Justice Is Always Ready (A Graham Family Story, 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

along the beach, and the talk
continued to center around their families. He enjoyed watching the
joy in her face when she spoke of hers.
    “ How is your sister?” she
asked him once they’d been seated at their table.
    “ Doing great. We had a
wonderful visit. Tell me about you, Kassidy. What have you been
doing?”
    “ Working and that’s it.
Helping out at the museum when I can. My mom has been under the
weather, so they’re shorthanded.”
    “ Nothing serious, I
hope.”
    “ Not sure. They don’t seem
fit to tell me.”
    He could hear the strain in her voice.
Reaching for her hand he gave it a slight squeeze. “Would you like
to leave?”
    “ I’m good,” she said with
a small shake of her head. “Besides, it’s not fair to let me smell
this food and take me away.”
    He smiled. “Well, I’m nothing if not
fair.”
    “ That’s good to know.” Her
eyes sparkled.
    They had a wonderful dinner and shared
a Bananas Foster for dessert before strolling down the boardwalk,
hand in hand. Justice loved her hand in his; it brought him a
wonderful sense of completion.
    “ Justice! Hey, Justice!” a
voice hollered.
    Looking over his shoulder, he spotted
Teak. Lifting his free hand in a wave, he said, “Hey, Teak. How’s
it going?”
    “ Good. Good.” She stopped
beside them.
    Kassidy stiffened slightly at his
side. He looked at Kassidy and hated the tenseness at the corner of
her mouth.
    “ Wonderful. Teak, I’d like
you to meet, Ms. Kassidy Barrow. Kassidy, this is Lieutenant Terra
Acre, better known as Teak. She’s my first mate.”
    “ It’s a pleasure to meet
you, Ms. Barrow,” Teak said with a smile.
    “ And you.”
    Justice watched as the women continued
to talk. Kassidy relaxed and his heart caught each and every time
she smiled, even though it wasn’t at him.
    “ Well,” Teak stated, “I
don’t want to keep y’all. Kassidy, it was a pleasure meeting you.
Justice, I’ll see you at work.”
    With a wave Teak walked
off.
    “ She’s nice,” Kassidy
commented as they began walking again.
    “ Yeah,” he agreed. Teak
was great but she wasn’t the woman he wanted to be thinking about
right now.
    They continued on for a while, more
sightseeing and people watching than anything. He kept his hand
securely around hers as they progressed along the boardwalk.
Snatches of conversation and childish laughter blew by on the
wind.
    She tugged him toward the rail and
leaned against it. Resting along it himself, he stared down into
her eyes. The setting sun brought a golden hue to her smooth skin
and made the green flecks in her gray eyes shine brighter. His
heart caught and it took a few seconds before he remembered to
breathe.
    The breeze brought the
intoxicating scent that he’d come to associate as
Kassidy’s  amber with a hint of gentle vanilla. Big guileless eyes
stared back at him and he knew he was lost.
    “ Kassidy,” he murmured,
leaning close and covering her mouth with his. The kiss was tender
and thorough. He explored the depths of her warmth using long
strokes. Her taste embedded itself further and further into his
soul.
    She purred in the back of her throat
and slid her tongue along his in response. Pulling her hand free
from his, she wound her arms around his neck. The feel of her body
pressed tight to his made the desire within him flare even more. He
grew stiff within the confines of his pants and forced himself to
end the kiss before it went any farther and he forgot they were in
public.
    Her eyes had darkened and the lashes
had lowered, giving her a hooded, seductive appearance. Full plump
lips were slightly parted. He bit back a groan when the tip of her
tongue slipped out and skimmed the seam of her mouth. More than
anything he could recall in his life he wanted the woman in his
arms. And for all intents and purposes it seemed glaringly obvious
she wanted him as well. He closed his eyes and struggled for
control.
    “ I have to go,
Justice.”
    Her soft-spoken words splashed