by Molly McLain
“You all right?” He set his hand on her thigh and gave a gentle squeeze.
“Yeah.” She smiled and lifted his arm so it draped over her shoulders and she could snuggle close. “Just thinking.”
“About?” His hand stroked gently up and down her arm.
“About how you’ve ruined me.” He stiffened and she pinched his side. “Not like that, Mr. Paranoid, though I may feel differently this fall when I still can’t fit into my old jeans.”
He relaxed a bit and she slid her fingers inside his jacket, letting them rest over the wall of muscle beneath his t-shirt. His body heat curled around her hand and she wasn’t sure there was anything better in the world than simply being close to him. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment.
“Don’t think you can skip out on explaining yourself. Tell me how I’ve supposedly ruined you.” There was an intimacy to his voice as he kissed her temple and nuzzled into her hair.
“I love how this feels, just being near you. I like touching you and breathing you and just...being.” She slipped her hand under his t-shirt, unable to resist the craving to feel his skin under hers.
“And that’s a bad thing?”
“It’s a bad thing when I want it all the time.” And when there were things they needed to talk about but hadn’t yet. Things that made her question whether what she thought was so good between them was truly mutual. Given he’d shown up at her doorstep the way he had, she liked to think that maybe, just maybe, his feelings ran as deep as she hoped.
“You can have it all the time, babe. That’s what this is about.” He twisted a bit, placed his fingers under her chin, and lifted her face to his. His eyes were soft and sincere and his kiss just as gentle when he brushed his lips across hers. “I may not have told you when I should have, but believe me when I say it now: This past year wasn’t all fun and games for me either, pretty girl. I fell for you, and I fell hard. But I’m still a dude. I’m intuitive about a lot of shit, but apparently you’re not on that list. Unless you’re naked.”
She smiled and stole another slow, lingering kiss. Sharing moments like this wasn’t something they’d done nearly enough, in her opinion. He rarely kissed her in public, like when he stopped by the coffee shop, choosing to save his displays of affection for when they were alone. And when they were alone, they were usually intent on doing a lot more than making out.
This was nice. Romantic even.
“You’ve got that look in your eyes again. That ruined look,” he said against her mouth, his fingers trailing down the side of her neck, making her shiver.
“I like kissing you. And I like hearing about how you feel, too. Tell me more.”
A touch of unexpected color seeped into his cheeks above his stubble, but he grinned too. “Maybe I should show you instead.”
Ah, now that sounded promising. “Somehow I don’t think you can do that here, can you?”
He gave his head a shake. “Nope. So what do you say we move on to our next stop of the night?”
“Your place?” God, she hoped so.
He laughed as he pulled out his wallet and tucked some cash inside the bill folder. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”
Ten minutes later, Mark pulled into the rear lot of a building she didn’t recognize. The outside was clad in dingy steel siding, at least what she could see in the headlights anyway, because the streetlight that should have lit the lot was burned out.
“I’m getting the heebie jeebies just sitting here. What is this place? An abandoned meat locker? Are you going to chop me up into little pieces?”
“Nah. Even though you are the tastiest little thing I’ve ever eaten.” He shut off the truck and winked.
Holy hell. December in Nebraska suddenly felt like July in Texas. “That was bad. I mean, hot. But bad.”
“Yeah, and just the thought of it is making me fucking hard. Let’s get this show on my road before I change my mind and take you home instead.” Sighing, he reached into the console between them and pulled out a handgun.
“Jesus, why are you—”
“Shooting range, babe.” He chuckled and grabbed a couple clips. “Can you carry these so I can unlock the door?”
Fate or karma or whatever it was had to be testing her after all the mental chattering she’d done about trusting him. “You have the keys?”
“My friend’s the owner and, being the law, I get special privileges.” He bounced his eyebrows.
“Oh. Okay.” Still didn’t make her feel any less creeped out by this eerie building.
