” She gathered her air before shrieking her nickname: “Elle.” This time, both of us were laughing. “Elle, huh?” I said, wiping a tear of the...corner of my eyes, “Elle? So you're engaged? Is he around?” She turned the straw between her fingers, and followed its trajectory until the end with her eyes. She licked her lips, bit them, wearing a little but happy smile as she did so. All her movements seemed so studied as if she was performing an act. She did smile a happy smile, but looked away from. It sent sparks shooting upwards into the chimney. With another yawn, Julia fell into a very contented sleep.Rob retreated his arm and rose to stir the fire. As quietly as he could, he added one more log, damper and longer burning. Satisfied, he retrieved the cozy light blanket from the sofa as well as a throw pillow. Looking down at Julia, he thought he was the luckiest man on Earth right now. His world was full of peace. He softly placed the blanket over Julia, but stood watching her clenching. “You’re a good girl, Anne, but when you’re bad you’re better,” he whispers. His hand cups my chin and forces me to look at him. “Be a bad girl, Anne. Be my bad girl," he whispers against my ear before his lips descend onto my neck. He licks it gently before nipping it at the side. I moan out in pleasure as his teeth sink into the flesh. The temptations of the flesh are too hard to resist. I press my body against him asking for more. Our lips unite and I kiss him fiercely, our tongues darting in. ‘Damn bastard,’ Petey said as he put away his wallet. ‘Always finding new ways to get my money.’ ‘Yep, that’s true,’ Freddie agreed, ‘it’s not bad enough he gets the county’s money. He’s the main shareholder in the Paradise County Bank, the silent partner in Dan Frank’s Real Estate Company, and Rocky Elliot’s Construction outfit.’ ‘You wouldn’t know it by how much he puts in the collection,’ Hoot observed. ‘My granddaughter put more in her envelope than he does.’ The girls laughter drifted.