Long Shot: A Brewed Moon Novella Read online

  Long Shot

  A Brewed Moon Novella

  J. Margot Critch

  Copyright © 2017 by J. Margot Critch

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Please don’t pirate this book. Pirates are gross.

  Cover Design by J. Margot Critch

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  The police officers described herein are part of SJPD, a fictitious organization, and are not representative of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

  Dedication

  For Catherine, I will always be charmed by your 3am texts.

  Thank you for being one of the most wonderful and supportive people in my life.

  #VegasBesties

  Contents

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 1

  “Ladies,” Juliana announced, flopping down onto a nearby chair. “I think we’re done for the night.” It had been a long day, and Juliana was both exhausted and exhilarated. The contractors and construction workers were finally gone, and she, Erica, and Azura had been cleaning all day to prepare for the grand re-opening of Brewed Moon. Months ago, a car bomb had detonated in front of her café, nearly killing Juliana and Azura who were just about to open for the day. It would have, had it not been for Mitch, who had spotted the danger just in time. But unfortunately, the damage to the café had been immense, and the business had been left in charred ruins.

  Because of the extent of the damage and the destruction of her expensive equipment, Juliana had thought she and her business would be ruined. Her insurance wouldn’t cover the damage, she didn’t have the money to pay for replacements, and she definitely wouldn’t go to her parents for help. In the midst of a personal pity party, a twist of fate had put Declan O’Connell in front of her. He’d offered her money in exchange for a stake in the business. She was hesitant at first, but after some thought, a careful contract, and a discussion with her lawyer, she’d agreed and accepted his offer. Declan had proven to be a fantastic partner, with a keen interest in the business, and enough extra cash to splurge on some exquisitely expensive equipment and furnishings for the place that she hadn’t been able to afford when she’d first opened. The months since the bombing had been a rollercoaster of emotions from despair and stress to renewed optimism for the future.

  Juliana looked around. The floors were clean, the shiny equipment gleamed, and the room was filled once again with aroma of coffee beans. She smiled. She and her best friends had gotten a lot accomplished.

  “About time,” Azura yawned, flopping down on the plush, leather couch, throwing her rag on the floor. “I’m exhausted.”

  “Me too,” Erica agreed, pouring herself a cup of coffee. “How are you holding up, Jules?”

  Juliana shrugged. “I’m good. Tired. Relieved that the reopening party is tomorrow night so I can get back to serving coffee the next day.” She mentally flashed back to the day of the explosion. “When that bomb went off, I didn’t think I would ever be able to open again. But God, look at how great this place looks now. Thank you guys so much, for everything.”

  “Obviously we were going to help you get the place ready to open,” Erica insisted. “That wasn’t even a question.”

  “Yeah, we’ve got your back,” Azura added. “You know that.”

  “And the guys would have stayed too, if you hadn’t shooed them away,” Erica remarked with a smile.

  “They were in the way,” Juliana maintained, thinking about Mitch and the rest of them who’d helped move furniture and unpack the equipment, doing the grunt work until she’d kicked them out. She missed Mitch, but he and the rest of the guys, and their rippling muscles had been a distraction they didn’t need. “They really do take up a lot of room.”

  “Doesn’t mean they aren’t fun to look at….” Azura trailed off, shaking her head. “A group of men like that.”

  “Settle down, girl,” Erica laughed.

  “Easy for you to say, you both have one. Doesn’t mean this single girl doesn’t mind looking at big, strapping, hunky guys.”

  Juliana considered Mitch, her own big, strapping, hunky guy. They’d really come a long way. He’d gone from her secret, anonymous lover to her bodyguard, protecting her from a Russian mob boss, to her boyfriend once the proximity of their time together led to further romantic entanglement. She was lost in her thoughts when the door of the café pushed open and she felt the warm night air breeze into the café.

  Speak of the devil, Mitch walked inside. She smiled when she saw him, but he was frowning.

  Instead of greeting them, he pointed to the deadbolt. “This should be locked,” he scolded them. “Anyone could just walk in.” He still wasn’t over his role as her protector, and she didn’t think he ever would. He smiled at her and surveyed their progress with the café before his gaze settled on her. “This place looks great.”

  “It does, doesn’t it?” she stood, walking to greet him at the door. He pulled her to him, and kissed her. When she wrapped her arms around his neck, she heard the girls stand and walk up behind them.

  “Well, I guess that’s our cue to get out of here,” Azura said, approaching them. She turned to Erica. “I’ll give you a ride home.”

  Mitch broke away from Juliana long enough to walk the girls out of the café, and lock the door after them. “And that’s how you lock the door,” he told her pointedly.

  She laughed at his insistence, but she knew that he was right. In the past months, she had become all too aware of how dangerous the small city of St. John’s could be.

  “It looks like you guys had a great day here. You got a lot done after you made us leave, once we moved all the heavy things, that is,” he teased.

