She was adorable when at a loss for words. “Will you wear it?"
Her fingers reached out of their own volition to hover over the ring. “Will it cause you problems with your divorce?"
"It shouldn't...” The look on her face told him to choose his words carefully. “Ok, I'll make you a deal. Wear it tonight, and tomorrow we can discuss it some more."
Her hand was shaking uncontrollably when he slipped the princess of hearts cut diamond solitaire onto her finger. “Tonight only; tomorrow, we'll ask the judge if it's ok. If he sees no problems with me wearing this exquisite piece of jewelry, then I'll keep it on."
"Baby, everyone knows we're...Fine. They know I intend to ask you to be my wife. I don't see...” All thought evaporated from his mind when she slid down under the blankets, closing her eyes to sleep—her way of telling him the discussion was over. Laughing, he crawled in beside her and took her into his arms. You win this round sweetheart, but you will be wearing that ring on the plane tomorrow
"Goodnight, my love."
"My love...” He felt her hand run up his chest to rest over his heart, as a soft smile curved her lips.
"Goodnight, Drew. I love you, too."
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Chapter Nine
Drew woke feeling happier than he had in more years than he could remember. Content—he was actually feeling contentment. Who knew just holding a woman in your arms, albeit it a nearly naked woman, could make a man feel satisfied? Maybe Allison...
"Allison?” Where was she? “Allison?"
"I'm right here. Seriously, Sheriff, are you always this antsy first thing in the morning?"
She stood in the bathroom doorway, toothbrush in hand, grinning at him teasingly.
"Sure, tease, but I've never gone to bed with my dream girl only to wake up alone before."
"Do you bed your dream girl often?"
"This is the first time, which is why I got nervous waking up alone; especially since you have a habit of running off on me."
Walking back into the bathroom, Allison laughed. “Afraid you dreamed it?"
"Awfully glad I didn't. Now get that gorgeous ass back in this bed so I can wake up properly."
"In a minute; I need to finish brushing my teeth."
She was trying to kill him. There was no other explanation for her actions. “I don't want to wait a minute."
"Patience, my dear Sheriff, is a virtue. Besides, Jimmy's in the kitchen keeping an eye on breakfast while I get dressed. So you, dear man, will just have to wait."
"What the hell is Jimmy doing in my house ruining my otherwise perfect morning?"
Giggling, she made her way out of the room, giving the bed a wide berth as she went. “He's following orders. You have no one to blame but yourself, since you told him to come by this morning before we left for the airport."
"Fine, I'll get up and deal with him."
Allison stopped walking and turned to glare him back into bed. “Don't you dare. You will stay put and let me deal with this alone. Am I understood?"
"Yes, I understand completely. You'd rather spend time with Jimmy this morning than me.” He hated the rules she'd set, but she was the boss this morning.
"Don't pout; I won't be gone that long."
He refused to be happy about Jimmy's horrible timing. “Damn Jimmy and his punctuality. Allison, can't I even get a kiss good morning?” He was whining and he didn't care.
"Not a chance, Mister; I don't trust you one bit to let me go if I get that close.” The grin on her face took the sting out of her words and pulled a return grin from him. “You, will just have to wait until I get back."
"You know me too damn well, woman."
"It doesn't take a genius to figure out what a man in your condition wants, Sheriff."
He watched her leave, feeling like he did that first day they met. She'd just pulled a fast one on him, and he was powerless to stop her.
* * * *
* * * *
"He's certainly chipper this morning."
Allison, leaned back against the counter to watch Jimmy stir the scrambled eggs. “Is he? I just assumed he was always like that."
"Allison, that man is usually a bear first thing in the morning. Everyone avoids him until after his second cup of coffee."
Shrugging, she scooped the bacon and eggs onto a plate. “If that's what he's usually like, he'll revert soon enough. So anyway, here's the information Drew promised you. My address, cell, work, and home numbers. You already have his cell, right?"
