Heart's Desires (7 page)

              “Who said I was letting you leave?”  Jake leaned her back and hovered over her body.  He took her mouth in a hungry kiss, making her forget about anything but him.   He ground his hot, rock-hard cock against the outer lips of her soaking wet pussy, making sure to spread her juices all over them both.

              Jake stopped long enough to slip on a condom before slowly entering Charlie’s core.  They simultaneously groaned, the connection between them like heaven on earth.  He rotated his hips slowly, pushing to the hilt.

              “Fuuuuck!”  Jake groaned into Charlie’s neck as his pelvis pushed up against hers.  “Damn, baby.  This pussy feels so damn good.”

              Charlie could only moan in response.  Her brain was not able to form a coherent thought through the lust induced haze Jake had her wrapped in.

              He pumped in and out of her tight cavern, speeding up, slowing down, driving her body further and further, building up another explosive orgasm. Jake rolled over on his back without losing the connection.  “Ride this dick, baby.”

              Charlie was all too eager to oblige as she did her best impression of a cowgirl.  She worked her hips in a circular motion as Jake pumped up into her while simultaneously pulling her down on his length.  Up, down, round and round, the hypnotic rhythm caused their orgasms to build to the brink.  Charlie was very aware of what bliss felt like.  Her body moved on its own.  The heady scent of their love making sent her into a euphoric daze.

              Her rhythm faltered and became erratic as her body shook and trembled while ecstasy took over her being.  “Oh… Oh… yes, baby don’t… stop…oh… shit!  Yes! Fuuuuuuuck!”

  Charlie was no longer in control, and Jake had completely taken over.  His strong, large hands wrapped tightly around her hips, driving and pounding into her from underneath until he surrendered to his own powerful climax.  His strong, muscular physique held rigid with his release. 

Charlie collapsed onto Jake’s chest, both of their heated bodies slick with sweat.  They lay silently, each of them trying to catch their breath while their bodies were intertwined.  Jake absently caressed her back, rubbing up and down in a soothing motion, their bodies still connected.

              Jake didn’t have a clue how long they lay in that position not wanting to move, but he gently placed Charlie on the bed beside him.  He got up and went to the bathroom to clean himself up.  He retrieved a washrag and gently cleaned Charlie before kissing her deeply, pulling her into his arms, and falling fast asleep.

CHAPTER 9

It had been two magnificent months of Jake and Charlie dating and getting to know one another.  Although they hadn’t made anything official, they both knew that she was his and he was hers.  Even though he could tell that she still had her guard up sometimes, he knew that he was making progress towards tearing it down.  He could tell that she was getting more comfortable with them being in a relationship because their love making was off the charts, and their conversations contributed to their chemistry.

They spent almost every night together, neither of them wanting to be without the other.  Today, however was different. Charlie was at work handling a special project for her boss, so Jake decided he would go and check up on the guys at his office.             

Jake had started his own corporation in Georgia after he got out of the Special Forces.  He and his crew worked in a highly specialized field of security, and he and his guys did all types of things, from security to private investigations. His firm had many clients, ranging from very rich government officials, to secret agencies that technically didn’t exist.   Because their skill sets were extremely advanced, and their jobs often came from the government, of course those jobs were off the books.  And if they weren’t for the government, they would be highly illegal, but they paid extremely well and made Jake’s business more than lucrative.  It also made Jake a very rich man: a very well connected, and very rich man.

Jake had recently moved from his home outside of Georgia after his cousin’s now fiancée was kidnapped.  He had set up an office not far from his house in Plano, and since he had more than enough contacts and connections in the DFW area, and both his cousins lived in Dallas, he decided to make the move. 

Jake walked into his office, and the usual chatter of the guys greeted him as he walked through the reception area.  His security firm, JC Inc., was his pride and joy.  The new office location was supposed to be temporary, but the space was starting to grow on Jake.  It had a reception area containing a big oval desk that was separate from the rest of the office.  Behind the reception area was a big open space that should be used for a conference room, but had somehow turned into a lounge area and game room.  It held a large sectional sofa with a wall covered in all types of technology.  From gaming systems to security feeds, it was all easily accessible from one area that housed multiple TVs.  Beyond what the guys called the “entertainment” section, several different office spaces were outfitted with the largest server room that could fit in the location.

“Hey buddy, what are you doing here today?”  Marcus, Jake’s head of surveillance, asked. “I thought you had something to do and weren’t coming in?” 

