Page 30 of A Little Naughty

He glances at me briefly. “It was more for his sake than yours. I know you’re just doing your job, but you need to watch yourself around those Jones boys. They’re rough characters.”

“Raif has only ever been polite to me.” I was the one kissing him, after all.

At least the first time.

“You didn’t grow up here.” Aiden’s dark brow lowers over his blue eyes. “You don’t know their family.”

He’s right, but it feels prejudiced to me. Also, Aiden has no clue what my life in Branson was like. I’ve seen much worse.

But this is what I wanted, right? Protection, safety, people looking out for me, worrying about me. Aiden is pretty much the head of what Raif would call my “good family,” making sure I’m okay.

We’re at Adam and Piper’s house when he stops, but he doesn’t move to get out. “You’re not coming inside?”

“Nah, I’m headed home. Gotta work tomorrow.”

Right. “Well, thanks for the lift.”That I didn’t ask for or need.

“No problem.” He looks at me once more. “I’m not your enemy, Jemima. You can call me if you’re ever in trouble. Okay?”

My lips tighten, and I blink down to my lap. “Okay.”

As soon as I walk through the door, Piper lets out a little yelp. “You’re here!”

“She just walked in the door!” Cass turns her phone to face me, and I see Britt holding a baby on her shoulder.

“Oh, thank goodness!” Britt cries, then she waves, smiling. “Hey, Jemima! Where in the world have you been, girl? Eureka is not that big.”

“Just down at the beach.” I gesture in the direction of the ocean.

“Well, Aiden must be headed home. Gotta run. I’ll see y’all tomorrow night, and you can tell meeverything.”

She disconnects, and I’m embarrassed, confused, and honestly, a little mad. “Seriously, Cass? You called the sheriff on me?”

“I know that feeling.” Adam grins from where he’s sitting at the bar, taking a sip of amber liquid.

“We didn’t know where you were.” Cass walks over to pull me into a hug. “The lights were off at the paper and at your house, and you wouldn’t answer any of your texts. I was terrified. You haven’t been here that long, and you have no idea the stuff that’s been happening lately.”

“I accidentally turned my phone off.”

“I care about you, Jemima, so I’m just going to say this.” My sister looks down at our clasped hands. “It’s not a good idea for you to be running around with Raif Jones.”

I walk over to where Adam is sitting and pick up his tumbler, polishing off what’s left in the glass. “That is so wrong. I was working on my story, and I’ll have you know, there’s a lot more to Raif Jones than everyone thinks. He’s thoughtful and intelligent, and I think he’s a bit of an artist.”

“An artist?” Doubt is in her tone.

“Yes, and he was a perfect gentleman.” A little too perfect if you ask me. “We were actually on our way back when Aiden stopped us on the road.”

“Back from where?” She’s still skeptical.

“He brought me out to see the sunset on his motorcycle. It was very beautiful.”

Piper and Cass exchange a look. “Were you wearing a helmet?” Cass asks.

“You know, you can miss some really amazing things if you’re always worried about safety.”

It’s a lame argument, I know, but I don’t have a leg to stand on. I’m grasping at straws.

“Except it’s not just you now.” Piper’s voice is quiet.

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