“Walking you to your door.”
“Oh.” Somewhat mollified, she crossed her arms over her chest. “I left my keys. I have to knock on the door for my sister to let me in. I would prefer she not see you.”
His gaze was unreadable as he gazed down at her.
“You and I need to talk.”
She shifted her feet. “About what?”
“I think that’s pretty obvious.”
“I must be dense, then.”
“We need to discuss this thing that’s happening between us.”
“Nothing is happening between us.”
He arched a dark eyebrow at her. “Really? We can’t be alone for five minutes without dry humping each other.”
Heat scored her face. She shook her head rapidly. “Nothing is happening. I’m not about to get involved with the likes of you.”
“The likes of me? You make it sound like I’m some meth addict.”
She sniffed and shrugged. “Don’t get offended. We’re not exactly a good match.”
“I’m not talking about a relationship.”
She sucked in a breath, trying not to look as offended as she felt. Of course he wouldn’t want a relationship with her. “Of course not. Because that would be crazy. You just want to fuck me.”
He lifted one big shoulder. “Is that so wrong? You can’t deny you’re attracted to me.”
“Well, I don’t do that.”
“You don’t do what?” He peered at her closely like she was some strange species he was trying to understand. “You don’t have sex with guys you’re not in a relationship with? Is that it?”
I don’t have sex with guys. Period.
“Yeah,” she agreed.
He stared at her, weighing her words, probably wondering how rude it would look if he turned and walked away right then. Instead, he surprised her by stepping closer. She backed away, but he followed, caging her in, his hands coming up on either side of her head. “Then we’ve hit a roadblock. I don’t do relationships and you don’t do no-strings sex. One of us is going to have to bend, Walsh.”
She opened her mouth on a tiny gasp. She had no idea what to say to that. She only knew his proximity was killing her and sending her libido into hyperdrive.
“Or neither of us bends,” she offered in a weak voice.
“No. That’s not going to work. You’ll be in my bed, Piper. Or I’ll be in yours. It’s just a matter of time.”
Holy cow. Who talked like that? And why did it turn her to mush? Instantly, all she could imagine was Hale naked, coming over her with that beautiful cock aimed directly at her.
“I’m man enough to admit I was wrong about you.”
It was her turn to blink. She felt dazed. No one had ever said that to her before. It was basically an apology and she didn’t remember ever being on the receiving end of one of those. “What was it you thought about me?”
“I thought you were a lost cause.”
She flinched. A lost cause. Yeah. He wasn’t wrong. She felt like that plenty of times. On the nights she skipped a meal just to make sure Malia ate. When she waitressed and endured grabby hands and disgusting suggestions for only a measly twenty dollars in tips. When she woke up in a cold sweat because she dreamed she was back in high school, trapped in that house with Shelley Rae again.
Lost cause was a fair estimation.
“You weren’t wrong about me.” She held his gaze.
His features twisted with anger, eyes glinting. “Don’t ever say that. Maybe you’re my cause,” he countered.
“You can’t save me.” She was lost a long time ago. Nothing could change that. “You would do better to forget me.”
“Too late for that,” he pronounced. “You’re something good, Piper Walsh. Beautiful and strong and frustrating as hell, and when we’re together it’s so fucking hot. You want me as much as I want you. Don’t deny it. You want to feel me moving deep inside you. And not just once. Again and again until we’re both so spent we fall asleep. And then we’ll wake up and start all over again. We’ll do it hard and fast. We’ll do it slow and easy. It will take days, maybe weeks, until we’ve had our fill of each other. I won’t need food because I’ll have your body to sustain me. I’ll have this.” He cupped her sex through her dress and she gasped.
God, yes.
“Your pussy is so hot right now. It burns for me.”
He leaned in, still cupping her, his fingers singeing through her clothes, and she knew he was right. She felt her own heat radiating into his palm. Their breaths panted heavily between them as his erection swelled against her belly.
He continued in his deep voice that embodied sex. “Say yes. Let yourself have this.”
His words were compelling and seductive, but they were dangerous, too. They gave her forbidden desires and hope for things she could never have. Especially not with this man.
He’s not offering forever. He just wants to have sex with you.
But sex with him would feel like something that was forever to her. She knew that already. It would shatter her.
She seized his wrist and lifted his hand off her. He obliged, letting go.
“Look,” she began, relieved at how firm her voice rang when her body was shaking. “Let’s end this before we get any more carried away. Besides.” She swallowed against the lump in her throat. “I’m moving.”
“Moving?” He blinked. “As of when? Where?”
“As of tonight. I lost my job. Remember? There’s nothing here for me. I have to leave if I want to support my sister and myself. I don’t have a choice. You yourself suggested it.”
“Yeah.” He blinked again. “But . . . moving?” he repeated as if he couldn’t wrap his head around that sudden information. He might have thrown that at her as a suggestion, but clearly he didn’t think she would go through with it.
