Chapter 4 - Everybody Loves Money

Juliet emerged from the curtained dressing room wearing another designer dress, this one in peacock blue. She stopped in front of a trio of angled mirrors, twisting and turning to see how it hugged all of her curves. The attentive store clerk, a young blonde named Shannon, stepped up behind Juliet and needlessly explained all the ways the design perfectly complimented Juliet's figure.

James sat across the room on a plush, lavender loveseat. He watched Juliet - the real, three dimensional version - in the center of the triptych of feminine beauty she presented. Shannon was quite the salesperson, but for James it was the body inside the dress that really sold it.

"Which one do you like best?" Juliet asked.

It took James a second to tear his eyes away from her ass and realize she was talking to him. Shannon held up the two other dresses to help him decide. James laughed inwardly, not sure what the two women expected of a backwoods boy from Alabama. A new suit was draped over the seat next to him, zipped up in a black garment bag just like the cash they were keeping in the trunk of Juliet's car.

Juliet could tell by his smile what he was thinking. But she wasn't going to let him off the hook.

"Come on," she urged him. "Which one do you want to rip off of me the most?"

Shannon made a tiny shocked sound, stifling her laughter as her cheeks reddened.

James never broke eye contact with Juliet.

"All of 'em," he answered honestly.

Juliet smiled and turned to Shannon. "I guess we'll take all three."

"I love it," Shannon gushed, her eyes wide at the thought of the commission she'd just earned. "Let's ring you up right now."

Shannon led them to the sales counter, making idle conversation as she wrapped each dress in tissue paper and placed them gingerly in a bag. Eyeing the garment bag that was now slung over James' shoulder, she smiled curiously.

"Is there a special occasion coming up?" she asked.

Juliet glanced at James. They were having special occasions multiple times a day. But it was more fun to lie.

"Our engagement party." Juliet answered smoothly.

"Oh my gosh, congratulations!"

Juliet bit the inside of her lip to keep from laughing. She looked again at James. He enjoyed how easy the lie came to her, and how easily it had spilled out. Not that he wouldn't marry her on the spot if he thought she'd say yes.

" Please come back when you're ready for a wedding dress," Shannon continued. "Our designers do customs and they would kill to have you as a model…"

Juliet accepted the business cards graciously. She didn't mention they wouldn't be in Phoenix that long.

Later that night the happy couple sat at a bar while they waited for a dinner table. Juliet could not stop staring at James' new haircut, running her hand through the still messy strands and the soft stubble of undercut at the nape of his neck.

"You admiring your handiwork?" James asked her.

Juliet smiled at the hair, the new suit, and his knowing smirk.

"I like it a lot," she admitted.

James had to suppress a purr when she scratched his scalp.

"You like dressing me up, don't you?"

Juliet leaned against the bar, rested her chin in her other hand, and nodded.

"I always liked my blonde Ken doll," she said. "Except for the whole missing penis thing."

"Imagine my disappointment," said James. "At six years old, stealing all the neighbors dolls and not finding anything under their skirts."

Juliet's smile deepened, taking her hand back to reach for her drink.

As she took another sip of her dirty martini, James took a glance around the restaurant. It was a fancy place. It was part of Juliet's world. They'd been in her world since she invited him to her penthouse suite; the hotel where the bellhops all knew her name, the bank where the branch manager hopped when he saw her, a designer dress shop with personalized service.

James took a sip of his own drink, the smoothest bourbon he'd ever tasted. When Juliet put her glass down on the bar, James took her hand smoothly in his own. He missed her touch already.

"You know," he said. He gave her palm a soft kiss. "If you're serious about walking into Florida's underbelly to look for a bottom feeder like Montgomery, it's not gonna be all fancy dresses and expensive restaurants."

Juliet smiled curiously. James gave two of her knuckles each a separate kiss, then rested their hands on her knee.

"I thought you liked my dresses," she teased.

"Oh, I do." James glanced at her chest, admiring the view down the front of the one she had on. The back of his finger stroked bare knee just past the hem of the skirt. "The people in the Florida dive bars aren't gonna trust you for a second, though. They'll probably think you're FBI. Or worse, a politician."

Juliet smiled. "So dress me." Her hand slid up his wrist, her fingertips playing under the cuff of his shirt. "What should I wear?"

