“Maybe you’re just what he needs.”
He knew Russ didn’t mean it that way. Although, the man gave him a knowing look, so maybe he did. Jake glowered at him. The last thing he needed in his life was trouble.
“I think that’s my cue to go.” She stood and gave Russ’s hand a pat. “I’ll come back and visit you tomorrow.”
Jake frowned as she slowly walked past him towards the door. Was she limping?
“What’s wrong with your foot?”
“I’m fine, Sheriff.” She moved out the door without looking back. Brat.
He turned to Russ. “Excuse me a minute.”
The older man grinned, waving him out. “Go give her hell, Sheriff.”
Damn it, he knew how well the gossip mill worked around here. No doubt this little conversation would be blown completely out of proportion and then spread wide and far.
He sighed as he caught up to her. Reaching out he gently grabbed hold of her arm. “Molly, wait.”
She turned with a smile. “Sheriff, what can I do for you?”
“I told you to stay put last night.” Drat. That wasn’t what he’d meant to say. He grimaced as she raised her eyebrows.
“You did,” she agreed, catching him off guard.
“Well?”
“Well, what?”
“Why didn’t you stay where I left you?”
She tilted her head to one side as though he’d done something interesting. “Do most women stay where you leave them, Sheriff?”
“Yes, they do.”
She sighed, shaking her head. “Goodness, no wonder Russ thinks you need a challenge.”
“I do not need a challenge. I need to know why you left the hospital when you knew I expected you to stay there until I returned. You knew I wanted to get you checked out by a doctor. And now you’re limping. Have you had your foot looked at?”
She waved a hand. “You’re fussing about nothing.”
“Sit.”
“Pardon?”
He pointed at the seat behind her. “Sit down.”
“I feel like there’s a silent ‘or else’ tagged on the end of that command.”
“Do you ever take anything seriously?” he asked, putting his hands on his hips, exasperated with her.
She studied him for a moment. “You look tired, Sheriff. Didn’t you sleep well?”
He immediately shut down his emotions, giving her a cold look. “I’m fine.”
“There’s a lot of that going around.”
“What?”
“People claiming they’re fine.” She smiled. “I didn’t sleep that well either. I kept seeing Russ trapped in that car, only I was on my own and the water was nearly over his face and I had no idea what to do.”
He reached out and touched her arm gently, sympathy filling him at the very real fear on her face. “Molly, it’s okay. Russ is all right. And you weren’t alone.”
“No.” She let out a deep breath. “I wasn’t alone.”
“Please sit. Let me look at your ankle.”
She sat. “I can’t resist a man when he says please.”
“I’ll remember that,” he teased.
“There’s that sense of humor. You should let it out more often. It’s not healthy to keep it leashed.”
“It’s not?”
She shook her head solemnly. “Oh, no, well proven fact.”
“Uh-huh.” He gently removed her boot, grimacing as she winced and sucked in a sharp breath. He rolled down her sock, taking in her swollen ankle.
“Molly,” he chided.
“What? Do you think it needs to be amputated?”
“I think you need to stop talking.”
“Hmm, maybe you should give my mouth something to do instead.”
She didn’t just say that, did she? His cock stirred as he imagined commanding her to her knees in front of him, making her open her mouth so he could thrust his way between those plump lips . . . okay, he needed to stop that. Now.
“Did I render you speechless, Sheriff?”
He looked up as she stared down at him in amusement.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to embarrass you. You’re right. I do need to think more and talk less.”
“You didn’t embarrass me,” he said gruffly. “I’m going to find someone to look at this ankle. This time stay here. Understand?” He stood quickly, needing some space.
“No, Sheriff, you don’t have to do that,” she called out as he walked away.
“Stay there.”
“But, Sheriff—”
He turned the corner, so he didn’t have to listen to what she was going to say. This time, she’d stay put.
Fifteen minutes later he returned to find the seat empty.
Damn the woman. Where the hell did she keep disappearing to?
