Shaken, Not Stirred

by Sawyer Bennett

  When Zoey has the pup in her control, I grab the hose and start running the stream over his back, using my hands to push out the soap as I go along.

  "So... your dad is pretty amazing," I tell her candidly. "He's made me look at things a bit differently."

  "He's good at that," Zoey says with a nod.

  "Yeah, well, I can be pretty pigheaded about certain things, so he's like really good at it," I say with a chuckle. Continuing to rinse the dog, who intermittently tries to shake out the water of his coat, I tell her, "Without telling you the details, some guy messed up my head a long time ago. Hurt me pretty bad and then I sort of used that as an excuse to close myself off from relationships."

  "Because you didn't want to get hurt again?"

  "Exactly. I was protecting myself," I confirm as I step away from the dog and turn the water off. He gives a vigorous shake, spraying Zoey down nicely.

  She just laughs and turns her face away until he's done, then looks back over him at me. "Good thing my dad came along and set you straight."

  "I'm sort of a work in progress," I tell her truthfully. "Still scared but because your dad is so amazing, I'm really trying to push past that."

  She considers that for a moment and then with a voice that borders on almost pleading, she says, "Please don't hurt him. I think you have the ability to do that."

  Ouch. That hurt.

  Letting the hose drop to the concrete, I step over to Zoey and squat down so I'm eye level with her. "I promise you that I will never intentionally hurt him. And I also promise I will continue to work hard at moving past my insecurities. Your dad is extremely good at pushing me nicely but also giving me room to falter. That's how people learn the best."

  "Good enough," she says, and then with a completely unfiltered mouth adds on, "because it would be awesome if y'all got married."

  I shake my head at her as I stand up and give her an admonishing smile. "Your dad and I have known each other going on four weeks now. I don't think marriage is something we should be talking about at this point in our relationship."

  "But he loves you," Zoey says with innocent candor as she stands up, keeping her hand on the spaniel's collar.

  Her words... so simple, said with somewhat of a child's view on the world, and yet they slam into me like a nuclear punch. My voice actually shakes when I ask her, "Why do you say that?"

  She gives me a sly smile and leads the dog over to a hook on the wall that has a leash. Taking it, she snaps it to his collar. "He looks at you the way he looks at me. That's how I know."

  An overload of emotion swarms through me, making my chest ache and feel warm at the same time. Only one man has ever said he loved me and that was a man who absolutely lied about it. Other men have come close, but I never let them get the words out of their mouths, the thought of hearing it almost sending me into a full-blown panic.

  Which begs the question... does Tenn really love me and if so, how do I feel about it?

  Little bursts of panic that recede just as quickly as they exploded, then a nice feeling of comfort settles over me. A secure feeling. Peace, maybe?

  The thought of Tenn loving me is... actually okay, I think.

  Now I just have to figure out what my feelings are for him, because as much as I've learned over the many years I've played at being a seductress, the one thing I know absolutely nothing about is what it really means to love a man.

  "Are you sure you're okay walking up there by yourself?" Tenn asks Zoey for the third time as he hands her over a twenty-dollar bill.

  Typical Zoey, she shoots him the old teenage eye roll. "Yes, Dad. You can see the pier from here. It's not like I'm traveling to Mozambique."

  I snicker and start walking up the stairs to my house. We just got back from The Haven, and I have to get ready for work. Zoey asked if she could go up to the pier because some of the friends she had made on the beach over the last week will be up there hanging out. Tenn is about ready to freak out about his daughter wandering off, and I think it's adorable.

  "When will you be back?" he asks.

  "Few hours?" she asks back, to make sure that's okay.

  "Fine," he grumbles, and she turns to start running back toward the public beach access. But he can't help himself when he calls out to her, "You have your phone on you, right?"

  She waves a dismissive hand over her head and doesn't answer. He continues to watch her until she's out of sight, and I feel compelled to walk back down the steps to him. Placing my hands on his shoulders, I lean forward and kiss the back of his neck. "Relax, Daddy. She'll be fine."

