Beyond Fantasy

Haven't forgotten

2011-11-15T08:19:00.001-05:00

Click on the pic, its Glorious:)

Ok all, mark you calenders, this Saturday I will be posting new portions of Breakdown. I am going to extend even what you've read so far and do a few more pages. I guess it will be a novella, but I never know. I am also in the midst of doing an overhaul of Nineteen, it's pretty much going to be a new story, so I will post the new excerpt before its published. I keep procrastinating about this but I will be adding a works in progress page over the weekend so you will no where I am in my longer term projects.
I mean 2012 is coming, if the worlds going to end I might as well publish something right?

Breakdown Update
Progress Page
Release Date/Contract News Page

Quick Update

2011-10-08T15:16:00.000-04:00

Hey guys I know I was in the middle of a rant and rambling the last time we spoke. LOLI decided I am going to make Breakdown a free read, so say tuned I will definitely be updating in the next couple of weeks.I will also be updating Full of Grace, probably changing the name, with the Cabin Fever Chapter.In the meantime, why is Chris Hemsworth so HOT! And bulgy ...Thor indeed:)

Random Written Thoughts.

2011-09-24T16:03:00.000-04:00

Hi guys. Hope the weekend is treating you well. I see Once is Never Enough is inching ahead in my lil poll. I'm surprised.After five years of my awful procrastinating. If you want to know an evil little secret I actually started writing it long hand in 1998.Yes - you read that right. 1998. I did get Dmitri's Closet the other day and read it. I thought it was good.

Once Is Never Enough is at about 225 pages, and not finished:(. I have to go over it and do some write overs. I always had intentions of doing a prologue for Toni that will explain who coldness to Zenya. I want to finish it so it can get a 2012 release SOOO bad. I did get one vote for always the bride. Nice. I think I am going to redo this blog again soo so you guys can have easier access to all my excerpts and partials without having to go back over all my tedious blog posts:)

I think I have to come to terms with the fact that I can't write short stories. I fooled myself into believing I could but I really can't. Even at times when I've read them, they were good but the endings just seemed rushed, like there should have been more. I'm referring to books under 100 pages. I think I am going to pull Foreign Exchange by the end of the year and re release it as a novel.I got some really crappy reviews for it on Amazon, and someone said something similar to a bad review I got when it was first released in 06. About her Lorna being fat and blacklike both were/are negative traits.

I didn't say anything because I they do have a right to their opinion.
I don't have intentions of pulling it because of what they said. I want to pull it to make it longer and really explore the themes that go on in the story. There is a lot more to tell about Simon and Lorna's relationship. I also plan to add Simon's P.O.V. Hopefully I've grown as a writer since then:)

I'll add to this tomorrow.

2011-09-09T12:52:00.000-04:00

Song of the Day -

2011-09-04T10:28:00.002-04:00

A Race for the Hero

So I like to write IR romances, but I was a reader first. And even though I don't read as much as I want to, or write for that matter. I read Gold Mountain the other day and thought it was really good. I thought it was too short though. I also side eye Loose-Id publishing for charging over five dollars for a novella ebook. So I said let me check around and see if I can find some more AMBW books. Low and behold there really aren't that many. Most I've already heard of, but not too many new books. I am a little picky when it comes to the titles I read. As anyone should be, but I'm just kind of surprised that most IR books are bw/wm. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I like variety. How do you guys feel about it? Do you wish there were more IR books where the hero was a race other than white?
'cause I mean really ....

2011-09-04T09:39:00.004-04:00

So I watched The Help (Spoilers -even though the movie is already rotten)

Yesterday I broke down and watched The Help. Even though I was appalled by the trailer when I first saw it, curiosity got the best of me, and I tried to mentally prepare myself for what I was going to see. Sigh - it's not a bad film. But - it's also not what it should have been. The movie is about a young white female, Skeeter Phelan who decides to write a book about the black housekeepers in Jackson Mississippi during the Civil Rights era. This is strike one. A movie about the oppression of blacks in the south where the only way they can be liberated is by a forward thinking white girl. Why can't they liberate themselves? Oh wait - they did.
This is a white woman's fantasy. I'm not trying to throw any of the many whites under the bus who did in fact help during the Civil Rights era. But this movie is frankly sugar coating a lot of things. It's almost like she made a romantic comedy out of racism. People that lived through it don't think it's funny. I would have given Kathryn Stockett more leeway if she had written a black counterpart to Skeeter, a young black female who desired to be a writer but was forced to work as a maid to help her family. Minnie's daughter would have been perfect. All the blacks in the movie, really are kind of props and bystanders. One of the maids (Minnie) is being physically abused by her husband, you never actually see her husband, she eventually leaves him by the end of the story. But would you like to know how? I shit you not - because a white woman cooks dinner for her.
And I didn't even know Cicily Tyson was in this!!! Cicelyyyyyyyyy----
her daughter also could have been the counterpart to Skeeter's character. None of the maid's are seen having lives outside of intersecting with whites, even though that might have been the point, its not accurate. It doesn't make for a rich character. Skeeter gets a love interest in the movie, none of the black characters do. Men of both races are left to supporting, but there is only one black male character that barely has a few lines in the movie (True Blood's Nelsan Ellis).
And then at the end of the movie Skeeter is given a pass by Abilene and Minnie to live her fabulous mostly non oppressed life in New York, while they continue to work as maids or remain jobless.

Overall The Help teaches us -
1. Blacks won't get any where until a white person Helps them
2. Racism is hilarious when pretty white girls do it (or old white women, see Driving Miss Daisy, who Sissy Spacek must have been channeling), and because eventually (see number 1)
3. Viola Davis is a phenom and it should be a crime she isn't a lead in more films (that aren't oppressive)
4. Hollywood hasn't learned a damn thing

2011-08-28T10:50:00.001-04:00

Ugh, I've been through a hurricane, my house shook from an earthquake last week, and now I'm sitting through a hurricane, AND i have to go to my sad day job today:(

Pray for me ya'll.

RC

2011-08-04T16:12:00.007-04:00

God I'm Awful

Thx for the well wishes.
I am fine here. Just about to get
everything fixed. Insurance companies are so slow.
Here is where my backyard tree fell, luckily not on top of the house.

Dawne Dominique did this new cover for me, it's just so cool.

LOL, sorry Ljay, I know it's been a while.
I get flaky sometimes, and it's so not productive.
I am working on edits now, but I will be back soon. Really. :)
Love you guys
RC

2011-06-14T18:18:00.003-04:00

Update.
You know me by now, you got to!!
As for publishing news, I am republishing my menage IR
erotica novella (mouthful I know) Nineteen. I will post the cover
as soon as I can, and give info on my release date.
In other news, I live in Massachusetts and on June 1st my house was hit by a tornado.
We were out of power for a week and I just got my phone service and internet back on today. I figured it would be a good time to update my woefully neglected blog.
It was a bad time, a lot of the houses in my neighborhood were destroyed, but I'm still here. I PROMISE to update again soon.
Thanks so much for all your support.

I also will hopefully release Sheik's Bed over the summer, publisher willing

2011-01-11T15:52:00.002-05:00

1/1/11
Thanks so much for the birthday wishes
erotic mama bear has emerged from yet another looooooooonngg slumber

All right, today is the first day of the rest of my writing life, lol.

Long term project update:
Someone to Watch Over Me - lost and found re writes and cuts. This story is almost at 100,000 words
it may be a maxi novel 120,000, I have a lot to cover. I have been working on it RECENTLY which is excellent for me.
Even after its finished I still have to go back over it and edit.
Once Is Never Enough - I haven't worked on this story in forever, HOWEVER. I will finish it after Someone, so hopefully by March it will be finished. It's at over 250 pages. But again, I will have to go over some re writes.
Foreign Exchange 2 I feel like there's some more story to tell, hopefully this will get finished by summer.
Full of Grace - will be finished as a free read here. I will probably publish it next year, since its a XMAS story and xmas is over.
I will also be doing a 'Bed' series. Sheik's Bed is almost finished. I have to submit it and will keep you updated on a release date.
I hope to, cross fingers, have news on a release date for a novella you guys have NEVER read within the next couple of weeks.
Once again, Thanks so much for your ENDLESS support.
Love you all!!!
Rach

2010-06-26T09:46:00.002-04:00

Rachel's Birthday?!

Yes ... dahling's, 30 years ago today in a land far far away
(California) a child was born.

2010-05-20T15:41:00.001-04:00

Hi guys. Glad to see you liked Full of Grace atory
I did too, who doesn't like a hot cabin in the winter story? I will have something to post within the next week or so. I should at least finish out the Cabin Fever chapter.
Talk soon and take some time out to enjoy the day
Here's more of my Phoenix Muse
RC

2010-04-21T14:44:00.000-04:00

Hey guys, I ended up
posted 2 excerpts, so after Full of Grace, the orig story I wanted to post is the second story, One of a Kind which has a paranormal/time travel theme. Let me know what you think.

Full of Grace
By Rachel Cade

“But I’m supposed to be going on vacation soon, for the holidays.” Claudia Johnson pushed her sliding horn rimmed glasses back up the bridge of her nose as she listened to her boss lay out all the reasons that it was completely her responsibility to head out to the middle of nowhere Minnesota in December to hand some poor old lady foreclosure papers.

“… you’ll be back in time to head out to L.A. for Christmas.”

Every fiber of her being was screaming for her to say no, to tell him to take the paperwork in his outstretched hand and shove them where the sun didn’t shine. She couldn’t stand him, from his shiny bald head to his lopsided grin.

Biting against a scathing remark, she accepted the papers, willing her audible sigh to retreat back down her throat. The repeating mantra ‘I am not a kiss ass’ playing in her head did not help the situation, nor did the fact that his gesture, holding out the stack of papers full of legalese that ultimately meant ‘get out’ was performed before he’d ever asked the favor.

A glint in his eye suspected that he awaited a challenge, she was after all Claudia Johnson. She didn’t necessarily have a reputation for being the friendliest person in the office. However, two back to back incidents that had forced her into taking anger management classes had almost cost her job. She had to tread lightly, and she was going to have to tread in (), Minnesota.

Home was the tiny overpriced apartment, her roommate was Serge, a Siamese cat who ruled the place with a claw filled paw – at least he thought so, despite being told daily that it wasn’t the case.

His highness was currently lounging on the back of the couch while Claudia chatted with her sister on the telephone.

“Have you ever heard of (), Minnesota?”

“Minn – what?”

Claudia pointlessly repeated herself as she tried not to get Chinese takeout stains on the paperwork. “Is it anywhere near St. Olaf.”

“Shut up.”

“What?”

“You know St. Olaf isn’t a real place.”

“It’s not.”

“I’m so done talk-”

Marie giggled. “You know Minnesota might as well be Alaska to me. What’s there?”

“Josephine Morgan.”

“Who’s she?”

A reasonable enough question, but Claudia found her lips pursed to the answer. To explain who she was would inevitably lead to why she was going to see her, if she were to be truthful. She felt guilty saying out loud exactly why she was going there. Two years ago Marie’s husband had lost his job, and soon after they lost their home. It was a horrifying time for her and she knew the mere mention would force her to relive it.

“She’s just doing some business with the firm.”

Of course she would wake up late. Leave it to Claudia to do just that, and almost miss her flight. By the time she realized what was going on she was looking crazy in the airport, wearing the suit she’d had on the previous day, trying, trying so damn hard not to yell at the woman across the counter as she was explaining her only bag had been lost.

By the time she arrived in Minnesota, she realized she only had enough money on her card to pay for the car rental she needed to get to (). Not enough money to buy a coat or the heavy boots that were in her lost bag.

In the car she was boiling angry, the only saving grace was the GPS system, so at least she wouldn’t get lost and have to bother to ask for directions. The idea of her personal things being anywhere just –

She really should keep her mind on the situation at hand. There was heat in the car too, that was a good thing, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen so much snow. Glancing around at the wide open spaces now that she got further from the city was strange but mesmerizing. She was the only car on a desolate but plowed road. For miles on both sides of her was nothing but white untouched snow, off in the distance along the horizon she could see mountains capped with ice and rimmed with clouds.

She felt immensely alone, then angry about her bags, and then guilty. By the time she arrived at the isolated cabin the sun had gone down.

“Great.” She mumbled, the first word she’d said aloud in over an hour. She scanned around before reaching in the backseat to grab her files. Adjusting her glasses she pulled her wool hat down over her head. Pointless to do a mirror check, she felt like shit and was sure she looked it.

The house was a lovely two story colonial, which was currently dark, at four thirty in the afternoon. This was nothing she was used to, there was no street no streetlight, no other houses. Just this place flanks by pine trees behind it, and miles upon miles of snow.

What if that woman wasn’t home? She could have called. That might have been bright, maybe too bright. Nose flared she opened the driver’s side door, it made it about six inches before cracking against a three and a half foot snow bank. A blistering wind rushed up her slack covered thigh, hissing, she quickly slammed the door shut and turned the car back on, welcoming the blast of blessed warmth.

This was not New York cold, she thought warily checking her gas hand. She had enough to make it back to the airport.

But coming all this was pointless if she couldn’t get out of her car.

There was hardly room to maneuver in the narrow pathway that was a mere few feet off from the front porch.

“God, why would anyone live out here?” She growled, swishing the steering when lack and forth trying to get enough room to open the car door.

The passenger side door began to hit snow she knew this was as good as it got and opened and turned off the ignition. The horizon was now tinged with the glowing blue of the long retreated sun, and a howling wind did nothing to ease her trepidation.

Once again upon opening, her door hit the snow bank far too quickly, and offered her about half a foot more room than it had before.

Frigid cold stabbed at her face as she squeezed through the tiny opening, balancing on one foot, trying not to lose her car keys or files.

Slamming the car door as hard as she could, the sound echoed on forever and she peered at the house for any sign of life. Now pinned between the car and a mini mountain of snow she had to sidestep to make it to the front of the car. Knowing her luck she’d scrape the finish and the car rental company would make her pay for it.

In mid mental tirade on the lousy shoveling job someone had done out here she realized there was no path dug from the car to the stairs that led to the front porch. The back of her black Donna Karan was already slathered in snow and presumably ruined. Now a four foot long three foot deep pile of this mess was in between her and the front stairs.

Her inappropriately covered feet almost wailed aloud in protest. She had half a mind to toss the papers over it, get back in her car and high tail it the hell out of here. Was this some type of joke? Was her boss somewhere laughing into a martini in some gloriously well heated restaurant?

Clutching the papers to her chest she weighed her options, as if she had any.

The theory that the snow was packed enough to just walk right over proved erroneous. On first step her foot went down and the ice immediately sank though her tights to the skin. Her muffled cry immediately morphed into an enraged growl. “Shit!”

It was a short distance, but none the less she almost feel twice, attempting to take huge steps, each of which landing like anvils in cursed ice. It seemed far more practical for them to rent reindeers and sleighs to commute around Minnesota over cars.

“This is some kind of joke.” She repeated, out of breath on all fours in the snow, she reached for the front porch banister like a hand extending from the heavens.

Claudia wiped snow from her glasses just to find her gloves was only putting more back on them.

Her nose was now running, and the thought of wiping it with a frigid wool sleeve almost brought tears to her eyes. She hadn’t even done what she was sent here to do, and all she wanted was to go home.

Licking dry lips, she reached for the doorbell. All guilt she felt for the old woman was gone. She was cold, tired and annoyed as all hell.

Swearing, she rang the bell again, following it by a knock that surely blistered her knuckles.

No one was home, she’d come out all this way for nothing.

“Oh God.” She breathed, she could barely see her hand in front of her face now.

Glancing around she saw that it had begun to snow.

“Th – there’s enough already - ” She whispered.

The massive front door swung open. Claudia covered her mouth against her startled scream.

From the darkness emerged a man. He rubbed his face and may have been sleeping, and looked none too pleased to be woken.

He was wearing an oversized gray hooded sweatshirt that marred most of his face in shadow, there were no lights on in the house behind him, and Claudia’s jaw tightened. Where was the old lady?

Bound and tied up in the basement?

Chopped up in the basement?

“Who the hell are you?”

Straightening she cleared her throat. “I’m Claudia Johnson from Stanley Higgins in New York City. I’m here to see Mrs. Josephine Morgan.”

“Are you?” The sarcasm in his voice didn’t go undetected, while she mentally went over her inventory of weapons. The car keys would have to do.

He leaned slightly and the porch light over her head popped on.

It barely revealed his chin and some of his bottom lip as he spoke. “Does this Stanley Higgins pay you a lot of money?”

“Actually it’s not a re – Yes.”

“Well when you get back to New York, you tell him he sent you all this way to talk to a dead woman.”

She still couldn’t really make out his features and at this point she didn’t want to. She’d drive the rental backwards back to () if she had to.

The snowflakes grew heavier and thicker now.

Shaking her head she began to back up. “I- I’m sorry I came all this way...”

“Didn’t her lawyer call you? Her funeral was last week.”

“Funeral?”

“Yeah. She’s my – was my grandmother.”

“Oh. Oh, I’m sorry.”

He offered no response to her condolences.

“What were you out here to see her about?”

“I had some paper work – that umm… concerned her.”

“Why would you have paperwork that concerned her if you didn’t know she was dead?”

She shook her head. “There was a grievous error made, I sincerely apologize.”

Leaning in the doorway he watched her with an unreadable expression.

“You can come in for a minute.”

She squinted behind her glasses. She thought he’d been standing on a stair all this time to account for her disproportionate height to him, but he wasn’t, and his shoulders almost spanned the massive doorway.

“I should be getting back.”

Again, his expression was unreadable.

At that moment, she realized she couldn’t feel her toes.

“Maybe I can come in - for just a minute.”

Chapter Two: Smoke And Ashes

Thankfully he turned more lights on. The house was full of contemporary furniture and there wasn’t a doily in sight. The living room was sunken in and here was a fireplace going. As tempted as she was to run over to it, she remained in snow-stained gear by the front door.

The warm air filled her lungs and she closed her eyes in silent thanks for the temporary reminder of modern civilization.

“You want to sit down?”

His hands were squished into the hoodie pockets and she was reminded of the jocks in college, he was wearing relaxed fit jeans that were fairly wrinkled and he was now barefoot.

“There’s a hook behind you.”

She was failing at remaining composed. Each sound of his voice brought a start from her, it was brutally quite in the house, even the fire barely made a noise.

Claudia removed her coat and almost yelped at the amount of snow heaped on it. She must have looked like a Sasquatch wearing it. The hat stayed on, there was no telling what the hair situation was at this point.

She continued to marvel over the home. It the center back wall of the expansive living space that was covered with plush earth-toned furniture was a white staircase that led to the second floor. It appeared very lived in. There were so many pictures around she began to feel guilty for staring.

“You wanna sit?” He appeared annoyed. She could make out fist marks in the sweatshirt from his hands. Maybe she didn’t want to.

But then again, she had woken him probably, and she guessed he didn’t have many guests out here to entertain. But she wasn’t really a guest, she was stranger, if he knew her true motives he’d probably never let her step over the threshold.

Unceremoniously he walked out of the room. She wondered if she should leave too. This whole situation was just bizarre. If horror movies and thrillers had taught her anything it was that people nothing good happened to people that lived out in the middle of nowhere.

She reluctantly sat down on a wide maroon couch near the fire. Her feet were still cold, but she refused to remove her shoes. Her keys were still on her person and spying the lamp next to her, she tested its weight in her hands in case it suddenly needed to be used for more than lighting the room.

“I put some coffee on.” She snatched her hand from the lamp as she watched him approach her.

He plopped down on the loveseat across from them, a brass coffee table separating them, which soon did double duty as an ottoman when he crossed his large bare feet at the ankles on top of it.

She glanced at his feet back up to his hooded face.

“… Thank you.”

They sat in an uncomfortable silence for more than a while, she looked at everything but him, and from the tilt of his covered face she thought he’d fallen back to sleep.

A quiet buzz from the kitchen caused him to bolt up in a rush that almost gave her a heart attack.

“Coffee.” He groaned, and stood up, as he walked back to the kitchen, she noticed that there was a limp in his walk, a definite limp, and she found it curious.

He came back with two mugs, and sat them on the table.

She thanked him again, and he gave no answer. The steaming cup called to her chilled insides, but warning signs went off again. “Well, I will be sure to tell my boss about this error as soon as I get back to New York.”

He was leaning forward, his head down as he sipped the coffee. “I didn’t know if you like cream or sugar, so I left it black.”

Sucking in a deep breath he smelled the coffee like it would bring him back to life, and she wondered how long he’d been asleep, in the middle of the afternoon.

Deciding that pretending to drink would suffice and at least give her warmth and focus to get back on the road the brew barely touched her lips while the heated smoke singed her nose with delightful fire and the rest cascaded over her cheeks like a lover’s breath. Maybe she held the hazelnut liquid too her face for too long, when she finally lowered the mug it she frowned at the coolness as her wet hair brushed against her chin.

The steam covered her glasses and she suppressed a laugh as her world went foggy and she used a still chilled fingertip to wipe away the residue. A tendril of curled dark hair surfaced, a pale slice of cheekbone. He’d taken off his hood, and still hovering his face over the mug. He must have felt her eyes on him.

“How was it?” He asked.

Claudia hunched forward, sinking her back into the chair, trying to get a better angle of him over her top of her slipping glasses.

Slashes of bright green eyes caught her in the telling position. The grim turn of his full lips made her say quickly. “It was fine.”

Claudia brought the mug to her lips which were almost scalded, completely forgetting that it was steaming hot.

“Are you alright?” He asked, not an ounce of real concern laced his tone.

“Sure.” She placed the cup on the table, licking her mouth. Her cool fingertips were quite welcome just then, as she touched the pads over her lips, praying she hadn’t burned them.

The deepness of his voice should have given it away but he was older than she’d guessed originally. The worn sweatshirt and his build had led her to believe he was a college student. But now as she looked at him, he appeared to be in his early thirties. He was extremely pale, not that he could get much sun in this desolate state. His eyes were very … she couldn’t really figure out a word to describe them just then. And she wasn’t sure how she felt about them on her.

He stood up and moved to the window. Pushing back the curtain he said. “Did you know a storm was coming before you drove all the way out here?”

“I’m sorry?” She winced at the wetness of her shoes against the soles of her feet and went to stand by him at the window.

He eyes widened at the same speed her heart sank in her chest. “Oh my God.”

Claudia scrambled to the front door to get her coat. She was tearing at her pocket for her keys when he said. “Are you joking?”

“What?”

Catlike eyes narrowed on her. “You can’t drive in this, you can’t even see off the front porch!”

“I don’t have a choice-”

“You’re right, you don’t.”

College boy moved toward her, she slid back five steps. “What are you doing?”

“Give me your keys.”

Laughing, Claudia shook her head. “You have to be out of your mind.”

“And driving out into a blinding snowstorm in an area you aren’t familiar with, that’s completely sane?”

“I’m not giving you my keys.”

“Fine, but you’re not leaving.”

She swallowed. Her face was hot, of course she knew it wasn’t safe to drive out there. But how safe was it to stay here?

“Do you have a TV, so I can at least see when this mess will be over?”

Fuzzy lines on a fifty two inch screen stared back her. Frowning, she heard him say behind her. “The storm must have knocked out the signal.”

“This is bullshit.” She ripped off her hat, and her glasses fell as she buried her face in her hands; trapped with no communication, middle of nowhere – middle of a storm. Surely the crappy phone system and her cell phone would fail her – and they did.

His half snide remark about exactly what the police were going to do if the phone had worked, hadn’t helped her demeanor.

How long had she been sitting in the dimly lit study when she heard his voice. “I’m cooking something, do you wanna eat something?” The awkwardness in which it was spoken made her briefly wonder if he had any type of etiquette whatsoever.

Claudia found him in the kitchen, a huge pot of what smelled like stew was on the stove. She was hungry, she had to admit. It was a fairly large kitchen and carried the latest appliances, and a well stocked refrigerator she hoped. After the smells of soup whet her appetite she noticed him to her right. His back was to her and her presence hadn’t been detected. The pleasantly warm kitchen had caused him to take off the large sweatshirt, so he only wearing a well washed t shirt and the faded jeans.

She opened her mouth to announce herself but nothing came out. She tried again, but still nothing. The white shirt revealed shadowed plains of muscle on top of muscle along his shoulders and back. Layered black hair nipped at the back of his neck, he opened a cabinet in front of him and reached to the top of it to get something. The shirt rolled up and a three inch flash of the smoothest skin she’d ever seen greeted her.

He turned unexpectedly and she was forced to lift her eyes up to meet his face.

Stunned to see her he said. “I didn’t think you were coming.”

“I didn’t really have a choice.” She tried to laugh off a matter that wasn’t laughable. He didn’t follow suit. “You know I know this might seem weird, but I never asked your name, or rather, you never introduced your-”

“Phoenix.”

“Th-that’s you na-”

“Yes.” He answered sharply, peering at her for a retort.

“Ok.” She offered quickly.

This was definitely not how she was used to dealing to with people. In her professional life she used to having the upper hand. In her personal life she was used to being comfortable. This didn’t fall into either of those categories. This was her in Minnesota with a silent recluse whose face would probably break if he smiled…

Thank God he wasn’t looking at her just then, the thoughts on her face would probably betray every emotion she was feeling. His eyes appeared to get greener each time he looked at them. In the bright kitchen light beneath his strong jaw line she could see a cleft in his chin. His lips were a gentle rose pink, the bottom slightly larger than the top. Just then though they were creased in a slash while he chopped celery.

***

Solitude broken, Phoenix was forced to associate with an actual person. The last thing he’d expected as he slept through yet another day was having to wake up to the sound of a doorbell. The sight of a snow saturated woman shivering in ice covered glasses was not what he was expecting to find. And now, thanks to the God forsaken weather he’d previously been grateful for, she was stuck here.

Stuck.

Now he was cooking for two instead of one. Why did she keep staring at him? Not that there was much else to do, but he was tempted to leave her here and retreat back to bed upstairs.

Soon after they’d eaten, he did just that. He got back under the covers in his clothes and lay with his eyes closed, in futile attempt to pretend she wasn’t there. Then it dawned on him, she would have to spend the night and had no change of clothes. Part of him thought to close his eyes tighter, but instead he groaned, jackknifed up, stalked to his door and opened it in pursuit of her.

He found her downstairs sitting near the fire, looking like she’d been caught with her hand in a cookie jar. She still wore the glasses and knitted hat.

Shouldn’t he have been used to the sight of her by now, common sense telling him he should find her here?

And yet, he still felt irritated, shaken even, to have her in this house, forcing him to speak and interact with another human being, was he even on the verge of being hospitable? The thought made his chest sink.

“Uh, there’s a guest bedroom upstairs, there’s probably something you can sleep in.”

She nodded. “Ok. I appreciate that.” After a brief uncomfortable silence he did what may have been perceived as a curt nod before returning upstairs. The crackling fire the was the only noise between them, and the intimate firelight cast moving shadows off his hand as it slid up the banister. She was watching him again.

He glanced at her. He head was in the direction of the fireplace. “You want me to show the room or somethin’?” Accusation lanced his voice, mixing with his feeling of irritation, swelling as he said each word.

“No. I’ll find it.”

Phoenix’s head crashed against the pillow, all he could do was stare up at the ceiling, waiting for his sleeping pill to work. Check the clock? Pointless. Out here, time didn’t matter, the days and nights didn’t matter.

When he slept, he could forget.

Chapter Three:

Nightminds

Phoenix woke up with a start. Covered in sweat, he felt like he truly had risen from the ashes. Jaw set, he pulled his legs up and rested clammy hands on top of his knees. Darkness consumed his bedroom, the silence broken by a wailing wind that surely chilled down to the bone.

Head down, with several deep breaths he willed himself into the present and away from vivid nightmare that had once been a reality. One he was doomed to relive every night. He got up, still forcing air into his lungs, letting the slight chill in the air sink into his skin.

Slipping down the stairs with the intention of turning up the thermostat, he paused on the bottom landing. Curled into a ball on the loveseat was his unwanted guest. Now wearing a white nightgown, he watched the firelight dance against her side as it rose and fell with her slumbered breathing. Wrapped in her arms was a chocolate brown throw, a few shades darker than her skin, her face was buried in the leather, and he briefly wondered if she planned to smother herself.

Apparently he’d been too adamant in watching, and he winced as his shin hit a small decorative table, causing a ruckus that would wake a bear.

Startled, Claudia came to, looking all around the room before settling on him.

“Wh-what’s wrong?” She started.

“Nothing. I just wanted to turn up the heat. It’s cold upstairs.”

“I know. That’s why I came back down to the fire.” She swung her legs down, letting her bare feet hit the rug.

Phoenix continued on his way to the thermostat, skidding on his own feet. His eyes shifting back to Claudia as he did a double take that pulled the muscles along his neck. Brown skin turned a yellow red hue as it glowed in the firelight, the abundant cleavage that almost spilled over the cotton sweetheart neckline caused his nostrils to flare.

Her deep-set dark brown eyes appeared blacker than the night that surrounded them, like raven’s eyes, luminous and shrewd. Black hair, previous bunched under a hat, cascaded down her back and shoulders.

“Is it still snowing?” She got up from the couch and moved over to the window. Phoenix’s eyes followed each motion, the cotton flared out just under her breasts, it was actually a simple innocent garment. What was not innocent was the abundant unexpected curves that it clung too.

From the open curtain she murmured. “I can’t even see my car.” She turned her head back to him. “When does it stop?”

“March.”

Eyes widened, she turned fully to him. “You’re joking.”

The sky must have cleared, behind her, beyond the backdrop of the window, lazy snow flurries cried from the darkness, and moonlight struck the frame.

Subconsciously, Phoenix licked his top lip. His tongue held there for the space of two breaths before sliding back behind his teeth. “Do I seem like the type of man that would joke a lot?”

“I’ve known you for a day… not even.” She added lowly. “How do I know what kind of man you are?”

Claudia kept her eyes focused on his face. The task sounded simple, but in actuality he made it more than difficult. It appeared his agenda for the day was to make sure that each time she saw him he would have to peel off a new piece of clothing, because now he stood in front of her shirtless, wearing nothing but faded jeans that hung off sinuously lean hips. So low in fact, she was surprised she didn’t see an underwear line. Was he wearing underwear?

“Oh my God. This is just ridiculous.” She pulled from the window, her cheeks flaming before her unintended outburst and more after. There was no where for her to go. This place versus a snowy wilderness, sudden death. If she’d been another type of woman she’d just have taken advantage of the situation, jumped his gloriously sturdy bones and went home with a smile on her face. But that wasn’t her, no, she had to be awkward and shy and in total recognition that her life just didn’t roll that way.

“What’s ridiculous?”

With a thud she plopped back down on the couch like an impetuous child. Gravity forced her to do a boob check as she felt her cleavage shift uncontrollably against the tight fabric.

Glancing at his bare feet she began. “ – How hard it is for me to see without my glasses.”

She began to pointlessly fix the scattered magazines on the table in front of her. Before she knew what was going on he was holding her black frames between his index and middle fingers. He must have thought she was looking for them, she hadn’t been.

“Thanks.” She said, tightly, taking them.

Now the dilemma, if she put them on, she’d be forced to see him in digital pixel like clarity. Down to the color of his nipples…

She inhaled deeply through her nose, cursing her endlessly wondering mind.

He doesn’t have any nipples, she thought wildly, don’t think about them!

The three foot proximity the coffee table gave them was hardly enough space.

She ignored the blue jean covered silhouette of his thighs in her peripheral. Regardless of his expression, regardless, it was best if she didn’t look up at him, however rude it may have appeared.

But soon he was walking away, back up the stairs, not looking at her either.

“A-aren’t you going to turn up the heat?”

He muttered something, not stopping.

“Do you want me to do it?” She offered.

He was gone.

Chapter Four:

Cabin Fever

The longest night he’d endured finally ended with the arrival of a gray dawn. He’d spent in how in bed trying to will away an erection, that was almost painful. He’d been far too stubborn to take a cold shower. Damn that. And damn her. What right did she have hiding all that body under a bad suit? This was a situation that wasn’t wanted. To endure her until the road was cleaned was enough but this …

Phoenix’s eyes shut, then squeezed, when was the last time he’d even considered getting laid? He shook his head before burying his face in his hands. Why had fate brought this on him? Stuck in a house with a woman he wanted to fuck but couldn’t?

“What kind of shit…”

He almost wanted to growl out his frustration. He hadn’t considered it before, but now a dangerous side of him had been awakened by the sight of her. He could feel a carnal triggering, nipping at him, and it would only get stronger now, as the brown globes of her breasts were now imprinted in his memory. As well as the shadow of her waistline outlined first by fire, then moonlight.

Liking dry lips, Phoenix glanced at his closed bedroom door. A thought occurred to him. Maybe he was taking the situation too much at face value. If life had taught him anything, it was that things weren’t always the way they seemed.

