The Sheriff (17 page)

Shrugging a little, she couldn’t help smiling at the confusion in Pete’s eyes. His hat was already in his hand or she might have pushed it off his head to the ground. He took a step back. She followed with two steps, catching his shoulders. With one small twist, she had him next to the barn wall.

He knew what was coming. She knew because his head tilted sideways and his face dropped even with hers.

“This is a bad idea, Andrea.”

“You’ve got to have a better reason.”

There was a hairbreadth between their lips. They stayed there, taking in each other’s air. The minty clean made her wish she’d taken him up on the lifesaver he’d offered in his car. His chest began to rise and fall quicker, matching hers. His hands tightened around her waist, and she draped hers around his shoulders.

“Bad, bad idea,” he said before crushing his lips to hers.

Sheriff Pete Morrison might think kissing her was a bad idea, but the man hauling her hips to his... Well, he left nothing but good sensations behind.

“The suggestion that any part of this is bad...absolutely ridiculous,” she whispered close to his ear. “You are such a good kisser.”

“You make me crazy,” he said. He smashed his mouth to hers again, not allowing her to respond.

The returning kiss she gave him should have been answer enough. She was desperate not to let him go this time. Her body needed him, and his needed her.

She pulled back, dipping her mouth, tasting the salt on his skin, nipping the curve where his shoulder muscle met his neck. She tilted her head back, encouraging him to taste the V of her throat, sending additional shivers of anticipation down her spine.

His lips traveled down her breastbone, lightly scraping his teeth across her sensitive skin. His tongue darted under the lacy edge of her bra. His hands stretched along her sides, then tugged at her T-shirt, making her wish she’d worn the button-up hanging in her bedroom.

Oh, gosh, a bedroom would be nice. They could take their desire to the next level. But they couldn’t... They weren’t alone. But that didn’t stop the exploring.

Pete’s cool hands slid under her shirt, up her back and to her sides. He skimmed her breasts, just the thin lace separated the tips of his fingers and her flesh.

More shivers. At this rate there would be endless shivers and no relief in sight. She wanted his shirt off, but it was firmly tucked into his pants. She settled for skimming the tops of his ears, dragging her nails gently across his scalp and filling her hands with his thick hair.

Pete caught her mouth to his again, plunging his tongue inside. He captured her whimper as their hips gnashed together again. Wanting more than either could deliver in broad daylight on the side of the Morrison barn.

“Ahem.” Joe cleared his throat from the corner of the barn.

Breathing too hard to speak, Andrea looked in his direction and could only see the toe of one boot and a long, tall shadow.

Breathing a little hard himself, Pete dropped his forehead just above her ear. Then he whispered, “Very bad idea.”

“Not at all,” she whispered back, noticing his hands settled on her hips, his thumbs comfortably hooked inside her jeans.

“Um, son. Since you’re going to be here with our guest, I thought I’d take Rowdy into town. We need feed and supplies. I have a few errands. We’ll probably be gone a good three or four hours, so I thought we’d grab lunch at the café.”

“You don’t have—”

She placed a finger over Pete’s lips, fearing he’d convince his father not to leave. She lowered her voice again. “I promise to be good...and not run away.”

Pete dropped his head against the barn, then his eyes seared her with their heat. “Fine, Dad. I got this covered.”

Yes, he did.

*

P
ETE
NEEDED
TO
drop his hands and lock the county’s guest in her bedroom. That would be the right thing to do. The responsible thing. The sheriff thing. He could try. But the way his body was throbbing it would take every ounce of control he no longer had.

Holding Andrea in his arms, he’d lost control. If his dad hadn’t interrupted them, there was no telling what he would have done. His heart rate was still thrumming at top speed. If he didn’t have a grip on her hips, his hands would be shaking.

The horn from the truck sounded a couple of blasts. A minute later he heard it leaving. He stayed put, reluctant to let Andrea go because he knew what needed to be done.

“We should get inside.” He reluctantly dropped his hands, pressing them against the barn.

