Disclaimer - I don't own Twilight or it's characters, only the plot.

Thanks as always to Keye for prereading and Rita01TX who gets sent my garbled outpourings and polishes them until they shine. Thank you for everything you do for me xx

Wanted to give a shout out to all those who have hit favorite and follow. I love to know you guys are enjoying my words.

Chapter 37

Mentally preparing for the worst, I slid my fingertip under the lip of the envelope and ripped it open, careful to handle the paper as little as possible. I'd seen enough cop shows to know this could be evidence, depending on the contents.

I was right. It was a threat.

We got to your bike so don't think we can't get to you and those you love just as easily.

The note had been written in black ballpoint ink using very precise block capital letters and it was unsigned. Then again, I didn't expect it to identify the sender.

It said we. Was this a whole bunch of people out for my blood? Gut instinct told me it was more likely to be one, lone vigilante who wanted me to believe he had a gang behind him.

Fuck! It could be anyone but I figured it pretty much had to be someone close to Royce. Unfortunately, I had no idea who he used to hang with or who comprised his extended family.

For a while, I stood in my boxers rubbing one hand across the blooming stubble on my jaw while I considered what to do.

My first thought was that I was seriously pissed off. Some asshole had had the gall to come up to the house and put this in the mailbox but not enough balls to hand it to me directly. My second was concern for my family's safety. Would someone who hated me really want to do them harm? From my experience dealing with violent offenders, I'd found the ones who were all talk, making a big show of threatening you, tended to play on your fear and rarely put their money where their big, nasty mouths were. The truly dangerous ones acted without any warning, the sledgehammer fist to your nose sending you reeling before you could even ask what you'd done to find yourself on their shit list.

I'd been back in town for a few days so if someone was determined to take me out, they'd have done it by now. Had that really been their intention, they could've tampered with the brakes on the bike instead of trashing it, something I wouldn't have noticed in a dimly lit parking lot. Or, since she was pretty distinctive, they could've waited to follow me that night and plowed me off the road. It wouldn't even have been hard to make it look like an accident.

All things considered, I was pretty sure this was all about intimidation. Someone was hoping to turn me into a nervous wreck, developing an ulcer from all the double checking over my shoulder.

Good luck to them with that one.

Gingerly holding it by the corner, I turned the piece of paper over. As expected, the reverse was blank and I couldn't see any faint indentations which might have indicated this sheet came from a well-used notepad. Someone had been very careful and I doubted they'd have left any fingerprints but, just in case, I carefully slid it back into the envelope and hid it at the bottom of my underwear draw.

I suppose I should've taken it straight to Chief Swan. He'd told me to go to the station if I had any trouble but that was before he caught me locking lips with his daughter. I doubted he'd be eager to conduct a thorough investigation if it was my neck on the line. Of course, if he thought Ella might be at risk by association, he might be a little more interested...

...Shit! What if this person knew we were dating? What if she'd said something to that idiot boss of hers to get him off her back, or to one of her co-workers? It could be the talk of the town, by now.

The small hairs at the back of my neck stiffened at the idea of someone tampering with her truck or warning her off in that half-deserted lot.

"Dinner's ready!" Mom's voice floated up the stairs and I quickly dragged a pair of clean jeans up my legs and snagged a t-shirt, pulling it over my head as I hit the stairs.

The sound of metal scraping against china was the soundtrack to the meal as we sat at the table in silence. Using my fork to destroy the huge serving of lasagna, I shuffled the disassembled components around my plate. I'd been hungry earlier but with concern for Ella's safety nibbling away at me, I seemed to have lost my appetite.

Rose was uncommunicative, too…a gaunt shadow, riddled with guilt. Maybe she was still turning over the idea of going to counseling in her head. I hated to see her like this and hoped she wouldn't change her mind before I got the chance to arrange an appointment.

Mom repeatedly tried to engage us both in conversation. Luckily, she seemed to have forgotten about the letter as she rattled on about my job, asking our opinion on whether she'd used too much garlic in the pasta sauce and requesting Rose's help to prune the shrubs in the morning.

It wasn't her fault all this mundane stuff didn't hold my interest. I felt a twinge of guilt for responding in mainly one word answers but I didn't have the stomach for polite dinner conversation.

When I felt I'd been there long enough and managed to squish the food into a small enough pile on my plate, I asked to be excused. As usual, she tried to hide her disappointment as I pushed away from the table and slunk back to my room.

