by Casey Hagen
“You know, I don’t know, but I know who you could ask. Catalina?” he called behind him, giving her a wave.
While he waited for Catalina to make her way through the crowd, he nuzzled Mabel Lee’s soft cheek. “I was a shit to not answer the phone.”
She leaned into him and sighed. “You had a right to be mad. It was childish of me.”
“Yeah, it was, but then I wasn’t much better ignoring my phone. Every single time you called, I told myself I was being a shithead, but I didn’t want to pick up and say anything to make it worse.”
“So, you can forgive me?” she whispered, cupping his cheek, her fingertips grazing over the stubble there.
“There’s nothing to forgive.” Especially now that he harbored a secret that dwarfed hers in comparison.
He slid his hand in her hair and wrapped his fingers around the nape of her neck. Dragging her mouth under his, he searched her eyes and took her mouth in a deep, possessing kiss that had him wishing they were literally anywhere else. Hell, he’d even settle for the parking lot with her backed up against his truck.
Except she deserved better than some horny guy groping her in a parking lot with the lewd squeals of buzzed patrons piercing the night.
“I’ve missed you,” he whispered when he pulled back.
“I—”
“Hey, great set tonight. The whole religious thing was freaking genius. It’s a hot taboo right now,” Catalina said as she stepped up between them.
“Thank you,” he said with a pinch of regret that he might never know what Mabel Lee had planned to say. He turned his attention to Catalina. “I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Mabel Lee.” He didn’t miss the way her mouth fell open from the corner of his eye. “Mabel Lee, this is Catalina.”
“Hi, sugar,” Catalina said with a wink. “Thanks for the tip before.”
“You’re welcome. You were wonderful. I really enjoyed it,” Mabel Lee said with what might be the sincerest smile he’d ever seen out of anyone.
Catalina cocked a hand on her hip and tilted her head. “You did, huh? Funny, I would have guessed you to be straight.”
“Oh, I am,” Mabel Lee said with a nod as she clutched her glass between her hands. “Still, it was a beautiful performance. Sultry. It made me wish I could be more like you.”
“Gosh, aren’t you just adorable. But don’t go changing a thing,” she said with a wink. “I think I see just how you charmed the eternal bachelor here.”
“Mabel Lee had a question. I think it’s better answered by a female in the profession.”
“Shoot, sugar.” Catalina grabbed a chair and sat. “I’m an open book.”
“How do you do it? Take your clothes off like that knowing how people can be just so awful?”
“You know, there’s a certain element of control in it, I guess. I know people will judge, but when I’m up there, I call the shots. I decide what and when. I decide how far to go. There’s a power in that,” Catalina said laying a hand on Mabel Lee’s forearm as if they were old friends just having an intimate chat.
How the hell did women do that? Or was this the Mabel Lee effect?
“It’s a power I didn’t have in my life for a long time. It’s funny, I wasn’t always a dancer, and I was judged just as much when I wasn’t, so why not? I make excellent money. I make people feel good. And it’s phenomenal exercise.”
He’d never forget the open curiosity on her face. It wasn’t that he couldn’t have a relationship as a stripper, he just hadn’t found a woman open minded enough to not be threatened by it. Her sheer innocence gave her a kind of clarity he’d never seen before.
Happy to be a spectator while they chitchatted more, he rested his chin on his hands and watched them as they retreated into their own little world, their hands flying as they did with lots of giggles from Mabel Lee as Catalina told her some of the funnier horror stories from their time on stage.
“I’m not kidding. I had a chick try to pay me a hundred bucks to do a body shot from my ass crack. I give her an A for effort, but there are some things that are just no. No.”
“What’s a body shot?” Mabel Lee asked.
Catalina reared back. “My God, where did you find her, Kellen? She doesn’t even know what a body shot is.”
He laughed and scratched his head. “Ironically, I found her right here in the crowd.”
“Girl, you have to do a body shot. It’s practically a rite of passage.”
