by Yvette Hines
“Christy, it’s good to see you.” Crossing the room, he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.
Evidently, this dinner invite was a set-up to get him to the altar.
“You, too.” The hope of something happening between them was revealed in her eyes, letting him know that she was not an unwilling participant. “The table is set if you’re ready to eat.”
“I’m starvin’ for somethin’ good, even if my son ain’t,” his father called out.
Steve caught the frustrated groan before it left his mouth.
Shifting so that his parents could move into the dining room, he didn’t miss the wink his mother gave him as she passed.
Shaking his head, he entered the room after Christy and took his seat across from her. The table was laden with pot roast, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, collard greens and homemade sweet rolls. They’d pulled out all the stops.
Evidence that his mother believed whole-heartedly that the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. By the end of the night she expected him to fall head over heels for Christy.
His father said the prayer from the head of the table.
As his mother prepared his father’s plate, Christy made his. Asking him how much he wanted, baiting him with the grace of her smile. Taking the full plate, he thanked her.
A man couldn’t go wrong with Christy, she was sweet and biddable. She’d make a great wife and mother. But would that be enough for him. He enjoyed having a woman submit to him, allow him to be the head of the household and feel comfortable in focusing on him and any children that came along. However, he didn’t want someone who considered herself subservient to him, in all things. He wanted a woman with strength of mind.
Steve participated in the conversation moving around the table as he tried to imagine Christy as his wife and her letting him have free reign with his desires.
No matter how he played it out, in the end Christy would flee from the room screaming or ball up in the corner in terror. She wanted the image his father had cultivated in him, the face he showed the town.
He couldn’t imagine her permitting him to spank her in his office. Nope, she probably would not do.
Would Mandy?
* * * *
“Mandy!” Danni yelled as she hugged her at the door, where she stood with Robert greeting their guests at the Dirty Dozen for the engagement party. “Steve is at the bar,” she whispered.
“Danni, I’m so happy for you.” Mandy leaned back and smiled.
Alright by Darius Rucker was playing in the background.
“Wow, Mandy, you look hot,” Robert said as he kissed her on the cheek.
She blushed. The new look still made her feel self-conscious.
“Hey!” Danni placed her hands on her hips, showing off her petite figure in a snug, one shoulder Donna Karan black dress and a wide smile gracing her mouth.
“I have plans to show you later how amazing you look.” Robert stroked his hand down Danni’s arm.
Rolling her eyes, Mandy said, “I’m going to find myself something to drink before this moment becomes R-rated.”
“That’s right, Mandy, save yourself,” Robert warned playfully.
She walked further into the bar as Robert and Danni greeted another guest. Glancing down the length of the bar, she spotted Steve. His back was to her as he talked to Brantley, one of her fellow cops. Brantley was wider than Steve, but only topped Steve’s six-four height by an inch.
It had been almost two weeks since the office incident with Steve and he hadn’t called her or made any kind of overture. She’d decided that wasn’t good enough for her. Over the week she had acknowledged her desire for Steve. He’d sparked something inside of her that was hard to keep at bay. All the research she’d done recently had aided the situation, making her want to experience so much with Steve.
She decided she wanted him. He had become a challenge to her. Over the years of playing sports she’d relished in new challenges and learned to put all her focus in achieving her goal. Now her goal was Steve Ewing.
Squaring herself on her heels, Mandy headed towards the bar.
“Hi there, Officer Franklin.” Jack gave her a big smile as he slid a mug of beer down the bar.
“It’s just Mandy tonight, Jack.” She returned his smile.
“It’s been a while since I had so many cops in my bar.” He twisted his mouth in thought. “Chief Dennison’s fiftieth birthday.”
“I remember that.” Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she saw Steve look over his shoulder at her. She quickly turned back to Jack, not wanting to get caught staring. “Can I have a glass of wine, please?”
Jack’s eyebrows shot up high. He was probably shocked. She was a cop and just like other cops when she did have a drink or two it was beer. She was dressed differently tonight and she wanted to be different. Sending up a wish on every star in the heavens that Jack wouldn’t make a big production of her choice of drink, she gave him a small grin.
Nodding, he said, “One white wine for the beautiful lady.”
Phew. She let out a slow breath.
Tapping her fingers nervously, she waited for her drink. Soon she had her beverage in her hand, thanked Jack, then turned her back against the bar. Sipping her drink, she waved at a few people across the room as she eyed the small crowd moving on the dance floor.
“Well, well, Franklin, Franklin. When you clean up you’re almost female like.” Brantley had left Steve down the other end of the bar and sauntered up beside her. She didn’t miss the fact that Lilly Jackson was keeping him company.
Rolling her eyes at him, she said, “I have a bar of soap or two at my house.”
“Whose clothes did you steal, Franklin?” Martin’s wide girth blocked her view as he stepped to them.
“As short as that skirt is… I say it was Smith’s.” McCall chimed in as he joined the other fellow officers surrounding her.
