TITUS: Finale Novella; The Trouble Sisters Saga

by Lee Taylor

  Shocked, then hungrier than she’d ever been, Rita gave in to his hedonistic demands. On one level, she was horrified at his invasion of her most private parts, stunned at his explicit examination of her. It was as if he’d discovered a new continent worthy of his most intimate exploration. His soft demurral, “Uh-uh,” or a sharp smack on her butt when she tried to resist his probing advances made it clear that no place on her body was off limits. Most shocking was that the harder he pushed her, the more egregious his advances, the hotter she became. The first time she rode high up a passionate orgasmic peak and tumbled over, she thought she was done. She was astonished when he drawled, “Uh-uh, sweetheart, we’re just beginning.”

  Stepping to the side of the bed, he toed off his boots, then stripped off his shirt and undid the top button on his pants. He shoved the tight pants lower on his hips, then crawled in next to her.

  Marveling at his broad, muscled chest, and tight abs, Rita was overcome with the desire to touch him, taste his bronzed skin. She tentatively reached out and tugged at the sexy tendrils of curly hair decorating his chest and arrowing down his hard abs to his groin below. Even knowing that she’d never been as hungry, she was astonished when he brought her to a stunning climax not once or twice, but three times. As she was coming down from the third body-shaking orgasm, he murmured in a voice rough with need, “I have to take you, Rita. I can’t wait another moment.”

  He rose to the side of the bed and shoved his pants to the floor, then stepped out of them. Stunned at the sight of his commanding arousal, she tried to pull back. But he shook his head, then crawling up over her and balancing on his hands and knees, warned her in a gruff voice, “I don’t want to hurt you, baby, but I need to be inside of you. High and hard, deep inside of you.” Shocked at the size of his erect penis that reached nearly to his navel, Rita was hit with a flood of conflicting emotions as he spread her legs, preparing to enter her. On one hand, she was frightened, not knowing how she could possibly take this overpowering man into her body, but she knew that if she didn’t, and soon, she would die trying.

  Chapter 11

  Lying beside the exhausted woman, Titus wasn’t surprised it had taken him long moments to recover from the unbelievable experience of taking her. He admitted that in a lifetime of sexual experiences, he’d never done what he had with Rita. It wasn’t as though he hadn’t had more women than he could count. But his failed marriage that had nearly cost him one of his daughters at the hands of his drugged-out whore of a wife had ensured that he would never do more than give in to his physical needs with a woman. He’d always made sure that he satisfied his bedmate of the moment. After all, he wasn’t that insensitive a prick, but give in to his pent-up desire for a woman, ache to know her at every possible level? Hell no. He’d never allowed himself that intimacy . . . until Rita.

  Contrary to his decidedly casual approach to sex with a never-ending chain of available women, he’d been intrigued and frankly annoyed by Rita from the first time he’d met her. He’d acknowledged his interest, hell, his obsession, with her from the beginning. The sophisticated, smart-as-hell woman was eons away from the casual women he routinely bedded and as off-putting. It wasn’t just that she was beautiful, which she most assuredly was. But it was the way she wore her beauty that intrigued him. He was sure that her highlighted hair and shaggy cut was as expensive to maintain as it looked. Which made his desire to tug on it irresistible. He wanted to weave his fingers in the disheveled strands and use it to pull back her head, bare her throat to his lips and teeth. Dark eyebrows and lush lashes framed her emerald-green eyes that sparkled with wry humor. As for her mouth, he’d known from the first time her saw her that at some point he would kiss her. How could he not? Her lips were full, meant to be kissed, just as her mouth was worthy of exploration. A mouth that was known for its sharp tongue, dismissive taunts, and biting wit.

