by K. R. Haynes
“I’ll drink to that. So tell me, sweetie, how are the wedding plans coming along? Have you and Randall managed to settle on a date for the wedding yet? ’Cause you know I’ll need to start planning your bachelorette party once you have agreed upon one.”
“Well, you wouldn’t believe it, but we’ve finally settled on a date.” Mary J smiled brightly at hearing her friend say they had agreed on a date and leant over the bar to pull Chloe in for a hug. “Congratulations, sweetie, thank god you two have finally agreed on a date. How did you get him to agree on one, because the last I heard he wouldn’t agree to wed you on the date you chose right? It was next year, February 29, correct?”
Seeing Chloe blush as she grinned from ear to ear, Mary J had a pretty good idea how her friend had managed to convince her Dom to agree on a date that would only come around once every four years. “No, wait don’t tell me the answer to that, sweetie, I think I have a pretty good idea how you managed it.” Chloe just started giggling, and Mary J couldn’t help but laugh along with her.
“Mmm, this is great cocktail by the way. What did you make for us to drink, hun?”
“It’s a screaming orgasm.”
Mary J burst out laughing at hearing Chloe snort with laughter before she raised her glass to clink it with Mary J’s in a mock toast. “Well, it’s definitely the perfect drink for those men of ours and the wicked things they do to us.”
“I’ll drink to that. To the two sexy men in our lives who aim to make us scream loud for them while making us cream just as hard for them too.”
“Mary J!”
“What? It’s true isn’t it, sweetie?”
“Yes it’s true, however, now the whole damn pub knows it too and soon those men of ours will hear about it too.” Chloe leaned in to whisper the rest so only Mary J could hear her. “And you know what that means when they get wind of this little discussion, a smacked bottom is what it will mean.”
“Yeah, but you love it, sweetie, when that man of yours spanks you. My man, however, hasn’t once punished me at all no matter how much of a brat I am to him. Maybe he just doesn’t want to,” Mary J said sombrely while waving her hand in front of her, to dismiss any further talk of Mick’s lack of punishment to her ass. There was no point on dwelling on it. It was what it was.
“Oh, believe me, hun, Mick wants to, he’s a Dom after all. He’s probably been adding up all your little indiscretions as we speak so he can reprimand you in one long, long session. Now, tell me about your, ahh, cocktail with him, hun?”
“You mean the screaming orgasms Mick has given to me, sweetie?”
“Yep, it’s your turn to dish, girlfriend.”
Mary J could feel the blush creeping up her neck, to dust her cheeks with a warm red glow. “Oh god, Chloe, the man is amazing in and out of the bedroom.” This time it was Mary J who leant in to whisper quietly to Chloe. “Mick made me feel things, incredible things that I have never felt before with any other lover. And the connection we had when we’re together in what did he call it…” Mary J scratched her head pretending to think for a second, while Chloe waited with bated breath for her to continue on. Her friend was acting like she didn’t have mind-blowing sex of her own. Mary J knew that wasn’t the truth at all.
Over the past few months she had heard numerous stories about Randall and Chloe’s sexual activities. Hell, that man of Chloe’s sure knew a few unique ways to make a woman come for him, that’s for sure. A shiver raced up Mary J’s spine then. If Randall was well equipped in making Chloe orgasm several times before he let himself go, then Mick would be well endowed with the same knowledge to do the same to her. Oh god, she was in so much trouble then. Mick had already proven he could make her scream loud as she came for him several times before he allowed himself to spill his seed into her wanting womb. If he had a few more tricks up his sleeve for her, hell, there was a chance she may not survive her first round of orgasms he’d give her then. “…I remember now,” Mary J told Chloe. “It was the funniest thing I’ve ever heard him utter actually. He called it ‘intimate relations.’”
Chloe laughed so hard she spat her drink out across the bar. “He called it what?”
“Intimate relations. Can you believe that?”
“What is he, old school or something?”
“Who are you calling old school there, sweet things?”
