Beautiful Lawman

by Sophie Jordan

  She released a breath, somewhat mollified.

  He went on. “Go home. Relax.”

  Home. He meant his home. It wasn’t her home. It was dangerous to think of his home as her own.

  “All right.” She moved for the door.

  “Piper.” She stopped and glanced back, suddenly eager to be away from this room that smelled of sex and sin and never-going-back. “We will talk about this when I get home.”

  Talk.

  She could already imagine how that conversation would go.

  This was a mistake.

  It can never happen again.

  Maybe he would even throw in an apology. Like this was something he had done to her and she hadn’t been a willing participant. That would be very like him. The honorable sheriff/town golden boy taking responsibility. Saving the day. Holding the door open for everything with a uterus. It couldn’t have been her fault. She couldn’t have wanted it as much as he did. Forget that she had goaded him into it.

  His expression revealed nothing. Once again, he was the stoic, stiff-lipped lawman she had first seen at Joe’s months ago.

  He no longer looked like the man from moments earlier, so entirely shattered and undone with his need for her. He looked in control and unfeeling as hell.

  Wrong or not, she missed the other him.

  “I’ll see you back at your house.” Turning, she walked out of his office.

  Twenty-One

  Piper went home and showered, washing away all evidence of what happened between her and Hale. Well, all visible evidence anyway. What happened today would forever bear a mark on her. She couldn’t take a breath without feeling him. Aside of the acute tenderness between her legs, her skin ached with the memory of him. And her heart . . . Well, she didn’t know what her heart felt, but it felt something. It felt a great deal and that was a problem she didn’t want or need.

  After her shower, she decided to keep her appointment to view the house. She met with the Realtor and walked through the small three-bedroom located within walking distance from the high school. A definite perk for Malia. It also had a garage and backyard with a small covered patio. It was more than anything they’d ever had for themselves. They could make a home here. It could be something good—great, even—for Malia. For Piper, it was more than she deserved.

  Unfortunately, she couldn’t move in for another two weeks. Knowing she might not find anything better or available, she filled out the lease application before leaving. Somehow she would deal with living with Hale for two more weeks. Or maybe not. Maybe they would check into a motel. After what happened between them, she couldn’t imagine living under his roof for even one more day. How could she manage it?

  It was just after one when she finished up with the Realtor, so she decided to stop at the store for groceries to make dinner. It wasn’t that she was feeling particularly domestic or that she wanted to play house with Hale. The man had been cooking for them, and it was time she did her share of the work and returned the favor. She knew how to make a few dishes and chicken enchiladas happened to be one of them.

  She bought the necessary ingredients, including food for a few lunches for her and Malia. She even bought chocolate chip cookie dough. It had been a while since she had baked cookies. It felt good to have money in her bank account so that buying cookie dough didn’t feel like such a splurge.

  She was loading groceries into her trunk when she thought she heard someone calling her name. Looking up, she scanned the parking lot. There were just the regular shoppers on a Monday afternoon. Mostly stay-at-home moms with their toddlers and retirees. No one paid her any mind.

  Shrugging, she slammed her trunk shut and got into her car. She strapped on her seat belt and started the car. Looking up, she gasped at the man standing directly in front of her bumper.

  At first it was his sudden presence that surprised her. And then it was him. She knew him. Oh. God.

  It had been several years but she had never forgotten the face of any one of her high school tormenters. Limned in sunlight, he stared at her intently through her dirt-smudged windshield. One of his hands was tucked into the pocket of his jeans; the other hand he lifted in a wave that was chilling in its casualness. Because there was nothing casual about the way he had terrorized her in high school.

  What was he doing here? Did he think to pick up where he left off in high school?

  Her adrenaline raced as she slammed the gear into reverse and backed out of the spot, nearly colliding into another vehicle in the process. The other driver laid on the horn, but she didn’t care. Her flight instinct kicked in and all she could think was: get away get away get away.

  And she did. As fast as she could drive, she whipped through the parking lot and left the grocery store behind.

  Once on the highway, she relaxed her grip on the steering wheel and expelled her breath. Her adrenaline wasn’t nearly as easy to calm. She hadn’t seen Colby Mathers since graduation. Since he went away to college. He was one of those kids. The ones destined for better things like college. After all these years, she never expected to see him again.

  By the time she got back to the house, she was still shaking. She brought her groceries inside and started unloading them, telling herself it was no big deal. The guy had probably been back for years and this was the first time she came face-to-face with him. It was probably pure chance. And even if it wasn’t, it didn’t matter. He wasn’t going to do anything to her. Years had passed. He wasn’t her bully. She wasn’t his victim. Not anymore.

  When she heard the front door open, she snatched a knife from the dish rack and whirled around. She wasn’t expecting anyone home this time of day.

  Hale stepped inside the house and raised both hands up in the air at the sight of her with the knife. He arched an eyebrow and said teasingly, “Don’t stab me.”

  “Hale.” She lowered the would-be weapon.

  “Should I have rung the doorbell?”

  “Of course not. It’s your house. You just startled me.” She put the knife back in the rack and resumed putting away the last of the groceries.