The urge to tug at her hem overwhelmed her, but she pushed it aside. She had to appear comfortable even if she wasn’t. Officer Franklin would have told them to go eat shit. However, Mandy had to learn to handle things not as one of the guys, but as a woman. Thinking about how Liza and Danni acted around men, she took a page from their book. Fighting fire with flirtation, she responded, “Are you all going to stand here yappin’ or is someone going to take me out dancin’?”
“Well, I don’t mind if I do.” Dale, always trying to play the part of ladies’ man, was the first to speak up.
Peeping around him, she said, “Sorry, Dale, but I believe your wife is calling for you.”
Right on schedule, Cindy McCall called him from across the room where she stood with her knitting circle friends. Dale said his goodbyes and lumbered away.
“I’d take you, Franklin, but I got two huge left feet.” Brantley drank from his beer.
“Well, Tim, that leaves you.” Mandy set her drink down, but not before she consumed half of it to steel her nerves. She wasn’t apprehensive about dancing—it was something she loved to do even with her height—but performing each move to attract a guy was brand new.
“I’m a lucky man.” Tim puffed up his chest as he let her move past him to the dance floor.
Brantley laughed behind them and called Tim a strutting peacock. She laughed as Tim nodded his head and struck a pose on the edge of the other dancers. Martin was always playing the jokester, which made him a great dance partner. He took the stress away from the situation and allowed her to relax for a moment.
Danni and Robert paused from their greeting duties to join the group on the dance floor as Kiss a Girl by Keith Urban came pumping through the bar speakers. Everybody began dancing and singing to the music, having a great time. It took Mandy a few minutes to get the hang of moving around in the heels, but soon had no problem executing her steps.
When Vince Gill’s What the Cowgirls Do came next, she was happy to perform the line dance with all the females in the club. Standing beside Liza and Danni gave her all the e
ncouragement she needed as she add a few extra hip moves to her Cowgirl Twist steps, occasionally glancing at Steve as she turned to face him. She was happy to see that Lilly now cuddled up to Brantley and away from Steve.
Like all the other men in the bar, Steve stood around the ladies and watched them, and she couldn’t help but notice the heat flaring in his gaze. She knew she was asking for trouble, but was too willing to push him to act on his feelings and give them both what they wanted. As the song began to wind down, the last time she faced him, she licked her lips. The men cheered and most came onto the floor to claim their women.
“Girl, you’re going to drive that man crazy.” Liza walked with her over to the bar.
“I hope so. Then maybe he’ll get off his ass and put me out of my erotic misery,” she whispered back to her friend.
“My treat, ladies.” Brad came up behind them and wrapped his arm around Liza’s waist.
Mandy saw Liza turn in her man’s arm and hug him. She couldn’t resist her envious feelings as she glanced across the floor to Danni and Robert happily slow dancing and staring into each other’s eyes. Both of her friends had weathered the relationship storms and were on their way to the chapel of love.
Turning away, she got another white wine passed to her from Jack. Liza ordered a Bacardi and 7-Up with ice and Brad got a beer. They all chatted and mingled with other guests who came over to the bar. Everyone except Steve. He stayed away as if he was purposely avoiding her.
* * * *
Shooting pool with Lenny Ronaldson, the manager of Smokey’s, Steve caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. He hadn’t really been paying attention to Lenny, his sights had been focused on Mandy as she alternated between talking and dancing, and celebrating her friend’s engagement.
The moment he saw her break from the pack and the room full of her new male admirers, he excused himself. She moved with grace down the back hall, a walk she’d perfected since he’d seen her in the bank. Had her change in dress and style been for him? She no longer showed up at the basketball court for a pickup game. Was it to avoid him or just part of the changes she’d made in her appearance? He wanted to know and he planned to find out the truth and a lot more.
“Tell me, Mandy, are you finished puttin’ on a show?”
Steve watched her body recoil and take on a protective stance. A look that was sexy as hell in her red mini dress with the thick black belt around her waist more than the posture came off as defensive. He’d startled her as she strutted out of the ladies’ restroom.
Her mind must have been focused on getting back to her devotees, all the single men in town clamoring to get her attention. The thought of all those men wanting to sample Mandy’s fresh charms made his jaw clench.
“Steve,” she whispered. Her body relaxed and straightened as she stared at him leaning against the wall.
“That’s who I am, but that didn’t answer my question.”
He watched her eyes widen and her hand move to her hair in slight agitation. Her ebony hair was straight as usual and framing her face, not showing any of her mixed heredity. A part of him preferred to see her sweaty on the court with curly wisp plastered to her forehead and neck, revealing her natural waves.
“I wasn’t putting on a show.” She lifted her chin, defiant.
Pushing away from the wall, he stepped towards her, blocking her path to the main room of the bar. He noticed her breathing increase by the rapid rise and fall of her chest. He smiled to himself. They had not even made contact and he affected her instantly. The feelings were mutual.
“Maybe from your perspective.” Taking another step, he closed the gap further and, leaning down, he placed his lips along her ear and loved feeling the shiver that coursed through her body. “But I promise you that every available male in that room is as hard as I am.”
