Falling for the Cougar

by Terry Spear

  She walked into the kitchen where the only light was the one on the refrigerator, lighting the water and ice dispenser. She found the light switch on the floral papered wall. All the cabinets had white-washed oak doors with intricate brass knobs. Now which held the glassware?

  She began her search and after opening five of the doors, she found a couple of dozen blue glasses. With a small one in hand, she headed for the fridge.

  With her glass of milk in hand, she turned out the light to the kitchen then. As the switch was closer to a different entryway, she walked through it. This one led her close to rooms that she presumed were the study and den. The other direction was the dining room. A faint green light in one of the rooms drew her attention as she walked lightly in her bare feet toward the room. A muffled voice nearly made her heart quit beating as she drew near.

  “Hmm, yeah well, he’ll kill her if he can get to her. All right, well do what you can and I’ll do what I can from this end. Sure. Bye.”

  It was Uncle Bill’s voice and Nicole nearly dropped her glass when he strode out of the study and caught her standing there.

  A smile spread across his face, his eyes warming. “Having trouble sleeping?”

  “I…I thought a glass of milk might help. I’m not used to the noise of the wind and—”

  “Yeah, takes some getting used to sleeping in the place. I was going to head on over to the cottage to call it a night, unless you wanted me to keep you company for a spell.”

  “Uhm, thank you, no. I’m sure the milk will help. Goodnight.” She hurried off into the dark, hating that she’d been caught eavesdropping. Why hadn’t she asked him about Boris? And who would kill who? Her?

  She found the stairs and hurried up them.

  When she reached the top, she glanced down the hall at Scott’s room. Had it been his since he was a boy? She imagined it was decorated in cowboy stuff, then she laughed at herself for thinking such a thing. After she finished her milk, she set the glass on her nightstand, pulled her robe off, and climbed back into bed.

  Within the hour, she envisioned the gold-toothed man watching her, waiting for her to be alone. She woke from the nightmare.

  She lay still listening to the tree rattling away outside her window. Pulling a pillow over her head, she attempted to block out the noise. She hated being such a light sleeper. Every new sound wreaked havoc with her attempt at sleep.

  She crawled out of bed again. Pulling her robe over her shoulders, she yawned. She was certainly tired enough, if she could only put her mind to rest.

  She left the room, listening for sounds of anyone stirring. There were none and she headed to Scott’s room, disturbing two of the carpeted boards as they groaned with her weight. Ugh.

  When she was at Scott’s door, she placed her ear against it, listening for any sound. The room was quiet, and she tapped on the door gently. There was no response. She opened the door slowly and peeked in. Then she entered the room, crossed the floor, and saw that the bed was empty.

  The light suddenly came on and she turned. Scott smiled at her from the doorway. “Looking for something?”

  “I couldn’t sleep.”

  He closed his door and walked toward her. “We’ll remedy that.”

  “But your mother—”

  “I won’t tell her, if you don’t.”

  She glanced around at the walls. Boots and stirrup wallpaper boarder trimmed the top edge of the room. She smiled. At least the bed was a double, not a twin.

  He pulled her close and nuzzled his cheek against her neck. “Do you like my room?”

  She chuckled. “Your whiskers are scratching me.”

  He pulled back his covers. “Climb in.” Then she climbed into bed and he crossed the floor to turn out the light. Before she could pull the comforter over her, he joined her. “My side,” he whispered, a trace of boyishness in his voice as he nudged her to move over.

  She laughed under her breath. “You’re tickling me. I don’t want to wake up the whole household.”

  Before she could say another word, his arms were wrapped around her and he pulled her close in a warm bear hug. “Hmm, this is the life,” he whispered in her ear, his warm breath tickling her neck.

  “Yeah.” She squeezed his arms around her tighter. “This sure is.”