Mabel Lee’s eyes lit up, and she bounced on her seat. “Will you show me?”
“Sure. Kellen, hop up on the table,” Catalina said, rising to her feet.
“You are kidding, right?” he said, giving her a look through his lashes.
“Nope. I mean, I don’t mind if she does one off me, but I have a feeling she’d feel more comfortable if it’s you.”
“One shot, Mabel Lee,” he said, aiming a finger at her. “Or you give me your keys.”
“Are you her father?” Catalina said with a twist to her mouth and a hand on her hip.
“Nope, but I saw how quickly she ended up with her head stuck to the table the other night. She’s a lightweight, and I won’t have her getting hurt on my watch.”
Catalina studied him with that shrewd stare of hers and nodded. “Okay, I respect that.”
“I promise. Just one,” Mabel Lee said with an excited grin.
“I can’t believe I’m about to do this,” he said, tugging his t-shirt over his head.
Catalina snagged an empty table and dragged it over, sliding it right up against Mabel Lee’s. “Can I get a shot of tequila over here?” she called.
Kellen climbed onto the table just to have Catalina tsk him. “Really, guy? It’s your girlfriend. Take the pants off.”
“I’m not looking to perform a sex act, Catalina. I’m on the freaking clock.”
“I’ll vouch that it’s on the up and up. You’ll be fine. Besides, the owners adore you. You make them a shit ton of money. You’re good.”
He knew what an asset he was, but he sure as hell didn’t feel good about taking advantage.
Catalina sighed when he didn’t reply. “Look, Mabel Lee is too dignified for that. Hell, she’s too dignified for this, but she trusts me, so ditch the pants, man.”
“Fine.” He slid off his jeans, leaving him in the G-string he’d grabbed from his clothes as he hurried out to catch her.
“Oooh, seems he prepared for the occasion,” Catalina said, letting out a laugh.
He climbed on the table, laid down with his back against the wood, and schooled his breathing so he wouldn’t knock the shot off his stomach.
“Where do you want it, Mabel Lee? Chest, stomach, or right about here?” Catalina asked, touching the glass to his inner thigh.
High on his inner thigh.
Like, right next to his fucking nut.
“Catalina,” he growled.
“Kellen…shut up,” she said and shoved the wedge of lime in between his teeth.
“You only live once, right? Put it there,” Mabel Lee said.
He lifted his head, surprised to see her pointing to the nut zone. Shit.
Blood rushed south, and his cock perked up.
Not now. Not now. Not now.
He could see the headline now. Beloved Local Stripper Causes Eye Injury with His Wayward Erection. It was a goddamned nightmare twist on the old A Christmas Story line. The fucking X-rated version.
“Looks like he’s giving us a tighter gap to support the glass. Thanks, Kellen,” Catalina said, followed by a snort.
Mabel Lee giggled.
And that was with no alcohol in her system. Just as long as she didn’t start slapping things again, because his junk was in the swing zone.
He muttered a few choice swears through the lime that would singe Mabel Lee’s ears clean off as his head smacked the table. God was a funny dude putting him in this position.
“Okay, sugar. So here’s what you’re going to do. No using your hands now; you keep th
ose tucked behind your back.” There was a brief pause. “Good, just like that. I’m going to do you a favor and hold your hair. Lord, it’s gorgeous. You need to tell me what shampoo and conditioner you use.”
“Well, aren’t you sweet. Thank you. I use Kevin Murphy, but I use the cleansing crème in between washes so I don’t dry it out. Have you heard of Water Lilies in Clendon? That’s where I get it.”
Nice they could exchange recommended bath products while held a shot glass with his knob.
“Thanks, girl. I’ll check it out. Now, are you ready? On three, I want you to bend down and wrap your lips around that glass and bring it right back up with you. The liquor will slide right down. Just swallow and roll with it.”
“Okay, I can do that,” Mabel Lee said, her voice dropping in that way it did when she adopted that laser focus of hers.
“After, you go on up there and bite into that lime.”
