Page 1 of Tempting Fate

Beauregard Granger

I just leftthe police station after my eight-hour shift turned into a twelve hour one. A three-car pile-up on the busiest road in town required all hands on deck. Thankfully everyone was safe, if not just a little banged up. I’ll take this any day over the beat I was on in the city.

Right now, all I want to do is go home, take a shower, and relax with Thor, my German shepherd mix I adopted from the pound a couple of years ago. When I moved back to town a little over three months ago, I bought a place with ten acres and a nice sized pond in the back. Thor likes to run back there and chase the ducks into the pond. He’s a lot happier now that he’s not cramped up in an eight hundred square foot apartment in a loud city.

While I’d like to get home, my captain made another comment about my hair today, the third one this week in fact. I figure I better go and get a trim so he’ll get off my back about it. Captain Reece even went as far as giving me the name of his stylist. He said she stays open late. So, here I am driving to Cuttin’ Up at seven o’clock on a Friday night.

The place is deserted except for a baby blue Jeep Wrangler parked out front. That’s a chick’s ride if I’ve ever seen one. I shake my head and pull up beside it. Getting out of my truck, I’m ready to get this thing over with so I can start my weekend. Pulling open the front door a bell dings, letting whoever is here know that they have a customer.

“I’ll be out in a minute.” A muffled voice calls from the back.

Sitting in one of the chairs in the front of the salon, I start scrolling through my emails on my phone. After about five minutes, and no one coming out, I stand to leave. At least I made an effort, right? My hand is on the door handle and I’m pulling it open when I hear someone walking towards me.

“I’m so sorry. My aunt was on the phone and I couldn’t get her off. Please don’t leave.” Says the huskiest voice I’ve ever heard. I haven’t even seen her yet and my dick is hard as a rock.

I turn to face her, and I’m stunned by the woman standing before me. She has to be the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. With dark curly hair pulled into a bun on the top of her head and a few loose curls framing her round face, she looks breathtaking. Wearing skin-tight dark skinny jeans and a black tank top that is showing far too much cleavage, I’m hooked on the woman. She clears her throat and for the first time in thirty-one years, I blush in front of a woman.

Recovering quickly, I clear my throat and hold out my hand. “I’m Beau.”

She gives me a warm smile. “Hi Beau. I’m Charlotte, but everyone calls me Charlie.” She tells me, reaching her hand out.

The minute her soft hand touches mine I can’t help imagining what it would feel like to have her hand touching me in other places. Fuck I need to get this out of my head. “I need a haircut,” I say gruffly.

She giggles and pulls her hand out of mine. “Of course, that’s why you’re here, isn’t it?” Turning, she doesn’t wait for my answer and walks to the back. I watch the curve of her thick ass the entire ten seconds she gives me.

“Are you coming?” She asks, turning to look over her shoulder and catching me staring at her ass.

Not fucking yet, I groan inwardly.“Yes,” I say gruffly and walk to the back, sitting in the chair she’s standing behind.

When I sit down, she lowers the chair as far as it will go. She’s a short little thing, only coming up to my shoulder when we’re standing. She goes to her station and pulls a cape out from a drawer and leans in close to drape it around me. Her perfume drifts through the air and hits me square in the chest. The woman smells like cotton candy and flowers all mixed together. Having her this close is the sweetest hell.

Once she’s ready to begin, she runs her fingers through my long hair and I almost let a moan slip out of my mouth. How is it that I’ve been single for years, haven’t even slept with a woman since college, but this unsuspecting woman has me ready to come in my jeans?

“So how do you like it?”

I raise my brow, staring at her in the mirror. “Like what?”

She blushes, and for the first time, I’ve caught her off guard. “Your hair? It looks like it's been quite a few months since you’ve had it cut. Do you want me to use the clippers on the sides and then scissors on top? Or just the clippers?”

“Yes.”

She laughs and raises her eyebrow, eyeing me in the mirror that’s hanging on the wall in front of us. “Which one?”

“I don’t give a shit. Do whatever you think will look good.”

“You probably shouldn’t tell a hairstylist she has carte blanche with your hair.”

“It’s only hair darlin’. It will grow back if you screw it up.”

She smacks my shoulder and I laugh, enjoying this back and forth. When I smirk and don’t say another word, she shrugs her shoulders and gets started.

I stare at her the entire time she cuts my hair. I love watching her work and by the time she’s done, I’m cursing myself for not talking to her, finding out important information, like if she has a boyfriend. She obviously isn’t married because she isn’t wearing a ring. I grunt when I picture my ring on her slender finger. If she were mine, that ring would never leave her hand.

“Okay Beau, you’re all set.” She says, brushing the hair from around my neck. She unsnaps the cape and sets it in the chair beside me before walking towards the front. I sit a few more seconds before I stand with my back to her, trying to adjust my raging hard-on before I turn and walk towards her. The last thing I want is for Charlotte to get the wrong impression about me. Yeah, she has me hard, but I’m not looking for instant gratification. For the first time in a long time, a woman has got me to take notice. That means something in my world.

“That will be ten dollars.” She says looking up at me, her hazel eyes sparkling.

“That’s it?” I question.

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