Outlaws to the End (HotCider & heartofcourage)

[heartofcourage]

He pouted. Of course he was pouting. Elizabeth sighed and shook her head as he sat there like a petulant child and hung his head in his hands.

“Baby, as much as you would love for me to run around naked all the time, I can’t. This dress will have to do until we find something else.” Elizabeth said as he muttered about the dress she was wearing

“Wake me when we’re there.” She murmured, leaning her head against his shoulder and closing her eyes.

If he was going to sulk, the least she could do was get some shut eye. Except she couldn't sleep. He was tense beneath her cheek, angry or disappointed with her.

"You know I'm trying." Elizabeth said softly. "I want to be that desirable creature that you think that I am, but I also fail a lot."

 

[HotCider]

Ian’s narrowed eyes darted over to her. He didn’t want her to run naked all the time. Closing his eyes, he groaned and said, “You’re always desirable to me, whether you agree or disagree. Can we not talk about this anymore? I’ll wake you when we’re there.”

Unlike Elizabeth, Ian couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t believe that in a few hours they were actually going to be in Vegas. It had started as some silly, lovey-dovey dream, but they had made it happen. They had gone through Hell and heartache just to reach this City of the Damned. Perhaps it really was Sin City.

There hadn’t been much to do on the train since Elizabeth had chosen to sleep. Ian had chosen to flip through a newspaper, and he stared at the ad still in the paper for Elizabeth’s return. The bastard Collingwood would continue to pay to keep it published. At this point, his description could have been anyone. It had been so general that many men his age fit it.

The train horn howled, signaling its approach to the station. Ian didn’t think he had to wake Elizabeth since the alarm clock already sounded. Ian looked over at her with an excited smile. “We’re finally here. Are you ready?” he asked her, offering his hand to her.

 

[heartofcourage]

The shrill blast of the train whistle had Elizabeth snapping back into reality. For a moment she had no idea where she was and it startled her immensely. Staring out the window where her cheek had just been pressed, she could see a city appear, the train slowing as it crept into the station. Ian asked if she was ready, excitement in his voice as he offered her his hand to get out of the booth and the hell off that train.

"Already?" She asked, clearing her throat as her slender fingers wrapped around his own, letting him pull her from their seat and make their way to the exit as the train chugged and then exhaled to a stop.

She rubbed a fist against her blue eyes in an attempt to clear the fog from her brain and prepare herself to see the city that Ian had been promising for the first time. Las Vegas would be their honeymoon and the start of their new life together.

 

[HotCider]

Las Vegas

The train doors opened and Ian stepped down the steps and off the train onto the platform with his girl in hand. The train station had felt smack dab in the middle of the city for once they were passed the gates and, on the sidewalk, the ambience just slammed into them all at once. There had been more luxury cars on the road than Ian had ever seen in his entire life. “Look at all these Cadillacs!” he said in awe.

He then pointed at a navy-blue, long and slick ride with a convertible top. “Holy cow! There’s a Cord. I never thought I’d see one in person.”

Some crazed rich folk went parading down the road in a black Jaguar. The women stood in the back, wearing practically nothing but lingerie. They shook their shoulders and wiggled their tits as they passed by the tourists, screaming in their excitement. Ian playfully put his hand over Elizabeth’s eyes as though she were a child, smirking as he stared at them unashamed. “Now I see why this place is called Sin City. I can’t wait until night time. I’m gonna hit that casino so hard.”

Ian shook his fist as though it were full of dice as he dreamed about gambling.

 

[heartofcourage]

Stepping through the gates of the train station was like stepping into another world. Their senses were assaulted almost immediately by gleaming cars and nearly naked women. Ian playfully covered her eyes as a car rolled past with screaming women in the back. She only held his hand a little tighter, frightened that they might get separated.

“We need to go to the bank first.” She murmured, trying to temper her excitement with practicality. “One we get Junior’s money we can get a place to stay.”

“Maybe even a dress that doesn’t make you so bothered.” She said, giving him a glance with her blue gaze. “I’ll even let you pick it out.”

 

[HotCider]

Ian could feel her apprehension in her grip, he gripped her hand just as tight back. She laid down the game plan—he had forgotten all about her brother’s money. He was so used to them always having enough money to get by. At Elizabeth’s promise that he can pick out her next dress, he didn’t even try to hide his excitement.

