Ellora's Cavemen: Tales from the Temple IV

by Various

  Aeryn shook her head. “Screw you!” She fought even harder to free herself from his hold.

  Craig laughed again. “That’s nice, when you do that, Aeryn. Makes your tits shake.

  You always had great tits, honey. You knew you could always turn me on by just jiggling your big boobs.” Craig moved to yank down Aeryn’s cotton shorts, dragging her panties away.

  Aeryn wiggled and pulled her hands. Even if she could just curl her fingers enough to dig into the back of his hand, perhaps it would hurt and he’d pull away. If only she could get the room to—

  He stopped abruptly when he saw her womanly mound.

  Aeryn didn’t need to know what Craig’s problem was.

  Gone was the lush, black bush he had remembered and dreamed about. He pulled back as he stared at her bald pussy. “What the hell!”

  Aeryn waited until Craig glared at her angrily. Making her tone as sarcastic as possible, she spoke, “Is there a problem?”

  “Why did you shave your pussy, damn it? You know how much I liked that black bush!”

  Aeryn knew what he was thinking. Many times he’d refused to let her even trim for bathing suit weather.

  “I told you to never trim or shave,” Craig shouted at her.

  Aeryn saw the anger in his face. She considered lying to him but she had no desire to spare his feelings. “My lover shaved it off. He didn’t like it when he sucked on my clit.” That was not strictly true, but Aeryn hoped to turn Craig off by distracting him.

  Craig reeled back as if she had slapped him hard, across his face. “Lover!” He released her hands and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her. “Have you been fucking another guy while I’ve been gone?” he demanded angrily.

  Aeryn glared back at him. “We’re divorced, remember! And yes, I met a man, and we’re lovers.” She spat her words at him, defiantly. She didn’t care if he lashed out and hit her in anger, so long as it stopped his rape of her.

  Craig stood and closed his jeans hurriedly.

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  Aeryn didn’t move.

  Craig’s eyes went over her body angrily.

  She didn’t care what Craig thought, just that he left her alone.

  “You slut! What do you mean by sleeping with some guy and shaving your cunt?”

  He turned away in disgust. “Cover yourself up!”

  Aeryn sat up, pulling her shorts up, and then the edges of her T-shirt closed.

  He didn’t give her time to answer. Craig jerked the bedroom door open and walked out, slamming it behind him.

  Aeryn stood, finding her legs shaking so badly she almost fell back to the bed. She looked down and saw that her bra was useless and slipped it off. She pulled the ripped T-shirt together and tied the ends below her breasts. There would be no disguising what had happened in the bedroom. Or at least, what had almost happened.

  That is what is important, she reminded herself. She’d succeeded in avoiding being raped. She’d won this round.

  Aeryn sat back down on the bed, shaking her head. She didn’t think Devlin would appreciate the humor in the situation as she was seeing it. She closed her eyes, remembering how sweet it had been, when Devlin had shaved her for the first time. She had been so nervous, shaking even, but trusting him implicitly. Of course, she couldn’t recall how many mutual shaves they had exchanged since the first one a little over a year ago, but each one was special.

  Aeryn remembered the first time she had met Devlin. There had been a knock at her door about a year after her divorce. Craig had been in prison almost three years at that point. Feeling the need for change, she’d decided to repaint the house. She greeted her visitor in smeared T-shirt and cutoff jeans.

  The man on her porch was tall, broad-shouldered, slender of waist and hips, and damn it all…dressed in a sheriff’s uniform.

  Aeryn couldn’t stop the sinking in her stomach. She didn’t want to have anything to do with the law, either side of it. But she couldn’t help but notice the man’s craggy face, strong jaw and deep blue eyes. As she stared, he removed his hat, and she saw his hair was black as her own. His first words made her anger flare and her stomach curl though.

  “Mrs. Morelli?”

  Aeryn shook her head. “Not anymore. It’s Aeryn Michaels.”