Andrea stepped to the side and picked up his hat. She handed it to him, then put her fists on her slim hips. “What’s wrong? You embarrassed?”

He shoved his hat on his head and circled her wrist, tugging a little to get her started. “Inside and no. Or yes, a little.”

Once they were around the corner and headed to the house, she twisted her wrist free. “I’ve been walking on my own for a while now.”

“Come on, Andrea. You’re under my protection. We can’t— I shouldn’t let my guard down or take advantage of our situation.” He opened the screen door, ready to let her go through and plant himself on the porch until his father returned.

Looking him up one side and down the other, she seemed to read his mind and paused. To add to his misery, she took a seat on the porch swing and gestured for him to join her.

The chain suspending the swing creaked above their heads in a gentle rhythm as they sat shoulder to shoulder, silent. The horses clopped around in the corral. The breeze was picking up and blowing the top branches in the tree. Then just like high school, Pete found his hand inching toward Andrea’s, then lacing their fingers together.

“This is nice. My mom would love this porch. She’d decorate it with all sorts of plants and small statues. She loves statues.” She didn’t seem mad.

In fact, she seemed to be in a great mood. Just like before their make-out session. Man, she was completely different from any woman he’d ever met. Shouldn’t she be furious with him instead of holding his hand, sending lightning bolts up his arm or making small talk?

“Plants don’t do so well out here in the winter.” He could make small talk and ignore the energy surging through his body at her touch. Could he ignore that they had the house to themselves for the next three hours?

“Your dad is convinced that your reason for halting a potential relationship between the two of us is
solid
, as he put it. I, on the other hand, am not convinced.”

So much for small talk.

“I have a lot of good reasons.” It was easier to remember they couldn’t be together when he wasn’t touching her. He just couldn’t force himself not to enjoy the smoothness of her skin. In fact, the memory of her incredible breasts made it hard to keep his seat.

“Why can’t you tell me, Pete?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Then why is your dad so eager for you to share these reasons?”

“I don’t know.”

“One more question and then I’ll go to my room.” She looked down, dragged her toes and stopped the swing.

“Go for it.”

“I think I will.” She arched those beautiful brows again and winked. “Does it really matter for the next three hours?”

Chapter Nineteen

Pete watched Andrea’s eyes slowly look into his and with his free hand, he tilted her chin until he could brush her lips again. Close enough to share her breath, her softness and her taste, and still far enough apart to quit. All he had to do was release her hand and let her go.

“What about all your reasons?” she asked.

His mind raced to find one legitimate objection not to finish what they’d started.

They’d only known each other a few days.
That wasn’t cause enough to stop. He felt drawn to Andrea like he’d known her all his life. And he wanted to know her better. Completely.

He wanted to taste the rest of her, working his way down from her slightly salty neck to her cute little toes. He wanted to find out if she was ticklish behind her knees or at the curve above her hip. He wanted to keep her to himself for a week of Sundays and forget the rest of the world and his list of reasons.

He didn’t have a future.
Hell, she only wanted three hours. The way his body was humming, he could guarantee that short time would be a long unforgettable adventure.

He was in charge of her protection.
Her father working with Border Protection and Homeland Security still wasn’t enough to make him stop. He’d take his chances.

But could the biggest reason on his list be ignored?
He was a phony.
He didn’t want to lie to her, but it wasn’t his secret. No matter how much she liked him, he couldn’t take a chance telling anyone. Ever.

Pete stood quickly and jerked her into his arms. Her blue eyes were a perfect match with the sky. A perfect backdrop to kiss her again. He wanted to consume her, but he managed to keep his hands on her upper arms. He pressed his mouth to hers, coaxing her lips apart enough to enjoy the luxurious softness.

He wanted her with a fierce need that made nothing else matter. It had started in the hospital with each cheeky answer she’d given to his questions. And he honestly didn’t see an end happening soon. It would, just not today. He’d already wasted enough of her remaining time in town. He tapered off their kiss in order to coax her to the door.

