Dangerous Flirt (24 page)

Authors: Avery Flynn

Tags: #Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense, mystery, romance

An arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her backwards until she fit snuggly against a hard body—one that had kept her up way too late last night. Hank brushed his lips across the nape of her neck above her coat collar and her formerly frozen insides melted.

“Looks like you could use this.” Like manna from heaven, a bee-decorated coffee mug appeared in front of her.

“Just when I thought I couldn't
love you any more.” She swiped the mug from him and sipped the piping-hot brew. Mocha with a shot of caramel. Yep, he was a keeper.

“You sure you want to do this?”

Looking around at her neighbors and friends stomping their feet to keep warm in the bitter cold, she considered calling it all off. Going ahead would change everything. Her shoulders twitched with a shiver of apprehension. After all
that had happened, not one person would think any worse of her. But she would. She'd worked too hard during the past few months to go back to her old ways.

“Yeah, I'm sure.”

“Ms. Martinez, I need you to sign a couple of documents real quick and then we can get started.” Frank Eastwick of Eastwick Auctioneers motioned her over to his truck and the battered briefcase resting on its hood.

“Be
right there.” Nervous energy took her voice up an octave.

Stepping out of Hank's embrace, she turned to face him. Gone was the vacation beard and the knee brace he'd had to wear after surgery. Bundled up in a bright-red parka with a white capital N embroidered across the back, he fit in perfectly with the rest of the state, breathlessly waiting for the championship college football game. Something
ornery that had nothing to do with football twinkled in his hazel eyes.

“You can't go until I get payment for that coffee.” He pulled her close and lowered his head until their lips were only inches apart.

In an instant, her nipples hardened and butterflies started doing cartwheels in her stomach. “That was a gift.” She raised her head, cutting the distance between their mouths to mere millimeters.
“There is no payment for gifts.”

“Wanna bet?”

The kiss curled her toes. Suddenly, January turned unseasonably warm and balmy under the tight confines of her wool coat.

“What is it with my children? Where did I go wrong?” Glenda Layton's indignant questions cut through the lust fogging her brain.

Hank ended the kiss. “Hi, Mom.”

“You are in public, you know.” Never one for the cold, the only
part of Glenda visible was her brown eyes above the neon-green scarf wrapped around her neck and face. Her matching green down coat reached her knees. The entire outfit was topped off with a white ski cap that she'd managed to bedazzle with neon-green stones. “If it wasn't for this godforsaken cold, Bob and I would sell the RV just so we could keep an eye on you kids. First Claire and now you, getting
frisky at inappropriate times. It's like I raised free-love hippies or something.”

“Yep, we're planning on turning Dry Creek into a nude commune. I'm going to ditch the whole sheriff gig to grow pot.”

Glenda harrumphed and rolled her eyes. “Nobody likes a smart mouth.”

Hank dropped a quick peck on his mother's wool cap. “Only you, Mom.”

Her eyes crinkled at the corners, a telltale sign she
smiled under the neon-green scarf.

Biting back her own smile at the normal state of affairs between Glenda and Hank, Beth took a step away from his warmth. “I have to sign some papers. Be right back.”

Hank admired the sway of Beth's hips as she made her way to the auctioneer's truck. “Okay, so what was that show all about, Mom?”

She shrugged
her neon-covered shoulders. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

Like hell. If the government ever needed a sixty-something covert agent experienced in interrogation and subterfuge, Glenda Layton was their woman. “Mom.”

“Oh alright. I need to know who that tall girl is over there with the platinum-blonde hair. She has tattoos, four of them that I can see.”

He scanned the crowd for his
mom's target. It didn't take long to spot her. About five feet, eleven inches, wearing painted-on jeans and a black leather jacket, she had short blonde, almost white hair. Saying she stood out was putting it mildly.

“You can only see her skin from the neck up, how did you see any tattoos?”

“You can't see them now. I've been watching her for the past week.”

Poor girl. If she'd landed on Glenda's
radar, she was in for a world of trouble. “So what has you so curious about her?”

“I've spotted her arguing with Sam.” Glenda lowered her voice. “Twice.”

What in the hell was his by-the-book brother doing going toe-to-toe with a wild child? Oh, this was going to be good. “Why don't you just ask Sam then?”

Glenda shot him an are-you-stupid look. “You think I haven't? That boy is tighter than
a clam when it comes to his business. I'm his mother. Why he thinks he has to keep secrets from me, I'll never know.”

At that moment, the Layton in question got out of his Volvo sedan. Standing stick straight, Sam surveyed the crowd. A devious smile curled his lips the moment he locked eyes on the tall blonde and he threaded through the crowd toward her.

Interesting. Very interesting.

Beth made her way to Hank's side just as the auctioneer stepped to the front porch.

Frank turned on the microphone and inhaled a deep breath. “Remember folks, all proceeds of this auction go to the Dry Creek County Big Brothers and Big Sisters Program. We'll start the bidding at…”

Beth slipped her hand into Hank's. “Come on, let's go.”

“Don't you want to stay?”

Glancing back at the people
milling around her grandparents' front yard, she remembered the birthday parties out back, the way her abuelita's cheese enchiladas smelled and the many nights she’d spent as a teenager, tucked away on a lumpy twin mattress dreaming about Hank Layton. The memories were hers forever. She took them with her wherever she went.

“That's just a house.” She brushed his lips with hers. “You're my home.”

A Note From Avery

Hey you!

I really hope you enjoyed Hank and Beth! They get me right in the feels. If you have a second to leave a review of Dangerous Flirt, that would be awesome! And if you’re want to know what happens between Sam and the tattooed Josie, check out Dangerous Tease.

Please stay in touch ([email protected]), I love hearing from readers! Want to get all the latest book
news? Subscribe to my newsletter for book gossip, monthly prizes and more!

And don’t forget to check out the other Layton books: Dangerous Kiss and Dangerous Tease.

xoxo,

Avery

Books By Avery Flynn

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Sweet Salvation Brewery Series

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Hollywood on Tap
(Sweet Salvation Brewery 2)

Trouble on Tap
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