  Their legs tangled together, and his hands touched her breasts already aching for him. He pressed his mouth against hers in a searing kiss and she kissed him back, his hands massaging her breasts. Then she licked his lips, and their tongues began dancing together, sweeping, stroking. He kissed her breasts through the silky nightie she was wearing, then mouthed one hard nipple through the fabric. So erotic. Just as sensuous as she felt when she ran her palms flat over his muscled chest and touched his hard-pebbled nipples. He might be a finance officer, but he was totally built.

  She couldn’t believe she was in Scott’s bed that he’d slept in as a boy and was making love to him in his family’s home. Yet all of this felt so right, so perfect.

  He lathed her other nipple through her nightie, then groaned and massaged her breasts again. She moaned, feeling needy and well-loved. He slid his hand down her waist and grabbed the edge of her nightie, pulling it up. He stripped her nightie off her and tossed it aside. She grabbed hold of his boxer briefs and peeled them down his legs, exposing him, his cock already swelling with need. He kicked them off the rest of the way. She kissed his belly as he ran his fingers through her hair, and she lifted her face to him again and kissed him. She ran her fingers through his hair this time, loving the soft strands, the way he leaned into her touch, the way he kissed her back.

  He slid her panties off her and tossed them aside.

  “Hmm, I can’t believe I’m here with you like this,” he murmured against her cheek.

  “Me either. I love it.”

  He sat on the bed and pulled her onto his lap, facing him. Kissing her, he stroked her between her parted legs, and she quivered with the sensation. “So wet for me.” He inserted a finger between her feminine lips, and she startled.

  His free hand massaged a breast and she was in heaven with the way he stroked her, making her skin sizzle with the thrill. She was so wet with need.

  She slid her hands over his shoulders, his biceps, feeling them ripple with tension, loving to touch him as he seemed to love touching her. His lustful eyes were gliding over her before he leaned in to kiss her again, branding her mouth with his.

  She felt the fire building deep inside her, his fingers stroking her into climax, until she was about to cry out, but Scott quickly covered her mouth this time with his and smothered her with kisses as the orgasm hit. Never had she felt this wonderful, so uplifted, the orgasm shattering her into a million pieces. She was thankful that he’d kissed her to hide her cry of pleasure, unlike when they were at her apartment and Freddy had called the police. She sure hadn’t wanted to wake his mother and sister and the boys.

  Heart and soul, she loved him. “I love you,” she said, feeling all melty inside, her heartbeat still pounding.

  “I love you.” Scott pulled Nicole onto his erection and pushed into her, thrusting, kissing her, massaging her shoulders, while her hands roamed over his. He loved feeling the ripples of her climax caressing his cock and seated himself deeply inside her. She arched her back and he kissed her breasts, suckling one nipple, and then the other. Every bit of her was delectable, tasty, her fragrance, she-cat and woman and peaches tantalizing him. Her pheromones were egging his on.

  She moaned with pleasure. She made him hungry for sex with her and he couldn’t imagine waiting to have it until they left his family’s home in a few days.

  She was perfect for him. He continued to thrust deeply into her, feeling the need for the connection, thanking God they were together. He came then, growling his pleasure and she climaxed with him, but not before he covered her mouth with his again and made sure they didn’t wake the whole household.

  They collapsed in the bed, legs tangled, kissing, hugging, lovin
g each other. “I love you, honey.”

  “Hmm, I love you, you sexy cat.”

  And then they somehow managed to drift off, until he dreamed about a man accosting Nicole, waking him from his sleep. For a while, he lay in bed, caressing her arm as she snuggled against him in sleep, and he wondered, had he had a nightmare based on all the trouble she’d already had? Or a vision of trouble to come?

  Early the next morning, Scott heard two small boys’ footfalls running into his bedroom. He opened one eye and tightened his hold on Nicole as two small bodies jumped onto the end of the mattress. Bouncing on the bed with enthusiasm, Roy said, “Momma and Grandma said you need to get up for breakfast now.”

  “Yeah,” Shawn said. “And that means Aunt Nicole too. That’s what Grandma said we’re to call her.”

