Chapter Three.

Trembling legs were the least of Noelle's worries, but wonderful s.e.x topped the list. She was pushing hard and although she knew her actions would end up biting her in the a.s.s, she just couldn't seem to stop herself.

Cash was a commanding presence. Noelle had always known it, but the way he kissed her, nearly devouring her, took her breath away. Now that she was out in the chilled night air, catching her breath should be no problem.

Only that wasn't the case.

Remembering the way Cash had touched her, tormenting her with his hands, mouth, and the wicked length of his c.o.c.k, left no denial as to how dominant he actually was.

Knowing she might very well be getting more than she'd bargained for sent shivers of antic.i.p.ation up her spine. As soon as she finished speaking with the owner of Dooner' s about a job, she'd go home and rest up for tomorrow.

If Cash thought he could touch her and kiss her the way he had, as a means of punishment or as a scare tactic, he was sadly mistaken. And Noelle planned to make sure he knew it.

It took a lot of concentration, but Noelle finally got her head on straight and her thoughts out of the gutter. By the time she reached Dooner's she was well prepared for what she hoped would be a lucrative waitressing job.

Forty minutes later, with a tray full of drinks in hand, Noelle began her training. She did well during the short, three-hour shift she pulled and planned to do even better tomorrow night when she came back for a full four hours.

Mona Sinclair, the owner of Dooner's, had hired her on the spot and within minutes, they'd come to an agreement. Noelle would work a four-hour shift, five days a week until the Christmas season was over and then move on to full-time. By then, she ought to have the lay of the land and know how to wield a tray with precision. At least that's what Mona had said.

Just knowing she was now gainfully employed took a bit of the pressure off. Now she'd be able to either find her own place closer to town or pay her parents rent for the small apartment above the garage she'd been occupying. Either way, she felt like life was finally taking a turn in the right direction.

"I'm off, Mona." Her new boss was a very stylish, forty-something-year-old woman with a wicked sense of humor. Noelle liked her right off the bat.

"Sure thing, missy. You take care."

Noelle headed out the front door and back up the street to where her car was parked. Although Chaos was a fairly small town without big-city crime, she still kept her eyes open for any danger, just as her daddy had taught her.

The drive out to her parent's small ranch took much longer than Noelle would have liked. She was so tired after her long day of working and flirting that it took everything in her to keep her eyes open.

She couldn't help but sigh tiredly when she finally reached the house. It was dark and quiet, perfect for thinking, but Noelle was too d.a.m.ned tired to think. Tonight she was going to sleep like the dead.

Tomorrow morning, however, would have her bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and hopefully as irritating to Cash as she had been today.

Unfortunately, things didn't quite work out the way Noelle had envisioned. She'd made her way up the rickety stairs to her apartment and into bed in a matter of minutes, but instead of sleeping, she'd tossed and turned. And dreamed.

The next morning Noelle stood post on her street corner and thought about the night before. Some of her dreams had been so erotic she couldn't help but blush just remembering them, even in the light of a brand-new day. Pushing naughty thoughts out of her sleep-deprived mind, Noelle fired up her boom box. Within seconds Christmas carols filled the crisp morning air.

She smoothed a hand down her shorter than usual skirt and unb.u.t.toned another b.u.t.ton on her white dress shirt then began setting up for the day. She had on a fuzzy, red b.u.t.ton-down sweater over the top of her shirt. It wasn't thick by any stretch of the imagination but it was cover, and thus would keep her out of trouble while still showing off her a.s.sets.

Noelle smiled then checked her watch, curious to see how long it would take Cash to wake this morning. What type of a mood would he be in? So many different thoughts tumbled through her mind.

Her bell sounded merrily as did Noelle. She greeted those pa.s.sing by as long-lost friends, even making a few new ones in the process. It was wonderful to see so many people giving to charity. Her little red pail seemed to be filling quite nicely. A surprise to Noelle since it wasn't quite ten o'clock yet.

Letting impatience get the best of her, Noelle rang the little bell in her hand as if her life depended on it. If Cash didn't show himself soon, she was going to have to resort to drastic measures.

Noelle wasn't quite sure exactly what those drastic measures were, but she'd sure the h.e.l.l think of something if necessary.

Murder was too good for the bell ringer from h.e.l.l. She deserved an a.s.s whipping to outdo all a.s.s whippings. He grumbled and complained as he climbed from the warmth of his bed. Two mornings in a row were too many as far as he was concerned.

Still p.i.s.sed off from the night before, Cash yanked on a pair of faded jeans. He didn't bother fastening his pants much less putting on a shirt or shoes before making his way down to the bar where there would be a fresh pot of coffee.

Not for the first time in his life, Cash decided whoever had come up with the idea of putting a timer on a coffeepot deserved a medal of some sort.

He was enjoying a moment of bliss, eyes closed, warm coffee in hand when a burst of cold air came from the back of the building. Within seconds Cooper and Casey, the youngest two McCain siblings, made their way into the main area of the bar.

