by Sable Hunter
“Are you about to leave?”
“No.” She gave him an apologetic look. “I can’t. I’m part of the take-down crew.”
Denver knew he should offer to help, but his boots were aimed at the door like they had a mind of their own. He needed to think. “I understand.”
“I’ll see you later?” Her comment came out like a question.
“Yea, sure.” Denver nodded, but he made no move to make plans. “I’ll call you.”
“Okay.” Bryn nodded, unsure whether he would or not. “Denver?”
“What?” He paused, rocking on his heels.
She’d been on the verge of asking him what was wrong. What had changed. She found she couldn’t ask either, not without crying. She didn’t want to make a spectacle of herself, so she said, “Nothing.”
As he left, she watched him go, a knot forming in the pit of her stomach.
* * *
Three long days later, Bryn was just about to close the shop when the bell rang at the front door.
Ting!
“Dang it, I should’ve already locked up. I’m going to be up until midnight getting those cupcakes baked.” She’d promised Tricia she would make and donate a homemade dessert for the church bake sale in the name of the florist shop. “Be right there!”
“No rush.”
Denver.
Bryn was so surprised to hear his voice, it felt like someone just doused her with a bucket of cold water. Since the wedding, she’d prayed to hear from him every day and when she hadn’t, she had cried. Now that he was here, she wasn’t so sure she wanted to hear what he had to say.
Bryn feared the worse.
She’d heard about men losing interest after they’d gotten what they wanted from a girl, she couldn’t bear to think of Denver as one of those men.
Returning to the counter, she placed the keys in the drawer. “Sorry, I was putting the day’s take in the safe. I was about to lock up and go to the grocery store.”
“Oh, you’re busy.”
“Yes, but…” She didn’t know why she was saying this, but it just seemed right. “You can go with me, if you want. I have to bake cupcakes, but I could throw a frozen pizza in, if you’d like to share it.”
Denver nodded and smiled. “I’d like that.”
He’d been fighting a battle with himself. He wanted to be with Bryn more than he wanted his next breath, but he also felt like he didn’t know her anymore. Denver desperately wanted to spend a little time with her, to see if any of this had been real, or if he’d just been kidding himself.
“Great!” She brightened up. “I’ve missed being with you so much.” The truth slipped unbidden from her lips. “Just give me a few minutes to lock up and we can walk to the grocery store from here, then you can follow me home.”
“All right.” He waited patiently, catching a glimpse of himself in one of the mirrored display cases. Good God. Everything in the shop was delicate, fragile, and feminine. Next to all this frippery, he looked like a bull in a china shop. Black hat. Blue jean jacket. Flannel shirt. Jeans and boots. What was he doing here? Bryn deserved someone who…
“Ready?”
Denver had been on the verge of walking out the door, but seeing her looking up at him with those big doe eyes changed his mind. “Yea, I’m ready.”
He trailed along behind her, waiting while she locked the door. Once the keys were back in her bag, Denver offered his arm and they strolled down the main street of Kerrville to the small grocery store on the corner. There was a big, superstore out on the loop, but Bryn preferred this mom and pop establishment much more.
Bryn tightened her grip on his arm. The muscle was so hard. She felt intoxicated at his nearness. Her body remembered every moment of the time they’d spent in one another’s arms. “I just need a few things, it won’t take me long.”
“Not a problem.” Denver settled his hat more squarely on his head, pulling the brim a little further down over his eyes. He felt like he was hiding from something – himself he guessed. It was a thousand wonders that Bryn was being so nice to him. All his responses to her overtures had been of the three-word variety. He didn’t think she was really interested in the strong, silent type.
“The wedding was nice, wasn’t it?” Great. Now, she was resorting to small talk. They’d used to be able to talk about anything. Bryn felt like she was walking next to a stranger, not a man with whom she’d shared her body.
“Yes, nice.” This was ridiculous. Try harder! “Uh, what are you baking the cupcakes for?”
“The Baptist church in town is having a bake sale after services on Sunday. I think they’re raising money to send some kids to camp. I’m planning on delivering them tomorrow at two.”