2010-04-21T14:31:00.000-04:00

snippet of new work

Thanks for the congrats here's some new work from me

its unedited so forgive typos and spaces like this()
it means I am not sure what I will do with it.

Rachel Cade’s

One of A Kind

Chapter One:
Flowers and Sunlight

Paris, France

Autumn was far more majestic than anything she’d ever seen in a movie. Three hundred and sixty degrees of perfection. A gray shifting sky loomed above the bare trees, illuminated by recently lit street lights. A few sparse couples walked by, their steps slow and languid. They appeared as eager to abandon their surroundings as she did.
Vanessa Walker, alone, her first time in a foreign country must have appeared the fool, staring up at the sky wearing a gentle smile. breathing in the air of an ancient, hauntingly beautiful city, holding flowers she’d purchased for herself, an hour earlier.
Her whole life she’d wanted to come here, so many times she’d never thought she’d make it, that her dreams would be relegated to the pages of books and the scenes of a film. But there was nothing like your own experience. The wind caressing your hair, the light sound of traffic and music, the smells that wafted from the doors of numerous cafes.
It was all just right. A moment she’d worked so long for, one that was just her own.

Her cell rang.
Closing her eyes she sighed, so much for that.

Without looking she answered it. “Yes, dad.”
“V ... I need you to get back to the hotel.”
“Sure.” She quipped against gritted teeth.
“Responsibility beckons.”

In fifteen minutes, she was sliding her key card into the door of (). A glass shattering startled her, she quickened her pace down the short hall of the suite to the living room, just as she turned the corner, shouts of two people stung her ears.
Vanessa’s mouth dropped as she saw a giant of a man, in head to toe black, holding a sword against her father’s chest.
They didn’t acknowledge her, and the man was speaking in a foreign language. She barely heard him as she began to scream.
Grasping a vase, she threw it at him with all her might, praying it would give her father enough time to escape.
In a swift movement, his sword moved in a semi circle, slicing the vase horizontally, cutting the numerous flower stems as water spilled like a liquid star across the room. The crash of the glass was ear splitting.
Her father was yelling at her to run, but his cries were drowned out by her heart beat. Time froze like the ice blue glare that immobilized her.
Over a space of time unmeasured, something changed in his eyes as he stared at her. The fierceness of his features dissipated, at the same time she wondered if she would pass out from lack of air. It was then she began to sway, and like the long cape that shifted behind him, her world went black.
“God, I’m sorry.” He kept saying it, over and over again. The shifting pitch of his voice, the rapidness in which he spoke, followed by long pauses, caused her heart to quicken on awakening.
“What’s going on?” She croaked out, shifting on what she guessed was a bed. Her head hurt a hell of a lot. When she reached for her forehead, it was cut off by a cold, clammy head. Her eyes flew open, and she realized it was day light.
“You hit your head.”
“How did I do that?”
Anthony Walker’s expression was pained as he stared at his daughter. “I’m not sure. I went downstairs for some magazines after I called you, and found you up here near the table. A doctor came to see you, he said you were going to be okay.”
She grimaced, feeling confused and a bit embarrassed. “But that’s not me though. I’m not the type of person to just - pass out for no reason.”
Her father offered her no response. He just rubbed her arm, the intensity of his glare made her uneasy. Then, after a time, he said he had to leave for a meeting, but not before making her promise she wouldn’t leave the hotel.

1031 A.D.
“It didn’t go very well.”
“What happened?”
Anastas Calabria leaned back in the great chair. He crossed long, leather clad legs as his brows knitted over his eyes. “I came for her, and he refused me. I didn’t take it well.”
“At least five hundred souls now wail under brimstone for the times you haven’t taken it well.”
Anastas let his Spanish gold coin flip skillfully between his knuckles. A cheap parlor trick he learned at four that somehow continued to amuse him.
“What did you do?”
At his old friend’s accusatory tone, the coin moved faster between his knuckles, oblivious to gravity, restlessly shifting like his thoughts. “I decapitated a vase.”
“And the girl?”
“Still in Paris.”
“Why?”
“Her father, requested another day with her.”
His friend’s voice became shrewd, curious. “And you obliged? Dare I susp-”
“How many centuries have I had to endure your cynicism, Rorick?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” Anastas squinted at his fiend ignorance. Without humor Rorick asked. “Do you suspect the father will do something underhanded?”
To this Anastas laughed out loud. His teeth glinted against the haunted daylight outside. His smile was as treacherous as the wolves that often bayed at his side. The chuckle that followed was quite boyish. “And what will he do? Hide her from me?”

Vanessa stared at the panoramic view of the majestic city, the Eiffel Tower off to her left in the distance. Today, there was finally some sun after days of clouds and rain. Why should she stay in the hotel? They were only going to be in Paris for a few more days while he attended meetings. Who knew when she would get the opportunity to visit again?
Downstairs, she was about to head out of the door when she noticed the only figure that would be familiar to her in Paris, her father. He tending bar, his favorite pass time, in what looked like an intimate conversation with some random woman. Is that why he wanted her to stay in her room? His constant conclusion that she was still six years old irritated her to know end. She was twenty three years old, old enough to have gone through the pain of being abandoned by her father, and a few others to boot. She stormed out of the hotel gritting her teeth against her thoughts. She was so over it.

After running down a cab, she gave many thanks that he spoke English, so she wouldn’t have to force him to endure her sketchy seventh grade French. She asked him to to her to the Parc Floral.

Once again, the pictures did it zero justice. She shared more than a few bonjour’s with fellow tourists, but she was far more enraptured with the fact that this modern day Garden of Eden was still on Earth for people to enjoy than to get caught up in any friendly conversation. As usual, she wondered off from the crowd to be alone. She found herself on a winding isolated pathway that was lined with red, pink and purple flowers, and dense trees that blocked out most of the sunlight.
A slight grin hit her face, for a moment, with her knee length preppy dress and white Mary Jane slippers she felt like Alice in Wonderland. All that was missing was a bow in her hair. In her haste she realized it might have been a good idea if she’d completed her Sandra Dee ensemble by wearing a sweater, gently she rubbed her arms as a wind chilled by fall crept up behind her.
When she emerged from the trees an audible gasp hit her.
A pond stretched out in front of her, flanked with (), ducks rested in the embankment while a blue sky stretched farther than her imagination in front of her.
Pursing her lips, Vanessa felt her chest constrict at the beauty surrounding her. For some reason, she felt almost unworthy to be there.
Swallowing, she let the emotion subside. As much as she tried to be strong and optimistic about her life, negativity always found someway to creep up her spine, holding her immobile. She was constantly secretly waiting for the other shoe to drop.
With a deep inhale, she willed it away, just for once she wanted to live in the moment, without her heart giving way to the pain of her past, or her dread of the future.
Crying out, she tripped forward, her vision became a blur of clouds and sky before she fell back with a thump. “Ohhh.” She groaned.
“Are you alright?” She realized she was laying on top of a prepared picnic. About to spew twenty apologies she tries to gain her footing, causing a teetering champagne flute to dip forward, splashing against the underside of her thigh. Gasping at the sudden coldness, her face grew hotter.
“I’m so sorry.” She babbled, maneuvering into some kind of crap walk so his whole the whole lunch would be spared from her backside. She made it safely to the grass before scrambling to her feet.
“Gosh, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s quite all right. Are you okay?”
No.
The reaction called out from her soul. The flowers that covered her dress should have just wilted and died then. The action would have mimicked the emotion that drained from her face. Quickly she found herself averting her eyes from the jarring, deep blue irises that thoughtfully assessed her. She blue out a breath, in a split second, the entire visage of his face was tattooed in her memory. A full plush mouth was outlined by a graceful, strong jawline. His high cheekbones were flushed slightly pink by the wind and framed eyes she was afraid to look into.
He gave her the impression of a Roman Emperor, especially with his ink black hair cascading passed his shoulder in perfect waves. Suddenly the impeccable surroundings began to pale in comparison.
In the moments that followed it suddenly dawned on her that she was staring at the man’s ruined picnic setup. Still not looking at him, she apologized again.
He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I was waiting for someone, but I’m afraid she won’t be coming.”
Vanessa’s facial reaction made him chuckle.
Still sitting, he raised his hand. “I’m Anastas Calabria.”
Smiling gently, she took it. “Vanessa Walker, klutz at Large.”
He gave a mocking frown. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. I wasn’t paying much attention either.”
“Would you like to sit down?” He released her hand, and began smoothing the rumbled white table cloth, that, thanks to her was now stained with champagne.
“Do you think she’ll show?"
A gust of wind reminded her about the champagne on her thighs. The friction of the air against it made her shutter.
“I’ve been waiting for her for a while...”
“I’m sorry.”
“Do you like apologizing?”
Her eyes widened. “No. I mean - I will if I need to. I was just saying, I feel bad that she stood you up.”
How does that even happen, she wondered.
“Please sit down. I wouldn’t mind the company. I’ve been feeling like quite the jackass sitting here by myself anyway, trust me.”

Smoothing her dress she reluctantly sat. She seemed to have a hard time figuring out what she wanted to do with her hands. All that was missing from her dowdy dress was a pair of thick rimmed glasses. Her features were fairly gentle, the straight dark brown hair that stopped a little passed her ears was windblown, probably more out of place than she realized. From what he could make out she was around five seven, her figure slight, and almost abnormally delicate bone structure. His index finger and thumb could probably wrap around her wrist twice.
How someone so tiny could throw a vase at him, was quite perplexing.
Fully aware that she was stealing glances at him, he was curious to know what she thought of him, even as he continued to size her up. Her skin was a rich brown and rather flawless. The only markings on her face was a smatter of tiny moles along her left eye. They were barely noticeable. But since he was inspecting her like she was livestock, he did notice.
In a sea of women, would he have recognized her? Been drawn to her as he should, a women he’d waited for ... for centuries?
The answer was no.
He gnashed his teeth.
“What if your date does up?” She asked. Just then he saw it, a shrewdness in the depths of her eyes. Of course it was just a flash, then it was gone, hidden by lengthy day lashes.
“Well we wouldn’t want that to happen, now would we?”
She laughed shortly, resisting the urge to cover her mouth. He was glad, she had a nice mouth, her smile revealed deep hidden dimples in each cheek.
“What brings you to Paris?”
“I’m traveling with my dad.”
“Ah, a father daughter trip.” He moved to his basket, pulling out two clean champagne bottles. “That sounds nice, from America?”
She nodded. “Where are you from? I know you have an accent I just can’t-”
“Cyprus.”
“Oh.” She breathed in a approval, he wanted to laugh at her expression, but refrained.
“Have you ever been there?”
Shaking her head, the shyness crept in again. “I’ve seen pictures.”
Still eyeing her he filled both flutes without spilling a drop. “That’s not quite the same thing.”
“I realize.” She agreed nodding. “I don’t drink.”
“Everyone drinks in Paris.”
“I’m sure everyone drinks in Cyprus too, or where ever you are.” She teased, playing with the buckle on her white shoe. That was a neat trick by the way.”
“What?”
“Not spilling any of the champagne, they didn’t even overflow. How many times have you done that to get so good?”
He licked his lips. “I uh -” He grinned. “It sounds like you are trying to politely say, I may be a gigalo?”
She laughed, holding up her hands. “I’m sorry.”
“You should be, I think I would have to have several more buttons undone and twice as many gold chains to qualify for that.” Her laugh turned into a snort, which she promptly cut off with her hand.
He offered her the glass, but she still held up her hand in refusal. “Really I don’t. Besides, if I really wanted to partake I could just lick some off my thigh-”
“Now that would be a neat trick.” He sipped on one glass. “I hate to waste good champagne. Do you think the ducks would like some?”
“Getting a duck drunk? I think you could go to jail for that.”
“Not in France.” He countered.
There was a silence that followed where there amused glance at each, flipped on a dime and turned into something else.
“I was going to explore the rest of the park.” She said hastily standing.
Anastas sighed. “Well, that means I have to pack up all this stuff if I plan to join you. And then I have to - walk -”
“What’s wrong with walking?” Her damp legs caused her dress to stick, and she had to pull it away from her skin. She was more concerned with the task than looking at him, so from his vantage point, still sitting, he caught glimpse of a marvelously shaped thigh muscle.
“Nothing. But if I am playing the Euro-trash lush today, I’m supposed to hate it.”
He quickly packed, refusing her assistance both times she offered.
“There all done.” Squatting he was tempted to bow like a magician while she clapped for him.
“Well done too.”
He stood to his full height, and she stumbled back. There was awe and trepidation mixed in her expression where just a moment before there had been amusement. Pushing a wayward lock of hair behind his ear he briefly wondered if she hated what he was wearing. He had no love for modern fashion and almost had to be drugged to get into the white button down shirt and black slacks he was wearing. And the shoes? He had no idea who this Gucci man was but he needed to be bludgeoned.
He was about a foot taller than she was, it must have caught her by surprise.
“Uh - Sorry.”
Vanessa appeared to come to her senses. “What?” A nervous chuckle bubbled from her. “It’s okay. I just, you’re really tall - and b - really tall.”
He tilted his head. There was a softness to her eyes,framed in those thick lashes. “You’re embarrassing me.” He joshed.
Anastas wanted to move closer to her, but her heartbeat, it was too fast. He could almost feel her pulling away from him.

“Anastas? Anastas?” He could have cringed. His jaw snapped and he turned to see the sinewy form of Loena, sauntering up to him in all black. “Darling I’m so sorry I’m late!”
His head jerked back to Vanessa, who was already retreating. Her lips parted to say something, and she thought against it, turned and practically ran off.
Chapter Two:
“I’ll take what’s mine.”

“You bitch.” He muttered.
“Why?” Loena asked. “Because I ran her off? Was that really her?”
“Leave. You’ve done enough damage.”
“Were you - were you courting her?” The word might as well have been a disease to her.
“Since when is what I do any of your concern?” He could feel the heat behind his eyes, steam might has well have risen from his shoulders. Not only was had she made him look like a cad, but she’d also been eavesdropping, which he should have known. How could he have dropped his guard?
By the time he turned to her, she was gone.

“Where were you?”
Vanessa sighed at her father’s exasperated tone.
“I just went out.”
“After you promised me you would stay in your room?”
“What am I five?” She pushed passed him. Her heart was still pumping in her chest from running out of the cab to the elevator. Then speed walking toward the suite like the devil was on her heels.
How could she have humiliated herself like that?
“I was worried about you, you fell earlier, I just - didn’t want anything to happen to you.”
The sincerity in his voice manifested guilt she tried to ignore. “I just went to a Park. I know we’ll be leaving soon. I just wanted to see some of the sights.”

Cyprus

Anastas yanked the shirt off his back, ignoring the buttons as they skid across the floor in a thousand directions. The pants came next, tossed in any direction behind him, completely forgotten.
“I take it things didn’t go well? Were you forced to amputate a couch this time?”
“Shut up.” He gritted. He fell back against his bed. The cool breeze rushed in from the ocean, he shut his eyes against the feeling of it against his skin.
A water filled scrying bowl, gently shook with the laughter of Rowan, his mentor, in midevial England, one hundred centuries earlier.
After embarrassment faded, Anastas slowly filled him in on what had passed between them, which abruptly ended with the very unwanted appearance of Loena. If Vanessa had given him a chance, he would have explained that the haughty brunette was in fact his cousin. Who was he kidding, she probably would have run faster.
“I just don’t see how I am going to do this.” He admitted.
“This whole experience will go a lot easier for both of you if she actually likes you before you tell her. If she actually knows you at all. No modern woman wants to be tossed over some strange man’s shoulder and get whisked off into another time.”
Anastas cut his eyes at the bowl. “You’d be surprised, have you read some of the romance novels they write?”
“Romance novel?”
He nodded. “Yes. I’ve been reading them and watching, these romantic comedies, which art quite repeatetive by the way, and in them, men often do just that. And the novels are written by women for women, so how do you plan to refute that?” He added dryly.
Rowan uncharacteristically sucked his teeth. “Fantasy and reality are seldom the same thing. Have I taught you nothing?”
Anastas raised himself up on his elbows. “Besides the fact that she probably assumes I’m some eurotrash playboy, she’s also leaving soon. I can’t continuously show up where she is, she will become suspicious.”
“She should have been suspicious after you showed up out of thin air in the middle of a public park, or when you almost killed her father with that barbaric piece of steel you insist on carrying. You’re not playing fair, Anastas. You are holding all the cards and she has none.”
He thought on it for a moment. As usual, the bastard was right. Nose flaring he countered with, “Well, I’m the older one.”
“Let’s just pretend you didn’t say that.”
“Can’t I just take her, and be done with it?”
“Fine, you will do as you wish. But I’m warning you, you’ll be taking the easy way out.”
“I could tell her that we belong together, that she’s my sacred mate or something.”
Rowan sighed. “Do you feel like she’s your - sacred mate?”
He stared out beyond the stained glass doors, past his property to the mediteranean horizon, the irredescent blue sky flanked by the aqua blue ocean. Inhaling deeply he answered.
“No.”

Her father wanted to talk to her. Of course he did. Just like the trip was supposed to be about them spending time together. Instead, it was her sight seeing by herself, while he went to meeting and conoodled with strange women. She shouldn’t have felt slighted by it, yet she did. It would have been wonderful if she had more control over her emotions. If she could see a situation wasn’t right for her, that someone’s affections would never be forthcoming; if she could just turn off her feelings and move on. It was all she wanted. Yet, she could never do it.
Staring at her reflection in the mirror, subconciously she’d decided her exterior would match her mood, and had chosen to where heavy eyeliner, giving her eyes a cattier appeal. Red lipstick had been applied, but she wiped it off, deciding it was too bright. Her dark relaxed hair was just barely curled, brushed back haphazardly with her fingers.
Leather jacket, worn jeans and a white t shirt completed her ensemble. It was a step up over the flower dress from the previous day. “Right.”

There wasn’t anything wrong with feeling different from day to day. after all wasn’t it a woman’s perogative to change her mind? Especially if one wanted to keep from getting bored. Unlike in America though, wandering the streets of Paris with it’s intricate Gothic architectecture and old world charm, she just didn’t feel lonely.
She’d turned her cell on silent, not caring if her father alerted the U.S. embassy and had set about going where her feet could take her. By noon she found herself exhilerated, as she sat under the shaded over hang of the Le Balto cafe on Rue de Buci in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Most of the customers appeared to be businesssman, and they were as content to sit behind their wall of today’s paper as she was to delight in the many options of their menu.
Mercifully, the menu was in English and French, so her shoddy use of the language would have to wait for another moment to come into play.
While she waited for her waitress, her eyes drifted down the winding streets that seperated into more streets, she could probably live two lifetimes in Paris and never see everything there was to see.
A waitress passed her, with a delectable plate filled with fruit and crepes. Her mouth instantly salivated at the serving. Stopping at the table directly across from her, the man lowered his paper.
Haunted blue gaze evaperated her hunger. Jaw unhinged, she came to the full realization that it was Anastas, the two date picnic jerk from the day before.
He appeared surprised to see her, and oblivious to the flirting waitress who took a few moments to follow his gaze. When she did, her mouth flattened, and she quickly retreated back inside the cafe.
His waving ink black hair was pulled back in a French braid, he was wearing a gray fitted t shirt over a blue blazer that sat on wide heavy shoulders. He hadn’t shaved that morning, she noticed the faint darkening of his jawline because she was paying way too much attention to his face.
God his eyes were amazing, the muted color of his jacket paled ten times in comparison. The thick arched eyebrows that rested above them were natural, but nonetheless gave him the air of a villain.
But he wasn’t a villain, he was a nice guy, from what she could acertain from the ten minutes they’d met before. And almost rolled her eyes at the thought.
“I see we meet again.” He said finally, to her relief that she wouldn’t be the one to break the silence.
“In a city this big, it must be fate.” What was she saying?
To the detriment of her nerves he stood with his plate, and moved to join her. He was wearing white jeans, apparently low rise, and the silver buckle of his belt rested right below a t shirt that fit like a second skin.
Vanessa’s nervous giggle, and awkward smile didn’t do much to shield the fact that she thought she would leap out of her own skin at the thought of sharing the tiny table with him.
“I need to apologize to you about yesterday.” He said quietly.
She didn’t hide her surprise. “As I recall, I’m the one that ruined your setup-”
“I mean about the interruption.”
“You mean you’re date.” She warned.
Anastas’ tongue his the roof of his mouth and she cut him off as he tried to continue. “You don’t have to apologize. We don’t even know each other.”
Not even a complimentary water, damn, she cursed as her eyes clawed the surface of the table. She pushed her hands under the table.
“It made you uncomfortable. I’m sorry for that.” Anastas was leaning forward, his eyes like arctic glaciers on her, the world fell silent and all she knew was the intensity of his gaze.
“Don’t mention it.” She tried to laugh it off. “For the record American girls are suspicious of intense sincerity.”
Anastas nodded as if enthralled by a new revelation. “I’ll have to keep that in mind. Would you like some?”
“What?” Caught off guard by his quick shift in topic, her heartbeat steadied as she realized he was referring to his brunch.
“I see you haven’t ordered yet.”
“I doubt the waitress is coming back.”
“Why not, it’s her job.”
“I think you wounded her heart by not offering her enough attention.”
Anastas appeared authentically unawares. Figured, it was always the pretty ones. Well, the phrase pretty, didn’t quite do him justice. Vanessa clenched her jaw to any other embarrassing adjectives on her mind that might describe him. She’d already practically catalogued his body parts in her head.
“There’s always next time.” She offered quietly.
He pushed the plate toward her. “I’m sure she’ll get over me.” He countered dryly.
A fork materialized in his hand, he offered it to her across the table. The smell of pastry and fresh fruit was cramping her gut, so reluctantly she took it, careful not to touch him.
While she ate his brunch and agreed at the appropriate times while he spoke, she couldn’t help but think how awkward it was, how she felt about him. She couldn’t help but think that after the food was gone, they would say their polite goodbyes and he would leave. How much more boring could that possibly be?
“Have you been to Notre Dame?”
“No.”
“Would you like to go with me?”

2010-04-17T12:36:00.000-04:00

Yeah I know, here we are again, I don't why so much spam is on my comments section
BOOO to that.
What has been going on. Well, I ended up getting accepted to Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. So in August I'm moving to NYC --
soo excited. I really need to go on a serious diet
I can't go to a city with a high concentraion of hot male models and not look my best.
On so many levels I have just been taking total stock of my life again. Turning 30 and all is a trip. I had this awful nightmare last night about this guy I used to be mad for who turned out to be a jerk, and probably gay, not that I'm saying anything about the gay part, just saying... I just have this horrible habit of not letting go...
That also brings me to the craptastic review a fan left for me on Foreign Exchange on Amazon.com
It's an old story story, I can take it. By monday I will have an update with a new story.

2010-01-04T13:58:00.007-05:00

Rachel Cade Coming Soon 2010

As soon as I get my older work off my old hard drive I will post my word progress on
Once Is Never Enough(currently 60,000+ words) and Someone To watch Over me(currently 85,000 words)

Here are Some Samples of what I plan to have finished and with some type of publishing date by Spring

Foreign Exchange 2 (blurb coming soon)
Someone To Watch Over Me

I am also working on a novella called Full of Grace,
its going to be a cool snowy cabin romance
I hadn't really thought of it til now but I might make the heroine full figured,
I don't know if it will be in the Beyond Fantasy Series, feedback is adored

at this point here are my muses for the characters
Hero: Phoenix Dawson

simply couldn't resist
heroine Claudia Johnson

2009-12-27T14:43:00.002-05:00

Happy after Christmas, inkeeping up with the theme of my writing "career"
I offer everyone well wishes after the fact.

A Fan and A Writer

I guess I consider my unintentional writing sabbatical over, but now all my work is locked away on the hard drive of my old computer. I am remarkable I know.
I think in the New Year I will shut down my old official 'free' website. And once I retrieve my old work I will stick up something to let you guys know exactly where I am with my stalled novels.

I do love to write. And it's definitly something I take seriously. Maybe even too seriously. Sometimes I look at the computer and just get freaked out and overwhelmed, sometimes just thinking of writing makes me want to bury my face in under my pillows. Something you can tell from the years of lateness with these novels, that I have done often.

Plotting novels is a bitch, especially if you don't do standard run of the mill storylines, especially if you put pressure on yourself not to keep it simple. So many times I have just yelled at myself and just said, goodness, just let 'this' 'this' and 'this' happen wrap it up in 50 pages and see if you can send it to someone... And then I think about all the disappointing romance novels I've read over my lifetime [a hell of a lot, including one today] and it terrifies me to
think of writing a shitty story, or one that starts off good and fizzles in the end.

2009-10-13T13:10:00.002-04:00

So, I finally got off my tush and started writing again. I get immensely lazy, like that's a newsflash.
I am going to stick up some kind of progress meter to let you all know what's up with Someone to Watch Over Me, Once Is Never Enough and Foreign Exchange 2.
I am also going to rewrite Tequila Sunrise, and give it a vampire twist, it's also going to have a different name too.

2009-09-21T12:49:00.002-04:00

Hey

Yo I am bad, I can and will be late to my own funeral

How bad am I? I had to have a fan(the lovely Sophie)
email me to let me know foreign exchange was number 1 on red rose

me sooo happy. What a difference a month makes

last month I didnt think the book was coming out at all.

It is so nice to get published again.
Thanks to all of you and your tireless support of these stories:)

I'll be back with an update soon

2009-08-13T08:03:00.002-04:00

Good gracious, how time flies.
Ugh, hate to break it like this but I don't know what's
going on with Red Rose, and it's up for debate whether
Foreign Exchange will come out there ever.
Sucks, but, what can I do I'm not a publisher.

2009-07-09T11:53:00.002-04:00

It's me Again

Hey!!
I always find myself shocked at how long it takes me to update my blog.
Like just about everything in my life it gets out of my hands and I just let things waddle.
Through no fault directly of my own Foreign Exchange is taking forever to come out
anyway, long piss me off story short, I am doing edits for the story as I write this (impossible you say?) any whoo, epublishing has been a strange experience for me, gratifying mostly, thanks to all of you supporting my work, but sometimes I just don't know about it.
I can't decide if I want to postpone the edits and write Simon's POV into the story, but then I'm worried it will get carried away
and the next thing I know I will be into a novel (Again)
If you pass by drop me a line and let me know what you think

and I haven't forgotten about Breakdown, I'm thinking I may re write it
I know, I'm so fickle ...

2009-04-28T10:53:00.011-04:00

I'm in school right now, not studying like I should despite the fact that I only have like a week left to go so here I am looking at photos of men, and some were so nice I decided to share

let me know if you see any you like

2009-04-28T08:48:00.003-04:00

Foreign Exchange Cover Art

2009-04-19T16:11:00.003-04:00

Back for More, 3

Hi all,
finals time at school
and here's the thing,
all I've been doing is writing!
I owe so much homework it's ridiculous
I came to the blog a few times over the past couple of weeks with intentions on updating that turned to mush, because here and there my attention spans turns to that of a three year old with priorities.
What have I been writing? Someone to Watch Over Me, which I managed to somehow come out of my funk with. But here's the kicker, the other day I got about ten pages done, which i haven't been able to do in ages, but thanks to my common sense bailing on me, I didn't save it in microsoft word and lost everything!!! not the whole book, but my ten hard earned pages, fortunately even though I cant recapture every word, I remember the gist of the scenes and managed to get back to where I was before.

To Linda who hopefully visits the blog, I am trying viciously to finish my historical novel and then I will be working on the MUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHH
delayed hiatused everything else what have you onslaught my my crap' that has been delaying the re release of Once is Never Enough.
You guys are a bunch of ride or diers for that book and I hope to get it done for you soon, I Hope its every thing you hope for.
Okay, not to mention I managed some work on Breakdown, maybe I am breaking a writers rule or something, but since I am currently not published I consider myself an aspiring rider, but I wasn't sure I liked that story, but after I stepped away and looked at it, its kind of adorable. Jack is more of a nicer hero than I usually do, but he's just hot. I should have part 2 up by friday.
Here's an excerpt from The Sheik's Bed,
enjoy - and again, your support, from the bottom of my heart,
Thanks:)

Sheik’s Bed
By Rachel Cade

Chapter 1

The Sahara, 1987

He was her father’s friend, surely that would allow her some leverage. Karen Wexler wrung her rope tied hands behind her back, weariness stinging her shoulders. Sweat and dirt made her clothes; a brown button down safari top and shorts, cling to her body like an unwanted second skin.

Not long before she had been on a jeep with four of her colleagues from Travel magazine snapping photographs for the next month’s issue. The next they knew they were being ambushed by twenty armed men, and yanked from the vehicle like cattle and ushered into separate tents.

That had been what could have been hours ago, she was wearing a watch, but due to the current arrangement of her hands it was pretty useless.
Screaming could have been an option, but in this part of the world, keeping ones mouth shut was the best option. Though her legs weren’t tied, the armed guard standing not too far away from her was probably well versed in the use of his AK-47.

She had no desire to test him.

Would she even be allowed to plead her case? Since this turn of events hadn’t occurred to her, she had no idea what to expect. It had been a bad idea to let her friends talk her into flying over this part of the world, her father had been an Ambassador to() ten years ago, but that hadn’t given her any clout here. With a margarita and a couple of beers her conscience had proved pretty useless and she agreed to go. Now look.

The rustling of fabric from behind her signaled someone else had entered the tent with them. When the man next to her moved it took resolve from the center of her soles not to scream and beg for her life. At four feet, his gun was far too close for her (not to mention her bladder’s) liking.

He spoke to the other man in Arabic, she vaguely recognized the word yes; and continued straining pointlessly to hear their rapid exchange.

Karen squeezed her eyes tightly together, vowing she would never drink again, if she were ever given the opportunity. The colorful rug beneath her shifted, then several times, to the thump of her heartbeat as someone closed in on her.

Head bowed from fright more than custom, a pair of shining brown boots lay in front of her. Licking dry lips, she refused to let her eyes move up from them.

“American.” Her stomach sank, he was not pleased, and she wasn’t sure if he’d made a statement or asked a question. What would be the punishment if her guess was wrong?

“Constantly testing your boundaries.” Each word was spoken in a clipped way, Karen knew the man must have been seething.

She couldn’t seem to catch her breath, despite the fact that the tent was surprisingly cool compared to the over 100 degree temperatures that sweltered over the sands outside, she was stifling, her tongue devoid of water. Her breath and thoughts, both erratic, and she was helpless to control either one of them.

This was the first time in her life that she was completely out of control.

Her camera dropped to the ground, hitting her exposed knee right against the bone, making her flinch, the exposed negatives of her film came next, hitting the other knee.

For a moment, she felt her lips tremble as two months of work was destroyed right in front of her very eyes. Karen bit down on her sharp tongue, to the point tears brimmed on her eyes.

“You’re a reporter?”

“Yes.” She answered reluctantly.

“And how’s that been working out for you?”

Karen looked up, her scowl could have deflated the tent. Her eyes made contact with the dark, glittering irises of Sheik Tamir Rahman. He was her father’s friend, it became a mantra over and over in her eyes. The last time she’d seen him she’d been on a landing strip, a girl of nine holding her father’s hand as a then almost twenty five year old Tamir had pecked her on her cheek and walked out of her life to get married.

And she’d cried so hard when his back came into view, he was her friend. He’d been her only friend then.

That had been ten years ago, and she’d all but forgotten about it until she’d been in a small hole in the wall bar in Morocco getting drunk, having a good time when someone mentioned his name. Like a damn fool, she’d said they’d been friends.
He stood over her, live in the here and now, no longer a memory, time had barely touched him, though he’d cut the long waist length hair she used to yank on like a rope before charging off into a dead run, and he always caught her. It now rested, in feathered layers falling back to the nape of his neck. Instead of a clean face he carried a neatly trimmed beard that accentuated a sharp jaw line.

“Uh, my God.” She mumbled, unintentionally, casting her head down.

Her thoughts might as well have mimicked his own. Tamir could have leapt to the top of the tent when the deep brown face tilted up at him. Karen, he would have known her face anywhere. She obviously knew who he was, thus her reaction. Placing his hands on his hips he used the seconds to regain his composure.

“You took my camera.” She stated quietly. “That was all I had, can I please go?”

“No.”

“Why?” Karen asked, staring at him with the same intuitive dark brown eyes that constantly read him all those years ago. “I don’t have anything else you want.”

She was afraid, the thought made him frown. Their past didn’t matter, the times had changed, she was a foreigner that had been trespassing on his lands, nothing more.

Moving behind her, he gave her a start when he cut the ties from her wrist. “I trust you know how pointless it is to try to run.”

Tamir didn’t look at her as he spoke, scrambling away from him she massaged her lightly bruised wrists. Holding his head low he escaped the tent; only outside could he manage to take in an easy breath.

He stayed out of her way for a while, in a separate tent he had his men bring her things to him. He now had her entire life splayed out in front of him, aside from the broken camera and useless film he’d left with her, all she had was an empty canteen her passport and several magazines in her bag.

