Dirty Money

by Michelle Love

  At twenty-eight, Sarah Bailey had known most people on the island since she was a child and living in the now-closed children’s home down on Dogwood Street. When the Jewell family had moved next door the two kids, Molly and Finn, had claimed Sarah as their own. They were drawn to the shy young part-Asian girl; her dark hair tumbling to the middle of her back, the almond eyes so dark and big, fringed with thick lashes. Her beauty was offset by her tomboyish nature – never out of her flared blue jeans and beloved sneakers, her knees and elbows forever grazed from running and climbing. It was a childhood spent climbing trees, swimming, camping out in the county park.

  Unable to stay away from the island, after college and newly married to Daniel Bailey, Sarah had rebuilt the derelict movie house into the Varsity coffee house, mostly with just an instruction manual and the help of Dan, Molly and Finn. The locals watched in admiration – their local girl done good - and when the coffee house finally opened, it became the heart of Main Street. Grizzled fishermen would sit at the counter and order throat-strippingly strong coffee, next to the tourists who enjoyed their tea from the most delicate of china cups. When Dan had disappeared, so shocking, so unexpected, they had rallied around her, not letting her fall apart, not letting her feel the desperate guilt that consumed her when she was alone. She thought about moving away but this place, this little haven of an island an hour away from Seattle, was the only place she’d ever felt like she belonged.

  The day was sultry with humidity. From the coffee shop window, ferries could be seen pulling into the small dock. The Varsity was full, humming with the music of conversation, crockery and Sarah didn’t have a chance to tell Molly about the letter.

  Late afternoon and the rush eased. Sarah opened the till to change some notes. Molly was at the counter flirting with one of their customers. Sarah pulled out the cash tin. She heard a low soft voice across the restaurant and her stomach flipped. She glanced up. Her savior from earlier was chatting with some of the regulars, leaning back in his chair, relaxed, his long denim-clad legs stretched out in front of him.

  “George makes an incredible chocolate mud pie that I practically drool over.”

  “Huh?” Sarah looked at Molly in confusion and her friend grinned.

  “I’m just saying.” She nodded at the guy who was now walking towards them. “That’s how you were looking at that demi-God just then.”

  The demi-God came to the counter. Sarah flushed and scowled at Molly.

  “I was not and shut up. Go wash a cup or something,” she hissed at Molly then turned her burning face to greet him. “Hey.”

  “Hey yourself, beautiful.”

  She flushed again. God, she was divine…

  Isaac Quinn studied the scarlet blush that colored her cheeks, the dark, lovely eyes. He’d seen her name tag earlier… Sarah. It suited her, soft, feminine.

  “What can I get you?” Her voice was gruff and the sound of it made his groin tighten.

  “Now let me see.” He picked up a menu and studied it. Slowly, deliberately he moved his hand so it was next to hers, almost touching. He could feel the heat of her skin, smell her perfume, fresh air, and clean laundry.

  “Okay, you ready?”

  “I’m ready.” She waved her notepad and smiled.

  “You sure?”

  “Sure.”

  Isaac grinned “Fine purveyor of all things drinkable… “I would very much like to partake of a fine cocktail called “A Tea Garden”.”

  Sarah laughed and he saw her eyes start to dance, enjoying the joke.

  “Ok, your wish is my command, what is it?”

  “Okay. It’s one-third vodka, one-third apricot brandy, one-sixth…”

  Sarah started giggling. Isaac mock-scowled at her.

  “I’m not done. One-sixth vermouth and wait for it…one-sixth Tiffin.”

  “Tiffin?”

  “Tiffin.”

  Sarah wrote this down.

  “Just one question… what the hell is a Tiffin?”

  “How should I know? I was kinda hoping you’d tell me.”

  Sarah raised her eyebrows at him, eyes wide and amused. “Well, you’ve got me there. I hate to disappoint.”

  He grinned at her. “Well, you’ll just have to make it up to me… somehow.”

  The blush was back – the air between them electric. She cleared her throat and swept a shaking hand through her hair.

