Conflict of Interest_A Mustang Prairie Romance

by N. D. Jackson

  His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the fitting room wall. “I’m fine Annette. Like I told you, if I need you I’ll call you.” He was tired of her obvious flirtations and attempt at undercutting Shellie and if she wasn’t such a great personal shopper he would have let her go hours ago.

  “It’s not Annette.”

  He peeled the curtain back to see Shellie’s hazel eyes staring up at him and she looked like she had something on her mind. It would be presumptuous to think she wanted to fool around behind the curtain but a guy could dream. “What’s up Shellie? Is something wrong?” He was getting used to, and sick of, her insecurities and he hoped this wasn’t yet another perceived slight.

  “Can I come in?”

  “I thought you’d never ask!” He beamed his beautiful smile down at her.

  She playfully pushed his stomach. “I want to talk to you. That’s all.”

  “Let’s start with talking and see how the rest goes.” He opened the curtains wider to allow her to pass under his bare arm.

  She ducked under him taking in his earthy masculine scent and turned her back to the mirror on the wall, looking in his eyes. Her nerves were getting the better of her and she smoothed her dress nearly a dozen times before sitting down and began balling her dress into knots with her hands. “Listen Noel I’m sorry. For everything. It was unfair to unleash on you like that when it wasn’t really about you.”

  “So some of it was about me?” Now we’re getting somewhere, he thought to himself.

  She stifled a smile and ran the palm of her hand over her waves. “Let’s just say that little miss Annette pushed some of my buttons when it comes to you. And me.” She giggled at the sound of that, you and me.

  “You and me? I like the sound of that.” He grinned and sat on the bench next to her and put his arm around her, pulling her close to him so he could inhale the scent of her coconut conditioner and jasmine bath oil.

  “That’s the thing Noel. You and me, it sounds good but the reality would be different. I like you. I do even though I don’t particularly want to. But it will always be like this for me. Annette and women like Annette will always wonder how I got a guy like you and being with you would make me feel this small,” she held her thumb and forefinger mere millimeters apart.

  He lowered his face so they were eye to eye. He didn’t want her to feel badly about herself, but he was certain she was wrong. “And I’ll look at you and wonder how I ever got so lucky. I think you’re gorgeous Shellie and you’re funny, smart, witty and passionate about life.”

  She smiled at him. “You’re such a charmer, aren’t you?”

  “Only when I’m on my best behavior,” he amped his smile up a few extra watts. “And you seem to bring it out of me.” He smiled at her, his smoldering green eyes darkening as passion lit them. He leaned in close and gently touched his lips to hers before standing to check over the mint green shirt that was half-buttoned. Giving her space after such a compliment would allow it to sink in and he hoped she could see how sincere he was. He stole glances at her as he buttoned the shirt to his neck and around the wrists, realizing that he did mean all those things. Hell he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her since their first meeting and her wit kept him on his toes so much that he looked forward to seeing her and finding a way to make her unleash that wit on him. He turned to Shellie, “What do you think?”

  She stood up and closed the gap between them, smoothing the arms and chest of the shirt until they lie flat against him. “Not bad,” she said and straightened the back of his collar. When he leaned down to make it easier to straighten the collar she thought, what the hell and leaned in closer, attaching her mouth to his.

  ##

  When Noel cupped her face in his hands opening his mouth to receive her tongue she finally released a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. She opened her mouth to receive him, exploring the inside of his mouth and the taste of his tongue mingling with her own. The hungrier she kissed him the more passionately he returned it. The way he moaned into her mouth sent her mind reeling. Her thoughts were ranging from is this happening to oh my goodness this cannot be happening! No matter how her mind rejected the idea of this hot, if not juvenile, make out session in a high end department store fitting room her body simply went with it, falling into him until no space existed between her body and his.

  Wrapping his golden waves around her fingers, she decided to go with what she had initiated. Who knew where this thing between them would go or if it would go anywhere, but one thing she did know was that it would be one hell of a ride. When his hands began to wander down her neck and over her shoulders she shuddered as his fingertips grazed her sensitive spots. He glided over the swell of one breast and softly caressed her ribcage with his thumbs before taking her waist in both hands. She knew that if she could shut her brain down and give in to sex with him right here and right now in this moment, it would be nothing short of earth shattering.

