Ain’t No Angel

Jessie’s divorce from a dangerous abuser has left her wary. No man has tempted

her to take a chance in a long time. But Travis lights fires in her she’d long forgotten and
they agree to one smoldering night together.

Travis was kicked off this small town’s police force years ago for asking too many

questions. Now a bounty hunter, he’s returned to put away the man who fired him—
the crooked police chief who desperately fought to hide his role in the murder of a
young woman. But after his incredible night with Jessie, things get complicated when
Travis realizes Jessie is the ex-wife of the man he’s hunting.

Jessie hasn’t heard from her ex in years. When he suddenly demands money and

makes threatening phone calls, she has no one to turn to but Travis. He vows to keep
her safe and close…even as he fears their tangled past may keep them apart.

Inside Scoop: Jessie and Travis enjoy a bit of BDSM fun.

A Romantica® erotic romantic suspense from Ellora’s Cave

’

NGEL

J L Taft

Dedication

For my mom, the ultimate survivor. Thank you for teaching me how strong women

can be.

Ain’t No Angel

Chapter One

The day was hot and long. It was after six and the sun was still blazing overhead.

Jessie wiped her brow with the back of her hand and fanned her shirt, trying for a little

breeze. But it was useless. The heat wave was unexpected and had hit upstate New

York hard.

She had been working nonstop since early that morning. Running a landscape

business was no cakewalk. Jessie and her two employees had been laboring to get the

trees and plants that couldn’t withstand the baking sun under awnings and into the

greenhouse.

But some of them were already looking brown and scorched. Worried that she was

going to lose more inventory than she could afford, she pushed her body until she was

lightheaded.

Finally they managed to get everything out of the brutal sun. Jessie was ready to

call it a day. It was hot, sweaty, backbreaking work but she loved it just the same. She

didn’t mind that she had calluses on her hands because it had been her decision.

She didn’t take for granted the ability to make her own choices.
It had been three years since her husband had left town in a cloud of suspicion and

two and a half years since she had divorced him and reopened the landscape business.

It had been the best decision of her life, even if marrying him in the first place had been

her worst.

Closing the door on her thoughts about her ex, she glanced at the guys who were

spraying each other off with the garden hose. They were both mouthwateringly

gorgeous. Jessie knew most of the female population of their small town of Hill Valley

mourned their sexual preference.

Marc was tall, dark-haired and had bright-blue eyes. His smile was quick and he

was fiercely loyal to his friends and family. Brad was tall by her standards but Marc had

several inches on him. His hair was as light as Marc’s was dark. His blond mane was

always messy and his brown eyes were deep and knowing. They were striking together.

Marc and Brad were both young and had sketchy pasts. She had taken some slack

for hiring a gay couple even though they hadn’t been a couple when she hired them.

But the people of this small town always left that little detail out. She was happy to

have them even if watching them fall madly in love only reminded her how alone she

really was.

But that was okay. She was used to being on her own and lately she preferred it that

way. Then no one could hurt her.

J L Taft

“Good work, guys. I think they will be fine now and perked up for planting at that

new job come Monday.”

The guys got the weekends off even if she didn’t. Marc and Brad lived in what she

still called the barn, standing to the right of the house. She had converted the large

upstairs loft into three small efficiency apartments. They were usually around if she

needed them and she liked having friends close. It worked well for all of them. Room

and board was included in their pay, which kept her costs low.

To the left of the house, closer to the road, stood the greenhouse that her parents

had built when she was a child. She had always loved it, the smell of the fresh dirt and

new seedlings. She could still picture her mom humming away years ago as she put

together big pots with annuals spilling out.

Her dad had been the driving force behind the landscape business but her mother

had been the heart. Jessie had grown up with dirt under her nails and a deep love for all

green, growing things. This was where she belonged.

She still felt guilty that the house had stood empty while she had been married. The

humble home hadn’t been good enough for him and she regretted leaving it every time

it crossed her mind.

Marc stood from shutting off the water and stretched. Not for the first time, Jessie

gawked at him from under her lashes. Jessie glanced at Brad, who was doing some

gawking himself, his eyes glued to Marc’s chiseled chest.

“Have a good weekend, guys,” she called out to them as she headed to the house

and a shower.

“Boss!” Marc was jogging to catch up with her. “We are headed out for drinks later

at the Shiny Penny, want to come along?”

They asked her this almost every Friday night and she always declined. But she

suddenly couldn’t remember her reasons for never going with them. It had been a long

week and maybe she just needed to relax for a few hours.

After all it had been years since Cyrus had taken off and she was tired of looking

over her shoulder. If he intended to contact her then he would have done it by now.

But the memory of him standing over her, his hands clenched in fists that he had

just used on her face, sent a shudder down her back. He had almost killed her that last

time and she constantly worried that he would show back up to finish the job.

Maybe it was time to put it in the past and move on.
“C’mon, I’ll buy you a beer,” Brad cajoled as he came up behind Marc.
“Yeah, come with us. It’s been a crazy week and you deserve it,” Marc added.
An ice-cold beer really did sound good. “All right, guys. Meet me back here at

eight?”

“Absolutely!” They both grinned at her and she knew they were happy she was

going with them.

Ain’t No Angel

Jessie watched them walk away until Marc pulled Brad into a passionate kiss and

she turned abruptly, putting them behind her. Lucky them. It had been a long few years

since she had been kissed and she didn’t remember any of them before that being that

good.

Shaking it off, she entered the kitchen and smiled at Betty, who was busy setting

out dinner. Betty had been her mother’s best friend since they were kids. Jessie had

hired her as a cook when she had reopened the business.

“Betty, I’m going up for a shower before dinner.”
“Dinner will be ready in fifteen.” Betty ruled the kitchen with an iron fist and Jessie

sometimes wondered how she had ever managed without her.

She headed up the stairs. Her steps were suddenly weary and slow. It really had

been a long week. Her parents had made running this place look easy. Turning the

water on in the shower and undressing, she gave herself a long, hard look in the mirror.

She still had her looks at least, even if her face was a little pink from the sun and her

hair was a little frizzy. Her freckles were really starting to come out now and she had

learned long ago not to hate something she couldn’t change. Her auburn hair was long,

coming down to the middle of her back, and she knew after she washed it the curls

would turn into pretty waves.

Her skin was still smooth and her breasts high and full. Her ass might be a little

wider but she would blame that squarely on Betty’s cooking.

Letting the lukewarm water run over her, she was tempted to relieve some of the

sexual tension but she knew it wouldn’t make her feel better.

She started to head for the kitchen, dressed in faded jeans and a white tank top.

Screw it, might as well go all out. Going back to the dresser, she pulled out her silver

hoops and makeup bag. She could spare five more minutes in the bathroom.

The guys were showered and changed, seated with plates in front of them by the

time she got to the kitchen.

“Sorry I’m late.” Betty gave her a scowl but Jessie just kissed her on the cheek as she

grabbed a plate. The woman was all bark and no bite and had a big heart.

Marc whistled when he caught sight of her. “Dang, boss! You sure do clean up

good!”

Smiling, she sat and dug into her food, feeling her shoulders relax as she listened to

the guys rib each other over who had moved the most trees. It was funny and she

couldn’t help but chuckle with them.

Jessie finished her food and set about helping Betty clear the table. Betty stopped to

stare hard at her as soon as Marc and Brad left the kitchen.

“Going out tonight?” Betty asked.
“Yes, just for a little while and I promise to be a good girl,” Jessie told her with a

smile.

J L Taft

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Betty said as she handed her plates to put in the

dishwasher.

Jessie stopped and looked at Betty in surprise. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Exactly what I said. You are always a good girl and do what needs to be done. For

once I wish you would do something for you,” Betty answered.

“I am doing something for me. I’m doing what I always wanted to do, running

Mom and Dad’s landscape business.”

“I don’t mean work, honey. I mean finding a good man and letting your hair down

a little,” Betty told her as she closed the filled dishwasher.

“Betty, you know that I don’t want a man.”
Betty shook her head. “You may not want one but you need one. Have a good time

tonight.” She put her coat on and grabbed her purse before letting herself out.

Jessie stood in shock for a moment. Betty knew her whole disgraceful tale so she of

all people should understand that there was no way she wanted to be ruled by another

man.

Even if she wouldn’t mind doing some rolling between the sheets, she hadn’t been

tempted by anyone in a long time.

* * * * *

Several hours and three beers later, Jessie sat laughing at Marc and Brad shaking it

together on the dance floor. They were pretty good dancers and several women had

asked them to dance but they only had eyes for each other.

The Shiny Penny was packed, the music blaring and alcohol flowing like water. A

man had asked her to dance early in the evening but she had declined. She was

perfectly content to sit on the sidelines and be a spectator.

It was a small town and she knew most everyone there. Most of them accepted her

for who she was, having known her since she was a kid, even if the whole affair with

her husband was still whispered about behind hands.

Maybe that was the problem. She wasn’t going to meet anyone in this town who

didn’t already have an opinion about her and her family. Her reputation followed her

around like a dark cloud and she was getting tired of trying to prove herself.

Heaving a sigh, she pushed those thoughts, just like everything else tonight, out of

her mind and ordered another beer.

Maybe Betty was right and she needed to let her hair down a little. She glanced

around the bar and no one caught her attention. Maybe the day for that wasn’t today.

Ain’t No Angel

Chapter Two

Travis Turner entered the little redneck bar called the Shiny Penny, cursing the life

of a bounty hunter. It was crowded and it took him a while to get to the bar to order a

beer.

He had once loved this little town. It had grown on him the year he had lived here

and worked on the force. But the situation that had caused him to leave still left a bitter

taste in his mouth.

He was on a case, looking for the man he had once trusted. Sheriff Cyrus Parker

had left town three years ago and Travis didn’t expect to learn anything new. But he

did want to talk to Cyrus’ ex-wife, even if in his experience, wives, ex or not, didn’t give

much away. His only hope was that the divorce had been enough years ago that the

police wouldn’t contact her until they had concrete evidence that Cyrus was a threat to

her. Unfortunately, sometimes the warning came too late for some.

Cyrus had gotten in a bit of trouble again—assault against a woman who had a rich

father and wanted to see him behind bars at all costs. The woman’s father was an old

friend of Travis’ boss and they had gotten the case to track Cyrus down.

After Cyrus had been arrested for a domestic dispute with his wife he had been

released on bail and had fled before charges could be brought against him. The judge at

the time had been a friend of Cyrus’ and it had been the defining factor in Cyrus’

release.

Cyrus had been in hiding since his run from this small town and now that new

charges had been brought against him a simple match of fingerprints had pointed the

authorities to his true identity. But he had slipped the noose again.

A man with seemingly no record had been released on his own recognizance. But

hindsight was twenty-twenty. He had run again.

Now Travis was on the case, trying to pick up the pieces. The system was slow. Too

slow and now a man who Travis suspected of murder was on the loose again. With the

new case and the old charges pending he might have enough to put him behind bars. If

he could get the right strings pulled to reopen the murder case.

Cyrus must have known that his past was going to come back and bite him in the

ass sooner or later. If Travis could find him. He was a slippery snake who knew the ins

and outs of the law and was now using it against the good guys.

Being back in the Shiny Penny brought back memories he would have rather left

forgotten. He immediately thought of Candy Marsh and the last time he had seen her

alive. The murder investigation had been dropped quickly, too quickly by Travis’

standards. So he had continued with the questioning on his own time.

J L Taft

That had gotten him promptly fired. The rookie on the force going against orders

from the brand-new police chief? Yeah, he had been doomed. The sad thing was, he had

been so blinded by seeking justice for Candy that he hadn’t even seen it coming.

He had a hunch that Cyrus had been somehow involved with her murder. Travis

had seen her that last Friday night at this same bar.

He remembered that night vividly. He had been parked on a stool next to his

partner when Candy came up to the bar to order another drink. She was obviously

already tipsy and flirted with them while she waited for her drink.

She was a looker and they both watched the sway of her hips as she had walked

away. It was then that Travis had seen who she was with that night. Cyrus Parker.

But none of that was in the report that had been filed. When Travis had confronted

Cyrus about it, it had all been downhill from there.

Travis had left town himself but well before Cyrus had. He had been forced to drop

the case then but it had always stayed with him. Something felt wrong about that whole

situation.

Now here he was, back in a town that he told himself he had left forever. He had

left his office in Portville later than he expected and the two-and-a-half-hour drive had

taken much longer with all the construction on the roads.

He should never have taken the job. He wouldn’t have if the money hadn’t been so

good. But his partner Ian Davis had handed him the case because he knew that he had

never gotten over the fact that Candy Marsh’s murderer was still out there somewhere.

So here he was, on a wild goose chase for a paycheck. It was a job he hated but at

least it gave him a chance to bring some criminals in off the streets.

The murder case was old and no new information had been offered. But Travis had

an edge. He had worked with Cyrus for several months and he had lived in the same

town. So Travis figured it was worth a shot do to some poking around. Even if the case

hadn’t been reopened, yet.

His plan was to have a drink or two and go back to his hotel for some sleep.

Tomorrow was soon enough to go looking for Cyrus’ ex-wife. He had never met her but

he didn’t figure she would be too hard to find.

Striding up to the bar, he ordered another beer and took a long swallow before he

turned to gaze around the crowded space. The two men on the dance floor grinding on

each other caught his eye. What the hell? Glancing around, he noticed that no one else

seemed to mind. Certainty not what he expected to see in this small town.

Then a woman caught his eye, sitting at the end of the bar, a huge smile on her face

as she watched the guys dance. She had a beer in her hand and a wild mane of shiny

red curls and he wondered if they had named the bar after her. Her full breasts were

displayed by the tight white tank top, and even in the dim light he could see a dusting

of freckles. She was tapping her toe and shaking to the music as much as the barstool

allowed.

Ain’t No Angel

Just the sight of her sent a pulse to the neglected part of his body that now hung

heavy between his legs. She was sexy as hell and he regretted that he didn’t have the

time to get to know her better, in his bed.

The kind of sex he liked usually took time. He needed her to trust him before she

could let go completely. Once she did he could tie her to his bed and learn her body

from the inside out.

But it had been a long time since he had a chance to play like that. Or the desire to

do so.

She suddenly glanced his way and their gazes collided before she quickly looked

down. Damn! He hadn’t felt a surge like that in…well, ever. He was here, so there was

no harm in talking to her. He finished the beer in his hand with a couple quick

swallows.

Turning to the bartender, he had to raise his voice to be heard over the music. “A

couple more beers.”

The big, beefy bartender handed him the two beers and Travis made his way to the

sexy redhead at the end of the bar.

* * * * *

Jessie was having a blast. She knew that she was going to pay for the

overindulgence in the morning but she really couldn’t bring herself to care at the

moment. It was so wonderful to just relax and hang with her friends, because Marc and

Brad were more than employees to her, they were friends she trusted. She was feeling

sappy toward them at the moment and she was happy for them.

Turning from their antics on the dance floor, she tried to get Johnny’s attention. She

wanted another beer, but the place was so full he was hopping at the other end. Damn.

“Want a beer?”
The voice was low and close to her ear, sending a shiver down her spine, but it was

one of those thrilling shivers. The kind that let her know there was a predator on the

prowl and she was the prey.

Turning, she stared into steel-gray eyes. He was tall, taller than both Marc and

Brad, who were both almost six feet. His shoulders were wide and his arms, big. He

must have spent a lot of time working out. But what really caught her attention was the

tattoo that peeked out from under the collar of his tight black t-shirt.

There were more tats on his big arms but she couldn’t tell what they were. The one

coming out of the neck of his shirt was some sort of tribal design, black and bold, that

came up the side of his neck to end just below his ear. His head was shaved smooth and

she had to control her hands from reaching out to run across it.

He smiled at her and she realized she must look like an idiot. She took the beer

from his hand. “Thanks.”

J L Taft

“No problem.” He leaned against the bar next to her as she took a sip from the icy-

cold bottle. “So, out and about for a bit of fun tonight?” he asked, leaning down again to

be heard over the music.

“You could say that,” Jessie answered but didn’t turn to look at him. He was so

close that she could feel the heat from his body and smell his cologne. It was something

dark and musky and she wondered what it was.

Jessie took another healthy sip of her beer and laughed at Brad and Marc, who now

were twirling each other about on the dance floor. Glancing at the man still standing

next to her from under her lashes, she was struck again by how sexy he was.

He turned to her and she quickly looked away.
“Do you want to dance?” he said close to her ear.
Jessie hesitated, but only for a moment. Nodding to him, she set her beer on the bar

as he took her hand and led her into the crush of people on the dance floor.

He swung her around and into his arms, making her laugh. He smiled down at her

as the music abruptly changed to a slow number. His big hands rested on her hips and

she could feel the heat of them through her thin tank top.

He swayed her gently as other couples paired up around them. He was so dang tall

that she only came up to his shoulder. Her hands were resting on his biceps and they

flexed under her fingers when his arms pulled her in closer.

Her belly gave a slow roll and her nipples tightened as they brushed against his

chest. Lifting her face to stare up at him, she stilled when he lifted a hand and brushed

her hair back from her face.

She shouldn’t be doing this. She should go home and forget all about him. Men

were nothing but trouble.

But his other hand started rubbing her back in small circles. If it was meant to be

soothing it was having the opposite effect. Her heart started racing and there was a

quick clench between her legs.

The song ended and the people around them erupted into a frenzy of movement

but Jessie stood still as his gaze held her hostage.

His head lowered and for the first time in years she wanted to be kissed. He had

sucked her in and she was helpless to stop him.

“You fucking fags! Get the hell out of our bar!”
Whipping her head around, she was just in time to see Brad get a face full of fist. He

staggered and blood spurted from his nose. Marc planted himself between Brad and the

upset and very drunk customer. Jessie didn’t think twice, untangling herself from her

sexy dance partner, and headed for the fray.

Marc and the man were now struggling, Marc trying to restrain the man from

causing any more harm.

Ain’t No Angel

The music stopped and as she got closer she saw who the culprit was. Harry, one of

the more outspoken people in town about the nature of Marc and Brad’s relationship,

was just fighting free of Marc’s hold.

“Harry! What in the hell are you doing?” Jessie yelled and stepped between Marc

and Harry before they could start up again.

Harry pointed a menacing finger at her. “Damn you to hell for bringing them here!

This is all your fault!”

Jessie blinked in surprise at the verbal attack but didn’t back down. The new guy

looked between them and asked her, “Do you know these two?” He inclined his head at

Marc and Brad.

“Yes, they are my friends,” she told him.
Jessie stood stone-still as he planted his big body next to hers and put his arm

around her waist. His silent support had more than a few eyebrows going up in the bar.

Harry looked between them and took a step back when the big hand on her back

eased her a step forward, but she didn’t take that step alone.

Harry glanced around him, looking for help. The people standing behind him

watching obviously weren’t on his side. He had stopped the party.

Johnny, the bartender and owner of the bar, chose that moment to elbow his way

through the crowd.

“What the hell is going on? I leave for two minutes to take a piss and all hell breaks

loose,” he grumbled.

It took him all of three seconds to figure out who the problem was. Between Marc

helping Brad to his feet, blood dripping from his nose and Jessie and the guy’s big body

blocking Harry from them, it was pretty obvious. “Damn it, Harry. That’s it. Get out of

my bar!”

Harry sputtered and tried to plead his case but Johnny cut him off. “I don’t want to

hear it. You’re bad for business. Out!”

Harry turned and slammed himself out of the bar and Jessie breathed a sigh of

relief. Marc helped Brad to a stool and Jessie passed the cloth and bag of ice that Johnny

gave her to him.

Marc looked at the man who had stood next to Jessie and stuck his hand out.

“Thanks for helping,” Marc told him.

The guy shook his hand and said, “No problem.”
Jessie watched the exchange. Marc turned to her then. “Are you ready to head

home? I think Brad is done for the night.”

“Sure, of course,” she answered as she glanced at the helpful stranger from under

her lashes. She would probably never see him again.

“I’m fine, Marc,” she heard Brad say. “Jessie hasn’t had any fun in ages and she

isn’t ready to leave.” But Brad’s eyes were glued to the big man standing next to her.

J L Taft

“Are you good to drive?” the new guy asked Marc.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Nothing but Pepsi for me tonight,” Marc told him.
It made her like him even more. Most men never thought about that. It was how her

parents had died. A drunk driver had hit them head on.

His gray gaze caught hers. “Do you want to go for a little drive and then I’ll take

you home?”

She didn’t know what to say. Her first reaction was to say no. She didn’t know this

man and he could be a serial killer or something.

Marc took one look at the panicked expression on her face and leaned in to whisper

in her ear. “Killers and rapists don’t make spectacles of themselves in a bar full of

people. Everyone here can identify him. You still have that mace in your purse?”

She nodded and Marc gave her a little push. “Go, live a little. If he hurts you, I’ll kill

him.” Jessie smiled at that. She supposed she was overthinking it.

“Okay,” she said, throwing her purse over her shoulder.
The sexy man smiled at her and took her hand to lead her out of the bar and to his

truck.

Ain’t No Angel

Chapter Three

Travis closed the truck door after he had helped her up in the cab. It was a tall

truck, four-wheel drive with aggressive mud tires. It suited his purposes well.

Criminals hid in the craziest places.

Swinging up into the driver’s side in one smooth motion, he started the grumbly

engine and put it in gear. He knew just where to take her.

There was an overlook on the outskirts of town that he had busted more teens at

than he could count. But it was late and he figured the place would be deserted this

time of night, he hoped. After all, the kids had a curfew.

He glanced her way and she smiled at him. The cab of his truck smelled like her

and he took a deep breath.

“So, what’s your name?” she asked and he grinned at her.
“Sorry, we didn’t get around to that. I’m Travis. What’s yours?”
“I’m Jessie.”
Jessie suited her. She struck him as a no-frills kind of chick. He knew that he should

be making small talk with her but she didn’t seem to mind the silence and his brain was

too clouded with her scent to think straight.

He said the first thing that came to mind. “Do you want to scoot over here closer to

me?” he asked as he lifted his arm and made room for her.

She hesitated and he thought for a second she was going to turn him down. But

then she slid over on the bench seat and pressed her side against his. They drove the

last mile or two in silence and Travis could think of nothing but how well she fit, tucked

under his arm.

He pulled into the overlook and cut the engine and the headlights. They were

alone, just like he had hoped. He left the radio on, a country station, and the dash lights

illuminated the inside of the truck softly.

“Where are we?” she asked quietly.
“The overlook.”
She looked up at him and said with a smile, “You brought me to the make-out

place?”

“I did. I’m a gentleman when it comes to women but I ain’t no angel. Taking a

pretty girl to a make-out spot seemed like a good idea.” What he really wanted was

more than that but he would let her lead the way. He wasn’t in the habit of taking

things from women that they weren’t willing to give.

“I think it was a very good idea,” she told him.

J L Taft

* * * * *

Jessie liked having someone so close to her. Warming her from the inside out, in

ways that she thought had been long buried inside her.

He had brought her to the local make-out spot, a place that she had never been. Oh

she knew where it was and had driven past it but no man had ever brought her here.

