Crossroads: the Chance City Series Book Three
Copyright© 2023 by Robin Deeter
Chapter 21
Romantic Sex Story: Chapter 21 - Carter “Wheels” Ellis doubts that he’ll ever find a wife since he’s a paraplegic. But Nora Guthrie has strong feelings for him, and they begin a powerful romance. Sparks fly between Mayor Carly Branson and male prostitute Ray Stratton despite their mutual hate. Or is it love? Four people come to important crossroads. Will they find happiness, or take a wrong turn and end up heartbroken?
Caution: This Romantic Sex Story contains strong sexual content, including Ma/Fa Consensual Heterosexual Fiction Historical Mystery Western
Mid July brought joy and longing with it. The Decker twins grew healthy and strong, doted on by their relatives and friends. Fortunately, although thunderstorms still rolled through the community a couple of times a week, no more tornadoes touched down in or near Chance City.
Wheels’ injuries had mainly healed by that time, except for his shoulder. Although it wasn’t nearly as painful, he still had trouble using it to transfer and push his chair. Fearing permanent damage to it, he followed Vin’s orders to the letter, not pushing the joint too hard, too fast.
His and Nora’s relationship solidified even further, and Wheels had gone back to his philosophy that when troubles arose, it could always be worse. His brush with death had made him even more grateful for all the blessings in his life, the biggest being his beautiful wife.
She took care of him without complaint, helping him and supporting him. They both used humor to get through some of the most stressful moments, and they had plenty of help from their family members. Ollie came in handy, doing all the things he’d been trained to do: pull down covers, fetch things, and keeping Wheels company whenever the rest of the family was busy.
One warm morning, Wheels watched Nora sleep, the sun illuminating her lovely face. It wasn’t time to get up yet, so he didn’t disturb her. He smiled as he thought about last night and the way they’d carefully made love. It had been slow and gentle, a reawakening of their passion for each other.
As the sun slowly changed position with the passing minutes, Wheels thought about the conversation he’d had with Ray about crossroads the day when they’d gone to get fitted for their tuxes. Philosophically, he thought that life was a series of crossroads, choices in front of everyone all the time, each leading down a different path.
He’d come to his biggest crossroad thus far when he’d been faced with the choice to swallow his pride and keep the happiness he’d found or to let his ego stand in the way of a bright future. He was immensely glad that he’d chosen the former path over the latter.
Ollie wandered into their room, yawning before jumping up on the bed and softly grunting good morning to Wheels. He climbed up on Wheels’ chest and leaned over to kiss him. Wheels smiled and petted him.
Ollie let out a few bird-like sounds and then slid down into the space between Wheels and Nora. He laid down on his side so he could look at Nora and Wheels had the distinct impression that the monkey was watching her with as much adoration as him. He wouldn’t be surprised.
As he put a hand lightly on Ollie’s head, he thought about how much like a baby Ollie was sometimes and wondered if he and Nora would ever have a baby of their own. Wheels would like that very much, but he would also be perfectly happy adopting a little one who needed a good, loving home.
He almost laughed as he imagined Ollie with a baby. He’d been great with Clyde, although they’d had to watch him like a hawk because he’d wanted to pick baby Clyde up on his own. It was no wonder that Clyde often treated Ollie more like another sibling instead of a monkey.
Ollie climbed back up onto Wheels, his amber eyes meeting Wheels’.
“What do you think, buddy? You ready to have another baby to play with?” he whispered to Ollie.
Ollie grunted and bobbed his head, clearly saying yes.
Wheels whispered, “Me, too. We’ll see what we can do about that, okay?”
Ollie bobbed his head again and then curled up on Wheels’ stomach. As he watched his wife and buddy sleep, Wheels looked forward to whatever other crossroads lay ahead. Eagerly, he anticipated the good ones and as for the bad, no matter what happened, it could always be worse.
Cy sat in a chair outside the Dog House, his legs stretched out before him as he drew on a tablet. He sketched a picture of Leigh smiling down at Anna as she held her while he thought about his and Brock’s latest case.
Pudge let out soft woof, and Cy looked up to see Carly entering the yard from the office kitchen.
“Hello, Mayor Branson. How are you?” he asked, smiling.
She returned the expression as she bent to pet Pudge. “I’m fine, thank you. I’ve come for your help. It’s time to find Ray.”
Cy stood up, stretched, and yawned. “Okay.”
Carly laughed. “Twins have you up again?”
“Always. They have their nights and days mixed up, but I don’t mind in a way since I get to see them more.”
Carly smiled. “These will be the days you’ll wish you could come back to when they’re grown.”
“I expect you’re right.”
Carly took out a packet of envelopes from her reticule. “These are all the envelopes in which Ray has sent me money. Can you find him with them? They’re from all over, so he’s apparently travelling around.”
Cy simply smiled and motioned for her to follow him into the Dog House. Going over to a large map of Oklahoma, he began putting a pin in each location noted on the envelopes.
“How much money has he been sending you?”
“Well, to date, he’s sent me almost six thousand dollars.” Carly swallowed hard. “Which tells me that he’s been very busy at his former profession.”
Cy grunted. “Yeah, I guess so. You really love him, don’t you? Most women wouldn’t have bothered once they knew he’d gone back to hustling.”
