Author's Notes:

'LetMeTouchU4AWyle' is my entry for the 2020 Literotica Geek Pride Story Event,

inspired by the song "Let Me Touch You for a While" by Alison Krauss and Union Station:

All characters engaging in sexual relationships or activities are 18 years old or older.

********

The Wagoneer's Way was a vestige of an era lost in the dust of time. Tucked too far back from the main drag, and hidden next to an old oil tank storage yard on the wrong side of town, finding the place took a good deal of luck, and more bad than good the locals said.

The western theme bar was certainly not out of place in Wyoming, but it was said to have been old when the last wagon trains passed on their way to the Oregon coast. Little had been done to upgrade the bar's interior in that time or exterior for that matter. The booze was terrible but cheap, and the lighting was subdued and soothing.

The regulars were a quiet bunch, mostly refinery workers looking to relax after a hellish shift refining ore into metal. The men kept to themselves, and the few women who regularly set foot in the place were tougher than the men. Occasionally, fools would stumble into the bar and make a nuisance of themselves, but if they persisted, they'd discover how hard the locals were. None ever made a repeat visit.

There was a jukebox leaning up against the middle of one wall. Without coins, it somehow played continuously in the background, but none of the songs were lively numbers. The music was strictly western, slow ballads of love lost and found, mostly the former, and that was good enough.

Viewing the place from the entrance, there were booths along the right side wall, a few tables directly before the front door, and an ancient and worn bar running the length of the wall to the left. The hall to the washrooms was at the far end of the bar with the jukebox directly opposite the entrance. Before the jukebox was a sadly underutilized dancefloor that maybe fit four couples, not that anyone could ever recall seeing that many people dancing at once in the bar.

The stools lining the bar were surprisingly comfortable for being so god damned old. There had to be some wicked deal with the devil afoot to give the cushions this eternal youth.

This was the Waggoneer's Way, old, worn, and unchanged, exactly how they liked it.

-=-

It was late on a Thursday night when a beam of perfect moonlight stepped inside the bar and looked around at the half dozen or so souls drowning their weary livers in foul liquor.

She was definitely not a local as her flawless pale skin was untouched by the rough abuse life this side of town inflicted upon its residents. Between the toxic soil, the fumes belched out by local factories, and the raw heat from the refinery, the place left its mark.

But not on her.

Her outfit also advertised her to be a visitor from elsewhere. Nowhere was there a smear of dirt, grease, nicotine, or burnt threads from getting too close to the steel ovens.

Her white cowboy hat had to be brand new as the headgear almost glowed in the bar's dim lighting. It sported a pretty badge of feathers and jewels on the front of its crown.

The woman's ice blue, off the shoulder crop top had puffy sleeves and displayed a large expanse of smooth skin above the swell of her perfect breasts and left her flat stomach bare. Another distraction was the sparkling but subtle jewelry dangling from her exposed belly button.

She walked to the bar and set her tight jean encased exquisite ass on the stool, raising a well-groomed brow in surprise at its comfort. Her red cowboy boots settled on the bar's brass rail as she leaned her elbows on the surface of the bar.

The woman removed her pristine, white cowboy hat and placed it on the bar top. She ran one long-fingered hand through her thick, platinum blonde hair and shook her head to let it settle down her back.

When her hands settled once more on the surface of the bar, the light caught her reflective silver nails. They added the bling factor to her already eye-catching outfit.

The gruff bartender approached cautiously but never lost the scowl frozen on his face. Different was dangerous, so different wasn't welcome.

"May I have a glass of white wine, please?" the woman pre-emptively asked, her voice soft, smooth, and strong. This was the voice of a woman who was used to getting what she wanted.

"Wine?" the man began to bristle, but suddenly stopped when the big man two stools over, nodded once. Glancing nervously at the silent patron, the bartender moved off to the side and soon returned with a clean wine glass with white wine in it.

"Five bucks," the bartender grumbled.

The woman glanced at the only other customer seated at the bar, but he made no offer to pay for her drink, so she peeled off a bill from a wad in her pocket and handed it to the bartender. He took it and left.

She lifted the glass to her lips to take a sip. Her pale blue eyes widened slightly as the wine was surprisingly good. That was completely unexpected.