  “You went shopping?” He looked over the bags on the counter.

  “Yes. And I met with a Realtor and looked at a rental house.” Turning, she put a carton of juice in the fridge.

  “Today? Already?”

  She nodded, grateful that she had something to do with her hands and somewhere else to look. “I signed a lease.”

  “That fast?”

  “Yes. The bad news is we can’t move in for two more weeks.” She glanced at him.

  “That’s not a problem.” His expression gave nothing away and she couldn’t tell if he did mind or didn’t.

  “I was thinking we might check into a motel until we can move in.”

  “That’s not necessary. Save your money.”

  She removed a bunch of bananas and set it on the counter. “Hale, this is . . . awkward.”

  He cocked his head as he studied her. “I’d think after what happened between us nothing could be awkward.”

  Her gaze strayed from his. “I guess this is where we have the talk.”

  “What kind of talk?” She heard him shift and looked up. He leaned against the counter, arms crossed over his broad chest, his expression mild.

  “The . . . after-sex talk,” she supplied.

  He released a breath that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle. “Because you’ve had so many of those talks.”

  She huffed at his reminder that she had been a virgin. “Are you complaining about that fact?”

  His gray eyes seemed to heat as they stared at her. “Not at all. For a novice, you were spectacular.”

  Her cheeks caught fire right along with other parts of her anatomy. He had been spectacular, too.

  She reached inside a bag and took out a jar of peanut butter. Anything to avoid that searing gaze.

  He resumed talking. “I think, in this conversation, we begin with the obvious.”

  “Which is what?”


  “Are you on the pill? Or anything else?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Typically it’s a before-sex conversation, but since we skipped it we should probably cover it now. I know you weren’t actively having sex, but some women take it for other reasons.”

  “I—I’m not on the pill or anything else.”

  He nodded morosely. “I’ll use protection from now on, but you need to get on the pill right away.”

  She gaped. Was he so confident they would continue sleeping together?

  He closed the distance between them, dropping his hands on the counter on either side of her as his deep voice rumbled out from his chest. “Because now that I’ve been inside you without anything between us, I’m not going to want you any other way.”

  If possible, her mouth sagged open wider.

  “You look surprised.”

  She forced her mouth shut and nodded. “What about keeping things professional between us?”

  “Little late for that. In fact, it was too late for that the moment I took that lap dance in the back room.” He closed the distance between them until their bodies were pressed perfectly together, their mouths almost touching. “I’m done deluding myself. How about you?”

  She swallowed but the lump didn’t go away. It remained fully stuck in her throat. No, the only thing she felt slipping away was her resolve.

  “This might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever done,” she whispered. The air thickened between them, charged and electric.

  “What time does your sister get home?”

  “I have to pick her up from practice at four-thirty.”

  “Good.”

  “Why?”

  “We have two hours.” Wrapping his arms around her waist, he kissed her as he lifted her off her feet. She wrapped her legs around him, instinctively knowing what to do. He held her like she weighed nothing at all and carried her down the hall toward his bedroom.

  Once in his room, he tossed her on his bed. She scooted back on her elbows and watched him as he removed his uniform one piece at a time.

  “Why are you grinning?” he asked in a growly voice.

  “I’m just thinking how every woman in Sweet Hill would kill for this striptease.”

  Fully naked, he reached down, yanked off her sandals and tossed them over his shoulder. “These days I only perform for you.”

  Those words shot a thrill straight to her heart. She squeaked as his hands went to the waistband of her leggings and pulled them down in one move.

  Once he’d gotten rid of all her clothes, he came over her, aligning his naked body with hers. She fanned her hands over his chest, her nails scoring his hard chest.

  Staring into his eyes, she had never felt more vulnerable and exposed in her life. He clasped her head with his hands, his big palms rasping her cheeks as he kissed her long and deep . . . until she felt as though she had melted in the bed. It was shocking and delicious and the most erotic thing she had ever experienced.

  She couldn’t help herself. She parted her thighs, welcoming him in. His hips settled in the inviting vee of her legs, his erection lining up along the seam of her.

  “God, you’re already wet down there,” he spoke hoarsely into her mouth.

  She undulated her hips, grinding against him, gasping every time he bumped her swollen clit. He nudged at her opening and she cried out, so ready for him, desperate for penetration.

  “How am I supposed to stop and put on a condom when you feel like this?”

  She made a mewling sound of disappointment when he didn’t just take the plunge and fill her where she most ached.

  He was right. She needed to get on the pill because she didn’t foresee a future without more of this. She didn’t want one. At least for a while. Until she got him out of her system or he got her out of his.

  Forcing herself to lie perfectly still and not pull him close in complete disregard to sanity—she had already committed enough insanity for one day—she bit out through clenched teeth, “Hurry. Get it on, then.”

  With a dark chuckle, he flung himself from the bed and rummaged in his bedside drawer. While he was gone, she couldn’t help herself. She slid one hand between her thighs while her other hand fondled her breast.

  When he came back over her, he paused as his hot gaze slid over her. “Now that’s fucking hot, baby.” Wearing the condom now, he stroked himself as he watched her play with herself.