Carly said, “You’re not the only one who’s said that to me. And yes, I love him enough to overlook what he’s been doing to make that kind of money. I know you don’t understand, but there’s so much more to Ray than anyone knows. I only hope it doesn’t take a lot of searching to find him.”
Cy tapped Oklahoma City on the map. “That’s where he is. He’s gone to a lot of towns around there to mail these. He went where he knew he’d have enough higher society customers to make that kind of cash as quick as possible.”
Carly was amazed that he’d figured it out so quickly. “So, all we have to do is go to Oklahoma City and bring him back.”
Cy’s eyebrows rose. “You mean you’re going there? To a brothel? That’s most likely where he’s working.”
An enigmatic smile curved her lips. “Oh, I’m well aware of where he used to work. There are very few things I don’t know about Ray, Cy.”
Over the last month and a half, she’d visited the Chowhound and Benny’s a few times, figuring that if Ray had tried so hard to become respectable, maybe she should become a little less so. She recalled the hush that had fallen over the saloon when she’d entered with Hector beside her that first time.
Although Sandy’s surprise had been just as great as Benny’s had been the night Ray had first taken her there, the bar owner had instantly grasped what Carly was up to and had jumped to help another woman who was trying to turn the tables on men.
Sandy had called out a loud greeting to Carly as though they were long-time friends and Carly’s presence in the bar was a common occurrence. Hector had followed Carly to the bar, his eyes glittering dangerously in warning as he gazed around the barroom. His attitude said that if anyone made a wrong move towards the mayor, they’d wind up dead.
For the next hour, Carly chatted with Sandy and a few of the patrons, asking a couple of the council members there to give her regards to their wives. Hector had enjoyed watching Carly put the screws to them and the shock on their faces.
Although there had been some gossip and a few negative reactions, the sky hadn’t crumbled as Carly had feared it might. If anything, it seemed to have helped her standing where men were concerned, and she thought that she should’ve tried lowering herself sooner. It might have made her job a little easier. Lessons learned.
Cy arched an eyebrow but made no further comment. “Make sure you have good security with you. I assume Hector is escorting you.”
“You assume correctly,” Carly said. “Thank you.” She looked around the Dog House. “You need a proper office, Detective.”
Cy smiled. “Maybe. This has been fine.”
Carly took the stack of envelopes back from Cy and tapped his arm with them. “Consider it taken care of.”
Cy followed her out of his shed. “What do you mean?”
Carly just gave him another mysterious smile and entered the sheriff’s office, leaving him to gaze after her.
“Yeah, yeah! I’m coming!” Ray said when someone knocked on his door.
He sleepily dragged on underwear and padded over to it. A woman stood on the other side.
“Oh, God, it’s too early for this,” he said, still groggy. “Come back this afternoon. Everyone knows that I don’t see customers in the morning.”
The noise from the hard slap that was delivered to his face echoed in his room with a sharp crack. Stunned, he stumbled back a couple of steps, far enough to permit the woman entry into the room.
Ray put a hand to his stinging cheek. “What the hell?”
The woman locked the door and turned around. Ray forgot the pain in his face as he recognized her with a shock.
“Carly?” He shook his head, convinced that he was dreaming.
She took off her fine gray and black hat and sat it on a chair. “Yes, Ray, it’s me.”
“What are you doing here? How did you find me?”
As she took off her gloves, Carly looked Ray over, noting that he was just as sinfully gorgeous as ever. From his sleek, tousled black hair to his bare feet he was a study in male perfection. Her legs grew weak as hunger stole through her. Steeling herself against it, she undid the first few buttons on her suit jacket.
“Well, Ray, I know people who are very good at finding other people,” she said coolly.
His nostrils flared a little as he watched her pretty fingers undo the rest of the pearl buttons on the jacket and part it. “Why are you here?”
“I came on very important business, Ray.” She removed the jacket and put it with her hat. “It’s been quite eventful at home since you left town. Cy and Leigh had twins.”
Ray smiled despite his confusion and anger. “Twins? Wow.”
“Yes. They’re very sweet babies, as you can imagine. Wheels is coming along very nicely, out and about as usual. Well, almost like usual. He still has to be a little careful with his shoulder,” she said.
Ray registered her words on one level, but on another, baser level, he was focused on the way her body was bared to him one article of clothing at a time. His temperature rose with every piece she laid on the chair.
“What are you doing?” he asked when she stood in only her chemise and brassiere.
“Do you remember when you came stomping into my office the day you confronted me about spreading rumors about you?”
“Yeah.”
He almost groaned over seeing her long, shapely legs again. There wasn’t an inch of Carly’s body that he didn’t know and yet he’d never get enough of her.
“Do you recall what you asked me?”
Ray’s mind fogged with desire as she pulled the chemise a little higher, revealing more of her creamy thighs. “No. Yes. I asked you how you could do that to me.”
Carly could clearly see the effect she was having on him, and her body reacted. “Well, yes, but you asked me something else.”
Ray had slept with many women the past couple of months, but none of them had even remotely excited him the way she was. He hadn’t even touched her or kissed her, but he was as ready for her as a stud after a mare in heat. “What did I ask you?”
She smiled calmly even as her pulse raced. “You asked me if I’d ever had angry sex. You told me that it could be very stimulating and then offered to show me, but you haven’t thus far. That’s going to change right now, because I am very angry and very aroused, Mr. Stratton.”