  “Yeah, thanks for that, by the way. But we did. I’m so ready for the party tomorrow night. It’ll be nice to relax with my favourite people before we open for business.” She reached out and ran her hand through his hair. “And I just want to say thank you for everything you’ve done over the past few months. Thank you for your support, and your love. And everything else.”

  “It’s nothing,” he said. He took her hand and placed his lips in her palm, kissing it lightly. “I’m glad you’re okay, and you’re ready to go. I just wish I could have done more to help.” He paused, and shot her a pointed look. “And I wish you’d tell me about your new partner.”

  Juliana rolled her eyes. That was a conversation they’d had before and one she didn’t want to have again. Declan thought it would be fun to not tell Mitch that they were in business together, to play with him, the control freak that he was. Juliana had heartily agreed. “Don’t worry about him,” Juliana said, snaking her arms around his neck, pulling him in. “He said he knows you, but he didn’t want me to tell you. He wants to surprise you tomorrow night.”

  Mitch pulled away. “And that doesn’t sound strange to you? I don
’t even know who you’re going into business with. I don’t like it. You should have let me him run a check on him.”

  She rolled his eyes at him. “Mitch, I looked into him. No, I didn’t run a criminal check, but I checked him out, talked to a lawyer, and got some references before taking his money.”

  “But Jules,” he interrupted her.

  “No!” she raised her hand, shutting him down. “Mitch, we’ve been through this,” she told him. “Brewed Moon is my business. We might be together now, but my café is my life.”

  Mitch’s jaw ticked, and she knew that he was fighting with his inner – and outer – control freak. After a beat, he nodded. They’d had the conversation before, and they both knew that neither would budge. “Are you ready to go?” he asked.

  “Your place tonight?” she asked. Even though they spent every night together, they still maintained separate apartments. “I need your bathtub.” She almost sighed when she pictured the large tub that took up most of his bathroom. The one he never used, unless he got in with her. That was a crime in itself.

  “Sure,” he smiled, pulling her closely once again, their disagreement seemingly forgotten. They would have to come to terms on the issue sooner or later, but it wouldn’t be that night.

  His lips grazed hers, and as was always the case when he kissed her, she sighed and leaned against the wall of his chest, and her arms wrapped around him. His touch made her forget her stress. Her worries, the tension and fatigue that she’d felt dissipated and she knew nothing but Mitch’s masterful caresses, letting his kiss guide her away from reality. She tilted her head and parted her lips for him, allowing Mitch to deepen the kiss.

  He groaned, a lustful sound that travelled from his mouth into hers. She swallowed his pleasure and his need, echoed by her own, and pulled him closer, pressing her body against his. She could feel his stiff length against her stomach, and she was exhilarated that a man like Mitch could want her so much.

  Mitch’s arms wrapped around her waist and he lifted her. Juliana’s legs wrapped around his waist, as he effortlessly walked her to the counter, and deposited her between the cash register and a still-empty display stand. His large hands cupped her face, holding her in place as he kissed her, his lips stealing her breath, and his tongue plundering her mouth, probing, stroking against her own. She couldn’t breathe and the world around her turned dark, clouds formed in her peripheral vision. Mitch had that effect on her. He made sure that she only saw and felt him. Thankfully, regrettably, he pulled away from her mouth before she passed out. She could breathe again. But his lips didn’t leave her. They skimmed along her jaw, his trim beard scratching pleasantly on her skin, trailing kisses down her throat, kissing each of the sensitive spots that got her going every time. His fingers tangled in her hair, clenching in her dark tresses, gently pulling her back, gaining him access to the delicate lines of her throat.

  She felt the counter, cold and hard, underneath her and she remembered that they were still inside Brewed Moon. “What are you doing?” she asked, gulping for air as his mouth continued his beautiful assault on her skin, his fingers making quick work or the buttons that ran down the front of the dress she was wearing.

  “I’ve had a really bad day,” he murmured. “And then you sent me away. I missed you.” He pushed her dress from her shoulders, and his hands dropped immediately to the band of her panties. He tucked his thumbs underneath and lowered them, she lifted her hips so he could pull them down her legs and over her ankles, and he stood between her spread thighs.

  “Everything okay?” she asked as he unsnapped the front clasp of her bra, allowing her breasts to pour free of the cups, exposing them to the air and his attention. “You seem frantic.”

  “Work’s a little tense. But everything’s fine now,” he responded before his lips closed over the stiff nub of her nipple, causing a shudder to ripple throughout her. Using his lips, teeth and tongue, he nipped and lashed at her breast, while his fingers worked on the other. Each touch plucked at her, sending shots of pleasure straight to her core.

  When she couldn’t handle it any longer, she gripped his hair and pulled his head away from her. “Mitch, now,” she whispered, reaching for his belt buckle.

  He beat her there, unbuckled his belt and lowered his jeans over his hips. His rock-hard length sprang free of the denim confines and Juliana touched him, her fingers encircling him. He groaned and pushed her hands away, before taking a step closer. In under a second, he had a condom in his hand, tore open the foil wrapper and covered himself with it. He notched his cock at her opening and pushed inside of her.

