Tortoise Tango

by Mary Wine

  “Come on, we’d better take care of business.” Joe’s eyes made another pass over her chest before sending a promise back at her face. “Before we get too distracted.”

  “I am not distracted.”

  A low rumble of male amusement shook his chest as Joe stepped towards her, and Amber felt her nipples begin to tighten again. “No, honey, you are distracting.”

  Amber gasped and shot off towards his office. Joe followed behind her and enjoyed the sway of her hips. It was possible that he’d finally tumbled into insanity but at the moment he was enjoying it too much to really care. All he wanted to do was get the excuse to investigate the way Amber felt next to him. But more importantly, he couldn’t wait to listen to the way she whimpered when he kissed her.

  Amber should have been grateful for the chore of writing down her statement. Instead it was an endless event that she struggled to endure. All she wanted to do was look over the stunning example of manhood that sat across the desk from her. Her blood raced through her veins as her skin turned hot and she tried to keep her eyes on the paper in front of her.

  Her libido had lousy timing and bad aim. There were plenty of targets she could think of to get excited over that wouldn’t be so…ah…overpowering. Her eyes kept peeking through her lashes at the wide shoulders her fantasies insisted on lingering over.

  For that matter, the man just might be married. Amber let her eyes travel over his left hand. Joe was typing away at a computer keyboard and his attention was on the screen. Sure, he’d kissed her but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a dog.

  Something inside her cringed at that idea. Joe wasn’t a cheating husband. She just knew he wasn’t that kind of man. That didn’t mean he didn’t have a girlfriend. Some men didn’t consider having two girlfriends as cheating. They thought it meant they were well-seasoned. It was really funny how that same rule never applied to women. Two boyfriends meant you were easy pickings.

  His left hand landed on the center of the desk. The fingers spread out wide. He left it exactly like that before turning his dark eyes away from the computer screen and onto her.

  “I’m not married. No ex-wife and no girlfriend. No kids that anyone ever told me about either, but I like them.”

  Amber tried to shrug it off. Nope, she wasn’t feeling anything in connection to his announcement. The warm flush bleeding down her spine was just relief that the report appeared to be finished.

  His eyes sharpened and traced the blush on her cheeks before they moved over her mouth. A tingle of fear followed that heat down her back as Joe aim a clear promise back into her eyes. Determination blazed across the desk as she tossed her head but the man in front of her only frowned. A single nod of his head made her eyes widen.

  “We’ll see about that later, Amber.”

  “Oh no, we won’t.” Amber was on her feet before the last word left her mouth. Joe moved with amazing speed. That innocent-looking hand snaked forward and caught her wrist in an iron grasp. His thumb gently stroked the delicate skin of her inner wrist as he held her in place. Her body jumped in response as sensation rushed towards her belly and heat ignited inside her passage. The dark promise blazing from his eyes made her lips tingle with anticipation.

  “I think we will.” Joe stood up. Her blue eyes widened again as she shivered. The little quiver ran the length of her arm before it traveled along her body. Her little nipples would be hard. Joe knew it and cursed the bulky jacket he’d found her to wear. He wanted to see the two little nubs pushing against her clothing to declare her response to him.

  Instead she gave a yank on her arm and he let her wrist go.

  “Thank you, Ms. Talisman, I’ll be in touch.”

  She ran out of his office. Joe laughed. It wasn’t the sound of amusement though. Instead it was a deep rumble of promise that shook his chest. He could almost smell her in the air that lingered around his desk. His blood was racing through his veins as his cock itched to be free. Hell, it wanted a whole lot more, but Amber wasn’t done running yet.

  Yeah, he’d be in touch.

  Chapter Five

  Amber grinned and then giggled. She stepped back to look at her newest creation and purred with delight.

  “That ought to suit Joe.”

