AintNoAngel

by J L Taft

  She blinked up at him. Then he took matters into his own hands and, standing, lifted her into his arms and tossed her over his shoulder. Her skirt was bunched against him and her rear was exposed, covered only by the thin strip of her white lacy thong. She laughed and took advantage by squeezing his ass. Her arms came around his waist and she held on for dear life.

  His breath hitched as he strode to the stairs. Suddenly the sound of the phone ringing stopped them. Travis heaved a deep sigh and lifted her off his shoulder and set her gently on her feet.

  Chapter Nine

  Travis gestured for her to answer and he whispered, “If it’s him, keep him talking as long as you can.”

  Jessie knew it would be him. “Hello?”

  “Do you think that I won’t keep my word, Jessica?” Cyrus’ voice was gruff and his words slurred a little. But the quiet rage came over the line loud and clear.

  “I don’t owe you anything, Cyrus.”

  She heard him sigh before saying, “You never were the type of woman to learn a lesson quickly.”

  The remark had her livid in the span of a second. She opened her mouth to rave at him but Travis laid a hand on her arm and shook his head.

  Taking a calming breath, she said, “You have everything that you are going to get from me, Cyrus. Go to hell.” She slammed the phone down, giving her a small amount of satisfaction before she walked away and went out on the porch.

  The night air was warm even though the sun had sunk behind the hills. Jessie heard Travis walk out onto the porch and come up behind her. His breath ruffled her hair and tickled her ear. His arms came up around her waist and he pulled her back to lean on his big frame.

  She knew that all she had managed to do with Cyrus’ phone call was ensure that he would come for her. Regardless of how strong she felt with Travis standing by her side, she knew that Cyrus meant what he said.

  He always had. But there was nothing she could do about it now but wait. Wait for him to come for her.

  “It wasn’t long enough to trace, was it?” she asked quietly.

  “No. It wasn’t.”

  She thought that he might be upset with her for hanging up on Cyrus and blowing his chance of tracing the phone call but it didn’t seem to bother him.

  Jessie didn’t want to waste the time she had with Travis tonight thinking about Cyrus. It was going to come to an end sooner rather than later and she didn’t want to have any regrets.

  “Where were we?” she asked, turning in his arms and looking up at him. He chuckled and scooped her up off her feet and into his arms.

  He carried her as if she weighed nothing, up the stairs and to her room. He pushed her door open and then kicked it closed behind him. He tossed her on the bed, making her body bounce, and she giggled.

  Standing over her, he ran his gaze over her curves. “Now that I have you alone, what am I going to do with you?”

  She liked this game that he played, humor covering any awkwardness that might have been there. She stretched her arms above her head, knowing it pushed her breasts up and made the hem of her dress ride up. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

  “Damn straight.” He lifted his shirt over his head and dropped it to the floor. Good lord, the man was enough to make her mouth water. His chest was as hairless as his head, tight and bulging. The tattoo came down his neck to swirl on his shoulder with bold, black lines. He popped the button on his jeans and they slid to ride lower on his hips, exposing that sexy V that led to what she wanted most.

  Moving over, she made room for him on the bed, but he had other plans and caught her before she got too far.

  “Lie in the middle and don’t move.” Her first reaction was to take offense to his tone but the light in his eyes stilled her tongue.

  He moved to the bottom and she was thankful that she had no footboard. It didn’t block her view. But then she wondered, if she did have a footboard, would he tie her to it? The idea had her squirming on the bed.

  Grabbing her ankles, he pulled her down, letting her legs dangle off the end. Pushing her skirt out of the way, he hooked his thumbs in her panties and pulled them down slowly, letting the material brush against her legs until they were off. Trailing his fingers back up the sensitive skin, he spread her legs wide and with a devilish grin buried his face between her thighs.

  Her hips bucked off the bed at the first touch of his warm tongue but his hands came up to hold her steady. It was intense and she felt her body winding tighter, waiting for release. With every flick of his tongue he drove her higher.

  She was mindless as her back arched and her legs tensed but he continued his onslaught without a pause. Abruptly she reached her peak, moaning out his name and reaching for him.

  All of her was still quaking when he laid his weight on her. It had been so long since she had felt this way. She absorbed all the feeling, the heat of his body, his heaviness pressing her into the mattress and the silkiness of his skin under her fingers as she trailed them up and down his back.

  Pushing her up on the bed, he shed his jeans and took a foil packet out of his pocket. Her eyes were riveted to his hard cock, springing out from a patch of dark curls. It made the liquid pool in her mouth and a fresh wave release between her legs.

  Jessie moved her hungry gaze over him as he lay on top of her. Kissing her hard, he thrust his tongue in her mouth and she tasted herself on him.

  Driving into her in one strong push, he filled her, her body protesting his size. He held firm, giving her time to adjust to the thickness of his cock.

  “Oh yes, baby, you’re so tight.” His voice sent shivers along her nerve endings and she rocked her hips, sinking him in farther. Groaning, he began to move, long, lunging strokes, sweeping her away with him.

