AJ packed his bag and raced out of the hotel for the airport. Irene and Kevin escaped to her loft. Howie headed for Orlando to see his family. Brian dragged Nick down to see his family, trying to keep his friend away from Jane for as long as he could. They were all due back in Orlando on Wednesday.
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“Mom, we’re here.” Brian pushed Nick into the house in front of him then closed the door.
Jackie Littrell came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. She hugged both men before stepping back and looking them over. “You boys look like you could use some home-cooked food.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Brian smiled as he hugged his mother again.
Nick watched the pair, his heart tightening at the sight of such obvious love. When Jackie turned to him, he plastered a smile on his face—an action with which he was extremely familiar and quite adept.
“So, Nick, how’s your family?” She guided the young men into the kitchen and urged them to sit at the kitchen table.
“The kids are good. Dad’s in the Keys.” Nick drew designs on the table with his finger, staring down at the light-colored wood.
She looked at her son when he didn’t mention his mother, and Brian shook his head slightly. Turning to the counter, she grabbed the plate of just-baked cookies and set them down in front of the guys, getting glasses of milk for them as well.
“Have some cookies.” She joined them at the table with a cup of coffee, watching each of them carefully.
This was the first time she had seen them since they had joined the training program, not counting television interviews. Although she had spoken with her son many times during and after the training, she was thankful to actually touch her youngest and ascertain that he was okay.
“These are great, Jackie. Reminds me of Irene’s.” Nick finished his cookie and took a drink of his milk.
Brian smiled as his mother’s eyes formed the question. “Yes, Kevin’s Irene.”
“So, tell me about this woman who’s captured your cousin’s attention.” Jackie smiled at both young men.
“She’s really cool. Makes great food, owns an art gallery in New York. She’s beautiful, sassy, and more than a match for Kev.” Brian chuckled as he remembered hanging out with the young woman while at Meredith’s.
“Irene’s different than Meredith, but you can tell they’re family when they get together.” Nick made wet circles with the bottom of his glass as he spoke.
“How about Meredith?” She poured more milk for them, then more coffee for herself.
“Oh, man, she’s awesome!”
Jackie was amazed at the change in Nick when Meredith’s name was mentioned. She continued to listen as he talked about all the things she had taught them, how cool she’d been, the things she had survived. Her son’s expression wasn’t quite as animated, but she could see how much the woman meant to him.
“Sounds like a phenomenal woman.” She smiled at the young men in front of her.
“She is.” Nick finished his milk, grinning as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.
Later that evening, as dusk began to paint the sky, Nick sat on the back porch of Brian’s house and listened to the crickets sing. He wrapped his arms around himself and leaned back in the porch swing, pushing it gently with his foot. Brian stood behind the screen door and watched his friend, not sure what to do. Sighing, he walked back into the kitchen and sat down at the table with his family.
“Is he okay?” Jackie laid her hand on Brian’s, gently rubbing his skin with her thumb.
“He and Jane have gotten into it in the past week. It got so bad he left the hotel and ran to Meredith’s.”
“I noticed he really lit up at the mention of her name. Is there something there?” She pursed her lips at the thought.
Brian chuckled, shaking his head. “Nothing romantic. She calls him Munchkin, he calls her Mom. That’s what started it, I think. Jane heard him call her that during the Barbara Walters interview. She flipped, and things have really gotten nasty. It’s been brewing for a while, but I think Hurricane Jane is going to hit and leave some major devastation behind.”
Jackie looked toward the porch, just barely able to see the young man’s silhouette as he rocked. “I think it’s a good thing you brought him here.”
“Yes, ma’am. I wanted him away from his house until he gets a little more steady on his feet.”
The conversation drifted into family and friends as the four Littrells caught up on their lives. Outside, in a warm Kentucky night, a young man wished on a falling star.
