The rhythmic clicking of Morgan's shoes were the only noise in the hallway. It was a short distance from the back door of the building to the door of the security office at the front, but to her it felt like miles. With every step her heart began to beat faster and louder until she couldn't hear the clicking of her shoes anymore, just the thumping of her own pulse.
She held the plate of cookies with two hands. Her fingers were trembling so terribly she worried they'd give out and all three dozen cookies would tumble to the ground. Then her long hours slaving over the stove would have been in vain. Well, all right, so she hadn't really slaved over the stove. The cookies were curtousy of Tollhouse ready-made dough, but still, she'd had to bake them and keep an eye on the clock so they wouldn't burn.
Cookies had seemed like a decent idea at the time, but now she felt silly. There wasn't really a standard gift to say, "thank you for saving me from my psychotic ex last night." She'd gone by Hallmark, but they didn't make a 'Thank You' card for that. A plate of homemade store-bought cookies were the only thing she'd been able to think of - well, that and candy. Maybe she should have gone with the candy.
The solid wood door was clearly marked behind the screen door with a black sign that read SECURITY in white letters. There was a peep hole, and a big, square metal plate above the door knob which meant there was probably a hell of a deadbolt installed on the other side.
Her hand raised to knock three times, and the door swung open a moment later.
"Morgan?"
"Hi, Dale," she smiled. "Nice to see you."
"You too. What can I do ya for?"
He was cheerful, as always, and ran a hand over his plump belly as he grinned at her. She had an idea of the kinds of things he'd like to do for her, but none of them would be on her list - ever.
"I was looking for one of your partners, actually."
Dale's brow furrowed a little, and he stepped to the side so she could enter.
"Come on in."
Morgan stepped into the office. It was small and narrow. Four desks were lined up on the left side, one behind the other. On the right was a counter supporting a microwave, a coffee maker, and a few miscellaneous items. At the back of the room was a circular table, covered with papers and folders.
Justin was sitting at the third desk. There was a Carl's Jr. bag and plastic collector's cup on his desk next to an old desktop computer. His feet were propped up on the desk, half hazardly dropped on top of a stack of papers he probably should have been working on. Her eyes worked their way up from his boots, along the lines of his solid black uniform to his face. His blue eyes were watching her intently, but there was no expression.
"Hi," she said.
Someone needed to break the ice.
He nodded and half muttered a 'hey' in responce.
"I brought these," she held out the plate of cookies covered in pink saran wrap. "I wanted to thank you for last night."
"Mmhmm," he sounded.
Justin didn't make another sound, but his eyes shifted to Dale. It wasn't the same look he'd given her. Though part of her wondered if she was boring him, the look he gave Dale screamed loud and clear that his presense wasn't necessary. Morgan followed the silent exchange, looking over at Dale, who apparently seemed to feel suddenly out of place.
"Well, I'm gonna go check the back gate. Call me on the radio if you need me, hot shot."
Justin's eyes rolled as Dale turned his back and headed out the door. As soon as it shut behind him Justin pulled his boots from the desk and rose to his feet in one fluid motion. Morgan felt her mind second guessing herself as he approached her. She felt so awkward and out of place, and his stare was so unnerving. It would be one thing if he wore his thoughts on his face, but there was no clue as to what he was thinking. She didn't know if he was critisizing her, secretly laughing at her, or if he was really even thinking about her at all.
"They're white chocolate chip."
She held up the plate again, and he looked at it with a raised brow.
"White chocolate?" He sounded amused.
"You don't like white chocolate, do you? I'm sorry. It's my fallback cookie because it's my favorite. I know it's not for everyone. I should have made milk chocolate. Everyone likes milk chocolate."
She was rambling. He smirked and shook his head. The action made her mind go blank just long enough for her mouth to finally stop talking.
"Chocolate is chocolate," he shrugged.
Morgan watched as he lifted a hand, undoing a section of the saran wrap so he could retrieve a cookie from the edge of the pile.
"I just wanted to say thank you for helping me with Devon last night. He's never gotten that bad before, you came by just in time."
"It's alright," he said. "Arresting deadbeats is part of my job description."
Morgan chuckled as he took a bite of the cookie. He didn't say anything, just took the plate from her hands and set it on the corner of his desk.
"Why did you date that asshole anyway?"
He watched her suck in a breathe and blink a few times. Obviously he'd caught her off-guard, but he'd always been the type of guy to cut right to the chase. Plus, he liked the sound of her voice, and he wanted her to keep talking.
"Good question," she laughed. "He wasn't always such an asshole, I guess."
"He obviously is now."
"Yeah."
"So why is he still around?"
Morgan gave him a puzzled look.
"He's Chloe's father."
"Doesn't seem like much of a father, throwing his baby mama across the lawn. I've never seen him around here with Chloe before."
"He's not exactly what I'd call an active parent," Morgan sugar-coated. "But, he did have a hand in creating her."
