Six months later…
Finally closingthe door behind her, Josie sighed. The day had been long, so long, although she didn’t regret all the hard work at the bakery. Tony mainly worked on the bread, which required him to be there early morning, and she prepared the pastries, which allowed her to finish about the same time as Spencer did at the shop.
It was an amazing routine she enjoyed and never thought she’d have. Another bonus was Ken had seemingly disappeared for good. Gage had told her when he’d returned that night he’d scared him off, but she knew better. It was obvious now the three silhouettes she’d seen through the snow were Knox, Gage, and Kenneth.
The darkness in her friend’s eyes told her more of what happened than his words had, but she wouldn’t ask questions. She’d never wished Kenneth harm until that night, but he’d turned dangerous, and she didn’t want to keep looking over her shoulder for the rest of her life. Gage had brought her a bunch of stuff he’d said Ken had left behind including the divorce papers. It was proof the men had taken care of him somehow. She was free now, in every possible aspect of her life.
August was beautiful with the slowly setting sun behind the mountains and she enjoyed the evening breeze blowing at the skirt of her dress as she walked from the bakery toward Spencer’s shop. Business was steady and strong, even if Gage had to be replaced a couple of months back. Something had changed in him after that fateful night in the snow. Spencer said she was imagining things, but Josie had noticed a void, a loneliness behind his cheerful façade. Her heart tightened for the man. She couldn’t continue having a relationship with the two men like she’d been. It wasn’t who she was, but she hoped that whatever he was searching for, Gage found it. They’d had updates from him via Locke, but nothing in the past month. Josie prayed he was all right.
Landston had enjoyed a perfect summer, at least she thought so. When work was light, she and Spencer had relished in late mornings and early nights, strolls by the lake, and skinny dipping.
Nothing could appease her tormented heart like Spencer did. Things weren’t always perfect between them—with his temper and her own scars—but they got better at navigating each other as they learned more and more about each other’s bodies and minds.
Josie felt her cheeks heat at Spencer’s imagination and appetites. Ever so slowly, he’d worked at her boundaries, making their lovemaking sometimes soft and easy, but mostly savage and intense. No doubt, he had other tricks up his sleeve, but she was up to the challenge.
Tom and Marvin passed her and waved, and that meant Spencer was on his way out too. The front entrance was already locked, so she walked around the back and pushed the door open.
It was dark with only a few lights on here and there. Spencer must be closing up, or maybe he was in his office.
His office was empty when she got there. “Spencer? It’s me. Where are you?”
Frowning, she dropped her bag and went to check the front desk. Georgia had returned and taken back the helm, to Josie’s great relief. Spencer needed someone trustworthy and the woman’s presence was ideal. Georgia was gone for the night it seemed and there was nobody there. Maybe Spencer had already left. She couldn’t remember if his truck was still outside, but not locking his door was so unlike him.
Worry started to snake in when she heard a loud bang from the back of the shop. “Spencer?”
She could never remember where the light switches were, so Josie carefully made her way through the shadows and darkness, trying not to bump into anything. There was a car there, a rebuild she remembered from the day before, waiting to be repainted. Rounding the hood, she was about to call for Spencer again when something, or more accurately somebody, plastered her against the car’s cold hood. Panic overtook her, and she screamed for Spencer, hoping he was all right and hadn’t been killed by this unknown attacker.
Even though Spencer had taught her a few moves over the last six months, Josie was no match for the muscled body that finally pushed her forward and held her under him. She could tell it was a male from the erection she could feel against her bottom. In a last attempt to scream, she reared back, but a hand covered her mouth.
A second away from biting her attacker, something clicked inside her mind, and her nose recognized the very familiar combined smells of grease and man. Spencer.
She did bite him then, although much lighter than she’d intended for her attacker, and as she stopped fighting, a familiar masculine chuckle came from behind her head.
“I always knew you had a kinky side, MissBaird.”
“I’m only kinky with you. You scared me to death. I might have hurt you if I hadn’t recognized you.”
He kissed her neck. “My only intention was to give you a little scare.”
Spencer didn’t let her go, on the contrary, she could feel one of his hands sliding up her thigh under her skirt. There was no teasing in him, just his usual sensuality as he manipulated her body to his will, and to her delight.
When he cupped her sex through her panties, she sighed at the contact. “Ah, MissBaird, you’re wet. Very wet. Does the thought of being taken by a complete stranger appeal to your kinky side?”
Josie half laughed and half moaned when his hand pulled the scrap of lace down and started exploring her pussy in the most arousing way. “I was wet thinking of you before I got here.”How does he make my body spike that way and melt into his touch?The more time passed, the more she hungered for him, for his presence, and body. It was only a part of their relationship, but it had cemented first, allowing the rest to solidify and steady between them.
His fingers scraped over her clit, and she bit her lip.
“Don’t hold back, my love. I want to hear you scream. I want your voice to fill the space.”
It was his rough words that made her restless, made her push back.
“Impatient as always, I see. You’re in luck. I am too.”
Spencer pulled her dress up, shoved her legs open, and unzipped his pants. With the tip of his cock poised at her entrance, Josie started to push back again, but Spencer, even more impatient than she was, impaled her with one thrust. As he wished, her scream echoed through the shop, almost drowned by his own roar as he thrust into her with barely contained desperation.
It was hard and fast, the coil of lust tightening quicker than she’d anticipated, leading her to a surprise orgasm of such force, she was glad the car held her up. Her pussy spasming, Josie felt him tense and push one more time deep inside her, emptying his balls with a tortured groan before falling on top of her.
Spencer felt wonderfully heavy on her back, his warm breath fanning her hair as his hands followed the trails of her arms to finally cover her hands.