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Howie opened the front door of his parents’ house and slipped inside. No cars in the driveway meant he had a few minutes to put on his “happy” face before he saw his family. They didn’t know a lot about his time in Sierra Ramon, but he thought his father suspected more than he was saying. Dropping his luggage in his room, he fell onto the bed and sighed. Each interview had been progressively harder, with the live interview pushing everything over the edge.
“Next time, say something, damnit.” He smacked himself on the forehead.
He really should have made some sort of statement before it started that he didn’t want to spend too much time on the actual details of the battle. Hindsight’s 20/20, you idiot.
Rolling over, he pulled a pillow to his chest and hugged it. He could feel himself falling asleep, even though sleep was a luxury that now eluded him. His dreams kept pulling him back to the jungle, back to the moment when he pulled the trigger.
His mother walked into the house, looking for her youngest child. She walked up the stairs and stood in the doorway to his room, watching him sleep.
“No, don’t. stop. no.” Howie mumbled in his sleep, his voice agitated as he shifted on the bed.
Paula Dorough sat down on the bed and stroked her son’s hair. The gestured calmed him, the frown lines easing as he settled back into sleep. Sighing, she held his hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it as she worried about him.
An hour later, he was startled awake by a dream and saw his mother sitting beside him.
“Mama?”
“Hi, sweetheart.”
“Have you been here long?”
She heard the worry in his voice. “Not long. I saw your car in the driveway and came up to check and see if you were hungry or needed anything after your trip.”
Howie sat up and rubbed his face. He pulled the elastic band out of his hair and ran cramped fingers through his hair. He knew from the way they ached he’d been making fists in his sleep again. Looking at his mother, he smiled.
“How about we go downstairs and we’ll see what we can find to snack on.”
Standing, she looked down at him. She patted his cheek then leaned down to kiss him. “I’m glad you’re home, Howie.”
“Me, too, Mama.” He closed his eyes and let himself get lost in the comfort of his mother’s touch.
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Irene opened the door to her loft and ushered Kevin inside. Luggage was dropped beside the door, as was the mail. They’d stopped by the vet to pick up Potiphar, and the cat moved around the apartment, rubbing himself against everything to reestablish his territory after he had been released from the cat carrier. He returned to Irene, rubbing against her leg, then rubbed against Kevin’s leg, purring loudly when Kevin reached down to scratch behind his ears.
“Accueil. Ma maison est votre maison {Welcome. My home is your home}.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist, nuzzling her ear as they swayed together. “I find it incredibly sexy when you speak French.”
“Vraiment. Je devrai le faire plus souvent alors {Really. I’ll have to do it more often then}.”
He chuckled, the warm breath sending shivers along her spine. “I have no clue what you’re saying. For all I know, you could be reciting a recipe for roast.”
Sliding her hands up his arms and around his neck, she pressed a kiss to his jaw. “No, no recipes. Just telling you that my home is your home, and that I’ll have to speak French more often if this is the kind of reaction I’m going to get.”
Kevin kissed her, caressing her mouth with his own. She walked him towards her bedroom, sliding her hands under his shirt as they crossed the threshold. He stopped abruptly when the back of his knees hit the mattress, and he broke the kiss to look down at her.
Irene smiled at him. “I wanna see your tattoo.”
He smiled at her, cupping her face in his hands as he looked at her. She rested her hands on his and closed her eyes, relishing his touch. He leaned forward, kissing her eyelids with a feathery caress before caressing her lips.
She sighed at the incredibly gentle touch, opening her mouth to him. It was so easy to slide her hands under his shirt, rubbing warm skin as muscles bunched beneath her fingers. Lifting it over his head, she tossed it to the floor as the smooth beauty of his chest appeared in front of her eyes.
It seemed so natural to unbutton her blouse and push the material from her shoulders, tracing the satin strap of her bra as it lay against her skin. Easing the material from her arms, he dropped it to the floor before sliding his hands up her waist to hold her breasts. He had wanted to touch them, caress them for so long, he wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to do first now that he actually held them. Stroking her nipples through the slick material, he watched them harden even more as a gasp left her lips.
“Kevin, that feels so good.” Irene tightened her grip on his shoulders as he continued to fondle her.
