Bite My Bengal: Paranormal Dating Agency (Heads N' Tails Book 3) Read online

  “You’re not going to make a woman wait, are you?” She asked as he sat up.

  “Not a chance, kitten.” He pulled her legs up and around him as he positioned himself between her thighs.

  He teased her entrance without entering. His shaft slid easily between her folds. Her core throbbed with anticipation. She lifted her hips, guiding him into her. He pulled out then plunged deep inside her. He filled her completely, stretching her to the fullest. She moaned out in pleasure. She lifted her hips, meeting him with every thrust. Her hands splayed out on his chest, exploring his body. She lifted herself and took his nipple ring into her mouth. She tugged with her teeth and flicked the ring with her tongue. His hands came around to her ass and squeezed her cheeks. With each thrust he lifted her to him. She cried out in pleasure as he brought a finger to her forbidden spot. Without entering, he pressed his finger down and massaged her. It gave her a feeling she’d never had before. She moaned in ecstasy. The harder he pounded into her the more pressure his finger applied. Her body pulsed as she came closer to climax with each thrust. Her legs tightened around him as her core muscles tightened around his shaft. Her orgasm exploded within her. She called out his name as she rode out her orgasm. Years of pent up sexual aggression spewed out of her with each of his continued thrusts. His body shuddered from his release as he thrust deep inside her. His cock throbbed as his cum filled her. With one last thrust, he pulled out from her.

  He collapsed down beside her and pulled her to him. She laid against his chest and played with his nipple ring, flipping it from one side to the other. Her body weaken, she laid against him. Never had she felt that complete.

  “I have to go put everything away downstairs.” She patted his chest and got up.

  “No cuddling?” he teased and playfully smacked her rear when she turned from him.

  “It won’t take me long, then I’ll come back and cuddle,” she assured him with a smile.

  “I’ll come help. That way we can get back up here quicker.” Dare got up from the bed.

  “Alright, let’s wash up and get to it.” She left the bedroom and went into the bathroom.

  Thirty minutes later they were laying back down in the bed. The day’s toll started weighing in on her. Thoughts of their love making left her heart feeling torn. Her feelings for Dare were growing, leaving her feeling guilty. Even though Dave was no longer there, she still felt like she cheated on him with Dare. Her eyes grew heavy with guilt nagging at her. She fell asleep in Dare’s arms thinking about the world of trouble her heart was in.

  Nine

  BJ woke up early the next morning, still in Dare’s arms. Panic began to set in the longer she laid there. It’d been a long time since she spent the night in a man’s arms. Guilt set in over her panic. She slid from the bed careful not to wake him. This was a mistake. What would Dave say? She quietly grabbed her clothes from the dresser and ran into the bathroom. She’d jump in the shower then go down to the bakery.

  After her shower she braided her hair before leaving the bathroom. She slowly opened the bathroom door, not wanting to wake Dare. Her shoes were still in the bedroom. She tiptoed into the room, and found her shoes by the foot of the bed.

  “Running off this early?” Dare opened his eyes and looked straight at her.

  “I wasn’t running off.” She stood with her shoes in hand. “It takes damn near three hours to make bagels, give or take depending on type. I need to get an early start if I want to be prepared for my customers.”

  “This is about last night.” He sat up in the bed. “I know how it feels, with this being your first relationship since Dave. It’s okay to feel guilty.” He got up from the bed and gave her a hug. “Dave would want you to be happy. For now, I’m going to go and let you come to your own conclusions.”

  “Thanks for being understanding.” She wrapped her arms around him. “I’ll call you later.”

  He softly kissed her lips then gathered his clothes. She put on her shoes and walked down the stairs. Dare had been more understanding than she thought he would be. He’s been in her situation. He knew better than anyone how it feels to lose a lover. When she came down into the bakery, the first thing she did was start a pot of coffee. While Dare was getting ready, she fixed him up a breakfast bag. When her apartment door opened, she knew Dare was coming down. She poured him a cup of coffee and set it by the bag.