  His strong hands made her feel not just sexy and aroused but hyper feminine and she held on to that feeling, knowing it could only be fleeting. Her mouth felt cold when he removed his mouth and placed it on her neck searing her where his hands had just been. His lips went to that most sensual spot where her shoulder and neck met and the shock of electricity that buzzed through her from the tips of her nipples to the growing pool between her legs left her temporarily frozen.

  Noel looked up at her, holding her away so he could see her face. “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?” His voice was ragged and sleepy, thick with lust and desire.

  She grasped his face in her hands, searching for a hint of what was going on inside his head. Bushy blonde-brown brows furrowed and his dark green eyes squinted while his swollen lips hung apart waiting for her mouth to capture them again. All she could discern from his features was how badly he wanted her at this moment, which only seemed to make her want him more. It wasn’t a thought she felt proud of, but he was so beautiful she knew that passing up on a night of ecstasy with him would be one of her biggest regrets. “I’m fine,” she panted. “What about you, is this really what you want?”

  “Shellie of course it is,” he began.

  She cut him off, “Because it’s not too late to stop, if you want to I mean.” She looked up at him nervous that he would see her and realize that this was one huge mistake. Biting her lip, her mind was still swimming with wanting this man. His strong arms still wrapped tightly around her waist left her skin singed underneath his hands, causing her to gasp as his hands tightened around her waist. “Oh,” was all she could say when he pulled her so close she could feel his hardness against her midsection.

  “I’ve been waiting for you to let me in so we could have our moment together.” He kissed a ring across the front of her neck, and looked back up at her smiling. “Now shut up and kiss me!” Turning around until his back was facing the mirror on the wall, he took a seat on the bench, pulling her down so she straddled him. She gasped again as she sank onto him, realizing that nothing separated them but a thin layer of black lace underwear. The heat that radiated from him left her hot and ready to do whatever he asked of her, if only he would ask for it all.

  Her breathing was ragged but she wasn’t fully immersed in the moment. “Noel, I’m too heavy for you,” she warned and pushed against his shoulders to stand. He quickly overpowered her keeping his hands firmly on her hips so she couldn’t move. “Let me be the judge of that Shellie.” When he purred her name against her ear it was all she could do not to rip clothes he hadn’t yet paid for off his towering frame and run her tongue over the length of his body. “You feel so good,” he groaned into her ear causing her body to shiver. He nibbled the earlobe between his lips, moaning into her until she could no longer take it.

  Those words were all she needed to hear to power down her brain and enjoy this moment of pure unadulterated carnal bliss. She began to grind her hips into him, peppering his neck with the lightest love bites and enjoying that she had the power to
make him as crazy as he was making her. “Yes,” she whispered as he stiffened under her and ran his tongue over her exposed nipple. The shudders that ripped through her gave warning that she was close to the edge. “Don’t stop,” she panted. He continued to suckle her and she slid back and forth on his lap, her breath coming faster and faster. “I want you in me, Noel. Now!”

  He quickly stood up with Shellie still wrapped around his body like a sensuous backpack and pulled down the oversized sweatpants she found for him before they left this morning. He reached for his wallet at the other end of the bench and in one move had torn the wrapper and sheathed himself in latex. “There we go,” he smiled at her as he sat down. “All ready.” She straddled over him, her knees balanced on the hard wood of the bench. She caught sight of her reflection in the mirror behind her and didn’t recognize the woman staring back at her. Her hazel eyes were shining gold with lust, her lips swollen and bruised from being kissed and her hair was wildly from the passionate way Noel fingered her locks. God I look hot, she thought as she slid the fabric of her underwear to the side and positioned herself over him. They cried out together as she slammed onto him.

  “You’re so wet,” he said as he began to rock into her. “And hot. So damned hot.”

