by London Hale
“You can say thanks next time we go there. They’ll be okay with the wait. Besides, I want to get you home.”
“Trying to get into my pants, Connor?”
“I was already in your pants.” His smile was soft, relaxed. Maybe relieved. He tucked me into the car and pulled the seat belt across me. “When we get home, I just want to hold you.”
He closed my door and hurried around to his side of the car, slipping into his seat mere seconds later. “Okay, first, I want to hold you. Afterward, there might be fucking. I haven’t licked your pussy yet today.”
“Oh, the horror. However do I put up with you?” I laughed, reaching for his hand, grinning when he brought it to his mouth to kiss the back. And as he started the engine and fiddled with the vents, I said a quiet prayer of thanks for all the bounties given to me. For the first time in my life, I could honestly say I felt like the luckiest girl in the world.
I pulled open the front door of city hall, nodding distractedly at the couple of people who called my name. I was too focused on getting to my girl to pay much attention to anything else. Needing to see her. That wasn’t new—I could barely wait to see her at the end of her day or after a long shift. But today was different.
Today, she was meeting my parents.
Lola had put it off for weeks, always giving me an excuse as to why it just wasn’t a good time. She was too busy with classes. Too focused on finding a job. And I knew that’d been a major concern of hers—being able to tell my parents what she did for a living and not having to lie.
As of two weeks ago, she’d officially become the administrative assistant for Mayor Briscoe, and she loved it. Loved interacting with people, loved putting her skills to use. She was happy, but more than that, she was fulfilled.
Walking briskly, I turned the corner into the doorway to the mayor’s outer office, which housed Lola’s desk, colliding with someone coming from inside.
“Sorry, ’scuse me.” I pulled back, noticing the familiar face of my brother. Brows drawn together, I said, “Riley? What’re you doing in the mayor’s office?”
He glanced behind him toward the closed door that led to the mayor’s private office, then focused back on me and gave a shrug. “Wrong turn. I was paying a ticket. What good is it having a cop for a brother if he can’t get me out of tickets, anyway?”
My brows drew down. Besides the fact that everyone on the force knew my family and wouldn’t give them a ticket without letting me know, something in Riley’s body language was off. He was edgy…agitated. Totally and completely unlike him. I clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Everything okay? Lo and I’ll still see you tonight for dinner, right?”
He glanced again toward the mayor’s closed door. “Yeah, yeah, for sure. Everything’s fine. Just have to make a quick stop, and I’ll be over. See you in a bit.” He walked out, leaving me in the room by myself. I’d have to ask him later at dinner what was going on, but right then, I was too focused on seeing Lola to dwell on it.
Her desk sat empty, but I didn’t have time to worry about where she was before she came around the corner, looking hot as hell. Those damn tight, stretchy skirts she loved to wear did a number on me—especially since the night in the bar three months ago. I couldn’t see her in one without remembering what it’d been like to have her pressed against the wall, coming all over me in two minutes flat.
I walked straight to her, hands gripping her ass, and tugged her against me. “You look hot as fuck in this. Have I told you that?”
She laughed against my lips. “I believe you mentioned something about it this morning before you dragged me back to bed.”
“I’m sure Mayor Briscoe would’ve understood you being late.” I bent my head, nipping at her neck, focused solely on my girl, the rest of the world falling away.
At least until a throat cleared in the small space, breaking the trance.
Lola pushed at my chest, shoving me away and smoothing her clothes. “Mayor Briscoe, I’m sorry. Connor was just—”
She waved a dismissive hand. “Greeting his girlfriend the way every girl can only hope to be greeted.” She pulled her coat off the coatrack and slipped it on. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Lola. Officer Nash. Have a good night.”
After the mayor walked out of the office, Lola buried her face in my chest. “I can’t believe she walked in on that.”
With a gentle touch, I ran my hand up and down her back. “Look on the bright side, beautiful.”
