Justice Is Always Ready (A Graham Family Story, 1) by Aliyah Burke

from
childhood.
    He put enough distance between them to
see her face. His thumbs stroked the corners of her mouth. “Okay.
My mom loves chocolate. My grandpa,” he paused, “I have no
idea.”
    She smiled as an idea hit
her. “I know what to bring for him.” I
hope he likes it.
    “ You know you don’t have
to get him, either of them, anything, right, Kassidy?”
    “ Let me do this, Justice.
Please, I’ll feel better.”
    He swept her up in his
arms and carried her to the couch. When she sat tucked against him,
she closed her eyes and allowed the rhythmic lub-dub of his heart to soothe away
any remaining hesitation she might have. When she woke, his strong
arms held her exhausted and naked body tight to his. With a
contented yawn, she curled up closer to him.
    After a full workweek passed, that
Saturday night Kassidy gathered and wrapped the gifts for Justice’s
mom and grandpa. Justice had duty and couldn’t leave the base so
she didn’t get to see him that day. She missed him; it had become
familiar and normal to spend free time in his presence.
    That night she enjoyed a fun dinner
with Lucy and Ethan that helped keep her mind off the fact she
wouldn’t see Justice later in the evening. When she made it home
she got some housework done, showered, and went to bed.
    Her dreams were anything but pleasant,
and when her alarm went off she felt exhausted. Head pounding, she
got Libby and left for an early service just to make sure she would
be on time for brunch. She was grateful the rain, at least, had
ceased for however long. By eleven she had begun to feel better.
There was no need to vomit and the pounding in her head had
diminished. Her nerves didn’t seem fit to take a holiday though.
The knot in her belly expanded immensely as she waited for Justice
to arrive at her door.
    Although expected, the
sound of her doorbell chiming through the house made her jump and
almost spill her tea in her lap. Crap.
Pull it together, Kas. It’s just a meal.
    Justice perched against the doorframe,
his physique relaxed and casually attired. A perpetual sexy half
grin graced his face.
    “ Hello,
beautiful.”
    She smiled shyly, stepping back to
allow him entrance. He wore a dark green polo and khakis. She
licked her lips and struggled to say hi.
    How can one man rob me of
all sense?
    “ Hello, Justice. How are
you?”
    “ Better now.” He pressed a
light yet extremely potent kiss to her mouth.
    “ Do we need to go now or
would you care for a drink?”
    He pushed the door shut and stalked
her until the wall at her back prevented her from moving farther.
His gaze smoldered and bore into hers. Her breath caught as he
positioned his arms on either side of her head and lowered his
face. A hair’s breadth away from her mouth, eyes still scorching
hot and holding hers, he exhaled gently, the warm air flowing along
her hypersensitive lips.
    “ A drink would be lovely,
Kassidy.”
    Justice backed away with a simple
display of coiled grace, his gaze no less hungry. She swallowed
hard before slipping away into the kitchen. The presence from him
followed her and kept her wrapped in its comforting warmth. Their
fingers brushed at the glass exchange and her belly knotted all
over for an entirely different reason than nerves.
    Her stare was riveted to his throat as
he downed the crisp, cool liquid. She tried to focus on something
else, but she couldn’t. Her fingers curved into her palms in order
to keep herself from reaching out. She longed to touch. Craved to.
To skim her hands over his skin, to feel the pulse of his strong
heartbeat beneath her tongue. To taste him.
    “ Keep staring at me like
that, Kassidy, and we’ll be late.” His words were raspy and
rough.
    Her gaze flashed to his and found raw
lust there. “Sorry,” she whispered.
    “ Don’t apologize.” He
reached around and placed the glass in the sink. “I want to kiss
you so bad, beautiful. So bad.” Yes! Her heart cried. “But I can’t,
I don’t have that much