  She smiled to herself and whispered in his ear, “Just for you Noel,” before throwing her head back and taking pleasure in controlling their orgasms. She began to ride with abandon, feeling like the sensuous woman she saw in the mirror taking control of her own passion. “Oh yes, Noel. Yes!” The waves of pleasure were getting larger and coming faster as he filled every inch of her. She knew it wouldn’t be long when chills ran across her entire body and he took her hardened nipple between his teeth, applying the perfect pressure. Her entire body tightened for several seconds before the spasms took control, coming quickly one after the other. Her insides were still pulsating and when she growled, “Oh, Noel,” that was all it took for his body to respond. He stood up, cupping her butt and pounding deep into her slick warmth releasing low growls with every stroke as she moaned weakly. She tightened around him and he exploded into her, roaring like a feral animal intent on claiming his mate.

  Stumbling slightly as the blood slowly returned to his brain, Noel continued to hold her trembling body tight against him, wishing they were in bed so he could hold her properly. He had never been with a woman so responsive to him and it was one more thing he loved about her.

  She cupped his face again, her eyes roaming over his face taking stock of his features and trying to decipher the emotions displayed on his face. The corners of her mouth turned upward, “Well that’s the first time I’ve seduced a man in a dressing room,” she giggled.

  Staring into her smiling eyes Noel knew that she was more than sex. He knew he had to have her in his bed and in his life. He threaded his fingers into the silky wisps of hair at the nape of her neck. “Seduce me. Anytime. Anyplace.” he held her firm and pressed his lips to hers again, this time soft and teasing.

  Their post coital kiss was interrupted by a knock at the fitting room entrance. “Is everything all right in there Noel?” The way Annette sang his name made him cringe but he saw the grin spreading over Shellie and knew that Annette and women like her no longer mattered to him.

  Shellie leaned in close so her lips brushed against his ear, “She’s probably ready for her turn,” she laughed.

  ##

  After Noel had finally replaced what Shellie was certain had to be his entire wardrobe, they exited the department store in search of food and shoes. Feeling better about their situation, Shellie began to open up to Noel and even offered to buy him “the best steamed pork bun” he’d ever eaten.

  “The best, huh?” He didn’t care for the soggy nature of steamed buns but he was willing to try fried beetles to see her face light up like that.

  She bumped his shoulder with hers. “Laugh all you want, but when you sink your teeth into the airy bun and get a bite of the succulent spicy meat, I’ll have my victory!” She shook her fist dramatically in the air, laughing.

  He looked at her for once enjoying herself without regard to how others viewed her or responded to her. It was a shame, he thought, that she couldn’t see how the people watching were mesmerized by her. He noted two men in suits had stopped in the middle of a conversation to watch her and an elderly couple sitting on their stoop pointing at her with wistful eyes, probably remembering when the elderly woman was young and vibrant like her. It seemed to him that everyone within earshot looked on eager to hear whatever wisdom she would reveal.

  “What? Is that too much food talk,” she asked embarrassed.

  Noel shook his head, “Not at all.”

  “Then why are you staring at me like that?”

  “How am I staring at you, Shellie?” He put his arm around her and pulled her in close.

  “Like I wandered into the street with rollers in my hair wearing men’s underpants and it’s your job to reign me back in to the nuthouse.”

  He threw his head back and laughed. He laughed until his eyes began to water and his side started to cramp. “What a way you have with words,” he kissed her forehead and winked at the old couple still watching them.

  At the end of the block Shellie squealed and clapped her hands like a giddy child. “Oh it’s still here!” She squealed again and grabbed his wrist, dragging him through red glass door with gold Asian characters painted on it. “Come on,” she said again when he stopped to take in his surroundings.

  When he walked over the threshold he was struck with the beauty of the small restaurant. There were no silk screens or hanging paper lanterns inside Mama Lim’s. Instead there were aquariums and stone water sculptures giving the place a serene atmosphere that immediately put him at ease. The walls were adorned with classic photos like Mona Lisa, The Dream and Botticelli but with plump porcelain-skinned Asian women. He followed Shellie who followed a diminutive waitress to a private booth near the back of the restaurant. The tables were made from sturdy glass with Korean proverbs painted on them and the chairs were plush black velvet, just like the smooth booth he slid into behind Shellie. “This place looks amazing.”

