CHAPTER 11
What was she doing? Was she insane?
Aurelie opened mouth to tell Beau that she’d changed her mind. That she’d made a mistake.
Her lips parted but all that came out was a moan.
Beau laid her on the clean sheets and dropped on the bed beside her. He leaned up on his elbow and stared down into her eyes. He brushed a strand of her hair back from her forehead and then cupped her cheek in his palm. “Now, is the time for you to change your mind.” He shook his head and gave her a gentle smile. "Tell me to get lost, and I'll leave this room. Otherwise, I’m going to explore every inch of your beautiful body and then make mad, passionate love to you.” He spoke the words and barely more than a whisper.
Her body reacted instantly, flushing with a heat so profound, she feared she’d spontaneously combust. All thoughts of changing her mind flew out the window. She wanted him more than she’d ever wanted a man in her life. Her affair with the married man paled in comparison.
With her thoughts whirling, she couldn’t form the right words. Knowing actions spoke louder, she raised shaking hands to the hem of her shirt and dragged it up her body.
Beau helped her divest herself of the blouse, tossing it over his shoulder. It hit the wall and slid to the floor.
Reaching beneath her, he unhooked her bra and slid the straps off her arms, freeing her breasts. Beau bent to kiss her below her ear, searing a path down to the pulse beating at the base of her neck. His mouth moved lower to capture a nipple between his lips.
Aurelie sucked air into her lungs, her back arching off the mattress, sensations burning across her nerves, coiling low in her belly.
Beau moved to the other breast, cupped it in his palm and teased the nipple with his teeth and tongue until it formed a tight little nub.
Her breathing grew labored, her body on fire. Aurelie writhed beneath Beau as he worked his way down her body, kissing a rib, tonguing her inner elbow, nipping at the skin just above the waistband of her pants.
He worked loose the top button and pushed the jeans and her panties down her legs and off, leaving them where they fell.
Aurelie lay naked against the sheets, the light on the nightstand casting an intimate glow around them.
Beau leaned up on his arms. His gaze swept over her body and his eyes flared. “You’re so damned beautiful.”
Having a man who wasn’t much more than a stranger staring down at her should have made her self-conscious, maybe a little embarrassed.
She wasn’t.
The heat of his gaze couldn’t be faked, nor could the length and thickness of his cock. Even if all he felt for her was lust, it was real and... intoxicating.
Aurelie reached out to capture his face between her palms. She leaned up and pressed her lips to his.
He came down on her, crushing her mouth with his in a kiss that rocked her world.
“I want you,” Aurelie said against his lips. “Now. Inside me. Please.”
When he came back up for air, he drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He pressed a finger to her lips. “Hold that thought.”
“Huh?”
He leaped off the bed and left the bedroom.
She sat up, the heat of the moment fading without his body there to fan the flames. “Beau?”
Had she scared him away by telling him she wanted him?
Aurelie swung her legs over the side of the bed.
Before she could rise to her feet, he was back.
He frowned when he saw her sitting up. “Where are you going?”
“To find you,” she answered. “Did I say something wrong?”
Beau chuckled. “No. In fact, you said all the right things. I just wasn’t ready. As beautiful as our babies would be, I don’t think we’re ready for that kind of commitment.” He held up a small packet and grinned. “Protection.”
The weight lifted off Aurelie’s chest and she laughed. “Of course.” She smiled, glad he’d had the foresight to think of protection when all she could think about was getting it on. “Now, where were we?”
Beau advanced into the room and stopped in front of her. He cupped the back of her neck and bent down until his lips hovered over hers. “I don’t remember exactly where we were, but this is a good place to start.”
Then he kissed her, easing her backward until she lay on the mattress, her legs still dangling over the side.
He stroked her tongue with his and then moved lower, kissing his way down the length of her neck, across her collar bone to capture a nipple between his teeth. For several seconds he teased the nipple with his tongue and his teeth, then moved lower, kissing and flicking his tongue across her belly.
When Aurelie parted her legs, he dropped to his knees between her thighs and splayed his big hand over her sex.
Her heart pounded against her ribs, her breathing growing more erratic with every brush of his lips or touch of his hands.
Beau parted her folds and dragged a finger across her clit.
Aurelie sucked in a breath and held it, willing him to do that again.
That finger moved lower, pausing at her entrance for a moment before dipping into the slick channel.
She tipped her head back, expelling the pent-up breath only to suck another quick breath in and hold it.
As Beau’s finger swirled inside her, he touched his tongue to her clit, flicking it gently once...twice.
