by Chelle Bliss
“Fucker,” I muttered to Morgan as I turned slowly and placed my palms flat on the back of my neck so the Andy Griffith wannabe could reach.
“I’ll get you out,” Morgan said to me before the sheriff cuffed me and hauled my ass to jail.
* * *
“You have a rap sheet a mile long,” Andy said, sitting at his desk only feet from my cell. Of course, it was my made-up name for the guy, but I didn’t feel like learning his real name.
“Yep,” I replied, stretching out on the cold metal bench in my lonely cell. The joint looked like something from out of an old Western. Wooden walls, three cells, and a desk were all that made up the police station. I guess Podunk, Georgia didn’t get much action.
“B&E, Grand Theft, Assault.” He rattled off my charges and convictions while I sat there, staring at the ceiling and wondering where the fuck Morgan was—it had been three hours. I could barely keep my eyes open as he went on and on. “I don’t think the judge is going to give you bail. You’re a menace, Mr. North.”
I wanted to argue with him, because I wasn’t the same dumbass I was ten years ago, but I didn’t bother. It didn’t matter what I said, he wasn’t going to let me go.
“Served hard time back in the eighties, even. Folks around here don’t take kindly to people like you coming here and starting trouble.”
I sighed loudly and thumped the back of my head against the bars. “I didn’t start anything. Travis hit me six times before I even laid my hands on him.”
“You weren’t the one on the ground, North. I don’t even see a mark on you.”
“I can’t help it if the guy can’t fight for shit.” I was grouchy, tired, and not in the mood for any more of his bullshit. Just as I opened my mouth, about to spout off, Morgan breezed through the door.
“Can I help you?” Andy asked him without even standing to greet him.
Morgan gave me a quick chin lift before greeting the sheriff. “I’m here for Mr. North.”
“Sorry, sir. He’s stuck here until the judge comes in.”
“There’s a phone call coming for you about Mr. North.”
Andy glanced back at me with the most unimpressed look. “Rules are rules, son. He’s going to be here for a—” He was cut off when the phone rang. Morgan’s eyes slid to mine when Andy answered the phone. “Hello, Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department.” He leaned back in his chair, rocking back and forth but not speaking.
Morgan walked up to my cell and sighed. “Sorry it took so long, man. It isn’t easy getting in touch with everyone at this hour.”
I motioned toward the douchebag. “Who’s on the phone?”
“I called Thomas, and he got in touch with an old buddy at the DEA. He called in a favor and is getting you released.”
I smirked. “Andy isn’t going to like that.”
“Andy? You guys buds now?”
“Fuck no. I’ll explain later.”
“Yes, sir,” Andy said and swiveled around in his seat, glaring at us.
“Guess he heard the news.” I chuckled.
“Fuck him. That asshole deserved to be laid out.”
“So I didn’t fuck up for once?”
Morgan sighed and shook his head. “I can’t say that you did.”
“Looks like you’re off the hook,” Andy said as he hung up the phone. “It pains me to let you out, but when the US government calls and says to release you, I don’t have much to argue about.” He stalked toward the cell and fished his keys from his belt buckle.
“Thanks,” I told Morgan, but Andy thought I was talking to him.
“Don’t thank me.” He motioned toward Morgan before finally opening my cage. “Thank your buddy over there.”
I climbed to my feet and stretched before stepping outside the last jail cell I ever planned to inhabit. If I never came back to this shit town, it would be too soon.
“If I were you, I wouldn’t stick around town,” Andy warned.
I gave a curt nod. “I didn’t plan on staying.”
“We’re on our way out,” Morgan said.
“Good idea.” Andy took a seat at the desk and pulled out a manila envelope with my personal belongings.
I grabbed them without a thank you and followed Morgan into the parking lot. “Elvira ready to roll?”
“Yep. I made friends with someone at the bar after you left. He fixed it, but it cost me three times the normal amount. I didn’t give a fuck. I just want out of this shithole.”
