“I think I could take ya,” he quips, winking playfully.
Arching her eyebrow, she sweeps her finger across the top of the pie before bringing her finger to her lips to lick a dab of the chocolate off the tip and sliding her finger in her mouth, slowly suckling the rest of the creamy decadence, trying hard not to laugh at the protrusion growing larger in his cotton pajama bottoms. “You sure about that?”
The hard twitch in his lower region seems to affect his ability to speak. “Mmm hmmm,” is all he can currently manage.
Dipping her finger into the chocolate again, Raina bites her lip to keep from smiling at the sweet lustful pools in his dark eyes. Taking a step towards him, pure mischief burns brightly as she quickly smears his cheek with the pie, laughing as she takes off running around the island in the kitchen.
“Oh, darlin’, you are absolutely going to pay for that,” Kas laughs, racing after her.
Her giggling squeals ring out loudly as she takes off, pie in hand, behind the table. Kas’ eyes gleam with the challenge, and he fakes left, then right, before he slides across the top of the table, grabbing Raina before she can escape. Backing her into the corner, his deliciously wicked smile dances in his eyes as he digs three of his fingers into the pie and holds them tauntingly in front of her face.
“You wouldn’t dare,” Raina mockingly scoffs.
The playful gleam in Kas’ eyes tells her that he will just as the chocolate is smeared from her cheek to her neck.
“Pierce!” she calls out, her sweet laughter relieving every bit of his stress from the past couple of weeks. Wasting no time to retaliate, Raina covers his nose and mouth with the dessert.
A full-blown food fight erupts, leaving them both covered in chocolate pudding and whip cream and laughing hysterically, cathartically, as they chase each other through the kitchen. Raina grabs the last handful of pie and throws it at Kas’ head just as he ducks. Her green eyes widen, and her hand flies to her mouth as the chocolate blob smacks Judge directly in the middle of his face. Kas has to grab the corner of the granite island countertop to keep from falling because he’s laughing so hard. Removing his glasses, Judge wipes the dark confection off his face while Raina doesn’t move, her shocked, slightly amused, expression frozen on her face.
“I’m so sorry, Judge,” her words tumble out as she hands him a dish towel.
Looking around the kitchen and taking in the mess on the counters, floors, and two of the walls, Judge’s hazel eyes return to his mischievous surrogate daughter who has the same chocolate concoction smeared through her long, wavy hair and covering most of her beautiful face. The sheepish look in her repentant eyes is too much to take, and he pulls her into his arms, not caring one bit about being covered in the same mess dripping off her. Judge wants to cry like a baby as his heart swells happily from how much Raina has changed since Kas came into her life, “You better get the other pie out so we can have something with the decaf coffee I’m getting ready to make while we clean this kitchen.”
The immense look of gratitude Judge bestows Kas while Raina is retrieving the lemon meringue humbles Kas, who turns his gaze to his wife and her carefree spirit that continues to vivaciously grow, filling his heart with so much love, his chest hurts.
Friday morning brings bright sunshine despite the freezing temperatures, and Kas rolls over in bed a little after 7:00 a.m., finding Raina wide-awake and looking at him. “Do you always make it a habit to watch me while I’m sleeping, sweetheart?”
“Sometimes,” she admits, her eyes unwavering as he stretches his powerful arms above his head and yawns.
“Do I talk in my sleep or something?” he winks.
“Nope, you’re quiet as a mouse, and you barely move at all, which gives me a premium, uninterrupted view.”
“Like what you see?” he winks again, his eyes playfully wicked.
“Very much so,” she grins, tracing her fingers down his muscular chest.
Sitting up, Kas leans against the headboard and pulls Raina against him, “Why don’t you tell me what’s on your mind?”
Her eyes darken, becoming pensive, worried, “Do you think I will be a good mother?”
“I
know
that you will be an excellent mother, Rain,” he assures her truthfully, “are you having second thoughts?”
“No,” she quickly replies, shaking her head. Her gaze lowers, “It’s just that, you have such a wonderful family who showed you how parenting is supposed to be. I-,” she pauses, “I don’t know what to do, just things not to do.”
Kas takes her chin, tilting it so her gaze meets his, “Raina, listen to me, you have the most amazing heart, your love and tenderness is just what every child needs. No one really knows what to do, I don’t know how to be a father, but we will figure it out together when the time comes.”
Snuggling against his chest, Raina wishes he didn’t have to go into work, “What is it that you don’t want me to see, Kas?”
“What do you mean?” he asks, confused by the rapid change of subject.
“Judge is going to be leaving, and you don’t want me alone, but you don’t want me at the agency either.”
“It’s not that I don’t want you there, Rain.” Kas sighs, “What I don’t want is continuing to expose you to the dark sins of life. I want you far away from them.”
“You think I can’t handle them?” she asks as her gaze falls again.