“If I recall correctly, you’ve never shot before.” He climbed out and came around to her side of the truck. Tucking the gun into the back of his jeans, he offered his hand. “And my woman needs to know how to defend herself.”
“Your woman, huh?” She slid out of the truck and right into his arms, because...hmm, maybe she felt a little better now.
“Yep.” Snugging his big forearm behind her back, he jerked her hard against him. Oh, yes, he was glorious hard in all the right places. “You gonna argue with me about that?”
“Are you making it official?” she challenged and he laughed.
“Fuck, yes, I am. I’ve been trying for weeks. You got something to say about it?”
She smiled. “If your woman needs to know how to handle a gun, then you should probably show me, Sheriff.”
***
“I can’t concentrate with your junk pressed against my ass like that. Maybe we should take the edge off before we continue.”
She had no idea how tempted he was to do just that. They had the whole building to themselves and his aching cock hadn’t given up the fight since she’d made him hard in the truck a half hour earlier. The way she’d spread her legs to plant her feet gave him all sorts of ideas, like how easy it would be push up her little dress, bend her over his arm, and fuck her until there was no question in her mind how badly he wanted her.
But tonight wasn’t about sex. They’d played that game before, taking their relationship from one naked encounter to another, learning everything there was to know about each other in the bedroom. They’d talked about a lot of other things too, while they’d caught their breath. Things that made him realize she was something special and something he never wanted to let go. What they had was about a hell of a lot more than sex and he’d let her down by never showing her that.
Tonight he’d go home alone. And the next date, too. Probably the handful after that, because he planned to prove to her, in no uncertain terms, that her role in his life was that of a partner, in all senses of the word.
“Much as I’d love to help you focus, right now I gotta make sure you’ve got the skills needed to kick ass if you ever need to. If I have it my way, that’ll never happen, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. Now relax your shoulders and try again.” He kneaded the muscles and tendons from the curve of her neck down to the slope of her arms, then pecked her on the cheek and stepped back.
She squeezed off a shot that hit a hair right off center. Damn near perfect.
“Wow, that dude would be dead.” She clicked on the safety and shot him a big grin. Even in safety glasses and ear protection, she was the prettiest thing he’d even seen. “Your turn?”
“Nah, there are only a few more rounds. You take ‘em.”
She shook her head and handed him the gun, her proud smile turning wicked. “I want to see what you’ve got, Sheriff.”
He held her gaze for two long beats, the sexual pull between them intensifying, before he took his gun. “Step back.”
She did and he hit the button to reset the target. The paper barely stopped fluttering into place before he released the safety and took three shots, blowing out a hole through the heart of the silhouette.
“Holy shit,” Ally gasped behind him while he checked the chamber to make sure he’d spent all the rounds. “You’re really good at that.”
“I’ve had some practice.” More than he’d ever tell her about, not because his past exper
ience was a secret, but because using a gun in self-defense wasn’t something a man ever took lightly. He also didn’t want her to worry about him any more than she probably already did when he walked out the door in the morning, ready to fight all the bad in the world.
The vision of him kissing her goodbye in his kitchen—their kitchen—took hold in his mind and he let it sit there for a few seconds. Damn, if that wasn’t what he wanted.
“Can we have another kind of fun now, please?” She pulled off her head gear and then his before she slid her hands up his chest and around his neck. “Seeing you in action like that, the way your shoulders and the muscles in your back flexed? Mmm, I’ve got ideas in my head, Sheriff.”
She was going to kill him. Death by raging hard-on. He could see it on his head stone.
Tempted as he was, he shook his head. “We’ve got one more place to go.”
Her bottom lip stuck out in that adorable way that usually made him want to put her mouth to better use, but he settled for a kiss instead. “You did good tonight. I’m proud of you.”
Something flashed in her eyes and the hungry hold she had on him softened. Clearly he hadn’t paid her enough compliments unrelated to her skills below his belt. Noted.
She pushed up and pressed her lips to his. “You’re saying all the right things tonight, Sheriff.”
