STORY EXCERPTS

Six years ago...

Noel

“This is a waste of my time, and yours, Noel,” Jagger said as he raised his chin. “You don’t belong here with me as much as I don’t belong in Tennessee with you.”

“Jagger…A waste of time? How could you say that?” I ask, my belly turning.

“We’ve already wasted three years of our lives on this fucked from-the-start relationship. This is where you come to play house. I’m just a means of escape from your real life.” Jagger shook his head. “There’s no point in dragging this out any longer, Noel,” Jagger said in a distant tone. He stiffened in his seat as his green eyes gazed straight ahead.

“No point? Of course, there’s a point. We belong together. You told me I was yours forever and you were mine,” I said as tears rolled down my face.

“You should go.” Jagger motioned his head toward my grandpa.

“You don’t know what you’re sayin’. I don’t come here to play house, whatever that means. I love you, Jagger. All I’ve ever wanted is for us to be together.” I reached for his hand, and he pulled away again.

“I don’t want to be with you anymore. Just go,” he told me in a cold tone.

 “You told me you loved me. Or was that because you thought you’d say those words, and I’d just let you walk right into my britches? My momma warned me about boys like that, but I didn’t believe you were one of them,” I said as tears escaped my eyes and rolled down my cheeks. “Jagger, tell me this is a bad joke? Please,” I begged Jagger, and he jeered.

“This is not a joke. We come from two different worlds, Noel. I don’t belong in yours, and you sure as shit don’t belong in mine. This is never going to work. I don’t have a fucking clue why we ever thought it would,” Jagger said as he unlocked his car doors with a click, and I winced.

“You better be sure of what you’re saying, boy. There’s no turnin’ back once I walk away from this car,” I warned Jagger as I looked directly into his eyes with my wet ones.

“Get outta my car, Noel.” Jagger's eyes turned dark as he gritted his teeth. “This is over.”

* * * *

The present...

Jagger

As I walk into the district station with my head hung low, a frantic twangy voice stops me in my tracks. I pick my head up from the floor and search the room until I spot her standing in front of an officer’s desk, pointing her finger in his face. I clench and unclench my fists, take a steadying breath, and walk toward the commotion.

“What’s the problem over here, Joe?” I address the officer and turn my back on the gray-eyed woman who haunts my every dream.

“Noel’s grandfather was robbed, and she’s looking for information on the case. I told her we're working on it, but that’s not what she wants to hear,” Joe says as he rocks backward in his chair.

“He wasn’t just robbed, he was also assaulted. Grandpa broke a hip. What in tarnation is goin’ on ’round here? My grandpa could have been killed, and Joey’s just sittin’ round eatin’ cupcakes. Why aren’t y’all out there looking for the person who did it?” Noel says as she plops her curvy ass in the chair beside Joe’s desk.

“It’s our dispatcher’s birthday. Jagger brought in cupcakes.” Joe shrugs his shoulders and licks his fingers.

“Come with me,” I instruct, and take Noel by the elbow, gently guiding her from the seat.

“Get off me, Jagger,” Noel says as she shrugs off my hand.

She then leans down and kisses Joe on the cheek. His cheeks flame as he looks at me, and I shake my head.

“Sorry I was so hard on ya. It was good seeing you, Joey. You sure are wearing the hell outta that there uniform, big guy.” Noel looks him up and down.

I pinch the bridge of my nose and close my eyes. “This way, Noel.” I wave my hand in the direction of my office.

I motion Noel to a seat and close the door, before sitting in the chair behind my file-covered desk. “You can’t just walk into a police department and lose your shit, Noel. What the fuck is wrong with you?” I scold Noel with a raised voice.

“I don’t see how this is any of your concern, Jagger. I’ll be leavin’ now, but y’all better be believin’ I’ll be back tomorrow, and every day until they find who hurt my grandpa. You have yourself a good night, Jagger.” Noel winks at me, and plasters on a fake smile before she stands to leave.