He noticed her gaze lowering, but due to their proximity she wouldn’t be able to see his erection. Fulfilling her curiosity, he pressed his hip forward so that the evidence of his arousal was imprinted against her stomach.
The soft catch in her breathing excited him almost as much as her ginger and honey scent. Lifting his hands, he placed them against the wall and beside her shoulders, caging her in. Lowering his head, he brushed the side of her neck with his nose, desiring to lick and nibble her medium brown colored skin and discover if she tasted as sweet as she smelled.
Music and laughter greeted them as the sounds echoed down the hallway; the vibrations rocked the walls beating against his palms.
“Anyone could come down this hall and see us.”
She was right, but that knowledge didn’t dampen the need. He was a private man and liked to keep his life that way for a lot of reasons. Gazing into her pretty light brown eyes, he spoke the thoughts that were on his mind. “I want you,” he paused and allowed those words to sink in. “Over the years I have learned not to be the type of man to rush into things.” The last time he’d jumped into a situation was the night he ended up in a carnival exhibit with the wrong woman.
“I believe the same thing to be true.”
Nodding as his mind tried to distract him with all the warning reasons this wasn’t a good idea, he ignored the doubts and listened to the demand of his body. “I’m on my way home. If you’re willing to see how far this night can take us you know where I live.” Stepping away from the alluring heat of her body, he gave her one last look and left.
Not even taking a moment to call out a goodbye to the couple of the night, Robert and Danni, he strutted out of the bar.
As he got into his car and headed home, he didn’t allow himself to glance in his rear view mirror to see if she was following him. It wasn’t in his nature to allow the ball to rest in someone else’s court, but there weren’t many choices available for him tonight. And this night he wanted Mandy too much to care. Fixing his gaze on the road, he headed home.
Chapter Six
Mandy couldn’t believe what she was doing, even as she turned the corner to where Steve lived. In front of her, she could see Steve’s vehicle parked on the street, even though his garage door was raised with the light on.
Was he so sure she would leave the party to be with him? She was annoyed at the thought, but not annoyed enough to turn her car around. The clear fact was that she did sneak away from the party for him. However, this moment right here was what she had been aiming for, the reason she worked so hard on changing her image. It had worked just as planned.
As she pulled up his driveway, she smiled to herself. She’d actually been the choreographer of this dance. This moment.
That thought sent chills of excitement from her toes to her finger tips. Not seeing Steve, she slowly entered the garage. The click and shifting of the garage door as it lowered behind her trunk made her jump.
Exiting her car, she spied him leaning against a workmen table on the other side.
He just stared at her, watching her in the intense way that made her hot and anxious all at the same time. She moved around the trunk of the car as the garage banged into place.
“I’m here, now what?”
Crossing the concrete, he stood before her. “No more talkin’.”
The statement was barely complete before she found herself engulfed in his embrace. His strong arms secured her against his frame as his firm lips captured hers. Grabbing hold of his shoulders, she gave into the kiss, giving him back just as much as he gave to her.
His hands roamed her body, caressing her back and lowering to her ass. His determined grasp held her tight against him as he ground his erection against her sex.
She was throbbing and on fire. There was a need pulsing between her legs like she’d never experienced before; she wanted Steve more than she wanted to see the next sunrise. Burying her hands in his hair, she angled her mouth closer to his own as their warring tongues battled for space. Needing more of him, she lifted one of her legs and pressed it high on his waist and inclined her sex for greater contact with his cock.
Th
eir height matched like a gun to a holster, perfectly.
Steve made a sound deep in his throat as if he were growling, then boosted her up onto the back of her car. Pulling his lips away a fraction, he warned, “If you have any objections you better give them now, because I’m not waitin’ another moment to fuck you.” His hands were busy pushing her red skirt up her hips.
Looking down at tanned hands against her brown thighs, she bit the side of her lip to keep from smiling. “None.”
“Good.”
Their hands fumbled as they both wrestled with his button and zipper over the thick length of his cock. Pushing aside her panties, Steve stroked the crown of his dick through the cream coating her sex. A wetness he had started the moment she spotted him at the country bar tonight. Hell, he’d started her creaming when he kissed her in the dark exhibit.
“Are you protected?”
He halted his movements. “Yes.”
He didn’t ram into her quickly as she suspected. Holding her hips in place with one hand, he entered her with measured precision. Her heart thumped with mild trepidation at the sight of his girth and length. She was no virgin, but the few other men she’d been with didn’t compare to Steve.
“Shit, you’re tight, Mandy.” His gaze held hers as he pulled out and worked his way back in.
“It’s been a minute or two for me.” She grinned and arched her hips toward him, relaxing her walls to accept more of him.
Using his thumb, he stroked her clit in time to his gyrations, causing more wetness to pour through her channel and ease his way further. As he circled and brushed her sex, she leaned back against the window, giving herself over to the sensations that were making her head spin. Her body tightened as all her energy culminated to one spot, her pussy. On the brink of an orgasm, she couldn’t think straight.
Steve spread her thighs wide and continued to pump his length inside of her. He pulled the top of her dress down, trapping her arms in the wide shoulder straps as he revealed her breast.