Far From Montana

by Penny Ash

  He gasped as she moved over him and began to lower herself onto his thick erection. Skimming his hands over her hips and wrapping one arm around her waist, he pulled her down against him and slowly arched his hips up off the bed as he pushed deeper into her. When she moaned and gripped his shoulders, he whispered her name and rolled over with her.

  Tightening her legs, she rocked against him, drawing another deep groan from him. He braced himself on his elbows and looked down into her eyes. She pulled his full weight down on her, and he slid his arms under her shoulders.

  He tangled his fingers in her hair, cradling her head in his hands and burying his face in the crook of her neck. Her ragged breathing sent shivers down his spine. A brief flash of memory made him smile as he began to move, living out the fantasy he’d had at the gas station when he’d first seen her.

  Suddenly, he felt himself slipping over the edge into the most intense release he’d ever had. She moaned his name, tightening around him, and he gasped, losing control and grinding into her as he flooded her with heat and lust until they were both spent.

  He caught his breath and moved off of her, leaning back against the pillows propped against the headboard and pulling her up into his arms. She sighed and laid her head on his chest, tugging the sheet over them and wrapping her arms around him. Brushing his hand over her hair, he kissed the top of her head.

  Alison lay against him, her eyes closed. He was more content than he’d ever been. She rose up, looking at him when he reached for his cigarettes.

  “You all right?” she asked, her voice full of concern.

  “I’m better than all right,” he answered with a smile. “Next round will last a whole lot longer.”

  She leaned up and kissed him.

  Dell smiled again and returned her soft kiss with a more demanding one of his own. He pulled back slowly, looking into her eyes, and opened his mouth. His stomach growled loudly, and he blushed, embarrassed. Alison chuckled and he grinned.

  “I think I’ll just go down to the vending machines and see what they have,” she said. She turned to get out of bed, and he stopped her.

  “I’ll go. I don’t want you out there; it’s not safe,” he said.

  He tossed the sheet back and sat up.

  “That feels so good.” Stretching his arms over his head and arching his back, he enjoyed the feel of her nails as she scratched his back. When she stopped, he turned and kissed her before reaching for his jeans, pulling them on, and zipping them up. “I’ll be back in a minute or two.”

  *

  Alison watched Dell leave for the machines and leaned back against the pillows with a deep, satisfied sigh, pulling the sheet up and settling in to wait. She couldn’t remember a time when she felt so relaxed and comfortable. Before she realized it, the card key rattled in the door and she looked up to see him stepping inside with two sodas, an armload of little packages of chips, cookies, and candy bars, and a small bucket full of ice. She started to get up and help him.

  “No, stay there, I got it, baby,” he said, smiling at her. He kicked the door shut and set the ice bucket on the nightstand by the bed, then dropped all the packages in her lap. He sat down on the bed beside her and popped the soda cans open.

  “Did you buy out the machine?” she asked, looking at the bags of chips.

  “No, I just pushed the button for the chips and all these fell down with it.” He grinned and picked up a package of cookies.

  They sat together, enjoying the feeling of quiet companionship. She dozed off, comfortable in that world between waking and sleep, her head resting on his chest. He carefully took the soda out of her hand and set it on the nightstand, then laid her back on the pillows and brushed his lips over hers before kissing her forehead.

  *

  Dell turned on the TV and flipped through the channels. She snuggled closer and slid her arm around his waist, and he smiled. He leaned down and kissed her ear, an idea forming.

  “You awake, sugar?” he whispered, licking her ear. She shivered, and he blew softly, drawing a soft moan from her.

  “Wake up, baby, it’s time for round two,” he said, sitting back and reaching for a cookie.

  He watched her watching him as he twisted a cookie apart and scraped the sugar crème filling off with his finger. His whole being burned with desire as he tossed the halves of the cookie aside and reached out, slowly painting her nipples with the thick filling, rubbing it around and over them. She sighed, catching her bottom lip in her teeth, and her eyes drifted closed.