Justin shrugged again.
"That's just biology."
Morgan chewed on her cheek. He had a point.
Justin looked over at her. She was looking down at the beige lamanet on the floor. Her brow was slightly furrowed and her lips pursed together. She was in deep thought about something, maybe even troubled by it. He had to remember to speak a little more nicely to her, civilians didn't have the thick skin Marines did.
"These are good," he said, slipping another cookie from the plate.
She smiled softly, the right corner of her mouth rising higher than the left. Then she blinked bashfully and whispered a thank you. That had to be the cutest he'd ever seen her look.
***
It had been a couple of days since the incident with Devon, and Morgan's "homemade" plate of cookies to show Justin her appreciation. Surprisingly, she hadn't seen Justin since. Usually he could be spotted stalking the parking lots under the cover of darkness, but lately it had been Dale, Tim, and a new unknown black guy with a bald head patrolling the grounds. Morgan was starting to wonder if he'd quit, or if she'd somehow scared him into hiding.
She pulled into her parking spot in the back lot and glanced at Chloe in the rearview mirror. She was sound asleep against the armrest. Looking around, the lot was packed with cars and pretty much deserted of people. That didn't exactly add to her comfort level. It was one thing to walk around in the dark parking lot when familiar strangers were present, and another thing to walk it completely and utterly alone. Not only could Devon be hiding out somewhere, but any other good-for-nothing hoodlum could too.
Picking up the phone she called to the main office. Dale answered, sounding a little groggy. Morgan rolled her eyes. Figures.
"Can I have an escort to my apartment?"
"Sure, Morgan. Where are you?"
"I'm waiting in my car, spot number 223."
"Stay right there, one of us will meet you."
After ending the call Morgan put her phone in her purse and leaned back to close her eyes. It would take Dale a few minutes to wobble from the office to the lot, so she could take these few moments of silence to relax.
Inevitably, her mind wondered to Justin. She wondered where he'd disappeared to, and when he was going to reappear again. She thought back to a few nights ago, when he'd come to her on the grass after her ambush by Devon. She'd never been so happy to see a man in uniform in her life. After the attack he'd taken them inside and made Morgan an ice-pack, then helped Chloe brush her teeth in the kitchen sink. He was so gentle with Morgan, and reassuring to Chloe. Why couldn't Devon be more like that than what he really was?
Her eyes were still closed when there was a tap on the window. Startled, she sat up straight in her seat and looked over in to a pair of crystal blue eyes. Justin smirked at her, and took a step back from the car so she could open her door.
Morgan stepped out, instantly reminded of his physical prowl and dominance by the way he towered over her.
"Hi," she said.
"Hey. You call for an escort?"
Morgan nodded, gathering her things and opening the back door to get Chloe. The little girl was snoring softly, so Morgan craddled Chloe in her arms, and nudged the door shut with her hip. She started on the walk toward her apartment, and beside her the Marine's heavy boots echoed on the pavement.
"So, how are you?" He asked.
They'd reached the grass that marked the middle of the complex and she could feel the slight dampness of the grass slowly begin to seep through the canvas fabric of her shoes.
"I'm good. How are you?" She replied. "Haven't seen you around in a couple days."
He simply shrugged, glancing down at his shoes and then lifting his eyes to scan the vicinity.
"I was in the field with my unit."
Morgan nodded, though she didn't really understand what he'd said. In the field? Like, a literal field with corn stalks?
"Fun," she said.
Justin chuckled under his breathe and smiled at her.
"Not really. Just a bunch of guys playing in the dirt."
There were just a few short feet left until the pair reached Morgan's door, and they crossed it in silence. He waited patiently while she undid the locks and kicked the door open. With the flick of a switch a pool of warm, yellow light spilled onto the porch. Morgan stepped into the apartment, and turned back to look at Justin. Chloe's head was tucked under her chin, her soft exhales blowing little tendrils of Morgan's wavy hair.
"Well, it's good to have you back." He heard her say.
She was about to close the door when he remembered the light weight in his right hand. It'd been his reason for volunteering to be the one to escort her home in the first place.
He cleared his throat loudly, drawing her attention. Morgan looked up at him with a puzzled expression, and he offered her the object in his hand as a responce.
"I shared them with my unit," he said. "The boys thank you for paying your patrioic duty in sugar - like they need it; bunch of fat asses."
Morgan chuckled, reaching out to take the empty cookie plate.
"Anytime. Goodnight, Justin."
Justin nodded and stepped back, allowing the door to swing closed. He liked the way she said his name.
"Night."
Since that evening Morgan began to call the front office for an escort to her door on a regular basis - especially at night when she had Chloe with her, just in case Devon decided he wanted to be brave and show his face again.