James looked her over again, imagining them in a different setting. One with peanut shells on the floor.

"Hmm..."

One of his fingers slipped under the hem of her skirt, stealing another inch of bare skin. Juliet curled her fingers, scratching gently at the back of his wrist.

"A pair of tight jeans," James decided, for her long legs. "And maybe an old band t-shirt, ripped in just the right places. Like a hand-me-down from an ex-boyfriend." James looked up, into her eyes. "I bet you have a lot of those."

"Ex-boyfriends, maybe." Juliet replied coyly. "Never held on to their shirts, though."

"You didn't want any mementos?"

"I didn't want any evidence."

James chuckled. "Then we'll have to get you t-shirt."

"And you'll have to rip it in just the right places."

"I think we can make that happen."

They smiled at each other. Juliet glanced at his hair again, and at the suit. She was aware this wasn't his natural habitat, no matter how good he looked or how well he blended in. And that was the second time he'd hinted that looking for Montgomery wasn't a good idea.

"Do you think it will be dangerous?" she asked him, playful curiosity laced with budding concern.

"It might be."

"More dangerous than a car chase?"

He chuckled again. "Different kind of dangerous. Right now, all that cash of yours is a strength. Where we're going, being a stranger with too much money to throw around…the locals might think you're prospecting. Especially if you show up with someone they recognize."

"I imagine the police there probably have a more accurate sketch of you."

Juliet was teasing, but James' grimace was not as playful as before. James stroked the skin on Juliet's leg with his thumb, his other fingertips slipping behind her knee.

"It's not the police there I'm worried about."

"Who did you piss off?"

"All the wrong people." James replied with mock pride.

Juliet's hand squeezed his wrist protectively, possessively.

"I'll be there to watch your back," she told him. "And you'll protect me."

The look in his eyes was the promise. He may have had reservations about returning to old stomping grounds, but when it came to protecting Juliet there was no question or doubt in his mind.

"Yeah, I will." he told her with confidence. "No one touches you."

"No one but you," Juliet reminded him.

She was acutely aware of his hand inching its way further up her thigh. Even more so when he looked at her mouth the way he did. Juliet shifted in her seat, moving subtly closer to him. James looked into her eyes.

Suddenly it felt as if neither of them would be able to make it through dinner without an appetizer first.

Juliet reached casually for her pocketbook. She slipped a hundred dollar bill onto the bar next to their glasses, then snapped the pocketbook shut and tucked it back in her bag.

"Wait a few seconds," Juliet said quietly. "Then follow me to the restroom."

James' hand slipped out of her skirt as she slipped off the bar stool. He watched her walk away, his eyes on her hips in that new dress of hers. Then he downed the rest of his bourbon and walked the same way.

The restroom was empty, thank god. They weren't sure the alternative would have stopped either of them.

"We better be quick." James said as soon as he slipped in behind her.

"Be quick, then." Juliet challenged him.

No time for kisses. He grabbed the hem of her tight dress and yanked it upward, rocking her back and forth until it was up and over her hips. Then he spun her around to face the mirrors. Juliet braced herself on the sink. She could see in their reflection he was using one hand to open his pants. The other caressed her ass and lower back. There'd been no fabric under the dress to pull aside.

"Someone forgot to put on their panties." James taunted.

She smiled at him in the mirror, asking wordlessly if he really believed she forgot. Her expression changed as his hand slipped lower, between her buttocks, and lower still. She rolled her hips back, moving against the motion of his circling hand.

"You stay ready for anything," he marveled.

Juliet let out a shaky laugh. It was followed by a shaky moan when James pushed his middle finger inside of her.

Someone passed close by the restroom door, chatting loudly with a companion. Juliet's heart thudded in her chest, and James hand froze for a second. Whoever it was kept moving.

"Hurry." Juliet whispered, her eyes back on James in the mirror. His finger slid out, and she felt the much thicker head of his cock replace it, pushing inside. Juliet cried out loudly. With his hands free, James used one arm to hug her waist and clamped the opposite hand over her mouth.

"Shh, shh-shh-"

James thrust himself deeper as he shushed her. Juliet's eyes rolled back until her eyelids fluttered closed. Her moans were muffled through his palm but still audible if anyone stopped at the door for any length of time. James pulled out and thrust his hips again, pushing an intense grunt out of her. Juliet doubled over, doing anything to make more room for him between her legs. Her breasts almost spilled from the top of her dress.