He enjoyed listening to her gasp and sigh as he touched her. Lowering his hands, she moaned in protest, then opened her eyes when he began to unzip her pants. When they were completely undone, she wiggled her hips until the material slid down her legs to the floor.
Kevin grinned at the sight, and she chuckled. Not wanting to leave him behind, she unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, sliding her fingers between the two waistbands and pushed until the jeans were loosened enough to slid down his legs.
She kicked her pants away, he did the same. Bringing her hands back to his waist, she slid them up his chest, taking a slight detour to rub his nipples as he had hers. Kevin closed his eyes as the warmth of her fingers electrified his skin. The feel of her tongue against one nub snapped his eyes open as he grabbed her head. Switching sides, she suckled him lightly, feeling the rumbling groan beneath her lips.
Releasing him, she pulled his head down for another kiss, stroking his tongue when his mouth opened. He held onto her hips as they tasted one another, not needing to rush the sensations that swirled around them.
His hands circled around her back, unhooking her bra and drawing it from her body. When she was free, his hands cupped her again as he bent down to taste the ripe flesh. A hiss of pleasure escaped her lips as he tugged and nipped at the turgid peaks.
She slid her hands under the waistband of his boxers, kneading his ass as he continued to tease her. He really did enjoy the taste of her skin—the combination of soap and perfume and her.
“Kevin.”
He ignored the soft call to continued licking the skin between her breasts.
“Kevin.” This time, the call was punctuated with her hands buried in his hair and pulled his head up to meet hers.
“What?” The question was groaned as he carefully slid his fingers over the curve of her ass to lift her up towards him.
“Can we get naked now?”
He froze for a second as he registered the question, then laughed out loud. “Yeah, we can get naked now.”
Irene stepped away from him and shimmied out of her panties, twirling them on a finger before tossing them aside. Kevin pulled off his underwear and slung it off his finger like a slingshot. He crawled onto the bed and turned around to look at her, crooking his finger in invitation. She followed him with a smile, laughing when he grabbed her and pulled her down on top of him.
Kevin ran his hands over every inch of Irene’s back and legs that he could reach as they kissed again and again. Irene wiggled a bit as she felt his cock slide against her wetness. Looking at him, looking into those green eyes full of laughter and love, she sat up.
The grin left her face, leaving an expression of longing that almost overwhelmed him in its intensity. She took his hands, kissing his fingertips before pressing them against her inner folds to hold her open. He sucked in a breath as he watched her grasp his straining sex and give it a smooth stroke upward. The air left him in a whoosh at that caress, and the next breath was sucked in faster as she guided him to her.
Perched over him, his cock nestled just inside her, Irene looked into Kevin’s face. He licked his lips as he felt her surround him, his eyes fastened on the joining of their lower bodies. He felt her watching him and looked up into her face.
Kevin laced their hands together, bringing them to rest on his chest. Irene smiled at the gesture then sank down on him in one smooth stroke.
“Oh, God.” The words flowed out in a steady breath as his body registered the silky skin of her thighs against his hips, the brush of her pubic hair against his, the wet heat that enveloped his aching dick.
Irene sighed as she closed her eyes, her body adjusting to the length and width of the man now resting in her body. She was quiet for a moment before she rolled her hips in small circles, her body undulating gently as she rode him.
Kevin watched her, mesmerized by the seductive moves she made as she gently squeezed him. “You are so beautiful.”
He untangled his hands and stroked her thighs and hips before sliding them up her body to cup and fondle her breasts. He rolled and pinched her nipples in time with her rhythm, making her moan in pleasure. In response, she speeded up her hips, squeezing him harder.
Kevin gently thrust his hips upward, catching her off guard and making her gasp. He grinned when she looked at him. Irene smiled back and leaned down to kiss him, sucking on his tongue as it entered her mouth. They moved faster now, the ache curling up in their bodies, driving them harder to satisfaction.