“Like you said, I probably should have done it years before, but I wanted to stay close to my brother. So I could visit him. Now I don’t have a choice though. I can find a decent job in another city where no one has ever heard the name Walsh.”
He opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something more, but right then the door to her apartment opened. “Piper? What are you doing here?”
Malia stood framed in the doorway, Claire beside her.
“Hey,” Piper greeted in an overly bright voice, taking a huge step away from Hale. Hopefully the girls hadn’t noticed how close they had been standing. “I, uh, had some car trouble so Sheriff Walters brought me home.”
Malia’s wide eyes drifted to the sheriff. “Oh, hello, Sheriff.” Wariness tinged her voice. Clearly she hadn’t forgotten the last time she saw him and the discomfort of that encounter.
“Malia,” he greeted with a nod.
Claire giggled and fingered a lock of her hair, curling it around the tip. “Hi, Sheriff Walters,” she chirped, eyes moving up and down over Hale. Hussy. When did she become such a flirt?
Hale nodded at the other teenager and then returned his attention to Piper. “We’ll talk later.”
She cocked her head and gave him a look, unable to say right then and there that she saw no purpose in that as they had nothing more to say to each other. It would be too weird in front of the girls. Malia would pester her for an explanation about that. “Thank you for the help,” she said, determined to make his presence here look utterly normal.
He looked between her and the two girls. She got the distinct impression that he wanted to pull her aside to continue their discussion, but no way was that happening. If he even attempted it, Malia and Claire would probably follow them and insert themselves. There was nothing nosier than teenage girls.
“Any time,” he said, his eyes intent on her.
She stepped forward into her apartment, forcing the girls to step back.
Turning, she gripped the edge of the door and looked out at him, glad that the girls were behind her now and could not see her face as sudden awareness washed over it. This was it. The last time she would
see him. It mattered in a way that she could not have anticipated. Her chest constricted. The closest she had ever come to feeling this way was when her brother had entered prison.
“Good night.” She pasted a smile on her face that felt fragile. She quickly closed the door before it failed her and he saw just how close to breaking she was under the surface.
Hale stood outside her door for several moments before turning and heading for his truck.
She was going to move.
The thought left him reeling. It was the last thing he had expected her to say tonight despite the fact that he had suggested she do that very thing. That suggestion seemed so long ago. Before he felt so desperate and hungry to have her.
Damn it. He’d done this. He’d played a part in getting her fired tonight. When he’d left Annabelle’s and drove to Sweet Hill, his single pushing thought had been how he could get her away from Joe’s Cabaret for good. He didn’t want her working there. He didn’t want her in that back room. He didn’t want any other man looking at her or touching or having her.
The moment he’d been in conversation with Joe and sensed the opportunity, he’d pounced. You should just let her go. She’s never going to be right for this job.
Yeah. He’d said the words. Put them out there and watched in satisfaction as resignation came over Joe’s face. He got her fired.
And now she was going to move.
Because of him.
His mind rebelled against the idea and he knew he had to make it right. Somehow.
He refused to consider that it might be the best thing for her to move. Piper Walsh belonged in Sweet Hill. She belonged in his bed.
He had to make her realize that, too.
Fifteen
Piper gave her bed up to the girls, which was just as well. She didn’t feel like dealing with her sister’s kicking and stealing of the covers.
Alone on the couch, she stared into the dark, her thoughts full of Hale. Hale. Her hands slipped under the blanket, wandering, traveling over her breasts, which still felt tender and raw from his ministrations. After years of neglect, they were awake and alive and hungry for more attention. She couldn’t stop herself. Her palms skimmed over her nipples, marveling at how erect they were just at the memory of him.
The things he had said. Her cheeks burned as his deep voice echoed through her. You want to feel me moving deep inside you.
He wasn’t offering her any false promises. She had to give him points for honesty. He just wanted to sleep with her. He only wanted sex. A part of her was actually tempted. If only it could be as uncomplicated as that.
She hadn’t planned on staying a virgin forever. She’d come close before. She’d been a horny teenager. But then life got in the way and put things like sexual exploration and gratification on the back burner. Why not surrender to this thing that was blazing between them? The foreplay had been amazing. She was confident it would be good.
Except then she would have to walk away from him. She worried how she would feel after that. Would meaningless sex make her feel . . . meaningless?
She remembered his eyes then. Heard his voice in her head. That deep voice that embodied everything she desired. She didn’t want to give herself to him and then later, when it was all over, feel empty inside. That just might be the final thing to break her.
Her phone, on the floor beside the couch, vibrated, its light glowing in the dark. She picked it up, wondering who could be texting so late.
You can’t move.
Butterflies erupted in her stomach. She read the short sentence and then read it again as if she had somehow misread. Even though she knew, she typed: Who is this?
She waited breathlessly.
You know who.
