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  “And then you’ll take me home so I can go back to sleep?”

  “I’ll take you to bed.” I turn, glaring at him. It’s a half-hearted glare. How can I want to smack him and kiss him at the same time? I’d be lying if I said that crawling into bed with him doesn’t sound nice. The nap I’d taken on him earlier was the best sleep I’ve had in weeks.

  I still can’t believe how easily I passed out. I know it wasn't the orgasm and food either. It was him. Something about his bossy ass that works for me. I would never admit that in a thousand years to his cocky ass. He doesn’t need anyone else to tell him.

  “My bed.” I emphasize the word. In the short time I’ve known Dane I know I have to be crystal clear about what I’m saying or he’ll figure out a way to flip it on me so it works out in his favor.

  “What’s mine is yours.”

  “That saying is for married people. We’re not married. We’re not even together. I’m not even sure I like you.”

  “Liar.” I can hear the smile in his voice. I bite the inside of my cheek so I don’t join him. “You’ll marry me one way or another. So as I said before, what’s mine is yours.” I roll my eyes. “Notice you're not denying it.” He gives a deep chuckle that pisses me off but also has me pushing my thighs even tighter together. This man is so frustrating.

  “I don’t think I should be in charge of protecting you.” I skip right over his comment. “If anything you need protection from me because I’m going to end up murdering you.” That gets me a full-blown smile from him. I swear that mouth of his puts me under some sort of spell too. No wonder all these women make things up and call in to have him come to their house.

  “We’re here.” We pull up to an unassuming house. That is until the door opens. My mouth falls open when a woman in what I’m guessing is a robe steps out the front door. A robe is meant to cover you up. This does nothing of the sort because I can clearly see her red matching panties and bra. “Stay in the car for now. Let me check things out.”

  I’m out of the car before he even finishes what he’s saying. “Get in the house and put some damn clothes on. I’ll ticket you for indecent exposure,” I snap at the woman. What is wrong with her?

  “So it’s true.” The woman's mouth forms a pout. I don’t know what she’s talking about but is every woman in this town after this man? She stands up a little straighter, the pout dropping from her lips. “Wait, just because you caught the chief’s attention doesn't mean you can bark orders around here. If he wants me to put clothes on, he’ll let me know. He’s never asked me to before.”

  “Why you little—” A hand comes down over my mouth. His other goes around my waist so I can’t move. Dane pulls me back into him.

  “You heard her, Tina.” I’d give her a smug smile, but there is a hand over my mouth so I can’t. “Get in your house. I’ll do a walk around to make sure no one is here.”

  “She’s not even from here. Wait until your mama hears about this.”

  I shout behind Dane’s hand that I already had dinner with his mama, but you can’t understand any of it.

  “Inside,” he orders her again, though I feel his whole body shaking with laughter. I have no idea what’s so funny. When she’s finally inside he lets his hand drop from my mouth.

  “Have fun with your walk around.” I try and step back so I can get back in his car. He doesn't let me get anywhere.

  “You have no reason to be jealous. I’ve never touched that woman.”

  “I'm not jealous.”

  “Just like you weren't pouting.”

  I smack his chest.

  “That’s assaulting a police officer.”

  “I’ll show you assault.” I lift my knee, but he’s faster than me. He has me pinned to the side of the car before I know what’s happening. He presses his hard cock right into my stomach. “That better be from me and not the lingerie show,” I grit out.

  “Been that way since you rolled into town.” I drop my head to his chest, closing my eyes. “Khloe. Where you going on me? I feel you pulling away.”

  “I’m pinned between you and your car. I literally can’t go anywhere.”

  “Not what I mean and you know it.”

  I do. “This is all too much,” I admit. I am all over the place with how I am feeling. I can’t keep up with my own emotions and they’re mine! “I can’t do this.”

