Shattered Souls (To Love and Serve Book 1) Read online

  “He only likes watching the games from home because my mom makes him all kinds of snacks.” I fill Keegan in.

  “She’s good like that.” He gives my mom a loving smile. “Even if I do drive her crazy with my screaming at the TV.” We all laugh.

  “This was delicious, Lexi. Thank you for having us over.” My father rubs his belly.

  “We need to thank Keegan. This is his apartment. I just did the cooking.”

  “Yes, thank you, Keegan,” my father says.

  “What are your plans for the future?” My mother asks.

  “How do you mean?” I ask her, confused.

  “Well, will you two live together? Isn’t it silly for you each to pay rent?” I’m about to lay into my mom for pressing another topic onto Keegan and putting him an awkward situation when Keegan steps in.

  “Mrs. Morgan, I had planned on talking with Lexi about that this evening. I wanted a chance to meet her folks first, that way you would know what kind of man your daughter is living with.”

  I gasp. “You were?” I’m a bit surprised.

  He nods his head at me. “Will you move in with me?”

  I shrug. “Sure, why not. I’m here more than home anyway, and I have a key.”

  “There you go. Now, please, ma’am, don’t go asking about marriage because I think it’s safe to say neither of us are ready for that yet.” My mom laughs and blushes slightly. “Oh, and I know you have a bit of a drive, so you’re welcome to stay the night the next time you folks come down for a visit.”

  “That’s mighty nice of you, Keegan.” My father is starting to take a liking to him.

  Once everything is cleaned up my father decides it’s getting late and it’s time for them to hit the road. He’s not a fan of driving at night and tries to avoid it if he can, so we say our goodbyes and I promise to visit them soon. As soon as the door is locked I let out a deep breath. “Keegan, I’m so sorry about my father. I had no idea he was going to pull something like that.”

  He puts his hand up to stop me. “You have nothing to apologize for. I’m the one who should be apologizing. I should have been prepared for a question like that, but I wasn’t, it threw me off and I didn’t handle it very well.”

  My eyes go wide. “You handled it very well. He had no business asking you a question like that, and in the manner he did. He fucking drives me crazy with his protectiveness sometimes.” I pace the living room.

  He steps closer to me, takes my arm and pulls me close. “Let’s just forget about it. I want you to know I’m serious about what I said at dinner though. I would love for you to move in with me.”

  I nod. “I know. We’ll work out the timing. Maybe I’ll move in when we get back from Maine.”

  “If that’s what you want, then I’m all for it. Right now what I want is to take you to bed and make sweet love to you.”

  I smile. “Oh really. What about what I want?”

  He throws his head back. “Okay, what do you want?”

  I giggle. “The same thing you want.”

  He bends over scooping me up over his shoulder and carries me off to the bedroom where he lays me on the bed and makes love to me until I’m exhausted.

  It’s taken us an entire month to line this up, but we finally got lucky and had a weekend off that we could go away. “I know this is going to be an emotional trip but how are you feeling?” I glance over at Lexi who’s snuggled up in the passenger’s seat of my car. She has a small smile on her face. She’s staring out the window watching the world pass by as we head to Maine. I can’t wait for her to see the cute bed and breakfast I’ve booked us in for the long weekend.

  She turns back to look at me. “I’m okay. I’m a believer that everything happens for a reason. It was our time to do this.” She shrugs and turns back to look out the window. It’s a quiet ride but I don’t mind. I’m sure she’s lost in her own thoughts about her friend, and how she feels showing up at her mom’s house to introduce herself. Personally, I think it’s the perfect way for her to really have the closure she needs to move on with her life. There’s no doubt in my mind this woman is going to adore Lexi, and meeting her may even help Bailey’s mom a bit. After Romano died I spent a bit of time with his wife, and I know it helped her. She had family as well, and together we pulled her through it.