When she barely passed his waist she had insisted on being called Kari, and she’d always been more boy than girl, never content unless she was dirty and fighting with all the males. It had been acceptable then to him because she was just a kid, but now… he sighed as he stared at her smiling passport picture.

She was going to have to be made to understand that she couldn’t do anything she wanted. A lesson her father should have damn well taught her a long time ago. It would have been easy for Tamir to have one of his men contact Bruce Wexler, now retired and living in Los Angeles. But Tamir didn’t. Instead he had Nidal make a bath, and then he had Karen Wexler fetched and brought to him.

Nidal had no love for Americans and his regard for women was questionable, one look from Tamir as he brought Karen into the room made him promptly take the woman off his shoulder and place her in the center of the room. She stumbled slightly, her hair looked tousled, and she appeared to be repressing what he guessed would have been a barrage of curses.

It was then that Tamir came to realize the true change in her, gone were the short stubbly legs and arms that were constantly grabbing what they wanted, in their place were long well toned athletic limbs, she obviously still had plenty of spirit about her.

“Leave us, Nidal.” The younger man nodded, briefly glancing at Karen and Tamir almost rolled his eyes at the gossip that was surely spreading through the camp. It didn’t matter, his authority would never be questioned.

“Is it all right for me to speak?” Her voice was low, barely constrained sarcasm and anger spiced her words.

Shrugging he answered. “I suppose.”

“Can I see my friends? I just want to know-”

“No harm has come to them.”

“Am I supposed to take your word for that?”

“What else are you going to take?” He challenged.

Karen just wanted the earth to swallow her up. Of all the places she could have been. And all the people she could have been with. Had he even recognized her, she doubted he would have cared if he had. He was arrogant beyond words. And he was probably used to his women being covered from head to toe, following his every move on their knees, with there heads bowed behind him. Oh, she was probably exaggerating, which she had a tendency to do. But she was sure not by much in this case.

God, why hadn’t he aged badly? Why hadn’t gotten overweight and lost most of his hair, a wheeze when he talked wouldn’t have hurt either. Instead he had to be even more devastatingly gorgeous than the man she remembered. Despite the situation and her uncertainty of the outcome, standing there under his gaze reminded her of the carefree girl she was, and the playful wonderful man he used to be.

He’d been sweet enough to blush when she dared kiss him full on the lips at nine. To think of it now made her want to bury her head in the sand, Lord knew there was plenty of it around. She’d snuck into her father’s study and drank two glasses of sherry the night before he was set to leave.

How he could have put up with that, she didn’t know. What a silly little girl she’d been.

“Why would you stare at me so long?” He asked quietly.

It irritated her not knowing if he remembered her, but if she cut the bull and just asked him, how would she put it? Oh Sheik Rahman, you must remember me, the girl you convinced to put a frog in her mouth-

“Are you annoyed by me?” He asked, leaning forward, lacing long bronzed fingers together, waiting. “You rolled your eyes just now.”

“No.”

“Good.” He said standing. “That benefits you, since I am to be your only company tonight.”

The white pants he wore snuggled up against his thighs like a cozy second skin, and Karen could have been a nun and still noticed and reacted to the huge bulge that rested between them. The sleeves on his soft olive shirt revealed well muscled forearms that carried fine soft dark hair. Ordering herself to stop staring was pointless; she’d always been aware of Tamir’s beauty, but this was the first time she could look and desire it with a woman’s eyes.

God girl, what are you doing? You’re lucky if you get out of here with your hands, hell your life. Stop ogling him, he’s married. And then her stomach clenched hard.
Damn, that’s right. Maybe his wife was even at the camp.

“You can bathe and change your clothes. I will be back later and we will dine together.”

“Dine?” She asked dumbly, not paying attention to the tub he revealed behind a screen as she stared him down even more openly than she had previously. His hair reminded her of a raven, the way some of it whisked out from the nape of his neck.

Muscles were pronounced even through the loose linen shirt he wore, daylight outlining the v shaped torso beneath.

He turned back to her, and squinted briefly before repeating himself. “Yes dine. Or what is it you Americans say? Eat? Very well then, I will eat with you.”

So he left her to her vices. But on Tamir Rahman, once his expression was far from her eyes, passed the tiniest of grins against his lips.

Chapter 2

Once left alone, Karen was able to breath without feeling like her lungs were being crushed. Damn, she wasn’t a little girl anymore, she had to get control over herself, and her libido. Counting down from ten with her eyes closed was the best technique she could think of, outside of being in Tibet.

Semi relaxed, the sweet smell of the bath reminded her of the sweat and grime that coated her clothes and body. And without Tamir’s presence dominating the room, she was able to appreciate its beauty, it was a palace room erected in the middle of the desert. Dark intricate Persian rugs covered the floor and behind his small collapsible desk lay what she guessed was a bed.

His bed.

Sidestepping to the right she glanced back at the closed tent flap, then back to the bed. Soft silken pillows, some embroidered in gold designs, some not were laid in a circle in fuchsia, gold, burgundy and green. The room looked better than most of the hotels she’d stayed in the past six months. And the gentle sway of the white cloth that was her barrier to the harsh conditions outside brought an ethereal quality to the room.

Karen debated whether or not to take the bath. As inviting as it looked, caution warned her it might not be wise to indulge in any hospitality from him. She had no idea what was going on with her friends. Had they been offered baths? Were they even still alive. Exhaling, she banished the thought. Tamir would never be so barbaric, even if he had been, they would have been shot on site and never brought to the camp.

She was forced to except his word that they were ok.

After more internal argument and a frustrated grunt, hygiene one out and she quickly stripped out of her clothes and got into the tub. The water sank into her skin like heated lotion, he’d even had a sponge and soap laid out for her, but she didn’t touch either of them. The rigidity in her back was made worse by her position in the small tub, her thighs pulled in tightly to her stomach, realizing she was completely naked in the middle of no where in a dire situation.

And it wasn’t the possibility of her life ending, no, it was the idea of being attracted to a man who hadn’t the remotest of feelings toward her. She wasn’t even a memory…

Weariness forced her to relax, if she didn’t her spine would have cracked. Resting back against the tub she let the sweet perfumed water infuse itself into her senses, and closing her eyes had the audacity to forget where she was, and dreamed …
Tamir was standing over her, clad informally in a black suit shirt with no tie. His hair was slightly disheveled, windblown by the cooler temperature that came with sunset.
Behind his wide shoulders the tent silhouetted him with orange flame, illuminating his copper skin.
Karen’s whispered sigh lengthened as she stared into astute curious eyes that refused to waver from hers. They appeared deeper now, than they had before, time had not changed him much physically, but perhaps they had emotionally. And she found herself wondering what he’d experienced since she’d been out of his life?
It was the fractiona shift in his gaze that evaporated that thought, and for the next aching breaths raven’s iris’s s intently measured her form; the only thing stopping him from having full view of her body with the heavy soap bubbles wading along the surface of the water. Beneath it, Karen shifted her leg, her body completely not used to a man attempted to devour her by sight. Relaxed posture, with his hands in his pockets Tamir made no move taking in her newly exposed knee as suds cascaded down her shiny skin.

“Enjoying your bath?”

Karen almost drowned from her gasp. Shifting erratically in the tub, splashing water over the sides as she realized this was no dream she’d been having.

Though her breasts hadn’t been exposed, she covered them anyway. “What the hell!” Her voice trembled as she spoke. Tamir was leaning down to wipe stray bubbles off the front of his slacks. “Why are you here – in here?” She demanded.

As he straightened, she clenched her hands against her shoulders. The throbbing in the center of her legs almost made her whimper out loud.

“I told you we would be dining together. I had no idea you had fallen asleep.”
Karen pushed her leg back down away from his view. Married man, she reminded herself.

“It appears you have a dilemma.”

“What?” He couldn’t have possibly been reading her thoughts.

“You need to come out of the bath, but you don’t have anything to wear.”

Reaching down he picked up her top and shorts, glancing at her when she made a sound of protest. “Those are my clothes,” she snapped, reaching. “Give them to me.”

“Um, no.”

**

Her throat rumbled, and it appeared she might be willing to fight him for them. Hands clenching either side of the tub she moved to stand. Despite himself, Tamir froze in mid gesture, the suds slipping from her body coincided with his burgeoning erection.

Anticipation receded however, when she thought better of it, and immersed back into the water. He let his teeth clamp shut, hoping his expression wasn’t too revealing as he continued to push her clothes into the bag with a tad more force than necessary.

How foolish could he have been, having a bath made for her? He’d done it as a gesture of kindness, now he realized he should have let her stay in what she had on. Clad in nothing but bubbles and a thin gold necklace, she was new yet familiar. The childhood spirit was still there, but the pulsing undercurrent of feminine sexuality pressed to be recognized.

He hadn’t expected to come back and find her still in the tub, as much as he knew he should have backed away, he didn’t. And just being around her was becoming more dangerous by the second. It was obvious to him, for reasons he couldn’t fathom, that she was unaware of her beauty. The feminine firm contours of her shoulders had the regal elegance of a queen and the flashed swell of her breasts over shifting water forced him to avert his eyes from her more than once.

This was Kari, short, annoying little brat, Kari Wexler.
It couldn’t sober him.

The tight onyx coils that made up her hair glistened and dripped occasionally from water. Had she dunked her entire head in?

He thrust a white towel at her.

Forearm covering her breasts she leaned forward to reach for it. Tamir granted her no leeway by stepping forward, and when their fingertips touched, he felt her tremor before snatching the towel quickly.

Nostrils flaring, he quickly moved behind the screen, closing his eyes as he caught his breath.

So he found himself entering new territory, the feel of her warm wet skin as it touched him sent fire licking over his entire body. It was startling to say the least, exhilarating to say the worst.

The sound of water splashing drew his attention, backing away from the screen he was greeted with the shadowed silhouette of her drying off. First her arms, then her shoulders before making her way down to the gentle swell of her hips.
Tamir stalked to the medium sized chest opposite of him, and yanked out a white robe. To make sure he didn’t touch her again he tossed it over the screen.

“Thanks.” She murmured, snatching it off.

When Karen emerged back into view she wore the robe, having to wrap the sash around her twice before tying it.

“We’re eating on the floor?” She asked, looking at the spread Nidal put out.

“Yes? Is that going to be a problem?”

She shook her head. About to sit she stopped. “Are you going to sit?” She asked.

“Yes, I was attempting to be a gentleman.”

“A gentleman would have given me my clothes.” She murmured.

“I’ll have them washed and returned to you. Now please sit, we need to talk,
Kari.”

Her fingers flexed as she plopped down hard in front of the table, her expression was grim as she grabbed a large chunk of beef and stuffed it into her mouth. “It’s Karen.”

Tamir’s tongue hit the roof of his mouth as he followed suit and sat on a pillow across from her. “I stand corrected, Karen.”

Mild amusement gave way to heated frustration once he got comfortable and realized her mahogany skin tone filtered through his thin robe. He cursed and focused on her eyes, they hadn’t changed much in ten years, and judging from her reaction to hearing her name, she was still a total brat.

“Did you call my father?” Not offering him an upwards glance she continued devouring beef, but he suspected she was far more interested than she was letting on.

“No, but I suspect he’s used to getting calls about his wayward daughter.”

Karen rolled her eyes, pulling her knees up to her chest. “That’s not true.”

“And you didn’t have to destroy my camera Tamir. You know damn well there wasn’t anything on there that would – hurt you or incriminate you or whatever.”

“For your information I did not know who you were until after your camera was destroyed.”

“And that’s supposed to make it better?”

“No, it was merely said to provide you with an explanation; as if I owed you one.”

Karen sucked her teeth, shifting quickly on the pillow she sat up and began eating again, he thought she would bite off one of her own fingers in her haste.

“You think I participate in illegal activities?”

“I don’t care what you participate in.” She snapped, her mouth full. Glancing sharply at him she added, “I just want my friends to be okay.”

“They are fine, as I said before. In fact they were escorted off the camp and back to their hotel hours ago.”

Karen’s chewing slowed and then came to a complete stop. “What?”

“I said-”

“Are you telling me you let them go hours ago? Why wasn’t I allowed to leave too?”
Tamir leaned forward. “Because I was not ready to let you go.”

Chapter Three

Karen ignored the tremor that shook her spine. The direct stare and deeply accented voice of Sheik Tamir Rahman would test a much stronger woman’s resolve. Was she that strong? Usually when she saw a challenge she went after it, to conquer it and any fears or doubts she may have had in the process. But this was different, usually her goals had to do with advancing her career, not advancing on a man.

“The entire world doesn’t revolve around your whims, Tamir.” Remaining cool was her top priority.

His aloof shrug made her temporarily bite her tongue against comments she couldn’t anticipate his reaction to.

“Do you think my dad will be happy about this?”

“What a question.” He murmured.

Grimacing, she spat. “I can’t believe I crossed the Atlantic just to get railroaded by another man that wants to tell me what to do. And you think it’s funny. I’m sure your wife will be equally amused.”

For the first time since sitting Tamir decided to partake in the food. Picking up a healthy strawberry he held it to his lips and studied it briefly before biting down on it, almost to the stem. Karen’s mouth involuntarily followed suit, gaping as his teeth sank into the firm surface of the fruit.

“My wife?” He stated, chewing.

“Yes.” She hissed, wondering how the woman could be an afterthought and hating how her thighs tingled at the sight of his angled jaw working.

“And who would that be?” He asked.

He was perusing the table for his next sample, and for the first time Karen notice his hands held no rings. Tampering her breath she reminded herself that didn’t mean anything.

“The one you left m – Morocco to marry.” Her heart quickened from the almost slip.

“Oh yes – Ina.” He said after a moment, as if he had to search his memory for the incident. “I never married her. I never married anyone actually.”

Karen was lucky for two reasons; Tamir was kind enough not to look at her as he said this; more preoccupied with the strawberries than her reaction, and fate was fortunate enough to stop her vocal cords for working for a full five seconds.

“Why?” Karen almost let her head fall back with that one; the first question that hit her mind, instantly spilled out her mouth.

Tiny laugh lines pressed the corner of his eyes. “Sometimes things happen, sometimes they do not.”

“Yes, but there’s always a reason.”

“Indeed.”

Karen doubted he was as interested in the meal as he appeared to be, but she was starved, and made sure she had her fill before stopping.

“So what was yours?” She ventured to ask. At least fifteen minutes had passed since her first blurted inquiry, but Tamir as she suspected didn’t miss a beat.

“I see you haven’t outgrown your curiosity.”

His eye movements were so subtle, if you weren’t truly watching him you would never know the many nuances they made. But, unfortunately Tamir commanded all of her attention when he was in her presence, even if she pretended he didn’t.
Karen folded back the sleeves on his robe, she’d done it twice and they were still too long. The gesture reminded her in a heated rush it was his robe, the same way it fluttered against her skin was the way it did his. Did he adore its lightness when he wore it, looking every bit the sheik that he was?

“You’ll say anything not to answer me.”

“On the contrary, she married someone else.” Karen studied him but he gave no sign that it bothered him. And she wasn’t sure what to make of it. “It was such a long time ago. I’m surprised you remembered. You were just a little girl back then – spoiled.” He added dryly.

Karen dipped her finger into a decadent chocolate. “It’s better to be a spoiled little girl than a spoiled grown man. Do you do anything out here without a manservant at your beck and call?”

Through half veiled eyes pristine teeth flashed between his lips. “You should mind that tongue of yours, Kari.”

“Or what?” She asked leaning forward, the idea of breaking his cool demeanor intrigued her far too much to let it pass.

She almost forgot her finger was full of chocolate until a gooey gob threatened to hit him robe, holding her hand under it she leaned back, sucking the sweet confection from her finger. “Mmm.”

“Do you always eat like this?” Rich dark brows had gathered over his eyes when she straightened.

Shrugging she answered. “I hang around a lot of guys.”

Tamir said nothing, he reached forward for his glass of Bourbon, tossed it back, hissing at its strong contents before standing. “I am going for a ride.”
Widening eyes following him as she cried, “Where? I wanna go!”

“Not by car, imp, by horse.”
Expression deflating she said. “Oh.” After a second she looked by up at him, imp had been his pet name for her. “D - don’t call me that, Tamir.”

“Or what?” He mocked, walking around the table.

When she realized he was intent to leave, she cursed, scrambling to get up among the folds of robe and uneven surface of the pillows.

She felt like an imp in the robe, it was far too big and too wide for her, but truly, if she had to choose between its soft confines and her tight smelly clothes it would win hands down.

He stood at the open flap, broad back to her, and the cool breeze that wafted in through opening made her feel almost as serene as the bath.

Turning his head slightly he spoke. “You would like to go for a ride with me?”

“Depends, can I get my own horse, or do I have to ride with you?”

Tamir’s sigh stretched his back. “You could not give a simple yes or no.”

“Are you getting your own horse, or is someone going to fetch it for you?”

Nostrils flared in his side profile, and somehow Karen refrained from laughing when he stalked off, leaving deep imprints in the sand with his feet.

Several minutes passed, Karen didn’t venture too far from the tent, anxious to see any of Tamir’s men and what they would have thought upon seeing her in his robe after they’d spent so much time alone together. But she saw no one, it made her wonder if He’d ordered them to stay away from the tent?

He returned, walking a stunning gray Arabian horse that made Karen’s breath catch. “God.”

He stopped in front of her with the animal, stroking its main. “Oh,” she cooed, what’s his name?”

“He has no name. I just acquired him yesterday from a Bedouin tribesmen.”

“Do I want to know what you paid?”

He shook his head quickly.

“As you can see, there is only one, so yes you will be riding with me. “ Karen shoulders slumped as he continued. “Consider it punishment for your snappy tongue.”

“I do.” She grimaced.

Tamir gracefully mounted the gentle horse first, and offered his hand to her to help her up. Karen stepped forward and accepted his grip, ignoring the conscience that was saying what a bad idea this whole thing was. With one foot in the stirrup he tugged on her and she was sidesaddle, on the horse in front of him.
The combination of height adjustment and being shoulder to hard chest with him made her clamp her mouth shut. Legs dangling off the side she tried to adjust herself on the animal’s bare back. The process caused her to lean into him three times, smelling what could have been faint cologne or his natural scent. Regardless the cool breezes soon turned to flames in her lungs.

“I – don’t think this is going to work.”

“Why not?” The sound of his voice vibrated against her shoulders, the awareness of the large solid texture of his frame forced her knees together.

“This isn’t comfortable to me. I’m sorry. If you start to move, I’m going to fall.”
That statement carried two meanings.

“I would not let you fall Karen.” He tried to offer assurance to her by grabbing her hips, a process that pulled her closer to him, a process that did not assure her. “You need to open your legs.”

Karen was sure she hadn’t heard him correctly. Tamir’s arm was wrapped around her back, his hand rested on her thigh. “To ride astride, you will gain balance and not be afraid.”

He was right, she’d ridden horses before and should have known that. All thoughts had evaporated when her body pressed against his.

Closing her eyes briefly, Karen turned on the horse, her shoulder’s pushed back against his chest. White () fell back exposing her mahogany leg all the way down to her thighs, quickly she dropped it down over the other side, allowing the fabric to fall back into place. Sitting up she swallowed, glad he couldn’t see the lost dear expression her features rendered.

Her back tingled where she touched him, like an electric current, slowly winding its way through her blood.

Outstretched before her was the barren sand of the Sahara. The sky that met it a surreal deep blue, the retreating sun on the other side of the horizon at their back, for a moment all she could do was stare in awe at the beauty of it.

They rode at a steady pace over the sand dunes, Karen didn’t know what was more intense; the spectacular contrasts of red and dark blue or the friction of her back hitting Tamir’s chest each time the horse galloped.

They stopped in a small valley, she wasn’t even sure how long they’d ridden.
Tamir helped her off the animal, to stand in front of him. “W-what are we doing out here?”

“Taking a rest before we return.” The wind had pushed shiny locks of his hair to the side and she was tempted with unexpected urgency to run her fingers through it.

“Do you do this often?” She asked, when he backed away from her.

“When I can.” He answered softly. “Which isn’t often enough. It would be easy for you to think I’m spoiled.” He added. “Many men rely on me from day to day. I can not do what I want, when I would like to. The only person you have to look after is yourself, and you are not doing much of a job at that.”

Feet mingling in the heated sand Karen shook her head. “You make it seem like you were never young. Have you always made the right choices, each and every time? You don’t even know a thing about me, or what I’ve done in the past ten years. I don’t remember you being such a condescending old … fuddy duddy.”

His expression ranged from blank to confusion in a matter of seconds. “Old?” He gasped. “What is this fuddy duddy you are talking about?”

Folding her arms she didn’t answer, content with letting him stew. She hated the fact that it hadn’t even occurred to her that the manservant she so quickly belittled must have respected Tamir a great deal, and that he most likely done so with great reason.

“We shall bet.” Breeze caught his voice on the air as he walked. He stooped, and leaned over kicking off his shoes. “We will run a hundred paces. If you arrive at my horse first, I will let you go.”

“What?” She stared at him as he bent over to remove his socks.

“I believe you heard what was said.”

Cautiously moving toward him she said. “So what happens if I lose?”

“I would advise you not to lose.”

Undeniable challenge lay in his tone, and Karen couldn’t deny her interest had been piqued. “I hardly think this is fair. You’re taller than me, which means you have longer legs. “

“Yes,” He said, taking off his jacket and carelessly tossing it in the sand. “And you are lighter I, so we both have disadvantages.”
Standing next to him she mentally weighed her chances while voicing how absurd the challenge was.

Tamir’s answer was to draw a line in the sand with his foot. “If it makes you feel better, I will leave on my shirt, surely it will provide some wind resistance.”
Karen pretended she didn’t notice the way the luxurious button down shirt framed his well muscled shoulders, a thin gold chain he wore glinted in the sun. “I want a ten second head start.”

Pursing his lips he said. “Now who is being absurd? You will be at the horse well before then and you know this.”

“What are we doing? ‘On your mark, get set’?”

“As you wish.”

“Who’s going to say it?”

“I will.”

“W-”

“If you keep testing me I will name a stipulation for your loss.” He ground out.

“Now get your tail behind the line.”

Huffing, she did as she was told, and after a silly ceremonious silence he began.

“On your mark, get set … GO!”

Muscling as much stealth as she could, Karen hustled over the hard uneven sand. She couldn’t recall herself running so fast since she was a kid. Well, maybe she was still a kid to him, but she resigned to keep her eyes on the Arabian, because if she dared look across from her she would most certainly lose.
In the closing seconds, she wondered if he was still a man of his word, if she beat him, that meant he would let her go. And then what? She would rejoin her friends, like none of this had never happened, they would go on, and this would all be another memory, just like watching his back as he strode out of her life …
Karen stumbled slightly, and he next thing she knew Tamir touched the horse.
Both hunched over, out of breath.

“That was interesting.” Tamir panted. “We have not done that in quite a while.”

“Well,” Karen said between breaths. “I lost, what happens now?

The silence between them was penetrated by wind that stretched over miles of desert around them. Such a desolate place should have felt barren and isolated, but it didn’t. To Karen it was the greatest place in the world to be, and he was the perfect man. Too bad he looked at her as no more than a child.

2009-03-29T16:22:00.003-04:00

Back for more part 2

Well low and behold, Red Rose Publishing finally got around to putting Foreign Exchange up on their Coming Soon page. It feels kind of strange having a book coming out again, even if it is a re release.
School is killing me, it has finally caught up to my writing in my life as being something I am eternally trying to play catch up with.
I have the nerve to start trying to diet again, I guess its the Lorna in me. My size fourteens are starting to feel like they should be sixteen's and I have already gone that route.
I'm a stress eater though, and I have been under so much strain for the last few months, it's just unbelievable. i mean, there have been moments where I just felt like completely breaking down, and screaming "I've had enough of this ride, I want to get off!!!" And not in the good way, mind you.

Upcoming Projects

I'm about halfway through with a short story I'm working on called, The Sheik's Bed, or Sheik's Bed, not sure if I'm keeping the 'the'.
It's about an ambassador's daughter named Karen Wexler who gets caught trespassing in the sahara on the territory of sheik Tamir Rahman, an older man (38 ha) that she was friends with and had a crush on as a little girl, let me know if you want an excerpt.

2009-03-24T05:22:00.006-04:00

Back for more, and Disney

Blah, I have had a horrid couple of weeks. As
bad as I've been about posting over the last year, the last two times I tried to update this thing blogger has been giving me issues.

I was on a blog I frequent and came across this pic, Disney's new movie the Princess and the frog is featuring its first black Princess, but the her Prince is Indian
Now, I have mixed feelings about this, as we all know I pretty much write IR romance exclusively, and I don't believe that black woman should be expected to exclusively date black men, however, Disney has thrown some shade on the brothers a bit, remember Brandy as Cinderella?

Her Prince was a Asian, I believe, so I don't know, if you feel like commenting, drop
your opinion here.

In other stuff, mainly about my horrible week. I lost my debit card, and discovered that wonderful fact trying to buy washing powder at CVS. I had to leave all my stuff in the store and report it stolen at home because I forgot my cellphone.
I had a week off from school and ended up having to spend it doing my taxes and my mothers taxes because the Enron type employer we both used to work for refuses to send us our W2's.
I got a rejection letter for the school I was trying to apply to for fall, I hated even writing that but if I must spill I must spill, the better to deal with it.

Next subject.
I haven't been reading to much lately(I consider this my punishment for not writing as much as I should) but when I was at work the other week I got pushed into reading a book, by a famous author, and found myself getting so mad.
Speaking as a fan, i really get tired of these "erotica" authors that run around thinking that their writing is hot just because they use the words "fuck" "cock" and "pussy" in their writing.
Word to the wise, it's not. Erotica is so much more than that.
I have read eromance's that our guilty of the same thing. Some writer's I won't even buy books from again, because I read one, got the tempo, was not pleased and said no thank you.
I have a new email address rachelcaderomance@gmail.com
So I read the comments and was wondering who didn't like the Foreign Exchange ending? If you don't want to write the specifics in the comments(you can if you want, I don't mind) email me.

2009-03-03T10:03:00.005-05:00

The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.
But it has been a long time... really long.
In my last semester at school and for some reason or other
Red Rose Publishing is putting out Foreign Exchange
I'll let you guys know when I have a cover,
of course I'll post it.
The last thing I was doing was Breakdown.
I haven't worked on it(surprise).
You must be tired of me talking about my poor poor western IR
2002 ladies and germs is when I started writing this story, I only did three cheapters then from what I did in long hand, 80000 words later and it still isn't
finished. I wrote about 60 pages, with Nina getting kidnapped by Caesar, and all this stuff and I just despised it, I couldn't get it right. So I scrapped all of it, throwing me back to page 212 or so, now I pretty much have the details togetheer, now I just have to wrangle up the time to write it in between working 4 nights a week 11 to 7am going to school the next day up until 4pm at some points and having a bunch of people in my house that shouldn't be there.
Life is such a blast.
Then I had the nerve, though I still hhave unfinshed projects dallying on my desktop to write yet another short story. Fortunately its like half done, which is cool.
Anyway, lets see if this time around I can manage to update this shindig once a week

Psycho - ly yours
Rachel Cade

2008-10-19T15:35:00.003-04:00

Weekend

thanks for the feedback on the story, its a lazy sunday afternoon here in new england (and cold as hell!!) Just wanted to let you know that between school and working this sad little graveyard shift I will get another part of Breakdown up this week, not to mention change this damn plain ass blog!! Ugh its sooo boring
let me know if you have a blog or site you want me to stick in my links

See you later in the week
Rachel

2008-10-08T04:09:00.002-04:00

Been a while... and contract news

Hey, its been a while again, I have set my sights out multiple times to update this thing but low and behold I have not
so I have signed a new contract for Foreign Exchange with Red Rose Publishing

and in the spirit of things I am going to post a new short I have been working on on and off

Beyond Fantasy:
Breakdown
By
Rachel Cade

Part 1

Ciara Kimball was thoroughly humiliated. Driving herself around the backwoods of Maryland was bad enough but to have a BMW break down in the middle of August was just the worst. She was completely lost and had no idea how to get to the photo shoot she was supposed to be at in an hour. Technology had bailed on her as well since her cellphone could get no reception in the middle of God’s no where. How could her life get any worse?

Designer shoes getting ruined by an unpaved road? That would do it. By the time she found some remnants of civilization the sun had slipped half way across the sky. She was covered in sweat, her hair a disheveled mess and she refused to look down at her Fendi blouse.

When she pushed the two door convertible toward the first building she’d seen in twelve hours, an apparent auto repair no less, she could have collapsed crying. Instead she stared at the building wishing she didn’t watch movies like House of Wax and Wrong Turn. Gulping, she silently prayed the dilapidated looking Evan’s Auto Repair was an actual running business and not an abandoned building running rampant with inbred cannibals.

“H-hello?” She said once, feeling like a dumb blond in a B horror movie. She scanned the outside for movement, the garage door was opened, it looked like her fate was to keep walking, or attempt to stay there for the night.

She cringed at the thought. The only feasible weapon she had was the useless crowbar she’d found in the trunk, and she held it tightly in her hand as she moved closer to the building. As she made it to the front she could here the soft rumblings of a radio, country music was playing, and there was a dusty blue ford truck inside, the hood up. She heard a clang and lurched, tempted to run back to her car, instead she said hello again.

A mop of short blond hair came up over the hood and around it emerged a man that should have sent Ciara packing for the hills. “Yeah?” He asked flatly.
Ciara snapped her mouth closed forcing herself to look up from the tight sleeveless wife beater molded to his chest, as well as tanned skin covered in grease and oil, but it didn’t remotely detour her from noticing the well defined gigantic body beneath it. “I’m sorry.” She answered. “My car broke down, and I need some assistance.”

Golden eyes framed in dark lashes glanced behind her. “I can see that.” There was a tinge of sarcasm in his voice. He came from around the Ford completely and Ciara told herself to stay still. He was just a mechanic – and she was just five foot six, but she had her trusty crowbar should he prove psycho.

He was wearing jeans, worn and faded legitimately by his own wear that molded to every part of him, and it was all Ciara could do not to stare below his waist the closer he got to her, eyeing her all the while with a direct stare that must have made grown men nervous. There wasn’t any heat in his stare, just a calm assessment that sent shivers down her spine. Wasn’t he supposed to be looking at the car?
He glanced down the road. “How did you get here – you didn’t.” There was a slight southern drawl to a deep voice that made her shift her stance, while trying to keep an air of authority. “You didn’t push this car here did you?”

“I was in the middle of the road. I just bought this car!”

He placed a calm hand on his hip. “Why didn’t you call for help?”
Pulling the useless cell out of her pocket with sweaty fingers she jiggled it at him. “No service.”

His mouth curled down, making her notice the cleft in his chin covered by tiny blond stubble. “I see.”

He moved past her and she closed her eyes at his scent, sweat and aftershave and motor oil. How on earth could a man covered in dirt send her libido to the moon?

“Ain’t it funny?” He said looking over the car. “You spend so much money on things just to have them give out on you like nothin’?”

“No actually it’s not.” She answered, trying to keep the bite out of her voice from being annoyed and tired and having irony pointed out to her by the only person in the world that could help her. “I have an important engagement to get to that I am most certainly late for.”

“And what engagement was that?” He asked.
Caught off guard by his question she answered. “A - photo shoot.”
Hazel eyes slid over her rumbled profile. “You model?” He asked.
She was trying to figure out of he was being sarcastic again but couldn’t so she decided to change the subject. “I don’t care how much it costs, can you please just get it back on the road?”

Jack Turner stared at the petite woman across from him, he wasn’t around people much but he knew a snob when he saw one. However he wouldn’t let that stop him from helping the woman out, she seemed pressed to get to wherever she was going.
He was curious though if she was in fact a model. Despite her loose fitting sweat stained blouse it was easy to see as the wind blew in from his left it occasionally molded the fabric to generous sized breasts. Her deep brown skin enhanced the yellow outfit she wore and Jack decided it was best to look away from her before she got suspicious.

The last thing he wanted was that tightly gripped crowbar imbedded in his groin. Snob or not she didn’t completely trust him, and the thought made him smirk a bit.

After using his phone to call the photographer Ciara sat in a tiny plastic chair he’d found and gave her a look for when she asked if he had something she could cover it with. He returned with what looked like a clean towel. As she sat there and he worked on her car she noticed a stack of magazines on a stool nearly and reached to grab one. When she flipped it over she was greeted with the exaggerated proportions of an airbrushed video girl.

Promptly she put the magazine back on the table and the pile shifted and despite her quick moving fell into a far reaching scattered pile on the floor. As she was immersed in a multi tone sea of breasts, butts and hair a plane set of large men’s sneakers came into the fold. “I – I’m really sorry about this.” She said quickly talking more to herself than him as she fumbled to pick up the magazines, touching various exposed nipples and crotches while doing so.
“I’m Jack by the way.” Was all he said.

