably about as close as Colt, Jacob and I. He had a family with two kids; a boy and a girl.”
Her hand covered her mouth seeing where this was heading. She never said another word and he continued with his story after a brief pause so she could collect herself.
“Security is tight in this building. He couldn’t get to me. Riley lived with his family in a modest brownstone. The bastard picked the lock, broke in, murdered Riley, his son, and raped and killed his wife.”
“Oh God, Lance I’m so sorry.” She wanted to hold him, but she could see he wasn’t done yet. The pain in his eyes was undeniable. She knew this was a very rare glimpse into Lance’s soul.
“The girl managed to get away, but she’s got some issues over seeing her family murdered. She’s got a good therapist though. She’s about twelve now and is living with her aunt in Newark. I usually visit her when I come here.”
“Did they catch him?”
He nodded. “I stayed on as the prosecutor despite the DA trying to get me to recuse myself. He was concerned about my mental well-being. However, I wanted to make sure they threw the book at him. We only had circumstantial evidence, but my passionate closing arguments are what sealed it. At least that’s what the Jury said when we polled them after.
He got life in prison without the possibility of parole.
I wouldn’t let Riley’s daughter take the stand.
She was barely six and had enough trauma. ”
“That’s why you came home.”
“It is.”
“That’s really horrific Lance.”
He nodded. “It was. Time makes things easier. Seeing how Alexis has been coping has been my therapy. She’s doing well. She’s smart and does well in school.”
“She sounds wonderful.”
“She’s beautiful like her mother. Riley’s wife Leanne, was a wonderful woman.”
She squeezed his hand. “Something like that really scars someone.”
“That goes both ways Tammy.” He tilted his head acknowledging her intimacy problem.
“It does, but like you, I’ve think I’ve found my therapy.”
He chuckled, wrapped his fingers through hers and pulled her off her stool toward him between his thighs. “Is that right?”
She nodded letting her eyes drop to his mouth.
He undid the belt of the robe and pulled the ends apart, moving his hands around the bare skin of her waist and over her back. “Your skin is incredibly soft, like warm velvet.”
Well, since they were confessing. “I like the feel of your hands on me.”
The corner of his mouth pulled up in a sexy lopsided smile. “Is that right?”
She nodded.
“Well, I can certainly oblige you.” He pulled her against him and kissed her.
***
The next morning she awoke to a tangle of limbs.
The sheet was also involved in the Malay.
She was half across Lance’s torso with her thigh over his legs and her head on his chest. His arm was wrapped around her, with the span of his hand on her backside.
She lifted her head and looked at him. His face was turned away toward the edge of the bed and she could see the beautiful lines of his perfectly proportioned stubble laden jaw.
Everything about this man was perfectly proportioned.
Even his chest, that rose and fell with the deep breathing of a relaxed sleep, was perfectly muscularly symmetrical.
He was just so darn beautiful to her. She thought she was in love with him before.
She was getting in too deep now. What was she going to do when things returned to normal back home?
She somehow knew he wouldn’t want to continue a relationship after this brief affair.
It wasn’t like him to. He admitted that he’d never been in a serious relationship.
Well, she was not a child, and knew that this wouldn’t last, but she was going to do her best to enjoy then next two days with him.
She wasn’t going to ruin it with thoughts of self-pity.
Lance never made her any promises and she wouldn’t try and get any out of him.
It wasn’t in her nature. If he wanted to carry on, he’d let her know.
Still, the feeling of her heart getting crushed wasn’t something she wanted to look forward to.
His phone vibrated on his bedside table, and without even a skipped beat of her heart he reached over and answered it.
“Hartley.” His eyes went to her and he smiled devilishly.
Hers widened. Was he awake this entire time just letting her stare at him? He spoke on the phone like he was sitting comfortably at a café sipping coffee, wide awake. All the while his eyes stayed on hers.
Finally he hung up.
“You are a rake.”
“I’m something.”
She laughed. “I honestly thought you were sleeping.”
“Maybe I was.”
She shook her head still surprised at the talents this man possessed.
His hand squeezed her bottom. “Hungry?”
She nodded.
“Do you want me to feed you?”
She licked her lips and moved on top of him. “I do.”
He grinned salaciously. “Well, hell Tam, I didn’t expect this.”
“Shut up,” she murmured with a seductive smile before kissing him. It was his fault. He looked incredibly delicious. Who the heck looks that good first thing in the morning? She just wanted to devour him.
His hands spanned over her hips guiding her, teaching her how to move over him. She found her rhythm and he released her to move his hands over her breasts, teasing her nipples between his fingers.
“Sit up babe. I want to look at you.”
He groaned as she obeyed driving him deeper in her.
She closed her eyes feeling the sensation herself. Her lips parted and then her smoky eyes settled on his.
Her fingertips feathered down his chest to his abdomen. She flattened her hands on the hard muscles and started lifting herself, rocking on his hips.
“Christ, that’s it!” His jaw tensed. He tilted his head back into the mattress, but his eyes never left hers.
Tammy thought she went deaf when she reached her peak because she couldn’t hear anything, not his pleasurable growl of release, not their heavy breathing, nothing.
She tilted her own head back and sighed. Then she felt completely boneless.
At that time she felt strong hands on her body pulling her down to meet hard flesh. It was heaven.
“Tam?”
“Uh-hmm?”
He chuckled and she felt the vibration deep in his chest against her cheek. She couldn’t even open her eyes.
His hands moved over her back. It was soothing. “Thanks.”
She finally lifted her head and smiled at him. “Thanks?”
“What a great way to start the day.”
“Don’t think that was for your benefit Mr. Prosecutor.” Her eyes narrowed teasingly.
He laughed, “Really?”
“I had a selfish motive.”
“Well, you can be as selfish as you want in that department.”
“I can’t help myself Lance, look what you have done to me,” she accused with a satiated sigh.
“I’ve turned you into an insatiable goddess. Big deal. You’ll get no complaint from me.”
She chuckled and shook her head before laying it back down on his chest again. She could hear the strong beat of his heart.
“I’m still hungry.”
She burst into laughter.
***
It was after eleven when they made their way to the kitchen. Mavis had made them a hearty breakfast of fruit, eggs, bacon and toast. Surprisingly, Tammy had doubled her appetite. Lance seemed to notice and he chuckled at her while drinking his coffee.
She looked at his plate which was already scraped clean.
He shrugged seeing her amused expression. “I always eat like this. You, however, don’t.”