It was kind of romantic. The night sky had a blanket of stars winking down at them

and in the distance she could see a few of the streetlights from town.

She could feel Travis’ body getting tenser by the second and she wondered why he

didn’t make a move on her. That one small thought left room for more doubts to creep

in.

But he must have thought she was somewhat pretty or he wouldn’t have bought

her a drink and asked her to dance. He had her in the cab of his truck and the seconds

started crawling by.

It made her feel young and untainted. But that was far from the truth. Maybe she

should just lay it out. Ask what he intended and go from there.

They both started talking at the same time. He smiled and said, “You go first.”
Taking a deep breath, she sat up and away from him without moving back across

the seat.

Holding his gaze, she blurted out, “Do you want to have sex with me?”
She could tell that she had surprised him. His eyebrows went up and his lips

parted, but his eyes also went dark and caused butterflies to erupt in her belly.

She waited for his answer, barely breathing.
Finally he said, “I do.”
Closing her eyes briefly to savor the words flowing over her, she let out a deep

breath.

He reached for her hand and she watched, mesmerized, as he raised it to his mouth

and stuck the tip of her index finger in. He sucked gently and then twirled his warm,

wet tongue around it before releasing her.

He sighed and seemed to come to a decision. “Since you are being so honest, I want

to tell you that I can’t offer you more than tonight.”

Somehow Jessie had expected that and honestly it made things less complicated for

her. Answering his unasked question, if she was all right with that, she leaned forward

and pressed her lips to his.

He stayed still for a heartbeat before his arms came up around her and pulled her

across his lap. The hard ridge of his cock pressed into her bottom as his tight thighs

cradled her. One hand came up to tangle in her hair as his mouth settled firmly against

her lips.

Jessie felt that first soft kiss like a key that opened a box she had long since

slammed the lid on. She moaned and he took advantage by sweeping his tongue inside

Ain’t No Angel

her mouth. Her fingers dug in where they rested on his chest and she wished they were

wearing fewer clothes.

His fingers tightened in her hair and his tongue swept in deeper. He lifted his other

hand to trace the top edge of her tank and her nipples went painfully hard.

Jessie kissed him back with all the pent-up needs that had gone unfulfilled for far

too long. Their tongues dueled and danced together, giving and taking in equal

measure.

Suddenly he broke free and stared at her, his breath coming in heavy bursts.
“Jessie, if we only have tonight I don’t want to take you in the cab of my truck and

I’m very close to doing just that.”

“What did you have in mind?” she asked as she traced her nail around the little

hard nipple poking through his shirt.

“Let’s go back to my hotel room,” he said, already reaching for the ignition.
Scooting from his lap, she nodded and he threw the truck in gear. The tires spat dirt

and gravel as he turned and gunned it out of the little parking area and back on the

road.

Moving to the passenger side, she reached for her seatbelt but he stopped her.
“Come back over here. There’s a belt in the middle.”
His soft, firm words raised the tension between them and Jessie moved back over to

the middle of the seat. He lifted his arm and she tucked herself back into place against

him.

He drove a lot faster back to town, but not dangerously so, and it made her smile.

He turned into the parking lot of the only motel in town and cut the engine.

Raising his hands to her face, he lifted her chin and kissed her hard and fast. But as

she lifted her fingers to his neck he broke loose and opened the door, hopping to the

ground and holding his arms out to her.

She went willingly and let him lift her from the driver’s side seat. But his big arms

held her weight and slowly let her slide down the length of his wide body.

By the time they made it to the door of his room, Jessie was quivering with nerves

and need. She refused to contemplate the events that got her to this moment. All she

wanted to do was enjoy it. There would be plenty of time later to think about every

detail.

Travis pulled her inside and kicked the door closed behind him. She stood in the

middle of the small floor space and glanced around.

It was a typical motel—sagging bed and rickety dresser with a small TV that looked

to be from the eighties on it.

Her gaze came back to rest on Travis, who was leaning against the closed door.
“Jessie, will take your clothes off for me?” he asked.

J L Taft

She shook her head and looked at the floor. She didn’t want him to see how afraid

she was. Not of him exactly but of what he wanted. She might make him mad but she

wasn’t afraid of that. She was used to it.

“Come here.” His voice was low but she heard no anger.
Taking the three steps slowly, she stopped in front of him, only inches between

them.

“Why not?” he asked.
She didn’t want to answer and ruin this night with memories of the past. But he

lifted her chin and she could not evade him.

“I just can’t.” She shook her head to emphasize. She couldn’t do as he asked. It

made her too vulnerable. But she still wanted him.

Leaving her hands at her sides, she closed the few inches between them. Carefully

she brushed her breasts back and forth against his hard chest. His body went rigid and

tense but he didn’t move.

“Can I, then?” His voice was low and gravelly. It shivered over her, leaving little

licks of flame that centered between her legs.

Her desire for him was overriding her normal inhibitions. She blamed it on the

alcohol and the length of time she had been without.

“Okay.” This wasn’t going to be the quick roll that she had expected.
Travis stood away from the door and took her hands. He brought them both to his

lips and kissed each of her palms in turn.

Lifting her arms over her head, he told her, “Leave them there.”
He slid his hands back down her, slowly, brushing his fingers along the inside of

her elbows. Jessie stood still as his fingers continued down to her shoulders and across

her neck.

By the time his exploration made it to her waist she was trembling with need and

her panties were soaked. His rough fingers slid against the skin at her sides as he lifted

her tank over her head and arms to drop it on the floor.

Popping the button on her jeans, he lowered the zipper and helped her shimmy

them down over her hips and off her legs.

When she stood before him in nothing but her white lace bra and panties, her arms

extended over her head, he brushed her hair back off her shoulders.

Flicking open the front clasp of her bra, he stared as her breasts spilled free.
“Beautiful,” he whispered. But he didn’t touch them and Jessie thought she would

go mad with his slow tormenting. She breathed a small sigh of relief when he hooked

his thumbs in her panties and slid them down her legs.

She didn’t know how he could hold on like this. She could see the huge bulge in his

jeans and prayed that he would hurry.

He went to his knees before her and she bent to join him but he stopped her.

Ain’t No Angel

“Stay standing, Jessie,” he told her, “and put your arms back up where they were.”
Jessie did as instructed. At the first lick of his tongue on her thigh she flinched.
“Relax, baby. You will like this, I promise.”
She could feel the breath from his words on her pink folds and her little nub

hardened even more, releasing more wetness. She was worried that any moment it

would start dripping down her thighs.

“Spread your legs a little wider,” Travis murmured up at her.
Once she had done as he asked, he started with long licks up and down the inside

of her thighs. With each flick of his tongue he got closer to the spot that was throbbing

for him.

And it was for him, because no other man had ever made her feel this strong need.

She had only had an orgasm with a man a few times. But she wondered if that was all

about to change.

Her thoughts scattered as his talented tongue went to the crease at the top of her

leg. She didn’t think she could take much more of this.

Parting her pussy lips with his thumbs, he gazed at her exposed form.
Jessie was panting now. Her lungs were pulling in much-needed air and her heart

was racing so fast she was sure he could hear it.

Looking up at her from his spot on the floor, he gave her a grin and then buried his

face between his legs. His hot mouth closed over her clit and sucked it in so he could

flick it with his tongue.

Jessie screamed and exploded on his lips, her hands moving of their own accord to

his smooth, shaved head to hold him against her.

She ground against his face as the tremors faded. Her knees threatened to buckle

but she didn’t want to move and lose the exquisite sensation. Gently he released her

with his mouth and stood.

Her juices were glistening on his chin and he took his shirt off and wiped his face,

smiling at her. It eased her self-consciousness a little. She had never come like that on a

man before.

He tossed his shirt aside and lifted her up so she could wrap her legs around his

waist. The feel of his warm, hard skin pressing her breasts started the flames licking

inside her again.

Travis was holding on to a quickly fraying rope. She was so beautiful and

responsive. He knew he could wait no longer. Her legs around his waist were tight and

he could smell her scent wafting all around him.

Kissing her as he carried her to the bed, he laid her down gently and removed his

boots and jeans in record time.

J L Taft

Fishing a couple condoms out of his pocket, he laid them on the nightstand and

stared down at the woman on his bed.

Her eyes were half closed, her dark-red curls a wild frame around her head. Her

pale pink nipples were hard and puckered, just begging for his mouth.

She had taken her bra off her shoulders and had tossed it on the floor with the rest

of their clothes. She held her arms out to him with a smile on her face and Travis was

lost as he lowered his big body down on hers.

Her hands were everywhere at once, up and down his back, over his smooth head,

along his sides and shoulders. His cock tightened painfully when her questing fingers

gripped his ass and pulled him closer.

He kissed the silky skin below her ear and trailed a wet line down her neck to her

collarbone as she moaned little noises by his ear.

Gradually he dragged his tongue to her nipple and sucked it into his mouth. It

tasted just as good as her pussy and he braced on his forearms to go back and forth

between her breasts.

He sucked and nibbled and licked until they were more red than pink and her small

moans had turned to deep groans of pleasure. Leaning up, he quickly opened the

condom and rolled it down his cock.

Lowering back down on her, he positioned his body between her spread legs.
“Are you ready for this?” he groaned in her ear.
“Yes, more than ready,” was her breathless reply.
He flexed his hips and slid home inside her with one smooth thrust. She was so hot

and tight he knew he wasn’t going to last nearly as long as he wanted to.

But he was determined to make her come on his cock. Bracing on his forearms

again, he watched her face as he slid almost all the way out and back in. Her lips parted

and color filled her cheeks, her eyes going dazed.

She was close. He picked up the pace, his balls slapping against her ass. Her nails

dug into his back and prompted him to fuck her harder. Groans were ripped from both

of them each time he buried his cock inside her until all he could hear was her pleasure-

filled voice in his head.

Her legs wrapped around his waist and he slid a little deeper. Her teeth sank into

his shoulder and her nails dug deeper in his back. Her pussy tightened hard on his cock

and released in one long wave before clenching and releasing over and over quickly.

It was more than he could take and heat spread in his lower back as he erupted and

sank in as far as he could go to spill his seed.

Ain’t No Angel

Chapter Four

They lay curled together in the motel bed for a long time. Travis lay on his back

with one hand behind his head and he had pulled Jessie close to his side. She knew he

wasn’t asleep because he was trailing the tips of his fingers up and down the curve of

her back. She had started to say something twice to break the silence but she didn’t

know what to say.

It had been the best sex of her life and she would remember this night for a long

time to come. She wanted to thank him but it seemed silly and she didn’t want him to

know how bad it had been for her before him. She didn’t want sympathy.

Suddenly he rolled and faced her, a smile curving his lips as he brushed her hair

back from her face.

“The night is wasting away, Jessie girl,” he whispered to her.
The endearment and the idea that he wanted her again had her heart kicking up a

few notches. She reached up and trailed her fingers down the dark stubble on his

cheeks. He really was gorgeous, his light-colored eyes dramatic against his tanned skin.

He rolled on top of her and she could feel the hardness of his cock pushing high on

her thigh. She was still limp and sated from his last loving and she was surprised at the

wave of wetness that suddenly pooled between her legs.

Travis looked down at her in the dim light before closing the distance and sliding

his mouth across hers.

This kiss felt different than the previous ones that night. The flash flames had died

and this was more of a banked fire with layers of red-hot coals underneath just waiting

for the right fuel to burst back to life.

He took his time, sliding his tongue in her willing mouth, dragging it along her

teeth and underneath. He explored until there was no part of the inside of her mouth

that he didn’t know intimately.

He pushed so deep at one point that their teeth clashed together. It caused a slow,

dark and forbidden roll deep within her belly that shot down between her legs.

He jerked away, panting, and struggled to get the foil wrapper he had grabbed off

the nightstand opened. Sitting up, Jessie took it from his hands and opened it, sliding

the circle out of its package.

Travis reached to take it from her hand and she shook her head no. It was beyond

amazing that she could communicate with him without words. They were in a bubble

of their own making that would burst in the morning. But for now they were here.

She pushed him to his knees with gentle hands and rolled the condom down his

considerable, thick length while looking deep into his gray eyes.

J L Taft

He never looked away, his gaze magnetic as she reached the base of his cock. Her

fingers explored gently, down around his puckered ball sac and over the tops of his

tense thighs.

She knew when he had had enough. His smoldering eyes closed and his arms

reached for her.

The fire had sparked and in the span of a moment it flamed to blazing life.
He wasted no time in lying down and pulling her on top of him. Jessie sucked in a

breath as everything from her neck to her waist was laid flat on his hard and ready

body.

She buried her nose and mouth in the section of his neck that she could reach and

raised her hips below. He guided her into place with a tight grip on her sides and she

felt the head of his stiff cock slide and then push deep within her.

They moaned in unison and froze together, their bodies going tense and rigid from

the pleasure of it. Jessie sucked in a breath between her teeth and rocked her hips,

sinking him the last delightful inch in.

He filled her like no one ever had before and when she could no longer bear it she

placed her hands on his chest, lifted her weight up and looked down at him.

He was staring back up at her, a smile curving his lips. Slowly she rocked her hips

back and forth as their gazes held. It felt amazing but it wasn’t nearly as satisfying as

moving up and down.

He reached up and tangled his fingers in her long curls, pushing them back behind

her shoulders. His gaze dropped immediately to her puckered nipples.

“Faster, Jessie, I want to see your tits bounce,” he groaned up to her.
Jessie used his chest for leverage and lifted her hips before slamming back down. A

moan escaped from her parted lips as she found a rhythm. Before long she was lost in

the sensation of having control, something she had never experienced before in the

bedroom.

Her back arched and she rode him harder, driving them both higher. Her breasts

bounced and Travis gripped her hips but didn’t control her movement.

“Fuck yeah, Jessie,” he groaned.
Tingling started in her toes and traveled up her legs. She was so close but she didn’t

want to come without Travis. It felt wrong somehow.

“Come with me, Travis!” she yelled and rode him faster.
She exploded around his cock, her walls tightening on him uncontrollably. His hips

bucked under her and he roared out his release.

Jessie collapsed on top of him and his arms came up around her to clutch her to his

sweaty chest.

* * * * *

Ain’t No Angel

The morning rays of sun spilled through the drab brown curtains that hung on the

lone window in the motel room. Jessie woke and reached for Travis, but the bed next to

her was cold and empty.

Sitting up, she found him sitting in a chair, fully dressed and watching her.
“Hey,” she said quietly and pulled the sheet up to cover her nakedness.
“Hey yourself,” he answered. “Why don’t you get dressed and I’ll take you home.”
It was a dismissal if she had ever heard one and it cut deeper than she expected.

Throwing the sheet off her, she stood and gathered her clothes. Then she retreated to

the bathroom to get dressed and wash her face.

Looking at her reflection in the cracked mirror, she was surprised at how angry she

was at his dismissal. But they had agreed on one night and now it was over.

She didn’t know anything about him, after all. She didn’t even know what he did

for a living. For all she knew he could be a criminal.

Heaving a sigh, she went back to the little motel room to find her shoes. Turning,

she stopped when she realized he was standing behind her.

“I’m sorry, Jessie girl. I wish I had more time. But we both knew the stakes,” he said

as he reached to pull her into his arms.

Evading him, she sat and slipped her feet into her shoes.
“I know, Travis,” she said as she stood and faced him. “Will you answer a question

for me?”

“I’ll try,” he answered as he crossed his arms over his chest.
“What do you do for a living?”
Her question took him by surprise, his eyebrows went up and he looked at her

intently.

“I’m a bounty hunter and I’m here looking for someone.”
Jessie released the breath she had been holding. At least he was on the right side of

the law.

“Who are you looking for? I’ve lived here all my life, maybe I can help,” she said as

she swung her purse over her shoulder.

“I need to speak with Jessica Parker. Do you know her?”
Jessie stopped dead in her tracks and felt the beginning tremors of panic start in her

chest. He was looking for her.

She had always gone with the name Jessie. It was the nickname her parents had

called her and it felt right. But her ex-husband Cyrus hated it and wanted her to go by

Jessica. And she had dropped her married name Parker the moment she left him.

“Jessie? Do you know her?” Travis prompted.
Jessie sat down on the bed, her knees threatening to give out. She was going to have

to tell him.

“I’m Jessica Parker. Or rather I was.”

J L Taft

Travis started at her in momentary shock.
“You are Cyrus Parker’s ex-wife?”
“Yes.” She nodded and laced her fingers together in her lap until the knuckles were

white.

Travis sat heavily back in the chair and ran his hands over his smooth head. Damn.

Well, it couldn’t be helped now. He would have to stick to the plan, question her and go

from there. If she didn’t offer him anything then he was hightailing it out of here and

back home.

Before he was tempted to do something stupid and ask her for more than they had

agreed on.

“Okay. Can I ask you a few questions?” he asked gently.
“Sure, if you are willing to ask them while you drive me home and answer one for

me.” Her voice had gone firm and flat. He watched as she went to the door and walked

out without looking back at him.

She was already climbing into the cab of the truck when he got outside. He got in

and cranked the engine, backed out of his parking spot without saying anything. He

was trying to gather his thoughts. He didn’t want to grill her so he was narrowing his

questions down to a pointed few in his mind.

She quietly gave him directions to her home and he drove steadily.
Finally he broke the tense silence between them.
“What can I answer for you, Jessie?”
“Why now? Why after all this time are you looking for him?” she asked and tried to

keep the heat of temper from her voice.

Travis sighed. He knew he couldn’t keep this from her. “Cyrus Parker beat up a

woman in Michigan and once he had been arrested, the authorities found out who he

really was.”

“Shouldn’t he be in jail then?”
“Yeah, absolutely he should. But he isn’t. He slipped away again,” he told her.
“Then why come to me? I haven’t seen him in years and I want to keep it that way.”
“Do you know where he is?” Travis asked.
“I don’t,” she replied curtly.
“Have you heard from Cyrus at all since he left town?”
“No and I already told you that.”
Travis nodded his acknowledgment of her answer. It was as he figured. She didn’t

know anything. He usually didn’t trust the people he questioned but he did trust Jessie.

He could see what she was thinking as it ran across her face. It was probably why the

sex had been so good.

Ain’t No Angel

Pulling into her driveway, he was surprised to see the large greenhouse off to the

side with a beat-up pickup truck parked next to it with Aimes Landscaping in faded

letters down the side.

He pulled up to the path that led to the house and stopped. Jessie reached for the

door handle and he stopped her. “Wait.”

She turned to look back at him and he was struck again by how beautiful she was.

Digging a business card out of his wallet, he scribbled his cell and home number on the

back before handing it to her.

“Call me if you need anything. Anything at all, Jessie girl. I promise to be here if

you need me.”

She smiled slightly. “Thanks, Travis, for everything.” She leaned over quickly and

kissed his cheek before hopping from the truck and disappearing inside.

Whatever they had shared the night before was gone now and Travis told himself

that it was what he wanted. He wondered how long he would be able to fool himself

with that line. He turned around and headed back to the motel to pack his few

belongings.

Maybe he was just getting too old for one-night stands.

Jessie went straight to her room and then to the shower. She was finally alone and

could think about all that had happened since the night before.

She really couldn’t believe that she had the best sex of her life with the bounty

hunter who was searching for Cyrus. She hoped Travis found him.

As the warm water beat down on her and loosened her sore muscles she wondered

why she had given in. She knew better. Life was a whole lot less complicated when

there wasn’t a man involved.

But it was over and she would never see him again. At least he had given her

something to dream about at night when she was alone.

Stepping from the shower, she dressed and went downstairs for a cup of coffee and

a bite to eat. But when she got there she realized how hungry she was and ended up

cooking eggs, bacon and toast. It was Saturday and Betty’s day off so she had to fend

for herself.

Sitting down at the little breakfast nook in the corner of the kitchen, she grabbed

her mail to sort while she ate.

There were the usual bills and junk mail, a letter for Betty from her sister that must

have been put in the wrong box. But there was something else too. An envelope that

was water-stained and had no return address. To Jessica Parker.

Jessie’s appetite died a quick death and she tore open the envelope with shaking

fingers.

Her heart stumbled and then restarted pounding hard in her chest. It was from

Cyrus and he wanted money.

J L Taft

The letter didn’t say where he was, so it didn’t give her much to go on. He just told

her to wire it to a town halfway across the country. There was no way of knowing if he

was even in that area or not.

It was bad luck for him that he just happened to send the letter the same week that

a bounty hunter had come looking for him.

Jessie contemplated what her next move would be. She obviously wasn’t sending

him a dime. She thought about calling the police for all of two seconds before she

pushed that out of her mind.

The police in this town all either knew Cyrus or knew of him and she didn’t trust

any of them.

But she at least had to let Travis know that Cyrus had contacted her. Any help she

could give him to get Cyrus off her back was worth it.

She got the card he had given her and dialed the number, her hands sweaty. When

his low voice came on the line her belly erupted in a hundred butterflies.

“Turner.”
“Travis, it’s Jessie.”
“Hey, how are you?”
“I’m okay. I wanted to let you know that Cyrus has contacted me.”
“When?” he asked quietly.
“I got a letter from him this morning. He is demanding that I send him money.”
“Did he give you an address to send it to?” Travis asked.
“Just a wire transfer store that is halfway across the country.” She rattled off the

information that she had, which wasn’t much.

“All right. I’ll see if he has been spotted out that way. I have a couple friends in that

area. I appreciate you calling.”

“Of course. I want you to catch him Travis. I…” Her voice faded off and she took a

deep breath.

“What is it?” he asked her.
“It’s nothing. I just wanted to say good luck.”
“Are you all right?” he asked gently.
“Yeah. I’m okay. I’m just worried.”
“Tell you what, I’ll see what I can find out and call you back.”
“All right, thanks, Travis.”

Three days later, Travis was back at his office with his feet propped on the desk and

his mind full of images of a sexy red-haired goddess riding him.

He just couldn’t shake it off. She was never far from his thoughts.

Ain’t No Angel

He had called her back after he had a couple of his friends look around the town

Cyrus had asked Jessie to send the money to. No one had seen him and when he had

told Jessie her voice had gone strange.

His partner Ian came strolling in and tossed a file on his desk.
“That’s the police report filed by one Jessica Parker almost three years ago. Don’t

ask how I got it. I also added in the unresolved murder file from the case you were fired

for. Don’t ask how I got that either. But there is a lot missing from the murder case. If I

had to guess I would say someone tried pretty hard to cover it up. I’ve got a man

looking for the missing pieces.”

“Thanks, Ian,” Travis said as he dropped his feet to the floor and eagerly reached

for the papers.

Ian cleared his throat. “I also added in any of the newspaper articles I found online.

I thought you should have a look at them.”

Travis glanced up at his friend. They knew each other well and Ian Davis was the

only person Travis fully trusted.

Ian gave him a pointed look as he rose smoothly to his feet and left the office. No

one would guess that he was pushing sixty. But Travis knew that his customary

bandanna on his head covered a receding hairline. He was also a health nut and Travis

refused to eat with him anymore. A man should be able to enjoy a beer and a steak

without Ian discussing what the food was doing to his insides.