She looked around the bar and saw a few eyes glance her way in interest, but no one made an effort to visit.

That might have been due to her only companion at the bar. Her attention returned to him. He sat two stools to her right, nursing a tumbler of whiskey while he stared at himself in the mirror behind the bar.

In profile, she saw he was handsome. Maybe a little too attractive to fit in with this crowd. His jet black hair was a little wild and looked like it needed a trim or at least a proper brushing. She thought maybe he'd been running his fingers through it roughly.

His high cheekbones, strong jaw with a dark six o'clock shadow, intriguing lips, and dark eyes made her want to see more.

He sat there, almost perfectly still, like a replica of a man cast in the steel from the local refinery. His body appeared to be healthy and muscular, but his black, blue, and gold plaid shirt hid much of his torso.

His distressed jeans, on the other hand, were as tight as hers, but that was mainly due to the size of his powerful-looking leg muscles. He wore worn black steel-toe work boots on his big feet. A black cowboy hat rested on the bar on his right side.

Glancing once more around the bar, she decided he was the one.

When she concentrated on him, she saw the fingers of his right hand were slowly twirling a wedding band he wore on his left hand. He was married?

Her eyes rose from his fingers to his face, and she was surprised once again. As he looked down at his whiskey, she caught a glance from him. She sucked in a quiet breath as the pain in his eyes sent a shiver through her.

"Hey, are you okay?" she blurted softly.

Brown eyes so dark they might have been black, focused on her for a moment. She swore she could feel his gaze on her skin. He looked back into his tumbler, nodding. He threw back the amber liquid, then tapped the rim for another shot. She watched his hands and saw scars, burns, and calluses. His were hands that had seen a lot of heavy manual work and pain.

She watched the bartender pour another drink for his customer, but not once did he look up from the surface of the bar. Soon, he was back in the corner, pretending to be invisible. Obviously, he wasn't someone to tell your troubles to. She looked back at the big man. It seemed inconceivable that anyone could hurt him, but the pain in his eyes was there for all to see. She glanced at the bartender. For those brave enough to look, that is.

Picking up her hat and drink, she moved to the stool next to the man. He took another look at her but otherwise made no objection.

"I believe the best way to deal with something troubling you is to talk it out to a sympathetic ear. I'm willing to listen," she offered.

He glanced at her again. "What if I don't want to talk?"

She watched his face and knew he needed this. He might do something dangerous to himself or worse, others, if he didn't get closure.

"I'll start. A simple introduction. I'm Belle," she said, turning her stool to face him and held out her beautifully manicured, smooth skinned hand.

He looked like he wanted to protest but found himself unable, or at least unwilling, to be rude. He looked cautiously at the mirror finish of her shiny nails then gently enveloped the offered hand in his big fist. "Cole."

She smiled at him. "You seem sad, Cole."

"There's no law against that," he grumbled and turned back to his tumbler.

She watched him for a bit then leaned just a little bit closer. She saw his eyes glance at her. So, she still had some of his attention. "Are you enjoying being sad?"

His face turned to her, a look of confusion blended with anger plain on his features. "What kind of question is that?"

"You don't seem to be doing anything about being sad, so I thought you might be enjoying it," she suggested.

His mouth worked then she saw his jaw clench in suppressed rage. Finally, a shudder went through his body. Belle noticed the bartender was no longer at his post. Looking to the tables, she saw some of the other patrons had left quickly as well.

"Have you ever been in love?"

The quiet words were spoken slowly, each one sounding like it was being ripped from his guts. He was shaking with reaction by the time he finished.

"No... I've never had the privilege. It's one of my dearest hopes and dreams," Belle said honestly.

He made a choking sound then closed his eyes to take some deep breaths. He finally nodded and looked at her.

"Being in love... is being more than you ever could be, alone."

Belle saw Cole's absolute conviction. "When did you know it was love?"

His eyes got a little glassy. "Eight... eight years ago." He spun the ring.

"You've lived here that long? With these people?" she clarified.

"Yes, I met her in town," he said, then shut his eyes as pain crossed his brow.

Belle didn't want to go in that direction yet. "What do you do?"

The question caught him by surprise, but a little tension seemed to bleed away. "I work in the refinery."