  It’s amazing to watch Lexi’s expressions change from time to time. She’s gone from sad to having a small smile on her face, and then back to sad again. Right now her face is lighting up with excitement the closer we get to Maine. “I love when the leaves change color. When I was small, my mom and dad would take me on small trips here and there. I loved to get out of the city where you could really enjoy the crisp fall air.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean. You can go to the park and catch glimpses of fall in the air, but you don’t really get to appreciate fall until you take a trip like this.”

  She turns to me. “Have you ever thought of leaving our shit city?”

  “I did for a short time, but then I realized the kids of this city needed people like me, and I don’t just mean cops, but people who would truly stick up for them, people who understand them.”

  “You amaze me.”

  “Why, if I weren’t dealing with kids who needed me I’d probably end up a cop in a snooty town where kids are spoiled brats and do what they do because Mommy and Daddy will get them some fancy lawyer who will help them get away with it. I’d rather be where I am.”

  “Did I ever tell you about Bailey?”

  I shake my head. “Not really.”

  She turns to look back out the window. “She was one of those bratty kids. She told me so herself. Had everything she could have ever wanted in life, and yet she still wanted more. She got a reality check when she got herself into some trouble. She wouldn’t give me any details about what she did but whatever it was it must have been bad. It made her turn her life around. She told me that was when she decided to join the Army to straighten her life out.” She turns back to me. “She did well. She worked hard, and was a great kid.” A tear runs down her cheek. “I think that’s the part that tears me up, she was just a kid and just when she was turning herself around… BAM.” She slams her fist on the doorframe. “Her life is fucking gone. They stole her chance to live, her chance to show what a good person she really was.” She begins to shout.

  It’s killing me that I’m driving and can’t hold her to help her through this. The best I can do is give her leg a gentle squeeze in support, reminding her that I get it. “I’m sorry, Lexi. You’re right, it’s not fair, but it seems like she was working hard to prove herself, and she did. She saved lives and she turned hers around. Right now it seems like she should have been rewarded for her dedication, and you feel like she was robbed, but she died doing what she loved, saving the lives of others.”

  Lexi nods her head. “She really did love her job.”

  She puts her head back on the rest, and a short time later she falls asleep tired from the stress of the situation.

  We pull up to the bed and breakfast a short time later. It’s perfect timing we’re supposed to check in at three and it’s three-thirty. “Lexi, baby. We’re here.”

  She wakes and her eyes go wide at the mansion that stands before us. With a smile that would light up the town she jumps from the car. Her eyes taking in the view. “Keegan, this place is gorgeous.”

  “I’m glad you’re happy.” I grab our two bags and we walk up the elegant front steps of the building. It really is quite nice, and her excitement has me antsy to check in. I booked us the nicest room they have, and I can’t wait for her to see it.

  As soon as we’re through the door we are instantly greeted by a tall woman with long blond hair and a bright smile. “Welcome to Lord’s Mansion.”

  “Thank you. I have a reservation, Keegan Ward.”

  “Ahh, yes. Your room is all ready for you, if you’ll follow me.” She walks us through the house pointing out the dining room where breakfast is served daily fro
m six-thirty until eleven-thirty. She shows us the fitness room, as well as some bathrooms strategically placed around the house. Lexi hasn’t stopped smiling as she checks out various pictures and decor. “Your room is on the third floor.” We continue following her through the house to our room.

  When she opens the door Lexi gasps. “Keegan, this is amazing.” There’s a four poster bed in the center of the room, two small dressers for our clothes. A table is set up across from our bed with a small fridge underneath. There’s also a small electric fireplace with a TV mounted above it, but the best part is the bathroom. I picked this room when I was looking online because of it. I take her hand and walk her into our private space. A huge grin spreads across her face. “I can’t believe you did all this for me.”

  “Of course, I love you, Lexi, and though we aren’t here under the best circumstances I wanted to make it as nice as possible.”

  We walk back out into the room and our greeter is still there. “I’m going to let you get settled. If you need anything, the phone is by the bed, or you can always ask one of the staff around the house. I hope you’ll enjoy your stay.” We thank her and she exits the room.