  Sheriff Devlin McDonald nodded, picking up on the woman’s not too subtle cues.

  He’d read in the reports that she’d begun divorce proceedings shortly after her husband went to prison. He knew you didn’t see that too often. No one though had prepared him for how beautiful Aeryn Michaels was. He couldn’t miss the perfect body, which was not concealed very much by the clothes she had on.

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  “I would like to talk to you about a few things, Ms. Michaels.” Devlin watched as the woman shook her head negatively. Frowning, he added quickly. “I would like to keep this casual, and not have to do this down at the station.”

  Aeryn looked surprised, frowning at his words. “No, I’m sorry. Now is fine but we will have to talk on the porch because it’s a mess inside.” She gestured to the porch swing as she spoke, “Please, be seated.”

  Devlin moved over, pausing for her to be seated first. Aeryn shook her head. “I’ll sit on the step. I don’t want to get paint on the swing.” She shrugged and sat on the top step.

  Devlin opened his notebook, glancing over it.

  Aeryn didn’t wait for him to ask his first question, though. “I don’t know where he hid the money. It’s not in my house, we looked there. And if I knew, believe me, I would tell you.”

  Devlin met her eyes. “You cut to the chase, don’t you?”

  Aeryn smiled slightly, shrugging. “I can’t think of any other reason why you would be here. Every so often, rumors start up about where the money might be, and so the sheriff’s department has to come and check it out. Obviously, you must be the new sheriff, McDonald, right?”

  Devlin realized that his preconceptions about Craig Morelli’s wife—or rather, ex-wife—were all wrong. He closed his notebook. “I know you both grew up around here.

  Can you think of any hiding places he might have, from when he was a kid?”

  Aeryn shook her head. “Craig was never big on tramping through the woods, so I doubt it.” She shifted on the cement. “What brings you to this backwater?”

  Devlin didn’t conceal his surprise at her question. “I got tired of big city life, and at the same time, my uncle decided to retire. I applied, and they gave me his position.”

  “What did your family think about the move to small city, USA? Most people spend their time trying to get away from places like this.”

  “You’re assuming I’m not from a similar small town, Ms. Michaels.”

  “Logic, Sheriff McDonald. If you were in a small town, you’d most likely have stayed there, betting on taking your boss’ place when he retired. Therefore it seemed most likely you are like a lot of cops who see so much death and destruction in the big city that they opt out for some peace and quiet.” She smiled smugly.

  “Back to your first question, my parents are fine with my move north from San Francisco.”

  Aeryn smiled. Pulling one leg to her chest, she wrapped her arms around it. “I meant was there a wife, or girlfriend, or…significant other who objected.”

  Devlin grinned now. He tucked his notebook back into his top pocket, and replaced his hat. He slipped his mirrored sunglasses on, concealing his eyes. He saw Aeryn frown, knowing that all she could see now was her own reflection. “The woman I was seeing at the time didn’t want to move, even though I never got the opportunity to ask 137

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  her. As soon as she realized what I was thinking, she was straightforward and told me she had no interest in moving. It was all for the best. Guess that proved that neither of us was all that serious, since there appeared to be no broken hearts.” He stood suddenly. “I’ll leave you to get back to your painting then, Ms. Michaels.”

 
Aeryn scrambled to her feet, not liking how nervous and awkward he was making her feel. Obviously, close exposure to this man would be dangerous to her health. She watched as he started down her front steps, but was taken aback when he turned and offered her his hand.

  “It was nice meeting you, Ms. Michaels.”

  Aeryn stared at his hand for a moment, and then slowly extended her own. Heat zoomed up her arm, setting her nerves tingling and ablaze. Aeryn’s eyes shot immediately to his face, but all she could see was the small smile curving his lower lip and her own mirrored reflection. She tried to pull free, but Devlin held her hand for a second longer. He lightly touched the brim of his hat, and then turned and walked to his squad car.

