Page 3 of Locked Up by The Libra
I am confused until I lie back down—for the first time seeing I am dressed. At least, I have a shirt on. And this shirt is not mine. It smells of pine and citrus and I bring it to my nose, inhaling him.
Holy buckets. I did that—now to find Watt so we can do it again?
Chapter Two
Watt
I must have been out of my damn mind.
What the hell was I thinking going into that room? Taking that tiny towel off her perfect, curvy, wet body, and lying her down in that big, fluffy bed. Jesus, I have never done something so stupid. What’s worse, I was on duty, looking for a suspect when I forgot all about my oath to protect and serve.
Once I saw Willa, all I could think of was having, taking,owning.
“Sheriff Baker,” Dole, my new deputy calls through the crackle of the radio. “We found Ms. Ross with bags of stolen property. Ought to get down here to talk to her. Mrs. Felle wants to chat about giving the girl a break.”
Sighing, my hands flex on the steering wheel of my cruiser. I am parked about a block from the hotel. One I should have left in my rearview the minute that door opened. I couldn’t help myself. Not when Willa looked up at me with need burning in her eyes.
Not just need to get off, not need to get fucked, no this need was deeper. Willa needed someone to touch her, to own her the way I know I can. Hell, I want to go back there and give her an idea of all the ways I can own her. All the ways I can please that needy good girl.
Fuck, when she called me daddy and begged to come, I was done for. Sitting here thinking of it, my cock jerks in my jeans. I have not wanted a woman in so long. And never as badly as I wanted her the moment she looked up at me with those shining green eyes.
“Got it, Dole. On my way there. Tell Mollie that is an awful idea.”
Signing off the radio, I take one last, long, hungry look at the hotel. I want another look at her. Another glimpse of that need in her eyes. Not that I ought to see her again. I ought to stay the hell away from a girl who can reduce me to such an animal.
Despite telling myself this the entire way to the station, I know what I am going to do the minute I am behind my desk. I know her name and I got her plate. That flashy Jaguar could belong to no one else. As soon as I deal with our town thief, I am finding out all I can about Willa.
“Mollie,” I sigh twenty minutes later as she pouts at me from across my desk. That cute look might work on her husband, Mack, but I am a man of the law. Bettie Ross has been stealing from shops all over town all week. Mollie was the first to catch her before she bailed and gave Dole and me a little chase.
Mollie wants to do more than give her a break. She is talking about giving the young girl a damn job. Mollie’s high-end boutique has become a hit here in town, so I hear, so I suppose she could use the help. Still, hiring someone doing smash and grabs all over town sounds like a bad idea to me.
“Mr. Baker,” she starts sweetly, giving me a look that tells me I am about to have my ass handed to me. “With you being new to Driftwood, it might seem unusual for us to be so forgiving. Wherever you come from might have less…understanding in these matters.”
Wincing, I nod. Yes, I don’t recall many other thieves having their victims vouching for them. “Yes, Mrs. Felle, I suppose you’re right. What do you want me to do here?”
“If you ask me, Bettie was doing this for a reason. For attention, or as a cry for help. Whatever the reason, I won’t press charges. I’ve spoken with the others she stole from. Everything was recovered, so none of us want to press charges. We rather answer her call for help.”
Nodding, I sigh because I figured she went to the other shop owners before coming to see me. “I understand, Mrs. Felle. I will do the paperwork for Dole to release her this afternoon.”
“Thank you, Watt. Please, call me Mollie. Mack and I want you to come to our place for dinner. Can you make it next weekend?”
“Sure, sure I can. Thank you, Mollie.”
Deciding that Iwill notbe making that dinner, I push the paperwork aside. Let Ms. Bettie Ross sit for a little while. Turning to my computer, I glance out at the small office. Ensuring no one is paying me any attention, I type in the Jaguar plates.
Waiting for them to pull up Willa’s information, I keep an eye on the office. Dole is flirting with our dispatcher Melissa. I can’t help but grin. That is a daily occurrence, not that either of them does anything about it. Usually it bothers me, to be honest. Seeing them fawn over one another and do nothing about it just irritates me.
In all fairness, it might be Driftwood that irritates me. When I moved down here six months ago, I knew little about the town. Just that it was smaller than the big, loud, dirty city I had grown up in. It was in the mountains and close to winding rivers, a literal breath of fresh air for me.
Once I got here, it was not hard to see it is like something out of those Hallmark channel movies my sister loves. Everyone here is blissfully in love, or on their way there, everything is cute, cozy, and I am so out of my element I feel as if I am a rookie all over again.
“Sir, Mollie wanted me to check with you about letting Bettie go?”
Glancing up at Dole as he stands looking uncomfortable in my doorway, I sigh. Jesus, the Felle’s do not fuck around here. Mack owns half the town but he’s one of the best guys I’ve ever met. His wife is friends with everyone in town it seems, and if you’re not her friend, she’ll make you one soon. They’re good people but they make my job hard.
“Yeah, yeah. Can you get that paperwork going for me? I am chasing something here,” I offer nothing more because that’s too much information as it is.
“Sure thing, boss. And uh…Watt,” he turns back, knocking on the door as he decides how to go on. “Don’t let this bother you. Mollie is…well she means well. Always wanting to save folks. I will give Bettie a good talking to let her know how appreciative she ought to be.”
