Desert Fever

An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

www.ellorascave.com

Desert Fever ISBN 9781419919060 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Desert Fever Copyright © 2008 Adele Dubois Edited by Briana St. James. Photography and cover art by Les Byerley. Electronic book Publication November 2008 With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

DESERT FEVER

Adele Dubois

Dedication To my talented and supportive friends at Valley Forge Romance Writers.

Acknowledgements Special thanks to Mary Lou Frank “The Plot Whisperer” for her fun and clever ideas during an even more fun lunch meeting, when she dubbed my book’s GPS Global Positioning System, Guaranteed Personal Satisfaction. Thanks to Stephanie Julian for suggesting I use this as my series title. Daria Yanez provided details about the Bellagio in Las Vegas that became part of this story. Judi Fennell got the plot ball rolling by asking me to tell our lunch group about my WIP. Who doesn’t love to talk about their book? Laura Graham Booth gave me much appreciated suggestions on how to write faster and short-circuit my nagging internal editor. None of my books could have been written without my husband, Steve, who supports me in every way possible, including taking care of household chores and cooking when I’m nose deep in a project. Never an afterthought is my editor extraordinaire, Briana St. James, who makes me happiest when she writes acceptance letters and editorial notes that say, I LOVE this! The ALL CAPS in the LOVE keep me going. Talented photographer Les Byerly continues to awe me with his amazing and wonderful book covers. Thank you! To the men and women in uniform who have served our country or who are stationed around the world today—we owe you a debt we can never repay.

Trademark Acknowledgements The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: Bellagio: MGM Mirage Boy Scouts: Boy Scouts of America Circuit City: Circuit City Stores, Inc. Cirque Du Soleil: Cirque Du Soleil Ford Thunderbird: Ford Motor Corporation Harley-Davidson: H-D Michigan, Inc.

Author Note Route 15 is a real highway that connects California and Nevada. Some of the Route 15 landmarks used in this book are loosely based on facts. Baker, CA is the home of the World’s Tallest Thermometer. However, the location looks little like the Baker, CA inside my story. There is a real luggage outlet mall on the Nevada border, though I’ve taken liberties with the exact location and description. The desert flora mentioned in the story actually live inside the real Mojave, and I’ve tried to depict them accurately, though botanists could do a better job. Cirque Du Soleil performs the show “O” at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. However, the Route 15 Cactus Flower Watering Hole is a figment of my imagination and does not exist. I’ve also distorted the distance, trip time and weather conditions in California and Nevada to accommodate my story. Don’t try to use my map through the desert as a travel guide—because if you do, you’ll get lost and dehydrated. Bad guys and coyotes will get you for sure. Jake Riley’s colloquial history of the Desert Storm conflict, and the injuries he sustained while under attack, is fiction based on factual accounts written by Desert Storm/Desert Shield veterans. Jake’s battalion is fictional. Any historical inaccuracies are entirely mine. The people, places and things inside this novel have been shaped from my overactive imagination, especially Guy, the GPS system.

Desert Fever

Chapter One Marybeth Spencer flipped the down switch to the ragtop while the Ford Thunderbird hummed beneath her feet in its parking space. The black cloth top lifted in a high arc over her head, opening the cherry red convertible to the sky like an orchid reaching full bloom. Her breath caught as she admired the sheer grace of the movements, her face lifted to the June sun in welcome. The rustle of fabric, the trickle of air on her skin and the brush of warmth on her neck were like erotic caresses. She touched fingers to her throat. Her body tingled with a rush she hadn’t felt since…she couldn’t remember. Her lover would be devastated if he knew how numb she remained, despite his efforts to please her. But how could he, when everything inside her had been irreparably broken a year ago? With a soft whoosh, the canopy tucked itself neatly into its niche behind the bucket seats, the side windows slid down and the car idled as if waiting for her directions. She inhaled the distant aroma of the ocean as its gentle coastal breezes lifted her straight blonde hair and lowered it again softly to her shoulders. The salt air charged her with vitality and her abdomen tightened with the thrill of the open road ahead. This is what she’d been waiting for, she knew, as she ran her fingers across the fine leather upholstery before turning on the radio. Soft rock wafted around her. This car was what she needed. Energy surged through her like electrical currents. Marybeth stroked the cool, smooth steering wheel and imagined speeding down a highway to nowhere. Somewhere. Everywhere. Running away. She leaned her head against the headrest and closed her eyes, inhaling the heady scents of saddle soap, fresh wax and ocean brine. Her nostrils flared with the fragrances

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and she parted her lips as if to taste them, fingers of one hand returning to linger on the line of her throat as she breathed. This Thunderbird was her last chance to recapture a slice of her lost youth. Reclaim all she had given away to the man who had betrayed her after twenty-five years of loving him. Gone. All gone. Brian had destroyed their marriage, sold the beach house they had built, laid claim to their mutual friends and kept their joint retail business in the tourist district. She got lifetime alimony, half their pension, a two-bedroom condo and a therapist to heal her shattered spirit. He settled down with his busty thirty-five year old mistress and seemed contented as a clam. Bastard.

Marybeth had been replaced by a remarkably similar-looking, but younger and fuller-figured version of herself. She and Samantha were like the Thunderbird convertible—reinventions of the same model, issued years apart. The original Thunderbird, a two-seater, debuted in 1954, a full decade before Marybeth was born. As a child, Marybeth had loved riding in her brother’s best friend’s old, but sleek, canary yellow 1960 four passenger “Square Bird” edition, her hair billowing while she sat on her knees in the back seat and tried to touch the clouds. Later, the boys would buy her ice cream and she’d laugh while they cruised around town to whistle at pretty girls strolling along the sidewalks. Her brother’s friend had been a shining knight behind the wheel of his car and she had yearned then to be his lady. Too bad she’d only been a little girl with a glorious, secret crush. Over the years, memories of the boy faded, but her love for the Thunderbird lingered. Marybeth assured herself she’d own a cherry red convertible once she learned how to drive. To her dismay, by the time she’d grown up enough to keep that promise,

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the convertible model had ceased production. Hard tops and Mustangs had taken its place. Decades later, when she emerged from the brutal wreckage of her marriage, the Thunderbird’s reissue was like kismet—and an invitation to a new life. The “Retro Bird’s two-seater was more expensive than she could afford to buy new, but after years of waiting, her cherry red dream seemed to magically appear in a neighborhood used car lot at a price she could afford. Screw Brian and his recycled life. Footfalls crunched over gravel behind her and her eyes flew open at the intrusion. Marybeth’s eyelids fluttered against bursts of sunlight and she raised her hand over her forehead to make shade, reorienting herself to her surroundings in the Ford dealership parking lot. “Well, what do you think?” the beefy, dark haired salesman asked. He stood beside her and gripped the edge of the driver’s side door panel like he was ready to bench press the car. His chocolate brown eyes shifted to her lap as he watched her slide upright in the plush, body-hugging seat and then smooth her short skirt over her bare, tanned legs. “This baby’s got the good stuff—a smooth ride, low mileage and the best Global Positioning System money can buy. “ The young man leaned in, lowered his voice, and furrowed his brow in a conspiratorial whisper. “If you ask me, the previous owner overspent for the GPS. But that’s all to the good now, huh?” He inclined his head toward the navigation system and nodded. “Does everything but eat take-out for you.” He chuckled at his own joke, eyes crinkling with pleasure. He refocused on the swell of her breasts and hovered above her, seeming to calculate her measurements while he waited for her response. Marybeth didn’t delude herself into thinking his flirtations meant anything more than business. Today, her forty-sixth birthday, she knew what he wanted was to coax her signature onto a used car contract. His smile said she could use his favorite pen. His eyes hinted he’d shave the tax and title fees if she slid her skirt higher over her thighs. 9

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What was this guy’s name again? She checked his nametag. Dave. Adorable. Probably turned twenty-two ten minutes ago. The age when men prayed every day they’d get laid. As an experiment, she shifted her hips and let her knees relax as she rested the tips of her fingers against the inside of her thigh where the skin was softest. The salesman’s eyes flickered and honed on the spot like radar. She stroked her thigh absently, like she was thinking about offering a deal on the car. Her other hand lifted lightly to touch the edge of her scooped neck pullover. Her knuckles brushed the swell of her cleavage. The salesman licked his lips and pulled in a breath, eyes never wavering from her body. Hmmm, maybe he found her appealing after all. Too bad he was her daughter’s age and she had principles. “Let’s take it for a test ride along the coast,” Marybeth said coolly, pretending indifference to the younger man’s attentions. She patted the passenger seat beside her and raised her chin to offer her most dazzling white smile. I’ve still got it, she thought with relief. I’ve got to work harder at it, but the ole’ sex appeal is still hanging on by a thread. “Be right back with the tags.” Dave grinned wide and did a little drum roll on the driver’s side chrome with his long, thick fingers. “I’ll be waiting.” Marybeth smiled back. Her flirtation skills were rusty as hell. She fished her sunglasses out of her purse and slid them on. Her dormant libido roused from its sleep, urging her to take both the boy and the car, but her scruples warned otherwise. Marybeth’s heart beat faster as she stroked the smooth, solid gear shift and cupped its wide, round tip. She flicked the keys in the ignition and watched them sway. All her life she’d waited for this moment. The Thunderbird would give her the best, hard ride she’d ever had on her birthday.

*****

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Three days later, Marybeth tossed two suitcases in the Thunderbird’s trunk and strode to the driver’s side door, heart racing with excitement, keys jingling in her hand like wind chimes. She couldn’t keep the smile off her face. She was really doing it, leaving Santa Barbara for an extended trip to Vegas, saying adios to her empty, transitional life. Her rebound lover had seemed disappointed when she broke up with him, but let her go without much of a fuss. It came as a bittersweet surprise that he hadn’t tried to change her mind. The car rumbled when she reversed from her parking space, and then shot forward like a rodeo rider for the southbound freeway to Los Angeles. It was after nine o’clock and the rush hour traffic had probably cleared by now. She voice-activated her GPS navigation system. “Fastest route to Las Vegas.” It had been months since she’d seen her daughter, Caitlyn, manager of a successful health food counter inside a Sin City hotel. Those casino dealers, waitresses and showgirls needed to stay fit, and spent tons of money on herbal remedies. Cait’s business acumen and social skills had tripled business for her boss the past year, confirming Marybeth’s belief that Cait should open her own store. “I can’t wait to see her,” she whispered, eyes focused on the road. The balmy California sun and dry, gentle breezes filtered through her hair and stroked her body like healing hands. She sighed with contentment as she settled into the leather upholstery and eased through traffic. “Turn left onto Route 101 South,” GPS said in his deep, sexy baritone. The voice must have been patterned after a Hollywood star, because every time “he” spoke, Marybeth got chills. Too bad he wasn’t real, because her response to his voice was primal, instant and deeply sensual. He’d probably make great conversation over dinner. Or after sex. Thank you, whoever you are, for the installation.

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She had decided to call the navigation system Guy—short for Guide. He was, after all, a receiver, translating messages from broadcast satellites positioned among the stars. Though approved for civilian use, GPS was funded and controlled by the U.S. Department of Defense. A very guy thing, if you asked Marybeth. It was reassuring to know something tangible watched over her from the heavens and had her back on the road. The five to seven hour trip from California to Nevada, most of it through the Mojave Desert, could be dangerous. The drive could literally bore you to death. Marybeth eyed the insulated bag filled with lunch and refillable plastic water bottles wedged behind the console on the floorboard. The bag hadn’t moved. She turned up the sound on the radio. The Eagles sang Desperado and she sang along in hearty, but off-key, harmony. Her cell phone was charged, she had money in her wallet and her gas tank was almost full as she merged onto Route 134. Stars of the eighties, Phil Collins, Steve Winwood, Heart and Michael Jackson, played one after the other on the radio, taking her back to the early days of her marriage when she had been happy. Marybeth sighed and pressed the music’s off button when their song, “Higher Love,” began to play, darkening her mood. “I wish I’d meet someone to make me forget Brian. Bring me relief from this pain.” Absently, she touched her heart. “Someone young, like Samantha. Wouldn’t that just rock Brian’s world?” She laughed out loud, her spirits lifting with the fantasy. “Yes. That’s what I need. A young stud of my own.” Guy’s voice filled the car as the GPS screen lit up in muted yellow, jolting her from her reverie. “Turn off Route 210 onto US 15. Stop at the gas station. One mile.” US 15 from California to Nevada was a long, straight arrow on the edge of red and brown desert for hundreds of godforsaken miles. She checked her gauge. “I don’t need gas.” The tank was good till she reached Baker, home of the Tallest Thermometer on Earth. “Stop at the gas station,” Guy repeated. “I said, I don’t need gas.” 12

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“Stop at the gas station!” Could it be her imagination or had Guy copped a tone? Marybeth frowned at the GPS. The screen seemed to glow brighter and the words GAS STATION flashed across it in bright green. What the hell? Marybeth shook her head. Did Guy know something she didn’t? She wondered if her GPS had been programmed by some geek to monitor fluid levels. Maybe she’d better check her engine. She pulled into the weathered filling station, coasted up to the pumps and put the car into park. Her legs needed a stretch and she had to use the ladies’ room anyway. “Didn’t know you were such a nag.” She unbuckled her seat belt and popped the hood. The words GAS STATION flashed across the screen in red letters. “Just like a man to try and have the last word.” Marybeth hit Guy’s off switch and took the key out of the ignition. The screen blinked into darkness. “I win.” She topped off the gas tank. When it was full, she walked around to the front of the car, lifted the hood and checked the oil, careful to avoid staining her white clothes. Oil, washer fluid, water levels were fine. She closed the hood and went to the glove compartment for packaged wipes. After cleaning her hands, she tossed the trash in the waste container at the pumps. Looking down, she noticed one of her espadrille laces had come loose. She leaned over from the waist to rewrap the thin rope around her ankle and retie the bow. Her long legs stretched with the movements and she groaned with relief. Her limbs had begun to cramp in the car. Blonde tendrils fell forward against her face and she flipped her hair behind her as she straightened. She arched her spine with her palms, working out the kinks in her neck, shoulders and lower back. She turned her head from side to side, groaning as her tired muscles relaxed. Guy had been right to insist she take a break. Damn him. “Long drive?”

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Marybeth pivoted, startled. Her jaw dropped. She closed it fast, not wanting the stranger to enjoy his voyeuristic prank too much. No way would she have bent over like that to tie her shoe, ass in the air, if she’d seen him behind her at the next bay. Inside her blind spot. Jeezus, she must have been blind to miss him when she pulled into the station. From his head of long, wavy, light brown hair to the snug fit of his jeans and the toes of his black leather riding boots, the man was a too gorgeous to be real. Gotta love California. The sandy-haired stud on the Harley offered a guilt-ridden smirk and a tight wave. His piercing blue gaze poured over her body like liquid hunger as the tip of his tongue touched his bottom lip before disappearing again into his full, firm mouth. Whether or not he intentionally licked his lip, the impact on Marybeth was the same. Her eyes registered the movement like she’d been hypnotized. She broke her gaze as her face flushed hot and raised a hand to her cheek, half expecting the skin to burn her fingers. Her breath caught. It had been a long time since the presence of a man caused her to lose her cool. The sensation produced the unexpected impulse to run. Fast. Leaning over to grab her purse from the passenger seat, she avoided further eye contact with the motorcycle rider, and headed into the tiny market attached to the gas station and two-lift garage. A rusted sign with flaking green paint advertised oil changes and flat tire repairs. Marybeth knew there was a ladies’ room inside the market—she’d driven this route before to see Cait. Maybe if she stayed inside the bathroom long enough, the stud would go. Wait a minute! Her mind shouted. What are you, fifteen? You don’t need to hide. Walk proud. You take good care of your skin and body. You’ve earned some oogling. Where’s your confidence? “In the shredder with my divorce papers,” she muttered under her breath.

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Marybeth squared her shoulders. How long would she let Brian’s rejection control her? He was gone and good riddance. She was fine without him. The whole country had been unfurled before her and she had the car of her dreams to explore it with. So what if some good-looking younger man checked her out? She’d flirted with the car salesman when she bought her Thunderbird and had fun doing it. All she needed to hone her flirting skills was practice. After using the toilet in the ladies’ room, she washed her hands, rinsed her face and swiped a damp paper towel over her neck. She pulled out her comb and untangled her hair before reapplying face powder, blush and lip-gloss. Afterward, she headed into the market. A frozen fruit bar would cool her arid throat. The temperature had climbed steadily as the hours passed. It had to be ninetyfive degrees in the desert by now. Though she loved driving in her convertible, if it got any hotter, she’d have to put the top up and turn on the air conditioning, which kind of sucked the pleasure from the ride. “Strawberry or banana?” A husky voice spoke behind her. Goosebumps prickled Marybeth’s arms. Though she couldn’t see him, she knew the biker stood behind her. Too close. The scent of musk and sweat and desert sand clung to his skin and the wavy hair that reached his t-shirt collar. Marybeth had the irrational urge to step back into his body and press the crown of her head against the broad expanse of his chest. It was as if the past year of turmoil washed over her in that single instant and he was her oasis. What the hell was wrong with her? “I like strawberry, myself. Pick what you want. My treat.” Marybeth turned and nearly crashed into him. He smiled, but didn’t move. She was pinned between him and the ice cream chest—sandwiched between hot and cold. Gooseflesh rippled across her skin, pebbling her nipples beneath the thin cups of her white lace bra. Whether the cold or heat created the response, Marybeth could only guess. 15

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His molten heat. “I came to apologize,” he said. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” He seemed to realize he’d done that twice already, so he specified. “Back there.” His grin was sheepish as he jerked a thumb toward the gas pumps. His biceps lifted beneath his navy blue t-shirt and bulged under burnished satin skin. “It’s just…you looked…pretty in your white clothes…tying your shoe with the sun behind you. Natural blondes are rare, especially around here.” His voice lowered an octave. “I forgot my manners.” The man smiled again and Marybeth’s knees went spongy. Was he suggesting she’d looked angelic in the sunlight? No, no, that was ridiculous. She broke eye contact before she made a fool of herself. This man could have any woman he wanted. He was probably a model or an actor, yet the color tattoo of the earth, anchor and eagle on his forearm said Semper Fidelis. U.S.M.C. Maybe the tat was a fake and he wasn’t really a Marine. With her luck, he was probably an ex-convict. A predator. Sex fiend. Oh God, I hope so. The words flashed across her brain before she could control them. Had she lost her mind? She was a lone woman at the mouth of the Mojave, exposed in a convertible. What the hell was she doing, enjoying close contact with this stranger? “I’m Jake Riley.” He extended his strong, tanned hand for a formal handshake, though the sparkle in his sea blue eyes teased. His touch was warm, sure and inviting and she blurted out her name despite her better judgment. “Marybeth.” He repeated the word softly and nodded, but didn’t release her hand. “That’s beautiful and just a bit old-fashioned.” Jake studied her face and she saw kindness in his stare. Nothing remotely frightening. “It suits you.” Marybeth hoped she didn’t flush. Harleyman had made her control slip another notch. She didn’t want him to read her face. Couldn’t he see she was too old for him? He couldn’t be more than thirty. She eased her hand free from his grasp and turned away. “I have to get to Vegas.” 16

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Jake frowned, but stepped back to give her room. “Okay. But don’t you want your fruit bar first?” He pointed to the freezer. “I’m buying.” Marybeth relaxed now that he wasn’t so close. What could it hurt to stay another few minutes? This was a public place and there were at least half a dozen other travelers, plus the cashiers, inside the market. Wasn’t she supposed to have adventures on this road trip? She was living her new life. What was the harm of enjoying herself? And she had to face it—Jake was the hottest guy she’d met in a long, long time. Her mouth spoke the words at odds with her internal parent. “I like strawberry too.” “Great. There’s a bench out front. We can sit there.” Jake moved beside her, slid the glass door open to the white freezer case and withdrew two ice-cold fruit bars. They walked together to the front counter. Jake opened a brightly beaded, hand-tooled and sewn brown leather wallet. The fine Native American workmanship was stunning. He must have read the admiration on her face, because he lifted the wallet higher for her inspection after extracting a few bills. “Like it? My kids gave it to me.” “Kids?” Shit. The guy was married. She knew this encounter was a mistake! He grinned as if reading her mind. God, was she that transparent? “I’m a teacher in Los Angeles. Phys Ed. My high school students gave this to me as a parting gift. I’m taking a new job in another district this fall.” “Oh.” She fought off any visible signs of relief. She was a woman of the world now, right? Cool, calm and collected. “Very handsome. Hopi, isn’t it?” Jake nodded. “Let’s sit outside on the bench in the shade. I’ve got plenty of time.” Marybeth glanced out the market window. “I need to keep an eye on my car in case I have to move it. But, yeah. Okay.” He peeled the paper wrapper from Marybeth’s frozen treat and offered it as they sat down together. Tourists wearing shorts and wide brimmed hats came and went, glancing at them without interest as they passed.

