by Zoey Marcel
He buried his face in her neck and kept pleasuring her, joining his orgasm with hers. They remained like that for several seconds, both shivering relentlessly and panting.
When Heath finally pulled out and then discarded the condom, Danielle used a tissue from the box he’d brought with him and cleaned herself up. They kept smiling at each other and sharing gentle kisses while she got dressed and he pulled his underwear and jeans back on.
“Damn, Heath.”
He chuckled. “Not a bad way to break in my new clinic.”
“This is gonna be your vet clinic? That’s great. You won’t have to commute.”
“I know. I was pretty happy about that.”
Her radiant beauty in the afterglow was soul warming. She took his hand in hers. “Will you show me around?”
Her willingness for a tour and genuine interest in his business moved him. She wasn’t pretending. She really was happy for him and wanted to know more about it. That touched him.
Don’t get too mushy over her sweetness. This is only temporary, remember? Eventually she’s gonna marry them and forget all about you.
He gave her hand a squeeze and kissed her on the head, savoring her dainty sigh.
She might be engaged to the McAlisters, but right now she was his. He just hoped his heart wouldn’t grow to think so. He couldn’t go through the heartache of loss again. It had nearly killed him when Heller walked away from him years ago. Heath didn’t blame him, but he couldn’t go through that again.
Against his will, he acknowledged that something about Danielle was different from the other women he’d been with. It was a soft stirring deep inside him, an unexplainable knowing. It reminded him an awful lot of that magnetic pull he’d felt toward Heller, and that scared him to death.
Chapter Nine
It was that captivating time of day just before sunset. Late afternoon was fading, but evening hadn’t come, and the sky was void of dusky colors. It was the golden haze that preceded it as the blazing summer sun took its final stand. The air was thick and hot. To inhale was reminiscent of drawing in the scorching gust of an oven door being opened.
Danielle ate it up, feeling the heat bake against her tan legs. She had on denim shorts, white flip-flops, and a dainty white tank top. It was silky and baby-doll style with see-through eyelets near the top.
When she walked into the coffeehouse, she saw Felicia sitting at a table waiting for her. She didn’t normally squeal in public, but seeing her childhood best friend after eleven years was call for some girly spectacle creating.
Felicia rose when she saw her, and they made “Oh my God” happy woman noises as they walked into each other with outstretched arms.
“It’s been so long,” her bestie said. “I didn’t think you were ever coming home.”
“I know. It’s been too long.” Danielle pulled back. “You look good.”
“So do you. Your boobs are bigger.”
She laughed. “Yep, some of the fat got distributed right.”
Felicia giggled. “Well, send some this way.”
“Yours are beautiful.”
“Thanks. Your boobs are great, too.”
Danielle bit her lip when she realized that they were talking a little louder than she realized. People were looking at them, probably waiting for them to start making out.
Felicia noticed, too. “I don’t think they think we’re friends.”
Danielle grinned. “I’m getting that impression, too. Are we sitting here?”
“Yep, after we order.”
They got their frozen coffees and then sat down at a table together. After a few minutes of sipping coffee and talking, two men approached their table.
“Felicia, right?” a man with a Southern drawl asked her friend.
Felicia looked puzzled. “Yeah?”
“My name’s Jed.” He extended his hand to her, and she shook it awkwardly.
“Hello, Jed.”
“It’s a pleasure, darlin.’ This here is Diesel.” Jed stuck a thumb behind him to point at the burly man who stood near him at an angle.
Felicia waved at him with a girly wiggle of her fingers. “Hi, Diesel.”
Diesel gave her a slow smile. “Hi.”
Danielle wondered if they were interested in Felicia. It made her happy for her bestie. She studied the two men. The one with the Deep South accent, Jed, was chomping on gum with his mouth open. He wore urban camouflage pants, a silver cross necklace, dark combat boots, and a black wifebeater.
He had short brown hair and stubble on his face that gave him a scruffy look. He was tall and hard bodied, but nowhere near as muscular as the clean-shaven brute standing by him.
“I think you freaked her out, Jed,” the bulky, bald one said in amusement.
Diesel was an accurate name for him. He had larger-than-life muscles and a deep, rumbling voice that was somehow smooth at the same time—the contrast between the power of a dark storm and the soothing touch of rain on bare skin.
He wore jeans and tennis shoes with a white T-shirt that clearly wasn’t out to hide his hard work in the gym. A silver dog tag hung from his thick neck.
Jed grinned, still going at his gum like a dog with a bacon-flavored bone. “Sorry, hon. I just wanted to talk to you about your boyfriend.”
Felicia frowned. “What about Jasper?”
“I know, darlin’.”
“Know what?”
“How he treats you. It ain’t right, is it, Diesel?”
“No,” Diesel agreed.
Felicia squirmed in her chair. “Um…” She cleared her throat. “What are you talking about? Jasper’s good to me.”
“Except when he’s mad, huh?” Jed raised his brows, chewing away.
Danielle definitely had questions, but she could tell they were making Felicia uncomfortable. “I’m sorry. Who are you guys again?”