She supposed she did know. Her fingers hurried with a response. How did you get this number? Again, she could hardly breathe as she awaited his reply, thinking about him thinking about her somewhere on the other side of town.
Really. You think I can’t get your number?
Of course. She shook her head, feeling silly for even asking. He was the sheriff. He had access to pretty much any information he wanted. She shot back another text. I think this is what you call an abuse of power.
His reply came swiftly. So file a complaint.
She snorted and typed back. Funny.
Tiny dots appeared as he typed. What about your sister? You just want to uproot her?
Piper huffed an indignant breath and fired a reply. She’s part of the reason I’m doing this.
What’s the other part?
She sighed before responding. I need a fresh start. Just like he had suggested. So why was he changing his tune now?
You can have that here.
She shook her head, bewildered. Why was he trying so hard to convince her to stay? She couldn’t believe this was all to sleep with her. Why should he care so much? Her fingers typed back a reply. I’ve never had that here.
I think you’re running away.
She growled in annoyance, her fingers moving rapidly over her phone as her indignation burned hotter. Why would I be running?
He didn’t respond. She stared at his words, feeling vaguely panicked, worried that he had seen something she didn’t want him to see. Outside the club she had almost admitted to him he was special to her. That he meant something to her. She’d almost told him he was the only man she would let do the things to her that he had done. The only man who gave her all the feels.
Yeah, letting him know all that would be very bad. Baring herself to the sheriff of Sweet Hill could never happen. It could open the door to other things. Things she could never, ever confess.
Finally she saw the dancing dots and knew he was replying. She held her breath, waiting.
You’re running from me.
She rolled her eyes. Arrogant. Egotistical. Her fingers sailed over her phone. Don’t flatter yourself.
You’re scared. You have your no-sex rules, but that doesn’t stop us from mauling each other every time we’re together, so you want to run away.
Oh! The arrogance. Did he really think himself so irresistible? Two times hardly makes it chronic behavior. I can control myself around you.
Care to be alone with me again so we can test that theory?
Alone with him? Not a good idea. Even though he was wrong. Most definitely wrong. Her fingers were starting to get a cramp from typing so quickly. That’s okay. I’ll be long gone before we can test your theory.
There. She reminded him of that. And reminded herself, too. Because it had to happen. She’d resisted it for years but now she had no choice.
He didn’t reply. Her screen went dark.
She waited long moments in her lightless living room, holding her phone in her hand, waiting to see if he would reply.
He never did.
Eventually she fell asleep, her phone clasped in her hand.
Hale couldn’t think of a reply to her text so he let his phone go dark. He could still see those words she’d typed though. I’ll be long gone . . .
Damn it.
He sighed and flung his arm across his forehead, staring into the shadows of his bedroom. Silence hummed around him. She was still determined to move. He understood the logic. He’d taken away the one job she had. Shitty as it was, it paid the bills so she could support herself and her sister. He should be glad for her. She would be moving on to a better life somewhere else.
If he didn’t like it, well . . . then he needed to think of a solution that kept her here.
He curled his fingers around his scalp and idly gripped his hair. He’d rather be touching her. Her hair, her skin, her everything.
Suddenly sleeping alone in this bed felt . . . lonely. He’d never brought a woman home to this bed before. Never wanted to. But now it felt lonely. Now he could only think about Piper on these sheets beneath him. His grip tightened.
She needed a job to stay here.
She needed a job, but no one in this town would give her one.
; He released a gust of breath and rubbed his forehead where it was starting to ache.
He needed to quit thinking with his dick and find her work. Work would keep her here. That’s all that mattered. That was the most important thing.
Suddenly he knew what he needed to do . . . even if that meant forgetting about ever having sex with Piper Walsh.
Doing the right thing meant he was going to have to let go of that particular fantasy forever.
The following morning, Piper hunkered over a bowl at her kitchen table, eating cereal and debating how to get her car back. Despite her late night, she woke early. She’d had a restless time on the couch. Not surprising. She’d almost been arrested. Lost her job. Decided to move. And was propositioned by the town sheriff. Busy night.
The girls were still asleep. She had heard them giggling in bed late into the night. They had the day off from soccer so she imagined they would sleep late.
She straightened when a solid rap rattled her door. Someday she would have a house with a doorbell. She hurried to the door before whoever was on the other side could knock again and wake them.
She stood on her tiptoes to look through the peephole. Hale was the last person she expected to see. After he didn’t text her back, she figured he’d given up.
She opened the door and stepped outside, closing it behind her so they could have some privacy.
She crossed her arms. They stared at each other for a long moment. The keys jangled in his hand as he adjusted them in his grip.
“Been thinking about what you said last night.”
“I said a lot of things last night.” They both did, but yeah, he especially.
He inhaled. “You don’t have to move.”
“I think I related my situation pretty well to you.”
He nodded. “You can’t get a job in this town. I understand that.”
“So what else is there to say?”
“What if you could get a job?”
She angled her head. “How do you mean?”
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