"Mornin'." Casey approached him for a brotherly hug. She always felt so tiny against him but not in the same way as Noelle. By height standards, Noelle was small but she was far from fragile with her overblown womanly curves.

Cash, disgusted with himself for comparing his little sister to her best friend-the same friend he'd all but devoured the evening before, stepped away from Casey so fast she stumbled forward.

"Oh h.e.l.l," Cash cursed, placing a steadying hand out for Casey. "Sorry, Case."

She c.o.c.ked her head to the side, her bouncy brown curls falling over her forehead in the process. "Everything okay?"

Cash thanked everything holy that she had no idea of what had been happening between Noelle and him. If Casey had even an idea, she'd be on him like white on rice.

"Yup. Everything's just fine."

"Good G.o.d, what is that awful racket?"

The disgruntled question came from Cooper, the youngest McCain brother, who also just happened to be the only staid one of the bunch. He liked numbers almost as much as he liked to be alone. Cash could only imagine how annoying Noelle's bell would be to his accountant brother. The thought made him smile.

"Ohhhh!" By the squeal of delight, and the way Casey was racing for the front door, Cash figured she'd just noticed Noelle across the street.

"It's Noelle. She's got a new job." Cash was actually enjoying Cooper's discomfort.

"You mean they actually pay her to make that noise?" The look on Cooper's face was just too much. Cash couldn't help but laugh.

"I don't think they pay her to make that much noise. I believe she gives it a bit extra for my benefit."

Cooper grumbled something about loud females on his way to the coffeepot to which Cash just shook his head. It was beyond comprehension the way Cooper acted toward women, as if he could take them or leave them and be perfectly happy either way. Nothing seemed to excite the man.

"Where's the pipsqueak?" Cash asked of his niece Autumn, Casey's five-year-old daughter.

"She's with Mike for the morning." Mike was Casey's ex-husband. It still made no sense to Cash how two people could divorce and remain good friends. To his dying day, he'd never understand it.

Cooper mumbled something else as he left the room making his way toward the storage room, which also doubled as an office, to do the bookwork. Without any further distractions, Cash was able to get back to work.

A couple of hours pa.s.sed and before Cash knew it, it was time to open for the day. He went to the window to change the sign to "open" and couldn't help but notice that Noelle still stood across the street ringing her bell, although she no longer seemed in the high spirits she'd been in earlier that morning.

He was just beginning to wonder where Casey had run off to when she wandered her way up the sidewalk toward Noelle, a bag in hand. The transfer of the bag and goodbyes didn't take long at all. Within minutes, Casey was walking back across the street toward Raising Cain, a mischievous smile on her face.

Cash knew in that instant he was in trouble. Casey's first words as she strode through the door, proved it.

"Oohhh, you are so getting what you deserve for refusing Noelle a job." The smirk on his sister's face was over the top.

"You gonna tell me or make me guess, twerp?"

Casey wrinkled her nose at Cash's choice of endearment.

"Fine then, spoilsport. I'll tell you." Casey sucked in a huge breath warning Cash she was fixing to go into a long spiel on a subject that could probably be summed up in ten words or less.

"Well, you saw me across the street talking with Noelle, I'm sure."

Cash just nodded. There was no use in trying to talk, because once Casey got started, there was no getting a word in edgewise.

"Let me just say I'm not happy she's stuck on the corner ringing a bell. Then again, that doesn't really have anything to do with this, does it?" She didn't wait for an answer nor expected one, Cash was sure.

"I went to apologize again," she stressed, "for you not hiring her when she all but begged you for a job, and you know what she told me? She said it didn't matter because Mona over at Dooner's, the new place down the street, hired her like that."

The news was bad enough, but the way Casey snapped her fingers in front of his angry face made things even worse. Her next words sent him on a course that would surely change the relationship he had with Noelle for the rest of their lives.

"She even sent me to get her some more of those low-rise jeans and a few more T-shirts. Said her stuff wasn't s.e.xy enough."

It was probably stupid to be so angry that Cash had ignored her all day long. How he'd managed to tune out A Chipmunk Christmas, blaring as loud as the tiny speakers on her boom box would allow was beyond Noelle.

As hour after hour pa.s.sed, she'd gone from happily doing her job to barely managing a smile for those nice enough to stick money in her bucket. d.a.m.n if she wasn't peeved, with no real reason for being so.

Casey's visit almost made up for standing out in the cold without so much as a glimpse of Cash. Her friend was quirky and could talk an auctioneer under the table, but she was caring and had a heart of gold. Noelle made a mental promise to spend more time with Casey and her daughter Autumn as soon as the holidays were over and she was done ringing a blasted bell for a living.

The next few hours crawled by at a snail's pace. Checking her watch, Noelle was glad to see it was time to load up. Just as she had the day before, Noelle wrestled her belongings to her car where she stowed them into the trunk safe and sound.

