by Wane, BJ
“Well, how was I… oh!” His swat on her right buttock cut off her excuse with a gasp.
“You’re supposed to trust me, that’s how you should’ve known.” He smacked her left cheek and then speared her damp pussy with two fingers while fishing a condom out of his pocket with his other hand. “If you don’t know it by now, let me tell you. You can trust me with all of you, not just your body. I’m not your ex.” Releasing his cock, he realized that last point pissed him off most. She continued to let Peter’s betrayal color her view of all men and relationships.
“I know that. You’re nothing like him.” He drove into her slick channel, wanting more than the words from her. “Oh, God. I… I can’t think straight… let alone talk… when you’re… doing… that!”
Nolan lifted her hands and placed them flat against the wall before cupping her full breasts again as he withdrew. “Good. Don’t think.” He thrust back inside her, deep enough to bump against her womb. “Just feel and tell me what happened.”
“What? Now?” Mia turned her head to stare at him in disbelief.
Pulling back by slow degrees, Nolan made sure to rasp over her clit before the only part of his shaft left inside her was his cockhead. “Now, Mia.” Grabbing her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers, he pinched until she blanched.
“Fine,” she huffed. “I had an… unpleasant encounter with one of Clifton Birmingham’s employees. It left me… unsettled. That’s all there is to it.”
He would pull the man’s name out of her later. First, he would reward her for her honesty. Releasing her nubs, he strummed over them with his thumbs as he surged back inside her. “Thank you. That wasn’t so difficult, was it?”
“Just…” Her voice trailed off as he slid his hands down her sides to grasp her hips and yank them out further.
“Just what? Fuck you? Like this?” Holding her hips still, he plummeted into her convulsing depths with steady strokes, the first ripples of her climax washing over his cock within seconds. “That’s it, Mia,” he rasped. “Come all over me. Show me how much you want this, want me.” He bent his head to her neck and bit.
“Yes,” she whimpered right before her cry of release shattered his control.
* * *
Mia opened the bathroom door to the wonderful aroma of fried chicken stirring her hunger. She’d taken her time in the shower, not sure how she felt about Nolan’s tactics to get her to talk to him about matters she considered private and that had nothing to do with their relationship. His explanation made sense, once she thought about it, but his tactics rankled as much as her easy compliance. The deep wound caused by Peter’s betrayal still pained her, and she’d vowed long ago never to give a man access to her inner thoughts and feelings again. The callous way her ex had thrown both in her face along with his young girlfriend was embedded in her mind, and even though she no longer loved him, his cruel words still held the power to hurt.
Her buttocks still tingled from those two hard swats and her sheath continued to pulse from Nolan’s rough possession. It was always that way, and her responses to his handling didn’t appear to be dwindling as she’d first assumed they would. Still, she’d been celibate for a long time and unfulfilled for even longer, although she hadn’t realized that at the time. Nolan proved that dismal fact the first time he bent her over and swatted her butt. The memory almost made her giggle like a schoolgirl. The pleasure to be gained from an adult, bare-bottomed spanking continued to astound her.
Walking into the kitchen, she eyed the way he set her small table along with the chicken, coleslaw and potato salad. “I’m starving but if I eat all of that I’ll gain ten pounds.”
Nolan looked her over with a critical eye before saying, “You hold your weight just fine. I like the look of you, and the feel of you. Since we’re not seeing anyone else while we’re together, that’s all that matters.”
“We’re not?” Mia took a seat, his statement pleasing her on a level she wasn’t prepared for. That plane where she might start to care more than she planned for, more than was wise.
“No, we’re not.” He piled her plate with food but watched her closely as he asked, “Do you have a problem with that?”
“No, not at all. It’s just… I’m surprised by your willingness to remain monogamous given the rumors I’ve heard about you.”
“Don’t believe everything you hear.”
“I usually don’t.” She took a bite of potatoes before she couldn’t help mentioning his numerous flower orders. “The number of plants and arrangements you’ve ordered from me lend credence to the gossip, don’t you agree?”
His lips quirked with amusement she didn’t understand. “You would think so, wouldn’t you? To be clear, I’ve never slept with anyone from Whitetail whom I took out except you.”
That didn’t explain the flowers, but Mia was uncomfortable with the conversation and the rush of warm relief his confession produced. She shrugged, hoping to convey an indifference she didn’t feel. “If you say so.”
“I do, and since you can trust me, you can believe that. Since my return, I’ve limited sex to the club. Given my job and status, I thought that best for now. Speaking of which, I’m scheduled to put time in as monitor Saturday night. Are you ready for another visit?”
If the way her body just sped into heated overdrive were anything to go by, Mia figured the answer would be an emphatic yes. Knowing what to expect seemed to ease any misgivings she still harbored for the as yet unknown aspects of his kinks. “Sure, I’ll go.”
He nodded as if expecting that reply. “Friday night I’m headed back to the County Line since no one else is available to stake it out that night. Want to keep me company?”
“Do you honestly believe drugs are coming through someone in Whitetail?” Mia couldn’t think of a single person who would do such a thing.
