Secured Sparks Read online

  “I’ll have to think that one over at greater length and get back to you.” She looked over his shoulder, finding Gracie in the crowd. She stood next to Jacob safe and sound.

  Before he knew what had happened, Kera snagged the sleeve of Weave’s jacket, tugging him into a short hallway that led to the back rooms. She tried each door until she found one that was unlocked. Pulling him in, she closed the door behind them. She’d only hoped for a moment of his time unobserved by a crowd, but she ended up shoving his back against the closed door. He let out a low chuckle at her over-the-top enthusiasm, and she found herself being even more outrageous in an attempt to lift his mood. She hated that he seemed unhappy tonight, but the emotion was etched into every line of his weary face. She was going to change that. She could feel his erection pressing against her stomach, and she sealed her mouth over his, sucking his bottom lip into her mouth. He opened for her, and the taste of peppermint exploded on her tongue. She could hear the sound of his ragged breathing in the otherwise quiet room, and she leaned back slightly so she could look into his eyes “I just want a taste,” she told him as she dropped to her knees. Sliding down his zipper, she released his erection into her hands and stroked her fingers over the silky smooth skin for a moment before bending her head and running her tongue along the length of him. When she took him between her lips, she heard a thump as he let his head drop back against the door behind him.

  He buried his hand in her hair, guiding her into a rhythm that brought him the most pleasure, and his breathing hitched up another notch right before he exploded. She licked her lips as she stood, zipping his pants as she went. She pressed her face into the crook of his neck, and he wrapped his arms around her, completely blown away. She smelled like coconuts, he thought vaguely.

  “You weren’t meant for a normal life,” she told him softly “You were meant for greatness.” She slipped out of his arms and out the door, leaving him alone.

  “Holy shit,” Weave breathed as soon as she was out of sight. He was beginning to think he was totally out of his league. He waited a minute longer, trying desperately to slow the rapid beating of his heart, and when he finally rejoined the crowd, his eyes automatically went in search of Kera. She stood near Jacob looking completely unruffled, and he had to shake his head at the sight. She was going to chew him up and spit him out. No doubt about it.

  “Here take this.” Weave glanced over at Gracie’s words, and she held out a champagne flute. When he made no move to reach for it, she added “Its sparkling cider. I know you don’t drink, and I can’t drink.” She gave her stomach a little pat.

  He took the glass gratefully. “Thanks. It looks like your night has been a success.”

  “Do I owe you an apology?” she asked quietly.

  He thought her question over carefully, his gaze searching out Kera, once more his feelings soothed by the sight of her. “You drew things the way you saw them. Why be sorry? Do me a favor,” he snatched a napkin off a nearby tray and scratched out a few words same place fifteen minutes. “Take this over to Kera for me please?”

  Gracie smiled like a little girl with a secret. “No problem.” She practically skipped across the room with her prize, slipping it to Kera when Jacob looked away. Weave watched as she unfolded the tiny square then sought him with her eyes. She smiled giving him a short nod. This time he pulled out his cell phone and called Shannon to warn him that he was about to take a break. He didn’t want his absence putting the artwork at risk.

  Fifteen minutes later to the exact second, Kera slipped back through the door, and Weave wasted no time pouncing upon her, shoving her back against the door. He buried both hands in her hair and ravaged her mouth with his own. He wanted it to go on forever, but he didn’t have long. Taking a step back he told her, “Turnabout is fair play” and he dropped to his knees. He pushed the short dress up and over her hips before she had a chance to protest. Her silk and lace panties were a huge turn on, but they had to go since he couldn’t have them blocking his way. He slid them down her legs, lifting one foot and then the other, removing them all together. “I think I’ll keep these.” He shoved them in the inside pocket of his suit jacket, and then lifted her leg over his shoulder. He sealed his mouth over her core, going straight for his prize. He didn’t try to tease her or draw out the experience. Instead, he moved his tongue relentlessly over her clit, trying for a quick, hard release. He wasn’t disappointed. When she came, she covered her mouth with both hands trying to stifle her cries of pleasure. He stood and let her leg drop. Helping her push her dress back down, he said, “A normal life with me is going to be akin to greatness, and, by the way, I love the new hair.