“Hot dog! Ain’t that a deal,” he said pumping a fist. “We need to hurry. The longer you stay in that dress, the more of a prude you’ll become.”

He turned to swiftly walk the street with her, looking for the nearest bank. He might have gone a little too far with that last comment, but she knew he was playing—come on. It had felt like forever since they had gotten down and dirty, and his drought-ridden mind recalled his girl being quite the freak in bed. That may have all changed about her since they passed through Utah, but he hoped the City of Sin would make her feel comfortable enough to let loose.

“This is the place where you can be as sexy as you want,” Ian told her. “I won’t let anyone lay hands on you. You wear what makes you feel beautiful, and you be as happy as you can be here, all right?”

He looked back at her with raised brows. He didn’t want Elizabeth feeling shy or worried about other people while they were in Vegas. He wanted her to feel like a queen.

 

[heartofcourage]

A smile broke across her face as he promised that she could be whatever she wanted to be. He was going to protect her. She leaned in and kissed him, a chaste peck on the lips there in the middle of the street.

"When we pick out that new dress...I'll let you play in my panties." She murmured, her cheeks flushing bright red at the bold statement. "But first, lets get that money."

Elizabeth's hand gave him a tug, pulling him on their way to complete the task that would start their adventure in Vegas. She made him stay outside the bank, nervous that someone might suddenly recognize him and their plans would be busted. The marble interior was quiet save for the hushed conversations happening in mysterious corridors.

"Hello." She said as she approached a teller at a grated booth. "I have a wire transfer waiting on me from Chicago. The name is Junior Darrow for Lizzy Darcy."

 

[HotCider]

Elizabeth’s chaste kiss stopped Ian in his tracks. He stared at her with raised brows. How long had it been since she flirted with him? A lop-sized smile pulled at his lips when she promised that he could play in her panties after they picked out that dress. “Who cares about your panties? I’m going all in,” he shamelessly replied.

He allowed her to lead the way to the bank. When she told him to stay outside, he frowned some. He didn’t agree that someone would recognize him. Recognizing him would have been as equal to recognizing her. He found a bench to sit on. It would have been too strange for him to loiter outside a bank. After a few seconds, he didn’t think anything of it. They were in Vegas!

Ian grinned to himself. He was so proud to have made it. It felt like they had crossed the finish line. Elizabeth had called it their honeymoon. That’s right. I need to find her a ring, he remembered. While they were in Vegas, he was going to try and find a good one for her.

 

[heartofcourage]

The transaction was relatively quick. Junior had come through beyond her wildest dreams as she signed the documents that were needed and the teller gave her the cash in a smart little envelope. She had them send back a telegram to Junior, both thanking him and telling him that she would repay him when she was able. And that was it. No one called the cops. No one even really seemed to care.

When she exited out into the street, she paused for a moment and sucked in a deep breath. The city even smelled different than anywhere else she had been. Elizabeth wondered what her mother might say to see her then, in a city of sin. It made her grin to herself as she turned to find Ian. He looked like he was daydreaming as she sat down on the bench beside him and passed the envelope in his direction.

"You're gonna have to get a job. We have a lot of making up to do to my brother." She said with a slight teasing grin.

 

[HotCider]

Ian was awakened from his daydreaming when Elizabeth slid onto the bench next to him. He glanced down at the envelope of money and tucked it safely away. He smiled at her and ran a hand back through his hair. “Me with a job? I’m gonna have to get used to that,” he admitted. “I’ve done nothing but rob banks and travel my whole life. Settling down is going to be different.”

He rested his hand over top of Elizabeth’s and stood from the bench. “Let’s go, Beautiful. I could use a barber, and you might enjoy a trip to a hair salon. We’ll buy ourselves some nice clothes and get a hotel. It’s different here. The party starts at night. We need to get what we can done during the day, and be prepared to sin until dawn.”

It sounded so wicked just saying it. It couldn’t have been too evil. He was doing it with the girl of his dreams. Ian walked with Elizabeth down the street that seemed to shine in a somewhat innocence filled with amusement. Everyone was touring and shopping. The salons and barber weren’t too full for most of the tourists didn’t spend months crossing America. The barber shop and the hair salon had been right next to each other. Ian stopped on the sidewalk and asked, “Do you want to meet up after, or do you want me to come in with you?”