Marcus was a genius when it came to all things surveillance.  He was another one of Jake’s Special Forces guys, but he was more than that; he was one of Jake’s oldest friends.  They grew up together and joined the military together.  They met while playing on their high school’s football team in Georgia, two of the biggest guys on the squad.  Both stood well over six feet and were built like tanks.  Everything about them was similar, from their mannerisms, the deep timber of their voices, and their build, they could’ve been mistaken for twins if Marcus hadn’t been black.  They were instant friends, and where you saw one you saw the other, and it was still like that.

“Damn, dude, you keepin’ tabs on me or what?”  Jake grumbled.

Marcus smirked at Jake’s response.  “Somebody’s panties are in a bunch today.”

“Have you forgotten we shared an apartment?  I know it’s been years, but I’m not the one who wears panties,” Jake smirked back at Marcus.

Marcus laughed. “Excuse me, I have told you a million times before, those are briefs not panties.  Plus, the ladies love the briefs.  They show off all my best assets.” 

Jake laughed too.  “You’re an idiot.  What’s on the calendar for today? My day suddenly opened up, so I’ve got some time on my hands.”

“Nothing major, just the basic stuff that pays the bills.  You know, follow my cheating spouse… shit like that.  No big secret agent missions for you,” Marcus smirked.

Jake grumbled again.  His firm took the small jobs from time to time so the guys could stay up on their skills when there was a lag in the big jobs.  But the big money came from working with different government agencies. Jake and his guys could do things that the regular cops couldn’t get away with.  But he hated the small time cheating spouse jobs.  It brought back too many ugly memories and bad feelings that he just wanted to keep buried.

“I’ll be in my office looking over some files if you need anything,” Jake hollered over his shoulder as he walked away.

“Alrighty…”  Marcus responded, his attention already on the game playing on one of the many screens hanging on the wall. 

Two hours later, Marcus knocked on Jake’s office door.  “Hey, Jake, I need to head out for a few, but Terrance and Frank are still in the entertainment room, and Brandy just came in. She’s working the front desk. I let her know you’re here if she needs anything.”

“All right buddy, you coming back today?”

“Yeah, Mike just called. He’s on his way in. He said he had a new case that we may want to take on and I let him know you were here already. He should be here in about two hours. I’ll be back by then.”

“Ok great.  Any ideas what the case is?”  Jake questioned.

“Nope, but you know Mike. It has to be something big if he wants a face-to-face.”

Jake nodded in agreement.  “Yep, I guess we shall see.”

Marcus left the office, leaving Jake to wonder what the hell Mike had up his sleeve this time.  Mike was Jake’s head of IT. They’d met while serving together in the Special Forces unit.  He was one of the smartest people Jake had ever met, but once he got something in his head, it became an obsession.  And if Mike had a case for them, Jake could almost guarantee it was not going to be an easy one.

***

Two hours later, Mike came into the office, and the expression on his face was anything but a happy one. It made both Jake and Marcus sit up and take notice.  Usually when Mike had a case, he was like a fat kid that just got a key to the candy store, and he would be bouncing off the walls with energy, but today it was different. Today his expression was one of irritation…. and anger.

“I’m just going to get straight to the point.  This case is a big deal, and neither one of you are going to like all the shit that’s about to happen,”  Mike stated, walking into Jake’s office and taking a seat on one of the large sofas that took up half the space.

Marcus and Jake looked at each other with matching weary expressions. Although Mike was the head of IT and he knew all things technical, he was rarely very serious.  To see him this uptight told both men that the situation was indeed bad.

“All right buddy, lay it on us.  What the hell is going on?”  Jake questioned as he moved to the edge of his seat on the sofa.

“Yeah, dude, spill it. You’re never this damn uptight.  The look on your face has me worried we’re dealing with some terrorist or some shit,” Marcus stated, his dark brown face lined with worry.

Mike took a deep breath before he started his explanation.  “A friend of mine at the Bureau let me know they have been keeping a close watch on a family here.  These guys are implants from Jersey. They’ve been here around ten or fifteen years.”

“Ok, so what’s the urgency now with this ‘family’?”  Marcus questioned.

“I was getting to that…”  Mike huffed at the interruption.  “…as I was saying, they’ve been making a lot of moves lately. My friend thinks they are gearing up for something, but they don’t know what it is.  They have a man on the inside, but he’s not far enough in the ranks to know the details about everything, and he’s undercover in Jersey, not here.”

“All right, so these people are making moves in our town.  What kind of moves, Mike?”  Jake questioned, his patience wearing thin.