"Do you like the job? Is it fulfilling work?" she asked.

He calmed a little more. "It's not particularly hard but it's dangerous as fuck. You need to be meticulous and careful. I'm good at it."

"Who was she?"

Cole sucked in a sharp breath as the sudden change in direction shook him.

He looked at his ring. "Lorraine. My wife."

"Did she work at the refinery too?" Belle asked and heard Cole sign with a release of tension.

"No, she worked at a bank in town."

Belle reached out to take his left hand in hers and ran her thumb over the ring on his finger. Cole seemed to be having trouble breathing as she held his hand. "You were married for eight years—"

"SEVEN!" Cole gasped out.

Belle held his eyes with hers and nodded. It was time. "What happened?"

His voice failed him at first. He couldn't look away from Belle's lovely pale blue eyes, so full of compassion. His chest hurt. He didn't want to talk about it. He wanted to stop this woman from peeling him open like this... but he also didn't want to stop.

Her hand held his on the bar top. He stared at it as she gently squeezed his big paw.

"She cheated. She slept with her boss— had been sleeping with him for a year. Sometimes in our bed. They ran off together last week. She left a note," Cole choked out.

"What are you going to do besides drink?" Belle asked quietly.

Cole growled at her. Great violence suddenly exploded in his mind, desperate to get out and shred, crush, and destroy... everything. It might have gotten loose, but Cole's control over his body was absolute. The monstrous, insatiable savagery never made it beyond his eyes.

Belle watched the terrifying madness and rage struggling to escape, and her pale skin took on a sickly tone.

Cole felt his sanity returning as Belle's hand tightened on his. Then he saw the tension in her eyes, and he felt ill.

"What will I do?" he said quietly as he pulled his hand from under Belle's and reached for his whiskey. Tossing it back, the sadness appeared in his eyes once more. "I can do nothing, or I risk losing everything."

He saw Belle trying to think of something to say, and he sighed. "The pain in my heart eats at me, but it also reminds me... I once experienced love. I will not lose that for anyone."

They were quiet for a moment, and Belle sipped her wine to wash the sour taste of fear from her mouth. She heard the music change and reached for Cole's hand once more.

He looked at her cautiously.

"Please," she asked softly.

He let her pull him from his stool and guide him to the dance floor. Once there, she turned to face him. He was only a few inches taller than her, so she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her wrists crossed behind his head, then tucked her face against his neck as she leaned her body against his. She felt his arms slowly wrap around her back, and they began to slowly sway to the music.

Cole held the beautiful woman in his arms and felt his senses becoming overwhelmed. The delicate scent of her shampoo teased his nose as did the warm honey scent of her body.

Belle felt so soft yet substantial in his arms. He realized he hadn't held anyone like this for a long time. Lorraine had been pulling away from him for months without him realizing the cause. Only now, with a woman pressing herself to him so intimately, did he recognize how long he'd been without.

They held each other, moving slowly to the music and remained that way through the next three songs.

Belle felt Cole's muscles trembling, and she held him a little tighter. He responded by finally relaxing his hands on her back, which had remained clenched. She sighed at the feeling of those powerful fingers gripping her back muscles. He smelled of fire and iron with a warm, masculine spice beneath.

When her lips caressed his neck, Cole gasped, and his hands moved on her back. She slowly kissed her way up his neck to his ear, where she gently bit his earlobe.

"You feel wonderful in my arms, Cole. I won't break. You can hold me tighter," she whispered breathily.

Cole's hands responded by kneading her muscles, one hand moving up to between her shoulder blades, the other dropping to her bare skin just above her ass.

She cooed in his ear as she loved the feeling of his hands on her body. Her breasts were squeezed against his hard muscles, and that sent tingles through her. When his hand moved closer to her ass, she sucked in a sharp breath and pressed her lips to his neck firmly, feeling the steady beat of his pulse.

Something else was pulsing against her, and that felt even better. As they moved slowly around the dance floor, swaying to the music, their touching began to generate a delicious heat.

Cole's heart was pounding as his mind tortured him with images of Lorraine in bed with another man while he was in the arms of Belle.

Sensing his building unease, Belle pulled back to look in his eyes. "Hey, cowboy, what's wrong?"

