8. Sex on the Beach

8 SEX ON THE BEACH

Koen

Taco Tuesday was a hit in more ways than one. After gorging ourselves, Jett went off to bed, giving my Angel and me some much-needed privacy. I’d never been much for cuddling, however, when our slow, passionate kisses progressed into my hand down the front of her pants, I became an instant fan.

We barely fit next to each other on the small couch, but with me on my side and Jade on her back, we made it work somehow.

“Please,” she groaned when my finger grazed her clit.

Finding her bare under the lounge pants she’d changed into earlier had been a welcome surprise, though I’d prefer if she were completely naked. She was soaked and if I wasn’t careful, I’d come in my pants quicker than a teenage boy about to lose his virginity.

“What do you need?”

“More.”

I swallowed her gasp, kissing her deeply as I slid one, then two fingers inside her core, pumping slowly. She was tight and warm. I couldn’t wait to feel the way she’d squeeze my cock. This was about her though, not me.

Breaking the kiss, her gaze never left mine. We were lost in the moment…lost in each other. It seemed so right, being here with her, and I didn’t just mean the intimacy. Living in this house with her and Jett had given me back something I’d missed since moving away from California.

A family.

“I’m close, Koen. Please don’t stop.”

“Keep your eyes on me, Angel. I want to watch when you fall apart,” I whispered against her lips.

I increased the pace of my thrusts, circling her bundle of nerves with my thumb until her inner walls began to contract. She turned her head into the side of my chest, moaning in muted pleasure when her orgasm rushed to the surface.

A smile graced my lips at the memory.

On Jade’s only night off, I took us to Top Golf, where we whacked a few golf balls. The wings and sliders we munched on were out-of-this-world good, but the best part of the evening was watching her let loose. She laughed with abandon each time she swung the club, even when she missed. And she missed a lot. I didn’t mind though, because it presented me with an opportunity to get up close and personal. Standing behind her, feeling the way her body molded to mine was worth the bruises on my ankles from her backswing.

Wacky Wednesday earned me a kiss and more not-so-cuddling, cuddle time. Being the responsible adults we were, we moved our activities to the bedroom.

It was the first night I slept with her in my arms.

Our next date, on Thirsty Thursday, involved an unusual twist on barhopping. Instead of picking our own drinks at each place we went, I thought it would be fun to order one drink for each other. She got me beer at our first two stops, but I should’ve known it was all part of her evil plan to catch me off guard.

When we entered the third bar on my list, she strolled right up to the bartender and asked for a Harvey Wallbanger. My eyes nearly bugged out of my head when he placed the highball filled with bright orange liquid in front of me. I downed the disgusting concoction in three swallows, then ordered her a whiskey neat, figuring two could play at her game.

I figured wrong. She sipped it quietly with a twinge of amusement brewing behind her coffee-colored eyes. When we reached the final pub of the night, I knew what she thought was amusing. I literally bit my tongue when she leaned over the wooden countertop and loudly said, “Can I have Sex on the Beach?”

Every person with a dick in the place, and even a few without, were ready to find a pile of sand and make all her dreams come true. Well, that shit wasn’t gonna fly, so I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, staking my claim, and ordered her a Blow Job. The little minx winked at me just before she licked the whipped cream off the top of the drink and poured the rest down her delicate throat in one, cock-throbbing swallow.

Game. Set. And match.

It was now Friday and in a few short hours, we’d be celebrating our two-week anniversary with date number four.

Lanie’s run-in with Little had gone off without a hitch. While she and half our team were neck-deep in the Huntington drug aspect of the case, Keaton and I were investigating the Los Tredos and Bolotov Bratva connection. Since the first day we met with the DEA, a war had been waging in my mind, and it was time to come clean.

“The gang who executed my father”—I paused, waiting for Keaton’s undivided attention. When he looked up from his computer, the words I’d been holding back flowed with ease—“it was Los Tredos.”

“Fuck, man. Why didn’t you tell us?”

Why hadn’t I? Because there was no proof. The man who pulled the trigger was never located.

“There was nothing to say. It was all conjecture at that point anyway. No arrests were ever made, and there was zero evidence of the gang’s involvement.”

“Jesus, Koen.” He ran a hand down his face. “You forget, I know you, so I also know you just fed me a load of bullshit. Start at the beginning and leave nothing out.”

So I did.

I laid out how Riley and I had gone through the case files Dad kept locked in his desk drawer at home. Protocol would have had us turning everything over to his captain. Did we? Fuck no. The whole damn department had been tight-lipped regarding anything to do with his current investigation, other than to say he was on the verge of a career-changing arrest.

Our search yielded one item of interest: a notebook filled with initials of who—we assumed—were the players, dates, and locations. Riley still had it in his possession and every year he’d call so we could go through it again, hoping to finally make a connection.

“After all this time, you and your brother are still actively looking into his murder.” It was a statement of fact, not a question.

“Yes. Mom needs closure. We all do. ”

“And you didn’t think any of this was relevant to what we have going on here?”