  Leaning forward, he began to lick and suck her nipples clean, drawing deep moans from her. She tangled her fingers in his soft hair, her breathing ragged. He chuckled and rose up to look at her.

  Alison looked up, her dark emerald eyes mirroring the passion he knew must be in his own, and slid her hands down to the waistband of his jeans. “One of us is overdressed,” she said, smiling.

  “We’ll have to do something about that, won’t we,” he whispered.

  “I think I can handle it.” She unfastened the button and began to slowly unzip his faded jeans.

  “Oh yeah, I think so,” he said breathlessly.

  Alison slid the jeans down his hips and pushed him beneath her. She kissed him, slowly, exploring his lips and mouth and moving down over his throat. She trailed kisses over his chest and smiled when his breathing changed. He moaned softly and slipped his hands over her back as she tongued his nipples and moved down to his stomach.

  “Oh, yeah,” he breathed, when she pushed her tongue into his navel and swirled it around. She rose up and reached out, taking a piece of ice from the bucket. She popped the ice into her mouth for few seconds and slipped another condom onto him.

  She kissed the tip of his erection. He gasped harshly and swore, groaning, the cold of her lips like an electric shock.

  She picked up another piece of ice and drew it slowly up over his belly. He dug his fingers into the bed covers and groaned again, arching his hips off the bed.

  He pulled her up, wrapped his arms around her, and rolled over with her.

  * * * *

  An old, black El Camino pulled into the parking lot and cruised slowly along the building. It passed Dell’s red truck and stopped suddenly, backing up and stopping again behind the vehicle. It sat there for several minutes before continuing on to park several spaces down, well away from the lights.

  Chapter Five

  Dell finished tying down the bags in the bed of the truck, smiling to himself, thinking about Alison. She came out of the room, and he opened the truck door for her, helping her in. He shut the door and waited while she rolled the window down.

  “I’ll turn the key in, and then we can get breakfast and talk about where to go next,” he said, leaning into the truck and giving her a quick kiss.

  “All right.” Alison smiled at him and reached up, tucking a wayward strand of silky black hair behind his ear.

  “Be right back,” he said, catching her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. He headed for the motel office, stopping for a glance back at her before turning the corner of the building. Did he want to spend more time with her, he asked himself. Yes, he thought, he did. Was what he felt love? That he didn’t know.

  His thoughts revolving around Alison and the night, he smiled to himself. It was definitely dangerous to pick up strangers on the highway; he was in serious danger of losing his heart.

  * * * *

  Alison watched Dell disappear around the building, then opened her purse to check her wallet. She noticed a man in a cowboy outfit walking down the line of cars toward her and kept her head down, acting as if she didn’t see him. He passed the truck, and she sighed in relief, going back to checking the money in her wallet.

  “Well, hi there, little lady,” said a voice from just behind her. Alison jumped and turned to look at the smiling man standing by the window. She didn’t answer him. Something about the hard glitter of the man’s eyes reminded her of a predator.

  “The name’s Wi
lson, Wilson Long, old friend of Dell’s,” Wilson said, holding his hand out.

  Alison hesitated, her hand moving to the small can of pepper spray in her purse. She edged away from the window and this smiling shark in the singing cowboy shirt. Dell’s voice echoed through her head, describing this man and the things he’d done.

  “Where you two headed for?” Wilson leaned on the door and stuck his head in the window.

  Alison retreated toward the middle of the seat. Something told her it would be a mistake to take her eyes off him even for a second. She hoped Dell hurried back soon.

  Wilson shifted and his smile changed, sending a chill of fear through her. She tightened her grip on the pepper spray and got ready to pull it out of her purse. He reached for the door handle, then suddenly backed up a step. Alison felt weak with relief at the sound of the driver’s side door opening.

  * * * *

  Dell lit a cigarette as he rounded the corner. He looked up, and his stomach twisted into a cold knot. Shoving his ratty old lighter into his shirt pocket, he hurried toward the truck. All he could think of was that he’d been right at the Painted Desert Visitor Center. He had seen Wilson.