It'd become somewhat customary that every time she called the office it was Justin who came for her. Chloe, susprisingly, had grown to love seeing him, and that brought a smile to Morgan’s face - though she didn't know when and why Chloe had become so attached to him. Chloe would often interupt their awkward grown-up small talk by telling them stories about her day. Chloe didn't seem to be the only one who'd taken a liking to someone new. Justin seemed to be growing a little fond of the girls as well. He seemed to smile more often. It was no major change, but it was a nice switch from the emotionless stares that he would display from time to time.
“I hope I’m not bothering ya'll by calling almost every night this week it seems.”
As Morgan spoke she pulled a few bags of groceries from the trunk of her Jeep.
Justin reached out and took them from her hands without hesitation.
"No, not at all," he said. "It’s our job to make sure everyone feels safe around here.”
Morgan nodded with a smile.
"I try my best to make it home before it gets too dark, I hate being a–.“
“Well, you’re not.” Justin cut her off.
Their eyes met for a brief moment and Morgan's cheeks began to warm as she held back a smile and Justin’s heart began to beat harder.
“Mr. Justin, look what I made at school today!”
They both looked down at Chloe as she stood beside him beaming up at him and waving a paper covered with glitter at him. Pink and green speckles of glitter floated through the air and onto his black uniform.
"Chloe careful, you don’t want to get it on Mr. Justin’s uniform.”
Chloe backed away sheepishly and placed a hand over her mouth to hold back a giggle - which was unsuccessful. Justin shook his head.
"It’s okay, better than the sh--crap I usually get on it. But, that’s real nice Chloe.”
Justin watched as she smiled with pride and began to bounce her way over to the side walk and towards their apartment. He trailed behind, with Morgan once she closed her trunk. They were making their way up the side walk when they noticed a commotion coming from the floor above their heads.
“All I asked you to do Terrell was wash the damn dishes, and you can’t even do that shit right! It’s like raising another fucking child.”
It was Charmaine and her baby daddy/fiancé/whatever-he-was-today arguing. Well, more like she was arguing with herself as he just stood there staring at her with a blank expression and his hands fumbling to keep his sagging shorts up.
"I don’t know why I’m still with your sorry ass. You make me sick!”
She shoved him to the side and she stomped back into the house. She mumbled something, then slammed the door, leaving Terrell outside. Morgan shook her head and looked over to Justin, who was watching them intently. The muscles in his shoulders and back looked coiled, as if he was ready to take action at any moment.
Morgan reached out and touched his arm. He flinched at her touch, but his eyes were calm as they settled on her form.
"It’s okay. Those two are the last two you have to worry about getting into anything remotely violent.”
She could feel the muscles in his forearm relax as he gave her a simple smile, but inside she was screaming at the feel of him. He was just so... solid. Every muscle in his body was toned and developed, every move he made was calculated, every look smoothly masking when he felt and revealing only what he wanted you to see. He was so overly masculine that it sent a warm flush feeling through her body.
“Hey, what’s up Morg?”
Morgan dropped her hand and looked up at Terrell, who was grinning down at she and Justin.
"Hi Terrell.”
She threw up a hand in a quick wave and resumed her walk towards her own door. The last thing she needed was for Terrell to assume something was going on and tell Char. That girl would beat her door down trying to get some gossip, and she didn't need any rumors about them going around the complex.
***
Morgan unlocked the door to her car, placing her Subway sandwich in the passenger seat after getting in. She closed the door and turned on her car to get the A/C pumping; it was a scorching ninety-seven degrees today. There was a thirty minute break for lunch today, and she planned to spend it alone in her car.
She pushed her seat back and grabbed her sandwich, unwrapping it in her lap. After taking a bite, she chewed and glanced around the parking lot of her job. Every was quiet until her phone began to vibrate from its place in her cup holder.
She reached down and turned it over to display the caller ID.
Unknown.
She frowned and answered.
"Hello?”
“Morgan?"
It was Devon. Some nerve he had calling her after the other night.
“What is it, Devon?”
He sighed.
"Look, baby, I’m sorry about what happened. I didn’t mean it."
She rolled her eyes. Who was he calling baby?
"I know you don’t mean that Devon."
“I do, for real. I love you and Chloe. I love my baby girls. I wasn’t trying to hurt ya'll, but you been trippin' lately for no reason. All I’m trying to do is see my little girl. I’m her daddy.”
“It’s a fine time for you to want to try and play daddy, Devon. It takes more than saying you love your child to prove you really care for her. You can show that by by going through the courts to set up visitation, and by paying child support to help to keep clothes on her body and a roof over her head.”
There was a long pause and all she could hear was their breathing.
“Fuck that!" He yelled suddenly. "I ain’t paying you shit. That’s my daughter, she came out of me! If it wasn’t for me she wouldn’t be here. I made her!”
It was just as she'd thought, he didn’t mean anything he'd said. He was so full of shit.
“Then you don’t get to see her, Devon. No one is going to bend over backwards or make her suffer your fucked up moods just so you can see her when you're ready! No! She is happy and I want to keep her that way.”
