Locked In Temptation

Joy met his gaze. She could tell him that no, he hadn’t said anything wrong and he was imagining things. Or she could tell him the truth. She chose the latter. “It’s that one word I try to stay away from, Stonewall.”

He lifted a brow. “And what word is that?”

“Relationship. The thought of it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.”

He didn’t say anything as he handed her another item to dry. “I imagine there’s a reason it does. Would you like to share it with me?”

She was about to tell him no, but he’d been honest with her, and about some pretty personal stuff. “His name was Omar Elwood, and we became involved my first year of making detective. He knew what I did for a living, but he began resenting all the hours I put in to work cases and felt he was competing for my time. So I tried to do both, to build a productive relationship with him as well as be a model employee at work.”

She drew in a deep breath. It was almost draining just thinking about that time. “That was the worst period of my life, trying to juggle both. But Omar still wasn’t satisfied. He worked in management for a shipping company with a nine-to-five job and couldn’t understand why my workday couldn’t end at a normal hour. Things got even worse after we got engaged and moved in together. His expectations of my time became even more demanding. I realized that he wanted me to be the one to do all the giving, make all the concessions. I tried and always felt under pressure, stressed out, overworked and, when it came to Omar, underloved.”

She didn’t say anything for a moment as she remembered that time and how she’d bent over backward to please Omar, but it had never been enough. “I found myself making mistakes at work because I wasn’t getting enough sleep at home. Definitely no support. I was nearly at my breaking point when I took a look at myself in the mirror one day. I had lost weight and was unhappy and it showed. I knew I had to get away for a while. To go somewhere alone to think about what I really wanted in life.”

She took the next item he handed her to dry. “I came here for a week. Just so happened a friend of mine from high school had inherited a house from an aunt here in Charlottesville and leased it out as a furnished rental property. She suggested I come here to get away since the house was temporarily vacant. I took her advice and fell in love with the area.”

A smile touched her lips. “It was the best week of my life. I found the people to be friendly, the area beautiful and the town much to my liking. Before returning home I applied for a job with the Charlottesville Police Department. I even got an interview before leaving. After returning to Baton Rouge, I ended my engagement to Omar and returned here within two weeks. Luckily we hadn’t set a date for our wedding.”

He dried his hands on a paper towel. “I’m sure your fiancé wasn’t happy with your decision, though.”

She shrugged. “No, he wasn’t. He thought I was making a mistake to choose a career in law enforcement over him. Inwardly, I disagreed and knew it was the best decision I could ever make. I had to do what made me happy for a change. Although it gets crazy at times, I love my work.”

There was no need to tell him that breaking her engagement with Omar was like getting her life back, finding a sense of the freedom she’d given up to Omar, who’d tried being her ruler. And now that she’d gotten used to her independence the past two years, there was no way she would ever give it up again for any man.

She leaned against the counter. “So, there you have it. I don’t want a relationship, steady or otherwise. I’m not ready to let a man back into my space. However, I’m a person with physical needs just like anyone else, and wouldn’t mind getting together with someone to take the edge off every now and then. It doesn’t always have to be about sex, mind you. I would also enjoy an occasional movie, dinner, walk in the park, mountain climbing...”

He lifted a brow. “Mountain climbing?”

She chuckled. “Yes. I’ve never done it before, but it seems like something that could give my body a good workout.” She would admit that making love to him had given her body a good workout, as well.

“You’ve engaged in take-the-edge-off kind of affairs before?” he asked her.

Was she imagining things or was his gaze drifting to her mouth more often than not? She could feel her lips tingling from him looking at them. “No. It will be my first time. Once I moved here and began working, my life was even more hectic than it had been in Baton Rouge. I worked the streets for six months to get used to the city. Then, when I became a detective I wanted to do a good job, which meant putting in long hours. No time for a man.”

There was no reason to tell him about some of the crap she took, being one of the few female detectives. She had to earn the other detectives’ respect, especially when they found out who her father was. She had to prove she hadn’t gotten the job due to any favors.