"Yeah I have that; he just wanted to make sure I could contact him if anything happened."
Adding a glass of milk to the tray, she shrugged again. “He's protective of those he cares for. You couldn't seriously expect any less from him."
Jimmy laughed. “Noticed that, did you?"
Grabbing the toast, she quickly buttered it and added it to her tray. “It was hard not to. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have breakfast to deliver."
"I can take a hint.” Leaning down, he kissed her cheek, and then held the door open for her to walk through with her tray. “See you when you get back. And tell the grump not to worry; the station will be fine without him for a few days."
"Bye, Jimmy."
* * * *
* * * *
"I thought he'd never leave. What's that?"
Ignoring his questions, she continued into the room. “Jimmy says good morning and remarked that you're abnormally chipper today for such an early hour. He was wondering what happened to you."
Drew laughed and stretched, pulling himself up into a sitting position. “What did you tell him?"
"That you must have hit your head and not to worry, that you'll most likely revert to normal when the excitement wore off."
"Is that breakfast? Allison did you make me breakfast in bed?"
"Yes, I did, with Jimmy's help. Now sit up so I can give you the tray."
Taking the tray from her hands, he set it on the nightstand untouched. “Come back to bed."
"Actually, I was going to make sure I didn't forget anything while you ate."
"Aren't you eating?"
"I'm not hungry..."
Something was wrong, and she wasn't going anywhere until he found out what it was. She'd been acting skittish all morning. “Are you avoiding me?"
"Maybe a little."
"Stop tormenting me, woman, and get that gorgeous ass back in this bed, before I drag you back in here. What's changed between last night and this morning?"
Laughing nervously, she slowly climbed back into bed. He didn't waste any time pulling her into his arms. “So what's changed, Love?"
"Me...I can't seem to be near you without wanting to touch you. It just doesn't seem fair to keep teasing you like that until ...well, until you can touch me in return."
Relief flooded through him. “Baby, if you get the urge to touch me, I don't care where we are or who's around us, for God's sake, touch me. I swear, you're going to drive me insane trying to figure you out."
Allison giggled and scooted under the blankets, then leaned up against him, giving him the most enthusiastic good morning kiss he'd ever received.
"Much better. Never, ever do that again. From now on, you aren't allowed out of bed before I get my morning's satisfaction."
Allison scooted down until she was curled up with her head on his abs and her arms wrapped around his waist. “Eat, before it gets cold."
He couldn't stop staring down at her curled around his waist. “And you will be doing what while I eat?"
"I'm going to nap, right here."
This I can get used to. He ran a caressing hand over her hair before reaching over for the tray. “Does this mean we'll be showering together?"
"Nice try, Sheriff, but you'll be showering alone while I do the dishes. We can't leave dirty dishes it the sink for Jeremy to clean. He's already doing you a favor by watching the house."
"Can't blame a guy for trying."
Inhaling the he
avenly aroma of bacon and eggs, he sighed happily. If the meal tasted half as good as it smelled, he was going to be one lucky bastard when he married this woman.
Soft, even breathing, told him that Allison was fast asleep. Smiling softly, he dug into the most amazing breakfast he'd ever tasted. He was going to love having a woman in his life who could cook, even if it meant he gained a hundred pounds eating her cooking. Drew knew she'd still love him.
Slowly shifting her off his lap, he tucked her into the bed and took the dirty tray full of dishes back into the kitchen. Since she'd taken the time to cook him the best homemade meal he'd had in years, he'd clean up. Allison deserved a little more rest before they had to leave.
* * * *
* * * *
Hands full of soapy water, Drew heard bare feet on the linoleum floor behind him. Soft arms circled his waist as Allison's breasts pressed suggestively against his back. “I would have done those."
"I know, but you needed sleep more. You didn't get much of it last night, thanks to me."
"I didn't mind, really. I kind of enjoyed it, and I was partly responsible for last night. You really should go shower if we're going to get out of here on time. Or maybe you wouldn't mind if I showered first while you finished those dishes?"