  “At least you’re sending me off with sustenance.” He walked over to the coffee and bag. “Is this one mine?” He pointed to the coffee by the bag. BJ nodded as he picked it up and took a sip.

  “I’m not sending you off. Really, I’m not.” She didn’t want him to think that she didn’t want to see him anymore because that’s the opposite of what she really wanted. She just had to come to terms with things first.

  “I know, kitten.” He kissed her forehead. “Call me when you’re ready. Remember what I said. He would want you to be happy.”

  She leaned against the counter and watched him leave the bakery. He was right, Dave would want her to be happy. She’s pretty sure if Dave was still alive, he could actually be friends with Dare. They had a lot in common. Dave had a fascination with wood carving but was never able to get the detailing down. He would have picked Dare’s brain for tips and pointers. BJ nodded to herself. Dave would have approved of Dare. If Dave could have hand picked someone for her, it would be Dare. The realization made her heart a little lighter.

  It was back to business as usual. She had just finished with the bagels when it was time to open. Even being closed for only one day, BJ could tell it did a number on her customers. Today, she barely had half her normal customers. The morning rush couldn’t even be called that today. She was only closed for one day.

  “I just don’t get it,” BJ sighed as she wiped down the sales counter.

  It was one day, and anybody that had asked she told them it was plumbing. So why were her customers not back? Madison always came in by this time. The bell above the door rang out, as Mrs. Pearly came in with her granddaughter.

  “Good morning, Mrs. Pearly,” BJ greeted then looked down at the bright little girl skipping in beside her. “Wow, Suzie! You’ve gotten tall since I saw you last.”

  “I’m gonna be four.” Susie held up her fingers.

  “Yes, her birthday is this weekend,” Mrs. Pearly confirmed. “I thought I’d bring her by for a cupcake. You’re not as busy as usual.”

  “Not today,” BJ agreed. “What color cupcake would you like Susie?”

  “That one,” Susie pointed out a cupcake with green icing and sprinkles.

  “Excellent choice.” BJ smiled at Susie as she pulled the cupcake from the display case.

  “I’ll take one as well,” Mrs. Pearly commented before she closed the display. “You know I have a theory on your lack of customers.”

  “Oh, what’s that?” BJ rang up their order.

  “I was down at the market on Gaines St. I overheard a woman telling people that you had a rat infestation. Can you believe that?”

  “Mrs. Pearly, I assure you there are no rats here.” BJ told her. How did someone know?

  “Don’t you worry, dear. I didn’t believe it for a second. This place has always been in tiptop shape, if you ask me. That’s why you have an A rating hanging in the window.” Mrs. Pearly handed her cash.

  “Gammy got mad.” Susie’s eyes widened.

  “She did?” BJ looked over the counter at Susie.

  “Well, that woman was saying horrible things,” Mrs. Pearly justified. “I can’t help it if my mouth kind of got away from me. It’s hard to bite your tongue these days. With the lies people spread around, not caring who it hurts. It’s a shame, I tell you.”

  “I appreciate you standing up for the bakery like that.”

  “It wasn’t just for the bakery, dear. It was for you, too. I’ve been coming here for many years. Since before you were born actually. I couldn’t stand to see someone try and run you into the ground.”

  “Thanks, here
take these.” BJ took out two Bengal cookies.

  “Pretty tiger.” Susie noticed the design as BJ slid the cookies into the bag.

  “Thanks, dear.” Mrs. Pearly held Susie’s hand with one and the bag of goodies in the other. “I’ll see you next week.”

  “Have a wonderful weekend,” she told Mrs. Pearly. “Happy early birthday, Susie.”

  “Thanks.” Susie opened the door for her grandmother, and they walked out of the bakery.

  BJ went back to the kitchen and started the dough mixture for cinnamon rolls. She started the mixer up adding ingredients for a small batch. She didn’t want to waste ingredients in case her normal customers didn’t come back by tomorrow. The bell over the door rung and a woman came in holding a little boy’s hand. The little boy was jumping and trying to pull away from his mother.