“Worthy cause.” There he was with the short answers again. “What kind of pizza do you want? My treat.”
Bryn laughed, seeing this as progress. “Since you introduced me to pizza, I think I’ve tried every variety that exists. My favorite is vegetables with Italian Sausage. Since your appetite is so big, why don’t we get a large for you and a personal pan for me?”
“All right. Sounds good.” Four words! “What kind of cupcakes are you making?”
By this time, Bryn was almost sure he was forcing himself to make conversation. “Chocolate. What else?” She was grateful to arrive at the store before he passed out from sheer exhaustion. “You go grab the pizzas and I’ll pick up the ingredients I need. Meet you back here in a jiffy.”
“Whew!” He let out a long breath when she’d gone and made for the frozen food aisle. Some funky music was playing on the store intercom. He was glad when the song changed, but when he realized next tune up was Broken Halos, he wished they’d change the station.
Bryn was throwing things in her buggy right and left when she heard Broken Halos start to play. She smiled sadly. Where was the Denver who’d dedicated that song to her? She wished he’d come back. She missed him.
When she marked the last item off her list, she hurried to the front. Denver stood waiting on her, a smile on his face. She smiled back at him and they got in line together. He placed the pizzas in the buggy with her stuff. “I’ll get it all. My contribution to the bake sale.”
“Why, thank you. How sweet.” She tapped her fingernails on the buggy handle nervously. What would they talk about? Would he want to make love? Did she want to make love with him?
Yes.
Ahead of them in line, a young mother struggled with two small children. One on her hip and one who kept throwing things out of the grocery cart.
“Sit down, Carl,” she told him over and over again – to no avail.
“Oh, my Cookie, you spit up!” she consoled the baby in her arms. The woman rummaged in her purse to find a wipe to clean milk and baby food off her own shoulder.
When it came her turn to check out, she battled the babies to get the milk, cereal, and other staples onto the conveyer table. As the checker rang up the items, she hung her head, keeping one arm around the baby and the other hand on her toddler to keep him from climbing out on the conveyer to be sacked up with her purchases.
“Your total is forty-four dollars and thirty-two cents, please.”
“Thanks.” The mother turned the toddler loose long enough to find her wallet. She opened one compartment, stared into it blankly, then looked into another one. And another one.
“Is there a problem, ma’am?”
“Uh, I can’t seem to find my money. I know I had two twenties and a ten in here when I left home.” She rummaged some more. Looking in the compartments again, then scratching through her purse to see if the money had fallen out in there.
“How about a credit card? Do you have a credit card?” the clerk asked patiently.
“No.” Her tone was desperate.
“Is there someone you can call, or do you want to put the things back?”
Denver was about to step forward to help when Bryn spoke up. “Look in the zipper compartment again, I swear I saw the corner of a bill s
ticking up.”
The woman looked at her with exasperation and desperation in her eyes. Sensing her upset, both children were now screaming at the top of their lungs.”
“Just look, I promise, I saw it,” Bryn insisted.
The woman picked up her wallet and pulled on the zipper tab, her face contorted in a frown that would soon be followed by tears. “Oh!” she exclaimed gleefully. “Where did that come from?” The woman pulled out a crisp one-hundred-dollar bill and proudly presented it to the clerk. She glanced back at Bryn, almost as if she wanted to say thank you. But why would she? The money was hers to begin with – wasn’t it?
Denver stared at the woman, then he stared at Bryn. His eyes narrowed, his mind spinning. Bryn didn’t react, she just leaned on the buggy handle and chewed on her lower lip, patiently waiting their turn. When it came, Denver quickly paid for their purchases and they made their way out of the store.
“How did you know that woman had a hundred dollars in her purse?”
Bryn looked at him with wide innocent eyes. “I saw it there.” Seeing it there, putting it there. Same difference.
Denver nodded, not sure he believed her. But what else was he supposed to believe? That she was some type of street magician like Criss Angel? “Uh-huh. Whatever you say.”
Despite having helped the woman, Denver made her feel guilty. Mother Superior’s voice rang in her ears.