Once again embarrassed Ciara fixed the pile and sat back down quietly. Not too long after Jack came from around the car.
“I feel silly to keep calling you Miss.” He felt silly about that? She wondered, what about his large collection of tits via paper?

“Ciara.” She answered not looking at him.
“Can I offer you some water Ciara?”
“Sure.” She quipped.

When he handed her the bottle she could see he had washed his hands. “If you want to believe it it’s looking like it’s your starter. I have a friend that has your part but he’s two hours away.”

“My starter? It’s a 2008 BMW.”
“Like I said, it’s funny.”

“No it’s not.” Standing balled her hands into fists. “I cannot believe this.”

“I know it must be hard for you to be out in the boonies like this but, the situation is what it is. There ain’t no reason to get yourself strung out about it. Just relax … be glad you aren’t in a worse situation.”

“There is no worse situation. Look at me! I’m covered in sweat and dirt, my shoes are …” She bent over pulling off the five inch heels.

She could see out of the corner of her eye that without the benefit of her shoes she
now barely made it to his armpit in height.

Ciara should have been going for her crowbar again but this time she was too fascinated in staring at Jack, his eyes were direct and open yet the yellowish golden orbs were hypnotic in their intensity, in the frame of dark lashes they appeared to blaze.

“My house is up the road.”
“Huh?”

“I’d like to wash up. I know you probably think us hicks don’t bathe, but we do. You could wash up yourself if you wanted to.”
Ciara shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“If you wanna stay here that’s fine. But it will be dark soon.”

A quarter mile down the road they came to his place, a historic white colonial house that sat between two ancient willow trees. She never would have fathomed on waking by afternoon she’d be in the middle of the woods with a stranger.

“Wow.” Ciara said. “Is this your place?”
“No I just squat here.”

She turned to him, and hated the way her heart flipped from the genuine smile spread across his face. “Very funny.”
“It was.”

To Ciara the house was surprisingly well decorated. The comfortable plush white living room furniture, hardwood floors and the shelf amassed with books didn’t necessarily coincide with an aloof mechanic –

“Do you have a girlfriend?”
Jack looked surprised. “Why would you ask that?”
Ciara shrugged, feeling a bit sheepish. “I don’t know, it just looks like a woman decorated here.”
“So you’re saying I have feminine taste?”
“No!” She answered quickly.

Jack laughed. “City girls are too uptight.” He dropped his keys on a nearby table. “Feel free to make yourself at home. I’m gonna take a quick shower.”
“Ok.” She answered nodding, trying to pretend this wasn’t a weird or uncomfortable situation.

When Jack disappeared upstairs Ciara collapsed on his love seat, visions of his full perfectly formed ass imbedded on her eyelids. “Relax Ciara.” She coaxed.
But she couldn’t and went on a snoop investigation of the ground floor for a mirror, to see just how far the pretty had uglied. When she got a good look at herself in a hard to find wall mirror by his kitchen she gasped, wanting to either die or be able to cocoon into a shell. Her carefully styled bun in lopsided shambles, artfully done makeup sweated away, the shiny forehead almost sent her into a tailspin.

Grabbing a brush out of her bag she pulled out the pins and began to try and make like she was a civilized human being instead of this moving ball of perspiration covered in expensive fabric.

“Are you doing that for me or yourself?” Jack was hanging over the banister, watching her with a wry smile.
She swallowed. “Myself. I thought you were taking a shower?”
“I am. I just came back to tell you there was some food in the fridge, figured you must be hungry from all that pushin’.”

Ciara continued brushing her hair, ignoring Jack’s attempts to make her seem like a fool for caring about her possessions and her appearance. “Thank you.” She answered tightly.

“Don’t know if you ever heard this from a man before, but you look fine just the way you are.” He retreated as she continued brushing but when he was out of site she stopped, her breathing slowed as she stared up at where he’d been standing.
Ten minutes later he came bounding back down the stairs, she had made herself a small turkey sandwich and considered making him one for a full five minutes before she actually did it.

When he hit the bottom of the stairs she saw he was wearing nothing but a towel wrapped loosely around his hips. His hair was still dripping with water. “You want to go and wash up? I found a shirt that will probably fit you, the verdicts still out on my pants.”

“I see.” Her astonished expression masked the heat that hit her face. She could have sworn things like this only happened on soap operas. Jack, still wet from his shower stood on the last step holding a beige towel to his hips with his right hand. Gone was the greasy wife beater to reveal a wide muscular pecs and abs that ripped down the center of his stomach, his soft smatter of blond chest hair was slicked down and Ciara wondered how to breathe.

“You know,” she answered. “I think I will just keep what I have on.” Getting naked in this man’s house was even dumber than stepping foot here in the first place. She just kept having to tell herself she didn’t know him, and ignore the part of her brain that said it didn’t matter. “I made a sandwich for you.”

“You did?” Jack asked surprised.
She nodded pointing to the kitchen table.
“How did you know what I like on it?”

“Mayo lettuce and mustard are pretty standard.”
“Good point.” He sat down and looked at it briefly.
“What?”

“Nothing.” He said too quickly at too high a pitch.
Jack continued to look even as he picked it up to have a bite. “Where you come from, do you make your own sandwiches or does someone make them for you?”
Ciara paused. “Now, you’re just teasing me.”

He lifted both brows quickly. “Good job, I am.”
“You make it seem like I’m some pampered princess or something.”
“Naw … I just think you put to much value on things that don’t matter … like your hair and your shoes.”

“There isn’t anything wrong with caring about my appearance.”
“Right, but there is caring too much.”
“Wow, the moral mechanic.”
“What makes you think I’m a mechanic?”

Ciara’s brows lowered. “You were working in one when I met you … you offered to fix my car.”
He smiled and continued eating. “This ain’t bad – just enough mayo.”
“Don’t change the subject. Are you a mechanic or not?”

“Are you a model?”
“What difference does that make?”
Jack shrugged, and finished the sandwich.

“You want a beer?”
Ciara gave him a look because he glanced back at her, then gave her a look of his own before chuckling. “I guess that wasn’t a wise offer.” He said opening the refrigerator.

Openly staring at his back she knew she wouldn’t have time to count all the muscles defined in his back and shoulders as his arm slung loosely over the refrigerator door, prayers for the towel to drop ceased when he turned back around to her, bottle beer in hand.

“I just don’t drink.”
“Understandable.”
“Really?”

“No, I just thought you might wanna hear that.”
Ciara snorted her laughter, catching herself covering her mouth.

2008-08-30T10:22:00.002-04:00

Back from outer space

aha its me again, tired as hell. I am getting ready to start school next week as well as a new job. Not to mention I just applied to another school to go to in fall 09(the fashion institute of technology) early acceptance is october november and I need to have my portfolio done by then, in the meantime I will still be working on writing - trying to get my degree finished hear AND working the graveyard shift. Maybe I am trying to do too much?
I don't know ... How can you expect to Get what you want but not go after it? I am almost 30 after all. Ouch I hated writing that. But one of my greatest fears is being old one day and looking back on my life with regret because I never did any of the things that I wanted to do... that would be just awful to me. And then there's the fact that I am perpetually single, a sentiment that ebbs and flows with acceptance and abhorrence; but being what it is why shouldn't I go about seeing the world. I know so many people that are just trapped; either by their own minds or situations and its so sad and hard and I just don't want to be one of those people anymore.

Any whoo in literary drama Toni and Zenya are screaming at me and Nina and Angel are not quiet either, since these are my two first novels I am paranoid about getting it right. When they are finished I want them to really solidify who Rachel Cade is, and that every time you pick up a book with that name as author you know that you getting your money's worth. I would hate for anyone to be disappointed in my work. I would hate to be disappointed. I worry about the story, the plots and the pacing; all of which runs into character development, are their actions too out of character or just right? Can I get away with a historical interracial romance novel over 100,000 words?
Is the back story from once is never enough believable, have I kept Toni and Zenya apart too long? I am sitting in western mass rolling my eyes to heaven right now for some kind of guidance

oh by the way I got a computer virus a few weeks ago, dont worry if I personally emailed you anything it was after that, but either way thats why I havent been here or posted. I will get back to you soon!!!

love always
Rachel Cade

2008-08-10T17:29:00.005-04:00

Rachel On the Web

Hey dolls, I got soooooooooo sick of that other blog format which looked like something from old navy I decided to go basic black until I take the time to personally design something new

And in some good news I finally got a Website again! Yay, its free webs but it looks pretty cool to me, go and check it out, sign my guest book so I know whose looking around here, I have some excerpts up and some info in Coming soon on some new projects that will get done before the end of the year, I will be adding to it constantly so bookmark me!!!Click Here Rachel Cade

Just because I'm bored, its raining I'm writing here is some back info on what inspires my stories

Foreign Exchange is shamelessly inspired by Nine and A Half Weeks, one of my favorite movies ever, total Manhattan total 80's totally Hot Mickey Rourke! Yes yung un's there was a time when leathery faced Mickey Rourke... looked like this
<

And here's a fan clip, if you've never seen it, check it out it is so classic, I believe the whole thing is uploaded on youtube I practically lived off this soundtrack when I was writing the first love scene in Once Is Never Enough

2008-08-05T17:04:00.003-04:00

Hey kids
just checking back in totally forgot to say thanks to Chandra for the wickedwomenof color.com heads up I checked out the site the same day and they have same great authors and some smokin' free reads. Oh the legend of the free read, aren't they just awesome. I just realized the other day how loooooooooong it's been since I had a book out. I have been checking around the web to see what's out there and I am mad I don't see any of my stuff. Sigh -- any who the only way to change that is to write and submit...
I have a question I wanted to drop about Foreign Exchange, there are a couple of things I want to do with it before it gets published again which is to add Simon's POV and I had a question about Lorna, do you guys think she was a weak character? Do you think I was wrong to have her be an over weight girl who's insecure about her appearance. Don't be shy let me know, I appreciate ALL feedback believe me

Rachel

2008-07-28T08:39:00.003-04:00

Hey all to my surprise the other day I hit 80,000 words on Someone to Watch Over Me
writing novels is .... just crazy(I know I've said it a thousand times) I am thinking most likely the book will be around 100,000. In publishing news I am still waiting to hear back from Red Rose on my book, if by chance you haven't read my erotic novella Nineteen it's up on Literotica Click Here

2008-07-17T16:18:00.003-04:00

In case you didn't know, I am a Huge Soap Opera Fan oddly enough, out of all the soaps, including Another World, Santa Barbara and Loving/The City all of which got canceled, the only soap I couldn't tell you a single storyline from is Guiding Light -- HOWEVER... they are almost consistent with Hot Guys ... Damn. He has totally inspired me ... what's a writer to do? Oh yeah ...

2008-07-11T07:46:00.002-04:00

Hey all, yes my birthday was on June 26 and I did jack for it but oh well... I will celebrate in my own time(28 if your curious)

Actually yesterday because of a favor from a great friend I did hear from Red Rose about my Foreign Exchange Submission so keep your fingers crossed for me!

I finally got over my Angel and Nina hump, I vow to get off my lazy non writing ass and finish up these projects over the summer. I have another kick ass story I wanted to write, but I can't until I finish these!

much love
Rachel

2008-06-18T20:35:00.002-04:00

thanks for your kind words much appreciated ... I am actually in the process of writing now?! shock I know ... I do want to put up a free read again, but I want to do a short novella where I finish it first and then just post it like once a week...that way I won't be late and there won't be any pressure, this is Keesha and Jason my favorite daytime couple ever... gosh did they look Hot!! or what?! GH is so wack for not letting her come back with Jason's kid...

2008-06-14T08:50:00.003-04:00

Wow, I am really ashamed at how long I have been away

totally my own fault

life has just been so bleh lately, usually I am just lazy about writing, which I know you all can attest too, but lately I have just wondered if I can write about love anymore... and yes this was due to a rather sad and embarassing event that occurred in my life. It ended up having this ricochet effect that forced me to question everything down to my foundations and the furthest reaches of my soul... that sounds"deep" cuz it is/was. I just have had 0 count it, 0 positive, long
relationships with men, romantic or otherwise, my dad was absent from my life(I have only seen him 3 times) and it just bother me... the majority of my teen years I was severely overweight 240 and more pounds, the highest I think I got was 275 at 5'5. I dropped out of HS and just sheltered myself away from the world, and this is when I would write... and write and write....

and it was my getaway, it was where I was able to be who I knew I was have the love and attention I wasnt getting... etc...

I dont know... I guess its hard to write a happy ending because I havent had my own
...that was said to me before and I just lost it(crying)

anyway that was the whole Foreign Exchange idea came from those feelings, like what would happen if someone just noticed me for me
I have passed a few people that didnt like simon, including reviews that thought he was a perv
which he kinda is but in a good way to me..because I had never read a bbw story about a real bad boy like that..that would just take you and surprise you and get what he wanted... blah... I guess this has been a long post... I will update more regularly

btw if I due a free read under 100 pages what are some topics characters you would like to see? thanks for everything Rachel/Michele

2008-04-13T09:45:00.002-04:00

hey all, thanks for your endless support as always, I sent out a bunch of submissions today so
wish me luck. Hopefully Foreign Exchange will catch a break and get republished again, its at
Red Rose( Deena:) ). I hopefully will make it through my semester unscathed and get back to really writing again, I miss it, a lot, I guess that's telling me its something I should do, if it keeps on nagging at me. This is Patrick btw... I don't think I have posted pics of him before...

2008-03-27T15:40:00.001-04:00

Hi all I know its been a while I hope you all liked the last excerpt I put of Angel and Nina
Maria, my books, Once Is Never Enough, Nineteen and Foreign Exchange were on Venus Press but since that went belly up they haven't had a home
I am in college taking web programming so getting time to write is like pulling teeth

But I have waited long enough so I am going to start submitting again this week and will keep you posted! Rachel

2008-02-18T15:18:00.003-05:00

hi all, here is my last post of someone

its of course not the end of the story--but i am going to finish it[i have my outline done] and then submit it to pubs, I'd just cry if this ever got a print deal, but I dont know, we'll see what happens, thanks for waiting out my crap, and I hope you all love Angel and Nina

Rach

---

“Thanks,” Nina replied quietly. “But this is my problem, not yours.”
Jody tilted her head, tapping her delicate fingers on her sheet covered thigh. “You don’t get offered help much … or you just don’t like taking it? Which one is it?”
Nina had no answer to that. She just wanted to finish getting dressed so she could leave. The truth was Jody probably could help, but she didn’t want anyone immersed in this … thing she had going on with Angel. For the moment her brain couldn’t size it up better than that.
Pursing her lips she surprised even herself with the following words. “I just want to ask a few questions around town if anyone has seen him, that’s all.”
A mass of schoolgirl giggling was immediately followed by Jody as she hopped up from bed with her perfect hair and proceeded to get ready for the day.

As Nina headed down the front steps with Jody leading, they were stopped by Savannah, who stood at the landing, wearing the most peculiar outfit Nina had ever seen: pants. “Where are you two ladies headed, don’t tell me Nina is leaving us so early, without breakfast even?”
“Well,” Nina gritted her teeth as Jody spoke cheerfully. “We are heading out to ask a few questions about Nina’s fella.”
Nina had no strength to correct the girl.
“Really, well if you’re looking for a man, you should go to the saloon.” Savannah nodded. “I’ll tell Bobbie to go with you, and I’ll go too. I have had a few run-ins with the owner, Bill.” Savannah was gone before Nina could get a word in edgewise. She almost wanted to call out loud to see if anyone else in the house wanted to go on the excursion. Rolling her eyes she had to clench her fist at the ridiculousness of it all. She just wanted to find Angel.

Nina entered another saloon with Savannah, Jody and the large Bobbie looming in front of them. An older man was cleaning off the bar. Nina presumed he was Bill. A shock of white hair shot from his head as if it were scared, it was an odd combination against his jovial facial features. As they got closer Nina paid more attention to his face than to Savannah’s introduction. In a moment the man’s eyes fell on her. Nina averted her eyes, fearing she was staring blatantly.
“You’re looking for a man hmm?” Why did everyone keep saying that?
Bill grinned slightly, and asked her what he looked like. Jody seemed particularly interested in her answer, annoying Nina as unease twisted in her gut and once again she found herself searching for words. When Bill asked her, all that filled her mind were those large dark, haunted eyes, the vision so sudden her heart skipped a beat. Her hand clenched in the fold of her skirt, hidden from view. She could feel his mouth on her…
“He’s tall.” She said quickly, not recognizing her own voice.
Bill nodded. “’Fraid I need a bit more than that.”
Savannah took a seat at the bar. “God would need to know a little more than that.” She mumbled.
Nina swallowed. “He’s got long hair, and he’s Spanish, Indian … both.”
“Tall, Spanish, Indian.” Bill repeated, though his tone wasn’t mocking, Nina still felt patronized, even as she admitted it was a vague description.
“He’s very intense looking … if you saw him … you wouldn’t forget him.”
Jody’s laughter was throaty and apparently, endless. “My, my … I bet you couldn’t.”
“Jody.” Savannah warned in a stern mother’s tone.
“Does he have a name?” Bill asked.
And here came Nina’s true dilemma, should she say his name? There weren’t many people in the bar, aside from the five of them, and they appeared to be the only ones conscious. Though Nina understood well enough that walls had ears, the rest stood quietly, waiting. She was nervous, embarrassed and angry. A smidgen of her conscience warned that she should have stayed at Liza’s that her pride had sent her out on a fool’s errand, to find a man that probably didn’t want to be found.
How did she actually know he had gone to find Velar’s killers, maybe he had resorted to his old ways as soon as he was out of eye sight. Maybe it had just been a ruse to get away from them all. Why hadn’t she thought any of this through? Why had she been so damn compulsive? This was nothing like her. Rational Nina would have stayed at Liza’s.
“He told me … a lot of lies … “ Nina’s eyes narrowed, slipping to her left. “Never his name.”
“So you’re looking for a man with no name?” Bill asked matter-of-factly.
Slowly she nodded in agreement. Bill looked down at the bar and began to chuckle. “You want a drink?”
Savannah sighed. “You need one honey.”

**
“What happened?” Angel was barely off his horse in front of Liza’s house. The woman looked frazzled, her daughter stood next to her wide eyed.
“I – I – I’m so sorry.” Liza began, battling with herself to keep still.
“Do you have any idea where she went?” He wasn’t upset with the woman but couldn’t take the anger out of his voice.
Eyes blurry with tears, she shook her head, her daughter moved closer to her. “She – she was upset yesterday when I told her Manny asked if I would let her stay here. I thought she knew.”
“It didn’t –” He was going to say, it didn’t matter whether she knew. But snapped his mouth closed over the words. He wished she was here right then so he could –
“What direction did Manny go in?”
“East.” The hands went out looking too.” She added quickly as he was already mounting Storm.

Chapter 11
Scandalous

“What is this stuff?” Nina asked. At this point, she was unaware of the time. Her butt hurt from sitting on the stool for so long, but her stomach felt warm, fuzzy and wonderful. But the world seemed like it moved a little different. She couldn’t really explain it.
“Oh boy, someone has had too much.” Savannah said. “Bobbie you might have to carry her home.”
Sniffing Nina lifted her head to the voice she heard. “What? No, I don’ think so. I can walk.” She got off the stool, sidestepping only once before she got her complete balance. “See, I am fine.”
The sun was setting when they got outside. “This was so damn stupid of me.” Nina said aloud to herself.
“What was stupid?” Savannah asked.
“Me, I was somewhere safe, and I left it … this guy, I had no chance in hell of finding him. I don’t do things like this.” She muttered. “I’m not a damn Bounty Hunter or anything …”
“He must have been someone worth going after.” Jody added sympathetically.
“You think I like him.” Nina stopped. “No look, listen. I knew his father, that’s how I know him. An – he is a bastard and he hates me as much as I hate him.”
Jody listened. “Sorry, guess I was mistaken, I am a bit of a romantic.”
Savannah startled Nina even though she knew she was there, the orange sky was bleeding red around the horizon and the brightness of it made her squint her eyes. She probably had drank too much. “I’m going to have to go back where I was – and try to apologize.”
“I sure hope you’re not planning on traveling tonight, it’s almost dark.”

Jody’s bed was a sweet sight, Nina’s head was beginning to hurt and Savannah had urged her to lay down for a bit, and not try liquor again any time soon. Nina was certain that she wouldn’t. She went to bed upset with all the trouble she had caused in an already tumultuous situation. She had been in a nice household, not serving anyone for once, and though it wouldn’t have replaced Velar, she had been rid of Angel, why couldn’t she see that at the time?
Jody came into the room. “Just wanted to make sure you got in ok.”
Nina nodded, almost asleep with her cheek pressed into the pillow, she hadn’t even taken off her shoes. Vaguely she felt them being pulled from her feet. “Sorry honey but my covers are expensive. Don’t you have any worries though, when you wake up everything will be different.”
**

Nina pulled her hand away from Caesar. Shock and fear swept through her. Would he be angry? Was she supposed to let him touch her?
He stared at her. “My apologies.” He answered quietly.
Awkwardly Nina began to stand. She just wanted to leave the room. She had done something wrong and she knew it.
“Nina wait.” His hand was on her arm.
“Please!” She whispered urgently, staring back at him trying to wretch her arm free.
“I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You di- dn’t.” She answered quickly. “I just want to go before someone looks for me.”
He released her and she all but ran out of the room. Not a smart move for someone that didn’t want to draw attention to herself, but she wouldn’t think of that until later. At that moment fear loomed in her blood, making her not even recognize the feeling of her feet hitting each landing as she bounded down the Morgan’s grand staircase.

**

Nina turned her head to the side, frowning even as she slept, and upon coming back to the world beyond her memory, sighed, relieved that it had been just that … a memory.
Black satin filled her view as she blinked the tiredness from her eyes and they came into focus. Her gaze traveled up and she recognized the face of the woman named Monica. Why she had taken it on herself to sit by her bed freaked Nina out, making her even more determined to get back to Liza’s. When she sat up, she realized the feat was almost impossible, her right wrist was chained to the bed.
Nina snatched at it several times in disbelief, the metal clanging against metal echoing in the room, heart stumbling, her eyes widened with burgeoning horror.
“Good evening.” Monica voiced, not a hint of malice in her tone.
Nina could barely speak, almost unable to bare the possible answer. “Did you do this to me?” The silence that followed sent Nina into a sudden rage. With her free hand she lunged forward to claw at Monica, but she had obviously calculated that, sitting far enough away so that Nina could only rip at the air. Sliding off the bed in her struggle her wrist began to turn in an unnatural direction, causing her to whimper as the pain shot through her. She was forced to stay on the bed, the chain not slack enough to even sit up.
Jody came into the room with a box in her hand, she stopped at the door, staring wide eyed at Nina who was grunting against the bed trying to reach Monica. When she saw Jody she silently thanked God. “Jody, this witch is psycho, let me out of this!”
Jody put down the box and rushed over to the side of the bed, leaning over, she smoothed her dress. “Nina … I can’t do that.”
“What?” Nina gasped out, instinctively she started pulling on the chain again, cold steel biting into her wrist.
“Nina honey, I just want you to relax so I can explain –”
“Explain?” Nina screamed, her anger making her throat raw. “You chained me to a God damn bed!”
“I told you …” Monica started, speaking low so that the rest of her words were inaudible.
Nina snatched her eyes from one to the other, terror, humiliation and downright fury plagued her emotions for dominance, she only sputtered, unable to gather a coherent thought.
“What is all this noise?” Nina was not comforted by the voice of Savannah Gold. She entered the room dressed as she had been earlier.
“She woke up.” Monica started blandly, “and she’s mad as hell.”
Upon speaking her voice was unrecognizable, distorted to her own ears. “I am going to beat the hell out of you.” Nina promised on grinding teeth, her stare into Monica’s eyes so intense they burned.
“See.” Monica answered, glancing at Savannah.
The blond stood at the edge of the bed. “Leave us.”
“But Savannah I was –” Jody started.
“Now.”
Monica and Jody left, the force Nina put into trying to get at them slid her off the bed, again pain shot through her arm and her following scream forced her to lay back on the bed or break her arm. Gasping she fell back as her head the bed frame, wondering if she had, it felt numb now.
“I’ve never been the type to mince words so I’ll just get to the point.” Savannah stated. “You’re in a brothel, I’m the madam, and I plan to make a lot of money off of you. If you play your cards right, and realize that you are truly one of the lucky ones when you consider your possible fates, you can make a lot of money too.”
Hot liquid bile began to rise to Nina’s throat, she was going to vomit, she knew it.
I’m not a whore. Those words resounded in her mind, once spoken with so much conviction now mocked her.
Oh God. She kept saying it, not sure if she were speaking aloud or the words were in her head. Not that it would help, paranoia made her hands clammy and weakness ravaged her spirit. Nina turned her head away from the woman, the world around her closing, turning into restriction once again.
“Should you choose to be noncompliant with this arrangement, I do have ways to make sure you do exactly what I need you to do.”
Nina stared up at the ceiling, a prayer she dared not acknowledge in the back of her mind. “I am not going to lie down for any man. I won’t.”
“Is that your answer then?” Savannah inquired.
Silence.
“Bobbie.” She called.

Nina’s blood froze when the hulking man entered the room. She screamed so she was sure her throat was bleeding, easily drowning out her futile trashing and the clanging metal of the chain. For a large man he moved stealthily until he was straddling her, his weight pinning her to the bed. A meaty hand clawed her jaw, pressing her head back into the pillow so cutting off her screams, it was miraculous she hadn’t bitten off her tongue, only grunted sounds seeped through her lips, as did the wetness in the corner of her eyes. His other hand pinned down her free hand. Savannah was on that side, she held a needle in her hand.
“Hold her arm steady.”
Nina’s wails increased, the man was like an ox sitting on her, her legs barely mobile. Savannah stuck the syringe in her arm, it seared her, Nina knew she was probably going to die soon. Before she could think of that final prayer, she was gone.
**

Nina opened her eyes to see a vase of red roses. First they were still, then one by one they began to bloom beautifully, and she smiled in reaction, not recalling ever seeing anything so lovely. Slowly she blinked, realizing she was in bed, noises in the distance and the sound of a piano barely entered her consciousness. She only wanted to watch the roses, which were now twisting in the vase like the small umbrellas Gloria Morgan and her friends carried to keep the sun from tanning their pale faces.
“Hello Nina, how are you feeling?” The mellow voice belonged to the face that hovered above her … the young woman looked familiar.
“I feel …” She stopped, languid warmth spread over her abdomen, the world was tangible and ethereal at once. But no words that would convey that could come to mind.
A hand, wrapped around hers and pulled her until she was sitting upright. Nina stared at her. “I can,” a half smiled followed, with the narrowing of her eyes. “I can see your legs.”
She was wearing something Nina had never seen before, and she wondered where the rest of her clothes were. And the woman smiled back. “I can see yours too, but that’s what they like.”
“Who?” Nina questioned.
“Men.”
Nina pulled her hand away from hers. “Oh I, I don’t think I like men.”
She inhaled deeply, looking down at herself seeing her legs were in fact exposed, covered only by black stockings. She should ask for a dress she thought. Especially when she saw her breasts were almost completely out of the corset she had on. Why was she wearing this?
“Why don’t you like men?”
Nina grimaced as the lady she kind of remembered sat on the side of the bed, she was wearing a similar outfit but hers was all white, she actually looked beautiful with her hair coiled high atop her head. She would look even better when she covered herself in an actual gown.
“I don’t … know.” She shook her head, wincing she reached for her arm. A lace black sleeve covered it, but something beneath pained her, had she hurt herself?
Nina started to pull back the sleeve when her companion took her hands. “Come on, it’s us girls you can tell me. Did the man you were looking for hurt you?”
“No … ” Nina’s focus shifted again and she closed her eyes. A memory soon gave way. “It wasn’t him, it was another man.”
“Common damn sense, why’d you be looking for a man that hurt you?”
“I don’t – like men.” She said again.
She was getting helped off the bed. “Come on honey, we’re gonna go party. I’ll protect you from all the bad men.”

Nina stumbled down the dank hallway, held upright by this woman in white who’d told her to call her Jody. Nina was thankful for her help, since it seemed hard for her to get her balance. She felt a bit foolish, but it couldn’t supersede the lucid happy feeling, it was like overwhelming knowledge that the world was wonderful. She smiled over at Jody, who returned it.
“Nina.” Jody held her by the shoulders. “Girl you are breaking my back, you’re heavier than you look.”
“I am?” Nina questioned.
“Yeah.” Jody answered rolling her eyes playfully. “Ya are.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Well just stand up for me.” Nina tried, her legs felt like she was standing in water, that it didn’t matter if she just relaxed, the waves would keep her afloat.
A blond woman, barely as high as Nina’s chest came up, her white teeth smiled at her, Nina noticed one near the corner of her mouth was slightly crooked. She held Nina’s chin, and though instinct told her to snatch away from the woman’s grip, her body seemed less forthcoming following directions.
“Well, look at you.” The blond said.
“Why do you want to look at me?”
The blond moved her hand behind Nina’s neck pulling her down, so they were face to face. “Because … you’re beautiful.”
Nina pulled back from her, with as much strength as her body was willing to give.
There was so much noise now, she almost couldn’t bare it.
“I don’t know if this is going to work.” Jody said. “She can barely stand.”
“Do you think any of them give a shit about that?” Savannah snapped.

“We love Miss Savannah don’t we fella’s?” A loud chorus of cheers and grunts followed. Nina squinted hard as the sounds burned her brain. Suddenly, the squeaking sound pulled back a tattered red velvet curtain and she found herself on display for a sea of grimy faces. Looking to her left and right, the two women that were with her were gone, leaving her alone, to face them. She was on some kind of stage, she could see now looking down.
The men were screaming and shouting at her, laughing, pointing. The waves didn’t hold her up and she felt herself fall to the wooden planks of the stage on her knees. The room got quieter for some reason. Nina lowered her head, wishing she could for some kind of thought, things didn’t seem right, but she couldn’t put it together. She started to crawl forward on the stage, head still down. Occasionally she looked over at these men, they all looked dirty, they sneered at her, licking there mouths.
“I need – I need -” She sat back on her haunches, cool night air hit her chest making her look down, she could see way too much of her skin. She was sure this thing she was wearing was too small. She tried to adjust it, and that’s when the crowd started up again.
A white haired man, one that resembled a pig and carried an air of familiarity, was at the edge of the stage. “You’re mine tonight girly.” He mouthed.
Before Nina could finish shivering she was being lifted off the stage. She turned to see a large man with a grim face. “Bring her to the back.” The blond said.

“I know that girl.” Doc Murphy said. “I want her tonight.”
Savannah stared at him over the lid of her glass. “You have to bid with everyone else Murphy, why should I grant you any special privileges? I don’t make exceptions and you know it.”
“Name your price Gold!” His face turned redder by the second. “I’ll pay it.”
“Where do you know her from?”
“What difference does it make?” Murphy was agitated, and Savannah could have given less of a damn about it. Murphy was a gambler, and liked to indulge in girls now and then, but he wasn’t a high roller. And that’s what she planned on fetching for Nina.
It annoyed her though that he wasn’t forthcoming with letting her know how he knew Nina. But it wasn’t important, certainly not as important as making money.
Turning away from him in wordless dismissal she was surprised when he grabbed her arm. When she turned she glared into the eyes of a desperate man. “When I said any price, I meant it.”

