The Road To Fame (Sumi & Mr Quixotic)

[Mr Quixotic]

Not rich enough. Looked like a player? Duane, with eyes closed, and arm around Karmen's waist, had smiled to himself, and given her a little squeeze after she'd responded to Kurt. "Nice story, cuddlepot," he'd then whispered in her ear, before leaving Karmen to handle the conversation for the remainder of the journey. By the time they'd arrived at their destination, he regretted that decision.

As they'd conversed, one of Duane's eyes had snuck half-open to appraise the manner in which Kurt constantly tilted his head to smile at the soon-to-be bride in his back-seat, and he hadn't appreciated the way the two seemed to be getting along so fine. Stop it. He'd admonished himself, and wondered if he'd been struck by a hint of jealousy. No, it couldn't be; that emotion wasn't one Duane Reynold's was familiar with. It was simply that he'd yet to sleep with the woman, and his competitive streak didn't like to be beaten to the punch. Anyway, he could console himself with the fact that the other man was married. Duke didn't even realise how his arm had instinctively and protectively tightened around Karmen as he attempted to banish the negative thoughts from his mind.

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Kurt's residence was like something of a 1950's family sit-com, all green grass, white picket fences, and sterile red brick. Duke didn't notice any sign of children, which was a good thing. Not that he didn't like kids, but they were nosey buggers, and likely to traipse after him if he were to investigate the house. He was already concerned enough about the mention of a church-bake sale, and what sort of woman Kurt's wife would turn out to be. He was soon to find out.

As his eardrums recovered from the man's yell for his spouse, and they stepped from the vehicle, he heard a woman's voice, but was momentarily too distracted by Karmen's proximity, and the hand on his chest, to pay much attention. Karmen was almost close enough to kiss, and Duke thought about doing just that as his eyes landed back on hers. Not just a peck either, a proper kiss! However, he managed to restrain himself, and instead laughed. "What's the matter, Honeybunch, don't enjoy sweet talk?" He raised a brow and teasingly scrunched up his nose, before he nodded over her shoulder. "A couple like this, they probably hide all sorts of valuables, but, of course, that and their hospitality is not all I'd planned taking advantage of." Duane paused as the woman approached them.

He appraised the blonde, pretty in a modest sort of way, and listened to her with one ear cocked as he continued to speak to Karmen under his breath. "Because you're right, you deserve a good, hard pampering, and I'm just the man to provide it." He shot her a sideways grin, and the arm draped over her shoulder drifted down to now what was becoming one of his favourite parts of her anatomy. Duane swatted Karmen's butt just as Daisy's fake smile transformed into a not-fake scowl. "Possibly a massage, I've been told I'm good with my hands. Amongst other talents." His voice had dropped to a whisper by the time Kurt interjected, and introduced them to his spouse.

"This here's Karmen and Duane. They're heading to Vegas to get married. Car broke down, so I thought I'd do the Christian thing, and offer them a bed for the night. They can stay in the guest room." Not quite the truth, but easier to explain to his wife than that the couple had been hitch-hiking.

"Uh-oh," Duke muttered under his breath as the woman's mouth dropped open with her husband's words, and her attention darted between the couple and her Kurt, then came to rest, bug-eyed, on her spouse.

"The guest-room? Together? But Kurt you just said they're not married"

"Uh-oh." Duke muttered again.

Kurt momentarily appeared struck dumb and locked gazes with Duane, where the two men swapped an imaginary eye-roll. Then their new friend took a deep breath. "Well, I believe Duane won't mind the sofa for a night or two."

"That's just fine with me, Sir." Duke flicked him a smile, and issued an eye-roll to Karmen. A real one. In the meantime, Daisy appeared to have reached a decision.

"You'd best come on inside." She nodded at the two strangers, then pirouetted and strode towards the house.

"Don't worry, Daisy just doesn't handle surprises too well, but she'll settle down, and appreciate the company." Kurt, ever the gentleman, collected their bags, and indicated for them to follow the woman into the house. "I need to ready myself for work, but we can have a chin-wag when I return if you're still awake, and then, if you like, you can accompany us to Church in the morning. I'm certain my wife will be excited to hear all about your marriage plans; what woman doesn't love wedding gossip?" He winked at Karmen, then sauntered after Daisy.

Duane exchanged a glance with the woman beside him, and placed a hand on the small of her back to nudge her forward as he responded to Kurt with all the grace and charm he could muster. "We appreciate your hospitality, and I promise we won't be any trouble."

"Any time, and I'm certain you shan't be," Kurt replied over his shoulder.

"Wonder if she'll allow us to shower together?" Duke whispered under his breath just as they stepped into a small foyer, and his gaze wandered around the living room, visible from where they stood, in search of any evidence of valuables, then raised his voice to address their host.

"So what do you do for employment, Kurt?"

"Daisy, honey, why don't you get these folks some towels, and show them their quarters. They're probably craving a bath and some rest, after the morning they've had." Kurt beamed with friendliness as he deposited their luggage on the floor, and turned back to his house guests.

"Oh, didn't I mention that? I'm Town Sheriff."

"Uh-oh," Duke muttered for a third time, and the colour had drained from his face when his eyes locked on Karmen's.

It was too late to back out now.

 

[Sumi]

While Kurt wasn't exactly her type, Karmen did enjoy the conversation for the rest of the trip, if only because like any other time, she was flattered by the fact that a man, and a married one at that, was paying her so much attention. It was also a good reassurance that she hadn't gotten too rusty due to those long weeks spent in Reddell and on the plus side, there was something even more priceless to it. She wasn't completely certain of it, but she could notice a change in Duane's mood as she continued to exchange words with Kurt all during the trip. His silence could be taken as him simply being tired after the morning's events, however the subtlety with which he tightened his arm around her and kept her close to him were something she couldn't just pass. It made her wonder, but she didn't mention it. At least not then. Nevertheless, she had plenty of time to delve into this subject later on, when it would be just her and him, so that she would be able to talk freely unlike in front of their soon-to-be host.

***

"Oh, I do enjoy sweet talk, honey! But I prefer my overdose of sugar to be left for after the main course, you know." She shot him a playful smile, before glancing at the woman who had just emerged from the house. The first impression was far from a good one, seeing how she seemed to be hiding behind a forced happy expression. Clearly the blonde wasn't glad to see two strangers in front of her house, looking as if they were about to move in.

On the other hand, she was curious about what would Duane think of this woman. She was amused by his earlier hints of being jealous, but truthfully, she wasn't keen on having him get along with another woman all of a sudden. They barely met each the other night, so she couldn't talk about anything ridiculous like love, though she supposed she did like him enough to not want to see him snatched from under her nose. At the very least, not until she'd made sure she left her mark on his mind.

Those thoughts were pushed aside by his generosity, lips curling up into a smile as she felt his hand moving downwards to her bum. Teeth lightly bit on her lower lip at the lovely swat directed to her behind, and as if oblivious to the other couple's presence, she couldn't refrain from replying to his offer to give her more than she had asked for. "Can't wait to see those talents put into practice" she purred with a mischievous look in her eyes, until their conversation had to come to an abrupt end due to a certain woman scowling at the public display of affection.

Had she known that Kurt was married from the first moment, maybe Karmen wouldn't have been so eager to ask for a place for her and Duane to stay overnight. Even so, she hadn't expected the woman to be this uptight. The singer had to force herself to keep a poker face when the blondie decided that it wasn't proper for them to sleep in the same room because they weren't married. Everything she had in mind so far was slowly crumbling the more she thought of how much it would affect their stay here if this woman insisted that they'd keep up with the religious or traditional customs of dating and marriage.

No. This couldn't be happening.

What was left of her hope relied on Kurt, figuring that perhaps he would be smarter than his wife, but all that went down the drain as soon as he mentioned the Church along with gossip about marriage plans. Trying to at least be nice since he had indeed offered them a place to stay at for free, she smiled at his attempt to be friendly once more.

The moment their hosts turned their backs, Karmen turned her head to Duane and grimaced as she reluctantly walked forward at his nudge. A frown followed at his shower related inquiring, even more frustrated as she thought about the possible restrictions Daisy could put on them. "As if. She'll probably put us in the corner if we so much as dare to kiss." she whispered back.

If at first she was unsure as to why Duane decided to question Kurt about his job, when she caught him looking around, she remembered what they had talked about earlier. But nothing, completely nothing could have prepared her for such a shocking answer.

Karmen immediately shot a glance to her supposed partner 'in crime', pretty much unable to believe it herself that from all the places, they ended up right in the lion's den. This trip could end badly and too soon if by any chance Kurt found out about what kind of backstories his guests had. Alright, maybe she didn't have as much to be worried of given how she barely helped him once to steal, but as for Duane, she couldn't say the same.

"Well, isn't that a relief? I guess we're on good hands then," she said and smiled back to her supposed fiance. The last thing she wanted was to show signs of something being wrong, thus, she effortlessly took charge of the conversation in place of Duane. "I'd gladly have a bath after walking under the sun for so long. After that, however, I've been promised to be taken out on a date, so we'll probably be out until evening too." Both of her hands moved to clasp his own, subtly tightening the grip for a few moments. They couldn't possibly talk freely with Daisy listening in on them all the time, and with the circumstances they were in, it was a must to discuss certain matters in private. "You aren't too tired already, are you?" she lastly added with pleading eyes, plump chest pushing slightly against his arm in hopes that if he didn't get it at first, at the very least he'd find her incentive motivating enough to follow her lead on this one.

 

[Mr Quixotic]

Duane was somewhat conflicted with the demeanour of Daisy. Whilst being told he'd sleep on the sofa had sent a note of disappointment through him, and he believed he and Karmen would have enjoyed a much more fun night at a Motel, or at least he would have, particularly if he'd conspired to ensure the room contained only one bed, he was happy for the opportunity to receive a free night's board and lodging, and possibly some valuables to leave with. Her attitude towards their unmarried status had also helped ease some of his concerns about Kurt's intentions for Karmen.

Not only did he consider it less likely that the man would attempt anything, but also that, even if he had, from what he knew of Karmen, she would soon become bored of any man who could fall in love with a prude such as Daisy. Possibly that was being a little harsh on the woman, but it sure consoled Duane, whose arm had slipped around his companion the moment they'd exited the vehicle, and deliberately patted her ass in front of Kurt, as if to warn the other man to keep his hands off. Now, Duke would need to somehow discover if the woman was as keen as him as he was on her, though he wasn't talking life-long commitment. She was just fun to be around and, he was certain, would be just as much, if not more, fun in the sack.

His lips still contained the smile that Karmen's mention of the main course had provided, and his gaze darted between her and the other two, to gauge her reaction to the blonde. "What I'm looking forward to most, is desert," he whispered under his breath, "and taking a little taste of that sugar you keep mentioning. That's when you'll discover how talented I am." He returned her sweet smile, then issued another tap to her ass. This time, not for Karmen, but to gain a little revenge on Daisy. And it worked. She shot him a death-stare, before she turned to enter the house.

"Probably separate corners, too, just in case we kiss again, and you happen to fall pregnant or something. Imagine the scandal. In her house." Duane's tone was light as they entered, before his face paled, and his eyes widened. He stared at Karmen open-mouthed, and noted her return glance. Of all the dumb luck, they had to get picked up by a damn sheriff. He swallowed, and wet his dry lips with his tongue as he attempted to regain composure, but she beat him to the punch, and immediately came up with an excuse to provide the space they required to discuss their next move. No wonder he was so smitten.

"Indeed we are." He shot a glance at Kurt as Karmen spoke. "I've always thought about joining the law, myself," then smiled at her when she squeezed his hands, and nodded in agreement. "No baby, I'm never too tired for you." That was almost too sweet, even for Duane. He then planted a peck her lips, and pushed his arms back against the soft swell of her breasts, wondering how they'd feel in his palms, before he pulled one of his hands free, and turned back to their host.

"I promised to take Karmen shopping, before we arrived in Vegas. Don't want to hit the big city without appropriate attire you know." Then it struck him, that Daisy might ask, so he continued. "I planned on purchasing her wedding dress there, but may also search for one here, since I'm all cashed up. Had some fortune on the tables the other evening."