Even the devil quoted scripture. Evil doing good is merely a façade. A white-washed sepulcher.
As they approached Denver’s truck, she pointed a few parking places south. “I’m over there, I’ll meet you at the house – and thank you.”
On the drive home, Bryn tried to think what her strategy should be. Just come out and ask what he was thinking? Play coy and try to seduce him? This made her laugh. Or just play it by ear and see what happened?.
She opted for suggestion number three.
When they arrived at her place, she ran ahead and opened the door, then darted inside to heat the oven to cook the pizzas. “Come on in, Denver!” As he brought the groceries in, she readied the pizza pans, then started mixing up the batter for the cupcakes. When the pizzas were ready, she wanted to be able to slip the cupcakes right on in. That way – if things went well for her and Denver, she’d have the baking out of the way.
As for Denver, he hovered around Bryn while she worked her magic in the kitchen. He felt in the way and out of place, but he damn sure enjoyed he view. When she slowed down at one point, he caught her arm. “Hold on, you have a little bit of flour…” He brushed her cheek gently. “Right there. Now.”
Bryn had taken the pizzas out and slipped two muffin tins inside. Her breathing was erratic, her heart was pounding, and being this close to Denver made her want what they’d shared before. “Thanks…I…” she stuttered and stammered, then huffed her consternation. “Oh, hang it all.” Flinging caution to the wind, she launched herself into his arms and hoped like heck he’d catch her.
Denver Bolden did not disappoint. “Gotcha.”
“I hope this is okay.” Gazing up into his face, she felt his breath on her lips.
“Fine by me,” he muttered. Finding himself with an armful of soft, fragrant woman, his manhood reacted just like it did every other time they were together, standing at attention, rock-hard and ready.
“Are you going to kiss me?”
“I thought I might.” He made her wait a few tantalizing seconds, but as his mouth slowly descended to hers, she couldn’t think – only feel. This kiss was different than the ones before, this time he wasn’t asking, he was taking. His tongue pushed against the seam of her lips and she gave in willingly, letting him take her, his tongue owning her mouth with possessive strokes. With trembling lips, she moaned into his kiss, her nipples swelling to hard peaks, the soft place between her thighs buzzing with arousal. Needing more, she twined her tongue with his, exploring his mouth, tasting him.
Moving a step or two forward, he braced Bryn against the kitchen counter, his hands coming up to unbutton her top. Spreading the sides wide, he used both hands to reach behind her and unclasp the hooks on her bra, grunting with satisfaction when it fell from her breasts. Still kissing her, he pushed the blouse and the bra down her arms, then tossed them to one side, leaving her delicate flesh exposed to his hungry eyes and eager fingers. “You are so goddamn, beautiful.” He couldn’t stop looking at the lily-white globes, just the right size for his big hands, topped with berry red nipples that he couldn’t wait to suck.
Bryn didn’t flinch at his language, she was far too excited. She closed her eyes as he shaped and molded her responsive flesh, pinching and stroking the hardened nipples, fanning the flames of her desire until she was out of control. While she held on to his strong shoulders, he thrust a strong, jean clad thigh between her legs and flexed it up, causing her to gasp. Burying her face in his neck, she pushed herself against the hard muscle, so desperate for the friction she couldn’t think. “Hold me, Denver.” She plowed her fingers into his coarse dark hair, tugging on the strands as she rode his thigh, a wave of erotic pleasure carrying her higher and higher.
He pulled his mouth from hers, his breath coming in harsh pants. “You are so hot, Miss Bryn. So responsive.” He couldn’t not touch her. How had he stayed away from her for three solid days? “How much longer on those cupcakes?”
She glanced at the clock. “Eight minutes.”
“Just enough time to get started.”
“Get started?” She was halfway there already. Bryn jumped as his fingers slid beneath her skirt to push her panties aside. She went up on tiptoe as he played, moving his thigh back to give himself additional room, rubbing her tender flesh, making her want to beg for something more.
