He cleared his throat and sucked in a breath. “Is that something you would be interested in finding out?”
“Oh, most definitely.”
Bobby glanced toward the house. “What about Johnny? Aren’t you two an item?”
Rose tucked her hands in her pockets, her fingers itching to run over the firmness of his chest. She raised her chin, looking him directly in the eye. “Johnny and I have a different sort of relationship.”
“Define “different”.”
“Let’s put it this way.” She took a step forward, closing the distance between them down to inches. “If I asked him in the right way, I don’t think he’d have a problem with us doing a little…experimenting.” She tilted her head coyly. “Would you like me to ask him?”
Bobby’s head jerked in the direction of the house. Rose followed his gaze. Johnny stepped out of the door and walked toward them.
“Everything is okay, I guess,” Johnny said, continuing to walk in their direction. “They’ve got the fire banked and they’re going to be there for a while yet, but it looks under control. They said I’m okay to stay here and help out.” He stopped beside them. “So, what’s next? What’s our plan?”
Rose was a little unsure how to proceed. She wanted to ask Johnny what he thought about Bobby but she wasn’t sure how to go about it. Then there was the still. It needed tending but she had the sheriff standing right here beside her. The last thing she needed was for him to follow her through the woods directly to the still. He’d slap those handcuffs on her and it wouldn’t be for the reason she had in mind. “Would you two mind getting out the garden hose and dragging it around to the front of the house in case we need it? Check and see if it’s hooked up, you know?” She side-stepped away from them, going in the direction of the path that led to the still.
“Where are you going?” Bobby asked, frowning.
“I’m going to go check on…my dog.” She smiled, glancing in Johnny’s direction. Johnny’s brows drew together, a look of confusion on his face. “You know, Johnny. I need to make sure old Boomer is okay.” She nodded at him. Please, understand me.
“Your dog,” he said. Then realization must have struck him. “Oh, yeah. I guess you’d better.”
“I’ll go with you.” Bobby stepped toward her.
“No,” she said, raising one hand and moving toward the woods. “He doesn’t much like strangers and he’s probably nervous with the smell of smoke in the woods right now. It’s best you stay here. I’ll be right back.” She quickly turned and walked as fast as she could without raising too much more suspicion.
She cut through the tree line and followed the narrow path she knew so well. After a few minutes, she stopped and turned toward the way she had come, listening intently. They hadn’t followed her. Good. She continued on, the scent of smoke growing stronger. Just how close was that fire? Coming into the small clearing where the still was, she stopped, parking her hands on her hips. The fire beneath the cook pot had died down to almost nothing. Was it going to be safe to stoke it up with the sheriff back at her house? She doubted it. Shoot.
A crackling sound filtered through the trees. She frowned, walking around the still. Bending low, she looked beneath the mash pot, where she cooked the sour mash. There were only a few embers glowing beneath it. The thumper pot was barely rumbling and just a trickle of shine was draining from the tap of the cool water keg. It couldn’t be too hot. The crackling grew louder, some small pops along with it. It sounded like a fire was consuming fresh wood, the sap causing the popping sound. She straightened and squinted through the trees. A tiny flicker caught her eye.
Her heart speeded up, her blood pumping through her veins solidly. The fire was getting closer to the still. The fire department didn’t have it completely under control! Rose scrambled, grabbing a bucket and heading toward the stream where she got her water for the still. She had to put the fire beneath the mash pot completely out and take a loss on this batch. She hoped the batch wasn’t far enough along to blow. It the fire on the mountain got close enough, it was possible the still could catch and blow up. Grumbling to herself, she did her best to dowse the fire but she still had to get the catch bucket out of here. There was about three inches of shine in the bucket. She was going to have to take it back to the house with her. This was the stuff that would fuel the fire, if it got this close.
Grabbing the bucket, she glanced back at the still. She hoped it wasn’t in the line of the forest fire. There might be just enough alcohol in it to blow it up. Then she’d have to start over from scratch. Shaking her head, she started back down the trail toward the house, the catch bucket bumping her leg as she walked. Hopefully she could stash it in the barn without Bobby seeing her. If not, she’d have to make something up and quick.