  One second I want him away from me and the next I’m going to lose it because someone else wants him. All the women around here do. I just left one man that couldn't keep it in his pants. I can’t date someone that every woman around me is throwing themselves at. It would drive me insane. Not to mention the exes that might be running around too.

  “Look at me, Khloe,” he orders. I drop my head back, my eyes meeting his. “But you feel alive, don’t you?”

  His question catches me off guard. He’s right. I do.

  13

  Dane

  The yes flickers in her eyes and the heat level inside my body goes from ten to one hundred and ten in a flash. If it weren’t for Tina peeking out her window, I’d pull down the elastic waistband on Khloe’s sweatpants and give her a little finger fuck—just to tide her over until she’s ready for the main course. I settle for giving Khloe an open-mouthed kiss that leaves her slightly dazed.

  “Come on,” I tell her, tucking her hand in mine. “Let’s check this out so we can go home.”

  “To my home.”

  “Sure. If that’s where you want to bed down tonight.”

  “I mean, I’m going to my home and you’re going to your home,” she clarifies.

  “That doesn’t sound enjoyable.” The ground next to Tina’s house is packed solid. We’ll need some rain soon or the farmers will start complaining.

  “It will be for me. I’m going to finish organizing and then take a bath.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll just watch TV while you’re doing your thing.” I shine the flashlight ahead of me. Tina’s lawn has been freshly cut courtesy of Don Larson, who has had a crush on Tina since they were in middle school. Not sure why they aren’t together.

  “At your house.”

  “Yeah, you can come to my house and have a bath. I get it cleaned once a week.”

  “Great. That means you can take a bath at your house while I take one at mine. Isn’t it nice how that works because we both have separate houses.”

  “Mmm-hmmm.” A depression in the ground near a window catches my eye. I push Khloe behind me and shine the light over that area. What I see makes me stiffen. “Go back to the car, Khloe,” I order.

  “What is it?” Her hand clutches at my back, immediately sensing the change in my mood. I’ll examine that later, but for now, I need to get her to safety.

  “Go back to the car and lock it.”

  “But—“

  “No buts,” I say firmly. In fact, I’m going to escort her there now. I grab her wrist and hustle her back to the squad car. She doesn’t argue, which makes my job a little easier. I don’t want to manhandle her, but if it’s a choice between making sure she’s not harmed and her being mad at me, I’ll pick the first one.

  “Someone’s out there, huh?” she says quietly as I open the car door.

  “Maybe. Now get inside and wait for me.” I press the lock button and slam the door shut. Once she’s taken care of, I call Ren.

  “You get the thing taken care of at Easters?” I ask when he picks up.

  “There was a bat caught inside one of the eaves. We pulled the pipe off and freed it. You?”

  I’ll have to stop over tomorrow and help Frank Easter fix that. He’s got a bad back. “Not yet. I’d like you to come over.”

  “Tina’s giving you a hard time, eh?” he chuckles. I hear the jingle of his keys as he gets up from his desk. “What’s she wearing this time?”

  “Not sure.” Not much was the correct answer. “But she’s probably not going to come out of her house for a while. I found a footprint on the west side under her bathroom window.�
�

  “Oh, fuck.”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’ll be there in ten.”

  I hang up the phone and knock against the window. Khloe rolls it down.

  “What’s up?”

  “Ren’s coming over, but in the meantime, I’m going to take a look around. Remember what I said. Don’t unlock the door for anyone, not even Ren. You got me?”

  “Okay.”

  “I appreciate it.”

  “As long it makes sense to me, I’m not going to act dumb.”

  “Good girl.” I chuck her on the chin and then step back while she closes the window. I do a quick sweep around the house, but I don’t see anything else. By the time I get back to the squad car, the front lights are all on and Ren is standing outside the door. I collect Khloe and head inside. Tina’s still in her red get-up and lets out a shout of shock when I barrel through the door with Ren and Khloe.

  “Oh my God! You can’t just barge in here like you own the place,” she yelps, grabbing a blanket off the back of the sofa.

