by L. T. Marie
“Damn it, Coal! You’re not talking me out of this. We need a couple of good women tonight to take our minds off of your problems. I’m not talking about forever. I’m just talking about a hot body and maybe even some mindless sex. If you find someone that interests you, you can even bring them back to my place. What do you say?”
Coal groaned. God, a tall, warm body did sound appealing.
“I’ll take that as a yes. I’ll be there in thirty.”
Coal wanted to argue, but when Angel set her mind to something there was no changing it. She hung up the phone and ditched her robe for her favorite pair of white Wrangler’s and a pastel yellow tank that showed off ample cleavage. Maybe a few beers and a hot butch could help her forget everything for a few hours. After the day’s events, it sure couldn’t hurt.
Chapter Five
Jay absently peeled off the label on her longneck bottle watching as a scattered few danced to the loud techno beat. Smoke shrouded the dimly lit room like thick tule fog, and for whatever reason, she began to second-guess her decision for her evening entertainment.
As she leaned against a barstool to observe a number of single women surrounding the dance floor, she realized for the first time in a long time that she wasn’t looking for a hookup. Her odd mood left her feeling disconcerted. When did sex with any woman who was willing not seem appealing? Two nights ago, she’d been okay with it. Hell, she’d orgasmed so many times with Felicia’s mouth around her clit she was surprised she could walk yesterday. She wondered what had caused the drastic change in her mood since then. The only difference in her life was her new job and her new employer, but that couldn’t be the reason. Could it?
What was it about Coal Davis that made her feel like she was falling without a net to catch her? Talk about being off-balance. She hadn’t been able to get her bearings since their first run-in yesterday afternoon. She’d never met anyone like her. One minute, that appraising gaze raked over her, warming her skin to the point where she thought she would go up in flames. The next, Coal refused to look at her. And why couldn’t she find the restraint to not flirt with Coal? Truth was, she couldn’t help herself. Thankfully, the redhead appeared before she skirted any other boundaries and risked her employment. By the way they’d hugged one another, the two women were apparently close but she didn’t want to waste any more time thinking about why that bothered her so much.
Enough with trying to figure out her new employer. Starting Monday, she’d keep her head low and do the job she’d been employed to do. The rest of her weird feelings she could compartmentalize as a normal reaction to a beautiful woman. But for now, what she knew for sure was there was nothing like sex to get her back into the game.
As she moved to the edge of the dance floor, her libido sparked to life with a combination of the throb of the heavy bass echoing through the wooden floors and the hot, sweaty bodies that bumped against her. She closed her eyes and soaked in every sensation, allowing her body to absorb the electrically charged energy around her. Her arms began to tingle as the current raged below her skin, flowing through it as easily as the blood coursing within her veins. When she opened her eyes, her heart continued to skip wildly but it had nothing to do with the reverberating beat.
She thought she imagined Coal sitting alone at a table in the back of the bar. She moved into a dark corner, content to watch her for a few minutes. Suddenly the music stopped. And when the fog cleared and the lights dimmed, the bar transformed from pulsing and crazy to hypnotic and sensual.
“This set is for all you lovers out there.”
A familiar eighties love song caused dozens of women to pack the twelve-by-twelve dance floor. From her angle of the room, she continued to observe Coal who had no idea she was being watched. As scores of people became wrapped in each other’s arms, Jay fought with the idea of going to her. Coal looked sad, but more than that, she looked weary. She should keep her distance. Coal was a client and not just any client. She lived in Woodside. A town where she promised she’d keep a low profile. But her feet ached from not moving. Her palms began to sweat. And when her body demanded she moved, she finally gave in to temptation even though the consequences could be catastrophic.
“What the hell,” she murmured. She downed the last sip of beer and placed the bottle onto a nearby table. Her motives were nothing more than a dance. And honestly, what would one dance hurt? She weaved between chairs, careful not to bump into those locked in intimate embraces. As she approached Coal from behind, she placed her hand on her shoulder. “Excuse me. Would you like to dance?”
