Page 18 of Her Wild Coast Promise

“Hmm, what’s the job?”

“Running my campaign for sheriff.”

“Oh.” The engine inside me purrs. “Wow. Congratulations.”

He gives another low chuckle. “I haven’t won.”

“But you want to.”

“I need to.”

Well, hell’s bells. He might as well have laid his heart at my feet. I sit up in my seat. “How long until the election?”

“Two months.”

Whoa, that’s going to be tight. “Who else is running?”

“Assistant D.A. Peyton Reece.”

A woman running for sheriff in Alaska? Interesting. But she’s a lawyer, not a cop. Strategies and checklists form inside my mind like thunder clouds. “I see.”

“I know it’s short notice, but I remember how well you handled Noah’s campaign.”

I raise an eyebrow. He’s been paying attention, huh? Okay, now I’m really intrigued.

“I’ll do it.” The second the words leave my lips, the hollow inside my chest fills with hot, zippy sparks, but I can’t tell if it’s from excitement—he needs me!!—or because I’ve just made a deal with the devil.

Because can I really be expected to work alongside broody, sexy Seth Dalton, with eyes like a tropical sea and a deep, commanding voice that brings me to my knees, for two whole months and not want to jump his bones?

No, I cannot. No woman is that strong.

Seth laughs. “Seriously? Cora, oh, man, I…thank you.” He exhales a massive breath I can practically feel on my cheek. “I’ll make it worth your while. I promise.”

A prickle walks up my neck, tingling my hair follicles. The hollow place between my thighs gives a fluttery little ache.You already have.

ChapterFive

SETH

I passthrough the screening area inside the federal building, checking my service weapon, then take the stairs two at a time, my mind spinning. I could barely sleep last night thanks to rampant thoughts about Cora. She’ll be here tonight. I should be ecstatic. She’ll know what to do. I trust her completely to run my campaign, which means I can devote my full energy to doing my job.

What I really want to do is devotemy fullenergyto exploring her body head to toe, until she’s limp with exhaustion. Given her high energy level, I imagine that could take us a while.

Hence my inability to sleep.

After a full breath, I enter the conference room.

Federal ATF Agent Brian Ambrose and his colleague Agent Regina Snow, a forensics specialist, and Everett Madison from Homeland Security, are already here.

Ambrose and Madison stand at the right side of the room getting coffee from a carafe.

Hunter is only a minute behind me, and after hand shaking and back slapping and everyone topping up their coffee, we settle into our chairs at the conference table, commencing the Blackstone Task Force’s first formal meeting.

“You want to start with good news, or the not so good?” Brian asks.

“The not good,” I say, setting my stir stick on a napkin and bringing the hot coffee to my lips.

Brian nods to Agent Snow, who clasps her fingers below her chin. “My team is still working on extracting data from the UDP chip taken from the locket. Initial scans reveal there are six folders.”

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