  “Okay, so this cocktail… coffee black, yes?”

  He sighed and shrugged good-naturedly. “You already know me so well. I’m Isaac.”

  She shook his outstretched hand. “Sarah. Sarah Bailey.”

  He held onto her hand. “Well, Sarah Bailey – “ he grinned at her, “I’m delighted to meet you.”

  Sarah looked up from her paperwork just after seven o’clock. The coffee shop was almost emptied - a couple of teenagers hanging out, laughing, glued to their phones. The man who had helped her up earlier was standing near the bookshelves at the back of the room, looking through the racks of battered paperbacks. He glanced up and smiled at her and it was so infectious that Sarah couldn’t help but return the grin.

  “Can you recommend anything?” He called out and she went over. His voice was deep and mellifluous. He was so tall. He dwarfed her five foot five.

  “What kind of thing are you looking for?” Her question was innocent but when she looked up at him, he merely smiled and his eyes locked onto hers in a way that made the blood in her veins become scorching hot. He reached out a finger and lightly brushed her cheek, just briefly before turning back to the shelf. Sarah’s skin burned where he’d touched her.

  “Something new…” he murmured then smiled. “I’m new to the island, actually, thinking of buying a house on the northern point.”

  “Really? I live there too…. just the other side of the boy’s school.”

  Almost imperceptibly he moved closer. Her breath caught in her throat as she gazed up at him. Touch me… Her senses were hyperactive, every nerve ending on fire in the presence of this man. He smiled down at her. Sarah was suddenly aware that the coffee house had emptied out and they were alone.

  “Then we’ll be neighbors, Sarah Bailey,” he said softly. His hand moved to cup her cheek, his big thumb stroking across her skin.

  “Are you free for dinner tonight, Sarah Bailey?”

  The way he said her name made her weak and she nodded. “Come to my place. I’ll cook.” She didn’t know why she had said that - all she knew was that she wanted to be alone with this man. Alone, naked, helpless with desire… all she was feeling she could see reflected in his eyes. He grinned, confident.

  “Write down your address for me… or I could give you a ride home…”

  She had driven into work this morning but to hell with it. “I finish in an hour.”

  Had she lost her mind? She felt almost delirious with desire, knowing without a doubt that if they went home together, they would be naked and writhing and fucking.

  She had to bite back a moan as he slid a finger under her t-shirt and stroked her belly. She closed her eyes and felt his lips against her temple.

  The spell was broken when they heard Molly shouting from the kitchen. She glanced over to the door, almost guiltily, and stepped away from Isaac, still burning from his touch. “An hour, then…”

  Their gazes locked and he nodded. “An hour,” he said, lowering his voice, “an hour, beautiful Sarah and then I’m going to strip you slowly and kiss every part of your glorious body. Then I’m going to fuck you all night long.”

  She did moan then, softly and she tilted her head up to his. His lips brushed against hers.

  “I want to kiss you so deep, Sarah, but I’m afraid that if I do, I’ll lose what little control I have left.”

  She nodded and stepped away.

  “An hour.”

  He touched her cheek. “One hour…I’ll be back to pick you up.”

  Molly stuck her head out of the kitchen and saw her boss standing alone, seemingly frozen
in place. “Hey… you okay?”

  Sarah turned to her, her face red and excited, her eyes wide and filled with wonder. “Yeah, I’m good… more than good.”

  Molly glanced out of the window and saw the back of the guy that had been in the coffeehouse. The one who flirted with Sarah. Molly started to grin.

  “Oh, I see. Someone got a hot date?”

  Sarah laughed and drew in a shaky breath. “You have no idea…”

  Isaac came back for her forty minutes later. “I’m sorry I’m early…I couldn’t wait.”

  “Molly?” Sarah immediately hollered for her friend. “I’m taking off early, you okay?”

  She and Isaac grinned at each other, then the way his eyes swept over her body made her feel naked, desirable and wanted.