That last sentence was spoken with a smirk on his face, and eyes on the blonde, and it received the reaction he'd anticipated. The woman frowned at the mention of gambling, then approached Karmen. "Come with me, honey, and I'll show you to the bath and your room."

Daisy's good cheer had returned when she addressed his partner in crime, however it disappeared as quickly as it had come, when she refocused on Duane, and pointed to a room down the hall. "The sofa's in there, I'll make it up for you tonight, when we retire for the evening."

Then all went silent as Kurt slammed closed the closet door from which he'd removed a brown trooper's uniform on a hangar, with Sheriff epaulets, and utility belt, and placed a hat on the top of his head. "I'll change at the station, you folks enjoy your expedition."

The kiss he stopped to plant on his wife's cheek allowed Duane the chance to lean in and whisper in Karmen's ear, "Hope that there uniform doesn't get your panties in a twist, lucky for me he ain't wearing it," and poke out his tongue, before Kurt stepped past them, and Daisy waited expectantly for Karmen to follow her.

"Don't take too long, Honeybunch." Duke released her other hand, and began to scan the area. Whilst his pretend wife-to-be was busy with Daisy, he could scope the other rooms. Any concerns that Kurt was a cop had already been pushed to the back of his mind.

 

[Sumi]

Karmen hadn't forgotten about their little fun conversation they had the previous night in Reddell, and when he commented about those particular risky lyrics from her song not only did it bring another smile to her lips, but it also made her look forward even more to a first night together, whenever would that be. Normally, she would have counted all of this as typical male boasting had she been back in her hometown, yet for some reason she had a feeling -or at the very least she strongly wanted to believe- that he wasn't all talk as some other guys she had encountered some time ago. He certainly had a different attitude that set him apart from the rest; he was cocky and cheeky, but in a way that was somehow flattering, even attractive.

She would have said that this was the type of man who would most likely attract all the ladies' attention, but after seeing Daisy's reactions to whatever Duane was doing, she was proven wrong. Obviously not everybody loved such boldness, especially not a woman who respected religious customs and proper behavior, just like not even Karmen herself always had men drooling over her. Now and then, she had encountered some fellas who weren't interested in her simply because she wasn't their type. Then again, no one could please everybody.

A snicker had to be kept in at his joke in spite of how disappointing was the situation in reality. "She'd probably have us marry at the speed of light for that," she whispered back with a small shake of her head as she rolled her eyes.

Worry took over, however, until she actually got a response from Duane after the shocking news. To some extent she actually expected him to be more self-composed than her at first, but she guessed so far he hadn't been so close to being caught by the police and thus the slight panic. Nevertheless, if she could help them out of a bad situation, she wouldn't just sit back and watch the things go down the drain. As soon as he looked like he was back on the right track relief washed over her, and given his arm pushing against her chest on purpose, never minding the peck, she figured he was more than alright now.

She had to refrain from a sigh when he went on to annoy Daisy by mentioning gambling, as if wanting to test her nerves. At the very least she was glad that he didn't show any other sort of interest in the blondie. It would have been absurd to be more keen on that woman instead of her anyway. For one, Daisy was pretty plain, not ugly but just average, and for two, she was way too uptight. Unless he would have been on a conquest of sorts, something told her that he wouldn't go for her unless she was the only woman left on Earth.

A thing she couldn't comprehend was how Daisy seemed to think that Duane was bad, but his fiancee wasn't. It amused her to some point, wondering if the woman was trying to be nice with her because she was a woman too, or just because she really was oblivious. Either way, Karmen did show a teasing smug grin as she looked back at her partner in crime, while the blondie pointed out the living room with a cold demeanor. Seemed like she was luckier than he was; both Kurt and Daisy seemed to like her.

Then, as Kurt announced his leaving and he went on to kiss his wife, Duane had to say something that gave her something to think of. Unlike what he had expected, she didn't think of anything when Kurt took out the uniform, but after her ever-so-called-fiance brought up that subject, it was inevitable. Her imagination ran wild with various scenarios that were far from innocent. And suddenly, she broke out of it, looking back at Duane like she had been caught red-handed. A moment later she corrected her expression, adopting a serious face. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

***

Having had a long relaxing shower (despite how she was supposed to be quick) Karmen felt much better, if not more energetic. Truth be told, the morning was rather exhausting and she would have loved to lay down on a comfy bed and rest for a few hours, but talking out and deciding what they'd do from now on was a must. They couldn't risk being caught by Kurt and have their adventure end before it even started.

Dressed up in a black and white polka dot dress with straps instead of sleeves, pair of dark heels and hair left loosely on her shoulders, the brunette let Daisy know that they were off as soon as they were ready to go. Karmen was probably more eager to get out of there before she'd be assaulted with questions regarding the supposed wedding. She actually pitied Kurt for having to put up with such a woman that was either too sweet it gave one cavities, either bitter as heck. It made her wonder what exactly did he see in her aside from the fact that she probably made a good job at doing all the housework and cooking him whatever he wanted. Maybe it was how gullible she could be?

Once they were out of the house and away from anybody else, she couldn't stop herself from teasing him and getting back at him for the earlier comment. "Honeybun, why haven't you ever told me that you wanted to join the law as well?" she inquired in an innocent tone, linking an arm with his. "Or was that just to get my panties in a twist?" she added with smirk.

 

[Mr Quixotic]

Every comment, touch, exchange of endearments, whisper or wink caused Duke's anticipation to grow ever more intense. Whilst the teasing and banter was enjoyable, and added to his appreciation of the woman, it also increased his desire to do something about it, and prove himself to be a man of his word, and to discover if Karmen was a woman of hers. Not that there was much doubt in his mind she would be. Apart from the few hours he'd slept, there wasn't more than five minutes had passed that his mind hadn't been filled with imaginings of what he'd love to be doing with, or to, Karmen. However, the natural eroticism, and not-as-innocent-as-she-looked aura which she exuded and was so blatantly obvious to Duane, was apparently not sensed by Daisy. It was the male who, per usual, garnered the dirty looks, and unspoken blame for desiring to despoil an unmarried girl's purity.

That was made clear in the other woman's gaze, and the manner in which her demeanour and tone changed between addressing the two of them, and it elicited a smile from Duane, before he attempted to exact a modicum of revenge with the mention of gambling. Oh, if Daisy could only have seen Karmen's performance the previous night, and heard her song about sugar, her attitude may well have changed. The sugar Duane had just reminded her Karmen that, as soon as humanly possible, he intended to taste. He'd almost laughed out loud at Karmen's remark about the blonde, but had quickly cut it short, and instead turned it into a cough. He was already in enough trouble, and whilst taunting was fun, outright rudeness could see them bundled out, before they'd even showered. "You could do worse than me,' had been Duke's only response to Karmen's comment about marriage, before Kurt intervened.

Despite his criminal history, this was actually the closest Duane had ever come to a policeman, apart from passing one on the street, and, as Kurt revealed his profession, the thief recalled the stolen cash in his pocket, and hoped their host hadn't recently passed through Redell. Experienced as he was, a guilty conscience could still momentarily stop a man in his tracks. However, Kurt hadn't displayed any suspicion, and surely, if he was aware of any crime he'd have questioned them back by the side of the road, and not offered them a bed for the night.

As glad as he'd been to see Karmen's ability to jump in and save them, Duke had been just as pleased to see her, too, lost for words, only a moment after. The woman didn't do a very good job of hiding her reaction to his deliberate drawing of her attention to Karl's uniform, but Duane said nothing as her features returned to their previous benign expression. There'd be plenty of opportunity for that later. "Bye Kurt, thanks again." Duane waved the man off, then watched Daisy saunter away with Karmen.

It didn't take long, after being left to his own devices, to discover that human nature was indeed as predictable as he'd always been led to believe. In the first place he looked; a cookie jar on the third shelf of the kitchen pantry; was hidden a large stack of dollar bills. Although he'd arrived at the conclusion that it'd be safer to leave without stealing any valuables, that didn't include not removing just enough cash from the cookie jar as not to be noticed, even if only a dollar or two. It was the principle, but that could wait until just prior to their departure.

A minute later the man's good humour and self satisfaction increased even further when he located, as anticipated, a second Sheriff's uniform in the closet. He'd just closed the door when Karmen and Daisy reappeared, and resisted whistling appreciatively at the sight of his companion, freshly laundered, in the black and white polka dot dress.

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A quarter of an hour after that, he'd showered, changed into a clean pair of khaki slacks and a white, cotton shirt, asked Daisy for directions to the mall, and joined Karmen outside. Fortunately, it wasn't far, and the walk in the heat wouldn't be too taxing. The moment they were alone, he rolled his eyes, and emitted a theatrical sigh, "That woman's so uptight, I keep thinking she's going to explode."

Then, Karmen's comment registered, and he laughed. "I guess there's lots of things you don't know about me, Sweetipie. That's why you'll need to stick around a while, and no." Duane threw the arm she'd linked in hers around her waist, turned in the direction of the mall and began to walk. "There's other things I'd prefer to do with your panties." The thief reconsidered advising her that was to remove them with his teeth, and carried on, "Besides, I fancy you can get them in a twist all by your adorable, innocent self. I saw the way your mouth dropped open, looked like you were attempting to catch flies with it. Got me a touch jealous." He winked at the lie - her reaction hadn't been quite that obvious -, recalled the surprise he had planned, then gave her a squeeze, and changed the subject.

"Time for your second lesson. I figure we should purchase bus tickets to Vegas to cover our tracks, then steal a car, and hide it until we're ready to leave. That way, when the theft is reported, we're at Daisy and Kurt's, and won't come under suspicion. After, we can go shopping, and buy you some suitable attire." He slid his gaze slowly down Karmen's body, allowed it to linger on her cleavage, then lowered it to her feet, "Proper walking shoes, with flat soles," and was grinning when his attention returned to her face. "Or we could hit the mall first. Ladies choice, unless you have other ideas altogether?" No harm in asking, Karmen had already displayed her smarts enough that day for the thief to value her opinion. "Whichever way, you'll have plenty of confessing to do at Church in the morning."

 

[Sumi]

By the looks of it, Karmen had been right about one thing, though perhaps it had been quite an obvious statement. After all, why in the world would he have even the slightest interest in someone like Daisy, when she was right under his nose? Yes, now that she thought about it, that one thought was ridiculous in every way possible. Not only was the blondie uptight and pretty much a bore, but she was also plain in terms of looks. On the other hand, she couldn't say the same about Kurt. The man was indeed just as gullible as his wife and she could bet on anything that he was more innocent than she'd ever be, but he was rather eye-catchy -she wasn't sure at this point if it was because of the uniform too, thanks to someone who had to specifically point it out- and she had to admit that him being married added to the thrill.

Even so, it wasn't good enough of a deal to risk having to kiss bye bye to her partner in crime. It wasn't always that she'd find someone to match her quips, challenge her and excite her so much with just mere words. There was no guarantee that this would be something long-term, but at the very least she knew it would last for as long as they'd be on their way to Vegas and that was much better than having a fling with mister goodie two-shoes policeman and then having to struggle on her own to reach Vegas, going back to square one.

Her thoughts were confirmed when he suggested that she should stay with him for a while, something that she would have done even if he hadn't asked her to. But, to assure him that she'd gladly stick around, she nodded and then chuckled at his cheeky comment. "I'm sure you would. At the same time, I have a feeling you'd want to do the same with the rest of my clothes too." Karmen raised an eyebrow at that and her lips curved into a smug smile, arm slipping around his back to mirror his as she stepped a little closer to him. After all those teasing comments, this closeness was both pleasant and taunting given how much that one thing they both wanted was being delayed by circumstances. It would have been a lie to say that she didn't want to see all those naughty promises put into action, to see how much of his talk was truth and what was just that, talking.

Yet, just as she thought of all kinds of indecent acts involving her and the conman, he brought up the earlier short conversation which ended with her looking like the guiltiest person. "As if! I didn't-" Is what she wanted to say in an attempt to deny his exaggeration, before he mentioned jealousy and squeezed her in a similar manner as when they were back in Kurt's car. That just brought up something she had almost forgotten about; a subject that she'd love to explore and possibly have fun with it. He changed the subject almost too quick for her to say something, which just made her wonder if that had been just a slip of his tongue. It was amusing to think that he might have averted her attention on purpose before she'd get a hang of it. Nevertheless, she played along, listening to what he had to say, albeit, with a smile that signaled she was up to no good.

