Search Me Baby, One More Time

By Melinda Barron

Copyright © 2008, Melinda Barron

Published July 2008
by
Resplendence Publishing, LLC
Edgewater, Florida
All rights reserved
Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal.
Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated
by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and occurrences are a product of the author’s
imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places, or occurrences, is purely
coincidental.
Additional Titles by Melinda Barron::
]
The Desires of the Lamp Series:

Book One:
Wish me Up, Rub me Down
Now available from Resplendence Publishing
www.resplendencepublishing.com

Book Two:
Aliya Baban and the Cave of Pleasure
Now available from Resplendence Publishing
www.resplendencepublishing.com

Book Three
To Rub, Honor, and Obey
Available July 2008

Book Four
Smoke, Fire and Desire
Available November 2008

The Ghost Hunter Series:

Book One
Nuit Aux Trois
Now Available from Resplendence Publishing
www.resplendencepublishing.com
 Book Two
The Resurrection of Josephine
Available October 2008 from
Resplendence Publishing
www.resplendencepublishing.com
Special thanks to Tiff, for all her hard work, for helping me overcome
obstacles, and for always holding my hand. Thanks also to Tina, for
helping me work out the kinks, and as always to Leigh and Jess for
their continued support.

This one is for my friend in blue, for your many years of friendship
and laughter. Love ya!
~Mel
Author’s Note: For those of you familiar with Austin, Texas...

I want to let you know that I played with the geography of the Sixth Street area
and inserted my own little businesses. Plus, I’ve created my own suburb to the
south. Please consider my alterations as creative license.

I hope you enjoy the story!

 Chapter One

“When was the last time we were here?” Wren Thornberry wrapped her arms around her-
self as far as they could go and shivered. “It seems like just yesterday, but it wasn’t this cold
then.”
“Well, we were here in July, more than five years ago, and it’s now January, in case you
missed it.”
Wren turned to her best friend, Lettie Wylder, whose eyes were trained on her ten-year-old
daughter Stacey and the group of other ten-year-olds that had gathered around her.
“I know it’s January, genius,” Wren said. “But I don’t remember it being this cold at this
time of the year. We’re in Texas.”
Wren hopped up and down, trying to spread warmth through her body. Why had she worn
a short-sleeved shirt? For that matter, why had she agreed to help Lettie chaperone a ten-year-
old’s birthday party? Sitting through a play geared toward pre-teen girls was not her idea of fun.
But still, you did things like that for your best friend. Especially when you’d been gone from
town for more than five years.
“Yeah, well, January can be chilly even in Austin. It’s going to get worse when we sit
down and the winds hit Town Lake. They shift the cold toward us even more. You should have
worn a jacket.”
“You could have warned me.” Wren replied. “Oh, and by the way, thanks so much for
warning me about my grandmother.”
Lettie giggled. “Are you kidding me? She’s the talk of the town. I think she’s got a list of
all the places she wants to have sex before she kicks the bucket, and she plans on trying out
every last one of them. If I warned you, then you might tell your stuffy father—who is nothing
like his mother—and all the fun stops.”
Wren shivered again. “Yeah, it kills daddy that he’s off trying to make millions off his
mother’s millions while she spends money like there’s no tomorrow. And why see a play out-
side? In January?” Wren rubbed her hands together and wondered whether or not they sold
gloves inside the playhouse gift shop.
“You know, I think Colt has a jacket in the car.”
“Really? Can I go and get it?”
“It’s going to be enormous on you.”
“I don’t care.” She hopped from foot to foot. “Give me the keys.”
“It’s a six block trek back to the car, and you have to pass the party zone where people are
drinking beer and having fun. Then you wouldn’t come back and I’d be stuck here by myself.”
“I’ll be back, I promise. Give. Me. The. Keys.” Wren didn’t need to be reminded that they
were late getting to Austin because of her, and therefore all the good parking places had been
taken.
“Please don’t leave me alone with these kids for very long.” Her friend put her hands to-
gether as if to pray. “Please.”
Wren grimaced. “I won’t. I promise. Now gimme!”
When Lettie finally held out the keys, Wren grabbed them and took off at a fast clip, want-
ing to get to the parking garage and back as quickly as possible.
She rounded the corner of Red River and Sixth Street and headed toward Eighth, deter-
mined not to veer off and see how the big kids were playing that evening.
Sixth Street was Austin’s playground for University students and those who liked to party.
And she always enjoyed a good party. A crowd had gathered at one of the outdoor restaurants
which hosted concerts and Wren wondered who was playing tonight. She knew she would be
having more fun at a concert than she would at the park, watching a play that didn’t interest her
at all.
She made it to the parking garage, grabbed the coat and wrapped it around her. Lettie was
right, it was huge on her, but Wren didn’t care. She could almost hear the goose bumps on her
arms singing out in pleasure at the warmth. After locking the car again, she headed back toward
the park.
When she hit the corner of Sixth and Red River she stopped. The smell of barbecue hit her
nose and she inhaled sharply. That smelled so much better than the fast food burgers they’d had
at Stacey’s request. Plus, there were people milling about. Grown up people. Who were laughing
and having fun. One little detour to see who was playing, and whether or not they would be back
tomorrow night, wouldn’t hurt, would it?
****
“Man, Stockard, this was a great idea. We get to make extra cash and ogle all the pretty
girls.”
“Most of whom are young enough to be your daughter, Wright.”
“Nah, younger sister. I’m not forty yet, you know. Besides, I won’t be touching. But I can
look.”
Bryan Stockard adjusted his utility belt as he tried to focus on the job at hand. He was
working security at a concert. Nothing more. Nothing less. They were they to make sure no one
got too drunk and started a fight, and that nothing illegal, either smoked or snorted, was being
used.
“Do me a favor, Wright, watch for dope and stop looking at the young ladies’ asses.”
“Are you kidding me? I haven’t done anything this fun in ten years. Thanks for thinking of
me.”
Bryan swallowed the urge to tell his fellow patrolman that he was a last resort, that every-
one else he’d asked for had been too busy. When his high school friend, Mickey Marquez, had
asked him to work security at the first concert ever held at Mickey’s Brewhouse, Bryan had
jumped at the chance for some extra money. Finding someone to jump along with him had been
the hard part.
He’d finally talked to Jacob Wright, who always needed extra cash to help pay the legal
fees from his numerous divorces. Bryan had once told Wright that he was damn lucky Texas
wasn’t an alimony state and that only one of his unions had produced children. Wright had
agreed, but that hadn’t stopped him from marrying, and divorcing, wife number six—and build-
ing up even more legal expenses.
When they’d arrived tonight, however, they’d discovered that Mickey had gone overboard
and hired more security officers then he needed. He’d told them to stick around, however, be-
cause extra eyes were always needed. Plus, he would still give them their full salary for the night.
Bryan scanned the crowd of early twenty-something college students, trying to make sure
that kids with big black Xs on one hand didn’t have a beer in the other. Mickey had been really
big on keeping underage kids from drinking at the concert.
 He stepped closer to the fence, trying to figure out how he could police the sidewalk, to
keep those who hadn’t bought a ticket from enjoying the music. There were quite a few people
milling about out there, and he wondered how many of them actually held a ticket. Of course, he
wasn’t on the Austin police force, so technically he couldn’t patrol the streets; just the bar where
he was employed as a security guard for the evening.
He took note of several of the people, and was just about to turn back to the crowd inside
the bar when a familiar face caught his eye. She was a little heavier than she’d been when they’d
broken up, but even in the waning light he could still see the twinkle in her green eyes, the
bounce in her step as she tried to work her way to the fence so she could get a look inside.
“I’ll be damned.”
He moved back so she wouldn’t see him, then motioned Wright to come over.
“Hey, you see that woman right there?” Bryan pointed.
Wright snorted. “The fat one?”
“She’s not fat.”
“I hate to tell you this buddy, but she’s pushing two hundred pounds. You can see that
even under the huge coat she’s wearing.”
“She is not. And that woman is a friend of mine, so watch your mouth. She’s Constance
Thornberry’s granddaughter.”
“No shit? Hum. Pretty little thing.”
“Oh, now that you know she’s got money, all of the sudden she’s not fat?”
Wright held out his hands. “Let’s see, fat on one side, rich on the other.” He moved his
hands as if they were a scale, ending up with the fat side far lower than the rich side.
“Yeah, well she’s mine—or she was at one point. And here’s what I’d like you to do so
she’ll be mine again.”
 Chapter Two

