by Leela Ash
Anger suffused Theodore and he felt his bear begin to growl inside of him, struggling to be free as he clenched his fists, fighting for control. He couldn’t remember when last he had been this angry. He could control his shifting form, but when he got this angry, it was that much harder.
Jessica stepped in front of him, her small body forming a shield as she stared Roy down and said, in the snootiest voice possible, “Listen here, Roy, I realize you helped the kids and myself the other day, and I am eternally grateful to you. But that doesn’t give you a right to say such horrible things to both of us. Now, unless you’re looking for a slander suit, I suggest you apologize, this instant, and back off.”
Roy’s face went beet red, “I meant no offence, ma’am. It’s just that yer a purty little thing and shouldn’t be mixin’ with the likes of this here … creature.”
Jessica was so enraged; she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. His tone was as derisive as though he thought Theodore wasn’t even qualified to be called a human being. Angrily, she grated, “I don’t know what your differences with Mr. Cooper are, and for the record, I’m not interested. But last I checked, you’re not my dad and you cannot dictate whom I can or cannot mix with. So, back off!”
Roy’s gaze met hers in surprise, scanning her eyes as though searching for something. His look was so deep and piercing that she almost felt as though he could see straight into her soul. She couldn’t be certain what he saw but his faded blue eyes had a glint as he murmured, “So that’s the way it is, huh? Well, see you around. And good luck on yer suicide mission.” Roy had seemed a bit in a hurry to leave from the moment they had bumped into him, and with that last hit, he slapped some money on the counter, squared up with the attendant and hurried out the door.
Jessica realized, just then, that she was actually shaking. Her anger had apparently been so much that she had been shaking with the force of it, despite clenching her fists at her sides to control herself. She looked over her shoulder at Theodore. He was watching her with a strange, almost tender, look on his face.
Jessica’s throat went dry, “Why … Why are you looking at me like that?”
His eyes were almost scalding as they stared into hers, their expression unreadable, “No one has ever defended me like that. Thank you, Jessica.”
Then, he turned away hurriedly and started for the front of the store. Jessica stared after him aghast. In that brief second before he had turned away, she could have sworn she had seen a sheen of tears in his eyes.
He had used her given name for the first time as well, she realized, feeling tears sting her own eyes. There was just something absolutely delicious about the way his deep voice caressed her name. It had felt like a sultry stroke between sheets.
Oh Jess, you’re becoming a sentimental fool, her subconscious sneered.
As she followed him out the door, Jessica felt absolutely miserable. She had thought the worst of him from the very moment they met, and now, she was starting to get the nagging feeling that maybe, just maybe, she had been wrong in her assessment of him.
There was definitely more to Theodore Cooper than met the eyes. For the first time, she acknowledged the stir of interest deep in her chest. She wanted to know more about him.
No, she wasn’t attracted to him, she assured herself. He was fast becoming a fascination, and the sooner she knew all there was to know about him, the sooner the novelty wore off. He was just different from most men of her acquaintance that was all.
Chapter 9
Theodore couldn’t get those two minutes out of his mind. Jessica had been in her element, placing herself in front of him like a mother hen protecting her chicks and letting fly with her tongue. He had known Roy Davison for twenty years, and in all that time, whenever their paths crossed, Roy could be depended upon to be thoroughly nasty and mean to him. They had come to fist-fights a few times in the past, when Theodore was younger and more hot-headed, despite the fact that Roy was at least a good twenty years older than him.
The last time had been particularly rotten and had happened just after Theodore’s high school graduation. Roy had ended up with a bashed in skull and had barely escaped death. Even now, Theodore could still remember the horror, fear and the agony of waiting in a cell to know if he would be charged for manslaughter or assault. After several nights of cooling his heels downtown, Theodore had finally heard the good news that Roy had survived their ordeal. But being in a cell meant he had missed his scholarship interview and couldn’t go to Princeton anymore. He had taken the lesson to heart, and that was the last day he had ever raised his fist to anyone, human or shifter, no matter the provocation.