Deciding to continue to be honest, she said, “I never really thought about men, definitely hadn’t shown interest in one until that night I met you.” She chuckled. “You definitely caught my eye.”

“And you caught mine.”

And now here they were, standing in her kitchen after a night of hot, blazing sex. “I’m sure with your hectic schedule you aren’t interested in a serious relationship, either, right?” she asked him.

He nodded and then said, “Right. I’ve never dated anyone seriously. In high school I dated but didn’t have a steady girlfriend. And then, after I got out the slammer, I figured I needed to work on improving me and not take on the responsibility of anyone else. I preferred things that way. I guess I still do.”

She smiled. “Great! We want and don’t want the same thing.”

“What I really want is to see you again.”

“And I want to see you again, too. Let’s keep in touch. Hook up again when we can as a diversion.”

“As a diversion?”

“Yes, as a diversion and nothing more. So, what do you think?”

He reached out, wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her body to fit snug against his. “I think if a diversion is all you want, then that’s what you’ll get, Joy.”

And then he lowered his mouth to hers.

* * *

A SHORT WHILE LATER, as Stonewall drove away from Joy’s home, he still felt a trickle of intense pleasure flow down his spine. He felt that way each and every time he kissed her. And that last kiss, the one they’d shared in her kitchen before he’d left, still had his tongue tingling and his erection throbbing.

He’d wanted more. However, like he’d told her, he knew her limitations. Although she’d tried not to make it obvious, he could tell by the way she moved that her body was sore. And he refused to be a greedy ass where she was concerned.

That meant another hookup with her would have to wait. For how long, he wasn’t sure. He definitely wouldn’t be like the guy she’d been engaged to who’d tried placing demands on her time. It had taken nearly six months for them to get together, but he hoped it wouldn’t be another six before there could be a repeat of last night.

Just thinking about the time they’d spent together and all they’d done sent a spike of heat into his gut. Even now his pulse was kicking in response to the memories. And as far as the diversion thing, that didn’t bother him. It was just another name for a relationship of convenience. Been there. Done that. Had no problem doing it again.

At that moment his cell phone rang, and he clicked a button on his steering wheel to answer it. “Yes?”

“You didn’t get arrested for kidnapping, did you?” Quasar’s voice responded through the car’s speakers.

Stonewall chuckled. “I told you that I wouldn’t and that most women would think what I did was romantic.”

“You never know. How did things go?”

“Dinner was great. The entire evening was great.” And that was all he intended to tell his friend. “Don’t forget I’m flying out today,” he said to change the subject.

“What time do you leave?”

“In a few hours. I’m on my way to see Granny Kay and Mellie before I go. And you know the drill.”

“Yep, I know it.”

Now that he traveled quite a bit, he’d asked Striker and Quasar to check in on his grandmother and sister from time to time while he was away. “Thanks.”

They talked for a few minutes longer and then hung up when he pulled into his grandmother’s neighborhood. He didn’t want to admit it but he was missing Joy already. But how could he not when he’d had the best sex of his life last night?

After parking his car, he walked into his grandmother’s home. He wondered how many times he had to tell her to keep her doors locked. There might be a better crew of people living in the area now, but still a thief was a thief.

“Granny Kay?” he called out.

“I’m in the kitchen. Just got in from church.”

He glanced at his watch. He knew church service ended at noon, but as usual his grandmother had hung around for the fellowship hour. One of her own making. She would see church members she hadn’t seen since Wednesday night prayer meeting. Wow! Four days. But it had always been that way for Katherine Courson. He recalled she would make him and his sister sit inside the church while she made her rounds saying hello to everyone.

He entered the kitchen, crossed the room and placed a kiss on his grandmother’s cheek. She was still dressed in her Sunday best. Big hat and all. His grandmother always had dressed well, and he recalled his grandfather would get into the act and wear a shirt the same color as her dress. For years they’d coordinated their outfits that way. Stonewall had always thought it was amusing.

He glanced around. Except for her, the kitchen was empty. “No guests today?” It wasn’t uncommon for her to invite others to dine with her.