“No, thank you…”
Jay smiled as the words died on Coal’s lips. She ran her hand down Coal’s arm, not stopping until warm fingers wrapped around her own. She tugged, and Coal followed wordlessly out onto the dance floor. She liked how Coal’s fingers naturally intertwined with her own, and as they reached the outer edge of the wooden surface, she turned and pulled Coal into her arms.
She rested her chin on top of Coal’s head still not believing she found the guts to ask her new employer to dance. Coal had looked so vulnerable, so undeniably defeated as she had sat at the table all alone staring aimlessly into space as if she were plotting an escape. She’d seen those types of looks on the faces of others before. It spoke of a need to replace something missing in their life. She’d gotten a small glimpse of the life Coal Davis led and found it hard to believe she could need anything. But whatever essential part of Coal was missing, it had put that longing expression on her face. Even though she couldn’t place it, that something had compelled her to act.
Normally when she found a woman attractive, her motives were clear. Sex was not only the top priority, it was the only priority. She’d never needed anything beyond sex. Which made this situation even more confusing. Whatever this was between them felt different. Not that she couldn’t picture their bodies wrapped in a naked embrace. That image became more vivid as she inhaled Coal’s scent, an intoxicating mixture of tropical flowers and coconut. If Coal were any other woman, Jay would have already lowered her head to her neck and tasted her skin until she’d had her fill. She would have run her tongue along the ridges of her ear until Coal was a puddle in her arms. But Coal wasn’t just any other woman. Coal had been cordial but undeniably distant since the day they’d met.
Maybe Jay should have heeded the signs and kept her distance. She’d known Coal Davis for what, two days? And yet, instead of respecting the walls that Coal kept erecting between them, she kept trying to tear them down.
When did she start pursuing women who didn’t give into the chase? If a woman wasn’t interested in her, then there were a lot of fish in the sea. Where she trolled, she’d always found women who not only took the bait but devoured it and often begged for more. But not only did Coal refuse to bite, she was good at altogether ignoring her. That alone should have been warning enough. But pushing for conversation in the restaurant and asking Coal to dance proved this situation was like no other that she’d ever encountered. The question was, what made this woman different?
As she moved them around the dance floor, she made sure to keep Coal safe by being a buffer against the swarms of people who kept bumping into them. As Coal ran her fingertips up and down her neck, Jay tried not to respond to the feel of cool skin against her hot flesh. When she cradled Coal’s head against her chest, she could never remember fitting so well with another. Couldn’t remember the last time she wished the music would never end. But like all good things, they did end, and as people began to clear the dance floor, Jay released Coal and buried her hands into the back pockets of her jeans when she couldn’t find another use for them.
“I enjoyed the dance,” Jay said. “Can I interest you in a beer?”
“Thanks, but I need to go.” Coal motioned for the door as she slowly backed away.
“Sure. I understand.” Although she didn’t understand Coal’s reaction or her odd feelings when it pertained to her. “Good night.”
Jay waited until Co
al pushed through the door before she removed her hands from her pockets. Funny, they were shaking, but she chalked it up to nervous energy and still feeling exhausted after a long, hard week. Regardless, the night had lost its appeal. Maybe after another drink, she’d call it a night too and get some much-needed rest.
*
Coal couldn’t catch her breath and the balmy night air wasn’t helping matters. She had to get away from the bar and as far away from Jay as possible. She didn’t know much about her, but what she did know was scaring the crap out of her. Jay reminded her too much of the one person who swore she loved her above anything else. Jay and her ex, Taylor, didn’t look anything alike, but the familiar spark of attraction was unmistakable, and she’d be damned if she allowed anyone to get that close to her again, especially when there was so much more than just her sanity to lose this time around.