“Mmm, okay.”
“One…two…tree.”
He clenched as Mabel Lee’s warm breath fanned over his thigh. The glass bobbled, and what he thought might be her chin grazed his cock, making it jump, but before he knew it, she and the glass were gone.
A crowd had gathered around them and cheered. Mabel Lee smiled, popped the glass from between her lips, and set it next to his hip all dignified-like in a way only Mabel Lee could.
Next thing he knew, a curtain of her hair fell over them as she bit into the lime between his teeth. She hummed low in her throat, and he lost it.
He turned his head, spit out the wedge of fruit, and brought her in for a scathing kiss. Teeth gnashed, tongues clashed, their breaths puffed out as their lungs heaved while they took and took from one another right there for the whole crowd to see.
She whimpered and he practically dove in her throat to chase the sound, his mouth eager to do everything he couldn’t do with his cock.
“Whoa there, loverboy. You’re sporting a whole new problem downstairs. You’d better reel it in,” Catalina said with a laugh, standing next to them.
He loosened his grip, and Mabel Lee stumbled, her eyes glazed over with lust, or maybe it was the alcohol. God knew it went straight to her head.
Just like tasting her went straight to his. He glanced down and snatched his jeans to cover his cock that had climbed right out of his G-string.
“You okay?” he asked, taking her hand and kissing the center of her palm. His heart pounded in his ears with barely restrained lust.
“Mmm, very. Why did I wait so long to do a body shot?” she asked with a wistful note to her soft voice.
“You were waiting for the right guy?” Catalina offered by way of explanation.
“I definitely don’t want to do that off another man.”
“Damn straight,” he ground out, knowing he’d gone a bit caveman, but not caring. He saw the way the men around them were taking an interest in her.
Not going to happen. They were a couple. They’d made it crystal clear.
Only problem he had now was that their reconciliation might very well be built on quicksand with the secret he kept.
13
Mabel Lee stole glances of Kellen as they walked along the Ocmulgee River in Amerson River Park. The sun winked through the trees as it sunk lower and lower in the blue Georgia sky. A few lingering butterflies flitted through the shrubs, clinging to flowers whenever the breeze kicked up and threatened to carry them away.
They’d gone to the movies the night before, and while he said they made up, she had to wonder. He’d been a bit stiff, a whole lot edgy, and when she’d mentioned both, he did an immediate one-eighty and almost became too animated.
Now, his jaw muscles flexed, and he looked lost in thought. The way his hand loosened on her clinched it. He may be here physically, but in that head of his, he was a million miles away.
Unsure of how to handle it, she decided direct was best. “Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”
Her words startled him, and he shook his head and gave her an absent smile. “Nothing’s wrong. It’s all good. Everything is good.”
“No, it’s not,” she said, coming to a stop. “Just be honest. Are you mad about my going to Big Shift the other night?”
“What? No.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and winced.
“If you don’t want me going there, I won’t, but I—”
“It’s not that. I promise.” He took her shoulders in his hands and kissed her forehead. “I’ve got a lot on my mind, and on top of that, I’m trying to be good. Apparently, I’m not doing a very good job of it.”
“Trying to be good?” she asked.
“Yeah, moving at your pace. I about mauled you at Big Shift the other night and I’m not proud of it. Sitting through that movie, in the dark, with your warm body next to me just about killed me. To be honest, I don’t even know what we watched.”
She laughed, not because of his admission, but because she wasn’t much better. She’d breathed a sigh of relief, and they didn’t talk about the movie because she had no clue how it ended.
The entire time, all she could do was focus on the tingling shooting up her arm from the circles he made over her skin with his thumb.
They held hands all the time. They kissed almost as much. But like he said, he’d been good. His hands and lips hadn’t wandered at all, and frankly, she wished they had.
What was her pace anyway? She hadn’t done anything to indicate that she didn’t want his touch. She’d just been…her.
And wasn’t that always the problem?
With Kellen firmly planted in Nobleville, population one, it was up to her to give him a nudge.
