“Excuse us aunt Charlie.” I took Belle’s hand and helped her up from her chair. “We won’t be long.”

“You watch yourself now you hear me Logan Carter Jr.?”

“Yes ma’am!”

Belle’s hand was shaking in mine and there was a faint blush on her cheeks. So fucking sweet. Her voice might be cultured and she has that sophisticated air about her, but she was a southern girl down to her pretty little pink toes.

She had an air of innocence about her that fascinated me even as it mixed and mingled with that sexual allure she had going on. If I had to think about it, she was everything I’d never known that I wanted.

A perfect blend of sweet and sexy with just a hint of sassiness to round that shit out. The kind of woman you stay fucking, but you treasure her as more than just a fuck bunny.

I never had that before. The fuck bunny part yeah, but I never looked beyond that shit to anything more. I never had to because I always chose women who knew the score and who were only out for a good time themselves.

I could see us together, see me coming home to her after a long day and falling into her arms. Could already feel her beneath me, taking my cock as I fuck into her sweet softness every damn day of the week.

Even now I wanted to bypass the niceties and take her out back somewhere and lay her down to take me. But I knew that now wasn’t the time, not with her grandmother just a few feet away in any case.

No, when I get into my beauty, I’m gonna stay inside her for a long fucking time I’m sure. I already know it’s going to take a great many fucks before I slate my thirst for this one.

And not just because of her body, but because of this thing she has growing inside me. She brings out every protective instinct in me, shit that I didn’t even know existed. Not for me anyway.

I wanted to coddle her almost as much as I wanted to fuck her. It was a new feeling for me, and a huge difference from what I am accustomed to. I can honestly say that no other woman have ever made me feel any of what she does.

The need to fuck, protect, own, was strong, none stronger than the other. I was already dreading leaving her again and I just got here. That in itself was very telling, I’m not one for lingering.

But with her I felt something shift in her presence. Almost like now that I’d found her, I needed her to breathe. That’s some corny shit that I never expected to come out of my thoughts, but there you have it. Damn girl was almost tailor made for me.

“Did you ask your grandma about me?”

“Yes.” She still didn’t look at me even though I’d been staring at the side of her head for the past five minutes like a sap.

“Good girl!” I squeezed her hand as we stepped down off the back porch into the yard.

The scents and sounds brought back memories. The sweet honey suckle vine and the magnolia blossoms. Birds twittering away in the branches of the oaks and birch trees that were scattered around. I remembered it all from my childhood.

Her hand in mine felt natural, at least for me, she was still tense though, her steps still unsure. Poor thing, just her luck she met someone like me right after her divorce. I’m hungry as fuck and she’s scared.

“Relax Belle, if you asked her about me then I’m sure you know you have nothing to worry about.”

“Not necessarily. She might know only one side of you.” There was a little bit of a bite to her words so I’m guessing she isn’t as timid as she appears.

“I also asked about you, I hear you’re newly divorced.” Her hand literally shook in mine and I thought I heard her breath hitch. I’m not sure if that was because I’d asked or because I knew about her failed marriage.

“Yes I’m divorced, what about it?” I’ma have to get her to calm her little ass down about this shit. It was obvious that she had a chip on her shoulder when it came to that particular issue, but I’m not the one.

“I’m just letting you know that I know, in case it was something you were fighting with sharing.” I kept my tone even and polite unlike her snippy ass. In the off chance that she’d get the hint.

“Why would I care what you think?” What an angry little girl. She might be saying that shit but I felt the truth in the tremble in her hand.

With that said, it looks like she’s the one starting off on the wrong foot. That subdued anger shit is for the birds. Granted I expect her to feel a way because of what she’d been through, but I’ve never been the type to accept blame for someone else’s bullshit. And now is not the time to start.

“I hear you, and I know what place you’re coming from with all that attitude, but let me tell you something. I’m not your ex, so I have no plans whatsoever of paying the price for whatever the fuck it is that he did.”

She tried tugging her hand out of mine. “Don’t do that. There’re two people on this lane.” I pointed at the dirt track we were walking on that led to the little garden gate at the back of the property.

“I understand that you have a past, and so do I. I’m not gonna make you suffer for some of the fucked up shit that was done to me and you’re not about to do it to me. Are we clear?”

I could see that we were gonna have a problem in the future. The wide eyed little girl lost stare she gave me had me wanting to take back the semi harsh words and lay down at her damn feet.

“Answer me!” She nodded her head but that look did not leave her face. It was obvious that no one had ever spoken to her like that before and I’m sure that look of hers had always gotten her-her way in the past. She’s going to be trouble.