Wren glanced over the wall with a wistful feeling. She’d seen the name of a band she loved
on a flier, and she’d love to stay. The people inside were laughing and joking and enjoying
grown-up talk. But if she didn’t get back to Lettie soon, her friend would probably never speak
to her again.
She pushed back through the crowd, heading toward the park and the play, which was due
to start in less than ten minutes.
“Excuse me, miss?”
She lifted her gaze to the police officer who stood in front of her. “Yes?”
“Whatcha doing?”
“Excuse me?”
“Peering over the wall like that, wearing that huge coat. You looking to make a score?”
“A score? Is there a baseball game going on?” When he rolled his eyes, Wren tried, and
failed, to hide a grin.
“A drug sale? You got drugs hidden under there?”
Wren’s grin disappeared and her eyes widened in horror. “No. You know, there are dozens
of other people standing around and looking over the wall. I don’t see you asking them if they’re
looking to make a score.”
“They’re not wearing a coat that’s about two sizes too big and just large enough to hide
something. I think I’m going to have to search you.”
She tried to size up the officer: between thirty-five and forty, about five foot eleven, two
hundred plus pounds. She could probably take him in a foot race. But if she ran, she would look
guilty, and she had nothing to be guilty about.
Wren held her arms out from her body. “Search away. I have nothing to hide.”
“Good job, baby. Show ‘em you’re not scared,” one of the crowd members yelled.
 They were all watching now, and Wren felt heat race across her face and chest. To add to
her humiliation, the crowd obviously hung on every word the two of them said.
“Let’s go inside,” the officer said.
“Why? I’m in a hurry. I’m attending the children’s play near the park.”
“Oh really?”
“Yes, I have a friend waiting for me there.”
“So, you’re selling your drugs to kids?”
Frustration replaced her embarrassment. “No! I’m not selling anything.”
The officer stepped aside and indicated she should walk in front of him. The crowd booed
and hissed as she fell into step, entering the grounds of the Brewhouse as those inside turned to
watch.
He pointed to a doorway. “Over here.”
Wren stepped inside. The room was large and looked like it could be used for banquets.
Right now, though, it was devoid of tables. “Officer this is a huge mistake. Please, I promise
you, I’m not selling drugs. I was walking by and I heard the music. That’s all. I just wanted a
peek.”
“To find potential customers?”
“Have you got cotton in your ears? I’m not a drug dealer!”
“Don’t you raise your voice to me, lady, or we’ll take it downtown.”
“Well, at least downtown they might have some doughnuts you can munch on while you
falsely accuse me, with no evidence, I might add.”
“Listen lady, I—”
“Wright, I’ll take it from here.”
Wren whipped her head toward the newcomer, her mouth falling open. “Bryan.” She whis-
pered the word after finally getting her mouth back into working order.
“Officer Wright, I know this woman.”
“Really? She always have such a smart mouth, Stockard?”
“Always.”
The grin on Bryan’s face made her toes curl.
“Yeah, well, I ain’t leaving until you search her. I still think she’s hiding something under
that coat.”
 “Tell him that’s not necessary,” Wren said, taking a step closer to Bryan. She’d forgotten
how gorgeous he was. All six foot-two inches, and two hundred pounds of him were encased in a
black uniform that hugged his muscles. She could smell his cologne, a woodsy scent that re-
minded her of the times they’d spent together camping, and… doing other things.
“Why don’t you tell him?” Bryan asked. “It seems the two of you have hit it off pretty
well. Or, you could just let me search you and get it over with. Unless you’ve taken up a new
career I don’t know about.”
“Oh, Moses smell the roses, I don’t believe this! You’re kidding, right?” When he didn’t
answer, she took a step closer. “Bryan. Help me.”
“I am. Would you rather have his hands on you, or mine?”
The heat from earlier returned, but this time it wasn’t due to embarrassment. Memories of
Bryan caressing her body took center stage and she swallowed hard.
“Assume the position.” Bryan ordered.
She could hear the desire in his voice. She looked down and saw the outline of his cock
straining against his already tight uniform pants.
“Which one?” Wren kept her voice low, so the words were for his ears only. “As I remem-
ber you like quite a variety of them.”
“Wren. Turn around and put your hands against the wall, then spread your legs.”
“Spread my legs, huh? Seems I’ve heard those words out of your mouth more than once in
my life.” She wasn’t going to give in easily to his demands. If she was going to be embarrassed,
then he was going to have to search her while sporting a huge hard-on. She looked down again.
He was.
She brought her gaze back up to his and knew he wanted to flip her over right then and
there, to take her—hard and fast. Hell, it had been so long since she’d had sex she would proba-
bly let him. And love every minute of it. Especially if he used those handcuffs hanging from his
belt.
“Turn around.”
The command was deep, and sent chills up her spine. Wetness pooled in her panties and
she turned before he could see the look of desire that crossed her face. Or at least she hoped he
didn’t see it. She put her hands above her head and pressed her palms against the wall, then
spread her legs.
 When Bryan stepped up behind her, her already hard nipples tightened even more.
“Good girl.”
“Go to the devil. I can’t believe you’re doing this to me.”
He put his hands on her hips and she moaned softly. “What, making you hot?” he whis-
pered in her ear. “As you pointed out before, we’ve tried out lots of positions and you’ve always
been very hot when we did.”
“I’m not hot for you.”
He ran his hands under the coat and up her sides, stopping just below her breasts. “Liar. I
can smell it.”
She moaned again when he ran his fingers down her back, sliding over her bra.
“Yum. Four hooks for these beautiful babies today. You always did have beautiful breasts,
Wren. Of course, my favorite is the front hook bra.”
“Could we get this over with, please? Lettie is waiting for me, and she’s probably hopping
mad by now.”
“Knowing Lettie, I’m sure she is.” He bent and ran his hands up and down each leg, stop-
ping just under her pussy. She knew her jeans were probably soaking wet by now.
When he put his hands in the jacket pockets, his body stiffened, and Wren groaned.
“What’s in the pockets?” he asked softly.
“I don’t know. It’s Colt’s jacket, I swear.”
“Please don’t lie to me, Wren. If you have something you shouldn’t have …” his voice
trailed off.
She looked over her shoulder at him. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
He removed his hand from the pocket and opened his fist to reveal cellophane wrapped
peppermints.
She sighed in relief, then crossed her arms over her chest. “Can I go now?”
“Wren.” He took a step closer. “I’m sorry. Of course, I trust you.”
“Right.” She pushed past him, stopping in the middle of the room and turning toward him.
“Am I free to go now, officer?”
“Yes.”
She’d barely made it through the open door when she heard Wright say, “Well, that went
well. Any more bright ideas to get back into her life?”
 She thought about turning around and going back, to find out what he meant. Part of her
wanted to know, but the other part didn’t. Had Bryan wanted to humiliate her, or had he wanted
to get in touch with her, literally, when he saw her? She wanted to ask, but was afraid to. They
hadn’t exactly parted on the best of terms. Plus, Lettie was waiting, and if Wren didn’t hurry, her
friend would probably cut her out of her life forever.
She rushed through the gate and turned left, heading back to the park, trying to form the
proper way to apologize to her friend while not thinking of the hard-on she knew Bryan now
sported because of her.
 Chapter Three