“I meant no disrespect, dumplin’. We were just concerned for your friend here.” Jed gestured toward Felicia. “We saw her punk boyfriend yelling at her earlier and grabbing her.”
“So?” Felicia retorted. “We were just having a fight. Not that it’s any of your business.”
“Didn’t mean to pry. We were just worried about you. He got kind of physical when he was screaming at you.”
“He wasn’t screaming. He raised his voice a little.”
Jed tipped his head slightly and scratched his neck. “It looked like screaming to me.”
“We don’t normally walk up to strangers and stick our noses into their personal lives,” Diesel told her, “but he had you pinned up against the wall and was grabbing your face. We didn’t like it.”
“So he got mad?” Felicia shrugged. “I wasn’t scared.”
“That’s the problem,” Diesel said. “You weren’t scared. Has he ever hit you?”
“No,” she snapped.
Jed’s features twisted with concern. “That’s good, honey, but some people get worse over time.”
“Well, Jasper’s not like that.”
“You might not know this,” Diesel began slowly, “but while he was grabbing your jaw and yelling at you, he kept clenching and unclenching his fist like he wanted to hit you, but he restrained himself.”
Felicia looked pissed. “You’re lying. I’m not a rude person, but I really want to cuss you out right now. I appreciate your concern, but we’re fine. Just go.”
“I told you,” Diesel said to Jed.
The Southern gent sighed. “Well, I might be wrong, but I doubt it. If he ever does hit you, just let us know and we’ll fix him for you.”
Felicia gave him a curious glance. “Fix him?”
Jed grinned. “That’s right. We specialize in lookin’ after the ladies. What we do is take their fucked-in-the-head boyfriends and teach them how to behave. It works out real nice.”
“For everybody,” Diesel said with a sly smile.
“Are you guys counselors?” Felicia asked.
“Well…” Jed’s face contorted indecisivel
y. “Kind of.”
Diesel snickered. “No.”
“You give your boyfriend over to us and it’ll change him forever,” Jed said. “We’ve never had a failure yet.”
“Do you guys run some kind of business?” Danielle asked.
“We did in Alabama,” Diesel answered.
Jed shot a warning look at him. “We don’t talk about Alabama.”
“What about Arkansas?” Diesel quipped.
“Don’t you be talkin’ to me about fucking Arkansas,” Jed spat.
Danielle exchanged a look with Felicia before focusing on them again. “What happened in Alabama and Arkansas?”
Jed gave her a honey-drenched smile. “Nothing, sweetheart. You keep an eye on your friend here. Don’t let anything happen to her.”
“I will,” Danielle said.
“Good-bye,” Felicia crooned in annoyance.
“Later, darlin’.” Jed gave them a quick wave. “Come on, Diesel. Let’s go get laid.”
Diesel smirked and walked out of the coffee shop with him.
Danielle turned to her friend. “Your boyfriend mistreats you?”
Felicia rolled her eyes and shook her head. “No. They blew that way the hell out of proportion. Jasper’s not a bad guy. He’s one of those skinny guys with an attitude, but that’s good for me. I need someone telling me what to do. Sometimes I make stupid decisions and he fixes them for me.”
“He sounds like he’s got issues.”
She threw her hand up in the air. “Ugh! Not you, too. You’re my best girl pal. You should be happy for me. At least I’m still with the only guy I’ve slept with.”
Danielle winced. “I haven’t been with that many people.”
Felicia reached across the table and touched her hand. “I didn’t mean anything by that. I know you’ve only been with two guys.”
Danielle’s lips quirked in a guilty grimace. “It’s a little more than that.”
“How many?”
“Five.”
Felicia’s brows popped up. “Damn, girl.”
Danielle smiled and shooed her. “Shut up.”
A punk rock–looking guy with a red Mohawk walked over to them.
Felicia’s face dimmed with sadness and affection. “Hey.”
“You got a minute?” he asked.
Danielle assumed it was Felicia’s boyfriend, Jasper.
“Well, I’m kind of visiting with Danielle right now.”
He turned to her. “You wanna hit the road for a sec?”
Danielle gawked at him. What a prick.
Felicia gave her an apologetic look. “Would you just give us a few minutes and then I’m all yours again?”
“Sure. I’ll just be over there.” Danielle got up with her coffee.
She sat down at a table that was far enough away to give the affectation of leaving them alone together, but still close enough that she could pick up pieces of the conversation.
“I got you a new phone since I dropped your other one,” Jasper said.
“That’s not what happened,” Felicia said quietly.
“Yes, it is.”
“You threw it on the ground and stepped on it.”
“No, I didn’t. I dropped it. You’re still upset with me. That’s why you’re making up crap about me.”
“I forgive you. I just don’t like it when you say things didn’t happen that did.”
“I don’t like when you talk to other guys behind my back,” Jasper shot back.
“Billy’s my best friend. We’ve never gone out, and I would never cheat on you.”
“What do you mean he’s your best friend? I should be your best friend.”
Felicia grappled for his hand. “You are, baby.”
“Just stop.” He scrolled through the phone. “Check this out.”
She huddled closer to him.
Other people talking, the sounds of baristas making coffee, and the music playing from the speakers kept her from hearing portions of their conversation.