  Aeryn told herself to go inside, right then. But she didn’t move. Instead, she leaned against the porch balustrade and watched as Devlin paused to remove his hat before getting in the car. At the last second, he looked back towards her house and saw she was still standing there, watching him. Aeryn didn’t see him change expression and continued to watch as he got into his squad car and drove away down the tree-lined street.

  Suddenly, a noise overhead caught Aeryn’s attention. She jumped off the bed as she realized it was a helicopter and she probably only had a second to react. She ran to the window and opened and closed the drawn drapes three times. She could hear Craig yelling in the living room for everyone to “shut up”. She turned from the window and walked into the living room, hoping against hope that her signal had been seen.

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  Chapter Two

  Sheriff Devlin McDonald listened as the different roadblocks were reporting in over the police band. They were receiving assistance from the surrounding counties, and according to the maps, the area was shut down. If the escaped convicts made a move, one of the roadblocks should catch them. He’d driven out to the roadblock that closed off the road to the cliff house, the “cabin” Aeryn had taken him to earlier in the summer.

  He had been quite impressed with her “cabin” as she insisted on calling it, but having seen it, he could understand why everyone else called it cliff house. It clung to the mountains, having been almost hewn from the rock itself. It wasn’t eye-catching from the road, but from the ocean, it was impressive. Aeryn had inherited it from her grandfather when he had died about six years ago.

  Sitting in his squad car, Devlin remembered Aeryn telling him about the house as they had driven there for a weekend getaway. Her great-grandfather had built the house, and he literally had his workers hew the base of the house out of the promontory rock. That’s why it had lasted as long as it had against the strong and often savage winds that came in from the ocean. Aeryn had taken him out on the deck and stood with the wind blowing her hair back off her face. Standing there, she could have been ageless, looking off in the distance as if waiting for her mariner lover to return.

  Devlin had stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. He knew she didn’t long for her ex-husband to return. But he needed her warmth to reassure himself for a moment. And as his hands encircled her waist, Aeryn had leaned against him, resting her hands over his.

  “It’s wild and untamed out here, Devlin,” she whispered to him. “When I’m here, I feel like I’m invincible. And then all I have to do and look down and see how ruthlessly the waves crash against the rocks to know how vulnerable the human body truly is.”

  Devlin couldn’t hold his feelings for her inside any longer. She often spilled over with words of love for him, but he had always held back. But now, being in such an elemental place, with the sun starting to set, the thunderous waves crashing below, and feeling the wildness just below Aeryn’s surface, he could no longer shield his heart from her.

  “I love you, Aeryn.”

  Devlin had felt her stiffen against him. She didn’t answer him right away, echoing his words of love. He was physically aroused, just holding her warm, sexy body so close, but suddenly he needed to have the assurance of her love in words. He felt her rub her hands back and forth over his hands and forearms. He was surprised when she did answer him.

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  “You don’t have to say the words just because I do, Dev. I love you, and meeting you is the best thing to ever happen to me.”

  Devlin spun her so fast Aeryn gasped. “I’m telling you that I love you because I do!

  Damn it!”

  Aeryn laughed and caressed the side of his face. “What girl could resist such tender words of love?”

  The radio crackled, bringing Devlin back to the present. It was the helicopter reporting in again. Devlin picked up the microphone and spoke to his pilot.

  “Anything?”

  “Hey, Dev, I can’t be sure, but I would swear I saw a light flash three times from a window at Aeryn’s cliff house. Isn’t the cliff house always closed by this time of the season?”

  Devlin straightened in his seat. “Fly back in here, Rich, and don’t go back over the place. Let me call the other units and we’ll coordinate from here.” One thing was crystal clear—it was Aeryn who had signaled.

  Shortly after they’d been seeing one another, Aeryn convinced him to teach her some self-defense moves. After a sweaty session on the mat in the workout room at his place, Aeryn flipped him the last time. She’d playfully started undressing him. Without resisting, he let her tie his hands overhead. As she kissed her way down his body, she questioned what a hostage should do. After several distracted comments on what a captive should not do, he explained about purposeful actions.