She should have trusted her instincts and avoided going to the bar. It wasn’t that she was against non-committal sex. In reality, she preferred it ever since her last disastrous relationship. It helped keep her private life as hush-hush as possible, and a little release now and then helped keep the burning desire of having a lifelong relationship at bay at least until the next time she thought about it. It’s not like she had to worry about that anyway. There’d only been one person who had ever made her want more. Now there was a memory that didn’t warrant the use of brainpower. One minute, she was in love. The next, her entire world had been turned upside down.
After spending the first half hour watching Angel grind her hips between the legs of a good-looking brunette, she’d been ready to go home. She didn’t think she could feel any worse until the music turned slow, erotic. As Angel moved into her partner’s arms, she tried to remember the last time she’d been held by another. Tried to remember what it had felt like to surrender under someone’s touch. She’d wanted to flee, and then Jay appeared. All it took was one look from her, and she was lost.
In the comfort of Jay’s embrace, she allowed their dance to carry her away from all the stress in her life. They hadn’t spoken. They didn’t have to. Locked flawlessly like matching pieces in a puzzle, she’d felt so complete. So alive. When she’d caught the faint aroma of sweat mixed with cedar, she had wondered what it would have been like to place her lips on Jay’s throat and taste the heady scent. In those strong arms, she’d forgotten about all her family troubles. About all her responsibilities and the expectations placed on her by others. For once in what felt like forever, she’d become completely lost in someone else, and it felt good. Really good. She tried to commit every sensation to memory, from the feeling of Jay’s hands as they rested along her lower back, to every muscle that coiled tightly around her. When Jay had moved sensuously against her, she recalled Angel’s earlier comment about mindless sex. Just the image of a naked Jay hovering above her with a sheen of sweat glistening off her body made her realize that sex between them would be anything but mindless. That’s when she realized she had to make an excuse about leaving or else make a huge mistake.
“Where are you going?” Angel asked from behind. “And what’s with the race to the finish? Do you know how hard it was for me to chase after you in these three-inch ankle breakers?”
“I’m going home. It’s late and I’m exhausted.”
“Home? But I just saw you dancing with that gorgeous butch—”
“You just don’t get it, do you?” She took a steadying breath as a week’s worth of frustrations finally got the best of her. She was also still painfully aroused from her dance with Jay and ran a trembling hand through her hair hoping it didn’t show. “I’m not supposed to be dancing with gorgeous butch women. If you forgot, I’m supposed to be laying low until I can figure out what to do about all this shit I’m knee-deep in. I told you earlier I was worried that I’d run into someone I knew. Now what am I going to do if she says something to my parents?”
“Oh, please. What’s she going to do, take out an ad? Look, I don’t know what you’re supposed to do, but we were supposed to be having fun tonight, remember? It was just a dance.”
Tell that to the intense throbbing between my thighs. “You’re right. I guess I’m more tired than I thought.”
Angel cupped Coal’s face with both hands. “You don’t have to apologize to me. If sleep is what you need, we’ll go. I’m sorry I’m pushing you. You know it’s because I only want you to be happy.”
Coal closed her eyes, feeling the weight of Angel’s words sink in. “Yeah. Me too.”
Chapter Six
Jay stretched out on the newly constructed porch railing with a soda in hand and peered out into the pasture for any sign of Coal and her horse. Every afternoon around the same time, she managed to catch sight of her riding one of the horses over the first ridge before disappearing into the hills behind a patch of oak trees. She spent all her breaks in that very spot and loved watching Coal do what she was obviously born to do.
Jay had never seen anyone exude such confidence when she rode. Coal was beautiful around her horses and commanding without hesitation. Since their dance, Jay had thought of little else, but what still kept her off balance was Coal’s constant Jekyll and Hyde routine. When she’d first approached her, Coal appeared about as wary as an untamed horse. But then their hands touched and she had guided Coal out onto the dance floor and into her arms. She recalled how Coal’s head had rested in the crook of her shoulder. Could still feel Coal’s breath on her neck. Still smell the sunny freshness of Coal’s unique scent. But then the dance ended, and as if a veil had been dropped, that once inviting gaze turned to one of disinterest and as black as a stallion’s coat.