The crushing disappointment in Raina’s eyes kills him. Firmly taking her chin, Kas raises it again, “I know you can handle them, dammit! That’s the problem. I don’t want you to
have
to handle them anymore. I don’t want your innocence tainted, your heart broken again. I see what it does to you, and I can’t take seeing you hurting like that, not anymore.”
The anger burning in his eyes and lacing his voice, shocks her.
He swears before leaning his head against the headboard and closing his eyes, “It’s not you I’m angry at, Rain.” Opening his eyes again, Kas rubs his thumb across her cheek, “I’m sorry. Parker’s driving me crazy, he’s the one pissing me off, not you, baby, okay?”
Softly nodding her head, she lays it against his chest, “I know.”
Kas holds her for as long as he can before he has to get ready for work. Kissing her forehead, he runs his thumb slowly across her bottom lip, “You mean everything to me, Rain. You know that, right?”
“Yes,” she breathes, her eyes telling him the feeling is mutual.
“Call the girls, I’ll talk with the guys, we need a night away from all the craziness. Just take today. Enjoy your time with Judge before he leaves, and we’ll discuss everything else later.”
Erik
leans
against
the doorframe of Kas’ office, smiling like a Cheshire cat who just ate a flock of canaries.
“What is it?” Kas asks, rubbing his eyes from too many hours staring at the computer.
“Oh, not much, just that I have the name of the liaison between Prizrak and Jefferson,” Erik grins, waving a piece of paper enticingly through the air.
“You choose now to go the old fashioned route and write down the information instead of e-mailing it, texting it, tweeting it, or whatever the hell else you do?”
“You don’t tweet confidential information,” Erik chastises, staring at Kas incredulously, “how can you not at least absorb some of the mad skills of your wife when you live in the same house as her?”
“Just give me the name, Erik!”
Holding out the piece of paper, Erik yanks it away when Kas goes to take it, “First, now that Judge is going home, I want to know when you’re going to let Raina come out to play again?”
“Very funny,” Kas rebukes, “now give me the name before I hurt you.”
Laughing, Erik hands him the name before turning to leave. He stops at the door, “You know, I wouldn’t have gotten that name without Raina, just something for you to think about.”
Kas stares blankly at the paper, barely registering the name, David Brooks, his mind focused only on his wife and Erik’s words. Throwing the paper on his desk, he angrily drops his head into his hands as conflicting emotions stab him, making him question the decision he is toying with, tossing it back in forth in his mind, playing with the fire that he is sure is going to burn him. The last thing he wants to do is control Raina, but he’s afraid of her backsliding emotionally and terrified of what Parker’s capable of doing. Not able to take the consuming guilt, he calls Raina, needing to hear her voice to ease his tormented mind.
When Raina hangs up, Judge is relieved to be able to leave her feeling like her work has accomplished something. The hope burning bright jade brings such a warmth to his heart when he lovingly looks at the girl he loves like his own daughter. “It’s always hard leaving you,” Judge admits, blinking back tears, “you better be at my home for an extended stay in three months.”
Burying her head in his chest, she holds on tight, “I promise, Judge. I love you.”
“Love you too, honey,” he tells her, his voice thick as he kisses the top of her head. “You have fun tonight, all of you deserve a break to live your own lives.”
The
table
in
the corner is the most watched by far in the rowdy bar on the outskirts of D.C. The table’s occupants are mostly oblivious to the accumulation of the feral attention.
“I swear I did!” the stunning blonde exclaims, laughing heartily with the rest of the captivating group of young women.
“Thanks for the tip, I’ll have to try that one when the Super Bowl comes on,” Maya states excitedly to Susanna, “I can’t tear Jake away from the TV during football games.”
“You’ll have to save the strawberry glaze, vanilla icing, and fun device attached to your gaming remote for another day,” Mandy can barely tell Maya between hysterical giggles.
“Why?” Maya asks, taking another sip of her fruit filled martini.
Mandy is laughing too hard from the mental image to answer, so Raina takes over, trying to tame the blush on her cheeks from her much more brazen friends, “The Super Bowl is one of their busiest days out of the year,” she informs them as her blush deepens when her thoughts stray to how Kas would rid her of the sweet vanilla strawberry covering, probably the same way he would have rid her from the chocolate if they hadn’t awakened Judge. Toys never enter her mind, they are not needed with her talented husband. Josie’s fingers tapping her arm disturbs Raina’s delicious daydream. “The crowd at the Super Bowl has become infamous for the huge distribution of handlers extorting girls,” she continues, her earlier carefree thoughts diminishing, “the guys will be immersed in monitoring the various stings the FBI conducts that day.”
“Damn, I think I need another drink,” Maya mumbles, pensively stirring her straw in the fruity concoction.
“Where are the guys anyway?” Susanna blurts out, checking her cell phone.