“Am I?” he groaned, so fucking close to giving in. In less than ten seconds, he could have her against the wall with her legs wrapped around his waist. In ten more, he could be deep inside, feeling the surrender of her hot, willing body.
But he wanted her heart more.
“Come on, pretty girl. The night is still young.”
Chapter Fourteen
“I’m not sure this is a good idea.” Ally turned to Mark before they hit the deck that surrounded the perimeter of McCauley’s Pub. “Josh and Carissa are here, and Carissa’s almost as perceptive as your mother. She’ll know why I’m not drinking.”
“So what if she does? If she says anything about it, we’ll ask her to keep quiet. She’ll respect that.” He squeezed her hand, but she hesitated to take another step closer toward what felt like inevitable doom.
“I’m scared.”
“Why?” He smiled and shuffled closer, his hand cradling the side of her face, his thumb stroking her cheek. “I’m right here. Hell, I’ll hold your hand all night if it’ll make you feel better.”
Mark holding her hand in front of their friends? Sure, everyone in town knew about the time they spent together, but there’d always been a pretty clear line drawn between what they were and what they weren’t. And what they weren’t had been a couple who held hands with little hearts floating around their love-sick heads.
Until now.
“If you hold my hand, people are definitely going to pay attention to us.”
His grin hitched up on one side and his eyes sparkled beneath the clear holiday lights tacked to the awning. “Maybe I want them to pay attention.”
Realization dawned and a goofy, tingling sensation stirred in her stomach. “You brought me here on purpose.”
“That and the last time we were both here, I was an idiot. I want to make it up to you. I figure the best way to do that is to let you shine...” His free hand slid to her ass, reminding her of the sexy dress he’d chose for her. The dress she’d forgotten she was wearing and was now doubly self-conscious of. “I’ll be the humble man who stands behind you, but still holding your hand. If you’ll let me.”
“You and your perfect words again.” Her fingers wound around the lapels of his jacket and he chuckled, closing the half-inch between them to claim her mouth in a quick, wet kiss.
“I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that this stop benefits me, too.” He pulled back and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I have a very vested interest in everyone knowing we’re together.”
Had he heard the rumors about her and Nick, too? If so, he hadn’t given any indication up until now and he’d never so much as hesitated in assuming the baby was his. She appreciated that he trusted her enough to know there hadn’t been anyone else.
She wanted to ask how vested his interest was, but the front door of the pub opened and a couple of older men sauntered out.
“Evening, Sheriff,” one said, while the other merely touched the brim of his cap in greeting.
“Evening, boys. Take ‘er easy driving home now, all right?”
“No worries, kid. Only Coke for me tonight, blasted heart medication.”
Mark grinned and led Ally to the pub’s entrance, their fingers folded together. “Show time, pretty girl.”
He pushed open the door and the music that had been muffled outside morphed into clarity, the acoustic rock ballad loud enough to hum deep in her bones.
She spotted their friends crowded around the pool tables and, as expected, all eyes were glued to Mark guiding her down the couple of steps into the heart of the bar. He tugged her hand and pulled her close, but the tight confines of the crowd didn’t allow them to walk side by side. Instead, she stayed slightly behind him and somehow that felt even more possessive.
He probably loved every second of it and, again, she couldn’t bring herself to care. She was his. He was hers. And it was about damn time they gave into that fact.
“Hey guys!” Maddie waved, her smile darting back and forth between them when Mark turned to help her out of her coat. “Holy shit, that dress. And those shoes. Damn, girl.”
Mark tossed the jacket over the back of a stool, reclaimed her hand, and took her mouth in a sweet kiss. “Beautiful as always.”
Carissa pushed her way in front of Maddie, her eyes narrow little slits. “There’s something different about you.”
Oh shit, here we go.
“Oh, I know.” Their friend turned to Mark and punched him in the shoulder. “Your man’s finally pulled his head out of his ass.”