But as Travis started sifting through the information in the file he knew what Ian

had meant. Travis was unprepared for this case. After he had left town he refused to

think about it and had tried to leave it all behind him.

After he had been fired from the police force in Hill Valley he had dropped the

whole thing and turned a blind eye and deaf ear to the happenings in the small town.

Most of the murder case paperwork was what he had expected, some of it he had

seen before. The forensic evidence from Candy’s body was still missing and Travis

figured after all this time it would never turn up.

But the report that was in there concerning Jessie made his blood run cold.
The story was told in the newspaper, from the wedding, where Jessie smiled up at

Cyrus on the steps of the church, to the day that he had almost killed her.

The paper had actually printed a picture of her leaving the hospital after filing

assault charges against her husband. Her face was almost unrecognizable. Something

dark and angry unfurled in his chest.

There was a large bandage wrapped around her head. A huge purple bruise

covered one whole side of her face and she was walking on crutches. She was wearing

long sleeves and jeans and he wondered what other injuries were hidden under her

clothes.

That bastard. The image of Candy Marsh popped, unwanted, in his mind. She had

been beaten up too. The similarities weren’t lost on him.

J L Taft

Running a hand down his face, he stared up at the ceiling. He had failed to bring

Cyrus to justice all those years ago and if he had done what he had been trained to do,

Cyrus would never have been around to hurt Jessie.

There was nothing he could do about that now. What he could do was catch him

and turn him over to the authorities. Then he would be behind steel bars where he

belonged.

Travis turned resolutely back to the file and got to work.

Ain’t No Angel

Chapter Five

Jessie woke up Wednesday morning with a splitting headache. All she really

wanted to do was take some aspirin and go back to sleep but there was too much to be

done and no one else to do it. She would never have expected when her parents died

four years ago how hard it would be to run this place alone.

Cyrus had wanted her to sell it. Getting his hands dirty literally never was his

thing, figuratively was a whole other story. But she refused to sell. She had grown up

here and she was too stubborn to give it up. Even though she feared she was fighting a

dying battle. It was getting harder and harder to keep the place in the black, especially

since the end of the summer was looming closer and closer.

She hadn’t been sleeping well. Every little noise had her jerking awake in the dark.

She didn’t want to admit it but she was terrified that Cyrus was going to show up.

Jessie didn’t know what to do. Cyrus wanted money to stay away and she didn’t

have nearly enough to cover what he was demanding. But she knew that if she paid

him once he would expect her to do it again.

So she hadn’t responded to his letter and she wasn’t going to. She refused to be

sucked in by him again. She had been down that path already and had learned the

lesson the hard way. Men weren’t to be trusted.

Travis sprang into her mind but she pushed him away.
She wasn’t stupid and hadn’t left the house alone since she had gotten the letter.

But she had a job to do and she wasn’t going to let Cyrus affect it.

Jessie, Marc and Brad had put in a good day’s work and she was pleased with the

results. They were landscaping a large yard for a young couple who had moved to their

small town from the city. It was a big job and the pay would help her make it through

the winter.

They were ahead of schedule and the guys had asked if they could have a couple

days off. Marc’s little sister had gone into labor the night before and they wanted to go

and congratulate her and her husband on the healthy new addition.

Betty was busy in the kitchen when she got home. The smells coming from her

cooking had Jessie’s belly grumbling.

Showering off the day’s grime quickly, she joined the guys and Betty back in the

kitchen. She had done a good job keeping Cyrus out of her mind today but that just left

room for Travis to creep in.

Before long the boys had taken off and Betty had the kitchen back to rights. Jessie

took her dessert to the living room to curl up on the couch. She was beat.

J L Taft

The apple pie Betty had baked was heavenly. Jessie was thankful they had air-

conditioning so Betty could still bake in the summer and not roast the occupants of the

house along with the apples.

Her eyes got heavy and she leaned her head back, just for a minute, to rest.
The phone ringing on the stand next to the couch jarred her awake. Reaching for it

blindly, she answered, “Hello?”

There was silence on the other end but Jessie could hear the unmistakable sound of

heavy breathing. Her mind and heart both kicked into overdrive.

“Hello?” she said again, this time with attitude in her voice.
“Why haven’t you sent the money?” The voice came low and she could hear the

anger in it. She didn’t know how Cyrus had gotten her phone number but he was a

trained police officer.

Jessie was silent with shock. She hadn’t heard his voice in almost three years but it

still sent shivers of fear down her back.

“Jessica. Why haven’t you sent the money?” Cyrus asked again.
Anger kicked in then. “I don’t owe you a damn thing.”
She sat up straighter on the couch, refusing to let him steamroll her into anything.

She was now wide awake.

“You ruined my life!” came the shout on the other end of the phone line. Jessie was

too stunned to say anything. He had almost killed her and she had ruined his life?

“Send me the money, Jessica. Or I will come and get it. And you won’t like what

happens when I get there.” His voice had gone dangerously low.

“I…” she began, but the line went dead. Setting the phone carefully back in its

cradle, she sat back and tried to slow her pounding heart down.

She knew that even if she did send Cyrus the money, he would come for her

anyway. He thought that she was responsible for everything that had happened. For

him losing his job and his credibility with the whole town.

If she gave in and sent him the cash then he would have the means to get back here.

The thought sent cold shivers running over her body.

The house seemed quiet. Too quiet. Something set the motion light on the porch off

and the sudden light through the front windows had her jerking back in surprise.

Then she swore she heard a car door slamming out front.
Moving slowly, she crept toward the door, staying away from the windows. She

came up abruptly against the small section of wall between the door and the window.

She was breathing hard and terrified. She reached out with a shaking hand and

threw the deadbolt home. Peeking out the curtain cautiously, she didn’t see anything at

all.

She sucked in a deep breath and realized that she was trembling. She forced herself

to get a grip. The phone call from Cyrus had spooked her.

Ain’t No Angel

The motion light went back to darkness and she suddenly felt more exposed. She

moved quickly and shut the lamp off, sending the room into darkness.

Gathering up her courage, she went through the house meticulously. She turned off

all the lights. She knew the house and he didn’t. It would give her an advantage.

She checked all her windows, making sure they were locked, and then dead-bolted

the back door too. Retreating to her room, she immediately reached under her bed for

the small safe she had there.

Spinning the combination quickly, she pulled out her .45 caliber 1911 handgun. It

was heavy but reliable and that was what she needed the most. She grabbed one of the

full clips. It was loaded with eight hollow points and she slammed it into place at the

grip of the gun. It made an empowering sound as she released the slide and chambered

the first lethal round.

But she was familiar with her gun. Pressing the button to release the clip, she filled

the missing spot, taking her to the maximum capacity of nine bullets. Eight in the clip

and one in the chamber. It was the best she could do. Slamming the refilled clip back

into place, she breathed a sigh of relief. It gave her one more chance to defend herself.

Jessie briefly considered calling Marc and Brad to come over. But then she

remembered that they were out of town for the weekend. Just her luck.

But she felt better now that she was armed. She could do this. She wouldn’t be a

victim ever again.

By the next morning Jessie was nearly close to her wit’s end. She hadn’t slept a

wink all night and when the first rays of the sun had started shining, only then did she

even dare to shower.

She evaded Betty in the kitchen after letting her in, only taking the time to pour

some coffee into a travel mug before she slipped out the door. Betty knew her well and

she didn’t want to answer any questions.

She retreated to the greenhouse for the day. Her gun stuck uncomfortably in the

back of her jeans. It was a constant reminder to be on alert.

Jessie spent the day cleaning and catching up on odds and ends. She took care of

things that she hadn’t been able to keep up on in the crush of the busy season. But the

greenery of the plants and the smell of the fresh dirt failed to soothe her.

She worked as long as she could, only stopping to eat the sandwiches that Betty

forced on her. She headed in to her empty house just before sunset. It would be stupid

to be caught outside after dark.

Betty had left her a plate and she took it upstairs with her, her steps wary and slow.

Sunday night the ringing of the phone on her nightstand jerked her from an uneasy

slumber.

“’Lo?” she murmured.

J L Taft

Silence greeted her. But then she heard breathing on the other end. Before she could

think twice she slammed the phone down.

Her heart raced so hard she thought it might burst from her chest. Her hands were

shaking and she could hear the blood pumping in her ears.

She couldn’t do this alone and stay sane. She needed help and Travis’ face came

swirling to life before her.

He was looking for Cyrus. Maybe he could trace the phone calls. Because she had

no doubt that it had been Cyrus.

Grabbing the business card Travis had given her, she dialed his cell number quickly

and waited for him to answer.

Travis was planted in his chair at the office, his computer on and papers strewn

across his desk. His arms were folded on top of them and his head on top of his arms.

He was sound asleep, snoring slightly with his head cocked off at an odd angle and

dreaming of his red-haired goddess.

His cell phone that happened to be wedged underneath one elbow started ringing

and jolted him awake.

Grabbing it and flipping it open, he answered, “Turner.”
“Travis?”
The voice on the other end had him yanking fully awake in a heartbeat.
“Jessie?”
“Yeah, I umm… I wanted to hire you to find Cyrus.”
Her voice was odd, distracted.
“Why?” he asked gently. “You know I have already been hired to do that.”
“He contacted me again,” she answered quietly.
Travis felt his body tighten and his senses sharpen. This could be his chance. To

right a wrong that had plagued him for what seemed like forever.

“When? How?”
“Can you come here?” she trailed off and he could feel her hesitancy.
“Sure, I can get away tomorrow,” he answered.
“No. Tonight. Please.”
“What’s going on?”
“I’ll explain when you get here. He is threatening me. Can you come?” Her voice

broke and Travis realized how terrified she was.

“Threatening you with what?”
“Money or my life.” Her voice went flat and emotionless. She was barely holding it

together.

Ain’t No Angel

Then the anger came rolling over him. His blood boiled at the thought of Cyrus

hurting her again. He wasn’t going to let it happen. He had made Jessie a promise that

he would be there if she needed him and he wasn’t going back on his word.

“Where are you?” he asked.
“Home. In my bedroom.”
“Lock the doors and windows,” he clipped out as he grabbed his keys and turned

off the lights on his way out.

“They are.”
“Stay there, Jessie. I’m on my way.”
“Thank you,” he heard her say before the line went dead.
Stuffing his loaded, matching pistols in his holster at the base of his spine, he

grabbed extra ammo and turned off the lights in his office.

He locked the door to the building, jumped in his truck, cranked the engine and

was hurtling toward Jessie in a matter of minutes.

He had spent the last three days going over any information concerning Cyrus

Parker. The images of Jessie bruised and beaten as she left the hospital sprang to mind

and had his foot pressing harder on the accelerator.

Jessie realized as she sat cross-legged on her bed with her gun in her hand that she

had no idea where Travis lived and how long it would take him to get here.

It could be hours. She knew she should try to get some sleep. But she was too

worried about closing her eyes and giving Cyrus an advantage. Because he would use

it, of that she had no doubt.

Leaning her head back, she remembered when she had first met Cyrus Parker. She

had been sad and lonely after her parents had suddenly died in the car crash. He was

good-looking and she had been flattered by his attention.

At first he had been giving and attentive in bed and out of it but that had changed

as soon as they were married. Even on their wedding night he had been different. It was

as if he had gotten what he wanted and no longer needed to put in any effort.

But he had never made her heart pound and her panties wet like Travis had.
It had been like a switch. As soon as the ring had been on her finger the true Cyrus

had shown up. It hadn’t taken her more than a couple weeks to realize she had made a

huge mistake.

The first time he had hit her she asked him what had changed, but he had no reply

but to give her that look. The look she knew so well by then, the one that terrified her

and sent cold shivers down her back. So she had kept her mouth shut and bided her

time until she could leave him. But he was a cop and knew what she had been up to.

That had been the night he had almost killed her. The details of that evening were

crystal clear up to a certain point. But she remembered him standing over her as she lay

J L Taft

on the kitchen floor of their house and telling her that if she ever left him he would kill

her.

She remembered his meaty fist connecting with the side of her head and then

everything went dark. When she had woken up still on the kitchen floor, he was gone

and she had managed to dial 9-1-1.

Shaking off the images of her life with Cyrus, she thought of Travis instead. She

didn’t know how she was going to pay him for tracking down Cyrus but she would

figure it out because it would be worth it. If he already was looking for him then he was

sure to take the job.

One night with him had changed her outlook and maybe Betty was right. It was

time to move on. But she couldn’t do that until Cyrus was safely behind bars where he

belonged.

She felt guilty for calling Travis this late and practically begging him to come to her.

But she didn’t know what else to do and she trusted him, to some extent anyway.

He would come. He promised to be here if she needed him.
A car door slamming out front had her head jerking up and her hand tightening on

the gun.

Creeping to the window, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Travis’ truck

outside. By the time she got to the door he was knocking softly.

Spinning the locks and the door open, she tumbled into his arms.
He caught her around the waist. “Jessie, are you okay?” he asked, surprise in his

voice.

He pulled back a little to look down at her and she lost herself in his steely-gray

eyes. She nodded and he eased her back inside. She sat heavily on the couch as he

locked the door behind them.

Jessie watched as he came back and scooped her off the couch.
“Where is your bedroom?” he asked.
“Upstairs.”
She felt so incredibly tired now that he was here.
He held her gently and carried her up the stairs and into her room. He laid her

down and it was then she noticed she still had her gun in her hand. It wasn’t like her to

forget that it was there. But her brain seemed to be working in slow motion.

Travis noticed it too. “Why don’t you let me have that while you get some sleep?”

he said as he eased the gun from her hand.

She fought to keep her eyes open. “Travis?”
“Yeah?” he answered as he laid her gun on the dresser.
“Thank you for coming.”
He turned to look at her then. Sitting down next to her, he tucked a lock of hair

behind her ear. “I told you if you needed me I would come and I meant it.”

Ain’t No Angel

Jessie dozed off, safe in the knowledge that Travis was watching over her.

J L Taft

Chapter Six

Travis awoke early Monday morning with Jessie wrapped around him like ivy. He

remained still and tried not to think about how long it had been since he had woken up

in a woman’s bed. He had only had one semi-serious relationship in his life and even

then he hadn’t made it a habit to stay all night.

It hadn’t felt like this when they had stayed in the motel room. It was neutral

ground. But she sensed something different with them being in her bed. Everything

smelled like her and he had spent the long hours of the night listening for any sign of

danger.

Jessie had stayed on her side for a while but then had rolled and laid her head on

his shoulder. It had fit perfectly and her small hand had reached for his in sleep. He

hadn’t held a woman’s hand since high school. At least she had been sleeping and

wouldn’t remember it.

He told himself that he was just keeping her safe and that’s why he was here. Even

if sleeping on the couch would have sufficed. She stirred and Travis used her

movements to untangle his body and get up.

He slipped his boots on and couldn’t help pausing at the door to look back at her,

her hair sprawled out on the pillow he had just left. He suddenly wondered what her

hair would look like against his satin sheets back home. He had an apartment in

Portville but he was hardly ever there. Shaking off his thoughts of Jessie on his bed, he

headed down the stairs.

Marc and Brad were both in the kitchen and they looked up as he entered. Mentally

he kicked himself. He should have at least put a shirt on. Marc whistled and Travis

couldn’t contain his laughter.

Marc introduced him to Betty and the guys chuckled at his state of undress.
Betty on the other hand gave him a stern look and pointed at him with her wooden

spoon. “Don’t you dare hurt that girl or I’ll be forced to take drastic measures.”

Travis fought to remove the smile from his face. “Yes, ma’am.”

When Jessie woke Monday morning she was alone but the pillow next to her was

balled up and the blankets were a disaster. Travis must have lain next to her all night.

She sighed as she stretched out her sore muscles, thinking that she wished there had

been another reason why the blankets were tangled.

She took a quick shower before going down to the kitchen, surprised that it was

almost lunchtime.

“Hey there, sleeping beauty,” Travis said as she went immediately to the coffeepot.

Ain’t No Angel

Looking at Betty and Travis over her mug, she wasn’t surprised to find Betty

giggling like a schoolgirl and Jessie stood for a moment to watch.

“This sure is the best pie I’ve had since I was home to have my mother’s, Betty.”
It took Jessie all of two seconds to see that he already had Betty wrapped around his

finger. He was definitely a charmer and sexy as hell to boot. Just the sight of him in her

kitchen made her heart beat a little faster and the room seemed a whole lot smaller.

Taking a seat across from Travis at the table, she smiled at Betty when she put a

piece of pie in front of her. If Betty thought it strange that she had a man in the house

she didn’t say but Jessie knew there would be a hundred questions later.

“Where are Marc and Brad?” Jessie asked.
“Oh, I sent them off to town for a few things,” Betty replied.
“How are you feeling?” Travis asked as his gaze ran over her face.
“I’m fine, thank you. Did you sleep at all?”
“A little after the sun came up.” He pushed his empty plate away.
Taking a sip of her coffee, she looked at Betty pointedly.
“I’ll just be in the garden if you need me.” She bustled outside and left them alone.

Jessie didn’t talk about Cyrus in front of Betty. There was no reason to involve her and

the less she knew the better.

“What is the plan, Travis?” she asked as she took a bite of pie.
“Where did you get the gun?” he countered.
“It was my father’s. And before you ask, yes, I know how to use it,” she said

defensively.

Travis didn’t look surprised by her statement.
“Are you going to send the money, Jessie?” He leaned back in his chair and she

fought the urge to squirm under his gaze.

“No, I’m not. I don’t owe him a damn thing.”
Travis nodded and stared intently at her for a second, as if he were trying to decide

if she was telling the truth. “Can I ask why not?”

Jessie dropped her fork on her plate and it clattered loudly in the silent kitchen.
“What do you mean, why not?”
“Look, I’m just saying that if you sent it to him he might just leave you alone and

disappear from your life altogether.”

Jessie debated her next words carefully. She needed him to understand that she

wanted this to be over.

“Travis, he won’t. He blames me for losing his job and ruining his life. He will come

for his revenge sooner or later. And, to be honest, I’m tired of waiting. I’m tired of

looking over my shoulder. I need your help.”

He was silent and Jessie realized he was going to turn her down.

J L Taft

“I’ve already been hired by someone to track him down. It wouldn’t be right for me

to take money from you too. This is dangerous, Jessie, and I think the farther away you

are, the better.”

“I’m not running. Let me hire you as a bodyguard then.” She hated that she was

pleading but he was right, the whole situation was dangerous.

“Jessie, you aren’t telling me something. What is really going on?”
Taking a deep breath, she told him about the letter and the two phone calls in

detail. When she was done, Travis let out a big breath and stood to pace the short length

of the kitchen.

Jessie sat quietly and waited.
Finally he turned to her. “Okay, here’s the deal.” He put his hands on the table and

she had to tilt her head to look up at him.

“Hire me on to work at your landscape business. But I don’t want you to pay me.

We can set up the equipment to trace his calls, see if we can find him before he finds

you.”

“I have to pay you, it wouldn’t feel right otherwise.”
“That’s the deal, Jessie. Take it or leave it.”
“Fine, but what if he doesn’t call again?” she asked.
“Then we’ll be ready when he makes his move.”
“Okay, Travis. We’ll do it your way. But know this. I am trusting you. Don’t make

me regret it.”

Travis called Ian after his talk with Jessie in the kitchen. She had excused herself to

do some paperwork and hadn’t invited him along. Things were getting more

complicated by the second. He had made a promise that he now wondered if he was

going to be able to keep. Granted he didn’t expect Cyrus to miraculously make contact

with her after all this time.

He shouldn’t have spent a night between Jessie’s legs. It had clouded his brain. All

he could think about last night when he had been lying next to her was all the things

that they hadn’t had time for in their agreed one night together.

Like those long legs of hers over his shoulders.
He worried that he wouldn’t be able to keep his word. She was too sexy for her own

good. What he needed to do now was stay focused and keep them both from being

killed.

“Davis.”
Travis jerked back to the present. “Ian. I have a development on the Parker case.”
“Where are you, Turner? I expected you to still be sleeping at your desk when I

came in this morning.”

Ain’t No Angel

“Parker’s ex-wife called me last night after he contacted her. He is extorting her. It

might be the in we need to get our hands on him.”

He could hear Ian drop his booted feet to the floor and he pictured him grabbing a

pen and whatever paper was closest. Ian was a creature of habit.

“I take it you’re back in Hill Valley?” Ian asked.
“Yeah, I may be here for a while. Is that going to be a problem?”
“It’s slow right now so shouldn’t be. How long we talking?”
“I don’t know yet. I’ll be in to pick up the call-tracing equipment today.”
“What is he extorting her with?”
“Money or her life,” Travis told him.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Ian told him.
“Let’s hope so, Ian. I’ll see you later,” Travis said before he hung up.
First things first, Travis needed a tour of the property and then he was going back

to his place for clothes and equipment and he was taking Jessie with him. He wasn’t

going to let her out of his sight.

Jessie felt stupid for admitting that she trusted Travis. She wouldn’t have if he

hadn’t looked so surprised when she said it.

But now that she had, she wasn’t so sure. Why did she trust him? He hadn’t been

very forthcoming about himself. When she thought about it she didn’t really know

anything about him.

Before she could think twice about it, she dialed the number for Maggie Sinclair,

Jessie’s lawyer.

Jessie only told Maggie that she was looking into hiring a new employee and

needed a background check.

Maggie promised to have it for her in a couple days and Jessie hung up, refusing to

contemplate what Travis would think if he knew she was checking up on him.

* * * * *

Travis followed along behind Jessie as she showed him the grounds and where to

find certain plants and trees. It was a large property, bigger than he had first expected.

She had renovated one of the barns into several rooms that she could rent out to her

employees. It was smart.

Brad and Marc had gone off to work and had come back later in the afternoon. If

they had been surprised to see him still there, they covered it quickly. Jessie easily put

them back to work, little things that needed to be done. But Travis had seen through

her. She just wanted them out of the way so they didn’t ask any questions.

Marc seemed very protective of Jessie, going so far as to ask her quietly if she

thought hiring him was a good idea. Granted the guy didn’t know who he was.

J L Taft

But Jessie let him know what she thought of him questioning her by dismissing him

to go and change a light bulb. He wandered off with a good-natured smirk on his face.

He couldn’t help but admire her stubbornness and feisty, no-nonsense attitude. She

wasn’t the type of woman who would be taken advantage of easily and he still had no

idea how she had gotten mixed up with Cyrus.

He watched the sway of her hips as she wandered in front of him. He wasn’t sure if

he was going to be able to keep his hands off her. She was a wet dream waiting to

happen.

She rambled on about plant types and where they were located but his eyes refused

to move from her ass. It just looked too good. It had been a long time since he had the

time or the energy for a long seduction and he wished now that he had never made that

stupid agreement with her for one night only.

“Have you ever done this kind of work, Travis?”
“Huh?” His brain was slow to catch up. Raising his eyes to her face, he saw the

smile there and knew he had been busted drooling over her ass. But she didn’t seem to

mind and he wondered if he could talk her into changing their agreement.

“Have you ever done landscaping?” she asked again.
“Yeah, but not since high school and then it was only a summer job.”
“Good, that will be helpful. Okay, so all of those bags of mulch need to be loaded in

the back of this truck. Think you can handle that?”

