“How could that be? That’s crazy!”
“I know. How do you think that makes me feel?” Lulah shook her head. “I’m her mother. Kinda freaks me out.”
Tiger dropped his head. “I’m very tempted by this offer, Lulah.”
“You can’t be serious!” She was mortified. This wasn’t the man she knew. The Tiger she knew and loved would never sell out for money. Or was it true? All men have their price. And Cutter had finally found Tiger’s.
“We could have a real life together.” He reached over to put his hand to her face as he began to make his case. “We could both retire. Move down to the Coast and live the good life. You’d never want for anything again. Neither would the younguns. I’d see to that. We could live the life we’ve always dreamed of.”
“We?” She looked at him with a scoffing smirk. “Is that really the life you’ve always dreamed of?”
“Why are you doubting me? I thought this was what you wanted?” Women! Why did they have to make everything so complicated?
“Tiger, don’t make this all about me. Please. Don’t sell this girl to some pervert like she was a second-hand dress and use my name to justify it. Do not do that! That’s not fair to me!”
He threw his hands up in dismay. “I swear, Lu! I don’t understand you! Do you just try to keep me confused? Is this my punishment for not settlin’ down when you wanted me?”
Her face grew red, and when she spoke, her tone was low and measured. He was on dangerous ground. “If I had wanted to punish you, I could’ve done a lot worse than this, cowboy!”
“Oh? Like what?”
“Jesus! Can we stop?” She stood up and turned from him. “Why are we fighting? I’m not the enemy here … and neither are you!”
“I’m glad to hear you say that,” he retorted. “Kinda had me worried for a minute there.”
She spun back around. “Can’t you see that I love you, asshole? I’m worried that goddamned thug Cutter is gonna double-cross you. Who knows what he’s up to?”
He stood up and walked over to put calming hands on her shoulders. “You know, I have been around the block a time or two. This ain’t some naïve kid you’re talking to.”
She wasn’t buying that. “All it takes is one time … one time for it to all go wrong for you to end up in prison or worse. I know you’ve never been afraid of a fight, and yeah, you can handle a gun, but Tiger, you’re not a criminal. You’re not Cutter. You’re a good man. He’s a heartless bastard. If you don’t get away from him, he’s gonna be the end of you. Can you not see that?”
“With a score like this, I could walk away and never lay eyes on him again,” he tried to turn it back around once again. “And I wouldn’t turn Amber over to just anybody. I’d make sure she was in good hands. You know me better than that.”
“I do, Tiger. I also know Cutter. He knows just how to get to people. He knows you as well as I do. He knows how you feel about me. He knows your dreams. He knows what would make you happier more than anything.”
“And what’s so bad about that? What’s wrong with wanting to provide for the woman I love?” He shook his head in frustration. “Hell, I’ve never had much, and now that I’ve lost the Jenny Lou, I pretty much got zilch!”
“Tiger, my love, I fear he’s playing you.” She reached up and took his face in her hands. His eyes met hers. “And as far as me wanting or needing anything …” When he tried to look away, she forced them right back to hers. She wanted him to see what she had to say. “I have everything I need. I have two wonderful children I love very much. I have a job I enjoy as much as the one I had with NASA.” She went to her tiptoes, pulling his face to hers, nose to nose, her breath hot on his lips. “The only thing … the only thing that’s been missing from my life … I’m holding in my hands right now.”
His arm went around her waist, and he pulled her into him hard, as their mouths came together passionately. Their tongues dueled as each desperately sought to pull the other one into them tighter and tighter. Their moans and heavy breathing filled the room like smoke from a kindling fire until finally, neither could take it anymore, and they tore apart from each other to begin ripping their clothes off right where they stood. It seemed their clothing was infested with yellow-jackets; they couldn’t get them off fast enough. Once they shed the pesky articles, they collided with each other again, their mouths trying to devour the other’s and their hands wild and unfettered, moving eagerly over naked flesh.
He reached down, and grasping her thighs, picked her up. Her legs instinctively locked around his waist, ankles locking at his ass. Fully erect already, he felt her wetness at the tip of his organ as she slid down upon him effortlessly. Her hands on his shoulders, she used her lower legs, pushing against his ass to work herself frantically up and down on him. Clumsily, he began to back toward the bedroom. He staggered into several pieces of furniture and hard against the door jamb. He stumbled blindly, eyes closed, mouth covered with hers, both awash in the throes of lustful ardor. They would fall in a heap on the bed, still locked together in frantic union, with neither missing a stroke.
Literally and figuratively.
Chapter 8
“You were serious about this bass fishing shit, weren’t you?” Tiger was at a loss, as the
