At first she wasn’t sure she wanted to take it, then decided she should. She took the wrapped flower from him and said, “You still talking about me?”
“The whole town is,” Steve said. “Sorry.”
“Well, then be helpful.” She told them the story of Grant and his mother, and of his mother being found. “If you see someone strange hanging around the bakery make your gossip work for the good and tell us.”
“You got a picture of this guy?” Frank asked.
“No.” She glanced over to where Holt sat. He was watching the proceeding with obvious interest. He hit a few keys on his laptop, then got up and walked over to where Jessica stood. She looked at Grant’s picture. It was obviously an engagement photo. He stood next to a woman that was younger than him, and dressed properly, wearing a dress that showed no cleavage or design.
“That’s him,” she said.
Holt took the computer over to where the retirees sat. Frank rushed over to look and they all nodded. “You can bet your sweet ass we’ll be on the lookout for him,” Marty said. “Print that thing out and we’ll plaster him all over town.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Jessica said. “Just look for him.”
The retirees grumbled, then went back to their coffee.
“Looks like I have lots of babysitters,” Jessica said to Holt. “You can probably go home.”
“And have my little brother arrest me on a fake charge because I left you alone?” Holt sat back at his table. “No thanks.”
Jessica went behind the counter where Aurora was cleaning the surface. They smiled and both shook their heads, and the door opened as if on cue. Hawk strode in as if he owned the place, cowboy hat on his head and gun on his hip.
He pointed to the retirees. “Do I need to evict them?”
“No, we’re okay,” Jessica said. At that moment she realized she still had the rose in her hand. She found a tall to-go cup and filled it with water before she put the rose inside it.
Hawk walked over and talked to Holt. Then he looked at Jessica and said, “Can I see you outside, please?”
“Is it good news, or bad news?” she asked. Even though Willis wasn’t with him, that didn’t mean the ranger hadn’t called and told Hawk things she didn’t want to hear.
In answer, Hawk just pointed at the door. She went outside, and walked to where Hawk’s truck was parked.
“I don’t want to hear anything bad,” she said.
“I’m horny,” he said. “How’s that for good news?”
Jessica cupped his crotch and said, “Your dick’s not hard.”
“Stop that.” He pushed her hand away. “You should know Grant and his fiancée have both given statements that Matilda Dobbs called them and told them you’d threatened her about the ring.”
“Those lying bastards,” she said.
“Willis is, of course, checking phone records. While they might show a call, it won’t reveal what was said.”
“What a moron he is.” She crossed her arms over her chest. She wanted to scream, but she kept her mouth closed.
“Listen, be very careful.”
“I am,” she said. She pointed to the window where the retirees all had their noses pressed against the glass. “Lots of babysitters now.”
Hawk took her hand and placed it on his crotch. “I wasn’t lying when I said I was horny. My dick needs attention.”
“Want me to go down on you here in the parking lot?” She squeezed ever so gently, and his cock twitched. “It would give the retirees something else to gossip about.”
“Oh they have plenty to talk about just watching you massage my cock.” He leaned over and kissed her. She welcomed his tongue into her mouth, savoring the taste of him as she continued to play with his dick.
“Just be ready to get screwed when you get home.”
“Where?” She pressed her lips against him and spoke. “Mouth? Pussy? Ass?”
“All of the above.” He pushed her hand away and said, “Shit, now I have to go jack off.”
He got in his truck and she wished she could go with him. After he drove away she went back inside. Holt’s smirk was directed at his laptop, but all the retirees were staring at her, and then they started laughing.
She would never hear the end of this, she was sure.
When Jessica got home, there was a note on the kitchen table: Naked. Bed. Spread. Wait. The words made her laugh, and she would do exactly what he said. She started to strip on her way to the bedroom, but she stopped in the bedroom doorway. The bed was covered with rose petals, and the straps Hawk used to tie her to the frame were on the mattress.