“It’s been ten years, Keaton. The asshole who gunned him down was smoke—probably silenced in a permanent way as soon as the deed was done.”

“True, but whoever ordered the hit is still out there breathing easy. We need that book.”

“Why?”

“To see if any of those initials match the current players.”

Shit.

“I’ll call Riley.”

It could’ve gone better, the conversation with my older brother. He was rightfully pissed I hadn’t gotten him involved sooner, nevertheless, he agreed to ship the book out to me next week. Apparently, he was caught up in a bit of his own drama at work and wouldn’t have time until then to send it.

Afterward, I trudged toward Duncan’s office, with Keaton in tow for moral support. He needed to know, even if it meant getting an earful when he found out what I’d neglected to share. I hemmed and hawed outside his door, trying to think of a way to avoid the inevitable. Then the choice was ripped out of my hands when my friend twisted the knob and shoved me inside to face the music.

If I thought the conversation with him and Waverly about my marriage was rough, it didn’t hold a candle to the litany of emotions coursing through my veins. I expected pity, maybe even disappointment. What I did not expect were the sparks of rage which registered on Duncan’s face .

“We’ll get these motherfuckers, Koen,” he swore. “Mark my words, they’re going down.”

That was it. No questions. No condemnation. Just a threat and a promise, delivered by the man I considered my mentor and avid supporter.

With our work finished for the day, Keaton and I packed up and headed for our respective cars. Knowing Jade and Henley, the odds of us hanging out over the weekend were pretty high, especially with Lanie being undercover.

He and I both shared the basics with the girls, giving them an adequate—yet downplayed—picture of the mission. The idea wasn’t to scare them, but to prepare them for the possibility they wouldn’t see their friend for a while. Hell, they’d come close to becoming a statistic on the FBI website a short time ago, so they understood more than most the risks associated with being in law enforcement.

With a wave, Keaton disappeared around the corner of the neighboring building as I stepped off the curb. The parking gods had been on my side that morning when I found an open spot across the street from the office. It was a good thing too, since the clouds overhead indicated a powerful fall storm was approaching. Pressing the button on my key fob, I reached for the handle as the first drops of rain fell.

Jade

Mother Nature was unleashing her fury when I stepped out of Over Easy after my shift ended. Had I known I’d be pelted with balls of hail the size of grapes while darting to my car, I’d have waited a few more minutes to leave. It could have been worse. At least Huntington was relatively warm in October.

Lightning streaked across the darkening sky, reminding me of the night Henley and I were taken. It was storming that night too. I’d been scared out of my mind through the entire ordeal, not for myself, but for Jett. I was all he had in the world. What would happen to him if I didn’t survive? It might seem silly and insignificant, but when the nightmares reared their ugly heads, it was those thoughts which terrified me the most.

Shaking off the unwanted memories, along with the raindrops, I drove home, avoiding any roads without proper lighting. My grip on the steering wheel didn’t ease until I saw the red Camaro parked out front. Easing into my space, I paused briefly before getting out to take in the man waiting for me on the porch, holding a beautiful bouquet of multicolored roses.

Barefoot and looking completely relaxed in a pair of navy sweats and a worn FBI T-shirt, Koen was the picture of perfection. Drawn to his emerald eyes and the way they sparkled in the glow of the porch light behind him, my insides dipped and twisted with excitement.

This past week, we’d explored the boundaries of intimacy, reaching heights I’d only ever read about in the books I edited. The time had come to let go of my reservations, to open myself up to the possibilities of more. He’d shown me over and over again that he wanted a real relationship. That our marriage wasn’t simply one of convenience to him. Koen was here and, finally, I believed he wasn’t going anywhere.

When I reached the top of the steps, he bent down, kissed the corner of my lips, then handed me the flowers. “Welcome home, Angel.”

The words were on the tip of my tongue. Three little words which didn’t even begin to express the extent of my feelings for this incredible man, but I swallowed them down, content to keep them locked in my heart for a little while longer.

“Thank you. So what’s on the agenda tonight?” I asked as he steered me through the door with a hand on my lower back. “Wait. Let me guess. Freaky Friday?”

Throwing his head back, he laughed long and hard. It was distracting, watching his muscles vibrate with the action made me think about other ways those muscles would be shaking.

“Nah, I thought we could start a new tradition, one we had in my house growing up.”

Nudging me forward, my steps faltered when I saw what he’d done to the living room.

“Koen,” I breathed his name.

The couch was pushed back against the wall and the coffee table next to it held a stack of old board games, including my favorite, Monopoly. In the center of the room, he’d created an oasis of sorts; lining the floors with mounds of sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows. But the best part was seeing my brother standing in the middle of it all, holding bags filled with Chinese food.

“Family Friday,” Koen whispered in my ear.

“Oh shit.” Jett frowned. “Her eyes are leaking. Do something, man.”

“Language,” I admonished, wiping an errant tear from my eye.

“Is this okay?” Koen tipped my chin up with his fingers.

“More than. It’s perfect.”

“Then why are you crying?”

