To Love & To Protect Read online

  “We can agree that it is a beautiful picture that hits you right in the gut. We here at the station are pulling for you Representative Jasmine Anderson, and pray for justice to be served on the responsible parties. We will be back with you after these messages from our local sponsors.”

  “I am ready to go home, “Jasmine said.

  “You will be tomorrow Michael said. Well not exactly home, but out of here. Ethan has had three guest homes on Blake-Moore Estates cleaned and set up for your arrival tomorrow. One for the team to do their work, one for you, the girls and Renee and the last one for Donna and her son and myself. He set up a home office for you with Ms. Jeffcoat’s help. You all will have someone on you at all times for protection and get to be with each other.”

  “I am getting out here tomorrow, what a relief? When did Ethan have time to set this up?”

  “He started on it this morning when he initially arrived, once he got a yes from Donna and myself, he continued to work on it after the interviews with Alena and Ms. Jeffcoat, and then put the finishing touches on the plan when Trent and Kimberly relieved him of duty this afternoon.”

  “Wow,” Jasmine said.

  “Trent is like a dog with a bone when it comes to an assignment. Every case he takes personally. He works on every case with great passion and attention to detail,” Kimberly stated.

  “Duly noted,” Jasmine said in response.

  Jasmine ate her dinner, and drifted off to sleep when everyone had finally left her. For the first time, she had nightmares about the shooting. She would wake up when the gun would go off or real pain from her moving around in the bed broke through her unconsciousness. She had declined narcotic pain reliever tonight and was beginning to think it was a bad idea.

  Chapter 11

  Donna came in and gave her a strong dosage of pain medicine. It wasn’t long till Jasmine was drifting off into a deep sleep.

  She settled into a sweet dream. She was on her patio balcony, overlooking the waterfront. There were candles lit and soft music was playing in the background. Jasmine was wearing a white spaghetti top that stopped at her belly button and relaxed fit white cargo pants. Her feet were bare and her toes were painted a rich plum color. Her hair was a mountain of loose curls tumbling down around her shoulders. Her body was healed. She wasn’t alone. Ethan walked onto the balcony. He was relaxed for the first time ever. His didn’t have on a shirt. Her eyes roamed over his broad chest, his well-developed six pack, the tangle of blonde curls that sprayed across his body. He handed her a glass of champagne, which she gladly accepted. Jasmine turned her attention to the glass of champagne. When Ethan grew tired of watching her fiddle with glass, he gently removed it from her hands and placed it on a nearby table.

  He said in a deep rich voice, “Come here?”

  Jasmine walked shyly into his arms and began to sway back and forth to the slow jam that was playing. Ethan placed his hand in the center of her back and pulled her closer to him. She looked up and met his hungry eyes. She began trembling in his hands from anticipation. She could feel his warmth through his thin slacks. Jasmine took in a deep breath as she also felt his swelling manhood pressing against her quivering stomach. He reached down and lifted her face upward, and took her mouth in a passionate kiss. Jasmine gave back as good as he gave her. The next thing she knew, Ethan had scooped her up off of her feet and was carrying her into the living room. He trailed kisses from her full lips, down her neck. Ethan pulled her shirt over her head and released her bra, in one quick flick of his wrist. He cupped her full breast; one in each hand like was weighing them. He bent down and flicked his long pink tongue over one aroused nipple then repeated the action with the other. He kissed her stomach and down to her belly button. Jasmine moaned softly under her breath. Ethan was making love to her whole body. He slid his hands around her round bottom, and pulled her pants down. He slid her lace panties to the slide and dipped his fingers into her creamy goodness. He took his fingers out of her and licked his fingers.

  “Damn you taste good baby?” Ethan said.

  He pulled her down to the carpeted floor, removed her panties and began to devour her aroused secret treasure. He licked and stroked her until she was pushing his face deeper and deeper between her thighs.

  She came and he savored every single drop.

