Page 28 of Justice for Aleta

He could hear the mirth in her voice when she asked, “Did you like that?”

“Hell yeah, I liked it! Made me hornier than an old billy goat.”

“Good. You gave me a good pounding. I needed that, Jack. I need to feel like a man really wants me.”

“I do want you, precious. And as for work, I am at work.” He opened his eyes when he felt her push herself up and saw her staring down at him. “We’ll talk after breakfast, but there are some things you need to know. Once you do, I think you’ll understand.” Boy, he was dreading that conversation. But he knew how to postpone it. “Anything you want to do before breakfast?”

“Yeah. Before you break the spell and send my day straight to the crapper, I’d like to do it again. Can we?”

“You’ll have to help me,” Jack said and pointed down his body.

“I think that can be arranged.” In a few seconds, she was all over him, licking, sucking, and pumping, and his manhood rose to the occasion.

That conversation could wait. Right that minute, they had better things to do.

* * *

They’d dozedoff and on most of the morning between making love or fucking like bunnies. Aleta didn’t know it, but Jack had called in while he was in the bathroom the first time and reported for duty for the day with instructions to the duty sergeant to confirm his assignment with Cappy. He knew Morgan would sign off on it that day and every other until the whole thing was behind them.

It took some effort for him to pry one eye open, but he found Aleta wide awake, watching him sleep with a small, tender smile. His voice came out as a croak. “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing?” She snuggled down against him as his arm tightened around her. “You looked so peaceful, and you’re so handsome lying there, your eyes closed and breathing quietly. I could watch you all day.”

“What time is it?”

“About eleven.”

His eyes popped open wide. “You’re not serious!”

“Yeah. We’ve been busy.” Her finger twirled through the hair on his chest and Jack thought he’d die from happiness. Until she spoke. “I need to tell you… Last night was hard for me. I mean, the dirty talk, the coming out of the bathroom naked, the being so aggressive. That’s not how I’ve been in the past, but I want to be that way. I want to be somebody you want to be with, Jack. I don’t want you to feel short-changed, or bored, or?”

One large finger pressed her lips silent. “I don’t want you to be anybody except who you are. If that made you uncomfortable, then don’t do it. I don’t care, as long as you’re with me.”

“It did at first, but then I got into it. That’s all foreign to me, but it felt good to be that woman who spoke out, asked for what she wanted, and enjoyed it. I just… Can you be patient with me? Please? And listen, if you just said you love me because I said it and you didn’t want me to feel weird or awkward or embarrassed, it’s okay, really. You don’t have to love me for me to love you. It’s?”

“You hush,” he ordered, and she fell silent. “I told you how I felt, and I hoped you’d just accept it.”

“I did! I just wanted to make sure… I mean, it’s so sudden and all, and I?”

“I love you, Aleta. I said it, and I meant it. If it comes from my lips, you can count it as true. Unless, of course, it pertains to a Christmas gift or a surprise vacation, and then I’m going to lie like a rug.” Jack steeled himself. He knew what had to happen. “But you’re mine. I love you. What’s mine, I cherish. I honor. I trust. I protect.”Here we go, he told himself. “And since I said that, there’s something we’ve got to talk about right now. I’ve put it off, and it can’t wait.”

Aleta propped herself up on an elbow and glared down at him. “You’re married.”

Jack laughed heartily. “God, no, woman! I’m not married! I’ve never been married. I’m not opposed to it; it’s just never happened because of the situation with… But it could. I’m not ruling that out. No, I need to talk to you about something that’s alotmore serious than that.”

“More serious than marriage?”

Jack scooted up and leaned back into the pillow bank against the head of the bed. “Listen to me. Are you listening?”

“Yes! What?”

“Aleta,” he began, then stopped. God, he didn’t want to do it! “Babe, some things have happened, and everything’s changed. It’s serious, extremely serious. I’m not trying to scare you, but I’m not going to keep the truth from you.”

“What? Jack, what’s wrong? Did I do something wrong?” He could see she was totally confused as he worked to gather the right words.

“There are two drug cartels in Texas. One is well-established and has a strong leader. The other isn’t much of anything, pretty much a wannabe cartel, and it has a crazy guy who thinks he’s a mob boss. That guy you saw at the accident? That was a hit man hired by the crazy guy.”

“Why?”

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