 

[heartofcourage]

Elizabeth glanced at Ian as he motioned between the salon and the barber shop. She gave him a slight grin, squeezing his hand before she spoke.

"Baby, I know that you love me, but there's no way in hell that Ian Darcy would spend two minutes waiting for anyone inside of a salon." She said as she leaned her face into his shoulder. "I think I'd rather go to the barber with you, but I guess I do need a fresh cut and color."

In the window of the shop she could see their reflection. Ian was ruggedly handsome with his shaggy hair and thickening beard. She still didn't look anything like herself with fire red hair that had been cut and styled to hide her identity. The bangs that Ian had cut for her were growing out into her eyes.

"Can I go back blonde?" She asked, looking up at him and batting her beautiful blues at him. "Please? I think it would be alright now."

 

[HotCider]

Elizabeth acted like she knew him so well (smirk). “I’d do it for you. I won’t be too happy about it, but I’d do it,” he honestly confessed. When she requested to go blonde not even her eye-batting could make him yield easily. His paranoia was greater and just knowing that she wanted to return to being a blonde bothered him. Ian was frowning as he stared at her. He didn’t share his thoughts in that moment so she might suspect that he was angry, but he was staring at her visage. It had been months since anyone but Elizabeth’s family and fiancé had seen her. Even with her description in the paper, there were so many blue-eyed blondes around, how could anyone tell?

Ian closed his eyes and growled some to himself. He didn’t like this. He brought a hand to his face and clutched it, tensing as though the entire world would break for yielding. “When you come out of there, you better look like the hottest blonde in this whole damned city,” he grumbled.

He then turned and headed into the barber shop. He didn’t want Elizabeth to see the foul mood he was in. There was nothing anyone could do. Ian never felt good about going against his paranoia. It had always felt like a gut instinct that protected him and kept him mostly alive through all the foolish things he’d done. It was like defying his own personal god.

 

[heartofcourage]

His mood shifted. She would tell he was angry, most likely with her request, but he left her with parting words to do what she wanted. She hoped that by the time that he was done getting groomed that his mood would have passed and he would see that she wasn't just making a bad decision. She could be herself again and have a fresh start as Elizabeth Darcy.

The bell rang overhead as she entered the salon, the buzz of women getting work filled the air. The moment that she asked for a bleach and a cut, she was whisked away to get the work done. Going blonde was the worst experience many could undergo in a salon. The bleach made the scalp burn, but Elizabeth simply gritted her teeth and bared it. She wanted this. She had begged for this. She wasn't about to let pain get in the way of something that she really wanted.

This new blonde wasn't about her previous life. She had been innocent and soft in Chicago. She wanted to be sexy now. She wanted to be someone that Ian desired and was proud of. She had asked for platinum, something that her mother had once deemed as trashy. It made her grin even as the woman soaped her hair, washing away the bleach with muscular strokes her hands.

And she daydreamed. She dreamed of a modest little house in California with a white picket fence. Ian had insisted. Three bedrooms, green grass in the front and back yards, and anything that she wanted. Elizabeth smiled as she rocked in a low rocking chair, the radio playing lowly in the background. Dinner simmered on the stove as she nursed an infant, the little girl having long fed her way into slumber. They had done a lot of sinning to get the little angel that she held in her arms, but as she stared down at the perfect little cheeks, thick brown lashes that hid bright blue eyes, and a shock of brown hair, Elizabeth decided that all of that sinning had been worth it.

"WORTHLESS PIECE OF JUNK!" The words were accompanied by the clang of a thrown tool and she sighed, turning her head to glance out the open window to her son.

Buster, as he demanded to be called, stood scowling at his apple cart scooter. It was the same scowl that Ian often had on his own face. In fact, father and son had spent countless hours working on making the scooter faster and more dangerous than intended. Hands on his hips, hat on backwards, and muddy bare feet, Buster at four years old was the spitting image of Ian "the Devil" Darcy.

"Excuse me?" Elizabeth called, watching as the little head ducked slightly. "Your father's going to be home any minute and awful sore when he finds his tools thrown all over the yard."

"It's just one tool, Mama." Buster called back.