He slipped his hand between them, rolling her clit between his fingers. He caught her gasp with another kiss as she shuddered a bit and rocked faster. Grabbing the arm that rested across one hip, she opened her eyes wide and looked down at him, the ripples in her body turning to shuddering quakes as Kevin brought her to orgasm. Clamping her walls around him, he gasped against her lips and thrust hard a couple of times before he emptied himself inside her with a groan.
Irene fell backwards against his legs, her arms spread across the comforter as she enjoyed the little aftershocks that filled her. Kevin stroked her thighs as he looked down her body, over the dark triangle of hair that still held him captive, over the curve of her belly, past the pink-tipped breasts to the tip of a chin that was still quivering.
Grabbing his hands after several minutes, she pulled herself up and looked at him. Sitting up, he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head in the curve of her neck.
Irene leaned back just a bit so she could see him. She brushed the dampened hair from his forehead as she looked down at him. She caressed the sensuous angles of his face before she pressed a soft kiss against his lips.
“I think I love you, Kevin.”
He stopped breathing for just a second before he tightened his grip. He returned the soft kiss before he looked at her. “I know I love you.”
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Lying in bed, tangled in each other, Irene smiled. “You know, I never did get to wear that dress.”
Kevin stroked her arm as he chuckled. “I think we need to go somewhere just so I can show you off in it.”
Leaning on her arm, she looked down into his face. “Whatcha got in mind, sailor?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Dinner, dancing, maybe a little kissing and cuddling?”
“Oooh, sounds good to me.” Irene jumped out of bed and headed for the shower.
“Hey, where are you going?” He was shocked.
“You said the four magic words. Move your ass, baby, I wanna go out and show *you* off.” A wicked smile crossed her face as she danced into the bathroom.
Kevin fell back on the bed with a groan then smiled as he heard the water come on. Getting up, he walked into the bathroom and joined Irene in the shower, her sigh of delight making him very glad he had stayed in the city.
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Kevin and Irene stepped into the club and looked around. Irene loved coming here because she never knew what she would be getting. Jazz, blues, swing, ballads—it was a mishmash of styles that drew in true music lovers. They were escorted to a table and ordered drinks as they waited for the show to begin.
The lights dimmed a little, and the band took the stage. A singer stepped up to the microphone and began a sultry ballad that pulled couples onto the dance floor.
Irene smiled at the man beside her. “Didn’t you say something about dancing?”
Grinning, Kevin stood and held out his hand in invitation. She accepted it, sliding her palm against his as she rose from her chair. He escorted her to the floor, twirling her once before settling her into his arms. They moved lazily across the floor, their hands gently caressing each other as they moved to the music.
An hour later, after a couple of drinks and much dancing, Irene headed for the ladies room to freshen up. On her way back to the table, she bumped into someone.
“Excuse me.”
“Irene?”
She looked up to see Ken standing in front of her. “Ken, how are you?”
He grinned, a weak, plastic smile. “Good. Here with my girlfriend and some friends.”
“Sounds nice.” She tried to ease around him.
“What about you? Here alone or with friends?” The plastic smile widened.
“I’m here with someone.” She tried to escape, but he followed her.
“Why don’t you two join us, then?” He pointed out his table.
Irene looked over, saw the group and shuddered a bit. “I’ll ask him.”
“Hope to see you soon.” Walking away, he rejoined his group, sliding his arm around a blonde.
Sighing, she walked back to her table and sat down. Kevin looked at her with concern.
“What’s wrong?”
“Ken’s here, and he invited us to join him, his new girlfriend, and their friends.”
“Don’t want to see the new woman?” He reached out and held her hand.
“Don’t want to see him or the people we used to hang out with.” She took a sip of her wine.
“I think it might be fun.” He smiled at her, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“Only if you enjoy root canals.” She couldn’t help returning his smile.
“C’mon. Don’t you want him to see that you’re not pining away for him?” Kevin really wanted to meet the man she’d been involved with for so long.
Sighing again, Irene shrugged. “All right. Just promise you won’t give me any grief later about my choice in previous boyfriends.”