Mark rolled his eyes and Ally laughed. “Be nice. He might be an ass from time to time, but he’s my ass. And that means I’m the only one who gets to call him that.”
Mark’s gaze shot to hers and awareness sizzled between them. He wasn’t the only one staking a claim tonight and he looked damn pleased about it.
“My bad.” Carissa lifted her hands, a pleased smirk on her face. “Let me buy you both a drink as an apology.” She spun on her toes and held her hand out to her fiancé. “I need some money, hot shot. I owe this fine couple a round.”
Josh nodded a greeting to Mark, then thumbed toward Carissa. “She put her foot in her mouth again?”
“Nah.” Mark gave a light chuckle. “Nothing I didn’t deserve.”
The next few minutes passed in a flurry as the guys snagged Mark for the next game of pool and the women huddled Ally toward the bar. As much as sticking to his side appealed, it simply wasn’t feasible in this little town. Especially when inquiring minds had questions that demanded answers.
“I heard you were banging the new fire chief.” Maddie climbed into a stool on Ally’s left, while Carissa took the one on the right, thanks to another group of local men who’d kindly offered up their seats. “Not that Mark doesn’t have a totally fine ass, but I think I’m a little disappointed.”
Carissa gasped. “Wow, Mads, and I thought I was rude.”
Ally smiled at both of them. “Sorry, but the closest I’ve been to Nick Caliendo’s junk is seeing his boxers in the dryer we share.”
Maddie sighed. “I guess that’s good and all, seeing as Mark would probably shoot him. But my fantasy file is incomplete without the knowledge of what the Italian Stallion is packing, if you know what I mean.”
Carissa snorted and waved over the bartender, Heather, who immediately leaned forward into the conversation.
“Rumor has it the cliché isn’t true,” the other redhead in town said with a wink.
“Who told you that?” Maddie asked, pouting.
“What do you even care? You’re married, for God’s sake.” Carissa slid Josh’s money across the bar.
>
“Doesn’t mean I can’t daydream.” Maddie stuck her tongue out and Ally laughed.
“You didn’t hear this from me, but he likes to wear jogging pants around without a shirt, and I may or may not have noticed a nice bulge.” She lifted her hands and sat back in the stool. “Just sayin’.”
Heather threw a balled up straw wrapper at Ally’s face. “Way to go, Al. Here I was trying to spread rumors so bitches would stay the hell away. I want that juicy piece of meat to myself, seeing as you hoes have taken all the other good men in this town.”
Carissa frowned. “Too bad you and Reed didn’t work out.”
“Reed doesn’t work out with anyone,” Maddie added. “Ask Jenny. Hell, ask Carissa.”
All three women turned to the brunette holding up the last stool.
“Don’t look at me like that.” Carissa shook her head, but color still filled her cheeks. “Al, you sexy mama, what’ll it be tonight? The double martinis are fabulous, if I do say so myself.”
Maddie muttered something about classic avoidance that had Carissa flipping her off and Ally grateful for a moment to think up her excuse.
“I’ll just have one of those cherry and lime sodas Heather is so good at making. We had dinner over in Cameron and there’s barely room for me in this dress, let alone a big martini.”
Heather went off to fill the order and Carissa swiveled around to watch the guys play pool. Ally and Maddie followed suit. “So,” Carissa said, nodding her chin toward Mark. “Sounds like he’s kissing your ass.”
“Which he should be,” Maddie muttered under breath.
Part of Ally wanted to join in on the Mark bashing because it was always fun to talk smack about the guys, but she wasn’t innocent in their falling out either. The stunt she’d pulled with Jason, case in point.
Buuut...if she hadn’t taken that risk, he might not have reacted like he did. She wouldn’t have left with her tail between her legs and he wouldn’t have followed her home. They wouldn’t have made love and she never would’ve ended up pregnant.
She was a firm believer in everything happening for a reason, so as much as she hated using another man to piss Mark off, she couldn’t regret it. Not really.