I'd promised to phone Ella but the call was a little stilted…nothing more than small talk and niceties. Talking to my girl should have been exciting only I couldn't shake the idea someone might be watching her long enough to let myself relax. She must have sensed something was bothering me tonight because she accepted my poor excuse to get off the phone without protest.

After hanging up, I sat on the bed shredding my hair and tugging at my bottom lip for a while trying to make a decision. What I should do and what I wanted to do were two difference things. What I should do is not interfere in Ella's life because she would kick my ass if she caught me. What I wanted to do was drive to the bar later just to make sure she got home safely after her shift. However, in light of the note I'd received, allowing her to walk out to her truck alone after midnight was out of the question, as far as I was concerned. So, I decided to do what I wanted to do. If anyone was going to be hiding in the shadows tonight, it was going to be me.

Mom and Rose finally turned in but I waited another half hour for them to fall asleep before slipping quietly out the door and pushing the bike a safe distance up the driveway before kicking her into life. I'd left a note on my dresser explaining how I couldn't sleep and that I'd gone for a ride to clear my head. As a fully grown man, I shouldn't have had to do that but even from so far away, the Harley was loud enough to wake the dead and the last thing I needed was Rose or Mom freaking out and calling the cops if they found me missing in the middle of the night.

With my habit of being early, I made it to the bar with about forty minutes or so to spare before Ella's shift was due to end. I made a quick circle around her truck to check it hadn't been tampered with…no nails under her tires, no sign of any leaking fluids. Everything seemed okay.

By now, it was close enough to throwing out time that the bar was half empty. I'd parked in the corner behind the dumpster, deep in the shadows. From that position, I had a limited view into the bar's windows and, while I was watching, some drunk guy stumbled noisily out the saloon style door, swaying as he moved. He managed to make it to the corner of the building before checking over his shoulder and yanking down his zipper to take a leak against the wooden wall.

In the stillness of the night, I was tempted to have a little fun at his expense by growling like a bear or maybe snarling like a wolf but, before I could cup my hands around my mouth, something else caught my eye.

Ella was clearing a table close to one of the windows, the bright overhead lights haloing her in a warm amber glow. The outline of her flowing hair seemed to be on fire as she toiled away with downcast eyes. My girl was a vision, an angel in a low cut white t-shirt. I watched her stretch her back and neck, her breasts rising as she tried to loosen some of the tension she was carrying and my fingers tingled as, for a split second, I considered sliding in silently behind her to massage her neck and work out the knots.

She would sense my presence but she wouldn't turn around as I brushed her hair over one shoulder before letting my fingers work in feather soft circles against her smooth skin. I'd probably indulge myself a little by brushing my nose along the length of her neck, inhaling her scent as I went, my hands shifting to trace along her arms. I'd like to think she'd wilt back against me and whimper with desire when my lips finally made contact with the flesh of her throat, my tongue snaking out to taste her salty skin as my lips caressed...

What the fuck?

My sexy massage fantasy was cut short when that jackoff boss of hers read my mind and sidled up behind her. Instead of sensually caressing as I'd imagined doing, he seemed to be using long strokes and firm pressure. She grimaced as if in pain as he kneaded her shoulders and my hands automatically clenched into tight fists as I fought back the urge to storm in there and snap his fingers backwards.

He left his hands on her body far too long for my liking and my vision began to turn red. Even though I knew they'd worked together a long time and the lines of acceptable conduct might be a little blurrier than if they were complete strangers, I did think she didn't look particularly comfortable with the contact and I tightened my jaw to the point of breaking a tooth when I saw him lean in and whisper something close to her ear.

Was he telling her she was beautiful? Maybe he was asking her out on a date! How would she respond if he did? Had she told him about me? Had she told anyone at all? He'd already insinuated they were an item and, although I hadn't believed him, I could see he was one persistent sonofabitch.

My breathing sped up as my fight or flight response mechanism ratcheted up a notch. I knew full well which one I'd be doing if that bastard didn't move the hell away from her. I'd be swinging in through those doors like a Wild West gunslinger and staking my claim. Inhaling deeply through my nose, I tried to remain calm while I remembered my anger management tips and slowly counted to ten.

One...two...three...aw, fuck it. Ten!

Just as I took one step away from the cover of the bushes, Ella managed to wriggle out of his grasp. I froze, my eyes glued to her face, studying her reaction. The tension in my spine ebbed as she shook her head and held her hands up, an open and submissive gesture but, coupled with the fact she was saying no, it meant an end to the conversation.