“I don’t know about your men, but if I was fortunate enough to be the man of one of you lovely ladies, I certainly wouldn’t be leaving a table full of gorgeous women alone for too long on a Friday night, in a bar full of men,” a tall, chestnut-haired, tan faced, muscular twenty-something states with a killer grin as he places a tray full of drinks on the table. “Looked like you ladies we’re getting a little low.”
“Thank you,” Susanna states, flashing her bright smile and grabbing a drink while Raina glances at her incredulously.
“Lighten up, honey,” Mandy whispers, laughing, “just because you accept a drink from a man doesn’t mean you have to give him a roll in the sack.”
Raina’s cheeks flush, but she can’t contain the small chuckle that escapes, “That’s it, you are all cut off for the night.”
“Thank you for the drinks, but our dates are on their way to meet us,” Maya politely dismisses him.
Raina gives her a grateful glance.
“Too bad,” he winks, his dark blue eyes meeting them playfully, “enjoy your drinks anyway, ladies.” Flashing a sexy grin, he graciously walks away.
Josie pushes her almost empty margarita aside and grabs one of the mixed drinks.
“C’mon, honey,” Susanna encourages, pushing a drink towards Raina.
Politely sliding the drink behind her plain ole tea, she is saved by the buzzing of her cell phone. She’s had enough alcohol recently to do her for a very long time, and with not using protection last night, she’s beyond happy to put the alcohol away for good. Kas’ text message states they will be there in ten minutes, and his apology is laced with a very generous offer on how he plans on making it up to her later. She doesn’t know about the rest of them, but with what her husband is promising, she doesn’t care at all how late they are, as long as he arrives in time to deliver his sensual reparation.
Biting back a salacious grin, Raina sends a quick reply, the sweet wickedness of the short message delighting her as she thinks of Kas’ expression when he reads it.
The
man
is
driving
me
straight
to
blatant
wantonhood
. The grin on her face proves just how much she is enjoying the ride.
“They will be here in a few.”
“I’m starving,” Susanna pouts, “let’s order appetizers.”
After deciding on the sample platter, Susanna makes her way through the crowd, her full, firm derriere collecting numerous lustful stares as she passes. Unlike Raina, who is innocently oblivious to the ample attention she receives from the opposite sex, Susanna is not only fully aware, she finds it quite amusing. Although she’s careful not to overindulge in her views of harmless flirtation, Susanna doesn’t think twice about batting her long, thick lashes and tossing her bouncy blonde hair to get what she wants.
The bartender’s gaze falls short of her face when she leans on the bar, placing the appetizer order. Susanna’s position is too tempting for one of the occupants who has had about five too many. Grabbing her pouched out tush, the debauched man gives it a squeeze, immediately elbowing his friends and laughing hysterically.
“What the hell?” Susanna yells, spinning around and landing her hand hard across the man’s cheek.
The buzzed humor evaporates as he grabs Susanna’s arm, “Oh, you like it rough, honey?”
Raina notices the flirty guy who gave them the drinks quickly rushing towards the bar. Turning around, her pulse quickens as she sees Susanna being held by a very large, very angry man. Racing towards Susanna, she cringes when the man punches the intended hero in the nose.
Not having a clue as to what she is going to do, Raina steps beside Susanna, placing her hand on top of the perpetrator’s firm grip, “Let her go.”
“What are you going to do if I don’t, honey?” he taunts, his amused expression returning as he looks at the slight frame of the pretty redhead in front of him, telling
him
what to do.
“We don’t want any problems,” Raina states, finding it hard to breathe, “please, just let her go.”
His laughter is obnoxiously loud as he smirks at her, his amused gaze darting between the two women, and he eases his grip on Susanna’s arm when he witnesses the fear, only wanting to have a little fun, not frighten them.
“Let her go,” a deeper, much more threatening, voice commands from behind.
Raina spins, extremely relieved to see her husband.
“You her man?” he asks, releasing Susanna and lightly pushing Raina backwards as he steps towards Kas.
Kas’ punch lands hard against the man’s jaw. “No, I’m hers,” he growls, nodding his head towards Raina, “touch her again, and you will be crawling out of here.”
Erik reaches them and quickly pulls a trembling Susanna into his arms, “You okay?”
Nodding, her terrified eyes are fixated on the group of men circling Kas.
“Take it outside!” the bartender yells, “I’m calling the cops.”
Austin holds up his badge, “No need.”
Raina wraps her shaky hands around Kas’ arm, “Let’s just go, please.”
The plea in her tone tugs at him, and he wraps his arm protectively around her as he leads her towards the door. Once they are outside, he gives her a quick cursory glance, “Did he hurt you?”
“No,” she states truthfully, slipping inside the car door that Kas is holding open for her.
Susanna is still trembling as Erik walks her to the car. Frank opens the door to his Mustang for Josie and has just shut it when the door to the bar opens, and the group of large men barge toward them.