“Sure.” He was briefly surprised that she was really going to make him work. But

then he caught the glint of challenge in her eyes. She was testing him. For what, he

didn’t know but it wasn’t in his nature to give up a challenge.

“Let me know when you’re done,” she said as she sauntered away and he wished

that he could go up behind her and give her ass a quick slap.

He couldn’t help watching until she was out of sight. Turning to the mulch, he

found Marc standing a few feet behind him. He hadn’t heard him come up.

That was bad. He was so distracted he hadn’t even noticed someone creeping up on

his back.

“Something I can help you with, Marc?”
“I don’t know what’s going on but I want you to know I haven’t seen her smile this

much in a long time.”

“No problem.” He heaved the first bag over his shoulder and dropped it in the

truck.

“So she decided to give you a chance?”
Travis wasn’t sure what chance Marc meant but he thought it best to agree. “Guess

so.”

“A word of advice. Don’t think for one minute that she won’t do as she says.”
“All right, I’ll keep that in mind,” he said, heaving another bag of mulch.

Ain’t No Angel

Marc stood there for several long seconds, debating his next words.
“Something else you wanted to say?” Travis said, stopping to look him in the face.
“I know it’s none of my business but are you planning on seducing her?”
“Why? Are you going to warn me against it?” Great, he was going to have to stop

with the ogling, apparently it was obvious and he certainly didn’t need the “back off”

lecture from Marc.

“Actually, no, I wasn’t.”
Travis dropped the next bag and looked at Marc. “What?”
“It’s just that she is too wonderful of a woman to be rotting away, taking care of this

place alone. She deserves to have some fun of her own but if you hurt her, I’ll have to

kill you.” He said it with a smile but Travis suddenly didn’t think that he was kidding.

Travis watched as Marc turned and walked away. This was going to be stickier than

he thought.

* * * * *

Jessie watched from the cover of the front window as Travis steadily worked his

way through the pile of mulch. It was a sweaty and tedious job, one they all hated, and

it was a good way to break in the new guys. She had a few who had quit and walked

away after the first few bags, bunch of pussies.

But Travis didn’t seem to mind.
After Marc spoke to him for a moment he got into a rhythm—lift, step and drop. A

few more bags and he paused to lift his shirt over his head, wiping his face with it

before tossing it over the bed of the truck. Oh my. He certainly was good-looking.

She felt naughty peeking out of the curtains at him but couldn’t bring herself to

turn away. His tanned muscles flexed and bunched under the strain and a shiny coat of

sweat covered him. Her eyes were drawn again and again to the tattoo that covered his

right shoulder. It was large and started at his neck and traveled halfway down his

biceps, covering the top corner of his chest. His faded jeans hung low on his narrow

hips and she licked her lips while watching him.

She wished circumstances were different. Letting the curtain drop back into place,

she headed for her little office at the back of the house. It was time to deal with some

paperwork. If that didn’t cure her wet panties then nothing would.

It was several hours later when Travis found her at her desk, the computer screen

shining on her face.

She looked exhausted.
“Hey,” he said as he walked over to stand behind her and rub her tense shoulders.
“Mmmm. That feels good.” She leaned back into his hands and closed her eyes.

J L Taft

“Why don’t you call it a day and ride to my place with me so I can get clothes and

the equipment I need? I’ll buy you dinner.”

There was no way he was leaving her here anyway.
“Okay,” she said, sitting up and shuffling papers. “Just let me turn my PC off.”
It surprised him that she didn’t primp for twenty minutes like he expected. She

disappeared in the bathroom for five, grabbed her purse and was ready to go.

They drove in silence for a while. Both of them were lost in the circumstances that

had brought them together.

Travis was busy lecturing certain parts of himself that were responding to her scent

in the close confines of the truck cab.

He stopped at a little place along the way for dinner and he was surprised at how

much she made him laugh. It wasn’t that she was intentionally funny but she still

managed to make him smile.

They also had a lot in common. He didn’t trust easily and neither did she. Neither

of them had been in a serious relationship for a couple years. Although he understood

why she wouldn’t be.

The rest of the way to his place they talked.
“What happened to your parents?” he asked her gently.
“A drunk driver hit them head-on. He walked away and they didn’t.” Her voice

had that flat, emotionless tone again. He noticed that she did that when she didn’t want

to talk about something.

She lapsed into silence and he felt like an ass for even bringing it up. What he really

wanted to know was how she had met Cyrus. But he figured she wouldn’t want to talk

about that either.

After a few minutes she went on, “I met Cyrus right after it happened. It was one of

his first big accidents as chief of police.”

Travis remembered it now. It had been his first case as a rookie cop. He had done

most of the legwork but had never met Jessie. The accident had been brutal. Cyrus had

done all the talking with the family members and the local media. But he didn’t tell her

that.

“He started making it a point to check in on me. Took me out to dinner,” she said

quietly.

Travis could tell that she was lost in her memories and didn’t push her. But he

didn’t have to.

“I’m not sure why but he was what I needed at the time. Cyrus put on a good show

and by the time I realized it, it was too late. I think I was more in love with the idea of

him than anything. What really scares me is that he was a police officer. Someone who

was supposed to serve and protect, not beat up his wife,” she said, turning to him. “I

guess the rest is history, as they say.”

Ain’t No Angel

He smiled at her and felt something he hadn’t noticed before. It wasn’t just

protectiveness, it was more than that. But he wasn’t going to look too closely at what it

was.

“So, Travis. I’ve told you know all about me and I don’t really know anything about

you.”

“What do you want to know?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Anything. Everything,” she told him with a smile. “Tell me about

your family.”

He never talked about his family. But as he glanced at her face he couldn’t

disappoint her.

“I was adopted by a farming family when I was a few months old. They had four

kids of their own who were all older than me and all girls.”

“You have four sisters?” she questioned.
“Yeah. But we aren’t close. My real parents died in a plane crash the summer I

turned eighteen. They were rich and left everything to me.” He made it a point not to

tell people about his past but he knew that Jessie wouldn’t think any differently about

him.

“Why did they do that after they had given you up for adoption?”
“My adoptive parents explained that they didn’t live the kind of life to raise a child

in. But they had kept in touch with my real parents over the years. My adoptive mother

had even sent them pictures. But they never wanted to meet me.”

“Wow. I bet that was a shock. Did you know you were adopted before your

biological parents died?”

“Yes, my mother told me when I turned eighteen. It threw me for a loop to find out

my whole life was a lie.”

“What do you mean it was a lie?” she said quietly.
“My adoptive parents lied to me all those years and made me believe that my

sisters were really my sisters. Then once the money came people looked at me

differently. They were nicer and I just didn’t like it. I knew it was fake. So I left town to

join the police academy as soon as I graduated and I haven’t gone back.”

Jessie was silent for a second and Travis hoped that she would just leave it be. He

wished he had never opened the door to her questions.

“Is that why you aren’t close with your sisters anymore?”
“Yes.” He hoped she would get the point.
“Can I say one more thing and then I won’t ask any more questions?”
“All right.” Travis knew what was coming. He didn’t know why he thought she

was different. She would ask about the money. The money his parents had left him that

he refused to touch. He hadn’t spent one red cent of it and he didn’t plan to either. If

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they hadn’t wanted him in life then he didn’t want anything from them either. He could

take care of himself.

Jessie reached over and took one of his hands, holding it with both of her own, and

he was glad he had to keep his eyes on the road. He didn’t want her to know that

nothing she could say would make him use that money.

“Travis, I’m an only child and you have no idea how many times I have wished that

I had a sister or a brother who would understand me. Sometimes family isn’t related by

blood and I don’t think you should throw away a family just because of a little money.”

It wasn’t what he expected at all. He glanced her way and the look on her face said

it all. She was sorry for him.

He didn’t know what to say so he squeezed her hand as they pulled into the

parking lot of his apartment.

He helped her from the truck and her body slid down his. He heard her suck in a

breath and he could see her pulse pounding in her neck.

She looked up at him and he got lost in her blue eyes. Her tongue came out to lick

her bottom lip and before he could think twice about it he lowered his head and kissed

her.

He knew he shouldn’t be doing this but then she ran her tongue over his bottom lip

and his thought process came to a screeching halt. Her lips parted and he tangled his

tongue with hers, sliding around it and coaxing her mouth open wider.

Her arms came up around his neck and she pressed her tits into his chest. Travis

gripped her hips and pulled her closer. She moaned when he slid his hands back to cup

her ass and her fingers trailed over his smooth head.

His cock was as hard as steel and he broke his mouth away before he took her right

there up against the truck. She was breathing heavy but then so was he.

She was still trailing her fingertips over his head and neck and it was very

distracting. He suddenly couldn’t remember why he had even come home.

“Travis? What’s wrong?” She questioned him and he could hear the

disappointment in her voice.

“Come on, let’s go in.” He took her hand and led her into the building and up the

elevator to his apartment.

He flicked on lights as he went to the bedroom. Grabbing a duffel from the closet,

he started shoving clean clothes in it.

“Did I do something to upset you?” Jessie asked. She was standing in the doorway,

staring at him, confusion written all over her face.

“No, you didn’t. I’m just having a hard time keeping my word,” he said as he

zipped the bag and dropped it on the floor.

She came closer and asked, “What do you mean?”
“I told you I could only offer you one night.”

Ain’t No Angel

She turned away and sat heavily on his unmade bed.
“So, you regret kissing me downstairs because of our agreement?”
“Regret isn’t the right word, it’s more like guilt. Nothing has changed, Jessie. I still

can’t give you more than just sex and you asked me to protect you and I will. But it’s

dangerous for me to be distracted when Cyrus could show his face at any time,” Travis

told her as he sat next to her on the foot of the bed.

She nodded and he breathed a sigh of relief. There was no way he would be able to

resist her if she took it in her mind to seduce him.

“But Cyrus doesn’t know we are here, right?”
“It’s doubtful. Why?” he answered cautiously. He wasn’t sure where she was going

with this.

“Look, I like you, Travis, and I enjoyed the night we spent together. I’m not looking

for a relationship.”

She raised her baby blues and he suddenly knew what she wanted.
“Let’s stay here tonight and tomorrow you can go back to being my non-distracted

bodyguard slash bounty hunter.”

Travis took all of five seconds to think it over. She was right. No way would Cyrus

know to look for her here. The door was locked and there were condoms in the drawer

by the bed.

He answered her by kneeling in front of her and pulling off her sneakers and socks.

He spread her jean-clad legs and wedged himself between them.

She was so small compared to him, even on his knees she was still only a couple

inches higher than him as she sat on the bed.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked her one last time.
“Yes, I’m sure.” She reached for him and put her slender arms around his

shoulders, pulling his face to her chest as she trailed kisses along his head.

His cock immediately rose to attention and he reached out to pull her shirt over her

head and toss it behind him.

Her skin was soft and silky and he couldn’t resist rubbing his nose along the lace

that held her tits. He felt her nipples go hard and she moaned low and deep.

Flicking her bra clasp open, Travis gazed at her tiny pink nipples before sucking

one into his mouth and then lapping at it with his tongue. He licked his way to the

other side as his hands went to the button on her jeans.

He pulled Jessie to her feet and slid her jeans and panties down her legs and off.
He stood then and picked her up, setting her down on the tangle of blankets in the

center of his bed. Her hair spread out around her like a golden-red halo and he couldn’t

take his eyes off her as he quickly got rid of his clothes.

When he was naked he joined her on the bed and kicked the sheet and blanket out

of their way.

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He ran his hands up and down her sides, repeatedly going past her puckered

nipples without touching them. She squirmed on the mattress, waiting for him to give

her what she wanted. Finally he relented and gave them both a quick pinch between his

fingers.

She responded by rolling to her side and hooking a leg over his hip as she pulled

him with her arms, effectively dragging him on top of her.

Travis snaked a hand between their bodies, over her stomach and lower. When he

reached her pussy he found her little nub and rubbed back and forth several times

before sinking a finger in her heat.

She groaned and her nails dug into his biceps. She was wet and ready for him and

he couldn’t wait any longer to feel her wrapped around him.

Jessie opened her eyes when he moved away to get a condom. It was then that she

noticed the mirrors over the bed. Travis came back down on top of her but her eyes

refused to move from the image of his strong back and tight ass.

Travis lifted up on his arms and moved his face into her line of vision.
“Like that, huh?” He chuckled and leaned down to suck on her shoulder. Lowering

down on his elbows, he nudged her legs farther apart and plunged his hard cock deep

within her body.

All as she watched in the mirrors overhead.
Jessie clung to him as they both cried out together. He left his hips firmly locked

against her as she adjusted to his large size and her eyes closed as she sighed.

When she had relaxed somewhat, he started with a slow and steady pace.
“Watch us in the mirror, Jessie girl.” His low voice rumbled against her ear.
Jessie reopened her eyes and felt a whole new wave of wetness release between her

legs at the sight. Her belly flip-flopped and she watched, mesmerized, as her hands slid,

almost on their own, down his sides and across his back.

She was so much paler than his tanned, golden skin. He picked up the pace and she

watched his ass move up and down on her. She could see her legs splayed out under

him and his muscles bunch as he moved.

It was the most erotic image she had ever seen.
Unexpectedly her legs quivered and her back arched on one long wave of exquisite

pleasure. A scream ripped from her throat and her nails dug deep in his back. Her hips

bucked, meeting his furious thrusts, their skin slapping together.

She could feel the second that Travis started coming. He growled loud in her ear

and stopped his thrusts to rock his hips hard against her.

After a few seconds he collapsed on top of her and Jessie closed her eyes, her arms

and legs wrapped around him as their bodies cooled and their hearts slowed.

Ain’t No Angel

Hours later they lay in his bed, the light shining in dimly from the street lamps

outside. Jessie was sprawled on his chest as Travis ran his fingers up and down her

back.

Before long, curiosity got the better of her. “When did you get your tattoo?”
He was quiet for a long moment and she wondered if he wasn’t going to answer

her.

“I was eighteen and I had just found out that I had been adopted.”
She traced her fingers over it. “Do you regret it?”
“No, it’s a symbol of my youth. I grew up the day that my adopted parents told me

about my real parents.”

“Do you want to talk about it? Sometimes it helps.”
He was quiet and Jessie hoped that she hadn’t pushed too hard. She didn’t want to

make him upset but she wanted to know more about him.

“I went to see them that day,” he began. “My real parents. They had a big office in

the city. I just took off and didn’t say where I was going. It took me a couple days to get

there. Plenty of time for me to think about what would happen.”

He paused and Jessie knew it was painful for him to talk about. “What happened?”

she gently prodded.

He sighed. “You aren’t going to leave this alone, are you?”
She smiled at him. “Probably not.”
He reached out for her hand and laced their fingers together.
“When I got there they wouldn’t see me.”
Jessie sucked in a breath. She didn’t understand how some people could be so cruel.
“But as I was leaving my father caught me at the door. He said that he was sorry

but they just couldn’t deal with a kid. I think he was surprised to see that I was

practically an adult. But it didn’t change anything.”

“I’m sorry, Travis.”
“Don’t be sorry. It was a long time ago.” He closed his eyes and Jessie leaned up to

kiss his cheek before settling back on his shoulder.

“I look just like him,” he whispered.
Jessie lay awake for a long time, thinking about what he had told her. He may say

that it was in the past but he still wasn’t over it. He was stubborn and she wondered if

he would ever be able to leave it behind and reconnect with the parents who raised him.

She would give anything to have her own parents back.

J L Taft

Chapter Seven

Wednesday dawned bright and clear. It was going to be another scorcher. Jessie

made several phone calls and did some paperwork while the guys loaded the last of the

supplies they needed for the day into the trucks.

Travis had been adamant when they had gotten back from his apartment Tuesday

morning that they sleep separately. Needless to say it had put a strain on their

relationship.

He had made himself scarce all day Tuesday and then had avoided her all day

today too. He kept himself busy, first with setting up the call-trace equipment on her

phones and then taking it upon himself to be the resident handyman.

He had fixed a window in the little-used dining room, rehung the hinges on the

greenhouse door, realigned a drawer in the kitchen and lord knew what else.

But he certainly hadn’t been coming to her to ask what needed to be done so that

only left one person—Betty.

He insisted on sleeping on the old, lumpy couch in the downstairs den. She had

tried her best to get him to sleep in the spare room next to hers. He said he wanted to be

down there if she needed him but she would have felt much better if he was right next

to her. Either in the spare room or in her bed.

It should have shocked her that she let herself rely on him this fast. After all, she

had already learned this lesson.

But Travis was different.
Cyrus had viewed her as a possession, a pretty thing that gave him a challenge. But

Travis on the other hand looked at her like a real man looked at a woman.

Oh, she had no delusions that he would suddenly change his mind and want

something more. But if sex was all he wanted then she would be happy with that.

Sex with Travis was something that she had never before experienced and she

wanted more of it. The only problem was he insisted they didn’t do it again.

But maybe that was the point. They had no pretenses between them. They both

knew what the situation was and there were no expectations. It offered her a chance to

just do it.

Without the usual doubts that crept in when she was looking for a prospective

partner.

She understood his reasons for not wanting to be distracted and honestly it was

flattering to think that she did that to him. But she didn’t want to regret not taking

advantage. It was a double-edged sword.

Ain’t No Angel

But she was in a constant state of arousal. She couldn’t concentrate on anything. All

that was going through her mind were the images of Travis on top of her, reflected in

his mirrors.

She dreamed of him all night long, dark, deep dreams that left her breathing heavy

and unsatisfied. She had taken a few extra minutes to decide what to wear that

morning.

A stroke of luck had produced a slim blue tank top that wasn’t too over-the-top

obvious and she had put on her most comfy jeans that rode low on her hips. But if

Travis had given her a second glance at breakfast, she hadn’t noticed it.

Leaning back in her desk chair, she knew she should be doing paperwork.
Brad came into her office and dropped a stack of mail on her desk.
“We are all loaded up, boss. Marc and I will head over and Travis can ride with you

if that’s okay?”

“Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll take a quick look at the mail and we will be right behind you.”
Brad left and Jessie turned to the mail. The usual junk and bills. But her heart

stuttered when she saw another battered envelope addressed to Jessica Parker.

Might as well get it over with, she told herself, and grabbed it to go on the back

porch to read it.

* * * * *

Travis finished helping the guys load the supplies and waved as they drove off. He

was to ride with the boss. Glancing around and not seeing her, he decided to take a

quick look around. He headed to the house first and checked for access points and exits.

No harm in being prepared. He had already looked once as he was fixing little things

but he hadn’t really looked around the outside of the house yet.

Following a small path, he stopped cold next to the back porch when he heard the

soft sobbing. He stayed frozen for a moment, trying to place the voice, but it was too

muffled to tell for sure. Coming around the corner, he saw Jessie with her knees drawn

up and her arms wrapped around them.

She was still sobbing and in her hand was a piece of paper. Another threat from

Cyrus he was sure. He reminded himself that this was just a job as he walked up the

stairs. Her head lifted and the despair in her eyes tugged at something inside his chest.

He didn’t like to see this strong woman brought to tears by an asshole who wasn’t

worth her time.

Before he realized what he was doing he scooped her up and sat in her chair with

her in his lap. Her body stiffened and she drew in a sharp breath but after a minute she

relaxed and laid her head on his shoulder. He tried not to dwell too much on the fact

that it fit perfectly there.

She stopped crying after a few minutes and his hand reached around to rub her

gently on the back, soft, soothing strokes. She released a sigh and shifted so her head

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was tucked under his chin. It felt right, and he could smell the sweet scent of her

shampoo and his fingers came up to play with the ends of her hair.

But then he started noticing other things, like her ass cupped in his lap and her

boob pressed against him. Oh shit, his cock sprang to life, hard and hot in seconds. With

no way of hiding it he looked down at her apologetically.

* * * * *

Jessie was surprised when he pulled her into his arms and held her while she cried.

He didn’t ask any questions that she couldn’t answer and she greedily soaked up the

feel of him. She had no idea how long they sat there like that before she felt a hard heat

under her bottom and through her jeans.

Lifting her head to look at him, she said, “There seems to be an uprising going on

here.”

His mouth lifted in a smirk. “Seems that way.”
She knew it was evil but she couldn’t help shimmying just a little in his lap. His

eyes closed briefly and a low, soft groan escaped his lips. The sound caught her off

guard and it gave her belly a slow roll.

She took a few seconds to gaze at him up close in the sunshine. Long, dark lashes

framed his gray eyes that had flecks of green in them. His jaw and cheeks were covered

in dark stubble. Her fingers lifted and she traced them along his chin and down his

neck then up to run over his smooth head.

His gaze roamed over her face and down over her breasts and her nipples hardened

in response, pushing very obviously against her tank top. His eyes shot back to hers.

“Seems you have a little of your own uprising going on.”

Chuckling with him, she laid her head back on his chest. “What do you suggest we

do about that, Travis?”

He remained quiet until she looked back at him. His stare was pained. “You know

we can’t do anything about it, Jessie girl.”

Suddenly it came over her what she was doing, trying to seduce a man who didn’t

want to be seduced. She had asked him to protect her and she knew he would do it and

she shouldn’t be asking for more. Leaping from his lap, she dashed into the house and

up the stairs to her room, slamming the door behind her.

* * * * *

Travis sat for a minute, breathing heavy and trying to regain control of his raging

hard-on. She was so tempting he didn’t know how he was going to hold out against

her. He wanted her, bad, and she wanted him too but he couldn’t let his head get all

muddled with a female right now.

Ain’t No Angel

He had figured that being with her a couple times would ease the sharp edge of

need but really it had only made it worse.

He needed to stick to the plan.
Catch Cyrus and somehow prove he had murdered Candy Marsh and keep him

from ever getting near Jessie again. Then he could move on and leave all this behind

him.

Running his hands over his head, he took several deep breaths and wondered what

she had been so upset about. He would never forget the lost look on her face.

Glancing down, he saw the sheet of paper that she had been clutching lying on the

porch floor. He read it.

From Cyrus, obviously, but no signature and it gave no clue where he was. His

eyebrows shot up and he whistled through his teeth at the amount he was asking for.

Ten grand. It was a lot, but nowhere near worth a human life, let alone Jessie’s.

Cyrus was a bastard and Travis was either going to send him to jail or to the

morgue. Then Jessie would be free too.

Free to have a life and to meet someone, get married and have some kids.
But when he pictured her with someone else his blood went hot and raging.
He had hurt her by turning her down but she didn’t know how much he was

suffering too. Maybe he should just explain his reasons a little better.

It might break the ice that had built up between them this weekend. After all he

shouldn’t be avoiding someone he was trying to stay close to so he could protect her.

Going inside and up the stairs, he went to her bedroom door and pushed it open.

He stopped dead in his tracks. His still-half-hard cock came back full force at the sight

before him.

* * * * *

Jessie had been embarrassed for all of two minutes before she got pissed. Who

needed him anyway? She was perfectly capable of taking care of things herself. And she

was about to prove it.

She was still hot and bothered from sitting in his lap and feeling his hard cock

under her ass. She pushed her jeans down her hips and, leaving them at her knees, lay

down on the bed. Popping her breasts out of the top of her tank, she pinched her

nipples and imagined his tongue on her instead.