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She reached for the wooden stick at the base of the fruit bar and her hand brushed his. Tiny shivers raced across her skin. “Do you always pick up women in remote gas stations?” She nibbled a corner of the fruit bar and watched as he took a bite of his. Straight, white teeth scored the top. He sucked the ice into his mouth and then swallowed. “Only natural blondes with hazel eyes named Marybeth who wear white in the desert and drive Thunderbirds.” Marybeth laughed at that. “Yeah. Right. You seem awfully good at this.” Jake’s expression turned contrite and his brow crinkled. “You think I’m a jerk.” He stared at her as if the possibility hadn’t occurred to him before. He shrugged his shoulders and then shook his head as if his reasons for talking to her should be obvious. “I only did what I had to before it was too late and you were gone.” The blue of his eyes seemed to grow brighter as he spoke. Flecks of green and black drew her in. His were the most gorgeous eyes she had ever seen, framed with thick brown lashes. His jaw line was sharp and his skin was clear and smooth beneath the stubble of his sandy beard. He shrugged his shoulders. “I learned the hard way that life can be fleeting.” His gaze rested on her face again, and his brows furrowed as he continued to speak. “If I came on too strong, I’m sorry. But look around.” He turned and extended an arm. “This is a transient place. No way would I have met you if I hadn’t spoken up. Something told me to take that chance.” Marybeth looked hard into his face. Since her marriage fell apart and her divorce became final, she’d acquired a knack for sensing lies—a self-preservation skill she wished she’d learned decades before. There was no cunning in Jake’s expression. He seemed completely open to her. Either he was who he appeared to be or he was an incredible con artist. Two men left the market and seemed to make it a point to catch Marybeth’s eye as they stood outside the door near the bench. Both gave her a lascivious once-over and smirked. She thought they looked like a walking set of salt and pepper shakers in their

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similar straw hats, muscle shirts, jeans and running shoes and tried not to smile, lest they misinterpret her grin as a come-on. The thin blond on the right winked at her and raised his knobby hand in a casual salute. The skinny Mexican with him tittered and watched her for a reaction. The blond seemed to step deliberately too close to the bench as they walked past and bumped her knees with the side of his leg as he went. “Oh!” She hadn’t expected the contact. Jake glared at the men. “Watch your step there, cowboy.” The blond spun around, his lip curled, nostrils flared. “Fuck off, douche bag.” Jake tossed his fruit bar on the bench and rose to his feet, all six foot three inches of him taut as a drum. His fists curled tight at his sides. “That’s big talk for such a little prick.” The pulse in his jaw throbbed in steady rhythm as he held his ground. Marybeth sucked in a breath as she watched the men face off. “You need to apologize to the lady.” Jake spoke through his teeth this time. His eyes flashed a dangerous signal. Salt and Pepper looked at each other, and then back at Jake, seeming to take in his size and weight. The blond inclined his head toward Marybeth. “Sorry.” His tone said he was more pissed than sorry, but Marybeth let it go. Jake did too, though he watched the men’s backs as they walked away. They climbed into a customized old blue Dodge with filler spots that had been sanded, but not painted, and peeled out of the parking lot, burning rubber. Marybeth stood and threw away the last of her melting fruit bar. “Well, thank you for the snack.” Though the words sounded formal and as old-fashioned as her name, she didn’t know what else to say. The air still crackled with a confusing blend of sex, testosterone and adrenaline she wasn’t sure what to do with. She decided to avoid further complications and reached into her purse for her keys. “I’ve got to get going.” Jake stood with her, concern flashing in his eyes. “You okay?”

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Marybeth nodded. “Sure.” She simply wasn’t used to this much attention. It felt good, but intimidated her all the same. Married life had insulated her for too many years and had dulled her interactive skills with men. Yet…her powerful attraction to Jake was undeniable. He reached out and took her by the elbow. “Let me walk you to your car.” The space between the Thunderbird’s driver’s side and the gas pumps was wide enough to accommodate Jake. He closed the door when she started the engine. “Have a good trip,” he said. “You too.” She reached for her sunglasses and smiled up at him, taking in the rugged planes of his handsome face as she said good-bye. Before she could put the car into drive, Jake leaned down and brushed the barest kiss across her lips. His mouth tasted sweet and cool like strawberries picked fresh from the garden, and his lips were pliant and full as if made only for kissing. The kiss tingled over her lips and crackled through her body like a lightening strike. “Listen,” he said, before she found her voice. “I’d like to see you again. In Las Vegas.” He pulled out his wallet and removed two long paper rectangles. He extended one to her and put the other back into his billfold. The theatre ticket was marked Cirque Du Soleil with the name of the show, date, and price stamped at the top. Marybeth felt her eyes widen at the second row center seats for a show playing the following night. “I promised my sister I’d be there for her Cirque debut. She sent me two tickets in case I wanted to bring a friend. Will you come?” Marybeth stared at the ticket and then met Jake’s eyes, not sure yet what to make of him. Was he a mirage? A delusion? Who the hell meets a hunk with a yen for older women in a desert gas station? “You don’t have to give me an answer now. Just show up at the theatre if you want to. No pressure, okay?” Marybeth nodded. “Okay.”

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“Great,” he said, and rapped the knuckles of his loose fist on the door panel before she drove away. She watched him walk back toward the market in the rear view mirror before he was lost from sight. The temperature had nudged higher while Marybeth took her break. The sun beat down on her skin and the dry desert air blew hot across her face. After driving more than a mile, she pulled onto the shoulder of the road to apply sunscreen to her exposed skin. Pictures of Jake’s face flashed through her mind like digital images. A small smile curled her lips at the memory of his mouth on hers. And his amazing body. Warmed by thoughts of the stunningly handsome man she had met, she decided to call her daughter and let her know she was on her way. If Cait had a minute between customers, she’d tell her about Jake and his kiss. She speed dialed the number on her cell phone and got dead air. “Figures!” she muttered in disgust. The illuminated screen said No Service Available. She’d have to wait until she reached a town to make the call. The GPS flashed the words GAS STATION across its lighted panel. Marybeth frowned. “I was just there, nimrod.” Guy flashed the words again, this time in red letters and with voice activation. “GAS STATION!” His deep baritone resonated inside the convertible. “What’s going on?” Marybeth sat back in her seat and stared at the GPS screen. She tried another tactic. “Best alternate route to Las Vegas.” Guy’s voice boomed through the speaker. “GAS STATION!” She shouted back at the top of her lungs. “I said, alternate route!” Guy flashed the same words on his screen, but kept silent, like he was pouting. Jesus Christ. The thoughts she was having were absurd. As a matter of fact, the whole goddamn day had been strange. She glared again at the GPS monitor. Was it…possible? Could Guy really be…communicating with her? “That’s ridiculous,” she murmured, watching the words GAS STATION flash over and over again on the dashboard.

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It dawned on her suddenly that Jake’s motorcycle hadn’t been parked at the gas pumps, or anywhere else in the lot, for that matter. Where could it have gone? She recalled him moving toward the market when she pulled out of the parking lot. No, not the market, she corrected. The garage! Wasn’t that his Harley inside the open doors of the repair shop? She’d caught sight of the motorcycle in her peripheral vision when she drove away. The image hadn’t registered with her until now. Jake hadn’t been in a hurry. “I’ve got plenty of time,” he’d said. Who has time to spare at a rest stop in the mouth of the desert? But he clearly intended to be in Las Vegas by the next day. She glanced at her open purse, thinking of the Cirque ticket. “I must have desert fever.” Marybeth put the Thunderbird into drive and made a Uturn on the highway, dust kicking up like dervishes beneath the tire treads.

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Chapter Two Jake Riley sat on the bench where he and Marybeth had eaten frozen fruit bars, and waited in the shade for the afternoon bus to Las Vegas. He checked his watch. “Only five hours to go.” He ran his hand along the back of his head and grimaced. Maybe he’d catch a break and a trucker would give him a lift to Nevada. He’d pulled into the gas station when his gas gauge read low and filled the tank. When he tried to restart the engine—the damn thing wouldn’t kick. He’d tried again. Jake was just about to lose it over the bad starter when the blonde in the red Thunderbird pulled up at the next bay. With the midday sun at her back, shining through her honey blonde hair and against the bright white of her clothing, she’d looked like an angel descending her chariot in the lifeless desert. Jake couldn’t take his eyes off the sleek lines of her lean, taut body, defined by an obvious lifestyle of exercise and fresh air. He could have spotted her as a product of California anywhere on the map. She had that fresh, natural look of good health and youth, though she was probably in her late thirties. Early forties, tops. Whatever, it didn’t matter. The woman was a stunner. What had started as admiration turned to lust the instant she bent over to tie her shoe and stretched that magnificent ass to the sky. Marybeth Spencer had the most incredible backside he’d ever seen. Heart-shaped. His cock hardened just thinking about it. Her ass formed a perfect, inverted heart, with the fullness at the bottom, small and tight—making her pussy easily accessible from behind. Beneath the thin fabric of her white shorts, he could see the outline of a thong. When she lifted her butt in the air, he imagined her pussy opening with the movement. That mental picture offered him a split-second fantasy he would never forget. 23

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There had to be a set of perfect dimples at the top of each ass cheek, with the inverted V of the heart ending in a point where the halves met her spine. Maybe a tiny mole dotted the tip of the V. His desire for her deepened when he found, to his surprise, that Marybeth was as down to earth as he considered himself to be. She didn’t play coy and seemed to have no concept of the effect she had on him. Her lack of guile made him want her even more. But how lame would that have been, coming on to her when he was stuck in the desert? Within two minutes of knowing her, he didn’t just want to fuck her, he wanted to date her. ‘Course that wasn’t about to happen. When he gave her that ticket to his sister’s Cirque debut, he could tell she’d never show. Yet only a crazy man would have let the opportunity to meet her pass him by. And Jake was as sane and warm-blooded as the next man. As luck would have it, a semi with a black cab and mud flaps that said Born To Be Wild below silhouettes of a naked woman pulled into the station. Someone had attached silver sequined pasties to the woman’s nipples. Jake watched the tall, craggy, middleaged driver slide out of his cab, and sized him up across the parking lot from his position on the bench. The guy looked tough in his red plaid cotton shirt, cut off at the sleeves, but relaxed as he tugged at the waistband of his jeans and moved toward the market in his brown cowboy boots. Jake would pick up his Harley on his way back from Vegas. The garage needed at least a day to order a new starter before they fixed his bike. By then, he’d be on his way back to California. As the trucker approached the market, Jake stood, but averted his eyes until the other man got closer. When he was sure the trucker had seen him, Jake made brief eye contact. He nodded and waited until the older man finished his threat assessment before speaking to him. Jake became more hopeful when he spotted the tattoo of a 24

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bulldog in U.S.M.C. fatigues on the trucker’s left forearm. Maybe he’d give a brother-inarms a ride. “Hey, Marine,” Jake said. The trucker’s eyes flashed suspicion as his gaze flickered across Jake’s face, and then turned friendlier at the sight of Jake’s military tattoo. “Been back long?” “A while, yeah. Desert Storm. Made the Mohave look like Disneyland, you know?” The trucker nodded. “Got that right. I was in Iraq myself. What battalion were you in?” Jake told him. The trucker scratched the back of his neck and looked around. “Where’s your rig?” Jake grinned. “I was hoping you’d ask.” He pointed to his Harley inside the garage. “No rig. Bad starter. I’m looking for a ride to Vegas. Got room in your cab for one more? It’s just me and my duffel.” He pointed to the small canvas bag on the ground beneath the bench. The trucker puckered his lips and moved his mouth around while he thought. “Well, the company don’t like passengers…” He met Jake’s eyes again, deciding. “I’ll pay for gas. At these prices, I don’t expect to ride free.” When he seemed convinced that Jake was neither an escaped convict nor a man lover, he offered a quick nod. “Lemme take a leak and get something to eat. I’ll be along.” Jake thrust out his hand for a handshake. “Thanks, man, appreciate it.” The trucker reached out just as an engine roared behind them. Spinning wheels crunched loose stones as a car screeched to a halt at the curb. The men dropped their hands and turned. Jake couldn’t have been more startled if he’d been blindsided.

“Looking for a ride?” Marybeth grinned like a cat and lowered her sunglasses to the bridge of her nose to meet his eyes over the white frames. 25

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“How did you know? She tilted her head toward the garage. “I have a genius I.Q.” Jake laughed. “I like a woman with brains.” The trucker looked from one to the other and smirked. “Guess you won’t be needin’ me, then.” Jake turned back to Marybeth. “You sure about this?” Marybeth continued to stare from beneath her sunglasses. “I want your blood oath you’re not a dope dealer or an axe murderer. Or anyone else who’s dangerous or creepy.” Jake lifted three fingers into the air. “Scouts honor.” “Yeah, right. You don’t look like any Boy Scout I ever knew.” She laughed, though, when she said it and Jake could tell she wasn’t afraid of him. Excellent. Fear wasn’t exactly the emotion he was looking for. She popped the trunk and he walked to the rear of the car to toss his duffel bag inside. He came back to the passenger door and slid into the convertible. “Later, brother,” he said to the trucker. The trucker laughed. “Name’s Hank.” “I’m Jake. Thanks anyway, Hank.” The trucker offered a small nod good-bye and stepped into the market. Marybeth put the car in drive. “Ready?” Jake took in the sight of her and grinned. “Always.”

***** “So why didn’t you tell me your Harley broke down?” They had driven a couple of miles on the desert highway, making small talk, breaking the ice again, when Marybeth posed her question. She looked at him when she asked, seeming to signal the importance of his answer.

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He responded with the simple truth. “If I’d asked you for a ride, you’d never have trusted me. You’d wonder if I had an ulterior motive for talking to you. Assume I had used you. That uncertainty would get in the way.” His answer seemed to take her off guard. “You mean to tell me you were willing to sit in the heat and take your chances for another ride in the middle of nowhere…just in case we met again in Nevada?” Jake nodded and told her about the bus that stopped twice a day at the gas station. “As long as I got to Vegas in time to meet you for my sister’s debut, I wasn’t worried.” Marybeth remained silent for so long he thought she’d dropped the subject. “So, you’re a nice guy.” She said the words with a touch of awe. “With integrity. I didn’t think there were any left in the world.” “Ouch. Sounds like the lady here has some issues.” Marybeth laughed softly. “You have no idea. My issues may be too big for you to handle.” Jake watched her pretty face and wondered what, or who, could have hurt her so bad. “Nobody goes through life without baggage. Is yours so different from other people’s?” Marybeth seemed to think about that and shrugged. “No. Probably not. But I should warn you I’m one of the walking wounded.” Jake raked his teeth over his bottom lip. “Yeah. I know what you mean.” Marybeth got quiet again. “I’m listening.” Jake laughed to shake off the tension. “I know it’s easier to talk to strangers than it is to people we know, but I’m not ready to shatter your illusions about me yet.” “You think I have illusions?” Her smile was wry. He reached out and stroked her wrist on the steering wheel. “I sure the hell hope so.” 27

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She laughed for real this time, bringing out the fine lines around her mouth. Her neck relaxed as she tossed her head back. “Touche’.” “Though I will admit I had one ulterior motive for wanting to see you again.” Marybeth tightened next to him. The response was subtle, but automatic, nevertheless. “And that was?” “To make love to you.” She pressed her lips together and looked sideways at him from behind her sunglasses. “The direct approach, huh?” “I think people should be direct without being crass. I won’t deny I’m extremely attracted to you. You’re a beautiful woman. Anyone could see that.” “Hmmm. Extremely attracted?” She was teasing him now and seemed to be enjoying herself. “It’s hard to keep my hands off you, if you want to know the whole truth.” His eyes trailed along the length of her smooth, suntanned leg from her foot on the accelerator to the top of her thigh where her shorts ended. His fingers longed to nudge their way beneath the hem. Without a doubt, her skin would be soft and silky and her pussy would be wet and sweet. He wanted to bring her to a fast, hard orgasm and watch her pretty hazel eyes flash while she came. Of course, he couldn’t tell her that. Not yet. So he said, instead. “But I’ll behave as long as you want me to.” She seemed to consider his words, and then chuckled. “You do that.” He wondered what sounds she made during climax. His cock twitched with the thought, so he turned away from her to look out the open passenger window. The desert always intrigued him. The Mojave was covered with tight scrub grass and patches of wildflowers in purple and yellow. Birds like Western Scrub-Joys and Cooper’s Hawks sat in green and brown Yucca trees, bringing life to the desolation.

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He remembered his marine training out here in the sand and rocks. The Mojave had carved out thousands of soldiers like him. He and his brothers were forever connected to this place. “Would you mind pulling over for a minute? I left cold drinks in the insulated bag inside my duffel. Want one?” He saw something ahead he wanted to check out. “Sure. I’m thirsty. I have plenty of water bottles in the cooler on the floor, though.” “Later. Right now I want a soda. I should have kept them in the car.” He pointed to an outcropping of large red rocks ahead. What he was looking for would probably grow beside them. “Stop there.” “Okay.” Marybeth guided the Thunderbird off the roadside and parked. She popped the trunk. Jake got the sodas from his bag and leaned into the car from the passenger side to hand one to Marybeth. “I hope you like root beer.” “Love it.” She opened hers and took a long swig. “It’s still cold. Thanks.” Jake took a thirsty pull on his drink, and then another. Marybeth screwed the top on hers and handed it back to him. He did the same and placed the plastic bottles inside the small cooler on the floor. He pointed toward the stand of red rocks. “Be right back.” Marybeth shaded her eyes with the back of her hand and looked to the place he had pointed. She furrowed her brows, but nodded agreement and unclasped her seat belt. Jake returned several minutes later holding the yellow wildflowers he’d searched for. He got into the car and offered the blooms to Marybeth. She pushed her sunglasses up on her head and smiled. “They’re beautiful.” He leaned closer and touched her cheek with the buttery petals. “They’re called Paper Daisies. The petals are fragile, but the plants are hearty enough to grow under desert conditions. They’re not a protected species and are plentiful this year because the Mojave’s had extra rain. “ She took the flowers and smelled their light fragrance. “They’re lovely.”

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He dragged his thumb across her jaw line. When she didn’t pull away, he traced her lips. “See? Amazing and unexpected things can happen in the desert.” “Are you trying to seduce me?” Her voice quivered and her skin flushed with the question. She spun the sprig of flowers in her hand and watched their shadows play over her skin, refusing to meet his eyes. “Is it working?” Jake lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. Her hazel eyes looked greener in the earthy hues surrounding them, and her pale hair glistened in the sunlight. Freckles he hadn’t noticed before swept across the bridge of her small, straight nose, lending a hint of innocence to her face. “Yeah.” Marybeth swallowed and caught her breath as he stroked her chin with his thumb, and then swept it across the fullness of her bottom lip. She went completely still, poised to bolt from the car, until he grazed the edges of her bottom teeth with his forefinger. He watched her nipples harden inside her shirt as he played inside her soft, pink mouth and touched her tongue. Gently, she began to suck his finger as her body relaxed. The textures of her mouth and the sight of her arousal caused his cock to rise. She closed her eyes as his hand resumed its hold on her chin and he leaned forward to kiss her. Marybeth’s mouth was warm and welcoming and tasted sweet from the root beer. He groaned and deepened the kiss, pleasantly surprised by her willing return kiss and the thrust of her tongue as it met his. Jake reached around her waist with his other hand to pull her closer. She shifted in her seat toward him and kissed him again, with more urgency this time. Her breathing quickened as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He dropped the hand that had cupped her chin to the swell of her breasts and massaged lightly. When she didn’t resist, he kissed her more fervently, and then brought his mouth to the base of her throat to lay a row of tiny kisses there. Her taut nipple brushed his palm and he took it between his fingers to pinch and roll it until it cinched to a point in his hand.

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Marybeth moaned in her throat so softly he nearly missed the sound inside the rise and fall of his own breathing. He reached under her top and massaged her breast over the sheer fabric of her lace bra. Her breast was full and firm and he longed to take it in his mouth and suck the hard tip. His cock stretched and strained nearly to bursting. The thought of her mouth over its engorged head nearly brought him to the edge. He took her left hand and pressed her palm to his erection beneath his jeans. She hesitated at first, but then rubbed up and down, exploring. “Nice,” she murmured, stroking his length once more before resting her hand on his thigh. “Glad you’re not disappointed.” He kissed her again. When he broke the kiss, he whispered against her mouth. “And I’m healthy. You’ve no reason to fear anything from me. Understand?” She nodded and licked his bottom lip, once, softly like a kitten. His abdomen clenched and his cock strained inside his jeans until it hurt. “I was monogamous for twenty-five years,” she whispered back. “I’ve only had one lover since my divorce last year—if you could call him that.” Jake stroked the back of her hair from her crown to one shoulder. “What kind of a man would let a wife like you go? He must be insane.” Marybeth whispered dismissively. “Maybe you should ask him.” He kissed the end of her nose. “I will.” She leaned away slightly and searched his face. “You don’t have to pretend this is the beginning of something with us. We’re attracted to each other, that’s all. I’m learning to act on my impulses instead of locking them up until I could scream. Don’t I deserve to have some fun? I’m a big girl, in case you haven’t noticed.” He refused to take the bait about age and kissed her hard instead. When their lips parted, he said, “Sounds like you’re trying to convince yourself more than me. Our connection is more than impulse. I want this to be the beginning of something. I’m the one who asked you to a show in Vegas so I could see you again. Remember?”