  She moaned at the feeling of being filled by Mitch, and her arms circled his neck, holding on for her life as he took over. Juliana wasn’t sure how, but each time with Mitch was better than the last, and she didn’t think she would ever get enough of how he felt inside of her, leaning over her. Her cries were loud, though she tried to quiet them, lest a passerby try to peek through the closed shutters and see what they were doing inside of her café. But it didn’t work, she could never control herself when it came to being with Mitch. She reached around him and grasped his ass, all hard, smooth muscle. And she gripped him, pulled him, trying to match his pace as his hips thrust wildly.

  When her eyes fluttered to close, and the warmth of her orgasm tingled throughout her, turning her limbs to jelly he brought a hand to her cheek, commanding her attention. “Keep those eyes open. I want to see you when you come,” he whispered, bringing his forehead to rest on hers.

  Juliana shuddered below him, and cried out in desperate pleasure. He stayed with her through the course of her orgasm. His breath was hard and jagged on her cheek, and she knew that he was holding off until she finished. But then, with a primal groan, and one final plunge, he exploded, burying himself inside of her, putting his face in her hair.

  As he lay on top of her, bent over her on the counter top, they each took several breaths, composing themselves before Mitch extracted himself from her embrace and stood straight, fastening his jeans. Juliana felt a chill and finally remembered that she was naked. She hopped off the counter and found her legs still a little wobbly. She reached out to hold herself up, but instantly found Mitch beside her, his arms supporting her.

  “I’m going to have to break out the sanitizer before we leave.” She looked up at him, smiling. “I wonder how many health and safety violations we just committed,” she commented, buttoning her dress. She laughed, and went to the supply closet to find her cleaning supplies. It wasn’t the most romantic task, but she still ran a food service establishment.

  Mitch shrugged. “I know a guy. I can get you off.”

  “You certainly can.”

  Chapter 2

  Mitch was late for the re-opening party.

  Captain Lewis had stopped him on the way out of the detachment to deliver an impromptu dressing down over the lack of progress on an open murder case. He walked into Brewed Moon, trying to shake off his foul mood, thankful that there would be alcohol there to help ease the transition to a festive atmosphere. He looked around and it seemed as if the good times were in full swing, as the rest of his team was already there celebrating Juliana’s grand re-opening.

  He saw Juliana chatting to some other local business owners, and not wanting to interrupt, he made a beeline for the makeshift bar, the liquor bottles lined up where Juliana would keep the loose beans, and poured himself a finger of whiskey. He looked at the glass, then the bottle, before pouring another.

  “Hey,” he heard Peter behind him. He turned to see his brother, joined by his teammates, Steve and Joe. “I saw Lewis drag you into his office on my way out. What did he want?”

  Mitch took a fortifying gulp of the brown liquid before speaking. “He thinks that we would benefit from having an extra team member,” Mitch paraphrased his boss. “He’s currently vetting applicants for a fifth position.”

  Mitch watched each of his men swallow the information. Peter spoke first. “Why do I get the feeling that h
e’s not doing it for our benefit?”

  “Because he isn’t,” Mitch rolled his eyes. “Especially after what happened with Smith and Roberts, he’s definitely looking for a way to keep tabs on us.”

  “You got that right,” Peter agreed.

  They all clammed up when they heard Julianna come up behind them. “Hey, you finally made it,” she said.

  He turned and kissed her once on the lips. “Sorry I’m late, I had to meet with Captain Lewis.”

  She arched an eyebrow at his tone. “Is everything okay?”

  “Fine,” he said, attempting a light, positive tone. But he knew he wasn’t successful when she frowned.

  “Well, at least you’re here now,” she said linking her arm into his. The opening door caught her attention. “Oh, and so is he.”

  “Who?” Mitch asked, taking another drink from his glass.

  “My silent partner.”

  Mitch looked up and his blood ran cold as he saw Declan O’Connell, the young boss of the Irish mob. The one that Mitch had agreed to help rise to power if they took out the Russians. “Son of a bitch,” Mitch muttered under his breath, and caught the eyes of his teammates. None of them knew what was going on, but it was clear they didn’t like the Irishman’s appearance either.

  But Juliana didn’t pick up on it. “Come over and say hi,” she implored, tugging him by his arm to the door.

  “Yeah. I think I will.”

  When they got close enough, Juliana leaned in to Declan and they embraced, kissing each other lightly on the cheek. Mitch clenched his fists in anger. “Mitch, you’ve been dying to know who my partner was, but Declan wanted to keep it secret and surprise you. He said you were friends.”

  “More like acquaintances,” Mitch corrected. He turned to Declan. “So, you’re the investor that helped Juliana reopen her café,” he said.

  Declan’s smile was large, showing that he wasn’t bothered by Mitch’s lack of pleasantries. “No need to thank me,” his Irish accent was thick. “It was a shame what happened to the place. I wanted to help any way I could. I’m glad our lovely Juliana is back up and running, and that I could play a part in helping this phoenix rise from the ashes.”