Mary J and Chloe both turned to the sound of Mick’s deep-timbre voice and gulped while uttering under their breaths, “Oh shit.”
Mary J couldn’t hide the shudder that coursed through her body at the sight of Mick standing before her with a scowl on his handsome face. Oh she was in big, big trouble with him. Maybe she could feign a headache or something and slink back to her own house for the night. But that thought took a backseat when her eyes roamed over his muscular body. He was wearing one of those old band T-shirts that had seen better days, and a pair of faded denim jeans that hugged his ass cheeks perfectly. Unconsciously, Mary J licked her lips, all the while knowing she had just found herself the most decadent treat to sink her teeth into—him.
“Ah, oh look at the time. Damn it, I have to go,” Chloe suddenly stated as Mick slowly raised an eyebrow up at the two of them, waiting for one of them to answer his question no doubt.
Yeah, she wasn’t about to answer him, because if she did her ass would no doubt get swatted for doing so. It was much safer for her ass’s sake to keep her mouth shut, so she did.
“I’ll call you later on, sweetie,” Mary J whispered to Chloe as she briefly hugged her friend good-bye.
“Look forward to it, hun.” Chloe winked over her shoulder at her as she snatched up her purse from the bar counter.
“Do you need a lift home, Chloe?” Mick asked her.
“No, thank you. Jon let me borrow his truck today.”
“Really?” both Mary J and Mick asked her incredulously.
“Yes, there is a condition however that came with me borrowing it.” Chloe quickly checked the time on the watch wrapped around her wrist before glancing back up at them. “And if I don’t dash now I’ll be late and my butt, well, will be no doubt sore tomorrow. Bye, all.”
“Bye, sweetie, say hi to Randall for me.”
“Will do, Mary J. Later, Mick.”
“Later, sweet thing. Oh and a word of warning to you, Chloe.” Mary J watched as Chloe visibly shuddered at the dark tone in Mick’s voice. Hell, she shuddered herself from hearing it and he wasn’t even addressing her. “I’ll make sure Randall knows that you think we men are, how did you put it? Ah that’s right, old school.” He practically growled the last two words out and Mary J could feel her heart rate speeding up just from hearing it.
“Y–you wouldn’t…” Chloe asked visibly scared that Mick would.
Mick held up his mobile phone and said with a sly smirk on his face, “Already have, sweet thing. Text messaging is such a great communication tool don’t you think?”
Chloe just huffed then dashed out the front entrance of the pub, with the door slamming behind her. Mary J wanted to giggle, but knew if she did that Mick would make his revenge ten times worse for her. She was sure of it. So she went for the safe option instead and asked him if he would like a beer. Seeing him raise an eyebrow up at her told her in no uncertain terms her ass was his tonight. She only just resisted the urge to rub her butt cheeks with her hand at the thought of Mick’s hand spanking her there. Heat bloomed to her cheeks at that thought of him doing just that. Oh gosh, this is it! He was finally going to spank her.
“What are you thinking about there, sugar, to cause such a sweet, rosy blush to form on your cheeks? Were you thinking wicked thoughts about me again, hmm?”
“I…I…” Don’t admit anything, she told herself. “Do you want a beer or not?” she huffed back at him instead.
Mick just smirked at her, the big jerk. He then leant over the bar and pulled her close to him by gripping the long, wavy lengths of her hair with his large hands. His lips found hers in a hard and fast kiss, causing her heart to r
ace even more in her chest and had her core clenching in need for him to fill it up full with his hard, fat cock. Damn him!
“Beer would be good, sweetness.” The feel of his words whispering over her kiss-swollen lips had more moisture leaking from her pussy. “But only if you come around from behind the bar and sit on my lap while I drink it.”
“I don’t think that’s appropriate, Mick, not while I’m working.” Mary J could already feel her coworkers’ eyes on her, especially now that Mick had kissed her openly in public. Not that she was complaining at all about it. He kissed like a dream and it always left her yearning for more, so much more.