“Perfect. Get us the fuck out of this place. Don’t stop until we hit Florida.”
“On it,” he said, unlocking the doors to Elvira, his sleek black Challenger.
She purred like a kitten when he started her engine, and he peeled out of the parking lot, the back tires fishtailing all over the road.
“Yeah, that won’t have Andy coming after us.”
“He can’t catch us. Don’t worry. I’ve done this before.” His smile was visible in the dull blue lighting of the dashboard.
“That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.”
“Just close your eyes and shut up. We’ll be home before you know it.”
“Bossy motherfucker. I’d argue with you, kid, but sleep sounds too good right now,” I said as I closed my eyes and thought about Fran until I drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Twelve
Fran
The doorbell rang just after noon, and I ran to the door, excited to finally see Bear. But when I opened it, it wasn’t him filling my doorway but Morgan instead.
“We gotta talk,” he barked and pushed past me, walking into the hallway and kicking off his shoes.
I slammed the front door and turned to face him with my hands on my hips. “Nice to see you too.”
He didn’t seem amused today. “Drop it, Ma.” He stalked off into the kitchen, and I followed close behind him.
“What’s the problem?”
“Bear.” His voice was flat, and I couldn’t read him.
“What about him?” I asked, toying with the cross around my neck.
He pulled a coffee cup out of the cabinet and helped himself to the fresh pot I’d brewed for Bear. “I want you to stay away from him.”
I glanced toward the door, hoping Bear wasn’t about to knock. I’m sure once he saw Morgan’s car in the driveway, he’d wait until the coast was clear. “Why?”
“’Cause he’s trouble.” He carried the cup to the table and made himself at home.
Sitting down across from him, I rested my chin in my palm. “I’m an adult, Morgan.”
He leaned back in the chair and stared out the window. “I can’t have my mom messing around with a fellow employee. I have to look him in the face every day, and I shouldn’t want to punch his lights out. It’s not fair to either of us.”
“You know I love you, right?” I tried to be diplomatic, but in no way was my son going to run my life.
“Yeah.” He dragged his eyes to mine and narrowed his gaze. “What’s that have to do with anything?”
“You need to mind your own business.”
“This is my business. I work with Bear. I can’t have you gallivanting all over town with him like some love-sick kid.”
My head jerked back. “Gallivanting? Is that what I’m doing?”
“What do you call hanging out at the Neon Cowboy with him, Ma? Seriously, you need to act your age.”
I placed my hands flat on the table and moved them back and forth across the cool wood to stop myself from slapping his pretty little face. “Should I just move into the nursing home now?” I asked sarcastically.
“No, but don’t go to bars and dance with men. At least, the ones I know, please.”
Oh, no, he didn’t. “So you’d rather me go on Tender and hook up.”
His head cocked to the side like he hadn’t heard me, when I knew he did. “Tinder?”
“Yeah. Want me to just go on there and find a man? I mean, there are millions of them on there that would love to get a piece of this.” I motione
Poor Morgan looked like he was about to pass out. “Ma, you gotta stop with this shit. You can’t go on Tinder. It’s too dangerous.”
“Bear’s dangerous. Tender is dangerous.” I mispronounced it just to aggravate him and waved my hands around like a lunatic. “Should I just sit home and crochet until I die?”
He turned the coffee cup in his hand and grimaced. “Fuck! You’re so hardheaded.”
“Listen, kid. I stopped trying to run your life a long time ago. I know you’re worried, but you need to stop your shit. I’m an adult. Bear’s an adult. I’m barely fifty. I’m not ready to become an old lady just yet.”
He stared at me as he lifted the mug to his lips. “I want my mom back,” he grumbled into his coffee.
“I’m still here, kiddo. For the first time in a long time, I actually enjoy spending time with someone, and you want to shit all over my parade.”
“You were spending time with Johnny,” he said with a cocky smirk.