Moaning his name, she ran her fingers down her belly and between her legs. She

was already wet and dripping and her fingers slid over her sweet spot. Oh how she

wanted him. Flickers went over in her mind of him with his shirt off, loading the mulch,

as she continued to rub, the image taking her higher.

She rubbed back and forth, her fingers going faster and her hips coming off the bed.

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“Travis…” she groaned as her body quaked and she reached her peak, exploding

from within and making her legs tremble.

Coming back down slowly, she realized that her fingers were a poor substitute for

Travis. Sitting up, she tried to jiggle her boobs back in place.

Then she saw him frozen in the doorway and she could feel the heat blaze

immediately over her face. Oh shit! He really did not just watch her do that. Oh. My.

God. She had panted out his name!

The last thing she wanted was for him to know how much she thought about him

and use it in some way against her.

She didn’t know what to do and it seemed neither did he. He hadn’t moved a

muscle.

“I… Um…” She just didn’t know what to say. She had just gotten caught with her

pants down, literally.

Jerking the blanket up off the bed, she covered herself. It seemed to snap him out of

it because he blinked.

Clearing his throat, he took a step farther in. His eyes darkened, his jaw clenched

and for a moment she thought he was mad. Her mind scrambled for a way out of the

most awkward situation of her life.

He appeared to come to a decision and, nodding his head once, he entered the rest

of the way in and kicked the door closed behind him.

“What are you doing?” Her voice was high and nervous even to her own ears.
He didn’t say anything as he stalked to stand over her bed, catching her eye as his

hand closed over the blanket she was holding to her chest. Slowly he pulled it from her

grasp, his eyes never leaving hers, giving her plenty of time to stop him.

Why, she didn’t know.
Grasping her hand, he pulled her to her feet in front of him. He bent his head and

ran his nose along her neck, sending little shivers of awareness through her.

“I shouldn’t be doing this but I’m finding you very hard to resist. And I wouldn’t

dream of leaving a woman hanging after she moaned my name like you just did.”

His hands were at her sides now, his fingers trailing along her skin, leaving her

panting. She was finding it hard to breathe and her legs were still unsteady. She

couldn’t bring herself to look at his face, embarrassed beyond belief.

“Hey.” His voice trembled along her skin and, lifting her chin, he captured her

gaze. “Don’t be embarrassed. I can’t tell you that I’m sorry but I can tell you that it was

the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Jessie didn’t believe him. Not for a minute. But she couldn’t help her body’s

reaction to his words.

“You don’t believe me?” He was searching her face, looking for an answer when

she still remained mute. “Do you want me to prove it?”

Ain’t No Angel

Did she? She wasn’t sure but before she gave herself too much time to think about it

she nodded.

“Say it, Jessie. Do you want me to prove it?” His fingers held her chin in place so

she couldn’t look away.

Damn him, she didn’t want to admit it. He had turned her down not a half hour ago

and now he had changed his mind? But it was not the time to back down.

“Yes, prove it.” She said it like the challenge it was and she watched, mesmerized,

as his gray eyes darkened and lowered to her exposed breasts. She flushed again as she

felt her nipples go hard and puckered.

Then his mouth closed over one tight peak and she grabbed his shoulder for

support. Her other hand came up as he moved to the other side, her knees went weak

and he pushed her backward on the bed.

Surprised, she bounced once before he was on her, lavishing generous attention on

her breasts. Back and forth, one peak and then the next, everything else faded away and

she moaned loud and low.

Making his way down her belly, he stopped to stick his tongue in her navel, causing

everything to clench.

“I like you moaning my name. I’m going to make you do it again.” His mouth got

lower and hovered over her little patch of strawberry curls as he spoke. His warm, wet

tongue connected with her clit and her hips jerked off the bed.

Oh god. He knew just the right spot and within seconds she was a quivering mass.

Sucking her into his mouth, he fluttered his tongue over her and she came, hard, her

juices flowing and her hips grinding against his face. His name escaped her lips and she

felt him smile.

* * * * *

She didn’t know how much time had passed as she lay there, her eyes closed and

her body still trembling. Travis lifted his head from where he had been resting it on her

thigh.

Opening her eyes, she saw him smirking. “Good for you?” he asked.
Numbly she nodded and sat up. His smile was contagious. She felt her own lips

curve and he responded with a full grin. It transformed his face and she blinked in

surprise. He really was gorgeous.

He stood and held out his hand and pulled her to her feet. Gently he pulled her

jeans up over her hips and did them up then situated her breasts back in her tank top.

He took a step back and, closing his eyes briefly, reached down to adjust the bulge

in his jeans. The very large bulge in his jeans. Her eyes flew to his and he grinned again.

“I told you.” He was awfully smug about the fact that she had moaned his name

out again.

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“Yes, you did.” Looking at her watch she groaned. She was so late. “Come on, we

have to get to work.”

Opening the door for her, he followed her out. “Yes, ma’ am.” She giggled as they

headed for the truck. Everything felt better with him next to her.

* * * * *

He had made his own bed and now he had to sleep in it. He had worked beside her

all day, visions of her that morning on her bed keeping him distracted. It didn’t help

that he would catch her staring at him from under her lashes every now and then.

Brad and Marc worked with them and they had gotten a lot done, landscaping a

large yard. It had been more years than he wanted to count since he had done anything

like this and even then it had been contracting, not landscaping. But he had to admire

Jessie’s vision when it came to design.

She was smart and funny, making him chuckle along with her and not once during

the day did he feel like an outsider. They had accepted him into their fold quickly and it

was nice to be a part of something that didn’t end with someone behind bars.

They knew each other well enough to joke around but he had noticed how Marc

and Brad had watched over her throughout the day. They were loyal to her and he

wondered if they had any idea about her past. Or if they just cared about her.

He had never known a gay couple before. Most of the time they were just guys. But

then Marc would grab Brad’s ass or their hands would touch as they passed each other.

It was different, especially for someone who hadn’t been around it before.

But they were both nice guys and they were good to Jessie and that was all Travis

cared about.

Once he had caught Jessie watching them as they touched and flirted with each

other. Her face had been sappy and sad. But then she had noticed him looking at her

and had turned away.

She deserved more than this.
More than a simple sexual relationship. She was a wonderful woman. The kind

who any man could respect and he was just going to end up holding her back. He

wasn’t cut out for the long term.

But damn if he could turn her away. He had never gotten a woman off and not

taken what he wanted. Ever.

He tried his damnedest to think of a time with a woman when he had been so

selfless while he helped Marc sink a new tree. Nothing came to mind that was even

remotely close.

When they were done for the day he jumped in Jessie’s old pickup. He couldn’t

help watching her as she drove them back to the house. Her hands were small but

capable on the steering wheel of her truck. They were gentle and efficient when she

Ain’t No Angel

worked with her plants but he had felt the bite of her nails on his back and had seen the

way she held her gun.

She wasn’t going to back down easily.
It made him think about her tumbling into his arms with a gun in her hand. She

was a contradiction. Soft, womanly body but nerves of steel. She needed him for sex

and to make her feel protected but what happened after that?

He wondered what she would have done if they hadn’t met that night at the bar.
Who would she have called? He looked her way but she was staring straight ahead.

After everything that had happened between them she acted as if she was still

embarrassed about this morning. But he understood. He was damn shocked himself.

Even if it wasn’t for the same reason.

He was still no closer to a decision on what to do with her. He knew that she

wanted him in her bed. He could see it in her eyes every time she looked at him.

This whole situation was out of his realm of experience. He didn’t get involved with

clients. The last woman he had been seeing he had met at a club and they had kinky sex

for two months before it faded out.

He was used to being in charge when it came to women. It was easy to keep them at

arm’s length. But Jessie was different. He didn’t like that he had no idea what was

going to happen.

She wasn’t just some pretty woman looking for a good time. Her life was at stake

and it added a little something more to everything they did together.

It was a dangerous game he was playing but he had gone too far already to back

out now, especially when he swore he could still taste her. He couldn’t just shut off

wanting her and she had made it obvious that she wanted him too.

He shifted in his seat, trying to ease the uncomfortable tightness of his jeans. He

could smell her scent in the close confines of the truck cab and it was driving him

insane.

He casually rested his arm of the back of the seat, putting his fingers at the nape of

her neck. He heard her take a deep breath but she didn’t object to his touch.

Smiling slightly to himself, he tangled his fingers in her ponytail hanging down her

back. She ignored him and kept her eyes on the road. Her hair was unlike anything he

had ever seen, long and curly, but it was the color that got him. It looked like a dark-red

until the sunlight hit it and then it shimmered like there were strands of gold mixed in.

Weaving his fingers through it, he watched as it slid over his hand like silk. He

always did have a thing for women who had beautiful hair and she was no different.

He didn’t remove his hand when she pulled up in front of the house. Shutting the

truck off, she turned her head slightly to look at him and he could see she was more

affected than she wanted him to know. Her cheeks were pink and her breasts were

heaving.

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Reaching out and grabbing the underside of her thigh, he pulled her into his lap.

She came willingly. He couldn’t stop the growl that sounded in his chest as she settled

between his legs.

He used one hand to pull the elastic band from her hair so it spilled out over her

shoulders, and the other to hold her against his chest. His fingers weaved themselves in

the hair at her nape and used it to tug her face closer to his.

Catching her beautiful blue gaze, he knew that this kiss would be different. That the

battle he had been fighting to avoid being with her had been dying a slow death. He

knew that once he gave in now, it would all change but it was one battle he was willing

to lose.

Holding her gaze, he lowered his mouth and pressed it to her lips.

Ain’t No Angel

Chapter Eight

Jessie was swept away by his firm lips and seeking tongue. His hands came up to

cup her face and tilt it for better access.

She rested her hands on his chest as he continued his assault on her mouth. His

tongue went deeper and she groaned, his voice matching hers.

When she could no longer catch her breath he pulled back just enough to leave a

trail of kisses down her neck. His mouth was amazing, applying just enough pressure

to make her quiver and her belly erupt in butterflies.

Reaching her shoulder, he stopped to gaze into her face. “We have a problem, don’t

we, Jessie girl?”

“What problem would that be, Travis? The fact that a psycho wants to kill me for

something I didn’t do? Or the fact that I’ve dragged you into this and we have no idea

when or if Cyrus will even show up here?”

“That’s not what I meant,” he said as he laid his forehead against hers. “I’m talking

about the agreement we made and how I’m not going to be able to keep my promise to

you.”

“What promise?”
“The promise to keep my hands off you.”
“What about all that talk about protecting me and not having any distractions?”
“You are a distraction either way.” He let out a deep breath and Jessie suddenly felt

guilty. What if he ended up hurt because of her?

She shouldn’t have pushed him. He was right and she had brought him here to help

her, not to be her fuck buddy.

Scooting off his lap and back to her side of the truck, she could feel his eyes boring

into her.

“You’re right, Travis. I need you to protect me and you can’t do that when

we’re…you know.”

He ran a hand down his face before staring at her again. “So you’re telling me that

you understand me now but you didn’t this morning?”

Jessie hesitated for a minute before she answered him. “Yeah, that about sums it

up.”

She saw the confusion on his face and didn’t know what to say to erase it. She just

couldn’t take the chance that he would get hurt. He had become something special to

her in the short time that they had spent together.

J L Taft

Even if he had just been that man to give her peace of mind so she could sleep at

night. Or the only man who seemed to be able to give her an orgasm with no effort

whatsoever.

But she wanted to get her hands on his background check. She refused to be lied to

again like Cyrus had done to her. He had told her he was one thing and then she

suddenly found out he was entirely something else.

This man was confusing. He went from comforting her to driving her crazy,

rejecting her and then giving without taking. It was more than she wanted to deal with

right now.

Her life was a disaster. It always had been and probably always would be. It wasn’t

the sort of life that a strong man like Travis would want to live and she couldn’t see

herself doing anything but running the landscape business.

“Are you sure?” he asked quietly.
“Of course I’m sure!” she snapped but she wasn’t sure at all.
Jumping out, she slammed the door behind her and stomped to the house but by

the time she reached the door, she was regretting her decision.

Grabbing a bite to eat, she took it to her room. She didn’t want to face anyone or

anything for the rest of the day. She needed a shower and some sleep. With Travis

downstairs she knew that she was safe enough to do just that.

* * * * *

Jessie made it to town the next day just before Maggie’s office was due to close. She

was itching to know more about Travis.

“Jessie! I expected you this morning. I was just going to pack up and drive up there

and deliver this.” She handed Jessie a manila folder.

“Thanks, Maggie. Anything interesting?” She flipped over the pages.
“That information was hard to get and after a certain date, I can’t find anything else

about him. It’s as if he fell off the face of the earth,” she said with a smirk.

There were several pages and Maggie was obviously ready to go home.
“Thanks again. You will send me the bill?”
“Of course, just like always.”
Heading home, all Jessie wanted to do was take a nice, long shower and have a

quiet dinner. But it wasn’t meant to be.

Marc and Brad joined her at the dinner table and after Travis had washed up Betty

decided to eat with them as well. Something she never did.

But the way that Travis raved over her cooking, it was no wonder she wanted to

stay. Brad cleaned up dinner and Marc and Travis started a game of cards.

Jessie watched for a couple minutes and then poured herself a glass of wine and

retreated to her room.

Ain’t No Angel

Travis fit in here. The guys liked him and Betty had a serious case of hero worship.

Even if the man wasn’t a hero quite yet.

Opening the file on Travis, she read over his information quickly. Now that she had

time to read it, it somehow felt wrong and she wanted it over with.

But then something stopped her in his work history.
He had been a police officer, in Hill Valley no less. He had started the same year

that Cyrus had been elected chief of police.

The wine in her hand was suddenly more appealing and she drank the whole glass

down. It made her mouth dry and her stomach revolt. The words on the paper blurred

as her eyes watered.

But it didn’t change anything. Travis was a cop.
Holding her head in her hands, she wondered how her life had turned out like this.

Travis played cards with Marc for an hour before Marc went off to find Brad. The

house was quiet and he wondered if Jessie was asleep already.

He imagined her lying on her bed, naked and waiting for him. It was a nice thought

but he knew it wasn’t going to happen. He didn’t know why she had suddenly changed

her mind. But figuring out why women did the things they did was beyond him and

something he didn’t usually lose sleep over.

Except with Jessie.
Suddenly he heard glass breaking upstairs and he was off like a shot. Taking the

steps two at a time, he came crashing into her bedroom, the door slamming against the

wall.

Jessie was sitting in a chair by the window and the wineglass she had taken up with

her was lying in a pile on the floor across from her.

“Are you okay?” he asked gently.
But she didn’t turn from gazing out the window.
Squatting in front of her, he reached for her hands but she pulled away from him.
“Jessie girl, what’s wrong?”
“Don’t call me that, Travis!” she yelled and her eyes were a blazing blue when she

looked at him.

Okay, she was seriously pissed. He’d better tread carefully.
“Tell me what’s going on,” he demanded.
“You want to know what’s going on?” She stood suddenly and he almost went on

his ass. She stepped around him and threw a sheaf of papers at him.

He caught them and looked down. It only took him a quick glance to know what it

was. A background check. His background check.

She knew he had been a cop and had worked with Cyrus.

J L Taft

Jessie watched as Travis looked over the papers she had thrown at him. His

expression never changed but she knew the moment that he saw what she was upset

about.

“This is my past, Jessie. It has nothing to do with here and now.”
She didn’t understand how he could say that. “You worked with Cyrus! You didn’t

feel the need to tell me that you knew him? That he was your boss?”

“No, I didn’t.”
“Why the hell not? Did you think I would never find out?” she raved at him.
“No, I was going to tell you after this was over with,” he told her. His voice was as

calm as hers was angry.

“So your plan was to catch him and then say to me, ‘Oh, by the way, Cyrus was my

boss once.’ Really? And how did you think I was going to react?”

“Jessie, I didn’t think that it was an issue. I have my reasons.”
Suddenly Jessie remembered him. She remembered that Cyrus had gotten a rookie

cop fired for not following orders. Cyrus had come home several nights in a row, raving

about some young guy who didn’t know his place and didn’t know how small towns

worked.

She had heard about the murder of a young girl on the outskirts of town that year.

Cyrus had assured her that the evidence had pointed to a man who had just been

passing through and not to worry. But she also remembered him getting very upset

when she had asked too many questions.

She had learned quickly after he backhanded her at the kitchen table and she hadn’t

brought it up again.

“You are the rookie cop he got fired, aren’t you?”
Travis sat heavily in the chair she had just vacated and he seemed to be looking

everywhere but at her.

She didn’t think he would answer her but really she didn’t need him to.
She stood rooted to the spot where she was standing, feeling like a stranger in her

own room.

Travis let the papers fall from his fingers onto the floor.
“Yes, I’m the rookie he got fired.”
She caught his gaze and it was bleak. It wasn’t what she expected from him. She

thought he would have any other reaction—anger, defensiveness, even just denial. But

none of those things were on his face.

It took the temper out of her and she sat on the bed, hard enough to make it bounce.
“Why didn’t you just tell me?” she asked quietly.
He stood and paced to the door and back. “You know, there are a lot of reasons

why I didn’t tell you. But the biggest reason is because I didn’t want to.” He turned to

Ain’t No Angel

look at her then, pain that surprised her in his eyes. “I didn’t want you to look at me

differently. I didn’t want you to think for one second that I was anything like Cyrus.

“But I now know that keeping it from you makes me just as bad as him and I’m

sorry, Jessie.”

Jessie sat stone-still. He was apologizing. Cyrus had never apologized. Travis was

nothing like him.

Travis stared at her for a second before turning to leave.
“Wait.” Her one word stopped him in the doorway.
Standing up, she went to him and even though his body was tense and unyielding

she wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. It was her own form of apology.

He took a deep breath when she laid her head on his back.

“I really wish you would just explain to me what happened,” she told him. He

turned slowly to face her and she looked up at his face. “Please, Travis. Just tell me

what happened so I can understand.”

His eyes closed briefly and she thought for a second that he was going to relent. But

then he said, “I’m sorry. I can’t. I won’t put you in any more danger.”

“But…” Jessie began but he placed his finger on her lips.
“Just know that I intend to end this for you so you will be free and someday there

will come a time when you will understand. I want you to remember this. I’m just

trying to keep you safe. That’s it. End of story. And I’m not doing it because you hired

me. I’m doing it because the world wouldn’t be the same without you, Jessie girl. It

needs you.”

He reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I need you,” he

whispered.

It was the first admission he had made that went further than their one-night

agreement. It wasn’t pink roses and a white picket fence but it was more than she had

hoped for.

Her arms were still around him and she lifted up on her toes to kiss him. He didn’t

respond at first, but she didn’t give up. She pressed her lips against him harder and

then flicked her tongue out along his bottom lip.

It spurred him into action and his arms came up tight around her. He took a step

forward as he kissed her back, then another. Until the backs of her legs were hitting the

bed. But it barely registered before he tumbled her on it and she was lost in him.

He wasted no time in removing her clothes. Jerking her shirt over her head almost

roughly, he tossed it away and went after her jeans. He moved away long enough to

yank his own clothes off and then fell back on her now-naked body.

Something was different about him as they came together. He wasn’t taking his

time like he had before. There was determination in his eyes.

J L Taft

He slid a hand between their bodies, rubbing her pussy and spreading her juices to

ease his entrance. Rolling a condom on quickly, Travis spread her legs and hooked

them behind his back as he thrust deep within her.

Jessie felt him claim her with every inch of her being. His cock was a perfect fit and

she could already feel the tensing of her muscles in anticipation of the orgasm that she

knew he would give her.

Her nails dug into his back as he began to drive into her over and over. He groaned

low in her ear as he moved and it sent warm shivers down her back.

Jessie released her legs from his hips and lifted them. Travis paused to grip both of

them together and put them over one of his shoulders.

The change in angle had her moans growing in decibels and he smiled down at her.
“Come for me, Jessie girl,” he whispered.
It was all she needed and she clenched around him, her legs going tight and

straight. He plunged once more and then threw his head back as he growled out his

release.

Jessie took deep breaths as he rolled off her and to the side. She turned to face him

and couldn’t hide her smile at the coating of sweat on his skin and the deep breaths he

was taking.

He smiled back and pulled her into his arms. It was warm to be cuddling but Jessie

wouldn’t give it up and move away and Travis never complained.

They woke up early, curled on Jessie’s little bed together. The sun was shining

bright through the window.

They smiled at each other but neither said anything as they both got around for

another day.

Betty had breakfast ready and they ate at the kitchen table with Marc and Brad like

always. But they were both quiet and the guys exchanged a look before finishing

quickly and leaving them alone.

The situation had changed between them and neither one of them was sure what to

do about it. For the first time Jessie was awkward around Travis. She was unsure what

to say to him, so she didn’t say anything.

They finished eating in silence and he asked minimal questions about the day’s

schedule on the way to their work site.

Jessie got to work immediately and tried to keep thoughts of Travis out of her head

throughout the day. It was no use.

Not that he was helping matters any. He made any excuse he could think of to

touch her. But he never said more than a few words to her.

But maybe he was just as unsure as she was. Although she doubted it.

Ain’t No Angel

He had made slow, sweet love to her the night before. It had been unlike anything

she had ever experienced. He had made her feel special, taking his time and touching

her in places that she never knew could turn her into a quivering mass.

Like the back of her knees. Or when he had placed openmouthed kisses on her

lower back. Or when he had swirled his tongue in her navel. Just thinking about those

things now made her tummy erupt in butterflies.

She glanced his way as he helped Marc put their tools back in the pickup. He had

taken his shirt off and she couldn’t help staring as his muscles flexed and bunched. He

caught her gaze and smiled her way.

It felt like a vise had tightened on her heart and she looked away quickly.
Between the four of them they got the job finished up for the young couple and

Marc and Brad took a load of supplies to the newly renovated post office for their next

job.

By the time Jessie got home she wasn’t sure if Travis regretted his admission the

night before or if he was just letting it be.

They stood on the porch for a second and Travis stuffed his hands in the pockets of

his dirt-stained jeans.

“Do you want to have dinner with me on the back porch?” she asked, ready for him

to decline.

He looked at her intently for a second and then said, “I’d love to.”

* * * * *

Wearing a short floral-print dress, Jessie went down to meet Travis. She hadn’t

really thought about how she would explain to the guys why she wanted to eat alone

with him but she knew they would understand. But the kitchen was empty, save for

Travis, who held a chair out for her at the table.

“Where is everyone?”
“Betty was tired so I sent her off home and Marc and Brad went to the Shiny

Penny.”

“And what made you think that you had the authority to do that?”
He seemed a little taken aback by her tone. “I just didn’t take you as the kind of

boss who would overwork an old woman.”

Heaving a sigh, she said, “You’re right, I’m not. I’m sorry, I’m just tired myself.”

And stressed out, which was starting to turn her into a bitch.

“Don’t worry about it.” He slid into the chair next to her and began dishing their

plates. They ate in silence, both lost in their own thoughts.

When they were done they carried the plates to the sink, Jessie catching him staring

at her exposed legs out of the corner of his eye.

