Shane

by Vanessa Devereaux

  “Can you get a photo and bag the evidence just in case?” asked Shane.

  “You have one suspicious mind, Sheriff.”

  “It’s what I get paid for.”

  Shane walked around to the other side of the table. Why would two of John’s hunting buddies want to harm him? That was, if they had. It could have gone down exactly like they’d said, but then again he wasn’t ready to close the book on this one just yet.

  “You hear anything about these three guys? I mean falling out maybe. Arguments overheard in the bar?” asked Shane.

  “Can’t say that I have. Well, besides John’s wife, Maggie walking out on him a couple of weeks ago. That did seem rather odd.”

  Shane pushed back his hat. Odd sometimes went hand in hand with a crime.

  ****

  Lacey had to admit she found the one bedroom apartment over the café charming. From the kitchen window, you could see the mountain range. From the living room, a view of most of Timber Creek. It already had a couch, kitchen table and chairs so all she’d need was a bed, and it would be close to being move-in ready.

  “So what do you think?”

  She jumped. She hadn’t heard Marie walking back into the room.

  “I love it. How much rent are you asking for it?”

  “Well, that’s where I think we can make a deal. I’m looking for someone to work in the café so I can cut back on hours. Maybe even spend time in the kitchen and not out front serving. I was thinking whoever took the job could work here and have this place rent free. It might not be what you had in mind, but it could be a temporary fix until you found something else, and after that if you still want to live here we could talk about rent.”

  Lacey had initially taken offense with Shane over the suggestion she work here, but now the idea was starting to grow on her. She might even have time to squeeze in some freelance graphic work.

  “I think we have a deal,” said Lacey.

  “I’m happy to hear that. Let me give the place a good clean and how about you move in the day after tomorrow and start work on Monday morning?”

  “I like the sound of that.”

  “Okay then honey, you leave everything to me.”

  Lacey headed back down the stairs behind Marie.

  “And how about coming to Sunday lunch at my place? It’s Emily’s thirteenth birthday and you’ve probably guessed she’s a people person. She’s already taken a liking to you so it would mean a lot to her to have you there too.”

  Lacey didn’t know quite what to say. Would Shane think she was being pushy and elbowing her way into his life maybe?

  “Well, I’m waiting for an answer.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  “Good, ask Shane for directions or better yet, just get him to bring you.”

  ****

  Shane opened up his fridge door and pulled out a beer. He pried off the cap and took two long swigs. The whole business with John and Ted’s discovery had made him uneasy. An accident was one thing, but pre-mediated murder was something he didn’t want to think about. He knew all three of these guys, and it made his skin crawl thinking that they might have planned to take John out hunting for the sole purpose of ending his life.

  His shoulders had a kink in them. He needed to relax. A warm shower would be good. Company would be even better.

  Lacey.

  He picked up his phone and pulled out her resume from his jacket pocket. Good thing she’d put her cell phone number on it. He could go to the motel to see her, but he didn’t want people talking about him going to the room every night, and not emerging until the following morning. Not that it was anyone’s business what their sheriff did on his off time. He took a swig of beer and pressed the digits of her number.

  “Hello, Lacey Metcalfe speaking.”

  “Hello Lacey Metcalfe.”

  “Hello Sheriff Malone.”

  He got a kick out of the fact she already recognized his voice.

  “How was your day?” she asked.

  Wow, that was great. Someone asking him how his day had been. Guess that’s what’s nice about having a significant other in your life. He sat down and massaged his temples. He was sure the whole mess with John had given him a headache.

  “Not quite how I wanted it to turn out,” he said.

  “Sorry to hear that. Anything I can do?”

  “You want to come over and share a pizza with me? I’ll give you a tour of my house.”

  “I’d love to, but you’re going to have to give me perfect directions because I took a ride around the outskirts of town this afternoon and almost ended up in Canada. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but let’s just say that I got lost.”

  “No problem. I’ll give you a bunch of landmarks to look out for and then it’s easy.”

  “Okay, I have a pen and paper.”

  “Head out the motel and make a right. Continue driving down Main Street until you get to Fourth Street and make a left. You’ll start to head out of Timber Creek, and you’ll see a gas station on your right and a road marked County Ten. Turn onto it and mine’s the only house on the left hand side.”

  “Got it and once I’ve changed I’ll head out.”

  “Perfect. I’ll put the pizza in the oven.”

  “And should I wear a dress again?”

  ****

  Lacey glanced at the last of the directions Shane had given her. She was at the gas station. She turned onto County Ten. It was snowing again, so she turned on the windshield wipers and saw in the distance, lights on in a house. As he’d pointed out that it was the only house on the left of the road so it was easy to find. She turned into the driveway and saw Shane’s truck in front of the garage. She got out, locked the car, and headed up to the front door. She was about to ring the doorbell when Shane opened it. He had bare feet, wore jeans and a shirt that was unbuttoned. She wanted to dive right in and kiss his chest.

  “Welcome to Chateau Malone.”

  She stepped inside, immediately spotting a log fire burning in the fireplace in his living room. It gave the whole place a cozy feeling. She’d always loved snuggling up in a chair by one with a book in hand, and hot chocolate in the other.