“Would I do that?” He pressed a hand to his heart, looking innocent.
She studied him for a moment. “Probably not, but I would.”
She stood up and grabbed her wine glass. “Let’s go, stud.”
Kevin chuckled as he grabbed his glass of bourbon, while Irene grabbed his other hand.
They wandered over to the table, waiting until the conversation stopped before she spoke. “Hi, everyone.”
The three couples looked up at Irene and Kevin. Their eyes wandered over Irene’s date, studying him. Ken smiled and introduced the woman beside him.
“This is Rebecca Anderson. She’s an investment counselor.”
He pointed to the couple on the other side of him. “This is Jack and Donna Reed, they’re both in real estate. And this is Hugh and Margo Winthrope, both in banking.”
Irene turned to Kevin, rolling her eyes slightly before a naughty smile crossed her lips. He groaned under his breath as he waited to be introduced.
“Jack, Donna, good to see you. Everyone, this is Kevin Richardson, he’s in the music business.”
Margo spoke up, her Boston accent was clear. “Really? Writing, producing, performing?”
“All of the above. It’s a pleasure to met y’all.” He smiled politely as they sat down.
They chatted for several minutes, Ken and his cronies doing their very best to show off for Irene and Kevin. When a particularly sultry ballad began, Kevin stood.
“May I have this dance?” He looked down at Irene with a grin.
“Of course.”
He led her onto the floor, his body settling into the familiarity of a fox trot and began to glide across the floor with her. Irene was grateful for the heels she was wearing because it gave her some additional height to really balance him. They circled the floor, and Kevin added little flourishes to their steps, glad Irene could follow him.
At one point he dipped her, pressing a kiss against her collarbone as she arched backwards, one knee gliding along his leg to rest on his hip. The couples at the table watched the pair, slightly shocked at the display. Irene shivered at his touch, their eyes meeting as desire flickered through their bodies. When the song ended, they made their way back to the table, finding the others slightly embarrassed by their actions.
Rebecca coughed delicately, then looked at Kevin. “I don’t mean to stare, but you just look very familiar to me.”
Irene smiled. “Ever read People?”
Kevin closed his eyes and shook his head as he figured out where Irene was going with her line of conversation. Rebecca nodded. Irene leaned close to the blond.
“Kevin was voted the sexiest pop star for 1999.” She leaned back in her seat as Rebecca turned to look at the man next to her.
“Oh my.” She took a sip of her wine
The singer smiled at the audience before she spoke. “As is our custom, we are now opening the stage to our guests to allow you to entertain for a while. If you’d like to sing or play, please come up to the stage.”
Irene turned to Kevin, smiling brightly. He shook his head.
“I don’t think so.”
Leaning forward, she kissed him softly, nibbling his bottom lip. “Please?”
He sighed, looked at her for a moment then stood up. “Only for you.”
“Thanks, babe.” Irene sat back and watched him walk up to the stage. He spoke to the manager for a moment before settling himself at the piano. When the audience saw someone up there ready to play, they settled down to watch.
Kevin closed his eyes for a moment as his fingers settled on the piano. He began to play his solo, his body moving gently as his fingers stroked the keys. Irene watched him, listening to the passionate music he created, feeling her body respond to him. When he finished, he sat there for just a moment before he stood and walked off the stage. The audience was very appreciative, clapping loudly as he made his way among the tables.
Sitting down beside her, he stroked her cheek with his thumb. “Did you enjoy it?”
“I loved it.” Irene smiled at him, focusing only on him.
Leaning close, she whispered in his ear before she gently licked his earlobe. He shuddered and leaned back, looking around the table.
“I’m afraid we must be on our way.” He stood up, holding out his hand to Irene.
She grasped it as she stood, smiling at the people still sitting. “I enjoyed the evening. Good night.”
They walked away from the table, and Ken watched as Kevin’s hand settled on Irene’s hip as he guided her towards the door.
Table of Contents
Chapter Five