  She placed her vase of silk flowers in the corner of her room. The one you saw as you entered the bedroom. It was a two-foot tall, cream-colored vase that was round and plump. She arranged the silk flowers just right. The entire arrangement was almost four feet high when you included the vase. But with nothing else in the room besides the bed it looked delightful.

  Like something from a County Living magazine. And the best part was…it leaked estrogen!

  Sunlight streamed through the windows as she ran a hand over her brow. It was warm today. A thump and scratch at the door made her smile. Flamingo wanted some attention.

  Picking up a paperback book, she took a second to pour herself a glass of iced tea before heading out her side door. Flamingo was at the back one. If she opened it the tortoise would try to get into the house, and considering how big her pet had gotten, Flamingo would most likely win.

  “Hi, baby, Mama heard you.” Amber sat down on a patio chair near the fence. There was just enough shade to cover her head and shoulders. She stretched her legs out into the sun for a little tanning time. Her pet slowly turned away from the door and lumbered over to nuzzle Amber’s ankles.

  The afternoon was perfect. A little breeze and the sun wasn’t too hot either. There was even the buzzing of bees in the air. Amber smiled as she opened her book and tried to pick up the story.

  A loud thump from her front door interrupted her. There was only one person who would knock on her door. She considered getting up to open the door and decided to stay put. Maybe Joe would go away. Or maybe he’d just walk around the house. But somehow, that felt like a safer bet than inviting the man back into her house.

  “I know you’re home, Amber.”

  Amber groaned and bent the corner of the page on her book. No garage meant her car was in the driveway.

  “I’m out in the back.”

  Joe appeared almost immediately. Amber felt her nerve endings contract as she took in the civilian clothing he was wearing. She’d been ignoring that last promise he’d shot her all day. Trying to convince herself that the man had merely been flirting and it would never amount to anything else.

  Flamingo hissed as his long legs stepped into the tortoise’s vision. Joe halted as his dark eyes inspected the reptile. Amber grinned and gave her pet a loving pat. Flamingo immediately stretched his neck out for a scratch as well.

  “That animal is actually affectionate?”

  “Yes, and loyal as well as possessive of me.”

  Joe watched as Amber scratched the neck on her pet and then the tortoise moved its head until that hand was scratching the opposite side of its neck.

  The tortoise lost his attention as he noticed the bare legs stretched out in the afternoon sunlight. Long, firm legs that made his mouth water. Even her feet were bare. The little toenails painted red.

  “I brought you a list of my private contact numbers.” He handed a small, neatly printed list to her. Amber continued to scratch her pet. Having the animal between her and Joe was very soothing.

  “Why would I need those?”

  Joe grinned and leaned forward until he grasped her hand off Flamingo’s head. He pressed the paper into her hand and curled her fingers around it with his larger hand. The skin to skin contact burned as his eyes caught hers with firm authority.

  “You’re a witness. But if anyone in this county needed those numbers, I figured it would be you.”

  Amber jerked her hand free and scowled at him. “Gee, thanks.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  He was right. Amber didn’t like it but she really should have the contact information. You never knew when life was going to throw you a curveball.

  Joe caught the acceptance on her face and gave a brief nod of his head. He swung
his eyes around to consider the patio. He seemed to systematically look over every plank in the fence, judging it for security. The way he stood and moved suddenly hit her on a deeper level. It felt almost like she trusted his ability to protect her, but there was something polished about his movements. It wasn’t the normal cop training. It just hinted at a man who was far more deadly when he needed to be.

  It was an odd concept but deeply rooted inside her brain and Amber wasn’t laughing. Instead her eyes slipped over his shoulders and down his narrow waist and over his jeans-clad legs. Strength was etched into each and every curve that denim showed her.

  He nodded approval at the fence before tipping his head back towards her. His eyes caught the basketball near her feet and he’d scooped it up before Amber surged up from her seat.

  “No! Don’t touch the ball!!”

  Her warning was too late. Flamingo hissed and sent all of his hundred and fifty pounds into Joe’s legs. He stumbled off balance and sent a hand towards the trunk of a tree to break his fall.