  Now, lying beside her naked body, Titus was stunned at how he’d taken her. Even he admitted he’d essentially attacked her. How else to describe the way he’d held her against the wall, daring her to ride his fearsome cock. The fact that she’d nearly come on his thigh shocked him. Even more shocking was his driving need to touch her, explore her, and, fuck yes, taste her. More than anything, he wanted to break through the debilitating shale of bad experiences she’d shakily confessed to. Involvements that had convinced her that she wasn’t “good” at sex, that she couldn’t satisfy him. He’d been determined to erase the damage done by hesitant men who’d been put off by her haughty exterior, not willing to challenge the hungry woman that lived beneath that debilitating shell. But Titus acknowledged it was that haughty shell that most intrigued him. He was determined to crack through it. Peel back her defenses and open her to the mastery of a dominant man. Let her know the excitement of giving in to a man who, in this realm, was more powerful than she was.

  Holding her body, redolent with the fragrance of their combined erotic juices, he remembered how he’d insisted that she hold onto the slats on the headboard. That she keep her arms above her head to better reveal her lush breasts. Breasts that he’d spent long moments stroking, sucking, and ultimately using to bring her to a riveting climax. He smiled, remembering how he smacked her bottom, warning her that if she didn’t behave, his cuffs were a drawer away, then laughing when she held on to the slats as if her life depended on it. As he’d promised, he attacked her most private places with his fingers, his lips, and his expert tongue. Pressing her knees against her chest, he tasted the scintillating dew on her swollen labia, then kissed her, sharing it with her. He insisted again and again that she give in to the torrent of sensations he was wringing from her gloriously receptive body.

  As he prepared to enter her, he was shocked at her tight channel. Gratified that his insistent loving had ensured that she was wet with desire, even so, he knew his fearsome staff was more than she’d ever experienced. Determined to go slow, take her easy, and not hurt her, he was grateful when she’d begged him to come into her deeper, harder, and most of all, not to stop. When he finally allowed himself to rise up over her and bury himself deep inside her welcoming body, he didn’t know whose fervent cries were more powerful, hers or his. Holding her next to him, he’d wiped the tears off her face, and praised her beauty and extraordinary response to his powerful loving. It was then that he knew he’d done something he’d promised himself he never would. He acknowledged that he’d found his mate.

  ****

  Rita awoke from a deep sleep, not knowing for a blurred moment where she was. Hearing voices in the other room, she allowed herself to feel the horror of her situation. In a crush of memories, she realized that not only was she in Titus’s bed but she’d also spent the most memorable night of her life with unquestionably the most powerful man she would ever know. The phantasmagoria of sensual things he had done to her body, and to her soul, rolled over her. The memory of his probing hands, expert manipulations, and, most of all, his erotic commands daring her to climb one astonishing mountain of sensation to another washed over her.

  Rising up in the bed and dragging the sheet over her naked body, Rita forced herself to acknowledge where she was and with whom. Yes, she was in Sheriff Titus Trouble’s bed—but she was alone. He wasn’t here. The sound of men’s voices confirmed her worst nightmare. Not only had Titus left her to greet his guest, but the familiar tones confirmed that as instructed, Dante had made his expected delivery. Knowing she would never be able to face the barkeep again, she acknowledged that her time with the overwhelming sheriff was coming to a close. Only the promise of Dante’s repast remained on the sheriff’s agenda.

  Hearing the door close and Titus rustling in the main room, preparing for her departure, Rita forced herself to deal with her trying circumstances. From a distant memory, she recalled that what were left of her clothes were in the other room. Which meant that she would be forced to meet her absent lover for “dinner” stark naked or wrapped in a sheet. Determined to make the best of an untenable situation, she rifle
d through the chest of drawers against the wall and found one of Titus’s tee shirts. Slipping it on, she was relieved and a little amused that it hit her at mid-thigh. She decided it was the most cover she was likely to find among his He-Man-sized apparel. Raising her chin, she forced herself to walk into the other room with as much dignity as her compromised position would allow.