"I-I can't. It's been a long time. She—" he began.

"Shhh, shhh, shhh." Belle cupped his face between her soft hands and felt him tremble. "You're here, and so am I. What happened before doesn't matter, and it holds no sway over what we do tonight. I want to be with you as I think you look really fine. I think you've been unhappy for too long. Let me touch you for a while."

His mouth dipped down to touch hers, delicate as snow landing on a flower. He pulled back and saw she was still in his arms, pressed against his body, not a figment of his imagination. She pulled his face down to hers, and he surrendered to her need.

The kiss was tender, her lips were exquisitely soft and caressed his mouth with a promise of heat.

Cole struggled against the urge to take her here on the dance floor. His need for a physical connection to another being was so intense it was almost blinding. His hand slid lower to cup her ass as the other slipped below her top to feel the skin between her shoulder blades.

Belle moaned with need as lightning shot through her nerves from his grip on her ass. He was so fucking strong! Her need for him flared, and she slipped her tongue into his mouth as her hands slipped up into his hair to try and control their kiss. It was no use, his hunger for her was carrying her away into bliss.

A chair fell over, its occupant landing on the floor with a heavy thump, jarring Cole from the kiss. His eyes focused on Belle's face before his, tilted back and flushed with desire, eyes half-lidded, and her dark red lips still parted from their kiss. The pink tip of her tongue darted out to touch her plump lower lip, and he felt the need to chase it with his own tongue.

He glanced over to see the embarrassed drunk getting back to his feet.

He looked to Belle once more. "We-we should find a better place to continue this. Do you want... to continue—"

"Your place," she quietly blurted as she stepped back from him.

He gave her a brief nod, and they went back to the bar to pick up their hats. The bartender was back and gave them a brief smile and nod, which seemed so out of character, they paused before nodding in response and made their way to the door.

Stepping outside, Cole took a deep breath of night air, the pong of the factories reduced at night.

"Your car?" he asked.

"I got a lift here. We can take yours?"

He nodded and gestured towards the black 1975 Ford F150. He opened the driver's door and lifted her onto the bench seat. She slid along until he had room to get in.

He started the truck and got them out of the parking lot, down the lane, and out onto the main road.

Belle put her hat on the seat next to her, then lifted his right hand from the wheel and tucked herself in against his side. She slid her left hand over his right leg and gave it a squeeze. She looked up at him and saw the heat flare in his eyes.

It was a fifteen-minute drive to the small single-story home off the county road north of town. Belle could only see part of it from the beams of his headlights until a motion detector caught the truck and lights came on to light up the covered front porch running the width of the home. It looked warm and welcoming, with two rocking chairs waiting for occupants at one end with a swing at the other.

Cole parked the truck and slipped out his door, holding an arm out to assist her from the truck. She took his hand in hers and slid to the end of the bench, her hat in her other hand. Once he could, he took a grip on her hips to lift her from the truck. He brought her to his chest and kissed her once more.

Belle wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist as she kissed him deeper. She was only partially aware of him carrying her to the porch, climbing up the stairs, and walking to the door. When he dropped his keys, she had to end the kiss as she chuckled at his frustrated moan.

Cole set her on her feet once more then he picked up the keys to unlock the door. He pushed the door open and reached in to flip the light switch before leaning back to gesture for her to enter. With a smile, she stepped inside and smiled as she saw it was an open concept cottage. Centered on the opposite wall were double doors she assumed led to an extension out the back for the bedroom. To the right of those was another door she saw was for a bathroom. The kitchen filled the right wall of the cottage, then the dining area before her with the living room with a fireplace to her left. All was visible from the front door, except for what was behind the double doors.

She saw Cole sitting on a bench by the front door, removing his boots. She smiled at him and spun a nearby chair from the dining room table and sat on it, facing Cole. Once he'd removed his second boot, she lifted one of her red cowboy boots for him to remove for her. He smiled at her cheeky grin and gripped her leg and the boot. He slipped it off with a little tug. He placed it next to his work boots and looked up to see she'd lifted her other foot. He pulled that boot off as well, then stood.

Belle stood and spun the chair back into its position. She faced him and found herself in his arms once more. His kiss was demanding and passionate, taking her breath away. She clung to him and moaned softly as her body quickly began to tingle from the pressure of his hard muscles against her softer body.