That's my girl…you tell the slimy creep to fuck off!

A smile flickered at my lips when she turned away, disappointment obvious on his face. He hovered a moment as if he was going to say something more before thinking better of it and walking in the opposite direction.

With the threat passed, I relaxed and blended back into the shadows.

A few minutes later, the lights were extinguished and they exited the bar together. So focused on watching her idiot boss, I almost missed the outfit she was wearing…black bomber jacket, knee high stiletto boots in black patent leather, and a pair of tiny denim shorts with cutesy turn-ups.

Fuck me! Who wore an outfit like that...to work? Damned if she wasn't unadulterated sex on legs. Hell, just a glimpse of her had my cock straining against my zipper. No wonder that fucking octopus, Jake, was having trouble keeping his hands to himself. As much as I liked her in it, and believe me I liked it…a lot, I didn't like the thought of every guy in the place watching her with their eyes on stalks and more than likely palming their dicks under the table.

"See you tomorrow, Ella," he called out, his eyes glued on her ass as she scurried over to her truck as fast as those spiked heels would allow.

"Okay, g'night, Jake," she responded with nothing more than a cursory glance over her shoulder. She seemed eager to get to the safety of her truck's locked cab and I'd like to think it was because she wanted to get away from him. However, it was probably more in case anyone was lurking in these shadowy bushes…which they were.

Only slightly embarrassed at being the lurker in the bushes, seeing as how it was for a good cause, I let them both leave before even bothering to start the bike. Since I already knew which route she'd be taking, giving her a head start was no problem.

The Harley purred beneath me as we slipped onto the highway. I could see the red glow of Ella's taillights a few hundred yards ahead and, although it was tempting, I made sure not to get too close. If she got the wrong idea about my stalker-like behavior, I was afraid she'd freak the fuck out and never speak to me again.

Expecting her to take a left turn towards her home, she surprised me by heading straight ahead. Frowning, I did a double take as I passed the missed turn off. Damn it! I'd been away a while but not so long I didn't remember my way around Forks.

My mind did a fast jog through a list of unsavory possibilities. Was she staying somewhere else tonight? Had someone called her? Was she meeting another man…her boss, maybe?

I dropped back a little more, widening the gap between our vehicles.

What the hell?

She made a sharp right, pulling into the entrance to Forks High School.

Something was wrong. She shouldn't be heading in there! It only led to the parking lot with this the only way in or out. It was a dead end and she'd be trapped. I slowed the bike, wrestling with a dilemma. Should I follow or not? If I made the turn, it would be obvious I was tailing her but if I drove past and she was in any kind of trouble, I'd never forgive myself.

In the end, it was an easy decision to make. I couldn't leave her alone, especially if she had a problem.

With a determined flex of my jaw, I swung around to follow.

The place was in total darkness. Only the small pool of light from my headlight and the fact I'd ridden this driveway a hundred times before meant I knew the way. Climbing up the steep incline gave me all kinds of weird déjà vu, tormenting me with memories of my more carefree days. Tingles of excitement danced up my spine as I remembered breezing through classes, favorite teachers and hanging with Jasper.

Of course, that was before he'd dropped me like a hot rock. I hadn't seen him around town since I'd come back and the rogue notion of making the effort to track him down and confront him flit through my head but fuck that. If he couldn't be bothered with me, I sure as hell didn't need to go chasing after him. I might not have many friends left but I wasn't that desperate for company.

The driveway soon opened up into a huge parking lot that looked deserted at first glance. Anxiety began to coil in my stomach when I couldn't see Ella's truck and I started to wonder if I hadn't imagined her turning in here.

Shit! I was blinded by a strong light dazzling me from the far corner of the lot. Ella must have hit her high beams. I winced away from the brightness as I heard her truck door slam.

"What the fuck are you doing?" she yelled.

Guess I hadn't been as inconspicuous as I'd thought. With a sigh, I flicked the chinstrap open and dragged the helmet off my head, running the fingers of one hand through my hair.

"Oh, thank God it's you, I…hey, you got your headlight fixed," she exclaimed in relief and I realized she hadn't known for sure who'd been following her.

My eyes were beginning to adjust to the brightness and I could see her silhouette moving towards me. The fact she'd gotten out of the relative safety of her cab when I could've been some kind of crazed lunatic scared me into a righteous rage.

"What the fuck, Ella? You're saying you didn't know it was me but you led us both up here anyway?" I ranted.