Laughing, he wiped his hands on the back of his boxers and took her into his arms. “Go ahead; I'll bring you some towels as soon as I'm done here."
"You're such a softy."
"Don't let it get around; you'll ruin my reputation."
Allison laughed and cupped his cheek. “What reputation? You ruined that last night when you chose me over your bombshell of a wife."
"My reputation is—” His hands stilled upon hearing a loud knock on the door. Cursing, Drew started to wonder if his house was bugged; people always seemed to show up just when he was making a move on his girl. “This isn't over, woman."
Allison blew him a kiss, undid the buttons of his uniform shirt and let it fall to the ground behind her as she made her way out of the kitchen toward the bedroom. The imp knows I have to answer the damn door
"Good morning sir—"
"I'm not interested.” Drew tried to close the door, and wasn't amused when the man put out his hand to stop it. It didn't look like Drew would get to scrub Allison's back after all.
"I'm not selling anything. Are you Sheriff Perry?"
Frowning, he reopened the door. “If I say yes, you won't go away, will you?"
"Sheriff, my name is Joseph Pretty. I'm with the county auditing office."
Drew leaned against the door and dried his hands on the tea towel. “Allison's friend?"
"Well, yes. Technically we are friends, but I'm here as her supervisor. Is this a good time to discuss your audit?"
He knew Allison had told him that the auditor's office would send someone to make sure he was following up on her report, but this was ridiculous. She'd only sent the request yesterday. “No, I'm due at the courthouse in an hour and I still need to shower, but since you're here you may as well come in."
Joseph hesitated. “I can return later if that's more convenient."
"No let's do this now. I'm leaving town for a few days right after I take care of business. Please have a seat, and tell me how I can help you...Joseph, was it?"
"Yes. I received your audit and found that Miss McKay was a little severe in her assessment of your station. You've always had spotless reviews in the past, and Allison...Ms. McKay...has been a little upset of late."
Drew frowned and had a seat on the corner arm of his sofa. “Really, I found that despite the circumstances she'd faced during her audit, she was quite fair. I agreed with all her recommendations without discussion or exception once I read her report."
Joseph adjusted his glasses, and pulled a copy of the report out of his briefcase. “You never should have been told to let your file clerk go, Sheriff. I'm sure she wasn't completely incompetent and knowing Allison, the poor woman was probably just a little nervous."
"Oh, I don't believe so; Bonnie is definitely incompetent."
"Drew, honey, where is that towel you promised me?” Allison called.
Joseph stood the moment he heard her voice. “Is that...?"
Grinning, Drew stood and headed out of the room. “Excuse me a moment."
"Drew...” She called out with a laugh, her teeth chattering.
Grabbing a towel out of the linen closet, he entered the bathroom. “I'm right here, baby. Let's wrap you up nice and warm.” He took the opportunity to hold her close, rubbing the towel over her back until she stopped shivering. “I need you to get dressed. We have company, and I need you to entertain him while I shower if we're going to make the judge's chambers on time."
"Who's here?"
Her teeth were chattering so loudly, he was hard pressed not to make the damn man wait while he warmed up his girl properly. “Joseph Pretty."
"Joey's here? Why?"
That was the woman he fell in love with, suspicious as hell. “He's handsome, Love. You forgot to mention that part."
"Yeah, he's handsome and he knows it. The jerk."
Grabbing a clean jersey out of his drawer, he threw it at her with a grin. “Here, wear this."
Catching the shirt, she raised an eyebrow in question at his choice of wardrobe for her meeting with Joseph. “And when he fires me?"
Slipping his arms around her waist, he pulled her back against his chest and kissed her neck. “Then I will support you until you find something new."
Laughing, she slapped his hands away and shooed him back into the bathroom. “Go get clean. I'll deal with Joseph."
That man is in serious trouble. Glad I'm not him.
