Justice Is Always Ready (A Graham Family Story, 1) (4 page)

“
Thank you, this is my
baby.”

Men and their cars.
She smiled and waited for him to lock it. “Where
to?” Kassidy questioned when he again had the cooler in his
hands.

“
You pick the
spot.”

Kassidy chewed on her lower lip and
nodded. “Okay.” She decided on a spot and once there, she spread
out the blanket. “You said you had a drill, what’s
that?”

Justice set the cooler down and knelt
beside it. He opened it and began pulling things out. “It was
basically a dry run for boarding a ship.” He looked up at her and
grinned. “Not half as interesting as spending time with
you.”

Her body flushed at his words. “I’m
sure it was exciting.”

“
Sweetie, no man wants to
move through smoke or tear gas with guns versus spending time with
a beautiful woman.”

“
Uh huh. Is that a line
you use often?”
If only, Justice. If
only.

Justice handed her a plate and watched
her sit. His gaze took on an oddly possessive look. “Not a line,
Kassidy. Nothing but the God’s honest truth.”

She shivered from the promise in his
tone. Kassidy glanced over to where Libby lay in the shade to allow
a moment to find her bearings. Justice still stared at her when she
looked back at him. His dark gaze burned with fire until he sent
her a disarming grin.

“
Hope you like chicken
salad.”

“
I do,” she assured
him.

As they ate, he told her about his
experience driving to South Dakota with his sister to help her
move. Kassidy could easily feel the love he felt for his family in
his words.

“
So next week I’m going
out to visit her,” he said moving the plates and basket out from
between them. “I miss her a lot. This is her final year, and I
haven’t been out there since the move.”

“
What exactly is there for
your sister to do in South Dakota? I mean not much oceanfront
property up there.”

He chuckled, a warm, dark, melted
chocolate kind of sound. “She’s recruiting.”

“
Recruiting, okay.”
Kassidy nodded while snagging the final cracker topped with chicken
salad from her recently moved plate. She swallowed and moaned.
“That was so good. Did you make this?”

“
I did,” he said with
pride. “Mama always said I needed to know how to cook.”

“
Well, I can’t speak for
your other dishes, but you did wonderfully with this one.” He
smiled, flashing that charismatic grin. Kassidy swallowed hard and
dropped her gaze. “So, how long are you visiting your sister
for?”

“
Missing me already,
Kassidy?” His question was low and intimate.

Words fled. Her body temperature shot
sky high. Kassidy could feel the flush heat her cheeks. Since she
still stared down, her breath hitched when his strong hand settled
beside her leg. His touch was gentle when he lifted her chin. He
was close. So close. His dark gaze stared at her while his thumb
gently teased the corner of her mouth.

“
I hope so. Because I’m
already missing you.”

Ah-choo!

“
Excuse me,” she said
around another impending sneeze.

Justice waited until she finished
sneezing then that hand, that strong, callused hand, settled back
along her jaw. His fingers moved slightly.

“
I hope you’re not telling
me you’re allergic to me, Kassidy.”

Sweet merciful heaven. She could
hardly remember her own name.

“
Not allergic,” she
stammered.

He slid closer, enveloping her with
the scent of the ocean. Her belly clenched with desires long
forgotten.

“
Now that,” he drawled in
a decadently dark tone, “is very good news.”

Justice leaned in slow as if giving
her the chance to stop him, his gaze unwavering while he neared.
She inhaled sharply at the touch of his lips on hers. They were
firm, warm, and she wanted more. Justice kept it light and it
seemed before she had a chance to relish in the kiss, it was over.
Kassidy blinked and met his gaze. His eyes were molten heat, the
passion in them so intense she shuddered all over again.

“
Wow,” she
breathed.

“
You got that right.” He
brushed some curls behind her ear and kissed her again. Just as
quick and just as potent. “Let’s take a walk.”

“
Yes.”

They stood and seconds after she’d
snapped Libby’s leash on, he captured her hand in his, intertwining
their fingers. After walking in companionable silence for a while,
Kassidy slanted her gaze at him.

“
What’s your question,
Kassidy?”

“
You said your
great-grandfather was part of your reason for joining the Coast
Guard. What was the rest?”

“
Hmm. Well, I guess it
would be the rest of the men in my family. He was such an
inspiration to me, doing what they did, going through what they
went through. I’ve always been in awe. Guess it was my way of
emulating him. I’m proud of them all.” Justice looked at her. “You
seem to know a bit about Pea Island; did an ancestor of yours serve
there?”

“
No.” Kassidy shrugged.
“Bottom line, I love history.”

“
Your dad teach
history?”

“
No. He’s an Astronomer.
Most of our conversations are done with a telescope between us.”
She gestured with the hand holding Libby’s leash. “But, I’ve no
doubt I could navigate by the stars.”

“
Well, I’m
impressed.”

Kassidy laughed. “Yeah?
Don’t be. I can’t sail a boat to save my life, so it’s
highly
unlikely that’s a
scenario which would arise.”

Justice tugged her hand and drew her
in close. He wrapped his free arm around her waist, pressing her
all up against his rock hard chest. His lips danced close to hers
when he murmured, “I’ll teach you how to sail. And if we get lost,
you bring us home.”

That offer went so much deeper than
sailing. Kassidy swallowed and licked her lips, loving how his eyes
flared with masculine longing and followed the motion of her
tongue. “You have a boat?”

“
I do. Will you let me
take you sailing, Kassidy?”

You can take me
anywhere.
“Thought you were leaving for
South Dakota.”

“
That’s not permanent,
baby.”