Groggily Nina pushed herself up on one arm. Pain lanced up from her lace covered wrist, making her immediately lift it to release the pressure, the action sent her chin first into a soft lushness that smelled of faint roses. She had yet to open her eyes, when she did she understood that she was in a bed. Laughter echoed in and out from a distance; a muffled distorted sound that soon gave way to her heartbeat, pounding her ears like a steady tribal drum.
Her mind and body were not fully one. Thoughts were hard to put together, names places and faces flashed over her mind’s eye, but they held no meaning just then, even though something told her they should. For some reason, she understood that this was not a safe place, and that she needed to leave, but the first thing she had to do was figure out how to get her chin off the bed.
A door opened and closed, the sound was too near. She suspected someone was in the room with her but could not tell because of the awkward position she was in. Sheer willpower forced her to turn her head, grunting she managed to push the top of her body up with her hands. Pain still lingered against her wrist but she ignored it. The strangest thing had happened, for a split moment everything was clear, causing Nina to let out a shuddering breath before uttering, “Angel.”
He stood against the door, his black attire covered in dust, particularly against his legs and boots. The top of his head almost hit the doorframe. His massive arms were folded across his chest, when her eyes met his she froze, there was no bed, there was no pain in her wrist. Arched brows hung down viciously over black eyes, dark stubble covered most of his cheeks and chin but his lips were downcast in the grimmest frown she had ever seen; the devil was fuming.
Nina could hear her own breathing, each time her breath was shoved in and out of her lungs, harder and harsher.
**

Angel watched her for the longest time. Truth be told he had no idea what he was going to say to her. This woman he’d sworn to his dying father that he would protect. A woman he’d watched downstairs writhing on a stage to the sound of men’s catcalls and whistles. It had taken every fiber of his being not to go to her and drag her off the stage, it had also taken quite a bit of self control to keep away from the bruiser that had picked her up and carried her off.
He continued to stare.
Nina … the woman he had not but a day or so before chastised himself for kissing. How could she play herself so well, since there first night in El Toza. He imagined her pulling up her cotton nightgown so it barely covered her ass to make sure he got an eyeful the next morning. When they had been caught in the rain shower, she knew exactly what she was doing, a born pro, just like he’d known the first time he saw her. Why she had decided to play such an elaborate game with him he didn’t know. But he knew it was going to end here, tonight.
“You must be proud of yourself.”
There was a brief silence before she responded. “What?”
He moved away from the door and saw her lurch. More games, he thought grimly.
“You like to make me repeat myself.” When he lowered his arms and flexed his fingers his knuckles cracked. She lurched again. “I said, you must be proud of yourself.”
Of their own volition his eyes lowered to her exposed chest, her nipples threatened to spill out of the black bodice at any moment. He wound his jaw, sending his eyes skyward. “All this,” he gestured about the room. “a whore’s palace.”
She blinked once, then again, swaying slightly to his left she started. “Th – that’s not – ”
“That’s not what?” He snapped, refraining the shout about to free itself from his throat. “That’s not what you are?” He sneered watching her veer back, he hadn’t yelled but she would have been a halfwit not sensing his rage.
On her knees, she caught herself from not falling completely back, the action caused her exposed flesh to wiggle against the bodice. He refused to look at her, the corner of his eye, still captured the hourglass silhouette; legs exposed from her position from thigh to knee covered in black stockings held up by lace garters.
His mind was furious with her for what she had done, but his body didn’t care, still remembering the softness of her mouth in the barn that day, the way her breasts felt pushed against his chest… that was it, he suppressed the groan.
“Angel.” Why was she saying his name? “Angel.” She repeated.
He racked his hands into his hair, lacing them tightly, painfully tangling into his hair, in an unusual show of frustration. His cock was threatening to poke out of the top of his pants and he didn’t know what the fuck to do.
He felt her touch him, and pulled back, shocked to see her standing by him, when he hadn’t even heard her get off the bed. She was squinting at him, her head rocking slightly to the side. “I … explain…”
“That you’re drunk?” He spat, and she shook her head murmuring.
She tried to look up at him, her chest rising up and down with each breath, and he knew he had to get away from her. “I need,” she started, then the next thing she dropped to her knees; her face right against the bulge in his pants.
Angel bit his lip, his arms jutting out sideways from his body as Nina swayed against him, the curves of her face kneading his crotch, sending fire up his torso as her hands reached up curling around the waist of his pants.
Was she trying to pull them down or pull herself up?
It didn’t matter, on a hushed growl he thrust her in the air by her under arms until she was higher than him, her limp legs not touching the ground.

**
Nina wasn’t sure what had happened. What was he going to do to her? She felt as helpless as a puppy being held in the air like that. Her eyes peered into his, scarcely breathing. After an undetermined amount of time he slackened his arms and she slid straight down his body. Her knees buckled when he let her go and she fell flat onto her back on the mattress, her open legs straddling his while her feet dangled near the rug.
Hair hanging over his shoulders, he leaned forward over her. Nina’s lungs dared seize in her chest when she felt the chilled pads of his fingertips gliding over the top of her cleavage.
“Don’t think you can do to me what you do to other men.” He said, his voice unnerving her just as those same fingers curled over the center of her bodice. His knuckles pressed into her skin, squeezed between the tightness of the fabric.
Her face felt flushed, the world of twisting red roses had grown veering down a dark path. This large man looming over her, the devil in human form, caused her heart to skip and beat erratically. She should have been afraid, but somehow she wasn’t.
Staring into pure midnight, she barely heard what he said. “I don’t – ”
His fingers pulled down, the material pressed down on each of her nipples as it was forced down, sending a sweet shock over her that making her gasp out loud. They sprang free and hardened instantaneously, almost painfully, sending her cold hands straight up off the covers, they stopped just short of touching him. Instinct told her she shouldn’t, slowly she lowered them back down.
Nina shut her eyes as something began to take over her body that she couldn’t explain, causing her to writhe on the bed beneath him, feeling a fine sheen of sweat emerge against her thighs beneath the stockings.
Her open mouth came into contact with his skin, she hadn’t even known he was that close. Was it his mouth, his chin, his neck? She couldn’t open her eyes, she was too consumed by an intensity that refused to stay contained in her body. Blindly her mouth reached out again for the touch, lifting her neck off the bed, long strands of hair skimmed over her nose, right before she felt an unmistakable wetness against her nipple.
With a garbled gasp her back lurched off the bed, sending more of her breast into his mouth, teeth and lips soon accompanied the wetness. Angel used both of his hands pressing them against her shoulders to lay her back against the bed.
Unable to remain still as his mouth continued to suck and twist against her sensitive flesh Nina found herself almost cocooning under his touch; her legs bending until they were under his arms. Angel grabbed her thighs in both hands pushing them together until they were beneath him, his body weighed down, her shins molded by his chest and abdomen. He pressed down further as his head moved to the other nipple, his cool hair whispering over the newly exposed one. Nina whimpered helplessly as her nipple was held in a vise between his tongue and lower teeth.
He began sliding his tongue back and forth, sending lurching shivers over her. Her hands which had been up until then planted at her sides, promptly fisted the covers beneath her. Moaning, she twisted her head until her cheek hit the cover. A whimpering cry gasped from her mouth, her lids squeezed shut to the point of burning.
Her body shifted, jerking up, he was moving, still sucking her relentlessly, he’d released her thighs which were now open, and wrapping around his waist of their own doing. Angel’s whole body was on the bed, his strong thighs bent beneath her bottom, cradling her hips.
Nina cried out when his tongue began lightly twisting around her nipple, the tearing sound that accompanied it barely making it through her consciousness. She opened her eyes to see the bodice being ripped from her body, and cast over the bed.
The ceiling above them, with its wide chandelier light, became a blur as she became a puddle of flesh and bone under his skill. Her heaving sighs filled the room with the faint suckling noises his lips were making. Angel’s mouth vibrated with each warm breath he exhaled. His nose buried into the side of her breast as he continued lapping against her. Nina could feel the outline of his lips caressing her with fervent consistency.
Angel’s teeth created an oval over her as he sent his tongue up a straight line, the tip whipping over her nipple. Crying out her back arched dangerously off the bed and she grabbed the back of his neck, holding him to her. He only remained momentarily before lifting away, trying to catch her breath she refused to let go and was brought up to a sitting position with him.
From this position Nina felt an unmistakable male hardness that started at the apex of her legs and pressed against her stomach. The accompanying growth in the aching emptiness there brought forth a fear that couldn’t quite make it to the surface.
The world seemed more ethereal than tangible now, even the walls moved as if hands were beneath the paint, gently caressing the surface. She felt light, yet weighed down and in the still silence that followed, only their heavy breathing echoed and she dared to look at him. His hair was covering his face, which was slightly turned from her and cast in shadow. Each breath he took blew strands of hair away from his mouth. She tried to remove her hand from his neck, wanting to push back his hair, so she could count the flecks in eyes that weren’t so black, framed in thick spiky black lashes that probably felt like whispers against the skin.
Angel’s voice stopped her in mid movement. “I told you,” he leaned forward, and she wondered if he meant to punish her, “You can’t treat me like you do other men.”
Even as his words tingled her skin she pushed his hair back, dark eyes shifted to her lips, there was anger, in their depths and in his words. But something else was there, coiling in his eyes, in the slightest movement of his fingers at the small of her back She shifted her body, her thighs rubbing against his as she tried to enclose the nonexistent space between them, clamoring closer to his heat. Nina’s eyes slid shut when her nipples, still wet from his tongue, hit his shirt, she could feel them dampening the fabric. When her mouth sought out his, he turned his head.
Embarrassed, Nina pulled back, letting go of his neck, feeling coolness like a breeze from an open window, traveling between them. As she tried to free her thighs from him, he caught them under the knees.

**
Something bothered him about kissing her, perhaps deep down he knew if he did it would be something more. This was already too much. He had completely lost his mind to his lower half. When he felt cool hands against his cheeks their eyes never caught before he felt the lushness of her mouth against his. Surprise made him stiffen before languid desire wound its way through his blood, still for a moment he let her play over his mouth, teasing him with her lips, twisting her face as she tried to lure him into prying open his mouth.
He realized she could interpret it as him not returning her kiss, but he merely liked the way she felt, her pelvis lightly shifting over his hips, her mouth, gentle, persistent, and somehow if he could believe it … innocent.
Angel opened his mouth, sending his tongue between her lips, passed her teeth, to mingle with her tongue. The slight tremor that reverberated from her skin couldn’t be faked, and a fierce hunger deep inside him caused him to pull her closer. She continued holding his face even as he shifted them, purposely spreading her legs wider over him, knowing the indent of his erection against her was unmistakable. His mouth slipped off of hers feeling her tense, her back shifting beneath his hands from her gasp. Not pausing he began kissing and nipping her chin, the skin there just as soft as that on her breasts.
Lifting his face up, she said. “That feels … strange.”
“Strange how?” He asked, curious to watch her pick up the tethers of her game once more.
Nina swayed against him, plunging cold nipples into his chest, not far above Angel’s nipples, and he quickly bent his head in her hands hiding his grimace. “Hot.” She answered, fingertips grazing his beard.
“You smell like a horse.” The sudden giggling by his ear that followed caught him off guard. Raising a brow he stared up at her as her giggle morphed into a laugh that sent her head back, brown skin sheen with sweat absorbed his vision. The pulse that hit his cock was so intense he released her completely and she fell back on the bed, legs bent rolling over to her side.
When ages past and her laughter softened a bit she glanced at him from one eye. “Are you mad at me?”
Squinting, he had no answer for that as she continued. “I can’t tell, because you always look like that.”
“You think laughing and playing the fool is going to make me forget what you’ve done?” He pretended he wasn’t aware of the endless curving legs displayed before him.
Nina pondered his words, slowly a pout emerged on her face. “What have I done?”
“What haven’t you done is the real question.”
Lowering her lids drowsily Nina used her hand as a pillow as she lay cocooned before him. “I don’t … get, why you are so mad and so mean … then you touch me … it’s so soft… ”
Angel wound his jaw, he didn’t want to feel like her nipples were still imprinted on his chest, he didn’t want her posture to drive him insane, and make his fingers twitch with the desire to roam up each of her unfeasibly long legs, but he did.
So quietly, they regarded one another and the silence spoke for them; an emotional storm of anger, grief and unquenchable desire that had been building between them since they first met, that threatened to drown them both in its intensity.
Angel was so locked in her eyes that when Nina’s legs shifted he flinched. Instantly, he wanted to deny it to himself but she’d seen him.
She began crawling over to him on her hands and knees, the globes that made her breasts, bobbed with each movement. He was tempted to slide back off the bed to escape her, but he didn’t, more tempted by a look in her eyes that he’d never seen before, on any woman.
By the time she was directly in front of him, he could see the top of her head. His pants couldn’t make any more room for his erection, and threatened to burst at the seams.
Angel bit his lower lip.
When Nina’s cool nose began nuzzling his chest an urge to grab her head welled up inside him, but he tampered it down, opting to ride back on his haunches as flames lanced his skin.
“Don’t be mad Angel.” She whispered, her breath caressing the flat planes of his body. Nina’s hands cupped the sides of his torso, just below his under arms and began messaging down to his waist, simultaneously opening her mouth against his abdomen.
Angel hadn’t been ready for how it would feel, the contrast of heat and slickness deeply sipping over him. Instinctively his hands buried into her hair, tangling into the tiny plaits as her head shifted to his nipple. His stomach clenched, hard and painfully, and the stifled gasp that followed, shifted the whole room for him, in combination with the full lips sucking his skin into a vortex. The tip of her tongue, too soft and over wet slithered over him and he pushed her back, trying to inhale and exhale at the same time.
Wide eyes watched him, before looking down. “You’re mad again.”
He was, but mostly at himself for letting her get to him so easily. One touch? What was wrong with him?
“I’m not.” He answered.
Shaking her head, again he found her pouting. “You are, I can see it.”
“There’s a difference between being mad and wa-”
She waited for his answer.
Angel swore, an oath that he was giving away his soul and was on top of her, mouth to mouth, kissing her as he never had, as if he never would again. And she returned each touch, every caress, and then, he didn’t care who she had kissed before or let touch her, or where they were or his promise.
There was just heat and hushed breaths over the gentle smacking of their lips and tongues, and the squeak of the bed under their ever shifting weight.
Moving down to her neck, he basked in her warmth, nipping against her repeatedly with his mouth, unable to get enough. A growing pulse of vein on her neck drew his tongue’s attention and he skimmed up its length. The convulsions Nina made beneath him drew him to her face. With her head bent back, after a second or two giggling spent from her throat.
Angel’s hands were fisted by each of her shoulders to hold himself up. Hovering, above her he watched her until she laughed herself breathless.
“Y-you’re beard, it’s tickling me.” Slowly her heaving sighs subsided and a gentle stare down ensued. Angel noticed her eyes were glassy as her laughter died and somberness tugged her smile.
Cool hands scalded his cheeks.
“I’m not afraid of you Angel.”
The raspy whisper caught him off guard, so did the candor reflected in her face. He’d spent too many years reading expressions that gave away the thoughts of men. Never had he found the need to do so on a woman, one that dared seem childlike in that instance. He tried to banish that thought, forgetting this was no more than a game to her, and this was just one night, one moment, that he would play.
Leaning down he peered at her. “You should be.”
**

Nina had no idea what he meant, but she wanted him close to her again. The world seemed to cold without his touch. As she reached his shoulders, he moved too fast and escaped her grip. Languid laziness kept her from lifting her head, but she soon felt his hands on her hips sliding off her underwear. Caution tried to break through the hazy barrier of her thoughts but couldn’t.
Her {} were dragged down to her bent legs and a strong hand fisted the fabric between her open knees, bunching it tightly, locking her movement. Using the fabric as an anchor he pushed back until her thighs were on top of her breasts. Too late she realized the move lifted her pelvis off the bed exposing her bottom and every –
Nina’s air evaporated, oxygen unable to get in or out. Snapping her neck back, she couldn’t understand if she was making the sounds she heard. His mouth was on the most intimate part of her body, and his tongue was moving over her.
Unfamiliar spasms coiled and ravaged her senses, and her body was trying to push back, unable to cope with the persistent torture he was causing. Open jaw burning, she couldn’t close it, unrelenting screams kept recurring.
Angel’s mouth deepened against her and she pleaded with him over and over, her eyes squeezed shut while he buried his nose in the crevice of her thigh. Air tugged at her lips when his tongue began feathering down the entrance to her body. Each time he repeated the action he went deeper inside. When the tip tapped against her clit her eyes rolled back behind closed lids; resulting in her pushing back harder, whimpering as the struggle between them slid her slowly over across the bed.
Nina felt hot dew between her legs that she knew wasn’t coming from his mouth. It made her fell warm and empty at the same time, and all she knew was the primitive understanding that she wanted more. His other hand was on the small of her back, propping her up to him.
“Hh – hh -” Nina wheezed, bent into a C shape with his head buried between her legs, suckling, licking, messaging secret skin with merciless precision that made her feel a surreal numbness from the waist, even as his ministrations made her twitch and squirm beneath him.
With palms pressing across the sheets her fingertips hit what might have been his knee. Her arms, stretched to the limit beneath her could stretch no further to explore. Frustration and desire flamed against her face, she wanted to touch him. He shifted against the bed, the action causing her to move as well, gasping as his mouth followed, never missing a beat.
Nina began feeling lighter and lighter, as the shocks coming from him intensified. It hadn’t occurred to her that she could lift her arms up to him. As he buried his face further between her legs, she reached around her legs, slack fingers hitting his forearm, attached to a hand still wrapped tightly around her underwear.
She felt him slurping her flesh, a loud noise accompanied the vibrating combination of his lips, breath and tongue sucking her skin into the warm confines of his mouth.
“Je –je- I – OH!” Nina’s legs extended straight, until they hit the bed past her head. She was writhing her pelvis against his face and didn’t know it, but she felt him, follow even her smallest movement, his nose hitting her inner thighs as his face twisted, creating new sensations to make her cry out. His tongue snaked out, once more, caressing the secret canyons of her body, nibbling on a tautness that was more sensitive than the rest of her body. He pulled it between his lips, and the pressured friction was too much, she could feel her skin tingling and was aware that her legs were trembling as his face made a see saw motion between her legs.
A horse sound was his name when he lifted his face from her. She couldn’t see or feel anything but wet concentrated throbbing, as the world went upside down. Still fisting her underwear, he let pulled her limp legs down from her chest. Nina’s vision only allowed a blurred silhouette of him, barely registering her stocking covered feet hit the covers. With a twist of his wrist she was on her stomach, never having caught her breath.
Nina’s eyelids shut, burying the side of her face into the soft blanket, enjoying the lushness against her electrified skin. Was she moving against the fabric or was it moving against her?
Tight coils began shifting down her legs, her underwear, she realized after a moment, not moving her head one inch, breathing heavily into the bed. Before fully aware that she was completely naked, except for the stockings she was being dragged back on the bed.
Panting, a dazed, wobbly Nina realized she was being stood up. Her legs weren’t quick to comply though. “I can’t – I can’t.” She breathed, instinctively reaching back to him for support. Her head fell forward, and the rest her body would have followed if Angel didn’t grab her waist. The motion pressed her bottom against the front of his lower half, and the backs of her legs tingled with the overbearing heat he emitted.
Palms jutted out to stop her top half from falling forward, again a sting came to one of her wrists. She started to laugh again, thinking how weird and clumsy she was. And when she turned back to tell him that, their feet became entangled, his eyes widened at her and she watched as he hit the ground with the harsh thud such a sizable man would make.
**

“What the hell?” Angel could barely believe he was on the ground, his voice and expression must have revealed that. Hearing her laughter he looked up, there she was, the woman he had been wondering about that day in the barn, what the gold dress would look like completely off, as he stared openly at everything in front of him, he was breathless from more than the unexpected fall.
Nina pushed her hair back as a fluttery giggle chorused from her mouth. “You’re a moron.”
He cut his eyes away. “Y-you tripped me.”
Air shoved out his diaphragm and his spine curled upward from the sudden weight dropped on his waist. Despite what already occurred between them for the night, his eyes widened he saw her legs astride his waist; her face echoing an innocent curiosity tinged with sensuality.
“How do you make me feel like that?” Nina inquired, leaning forward over his chest.
Angel felt his chest constrict oddly, adjusted to her weight he couldn’t think of a logical reason that it happened. “I’m sure you’ve felt it before.” He snapped, not looking at her.
She shook her head, causing the tips of her braids to flutter of his navel. “No! No … men don’t touch me like that. What was that?”
The interest appeared genuine, to his unease, was he slipping at reading people … or was she telling the truth.
“Men don’t touch you like that?” His nose flared, and he motioned to sit up. “All right, get up.”
“No.” He continued to move and she pushed him back down until both his shoulders hit the rug, his third surprise for the night.
Hands curled around his shoulders, she eyed him directly, it reminded him of a child’s seriousness, her lowered eyebrows, slight pout in her lip. Not that he didn’t take her seriously, he just found it strange, he’d seen Nina give looks that would send most men for the hills or a gun.
When she began to speak, it wasn’t English, some strange words he’d never heard before, in an accent he didn’t recognize. When he tried to sit up again, she lowered his mouth to the pulse of her throat. He cursed, and his back hit the rug again with no more coercion than that simple touch.
“Your skin is so soft here.” Her voice deeper now, made him glance down, only to see the top of her head. “Your hearts beating faster … can you feel mine?”
She was so close her skin became his skin, but he wouldn’t answer her. He was too busy concentrating on the furtive heartbeat echoing his own. Then there was the simultaneous throbbing of his cock, which he tried so vainly to ignore, that was now a hairs breath away from what he had wanted since … he’d first laid eyes on her.
He sat up, and no determination on her part, including her soft protest would get him to do otherwise. He stood to his full height, and with her leaning against him, carried her by her waist across the room.
Nina’s large brown eyes carried surprise. “You never let me touch you.” Her dangling toes scraped the ground before he reached his destination; a high backed antique chair covered with pink satin with thin cherry wood armrests on either side.
Angel let her go, for a moment she stood before she veered back, and he made sure her bottom hit the chair soundly, instead of the floor.
“That’s because I’m not done touching you.”
Taking her left calf, he swung her leg until it was over the armrest; he mimicked the motion with her right leg. The soft lifting and lowering of her stomach signaled her breathing change. “Are you gonna touch me there again?” She didn’t attempt to hide the burgeoning smile.
Angel got down on his knees in front of there, gaze roaming over her silhouette. “Say you want me to.” Before she could answer, his mouth was between her breasts, cheeks pressed between the two delicious mounds, as he made his way down he heard her answer.
“I want you to.” She whispered. “I want you to.”
He pushed his hands, palms up, between the satin and her ass. Cupping the ample flesh with his hands he slid her forward, until her pelvis was on the edge of the chair. Open mouthed, he lapped at her skin one more time before pulling back to look at her.
With a lop-sided grin she reached forward, fisting locks of his hair in each hand. Giggling she pulled him forward by his hair until his mouth was nestled firmly against her pussy. Laughter gave way to a yelp, immediate followed by breathy sighs as he began exploring her contours again, in what began as an intimate kiss. While he tongued her entrance he felt her hands feather through his hair, wrapping around his skull, pushing him forward so that his mouth would go deeper.
He took that to mean she wasn’t getting enough, so he decided to give it to her.
He turned his head sideways, and stuck his tongue into her as deep as it would go, and it became drenched in the sweetness of her body. He circled it around, feeling her arch back in the chair, screaming. Angel continued, while Nina scratched her nails into his scalp. Velvet wetness dragged over her slit one last time before he straightened to concentrate on the erect nub pulsing from her body.
Pulling it between his lips he began slurping gently on her clit, causing her to buck up toward him, a cross between moan and sigh splitting the air. He dipped his face closer to her each time her pelvis tilted, and his voice vibrated against her wetness as the frequency quickened. One of her hands yanked away as she screamed and he squeezed her ass with both hands when she threatened to leap out of his reach.
“Oh God. Oh God!” Angel’s tongue swept over her clit a final time before the other hand left his hair. He opened his eyes to see Nina’s arms pressed together against her chest, her chin buried on top fisted hands. In a split second everything shifted, and she screamed again, he realized one of the arms of the chair had given way under their pressure. Nina remained in the same posture from the neck up, as if she’d barely noticed. Desire rushed back over him when he felt her move her now free thigh against his face.
Caressing it against his beard stubble his head gently followed the movement before the female scent that added fire to his body sent his mouth back to her once more. As her thigh muscle quivered against the side of his face it was all he could do to keep from coming, all the while making sure she did, his tongue weighting pressure against her clit, creating lightning friction back and forth.
A garbled cry sent her body up and her head back over the head of the chair.
…back and forth.
The chair began to tilt back onto its hind legs.
She screamed his name hoarsely as the chair hit the ground, with Angel still kissing at her quivering flesh, once again propped up by his hand while Nina writhed beneath him, her back on axis.

2008-02-17T12:28:00.002-05:00

oh god i know i am in trouble... another one of my hiatus' I get so lazy, but if I post what I have now you guys are Gonna be so pissed at me ... well more so

ok i will work on finishing this scene and will post it monday morning, I am off school I swear it will be up

oh and also, I kept forgetting among other thing...I will post a pic of me as soon as I hit my goal weight, which will be before my bday

rach

2008-01-24T03:32:00.000-05:00

Hi, I know I am late, but you all know me, for the record its 330 am eastern time and I am going to work on it, I will have it up by absolute latest saturday

Rachel

2008-01-13T15:38:00.000-05:00

Hi all, yes I will be putting up one more excerpt from Someone this week, so come back!

lol, a picture of me from 1987, I think this is the first pic of myself I have ever put on the net

weird ...

2007-12-29T13:18:00.001-05:00

*guy of the day, Australian hotness Travis Fimmel

okay my email is xiaural@aol.com

2007 is finally coming to a close, it has been a long year for me, lotta highs lotta lows... but as they say everyday is another chance to start over again. my dear Marie Rochelle seems determined to get me to submit something to RedRose publishing, I fear soon gun threats will be involved. As for the Nineteen sequel... you think so? I will go back over it and take a look before I start working on the other half.

2007-12-15T14:44:00.000-05:00

oh my goodness, I feel almost ashamed to post .... no i do feel ashamed. I am a bad writer .... really, no jokes. I am sooooooooooooo SORRY at how I have been. You guys really are great to me, and I know I have said that before but I mean really, you guys have been sulking around with my crap since venus press and I don't know what to say. First off, school has been crazy ... long and crazy and almost over. I am a procrastinator Gee couldn't you tell? So I put off everything, including posting here, for those of whom I haven't emailed I have just been going through like this ... I don't know, hopefully a turning point in my life, hopefully it will wind up as that ... for a while though its just been like me barely making it through the day ... due to laziness, not all out depression.
On the writing front there has been nill, I haven't written in so long i literally had to go back over my work to see right where the hell i left off. I know I promised a free read of some sorts so here is a treat for those that have read Nineteen (if you haven't, it was a 3some novella i did that was published at Venus Press, the first part currently has no home:( apparently it is too sleazy even for erotic romance pubs, go fig. As for Once is Never Enough, good lord B I have run out of excuses ..
so glad you are devoted to seeing it come out, I am on like page 220 with it and I want it to be like 300 pages or so if you really want to read what i havent posted feel free to email me, I'll send you what I've got ... what's sick though is I know exactly how it ends, I just have to cut a vein and write it. Someone to watch Over Me, is going to be so painful for me to write now since i met this guy at my school that reminds me of Angel so much i want to scream and then jump his bones, but that would be impossible , cause my life just ain't Foreign Exchange ... thanks for your support of that story, which most likely is going to be re written a bit, Tequila Sunrise is definitely getting re written, that story was just wacky, it had promise but I just didn't do what I had originally intended with it. I VOW to post more, even if its just checking in. Thank you all:)
Rachel Cade

The Interlude

By Rachel Cade

Asia Bingham relaxed quietly on the couch as her husband packed his bags in their bedroom. It was a Saturday night after all, wasn’t that appropriate? As she absently twirled her wedding ring around her finger she couldn’t help but seen jade green eyes, then blue, across from her was a leather chair she had just occupied with not one but two

nineteen year old boys the previous day. The details of that evening caused her to cross her still sore legs, one thigh over the other. If Richard had known what she’d done he probably would have killed her, in fact there was no ‘probably’ to it.

The thought scared her as much as she found it exhilarating. Perhaps she couldn’t admit that to herself before, paranoia at the idea of being caught occupied most of her thoughts, sending sweat to her brow. Now though, crime reasonably covered, all she could think of was the two of them. How could two teenagers fulfill more of her sexual desires in one afternoon than her husband had in all the time they’d been married?

Did age have something to do with it? Or had it just been plain old enthusiasm? And

had they been enthusiastic! Asia sighed at the thought that was too vivid to be considered a memory.

Earlier in the day

Zack was dead to the world. He was snoring loudly, spread eagle across the mattress in the one bedroom he shared with four other people. He didn’t budge the first time the mattress was kicked, the second time he merely turned over as if the kick that rocked the mattress was a mother’s gentle rocking. The third, harshest time, a swear murmured from his lips as his head turned lazily toward the disturbance. He cracked open one eye. “What the fuck?”

Travis had his arms folded, and feared with his frown that he probably looked like his father. Quickly he dropped his arms. “It’s twelve o’clock asshole, that’s ‘what the fuck’.”

Zack turned over. “Who gives a shit? I’m tired man, leave me alone.”

Travis moved over to where Zack faced. He harshly plopped down, promising himself he would get the money to buy a box spring this week. Roaches lived better than they did.

“We have work, in like an hour. Shouldn’t we go out and make sure your shitty pick up will actually start, and get us there?”

Zack agreed with a vague murmur, then proceeded to fall back to sleep.

“I wanted to talk to you to.” Travis added in a low voice, “before Andy an’ ‘em get back.” He paused. “Zack … Zack?”

Gritting his teeth Zack bolted up, eyes burning he yelled. “What?”

Travis licked his mouth. “Well, I wanted to talk to you about yesterday.”

“What about yesterday?” He tried to keep his eyes open, then started rubbing them.

“Well,” When Zack looked up Travis’ cheeks were flushed a bit. “we did have a threesome with a married woman.”

Zack nodded. “And it was the coolest thing ever, what’s your point?”

Travis shifted, at the moment he looked more fifteen. “She did make us kiss.”

“Oh God. Why are you even repeating that? Is this a gay confession?”

Travis sucked his teeth. “Fuck off.”

“I know I look good, and it’s hard for you to resist but I don’t plan on being friends with you, in that way.”

“You want me to punch you?”

“You brought it up? So if you’re not gay, surprise, then what’s this about?”

Travis stared at him before sighing, shaking his head, looking away. “Hell, I don’t know … I mean …what happens now?”

“What do you mean ‘what happens now?’ I don’t know. Pornos didn’t show us what to do with a woman afterwards. Just give me five more minutes.” With that he fell back to the bed, turning in the opposite direction.

“You just gotta be a jerk huh?” Travis shook his head. “I wanna see her again.” He added quietly.

Zack turned his back, impaling him with light green eyes. “What? Uh uh. Do you remember the part when we were in the truck and I told you that was some ‘once in a lifetime’ shit? I wasn’t saying that ‘cause it was a good way to end the story. I meant it.

You saw her husband, that dude is straight mob. I don’t plan on gettin’ my head crushed

by a vise over pussy, no matter how good it was.”

“He’s not mob, stop being ridiculous.”

“The fuck he is. He’s friends with Jimmy. Jimmy’s mob.”

“So then you’re scared of her husband? That’s what it is about you Zack, you’re all fuckin’ mouth. You acted like you weren’t scared of her husband and you’re callin’ him all kinds of names, but now you wanna punk out.”

“Fuck you, you don’t know shit.”

“I do know shit, I know you.”

“Oooh.”

“All right tough guy, go to her house right now. Tell her husband what happened, tell him you fucked his wife better than he could. You want my keys?”

Travis frowned. “I wouldn’t do that, because I wouldn’t want her to get in trouble.”

“You wouldn’t do it because you don’t want to end up rotting in a barrel.”

“You knew all this shit when you followed her in the house and kissed her. Where was the fear and common sense then?”

“That was impulsive … and it was stupid. If I had to do it over I wouldn’t have.”

“Bullshit … you wanted her just as bad as I did.”

Travis was satisfied with the silence that hung in the air afterward.

“And that will be the last time I let my cock rule my head.”

Travis felt his stomach clench, the laughter that followed was seemingly endless. After several minutes of eye rolling Zack shouted at him to shut up.

“I don’t think we should tell the other guys about this.” Zack finally opted to get out of bed.

“I don’t think so either.”

Contrary to popular opinion, men adored gossip just as much as women, and since they all traveled in the same circles of friends and worked for the same ominous Jimmy, it was best they kept this info to themselves.

Travis decided not to mention anything else about the situation with Asia to Zack.

Unfortunately he did have to agree with Zack about Asia’s husband. It definitely put a giant thorn covered monkey wrench into having anything else with her, aside from the one-time threesome thing. He couldn’t even believe he was thinking that. It had been something that had actually happened. A threesome; him, Zack and a married woman,

an extraordinarily beautiful woman, but married nonetheless. His mother, a devout Christian, would be on a plane and in Los Angeles so fast, they would have thought God himself had teleported her.

He shook his head as he and Zack arrived at work. Now they were going to spend a gorgeous Saturday waiting tables at Nero’s an upscale new restaurant that obviously didn’t do extensive background checks (since they hired them).

Travis had cleared his last table before his break and came back to the kitchen looking flustered. Zack was talking to the chef, goofing off as usual.

“What’s wrong with you?” His friend asked, spotting him.

“This older woman just pinched my ass.”

“What?”

Travis placed the dishes among the pile near the sink. “She pinched me. I’m not kidding.” He hated the smirk on his friend’s lips.

“Did she tip you at least?”

“This isn’t a joke.”

“You’re right. It’s sexual harassment,” Lana, a medium height brunette with flawless skin passed by with a tray of artfully decorated pastries. “but that’s what you get for having such an amazing ass.”

“Ha ha.” Travis squinted at her.

“So you feel violated now?”

“Why’d she do that? I don’t get it.” Travis shook his head.

Eduardo, the cook, glanced up from the stove. “You damned country bumpkins, she thinks you’re hot. You’d make a hell of a lot more money as an escort than you would here.”