  Oh. He was a cocky bastard. She took a moment to catch her breath and straighten her hair before slipping back into the main room. She sought Gracie with her eyes, first reassuring herself of her safety. She had been slacking tonight, but Weave was very distracting. Luckily the place was teeming with Safe Haven members along with Gracie’s privately hired security team, and the crowd was starting to break up, signaling an end to the night.

  “Where do you keep disappearing to?” Jacob asked at her shoulder.

  “Here and there” she answered evasively.

  “Ah, I see. Weave.”

  Her head whipped around at his words, but she refused to say anything. “Hit the nail on the head, did I?” When she remained stubbornly quiet, he added, “I like Weave. He’s a good man, but if this is a game for you, I wish you would find someone else to play it with. Weave has had a very hard life. He’s my friend, so I don’t want to say anything that violates his privacy and damages our friendship, but he’s had to deal with a lot of pain, more than I ever explained to you. He deserves the real thing. He needs to be surrounded by people who only want to lift him up. Not drag him further down.”

  Kera loved Jacob, but his lecture was chafing her skin, so she reached over and lay her hand on his forearm. She hated to do this to him, but he had meddled first. “You feared you were going to be forced to kill an innocent man when you found out about Gracie sketching Bob. You hated it because you had become good friends with Weave when he was living in Manhattan. You didn’t want to lose your new friend, but you know the truth. It’s not Weave that’s falling apart, as everyone else assumes. It’s Bob.” Since he was already looking at her with disbelief, she continued. “She wished for a dune buggy and unlimited wishes. She wished for every single one of your kisses, and that she could keep you. You wished for stilts, and for Caleb to cook you breakfast. You wished for her to marry you, and here you are.”

  Jacob stared at her awestruck. “You are your mother’s daughter.”

  “Yes, I am. Weave did his time and now that he’s on the mend, he’s ready to be with me. Exactly as God intended,” she emphasized, knowing he would understand the significance of her words. “However, Bob is going to need all the help he can get for a while, because he’s slipping away.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  Manhattan-

  Jacob stepped aside, revealing the most beautiful woman Weave had ever seen. Her hair was bright pink, but it didn’t take away from her looks at all, instead it enhanced it.

  “This is my cousin and partner, Kera Simmons,” Jacob said, waving a hand in her direction. “She’s going to keep you company while you’re here.” Jacob’s words distracted him effectively.

  “You’ve assigned me a babysitter?”

  “Yes,” Jacob answered, revealing not a hint of remorse “If you want to get better, you will let me help you in this small way.”

  “I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

  “Obviously you’re not, or I wouldn’t be here,” Kera told him frankly, and even though it stung his pride, he ruefully admitted to himself that they were right. If he could take care of himself, he would have never ended up in this position, and as far as babysitters went, he could do worse.

  ***

  Weave leaned against the wall just outside the back door waiting for Kera to make
an appearance. He passed the time bullshitting with Shannon as he cooled his heels. He knew she was still inside with Jacob, not only because he could sense her, but also because the black Hummer she drove was still parked two spaces over from his truck. Finally the back door swung open and he caught a flash of blue. He pitched his voice so she wouldn’t miss him, “Are you ready?”

  “If I’m ever to have any hope of getting my panties back then we better get going.”

  He laughed at the look that passed over Shannon’s face, and when Kera realized they had company, she didn’t so much as blush, instead she asked, “Who’s your friend?”

  “This is Shannon Smith,” she held out her hand for Shannon, and Weave added “Shannon, this is Kera.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Shannon sounded surprised but pleased.

  “And you as well.”

  “Well then, I’ll just leave you two alone,” Shannon said while trying, and failing, to stifle a smile. They both watched as he walked away. As soon as he was out of sight, Weave asked, “Do you want to ride with me or follow me home?”

  “There’s really no sense in me leaving my vehicle here, so I’d prefer to follow you, if that’s okay?”