“Would you like to have a glass of wine on the couch with me?”

J L Taft

“Baby, I thought you’d never ask,” he murmured, his eyes raking over her legs

again.

She poured them both a glass of red wine. Then they settled in on opposite ends of

the couch. It was much smaller than she remembered.

He took a small sip, watching her over the rim of his glass. She couldn’t help

noticing that his big hand dwarfed the delicate globe.

“So, do you have any more jobs lined up after that we can start on?”
“Not really, this is the last big one of the season, then things will wind down. I have

some tree planting scheduled for the fall and the perennials to plant at the post office

but not much besides that.”

He mulled this over before saying anything else. “If you don’t mind me asking,

what do you do over the winter?”

“Usually I make enough over the summer to cover my expenses. Marc and Brad

leave for a few months of traveling and to spend the holidays with their families. Betty

sells crafts and baked goods in town.”

What she didn’t say was that she had been thinking about sending Cyrus the

money he had asked for. It terrified her that they hadn’t heard from him since his letter.

It made her think that he was on his way back here to make good on his threat.

“Will you be laying me off then?” he asked with a smirk, pulling her out of her

thoughts.

“I’m not sure yet. But I think I can afford to keep you on for a while longer,” she

said with a smile, since he still refused to let her pay him.

Setting his glass down on the coffee table, he leaned over and grabbed her ankles,

stretching her legs out and placing her feet in his lap. She didn’t protest and slowly he

began to rub the soles of her feet. Long, firm strokes starting at her toes and going all

the way down to the heel.

He went from one foot to the other, causing her head to loll back against the couch

and her eyes to close. It felt heavenly. Her toenails were painted a pretty pink and she

was glad she had taken the time to do them.

Moaning when he got to her toes again, she jerked and her eyes popped open when

she felt his warm mouth close over her little toe. It was incredible, sending jolts directly

between her thighs.

“You have incredibly sexy feet.” His hands moved up to her ankles and then to her

calves, massaging with his long fingers.

“I want you, Jessie.” His voice was low and gravelly and she could bear it no more.
Sitting up, she set her wineglass down to join his and scooted closer to him,

widening her legs and wrapping them around his waist so that she was almost in his

lap. Placing her hands on either side of his face, she whispered, “I want you too,

Travis.”

Ain’t No Angel

Tumbling her backward on the couch, he landed on top of her, his delicious weight

pressing her into the cushions. A giggle escaped her lips before his mouth came

crashing down on them.

It was hot and potent and had her body humming with need in seconds. His tongue

explored her as if every surface in her mouth tasted like chocolate. His hands went to

her sides and then lower, along her hips, catching the hem of her dress and hiking it up.

His jeans pressed against the skin of her thighs, rough and rubbing in all the right

places.

Panting, he pulled back and gazed down into her flushed face. “Do you want to

take this to someplace more private? I wouldn’t want to shock poor Betty if she should

come back,” he said as he nibbled on her neck. But she had a hard time stringing two

thoughts together.

She blinked up at him. Then he took matters into his own hands and, standing,

lifted her into his arms and tossed her over his shoulder. Her skirt was bunched against

him and her rear was exposed, covered only by the thin strip of her white lacy thong.

She laughed and took advantage by squeezing his ass. Her arms came around his waist

and she held on for dear life.

His breath hitched as he strode to the stairs. Suddenly the sound of the phone

ringing stopped them. Travis heaved a deep sigh and lifted her off his shoulder and set

her gently on her feet.

J L Taft

Chapter Nine

Travis gestured for her to answer and he whispered, “If it’s him, keep him talking

as long as you can.”

Jessie knew it would be him. “Hello?”
“Do you think that I won’t keep my word, Jessica?” Cyrus’ voice was gruff and his

words slurred a little. But the quiet rage came over the line loud and clear.

“I don’t owe you anything, Cyrus.”
She heard him sigh before saying, “You never were the type of woman to learn a

lesson quickly.”

The remark had her livid in the span of a second. She opened her mouth to rave at

him but Travis laid a hand on her arm and shook his head.

Taking a calming breath, she said, “You have everything that you are going to get

from me, Cyrus. Go to hell.” She slammed the phone down, giving her a small amount

of satisfaction before she walked away and went out on the porch.

The night air was warm even though the sun had sunk behind the hills. Jessie heard

Travis walk out onto the porch and come up behind her. His breath ruffled her hair and

tickled her ear. His arms came up around her waist and he pulled her back to lean on

his big frame.

She knew that all she had managed to do with Cyrus’ phone call was ensure that he

would come for her. Regardless of how strong she felt with Travis standing by her side,

she knew that Cyrus meant what he said.

He always had. But there was nothing she could do about it now but wait. Wait for

him to come for her.

“It wasn’t long enough to trace, was it?” she asked quietly.
“No. It wasn’t.”
She thought that he might be upset with her for hanging up on Cyrus and blowing

his chance of tracing the phone call but it didn’t seem to bother him.

Jessie didn’t want to waste the time she had with Travis tonight thinking about

Cyrus. It was going to come to an end sooner rather than later and she didn’t want to

have any regrets.

“Where were we?” she asked, turning in his arms and looking up at him. He

chuckled and scooped her up off her feet and into his arms.

He carried her as if she weighed nothing, up the stairs and to her room. He pushed

her door open and then kicked it closed behind him. He tossed her on the bed, making

her body bounce, and she giggled.

Ain’t No Angel

Standing over her, he ran his gaze over her curves. “Now that I have you alone,

what am I going to do with you?”

She liked this game that he played, humor covering any awkwardness that might

have been there. She stretched her arms above her head, knowing it pushed her breasts

up and made the hem of her dress ride up. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

“Damn straight.” He lifted his shirt over his head and dropped it to the floor. Good

lord, the man was enough to make her mouth water. His chest was as hairless as his

head, tight and bulging. The tattoo came down his neck to swirl on his shoulder with

bold, black lines. He popped the button on his jeans and they slid to ride lower on his

hips, exposing that sexy V that led to what she wanted most.

Moving over, she made room for him on the bed, but he had other plans and caught

her before she got too far.

“Lie in the middle and don’t move.” Her first reaction was to take offense to his

tone but the light in his eyes stilled her tongue.

He moved to the bottom and she was thankful that she had no footboard. It didn’t

block her view. But then she wondered, if she did have a footboard, would he tie her to

it? The idea had her squirming on the bed.

Grabbing her ankles, he pulled her down, letting her legs dangle off the end.

Pushing her skirt out of the way, he hooked his thumbs in her panties and pulled them

down slowly, letting the material brush against her legs until they were off. Trailing his

fingers back up the sensitive skin, he spread her legs wide and with a devilish grin

buried his face between her thighs.

Her hips bucked off the bed at the first touch of his warm tongue but his hands

came up to hold her steady. It was intense and she felt her body winding tighter,

waiting for release. With every flick of his tongue he drove her higher.

She was mindless as her back arched and her legs tensed but he continued his

onslaught without a pause. Abruptly she reached her peak, moaning out his name and

reaching for him.

All of her was still quaking when he laid his weight on her. It had been so long

since she had felt this way. She absorbed all the feeling, the heat of his body, his

heaviness pressing her into the mattress and the silkiness of his skin under her fingers

as she trailed them up and down his back.

Pushing her up on the bed, he shed his jeans and took a foil packet out of his

pocket. Her eyes were riveted to his hard cock, springing out from a patch of dark curls.

It made the liquid pool in her mouth and a fresh wave release between her legs.

Jessie moved her hungry gaze over him as he lay on top of her. Kissing her hard, he

thrust his tongue in her mouth and she tasted herself on him.

Driving into her in one strong push, he filled her, her body protesting his size. He

held firm, giving her time to adjust to the thickness of his cock.

J L Taft

“Oh yes, baby, you’re so tight.” His voice sent shivers along her nerve endings and

she rocked her hips, sinking him in farther. Groaning, he began to move, long, lunging

strokes, sweeping her away with him.

Her nails dug into his back and he picked up the pace, plunging in harder and

deeper. Her hands roamed over his tight ass, up his back and over his shoulders.

Greedy, questing fingers ran up his smooth head, trailing down over his ears as he

groaned out her name.

Her inner muscles contracted around him, drawing a short scream from her and

then she felt him lock inside her as he reached his peak, spilling his seed and drawing

more spasms from her.

He collapsed on top of her. She wrapped her arms around him, unwilling to let him

go quite yet. After their breathing returned to normal, he moved to the side and pulled

her into his arms. They both drifted off to sleep, her body nestled in close to his.

* * * * *

Hours later they lay facing each other, after he had woken her with kisses along her

back and slid into her from behind. It had been slow and sweet and she didn’t know

what to make of the difference in his actions.

“I think we need to talk about this,” he whispered.
Her mind struggled to catch up. “What do you mean?”
“I want to please you, Jessie, I don’t want you to ever forget me.”
Smiling, she told him, “There isn’t much chance of that happening.”
“Is there something else that you want? Something I could do for you?”
“I’m not sure what you’re asking me, Travis.”
“Well, you put your nails to good use and I just wondered if you were into

anything besides vanilla?”

Giggling, she looked at his face. He was regarding her hopefully and she got the

feeling that the question was more important than he let on.

Jessie had had a semi-submissive relationship before, when she was younger and

before she had met Cyrus. It had been long ago but she had loved the little games they

had played. But he had left her to put his dominating attitude to better use in the

military.

“What did you have in mind?” There was a lot out there and she didn’t want to

“Maybe some toys or a little bondage?” His voice was quiet but excited.
“I’m game.” She knew she was jumping in feet first but she couldn’t stop herself.

“That sounds interesting.” She wondered what he had in mind for her and a shiver of

excitement went through her. She was so exhausted from their loving that she snuggled

farther into the blankets.

Ain’t No Angel

“Good, but let’s see what happens with Cyrus first.”
Jessie’s excitement died a quick death with the mention of Cyrus. She wished now

she would have just come up with the money to send him and that it would have made

him go away forever. But it was a dream.

Travis got out of bed and got dressed, telling her he needed to make a phone call.

Jessie glanced at the clock, shocked that it would be time to get up soon. He kissed her

passionately and gave her rear a playful swat before leaving the bedroom.

It was only minutes before Jessie was sound asleep.

* * * * *

Travis walked slowly around the yard and the grounds, checking for anything out

of the ordinary. He felt more revived than he ever remembered being after a sexual

encounter. Jessie was a pleasant surprise and he was quickly becoming addicted to her.

The sun was just starting to rise and the birds were singing. There was something

special about the place that Jessie called home.

He had no idea how she would feel about the fact that he suspected Cyrus of

murdering Candy Marsh. Jessie was obvious about her need to have trust in the people

she surrounded herself with. It gave him a pretty sure idea on how pissed she was

going to be when she found out he had kept it from her. But it was for her own good.

She had enough to worry about right now and he didn’t want to add to it with no

evidence to back it up.

He was walking a shaky line and knew that if he wasn’t careful he would lose any

leads he might have gained and Jessie all in one swoop. But she was too much of a

temptation to resist and he was tired of all work and no play.

Opening the side door of the barn, he figured he would check out the bottom half

without disturbing Marc and Brad. But he paused when he heard something. Strange

grunting was coming from the upstairs. Wishing he hadn’t left his guns in the house, he

entered slowly and eased the door shut, making no noise.

Creeping along the wall, he left the lights off, the shadows hiding his big frame.

Listening intently, he moved closer to Marc and Brad’s room. And then almost burst

out laughing.

They were obviously getting it on. He didn’t know them well enough to tell the

moans apart but they were getting louder by the second. Not wanting to disturb them

and not into that kind of voyeurism, he retreated back outside, leaving as silently as he

had entered.

Once he was back outside he dialed Ian’s number.
“Davis.”
“Ian. It’s me. I wanted to let you know that Cyrus called last night but the call was

too quick to trace. Any word on that end?”

J L Taft

“I was going to call you in this morning. Cyrus Parker was spotted yesterday

afternoon at a bar in Michigan by one of our associates. Unfortunately by the time I

heard about it he was gone. But if I had to guess, he is headed your way.”

Travis ran a hand over his face. He had expected this but now that it was

happening he was worried. He needed to get Jessie somewhere safe.

“All right, thanks, Ian.”
“Why don’t you bring the woman here for a few days?” Ian asked.
“I’ll ask her but I’m not sure she will go for it.”
“Stay alert, Turner.”
“Will do,” Travis said before he disconnected.

* * * * *

Jessie awoke an hour later feeling refreshed and satisfied for the first time in

months. Stretching out her sore muscles, she smiled as she headed for the shower,

humming to herself.

She came out wrapped in a towel. She opened her dresser drawer and the world

came crashing back down upon her. Her gun was lying there on top of her clothes.

Staring at it for a minute, she realized that there was nothing she could do but be

prepared. She knew she had pissed Cyrus off last night and she figured he knew she

wasn’t sending him the money.

Closing the drawer with a slam, she got dressed. She had a life to live and a sexy

man waiting for her in the kitchen.

“Morning!” she said cheerfully as she entered. Travis answered her with a grin and

a wink. Betty placed a piece of pie in front of him and then headed outside to find Brad,

mumbling something about her car making funny noises.

Alone, she stared at him over the rim of her coffee cup as he ate his pie. It had been

so long since she had a steady lover she wasn’t sure what to say. But then his eyes met

hers and she felt it like a bolt of lightning to her insides. If she wasn’t careful she was

going to fall for this man.

She knew that he felt something too because his eyes darkened and then lowered to

brush across her breasts and hips. But she was pretty sure he wasn’t thinking about love

and happily ever after. His look said lust, hot and heavy lust. Tangle the sheets and

rock the bed kind of lust. But she wasn’t going to complain.

Standing up, he came close and set his plate in the sink. She could smell him, soap

and man, and feel the heat radiating off his skin.

His arms came around her, trapping her against the counter, and he leaned in for a

kiss. She had just enough time to meet him halfway, hungry for another taste of him. He

tasted like the apples in the pie he had just finished and his tongue swept over her teeth

as she released a moan.

Ain’t No Angel

Pulling back, they were both breathing heavy and lucky that she hadn’t spilled her

coffee on them. Travis rested his forehead on hers for a moment before moving away

completely.

Clearing his throat, he said, “Well, I think we should get to work before I bend you

over this kitchen table and have my wicked way with you.”

Jessie felt her cheeks go red with that image but she stayed where she was and just

raised an eyebrow at him, issuing her challenge.

He chuckled and headed for the door. “Don’t tempt me, woman. I’ll have to put

you over my knee.”

Her face went hot all over again and this time she felt a release of wetness between

her legs. Would he really do it? She was definitely going to have to find out. She

followed behind him outside. Together they got in her old, beat-up truck and they

headed to work, talking about nothing and everything.

They worked the day away in the sun, Marc and Brad always close by. She really

did love working her little business, even if it was going to make her gray before her

time. But the pressures of getting by were surpassed by her happiness every time she

finished a job and the results were there for her to see. It was soothing for her to dig in

the soil. It was something she had learned at her mother’s knee and the feeling never

faded.

Leaning back on her heels from the flowers she was planting along the sidewalk,

she looked around. The new job was a small one but had turned out beautifully and

with Travis’ help they were ahead of schedule, another day and they would be done.

She was sure the owners of the house would be pleased with the results.

Travis’ enthusiasm over the last few days had been inspiring for her. Tasks she had

mentioned in passing that needed to be done were done, just like that. He didn’t ask or

make a big deal out of it, he just did it. She had only ever met one other man like that in

her life and that had been her father. It wasn’t lost on her that it could be the reason she

suddenly found herself head over heels for Travis.

She missed her parents, they had been completely in love with each other and she

wanted that for herself. They had communicated with a look and they had never gotten

too old to hold hands.

She spied Travis headed her way and her thoughts scattered. He was enough to

heat her blood from twenty feet away.

His jeans were riding low on his hips and his t-shirt clung to his damp chest. He

was sweaty, dusty and a little tanner than he had been that morning and it occurred to

her that he was the sexiest man she had ever seen in her life. She wanted all the time she

could get with him, even if it could only end in pain.

“Come on, guys! Let’s call it a day!” Standing, she brushed herself off and helped

pack up the tools they took with them. Soon they were all headed back to the house.

J L Taft

Travis was digging himself deeper by getting involved with her. But the damage

was done and his need for her wasn’t something he could fight. By the time this was

over and he wasn’t protecting her anymore, things would fizzle out between them.

But deep down he wondered if he would ever get enough of her. She was unlike

anyone else he had known. She was tough and rough around the edges but on the

inside she was sweet and responsive.

He couldn’t believe his luck when she said she was into kinky sex. Just thinking

about her tied spread-eagle on her bed had him going hard. Remembering that, he

realized he still needed to order a few things before they could play a little.

He had trouble sleeping the night before. He was afraid it was because he had slept

on the couch instead of next to Jessie on her little bed. But he didn’t want to let his

guard down and he wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from touching her.

Jessie had been disappointed when he had told her but she hadn’t pushed. She

knew that he had a job to do. Then she had been quiet at breakfast. It was a small

consolation that she obviously hadn’t slept well either. But he wasn’t sure if he had

anything to do with that or not.

He meant what he said and he knew it would be dangerous to have that sort of fun

with Cyrus on the loose. But he had a feeling they wouldn’t have to wait much longer.

Thinking about it for a minute, he knew just what he wanted. He had a lot of

downtime on his last job, plenty of time to plan out his ultimate fantasy with the many

online resources available. Finding the websites he remembered on his phone, he paid

the extra to have them overnighted.

Excitement coursing in his veins, he went to take care of some things that Jessie said

she needed to get to. Then maybe if she didn’t have so much to do he could talk her into

leaving for a few days. So he could do what he promised— keep her safe.

Ain’t No Angel

Chapter Ten

Travis was busy repairing a few of the greenhouse panels from outside when his

phone rang. He knew Jessie was inside, only a few feet away through the thin wall, so

he quickly silenced it and worked steadily for a few more minutes before entering the

greenhouse.

He came up behind Jessie and nuzzled her bare neck. She shivered and turned in

his arms, looping hers around his shoulders. She was so small compared to him that he

felt as if he should be careful of her but he knew she was tougher than she looked.

Before he took another breath she stood on her toes and planted her mouth on his. A

shock went through his body and he tightened his hold, deepening the kiss.

When they both came up for air he rested his head on hers, catching his breath.
“I forgot what I came in here for,” he murmured. She giggled.
“Oh yeah, I’m going to the house for a drink, you want one?” He couldn’t stop his

hands from roaming lower down to cup her ass and pull her up against him. He knew

he had to let her go or he was going to bend her over the worktable and take her swift

and hard from behind.

His jeans tightened painfully and she rotated her hips against him, then, reaching

up, she licked his neck.

Gripping her harder, he groaned out, “You tempt me, woman.”
She laughed. “Maybe I’ll always tempt you.”
Travis should have known that she would want more. He started to explain that

this was all he could offer her but then he stopped. She already knew that this was all

he could give her.

Her brow furrowed and he released her. “Do you want a drink or not?” he asked.
She looked confused and even a little hurt but he didn’t say anything. “No, thanks,”

she mumbled as she turned back to her work.

Travis was mentally kicking himself as he left the greenhouse. He was making one

mistake after another with her.

Going to the back side of the house, he looked at his phone and then called Ian back

quickly.

“Ian, what’s up?”
“Travis, Parker was spotted moving your way. He will be there in the next day or

so. Did you talk Mrs. Parker into getting out of there?”

Travis remained silent, his mind whirling with possibilities.
“Travis?” Ian said and jolted him back to the present.

J L Taft

“I haven’t talked to her about it yet.”
“You better get on it, boy.”
“I know. I’ll do my best and I’ll call you when I can.”
“Wait, there is one more thing.” Travis could hear the hesitation on the other side.

“There is some new evidence on the Marsh case. Apparently the skin samples from

under her nails that were lost have turned up.”

“All right, thanks.”
Travis disconnected and sat heavily on the steps of the back porch. He was so close

to laying it all to rest. All he had to do now was get Jessie out of here and then wait for

Cyrus Parker to show his ugly face.

Going to the kitchen, he smiled at Betty, who was busy cooking. Grabbing two

lemonades from her, he went to smooth things over between Jessie and him.

* * * * *

Jessie used more force than necessary to pat the dirt down around her freshly

transplanted seedlings. Damn him and his mood swings anyway. She had too much on

her mind to try to keep up. Something about what he said nagged at her but her tired

brain wasn’t cooperating.

It still bothered her that he had been a cop. She had promised herself that she

wouldn’t ever get involved with one again. He had also kept it from her and she

wondered if he really would have told her if she hadn’t found out on her own.

Then he wouldn’t tell her what had happened to get him fired. It was getting harder

to make the right decision. If she added it all up she shouldn’t trust Travis so easily.

After all, that was what had gotten her in trouble with Cyrus in the first place.

But her heart and her body were arguing with her common sense.
It was funny that in the middle of all this she suddenly wasn’t that worried about

Cyrus anymore. She had no doubt that Travis would do as he said and protect her. He

had a quiet strength that she couldn’t deny. When Cyrus finally did show his face it

would release the caged lion inside Travis.

Not that she was taking all the credit for that. He obviously had his own reasons for

coming here. He wanted revenge for losing his career as a police officer.

But she still wanted him. More than she had wanted to admit until she had slipped

today and said she wanted to always tempt him. It was a hard fact that she had gone

and fallen in love with him.

He had told her that he needed her but she wasn’t stupid enough to think that he

had meant forever.

Dusting off her hands, she looked around. She had done as much as she could for

today and she looked at the clock, surprised to find it was after five. She had worked

through lunch, again.

Ain’t No Angel

Picking up her tools, she heard the door open and footsteps behind her. No doubt it

was Travis, but she continued to clean up, not turning to face him.

“Look, Jessie, I’m sorry, you just caught me off guard is all.”
Taking a breath, she turned to face him, fighting against the need to reach for him.

He was so sexy and confident, leaning against her workbench with lemonade in each

hand. But, meeting his gaze, she could see the truth there. He was just as wary as she

was.

“It’s all right.”
He smiled at her and she went weak in the knees. “Here, I brought you some

lemonade.”

“Thanks.” She took a small sip and watched him over her glass. “I think I’m headed

for the shower.” Working in a greenhouse was hot, sweaty and dirty.

“Wait.” His voice stopped her. She turned to face him, hoping he would kiss her.
“I need to talk to you about something. My partner called me this morning and

Cyrus is getting closer. He should be here tonight or tomorrow.”

Jessie breathed a sigh of relief. Finally. She was sick and tired of his games and

wanted it done.

“All right. We should get Betty and the guys to go somewhere else for a couple

days. I don’t want any of them hurt.”

Travis nodded his agreement. “I think you should go with them.”
Jessie wasn’t sure she had heard him right at first. But he crossed his arms over his

big chest and she realized he was serious.

“I’m not running, Travis.”
He stared intently at her for a second then dropped his arms and sighed. “Yeah, I

figured you would say that. I’ll fill Marc and Brad in today.”