He laughed sinisterly.
"I don’t even know what I saw in your fat ass! You're a dumb bitch for thinking you're better than me. You wouldn’t have a place to stay if it wasn’t for my daughter getting your fat ass on welfare and shit.”
Morgan breathed deeply feeling her blood boiling and raising, but she refused to give him the satisfaction. It just showed how little he knew about the family he supposedly loved so much.
“Get off my phone, Devon. If you attempt to contact me again I'll call the police and file charges for harassment.”
“FUCK THE POLICE BITCH! That’s my fucking baby, you ain’t shit without her. Who're you going to call? That fuck ass fake ass mall cop white boy? You're probably fucking him, that’s why he brought his ass over there, punk bitch! I don’t want any fucking dudes around my daughter. She’s my daughter. You need money? Ask that nigga for child support. You know what? You can keep her! Fuck this shit.”
She listened as he went back and forth, ranting more to himself than her. One minute he was claiming Chloe as his precious baby, and the next he was saying that he could drop “that” kid. He didn’t know what he wanted. He just wanted to get into her life and mess with her head.
She didn’t understand how he could treat them like this. He didn’t love Chloe like she did, so how could she possibly allow him to a permanent fixture in her life? She could only imagine the mental anguish that would place on a child and Morgan wasn’t willing to take that risk with her.
“Fuck you, Devon. We don’t need you for shit. Chloe doesn’t need you for shit, you selfish bastard. As long as I am breathing she won’t want or need for anything. Do you hear me? Anything,” she spat.
Morgan didn't wait for a responce from Devon, she just hung up the phone.
When she returned home that evening, it was early enough in the day that she didn't feel justified in calling for an escort. The parking lot was buzzing with women wearing flip-flops or slippers as they strolled the sidewalks spreading gossip with their girl friends. Men in white wifebeaters were rolling dice on the pavement behind a bunch of parked cars. Justin usually made it his business to run the gamblers out of the lot after sunset, but they were out in full force today - whooping and hollaring with every dollar won and lost.
Morgan collected her purse, then got out to open the backdoor for Chloe. The little girl already had a hold of her backpack and lunch box and hopped out to skip along side her mom. Morgan's eyes were scanning the landscape, looking for strange men skulking behind trees and bushes, preparing for Devon to jump out and surprise her with more plans to see Chloe.
She hated to admit it, but his call earlier today had really rattled her nerves. It would figure he'd do this to her now, just when she was starting to feel safe again. Maybe she should have Chloe stay a few doors down at Grandma's tonight, just in case Devon was actually stupid enough to try something.
"Mom, can I go play?"
Chloe's voice pulled Morgan from her thoughts. She looked down to see her daughter pointing out toward the play structure where the other kids were racing up and down the slides.
"Honey, I don't think that's a good idea right now-" Morgan began.
"No, Mom, please?!" Chloe begged. "I wanted to play."
Morgan sighed, her heart breaking a little. Chloe was a normal little girl who wanted to do normal little girl things. She didn't deserve to be cooped up inside all day hiding out from her father. The mother looked out at the play area, weighting the positive aspects of Chloe's playtime against her better judgement.
A group of boys had been standing in the grass, examing the poor defenseless grasshopper they'd managed to catch. When they moved, heading inside to find a makeshift home for their new pet, Morgan spotted a familiar figure in the distance. Fair skin contrasting with a starch black uniform. Angular black sunglasses covered his eyes, but he looked just as alert as ever. He didn't acknowledge her -she wasn't even sure if he saw her- but she sure saw him.
Taking a deep breathe Morgan looked down at Chloe's big brown eyes.
"Alright, honey, go play. But, when you're done Grandma's going to come get you. Mommy might have to work tonight so you're going to stay there for the night, okay?"
Morgan didn't want to tell her that she was hiding her from her father. It was better that she believe a little white lie.
"Okay."
Without waiting for another word or giving so much as a kiss or a hug goodbye Chloe dropped her things on to the ground and ran off toward the other kids. Morgan shook her head, picked up Chloe's backpack and lunchbox, and went off toward her apartment. Once inside she dropped their things by the door and pulled her cellphone from her pocket, dialing her grandmother's number.
As suspected, she had no problem taking Chloe for the evening, and would walk down to retrieve her from the structure in a little while. The older woman already knew first hand how crazy Devon could act at the drop of a hat, and was happy to help whenever she could.
After hanging up the phone Morgan turned, looking out the living room window and peering down the hill at the structure. Chloe was there, off to the side, in her purple pants and black tank top. Squatting next to her, listening intently, was Justin. Morgan could tell Chloe was rambling on and on about something by the quick animated movements of her hands.
The sight made Morgan sigh again, this time in slight relief. It made her feel better knowing that someone was out there with her baby; someone strong and smart, who would do the right thing in any given situation. Chloe was safe outside, so Morgan could relax. She needed to relax.
