Naughty Heroes

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Mitch was back at the corner table at the bar once again, watching Sara work. It had been an odd day in many ways. Several old buddies had stopped by. They’d even pitched in for a couple of hours, helping him clear the yard. He’d been a bit later than he’d wanted getting here because they’d had a beer together, compliments of a six pack one of the guys had brought with him.

When he’d left Mission Creek, and things had fallen apart with him and Sara, he’d left everyone in the town behind. That included some good friends, and that shamed him. They hadn’t asked questions, hadn’t tossed any angry accusations at him, they’d simply welcomed him back, rolled up their sleeves, and gone to work.

It was a reminder that most of the people around here were good. They might not have much, but they didn’t mind working or helping a neighbor.

Sara glanced in his direction and smiled. She looked really pretty tonight with her long, curly hair pulled away from her face and the pink lipstick she favored. Once again, she was wearing jeans that fit her curves to perfection. Tonight her T-shirt was white and had the bar’s name printed on the front in red letters, which only served to emphasize her soft breasts.

And he wasn’t the only man looking.

He forced himself to relax, even though he was getting more on edge by the second. The people, the lights, and loud music were making him anxious. He’d thought he’d had a handle on crowded places, but he’d been wrong. He focused on Sara. She was a beacon of peace in the midst of his chaotic thoughts. He forced himself to breathe in and out until he settled.

Because he was watching her so intently, he noticed when she tensed. He scanned the room, trying to figure out what had caused it, and swore when he caught sight of Connor Richmond. What was her ex-husband doing here?

Connor walked into the place like he owned it and strolled up to the bar. Joe was back serving drinks tonight and set one in front of Connor before he asked, which meant he was a regular. Not surprising, really. There wasn’t anywhere else to go for miles.

Sara went back to serving customers, but it was inevitable that she had to pass by Connor at some point. It wasn’t his business, he reminded himself. She’d lived with the man and dealt with him for years. He really didn’t want to think about her in bed with Connor, but the torturous images wouldn’t stop.

When Connor put his hand on Sara’s arm, Mitch slowly stood and made his way toward them.

* * * * *

Sara knew Connor had come looking for trouble. She recognized the signs—a certain gleam in his eyes and the way he’d all but strutted to the bar. And she could easily guess why he was here.

Someone had told him Mitch was back, probably mentioned that they’d left together last night. Connor still had a hard time dealing with the fact she’d left him, but that was his problem.

“Sara.” He touched her arm, and she had to force herself not to shrug away. That would just give him power. Better to ignore it and pretend it didn’t matter. Connor hated being ignored in any fashion.

“Joe, I need four beer, three whiskies, and a gin and tonic.” When she’d placed her order, she finally looked at her ex. “Connor.”

He grinned, but it was forced, and he narrowed his gaze. Back in the early days of their marriage, when she was still young and believed she could make their relationship work, she would have tried to placate him, to figure out what she’d done to make him angry. It had taken a lot of years and a ton of soul searching to understand the man she’d married was a bully. He’d almost succeed in breaking her spirit. Worse, she’d almost let him.

But she’d gotten away and there was no going back.

“You’re looking…” he paused and then added, “good.”

She ignored him and loaded the drinks Joe had poured onto her tray. She glanced up and almost groaned when she saw Mitch heading her way. It was inevitable for the two men to clash, but she’d been hoping it wouldn’t happen so soon.

Sensing her attention was no longer on him, Connor swiveled on his seat. “Mitch,” he stuck out his hand. “Good to see you.”

Mitch didn’t smile but did take Connor’s hand. She knew Connor would squeeze it as hard as he could, hoping to intimidate. He was a big man, a little taller than Mitch, but nowhere near as strong.

Neither man flinched. She watched, fascinated as their fingers grew white under the glare from the bar. Finally, Connor let go.