But Roy had recovered and gotten out of the hospital, and became even more obnoxious, mean and troublesome than ever. He seemed to know that Theodore had been so frightened after a single blow from him almost completely crushed Roy’s skull and it seemed he had become aware of Theodore’s resolve to bear any further annoyances from him in stoic silence. Theodore sometimes wondered if the other man knew his secret because Roy never passed up the chance to use words like freak, creature, or trash, when speaking to him.
So, for the first time in years, being defended against Roy when he couldn’t defend himself, had been so poignant and emotional that he had had to fight back tears. His heart had turned over in his chest and he had sped from the mall before he did something stupid and embarrassed himself.
Jessica had a depth to her that few suspected, he thought, flicking her a glance as he guided the car toward the lake. With her preference for sundresses, the occasional flower in her hair, flowery perfume, and with her blonde good looks, anyone could be forgiven for expecting her to be shallow and brittle. But she had a surprising depth and strength of character, as he was quickly discovering.
She had stood up for him when Roy had been insulting him as usual, he thought for the umpteenth time as he let his gaze caress her profile.
The lake came into view just then and Carla gave a shout of joy, “Finally.”
Her shout jerked his attention away from Jessica, and he grinned, instead, at the kids.
“Yep, time to get your fins on,” he drawled as he climbed out of the car and opened the door to help the kids get out, ignoring his first instinct to help Jessica instead.
Arizona chuckled, “We don’t have fins, silly.”
“No?” he said in pretend dismay. “You cannot swim without fins. We’re gonna have to race back to the store and get you some fins.”
Arizona glared at him, “I have a swimsuit. I don’t need fins.”
He lifted her out and adopted a mock horrified expression as he dropped to his haunches in front of the little girl. As usual, she was clad in pink from head to toe. She had even chosen a pink swimsuit.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Jessica watching him with the kids as she handed Kal his new swim trunks.
“Listen, Pinky,” Theodore said, managing a serious expression. “I don’t know what you have been calling swimming back home, in Oklahoma, but here, in Florida, you sure need fins if you’re gonna swim. Especially, in Fresh Lake.”
Arizona looked from him to the beautiful blue pool of water, and then her bottom lip jutted out as she lamented plaintively, “You mean, I can’t go swimming?.”
She looked so cute and despairing that he relented and laughed, “Gotcha.”
Her little face filled with surprise and then outrage as she howled, “That was mean!”
Unable to help himself, he pulled her in for a hug and tousled her hair as he climbed to his feet.
“Ari, come get your hair done,” Jessica ordered.
He looked over at her and saw that, in that brief time he had been focused on Ari, she had managed to wrap his daughter’s hair into one long ponytail that fell down her back. He had never seen Carla’s hair look more beautiful, he thought.
Apparently, Carla thought so, too, because she bounded to him with a grin as bright as the sun itself, “Daddy, Mrs. Harris did my hair.”
<
br /> He touched the braid almost reverently, “She sure did. And it looks very fetching.”
Carla giggled, “That means you like it, right?”
“Yes, you look very pretty,” Theodore said.
That was enough to light her up, and with that, she ran off to grab the picnic baskets and help lay out the blankets.
Theodore forced himself to look at Jessica, trying to understand what was going on in his chest as he fought a myriad of emotions. She had managed to slip under his guard when he wasn’t looking and was quickly consuming his thoughts. Even now, dressed in white shorts and a small yellow top, she looked fresh and hot. His hands itched to reach out and caress those smooth thighs of hers, to find out if her skin was as silky as it promised to be.