  “Welcome to Bite My Bagel,” BJ greeted her. “What can I get for you two?”

  “I need a blueberry muffin for me and a banana nut muffin for Johnny,” the woman said politely.

  “Sure, would you like something to drink with that also?”

  “I’ll have a water and whatever type of juice you have for my son.” The woman reached into her purse for money and her son tried to run off. She snatched him back by his hand and told him to wait.

  BJ grabbed their order and placed it in a bag, then grabbed the bottled water and juice. She set everything on the counter and rang her up. The woman gave the juice to her son and they sat at the table by the window near the kitchen. BJ hoped that people would see them through the window and stop in. BJ went back into the kitchen to pull the dough out of the mixer. It would need to rise for an hour, so she went to the walk-in cooler for ingredients to make some tarts. She walked to the back for the blueberries and without warning, the walk-in cooler door slammed behind her.

  “Hey!” BJ dashed to the door. She beat on the cold metal door. “Open the door.”

  “Come on Johnny, let’s go.” BJ heard the woman through the door, but she sounded closer than the table they were sitting at.

  “Wait, let me out!” BJ yelled and banged on the door. “I can’t get out!”

  She heard laughter getting farther away. The bell over the door was hard to hear through the thick door. She couldn’t hear any laughter or the rambunctious boy running around. She was alone in her bakery.

  “Damn it,” she kicked the metal door.

  She reached into her back pocket for her phone. Unlocking her phone was useless. She didn’t have any service through the 5-inch walls of steel and insulation. At least she wasn’t in the freezer. She didn’t want to push the shut off button because it would only shut of the power not open the door. This was what she got for fixing this old model rather than getting a new walk-in cooler. She’d definitely spring for the freezer and cooler after this. She pounded on the door again but it was for nothing since no one was in the bakery with her.

  She heard the faint bell, as someone came into the bakery. She pounded her fists on the door. There was no response. She yelled out for them to open the door but still there was nothing. Maybe no one came in. She gave up trying to get someone’s attention. She heard the faint bell again. Someone was in there. They probably cleaned out the register. Luckily, she didn’t have many customers throughout the morning.

  She rubbed her arms with her hands to take the chill off. The longer she was in there, the colder she got. How long before hypothermia set in? When her teeth started chattering, she became worried. She almost missed the sound of the bell above the door. Someone was in the bakery. She pounded on the door, hoping that someone would let her out.

  “Please, open the door!” she yelled out.

  “BJ?” She recognized Annette’s voice.

  “Annette, open the cooler,” she called out. A moment later, Annette opened the door. BJ quickly stepped out of the cooler. She grabbed her sweater off the back of the stool and put it on. She checked the register to see if she’d been robbed, but all the cash was still in the register’s till.

  “I thought you couldn’t get stuck in there?” Annette crossed her arms. “I thought you said those doors couldn’t close on their own.”

  “They can’t, someone helped them out.”

  “You mean someone closed you in there on purpose?” Annette’s eyebrows scrunched together.

  “Yes, someone had to lift that handle in order to close the door. It wasn’t an accident.” She was sure the woman had shut her in there. “Someone else came in while I was in there, but nothing seems to be missing. Maybe they didn’t hear me banging on the door. Thankfully you stopped by. Why are you here?”

  “Unless they were deaf, they heard you. I could hear you from the entrance. As far as why I’m here. Dare asked Bryan to see if I’d stop by and check on you. Which has me wondering, why you needed to be check on.” Annette eyed her. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing, he’s just giving me a little space,” she said honestly.

  “Space from what? You two are just getting started.”

  “I know, and he’s the greatest,” BJ sighed.

  “So, what’s the problem?”

  “The problem is, I feel guilty,” she told Annette. “If I was ready to move on, I wouldn’t feel guilty.”

  “You’re always going to love Dave. There’s no denying that. But girl, he’s no longer here and you have so much life left. Too much to be alone the whole time.”

