by Sierra Brave
Turning back to Sally so Gram couldn’t see his face, Davis rolled his eyes. Dime store cowboy…who talks like that? She finally makes a pilgrimage to the ranch from up on high and it’s about my personal life. She won’t be satisfied until she’s digging around in my closet and laying out my clothes like I’m a damn kid being dressed for church. Davis petted Sally and patted her side as he asked, “What do you think I should wear, Gram?”
“Well, I don’t like to pry but since you asked, I think you should dress up. Don’t just wear some flannel shirt and cowboy boots.”
“I think I can pull off a nice sweater,” Davis replied, offering Sally a small treat as he spoke. “Can I at least wear jeans?”
“Jeans?”
Gram’s tone of voice made Davis’s shoulders stiffen. He could practically hear her eyebrows arching as her eyes bored holes into his back.
“I guess not…”
“Don’t you want to look nice for Scarlett?”
Letting out a long breath of exasperation, Davis set down the grooming brush and turned to face his grandmother. “You want me to cut my hair too?”
She shrugged. “Couldn’t hurt.” Wounded, Davis automatically reached up and pushed back his mane while grunting.
“Gram, I know you like Scarlett and I’m really thankful that your sneaky nature and undercover matchmaking didn’t blow up in both of our faces, but I think she likes me just like I am. If that weren’t the case, I don’t think I would—”
The smile turning up the corners of Carolyn’s mouth into a near smirk stopped Davis in his tracks. How stupid could he be—nearly spilling his personal feelings to his well-meaning but meddlesome grandmother?
He was already embarrassed at having made a lovesick fool out of himself on Christmas Eve. His twenty-year-old sister, Melly, and his younger cousins had already given him hell for revealing the family secret to a woman he had only met a few days beforehand. They’d come as close to calling him pussy whipped as they possibly could without actually saying it. He had to threaten them with a switching to finally shut them up.
He couldn’t use strong-arm tactics with Gram but he needed to steer this conversation in a different direction. He couldn’t have the old lady more involved than she already was and if she started talking about him taking Scarlett to bed again like she had on Christmas Eve, he would die of embarrassment. “What I mean to say, Gram— and I mean this in as nice and as respectful a way as I can—just please butt out…please.”
Huffing, the elderly lady folded her arms across her chest. “Fine, like I said, I’m not one to pry.”
Turning his back again to keep her from noticing his look of disbelief, Davis tried not to sound sarcastic as he replied, “Of course not, Gram. Prying isn’t in your nature.”
Chapter Four
With all things being relative, the time between Scarlett’s last moments with Davis and the day she was supposed to see him again felt like twenty-years in prison rather than a four-day work week. Somehow, she had managed to pull it off, make all her contact appointments, sell her pharmaceutical wares to doctors’ offices and medical centers alike, and even get in a little shopping for something new to wear to the office’s New Year’s bash. This would be her first time attending without Robert and also her first real date with Davis, so her nerves were understandably frazzled but her tummy was simmering with excitement.
She had rushed home after her last appointment and jumped straight into the shower to carefully cleanse and groom every inch of her body until everywhere was perfectly kissable. Scarlett had purchased the perfect dress for the evening. The cut would look great on her but if she played her cards right, she would end up leaving it on the floor while she and Davis rolled around in the sheets of her double bed.
After towel drying her body and hair, Scarlett stood naked in front of the bathroom mirror. She certainly hadn’t lost any weight over Christmas. If anything, she’d put on a couple pounds but she was happy with her body and not because she had gone down from a size sixteen to a fourteen to please Robert in preparation for the engagement ring he dangled in front of her nose like a carrot for a rabbit. Davis had brought Scarlett back to her senses. At a time when she felt thrown away, he had not only been attracted to her, he had gone out of his way to pursue her. He’d brought her cookies, taken her for a romantic sleigh ride in the mountains and made love to her as if she was the most beautiful woman in the world.
