Rising Bounty (7 page)

Chapter 12

The next morning

Roxanne couldn’t wipe the smile from her face. She probably looked like a silly idiot grinning ear to ear but she couldn’t help it. She and Abe had made love for hours last night. Then he held her while she slept and woke her up before dawn so that she could go upstairs to be there for Cici when she woke up. Neither one of them wanted to part ways and lingered in the hallway for a long time just holding and touching each other. Sounds inside the bedroom of Cici rolling over finally broke them apart. He went back downstairs and she went inside the bedroom and sat on the side of the bed.

“Good morning, sunshine.” She tickled Cici on her side when she yawned and opened her eyes.

“Morning. Mama, you slept in your clothes.” Cici pointed at her.

Roxanne looked down at her disheveled clothes that she had put back on in a rush. She hadn’t yet taken a bath or changed into fresh clothes. She longed to do that but at the same time hated the idea of washing Abe’s scent off of her

“You’re right and guess what, so did you.”

Cici looked at her own clothes and laughed. “Guess we were tuckered out.”

“Yes, we were. Let’s get you a bath and then breakfast.” She removed the covers and helped Cici get up. She went over to the suitcases. She picked the smallest one up and put it on the bed. “What do you want to wear today?”

“My blue shorts and the daisy shirt. I can swim in those, can’t I?”

“Yes, but we won’t go swimming until a little later, when it gets a bit warmer.”

“Aw mama, what will we do until then?”

“Maybe we can unpack our clothes and put them away.”

“Then what?”

“You could write a thank you note to Abe thanking him for letting us stay here with him.”

“Can I draw him a picture too?”

“He would absolutely love it if you drew him a picture.”

Roxanne opened the bedroom door and ushered Cici to the bathroom down the hallway. Her mother walked by, wearing her robe.

“Good morning, my beautiful girls.”

“Morning, Grandma!” Cici smiled and hugged her leg.

“Morning, Mom Are you done with the bathroom?”

“Yes, I’ll get dressed while you give Cici her bath and then I’ll take the little one downstairs while you shower.”

“Sounds good.” She entered the bathroom and leaned down to turn on the water.

“Can I have bubbles?” Cici asked with excitement.

“Not this time, honey. I don’t think the bubble bath was brought from the apartment. Take a quick one and use the soap, then maybe we can get someone to get us some items that didn’t make it.”

Cici sighed clearly disappointed. “Fine.”

She kissed her daughter’s head. Cici was such a trooper. No matter what changes happened around her, she always accepted the circumstances.

Roxanne was so proud of her and at the same time, she felt tremendous guilt for all the turmoil her ex had caused them. Maybe she should have left Darryl earlier, taken Cici with her and filed for divorce. She had done the best she could, considering she had no job or money of her own during her marriage. She had saved every little bit from their joint account that she could without drawing suspicion.

Twenty minutes later Cici was dressed with her hair brushed and was ready to go downstairs. Roxanne’s mother was waiting for them when they came out of the bathroom.

“Ready, my beautiful girl?”

“Yep.”

“I’ll be down in about twenty minutes.” Roxanne went into the bedroom to grab her own pair of shorts.

“Take your time, honey. We’re going to cook Abe a big breakfast.” Her mother waited for Cici to start going down the stairs and turned toward her when she came out of the bedroom. “Besides, I know you had a really long night last night.” Her mom winked at her.

Roxanne knew her face was red from blushing. “Mom.”

“Go take a shower and we’ll feed your man.”

“He’s not…”
her man.
Her mom was already halfway down the stairs. It made her think, though. Now that they gave in to their sexual feelings for each other, did this mean that they were together? Were they just releasing some tension and comforting one another? Or did Abe want more from her? Was she ready for more?

She entered the bathroom and turned the shower on. She wasn’t sure about anything. What she did know for sure was that she enjoyed being with Abe. He was sexy and smart, the best lover she had ever had, hands down. It wasn’t just the sex; it was the way he looked at her as if she was the only woman in the universe. He made her feel beautiful, strong, and sexy.