  Molly stuck her head out of the kitchen door. “Of course.” She saw Isaac and her smile widened. “Definitely. Go… go…”

  They were still laughing as they walked to his car, Isaac holding the door open for her. She directed him towards the road to her house and as he drove, he reached over and took her hand. She laughed softly.

  “I kinda feel like I’m dreaming,” she confessed and Isaac smiled at her.

  “I know what you mean but this is happening, Sarah.” His hand slid under her dress and brushed against her inner thigh, making her gasp. Then he began to caress her, feeling her warm dampness against his fingers as she became aroused.

  “I don’t do this…. god… I mean, this is not something that happens to me. Jesus, Isaac, that feels so good….”

  Isaac gave a low chuckle. “You have no idea the things I’m going to do to you tonight, beautiful.”

  She rolled her hips, grinding against his hand. “Get home quicker,” she laughed breathlessly.

  She barely had time to open the door before they were tearing each other’s clothes off. She reached into his pants and felt the hot, huge length of him against her palm, rock-hard and trembling.

  “I want to be inside you.” He tumbled her to the floor, tearing her panties off and hitching her legs around his hips. Sarah moaned as he teased her with the wide crest of his cock, sliding it along her slick sex then crying out as he drove the diamond hard length into her. Hard, thrusting, pinning her hands above her head.

  “Look at me…”

  She met his gaze, saw how intense his green eyes were; completely focused on her as they fucked. Isaac thrust harder, pressing her legs further apart as he rammed into her.

  “Christ, Sarah… I want you, I want you…”

  She felt her limbs liquefy under the assault on her senses, her clit pulsing, her cunt gripping his cock, urging him deeper.

  She came; her entire body vibrating, crying out his name, losing herself in the utter bliss of her orgasm, feeling his cock shooting hot semen deep inside her as he climaxed.

  “God, Sarah, Sarah, Sarah…”

  They shuddered and shivered their way to calmness, catching their breath, him still inside her as they calmed down. They looked at each other and started to laugh in disbelief. He brushed a damp lock of hair away from her face and pressed his lips to hers.

  “That’s one way of being welcomed to the neighborhood.”

  Sarah chuckled, still breathless. “That was incredible.”

  Isaac smiled down at her. “And you know what? We’re going to do that all night long. Show me to your bedroom, my Sarah.”

  Her stomach dropped with pleasure. My Sarah. They disconnected and, leaving their clothes where they’d fallen, Sarah led him upstairs.

  He had watched the car pull up to her house, saw the tall stranger take Sarah’s hand and walked with her into the house. Before they’d kicked the door shut, he’d seen them kissing, clawing at each other.

  Fucking whore. Who the hell was this guy? Did she just meet him? She was his, and his alone. These last two years he’d watched over her, kept her safe and now… the fury at her betrayal ripped through him and he wanted to kick his way into the house, drag the guy off of her and beat the shit out of him. To show her. To show her how much he loved her.

  Then, when she understood, he would take his knife and show her over and over how much he loved her…

  Sarah woke up early, feeling a happiness she hadn’t felt in a long time. Beside her, Isaac slept on his stomach, his face soft with sleep, his arm flung across her stomach. They had made love long into the night, finally falling asleep as the sun began to climb into the Washington sky. She turned onto her side, propped her head up on her arm and studied him. There was something familiar about him, something she couldn’t define. His arm, so massive, felt good curved around her. She bent her head and kissed him softly, the stubble rough against her lips. Isaac murmured and smiled in his sleep.

  Sarah slipped carefully from the bed and tugged her jeans and t-shirt on. Going down to the kitchen, she put the coffee pot on and opened the back door. The day was already warm and she sat down on the porch steps to think. Her head was spinning from the last twenty-four hours – and the man asleep in her bed.