“You want another refill?” she asked Mitch. “I’ll get it for you and bring it down.” The last thing she wanted was a bar fight. The damage could shut the place down for days, and she couldn’t afford to lose the pay. Plus, she didn’t want Mitch to get hurt. He could hold his own, she had no doubt, but Connor had friends, all of whom were bullies like him.

Mitch ran his fingers along the edge of her jaw. She had to force herself not to roll her eyes. Honestly, men were idiots sometimes, even Mitch. He was marking his territory and warning Connor off.

“I’d appreciate that, sweetheart.”

Connor’s jaw tightened but he kept his mouth shut, which was unusual.

She grabbed her filled tray and walked in Mitch’s direction on purpose, trying to herd him back to his table. The corners of his mouth twitched, but he went, allowing her to heave a sigh of relief.

She got busy after that, and it was an hour later before she could think about taking her break. Connor had just disappeared down the hallway. She assumed he was going to the men’s room. Not wanting to run into him on her own, she went over to Mitch’s table. “I’m going on my break.”

He shoved to his feet and followed her to the staff room. It was empty when they went in. She was about to speak when she heard voices.

Mitch’s gaze narrowed right in on the vent high on the wall. It was shared with the storage room next door. Mitch put his finger to his lips. Then he grabbed one of the chairs, moved it over by the wall, and climbed up so he could hear better.

“…product coming in?”

“The end of the week.”

Sara’s mouth dropped. She hadn’t been able to make out the first voice, but the second one was Connor. She stumbled back, hitting one of the chairs. It scraped across the floor, sounding overly loud.

“What the f**k was that?”

Oh God. What had she done?

Mitch was already in motion. He jumped down from the chair, stumbling slightly on his bad leg before righting himself, moved the chair away from the wall, and then all but lunged at her. Before she could figure out what was going on, she was in Mitch’s arms and he was kissing her. Slightly stunned, she just stood there.

“Kiss me back,” he whispered in her ear. Then he pressed his lips against hers again.

Sara forgot all about the voices, the danger of discovery, and had barely lost herself in Mitch’s embrace when she heard the door open. She started to turn, but Mitch squeezed her tighter, a reminder to keep doing what they were doing.

It was weird knowing they had an audience, but they couldn’t stop, had to make it look convincing. Because whoever had been in that storage room was who Mitch was looking for. One of them was Connor. And she knew without a doubt if he suspected she and Mitch knew something, he’d do his best to make them disappear.

So she slid her arms around Mitch’s neck and kissed him with everything she had. He ranged his hands over her back and ass before cupping her breasts. It gave her a jolt, but it was arousing as hell too.

Maybe it was small of her, but this was some payback for all the times Connor made her feel small, somehow less, not good enough. She’d never responded to him like she did Mitch.

“What the f**k are you doing?” Connor roared.

She jumped and pulled away. He was barreling down on them. Mitch simply put her to one side and stepped in front of her. “What’s your problem? You’re not married anymore.”

It was like waving a red flag in front of an already enraged bull. Connor’s nostrils flared, his face turned read, and his eyes grew wild. He was more than ready for a fight. She looked toward the door but there was no one else there. Whoever had been with him was gone.

“She’s mine.” The possession behind Connor’s statement gave her the shivers.

“No, she’s not.” Mitch was the calm in the center of the storm. “She belongs to herself, but she gave herself to me once a long time ago. Before you,” he needlessly pointed out. They were all aware of the history involved. “And she’s given herself to me again.”

Connor roared and threw the first punch.

* * * * *

Mitch pulled back just in time to avoid getting clipped in the jaw. He didn’t want to fight if he could avoid it. It was likely the sheriff would take Connor’s side, leaving Sara undefended. So, even though it went against every grain of his being, he raised his hands. “No need to fight about this.”

Connor sneered. “I see that being in the military didn’t make you any less of a p***y than you already were.”

Every muscle in Mitch’s body tensed, but the discipline he’d learned over the years held him in good stead right now. The mission was more important than his pride. But even more essential was Sara’s safety. And he couldn’t protect her if he was in the local lockup because of a bar fight.