“What’s that?”
“With our track record, it could’ve been a lot worse. Besides, I’m sure she doesn’t blame me. She has eyes. She sees how gorgeous you are.”
She pinched my side, causing me to jerk away with a laugh. “Not helping, Connor.”
“Sorry. How about if I help you get your coat on instead?” I grabbed it from the hook and held it out for her. “We’ve got twenty minutes to get to my parents’, and I wanted to stop and pick up a bottle of wine on the way.”
“Damn. I was hoping you’d forgotten about it,” she said as she slipped her arms into the sleeves of her jacket. “Or they canceled. Or your car broke down so we weren’t able to go.”
I snorted, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as I pressed a kiss to her temple. “Too afraid you’ll hate them, huh?”
She looked up at me as I led her outside to my waiting car, rolling her eyes. “You know that’s not the problem.”
“What I know is you’re out of your mind if you don’t think they’re going to be crazy about you.”
Once she was settled in her seat, I shut the door on any argument she was going to come back at me with. That was short-lived, because as soon as I slid into the car, she twisted in her seat toward me.
“What if they…figure it out? What if they already know what I did for a living?”
“Lo…my parents are in their sixties. They’re not exactly on the pulse of the nightlife on the island.” I reached for her hand, rubbing circles with my thumb. “You’ve already met Riley and Claire, and they both love you.”
“But you sprung them on me with no notice, and besides, this isn’t your siblings. This is your parents. I already have to deal with a mom who sees you as one of her babies and will hate me on sight for taking you away from her. Having to do that as a former call girl isn’t exactly making my life easier. What if they ask questions? What if they can sense the”—she waved her hands, obviously searching for a particular word—“the sex worker? Connor, what if they can tell?” She shook her head, hiding her face, picking at the edge of her skirt as if that loose thread held the secret to life. “They’ll hate me.”
“Beautiful…” I reached over and brushed her hair back from her face. Traced the curve of her cheek like I’d once only thought about doing. Leaned in and pressed my lips to hers, just because I could. “They’re going to love you. Do you know how I know?”
“How?”
I wrapped my hand around the nape of her neck, pulling her toward me. Letting my lips settle against hers with a single soft kiss. “Because I love you.”
It was as simple as that. Family protected family. Family loved family. If Lola made me happy—and she did, more so than ever before—then my parents would love her.
She sighed against my lips and rolled her eyes. “Fine. I’ll take your word for it. But if your mom kicks me out for sullying the good reputation of her first-responder oldest son, that’s on you.”
“I’d be more worried about them kicking us out for fucking in the bathroom, honestly.”
“Oh my God, Connor, we are not having sex in their house!”
I laughed at her outrage. Bringing her hand to my lips, I kissed her fingers. “Fine, I’ll give you a pass for the introductions. But all bets are off for future visits.”
She didn’t say anything, just shook her head at me. As much as she wanted me to buy her irritation, it wasn’t working. She could pretend she was annoyed all she wanted, but that dimple didn’t lie. I reached up, stroking it with my thumb, and s
he bit her bottom lip to stifle her smile.
“Ready?”
She pulled away, staring at me for a moment as her eyes darted between mine. Then she took a deep breath, gave a short nod, and squeezed my hand. “Ready.”
Her acquiescence was weighted, and I understood the importance of it. She trusted me, completely, knowing I wouldn’t lead her into a den of lions. And even if we somehow ended up there, I’d protect her however I needed to. Standing by her side as long as she’d let me.
Forever, if I had it my way.
Sinful Distraction Sneak Peek
when we say opposites attract, we mean it…
On Temperance Falls, the business of selling sex in all its forms is thriving, and our couples give a whole new meaning to opposites attract.
Come, grab a seat in an empty pew and listen to the new pastor, meet one of Temperance Falls’ first responders, or have a chat with our favorite local politician. All have secrets to keep…and stories to tell.