“They have been known for everything from drugs, smuggling, and gun running.  But the Bureau hasn’t been able to connect the big names to the shipments before.  They always stay clean.  So they’ve been following one of the main guys, Tommy Angeletti, and he’s deep in the mob.  Everyone knows, but they’ve only ever got him on silly misdemeanor shit, nothing that would stick.”

“So this Angeletti is making a name for himself here in Dallas?  What’s he been up to and why should we be concerned?”  Jake asked, his frustration with the whole situation beginning to show on his handsome face.

“Angeletti has been throwing his weight around lately.  He’s been seen in and out of some very well-known businesses in Dallas and Ft. Worth.  My friend thinks that he’s laundering money though these places.  Drugs and prostitution have also been running rampant through some of these same spots. Agent Johnson is gathering all the evidence she can against this guy, but she doesn’t want to move too soon and mess up the whole operation.”

“Agent Johnson, huh? Is that the fine ass sista that don’t take no shit?  Hmm yeah, I like her.”  Marcus nodded his approval while rubbing his hand over his curly black beard.

Mike nodded, his face splitting into a wide grin. “Don’t get any ideas, Marcus.  She’s not your type.”

“Why not?  She’s a woman, and she’s fine.”

“Well I misspoke… you’re not
her
type,” Mike smirked. 

Marcus started to grumble when Mike noticed the change in Jake’s demeanor, and realized he needed to get back on subject and get to the point.  “Tommy Angeletti has been seen coming out of another business. 
Premier
night club in Fort Worth.”

“What the fuck did you just say?”  Jake growled.

Marcus was slightly confused with Jake’s anger at the news.  “I’m lost.  What the hell is
Premier
night club, and why are you so mad about this asshole coming out of there?”

“
Premier is the club where Charlie works,” Mike stated flatly.

“Oh shit…”  Marcus grimaced as he looked at Jake.

“Oh shit is right… Charlie might be working for the fucking mob.”

CHAPTER 10

Charlie was exhausted. It was nine thirty at night, and she had spent almost eleven hours going over the books for Premier.  She was still on year number four, and working her way back.  As far as she could tell, there seemed to be inconsistencies here and there, but she hadn’t even started on the records that weren’t yet on the computer, so she didn’t know if it was just a mistake or if something was actually off.  She blew out a frustrated breath. 

I have plenty of time to do this, so there is no need to try to do it all tonight.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a knock at the office door.

              “Oooh, Lorenzo, I was just wondering if I could have a quick word with you.”  Jan Brooks, the manager, sauntered into the office, her long blonde hair cascading around her face and falling down her back.  Her words trailed off when she noticed Charlie sitting at the extra desk in the spacious office.

              “Oh, Charlene.  I didn’t know you were here.  Where’s Mr. Moretti?”  Jan asked, her blue eyes squinting suspiciously at Charlie.

Ump, this heffa knows I hate being called Charlene and all of a sudden it’s Mr. Moretti,
Charlie thought to herself as she took in the petite blonde.  She noticed how her demeanor had changed from sugary sweet to downright hostile when she saw Charlie in the office.

              “Lorenzo isn’t here, he stepped out for a moment.  He said he would be back shortly, but I’m sure you can reach him on his cell if it’s some sort of an emergency,” Charlie answered.

              “Oh well… I guess it can wait for him to get back.”  Jan shifted her weight from foot to foot before addressing Charlie.  “
So
, it’s kind of late for you isn’t it?  What are you still doing here?”  Jan finally asked, her eyes still narrowed at Charlie.

              “Working.”  Charlie kept going over the numbers, not even bothering to look in Jan’s direction, and dismissing her rude attitude.

              “Humph, well I can see that.” Jan placed her hands on her nonexistent hips. “What I mean is, why are you working in here specifically in Lorenzo’s office?”  Her annoyance was more prominent.

“Doesn’t matter where I work as long as my job gets done.”  Charlie continued working, hoping that if she didn’t look directly at her, Jan would leave. “Now, if you have any other concerns about
my
job I suggest you ask Lorenzo.” She pointed to the man himself, who at that moment was strolling through the office door.

              Charlie rolled her eyes as Jan turned around. Jan’s hostility was quickly replaced with flirtatiousness.

I know he’s fine as hell, but damn have some dignity about yourself.  I can’t stand a silly bitch,
Charlie thought to herself as she watched the woman shamelessly thrust her obviously fake breasts forward into Lorenzo’s line of sight.