She squirted some of her best department store body lotion into her palm, before beginning the careful process of ensuring her skin was soft and smooth. She started with her neck, shoulders, arms and elbows, rubbing in the emollient substance and its light, cherry-blossom scent over her flesh. While closing her eyes, she imagined it was Davis’s hands as they slid over her breasts. Her fingers molded the ample lobes while the tips of her middle fingers rubbed lotion into her hardening pink peaks. A jolt of excitement resonated in her freshly groomed pussy, making her eyelids pop open as a moan slipped from her lips.
The view of her own erotic expression knocked her for a loop, and she laughed at herself. Girl, you got to stop this fantasy shit and get ready for the real thing! Grabbing the lotion, she squirted another dollop into her palm, plopped down on the side of the tub and bent over to lotion her feet and work her way up her legs. She stood as she rubbed more lotion over her abdomen and then finished the process by rubbing down her ass, lifting her cheeks to pay attention to the area where her large globes cover her thighs.
“There,” she mumbled to herself while nervously trying to decide on her next step. “Ah… Lingerie!” When she’d run off to the mountains, she hadn’t expected to get laid and hadn’t packed any special underwear, just the everyday stuff. Now she’d pull out the big guns. Shortly before she caught Robert cheating, Scarlett had purchased a gorgeous, blush-colored satin corset. She stepped out of the bathroom and strolled across her bedroom’s light-gray carpet before opening her dresser. She retrieved the long-length, steel boned garment, holding it up to get a lock on how to get it around her assets. The lace-up back was mostly for show but would allow her to adjust the size a little if needed. After wrapping the corset around her fleshy midsection, Scarlett fussed with the hook-n-eye closures that fastened along the side until her breasts were boosted to perfection and her waist was perfectly cinched. Surprisingly, the get-up wasn’t too uncomfortable so perhaps the sticker shock she’d experienced when purchasing from a retailer specializing in fashions for big girls was well worth the extra cash.
She took a look at her reflection in the dresser’s mirror. Damn! I should wear this thing every day! Scarlett ran her hands down over the stretch-lace overlay trimming around the breasts and cupped the sides, giving them a gentle push together as she vamped it up, blowing a kiss at the mirror before rolling her eyes at her own idiotic behavior. She ran her hands down the sides of her waist until they rested on her hips. While staring at her reflection, she wondered if she should put on some panties or just slip on some nude-colored, thigh-high stockings and attach them to the corset’s garters, leaving her bottom and pussy free.
Grinning mischievously, she removed the stockings from the drawer and sat down on the edge of her bed. The extra time she took to slather her body with lotion was already paying off, allowing her to get into the hosiery with easy. Once she had snapped the garters in place, Scarlett stood and moved back in front of the mirror, backing up until she could see the tiny tuff of sandy-blonde pubic hair underneath the corset’s generous lower-abdomen support. Turning so her back faced the mirror, she gazed over her shoulder to get a good look at her rear end. She scrunched up her nose. That is one great big bubble butt! Not that it would look much different if I wore a thong.
Something about the idea of the cool air hitting her ass and pussy made Scarlett quiver. Did she dare? What would Davis think? Oh hell, she’d fucked him the first day they met so if he was hung up on double standards, she wouldn’t be getting ready for this New Year’s date. Fuck it…what am I worr
ied about? Giving Davis the “right” idea? Scarlett laughed and covered her face as she noted the warm blush covering her cheeks in her reflection. Shit! I’ve got it soooo bad!
She walked over to her closet before opening the door and rummaging around until she found her dress. Scarlett unzipped the teal green, Hepburn-inspired dress and removed it from the hanger before stepping into it. While pulling it up, she slipped her arms through the sleeveless armholes and reached around for the zipper. It took some maneuvering but eventually, she managed to get her clothes fasten up. The dress’s purple butterfly pattern, high neckline, and over-the-knee, flared skirt gave her an air of sophistication while still being fun and flirty. Best of all, the suggestion of sweetness gave no hint of the sexy packaging she had on underneath—the satin and lace was just for Davis! A thin black belt and purple pumps pulled the whole outfit together. Right before walking out the door, she would throw on a short, black cardigan to cover her bare arms until she was inside the well-heated office, but first, she needed to do her make-up, blow-dry her hair and put some spiral curls in her long locks. She turned to get a look at her alarm clock and her heart jumped—Davis would be there in less than an hour!
