Page 75 of Her Rugged Guardian

“A date? You? Someone stole your body,” I teased then undulated even more, fighting his possessive hold even harder.

“If they did, it was some feisty brunette.”

There was something so provocative about the way he held me that I was momentarily left breathless. As he lowered his head, I was thrown into a sweet vacuum. Everything else in the world faded to black. When he captured my mouth, my body responded without hesitation, my pussy throbbing and my nipples fully aroused. His scent of sandalwood, spices, and dried sweat became a powerful aphrodisiac. Stars skittered into my periphery of vision as he thrust his tongue inside.

As he dominated my tongue, exploring as if he’d never kissed me before, I wiggled underneath him, fighting his hold yet adoring every second of the passion we shared. He was the most intense kisser I’d ever experienced, his soft lips and rough actions keeping me on edge, my muscles quivering.

When he pulled away seconds later, he nipped my lower lip. “You were saying?”

“Attacking people is in my best interest if they are the devil or the one who threatened me.” I didn’t recognize my voice. “And the jerk also told me the winery and my mother’s wine sucked.”

He jerked his head back, his breathing instantly labored. “What?”

“Can you believe that?”

“The guy I passed coming in here said that shit?”

“Yeah, the wine expert dressed in Armani. He was a jerk. He advised me to sell. He told me my mother was hated and that I’d go bankrupt and no one would ever work for me and…”

“Calm down.”

“I can’t calm down. I feel like I’m drowning.”

Jake bristled and I could tell he was changing gears in being my protector. “Hmmm… What a jerk. Maybe I should give him a piece of my mind.”

I knew what that meant from Jake. He’d land his ass in jail, friend or no friend of the sheriff.

“He’s not worth it. I’m just going to prove him wrong.” I placed my hand on his cheek and at least some tension eased. He pressed his face against it, his eyes still full of fire.

“You’re the one who’s worth it and you’re right, we’ll prove him wrong. Bastard.” He pulled away, helping me to my feet. “We can make this work, Cass. I know we can.”

“We, huh?” His conviction pulled away all the shadows, allowing me to smile.

“Well, you did ask for my help. Right?”

“I did.” I rubbed my hands down my jeans, glancing at the shredded paperwork as well as the horrible scoring the man had used. “Would you look at this?” I tossed the piece of paper across the bar’s surface, immediately taking two glasses toward the spigot where I’d gotten the wine from before. I poured enough for us to enjoy, still grinding my teeth from everything I’d been told.

“Just an opinion, Cinnamon Girl. You need to remember that it’s possible he’s buddies with Mr. Robinson.”

“That’s what I was thinking. Taste this. Tell me if you think it’s sour.”

He lifted the clear plastic glass, studying the color in the pendant lighting. When he took a deep whiff, I punched him playfully in the gut. “What?”

“You remind me of Mr. Stocker.”

“Jeremy Stocker?” He took a sip then drained the glass.

“One and the same. Do you know him?”

“Unfortunately, he’s on the city council.”

“Uh-oh. Meaning he could have the place shut down.”

“He has enough influence, but we’re not going to allow that to happen.”

“You can’t fight all my battles, Jake.”

“Maybe not all, but some of them. The wine is delicious. Stop worrying. Things have a funny way of working out.”

---