  “I know, and I’m working through it,” she admitted with a sigh.

  “He likes you a lot. I wouldn’t keep him waiting too long,” Annette suggested and grabbed a cupcake from the display.

  “I’ll give him a call later,” she agreed.

  “Good, I think you two are brilliant together.” Annette gave her a hug. “I have to go. I have an appointment at the spa.”

  “You’re going back to the torture chamber?” BJ asked, remembering the way the hardened wax ripped from her skin.

  “Not today,” Annette laughed. “Call me if you need me. Try to stay out of the cooler.”

  “Hey, don’t say anything about that. I’ll tell Dare when he comes over.”

  “Suit yourself.” Annette waved as she walked out the door.

  BJ checked the door to the cooler. There wasn’t a malfunction. Everything was working properly. She even put her body weight against the door to see if it would close without lifting the handle. Nothing, you still had to lift the handle. It was just as she thought, someone shut her inside the cooler on purpose.

  Ten

  Dare was surprised when BJ called and asked him to come over. He didn’t expect to hear from her for a few days. The look on her face this morning told him she wasn’t ready for a relationship. He saw the panic in her eyes when she was trying to snatch her shoes and run. He understood what she was going through. He’d been there. After Sarah died, he didn’t want to date anyone again. After twenty years of being alone, it got lonely. He didn’t want to rush BJ or push her into anything before she was ready. For the first time since Sarah died, he found someone he enjoyed spending time with. He didn’t want to mess that up by rushing their relationship on her. He’ll wait until she was ready.

  He promised to swing by the bakery after work. Bryan mentioned that they’d be hanging out on level fifteen tonight. Bryan asked if Dare wanted to bring BJ up there since Annette and Braelynn would be there too. Before leaving, he used one of the rooms to get cleaned up.

  When he arrived at BJ’s bakery, it was already closed. All the lights were out except for the one in the kitchen. He could see BJ through the glass door. She looked up, and smiled the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen. She had taken the braids out of her hair, leaving it slightly curly. Her hair swayed as she walked to the door to unlock it. He’d like to wrap her hair around his hand and kiss her until she forgot about everything else.

  “Hi, I’m glad you came.” BJ gave him a tight hug, one he wasn’t expecting.

  “I’m glad you called.” He could sense something was bothering h
er. “Is something wrong?”

  “Not anymore. I wanted to thank you for sending Annette by. I’d probably still be stuck in the cooler if you didn’t.”

  “What? How’d did that happen?” It was too much of a coincidence that she got trapped in her cooler the same week as the rat incident.

  “I think a woman shut the door when I went in for the blueberries.”

  “Did you see her?” he asked, hoping she could identify her.

  “I didn’t see her do it, but her and her son were the only ones in the bakery. I screamed to be let out. I heard the woman, so I know she heard me. Someone else came in the bakery while I was trapped. They didn’t open the door for me, but they didn’t take anything either.”

  “Maybe they didn’t see anyone, so they left,” he suggested.

  “I guess, but they stayed a little too long for that. You can barely hear the bell from inside the cooler but you can still hear it. I think they should have heard me. Annette heard me just fine.”

  “At least you’re okay.” He took her hand as they walked toward the kitchen. “You need a security system, one with cameras on the inside and out.”

  “I’ve already taken care of that. Everything will be installed on Monday. I was wondering if you could build a half door to go here, just the bottom part.” She indicated the high counter that separated the kitchen from the rest of the bakery.

  “Kitten, I can make you anything you want. Would you like something carved into it?” he asked thinking of ideas.

  “Something pretty but not girly,” she didn’t hesitate.

  “Got it, no hearts and flowers. I need to run out to my truck and get my measuring tape. I’ll be right back.”

  He went out to his truck while she waited by the door. He ran back across the street to the bakery. BJ held open the door then locked it once he was inside. It wouldn’t take him long to get the measurements he needed. He knelt down beside the counter and started taking the measurements then put the results in his phone. BJ leaned up against the sales counter behind him.