"I knew someone was following me and I figured it might be you since there aren't that many bikes in Forks," she shrugged.

Guess it wasn't so strange she'd noticed me on her tail. She was a cop's daughter, after all, but damn…what if I'd been the idiot who'd sent the note?

"So, on a hunch, you led a potential rapist or murderer here…," I stormed, swinging an arm in an arc to illustrate how dumb she'd been. "…to a deserted parking lot where no one would see or hear anything and then you get out of your truck to confront him with no weapon?"

She glanced around and I expected her to look a little shamefaced for not thinking this one through. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned her weight on one leg…one shapely, almost bare except for the dominatrix style boots, leg.

I swallowed and shifted on the saddle.

"I'm not unarmed," she scoffed indignantly. "I have pepper spray...and I know how to use it."

That's when I spotted the slim, cylindrical tube held tightly in the palm of her hand.

"What if I'd had a gun?" I countered, a little of my initial annoyance being replaced by the irresistible urge to poke this feisty little kitten.

"You can't have a gun, parolee," she sneered, jutting her chin a little more at having played her ace.

"Doesn't mean I couldn't get hold of one if I wanted to and anyway, you said yourself you didn't know for sure it was me," I replied triumphantly.

Checkmate. She narrowed her eyes, struggling but failing to come up with an answer to top me. Too stubborn to back down, she played her only trump card.

"Why the hell were you following me, anyway? You some kind of creepy stalker, now?"

I didn't want to scare her by revealing the contents of the letter but I was holding a tiger by the tail and I couldn't resist pushing my luck. Seeing her like this, all worked up and indignant, was turning me on something fierce.

"Maybe."

"Edward Cullen," she cried and I half expected to see her stamp her foot. "Do you want me to spray you?"

Wouldn't have been the first time I'd been peppered if she had, not that I would tell her that. Her temper had swelled my cock to its fullest dimensions and with that toothless threat, any remaining anger I'd had dissipated.

"Are you afraid of me?" I asked, standing up a little and awkwardly swinging one leg over the bike.

"No," she said in a small voice, surprising herself with the answer.

"You should be. I'm a volatile, ex con who was secretly trying to follow you home. Sounds scary to me. What makes you think I didn't have evil intentions?"

"Because..." she paused to bite at her bottom lip and it was sexy as fuck. I couldn't hold back any longer when she blurted out. "Because you've already sexed me up once so I don't suppose you'd get anything out of raping me and..."

Placing my helmet on the saddle, I strode around the front of the Harley, a half smile on my lips as I held my glove between my teeth and tugged my fingers free.

"And?" I asked, tossing them into my waiting helmet.

"...and murdering me would be just plain dumb."

I joined her in the pool of light from her truck's big headlights. There was nothing more than a couple of feet separating us. From this angle, there was just enough illumination to see her breasts rising and falling with each breath. The night air was chill and, where her jacket had fallen open, I was treated to the sight of her hardened nipples straining under the white cotton.

"How so?" I asked, trying to appear cool and detached but inside I was a drooling mess, one step away from falling on my knees and begging for her to let me fuck her.

The closer I got, the higher her chin rose as she tried to make eye contact with me. She was doing her best to look annoyed but I caught the flicker of desire in her eyes.

"Because, if you enjoyed the sex as much as I think you did, then I figure you'd want to do it again…and again, and again, so killing me would be totally pointless. You'd be cutting your nose off to..."

Yanking her into my arms, I silenced her with my lips, my hands circling her slender waist to gather her body close to mine.

The kiss wasn't particularly gentle. It was greedy…me taking what I needed from her, my tongue plunging into the silken wetness of her mouth to drive away visions of Jacob's hands on her skin. She dropped the can of mace and wound her fingers tightly into the hair at the nape of my neck as she pressed her body against me, twisting to get as close as she possibly could. The way she tugged was almost painful but totally worth it to know she felt the same heat.

One palm slid over the swell of her ass and brushed down her naked thigh before squeezing gently. I needed to see those fuck me boots again so I pulled back and glanced down.

"What's wrong?" she asked breathlessly.

"Those boots," I said and she frowned.

"You don't like them?"

"I fucking love them," I blurted. "I was just wondering how they'd feel over my shoulders."

Damn sex pheromones loosening my tongue. I held my breath a beat while I watched her face, unsure if I'd blown my chances by being so crude. Was she the type who expected a man to be a gentleman? She licked her lips, her eyes fixed on me.

"Wanna find out?" she purred.