  Tenn doesn't answer me for a moment, continuing to look at the walkway over the dunes where she just disappeared. When he finally does turn to face me, his eyes are filled with white-hot lust, blazing so intensely that I actually jerk backward.

  "Get upstairs and get naked now," he growls at me, placing his hands on my hips and roughly turning me around. A small push on my lower back to start climbing and he says, "Really, really need to fuck you, Casey."

  Heat scorches me from the inside out and my belly flutters. It's stupid to say it, but I argue, "I have to be at work soon. I can't be late."

  "Fuck work," he says, pushing me faster up the stairs, and when I reach the top, he simply spins me around, bends over, and throws me over his shoulder. "Give me the keys."

  I pass him my key chain and he deftly unlocks my door, pushing it open and leaving it that way as he makes his way through my house. The keys drop to the floor and then he's in my bedroom, tossing me on the bed.

  Tenn starts stripping quickly, eyes focused first on his boots, then on his belt. He glances over to me, sees me just leaning on my elbows while I watch him undress, and growls again. "Naked, Casey."

  Even as I reach to pull my shirt over my head, I grumble, "I'm going to be late for work."

  Tenn snorts as he whips his shirt over his head, the muscles in his stomach flexing with the action and giving me a peep at the washboard that apparently resides just under the skin. "I seriously doubt your brother will fire you."

  He takes his jeans off lightning fast, pushing his boxers right along with them, and then he's gloriously naked at the foot of my bed, stroking a very magnificent and beautiful erection. I take a moment just to appreciate, and then I start shimmying out of my shorts and underwear. Tenn pounces about the time they get pushed to my knees, jerking them the rest of the way off me.

  I start to undo my bra, but he mutters, "Leave it" and places a large hand on my chest to push me down. Roughly jerking my legs apart, he turns my insides to jelly when he levels me with a promising stare. "Going to eat you out... fucking devour you actually, then I'm going to fuck you hard."

  "God, that's sexy," I moan, spreading my legs further to him.

  His eyes glitter at me and as he strokes a finger through my wet folds, he says, "This quiet lovemaking we've been doing has been supremely nice, Goldie, but I've been dying to hear you scream. Now that Zoey's gone... well, I really am looking forward to making you scream."

  "And, I could just come from your words alone," I say as a full-body shudder overtakes me.

  Tenn levels me with a wicked grin and then dives down in between my legs. His long fingers spread me apart and his tongue works his magic, causing every muscle in my body to clench hard over the pleasure he gives me. He alternates spearing his tongue inside of me to fluttering the tip over that home-run spot, and when he adds two fingers that push deep inside of me, my hips fly off the bed as I start to come.

  A long moan tears out of me and even while spasms are still playing havoc on my body, Tenn is flipping me over and pulling me up to my knees.

  "Grab the headboard, Casey," he grits out with urgency. "You're going to need to brace yourself."

  And wow... just wow... the threatening promise in those words causes mini orgasms to fire up and slingshot up my spine. My hands go out and grab onto the edge of the wood and the minute I grip on tight, Tenn is thrusting hard into me from behind.

 
He lets out a groan of such deep satisfaction and fills me so completely, more spasms shoot up my back.

  And then he does indeed proceed to fuck me hard. He pulls that long length out of me, almost to the tip... almost to the point of empty desolation within me, and then he's ramming it back in so hard his balls slap against me.

  Every time... he grunts, hisses, or moans from the friction he's causing.

  Every time he slams into me, more tingles race up and down my back and another orgasm builds.

  Every time he fills me up, I feel my heart filling up as well.

  Tenn leans forward over me, bringing one hand up to lay beside mine on the headboard. The other comes to the back of my head where he fists my hair and pulls on it, twisting my head to the side so he can close his mouth over mine. He kisses me deep, his thrusts going a bit slower as he takes the time to let our tongues mate. Then he pulls his mouth away, drops his hand from my hair to my shoulder, and then uses his leverage by holding onto the headboard to fuck me harder yet.