Then, matching the rhythm of his finger inside her, he swirled his tongue around and around that nubbin of flesh and highly excited nerves, stroking, teasing and coaxing her up to the very edge of the earth. Teetering on the edge, all it took was one more flick of his tongue and she exploded in a kaleidoscope of sensations that rippled like a million bolts of lightning ricocheting throughout her body.
Aurelie clutched his head between her hands, her finger digging into his hair, holding him there, milking her orgasm to the very last shiver of her release.
When she fell back to earth, she collapsed against the sheets, spent, yet still...incomplete.
After several deep breaths, she tugged on his hair. “Please,” she begged. “I want you. Inside me.”
He rose up over her, lifted her legs onto the bed and climbed in beside her.
His lips met hers, tasting of her sex. Then he reached for the condom, tore it open with his teeth and pulled it from the package.
When he leaned up on one hand to apply the protection, Aurelie took it from his hand.
“Let me,” she said and gently pushed him over until he lay on his back, his cock hard, straight and ready for her.
Knowing she’d brought him to that state, gave her a feeling of power. Sitting up beside him, she fondled his balls and then wrapped her hand around his length, smoothing her fingers up and down the velvety soft skin, encasing his hard shaft.
She pumped her hand up and down several times until Beau caught her wrist in. “I won’t last much longer if you keep doing that.” He released her wrist.
Her lips curled on the corners as she slid her fingers down his cock and cupped his balls, rolling them between her fingers.
Beau groaned.
Aurelie chuckled and applied the condom, rolling it down over his cock. Then she straddled him and lowered herself over him. The few men she’d had sex with always wanted to be on top. She liked being in control.
Once Beau positioned his shaft at her entrance, Aurelie sank lower, taking him inside her channel, easing onto his length and girth. When she was fully seated, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his in a brief kiss. Slowly, she moved up and down, loving the feeling of him inside her, filling her completely.
Beau’s hands gripped her ass, increasing the speed. After a minute or two of her rocking his cock, his fingers dug into her flesh, and he lifted her off of him.
“Hey,” she said. “I wasn’t finished.”
He flipped her onto her back and leaned over her. “Good, neither am I.”
Beau slipped between her legs and touched the tip of his cock to her sex. “I need to move. To thrust deep inside you. Hard. Fast. Now.” He draped her knees over his arms, gripped her thighs and drove into her just as he’d said...hard and fast. He pulled almost all the way out, then thrust again and again, moving faster each time until he rocked the bedframe, making it bang against the wall.
Her fingers dug into his tight ass, urging him to keep going, the tension rising like a tide within until it threatened to lift her and toss her to the heavens. Just when she thought it could not be any more intense, she exploded in an orgasm that shook her to her very core.
Aurelie gripped Beau’s arms and held on as he thrust one last time, going deep, remaining buried inside her, his cock pulsing his release.
As she sank into the sheets, Beau lowered himself on top of her, his naked body warm against her heated flesh.
She didn’t care that his weight made it difficult for her to catch her breath. She doubted she could draw air into her lungs even without him pressing against her. Their lovemaking had stolen her breath away. She could die in that moment convinced she’d had the best sex ever. There would be nothing to match it.
Unless, of course, they did it again. Her slowing pulse quickened.
Beau rolled to the side and took her with him, pulling her into his arm.
Aurelie rested her cheek against his chest, listening to the rapid beat of his heart, happy to know he was as stirred up as she was.
Beau’s hand smoothed up and down her arm in slow sensuous strokes.
She twirled her finger around his small brown nipple. “Just so you know, I still don’t trust you,” she whispered.
His fingers stilled for only a second before he continued stroking her skin. “Even after the best... you’ve ever had?”
She gave his nipple a slight pinch. “How do you know that was the best sex I’ve ever had?”
“Did I say sex?” He raised an eyebrow. “Surely, you know I meant gumbo. Although, I have to admit the sex came in a close second.”
“Are you kidding me?” Aurelie pushed up on her elbow, frowning. “Second?”
Beau chuckled and pulled her on top of him to kiss her soundly. “Okay, so maybe they tied for first,” he whispered against her lips. “The main thing you need to know, is that I would never intentionally hurt you. I kind of like you and your sassy spirit.”
She laid her head on his chest. “You’re just saying that because you don’t want me to fire you.”
“You can’t fire me,” he said. “You didn’t hire me.”
“Isn’t making love with me going against some rule or code of ethics?” she asked.
“Maybe if I worked for you.”
“But you work for my father,” she finished. “I’m still mad at you,” she said. “I don’t really know if I can trust you to tell me the truth.”
“I’m not married,” he said. “You can have our computer guru give you all the data on me if you want proof.”
“I just might,” she said. “Swede, right?”
