"Sorry." She ordered a glass of champagne and drank it down in one gulp. "Another one, please."
"Is my company that bad?" he joked.
"No, but I made a promise to find someone to kiss at midnight."
Desire and want flared at the thought of him being that someone for her. "A promise to who?" He knew the answer, though.
"Cora."
Bingo.
"She promised the same thing."
"Is that why she's dancing with Gunnar?"
Molly gave him an odd look. "Why are you trying to make them happen? They're just friends, and she has her sights set on Graves Churchill. That's her Prince Charming."
The elusive heir to a fortune that everyone talked about, but no one had an actual first-hand encounter with. It was always secondhand information, a friend of a friend or cousin who had some story to tell about Graves.
"She'd have more luck with Gunnar. There is no way that dude is going to choose to come to a party in Podunk, USA over wherever he is right now." Archer blew out a breath. "She of all people should know that."
"I know, but she thinks he's misunderstood. A brooding hero in the making." Molly sighed and patted his hand. "You're a good guy from trying to save her from herself."
"It's in the job description."
"No, that's just you, Archer Kincaid. You always do the right thing, no matter what." Molly sipped on the second glass of champagne. "Did I tell you that Bailey proposed to his old girlfriend on Christmas day? Or how our break up really went down?"
She had in a brief text, but he'd figured that was more of Cora's department than his because he honestly didn't know what to say. "You mentioned it, but no details." Although, he could list the reasons why Bailey Howard was a snobby bastard who had more money—Daddy's money--than sense, or compassion for that matter.
"You don't want to hear about my sob story," she said with a wave of her hand. "That's not what tonight is about anyway."
"Honestly, I don't know why you went out with him in the first place," he said. "You deserve better."
"I thought he'd changed since high school," Molly said, all defensive now. "People do change for the better."
"Of course, they do."
She narrowed her eyes. "But not Bailey Howard."
"Nope."
"Hmmm."
He leaned closer. "I don't mean to insult you, Parrish. You were blindsided by him. Most people who only see the good in everyone generally are suckers who get taken advantage of… er, I mean soft-hearted who um… Howard was the bad guy in all of this—plain and simple." Shit. He was as bad as his brother said.
Molly chuckled. "No, you said what you meant. I'm a sucker. A soft-hearted, blind to reality sucker."
"Look, it's always easier for everyone else looking in to pinpoint the reasons why a relationship didn't work out. If it makes you feel any better, I was rooting for the two of you."
"You were?"
He bit the side of his lip. "Nope."
"Oh my gosh." She pursed her lips at him, then drank down the rest of her champagne. "You suck."
"Bailey Howard is a selfish, entitled prick who's never had to work a day in his life, and didn't appreciate how hard you've had to work to build your business. No one handed it over to you with a built-in customer base." He worked his jaw. "You deserve better, Parrish, and Howard knows it."
She perked up, all confident as she sat up more fully. "I'm all ears if you have someone in mind, maybe a guy on the force."
Archer took a gulp of his drink, then finished it before he spoke again. "You looking for a rebound or the real thing?"
Her green eyes turned soft. "Always the real thing."
He felt the tug, the urge to pull her in close, and say that he was the real thing. This was his chance to tell her how he felt, that he was attracted to her, and maybe they should—
"Wanna dance? Gunnar said that he approved and to tell Archer that I've passed multiple background checks."
Archer sliced his gaze to the intruder. Six Feet. Male. Dark Hair. Blue eyes. Stupid mask made the guy unrecognizable. "Not sure how telling me you had to pass background checks helps your case."
The stranger took a step back, but Molly grabbed his wrist. "I'd love to dance with you."
"Molly," Archer warned.
"Hush." Molly grinned at Archer. "Wish me luck and watch over me."
Always. "Good luck," he bit out.
She kissed his cheek, and his body tightened. "I'll be back. Promise, but first, I have to keep my promise to Cora."
That damned kiss.
Archer could taste the disappointment running in his veins even as the urge to order her to stay with him fought to make itself known. He had his chance, took too long thinking about it, and this was the result.