  Nicole pulled a pillow over her head and Scott climbed out of bed, grabbed two armfuls of nephews, then hurried them out the door. “Tell them we’ll be down in a second.”

  The boys ran off laughing, their pint-sized cowboy boots smacking the floor with a racket as they dashed down the hall, then hit the stairs in a race to the bottom.

  Scott walked over to the bed and smiled at Nicole’s figure still buried under the comforter and pillow. “See what we have to look forward to?”

  Nicole pulled the pillow from her head and gave him a diffused smile. “Do we have to?”

  He tackled her in the bed, his whiskery chin snuggling against her neck as he burrowed further, then he planted his lips against her soft skin. “No, but I figured you’d want a couple of rug rats too.”

  “Not this morning.”

  He laughed and maneuvered her around so he could touch his lips to hers.

  “Breakfast!” his mother hollered from the bottom of the stairs.

  “Hmm,” he said as he pulled Nicole out of the bed. “Mothers. She doesn’t figure my nephews got us up fast enough.”

  Nicole smiled as he slipped her robe over her arms. Sighing deeply, she said, “I guess the boys told on us.”

  “Most assuredly. I’ll just tell my mother you got cold.”

  She laughed. “Yeah, I bet that will go over really big.”

  He figured Janice and his mother would be amused and not at all surprised. When he opened his bedroom door for Nicole, he said, “They’d have wondered if we had an argument if we hadn’t.”

  She touched his T-shirt and smiled. “I suppose you’re right. I guess your mother will put a rush on the wedding now.”

  “I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

  “Me neither…only it better be small.”

  He kissed her cheek. “I’ll come get you for breakfast in a minute.”

  Scott pulled Nicole’s chair out for her at the solid oak dining table stretched out long enough to seat ten comfortably. The boys were sitting at the kitchen table situated in a bay window where they had a view of the lake. Scott cleared his throat as he noticed his uncles’ and Hal’s placemats hadn’t been set before their seats. “Where’s Uncle Bill and the others this morning?”

  “He said they had to run some errands. They won’t be back until later.”

  He didn’t like the fact they hadn’t learned what the deal was with Boris yet. “Did he give you any information on anything—”

  “No, he just said he had rather a late night of it and bounded out of here after grabbing a glass of orange juice.” Josephine turned her attention to Nicole. “Bill said you were up roaming around last night. Did the milk help?”

  Scott glanced at Nicole. She’d never mentioned a thing about wandering about the house last night. He guessed she really had been having difficulty, especially with coming to him in the middle of the night to help her sleep.

  “Yes, it did.”

  He reached over and squeezed her thigh. She was wearing the same denim shorts and spandex top that showed off her curves so well. “Are the bikes in good shape this morning?” he asked his mother.

  “Tops. Bill and Janice took the boys for a ride a couple of days ago.” She smiled at Nicole. “The roads are nice and flat for many miles south. You can ride on these old farm roads without seeing a car forever and a day. Great for bicycling.”

  “Would you like to take a ride after breakfast?” Scott asked Nicole.

  “Sure.”

  “Me too!” the boys shouted with enthusiasm from the kitchen.

  “Is that all right with you?”

  “That’d be fine.”

  Poor, Nicole. She was going to get initiated into having a family, whether she was ready or not.

  After offering to clear the dishes away, Josephine shooed Nicole and Scott away. “You take the boys for a bike ride. Janice and I will handle the dishes.”

  Nicole donned a pink cap to shade her from the sun’s rays, then applied sunscreen to her arms and legs. She handed the bottle to Scott as she realized he was watching her every move. “Here, protect your skin.”

  He slathered the cream on his arms. “I thought you liked the coconut butter oil, the way you were rubbing it all over your skin too.”

  “I couldn’t help myself, though I must say it smelled divine.”

  They looked out at the driveway where the boys waited on their bikes with great anticipation.

