Full Circle (8 page)

"Josie, why would you do that?" the mayor asked, genuinely surprised.

"Because I didn't take the job, Aiden," Josie said. "I took the position of Acting Sheriff and ten months later I'm still Acting Sheriff. You and the town council have had plenty of time to find a replacement. It's time I got on with my life. Promote one of the Deputies or find someone from the outside, I don't care. One month from now, I'm finished."

"Josie, you can't do this to us," Aiden said. "Rawlings needs you. It takes time to find the right person."

"I've already given you more than enough time, and you still haven't done a damn thing about changing the status quo," Josie said angrily. "I promised you three months and you said you'd get right on it. You didn't. You have one month, Aiden. During that time, I am not planning on being around that much. I'm going to do two- or three-day weeks until my month is up. I've done all I can do to train those deputies. If they're not willing to learn and step up to the plate, it's time you replaced them, too. Is this getting through to you this time?"

"Yes," Aiden Roland said, leaning back in his chair. "I'll call a council meeting this afternoon. There are a lot of folks who won't be happy about this."

"Too bad, they should have put forth more effort into finding a new Sheriff," Josie snapped. "If I wanted my law enforcement career back, I would have made a phone call and been back in my old job making six times what I'm making here!"

"If you need a raise," the mayor began.

"I don't want a blasted raise," Josie exclaimed. "I want you to find someone to take over the job permanently. I want to get on with my life and my plans. I want to have time to finish my house. In July, it will be a year, Aiden. I am officially done with waiting for you to do your job!"

The entire Sheriff's office was in an uproar the next week, but Josie went about her business and ignored all of them. She made assignments for reports and paperwork, dividing the work between the three current deputies and decided that was the way to go—delegate.

She yelled at Georgina for screwing up three dispatch calls. Later, she apologized to her good friend. She threatened to put eighty-six-year-old Mr. Farley in jail for riding his lawn mower on the town streets when she knew the state had revoked his driver's license since he could not pass the vision test. Feeling guilty, she later made a trip out to the old gentleman's place and apologized to him. She also called on Mr. Casswell, a retired factory worker, who lived down the street from Mr. Farley. She arranged for him to stop by once a week and take Mr. Farley into town for his grocery and pharmacy shopping. She offered to reimburse Mr. Casswell for his time and gas, but the man was a bit insulted. He scolded Josie, telling her all she had to do was ask. Doing a favor for a neighbor was not a hardship.

She met with Mr. Shorey, Alex's new caseworker, to discuss Alex's case file. She tamped down her temper because she wanted to scream at the civil servant that Alex was a boy—not a file folder filled with forms. She knew she was in a bad mood and by the end of the week, she knew she needed to face up to the cause of it. As soon as Alex left for school, Josie called Georgina and told her she'd only be available by cell phone when she picked up her messages and only for an emergency.

Josie parked directly behind Jack's Jeep, stepped out and wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans. The place looked different; there was a huge metal shed covering a good portion of the side yard, and bits and pieces of millwork were neatly stacked on the porch. She looked through the screen door and yoo-hooed, but there wasn't an answer. She could hear the buzz and whine of a power tool somewhere inside. She stepped inside, saw more millwork trim and a pedestal sink and followed the sound of the power tool. Jack was on top of a ladder trying to pry a piece of fancy millwork from over a doorway.

When he saw Josie, he stepped down and went to her, lifting her chin to inspect her bruises and the scrape on her chin.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Josie said.

"Are you feeling better?" Jack asked.

Josie nodded. "I'm mostly healed up now; the bruises are fading, and the scabs are ugly. You decided not to renovate."

Jack shook his head. "I didn't have a choice. It's too far gone structurally to attempt it, according to the structural inspector I hired. The house should have been condemned years ago. I'm salvaging what I can for people like you who have the time, patience and love of old places, and the need to find original pieces."

Josie looked around. "That's a good idea, but if the place is unstable, should you be working in here alone?"

Jack was watching her body language. She was nervous and unsure of herself. Not at all the person he was used to dealing with since his return to Rawlings. "Is something up that I should know about?"

"Yes. No," Josie gulped. "Can we talk?"

Jack waved her toward the window seat. She sat down, shot back up, pulled out her cell phone and set it aside. "The last thing I need is to accidently butt call someone."

He raised an eyebrow.

"First, I want to apologize for being a bitch when all you were doing was trying to help me."

Jack shrugged that off. "My feelings don't get hurt that easily. If I had wanted to settle you down, I would have. I took into account that you were feeling lousy."

"I know, that's why this is so hard," Josie said.

"Spit it out, Hellion."

Josie bit her lip, and her face infused with color. "It's this thing we have going on, Jack. You and me, it scares me silly."

"Why? I'm a man. You're a woman. Times are changing, but that's still the most common configuration."

"You're a dominant man," Josie said.

"Yes, I am, that shouldn't be news to you," Jack said impatiently.

"It isn't. I figured that out a long time ago," Josie snapped. "How far does it go, Jack? How much dominance do you demand?"

"That's a fair question," Jack said, grabbing a five-gallon bucket and flipping it over to use as a seat. "In a relationship, I will be in control, but it has to be consensual. It's in my DNA to be the lead in the relationship. That's not to say I won't weigh other opinions, but in the end, I will make a decision on what I believe is best. I'm old-fashioned; I don't know where that stems from but it's who I am. I believe in discipline, and you found that out a long time ago. Nothing has changed. It's the way I handle disrespectful or disobedient behavior. I'd expect to do the same in any relationship. I expect honesty, and yes, some submission when I make a demand that is for my partner's well being. My partner has to know I'm doing what I feel is best in whatever situation. If she's doing something I think is not in her best interest, it's my job to set her straight. If that comes in the form of spanking, so be it. I will discipline my woman when I believe she needs correction."

