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“From where?”

  “Baton Rouge.”

  “Nice city.”

  “Yes, it is. I loved it there.”

  If she loved it so much, then why did she leave? He would save that question for another night because he had every intention of seeing her again...but only if she said no to his next question.

  “Are you involved in a serious relationship with anyone?”

  She looked thoughtfully at him. “No, I’m not involved with anyone. Serious or otherwise. Don’t have the time.”

  Stonewall knew she would discover that excuse wouldn’t work with him. He didn’t have time for a relationship, either, but for her, he would make time. The fact that she was a cop and he was an ex-con didn’t matter.

  “Here’s my car,” she said, coming to a stop beside a dark SUV. “Thanks again for walking me out.”

  “I’d like to see you again, Joy.”

  The parking garage lights were dim, but he could see her gnawing on her bottom lip. Was he making her nervous? He released the breath he’d been holding when she said, “I’d like to see you again, too.”

  He tried keeping the grin from spreading too wide across his face. “Great. What about next Friday night? I’d love to take you to dinner.”

  “I work next Friday night.”

  “What about Saturday? And before you try finding an excuse, do I need to remind you that you need to eat sometime?”

  She met his gaze, held it for a minute and said, “I’m off Saturday night.”

  “Okay then, will Saturday night work for you?”

  She paused a minute before answering. “Yes, Saturday night will work for me.”

  “Good.” He pulled his cell phone from the pocket in his jacket. “What’s your number? I’ll call you later in the week to figure out details.”

  She rattled off a number that he used to call her. When her cell phone rang, he said, “Now you have my number and I have yours.”

  “Alright.”

  He put his phone away. Neither said anything for a minute. He inched closer to her. “There’s one other thing I need to get from you, Joy.”

  She lifted a brow. “What?”

  “This.” He placed his hand at her waist, leaned in, angled his head and took total possession of her mouth. The moment their mouths touched, red-hot passion, the likes of which he’d never encountered before, flared through him, rushed fire through every pore, nerve and pulse.

  When he took control of her tongue, he began sucking on it like it was the most delectable thing he’d ever had inside his mouth. He found her taste uniquely satisfying. And when he heard her moan, his erection began to throb.

  After she somehow managed to ease her tongue from his hold and began mingling it sensuously with his, he suddenly felt robbed of his senses. He knew at that moment this would be one kiss he wouldn’t want to end. One he definitely wouldn’t ever forget.

  Desire, deliriously intoxicating, joined forces with the passion already consuming him. He wasn’t sure how any kiss could absorb him, consume him and enthrall him like this. Feeling greedy, he intensified the kiss, wanting more of her taste, getting addicted to her flavor, while erotic sensations flooded his bloodstream.

  The sound of people approaching had her pulling her mouth away from his, and he all but growled in protest. Determined to get one last taste, he leaned in and flicked his tongue across her lips. He knew that might have been their first kiss but it wouldn’t be the last.

  * * *

  “WE ARE FLYING at twenty thousand feet. Feel free to unbuckle your seat belts and move around the cabin.” The pilot’s words snapped Stonewall back to the present.

  The pilot had said they were free to move around. However, what he wanted more than anything was to reach out and pull Joy from her seat, into his lap, and take control of her mouth. Then he would proceed to kiss her again, even more deeply than he had the last time.

  He had to constantly remind himself that this was their first official date. He was trying really hard to act like a gentleman. The last thing he wanted was to come across as some greedy ass who was interested only in her body. Although he was enthralled by her body, he also wanted to get to know her. They’d met occasionally for coffee and beer over the last six months, had talked on the phone a lot, yet to him the communication they’d shared lacked real substance. It had mainly been small talk and not too much more.

  “You’re frowning, Stonewall.”

  He blinked, not realizing he had been. “Sorry. I was just thinking.”

  “Nothing too serious, I hope.”

  “It was about you,” he said, deciding to be honest.

  She didn’t say anything at first. Instead, she looked at him as if considering his words. As far as he was concerned, she had every right to do that, and it wouldn’t have been so bad if she hadn’t used her tongue to lick her lips as if it was imperative that she moisten her entire mouth right then. Full lips painted a shiny turn-you-on red. Although he was trying to remain calm, the action had an arousing effect on him. He could feel every nerve in his body starting to hum.

  “And what about me would make such a frown?” she asked, releasing her seat belt and slowly easing forward in her seat as if she expected him to share a secret with her and she didn’t want to miss a single word.

  “It wasn’t a frown, actually.”

  She arched a brow. “Oh? What was it, then?”

  “Intense concentration.”

  “And what about me would cause intense concentration?” she asked in a voice that said she really wanted to know.

  He wished he could tell her. Everything. However, doing so would make her assume he had a one-track mind. “We’ve known each other for about six months now, but this is our first official date. I realized how much I don’t know about you and how much I want to know.”

  She shrugged what he thought were beautiful shoulders as she settled back in her seat. “Then ask away. At twenty thousand feet in the air on a trip that will take at least an hour, I have plenty of time. What do you want to know?”