Just then, she grabbed her hair and tied it in a loose careless knot atop her head, exposing the delicate, slender curve of her neck to him. His instincts roared, rearing to be free. He wanted badly to bury himself between her thighs. He wanted to graze his teeth along the ridge of her neck. He wanted to lick her earlobes and bite her lower lip. He wanted her lips to close around his cock and milk him for all he was worth. He wanted to ride her mouth and ride her ass and ride her pussy. He wanted to fuck her so hard until neither of them knew where one began and the other ended.
The almost caveman lust spiraling through him shocked him and he looked away from her, focusing on where the kids where gingerly stepping into the shallow part of the lake just as he had instructed
“Wine?” Jessica said, staring up from the shopping bag lying beside the picnic basket.
He looked back at her now, and shrugged.
Understanding lit her eyes, and she said, “That must have been what you tipped that store attendant to ring up for you then. But I didn’t see you with a bag. Did he also take it to the car?”
He nodded, still silent and completely under her luscious spell.
“Why the cloak and dagger? All you had to do was grab a bottle off the shelf,” she said as she uncorked the wine and poured out some for both of them. He watched her cheeks pinken with delight when she read the non-alcoholic label again. He had been right then; she wouldn’t have thought too highly of him if he had ordered alcoholic wine, knowing he would be driving her kids home. He was starting to read her.
She looked up at him, and he realized he hadn’t responded.
With a sigh, he sank onto the blanket beside her and looked up at her, “I didn’t want you to know I had planned to drink lemonade out of sippy cups with Carla. You would have laughed at me and I couldn’t have that. I have a macho image to preserve, after all.”
He sounded so plaintive and earnest that her heart turned over in her chest and, in that moment, she acknowledged that she actually liked him. Why had she ever thought he was an obnoxious jerk? He was truly caring, sensitive and kind.
Just that moment, Carla bounded up to them, “Dad, can we go see the rest of the area? There’s the guide,” she added, pointing at Derek Cutler.
Theodore lifted his head and waved at the skinny young man. Derek was the Sheriff’s twenty-year-old son, and he sometimes volunteered as a Park Ranger in these parts. He sighed. The kid was responsible, and besides, it would give him and Jessica some much-needed time alone.
He looked at her, “Are you all right with Derek showing the kids around? The tour should take about an hour. They’ll be fine.”
Her eyes widened with worry, “Is it safe?”
He nodded, “The kids will be absolutely safe. The animals are all in enclosures. Also, Derek is very responsible. He has my trust.”
She looked him over again and nodded. As the kids raced off, she turned back to Theodore, feeling the reality of being alone with him for a few minutes.
Casually, he extended his hand to her and said, “Hey, why don’t I show you my favorite little hideaway nearby.” He had a twinkle in his eye that gave her some idea of what might be about to transpire.
As they gathered up their blanket and headed down a secluded path, she felt her skin begin to tingle, even as other areas began to wake up. Soon, they came out into a little grassy clearing.
As he spread out the blanket, once again, she let out a nervous little laugh. “Are you sure the kids will be okay?”
“The kids are fine. I’m afraid it’s just you and me. Does it make you nervous to be alone with me?”
“No, not at all, of course not,” she trialed off.
A short silence hung in the air as they stared soulfully at each other. She wasn’t exactly sure who made the first move, but the next moment, they were entangled in a sea of limbs as they melded their lips with each other’s in a deep drugging kiss.
His mouth was smooth and soft beneath hers as she leaned over him. She couldn’t quite be sure if it was his hand or gravity, but her hair came undone from its bun, and came spilling over both their faces, increasing the romance of the moment.
Jessica moaned as Theodore worked magic with his lips. He fisted one hand gently in her heavy fall of hair, while his other hand cupped around one slim thigh. In a flash, he rolled, taking her with him. His lips trailed from hers to her chest and his low murmur drifted to her ears, “So damn beautiful. So beautiful. So hot.”
She smiled in spite of herself. The man really knew how to get her juices going. “Theodore,” she gasped as he closed his mouth around her nipple through the thin material of her blouse.