Maybe it was better this way.
Maybe this was his answer.
Chapter 3
Molly glanced at the digital clock above the mirrored cabinets behind the bar and gulped. Two minutes until midnight.
Her dance partner, Travis McLean, was fun. He certainly knew how to dance, and she'd laughed more in the past ten minutes than she had in the preceding month.
The song slowed. Travis put his hands on her hips, drawing them closer until hardly an inch separated them. He smelled nice, and he had a friendly way about him. They could barely talk over the music, but that was fine by her. She didn't want to make small talk, and she didn't want to encourage him to make small talk—beyond sharing his name—with her either.
Where was Archer? Crap, she'd left him alone at the bar. Not that she owed it to him to hang out with him, but if there was anyone in this world beside Cora that she could be herself around, it was Archer Kincaid.
"He's still at the bar," Travis said as the music started to lower. The lights began to dim as well in anticipation of the New Year's Eve countdown.
"What?" She pulled back, looking up at her dance partner.
"The guy you were sitting with. I didn't think you were together."
Molly shook her head. "Oh, we're not. He's one of my best friends. How do you know his brother Gunnar?" Crap, they'd headed into small talk territory.
"Went to college with him."
"Oh. So you're not from here?" Well, duh, she would know the name, at least, if he were. "I mean, where did you grow up?"
"Charlotte. Moved here about two months ago. Kickstarted a tech company with my buddy. Gunnar recommended the area because it's close to the airport." He smiled. It was a nice smile. Everything about him was nice.
Ugh.
How could nice be such a lousy descriptor when Bailey had been so awful, so much the opposite of nice when they broke up... and if she were honest, even during their relationship.
"Hey, I'm going to get a couple glasses of champagne so we can toast." Travis took off before she could stop him. There was no way she'd take a glass of anything from him. She barely knew him, Gunnar vouching for him or not.
A couple of large flakes of glitter floated in front of her. Suddenly, the entire room was filled with it.
"Oh crap, y'all. That wasn't supposed to happen yet,” the DJ announced.
Molly laughed as more and more confetti fell from the ceiling. She could barely see in front of her.
"The ball is dropping. Oh shit. Ten. Nine."
Molly waved the confetti away or at least tried to, and when she tried to speak, she inhaled a mouthful of glitter and had to spit it out.
If only Travis could see her now.
"Four, Three, Two."
Well, dang. Travis was nowhere to be found, and she would be forced to break her promise to Cora. Through no fault of her own, of course.
Someone grabbed her wrist, pulling her against a wall. Nope, that wasn't a wall. That was a body. A hard, male body. She looked up, her brain firing at her that this was someone familiar.
Travis?
She attempted to peer through the mask the guy wore, but all she could see in the dim light were full lips and a chise
led jaw. But his eyes… those eyes were very familiar.
"Happy New Year, Molly."
She recognized that voice. "Archer! Is that really you under that mask?"
"Who else would I be?"
She shrugged, completely aware of how close they were and how much her body seemed to like it. "I don't have anyone to kiss. Cora's going to be so mad at me."
His head dipped, and as if in a dream, his arms stole around her, one hand going to the back of her neck. "We can't have that."
She giggled, wondering if the champagne had made her silly. "You're offering to do the dirty deed?"
"I made the same promise to Cora."
"In that case." She kissed him; first, a soft, fleeting kiss meant to satisfy the requirement of her promise. "Happy New Year, Archer."
"Wait," he said against her lips. "I want—"
"You want what?" she murmured against his mouth. There was something so wrong, yet so entirely right about this moment.
"This." He brushed her lips, then deepened their kiss, and fireworks exploded inside of her. Each pass of his lips made her toes curl, and goosebumps rise on her skin.
A hot flush enveloped Molly, making her hyperaware of his hands on her body, of his fingers as they touched her overly sensitive skin. She parted her lips, inviting him in with a tiny tease of her tongue. He accepted her invitation, and as their tongues met, she gasped in delicious shock.
His hand ran down her back, urging her closer and closer until she could feel him almost everywhere. Their kiss went on and on until it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to be held and kissed senseless by one of her closest friends in the world.