  She lay in his arms for a few minutes, before she started to kiss his neck, and running her fingers across his chest. She trailed kisses down his chest over his pink nipples, down his belly button. She planted butterfly kisses over a portion of his scar.

  Then she place herself between his legs and placed his aroused manhood into her mouth. She sucked him in long slow strokes, taking more and more of him in each time; until she was deep throating him. She played with his balls as she made love to his dick. Man he was so big, in length and in diameter.

  “Can I ride it,” Jasmine asked.

  “Come on,” Ethan said back.

  Jasmine mounted him and took every glorious inch into her tight wet goodness. Her body stretched to accommodate him. She set a slow pace, her deliciously round bottom was slapping together. Ethan had penetrated her as much as he could, but still he wanted more. Her big breast bounced with the rhythm they had set. He reached in and pulled her closer, kissing her deeply. Then he placed one of her breast in his mouth and suckled as their pace increased. She was soaking wet with desire and was close to coming. When her vagina started to suck and pull him deeper in. She let out one more long moan and arched her back as she came.

  Ethan used one arm to position her in doggie style and he pounded that beautiful caramel colored bottom from behind until he came.

  As Ethan came, Jasmine aroused from a dream that had rocked her world. It had seemed so real. She was most definitely in need of a cold shower. She looked over the room and fortunately Trenton had drifted off to sleep and Kimberly was probably getting their beloved coffee.

  A shutter rocked through Jasmine’s body. That dream was way too real, and where had it come from. Jasmine went to rub her hand over her face and winced in pain; her right arm was so stiff. Jasmine lay her head against her pillow thinking that she needed to clear her head.

  She wanted her life back in order. Her life was so fast paced that she always had something to do. She had taken two days off from her life. She was allowing him, them, whoever was responsible for this to win. Starting tomorrow she would be back in the driver’s seat of her life, promise.

  When Donna came in to check her bandages and adjust her medication output, she asked her to have someone take all the cards off the flowers and redeliver to patients who did not get as many visitors as she had. She also had Donna to message Sasha Jeffcoat, her administrative assistant, and Katrina Bradley who also helped with administrative items. Lastly she messaged Nicole and told her that she needed a makeover and Claire to give her an exclusive.

  Chapter 12

  The next morning there was a buzz around the hospital room, a new energy. Donna had come in early and helped her with her bath and changed her bandage. She meet with Trenton, Trujillo, Luke and Ethan while Nicole styled her hair. They let her know what developments had been made in the case and what leads they were following. Ethan let her know that all security issues had been addressed as far the cottage retreat on Blake-Moore Estates.

  Jasmine thanked them for the work that they had done and would do in regards to the case. She then informed them that when she left the hospital today, that she would be leaving through the front entrance door, on her own two feet. If there were still supporters outside she would greet a few of them while looking at the memorials of flowers and candles that had been left outside the hospital to honor her. Jasmine continued, by saying that in a week’s time she going back to the University of Emerald Grove and finish what she started. Lastly my charity ball for children battling cancer is scheduled to happen within the next two weeks, and the show must go on.

  Ethan saw that she was determined. “Representative Anderson,” Ethan addressed her,
“I strongly advise against this course of action.”

  “I expected at least one of you to,” Jasmine responded.

  Trujillo responded, “With all due respect, if you go through with your plans, it will take us more time to capture the shooter because we will be acting as your personal security detail.”

  “I do understand that,” Jasmine responded. Yet there are what 8, 9, maybe even 10 of you here now. There should be enough of you to handle security issues when I have to be in public, as well as pursue leads regarding the case. Trent, I was promised the best of the best. You guys are that, correct?” Jasmine asked.

  “We are so good at what we do that it is downright scary to the average person? I think that my team feels that you are taking unnecessary risk. For what, to prove to some low life, that you are still winning?” Trent responded.