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She smiled then and kissed him, tongue tasting his as she pulled him closer. Her voice came in a soft hush against his jaw. “I’ve never had casual sex before. I’m scared, but excited too.” It was a relief to finally admit what he wanted. He moved his mouth to her ear. “I’ve wanted to fuck you since the first moment I saw you. I want to make you come until you can’t take anymore.” Her breathing came faster as he raised her shirt and bra over her breasts and stroked them with both hands. She moved the seat back from the steering wheel and pressed her back against the door so that he could take in the sight of her half-naked body. Her hips shifted, allowing him more room to lean forward over her. Large, pink nipples puckered beneath his fingers as he resumed stroking them in unison. Moaning, she leaned her head back, exposing her neck as he enjoyed the warmth and texture of her soft skin. He sensed she wouldn’t resist if he pulled her shorts off and parted her thighs to taste and lick her until she screamed with pleasure. He leaned over the center console that separated them and lowered his mouth to her breasts, groaning with her as he sucked them in turn, before dragging his tongue down to the curve of her stomach. The faint taste of salt and something sweet, like bath oil, lingered on his lips. When his tongue flicked the skin above the waistband of her shorts, she shuddered and cupped her own breasts. Her fingers squeezed and rubbed her nipples while he pulled her shorts down further to lick her navel. Nothing but the sounds of their short, mingled breaths were heard as Jake gripped the elastic waistband of Marybeth’s shorts and slid them along her hips to the line of her trimmed, pale pubic hair. The faint scent of her feminine juices raised his pulse. He could hardly wait to thrust his tongue into her delicate folds and lick her hard nub. She raised her hips to accommodate his mouth and hands, and then stiffened suddenly as she glanced up. Jake froze. Marybeth twisted away from him, her eyes wide with terror, and screamed.

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Chapter Three Jake thrust Marybeth’s clothes down over her breasts as Paper Daisies toppled to the floor. “Don’t let us interrupt,” the blond man from the market drawled from the driver’s seat of his Dodge. He had pulled up next to them on the side of the road, effectively blocking the eastbound lane, close enough to prevent Marybeth from opening her door. The Mexican sat in the passenger seat, grinning like a Cheshire cat and doing tiny butt jumps like a party had started. “We’d enjoy watchin’ a little tongue fucking, wouldn’t we, Miguel? “ Blondie said the word fucking with extra emphasis as he swept an arm through his open window. His grin feigned friendliness, though his pale blue eyes glinted with malice. He stared hard at Jake and gritted his large, tobacco-stained teeth. “Go on. Do it.” Then he smiled wide and Jake’s blood turned cold. “I bet her pussy tastes just like sugar.” Jake mentally cursed himself for his carelessness as he moved to his side of the car. Despite the emptiness of the highway and the desolation of the desert, he shouldn’t have gotten so carried away on the roadside. What was he thinking? Obviously, his nobrain cock had done his thinking for him, and now he’d gotten Marybeth in a jam. The Dodge had coasted up beside them with the engine turned off in a silent ambush. Jake was a trained soldier and should have known better than to put Marybeth in this vulnerable position. If they got out of this in one piece, he owed her, big time. With that thought, he noticed she had the presence of mind to touch the automatic button to her seat while the blond goaded him. Her seat inched forward into driving position while her right hand rested casually on her knee beneath the starter. The keys still dangled from the ignition switch.

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Blondie spoke again. “Who said he could cover up your tits, lovie? Micki and I want to see more.” Hard eyes fixed themselves on Marybeth’s breasts. He flicked his hand in an upward motion, indicating she should pull off her shirt. Marybeth shook her head. “I don’t think so.” “Ah, come on, darlin’. You weren’t shy a minute ago.” He laughed and slapped Miguel on the thigh with his opposite hand. “Was she, Micki? Why, she was pointing them things like high beams in a summer storm.” “No.” Marybeth shook her head again. She flashed a sidelong glance at Jake and nodded to her foot above the accelerator. Jake returned a barely perceptible nod. “How about now?” Blondie said, the barrel of a gun pointed directly at Marybeth’s chest. “Whoa!” Jake hollered. “Hold on there! Relax!” Blondie squinted and moved the gun in Jake’s direction. “How ‘bout this instead? She strips and then I don’t shoot you?” His eyes shifted back to Marybeth. “You want me to shoot your boyfriend, darlin’?”

“No.” “I didn’t think so.” He lowered the gun barrel and then lifted the tip again. “Top, off.” Miguel leaned closer to the driver from his position in the front seat. “Nice car, eh, Buck? We’d look real good driving around in that Thunderbird. What you say we take it after we have some fun with the puta?” Buck’s voice lowered to a growl inside his throat. “We could bury them out here and no one would ever find them.” “Except the coyotes.” Miguel laughed in a long, high-pitched squeal. “They’d fight to taste her tender cunt when it’s sprinkled with desert salt, huh?” The men chuckled, eyes roving over Marybeth and the Thunderbird with equal lust.

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Jake’s heart hammered inside his chest as his mind formed an exit strategy. He’d seen the glassy-eyed, crazed look of desperate men in battle, and knew with absolute certainty these men intended to kill them. He had to get them out—now. Since both vehicles were turned off and Marybeth had the faster car, they might escape if he could communicate his plan to her. He touched her shoulder. “Go on—pull your top over your head.” He nudged her body sideways so that she pivoted toward the men in the other car. Her position blocked Buck and Miguel’s view of him by half. Buck relaxed perceptively and smirked. “That’s more like it. “ Miguel pressed closer to Buck, eyes glued to Marybeth’s chest. “I’d reverse this situation in a minute, if I could,” Jake told her. “Shut the fuck up,” Buck said, waving his gun. “No more talking.” “I understand,” Marybeth replied. Jake couldn’t see her face and prayed she was responding to him. She stretched the bottom of her t-shirt away from her body and peeled it from her back in a slow, fluid motion. Buck and Miguel watched her movements as if paralyzed, eyes wide with anticipation. She tugged the shirt over her right shoulder and freed her right arm from the sleeve. When she pulled the shirt over her head, exposing most of her bra, Buck and Miguel whistled. “That’s right,” Buck urged, still holding the gun. “Take the shirt off the rest of the way and lose the bra.” He licked his lips like a thirsty dog. Marybeth’s voice turned both sweet and sultry. “Lower that gun and I’ll show you anything you want. Or everything you want without any trouble. There’s no need to scare me. Okay? “ Smart woman. Jake’s body tensed again as he prepared to strike. Buck’s gaze flickered to her waist. A cruel smile formed across his full, pouty mouth. “If I move the gun, you’ll have to fuck me as a thank you, without any crying or

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fighting. Understand? If you piss me off, things will get worse for you and your boyfriend real quick.” Shit. Three excruciating seconds passed before Marybeth responded. “Deal.” Buck lowered his weapon. Jake wanted to take that gun and blow the bastard’s head off. Or shove it up his ass and pull the trigger until the clip emptied. The tendons in his neck popped and his muscles strained with rage. He could kill those men with his bare hands and not flinch. Memories of mortar fire and the smell of gun oil and smoke filled his senses with flashbacks of war. He ground his teeth and gripped his fists so tight against his palms he was sure he drew blood. Marybeth was as brave as any soldier he had known. He watched the sleek lines of her back and the steady rise and fall of her shoulder blades as she breathed. Cool, in control. The woman was friggin’ amazing under the worst of circumstances. If they got out of this mess alive, Jake vowed he would help her see herself as he did—strong, lovely, unique. He wanted to heal her wounds, whatever they were, and help make her whole again. And maybe she could do the same for him. Marybeth removed her t-shirt with one sweep of her left hand, clutched it tight and faced the men wearing only her bra. “Wanna’ see my tits now?” “Yeah,” Miguel shouted. He grinned so wide it had to hurt. Everything that happened afterward was a blur, but Jake watched Marybeth throw her balled up t-shirt hard into Buck’s face the instant before she turned the key in the ignition and Jake rammed the transmission into reverse. Marybeth stomped the accelerator to the floorboard, shooting the Thunderbird in a straight line down the roadside for twenty yards, tires kicking dirt, smoke and sand in their wake like a shit storm. As the car skidded to a halt, Marybeth slammed the gear

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into drive and made a U-turn toward the gas station, heading west, the way they had come. It didn’t take long for Buck and Miguel to peel out after them, horn blaring. Their muffled voices could be heard screaming curses at their backs. Marybeth urged the Thunderbird faster—fifty, sixty, seventy miles per hour. She stomped the gas pedal again and the car shot forward doing eighty, then ninety in a flash. The Dodge faltered as their speedometer hit one hundred ten. Jake gripped the handhold on the passenger side door and watched through the windshield as an eighteen-wheeler trundled toward them three quarters of a mile down the eastbound side of the road. He squinted through the dust and pointed to the truck. “Turn around!” he screamed. Marybeth eased her foot off the accelerator and warned Jake to hold on. When the car slowed, she slammed the brake and spun the vehicle in a perfect arc, the back end flipping like a fishtail. The Thunderbird stayed ahead of the truck by an eighth of a mile. The Dodge sped past them, unable to make the turn. Its brakes squealed in distress as the older car skidded down the highway. Marybeth slowed, allowing the truck to catch up. The eighteen-wheeler with Born To Be Wild mud flaps flashing silver sparkles edged closer to their bumper. Jake kneeled in his seat and turned around to see the driver. “It’s Hank!” he shouted. “Thank God!” Marybeth’s chalk white hands relaxed slightly on the steering wheel and the grim set of her mouth softened as she speeded along the blacktop. Jake raised his arms in the air and sent a series of hand signals to the trucker. Hank pulled a whistle to signal his understanding. Jake could see Hank checking the road in his side view mirror. The Dodge tried to zoom past the rig, but Hank was having none of that. The hauler moved into the center of the road, forcing the Dodge behind it and out of sight. When the Dodge tried to pass on the right along the shoulder, the truck swung with it. Jake heard the frustrated blare of a horn as Buck tried to bully the trucker out of his way and 37

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squeeze past. Jake laughed. A lot of good that would do. Hank steered the truck straight into the Dodge’s path. Jake reached out to touch Marybeth’s thigh. Her body was taut as a drum as she focused on the road ahead, speedometer reading a steady ninety m.p.h. “You all right?” She nodded curtly. He stared out the back again, acting as lookout, avoiding the distraction of Marybeth’s cleavage and creamy skin beneath her nearly transparent bra. “We’ll get you some clothes as soon as we can.” “I’m not worried about it,” she snapped. “If I thought it would make those bastards crash, I’d strip naked right now.” Jake smiled. Sarcasm during times of crisis reduced stress. “I said that more for my benefit than yours. Though I’d have to be a disgusting pig to lust after you during a car chase, wouldn’t I?” Now she did laugh. “You said it, buster, not me.” Guess he was a disgusting pig, after all. Jake sighed and turned back to Hank. The other man was talking on his CB radio. From the Thunderbird’s side view mirrors, Jake watched the Dodge try to pass the truck repeatedly while Hank continued to alternately straddle the centerline or swerve to the shoulder to keep him at bay. Minutes passed as the Dodge and truck battled along the deserted road. Suddenly, a shot rang out as the Dodge surged forward and swung to the truck’s left. Jake watched, horrified, as a tire exploded and the truck swerved, recovered and swerved again. Bits of flying black rubber lifted into the air like missiles and spun dangerously toward them. Pieces somersaulted along the road, just shy of the Thunderbird’s rear bumper. Others toppled into the brush and out of sight. The truck sped along the highway on seventeen wheels with the Dodge edging forward, moving faster. Jake saw Miguel lean out the passenger window with the gun raised to fire another shot.

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Suddenly, Hank swerved hard to the left and caught the Dodge’s right front bumper, slapping the car like a pesky fly. The car skidded, spun and then flipped on its side in the oncoming lane. Tire smoke drifted into the air while the sound of Hank’s truck whistle blared out a mournful good-bye. Marybeth slowed to about sixty-five as the truck followed. Her hands shook on the steering wheel and her breathing came in rapid pants. Jake stroked her shoulder and murmured words of encouragement while police sirens sounded in the distance. Hank must have contacted them on his CB radio. “I think I’m going to be sick,” Marybeth said. Her skin had an undertone of green beneath its pasty white, and sweat broke across her brow. She guided the car to the edge of the highway, slammed on the brake and fled. Jake could hear her retching by the side of the road. He reached into the thermal storage bag, found a chilled bottle of water and then searched for napkins or wipes in the glove box. Hank stopped his truck behind them and hopped down from his cab while Jake got out of the car and leaned over Marybeth. He rubbed her back as she crouched in the sand and then handed her what he’d found. Without looking at him she took the items, rinsed her mouth and then burst into tears. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he said as she stood with a napkin pressed to her lips and threw herself into his waiting arms. He crooned into her hair and stroked the crown of her head as sobs racked her body. While she cried, he massaged her neck beneath her hair and laid kisses against her damp temple. “You were incredible,” he murmured. “The bravest woman I’ve ever known.” “I’m not brave,” she shook her head against his chest and sniffled. “I’ve never been more frightened in my life.” He kissed her forehead. “Yet you saved us. “ She looked up at him, finally, eyes red and filled with tears. “I did, didn’t I?” Her knees buckled as she laughed with clear relief, and Jake held on to her tighter, boosting

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her to her feet as she swayed. He’d seen this kind of fear-induced adrenaline reaction before. In a few minutes, her stomach would settle and she’d get her equilibrium back. While her head rested against his shoulder, he stroked her back with one hand and gripped her waist with the other. Her balance seemed to have returned, so he guided her to the side of the car and leaned her against the front quarter panel. “Can you stand?” he asked before letting go. Marybeth nodded. “I’m better, thanks.” She uncapped the water bottle and took a short drink, then filled her palm and rinsed her face. “Do you think they’re dead?” Jake looked down the road, but couldn’t see the Dodge. “I don’t know. The police are probably at the accident scene by now.” No way would Buck and Miguel tell the cops what happened. He hoped the police found the gun. Though he knew that he and Marybeth should go to the authorities, he wasn’t in any rush to compound her distress. “I hope they are. I hope they’re dead!” She spit out the words from between her teeth, and then started crying again. If the men were dead, reporting their crime to the police wouldn’t matter anyway. To Hank’s credit, he remained at a discreet distance and waited while Jake soothed Marybeth. Though she stood against the car wearing only her bra and shorts, Hank averted his eyes like a gentleman. Gratitude overwhelmed Jake as he took Marybeth in his arms. He owed Hank their lives. Semper Fi.

***** Marybeth wore a pale lavender pullover Jake had found in her suitcase. She’d used mouthwash and freshened her make-up in the car with stuff from her cosmetics bag. The stress lines across her forehead had smoothed and the fear in her eyes had subsided, though her neck and shoulders were still tight. He guessed it would be awhile before she unwound. Trauma affected people differently and each healed at their own pace.

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Hank had waited for Marybeth until she was finished. When she joined them by Hank’s truck, the trio exchanged names, addresses and phone numbers and promised to stay in touch. Hank slapped Jake on the back and wished him good luck. He held his hand out to Marybeth. “If you’re ever looking for a job, we sure could use drivers with your skill.” Hank seemed to be only half joking. His deep brown eyes sparkled with mischief below thickly curved brows as he stared down at Marybeth. “You’re quite a woman.” He winked at Jake. “Take good care now.” “We will.” Jake wrapped his arm around Marybeth and walked her back to the Thunderbird. She restarted the engine. “Find the next rest stop or restaurant, Guy.” The GPS screen lit up in bright yellow. “Turn left into Cactus Flower Watering Hole on US 15, ten miles from current position.” “You call your GPS Guy?” Marybeth nodded. “I’m beginning to think of a few other choice words for him too. He’s the one who insisted I stop at that gas station.” Jake groaned. Marybeth sighed. “I’m sorry. That was horrible for me to say. This wasn’t your fault.” Guilt knotted Jake’s solar plexus. “Yes, it was. If I hadn’t mauled you by the side of the road, we wouldn’t be in this mess.” “Is that what you call what we did? A mauling?” She offered him a sardonic smile. “I haven’t made out with a guy in a car since high school. I was enjoying myself until those guys showed up.” Jake took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “So was I.” He leaned over and wrapped his arms around her again. Instead of kissing her protectively as he’d done a short while ago, he covered her mouth in a gentle, reassuring kiss. More than ever, he

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wanted to know this woman inside and out. He rested his closed hand against the swell of her breasts and savored the warm, soft feel of skin against skin. Though she didn’t give herself credit for being strong, Jake could see that Marybeth was a survivor. Reacting after a crisis wasn’t equal to falling apart during one. She stayed in control when it mattered most. That was a skill he’d learned to appreciate in Kuwait and Iraq during Desert Storm. Clear heads and raw determination kept him alive during enemy fire. Some of the guys might have puked or bawled later, but when life or death was laid on the line, they performed at their best. “I’d really like to maul you again.” He lifted his hand to trace her cheek. The events of the day had heightened his awareness of her. Blood rushed through his veins, tweaking his excitement, making him feel more alert and alive. These were natural reactions, he knew, to a life-threatening episode. His cock hardened as she leaned over the console to kiss him soundly. His guilt faded as his cock took control of his brain. That cock-to-brain short circuit would be his undoing if he didn’t shape up. He’d work on that later. “Let’s get off the road and head to the bar,” she whispered, letting her hand drop to his lap, perilously close to his raging hard-on. He closed his eyes and replied between clenched jaws. “Anything you want.” He just hoped they had a dark corner booth at the Cactus Flower with his name on it.

***** “I don’t want to go to the police,” Marybeth said, cupping her draft beer tight in her hands and shaking her head. “I don’t want my daughter to know the circumstances surrounding what happened. She’s concerned enough about me as it is.” Marybeth raised her eyes in silent pleading. “Mothers are supposed to worry about their daughters, not the other way around.” Jake stroked her forearm as they sat close together in a cracked leather booth at the rear of the Cactus Flower. He knew they should go to the cops, but if they didn’t,

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Marybeth could get on with her life. From what he’d gathered, she was making a fresh start after a nasty divorce. Police interviews, a written statement, and possible court hearings and lengthy trials after today’s events could derail her new life for years. He understood why she wanted to avoid complications. And what about the media? Once the press read the local police report, the story would be too juicy to pass up. The salacious details of Marybeth’s and Jake’s roadside sex would go straight to the police blotter and maybe the tabloids. The public would eat that shit up. Marybeth’s life would be ruined. Jake couldn’t let that happen. What about him? He had to admit he wanted to keep the attack out of the newspapers for his own reasons. Like the kids he taught. It would be hard for them to respect a teacher who’d landed himself in trouble. Goosebumps prickled his skin. He could handle enemy gunfire, combat fatigue and fear, but he couldn’t deal with students losing their faith in him. He loved being a teacher more than anything else. Had worked hard to get there when his military service was done. Would he let a couple of punks wreck his life too? Fuck no. He closed his eyes and nodded. “Okay. No police.” His words brought a smile to Marybeth’s face. She visibly relaxed. “Thanks.” Their middle-aged waitress, wearing tight black short shorts and a red V-neck top cut so low that her tanned, ample breasts spilled out beneath a gold necklace that hugged her cleavage, sauntered to their table carrying a platter of hot nachos. The redhead gave him a thorough going over beneath her heavy mascara as she set down the appetizers in front of him like Marybeth was invisible. Her eyes searched his as she added side plates and napkins, sending the unmistakable message that she was available for a quick, hard fuck if he wanted one. She nodded almost imperceptibly toward the back door and then leaned over to give him a better look at her oversized breasts. “Have you seen our cactus garden outside? There’s lots of privacy back there. Dark alcoves and curved benches. Hardly 43

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anyone ever thinks to use it. Don’t know why the owner still bothers taking care of the plants on display. Guess he just likes having them around. Not much else to do around here.” Her voice was low and gravelly from too many cigarettes and her smile was carnivorous beneath her blood red lipstick. Marybeth said nothing, but her smile was tight while her eyes appraised the waitress. Jake got the feeling she had no intention of interfering. He liked that about her. She obviously trusted him to handle the situation. Or it meant she wasn’t jealous. Damn. He hadn’t thought of that. He looked at her and hoped that wasn’t the case. He suddenly wanted her to be jealous enough to be territorial. Cool as she was, though, he doubted she’d make a scene. No, Marybeth would sit this out and let him take the lead. He decided to have a little fun. He raised his hand to touch the large gold locket that rested between the waitress’ breasts. “Okay if I touch?” The server nodded, her expression hopeful as she pressed forward, not bothering to lift the jewelry away from her cleavage. “Go ahead. All you want,” she said low. She glanced at Marybeth from her peripheral vision, looking for a reaction Marybeth didn’t give her. The waitress seemed encouraged by the lack of response and grew a bit bolder. “Like what you see?” Jake grinned and withdrew his hand before his fingers brushed her breasts. “Not as much as my friend here probably does.” He inclined his head toward Marybeth. “Go on, hon, you know you want to squeeze them.” He grinned up at the waitress, who looked suddenly confused. Marybeth was a quick study. Another thing he liked about her. It was like they had a psychic connection. She read his thoughts instantly like she had on the roadside when they’d escaped being shot. Her mouth curled in a mischievous smile. “Come closer so I can have a turn at you.” 44

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The waitress stepped back, her jaw dropping, as she took in a startled breath. Jake smiled up at her with the most innocent expression he could muster. “How much to let me watch you do her? Out back with the cactus? I’ve had this fantasy of watching two women all my life.” He lowered his voice to just above a whisper. “You could make my dream come true. I bet you could get her off real, real good.” The waitress blanched. “What do you think I am, some kind of pervert?” She thrust her thumb at Marybeth. “I don’t do women.” Jake sucked his teeth and shook his head. “Jeez, well that’s too bad.” He stared up at the waitress, biting back a smile. “’Cause I don’t either. Not anymore. War wounds.” Her eyes widened as she looked from him to Marybeth. “You two are sick, you know that? If you want anything else, ask the bartender.” She hurried away, round ass moving in quick time with her short, wide legs. Jake and Marybeth broke into fits of laughter. “I’m not usually such a prick, but she deserved that. And I’m sick of people interrupting us.” He lifted a warm nacho filled with cheese, sour cream and chili from the serving platter and fed it to Marybeth. Her soft mouth touched the tips of his fingers and she licked liquid cheese from the pad of his index finger. The flutter of her tongue shot heat along his arm all the way to his shoulder and down to his abdomen. His cock twitched and rose as she closed her eyes, groaned and licked cheese from one corner of her mouth. “More,” she murmured. “This is so good.” He fed her another nacho and watched intently as her mouth moved in greedy bites. Sour cream dotted her lips, making him think of hot come and his cock in her mouth. An involuntary groan escaped his throat as she cleaned the fullness of her mouth with the underside of her tongue and then drank some beer. He leaned forward for a tight kiss that left him dazed and short of breath. When she reached around to curl her fingers in his hair and press against him tighter until their tongues merged and their teeth clashed, he nearly lost control.