He wondered what she thought of his reaction, but she said nothing, staying off to the side where she could see both men. Mitch forced himself to relax and shrug. “I’m more a lover than a fighter.” He wondered how he managed to get the words past his lips. His Marine buddies would laugh their asses off. If they were here, they’d have handled Connor for him, allowing him to focus on Sara and the mission. But he was on his own.

Then she slipped her hand in his, a reminder that he wasn’t on his own. She was with him.

Connor saw the small action and clenched his fists at this side. “You two losers deserve each other.” He kicked a chair out of the way. Sara flinched and her fingers tightened around his. Her ex swore again and left, slamming the door behind him.

Before she could speak, Mitch yanked her into his arms and kissed her. His blood was running hot and he had to touch her and, yes, claim her as his own. But it was more than that. He’d heard a sound from the storage room. Whoever had been with Connor had headed back there. They were obviously suspicious.

Sara made a small sound of surprise but then kissed him with abandon. The fact that she’d give herself so eagerly after what had just happened, soothed some of the ragged edges poking at him. It hadn’t been easy to let her ex just walk out of here. It had been the right thing, though.

He pulled away and left a trail of hot kisses all the way to her ear. “Someone is in the storage room.”

She jolted and then relaxed again. “What should we do?” she whispered.

He figured the entire altercation with Connor had taken five minutes. It seemed like a lifetime but had happened quickly. She had about ten minutes left on her break. “Follow my lead.”

He left her, picked up the chair Connor had kicked aside on his way to the door, and jammed it under the knob. “I don’t want anyone interrupting us again.” He had no idea if the person on the other side could see them somehow or if they could only hear them. Either way, it was time to put on the performance of a lifetime.

He went back to her, grabbed the edge of her T-shirt, and dragged it over her head. “I have to have you.”

“Mitch?” She glanced at the door. Before she could look at the vent, he moved in front of her, blocking her view.

“Connor is an ass.” He moved in, backing her against the wall. Her pale cheeks suddenly filled with color.

“I know.” Her wry reply made him laugh.

“I’m sorry.” It was just as much his fault that she’d married him. “I was an ass, too,” he admitted.

She linked her arms around his neck. “You were,” she readily agreed. “We were young and stupid.”

Suddenly this wasn’t about using their connection to throw off suspicion with whoever was in the other room. This was about solidifying their relationship. “Sara.” Her name was a mantra, a prayer.

She yanked his shirt out of his pants and shoved her hands under it. “You’re so warm, so strong.”

Since the fabric was in the way, he hauled it over his head, giving her access to his upper body. She gave a small hum of pleasure and then touched him. Her hands were warm and arousing. He jerked when she ran her fingers over his n*****s. He almost jumped out of his boots when she followed the path with her tongue.

Time was short. Another waitress could come back here at any time, ending their moment together. He grabbed her hand and dragged it down to his erection. She laughed and cupped him through his jeans.

“Somebody’s happy to see me.”

“He’s f*****g ecstatic,” he muttered.

She laughed. It was loud and natural and made him smile in spite of his arousal and fear for her well-being.

He pulled down the straps on her bra, exposing her breasts. They fit perfectly into his hands, his skin tanned and dark against her pale flesh. She was so delicate but so strong. He squeezed gently and then thumbed her n*****s.

Her moan shot straight to his c**k. His balls were trying to climb into his body they were so tight. But she was ahead of him and had the button undone and the zipper down. He was going to lose it.

In a flurry, he had her jeans open and dragged down her thighs. He thrust his hand inside her panties and stroked her p***y. She was wet and warm and welcoming.

“I can’t wait,” he gritted out from between clenched teeth. He was hanging on by his fingernails. She deserved so much better than this. She deserved to have her body worshiped for hours.

“Then don’t.”