A handful of southern beauty, the real deal. Like my mama and grandma and all the other belles I’d grown up around. Strong women who knew their worth and didn’t give a good damn!

My dick was all but genuflecting and doing handsprings like he’d found his soul mate or some shit. I know what that means. Women are fond of saying men think with their dicks, this is true.

But in my case he sometimes makes more sense than my brain. He’s turned up his nose at some fine shit in the past that turned out to be a disaster for someone else.

You know those situations where you thank your lucky stars that you’d missed that bullet? Like when you see a woman you think is hot but you just can’t get it up for her? Then two weeks later you get a call from your buddy who went there and she’s cray? Yeah, my boy’s very fucking discerning that way.

Now the difference between this time and all the others is, he wasn’t just being greedy for some skin to skin, he was fucking elated. Say what you want, I know my dick. We’ve been out here in these streets together for a long fucking time.

Right now he was giving her the side eye, checking shit out, liking what he saw. But what’s surprising is that he’s willing to wait. Now that’s some respect right there. My boy had found his first keeper.

I didn’t let go of her hand as we walked in silence for the next five minutes, both of us apparently lost in our own thoughts. I’m amazed at how comfortable that shit felt. My boy was prodding me to get my shit moving though. He ain’t that patient.

“So what’re your plans?”

“What do you mean?” That voice, damn.

“I mean what are your plans? Are you here for good, you heading back east at some point, what?”

She gave me one of those quick side looks before looking away again. There was something so vulnerable about her that I can’t help but feel shit that I’m not used to. The women I bedded in the past were usually as much of a player as I.

It’s too early to say that she’s not as tough or assertive as the women out west, but I hope she never loses that innocent purity that came off of her in waves.

I’m sure some people would say it’s unfair. I’ve fucked everything with a heartbeat. Some of them would’ve done anything to get my ring on their finger, and I’ve chosen to settle down with a ‘good girl’. Whatever!

“I think I’m going to be here for a little while at least.” Okay, so I can breathe a little easier. Though that little while shit is for the birds.

“And what do you have planned while you’re here?”

“I haven’t given it much thought. I just needed to get away from life for a while.” I stopped walking and turned to look at her. She finally turned to look at me and I almost lost my damn train of thought. How is she so fucking beautiful?

It wasn’t just her face. Looking into her eyes I could almost get lost for sure. But it was more the way I felt inside being this close to her and a whole host of other things that I didn’t have a name for just yet.

“You’re too beautiful to let anyone make you step away from your life. It’s too short for that shit. I know you’re recently divorced. I’m gonna ask you about that in a minute, but I will tell you, you don’t give that much of yourself to someone who don’t deserve it.”

She looked a bit taken aback but I’ll give her an A for effort because she regrouped really fast. I’ma call her the comeback queen. Either that or the attitude princess. Girl has it in spades.

“How do you know that it wasn’t my fault?” I took my time and gave her an honest answer.

“I don’t see it.” That seemed to stump her and it was her step that faltered.

“Thank you…I guess.”

“I’m only going to ask you one thing. Please tell me you didn’t marry a man who was dumb enough to let go of someone like you.”

She blushed like her grandma and turned her face away. “You don’t know what kind of person I am. Maybe he was right to walk away.” The sadness in her voice made my gut hurt.

“I don’t believe that, you know why? Because I’ve only been in your presence twice and I can already tell that you’re good to the core.” I saw the surprise that flashed in her eyes before she lowered her lids.

It’s true! I don’t know how or why I know it, but I feel it deep in my gut. I’m not usually one to jump into shit feet first, and I hardly ever take anything at face value.

I just spent the last ten years in the land of make believe, where people can change character at the flip of a coin. But something told me that that sweet outer shell enveloped an even sweeter core beneath.

We walked on and I kept the conversation light. Asking her things like how she liked the area, just to get a feel for her thoughts. It wasn’t easy getting her to open up, but it wasn’t the nightmare I’d imagined either.

She didn’t remain tense for long once she realized that I wasn’t about to jump her and take it. It was tough, but I kept myself in check and didn’t spend the whole walk looking at her ass and tits.

Now I’m one of those rare breeds that can tell within five minutes if I was gonna like someone. In the past that shit was my measuring stick because I knew I wasn’t gonna be with that person for longer than a couple fucks, or four.

With this one, there was way more on the line. I was treading unfamiliar waters, trying to find my footing. And uncharacteristically for me, caring more about her feelings than my own.