by Bijou Hunter
Except my mind can’t forget. Like my daughter in the next room, Kim feels far away, but she still exists, and she once knew Bonn in the same way I’m about to know him again.
His lips find mine, and he kisses me harder, faster, begging for an answer his probing cock asks between my legs. Can he reclaim what he lost even if for one night?
I think of Harmony, a hint of my old life before this heated moment. She said Kim stole my man, and I need to reclaim him. Until I did, I wouldn’t truly see Bonn, only what was stolen.
My legs wrap around Bonn, my hips tilt backward, and my pussy opens for him. Not trusting my currently slumbering temper, I don’t say the words. I can’t cry out his name in approval. My heart and mind fall silent while my body welcomes him back.
Twenty Seven - Bonn
Ruby exhales deeply when my cock enters her body. With every inch, the pink of her cheeks warms. Eyes closed, she’s the picture of erotic perfection. How have I gone so long without witnessing her pleasured expression? Even worse, how did I think to betray such a divine creature?
We’ve been apart for too long to take our time finding satisfaction. Like two animals in heat, we move fast and hard together, needing relief from the misery I forced upon us.
Her body breaks out in a sweat when I reach down to tease her clit. I see the hot beads glisten on her skin in the mirror. I watch the way she leans her head to each side and how her dark hair sways against her bare skin.
I want Ruby to come again. I want to taste her on my fingers. I want to devour the flesh now full of my cock. I want everything, and I can hardly wait to come so I can fuck her again.
My fingers tickle down her spine, teasing the bones before I grip her hips with both hands and thrust harder. I wish I could spend forever watching Ruby’s body in the mirror, but I’ve lasted longer than my balls can tolerate.
Aroused beyond anything I’ve ever endured, I need to come inside Ruby and reclaim my woman. I don’t think of relationships or feelings. I only need to possess her in a way a man owns a woman. Primal and desperate, I need to fuck her forever so no one else can ever know her in this way.
Cupping her breast, I pinch the nipple between my fingers while my other hand wraps around her back to keep her from sliding on the slick countertop.
“Bonn,” she moans, biting into my arm to stifle her cries of pleasure.
The hunger in her voice mixes with the pain from her teeth, leaving me a slave to my orgasm. Grunting with satisfaction, I fill her pussy with my seed. Something I had feared as a teenager, I now crave as a man.
I demand Ruby be mine, and no one else’s. If I could leave a claiming mark on her, I would. Instead, I thrust deeper until Ruby whimpers at the pressure. She never pauses her hips, never pushes me away. She craves more pain and pleasure. Every sensation is both too much yet never enough.
Cupping the back of her neck, I wish I could say magical words to fix what I broke. I stare into her dark, pleasured eyes and wish everything were different. That I’d never made her cry or doubt herself. That I’d never failed our family. That I’d been an honorable man when it counted.
“What now?” she asks, sounding lost in the pleasure still radiating between our bodies.
“Everything,” I whisper. “That’s what I want and what you need. Just everything.”
Ruby stares at me, unable to respond. She’s stuck in the basest part of her mind where only carnal needs matter. Tomorrow, she’ll remember my sins. For tonight, we can forget.
Twenty Eight - Ruby
After an hour in the bathroom with Bonn, I sleep like the dead. My body feels emptied out in the best way. Leaving Bonn in a hurry, I climbed into bed, afraid to say or do anything that might ruin my satisfied buzz.
Elle doesn’t sleep like the dead. She wakes up at seven in the same way she does at home. I stir when she climbs out of bed. She sits at the small table and plays on her tablet while nibbling on one of the millions of snacks I brought since I apparently didn’t think food existed in Kentucky.
Finally, Bonn’s voice wakes me enough to force my butt out of bed. I hear Elle whispering to him about the hotel’s free breakfast and how she isn’t that hungry, but she would eat a lot if we went. Catching the hint, I drag myself to the shower.