“I don’t want to, but border patrol and the Feds are convinced of it. If I can catch a deal going down, it would give me someone to interrogate, which is more than we have now, and the sleazier bars are the most likely places for a meet.”
She didn’t care to return to that particular dive, but when she imagined Nolan there alone, maybe dancing with another woman to mingle closer with the other patrons, she cared even less for that possibility. “Sure, I’ll go and even help you look for the bad guys.”
“You’ll stay out of it, I mean it, Mia. You don’t know how to observe others unnoticed but the people who deal drugs for a living can. You’ll make a good cover just by being with me.”
He stared at her with his most stern Dom look, the one she’d learned was impossible to argue with. “Fine. I’ll be your arm candy. That’ll be a first for me.”
“As long as you know you’re more than that, you can portray yourself however you want.”
* * *
Clifton hunted down Sanchez after he’d had time to cool off. He found him in the tack room, where he should have stayed when Mia Reynolds went looking for pruning shears. He was surrounded by imbeciles and was getting damned tired of it.
“What the hell did you think you were doing?” he demanded as he shut the small room’s door behind him and placed his fists on his hips. He’d come too far to let this moron take him down or put a crimp in his lucrative side dealings.
Sanchez flicked him a disdainful sneer and kept tanning the saddle lying over a sawhorse. “You’d have preferred I let her keep snooping?”
“She wasn’t snooping and wasn’t suspicious of anything until you tried scaring her off. Why didn’t you just wave a red flag in front of her or, better yet, unlock the damn shed and invite her inside?” Fucking moron.
“First off, boss,” he drawled in sarcasm, “I didn’t know what she was doing or looking for when I came out of the barn and saw her. But I did recall she saw me leaving the County Line the same time as one of her employees. If any of our guys are made there, it won’t take her long to remember me.”
Clifton shook his head in disgust. “And, so what? You’ve
sworn you’ve covered your tracks and there’s nothing to lead you to me, or either of us to our sideline. Again, all you had to do was let it go. Think you can manage to do that from now on?”
“I can manage,” he ground out, his hands tightening on the leather and his eyes going dark with anger.
Unfazed, Clifton pivoted and opened the door while delivering a parting shot. “See that you do.” With Mia now hooked up with their new police chief, it would be wise to make some quick changes. The only problem with that was the changes needed weren’t easy to make and would take considerable time and effort. With his connection refusing to do anything about the tainted drugs slipping in with the pure stuff, he needed to consider getting out.
The problem with that was people who left this organization often ended up dead or never heard from again.
* * *
“No fucking way, Campbell.” Nolan shoved back from his desk and, holding the phone to his ear, listened to his former boss while slamming the door shut for both privacy and anger release. “Your man is wrong,” he bit out as he strode over to the window that looked out upon the city park. Preparations were already underway for the annual Fourth of July citywide picnic, an event he’d planned to attend with Mia. Hell, everything he wanted to do he wanted to do with her.
“Look, Chuck. I know Mia Reynolds and I’m telling you she is not involved, and I don’t give a rat’s ass what intel your man has passed on. If drugs are being funneled through the state with landscaping orders, she is one owner who knows nothing about it.” A cold knot of dread took up residence in his gut despite his unequivocal belief in what he just said. Mia’s naïve innocence sometimes bordered on ridiculous given her age and the fact she’d been married for almost twenty years. But that was the part of her charm that had first drawn him and continued to please him. He never tired of seeing the flash of stunned disbelief in her eyes when he tormented her into orgasm.
Chuck Campbell’s frustrated sigh echoed through the phone. “Look, Nolan, you asked for something to go by and I’m giving it to you. My guy said to check it out, and that’s what we’re going to do. If you know the woman that well, how hard can it be for you to visit her nursery and look around, maybe catch wind of when the next shipment’s due to arrive?”
“You want me to spy on her?”
“I want you to do your job,” Chuck retorted. “If you need a reminder of what we’re up against, pull out the death photos of the last victim of these drugs. I’ll be in touch.”
Nolan tossed the phone on his desk without glancing back. Chuck didn’t realize the betrayal he was asking of him. Mia still struggled with what her ex put her through. How could he betray her trust also? He’d pursued her and started this affair for the sole purpose of giving her the chance to explore everything he’d suspected she yearned for. And yes, the macho side of him desired to erase the pain of her husband’s deception from her pretty green eyes. But the surprising depth of his need to know what had occurred to upset her the other day revealed his feelings were now irrevocably involved, and he was okay with that.
“What a cluster fuck,” he mumbled, running a hand through his hair in indecision. Chuck was right, he had a job to do, which included getting answers for a grieving family. He prayed Mia never got wind of his involvement once he proved neither she nor her business were being used as a stopping post for the illegal drug route cutting through the state.
Chapter 8
Mia glanced askance at Nolan as they walked up to the County Line entrance. Like last time, the crowded parking lot hinted at the number of people inside, with the noise pouring out when he held open the door just as deafening. For the first time since she’d agreed to this affair, he seemed preoccupied with something other than her when they were together. She hadn’t realized how much she’d relished his undivided attention until now, when she no longer had it. Stepping inside, she found herself hoping it was his job, the drug case and recent overdose that were preying on his mind tonight and not dissatisfaction with her. She wasn’t ready for this to end yet.