Because yes, he’d practically mauled her, and she wanted more.
“There’s this thing this weekend, and I’m thinking we could go and maybe pick up our pace a little.”
He gave her hand a squeeze. “That was not me pressuring you, Mabel Lee. I’m just living in this constant loop of feeling your warm breath on my thigh, and it’s torture, but it’s not a terminal condition. I promise. And to be honest, it’s my problem, not yours.”
“I’m not feeling pressured. I was already planning on talking to you about it.” She twirled the tie at her waist and spotted a notch in the shrubbery ahead with a bench overlooking the water. “Aurora’s fiancé reserved a couple of camping sites at Lake Juliette. It might be the last time all of us are together for a while, besides the wedding, but that will be crazy, so this is really our final celebration with just us before everything changes. I was thinking, maybe you’d like to go?”
He tugged her to a stop and linked his other fingers with hers. Smiling down at her as he swung their arms. “Lake Juliette, huh? That’s funny. Before I knew your name, that’s the nickname I’d given you.”
She took a step back. “Really? Why?”
He followed, this time moving in a little closer than before. “Innocent, sweet, and trying so hard to catch up to the women around you. I don’t know, reminded me of her. She was so eager to make her way.”
“And eventually, she died. Don’t forget that part,” she said.
“Yes, well, I think that’s where the similarities end. So, is this a weekend thing, a one-night thing?” He bent his head and grazed his lips just below her ear, sending a blast of heat right through her.
She tilted her head, giving him more access, but he kept his lips along her jawline. Her heart thumped slow and hard in her chest. She squirmed where she stood, a delicious heaviness settling inside her. “Just one night. Grilling, a campfire, some swimming, and sleep.”
“And what would our sleeping arrangements be, Mabel Lee?” he said with his lips meeting hers in a teasing kiss.
“Well, I have a tent we could share,” she said, letting go of his hands and circling her arms around his neck. Because really, if he continued teasing her that way, she’d need the help to stay on her feet.
“I have something even better. A truck bed,” he murmured, pulling away and taking her hand again.
/> It was like he’d climbed into her head, or maybe her words from earlier in the week, and latched right on to a hidden fantasy of hers ripe for the picking. Would he expect them to…? Was she ready? Was it too soon?
When they’d been on their reverse date, she’d been floored by the idea of having sex by date three. But technically, they’d had more than three dates, hadn’t they? Even if she didn’t count the night they met, which he’d made it clear that he did, they had their reverse date, body shot date—okay, that wasn’t a designated date, but look at what they’d done, so it counted, then the movies, and now dessert and a walk in the park. So technically camping would be date five by her count and six by his.
Whew. That was a whole lot of dating in…she counted off the top of her and cringed. It didn’t matter.
He declared her his girlfriend, and they’d had their first fight and made up already, so did the amount of days actually make any difference?
Maybe there were rules on this sort of thing, and she didn’t know it. This was one of those times when she would have called her friends, only, she found herself wanting to ask him.
She led him toward a stone bench overlooking the river. Water flowed over boulders at the river’s edge, making its own peaceful music.
“Now who’s got a whole lot going on in that mind of theirs?” he asked.
“I’m trying to figure something out, and I have question. Be honest. Is Saturday night too soon to have sex?”
He stumbled, slapped his palm against the tree to right himself, and blinked down at her where she had just taken a seat.
And blinked some more.
Blink. Blink. Blink. Blink.
“It was just a question,” she said with a shrug.
Blink. Blink. Blink. Blink.
“Say something, Kellen.”
“Yes. No. I—shit, Mabel Lee. I want to. I, uh—damn, I want to, but don’t rush this. If you’re not ready, it doesn’t happen. It’s that simple. I don’t want you doing something you regret.”
She shielded her eyes with her hand from a sunbeam piercing through the trees. “But it’s something we need to plan for, right? I mean, I’m not on the pill or anything. And maybe there are provisions we need to make for where and how to have privacy.”
