“Handy.”
“And I’m pretty sure I should check you over for bruises.”
“You’re a sheriff, not an EMT. And are you forgetting I’m the one who just popped you?”
He stepped back and held out his arms. “Be my guest.”
“You’re incorrigible.”
“That’s a compliment, right?”
PICK YOUR PASSION™
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Skip 8-9 pages for the HEAT version
Chapter 7 - Sweet
Her smile went wicked and she reached for the hem of his T-shirt. She pushed it up his chest, but slowly, stopping to explore along the way. Teague’s knees faltered. Her laugh said she knew exactly how she affected him. Thankfully, she shoved his shirt all the way off.
If he’d thought her expression was wicked before, now it was wanton. Her tongue slipped over her top lip, and she hooked her fingers in the waistband of his sweatpants. “You sure?” she asked.
“I’m sure about this.” With a quick fan of his arms, he pushed hers off and up, pressed them against the mat by her head. “Now who’s in control?”
Then he went to work on the skimpy little yoga top that had distracted him all evening. When he had it off her, he gazed down at her body. So long and lean and lovely.
She leaned forward and kissed him. “You. And I kind of like that move.”
“I gathered.”
“Let’s be honest, Castro, I’m a fan of pretty much every one of your moves.”
He leaned forward and whispered into her ear. “How about this one?” He placed gentle kisses along her neck.
“Yeah,” she choked out. “That one’s okay.”
His mouth grazed her ear, making her squirm, her shoulders lifting to ward off his gentle pleasure. He made a “hmm?” noise in his throat.
“It’s…” oh, she was trying for a casual tone and failing miserably, “…fine.”
Before he was done with her, she would lose control, give herself to him completely. Drop her guard and let him take care of her. He worked his way into the front of those yoga pants he’d liked so much earlier. Now they were a massive pain in his ass. One more obstacle that he didn’t want to be between him and Jenny. He needed to feel her skin against his.
He couldn’t wait until they slept in the same bed every night. They had so much time to make up for. His hands explored all her sensitive areas. The more she wiggled, the less chance of him slowing down.
“You like that? Or was the word you’re probably looking for here mediocre?” His tone was casual, but her moves were anything but subtle.
“Um…God…” Broken laughter escaped her. “I…can’t even think of a comeback.”
“And that is fine. If only I’d known it were that easy to throw you off your game.” His tone was still teasing, but the pressure inside him was amping up. He worked at removing her pants, but he was about as adept as a first-time lover. “How the heck do you get out of these things?”
“Usually I wait until I’m not sweating. And somehow, I don’t see that happening anytime soon.”
With some laughs and fumbles, and one near disaster with Jenny catching herself on his shoulder, they finally worked her out of them, and Teague tossed them aside.
Jenny’s breath was uneven, and standing there she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen in his life. She gripped at his shoulders. “I need this. I need you.”
Those powerful words spurred him into action. Teague kicked off one leg of his sweats, trying to look somewhat suave as he hopped, trying to get out of the other. The cooler air around him did exactly nothing to calm his excitement.
And then he remembered. He leaned into Jenny. “You’re not going to believe this.”
One, two, three head butts against the mat.
“What?”
“My wallet’s out in my truck.” And he sure wasn’t in any shape or state of dress to trot out there and grab it.
Palms against his chest, Jenny pushed him away from the mat and looked directly into his eyes. “We’re in this relationship together. Not just today. Not just tomorrow. Forever. You are still with me on that, aren’t you?”
“I’m so with you on that, you’re not ever going to be able to get rid of me.”
Her smile was soft with love. “There’s nothing in that wallet of yours we need tonight.”
Teague’s heart went on strike inside his chest. Was she…was she saying what he thought she was saying? God knew he’d wished so many times that Grayson was his own son. “Are you…should we…Jenny, I want you and I love you, but this is a big…”
“I love you, and more than anything in this world, I believe you will always, always take care of me and our family.”
And there it was. His heart decided to get back to work.
Jenny looped her arms around his neck, and he lifted her, bracing her back against the wall. And then they moved together. The most perfect thing he’d ever felt in his life. All-consuming.
He gathered all his strength to pace himself, reminding himself to breathe. But she was so delicious.
Jenny kissed his ear and whispered, “I’d rate that excellent.”
He couldn’t help but laugh. “Have I told you how much I love you?”
“I’m pretty sure that’s something I will never get tired of hearing.” She tightened her hold on him, and he began to move again.
Teague simply concentrated on the feel of her wrapped around him. The feel of being inside her, a part of her. The feel of her heart beating against his. But as with all wonderful things, the tension, the need built until she locked her mouth on his and tightened her legs around him, shredding his control.
And hers.
When his brain reengaged with his body, he was surprised to find he was still standing, still bearing Jenny’s weight. Their skin was slick, and his heart boomed against her chest. He felt Jenny’s smile against his neck. “If you’re wondering, I’m giving that an extraordinary.”
“Do I get downgraded if I drop you right now?”
“It could definitely impact your score.”