He nodded, his chin brushing against the crown of her head. “And Hank Patterson can vouch for me.”
“Do you think they’ll find me here?” she asked.
“I hope not.” His arms wrapped around her, holding her close. “If they do, I’ll keep you safe.”
“I’m counting on it.”
A muffled thump sounded from somewhere else in the house.
Aurelie froze. “Did you hear that?” she whispered.
Beau rolled her off him. He slipped out of the bed, pulled on his jeans and reached for the handgun he’d left on the dresser when he’d stripped for his shower.
Another muffled thump sounded through the closed door.
Aurelie leaped to her feet, grabbed her shirt from the floor and pulled it over her head. She found her pants where Beau had dropped them on the floor and dragged them up her legs and things, buttoning them at the waist.
“Stay here,” he whispered.
The hell she would. If someone was out there, Beau was in as much danger as she was. Aurelie looked around the room for a weapon. All she could find was a pillow. She grabbed one from the bed and held it against her chest as Beau opened the door.
Something crashed in the kitchen.
Beau tiptoed down the hallway, the gun held in front of him.
Ignoring his order to stay, Aurelie followed with her pillow.
As they neared the kitchen door, a rustling sound was followed by scratching.
With only the starlight shining through the window of an open bedroom door to guide him, Beau held the gun in one hand and reached for the kitchen light switch.
Aurelie inched up behind him as he flipped the switch.
Light flooded the kitchen. A high-pitched yelp sounded.
Beau rounded the corner, Aurelie behind him.
He pointed the gun at the overturned trash and something hiding in the corner behind it. Too small to be a human, the creature hid behind the trash container a pale, brownish blob, visibly shaking.
Beau aimed the gun at the animal. “Stay back, it might be rabid.”
The blob moved, darted out of its hiding place and ran straight for Beau and Aurelie.
As Beau aimed, Aurelie reached out and brought his hand down. “Don’t.”
She dropped to her haunches. When she did, the creature launched itself at her.
“Watch out!” Beau called out.
Aurelie opened her arms as the small animal leaped at her.
She fell backward, the animal landing on her chest.
“Aurelie!”
She struggled for a moment to grip the animal in her hands, her body shaking as she set the wiggling, mass of matted hair at arm’s length. “What have we got here?” she said, staring through an impossible tangle of dirty brown fur at a black, button nose and a hint of black eyes buried in overgrown fur. “Are you a dog?” she asked, her eyes clouding with tears. “You poor baby. You can’t even see through all that hair.” She pulled the creature close as it snuggled against her, shivering in the heat.
Beau lowered his gun and sat on the floor beside Aurelie. “Are you sure it’s a dog?”
“I think so,” she said. “But it’s so matted, it’s hard to tell. Do you think it belonged to Old Man Pearson?”
“I can ask my mother in the morning. In the meantime, it’s a biohazard. I’m sure it’s covered in fleas and ticks and who knows what else.”
“We have to do something for it. I can feel it’s ribs through the matting. All the hair makes it look bigger than it is. I bet it doesn’t weigh more than seven or eight pounds. I wonder how long it’s been running wild.” She pushed to her feet, the animal in her arms.
“If it was Pearson’s dog, surely he had some way of trimming its fur. I can’t imagine he’d let it get this out of control while he was alive.” Beau searched the cabinets, drawers and pantry for a set of clippers. He entered the laundry room and went through all the cabinets, finally finding an old pair of electric clippers.
“Thank God,” Aurelie said.
“We should do this out on the porch.” He carried the clippers outside, found an electric socket and plugged in the clippers.
Aurelie let go of the breath she’d held, praying the clippers would work. She held the pup while Beau sheared the matted hair off its body, a little at a time, careful not to nick its skin. When he was done, Aurelie looked down at a tiny, naked dog with big black eyes and a black nose.
“It’s a female,” Beau said. “She’ll need a bath next. You’ll need to drown the fleas and pluck the ticks.”
Aurelie carried the dog to the kitchen where she filled the sink with warm water and placed the animal in it. Using dish soap, she scrubbed what was left of its fur, making the water cloudy with the dirt and grime she’d collected while running wild.
When she was sure the fleas were dead, Aurelie emptied the sink and rinsed the dog’s fur once more.
Beau found a bowl, poured some of the dog food they’d found in the pantry into it and set it on the floor. He handed a towel to Aurelie.
After drying the animal, Aurelie set her on the floor and watched as the little, now white, dog wolfed down the food Beau had given her.
Aurelie’s heart squeezed hard in her chest. “She was starving. Look at those ribs.”
“I never would have believed she was white.” Beau shook his head. “What do you think she is?”