The last two things surprised her because for one, she didn’t see herself as a sexual person, and she always felt weak for letting Darryl ruin hers and Cici’s life. Abe accepted her and made her see that things weren’t her fault, that even though fear kept her in the situation longer than she liked, she was strong enough to get herself and Cici to safety and keep them there.

She tilted her head back as warm water cascaded down her face and over her chest. She groaned because it felt so good to be clean. She took the rag and soaped it up and rubbed it over her breasts. They were still sensitive from Abe’s ministrations but she wouldn’t change a thing. She touched one breast, while lowering her other hand to her pussy lips. She imagined what it would be like to have Abe there in the shower with her. She smiled knowing his hands would be all over her.

She inserted her finger but it wasn’t enough so she added another. Yeah, that was better. She teased her nipples, hardening them as she pumped hard and faster. The water was a little on the hot side and reminded her of how hot his tongue was as he licked every inch of her like he promised.

Thinking of Abe and the things he did to her made her body respond faster, and she quickly found her release.
Fuck!
That man was dangerous and he wasn’t even there.

She rinsed herself off again and turned the water off. She ached but it was in all the right places. She couldn’t wait until she could be with him again. A fleeting depressing thought occurred;
What if it was a one time thing?

*****

Roxanne came down the stairs, feeling refreshed and full of energy. She was excited to see Abe again but also felt nervous. All those pesky questions running through her mind were wanting answers, but, she didn’t want to ruin what they had started — whatever that was.

She needed to take things slowly, to feel him out to see how he acted first. He might think of their time together as just a one-time thing, a reaction to the heat of the moment. She looked up and saw her mom putting plates on the table and Cici sitting down in a chair. Where was Abe?

“Good morning, beautiful,” Abe said from behind her.

She turned around and her heart started beating faster at seeing him standing there looking so sexy. His hair was damp and he wore jeans and a really tight t-shirt.

“Good morning.”

He moved up to her and cupped her cheek. “Ye’re pure glowing.”

She blinked. “I am?” She felt joy and elation from his touch and she felt some of her worry inside lessening. Prior to their night together, she was wrapped up so tight, but now she felt softer, looser and ready for what comes next. One night with him had made her feel like a new woman. Then, their intimate moment was broken by her mother. He made her forget there were other people in the room.

“Stop making goo-goo eyes at each other and come over here before the food gets cold!” Her mom yelled from the kitchen. Cici giggled.

Shit!
They had been standing there staring at each other with longing. Great role model she was setting for her daughter. She quickly walked over to the table and sat down. Her mom motioned for Abe to sit down next to her. Her mom seemed to be trying to push them together as much as possible.

“This looks wonderful,” Abe said as he inhaled.

“Why, thank you Abe. Cici fixed the toast,” Sandy said, smiling, as she sat down.

Abe smiled at Cici as he took a bite of his toast. “Mmmm.—this is delicious, Cici.”

Her daughter beamed with happiness. Roxanne took a bite of her own toast and cringed, as she tasted all the butter Cici had put on it.
Good grief.

“Delicious,” she told Cici. She glanced over at Abe and he winked at her. Her heart skipped a beat. Oh no, she was falling for him hard. How did that happen? When?

“Eat, honey, you need your energy for later,” her mom told her. Then she smiled at Abe with a knowing look.

Roxanne rolled her eyes. If her mom had her way, she would have them married by tomorrow and a brood of little baby Abes running around before long. She looked from Abe to Cici. Having more children was something she had always wanted. Darryl’s primary reason for having another child was to try for a boy. Cici would be a great big sister and Abe would make a wonderful father
What the hell was she thinking?
She needed to clear her mind. There was still too much going on that needed to be settled before she could even fathom having a future with anyone.

Chapter 13

Vic dialed the number for Isaac as he looked out the window from Roxanne’s apartment. He had left Lexi downstairs to work in the club getting everything ready for the evening. He came upstairs to check on the apartment and noticed that the lock had been broken into but the alarm they installed wasn’t going off.

He checked each room to see if the burglar was still there. He found no one, but he knew all the drawers had been closed when Sandy and Lexi left yesterday. Now, they were only partially shut, which meant the burglar had been looking for something. He went to the front room and peered out the window without moving the curtain too much. He didn’t see the van that had followed Roxanne to the bail bonds office yesterday. Vic did see a white car parked across the street. Two people were sitting in the front seat. They hadn’t been there when he had first arrived.