"Sounds like a good plan so far. But it does sound tricky to do this without being caught. We might be seen while trying to find a place to hide the car, and what if they do find it in spite of having hidden it?" Details like these were always on her mind when she approached a task, and while she didn't mean to make this seem like a plan doomed to failure, she felt like there had to be something even better than that. However, all that slipped from her mind when she caught him gazing at her, focusing on the cleavage accentuated by her dress, just to hear in the end that he intended to buy her shoes with flat soles of all the things. "Why? Do you intend to have us stuck in the middle of nowhere again?" she inquired with an obvious scowl, not too excited at the prospect of having to wear something else than heels. After all, they were like her fashion signature; and honestly, who could separate a woman from her favorite shoes? "We're going to reach Vegas without any of that, do you hear me? Besides, you owe me some dresses in case you've forgotten." she added as a matter of fact.

The Church. She almost had forgotten about that. "Compared to you? I don't think so. Do they even let people like you inside?" she joked and shook her head. "Neither of us will go to any Church tomorrow. I'll have a talk with Daisy tomorrow about that. After talking about gambling I'm sure she doesn't expect you to come. And me, I have the one excuse which always works at least once a month." This would also prove to be just perfect to either stay at their house and look around their stuff, either to go out and look around the town. Which also reminded her of the car theft they needed to plan out.

"What if we fooled someone in a similar way to how we did in Reddell?" she suddenly inquired as something sparked in her mind. "Looking out for someone who has a car, getting him drunk, and stealing his keys while he's not paying attention? What if we'd make it seem like the poor guy had just lost his keys while he was too drunk to even know what's going on with himself? I can keep him distracted while you take the car and hide it. We could do this at night time if we found a bar, when you'd attract much less attention." It was then that a smirk reappeared on her lips. "That is, if you won't be too jealous."

 

[Mr Quixotic]

Duke hadn't even considered the prospect of attempting to flirt with, or befriend Daisy. The woman wasn't only plain in looks, but from her initial greeting, Duane perceived she was even less his type in regards to personality. Too staid. Too uptight. Too boring. And that was before her husband mentioned Church the next morning. No, the conman preferred women such as Karmen. That's if, there existed any other women like her, possibly she was one of a kind. Definitely none of his old flames had been able to match him when it came to flirtation and banter, though Duane wasn't ready to admit, even to himself, that at times, Karmen could even best him, and he once more congratulated himself for having made the decision to stop in Redell. As to whether she was really interested in Kurt, Policemen or simply uniforms in general, the thief wasn't certain, though he intended to discover the answer. What he didn't know about Karmen was part of her attraction.

"Of course. What kind of man would I be if I didn't imagine you naked?" He wiggled an eyebrow, and bumped his hip against hers, finding the proximity of her body and the warmth of her arm around his back more than pleasant. It also reminded him of how much closer he'd like to be, and what other parts of her anatomy he'd like love to get his hands on. They were free to talk as they wished outside, after Daisy had disappeared back into the house, and shut the door behind her they second her guests had reached the pavement, and Duane flicked Karmen a self-satisfied smile. If she'd thought her reaction to his earlier comment had slipped him by, the woman was sorely mistaken, and the reaction to his reminder had been almost as amusing as the incident itself. Duke shook his head, and made a 'cluck-cluck sound' with his tongue, as if to tell her that he knew the real truth, then quickly changed the subject before his own vices , or why he'd cared so much about who and what Karmen was interested in could be questioned. The answer might have surprised her.

After he'd urged her in the direction of the mall, and raised his eyes back to her face, the man shut-up and listened to Karmen's thoughts on his plan, but first, of course, she had to comment on her shoes. Duane had expected nothing less, and playfully rolled. "Sure, just like Daisy, it's always the male's fault, and it was me who got us lost," then shrugged, "but you do have a point. Forget what I said a minute ago, you'll be a more erotic sight in nought but a pair of heels, than even completely naked, however I do believe they sell dresses in Malls, along with flat-soled shoes. Even in Nevada." Then he stopped in his tracks as her response to his car-theft plan sunk in, and in almost shot motion, the thief tilted his head and gave Karmen the most curious look.

It wasn't the changes to his initial suggestion that had garnered his attention, but the what he'd gathered he'd heard in her tone. Almost like it was something she wanted to do, rather than it being required out of necessity. "That works," he replied in acquiescence to her suggestion, "except his car would still be missing." Then a lightbulb went off in Duane's head, and he grinned. "Or I could copy his keys, and return them to the bar for him to discover when he came looking the next day. That way, we wouldn't even need to hide it, we could just visit his residence in the dead of night, and take it and be a hundred of miles away before he realises it's gone?" The man's address would surely be in his wallet or on the vehicle's registration papers, and depending on circumstances they could also take a look around his house before they departed. The front door key would be amongst those Duane copied.

The plan would also kill two birds with one stone, if left it to evening, they wouldn't have to stay in and pretend interest in Daisy's company. "It'll provide you an excuse to wear one of your new dresses, and as long as you promise not to remove his trousers, along with his keys, I figure I'll be able to restrain my jealousy." The smirk on his face matched his companions, and what he didn't reveal was that he found the idea of watching her attract another male with her feminine wiles exciting. Deep down, he wasn't a controlling or overly jealous man, though he did have his moments, and the concept of accompanying a woman not afraid to express her sexuality in any way she desired was refreshing.

He was also secure in his own ability to have Karmen continue to enjoy his particular company, and keep her coming back for more, and in that regard another, unspoken, plan formed instantaneously. "As far as Church goes, they invented confession for men like me, and I knew you'd have no trouble coming up with a suitable lie to avoid it yourself." That last was spoken in admiration rather than as a criticism as Duke placed his palm on the small Karmen's back, and nudged her forward. " Now, come on, we don't have all day." Well, they did, but the man had become keen to assist Karmen choose new attire. Privacy had been hard to find so far for the two of them, and a Department store dressing-room would be just the tonic required to remedy that problem.

 

[Sumi]

Another chuckle escaped her lips at his rhetorical question. "Indeed. Something would have to be very wrong with your head if you wouldn't imagine that. It's certainly a nice thought that every man I've met until now must have imagined me naked at some point." A flattering thought, except perhaps for the fact that there were men out there she'd rather not have fantasizing over her, particularly men like the ones back in Reddell. Returning her attention to Duane, however, her smile momentarily faded, raising an eyebrow as he seemed to be so smug about having caught her red-handed in regards to Kurt. Maybe she could remind him of his own behavior, to wipe that smirk off his face. Besides, jealousy could be such a fun subject if she wasn't the one suffering from it, and with men it was all the more interesting to discuss it given their usual pride.

"You mean it wasn't?" Karmen purposely questioned him with an evident teasing smile. She was aware that it wasn't exactly his fault for the unfortunate car incident, but with no one else to blame, she could only whine about it to him. When he had rolled out another smart-assed comment, she couldn't refrain from giving him a light hit in the back. "Shameless to the core. Was that the reason you had such a hard time last night? Must have been a real struggle to sleep with that kind of image in your mind." As if she was one to talk, having been disappointed the previous night about the lack of any sort of real sexual contact. "As for flat-soled shoes, we'll buy just one pair of those. And I won't wear them unless I really need to." she finally relented, if only because he was insisting so much on it.

As soon as she told him what she had in mind in order to get their hands on a new car, Karmen had obviously looked up at him for a reaction. Yet, she didn't expect him to give her curious looks. Well, she was indeed amazed with herself too, seeing how ever since she'd come across him she somehow stopped caring about laws or morality. She could perhaps blame it on the long time spent in the boring Reddell and the crucial need for something exciting and new. And right now, that something was Duane. For someone who had been surrounded by so many dull people, he was like a fresh breath of air. He was out of ordinary, and that was exactly what she needed.

Karmen hadn't forgotten about her dream of singing in Las Vegas, not one bit. She was searching for a way out of the ordinary life, away from the pitiful people stuck in a routine, and becoming a famous singer had come as the easiest path to the exciting and glamorous life she sought. However, what Duane was offering her now wasn't bad either. In fact, it was thrilling enough to consider putting off the singing career for a while longer. Yes, just for a little while longer.

The fact that she could help him come up with a better plan did bring her a sense of pride, smiling as he suggested some changes and then jested regarding her behavior. "I'll try my best not to remove his trousers too, but I'm not responsible if he insists on removing his trousers by his own will." she added smugly, before being hurried towards their destination. "So eager to spend money on my attires? Where have you been all my life?" she joked with a chuckle, having an idea or two as to why he didn't mind going shopping with her when all other men would cringe at the thought of spending their time in a clothing store.

"Speaking of jealousy," she suddenly started with a subtle grin as they finally made their way towards the mall. "You were sort of cute holding on to me so tight when I was talking with Kurt. You were joking earlier about being jealous because I was glancing at him like that, but perhaps there was some truth in it?" Playful green eyes looked up at him, curious to see how he would answer this, half-expecting him to deny everything.

 

[Mr Quixotic]

"You're correct, a man is a man, and I'd be insane if I hadn't, so I hope you don't mind if I keep on imagining you unclothed?," Duke replied with a teasing smirk, and not caring how obvious was the gaze that drifted back down the polka dot dress. Most other women would simply roll their eyes, huff in annoyance, or giggle like immature schoolchildren caught off guard and flattered by his attentions, however not this one, and Duane bit his lip as he considered what lay underneath the fabric; ample breasts, soft skin, toned stomach, and the sugar she'd sung of. Only when Karmen spoke again did he realise he'd been lost in his reverie, and his attention shot back to her face.

Duane blinked rapidly to clear his mind of the pictures invading it, but it didn't seem to work, and his expression turned quizzical when they remained imprinted on the back of his eyelids. Even in his imaginings the woman taunted. It took a few further seconds to realise that, indeed, it was the real Karmen who grinned like a cat who'd just gotten the cream. "Well." The thief shrugged, swallowed and paused to clear his throat in an effort to provide himself more time to think. What had she said? Oh yes, the plan to steal a vehicle, blaming him for getting them lost, and a reminder of his hard night.

The latter suddenly became of more import than the others, and his eyes sparkled with humour when, with composure recovered, he touched her shoulder. "You appear extremely curious about how hard my night was, Karmen. Is that because perhaps your night was even more frustrating? After all, I only spent one evening in that hick town, and although it caused some difficulties, I, um, resolved the problem by my own hand." Duke arched a brow, wondering if Karmen was aware what he alluded to, then comfortingly patted her arm. "However, you were stuck there a number of months without even so much as an appropriate male to fantasise over. How uncomfortable was your night? Since my interest in you is obviously not reciprocated, we'll need to locate an item to assist with that issue, along with new shoes." Duke grinned, then released his touch, and returned his focus to their destination.

It appeared their car-theft plan had been agreed upon, and they could discuss it in finer detail when the moment approached. Duke had no qualms about Karmen's capabilities to carry it through as the woman had proved to be a natural. Apart from her slight hesitation in the bar the night of their acquaintance, she'd been just as keen, if not even more-so, than he, to initiate illegal and immoral actions. That fact had led to Duane contemplating the possibility that she hadn't revealed her entire story, and that maybe thievery wasn't as foreign to Karmen as she'd claimed.

However he'd decided not to ask, as it could be perceived as an insulting accusation, and why risk ruining their blossoming partnership. "If the man's pants come down, whatever the cause, I will hold you fully responsible. Just remember that." Duke pursed his lips, and shot her a shake of the head as he spoke in tone reminiscent of a school-teacher scolding a troublesome student, but with lips curled into a smile that evidenced he jested. "Almost there." He nodded towards the mall doors, and glanced up at the shop signs to appraise their choices. For a reasonably small town, the complex was a good-size, and they should be able to buy everything that they required. It'd be a blessing to escape the heat, and enjoy some air-conditioning.

"As to where I've been all your life, they do claim good things come to those who wait." Duane pulled a line that was sure to be spoken in his absence at the Church service the next morning, and reached up to remove his pork pie hat and wipe sweat from his brow. And fumbled it when Karmen's next comment entered his ears. "Ah." He bent to snap the falling hat up a foot from the ground, slapped it on his scalp, then straightened, and turned to the woman beside him. His mouth had dropped open, and there was a strange expression on his face when his gaze met the dazzling green eyes staring up at him.

