Chapter 6

Come Friday night, I stood behind the apartment building sheltered by two large dumpsters. It’d been my idea to have me call the ride. At the sound of an approaching car, I let a growl slide from my core at last.

The previous few days had been full-on madness. Some nosy reporter had uncovered my line of work. So, the conversation had shifted back to my original fear. Had Laura hired me? Would she hire me again? Or had she known what I did for a living when she’d cheated on her husband? It was infuriating.

But at the quiet, rhythmic clicking of heels behind me, I couldn’t resist grinning. We’d face it together. When I turned, my pulse skyrocketed.

Holy fuck.

Dark hair bouncing in a high ponytail, she wore a black skirt that swished from her hips as she moved. It was short enough that every sway had my heart thumping louder in sync with more of her revealed thighs. Below her also-bouncing ample chest, an unbuttoned crimson and black plaid blouse was knotted. Tall, spike-heeled sandals with delicate ankle straps lengthened her lean, tanned legs.

With eyes glimmering, her slender fingers toyed with a thin leather band tight to her throat. About as un-Congressy as she could appear, she appeared more like a smoking hot college chick out for a night of serious partying.

“You approve?” After popping onto the toes of those shiny shoes, she tapped soft, full lips to mine.

“Um-hmm,” I murmured as my hands swept around her waist.

“Mmm, God, Deke. The way you’re looking at me.” The smacking of her glossy lipstick caught my attention. And damn well held it. Yeah, I missed her something awful. “Keep doing that, no matter what. Promise me, okay?”

“Sure,” I leaned closer to whisper into her ear. “But I’m gonna fuck you so very hard afterwards.”

“Oh, mmm.” She wobbled into me with a moan as the car halted beside us. “God, I hope so. I’ll need it. Hell, I’ve needed you all week, baby.” After slipping from my embrace, she moved to keep my bulk blocking the driver’s view. Eyes twinkling, she lifted the skirt. No panties.

“Naughty slut,” I whispered before chuckling.

“Your naughty slut, Deke.”

After another quick hop to her toes to peck at my lips, she dodged into the rear of the car. As soon as I followed, she snuggled tight, and we headed into the evening traffic. Based on the flag dangling from his rearview and a heavy accent, the driver hailed from Pakistan. Nice enough with a broad smile and easy laughter, he didn’t recognize her.

For a while we were silent while heading across Virginia. The Bennigan’s restaurant I’d selected was out in the middle of nowhere. But her enticing perfume and the soft press of those heated curves got to me at last. I couldn’t take it anymore and glanced at her.

Oh, she’d been waiting. And, just as I was about to speak, she flashed me a sly grin. At her fingers moving, I dropped my gaze as she eased aside the top. Welp, that explained all the bouncing. No bra, either.

Those twinkles in her eyes flared. Yeah, no matter what happened at dinner, we were going to have a long night. When I slipped a finger inside to nudge at a hot, rubbery nipple, a whimper slid from her.

“Mmm, baby. Missed you so much,” she whispered before glancing at the driver, but he was focused on the winding, tree-lined road. “Tonight, do what you do best, Deke. You’ll know when the time is right.”

“Huh?” As I pressed my fingertips on the heated stem, she arched into my palm with a louder whimper. “What do you mean?”

“Mmm, oh. F-Fuck, baby. That feels so good. You tease me so ... Hmm, nicely.” After a slow gulp, she looked at the back of the driver’s head and chewed her waxy lips. “Just, um, whatever you need to do. Mmm, I don’t mind, okay?”

After catching my glance at the skirt, she widened her smile. Although her legs remained crossed, she lifted the hem to bare those muscled thighs. All of them. As I noted the compressed top of the glimmering strip of fine hairs, her sparkling eyes became lasers, boring into mine.

“Sure—”

But before I could add anything, we halted at the edge of a seen-better-days strip mall. Despite it being a Friday evening, the restaurant’s parking lot was mostly empty. Perfect.

Once outside the car, I took in a lungful of warm, humid night air and scanned the area. No sooner had Laura exited than she shoved beneath my arm with a sigh. But right as she snuggled tighter, her body tensed.

“That’s his truck.” She pointed to a large, faded green pickup under a heavy coating of dust. Her voice grew louder. “What the fuck? James drove the whole way? That asshole probably figures I’ll just hop in and ride back to Colorado with him. Idiot.”

“Hmm.” I laughed and when those beautiful brown eyes flashed to me, I squeezed her tight. “I love it when you’re all feisty, slut.”

“Yours,” she mumbled before easing us towards the entrance. “Come on, Deke. Let’s get this over with. I need a good, rough fucking.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Another laugh escaped me as my hand slipped downward to cup her strutting rear.

As we stepped into the quiet eatery, she was squirming in my palm. Yeah, meeting her ex or not, she was as horny as I was. Right when a bored hostess—who’d also seen better days—looked up to greet us, Laura nudged my ribs.

“There he is,” she said while pointing across the dimly lit dining room.

In a distant booth, a tall, bulky man was crammed. Sloped shoulders hunched even further and nursing a beer bottle, he may have been about my age, but appeared much older. A scraggly beard was shot through with gray. Haggard, his worn face was tired-looking.

Just as she started to head for him, I gripped her wrist. After a curt yelp, she glanced at me. But I grinned and, after snuggling back under my arm, she let a soft sigh slide over my chest.

She’d said to do what I did best.

As soon as he spotted us, her ex tracked our approach. Oh, he tried to appear calm while lifting the Budweiser to his mouth. But his hand was shaking. And his expression was a wobbling mixture of trepidation and just-below-boiling rage.

“Hello, Laura.” The man’s face became a snarling scowl as it swept over me. “What’s he doing here?”

“He is Deacon Hall. My, uh”—she glanced at me—”friend.”

Oh, her lips had said “friend,” but the flash of her blazing eyes ... Plus, the gentle tugging of a glossy red fingernail on the band around her neck. We were so much more. Plus, yeah, he caught the clues as well. His cheeks flooded with crimson.

Before anyone could speak, I shoved out my hand. And put on my best “if you fuck with me, I’ll snap you in half” smile. While he was a large man, I was both larger and in far better shape.

“Glad to finally meet you, James.”

To his credit, he shook my hand with a grunt.

It was a minor concession, but I’d take it.

After guiding her into the booth opposite him, I slid in beside her. Even as a server appeared out of nowhere to gather our orders, Laura wasted no time. With a purr, she lifted, then slipped under my arm.

His response? After a snorting half-chuckle, he sneered, “Well, at least they can’t call you a racist anymore, Laura.”

Rather than respond to that, she looked up at me and slid her fingers to my jaw. At the shiny glimmering in her eyes, the rage that had started to build within me fizzled. After a quick grin at me, she returned to her ex. Without the smile.

“Alright, James, I’m here. So, talk,” she said. But just as he was about to reply, she clicked her teeth. “But first. No, I ain’t going back with you.”

“Why not?” His beer slammed on the table. “What the hell, Laura? What happened?” He shoved a finger in my direction. “Is the news correct? Was it because of him? How long have you been—”

“It’s none of your goddamn business.” I hadn’t meant for my tone to be so cold, but as his eyes widened, Laura gasped.