“Oh, please, say my name. I love the way you say my name,” he groaned. Jessica’s eyes drifted open drowsily at his voice. His voice sounded different. It sounded guttural and almost… animal.
His tongue laved at her nipple, and she stared in surprise, unable to recall when he had moved her top and bra out of the way. One slim finger prodded at her wetness and Jessica’s eyes widened.
“She gasped, as he inserted a finger with a steady and sure thrust deep into her tight vagina.
When had he shifted her shorts and panties? How many hands did he have?
His finger thrust again; once, twice, and Jessica’s eyes widened in disbelief as pleasure quickened between her legs and began to rush toward the surface.
“I think I’m gonna cum,” she said mindlessly, even as her hips began to move in rhythm with the thrust of his finger.
He lifted his head and met her gaze, his eyes darkened to an impossibly deeper green as he thrust that finger, once more, into her, filling her almost as though it were his dick inside her.
Her hand clutched one of his shoulders while the other fisted helplessly in the blanket.
His gaze was unwavering as he said, “As soon as you cum, I’ll stop. I just want to see pleasure in your eyes, Jess. Cum for me,” he ordered as he quickened the thrusts of his finger in and out of her wet pussy.
Jessica’s head fell back and she held in a scream. He quickly covered her mouth with his, muffling gasps until she had bucked and bucked, and released with a force and power that she had never felt before.
When she drifted slowly back to earth, he was still stroking her idly, his eyes hot and his lips wet.
“That was…,” she trailed off, unsure how to describe it.
He grinned at her. “It sure was. You have a very sweet pussy,” he drawled as he slowly pulled his finger out of her pussy and carried it straight to his lips, his gaze still locked on her.
Jessica couldn’t look away to save herself. She felt a fresh bolt of awareness shoot through her body as she watched his tongue lick slowly, oh so slowly, along the length of his long finger, licking up her juices.
He looked at her, and then slowly, he bent his head and kissed her, letting her taste herself on his lips.
When he lifted his head, he grinned at her, “That was really nice. We had better get cleaned up. How about we take a quick dip in the lake before the kids get back? Don’t worry, we can be lookouts for each other. It’ll be like high school!”
With that, they gathered up their things and headed back to the lake. She felt so relaxed and at ease that it was almost lik
e she was floating all the way back. She definitely needed that dip in the lake, she thought. If not to clean up, then definitely to snap back to the reality where she was a responsible adult mother of two little kids – rather than the love-struck teen playing hooky that she currently felt like.
Arriving at the lake, even though they still had plenty of time, he playfully took up a lookout position and gestured for her to dive in. Entering the brisk water both refreshed her and served to bring her back to the moment. Right. Adult. Kids on the way back.
Well, that was fun she thought as stepped on land, fully in control of her faculties once again.
After Theodore had taken his dip they both dressed and got themselves as together as they were gonna get before the tour group returned.
Now safely ready to assume her adult duties again, she reflected, how had she become such putty in his arms in mere seconds?
She knew how; she was deeply attracted to Theodore Cooper and there was no use denying it to herself again. She’d joined the league of women who fell onto their backs and spread their legs the moment he crooked a finger, she thought unhappily.
No, she wasn’t like other women, she hastily assured herself. She was different. She wasn’t attracted to him. That had just been a flash of want and need. And who could blame her? It had been years since a man had so much as touched her arm, never mind her breasts or pussy.
And Theodore…Oh Theodore. The man could do more with his finger than most men could with their dicks!
Soon, they could hear Derek and the kids laughing and giggling as they grew closer. It was apparent that if the kids weren’t fast friends already, now they would be practically joined at the hip. Derek had indeed been an excellent guide, just as Theodore had assured her he would be.
As the dying sun slowly faded, Jessica couldn’t stop smiling to herself. Her kids truly liked Carla and her dad. And right now, sitting around eating and trading stories and jokes, they almost felt like one happy family.
Careful, Jessica, her subconscious whispered. Don’t fall for him.