The conman was shocked that Karmen had caught his emotions of jealousy, and momentarily stuck with how to answer. It had taken him long enough to first recognise the feelings for what they were, and twice as long to admit to them. Damn, he'd only known her for a day. "I haven't encountered a woman such as you before Karmen, so I'll admit you've captured a place in my heart, and I'm a little smitten." The man put the sensation of heat rising in his cheeks down to the effects of the scorching sun, and went on in an attempt to dilute some of the truth of his admission with a fabricated excuse. "But it's mostly that I don't like Policemen. Especially married ones who should know better."

Then, his arm slipped around her as it had previously in Kurt's car, "Let's find those dresses and shoes," and the thief deftly changed the subject, so as to try and not allow Karmen the time to query his statement - or to laugh. "Or shall we eat first? I'm in the mood for something sweet. Lots of sugar." A taunting, cocky expression returned to his features as he flicked her a wink and issued a squeeze to her waist. "Any suggestions?"

Left unstated was what he truly craved was to provide Karmen a shopping expedition to fondly remember before they returned to Kurt and Daisy. Particularly Kurt.

 

[Sumi]

For the briefest moment, Karmen was tempted to use a cliche line and remind him where her eyes actually were as he seemed to gaze at anything but her face. But who was she to disrupt whatever nice fantasies he must have conjured already, when she was just as eager to get her hands on him at the first occasion to be encountered? Her body, however, had distracted him much more than she would have guessed at first, noticing how slow he was to pick up the conversation once again. She would have been a little bit irritated, had it not been for how amusing it was to see him being caught by surprise like this.

To her dismay, the only thing which he actually caught was that one matter which didn't count as much as the others. As always, he just had to turn her words against herself and provoke her to another battle of witty comments. Though, this time she had a difficult time finding a good comeback, a fact which nearly frustrated her indeed, causing her to cross her arms underneath her chest once again and raise her eyebrows. "Very funny." she commented, voice dripping with sarcasm. "You're also a loser in these circumstances too, though. You wouldn't have had to resolve the problem by yourself, had you made a move. But then again, you said it yourself too, right? You're only a city boy, and I suppose city boys don't have the guts to truly seduce a woman." she added in a last attempt to save face and to also taunt him as she returned the smug smile.

"And if they do, what are you going to do? Tell me to Daisy?" she inquired with a chuckle, before leaning closer to him to sneak a hand up his back. "Or are you going to punish me for that? But then, I guess I'd feel compelled to do it even more." she added with a mischievous grin, sticking a little bit closer as they walked. "But really now, I'm innocent. It's not my fault that some boys misunderstand my intentions." At this point, Karmen couldn't help a grin despite her attempt to sustain her case, the lie being so obvious. She didn't feel guilty even one bit about it, either. The game of turning on a man and denying him everything as if it was just a misunderstanding was pretty entertaining, even if sometimes it could backfire on her. She loved to see their reactions, their struggle and frustration. It was only a shame that back in Reddell, the men there didn't bring as much satisfaction despite the big number of them. It definitely was better when the man was actually worth the game.

Karmen was just so close to rolling her eyes at his words despite how true they proved to be. She would have returned the statement, but as soon as she caught him guilty of having been indeed jealous, all her attention was focused on his face and gestures, the smile on her face giving away how elated she was about it. Honestly, she was amazed to hear him admitting it, having expected him to deny it completely since he had such a sense of pride and confidence whenever they'd exchange teasing comments. If her eyesight wasn't going bad, in fact, she could've sworn she'd even spotted a slight tint of red on his cheeks. Yet, just as she thought he was being honest to himself, he immediately blamed it all on his dislike for policemen. "Riiiight." she was quick to agree with him, barely keeping in a chuckle. He wouldn't get away with this so easily.

He might have tried to change the subject for now, but seeing how he had made fun of her previously, why not take her turn too? Made it all the more fun as he returned to his usual cocky attitude. "Oh, Duane... You're such a cutiepie trying to bribe me to forget about how amusingly jealous you were." It was clear on her face that she enjoyed this, leaning her head against his shoulder for a moment. "I didn't think you liked me that much. It kind of flatters me." she added, batting her eyelashes oh so sweetly. "So much that I wouldn't mind taking up your offer. Maybe we could both, find some dresses and shoes, and entertain you with that promised sugar." When green eyes laid upon something in particular, she stopped walking and at the same time tried to direct his attention to it too. "Perhaps we could start with this dress for instance. Don't you think it would fit me just right?" she suggested with a sly smile. The clothing behind the shop window was a long red dress with side slits which would most certainly flatter most of her assets. Well, she did have another red dress, but this one looked like it was out of the fashion magazines, and she didn't mind wearing something like this for a fancy occasion.

The singer could almost picture herself on a stage, performing in this gorgeous dress and stealing men's glances. Hopefully, handsome men, unlike the ones in Reddell. A dream come true, that would be. "Here, let's go inside, so I can try it on!" she nudged him towards the shop before he could protest.

 

[Mr Quixotic]

As enticing as her body was, Duane wasn't too upset to have his attention drawn back to Karmen's gorgeous eyes once he'd recovered his composure, and pursed his lips as he heard words he'd heard many times before, 'my face is up here', although they hadn't been spoken aloud by the woman opposite. Maybe he'd just become a mind-reader? Anyway, she didn't appear too pissed about where his gaze had drifted, or what he was certain she knew he'd been thinking, and that elicited a smile of appreciation. The thief had never been able to comprehend why women didn't view it as a compliment, although that didn't seem to be an issue with Karmen. Would they prefer to be ignored, than to garner male attention? However, those were questions for another day, or possibly, never, as the one time he had broached the subject with an ex-girlfriend their relationship had floundered shortly thereafter.

What he did note was that his taunts had Karmen stuck for an appropriate retort, and he internally congratulated himself. From memory, that was the first occasion since they'd met the day prior. He also steeled himself for the inevitable reply that would eventually come, and when it did, he winced. "Ouch." The thief shook his head in mock disapproval, then sighed theatrically. "City boys don't need to seduce women, Karmen, because they throw themselves at us first, which is the very reason I didn't make a move. I prefer a challenge, and who knows, on this journey, I may find one. I'm sure you wouldn't mind." That was accompanied by a wink as he slipped his arm around her.

She felt good, as did the warmth of her hand on his back, and the tickle of her hair on his arm when she leaned in. In contrast, her words were not so encouraging for his ego, although they still elicited a grin and click of his tongue, and at least with Karmen so close, he was able to avoid directly looking in to her eyes, until the flush on his cheeks completely faded. Normally, the teasing and taunting would irk Duane, but it was different with Karmen. With her, he didn't sense that it was for selfish reasons, or that the woman deliberately tempted him with the promise of something she would later withhold, purely for the fun of it - as she may do with other men, but that wasn't Duke's problem -, but instead, as did he, treated their interactions as foreplay.

That was just dandy with Duane. Certainly, as any man would, he sometimes craved nothing more than a quick, hard fuck, but mostly he loved buildup, and ensuring the woman received pleasure as great, if not greater, than his own. Heck, sometimes he even got her off without worrying about himself at all. Not that he'd express that aloud to Karmen, as she'd only find a way to use that fact in her own favour, and claim it her own doing, although hopefully by the time he finally around to touching, the woman would already be well on the way to arousal. And if he was wrong, and she refused him? The humiliating moment he'd just endured would be nothing in comparison.

"What man has ever understood a woman's intent? I often wonder if you were placed on this Earth just to confuse us poor, dumb men, and don't you be daring me to tell Daisy. Those straight-laced, uptight types are the most dangerous. Imagine the sermon if she discovered you had eyes for her beloved. Then there's what she'd do Kurt." Duke paused to shake his head, and emit a low whistle, as if he'd just envisaged that exact scenario in his mind, and it wasn't good, then pulled his gaze back to Karmen with a grin lighting up his features. "In fact, I might just to that, it would solve my jealously problem."

He decided to ignore the remainder of her taunts because, well, she was right, and there was no way he could deny it and retain his self-respect. Mark it down one-nil to Karmen, and hope she didn't note the way his pants had unceasingly continued to tighten, so that his bulge was now noticeable, after her suggestive comments, and teasing mention of punishment. Instead, he managed just a wink before his attention was drawn to the dress. "Damn", Duke softly muttered under his breath as images of Karmen's soft skin, still hidden, but also on display under the red fabric, imprinted themselves on the backs of his eyeballs.

With his thoughts elsewhere, Duane stumbled when she nudged him, and barely noticed the relief from the heat provided by the store air-conditioning. "Appears kind of complicated, so I figure you'll need some help getting into it?" The thief smirked as he simultaneously lifted a hand to stop a clerk who'd begun to approach, and lowered his voice to avoid eavesdropping. "Or, although I do anticipate receiving the pleasure of both, today, I may just watch because I recently read a man write that witnessing a woman dress is even more erotic than her undressing, all natural and sexy, like a ballet dancer, and I don't disagree. Plus, not being interested at all in me, I presume you wouldn't want to risk my hands wandering. Unless, perchance, I can locate a Sheriff's uniform?"

Duke's glittering blue eyes remained resting on hers as he extended his arm to remove the dress from the rack, proffered it to Karmen, and returned his voice to its normal volume. The clerk hovered, and Duane wanted to provide misdirection. "I'll hunt for a new suit whilst you try it on, but don't take all day."

 

[Sumi]

Just as she thought she had somehow turned things in her favor, Karmen had to roll her eyes dramatically at his matter of fact statement. "Oh, give me a break!" The singer lightly hit his chest as a smile still crept to her lips. "Let me guess, that's how you also got that ex-girlfriend? Or should I use the plural since you're such a good match?" Of course, the last part was intended to be filled with sarcasm, once again trying to get back at him for his earlier attempt at hurting her pride. "You must have led such a boring life with those women. You city people obviously don't know the thrill of a good back and forth chase." she made her point with a mischievous glint in her green eyes.

At his women related statement, the singer just broke out into a hearty laugh, surely being able to picture that. "That's a nice thought to entertain. Whether our sole purpose is to confuse you or not, you men, would most likely be lost without us around. In all kinds of ways." Karmen's face twisted with frustration at the mention of Daisy, though. The blondie would no longer be so nice with her if she found her even laying a finger on Kurt, that's for sure. When he came with the bright idea to actually tell Daisy about it, a frown was quickly directed towards him. "Don't be a meanie. Also, my own skin would be in serious danger if you'd tell her that, smart ass. Or was that one of the purposes too?" she shortly accused him, crossing her arms in mocking anger. "Besides, you don't really need to be jealous. Though, I do enjoy seeing that face of yours when you are." she admitted, the latter sentence said in a lower voice, still audible nevertheless.

"Kurt is indeed..." How should she say this without giving the wrong idea? While Duane didn't seem that affected by her jokes regarding her interest in another man, she still didn't know him well enough to be sure that it really didn't bother him. Thus, she felt the need to watch her wording. "... somewhat attractive. But let's be serious, would you be able to picture me with a goodie two shoes? I mean, sure, it would be fun to toy with someone who probably is too innocent for his own good, but it's just that. Call it curiosity." she tried to explain to the best she could. "That's not to say you have me secured for good, but let's say that you're also one of a kind, and I like that." Alright, this sounded cheesy; she needed to change the subject. At the very least now Duane wouldn't have any reasons to complain about him being the only one having to admit embarrassing things.

The arrival to a clothes shop was welcomed as Karmen found herself surrounded by what would women call Paradise, and obviously because the store had air-conditioning which was perfect to forget about the merciless hot weather outside. Duane's suggestion to help only served to make things more exciting, even if the brunette had the opposite thought in mind. She'd rather have him help her undress instead of putting the dress on, but that was something debatable. They had all the time in the world and all these clothes she could try on.

Such a tease that she could be at times. He kept jokingly saying that she wasn't interested in him thanks to the conversation they had back in the car and that only encouraged her to do something about it. Whether that was to teasingly prove him he was right, or to actually show him he was sorely mistaken, it was yet to be decided. Either way, she'd love to see how this game of annoying each other would play out in the end. "I'm pretty sure you'd suck at portraying the good Sheriff anyway." she whispered back with a smirk and then took the dress. "Yes, yes, honeybun." she sweetly mocked and made her way towards the changing room, but not before picking a new pair of heels too, to match the dress. What harm could do a new pair of heels, after all.