“Okay. I’m headed for a shower then. You aren’t going anywhere, are you?”
“No, I’ll be right here, baby.”
She walked past him and if her body brushed against his a little more than

necessary, she was pretty sure he didn’t mind.

Back at the house she had Betty leave her some sandwich fixings and sent her off

home. She told Betty not to come back for a few days because there was no work and

Marc and Brad would be out of town.

Betty didn’t buy it for a minute but she didn’t give her the third degree. She did

give Jessie a pointed look and told her they would be talking soon.

In her room she stripped her clothes off and left them on the floor in a heap.

Cranking the hot water up, she stepped under the stream and closed the glass door.

She was washing her hair and didn’t hear her bedroom door open and close or hear

Travis undressing in the bathroom. But she did hear the glass door slide open.

J L Taft

She rinsed her face quickly and opened her eyes in time to see Travis step naked

into the shower. Smiling, he wrapped his arms around her wet body.

“I thought you might want some company.”
“I was just thinking that I would love some company. I was feeling lonely in this

big shower.” Jessie ran her hands down his chest, letting her nails trail over his skin.

She didn’t know why he had suddenly changed his mind and wanted her now but she

wasn’t going to ask. He was where she wanted him.

“It is a big shower, with lots of possibilities,” he said as he glanced around.
Grinning up at him, she sighed, “Well, I do still need to clean up.”
“I can do that for you.” His hands went to her shoulders and turned her so he could

finish washing her hair. Rinsing it, he added conditioner and massaged it into her skull.

It was heaven. Reaching around her, he grabbed her soap and instead of her loofah he

squirted it directly into his hand.

He took his time washing her body, starting at her neck and going down, not

missing an inch of skin. He knelt before her when he got to her belly and rubbed the

flower-scented lather around to her back and down, over her rear and then her thighs.

When he got to her calves he lifted one foot and rubbed her toes, getting between every

one before going on to the other.

She was relaxed and leaning on the wall when he finished washing and rinsing her

off. His hands left her and she opened her eyes to slits. He was busy washing his own

body but not taking the time that he had done for her, going as fast as possible. His gaze

was glued to her naked chest.

“Hey, let me return the favor.” She took the soap from him and gave him the same

treatment he had given her, learning his body and returning to the places that made his

muscles quiver and his breath hitch.

When he had reached his limit he turned her around and pressed her against the

cool tile wall. She heard the tear of the condom wrapper and then he was pressing into

her from behind.

He laced his fingers with hers and spread her arms so she had no choice but to

press her breasts into the cool tile.

He started slowly but quickly gained speed as she moaned and it echoed loudly in

the close confines of the shower.

The water turned everything steamy and warm, making their bodies slippery.

Travis’ strong thrusts were hard to brace for with no hands. He released her and his

fingers dug into her hips.

He slammed against her harder and she could hear their bodies slapping together.
Suddenly he reached between them and pinched her clit. She tumbled off the edge,

screaming as her pussy clamped around him and her back bowed.

He groaned loudly and thrust once more before leaning on her.

Ain’t No Angel

His soft cock slipped out of her and her legs went weak. But Travis wrapped an

arm around her waist as he shut off the water and then helped her out of the stall.

Travis left Jessie resting on the couch as he went in search of Marc and Brad. He

knew joining Jessie in the shower had been a risk but he couldn’t stop himself. Besides,

Ian had said that Cyrus was still a day away. It had made him feel safe enough to take

advantage.

As he stood there, glancing around, a delivery truck pulled up and a man in brown

shorts and shirt jumped out. Reaching back in the truck, he grabbed a package and

headed across the yard.

“Morning, sir. I’m looking for Travis Turner?”
“You found him.” Travis quickly signed for his package, which he had ordered for

Jessie yesterday. He hesitated and then left it sitting on the porch. It was time to let the

others in on what was going on.

He caught up with them outside the barn. “Hey guys, hold up a minute.”
They both turned to look at him questioningly and he figured he’d better just say it

flat-out. “What do you guys know about Cyrus Parker?”

Brad looked taken aback by the question but Marc’s expression never changed.

“Why do you ask?”

“Look, I know you have no reason to trust me but Cyrus is extorting Jessie and I’m

just trying to keep her safe.” Then it was Marc’s turn to look surprised.

“What do you mean he is extorting her?”
“He wants ten grand from her and she won’t do it. He used some threats and my

sources say he is on his way here to make good on them.”

Marc shook his head. “Holy shit.” Travis watched him waver back and forth, his

loyalty to Jessie holding him back, but her safety came first and Marc realized that. “I

didn’t know Cyrus well and I was only in town for a few months before he took off.”

Travis had figured that. “Anything else you can tell me?”
“No, like I said, I didn’t know him that well. But answer me a question?” Travis

nodded. “Did you fall for her and that’s why you’re asking about Cyrus?”

“It’s complicated.” But he wasn’t sure if maybe Marc had hit the nail on the head

with that one.

“I see,” Marc said and Travis suddenly felt as if Marc could see right through him.
“Cyrus is going to be here today or tomorrow and I think you two should be as far

away as possible when that happens.”

Marc’s fists clenched but Travis stood his ground. “Look, man, I don’t know where

you’re from but we don’t just desert our friends when they need us. We aren’t leaving

her here to face him alone.”

J L Taft

Travis shook his head. This was getting them nowhere. “Listen, she won’t be alone.

I’ll be here and I know Cyrus. I used to work with him.”

Marc’s eyes widened and Travis heard Brad mumble, “Told you so.”
“All right, Travis, you win. We will go for a couple days but we aren’t going far,

and what do you want us to tell Jessie?”

“Jessie knows that I was going to ask you to leave for a few days. She already talked

to Betty.” He ran his hand over his smooth head. This was getting real. He had no idea

what to expect from Cyrus. But at least Travis had the advantage that Cyrus didn’t

know he was going to be around.

But now that they had evidence that could convict Cyrus for the murder of Candy

Marsh he was more determined than ever to catch him and put him behind bars where

he belonged. Real men didn’t hurt women and he saw Cyrus Parker somewhere

between green pond scum and the mud that caked his boots.

Jessie and Travis spent the rest of the day sticking close to the house and as soon as

the sun started to set they went in.

Travis meticulously went through the house, locking the windows and the doors.

Jessie was jumpy and having a hard time sitting still. She hated the waiting. She hated

that Cyrus put her in this position in the first place.

But it was going to come to an end. One way or the other.
They ate at the table, both of them quiet and lost in thought. Jessie didn’t do much

more than push her food around her plate.

They finally went to bed and when Travis insisted that he sleep on the couch she

couldn’t help but complain.

“What is the difference if you are down here or upstairs? I would feel so much

better if you were at least in the room with me.”

He heaved a sigh and crossed his arms over his chest, a sure sign that he wasn’t

happy. But she knew he was wavering so she pressed her advantage.

“Please, Travis. I won’t get a wink of sleep otherwise.”
“Fine, but no sex. We need to stay on guard.”
“All right.” She agreed but she figured she could change his mind about that too.
“Don’t look at me like that, Jessie girl. No. Sex.”
“All right, all right. No sex.”

Travis lay awake as Jessie slept peacefully sprawled on his chest. He was leisurely

trailing his fingers up and down her smooth back, sometimes stopping to play with her

silky hair.

Damn fool woman had crawled into bed in nothing but a pair of panties. He had

given her a stern look and she had just smiled. So he had made his point by leaving his

Ain’t No Angel

clothes on. Which he was now regretting because it was damn uncomfortable wearing

his jeans in bed.

He realized that it was just Jessie’s way of keeping herself from worrying. Her faith

in him made him determined not to disappoint her.

He still couldn’t believe that he had told her about the day he had gone to see his

real parents. He had never told anyone. But she hadn’t looked at him any differently.

She didn’t care who his parents were, or how much money he had. For the first

time he wondered if maybe he was the only one who had seen something else when he

looked in the mirror.

Maybe when this was over it would be time to go home and see his family. He

missed his sisters. The thought of facing it alone was daunting but maybe he could talk

Jessie into going with him.

That thought had everything else coming to a screeching halt.
He was in love with her. His hand stopped cold and he looked down at her face and

the dusting of freckles across her nose, knowing that it was the truth. The question was,

what was he going to do about it? Letting out a sigh, he resumed trailing his fingers

down her back.

He figured that he would have some explaining to do and then he would go from

there. But he wasn’t sure if he was willing to walk away, even if that’s what she wanted.

She fit against him perfectly. No matter how they lay she always found just the

right spot. She was currently using his shoulder for a pillow and she had a leg thrown

over his. He didn’t know that it could be like this, that just being near someone could

make him happy.

A small noise from downstairs had him alert and listening. It had sounded like a

door handle jiggling. He left Jessie sleeping as he slid out from under her and scooted

off the bed. Grabbing his gun from the nightstand, he quietly made his way down the

hallway.

The house was dark as he crept down the stairs stealthily. He skipped over the one

that creaked and stopped when he reached the bottom. He listened intently for a full

minute and didn’t hear anything.

Creeping to the end of the wall, he glanced around it and into the living room and

ducked back into place. He didn’t see anyone there.

Travis sneaked quietly into the kitchen, making his way to the light switch.
He saw the shadow move up behind him a split second before something hard and

heavy came down on his head. He fell to his knees and the second before everything

went dark around the edges he told himself not to pass out.

He couldn’t leave Jessie alone.
He braced his weight on his arms and felt the warm flow of blood trickle down the

side of his head. His stomach rolled and he fought it back down with everything he

had.

J L Taft

The kitchen light flipped on and he saw spots before his eyes focused.
Jessie was standing at the bottom of the stairs, panic on her face. She hurried to his

side and pressed something to his head but his mind was fuzzy. He shook his head to

try to clear it but all it did was make the pounding worse. Travis grabbed the counter

and used it to pull his body off the floor as he heard the familiar voice of Cyrus Parker

say, “Well, hello, wife.”

Ain’t No Angel

Chapter Eleven

Jessie woke alone, but the bed was still warm from Travis’ big body. Stretching like

a content cat, she stood and pulled on one of his t-shirts before heading toward the

bathroom. It was still night and she wondered where Travis had gone.

A loud crash and the noise of glass breaking downstairs had her changing

directions. Going back to the bedroom, she opened the drawer that had her gun.

Checking quickly to make sure that it was loaded, she took it with her as she hurried

downstairs.

When she got to the kitchen, she flipped on the light and she felt the blood drain

from her face, leaving her lightheaded at the sight before her.

The remains of her heavy cookie jar littered the floor and Travis was struggling to

his feet, holding his head.

Jessie could see the blood dripping down the side of his face. Grabbing some paper

towels, she leaned up to hold them to the gash.

The dark shape of a man stepped from the shadows and Jessie felt her heart start

pounding like a jackhammer when Cyrus said, “Well, hello, wife.”

“Cyrus! What did you do?” she yelled as she pressed the paper towels harder

against Travis’ head and then lifted them to take a look. The gash was deep.

“What the hell is he doing here, Jessica?” Cyrus sneered as if he hadn’t heard her.
His tone sent shivers skating across her back but she refused to back down. She

turned to face Cyrus but before she could say anything Travis pushed her to stand

halfway behind them. He was trying to shield her from Cyrus.

“Parker, I’m taking you in. Go quietly and this won’t get ugly.”
To their surprise, he started laughing. “I’m not going anywhere with you, Turner.

What I want to know is, what the hell are you doing here with my wife?”

“I’m not your wife!” Jessie shouted.
Cyrus took a step closer and his expression went dark and menacing.
“Are you cheating on me, Jessica?”
Jessie realized then that Cyrus had a few major screws loose. He believed, after all

this time, that they were still married.

Travis spoke up then. “She isn’t your wife anymore and what she does with her

time is no concern of yours. You are going to jail, Parker.”

Cyrus turned on him then. “That’s exactly what got you fired, Turner. You don’t

understand that cops stick together.”

J L Taft

“What you don’t understand, Parker, is that police are to uphold the law.

Investigate murders and put the guilty party behind bars.”

Jessie looked back and forth between the men as they glared at each other. There

was something else going on here.

“What do you mean, Travis?” she asked.
“You didn’t tell her? Not that I blame you, I’d be ashamed of myself too,” Cyrus cut

in.

Travis’ gaze never wavered for a second from Cyrus but he said, “Do you

remember when you asked me what had happened when I left the force, Jessie?”

“Yes, I remember.”
“I was fired because I was investigating our new chief of police for the murder of a

young woman named Candy Marsh.”

Jessie remembered the woman, a few years younger than her. The murder had

shocked the whole town. Everyone had assumed it had been a drifter who had just

passed through.

“You have no proof! You never did and you never will!” Cyrus screamed.
Jessie jumped and took a step back. This was getting them nowhere and Cyrus was

becoming more unstable by the second. She saw that familiar look of violence on his

face.

“You made sure of that, didn’t you? But thankfully you aren’t as smart as you think

you are. The forensic samples have been found. All we need to do is match you up to

them and you are going away for a long time.”

Cyrus bellowed in rage and pulled a gun from the back of his pants as he lunged

for Travis. But he was expecting it and pushed Jessie away before Cyrus was on him.

They rolled and Cyrus’ gun clattered to the floor and slid out of his reach. Jessie

kicked it farther away as the sickening sounds of flesh meeting flesh filled her ears.

She stood motionless as Cyrus got the upper hand and pummeled Travis’ face with

his fist. There was so much blood and the metallic scent filled the kitchen.

Before she knew what she was doing she jumped on Cyrus’ back and wrapped an

arm around his neck, squeezing for all she was worth. Her other hand still held her gun

and she brought it down on the back of his head.

Cyrus jerked to throw her off and it screwed up her aim, making the gun just glance

off the side of his head. But it distracted him from punching Travis again.

He stood and, grabbing her arm, pulled her off his back and she dropped heavily to

the floor.

“You stupid bitch!” he screamed as he stood over her.
His foot went back and she knew he was going to kick her. In that split second she

made her decision. Protect herself without hesitation.

Ain’t No Angel

She raised the gun in her hand. Took aim and pulled the trigger. The discharge of

the bullet was loud in the confines of the house and the smell of the gunpowder reached

her nose.

It all seemed to happen in slow motion. The shocked look on Cyrus’ face as he

crumpled to the floor. Travis yelling, “No!” and then his arms around her.

“Jessie! Are you okay?” He was running his hands over her body. Her ears were

ringing but she wasn’t hurt. She had faced him and won.

“I’m all right. Did I kill him?”
“Call the police and I’ll look.”
Travis helped her to her feet and she moved away to do as he had asked. Suddenly

he pulled her back into his arms and kissed her hard.

“It’s going to be okay, Jessie girl.”
“I know.”

Jessie made the call to the police department as Travis pressed his t-shirt to Cyrus’

wound. She had just enough time to pull on some jeans before she heard the wail of

sirens in the distance.

The EMTs went to work on Cyrus immediately.
Jessie asked quietly if he would be okay.
The EMT looked up at her and said that the bullet went clean through his shoulder

and he would be fine.

Travis stood strong and still by her side and she reached for his hand, holding tight

when he laced their fingers.

Once they had loaded Cyrus into the back of the ambulance and it drove off with

flashing lights and wailing sirens, the police, finally doing their duty in light of the

evidence against Cyrus, separated them to ask questions.

Jessie took a seat at the kitchen table and an officer sat across from her.
“I just have a few questions, Mrs. Parker.”
“It’s Aimes. Jessie Aimes. Cyrus and I are divorced.” She was weary and just

wanted it over with now that the adrenaline had faded.

“Okay. Can you explain to me what happened?”
“Cyrus broke into my house. He had been making threatening phone calls and he

sent a letter demanding that I send him money. I was afraid for my life and then I…”

The day was catching up to her and her voice broke on a sob.
“Go on, Ms. Aimes,” the officer prompted.
“I shot him.”
“You were in fear for your life?” he asked.

J L Taft

“Yes,” she nodded, “and for Travis. They were fighting and I tried to stop Cyrus

but he knocked me to the floor.” The tears were coming down her face unchecked now

and she was helpless to stop them.

“All right, Ms. Aimes. I have the records for the assault and battery charges that Mr.

Parker was convicted of. That should be enough to hold him for now. You aren’t

planning on leaving town, are you?” the officer asked.

“No. I’ll be right here.”
“Good. Then we can leave the rest of this for tomorrow. I’ll need you and Mr.

Turner to come to the station for your official statements in the morning.”

Jessie nodded her assent as the officer rose and left out the front door.

Travis answered the officer’s questions and then called Ian to let him know Cyrus

was in custody.

Ian would deal with the bail bondsmen and speak with the chief about the new

evidence. Other than his statement in the morning and collecting his pay it was out of

his hands.

But he didn’t feel the way he expected. Yes, he had done what he had set out to do.

He had caught a wife-beating murderer who shouldn’t be roaming the streets but he

had let Jessie down.

Cyrus had caught him off guard with the cookie jar to the head. By the time he had

gotten downstairs, Cyrus had already been in the house. Since Cyrus hadn’t known he

was there it terrified him that he had intended it for Jessie. She could have been killed.

Needing reassurance that she was okay, he waved to the officers as they pulled

away. Travis turned and went inside.

“Jessie?” he called.
“I’m here.”
She was sitting at the kitchen table with her head resting on her crossed arms. He

could see the tremors in her shoulders and it pissed him off that Cyrus could affect her

so.

He went to her and laid his hands on her back. She turned and lifted her tear-

streaked face.

“It’s all right, baby. It’s over now. You’re safe.”
She nodded and held tight to his waist.
He held her for a moment and then untangled her arms. He propped a kitchen chair

in front of the door that Cyrus had broken in and then scooped her into his arms.

He carried her upstairs, undressed her and tucked her into her bed. He sat beside

her until he thought that she was sleeping and then stood to leave her so she could rest.

Her voice stopped him in the doorway. “Don’t leave, Travis.”
She flipped the covers down next to her and gestured for him to join her.

Ain’t No Angel

He hesitated for all of three seconds before he lay down next to her.
She cried silent tears for a while as he held her and then she slept.
But sleep didn’t come easily to Travis. He could still see Cyrus standing over her as

he lay dazed on the floor only a few feet away.

He saw her raise the gun and even though it felt wrong he had prayed that she

would pull the trigger. When she had and he saw Cyrus fall, it had been like tunnel

vision for him. All he could see was her as she fell back weakly to the floor.

There had been a brief moment of sheer terror, unlike anything he had ever felt,

when she had gone limp.

But then she had been so strong when the police had come. She had held her own

and he had been proud of her. But it also made him realize that she didn’t need him

anymore.

His mind wandered and the package that had been delivered to him popped up. It

seemed as if it had been ages ago.

Nothing had changed for him. He still wanted her to be the one to wear the things

he had bought.

He looked down at her sleeping face and wondered how she had come to be so

important in so small an amount of time.

Exhaustion finally took over and his eyes closed. He dreamed of his red-haired

goddess again, only this time all she did was hold out her hand to him.

J L Taft

Chapter Twelve

They both slept late and were quiet on the way to the police station.
Jessie was sad. She knew that Travis would be leaving soon and she didn’t know

what to say to get him to stay.

But that was just it. She didn’t want to say something that would reveal what she

was feeling. She wanted him to stay on his own. Because he wanted to.

He helped her from his big truck and they entered the police station together. But

he didn’t reach for her hand and her heart started a slow sink.

Once they were inside they were separated.
They gave their statements and then Travis drove her home.
She expected him to leave when they got back to the house but he shut the truck off

and stared out ahead for a few minutes before turning to her.

“I know a lot has happened in the last few days,” he began. “But I was wondering

how you would feel about one more night.” He smiled at her and she realized he was

uncertain.

Jessie hesitated. While she did want him, more time with him was just going to

make it that much harder to say goodbye. But her heart was already going to be broken.

What was one more night of pleasure?

At least it would give her something to think about in the lonely nights that were

sure to come.

“One more night sounds good to me,” she told him.
He reached for her hand. “Do you remember what I asked for?”
She did. It had been in the back of her mind since he had brought it up. A night of

kinky sex might be just what she needed to erase the memories of the night before.

“I do.”
“Still up for it?” he asked.
“Yes, Travis. I am.”
He grinned at her and pulled her into his lap, kissing her long and deep. She

absorbed the feeling of him, not wanting to forget one little detail.

Jessie spent the day resting after she had called Marc and Brad and then Betty. She

assured them all that everything was fine and that Cyrus was in custody.

Ain’t No Angel

Marc and Brad wanted to return immediately but she talked them into waiting until

tomorrow. She wanted this one last night to be perfect and she wanted to be alone with

Travis.

She wanted to forget all about everything but the two of them. Cyrus seemed like

so much a part of her past that she didn’t want one second to be wasted thinking about

him.

She would do for Travis what she had never done for any other man. She knew

what he wanted. What he was asking for with this last night together.

He wanted her to give herself to him. To let him take total control over her body

and her mind. What was scary was that he already had control over her heart and he

didn’t even know it.

Her mind wandered back to their first night together and when he had asked her to

take her clothes off for him. She hadn’t been able to do it.

But this time she didn’t feel as if she was losing something by giving in to him. She

felt as if she was gaining something.

The day passed, Travis making phone calls and wrapping up his end of things with

Cyrus.

When night came he turned his cell phone off and sat next to her on the couch.
Her heart sped up and she studied him, wanting to remember the gray of his eyes

and the dark lashes around them. She knew now that they would go soft and warm

after lovemaking and they would go dark and stormy when she pressed his buttons.

“I bought you something,” he said, his voice low and gravelly.
“You did?” She smiled.
Pulling something from beside the couch, he handed her a plain brown shipping

box. It was bigger than she expected and she gave it a little shake. “Can I open it?” She

was practically bouncing on the seat.

He continued to surprise her and she wanted to make him happy.
Travis stood and then crouched before her on the floor, chuckling at her excitement.

“I never would have guessed that you like surprises and presents.”

“What can I say?” she said with a shrug and a giggle. “Can I open this now?”
“Wait.” His face became serious and she stopped her excited movements. “I

ordered these things just as fun. You don’t have to wear any of it if you don’t want to.”

“What do you want me to do?”
He hesitated for a moment. “Wear it all.”
He kissed her quickly. “Go get ready and I’m going to run into town to pick us up

some dinner.” He stood and went to the door but paused before going out it. “There is

one thing in there that we didn’t talk about yet. Wait for me on that one, okay?”

“What is it?” she asked.
“You’ll know it when you see it,” he said with a wink and then was gone.

J L Taft

* * * * *

Jessie hurried to her room and closed the door behind her. She ripped into the box

and dumped the contents on the bed.

There was a necklace of some kind, long and sparkly, a white dress that was

incredibly short and had a deep, plunging neckline. It had a matching white thong and

he had even thought of shoes. White, high-heeled and strappy around the ankles.

There was something else too. Picking up the little box, she read, jeweled butt plug.

She had heard about them, of course, but had never tried them. Pulling it out, she

looked it over. It was smaller than she expected but heavy, made of stainless steel. One

end of it had a large sparkling gem, light-blue, the same color as her eyes.

This was what he must have been talking about, what he wanted her to wait on. But

just holding it in her hand was exciting. She wasn’t sure how to go about using it but by

the end of the night she would know.