“No one’s ever done anything like this for me before,” I admitted. “It’s a little overwhelming. ”

“Get used to it, Angel.” He kissed my lips softly. “This is only the beginning.”

“Do not pass go again , Koen.”

Jett thought it was hysterical every time Koen was sent to Monopoly jail. They made jokes, they ribbed each other…it was the most carefree I’d seen my brother in a long time, maybe ever.

I tried to be what he needed—what he deserved—since the day they brought him home from the hospital. For the most part, I’d succeeded. At least I thought I had. But it was glaringly obvious he was missing something…something only Koen could give him.

Peace.

It wasn’t until he admitted to hacking into the university, for extra money, did I realize Jett had been worried about me as much as I was him. He felt partially responsible for taking care of our family and, in doing so, had nearly landed himself in a boatload of boiling water. Having Koen in our lives had eased some of the burden he was shouldering. It was written in his body language; in the way he immediately relaxed when Koen entered the room. Even his smiles were given more freely. Somewhere in his teenage mind, it had clicked; the understanding we weren’t alone any longer. We’d found someone not only willing to fight for our survival, but protect us with their life, if necessary.

“I still have more hotels on my property than you do, kid.”

“Yeah, but you can’t collect on the mortgage while you’re in the slammer.”

“Fair point. It’s your turn, Jade.” He glanced my way .

His big goofy grin hit me straight between the thighs. So much so, even rubbing them together didn’t begin to ease the building ache. I watched his eyes follow the movement before they flicked to mine. Desire surged between us, the heat of it so severe I would have melted on the spot had my brother not been in the room.

Stretching my arms above my head, I exaggerated a yawn. “I think Monopoly has run its course. I’m ready for bed.”

Immediately, Koen began packing up the game, tossing the fake money and silver pieces haphazardly into the box. I covered my mouth with my hand to stifle a laugh.

“It’s not even ten,” Jett protested.

“Bedtime, kid. We’ve got a big day tomorrow,” he rushed out, moving past me to shove the games on the bottom shelf of the bookcase.

“We do?” I questioned.

“Yup. Keaton and I are giving Jett his first lesson in the ring. Then I thought we’d host a cookout before the weather gets too cold.”

“You’re teaching me to box?”

“Unless you’d rather go fishing.”

“Yuck, that’d be a hard no.”

“Regardless, you need to rest up.” He moved on, ripping the blankets off the floor, forgoing the actual folding part, instead bundling them into a giant ball which he tossed on the couch. This time I couldn’t hold back the chuckle. He winked at me, but continued speaking to Jett. “We won’t take it easy on you in there just because it’s your first time. You need to be prepared, not pampered.”

“Cool. Can we bring Pheebs?”

Koen thought about it for a second, then smirked. “Sure, if you want your girl watching while you get your ass handed to you.”

“Of course you can. Besides, there will be no handing of asses going around.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I’ll make sure of it.”

“You’re going with us, Jade?” I nodded, then lost myself in a fit of giggles when Jett turned to Koen with a smirk of his own and said, “You really want your girl watching while you get your ass handed to you?”

“Little shit.” He reached out playfully, grabbing at my brother's shirt, but Jett dodged the attack and hightailed it up the steps.

“Out of curiosity…” I moved forward a few steps, adding a seductive sway to my hips with each one “when exactly did you come up with these plans for our so-called ‘big day’ tomorrow?”

“About three minutes ago.”

“Why?”

Stroking his fingers through the strands of hair at my temple, he leaned in. “You know why.”

“Yeah, I do.”

“I need to hear you say it though, because once we do this, there’s no going back. Not for either of us.”

“I understand, Koen, and I’m ready.”

“Be sure, Jade.” He captured my bottom lip between his teeth, scraping along the tender flesh. “The piece of paper we signed at the courthouse might say we’re married, but once you give me your body, you’re mine forever.”

Little did he know…I already was.

“I’m in love with you, Jade Banks. You and Jett are my everything.”

We surged as one. His hands on my ass, my legs wrapped around his waist as our mouths fused together in a tangle of sin and promises.

The future, however bleak it may have appeared a few weeks ago, was bright. Thanks to the man holding me; giving me his heart while only asking for a chance in return. But it was only fair he knew I’d cherish it ’til my dying breath.

Breaking our kiss, I cupped his cheeks. “I love you too, Koen. So, so much.”

“Thank fuck.” He let out a deep groan as I slid down his front. “Give me fifteen minutes to make sure the house is secure, then I’ll be up. I want you naked and ready for me.”

Spinning out of his hold, I raced to my—our—room. I had precious minutes to shower and shave, cursing myself for not remembering to do it earlier. Tugging off my clothes, I didn’t waste a second.

Twelve minutes later, scrubbed and buffed and still a little damp, I entered my room with a towel secured around my body. Nervous excitement gave way to insecurity when I heard the creak of the old banister as he used it to aid in his ascent. What if I wasn’t any good at sex? I was practically a virgin. Would he teach me what he liked? Or was that an unattainable by-product of my romance book obsession?

“I said naked and ready, Angel.” The gruffness in his voice sent shivers down my spine.

“Strip.”