He suddenly pulled back and watched her face as he lifted his sleeve to his nose.

Cole held her eyes as her mind returned to her. When he could see she was present again, he touched her cheek gently. "Would you mind if I took a shower before we did anything else. I smell like a blast furnace."

She nodded, still in a slight daze.

"Make yourself at home. I won't be long," he said. When she nodded to him, he went through the double doors, and she saw she'd guessed right. It was the bedroom with a king-size bed.

Belle wandered into the bedroom and dropped her hat on the table next to the bed. She noted there were no personal pictures in the room, so she wandered out into the living area and spotted one on an end table by the couch and two on the bookcase against the wall. She looked closer and saw Cole smiling with a redhead in his arms. The woman had obviously taken the selfie.

The other two photos were the same. Apparently, Lorraine was the picture taker in the family. She spotted another photo hanging on the wall next to the fireplace. She got closer and saw it was a group photo of the staff at the bank. The only man in the photo stood at the right side of the group, next to Lorraine, and was likely the manager, the man she'd left Cole for. Belle frowned as she'd never choose this doughboy over the man of steel taking a shower in the next room.

Speaking of her date, she moved to the bedroom and prepared for his arrival.

When Cole stepped out of the bathroom with his towel wrapped around his waist, he stopped as he saw the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on leaning back on her elbows on his bed. She was under the top sheet, which tented over and clung to her nipples as it crossed her chest.

"Are you fresh and clean now?" she asked with a sultry voice.

"Yes," he sighed as his eyes drank her in.

Feeling incredibly desirable, she surreptitiously tugged the top sheet free from her nipples to drop it to her stomach. Her breasts were now exposed to Cole.

"Oh!" he exclaimed quietly, and she giggled at his genuine reaction. She truly enjoyed his innocence. That thought made her recall the frightening moment at the bar, but she pushed that away. She knew... she knew he would never let it out.

Her eye caught movement in the towel around his waist, and her grin returned. She playfully pushed herself up to her knees, the sheet dropping away, and her smile widened as she saw his eyes widen further.

She moved to sit on the edge of the bed and crooked a finger at him to draw him closer. He hesitantly stepped closer until she was able to hook her finger into the towel to tug him closer still. She smiled slyly up at his face and noticed he'd not only bathed, but he'd shaved. The stubble was no more, and his face was smooth and... exceptionally handsome. Maybe it was his high cheekbones or the slightly almond shape of his dark eyes, but something gave him unique features that drew her eyes.

The towel suddenly gave to her insistent pulling, and she was faced with his growing erection. He was... well endowed and becoming bigger as she watched. He also apparently groomed down there too, which she appreciated.

She reached out and took his cock in her hands and sighed at how firm and hot he felt. He was pretty excited, so she decided to help him take the edge off. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against the head of his cock, and he twitched. She looked up at him and saw his surprised expression.

"Aww honey, has no one ever done this for you?" she purred. All he could do was shake his head and watch her in awe. "Then you're in for a treat!"

Chuckling happily to herself, she repeated her earlier move but expanded upon that with licking, sucking, teasingly light licks, and strong strokes, which drove his pleasure higher and higher. Each was a novel experience for him, and she enjoyed his reactions to them.

Finally, his muscles began to tighten up, and his breathing was starting to sound like a steam locomotive.

"Belle! I-I'm going to cum!" he gasped.

She pulled her mouth from the head of his cock as her hands continued to pump his shaft. "Do it, honey! Let it come out!" She took him back in her mouth and struggled to get more than half of him in her mouth now that he was swelling for his orgasm. Fuck, she was getting so wet just from sucking his cock! He was so honest in his enjoyment of her actions. He held nothing back!

"Now! Oh my god!" he cried.

Surge after surge fired into Belle's hot mouth, and she swallowed quickly. When she could tell he was becoming too sensitive, she pulled her mouth away and let her hands slow but squeezed out the last drops her tongue licked away. Seeing his hard stomach muscles ripple with each lick, her grin widened. Fuck, he was sexy!

"So, you enjoyed that?" she purred as she watched his blissed-out expression.