Damn! I might have waited longer than most to get a girl but when I eventually did, I totally lucked out.

Flashing a smug grin, she didn't have to tell me twice. My cock throbbed as I ground myself against her hip letting her know exactly how she was affecting me.

She reached one hand out to grip me through the denim and I groaned, my eyes rolling to the stars above us as she began to move along my length, squeezing ever so slightly as she went.

"Come on," I growled, my eyes squinting as I scanned the lot for somewhere to go. With lust clouding my rational mind, I clasped her hand, linking our fingers as I led her towards the verge at the edge of the lot. It was far enough out of the light that our actions wouldn't be caught on any security cameras that might be sweeping the area and somewhere much softer then the asphalt.

Ella read my mind and pulled me up.

"Not on the grass. The dew…it'll be wet," she protested.

"What if I like it wet?" I whispered close to her ear and she hissed in response.

"Truck...now," she demanded and I pulled her in its direction. I'm pretty sure she was expecting me to head for the cab but instead, I moved us to the front. I'd always had a fantasy of having sex on a car hood and this was too good an opportunity to pass up.

Hers was one fuck ugly pick-up truck with dull red paint and a blunt, heavy hood. A thick chrome fender sat beneath a snarling grille that would be just about perfect for someone to prop their feet on.

She didn't protest as I grasped her waist and lifted her cleanly to sit up on the edge of the hood. Positioned between the headlights like this limited the amount of light but it was enough to see her bite her lip and nod as I raised my eyebrows to make sure she was okay with this.

She leaned back on her elbows and I tried not to gape at her spread out before me, head tossed back, legs slightly parted and those fucking sexy boots.

She was beyond beautiful.

Placing my hands on her thighs, I inched them higher, loving how her eyes slid closed as my fingertips skimmed along the edge of her shorts. I toyed with the tiny cuffs a little, building the tension and enjoying her squirms of anticipation. My thumbs slid over the denim, skimming between her legs and she gasped softly.

As I worked the button open and tugged the zipper open, Ella arched her back to allow me to tug the garment down. I had no intention of removing those boots no matter how much I had to struggle to get the shorts over them.

Holy shit!

If I thought I was hard before we started, the sight of her waiting for me in a black, lacy thong had my cock hard enough to cut diamonds.

"You are so goddamn beautiful, I can hardly breathe," I murmured, daring to run my finger down the front of the lace. I leaned in a little more to place a kiss on the tiny bow at the front and her knees fell to the sides as I ran my tongue down the thong to the top of her mound. The fabric was already damp, the scent of her arousal strong. It wasn't like anything I'd ever smelled before but it was definitely my siren's song…something I wouldn't be able to resist.

Smelling wasn't enough, I had to taste.

Hooking the fabric to one side with my finger, I plunged my tongue right into her hot core.

Irresistibly sweet with a faint tang…that was the flavor of my woman. One hand fumbled to pop my jeans button and free my cock while the other pressed her thighs open. Moving on autopilot, my tongue lapped, nose rubbed, lips sucked as her hands came down to grip onto my hair. I barely registered her moans of pleasure in my greedy need to capture more of her essence. I had no oral skills but I must have been doing something right as she writhed urgently beneath my tongue and suddenly cried out.

"Oh, my God! Fuuuuck, Edward, I'm...I'm cumming."

I continued working my mouth until she squealed and pushed me away. Pulling back, I watched as she came down from her high…breathing ragged, mouth slack, dark eyes fixed on mine.

She was magnificent, a sexual goddess, and I'd done that to her.

Wiping the back of my hand across my mouth to hide my grin, I bent to kiss her. My tongue still held her flavor but she didn't try to avoid it, her arms wrapping tight to pull me closer.

"Edward, that felt so fucking good," she whispered between sloppy kisses, "Let me make it good for you, too."

I broke away to find my wallet, shaking fingers fumbling to find the spare condom I'd kept there since our date.

Without taking my eyes from hers, I held the corner of the foil square between my teeth and carefully tore it open.

I'd already hooked my erection free but, for comfort's sake, I managed to shove my clothing a little farther down with one hand before rolling the rubber into place.

Ella licked her lips, desire clear on her face. She wanted it...wanted me. A wave of emotion swelled my chest and I wondered who the hell had decided I should get to be so lucky all of a sudden.

"Ella, I..." I swallowed hard, not sure what I actually wanted to say. It wasn't that I loved her; those words were special and it was too soon to know if that was what was happening between us but, by the same token, I like you sounded far too weak. She looked at me expectantly, her eyes larger than ever as she hung onto my silence like it was the most important thing in the world. Eventually, I settled on, "I...I need you."