“He’s a cop in our town, you know.” Lettie piloted the SUV down the road, a huge smile
on her face.
Her friend had been very angry when she’d shown up after the play had started, but only
until Wren had whispered her story into her friend’s ear. Then Lettie had been excited, demand-
ing more details until people around them shushed them.
“He’s a cop in Colbert?” Wren asked.
“Yup. He’s been on the force for about three years now.”
“And why have you never told me this?”
“Because you dumped him. Although everyone thought it was the other way around, I
know better. You tossed a six-year relationship down the drain because you wanted to backpack
across Europe, or something like that.”
“I worked at the embassy in London, if you remember correctly. I wasn’t backpacking.”
She looked at the girls in the back of the vehicle, who were laughing and joking about they play
they’d just seen. She tried not to think about Bryan’s hands as he’d searched her, but it was more
than a little difficult.
Every time she thought about him her clit twitched and more wetness came forth. By now,
she was sure her jeans looked like she’d wet her pants.
“Just take me to my grandmother’s house, please.”
“Sure,” Lettie said in a subdued voice. “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories. I’m
sorry.”
“That’s okay.”
The grownups grew silent, and the sounds from the back seats seemed to increase.
“He’s divorced, you know. No kids.”
“Really?” Wren tried to sound like she didn’t care. But she knew Lettie could tell she was
interested. “Go on.”
 “Yeah. He and Nancy lasted about six months.” Lettie lowered her voice so the girls
wouldn’t hear. “I overheard Nancy tell Lisa James at the Food King that the best thing about him
was his dick. You never told me that, you know.”
“He does have a nice dick,” Wren whispered, grinning at her. “A very nice dick.”
“Yummy,” Lettie said. “I hope he never pulls me over. I’ll keep staring at his crotch, Colt
will hear about it and get pissed, then all hell will break loose.”
Wren closed her eyes as she remembered the feel of Bryan’s body, his stiff cock in her
hands among other parts of her body. She thought about him touching her, stroking her and yes,
fucking her. Her nipples hardened again and her pussy tightened.
They’d made the rest of the twenty-mile trip from Austin to Colbert in silence. Lettie ma-
neuvered the car off the Interstate and aimed it toward the ritzy party of town where Wren’s
grandmother lived.
“Too bad it’s too cold for a swim,” Lettie said as she pulled into the driveway. “The kids
would’ve loved it.”
“It’s heated,” Wren replied. “If it’s nice tomorrow, call me and we’ll grill out on the patio.
Maybe I can even talk my grandmother into visiting her own house.”
“Doubt it. She’s too busy working on that list I told you about.”
Wren exited the car. “TMI, thank you very much. Call me.”
After waving goodbye to Stacey and her friends, Wren slammed the door and hurried in-
side. The huge house was empty, but she called out for her grandmother anyway. When she got
no response, she went to the answering machine and hit the play button. Her father’s booming
voice filled the room.
“Mother?” A short pause. “Wren?” Another pause. “Someone pick up the phone.” A
longer pause. “Damn it!” Then the line went dead.
“Daddy, you’re going to give yourself a heart attack if you don’t calm down,” Wren said to
the machine. Of course it was because of her father she was back in Colbert. A friend of his had
informed him that his mother “needed help.” When the friend refused to elaborate, her father had
taken it to mean his seventy-three-year-old mother was sick. He would have been horrified to
find out what his friend really meant—that his mother had taken up with a fifty-three year-old
man, just three years older than her son.
 In his fear, and after he’d been unable to get hold of his mother without leaving messages,
he’d sent Wren to live with her grandmother for a while. Wren had been shocked, but not very
surprised, to find out her grandmother was not answering the phone because she was living with
Clancy, her new boy toy.
Wren had been a little shocked, though, at hearing how Constance Thornberry and Clancy
whatever-his-last-name-was were partying all over town, living the good life and, reportedly,
having sex in public places.
She went to her purse and dug out her cell phone, hitting speed dial for her grandmother’s
cell. When there was no answer, she left a message to let her know that her son was looking for
her. Again.
Then she hurried to the bedroom she’d taken over in the huge house, stripped and pulled
on a satiny nightdress. She checked all the doors to make sure they were locked. When she got to
the back, she looked out over the deck at the pool and hot tub, and thought about how nice a dip
in the heated water would feel.
She was no longer cold, but the hot water would feel good, and hopefully relax her just a
bit. She was very tense after seeing Bryan, after feeling his hands on her body, even if it had
been for a police search.
A soft snort escaped her lips. “Bryan a cop. There’s a shocker.”
She thought about the things they’d done during their time together, like drinking before
they were twenty-one and toilet papering the principal’s house in high school. Not things hard-
ened criminals did, but still, it was mischievous and some of the townspeople would remember
their most creative exploits. She wondered how those same people reacted to Bryan as a cop.
Other memories flooded back. Their first kiss when they were seniors in high school, and
the way he’d gently stroked her breasts after their senior prom. It hadn’t been until their first year
at the University of Texas that they’d lost their virginity to each other, fumbling around each
other’s bodies until he was inside her. She remembered her tears at the pain as he’d broken her
barrier, and the sweet way he’d kissed her and told her he was sorry he’d hurt her.
But after that, oh my, after that. Wren’s body caught fire as she thought about the time
they’d spent together after that. Bryan became an expert lover, always asking her what felt best,
and how he could please her. They’d learned how to stroke, and lick, and suck each other until
they were both screaming in ecstasy.
 Screw the hot tub.
Heading out to the deck, she lay down on one of the chaise lounges and lifted her night-
dress, exposing her soaked pussy to the cool night air. It shivered in response and she parted her
lips, her fingers stroking through the wetness, seeking her clit. She rubbed the hard nub, pretend-
ing her hands were his.
She remembered all the times he’d touched her, all the ways they’d satisfied each other.
Each memory sent tendrils of pleasure through her body, snaking out through her pussy and up
to her nipples, moving through her as if his strong hands were caressing her breasts, just as he’d
done tonight, only it was to bring bliss, not to search for illegal contraband.
She could feel her orgasm building, centering in her clit and ready to spread through her
body.
“Bryan.” She licked her lips and cupped one of her breasts. “Come and fuck me.”
“With pleasure.”
Wren eyes shot open as she looked up to see him standing next to her, his hand stroking his
hard-on through his uniform pants. She tried to sit up, but he gently pushed her back down.
“May I help?”
She nodded and he brushed her hand aside, his fingers finding her clit on the first try. Her
hips shot up with the touch and she came, screaming out his name.
 Chapter Four