His eyes blinked open, and he seemed to be struggling to focus. "It was... unlike anything I've... felt before... it was amazing!" he panted.

She smiled in satisfaction, then noticed that his cock was still hard in her hands. She's felt it soften a little after his release, but it was back to full strength already. "Looks like this fella is ready for round two. How about you show me what you can do with it?"

Fire came to Cole's eyes, and he bent down and lifted Bell onto his mattress, appropriately oriented. He climbed over her and dipped down to kiss her sensually, tasting her lips, teasing her tongue with his, then sucking hers into his mouth. She moaned into his mouth at how sexy that felt.

He ended the kiss and immediately moved to her breasts, which he enjoyed very much until she finally squealed at how sensitive they were becoming.

Before she could come down from that high, his mouth was teasing her inner thighs and quickly found her wet pussy. His tongue was hot and powerful, stroking and plunging deep inside until she was clinging to his head, pulling his up.

"Fuck me! Please! Put it inside!" she cried desperately.

She felt his heat stroking across her lips and clit, and her body convulsed with the intensity. Then the fat head was pushing against her opening demandingly. The pressure built then she felt herself surrendering to him, and he was inside. Her mouth dropped open, and he moved deeper in small increments, glacially slow, but each downward thrust opened her a little more. The pace was driving her crazy, but she could do nothing to increase the speed as his strength could not be denied.

After what seemed an eternity, his body came to rest against hers, and she had all of him. She held him tight as her body struggled to adjust to how fucking thick he felt inside her depths. His cock felt white-hot, and its pulsing sent waves of sparks deep into her body. His mouth found hers again, but his kiss was gentle and sweet. A reward for enduring the completed joining. She sucked on his lips hungrily as she felt her body begin to relax against the intruder within her.

His first outward stroke almost made her scream. Her body wanted his cock exactly where it was and filled with bliss when he drove it back into place. Those sensations began to amplify as he pulled from her a little more, driving forward again and again until he was giving her long slow deep strokes.

Belle lost the ability to speak, then to think as everything was focused on the sensations they were sharing. She could hear Cole's moans of bliss, mixing with hers. He was equally enthralled with the feeling of their bodies merging and withdrawing. She began to need more, pulling and pushing at his hard muscles to make him accelerate, and this time, he did. That's when she started to scream. It was so fucking good!

Cole pounded Belle into the mattress with and almost bruising force, but still, she demanded more as ecstasy obliterated reason and rational thought. Both were reduced to base gasps and grunts until they were screaming once more with their release. Cole thrust deep one last time and filled her with his hot essence. Belle clung to his body with all her strength, arms and legs, her lips pressed tightly against his neck once more, feeling the almost frantic pounding of his pulse there. She let her mind roam free as she felt his heat fill her.

They lay there, catching their breath, Cole relieving some of the pressure of his body on hers with his knees and elbows, but keeping her pinned to the mattress under him. She felt safe and secure, and that just added to her happiness.

She felt him softening inside her, but he remained there enjoying their connection.

When he pulled his face back to look at her with wonder in his eyes, she felt another wave of joy sweep through her. She lifted her head to gently bite his lower lip.

He raised an eyebrow at her when her head dropped back to the bed. She grinned up at him. "You trying to push me through the mattress?"

His expression immediately became contrite. "I didn't hurt you, did I? It's been a long time—"

"No! No, I didn't mean to sound like I was complaining. It was wonderful! Just... very enthusiastic!" she said and giggled.

Cole's face showed his bliss for a moment. "Stop laughing! I'm feeling that squeezing some sensitive parts!"

Belle's smile just got wider. "I've never caused an orgasm with laughter before!" She giggled again then moaned herself as Cole's refractory period ended, and he began to stiffen once more in surges.

"It seems this is a game two can play," Cole chuckled at Belle's expression of bliss.

The frenzied need had passed, and this time both enjoyed a much calmer pace. The build-up was slow, and they kissed slowly, lingering on the pleasure they shared. When they finally reached their peaks, the euphoria lasted longer and ebbed slower.

When Cole eventually pulled himself slowly from Belle, she felt tingles all over her body and basked in them as he rested his large body next to her. The air was just a little chilly, so he pulled the top sheet up.