“Then hold on.” Somehow, he got them down on the mat and they lay there, tangled up with each other and breathing as if they’d trekked the Appalachian Trail.
“Unless I totally missed the mark,” he said. “I just took pretty good care of you.”
“There was never a doubt in my mind.” Jenny laughed and pushed his damp hair back from his forehead. Her expression went serious, and she trailed her fingers down his face. “But I’m not sure you realize how much I let you help me in other ways. Those nights you take Grayson out for a guys’ outing and give me time to myself? I never had that before.”
“I like being with him.”
“And the move down here from Boston?” Her thumb feathered over his cheekbone. “That meant I trusted you to care for me, to care for Grayson. But caring for someone doesn’t mean doing everything for them, either physically or financially. Sometimes, it just means trusting enough to give someone the opportunity to take care of your heart.”
He pressed his palm against her chest, over the heart she’d trusted him with so many years ago. More importantly, the heart she was trusting him with now, even after he’d hurt her so badly. “I promise, until the day I die, I will protect this with my life.”
Skip 9-10 pages to Chapter 8
Chapter 7 - Heat
Her smile went wicked and she reached for the hem of his T-shirt. She pushed it up his chest, but slowly, stopping to explore along the way. When she playfully tweaked his nipples, Teague’s knees faltered. Her laugh said she knew exactly how she affected him. Thankfully, she shoved his shirt all the way off.
That, of course, made everything going on below his waist pretty evident. If he’d thought her expression was wicked before, now it was wanton. Her tongue slipped over her top lip, and she hooked her fingers in the waistband of his sweatpants. “You sure?” she asked.
�
�I’m sure about this.” With a quick fan of his arms, he pushed hers off and up, pressed them against the mat by her head. “Now who’s in control?”
Then he went to work on the skimpy little yoga top that had distracted him all evening. When he had it off her, he gazed down at her body. So long and lean and lovely. Her breasts were small but perfect in his hands. He enjoyed the soft weight of her.
He brushed his thumbs over her nipples, and her head pressed into the mat behind her. “I see you’re a fan of that.”
“Let’s be honest, Castro, I’m a fan of pretty much every one of your moves.”
“How about this one?” He put his mouth on her, sucked at one nipple, teased it with his tongue.
“Yeah,” she choked out. “That one’s okay.”
He took her between his teeth, a gentle tug while he worked her other breast with his hand and made a “hmm?” noise in his throat.
“It’s…” oh, she was trying for a casual tone and failing miserably, “…fine.”
Before he was done with her, she would lose control, give herself over to him. Let him take care of her in one way or another. He shifted to her other breast and worked his way into the front of those damn yoga pants he’d liked so much earlier. Now they were a massive pain in his ass.
But he didn’t let that stop him. He eased his hand between her legs and curled two fingers inside her. That had her going up on tiptoes and tilting her hips toward him. Oh, yeah, he couldn’t wait until they slept in the same bed every night. They had so much time to make up for.
He released her nipple and blew an easy stream across her taut skin. “I think the word you’re probably looking for here is mediocre.” His tone was casual, but with her moving against his hand, he upped the speed.
“Um…God…” Broken laughter escaped her. “I…can’t even think of a comeback.”
“If only I’d known it were that easy to throw you off your game.” His tone was still teasing, but the pressure inside him was amping up. He reluctantly removed his hand from between her legs and shoved at her pants. “How the hell do you get out of these things?”
“Usually I wait until I’m not sweating. And somehow, I don’t see that happening anytime soon.”
With some laughs and fumbles, and one near disaster with Jenny catching herself on his shoulder, they finally worked her out of them, and Teague tossed them aside.
Jenny’s breath was uneven, and standing there against that plastic mat, she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen in his life. She gripped at his shoulders. “I need this. I need you.”
Those powerful words spurred him into action. Teague shoved at his sweatpants and kicked off one leg. The cooler air around him did exactly nothing to calm his excitement, and his erection brushed his stomach.
And then he remembered. He leaned into Jenny, resting his erection against her soft belly. “Damn.”
One, two, three head butts against the mat.
“What?”
“My wallet’s out in my truck.” And he sure as hell wasn’t in any shape or state of dress to trot out there and grab it.
Palms against his chest, Jenny pushed him away from the mat and looked directly into his eyes. “We’re in this relationship together. Not just today. Not just tomorrow. Forever. You are still with me on that, aren’t you?”
“I’m so with you on that, you’re not ever going to be able to get rid of me.”
Her smile was soft with love. “Then to hell with the wallet.”
Teague’s heart went on strike inside his chest. Was she…was she saying what he thought she was saying? God knew he’d wished so many times that Grayson was his own son. “Are you…should we…damn, Jenny, I want you and I love you, but this…”
“I love you, and more than anything in this world, I believe you will always, always take care of me and our family.”
And there it was. His heart decided to get back to work.
Jenny looped her arms around his neck, and he lifted her, bracing her back against the wall. And then, the slide inside her was the most perfect thing he’d ever felt in his life. Slick, sweet. All-consuming heat.