It was a given fact that dresses usually looked one way on the mannequins and another way on women themselves. It was the same in Karmen's case. The singer surely wasn't as lean as the mannequins and had she been a little bit bustier, she probably would have had some troubles with putting the dress on. All in all, however, the dress did fit her, and with the right heels, it wouldn't be so long as to scrape the ground. This beauty of a clothing was just perfect for some kind of fancy evening, revealing just enough cleavage to be close to being proper and at the same time to turn some heads. Running a hand through her dark locks of hair once, she looked over to the discarded clothes, where was her bra too. This dress did require to be a little bit daring. Because it was backless, you couldn't quite wear a bra. The dress itself had several layers, though, so it wouldn't show anything improper.

Now, to play with her sweet new companion.

Sticking just her head out of the dressing cabin, she looked over to Duane and when he finally looked her way she motioned him to come over with a sly grin.

 

[Mr Quixotic]

Their exchange was akin to a tennis match, with taunts bouncing back and forth over the net, one player obtaining the advantage before their opponent regained it on the next shot, but neither ever assuming complete control. The banter was enjoyable, and although Duane had set himself up for a smash, he was prepared for it, and a satisfied smirk remained planted on his features when Karmen sent the return verbal ball flying towards him. "You'll need to enlighten me on how that chase thing goes." His eyebrow rocked upwards and the smirk transformed into a smile. "Considering you're a woman of such vast experience, capable of teaching us poor, dumb, male city-slickers a trick or two." Duane lowered his gaze to the valley between her breasts, to ensure the woman knew exactly what experience he referred to. "It's a pity that was so long ago, you might have forgotten how it works."

His voice remained light as he then squeezed her waist reassuringly, in a gesture of sympathy, before they entered the Mall. "Don't you go dissing on Daisy, the woman has morals, that's all. You reap what you sow, Karmen, and if you're going to be naughty, it's my duty as a god-fearing man to advise her. We're invited guests, and it's the appropriate thing to do." Duke's tone also contained a good dose of sarcasm, which hinted at his real opinion about women such as Daisy, as his hand glided down to issue a sharp smack to her butt. "I'd wager she even possesses a special wooden spoon, saved for punishments. Poor Kurt."

As he awaited her response to gauge if he'd won the point, Karmen surprised him with her next statement, and the game was briefly forgotten. Her demeanour, as much as the words she spoke, reassured him that there was no reason for concern about Kurt, or her scurrying off in a rush to Vegas with another man, the minute the opportunity arose. Duke returned the honesty in kind. "He is, I'll admit that, but whilst Kurt might be fun for a night, I believe I know you well enough already, to be certain that he'd swiftly bore you."

"Unlike me, and I'd also look so much sexier in that uniform." Still, Duke couldn't help but throw in a joke, and a familiar grin lit up his features before he continued. "You're one of a kind because you don't seem to be the type of woman who likes to be tied down. Well, literally, possibly you do, I'll find out, but otherwise you know what I mean. I'm not one to tell a lady she can't appreciate other men, especially one whom I've just met, plus the concept of witnessing you work your charms on them is quite entertaining. Like watching the way every male in the Redell Hotel salivated at the sight of you up on stage." Of course, Duane didn't add that it'd remain entertaining and free of jealousy only for as long as he was her main squeeze.

The conversation was interrupted by their entrance to the store, and Karmen's choice of a dress. When the hovering clerk departed, Duane rolled his eyes and shook his head as his companion added a pair of heels to her selection, then pirouetted to peruse the women's garments when she disappeared into the dressing room, although his mind remained on the one Karmen was likely now slipping into. Or, more precisely, what lay under the fabric.

"You okay in there?" Duane called out, a touch impatiently, after a couple of minutes and just as he did, her head poked out, and she beckoned. He moved as quick as a flash and a split-second later, had locked the cubicle door behind them. Simultaneously, his gaze landed on Karmen. "Damn." The thief's eyes almost popped out of their sockets, and a low whistle of appreciation escaped pursed lips as he appraised every inch of her form, and the way the dress accentuated her figure. Just like the men in Redell, he began to salivate, which was welcomed, as it eased his suddenly parched throat. "Nice choice," Duane croaked, before he managed to fully regather his thoughts. "It highlights your....."

Moving slowly toward Karmen, Duke noted the bra that she obviously no longer wore, and hooked it between his fingers. Closer and closer he approached, twirling it playfully above his head until he reached her, and then released it so that the bra flew over the divider and into the adjacent stall. She wouldn't be using that to cover herself up. "Assets." Duane completed his sentence as he placed his arms either side of Karmen's waist, and with his eyes locked on hers and lips only inches apart, pressed her back against the wall. "So, Honeybunch, do you require my assistance to remove it, or shall I just stand back and enjoy the performance?"

 

[Sumi]

It seemed as though winning against Duane was just as likely to happen as it was for him to shut her up for good. If anything, it always ended with some sort of close tie; not that she minded it. In fact, he was doing a fine job at turning her momentarily speechless at times, and while she didn't like losing, she was glad to have met someone like him. She liked his wits, and his naughty mind even more, feeling as if they were on the same wavelength in terms of what they appreciated in life. Thus, she couldn't really be even remotely mad with his not-so-subtle comments and glances at her... assets. Playing at her lack of sexual activity in the last few months, however, did make her raise an eyebrow and give him a smirk. "Oh, do teach me how it works then, Duane, since you clearly know more than I can ever remember!" she challenged lightly. It wouldn't be too long before they'd see who's teaching who anyway. But who knows, maybe they'd teach each other some new tricks.

Karmen issued an eye roll, though the smile remained on her lips as he played the good Christian, even if a moment later he surprised her with a butt smack. For a fleeting moment, the faint pain of her buttocks accompanied by him mentioning something about punishments took her mind elsewhere, imagining another kind of punishment that didn't quite involve spoons or anything of the sort, but which would most certainly be deliciously painful and entertaining. She only snapped back when he mentioned Kurt once again. "Ah, and since you're such a god-fearing man just as much as Daisy is, I suppose you also possess a special weapon saved for punishments then? Are you going to punish me too for being naughty?" she inquired so sweetly, pressing her body closer to his. "Or are you going to punish me for complaining too much back in the desert?" Obviously, this was meant as a teasing joke, knowing all too well that he hadn't actually gotten mad back there despite her constant whining.

The singer almost couldn't believe her ears when he actually agreed with her about Kurt and soon found out why he hadn't gotten upset at her words. A smile cracked on her lips followed by a chuckle at his confident affirmations, glad to see that he hadn't taken her honesty the wrong way. "Maybe you should steal one of Kurt's uniforms. To confirm that you'd look so much sexier in it, I mean." she suggested with a playful grin. The same playfulness turned into interest then. This honesty of his had brought up a nice subject which had her slowly liking him more and more with each word slipping past those tempting lips of his. She'd definitely have to discuss this in more details later on, but for now she was pleased with what she had been answered with. "I think the two of us might make a wonderful pair, Honeybun." she cheered in response.

***

The shopping expedition would be a welcomed chance to finally have some privacy and for once not worry about some life-threatening or ugly situation. Now it would just be her, her supposed 'fiance' and the wonderful and exciting world of clothing. The fact that she could possibly be able to persuade her sweetheart to buy her quite a few new dresses (and with some persistence and perhaps the right reward, some new heels too) made this all the more worthy. Still, nothing was better than the thought of how impatient Duane had to be waiting for her to change into that dress.

The quick movement of his feet as soon as she called him over did put a smile on her face, stepping backwards to let him enter the cubicle. If that hadn't been enough, he locked the door even quicker, almost sensing his slight urgency. The same urgency she felt, to get her hands on him, press her body against his and fuck each other until they were both panting for air. Or at least, that's what crossed her mind as he admired her forms, looking her body up and down so hungrily.

Already she was swiping her tongue over her lips in anticipation as he stepped closer, her own feet leading her away from him as she watched him twirling her bra over his head. When the piece of undergarment was gone and both his hands had found her waist, she had somehow found herself trapped between the wall and him, and she didn't mind it one bit. Bare arms rested in return on his own, but before long, one of her hands moved to the side of his neck. "Eager, aren't we?" she jested, lightly running the tips of her fingers down from his jaw, eyes locked with his, before she continued. "Well, I could use a pair of skillful hands..." she murmured and closed the little gap between their faces to playfully bite on his lower lip, to take it farther then, by turning it into a lust-driven kiss, teasingly slow in its pace. The dress itself would drop to the floor just by untying the bow set just above her ass, and pushing the wide straps off her shoulders, but her words alluded to something else than the matter at hand. After so many weeks spent in that rathole of Reddell, her body ached for some attention, she craved any sort of sexual release right now. She could barely restrain herself, but what was the game without some slow burning?

 

[Mr Quixotic]

Pretending shock at the concept of Karmen's accusation, Duane lifted the palm that had struck her butt, and shook his head in mock disappointment. "No need for a weapon, what do you think God granted me this for? If you don't cease being cheeky, and attempting to incite jealousy by your incessant talk about Mr Sheriff Karl, I'll be required to demonstrate just what punishment it's capable of."" He deliberately avoided any further mention of the man's uniform, and hoped Karmen wouldn't pick up on it, or simply assume she'd won that particular point. The thief had plans for the spare he'd located in the hallway closet, and didn't want to chance spoiling any surprises. Soon, that worry was forgotten, as his thoughts became occupied by her reaction to his honest talk.

Karmen appeared to have appreciated both the candour and the content of his words, and the latter suited Duke Reynold's just fine. The thief had been burdened with his fair share of clingy girlfriend's over the years, vapid blonde's and brunette's with the bodies of angels, and brains of ants. Women who'd ensure his dinner waited on the table in the evening, and his ironed shirts and polished shoes sat alongside his breakfast in the morning. Dependent annoyances, who'd interrogate him on his whereabouts if he were five minutes later than he's stated he'd be, and whilst good lays, wouldn't leave the apartment on their own, allow Duke a moment's peace, and required him to provide all the excitement in their otherwise banal existence.

On various occasions he'd wished his one of them would cheat, simply to demonstrate she could make her own decisions, and survive, even if only for a week, without a man, but in the end, it had been Duke who'd cheated. However, he'd swiftly intuited that Karmen was different. Oh yes, she still possessed the body of an angel, but in contrast to his ex's, also intelligence, a sharp wit, sense of humour, and independent spirit. Hell, she could sleep with every damn man in the whole damn state if Nevada if it meant she never lost that latter attribute, and Reynolds would enjoy the ride alongside her. "I think so, too, Karmen."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A cool-breeze blew down from the air-conditioning vents in the store, but the atmosphere heated up again when Duke entered the dressing-room. A bead of sweat dripped from his forehead, and the collar of his buttoned shirt restricted his breathing, which made his voice croaky. That, he knew, was elicited by the sight of the woman before him, and the imaginations that had flowed through his mind as he'd perused the ladies clothing.

Although Duane had rolled his eyes when she'd added a pair of heels to her selection, he hadn't minded at all. In fact, he'd quite liked the choice, as long as Karmen didn't think she'd be wearing them to walk in the Desert. There were more appropriate situations for the wearing of stilettos, and that's what had captured the thief's imagination. How good Karmen would look in nothing but heels and lingerie, bent over, with her tempting ass on display. Even better than she now looked in the dress, if that was possible.

So delicious that, at first, the thief wasn't certain he wanted to see it removed, however, that stupidity didn't last long. "Eager? Not me." With his hands placed on her waist, and fingertips dancing over the fabric of her dress, Duke met the touch of her lips. Like all else before it, their conversation, and glances and exchanges of banter, there was more than a hint of tease in Karmen's actions, and the placement of her hands. "You."

Duane returned the soft, hot kiss, and ran the tip of his tongue across her lips, slowly parting them, and flicking his tongue against hers. "I'm just aware of how desperate you are, being without it for so long, so I figured a little relief might help you forget about that idiot, Kurt". His palms glided up and down her body, caressing her sides, and he slid one to her butt when she closed the distance between them. Locating the tie of the dress, he tugged at the knot playfully, then broke the kiss, and moved his attention to Karmen's neck. Her scent was enticing, as was the taste of her warm flesh.

