Daisy climbed into the cab of the giant International Rollback with Dix and buckled her seatbelt as the truck shuddered to life. She was feeling good again. Though they had seen no signs of Leo or the Firechrome, she finally felt like they were doing something and she had a good feeling something was going to come of the Cutthroats putting word on the street to call them if the Firechrome showed their face in Douglas again.

 

They growled through town, following the GPS, and she admired how he handled the truck with ease and skill, until they arrived at their destination.

 

“Damn, that’s a nice car,” he muttered as they pulled to a stop at the curb next to a silver Pontiac sitting in the drive with a For Sale sign in the window. They crawled out of the truck and she followed him to the front door.

 

“Mr. Tyson? I’m with McGhee Recycling. I’m here for the car,” Dix said when the door opened.

 

“That’s it in the drive.”

 

“Yes, sir. You said it won’t run?”

 

“No. The engine is seized and they wanted too much to rebuild it. I’ve been trying to sell it, but the wife wants it out of the drive,” Tyson said as the three of them walked toward the car.

 

Dix nodded. “James said you would take two-fifty for it?”

 

Tyson frowned. “I think the car is worth more than that.”

 

Dix nodded in sympathy. “That’s our standard price for a non-running car.” He paused as if thinking. “I tell you what. It’s a nice car. Don’t tell James, but I’ll give you three hundred for it and I’ll have it out of your driveway in ten minutes. Maybe we can sell the doors off it or something.”

 

The man thought a moment then extended his hand. “Deal. It’s worth that to not have to listen to the wife bitch about it anymore.”

 

Dix chuckled and pulled a wad of cash from his pocket and peeled off three bills. “There you go.”

 

“Do you need the title? I have it in the house.”

 

“If you have it I’ll take it, but this old girl will never see the highway again. I need you to sign a bill of sale, though, and the key so I can load it. Daisy, would you mind taking the clipboard out of the truck and have Mr. Tyson sign the bill of sale and get the title and keys from him while I get ready to load?”

 

As Dix backed the truck up to the car, she did as instructed. He took the key from her, opened the door, and tried to start the car. It grunted as the lights went dim, but wouldn’t turn over. He placed the car in neutral and let it roll down the slight incline until it was against the truck’s ramp. He was blocking traffic, so he worked as fast as possible, wenching the car onto the truck, then pulling back to the curb before locking it down.

 

She watched him efficiently go about his tasks, admiring how he wasted no effort. He clearly knew what he was doing, and though she wanted to offer to help, she suspected she’d only slow him down.

 

“Done. You hungry?” he asked as he pulled on the straps one last time to make sure they were tight.

 

“Starving.”

 

“What are you in the mood for?” he asked as they crawled into the cab. “This calls for a celebration.”

 

“What does?”

 

“That car. We paid three hundred dollars for a car we can part out and get fifteen hundred, maybe two thousand, for.”

 

“Really? How? You said it won’t run.”

 

“That’s true, but we can take all the bits off the engine, the alternator, starter, air conditioning compressor, stuff like that, and sell those. As clean as the car is, the body panels will bring top dollar. We can sell the doors for a couple hundred a piece, the fenders and bumpers for maybe a hundred each, another couple hundred for the hood and trunk. The wheels are perfect and they’ll easily bring a hundred each. Plus, there’s all the interior stuff. Hell, even the tires are new enough to sell. I take it back, more like two thousand to twenty-five hundred for the parts.”

 

“Seven to eight times your investment? That’s not bad.”

 

He grinned. “No, it’s not. Not every car will bring that much. A totaled car is worth about three to four hundred in scrap metal, so that’s why we pay the two-fifty, but often we can salvage something and sell it to the body shops around to increase our profit, but it’s not often we get a car as nice as this one.”

 

She nodded and smiled. “In that case, no fast food. How about that first place we went?”

 

“Billbe’s?”

 

“Yeah, that’s the place. I want a piece of their meatloaf.”

 

He chuckled. “Billbe’s it is.”

 

***

 

They ate and talked and laughed, filling each other in on their backgrounds. He told stories about growing up with James, speaking as if his parents didn’t exist, and she talked about growing up in a solid middle class, blue-collar family, and how her parents nearly disowned her when she announced she was marrying Leo.

 

With hundreds of eyes all around town to watch for the Firechrome, she was able to not worry about Riley for a moment and enjoy his company. She was beginning to feel very cozy around Mr. Dixon Montague, and that worried her. Her attraction to him was purely infatuation, and she knew it, but that didn’t make the attraction any less real. This was how it started with Leo, and that had gone to shit in a big way.

 

But Dixon wasn’t Leo and was completely unlike him in nearly every way. She was considerably older and, hopefully, wiser now. She should be able to make better decisions, but she worried her judgment was clouded by his kindness. She had a hard time accepting he was helping her simply because she needed it and wondered if, or when, a different side of Dix would appear, as it had with Leo.

