by Vivian Arend
“Holy—really? That sounds so not like what I know of your Dad.”
“I think if it had been Dad alone, he’d have caved, but my Mom—the woman had nerves of steel.”
Anna twisted sideways on the bench seat to face Mitch. “You weren’t even sixteen, right? If your mom was still around.”
“Summer I was fifteen. Mom was already fighting cancer. She looked me in the eye and told me I could be anything I wanted to in life. And that some times things would happen that weren’t fair, but that a lot of the time what happened to me would be a result of my actions.”
“Consequences.” Tough lesson to learn at any age. “So they left you overnight.”
“Picked me up in the morning, took me out for the biggest breakfast I could eat. Told me they loved me, but if I ever got arrested again, they’d be damn disappointed.”
He shut up then, lips pressed tight, both hands clutching the wheel tight as if he needed his full concentration to drive. Anna stared out the window for a bit, letting the warm air from the heater blow over them as she leaned against his side. The miles flew past, the sunlight shining on the wintery wonderland already growing fainter. Days were getting shorter all the time.
Time sped past. A steady blur of night and day, more work and more play, but all of it spinning together and mixing into one grey mass that was indistinguishable from the next.
The never-ending forward roll right now made her wonder where exactly she was headed. She had her job, in spite of the frustrations. She had her family, no matter that they weren’t always on the same page.
The goals she’d set over the past years didn’t feel like enough anymore.
Because of Mitch…
Where was this going? Was this going anywhere, the relationship between the two of them? He’d said he wanted more, and that the physical side wasn’t enough.
Mitch was a good man. He had a family who loved him and cared for him. He had things he was passionate about, more than just burning up the highway on his bike.
He was opening up more as time passed—and there was that theme again. A constant loop in her brain. Time was passing. In the end, things would be different than they were now.
Where was this going? What did she want?
Could she offer him more than what he already had?
“Why did you call me, Mitch?”
He stiffened, and Anna kicked herself. The question had come out of the blue for him. She softened her tone and caught his arm carefully. “I mean, I’m glad you did, but…”
“Why not one of the boys?” He cracked a real smile for the first time since she’d picked him up. “Can you imagine giving them this kind of ammunition to hold over me during every fight from now to eternity?”
Anna held his arm reassuringly.
Mitch glanced at her. “I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong, and I hoped you’d be able to help me. I’m sorry if that was taking advantage of what we’ve got happening.”
“Of course it wasn’t. I’m glad it was so simple to spot what had gone wrong.”
There was a short pause before he spoke softly. “Can we keep this on the quiet? I don’t want to upset Katy.”
Oh. Katy must have been the one who wrote down the wrong numbers. “When Mackie and I went through them, we found the bills of sale were correct, and there were only a couple digits slipped in other places.”
Mitch nodded. “And if it had been a normal day, with a normal parts drop, that kind of mix-up would have meant nothing. We would have found the mistake when Denis and I went over the papers, compared them to the bills of sale, and fixed things. Done.”
“It was the raid that complicated matters.” She was glad they had found all the missing details. “You guys picked a good salvage yard for selling off parts,” Anna teased lightly.
He shook his head. “Years it’s been that we’ve used that place. Denis has been rock solid for years. I can’t figure out what the hell he was thinking setting up a chop shop.”
“Tight times means people sometimes make stupid mistakes. Or greed—thinking it’s easy money.” She squeezed his thigh. “I’m sorry you got caught in the middle of it.”
“Anyway, I don’t want Katy to know. I’ll obviously tell Dad we need a new salvage yard, but she doesn’t need more on her plate right now. Not with everything she’s dealing with after the accident.”
His devotion to his family caused a lump to rise in Anna’s throat. She deliberately bumped him with her shoulder. “Tell her what?”
Finally a laugh escaped him, even though it was a small one. “You’re golden. Thanks.”
“Hey, all charges were dropped, which means it never happened,” she pointed out.