Issuing a nibble to her collarbone, before making his way up to her ear, Duke lightly cupped a breast in his palm. "Been wondering how these would feel," he breathed against her lobe. "As skilled as I am with my hands." The man continued to taunt as he gently squeezed the firm mound of flesh, and nibbled and licked his way back down her throat. "Are you sure that's all you want?" He accompanied each word with a teasing bite, or suck of skin, and Duke, as well as an erection, possessed a pleased grin when his lips again met hers. "Because I was contemplating using something else to have me a taste of sugar."

Duane arched a brow, and hooked his digits into one strap of Karmen's dress, lowering it off her shoulder as he bit down on her lower lip, dragging it back with his teeth, before releasing it and bending to plant a kiss on the slope of a now exposed breast. "Desert before main course." As aroused as the man was, and no matter how much he desired simply to give her a good, hard fucking, Duke's previous boasts had returned to haunt him, and he intended for Karmen to surrender first. "That's if you beg nicely, Sweetieipie."

 

[Sumi]

Karmen flashed a subtle smile, having somehow expected more denial from him, and shortly figured out that he wasn't going to drop their playful game of who has the upper hand too soon. Nevertheless, two could play at it, and as long as things still went in the direction she wanted, she didn't really mind the means of getting there. Besides, she could bet her ass that he was at least just as eager as she was, to get into her panties. "That's funny. I could've sworn I heard some impatient steps outside the cabin while I was changing." she was quick to answer his tease before locking her lips with his once more, nearly getting goosebumps just from the lascivious kiss they were sharing. Alright, perhaps she was a tiny bit more excited about this than she had expected. Several weeks without a good fuck-- no, net even an ordinary fuck, was enough to make her starve for anything even remotely inappropriate right now. Not that she'd ever admit that aloud. And especially not when he was being this cocky.

The fact that he had pointed out exactly what she had been thinking though, and added Kurt to the equation too, provoked a grin. "Taking care of all my needs, how chivalrous of you. Or is it the jealousy that makes you so hot and bothered? If so, then I should probably talk about Kurt more often." Her hands slowly made their way up his torso, then his neck, and farther, until they reached the pork-pie hat and pushed it off his head to help him cool off. Even though, at this point it would probably be impossible to cool off when they were both so into it. "Ah, but then I'd get punished for talking too much about Mr Sheriff, right?" she added playfully. Just as he was working on her dress, her own naughty hands moved over to the front of his shirt, unbuttoning it.

The task, however, had become more difficult when his hand found her breast and his breath tickled her lobe. She had never thought she would ever get so turned on only from hearing a man's voice whisper into her ear. Skin tingled underneath his lips and instinctively, she arched her back to push her breast into his hand. Pleased quiet moans escaped her mouth, loving every bite, kiss, or suck on her sensitive flesh, and every teasing squeeze on her mound. His words barely registered in her mind, until he moved his mouth away from her neck and almost had her whining about it if it weren't for shutting her lips with his.

Karmen had momentarily congratulated herself in her mind and thanked herself for choosing that particular song the previous night, because heck if she wouldn't be glad to offer him a taste of sugar, and her whole body afterwards. Yet, just as she thought she was going to get everything she wanted without any other question, he teased her and then dropped the challenge on her. Damp panties or not, she wasn't going to beg. Not so soon, and not when she knew that he was trying to most likely get back at her. Arms wrapped around his neck lazily, one of her hands tangling its fingers in his hair and lightly scraping her nails against the back of his head. "It might be a long time before I beg nicely for it, Duane. Do you think you can handle that when you're already like this?" she answered with her own comeback, thigh moving in between his legs and raising to brush against his obvious erection. The smile on her lips couldn't have been smugger than this. "If so, make me beg then, Duke." she continued, grinding against his body, and particularly against his hardened member too.

 

[Mr Quixotic]

Pride was a powerful motivator. Here was Duane, alone in a locked dressing-room with a gorgeous woman who he believed was up for a quick hard fuck, however, he didn't take immediate advantage of that fact, as the vast majority of men would. Because it wasn't just any woman, but Karmen, and although fucking her had consumed his imagination since he'd first laid eyes on the singer, other factors had come into play after becoming better acquainted. One being that she was just as cocky as he, and Duke wouldn't provide the singer with the satisfaction of a win, and further ammunition with which to taunt. "I only paced because you were taking your sweet-time, and we have plans for tonight," Duke responded into the increasingly lascivious and passionate kiss.

Crack.

"And if you mention that man again."

Crack

"I will indeed punish you."

Duke's eyes glimmered with a combination of humour and lust when the kiss broke and he cracked his palm twice against her butt, then dipped his head to her neck. Karmen's intoxicating scent wafted into his nostrils as he administered licks and nibbles to the sensitive flesh, and made his way up to her ear. "Not hot and bothered at all," the thief managed to lie when, with her body melded into his and treasured pork-pit hat tumbling to the floor, the sensation of Karmen's fingers dancing over his chest and unbuttoning his shirt elicited a shiver of pleasure. "Just providing what you've been asking for since we met, as any honourable gentleman would for a lady."

The words were interrupted by a gasp when the tie of her dress loosened and the perfect breast he'd been moulding to his palm feel free. "Though, if you don't appreciate it, you can always return to Kurt." The man, despite his instruction not to mention their host again, teasingly brought up his name as he planted a kiss on the firm mound of flesh that had swiftly consumed his attention, and toyed with a nipple. Then, as he wrapped his lips around the bud and began to flick back and forth with his tongue, Duke's eyes shot open, his head flew back, and he emitted a groan.

"Fuck." The man didn't even realise he'd muttered the word when her thigh had deliberately pressed into his hard-on, before he peered at her and shook his head. "Males always get erections for no reason, it doesn't mean we're turned on. I thought you'd have learned that in Grade-School, Karmen. I'm not the one moaning and panting." Swiftly recovering, and attempting to subtly shift away from her touch, Duane slid the hand that he'd planted on her butt, under her dress. "Maybe you're nowhere near as experienced as you like to pretend. "

He leaned up to steal another kiss as the tips of his fingers met soft fabric, then grazed her neck with his teeth. Simultaneously, Duke began to slowly rub his palm between her legs, and trace the outline of her sex with the tips of his digits. As he'd done previously, the thief kissed and nibbled his way up to her ear, and tugged her lobe between his lips. "Neither am I the one with damp panties, which I assume was caused by the sight of that Uniform. Is that why you won't beg, Sweetie Pie."

Moving his palm ever faster, Duane nimbly tugged Karmen's panties aside with his fingers, and continued to breathe in her ear. "Pity, because I bet that sugar tastes so sweet, and you can't even imagine how good my mouth would feel down there. However, if you''d truly rather it was Kurt." With her unceasingly grinding against his erection, Duke was glad that from their respective positions, she'd be unable to witness his facial reactions, and struggle to maintain self-control. For if she did, it'd be as clear as day that if Karmen didn't break soon, Duke certainly would. "I should stop."

 

[Sumi]

It wouldn't be the first time he'd cover the truth with a well placed lie in order to save his pride, but Karmen still found it amusing to see how far he could go with it. This was the first time she was facing someone equally as stubborn as she was and needless to say she was excited to see just how this game would play out, and who would be the last one standing. On another hand, she didn't expect the heavy smack across her butt. An immediate intoxicating mix of pain and pleasure surged through her body, and despite the surprised gasp and the reflex to shift her body towards his own and away from his hand, she found it deliciously arousing. The second spank only forced another moan, muffled by biting down on her lower lip, mockingly showing him a face that was supposed to say she felt 'really' bad for having mentioned Kurt.

The lingering pain of her now slightly redder butt coupled with the teasing licks and nibbles on her neck made for a pleasant treat, but not even those could distract her from his new attempt at distorting the truth. "You're so not honest, Honey Bun." she slipped past her lips, admittedly in a lower voice but loud enough to be heard. She didn't feel like complaining too much, at least not while he was doing such a great job at making her hot and bothered, loving that skilled mouth of his working on her sensitive breast which begged for attention. But if him talking about Kurt once again didn't make her say anything, his reaction to her torturous touch got her restraining a chuckle and instead watching him with a smug face. There was nothing more satisfying than hearing him groan and curse after being so cocky.

Yet, unsurprisingly, he kept that attitude of his even after obviously being affected by her thigh grinding against his crotch. "That's a shame, because I thought it would be a more erotic experience if we were both moaning and panting after each other." The singer didn't seem to cease smiling as she answered his taunts and subtly worked the shirt off of him, taking in his body and then returning her glance to his face when his hand reached under her dress. During the following lustful kiss she couldn't help but keep her smile, confident that she could turn his words against him like she often did. "Though, that brings up an interesting subject. Are you implying that I'm not good enough to turn you on, Duane?" she inquired as soon as she broke the kiss and deliberately increased the pressure against his hardened member at the same time. "Not that I mind it, but keep on bringing up Kurt too and I might think you're playing for the other team." That should keep him from mentioning the policeman and from lying in her face.

Despite her attitude, she couldn't deny her own arousal, melting under his touch, breathing becoming heavier as his hand teased her sex through the fabric of her panties, and eyes fluttering closed. Instead of replying to his subtle allusion to Kurt, this time she only managed to let out a soft moan and seek for more friction between her womanhood and his hand, unable to restrain herself any more than that. She had gone without this for so long that she was so much more sensitive, to the point where every sense seemed to be so nicely amplified. Needless to say that she was delighted to finally feel the tempting scent of a proper man, to hear a pleasant voice murmuring dirty words into her ear and be blessed with the sight of a handsome catch; whether it was a stroke of luck or not, she felt grateful that he had come across her back in Reddell, not only because he had saved her from that place, but because he was also the man she never knew she wanted.

The moment he started threatening to stop, however, actually had the singer considering begging. Although, she surely wouldn't give him an easy time for being so sly. "Honey bun, you know I'm a good girl. I would never look at other men, fantasize about them even less!" she mockingly lied, slightly turning her head to move closer to his ear. "It's because I can imagine how good would that dirty mouth of yours feel down there that I'm getting my panties wet." While one of her hands was still busy playing in his hair, the other traveled downwards, slowing down once it reached his navel, and then lightly brushing the bulge which her thigh unceasingly ground against from underneath. "However, if you keep stalling like this going on an on about Mr Sheriff, I might indeed need to go to him instead. Though, to be honest, I'd rather it be you making me dripping wet and fucking me." she murmured as her voice changed its tone gradually, to be more sultry. "So then, won't you have a taste of me already? Please, Duane." she added lastly, oh so pleadingly, half jesting, and half just as needy.

 

[Mr Quixotic]

Every kiss, nibble and lick he emitted to Karmen aroused Duane each more, causing pants and groans to emanate from his lips and for the man, although he'd attempted to avoid her touch, to grind his hardon back against her thigh. Duane Reynold's regretted his egotistical taunting more with each second, in tune with the growing erection that soon strained the fabric of his trousers, aching for release. "I'm a thief, Honeybunch." Duke gasped between clenched teeth as his hand teased her sex under the fabric of her panties. As hard as he was, she was just as wet, and that knowledge provided him with renewed determination to not surrender first. "You can't expect me to be honest all of the time."

The smile that accompanied his reply was issued between another groan, and he quickly bit down on the skin of her neck again, in order to hold back a desperate plea for her to release his manhood when her hand grazed against it. However, he knew she wouldn't, so, as if in revenge, the digits tracing the outline of her pussy under her panties, spread her lower lips. "Of course you can turn me on." Duane's entire body shuddered in pleasure as she slipped the shirt off his torso, and continued to torture him with her thigh. What swear words escaped his mouth, or in how plaintive a tone they were uttered, the man wasn't aware, as his entire being concentrated on attempting to maintain control. "You're a woman."

He left the implication unstated, but hopefully clear, that it was simply that fact which had him so aroused, and not Karmen herself. Although, that would be even more of a lie than his previous statement as the woman was driving him fucking crazy, in a painfully frustrating, but immensely enjoyable way, he hadn't experienced before. "Just as Daisy is."