"Does
your woman
get a choice in the matter?" Josie asked sarcastically.

"Of course. The choice is to be involved with me or not," Jack said simply. "I'm not attracted to women who are wimps, Josie. I need a strong woman who will stand up for herself. I'm well aware that my tendency is to take over and dominate. I don't do it to oppress or subjugate, it's who I am. I expect my woman to be strong enough to pull me up by the bootstraps, when it's necessary. Women have the power to cut a man off at the balls. Don't take that too literally, because I know you can do it, but you know what I mean. Strong women hold the power in most relationships. Love is a powerful weapon. I expect us to be partners in every aspect of a relationship.

"I'm not going to force my beliefs on someone who can't accept me for what I am. I'm willing to change some things, but I'm not going to turn myself inside out and try to be something I'm not. I believe in a man being in charge. I believe a man should be the head of his household. I believe there are women who need a man that has that kind of strength. They need a strong man to keep them from being hotheaded and reckless. If a spanking makes my woman think twice about doing something that is impulsive and dangerous, I don't have a problem with delivering it. If she disobeys or does something that puts her in danger, she's going across my knee and will think twice about making the same mistake. The stronger and more spirited a woman, the more she is in need of a counter balance to temper those dangerous tendencies. My dominance is only triggered when someone I care about puts themselves in jeopardy."

"What does your woman get out of it?" Josie demanded.

"The same thing that I demand of her," Jack said roughly, but he softened his tone. "Respect, trust and complete fidelity. From me, she gets a solemn promise that no other man will ever make her feel more wanted, needed, protected and satisfied." He lowered his lips to her and kissed her deeply, thrusting his tongue into her mouth with a titillating beat.

Josie responded, but pushed him back, gasping for breath. "What about sex?" she demanded.

"What about it?" Jack snapped, impatient with her interruption. "I want it with you."

"Do you have to be in control there, too?"

Jack's eyes darkened. "I am always in control, and you will be the one that benefits from it," he promised as he swept her into his arms and carried her through the house into a room that only held a king-sized box spring and mattress on the floor. He lowered her to the mattress. "Is this what you want?"

Josie nodded.

"Say the words," he demanded.

"I want you," Josie admitted. He unsnapped her jeans and gave a yank to them dragging them down to her knees as she tried to kick them the rest of the way off, but they caught at her ankles and wouldn't go past her boots. He yanked her tee shirt up over her head, pushed her bra out of the way and hungrily fastened his mouth on one of her breasts. He was pushing at his jeans trying to get them down. He kicked off his athletic shoes and shimmied out of his jeans. He released her breast only long enough to toss his tee shirt over his head. His head came back down and he devoured her mouth, her throat and her breasts.

Josie was writhing from wanting him so much. She had been aching with need for weeks. She wanted him inside her! Her hands flowed over his back, his chest, every part she could reach.

Jack was in a hurry, too. His cock was primed, thick and ready. He slid a hand under her, pulling her closer. Hovering over her, he thrust in powerfully and deep, and began the age-old rhythm of need.

Josie gasped at his size, but easily opened for him, allowing him in further, deeper, as her body began to hum. Her heart pounded as she rode a wave of sexual surrender. Her jeans still trapped her ankles, but she didn't have the time or desire to untangle herself. She would not interrupt this deep, craving desire. She had to take what he offered. When her orgasm came, it was powerful and gripped Jack's sex to her. He responded by emptying himself in her once, twice and a final time with a groan as he collapsed and buried his face between her breasts.

Later, Jack rolled off her and, stroking her, took her lips again, savoring her taste.

"Mission accomplished," she whispered breathlessly.

Jack chuckled and sat up, looking at her jeans caught on her boots. "Sweetheart, why didn't you stop me?" He pulled her boots off one at time, removed her jeans, stroked and massaged her legs. He spread her legs and laid himself down nestled into her, sex to sex, not wanting to lose that connection—that feeling of belonging. "I was in a bit of a hurry; next time will be a lot better."

"I'm not complaining," Josie said with amusement. "What are you doing the rest of the day?"

"Making love to you as many times as I can get it up," Jack promised. "How does that sound?"

"A whole lot better than stripping wallpaper," Josie admitted with a grin.

"Better than what I was planning, too," Jack agreed.

"I'm sated," Josie said later as she lay on top of Jack. She had lost track of how many times they had made love from morning through to the afternoon. In the bed, she had been on her back, on her belly, on her knees—she especially loved that, on top riding him. Jack didn't mind if she was the aggressor, as long as he was in control. In the pathetic excuse for a shower in his house, she had started as the aggressor, but he had taken that rein and flipped it on her, lifting her up and driving into her, pressing her against the bathroom tiles. She had not minded him being in control. Now, she looked at her watch and groaned.

"What?" Jack mumbled.

"I have to leave in a few minutes to pick up Alex," she said.

"He's a big boy. He can walk home," he grumbled reaching between her legs and fondling her.

"That's the problem," Josie said, squirming under his touch. "He's at that age where he can be easily talked into trouble. He can't afford to get into trouble."

"You're in trouble," Jack said. His hands began creating magic again. "I have to have you one more time."

"Jack," Josie protested while she moaned in pleasure. "Okay, one more time."

"One more time, today," Jack promised. "However, this is only the beginning for us."

"The beginning of what?"

"Everything," Jack groaned as he flipped her over onto her stomach, pulled her up on her knees and mounted her from behind in one long stroke.

"Oh, God," Josie moaned. She'd had sex before, but never this intense or as satisfying. He was a big man. He took her, filled her and made her feel more of a woman than she had ever experienced. Her body responded to him, to his touch, light and playful, or hard and demanding. She wanted it all.