Mitch draped an arm around her shoulders and hauled her in as close as possible. “Sorry if I was a little abrupt back at the station. I swore I’d never get into a situation where I’d be arrested again, and I never have. Hated to get caught up just because of a mistake.”
Anna offered another squeeze. “You didn’t do anything wrong. That was proven. Try to forget it.”
He fell silent, only this time it was a more comfortable silence. Anna turned up the radio, cuddled into his side and got lost in her thoughts.
They drove for over an hour before making a pit stop for gas and drinks. Mitch cracked open his coke while Anna twisted off the cap of her drink and peeked under the lid. She snorted in derision before she could stop herself.
“What’s so funny?” he demanded.
“It says ‘You will journey to your heart’s desire’. The only journeying I currently have planned doesn’t involve my heart’s desire.” If she could even figure out what that was. Anna shook her head then took a long drink of the sweet orange liquid.
“Hey, don’t knock it,” Mitch said. “Maybe you’ll get a chance to go to some great conference for work.”
While interesting, she doubted that was her heart’s desire. “If it’s held in Hawaii, I’m game.”
“Maybe you’ll win some hot-shot constable-of-the-year thing for all your hard work. They appreciate you at the station.” Mitch stroked her shoulder lightly. “I think you’re pretty awesome.”
His touch was doing things that shouldn’t be allowed with so little effort. “Mitch. Eyes on the road.”
“Just checking my rearview mirror, Constable.” He wasn’t looking out the back window though, his expression turning lustful. “Your tits are showing.”
Anna laughed, and suddenly the tension drained away like they’d pulled a plug, splashing anxiety and fear behind them as they closed in on Rocky Mountain House.
A wicked urge hit, and she loosened off her coat, dropping it on the passenger seat.
Mitch kept his gaze forward, both hands back on the wheel, but the glances to the side increased in tempo. “What’re you doin’?”
Anna pulled her hair loose from the ponytail she’d had it in, fluffing out the long strands. “Getting comfy.”
Next, two buttons on her shirt slipped through easy enough, and if he’d caught a glimpse of cleavage before, there was now a lot more for him to enjoy.
“Jesus,” Mitch muttered, but other than that, he didn’t respond.
She leaned in, resting her breasts against his arm as she kissed his cheek lightly. “I’m glad everything worked out today. And I’m very glad you called me. Thank you for trusting me.”
With one finger she stroked a line down his neck, smiling as he swallowed hard enough it showed. She continued the tease downward, along his shoulder, over his biceps. A small wiggle allowed her to slip her palm against his chest, nestling in tight enough that his rapidly beating heart echoed in her ear.
She skirted his groin, instead resting her palm on his thigh. “When we get home?”
He cleared his throat. “Yeah?” The word was barely audible. Lust-filled.
Breathless.
“When we get home I think you should stop in the yard. We’ll just sit in the truck for a bit so I can pull out your cock and suc
k it.”
Mitch gurgled.
“I don’t want you to take off your jeans, just open them up and lift your cock out. Hmm, I love looking at your piercing. At how those gold balls look against the smooth skin when you’re excited. So thick I can barely hold you in my mouth.”
He shifted his hips, and Anna lowered her voice, easing her lips toward his ear so their bodies were pressed together as she breathed the words.
“Or maybe we will get rid of your pants, because then I can reach your balls. Play with them while I’m jacking you off. My fist around you, my mouth on just the head of your cock. Teasing with you with my tongue until you can’t see straight.”
“Sweet mercy, Anna…”
She was barely touching him, but the truck cab was steaming hot.
And filled with blue and red light.
Anna whipped her head around and swore as a familiar RCMP cruiser came into sight. Mitch echoed her, damn near synchronized in their cussing, which only made their tension turn to laughter.
“I’m so sorry,” she gasped as he pulled over to the side. “I shouldn’t have distracted you.”
He reached across the seat and opened the glove box while they waited, leaning hard against her as he pulled out his papers. “Just remember what you were talking about, because holy fuck, I’m holding you to that.”