James needed more leverage. He freed her mouth and waist, pulled her upper arms behind her back, and pulled her up straight. Then he hooked one arm around her elbows and held her arms to his chest. His free hand returned to her mouth before her shocked gasp had a chance to melt back into moans that echoed from every tile.

"If you stay quiet I'll let you touch yourself." he whispered.

Juliet's head fell back in compliance, and she forced herself to stop moaning. She held it all inside, letting it fill every inch of her body that wasn't already full of his cock.

"That's my good girl," he said, watching her in the mirror as the thrust of his hips intensified. The tendons in her neck moved, her brow furrowed, and the entire length of her body wriggled in his grip as he penetrated.

When Juliet had proven she could be obedient, James took his hand from her mouth, and gave her arms some slack, enough to let them both slip from his grip. Juliet's upper body fell forward, stopped in part by James' support and by the hand she shot out to brace herself against the sink. Her other hand went immediately between her legs. She had some catching up to do.

She squeezed her cunt in her palm, nearly launching herself through the ceiling at the first touch, and her throat whispered what would have been a powerful moan.

James wanted to help. He tangled his hand in her hair, wrapped her straight blonde locks around his palm and fisted it tightly behind her head. Juliet's mouth opened wider, that withheld moan threatening to burst forth any second.

James had a perfect view of everything. Her breasts jiggling inside her dress, her hand moving slippery between her thighs, and the round of her ass as he pounded her from behind. He loved her ass. He was going to have to take it the next time they had more than a rushed minute to take care of business.

She began to tense. The moan never came out, all energy diverted to the center of her body and then bursting into every nerve at once. Her body shuddered as James thrust harder into her. He bore down, covering her hand where she touched herself, pressing harder, pushing her orgasm deeper. She slipped her hand out from beneath his, reaching up to touch his neck, holding his face to hers.

His last few thrusts were wild and uneven, and pushed her tightly against the countertop. She bit her lip, her satisfied smile went dreamy as he came like punctuation for the fading pulse of her orgasm.

"Fuck." he breathed. "You feel so fucking good from the inside."

"So do you." Juliet purred.

His grip on her hair eased, and she placed both hands back on the sink, bracing for the pull out.

She took a moment to compose herself, the skirt of her dress still bunched around her waist while James quickly tucked himself back in. She was afraid her knees would buckle if she moved. Ever the gentleman, James took it upon himself to pull her dress down over her ass, taking one last appreciative look at it before hiding it away.

They heard the host call Juliet's name for their reserved table for two.

"Perfect timing." Juliet laughed, flushed and energized. She straightened, and made sure her breasts sat evenly in the top of her dress. "Can you walk?"

James looked in the mirror and saw the teasing twinkle in her eye.

"Can you sit?" he shot back.

He surprised Juliet with a hard smack on her left buttock, and checked the tuck of his shirt in the mirror before following her out.

They sat close - as close as possible without actually having Juliet in his lap - in a big corner booth with a view of the rest of the restaurant, cuddling, feeding each other, and talking about all the pieces of shit from James' past they might come across while searching the seediest parts of Florida for a man known as Montgomery.

"You think they'll recognize you?"

"You mean after all these upgrades?" James joked.

"I'll get you a pair of glasses."

"Like Clark Kent."

Juliet giggled. "Yeah."

James smiled, but answered seriously. "I'm sorta counting on it," he admitted. "Being recognized. I don't think they'd ever expect me back in a million years. Definitely not like this."

Juliet gazed at his profile, studying the length of his eyelashes.

"What happened back there?" she asked.

James stared at the candle burning in the middle of their table. He smirked mirthlessly at the flame. After some moments of silence he turned to look at his dinner date.

"Can I tell you some other time?"

Juliet smiled softly. "You don't have to tell me at all," she said. "If you don't want to."

"I just don't want to ruin the night."

Juliet looked into his eyes. He turned from her, to survey the food left on the table, but she took his jaw in one hand and made him face her. She leaned in, kissed his lips, then looked into his eyes again. She searched them for something, she wasn't sure what just yet. What she felt scared her a little, and she contemplated saying it out loud. But she didn't want to ruin the night either.

"I can still feel you inside of me," she said instead.