 

The other problem was distance. It was a hard four-hour drive from Prineville to Douglas. Even if Dix turned out to be everything he seemed to be, two hundred miles and four hours would make it hard to maintain a relationship. Not to mention Riley. Would he even want to date a woman with a kid? She was torn, wanting to believe in him and that he was something special, but afraid they wouldn’t be able to overcome the obstacles.

 

She shoved the thoughts away. It was far too early to be thinking about dating and relationships. She needed to focus on getting Riley back and getting her life in order before she should even think about dating. But even as she made up her mind not think about it, the memories of how he made her feel last night and again this morning surfaced and she smiled to herself. Panty-wetting handsome, kind, and a devastatingly good lover, did she really want to push him out of her life if he was willing to be part of it? And with that, the spiral of thoughts started all over again.

 

He smiled as they picked over the remains of their dinner. He’d enjoyed this dinner more than most, and it was because of his companion for the evening. There was something about her that tickled his fancy. She was certainly easy on the eyes, and he enjoyed the two romps they’d had a great deal, but it was more than that. He knew he identified with her and her son, and he admired that she was getting out of a bad marriage to give her son something better. But it was even more than that.

 

It was her strength. She’d dealt with so much, but, in spite of it all, she wasn’t bitter or jaded. She didn’t act like the world owed her something, and she took responsibility for her mistakes. He admired her spirit and determination and her willingness to fight for what she wanted. She’d fought for her marriage but Leo was too damn stupid to realize what he had. Realizing he’d never change and be the husband she deserved, she’d battled her way out of the marriage, dealing with more dirty tricks and abuse than anyone should have to. And now she was here, having tracked Riley to Douglas and then found allies to help her get him back.

 

Here was a woman who knew what she wanted and didn’t wait around for someone to give it to her, and he admired the hell out her for her grit and determination.

 

 

 

Meal over, Dix paid for their dinner and they stepped outside. “Does it always rain here?” she complained as they prepared to make a dash for the truck. Naturally it was parked in the farthest reaches of the lot.

 

“No. Last year we went three entire days without rain. Set a record.”

 

She looked at him, trying to decide if he was yanking her chain, when he smirked at her. “Let’s go,” she growled with a grin before running to the truck.

 

They sprinted across the parking lot, Dix unlocking her door before hurrying around to his side and climbing in. “Ah, refreshing!”

 

She glared at him good naturedly as she wiped the water off, flicking her wet fingers at him. At least the rain was warm this time. “I’m wet.”

 

“Excellent!” he grinned, waggling his eyebrows at her.

 

She giggled. “Not that kind of wet.”

 

“We’ll have to do something about that when we get back to the yard.”

 

She smiled as he started the truck, the thoughts of what they were going to do to each other making her juices flow.

 

***

 

“Are you going to unload tonight?” she asked as the truck growled to a stop in the yard.

 

“No. Not in the rain. It’ll wait until tomorrow.

 

“What if it’s raining then?”

 

“Then I’ll unload. But I know it’s raining now and it might not be raining in the morning.”

 

“Good point,” she said as she climbed out the truck, grabbing her laundry they had picked up, and ran for Dix’s trailer using the plastic bag like a shield from the rain.

 

She was looking for a place to lay the bag of clothes when he stepped in behind her, took the bag and hung it on cabinet knob, then pulled her in close, holding her back snuggly to his chest. “Let’s get you of these wet clothes,” he murmured as his fingers began to open the buttons on her shirt.

 

He undressed her, softly kissing her neck as the layers were removed, taking his time, his fingers never still as he caressed or kissed each bit of skin as it was revealed. Naked to the waist, she turned in his arms and pressed in, kissing him fully as their tongues engaged in a slow and intimate dance.

 

She pulled back from his kiss, smiling in anticipation of the pleasures to come. Dix had a penchant for button front shirts, and she thrilled at the unbuttoning as the shirt began to gap, slowly exposing the muscled torso beneath. She’d seen him in all his naked glory this morning, but the teasing view of his chest and abs as she unbuttoned turned her on more. She pushed the shirt open as her hands slid over his chest and she moved in to kiss the flesh displayed there.

 

He held her head, letting her kiss and explore, the feel of her lips making his blood surge. She began to kiss lower, down this stomach then paused as she unfastened his belt and opened his pants. He pulled her upright before she could engulf him with her mouth. “Not here,” he whispered.

 

Taking her hand, he towed her to the bedroom, shoving her roughly to the bed before bending and taking her breast into his mouth and subjecting the nipple to a tender lashing.

 

She wanted to moan in pleasure as his tongue whipped the point of her breast to near painful hardness. His slightly rough handling excited her in a profound way. She’d been handled roughly before but it always led to pain or discomfort, not pleasure. He moved from her breast, kissing her hard and fast as he worked down her body, removing her shoes and socks then opening her pants and jerking them from her before rapidly moving in to kiss her most intimate area. He made her feel so sexy and desired, his harsh and rushed movements making it seem as if he couldn’t wait to have her. She brought her legs up and placed her feet on the bed, slowly thrusting at his face as she held his mouth to her.