  “That’s fine, but the house is in a gated community. You won’t be able to slide in behind me. You have to know the code.” He pulled a pen from his back pocket and reached for her hand, scribbling some numbers on it. “This is the code. I’ll see you soon.” He tugged her hand gently, pulling her into his arms, and twined his tongue with hers. God he would never get tired of the taste of her.

  ***

  Kera followed Weave’s taillights, thankful to finally be going home. She hated the thought of being stuck in this cocktail dress and heels much longer. She did, indeed, need the security code to get through the gate, and she was rather proud of the community for timing the gate in such a way. The house was beautiful, and she wasn’t really surprised—the apartment in Manhattan had been wonderful. He had described the house to her in detail, but she hadn’t had a chance to see it yet for herself, since work had kept them apart. Despite the fact that Weave worked security, you could practically smell the money pouring off him. His suit alone cost more than most people spent on their rent in a month, and the watch he wore, while not appearing that expensive, actually cost as much as her car. Of course, when your father was the world’s leading computer hacker, like say … hers, money was fairly unimportant since really it was only a computer click away. Yep. That was her family. Not real disturbed with what was technically considered legal, but injustice: that was something they couldn’t stand.

  She tugged her bags out of the car, and Weave grabbed the ones left over, before leading her to the door. “Welcome home.”

  Kera didn’t even try to hide her curiosity as she looked around. The house was huge, but it looked lived in. She took a quick look at the living room, noticing the couch looked comfy, and she caught a glimpse of a swimming pool through one of the windows. She wasn’t concerned with taking a tour right now, instead she kicked off her heels, tossed down her bags and threw herself against Weave. If he hadn’t been a solid wall of muscle, he might have been knocked to the floor, but, as it was, he only grunted against the impact. Waiting for the night to end had been like a slow torture, but now she had him right where she wanted him. She didn’t want to wait a second longer to have him inside her.

  She walked until she had him backed against the edge of the couch while she tried to kiss every inch of his bare skin. He sat down hard, and she straddled his hips, causing her dress to ride up high. Weave ran his hands over her back, sliding down her zipper while pushing her dress the rest of the way up until he had it pulled over her head. He had her panties in his pocket, and her dress didn’t allow for a bra, so that was all it took to leave her completely nude.

  She pushed his jacket over his shoulders, and he leaned forward to help her. With his jacket off, she quickly unbuttoned his shirt and repeated the motion until he was bare-chested before her. He sucked her nipple into his mouth, and she buried her hands between their bodies, trying desperately to unfasten his pants. When she finally managed to set his erection free, she nearly groaned aloud in relief. She lifted up, taking him fully inside.

  They both froze, and Weave reached up to brush his fingers along her jaw line. “I’ve dreamt of you every night. Does that sound crazy?” he asked quietly.

  “It’s not crazy at all.” He buried his hand in her hair, bringing her mouth down to his, touching his lips lightly to hers. The motion was so sweet it brought tears to her eyes, making her heart squeeze in her chest. She rocked against him, and he grabbed her hips, surging up against her. She gasped at the feel of him buried deep inside of her. She wanted to savor every moment, but it didn’t take long for her mind to be carried away on a tide of pleasure, and she found out first hand that he hadn’t only been boasting: she did end up crying out his name.

  ***

  The familiar smell of antiseptic reminded him that he’d been down this hall before. Every pair of eyes he met held a hint of accusation, as his thoughts ran in circles. How could he only be sixteen? He was dead? How could he only be sixteen? The hospital bed came into view, and he braced himself against the sight of what his rage could do, except it wasn’t him; it wasn’t Daniel. Weave stared down at Kera in confusion. Why was she here? Fear clogged his throat, and he grabbed her arm, praying to a feel a pulse. Her eyes shot open at his touch, and she met his gaze steadily “Wake up Weave.”

  On a gasp, Weave sat straight up, his eyes going directly to Kera’s side of the bed. She had burrowed so deeply beneath the covers that only the top of her head showed above the blanket, and he had to shake his head at the sight. He’d never understood how anyone slept with their face covered. She didn’t snore, or even breathe deeply, and he felt a moment of renewed panic. Trying his best not to wake her in case he was only being paranoid, he slid his hand beneath the blanket to make sure she still breathed. He let out a sigh of relief when she snuggled deeper at his touch. A huge part of him wanted to curl himself around her and stay there all day, but the dream continued to creep into his mind, and he slipped silently from the bed.

