Page 16 of Hard to Hold
Lifting my gaze higher, I studied the sheriff’s face. He’d shaved that morning, obviously. His angular jaw was still smooth, his face expressionless.
“No,” I said bluntly.
I wanted to know what his angle was. His curiosity wasn’t completely out of character. Rhys Trevino was the sheriff of our small county. He’d been elected by an overwhelming majority and he was good at what he did. Mainly because he paid attention, so it only made sense that he was taking an interest in Amy. However, I wasn’t entirely convinced that it was for the good of the community. It seemed more personal than that. Much more personal.
“She didn’t fill out an application?”
I shook my head, continuing to watch Rhys. “Why so concerned?”
That question seemed to shock him, but he merely shrugged as he glanced around the warehouse. It was obvious he was trying to pretend he didn’t care when it was obvious he did.
“I’m not concerned. More like worried.”
“And you’re worried about her, why?” I let my confusion ring in my tone.
“I think she’s runnin’ from somethin’.”
The full impact of Rhys’s midnight-blue stare hit me head on. I had to admit, the man could be intimidating when he wanted to be. Between the badge and gun and the intense look in his eyes, Rhys Trevino was a sight to take in. I would even go so far as to say that a lesser man would probably back away from the sheriff if he came up against him. Not that I was intimidated. I had at least two inches and a good thirty pounds of solid muscle on the guy.
Although I rarely entertained the idea of being with a man these days, I couldn’t deny I'd had some lascivious thoughts where the sheriff was concerned. I had experimented in my youth. My sexual desires were intense, and I'd been curious, seeking whatever it took to sate my powerful urges. My penchant for the ladies wasn’t due to some underlying denial, though, so my interest in men confused me at times. At one point, I'd dubbed myself an equal opportunity lover. It suited me.
“Because I can,” Rhys said and his tone resonated with truth. “She’s new in town, keeps to herself more than most, and if I’m not mistaken, she’s hidin’ out here. Yet she’s comfortable enough to work at the diner, where anyone and everyone can see her.”
“Maybe she just needs money.” Since she needed electricity and food, maybe it was the lesser of two evils.
“If she’s runnin’ from somethin’, I’d like to know how to help her.”
“Well, she ain’t tellin’ me nothin’.”
“Not yet.”
“Not ever,” I countered. “A woman like that ain’t gonna spill her guts unless she wants to.” Hell, I figured it would be easier to wrestle a two-thousand-pound bull with my bare hands than to get that woman to talk.
Rhys moved over to the table I had just finished. He ran his hand over the smooth, varnished top, and an image of him bent over that table while I fucked him from behind nearly stole my breath.
Son of a bitch.
I was going to have to get laid soon. These damn fantasies were getting ridiculous.
“Why’d you offer her a job?”
I sighed. “No ulterior motive here, Sheriff. And technically, Lynx’s the one who offered her a job. I just interviewed her.”
“I talked to Donna,” Rhys explained, referring to the diner’s owner. “She said Amy didn’t share a lot of information when she applied for the job there.”
I didn’t figure she had. “Maybe she’s a private person.”
“So private she insisted on being paid in cash?”
Okay, so maybe more like paranoid. I didn’t know. “I’m sure she has her reasons.”
“Or she’s hidin’,” Rhys reiterated.
Yeah. That, too. I put the lid on a can of stain. “Look, Trevino, I don’t know what you want from me. I hired her.”
“So you can keep an eye on her.”
My head snapped around and I glared at the sheriff.