Jessica laughed as she quickly attached the straps to the bed. When she was naked she slipped the straps over her ankles and lay back with her head on the pillows. Hawk would have to do the rest when he got here, which she hoped was soon because her desire was off the charts. The rose petals were soft against her skin and she closed her eyes and imagined Hawk caressing her, his rough skin leaving trails of heat across her arms and legs.
She licked her lips, then let her hand wander down between her legs. She found her clit and started to rub. In her fantasy, Hawk stood near the bed, his gaze on her movements.
“Faster, faster, play with that nub, but don’t you dare come. Take it right to the edge and stop, and then wait for me to tell you to start again.”
Three times she got herself so very close, and on the fourth one she thought to herself that Hawk was taking too long to get there, and he would never know if she actually had an orgasm.
She was right on the edge, her body pulsing with need, when Hawk’s voice filled the room. “I don’t believe that was on the instructions I left. Get your hand out of your pussy.”
“Hawk, I…” She continued to stroke herself. She was so close.
“Did you hear what I said?”
“Hummmmm.” She was so close. Then suddenly the pressure stopped. Hawk had grabbed her hand and pulled it away from her delicious task.
“No, no, no!” She tried to jerk her hand out of his grasp, but he tightened his grip.
“Do you have problems reading?”
“No, Sir,” she whispered. “I just… I didn’t want to wait anymore.”
“And you thought I’d never know?”
Jessica shrugged, and relaxed into the pillows. She looked up to where Hawk loomed over her. Boy, did he look pissed.
“If I didn’t need it so badly I would make you wait,” he said.
“Your note said nothing about it.” She knew that was wrong, but she would try anyways. After all, if he’d been horny since this afternoon he might overlook her starting without him. Might.
Hawk left the room and came back seconds later with the note he’d left on the table. “Naked. Bed. Spread. Wait. I don’t see the world play there.”
“Then you’re not reading it right,” she said. “The word is implied.”
He threw the note up in the air and as it floated down he attached her wrists to the straps. Jessica was still buzzed from playing with her clit. She wiggled her hips and said, “I’m all yours.”
“I knew that already,” Hawk said. He sat down in a chair and used the bootjack to pull off his boots. Then he stood and took off his clothes, starting with his shirt and ending with his underwear. The only thing that concerned her was the fact his cock was not hard. He sat back down in the chair and she almost sighed. It was going to be a long night, and she wasn’t sure that was going to be in a good way.
“What am I going to do with you?”
“If you’re looking for suggestions I have a few.” Jessica worked to keep her voice low, and hopefully, seductive. “Remember this afternoon? Mouth. Pussy. Ass. I have all those things for you to play with.”
“When will you learn to follow directions?” he asked.
“Probably never. I mean I try, but…” She licked her lips. “You can punish me.”
“True.” He knelt on the end of the bed. “I think this tim
e the punishment is going to be good, old-fashioned, vanilla sex, which I know you hate.”
He lay down on top of her, his length pressing into her stomach. Jessica loved the feel of his weight on top of her, but she wanted him to move. She wanted him to give her the stimulation she loved and craved. He needed to pinch her nipples, to bite on her clit, and yes, to put his cock into her ass, even if she wasn’t thrilled with the idea.
He kissed the curve of her shoulder before he lifted up to his knees. Slowly, too slowly for her, he undid the wraps around her ankles then placed himself between her splayed legs. She was so wet it took nothing more than a small push for him to enter her.
Much to her dismay he didn’t thrust. He just lay there, filling her. In an effort to push him into gear, Jessica wrapped her legs around him and thrust her hips upwards.
“Please, please, please,” she begged, keeping her voice low. When that didn’t work she screamed out “Please!”
He finally started to move, but so slowly she could hardly feel it. There was not enough stimulation to bring her to orgasm. She wondered if it was enough for him. How long could he last while barely moving?