  “I guess we won’t be going very far,” Nicole said.

  “Nah, Roy’s only five and wears out after a while.”

  “Good. I haven’t ridden a bicycle in years, and I may give out before he does.”

  “I can rub some muscle liniment on you after the ride, if you need it.”

  They soon were riding the bikes down one of the roads with the boys out front to set the slower pace.

  “This is really fun. I didn’t think I could ever have such a great time. Why didn’t you come here for your vacation instead?” Nicole asked.

  “You’ve got to be kidding. I mean, sure it’s fun, but only because you’re here to share it with me.”

  “Yeah, I suppose so. That’s certainly what makes it special for me.”

  “What was this business with Uncle Bill last night, by the way?”

  “I couldn’t sleep and thought a glass of milk would help. I thought Bill was staying at the cottage anyway, so I was really surprised to see him at your mother’s house.”

  “Yeah, he stays in the cottage when he visits.”

  “Well, he was having a phone conversation, and when I walked past the study, he walked out and spoke to me. I was startled to see him and I’m sure he was surprised I’d been eavesdropping. He said that someone would kill her if they could.”

  “You?” Scott shoved his baseball cap back off his forehead. His dark eyes studied her.

  “Maybe. Unless he was talking about a deadbeat husband.”

  “If he used the word ‘they,’ it makes me think he was referring to you.”

  “That’s what I was afraid of. I should have asked.”

  Scott’s eyes narrowed. “A vehicle is approaching.” He yelled to the boys, “Roy, Shawn, pull over to the side of the road single-file. Shawn you go first. Wait. I’ll go first. You watch them from the rear, will you, Nicole?”

  “Sure thing. I do well as the caboose.”

  “Hmm, yeah, I remember having some of that caboose resting against me this morning. Really great caboose too.”

  Scott pulled out in front of the boys while Nicole stayed in the rear. As the pickup drove closer, Scott waved his hand at the driver and Nicole did the same, then he pulled on past.

  After a while, the boys returned to their double-file mode while Scott dropped back to bicycle beside Nicole. “Is it anyone you know?” she asked.

  “No.” Scott glanced back at the truck that continued straight. “Turn left at the next road, boys.”

  The four turned onto the next road and Scott whipped his head back to look in the direction of the truck. It diminished in size as it continued on its straight path.

  “Okay, boys, we’re going to have a race. Drive as fast as you can to the next road and turn lef
t. Watch for traffic though.”

  Nicole didn’t want to express the worry she felt as her stomach tightened with concern. Scott hadn’t been the type to act irrationally and she sensed he thought the pickup didn’t belong in the area for some reason.

  They turned at the next road, and then Scott hollered, “Okay, turn right at the next road.”

  They were zigzagging back and forth across the acreage while Scott periodically glanced back to see that they weren’t being followed. Then he directed them left again.

  “Any sign of him?” Nicole asked. Her breath was short, and her leg muscles ached with the bicycling.

  “Yeah, but only where we turned left initially. I think he must have seen us turn there through his rearview mirror, but he was keeping his distance. Then we made the next turn and he hadn’t made the first turn yet. We’ve switched back so many times now, he probably won’t catch up to us. There are several homes scattered around the area, but way back off the road like ours. Once we get across the cattle guard, he won’t know where we’ve gone. Turn left here, boys.”

  “I’m getting pooped,” Roy complained.

  “You’re doing a great job. The bad guys are chasing us, and we’ve got to make it across the cattle guard before they reach us. We can do it.”

  That little bit of encouragement, and the added adventure of playing a mystery game that both their Uncle Scott and Great Uncle Bill were famous for, spurred the boys on.

  When they reached the cattle guard, Scott hurried to carry their bikes across. As soon as he got Roy’s over, he said, “Hurry, Roy, head on down the road, lickety split.”

  Nicole carried her bike across, nearly slipping through the round bars. “Man, you could break your neck on this thing.”

  “I would have gotten your bike for you.”