"Pick it up. Then get cleaned up for dinner. He'll be home from work soon." She insisted as Buster cursed softly under his breath but did as he was told.

She sighed and held the baby against her chest as she stood from the rocking chair to check on dinner. Any moment she would hear the rambling of Ian's truck coming down the street, Buster's excited cries following closely behind as the beagles brayed alongside him. Their house was one of noise and excitement when Ian was around and she wouldn't have it any other way.

A few moments later, she heard the dogs howling. Jesse and James had a bark that could wake the dead, but Buster loved the two knuckleheads. The howling went on much longer than normal without the normal rusty growl of Ian's engine and she frowned, turning from the stove.

"Mama!" Buster called.

By the time she exited the front door, she saw a sea of police cars. Her heart stopped in her chest. It was more police than she had ever seen in her life. The dogs were losing their minds at the lights and sirens. Buster looked terrified as he stood on the porch and stared.

"Go get the dogs up in their kennel. Then take your sister and hide." She said as Buster looked up at her with a furrowed brow when the baby was passed into his arms.

"But Mama..."

"Listen to me, Buster. Get the dogs put away. Then you take Sissy and you hide better than you've ever hidden your life. You don't come out unless it's for me or your dad. Understand?" Elizabeth asked as she tucked the baby blanket tighter around the sleeping infant and gently touched her son's face. "Go."

She watched as he raced from the porch with his sister in his arms, calling for the dogs which came obediently. She straightened her shoulders and stood, staring at the Sheriff that was lumbering out of his car and approaching the gate. She wondered what had happened or what Ian had done, but in the back of her mind she always knew that one day they would come for them. Elizabeth Darcy was never going to give anything up.

"Honey, you ready for that cut now?"

The voice of a woman cut through the dream and Elizabeth snapped to attention, looking up at the hairdresser with a slightly startled expression. Her blue eyes surveyed the salon as the sounds of hairdryers and running water and chattered filled the air. It had all been a dream, she thought to herself, as she stood from her spot and followed the woman to her booth a took a seat.

"You here with that handsome fella that we all saw outside?" The woman asked as she brushed through Elizabeth's hair.

"He's my husband." Elizabeth said with a slight nod, still trying to shake the images of the daydream from her mind.

"Husband? We ain't see no ring on that finger when you were with him." The woman commented as she smacked her gum loudly.

"Newlyweds. We just go married and haven't had time to go ring shopping yet. We're on our honeymoon." Elizabeth countered, glancing towards the door and almost wishing that Ian would come save her.

"A good looking man like him probably has a woman in every city he goes." The woman said with a laugh.

"Not him. I'm his one and only." She said simply, ending the conversation.

 

[HotCider]

How long had it been since he’d seen a barber? Had it been since St. Louis? The barber was giving Ian a quick shampoo. He was surprised how long he had allowed his hair to grow. Most men these days didn’t let it pass the shells of their ears.

“You’ve been on a long trip,” the older man said. He could tell from how brown the water got when he rinsed the soap from his hair. He couldn’t cut it with it being so greasy and filthy.

“That’s why I’m here,” Ian said simply. The barber wrapped a towel around his head. Ian sat up, using it to dry his hair as he walked with him back over to the barber chair.

“Did you come here alone?" the barber asked, and then immediately thought against his question. “No; you’re getting all prettied up. You came here with a girl.”

Ian finished drying as much of his hair as he could with the towel and looked up at the barber. His dark blades were in disarray. He smirked and said nothing, admiring how sharp the man was.

“So, what are you getting?”

“What do you got?”

“Most men around here like the Clark, Carey, or Jimmy.”

Jimmy only made him imagine a pre-pubescent boy. He had no idea the man was referring to movie stars. Ian hadn’t seen a movie in years. “I’ll go with the Clark,” he said.

“Good choice.”

The barber combed Ian’s hair straight. His layers were two inches from touching his shoulders. He looked like a mountain man with shoulder-length hair and a beard. “Are we taking the beard off?”

Ian contently gazed at himself in the mirror. He smirked as he thought about Elizabeth. He knew she liked his beard, but it was getting too thick, and he wanted to look his best. “Yeah, take it off.”

After a trim and a hot, close shave, Ian’s hair was slicked back with his edges looking cleaner than a brand new Cadillac. The barber was smiling at him. “You look like a movie star. Many girls would love to hang off your arm.”

