Royal felt Lovey’s fingertips dip below the waist of her pants as Lovey shifted her position. She’d moved off Royal’s lap enough so that she could reach into the front of her trousers. Royal involuntarily moaned softly as Lovey’s fingers began to stroke slowly. She deepened their kiss, holding Lovey’s face in her hands and giving herself over to Lovey’s demanding touch. It was only a moment before she climaxed into Lovey’s hand.
She felt Lovey move her hand, but she left it to rest on Royal’s stomach, near the opening of her trousers.
Royal wanted to say something, but she was afraid she’d say too much. Her senses felt raw, her feelings too close to the surface. She pulled Lovey’s head to her shoulder and kissed her forehead, allowing her lips to linger there. She silently composed lines of poetry in her head.
Standing at the edge of outer darkness
Adrift with secret longings.
Royal knew that making love to a woman was easy. It was what came after that mattered to her. It was what came later that meant something. Would this be different? Would they hide their feelings away? Would they only love each other in secret? She hoped not.
“What are you thinking?” asked Lovey.
Royal didn’t want to answer honestly and run through their bliss with the truth like a sharp blade. She wanted to linger in this singular place that only she and Lovey shared. So instead of her fears, she shared a wish.
“I was thinking that I’d like to spend the night with you.”
“That would be nice.”
“The whole night. I’d like to be able to hold you in my arms all night and feel no urgency to let you go. I’d like to have all night to explore all your beautiful curves and caress all the spots that make you feel cherished.”
Lovey looked up and smiled at her. “I believe you might be a hopeless romantic, Royal Duval.”
“Would you expect any less from a daredevil poet?”
Lovey laughed as she buttoned her blouse. Royal couldn’t help but smile. God, Lovey had a great laugh, throaty and sincere. She had the sort of laugh that could chase any shadow in your heart out into the light.
❖
They’d only been back on the main road for a matter of minutes when Lovey felt Royal touch the brakes. She’d been lost in thought watching the lush summer landscape sweep past the open window, her chin resting on her arm. As she felt their speed decrease she focused on the road ahead of them. A car was headed toward them with flashing headlights.
“Who is it?” Lovey straightened in her seat, feeling nervous, but she wasn’t sure exactly why. She’d never been stopped by the authorities before, but this looked like a police car. Had they been speeding and she hadn’t noticed? The large dark sedan had a single light mounted on the roof, although at the moment it had not been turned on and she heard no siren.
“It’s Boyd Cotton, the local sheriff. I’m pretty sure he wants me to stop.” Royal slowed the Ford and eased to the side of the road as the other car pulled diagonally in front of them. Royal didn’t get out of the car right away, but Lovey noticed her knuckles were turning white from her clenched grip on the steering wheel.
Lovey and Royal sat quietly as Boyd approached the car. He was a stout man, thick through the middle, wearing a white collared shirt, with sleeves rolled to his elbows and dark pants. He had a heavy belt with a holstered revolver. He pulled his wide brimmed hat low, casting his eyes in shadow, as he got closer. He banged on the roof with his hand.
“Step out of the car, Royal.” He stood back away from the door so that she could exit the car.
Royal spoke quietly to Lovey as she pushed the heavy door open. “Don’t worry. I’ll be right back. And don’t get out of the car unless he asks you to.”
Lovey nodded. Her stomach clenched. They’d just been fooling around in the car. She was sure her hair was a mess. She hadn’t even checked her lipstick, and then she noticed at the last instant a smear of red on Royal’s shirt collar. The red smudge might as well have been the scarlet letter, because as Royal stepped along the side of the car it was all Lovey could see. She hoped Boyd Cotton wouldn’t notice.
Lovey couldn’t clearly make out what Boyd was saying from inside the car, and it was hard to read Royal’s body language. She didn’t seem to be afraid of this man, but she also wasn’t striking a defiant pose.
Royal crossed her arms in front of her chest, then decided to thrust her hands in her pockets in an attempt to seem less defensive. She wasn’t sure what Boyd wanted, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to stir up trouble with Lovey sitting in the car. She cleared her throat and waited for Boyd to decide to say something. He was leaning against the side of the car with a cocky sideways grin on his face. Then he stopped smiling, straightened up, and took a step closer to Royal. She shifted back a step in response.
“You seen your uncle today?” Boyd was several inches taller than Royal; he tipped forward so that she could see his eyes.
“No, I haven’t seen him.”
“Don’t he just live across the hill from your mom’s place and you ain’t seen him?”
“I don’t make a habit of checking in with Wade unless I have to.” Royal didn’t like her uncle. She certainly wasn’t his keeper.
“Well, Wade’s been short lately.” Boyd leaned back against the car again, crossing his arms over his chest, resting them over the top of his