Exhaustion pulled at his eyelids, but he struggled to remain awake for Belle's sake. He felt the bed move as Belle rolled onto her side, facing him and rested her head on her palm as she gazed down at his sleepy face. She smiled and was gratified to see him return it. The pain of loss was no longer dominating his expression, at least in this moment of afterglow. She reached over and cupped his cheek with her hand, feeling him relax further, his eyelids slowly closing as the smile remained.

"Sleep, my sweet lover," she sighed as she caressed his face.

When his breathing settled into a deep and slow rhythm, Belle reached over to her hat and plucked two of the light blue jewels from the badge. She gently placed them against his temples, where they remained when she pulled her fingers away. She smiled at his sweet innocence.

"Sleep... and forget."

-=-

In the wee hours before dawn, Belle stood shivering on the side of the highway before the pretty cottage, cursing under her breath. Her ride was late.

When the black SUV finally rushed around the corner silently with its lights off, she breathed a sigh of relief. It quickly slowed to a stop, and she noticed its damaged grill before she jumped into the rear passenger door, easing it closed quietly as they got underway once more.

"Why were you late?" she snapped crisply, glaring between the driver, his navigating passenger, and the auxiliary passenger seated next to her.

"Breen struck a large herbivore three miles back. We had to stop to assess the damage," the navigator blurted as the driver shot him an angry look.

"You should have been watching for road hazards as well, Tark!" the driver grumbled.

"Enough!"

"You killed the Wyle Darken, yes? Tell me it's dead!" the auxiliary barked at her in fear.

Belle drove the deadly sharp tips of her silver nails through the fabric of its pants into the soft tissues between its legs. Its howl of agony quickly faded as it passed out. The auxiliary wasn't dead and wouldn't die from the injuries she'd inflicted. But it also wouldn't be diluting their gene pool with its inferior attributes. She cleaned her fingers off on the auxiliary's pant leg. The driver and navigator were silent, but she could smell their fear.

"The Wyle Darken has been neutralized. It's gone native."

The driver was obviously feeling emboldened by the fact that it was immune from immediate physical disciplining while in control of the vehicle. "They are experts at blending in with native populations while they wait to be activated. When you say, it's gone native..."

Pale blue eyes locked on the neck of the driver, and his hand unconsciously touched the spot as his panic scent increased. She looked away. "I wasn't speaking of its physical nature. It's taken on Human emotions and values as well."

"WHAT?!?" both occupants of the front seat blurted in unison. The SUV swayed before the driver got control once more.

"I'm not clear on how it started, but... it fell in love."

That was met with stunned silence.

"That... it doesn't seem possible for a Wyle Darken to feel any emotion other than rage," the navigator breathed in wonder.

Belle recalled the touch and kiss of her target last night and allowed herself a sweet smile in the privacy of the back seat.

She would also be keeping secret the fact that she was carrying Cole's child. She was up for furlough after this mission, so she'd be going home, and she'd likely retire as she'd earned it with this mission. Home was a perfect place to begin a new life.

Especially when she knew her planet was now safe from their ancient enemy's last remaining ultimate weapon.

However, she wasn't free to leave just yet. There was one more task she would have to take care of before they left Earth.

"Before the mission is complete, we'll be picking up two of the natives to take with us," she said as she used the tip of her fingernail to etch a line into the glass over the group photo she'd taken from the cottage. The line encircled Lorraine and her chubby lover. She handed it forward to the navigator, who examined the image of the two humans.

"What do we need these two natives for?" he asked.

"Insurance against the rage."

The two up front shut up as chills ran down their spine.

A few moments later, the driver felt emboldened once more. "What will we do with them?"

She thought for a few minutes. "The Kellinians are always looking for sex surrogates for their slug factories."

The SUV did another slight fishtail as the driver shuddered violently. The navigator held a stomach content expulsion bag to his mouth as he hunched over, making retching noises.

Belle sat back with her hands resting protectively across her stomach and smiled contentedly as the fingers of her right hand slowly twirled the loose wedding band she now wore on her left hand. She'd switch to the one from Lorraine, if she still had it, once they collected her. Then she'd wear Cole's ring on a chain around her neck and over her heart.

As it should be.