Ian tilted his head left and right, admiring the crisp edges that went around his head. He touched his nape, feeling the freshly-cut and bristly layers. He imagined Elizabeth was going to love rubbing her fingers across it. Grasping his jaw next between his index finger and thumb, Ian whistled because he was that impressed, “You out did yourself. My face feels as smooth as a baby’s butt.”

“You said you wanted it off,” the barber said with a smile and shrug. He then watched Ian begin brushing his bangs out with his fingers. After he had slicked them back with a nice pomade! “Now wait just a darn minute!”

“Cool it pops,” Ian said. The blades of his hair descended a little passed his hairline in knife-like, feathers. “I like this better.”

The barber frowned and scrutinized Ian’s look. It was somewhat rebellious and bad boy. Ian flashed an innocent grin up at him and the man grumbled some, “Well it ain’t a Clark Gable.”

“Call it an Ian.”

The barber guffawed, “I think you’re the only one who can pull off that look.” He removed the cape from around Ian and informed, “Where’s your girl at?”

Ian arched a brow at him. “She’s next door. Why?”

“She might be a while. Women take a while to primp.”

Now was probably a good time to go sneak off and buy his girl a ring. “Thanks for the heads up. I know what I’m gonna do.”

Ian removed some dollars from his pocket and slapped it into the hand of the barber. “Good luck out there Ian. They don’t call this place Sin City for nothing.”

Ian left the barber shop, walking with purpose down the street. While he browsed the many shops, a few street walkers yowled at him like cats:

Hey there big boy~!

What are you looking for? I’m over here.

Ian couldn’t help but gaze at them as though they were street performers. They were nothing but long fur coats, and the dresses they wore underneath showed off so much thigh and cleavage. His jaw dropped a little, causing the girls to giggle.

You know you want some.

He blushed and returned his focus to his mission. You’re a married man now, Ian. Elizabeth is better than those girls…and probably cleaner. Who knew what they had cooking under those cocktail dresses. He finally found a jeweler. The shop had a large diamond drawn in chalk and at night, the neon lights would make a diamond shape in bright blue.

The bell rang as Ian walked in. He spent some time with the jeweler, picking out something that he knew Elizabeth would like. He remembered what Collingwood’s ring had been like. He didn’t want anything similar to remind her of it. By the time Ian was finished, there was a long and impish smile stretched across his face as though he had just robbed a bank and gotten away with it. He had something special sitting in his pocket, and he was going to wait for the right moment to blow her mind with it.

Ian returned to the barber shop. He didn’t want to give away that he had slinked off somewhere without her.

 

[heartofcourage]

By the time the woman was finished cutting and styling, Elizabeth had a splitting headache. The constant chatter of the salon had eaten away at her patience, making her slightly irritable. She had grown use to long hours of silence with Ian and she didn't really want to admit that she missed him in the short time that she'd been away.

"Well, how about it?" The woman asked as she spun the chair and showed Elizabeth her new look.

Her hair was glossy ice blonde and hung in waved curls that was the style. In a way, she looked just like her old self, but she also looked so much different. She looked more mature, more desirable. For a moment she wondered if Ian would even like it after so long as a redhead.

"I think it'll do." Elizabeth said with a tight smile to the woman as she finished up and was set free.

After she paid, she hurried outside for fresh air. She needed away from the chatter. Sucking in a deep breath, she cleared her head and found Ian waiting for her just outside the barbershop. He looked like a million dollars, from his fresh shave to his smart cut. He looked like the man that she had first met back in Chicago.

"Well, look at you." Elizabeth murmured with a wide grin. "I hardly recognized you."

There was no time wasted as she looped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest, letting the tenseness of her shoulders ease. He was the best medicine that there was when it came to what ailed her. Tilting her head up, she looked into his brown eyes and smile, regarding the way that his hair had been slicked back and then mussed up again. He couldn't look too perfect. That just wasn't him.

"Do you like the blonde?" She asked. "It's different from before. I figured I could give it a try and if it wasn't me, I could change it in a few weeks."

 

[HotCider]

Ian had been coolly leaning against the wall next to the barbershop when he saw a platinum blonde stride out of the salon. The expression on his face had been stoic until the blonde turned her head in his direction and the wavy, bouncy layers of her hair swished over her shoulder in an alluring fashion. His brows lifted slowly until he heard her speak and saw the recognizable glow that lit up her face when she smiled.