Zack’s eyes widened. “Yes! And I could be your pimp.” Travis groaned. “You could satisfy all the lonely bored women of L.A. with those bright baby blues and your lucky cowboy hat charm, not to mention the man-meat.”

“Yes, but after so many of my customers begging to know who the green-eyed grumpy asshole is, you have no choice but to join in. You have plenty to offer too, spiky brown hair, scraggly ‘Gosh does this make me older’ goatee, boy bandesque hoop earrings, the fact that you dig chicks who wear strap ons and know how to use it.”

“Will you two stop goofing off?”

The sound of the manager’s voice sent them their separate ways. Travis grabbed a tray of rabbit food he guessed was for a bunch of models and went outside to deliver it.

He got to a table near the window and smiled at the table of woman. As he laid their plates out after saying the contents the woman amongst the three, turned her head, he almost dropped the plate in his hand.

“Ay – Avacado salad, ma’am.”

“Oh don’t call me ma’am.” The woman leaned forward, resting her elbow on the table. “I’m way too young to be a ‘ma’am’”.

Travis smiled. “My apologies.”

“Where are you from?” Another lady at the table asked.

“Um, Austin, Texas.”

“Austin Texas.” The first woman repeated. “Tell us something Austin, are all things bigger in Texas?”

The whole table giggled, he knew it was because his cheeks had turned red. Everyone except the woman he was trying so damned hard not to stare at: Asia Bingham. He glanced at her as subtly as possible. She was wearing white, the sunlight filtered through her hair making it burn with a reddish hue. Surprise marred her eyes, but she said nothing, lowering her eyes to the table.

Travis tried to smile at her.

“What are you doing out here, all the way from there?” The second woman asked.

“Let me guess,” the first woman’s eyes roamed down his torso, “modeling.”

He shook his head, hoping he didn’t turn redder. “Oh no, I’m not modeling material.”

“Oooh, cute and modest. What do you think Asia?”

Her eyes lifted. Travis’ held his breath, a thought came to him to make a quick exit at this point but he refrained. What did Asia think?

A knowing look came over features, dark eyes became shrewd as she assessed him,

Her lips parted slightly before she said, “I think – I think you need to stop wasting this young man’s time. He’s at work.” She added, laughing half heartedly.

A collective groan chorused among her companions after that, Travis gave a brief nod and turned, leaving them.

“Damn, damn, damn. Where did a white boy get an ass like that?” Brandy said, in a not so subtle tone.

“He was fine.” Tonya agreed.

Asia nursed her drink, regardless of the fact that Travis was now out of her sights, his eyes, his body, his voice were still implanted deeply in her mind. Had Tonya seen? Had Brandy? Could they hear her heartbeat triple at the sight of him? Because her heart beat had tripled, in fact it was slam dunking in her chest at that very moment.

Brandy and Tonya started to dig in. Asia glanced at her plate several times, and then began to scoot her chair back. “I’m going to the ladies room, I’ll be right back.”

She weeded through the sea of full tables that littered the restaurant, as she headed toward the bathroom, it would have been simpler to walk around the edge but she hadn’t been thinking that clearly.

The bathroom was thankfully empty. Rushing cold water on her face, yet careful not to demolish her artfully applied makeup she tried to get her composure. She stared at her reflection, her mind muddled with blue eyes they were cloudy yet clear.

Taking a deep breath she left the bathroom. She was going to go back to her table when she found herself standing against the wall, waiting. Several people came in and out of the kitchen, so busy they barely acknowledged her. After a few minutes, he emerged, he’d pulled his curly blond ringlets back into a ponytail. It took him only a second to spot her. She offered him a lopsided smile.

“Hi.” She said with an unnecessarily wide wave of her hand.

“Hey.” His eyes were wide, mentally checking himself he adjusted them. “Wh – what are you doing back here?”

“Going to the bathroom.” She thumbed behind her.

“Oh.” He cleared his throat. “Of course. I uh, you look very nice.”

The smile she gave him was more genuine. “Thank you.” The white shirt molded against his shoulders, shoulders too wide for a nineteen year old. “I, you know, I wanted to apologize about my friends, that was Brandy … and she’s well, always like that.”

He nodded. “Yeah I know what you mean. At least she was gracious enough not to pinch me … that hurts.”

Her eyes squinted. “Somebody pinched you?”

“Well, well. If it isn’t Mrs. Asia Bingham.”

She froze at the sound of the voice. “Look Travis, it’s Mrs. Bingham.”

Not turning she closed her eyes. “Could you not call me that?” She said lowly.

“Why not?” Zack asked. “Isn’t that you’re name?”

How close was he behind her?

“What on Earth are you doing back here?” Zack’s sarcasm lifted through the air, while she stared at Travis who appeared even wearier than before at his friend’s arrival. “This area’s reserved for the servants and the wage slaves.”

“I was just-” She didn’t finish, the next thing she knew she was being pushed forward by Zack’s body – straight toward Travis. With a quick turn of a corner they were in a darkened hallway.

Gasping Asia’s eyes locked with Travis’, her breasts pushed hard against his chest as she was sandwiched between the two of them.

Travis was just as caught off guard, glancing beyond her he started to protest. “Zack you ca -”

He pushed harder, knocking her face into Travis chest. He wasn’t wearing cologne. He didn’t need it. He smelled like a man, muscle, tendons the faintest scent of aftershave. With her nose buried in his breast plate she turned her head from one side, then the other, infusing her nose with that scent. It didn’t occur to her what she was doing until she looked up, Travis was staring down at her. She planned to try to back away but Zack was at her back. Blue eyes were marred with surprise, it quickly gave way to heat that boiled from his eyes on down, because he licked his mouth suddenly.

“Aww.” Zack’s mouth was by her ear, his body, just as hard, molded against the curve of her back. “I think he wants to kiss you.”

“Zack would you stop.” Travis pleaded, glancing from her again. When he looked back at her there was an urgency in his eyes that made her heart quiver. Heat was lancing through her as if someone was taking a brand to her body, over and over.

A hand moved passed her head, it was Zack’s, he planted it on the wall near Travis’ head. “Are you going to stand there and lie, to both of us?”

Travis’ eyes darted to the left and right. “Just go on and admit it.” Zack urged in a low voice. People could be heard going into the bathroom, they were undetectable off the hall.

Asia could feel Zack’s cock growing behind her, his breath was on her neck. He hadn’t touched her with his hands, and she couldn’t see him, but he was definitely there.

Zack began to tap his fingers against the wall. “Hmph, I think Travis is having a little trouble getting in touch with his emotions.”

“You’re not going to admit it then?”

Travis opened his mouth to respond, only a stutter came out. Asia hated to admit it but she was also waiting. Zack made a disgusted sound, dropping his hand from the wall. The next thing she knew it was feathering through her hair. It slicked through down to her nape wrapping his hand around her hair he pulled it slightly, her neck bent and her breath caught, she grasped at Travis’ shoulders.”

“Zack what the hell are you doing?” Travis ground out, she felt him tense up, glancing down into her face, she knew what he saw. Her lips were parted, as his friend held her head back. Against her stomach she felt him harden, swallowing she began to feel the small confined space began to turn and shift.

Gently Travis reached up, cupping each side of her face with his hands. His eyes searched hers, a slight redness smattered his cheeks. “You like what he does?” He murmured. Zack’s fingers combed through her hair, tilted it farther only a fraction she resisted, and so did he. His cock moved over the small of her back. “Ju – just kiss me, Travis.” Her harsh whisper pleaded.

His eyes narrowed, his lips parted slightly as air filtered through his teeth. She felt the pads of his thumbs press into her cheeks. Tilting his head, Travis’ mouth moved toward hers. Asia let her eyes slide closed, the sound of a deep voice unfamiliar made her jump, her eyes snapping open.

Zack and Travis lurched in response, Zack’s grip lessening on her hair, wide eyed she shook her head out of Travis’ grip. “I have to go.”

“Wh -” Travis snapped his mouth shut pulling in both lips, nodding quickly in agreement.

She moved to slide out of her confinement, feeling the planes of two different male bodies [] over her made her knees liquefy. Holding her breath, she shut her eyes, wishing the pulsing would cease from her nipples and in between her thighs.

Once she was free she exhaled, trying to regain her composure she lifted a leg to stride away, hopefully nonchalantly. Something halted her, causing her to stumble. Her head snapped back to see Zack had curled a finger under her miniskirt.

Creamy green eyes lanced at hers, an amused gleam radiated through them. The corner of his plush mouth lifting in the corner, a slow primitive grin followed, making her eyes widen as she felt his arm lift, shifting her already barely there skirt up her legs.

“What are you doing?” Her whisper was frantic as she grasped at his hand, her head whipping around her. “Stop it!”

A gentle laugh followed, bobbing his Adam’s apple and she noticed hair stubbles darkening his chin. His eyes lowered to her body, his lashes were so thick they shadowed the jade orbs of his eyes, from the deep arches of his brow, to the point in his chin, he was devilishly beautiful.

He let go.

She stumbled back, Travis turned the corner and both of them were staring at her. As cool air hit her crotch she realized what had happened, pulling the dress down on each side she tried to catch her breath. Turning quickly she tried to adjust herself, and all but ran away from the two well over six feet predators behind her.

When she was out of sight, Travis glared at Zack, who scoffed. “What?”

“What do you mean what?”

“What the hell was all that?”

Zack pulled the cigarette from behind his ear and popped it into his mouth. “The hell are you getting your panties in a twist for? I had her on a platter for you, why didn’t you kiss her?”

Before he’d finished Travis had snatched the cigarette out of his mouth and crushed it with his fist. “You can’t smoke in here.”

“Good fuckin’ grief.” Zack stared of in the direction Travis threw the butt. “I just beat that off Eduardo.”

“I’m gonna go apologize.” Travis began walking away.

Behind him he heard Zack hiss. “You gonna offer to wash her feet too?”

As Travis got toward the lobby he spotted her. “Mrs. B -”

She raised her arms. “Honey.” She spoke in a high voice. Richard Bingham came into view, hugging his wife, his hands running down her back to mold against her ass. Travis heart seized in his chest and he rushed behind the large plant to his right that he promptly thanked his guardian angel for.

“What are you doing here?” She asked.

Travis wanted to know as well. “I was having lunch with Jimmy when I saw uh, what’s her name, Brandy, knew you weren’t far behind.” He kneaded her butt as he spoke and Travis couldn’t stop himself from setting his jaw.

“Oh!” Asia laughed lightly. “Well, this is just such a surprise.”

Travis agreed.

“Why?” Richard asked. Travis tried to listen he dared to move a leaf back on the plant as he crouched down further. “You don’t want to see your husband?”

“What?” Asia cleared her throat slightly. “No, why on Earth would you say something like that?”

“The fuck did she go?” voice hindered Travis’ eavesdropping irritating him. To his left he spotted Zack, who was just about to pass him. He reached up from the plant almost clothes lining his best friend, dragging him behind the plant.

“The fuck?” Zack wheezed out. Travis pointed through the plant.

“Bingham.” He relaxed his grip, And Zack slapped his arm away.

Richard laughed at something she said, kissing her quickly on the mouth. “Look at that dead fuck.” Zack sneered, shaking his head. He glanced back at Travis. “Even this fool can manage to kiss her.”

“She’s his wife!” Travis countered in a high hush.

Asia and Richard walked off, leaving Zack and Travis behind the plant.

“Do you two get paid to goof off, because every time I look around you are!” They jumped away from the plant at the sound of the manager’s nasal reprimand. “Especially you!” He pointed at Zack. “Would it kill you to where your pants like a normal citizen, Bainbridge? These people expect to be waited on by waiters, not Eminem.”

Travis took off to the kitchen, biting both his lips.

Later in the afternoon Zack found Travis outside sitting alone at a plastic patio table behind the restaurant. He was drinking Crush soda from the can. “What are you doing out here?” He asked sitting down across from him.

“Taking my break, a legitimate one.” Travis added.

“Whatever.” The sun was baking as usual, Zack couldn’t remember the last time it rained, and he was thankful for the umbrella that shaded them.

“Shouldn’t you get back inside? You had like four tables when I left.”

“What’s your problem, are you vying for the position of new asshole manager?”

“My problem is you’re always fuckin’ up everything!”

Zack rolled his eyes. “What – what did I do now?” Travis didn’t answer. “Are you talkin’ about the shit with Asia?”

Travis tilted his head at him. “Oh come on man, if anybody fucked that shit up it was you.”

Travis pulled his hair out of ponytail, he scratched at the back of his head until the curls spilled around his face. “I don’t understand why you act like that with girls, ever since we were in elementary school.”

Zack’s irritation grew. “Look, she liked it. Just about all of them like it.”

Travis leaned forward, keeping his voice low. “Getting pulled and grabbed? I don’t think so.”

“That’s cause you’re not supposed to think, you just do.”

His friend rolled his eyes. “Allow me to stress my point.” Zack began, as he lit another cigarette, acquired from an anonymous jacket in the coat check room. “Remember ‘The Breakfast Club’?”

Rolling his eyes Travis answered. “Yeah, we’ve seen it like a hundred times.”

“Ok, well, take yours truly, with art imitating life, I would be [] Judd Nelson’s character.”

“The asshole with the sad background, gotcha.” Travis’ voice held no humor.

“And do you know who you would be?”

He allowed his friend time to think. “Emeli -”

“No. You would be [] a.k.a. Anthony Michael Hall. The nerd who doesn’t come close to scoring for the entire picture.”

“This is funny because whenever I’m with you, I always feel like I’m in an after school special.”

Zack ignored the swipe, vowing to spit in his Crush when he wasn’t looking. “The whole point of this lecture is that when you want someone you go for it. Don’t think. Now if you’d been previously following my teachings you and Asia would have had some serious make out time earlier.”

Travis narrowed his eyes at him, the word ‘bullshit’ seemed poised to emerge from his mouth. “Now I realize that ‘living instinctual’ is a hard concept for you to grasp. You wanna try to be the nice guy.” Zack sighed heavily. “I guess I can’t hold it against you, you are blond after all.”

“You keep playing caveman with women, and one of these days one of ‘em is going to stick their stiletto in your nuts.”

Travis got up, leaving him there. Zack sat for a moment by himself, then smiling he reached over for Travis Crush, happiness was short lived, the can was empty, and he slammed it back down on the table.

Asia could do nothing but pray no visible sweat showed against her brow as she dined with her husband and two friends. All the while she ate she could nothing but think of them, the whole lunch consisted of chewing, squirming her legs together under the table and pretending to participate in the conversation. Her nipples still felt like they were pressed against Travis’ chest and it was as if the imprint of two stiff cocks were imbedded against her stomach and back respectively.

The roots of her hair still tingled from Zack’s hand, she bit down on her fork, making a noise and drawing her companions unwanted attention.

“Wow Asia, done already?” Brandy asked. “You must’ve been hungry.”

Richard continued to eat, and when his hand ran up her leg until his fingertips settled between her thighs she trembled.

“Where are you headed?”

“Going over to the building site with Jimmy.” Richard said as they were all leaving the building.

“I’ll go with you.” Asia offered.

Her husband gave her a skeptical look. “What for?”

“Wait I thought we were going shopping?” Brandy questioned.

“I know.” Asia snaked her arm around Richard’s. “I just wanted to spend a little time with my husband.”

He shook his head. “You don’t want to spend an afternoon at some dirty construction site.”

“Oh come on honey.” Asia tugged at his arm. “Let me go with you.”

She pouted her lips, pressing her breast against his arm for good measure.

Richard’s arm tensed, then he glanced at Jimmy. “Women.”

They ended up at [], where bulldozers and various men in hard hats patrolled the dusty grounds. The scene combined with the heat wasn’t favorable for a woman wearing white. There was a small trailer on the outskirts of the site that housed Jimmy’s business office. Asia made a beeline for it as soon as her husband got distracted.

Once inside, she sighed, giving thanks to whoever invented air conditioning and removed her sunglasses.

Jimmy’s office was simple, and a bit disheveled. It smelled like coffee and greasy breakfast, she wrinkled her nose and went to sit behind his desk. Glancing through the blinds she saw no one coming, and shut them promptly.

Turning on Jimmy’s computer, she had to wipe the cobwebs from her brain from her data entry days and swept though the computer files, searching for the human resources files. Once she found them she got access to the employee records.

The information was listed in alphabetical order and Zachary Bainbridge was listed first. Asia’s lip gave way to a wry smile. “Zachary.” She mumbled.

Back to that night …

Richard leaned over the couch where Asia was laying. “You watching ‘Waiting to Exhale’ again?”

“I like this movie.” Asia said, not averting her eyes from the screen as he bent to kiss her cheek.

“I’m gonna head off, come walk me to the door.”

Asia got up, adjusting her robe. “I should be back sometime next week. I’ll call.”

She nodded. “Have a safe trip.” He kissed her mouth, nibbling her lower lip.

When he pulled away she smiled.

Richard’s car pulled off as he departed for LAX.

Asia went back over to the couch and lay down. She continued watching the movie, for about ten minutes. Sitting up, she began tapping her foot, a long sigh followed. Staring at the screen she said. “All right Bernadine, let’s go.”

Going to her closet she found herself with the rare and unfortunate predicament of not knowing what to wear. She plunged through the walk in closet, passing up designer name after designer name, surprising herself by even passing up the fabulous Nina Ricci skirt she’d bought a few months before.

When she finally emerged from her closet, dressed, she felt different, and she’d certainly looked different in the mirror. But it would do nicely.

She wound up in [], a part of L.A. she hadn’t been to in a long time. Sirens were wailing in the distance, the stone building she parked in front of was desolate. She parked behind a ratty blue pickup, looking around her before she got out.

She set the alarm on her car with the keys, a soft summer breeze skimmed across her skin as she headed inside the building.

“Apartment twelve.” She murmured quietly. She headed up a narrow staircase, that wasn’t very well lit. Her heart was beating faster the closer she got.

The pungent smell of marijuana smoke hit her nose, the low mumble of multiple T.V. stations filtered through the walls. Apartment twelve was at the end of the first hall, she could hear rock music playing behind the door.

She knocked once. No one answered. She knocked again, louder.

There was shuffling, and the music shut off.

“Do you think it’s Briether for the rent?”

“Tell him we don’t fuckin have it.”

“You tell him!”

Asia couldn’t differentiate the voices, her face was quizzical when the door whipped open. A tall thin young man with a chock of scraggly red hair answered the door. He appeared puzzled by her presence. “W- we don’t have the rent.”

Her mouth opened to answer and she glanced beyond him. “I’m – I’m not here to about your rent.”

“Well, what are you here for?”

She took a deep breath. “I’m here to see Travis” she paused, “and Zack.”

“What?” His voice cracked slightly and his eyes reflected surprise.

Just then one of the objects of her visit came from the kitchen. Travis was delightfully shirtless, eating cereal after eight. He didn’t notice her at first, he did when he was bringing the spoon to his mouth. He stopped abruptly, what looked like Fruity Pebbles and milk sloshed over the side of the bowl.

The redhead moved aside. “Uh, she said she’s here to see you … and Zack.”

Asia waved wide, stepping into the threshold. “Hello.”

Two other guys she noticed now were on the couch, the room was filled with silence, and she felt completely awkward.

Travis stared at her, he just stared and couldn’t stop. She was in there, right there! She was wearing a tight white t shirt with a strapless bra underneath, the shirt stopped just above her navel, where a patch of brown skinned teased before disappearing behind the most perfect pair of faded low rise jeans ever created by man. And he would have traded places with them in an instant. Her hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, and her face was free of makeup.

“Hi Travis.”

“Hi.” He realized only after his mouth was still full of cereal, and promptly swallowed it, just short of chunking on the un chewed hunk as he forced it down his throat.

Andy gave him a look. So did Seth and Jinn from the couch. “You came for m-me and, I mean to see me and Zack?” He asked quickly, trying to appear normal, whatever that was, as he clutched the cereal bowl to his chest.

She nodded. “Yes.”

He continued to stare, then he said. “I – I’ll go get him.”

Zack was in the shower. Travis walked down the short hall and all but burst through the door shutting it behind him. “Get out! Zack hollered, no one’s takin’ a shit during my shower!”

Travis tossed the bowl of cereal into the sick, not caring where it spilled. He put his hands on his hips catching his breath and trying to put his thoughts together as the shower water ran. “You … you aren’t gonna believe this.”

“I can’t get an ounce of damn privacy in this house.” Zack mumbled. “What!”

Travis let his tongue hit the roof of his mouth before he spoke. “Asia is in the living room.”

Zack laughed shortly. “All this time I’ve been letting you hang with me, you still don’t know how to pull off a prank.” He shut off the shower and pulled the towel off the curtain rod. Wrapping it around his hips he pulled the curtain back. Zack eyed his friend before shaking his head like a disappointed father. “The closest thing to a woman in our living room right now is Andy, and that ain’t sayin’ much.”

He moved passed him opening the bathroom door, looking back he said. “You and I both know good and God damn well Asia Bingham wouldn’t be caught dead passed []. Besides, how would she even get our address anyway?”

“I’d hack Jimmy’s computer.” Zack’s head whipped around to find Asia standing in the doorway, hands in her very small front pockets.

Zack bent forward. “Holy shit!”

She nodded, jutting her chin in Zack’s direction. “You’re hair is full of shampoo.”

Travis smiled as Zack responded. “It is?” Lifting the hand that wasn’t wrapped around the towel to feel in his hair, he glanced back at Travis, scowling.

“After you rinse,” she began, “you can get dressed. And you,” she glanced at Travis. “Can put on a shirt, we need to go before someone steals my car.”

Travis was yanking a shirt out of his drawer, while Zack shoved his foot into his sneakers, water was running into his eyes from his still damp hair, but he could give a shit. “What is she doing here?” He asked in disbelief.

“I don’t know.” Travis admitted, wide eyed. “But if she says go we better go.”

They emerged from the one bedroom Asia was by the door while the rest of their friends eyed them with curiosity, and at least of twinge of envy. “Where are you guys goin’?” Jinn asked, shifting on the couch, he seemed poised to jump off and accompany them given one word.”

“Out.” Zack answered. “Sorry fellas, three’s company.” He pointed at Jinn. “Four’s a crowd.” Then he waived his hand dramatically. “And beyond five is fuckin’ bullshit so … peace out!”

He followed Travis and Asia out the door. Downstairs went they got outside he sniffed the air, it was usually so stale and boring, his surroundings, signaling he was at the dump he dared call home, however temporary. But now it looked amazing, he felt amazing.

“Oh.” His heart hit his nuts. “You brought the Merk.” He clutched his fists in the air at the sight of the beautiful gray [] Mercedes Benz, latest model without a fucking doubt. He looked up toward the heavens but his vision of starry L.A. night was impaired by three mops of hair poking out of the second story window, his band mates were not going down gracefully.

He looked back down. “Can I drive?” He asked quickly.

Asia shrugged. “That depends.”

“On what?” He asked.

“Whether or not we want to end up in a tree.”

Zack scoffed, but other than that he didn’t complain. Voluntarily he got in the back, sliding stomach first on the seat, if it were possible to make love to a car, he was probably doing it. “Oh God, the leather, it’s so soft.”

“I know.” Asia said. “I wish I had a child seat for you.”

Travis giggled. Zack quickly sat up and closed the back door. He leaned up between the two front seats. “So, where are we going?”

Asia paused, as they waited for an answer. “… wherever.”

She turned on the ignition and Zack couldn’t help but say. “You know, wouldn’t it be a bit more appropriate if you had a little red corvette?”

Travis smiled. “But it was Saturday Night-”

“I guess that makes it all right -” Zack laughed

“And you say ‘what have I got to lose’.” Asia finished.

She took off from the curb, out into L.A. night.

When Asia and Zack pulled up to a building on west sunset boulevard, Zack could do nothing but gawk outside the window. Vaguely he heard Travis give some kind of squeak cough from the first seat.

“What the – is this Hyde?” Zack’s voice had gone three octaves too high but he didn’t care.

“That’s what the sign says.” Hyde parking

Zack silently cleared his throat and then mentally checked his appearance, hoping that his genuinely cheap white t-shirt and ratty jeans blended undetected among the rich boys wearing the exact same thing, minus the six hundred dollar price tag.

As they started toward the building Travis said. “Good grief we’ll be in this line all night.”

“Are they even going to let us in here if we get up the door?” Zack added, hating the trepidation he felt, deepening the closer they got. “We’re not twenty – one.”

Asia continued to walk, saying nothing.

Travis started to turn left toward the end of the line when Asia grabbed his arm. He stumbled slightly, looking back at her. “What?”

She shook her head, slowly pulling him forward. Zack’s heartbeat quickened and he shoved his hands in his pockets, following closely behind them.

The head of the line was a bunchy indiscernible mob clamoring at the huge bouncer blocking admittance. To gain his attention they yelled, waved, wildly and Zack imagine, bribed in order to gain access inside.

Asia walked right passed the line, going up to the bouncer. He looked surprised to see her at first, then smiled at her. He said something to her, but Zack couldn’t make it out over the noise, it was only then that he noticed she was holding Travis’ hand. Zack’s brows lowered. The bouncer reached over, hugging her with one burly arm. She discreetly passed him something, kissing him on the cheek briefly. She pointed to Travis with her free hand before turning back to Zack.

The look in her eye as she paused made him feel like an ant, Asia being the giant foot hovering over him.

Would she squash him?

The idea of getting turned away after so boldly disrespecting the line, he’d get so clowned he’d be forced to walk back to [].

Asia in a moment that went surreal, probably due to his lack of oxygen, pointed a finger at him, then turned back to the bouncer. The muscle bound security glanced behind her at him, then nodded.

Zack could have pissed himself with relief which was immediately followed by toddler like excitement.

He kept his expression neutral however, opting for his signature half lid bad boy look.

As he moved into the entrance passed the bouncer who’d gone back to guarding his post adamantly, some guy hollered. “Oh I know you’re not letting this Backstreet trash in!” Other people began to jeer and yell as well.

To this Zack turned at the threshold, over the wide shoulder of the guard he offered the disagreeable onlookers a smile, and two birds.

Hyde was dark as hell, Zack peered through the various tables circled with retro lounge chairs trying to make out celebrities, as his eyes adjusted to the dark, he realized that there were so many, actors, musicians, rich kids that were famous for no apparent reason, that he felt among the minority.

They found a table in the corner, he was surprised it wasn’t taken, the location perfect for discreet star gazing. “Are you going to order us a drink?” Zack asked, eyeing Asia.

“Don’t push your luck.” Asia shook her head. “Just because you got in here doesn’t give you a Lindsay Lohan green card to fuck up.”

He had to smirk at that.

“But I will go get one for myself.” Asia stood and maneuvered herself to the bar. Travis wasn’t shy about watching her walk away.

Glancing back at Zack, who’d been watching him he cleared he straightened before saying, “Even your bastard ass has to admit this was pretty cool for us to bring us here.” Zack’s nostrils flared as Travis’ smile stretched even further across his face. “The guys ain’t gonna believe this shit.”

“I thought we agreed we weren’t going to tell them?”

Travis stopped short, his grin faltering. “Damn, we did didn’t we? But how were we supposed to know she’d show up at our apartment?”

Zack pressed back into his seat. “It was impossible to know that. We’re gonna have to make some shit up, and just hope they never have a reason to connect the two.” He leaned forward. “What I’d really like to know is what she has planned for the rest of the night.”

Travis brows lowered. “What do you mean?”

He stared at his friend, pursing his lips he said. “Please, please don’t tell me you’re that dumb.”

“I’m not dumb.” Travis snapped. “And she didn’t ask us out for – that.”

Zack chuckled. “You have got to be kidding man.” Breath hissed between his teeth and his cock twitched in response to the visuals slithering through his mind. “That is exactly why we were summoned, Ken to my Ryu.”

Travis thought about it for a minute, despite his best intentions, which included wrinkling his nose, a slight flush hit the tops of his cheeks. “No – there’s no way.”

“There is a way my friend.” Zack’s voice carried a Vincent Price ghoulishness. “And she wants to try, every, single, one.”

Travis shook his head quickly, apprehension lined in mouth, but Zack knew his friend too well, in the depths of his eyes he deciphered the glimmer of hope.

Travis averted his eyes then, as if he could sense Zack’s shrewdness. “She’s just trying to be nice.”

Zack’s face was completely straight. “You’re right, and offering herself to us is the nicest thing any woman has ever done.”

Travis gritted his teeth lurching forward. “What happened to all that about not seeing her again – ‘one time thing’ and all that bullshit?”

“That was all based on you initiating contact with her.” Travis rolled his eyes. “What? It’s true!” He rested his elbows on the table. “But since it was the lurid Mrs. Bingham pulling is into her extremely tight web, all the rules have changed.”

Asia was returning to the booth with their drink.

“You’re so sure I’m wrong.” Zack began under his breath as she closed in. “Wanna wager if you’re right?”

Glancing between them as she got closer Travis rushed out. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m gonna play a little game.” Zack scratched his chin, murmuring, “Watch.”

“No!” Travis hissed, eyes wide. “Don’t do anything stupid!”

She was no more than three feet away. “Stupid? Who, me?”

Asia arrived at the booth, opting to sit on Travis’ side, it didn’t go unnoticed.

“Don’t ask for any sips.” She eyed Zack.

“I wouldn’t think of it.”

He stared at her for long moment completely ignoring the fact that Travis was sitting across from her, his arm resting on the top of the vinyl covered bench, piercing him with blue dots of warning.

Zack did his best not to smile. “On behalf of both of us, I thank you, for taking us out on the town.

Pulling her drink away from her mouth she shook her head, her eyes marred with skepticism. “What was that?”

“Thank you Asia, for bringing us out on the town.”

Travis’ eyes narrowed and he glanced away to Asia, lowering his arm from the chair. “He’s right … thanks. We have to count this as our first real night in L.A.”

She seemed a bit uncomfortable, her smile came reluctantly. “Well you’re welcome, both of you.” She paused, sipped her drink, then straightened. “You guys are in a band aren’t you?”

Zack pursed his lips, not liking the quick turn of the conversation. “Who us?”

“Playing stupid huh?” Asia nodded.

Zack looked at Travis.

“Why don’t you guys admit it?” She looked at both of them as exasperation pierced her tone. “What’s the big secret? You came to L.A. to break into the music business?”

Neither man said anything, she sighed in return. “Are you guys any good?”

Silence.

“Fine subject dropped.” She took a heavy sip of her drink.

“Is this a date?” When Zack saw her nearly choke on the liquid, he had to clench his teeth behind his lips to keep from laughing.

Travis’ stare spoke of a savage beating to come later.

“A what?” She was attempting to wipe her mouth with her fingers.

“A date.” Zack repeated, tenting his fingers as he sat up. “A scenario in which two people – in this case three – go out to dinner or club hopping, whichever you prefer, they attempt to have a good time, offer up their best personality representatives, with the result of the evening being varied between two – three – consenting adults.”

Asia just stared at him. “A while passed before she said. “I finally figured out who you remind me of – Christian Slater in Heathers.”

Zack scoffed while Travis smirked, adding to the jab. “But just earlier today, Zack here was remarking about how similar he was to Judd Nelson’s character in The Breakfast Club.”

“Oh no.” Asia flinched as if she were dealt a blow. “You do act like that bastard. How could I have forgotten about him?”

“Easy.” Zack answered. “You were too busy dodging the question.” He pointed at her. “And Judd Nelson’s character was an asshole, but he wasn’t homicidal.”

“I’m not dodging anything. And no, this isn’t a date!”

Travis sighed silently as Zack asked. “Okay, explain to me how it’s not.”

As the two continued to verbally spar Travis remained on the sidelines. Zack just had to push peoples buttons, it must have been coded into his DNA. But the curious part was how Asia consistently rose to his bait. And he thought of earlier, when they had her sandwiched between them, he’d asked her point blank if she’d liked what Zack did to her.

Just kiss me Travis.

In the midst of their arguing, Travis turned to Asia. “Do you want to dance?”

“Huh?” She asked, and Zack’s face mimicked the word.

Travis repeated himself.

“Um, sure why not.” Asia scooted herself out of the booth and Travis followed. Zack’s scoff was barely audible but Travis heard it.

Zack tapped his fingers against the seat as Asia and Travis moved down to the dance floor, saying he felt slighted was an understatement.

He sat there, basking in his own company all of an agonizing three minutes when a girl slipped into the booth. She had flawless light brown skin, dark brown eyes and a cloud of curling black hair resting against her shoulders.

Full lips parted into a smile. “I know I’ve seen you on Buffy.”

Zack shrugged. “Probably.”

“The happy couple left finally, I’ve been watching you since you came in.”

“Happy couple?” Ignoring the provocative way her breasts pushed out of her top when she leaned forward.

“You’re southern?”

“Austin, Texas.” Zack answered quickly, trying to avoid the customary ‘where from’ east and west coasters loved asking.

She continued talking, she might have even said her name, but Zack kept glancing down the dance floor. What the hell were they doing?