She’s the one thing he won’t give up on The calls started a year ago. I needed an easy release, and he was there, for a price. One call turned into two, and before I knew it, I was falling for the voice on the other end of the line. When he shows up and introduces himself as the newest firefighter on the island, I’m terrified…at first. As the mayor, the last thing I need is a scandal. But Riley won’t take no for an answer, and I’m finding it hard to refuse him.
He’s a distraction she can’t afford Kate, the mayor of Temperance Falls, has a naughty little secret. Except I’m not so little and a hell of a lot more than just naughty. A year of weekly phone calls with our identities disguised has left me craving more. Being together could ruin everything she’s worked for, but there’s no turning back. Now that we’ve actually met, now that I’ve had a taste, nothing will stand in my way of making her mine.
Chapter One
Riley
If anyone had told me a year ago that watching a meeting of the Temperance Falls town council on the public access channel would get me hard, I’d have laughed in their face. One phone call, one life-changing move, and I wasn’t laughing anymore. But I was hard. Hard enough to wish I could tear my eyes away from the screen and go rub one out. I didn’t want to miss a second of this, though.
On the television, the mayor of Temperance Falls stood at a podium in the council room. Her blond hair hung straight, not quite touching her slim shoulders, and she had her glasses on. The same ones that featured in just about every fantasy I had.
“The proposed mixed-use facility would offer inexpensive housing options for residents, office space for small businesses, and a retail base that can bring more revenue to the island, while supplying much-needed jobs in our community.”
Fuck, the woman was hot when she got all naughty-professor. She was also way more than just her looks. She was strong and sure, completely in command of the room. She spoke to the people sitting around her with a confidence I practically panted for. The woman was a rock star in the local political scene because of her beauty, but her mind was the real gem. That and her always-in-control attitude drew me to her. Well, and her sexy-as-fuck voice. It all came down to her voice.
Some stuffy old guy in a tweed sport coat to her right leaned forward, grabbing the mic in front of him. “From the plans provided, the population density in that area will quadruple. The island itself will increase at least fifteen percent. Do you really think our infrastructure can handle that?”
Oh yeah, her infrastructures could handle anything. I snuck in a cock adjustment as Kate seemed to take a moment to collect her thoughts. Here it came—the moment I’d been waiting for. Assertive Kate was about to shift to Aggressive Kate. My girl was going to tear his ass apart, and I was likely about to come in my sweats listening to her do it.
“Councilman Nicholson, as I included in the project guidelines before you, the current infrastructure can support a partial filling of the space. That said, I believe we can scale our services with the population growth of the project. The mixed-use facility will bring more people, sure, but it will also bring more tax revenue. At only seventy-percent capacity, it will bring three times the tax revenue we received when the mall was open and filled. That population means more first responders needed, and that tax revenue will supply the funds to acquire them. Furthermore…”
Man, I loved it when she furthermored. If I were in my apartment alone, I’d be jacking my cock already. Hell, I’d have been halfway to coming the second she took the podium. Too bad I didn’t have cable in my little place over the garage. I had to hang out at my parents’ house to watch Kate do her thing. Soon enough, I’d get to watch it in person.
“Why are you watching this crap, Riley? Since when do you care what the town council is doing?” Claire, my sister and a permanent pain in my ass, plopped down onto the couch beside me, staring at the television with a frown. Luckily for me, she was also a hard-on killer. One problem solved.
“I don’t…usually.” Totally not a lie. The council didn’t matter; Kate did. But I wouldn’t tell Claire that. “I’m a city employee now, sis. I need to keep an eye on the council to see if things affect the department, that’s all.”
She huffed, shaking her head. “One brother’s a cop, the other’s a fireman who also works construction on his days off. We’re a walking, talking Irish-American stereotype.”
“We don’t have red hair.”
“Your beard is looking a little red.”