"Edward," she crooned. Her fingers stroking my jaw and my name on her lips was all the encouragement I needed to pull her ass a little closer to the end of the hood and brace myself with one foot on the fender.

Brushing the tip of my cock against her entrance a couple of times, I made sure our positioning was right before pushing my way slowly inside.

There was no feeling on earth to rival being enveloped by her warm, velvet walls. It was almost a religious experience, my entire body and soul seeming to connect with every stroke. Pulling back a little, I drove myself in as far as I could get, roughly shoving her t-shirt up and kissing whatever bare skin I could reach…her flat stomach, the wrists of her hands that were in my hair again, the nipples covered by the cotton of her bra.

One of her legs wrapped around my hip and the sharp heel of her boot pressing into my ass cheek spurred me on, kick starting the animalistic part of me that responded directly to sex.

"Hang on tight," I grunted before speeding up my movements. She did as she was told, clinging tightly with one hand in my hair, the other gripping the shoulder of my jacket. The metal beneath us was groaning and flexing as our breathing came hard around the grunts and moans.

"Please, I need more...harder...yes...yes...YES!" she wailed into my ear and I forced my hips to move even faster, circling with every thrust to try and hit the same spot deep within her.

"Oh, fuck, baby! I can't last…I'm gonna cum," I groaned, feeling the all too familiar tingle starting in my balls and spreading along my shaft and thighs.

"Yes, Edward," she whimpered. Even through the rubber sheath, I felt her pulsing around me. It was too much stimulation and, with one final push, I exploded with the strongest orgasm I'd ever felt.

Weak kneed, I practically collapsed on top of her, sweaty and sated.

"Ella," I gasped as I came down from my high. "That was...amazing."

She seemed as blissed out as I was, playing with my hair, threading it through her fingers. It felt nice and if it wasn't for the fact I was probably crushing her, I'd have stayed like that a little while longer.

"It's late," I said finally, forcing myself upright and peeling the used condom from my spent dick.

She didn't seem to be in any hurry to move, awkwardly adjusting her thong before propping herself up on her elbows.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," I answered, fastening my jeans before reaching to pick up her discarded shorts.

"Why were you following me tonight?"

My shoulder muscles tensed. She wasn't accusing me anymore; just curious, I guessed, but I had no intention of telling her about the letter. I didn't want her getting upset about something that was probably an empty threat and I certainly didn't want her panicking and breaking things off between us. I might not be in love with the girl but I didn't want her walking out of my life.

I sighed. "Um, Thursday seemed too long a wait to see you again?"

While it was only partially true, I didn't feel too bad when her response was such a bright smile.

"Here, let me." I helped her get her boots through the legs of the shorts and steadied her as she jumped down from the hood.

Stretching out my back, I scrubbed my fingers through my hair. More than anything, I wanted to crawl into the cab of her truck and fall asleep with her wrapped in my arms.

Ella's gasp immediately shook me out of my reverie and I cursed myself for being too relaxed.

"Edward, look!" she exclaimed, one hand pressed over her open mouth.

She was staring at her truck. I frowned until I realized what she was gawking at so intently. The front section of her hood was caved in right where I'd pounded into her.

"Oh, shit," I chuckled.

"Fuck, Edward. It's not funny," she hissed. "How am I going to explain that to Charlie? He's gonna think I was involved in a hit and run."

By this time, I was belly laughing easily picturing Deputy Dawg interrogating her while she squirmed under his spotlight, all red faced and tight lipped.

"Well, swing by the garage tomorrow and I'll knock it out for you," I said.

"Won't your boss mind?" she asked.

"Doubt it but I'd do it on my break anyway," I said.

"Um, okay...thank you," she stammered, scuffing the toe of her boot against some loose chips of asphalt, almost as if my doing something for her made her feel awkward. I didn't like her feeling that way. Hell, she was my girl and if she needed help I'd be there.

"Ella, you don't need to thank me, not when I'm the one who made the dent," I insisted.

She relaxed before rising on her toes to kiss my cheek.

"I guess I'm just not used to anyone wanting to take care of me," she admitted.

Well, that would make two of us, then. Before she could dance out of my reach, I swept her up into my arms and kissed her senseless.

"Get used to it, babe!"

Hmmm, who likes the thought of their own personal stalkerward?

See you next week x