the truck a good long while after Nadya jumped out and slammed the door. What a condescending idiot he was. He pounded his head against the steering wheel and wished he could knock himself unconscious. Maybe he could spend the night out here?
Man up, McBride. You fucked up and now you have to fix it. Stop being a baby and get it over with. He climbed out of the truck and crossed to where Nadya stood on the porch steps vibrating with fury.
“I’m an ass. The world’s biggest ass.” He held out his service revolver and knelt in front of her. “Please just shoot me now and put me out of my misery.”
“You are an ass.” She tapped her foot but made no move to take his weapon. The tension stretched uncomfortably, the only sound that of her foot against the boards for what felt like an eternity. “But a good-looking one. I guess I’ll let you live. For now.”
Her face softened so he put his gun away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t understand.”
“I know. You didn’t come to Dale until high school, and most folks were on their best behavior around you and your dad. You had no idea how ugly this town could get.”
“Bill told me about Mr. Taylor. I’d appreciate it if you’d let me practice a little police brutality on him.” Right about now he’d love to beat the fat son-of-a-bitch into a bloody pulp.
“He’s not worth it. Really.” She put her hand on his face. “Mama told him if he came near me again she’d put a curse on him that would shrivel his penis.”
J.T. resisted the urge to check his dick. “Your mama had a way of making you believe her too. I guess she wouldn’t have had that if she’d worn, what did you call them, sweater sets? Why do you need more than one sweater at a time anyway?”
“Never mind, it’s a girl thing. Come on, let’s get the groceries out of the truck. If I’m missing one of Mary Ellen’s meals, the least you can do is make sure I don’t get food poisoning.”
“She sent me home with a plate of brownies. At least we’ll have dessert.” He stood and gave her a quick kiss before jogging back to the truck to get the sack of food he’d left there.
“She is bound and determined to make me buy all new clothes when I go back. I swear, my butt has doubled in size in the week I’ve been here.”
J.T. made a show of inspecting how her ass filled out her shorts as he held the front door open for her. “Looks just about perfect to me,” he said as he followed her to the kitchen.
He put the packages from the store in the fridge, then wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her backside against his growing erection. With his lips inches from her ear, he licked the shell before whispering, “The only way it could get better would be if it was sticking up in the air in front of me. Have I mentioned this recurring fantasy I have about you naked in my bed?”
“We’ve had sex in your bed and in your shower and on your kitchen table. I believe we were naked every time.” Her voice was breathy and her nipples poked out from under her thin shirt.
“But this involves me licking chocolate sauce off every luscious inch of your beautiful rear end.” He couldn’t be sure, but he thought he heard her whimper. She definitely moaned when he bit the cord that ran down below her ear lobe.
“How hungry are you?” she asked.
“Starved. But not for ham sandwiches and potato salad. Let’s start with dessert.” He grabbed the bottle of chocolate sauce before leading her to the bedroom.
The fading light lent a sepia tint to the room. Nadya looked soft and golden in the last rays of the setting sun, and his breath caught as she unclipped her hair and it tumbled down her back.
“Why are you just standing there?” she asked. “You had some mighty big talk in the kitchen. Afraid you can’t back it up?” She pulled her T-shirt over her head, unbuttoned her shorts and let them fall to the floor.
“No, I just thought I’d enjoy the view.”
Her lush breasts were pushed high and tight by the lacy cups of her black bra. Her hips flared out with a curve that just begged for a man’s touch. The scrap of lace that served as