I hardly recognized you.

He was staring at her with his lips parted a little in awe and disbelief as though he still didn’t believe it was Elizabeth talking to him. He leaned off the wall to face her, and her arms locked about his waist. She looked up and her blue eyes were like gazing into the sky itself and her lips seemed candy pink. The starkness of her hair had made her skin seem brighter and accentuated her features. Ian knew Elizabeth was always beautiful, but she looked like something out of a fantasy then.

Do you like the blonde?

Ian’s large, warm hand cupped her cheek. His fingers reached back through her soft and fluffy hair. He said nothing. His hand found the back of her neck, his fingers firmly gripping it as he brought his lips crashing down on those candied ones. His other hand slid around her hip to grasp her bottom and push her crotch toward his, so she could feel the hard knob that had swelled in his pants. He pulled on her lips until they slid from his mouth and he tilted his head to go right back in, gliding his tongue across her teeth and tongue. He was leaning into her, possibly a little too forcefully in his aroused passion, and near causing her to lean back.

 

[heartofcourage]

Ian didn't speak a single word and the worry crept along her spine as she sought some kind of reassurance that he liked what she had done. It came in a nonverbal way as he cupped her cheek and soon had her wrapped in one of the most intimate kisses of her life. His hand cradled her head as he other smoothed across her bottom, pulling her against him to feel the bulge in his own pants that had come to life.

He pulled away to breathe and she gasped, preparing to say something before he stole away the moment again with his mouth. She whimpered and held on to his shirt for dear life, fearing that she might drown right there in the middle of the desert if he kept this up. She didn't stop him though. She wanted more.

 

[HotCider]

Ian had expected her to stop him—to say something about how people were looking or it wasn’t appropriate. But she didn’t. His thumb brushed up the side of her jugular and he turned her toward the wall. The barber had peeked at them through the vitrine, suspecting that she had been Ian’s girl. He smirked and went about minding his business.

Ian’s hand moved from her bottom to her hip, and after coiling his tongue around her own in a tease, he broke the kiss. He closed his eyes and bowed his head, hiding the perverse smile that stretched across his face. “It’s so nice to be able to just kiss and touch you without any sort of objection,” he said with a pleasant sigh.

He raised his head and gazed into Elizabeth’s eyes with his copper, half-lidded ones. There was a lop-sided smile on his face. “Of course, I love it. I love everything you do and mostly…” His eyes briefly darted off to the side playfully as he was reminded of the lamp shade. “Everything you wear. I just want to take you to a hotel or take you right here, but we need clothes for tonight.”

He said these things, but he hadn’t backed off yet.

 

[heartofcourage]

He could feel her pulse racing beneath her thumb as he turned her to press against the wall of the barbershop, the kiss breaking soon after as he muttered about how happy he was.

"Why would I object?" She asked softly, nuzzling against his nose and cheek before he pulled away even further. "You're my husband now."

Getting lost in Ian's gaze was one of her favorite activities, even more so when he looked as handsome and clean cut as he did just then. He had no right to be that devastating and she grinned as he mentioned that he wanted nothing more than to enjoy her body right then and there but they needed clothes for the night.

"You don't want me to be your lampshade anymore?" She asked, daring to lean in and press her lips against his neck.

Her baby blue gaze glanced up at him coyly, taking in the syrupy shape the pomade gave his locks. She studied him for a moment, her nose twitching at a distant memory. Stephen had always smelled of pomade. His hair had been styled back in that same shined, sticky way. He was nothing like her former fiancé. She sighed as she gently brushed hair away from his eyes and then pressed her forehead against his chin, hugging him tightly about the waist.

She was suddenly swallowed up into a sea of bad thoughts and memories, her mood changing and the headache that had started in the beauty parlor raging back. In the pit of her stomach she felt that something bad was going to happen, but she didn't voice that opinion to Ian. Vegas was their honeymoon and she didn't want Chicago or Stephen Collingwood to interfere. That life was long gone and nothing but a nightmare to haunt her now.

"I'm sorry, babe." She muttered as she opened her eyes again. "I always seem to ruin our good time. I should have socked a few noses in there. Those women were unbearable. They made me cranky."