Job completed, she grabbed the bag of new clothes Casey had picked up for her earlier in the day. She was debating whether to change at Raising Cain or Dooner's when she was startled by a sound behind her.

Cash stood there as still as stone, looking as angry as a thundercloud. "Uh, hi." Noelle licked her lips, nervous about the angry gleam in Cash's eyes.

"I was just fixing to-" Noelle's words were cut off, her breath sucked right from her lungs by a kiss so hot, so full of anger, she couldn't help but struggle against its intensity.

Cash's tongue vied for entrance and won. The heat between them grew until Noelle couldn't stand it. Rubbing her abdomen against the hard length of his erect shaft nearly buckled her knees.

Why was he so mad? Did it matter? Noelle was sure it did, but for the life of her, she couldn't fathom why. As abruptly as he started the kiss, Cash stopped it. He pulled his body away from hers, still holding her by the upper arms. "You are not going to work at Dooner's. Do you hear me?"

Noelle felt her eyes widen at his tone. "Let go of me, you jacka.s.s!" Noelle put action to her words. She pulled herself from his hold but refused to do the smart thing and take a step back.

With her one free hand planted firmly on her hip, she gave him her best no-nonsense look. "I don't answer to you. You didn't want me as an employee, so as far as I'm concerned, you've got no business b.u.t.ting into my affairs."

Something in Cash's stance changed. He went from boiling mad to calm in the blink of an eye. The way his eyes kept her rooted to the spot was extremely uncomfortable. He was quiet, too quiet. Noelle began to worry.

She thought of fleeing. Things had gotten quickly out of hand and she needed time to regroup and prepare for the next round. Cash must have caught the way her gaze skittered to her car because in the next second he had her by the hand, all but dragging her across the street to Raising Cain.

Casey stood on the sidewalk with several of the regulars. They were all watching intently, only Casey had a loony grin spread across her face. Noelle tried to stop Cash, to insist Casey tell her exactly what in the h.e.l.l was going on, but the Neanderthal pulling her along, as if she weighed no more than a feather, was having none of it.

The only words he spoke as they made their way through the bar toward the stairs leading to the apartment were, "You'll answer to me all right, Noelle, and you'll never forget doing it."

His words alone, forget the deep, gravelly tone of his voice, were enough to make her panties damp with need. An aroused smile replaced the look of uncertainty she was sure had wreathed her face just minutes ago. Let the games begin, was her new motto.

Chapter Four.

The feel of Noelle's fingers entwined with his made Cash's pulse skyrocket. He tugged her behind him up the stairs to his apartment. They'd no sooner crossed the threshold when he backed her against the wall, pinning her there with the full length of his body.

Instead of struggling against him or cursing a blue streak as he thought she'd do, Noelle dropped her bag of clothes then squirmed to get even closer. She snaked her free hand beneath the hem of his shirt, skating her fingers across his abdomen, causing the muscles there to bunch and ripple in antic.i.p.ation. Her warm breath feathered across his neck, warning just how close she was getting to making him lose it.

"Put your hand by you side." If she didn't stop touching him, Cash was going to forget that he had plans involving the palm of his hand and the plump curves of her a.s.s.

"Wh...what?"

"By your side, darlin'. Now."

With obvious reluctance, Noelle removed her hand from his stomach. Cash missed her heated touch instantly but wouldn't let it sway him. He was on a mission, a mission that could very well change his life, and he planned to get it right.

If the look on Noelle's face were any indication, she didn't like being told no, especially when it came to matters of s.e.x. Her cheeks were flushed with arousal, her eyes heavy-lidded. She moved away from him, her arms crossed over her heaving chest.

Cash knew exactly how she felt, but he wouldn't let her huffy att.i.tude deter him.

"Casey said you're working at Dooner's."

She gave a sharp nod of her head, causing the silky locks of her honey blonde hair to swing sensually around her face as if caressing her cheeks. "I don't see how where I work is any of your business though."

Cash rubbed a hand over the back of his neck as he made his way across the room. He wasn't sure whether to laugh or groan. Did she not see what she was doing to him? Or maybe she did, and being extra obnoxious toward him gave her great pleasure.

"It's my business because I chose to make it my business."

d.a.m.ned if she didn't arch a brow then sneer, "Well, isn't that special."

Cash knew then and there that Noelle wouldn't be leaving without her tail end on fire. "Come here, Noelle." His tone brooked no argument and for the first time since stepping foot in his apartment she seemed unsure.

"Why?"

G.o.d, but she'd probably argue him into an early grave, he thought, as he moved closer to the only straight-backed chair in the place. "Now, Noelle. Make me ask you again and you'll have trouble sitting for more than just a few hours."

His words must not have sunk into her thick-as-h.e.l.l skull because in the next instant, she was stomping across the room toward him.

"There. Happy now?"