Asking Coal to dance? Talk about having guts of steel she didn’t know she possessed. It wasn’t that she was a stranger to being the aggressor or turning on the charm. Being the one in control had always been okay with her, and most of the women she went home with expected it. But with Coal, she never felt like she was in control. And when Coal had wrapped her arms around her shoulders, not only did she feel powerless, she felt as though she were falling—gripping at the air frantically as if in a free fall without a parachute. These weird feelings had left her uneasy ever since.
When she couldn’t sleep at night, she remembered Coal’s cool fingertips gliding along her heated skin. Remembered how right it felt to have Coal wrapped in her arms. Coal was solid from all her years of riding, but soft in all the right places. She was beautiful and sexy, and the thought of Coal anywhere near made Jay’s pulse race and her sex throb uncontrollably. Those memories had not only been the cause of many sleepless nights but a countless number of orgasms. But even though these images stirred her blood, she had to keep in mind that Coal Davis was not an option on her menu.
Besides the fact that their social classes were very different, Dino would kill her if she slept with a client. Not that any of it would matter anyway. It wasn’t like she had chances to be tempted since Coal left most days before she arrived. Except for occasionally spotting her on horseback, she wondered where Coal spent most of her mornings. She had no idea why Coal had taken a passive interest in the remodel of her own home, but her mother did make it clear from the start that Coal didn’t want anything to do with the daily details of the process. Something told her that she had become part of the reason for Coal’s lack of involvement. Could that be her ego talking? Probably. She wasn’t used to women being resistant to her charms, but it appeared she’d finally met the one woman who could. The problem was it mattered too much that Coal could resist, and until she figured out why, she imagined a lot more restless nights ahead.
Disappointed that she wasn’t going to get the opportunity to see her, she pulled the project list from her pocket and studied the handwriting that could only belong to Coal. The writing was smooth, the letters bold—a clear reflection of Coal’s ever-changing moods. She caressed each letter with her fingertip, touching each one as if she were touching Coal’s skin. Now there was an experience she would never forget, especially since s
he doubted it would ever be repeated.
“Hey, Cuz,” Dino shouted from below. “Jane Davis called and said she had a few additions to that list in your hand. She left a message saying if she wasn’t at the house, she’d be down by the stables. Can you go see what she needs while I finish up that baseboard in the living room?”
“Got it.”
She placed the list into her pocket and removed her tool belt from around her waist. Digging out a sandwich from her lunch bag, she decided that the short walk would do her some good, and maybe if she was lucky, help her push all thoughts of what would never be aside.
*
Coal had spent the first part of her morning straddling the window frame inside Dax’s stall. With her left leg dangling outside the sill and her right resting on a hay bale inside with her chin cradled in her hand, she sat mesmerized, observing Jay working diligently in the eighty-degree heat. Even at a distance, Jay’s sleek, powerful form was awe-inspiring. It had been a week since they’d shared a dance, and still she couldn’t forget how it had felt to be held in Jay’s arms. Today those arms were sleeveless, and Jay’s button-fly jeans weren’t leaving much to the imagination. The sweat that had accumulated on her skin made those clothes stick in all the right places, and what she wouldn’t pay to trade places with that shirt.
She’d spent the earlier part of the morning in Half Moon Bay sorting through all the financial paperwork regarding the acquisition of the ranch. She’d met with a few of the ranch hands, helped take care of a couple of horses, but what had made her morning was listening to a little boy’s laughter while he rode around in circles on one of the horses.
Dominic Trujillo had just turned five and had recently gone through his second round of chemo. He had been diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia, or ALL, at the age of three and according to his parents, his condition wasn’t improving. All Dominic ever talked about, while lying in his hospital bed, was riding horses. So when Dominic was strong enough to travel, they made the drive from Oregon to spend a few days at the ranch. The Dominics of the world were the reason she couldn’t allow her grandfather’s dream to fail. These kids were innocent victims of life, and she’d be damned if she would allow her father to take one more thing away from them.