“I don’t know if I’m very good at this.” Travis admitted, as they reached the floor.

Asia was positive he was much better than anyone that was out there at the moment. She turned to him, looking up she smiled. He smiled back, dimples firmly planted in each cheek, in a split second she found herself lost.

Desire intermingled with panic however, she realized with a bizarre swiftness she had no idea what she was doing. Hadn’t she pushed her luck, and possibly every sexual boundary she could, the previous day? Add to that, they were two guys, barely passed adolescence regardless of their physiques, and here she was, out with them both.

Was this a date?

Travis’ eyes narrowed. “Are you okay?”

He reached toward her and she flinched, he immediately dropped his hands. “Sorry.”

Asia shook her head, her breathing came in deeply. “No – it’s not – it’s nothing you’ve done. It’s me.”

“What have you done?”

Brown eyes wracked with guilt glanced up at him. “What haven’t I done?”

She stared down at the floor as two large hands stretched out in front of her. “Dance with me.” She heard.

Her resulting sigh was long, her lips pursed together tightly, lifting her hands from her sides she placed them in his. A wonderful warmth engulfed her, stretching from her hands all the way up her arms and beyond. Lacing his fingers in hers, he pulled her forward until her face was once again buried in his chest.

“I thought you were supposed to be the shy one?” She asked quietly, her eyes closed.

He didn’t say anything in response, but he might have laughed. Asia wasn’t sure if the shaking she felt was his chest, or her heartbeat against her ribcage.

“Zack is watching us you know.” He said quietly after a while.

She discreetly glanced in his direction, instantly taking in the wannabe starlet sitting across from him. “I doubt it.”

“Trust me.”

Asia laughed shortly, pulling away to look up at him. “Are you guys in a band or what? Why won’t you just admit it? There’s nothing wrong with it.”

Travis chuckled and spun her around clumsily.

“Did you hear me?” The brunette asked.

“Huh, of course.” He caught himself.

“Why are you so interested in what they’re doing?”

Zack used the opportunity to stare more openly. “What. I’m not.”

“You keep cutting your eyes at them, and you’re doing it right now. You like her or something?” The accusation grew in her voice. And Zack’s annoyance grew, he didn’t even know this girl’s name, let alone date her, and now she was playing the jealous shrew?

“No, I don’t like her.” He spat.

She raised a brow. “You like him then?”

Zack gave her a look that should have sent him packing, instead she folded her arms, pressing back into the seat as if she were entitled to more than his scowl.

He leaned forward. “Why don’t you go to the bar, and get me a drink.”

A stare down ensued, for a solid twenty seconds, her mouth kicked up in the corner, she got up and walked away.

Asia had her arms wrapped Travis’ waist, they were dancing in a way that was highly inappropriate for the upbeat pop rock that was playing but, whatever.

She opened her eyes to see the fake star leaning over to Zack, he was reaching up with a smile on his face, accepting a presumably alcoholic beverage.

Asia lurched back from Travis. “Son of a bitch.”

She was at the table before Zack could get it to his lips, she pulled it from his grasp as he protested, liquor sloshing over the half glass. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Fake star demanded.

The only explanation she could offer was that he was under age. Not doubting they weren’t the first or the last to be in the club, she didn’t want it to be widely known. But instead wouldn’t she look like a –

“Isn’t that your man?”

2007-11-07T03:48:00.000-05:00

2007-11-07T03:40:00.000-05:00

Holy crap-- I swear I'm not dead!!!! Ayyyy its been a while I know, I haven't written jack. I have been burdoned with school, I keep getting rejections for Foreign Exchange, I have so much stuff to finish its ridiculous!!! I promise though I will update alteast once a week, I'm trying to start resolutions before new years, maybe I will stick them!! No I will stick to them. I might have gotten in over my head with this computer stuff, he only class I currently have an A in = english, surprise. I started this new diet, and I am dying, dying I say. I am a stress eater, and when I can't do that I am LOST you hear? because I have been stressed so bad lately. I do have something I was working on that I never posted, its not someone though, I already posted my last excerpt of that. I will see if I can get it up later today. Look by 3 pm --thanks so much for checking in I do miss posting and getting feedback, i will get back on the horse trust me:) rachel

2007-09-24T15:00:00.000-04:00

hey all, hope you don't think I have abandoned my blog, I haven't, I just started school this month and things have just been so crazy, it seems like there isn't enough time in the day to do anything! I got a couple submissions back for Foreign Exchange, one was a rejection, one was a long wait for an answer. I yi yi the things we go through. I will be back tomorrow with more news. I hope this finds you all well and I'll talk soon! Rachel

2007-08-24T04:22:00.000-04:00

Chapter Nine

Wild Horses

Nina sat uncomfortably at the table in a dark green dress, yet another Liza had insisted she wear. The neckline, although identical to the one Dialma wore, was far too low for her tastes. She wondered why the two women, Dialma more than Liza, subjected themselves to such, southern belle restraints when peasant skirts and cotton blouses were far more practical, not to mention cooler. No wonder Gloria Morgan had commissioned lace fans to be made with all her gowns, wearing one was the equivalent of sitting in an oven.

Liza came in the room, her face flushed from the kitchen heat. “Look who was finally forced – to dinner.” Before the woman could finish the sentence Manny was in the room following her, removing his hat as a hasty after thought. Nina started to smile and open her mouth to welcome him when Angel emerged from the doorway behind him. Her smile fell, as did most of the contents in her chest. Quickly she averted her eyes to the kitchen table, that only contained the place setting and golden, delicious smelling rolls.

Nina stood, careful to only eye Liza she said. “Please just let me help.” With a bit more earnest than was needed. The woman promptly turned her down.

“Allow me one more day to serve you milady.” She answered winking, offering Angel and Manny the two chairs across from her before she excused herself to go back into the kitchen.

Nina paid the most attention to the far wall, her hopes once again dashed. As she tried to gain her composure she didn’t realize they were going through the propriety of waiting until she sat down, before lowering themselves to sit.

She had already been performing an epic battle with her shyness at these meals, trying to answer questions from everyone including the eternally nosy Dialma, wearing a smile that hurt her cheeks for hours after. She certainly didn’t have the energy to deal with Angel … especially not after yesterday. And she refused to even glance at him to see if he was looking at her, however tempted.

Nina gnashed her teeth, where did that word come from?

Tempted …

Why God why, had he let Manny talk him into this? Angel dug his heels in the ground, looking away from her was most likely as telling as looking so he might as well look, scowl firmly planted, who would find him suspect?

She was wearing a dark green dress today, not as scandalous as the gold one, but hell, a bed sheet was scandalous on her, after all it wasn’t the fabric, but what it clung to.
Smoothing the front of her dress with her hand the motion caused her to lean forward, it couldn’t have been more than a fraction of an inch, but it was enough. Slightly awakened cock tilted into a raging erection. Nina sat down, still not looking at him, and he rushed to find his seat, the last thing he needed was Manny putting two and two together.

“You’re looking lovely again Miss Nina.” Manny smiled at her, leaning forward on the table simultaneously reaching for a biscuit, and eyeing the doorway for signs of Liza.

She cleared her throat, saying, “Thank you.” Without looking at him.

Coy? Was she trying to do coy again, he wondered. Or was he mistaking her anger for shyness? She certainly couldn’t be modest about the way she looked.

Dinner thankfully consisted of only the four of them, just as Manny had promised, he didn’t know where the rest of her brood was, and honestly he didn’t care. The food was delicious, Manny and Liza kept most of the conversation going while he and Nina both kept their heads down toward their plates.

***

Caesar felt refreshed enough to grin, although the expression was somewhat faked. His current companions were far from the upper crust Louisiana society he was used to. They consisted of the “lawmen” that had falsely arrested him, two sandy haired fools that went by the name of Jake and Shane Tolland, three “bandits” who’s personal hygiene standards were more than questionable and a beet red faced “doctor” named Donald Murphy, who was so far gone on drink it was a wonder he could read his hand.

But Caesar, after acquiring a bath and fresh suit, still grinned.

“Aren’t you down two hands gringo?” The one called Romulo asked. “Why the smile?”
Caesar felt he could return the question, since Romulo himself was also smiling, showing crooked brown-stained teeth, one of which was missing.

“Ain’t ‘ristocats like that?” Shane sneered over the top of his hand.
Caesar’s smile lessened at the scrutiny, this Shane was obviously jealous, was it his fault he came from a privileged background?

Romulo chuckled. “I can’t help but wonder what the hell a guy like you is doing in El Toza.”

“Perhaps I’m here for the ambiance.” Losing the proceeding hand, Romulo remained silent, but eyed him all the while skillfully shuffling the deck with calloused hands. Caesar stared the dirt under the man’s fingernails, where had those hands been he wondered, what had they done?

“The only ambiance here is outlaws and whores.” Romulo answered shrewdly.

“Alleged outlaws.” Jake chimed in, as Romulo began to deal.

“Where you from anyway, with that accent?” The “alleged” outlaw asked.

“Oh allow me.” Shane shoved both elbows on the table. “This fella here’s from Baton Rogue,

Louisiana.”

“It’s Rouge.” Caesar sniffed, something he wouldn’t normally do, but in present company he could defecate on the table and still come in top gentleman. Besides, the gesture masked his snarl.

“Oh excuse me.” Shane cooed. “Rouge.”

Romulo’s brows rose, his face remained somber. “Baton Rouge, holy shit … ain’t never heard of it … sounds far.”

“It is.” Caesar picked up his hand, hoping the conversation soon geared itself in another direction, away from him. Why weren’t they talking about … whatever lawless people spoke of?

“Doc Murphy, you still alive?” Romulo inquired of the doctor, whose head was resting on the table, cards that had darted into his bald head fell untouched to the scarred table.

The doctor, who Caesar prayed he would never had to obtain services from, roused to lift his head, his languid expression drawing scattered chuckles from the table.

“Huh?”

“What happened to your wrist?” Shane asked.
Murphy glanced at his right arm as an after thought. “Oh, this black bitch … she … crazy Injun…” His head started to drop, when a shuffling under the table and a hollow sound caused him to holler, jolting up like a snake had bitten him.

Romulo, who Caesar assumed had kicked the man under the table leaned forward. “What was that, and no drunk bantering please.”

Murphy was leaning forward rubbing his leg, a pained expression put a frown on his lips. “I – I said it was just some dark whore. She scratched my arm.”

“And why’d she do that? Don’t tell me she didn’t want to suck that whopping two inch cock.” Murphy shot Shane a look as Caesar raised his cards to cover his mouth.

“Wasn’t nothing, I would have gotten what I wanted from her anyway if it wasn’t for that giant Injun bastard she was with.”

Romulo raised a brow. “I only know of one ‘giant Injun bastard’.”

“I don’t know who he was, but if it wasn’t for him, I would’ve -”

“Gotten your ass kicked by a woman.” Shane finished.

“I know who he is.” Jake cut in with a smile, tossing a small piece of gold in the pot. “I saw him too, with that girl, hell I’d lick milk off those giant tits she had.”

Murphy chuckled humorlessly as he continued nursing his sure to be bruised leg.

“Whore or not, she looked a bit out of your league doc.”

“So she’s his woman?” Romulo asked.

Jake shrugged. “I reckon, caught ‘em in a little lover’s spat. I’d be damned if I let some little bitch talk to me like that … ‘my name’s Nina’.” Scoffing he rolled his eyes changing the order of the cards in his hand.

“Um …” Caesar squinted. “E – Excuse me?”

Jake glanced at him after a moment. “What?”

Straightening Caesar shook his head. “Nothing.”
***

Angel looked up, just as the barn door was closing. Nina stood there, and he visibly saw her swallow. “What?” He snapped, even though he’d intended to ask more.

She said nothing for a moment, and it annoyed him far more than it should have. It was hot as hell, why did she shut the barn doors?

“You came out here to just stand and look?” He’d been gathering hay for the horses, promptly he let the pitch fork fall to the ground. “I don’t have time for this.” He started to walk right past her, when she backed up to block his path.

“I want – I mean I came out her to ask you – to show me how to shoot.”

His face twisted into anger and puzzlement. “Y- ca – You need to move out of my way.”

She shook her head. “No. I won’t. I don’t care if you get mad at me. If I am traveling with you, that obviously means I need to know how to protect myself.”

He scoffed. “Allow me to mock your conviction. Didn’t you already shoot me?”

“I shot at you I didn’t shoot you.” She clarified.

“Oh!” He exclaimed with unaccustomed emotion. “Well allow me to be a bigger jackass and show you how to aim a rifle for the kill.” A huge hand was on her forearm, the force behind it stumbling her sideways.

He was almost to the door when he felt her fist on his shoulder. Though he didn’t show it, the hit stung like a bitch. He turned around, not prepared for the hard shove that almost sent him into the door. And her eyes were like daggers. “This one thing, you can’t do this one thing after I almost got killed behind you!”

“You didn’t!” He shouted, his pointed finger turned into a fist he promptly shoved down his side.

He could only imagine what he would have looked like to her with that fist, still it didn’t quell the rage from his voice. “I saved your ass!”

“And I saved yours!” She screamed back, with just as much venom.

Angel felt his cheek tick, tears might have brimmed on her eyes if they hadn’t been filled with so much hate in that instant. One hand latched out, around her waist, yanking her to him with a force that took both of their breaths. Fear registered in her eyes, but that wasn’t all he saw and her garbled cry was silenced when his mouth took hers.

Nina continued to squirm beneath him the moment their bodies touched, he refused to let her go, and soon he realized the shifting of her body wasn’t being made in effort to escape. She was crowding toward him and her hurried movements only matched the ferocity of his kiss. Angel’s arm snaked around her miniature waist, hugging her tighter to him, the hard curves of the bodice in combination with the silk skirts were driving him insane. Although his hand didn’t roam, he silently cursed the voluminous dress she wore, and how it hindered his access to a body he’d only seen by shadow.

Impatiently he pressed forward, grabbing her face with both of his hands, bonding his mouth to hers. Angel tilted his head above her face, the small sound at the back of her throat caused the kiss to break, a fraction of space between their burning wet mouths. Eyes closed, he didn’t need to see her to know the heat in her eyes, and he could feel it against her skin. Nina’s breasts pressed into his chest, causing him to exhale. The kiss intensified as Angel tried to bruise the softness of her lips with his, she matched him touch for touch, which surprised him.

When she rested her hands softly against his shoulders, the fingertips barely touched him and he could feel himself itching with anticipation, and he lowered his hands back to her waist, keeping her as close to him as humanly possible. Lips glided over one another, nipping, sucking, before returning into a battle between them, and their own desires, Nina and Angel’s mouths thrust so tightly, their noses pressed, straining their breathing.

She started to try to stand on her tip toes, the subsequent motion sent her bodice up his chest. The tiny motion sent the hard fabric over his nipples, causing him to break from her mouth with a hiss. He needed air! Breathing came out in pants, with closed eyes, Angel’s nostrils flared as once again the smell of sweets and lavender traveled through his nose. When he opened his eyes she was so close he could count her eyelashes. Subconsciously, he began to mentally take in the room, and the possible places to lay her down –

“Nina?” A high-pitched voice called. It was Alejandro. She froze, her eyes opening like a blast of arctic air had hit her. What she found was Angel’s face to close to hers that she could make out the flecks in eyes that weren’t black, but deep brown.

Her own hands were on his shoulders, she came to that realization fully before saying out loud in a harsh whisper. “No!” As to who she was talking to, even she didn’t know in that instant.

Snatching her hands away she knew that Alejandro could not catch them like that.

She turned to the door just as the little boy was opening it. His eyes were like saucers. “Someone came, I don’t know who they are but the woman’s crying. Nana sent me to get you!”

They all rushed to the house, and when they got there things were crazy. Nina found Liza in a back room, a woman who had obviously been beaten was on the bed crying uncontrollably, she was grabbing at Liza to the point the woman couldn’t hold her. They were both shouting in Spanish.

Several minutes of this went on before Liza looked back to the door. “Nina! Come!” Nina, frightened moved quickly to the bed. “Help me hold her, I need to give her something to calm her down!”

Swallowing Nina struggled with the woman who was screaming in a language she couldn’t understand. Her eye was swollen shut and her whole face was bloody. Nina’s lip trembled when she caught sight of the needle. She injected the hysterical woman, within the minute her cries began to subside, in three minutes she was immobile, her once fighting arms going slack beneath Nina’s. At the five minute point, she was unconscious and Nina could only look across the bed at Liza.

“She was raped.” Liza answered, as she stood, wiping her sweaty brow.

Nina stood as soon as the words were out of her mouth, stepping back to distance herself from the woman. Liza hadn’t been staring directly at her, but soon her eyes were on her.

“C- can I go?” Nina shut her eyes briefly. “I mean is she going to be okay, can I go?”

Liza’s eyes squinted, just slightly, before she nodded. “Of course, thank you.”

The last of her words weren’t out and Nina was through the door.

Her husband was pacing back and forth, Angel didn’t need the rundown from Manny. The man’s yelling and the screaming woman in the back was telling enough. And Manny, being the type of man that he was, attempting to talk to the man, his first touch a mistake, the man shoved his hands away with more shouting.

It was pointless to try to console him. Manny would of course try anyway. When Nina came out of the room and passed the hallway the man shot back toward the room where his wife was.

Manny frowned. “You see her face?” Not that Angel planed on answering but Manny took off before he could.

Nina held her balance against the porch beam, she couldn’t get fresh air into her lungs fast enough. The screen door behind her opened, making her heart race even more.

“You alright Nina?” Manny’s voice relaxed her, if only slightly.

Inhaling before she spoke she answered. “Yeah, yeah I’m fine.”

“How’s the young lady? Is she okay?”

Wiping her mouth she straightened, praying her blurred vision would correct itself. “Liza gave her something to help her sleep.”

Manny shook his head gravely. “Terrible, there just ain’t no words.”

“No … no there’s not.” Despite her efforts she couldn’t keep the raw emotion out of her voice causing Manny to stare at her.

“You sure you’re alright?”

She nodded and even offered a weak smile, only afterward realizing how inappropriate it was.

“Yes Manny.”

A few minutes later the husband stormed out, rifle in hand, shouting up to the heavens. Liza was running after him, shouting in Spanish. She was almost off the porch when Manny grabbed her.

“No Manny!” She screamed. “He’s going to get himself killed!”

He was on his horse, and soon the horse was tearing away from the house with a sound reminiscent of thunder. “There’s no telling what he’s going to do.” Liza whispered.

Angel’s voice was unexpected. “Yes there is.” Nina’s back was to him, her arm bent across her chest, her fingers pinching the skin of her neck. “If he’s any kind of man, he’ll track ‘em all down, slit their throats and watch them bleed.”

“Angel.” Manny murmured in warning.

Her heart still hammering inside her body, she heard him distinctly. “Sometimes a shot’s too easy.”

Nina was on the back porch, Sugar had his head in her lap while she absently stroked his back. The beauty of the sky escaped her as her mind thought of everything, and nothing. The world around her might as well have been dark and empty, she was oblivious to her surroundings.
Annoyance crept up her back as the quiet and solace was broken by the creaking of a screen door.

“Nina?” The question of who it was answered by Liza’s feminine voice.

Her throat closed over the answer, a passing thought was to tell her to leave, but how could she do that, this was her house. She hoped that she wasn’t asked yet again if she was alright, she was fine, and she wanted to be left alone.

She fought with herself to speak. “Yes?”

Liza slowly stepped forward before leaning against the porch beam, Nina kept her eye on the distant horizon.

“Dialma should be back tomorrow with everyone.”

“That’s good.” She tried to sound pleasant, but she still could have chosen her words better.

“I know seeing that woman like that was, unsettling to you.”

“No.” Her denial came too quickly. “I’m just not used to – helping people in crisis, that’s all. I was afraid I would do something wrong, or be in your way.” Nina just wanted to get up and walk away, she didn’t want to talk about any of it.

Liza sat down on the steps next to her, and Nina took a deep breath, she would have to turn her head away completely now to avoid the woman’s shrewd eyes.

“Listen, I’m worried about you, I won’t deny it.” Something caught Sugar’s attention, he leapt away from her in an instant leaving her lap cold. Nina almost stood to run after him, but caught herself.

“Worried about me?” She answered after a time, still denying her eye contact. “My wound’s still sore, but it’s getting better.”

“I’m not talking about your wound. I’m talking about you … I’m worried about you.”

She swallowed, her fingernails nipping the side of her opposite hand. “I’m sure I will be moving along soon.”

Nina didn’t need to see Liza’s puzzled expression, her sudden shifting was followed by words.

“That’s not what I mean. Something bad happened to you didn’t it?”

Nina felt like someone pierced her heart with a needle, the following pained expression was suppressed by all her might. “I – was stabbed.” She couldn’t recognize her own voice, and her nails, threatened to break the skin on her palm.

Liza leaned forward, Nina’s expression froze, she almost didn’t blink for fear of tears. “I don’t mind you staying here with me Nina. I think that – traveling with that man is too dangerous for you, I’m glad Manny asked for you to stay with me-”

Nina stood, backing of the steps and whirling around to her. “What?”

Liza’s surprise reflected her own as her eyes widened. “You can stay as long as you want!”
“He asked you what!” She tore off, not waiting for an answer.

“Are you sure you’re gonna do this?” Manny watched as Angel packed Storm.

“I’m going to avenge my father Manny.”

“I know that.”

“I couldn’t –” He stopped, live with myself if I didn’t, remained unsaid. “You talked to Liza, she said it was okay.” He continued to move quickly about the stable, wanting to make some distance before black night forced him to bed down.

“Yeah, she’s fine with it. She’s got a house full of hands here, Nina couldn’t be any safer here … than she would be with you.”

Angel had been checking the aim on his revolver, he lowered the gun. “Safe huh, getting her stabbed, yeah that’s keeping her safe.”

“Miguel had covered the house, you can’t blame-”

“The hell I can.” He shook his head. “The sooner I get out of here the better, I don’t need one of these asshole hands getting drunk and managing to tie me to this house in some saloon somewhere.”

“You know, two’s better odds than one.”

Angel stopped checking his saddle buckles. “Manny – I appreciate the offer, but this is my fight. If you stay here and keep an eye on Nina, that’d be worth more than, anything.”
Keeping her safe, it was important to him, part of what he had promised his father he would do, he hadn’t gotten her to Tomas and Lilly’s but he had gotten her to Mexico, at least he had done that much.

“Someone needs to get her to Tomas and Lilly’s in case – I’m not here to do it.”

Manny sighed, pushing his hat back. “How long should I wait?”

“No more than two weeks, if I’m not here and haven’t sent word, just go ahead and take her without me.”

“You’ll be here.”

Angel hoped that he would be, but didn’t voice it. He was leaving to keep her safe, that was true, but he didn’t tell his friend he also needed to distance himself from her. Kissing her had been … reckless and stupid. It had been beyond that …

He grimaced and could have run his fists into the wall if he had been alone. Still the taste of her mouth lingered on his lips, the lush curves of her body still felt pinned to him, and he could barely rein the fire that coiled through his blood when he thought of it.

Nina pressed her ear to the wall, trying to be quiet as she could, trying to take in all their conversation. So it was true, he was leaving, Manny had asked Liza to let her stay here. He’d asked, after she had told him about wanting to have control over her own life, he’d still gone behind her back, it was more than obvious he was on Angel’s side, showing loyalty only to him. Men!

No one ever asked her anything! Did she want to spend her life serving other people and being treated less than human? No! Did she want to go to Mexico and leave her home? No!
Did she want Angel to grab her pull her to him like she was something he owned, like he had every right to? Folding her arms tightly to her chest she closed her eyes, why had she gone to him in the first place? What had she expected … not that.

She had tried not to even think about it, what had happened, or try to make sense out of being so furious with him and in the next minute, being in his arms. What did Angel do to her? How could she just, so easily succumb to him in that way? Common sense raged at her the instant his mouth touched hers to hit him, and back away. Nothing but pain could come from a man’s out of control desire. But she didn’t expect that from him, he hated her after all. So why was it when he kissed her, it didn’t hurt, not in the way she thought it would … it just burned. Her mouth, her skin, her whole body … just burned.

Memory made her breath catch, her arms wrapping even more tightly around her. Don’t let it distract you, she warned, there was no telling what he would have tried if Alejandro hadn’t come along.

Forced into a quick run she moved to the side of the bar when Angel emerged. She heard the hoof beats of his horse, the sound the stirrups made giving way to his weight as he mounted. She wanted to peek, but she couldn’t she knew he would see her.

“Manny … than-”

“Don’t try and be the nice guy Angel. It don’t suit you.”

There was a pause before Angel spoke. “You’re right, it don’t.”

A hard pounding of hoof beats sent him away. That noise so familiar now, practically yesterday she heard them, signaling his departure after he’d turn her and Velar’s lives upside down. She had believed that would be the end of the unexpected, and how wrong she had been. She risked a glance to see his retreating figure retreating into the plain, unbeknownst to her that her own eyes looked dark as the coming night.
**

“I’m sorry.” Caesar cut into the conversation of Jake and Shane Tolland as they smoked outside the saloon. He offered Jake a lopsided grin. “Earlier when you were speaking, I couldn’t help but over hear you speaking about a woman with a sav – I mean Indian.”

Jake quirked a brow but offered no words of encouragement for the man to continue. “You said her name was Nina?” Caesar pressed.

Jake blew out a stream of smoke before answering. “Yeah, what about it?”

Caesar smiled. “I was just wondering if you could tell me what she looked like.”

“I said she had giant tits.” Jake offered, coupled with a puzzled expression.

“Yes, I did gather that part, but I was curious as to her other attributes.”

“Her what?” Jakes grimaced.

Caesar repressed his desire to wind his jaw, keeping it awkwardly still to dumb down his dialect. “What her face looked like, her hair, her height.”

Jake rolled his eyes. “She was on the tall side, long hair, in some strange braids or something.”

“And her face?”

Despite the suspicion in his gaze Jake answered him. “Big eyes, a mouth that belongs on my cock.”

Shane snickered.

“Did you get that Sheriff?” Jake asked, tapping the ashes off his cigar far too close to Caesar’s shoes for it to be considered an accident.

“I did.” He nodded turning away from them.

Four steps away he heard Jake’s voice. “So they got a lotta blue eyed Spaniards in this Baton Rouge?”

Caesar continued walking away, not looking back as he called. “I believe I’m one in a million.”
***

Chapter Ten

Fate is the Hunter

It had been before dawn when Nina, who had ever fallen asleep, left Liza’s house. She ran in a dark that was only illuminated the moon, found Shadow, packed him as best she could with the few bits of food from Liza’s cellar and a canteen of water. Paranoid not to wake Manny she made as little noise as possible as she nudged the horse out of the stable. Mounting him with a slightly less degree of difficulty she made her way in the direction Angel had gone.

When the sun scorched down on her shoulders, by what must have been high noon of the same day, with still no sight of civilization or another human being for that matter, she understood she had made a mistake. Shadow was tired, she almost couldn’t see straight on top of him. After everything, she would probably end up dead out here, she thought pitifully. Her determination to find Angel had sent her out in the middle of the night, there was no telling where he had gone, even still how often did she travel? She had no map.

She had left Liza and Manny no note, and she felt bad about that, they had done nothing but help her. The sun was hideous and blinding, the land around her had apparently swallowed every drop of water that fell on it, it was a dry hot hell with waves of humidity in the distance making her dizzy enough to think the world was upside down.

Why had she been such a fool to think she could do this? Escaping Louisiana, finding El Toza, were all just flukes, luck had been on her side then, and it seemed to have run out.

“Lord, get her down.”

Nina barely heard the words as she felt her body being pulled on. Something cold was on her lips, water. She coughed, her throat not ready to swallow. Her eyes cracked, only blinding sun breached and she immediately shut them.

“Good God girl, what the hell are you doing out here?”

When she dared open her eyes again she noticed a girl, whose skin was a shade lighter than hers, just behind her the sun blocked out by a frilly pink umbrella.

“I – I needed to find him.” Her voice was horse.

“Well I don’t know who you were looking for honey, but the only thing out here is heat and rattlers.”

She closed her eyes again, her skin still burning from sun she had lain in for who knows how long. “Come on Bobby help me get her up.”

Nina lurched to life the next moment, not knowing how much time had passed. Staring around her surroundings she realized she was in a stage coach, an abundance of pink and white lace snatched her attention. The girl had flawless skin, though she couldn’t be entirely sure, something told her this stranger was younger than she was.

“I’m Jody.”

Nina swallowed before giving her name as a breathless introduction, she was more concerned with the time of day, and where the moving coach was taking them, she couldn’t see out of the curtain covered windows.

“You’re lucky we crossed you girl, you were halfway dead. What were you doing out there all alone? Don’t you know how dangerous it is for a woman to be traveling alone? Hell, anybody!” She leaned forward, whispering unnecessarily. “Have you ever seen anyone scalped?”

“No.” She answered reluctantly.

Jody shook her head gravely. “It is not pretty.”

“Where’s my horse?”

“Oh don’t worry, Bobby gave him some water, he’s been keeping up with us.”

Slowly Nina gathered the strength to sit up. “You want some water, I was afraid to give you more after you passed out, I didn’t want you to choke again.”

She nodded quickly, her tongue feeling like a ball of sand. A canteen was produced and Nina

practically drained the contents, water slipping down the corners of her mouth, but she continued drinking until her throat began to constrict.

“You were out here looking for a man?” Jody didn’t wait for the answer as her eyes continued to rise. “Must be some man.”

Nina’s brows lowered, not liking what the girl’s look implied. “I’m sorry, where are we going?”

“Home.” Jody sighed.

“U – And where is that?”

“Not far, San Davila.”

“What’s in San Davila?” She was almost afraid to ask.

Jody smiled. “Everything.”

Did ‘everything’ include Angel? She thought as she walked up to a painted two story home located on the edge of San Davila, the sun had gone down by this time and torches lit the small town beyond them. Nina felt more than a little uneasy heading into a strange house with a bunch of people she didn’t know. It was more than a few steps up from dying in the desert but she still was no closer to finding Angel than she’d been at Liza’s ranch.

They stepped inside to an overly decorated foyer, Nina couldn’t remember the last time she’d scene so many flowers. From the right side of the hallway in front of them came a woman dressed in a pink satin dress, she had so many coils of hair piled on top of her head Nina could scarcely believe it was real. She instantly had flashbacks to Gloria Morgan, and almost started to back out of the house. There was no way in hell she was playing house slave for this white woman. She’d die first!

The woman smiled as Jody curtsied, Nina made no such gesture, in fact she didn’t try to hide her suspiciousness as the woman’s bright green eyes assessed her. “Jody?” The woman had a flat accent, she’s been told once northern people spoke that way. “Who is this creature?”

Nina’s nostrils flared. “Creature?”

“This is Nina.” Jody said quickly.

“Where on earth did you find her?” Nina couldn’t help the flinch that came when the blond got too close. Her hands balled into a fist, ready to lash out at the first inkling of trouble.

“Out in the desert if you can believe that, me and Bobbie crossed her on our way home.”

“The desert?” The woman repeated. “Why were you out there?”

“She’s looking for a man.” Nina’s tongue tipped her top lip as Jody answered for her.

The blonde’s face grew puzzled. “Really?”

“It’s not like that.” Nina hated how her eyes avoided her inquisitive gaze, she certainly didn’t want her to think she was afraid.

The blond cleared her throat when Nina wasn’t forthcoming with more information. “Where are my manners? My name’s Savannah Gold, no jokes please.” She thrust her hand out, and Nina almost hit the doorframe with her lurch. “Gosh your skittish, no one ever offered to shake your hand?”

“Not any one like you.” Nina admitted before she could catch herself.

Savannah lifted a brow, before glancing at Jody. “Oh. I get it. You don’t trust me because I’m a white woman.”

Nina didn’t try to deny it. Jody started to try to talk but Savannah cut her off. “It’s okay Jody, no need to defend me, after all of course I should be blamed for what people did that have no relation to me whatsoever.”

Nina shook her head. “No relation, unless its suits you I’m sure.”

“Who in the hell is this?” Nina turned her head to see a woman coming down the stairs. She was wearing a black silk dress, clutching a fan, she had a deep mahogany complexion and eyes that flashed shrewdly, she looked none too pleased.

“Monica-” Savannah started.

“I know this bony thing is not talking about Savannah.”

Nina’s eyes squinted. “You don’t know anything,” Monica spat. “Savannah helps everyone around here, and the last thing she looks at is skin color, you better watch your mouth!”

“Or what?” Nina’s fist tightened even more, did this Monica know, what she had gone through in the past week? How her life had been turned upside down, everything she knew and loved gone in the blink of an eye, and how a female in a satin dress could just as easily be a scapegoat for her rage –

“Wait a minute.” Savannah held her hands up. “Listen, I think we’ve all gotten off on a really bad foot here, can we sheath the claws for now ladies?”