Breaking back into the clearing that was her side yard, Rose caught sight of the two men. They were standing by the old well, talking. She cut across the yard. She was halfway to the barn when Bobby called out to her.
“Your dog okay?” Bobby asked, starting to walk in her direction.
“Um, I hope so.” She continued walking, the clear liquid in the catch bucket sloshing with her steps. “He broke loose and ran off. I’m sure he’ll be fine. You all go in the house. I’ll be right there.”
Bobby came up beside her and reached down. “Here. Let me take that for you.”
“No, I—“
Bobby took the bucket out of her hand. “I’m just trying to help.” Liquid sloshed, splashing onto his uniform pants. He jerked, lifting the bucket higher to look down at his pants. “Darn it.”
Rose held her breath and glanced toward Johnny. Johnny stood watching, fists clenched at his sides. When she looked back to Bobby, he was frowning. “What is that smell?” he asked, sniffing. Then he moved the raised bucket closer and took a whiff. Realization flashed in his eyes, then he locked gazes with her. “Really?” He held the bucket out toward her. “Moonshine?”
“I can explain,” she said, clasping her hands in front of her. Her palms were wet with nervousness.
“I’ll bet you can, Rose.” Bobby set the bucket down on the ground in front of him. “I think we’re going to be doing an awful lot of talking, you and I.” Unlatching the handcuffs from his belt, he jingled them. “Turn around, Rose. You are under arrest.”
Chapter Five
When Bobby snapped the cool metal of the handcuffs around her wrists, Rose sucked in a breath.
“What are you doing?” Johnny asked, trotting over to where they stood in front of the barn. “You can’t arrest her!”
“I can and I am.” Bobby took her upper arm and started leading her toward the house, bending down to grab the bucket of brew on his way. “This is moonshine. Can’t you smell it?”
“I can but you can’t arrest Rose. Not now.” Johnny walked beside them.
Rose’s mind was racing. She couldn’t go to jail again. “Bobby, let’s go have a cup of coffee and talk about this, okay?” She looked up at him. “Please?”
He stopped and glanced down at her. “You are a handful, aren’t you?”
She blinked and wet her lips with her tongue. “Yeah.” She was getting to him, she could tell. He was attracted to her, as she was to him. Hopefully that would be a contributing factor when it came to him hauling her off in his cruiser. “Let’s go have coffee and I’ll try to explain.”
Bobby sighed heavily and looked off toward the house. “Okay, but only one cup. Then we have business to attend to, you and I.”
Rose smiled sweetly up at him. “One cup, agreed.”
His hand still leading her by the arm, the three of them entered the house. Bobby had set the bucket of shine on the porch before they went through the door and now, his hand sending warmth up her arm, he steered her toward the kitchen. “Sit,” he said, leading her to a chair.
“How is she going to drink a cup of coffee with her hands in cuffs behind her back?” Johnny asked, dropping down in a chair at the end of the table.
“Let me worry about that,” Bobby said. He helped to settle her in the chair then moved to the counter. Opening a cabinet, he quickly shut it and opened another. Taking three coffee cups from the cabinet, he began to pour three cups of aromatic coffee for them.
Rose looked over at Johnny and made a face. “Let me do the talking,” she whispered.
Johnny shook his head and ran a hand over his forehead. He was obviously frustrated with her.
Bobby came back to the table, placing a cup of coffee in front of Johnny and Rose, then one on the other side of Rose for himself. He took a chair beside her, leaned down and turned her chair toward him. He leaned back in his chair and crossed one ankle over his knee. “All right, start talking.” He picked up his coffee cup and took a sip, looking very natural sitting there at her kitchen table.
