Page 4 of Handcuffs & Honey

“Julian has a date with the sheriff,” Elijah said to Roman.

“You two have a date with your tables,” Roman countered. “Get moving, or I’ll put my size-twelve foot up your asses.”

Julian hurried away. Roman was a big guy, and Julian didn’t want any part of the man’s foot up his backside, though, deep down, he knew Roman wouldn’t really do that. He huffed and puffed but was a really nice guy.

When he wanted to be.

He was also hands-down gorgeous. He was around the same height as Dominic, but whereas Dominic had pretty brown eyes, Roman had Nordic blue ones. He also had dark blond hair that fell in waves to his neckline.

If he hadn’t been Julian’s boss, Julian might have flirted with him, though he wouldn’t have had a chance in hell of hooking up with the sexy man.

Just like Julian thought he wouldn’t have a shot with Dominic, but the guy had proved him wrong. After a month of running away from the sheriff whenever the guy flirted, Julian had finally agreed to go out.

Why now? Julian wasn’t sure, but now he was looking forward to their not-date. And nervous as hell about it, too.

As Julian walked back to the kitchen, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that Sheriff Harper’s invitation was more than just two friends hanging out. He had to admit that the man had been on his mind ever since he started working at the diner. Julian had always been attracted to dominant men, and the sheriff definitely fit the bill.

Rob also fit that bill and look how that turned out. Too bad Julian couldn’t shut the voice up in his head.

The rest of his shift passed in a blur, and before he knew it, it was three o’clock and he was clocking out. As he made his way toward the front of the diner, he saw Dominic leaning casually against a large black pickup truck, looking every bit the confident, gorgeous man Julian had come to know.

It was also weird to see Dominic in regular clothes. Julian had always seen the guy in his uniform, and damn, Dominic looked even better in jeans and a long-sleeved Henley shirt.

After giving himself a tiny peptalk about calming down, Julian walked outside.

“Hey,” he said, feeling a little shy as he approached the sheriff. He wasn’t sure what Dominic had in mind.

“Hey there,” Dominic replied, giving him a crooked smile. “Ready to hang out?”

“What exactly are we going to do?”

“Got a few errands to run. Then I figured we could have dinner.” Dominic opened the passenger door, and Julian was impressed with the man’s chivalry. In his opinion, no one did that anymore. Good god, could the interior smell any better? It was a mix of pine, leather, and something else that Julian couldn’t name, but the smell was wholly masculine.

Julian buckled his seatbelt, still feeling a bit nervous. He couldn’t tell if this was a date or just two guys hanging out. But either way, he was excited to spend time with the sheriff, who he had a huge crush on.

He glanced over at Dominic and found the man’s eyes on him. When Dominic caught Julian’s gaze, he flashed a grin.

“Excited?” Dominic asked.

“Yeah, a little.” Julian tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. “So, where are we going?”

“Just hang tight.” Dominic winked.

As they drove, Julian stole glances at Dominic. He couldn’t help the attraction he felt toward the man. His broad shoulders, sharp jaw, and piercing stare made Julian feel like he was the only person in the world. But at the same time, he felt a little intimidated by the sheriff. Dominic was so confident and sure of himself, a confidence Julian lacked.

As Dominic ran his errands, Julian noticed that they were headed toward the forest on the outskirts of town. He knew that this was an unusual place for the sheriff to take him, but he decided to trust the guy.

So far Dominic hadn’t given him a reason not to.

Ten minutes later, they were driving on a trail in the woods.

“So, do you come out here often?” Sweet baby Jesus. That sounded more like a corny pickup line than the start of a conversation. Julian wanted to palm his face and take back that question, regretting that it had even left his mouth.

Dominic chuckled. “I have to admit I do spend a lot of time here. The forest is a great place to clear my head and be in nature.”

Julian nodded, taking in the beauty of the trees and the sound of the birds chirping through his open window. It was a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of the small downtown area.

Midnight Falls was pretty laidback, but it was still a thriving town, which Julian loved.

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