Smiling slightly, she grabbed the other things and headed to the bathroom and the

shower.

She was just coming down the stairs when he got back from town. The white dress

he picked out for her was fluttering around her legs as she descended. She took his

breath away and his mind went momentarily blank as her eyes met his. He worried that

his feelings for this stubborn, red-haired firecracker were toppling over some unseen

edge and he was helpless to stop them.

If he had any doubts before that he was in love with her then they were gone now.

It was going to be hard to say goodbye even if he couldn’t offer her what she deserved.

But he was going to make sure that after tonight she would never forget him.

He would never forget her.
His greedy gaze couldn’t hold hers for long, wanting to take in every detail. Her

hair was a mass of fiery curls around her face, flowing down her back. The dress

hugged her hips and the deep plunge of the front revealed the necklace, coming from

her throat to split, each side disappearing under the white material.

He knew that both of her nipples were confined in the little circles at the end of

each short chain. He could just see them through the fabric, pink and stiff, pressing and

swaying with each step.

She got closer and he could smell her sweet scent. She stopped one maddening inch

from touching him and he reached out to jerk her against his chest.

It was rougher than he intended but she lifted her face and just smiled.
“I think dinner is going to have to wait,” he choked out.
She nodded and ran her fingernails down his shirt.
“Go upstairs and I’ll be right there.”

Ain’t No Angel

She turned and headed back the way she had come but he couldn’t move his feet or

his gaze until she was out of sight.

Adjusting his rock-hard cock in his jeans, he tossed the food in the fridge and took

the stairs two at a time after her.

Jessie had hardly made it to her bed before she heard Travis coming behind her. His

big frame filled the doorway and he was already pulling his shirt over his head. Oh yes.

He moved slowly and deliberately as he met her at the foot of the bed. Reaching

down, he held up the little box with the butt plug still in it.

“What do you think about trying this?”
She smirked up at him. “I’d like to but I was hoping that you would help me with

it.”

“I think I could be persuaded,” he said, tilting his hips to grind against her. He was

hard and pushing against his jeans.

Inspiration struck her and she got down on her knees in front of him. She sucked in

a breath as her movement pulled the chains of her necklace tight on her nipples.

“Put your hands behind your head.”
Cocking an eyebrow up, he said, “Bossy today, aren’t we?” but he did as she asked,

lacing his fingers together behind his head.

“I think the boss has the right to be bossy every now and then, don’t you?” He

looked even taller from her spot on the floor.

Her hands were steady as she reached for his zipper, shifting it down carefully over

his bulge. Popping the button, she shoved her fingers in the waistband of his boxers,

working around to his ass and pushing them down a few inches.

His big, stiff cock sprang free, catching her in the cheek. He groaned and his body

tensed. She took a moment to study him from her view on the floor. He was taller,

broader and his appetizing member was twitching mere inches from her mouth.

She raised her gaze to look at his face. His eyes were hooded and his arms corded

with tight muscles. Flicking her tongue out, she caught the drop of moisture that had

leaked out. There was no way she was going to be able to fit all of him in her mouth, so

she started with her tongue. Licking and lapping up and down his length, circling

around to get the sensitive underside.

Her hand came up to cup his balls just as her lips closed over the head. He groaned

and his hips bucked forward, sliding him deeper into her mouth.

“Oh fuck, yeah, baby.” He rocked harder into her and she moaned her approval

around the mouthful. His skin was silky smooth and she loved the feel of him rubbing

back and forth on her tongue.

She sucked hard and before she knew it he was pulling free of her mouth and lifting

her to her feet. “That’s quite a method of persuasion you have.”

J L Taft

He bent her over the end of her bed so she was braced on her arms and her ass was

high in the air, level with his face when he knelt behind her. She was wet and ready for

him and wiggled her rear to lure him in closer.

His hand came down hard on her ass, catching her off guard, and she squeaked out

a moan.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help it. You have a great ass.”
Looking at him over her shoulder, she asked, “Are you really sorry? I think I’d

rather you didn’t do that unless you mean it.”

“Hold still. You have never used one of these before?”
She flipped her hair out of the way so she could see him. He held up the butt plug.

“No, I haven’t.”

Giving her a devilish grin, he smacked her ass again, playfully but with enough

force to leave her pink. Lowering her thong, he helped her step out of it. Then she felt

his face between her cheeks as he spread them with his hands and licked her puckered

hole. It was intense and she could swear that she felt every stiff hair that covered his

jaw.

Too soon he was flipping her over to her back, lifting and spreading her legs. He

spread some cool, smooth lube on her and slowly began to work the plug in. Her

fingers dug into the sheets as the toy thickened, spreading her. It got wider and wider

and just when she thought she could take no more the pressure released and she felt her

body close around the end, locking it in place.

“That looks amazing.” His voice was filled with wonder as he stared down at her,

his fingers massaging her thighs. Relaxing, she got used to the new sensation of being

filled there. The quick hint of pain was gone and she felt incredibly full back there but

her pussy was dripping with want.

Travis lowered her legs to the floor and stood, pulling her up with him. It was

strange to have the full feeling intensify as her feet hit the floor. Travis hooked his

fingers in the straps at her shoulders and let go, watching the material slide down her

arms and to the floor at her feet.

Her nipples had been hard and confined for the last hour and she could feel every

wisp of air that blew her way and, what was more, he knew it. Cupping her breasts, he

let them slide through his fingers and fall, the chains pulling tight.

She moaned and swayed toward him, not sure how much longer her shaky legs

would hold her. He caught her up around the waist and laid her back on the bed, his

lips coming down hard on hers. Jessie was aware only of him, the feel of his skin under

her fingers, his weight on her throbbing nipples.

Travis kissed his way down her body, pausing only briefly to flick her nipples

before continuing his descent. Reaching her swelling folds, he buried his mouth against

her, eating her like a starving man. It was too much and she felt the quickening of her

body, her back bowing and her legs clamping on his head as she came.

Ain’t No Angel

He groaned his approval as she ground against him, then finally relaxing, her body

going limp on the bed as his tongue still worked her.

Standing up, he swiftly kicked off his jeans and slid a condom on. Then he lay next

to her, pulling her on top to straddle his hips. Sitting up, she braced her hands on his

chest and lifted her body, offering him entrance.

Gripping her sides tightly, he impaled her on his rigid cock, sliding into her

yielding body. She felt the tightness of her muscles, slowly easing to accommodate both

Travis and the heavy little plug that was still lodged firmly in her ass.

“You’re so tight, baby, stay still a minute.”
“Not sure if I can, Travis!”
He gave a quick bark of laughter and smacked her rear. “Try.”
She sat up and balanced her body on her bent legs, taking the weight off her arms.

Grabbing her wrists, he held both of them behind her back with one hand while he

played with her breasts with the other. They were so sensitive and having her arms

back thrust them forward into his hand eagerly. The necklace swung between them.

Each movement of his hand had the little silver rings tightening on her hard nipples.

Releasing one nipple from the tight little ring, he immediately closed his warm

mouth over it. The sudden rush of sensation had her back bowing and he thrust once,

hard, within her, effectively tossing her over the edge without mercy. She wanted to

buck her hips in time with the waves of ecstasy but he held her firmly and all she could

do was take it.

Before the last tremor had faded he released the other breast and moved his

attention to it. The tremors started anew, harder and deeper this time. He moved back

and forth between her oversensitized nipples, nipping and sucking them deep into his

mouth.

Still filled in both places, Jessie felt his hard cock swell bigger, stretching her

tightened muscles back out. He felt as if he were made for her, touching all the right

places to keep her in a constant state of need.

Letting go of her hands, he cupped both of her tits and pressed them together, close

enough that he could suck both hard peaks into his mouth at the same time. She

couldn’t take it anymore and lifted her body only to slam back down on him.

Using the force of her bounce, she dropped back down again, his mouth pulling

free of her nipples and his hips thrusting up to meet hers at the same time.

Travis growled as he tangled his fingers in her hair and used it to tug her down to

his lips, kissing her passionately. Then he suddenly rolled her onto her back and

plummeted into her willing body. She met him lunge for lunge, her breasts bobbing

with each push. Their moans and murmurs of praise mingled together, gaining force as

they rocked her bed, the joints protesting under their assault upon it.

Jessie came first, screaming her pleasure and his name out. Her body shattered,

exploding hard and fast. Travis followed at the initial clenching of her sheath around

J L Taft

him. Reaching behind her, he gently pulled the plug from her ass and she felt a new set

of shock waves take over.

Gradually they subsided and Travis collapsed heavily on top of her. Wrapping her

legs around his back, holding him in place when he tried to move, she wasn’t ready to

let him go.

Too soon he rolled off her and disposed of the condom before helping her to her

feet. “Let’s go and take a shower. You know how I like your big shower.” He grinned at

her and she trailed along behind him to the bathroom.

He adjusted the water and she stepped under the spray. She let Travis rub soap into

her tired muscles and then he washed her hair. They knew each other well now and he

handed her the soap so she could wash him, all without a word.

She lingered over the muscles in his arms and back. She couldn’t help repeatedly

running her fingers over them and drawing moans from his parted lips.

Too soon he stopped her, shutting the water off before helping her out. He

continued his efforts by drying her from top to bottom, taking special care with her

hair. She was feeling very pampered by the time they got to her bed.

Laying her down, he asked, “Where do you keep your scarves?”
She was pretty sure what he had in mind and her belly quivered at the thought,

sending wetness between her legs. “In the top drawer of my dresser.”

She watched in fascination as he retrieved the scarves and knelt on the bed between

her legs, forcing her to open them wider.

Hovering over her, he asked quietly, “Can I tie you up?”
She couldn’t force her voice past her closed throat so she just nodded her assent.

Giving her a devilish grin, he leaned down and kissed her hard, sweeping his tongue in

her mouth and stealing her breath.

Taking one wrist, he tied it to one corner of her bed, stretching her arm out and then

sliding her body down so it stayed tight. He continued to the other arm and tied it to

match. She expected him to move to her legs but he used the last scarf to cover her eyes.

All at once her other senses were heightened. She could still feel him between her

legs, even though he wasn’t touching her.

“I’ve dreamed about having you this way, Jessie.” His face was closer than she

realized and instinctively she moved her head his way. His lips nibbled her jaw, going

away from her mouth instead of toward it.

He moved down her neck to her collarbone and then shoulder. He left a trail of

warm wetness with his mouth across her body. She shivered as he blew a line of air

over her skin. Licking and nipping, he moved to the valley between her breasts, down

and around, leaving her nipples tight and wanting.

He circled one heaving breast, getting closer and closer to the straining peak, and

when his mouth finally closed over it firmly, she rose off the bed to get closer to him. It

Ain’t No Angel

was warm and wet and he knew just the right pressure to bite down with his teeth to

send shocks from her nipple to down between her legs.

He moved to the other side, back and forth between them until she was squirming

under him, tilting her hips up, seeking him. But he wasn’t in a hurry and took his time,

open-mouth kissing and lapping at her stomach then dipping into her navel.

He continued down, skipping the whole area between her legs, going to her thighs

and lavishing attention there, then lifting her legs so he could get underneath with his

talented mouth. Time ceased to exist for her and all she could focus on was the

sensations he caused.

Her ears picked up on every sound, him shifting on the bed, the little noises that

came from him as he moved slowly but surely to her wet and waiting pussy. Her body

tensed and her hips rose, poised and waiting for his lips to connect.

Finally his open mouth closed over her and a long moan was pulled from her lips.

He locked his lips around her folds and held himself there as she shamelessly ground

against his face. The pressure built quickly and suddenly she was toppling off the edge,

her body convulsing and her hips undulating.

He released her as her body slowly lowered back to the bed but he didn’t move

away completely. She could still feel his heat. Lightly he slapped her swollen clit with

his hand and her body convulsed again. He was so close she could feel the stubble on

his chin and the warmth of his breath on her quivering thighs.

Relaxing into the bed, her legs coming down around him, her foot found his hard

cock and she brushed back and forth against it as he groaned. He licked his way back to

her swollen folds, murmuring his approval of her taste.

He was relentless with his tongue, leaving no fold or line of her unlearned and

when she felt the sensations fill her up, about to spill over, he stopped.

Groaning, she cried, “Travis!”
“Not yet, baby, I’m going to be inside you when you come again.”
He moved back up her body, his chest brushing against her still-tight nipples.

When he kissed her she could taste herself on his lips. His mouth left hers to bite and

pull the scarf off her eyes.

“Look at me, Jessie.” She blinked a couple times to focus her eyes and took him in.

He was braced on his arms over her and slowly he lowered his body to hers, never

breaking eye contact. She struggled against her bonds, wanting to touch him and bring

him as much pleasure as she was feeling, but the scarves held her tight. He quickly

opened the condom wrapper and rolled it on.

“Wrap your legs around me.” She did what he told her to and hooked her legs on

his hips. With one strong, smooth stroke he buried his big cock to the hilt inside her.

Her body opened to him, her legs going wider and her arms pulled hard.

J L Taft

He pulled back and slowly built a rhythm, long, deep strokes that carried her

higher. The sensation of him filling her was too much and her eyes closed. He

immediately stopped his movements.

“Don’t close your eyes.” She could do no more than nod and hold her eyes open as

he resumed his strokes. Faster and faster until he was riding her hard and swift, noises

of their coupling filling the room. Her bed rocked under them, the legs screeching on

the hardwood floor.

Their voices mingled, Jessie sobbing out her pleasure and Travis’ groans low and

deep. They reached the crest together, a long scream ripping from her throat as he

spilled within her, her body squeezing him tight, over and over.

He collapsed on top of her, both of them breathing hard. After a while he leaned up

and grinned down at her and she felt her belly erupt in butterflies and her heart swell.

Smiling back at him, she knew that this too was now over.

Travis untied her arms and gently rubbed her wrists. Jessie curled on her side and

closed her eyes. Travis was still for a minute and then wrapped his arms around her, his

front against her back.

She briefly considered just telling him that she loved him but she wanted him to

stay on his own, not because she had asked him to.

Jessie woke up alone and threw her clothes on, praying that Travis hadn’t gone

already.

Racing down the stairs, she came to a screeching halt when she saw him standing in

front of the windows. He was dressed and his duffel was at his feet.

He turned when he heard her come in.
“Morning, Jessie girl,” he said, but his voice was off and she couldn’t place what it

meant.

“Morning. I thought you had already gone.”
“I wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye.”
He hesitated and then came to pull her into his arms. Jessie was trying desperately

not to cry.

He kissed her forehead and then pulled away.
“You’ll call me if you need anything?” he asked, both of them knowing that she

wouldn’t.

She nodded once and he grabbed his duffel and was gone.

Ain’t No Angel

Chapter Thirteen

Travis went back to the office the day after he left Jessie’s. He hadn’t slept much

and it showed.

Ian took one look at him and sent him packing. Told him to take a few more days to

get it together. It pissed him off.

He stood outside and for the first time in a long time he took a good look around.

They had a nice spot on the main street of a little town. The trees were green and the

sky was a brilliant blue.

He thought of his mother and his sisters and what they might be doing right now.

He was sure that Mom had lemonade in the fridge, cookies in the jar and his sisters

were running around the house fighting about clothing.

He took off in the direction of his truck and jumped in.
Jessie was alone but not by choice. She missed her parents and he suddenly realized

that he had no idea what it was like to be an only child. His family had never made him

feel like he was an outsider.

He cranked the engine and as it roared to life he suddenly knew exactly where he

was going. For the first time in five years he was going home.

His mother welcomed him with open arms, almost as if he had never been gone.

She served him lemonade on the back porch while they talked.

He was surprised to learn that none of his sisters were home. The two oldest, Kate

and Tara, were working to pay for school on their summer breaks from college. It was

taking them longer to finish than expected when they could only take the classes they

could afford.

As he looked at his mother it all sank in. She was older and more fragile. The years

of raising five kids had taken their toll.

He could have eased a lot of her worry if he had given them the money. But his

pride had gotten in the way.

“How’s Dad doing?” he asked.
“Oh, he’s fine. He picked up a few house painting jobs from those city folk who are

moving up here.”

“I thought he was retired?”
“He is. Has been. But we do have children to put through college.”
They had never said a word to him that they were struggling. Not that he had given

them the opportunity.

J L Taft

“So, tell me, son. Why is it that you have come back to me after all this time?”
Travis couldn’t help but smile. She may look older, her hair grayer, but she didn’t

miss a thing.

“I’m not sure, Ma,” he told her.
She stared at him shrewdly and then nodded once. “A woman, then.”
He couldn’t help but chuckle. “I guess you’re right. But that isn’t the only reason.

I’ve been thinking about the money.”

He knew he didn’t have to explain. It was the money that had torn them apart.

Maybe now it could put them back together.

His mother reached her hand out and laid it on his. “Before you say anything I

want you to know something. It was never the money. All we ever wanted was you.”

She stopped and he could see the tears well in her eyes. “Your father never understood

what he did that was so wrong. I tried to tell him that you just needed to make your

own way and then you would come home.” She sniffed a little. “Now here you are.”

“Yeah, Ma, here I am.” He smiled at her and squeezed her hand.
She pulled herself together and demanded, “So, tell me about this woman.”
Travis leaned back in his chair and looked out across the little yard that he had

played in as a kid. It hadn’t changed much.

“She’s strong like you, Ma. I’ve never met anyone like her.”
His mother smiled at him. “You’re in love with her.”
It wasn’t a question but he nodded anyway. He was in love with her.
“What are you going to do about it, son?”
“There is nothing I can do. She never told me that she loved me.”
He heard his mom mutter something and it sounded an awful lot like, “Damn fool

men.”

“Did you tell her how you felt?”
“No. We had an agreement. Neither of us is looking for a long-term type of

relationship.”

He was surprised when he heard her chuckle. “You may not have been looking,

son, but it found you anyway. You need to tell her how you feel.”

“I’ll think about it, Ma.” He could hardly think of anything besides Jessie anyway.
“Good. Now I have to get dinner started and you can help me in the kitchen like

you used to,” she said as she got up and hustled him inside.

Jessie had cried herself to sleep the night before. It had only been one day and it felt

like forever since Travis had left.

Ain’t No Angel

She was regretting not telling him that she was in love with him. Even if he hadn’t

told her back she would at least not be wondering if things would have turned out

differently.

She should have stuck to their original agreement and only had one night. Then

maybe it wouldn’t hurt so bad.

Marc and Brad did their best to cheer her up. Acting silly and doing things for her

that she usually did herself.

The days went by and after a week she could finally sleep without tears. But her

dreams were another matter altogether. He was always there, waiting for her.

Jessie knew that time would heal her wounds but she wasn’t going to let another

day go by without telling him she loved him. If he didn’t feel the same about her then

she would be able to move on.

Her decision made, she went home early and changed. Within an hour she was on

her way to Travis.

Travis sat at his desk, surrounded by paperwork that needed to be finished. New

cases to read over and old ones to close. But it didn’t give him the same feeling of

purpose anymore. He missed working with his hands and being able to see his

accomplishments at the end of the day. Most of all he missed having Jessie around.

He told himself it would go away after he finished the case and closed it. But it was

a hollow victory and his thoughts of Jessie were only getting stronger and more intense

instead of fading. He dreamed of her at night, her hair spread out all fiery on the

pillows. He heard her moaning his name while she was under him, felt her soft body

and heard her giggle from far away.

His red-haired goddess.
He had spent a few days with his parents and then the first thing he had done when

he got home was call his sisters’ colleges and pay the tuition. Then he had transferred

some into his parents’ bank account.

He had to go through a lot of red tape to do that but it helped that he had once been

a police officer. But it had felt good, right.

“Travis!” Ian jolted him out of his thoughts and he jerked to look at him.
“Boy, you have it bad, don’t you?”
“Is it that obvious?” Travis groaned.
“You have been sitting at this desk for two days and have accomplished not one

lick of this paperwork.”

“I know. I just can’t concentrate.”
Ian chuckled. “What are you planning to do about it?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Nothing is that complicated. Answer me this. Do you love her?”

J L Taft

Travis hesitated and then gave in. “Yeah, I do.”
“Then what the hell are ya doing? Life waits for no one, boy.”
Travis knew he was right. If he never told her then he would regret it for the rest of

his life. “You’re right,” he said as he jumped from his seat. “I need to take the rest of the

day off,” he told Ian as he grabbed his keys.

“Hold on now. I came in to tell you that you have a visitor.”
Travis looked up as Jessie entered the doorway. Travis froze and his gaze roamed

over her as if she were food to a starving man. Their eyes locked and Ian stepped back

into the hallway. “I’ll just give you two some privacy,” he said as he hurried away,

closing the door behind him.

She was even more beautiful than he remembered. But when he looked closer he

noticed that she had lost a little weight and there were dark circles under her eyes. It

gave him hope that maybe she had missed him too.

“You were coming to see me, Travis?”
“Yeah, I was. Is everything okay?”
“Yes. No. I came to tell you something.”
Travis suddenly realized how stupid he was. She loved him. It was written all over

her face.

It was now or never. He took a couple steps closer to her so that he could smell her

flowery shampoo and see the shallowness of her breaths.

“I’m in love with you, Jessie.”
Her eyes went round and a single tear slipped down her cheek and he could bear it

no more. Tugging her into his arms, he held her, still staring down into her face.

“I’m in love with you too, Travis.”
His face split into a grin and she smiled that sweet smirk back at him. “How about a

few more one last nights together?” he said as he crushed his mouth to hers.

Jessie pulled back suddenly. “How long is this one going to last?” she asked quietly.
“Forever, I hope,” he whispered back.
She grinned up at him and his world slid into place with that smile. He lowered his

head to kiss her and she met him halfway, holding him tight, as if she would never let

him go.

He knew that they had made a commitment to each other and it wasn’t nearly as

terrifying as he had expected. He planned on spending as much time as possible

convincing her to marry him. But he was confident in his power of persuasion and

getting her to agree was going to be half the fun.

About J L Taft

J L Taft believes that variety is the spice of life. The love of a good man is

irreplaceable and that determination will get you anywhere you want to go.

She lives in upstate New York with her husband, daughter and two dogs. She has a

large extended family that provides her with a constant source of amusement and

inspiration.

She spends her days glued to her laptop with her head in the clouds. When she isn’t

writing she can be found reading, gardening, listening to Trans-Siberian Orchestra and

enjoying great Finger Lakes wine.

J L welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email

addresses on her

author bio page

www.ellorascave.com

Tell Us What You Think

We appreciate hearing reader opinions about our books. You can email

the author

directly or you can email us at

Service@ellorascave.com

(when contacting Customer

Service, be sure to state the book title and author).

Also by

J L Taft

Hooked for Life

Submitting to the Officer

Unleashing the Animal

Ellora’s Cave Publishing

www.ellorascave.com

Ain’t No Angel

ISBN 9781419948794

Edited by Beverly Horne

Cover design by Willo

Cover photography by Syneca & Willo

Models: Nick & Darbie

Electronic book publication October 2013

The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in

part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing,

Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

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Document Outline

Ain’t No Angel
Ain’t No Angel

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