It turned out he could last a good, long while. Jessica didn’t look at the clock, but it seemed to be at least twenty minutes before Hawk started to move faster, his hips slamming into her. She prayed for her own orgasm, but she knew she’d done wrong earlier, and that would cost her now.
Despite the fact she knew she wouldn’t come, it was still exciting to have him fuck her so slowly, so deeply. She wanted more, true, but it was her own fault, she knew, but that didn’t make her happy. It took her a few moments to realize Hawk had stopped moving. He’d collapsed on top of her, his breathing low and even. He lifted up enough to kiss her.
“Can this be my punishment for going to Amarillo Saturday?”
“No.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “This is your punishment for playing with yourself when you didn’t have permission. I’m still thinking on the other one.”
“Meanie.”
“You got that right.” His phone buzzed, and he said, “Shit.”
“Leave it,” she said.
“Can’t, you know that.” He got up gingerly and retrieved his phone from his pants’ pocket. She watched as he read it.
“What?”
“It’s Willis,” he said. “He says, he hopes we’re decent.”
A loud knock on the door made her gasp.
“Stay there,” he said as he quickly pulled on his pants. She wanted to remind him there was no way she was going to move, since her arms were still tethered to the bed. She heard the front door open, and then male voices.
“Hold on, hold on,” Hawk said. “You’ve caught us at a bad time. Can I at least let my lady get dressed?”
“Of course,” said a male, whose voice she didn’t recognize. “Then she’ll need to come with us. And this is a search warrant for her house , yours, and every gun the two of you own.”
Chapter 11
“Tell me once again where you were Monday night.”
Jessica sighed and rolled her water bottle between her hands. “You think it’s going to change from the last eleven times I’ve told you, Ranger Jackson?”
She wished Nate Willis was here, asking her these questions. Something told her he would take her at her word. This man, who looked like a high school principal with his constant frown and steely-eyed glare, didn’t. They were sitting in the county sheriff’s office, and she had no idea how long she’d been there. Long enough for her to tell her story eleven times.
“One more time please, Miss Barker.”
“I worked at the bakery, I went home, I had sex with Hawk, we went to dinner with his family at the ranch, we left and had sex, and then we went to sleep.”
“And Tuesday?”
She wanted to slap the man. “Work, sex, home. The days sort of blend in together, you know, in a good way.”
“And Wednesday?”
Jessica stared at him. “Do you remember exactly what you did on Wednesday? I don’t really know. We played, we talked, I baked all week because we had a cake tasting on Friday to figure out what sort of cake Holt and Aurora want for the wedding.”
“What did they order?” he asked.
“I don’t exactly remember. I made nine cakes that week, in addition to cookies, cakes, sweet loaves, and donuts. If you want to know exactly what they ordered I’ll need to see my order pad.”
“When Mrs. Dobbs came in to see you Monday, what did the two of you talk about?”
“For the twelfth time, the bitch accused me of being a thief, which I’m not. She said she’d give me until Tuesday, that she’d be back and expected me to give her the ring.”
“Did you not wonder why she didn’t come back?” Jackson asked.
“I didn’t care,” she said.
“You were glad she didn’t come back because you wanted to keep the ring? You’d already killed her, hadn’t you? That’s why she didn’t come back.
Jessica laughed. “I’m done talking to you.”
At that exact moment, the door opened and a woman walked in.
“And you are?” Jackson asked.
“I’m Leslie Turner, Miss Barker’s attorney.” She offered her hand and Jackson stood up. Jessica stared at the woman, whom she’d never seen in her life. But she wasn’t going to argue with her. If she was an attorney, more’s the better. If she could get Jessica out of here, Jessica would do a jig.
“Have you charged my client?” Leslie asked.
“Not at the moment,” Jackson said. “But I can hold her for up to ninety-six hours, as you know.”
“You can,” Leslie said. She moved to the side of the table where Jessica sat, pulled out the chair next to her and sat down. “I’d like a moment with my client, alone.”