It took him a second for her words to make sense. When her consent registered, it was as though a primal part of his being took over. He spun her around so she was facing the wall and pulled down her panties.

“Lean forward,” he murmured, almost roaring in triumph when she did. The position raised her lush ass slightly and exposed her slick folds. He had enough brain cells left to grab a condom from his back pocket and slide the sucker onto his erection. He damn near came from the slight stimulation and watching her.

He tested her readiness and then pressed the head of his c**k against her opening. Knowing they may still have an audience, he kept his mouth shut, not saying all the things he wanted to. He wrapped his hands around her waist and held on as he thrust inward, not stopping until he was buried to the hilt. Damn, nothing had ever felt as good as having Sara’s hot p***y wrapped around his d**k.

Aware of time running out, he began to move, fast and hard. He slipped one of his hands around her and found her c**t. Her moans and groans were a fire in his blood. “Come for me, sweetheart,” he urged.

He thrust so hard she went up onto her toes. His orgasm exploded from his balls and rocketed up to the head of his c**k. He ran his finger over her c**t again and again, needing her pleasure.

Her p***y contracted around him, and he lost all awareness of the room. There was only him and Sara. They were both breathing like they’d run five miles at a sprint. He slammed his hands against the wall to keep from falling forward and crushing her.

“God Almighty,” he whispered. He forced himself to pull out and yank her pants up before he stepped away and dealt with the condom.

The door handle jiggled. Sara spun around, a look of horror on her face. She yanked her bra straps up and dove for her shirt. He wanted to swear and break something. Instead, he pulled on his T-shirt, tucked it in, and moved toward the door.

Sara was dressed but disheveled. He opened the door to find Judith there. Mitch quickly stepped out into the hallway and wanted to swear again. Johnny and Joe were both there as well—Johnny on his way into his office and Joe coming out of the stockroom.

Johnny stopped and glared. “Who the hell is running the bar if all of you are back here. Get the hell to work.”

“On it, boss.” Joe hefted a box of liquor higher in his arms and headed toward the bar.

Judith simply glared. “It’s time for my break. Sara should be back on the floor.”

“I’m here.” Sara slid by him, looking as calm and composed as possible, but her eyes were still a little glazed, her lips swollen, and her hair tousled.

Judith’s lips turned up at the corners. “I’ll forgive you for being late this time. Seems you were a little busy.” She laughed then and pushed her way into the break room.

Sara hurried down the hallway, past her frowning boss. Johnny simply stepped into his office and shut the door hard behind him.

Mitch went to the men’s room before heading back to his table. Sara was already hard at work filling drink orders. He wanted to go to her and apologize. He raked his fingers through his hair and heaved a sigh. He’d taken her in the damn break room with no foreplay at all. So far, he wasn’t showing her his best side as a lover. He’d have to remedy that.

He was also frustrated because he was no closer to figuring out who was Connor’s inside man at the bar. Could be either Johnny or Joe. They were his leading suspects. Yes, it could be the cooks, but it wasn’t as likely. They barely left their domain. He’d have to get the task force to delve a little more deeply into their finances and see what they could uncover.

At least he had something to give Walker when he called him again.

Now that he was settled again, he scanned the room. Connor was gone and no one in particular was watching him. But someone in the bar had met with the man. Given all the facts, they knew it had to be a bar employee. At least he’d narrowed it down. And he had Sara to thank for that.

She hurried up to his table and placed a tall, frosty coke on the table beside him. “Figured you might be thirsty.”

He wanted to scoop her into his arms and take her far away from her ex and this bar until he knew the culprits were picked up and in prison. He couldn’t trust anyone here but her.

“Thanks.” He grabbed her hand before she could hurry off, brought it to his lips, and kissed it.

The color rose in her cheeks. “You’re welcome.” She left him sitting there alone in the dark corner. She was a beacon of light in his life, his north star. The music didn’t seem quite so loud or the lights quite so garish and disorienting when he focused on her. He couldn’t wait to get her home.