  He got to the truck before either Alison or Wilson saw him and jerked the door open, jumping in. Reaching across the seat, he caught Alison’s arm and pulled her over toward him, away from the window. “Get away from my truck, we’re leaving,” he said shortly.

  “Aren’t you going to introduce your old friend Wilson to this pretty lady here? It’s the least you could do after all those awful lies you told about me, trying to set me up like that with the sheriff.” Wilson smiled.

  “No, and it was you did the setting up.” Dell started the truck and threw it into gear, backing out of the parking space. He barely missed hitting Wilson, who jumped back.

  Dell floored the gas pedal, swerving to miss a car just coming around the corner. The tires on his old truck were a bit worn, and the heat of the asphalt sent them fishtailing. He swore and fought to keep from losing control and spinning out. They skidded around the corner, and the rear fender struck the side of the large industrial dumpster at the edge of the lot. The impact straightened them out and let them gain traction and speed out of the parking lot.

  His battered and faded red truck wasn’t much to look at, but it had a good engine and his cousin Mike had taken care of it while he was locked up. Dell kept one eye on the rearview mirror as he sped down the freeway, watching for any sign of Wilson following them. He heard Alison scramble to fasten her seatbelt and spared her a quick glance. She was pale and looked shaken.

  “Hey, it’s all right, I won’t let him hurt you,” he said softly, covering her hand with his.

  “I know.” Alison smiled at him and squeezed his hand. “Do you think he’ll follow us?”

  “I’m sure he’ll try. He told me once he never got mad he just got even. He’ll be out for revenge.” Dell glanced back to the rearview mirror where the motel was rapidly fading from view. A movement accompanied by the flash of sunlight off a windshield caught his attention, and he swore. Wilson was definitely following them.

  “Damn, he’s persistent. We need to lose him and find someplace to hide,” Dell said.

  Alison shivered. “Like Ryan.”

  “Who’s Ryan?” Dell asked.

  “My ex-husband and the reason I carry a can of pepper spray,” she explained.

  “Pepper spray. Was he abusive?” Dell kept his voice neutral. If this Ryan character had done anything to hurt Alison, he’d track him down and teach him the error of his ways. He glanced in the mirror again. There were several vehicles behind them, and he could see the one he thought was Wilson weaving in and out of the traffic.

  “Oh, no, Ryan would never do anything that might get him disbarred. He does have a lot of enemies, though,” she answered.

  “Promise me you’ll use it if Wilson catches up to us,” he said.

  She nodded and turned to look out the back window.

  “The black El Camino still back there?” Dell asked her.

  “Yes.” Her voice betrayed her nervousness.

  “All right, hang on, baby, we’re going to lose him…right…now.” He pulled onto the shoulder and made a fast turn, cutting across the median to the other side of the divided highway. He pulled back up onto the road alongside an eighteen-wheeler and stayed even with the huge truck’s cab.

  He watched behind them as they headed north, back toward Albuquerque. When Wilson’s El Camino didn’t show up after thirty minutes, Dell breathed a sigh of relief, and they both relaxed.

  Chapter Six

  Dell slowed and pulled off the main highway into a dirt and gravel parking lot. He parked, and they got out of the truck to go inside the little old building. The sign advertised homemade food. He met Alison at the front of the truck, reaching out and taking her hand. She laced her fingers through his, and they walked up the steps to the porch.

  One of the locals nodded and smiled at them as they went inside. Dell nodded back and held the door for Alison. Something smelled wonderful, and he guided her over to a small table by the window where he could see his truck and a good distance down the highway.

  A young girl in a colorful skirt and T shirt stopped at their table and set down two glasses of water. “We have grilled chicken with biscuits, mashed potatoes, and broccoli. There’s salad, too, and brownies for dessert.”

  Dell glanced at Alison, and she nodded slightly. He looked back at the girl and smiled. “That’s fine,” he said.

  Lunch was quiet, with Dell keeping an eye on the road outside in between eating and watching Alison. She nibbled on a brownie, taking tiny, delicate bites. He sighed and shifted in his chair, wondering if she knew how much the soft sound of her teeth sliding along the fork was turning him on.