* * * * *
Davis felt like a complete dumbass. He was a jeans-and-flannel shirt kind of guy, and though everyone said dressing up suited him, he wasn’t comfortable in the white dress shirt, charcoal dress pants and gray sports coat he had finally settled on after Gram got him all worried about how to dress for Scarlett’s office party. He’d never get back the hours he’d spent surfing the net for men’s New Year’s fashions. Thank God, Melly hadn’t caught me! She would have had a field day ripping on me about it. He shuddered but kept his eyes on the road.
The online preparation had done nothing to ease his anxiety during his horrible trip to the men’s section of the department store, where Gram had insisted he shop. The term “jackass” came to mind when he remembered the tongue-tied and clueless conversation he had with the sales associate. That poor man had the patience of a saint to put up with me.
None of that mattered now that he was on the tail end of his drive to Scarlett’s place. He was so excited his foot started getting heavy and he had to be careful not to speed. He didn’t need a ticket on what he hoped was the first of many visits to see his girl. When she’d shown up in the mountains, right next door to his place just before Christmas, it was like a dream come true. Scarlett was his perfect type, soft and curvy with a sweetheart face, big, blue eyes and a head full of long, blonde locks, but she was much more than just a pretty girl with a hot body and rocking, great big ass. She was adventurous, fun, straightforward and very easy to talk to, and that last thing was a biggie for Davis. Conversation skills weren’t his thing, but no matter how economical he was with words, she managed to ask the right questions and pick up on his meaning. Damn, I can’t wait to see her!
He had his truck washed and detailed and the tires rotated before starting the trip. Three hours hadn’t seemed like so far away but the physical space between him and Scarlett weighed heavily on him. He couldn’t stop thinking about her and knowing he couldn’t hold her and touch her every day gave him a crippling sense of loneliness he had never experienced in his whole life. Good Lord, it’s only been a few days…is this what it’s like to be in love? I always thought the tales about shifters who found their one true mate were a bunch of bull, but now I know those stories were true.
With one hand on the steering wheel, Davis ran his other palm through his shoulder-length, brown hair before putting on his right turn signal and then slowing down and making his turn. An odd vibration put him ill at ease, but he continued to drive at a low speed. What was that? Something definitely wasn’t right. He pulled over onto the shoulder of the dark road and put the truck into park. Davis opened the door and got out, using his cellphone as a flashlight until he could find his emergency road kit in the back cargo toolbox. Once he had retrieved a better flashlight, he took a look at where the vibration was coming from on the back left side. Lightly, he tapped his new dress shoe against the tire. The pressure seemed fine. Bending his knees, he balanced in a squat. Son of a bitch! Those two morons who’d rotated his tires hadn’t put the lug nuts back on correctly.
Frowning, his jaw tight with tension, Davis stood upright and shined the light on his watch. Damn it! He could call Scarlett and let her know he was running late, but those lug nuts were a bitch to tighten and he couldn’t show up all dirty. If he called for a tow, it would take at least an hour. He wanted to see Scarlett now. Opening the door to his truck, Davis grabbed the directions he had printed out from the internet, reading them over and taking a good look at the map. He was a little over a mile away. He could cover that much ground in no time.
He turned his head and spied his cousin’s messenger bag in the back seat of his king cab. Without the truck’s headlights or the light from the flashlight or his cell, it was pitch dark out there. He could pull off a shift without being seen. This wasn’t ideal but he’d come too far to mess up his date now. Davis got back behind the wheel, turned off his lights and the engine. He took off his jacket and laid it on the seat before stripping off his shirt, unfastening his belt and unbuttoning his pants. He took off his shoes and socks, placing his socks inside the shoes before placing them in the messenger bag. He removed his belt and slipped off his trousers. As carefully as he could, he folded his shirt and pants before placing them in the bag with his shoes, rolling up his belt and adding it as well. He also put his phone and the directions in his bag just in case he got lost.