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The throb between his legs became a maddening howl for release. He wanted to take her hard and rough right here on the table, or against the bathroom wall, without thought to anything but his own primal pleasure. By the sounds of her soft mewling when they kissed, he knew her body would yield anything to him he demanded. Yet he wanted to please her too. He nipped the skin below her ear and pressed his mouth to the hollow behind her jaw before whispering, “Let’s go out back.” Though his body burned, he pushed back his animal lust and the desire to merely fuck. Instead, he said, “I want to make love to you,” and reached out to take her hand.

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Chapter Four Jake locked the door that led from the bar into the garden when he seemed sure they were alone. Marybeth’s heart hammered inside her chest, as she took in their surroundings. Excitement filled her as Jake’s strong hand circled her wrist and led her from the flagstone patio where they stood into the light of the beautiful cactus garden. There was no reason to be coy, she knew why they were there. And she had to admit she wanted him badly. A man hadn’t stirred her senses the way Jake did in years. Her life with Brian had been unstable and unhappy for a long time before her divorce. She’d been a fool not to admit that and protect herself before he nearly destroyed her. The last of her illusions about her marriage crumbled and fell away. Now fate had brought a handsome, younger man into her life. She needed to be smart and see him with open eyes while she enjoyed their time together. The cactus garden was a natural habitat for native plants that grew in a quarter acre patch of sand and soil. Marybeth and Jake walked along a wide flagstone path between well-tended displays of desert plants that were marked with museum quality signs. “I had no idea that cactus could also grow such lovely flowers,” Marybeth said as she leaned over to view the magenta blooms that encircled the eight inch tall Foxtail. The cactus looked just like its name, with its round bushy tops. “Check this out,” Jake said, viewing the Mojave Mound. The new growth of red spines were heavily overlapped and intertwined, and multiple petals of scarlet flowers sprouted from the stems. “That thing looks dangerous, doesn’t it?” “They all do. I wouldn’t touch that Beavertail or Old Man Prickly Pear.”

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Jake pointed to the center of the garden. “There’s a bench over there by a small pond. Let’s take a look.” “It’s an oasis,” Marybeth said, smiling, as they approached the water. A small Joshua tree stood alone in the background, guarding the smaller plants of scrub grass and succulents at its feet like a sentry. In the foreground sat a tiny, kidney shaped pool, filled with clear water, decorative stones, and a few small fish. Pacific Ocean conch shells lay in a row at one end of the pond, lending an imaginary air of salt breezes over the water. A large, blue gazing globe perched in a white concrete pedestal beside the pond’s tiny waterfall. Facing the glass globe on the other side of the waterfall was a white filigree bench, wide enough for two. “I can tell the owner loves this garden,” Marybeth murmured, taking in the rugged beauty of this desolate place. Jake reached out to pull her into his arms. “And we’re going to love it here too by the time we’re ready to leave.” Marybeth laughed and tossed her head back, baring her neck. Jake’s eyes flashed as he scanned her exposed flesh from her throat to her chest. He leaned down and pressed his mouth to the soft tops of her breasts as they peeked from the scooped edge of her pullover. His tongue laved the orbs as his lips laid warm kisses along her skin, leaving a trail of goose bumps in their wake. Marybeth’s nipples hardened like wild berries and her stomach fluttered. A dull throb between her legs dampened her panties while her breathing quickened. The rock hard pressure of his erection against her mound made her gasp with anticipation. His cock was huge and demanding inside his jeans. She could feel its heat shimmer over her like a mirage on hot summer blacktop. When he thrust his hands under the hems of her white shorts, gripped the bare halves of her ass in his strong hands and thrust his hips forward to rotate his cock against her slit, her composure slipped. 48

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He held her tighter as he rocked against her pussy while kissing her feverishly. His breath came in short, hard pants as he moved his mouth over her cheek and along the line of her jaw. Strong fingers probed the opening to her channel from behind and spread her nether lips to stroke her wet folds. Tremors snaked up Marybeth’s body and her breath caught. They had barely started and yet orgasm loomed. It had been too long since a man had excited her this way. Perspiration formed beneath her arms and behind her knees as he kissed her again. She opened her mouth to allow him access and swept her tongue over his. His mouth tasted spicy and warm and he smelled faintly of sweat and musk, which only served to heighten her arousal. The gentle rush of water behind them and the sun’s filtered rays beneath a latticework canopy lent an exotic feel to the air, as if they’d drifted to another place and time. Marybeth let herself be carried along in the wake of her deepening desire. She gasped with delight as his fingers thrust inside her while his cock pleasured her clit through their clothes. The throb between her legs grew to a crescendo as his fingers plunged and withdrew in a steady rhythm with the sway of their hips. He kissed her again and then yanked her shorts and thong past her knees in one smooth motion. She stepped out of the clothes and Jake tossed them across an arm of the bench. He stooped between her knees and pressed his mouth to her slit. When his tongue touched her clit, beads of light flashed and spun behind her eyes like a Fourth of July sparkler. She heard herself gasp and then let out a howl as his tongue worked her erect nub. Her fingers gripped his shoulders so hard she was sure she heard him wince, and her head lolled, sweeping her long hair to the center of her back. Though she wanted to recline and open her legs wider to him, her thigh muscles tensed and quivered as he took her closer to bliss. She didn’t dare move as his tongue worked its magic. Years had passed since a man had tasted her feminine juices. She’d

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forgotten how deep the pleasure of a man’s mouth on her clitoris and inside her folds could be. At this moment she’d give anything, maybe even her soul, not to forget again. Just when she was sure he could take her no higher, that her joy could be no greater than this, he thrust his tongue deep inside her pussy and out again. His hands kneaded her buttocks as his tongue plunged again and again until the gray blanket of semiconsciousness rolled over her. Weak with pleasure, she cried out as his tongue flickered upward to the base of her clitoris, pushed aside the delicate hood and circled the hard nub. “Yes!” she murmured. She wanted a faster pace as she teetered on the precipice, but could no longer form words to ask, as rainbow colors danced behind her eyelids and somehow struck her mute. As if he had read her mind, his tongue stiffened and circled faster and harder. He licked and probed around and around until, all at once, her knees locked and her thigh muscles quivered while she climaxed against his mouth. The tendons in her neck strained as she lifted her face to the sky, opened her lips and released her cries into the desert air. She collapsed onto her knees before him and threw her arms around his neck to hug him tight. Her breathing was raw and ragged and her heart pounded so hard she was sure it would tear from her chest. He whispered gently into her ear and stroked the crown of her hair while she recovered, with her face pressed to his shoulder. Strong, protective arms embraced her and massaged her back. Hot, slow kisses trailed from her temple to the plump circle of her cheek. Had some god of love or mercy sent this man to ease her suffering? To make her feel like a vital woman once more? She reveled in the sheer mass of him—thick biceps, wide shoulders, strong muscled back, and longed to memorize his scent and the texture of his skin against her fingertips. It was as if she were being rewarded with not just a man to please her, but this man. Powerful, tender, compassionate.

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Rising to her feet, she led him to the bench to offer herself in the way she sensed he wanted to take her. The flash of greedy desire she saw in his eyes as she pressed her hands to the bench seat, widened her stance and thrust her ass high into the air while she watched him over her shoulder confirmed her intuition. Eager hands unzipped his jeans and lowered them to the middle of his thighs. His large, erect cock brushed the soft brown line of hair that trailed down his abdomen to the tuft of hair surrounding his sac. A tear of milky liquid dotted the pink slit at the head. Marybeth longed to reach out to stroke the silky tip and rub her thumb in its juices. Still, she waited patiently, while his eyes seemed to drink in the sight of her open pussy, spread wide for him to enter as fast or as hard as he pleased. “Your pussy is beautiful,” he whispered. “Incredible.” A small smile curved his lips and his nostrils flared as he moved against her, gripped her hips tight and readied himself to take her. The crackle of paper proceeded the gentle probing at her entrance as the head of his meaty cock explored her opening and released her juices. He thrust only slightly the first time, testing perhaps, and coating the top of his sheathed cock with her essence. Marybeth caught her breath and exhaled fast as pleasure radiated through her. He thrust again a second time, deeper now, and circled his hips before withdrawing to the head. Marybeth sucked in a breath of anticipation and braced her limbs tighter to prepare for the mighty thrusts she expected would follow. Her tongue moistened her lips and her eyes half-closed as her arousal intensified. Jake moaned. His right hand reached around between her legs and his fingers found her clitoris, massaging until it was engorged and erect and jutted from her soaking wet folds. The index and third finger of his hand worked her clit like satin-coated pistons, squeezing her nub up and down and then pressing until she bucked against his hand. Just as he brought her to the brink of orgasm, he thrust his rock hard cock into her again while they groaned with mutual pleasure. 51

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***** Jake’s instinct had been right. Marybeth’s body was spectacular. Her pussy was everything a man could want and more. When she offered herself to him, bent over the way he’d first seen her at the gas station, he’d wondered if he were dreaming. He could hardly believe his luck that a woman as beautiful, smart and sexy as Marybeth had plucked him from the desert and fucked him senseless. Talk about blessings in disguise. If the starter hadn’t gone bad on his Harley, he would never have met her. That practically warranted Harley-Davidson a thank you note. He slid his cock from her luscious cunt and slammed it in again, fighting the urge to come, knowing he was helpless to stave off the inevitable. A tremor rippled through him with the next thrust. He watched her delectable heart-shaped ass lift and press to meet his thrusts and resisted the rise of semen that threatened to spill before he was ready. He wanted to savor her while he gave her more pleasure. For several seconds he steadied himself inside her until the urge to climax passed, and then thrust again, in and out, eyeing the tiny mole above the V of her ass. His thumb brushed the spot he’d fantasized about the first time he saw her and another shiver ran through him. The little brown freckle was exactly where he hoped it would be, at the tip of her spine where the halves of her ass met. His teeth clenched as his desire grew stronger and he pumped harder and faster inside her. Marybeth hollered in short, loud bursts as her hips bucked and she pressed her pussy hard against his fingers while she climaxed. The sounds she made and the velvet feel of her juices on his hand brought him over the edge. He thrust inside her until sweat poured from his temples and his leg muscles screamed with the strain. When Marybeth’s orgasm was complete and her body relaxed, Jake allowed himself to come. He plunged into the abyss in a slow motion freefall to nirvana. When he regained his composure, he withdrew from her and then pulled folded paper napkins from his jeans pocket. He offered one to Marybeth. She stood, cleaned

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herself off and redressed while he did the same. He disposed of the condom and trash in a discreetly placed receptacle nearby. He returned to her and kissed her tenderly. “You are amazing.” He wrapped his arms around her tight. “That’s the third time today you and I were on the same wavelength. It’s like you read my mind and knew what I wanted.” He took a step back and smiled down at her. “Are you a witch or something? A desert sprite?” Marybeth shook her head and smiled up at him, her lovely hazel eyes bright. “I’m beginning to wonder if our meeting wasn’t by chance, but fate. Wasn’t it lucky that I happened by that gas station when your starter failed?” Jake was beginning to think so. “One of the luckiest things that’s ever happened to me.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Hungry?” “Starving.” “Let’s go back inside, wash up and then get something else to eat. First, though, take a look at this.” He’d spotted the rare plant when they’d entered the garden and lead her to its place of honor in the shade of Creosote desert shrubs. Jake pointed to a cluster of stalks about four feet high perched in a thick patch of sand. Strange looking and appearing nearly dead, the cactus bore no resemblance to the title on its name plaque. Queen of The Night. “Unless grown from a cutting, the owner probably needed a permit to collect this specimen. La Reina de la Noche, or The Night Blooming Cereus, is a protected species in some desert areas.” Marybeth frowned. “He needed a permit to collect cactus with long, shriveled up, brown sticks attached?” Jake chuckled. “There’s more to the Queen than meets the eye.” He moved closer to the plant and Marybeth followed. Jake stooped low to take a better look. “I’ve only seen her blossoms in pictures. Queen of The Night is one of the most elusive flowers on earth. Her scent is said to be both sweet and intoxicating. She blooms only one night each year.” 53

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“Did you say night? I thought flowers only opened during the day.” “She’s an exception. One night during midsummer the Queen’s flowers open, release their aroma into the darkness and then die at first light. She doesn’t bloom again until the following year.” “That’s the saddest thing I’ve ever heard.” Marybeth stooped beside him and stared at the plant. “You mean no one gets to see how beautiful she really is?” “Only the stars and the desert.” Jake wrapped his arm around Marybeth’s shoulders. “What do the flowers look like?” “White with yellow centers and lots of long, tapered, daisy-like petals. They grow up to four inches wide and eight inches long, though their stems break easily. Their fragrance makes some of the most beautiful perfume in the world.” “Wow.” Marybeth met his eyes and kissed his cheek. “I’ve lived in California my whole life and never knew this.” Jake kissed her mouth softly. He wanted to say something poetic, like he suspected she didn’t know how rare she was, either. How sweet and lovely and as undiscovered as the Queen. But that would sound corny and wasn’t his style. The words might scare her off, anyway, as too serious so early in their relationship. They’d had sex, but they weren’t yet a couple. Right now they were just…exploring. As he sifted strands of her silky blonde hair through his fingers he replied, instead, “I told you that I wanted to make love to you. What we did just now was great. Fantastic. But I want you to know that’s not exactly what I had in mind when I said ‘love making’.” Animal lust had gotten the better of him. Now he wanted to lay her down in a big, soft bed and take his time with her, savor every curve of her luscious body. Marybeth searched his face with her expressive green-brown eyes and smiled softly. It was like she could read his thoughts. He shivered when she touched his temple and circled her fingertips gently against his skin. “I’m so much older than you. 54

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Do you really think things could work between us? I’ve been trying not to kid myself that this is anything more than a fling. Exciting beyond my wildest dreams, but fleeting.” He cupped her elbows and guided her to her feet as he stood. “We don’t have to decide that now. And I don’t care about age. What matters most to me is character. You have that in spades.” An old hurt tightened inside his solar plexus like a clenched fist. “I almost married someone once. I thought she was perfect for me. Then I went to war and two years later, got wounded. She sent me a ‘Dear John’ letter while I was in the V.A. Hospital.” She winced and then touched his hand. “You couldn’t have deserved that.” He noticed she didn’t try to pry more from him about his wounds or the girl, but accepted his disclosure at face value. Another thing to like about her. She didn’t push. “No more than you deserved to be abandoned by your husband after a quarter century of loyalty. I don’t think my pain was greater.” Marybeth looked down at her feet and sighed. “I don’t want to be afraid anymore. To feel like I’m walking on sand instead of concrete.” She looked up. “The truth is—I’m not sure what to do about you.” Jake laughed. “You’re doing me just fine, thank you.” When she bit her lip and glanced away, he cursed himself for almost blowing it, and gave a reply more worthy of her. She’d shown fearlessness in the face of danger, much like the bravery he’d witnessed on the battlefield or in the hearts of his students, some who fought for survival every day of their young lives. “You’re a warrior, Marybeth, whether you know it or not. Steady and reliable. You could walk on hot coals if you wanted. I never saw a flicker of fear in your eyes as you stood against those men. You proved who you are under the worst of circumstances. And you’re loyal, something I value above all else. Why wouldn’t I be attracted to you?”

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She brought her gaze back to his and stared at him for what seemed a long time. Something deep in her eyes sparked to life like a tiny, rekindled flame. Finally, she smirked and shrugged her shoulders in mock defeat. “Guess because you’re a smart guy.” He leaned forward and kissed her. “You bet.” He wanted to add that she was gorgeous as hell and fucked like an angel, but kept that to himself for now. “I’m too smart to let some arbitrary age difference decide what’s best for us.”

***** Her tummy was comfortably full from a meal of burgers with veggie salsa and crisp, steaming hot fries. Her libido was…ah, just as satisfied. Marybeth smiled both inside and out when Jake took her hand as they walked back to her car in the parking lot. Having a younger lover was exhilarating, like a time travel return to high school when the world was new and ripe for conquering. She squeezed Jake’s hand and giggled when he squeezed back, reveling in his smile and the rare desert breeze that caressed her shoulders like a reassuring friend. The first taste of happiness she’d known with a man in years made her feel airy and yet…invincible. When they reached the rear of the car, Jake wrapped his free arm around her waist and pulled her to him. His mouth covered hers in a deep, spicy kiss that shot like heat lightning through her veins. By the time he let go, she was breathless and her panties had dampened. “Wow, what was that for?” Whatever it was, she’d do it again. “To thank you—for restoring my faith in humanity.” “I did all that?” Marybeth chuckled, as she played coy. “Do tell.” In truth, she was curious, but her mood was so buoyant she didn’t want serious talk yet.

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“You’re one of those rare people who give without demanding things in return. I find that very sexy.” He kissed the end of her nose. “It makes me want to give you…everything.” She leaned into him and licked his earlobe, still feeling more silly than solemn, though his words filled her with gladness. “I’ll be happy to give your humanity a booster shot if you want one.” He groaned low in his throat and pinched the fullness of her buttocks with both hands. “A booster series would be better.” Jake pressed his face into the side of her neck and nibbled. The rush of his warm breath and the soft flutter of his mouth on her skin puckered her nipples taut. A dull throb pulsed between her legs. She would have lifted her hips to rub against his cock, but decency prevailed. It was a good thing too. Seconds later, the California Highway Patrol pulled into the parking lot of the Cactus Flower.

***** “This your car, ma’am?” The ramrod straight, uniformed officer with short black hair beneath his Smokey the Bear hat tapped the side of her front right tire with the sole of a dark boot. He eyed the Thunderbird logo written in script on the right front quarter panel. She and Jake separated like a rattlesnake had poised to strike. Marybeth took in a deep breath. Don’t’ fidget, she warned. Look him straight in the eye. “Yes, it is.” Officer Dan Carter, according to his nametag, nodded. “My dad was crazy about Thunderbirds. Said his was the best car he ever owned in his younger days.” Marybeth breathed a sigh of relief. She shot Jake a sidelong glance and noticed he seemed totally at ease, despite the circumstance. Her hands flexed and squeezed by her sides and she forced them to relax while she breathed. “How do you like your reissue? I’ve heard mixed reviews.”

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Marybeth cleared her throat. “Yeah, so have I. Though there’s nothing like the original, I’ve been happy with mine. Waited a lot of years to own one.” The officer raised his eyes to her face and gave a tight grin. His smile was guarded, she doubted he gave away smiles easily. Years on the job probably took that urge away. “See that accident ten miles west?” His head tilted in the direction they had come. The sudden shift in conversation almost made her stammer. She swallowed around her tongue, which seemed to have swollen to twice its size in a fraction of a second. Jake saved her the embarrassment drooling might have caused by answering for her. “Accident?” “Yeah, we had a report of an overturned car on the highway. Trucker called it in. But when we got to the scene, the car was gone. All we found were skid marks, a broken side view mirror on the shoulder and shards of glass—likely from the mirror.” “And the car was gone?” Dread prickled along Marybeth’s spine. “I wonder what happened?” She was sure she lisped as she spoke. The officer gave her and Jake the once-over and cocked his head. “That’s what we’re trying to figure out.” “Boy, that’s quite a mystery,” Jake said, shaking his head in apparent wonder. Marybeth was pretty sure his amazement was as genuine as hers. How the hell had those lunatics gotten their car back on the road? “Must have taken off. Maybe they were driving without insurance and didn’t want questions.” Jake shrugged like he’d just solved things. The cop pursed his lips. “Could be. Makes sense, I suppose. Car must be banged up pretty good, though.” “I imagine it must be,” Marybeth added. Her tongue finally seemed to fit inside her mouth. The officer scanned her car again and touched his fingertips to the brim of his hat. “Well, enjoy the rest of your day.”