  His thrusts now are hitting me so deep, the entire bed is rocking back and forth and we have to pull our hands back a bit so our fingers don't get slammed in between the wood and the wall. Tenn merely uses that as an opportunity to lace his fingers with mine, and then push them against the front of the headboard for continued leverage.

  "Tenn," I whimper as he continues to heave inside my body.

  "What is it, baby?" he gasps as he pumps in and out, over and over.

  "Feels so good," I tell him... my words coming out in choppy spurts because he simply steals my breath in all ways.

  Tenn leans over me again, moving his hand from my shoulder to wrap his entire arm over my chest. His stomach presses into my spine, and I can feel his forehead drop to the back of my head. "I am never letting you go," he says through clenched teeth. "And I don't care if it scares the shit out of you. You're going to have to deal with it."

  My heart squeezes hard.

  Oh... Tenn... what are you doing to me?

  "Want you to see everything you've been missing," he says softly as he continues to tunnel in and out of me. "Want you to crave me the way I crave you."

  My eyes start misting with tears over the need in his voice. A ball of pleasurable tension contracts tight in my center as he continues to drive deep into me.

  "You're mine, Casey," he says dangerously. "And nothing will stand in my way to keep you. Not even you."

  The confident and dominating way in which he's claiming me finally causes all of my resistance to cave. My orgasm breaks free like a thunderclap at the same time I feel the walls around my heart start to crumble with the realization... a realization deep in the marrow of my bones, that Tenn would never abuse my heart.

  I'd gladly give it to him and while he holds it within his big, powerful hands, I know he would only ever give it the most delicate of care.

  I cry out from the force of my release as much as from the understanding that Tenn Jennings may just be my salvation. I cry his name out loud and with deep emotion, "Tenn!"

  Tenn slams hard into me once more, his body freezing in that perfect moment, and he moans, "Fucking coming... coming deep inside you, baby."

  Shuddering, his breath gusts out over the back of my head. He releases my hand pinned against the headboard, wraps it over his other arm across my chest, and pulls us both upright to our knees while I can feel him pulsing wetly inside of me. He squeezes me hard... to the point of cutting off my breath, but I don't care.

  It feels too good to care.

  As he grinds his pelvis against my ass, tiny tremors race through me, zinging all around and plucking at my nerves. My heart feels like it's about to explode from my chest.

  My. Heart. Actually. Feels.

  It actually feels damn good.

  Chapter 20

  Tenn

  "Are you okay?" Casey asks as I pull into the parking lot of The Last Call to drop her off for work. We're in her Jeep but call it a man thing, I like to have the wheel.

  I drive up to the front door and shoot her a sad smile. "Miss her bad already."

  "Me too," she says, leaning across the console to kiss my cheek.

  Zoey's mom picked her up this morning. We met at the same spot... the Sand Shark... and it just about killed me to say goodbye. Having her with me the last two weeks reminded me of just how much I really need her more in my life. There is no doubt about me relocating to North Carolina. It gets me far from Wyoming and the ranch and puts me right by my daughter. But one thing I've come to realize over the last few weeks, I don't think I'm ready to settle with having Zoey only on weekends, summer breaks, and holidays. I want her full time, and I talked a lot with Zoey the last few weeks. She wants the same, so I'm going to start working to make that happen.

  Oddly, I think this might just have something to do with my relationship with Casey. Every day that goes by, I can feel her stepping closer and closer to me. I can feel her fear melting and her trust building. Every day that goes by, I find myself falling more and more in love with her.

  And that is one tried and true fact. I fucking love Casey Markham.

  I want to make a life with her. I don't know what that means to her, but to me, it eventually means marriage and children.

  Fuck... we'd make some pretty ass babies, for sure.

  Six weeks and I'm already in so deep with her that I'm starting to forget what life was like before her. It's almost like I didn't exist prior to her.