“You always did come fast. I love it.” He knelt down next to her and caressed her thigh.
His gaze was gentle, yet tentative as he looked upon her.
Her heart beat wildly and she clutched the side of the chaise, staring up into his gaze.
“When did you get here? Did you follow me?”
“No. They had enough guards at the concert so they let some of us go early. I tried the
front door and it was locked. I came around back to see if you were here.” He moved until his
lips were inches above her own. “Did you mean it? Do you want me to fuck you?”
“Yes.” The word came out on a wisp of breath and she lifted her lips to meet his.
He kissed her gently, his tongue tracing her lips. “Oh Wren, you’re more gorgeous than I
remember.”
“I’m about twenty pounds heavier.”
“Who cares?” He kissed her again, then licked the tip of her nose. “You’re so very beauti-
ful. When I saw you outside Mickey’s, I was floored.”
She bit her lip, not knowing quite what to say. “So, you sent your friend after me? To treat
me like a criminal?”
He looked sheepish, then shook his head. “I’m so sorry about that. I wanted to be your
hero, to rescue you from him. I didn’t count on it going bad. I’d heard you were here, but I didn’t
know quite how to approach you. I wanted to come over, but since we parted so badly, I
thought…”
Bryan stopped speaking when Wren put her fingers against his lips. “Shut up and fuck me.
Now.”
He stood and hitched up his utility belt. “Yes, ma’am. Here, or in the house?”
“Here. And I want you to keep your uniform on, too.”
 “What a nasty little girl you are.” He pulled his handcuffs from his belt and twirled them
around his finger. “Was I wrong earlier tonight? Have you been bad? Do I need to search you
again?”
“No, officer. I’ve been good. I promise.”
“We’ll see about that.” His voice was deep and commanding. “I’m thinking a full body
cavity. Stand up. Now.”
“But officer, I…”
“Argue with me and you’ll be in even more trouble. I said, stand up.”
Wren stood, moving close to him. Despite the cold, her body was flush with excitement.
He ran his finger under the strap of her nightgown, caressing her shoulder. “Take it off.”
“But officer, I…”
“I think you might be hiding something under it. I have to see for myself. Take. It. Off.”
Her breasts rose and fell with each excited breath as she lifted the hem of the gown from
her thighs and inched it upwards. She watched his face as her hands moved, his eyes widening
with desire—or was it just plain lust? She wasn’t sure.
She lifted it over her head, letting it drop to the ground beside her. It had been two years
since a man had seen her naked and five years since that man had been Bryan. She’d only had
one other lover in her lifetime, an embassy worker in London. And he’d never looked at her the
way Bryan looked at her now, his gaze feasting on her breasts, down over her belly to the wet V
between her legs.
“Turn around.”
She obeyed him immediately, her excitement growing.
“Hands behind your back.”
When the cold steel of the cuff wrapped around one wrist and locked in place, she thought
she would come again, right on the spot.
“Yeah, that’s it. You always did like being tied up. I should have bought a pair of bracelets
long ago.” He snapped the second cuff into place then slapped her bare ass. The sound made her
gasp and she whispered his name.
“That’s Officer Stockard to you. Prisoners are not on a first name basis with their jailors.”
He slapped her ass again. “Move.”
“Where?”
 “To the table.” He kept his finger pointed in the small of her back as she walked. When
she’d reached the edge, he gently pulled on the chain between the cuffs. “Stop. Spread your
legs.”
“Bryan, please just fuck me.” He slapped her ass one more time. “Ow!”
“Behave.”
He moved behind her, pressing his chest against her back .She could feel the scratchy ma-
terial of his uniform, the stiff buttons and the imprint of the shield attached to his shirt. His hands
were around her in seconds, cupping her breasts and teasing each nipple between his thumb and
forefinger.
“Nothing under here, although they’re big enough to hide a significant amount of contra-
band.” He jiggled them both, as if testing their weight. His fingers moved backwards, feeling un-
der each breast until he came to the spot where each round globe met her torso. “No, nothing
here.”
Her body shivered as he searched her. It was as if they’d never been apart, like she’d never
left him. Bryan’s touch was magical, and Wren craved it as she never had before.
His lips were on her ear, his tongue licking the lobe. “When did you get your ear pierced
again? What’s that, four times?”
“In London. And it’s four on one side, five on the other. I always was a bit unbalanced.”
“Thank goodness for that,” he said before darting his tongue around the rim of her ear.
“Bend over the table.”
She did as he asked, her chests pressing against the cold glass. She inhaled sharply as he
traced his hands down her sides to her hips. He patted each buttock, then ran his hands down her
long legs. She silently thanked whatever womanly goddess had given her the idea to shave to-
night and tried not to laugh at the idea as he moved his fingers back up.
When he tickled the trim hair on her pussy, she moaned.
“Anything in here?”
“There needs to be.”
He moved his finger back to her anus, rubbing the puckered hole until she whispered the
word please.
“What about here?”
“Again, there needs to be.”
 A loud groan escaped her lips when he moved his fingers back to her pussy, pushed against
the moist opening and gained entrance. He gently moved inside, caressing her inner folds until
she gasped in pleasure.
“More please.”
“You’re right. Nothing illegal here. I still don’t know about back here, though.” He ran his
tongue up the crack between her buttocks and despite the pleasure, she couldn’t help but giggle.
“Um, you do know that putting stuff there is illegal in Texas, right?”
His laughter joined hers. “Illegal or not, I seem to remember someone who loved to take
my cock this way.”
“Really? Do I know her?” She turned her head and looked over her shoulder at him, grin-
ning.
He withdrew his finger and slapped her ass again. She yelped.
When he moved away, she let out a cry of frustration. “Where are you going?”
“I don’t know. Do you really want me?”
“You’re kidding, right? I’m standing here naked, with my hands cuffed behind my back
and you just had your finger up my pussy, which is soaked with the very idea of you, and then
you’re talking about—”
“Seventy-three fifty-three at the city pool. Seventy-three fifty-three.” The disembodied
voice sounded amused.
Wren stood and looked around. “What was that?”
“Relax. It’s just my radio. Baby, I’m sorry. I turned it on when I got back into town, to see
what was happening.”
“Is somebody trying to rob the city pool? At one in the morning in January?”
“No, um…” He scratched his head and even in the darkness she could see he looked em-
barrassed. “Seventy-three fifty-three is our personal code for your grandmother and her new boy
toy. They must be tripping the light fantastic at the city pool.”
Wren dropped her chin to her chest as her shoulders shook in laughter. “Oh, Moses smell
the roses. My grandmother’s getting more sex than I am.”
 Chapter Five