He pushed deep and stayed there. Just trying to catch his breath.
Jenny kissed his ear and whispered, “I’d rate that excellent, but only if you keep moving.”
He couldn’t help but laugh. “Have I told you how much I love you?”
“I’m pretty sure that’s something I will never get tired of hearing.” She tightened her hold on him, and he began to move. A slow, sweet brush of skin on skin.
Teague simply concentrated on the feel of her wrapped around him. The feel of being inside her, a part of her. The feel of her heart beating against his. But as with all wonderful things, the tension, the need built at the base of his spine.
“God, Jenny,” he groaned. “I want to do this all night, but—”
She locked her mouth on his and tightened her legs around him, shredding his control. He pinned her hard against the wall and reached between their bodies, slicked his fingers over the heart of her.
The sound that came from her chest was raw and uninhibited and the sexiest damn thing he’d ever heard. She tightened around him, and he went deep one last time, held there while she rippled around him.
Then he let his control drop away, let the shudder work through him, release until his muscles shook with the pleasure of it all.
When his brain reengaged with his body, he was surprised to find he was still standing, still bearing Jenny’s weight. Their skin was slick from exertion, and his heart boomed against her chest. He felt Jenny’s smile against his neck. “If you’re wondering, I’m giving that an extraordinary.”
“Do I get downgraded if I drop you right now?”
“It could have an impact.”
“Then hold on.” Somehow, he got them down on the mat and they lay there, tangled up with each other and breathing as if they’d trekked the Appalachian Trail.
“Unless I totally missed the mark,” he said. “I just took care of you pretty good.”
“There was never a doubt in my mind.” Jenny laughed and pushed his damp hair back from his forehead. Her expression went serious, and she trailed her fingers down his face. “But I’m not sure you realize how much I let you help me in other ways. Those nights you take Grayson out for a guys’ outing and give me time to myself? I never had that before.”
“I like being with him.”
“And the move down here from Boston?” Her thumb feathered over his cheekbone. “That meant I trusted you to care for me, to care for Grayson. But caring for someone doesn’t mean doing everything for them, either physically or financially. Sometimes, it just means trusting enough to give someone the opportunity to take care of your heart.”
He pressed his palm against her chest, over the heart she’d trusted him with so many years ago. More importantly, the heart she was trusting him with now, even after he’d hurt her so badly. “I promise, until the day I die, I will protect this with my life.”
Continue to next page
Chapter 8
Jenny took a brisk walk through town to the Atlanta Highway Diner to do a little intel gathering. She hoped word had spread about Teague’s fabulous self-defense class and people were taking note.
As usual, the diner was bustling so she anchored herself at the counter, sipped coffee and listened to the chatter around her. Unlike the hectic chain restaurant on the corner from her house in Boston, there was something soothing about the clanks of the dishes and orders called to the cook mixed with the Southern accents and aroma of fresh sausage that made her glad to be a part of this sleepy little town.
She eavesdropped on the three women at the table behind her, but all she heard was talk about that darned Angus Hillen like he was some kind of law enforcement superstar. Her stomach churned. Surely, they realized Angus wasn’t a better candidate than Teague. They needed something better to do…or…it hit her. What they really needed was something better to talk
about!
Ideas swirling, she pulled her coffee cup closer. The best way to do that was to plant other news, something juicy for people to focus on besides the last-minute candidate. Even a new Summer Shoals transplant like her knew the gossip telegraph was rooted deeply at the Curl Up and Read. Luckily, Mom, Lil, and Maggie had appointments there later this morning.
Pushed by the adrenaline rush of a fantastic idea, she had to keep herself from letting out a whoop and running out of the diner. Instead, she tossed a five-dollar bill on the counter then casually strolled outside and hit speed dial for her mom. “How do you feel about taking part in something called Operation Kudzu?”
“Count me in!”
An hour later when Jenny walked into Curl Up and Read, the bookstore side was quiet except for one man flipping through magazines near the door and Hollis Dooley tottering down the mystery aisle. Not as many people as she’d hoped for, but she’d have to make do with what she had. And the way Hollis gossiped, he counted for at least three.
On the hair salon side, things were busier with the whir of blow dryers and the lovely, lovely sound of gossip. The Summer Haven gals were lined up in their Curl Up and Read Capes in various stages of completion. Lil’s hair was cinched up by what had to be a hundred teensy rollers with a shade of fluorescent blue glowing from them. Jenny hoped there was some kind of miracle going on because if Lil ended up with blue hair, things were not going to be pleasant around Summer Haven. Mom was getting a blow dry that spiked up her hair like a razorback pig, and Maggie sat in the next chair in a pink polka-dotted cape with a towel still on her head.
“Hey, sugar,” Abby Ruth called out above the noise of the blow dryer.
“Hi, Mom.” She exchanged a wink with her mom and turned to Ginger, whose natural red hair was now dyed black with a bright blue highlight down one side. “Ginger, I was hoping you could squeeze me in today.”
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