When he rolled down his window and Nick’s stern face popped into view, Anna felt like cursing all over again.
“You had anything to drink this afterno—” Nick froze as he spotted her. “Oh.”
Thank God, Mitch answered the question as if there’d been no interruption. “No, sir. No alcohol. I wasn’t speeding, was I?”
Nick dragged his gaze away, his cheeks flushed red. That’s when she remembered the open buttons on her blouse. She bit the inside of her cheek, although she wasn’t sure if it was to stop from screaming or laughing.
Her partner cleared his throat. “No, you were within proper speed limits, but you were weaving down the road. I suggest you concentrate on your driving a little harder, Mr. Thompson. I’ll let you off with a warning, but next time I’ll have to give you a ticket for distracted driving.”
He dipped his head at Anna before escaping back to the cruiser, his pace slowing to a more professional saunter almost instantly.
Mitch glanced at Anna. “Maybe next time you should drive.”
She poked him in the side. “Get us home.”
The flash of fire in his eyes was the Mitch she knew. Knew and…
Too soon.
It was too soon, but time was passing. What was her heart’s desire? Until she figured that out, time would still keep moving forward, whether or not she moved with it.
Chapter Eight
“We’re going where?”
MITCH IGNORED the shock in her voice. “Cassidy’s place.”
Anna’s gaze narrowed. “Cassidy’s place is the same as saying my cousin Travis’s place. Dude, if you think for a single second I’m doing anything remotely kinky while my cousin is in the room, you can go to hell.”
“That attitude is going to severely curtail our sex life. It’s tough to go anywhere in this town without one of your cousins popping up,” Mitch teased.
She laughed, the sound escaping reluctantly. “There’re not that many of us, but we do seem to get around. But back to the point, what gives?”
“Cassidy and Ashley invited us over, that’s all.” Which was true but only by the barest of definitions.
It had been nearly two months since he’d convinced her to turn their sexual trysts into something more. Two weeks since she’d rescued his ass from the police station, and he’d been trying his damnedest to keep them moving forward. Only between her work and the usual insanity of the garage, they hadn’t had much time together. Not nearly as much as he’d hoped for.
Mitch wondered at times if all the strange shift changes Anna got had something to do with Nick. The cold looks from the bastard any time the two of them met in Rocky were enough to freeze Mitch’s ass.
It was clear the man didn’t approve of him, only Mitch wasn’t sure if there was more to it than that. He fought the shot of jealousy that struck as he thought of all the time Nick got to spend with Anna.
He needed a distraction. He needed her warmth. Tonight? They were going to work on her list.
“Travis is out of town. He’s helping his brother Daniel drive a load of furniture to Banff this weekend, so you won’t even see your cousin.”
She relaxed, facing the front window again as the winter scenery flew past. “Nice to have new people settling into the area.”
“Cassidy is a rock. I enjoyed the time he worked with us in the garage before he got on with the Coleman ranch. And Ashley is…” He couldn’t stop his lips from twisting into a smile.
Anna tapped her elbow against his side. “Guys turn into such hound dogs around her. Go on. You’re allowed to say it. She’s hot.”
“She’s a firecracker, but she’s also very taken. By two guys.” He squeezed her thigh. “And I’ve got my own flamethrower right here.”
Anna winked. “Good recovery, but it doesn’t change things. I know what I’ve heard about Ashley. The woman has a mind of her own when it comes to being sexually liberated. I think she’s what people call a free spirit.”
He debated how much to tell Anna, but full disclosure seemed the safest plan. “I talked to Cass about one of the things on your fantasy list,” he confessed.
He glanced sideways in time to see her cheeks bloom crimson. “Great. Do I have to guess which one?”
“I think you can figure it out. But we don’t have to do anything,” he assured her. “Only if you’re comfortable, Cass is onboard.”
Anna paused. “You said Cassidy and Ashley would be home.”