  Her nails dug into his back and he picked up the pace, plunging in harder and deeper. Her hands roamed over his tight ass, up his back and over his shoulders. Greedy, questing fingers ran up his smooth head, trailing down over his ears as he groaned out her name.

  Her inner muscles contracted around him, drawing a short scream from her and then she felt him lock inside her as he reached his peak, spilling his seed and drawing more spasms from her.

  He collapsed on top of her. She wrapped her arms around him, unwilling to let him go quite yet. After their breathing returned to normal, he moved to the side and pulled her into his arms. They both drifted off to sleep, her body nestled in close to his.

  * * * * *

  Hours later they lay facing each other, after he had woken her with kisses along her back and slid into her from behind. It had been slow and sweet and she didn’t know what to make of the difference in his actions.

  “I think we need to talk about this,” he whispered.

  Her mind struggled to catch up. “What do you mean?”

  “I want to please you, Jessie, I don’t want you to ever forget me.”

  Smiling, she told him, “There isn’t much chance of that happening.”

  “Is there something else that you want? Something I could do for you?”

  “I’m not sure what you’re asking me, Travis.”

  “Well, you put your nails to good use and I just wondered if you were into anything besides vanilla?”

  Giggling, she looked at his face. He was regarding her hopefully and she got the feeling that the question was more important than he let on.

  Jessie had had a semi-submissive relationship before, when she was younger and before she had met Cyrus. It had been long ago but she had loved the little games they had played. But he had left her to put his dominating attitude to better use in the military.

  “What did you have in mind?” There was a lot out there and she didn’t want to sign up for something she wasn’t ready for or something she wasn’t into.

  “Maybe some toys or a little bondage?” His voice was quiet but excited.

  “I’m game.” She knew she was jumping in feet first but she couldn’t stop herself. “That sounds interesting.” She wondered
what he had in mind for her and a shiver of excitement went through her. She was so exhausted from their loving that she snuggled farther into the blankets.

  “Good, but let’s see what happens with Cyrus first.”

  Jessie’s excitement died a quick death with the mention of Cyrus. She wished now she would have just come up with the money to send him and that it would have made him go away forever. But it was a dream.

  Travis got out of bed and got dressed, telling her he needed to make a phone call. Jessie glanced at the clock, shocked that it would be time to get up soon. He kissed her passionately and gave her rear a playful swat before leaving the bedroom.

  It was only minutes before Jessie was sound asleep.

  * * * * *

  Travis walked slowly around the yard and the grounds, checking for anything out of the ordinary. He felt more revived than he ever remembered being after a sexual encounter. Jessie was a pleasant surprise and he was quickly becoming addicted to her.

  The sun was just starting to rise and the birds were singing. There was something special about the place that Jessie called home.

  He had no idea how she would feel about the fact that he suspected Cyrus of murdering Candy Marsh. Jessie was obvious about her need to have trust in the people she surrounded herself with. It gave him a pretty sure idea on how pissed she was going to be when she found out he had kept it from her. But it was for her own good. She had enough to worry about right now and he didn’t want to add to it with no evidence to back it up.

  He was walking a shaky line and knew that if he wasn’t careful he would lose any leads he might have gained and Jessie all in one swoop. But she was too much of a temptation to resist and he was tired of all work and no play.

  Opening the side door of the barn, he figured he would check out the bottom half without disturbing Marc and Brad. But he paused when he heard something. Strange grunting was coming from the upstairs. Wishing he hadn’t left his guns in the house, he entered slowly and eased the door shut, making no noise.

  Creeping along the wall, he left the lights off, the shadows hiding his big frame. Listening intently, he moved closer to Marc and Brad’s room. And then almost burst out laughing.

  They were obviously getting it on. He didn’t know them well enough to tell the moans apart but they were getting louder by the second. Not wanting to disturb them and not into that kind of voyeurism, he retreated back outside, leaving as silently as he had entered.

  Once he was back outside he dialed Ian’s number.

  “Davis.”

  “Ian. It’s me. I wanted to let you know that Cyrus called last night but the call was too quick to trace. Any word on that end?”

  “I was going to call you in this morning. Cyrus Parker was spotted yesterday afternoon at a bar in Michigan by one of our associates. Unfortunately by the time I heard about it he was gone. But if I had to guess, he is headed your way.”

  Travis ran a hand over his face. He had expected this but now that it was happening he was worried. He needed to get Jessie somewhere safe.

  “All right, thanks, Ian.”

  “Why don’t you bring the woman here for a few days?” Ian asked.

  “I’ll ask her but I’m not sure she will go for it.”

  “Stay alert, Turner.”

  “Will do,” Travis said before he disconnected.

  * * * * *

  Jessie awoke an hour later feeling refreshed and satisfied for the first time in months. Stretching out her sore muscles, she smiled as she headed for the shower, humming to herself.

  She came out wrapped in a towel. She opened her dresser drawer and the world came crashing back down upon her. Her gun was lying there on top of her clothes.

  Staring at it for a minute, she realized that there was nothing she could do but be prepared. She knew she had pissed Cyrus off last night and she figured he knew she wasn’t sending him the money.

  Closing the drawer with a slam, she got dressed. She had a life to live and a sexy man waiting for her in the kitchen.