How in the world was she going to get out of this predicament? With a soft sigh, she began. “Listen, I had a hard life growing up. My parents were killed when I was sixteen and I was left to live on my own.” Rose did her best to control her emotions, always hating to tell her tale to anyone, but as she watched Bobby’s eyes and the soft, understanding look there, it seemed to pour out of her. “I did the best I could. I couldn’t find a job, though, things being the way they are down here, so I started running moonshine for a local guy.” She wasn’t going to tell him who, either. The last thing she wanted to do was get someone else in trouble. Besides, the man who taught her all about moonshine was dead and gone anyway. “I got caught for speeding a couple of times and spent a few days in jail. I hated it. But I did manage to finish high school.”
Bobby’s eyes widened a bit. “I don’t like hearing about a teenager who was basically abandoned. You should be proud of yourself for at least finishing school.” He set his coffee cup down on the table and leaned forward, settling his elbows on his knees. “Go on, Rose,” he said softly.
Her stomach was trembling. She raised her chin and took a settling breath, thankful that Johnny was staying quite during this conversation. Johnny already knew all she was about to tell Bobby. He also knew she didn’t like talking about it. “Well, I learned a lot in jail. I was wild and crazy for quite a while when I was younger. Now that I’m older, I’ve settled down some but since I didn’t really learn a marketable skill, I’ve went back to what I do know to survive—moonshining.” She paused for a moment, getting her bearings. “Now you know, there is a legal still down the road a piece and they make a fortune in the tourist trade, right?”
Bobby nodded, looking at her intently. “Are you trying to tell me your still is legal?”
She shook her head. “No, but all I’m saying is, there’s got to be some way to be on the right side of the law when making moonshine. Mine is much better than theirs and this is the only way I know how to make a living. If you take this from me, I won’t have any way to survive.” She lifted her chin again. “And I refuse to go on government assistance. I don’t want the people of this county paying for my groceries.”
Bobby’s lips became a thin, hard line. He leaned back in his chair again, his eyes still locked onto hers. He didn’t say anything.
Rose glanced at Johnny. He was sipping his coffee, his expression neutral. She had no idea what he was thinking.
“Let me check into this,” Bobby said, breaking the silence.
Rose looked back at him. “Do you think there is a way I can get my still legalized?” Hope sprung up inside her like a flower blooming.
“There might be.”
“So…am I still under arrest?”
With a sigh, he smiled. “Actually, I should still arrest you. You are operating illegally.”
This wasn’t over yet by a long shot. She’d better think of something. Clearing her throat, she asked, “Can I have a sip of coffee? My throat is a little dry.”
Bobby picked up her cup and held it gently to her lips.
She took a small sip, gazing at him over the rim of the cup. She noticed how his eyes watched her mouth. When he lowered the cup, she slowly ran her tongue over her upper lip. “Thank you.”
Bobby placed the cup back on the table. It settled with a rattle. His hands must be shaking a little, she thought. She shifted on the chair. Moving her hands, the metal “bracelets” she was wearing rubbed against her skin. The feeling was not unpleasant. “Could you help me stand up, Bobby? I need to stretch my legs.”
He rose from his chair, scooting it backward. Taking her by the upper arms, he helped her to stand. She stumbled, falling against him. He caught her against his chest. “Are you okay?”
She tilted her head back, her breasts against his chest. She could feel the beat of his heart. “It seems like you’re always saving me,” she whispered.
Bobby groaned, then without warning, he cupped the back of her head and captured her lips in a kiss.
Rose’s body responded immediately. She parted her lips and moaned into his mouth, heat infusing her. She heard chair legs scraping across the floor, Johnny rising from his place at the table, but she paid the sound no mind. Her breasts tightened, her pussy sparking with a steamy need for this man in uniform. The fact she couldn’t wrap her arms around him only added to the sensuality of the moment. She was helpless, at his mercy.
Something pressed against her back. She tilted her head, sucking at Bobby’s tongue when he used it to invade her hungry mouth. There was a breath against her ear. “Rose, what are you doing?” Johnny whispered, his words a moist warmth wafting over the tender flesh of her neck. She wriggled her fingers, her hands still caught in handcuffs behind her. Then she found what she was searching for. Rubbing and tickling, she stroked Johnny’s cock through his jeans. It seemed to swell beneath her touch.
