He was the first to break the sensual spell. “Now face the car and assume the position.”
Her mouth opened in a shock. Her eyes went wide as she searched his steely gaze. What kind of game was he playing? She’d watched enough television to understand his command, but she couldn’t believe he intended her “pat her down.”
Propping her hands on her hips, she glared at him. “Just where do you think I could hide a weapon?” she asked.
She realized, too late, that her question inadvertently drew attention to her skimpy attire. Considering the heat and that she hadn’t planned to be gone from home long, she hadn’t bothered with many clothes. The sweltering humidity already had her gym shorts and sleeveless cotton blouse clinging like a second skin.
An embarrassed blush made its way up her neck as he slowly perused her body. His gaze settled on her full, rounded breasts and his beautiful eyes flared with undisguised admiration. Her nipples tightened involuntarily, thrusting boldly against her blouse and making more heat race over her body. She quickly dropped her arms to divert attention from her traitorous reaction.
“Assume the position.” This time his order brooked no argument.
Deidre turned to face her car, eager now to hide her body’s wanton response from his probing gaze. She held her arms to her sides and stood rigidly waiting. The sheriff didn’t make her wait long. He grabbed both her wrists and lifted them over her head. In doing so, his chest pressed against her back, sandwiching her between two scorching, inflexible surfaces.
Her heart raced at the contact of his hard, hot body, and fire licked her flesh. For an instant, she thought she felt a rigid erection pressing against buttocks and her lungs constricted. Then he eased back enough to push his knee between her legs, forcing them apart. The thick pressure of his thigh sent a jolt of electricity to the core of her body. Did he keep it there a little too long? Press a little harder than necessary? Her flesh sizzled and her vaginal muscles contracted, dampening her panties.
Deidre prayed he wouldn’t realize how strongly his actions were affecting her. It had been too long since she’d been touched and caressed. He might do this on a regular basis but this was her first experience. Now she was at risk of totally humiliating herself. She closed her eyes and swallowed a groan when he released her wrists and started frisking her.
His palms felt rough and calloused as they slowly glided down her arms and across her shoulders. She’d never realized how sensitive the undersides of her arms were until she felt his long fingers skimming over them. Then his hands slipped between the car and her body and cupped her breasts in a totally unprofessional manner. She stiffened and gasped; knowing that he deliberately brushed his thumbs over her nipples before continuing his search.
When his hands slipped beneath her blouse to touch the bare skin of her midriff, Deidre thought she would hyperventilate. Her chest was heaving, her body trembling as his fingers skimmed her flesh. Before she could formulate a protest, he shocked her even more by shoving one large hand across her stomach and between her legs.
“Sheriff Boudreaux!” she turned swiftly and shifted out of his reach, glaring at him in indignation. The gleam in his eyes told he’d felt the dampness of her arousal and knew his touch had caused it.
“You seem a little agitated, Mrs. Luc. Sure you haven’t been hittin’ the bottle?” he asked smoothly.
Deidre just stared at him, struck speechless. He continued to study her as though she were a total stranger. Is this how he got his kicks? Fondling unsuspecting women? Maybe it was his idea of entertaining himself on a slow day.
“I have not been drinking,” she enunciated very slowly and carefully.
“Getting’ a little testy, are we?” he countered. “Alcohol will do that to you. Better walk a line for me.”
“I’m not interested in any more of your games,” she argued, tugging at her blouse. Her clothes clung to her body and sweat trickled down her spine. All she wanted to do was go home and have another shower. “If you want to give me a speeding ticket, then go ahead and do it.”
“I don’t think I like your tone, little Yankee,” he said in a dangerously soft voice. “Maybe you need some lessons in humility.”
Deidre blinked and stared at his tight features. His jaw was locked, his chin stubbornly rigid. Great. Now she’d aroused the chauvinist in him. She’d learned there was nothing more unpredictable than an adult male with a wounded ego. Instinctively knowing he wouldn’t back down, she turned on her heel and began walking down the side of the road. Carefully putting one foot in front of the other, she took ten steps and turned back toward the car.
