Chapter Two
Linc hadn't gone to the club outside of town with any expectations. He'd been there once, right after he moved to Cotton Creek. That visit had netted him a lot of phone numbers from the dancers and he'd just recently depleted the list.
He didn't think he'd be accepting dates from any of them again. Linc was always surprised at how quickly women could make the leap between a date and a relationship. Maybe he was simply dating the wrong women, or women in the wrong age bracket.
That latter might be close to the truth. Since he'd been in Cotton Creek he'd dated exactly two women over the age of 35 and those were two who were bi-sexual and liked threesomes so maybe they didn't count. Although they had suggested that maybe they would make a good permanent threesome.
Linc had to decline. Not that it wasn't entertaining, but one woman at a time was enough and he didn't really get off watching them pleasure one another. Color him odd.
The problem with dating when you hit your mid-forties is that women your own age were either divorced with children, or they'd never been married and were quite desperate to do so.
He wasn't much interested in either sect.
Which left him with younger women.
Not all of it was bad, but he was honest enough to know that all too often the younger ones were simply looking for a sugar-daddy or a temporary relationship where they didn't have to pay the bills, had sex whenever they wanted and generally got to relax.
Sadly, that didn't much appeal to him anymore.
Which brought him to this moment in time. Ending one of the most unusual nights he'd spent in a very long time, with a woman who was anything but ordinary.
"More?" she lifted the Mason jar of moonshine.
"I'm good, thanks. That fish was fantastic. I don't meet many women willing to catch, clean and cook them."
"Mama always said that you shouldn't expect others to do things you wouldn't go yourself. Besides, Papa taught me to do that before I was eight years old. Oh, look, the sky is starting to change. It's almost a new day."
"It's pretty here," Linc commented as he looked out over the expanse of water and the land bordering it.
"Isn't it? I was so luck to find this place to rent and honestly, I have those ladies at the Honky Tonk to thank. I'd just gotten to town and was staying at that motel off the highway. The desk clerk—well one of them, said that the Honky Tonk was a great place to eat and meet people so I headed over on a Wednesday night.
"Sure enough the place was rocking, and the owners were the friendliest gals I've ever had the pleasure to meet. I told them I was looking for a place to rent and they put me in touch with their Daddy, Mr. Billy Sweet. Honey, he must know everyone in this county and inside of two days, he called and said he'd found the perfect place."
Lula raised her arms and turned in her chair, looking for all the world like the pretty woman in a game show who gestures to the prizes. "And look. It's the cutest place, isn't it? And right here on the lake. Bonus, baby. Plus, there's a nice canoe and a kayak, the fishing poles and enough privacy that I can go skinny dipping any time I want."
"I'd say you scored, Lula." Linc raised his glass then polished off the last swallow of moonshine.
"Amen to that. Say, you want to take a swim?"
"Sure."
"Last one in's a rotten egg!"
With that, she bounded up and off the deck. Linc chuckled as he watched. She first shed her hair, which kind of surprised him. That must be one hell of an expensive wig, because until now he thought she was a blonde.
Next, her shorts were left behind, then her top. Clad only in a pair of thong panties, she hit the water at a run, splashed several steps and dove.
Linc stripped down to his boxer briefs and followed, but at a leisurely pace. He waded out into the cool water, feeling a hint of a shiver dance across his skin. Just as he reached waist deep she rose up in front of him.
Maybe it was the moonshine, or the predawn light that had mist rising from the lake and giving everything an otherworldly feel. Whatever the case, at that moment he thought that he'd never seen a woman more beautiful.
Blessed with the most unusual violet eyes, sitting beneath elegantly arched brows and rimmed with thick dark eyelashes, her skin bore testimony to a mixed heritage. Too dark for Caucasian, too light for African American, and with a touch of something else that seemed evident in her high cheekbones and long neck, she was an eclectic blend.
Her nearly waist length dark hair clung to her full and obviously real breasts. She seemed unconcerned with her nudity and he wondered if that was a result of what she did, or she was just naturally uninhibited.
"Wow, Thor, you're really something." She smiled up at him.
"I'm not—"
"Sure, you are. Until the sun is up and then the magic is over and you're back to being plain ol' sexy as sin, Lincoln Shaw, Army Ranger and blacksmith. But until then, you're Thor, my hero."
Linc chuckled and lowered himself into the water. "I somehow get the idea that you'd have done quite well on your own. You seem pretty self-sufficient."
"Thanks to my family."
"Indeed. Which begs a question. Why are you here? So far from your family, whom you obviously adore?"
The tears that suddenly spilled down her cheeks both surprised and alarmed him. "Lula, I'm—"
Before he could finish his apology, she turned and dove. Linc watched and waited for her to surface. What the hell had just happened?
He felt her hands on his sides a moment before she appeared. Lula looped her arms around his neck and hoisted herself up to wrap her legs around him. Her skin was cool, her nipples hard from the chill of the water.
"Before the magic ends," she said and kissed him.
She still tasted of apple shine. Her lips were full and soft against his, parting to allow the kiss to deepen.
Linc had to give her credit. Lula knew how to kiss. Five seconds into the kiss he was at attention and ready to take things to the next level. His hand moved beneath her, to cup her ass. When he moved his hand and his fingers brushed the side of her sex, she ended the kiss.
"We haven't gotten there yet."
"No?"
She smiled at him and pushed away. "Oh Thor, I hope you're not one of those men that thinks just because a girl dances in next to nothing, she's automatically going to agree to sex."
"No, I'm not."
"Good. And look, the sun's up. Time for you to go and me to sleep."
She headed for the shore and with no other options available, he followed. When she reached the deck, she stopped on the step, wrung out her hair and then disappeared inside. By the time he'd reached the deck, she returned with two towels, offered him one and wrapped the other around herself.
Linc dried and dressed, noticing that she did nothing but lean against the railing and watch. He sat to put on socks and boots, then stood. Lula walked over to him. "I enjoyed spending the night with you, Lincoln Shaw and hope I see you again."
"No more Thor?"
She smiled. "Perhaps, the next time magic happens. But for now, thank you for coming to my rescue, for being a gentleman and not pressing for more."
He reached for her hand, lifted it and kissed the knuckles. "In all honesty, this is the most enjoyable night I've spent with anyone in a long time, so thank you, Tallulah Christmas Sumpter. I hope I'll see you again soon. Any chance you'd give me your phone number?"
"Oh, I think I can see my way clear to do that. As long as you give me yours."
"Are you going to call me, Lula?"
"I just might. Come on inside. My phone's in the kitchen."
It didn't take long to exchange phone numbers and when that was done, she walked him out to his truck. "Be safe, Lincoln. I'll be talking to you."
"You bet. Sleep well."
She smiled and stepped back. Linc noticed that she watched until he'd backed up and turned around. Then she raised her hand and waved before turning to head back to the house.
He waved and drove away, thinking that this had, without a doubt been the most unique night he'd ever spent with a woman. He didn't know much about the facts of Lula's life, but what he did know made him interested to learn more.
Dating suddenly seemed interesting again.