by Lexie Ray
“Damn, woman,” Daren breathed.
She released a loud laugh as she rolled onto her stomach, her side now brushing against his knees, and he knelt next to her. It didn’t seem like he knew where to look as he tried to take all of her in at once.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“No,” Rebecca couldn’t fight her grin. “You’re just really good for my ego.”
She kicked her heels up and let him look his fill.
“I am?” he said with a hint of hopefulness.
“You make me feel so good, darling.”
Pride flushed across his face, bringing with it a wide grin.
“I do?”
She hummed as she nodded. “Better than anyone ever has,” she confessed, wanting to ensure that his smile remained.
He didn’t disappoint. His smile grew brighter, and a pleased flush crossed his wide chest. What she hadn’t expected was for his cock to bob energetically, swelling just a little more intensely. She watched the motion with growing hunger. Daren obviously had a massive praise kink, and she was quickly learning that she had a kink for exploiting it.
“I haven’t felt this pretty since I got pregnant.”
Daren gave an abrupt laugh and leaned his back against the wall.
“Now I know you’re talking shit,” he mumbled as he began to nip at his thumbnail. “I might be a stupid redneck, but even I know that you can’t do better than perfection.”
“And I’m perfection?” She smiled and bit her lips.
Daren shrugged. “Look at ya.”
Rebecca folded her arms and rested her cheek on them. “You look at me.”
Nail still in his mouth, he let his eyes trail over her. His breath hitched. She could almost feel the heat in his gaze. The sensation was near intoxicating, and she was left reeling from it. Daren frowned in confusion, and she tilted her hips just a little bit, lifting her rear higher for his inspection. His eyes drifted instantly down her spine, and his cock tightened a little more. It looked angry, begging for just the slightest amount of friction. He left it completely ignored.
Unable to resist, she reached out with one hand and ghosted her fingers along his thigh. His breath hitched at the contact, and he offered no resistance when she gently tugged his legs a little wider, creating enough room for her to slip her hand between his thighs and caress his sack. His hair rushed from him in a heavy sigh, and he melted against the mattress, allowing her to touch him however she chose.
“You’re always so good for me,” she said as she placed a sucking kiss against the outside of his leg. The strong muscle twitched under her touch as he released a deep groan. “I should give you a treat.”
Chapter Nineteen
Willow knew that she was being watched. She couldn’t see the man, but she could feel him closing in. Sophie, distracted by a full stomach and her recent success over some of the arcade machines, happily walked by her side. The sun was ducking down toward the horizon, casting a pinkish glow over the sky. The parking lot hadn’t emptied yet, but most people had already moved into the mall itself.
Willow tried to be subtle as she glanced around. The windshields blazed gold in the fading light, the glare sharp enough to make her squint. The sensation of being watched intensified even as she failed to catch sight of the man, Mads, or any of the others. The enormity of what she had agreed to hit her, and she pulled Sophie a little closer. They hadn’t rigged her up with a com, and the lack of communication began to weigh on her. It had to be the first time she had actually wanted to hear Mads’ voice.
She fished the car keys out of her pocket and hit the button that flicked the locks. They opened with a flash of lights, a series of beeps, and Sophie’s whines for not being allowed to hit the button.
“You can do it next time,” Willow assured her as she opened the back door.
Satisfied, Sophie crawled up into the car and began to settle herself in the child safety seat. It was a well-practiced manoeuver, and Sophie quickly had the straps clicking into place. Willow leaned in just to check that it was all in place – not that she had anything more than theories on how the seat should look – and closed the door with a heavy thud.
A split second passed before a solid mass pressed against her back, the sharp edge of a knife cutting into her neck. It took only a second for Sophie to see what was happening. She screamed as her small hands fumbled over the buckles, trying to free herself.
“Just stay there,” Willow said calmly.
Sophie’s chest heaved as she met Willow’s eyes through the closed window.
“It’s okay. Just stay there.”
“That’s smart,” the man’s breath was a sickening warmth against Willow’s shoulder. “You keep being smart, and I won’t hurt you.”
The man was trying to sound threatening and strong, but there was a quake within his voice that belied his stress and fear. The blade trembled slightly against her skin as she slowly lifted her hands.
“Good, good, good,” the man said. “Now give me the keys.”
Willow met Sophie’s terrified eyes and offered her a small smile. “It’s going to be okay.”
“Give me the keys!”
In one smooth motion, Willow hit the button to lock Sophie within the car and tossed the keys aside. They scattered over the parking lot and out of sight under another car. The man jerked toward them as Willow grabbed his arm and pushed the knife away from her neck. She was only able to get enough room to twist and slam her elbow into his side.
She increased the distance between them, turning around to face him head on. At a loss for what else to do, the man sliced the blade through the air, the fine tip missing Willow only as she leapt back. A steely resolve entered the man’s eyes as he followed, knife held high. The car rocked as Mads slid over the hood and landed between them.