  “What shall we do?” Lexi asks.

  “Well, I was thinking I would enjoy some time loving this amazing body of yours, and then we would take a bath before we head out for some dinner.”

  She licks her lips. “I like the sound of that.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.” My voice is barely a whisper. She presses up on her toes meeting me halfway. Our lips seal, and our tongues dance. My hands go straight to her hair, pulling it to give me better access to her neck. I lick, suck, and nibble down to her collarbone before licking my way back up the pulsing vein in her neck. “Strip for me.” I whisper licking the shell of her ear.

  She slowly peels her shirt up over her head revealing a beautiful red lace bra that already has my cock standing at attention. I exhale a slow breath as she slips her leggings down her long, lean legs revealing a matching red thong. She spins around showing off her sexy body making my mouth water. “Come here, beautiful.” She struts over to me. “Are you game for playing a little?” She nods slowly.

  “Good.” I remove her bra and slip her thong down her legs. “Lay in the middle of the bed for me.” She crawls on in a slow sexy manner giving me a good look at her perfectly round ass. I shake off my thoughts and run to my bag to grab what I need. Knowing we had a four poster bed, I came prepared. She’s been wanting to use these, and now’s the perfect time. I use my leather cuffs to tie her legs and arms to the posts of the bed. When I’m finished I stand back and admire the view. She looks stunning strapped to the bed unable to move, moisture building between her legs. Her nipples are hard as little pebbles, and there’s a look of anticipation on her face. Approaching the foot of the bed, I wrap my fingers around the post and slowly glide them down it never breaking eye contact. When I get to the bottom my fingers skim her foot and continue up the inside of her leg sending goose pimples rampant over her body. I climb onto the bed and lower my lips to her nipple, she arches her back egging me on. I suck on her nipple rolling my tongue over it while my fingers run through her folds, causing her to moan. I roll my fingers over her wet, hard clit. She’s extremely wet and ready to play.

  I slip a blindfold over her eyes and whisper in her ear, “I’ll be right back.” She whimpers at the loss of my touch. I take my time going to the ice machine I noticed on the way to our room. When I get back she’s moving her head back and forth trying to see through the blindfold but it’s no use. “Are you okay, baby?” I ask gently, she’s panting, and it has me a bit concerned.

  “Yeah, glad you’re back.” She takes a deep breath.

  “I’m back and I’m going to take care of you.” I place the ice bucket on the nightstand, rid myself of my clothes, and climb onto the bed between her legs. My cock rubs against her warm wet pussy causing her to flinch when it hits her clit.

  I grab an ice cube squeezing it hard causing it to melt. It drips onto her warm skin causing her to whimper and the sound goes directly to my cock. Placing the ice cube in my mouth I lick over her nipples, she arches her back pressing her breast to my face. “Fuck, Keegs.” She pants as I leave trails of melted ice down to her belly button where I leave the small chip of ice. She’s fighting against her restraints, itching to use her hands when my cold tongue hits her hard little nub.

  “Relax, sexy. I got you.” I run my hand up her leg, over her hip, and straight to her nipple. I pinch it and roll it between my fingers as my tongue attacks her pussy. In a matter of minutes she’s erupting all over me as her body quivers and shakes. She’s screaming my name. “Lower your voice or I’ll gag you. We are not at home.” She bites her lip, fighting to hold back her screams. When she finally calms down she giggles, realizing how loud she was.

  “Our neighbors are going to hate us.”

  It’s time to see those beautiful eyes. I remove her blindfold. “Nah, it’s early, they’re probably still out.” Her smile turns to a moan when I slam my cock balls deep inside her. Pressing her heels into the mattress she lifts her hips encouraging me to continue, but I can’t. If I move I’ll go too quickly, that’s what this woman does to me. “Patience, baby.” But she doesn’t listen, she continues wanting me, and who am I to deprive her? Setting a punishing rhythm I roll my hips giving it to her hard and rough, the way she likes it. She’s biting her lip to the point I’m guaranteed to taste blood when I kiss her. She presses her head back into the pillow, and closes her eyes when her pussy clamps down on my cock sending me over with her.