His smirk regained its mischief upon hearing it. He leaned closer, to whisper in her far ear.

"You gonna give me dessert?"

When his lips tickled her ear lobe, his hand was up her skirt, touching the folds of her bare pussy with his fingertips. He could still feel what they'd done earlier. He leaned back, his hand slipping away, just as their server returned to ask a similar question.

A short staring contest ensued, during which Juliet watched James casually lick his finger tips.

"Can we get the check, please?" she asked the server, glancing at them belatedly to make sure they understood.

On the road the next day, Juliet made an important phone call. James recognized the area code for Amarillo on the car's display.

"Juliet!?" was the first thing the other woman exclaimed as soon as the line was open.

Juliet smiled. "Hey, Helen."

"How the hell are you? I haven't heard from you in a minute, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. I'm…actually going to be in Texas tomorrow. I wanted to stop by, maybe spend the night, if that's okay with John?"

"Of course it's okay," Helen scolded her for ever doubting it. "He'll be thrilled to have you. We both will."

Juliet caught James smirking. Not as thrilled as I am, she knew he was thinking.

"I have a friend with me." Juliet added cryptically.

Helen didn't hesitate. "Juliet, whoever you call a friend is family to us. We can get a cot set up in the office -"

"They won't need a separate bed." Juliet assured her.

"Is that so?" Helen murmured suggestively. "Sounds like we've got some catching up to do…"

Juliet laughed, revealing nothing and not denying anything either. She let Helen know their estimated time of arrival, and ended the conversation with the promise that she'd explain everything once they got there.

"You seem close." James remarked after they hung up.

Juliet smiled, noting his slight surprise. She wondered if he didn't have any family he was close to.

"We are."

"Did you grow up together?"

"No, she's eighteen years older than me. She's more like an aunt, or an older sister. She helped raise me, really."

"Where was that? Tustin?"

"A few places..."

James glanced her way. Her hesitance was intriguing. He couldn't call it shyness; they'd passed that point the day they'd met.

"Long story?" he asked.

"Something like that."

"I've got a few of those…"

They had nothing but time on the road to Amarillo. So they swapped stories and laughed about their misspent youths. James argued Juliet's couldn't have been that misspent, if it led her to med school.

"I guess you could say I spent it perfectly, then."

James smiled proudly at her smug reply. "Pretty girls can get away with anything."

"So can cute boys."

"Aw, you think I'm cute?"

Juliet nodded.

James returned her smile. "I'll show you what I can get away with tonight."

In the car, she laughed. In the hotel bed, that night, with his cock up her ass and two fingers nestled in her pussy, she moaned. He'd promised to tell her all of his deep, dark secrets if she let him fuck her like this. She assured him she would do it for nothing in return. If he wanted it, she needed it. And she knew he would make it good for her, too.

She could feel him moving behind her, spooning while they fucked. He kept the penetration slow and gentle, like the kisses on her neck, and the way her hand followed his hand's motion over and inside of her. His middle and ring fingers were buried to the first knuckle when he came, his moans filling her ears while his hand teased her orgasm closer to the surface. Her body moved the same, hips thrusting evenly, even after his softened member slipped out of her. The grip of his hand was steady and the heel of his palm drew small circles that drove the pleasure deeper. He held on tight when she began to shake, and savored every moaning cry that came rapid-fire at the peak.

She pushed his hand away when it was too much. He gripped her inner thigh, pushing his leg between both of hers to feel the hot, wet mess they'd made together.

"Fuck." Juliet sighed, still writhing against the length of his body.

"You're god damned right." James murmured back to her.

His hand slid up the front of her body, between her naked breasts, to wrap softly around her neck and pull her face toward his. He slipped the two fingers that had been inside her into her mouth. Juliet closed her lips around them as he slid them back out. He kissed her, his hand closing around her breast while they shared the taste of her on their tongues.

She turned slowly in his arms, and wrapped him up in a hug with her whole body. James moaned against her neck, the softness and fullness of her body filling his soul to the brim.

"I hope the walls at your cousin's house aren't too thin," he said. "You'd have to chain me up to keep me off of you for a whole night."

Juliet chuckled, his confession tickling the skin on her neck right before he gave it a soft bite.

"No one's taking you away from me," she told him, a warning to the rest of the world.