A/N: Lemons ahead! Will love to hear what y'all think!

Charlie shook her head, trying and failing to convince Monroe-and herself-that seeing him kill that man in the fighting ring hadn't turned her on. Her soaked panties told another story, and as Monroe stood before her still covered in his own blood and his opponent's, she just wanted him to take her right then and there. Still, she opened her mouth to protest.

Before she could speak, Monroe covered her mouth with his, kissing her savagely. He smelled of iron and salt and tasted of victory. He'd proven once again he was a ruthless murderer, but she was powerless to resist him. She'd thought she was turned on in the desert last night, but now Charlie thought she might literally die if she didn't get more of him, faster, harder, inside her. "Bass," she begged as he moved his mouth to kiss down her neck, wrapping his arms tightly around her, staining her new dress with blood. "Bass."

"What?" he whispered. His mouth was now moving down her chest, where he pulled the straps of her dress down, exposing her braless breasts. At the sight of her nakedness, he emitted a satisfied grunt and latched onto one of her nipples, suckling and biting ravenously. Charlie's head was spinning.

"Bass, I need you," she whimpered. "Please. Bass." She was nearly delirious with lust. How could she tell him… she needed… her thoughts twanged into fuzziness. Finally, God yes, he pushed his fingers inside her as he recaptured her mouth in a kiss. She bore down on him wantonly, soaking his hand with her wetness, rubbing her breasts against his bare chest. He thrust into her erratically, adding a third finger, but she was insatiable, needing only one thing. "Bass!" she puffed.

Suddenly, they weren't alone outside. "Where the FUCK is that sonofabitch?" Gould's voice snapped through the night air. "If he's left, he doesn't get paid, he knows that right?" Whoever he was with said, "I'll go look for him." Monroe and Charlie heard the tent flap fall into place as Gould went back inside.

"We have to go back," Monroe said huskily, still jamming his fingers into her sex, clearly not wanting to stop. "We… have to." His pace slowed and he removed his hand from her, pulling her dress back up. Charlie was dizzy with unsatisfied lust, but she knew he was right. If he didn't get back in there to attract the customers and earn his money for the night, all of this would have been for nothing.

They made their way clumsily back to the bar, holding hands tightly. A cheer greeted them as they walked inside. Gould hustled over, a fake smile plastered on his face, exclaiming, "I knew our star couldn't have left yet! Just getting some fresh air, there, folks! Come on over and have a drink with Jimmy King!" Gould tried to pull Monroe through the bar, but Monroe kept a grip on Charlie's hand and dragged her along with him.

Shot after shot was poured and consumed, talk was loud, laughter rang out, and all the while, Charlie's body hummed with desire for Monroe, whose side she never left. He seemed to have recovered just fine from their encounter outside the tent. He wasn't exactly gregarious, but he answered direct questions and, most importantly, was present. Someone had brought him a white button down shirt, which he donned and rolled up the sleeves of but remained barefooted as he had been in the ring. Streaks of blood were still visible on the sides of his neck and forearms, and his split knuckles had congealed into brown lines. His hair was slick with sweat, his eyes bright with feral intensity. He was the picture of a man fresh from battle. Charlie thought, for about the tenth time that hour, that she might literally combust.

Finally, without warning or a goodbye to the half a dozen or so admirers still gathered around, Monroe grabbed Charlie around the waist and steered her onto the dance floor. The band had set up as soon as Monroe and Walker cleared the ring and had been playing for about an hour. The band was perfect for a late night at a bar, the acoustic guitars and drums playing solid, sexy rhythms.

Charlie and Monroe joined about a dozen other couples dancing, in various levels of embrace. A new song had just started. Charlie didn't recognize it, but it seemed Monroe did. The singer crooned in time to a sultry beat. The woman in the couple next to them hitched her leg up around her partner's hip to get closer to him as they rocked in time.

Smoothly, Monroe moved Charlie around to stand with her back toward him. From there, she let the music guide her as she rolled her hips into his, feeling his hardness behind her. Monroe pressed back, and she bent her knees slightly, leaning her head back on his shoulder. They danced like that for several seconds, just enjoying finally being away from everyone. Even in a crowded room, they were somewhat alone at last. Monroe dropped his head down to kiss Charlie along the exposed line of her neck, then leaned forward to kiss her on the mouth. Her neck was twisted around almost painfully, but she didn't care. All she cared about was kissing him, more and more deeply.