“I just want to point out that your last statement, before we left the house, isn’t true.”
Bryan pulled his gaze away from the road long enough to look at Wren. “We were having sex
when the call came in. I’m not on duty. We could have ignored it. I could be inside you right
now.”
“Just drive.”
He focused on the road. “Man, that’s a blow to my ego.”
Wren snaked her hand across the seat, settling it over the bulge in his crotch. “It’s not
ended, just postponed. My father sent me here to watch my grandmother, not to get screwed by
one of the local police officers.”
“Yeah, well the best laid plans of mice and men…” He turned to grin at her. “Before the
end of the night, I plan to fuck you until you scream. I’m thinking Tiny’s Point. That’s the first
place I kissed you.”
Her body flushed with the memory and she nodded. “We were so young.”
“Not really. We were seniors, almost eighteen. We’d been friends for years if you remem-
ber.”
“True.” She continued to caress his cock.
“You know, the guys are going to notice I have a hard-on.” He cut his gaze to her. “Either
that or they’re going to notice a huge stain on the front of my pants when you make me come.
Cut it out until later.”
Wren loved the frustrated tone of his voice. Bryan was a masterful lover; she remembered
that. They’d each worked hard to find out what the other liked, and learn how to do it well. One
of the things she knew he loved was to be felt up. Slowly. She continued to caress him, stopping
only when he growled out her name as he parked in front of the city pool.
Despite the fact it was January, the gate was open. Two police units sat near a crotch-
rocket.
 Wren opened the car door before Bryan had put the car into park. She ran for the front en-
trance, stopping in her tracks. Her naked grandmother stood before three policemen. Her hands
were on her hips as if she were scolding them.
“Grandmother! Put some clothes on.”
“Wren! Darling, did you have a good time tonight?”
“Grandmother, please!”
“Oh fee,” her grandmother replied. “I paid a lot of money for this body and I have no in-
tention of hiding it. I’ve already told you I want to be buried naked, with an open casket service.”
Wren put her head in her hands as the policemen burst out in laughter. She lifted her gaze
and glared at them. They all swallowed hard, their faces still contorted in mirth.
“Grandmother, please.”
Her grandmother’s boy-toy, Clancy, came up and handed the naked woman a towel. “Con-
stance, you’re embarrassing the young lady.”
Wren stared at him. Young lady indeed. Don’t try to suck up to me with politeness.
“Well, you’ve had your fun,” Constance said, wrapping herself in towel. “Now, skedaddle.
We were about to try something fun on the high dive.”
“Grandmother, you can’t have sex in the city pool.”
“Why not? I paid for it.”
“What? You paid for sex?” Wren balled up her hand into a fist and had just launched it in
Clancy’s direction when Bryan gathered her in his arms.
“Calm down.” His breath was hot on her neck. “Just take it easy.”
“No, I paid for the pool. That should give me some rights.” Constance narrowed her eyes.
“And don’t you dare hit Clancy, young lady.”
“Young lady? You’ve never called me that in your life.” She pointed at Clancy. “Just be-
cause he does, you do now, too?”
“Mind your tongue, I am your grandmother and deserve respect.”
“I’m sorry, but it’s hard to give when you’re standing here naked and every person in town
will know you tried to get laid on the high dive.”
“Wren, baby, don’t say anything you’re going to regret.” Bryan’s voice was soft. “Please,
just take a few deep breaths and relax.”
 “I’m not naked anymore.” A smile spread across Constance’s face and she laughed. A
boisterous laugh that made Wren shake her head. “And young Bryan is right. You need to relax,
darling. I’m beginning to think it’s your father standing in front of me. And, while I’m talking of
relaxing, it’s nice to see you two getting reacquainted. The house will be empty all night, you
know. I’m staying at Clancy’s.”
Wren slumped in Bryan’s arms, her face flaming in embarrassment. He still held her close
despite the amused glances he received from his co-workers.
“Grandmother.” This time there was no anger in Wren’s voice. She fought to keep from
laughing, then finally gazed at the woman who’d taught her to take things as they come, slow
down and enjoy life a little. She sighed heavily and shook her head. “Have a good time.”
“Why thank you dear, we shall. But I’m afraid the pool mood’s broken now. Perhaps we
need to take the bike for a spin up to Tiny’s Point. That’s outside the city limits.” She dropped
the towel and dressed slowly.
Wren noticed that one of the policemen watched her with interest and it made her giggle.
Her grandmother was right, she’d paid a lot of money for the plastic surgery that kept her look-
ing as if she were fifty years old.
“So much for Tiny’s Point,” Bryan grumbled as her grandmother and Clancy mounted the
motorcycle then roared away from the parking lot.
“Well, the house is empty,” she whispered back, and then she laughed. Tears streamed
down her face as she tried to get her breathing under control. “I want to be mad at her, but I
can’t. It’s just hilarious.”
“People are talking, you know.” Wren lifted her gaze to the speaker, an older policeman
who smiled at her. “Doesn’t that bother you, that they think she’s, um, crazy?”
“No. Well, yes, when I first got back into town it did. But she was tiptoeing around me,
staying at home and sneaking out, if you can believe it. But now—seeing her laughing and hav-
ing fun—no, I don’t think she’s crazy. I’d rather she was getting screwed on the high dive then
sitting home wondering what her neighbors were thinking about her.”
“So you’re not going to do anything to stop her.”
“What do you want me to do, um…?” She lifted an eyebrow at him.
“Justin McCoy.” He shook her outstretched hand. The other two officers, who looked to be
in their early twenties, stood nearby. Neither of them offered names. “Sgt. Justin McCoy.”
 “Well, Sergeant, I’m not sure what I can do, short of locking her in the house. But I guar-
antee you she’d find a way out.”
“I’m sure she would,” Bryan said. “She is breaking the law, though.”
“How?”
“Public nudity.”
“True,” Justin added. “We found out they were here from kids who broke in to take a
skinny dip.”
“And are those kids in trouble?”
Justin laughed. “I get your point. But the parents will be more than a little upset in the
morning. I’d expect some phone calls if I were you.”
“Yes, well, I’ll just have to point out to them that if their kids hadn’t snuck out at two in
the morning, they wouldn’t have seen a naked rich lady getting boinked at the city pool.”
Wren smiled at Justin, who laughed and shook his head. “Good. I’ll tell city hall to direct
all calls to you.”
“You do that.” She turned toward Bryan, who looked down at her in admiration. Their
gazes locked for a few moments, breaking long enough for him to say goodbye to his fellow of-
ficers.
After they left, he turned back to her. “Well, the house may be empty, but I say we practice
a little public nudity of our own. What do you say?”
“Lead the way, Officer Stockard.”
 Chapter Six

“This isn’t exactly public, you know.”

“Sure it is. It’s a public place. An historical landmark.”
They both laughed.
“Right, Bryan. You and I both know this place was built in the 1950s after the real saloon
burned down. It might be on the same land as the original, but the building is in no way historic.
Plus, I know of no saloon from the old west that had a jailhouse attached to it.”
“You never know. You know what the brochures say. This was a popular place for Texas
heroes to drink and sleep.”
Bryan slid his key into the door’s lock and it popped open. The old Colbert Saloon had
been a popular place for parties when they were teen-agers. The original building had burned
down in the 1940s, then rebuilt in the 1950s as a tourist attraction for their small town.
It had been a restaurant and saloon with the jail attached and used for tours. It hadn’t fared
well, though, and had closed in the 1970s. Wren noticed as she looked around that the place was
clean, though.
“Who owns it now?”
“The Taylors, but they’re trying to sell. I hear the plumbing and the electricity need to be
redone. Their asking price is $4.5 million.”
“You’re kidding me.”
“That’s the starting price, yes.” Bryan led her inside and relocked the door. “They’ve been
keeping it clean since they’ve been showing it to people. They gave me a key, and asked me to
look around every once in a while.”
She grinned wickedly. “How convenient.”
“Sure it is. It’s a popular make-out scene for the kids, same as it was when we were
young.”
 “You going to order me from the bar? Should I get behind there and be the saucy saloon
girl?”
“No, you’re going to be the bad little criminal, and I’m going to fuck you in the jail cell.”
Bryan’s smoldering look made her toes curl. She swallowed hard as he took out his handcuffs.
“We never finished that search. And I always finish what I start.”
He snapped a cuff on her wrist, then led her through the main saloon toward the “jail” lo-
cated near the back. She made a feeble attempt at resistance, dragging her feet just a little bit as
he pushed through the door, shutting it behind them.
Once inside the jail cell, he turned to her. “If you’d like to keep your clothes in one piece, I
suggest you take them off. Now.”
He dropped her hand and she narrowed her eyes at him. His gaze was full of desire and she
was sure hers matched it. She quickly took off her sweater, praying not to snag the material on
the cuff. But as she took the rest of her clothes off she thought, who cares? I should have let him
tear them off me.
When she stood before him naked, she licked her lips. “Fuck me.”
In response, he jerked her toward the bars. Lifting the cuffed hand, he wrapped the unat-
tached bracelet through the upper bar, then took her free wrist and cuffed it. He stepped back.
She turned her gaze to him. He stroked his cock through his uniform pants and her clit
twitched in anticipation. She could see the outline of him, hard and ready to take her.
“Like I said, we never finished that search. Face the bars and spread you legs. Stand there
and don’t move unless you’re told otherwise.”
Excitement coursed through her body and her chest rose and fell with her breaths. He
grasped each breast firmly, kneading them and tweaking her nipples. He rolled the hardened
nubs between his thumbs and forefingers, the pleasure shooting straight down to her clit.
“Yes!” She dipped her head back toward him.
He swatted her behind. “Stand up straight. Prisoners will obey orders.”
“Yes, Officer Stockard.”
“Better.” He licked the dip between her neck and shoulder as his hands moved down her
sides. “I love it. So curvy. So much a woman.”
When his hands were on her hips, he jerked her back, bumping the hard cock still encased
in his uniform against her ass. She could feel his utility belt pushing into her. When his hand
moved around her and cupped her mons, she groaned in pleasure. His fingers found her clit and
pinched.
Wren’s orgasm shot through her like a cannon blast. She bucked against her bonds and
against Bryan’s probing hands as he whispered what a “good little prisoner she was,” in her ear.
“Did you like that?”
“Oh yes.”
He continued to stroke her, his fingers almost teasing now, building up pressure before
backing off. He stepped back, his hands still on her hips, guiding her backwards as far as her
bonds would allow.
Then he crouched down behind her and sniffed. “Oh Wren, you smell like a beautiful gar-
den on a warm summer day.”
He licked her folds, one hand sliding around to stroke her clit as the other parted her soft-
ness for his tongue to slip inside. Wren tried to relax as he probed her, his tongue sliding in and
out, the movement sending shock waves of warmth through her.
When he replaced his tongue with an index finger, moving it in deep and wiggling it
around, she bounced on it, the movement on her clit increasing.
“Full body cavity search, remember? One more place to search.”
He removed his finger as his tongue lapped at her rosette, making her shiver in delight. He
gave it several long, leisurely passes, wetting it liberally before putting his finger against the
tight passage and pushing. His saliva eased his entry as he inserted just enough of himself for
Wren to feel the fullness, the intimacy of him touching her in such a private place.
“Bryan, please.”
“Almost done.” His voice was soft as he pushed a little more of his finger inside her, hold-
ing it still as she tried to pull on her cuffs. “Careful, or you’ll mark yourself. Just relax.”
“It’s so good. Oh, I want you everywhere. Fuck me, please.” He kissed each buttock, lick-
ing along the crevice where they joined, as he gently moved his finger in and out of her anal
opening. Then, he moved away from her and patted her behind gently. “All done. Now, for your
reward. What would you like for your reward?”
“You’re cock, Officer Stockard.” Her body shivered. They’d done a lot of role-playing
when they’d been together, and doing it again brought back memories that warmed her soul and
made her want him more.
 He stood, and she heard the rip of his zipper being lowered. She imagined him taking his
cock out of the boxer shorts she knew he always wore, stroking its length, putting his fingers
around the girth that she’d loved so much.
She heard the tearing of a package and she laughed.
“You carry condoms?”
“Well, not usually. But, after seeing you in Austin, I stopped at the store on the way
home.” He stepped up behind her, grasping her hips in his hands. Then he leaned over and whis-
pered in her ear, “In my uniform, ma’am, as ordered.”
Then he drove himself into her in one hard thrust.
“Yes!” Wren threw her head back, her hair waving around as she rocked back and forth.
“Fuck me hard.”
Bryan thrust into her, his body solid against her own. “My pleasure to serve you.”
She felt every stroke, every beat of his cock inside her. She grasped him firmly, making
herself tighter for him, loving the sound of his groans and murmurs of passion.
“So good, baby. So fucking good. You always were so tight, my Wren. So very tight.”
For a few minutes they were silent, as they both concentrated on the place they were
joined, the shared feelings of fervor as he shifted in and out of her, his movements increasing in
tempo.
Wren wanted to reach down and touch her clit, make herself come again. She tugged on
her bonds, loving the sound of his deep laughter. His fingers moved from her hip to her clit.
“Is this what you want?”
“Yes.”
He continued to pound into her as his fingers worked her clit. The sensations spread
through her, tightening the little bundle of nerves until she screamed out his name.
“Wren.” He followed right behind her, plunging into her in short, hard thrusts as he emp-
tied himself. His head was on her back now. She could feel the moisture from his sweat as he
panted behind her, still buried deep inside her wetness.
After a few minutes, he stood and undid the cuffs, turning her toward him and kissing each
wrist.
“Oh baby, I’m sorry. I was too rough. There’s going to be bruises.”
 She leaned her head into the palm of Bryan’s hand as he cupped her cheek. “I don’t care.
I’ll wear them with pride.”
“Time to go home. The only question is yours, mine, or ours.” She could hear the sadness
in his voice at the last two words. He didn’t want to take her home to her grandmother’s house,
but he would if she wanted him to. And then he’d leave and go to his own house. But there was
no way she was going to let that happen. She’d screwed up with Bryan once before. This was her
chance to set things right.
She gazed up at him, then winked. “Yours.”
 Chapter Seven