“Now that she’s not matted, her hair is soft. I’d say she’s maybe a mix between a poodle and maybe a Maltese?”
Beau found another bowl, filled it with water and set it beside the food bowl the dog was still working on. When he straightened he glanced at Aurelie. “What now?”
“I’ll stay with her through the night,” Aurelie said. “She’s got to be frightened.”
Beau sighed. “We’ll do it together.” He gathered blankets and made a pallet on the floor in the living room.
Aurelie monitored the dog while she ate, checking around the kitchen and laundry room. She discovered a small doggy door that had been cut out of the laundry room door leading out onto the back porch. She must have gotten in that way.
She placed an old laundry basket in front of the doggy door to keep the animal from exiting the way she’d gotten in. Now that people had returned to its home, she would be taken care of. The family might want to adopt it if it had belonged to Mr. Pearson.
Once the dog had eaten all the food in the bowl, it drank for a long time and then collapsed on the cool tile floor.
Aurelie gathered it in her arms and carried it into the living room where Beau had made a pallet for them on the floor with blankets and pillows. She gave him a grateful smile and stretched out across the blanket.
“She’s probably still got fleas,” Beau said, dropping down beside Aurelie.
“I don’t care. She’s been lost for long enough.” Aurelie tucked the dog close to her body, curling her arm around her. “I wonder what her name is?”
“I wouldn’t get too attached,” Beau warned. “If she was Pearson’s dog, the family will want to take responsibility for it.”
Aurelie frowned. “Then why didn’t they do it sooner?” She curled her body around the animal and lay her head on the pillow. “What if they just abandoned her?” She smoothed her hand across the dog’s back. “It’s okay. You’ll never be hungry again, my little cutie pie,” she whispered into the dog’s ear.
“Cutie pie, dog, it.” She stared across at Beau. “She needs a name.”
“Dog isn’t good enough?” he said, his lips twitching.
Aurelie frowned. “She was someone’s pet. She has a name, but what is it?” She stared at the pooch. “Maybe she’ll respond to a name if we try a few?”
“How about Fifi?”
The dog didn’t move or flick an ear.
“Marley,” Aurelie said.
Nothing.
“Teddy,” Beau tried. “Fred.”
Aurelie’s lips pressed together. “She’s a girl.”
“What?” Beau held up his hands. “A buddy of mine named his female retriever Fred.”
Aurelie focused on the dog contentedly curled against her, eyes closed, breathing deeply. “Are you named after a flower? Rose, Daisy or Lily?”
The dog didn’t lift her head or open an eye.
“Now that she’s clean, she’s white. What’s white that would make a cute dog name?”
“Clouds, the moon, cotton?” Beau said. “Whitey?”
“Okay maybe they named her after someone famous like Betsy Ross or Harriet Tubman.” She looked for any sign from the sleeping animal. “No?”
“How about someone in the movies? Pearson was old so maybe older movies?” Beau suggested.
“Betty Davis, Sophia Loren, Debbie Reynolds.” The little dog didn’t budge.
Beau’s lips twisted. “How about a singer?”
“Doris Day, Rosemary Clooney, Olivia Newton John.” Aurelie sighed. “She’s not responding to anything.”
“Don’t give up now,” Beau urged. “How about Pink, Cher, Adele or Lady Gaga?”
The dog’s eyes opened, and she lifted her head to stare at Beau.
Aurelie touched Beau’s arm. “One of those names got her attention. Say them again, only do it slowly.”
“Pink.” Beau said.
The dog tipped its head to the right.
“Cher,” he said.
She tipped back to the left.
“Adele,” Beau said.
No response.
Beau tried the last name. “Lady.”
The little dog let out a sharp bark and wagged her tail.
Aurelie smiled. “Is that it? Is your name Lady?”
As if she’d been rescued all over again, she licked Aurelie’s face, her tail wagging so hard her entire body moved with it.
Aurelie laughed and hugged her to her. “Lady, it is.”
Beau shook his head and smiled at Aurelie. “The family isn’t getting that dog back, are they?”
Aurelie pulled Lady closer. “Over my dead body.”
“So, now I’m a bodyguard to a woman and a dog?” Beau shook his head. “I didn’t sign up for this.” He sighed. “Come here.”
Aurelie didn’t move from where she spooned her body around the bedraggled pup.
Beau got up, moved the blankets and pillows and settled behind Aurelie, spooning her body with his. “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em,” he said as he rested his hand on Aurelie’s hip.
She smiled, warm and secure in his arms. She still didn’t trust him, but he had helped her rescue Lady. A man who stuck up for the underdog couldn’t be all bad.
Maybe, just maybe, she’d give him a second chance.