  Jasmine lowered her eyes because that was part of it. She responded honestly, “I need to reassure the people that voted for me that, in face of tragedy, I will still stand firm. I owe them a debt of gratitude for their support through this trying time. I know that you have footage from that day, and you are not closer to figuring out who the shooter is. So, I will be bait and draw him out,” Jasmine answered. “Lastly, I went to that school to talk to the kids about not giving up and perusing their dreams no matter what. I don’t want to be just the State Representative that was shot at their school. They need to see me get back up and continue to do the work that I was doing. They have to see that speech come to life,” Jasmine said. “I can’t do this without your help,” Jasmine said to the group at large.

  Townsend said, “She’s got heart. We can do this,” he finished.

  Nicole spoke up, “I don’t mean any harm. The local news stations have taken that picture of Ethan and the girls and it’s basically gone viral. There are news stations working around the clock to figure out your relationship with Representative Jasmine Anderson. It won’t be long before your true identity is revealed. So we make up a story that works with the agenda we are trying to push here. Let Claire run the story of how one of our very own has returned home to help in this time of need. The media already wants there to be an intimate connection between Ethan and Jasmine, because the photo with Ethan and the girls was intimate in nature. Ethan has to go undercover as her lover. It will give him twenty-four hour access to Jasmine, who is the target as well as the girls, and explains why he is there. You will have some down time so you could review the footage and find out what has been missed or purposefully removed.”

  Townsend spoke up, “Someone tampering with the video footage would make sense. The person probably has ties to the University, so we need to get an employee roster from them.”

  Ethan responded, “That also means that Michelle needs to be in on the footage review, because she can catch any feedback loops that exist. She can also help us figure what kind of equipment was used to scramble all of the cameras within a certain radius.”

  Trujillo stepped in, “Michelle is better at the computer tech analysis, but she has been off her game here lately. She is super emotional and her gut has been wrong on more than one occasion.”

  “Even more reason to keep her close to me,” Ethan responded. Looking around the group he said, “Oh man, I can’t believe that we are agreeing to this.”

  “It’s doable,” Trent advised.

  “Alright, let’s do it then,” Ethan said giving in to the plan.

  Chapter 13

  Over the next few hours, Michael and Donna packaged up all the supplies that would be needed to treat Jasmine over the next couple of weeks. Jasmine had finally agreed to use a wheelchair until she was at the door. Trent, Townsend, and Trujillo secured the perimeter. Nicole and Donna had left a little earlier to get a head start. It was just Jasmine, Ethan, and Michael.

  “Why is the rest of the team dressed like they just walked out of a Men in Black movie, and you are dressed in civilian attire?” Michael asked.

  “I am Jasmine’s lover, so even though this is my team, I have to appear that I am not an active part of this assignment. We have learned that as Marines, if we are too close to a situation our guard can be down at the worst possible time. So I am, just going to keep my eye on my lady here,” Ethan said running a hand over her hair.

  “Get your hands out of my hair,” Jasmine said.

  “Oh, don’t be like that darling,” Ethan teased.

  “Oh my God, this is going to be so much fun,” Michael said with a chuckle. “But seriously, don’t play in a black woman’s hair, she will kill you.”

  The elevator stopped at the lobby, Michael exited first and Ethan pushed Jasmine to the door, where he secured the wheelchair break and assisted her with standing on her own two feet. They were facing each other, her hand was in his.

  He smiled down at her, “Yes, I am going to have some fun at your expense, because this was your idea and we have to make this look very real. Don’t look around, but our picture has been taken at least a dozen times by now. I am going to kiss you and you will have to act like you like it, like we have done this before. Once we cross the threshold, I am going to stay very close to you, while maintaining some space. If you are in too much pain to continue, reach for me and I will get you to the car. Understood?” Ethan asked.

  She nodded her head. It’s been a while since I kissed a man so it may not be that good,” Jasmine admitted.