  “Three?” Aeryn had repeated. “So an observer is assured it wasn’t an accident.”

  Before he could reply, Aeryn took his cock inside her mouth. From that point on, everything she did was in threes.

  Oh, yeah, no doubt about it! Devlin took a couple of deep breaths to clear his head before starting to coordinate the capture and rescue effort.

  * * * * *

  Aeryn moved about the cabin, trying to act calm. She caught the glimpses the others would shoot her way or Craig’s. She prayed silently the signal she had learned from Devlin had been seen. She prepared food to eat, but stood in the kitchen while the others ate. She caught Craig staring at her from time to time, but refused to meet his eyes. They were divorced, and what she did was her business now and hers alone. She let her thoughts drift as the sounds of cutlery against china filled the room.

  Aeryn had seen the sheriff off and on over the next couple of months, but didn’t speak to him. One warm spring evening there was a dance that she couldn’t get out of 140

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  serving on one of the committees. Her cousin Sara talked her into buying a new dress.

  She arrived early to help set up. When the dance was in full swing, Aeryn was feeling like she had worked a whole day.

  Grabbing a glass of lemonade, she escaped through a side door of the large high school gymnasium. Tables and chairs were set up to enjoy the warm night, and Aeryn found one. It was small, with just two chairs, and secluded by a tree nearby. Sitting down, she slipped her shoes off. One long drink and she leaned her head back. Staring at the stars she let her eyelids drift closed. Her long hair, fighting confinement, drifted in loose tendrils and Aeryn felt like she could fall asleep, right here and now.

  “Don’t tell me your dance card isn’t full?”

  Aeryn opened her eyes and saw Sheriff McDonald standing in front of her. She shifted but didn’t straighten her position. “I’m not really in a dancing mood.”

  Devlin looked at the beautiful woman sprawled in the chair in front of him. He’d fought his attraction to her since their first meeting. He’d managed to avoid her most of the time because any relationship with this woman would be bad news. Rumors about Craig Morelli and his jealousy circulated the area. The man was bound to get out of jail some time, and he would come here first. Gossip was that Morelli was against the divorce. Avoiding Aeryn Michaels was prudent. The last thing he needed in his career would be an angry ex-co
n show up looking for his ex-wife, and discover the new sheriff banging her!

  Devlin pulled the chair next to her out and sat down. The lure of Aeryn Michaels tonight was irresistible. Her black, shiny hair was piled into a careless knot on top her head, strands caressing her bare shoulders. Her dress instantly caught his attention, and that of other males as well. It was a typical summer dress, the kind guys liked in bright sunlight. The skirt was full, ending above her knees. The waist was nipped in tight, and the bodice was low-cut and displayed her breasts magnificently.

  Aeryn looked at the man seated beside her. She couldn’t fail to notice and appreciate the sheriff’s rugged good looks tonight, especially out here, in the soft and romantic moonlight. Fighting the need to know him better every time she saw him, there was no denying the attraction to him. No, Aeryn admitted, she wanted him.

  Lustful thoughts of him attacked her. She had tossed in bed, wondering what his hands felt like as they caressed her skin.

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you out of uniform before, Sheriff.”

  Devlin nodded, but thought that he’d like her to see him without his clothes, period, and in her bed. “I let the deputies have run of the county tonight.”

  Aeryn laughed, and sat upright in the chair, unaware of how the slightest move pressed her breasts above the bodice. “Are we safe?” she asked him jokingly.

  “I hope so, because I’m dying for a full night’s sleep.”

  “Somebody disturbing your sleep of late?”

  Devlin smiled slowly, and let his eyes rove over her. “Duty is the only thing disturbing my nights. I welcome other distractions, now and then.”

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  “I doubt you lack for opportunities.”

  Devlin could hear the slow music being played in the gym. He stood and held his hand out for Aeryn to take. “Just as I doubt you lack for dancing partners.”