There was an ache between her thighs that Wren had not felt for a long, long time. She
latched onto the feeling and burrowed down deeper into the pillows. She and Bryan had made
love twice more when they’d finally made it to his house, once in the living room, and once in
his bed, where he’d taken her from behind with such force that she felt like they’d be joined to-
gether permanently. And that would have been just fine with her.
She could feel the warmth of his body as he lay on his side, propped on one elbow, looking
at her. She kept her eyes closed, however.
“I know you’re awake.” He began to trace circles around her nipples, using one finger to
move between the two of them, stroking her gently. Her nipples peaked in response. “Talk to
me.”
“You wore me out. Even my vocal cords.”
“Ah, that must be from when you were screaming so loud I was afraid the neighbors were
going to call the cops.”
“You are the cops.” They both laughed. “Speaking of which, how in the world did you get
to be a cop?”
“They gave me a gun.” He lifted his eyebrows up and down and wagged his tongue.
She laughed harder and slapped at his chest playfully. “I’m serious. You never once talked
about becoming a police officer. You have a degree in engineering, remember?”
“I remember that I went to UT instead of A&M because you were in Austin. That’s what I
remember.”
She gave him a sheepish look. “Do you regret it? Because of how things ended”
“Not at all.” His finger trailed to her belly button. “And, I became a cop because of
Emma.”
“Who’s Emma?”
 “She’s the daughter of a woman who worked in the parks department here for a while. One
fine summer day, Emma up and disappeared. Natalie, her mother, was frantic. We organized
searches, and didn’t find her.”
“Oh, that’s horrible.”
“Well, I should clarify, we didn’t find her that day. Of course, I was unemployed, trying to
figure out what to do, since it was after graduation and after you left me. I had extra time on my
hands. On the third day, when everyone had just about given up, I found her.”
“Was she alive?”
“Yes.” Bryan’s fingers stopped moving.
“Tell me.”
“Do you remember Mr. Sinclair?”
“The guy who owned the drugstore? Sure. He was always nice to me when I was growing
up.”
“Yeah, Mr. Sinclair liked little girls. He’d lured Emma to his house, and then joined in the
search with us. He kept her in his basement, telling her that her parents had ‘given her to him’
because they didn’t want her anymore.”
“No.” Wren gasped in horror. “My father, my grandmother—nobody ever told me that
story. That is horrible. How did you figure it out?”
He lay his head down next to hers so that they were touching on the pillow. “It just made
me so mad, that we couldn’t find her. And then I remembered reading somewhere that more than
half of these cases lead to people who know the victim. I started to watch the searchers. Sinclair
smiled a lot, and he didn’t seem overly concerned. So, I followed him home one day. I crept into
his back yard, thinking I’d sneak in through his basement and see what he was up to.”
“That’s dangerous.”
“I could hear Emma crying, and him telling her things would be fine once they moved to a
new city.”
“Oh, Bryan.” She turned and placed a kiss on his shoulder. He put his chin on top of her
head and they clasped hands across their bodies.
“I almost beat him to a pulp.” She felt him stiffen, heard his hard swallow. “After that, I
knew I had to do something that might keep things like that from happening again. I went to the
academy, and intended to work in Austin, but the Colbert mayor asked me to come home and
work. I patrol, and write tickets and keep a watch on things, just like other cops. And I talk to the
kids at school, tell them they need to be careful, to watch people around them and to come to a
cop if they need help.”
They were silent for a few minutes, and then it was Wren’s turn to swallow hard. “I wish I
had known.”
“Why? Would you have stayed with me if I had been a cop instead of an engineer?”
She pulled her hand from his and sat up, turning her head toward the open window where
sunlight drifted through.
“I’m sorry. That was rude and uncalled for.”
“No, you have every right to be angry with me. I’m surprised you wanted to make love
with me.”
“Are you kidding? Losing you about destroyed me. Then I compounded the pain by marry-
ing Nancy. I’m just lucky she’s not vindictive, and we both realized what a huge mistake we’d
made.”
“Is she still here in town?”
“Yeah, she married a lawyer that works for some firm in Austin. They have a daughter,
and another kid on the way. She’s happy and I’m glad for her. She still talks to me when she sees
me in the grocery store.” He sat up and stroked Wren’s shoulder. “You’re turn.”
“What?”
“Tell me the real reason you left me, because I can tell from what you said last night that
you still love me as much as I love you.”
She turned tear-filled eyes to him. “I’m sorry. You’re so brave, running around rescuing
little girls from pedophiles and I’m a big chicken. I let myself be talked into changing my life
into what my father wanted for me.”
When Bryan kissed a tear from her cheek, she leaned into his arms, letting the dam open.
He held her close as she cried, rocking her gently.
“Can you ever forgive me?”
“I already have. Just don’t ever leave me again. Deal?”
She snuggled closer to him. “Deal.”
“We do have a problem, though.”
She jerked away and gaze into his eyes. “What? Do you have another girlfriend?”
 “No, nobody. And you?”
She shook her head. “What’s the problem?”
“Your father. He’s always hated me. I’m not good enough for his little girl, especially now
that I’m a cop. And your job is halfway around the world.”
“No, I quit that job. I was sick of dealing with stolen passports and tourists. I wanted to
come home for a while. My father just used it for his advantage, sending me here to keep an eye
on his ‘sick’ mother while he keeps buying up hotels in Europe, making him, and her, richer.”
“Hmm. Well, when he finds out we’re married, he’s going to blow a gasket.”
“Married?” She watched him get out of bed and open a drawer on his dresser.
He was so relaxed in his nudity, and with his body, that it made her smile. He’d never once
in her life said something to her about her own being too big, or too flabby. When she’d cried in
high school once because someone had made fun of her, he’d told her he’d love her no matter
what, and the subject had never come up again.
He was back at the bed now, sitting down next to her. He handed her a ring box.
She opened it and gasped, finding the ring he’d given her all those years ago resting next to
the two wedding bands they’d picked out together. Solid silver, with two small diamonds nestled
in each one.
“You kept them.”
“Yeah. Getting rid of them seemed like admitting that we were over, and I just couldn’t do
it. Of course, that hurt Nancy, too. I’m sorry for that. I really screwed that up.” He gazed at her, a
smile lighting up his face. “But now we can be happy together, can’t we? We can get a license
first thing Monday morning and get married after the three-day wait, or we can have a big wed-
ding. It’s your choice.” He gave her an evil grin. “Or, I have a shotgun, and we can do it the old
fashioned way, this time it would just be the bride under pressure.”
“Let’s have a small ceremony at my grandmother’s house on Friday. Will that work for
you?”
“What about your apartment in London?”
“You mean my flat?” She grinned. “I’ll have to go back and get everything. There’s not
much there, really.”
“I’ll go with you. It’ll be like a honeymoon.”
 “Perfect.” He’d just leaned in to kiss her when the phone rang. He pushed her back onto
the bed, then reached over her to grab it.
“Let it ring.”
“Can’t. You never know when something might happen. You’ll have to get used to that, as
a cop’s wife.”
Wren’s insides turned to jelly. She hadn’t thought about the dangerous job Bryan did, only
about the good things, like finding little Emma. How hard was it going to be to sit home every
night and wait for him, wondering if he was all right or if something had happened to him?
She was just envisioning a scenario where a speeder pulled a gun when she heard Bryan
say, “Yes, she’s here.”
He covered the mouthpiece and said, “It’s your grandmother. You left your phone at her
house, and she says your father’s been calling every ten minutes. She refuses to answer, either
the house phone, or the cell phone.”
Wren put her arm over her eyes. “Great.”
“Yes, ma’am, we used a condom. Several of them as a matter of fact.”
“Bryan!” She slapped at his shoulder. He pulled away, his smile spreading across his face.
“No, ma’am, we don’t need to raid your toy box, we have a few of our own.”
“Oh, I’ve died and gone to hell.” Wren covered her face with her hands.
Bryan still lay above her, his body shaking with laughter. “Well, Mrs. Thornberry, I’d tell
you that, but I’m afraid Wren would use my gun on me. Ask me again when she’s not around
and I’ll let you know.”
“What? Let her know what?” She pushed at him, her laughter competing with her anger.
“Stop that. Hang up that phone! Now!”
“Yeah, ya-huh, yeah. I see.” She pushed at him more, trying to get the phone out of his
hands. He twisted and turned from her as he continued to talk. “Yes ma’am. I agree with you
wholeheartedly, trust me on that one. Okay, we’ll be there in about an hour. I know. Stamina’s a
marvelous thing.”
He clicked the phone off and Wren flailed out at him. “An hour? In your dreams, an hour!
What did she ask? Oh my lord this is embarrassing!”
 They wrestled around until Wren was on top of him. She pinned his arms to either side of
his head, then realized he’d stopped fighting. He was laughing uncontrollably, and he had a huge
hard-on poking her in the thigh.
“What did she ask? What did she say? Tell me.”
“No.” He bucked up, trying to gain entrance into her pussy. She pulled away, sitting up so
that she was still on her knees above him, but not within easy distance for him to take her.
“You better tell me Bryan Stockard or so help me, I’ll tell every person in this town you
have a tiny dick.”
“I’d prove you a liar.” He wiggled his hips and laughed harder.
“I don’t care! Tell me.”
“She wanted to know how your oral sex skills were. She said to tell you not to forget to
lick my balls. They’re very important.” He barely got the words out through his laughter, then he
grabbed her around the waist and pulled her down. He slid into her wetness easily, and they both
groaned in pleasure. “Fuck me, baby. Ride me. You can lick me later.”
Wren pushed her hands against his chest, laying him flat as she bounced on his hard-on.
Each movement brought his cock into contact with her G-spot. Pleasure spread through her like
wildfire, and within seconds she screamed his name.
“I love you. Oh, Bryan, I love you so much.”
“I love you too, baby.” He grasped her hips to keep her moving, seconds later he spilled
inside her. “And I’m so sorry. We forgot the condom.”
She laughed. “Well, it’s a good thing you’re planning on marrying me anyway. But I say
we keep the shotgun handy, just in case.”
 Chapter Eight

