Page 21 of Caught With the Sheriff

CHAPTER 8

Willow

My eyes slowly creep open and I wonder why the hell my sheets are fuzzy. Like a cat crawled in here.

But when they open, I gasp. I pop my head up and stare at the warm, tan skin, lightly-furred, that’s slowly rising and falling underneath me.

“Good morning, little sprite. You’re a very pretty shade of pink this morning.”

Closing my eyes, I pray really hard that this is all a dream and I’m not lying here with the sexiest man I’ve ever seen in my life. The man who refused to sleep with me when I begged him to.

“I’m still here.”

Huffing, I sit up straight, running a hand through my hair and grimacing. I bet my curls are a freaking wreck.

Like he can read my mind, he says, “you look beautiful.”

“Must you read my mind. It’s very disconcerting first thing in the morning.”

He chuckles and I look up at him. He’s still dressed in his jeans and t-shirt.

“Have I told you how beautiful you are, sprite?”

“No. But you don’t need to lie to me. I know what I look like.”

He shoots up and the amusement is gone from his lean, weathered face. His hands catch my chin in his iron grip. “Hey, don’t talk about yourself like that, baby. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. And I’m not fucking lying. I mean it with every fiber of my being. I wouldn’t lie to you.”

My breath stutters in my heavy chest. My lashes flutter and I try to push all those soft, warm squishy feelings that I get from him down. But they don’t leave.

Instead it’s like they’re building and building until I can’t breathe.

“Thank you,” I whisper.

“I think we better get up. My mother said she’d be here early to come get you to take you to Founder’s Festival.”

I’m shaking my head wildly before he even finishes the sentence. He catches my chin. “Hey. It will be alright. Everybody’s there. Nobody’s gonna touch you. And then tonight?” He pauses and my eyes widen when he gives me a soft smile. “I want to take you out. We could go to the diner and grab something to eat or just take a walk. I don’t care. As long as I’m with you.”

He gently pushes my curls out of my face. His face gets closer and then his lips touch mine so gently, reverently. Soft as a cloud, reverent as a prayer.

“Come with me,” he whispers.

“Okay,” I whisper back, my eyes locked on his soft gray gaze. I’m so close I can see little blue swirls in their depths. See the heat building like a wildfire.

But there’s something else too. Not just desire. Affection.

My chest constricts and I smile shyly. “I’d like that.”

“Good.” He pats the covers and then falls back with a groan when there’s a ping from both of our phones and then a hurried knock at the door.

His eyes open and he smirks. “Time to go have a little fun. I’ll see you later, baby.”

He gets up and my mouth goes a little dry when I see the bulge in his jeans. He winks at me and grabs his boots and hat and then his phone. He leans over and kisses me, hard and deep.

Moaning, I lean into him. But he pulls back and sighs. “Later.”

And then he jogs out the door and I hear him going down the stairs. I hear the door open and he steps outside, talking to a high-pitched voice.

And a quieter one.