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“You too, officer.” Marybeth watched as the cop returned to his car. “They’re still out there,” she whispered. Gooseflesh prickled her skin as she looked around, half expecting Buck and Miguel to spring from the bushes. Jake wrapped a protective arm around her and rubbed her shoulder. “And I’m gonna’ kick their sorry asses all the way to Vegas if they show their ugly faces again.”

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Chapter Five “Let me drive.” Jake held out one hand for the keys in the restaurant parking lot. Marybeth clutched the key ring to her chest. “Nobody drives my car but me.” The thought of turning over control rankled somehow. Just because they’d had sex didn’t mean he could take possession. Jake made a face. “C’mon. I drive a Harley. You think I can’t handle a convertible?” He thrust his arm out and waggled his fingers. “Piece of cake.” Marybeth frowned with disapproval, yet understood the Thunderbird’s appeal. Jake was a good man, maybe he just wanted to share another slice of her life. Driving her car might be his way of connecting with her on a new level. Still…“Maybe Guy won’t like it if you drive. He’s used to me.” “So now your GPS has preferences?” Jake laughed out loud. “Next you’ll tell me it can see us.” “He’s part of a satellite system, right? Can’t he view everything from space?” Jake shrugged. “You think it enjoyed watching us make out in the car?” He shot her a lopsided grin. “I can play exhibitionist if you want to go another round. Just to be sure.” Put that way, Marybeth had to laugh. The idea that Guy could see them was absurd. Though the prospect of another sexy make-out session with Jake gave her tingles. “I’ll let you drive on one condition.” “Yeah? What’s that?” “When I say stop, you stop.” “Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be with everything between a man and a woman?”

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Marybeth felt her cheeks flush. “You know what I meant.” Jake stepped closer and gazed down at her, his eyes searching hers as he draped a lock of her hair behind one ear. His blue eyes looked so pure and bright beneath the cloudless sky she was sure she could read his soul if she tried. Body heat rose between them and merged. His breath brushed her cheek and the steady rise and fall of his chest against hers hot-wired each nerve ending until she trembled. The brush of his fingers against the smooth skin below her hairline and behind her lobe brought chills along her arms and chest despite the desert heat. The hard tips of her nipples skimmed the soft fabric of her bra, intensifying the sensations of his touch. He leaned down to kiss her softly. “Did I assume too much?” he whispered when the kiss was finished. “I just wanted to impress you with my driving skills.”

Marybeth sighed with both relief and embarrassment that he had read her so clearly. She’d been willing to offer her most intimate self to him for pleasure, yet hedged when it came to sharing her car. Put that way, her priorities seemed skewed. Did she want Jake in her life or not? Would she relax and enjoy him or hold on to old hurts and mistrusts? She pressed the keys to his chest. “Okay. You can drive as far as Baker. Home of the tallest thermometer in the world.” She giggled at the clichéd image the landmark brought, seeming to break the tension between them. Jake leaned in and laid another kiss against her temple as he embraced her closed hand with his. His other hand brushed her waist and stroked her lower back as she passed the keys. When he hugged her to him, the hard length of his erection pressed against her abdomen, sending shockwaves straight to her center. Desire so intense it weakened her knees raised the ground beneath her feet. Dear God, she wanted this man, more than anything she’d wanted in a long, long time. Maybe more than she’d wanted her Thunderbird and the new life it represented. 61

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She brought her free hand to the back of his neck and raked her fingers through his hair, pulling him to her for a deeper kiss. The fullness of his warm, full mouth devoured hers, transporting her to a void in time and space where no one but them existed. Her inhibitions fell away as she raised her hips and pressed her mound tight against his erection, savoring each tremor as she swayed. The muffled sounds of patrons laughing inside the restaurant behind them, of tumbleweeds rustling across the sand and the distant calls of quails and hawks vanished beyond the merging of their lips, tongues and hips. He tasted her like she was rare desert nectar and caressed her like the delicate wildflowers he’d brought her earlier that day. Inside that moment, she connected with him in a way she never had with another man. When they finally broke the kiss, her eyes fluttered against the bright sunlight that awakened her from her dream-like state. Contentment filled her spirit. “Drive,” she said.

***** Marybeth took off her sunglasses, kicked off her sandals, rose up on her knees in the passenger seat and raised her arms overhead to touch the clouds. Warm gusts of air brushed her face and rustled her hair as she closed her eyes and lifted her chin to the sky. She was a child again, not a forty-six year old woman whose life had been shattered. She was starting fresh, with the wonder and excitement she’d known while riding in her brother’s friend’s car on a sunny day. The breezes cupping her face were exhilarating, yet she wanted more. She couldn’t get enough of the air, of the world whirling past her along the desert highway doing seventy-five or the sun cleansing her mind of the past. There wasn’t another human being on this desolate road beside her and Jake—not even as a speck on the horizon, and so she perched higher in the leather seat and pulled off her shirt, letting it flap in the wind in one clutched palm while she bellowed the words, “I’m free!”

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Unclasping her bra, she stripped it from her chest and waved it like a flag. She turned to look at Jake, who smiled wide at her half-naked body before reaching out to caress a bare breast while she closed her eyes and absorbed the sensations of earth and man touching her skin. She stuffed her clothes inside the folds of the ragtop behind her, pulled off her shorts and stuck them inside too. All that remained was the mere whisper of her thong—all that separated her from the nakedness of rebirth. Marybeth leaned down and rummaged through the cooler, where she found a fresh bottle of water. Raised high on her knees again, she opened it, took a thirsty swig and then poured the cold liquid in rivulets down her arms and over her breasts. Water splashed along her abdomen and over the seat, peppering her skin with gooseflesh, but she only laughed. Desert sun and air warmed and dried the moisture as fast as it cleansed her body and released poison memories. Jake reduced speed and watched her in his peripheral vision with a grin on his face. He said nothing, but let her act crazy, seeming to know she hadn’t gone insane at all, but had found the courage at last to face her demons and purge them from her soul. She gripped the edge of the windshield for support, stood barefoot in the passenger seat and threw her head back. “Fuck you, Brian Spencer!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. “Do you hear me, mountains? Do you hear me, desert? Brian Asshole Spencer can go fuck himself from here to hell for all I care! And fuck Samantha too!” Giddiness made her lightheaded, and so she clutched the windshield harder while she breathed great gulps of clean, dry air that steadied her like shots of tequila. Blood pounded through her veins and rushed adrenaline through her system like a speeding train. The mound between her legs pulsed with demanding need and she clenched her teeth with violent hunger. She watched Jake between lowered lids as the Thunderbird cruised down the interstate.

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She ripped the thong from her hips and threw the wisps of satin to the wind. Inside the reflection of the side view mirror, she watched the final piece of her clothing fly away with the last shreds of her remorse, guilt or inhibitions. “Pull over,” she said, and licked her lips.

***** Jake’s cock was so hard inside his jeans it might have petrified while he watched Marybeth strip. The woman had a fantastic body. When she tore off her thong, he could barely keep the car on the road. Her spread legs offered tantalizing glimpses of pink, glistening folds that parched his throat and nearly stopped his heart. Thank God she’d said to pull over before he crashed her pride and joy.

“Where?” he wondered out loud, scanning the endless stretches of flatland on either side. His hands shook on the steering wheel as his excitement mounted. Ten seconds more of watching her exposed, wet pussy and he wouldn’t care who drove past and saw them. He’d take her here. Now. On the roadside, like some sex-starved maniac. Guy radiated light as he sprang to life on the GPS screen. “Tall roadside rocks five hundred yards on the right.” “What?” Jake strained to see the outline ahead, his heart hammering like a jackrabbit’s. His cock had swelled to bursting and he could no longer seem to breathe. Sweat formed along his brow as he forced back his rising seed while Marybeth ran her hands over her body and pulled and pinched her nipples with her eyes closed, a small smile touching her lips. He swerved when she lifted her left leg and perched it on the armrest between them, still holding tight to the windshield with her left hand as her right spread her labia to massage her stiffened clit. She groaned with obvious pleasure and plunged one finger inside her passage as another stroked her nub.

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“What Marybeth wants, Marybeth gets,” Guy said, his screen blinking now, like a heartbeat. Or a pulse. “Open wider. Show me,” GPS said in his clear, deep baritone. Jake shook his head, trying to clear it. “Not possible. I didn’t just hear Guy say that. My hard-on has fried my brain.” He kept one eye on the road as Marybeth put on a show…for the GPS screen? In her clearly blissful state, she followed Guy’s directions and offered the navigator a better view of her pussy, masturbating furiously now and panting hard as she brought herself closer to orgasm. “You’re beautiful, fantastic,” Guy crooned. “We’re almost there.” Jake spied the tall mound of rust colored rocks, framed by scrub grass and sprigs of dried weeds close to the roadside, and brought the car to a stop behind them. By the time Jake put the transmission into park, Marybeth had crouched over him like a lioness ready to spring, though her fingers continued to rub and plunge. “Push your seat back!” Guy shouted, the light from his screen shining brighter. Jake’s seat barely cleared the steering wheel with enough space for two when Marybeth straddled his knees and tore at the zipper on his pants. She pulled a condom from his jeans pocket while he raised his hips and then slid it over his erection with smooth, steady hands, at odds with her trembling body and his pounding, erratic heart. She took him inside her in one massive stroke and he heard himself cry out with pleasure. No woman had ever had him at her mercy like this. He had always been the one in charge, the one who decided when and where to have sex. But this woman had cut away all pretexts and held him captive. And he damn well loved it.

“Fuck him hard, take him all in.” Guy spoke in the background as Marybeth withdrew and slammed against Jake again until she’d swallowed his cock whole. Her

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eyes went wild as her hips moved faster. Low moans trickled from her throat as her panting increased. She seemed ready to tumble into the abyss. Jake held back, sweat pouring down the back of his neck as he strained to give her all of him and take her over the edge before letting himself go. He reached for her breasts and cupped them while running his thumbs over the tips of her nipples. The movements brought louder moans from Marybeth’s throat as she rocked against him. A patina of perspiration covered her lovely, creamy skin, causing her nude body to glow in the sunlight like a shining angel inside the landscape of that harsh prairie. Jake watched her slide against him, her expression blissful as she moved forward and back, bringing them closer to heaven with each stroke. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to massage the tense muscles of her back. Jake whispered in her ear. “You’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever known. Don’t hold back. Let go. I’m here.” He kissed the side of her face and lowered his hands to her buttocks, pressing her hips tighter against him and thrusting upward with all his might to increase the friction. She pumped against him once, twice, three times more, and then threw her head back as her mouth opened wide and her eyes squinted shut. Her howls of delight filled the arid afternoon air. “She’s coming. She’s coming now. That’s good,” Guy said. “You gave her what she needed.” Jake released the semen he’d refused to spill until Marybeth was ready, and cried out with his own pleasure until his voice echoed in the distance. He came and came in a seemingly endless stream that sucked the last ounce of strength from his body, and yet filled him with satisfaction greater than he’d ever known. Instantly, he was re-energized and felt more like a man than he ever had before, even in battle. He’d bonded with this amazing woman who had taken his body and touched his soul as she claimed him and made him hers. She grew still on his lap and rested her face inside the L between his shoulder and neck, panting softly, but remaining otherwise still. Jake relaxed his head against the 66

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headrest and waited for his heart to steady its rhythm. The rise and fall of his chest massaged the soft orbs of Marybeth’s breasts, filling him with well-being and intensifying their connection as her femininity surrounded every part of him. After a few moments, he laid a kiss against her temple. She turned her head to look up at him with drowsy eyes. A tiny smile curved her lips. “Hey.” “Hey, yourself.” He kissed the tip of her nose. She raised herself to sitting position on his lap and stretched, lifting clenched fists over straight arms as she yawned wide. She closed her lips and moved her tongue over her teeth as if to moisten the inside of her mouth. Finally, she opened her eyes wide enough to stare down at him. “I want ice cream,” she said. Guy brightened on the GPS screen. “Baker. Eight miles ahead. They have your favorite, my dear. Mint chocolate chip.”

***** “Did I lose my freakin’ mind or did we just have a threesome with a talking inanimate object?” Jake scratched his ear as he sped down the highway and cast a wary eye on Guy. Marybeth smoothed her blouse as she redressed in the passenger seat, minus her shredded, tossed panties. Jake’s gaze moved to the place between her legs that lay bare beneath her shorts. His cock did a light dance. She’d nearly fucked him half to death, yet he wanted her again. Marybeth shrugged, but the tug on her lip with her teeth told him she was freaked out too. “I don’t know what came over me.” She threw him a nervous glance. “Did I scare you? I’ve never done anything like that before.” Jake grinned. “Are you kidding? That was great. I’ve never been ravished before. Didn’t know what I was missing.” He lowered his voice to a husky whisper. “You were phenomenal.” 67

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Marybeth blushed crimson and looked out the passenger side window. He touched her hand across the seats, worried now that he’d embarrassed her. “Please, Marybeth, look at me. It’s okay, really. I think you’re fantastic.” She turned and searched his face with wary eyes. Finally, her body relaxed as she seemed to make a decision about what to say next. Her voice was low and barely audible over the road noise. “You’re the first man to bring me to orgasm in four years.” “What?” She’d had a husband and then a lover after her divorce. What the hell were those guys doing? Or not doing? As she watched his face to gauge his reaction, he could only imagine what that admission had cost her. He broke the awkward silence hovering between them. “I’m sorry, Ma’beth. You deserved better.” She nodded, tears brimming. Roughly, she brushed them away. “Brian rarely touched me in those final few years—and Drew? Well, let’s just say I went through the motions.” The tears fell freely now and she rummaged through the glove compartment, found a paper napkin and blew her red-tipped nose. She clutched the used napkin and choked out the words, “Being with you has made me feel like a woman again.” The weak smile she offered as she studied him twisted his insides. God, this woman was sensitive. Fun and smart too. Sexy as hell. He was lucky to have found her. Or did she find him? “I didn’t know how lucky I was when you showed up at that gas station.” He squeezed her wrist, offering more reassurance. Marybeth pointed to the GPS system. “Guy did that. He kept flashing the words ‘Gas Station’ on the screen and repeating them over and over. It was like he knew you were there.” Jake frowned and stared at Guy again. A bizarre thought filtered through his mind. Did he? Was that possibility crazier than a voyeuristic GPS system that liked to talk dirty? Marybeth stared at the navigational screen. “We didn’t imagine what we heard, did we.” It wasn’t a question. “And he knows my favorite flavor of ice cream.” She crinkled her brow. “How?” 68

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***** They pulled into the parking lot of the combination rest stop and tourist attraction that gave Baker, California its claim to fame. Marybeth glanced at the thermometer that held center stage inside the maze of concrete walkways that led to a restaurant, motel, and public restrooms, and turned her attention back to Guy. “Talk to me, Guy. What’s going on?” She and Jake stared at the screen for several seconds, but it remained dark and still. “I know you can hear me, so stop pretending. You watched me have sex. Urged me to show you my…you know what, like you were getting off on the view. You named my favorite flavor of ice cream.” A dim yellow light flickered on the screen, went out and then came to life, as if Guy had hesitated. “Stop stalling, dammit. I want answers. Either give them to me or I’ll rip you from my dashboard with my bare hands and heave you out the window.” Guy’s screen blinked rapidly, like startled eyes. “Don’t do that. I’m here for you, don’t you see?” The sound of his deep voice soothed her like the brush of fingertips across the fine hair on her arms. Some of the tension eased from her body. “Explain.” She shook away the urge to dismiss this conversation as delusional. Her days of turning a blind eye were over. For years she’d ignored signs that her marriage was in trouble and what did that get her? Alimony and a broken heart. Now she sat in the middle of the desert conversing with a GPS system. She’d either been cured of the tendency to avoid reality or had lost her mind. Since Jake heard Guy too, she’d go with the former. Her resolve to gain answers deepened. “What would you like to know?” “How do you know which ice cream flavor I like?”

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Guy chuckled and the screen blipped with the sound, like he was shaking with delight. “Simple, my dear. I saw the cartons on top of your weekly grocery bags.” Oh. Well, that sounded almost…logical. Maybe. Marybeth frowned. “But what about the rest? We’re actually talking, Guy. Having a conversation. And you cheered me on my way to an orgasm. I think that goes outside the scope of your job description.” “Isn’t that what you wished for? Said you needed?” “What the hell are you talking a…?” She broke off the reply. Faint recollections of words she’d said earlier filtered back to her. Hadn’t she said she ‘wished she’d meet someone to make her forget Brian? Someone young like Samantha?’ “I clearly heard you say you wanted a young stud of your own. So I brought him to you.” “Guy! Jesus Christ!” Heat sprang to her cheeks with her quick intake of breath. She risked a sidelong glance at Jake, who was grinning at her now like a tomcat. “Really? That’s very…interesting,” Jake said. He leaned closer, his blue eyes shining with obvious amusement. Marybeth looked away, refusing to maintain eye contact. This was too humiliating. “I might have wished for some companionship, sure.” “You distinctly said you wanted a st…” Marybeth cut him off. “I heard you the first time, dammit. “ “And when you wish for something, I hear you. I’m not a genie, but I can guide you to what you want. Within the limits of my power, of course,” Guy replied, as if Marybeth hadn’t interrupted. “That’s my job.” His deep baritone smoothed to a velvety croon. “And you’re much nicer and sexier than my first owner. I like working for you.” Marybeth sat back in her seat, too flummoxed to think what to say next. Now she must be going crazy. This conversation couldn’t be real.

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Jake asked the next questions for her. “How many wishes do you grant your owners?” He spoke under his breath to Marybeth. “This is the coolest thing I’ve ever heard.” Guy’s screen hummed and turned the color of buttermilk. “I don’t grant wishes, per se, I provide my owner with what she needs at the time. I facilitated two wishes for my original owner, though I would have done more if she’d asked.” Curiosity got the better of Marybeth. “What did she wish for?” “The first time she said she needed a higher paying job. That woman loved money and status more than anything else. That’s why she invested in the latest GPS technology. To show me off to her friends. I heard her brag about my exceptional unit numerous times.” Marybeth couldn’t help but notice the touch of pride in Guy’s voice when he added that last part. Apparently, even GPS systems had egos. Guy continued. “One day, I deliberately gave her wrong directions to one job interview and brought her to another office where they were hiring executives of her caliber. She sorted out the mistake in venues, but got the job she wanted. I made her very happy, though she didn’t know I had facilitated her wish.” “That’s pretty impressive,” Jake said. “What did she wish for the second time?” Marybeth was dying to know. Guy’s tone was droll. “A Mercedes Roadster.” Marybeth burst into raucous laughter and Jake laughed along with her. “So that’s how you ended up in a used car lot in Santa Barbara.” “I was sold at auction. Undignified, I must say. But when you found me, you wanted this car so badly I was sure that things had worked out for the best. Getting your Thunderbird granted your first wish without any real effort on my part.” Marybeth tried to think this impossible information through. She followed with the obvious question. “What gives you the power to grant wishes?”

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Guy sighed. “You humans ‘wish upon a star’ and say goodnight to the moon from childhood. Now that satellites sit among the stars, and have become part of your everyday lives, you act surprised when your wishes are heard. Why? “ Marybeth turned to look at Jake this time, her mouth open in surprise. She stared back at Guy. “Wishing on a star is a call for magic, not technology.” “Science and magic have been interconnected and misunderstood throughout the ages. One has often been mistaken for the other. Who says I’m not a bit of both?” Guy had her there. Her mind raced with possibilities and her voice trembled with excitement. “Are there more GPS systems like you? How did you come about?” “I’m not sure how I came into existence, but I know there are other systems like me. We communicate with each other all the time. Just how connected each GPS and its owner become is up to them. “ Jake rapped his knuckles on the steering wheel. “As soon as we hit Vegas, I’m heading to Circuit City.” Marybeth laughed, glad for the comic relief in this surreal conversation. “Why don’t you two get that ice cream and enjoy the view of the thermometer?” “We’ll do that,” Marybeth replied, glad for a chance to think things through. She pulled the door handle to step out of the car. “I need a double scoop to calm my nerves.”