Angel hated when he got that feeling on the back of his neck, mostly because it was almost always right at predicting trouble. The sun had set and he’d found a decent spot, an old abandoned hut shadowed by a large hill to rest until just before dawn when he would set out in search of Romulo.

He had already checked outside three times, but could see nothing, though any smart intruder would have the sense not to carry a torch light with him, if he was planning a sneak attack. The three times had been enough, he decided to bed outside inside of in the hut, if something was out there it’d be best to meet it head on and not blindsided. The white moon provided all the light he needed, he was more than used to laying awake keeping watch over the men that had turned around and killed his father. He would have laughed about that, if he laughed about anything, and if it didn’t piss him off so much to think about it.

He could have really gone for a drink in that instant, several, as a matter of fact. Liquor was probably the only substance that could quell his guilt for a time, as well as memory.
You can’t do this one thing … after I almost got killed behind you! He groaned at the sound of Nina’s voice echoing in his head. She’d had the nerve to ask him to teach her how to shoot. He had been cynical of it then, but he should have considered her offer, especially when he decided to make the sudden departure. And how would she have dealt with having him stand behind her, so close her body outlined his, his face next to hers, talking in her ear, both of them staring down the barrel of a Winchester? He scoffed, how would he have dealt with it, was the better question.

Briefly he shut his eyes, God damn it what the hell was he doing? His father had asked him to get Nina to Mexico, to protect her. And what had he been doing … ogling her, day after day …
But what else could he do, he was a man! He could have been a damn eunuch and it wouldn’t have stopped him from noticing her. Kissing her had gone too far, it hadn’t been the first time, but the first time had only been done out of spite. He’d been pissed with his father, he wanted some type of revenge and he knew she wanted him. And she did, otherwise she wouldn’t have returned the kiss, either time.

Why in the hell did she really expect him to believe that she was some skittish innocent, when she could kiss like that?

Click.

Angel didn’t move, a gun was at his head and it was too late for sudden moves that would get him killed.

An accusing tone came, in a language that was familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.
“What do you want?”

The voice got louder and he repeated himself. The figure moved around to the front of him and

he noticed the deep skin, purple in the moonlight, but did not move his head to stare up at his attacker.

“Spanish pig.” The voice sneered.

Angel wound his jaw. “You speak English then, are you an English pig?”

The words were a mistake and would probably cost him dear, but what was done was done.

“Look up outlaw pig.”

Angel did, his eyes were pierced by those of a very angry Comanche.

“You plan to kill me?”

“Maybe I’ll eat you.” He answered quickly. “That’s what we savages do.”

“Usually when a man plans to kill he’ll just do it, no taunts or explanations.”

A swift hit followed to the side of his head, knocking Angel out cold.

“Don’t mind Monica, please.” Jody implored. “She’s just, fierce for the people she cares about.”

The sarcastic remark stayed behind her lips. Jody had helped her, and Savannah, was allowing her to stay in her home, how could she be rude? She hadn’t intended her initial reaction to Savannah, she had just been so surprised, and she’d had over ten years of experience with Gloria Morgan to go by.

“You can sleep in here with me, I hope you don’t mind.” Jody lit a lamp revealing a simple room decorated with flowers, a large bed was in the middle of the room.

“I can sleep on the floor.” Nina wasn’t fond of the idea of sharing a bed with anyone – male or female.

“I’d advise against that, stuff crawls around here sometimes, I still don’t know what it is. You want to wash up, change your clothes, I have a gown you can wear.”

Nina continued to stare around the room, absently listening to Jody, wondering if she always asked questions without waiting for the answer.

She left Nina alone to change, and she was grateful for the privacy. But still she felt uneasy excepting their hospitality. But what else could she do, she’d run off from Liza’s house with no plan, what did she expect? Angel would leave a trail of bread crumbs where she could easily find him?

Sighing she shook her head. The water in the basin Jody had brought up was pleasantly warm, but she barely used it, she changed into the nightgown and reluctantly slipped under the covers.
Within ten minutes she was lying beside Jody, who had covered her head in some kind of scarf contraption she claimed would keep her hair perfectly styled for the next day. Nina was laying there silently wondering if not when, she would be able to relax enough to fall asleep.

“Who is this man you’re looking for?”

“Just a man.”

“Not an answer.” Jody tucked the pillow under her head turning to her side to face her. “Were you going to marry him?”

Nina squinted up at the ceiling. “No, why would you even think that?” She scolded herself for even asking a question, it implied she wanted the conversation to continue when she didn’t.

“He’s helping me.” She said, just wanting to fill the silence before Jody did with another question she didn’t want to answer.

“Is he handsome?”

Nina’s face grew flat, could she pull off one of Angel’s numbers, just keep quiet long enough for her to feel uncomfortable and turn away?

“He is.” Jody answered with confidence.

In the dark, Nina rolled her eyes.

Frigid water brought Angel back to the conscious world, sunlight brightened the sky as he found himself sitting, tied to a pole in the center of the ground. He was surrounded by Comanche’s, of various heights and shapes, all male, and like the one that had surprised him the previous night, vicious expressions marred there faces.

“It’s your Spanish blood that sent you on this path.” Water was running into his eyes so he was blinking rapidly, trying to hold his face back, but he could not see who was talking regardless.

More Comanche language rose up, he recognized the voice of the young man he’d met before, he seemed to want to argue with the other man, but refrained and was soon silenced. “My grandson, doesn’t like you very much.”

“Can’t say I’m too fond of him, either.”

He could finally see the man, he stood towering over him, an older man but strong and he appeared more than capable of killing him swiftly without a gun. “You – look just like that father of yours.” He scoffed. “Spanish blood, you never could be one of us.”

“Who are you?” Angel inquired.

“Who do you think we are?”

Damned ‘answering questions with a question,’ he always hated that shit. “I know you’re Comanche.”

“Full blood.” The younger one started. “Not half.”

The older man leaned down, so his eyes were about an inch away from Angel’s. “You’re father Velar Mendes, stole my daughter away from me.”

Angel’s nostrils flared. “You’re my grandfather?” He murmured, more to himself than the other man.

“No half-breed.” The younger one sneered.

One whip of the older man’s head silenced him.

“I am.” He answered after a time.

Angel looked from side to side before staring up at him. “Well, what the hell? Why have you got

me tied up like this?”

“We don’t trust you. You ride with outlaws, you’re an outlaw.”

There was no point in trying to correct the old man. What would he say? “Regardless, I was going about my way, I wasn’t on your lands. So why did you do this to me?”
He felt a snap behind him, instinct made him lurch from the post, all spears were drawn on him.

One motion of their leaders hand made them lower their weapons, but it was more than obvious they would kill him in a hair’s breath.

“Velar was murdered.”

Angel’s head snapped up. “How did you know that?”

“We kept watch on his land.”

“What? Did you see it happen?” Dark accusing eyes whipped to each one of them.

“No.”

“You hate him anyway. You wouldn’t have done anything.”

Shrewd eyes looked down on him. “A man often sees his own deeds in others. Perhaps it’s you who would have done nothing.”

Angel’s teeth flashed, swift violence welled up inside him. The challenge lay in his grandfather’s eyes. “We’ve stripped you of your weapons.”

Angel quelled his anger, momentarily, and through gritted teeth spoke. “What do you want from me?”

“Another day we should test your skill, see if what you can do without your precious guns.” He paused. “You know of a healer named Liza Ramos?”

Angel felt the tingling on his neck increase once more. “Yes.”

“The woman you were traveling with, she said she is missing, she asked my grandson to find you.”

“Missing?” Angel got to his feet.

“Yes, she said another, a dark man, is looking for her too.”

He could have busted a jaw, any jaw.

His head whipped to who he realized was his cousin. They were of equal height. “You couldn’t have just told me this? Why all this bullshit?” He turned to his grandfather. “I lost half the day when I could have been looking for her.”

A dark brow rose. “If she’s so important to you, why did you leave her?”
***

El Toza was a cheap, smelly town, and Caesar couldn’t wait until it was in his rearview from an appropriate coach. Today, at five this evening he was going to say goodbye to this wretched town and never look back. However, this new development, quite unexpected, now pressed upon him.

Surely it was probably just a mistake, Nina wasn’t an exotic name. The real Nina, had died, at least five years ago. There was no way she was –

“Blondie! Come on I need company.” Caesar was almost assaulted by the hard hand that slapped his back. Romulo Ortiz was instantly at his side, smiling as he looked forward, donning the same clothes he’d seen him in last, and smelling of liquor and … God only knew. Caesar, gasp of shock and pain went unheard, it was trapped somewhere in his throat as he found himself attached to the hip with the most unwelcome of companions.

“Excuse me?” He laughed gently, ever so slightly trying to inch away from him, hoping no one was staring.

Romulo wrapped his smelly filthy arm over Caesar’s pressed suit covered shoulders, and the urge to gag was almost overwhelming. But he was a gentleman, through the saint’s strength he refrained. “B-ut you’re traveling with several men.” He nudged his head to the men he realized were following a few feet behind them.

“Yeah but none of them are gringos.” He turned, smiling at him. “Listen, you look like a man that hasn’t seen his fair share of the west, I invite you to join us.” He quickened his – their pace steadily moving toward a church that was off a short incline on the edge of town.

Was there a possible way to refuse?

“Good morning.” A voice boomed. Nina squinted. Was her mind playing tricks, or had she just managed to close her eyes?

Monica was in the room, looking down on them holding an orange cat in her arms, she was turning slightly to the left and the right, rocking it. Nina briefly wondered if this was a house for mentally challenged girls.

Jody giggled. “Goodness gracious what time could it be?”

“Don’t worry Jody.” Monica assured. “It’s not quite noon, the usual time you cat stretch out of bed.”

Noon, Nina thought with a groan, she was doing nothing but wasting time.

“And where are you off to?” Monica asked, brows raised, when Nina all but leaped out of bed.

“I appreciate all the hospitality, but I do need to get going.”

Jody’s answer was to smile, simultaneously stretching, actually resembling a cat. Through her yawn she said. “Out to look for that fella?”

Nina yanked her skirt up her legs and buttoned the back quickly.

“He’s handsome too.” Jody smiled at Monica.

“Really?” Monica responded flatly. “And just how do you plan to go about finding him?”

“I’ll let you know when it’s any of your business.” Nina snapped, she saw Monica dart her eyes to Jody, snapping her jaw closed. Nina couldn’t help but think of the night she was in the bar with Angel and he’d sent that young man packing with a similar reply.

The memory was unexpected and it didn’t make her feel better.
Lifting an onyx brow in a haughtier fashion than she’d ever seen accomplished by Gloria Morgan, Monica smiled coldly, gracefully turned, and left the room.

“She’s right you know.” Jody removed her scarf, as promised her hairstyle remained the same.

“What are you going to do? The people in town ain’t too friendly when it comes to strangers. Do you speak Spanish?”

Reluctantly Nina shook her head. “I can take you into town.” Jody offered, reaching without looking to her nightstand, lifting a silver mirror she eyed her reflection carefully, her voice still full of its normal perk. “I know everybody, they might be a bit more forthcoming if they see me with you.”
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Really hoped you guys liked this, leave a comment and let me know, Rachel

2007-08-13T07:10:00.000-04:00

Well, look out at some point this week for that chapter of Someone, for Lisa* I started out on the diet on the bad side of 250 and now weight around 180 or so, my goal weight is whatever I look good at, as far as what I was eating, well when I started out my main goal was to cut out chips and candy and all the stuff that is sooooo wonderful, after I hit my plateau I gave Atkins a shot and have been on it since.
In other news I got yet another rejection for my menage story, which makes me know that I am just going to stop submitting it, who knew a threesome with a couple of teenage boys and infidelity would have people so up in arms ... blah ... so in the meantime ... I went to go see Hiarstpray over the weekend and ... to my utter surprise became positively enamered with this little number...

19 year old zac efron ... so i did a little checking, on my journey for this pic i discovered he was born in 1987, that makes me what to cry ... any way for some more appropriately aged hotties Lucky and Jason are at the top, good grief ....

2007-08-03T07:50:00.000-04:00

Hey galpals, Happy August! Is this year flying by or what?! I have been up all night, as usual. Glad I was able to provide some kind of closure to Tequila. That story, has been plaguing me for a while, nagging me in the back of my head like much of my other work, but I just needed to wrap it up some kind of way for you. It is going to get a re write eventually. When I am not so sure. I changed my blog, yet again and provided you with some links that keep me busy enough to avoid writing when I know I should be. Update on Once, I am thinking it will be done at the three hundred page mark, but we'll see. I was trying to figure out what epub I should submit it to, but I am leaning more toward trying to get a print deal, and the headache's that come with that. In non writing news a few weeks ago I tested the scale and realized I have lost eighty pounds since started a diet last year! Yow, I know right. Back to writing news. I will be posting one last Chapter of Someone to Watch Over Me. I truly do appreciate all the feedback you have given me on the story and hope you like the last excerpt. Don't worry it will be finished soon.

Take care and enjoy the day~ Rachel Cade

2007-07-24T15:05:00.000-04:00

Hi all, it's been a while, so I decided to post the whole part where we left off plus the addition. I hope you enjoyed Danielle and Ignacio's crazy little story:)

Rachel

Part 9

Danielle’s eyes cracked open, after a few minutes. The world seemed cleaner, brighter and completely wonderful. Ignacio’s hands were caressing her from hips to waist, in a slow languid message that forced her to close her eyes back from the sheer pleasure of it.
Orgasms were fantastic, but after not having one in ages, there were positively the best thing in the world.
“Feeling better?” The deep rumble of his voice vibrated against the still tender skin of her thighs.
“Since when do you care?” Her voice was scratchy, as she turned her head, coming to the instant realization that his still engorged erection was so close to her face she could stick her tongue out and suck on it.
His hands tightened on her waist and before she knew it she was sitting up, straddling his abdomen. Before she could even get used to the feeling of her sensitive clit against his chest she was being pulled back, until her back rested on top of his chest.
Ignacio held her gently by the forearms, pinning her to him. Her legs, free
to move opened, rested beside his hard thighs, Danielle closed her eyes, her body felt flushed, the nipples from her heavy breasts thrust up to the ceiling. The top of her back rested against his wide pectoral muscles, rigged ab muscles imbedded into the curve of her spine, each breath he took was her breath.
“Do I care?” He asked. “Good question, I haven’t answered it?”
She didn’t answer, not even sure if it was a question; most of her didn’t care.
Movement caused her to avert her eyes from the ceiling, Ignacio bent his legs at the knees and was using them to kick off his jeans and underwear. The sporadic motions caused her body to slide and shift over his. Between her open legs, she could see the tip of his cock poking above her rounded stomach. Hissing out a breath she swallowed when he finally stopped moving.
“Are you done?” She breathed out.
“Umm, no.”
He turned her over, with a quickness she had to admit she liked, adjusting her so that she lay right on top of him, her eyes bore down into his. Warm fingers pressed into her shoulders before sliding down her back. “You know I was comfortable the other way too.” She teased.
“Now you can be comfortable this way.” Ignacio smoothed his fingers through her dark shoulder length hair. “You meant that … about the men not wanting to please you?”
Caught off guard by his question, she almost stammered. Danielle had been far too busy staring into his eyes, the angular features of his devilishly handsome face, to attempt coherent thought. “Well, yeah.” She answered, getting it together. “They weren’t paying me to have a good time.”
“I didn’t pick you to be the type, even though I should know better than their being a type.”
“I suppose, I won’t be offended by that this time around.” She rested her arms on his chest. “I can’t say you look like the type either, though I should have guessed, since most the cops I’ve met in my life have been jerks.”
He nodded, he tried to move his hand, but she somehow caught it, before it reached its destination; her ass. “Don’t you dare.” She warned.
“Why not?” He raised a brow, she wasn’t sure how threatening she was considering her lack of clothing and the fact that she was positioned on top of him like he was her own, very personal, bear skinned rug; thankfully he wasn’t that furry.
“I’m not into that whole spanking thing.”
“I was not doing it for a sexual response.” Why was his voice getting quiet she wondered, why was he staring at her like that, he surely didn’t have to.
“And I’m especially not into that.”
“You just like to be tied up then.”
“Y- no!” She chopped her teeth. “You aren’t funny.”
“When have I ever tried to make you laugh?”
She stared at him thoughtfully. “Never.”
Danielle bent her head down to kiss him, his mouth was so warm. She placed delicate kisses down the side of his cheek. “When you’re not being mean you’re serious.” She murmured against his skin. “When you’re not being serious you’re mean.”
“You have a point?” He asked.
“Of course.” She spread her palms down over his chest as she slowly lowered herself down his body. Her eyes left his face to stare at the unreal planes of his torso, she could have played with him, toyed with every inch of his skin. “There’s always a point isn’t there?”
Ignacio lift his head to stare down at her. “You are venturing into dangerous territory, do I need to tell you this?”
Danielle slowly shook her head. He squinted, and she knew why, as she moved down, the tip of his cock skid against her stomach. She had to admit the silken touch of it, combined with the white hotness that only a body could make turned her on, making her breathless.
Once she was kneeling between his open legs, she ignored the arrow straight erection and looked him directly in the eye. “What do you want?”
Ignacio, a man of few words answered accordingly. “Huh?”
“You heard me,” she repeated. “What do you want?”
His eyes narrowed. “I didn’t tease you like this.”
“You didn’t?”
He gritted his teeth, it was adorable. “No.”
“You like to use power over me, so I’ll use it on you.”
He let his head fall back, to the carpet. “I’m not just referring to sex, the opportunity just presented itself.” She added, sitting, placing her hands on her knees.
“You – you are sitting there, completely naked, I can see everything.” He was mumbling. “What size are your breasts anyway, a D – Cup-”
Danielle glanced down at herself. “What does that have to do with
anything-”
“It has everything to do with -”
Ignacio sat up, pulling her to him, burying her face in her shoulder. “What are you-” She shrieked, then startled giggling uncontrollably.

She’d laughed until she couldn’t anymore, until the tickling of the hairs on his face morphed into tender kisses planted along the side of her neck. His hands felt so amazing against her skin. She never wanted him to take them off her.
Running her hands along his back, Danielle bent her head forward, her mouth falling on his shoulder. Closing her eyes she gave into the momentary feeling of being held, and pretended in her mind that it could last forever. She didn’t let herself think anything beyond that.
While her tongue licked against his skin he pulled her head up, in the silence that followed he just stared at her. He ran a single finger down the bridge of her nose, caressing it down her lips, letting it mold her chin.
Hypnotized by darkness, Danielle managed to ask “Who are you exactly?”
“Someone for you.”
Slick, she thought. “Mm hmm. Bet you tell that to all the girls you slip across the border. The truth of it is, I think you’re bipolar.”
Ignacio’s eyes widened. “Bi what?”
“How did you even know that place existed? I’m sure plenty of Government officials would love to have access to that information.”
Ignacio’s hands came around her body to cup her breasts, Danielle let a breath seep through her teeth, she hadn’t been expecting that. His touch seared her skin his fingers spread wide over her skin, each of her plump nipples sat in the curve between his middle and forefinger.
He moved her back slightly, lowering his mouth to her right nipple. An inch before touching it he stopped. His breath still smoldered over it, making her flinch each time he exhaled.
“Oh. You asked me a question.” He moved his head away from her breast, ignoring her pissed expression. What question?
“The place has always been there as far as I know, I used to go through it with my father. He smuggled tequila through it.”
“What, are you kidding?” He pinched his fingers together slightly, squeezing her nipples deliciously.
“No. I never kid.”
His fingers slackened their hold, only a tiny bit and soon his tongue was slipping into the miniscule grooves, teasing her until soft sighing pants left her mouth.
She watched his tongue circle over her nipple, several times before he let his flush lips close over it, sliding his fingers down her body, just the tips skimmed down her soft abdomen, sending another delicious shiver over her frame.
Ignacio bent forward, his nose pressed into her breast as Danielle’s hand coned over the base of his cock, decreasing the pressure as her hand stroked up to the tip of the shaft. “You need to stop doing that.” The light voice was unfamiliar to her, reverberating against her skin.
He moved his head until it was in the vise of her breasts as she continued to stroke him between their bodies.
Pressing her hand into his curly hair she pulled his face closer to her, the feeling of his cool mouth and warm breath against her skin was intoxicating. Just as much as the thought that her touch made his breath catch, then go quicker, before slowing down.
She pulled his head away from her. “You don’t have to ask what you want.” She whispered, in one swift movement she pushed him back.
Ignacio stared down at her from the bridge of his nose. “I don’t?”
“No.” Danielle smiled. “It’s kind of obvious.”
She leaned forward, pressing both of her lips to the base of his erection.

Ignacio bent his spine to watch her, breath hissed from between his teeth when he felt her mouth on him. She pushed his legs farther apart by running her hands up the inside of his thighs. Using his elbows he held his top half up, eyeing her as she sent the tip of her tongue all the way up, her mouth closed over the flushed head of his cock.
He swore under his breath, letting his eyes flutter shut as he was absorbed in
smoldering wetness of her mouth.
For the first few minutes, he wouldn’t open his eyes, or he couldn’t, lost in the feeling of her mouth on him. Would the sight of it turn him on more? For the time being he wouldn’t attempt to find out.
He could feel her, her hands and her mouth, her teeth and her tongue, each taking fluttering, halting, touches against him. Anticipation pounded blood through his ears. His teeth clenched hard, while he waited, and waited, and his heartbeat increased by the second.
Danielle’s mouth slipped down his cock again, but it wasn’t a quick flash of movement this time. She was far more persistent with her offering, as her mouth increased its pressure, the slick roughness of her tongue pressed firmly against the underside of his shaft as her head fell lower, inch by inch, pulling him into a warmth that made his thighs tense.
She continued added pressure until her mouth became almost vacuum tight, and his head hit the rug, silently, between the severe pleasure, he fought with himself not to cry out, not to say her name or any of the other things a part of him wanted to do so desperately. He could imagine her smugness, he could imagine she would want him to …
Her head kept dropping … what was she trying to do?
Danielle turned her head slightly, in short quick movements her mouth began to shift up and down, only an inch or so, and she kept doing it, over and over and over. His feet started to dig harshly into the rug, until the friction burned his soles. Her mouth, in the meantime continued to burn him. Her hands were caressing his stomach, he thought to reach down and grab them, pull her up his body, and bury his cock inside her other wetness. But he wasn’t willing to stop her just yet.
A breath hissed out of his nose. God damn she felt good. Warm slickness that was enveloping his cock slowly rose up, offering one last all too brief tug on the tip before he couldn’t feel her again.
He opened his eyes then, smothering his lips over the protest.
He should have kept them closed.
Danielle was staring at him, with a look he didn’t think her capable of, it froze him instantly, like being in the range of a python. Her mouth was only a few inches above his distended erection, which pulsed and glistened with saliva.
The inside of his legs, so close to her skin, scorched and tingled from her body heat, his cock itself was almost numb from the blood that coursed through it.
When Ignacio looked down and saw Danielle pressing her full mouth to the tip, her breath hitting the sensitive skin right before her lips, he thought he would come right then.
He sat up abruptly, cupping her face with his hands. “Whoa stop.”
She barely hid her grin. “Why?”
“Because I asked you to.”
Her mouth was still way too close to his cock. The subtle movements her lips made caused him to believe she might try to ease toward him again. Ignacio doubted he could take it if she did. He used both hands to grasp her shoulders, putting enough space between them as to get himself out of harm’s way.
Danielle shrugged. “It’s what I get paid for.”
He tensed slightly. “Don’t bring that up.”
“Why not.”
Ignacio stood. She was on her knees directly in front of him. “You want me to -”
Reaching up she almost had him grasped in her hand when he stepped back.
Her lurch was instantaneous as was the frown that lines her mouth. “Turned of huh?
fine, whatever -” His mouth was on hers before she could finish, and he was lifting her off the ground with a quickness that made her gasp, even as his lips mashed against hers.
The heave of her chest pushed her breasts further against his chest, the pointing nipples stabbing into his skin. Though he hadn’t intended, they ended up near his dresser. He pushed her forward with his pelvis, his hands grasping the globes of her ass.
Ignacio could feel Danielle’s breath hissing against his lips. He leaned forward, catching her lower lip in his teeth, gently pulling on it, while his he pressed his cock closer towards her softness. Her intake of breath that followed was like a mini vortex chilling his damp lips.
“Do you –” She started. “Do you have any idea what your mother would do if she caught –”
He answered the question by entering her. Their eyes met briefly before Danielle’s fluttered closed, simultaneously her bottom lip trembled.
Ignacio’s hands slammed on top of the dresser. He was panting against her mouth, engulfed in tight slick heat, it was all he could do to stay still, he needed just then to stay still, because if he moved a fraction it would be over.

Danielle’s knees slid up the side of Ignacio’s body, continuously she had to remind herself to breath. God, you would think she was a virgin! Who knew how unfamiliar it would seem after a year of celibacy? But Ignacio did have a lot to offer a girl.
A whole lot.
It occurred to her, only briefly that this was probably the wrong time, and definitely the wrong place for this. Her heartbeat thumped overtime, and she could feel sweat trickling down her back.
Her eyes slid down his torso, admiring the way the soft sheen of sweat glistened his skin. Reaching up, she pressed her hands against his pecs, lightly at first before adding pressure.
Ignacio’s hands moved to her waist, his mouth grazed hers. She opened her mouth to say something to him, but nothing came out, but a short breath. He began to move inside her, she might have remembered his fingers tightening against her skin, but she was far too concerned with the pulsing in the center of her thighs.
His mouth was in her ear, amplifying each sound he made. Danielle pressed her nose into his shoulder. The sound she made was a mix of high - pitched sigh and a groan.
The dresser shook with his last thrust and she gasped, grabbing both of his shoulders.
He leaned forward, kissing her, his lips dragging over hers. He continually pumped himself inside of her, increasing the speed in a fraction. Danielle felt herself spasm as she simultaneously stretched to accommodate him.
Danielle moaned against his mouth, squeezing her thighs tighter against his body as he flexed against her. His skin boiled so hot it felt cold. Did he say her name?
“Danielle.” He had, she glanced at his mouth, his labored breaths skimming her face. She expected him to say something but he didn’t, dark eyes ran there way down her mouth, over her shoulders. Following them with her own sent a tremor down her back that made her almost forget about the fact that he was imbedded deeply inside her. The smallest shift forward sent the realization tumble to the forefront however, as she pursed her lips tightly closed.
How thin were the walls of that house? Surely, it was about to be tested. Danielle murmured, feeling the sweat forming on her upper lip. Ignacio pulled out, excruciatingly slow, she could feel herself pulling on him in a sensuous vise that made both their breaths halt. “I’m trying – I’m trying to figure out how to do this.” He breathed. “You’re driving me crazy.”
She grabbed his face, “Just do it.” Her skin tingled with anticipation of what was to come. “… do it.”
Ignacio grabbed her hips. The thrusting that followed sent a gasp from her as she pulled his wet body to her, in a moment of passion forgetting about the heat, the thin wall, the possibility of getting caught. She cried out, digging into his skin as he pounded against her, relentlessly, forcing her to fill the room with sounds of ecstasy.
“Oh God.” Gasped under her breath as she bent her head forward, her chin hitting her chest as she tried with all her might to push him away. She hadn’t intended to, it was an instinctive reaction to the scream she was trying to keep contained. He didn’t budge, being the rock he was and he grabbed her wrists in both of his hands. Leaning forward he pent her back to the wall, never stopping, pumping inside of her with a frenzy that threatened to knock the dresser over.
Soon Danielle found herself almost in the fetal position on top of the dresser, her ass positioned almost on the edge, the heels of her feet skimming the edges. Her back was against the wall, her wrists encased in Ignacio’s firm yet gentle grip. Soon after he began kissing her again, and she welcomed the velvet softness of his kisses and the way the tenderness of it contradicted the harsh joining coinciding below their waists.
A feather tap of his top lip, and his hips slammed into hers, his nose grazing the tip of hers, a powerful thrust slapping their skin together in a clapping sound loud enough to mask her harsh intake of breath. Several more minutes of this had her begging, pulling her body to him forcefully removing her wrists from his grip so she could wrap her arms around him.
Ignacio lifted her body from the dresser, holding her high in the air, her drenched pussy covering the tip of his cock he slowly lowered her down on it, holding her ample bottom in his hands, simultaneously kneading and grasping it.
“Ignacio don’t -”
Don’t tease me, she had intended to say, but the delicious length of him filled her, taking her words and her breath. One look in his eyes screamed he was trying to keep in control. The turn of his mouth, the sweat on his brow and the long vein popping out of his neck said otherwise.
His teeth visibly clenched and he lowered her to the ground. Her feet felt numb and odd against the carpet and she had to keep her knees locked to keep her balance.
She had no idea what she was doing, she was hot, arousal drenching between her legs. Suddenly she found herself lowering to the ground, in front of him she turned until she was down on her hands and knees. In the quiet that followed she ran her hands against the carpet until the palms began to burn. Ignacio’s foot hit her ankle. What was he thinking? What did his face say? She didn’t know. When the floor shifted as his knees hit the ground she whimpered slightly. When his knees touched the inside of hers, and her soft thigh skimmed his slightly hair roughened one she almost cried out from the spasm that went through her. Just do it, she thought, but could not say.
He slipped inside her without preamble and her mouth widened with the sudden absolute pleasure that soared through her body. The pace he began was slow, taunting even, but it soon quickened, and she gripped at the floor, delighting in every motion, every inch of him that slipped in and out of her repeatedly. Ignacio help her waist, pushing farther, deeper into her. He had managed to be fairly quiet but now he struggled to hold his composure, she could blatantly hear the groans and murmured as he slammed into her from behind.
Danielle felt her chest constrict, her lungs seemed like they wanted to collapse as she fought to hold in screams that would surely alert the whole neighborhood. Sweat trickled off her nose to the carpet and she felt her arms give way.
Harsh swears were erratic whispers on her lips as he pressed forward, vaguely she made out his hand planted on the carpet, not far from her face, and the strong forearm that followed. She tried to keep her pelvis up, but even as he held onto her she began inching lower to the ground each time he powerfully rammed his cock into her.
Danielle’s nipples grazed the carpet, but Ignacio hadn’t left her body. Not he was over her, slowly slipping in and out, over and over again. Gently he spread her knees wide with his own. Danielle’s face was against the floor, she slid her eyes shut, tilting her pelvis up, providing him with even more access to her body.
She grasped him as tightly as she could, drawing inaudible sounds from both of them that carried on the air.
“Ugh, w-” He cleared his throat.
He pressed inside, and withdrew, breath hissing between his teeth along with a sound that could have been approval. Her eyes watched his hand as he quickly changed the pace riding her faster and harder, sending her skin skidding over the carpet. Closing her eyes she cried out, his name, over and over, cradling her arms under her body while the world shifted back and forth.
His mouth was on her back as he continued to drive her insane with his unyielding penetration. She yelped, slamming her hand against the floor before reaching out for his wrist.
“Oh God!” She cried. “FUCK!”
“Back up to me, back up-“ She continued bucking her hips up to him, meeting him push for push. “Oh shit keep-“
She screamed out, her body twisted beneath him as passion in its purest form transformed into physical form, reverberating through both of their bodies. For a moment, the world was only made of pleasure.

“I threw a fight.”
“What?” Cuddled on the twin size bed she was shocked it hadn’t given way under their weight.
“I was working undercover, the guys looking for me, they had me throw a fight. After, they told me they knew who I was, about my mom and Paloma. That led up to right when I met you.”
Danielle stared at him. “Why didn’t you just tell me that before?”
“Because I am a stubborn bastard, you don’t understand that yet?”
She smiled. “I think I’m getting it.”
He sighed, glancing away. “I know I haven’t been, well, I know I haven’t thanked you for … what you did. Regardless of all the bullshit I say-”
“And you do say a lot.” She had to interject.
A corner of his mouth lifted, before he stared at her. “I do owe you my life Danielle. Thank you for saving me.”
Now she looked away, the nervous flutter her heart made gave way to her laughter. “A hooker with a heart of gold, the oldest cliché -”
“Don’t say that.” His hand was in her hair. “The only thing that holds true is the present, the past can’t be changed and the future isn’t promised.” She must have been looking at him strangely. “My father used to say that a lot.” He added. “I didn’t really get what he meant, but I get it more and more as I get older.”
“The future isn’t promised.” She repeated. “If I knew what was in my future I would probably be glad of that.”
“What do you think is in your future?”
“Trying to figure out my life, what I want to do with myself. Not much bright prospect there.”
“Stay here.”
“What.”
He shifted, until he was sitting up in the bed that barely fit them, his curling hair wild about his head. “Stay here, you’d be an illegal alien but –” She laughed. “I think we’ll manage.”
“Right, a cop and a –” She stopped when he touched her face, eyeing her thoughtfully.
“Ignacio and Danielle.” He corrected.
She reached up placing her hand over his. “Ignacio and Danielle.” She said, a smile on her lips.