  “Everything.” Even as he said it, he really wasn’t interested in her work. He knew what she did as a detective, and the last thing he wanted was for her mind to snag on the cases she had yet to solve. Tonight he wanted her focus to be on them. “Let’s start with parents. I know you’re from Louisiana. Is that your birthplace?”

  He figured if he kept her talking, he wouldn’t be tempted to get out of his seat, cross the aisle, pull her into his arms and assault her mouth. The same one he couldn’t stop looking at.

  “Yes. I was born in Baton Rouge. My parents are still alive and together, although they did separate for a year when I was younger.”

  He lifted a brow. “They did?”

  “Yes. My father’s profession drove them apart.”

  “And what’s his profession?”

  “Chief of police in Baton Rouge. When they separated, he was a cop. He’d gotten shot too many times for my mother’s peace of mind.”

  “You father got shot in the line of duty?”

  “Yes, three times. I guess you can say the bad guys don’t care for him too much. One time nearly cost him his life. The other two were superficial wounds, so he was treated at the hospital and released. Mom gave Dad an ultimatum. Get another job—one that wouldn’t place his life in danger—or she would walk. Not sure if he believed her, but when he didn’t change professions, she left him, moved to New Orleans and took me and my three siblings with her.”

  “But they did get back together.”

  “Yes. Not sure who made the first move, but since Dad didn’t give up his job, I figure Mom made some major concessions. Dad would always be his own man, but he loved her and his family. Once they got back together, they never argued about what he did for a living again.”
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br />   He released his seat belt and got out of his seat. “Want something to drink?”

  “No, I’m fine. Thanks for asking.”

  He nodded as he walked over to the bar to pour a cup of coffee. Columbian blend. He’d acquired a taste for the strong brew since working for Dak. The man loved the stuff. Stonewall figured he would drink coffee now and enjoy a glass of wine at dinner. “So, I take it your mother didn’t like your decision to follow your dad into law enforcement.”

  “No, she didn’t, especially since my other siblings have what she considers safe jobs. My oldest brother, Vernon, is five years older than me and an attorney. My brother Orient is four years older and is a dietician at a hospital in Florida. My sister Cheer, who is two years older, is an educator in Atlanta. Everyone is married with kids but me.”

  “Your name is Joy and your sister’s is Cheer?” he asked her, grinning.

  “Yes. For some reason Mom thought those names were cute for us. She claims she knew my sister would bring her cheer and I would give her joy.” She chuckled. “I’m sure she began having her doubts when I decided to become a cop.”

  Joy shifted in her seat, and his gaze followed the movement and saw a flash of thigh. Although he was certain it hadn’t been intentional, he couldn’t help but appreciate it. “We try to get together around the holidays. I last saw everyone at Mother’s Day.”

  She paused a minute and then asked, “What about you? I know you have a grandmother and sister living here.”

  “Yes, my grandmother and sister live in Charlottesville,” he said, then took a sip of coffee. He intended to tell her about himself, as well. No need to keep anything hidden. He would be the first to admit he’d made bad decisions in his life, decisions he wasn’t proud of but had definitely paid for making. He believed at thirty-four he was a better person because of those experiences, and he looked at things a lot differently than he had while in his teens and early twenties, when he thought the world owed him something and he intended to get it.

  Returning to his seat, he stretched his legs out in front of him. “I was born in Charlottesville thirty-four years ago. My grandmother lives in the same house I grew up in as a kid. Nothing my sister and I said or did could get her to move. She says they don’t build houses like hers these days.”

  He paused a minute to take another sip of his coffee. “Now, in a way, I’m glad she didn’t move. The area she lives in went through a revitalization and resurgence. A lot of the abandoned homes were renovated, and new small businesses opened up shop. Magnolia Oaks is now a sought-after diverse community of young professionals, artists and revelers who enjoy the numerous nightlife hot spots in the area. With roads shaded by magnolia trees, you can get to practically anywhere by either foot or bicycle. Granny Kay’s home has quadrupled in value. She loves being one of the eldest neighbors amid ‘a sea of young folk,’ as she puts it. They spoil her rotten, and she does the same for them.”

  “Granny Kay?”

  He smiled. “Yes. Her real name is Katherine, but to me and my sister, she’s always been Granny Kay. Her only child was my father. When my parents were killed, she became our legal guardian.”

  Joy shifted in her seat again to cross her legs, and he couldn’t stop the heated sensations that stirred inside him. There was nothing indecent about the movement and he couldn’t fault her for owning such a gorgeous pair. They were legs that looked simply amazing in a pair of heels. “How were your parents killed?” she asked.

  “Hurricane Andrew. We were left with Granny Kay while they vacationed with friends in Miami. They weren’t able to evacuate in time, and their hotel was demolished, killing everyone.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Thanks. It was hard on me and my sister. I was nine and she was five. Luckily we had our grandparents.” He sighed. “My grandfather never got over losing his only child and died of a heart attack less than a year later. Granny Kay said it was grief that killed him.”

  He took another sip of his coffee when he realized that in just a short span of time, he’d shared more about himself with her than he had with any other woman.