Knife still in hand, the man staggered back a few steps, his attention now completely focused on Mads. When he finally turned to run, Jai was already behind him. Jai raised his gun, training the sights between the man’s eyes. Trapped between the two cars, the man stumbled back and forth, unsure of where to go. Sophie stopped screaming as Jamie appeared by her window. Not to be left behind, Dwayne jumped up on the roof of the car and sat with his legs dangling over the side.
“Hey, there.” Dwayne smiled as he tapped his gun against his thigh. “I gotta say, I did not think you would be dumb enough to fall for this. Come on, man.”
“Dwayne,” Jai said.
“Right, I know. Sorry,” Dwayne said with little shame. “Okay, you should probably hand that over now.”
The man glanced between them all before he brought the knife up to his own throat.
“Back off,” he hissed.
Mads’ voice held no emotion as he replied, “No.”
“I’ll do it.”
“You grossly overestimate my commitment to your safety,” Mads said.
The man turned around again but was still unable to find a way out. His whole body seemed to sag with defeat as he let the knife slip from his hand.
***
Willow leaned against the door just outside of the police station. Her interview had been over quickly enough, but the boys were taking longer. She was starting to gain an appreciation of just how many connections Mads had. The police knew him well, and the professional conversations began quickly enough. Eventually, Mads exited the building, flanked by Jai and Jamie. Dwayne trailed behind, keeping Sophie’s mind at ease by distracting her with mindless chatter.
“So?”
“His name is Simon Jay. Charges are being pressed.”
She waited for Dwayne to have led Sophie away before she continued. “Did he say why he was following her?”
“If you’re looking for logical meaning, you’re going to be disappointed. People who do these kinds of things never have some grand design. He’s a sad, pathetic man who decided that a little girl was his only hope for happiness and that his happiness meant more than hers. He then acted upon that
belief.”
“So, you see this a lot, huh?”
“Far more than anyone should.”
They turned when they heard Sophie release a loud scream of ‘Ma.’ Rebecca leapt down from her truck as Daren pulled it into an illegal parking space. She snatched up her daughter as Daren charged over toward Mads. Without a word, he pulled back and slammed his fist across Mads’ jaw. Mads’ head snapped back with the blow. When he straightened, there was a slight trickle of blood seeping from his broken lip.
“You colossal jackass.”
Mads slipped his thumb over his lip as Rebecca hurried across the distance. He had just lowered his hand when Rebecca’s fist snapped into his nose. Once more, Mads took the blow without comment.
“I should kill you,” Rebecca spat.
With far more dignity than a man who had just been hit twice should have, Mads dabbed a knuckle against his nose and stood tall.
“You hired me to protect your child. I did what I had to in order to achieve that goal.”
“You lied to me.”
“Repeatedly,” Mads admitted. “But I assure you that it was necessary.”
“Explain that to me,” Rebecca said as she let Sophie slip back down to the ground, undoubtedly freeing her hands to hit him again if she didn’t like what she heard.
Daren stood close to her side, but his posture made it clear that he had no intention of intervening if Rebecca got physical.
“Simon. That’s the man’s name,” Mads paused to note, “had made a very large commitment. It’s not possible to physically follow someone as he did without sacrificing his occupation, finances, and personal relationships. This slow implosion of his existence had reached a head as of late, as shown by his sudden jump into a more physical attack. It forced our hand, and I responded to the changed threat.”
“By using my daughter as bait?”
“Yes. It was necessary. She was monitored at all times, and all threats were minimized.”
“Why keep me out of it?” Daren cut in.
“You’re injured,” Mads’ voice became a little gentler as he added, “and I had concerns that you would not be able to commit yourself to the plan.”
“You questioned my loyalty?”
He let his eyes drift to Rebecca. “I didn’t want to put you in a position where two loyalties may clash.”
Daren’s face reddened, and he couldn’t resist exchanging a worried glance with Rebecca.
“I’m not opposed,” Mads said. “By all indications, it’s a suitable match. I had actually hoped that you might use the situation to draw closer.”
“That’s a little creepy,” Daren said.
“I can’t deny that,” Mads said as he dabbed his nose again. “For right now, however, I believe there are a few officers that will need Ms. Jones’ statement. Perhaps you could continue at a later date.” He only got a few feet away before he turned back and added, “Daren, I would like you to heal up. Please take the next few weeks off.”
“Are you trying to free up his calendar so we can date?” Rebecca asked.
“Perhaps.” He glanced down to the rest of the team who were happily keeping Sophie occupied. “I do know a few people who will be happy to babysit.”
“Again, a bit creepy,” Daren said.
“Very creepy,” Rebecca confirmed as she called Sophie over. “However, I might be taking you up on that.”
Daren smiled lightly to himself as Rebecca headed into the police station with Sophie by her side.
Chapter Twenty
While Sophie was quick to adjust to her newly reclaimed freedom, it was harder for Rebecca to relax. Perhaps it was because, as the adult, she knew what was to come. If the perp didn’t plead no contest, there were going to be months of court dates and questions. And the whole time, there would be the lingering threat that the case could fall apart.
