Page 12 of Brewbies
Ethan didn’t know a ton about women, apparently, but he knew enough to be wary when one claimed she wasn’t mad.
It usually meantbigmad.Punish you latermad.
“Look, Ms. Dunwell, like I said… I didn’t know it wasyouwhen I set out to serve this paperwork. I’d honestly expected to find that a man owned the business and was demanding that you dress and…” He snapped his gaze from where it’d drooled down her chin, the column of her neck, and back to the offending—though by no means offensive—parts. “And objectify yourself in this way.”
When most women frowned, it flattened their lips and creased their brow, butof coursehers was a sultry pout. Something he instantly wanted to invert.
A fact that irritated him so acutely, he doubled down. “This isn’t coming from me. There was a petition circulating around town last week that amassed enough signatures to push this through.”
“Petition? But why?” She snapped up the paperwork and used the tip of a claw-like nail to slice the manila envelope open. As she read, her features remained expressionless. The only concession she made to emotion was the speed with which her lashes danced.
It didnotremind him of how they fluttered when she orgasmed.
Not even a little.
He very much meant to allow her a moment to read and digest, but words exploded out of him before he could call them back.
“I hope you don’t take this personally, Ms. Dunwell, but in the spirit it was meant. Townsend Harbor is one of Washington’s premier vacation destinations, and there’s a reputation to uphold that is closely guarded by a zealous town council. Other than the paper mill and the ship-building school, our economy relies on tourism.”
“Exactly why I’m here, sheriff,” she chirped with a meant-to-be-charming wink. “Tourists drink a metric fuck-ton of coffee, which in empirical units is still a shit-ton, if you need help with the conversion.”
It’d been a long time since someone had insulted him without even glancing up.
He’d need to poke at this from a different direction, but it was almost impossible to strategize when the triangle of her bikini was inching dangerously to the left.
Which was the fucking problem.
“I’m not sure you’ve considered the consumer base, here—”
“And what would make you think that?” She punctuated her sharp question with a slam of the espresso scoop to discard pressed, used grounds. “You here to mansplain economics to me, sheriff?”
Shit.
“I’m only here because people asked me to be,” he said honestly. “Before the petition, there were phone calls. Letters to the editor in the paper.” At her expression of alarm, he rushed to explain. “I wouldn’t take it personally if I were you. We are a family-friendly town, and a great deal of tourists bring their kids here for recreation. It’s a reputation we’ve all worked hard to develop and—because of the strategic placement and sexual nature of your business—”
“You’re saying I’m not family friendly just because I wear a bikini top?”
“No, I’m saying that yourbusinessisn’t.”
“Iammy business. That’s me on the sign.”
He followed her red nail to the bright pink sign, half again as tall as the fucking trailer. If she hadn’t been holding on to both ankles last time he saw her, he’d be able to argue. But that leg kicking out of the coffee cup looked a ton like the one he’d used as earmuffs two months ago.
“Listen here, cowboy—” she started, a lightning storm glinting in her eyes.
“I’m not a cowboy.”
“I don’t give a good goddamn what you call yourself, you’re giving thatme big man with big thoughts and big gunandthis town ain’t big enough for the both of usenergy. Think you’re gonna run me out after dicking me down? You can think the fuck again.”
Ethan wasn’t a stranger to cursing, but for some reason when Darby did it, the words just came out coated in sin. “I didn’t… That isn’t what I… I have never in mylifed-dick-er done that.”
“Let me guess. You call it ‘making love.’” She rolled her eyes.
His gathering temper was the answering thunder. “I call it having sex. Like an adult.”
“Oh? You’re saying I’m not adult enough for you?” She uncrossed her arms to gesture expansively. “Because I’m trying to figure out just how adult my jaw had to be in order to unhinge to fit your long, hard—”
“Okay!” He put up a hand against the word and checked the vicinity. “That’s enough. You don’t have to say it.”