“And he was a thief and a liar. Bear isn’t any of that. You didn’t have a problem when I was with Johnny, so you’re just going to have to swallow your pride and move the fuck on, baby.” I added the little term of endearment to ease the blow of my curse words.
“Fine, Ma.”
“And I had you when I was barely legal and got hitched right away to your piece of shit father. I’m ready to actually have some fun before it’s too late.”
“Okay, okay.” He threw his hands up in surrender. “I get it. Just be careful and tell Bear to keep his hands off you for now. I couldn’t handle seeing him paw you.”
I stood and took two steps to stand over him. “Sure, sweetie,” I lied, placing my lips in his silky black hair. “I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“Thanks.” He smiled up at me when I gave him a pat on the back.
“Shouldn’t you be getting back to work?” I glanced toward the door again.
He looked down at his watch and yawned. “Yeah, it was a long night, but I should at least make an appearance.”
“Okay, baby,” I said, already walking toward the door so he’d be gone before Bear arrived.
Morgan leaned over and gave me a kiss as I opened the door for him. “I’ll call later and check on you.”
I smacked him on the chest playfully. “I’m fine. Spend some time with your wife and stop worrying about me. I’m playing bridge with the ladies later anyway. I won’t be home.”
“Have fun.” He jogged down the front steps toward his car.
“Yeah, it’s going to be a wild night.” I laughed nervously and looked down the street for any sign of Bear, but nothing.
When Morgan’s engine roared to life, he gave me another wave before backing out of my driveway like a maniac. The boy never did learn to drive slowly. It probably wasn’t the best choice for him to get a car with over 400 horsepower either.
I waited for him to pull away before closing the door. Hurrying into the kitchen, I put his coffee cup in the dishwasher and checked my makeup before Bear arrived.
Just as I picked up my phone to call him, there was a knock at the door. “Coming!” I skipped to the door like a kid—at least, feeling like one with butterflies fluttering around my stomach on warp speed.
I yanked the door open and immediately became shadowed from the sunlight. The man was so large that his entire body filled the space, letting no light inside. I smiled gleefully and squinted up at him. “Hey, handsome.”
His gray eyes were hooded as they raked over my body. “Hey, sweetheart. Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?”
I could get lost in him. The years had been fair to him. His eyes weren’t large, but narrowed and focused from his life on the road. The tiny lines in his cheeks and near his eyes gave him even more character but were marred by his beard.
“Wanna come in?” I asked like an idiot, but I was too nervous even though this wasn’t our first time together.
He leaned in and lowered his voice. “I’d bang you out here, but I don’t think the neighbors would appreciate it.” My body began to sway with his words, but he wrapped his large hands around my arms and steadied me. “You okay?”
I laughed and my cheeks burned, but luckily he kept his hands on me. “You just get me so…” My voice trailed off.
He leaned forward and kissed my cheek, sending a shiver throughout my body. His lips grazed my ear and he whispered, “Horny, Fran?”
My toes curled from the vibration of his voice. “I can barely walk, Bear.”
“It’s a good thing you don’t need to stand for what I have planned.”
“Bear,” I said and cleared my throat, trying to get myself out of my lusty haze. “We better go inside before—” I glanced around to see if any of the busybody neighbors were watching.
“Want me to put my bike in the garage?”
“Great idea. I don’t need Morgan coming by again and seeing your bike in the drive.”
“You go inside and get naked, and I’ll stow it.”
“Wait,” I said with one foot inside the doorway. “You expect me to get undressed now?”
“Fran, sweetheart, don’t question me. I only say what I mean, and what I want is your fine self naked and waiting. Hurry or I’ll have to spank that pretty little ass of yours for not following commands.”
“Well,” I said and pulled the cross still dangling from my neck from side to side. If I weren’t already going to hell, Bear would make sure to get me a one-way ticket.
