Page 15 of Caught With the Sheriff

Now I’m fucking pissed. I stomp over until I’m looming over her but I don’t back off. My head dips until I’m staring right inher eyes. “I don’t need your money,” I grit out between my teeth. “I did this to help you out since you’re alone here. And because I can’t stand the thought that you might be scared or unsafe. I’m not putting up with that, little sprite. In case you haven’t figured out what’s going on here…” I pull my hat off and reach around to grasp her hip, tugging her closer, the soft, clean, sweet scent of her washing over me. My dick goes hard as a steel post. Her head ducks when she feels me and then she freezes. Even her breath stills. “I’m not trying to scare you. That’s the last thing I want. But I’m telling you right now that I want you. I’ll let you go as fast or as slow as you want to. But I’m not going anywhere.” I lean down and run my nose along the silky-smooth column of her throat, sucking in her scent like a junkie after a fix. She trembles in my arms and I lift my head, checking in on her. Her eyes are huge, the pupils dilated until half the stormy gray-green of her eyes is lost. But the golden sparks inside the storm whirl as she stares at me. She doesn’t move away and my breath freezes and then I lean down and kiss her gently, nipping her full lower lip lightly.

Then I move back, fighting the urge to throw her over my shoulder and storm inside, throwing her down on the first surface I find to fuck her into oblivion until she’s a puddle of need.

Her breath hitches and she moans gently in the back of her throat. My lip quirks. I tap her nose gently. “I’ll be back for you, little sprite. Call me if you see anything at all. I’ll be here when you need me. Always, baby.”

And with those words I slam my hat back on my head and tip it with a finger at her, watching with satisfaction as she flushes and bites her lip right where my teeth just touched her. Then she licks her lips and my whole body goes up like dry kindling.

I shoot her a wink and she glares at me.

“There’s my girl. Wait for me, sprite. And for fuck’s sake call me if anybody at all shows up on that damn camera.”

Then I jog down the steps and climb in my car, staring back at her just standing there, so tiny, sweet…so mine.

I’ve officially lost my mind.

CHAPTER 6

Willow

The house settles around me and my heart kicks up as soon as I take my headphones off. My AirPods Max block out almost all of the noise around me and my playlist keeps me focused.

Most of the time.

But tonight? My elusive hero is now wearing a cowboy hat and smirking like he just can’t help himself. His trim beard and auburn hair is begging for his heroine’s fingertips and I’m blushing like a damn idiot when he kisses her for the first time.

My heart races and I hold my palm on my chest, trying to trap the pounding beat. Trying to control myself.

Since when do I let a hero in my book get me all turned on?

I know the answer though. It’s him. Jasper Lockhart. I huff and fight the urge to delete every bit of what I wrote this afternoon.

But it’s good. It’s so long since I felt a connection with a character and these two…? Especially him?

I can’t delete that even though my fingers itch to do it.

I sigh and stand up, my skin itching under the long-sleeved t-shirt and long lounge pants that flow around my calves and bare feet.

I freeze, my eyes falling on the page. I’ve never written a cowboy romance. But the whole story feels right although Livvy is gonna bitch up a storm because it doesn’t match the outline I sold the company on when they gave me an advance for the book.

But it’s good. And I can’t walk away from that.

I pop my back one more time and then head for the kitchen, limping slightly. A long day of typing lets my bad hip stiffen up if I don’t do some rowing or walk on the treadmill. Or even hit the bike. Something.

But the muse was working and there’s no way I’d walk away from that.

Smiling, I hum to myself and pull out the leftover chicken from lunch. The diner delivered when I called but for some reason fried chicken was calling me today. Maybe it was the show I watched with Maggie. That picnic scene with fried chicken was something. ‘

I cringe. “I definitely don’t want some guy with dirty, greasy hands trying to get in my pants,” I mutter under my breath.

My phone chimes next to me and I pick it up casually, sure that it’s Livvy about another book signing that I absolutely have to do!

Not a chance.

But it’s not. It’s a shadowy shot of the back door and there’s a shadow…or is there?

What the hell is that?

Then my phone rings and I groan when I see who it is. I pick it up and sigh.