Her thoughts were a jumbled mess. He
smelled so virile. So male. So tasty. “How about we talk about it
when you come…get back.”

Justice’s eyes adopted a hooded
sensuality that made her body react intensely and immediately.
“Wonderful idea. Kinda like, I want to kiss you again.”

She stared at his lips then back to
his eyes. “Yes.” Kassidy almost forgot to breathe.

He nibbled along her lower lip,
unfurling spirals of heat within her belly. Then he did the same to
her top lip. Kassidy felt her legs tremble.

“
Open for me,
Kassidy.”

She sighed in pleasure when he slid
his tongue into her mouth. Justice didn’t slam through. No, he
explored her. Savored her. Kassidy closed her eyes in pleasure.
With the hand holding hers, he swept his thumb in tiny circles,
while he moved the one against her back, brushing it along the
waistband of her shorts. She could feel his hard length pressing
into her. Kassidy dropped Libby’s leash and gripped his side, her
hunger exploding almost out of control. Their tongues stroked along
one another.

She whimpered when he ended the kiss.
His smoky gaze burned her.

“
You, Kassidy, almost
killed me.”

“
I know the feeling,” she
murmured trying to calm her pulse. Kassidy frowned and looked
down.

“
What’s wrong?”

“
I dropped her
leash.”

He chuckled and shrugged shamelessly
when she glared at him. “What? I like knowing my kisses make you
discombobulated.”

That’s putting it
mildly.
Kassidy bent to get the leash,
doing her best to ignore how close his crotch was.
Mind out of the gutter and above the waist,
Kas,
she reprimanded herself. Standing
straight, thankful Libby remained right there, Kassidy lifted her
brows.

“
Discombobulated?”

Sparkling white teeth flashed against
his dark skin. “My sister thought I should learn bigger words. Gave
me one of those word-a-day calendars.”

“
That was nice of her. How
do you like it?”

Justice obtained a sheepish look.
“Well, I learned discombobulated.”

She erupted with laughter. “Haven’t
gotten past the first one?”

He tugged on his shirt. “I’m making it
last,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

“
Oh, is that what we’re
calling it?”

“
Better that than
‘paperweight.’” He winked.

“
Good point,” Kassidy
agreed.

They began walking again. Together
they watched the sun begin to set and that was the only thing that
let her know how long she’d been in the park. Justice still held
her hand.

“
Thank you for a wonderful
day, Justice. Unfortunately I have to get going.”

“
Thank you for giving me a
second chance. Let me walk you to your car.”

They gathered everything in moments
and Kassidy couldn’t help but smile all over again when he reached
for her hand. She continued to watch him out of the corner of her
eye while they walked. At her car, Kassidy loaded up Libby and
faced him.

Justice trapped her between himself
and the side of her car, one hand on either side of her. “Give me
your number.”

“
Want to write it
down?”

His gaze dropped to her mouth briefly.
“I’ll remember.”

She rattled off her cell number,
painfully aware of how his body felt against hers.

“
I have to tell you,
Kassidy,” he pressed closer, and his lips skimmed along her jaw
before he met her gaze again, “I can’t remember a more pleasurable
day. Thank you.”

Her brain wasn’t working. It took her
a few moments to find the words. “I had a wonderful time,
too.”

He pulled out his phone and entered
what she presumed to be her number. When her phone vibrated seconds
later, she jumped. Flipping it open, she stared at him. “Do you
want me to answer it?”

He winked. “I bet you have one hell of
a phone voice.”

Kassidy snorted, then saved his
number. “Have a safe trip and a fun one.”

“
I look forward to seeing
you when I get home.”

“
Guess I better study up
on my navigation skills.”

Lips a hair’s breadth from hers he
uttered, “I wouldn’t mind too terribly getting lost with you.” He
kissed her until she melted into him. “Nope, not a’tall. Good
night, my sweet Kassidy. Call me when you get home so I know you
made it.”

Electricity poured through her and was
more than slightly distracting. So it took a minute for his low
command to sink in. “What? Why am I calling you?”

His eyes glinted with determination.
“I’m a man, sweets. I want to make sure you make it home safe. So
either your word you’ll call or I follow you and make sure for
myself.”

Kassidy swallowed at the possessive
look he gave her, as well as the quality to his tone. “Okay, I’ll
call. Drive carefully.”

Justice held her door for her and
brushed her cheek with his knuckles. He didn’t say a word, but he
didn’t have to. Kassidy felt branded by the heat in his stare. Even
when she and Libby entered the house her body still felt
hypersensitive. Her phone was in her hand as she let Libby
outside.

Justice answered on the first ring.
“Hello, my beautiful Kassidy.”

Warmth flowed throughout her and she
sighed contentedly at his words.

* * * *

“
Uh oh, this isn’t good. I
know that look. Who is she?”

Justice turned from the baggage
carousel and grinned when he spotted the person the voice belonged
to.

“
Runt!” he exclaimed
affectionately and hauled her in close for a hug. “God, it’s so
good to see you.”

Jasira hugged him back just as
fiercely. He was very close to his twin and had missed her
immensely.

“
You, too.” She looked at
him and smiled, her eyes sparkling with more than a hint of
mischief. “Now dish. Who is she?”

“
Can’t a brother get his
luggage first?”

Jasira sighed loudly and
dramatically. “That’s right. See I forgot, I
thought
I was being visited by my
brother who actually
has
the ability to multitask. Apparently I am getting
the officer, who
can’t
.” Another overdramatic sigh. “Fine, I’ll carry your bag.
Wouldn’t want you to strain your brain.”

He kicked her lightly in the ass.
“Watch it, runt.”