"Look at that tall drink of water. He ain't got no ring. I'd like to give him a spin around the bed." Elizabeth mimicked the voices of the parlor, letting go of Ian with one hand and shaking a fist to show him her frustration. "Just one good jab..."

She barely even noticed that she had picked up any of his mannerisms. Never before in her life had she threatened to sock someone in the face, but there she was, show her husband her fist as if she was really about to do it. It was something Ian Darcy had done many times before, however.

 

[HotCider]

"Heck no," Ian grumbled when she playfully mentioned her horrible dress.

Ian's arms folded around her when she sank deeper into his embrace. His half-lidded eyes gazed ahead at the brick wall as she nuzzled and tucked away beneath his chin. Just holding her was nice. They didn't have to do anything more than that. It was how he knew she was his woman. She matched him so perfectly, and he could never tire of her. He could only miss her whenever she was away no matter how brief. She was silent, and he assumed she was enjoying just being close as he was until she shared her frustrations. He loosened his arms when she leaned back, raising her fist and making threats. Ian smiled in amusement and grinned.

"When did you get so violent?" he asked playfully. He grasped her fist, bringing it to his lips as he gave it a kiss.

"Don't worry about them. In fact, let's just get away from here."

He slipped his arm behind her back and escorted her away from the shop. They visited a few outfit parlors. Ian was the first to get changed. He bought a cinnamon-brown suit that matched the leather of his buffed shoes. He wore a matching waistcoat underneath with a chocolate-brown tie. He had with him a fedora that he wore slightly tilted. The suit hadn't been too expensive (compared to the total money they had), but he felt like a million bucks. He was clean, groomed, and fitted. He felt ready for casino night.

 

[heartofcourage]

He wasn't bothered in the least when she threatened to go back in there and pop a few noses. Instead, he seemed amused and gently kissed her clenched fist. Then he whisked her away without another thought or word to the women in the salon that were ready to jump his bones. Ian was quick to find what he wanted in the first few stores and she had to admit that he filled out the suit nicely.

Elizabeth walked the aisles and didn't see anything that really caught her attention. A brown valise was added to their things. She was tired of carrying around the old tattered sack from Chicago, so a piece of luggage was a sensible purchase. Something to just carry a few pieces of clothing for the both of them and any other items that came their way. It was when he was fussing with fedoras that she found the piece that captured her heart.

It was a red dress, cut far too low between the breasts to be decent and draped in the back to show the column of a woman's spine. She touched the soft material and dreamed, a smile curling her lips. There was no way she could wear that in broad daylight. There was no way Ian was going to let her out in public in something like that.

She moved to another rack, finding something much more sensible. It was black, high neck and sleeved. It hit her at the knees. It was something she could wear whenever she wanted, but her eyes kept straying to that red number just one rack over. As Ian pushed his fedora around his head, she picked up both dresses and took them to the dressing room.

The black one fit as she thought it would. Sexy, but demure. The red one. Well, she didn't know the woman that was looking back at her. It was absolutely skin tight, hitting her at the ankle in heels. The deep V showed a shadow of breast on either side, stopping just at her waist, while the back draped in an elegant curve all the way to her lower back. She had to show her husband.

"Ian." She whispered, getting his attention as she peeked her head out of the dressing room. "Come here."

When he got close enough, she snagged him by the front of his jacket and pulled him inside the dressing room with her. Moving back, she showed him the red dress, turning so that he could see it at all angles.

"What do you think?" She asked him, her heart hammering in her chest.

 

[HotCider]

The former robber was playing around in front of the three-way mirror. He felt so dashing and handsome that he couldn't help but strike a few poses. He tipped his hat down a little and put on his best panty-soaking smile. He winked at the mirror, while his hands were tucked away in the pockets of his dress pants.

He heard a whisper then and glanced over at the platinum-blonde as she peeked out of the dressing room. It seemed so naughty to him. He didn't know why. He passed a malt ball eye discreetly over his shoulder, and then glanced over his other one before he casually turned and headed over to her. When she snagged him by the front of his dress coat, he grasped his hat to keep it from tumbling off as he stumbled a little inside.