Mitch nodded slowly. “Well, Cassidy obviously had to ask what his partners thought of the proposal. Travis didn’t mind but had to be out of the picture, but Ashley…”
“Go on.”
“Ashley thought it sounded damn hot and insisted she wanted to be there as well.”
“Oh, jeez.”
Mitch pulled over to the side of the road so he could cup her chin in his hand and look her in the eye. “Nothing happens you don’t want to, but Ashley’s right. It’s fucking hot to consider watching Ashley and Cassidy fool around. They think watching us would be hot as well. That’s it. Nothing more.”
“Watching only? No touching?” Anna clarified before rolling her eyes. “God, I can’t believe I asked that. I feel like a deviant.”
“Bullshit—you’re not being a deviant to enjoy life. We’re not proposing a free-for-all or a gangbang between people who don’t give a shit about anything other than getting their own rocks off. We’re two adults who know what we like. They’re two adults with a consenting third partner. They don’t want to break the commitment they’ve made to each other, but we all agreed watching is fine. It’s like…live-action porn in a safe place, and no one but us will ever know.”
Anna still hesitated. “It sounds so contrived now that we’ve had to plan it out.”
“I figured if I didn’t plan it you’d put my balls in a vise.”
She snorted. He was probably right.
Mitch leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. A slow, thorough kiss that started soft, then advanced rapidly into lots of tongue and heavy breathing. He was gratified to feel the knot of tension in her shoulders melting away as heat rose between them.
Anna pulled back reluctantly. “Stop it. We’re going to get a citation for public indecency.”
Mitch winked, then put the truck back in gear and continued down the road. “Think of it this way. The possibility is there. If nothing happens, that’s fine. We’ll shoot the bull for a while, have a few laughs—there’s no agenda, Anna. Just a night out with a couple friends.”
“A couple friends we might get naked in front of.”
A shiver shook her, and Mitch waited to see if she’d say anything else. Admit
to anything else. He was pretty sure the idea turned her on damn hard, but he wasn’t going to push.
If she decided they call the whole thing off, he’d be fine with that as well.
Cassidy met them at the front door. The trio had moved into the old Peter’s house on the Six Pack land—one of the earliest homesteads in the Rocky Mountain House area, and the origin of the Coleman ranch. The house was in the process of renovations, but there was still plenty of room to join Cassidy on the front porch.
His blond hair stuck up every which way as if he’d recently gotten out of the shower. “Come on in and ignore the mess. I’m running late, and Ashley is even later.”
Anna hesitated in the doorway. “You want us to come back some other time?”
Cassidy shook his head, briefly shaking hands with Mitch. “Nah. I just got caught out in the fields later than usual. I’m still learning the lay of the land. Your cousin Matt and I were about fifteen miles farther north than I expected, chasing down some runaway horses.”
“And Ashley?” Mitch asked, stepping behind Anna and stroking the back of her neck softly with his fingertips.
A full-out grin escaped Cassidy. “She’s in her studio getting projects ready for her rescheduled art show. If we didn’t haul her out of there occasionally, she’d forget to eat, sleep or do anything human until she’s done.”
They all laughed. Anna leaned into Mitch, a small but subtle shift. “Nice that she enjoys what she’s doing so much.”
Cassidy grabbed a coat off the wall hooks and shrugged it on. “Come on, I’ll show you the studio. You can take a peek, and after we can pull her away from her work.”
“She won’t mind?” Mitch asked.
“Nope. Ashley likes an audience.”
Mitch held back his snort of laughter as he exchanged glances with Anna. She looked about ready to burst, but she slipped her fingers into his and they followed Cassidy around the back of the house to a two-storey old barn.
“The house renovations aren’t done because me and Travis fixed this up first,” Cassidy explained as he pushed open the door, closing it quickly after them to block out the icy December air. The scent of paint and turpentine hung around them, along with the fresher aroma of cedar boards and pine boughs. A heavy beat echoed off the walls, music playing loudly from somewhere over their heads.