Walking to the kitchen she grabbed a cold beer from the fridge, unscrewed the cap, and drank as much of it as she could in one gulp.
***
Justin was walking around the backside of building D, using the shadows to mask his presense. It was late in the evening, closing in on midnight, and the office had gotten a handful of complaints about a group in the backlot gambling and drinking on the hood of someone's car. There had been a small gambling ring when Justin had first started working for the complex, but one of the first things he'd accomplished on the job was running them off the property. He hadn't seen or heard from the group in weeks and it annoyed him that they seemed to have returned.
He could hear the noise from a building away. There was talking and laughter. He knew whenever a popular player won because whoops of enthusiasm filled the air along with the clanking of what sounded like glass bottles.
Rounding a corner, he had full view of the group as he silently approached on their left. They were huddled together, watching as a man in a navy blue hoodie shook the dice in his hand and threw them out onto the dirty silver hood of the car being used as a tabletop. Justin couldn't tell what happened, because the bodies shielded his view, but it must have worked out in the man's favor because the group erupted again, and a short, thin man happily yelled out, "bitch, gimme my money!"
"Hey!" Justin yelled, startling the group into silence. "What's going on here?"
A man stepped forward, six feet tall with a heavy build and dark skin.
"We're just having some fun."
"At midnight?" Justin asked, coming to a stop a few feet from the group.
They easily out numbered him by six or seven, but most of them were watching the exchange with sheepish expressions.
"We lost track of the time, my man."
Justin cocked an eyebrow.
"Oh, Justin, we're just playing a game. Calm down. You should join us!"
No one said a word as they turned to look at the voice that'd broken the silence. He surpressed a look of surprise when he saw Morgan. She wore gray sweatshorts, a pink ribbed tank top, and tan Uggs that reached halfway up to her knees. Her lips were stretched in a wide carefree grin, similar to the one Chloe always wore, and she was wobbly on her feet. Justin's eyes travelled down to her hands, where she held a half empty bottle of Blue Moon.
His eyes travelled lower, and near her feet was another bottle. Surveying the parking lot, there were Blue Moon bottles scattered everywhere - along with ripped paper bags and swisher wrappers from the local corner liquor store. He really hoped she had been sharing with the group and didn't drink them all by herself.
"Yeah, man. Join us for a round."
Justin looked at the group of men again, this time with the growing feeling of anger starting to pulse through his veins. There were six or seven of them, and only one of her. They all appeared to be sober - for the most part- while she was having trouble holding still in a standing position. Part of him immediately began to wonder if he was ruining more of their plans for the evening besides a dice game.
"What did I tell you guys last time about doing this shit in the parking lot after dark?"
"Calm down, Robocop. We were just having some fun."
"Have it some place else. It's time to go," he said.
"Justin, it's only a game. I've never played before tonight but I won!"
Morgan's happy, drunken cellebration was cut short when he turned to her. The look on his face very clearly said it was time to shut up and she got the message. Morgan let out a whine and clumsily turned her back to him.
The men began to protest all at once, and Justin shook his head. People didn't understand that arguing with him wasn't going to convince him, just annoy him.
"Look, you can go home or you can go to jail. Take your pick," he said.
"Jail?"
"I know at least one of you is a felon, which means at least another two of you are violating the conditions of your parol by hanging out in the same area. Now, you can go the easy way, or the hard way. Either way, you're getting the fuck out of my lot."
The men grumbled amongst themselves, one of them telling the others that Justin was just a punk ass white boy on a power trip, and not worth the energy and frustration of arguing. Others grunted in agreement, and slowly they started to wonder off. Morgan clumsily whirled around to face Justin.
"Well, you're no fun," she said, downing the majority of what was left of her beer.
The last few drops spilled onto the ground when she accidently turned it upside down.
"Come on, Morgan. We can keep the party going back at my place."
Morgan smiled at the man who'd stopped beside her and offered his hand. He'd recently moved into building E. She hadn't met him before tonight, but he seemed really nice. She reached out to take his hand, and instead felt herself being jerked to the side.
"She stays," Justin said.
He'd grabbed her out stretched hand and pulled her to stand behind him. Her view of the lot and the nice man offering a party was now blocked by broad shoulders clad in dark material.
The man dropped his hand and eyed Justin.
"You're laying your claim on a lot of shit around here, aren't you white boy?"
Justin didn't reply, he didn't respond at all. He just stared back at the man, waiting for him to make a move. He wasn't laying any claim to Morgan, but he wasn't about to let her walk off to be abused or kidnapped either.
"Justin?"
He didn't turn when he heard his name, because he didn't want to take his eyes off of the man, but he recognized the voice to be Tim's. Thank God it wasn't Dale.
"What's going on?"
Tim's footsteps were growing closer, and the rest of the group were several feet away, slowly milling to their respective apartments.
