The Truth Within (Pelican Bay 3)

I checked the water on the stove and after confirming it wasn’t too hot, I poured it into some Ziploc bags and sealed them. As I worked, I had Ford answer questions to make sure he didn’t fall asleep, but I kept them simple. I confirmed the bags wouldn’t leak, then wrapped them with thin kitchen towels and returned to Ford’s side.

“Ford, I need to put these against your skin to help warm you up, okay?”

Ford nodded. He still looked drowsy, but not as out of it. I was relieved to see his lips didn’t look as blue anymore.

I eased my hands beneath the blankets to place the bags on his upper thighs, then reached for the blanket wrapped around his chest. I did my best to ignore the sight of his sculpted abs and nearly hairless chest. I reached for his arms and carefully folded them across his upper body, then tucked the bags between his forearms and his chest so he could hold the bags in place himself.

“Keep them there,” I said softly.

I looked up to see that Ford’s blue eyes were fastened on me. He was definitely more aware now. Our positions made it so that I was just a tiny bit lower than him. The idea of him leaning down and placing his mouth over mine became like a living, breathing thing inside of me and it was all I could do to not reach for him.

“Here,” I said as I tucked the corner of the blanket into one of his hands so he could hold the thing closed. I did the same with the other corner. I’d hoped to ease my growing desire by hiding his body from view, but not surprisingly, it didn’t work.

Especially with the way he was still looking at me.

I had to fist my hands to keep from reaching for his face the way I wanted to.

“What ’bout you?” he asked, his speech still slightly slurred but clearer than it’d been when I’d first gotten him into the house.

I was freezing, but taking my pants off anywhere in Ford’s vicinity really wasn’t a good idea, no matter what the circumstances.

“I’m good,” I said as I made a move to stand. Ford’s hand clumsily shot out and he ended up brushing his fingers along my throat and settling his palm on my chest. Although I wore the traditional sheriff’s uniform of a tan button-down shirt, black undershirt, and green pants, Pelican Bay wasn’t big on formality, so I wasn’t wearing a tie and I’d left the top buttons of the shirt open. So Ford’s calloused fingertips came into direct contact with my skin.

And my dick reacted accordingly.

“You’re cold,” he said softly. His eyes had dropped to where he was touching me. It was all I could do to stifle a moan when he began running his pointer finger along the edge of my shirt, then over the undershirt I was wearing. I pretty much had to bite down on my tongue to keep from making a sound when his finger pulled the collar of the undershirt down just enough so he could see a bit of my chest hair. But when he seemed to make a move to actually touch them, I quickly stood up.

“I’m fine,” I insisted. I heard sirens in the distance and by the time my befuddled mind and aroused body began working in sync again, someone was knocking on the front door. “Stay here, I’ll be right back. Keep those blankets on.”

My voice sounded gruff and angry and Ford responded by quickly nodding and dropping his eyes.

“Fuck,” I whispered beneath my breath as I hurried from the room.

“Sheriff Wells?”

His voice caught me right before I reached the doorway that led to the living room. I didn’t look at him, but I did wait for him to say whatever he needed to.

“Thank you, Sheriff… for…” He paused, then shakily said, “Everything.”

So I was Sheriff Wells again, not Cam.

That was good.

It meant he was feeling better.

Then why the fuck did I suddenly feel like shit?

“Just doing my job,” I lied as I left the room to answer the door.

I didn’t look back at him.

Chapter Four

Ford

I knew it normally only took about twenty minutes to get to Greenville General hospital because I’d driven myself there a couple of times when Jimmy’s fists had done more damage than I could treat myself. But with lights and sirens and the way Cam hit the gas as soon as we got out of downtown Pelican Bay, I knew it probably would take half the time.

It still seemed like forever, though.

My body still felt like one big block of ice and my fingers and toes were tingling like they’d fallen asleep on me, but the firefighter who’d quickly examined me had said that was actually a good sign because it meant my circulation was starting to get back to normal. But he’d still recommended I get checked out by a doctor. I’d tried telling Cam I was fine once the firefighter left, but he’d said it wasn’t up for debate in a no-nonsense tone that would have had other parts of my body tingling if I hadn’t been so damn cold.