  Chapter 12

  Her brazen conviction that she could handle the untenable situation she was about to face died a premature death when she strode into the adjoining room, her chin in the air. Titus was crouched in front of the fireplace, stoking an emerging fire with an iron poker. Hearing the door open, he rose to his feet and turned to her. He was naked from the waist up, loose sweatpants hung low on his hips. She saw that he was barefoot, and she incongruously confirmed that she was staring at the sexiest and most compelling man she’d ever seen.

  His lips quirked up in a grin when he saw her. Nodding at her oversized tee shirt, he chuckled. “I like it. Although, I like what’s underneath it even better.”

  It was then that Rita allowed herself to acknowledge the arrangements he’d made. In addition to the now-raging fire, he’d stacked seat cushions against the base of the sofa and spread a pallet of blankets on the floor in front of the fire. She saw a wine bucket on a low table, chilling several bottles of wine. Dante’s takeout boxes were next to wine glasses, plates, and silverware.

  Obviously seeing her surprise, Titus shrugged and shot her a sexy wink. “I thought we might have a picnic in front of the fire.” He looked her up and down and added, “I hope you are as hungry as I am, Counselor.”

  Not knowing whether she was more likely to laugh or cry, Rita tried for humor. Unfortunately, her words were as strained as she felt. “I . . . I . . . yes, I’m hungry . . . ” At his frown, she couldn’t hold back her tortured fears. “I . . . I thought you were going to send me home. That . . . that was what you did . . . when you were finished.”

  Titus’s frown deepened and a tic tugged at his cheek. “What I did when I was through with one of those numerous ‘roll-in-the-hay’ survivors you alluded to before?”

  Willing the tears burning the backs of her eyelids not to fall, she tried to explain but then shook her head, certain she’d not only spoiled his surprising preparations but also made him angry.

  His voice was soft but commanding. “Come here.” He pointed to a spot in front of him and nodded for her to come to him.

  Knowing that it was unlikely that her shaky legs could hold her upright, much less let her walk to him, she raised her hands and shrugged helplessly.

  “Hmm. If you can’t come to me as I requested, I will need to come to you. Because, Rita, if I’ve ever seen a beautiful woman who needs to be held, it’s you.” In seconds, he had her in his arms and was holding her tightly against him.

  Titus was quiet for a long moment, determining how he was going to respond to her fears, much less her damning assumptions about his intentions. Rubbing at the tears on her cheeks with his thumb, he murmured, “I’m going to be painfully honest with you, Rita. In my shabby past, yes, when I was ‘finished’ with my companion for the evening, I did rather peremptorily send her on her way. Worse than that, I usually gave her Dante’s takeout rather than sharing it with her.” When she looked up at him in surprise, he shrugged. “Yeah, I know. I’m as arrogant an asshole as you’ve surmised.”

  Rita forced herself to respond. “But you aren’t doing that with me.” She swallowed visibly, then waved her hand at the scene he’d created and whispered, “Instead . . . you did all of this . . . ”

  Holding her in his firm embrace, he agreed. “Yes, I did all of this. Do you know why?” When she just shook her head, not able to get the words to come out of her desert-dry mouth, he said fiercely, “Because, dammit, I couldn’t bear the thought of you leaving. I wanted to do everything I could to keep you here. Hell, I even thought I might arrest you.” At her startle, he gave a shaky laugh. “A house arrest, of sorts.” At her tentative smile, he explained, “Truth be told, sweetheart, I wanted to lay with you in front of the fire, feed you morsels of food from my fingers, and ply you with expensive wine. Anything to postpone the time that you would leave me.” His voice dropping, he added, “That was after I’d made love to you several more times, ensuring that you know you are the most spectacular thing that has ever happened to me.”

  Rita choked and asked, “Did you really send them home with the takeout?”

  He started at her non sequitur, then nodded but couldn’t hide the laughter sparking in his dark gray eyes. “Yeah, I did.” He shrugged. “I told you I was an arrogant prick, Rita.”

  “Yes, Sheriff Trouble, you most certainly were.”