Ian's eyes grew and his lips parted in awe at the dress she was wearing. It looked like it melted off her skin, and he couldn't ignore its tantalizing gaps. Dropping his hand to remove his hat and toss it behind him, he stepped closer to her, his eyes running down her valley of exposed flesh.

"Oh no," he finally spoke. "No, no, no; this won't do."

Ian touched her tummy with two of his fingers and ran them up to her chest. His hand then slipped under her dress where he had seen the curve of her right tit. His rough hand grabbed the silken orb, giving it a gentle squeeze as his thumb brushed over her bud. He stepped closer until there was only a thin seam of space between them. His free hand grasped the side of her neck as his lecherous hand seemed to unconsciously fondle her tit.

"This is too much for people to see. This much of you is for my eyes alone. It's classified," he joked, smirking in amusement. His hand left her neck and motioned behind her to trace fingers down her exposed back. His hand slipped behind the collection of folds, stretching the material that formed around her rear as his fingers splayed before groping a handful of her ass.

"I love it," he told her, easing his hips forward so she could feel his bulge pressing up against her crotch. He brought his lips to hers, gracing her smooth petals with a kiss as though they were resuming where they had left off between the barber shop and salon. He enveloped them, pulling her bottom lip into his mouth as he tried not to make too much noise with their smacking and rustling in the small, private space.

 

[heartofcourage]

When he said no, she felt self conscious. She wet her lips with her tongue, unsure of when they had gone dry in the first place, her hands moving to cover herself. Then he was touching her. Elizabeth forgot to breath as his fingers traced along her exposed skin until he slipped a hand into her dress and palmed her breast.

“Ian…” She whispered, gasping as his thumb brushed over her hardening nipple.

She was dumbstruck as his hand came to her throat and she was forced to look into his eyes, those heavy lidded chocolate eyes. She shook as he closed the distance between then, smirking as he loomed over her and seemed to take great pleasure in what she was wearing in that very moment.

When he pressed forward, she could tell just how much power she had over him. He had a bulge that spoke volumes as he kissed her with a silent urgency as he copped a feel of her ass through the thin material.

“Are you going to play in my panties?” She asked in a whispered tone, her voice shaking and her cheeks heated red as their kiss broke and she was only a breath away from him. “Or am I going to have to in order to get this dress?”

 

[HotCider]

Ian paused for a moment. She reminded him how they hadn't bought their outfits yet. They were supposed to be just trying them on. His head turned, and his face was soon buried in her shoulder as he silently cried. He just wanted to fuck. Why were there so many delays? He was silent for a good thirty seconds, and then he lifted his head, giving Elizabeth the infamous Ian Darcy special. The corner of his mouth was quirked with mischief.

"I ain't gonna play in your panties. You're gonna take them off," he ordered.

He started unbuttoning his jacket. Eventually, he hung it up neatly, loosened his tie, undid his belt and spread open his fly like a book. He pulled down his shorts, allowing his salivating beast to spring free. He was going to take her up against the wall of the changing room.

"One quick one before someone's get suspicious why two pairs of feet are in this booth," Ian whispered. He then gave her an almost cruel smile. "Try not to make too much noise."

 

[heartofcourage]

If her cheeks weren’t red before, they were now. He said the most vulgar things she had ever heard, but she didn’t shy away. Not even as he unbuttoned his pants or told her to take off her panties.

“For a man that stopped being a virgin when I did, you have some pretty naughty ideas.” She muttered, pulling up the bottom of the skirt until she was shimmying out of her panties.

She kicked them off into the corner of the dressing room, glancing back up at him with an innocent gaze as he wickedly told her not to make too much noise. “I can’t help it sometimes and it’s not like you do anything to stop it. In fact, I think you like the noises that I make."

The air in the dressing room was thick as they stood facing one another, his thick cock hanging between them with a promise of what was to come. He saw something that he liked when he looked at her in that red dress. It gave her hope that maybe he'd let her walk out of that store with it when he was done.

"What do you like more, baby?" She asked softly, daring to try and seduce the infamous devil as she splayed her hands over her breasts and drew his gaze to the daring way that they were displayed. "The front or the back?"

She then turned and showed him the rest, the bottom that he had already been grabbing that was encased in red fabric. Dear God, what were those words that were coming out of her mouth? Her heart was absolutely pounding out of her chest as she felt his eyes raking over her curves. Even being married didn't make that moment any less sinful.