              Charlie chuckled, bringing two sets of blue eyes in her direction. One set was full of annoyance and the other was full of mirth.  Charlie covered her chuckle with a cough. Jan’s eyes narrowed again as she sucked her teeth at Charlie. 

              “Uh… yeah… so I’ve gone through what I can for today Lorenzo.  I’m going to call it a night,” Charlie said as she began shutting down the computer and locking the files in her sleek new desk.

              Lorenzo began moving toward her before Jan stepped directly in his way, blocking his path.  “Lorenzo, I was wondering if I could have a word with you. In private?”  Jan asked, batting her fake lashes at Lorenzo while ignoring Charlie.

              “It will have to wait.  You can see yourself out, and shut the door behind you,” Lorenzo stated bluntly.

              Jan huffed, glared at Charlie, and exited the office without another word, shutting the door behind her.  Charlie chuckled again as she looked through her purse for her cell to call Jake.  She stopped her rummaging when she felt Lorenzo’s stare.

              “Everything ok?”  Charlie questioned.

              “Yes, of course.  Did you eat anything tonight?  I know it’s late, but you’ve been in this office for the better part of the day.  The least I could do is feed you.”  Lorenzo smiled as he moved closer to Charlie.

“I’m just doing my job, and yes I’ve eaten already. But thanks for the offer.”  Charlie smiled to soften the rejection. “I need to make a call, but I’m going to head out if you don’t need anything else.”

              “No, no you go ahead, and you can come in late tomorrow.  You’ve worked twelve straight hours today.  As much as I appreciate all the effort, I did say that you have time to get this done.  I don’t want you to burn yourself out by working nonstop all day.”

              “Ok, thanks.  I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

              “Yes, you will.”  Lorenzo smiled as he moved toward his desk, letting Charlie leave.

***

              “Hey, honey, you gettin’ off work?”  Jake asked as he picked up Charlie’s call.

              “Yep, I’m calling because I’m a good girl and I don’t want any spankings.”  Charlie smiled into the phone knowing what her words would do to Jake.  He was always threatening to spank her for anything he felt was her being naughty.  And of course, there was nothing like getting a spanking from Jake.

              Jake groaned into the phone, his voice hoarse with need.  “Baby, unless you want me to come over to Tony’s and fuck you where I find you, then I wouldn’t play on the phone like that.”

              “Why, Jacob Cameron, you shouldn’t use such language when talking to a lady.”  Charlie did her best impression of a southern belle.

              “Yeah well, you shouldn’t taunt a starving man with a gourmet meal and then take it away,” Jake grumbled.

              “Awww, Bear, you know I will make it up to you that I had to work so late tonight.  This project is really important, and I need to get it finished ASAP.  Plus, I needed the rest with all the lovin’ you’ve been puttin’ on me lately. A girl can only take so much from a giant man like you.”

              “A giant man like me, huh?  Are you trying to flatter me, Heart?”

              “Did it work?”

              Jake laughed. “Yep, ego stroking always does.”

              They both laughed again.  “So how was your day?  Anything exciting happen?”  Charlie asked, making conversation as she drove to Korri and Tony’s condo.

              Jake paused a minute, wondering just how much he should tell Charlie about his suspicions about her boss.  “Some interesting developments happened, but nothing I can get into right now.  We have a lot more information to gather before I know anything for certain.”

              “That sounds… cryptic,” Charlie stated, her eyebrow raising at Jake’s evasiveness.

              “Sweetheart, you know I don’t mean to be cryptic, but you know how my cases are.”

              Charlie exhaled a long sigh. “You’re right, and you know that I understand.  I’ve just had a long day is all.  I don’t mean to be bitchy.  I have a late start tomorrow, but I should be finished by my regular time around eight p.m. Why don’t we go and grab something to eat after?”

              “Sounds good. I’ll come pick you up.”

              “Great, I look forward to seeing you,” Charlie said shyly.

              “I can’t wait to see you either.”  Jake smiled into the phone, liking how open Charlie was being with her feelings.  He was breaking down her walls piece by piece.

              “Ok then, so I will see you tomorrow at eight.”  Charlie gave a small smile into the phone. “I made it safely to Korri’s.  I’ll see ya tomorrow.  Goodnight, Bear.” 

              “Goodnight, Heart.”

