By the time they got back into Georgetown, the day had cooled to a very pleasant, soft temperature. Thomas parked his bike on the street, and they walked along the cobblestone sidewalk hand in hand, window-shopping in the artsy town.

“You know, even though I live here,” Cheri remarked, “I sure haven’t explored the place much. I forgot how cool it is.”

“It used to be better, before the chains and mall stores invaded, but it’s still got its charm.”

While it was a cute little town, the shops had taken on a certain sameness. Perhaps it was because Cheri was tired from her adventurous day, but she had her fill fairly quickly, and it didn’t take long for her to stop paying attention to the baubles and goods in the store windows. Thomas, on the other hand, spotted something that made his eyes light up, and he dashed into the store.

Cheri watched attentively as he requested that the shop salesperson help him remove something from the storefront mannequin. He seemed very excited about it, but she had no idea what had him so worked up.

“Here,” he said, handing a small bag to her after the salesperson rang up his purchase. “For you.” He then reached into the bag, pulled out a silver chain, and fiddled with the clasp to drape it around her neck.

The cold of the metal made Cheri shiver, and her nipples were instantly hard. They grew even harder when Thomas covertly grazed her pebbled tips through the light summer fabric of her shirt. She held the pendant up to examine it, and the little silver bell touched her deeply.

“A silver bell for a Southern belle,” he said to Cheri. “You like it?”

“I love it,” she said, smiling and blushing. “Thank you.”

Thomas tipped Cheri’s chin with his finger and poised her for a kiss. She could have sworn she heard the shopkeeper sigh, but she couldn’t blame anyone for doing so in such a romantic moment.

They went back out to the street and strolled some more. This time Cheri was very alert, focused on the special moment they had just shared and the great little gift he’d placed around her neck.

“Hey, how’d you like a cuppa joe, maybe with a little somethin’ somethin’ in it?” he asked. “There are some great little coffee shops around here. I know they make those fancy latte things you like.”

“Probably should eat, too,” she said, feeling famished and surprised that riding a bike had taken so much out of her.

“No problem. We can kill two birds with one stone here,” he replied, smiling as he pointed up at the marquis for a place called Martin’s Tavern, a very quaint, colonial-looking tavern with window signs that promised a hearty menu. “Ever been here?” he asked.

“No,” she said, but her stomach answered with a growl. “It looks good, though. You really know this town, huh?”

“Born and raised,” he replied. “Went to International School, College at Georgetown.”

Cheri was suddenly a little intimidated, as Georgetown had a reputation for affluence, for wealth she couldn’t imagine. It was very sweet town, but that fact alone sort of turned her off, and it was one of the reasons she didn’t visit it more often. “Rich kid, then?”

He hemmed at the question, as if he was a little embarrassed to answer. “I guess,” he said humbly. “I’ve gotta admit, I didn’t have it too rough, but still…” There was a hint of disappointment in Thomas’s eyes when he said it. He didn’t look like a guy who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth; perhaps he had a silver lighter in his hand, but he didn’t seem like a person of privilege.

“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable,” she said tenderly. She wanted to press him about his reaction to her question, but she didn’t want to put a damper on the wonderful evening they were sharing. She didn’t feel at danger around him, but something in his voice, some odd hesitation whenever she asked him about his past, led her to believe it was far more troubled beyond what he had revealed to her.

At least he has good taste, she thought as they walked into Martin’s Tavern. First Carmine’s, and now this place. She instantly liked the cool vibe of the place, the low lights and the well-polished pine panels that gave it a spectacularly homey feel. Not only that, but the aroma of the wonderful cuisine sent her stomach into another chorus of growls and groans.

“Bar or table?” he asked.

“Let’s start at the bar.”

“Start?” he teased. “Do I have a wild woman on my hands?” He lowered his mouth to her ear and whispered softly, “Of course, I don’t really have to ask after that little picnic of yours today, now do I?”

Cheri blushed, paralyzed with erotic recall. She stood so still that he had to nudge her to the bar, till she snapped out of it. He climbed onto a barstool with ease, but it took a little more effort from Cheri, with her much shorter legs.

“Two Irish coffees,” he ordered, then turned to ask her, “Whipped cream?”

“Sure, why not?”

“Whipped and a little sugar on each,” he said to the bartender.

“Comin’ right up,” the barkeep said, then walked away.