Mads insisted that most of her concerns were unfounded. He had the firm belief that Simon would eventually plead guilty and, given his victim’s age, would receive a stricter sentence. While Rebecca hadn’t fully forgiven Mads yet, she couldn’t deny that he was startlingly good at what he did. So, she tried to believe him and put her mind at ease.
It wasn’t the easiest thing to do when, each time she looked out of the trailer’s window, she no longer had a view of the team’s trailer. Apparently, having wrapped up her case so quickly, Mads had agreed to take on another case out of state. Overnight, the men who had been constantly around her had vanished.
Daren had taken Mads up on his offer for sick leave. In a coincidence that she didn’t want to think too much on, his sick leave just so happened to line up perfectly with the amount of time they had left in town. It wasn’t discussed, just naturally assumed that he would stick around. The trailer had never been in such good condition, and he was a surprisingly good cook. Sophie had almost mastered stripping down a motorcycle, although building it back up was still a little challenge. Through Daren’s training, Sophie could now give a sharp uppercut and had recently mastered two chin ups in a row. In return, Sophie was teaching him the few basic riding tricks that she knew.
For her part, Rebecca was getting used to coming home to find that someone had actually helped out with the daily grind. Just knowing that someone had already done the grocery shopping was oddly relaxing. And she was growing perhaps too used to sharing a drink on her makeshift porch as they watched the stars come out.
Daren pulled her from her thoughts as he opened the door and walked down the stairs, a cold beer in hand. He passed it to her as he dropped into the spare chair.
“She’s finally asleep,” he said.
“How much did that cost you?”
“I have to teach her how to start a fire.”
“Like with sticks?”
“Yeah.”
She smiled at him as she popped open her beer bottle. “You learned that in the army?”
“Nah, my friend was a Boy Scout.”
“I’m learning new things about you.”
He didn’t hide his smiles as much anymore, at least not from her. “Oh, yeah. I’ve got layers.”
Her smile faded as he began to nip on his thumbnail.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he said. “But, um, we should probably talk about, you know.” He swallowed and shifted his attention to the open field. “In one more week, the carnival closes up.”
They had been successfully avoiding the topic since whatever was between them had begun. Not sure where this conversation would leave them, Rebecca had been trying to hold off for a long as possible. She liked what they had now and didn’t want to lose it.
“Look, I ain’t good at this, so just give me a second to power through, okay?” Daren said in a rush. “I know that long distance relationships don’t normally work. In the army, I kept hearing people going on about how they thought their partner was stepping out on them. Well, I don’t step. You ain’t never got to worry about that.”
“I travel a lot.”
“Me too,” he said. “So, you know, when I have time off it won’t be a big deal for me to come to you.”
“Our off season gives us a few months in a row,” she noted. “Here is as good a place as any to spend our downtime.”
He looked over to her like he wasn’t quite sure he had heard her right. Slowly, a smile spread across his face.
“Yeah, winter here is good.”
“And you won’t miss me too much?”
Daren blushed. “Hell, I’ll always miss ya. But we’re both pretty independent. And, you know, the Internet exists.”
Rebecca laughed as she stood up. He watched her like he was expecting the worst. She loved to watch his smile grow as she sat down on his lap. They fell into a kiss, taking pleasure in enticing as many moans out of each other as they could while still being in public.
He was bolder with his hands now, but still never ventured higher than her knee without invitation. For a while, she had honestly thought he had an ank
le fetish. But he had quickly learned how to make her shiver and moan while staying firmly within his self-imposed restrictions, and sometimes she held back on letting him venture higher just to see what he could come up with.
When they eventually parted, she took another sip of her beer and rested her head on his shoulders. It was another position that was quickly becoming her favorite.
“So, we’re doing this?”
“However you want to,” Daren said, his thumb trailing along her bare arm.
She giggled and snuggled more against him. “You treat me well.”
“Nah,” he said dismissively, even as a hint of bashfulness flooded his voice.
Tilting her head up, she caught his eyes. “You do, Daren.” She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, bushing his bangs aside so she could see his eyes. “You keep treating me like this, and I’m going to fall in love with you.”
Daren flushed, nodded, and looked back out over the dark sky. “Good to know I can beat you at something.”
“Did you just say you love me?” she teased.
Daren grunted, forcing her into a fit of giggles. She only stopped laughing when Sophie shouted out for attention. They both held their breath, looking at each other as they waited for the next tell-tale cry.
“Daren!”
“Ha,” Rebecca whispered victoriously.
She let him up and then instantly slumped down into his newly vacant seat. With one hand on each arm of the chair, he leaned down and captured a quick kiss.
“Laugh now,” he mumbled against her. “She’ll be calling for you in an hour.”
Sinking her hands into his hair, she sucked on his lower lip before letting him head back into the trailer. With the beer cooling her fingertips, she sank down in her seat and just enjoyed the quiet of the night.
MODEL EXPERIMENT
