Page 42 of Perfect Harmony

“Pussy eating,” she said. “Definitelypussy eating.”

Chapter Eight

Was this actually happening? Grace walkednumbly next to Gideon as he returned to his car. His hand in the small of herback pressed lightly, keeping her moving forward. Her brain was a shriekingsymphony of desire and doubt.

Gideon opened the back door, his handsliding down to cup her ass. His breath was warm on her skin as he pressed akiss against the back of her neck. “Get in the car, Princess.”

She stepped forward, freezing in place whenGideon’s radio went off. “Sheriff? Come in, Sheriff.”

Gideon thumbed the button on his radio. “Whatis it, Sophie?”

He sounded calm, but Gracie had known him longenough to hear the irritation lurking beneath the calm.

“Angela and Morris are fighting again. Boththeir neighbours have called in a noise complaint.”

“Send Darryl,” Gideon said.

“He’s on a call out at the Park, a group ofkids smoking weed near the falls.” Sophie’s voice was full of static.

Gideon muttered a curse before thumbing thebutton again. “I’ll head over to their place now.”

“Thanks, Sheriff.”

There was a moment of silence. Gracestared into the interior of Gideon’s car, disappointment and anger and lustfighting for dominance.

“Grace, I’m -”

“Don’t say you’re sorry,” she said beforestepping away from him. “Please don’t say you’re sorry.”

“I have to go.”

“I know.” Without looking at him, shewalked briskly toward her car.

“Gracie!”

She paused with her door open, staring at hisreflection in the sideview mirror. “Yeah?”

Please tell me to go back to your placeand wait for you. Please tell me to go back to your place and wait for you. Please…

“Are we – are we still on for Monday morning?”

Disappointment became the clear winner. Shetook a deep breath. “Yes. See you then.”

She slid into her car and stared blankly ather phone until Gideon drove away. Tears pricking at her eyes, she started hercar and headed home.

* * *

His head aching, Gideon eased his SUV intothe parking spot in front of the Crimson Door Tattoo. Normally parking was apain in the ass on main street, but with the exception of Walgreens, Grind MyBeans, The Cake Whisperer Bakery, and Nan’s Diner, all the other small businessesthat lined the main street were closed on Sundays. He paused in front of thetattoo shop before walking toward Grind My Beans. He needed a shot of caffeineto combat the headache.

He walked by Rainy Day Books, a second-handbookstore that opened two years ago. Nearly everyone in Harmony Falls hadpredicted its downfall the second it opened up, especially since the owner was HadleyYoung. Hadley was smart with a business degree from some prestige universityin New York, but she was an outsider who’d only moved to Harmony Falls a year earlier.

To everyone’s surprise, the bookstore hadthrived. Gideon supposed it was partially because it was right next to GrindMy Beans, and partially because the tourists who flooded the downtown area in drovesover the summer, loved the quaint and cozy feel that Hadley had fostered insidethe store.

He pulled open the door to Grind My Beans,groaning inwardly at how busy it was. He loved his job and, more importantly,he loved the people of Harmony Falls, but with his head throbbing and aching, thelast thing he wanted to do was make small talk.

But small talk was part of the job descriptionwhen you were the sheriff of a small town, and it didn’t matter if it was yourday off or not. If a resident wanted to chat… you chatted.

Keeping his head down, he slipped past a womanholding a baby, and a couple wearing matching berets. He stood in line,whipping out his phone and pretending to study Facebook, in the hopes that itwould keep the chattier townsfolk at bay.

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