  “Can I take your coat?” asked Shane.

  “That would be great.” She took it off and handed it to him.

  “The pizza’s almost ready.”

  “I can smell it. You make it yourself?” She followed him through the living room into a room off to the side, and the smell of sauce with oregano and basil, hit her nose. She took a deep breath.

  “I wish. How about we go eat this by the fire?” he said pulling it out from the oven.

  “Sounds like heaven to me.”

  “What did you get up to today?” he asked while cutting the pizza into slices.

  “I didn’t get drunk you’ll be happy to know.”

  She looked up and smiled. He handed her two plates and napkins. They walked into the living room and sat on the couch. Lacey kicked off her shoes and lifted the soles of her feet to face the flames. “I got a job and a place to live.”

  Shane looked at her. “Both in one day?”

  She nodded. “I had some help from your mom. She is a sweetheart.”

  “That she is. She know of someplace?”

  “Yep, her café, and she’s letting me live above it.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Welcome to Timber Creek,” he said lifting a slice of pizza.

  She tapped her slice against it.

  “And I’m going to lunch at her place with the rest of your family on Sunday for your niece’s birthday.”

  “Well, that’s a great way to get thrown in at the deep end of meeting my brothers.”

  “I already met Flynn.”

  “You’ve really been a busy bee.”

  “That I have. So what did you do?”

  He took a deep breath. “I might not have a hunting accident on my hands after all.”

  “Really, how come?”

  “You don’t want
to hear about it.”

  “I do. I mean I don’t mind hearing about police work, but if you can’t tell me that’s okay too.”

  He patted her on the knee. “I can’t say much about it right now.”

  She nodded. “You know I could stay by this fire all night.”

  “Really?”

  “You’re not going to send me out in the cold are you, Sheriff?”

  He bit his lip then laughed. “As if I’d do that with a new resident. What sort of name would I get?”

  Shane ran his hand over her thigh.

  “No dress tonight?” he asked.

  “Too cold.” She loved the little cleft in his chin. She reached out and touched it. “These are heredity,” she said.

  “Yeah, all my brothers have them. My dad had one too.”

  “So how long ago did your dad die?”

  “Twenty-five years.”

  “You must have been still young.”

  “Fifteen.”

  “You know that makes you fifteen years older than me.”

  “You ever dated an old man before?”

  “No, and is that what we’re going to do?”

  “You want to?”

  Suddenly she didn’t know the answer to that. She wanted to but what if they got serious? What if the same thing happened? She knew lightning didn’t strike twice but…

  “I sense some hesitation here. You just like sex and nothing else or what?”

  She shook her head. “I guess I should come clean and tell you the reason I left Boston and came looking for some new life miles away.”

  “Geez, don’t tell me you’re on the run and I have to take you in.”

  She slapped his knee as he burst out laughing.

  “I was left at the altar.”

  There, the first time she’d told anyone who hadn’t been there on that awful day.

  “You mean you got dumped?”

  “No, literally stood up at the altar. Me waiting in the room to the side of the church, waiting and waiting, music playing a few times when we thought it was the groom.” She shook her head, almost wanting to cry remembering the humiliation of that day.

  “You’re joking right?”

  “Wish I was, but no, he decided he wasn’t marriage material and didn’t have the balls to say anything before the big day.”

  “Geez, son of a bitch.”

  He squeezed her hand. “Hence my reluctance to get involved.”

  She couldn’t stop herself now. A tear ran down her cheek.

  Shane took her plate and put it on top of his. He leaned over and hugged her.

  “If it makes you feel any better, I was dating a girl from L.A. She thought she’d like to settle her, and then, wham, decided I was a hick and this was one little hick town. Hurt me pretty bad”

  “I’m so sorry. Is that why you were so arrogant when I first strolled into your office?”

  “Me arrogant?”

  “Yes, you were.”

  He grinned. “Okay, I might have been a tad, domineering.”

  She kissed him. “For a domineering old man, you have the softest, cutest lips,” she said, running her finger over the lower one.

  “Are we going to make love again?” asked Shane running his fingers drown the front of her sweater.

  “You want to?”

  “I do, and you can start by taking off all your clothes.”

  ****

  There was something about the warmth of a roaring fire on your bare ass that not only felt good, but was a turn on too. Of course, straddling a sexy cowboy might have something to do with it too.

  Lacey opened her mouth, allowing Shane’s tongue to slip over her lips and flick against hers. His left hand wrapped around her hip, settling on her butt while the other slid between their bodies quickly landing on her mound. He applied more pressure to her butt cheek while the finger on his other hand found her clit. She gave a little moan.

  “Someone likes that,” he whispered.

  She wiggled her hips as his other hand slid into her crack. His long middle finger teasing her pussy as the other one went to work on her clit.

  “Bet you’re never experienced the double cowboy treat.”

  She burst out laughing.

  “What you don’t think it’s real?” asked Shane.

  “What I think is that you made it up.”

  “Who me?”

  “Yes you.”