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Chapter Six They ate their ice cream cones inside the restaurant at the counter, out of the desert heat. Marybeth carried her half-eaten cone back to the car, nibbling the cake edges while she eyed the World’s Tallest Thermometer and its huge, red phallic tip. “What do you make of Guy?” Jake said. “My mind is spinning. I’d like to keep his capabilities between us, okay? I need to figure this out.” “Sure. It’s an interesting problem to have, though. Who knows what advances satellite technology will bring next?” “I’ll be spending more time at the library when I get home, that’s for sure. But I have a feeling Guy can tell me whatever I want to know. All I have to do is ask the right questions.” Knowing what to ask was the trick, wasn’t it? A highway patrol car cruised through the parking lot. Uneasiness crawled up Marybeth’s spine while she wondered if Buck and Miguel had been here. Her eyes scanned the milling people and their cars, trucks and campers for an old and dented blue Dodge. Overweight tourists, elderly couples and families strolled along the footpaths taking photos. Children ran in circles, chasing one another on the green, well-tended grass. Nothing looked remotely menacing and Marybeth’s muscles relaxed. “Looking for them?” Jake’s eyes searched her face. “You could tell?” “Sure. I’ve been watching for them too—every step of the way.” “You have?” Marybeth released an anxious breath. “I won’t let us get ambushed again, honey.”

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It was the first time he’d used an endearment, and the sound pleased her more than she expected. She smiled up at him and stretched to give him a quick kiss on the lips. His delicious mouth tasted faintly of cool butter pecan. He took her free hand and held it as they continued their way to the car. “I like having a Marine around.” In fact, she liked everything about him, from his sea blue eyes, muscular build and Semper Fidelis tattoo right down to his…toes, though she hadn’t seen them yet. She liked his personality a lot too. He was just the right blend of seriousness and fun. Jake was flirty and attentive, yet had a strong sense of self. The man was clearly smart and had a reckless streak she found irresistible. She imagined herself riding behind him on his Harley, hugging his strong body close. No wonder he was popular with high school students. She bet half the girls in the school had crushes on him and the boys wanted to be like him. “What made you want to teach?” She chewed the last bits of her cone while he answered. “I was a jock in high school. Basketball, football. I’ve always been a sports nut. When I finished my stint with the Marines, I went to college on Uncle Sam. A teaching degree in physical education seemed like a natural fit, tying sports with my military training.” He shrugged. “And I like kids. Teenagers, especially.” “They’re the hardest age group to manage.” “For parents, that’s true. Gym teachers don’t get much flak, though. And kids talk to me. We get along. So the job works out.” He held out the car keys for her to resume driving. “My new job includes an assistant coaching position. I’m really psyched about coaching football.” She tried to imagine him inside a gymnasium dressed in sneakers, shorts and a tshirt, carrying a whistle on a rope around his neck while his team ran laps around the polished hardwood floor. Marybeth warmed to the image and squeezed his hand. “I’m

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glad for you, Jake.” They reached the car. She got behind the wheel of the Thunderbird and started the engine. Jake slid into the passenger seat. “Want to have a late dinner in Vegas? We should be there in a few hours.” “Sure. But there’s something I want to do first.” Jake’s eyes lit up. “There’s a motel here. I think it’s time we made love lying down.” Marybeth laughed. “I agree, but that’s not what I meant. I promised my daughter I’d see her tonight. I have to get into town at a decent hour.” Jake’s hand traced the side of her thigh, sending shivers along her skin. He glanced around them. “We’re almost alone in the lot. Most of the others have gone.” His fingers crawled up the inside of her thigh beneath the hem of her shorts, seeking heat. “And you’re not wearing underwear.” When the tips of his fingers touched her slit, she gasped with pleasure. “Close the ragtop,” Jake whispered. Marybeth touched the switch, her hands trembling with excitement as the convertible top lifted over their heads and wrapped them inside a private cocoon. Air conditioning cooled the stifling air. Jake pulled her closer and kissed her while his fingers stroked her labia and trimmed, blonde curls. When he broke the kiss, he turned to the GPS system on the dashboard. “You can watch all you want, Guy, but shut the hell up ‘til we’re back on the road. Unless you grow a cock, I won’t share Marybeth again. Understand?” Guy’s panel flickered yellow. “No need to get testy. I prefer to watch, anyway. That’s what I do best, isn’t it?” “I’m glad we understand each other.” Jake turned back to her and flashed a lascivious smile. He lowered his voice to a hush. “This’ll only take a few minutes. We’ll get you off—to Vegas with time to spare.”

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Marybeth swallowed so hard she nearly choked on her Adam’s apple. “Really?” The promise of an easy orgasm was a tantalizing aphrodisiac that rushed blood through her veins and brought heat to her cheeks. Her abdomen tightened as she imagined him bringing her to fast, hard climaxes against dark recessed walls at the rear of restaurants, against tall cement pillars of public buildings or in department store changing rooms. If she could learn to relax and come quickly, they could fuck several times a day, almost anywhere they chose. Heat traveled along her skin at the image of him pressed against her, with her back to a wall and her skirt hiked over her hips, while he pounded his stiff cock into her until she raked his back with her nails. The mound between her legs tingled and throbbed with the fantasy. Her pussy ached for him so badly that when he opened her labia with his fingertips and fondled her damp folds, she cried out. A surge of moisture flowed from her channel, allowing him entry as he slid one finger inside her and then pulled it out again, thrusting gently at first, and then with more power as her arousal intensified. When she mewed low in her throat and raised her hips for more, he added a finger and fucked her with the steady rhythm of a short, wide cock, grazing the base of her clit with the pads of his fingers with each shallow thrust and quick uptake. When she moaned and relaxed her head against the headrest, rainbow colors formed behind her eyelids and her breathing seemed to stop, though she could hear herself panting like an animal in the wild. When his thumb found her stiff, engorged clit and circled it while his fingers pumped like a steady machine, her orgasm slammed her against the seatback. Spots floated before her eyes and then darkness blinded her as her climax thundered. To stifle a scream, she forced her hand to her mouth and bit into her palm. The waves rushed over her again and again, stealing her breath and pulling her down like a riptide. When her ragged breathing leveled off, she opened her eyes, her vision blurred by contentment. Jake’s handsome face swam over her. “Water. I need water.” Marybeth

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barely managed the words. Jake released her, cleaned his hand with a wet napkin from the glove compartment and then tossed her a bottle from the small cooler on the floor. She took a deep gulp, closed the cap and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Jesus H. Christ, how did you learn to do that?” Her voice was still little more than a croak. She’d never come so fast in her life. A silly grin spread across her face. Jake sat there, grinning back at her. Guy piped in. “I was rather impressed too. That vibration thing you did with your hand at the end while you continued to thrust took unusual skill and dexterity.” “No one asked you.” Jake turned to Marybeth. “Can’t we turn him off?” “When the ignition’s off, he’s off. But we need him for the rest of the trip.” Marybeth stretched, more sexually satisfied than she’d ever been. What an adventure this drive had turned out to be. The day with Jake had been filled with sex, intrigue, good food and more sex. She sighed and smiled to herself. The day needed just one more element before the reunion with her daughter. “I mentioned we have one thing left to do before we reach Vegas.” “What’s that?” Jake’s brows furrowed. “Go shopping.” “Shopping? In the Mojave?” His voice became a cross between a groan and a whine. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those men who hates to shop.” Marybeth shot him her sternest look—which probably wasn’t too menacing considering her euphoric, postorgasmic state. Could she love a man who didn’t like walking the mall? She’d been a retailer most of her adult life. Shopping was in her blood. Jake rolled his eyes. “Depends on what we’re looking for.” “A gift for my daughter. Maybe luggage or perfume. I want to do something special for her. We’ll go to the outlets on the Nevada border. I also need to call her and let her

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know I’m running later than planned. My cell phone should work once we get closer to the city.” Jake dragged one hand through his wavy hair and blew out a breath as he rubbed the back of his head. “Shopping. One day with you and I’m domesticated.” He smiled at her then with his straight white teeth and Hollywood good looks and her heart skipped a beat. Her brain flashed the words—God, I hope so, before she could offer a suitable retort. Jake had brought her back to life in this godforsaken place. The numbness she’d lived with so long had been replaced with vitality. She checked her reflection in the side view mirror and was sure her skin glowed. Her eyes glistened and the color of her irises seemed brighter. She reminded herself that her connection with Jake was merely a fling. An exciting desert diversion. Every man she met wouldn’t become a long-term partner. Maybe she could learn to love and let go.

***** Jake eyed the parking lot of the outlet mall and scanned the cars for the blue Dodge as Marybeth maneuvered the Thunderbird up and down the isles to find a convenient parking spot. The damn lot was full. “Who the Christ shops in the desert for luggage?” Jake griped. “We do.” Marybeth shot him a sarcastic smile. Jake sighed. If they were shopping for sporting goods he’d be in a better frame of mind. His gaze wandered over the store fronts offering designer shoes, fine china and women’s fashions. He chastised himself for being a jerk and decided to suck it up. All Marybeth wanted was to buy a gift for her daughter. Come to think of it, he should get something nice for his sister to celebrate her Cirque debut. “Try around back,” he said. “It’s farther to walk, but I bet there’s parking.”

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Marybeth turned at the next isle and steered toward the rear of the mall. Sure enough, they found ample space. A deep blacktop rectangle had been cut into the brush behind the building at one end. A few cars dotted the overflow lot. Next to the parking area, acres of weeds and wild grass grew. Someone had dumped broken cinderblocks on the perimeter of the brush facing the rear of the building. Asphalt connected the overflow parking area to the narrow service road behind the mall. A row of trash dumpsters and delivery trucks sat at the mouths of store loading docks. Most of the bays were closed tight with aluminum garage doors, but one at the far end was open, receiving goods. A guy driving a bright yellow forklift hoisted enormous cardboard boxes from the back of the truck and lowered them onto wooden pallets. The trucker was having paperwork signed by another man. A truck with a black cab and Born To Be Wild mud flaps with a naked woman with silver pasties sat in front of bay number 1102. The loading platform behind the truck was closed and locked with a huge steel padlock. The truck seemed deserted. In fact, all was eerily quiet, save the sounds of the trucker at the end of the row pulling away and the bay behind him sliding its door closed. Once Jake and Marybeth parked, tall weeds obscured their vision of the single truck that remained behind the mall. “That must be Hank’s rig,” Jake said, and got out of the car. He stood next to the passenger side door and squinted. “I don’t see him, though.” Marybeth got out and closed the driver’s side door. “Maybe he went to the men’s room in the pavilion or stopped someplace to eat.” Jake nodded agreement, but the gnawing uncertainty that clawed his gut said otherwise. His survival instincts kicked in as his military training placed his senses on high alert. While he scrutinized the scene, his fists clenched. The hairs on his arms and the back of his neck prickled. “I’ll check it out. Wait for me here, okay?” Marybeth frowned, though she agreed. Jake strode to Hank’s truck. He stole around the vehicle, listening intently for sounds inside. Faint murmurs and thumps could be heard. Jake’s pulse quickened as he hoisted himself onto the driver’s 79

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side steps and glanced inside the cab. Nothing. Maybe Hank was using the bathroom or resting on his cot behind the driver’s seat while he listened to the radio. These rigs often had living quarters between the cab and the trailer that were pretty impressive. But Jake wasn’t convinced. The voices he heard weren’t made by a radio and Hank didn’t strike him as the kind of guy who talked to himself. Jake’s nerve endings jangled. His thumb pressed the door handle, expecting to find it locked, but, surprisingly, the door opened. Jake poked his head inside and listened. At first he heard nothing, but then the sounds of angry voices filtered into the cab from the trailer. Adrenaline hit Jake’s system like a freight train as he moved into action. He slid across the driver’s seat and then hunched on the floor between the two front seats, lifting his head only high enough to peer through the cab’s small, inner door window. Living quarters and the trailer lay beyond. He tested the door and the latch turned. Unlocked. Whoever was inside wasn’t expecting company. He tried to make out the words of the argument brewing in the rear of the truck. Men’s voices. More than two. The icy grip of dread clutched the back of Jake’s neck as a man cried out in pain. Shit! Jake cracked the inside cab door open. He couldn’t pull a Rambo and charge in there without a weapon. His only options were his fists and his training. The back of the truck was parked flush against a store delivery bay, and both the truck and the bay were closed. Either Hank had finished unloading or he hadn’t yet started. The latter was probably true. Someone had intercepted this delivery and Hank was being robbed in broad daylight. Unless Hank had notified the warehouse staff he was parked outside, no one would know he was there. “Move the truck! Now!” someone hollered. Another shouted, “Get the car! The rear of the truck slid open with a rumble while the sounds of footsteps got closer. Jake backed out of the truck cab quiet as a cat and closed the driver’s side door without shutting it tight. He balanced himself on the side

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of the truck with his feet on the stairs while he clutched the door handle and kept his head low. Seconds later Jake watched in the side view mirror as Hank flopped into the driver’s seat, his face streaked with blood. His eyes were dazed, but he blinked hard, and shook his head as if to clear it. Those dark, piercing eyes caught Jake’s in the rear view mirror. Jake put a finger to his lips. Hank nodded and started the engine. Someone climbed out the back of the truck and jumped to the ground. Red running shoes sounded on the asphalt as they hurried off. Slowly, the truck moved forward. Jake hugged the door as the rig pulled away from the delivery bay and parked vertically along the edge of the service road and the stand of weeds and scrub grass. Jake jumped to the ground and scrabbled to the front of the truck to wait. He glanced over one shoulder for Marybeth, but couldn’t see her or the car from his vantage point. Brown cowboy boots stepped onto the driver’s side steps as Hank lowered himself from the truck. White running shoes jumped from the passenger side and made their way around to the back. A gun cocked and a voice warned, “Don’t try anything funny, douche bag. Hurry up and help us unload.” Jake gritted his teeth with rage at the sound of the familiar voice. He followed the white running shoes to the back of the rig. Pressing himself tight against the side of the trailer, he waited and listened with fists clenched. The voice spoke again. “Get the designer crap. The most expensive.” Tires squealed and an engine roared as a car sped toward them. Jake stooped low behind the truck tires and watched as a badly scratched and dented blue Dodge with a shallow, caved-in roof screeched to a halt behind the truck. The trunk popped open. Miguel got out from behind the wheel and jogged toward the other men. “I can’t climb up there.” The voice was Hank’s. “And I can’t lift. Got a bad back. Why do you think I drive truck instead of working a warehouse?” A hard slap sounded and Jake winced. “Don’t backtalk me, asshole.” 81

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Hank’s voice came out gravelly and dangerously low beneath a gust of expelled breath. “I’m gonna’ make you eat that gun, motherfucker.” Buck laughed dismissively. Fury welled like hot liquid in Jake’s veins. The Mohave disappeared, replaced in an eye blink to the dust and despair of war. The mind-numbing cracks of gun battle pounded his brain. Unconsciously, he rubbed his brow. His hand drifted to his right shoulder and down to his chest, cradling old wounds. A marine was in trouble. He couldn’t let his buddy die. Jake blinked away harsh images of dirt-streaked and bloodied soldiers. As long as he drew breath, he wouldn’t let another friend die at the hands of an enemy. Jake bit his lip, bringing himself back to the present. Miguel shouted expletives in Spanish. “We got to get moving, before somebody sees us!” His red running shoes jumped onto the back of the truck. “I’ll throw the stuff down. You guys take it to the car.” “You in charge now, Miguel?” Buck’s soft, surly tone sounded more dangerous than before. “Only trying to help, amigo. You want to pick the stuff?” A pause followed. “Naw, go ahead. Douche bag and I will put whatever we can fit in the car.” The sounds of boxes being dragged across the truck floor were followed by tearing cardboard. Seconds later, a large plastic bag filled with merchandise hit the ground. “Pick it up,” Buck said to Hank. “My back is bad. I told you that already.” “I said take the bag to the car.” Buck spoke between clenched teeth. Jake’s heart pounded harder as he surreptitiously watched the scene. Hold on, Hank. Don’t push him too hard. Jake waited for the right opportunity to strike.

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Hank leaned down and picked up the merchandise. They looked to Jake like a stack of designer handbags. “That wasn’t so bad, right?” Buck waved the gun. “Get moving.” He followed Hank to the Dodge’s trunk. Jake moved fast as Miguel leaned forward from the open mouth of the truck to drop the next load. Jake grabbed Miguel’s legs and yanked him out of the truck. The Mexican flew forward and then tumbled to the ground before his head smacked the asphalt and knocked him out cold. Jake dragged Miguel’s unconscious body to the side of the truck, out of sight. He crab-walked to the pile of merchandise and picked up a stack, obscuring his face while he stooped low. Hank’s boots approached first, followed by white running shoes. When they cleared the front of the car, Hank stepped left fast, spun and elbowed Buck deep in the gut with one arm as the opposite fist made contact with his nose. The sickening snap of broken bone made the only other sound as the air expelled from Buck’s lungs and he stumbled. Even as blood poured from his nose and his lungs fought for breath, Buck pointed the gun straight at Hank’s head. Hank hit the deck. Jake rushed forward with his head down like a charging bull. There was a split second of recognition, followed by confusion in Buck’s eyes as Jake hit him straight in the chest with the top of his head and wrestled him to the ground. Buck’s arms flailed as he fell and the gun went off, shooting wild before it dropped from his hand and hit the pavement. For a moment, no one moved. Jake straddled Buck’s limp body and glanced down, grateful he hadn’t been shot. “You okay, Hank?” The older man groaned. “Right as rain, my friend. Too old for this falling down shit, though.” Hank struggled to his feet. “Think you can babysit this douche bag a minute?” A slow smile spread over Hank’s face. “Be my pleasure.” He pressed his boot against Buck’s throat and held it there while Jake stood. 83

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“Be right back.” Jake jogged to the side of the truck to check on Miguel. When he got there, he found his biggest surprise of the afternoon. Miguel laid face down on the asphalt—awake, but groggy—and tightly tied with rope. Marybeth stood over him holding a chipped cinder block, arms raised, with the threat of deadly force. “Thought you’d never get here,” she panted. “My arms are gettin’ friggin’ tired.” “You tied him up yourself?” “You see anyone else?” she shot back. “Sorry, I didn’t mean…I just wondered where you got the rope.” “In my trunk, under the spare blanket, with my first aid kit and stack of flares.” “I knew from the moment I saw you that you were a genius.” “Ha! Was that before or after you ogled my ass?” The sounds of police sirens wailed in the distance. Jake took the cinder block from Marybeth’s hands and placed it on Miguel’s shoulders. “That should keep him still until they get here.” He pressed one foot against Miguel’s lower back for good measure and shouted to Hank. “You okay back there, buddy?” “Sure thing, Marine.” “Cops are on their way.” “They always get to the scene in time to make the chalk marks.” Jake chuckled. He looked at Marybeth again. “Glad your cell phone worked so you could call the police.” Marybeth shook her head. “Wasn’t me.” Jake frowned. “Who, then?” “Guy told me there was a hostile presence in the parking lot. He contacted the local police district directly. That cut 911 response time in half, I’m sure.” “He may be a pervert and a voyeur, but he just made number two on my top ten list.” Marybeth’s eyes shone. “Should I assume I’m number one?” 84

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Jake nodded his head. “You bet, baby. And by the way, I did ogle your ass first.”

The police hauled Buck and Miguel away in handcuffs and towed their car to impound as evidence. Hank’s injuries were minor and he refused medical treatment, choosing to wash up in the tiny bathroom in the rear of his cab. Jake waited outside with Marybeth while Hank cleaned his face and hands of dried blood and placed antiseptic on his cuts. “Head wounds bleed like motherfuckers, but mine aren’t deep,” Hank grumbled when he climbed out of his truck minutes later. “Bastard hit me with a gun butt. Good thing I’ve got a thick skull.” He looked up at Jake and grinned. “I got that asshole Buck good, though, didn’t I? I told him I’d make him eat that gun.” Jake had to laugh. Before the police arrived, Hank shoved the barrel of Buck’s gun into his mouth and made him suck it. Brown stains formed on the back of Buck’s pants while his mouth worked. What Buck didn’t know was that Hank had removed the clip before stuffing the gun in his mouth. The gun was an empty threat. “Don’t fuck with a Marine, right, brother?” Hank slapped Jake on the back. “Got that right. Still, I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused you,” Jake replied. “You wouldn’t have been a target if you hadn’t helped me and Marybeth in the first place.” Hank sucked his teeth and shook his head. “The day we let the punks and crazies take over is the day the world ends, my friend. Can’t let that happen. Not while there’s a breath left in my body.” “I hear you. But thanks, all the same.” He and Marybeth helped Hank put his merchandise back into the truck and waited while he finished his delivery. Afterward, Hank left for the police station to give a statement. He and Marybeth had provided statements at the scene, but were advised to make themselves available if needed again.

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Marybeth said she no longer felt like shopping. They made a quick stop at a designer outlet and bought tote bags for her daughter and his sister. They were back in the car within fifteen minutes, ate the sandwiches Marybeth had in the cooler and started the final leg of their trip to Las Vegas.