Her taunt about Kurt, despite the current situation almost caused him to laugh aloud, as he slid a finger between her wet folds. "That's a low-blow, Sweetie-pie." Every word became a struggle to get out between gasps of need, "Even if I did play for the other team, Kurt isn't my type," and the man did his best to appear irked at the suggestion; not an easy task through the expression of arousal that had screwed up his features, and caused his eyeballs to roll in his head. Oh god, how much he just wanted to pin her against Karmen to the wall, hike up her dress, and slam his cock into the tight, wet tunnel he'd buried two digits inside.

Lightly brushing her clit with his thumb, and fingering Karmen, the sensation of her velvety warm elicited an urgent twitch of his cock, accompanied by a needy growl. He couldn't hold on much longer, especially with the woman's seductive words floating against his neck, although her constant rebuttals spurred him on to try. "A pity, I was hoping you would fantasise about other men, because Pumpkin, that would arouse me." Then, finally, barely a second before he broke, she did. Or, at least, Duane convinced himself it was a plea for mercy that escaped her. "However, since you've apparently just committed to monogamy, and begged so nicely, I'd best have myself a taste."

His tone had dropped to a hoarse whisper, and Duane issued one last kiss to her lips, before he slipped his fingers from her sex, and hooked them into the elastic of her panties. Simultaneously, as he tugged her underwear over her thighs, and watched them fall to her ankles, the thief lowered to his knees. "Are you going to scream for me, Karmen?" Free of her touches, Duane felt more in control, and grinned as he slid his palms up the backs of her legs, and lifted the dress above her hips. "Before I fuck you into tomorrow." He raised an eyebrow, kissed the plane of her abdomen, then slowly dragged his lips over Karmen's smooth skin. "The name's Duane, in case you've forgotten."

Lower and lower, his kisses glided, until, with his palms gripping her thighs, the thief reached her glistening slit, and languorously ran the full length of his tongue down Karmen's pussy. Lifting his gaze to her face after the first, the man mockingly shook his head, and slowly licked back up. "You're already dripping, Sweetiepie." The teasing didn't continue for long, however, and soon Duane's words were replaced with the noises of his increasingly urgent ministrations, and moans when he slid his tongue into her hot, slippery depths. One hand shifted around to massage Karmen's clit, and Duke, lost in the taste of her, forget all sense of where they were, and, almost but not quite, the throbbing of his own erection. Sugar had never tasted so sweet.

 

[Sumi]

Despite his dishonesty, the fact that it didn't take too long for him to give in to her torturous grinding against his hard-on, made it all the more enjoyable. It made her wonder just how much he could last with all this insistent teasing without actually wanting more, and it briefly crossed her mind to test his limits, but decided she would preferably postpone it for when she'd actually have more patience than she had right now. Because right now, she was way too blinded by lust and sexual frustration to actually deny herself some sort of release too, and to achieve what she had in mind for him, she'd need to be a little more level-headed than this and perhaps be somewhat sexually satisfied already.

An unrestrained moan slipped her lips at the sudden bite, and while for a moment it distracted her from what she was doing, her hand paused on his crotch for a moment and then resumed its previous business, caressing his throbbing member with renewed vigor. The movement inside her panties however was all she needed to be shuddering with anticipation, already mentally claiming it a victory as she felt her nether lips being spread. If she had to be honest, she was aching for any kind of touch, as long as it would focus on her needy pussy. The only thing stopping her from moving away her thigh and her hand to replace them with her womanhood and grind against his hard bulge to a mind-numbing orgasm, was her stubborn mind, not keen on admitting defeat. At least not like that anyway.

With her lower lips spread and accompanied by what seemed like reassuring words, Karmen was sure that she'd get what she wanted now. Yet, while the finger sliding inside of her drew out another moan, this time even more erotic and seemingly more melodic, the underlying meaning of his words almost made her want to bring up Kurt again just so she could shut his mouth. Just like him, however, she was struggling to form coherent sentences. It was admittedly harder to think of smart comebacks while she was finger-fucked so nicely; never had she expected to be satisfied with just this, but she needed this so badly right now and her pussy responded accordingly, tightening around his now two digits buried inside her wet cunt. Nevertheless, she was slower with her biting remarks, but she wouldn't give up on them completely.

"Now that you mention it, I might be in a similar situation, Duane." she breathed with a slight smile before making a pause to bite on her lower lip and suppress a curse at the delightful feeling spreading through her body. She couldn't help but lean her head back against the wall, mouth agape and eyebrows furrowing at how close she was to cumming. Although she would have loved to keep a straight face while delivering her answer, she had a feeling it wouldn't take too much to have her finish with how intoxicated she was with lust. "Though, while I do get turned on by most men, I'm a little more selective and stray away from the farmers and truck-drivers." she continued in a breathy voice. "Lucky you that you were the first proper man to stumble into Reddell."

She couldn't decide what was better. The fact that she could her the need in his voice, or the fact that he had just admitted to being aroused by her thinking about other men. The latter certainly caught her attention and made her more curious as to whether he was saying this in the throes of the lust or if he really meant it. Because if he really was telling the truth, she wouldn't mind exploring more of that idea, and perhaps taking it farther than the fantasizing phase. Nevertheless, she'd make it a point to discuss later, preferably when they wouldn't be panting and groaning.

Besides, as she finally received the answer she had been looking for, she could no longer think about anything else than how much she'd enjoy to see his mouth be busy with something else than witty comments for once. Obviously, that didn't stop him from taunting her until the very last moment. "Oh yes, I'm going to scream how well it suits you down there." she pointed out with a smirk, hands moving to his head to brush his hair with her fingers. To his luck she wouldn't be able to physically tease him like this, but she figured the pleasure that was to come would be worth it.

And gosh was she right.

Watching his mouth trailing kisses lower and lower, she slipped out a shaky sigh, until his tongue found her pussy and she barely kept in a louder moan as she bit down on her lip. She almost had the urge to tell him to stop mocking her verbally and get back to what he was doing, yet decided against it, knowing she'd most likely give away how needy she was. Well, not like her body didn't show it already, but maybe she could fool him with her attitude. That didn't work however, when as soon as his tongue intruded her heated up pussy and his fingers started working on her sensitive clit, the singer felt her knees going weak from his ministrations, fingers clutching his hair as she gasped. "Oh fuck... Duane!" She could feel her face burning, tan skin flushed from the warmth spreading throughout her body, pleasure building up quickly in her lower regions with each groan. It reached its peak so suddenly, that she didn't even have the time to say a thing before the orgasm took over her body, accompanied by the loudest moan until now, no longer caring where she was or if other people could hear her and unaware of how she had called out his name. All her muscles twitched, perky breasts moving with every heavy breath as she leaned her head back, basking in the wonderful feeling of satisfaction.

 

[Mr Quixotic]

She wouldn't stop taunting or teasing, or swatting back his verbal volleys with ones of her own, regardless of the two fingers buried in her wet pussy, and the moans Duane elicited with his constant ministrations. Moans that were only exceeded in volume and intensity by Duke's own breathy gasps of arousal when her hand joined her thigh, and she caressed his erection through the fabric of his trousers.

Duke twitched and his eyes rolled in his head, as his hips spasmed and he instinctively ground against her, needing more. Karmen was driving him frigging crazy, and it wasn't just because of the long build-up, the talk and the banter, but what it had let to. The salty taste of the singer's skin as he licked and nibbled, the sounds escaping her mouth, expression on her face and look in her eyes, accompanied by the sensation of her wet cunt clamping around his dextrous fingers had the man in a lust-filled frenzy.

He'd issued the retort in regards to her fantasising about other men arousing him, without conscious thought, stemming from their discussion outside, but it had the effect of turning him on more. Why, he didn't know, as it wasn't a comment he'd ever have made to another, but Karmen was different from any other woman he'd encountered, and possibly that was the answer. If it was good for a gentleman to sow his oats, before he settled down, why not a lady. Maybe he was simply a man ahead of his time? Alternatively it could be that he was scared of falling for a woman he'd only been acquainted with for one day, like he'd never fallen for one before, and it was his way of ensuring he didn't come across as pussy-whipped fool.

Or it could be that he enjoyed Karmen's independent spirit, and didn't want to restrain it, or that watching her work her magic on other men would be the ultimate erotic thrill? Another form of competition, where he'd need to ensure, no matter what she did, she'd return to him? Whatever had stimulated the concept, Duke was not really in the state of mind to deeply contemplate it. As neither did Karmen seem to be, gauging by the reaction to his fingers sliding in and out of her cunt, and the noises of pleasure slipping from her mouth. Although, she still managed to talk!

And that just wasn't fair, because when she goaded him again, Duane had slipped to his knees, and buried his head between Karmen's legs. Not the best position to be able to respond to her uncomplimentary reasoning as to why she'd chosen him over the other men in Redell. However, despite his weakened retaliatory position, with his tongue slipping between her nether lips, the thief still managed a roll of the eyes, accompanied by a slap to Karmen's ass, before he really went to work with his mouth. If the man thought he'd escaped from her clutches, and assumed full control, he was in the wrong, for every lap and lick of Karmen's sweet pussy, as he curled his tongue and thrust it deeper inside her, only served to increase his own desperation.

With his head bobbing up and down, his hand found her clit, and the reactions of her body and ever increasing squeals of enjoyment turned him on even more, until his cock threatened to burst the seams of his pants, and begged once again for her touch. Any touch. There was just something so fucking hot about making a woman moan and pant, and it wasn't doing much of his sanity, however, when she gripped hold of his hair, the thief knew victory was close. Which was proved right when not a second later, when he replaced his tongue with two digits, and worked her clit between his lips, Karmen's body spasmed and twitched, before his name reverberated around the confines of the small dressing room with her release.

Oh fuck...Duane

Instantaneously, after achieving his goal, the thief jumped to his feet, with a look of pure satisfaction painted across his features. "Was that my name?" Eyes darkened with insatiable lust contained undoubted intent of what he had in store for her next. "You lost, Honeybunch. Told you I'd make you come first." Duane gripped her wrists, and pinned them to the wall above her head. "Now, it's time to fuck you into tomorrow." A grin remained on his face as he pumped against her hips, then dropped a hand to unbuckle his pants, and release his throbbing cock.

However, before he located the zipper, a sharp rapping noise at the door distracted his attention, and Duke's eyes bulged in surprise when an elderly woman of about sixty or so, with rinsed blue hair, crashed in uninvited. "What's going on here?" Spittle flew from her lips as she glanced at Duane, then Karmen, whose shoulders, due to his chivalrous act (or by pure good fortune) of stepping in front her, were the only bare skin visible, before the geriatric Store Manager began to beat at him with her fists. "Pervert! Get out. Out. Out." She flailed at Duke harmlessly, but with enough vigour to cause him to lift his arms for protection, simultaneously as he stifled a laugh.

"Now, before I call the Sheriff." Opening his mouth to defend himself and his companion, Duane's jaw clamped shut at hearing that sentence - The Sheriff. Kurt. Their host for the evening -, and the consequences swiftly ran through his mind. Even if he wasn't apprehended for public indecency, where he risked the possibility of his true identity, and outstanding New York warrant, being uncovered, he'd still need to deal with the fallout from Daisy when they returned to collect their belongings. That was a thought worse than jail-time, so, as the woman ran out of energy and the slaps faded, the thief conceded defeat.

Mustering as as much dignity as he could in the circumstances, and attempting to conceal the erection tenting his trousers, Duke held up a hand in a gesture of surrender, scooped up his shirt and pork-pie hat, then, without daring to look at Karmen, in case it set the woman off again, called over his shoulder. "Don't forget to pay for the dress and heels, Sweetie-pie," as he departed.

"Are you okay, honey. Did the pervert force himself on you. Do you want me to call the police?"

Typical. As he walked from the store to await Karmen outside, the elderly woman's voice transformed from anger into sweetness and light. Duane was once again being apportioned all blame.

 

[Sumi]

Perhaps if she hadn't been deprived of any sort of sexual satisfaction in the last several weeks, and maybe if he wouldn't have worked his mouth so well on her aching pussy, Karmen would have still kept her cool and her mouth shut, but given the circumstances, the singer was at his mercy instead. Maybe a harder slap across her ass would have helped her, but after her taunting comment and the spank issued supposedly to punish her, all that followed was unadulterated pleasure which urged her to become more vocal. And if earlier she had just mocked him, now as her eyes were focused on him, she enjoyed the sight indeed; it was inexplicably erotic to watch him eat her out so eagerly. Now, if only more men would focus on a woman's needs like this in their time and age, it would be perfect.