Archer pulled back, his dark eyes staring into hers. "Was this magical enough for you?"
That could not be Archer talking. He didn't think like that, didn't use words like that either. Maybe he'd drank a lot more than that single glass of jack. Maybe… oh, Lord. This would not end well.
She stumbled to one side, forcing him to relinquish the intimate hold he had on her while he made sure she didn't fall. She couldn't fall, not for him.
"I am so drunk." Except she wasn't. She was completely sober. "Are you?"
"No," he said, a frown on his face. "Did Travis give you something to drink?"
Shaking her head, she said, "No, he didn't get a chance, and I wasn't about to take anything from him anyway."
"Smart woman," Archer said. "Let's get you home… unless you want to stay for the after-party."
"Cora's my ride, so it's up to her." Molly looked around the room, her heart beating rapidly, reminding her of hummingbird wings. "Have you seen her?"
"Not lately, but Gunnar will keep an eye on her if you're ready to leave."
"I'm not sure." She licked her lips, the taste of him lingered in the corners. "What do you want to do?"
Just as he opened his mouth to answer, Cora barreled between them. "You'll never guess who showed up."
"Graves Churchill."
Cora nodded vigorously. "He kissed like a dream and vanished like one, too."
"Awww. You have your story now," Molly said and turned to include Archer in the conversation, but he was gone. "Where did he go?"
"I don't know. Probably someplace dreamy, like The Mansion." Clearly, Cora was fixated on her Prince Charming. She hiccupped and swayed to one side. "I wanna go there, too."
Molly caught her before she fell. Clearly, Cora was drunk. "Let's get an Uber."
"Can I sleep at your place?" she asked, yawning now. "My dad thinks I'm there anyway."
Molly slung her arm around her bestie. "Stay the weekend if you want."
Cora cheered, then grew serious. "Only if you kept your promise to kiss a stranger."
Desire kicked up again. That kiss… "I kept my promise." For sure, Archer had been like a stranger to her at that moment. She had no idea he could kiss like that, or what had possessed him to show her.
"Happy New Year, lady," Cora said with a dreamy sigh. "This year will be ours!"
As they walked to the entrance, Molly took one last look in the bar. Archer was still nowhere to be found… until they got outside. He waited, like a knight in shining armor, under the streetlight and watched over them. He didn't leave until they were in the car, and even then, it was to sit in his truck until they actually started down the street.
"Did you have fun, ladies?" the Uber driver asked.
"Aunt Franny, I didn't know you Ubered," Cora said.
"I prefer to think of myself as a pumpkin on wheels." Aunt Franny smiled in the rearview. "Let's get you two home before my engine turns back into a garden."
Cora laughed and laid her head on Molly's shoulder. She laced her hand with one of Molly's. "I'm so glad you kissed a stranger at midnight."
Aunt Franny cleared her throat.
Molly looked up in time to see her cock an eyebrow in the mirror. She blushed at the woman's knowing look. "Me, too."
She meant it, but come the morning, she would bury it away and never think of that magical, wonderful, unexpected kiss at midnight again.
* * *
The conclusion to Molly and Archer’s story THE SHERIFF’S PLUS ONE is available for preorder now!
More Books by Marquita Valentine
Holland Springs Series
Drive Me Crazy
Twice Tempted
Third Time’s a Charm
His Christmas Wish
Just Desserts
Not Over You
Be Mine
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The Brides of Holland Springs Series
The Billionaire Bride
The Temporary Bride
The Forgotten Bride
The Christmas Bride
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The Lawson Brothers Series
Love So Hot
Love So True
Love So Irresistible
Love So Tempting
Love So Perfect
Love So Unexpected
Love So Right
Love So Wild
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About Marquita Valentine
Marquita Valentine is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of contemporary romance.
When she's not writing sexy heroes who adore their sassy heroines, she enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with her family and friends. Married to her high school sweetheart, Marquita lives in a seriously small town in the south.
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The Sheriff’s Midnight Kiss: Prequel to The Sheriff’s Plus One Page 2