  * * *

  JOY LIKED THE sound of Stonewall’s voice. From the first night they’d met she’d thought it oozed with sexiness, just like the rest of him. If he’d had any idea what seeing him sitting across from her with his legs stretched out in front of him was doing to her, he would have sat up straight. When had she allowed any man to totally capture not only her attention and interest, but also her desire?

  She’d been attracted to him from the first. There was something about Stonewall Courson that kept her intrigued, mesmerized. She knew that was why she made it a point to show up every morning before the start of her workday for coffee and doughnuts at the Monroe Street Café, hoping she would run into him there. Or at Shady Reds after work, anticipating their paths crossing. Their encounters, when he was in town, lasted only five to ten minutes. Enough time to get a feel for his personality and decide he was someone she wanted to know better.

  She wasn’t interested in anything serious, just a diversion from the complexities of her job. And he had definitely been that. She had enjoyed their brief encounters, the how-are-you-doing text messages she would get whenever he was traveling, and the occasional phone calls that had promised one day they would find the time for more. It was hard to believe that day had finally arrived.

  What he’d just shared with her definitely went beyond small talk. After becoming fascinated with him months ago, she’d done her research, but what she’d found had covered only his later years, his arrest at the age of nineteen and his life after that. She appreciated him filling in the blanks.

  “What about your name?”

  He quirked a brow at her. “What about it?”

  “There has to be a story behind it.”

  He chuckled. “Really, there’s no story, other than Stonewall is my mom’s maiden name. She was Vivienne Stonewall. Her mother died of cancer when she was in college, and her father died a year later of the same thing. I never knew either of them, but I knew she adored them both and thought giving me her family’s name would be a way to honor their memory.”

  “She was the only child?”

  “Yes. She was her parents’ only child.’

  Joy didn’t say anything for a minute, thinking she really liked being here with him. “How old is your grandmother?” she asked him, trying to stay relaxed and finding it hard to do so.

  When they’d boarded the jet, he’d removed his tux jacket and loosened his bow tie. Some men looked okay in a tux and some looked as if the masculine formal attire had been made just for them to wear. Stonewall was one of the latter.

  She was a very observant person and was aware each time his gaze roamed up and down every single inch of her body. She was aware of what she did to him with something as inconsequential as shifting in her seat or crossing her legs. She was not intentionally trying to affect him in any way, but the woman in her couldn’t help appreciate that she had the ability to do so.

  “She will be seventy-two in a few months.”

  She watched his lips move and wondered how any man could have such a luscious pair. And that beard surrounding his mouth was a total turn-on for her. Deciding to keep him talking, she said, “Tell me about your sister.”

  He smiled, and from that single expression she detected an extreme fondness. “Amelia, who everyone calls Mellie, is four years younger than I am, and is a doctor at St. Francis Memorial.”

  “She lives with your grandmother?”

  “No, but she lives close enough. Right around the corner. That way both Granny Kay and Mellie can have the independence and privacy they both enjoy since both are dating age.”

  She blinked. “Your about-to-turn-seventy-two-year-old grandmother dates?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good
for her.”

  He stroked his bearded jaw, and the gesture sent desire throbbing through her veins. “Hmm, now you sound like Mellie. I used to worry about Granny Kay, but then I realized if there’s anyone who can handle her business, she can.”

  He took another sip of his coffee, his gaze never leaving hers, still locking her into all that blatant temptation. It was obvious that she knew he was staring, just like it was obvious she was staring back. One of his brows raised a mere fraction, and a smile touched her lips.

  “Are you trying to out-stare me, Joy?”

  Sexual tension between them was a constant undercurrent, no matter what they were doing or how serious the conversation they were having. The desire she would see in his eyes held her spellbound. “No, actually I was enjoying the view.”

  As he placed his coffee cup aside, a sexy smile spread across his lips. She’d hoped he would get a refill. Any reason that would give her the opportunity to check out his masculine thighs flexing in those black trousers would have been appreciated.

  To her disappointment, instead of getting up, he leaned back in his chair as if to get comfortable. “Do you always say whatever is on your mind?” he asked her.

  She shrugged. “Most of the time. Comes with the job. It doesn’t pay to beat around the bush if you truly want to know something.”

  She watched as his dark brown eyes roamed up and down her body again, the impact hitting her right between the legs. Evidently he liked what he saw. “I’ve got a question for you, Stonewall.”

  “And what is it that you want to know?”

  She’d warned him that she had no problem saying what was on her mind, so here she went. “Are you going to wait for this plane to land before you kiss me?”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  OF ALL THE things Stonewall thought Joy might ask, that definitely wasn’t one of them. Funny how her thoughts fell in sync with his. Whenever he looked at her mouth, at those full, luscious lips, he thought about kissing her. Those thoughts had sent jolts of desire through him most of the day while in her presence. Even at the wedding, his gaze would seek her out in the crowd. Find her. The one kiss they’d shared had made a lasting impression on him. He had no problem kissing her before the plane landed, when the plane landed, and anytime in between.