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Chapter Seven They could see the colored lights of Las Vegas piercing the sky for miles from the city. “Our desert Aurora Borealis,” Marybeth’s joked as her daughter’s home grew closer. Her pulse quickened and her heart beat faster. She envisioned Cait’s dark brown eyes, filled with the optimism of youth on her pretty face, and pressed the accelerator to the floor. The Thunderbird leaped forward, bulleting them across the desert. The cool night air rustled her hair and brushed the length of her body as the miles flew past. “Do you mind if I stop to see Cait before we have dinner? I’m dying to see her. She’s working tonight, so I’ll only be a few minutes.” “‘Course not. I’ll head into the casino until you’re ready.” “That would be great.” Except for his shopping aversion, Jake got better and better. Jake pecked her on the cheek at Bellagio’s main entrance. Marybeth squeezed his hand and then practically ran to the health food counter where Cait worked, her excitement at seeing her daughter mounting with each step. The Bellagio was an architectural masterpiece, framed by magnificent outdoor fountains that lured visitors from across the globe. Inside the lobby, glass ceilings were filled with brightly colored flowers. There was a bank of check-in counters to the left, and a bar at the back. To the right were store counters that offered only the finest consumer goods and services. Marybeth saw Cait with customers from her vantage point halfway across the enormous room and her smile widened at the sight of her daughter’s pensive expression. Cait was passionate about the health food industry, and loved nothing better than to discuss the benefits of vitamins and minerals with potential new customers. 87

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As Marybeth grew closer, Cait lifted her face and frowned. Her serious expression turned hostile. Marybeth realized her daughter wasn’t with customers, but was embroiled in a bitter argument. “Oh no.” Marybeth took a deep breath and tried to keep cool as her ex-husband Brian and his girlfriend Samantha turned in her direction. As she approached the counter, it struck her as odd they didn’t seem the least bit surprised to see her. Marybeth wanted to wipe Brian’s smug expression from his face with both fists. She took the offensive by ignoring him completely while she leaned across the counter to give her daughter a hello kiss. “You look great, sweetheart. I’m so happy to see you.” Cait returned the kiss and then hurried around the counter to hug her. Cait’s long brown hair billowed behind her as she lifted her arms to wrap herself inside Marybeth’s embrace. Marybeth turned her back on Brian and Samantha and held her daughter tight. “I’ve missed you,” Cait said softly into Marybeth’s shoulder. Cait smelled like heaven—pure vanilla with a touch of lilac. Marybeth ran a hand down the sleek curtain of Cait’s waist-length hair. The ache that had grown stronger each week without her daughter filled Marybeth’s eyes with tears. “I’ve missed you so much it hurts. We have to make some changes.” Marybeth felt Cait nod against her shoulder before she stepped out of her embrace and forced a smile. Her eyes darted to her father and his girlfriend and a frown bled through. “Marybeth, aren’t you going to say hello?” Brian sounded like he’d scolded a child. She recognized that tone as one he’d used with her often during the latter years of their marriage. Why had she ignored the way he talked down to her? She could have saved her shattered ego a lot of trouble by standing up to him. The muscles in her back tensed. “You don’t seem surprised that I’m here. Why is that, Brian?” Samantha looked on from behind Brian’s shoulder with a triumphant glow in her eyes as Marybeth faced them. “Cait mentioned you were coming.” 88

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“And so you just happened to be in Vegas the same day and the same time?” Brian gave her an indulgent smile. “We’d planned to be here this month, anyway, and figured it was a good idea to talk to you and Cait together, in person. We decided to meet you.” “Ambush me, you mean.” “I didn’t know they were coming, Mom. Honest.” Marybeth nodded to Cait. “I know, hon.” Samantha stepped up beside Brian and thrust out her hand. The rock she wore on the third finger of her left hand nearly blinded Marybeth in the bright hotel lights. “What he’s trying to tell you is that we’re engaged.” Brian seemed to stifle annoyance at being upstaged, but recovered nicely and nodded his agreement. “We thought it best to tell you and Cait before the wedding.” “How sweet of you to put us first.” Marybeth clamped her teeth and spread her lips in a grimace. She looked at Samantha and realized she’d once felt as secure in Brian’s love as Samantha did now. That was before the rug had been pulled from under her feet. Never again would she allow herself to be that vulnerable to a man. “I hope you’re as happy as I was.” Samantha’s brown eyebrows twitched as she lowered her hand to her side, clearly unsure how to respond. Brian, for once, faltered. After a pause, he said, “I was hoping we could be friends, Marybeth.” Marybeth touched her fingertips to her heart and feigned regret. “You got all the friends in the divorce, Brian. You can’t have me too.” Her ex looked from one woman to the other and opened his mouth again to speak, but was interrupted by a deeper, more masculine voice. “Ready to check-in, honey?” Thick arms wrapped around Marybeth’s waist and pulled her close. Jake’s familiar, masculine scent filled her senses as he nuzzled her neck with his nose. “Our suite is waiting.”

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Cait’s eyes widened and a grin spread over her face. The sparkle in her eyes told Marybeth that Jake had blown her away. Brian and Samantha registered shock. Brian recovered first and thrust his hand out to introduce himself. Samantha hung back, openly checking out Jake’s muscles and handsome face, before shooting Marybeth a new look of respect. Marybeth introduced Jake to the others, forcing herself not to laugh while she played along. She met Jake’s eyes. A suite? He must have read the question in her expression, because he explained to Cait. “We have tickets for Cirque Du Soleil.” Of course! The Cirque played at the Bellagio. She should have remembered. Cait wiggled her fingers in a good-bye wave. “Hmmm. Tough choice—a suite at the Bellagio or my living room sofa. How about brunch tomorrow, Mom? It’s my day off.” Marybeth had never been more grateful for her daughter’s understanding. “Perfect. Meet me here at eleven?” Cait hugged Marybeth again and whispered. “Does he have a younger brother?” Marybeth giggled into her daughter’s hair. “He’s as good as he looks.” Now it was Cait’s turn to giggle. She released Marybeth and smiled. “Have fun.” Marybeth hooked her arm through Jake’s and managed to flip her hair over her shoulder in a perfect imitation of nonchalance as she and Jake moved toward the bank of elevators. Three pairs of eyes burned holes in her back. Marybeth laughed carelessly and squeezed his biceps for good measure as they sauntered away.

***** As the elevator doors opened, Marybeth stage whispered. “Do you really have reservations?” “Sure.” Jake smiled down at her. “My sister got the hotel to comp me a room.” He could have pretended to be a high roller, but she would have seen through his lie. His honesty made her like him more than ever. She hugged his arm and rested her temple against his shoulder after they stepped inside the elevator and the doors closed. 90

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At their floor, Jake led her down the plush hallway to their suite. When he opened the door, Marybeth gasped with pleasure. To the left of the entryway, a luxurious living area waited, complete with a bouquet of fresh flowers in an Irish crystal vase, a bottle of chilled champagne and two crystal flutes on a black walnut side table. A plush black leather sofa, coffee table and set of matching chairs faced a wide screen plasma television on the opposite wall. To the left of the living area was a tiny dining room. The table had been set for two with fine china. Opposite the dining room stood the kingsized master bedroom and bath, decorated in black and white, with a white down comforter covering the bed. Their bags waited inside. “This is gorgeous.” He took her into his arms and kissed her tenderly. “Would you like the champagne before or after we shower? I need to shave.” He grazed her cheek with his hard, bristly beard to prove his point. Marybeth grinned up at him knowingly. “After, definitely.” Fluffy white terrycloth robes hung inside the bedroom closet. Jake laid them across the bed and left the room. “Meet you in the shower in five minutes.” When she stepped into the oversized bathroom with the robe wrapped snuggly around her nude body, Marybeth said a silent prayer that Jake would find her body beautiful. She nibbled her bottom lip with worry. He’d seen her breasts, but mostly when she’d been lying down. Standing up…well, the twins stood more at ease than at attention these days. What about the telltale stretch marks across her hips? And the section below her navel where her abdomen sagged following pregnancy? Would these flaws make him cringe? Jake was still young. He could find a woman in her twenties who was still firm and unscarred by the realities of life. Her heart began to pound with doubt. She looked around the plush bath and through the open door to the elegant bedroom behind her. Maybe she wasn’t ready… And then Jake stepped into the doorway wearing his robe, smiling at her like she was the only woman in the world, and her heart seemed to stop. When it started 91

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beating again, it fluttered so hard in her chest her voice trembled when she spoke. “I changed my mind about the champagne. Could we have some now?” She licked her dry lips. If he sensed her nervousness, he gave no indication. “Sure. Great idea. I’ll get it.” Marybeth followed him from the bathroom and stood by the edge of the big, plush bed. She eyed the comforter and imagined them making love beneath it on cool, white sheets. Images of Jake’s naked body next to hers warmed her slightly, and her tense muscles began to relax. As she walked around the bed, Jake stepped into the room and placed the champagne and glasses on a glass-topped table that stood between two small boudoir chairs. He lifted the bottle and popped the cork. She took the full glass he offered and their hands brushed. Jake’s fingers were warm and strong above the cold glass she clutched, sending tingles up the back of her hand. She remembered the fruit bar he’d handed her earlier and a smile curved her lips. The uncertainty of moments ago trickled away. When they touched the rims of their glasses in a toast, anticipation replaced her fear. The champagne smoothed the raw edges of her jangled nerves like a hot iron to cloth. One minute she was skittish and nervous and the next she had moved to the bed and sat on its edge while she sipped more of her drink. Jake followed and sat beside her. When she crossed her legs at the knees, her robe slipped open to expose her thighs. Jake’s gaze trailed her skin and his expression turned pensive. When he seemed to have gotten his fill, he stared up at her face. His sea blue irises turned to deep, dark pools as he studied her features. The unmistakable gleam of lust shone in his eyes. He traced the line of her jaw with two fingers from his free hand. “I want you, Marybeth.” Like Jake, his words were straightforward and honest. She realized, suddenly, that if he hadn’t wanted her, he would have hitched that ride to Vegas with Hank this morning and saved himself a lot of trouble.

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Yet here he was, gliding his fingers down the front of her throat and grazing his fingertips over her collarbone, making her weak with need. Her breasts came alive as her nipples stiffened at his gentle touch. As his hand reached deeper inside her robe and then brushed the swell of her breasts, he murmured, “So soft. You’re so soft and pretty.” She untied the belt of her robe and let the ends drop. The front of the robe slipped, exposing more of her skin. “But I’m no longer…” Unable to say the words, she hoped he could read her hesitation. Jake didn’t let her down. “The first time I saw you, sex was the only thing on my mind. But now?” He drew an invisible swath along the front of her body with his hand. “I want to make love to you. With who you are. Understand? I told you before, what matters most to me is character. I’ve been lucky enough to find both beauty and character in you.” Marybeth blinked back tears of relief and gladness. She wanted this man so badly her hands trembled. Jake took her glass and carried it with his to the table. When he returned to the bed, he stood before her, gazing down at her with tenderness and understanding so intense a lump formed in her throat. “There’s something you should know about me before things go any further.” The expression on his face flashed uncertainty in bursts so quick she almost missed them. “Maybe when you see what’s under this robe, you’ll change your mind about wanting me.” Marybeth sat up straighter on the bed, her pulse quickening. She reached out to touch him, but he stepped back. “Jake.” This role reversal had taken her off guard. Wasn’t she the one with insecurities? His fingers worked the front of his robe and pulled it away from his left shoulder, exposing the bulge of pectoral muscles, covered by a sprinkling of light brown hair. Though his hair and eyes were fair, his skin was golden bronze. His brown nipple hardened as the cool air wafted over his skin. He opened the robe wider, and her eyes 93

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wandered down the firm lines and planes of his tall, perfectly formed physique. A trail of light hair traveled from his navel to the thatch of darker hair surrounding his long, thick cock and heavy sac. Marybeth tilted her head in confusion. Not want him? Was he kidding? Jake’s body was magnificent. The most rugged and virile she’d ever seen. Moisture gathered between her legs and desire gripped deep inside her belly. Yes, more than ever, she wanted him. “How about now?” he said aloud, as if reading her thoughts. He dropped the robe to the floor and watched her face, waiting for her reaction as if sure she would run. Angry red scars crisscrossed and bisected his right shoulder from his collarbone to the top of his biceps and down the front of his chest in patchwork to his nipple. Longer diagonal scars slashed his side like streaks of jagged paint from his armpit to his abdomen. Spots where the scars had turned white shined in the bright bedroom light. Marybeth gasped, awestruck that he’d survived these terrible wounds. Her eyes filled with tears at the realization that he’d once suffered unimaginable agony. Overcome, she dropped to the floor on her knees and wrapped her arms around his legs. “I’m so sorry.” Her tears fell freely now as she lifted her damp face to his and then laid a delicate kiss on his thigh. The only sounds in the room were their beating hearts as Jake pulled her to her feet. Though his expression remained impassive, Marybeth saw a question in his eyes. Would she turn away? On tiptoe, she kissed his mouth softly in silent reply, her face wet with tears. “The war?” He closed his eyes, as if fighting off memories, and nodded once. She slid her robe from her shoulders to the floor where it pooled at her feet and then reached up to cup his face with her hands while she kissed him again. He responded to her mouth and her nearness and wrapped his arms around her shoulders

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tight. Their kiss deepened and Marybeth slid her arms around his neck and plunged her fingertips into his hair. When their tongues touched, a wave of desire crashed over her and then washed through her like healing waters lapping the shoreline. An emotion she hadn’t known with a man in years flowed through her, cleansing every ounce of bitterness, suspicion and regret she had harbored. She kissed Jake again and reveled in her freedom at last to feel…tenderness. She stepped back and held out her hand. Jake took it in his and walked side-by-side with her to the bath. The shower stall was built for two in sturdy ceramic tiles, and stocked with body gel, shampoo and conditioner in dispensers attached to the wall. As steam swirled around their naked, wet bodies, Jake filled his hands with soap and pressed it to Marybeth’s chest. Warm water pelted her skin while he smoothed the gel along the curves of her shoulders. She smiled at the sensations his fingers caused as they glided down her arms. Her nipples cinched hard as oyster pearls and he leaned forward to take one in his mouth while his hands rubbed hers clean, one finger at a time. Marybeth moaned and the sound spiraled upward, mingling with the steam to thicken the tension in the room. Jake’s erection probed her abdomen and then laid flat between them, pulsing against his stomach and her rib cage. His hands glided down her back and cupped the halves of her buttocks, kneading them as his fingers washed her clean. The shampoo was within easy reach and she filled her palms with the fragrant liquid. “Mmmm, citrus,” she murmured, and lifted her hands to wash his hair. Jake closed his eyes as she massaged his scalp while her thumbs rubbed circles against his temples. The muscles in his face and neck relaxed with each rotation. He groaned deep in his throat and let his head loll inside her hands. She rinsed his coarse waves and then smoothed them with thick, creamy conditioner. After, she leaned forward and kissed him flush on the lips.

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His tongue found hers and thrust into her mouth, his breath harsh and more demanding as he pulled her body tight against his and reached between her legs. Essence flowed from her passage, assuring her readiness. His fingers opened her labia wide, separated the pink layers of her wet vulva and found her engorged bud. She cried out as he released the sensitive hood that covered her clitoris and allowed it to jut free from her folds. When he turned her around to face a shower head, water pounded her hard, erect clit as he kept her pussy open with one hand and reached behind her with the other to lather the silky split of her ass with her natural juices. Warm water pelted her nub like a thousand tiny tongues. Heat burned deep within her and then burst into passionate flames as the water licked and sucked her clit. Jake pressed the length of his cock between the half moons of her ass cheeks and began to move. He squeezed the fullness of her butt tight around his rigid cock and thrust back and forth against the smooth skin of her anus. Their breathing synchronized as they soared higher toward climax. The water jets pelted her clit in a steady, unending rhythm until the first waves of orgasm struck. As her muscles tensed, Jake’s fingers surrounded her clit and massaged it fast and hard. He shouted as his thrusts grew fiercer and more urgent between her legs. Hot, thick cream spurted from his cock and spattered her pussy from behind. She cried out with the peak of her own pleasure and came against his fingers. He laid his forehead against the crown of her hair and released his hands. His cock slid free from her body as they relaxed against one another. After a moment, Jake turned her around and kissed her softly. He reached for the soap and lathered her from head to toe with gentle caresses. When she had finished rinsing, she turned to him and kissed his shoulders in turn while forming lazy circles around his right areola with her index finger. His nipples hardened beneath her touch. Marybeth looked up at him and smiled. Jake looked down

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at her with a glow in his eyes and a small smile on his lips. His hands stroked the length of her wet hair, making little squeaking sounds as they moved. She lowered her face to his side and got down on her knees, holding the hollows carved into his buttocks for support as she laid rows of kisses against his ragged scars. A long shudder rattled his body and a sigh caught in his throat, and then released, as she moved her mouth against his battle wounds. She heard a faint, strangled cry above her, but didn’t dare look up until his muscles relaxed and he went still again. When at last they were both quiet, she pressed a final kiss to his abdomen and lifted herself to face him. Jake cupped her chin in one hand and met her eyes. The deep sea blue of his irises filled with intensity. “I could love you, you know.” Marybeth bit her bottom lip, emotion choking out the words she knew to be true. “I could love you too.”

When she dried her hair at the bathroom counter over the sink next to his, Jake thought Marybeth the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. They worked in companionable silence while he shaved his stubble and she added curl to her long, straight hair. His gaze drifted down her full breasts to the short thatch of pubic hair that proved her a natural blonde. He loved to watch that pale color above the soft pink folds that were hidden beneath. Sex with her was satisfying in a way he had never known before. He stole another glance at her in the mirror and smiled to himself. They stood naked, side-by-side, boldly displaying their scars like married people. Married? Did he just think the M word? “How ‘bout we call room service and stay in for dinner?” He wasn’t sure if this was another step toward domestication, or if he was romantic at heart. Marybeth nodded. “That would be great.” She had raised her voice over the hum of the hair dryer.

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“Surf and turf? Medium? With the works?” Marybeth smacked her lips. “Sounds yummy.” Jake splashed on aftershave, sprayed deodorant and strode naked into the bedroom to make the call. When he finished ordering, he refilled their champagne glasses. Marybeth arrived behind him, looking shiny and renewed, smiling wide at him before lifting the glass to her lips. It seemed they’d done a lot of smiling today. “We still have about forty-five minutes before our food arrives.” Jake stared down at her, serious now. “And I’ve shaved my rough beard. Can’t have it hurting tender skin.” Marybeth’s eyes widened just a little as she stole a glance at the bed and then looked back at him. Her breathing faltered, warming Jake’s insides. He liked that she wanted him. Liked it a lot. He took her champagne glass to the bedside table and placed it next to his. He brought a box of condoms to the nightstand and then turned down the bed. He tossed two packets from the box onto the sheets. The smell of crisp, white cotton and the sight of overstuffed pillows flashed erotic images of Marybeth lying naked over them, her legs spread and her pale hair spilling around her face. His erection was immediate. In three quick strides, he moved beside her and lifted her into his arms. She crossed her wrists behind his neck and offered him a kiss as he cradled her legs. Her mouth tasted cool and sweet and he wanted more. His tongue traced her bottom lip and he sucked the fullness into his mouth oh-so gently, and then nibbled it with the edges of his teeth. Marybeth made little mewing sounds in her throat and opened her mouth. After their next kiss, he carried her to the bed and laid her in the center. Blonde hair splayed across the pillow exactly as he had imagined. His cock swelled again as his eyes roamed her face and body. Her arms were raised above her head, and her breasts had stretched high on her chest, their deep pink nipples taut and ready for his mouth. Her slim hips were pivoted to the right, with her legs nestled together on their sides. The

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satin folds of her damp vulva peeked from her slit, taunting him, as his gaze roamed her buttocks and the curve of her pussy. He crawled toward her on the bed on his hands and knees, his thick cock stretched before him, swaying as he moved. Marybeth’s eyes were transfixed on the swollen, purple head that rose higher against his stomach and brushed the hairs below his navel. He wanted to fuck her hard. Now. Until they were senseless and exhausted. Instead, he gripped her left calf and forced her legs apart. He watched as her pussy lips opened and the delicate creases revealed her perfect, rigid center. He licked his lips as his nostrils flared, seeking her feminine scent and giving in to his more urgent need to taste her. Jake reached for two of the overstuffed pillows and used them to raise Marybeth’s hips off the mattress. Her back arched in a high, inverted U on the bed, with her shoulders and head resting on a smaller pillow below. Propped up this way, her pussy stayed level with his face as he crouched between her legs. Using his thumbs to expose her clit, he licked the tiny nub over and over and then ran his tongue in wider circles around it. She moaned low in her throat as he sucked and licked, the sounds growing louder as she grew closer to orgasm. One leg began to shake as her muscles tensed and her hips bucked. She was ready. Ripe. Jake slid a condom into his hand. When he got up on his knees, held her by her waist and drove his sheathed cock into her, Marybeth cried out. She propped herself up on her elbows and urged him deeper as he moved. He groaned, filling the room with his voice, as he thrust and withdrew. Sweat trickled down his back and the muscles in his arms and legs strained from exertion, but he held off his release until he was sure she’d been satisfied. One more thrust was all it took for Marybeth to fall over the edge. She clutched the cotton sheets in her hands and writhed beneath him as he lifted his face to the ceiling and shouted her name.

