DEACON WAS JUST finishing up work on Friday when he saw Luke McCormack’s police cruiser pull up in front of the building. He swiped the sweat from his brow with the hem of his shirt and closed the bed of his truck.

Luke got out and opened the door for his K9 German shepherd, Boomer. Deacon didn’t approach the dog until Luke gave the okay, since the dog wouldn’t know if Deacon was friend or suspect until Luke told him.

“Hey, Boomer.” Deacon gave the dog several scratches and pets. Boomer’s tail wagged furiously.

“What’s up, Deacon?” Luke asked.

“Nothing much. Finishing up for the day. What’s going on with you?”

“Just doing a walk around. We’ve had a few reports of suspicious activity on the main streets here.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

“Not sure exactly. Over the past couple of days people have reported lurkers in the back alleys. Like maybe someone was casing businesses after they closed for the day. Boomer and I are going to take a stroll and check things out. We’ve got another unit patrolling the south side of the street doing the same.”

Deacon nodded, realizing Luke was on duty and this was serious business, not a social call. “I won’t keep you, then. Let me know if you find anything.”

“Will do. Make sure you’re locked up tight in the building.”

“I’ll do a double check before I leave. And I’ll make sure Loretta does the same for the bookstore.”

“Thanks. See you later.”

As soon as Luke gave Boomer the signal, the dog transformed from friendly pet to K9 police officer on duty. His ears went up and he started sniffing. Deacon lingered long enough to watch Luke and Boomer disappear down the alley, then he went over and knocked on the door to Loretta’s bookstore. He knew she was still there, because her car was parked on the side road.

She came over, smiled, and unlocked the door.

“I was just about to leave. We have a date tonight, you know.”

“I do. Luke just stopped by. He’s doing a search for suspicious lurkers who might be casing businesses, so I want to make sure you’re locked up tight before I leave. Let me come inside and do a walk around with you.”

“Oh, sure.” She let him in, and they went around to all the doors to make sure all the locks were done. Then she set the alarm and locked the front door. He walked her to her car and waited while she got in.

“I already dropped Hazel over at Jane’s house, so I’ll see you when you get to my place,” she said.

He nodded, leaned in, and kissed her. “See you soon.”

She laid her hand over his. “Be careful.”

His lips curved. “I’ll be fine. I don’t think anyone’s going to be lurking around with Luke and Boomer wandering the alleys.”

“You’re probably right about that.”

Loretta drove off, so he walked back and checked all three stories of the building. When he was satisfied everything was locked up tight, he got in his truck and drove down the street to Sam’s flower shop, since it was still open. She was inside, so he chatted with her for a few minutes about what was going on. She hadn’t seen or heard anything, but while he was in there, he had Sam put together a bouquet. Then he headed back to his town house, took a shower, and changed clothes.

He pulled the bouquet out of his truck when he got to the farm. Rain was starting to fall, so he hurried to the front door and rang the bell.

“Door’s open,” he heard Loretta call. He rolled his eyes and walked in.

“I could be a serial killer, you know.”

She walked down the hall. “But are you?”

“No. But don’t leave your door unlocked. You’re isolated out here. Anyone could just come in.”

“Okay, Dad. I promise to be more careful.”

He laughed.

“And are those flowers for me, or are you selling them door-to-door?”

“Oh. Yeah. They’re for you. I realized I’ve never brought you flowers before.”

She took the bouquet he gave her and inhaled. “These are beautiful. Thank you. And you have given me flowers before.”

“I have?”

“Yes. You bought me a corsage for prom.”

“Oh, right. I forgot about that. And that one didn’t count.”

“It didn’t?”

She made her way to the kitchen, so he followed her.

“No. My mom picked it out. I chose these for you. Though, actually, Sam helped me.”

She reached into the cabinet to grab a vase and filled it with water. “She helps me, too, when I buy flowers, so these do count. And they’re gorgeous, Deacon. Thank you for thinking of me.”

“You’re welcome.” While she arranged the flowers, he took a moment to admire her legs in the dress she was wearing. He sure liked when she wore dresses. This one was black-and-white polka dots, and she had on some kind of sandals with heels that made her legs look even longer.

She turned around, so he brought his gaze up to her face. “Were you checking me out?”

“I was. You look beautiful. I like the dress.”

“Thank you. You look pretty spectacular yourself.”

He looked down at his jeans and button-up shirt. “Nothing much to look at here.”

She made her way toward him, snaking her palms along his chest. “Oh, I disagree. Plenty to look at. And to touch.”

He breathed in deeply as she moved her hands over his chest and shoulders. It had been too long since he’d been alone with her, and, despite his intentions to take her out to dinner first, he couldn’t resist a taste of her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and tugged her against him, then bent to put his mouth on hers.

When she moaned against his lips, he knew this was what Loretta wanted, too. Her lips were soft, and he slid his tongue inside to lick against hers. His cock went hard, and he cupped her butt to draw her against him.

She pulled her mouth from his. “Do we have dinner reservations somewhere?”

“No.”

“Good. Because being naked with you is the only thing I’ve been thinking about for a week or more.”

That was all he needed to hear. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her down the hall to her bedroom. He put her down, then turned her around so he could unzip her dress. He pushed her hair to the side and pressed his lips to the back of her neck.

She shivered.

“Such a pretty dress,” he said, sweeping his fingers over the spot where the material met her skin.

She looked over her shoulder at him. “It served its purpose.”

He drew the straps down, then stopped to kiss her shoulder. She took the dress off and laid it on the chair by the bed.

His jaw nearly dropped as he took in the black bra and panties she had on under that dress. The dress had been sexy enough, but the underwear?