Awake now, I realize the face in the mirror won’t win any beauty contests. I’m too tired to care. Well, until I open the bathroom door to find Bonn looking sleepy yet perfect. The expression he gives me mimics the one from the night before when he took charge and gave me what I desperately needed.
Staring into his eyes, I remember how full I felt with him inside me. I’d gone far too fucking long without knowing that feeling, and I never want to go so long without it again.
“Good morning,” he says, leaning down to kiss me.
Suddenly, I remember something besides dick, pussy, and orgasm. My daughter is nearby. This man cheated on me with a stupid bitch he claims he didn’t even like. Oh, and today he is meeting with the top criminal in these parts.
Stepping back, I press my hand to his chest. “Last night was fun, but I’m not sure what it was beyond that.”
“Fun?” he asks, cocking an eyebrow.
“Don’t get your panties in a bunch.”
“Speaking of panties, when did you start sleeping without them?”
Rolling my eyes, I whisper, “Last night happened because I hadn’t had sex for so long. I got caught up in the physical stuff, but I’m not okay with the other stuff. Do you get me?”
A smiling Bonn nods. “Oh, I get you, minx.”
I start to push past him to find my shoes when an idea pops in my head. Pausing, I whisper, “I’m on the pill. I probably should have mentioned that last night, but my brain wasn’t in charge.”
“I know the feeling,” he says, running his fingers down my spine the way he did when my body was filled with his cock.
“Stop,” I whimper, now wanting to fuck so badly I doubt I can walk straight.
“Mom, here are your shoes.”
Nothing kills the ache between my legs like the child I shoved out of that region. She smiles at me while handing over my shoes. I return her smile and mentally thank her for throwing cold water on my lust.
We walk downstairs to the breakfast area where Elle acts like she’s at the fanciest place on the planet. She wants everything even while seeming nervous she might embarrass herself in front of the other Holiday Inn Express visitors.
Wearing a satisfied smile, Bonn silently watches us throughout breakfast. I avoid his gaze, unable to deal with my competing emotions. Rather than ponder complicated things like love, forgiveness, and animalistic lust, I focus on my daughter.
“Dad, where are you going today?” Elle asks while we walk back to the room.
“I have a business meeting.”
“About what?”
“Boring stuff.”
Elle gives him a weird look, and I don’t blame her. She thinks he does construction and that means he builds stuff. When I told her about the trip, she asked if he was building something in Kentucky and I said no. Elle tends not to ask questions when she worries about the answers.
Once in the room, she crawls onto the bed and stretches out with the remote. I smile at how tall she is already. Sally is five-seven like me, and I suspect Elle will beat us both.
“Can we talk?” Bonn whispers in my ear, startling me from my thoughts.
We stand at the door while Elle finds cartoons to watch.
“I have a stupid question,” Bonn says.
“Spill it, and I promise not to laugh and point.”
Wearing a dark blue button-up shirt and black jeans, Bonn shakes out his arms and checks himself in the mirror.
“What do I do with my hands?” he asks, in nearly a whisper. “If I stand with my arms relaxed, I look too passive. If I put my hands in my pockets, I seem too casual. If I cross my arms, I come off as aggressive. What’s the right way to handle someone like Johansson?”
“The twins are like him.”<
br />
“Yes, but they’ve known me since we were kids. I never worry about making a good impression with them.”
Studying him, I have an incredible urge to touch his neck and run my fingers south until I hit pay dirt.
“Don’t think about how to behave. Men like Johansson spend their time with tough guys and will know when someone’s putting on an act. You’re not looking to join their club. You don’t need to make a good impression. You just need to remember the facts of your plan. He’ll decide if it works for him, not based on you but the numbers.”
Exhaling slowly, Bonn struggles against his nerves. Seeing his vulnerability freaks me out a little. He hasn’t acted this way around me since we first found out I was pregnant and he thought I’d blame him for having super sperm.
“I’ve run through what I want to say so many times that it’s a mess in my head.”