  He was undeniably gorgeous but as well as that, she’d discovered that he was also funny, kind and an incredible lover. The way he’d fucked her in the hallway last night, so masterfully, so expertly… god, she’d never felt like that before. Not with Dan, not with anyone. She’d never known sex could be like that: animal, feral, almost violent. The way his huge cock plowed her into delirium, his mouth on her clit – she drew in a shaky breath. Damn, she was getting wet again just thinking about it, despite the fact her thighs still ached from last night. She didn’t even know this man, just went with her instincts. I guess I moved on then, she grinned to herself. It was strange – for two years she had been trying to find out what happened to Dan but lately, a resentment had been building. Her relationship with her husband had always been up and down but before he’d gone, it had started to feel alien. Like she didn’t know who that person was anymore. He was different. She’d started to suspect he was having an affair but the day she had planned to confront him, she’d gotten home to find him gone. She’d wandered around near their home, looking to see if she could find him, if he’d taken their dog Wilson for a walk. She’d called out for her husband, and for her beloved Labrador but had found nothing. When she climbed up to the abandoned lighthouse on the edge of their property, she found Dan’s keys, phone, wallet, shoes laid out in a neat line at the edge of the cliff. Wilson had been tied up and whined when he saw her.

  That’s when she’d panicked.

  Sarah pushed the memory away. No. No way. Nothing was going to spoil her mood today. Whatever happened now between her and Isaac, last night had been the most erotic in her life. Nothing would change that, even if it turned out to be a one night stand. Sarah pushed away the quick rush of pain that idea brought her.

  She shifted and felt a rustle in the pocket of her jeans and pulled out the letter she’d received the day before. The latest letter, she thought. Isaac’s presence had made her feel weirdly safer and she steeled herself and ripped it open.

  I’m always watching, I see you, Sarah, don”t let me down…

  She screwed it up and threw it aside. It was the third strange note she’d received but she figured it was some jerk trying to freak her out. She thought she might have an idea who it was too – the ever charming Caroline. Hateful woman.

  Eager to expunge the bad taste the letter had left, she scrambled to her feet, went inside to make the coffee. Taking them upstairs, she saw Isaac sitting up in bed, stretching. He grinned when he saw her.

  “Good morning, beautiful.”

  She put the cups down on the nightstand, leaned over to kiss him.

  “Good morning yourself, handsome.”

  He slid his hands into her hair as he kissed her. “God, you taste so good.”

  She chuckled her lips against his mouth. “Even with morning breath?”

  “Especially that. I do have one complaint. You have too many clothes on.”

  Sarah grinned and stood up, peeling her t-sh
irt off slowly, then her jeans. Isaac’s eyes moved over her body appreciatively. She sat down next to him, bending to kiss his hard chest.

  Isaac trailed a finger down her spine and she shivered with pleasure. She stood and moved toward the bathroom, beckoning him.

  “Wanna join me in the shower?”

  Isaac grinned. “You know I do.”

  As they stood under the cool spray, Sarah took him into her mouth, hollowing out her cheeks as her warm, wet mouth enveloped his cock, sucking at him, teasing the tip with her tongue. Isaac sucked in a deep breath of pleasure, his fingers tangling in her dark hair. She brought him to the edge of climax before he lifted her easily and plunged into her, pressing her back against the cool tile, his mouth hungry on hers.

  “God, Sarah. I could fuck you all day.”

  She laughed, gasping as he thrust hard into her, his cock unrelenting as it drove her towards orgasm. “Fuck me harder, Isaac….” She gasped as, grinning, he did as she asked, and ramming his hips against hers until she felt her body melt and shudder.

  Afterward, they dressed and Sarah cooked them breakfast; scrambled eggs and maple bacon, fresh fruit, and juice. They ate on her porch, looking down to the small cove at the end of her garden.

  “It’s beautiful here,” Isaac said thoughtfully, munching on a strip of crispy bacon. “The island, the Sound… the coffee house owners.” He grinned at her as she rolled her eyes and smiled.

  “What made you decided to move here?”

  Isaac sipped his coffee.

  “I wanted somewhere out of the city. I love Seattle but sometimes it can get claustrophobic.”

  Sarah ate a forkful of eggs. “What do you do?”

  For a second, his eyes were amused. “I own a tech company.”