“Thanks for driving me around,” Molly said to Logan Ferguson. “I appreciate it.”
“Doll, there’s not much we wouldn’t do for you.”
“Really, cause there’s this jerk ex-boyfriend I have . . .”
“You point me at him and I’ll teach him a lesson he’ll never forget.”
She threw her head back, laughing in delight.
“Max and Savannah are picking your car up from the garage. That’s where it was towed to this morning. I got you an appointment with Doc Harper in fifteen minutes. They had a spot open up.”
“That’s good.” Guilt filled her as she realized Jake would return to find her gone again. She’d gotten the text from Logan as she was waiting impatiently for the sheriff. She’d tried to tell him not to bother finding anyone, but he’d hightailed it out of there like his butt was on fire. She’d only had time to scrawl a quick note, which she’d left at the nurses station, before meeting Logan in the parking lot. She didn’t want to keep him waiting after he’d come out in the storm to get her last night.
She should have stuck around last night, but she’d been cold, tired, and hungry. Miserable. All she’d wanted was a hot shower and a warm bed. After twenty minutes had passed, she’d been certain Jake had forgotten her and she’d started to feel silly sitting there. So, when Savannah rang, she’d blurted out where she was. Logan had picked her up twenty minutes later. There had still been no sign of Jake.
He was really going to be pissed at her now.
“I’ll take you to get that ankle looked at, then we can meet Savannah and Max for lunch. All right?”
She smiled at the big rancher. “Sounds perfect. Thanks for letting me stay, I hope it’s not an inconvenience.”
“Of course it’s not,” Logan replied. “You’re family. You don’t have to keep thanking us.”
They drove in silence for a few minutes. The sun was shining so brightly that if it weren’t for the sodden ground and tree branches strewn about, you might never have known there’d been a storm here last night.
“How was Russ?”
“Good. Awake and coherent. I was so worried about him.”
“I bet you were. That must have been a scary experience for you. You did well, Molly.”
The praise warmed her. Although not in the same way Jake’s words to her last night had.
“The sheriff was at the hospital,” she said casually.
“Jake was there?”
“Yep. Very intense, isn’t he?”
“Yeah. He’s been that way as long as I’ve known him. He’s a good sheriff, though, takes his job seriously and protects the citizens of Haven.”
“Yes, I can see how he’d make a good sheriff. Must be hard on his wife, having him out at all hours, though.”
“Doesn’t have a wife. Or a girlfriend. Can’t even recall him having a long-term relationship.”
“So, he’s single?”
Logan glanced over at her. “Yes, but I don’t think he’s the settling type, Molly.”
That’s okay. She wasn’t looking to settle down. Just have a little fun.
And Mr. Tall, Dark, and Serious might be just the fun she needed.
4
He
was in a damn bad mood and he knew exactly who to blame. When he caught up to that redhead, he was going to teach her a thing or two about doing as she was told. What she needed was to be turned over his knee and . . . woah. He came to a stop right there on the sidewalk. Was he really imagining turning Molly over his knee and spanking her? His guts tightened, need flamed hard and hot. He wanted her.
Well, yeah, he’d already figured that out. It perplexed him. He’d just met her, and she already had him tied up in knots. She was nothing like the type he usually went for. Not that he’d been interested in anyone since Rebecca.
Rebecca had been a gentle, quiet person. Happy to follow his lead. It was what he needed. His job was stressful. He was faced with tough decisions and challenges constantly. He needed life to be restful when he got home.
Molly wasn’t restful. She was dynamite. And why am I even thinking this way about her? He wasn’t looking for another relationship.
He started walking towards the diner again. His stomach growled, reminding him he hadn’t eaten since early that morning. The door opened, and he reached out to grab it, and out walked the redhead he’d just been thinking about.
“Thank y—” she started to say, dropping off as she caught sight of him. “Why, hello, Sheriff.”