  The gentle buzzing of the bees suddenly rose to a deafening level as Joe’s entire frame hit the young tree and it shook violently under the impact. A black cloud rose around the top of it as the buzzing became hostile.

  “Oh, shit!”

  Joe hooked her arm and sent her crashing into the back door. Amber frantically tried to turn the doorknob as Joe’s body landed right on top of hers. The door swung inwards and they fell into the house in a jumble of limbs. Joe lifted her out of her tracks and sent her spinning across the tile floor as he slammed the door shut so hard the windows rattled.

  “Holy crap!” Joe grabbed a dishtowel and swiped at the few bees that had made it into the house. “Are there any windows open?”

  “No,” Amber yelped as one bee found a target on her thigh. Her skin screamed as Joe sent the towel whizzing towards the insect. It popped off her leg and he crushed it beneath the heel of his boot. She looked at the pane of glass set in the center of the door. The patio was engulfed in a swarm of angry bees.

  Flamingo had pulled his body into his shell and the insects continued to look for a target for their venom.

  “Are you allergic to bees?” Joe was almost afraid to ask the question. Her thigh was turning bright red as a welt the size of a quarter appeared. He lifted her off her feet and sat her on the counter as he looked at the wound. The little black stinger was still visible.

  “Hold still.”

  “No! Don’t pull it out.”

  With one hand holding her thigh in place, Joe looked up with a harassed look on his face. “Why not? It needs to come out.”

  “I know, but plucking will break the venom sacks attached to it. Hand me my purse.”

  Her handbag landed in her lap but his hand never released her thigh. The burn of the sting was making her eyes glassy with unshed tears. Amber pulled her ATM card out and used it to slide the stinger out of its target.

  “See? Newest mom trick. I saw it on the morning news a while ago.”

  “Great, you can get the ones on my back.”

  His shirt went over his head in a blur before he turned and backed right up to her. His body went right between her spread thighs. His shoulders didn’t stop until he was just inches from her chest.

  Oh yeah, he qualified for the title of hunk. Under that shirt was a chest that was sculpted to perfection. The muscles packed onto his wide shoulders and tapered away to a narrow and very tight waist. Joe defined sexy. Her mouth went dry and her nipples hard.

  “You didn’t answer my question. Are you allergic to bee stings?”

  “No. At least I never have been before.”

  Amber tried to tear her eyes off his skin and direct her attention to the task at hand. Two spots were turning red on one shoulder blade. Only the size of nickels but the stingers still needed to come out. She laid a hand over the skin to smooth it flat. Her fingers immediately rejoiced in the feel of his warm flesh. The insane urge to run those fingers across the width of his frame made her shiver.

  Lying naked next to this man must be mind-blowing.

  Oh Lord, Amber! Shut up!

  Two steady motions of her hand and the stingers came free. Joe moved away and shrugged back into his shirt while she tried to contain her whimper.

  Joe didn’t miss the look on her face. His cock stiffened immediately. Hell, like he wouldn’t get a hard-on standing between those thighs! Just a little pair of shorts separated him from her center. He turned and walked towards the back door again. The bees were still swarming.

  “Where is your phone?”

  “Ah…”

  The sound wasn’t promising. Joe looked at Amber as she jumped down from the counter and pointed out onto the patio.

  “You don’t have a house phone? I know the line is active.”

  “Hey, it’s on the shopping list but my insurance hasn’t paid up yet. So, I was making do with my cell for now.” And it was sitting next to her book on the chair with the angry bees. “Don’t you have a cell phone?”

  He reached for his waist and cussed in the same moment. Looking out of the window, he found his phone lying at the base of the tree. The impact must have unhooked it from his waistband.

  They watched the swarming insects as they buzzed around Flamingo’s shell.

  “What about the front door?”