“I know you have a lot riding on today, but you’re good under pressure. Every time you had a school presentation, you would get nervous about saying something dumb. Then you’d stand up and blow everyone away. It was ridiculous how relaxed you got when you were on. You need to trust that’ll happen today with Johansson.”
The anxiety in his gaze fades, leaving behind what I can only assume is a strong interest in seeing me naked soon.
Patting his hand, I step back. “If you plan to work for someone like Hayes, you’ll need to handle rough types. Not goofballs like your cousins when they’re with you, but the way they are with other rough types. You’ll need to walk into a room and feel like you belong. If you can’t do that, your big plan won’t work. Common Bend is a mess, and you told Hayes you could clean it up. I know you have it in you to be a cold fucker in the right circumstances. Now you have to prove it to him.”
Bonn smiles at my words, but I’m fairly certain he’s thinking about how close we’re standing to the bathroom. His mind is on last night, and my mind can’t help recalling the amazing power of orgasms.
Now isn’t the time for a replay of last night’s greatest hits, but I give him a goodbye kiss that promises more if only he’ll return safely to Elle and me.
Twenty Nine - Bonn
The Reaper’s main office is located between a Thai restaurant and a frozen yogurt shop. Parking across the street from it, I survey the area. Mothers push strollers, and college kids stare at their tablets. If not for the Harleys parked in front of the office, I’d think I was in the wrong place.
Inside the office, I find an elderly woman sharpening a pencil until it’s a mere stump. She looks up at me before throwing the pencil into the trash.
“May I help you?” she asks, fiddling with her glasses.
“I have an appointment with Mr. Johansson.”
“Yes. He’s finishing up with something important. Please sit down, and I’ll ask when he can see you.”
I watch the little woman shuffle down a hallway. When she opens a door, I hear the distinct sounds of a pool game in progress.
“Cooper, that man is here,” she says.
“Thanks, Bette. I’m about to beat these shitheads. Give me a minute.”
The woman shuts the door and shuffles back. She sits in her chair, adjusts herself, looks over her desk, and finally glances up at me.
“He’s on a call, but he’ll see you soon.”
Smiling, I admire her ability to lie so effortlessly. No doubt Bette was a heartbreaker in her youth and lied to the boys to keep them hanging on.
I check my phone while I wait for Johansson. Ruby texted me a thumbs-up gif. I also find a message from Candy reminding me about the meeting and how I better not fuck it up. She follows that message with a smiling face, leaving me unsure if she’s serious about her threat or not.
“Bette, send him back,” Johansson says from down the hall.
“You heard him,” she says, sharpening another pencil to oblivion.
I walk past her and down the hallway to an office where two men and a woman wait. The older guy has dark hair and light eyes and is probably the muscle. The way he stands next to the dark-haired, young woman makes me think they’re together.
The guy behind the desk is clearly the boss. While I expect Cooper to be around the twins’ age, he seems younger. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s only a few years past legal to buy beer. His blond hair has a boyish quality betrayed by his hard, dark eyes.
“Bonn Fletcher,” he says, gesturing for me to sit down. “These are my associates, Judd and Tawny. They’re sticking around while we talk. Now let’s get to the point because I’m curious as fuck about why you’re here.”
“Didn’t Hayes give you a hint?”
“I talked to his wife, who is a fan of cryptic messages. Apparently, you’re a deal maker, and I’m your newest mark.”
Exhaling, I need to thank Candy for prepping Cooper so well. “Hayes wants to buy Common Bend.”
Cooper doesn’t hide his surprise. Blinking hard, he regains his composure quickly, but I relax knowing he isn’t the all-seeing badass I’d imagined.
“Why the fuck would he want Common Bend?”
“So the Serrated Brotherhood can’t have it.”
Cooper smiles, but his eyes crackle with anger. “They already can’t fucking have it.”
“That’s not what I hear in Hickory Creek. The current management wants Common Bend.”
“Why?”
“Ego shit going back to when your dad took it from them.”
“Yeah, they fucking lost it, and they can’t have it back.”
