Page 6 of Perfect Harmony

“Sure you are, you just don’t know it yet,”she said. “Please, Gideon? You’d be doing me a real favour. You know howimportant this is to Murray and me, and without you, it might not happen.”

“This is emotional blackmail, you know,”Gideon said.

“It is. But the last I heard, a personcouldn’t get themselves arrested for emotionally blackmailing their boss intovolunteering for an amazing cause that will not only help out his favouritedispatcher and her cancer-riddled husband, but also show the community a softerand sweeter side of their good sheriff.”

Ian snorted. “There isn’t anything soft orsweet about Gideon.”

Wanda poked him in the leg. “Hush, you, orI’ll change my mind and make you volunteer too.”

“What? Why aren’t you asking Ian tovolunteer?” Gideon said.

“The man has twin toddlers, Gideon. Hebarely has time to wipe his own ass,” Wanda said.

“It’s true,” Ian said solemnly.

“I have a one-hundred-and-seventy-five-poundGreat Dane who is extremely needy,” Gideon said. “Doesn’t that count forsomething?”

“Are you seriously comparing caring forTank with caring for the twins?” Ian said with a laugh. “Because I know Tankcan be a handful, but, buddy, there is no comparison to twins.”

“It was worth a shot,” Gideon grumbled.

“It’s an election year,” Wanda said. “Thegood citizens of Harmony Falls will remember you volunteering come the fallwhen they’re deciding who to vote for as sheriff. You know I’m right.”

“Gideon’s got the election in the bag,” Iansaid. “No one else wants to be sheriff.”

“Thanks, I think,” Gideon said.

“So, the first meeting is Thursday, sevenpm at my place. I’ll provide munchies and drinks.”

“Wanda, I’ve got a lot on my plate rightnow and…”

Gideon trailed off as Wanda stared silentlyat him.

He sighed. “Yeah, okay. I’ll be there.”

“Thank you, Sheriff Walker,” Wanda saidwith an impish smile. “Now, get your butt over to your sister’s before shestarts calling here and asking where you are. Ian, walk a lady to her car, wouldyou?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Ian said.

They left Gideon’s office and he slowlylogged off the computer. If he didn’t leave in the next five minutes, Kirawould be pissed at how late he was. Of course, he could also just stay in theoffice, text Kira and tell her there was a work emergency and he needed to skipthe dinner.

Chicken.

Maybe a little. But Grace was going to bethere and lately… his usual iron-clad willpower to resist his sister’s bestfriend was weakening. Being chipped away at by his constant fantasies abouther. Fantasies that involved a naked Grace handcuffed to his bed and hishandprints all over that perfect ass of hers.

He'd managed to avoid seeing Grace for the lastfew weeks. He’dneededto avoid her. After what happened the last timethey were alone together… what he’d said to her…

Sweat beaded on his forehead. Kira hadvolunteered Grace to feed Tank when Gideon was stuck at work. While he didn’twant Grace in his house, didn’t want her lingering scent and the knowledge thatshe’d been in his space to drive him crazy with need, he couldn’t very well sayno. But he hadn’t expected to come home and find Grace asleep in his bed.

Walking into his bedroom and seeing her inhis bed had immediately sent the blood rushing straight to his cock. Havingyour number one fantasy unexpectedly come to fruition did that to a guy.

It wasn’t exactly what you wanted.

No, it wasn’t, and God help him, he’d beentempted to make his exact fantasy come true. Grace had woken quickly and watchingher stumble toward him, her dark curls sticking up every which way from her skull,her gorgeous green eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and drowsiness, hadonly made his urge to fulfill his fantasy even stronger.

He hadn’t though. He couldn’t.

It was bad enough that he’d told her exactlywhat his fantasy was.