  “We need somewhere to lay low for awhile. Somewhere cheap,” he said, trying to distract himself from his impure thoughts concerning the various uses of her mouth. He glanced at the waitress, who was sitting with a couple of locals, and then back at Alison. She licked the fork.

  With a soft, low moan, he reached across the table, catching her hand and taking her fork away. He laid the offending utensil on the plate and gazed into her eyes. “I can’t take any more,” he said a bit breathlessly.

  “Any more what?” Alison asked.

  “Any more of the way you’re driving me crazy with that fork,” he said. He rubbed his thumb in a slow circle over her palm. She shivered and he smiled.

  “Oh, you mean this?” She picked up the fork in her other hand and held it up. Her jade green eyes blazed with passion and mischief.

  “Don’t you dare,” he growled softly.

  Very slowly, she lifted the fork to her lips and stuck her tongue out. She licked each tine front and back, then put it in her mouth and sucked on it, never taking her eyes from his. He could barely breathe. She pulled it out of her mouth and gave him a faint smile. “Dare what?” she asked.

  He let his head drop and chuckled. “You know what, you evil woman,” he said.

  “Ready to go?” She asked, her voice innocent.

  “You know damn good and well it would be embarrassing for me to stand up right now,” he answered. He clenched his teeth and smiled when he felt her hook her foot behind his leg and move it over his calf. Hardening fast, he looked away and tried to think of anything but the growing heat in his belly.

  Suddenly, her foot was gone, and he heard the fork clink against the plate. He looked up to see the waitress and one of the locals standing beside their table. Oh, great, he thought, here’s where we get thrown out.

  “Name’s Bear, spokesman for the colony. Rain here says you folks need some help,” the heavily bearded guy said.

  “Dell Blackfeather. Help?” Dell asked trying to remember what they’d said that could have given these people that impression.

  “Your auras have a lot of sulfur yellow and reds in them,” the girl, Rain, said. “You have a lot of trouble following you.”

/>   Dell glanced at Alison. She appeared to be taking these people seriously. He looked back at the odd pair. “Well, we could use somewhere to stay for a few days,” he said slowly.

  “The colony has a campsite a couple miles from town. There’s a fire pit and plenty of wood, and a little cabin. You’re welcome to stay there long as you need to.” Bear waved at someone in the back.

  “Uh, thanks. We don’t have much money, we can’t pay a lot.” Dell didn’t quite know what to think about these people.

  “Didn’t ask for money,” Bear said.

  “Thank you,” Alison said, smiling at the people. “We appreciate the help. Is there something we can do in return for your help?”

  “It’s our karma, we help where we can.” He sent Rain for paper and drew them a map to the cabin. “It’s clean, and there’s even a sweat lodge we put in a few months ago. Maggie will put a basket together for you.”

  “Sounds like a nice place.” Dell took the map and studied it.

  “It’s real quiet, and nobody will bother you there; you can make all the noise you want.” Rain grinned and winked at Dell and hurried off. He felt himself blushing and looked at Alison helplessly.

  A woman they hadn’t seen before came out of the kitchen with a large basket. She set it on the floor beside Dell. “A few things to keep you from starving out there in the woods,” she said tersely.

  “You must be Maggie. Thank you,” Alison said, her voice warm. Dell watched the woman thaw visibly and felt a burst of pride in Alison.

  “Bear will put the word out the cabin is occupied. Nobody will bother you, you just come on back here when you need anything,” Maggie assured them.

  Chapter Seven

  Dell glanced over at Alison as he pulled out of the parking lot. She waved at the little group of townspeople. “Um, you want to explain to me what just happened back there?” he asked.

  “They’re hippies,” she said, smiling at him. “Don’t tell me you’ve never run into any.”

  “Well, no, at least not close up like that,” he said. “You seemed to know your way around, though.”

  “Ryan is a Hollywood divorce lawyer. You’d be surprised how many entertainers are closet hippies,” she explained. “After a few parties, you learn how to blend in.”