Danielle got a text just then. She smiled when she saw that it was from Brighton.
“What’s your stance on sugar babies?”
She texted back, “LOL.”
He was so random sometimes.
“What? I have a lame lady friend who claims women can get rich old guys to pay for their company. No sex. It’s bullshit, I say.”
“Totally.”
“I knew it!”
“You’re cute.” She added a happy face on the end.
“Aw! You’re cuter.”
She smiled at the heart he’d made in the text. She was really glad her men were so good to her.
The sounds lowered enough for her to catch more of Felicia’s conversation with her boyfriend.
“It’s a good thing,” Jasper said. “If I see every text and call you make and all your e-mails, then I’ll know that you’re not texting Billy.”
“But he’s my best friend,” Felicia protested. “I have to text him.”
“You just said I was your best friend.”
“You are. I meant he was after you.”
“That’s better.”
“I don’t know why you’re worried. Billy’s gay.”
Jasper snorted. “He’s not gay. I shouldn’t have to worry even if he’s straight. What’s wrong with you?”
“That’s my point. You can trust me.”
“I’m not a jerk, Felicia. I have every right to keep you from ever seeing Billy again, and I could do it, too. I have to admit I’ve been pretty tempted to with how disrespectful you keep being lately.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You should be. But as I was saying, I’m not gonna do that. I’m still letting you talk to the guy. I just figured if I knew what you guys were talking about, then we wouldn’t have these stupid fights.”
“That makes sense. Thank you for the phone.”
“You got it.”
More noise drowned out their conversation. After a bit more talking and a bouquet of flowers Jasper pulled out of the paper bag he had with him, they were hugging and kissing like nothing had ever happened.
Danielle checked her text from Brighton.
“She’s an idiot! How do I make her see that? How stupid do those lady hos think I am, like we don’t know that it’s sex in exchange for money?”
“It’s pretty stupid, but it’s their choice.”
“I’m not saying they can’t do it. I’m saying they can’t make me think they’re not doing it.”
She smirked and looked up in time to see Felicia leaving the coffeehouse with Jasper. They were all snuggly and kissing on each other.
Danielle sat there by herself. That was so unlike Felicia. Her bestie was one of the sweetest people she knew. She tried not to take it personally. Felicia was probably just relieved to be on good terms with her boyfriend again.
After leaving the coffee shop with her drink, Danielle got a text from her.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to forget about you like that. Jasper made these restaurant reservations and he wanted to leave right away so we wouldn’t be late. I’m so sorry.”
Danielle texted back, “It’s okay. Enjoy your night.”
“Thanks! He was so sweet getting me flowers. He only does that on my birthday. And dinner. It’s a really nice restaurant. Can we get together tomorrow or something?”
“That sounds good.”
“Sweet! I’ll see you then. It was great seeing you again.”
“You, too.”
Danielle sent a message to Heath. “Did you want to go sign up at the BDSM club early?”
He messaged her back. “Sure, but what happened to your coffee date with your friend?”
“Her boyfriend came and took her away. We’re going to meet up tomorrow instead.”
“I’ll be right there, sugar.”
* * * *
“It’s bullshit, I say.” Brighton McAlister slammed his hand down on the desk.
His good friend S
ean Friel grinned. “Calm down.”
“These freakin’ sugar babies that claim rich old pervs give them money solely for their company and that you don’t have to have sex with them in return…” Brighton snorted. “Right, ’cause rich farts have nothing better to do than pay people to spend time with them. Please. When you’re rich most people want to be around you.”
“You think the women are lying?”
“Of course they’re lying.” He clicked away on the keys, signing into the account he’d made.
“I figured. Either that or there’s no intercourse but they engage in other types of play.”
“Exactly. Blow jobs and hand jobs abound. Lying hos. Creepy old rich dudes. My friend’s an idiot and I could prove her wrong.” A light came on and he spoke half to himself. “My friend’s an idiot, and I’m going to prove her wrong.”
“Uh-oh, I know that look.”
“Why yes, of course.” Brighton typed faster.
“You’re not gonna—”
“You bet I’m gonna. I made this account just to spy on these liars, but I’ll do them one better. Sexy fake woman profile, here I come.”
“That’s fraud, you know.”
He scoffed and turned his head in Sean’s general direction without looking at him. “It’s only fraud if my intent is to kill him. Obviously that’s not what I’m going for.”
Sean smirked. “Rewriting the dictionary, I see. Are you making an unofficial wager with your lady friend?”
“Oh yes. I’m gonna pretend to be a woman, meet some sugar daddy freak in person, and prove my point, that it’s all about sex.” Brighton gestured with his hands in front of him, features set to serious-mission mode. “And when the rich creep doesn’t want me to be his sugar baby, then I will throw it up in my friend’s face, that it is, in fact, money in exchange for sex, because if it wasn’t, the freakin’ sugar daddy would spend time with me. Oh yeah, I’m good.”
Sean cracked a smile and shook his head. “It’s clever, but I think you should have someone go with you when you meet with him, just to play it safe.”
“Oh, I intend to, my trusty comrade. You’re coming with me. I need you to videotape the whole thing for me.”