  “So you’re a high-handed jerk around everyone,” Khloe observes. She steps forward and holds out her hand. “I’m Mae’s niece.”

  “I heard,” Tina says a bit sullenly, but she’s a good egg and takes the hand that’s offered. “Welcome. Anyway, can you all get out? There’s no one here and I want to go to bed.”

  “There’s a footprint outside your downstairs bathroom,” I tell her.

  Tina’s eyes grow huge. “What?” She rushes to the bathroom, the blanket flying behind her like a cape. “Are you fucking kidding me? I was joking when I said there was someone here.” Her mouth snaps shut when she realizes what she’s saying. “I mean—“

  I wave my hand. It doesn’t matter now. “You have any problems lately?”

  “No.”

  “There was just one footprint but I didn’t see any others. The ground was too hard.”

  “I watered the bushes yesterday.” She totters slightly. Khloe rushes to her side. She might have been annoyed with Tina before, but now she’s worried for her even if she is mad about what she did. Soft-hearted.

  “Come on. Sit down. Tina, is it?” A shaken Tina nods her head and allows herself to be led to the sofa. “I’ll make you some warm milk. I had a friend whose mom always made her warm milk whenever she was upset.”

  A friend’s mom, not Khloe’s own mom. I’m not one for violence against women, but, if Khloe’s mom ever comes around, we’re going to have words.

  “Will you add some chocolate powder to it? There’s a tin in the cupboard next to the stove.”

  “No problem.”

  While Khloe leaves to make the hot chocolate, I take Tina’s statement. She didn’t remember seeing anyone around her house, but she did hear noises. She thought it was an animal but decided to use it as an excuse to call. Ren clucks his tongue like an old woman and Tina blushes out of embarrassment.

  “Why don’t you go stay with your brother for a while?”

  She makes a face. “What a barrel of fun.”

  Tina’s brother is an artist whose mouth hasn’t formed a smile since birth.

  “Better bored than dead,” Ren says.

  “Dead?”

  “I’ll drive you there,” Khloe offers, coming in with the drink. She sets the mug down in front of Tina, who takes it with a grateful glance.

  “Would you? Even after I did all this?” Tina flicks a hand down her front.

  “You were obviously feeling lonely and that’s why you had this momentary loss of sense because who in her right mind wants him?” Khloe jerks her head toward me.

  Ren shouts out a laugh and a reluctant smile tugs at Tina’s mouth.

  Yeah. If I hadn’t already fallen for Khloe, this moment would have done me in. Sexy as fuck body and sweet as pie inside. You can’t ask for more than that.

  14

  Khloe

  I snuggle more into my bed, trying to wrap the blanket tighter around me. Where did all the warmth go? My eyes spring open when I hear a loud bang followed by a curse. Dane is here. Actually, he never left. That isn’t entirely true. He left the bed and that’s why I am no longer all cozy and snuggled up in his warmth. He took it with him when he left the bed. I sit up, not letting myself be annoyed about that.

  He shouldn't have been in my bed to begin with. I start to backtrack. The last thing I remember is us dropping Tina off at her brother’s. A vague memory of Dane carrying me inside flicks through my mind like remembering a dream.

  “Oh no.” I pull the pillow over my head, recalling me kissing him and pulling him down into the bed with me. He stayed all night in bed with me. I’m pretty sure I was the one that attacked him. I don’t even like cuddling. But there is something about that man that makes me do all sorts of crazy things. If he isn’t getting on my nerves then he’s getting in my bed. I have to admit that I enjoy the back and forth we have going on between us.

  “How do you take your coffee, babe?” Dane pulls the pillow from off my face. I stare up into his handsome face.

  “It’s too early for you to look this good.”

  “You think I look good?”

  I snatch the pillow back from him before hitting him with it. He did not need me to help with his ego. That said, he doesn't act like a cocky jerk even with all the women in this town falling all over him. No, he’s only a controlling jerk.