  “Doesn’t have to be good just has to look like it was,” Ethan said then continued encouraging, “Something tells me you are going to do just fine.”

  Jasmine smiled a half smile before tilting her head back to receive his kiss. He placed his hand behind her neck and ran his fingers along the nap of her neck. Nothing in this world had prepared either of them for this kiss. The first kiss was like a brief meeting of the lips. The second one a little bit longer and the third and final kiss, they completed a mating ritual that was as old as time. Jasmine breathed in deeply and was enveloped in his scent, which was a combination of woods, Mediterranean Sea, fruit, herbs and berries. Ethan broke the kiss slowly.

  “Ready,” he asked, his voice slightly more husky than he had been before.

  Unable to speak, Jasmine nodded her head in the yes motion.

  She reached for his hand then slowly and carefully began to walk out of the sliding double doors. She put a smile on her face, and walked out to where the memorial was. She was humbled immediately, by the outpouring of love from her community. People began to realize who she was and started to walk over. When a bystander asked how she was she responded with, “Blessed beyond measure.”

  She walked around a little more; she stopped at a framed picture of her that had been hand stretched. She wanted that for her home and a couple of the candles as well as a teddy bear. Trujillo picked up the items where she had lingered longer, as if reading her mind. She spoke to people and shook hands, took a few pictures for about ten minutes before she reached for Ethan’s hand. She was tired and beginning to hurt a little bit.

  Jasmine slid into the black Cadillac and eased her limbs into the car. Ethan adjusted the seat to try to help her get to a comfortable position then buckled her seat belt. Ethan closed the door behind her and walked briskly to the other side. He got into the driver’s seat and radioed in that the princess was on the move. Townsend pulled out of his parking space first, Ethan second and Trujillo third, they weren’t taking any chances.

  “Princess, really?” Jasmine said breaking the silence.

  “It’s just a code name; I could call you “the package” if you preferred it?” Ethan said with a smile.

  “Yeah that’s worse,” Jasmine agreed.

  “You will get to meet the other agents assigned to this case today. You are out of the hospital and you will get to be with your girls,” Ethan said keeping the conversation going.

  “I know, I am blessed,” Jasmine said. “I will get to spend some time with my sister as well. She has been amazing through this. I don’t think that Antonio has left yet, so I will
get to talk with him and just try to make a good memory in the midst of this storm,” Jasmine said with a smile.

  A few moments went by with no conversation.

  Jasmine broke the silence by asking, “Can you please let the window down just a little bit?”

  Ethan did as she requested.

  “Smell that?” Jasmine asked.

  “Yes, the Atlantic Ocean,” Ethan replied.

  Jasmine smiled. Right now it was indeed the small things that were causing her heart to dance inside her chest. She also knew they were close to Blake-Moore Estates. Blake-Moore Estates was located on 120 acres of ocean front property. Eleanor and Jacob Blake-Moore are self-made business owners. They purchased land and other properties in their twenties, and developed the properties and rented them or sold them at a profit while working full time jobs to take care of their family. Jasmine always admired them because they weren’t born with a silver spoon in their mouths, but they worked hard so that they could put one in their children’s mouth. Another quality that she respected about the couple was that they never forgot their humble beginnings and helped within the community often.

  It wasn’t long before, they were turning off the main road, into the private road that lead to the main house. Jasmine leaned forward as they got closer to the main gate, and a genuine smile touched her lips. Both her miracle and her blessing were on the steps with the all of her friends and family with them.

  Ethan looked away, a man could get lost in that smile. In the last two days all he had seen on her face was worry and pain. It was nice, to be able to help her smile again.

  They were allowed entrance through the security gates. He pulled into a slow halt in front of the steps were the girls were standing and jumping up and down with excitement. Jacob Blake-Moore opened Jasmine’s door and assisted her out of the car. Jasmine held out her good arm to receive hugs from everyone. There was laughter and well wishes in abundance. After a few minutes, Eleanor made her way to the front.