Frustrated with the angle, she turned around and kissed him harder, naturally stepping into him with one of his legs in between hers. As they grinded in that position, Charlie's aroused pussy rubbed against Monroe's leg, and she struggled to control herself. They were still in public. They were still dancing. It wouldn't do to hump him like an animal in heat. Though she wanted to. Instead, the slow and steady rhythm they'd chosen built increased the friction between her legs to intolerable levels. Meanwhile, Monroe had molded his hands to her ass, pulling her down onto him, pressing his erection into her side.

The song ended and transitioned quickly into another, and Charlie took a beat to look up into Monroe's face. His gaze met hers, smoldering. Feeling hot, desperate, she pulled herself tighter into him as the band played on.

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After a while teasing themselves to higher and higher levels of arousal on the dance floor, Monroe lost his patience with Charlie straining against him and getting no relief. He wanted to pleasure her. Right there.

With the liquor buzzing in his veins and still high from the fight, Monroe didn't give a shit who saw. Slowly, he moved one hand off her ass and up under her dress to stroke her bare skin. Then he slipped his fingers under the material of her thong, finding her hot center. He quickly shoved one, two fingers into her and found the cluster of nerves inside that would give her her climax. Determinedly, he stroked her there, biting at the pulse point of her neck, desperate to get her over the edge. He'd never seen a woman so miserable with desire, and he knew that when she finally orgasmed, it would be like nothing she'd ever felt before. He wanted that, for her.

Charlie's breathing increased, and she pushed herself down onto his hand. He felt her abdomen tense up and knew she was close. The band wailed away in the background, and all the other couples seemed to disappear as he focused on her, giving her everything he could. Finally, he reached his thumb up and fondled her clit as he fingered her, and she practically jumped into his arms, her body shaking uncontrollably with her orgasm. A cry ripped from her throat, hidden from everyone's hearing but his by a crescendo of the music. Tears of relief streamed down her face, and she started to laugh into his shoulder, burying her face there.

Monroe gave a closed-mouth smile and closed his own eyes in relief, too. God. What a woman. What an incredible fucking woman he was holding. Her body weakened from the orgasm that had just torn her apart, she leaned heavily against him as they swayed to the next song.

Unable to help himself, Monroe pressed his still-raging erection into her body, hoping for some relief of his own. Across the bar, he met Gould's eyes and raised his eyebrows in a silent question: can we get out of here? Gould shook his head, "no;" they still needed to stay. Shit. Monroe grumbled with frustration, and Charlie looked up to meet his eyes.

"That was… I can't… thank you," she said, a little shyly. "That was incredible."

In response, Monroe bent his head down and kissed her, snaking his tongue into her mouth and again pressing himself into her. Following his lead, Charlie ran her hand down from where it rested on his shoulder, over his chest, over his stomach, and down to his crotch, where the leather ties of his pants were strained tight over his cock. She rubbed him firmly through the material, and he groaned into her mouth. Deftly, she untied his pants, loosening them, and stood aside slightly so she could get her hand around him. Monroe gasped and looked down at the sight of her hand wrapped around his engorged flesh. Raising his eyes up, he realized the whole fucking bar could probably see this hot little bitch about to jack him off in the middle of the room. He also realized: he didn't care.

Charlie worked her hand up and down Monroe's cock, and he knew it wouldn't take long. Feeling her come apart in his arms, after she'd been watching him like a hungry lioness for the past hour, had nearly driven him to completion already. And Charlie knew what she was doing. Her hand moved firmly and rapidly, stroking the length of him, curving over the head and back down. "Goddddd," he moaned, throwing his head back.

They'd long dropped any pretense of dancing, as they stood still aside from the movement of her hand on him. "God, Charlotte, yes. Right, fucking, there," he thrust into her hand with every word, and finally felt his climax overtake him. He pursed his lips and grunted loudly as he came. White, warm cum exploded out of his dick and onto Charlie's hand and his shirt. Breathing heavily, he pulled her off of him and fastened his pants. She held her hand out, awkward, unsure what to do, and he wiped it with his shirt carelessly. Then he pulled her back into his chest, closing his eyes in contentment now that they were both sated.

He wasn't sure how long they danced like that, wrapped in each other, occasionally trading kisses or idle comments. They were both too exhausted to go anywhere else, until finally Gould wobbled up to them tipsily and told them to get the hell out of his bar, it was late, then wandered away. Finally, they made their way back to the hotel, collapsing into Monroe's bed and falling to sleep.

A/N: Charlie and Monroe head back to Texas—and Miles. Next chapter should be posted soon!