"Nothing," Justin said. "Just cleaning up some trash."
The man flinched a little, like he wanted to lunge at the guard but regained his composure at the last minute. Without another word he turned and stalked off. Justin didn't even have time to utter a word before Morgan appeared in front of him. Her eyes, while red and glossy, were frustrated and accusitory.
"You are a fun spounge," she said. "You just came in and sucked all the fun out of that whole situation."
"Fun?" His eyes widened. "You call coming this close to getting molested by some jailhouse reject fun?"
"Don't talk about him like that. He's my friend."
"Oh sure."
"You don't even know!" She exclaimed.
Justin turned and looked at her, but didn't speak again. He'd learned a long time ago that fighting with a drunk person was pointless. She glared up at him, but said nothing. She looked like her daughter throwing a tantrum.
"What was that about?" Tim asked, finally reaching Justin's side.
He looked at Morgan, his brow furrowing when he took in the beer bottle in her hand. Then, he turned and looked around the parking lot, his eyebrows raising as he took in the bottles strewn on the ground.
"Having a good night, Morgan?"
She smiled wide and opened her mouth to speak, but Justin cut her off.
"Go around the East side and make sure everyone went inside. I'm gonna walk her home."
"Stop it, fun sponge," Morgan said. "I didn't call for an escort. I can walk myself home. I'm grown. I don't need a man. I'm not scared of Devon - or anyone."
She spun on her heel, fully prepared to walk to her apartment on her own. She didn't need Justin coming in and telling her what to do. She could walk herself anywhere she wanted - without him.
Unfortunately, her moment on the soap box was short lived because when she turned to leave, her body moved faster than her equilibruim. The world seemed to tilt for Morgan as her knees buckled and she started to fall to the ground. All she could think of was the first time she'd met Justin in the grocery store and dropped a melon on her foot. How was she going to bow out of this humiliating situation gracefully?
The ground was rushing up to meet her, when suddenly she felt weightless. Everything went still, and she was warm, surrounded by a deep, musky scent. It didn't take her long to realize that Justin was holding her, tucked securely against his form. His long arm stretched over her chest, his hand cupping her side, his height completely enveloping her frame. Body heat radiated through the fabric of his uniform. A sense of calm and security washed over her. Justin was what kept she and Chloe safe; he kept everyone safe. She felt protected here. Here was where Devon could never get to her.
Justin stood there, looking down at the top of Morgan's head, waiting for her to move, speak, or do anything. He'd seen her start to fall after declaring that she didn't need him, and on instinct he'd reached out for her. He wrapped an arm around her torso and pulled her close, holding her steady so she had a chance to regain her balance. He expected her to push him away, but instead she just hung there, her legs lax like a rag doll, and snuggled into his bicep. He and Tim exchanged a look, then the other man chuckled and gave him a slap on the back.
"Have fun with that," he said. "I'm gonna go check on the rest of your fan club."
Justin flipped his middle finger at Tim's back as he headed down the path the group of men had taken before turning his attention back to Morgan. She was still cuddled against him, taking slow deep breathes. The corner of his mouth lifted in a grin.
"Are you a live?"
A muffled 'yes' vibrated against his arm.
"Can I take you home now?"
Another yes. A beat of silence passed between them and she didn't move.
"You gonna walk or are you waiting for me to carry you?"
Morgan finally lifted her head. When she looked up at him this time she had the old doe eyes he remembered.
"I can walk," she said.
Following her lead, they started a slow pace up the walkway toward her apartment. She was still wobbling on her feet, and Justin hesitantly placed an arm around her shoulders. Unexpectantly, she snuggled up against his side, tucking her head under his arm and wrapping hers around his waist.
"I want a beer."
Justin rolled his eyes.
"Unless you brought home an entire case, I'm pretty sure you drank them all. Where's Chloe?"
"With my grandma."
They were approaching her apartment now. The porch light was on, and Justin could make out the flashing lights of the TV screen through the livingroom window.
"You should go inside and lay down. Try to sleep it off," he said.
"I'm not tired," she whined.
"You will be. Plus you'll feel better in the morning."
He was trying to comfort her and be understanding, but it seemed to backfire when she shoved away from him roughly.
"No!"
Justin dropped his arm, watching as she stumbled up the three steps to her porch. When she turned to face him they were almost the same height.
"Do you want to come in?" She asked.
Justin's eyes widened and he licked his lips. He tried not to think it over, and instead just shook his head. Morgan rushed to change his mind.
"We'll have a drink, watch a movie, eat some chips - or something. I don't know."
"I can't. I'm on duty," he said.
"Tim's here."
"He needs help."
"For what? You ran everybody off, they're all afraid of you."
Morgan spread her arms, referencing the empty space around them. They were the only two people outside. Justin had to let out a full-on smile. Partly because what she'd said was true, and partly because she was cute slurring her words in a hurry to get the sentence out.