“Sugar, huh?”

“It’s the best. The cream makes the crystals swell. It’s so delicious.”

“Hmm. Sounds like somebody’s got a sweet tooth.”

He turned and winked, and his hazel eyes literally sparkled as he did. Cheri slumped a little, bowled over by his perfection. She leaned in and kissed him softly and briefly.

The bartender broke them up when he set a couple very prissy-looking coffees in front of them.

Cheri took a sip, and the whiskey warmed her mouth.

Thomas kissed her again, sweeping her mouth with his tongue.

“What are you doing?” she asked, giggling.

“I’d rather taste it from you.”

Before Cheri could summon a response to that, a voice came from behind them and asked, “Hey, Graham, how’s it going, buddy?”

Thomas’s face changed completely. It hardened as he looked at the tall, slightly out-of-shape figure looming behind them. “Ben,” he said gruffly.

“Gonna introduce me or not?” Ben asked facetiously, looking at Cheri with obvious inappropriate thoughts lingering in his mind.

Thomas just glared at him. His look was razor-sharp, so intense and foreboding that even Cheri wanted to take a step back. He said nothing more to the man.

“Okay, I get it,” Ben said, and eventually walked away with a grin on his face.

“Do you?” Thomas asked cryptically, stopping Ben in his tracks.

“Watch out for this one,” Ben said to Cheri as he turned around. “He’s all kinds of trouble.”

In a flash, Thomas was off the stool.

Ben threw his hands up in mock surrender, but that same stupid grin was still plastered on his face. “I’m going, man,” he promised easily. “Enjoy your evening.”

The tavern had stilled, everyone staring at Thomas to see what his next move would be. Rather than pummeling Ben like he obviously wanted to, he sat back down next to Cheri, keeping his head down as if in prayer, trying to collect himself. “I apologize… for that,” said Thomas, still unable to look at her.

Cheri stared at him, emotions of every kind turning within her. She found it quite worrisome and disturbing that the man was so rude to them, to Thomas in particular. She wondered if that was going to be the norm for them. After all, she didn’t know a whole lot about the man she’d become so very intimate with. The only thing she did know was that she liked him, that she liked him a whole lot. Cheri decided not to push him for an explanation about Ben, even though she desperately wanted one. All things considered, nothing bad had happened, so she was willing to let it go in the hopes that they could talk about it later. What she didn’t realize was that she wasn’t going to have to wait too long.

Thomas took another sip of coffee and clarified, “The guy’s a human weasel.”

That describes him perfectly, thought Cheri, recalling the icky grin that never left Ben’s face.

Thomas continued, “I caught him double-crossing a client, and I ratted him out. In retaliation, good ol’ Ben did his best to dig some dirt up on me, and he found out about my jail time, thanks to the damn internet. Like I said before, all you gotta do is Google it, and even that dumb fucker figured that out, then totally humiliated me.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“Hey, it’s no one fault but mine that I did what I did,” said Thomas. “I took the law into my own hands by writing those checks, like some kind of idiot modern-day Robin Hood or Zorro. I could’ve gone without the pay, but a lot of my crew lives check to check, and they’ve got kids.”

Cheri put her hand on his big, broad shoulder. “It’s okay,” she said, even if she wasn’t sure about that.

“I paid the money back out of my own pocket…or at least out of my trust. That pissed my dad off, but I felt I had to. I didn’t want the other guys to suffer any legal penalties for my actions. Anyway, my old man wasn’t too happy about what I did and so, in answer to your question, I’m not a rich kid. I mean, I can collect on that trust when I’m 40 now. It was supposed to be when I finished school, but hey, I can’t and don’t complain. The money’s nothin’ to sneeze at, but I’m not sure if I even want it. I’m not even sure what I’m gonna do with it.”

“What did the clients say when you exposed him?”

“Oh, they were appreciative, backed me 100 percent. He tried to ruin my reputation as a builder, but they stood up for me,” he said. “His name is shit, but I’m solid and he’s not.”

“Do you want to go back to the hotel?”

“Hell no,” he said. “I’m not done eating, drinking, and making merry here, and I’m not gonna let that beta-male shoo me off. The food here’s way too good for that, and I want to feed you,” he said with a grin that was far more attractive than Ben’s.

“In that case, let’s get a table, Mr. Trouble,” Cheri whispered.