Page 34 of Bed of Roses

A blush colors her cheeks. “Don’t be sorry. If we were alone, I’d ask for a repeat.”

My cock stiffens in my jeans. There’s no way in hell I’d deny her that.

“Is that so?” I rumble huskily. I have the urge to move in closer, but there are a lot of people here. I’m not sure if she’d appreciate a rumor spreading that she was getting cozy with me.

She lowers her coffee and bites her bottom lip, and it’s then that I know she’s thinking about it. Aboutwhatwe did. About us fucking and my hand around her neck and how most women would have run. Instead, I could tell that she liked it, got something out of it just like I did.

I chuckle as her eyes flick to my cock. Whispering, I say, “You’re wearing your thoughts out in the open, sweetheart.”

She glances away, and her cheeks brighten even more. “Am not.”

My humming in disagreement causes her to return her gaze to mine. “All you have to do is ask.”

I watch as her eyes search mine, finding a deeper meaning probably. Honestly, I don’t know if there is one, but I do know that I want it as much as she does.

“I can’t today,” she eventually whispers. “At least, not until tonight. And . . .” She swallows nervously, and that causes the frown to return to my face. “I have something I want to talk to you about.”

“What about?”

She clears her throat and glances around to make sure we aren’t being overheard. “The house.”

The owner of the shop hands me my coffee, and I dig out the amount from my pocket and hand it to her.

My frown only deepens when I turn my attention back to Tegan. I steer her away from the cash register a few feet. “And we can’t talk about that here?”

She shakes her head.

“Okay,” I say after a moment. “I’ll stick around at the house and wait for you.”

“Thanks. I-”

“Ms. Adams,” a familiar voice says.

I close my eyes in blatant irritation.Fucking great.This is not what I wanted, and if I had seen his car outside, I wouldn’t have come in.

Tegan turns to Smith as he waddles over to us. “Hi, Sheriff.”

Smith completely ignores my presence as he smiles too wide with those crooked-ass teeth. He pats his belly which I’m sure is brimming with donut holes. “I have a proposition for you.”

“Oh?” Tegan says, checking the clock on the wall. She’s probably late and doesn’t have time for one of Smith’s conversations.

“The wife and I own a cabin in the Ashley Forest.”

“You don’t say?” Tegan asks hurriedly.

“It’s true,” he says, nodding. “The misses and I were talking, and we thought it would be nice to invite you fishing up there sometime. You know, show you what this area has to offer.” He leans in a little, and I fight the urge to growl. I just know he’s asking so that he can get her away from me and poison her mind. “She needs some friends, I think.”

“Oh,” Tegan says, drawing out the word. “Um. Maybe? I’m pretty busy right now.”

Disappointment causes him to scowl a little, and I can’t help but smirk. Did he really think that she’d just agree right away? Who the fuck would want to spend a few days fishing with the sheriff and his lonely wife?

Oddly, I feel possessive of Tegan. I can feel it in the tightness of my chest when he first uttered the invitation, but I can tell that Tegan is completely disinterested in it.Either she doesn’t like to fish, or she doesn’t want to spend time with them. Both could be true. Either way, it makes me feel fucking delighted.

“Sure, sure,” he says. “Well, there’s plenty of time for that.”

Tegan nods and then looks at me from the corner of her eye. I decide to take pity on her. “Don’t you have to get to work?” I ask.

She nods again, this time more vigorously. “I do. Um, it was nice talking to you, Cole. See you at the house?”

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