The sun beat down on her head relentlessly. Her clothes were plastered to her body. The humidity had its usual adverse affect on her hair, making it droop and cling to her skin. It was hot and heavy and out of control in this climate. She lifted both hands to scoop it off her neck. The sudden action, after her angry pacing, made her go lightheaded for an instant. She swayed, then swiftly dropped her arms and stiffened her spine.
The sheriff’s eyes narrowed. “You just failed your sobriety test,” he insisted.
“I got dizzy for a minute,“ she argued.
At first his comments had seemed almost teasing but he was acting more serious now. She tried to reason with him. “I haven’t had anything to eat today and you’re making me perform like some circus monkey. I’m hot and I want to go home,” she grumbled.
“No need to get belligerent. It’s not my fault you were drinking on an empty stomach.”
Deidre felt like screaming but she clamped her mouth shut and ground her teeth instead. The man was being completely unreasonable and it made her increasingly wary. What was he up to? There had to be more behind his behavior than simple boredom. She knew his actions had nothing to do with law enforcement.
“I’d better take you back to the office until you’ve had time to sober up.”
“I’m not going anywhere but home.”
“Resisting arrest?”
Their gazes met and locked. His expression warned her that he had the authority to cause her a great deal more inconvenience. Deidre fumed and thought about the humiliation of being hauled off to jail. The news of her arrest would be all over town within minutes. And the stigma of actually being booked on charges...
She couldn’t understand why he was so determined to harass her. Why was he being so unbending? Did he have that delicate an ego? Did he expect women to fall over themselves trying to please him? Maybe she could coax him into seeing things her way.
“If you’ll let me go home, I promise to tell my husband what a thoughtful, considerate sheriff we have in his Parish,” she said, her voice soft with husky promise. “I’m sure he’ll be impressed.”
“And I’ll add trying to bribe an officer to your growing list of offenses,” he growled. “Turn around.”
The sun was baking her brain. Deidre stared at him in confusion. When she made no move to obey his command, he grasped her shoulder and turned her back to him. In another instant, he had both her arms behind her and her wrists locked in handcuffs.
“What the hell?” she demanded.
“You’d best save your arguments for later, Sugar,” he said, leading her toward the sheriff department’s SUV. Once there, he opened the back door, pressed a hand to the top of her head, and nudged her inside. He’d left the motor running and a blessed rush of cold air engulfed her, raising goose bumps on her overheated flesh. Deidre sighed in relief but it was short-lived.
He leaned in her door, nearly smothering her with his big body as he drew the seat belt across her chest. He smelled of man and musk and spicy aftershave. The scent of him filled her lungs and triggered long-denied fantasies. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, fighting the irresistible pull of attraction.
Her breath caught in her throat as the back of his hand skimmed over each breast, teasing the nipples to knotted attention. She groaned and squirmed while he adjusted the fit. His low, masculine chuckle preceded the
slamming of the door, and she gnashed her teeth in frustration. He’d pay for this. Damn him to hell, he’d pay dearly. She fumed while he walked back to her car and locked it. Then he climbed into the SUV, met her gaze in the mirror and gave her a slow, wicked wink.
She closed her eyes on a groan, trying to ignore her potent physical reaction to the sheriff. Her body screamed with need while her emotions remained hopelessly tangled. Did the sheriff know something she didn’t know? Maybe she’d turned Luc away once too often. Maybe he was already cheating on her with Evangelina. How was she supposed to sort out the right from wrong?
The short trip back to town was spent squirming in her seat.
* * * * *
The sheriff’s office was blessedly cool and quiet, yet Deidre’s face stung with embarrassed heat as they approached the dispatcher’s desk. Boudreaux nodded to him and guided her toward the inside door. The fingers wrapped around her arm were sending more currents of heat through her body.
She was glad she couldn’t see the dispatcher’s face when he recognized the town’s latest fugitive.