Wow. The cups of the bra barely held in her breasts, and the panties scooped low on her hips, tiny straps holding the material in front. He walked around her to see the back was just a strip of fabric that disappeared between the cheeks of her butt.

Oh, hell yeah.

He smoothed his hand over each butt cheek, then teased the straps of her underwear.

“You need to lay on the bed so I can get up close and personal with this underwear.”

While she slid off her heels, she said, “And you need to start shedding some clothes.”

“I can do that.” He got rid of his clothes, his gaze glued to Loretta as she lay back on the bed.

He climbed onto the bed and hovered over her, taking in the sight of her beautiful body. The way her hips curved, the beauty of her thighs, the strength of her calves, and the swells of her breasts. He started at her ankles and cupped her legs as he mapped his way up her body, feeling the need to touch every inch of her skin, listening to the sound of her breathing as he did.

When he skimmed her hips and made his way to her stomach, he touched every inch there, including the silvery lines that stretched across her skin.

“Ugh. Stretch marks,” she said.

He looked up at her as he rested his hand on her lower belly. “You grew a baby in here. Nothing sexier than that.”

She shuddered in a deep breath, then let it out as he moved up to her rib cage, then teased his fingers over that damn sexy bra, brushing his fingertips over her nipples. He pulled the fabric down, releasing one of the buds so he could put his mouth on her.

Her nipple was soft as he took it between the roof of his mouth and his tongue and sucked. The bud hardened, and Loretta arched upward. He undid the front clasp and released her breasts so he could tease her nipples and play with her breasts.

She was so beautiful, so responsive as he licked and sucked each bud. Just listening to her, feeling her move under him, was a turn-on. And then he went south, kissing his way over her stomach and lower. He skimmed his tongue just above the fabric of her underwear, taking a nibble of her hip as he drew that flimsy string away.

If a floating cloud could make a sound, it would have been the sigh she made.

That’s exactly where he wanted her, floating away to relaxed nirvana. At least until he got her ramped up.

But right now he wanted her tranquil and easy. She’d had enough turmoil over the past week. So he removed her underwear and kissed his way up her legs, drawing them apart to tease her inner thighs with his tongue. He felt her muscles tense.

“Deacon.”

“Yeah.”

“I need this.”

“I know you do.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her sex. “Just relax. I’m about to get there.”

She lifted up on her forearms. “What you are doing right now is anything but relaxing.”

He cocked a brow. “Really? So maybe you should roll over and I’ll give you a back massage.”

She glared at him. “I do not need a back massage. I need an orgasm.”

He laughed. He loved that she told him exactly what she wanted. “Oh, you wanted an orgasm?”

“Funny. Now get in there and do what you do best.”

“So this will be a graded event, then?”

She let out an exasperated sound. “Deacon.”

“Relax, babe. You know it’ll be good if you wait for it a little.”

“I’ve been waiting for it. Like over a week.”

Now he had her riled up, so when he flicked his tongue over her thigh, then moved in and put his mouth over her sex, she laid her head back and let out one hell of a satisfied moan. He didn’t let up, giving her exactly what he knew she needed.

Soon she was writhing against him, reaching for him and screaming out his name as she came in a torrent of cries. And with every one of her movements his dick got harder and harder. It was all he could do not to put on a condom and thrust into her in the middle of her orgasm.

But he could wait, because she had needed this, and he intended to make tonight all about Loretta. So after her first orgasm, he gave her some space to come down from that high, and then he took her back up again, using his fingers and his tongue to take her over the edge a second time.

And when he crawled up to lay next to her, she looked over at him.

“That was unexpected. I definitely needed it. And thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Hungry now?”

She slanted a disbelieving look at him. “Hungry? Are you serious?” She rolled over onto her side and scraped a nail down his chest. “I believe only one of us has been satisfied. And I’m not nearly finished with you yet.”

“Is that right?”

“That is definitely right.”

She shifted and scooted down his body, pushing him onto his back as she rolled over on top of him.

His balls quivered when she took his shaft in her hand, stroked him, then looked up at him with a wickedly sexy smile before putting her lips over the crest of his cock and taking him in her mouth.

Oh, hell. That had to be the greatest sight ever, to see a woman engulfing your cock. The pleasure of it was like being sucked into the sweetest vortex. His head spun, his entire body broke out in chills, and he wanted it to last forever.

But Loretta had a sweet mouth, and he was going to go off in a minute, and that wasn’t the way he had planned for this to go. He drew her up his body and planted a fiery kiss on her, rolling her onto her back so he could move against her as he plunged his tongue into her mouth.

She moaned, wrapping her legs around him to surge against him.

He pulled away only long enough to grab a condom and put it on, then he was right there with her again, sliding inside of her at the same time he took her mouth in a deep kiss.

He’d never felt so deeply connected to a woman before. It had always been like this with Loretta, only now they had the time to explore each other—to touch and taste and really feel the sensations that, coupled with his emotional connection to her, was damn near overwhelming in its intensity.

This was what love felt like, that feeling of falling over a cliff but knowing you weren’t falling by yourself. That you had someone to hold on to who would be there for you so you wouldn’t crash at the bottom.

And when he let go, he held tight to her, taking in her cries as she came with him. It was an incredible euphoria that seemed to last an eternity.

The high lasted well after they lay there spent and holding hands as they stared at each other.

“So,” she said, “what’s for dinner?”

He laughed. “I don’t know. We could get dressed and go out.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Clothes are overrated. I was thinking veggie omelets and fruit salad.”

“Sounds fantastic.”

She rubbed her thumb across her jaw. “I need you well fed. We’re not finished yet.”

“We aren’t?”

“Nope.”

He affected an exasperated sigh. “You’re very demanding, you know.”

She rolled out of bed and stared down at him. “Would you have me any other way?”

He grinned up at her. “No, ma’am.”