“Molly,” he gritted out. His temper stirred as he glared down at her. She moved out onto the pavement. He let go of the door, letting it shut with a click.
“Seems we’re destined to keep meeting.” Her eyes danced with merriment as she stared up at him. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were stalking me.”
“I’m not.”
“Aw, now that’s too bad.”
His eyes widened. “That’s not something to joke about.”
She immediately sobered. “You’re right. It’s not. I apologize.”
“You walked off again after I specifically told you to stay put.”
“You did. But I left a note at the nurses’ station for you. I had somewhere I had to be.”
“You didn’t tell me that before I left you.”
“Well, I didn’t know before you left me.” She smiled up at him, obviously enjoying herself while he was growing more and more frustrated.
“Can you ever give me a straight answer? Or do you enjoy talking in riddles?”
She seemed to ponder that. “No. Most people usually understand me quite easily. Perhaps the problem lies with you.”
“The problem does not lie with me.” He pointed at her. “And the next time I tell you to stay put, you damn well better.”
“You keep forgetting the ‘or else.’”
“What?”
“When you issue a threat, you’re supposed to say ‘or else.’ A deterrent to make me think twice before I disobey you again.”
“I should have just cuffed you to the chair. Then you wouldn’t have been able to disobey me.”
Fuck. Did I just say that? He had no grounds for cuffing her. And as a law officer he shouldn’t really joke around about such things. Not that it had actually been a joke . . . more of a threat, which was even worse.
“Oh, kinky.” She didn’t look the least bit intimidated. He supposed he should be relieved she wasn’t annoyed or insulted.
“Are you a Dom?”
“Wh-what?” Surely, he’d misheard her.
“Are you a Dominant? You know, do you enjoy tying submissives down and spanking their butts? Are you into leather and whips and handcuffs?” She glanced at the cuffs hanging from his belt. “Are those used for more than just arresting criminals?”
“What? No!”
“Ah, I suppose you can’t really mix work and pleasure, huh? Although I bet there’s plenty of submissives out there who have had one or two fantasies about you in that uniform.”
She gave him an admiring look.
Okay, when the hell had he lost control of this conversation? Had he even had control of it in the first place? He wasn’t so sure.
“What I am or am not is none of your business,” he told her stiffly.
She raised one eyebrow. “Hmm, can’t decide if that’s a yes or no. If you’re not, it’s a shame because you have that whole stern and commanding thing going on. I’m thinking of trying out this BDSM thing, you see.”
She was thinking of what? He stared down at her aghast. “BDSM isn’t like a pair of shoes you try on to see if they fit.”
“Well, why not? How will I know if I like it unless I try it?”
“It’s not something you do just to amuse yourself. The people in the community take it very seriously.”
She studied him for a moment. “And that means it can’t also be fun?”
“Well, of course it can. But it’s not to be taken lightly.”
“I know. I thought I’d go check out the club here, what’s it called again? Sampsons?”
“Saxons,” he said stiffly.
She clicked her fingers together. “That’s it. Yeah, I might try it out while I’m here. But when I do, I promise to take it very seriously, will that ease your mind?”
No. No, it would not.
“You can’t go to Saxons.”
“Well, why not?”
Yes. Why not? He had no right to tell her what to do. Why was he so upset by the idea of her going to Saxons? Maybe because he didn’t want to think about someone else dominating her, touching her, pleasuring her.
He glowered down at her. “Have you had your ankle checked?”
“Are you changing the subject?”
The door behind her opened, and Jake glanced up as Logan and Max Ferguson walked out with their wife, Savannah.
Logan Ferguson grinned at him.
“Hey, Jake.”
Jake nodded at the rancher. The Fergusons had had a hard time of it recently, and it was good to see the other man looking so relaxed. Savannah flashed Jake a small smile. It had taken her a while to work through the agoraphobia she’d suffered from after being attacked and kidnapped. But she was slowly getting there. Her service dog had been a great help. Jake had noticed that Savannah now only used Rosie when she didn’t have Logan or Max with her.