Tugging on her hand, he nodded toward a vacant corner table. “Let’s grab that one.”
Mia nodded, refusing to shout over the raucous din. Winding their way through the throng of jostling bodies, she sank onto the chair he held for her with a sigh. She didn’t want to be here. The two previous times she’d ventured out to the bars, she’d had her friends and a need to prove to herself she could move on from the end of her marriage to bolster her enthusiasm. Tonight, it didn’t take long for her to discover she’d rather spend the evening alone with Nolan, or at his club in Albuquerque. Ever since he mentioned making a return trip, it was all she could think about.
Lifting a finger to catch the waitress’s attention, he leaned over and spoke close to her ear to be heard. “What do you want to drink?”
His warm breath blew down her neck and set up goosebumps along her arms, a nice distraction from the crowd. “Beer is fine, anything light.”
Nodding, he placed their order and then pointed across the room. “Look who’s here.”
Curious about the displeasure reflected on his face, Mia glanced that way and spotted Barry, Donny and Drew seated at the bar. While she wished the kids would entertain themselves at a more reputable establishment, they were of legal age to be in here and served alcohol. “After seeing Barry here last time, I spoke with him about maybe going somewhere less risky. I guess he blew off my suggestion.”
“Looks like.”
She didn’t understand the tight set to his mouth until she remembered the overdose victim had been their age. Putting a hand on his rigid forearm, she tried to reassure him. “They’re good kids, Nolan. I’ve encountered no trouble from them.”
“Weren’t you complaining about Barry the other day?”
“Only his habitual tardiness and missed days.” She shrugged, trying to make light of it and didn’t mention Barry’s insolent looks. It wasn’t the first time she’d dealt with a cocky, attitude-riddled teenager.
“Let’s hope you’re right. Come on.”
Rising, Nolan led her onto the dance floor for a slow number and her silent objections to the crowd melted away when he pulled her close. It had been like that each time he’d nudged another inch past her defenses, from coping with her ex to succumbing to his sexual demands and her responses. If he was near and the one giving the orders, she handled both her ex and her unexpected, wayward libido much better. She liked that perk about their relationship. She also liked the way he danced, the feel of his muscled legs moving against hers, her breasts pressed against his wide chest, the tight clasp of his arms and hands and the gleam of lust shining in his blue eyes as he looked down at her. Without his hat, the steely grey strands that framed his forehead and emphasized the inky darkness of the rest of his hair were more noticeable. She liked… him.
Mia stumbled from that revelation, her eyes flying up to Nolan’s face and then shifting away from his sharp, assessing gaze. She remembered all too well how adeptly he’d extracted the incident at Clifton’s from her. He touched her, and she turned to putty. It had been that way since he’d pulled her over after leaving this same bar a few short weeks ago and now look at her. She’d grown to like the man.
“What’s wrong?” Nolan asked, tightening his arms around her. “And look at me when you answer.”
Shit. Irritation replaced the unease that admission stirred up. Whipping her gaze back up to his, she schooled her features to bland coolness. “I missed a step. The crowd and noise are bothering me.”
Mia couldn’t tell if he believed her when he nodded and said, “We’ll leave soon then. Let’s finish our drinks.”
“I’ll meet you at the table. I want to visit the restroom first.” Slipping out of his arms, she didn’t look at him again as she waded through the gyrating bodies on the dance floor and padded down the short hall leading to the bathrooms. Gripping the edge of the sink, she took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing pulse. She liked him, so what?
It didn’t have to mean anything more than that, in fact, that was a good thing. After all, what did it say about her she’d started an affair with a man she didn’t like? The thing that shook her was how fast the tables had turned. That’s what scared Mia, because if like came that fast, that easy, love might too, and that’s something she’d vowed never to open herself up for again.
“He’s not even my type,” she muttered, straightening. That reminder made her feel better. There was no way she could feel a stronger emotion for someone who was the complete opposite of… whom? Peter was the only man she’d been with before Nolan, as pathetic as that was. She’d fallen for him so hard, so fast, she’d never questioned whether he was the man for her, and never had anyone to compare him with. When she’d ended up pregnant and scared, she’d jumped at the chance to marry fast and never looked back until the day Peter asked for a divorce.
Mia ran her fingers through her hair, wishing Nolan would quit demanding she leave it loose when they were together. A few more weeks, she insisted. By then, surely whatever this was would have fizzled out and she could go back to concentrating on her business and enjoying evenings out with friends.
She left the bathroom trying to make up excuses for the pang that last thought wrought and jolted unprepared when she caught sight of that creep Sanchez again, this time heading for the bar. He spotted her at the same time, stopped, scowled and pivoted, as if he didn’t want to be anywhere near her, which worked for her. The boys remained glued to their barstools, so she was glad Sanchez opted for a seat away from them. A hard hand wrapped around her arm, startling her until she looked up into Nolan’s dark face.