Bill Carson eyed them through his bifocals. “Got ya a dangerous one there, Sheriff?”
“Reckless operation and resistin’ arrest,” he explained. “Just needs to cool her heels a spell. Where’s Deke?”
“Got a call to pick up some paperwork in Monroe.”
Deke Merrick, Evangelina’s cousin, was Boudreaux’s only fulltime deputy, and Monroe was a couple hours drive from Summersville. Deidre was glad that he wouldn’t be another witness to her humiliation.
A clang of locks sounded and the door opened, giving them access to the interior of the department. The sheriff kept one hand locked around her arm as he tugged her along the narrow hall toward the back of the building. The building was quiet except for the hum of ceiling fans and the occasional static from the dispatcher’s radio.
They passed several small side rooms and the sheriff’s personal office on the way to the holding cell at the back of the building. She couldn’t believe he was actually going to lock her in it.
“Don’t I get a phone call?” she demanded, feeling an unexpected burst of panic at being at his mercy.
“Eventually.” He replied to her question and then shot at order at Bill. “See that I’m not disturbed while I interrogate my prisoner.”
“Interrogate?” muttered Deidre. “You interrogate people for traffic violations?”
He leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Only the trés trés bonne ones.” The very, very beautiful ones.
His compliment was intensified by the molasses slowness of his words and the heavy Cajun accent. The blatant flattery accompanied by the warmth of his breath created an ache deep inside of her. Blood began to throb throughout her body and settle low in her stomach. Did this gorgeous, sexy man really think she was beautiful? Was it wicked of her to care?
With pale hair, pale eyes and a pale complexion, her looks were far from stunning. She considered her features nondescript and describing herself as attractive might even be a stretch. Luc was the only man who’d ever made her feel beautiful, but the sheriff’s compliment stroked her ego. Her self-esteem had been running pretty low lately. She suspected her husband might be cheating on her and she was greedy for masculine attention.
They both knew that the sheriff’s actions were strictly personal. He wanted her all to himself for a while and was using his authority to get what he wanted. Deidre would have been appalled if she weren’t so flattered. At this point, she was going along with his little game out of blatant curiosity. What did he want and how far was he prepared to go to get it?
He guided her into one of two small jail cells. The tiny room had no windows. Each cell backed up against the outside wall with iron bars on the other three sides. There was a small cot against the brick wall. Boudreaux nudged her towards it and she took a seat. Quivering with a strange mixture of wariness and anticipation, she watched as he headed back toward the outer door.
Damn, but the man had a great rear end. His slacks fit snuggly against a first-rate ass that looked as hard and tight as the rest of him. She admired it and his long, muscled legs as he moved around the small space. He tossed his hat toward the outside door and Deidre realized he’d thrown it over one of the two cameras trained on the cell.
Next he started tugging his shirt from the waistband of his pants and caught her breath in amazement. He stood with his back against a wall, keeping himself out of range of the second camera. Then he took his time unbuttoning his shirt, watching her as she watched him with growing astonishment.
Once he’d unfastened his shirt, he tossed it over the second camera. Now there’d be no video evidence of anything that went on in the room. Deidre’s heart thudded painfully in her cheat. The excitement of the forbidden churned inside of her. Sweat trickled down her spine as she wriggled on the thin mattress that covered the cot.
She couldn’t stop her gaze from roaming over his bare chest. It was broad and hard with well-defined pectorals. Silky black hair curled around dark male nipples and then arrowed toward his belt buckle.
Her mouth went dry. She licked her lips as her gaze roamed lower. His erection, long and thick, strained against his slacks. She watched in amazement as the sheriff reached for his zipper and slowly lowered it, freeing his big penis from the layers of cloth. The bulbous purple head sprung from its nest of dark curls and stood at rigid attention, taunting her like a hungry beast.
Heart pounding madly in her breast, she mentally lectured herself about propriety, listing all the reasons she shouldn’t be fascinated by what was happening between the two of them. The sheriff obviously wanted sex. Exactly what sort of sexual activity, she wasn’t sure. Had he lost his mind? Had she lost hers for even considering it? For not screaming bloody murder?