  She kissed him, feeling his finger go higher into her channel, finding the G-spot yet again. He pumped her, the other finger applying pressure to her clit.

  She wasn’t sure which was causing more pleasure. She didn’t care. The bottom line was it was erotic, felt good, and oh my god, had she just gone cross-eyed?

  “Shit, Shane, this can’t be for real because…”

  She pushed her head down on his shoulder, positive the amount of drool coming from her mouth was matching the amount of juice sliding from her pussy.

  Lacey ran her teeth along his collarbone, taking deep breaths, wanting it to last but so wanting to go over the edge to paradise.

  “You want it harder and faster baby?”

  She licked his skin, tasting the sandalwood cologne, bucking against his fingers, thrusting her hips and then it hit her.

  Double orgasm. Was that possible?

  She slid down his body. Shane catching her was the only thing that prevented her from going to the floor with a thud.

  “Fuck me and soon,” she said.

  “Hey, hey, I give the orders around here.”

  He ran his hand down her face and kissed her, and then handed her a condom.

  “Sheath me,” he said. “I don’t like a woman straddling me when we do it, so you better make it up to me after.”

  Lacey slid the rubber on him, raised her hips and then impaled herself down on his cock.

  He tickled the very edge of the opening of her anus as she began bouncing gently on his lap, feeling his cock spear the back of her pussy walls. She raised herself up, her breasts brushing over his lips. He took a nipple between them and sucked as she rocked her hips in a steady rhythm.

  Shane pressed against her anus, making his cock feel bigger and tighter inside her. He sucked her tit making it ache and throb, but in a good way. She flicked her hips forward and held onto his shoulders, her chin going up in the air knowing she was slipping into an erotic abyss.

  Feeling her pussy pull as Shane pressed harder on her ass, she let herself go, allowed herself to cross the barrier of complete gratification, whimpering into the side of his neck as she came not once, but twice, and in very quick succession.

  He ran his fingers through her hair with one hand, the other massaging her butt.

  “Once you recover, it’s my turn,” he whispered.

  “Whatever you what me to do, just name it.”

  Chapter Seven

  Shane had never played this game before. Hide and seek for grown-ups. He’d counted to twenty while Lacey searched through his house looking for somewhere to hide. He hoped she didn’t find a lot of dead ends like the closet in the hallway. That almost made him laugh. In fact, it almost made him come thinking about taking her in such a confined space. Once he found her he was going to make love to her in a way neither of them would ever forget.

  Time was up.

  He stood, and then headed into the kitchen. He opened the pantry door. Nope, not in there. He walked along the hallway, stepped into the bathroom, took two paces over to the bath and pulled back the shower curtain. He was sure she’d be behind it, but he’d been wrong.

  Wondering if she’d found his bedroom, he walked across the hallway and pushed open the door. So far there was no sign of her. He checked his closet, nope, not in there either.

  His next stop was the two spare bedrooms, and she wasn’t in either of those rooms.

  That left only the basement.

  He flicked on the light and headed down the stairs. He couldn’t see her, but then as he turned the corner into the main room, she
saw an outline of something on the pool table. He flicked on the light and smiled.

  She was lying on top of it, on her side, hip, and very nice ass in the air.

  “You were supposed to hide,” he said walking over to her.

  “I did. See how tough it was to find me?”

  He ran his finger down the edge of her hip and thigh, sending tiny sparks into his own body. His cock twitched, anticipating what would happen next.

  The rule of the game was to take her wherever he found her.

  “I never imagined a pool table could feel so good,” said Lacey running her hands over it. “Must be the felt top, it tickles my boobs.”

  “This once belonged to my dad.”

  “You think he’d approve of me lying on top of it?”

  “Hard to say, but I know he wouldn’t approve of me doing this.”

  He grabbed hold of her, pulled her toward him until her butt balanced on the edge, and then spread her legs. He rolled on the condom.

  How could a woman be so beautiful? The thick tuft of dark curls bordering the pink folds, the pussy opening that glistened in the light, with a drop of her cum clinging around its rim.

  Now he was spoilt for choice. In a dilemma. Should he take her right like this? Or should he flip her over, spread those legs and take her from behind?

  Both sounded equally satisfying.

  No reason he couldn’t do both.

  Shane lifted her off the table and without saying a word and turned her around. He ran his hands over her body, down her back, and over that sweet ass of hers. He slapped it before bending her over and pushing her thighs apart with his hands. She stretched her arms out in front of her, those pretty pink polished nails such a contrast to the dark green felt of the table.

  Taking his cock in his hand, he slid into her pussy. He felt it greet him like it was welcoming back a long lost friend. He held her hips as he slowly thrust, each one getting harder and deeper until he saw her pull her nails across the surface of the felt.

  Slowly she pushed one of her hands down in front of her, and he knew she was giving herself some self-gratification. He was fine with that. In fact, it turned him on imaging her finger going to work on the erect nub.

  He pushed harder inside her channel. Digging his feet into the pile of the carpet, he felt himself getting very close to climaxing. Lacey mumbled, and he guessed by the grip on his cock that she’d just climaxed.