  I press my lips to hers. “You’re amazing.”

  “I think I should be saying that to you. I can’t believe you thought to bring these.”

  I shrug. “You’ve wanted to use them, and I knew we were going to have the perfect bed for them so why not.”

  “I like the way you think.”

  “Let’s see how much you like my thinking when I’m claiming that ass this weekend.” I reach down to undo the cuffs on her ankles, and as soon as I do she closes her legs tight. “What? I thought you liked when we played?”

  “I did, but I’m not sure I’m ready yet.” She looks nervous.

  “Have I ever hurt you? I know we play rough, but seriously… Have I?” She shakes her head. “Good, then you should know I would never push you to do something you’re not ready for.” She silently nods her agreement. I kiss her gently one last time. “Let’s go take a bath before dinner.” I jump up off the bed and head straight to the bathroom to start the tub, adding the jasmine bubble bath I had brought up to the room.

  “Mmm, it smells good in here.” She wraps her hand around my waist. “Oh, look at you, you’ve thought of everything.” I take her hand and help her into the deep tub. “Oh, this feels nice.” She pulls me in and slides forward so I can sit behind her. I begin massaging her back and rubbing my hands over her body. She exhales a deep breath and rests her head on my shoulders. “Thank you for making a tough weekend romantic.”

  “You don’t need to thank me. It’s my job, we’re going steady now.” She giggles and I’m glad, I was hoping to lighten her mood. Tomorrow we’re off to visit Bailey right after breakfast, and I’m sure it’s weighing heavily on her mind.

  She turns in the tub sitting next to me, her hands rubbing the bubbles all over my chest and abs. Her hands slip down below the water, her fingers wrapping firmly around my cock. “What are you doing?”

  “Playing,” she says flatly.

  “Oh, no, you’re not. We don’t have a lot of time and I want to relax before dinner.” She pouts, but I pick her up and sit her back in front of me.

  “Fine, but I’m playing later.” She crosses her hands at her chest.

  “Fine.” I agree to settle her.

  She rolls her head back onto my shoulder, I kiss her on the temple, and we both relax in a comfortable silence until the water is cold and we need to get out. I have made us reservations for dinner and we have just en
ough time to get dressed and get over there. “We need to get ready for dinner.” She groans. “Do you hear me?” She groans again. I poke at her ribs tickling her.

  “Okay, Okay. Let’s get ready for dinner.” She squeals with laughter and it’s the most beautiful sound on earth.

  I haven’t slept a wink because every time I closed my eyes all I could see was Bailey. Knowing we were going to see her today has really messed with me, and I the thought of potentially meeting her mom only made it worse. I thought about picking up the phone several times to call her and let her know we were coming, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. What if I chickened out? What if I decided it was too much to handle? I knew I would be disappointed in myself, and I couldn’t handle her disappointment as well, so I decided to go to her house and hope she’s home, and that she has time to visit with me.

  I slip on my sneakers and brush my teeth. Keegan has been amazing. This morning he’s being supportive but giving me the space I need to get through this trying day. “Are you ready to grab some breakfast?”

  “Sure.” I take my purse from the chair and we head down for breakfast.

  When we get downstairs there’s a small table for two by the window. Keegan pulls the chair out for me, and then takes a seat himself. The nice woman who greeted us yesterday greets us again this morning. “Good morning. How was your stay with us last night?”

  “It was fine, thank you.” Keegan smiles at her.

  “Can I get you folks some coffee?”

  At the same time we both respond, “Yes, please.” She tells us she’ll be back and heads off to get us our drinks, leaving us with a small menu.

  “Are you okay?” Keegan asks, his voice full of concern.