"Justin, please, come in with me."
Her fingers gripped his belt and she jerked him forward, up the steps and toward the door. How was it that he was able to hold his own when wrestling with the men in his unit, but so far all the females occupying this apartment had been able to manhandle him?
They were inches from crossing the threshold of the doorway when he put his hand on the frame, gaining enough leverage to push back as she pulled him again.
"I can't," he said.
Morgan's shoulders slumped a little, and she put her hands on his belt again, rubbing her thumbs over the leather. Her voice lowered, turning smooth like honey.
"Justin."
He felt his resolve begin to weaken as she purred his name. She leaned into him, and her breast flattened against his vest, pushing her already ample cleavage up to her collar bone.
"Come inside with me, just for a little bit," she told him softly. "I don't want to be alone right now. I'm alone enough."
She bit her lip as her hands started to make their way south, leaving his belt and rubbing over his pockets. There was a small set of keys in his right pocket, but nothing else, so she smoothed her hands over his hips.
Justin had an idea of what she was looking for, and even though his mind was screaming for him to step back he couldn't move. She was never this forward, he knew it was really the alcohol talking. But, the boots on his feet were as heavy as cement blocks, anchoring him to the welcome mat on the ground. He'd never been this close to her before, and hadn't been this close to any woman in general in a long time. She smelled like nutmeg and vanilla cake, and the heat from her hands as they worked their way across his pelvis left tingles. Her touch was firm and determined, yet slow and seductive.
She was tracing a finger down the seam of his zipper when he grabbed a hold of her wrist and pulled her hand away. The girl had no idea she was playing with fire.
"Morgan."
He meant for it to come out as a warning, but instead it came out with a sigh. He could feel his hand shaking as he held her wrist, aching to caress her skin. She was clouding all of his senses, and he could only resist for so long.
"Justin," she moaned back.
With one hand held hostage, she reached out with the other. Her palm flattened against the crotch of his pants, and squeezed. As his eyes slid closed hers widened with surprise. He was hard in her hand, and filled a lot more of her palm than Devon did. She pulled back slightly, and without a word Justin pushed her through the doorway and into the apartment. He spun her around, backing her up against the wall near the door as it slammed shut.
Morgan was panting, her eyes searching his face. Shadows camoflauged his eyes, but he could clearly see hers. They were almond shaped and dark brown. When she looked at him he had to fight the urge to turn away from her gaze. It didn't feel like she was looking at him at all. It felt like she was looking right through him - peeling away all the layers of his tough outer shell. They were like deep, dark little mirrors that threw off his focus and muddied his train of thought. Her eyes took away his ability to think, to react - all he could do was feel.
He felt his hand reach up, gliding up her neck until his fingers rested just under her jaw. He felt her take in a breathe, but she didn't fight him at all. He felt himself lean down and press his lips against hers. He felt his tongue part her lips and slip into her mouth. Her lips were so soft, and she tasted like beer and cherry pie. She moaned into his mouth. He felt her hands fist his shirt and pull him closer.
His hand released her throat, moving down the center of her chest. Everything about her was soft and subtle; her skin turning pillowy when he reached the top of her breast. He grabbed at her bossum, no longer hesitant or bashful about touching her body. She had much more than a handful, even for him, and the flesh spilled out between his fingers. He could feel her nipple brushing against his palm, begging for attention even through the fabric.
Justin dropped his hands to her hips, pulling her flush against him. His lips moved to her neck, kissing the tender skin his hand had just covered. Her legs grew lax again; she sagged against him, pinned against the wall, her head a lulling to the side so he had full access. When he kissed her neck again, he felt her small hands slide up his arms, over his shoulders, and wrap around his neck. One hand held the back of his head, petting his short buzz cut.
"Justin," she whispered dreamily. "I want you so bad."
She heard him let out a deep, low growl, muffled against her skin. He stooped down, and hands gripped her legs, lifting her into the air. Morgan wrapped her legs around Justin's waist, his bulletproof vest hard against her inner thighs, and the cold steel on the exposed butt of his sidearm shocking under her left thigh.
Apparently that statement was all Justin needed, because after hoisting her up he wasted no time finding somewhere to put her. He turned, heading deeper into the apartment as his lips found hers again. He kept walking until his legs hit the dining table - where he set her down.
Justin shoved her shoulder and she fell back, her long, dark hair fanning out over the light table top. She was beautiful, with heavily-lidded lustful eyes. Her breast rose and fell with every breathe, spilling out of the scoop neck of her tank top. He gripped her thighs, bringing them to his chest and pulled her lower down on the table; her tail bone at the edge and her groin flush against his. She could feel his full length against her, straining against the metal teeth of his zipper. Then, he leaned down, covering her torso with his.