“I’ll be back in five minutes,” Jackson said.
“You’ll be back when I knock on the door,” Leslie said. She batted her eyes at the ranger, and Jessica looked down at the floor to hide her smile.
He stood and Leslie smiled up at him. “Please turn off the recorders, too.”
“Who hired you?” Jessica asked after he’d left.
“Hawk,” Leslie said. “I’m a family friend.”
“Thank God,” Jessica said. “Can they really keep me for ninety-six hours?”
“Yes, on a murder charge,” Leslie said. “But they won’t. You should know, though, they searched your house, Hawk’s house, and the bakery.”
“My bakery?” Jessica’s heart almost stopped. “I have to clean it up so I can open tomorrow.”
“They found nothing,” Leslie said. “If they had they would be charging you now instead of badgering you. How many times did they make you repeat things?”
“We were on twelve,” Jessica said. She was close to tears. They searched her bakery? She worked her ass off to get that place up and running, and if they broke anything there would be hell to pay.
“I didn’t kill the old biddy,” Jessica said. “I swear it.”
“I believe you,” Leslie said. “I’ve seen the autopsy. They put the time of death between nine p.m. Monday and three a.m. Tuesday. Do you know where you were then?”
“I was bent over the back of Hawk’s truck getting banged,” she said. “Then we went home to bed.”
“Together?” Leslie asked.
“Together.”
“To your house, not to the ranch?”
“We always go to my house,” Jessica said. “That way we can do what we want, in any room we want.”
“I can’t believe they searched the ranch, too,” she said.
Leslie opened her briefcase and brought out a piece of paper. “They’re looking for a specific gun.”
“That means the slug was left behind?” When Leslie lifted her eyebrows in question, Jessica said, “I like crime TV shows. Hawk always corrects me though, and says you can’t get it done in forty-five minutes. That’s why I watch true crime shows, too.”
> Jessica looked at the door. “When can I go home?”
“They have no evidence against you, just the blustering of your ex who said his mother told him you’d threatened her.”
“That’s a lie,” Jessica said. She was too tired to be angry about it and scream. She just wanted to go home so she could sleep in Hawk’s arms. But then she thought about the bakery. “What time is it?” It had been around eight when the cops had shown up, or at least that’s what she thought. She needed to check out the bakery and see if she needed to right things that had been wronged in the search.
“What about all my supplies? My bins of flour, and sugar? Did they search through them, too?”
“Probably,” Leslie said.
She wanted to scream. What she needed was a phone so she could call Hawk and talk to him. “When you leave, will you call Hawk for me?”
“I’m not leaving without you,” Leslie said. “Unless they find something and charge you, you’re going home with me tonight. Now, is there anything you want to tell me?”
Jessica laughed softly. “I swear to you I didn’t steal the ring, and I didn’t kill anyone.” She was also pretty sure she’d told the attorney that already, but those words she didn’t mind repeating.
“Then stay here while I go talk to Ranger Jackson. You’ll sleep in your own bed tonight, I promise.”
Jessica stared at the door after it was opened, and shut. The click said it all. She was locked in. This was not how she expected this day to go. It was the worst Monday of all.
Hawk paced in the front room of the bakery, his anger rising with each step. It had been hours since the rangers had taken Jessica away. He’d asked Reed to call Leslie, since they had the hots for each other, and she’d driven down from Amarillo as fast as she could. But Jessica should be back by now. He wanted his baby in his arms, and he wanted her there now.
“What is taking so long?” he asked. His brothers were working to clean the mess left behind by the search team. Natalie and Lizbeth were there, too. Much to his surprise the retirees had shown up about half an hour after they’d started to clean and asked what was happening. They offered to help, and Hawk had agreed. The bakery was starting to shine now. They’d wiped down every surface with cleaner, washed every plate, and the girls had packaged up all the food that had been touched and were planning on baking all night long to replace things. Any ingredients that had been opened already, and pawed through, had been tossed.
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