“Yo boss man, what do ya need?”

Vic rolled his eyes. “Isaac, stop calling me that and stay professional.”

“Sorry. What do you need,
sir
?” Isaac asked, making the
sir
sound sarcastic.

“The apartment’s door locks are broken and for some reason the alarm didn’t go off.”

“I’ll get someone to replace the locks and I’ll take a look at the alarm system. It wasn’t the most high tech, I had to go with what I could get my hands on in such a short notice. It’s possible that if they power went out that the alarm would have shut down too.”

“Figure it out. We can’t have them coming back to an unsecure apartment. One more thing Isaac. There’s a car outside Roxanne’s apartment. Do you have them in view?”

“Got them. They weren’t there an hour ago,” Isaac told him. “I’m checking the plates. This one isn’t a rental like the van was — it has a permanent plate belonging to someone local.”

“Find out who, and send Shy and Blade out.”

“Will she need to dress up?” Isaac asked with excitement in his voice.

“Yes, I think that will get their attention.”

“Oh man, I love it when Shy gets to dress up.”

“Isaac, be professional.”

“You got it, boss man,” Isaac said before he hung up.

“I am seriously going to kick his ass,” Vic grumbled as he stuffed his phone into his back pocket.

*****

Roxanne smiled as she watched Cici climb onto Abe’s shoulders. Abe carefully gripped her ankles and then tossed her into the water not too far from him. He stayed close to help pull Cici up if she needed it. Cici demanded he do it over and over again. Abe did so every time without complaint.

“He’s a good one,” her mother said next to her on the chair Abe had brought with them to the beach area by the lake.

“He is. He’s really great with Cici. It usually takes a while for her to warm up to people.” She watched as Abe laughed at Cici splashing him in the face with water. He stood up and the water ran down his muscled body. She remembered how his body felt sliding against hers. She licked her lips.

“Hungry?”

“What?”

“I asked if you were hungry. I brought sandwiches.”

“Sure.” She looked back at Abe again.

“Or maybe you’re hungry for something — or someone — else,” her mother commented, making her gasp and look at her in shock.

“Mom!”

“Honey, I may be older and your mother, but I’m not dead. I see the way you look at that man and the way he looks at you. I also know you spent most of last night in his bed.”

She knew she was blushing, and she felt heat rise to her cheeks. “It was probably a mistake.”

“Was it?”

She sighed. “It didn’t feel like a mistake. For the first time, I felt something no one had ever made me feel before. I just don’t know if he feels the same.”

“You won’t know until you give him a chance. Give this a chance. Spend time with him, talk to him, let him in.”

“I’m not good at letting people in.”

“I know that, honey. For years, you pushed everyone away — everyone except Cici and me. When you finally let Lexi in, I thought it was a chance for you to open up and have a real life.”

“I didn’t know you were so unhappy. I’m sorry.”

Her mom reached out and placed her hand on hers. “I’m not unhappy. I’m just worried about you. You’re young and should have your whole life ahead of you to live to the fullest, but instead you’ve been running and hiding, shutting yourself off from any personal relationships. That does make me unhappy. It breaks me heart. I love you and you deserve to have so much more.” Her mother choked up and blinked back tears.

She leaned over and wrapped her arms around her mother’s shoulders. “I’m fine, Mom, really.”

“Hey there, me bonnie lasses. Did you save us some sandwiches?” Abe called out as he approached them from the lake, carrying Cici on his shoulders.

Roxanne looked up at them and smiled. “Of course we did.”

She reached for the sandwiches and handed them across the blanket she had laid out as they sat down. She held up a towel. “Come here, sweetheart. Let’s wrap this around you.”

They sat down and ate their sandwiches. They listened to Abe tell stories of growing up on Basin, laughing often at his humorous depiction of his childhood.

“Abe, I don’t understand why your grandmother would send you away,” Sandy commented.

“Mom, it may be too personal a subject.”