His anger stalls my confidence. Before fearing I’ve bitten off more than I can handle, I smile at the thought of Ruby. Cooper isn’t sure what to make of my grin and watches me warily. I suspect he worries I’ll make a move against him. Behind me, his guy stiffens and stands closer to the woman.
“I’m going to be square with you. Besides your name and the name of your club, I don’t know shit about you,” I say, resting my hands on my lap. “I don’t know what you can and can’t do, so maybe you want a war with the Brotherhood over a shitty little town. Or possibly you know Common Bend is more work than it’s worth and you want rid of it.”
Cooper glances at the other man and then back at me. When he doesn’t speak, I continue, “While you might want to be rid of Common Bend, there’s no way you want it to end with the Brotherhood. So, what I need to know is if you’re willing to sell it to Hayes?”
“I don’t see what’s in it for me.”
“No offense, but you’re doing a real shit job in Common Bend.”
“Is that right?” Cooper grumbles.
“How much product is wasted by the dealers before it hits the streets? How many pimps are skimming off the top before they send you the profit? Whoever you have running Common Bend doesn’t have a handle on it. That’s why Hayes gets nervous. Common Bend issues bleed into White Horse. The Brotherhood would run it better, but no one wants them expanding north.”
“It might not be running smooth, but the shithole brings us a profit.”
“Fine, but how much of that profit will be wasted on fighting with the Brotherhood when they make a move?”
“Where the fuck are you hearing they want to move against me? I haven’t heard that shit.”
“I live in Hickory Creek and know the Rutgers twins,” I say and then throw in the info Cooper will care most about. “And my father is Howler Hallstead. So, I hear shit. I know the mood in town. Before Mojo and Howler hand the club over to the twins, they want to take back Common Bend. It’s an ego thing, and they’ll burn everything down to do it. I mean, they’re old as fuck and ready to die anyway. Why not fuck everyone else over while they act out their grudge match?”
Cooper glances again at his people, and I know he’s dying to talk to them alone. They want to hash out what I’m saying and figure out if their investments are in trouble. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Cooper picks up the phone as soon as I leave and calls his dad for advice.
“What about the twins?”
“I get the impression they don’t want Common Bend. Their eyes are on moving south toward Nashville, but they’re not calling the shots yet.”
Cooper rubs his jaw and sits back in the chair. “What’s Hayes offering?”
“A onetime three million payment. You walk away, and he takes control of the town.”
“Three million seems low.”
“Not based on what dealers and pimps are claiming they send you.”
“Those fuckers sure like to chat my business, don’t they?” Cooper says, sitting up and looking ready to kick someone’s ass.
“I only know rumors, but there’s no strong Reaper presence in Common Bend. The sheriff’s office is weak, and they get pushed around by the dealers. I know the last sheriff tried to take over, so you’re stuck with a choice of sending more of your people to run things, empower the sheriff and hope he doesn’t think he’s the boss, or leaving things the way they are now. All while waiting to see what crap the Brotherhood pulls.”
“Or I can sell it to Hayes.”
“You’d get rid of a problem and still stick it to your rivals.”
“Can you believe this shit, Judd?” Cooper asks his man.
Even though Cooper’s anger pulses through the office, I think of Ruby’s hot breath on my neck the night before. If I can make her mine, the rest of life is a cakewalk.
“Who would run shit for Hayes?” Judd asks from behind me. “He never seemed interested in dipping his big fucking toes in the shithole.”
“I would oversee it.”
“And who the fuck are you?” Cooper growls. “Your pop is the VP of a club you want to screw over.”
“Some men want to be like their fathers. Others want to crush their fathers. I won’t kill Howler, but I can steal his dream.”
“Fucking with the old man is ballsy, so why don’t I just hire you to run Common Bend and keep it for the Reapers?”
“Because you don’t want Common Bend or you’d send someone down there to run it.”
Cooper sighs. “I do fucking hate that town. It’s always one problem after another.”