  He laughed. “Thank you, sweetheart, for the past tense. Now, can we please get this show on the road? Not only am I ravenous from our rapacious loving, but I need to get enough strength to make good on my intentions to give you at least four more orgasms before I let you leave.”

  Rita managed to smile at him through her tears. “Only four, Sheriff?”

  He grinned. “You’re right, Counselor. We have at least three hours until daybreak. Four orgasms won’t begin to capture what I have in mind for you. Best we get started, Attorney Davidson. I don’t want you to think I’m a slacker.”

  She laughed. “But first, can we eat? I’m starving, and I don’t want you to think you can send me home with takeout.”

  “Yeah, baby, we can eat first. But do know that you don’t get by with that broadside you flung at me. I believe I’ve made my obsession with your ass clear, Attorney Davidson. What I haven’t revealed is my intention to turn you over my knee and spank those glorious cheeks a bright, rosy red when the need arises. Lumping yourself with those benighted ‘roll-in-the-hay survivors’ was a bad move, Rita—at least for you. It guaranteed that you will leave here knowing what happens to bad girls who provoke their commanding lovers. Those arrogant men who are only too pleased to bring their naughty lovers to heel when they misbehave.” Pulling her up against his powerful frame, he drawled, “Don’t say you haven’t been warned, my exasperating woman. And, honey, you’d be well advised to bring a pillow to your court appearance tomorrow. Wouldn’t want that sweet ass of yours to be too uncomfortable . . . ”

  Chapter 13

  Rita carefully stacked the multitudinous papers from her briefcase into neat piles, confirming that she had everything she needed to make a compelling case before the court. She allowed an ironic smile to curve her lips, acknowledging that she was unlikely to refer to any of her notes. As always, her exacting preparations before she ever walked into a courtroom allowed her to put aside her fastidiously prepared documents, having committed everything they included to her powerful memory.

  It was just as well that she was prepared to address the court and no doubt win the case. Since the night Titus had turned her orderly life upside down, she’d been hit by one jarring experience after another. Not the least of which was her public altercation with Martin Powell. Within two days of the court throwing out her attempt to accuse Sheriff Trouble and Deputy Trouble of police brutality, the senator was hit with a succession of serious charges including money laundering, tax evasion, and, for good measure, six counts of sexual abuse by current and former staffers. Two of the women charged the senator with forcible rape.

  Rita turned down Martin’s frantic entreaties that she represent him. His demands became more and more abusive when she refused. The irate senator claimed that it would be the biggest trial in the state and make her the most well-known defense attorney in the country. He insisted she had no choice but to represent him. Rita steadfastly refused to take his calls after telling him in no uncertain terms she wouldn’t consider defending him. He responded by unleashing a torrent of public accusations against her, alleging that she’d been derelict in her duties and had grossly overcharged for her services. He had even implied that the reason she refused to defend him was because she was angry that he’d apparently been with women other th
an her.

  It didn’t help the senator’s case that District Attorney Zane Wilder was leading the prosecution against the senator and that one of his most prominent witnesses was none other than the senator’s long-time nemesis, Sheriff Titus Trouble. Titus was crystal clear when the senator publically demanded that Rita represent him. He’d called her and said, “I presume I do not have to tell you what will happen if you even consider representing that despicable asshole.”

  She’d laughed and challenged him. “What would the big, bad sheriff do, Titus? Spank my perky ass?”

  He’d guffawed. “No, Rita. Au contraire. I would promise never to spank you again. Given how much we both enjoy that little treat, I presume you agree, it would be a devastating punishment for an irredeemable act.”

  She’d persisted. “Hmm, never?”

  At his agreeing snort, she’d concluded, “In that case, I guess it’s a good thing I told Martin to fuck himself and that if he called me again, I would sic the sheriff of Cochise County on him and the result wouldn’t be pretty.”

  The laughter underlying his response was clear. “Given that, Counselor, you can assure your ‘perky’ ass that it can look forward to a tune-up the next time we meet.”