I ran a hand over my chin. Yeah, it did, which was why I usually shaved every day. I’d been busy that morning at the firehouse, though. By the time I’d gotten off—four hours past my scheduled leave time—I’d been too tired from my shift to do more than take a quick shower and rush to my parents’ living room to watch the council meeting.
The firehouse schedule of forty-eight hours on and forty-eight off fit my life pretty well at the moment. I accumulated a lot of overtime because of the fact that I had neither a wife nor kids to get home to, plus I picked up odd jobs over at the old lighthouse revitalization project on my off days. All that meant I worked a lot of fucking hours. Sometimes, shaving just didn’t take priority outside of the firehouse. Had to keep clean shaven for the breathing masks.
The old man—Nicholson, Kate had called him—had asked another question, one that I’d missed, and Kate’s polished veneer was starting to show signs of wear. Her normally calm, slightly fake smile had dropped, her lips a sliver away from frowning, and her placid eyes were filling with a fire I could spot even through the grainy footage on the television fifteen feet away. She looked ready to snap, but there was nothing I could do. No way I could shore her up when she needed someone to. Shit.
C’mon, Kitten. Use your claws.
“Councilman Nicholson, while I understand your concerns, I think we need to take the risk if we want Temperance Falls to remain the vibrant community it is today. That’s an eighty-acre superblock site with a 200,000 square-foot building sitting empty and rotting. The entire mass-market area on that side of the island is suffering because of it, as are home prices. Residents want something in that space. The building is a liability right now. I’d like to make it an asset, and Huntley Group wants to invest almost a billion dollars to make that a reality.”
Claws…Kate definitely had them. Fuck, she was ridiculous when she went all badass professional. How did every man in that room not have a hard-on for her?
“Seriously, why are we watching this?” Claire grabbed the remote and pointed it at the television.
I had my arm banded across her and my hand over hers before she could press the buttons. “Don’t change it.”
“Why?” She struggled under my hold, shoving at me with both hands. “I don’t want to watch this.”
The girl could wrestle, that was for sure. Growing up with two older brothers had probably helped that skill along. Ow, when did she learn to twist my arm like that?
“Too bad.” Still reaching for the remote, I grunted as her foot connected
with my gut. Damn, she was strong.
“Can you two cut it out?” Mom hurried across the room, carrying a basket of laundry. “I swear, you both act like children. Why can’t you be more like your brother?”
Claire stopped fighting, giving me one more shove to push me off her. I sat up, rolling my eyes as Claire did the same, both of us mouthing fucking Connor as my mom left the room. It was hard being the younger siblings of a golden child. I was the flighty one, the drifter. The one who’d left the house right after graduation and moved off the island. Claire was the baby and would probably always be seen as such. But Connor? He was the savior. The policeman. The one who never did anything wrong. I would have bet money his life was boring as shit, but what did I know?
I’d been gone for years, only having moved back recently to join the firehouse and get my life together. I was done with drifting. One call from Kate, one year of increasingly frequent calls, in fact, had set that plan in motion in my mind. Move home, get a good job, kick-start a life that was worth her attention. I was almost there, too. Almost ready. Just a few more months, and I could make my move.
By the time I looked back up at the television, Kate was gone from behind the podium, and the council had moved on to other business.
“Shit.” I dropped back into my seat. “I wanted to watch that.”
Claire huffed, still looking irritated with me. “I’ll never understand why.”
I shrugged, wishing she knew my reasoning. Wishing I could tell her, my mom, my brother—shit, the whole world—that I was in love with Mayor Kate Briscoe. But I couldn’t. Hell, I couldn’t even tell Kate that. Not yet. She didn’t exactly know who I was.
Before I could say anything else, my phone rang. I glanced at the screen, expecting to ignore it, but the number made me jump up.
“I have to take this.” I was across the room and out the door in seconds, hurrying toward the privacy of the apartment over the garage as I swiped my screen to accept the call. “I didn’t expect to hear from you today.”