Bobby released her mouth. He gazed down into her eyes. “You are a force of nature,” he said, his voice slightly raspy.
She looked at him through her lashes. When Johnny reached around her to catch her chin with his hand, she turned her head toward the man behind her. Johnny lips pressed against hers, his tongue forcing its way into her mouth. She arched her back, giving him full access to plunder her mouth, but her gaze stayed focused on Bobby.
Bobby’s eyes held a heated look as he watched Johnny devour her mouth. Bobby’s hands were now at her waist. They didn’t stay there long. He moved back slightly, his thumbs finding their way beneath the hem of her t-shirt. Bobby slid his hands upward, over her rib cage, lifting her shirt as he went. Johnny reached around her hip with his free hand and slid in into the waist band of her jeans, unbuttoning the top button expertly.
In a flurry of movement, Bobby pushed her t-shirt up and pulled down the cups of her bra while Johnny forced open the zipper of her jeans and slid his hand into her panties. She sighed into Johnny’s mouth, her eyes closing in ecstasy when Bobby’s lips closed over her right nipple and Johnny’s expert fingers delved into the cleft of her mouth. Johnny rubbed her clit, knowing just how much pressure she liked, and Bobby groaned, his mouth working her nipple while the fingers of his other hand rolled her left nipple.
Rose pulled away from Johnny’s kiss, gasping for breath. Her body was rippling with need. “I need…”
“What do you need, baby?” Johnny asked, running his tongue along her earlobe. “Tell us.”
“I need, oh please…” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth, her leg muscles clenching.
“Say it, Rose,” Johnny urged, nuzzling her neck.
Bobby released the nipple he was sucking and met her gaze.
“Oh god,” Rose breathed. “I need to be fucked.”
That was all it took. The two men worked together, stripping her jeans from her and tossing them aside. They didn’t bother with removing the handcuffs or taking off all of their clothes. Rose loved it, this raw sexual power that filled her kitchen.
Bobby held her upper arms, bracing her, while Johnny slid his cock into her wet pussy. She shuddered as he stroked once, then twice, and pulled out. Bobby moved in, impaling her on his thick rod, driving his cock all the way into h
er pussy. He leaned back slightly and she felt fingers parting the cheeks of her ass. Then pressure as Johnny, his cock slick with her pussy cream, slowly entered her dark passage.
“Oh holy mother,” she breathed as the two men seated themselves deeply inside her. Then they began to move.
As they pistoned opposite each other in their strokes, they held her between them tightly. Her legs turned to water, her body snapping with the passion that ran through it. She shuddered almost uncontrollably while the men groaned and thrust into her. Heat rushed to her face and she began to breathe through her open mouth. “Yes,” she whispered, her body jerking with the force of their strokes. “Fuck me…harder.”
And they did. It wasn’t a full minute later that Rose threw her head back and screamed, sweet release crashing through her as she came. They followed, both groaning loudly as they shot their hot seed deep into her willing body.
Rose smiled, her breath raspy, as the waves of passion lapped at her insides. She wanted more of this, had to have more of these two men. When they stopped moving, both of them sliding from her at the same time, she swallowed and looked Bobby in the eye.
“Again,” she said.
Chapter Six
Johnny couldn’t believe what had just transpired between Rose, himself and the sheriff.
In Rose’s kitchen, no less.
He stepped away from the woman he loved and pulled up his pants. His emotions were running wild. God, he loved this girl. She was crazy and free and everything he ever wanted. “Better take the handcuffs off,” he said, glancing at Bobby.
Bobby cleared his throat, zipping up his pants. He reached in his pocket, retrieving the keys.
Moving together, they took the handcuffs off Rose. She pulled her bra back into place and tugged the hem of her t-shirt down. Raking her hands through her hair, she laughed. “Follow me, boys,” she said, heading for the stairs.
Fire on the Mountain Page 3