“It’s okay. For a while, I was pretty angry with my grandma. I thought she had abandoned me like my mom did. One night when I was about nine, I overheard my foster parents talking about sending me back to my grandma. I had caused a lot of trouble at school, starting fights and stuff. My foster mom said that they couldn’t, because my grandma was dying of cancer and was undergoing treatments. It was why she gave me away — she needed to find someone to take care of me in case she didn’t survive the treatments. After that, I turned my attitude around and when I could, I worked jobs to save up money. When I was finally old enough and able to, I moved back to New Earth so that I could take care of my grandma in her final days.”

Roxanne couldn’t take it anymore. She reached over and took his hand. “I’m so sorry, Abe.”

“I’m fine. It was a long time ago, and after my grandma died, I was alone. I’ve dealt with everything.”

“No one should have to be alone.” Roxanne squeezed his hand.

A throat clearing had them pulling apart. She looked over and noticed that Cici was lying down, looking sleepy. “Someone is ready for a nap.”

“The sun is full out right now. She could get burned if she naps here.” Abe sounded concerned.

“I’ll take her back up to the cabin while you two finish your swim.” Her mother woke Cici up. “Come on, little one, let’s go nap on a nice, soft bed.”

“Aw, I wanted to swim some more.” She yawned as she stood up.

“Maybe we can come swimming again tomorrow,” Sandy offered.

“I can take her, Mom.” Roxanne made to stand but her mom waved her back down.

Her mother shook her head. “Nonsense, you haven’t had a chance to swim hardly at all, and I know you love swimming.”

“If you’re sure.” Roxanne looked back at the lake longingly.

“I want to take a nap, too. I’m not as young as I used to be. Enjoy yourselves.”

Roxanne avoided looking at Abe until he touched her shoulder. She lifted her head. “Yeah?”

“Let’s go for a swim.” His voice sounded deep and rumbly.

“Okay.” She watched him stand up then he lowered a hand to her to help her.

“Ye should just take the shorts and t-shirt off. It’s only going to weigh ye down.”

“I’m not going skinny dipping in broad daylight with my impressionable daughter twenty feet from me.”

“Not naked, just down to yer underwear. It would be no different than wearing a bikini swimsuit.”

She bit her lip. Thinking about it, he was right. Could she do that, though?

“I promise, I have really good hearing. If yer mother or daughter come outside, I’ll hear them.”

She nodded her head and pulled her shirt over her head. She threw it to the floor. Then she reached for her shorts. He was watching her every move and for every bit of her skin she revealed, he licked his lips.

“Stop that.”

“Stop what?”

“Looking at me that way.”

He chuckled. “What way is that?”

“Like you — want to do more than swim.”

He stepped forward and lifted her up in his arms. “I do want more, but I’ll settle for a swim for now.”

“Put me down.” She kicked her legs but couldn’t stop herself from laughing. She wrapped her arms around his neck as Abe splashed into the water.

“Ye wanted me to put ye down, right?” Abe had a suspicious sparkle in his eyes.

“Don’t you dare...”

He winked right before he threw her up into the air. She came down splashing and holding her breath at the last minute. When she came up for air, she was sputtering and spitting water.

“You are in so much trouble!” She sent a big splash toward him but he ducked down under the water. When he didn’t come back up right away, she looked around her. “Abe?” Then she felt something tickling her leg under the water.
Oh god, what if it’s a snake?
Just as she was about to yell for Abe again, she felt a hand on her leg pulling her off balance. She went under again.

She came up again sputtering water. “Damn it, Abe!” She wiped her wet hair from her face. Abe wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against his chest. Her nipples were hardening.

“I can’t wait to be with ye again.” He kissed her.

She couldn’t help but respond to him. Her body seemed to memorize him, the feel of him. “Abe, we can’t do this now.”

He helped her wrap her legs around his waist. “I just want to hold ye, touch ye.” He kissed her like he couldn’t stop himself.

She responded the same. It was like he was a drug to her, and she relished the addiction. She looked up from the kiss and saw that Abe had moved them closer to some trees that blocked the view to the cabin.

“I’m ready,” Abe whispered against her ear.

“Ready for what?” She asked, tilting her head back to give him access to her neck.

“To have ye again.”