“Grandmother?” Wren walked through the living room of her grandmother’s house, Bryan
right behind her. They’d taken longer then they thought they would to get here, since they’d had
to take a shower. They’d spent almost half an hour drying each other off, feeling each other’s
bodies and kissing softly, making plans for the future.
“Two kids,” he’d whispered.
“Three,” she replied. “That way, no ties if it comes to a household vote of some sort.”
He’d kissed her gently. “Deal. We stay here, in Colbert.”
“Deal.” She pushed her tongue into his mouth, licking at his teeth and playing with his
tongue.
“And we live on my salary, not on your trust fund.”
“We can use a little bit of it to buy a house, can’t we?”
“Yeah, but I don’t want us living above our means. People might think I’m a crooked cop.”
They’d kissed again for a good two minutes after that, their hands on each other’s hips.
His next words had made her shiver with delight. “I want you so much right now I can
hardly stand it, but I’m not as young as I used to be.”
“Well, I’ll let you rest for a little while.”
“Deal.”
Now, as they walked through her grandmother’s empty house, Wren thought she’d never
been so happy. Her engagement ring still fit, and it was nestled on her left hand, giving her a
feeling of belonging she hadn’t had since she’d taken it off five years ago.
When they got to the kitchen, it was obvious the house was empty. “I wonder where she’s
at?”
“There’s a package on the counter.” Bryan walked toward it, dissolving in laughter as he
neared.
“What?”
 He held up a long, blue vibrator, complete with a clit tickler. It was still in its original
packaging.
She shook her head. “Oh hell’s bells.”
Bryan read the note. “I bought this as a replacement for mine, in case I ever needed it. Use
it in good health during what I hope is a long, fruitful marriage. With love from your grand-
mother. Yes, I consider myself your grandmother too, now, Bryan. Which means no more speed-
ing tickets, I hope.”
“You gave my grandmother a speeding ticket?”
“She was going sixty-five in a forty.”
Wren shook her head in disgust, then backed away. “I can’t use a vibrator my grandmother
gave me.”
“I agree,” Bryan said, even as he laughed. “Sorta, um, gross. We’ll buy some of our own.”
“Deal.”
He wiggled the package at her. “Do you like it, though, you naughty girl? The style interest
you?”
“Sorta, yeah. I kinda like the idea.”
“Do I get to watch?” He wiggled his brows and tongue at her.
“Now who’s naughty? I thought you were tired and needed a rest.”
“Well, I just got my second wind.”
“I think it’s the fourth, actually.” She took a step closer to him, snatched the vibrator for
his hand and put it on the counter. “Come with me.”
He followed her down the hall, and once in her bedroom, shut the door, just in case. She
went to her suitcase and pulled out a small box, handing it to him.
He opened it, his eyes widening. “Quite a variety here. Let’s see, one regular vibrator, nip-
ple clamps, stainless steel balls, anal plug, and oh look! A double vibrator to pleasure both of
your holes at the same time. Do I get to pick?”
“Oh yeah,” she whispered. “You choose.”
“This one.” He dropped the box and took a step toward her, holding up the double vibrator.
One for your pussy, one for your ass. My mouth on your clit, and your mouth on my dick and
balls. Sounds like a plan to me, what about you?”
“I love it when you talk dirty to me.”
 He pulled her into a bear hug, kissing her hungrily. She wrapped her arms around him.
She had just pulled her head back and opened her mouth to accept the vibrator he offered
her to suck on when the bedroom door opened… and her father walked in.
 Chapter Nine