I ran to the kitchen to open the garage for him before making a beeline to the bedroom. My clothes couldn’t come off fast enough as I contorted to work my way out of the super clingy pieces Maria claimed I had to have. Dear God. If Bear had to remove them, it would be a nightmare.
I stood in front of my bed and wondered if I was supposed to lie down or stand here. I fidgeted and shifted on my feet, glancing over my shoulder. When the garage door started to close, I hopped on the bed and tried to look sexy by stretching out on my side with my head propped up in my hand. The girls in Playboy always made it seem like a sexy position.
“For the love of God,” I muttered when I glanced down and caught sight of my belly flowing into the mattress like a mound of half-melted ice cream.
When he walked into the hallway just outside my bedroom, I flopped onto my back to help hide my fluffy stomach. I sucked in a breath as the door swung open, and I waited.
“I love a woman who can follow orders.” He kicked off his boots, and I stared down the length of my body to watch him undress with so much excitement that it was hard to be still.
My chest heaved, and my breathing grew more ragged. The anticipation of what was going to come next was killing me. My heart pounded against my insides so hard I wondered if my old ticker would just give out. God, I hoped he’d at least dress me before calling the coroner to remove my body. My greatest fear has always been to be found like this, sprawled out and naked as the day I was born.
The other night, I didn’t really have a chance to take in the beauty of Bear. We were too busy undressing and getting down to business to really appreciate each other. Even though his face was hairy, he only had a smattering across his chest. There had always been something about a man with chest hair that just screamed manly to me. I wanted to run my fingers through it.
I was so lost in the moment, taking in all of him, including his “pretty dick,” as I’d told Maria, that I hadn’t noticed him stalking toward me. He grabbed my ankles and pulled me down the bed so quick I didn’t even have time to squeal my surprise.
My feet were in the air and over his shoulder moments later. When his mouth came down against my pussy, I twisted against the sheets and lost my breath.
“I missed this beautiful pussy,” he mumbled against my skin before clamping down hard over my clit.
I fisted the comforter, writhing back and forth because of the way he ate me like a starved man. Two nights ago, he’d spent so much time licking me that my head spun. I’d had some good oral sex in my time, men who took their time and treated my vagina more like a sacred flower that they didn’t want to break. But Bear… Bear chowed down like it was the best thing he’d ever had in his mouth. It wasn’t that he rushed it. Fuck, he spent over an hour licking and sucking every inch between my legs.
“So fucking good,” I moaned and dug my heels into his back to trap him against my body.
“Greedy,” he murmured with a tiny chuckle that vibrated against my clit, causing me to spasm uncontrollably.
I ground myself against him and dug my fingers into his hair. I’d always been meek and mild in the bedroom, but there was something about Bear that brought out a different side of me. One that didn’t give a fuck what he was thinking, even though I knew Bear wouldn’t judge me. For once in my life, I was out for me. Greedy, he called me. And I was. Unapologetically, take-what-I-want greedy.
He watched me, our eyes locking on each other as he worshiped me with his mouth. I’d always been the turn the lights off before we get down to business type of gal, but with Bear, I wanted to see him the way he saw me.
It was written all over his face. His attraction. His need. The want he felt for me was almost electric. Why hadn’t I seen it before?
“I’m so close,” I said, pushing his face deeper and holding his mouth hostage against my flesh.
The man had a tongue that worked magic. Swiping to the left, then to the right before making a complete circle that could only be described as magnificent. My feet moved back and forth, my muscles strained as I felt the orgasm building inside me.
His mouth was that good. So good that I wanted him to do it all day, but I also wanted the feeling of euphoria I hadn’t ever experienced, except for the few times I’d experimented with drugs.
When two fingers dipped inside me, stroking that spot that made me lose my breath, I couldn’t hold it back any longer. Everything inside me seized up, including my ability to see straight.
I stared down at him through blurry eyes as he hummed his satisfaction against me, drawing out my climax and my inability to breathe. As each wave crashed over me, his fingers still stroking my insides, I let oblivion take me.
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