He fit against her perfectly, her body molding around his and her limps encircling him. Her calves locked behind his back and her hands dug into his shoulder blades. He kissed her, roughly, and his hand gripped one of her breasts. He yanked her tank top, pulling the fabric -along with her bra- down and out of the way, exposing her nipple to the cold air. He immediately covered it with his mouth, licking and sucking until it was hard against his tongue and she was withering underneath him.
Morgan was lost in a daze. Between the alcohol and the feel of him pressing against her, pinning her to the hard table, there were just too many sensations for her to handle. He was heavy, in a good way - a way that made her feel delicate and desired.
As his mouth migrated from one nipple to another, one of his hands moved between her thighs. He felt the rough fabric of her shorts, but they were hot and damp where they covered her. She moaned at the pressure, aching for him to remove the cloth barrier. It had been so long since a man had touched her intimately, and he moved so skillfully, swirling his tongue in the same slow circles as his fingers.
But, then she started to wonder how they'd gotten here. She'd only first laid eyes on him a couple months ago. After a hand-full of brief conversations and one life-saving event they still hardly knew each other. Did she really want to do this?
His finger sliding into her hushed all the questioning voices in her mind. She cried out, into his ear, and arched her back pushing her breast harder against his face. That was the first time became aware of how aroused she truly was. She could feel her moisture coating his hand with every touch.
As quickly as he'd entered her, he retreated. The TV didn't provide much light to see, but she heard the definite sound of a belt being undone. There was the clanking of metal and the jingling of keys, then something cold landed next to her. The butt of his gun and the buckle of his handcuff holder rubbed against her tricep.
The undoing of a zipper pulled her attention, but she never got the chance to look down and see what was happening. When her eyes landed on Justin, he grabbed a firm hold of her hips with both hands, and pushed his way into her.
All the lights in the world seemed to explode at once for Morgan. Her vision went white, and then slowly faded to black. Her breathe hitched in her throat. She froze. Every muscle in her body locked, overwhelmed by the intrusion. Justin watched as her face twisted into the most beautiful expression. He knew her head was in the clouds -her eyes had rolled into the back of her head the moment he entered her- and he didn't want to give her an opportunity to come back down. He set a steady, unapologetic pace, filling her with his swollen member over and over again.
It took Morgan a moment to regain control of herself. For several seconds she could feel him, hear him, but couldn't react. Eventually she came back down, gulping in a heavy breath of air and letting it out in a moan he was positive the neighbors could hear upstairs. Her legs fell open, allowing him to sink in further, and she moaned loudly with every thrust. Her hands gripped the edges of the table, and then clawed at his forearms when he started to push even harder. She couldn't speak, couldn't breathe, all she do was lay there, feel him, and try to hang on.
Justin could feel autopilot starting to take over his body. It'd been a while since his last encounter with a woman, so long that he'd almost forgotten what one felt like, but she felt amazing. Her tempature was a hundred degrees. She was wet, and snug. Her walls wrapped around him tighter than he'd ever experienced before, and he loved the noises she made when he moved. In that moment she epitomized every element of the dirty angel fantasy that so many men dreamed about.
"Oh, Go-"
Her voice trailed off into a series of quick sighs and indecipherable mumbles. Justin closed his eyes, blinding himself to the bouncing of her breasts as he thrust into her. He could feel the tension building already, an impending release rushing up from deep inside.
Without warning she let out a cry, her slick walls clinching him in a tight vice. Morgan was helpless, overcome by the waves of pleasure washing over her, forcing her hips to roll against his. For Justin, it was too much. He felt his instincts take over, pounding into her until he exploded inside her. He grunted with every spurt, pushing as deep as he could and emptying himself until there was nothing left.
When he opened his eyes again she was laying on the table, watching him with tired, satisfied eyes. She took shallow breaths, interlaced with occassional soft wimpers. He put a hand between them, pulling out of her and tucking his member back into his pants. When she still didn't move he grabbed her hand and pulled her into a sitting position. She wobbled a little, like she was dizzy.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
Morgan nodded.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Timberlake?" A scratchy voice came over the radio. "We have a disturbance in building A. I need backup."
Justin reached over, picking up his radio and reattaching it to his shoulder before strapping on his belt. It had to be the upstairs couple that fought every other week. They were right on schedule. Morgan watched in silence as he dressed, trying to wrap her head around the events that had just occured. Did they really just...?
When he was done with his belt, he dropped his hands on to the tops of her thighs.
"I have to go back to work," he said.
"I know."
"Justin? Do you copy?"
Tim's voice interupted again, and Justin pressed the talk button on the reciever.
"I copy. On my way."
He studied her face, taking in her swollen pink lips.
"See you later," he told her.
"See you."
Once she spoke the words he stepped back, leaving his position between her legs. He crossed the room, guided by the flashing light of the TV. When he walked out the door he locked the knob and closed it behind himself.
Story Tags: boyfriendj kitchensex interracialj abusiveex justin soldierj alternateuniverse