“It’s my business because it’s my case,” I tell her calmly as I hold up her grandpa’s case file.

Noel glares at me with her dagger-shooting eyes. “Why are you working on this case? Shouldn’t this be a detective’s responsibility? I would like to request someone more qualified to handle this. Do y’all know what you’re doing in this hot mess of a department?” Noel questions with hands on her curvy hips.

“Like it or not, I am the most qualified person in this building. This is my district, and I’m in charge here. I wanted to handle your grandfather’s case personally, Noel.” I clear my throat. “Like I told your grandfather yesterday, I have a suspect in custody. I staked out a couple of pawn shops and busted a guy trying to sell your grandfather's watch. I also have the perp on video trying to use William’s debit card.” I say matter-of-factly. “I'll walk you out. I got work to do. I don’t have time for this little reunion.” I say as I nod my head toward my office door.

As Noel meanders by me, her honey shampoo arouses images of my hands buried in her strawberry-blonde hair. Her heart-shaped ass moves seductively as her hips sway. Noel stops dead, and I bump into her sweet ass. My eyes slam shut, and I exhale slowly.

She turns on her heels and looks up at me with her ever-changing smokey gray eyes. Noel looks me over before she speaks. “Are you happy with how your life turned out, Jagger?” Noel asks in her sugary, twangy voice.

“The fuck kinda question is that?” I ask and narrow my eyes down at her as we stand still in the bleak station hallway.

Noel shrugs her slight shoulders. “I guess I just always wondered if you were happy.”

“Yeah, I’m good,” I say flatly.

Noel searches my face before her eyelashes flutter and span across the spattering of freckles that grace her milky skin. “I don’t believe you.” Noel lifts her long eyelashes.

ADULT EXCERPT

Jagger

Noel maneuvers her small body so that she is facing me, and looks me in the eyes.

“Kiss me,” she says, before wetting her lips with the tip of her tongue.

I swallow hard as she places her leg over my hip.

“Fuck,” I breathe out as my cock continues to grow rock-hard. “I’m trying to show you that I came here to spend time with you and help you move. I don’t ever want to make you feel like I’m just trying to get into your pants. Don’t get me wrong, baby, I want you so fucking bad. I want you so bad that I live with a consistent case of blue balls,” I tell her with a chuckle. “What I want more than your body is your heart, Noel, and I’m dedicated to earning that back. I just need that to be clear.” I rub my nose against hers.

“When you’re done yammering on, I’ll take that kiss, Detective,” Noel tells me with a mischievous smile.

“Does that mean you’re willing to give me another chance?” I ask with a raised brow.

“It means, I’m thinkin’ on it,” Noel says before leaning in and placing a drugging kiss on my lips.

Noel’s bare, sexy legs tangle with mine under the sheet. I palm the soft cheeks of her ass and pull her body against mine, cushioning my hard cock against her panty-clad pussy. Noel throws a toned leg over my hip and arches her back. My cock grows harder than I thought possible.

I turn on my back, bringing Noel with me and she straddles my dick. My brain struggles to focus as Noel continues to kiss me wildly. Her eager mouth takes bold possession of mine, driving me mad with need. A savage desire takes over. I tear her panties off her body and flip her on her back with a growl.

“Jag…touch me…please,” Noel says between hard breaths as she spreads her thighs apart.

The scent of her hot, wet pussy rises to my nose, setting my body aflame. My hands go to her milky thighs and spread them further apart as my head sinks between her legs. I place her legs over my shoulders and dip my tongue into her sweet pussy.

“Oh…Jagger, what are you doing? Whoa,” Noel says between pants as her hands fist in the sheet.

“I’m licking your pussy, baby,” I tell her, before stroking her clit with the tip of my tongue. “So fucking good. I knew you’d taste like honey,” I say as my middle finger slips inside her wet heat.

Noel’s hands grab on to my hair and hold my head in place as she lifts her pussy off the mattress. “Fuck,” I groan out as my arousal reaches peak levels.