Page 98 of Wild Card
He gave a breathless chuckle. “I aim to serve, but I think you did a better job.”
“Lots of practice,” I said.
His gaze flicked up to meet mine. “You stay over with people often?”
I shrugged. I wanted to lie. Tell him this wasn’t special. But damn it, I could already see the disappointment setting into the lines of his face, filling those warm eyes with heaviness, and I couldn’t take it.
“No,” I admitted. “That part is new.”
His lips twitched as if he were fighting a smile. “Well, glad we could start the day off right. I can make some coffee while you get dressed, if you’re ready to go?”
I nodded once. “Yeah, I wasted half the day yesterday. My work is piling up.”
He winced. “Sorry about that.”
“Eh, my own fault I was hungover. At least you gave me a pretty good cure.”
Dalton chuckled as he rolled out of the bed. “Who knew a dicking down would do the trick? We should market that shit.”
I grinned. “Can you imagine the horror on every straight guy’s face? All you need to cure your hangover is a dick up your ass!”
Dalton doubled over, laughing, still buck naked and looking sexy as sin. The man kept in shape, but he was also showing his age a bit, a softness to his stomach that was nowhere near a six-pack. I liked the softness there, the proof he wasn’t perfect. Similar to the scar cutting across his arm, the cowlick that stood up on the back of his head, and the sleep crease still on his cheek.
Dalton wasn’t just a sexy deputy I wanted to seduce anymore. He was a real guy, and somehow, that had become even more appealing.
I climbed out of bed to hide my face and headed for the bathroom. “I better get going.”
Dalton caught my shift in mood. “Yeah, of course.”
I pissed and rinsed off, keeping my hair out of the water, and got dressed. I searched my jeans pockets and came up with a simple elastic band, so I pulled my messy hair back into a sloppy knot at the base of my skull.
When I entered the kitchen, Dalton was dressed in uniform again and had a cup of coffee waiting. He handed me a travel cup. “You know, I think you’re just as hot when your hair is pulled back.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah.” He stepped in close and murmured, “As long as you take it down while I fuck you so I can grab a handful and get your mouth wherever I want it.”
My eyes met his, and how had I ever thought they were warm? They were hot as Hades. “You’re a bad man,” I said.
His lips tipped up. “Isn’t that why you like me?”
“Maybe it is.”
At least, partly. When his smile widened and his eyes lightened, when there was just pure happiness on his face as he led me out to the car and started the drive home, I couldn’t help but think he was also the nicest dang guy I’d ever met.
If anyone was ever gonna stick it out with me, it’d be him. But he deserved a hell of a lot better.
When Dalton drove past the house, I saw a truck out front and realized I’d forgotten to help Emory move his belongings in.
“Shit,” I muttered.
“Want me to drop you here?” Dalton asked.
“Nah, I gotta check on the dogs first. Thanks, though.”
Dalton stopped at the junkyard gate, swooping in to kiss me once more before I escaped from the car.
The dogs greeted me in the junkyard, seeming happy enough. I did a quick check of their food and water, then headed over to the house to take my punishment for failing to show sooner.