Stealing one last kiss, he turned back toward the bathroom. “Be nice."
"I'm always nice. Just not always polite."
* * * *
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Ten
Walking into the living room, Allison leaned up against the door frame and watched Joseph look around Drew's home. “Hello, Joseph. You're looking well."
"Ali? What are you doing here?"
His rude, suggestive tone grated on her nerves. “Don't tell me that it's escaped your attention that Ten Deep is in town?"
"Yes, yes, I saw that. But what are you doing here?"
Now he was dismissing her explanations without even listening to her. She was seriously tired of his attitude. “The Sheriff was kind enough to offer me a place to stay while I'm in town. The hotels are all booked solid because of the concert."
"What are you wearing?"
That was the last straw. “It's called a shirt, Joseph. Now, why are you here?"
"I'm doing a follow-up on the audit. It was found that you may have been too severe."
Crossing her arms, she walked over to the table and had a seat. “Since when do you do the follow-ups?"
"I choose who gets assigned which cases, and decided to take care of this one personally."
You're an idiot, Joseph. She sorely wanted to say those words out loud, but refrained. “Let's say I believe that. What did the Sheriff say when you told him why you were here, and what was the decision?"
"We've decided to give him back his file clerk."
"He agreed to that?"
Joseph, sat back against the cushions with a smirk. “He didn't refuse."
Looking out the window, Allison saw Jeremy dart out of his house for school and wanted to say goodbye before leaving. She needed some time away from both Joseph and Drew for a bit. “Excuse me a minute, Joseph."
"Of course."
She didn't care what he thought about her anymore. By agreeing to re-hire Bonnie, Drew had betrayed her, so she didn't care what he thought anymore either. Opening the door, she made her way across the parking lot as fast as she could. “Hey Jeremy, wait up a second.” Spinning toward her, Jeremy almost lost all his books. The boy seriously needed a proper book bag. She'd bring one back for him when she returned on Thursday.
"Oh,
hey there, Ali, thanks for letting me use your car while you're gone. It's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me."
Laughing, she reached out and took the books out of his hands then placed them on the front passenger seat before he dropped them. “You're very welcome, just be careful with her. It's my..."
"I know, she's your baby. I'll be careful, I promise. Jimmy, tell her how careful I am behind the wheel."
Laughing, Jimmy walked over to them and slid his hands over her shoulders. “He's a very good driver, but...Jeremy, promise or no promise, if you're late for school you lose the car!"
"Yikes. Bye, Ali. Have a safe trip."
Allison couldn't stop the smile that curved her lips at the boy's panicked expression. “Starting tomorrow! Don't look at me like that, Jimmy; that's my baby he's in, and it's technically my fault he's late today. That gives him a reprieve."
She felt Jimmy's sigh on the back of her neck. “Jeremy, do you have your lunch?"
The boy hung his head in defeat. “Bro, I'm like gonna be so-o-o late."
"Here. Thank Allison. She made it for you this morning while we were sleeping"
Grinning sheepishly, Jeremy took the bagged lunch from his brother. “What did I do before you moved to town?"
"You probably went hungry,” she teased, pushing him toward the car.
* * * *
* * * *
Entering the living room, Drew frowned when he found Allison missing. “Mr. Pretty, where's Allison?"
"Outside with the real reason she never came home when this audit was done."
Looking out the window, Drew grinned. “She's only saying goodbye to Jeremy before he leaves for school. She's a big girl. What makes you think Jeremy is why she stayed behind?"
"Not the child, you fool. The man with his arms around her."
Ignoring the pompous attitude, Drew opened the window. “Hey, Jimmy, what's up?"
"Allison is having a twinge of separation anxiety. I'm just trying to help her save face."
Drew relaxed and started laughing. “The car?"
"You know it. I think this is the first time she's been apart from it. Can't wait ‘till you guys have kids; it should be entertaining."
"Need me to come get her?"
I Know You Love Me Page 9