“You’re so wet, so ready,” he whispered huskily as he drew circles around her swollen clit. “Did you know I can smell your arousal over the cupcakes?”
“Oh, no.”
Denver chuckled. “Oh, yes. And it’s making me crazy. I want to taste you.”
“Please. I would like that very much.” Bryn was completely captivated by everything he was doing to her. Heat sizzled over every inch of her body. She had to hold on to his shoulders, needing the support to stand.
“You’re so sweet, Miss Bryn.” He blazed a trail of kisses down the side of her neck as he milked the nipples of her breasts, overwhelming her with white-hot desire. “Denver, I need…”
“Shhh, I know what you need.” He moved one hand back to her mound, slipping through the delicate folds, finding where she needed to be touched the most.
Bryn was blind with pleasure as he played her like a fine instrument, one hand tweaking her nipple, the other rubbing her clit, faster and faster. “Yes. Oh, yes,” she whimpered in a voice too impassioned to be her own. Keening. Begging. Pleading.
Covering her lips, he captured her moan, as though he couldn’t stand for one bit of her pleasure to escape him. Bryn responded to his possessiveness by showing some of her own, nipping at his lip, sucking on his tongue, rubbing her chest back and forth across the rough material of his shirt. “You have on too many clothes, cowboy.”
“No talking. Cum for me before the cupcakes burn.” Startled by the idea of burned baked goods, she started to slip away, but he held her in place, increasing the tempo and intensity of his sensual onslaught until Bryn forgot where she was, much less what was cooking. Her channel clenched, and she could feel the irresistible rise of passion all the way to her toes.
“Denver!” Tearing her mouth from his, Bryn threw her head back and moaned as a powerful orgasm engulfed her, sweeping her away on a wave of pleasure. “Oh, Denver,” she muttered, her head dropping to his shoulder as tiny aftershocks made her entire body shudder.
“Time to check the cupcakes,” he announced as he eased her into a chair and went to retrieve the small chocolate cakes before they burned.
“Thank you,” Bryn smiled, out of breath. “That was incredible.” She patted the chair next to her. “Sit here for a min
ute.”
Denver had other ideas, mainly because his jeans were stretched skintight due to his straining cock. “I’ll stand, thank you.”
“Are you sure?” she asked with wide, compelling eyes as she eased from the chair and went to her knees in front of him.
“Oh, Jesus.”
“You need to watch your mouth, cowboy.”
He couldn’t even think of a response as he stared at her, sitting there, her gorgeous naked breasts still damp and pink from his kisses. Denver moved close enough for her to reach him, but he didn’t sit. “Okay, I guess standing will have to do.” She came to him on her knees, placing her hands behind his thighs, running them slowly upward until her fingers could grasp his firm behind through the denim.
“Do you know what you’re doing?”
His abrupt question made her giggle. “No. Do you want me to stop?”
“Hell, no.” He quickly unfastened his belt buckle as she unzipped his pants. He jerked when she snagged a piece of his cotton underwear in the zipper teeth.
“Sorry.”
“No problem.” If there was pain, he didn’t feel it, he was too aware of her tits jiggling every time she moved. Taking a deep breath, she curled her fingers into the elastic waistband of his underwear.
“Here we go.” She slowly pulled his briefs down until his aching erection popped free.
Denver was hypnotized, watching her small pink tongue lick the corner of her mouth as she rose up on her knees high enough for her mouth to reach the head of his bobbing cock.
Uncertain of how to proceed, she started out by blowing softly on the wide, purple crest. “I could look at you for hours,” she whispered.
“I hope that’s not all you do,” he growled the words through gritted teeth.
Bryn giggled again. “Oh, no, I thought I’d lick it.” She took him in her hand, curling her fingers around the base of his cock as he hissed and strained forward. Darting out her tongue, she licked a path along the prominent vein that ran from root to tip.
“Oh, damn.” He snagged his fingers in her long hair, gathering it in his palm, tugging on the silky strands as he rocked toward her. Confident that she was doing something right, she opened her lips and fit them over the head, running her tongue into the small slit, then around and around, enjoying the contrast of velvet over steel.