“Savannah, honey, how are you?” he asked in a gentle voice.
“I’m good, thanks.”
“Everything okay here?” Max asked, his eyes taking in Molly and Jake.
“Fine, just dealing with a matter of public safety.”
“Why, Sheriff, are you saying I’m a danger to the public?” Molly grinned up at him.
“What?” Max frowned. “What’s going on? Has something happened? Are you all right, Molly?”
The other man placed his hand on Molly’s shoulder, and Jake had to fight the urge to brush it off. What was wrong with him? Max was a happily married man. And Jake had no claim on the redhead.
“You know her?”
“Of course we do.” Logan sent him a warning look. What the hell was that for?
“Molly is staying with us, so if there’s something wrong we’d appreciate you bringing it to our attention first,” Max added.
Staying with them? What the hell?
Savannah smiled up at him. “Molly was my therapist, Jake. She’s come to visit me.”
“We owe Molly everything,” Logan said. “When she said she wanted to come to Haven for a while we told her she was to stay with us. We’re looking out for her. So, if there is something we need to know—”
“Aw, look at you guys getting all protective on my behalf,” Molly said. She reached over and patted Logan’s hand. Again, that jealous feeling rose, and he had to quickly squash it. “But I’m fine. The sheriff is just concerned about my ankle. He’s worried that I haven’t seen a doctor.”
The frowns on Max and Logan’s faces cleared.
“Oh, well you don’t have worry, Jake,” Logan told him. “I took her after I picked her up from visiting Russ. Managed to get her an appointment with Doc when someone else canceled.”
So that explained where she’d gone.
“And what did Doc say?”
He had no right to ask, but he wanted to make sure she was taking care of herself. Although it seemed Max and Logan had taken responsibility for her care.
“He said it was just a slight sprain and to make sure that I didn’t put too much stress on it for a few days. Told me not to go running, I told him that if I was running I had a bigger problem than a sprained foot.” She brushed her hand through the air, indicating her body. “This is not a body built for running.”
Personally, he thought it was a body built for fucking. Those curves, her skin, the way her face lit up when she was amused. He took a step back, needing to get away from her and clear his head.
“All right then. See you all later.” He turned away. He’d head out on patrol. That should give him some time to figure this out.
“Sheriff?”
His heart raced as he turned to her. She gestured towards the diner. “Weren’t you going inside?”
Yeah, he had been. “I’ve lost my appetite.”
The light in her eyes died a little, but he forced himself to turn away. He hadn’t meant to hurt her and he refused to feel bad about it.
What an ass. Molly stared after Jake. Had he really just implied that talking to her had made him lose his appetite? She guessed he was grumpy at her for skipping out on him again. Or maybe he wasn’t the good guy she’d thought he was.
“Wow, is it just me or was he acting even more intense than usual?” Savannah commented, slipping her hand through Molly’s arm. “It was nice that he wanted to check on your ankle.”
Hmm, nice isn’t the word I’d use. She knew he was rattled by her and she’d figured it was because he also felt a connection between them. But the fact that he’d lost his appetite just from talking to her, well, that made her feel unwanted. Undesirable.
She took in a deep breath. She wouldn’t let him rattle her. So, he wasn’t attracted to her. She’d find someone else to have some fun with. He was way too serious for her anyway.
“Shall we go check out Laken’s shop?” Savannah asked her. “We have two vehicles, so you guys can head home. We’ll go back later in Molly’s car.”
Max frowned, and Molly could tell he wanted to protest. But Logan reached out and squeezed his arm warningly.
“All right, darlin’,” Logan agreed easily, although she could see the tight way he held Max’s arm he wasn’t as relaxed as he was trying to make out. “But I want you girls to call before you leave town, all right? Let us know you’re on your way home. It’ll give us time to mix up those margaritas.”
Molly's Man (Haven, Texas Book 4) Page 4