  With the lone exception of Zoey, it's almost as if my entire world was just waiting for Casey to walk in so that my life would have meaning. So no matter what happens with Nix on this visit, I've already decided to buy that garage for sale and start working toward building up this business. I've already committed in my mind that I'm not going back to Wyoming, even if Woolf doesn't decide to step up to the plate. I'm leaving the ranch and my legacy behind so I can start a new life here on the East Coast with the woman I love and will do whatever I need to do to make her mine in all respects.

  Slipping my hand behind Casey's head, I pull her in for a soft kiss. "We'll be back to pick you up at six."

  "Sounds great," she says with a sweet smile as she opens the passenger door. "Can't wait to meet Nix and Emily."

  "Bye, Goldie," I say as she hops out.

  "Bye, hot stuff," she says with a wink before closing the door. I wait for her to walk inside and then pull out of the parking lot.

  I agreed to meet Nix and Emily at the garage as he had texted me that he was in town. They went straight to the beach house where they were staying to unload their stuff, and we decided to meet over at the garage as soon as I dropped Casey off at work. Because the realtor is friends with Casey and knew I just wanted Nix to take a quick look, he was more than happy to give me the key.

  It takes me no more than five minutes to get down the highway to the garage. When I pull in, I see a nondescript dark green sedan, figuring that to be Nix's rental car. They flew into New Bern and then drove the hour and a half here, which was a much easier drive than Raleigh, although the plane schedules were not as frequent.

  I pull up beside them and both doors open up. Nix stepping his tall frame out with his eyes immediately roving over the building in interest. Emily hops out and walks up beside him, casually slipping her hand in his. He looks down and gives her a smile that is both loving and reverent at the same time.

  Nix is one badass motherfucker. He was with MARSOC in the Marine Corps, which is our line of elite Special Forces. He could snap Emily's neck with probably just his thumb and forefinger, but the way he looks at her now... big, bad Marine has fallen hard.

  I can empathize. I feel the same.

  Nix looks back to me as I get out and shut the Jeep door. "Dude," he says, jerking his chin up.

  I walk up to him and hold my fist out, which he promptly bumps with his. "Dude," I respond.

  And just like that, the male-greeting ritual between old friends is complete. I lean down and kiss Emily on the cheek. "Emily..
. looking beautiful but standing next to his ugly mug, how could you not?"

  She slaps my chest and wraps an arm around Nix's waist. "My man is the most beautiful creature on this earth.

  Nix winces and corrects her. "Um... honey, that's not a very studly way to describe me. Maybe I'm the hottest fucking man in the universe would be more appropriate."

  I snicker and turn toward the side office, wrestling the key into the lock. Nix and Emily follow me in when I open the door. "This was used as an office and it's big enough we could do that, but it's also big enough we could put a bike on display in here as well."

  Nix nods as he walks around the space. Emily walks behind the built-in reception desk and says, "I'd move this into the corner to open up the space more."

  "Agreed," I tell her as I follow Nix over to a side door that leads into the garage area.

  When he steps through, he whistles in appreciation. "Whoever had this didn't fuck around with equipping it."

  "I know," I say with a small measure of excitement. "And all of it is included in the list price. As far as the engine work, I wouldn't have to buy much to get it up and running."

  He doesn't respond but continues to circle the area, running his hand over some of the shelving and tools. Emily also comes in and looks around with a keen eye.

  "I'm worried about the location... if we do this," Nix says as he turns to face me, shoving his hands deep into his jeans pockets. "It's a small community. Not much visibility. Nothing around for miles. Not much commerce."

  "All true," I tell him. "But this type of business isn't going to depend on walk-in traffic. The type of product we'll sell is custom and pricey. People who buy from us won't be stumbling in. They'll find us by word of mouth, website, or referral. This is just a place for me to do the work, and I've decided I want to do my work here on this island."

  Nix snorts and gives me a knowing look. "I'm assuming that has something to do with a woman."

  "The woman," I correct him with a grin.

  "Nix said her name is Casey, right?" Emily asks. "So fill us in on the scoop."

  I had told Nix about her briefly when I went up to New Jersey. That was so early on in our relationship, I didn't have a whole lot to tell other than the fact I'd met a woman who was both amazing and untouchable at the same time.