Page 75 of When Sparks Fly

I keep my features soft. “It’s a beautiful place for a home.” I wonder what kind of dream house he envisions.

Pride washes over his face.

I’m still admiring the space when he walks to the Defender. The engine and lights come on and music pours out. A smile pulls at my lips.

Sutton’s fingers slip into my hand and he pulls me against his body, wrapping his other arm around my waist and gliding me through the meadow on our own personal dance floor. My cheeks heat at the idea of it being ours, which is silly because my mind running away with itself is the last thing I need to allow to happen. I tuck my head into his chest to hide the color.

When the song changes to something a little faster, Sutton’s pace picks up naturally. Grasshoppers leap out of our path, areas of the grass hip-height for me, as he continues to spin and swing me around. I embrace the tranquility he fills me with. It doesn’t matter that his words are few because he easily displays the giant heart hidden inside.

A blue haze overtakes the glow as the sun sets. Sutton shifts suddenly, pulling me tight and looking down into my eyes. “Do you trust me?”

Something giddy lights his features, and despite already telling him yes, I’m convinced he wants me to say it again. His grin is infectious. I’d do anything he asks to keep that light in his eyes. I bite my lip and nod.

On the next spin, he shifts us so my back is flush to his chest again, our arms crossed together around my torso. “Do you like roller coasters?” His warm voice against my ear causes heat to pool between my legs.

“I might be a bit of an adrenaline junkie.”

Locking me in place, he sways gently as he gives me instructions. Fairly certain he’s going to flip me, I let him guide me through a series of spins before lining me up next to him, where I drop my arms over his as told. My breathcatches and he uses both hands on my waist to lift me off the ground and flip me backward over his arm.

Laughter bursts out of me when I land upright on my feet. It’s beautiful, and freeing, and I know without a doubt that I’m falling completely and totally in love with this man. And it’s not some fancy dance move or giving me an amazing orgasm in a deer blind. It’s his heart. The way he cares for me when I’m convinced I don’t need it, in a way that I absolutely do.

“There she is.” His rugged face glows with pride and elation. He presses me against his body again and doesn’t let go, dancing until the song is finished and another one plays. And another. And another.

The sun sets and our bodies move together in the darkness, the song of crickets with the undertones of frog calls performing a concert in tandem. I never want to leave this place.

Coming back from the planned site of Sutton’s home, my phone is ringing in the bottom of my purse. An unknown Texas number is listed on the screen. Normally, I screen calls, but decide to answer since I handed out several cards at the festival.

A lone sconce from the hallway offers light to the room, and I have to dig in near darkness to find the tiny electronic. “Hello?”

“May I speak to Maci McCullough?”

Not a potential client then. “This is she.”

Sutton is eyeing me intently as he toes off his boots in the hallway. I follow suit, pretending not to notice his attention.

“This is Officer Casey Callahan from the Bull Creek Police Department.”

“Oh. Hi, Officer Callahan.”

Sutton’s posture relaxes and he sits down on the leather couch, spreading his legs wide and keeping his eyes trained on me. His arms spread out along the back. Once again I want to photograph him.

“Casey is fine.” It sounds like he’s grinning. Casey has such a boyish face. I imagine if he weren’t a police officer, he’d be a trouble maker. Maybe both are true. “Sutton’s never introduced me to a woman before and I get the impression we’ll be seeing more of each other.”

“I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, Casey.” Sutton’s eyes pop wide before he narrows in on the phone. My cheesy grin isn’t helping matters.

“All good from me.”

Tucking the phone between my ear and shoulder, I meander to the closet to pull out my pajamas. My camera bag is tucked next to my duffle and I pull it out as discreetly as possible.

“I don’t want to take up too much of your evening. Normally, a detective would call about something like this, but I offered.”

“Oh? Well, I’m on the edge of my seat.” Sutton’s eyes are piercing when I turn to face him. He’s unprepared for the shutter and I manage a fabulous candid. I replace the camera and unbutton my jeans, working them down my legs.

“Some young teens got picked up today for vandalism. They were throwing rocks and just overall being destructive. Looks like there’s a good chance they were the ones to break your window.”

“Really?” Skepticism lines my voice. Sutton stands abruptly, drawing my attention to him and joins me on the opposite side of the bed in no time. Adetail is hidden in the shadows of my mind, but I can’t give it the attention it needs because Sutton’s heat radiates into me as he crowds my space. Intending to treat him as if his proximity doesn’t affect me, I turn my head to one side, but promptly tense when one warm hand trails up the inside of my leg.

“Yeah. They were in the area around the right time and didn’t keep track of where all their rock throwing occurred.”

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