Any thoughts had disappeared, however, when she felt the peak of pleasure, intensified by his lips teasing her clit. It felt so good that she hadn't even realized her own earlier reactions, body relaxing but mind becoming more alert once he rose to his feet and gave her that look. "Was it? I don't think so. I don't recall saying your name." she was quick to deny it, although she couldn't help but break into a smile a moment later. She could only imagine how frustrated he must have been to be so aroused and have her no longer touch him. His claim on winning had her chuckling, if only because if she was to compare what she gained from this and what he gained, she definitely found the delightful experience worth more than just winning the little game they had going on. Besides, she could always have her comeback later on and make him eat his words.

And well, she didn't mind being the loser if it would make him so determined to fuck her good. In fact, it brought her back to the starting point, getting aroused from mere anticipation and letting out a breathy moan as she met his hips, feeling his lust. Green eyes watched intently the free hand going downwards to the front of his pants, almost forgetting to breathe while she waited to release his hard cock and then finally slam himself into her and fu--

Eyes opened wide, and startled by the voice of the intruder Karmen actually remembered that they were in fact in a public place. Obviously, the first reflex as soon as her hands were free was to cover herself, and having Duane in front of her did help in keeping some of her dignity. While the old lady was busy scolding him, the singer pulled the straps of her dress up to cover her breasts, and then quickly replaced her panties were they belonged. Even so, the whole situation had her trying to keep in a snicker, and while Duke immediately started moving at the mention of the Sheriff, she was still getting amused. She had a feeling that even after they left this town, she'd still be able to get the same reaction from him if she mentioned that word.

It was a good thing he had reminded her of having to pay for the clothing. Not because she would forget to do it, but because she did need some money to pay for them first. For that reason, immediately after he started stepping away, she hurried to subtly slip the wallet out of his pocket and then returned to the worried old lady as if nothing had happened at all. "Oh, no, there's no need for that. Thank you for worrying about me, but he's my fiance. You know how men are." she explained, lying so easily as if she almost believed it too. After reassuring the older woman that everything was alright, she unceremoniously retrieved her bra from the cabin it landed it in previously and then changed back into her clothes.

With her hair no longer messed up and her polka-dotted dress back on, she went to pay for the rather-expensive dress and the new pair of shoes, using of course, Duane's money. Technically, she did help him get some of that money, so maybe she was entitled to call them their money, after all. Satisfied that she got herself a gorgeous new dress, a pair of new heels and even got an orgasm all during the same shopping trip, she emerged from the store with two bags and an all too happy smile. "Here. I'd keep it myself but I figure a thief with more experience would keep it safer." she jested, offering him the wallet back, admittedly a tiny bit lighter now. The look in her eyes and the sly grin said it all, though. "So?" She paused and pat his nose twice using her index finger. "Who's the winner and who's the loser now, Duane?"

 

[Mr Quixotic]

"It's okay, honeybunch. You're not the only woman to have been so lost in pleasure she couldn't recall screaming my name. Won't be the last time, either." Duane responded between pants of need, and heavy breathing caused by the effort required to keep Karmen pinned to the wall with one arm, so he could release his cock with the other. As sweet as she'd tasted, and as satisfying as bringing her to climax had been, the man was desperate to thrust his erection into her tight, dripping pussy and fuck her like there was no tomorrow, not stopping until he obtained his own relief. However, it appeared the Universe had other intentions for the thief, and Duane swore in a mixture of disbelief and pure frustration when they were rudely interrupted.

What was it with this damn place? First Daisy, then the geriatric harridan, slapping at his arms, and accusing him of being a pervert. Maybe Kurt's spouse hadn't spoken the word aloud, but he knew, from the expression painted across her features when the subject of his and Karmen's matrimonial status had come up, that she'd been thinking it. And he'd presumed the woman-folk of Nevada, with it's legalised gambling, and the neon lights of the fun capital, Vegas, at the epicentre, would be a little more open-minded than those out East. But, nope, it seemed they were just a bunch of prudes, except for his companion, herself not a local.

To say that Duane was frustrated and aroused would be a gross understatement, however, he did his best to maintain his composure, and appear unfazed as he placed the pork-pie hat on his head, slid into his shirt, and called out to Karmen over his shoulder. Departing the store, with the taste of her on his lips, and sounds of her ecstasy still ringing in his ears, he even managed a smile. Fortunately, his erection faded when he stepped into the crowded mall, to await his companion.

When she eventually appeared, no-one would ever have guessed that barely minutes ago, she'd been moaning and panting in pleasure with her face flushed, hair mussed, and body writhing with his tongue buried inside her. To Duane's eye, Karmen seemed as cool as a cucumber, with no hint as to what had recently occurred between them visible in her expression or demeanour, except for a sly grin. And the wallet in her hand.

The thief's jaw dropped, and he immediately clutched at his back pocket, before, as had become his custom, Duane shook his head in admiration. "Are you sure you haven't been lying to me about your profession? Either that or you're a damn quick learner." Snatching it from her grasp, and placing it back where it belonged, the next thing he knew, she'd tapped his nose, and addressed him in that sweet-as-honey, innocent tone he'd swiftly learned meant trouble. "You might have won the battle, Karmen, but the war's only begun." Smiling, Duane shrugged in pretend nonchalance, nipped the tip of one of her fingers, and pushed her arm away. "Now, how about we eat, and finalise our plan for this evening, before we return to face the wrath of Daisy."

Careful not to initiate any sexual banter (or mention Kurt's name), in case that inflamed a certain situation that had just commenced to become bearable, he gripped her elbow. The plan he referred to was the one they'd colluded over earlier, however, the man had also formed another for when they were safely ensconced back in their host's quarters. Secret it was, however the crack of his palm against her ass, the sound of which could have been mistaken for that of a car door slamming, so loud was it, possibly provided some hint of Duke's unrevealed intent. Participation in criminal activity didn't come without punishment and consequences. "You can thank me for the orgasm later."

 

[Sumi]

She wouldn't have expected less from him, even as the lust fogged both of their minds. There was always some smart comeback for anything and he didn't seem to miss the chance of answering her taunts. The karma, however, was apparently on point today, abruptly taking away his reward as if to punish him for talking too soon. With how proud he was with his victory, it all worked in her favor, gaining the upper hand once again in spite of everything. And heck if she didn't enjoy this. She couldn't help it that when she finally got out of the store she did it with a smile on her face. The whole business back in Reddell when she had her ass dumped in the middle of nowhere was a big blow to her dignity, but this lucky encounter with Duane had certainly boosted her self-esteem back to what it once was. But evidently, she would not admit that any time soon.

Lips curled into a smug grin at the surprised look on his face when he finally realized his wallet was missing. "I learned from the best after all." she cheekily said, but he quickly recovered even as she reminded him of his terrible misfortune back in the changing room. That didn't stop her from chuckling in his face though. "Yes, keep telling that to yourself if it makes you feel better." As if it was hard to know by now that he didn't like admitting defeat. She didn't feel like pressing on to this particular subject, luckily for him, so instead she turned her attention to his plans, giving up on her taunts for now.

A few passersby turned to look in their direction as the loud sound of the strike across her ass was accompanied by a surprised yelp from the singer, followed by a soft whimper as she tried to keep her voice lower. Despite the soreness of her bottom left behind by his swat, it briefly brought up to surface the familiar heat and pleasure, suddenly becoming aware of the slight dampness of her panties after what happened back in the store. "Thank you? I thought it was your pleasure to get a little taste of the sugar." she reminded him after somewhat recovering, though it would probably take more than a few minutes for the lingering pain to subside completely. Wrapping her arm around his, she resumed her place by his side, starting to walk towards the nearest place where they could have a nice meal.

At this point she could no longer be picky about food as they had pretty much eaten next to nothing all day, so a diner would do just fine for now. After picking a table where they could discuss their plans in peace and after placing their orders, the brunette looked around by chance, only to notice a familiar face. Green eyes lit up with interest a devious smile crossed her lips as she turned her head to look at Duane again. "Honey-bun, did I tell you that the guy who left me in Reddell had a brand new Imperial Newport?" she mentioned out of nowhere as she playfully wrapped a lock of her hair around a finger. "Also, if he hasn't used up all the money until now, he should be in the possession of about five-hundred dollars at the very least. Quite unfair that he got away with all that after leaving me in that hell hole, isn't it?" she added and shook her head to herself, before resting her head in the palms of her hands.

"The third guy to the right eating at the counter... how about we make him our next target?" she smiled sweetly, though it was clear that the person she had pointed out had pissed her off.

 

[Mr Quixotic]

"Just who is this other thief?" Duane narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips in a display of mock anger and jealousy as he checked his wallet still contained money, then slipped it into his back pocket. "Oh, you mean me?" The frown disappeared, replaced with a laugh. "Well, I am the best, even if I say so myself, which I believe I just proved back in the dressing-room?" Although the dull ache of his arousal remained, the memory of Karmen's squeals of pleasure and writhing body as she'd orgasmed remained freshest in his mind, and he consoled himself with the knowledge that it was he who'd elicited them.

The subsequent slap he issued to her ass wasn't intended to hurt, but to leave Karmen in no doubt that Duke was perfectly capable of exacting revenge, and inflicting punishment. Punishment that she'd hopefully enjoy, and lead to satisfaction for the both of them. "Definitely my pleasure," he grinned as they linked arms, having sent a wink to an elderly lady whose shock at Duane's blatant spank in full view of the public had caused her to drop her groceries, and greet him with a scowl. "However, that doesn't mean you can't also be thankful. Unless, you'd prefer I never again sample that sugar?" Raising an eyebrow, Duane's mouth closed when they entered the diner, where the aroma of food elicited a starved grumble from his stomach, and the sudden desire for food overwhelmed his need to continue to taunt her. Momentarily.

With an order of hash browns, bacon, eggs, toast and coffee placed, he threw his pork-pie hat on the table, and remained silent as he watched his companion's gaze travel the diner. Duke had become accustomed to her devious looks, and immediately noted the glint in her eyes when they returned to meet his. Uh-oh, what was she up to now? It didn't take long for him to find the cause of her expression, and his lips curled into a smile as he checked out the customer. "An Imperial Newport, huh?" Duane tapped the table with his fingertips, scanned their surroundings, and subsequently returned his attention to the man on the third stool. The one who'd conveniently set his set of keys and wallet on top of the counter.

When, moments later, a waitress appeared to deposit their meals on the table, he swiveled back to Karmen, paused to take a sip of coffee, and appraised her over the rim of the mug. "That sure is a nice car, and any man who'd leave my Sweetpie all alone in a place like Reddell, deserves to pay compensation." The con-man's features lit up amusement when he lowered the beverage, and saw right through the sweet smile she'd graced him with. "You're so adorable when you're pissed off, Pumpkin, I'm just glad it's not at me."

Then the amusement faded, and Duke's tone became more serious. "But, the man knows you, and we can't make it obvious who's responsible for any thievery, or he'll have the authorities on our tail in a heartbeat." The thief averted his gaze to avoid the signs of any potential disappointment displayed by Karmen at his apparent rejection of her suggestion, sliced two eggs open, waited for the runny yolks to smother his bacon, and forked a rasher into his mouth. In fact, Duane hadn't rejected the concept at all, he simply required a moment to contemplate the situation, and after swallowing the food, he lifted his eyes back to Karmen's face, winked mischievously, and leaned across the table to whisper, "However, have you noted what I have?"

Duke nodded subtly towards their target, and the items on the counter. "If you distracted him for long enough, it'd allow a certain thief to borrow those, locate an address, duplicate the keys, and return them, unnoticed. We could visit his house in the early hours, take what he owes you, along with the vehicle, and be halfway to Vegas before he realises anything is missing, with no idea who took them." Duane paused, wondering if taking action here and now, in the open, with the man sober, was too much for his not-as-experienced companion. "Or else, you could invite him for a drink later this evening, when it might be a little safer, and put that new dress to good use. What do you think, Honeybunch?"