  “Hale,” she begged, rubbing her clit in hard little circles. “Please. Now.”

  He positioned himself between her thighs, impaling her with a hard thrust. Again and again, he pushed his cock into her until she was arching her back and screaming. Moisture rushed between her legs, slicking the way for him. Their bodies came together in loud smacks.

  Bending his head, he consumed her breast, his tongue and teeth attacking one nipple vigorously. “Taste . . . so sweet,” he gasped as she ran fingers through his hair, tugging on the strands and moving him to her other neglected breast.

  His hands latched on to her waist and he came up with a groan, hammering into her as though his life depended on it. “I told myself I’d go slow . . . gentle this time.”

  She raked her nails down his chest. “Harder,” she gasped.

  His eyes dilated and he did as she commanded. Flipping her over onto all fours, he gave her exactly what she craved, taking her from behind. His cock hit her impossibly deeper, stroking all the nerves in her sex in a new and astonishing way. The edges of her vision blurred as he launched her into an orgasm. She grabbed the headboard with one hand as she rode it out, not coming down from the crest yet before he reached around and started rubbing her oversensitized clit.

  “Too . . . much,” she gasped.

  He lowered his broad chest until his body aligned with hers. “Just fall into it, sweetheart,” he growled into her ear.

  Somehow understanding, or trusting him enough to try, she relented, relaxing and melting into the firm massaging stroke of his fingers. And she came in an intense burst, tears springing to her eyes. She convulsed and shuddered violently.

  “Oh, I feel that, baby. So tight . . . wet . . . you’re squeezing me.” He shot up, giving her one final thrust before he shouted his own release.

  They both froze, locked together as their climaxes overwhelmed them. After an endless moment, he pulled out from her. Lifting away from the bed, he disappeared to toss the condom into a small trash can. Then he was back, pulling her against his side.

  She couldn’t move, too dazed and overcome.

  After a moment, she found her breath to ask, “Is that what I’ve been missing all these years?”

  He laughed lightly. “This is where I say it will never be this good with anyone else.”

  She giggled, her fingers splaying over his impressive chest. Privately, she acknowledged the truth in that. They laughed, but she worried he was right. How could it ever be this good with anyone else?

  Bleakness filled her. Because this—him—could never be hers. This was fleeting. There was no place for him in her life. The sheriff of Sweet Hill could never find happiness with the likes of her. The irony was almost too much. She already felt like a fool for taking things this far. He was a good man. Any number of women deserved to be here in his bed instead of her. Any number of women deserved his heart.

  Just not her.

  The next two days passed in a crawl and Piper knew it was because she and Hale never managed to be alone together. There were no more trysts at home or work. One thing or another kept them apart, but every time their eyes met there was the memory and the heat and the want. The ache never went away. It was a constant pulse inside her. A living, breathing thing that pumped inside her blood. She was certain everyone around them could hear it—or look at her face and read her absolute longing there. Her coworkers, her sister. And yet no one seemed to notice. They carried on with life as though hers had not been torn off its axis.

  On Wednesday she left at lunchtime and drove across town
to drop off her deposit check to her new landlord. She was still moving forward and planning to get her own place. Just because she and Hale were . . . well, she didn’t know what they were, but they were something and whatever that something was didn’t change anything. She wasn’t shacking up with her boss, the sheriff. She wasn’t that dumb. Okay, she was dumb enough to have sex with him twice but she had her limits and living with him was one of them.

  She was back at work in less than thirty minutes. As she stuffed her keys into her purse and hurried across the parking lot, she was calculating how long it would take to warm up a cup of soup and eat it before she needed to relieve Doris.

  “Piper.”

  She froze at the sound of her name. She knew the voice. Even all these years later she could still hear it in her ear. Trash. Hoe. A girl like you belongs on her knees. Why don’t you meet me in the bathroom during lunch and we’ll see how those lips of yours look around my dick.

  Clutching her keys in her hand as though they could serve as some kind of weapon, she turned slowly and faced her high school tormentor.

  “What do you want, Colby?”

  Looking at his face, she knew he could have hurt her even worse than all those ugly words and taunts. They had felt bad enough at the time, but if he’d had his way and the opportunity presented itself, this guy would have broken her.

  “I’ve been trying to get up the nerve to talk to you for weeks now.” The worn tip of his shoe scuffed the ground.

  She glanced toward the door of the building, gauging the distance if she needed to run for it. And yet she was also oddly compelled to face him. It had been seven years. She was a different person now. Not nearly as trusting, but neither was she anyone’s victim. She liked to think she could handle him and anything he threw at her. She needed to know that.

  “Why do you want to talk to me?” Even as she asked the question, she braced herself, expecting the old insults.

  He buried his hands in an old army-green jacket that swallowed him. He’d been heavier in high school. A muscle-bound jock who overloaded his tray with multiple hamburgers at lunch. Now he looked strung-out. Like he hadn’t had a good meal in ages. His cheeks were sunken and his skin had a sickly pallor. “The way I treated you was wrong. I was wrong.”