He moved closer and the tiny cell seemed to shrink even more. “I’m a happily married woman.” The tightness of her throat made the comment sound weak and breathless.
“That you are,” he agreed, his tone deep with primitive hunger. “I haven’t forgotten you belong to Luc.”
He came toward her slowly and she shifted as far back on the cot as possible. With her hands still bound behind her back, she didn’t have much room to maneuver. She used them to support her weight and leaned backward. It gave her a little space but the action also thrust her breasts against the thin material of her blouse and made the buttons strain. Her nipples poked out wantonly.
The sheriff inched closer and used his legs to spread hers wide. Then he stepped between her knees. Deidre felt cool air tickle the inside of her thighs. Her shorts rode up, tightening against her crotch. His heat and scent engulfed her, making her whole body throb with matching desire.
He shifted until his bobbing penis was only inches from her face and she licked her lips again. “I won’t have sex with you,” she protested huskily.
“I wouldn’t expect you to, Sugar,” he drawled gruffly, his tone so thick with desire that it made her toes curl. “But you’ve been livin’ in my Parish over a year now and it’s high time we get better acquainted.”
Dragging her gaze from his penis, she tilted her head back farther and stared into his eyes. His features were tight, his expression hot with desire. The blue of his gaze was ablaze with masculine demand. He was pushing her. Challenging her to abandon her inhibitions and accept the raw sexuality between them.
Deidre bit her lower lip as he reached out and combed his fingers through her hair, gently shoving it behind her shoulders. Then he cupped his big, hot hands around her neck and massaged the tight muscles. She watched his face as he did a visual survey of her features, flattering her with his keen attention. If she hadn’t already been sitting, she’d have fallen to the floor in a quivering heap.
His hands slid across her shoulders, sliding under the fabric of her blouse. Then he captured her gaze again as he slid one hand to the top button.
“S’il vous plait?” he asked.
He was asking if he could
unfasten her blouse. And so politely. Deidre wondered if he knew how much she wanted his touch. Could he see how hard her pulse was pounding? Did her breathing sound as ragged to him as it did to her? Could he smell her body’s musky reaction to his seductive efforts?
Words were beyond her at this point, so she just nodded and his fingers slipped the first button out of its hole. She watched his face in breathless fascination as he undid each button in painfully slow motion, and then spread the sides of the blouse wide, baring her chest. Her breasts felt heavy and swollen, her nipples rigid and achy. She felt more exposed than she’d ever felt in her lifetime as his brilliant blue gaze caressed her.
“Trés bonne,” he murmured, cupping her breasts in his hands and kneading them while brushing his thumbs over the nipples.
Deidre swallowed a wild cry of satisfaction when he applied more pressure to her nipples. His hands were rough with calluses, yet infinitely gentle rubbing, plumping and stroking her. Her whole body turned to putty. She watched him watching her until the pleasure got too intense. Then she closed her eyes and rolled her head from side to side. Her chest rose on each harsh breath, begging for more attention.
Boudreaux slid one hand behind her back and pulled her to the edge of the cot, then thrust a leg between her thighs. He rubbed it against her pussy and she moaned her approval, arching her hips and grinding herself against him, soaking them both with her juices.
“Feel good, petite amour?” Little love. His tone was low and hoarse. “I can make you feel even better.”
Deidre moaned as he leaned down, took a nipple in his mouth and sucked deeply. She stifled a cry and ground herself against his leg, but couldn’t get close enough. Writhing and groaning, she needed so much more.
Boudreaux switched his mouth to her other nipple, biting it, and then soothing it with a long, slow lick of his tongue. Next he sucked it deeply into his mouth and she nearly came apart. He wrapped one arm around her waist and slid the other hand under the waistband of her shorts. She gasped, tossing her head from side to side.
Cajun Sheriff Page 2