  He grabs it again, tossing it away. “You don’t look too bad yourself.” He drops down, his mouth meeting mine. I go to push him away but only dig my fingers into his shirt, pulling him closer. He doesn't stop until I’m breathless. Even then it seems too soon.

  “Don’t kiss me when I first wake up. I need to brush my teeth.”

  “Kiss you whenever I want.” He pulls me out of the bed. “I want to have breakfast with you before I go to work.” He gives my ass a smack before putting me on my feet.

  “You can’t just move me around wherever you want me!”

  “Can and did,” he says before he strolls from the room.

  “I don’t cook!” I shout after him. In case he thinks I’m going to make us breakfast or something. He only laughs. “Cream and sugar!” I add before dragging myself into the bathroom. I groan when I see myself in the mirror. I am a hot mess. I quickly get myself together. I totally am not interested in dating Dane. The light makeup and ten minutes I spend on my hair says otherwise.

  “You look good. Let's roll.” Dane’s eyes meet mine in the bathroom mirror as he places a coffee in front of me in a to-go cup before he kisses my neck.

  “Where are we going?” I pick up the coffee and take a drink. I moan because it’s perfect. I don’t even make it this good. What the hell? How is this man good at everything he does?

  “Breakfast.” He plants another kiss on my neck. “Pants, babe.” He gives my ass a squeeze. I give him a glare that does nothing as I take another sip of my coffee and hand it to him so that I can get dressed. He watches me the whole time as if I’m doing a strip tease. Even though I’m putting clothes on and not taking them off. No one has ever looked at me the way he does.

  I try to pretend I’m annoyed, but the way he watches me makes me feel sexy. He can’t take his eyes off me even as I put more layers of clothes on. It’s as though he doesn't care what it is that I’m doing, he just wants to watch me. This man is pushing himself into more than my life. He’s making his way right into my heart.

  “See something you like? It’s rude to stare.” I turn around so he doesn’t see the smile on my face. Before I know what's happening, his warm body is pressed against my back, his hard cock pressing into me.

  “I more than like, babe.” His warm breath tickles me before he places a kiss by my ear. I can’t help but rub myself against him.

  “Need to feed you,” he growls, pulling away. I don’t put up a fight as he ushers me out of the house and back into his police cruiser. Then right into the diner and into his booth.

  “What are you smiling about?” He stirs sugar into my c
offee for me. I don’t know how he is both sweet and pushy. I also don’t know why this is working for me. I am known for erecting walls around myself. My ex often called me cold. He was right. I do like to keep people at a distance. They can’t hurt you then.

  “I just like how everyone knows everyone.” It’s endearing watching everyone in the diner. It makes it feel like home. I am starting to understand the small-town thing. To these people, home isn’t only their house. It is the whole place. Everyone generally cares about one another and when they bicker it’s like when families fight.

  He pushes my coffee back over toward me. “I’m glad you like it since you’ll be spending the rest of your life here.”

  “Dane,” I warn him. “Even if I did marry you I think I get to have a say in where we live for the rest of our lives?”

  He smirks. I’ve said too much.

  “You really think you could move from here and take Mom's grandbabies from her?”

  I almost spit out my coffee. He waits for my response. I don’t give him one because we both already know the answer. Luckily breakfast hits the table, saving me.

  For now.

  15

  Dane

  After breakfast, I head for the station. Khloe’s not ready for any kind of declaration, but I’m going to keep battering at those walls until they’re completely down, which means I’m spending every spare moment I can with her. In order to be free to do that, though, I have to find out who left the footprint outside Tina’s home.

  “I did a patrol all night and didn’t see anything out of the ordinary,” Ren reports when I arrive.

  “Take this home and get some rest.” I drop a donut on his desk and leave a coffee for Bev, who must be taking a bathroom break.

  After Ren finishes his report, I give Tina a call and ask her to come in to give a statement.

  “Why can’t you come out to the house?”