Andrea curved her hips into his, leaning back as she’d done on the far side of the barn. Her smile was sultry, sexy. “Does this mean you’ve changed your mind about the next three hours?”

With her looking like that at him, they weren’t going to make it to the bedroom.

*

P
ETE
KISSED
HER
hard and wrapped his arms around her waist as she wrapped hers around his neck. He moved toward the door, almost dragging her feet across the porch as he lifted her body next to his. Andrea didn’t care. She was in just as big a hurry. Give the man too much time to think and he might change his mind.

Their limbs tangled as they helped each other take off their shirts. Hers pulled straight over her head, while she could only get his unbuttoned. Still kissing and touching, they dashed down the hall to the bedrooms.

“Mine,” she said, bouncing against the closed door and struggling to turn the knob.

Pete didn’t object. He skimmed her black bra—thank goodness she’d worn the sexy one—then traced her collarbone, moving higher until he cupped her neck with one hand and opened the door with the other. They backed into her bedroom, lips frantically finding each other again.

The belt holding his holster was unlatched. Andrea shoved his uniform over his shoulders and tugged his undershirt loose. Her hands skimmed his chest, hot flesh against her palms.

She returned his hard, deepening kisses, breaking long enough to stretch the white cotton over his head and let it fall to the floor. His hands slid down her back and seconds later her bra fell. Pete took a step back, his eyes smoldering as they saw her for the first time. She paused, letting him, not feeling vulnerable or self-conscious.

Andrea couldn’t pretend to be a shy girl. She wasn’t. Neither could she act coy and tiptoe around what she wanted. She’d wanted Pete Morrison since noticing his dimples back in the hospital. And what girl wouldn’t want to make out with the man responsible for saving her life, not just once but twice?

“This has to be the
best
bad decision I’ve ever made.”

“Oh, yeah?” She reached for the button on his fly and couldn’t miss his physical reaction to her body as she unzipped his pants. “Then why are we slowing down?”

“Some things are worth savoring.”

The smolder in his eyes turned to pure flame, spreading the heat to his entire body. He held her, letting her arch her back over his arm as he kissed and nipped a hot trail to her breast. By the time he reached the second, he laid her on the bed, taking his time to explore.

Pete stood between her legs, which were still encased in the heavy denim. His strong hands glided slowly down her thighs. If she hadn’t been going crazy with anticipation, she might have screamed for him to hurry. But the anticipation was exquisite as he undressed her, giving a final tug to the tight jeans.

“You are more than beautiful. I could stare at you like this all day.”

“You better not. What’s good for the gander is good for the goose, you know.” She winked suggestively and scooted farther onto the bed, pointed at his pants and propped her head up for a more comfortable look. “Strip, mister.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Without much effort, Pete divested himself of all clothing and stood at the side of the bed a second before he looked uncomfortable. But that was only for a second. He got onto the bed, leaning on his side, and worked magic with his hands again.

Feather-soft strokes up and down her breastbone sent tingles all over her body. He drew concentric circles until her nipples drew tight, making her shiver multiple times. The strokes became longer, including her hips and thighs. Then tiny circles at the back of her knees.

“You’ve got a gentle touch,” she gasped a little before he created a trail up her body with his lips. Then silenced her again with decadent kissing.

Andrea eagerly explored Pete’s body, too. His sinewy muscles, long powerful thighs, lean hips and sheer strength left her breathless. When he reached between their bodies, she grabbed his shoulders, unable to keep her nails from lightly scraping into his skin. Moments later, her body hummed in fleeting perfection as she cried out.

Pete rolled to his side next to her, kissing her along her shoulder up to her neck, following the line of her jaw back to her lips. There wasn’t an inch of relaxed parts on the man as she reached out and explored more.

It took a slight nudge to reverse their positions. Seconds later, Pete was on his back. She rose to her knees, massaging his chest, admiring the muscles extending to his hips. She mimicked his technique of touch. She loved the fine dusting of manly hair on his legs, drew circles behind his knees, where he jerked away and laughed.