  “Morning!” she said cheerfully as she entered. Travis answered her with a grin and a wink. Betty placed a piece of pie in front of him and then headed outside to find Brad, mumbling something about her car making funny noises.

  Alone, she stared at him over the rim of her coffee cup as he ate his pie. It had been so long since she had a steady lover she wasn’t sure what to say. But then his eyes met hers and she felt it like a bolt of lightning to her insides. If she wasn’t careful she was going to fall for this man.

  She knew that he felt something too because his eyes darkened and then lowered to brush across her breasts and hips. But she was pretty sure he wasn’t thinking about love and happily ever after. His look said lust, hot and heavy lust. Tangle the sheets and rock the bed kind of lust. But she wasn’t going to complain.

  Standing up, he came close and set his plate in the sink. She could smell him, soap and man, and feel the heat radiating off his skin.

  His arms came around her, trapping her against the counter, and he leaned in for a kiss. She had just enough time to meet him halfway, hungry for another taste of him. He tasted like the apples in the pie he had just finished and his tongue swept over her teeth as she released a moan.

  Pulling back, they were both breathing heavy and lucky that she hadn’t spilled her coffee on them. Travis rested his forehead on hers for a moment before moving away completely.

  Clearing his throat, he said, “Well, I think we should get to work before I bend you over this kitchen table and have my wicked way with you.”

  Jessie felt her cheeks go red with that image but she stayed where she was and just raised an eyebrow at him, issuing her challenge.

  He chuckled and headed for the door. “Don’t tempt me, woman. I’ll have to put you over my knee.”

  Her face went hot all over again and this time she felt a release of wetness between her legs. Would he really do it? She was definitely going to have to find out. She followed behind him outside. Together they got in her old, beat-up truck and they headed to work, talking about nothing and everything.

  They worked the day away in the sun, Marc and Brad always close by. She really did love working her little business, even if it was going to make her gray before her time. But the pressures of getting by were surpassed by her happiness every time she finished a job and the results were there for her to see. It was soothing for her to dig in the soil. It was something she had learned at her mother’s knee and the feeling never faded.

  Leaning back on her heels from the flowers she was planting along the sidewalk, she looked around. The new job was a small one but had turned out beautifully and with Travis’ help they were ahead of schedule, another day and they would be done. She was sure the owners of the house would be pleased with the results.

  Travis’ enthusiasm over the last few days had been inspiring for her. Tasks she had mentioned in passing that needed to be done were done, just like that. He didn’t ask or make a big deal out of it, he just did it. She had only ever met one other man like that in her life and that had been her father. It wasn’t lost on her that it could be the reason she suddenly found herself head over heels for Travis.

  She missed her parents, they had been completely in love with each other and she wanted that for herself. They had communicated with a look and they had never gotten too old to hold hands.

  She spied Travis headed her way and her thoughts scattered. He was enough to heat her blood from twenty feet away.

  His jeans were riding low on his hips and his t-shirt clung to his damp chest. He was sweaty, dusty and a little tanner than he had been that morning and it occurred to her that he was the sexiest man she had ever seen in her life. She wanted all the time she could get with him, even if it could only end in pain.

  “Come on, guys! Let’s call it a day!” Standing, she brushed herself off and helped pack up the tools they took with them. Soon they were all headed back to the house.

  Travis was digging hi
mself deeper by getting involved with her. But the damage was done and his need for her wasn’t something he could fight. By the time this was over and he wasn’t protecting her anymore, things would fizzle out between them.

  But deep down he wondered if he would ever get enough of her. She was unlike anyone else he had known. She was tough and rough around the edges but on the inside she was sweet and responsive.

  He couldn’t believe his luck when she said she was into kinky sex. Just thinking about her tied spread-eagle on her bed had him going hard. Remembering that, he realized he still needed to order a few things before they could play a little.

  He had trouble sleeping the night before. He was afraid it was because he had slept on the couch instead of next to Jessie on her little bed. But he didn’t want to let his guard down and he wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from touching her.

  Jessie had been disappointed when he had told her but she hadn’t pushed. She knew that he had a job to do. Then she had been quiet at breakfast. It was a small consolation that she obviously hadn’t slept well either. But he wasn’t sure if he had anything to do with that or not.

  He meant what he said and he knew it would be dangerous to have that sort of fun with Cyrus on the loose. But he had a feeling they wouldn’t have to wait much longer.

  Thinking about it for a minute, he knew just what he wanted. He had a lot of downtime on his last job, plenty of time to plan out his ultimate fantasy with the many online resources available. Finding the websites he remembered on his phone, he paid the extra to have them overnighted.

  Excitement coursing in his veins, he went to take care of some things that Jessie said she needed to get to. Then maybe if she didn’t have so much to do he could talk her into leaving for a few days. So he could do what he promised— keep her safe.

  Chapter Ten

  Travis was busy repairing a few of the greenhouse panels from outside when his phone rang. He knew Jessie was inside, only a few feet away through the thin wall, so he quickly silenced it and worked steadily for a few more minutes before entering the greenhouse.