“Would you like tea?” Wren clasped her hands together and stared at her father.
They were all in the kitchen, with Haywood Thornberry and Bryan Stockard performing
their best version of a stare down.
“What I want is for this heathen to get out of my mother’s house. Now.”
“Father, I already told you. Bryan and I are getting married, like we should have done five
years ago.”
“Not as long as there is breath in my body.” Her father finally turned his stare to her. “You
have a good job and a good home in London. You won’t move back here and live with this…
this…”
“Cop?” Bryan stepped closer to Wren. “Show him your hand, baby.”
She held up her left hand were the engagement ring glittered.
“Too cheap to buy another one? You gave her that same old piece of trash? My daughter
deserves better.”
“Then I’ll go out tomorrow and buy her another one, the biggest one I can find, if she
wants it.”
“I don’t. You two can stop talking about me as if I’m not here. I love this ring, I always
did. And I love Bryan, I always have. I won’t back down this time.”
When her father looked at her, Wren thought he seemed ten years older than he actually
was. “Darling, you have a good job and a good life. You don’t want to come back here, to no-
where.”
“It’s not nowhere, father, it’s my home. I’m not happy in London. The only friends I have
there are people from work, and you and mom. You two are gone half the time looking at proper-
ties to buy. I want to marry Bryan and have children. I love him.”
“And I love her.”
 Her father wheeled on Bryan. “You love her money. Don’t think I don’t see right through
you. A poor boy landing the richest girl in town. What a coup for you.”
“Haywood, stop that.”
Wren turned toward her grandmother’s voice. She stood in the doorway, her hands on her
hips. She looked as though steam would come out of her ears at any moment.
“Mother, where have you been?”
“I don’t answer to you, or to anyone,” Constance said. “And you are acting like an asshole.
I didn’t raise you to behave this way.”
“What? I come home to find a newspaper article detailing my mother’s latest exploits with
her much younger boyfriend, and then I find my daughter in bed with—with him—and a phallus
in her mouth.”
“Oh yes!” Constance clapped her hands and turned to Clancy. “See, I told you they’d love
it. Clancy said you wouldn’t want to use something I’d owned, but I told him it was never out of
the package. Still, we went to Austin and bought you a gift certificate to an adult bookstore.” She
pushed an envelope toward Wren. “Consider it a wedding present. One of many. I’m so thrilled.”
Constance wrapped Wren in a hug, and then ran to Bryan and did the same.
“Mother, there will be no wedding. And act your age, please.”
“Oh Haywood, lighten up. It’s the name, isn’t it? I should have named you something else,
like Dylan. As in Bob. Of course he wasn’t around when you were born. Maybe Elvis.”
“Mother.” Haywood sat down. “You’re going to be the death of me.”
“No, the compulsion you have to control everything is going to be the death of you. Let go,
for once, and let your daughter live her own life. Let me live mine.”
“Why, so both of you can find gold diggers?” Haywood waved his hands at the two men
standing on either side of the room.
“Oh please,” Constance said. “Clancy has as much money as I do. All he wants me for is
the sex.”
Wren thought her father would die on the spot. His eyes widened and clutched at his
throat.
“Mother.” He croaked the word out. “Please, you’re embarrassing yourself.”
“No, she’s not,” Clancy said. “I love her. Very much. As a matter of fact, we’ve been talk-
ing about getting married ourselves.”
 Constance beamed at Clancy, and Wren laughed.
“Well,” Haywood said. “There’s nothing I can do about you, mother.” His narrowed gaze
landed on Wren. “But there is something I can do about you, young lady. If you marry this man,
you won’t ever see a dime from me. Not one thin dime.”
Wren fought back tears as she faced her father. “I don’t care. I love Bryan, and nothing you
say will change that. I hope you come to the wedding, which is next weekend, here at the house.
If that’s okay with you, grandmother.”
“It’s fine, dear. We’ll invite the whole town and I’ll pay for the whole thing. Ever last thin
dime of it.”
 Epilogue

One year later

Wren ran a wet rag over the countertop at the Stockard Hotel and Saloon. It had been a
long day and her feet were tired. She was still in the saloon girl outfit she required her employees
to wear, even though the restaurant had been closed for some time. Work on the hotel was not
yet done, so there were no guests to worry about and no room service to get together.
When her grandmother had handed her the deed to the hotel, plus a check for one hundred
and fifty thousand to redo the plumbing and electrical, it had come as a huge shock to Wren.
Constance had brought up the hotel, saying it was for sale and she was considering buying it.
Wren had answered cautiously, wondering where her grandmother was headed.
“That hotel was the first place your grandfather made love to me.” Her voice had been
wistful. “I want to buy it. What do you think about that?”
They’d argued about the cost, and about the upkeep, and then the woman had gone silent.
Until the wedding, when Constance informed Wren and Bryan that it was her wedding gift to
them.
At first, Wren thought Bryan would object, especially after her father’s words about
money. But he’d taken the gift with a smile, and had even come to enjoy helping Wren pick out
curtains and floor coverings.
The only other thing that had shocked Wren at the wedding was the fact that her father
stayed, and that her mother came for it, too. When her father had come to see her the night be-
fore, he’d hugged her close. At first, Wren thought he would cry when he said he wanted nothing
but the best for her, and if that best included Bryan Stockard, then so be it. She’d asked him to
give her away, and he’d agreed.
Still, she’d wanted to smack him when he told Bryan that he “didn’t have to like it, but he
could learn to live with it.”
 But, things were better now, and her father was actually civil to Bryan. He’d even offered
to help with the hotel in any way that he could.
The front door swung open and Bryan came inside, closing it quickly against the January
wind. “It’s getting chilly out there.”
He was still in his uniform, since he’d refused to give up his job as a cop. But that was fine
with Wren. She did love a man in uniform.
“Well, if it isn’t Johnny Law. What can I do for you, officer?”
“Whiskey.” He put his hand on his gun and tipped back an imaginary hat. “Neat.”
“Drinking on the job?”
“Well ma’am, my shift just ended. I understand a man could get himself a drink and a good
tug here.”
“I’m sorry, sir, but tugging, in the sense that you’re referring to, is illegal. Are you trying
to set me up?”
Bryan stepped closer to the bar. “Well, I see several health code violations here, like a dirty
rag on the counter, and…” he leaned over and stared down, “a waitress who’s not wearing any
shoes.”
“So arrest me. You’re trying to find problems that aren’t there. If you ask me, I don’t think
there’s anything wrong. You’re just being a pain the behind.”
“I think arresting you might be a good idea. Health code violations. Smarting off to a pub-
lic official. You’ll probably do jail time. How do you feel about that?”
Wren shrugged her shoulders and started to wipe the counter again. “Search me, officer.”
“Baby, I thought you’d never ask.”

The End
 About the Author
Melinda Barron loves to explore Egyptian tombs and temples, discover Mayan ruins, play in cas-
tles towers, and explore new cities and countries. She generally does it all from the comfort of
her home by opening a book.
Melinda is the fourth of five children born to an Army officer and his wife. A longtime
newspaper journalist, Melinda has loved to read and write from an early age. Now she lives in
the Texas Panhandle with two cats, Amelia and Pippin, and enough books to, according to her
brother, open her own library. In addition to reading and writing Melinda enjoys travel, cross-
stitching, watching movies and spending time with her friends and family.
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