Sassy Brit offers her own version of a flash fiction challenge. This week's prompt is brought to us by
Selena Blake, author of Stranded With A Cajun Werewolf. Since I'm gearing up for NaNoWriMo, I thought I'd give it a try, though what I came up with isn't my usual paranormal style. But, I figure, I need to stretch my writing muscles once in a while anyway.
Lexi Armstrong, Bounty Hunter
by: Dottie Taylor
word count: 1000
She had him in her sights. Billy Ray Roberds was one slippery-son-of-a-gun but nothing that Lexi Armstrong, bounty hunter extraordinaire, couldn't handle. Lungs burning she sprinted around the corner and drew her weapon.
"Freeze Billy Ray!"The dark haired man stopped and then slowly lifted his hands. The boys back at the office were going to be doing her laundry for a month thanks to their latest bet. Lexi always won. Always. "Up against the wall." There was a sudden tremor somewhere below her belly button as six feet of lean male did her bidding. But just as she was about to put her hands on him for a pat down, he turned and pegged her with the brilliant blue gaze she'd never forgotten."Dillon?"
Stunted, Lexi gazed back into the eyes she hoped never to see again. She cursed, gun still pointed at his chest. She kicked the dirt, grimaced. “I said up against the wall.”
“Come on Lexi, it's me.” He held out his empty hands. “You know a gun isn't my style.”
“Forget what you think I know. Forget you ever knew me in a previous life. Forget everything!” But as she stared back into his brilliant blaze, that same tugging sensation, the one she tried to ignore, came again. “Jesus, just grab the cement.”
He shrugged his massive shoulders, and turned around, hands stretched wide, and leaned. She stood watching him, remembering those hands and the magic they possessed. The way he touched her body.... Damn it, she could hear the rank laughter, Alexis always gets her man.
She stepped between his legs, briskly running her hands up and down his muscular arms, biceps bulging, across his broad shoulders, over his tightening chest, hardened abs, then lower to his belt, skimming her hands front to back.
“Christ, Lexi, careful where you touch. Damn!” He swore, tensing as her hands moved lower, over his bulging zipper, down the inside of his well-formed thighs. Her hands moved back up to his ass, before he relaxed again. She remembered his response all too well.
“Alright, I guess you're clean. Turn around, hands in front please, where I can see them.” He did as she asked, where she quickly and expertly zipped the band around his wrists.
“Lexi, will you look at me? Do you really think you need the cuffs?”
She didn't want to meet his gaze, that's when she got into trouble. “It's procedure, and you know, I'm a safety kind of gal.” She stared steadily at his chest. “Lets go, you aren't my only pick up today.” She nudged him with her foot, urging him forward.
He planted his feet wide, “I'm not moving until you tell me what happened. Where'd you go?” They had two fantastic weeks in San Juan, and then one morning, he got up and she was gone.
“Lets just say I came to my senses.” She slung her blonde hair over a shoulder. Finally, she raised her hard emerald gaze to his, making his catch his breath, she smiled. His face was darkly tanned, crinkles around his eyes from laughing, blue-black hair waved almost to his collar, a little longer than she remembered. But, it was the brilliance of his eyes that stopped her pounding heart. Her knees trembled, she squirmed, trying to relieve the tingling sensation.
“Lets go.” She pushed him, and he started walking toward the midnight blue Porsche on the corner.
“This your car?” He whistled. “Sweet!”
She opened the door, “Just shut up and get in.” With little effort, he slid into the seat, for a big man, he moved with grace and ease.
After she sat and buckled them in, he twisted to stare as she put the car into gear, pulling away from the curb. “Are you going to tell me what happened?”
“That Saturday, I decided to take a swim, order breakfast on my way back. A pretty pregnant woman was asking for Dillion Roberts's room.” She smiled up at him, watched his face pale.
“Shit, Veronica...”
“Yeah, Veronica.”
“My sister, she'd left her husband.” He shook his head.
She reddened. “I don't know what to believe.” She sighed, and drove in silence for about thirty minutes before she pulled into a garden neighborhood, stopping at a small brick house.
“Where are we? This can't be your office.”
“It's not.” Lexi whipped out a blade, cut the zip strip. “Come on in.” She stepped from the car, a few seconds later, he followed. They entered her house, he looked around. “Now, why don't you started at the beginning, tell me what's going on.”
For the first time, he looked uncomfortable. “I worked for this outfit, found money missing from the books. When I took it to my boss, he said he'd take care of it. Next thing I knew, the cops were at my door. Asked where I was the night before. Showed me pictures of my boss sliced and diced.”
“Shit, what's you're real name, is it Billy Ray?”
“No, I'm a reporter, working undercover, my name's Dillion Roberts, just like a told you in San Juan.”
“Okay.... Dillion...” She walked over to him, shoved him hard into the sofa. “Lets lay some ground rules.” She strolled over to the marble counter, poured two fingers of Jack, brought him one glass, downing her own. “Rule number one, I make all the rules. Rule number two, there are no other rules. Do you understand?”
“I think so, are you turning me in?”
“Not yet.”
“Why'd you bring me here?”
“Giving you the benefit of a doubt.” She slid onto his lap, her fingers swept over his chest. “Unfinished business, curiosity.”
He lifted his hands to cover hers. “Do you know what you're doing?”
“Not really.” She'd never hear the end of it, it would cost her greatly, but more was going on than she'd been told. “You're the first skip I haven't brought back.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, oh....” She brushed her full lips across his, sighing a breath, her tongue sweeping their seam, until they opened, and she tasted him. Her legs twined themselves around his waist, his hardness against her softening body.
He groaned, wrapping his hands across her ass, lifting them together. “Bedroom?”
“Second door.” The tip of her tongue licked his lips.
He sighed, resting his forehead against hers, “Jesus.” And he kissed her back, hard.
This wasn't how the day was supposed to end, but what the hell, you only live once.
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