Naked as the day he was born, he stepped out of his truck and hung the messenger bag around his neck by its lengthy strap, leaving the bag hanging just over his abdominal region. His nostrils flared and he frowned. This is so humiliating. I must look like the world’s biggest d-bag right now.
Stretching his neck, he shook his head back and forth, swallowing hard as the shifting process began. Every nerve ending twitched and a pins and needles sensation pricked at his skin as hair follicles began to react, allowing rapid growth. His shoulders slumped forward as a sharp pain started in the center of his spine and flowed in both directions, resonating in his hips and neck simultaneously.
“Ugh,” he released his last human noise as his tongue swelled, forcing him to open his mouth. As always, the first ten seconds were miserable until a pervasive numbness took over, courtesy of a special gland unique to shifters. Davis didn’t feel his hands hit the ground, hardening into hooves, just as his feet were doing. His legs and arms stretched, growing in length and width.
With his eyes rolling back in his head, he sucked in as much air through his nostrils as he could—not that the useless reflex helped much, as his throat contracted, cutting off his airflow for a few seconds at regular intervals while a squeezing sensation plagued the last place to numb, his facial bones. The merciful blackness rushed his head, stealing his conscious mind for a few seconds while his neck elongated and his muzzle emerged. As everything fell into place, leaving Davis standing tall and strong in his equine form, his sight and hearing came rushing back along with feeling to his limbs.
Immediately, the urge to move became overwhelming and he began to trot, easily accepting the familiar feeling of his alternate form. The numbness had dissipated, leaving only adrenaline and enzymes that released a natural analgesic as powerful as Morphine but without the side effects. Soon, Davis had his bearings and was off, running through the cold, still night. He kept to the side of the road but near the shadow of the trees lining the rural street leading to Scarlett’s road. Good thing she liked the quiet of country living or he would never have been able to pull off this shift. The last thing he needed was some animal control officers chasing him down, but there was little chance of that around here.
Chapter Five
After the doorbell rang, Scarlett took her time making her way over to answer. She didn’t want to seem too anxious, even though her heart was beating a thousand miles a minute.
“Just a second,” she called out, slipping on her cardigan before reaching for the doorknob.
“Hi!” She started to greet Davis as she opened the door, but the smile she wore disappeared and her nostrils flared. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Tall and lanky with his dark hair combed back and meticulously styled, Robert stood on Scarlett’s porch, all dressed up in one of his hipster doofus outfits. He smiled at her, giving her his best puppy dog eyes. “I couldn’t let you go to your office New Year’s party alone. It’s been on my calendar for weeks.”
While standing in the middle of the doorway to block his entrance, Scarlett placed a hand on her hip. “Are you fucking kidding me? I told you never to call me again and you show up at my house?”
“We had a date,” he said, tilting his head and smiling in a way that just might have worked before she met Davis.
Now, even if the man of her dreams wasn’t on his way, Scarlett would have still stood strong against her cheating ex. Her weekend with Davis had helped her reclaim the self-esteem Robert had spent three years slowly leeching away.
“I broke up with you and despite the fact that you suck, you’re actually a pretty smart guy. You know good and well that being dumped means for you to fuck off completely!”
“Come on, baby, you don’t really mean that. I know I screwed up. I promise it will never happen again. I love you. We belong together.”
Was I really so easily manipulated by him before? Still livid, Scarlett took a deep breath. She needed to stave off any show of hot emotion. She wanted her ex gone before Davis arrived and the best way to make that happen was to be calm and cold. “I’m sorry, Robert, but I want you to leave.” Scarlett kept her voice as even as her anger would allow.
While looking as if he’d been punched in the gut, Robert asked, “Won’t you at least let me in so we can sit down and talk things out?”