  “Those are killer bees, my darling, they’ll be on me before I hit my yard.” Joe snorted before turning around to glare at his company. “Explain to me why that animal of yours rammed my leg?”

  “You touched the basketball.”

  “Yeah, and what? Flamingo doesn’t like to share his ball? Let me guess, he’s got a great hook shot?”

  “Well…” Amber hesitated and moved away from him before giving in to the urge to giggle. “See, due to a lack of options, Flamingo thinks the basketball is…well…cute.”

  He rubbed his forehead before looking at her with complete disgust.

  “Your tortoise has a blowup girlfriend?”

  Amber nodded as Joe glared at her. “Tell me why you named that animal Flamingo?”

  “Giant tortoises are hard to accurately sex when they’re young and he’d already learned his name by the time certain…hmm…things developed.”

  Joe walked to the sink and flipped the hot water on. He scrubbed his hands as well as any surgeon getting ready for the operating room. Steam rose up as he turned the dishwashing liquid bottle over his hands and coated them with the antibacterial soap.

  Her face was turning pink as she tried to stifle her giggles. But her little nipples were hard enough to cut glass. Joe looked at the plump swell of her breasts as he realized they were stuck together for the next few hours. Killer bees didn’t give up easily.

  She sobered instantly. The look in his eyes went straight to her belly. She was suddenly hot and achy. Her eyes slipped down his body until they found the unmistakable bulge of his crotch. The fabric was being pushed out by swelling that she suddenly wanted to release for him.

  “This isn’t right!”

  Her announcement made him angry. His lips curled back to flash his teeth at her before he moved in that lightning fast way again. His arm clasped her to his body as his hand found the cheek of her bottom and firmly pressed her to the bulging crotch.

  “Why not? Do you have a boyfriend?”

  “No.”

  She wiggled but froze when a low groan came out of his chest. His eyes were twin flames that blazed their path to hers. His free hand gently stroked the skin on her neck, making her shiver. He kept going until his thumb covered the tight little button of her nipple. He pressed and circled the swollen tip making pleasure zip down her body and back up again.

  “It looks pretty right to me.”

  She opened her mouth to protest. Joe caught those lips before they let a single word out. The sweet taste of her mouth made him desperate for her. The little nipple in his hand begged for attention as he sent his tongue deeply into her mouth to mingle with her own. A litt
le moan of rapture escaped her throat as she let the velvet tip of her tongue stroke the length of his.

  She had to be allergic to the bee strings. Nothing else explained the fever. Amber was so hot and found her body twisting against his. She wanted to be closer. Needed to feel that hard chest against her aching breasts. The smell from his skin was intoxicating.

  His hands controlled her body with amazing strength. He sent his tongue deeply into her mouth as he gripped the back of her head. Stabbing into her mouth, he explored it in detail as her tongue twisted and stroked the length of his.

  Heat ran down her body in rivers. The walls of her passage became enflamed as she felt the slide of fluid down their sides. It was such a primitive reaction. She twisted against his hold but couldn’t stop her thoughts from desiring the same type of penetration for her body as his mouth was taking from hers.

  Nothing seemed to matter but the pure need coursing through her blood. His hand moved to her waist and lifted her from the floor. Their lips parted but he ran his down the column of her neck as he turned and lowered her to the kitchen counter.

  His fingers found the bottom of her T-shirt and pulled the garment up over her head.

  “You have no idea what looking at these yesterday did to me.” His voice was thick and husky. She’d never heard that tone used in response to her body before. It made her feel so beautiful. His eyes moved over her breasts with absolute devotion. His fingers brushed the top of them right before the lace-edged cups of her bra ended. A shiver shook her body as her blood raced through her veins too fast to understand. Her nipples tightened painfully as they begged to be introduced to his hot mouth.

  “Show them to me.”

  His voice was rough but hard. His eyes flashed to her as his hands lingered over her rib cage. “Show me those little nipples that get hard every time we meet.”