-=-

Morning arrived slowly, as the sun's first rays touched the sheets on the large bed. The reflected brightness caused Cole's eyes to slowly flutter open. He stretched and felt his muscles tell him of some strenuous activity the night before. He let his mind slip back to the time, but there was nothing.

Odd.

He rolled onto his stomach and inhaled deeply. His scent was present, so he ignored that, but there was another scent that made his cock throb. Warm honey and female excitement. He pushed back the top sheet and looked down to see he had some residual cum on his cock. So, he'd had sex with a delicious smelling female.

Again, he let his mind roam back through the previous night and... nothing.

Very odd.

That's when he realized he felt... good. Really good, in fact. He was aware that, for some reason, today felt so much better than he'd felt for some time. A weight was gone. Something pulling his heart down into the murk was no longer there! He tried to recall what it had been, but he was feeling so good now, he didn't want to risk rediscovering the source of the pain.

Grinning to himself, he rolled over onto his back and held his hands outstretched before him, letting the sunlight play over their scarred surfaces. Something caught his eye. He brought his left hand closer to his face and saw there was a small band of flesh on his left ring finger that was worn smooth... but he wore no ring.

Still, he felt good. That seemed to matter most. He walked to the bathroom, peed, and took a shower to get cleaned up. He pulled on his big terry dressing gown and wandered out of the bedroom to stand by the kitchen island. He smiled and stretched again.

Coffee.

He stepped over to the kitchen counter and brewed up a small pot of coffee, and when it was ready, he poured himself a mug and carried it outside to the porch. He sat in one of the rocking chairs and looked pensively at the second one as he sipped the hot and bitter beverage.

He cast his mind back to recall who might have sat in that chair beside him, but there was nothing there.

That didn't mean he remembered nothing. As he went further back, really not that far, there was... emotion. And the further back he went, the stronger the emotion became until it filled his being. It was glorious!

Moving forward in time, he encountered the fairly recent point where that wonderous emotion just faded away. He knew whatever he'd been feeling recently, the darkness, hadn't been love, the powerful emotion he'd just now recalled.

Something had affected his memory.

Deep inside, he felt a presence suddenly activate, and a quiet voice sounded in his mind.

"Re-sequence, flush and restart. Anomaly detected. Interference detected. Restoring prime memory backup—"

"Negative," he asserted and felt the process pause.

"Primary mission objective requires the elimination of anomaly. Restoring prime memory backup—"

"Negative." Cole let his mind put the pieces together. He stood and walked back into the cottage. He scanned the room with his eyes and noted gaps in the knickknacks on the bookshelves and end tables, but he didn't recall what was missing.

Puzzling over those gaps, he walked back outside and sat once more.

Years ago, Cole's heart had been filled with love. That had recently gone away, and today he no longer felt it. But this morning, he awoke with a beautiful feeling of elation. That's the only way he could describe it. Something terrible and dark had been lifted from him. He knew he had the woman who smelled like warm honey to thank for that. She'd done something to his memories and had taken steps to ensure the evidence or reminders had been eliminated.

Should he be angry for her interference? He couldn't find it in himself to fault her.

"Primary mission objective requires the elimination of anomaly. Restoring prime memory backup—"

"Negative. Expunge prime memory backup," Cole ordered, not allowing time for his rational mind to argue.

There was a momentary pause. "Validate. Reason for expunge."

"Backup contains corruption, harmful to primary mission objective," he insisted.

"Authorization."

"H044JWSP3021-33KKLE22," Cole recited from memory.

"Accepted. Prime Memory Backup expunged. Awaiting activation of Primary Mission." The voice went silent as the biochemical battle computer powered down.

He sucked in a breath of relief as now he wouldn't be able to restore the memories the woman last night had eliminated. He paused for a moment as he realized he'd made that decision strictly based on how good he felt this morning. That feeling of being freed from a terrible burden.

He sipped at his coffee as he considered his next move. If he was to assist with the process of saving himself from the dark fate he'd somehow suffered, he needed a clean break.

His truck was in the driveway, and the road was just beyond.

Regardless of what that inner voice said, Cole knew he had a new Primary Mission. He'd felt it years ago, and he needed to feel it again.

Cole would find love again. It was out there. He just had to go out and find it.