***

              When Charlie arrived at Korri’s, it was late, but the couple was still up.  Korri and Tony were snuggled together watching television in their family room when Charlie entered. They said their hellos and Charlie excused herself to her room. She decided to soak in a hot bath and relax.  She knew that her heart was wide open again.  Jake had broken down all her walls and she was helplessly falling in love with him more and more every day. 

Charlie wanted desperately to protect herself, but she just didn’t know how.  She quickly went to her room to avoid Korri’s inquisition. She didn’t feel like answering questions about her and Jake.  Hell, even she didn’t know where they stood at this point.  They hadn’t had “the talk,” so she was still a little confused.

              Korri watched as Charlie made a hasty exit to the guest bedroom.  She knew her cousin was avoiding her, but she wasn’t sure if it was because Charlie didn’t want to help with the wedding plans, or if it was because of all of the questions she had about Jake.  Korri suspected it was the latter.

              Korri loved Jake; he treated her as if she were his little sister, and for the life of her, she couldn’t understand why Charlie had taken so long to date him.  Korri thought he and Charlie were good together, and she only wanted Charlie to be happy. 

She knew that Charlie hardly ever dated, and she definitely hadn’t brought anyone around in the past.  Korri knew that Charlie was closed off to the thought of relationships, but she never knew what happened to her cousin to make her feel that way.

              “You think that I should go and talk with Charlie?  She seems like something is wrong,” Korri wondered out loud, only barely looking for Tony to actually answer her question.

              “I think she’s avoiding talking… to
you.
”  Tony looked at Korri with a smirk, mirth twinkling in the depths of his brown eyes.

              At his comment, Korri turned and gave him her full attention.  She raised her eyebrow in question.  “Why, pray tell, would she be avoiding me, her
favorite
cousin?”

              Tony smiled, looking deep into Korri’s bright hazel eyes.  “First of all, you’re her
only
cousin, and second of all, she’s avoiding you, sweetness, because you are nosy as hell.”

              Korri’s mouth hung open in disbelief.  She couldn’t believe the audacity of her fiancé calling her nosy. “I’m not nosy!  I am simply concerned about my loved ones,” Korrine explained, narrowing her eyes at her handsome, smirking love.

              “No, babe, your ass is definitely nosy,” Tony teased, pulling Korri onto his lap to nuzzle her neck.  “I love you though, and I wouldn’t have you any other way.”  He gave her a big dimpled smile, one that he knew would make her melt.

              Korri relaxed into Tony, sighing with contentment when he wrapped his large arms around her body.  “I just want her to be happy. She’s always been so closed off when it comes to love.  I don’t want her to end up like Gran, you know?” 

Korri and Charlie’s grandmother had been a wonderful woman with a big heart, and had a kind smile for everyone.  She’d been full of love right up until she took her last breath.  However, the only people she seemed to have room to love were her children, grandchildren, and a small circle of friends.

After her husband died, she never made time for companionship.  She was married young and had kids quickly; her husband died ten years into their marriage from a work accident.  She always said that he was the only man she could ever love, and she never remarried.

              Korri sighed again.  Thinking about her Gran was always bittersweet. “Gran seemed lonely to me, even though she tried to hide it.  I just don’t want that for Charlie.”

              Tony understood what Korri was saying, but meddling in other’s affairs wasn’t something he did.  “Sweetness, Charlie is an adult with her own life.  What she does, and who she dates or doesn’t date, is her business.”

              Korri nodded her head in resignation.  “You’re right,” she sighed loudly.  “I just know that they are so good together, and they’re finally dating, but Charlie still seems like something is up.”

              “Hmmmm.” Tony wouldn’t agree or disagree with her statement.  He knew his sweetness, and she was fishing for information, so he decided to change the subject.  “Anyway, that’s enough about those two.  Why don’t we have a meaningful conversation about us?”

              Korri gave him a quizzical look.  “What do you mean?”

              “I mean, let’s do some talking in the language of love…”  Tony suggestively moved his eyebrows up and down. He pinned Korri down on the couch beneath him, raining kisses all over her face and neck.

              She giggled. “Now I can definitely have this conversation anytime.”

CHAPTER 11

The next day, Charlie emerged from the guest room looking and feeling exhausted.  After exiting from her long needed bath, she couldn’t get out of her own head.  All of the conflicting feelings and emotions were driving her crazy.

              Charlie walked into the kitchen, and the smell of a slow roasting Columbian brew wafted past her nose.  The aroma of the coffee was divine. Charlie didn’t feel fully human until she had a least one cup.

              She nodded at Tony as she entered the gourmet kitchen.  “Morning.”