  She looked at him skeptically, “Really?”

  He nodded, “Really. I was expecting standard Chinese with red black and gold dragon decorations. But this is,” he searched for the right word. “Incredible.”

  “And you haven’t even had the buns yet,” she smiled.

  “I got a pretty good handful earlier,” he teased as her face began to blush.

  “Noel!” She took a sip from the glass of ice water the waitress sat down in front of them without a word. “So, why were you staring at me like that?”

  “No wonder you haven’t been to see me in so long,” a short and plump Asian woman said to Shellie.

  Shellie shot up from her seat screaming, “Mama Lim! Iit’s so great to see you,” she took the woman into a warm embrace. “I’ve missed you.”

  “Mama miss you too,” she said, eyeing Noel. “But I see why you’ve been away.”

  Noel unfolded his large frame to greet this woman Shellie had such affection for properly. He took her small but soft hand into his own. “I’m Noel, it’s nice to meet you Mama Lim.”

  Mama Lim stared up at Noel, smoothing the ebony wisps of hair from her luminescent skin. “You look like a good man, you a good man? You good to my Shellie?” She eyed him curiously.

  “I’m trying to be.”

  “Hmmmm,” she said before turning her attention back to Shellie. “How are you lovely?”

  “I’m great Mama, how are you? Business looks great,” she said noting the near full restaurant at this off hour.

  Mama Lim took Shellie’s face, pinching her cheeks and pulling her in close. “You saved my business and you saved my life Shellie. Business has never been better.”

  “I’m so glad to hear it Mama. And the new décor is stunning.”

  Mama Lim blushed, shooing her compliments away with her petite hands tipped
with cherry red nails. “What about you dear, what is with this black? You go to a funeral today?”

  Now it was Shellie’s turn to blush. “No Mama, just making some changes.”

  “He’s handsome but not that handsome,” she indicated Noel with her head.

  “Don’t let him hear you say that,” she whispered, winking at Noel.

  “Buns and plum wine?” Mama asked.

  “Please,” Shellie said before taking the woman into another hug and kiss. She sat back down and caught him staring again. “What?”

  “You have no idea the effect you have on people Shellie. It’s incredible.”

  She lowered her head, taking another sip from the long black straw. “You’re exaggerating Noel. Right now you see me through sex-colored lenses.”

  He raised an eyebrow at her. “Excuse me?”

  Shellie sighed and began to explain. “We just had sex. Pretty hot sex so now you look at me through sex-colored lenses and see me differently, but it’s not really me.”

  He shook his head. “The sex was hot Shellie, without a doubt. But it was not sex lenses that the men and women on the street were wearing when they couldn’t take their eyes off you.”

  She blushed, “Well maybe they noticed my sex lenses.”

  “Nice try Shellie but face it, you have a magnetic personality. Complete strangers stare at you hoping to get to know you and reap some of your residual passion for life. People stop their lives and become part of yours for a brief moment in time because you’re that amazing.”

  Shellie took a long swig of the plum wine their waitress sat down, hoping to find something cool or wise to say in response. “Good wine,” was all she could come up with.

  “Ok so you don’t take compliments well, got it. How did you meet Mama Lim?”

  Her face lit up again as she told him about her first meeting with Mama Lim. “I used to come in here all the time for the steamed buns and she told me I was too pretty to get fat from her delicious buns.” She laughed at the memory. Mama Lim had always been honest and kind since their first meeting and she began to eat at the restaurant regularly. “One day while I was working on my thesis over kimchi I overheard Mama Lim talking about shutting down the restaurant. I had to help her, I mean this place was home to me!” It was while helping Mama Lim that she realized how rewarding it felt to help small business owners like Mama keep their businesses and help them thrive. “We came up with a plan to sell traditional alcohol, daily specials and more authentic cuisine and in a year her profits doubled,” she said proudly.