*****

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“Will you tell me now about the war? About how you got your scars?” Marybeth nibbled her final piece of lobster tail and licked drawn butter from her lips. Jake seemed to find her tongue of particular interest as he watched her. Dragging his gaze from her mouth, he met her eyes. “I’ll give you the short version. No question and answer session afterward. Deal?” Marybeth nodded. “And I promise never to mention it again.” Jake blew out a breath. “Thanks.” She touched his arm across the small dining table. “I only want to know because it hurts me that you suffered. I care about you…so much.” The last two words caught in her throat. Her feelings for Jake grew stronger and more complex by the hour. When their time together in Nevada was through, she wasn’t sure how she would forget him. Loving and leaving a man was outside her range of experience. “Let’s finish our steaks and glasses of wine and I’ll tell you everything.”

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Chapter Eight “Saddam had a hard-on for Kuwait that raged when Kuwait lowered its oil prices in direct competition with Iraq’s. Baghdad had always considered Kuwait a southern Iraq province, not an independent country, and their price reduction pissed the Iraqis off. To make matters worse, Kuwait demanded that Iraq repay a debt owed to fund their ongoing conflict with Iran. Since Kuwait had virtually no military, Saddam figured, why pay back a debt and tolerate oil price competition when he could simply take over the place he considered his, anyway? Why not make it official? “Iraq invaded Kuwait and committed war crimes. NATO told Saddam to knock it off, but he said, ‘Fuck you,’ and kept going. If that wasn’t enough, Iraqi troops were deployed to the Kuwait-Saudi Arabia border. The Saudi king asked for U.S. assistance against the threat of invasion. George H. helped form a coalition of NATO forces to protect the Saudi border and force Iraq from Kuwait. The protection of the Saudis was called, ‘Desert Shield’.” Jake took another sip of wine. He figured Marybeth knew most of this stuff, but memories faded and he wanted her to paint a mental picture of the circumstances surrounding his battalion’s ground operations. Marybeth remained quiet as he continued. “Desert Storm began after Iraq ignored repeated warnings from the U.N. to cease its aggressions. When Saddam’s final ultimatum expired, coalition forces carried out a massive coordinated strike against Iraq from both air and sea. Iraq launched SCUD missiles at Saudi Arabia and Israel. Still, the Iraqi navy was quickly destroyed and key land targets were wiped out. By the time our ground forces moved in, terrified Iraqi soldiers were surrendering in droves.”

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Marybeth offered a small smile of encouragement and reached for his hand. “Who wouldn’t be scared of a tough Marine like you?” Jake knew she was flattering him to make the rest of his story easier to tell, and though he wanted to shrug off her words, she’d made him feel better anyhow. His muscles relaxed. “Terrified men can be lethal. They put me at death’s door.” He released Marybeth’s hand and sat back in his chair, focusing on the wall above her head. As he continued his story, he allowed his eyes to glaze over. The scene in the desert became clearer in his mind. “Ground troops were sent in after the air and sea attacks were completed. We mostly fired smoke bombs and produced an aggressive campaign of feints and deceptions to confuse the Iraqi army. While we diverted their attention in one area, the main ground attack came from another. It got to the point where we spent most of our time rounding up Iraqi soldiers who had surrendered.” He took another sip of wine for fortification. The faces of his three lost buddies swam before him. It had been years since he’d seen their features so clearly and he tried to hold on to their images, but they faded away before he was ready. Quick tears formed, but Jake blinked them away as he went on with his tale. Marybeth watched with patient eyes. “Then something went wrong. Our battalion’s communications system went down. We had no way of knowing Iraqi anti-tank weapons lay ahead. We didn’t shoot smoke screens to protect our tank and small fleet. The Iraqis opened fire and hit two of our trucks, killing my three best friends. Six other soldiers and I were seriously wounded by shrapnel and flying debris.” Jake raked a hand through his hair. He squeezed his eyes shut, fighting off a barrage of bloody pictures of his dead buddies. His heart hammered against the inside of his chest. “We rained hell on the Iraqis who’d attacked us. Those who weren’t killed surrendered.” He sat back in his chair, drained suddenly by the retelling of his story. He’d only told it once before, to his parents. “You know the rest. I was hospitalized for

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a long time. My fiancée left me. Life pretty much sucked until I got my first teaching job.” That he’d shared the worst experience of his life with Marybeth told him he cared about her more than he’d realized. Deep connections with women and new friends were ties he’d avoided since Desert Storm. His relationships had remained mostly casual and he’d preferred it that way. Until today. Call me disconnect. He glanced up at Marybeth and wondered how she’d been faithful to one man for twenty-five years. Clearly, she was capable of great loyalty and love. Call her connect. How did she do that? And how the hell did she survive all that she’d lost? Jake considered the woman opposite him. Maybe, together, they could relearn the meaning of trust. He was quiet for so long that Marybeth got up from her chair and moved to his side. She reached out to him. “Let’s go back into the bedroom,” she whispered. “I know just the thing to ease your mind.”

***** After brunch with Cait, Marybeth moved her things to her daughter’s apartment. She was exhausted, and looked forward to a hot bath and a long nap before Cirque Du Soleil. Jake had plans with his sister after the show, and though he’d invited her along, she’d declined. He was leaving the next day by bus to meet with police and pick up his motorcycle. She didn’t want to intrude on the short time he had with family. Jake met her in the hotel lobby before the show, looking more handsome than ever in dress slacks and a short-sleeved pullover. “You got your hair cut,” she said, eyeing his freshly styled hair and clean-shaven face. “I like it.” This was a whole new look compared to the t-shirt and jeans, long hair, and rough beard he’d had when they met. He leaned down to kiss her. The scents of spicy soap and musk cologne drew her in, but she resisted the urge to cling to him. It was better to be sensible and make a clean break. They’d had an extraordinary day together, but it was time to return to reality.

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After the final curtain call, she’d drive back to Cait’s place alone. Next week she’d go home. What would she do when she returned to Santa Barbara? Tuck away memories of the too-young-for-her man who taught her she was a warrior and survivor and savor them forever. Then, she’d get back to work. Retail sales had been her life. It was time to open a new store. Marybeth linked arms with Jake and walked into the theatre on her high-heeled shoes. Patrons murmured conversations while waiting for the opening curtain. Others searched for their seats as the excitement in the room thickened until it was palpable. An orchestra played as the house lights dimmed. Jake and Marybeth took their seats and linked hands as the curtain lifted. A collage of colors and lithe, swirling bodies filled the stage as the music swelled. “Ready?” he asked. “Always,” she replied.

***** “I’m so glad you moved back home.” Contentment filled Marybeth’s soul as she watched her daughter put finishing touches on a vitamin display. “You sure you don’t mind having a roommate until I find a new place?” “Are you kidding? I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Marybeth hugged Cait and then turned to admire their handiwork. It was the weekend after Labor Day and their new health food and nutrition store in Santa Barbara opened mid-September. They only had another week to finish stocking the shelves before their Grand Opening. “I think we’ll make great partners.” Cait’s management experience in Las Vegas would be a valuable asset in their joint venture. Sales were in her blood too. Their prime location inside the busiest shopping center in town was more than a stroke of luck. It was a godsend. How could she ever thank Guy enough for finding this 104

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incredible space? The competition for premium retail locations was fierce. He’d led her to the realty company handling the rental the instant it went on the market. Maybe Guy was a magic genie, after all. “I think Dad’s feeling left out. We’ve never owned a shop without him.” Marybeth harrumphed. “His choice, sweetheart.” She didn’t remind her daughter that she’d fled to Las Vegas to escape her parents’ divorce drama. Cait stole a sidelong glance at her. “Did you really turn him down flat about getting back together?” “Is that what he told you?”

“Pretty much, yeah. After Samantha dumped him, he said he’d never stopped loving you. That he’d just gone through ‘a phase’ and regretted the divorce. He hates living alone.” There was a time when she would have been desperate to hear those words and done anything to get her husband back. But now? Her broken spirit had almost mended. It was too late for her and Brian. “Samantha wanted children. Your dad is fifty, too old to start a new family. He should have thought of that before he started running around. I’m sorry, hon, but I just can’t feel responsible for his loneliness.” Cait nodded. “I know, Mom. Still, one part of me wishes you’d get back together, though the other part knows he destroyed any chance of that.” She squeezed Marybeth’s hand. “I’m just glad you’re finally okay.” “I’m more than okay.” Marybeth warmed at thoughts of Jake. Though she hadn’t seen him since June, they’d been in touch by phone and email. She’d been prepared to say good-bye to him in Nevada, but he’d made it clear he wanted an ongoing relationship. He’d kept in touch with Hank too. Buck and Miguel pled guilty to assault and armed robbery and plea-bargained for ten-year sentences. Hank, Jake and Marybeth would be spared the ordeal of trials and could get on with their lives.

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Wasn’t life funny? Just when she thought she’d learned to let go, someone wonderful had asked her to hold on. “I’ve got you, our new store and…” “A new boyfriend?” Cait smiled. Marybeth shrugged. “Guess so.” She giggled, then, like a kid. “He should be here any minute.” At the sound of a motorcycle roaring through the shopping center parking lot, Marybeth hurried to the front of the store. Her heart pounded and she nibbled her bottom lip as she watched Jake park his Harley and pull off his helmet, looking more handsome than ever in the afternoon sunlight. The thrill of seeing him again shot through her like a rocket and she trembled with the chill of an adrenaline rush. She rubbed her arms to warm them, but even her hands had turned cold. Only Jake’s arms around her would steady her jangled nerves. Cait grabbed her purse and said over her shoulder, “I’ll be back in an hour to finish up. See you when I see you.” She stepped through the rear exit and bolted the latch behind her. Marybeth worried that Jake’s ardor might have cooled since she last saw him. He’d been busy with his move from Los Angeles to his new apartment in the suburban school district where he’d relocated. She’d been involved with helping her daughter move from Nevada to her place and with opening their new store. Now that everyone had settled, she and Jake could resume their relationship. But what if his attraction to her had waned? Her anxiety fled when Jake’s tall, muscular form filled the doorway. “Hey, beautiful.” His sea blue eyes crinkled at the corners, radiating warmth and a smile so sincere Marybeth rushed to greet him, wrapping her arms around his neck to offer frenzied kisses before stepping back to take in the sight of him. His blue eyes shone while he stared back at her. “I’m going to like it here in Santa Barbara.”

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“I’m going to like having you here.” She’d often wondered if her GPS, Guy, had chosen Jake especially for her that day in the Mojave. If he’d deliberately disabled the Harley’s starter. If he’d known Jake would be moving from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara, making a future relationship possible. Created a match made in heaven. Should she thank her lucky stars? Marybeth kissed Jake again and reveled in the warm, sturdy feel of his body against hers. You bet. Marybeth turned her thoughts to more ordinary, though important, questions. “How are things at your new school?” “The kids are great. So are the teachers. And I like my new place.” His voice lowered to a husky rumble. “I think you’ll like my apartment. There’s a hot tub on the patio, a fireplace, king size bed and lots of counter space.” A lascivious grin curved his mouth as he stared down at her through half-closed, smoldering eyes. Marybeth wrapped herself tighter against him. The feel of his chest beneath her cheek grounded her in a way nothing else could. She breathed in the scent of his skin beneath the gray t-shirt he wore and stroked the muscles of his back with her palms. “I’m so glad you’re finally here. I’ve missed you.” She bit back the word “terribly”. Warriors didn’t whimper. As if he sensed her need, Jake picked her up, carried her in his arms to the sales counter and sat her on the edge. Without preamble, he opened her thighs, stepped between them and pressed himself against her mound. Marybeth wrapped her bare legs around his hips and pulled him in tighter, savoring the feel of his cock as it stiffened against her. Heat radiated from their mingled bodies like solar flares. Desire shot through her while she rubbed his cock against her slit. Jake cupped her ass and lifted her slightly, allowing her more freedom of movement to slide up and down his length. He groaned deep in his throat. “Now you know why I said I liked my new kitchen counters. I imagined you naked while I fucked 107

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you on every surface.” He pulled a condom from his back pocket, opened the packet and laid it next to her on the counter. Marybeth closed her eyes, savoring each tremor that snaked through her. Her voice was a tremulous whisper. “No cooking?” “Just fucking.” He kissed her hard and she opened her mouth to touch her tongue to his. His full, firm lips covered hers and carried her away to the desert in her mind’s eye, where he had been her oasis at every turn. Jake was her real life refuge. She had been kidding herself to imagine she could let him go. The fingers of one hand bunched the back of his shirt and pulled it free from his jeans, while the other traced the smooth, exposed skin above his waist. Her hands traveled higher to grip the hem of his shirt and tug. Jake read her signal and stepped back to pull off his shirt. The hard muscles of his arms and shoulders rippled beneath his burnished skin and his nipples hardened as the shop’s cool air wafted over his bared chest. When he returned to her, Marybeth leaned forward and took one nipple in her mouth, sucked and then tasted the other. Jake closed his eyes and moaned low in his throat as she flicked the tip of his nipple with her tongue and then circled the areola before trailing over his pectorals and down to his solar plexus. The muscles beneath flinched as her mouth moved to kiss his line of scars. Jake wrapped his fingers through her hair, holding her, while she returned to the swell of his chest. Her hands worked the fly of his jeans and opened the front, releasing his long, thick cock from the strain of confinement. She liked that he wasn’t wearing underwear. Cupping his sac with both hands, she massaged his balls and let her fingers trail the silken line behind them that led to his anus. He gasped at her touch and his cock swelled and throbbed in response. A drop of liquid trickled from the tiny slit on its engorged head. While one hand continued to rub his balls, Marybeth’s other hand spread the slick juice with her thumb and reveled in the smooth texture of his skin. Her thumb glided 108

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over the head to its underside as her fingers wrapped around his girth. Gripping him tight, one hand stroked his length while the other teased the satin opening of his ass. Jake thrust hard inside her hand, grimaced, and then stopped moving, seeming to use all of his strength to stop himself from coming. He grabbed her wrist to restrict further movement and rested his other hand on the crown of her head. When she released him, his hands found the hem of her shirt and lifted the fabric. Marybeth leaned away as he pulled off her top and waited while he unhooked her bra. She let the garment fall from her breasts, catch on the tips of her nipples and hover there before it cascaded down the length of her arms. Her nipples were hard and ready for his mouth and he stooped to lick them in turn. His strong hands wrapped around her to hold her by the shoulder blades while he pushed her backward just a little, thrusting her breasts higher against his lips. While his mouth sucked, the fire that had lit inside her roared to life. She rubbed her thighs together, stoking the ache between her legs. His fingers pulled the waistband of her shorts and then unzipped them with fast, deft fingers before gliding them over her hips and along her legs until she kicked them to the floor. She leaned against her elbows and thrust up her chin, daring him with her gaze to toss off her thong and take her hard. His return stare and rock solid cock told her he was ready.

In one easy sweep, he tore the flimsy thong from her body and tossed it beside her shorts on the floor. “You’ll need a new supply of panties soon,” he whispered, a smile touching a corner of his mouth. His voice rumbled from his throat with the sound of deep, carnal lust that brought shivers of excitement along Marybeth’s spine. She grinned at him through half-closed eyes and opened her legs, spreading her pussy wide to incite him further. Jake’s eyes glinted in the afternoon light as he studied her pink folds with an intensity that shot thrills to her core.

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She expected him to fuck her then, but he surprised her by slapping the sides of her ass cheeks in his hands with a loud crack and hoisting her hips high off the counter. To keep her balance, she draped her knees over his shoulders as he lifted her pussy to his mouth. Moaning low, he thrust his tongue deep into her vagina and then out again, tongue fucking her fast and hard before he licked her clit over and over in steady, rhythmic circles. Storm clouds gathered behind her eyes while orgasmic thunder roared. “I’m going to come,” she panted, not wanting his tongue to stop its dance across her clitoris and yet wanting his cock inside her more. He lowered her hips to the counter surface and rolled the condom over his erection. Marybeth steadied herself on her elbows again, opened her thighs and raised her hips high for him. In one mighty thrust, Jake pushed his cock inside her. Gripping her hips in his large hands until she was sure she would bruise, Jake’s hips flew with each hard and fast thrust. He licked his lips but kept his eyes on her face while her climax rolled over her, slamming her with such force she had to splay her palms against the countertop to keep from falling backward. Jake held her tighter in his hands, the tendons in his arms and neck straining with the effort of maintaining his rhythm and holding her fast while she came. Tremors made her quake where she lay, panting, as her heart beat so hard inside her chest she thought it would burst. The sounds of her pulse rushing blood to her ears pounded as her orgasm rolled on. With one last, powerful thrust, Jake cried out as he steadied himself inside her. His cock throbbed as his semen spilled. Every muscle in his body grew taut and his knees locked as he clung to her hips and forced himself deeper. They collapsed against one another like crumpled paper and caressed each other’s tired, perspired limbs. Jake hunched over her in a protective embrace and laid a tender kiss on her neck.

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After they cleaned up in the employee bathroom, Jake said, “I have something for you locked inside my bike.” He kissed her eyelids and then lifted her hands to brush her fingertips with his lips. “Be right back.” Marybeth freshened up her make-up and combed her hair. When she returned to the sales floor Jake held out a wrapped silver package dressed with a glittery silver bow. “I’ll always remember our day in the desert.” “You went shopping for me?” Delighted, she took the gift and tore off the paper. Inside was a package of fine perfume. Marybeth opened the bottle of Cactus Queen and dabbed it to her wrists and behind her ears. The delicate scent, and the implied meaning behind the gift, told her what she needed to know about Jake’s feelings for her. Still, the words were like a balm when he whispered, “Only the stars and the desert know the secrets of the Queen of the Night.” She squeezed her eyes closed and nodded, sure she could never find the perfect reply to his sweet words. A long silence stretched between them as a subtle shift in their relationship took place, strengthening their bond. Jake spoke again, his voice deeper and more hesitant this time. “Look, Ma’beth, I’m a basic kind of guy, who had to practice that line about the stars and the desert and the Queen of the Night a dozen times before I gave you that perfume.” Marybeth watched him tense as he swiped one hand down the side of his cheek and across his jaw. “I hoped you’d know what I really meant to say.” He shifted his stance, but then seemed to give in to whatever he was feeling. “I’m not the type to mess with mind games, and at thirty-seven, I’m old enough to know what I want.” “You’re thirty-seven?” She heard everything he’d said, but this news was a revelation. “Yeah. What did you think?” “It doesn’t matter now.” Marybeth stepped into Jake’s arms as her final misgiving about their age difference melted away. Nine years…wasn’t so much.

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He wrapped her inside his protective embrace and stroked her hair. “You’ve had a rough time the past few years and I don’t intend to make things tougher for you by making demands. I don’t expect you to change your life for me. You have your new store and your daughter at home. I have my apartment, new students, and a football team to coach. But I want to be with you often. We’ll follow this relationship wherever it leads us.” He kissed her forehead. “Okay?” Marybeth nodded while she stroked his back. Jake excited her in endless new ways, yet offered a deep sense of comfort too. She whispered against his chest, “I could love you, you know.” He squeezed her tighter. “I do love you, Marybeth.”

***** They rode along the coast on Jake’s Harley after a late dinner, ocean breezes stroking their faces and ruffling their clothes in the wind. Gilda, Jake’s new GPS system, sounded the words LOW FUEL in her cool, controlled voice and flashed the warning on her pale yellow screen. Jake signaled a turn at the next corner and pulled up to the pumps at an all night gas station before turning off the ignition. “Gilda’s right. I need gas.” Jake hopped off the bike and filled the tank.

“Think Guy will be jealous of your new toy?” Marybeth inclined her head toward the GPS. “Are you kidding? He’ll be thrilled. They can couple while we’re parked side by side. Have sattell-link sex.” Marybeth laughed. “Could that really happen? Imagine the mischief they could cause if they put their…units together.” Jake returned the nozzle to the pump. “I haven’t connected with Gilda yet like you have with Guy, so I can’t guess.” His glance grazed the GPS screen. “But Guy got us together, so if he wants to hook-up with Gilda, I’d consider us even.” 112

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“Maybe Gilda will think Guy’s hot.” She laughed then, at the absurdity of talking about their GPS systems like they were real. Yet, Guy had given her exactly what she needed. What could be more real than that? Jake pointed a thumb at the mini-mart opposite the gas pumps. “Want a frozen fruit bar?” “Sure.” Marybeth took his hand as she slid off the Harley. From her peripheral vision she saw letters flash across the GPS screen and then disappear. Marybeth’s brow crinkled. Though the system had been turned off, she could swear Gilda had sent a message. The words read: GPS=Guaranteed Personal Satisfaction before the screen went dark.

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About the Author Adele Dubois is an award-winning, multi-published author and former newspaper and magazine columnist, feature writer, and foreign correspondent published in the Caribbean, UK, and USA. When not on the beach by the ocean or walking along the quiet shores of a Delaware bay, she and her family enjoy their rural eastern Pennsylvania home where she is currently working on her next novel.

Adele welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

Tell Us What You Think We appreciate hearing reader opinions about our books. You can email us at [email protected].

Also by Adele Dubois Dream Traveler Intimate Art

Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.

www.ellorascave.com