“It wasn’t a request you can knock back, sweetness. Not when your behind is on the line.”
“W–what do you mean by that?” Mary J knew what he meant, though, as she poured him a beer from the tap and placed it down in front of him. She watched as he patted his lap with his hand, a silent request to not make a scene and obey him. Slipping her apron off and dropping it on the countertop behind the bar, Mary J stepped out from behind the bar and walked over to where Mick sat up at the bar waiting for her to join him.
When she was standing in front of him, he picked her up like she weighed nothing at all and settled her on his lap. He then picked up his beer and took a sip of the amber liquid. What she hadn’t expected was for him to hold the frosted glass to her lips. She hesitantly took a sip of the beer he offered her and practically glowed at hearing him hum his approval.
For the next half an hour she remained perched up on his lap, as new patrons came into the pub. She was glad that Cindy and Madeline were able to keep up with the steady drinks orders, because Mary J found she didn’t want to leave Mick’s lap. It actually felt good having him offer her sips of his beer while having his arm circled around her waist, holding her to him.
If she wasn’t careful, she could find herself accepting this transfer of power before she knew it happened. She couldn’t allow herself to be someone else’s plaything again. She had allowed herself to be one once before and look how that turned out for her. Her ex-boyfriend had taken full advantage of her submissive behaviour and she had ended up in hospital before being forced to skip town and run away from everything she held near and dear to her.
“You’re very quiet, love. What are you thinking about so intensely?”
Mick’s words pulled her abruptly out of her thoughts. Now was not the time for her to discuss her past relationship with her ex. Not yet. Soon though, she knew she would have to explain her complicated past to him. She just didn’t want to do it tonight.
“I was just thinking about what your plans might be for me tonight is all.” God, she hated lying to him, but she just couldn’t bring herself to tell Mick the truth, not yet. Not until she knew for certain that she could put her absolute trust in him. Then she could tell him, but not before then, and certainly not until she was absolutely positive that Mick was nothing like her ex-boyfriend.
If Mick knew she had just lied to him, he definitely didn’t show it to her. Mary J wasn’t sure if she should be more concerned by that fact alone or if she should be more worried about her backside, especially as his large, warm hand kept on roaming over it. She shivered slightly within his hold at the delicious way his bare hand could warm her ass up in no time at all, and make her pussy cream for him, begging him to take her with that huge, fat cock of his. On top of this, she was still dressed and sitting on his lap in the middle of the damn pub no less while her thoughts and his actions tormented her.
Oh god, she had it so bad for him for sure.
* * * *
Mick was fully aware he was probably risking Mary J’s own safety by openly showing the whole town he was in a relationship with her. But he couldn’t resist her even if he tried. She drew him in like a bee to honey. It made him crazy that he couldn’t fight the intensity of his own desire to be close to her at every chance he got. Nonetheless, he needed to be careful and stay alert. There was an unknown danger headed their way, and it was one he had no control over either.
After spending the afternoon sitting inside Jake’s car, listening in on the interrogation Randall and Jake were unofficially performing on the Bomb Squad’s informant, Mick was well and truly aware that the danger to Mary J was not over, not by a long shot. The information they managed to retrieve from the informant astounded all of them. It also put all three men on high alert. If Mick and Randall thought their lives and the lives of the women they loved weren’t in danger beforehand, then they would have been shocked to discover they had been horribly wrong. According to the informant, the bastard who had stalked Chloe for months had now well and truly turned his attention to Mary J. She was his new target and the bastard was not going to let up until she was dead.
Upon hearing that, Mick’s blood had boiled at the thought of that bastard getting his filthy hands on her. It took everything he had in him to stay put in the car and wait for Randall and Jake to finish up on their impromptu meeting with the informant. By the time they came back to the car, Mick was beyond furious that some bastard would threaten the one person who meant the world to him—Mary J. He vowed then that he would do whatever it took to ensure her safety until he, Randall, and Jake could end this. The only good news they got out of the informant was Myke Dillon was definitely lying low in town somewhere. Now all they needed to figure out was where.