 

He broke away from her hold as she began to thrust harder and faster, her breathing coming in harsh gasps. He stared at her, drinking her in as he removed his pants and boots, his desire consuming him as he imagined the pleasures they were about to give each other.

 

She groaned softly in frustration as he pulled back just before she fell into her orgasm. She opened her eyes and watched as he undressed, his gaze intense and full of craving. Undressed, he continued to gaze at her, his face hard with contained desire, before he lowered himself between her legs again.

 

He licked and probed, listening to her gasps and moans, judging her state of arousal by her sounds and movements. As she began to peak he slowed her headlong charge to orgasm and pulled back.

 

“No…” she groaned.

 

He smiled at her frustration as he joined her on the bed and drove in deep before hammering into her hard and fast.

 

“Oh…God!” she cried softly as her orgasm, hovering just out of reach, rolled over her as he entered her then tried to pound her through the bed. Caught off guard by the sudden change, she grabbed the back of his neck and hauled herself up, battling the pleasure that poured over her, whimpering and mewling softly, until suddenly her orgasm released her. With a gasp she fell back to the bed, twisting her head this way and that as he continued to fuck her hard and fast.

 

He fell forward to his elbows, taking her head in his hands and stilling it so he could kiss her. She moaned as he took her lips, her arm surrounding him and pulling him into the kiss as her finger bit hard into his back.

 

She could feel another orgasm coming. She couldn’t breathe, his hard fast thrusts stealing her breath. She pushed his face aside and pulled it to her neck as he took her, her need building with every fast thrust. Finally, the wave of pleasure began to crest and she started to keen softly as her orgasm began to take her.

 

After the long moments of hard pounding, his own climax was forming up. Sensing her coming orgasm, he pushed up against her embrace then swiftly slid down her body, bringing his mouth back to her pussy. He pressed his tongue firmly into her button and held it as she began to shudder softly, then wailed her pleasure into the night, her hands grasping his hair once again as her thighs clamped tight against the sides of his head. She held him there, tipping up onto her hip as she jerked and writhed.

 

She was lost in her pleasure, the two sudden changes just as she orgasmed multiplying the force of her release. As her second orgasm washed out of her, leaving her weak and gasping for breath, he forced her legs open and extracted his head. He moved, then held her top leg slightly aloft as he entered her again from behind as he tucked into tight.

 

He pulled her tight into a spoon as he slowly moved his hips. He’d gotten her off to a fast start, but now he wanted to slow down and draw out their pleasure as much as possible.

 

His gently caressed her breasts as he held her in his embrace, his lips covering her shoulder and the back of her neck in slow, soft kisses. She’d recovered from her earlier orgasms and was luxuriating in their slow, intimate joining. He fucked the shit out of me for twenty minutes, then suddenly switched gears and is now making love to me. I think I’m in love! She smiled as she sighed. She didn’t mean it, but God, to be able to come home to his every night!

 

“I’m going to come,” he whispered.

 

“Mmmm,” she purred. “I might, too.” She could feel a third orgasm lurking far away but she hadn’t been reaching for it. She’d come twice already and was content to enjoy him moving inside her, the caress of his finger and lips, and the closeness of their embrace. She reached behind her and pulled his lips harder into her neck as she stretched for her orgasm, wanting to come with him if she could.

 

He pushed against his orgasm, trying to stall it, keeping his slow pace, trying to hang on long enough to give her a final orgasm.

 

“Harder,” she gasped, holding his hand harder to her breast, gasping as he kneaded her flesh. She whimpered as he drove into her harder, his gasp of pleasure revving her up.

 

He gasped, burying his face in her hair, driving into her as he began to burn, fighting his orgasm, trying to prevent it from overwhelming him. The feel of her ass against his crotch, the weight of her breasts in his hands, her soft sighs and her hand holding his lips to her were too much. He may have well as been trying to hold back the ocean. He barked out his release, gritting his teeth against the searing pleasure as he continued to pound into her, holding her tight as he began to growl low and deep.

 

The sudden tightness of his embrace and the thrill of him straining to please her, his growl of pleasure so feral, pushed her over the edge. “I’m coming,” she sighed as she slid into the warm embrace of her climax. He stopped thrusting, his embrace slowly loosening as he panted. She smiled, the pleasant little orgasm leaving her feeling warm and satisfied.

 

They lay together, not moving, saying nothing, their eyes closed as they enjoyed the warmth of passion spent and their closeness. He kissed her shoulder slowly, his fingers once again leisurely caressing her breasts as he slipped into the darkness of sleep, his cock still inside of her.

 

She felt him relax into sleep, his cock finally falling out of her as his breathing became deep and regular. She sighed, deeply satisfied, once again feeling his pull. She reminded herself it wasn’t love but his generosity and kindness made her feel this way. Even though she knew it to be true, she was holding his arms around her, dreaming of feeling this way every night as she slipped slowly into sleep.