  ***

  She knew right away that she was alone in the bed as soon as her eyes opened, but the sound of rhythmic pounding let Kera know that Weave hadn’t gone far. She dug around, finding an old t-shirt and followed the sound. She found him in a bedroom that had been converted into a gym; he was working out on the bag. He wore only a pair of workout shorts, and his muscular back rippled with every movement. The sight was enough to give any girl heart failure, especially one that was already in danger of her heart failing. She could see the ear buds of his MP3 player, and she knew he hadn’t heard her approach. Instead of moving into his line of vision, she chose to spend a few minutes watching him unobserved. She found it a bit amazing that he wanted her. His body was a work of art, and she was only average, but the proof was in the soreness of her body. He made a few quick jabs and one short kick causing the muscles to flex in his back. Of all the things that death would steal from her, he was what she regretted the most. She found herself blinking rapidly to stave off the tears, and Weave spun, catching her gaze. His eyes lit up from the inside out, and he smiled as if she were the answer to all the world’s problems. She knew then that she would stop at nothing to assure his happiness.

  “I believe that I was promised breakfast.”

  His voice held a hint of laughter. “Yes, I believe you were, and if you would let me snatch a quick shower, I’ll get right on that.”

  “I’d be happy with lunch instead if you need someone to help wash your back?”

  “Oh yeah, I do have this one spot that I can never reach, so if you could help me out with that, then I’d be more than happy to fix lunch.” When his eyes shined with laughter, the way they were now it made everything better in her world. She had missed him so much.

  ***

  Manhattan-

  The bed was a mess.
The sheets were twisted in a heap, as if he’d tossed and turned all night. A pair of worn jeans rode low on his hips, and his muscular back was bared for her viewing pleasure. He didn’t turn at her arrival, but kept his forehead pressed against the windowpane, as he stared sightlessly at the busy street below. His hands were braced on either side of the window, causing the muscles to bunch across his back and shoulders. She could stare at him all day. She longed to run her tongue along the indention in the center of his back. Wanting him day after day like this was killing her. It was truly unfair for one man to be so incredibly sexy.

  “Are you thinking about jumping?”

  He didn’t startle at her words, proving he had known she was there all along.

  “Maybe,” he answered so quietly she almost didn’t hear him.

  He turned and her mouth went dry. His short-cropped hair stood on end, as if he’d been running his hands through it. The wide expanse of bare chest narrowed as her gaze lowered over a set of six-pack abs, but her eyes latched onto the top button of his jeans that had been left undone. She licked her parched lips before meeting his eyes. They had shadows beneath them, proving he hadn’t slept, but they burned blazingly nonetheless.

  “Perhaps I could give you something else to occupy your mind?” she offered.

  Weave watched her unmoving. “Like what?”

  Kera crossed the room with quick strides. “Like this,” she answered, as she pulled his head down to hers, sealing her mouth over his.

  ***

  Weave was a selfish bastard, and he knew it, but he couldn’t get enough of her. The poor woman didn’t end up getting any lunch either, but by the time dinner rolled around, she had more or less put her foot down about being fed, and he had conceded. Even though it was only 37 degrees outside, he did what manly men do; he put on his coat and went out to fire up the grill. If you fed it enough gas, it would stay lit. It might not get as hot, but that only meant they had more time to prepare the side items. His woman was getting red meat. That’s what she had reduced him to; a caveman ready to beat his chest, kill their food and then drag her by the hair back to his manly cave. Damn, he had never been so possessive over a woman before her, nor had he ever met anyone that brought out a desire in him to take care of them, but he wanted to make sure she was taken care of. Fuck the whole rest of the world, so long as she had what she needed. They spent the meal trading stories. She told him about her trip, and he told her what he’d been up to while she was gone. Jacob had explained Safe Haven to him back when he had been offered a job, and Weave was relieved since that would have been one huge secret sitting between them otherwise—he didn’t think that was a good thing for a relationship.