Randall already had Jake checking into the last known places Myke Dillon had lived in or stayed at in the past six years. Jake also took it upon himself to investigate the backgrounds of all known associates Myke Dillon had in the past that could somehow be involved in this farce while Randall was going to delve more into the bastard’s police records and financial files to see if there were any clues hidden in there.
The one thing that was clear to Mick, and Randall for that matter, was this was all part of some plan to get revenge on current team members of the Kingston Bomb Squad. So while Mick was on his enforced sabbatical, he was going to go through every fucking current and past member of the Bomb Squad, dead or alive, and find out what the link was between them and Myke motherfucking Dillon. He knew there was one. All he had to do was find it while keeping Mary J safe and alive from the bastard tracking her movements.
She wasn’t safe. That was the only thought racing through Mick’s mind as he held her on his lap while sharing his beer with her. They didn’t know when the bastard Myke Dillon was going to strike next. That was the one piece of information the informant didn’t have the knowledge of. This meant they all had to stay alert and on guard. If they dropped their concentration for just one second it could cost someone close to them his or her life. Mick had enough loss in his life. He didn’t want to have any more.
Christ, it was only a few days ago that Lucy Walker’s body had been laid to rest in the Kingston cemetery. Mick had gone to her funeral to pay his respects, but had hung back and stayed in the shadows of the big, old oak trees lining the cemetery park where the service was being held. It had been one of the hardest days of his life. He might not have loved or liked Lucy that much. That still didn’t mean she deserved to be murdered all because she had been seen dating him. Their union had been brief and for one night only, but Mick had no doubt that was the reason why she had been killed. She was linked to him even if only briefly. All he had to do was prove it like he had to establish that this bastard had also killed another woman two years prior, Emily Townsend.
According to the police file Jake had shown him and the information the PI had scraped together on her past, Emily had been having a secret affair with the late James Murphy, who at the time of her death had been an active member of the Kingston Bomb Squad team. It was a discovery Jake had only found recently when he did a background check on Murphy. With Emily’s and now Lucy’s death, plus the brutal attack and attempted rape on Chloe a few months back plus Mary J’s knife-wielding attack at the pub some mere weeks ago, suspicions were high that somehow, Myke Dillon was taking out his revenge on the women associated
with the Kingston Bomb Squad team. What Mick, Randall, and Jake didn’t have in their possession was the link that connected the Bomb Squad team to that rat bastard Myke Dillon. But once they had it, they would destroy the remaining threat to the women who were caught up in this mess.
It wasn’t going to be an easy task to find the missing link and Mick knew it could cost him his own life if he made one single mistake in trying to find it. Nonetheless, what he couldn’t seem to get his head around was the fact that Myke Dillon seemed almost fixated on Mary J more so than any of the other women he had stalked or attacked in the past. There was some kind of connection there between Mary J and that bastard. Mick was sure of it. What it was though, he had no clue. He planned on finding out though. One way or another Mary J would open up to him and divulge her history she had in the past been very tight lipped about.
Her history was the vital key to closing this investigation down. He was positive of it.
Mick didn’t like secrets, detested them even. There was only one reason he could think of to explain why Mary J would withhold something from him. She was hiding something ugly from her past that had at some stage caused her more than likely a great deal of pain. He wanted to be able to free her of that pain and the only way he could do that effectively was for her to open up to him.
The Dom in him wanted to push her past that pain she was holding on to so she could be free from it once and for all. Then she could move on with her life without being trapped and afraid to move forward from the past that was holding her back.
The man in him just wanted to hold her close and shower her with tenderness and love and show her that the world was a kind place and not a cruel one she had only seen.
Both sides of his persona were right in one way or another. It was going to take a balancing act to get to the right mixture of Dom and man for Mary J to respond to him. If he showed her too much of his dominant side then he risked losing her trust in him. However, if he treated her too softly then she would close herself off to him permanently.