Enticed (Two Marks 3)

These guys? Far from duds where my ovaries were concerned.

“Who are those two hotties over there, do you know?” I hid my stare under the brim of my cowgirl hat.

Trina’s face brightened at my question, and she didn’t bother to be subtle. She twisted fully around to gawk.

“That's Sheriff Cooke,” she said, like he wasn’t the most incredible specimen of manhood she’d ever seen. “I don't know who the other one is. And they are hotties.”

I finally looked up, sneaking a glance.

“He's DEA,” I murmured, not taking my eyes off the two of them. I couldn’t decide which one I thought was hotter. They weren’t in their uniforms any longer. Plain clothes or uniform—either way, they looked good. Good enough to eat. And at my front door earlier, they’d definitely been looking at me like they were hungry.

Regardless of my attraction, Sheriff Cooke was the asshole my dad had told me about. The one who’d harassed him last year over the wolf issue. The one my dad had yelled at me to steer clear of.

I got that wolves were protected, but I also knew how much it sucked to have a wolf picking off the herd. I’d seen that happen a few times. I totally understood why it made ranchers go berserk, especially on a ranch the size of ours, since the livestock couldn’t be watched or protected all the time.

“So you already know?” Melissa asked with a sly smile. “Hell, they're both gorgeous, so let's go over there and talk to them. The sheriff’s single, at least. I wouldn't mind a little law enforcement action.” She waggled her blonde eyebrows to match her grin.

“Too bad I’m taken,” Trina said, waving her left hand to make her engagement ring sparkle in the bar lighting.

For some reason, the idea of Melissa and me going over there and maybe pairing off with one of these guys each put my teeth on edge. As if I wanted both of them, and didn’t want to share with Melissa—or anyone, and that made absolutely no sense. Interested in two guys? Two guys who seemed to be friends? Maybe I only wanted first pick so I could make up my mind. Of course, I didn’t want both for myself. That would be absurd.

Still…

I shook my head. “No, they may be hot—” total understatement of the century, “—but they were out on my ranch today, insinuating we were part of some meth problem. My father hates their guts, pretty much. Which means they’re jerks, for sure.”

Jerks I couldn’t take my eyes off. Jerks who protected endangered wolves. Who showed up on angry people’s doorsteps mentioning drugs.

“Meth?” Trina asked, staring at me as if I’d changed languages all of a sudden.

“Meth,” I confirmed.

Melissa frowned. “Yeah. Isn’t that part of the appeal, though? Showing up about some dangerous and nefarious issue?”

Trina laughed. “Nefarious?”

“Whatever,” Melissa countered, clearly not concerned about meth in their hometown. “Those two are alpha males through and through. I think the testosterone is pumping off of them in waves.” She tapped her finger to her chin. “Maybe they have handcuffs in the car…”

“You don’t have to like them to fuck one of them, Al,” Trina reminded me.

“And I’ll take the other!” Melissa added, way too chirpily.

God, I was normally more than willing to share anything with friends—clothes, knowledge, contacts.

Just not men, I guessed.

I hopped from the stool. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go give them a piece of my mind, not sleep with either of them.”

Fortunately, Melissa took the hint and didn’t get up. “Sure you don’t need help?”

“I’m sure.” I finished my Jack and ginger, and stomped my way to the back where the two men were sitting. The DEA guy saw me coming and said something to his partner. Both men stood when I got there, like gentlemen. Like this was a date, and not me giving them a piece of my mind.

“Officers,” I said coolly. I was tall for a woman, but they still had a few inches on me.

The sheriff pulled out a chair between them in clear invitation. I looked at it. I’d had no plan to sit down between them, but his assumption that I would made it a tiny bit appealing.

“Ali,” Agent Decker rumbled, remembering my name. Once again, his expression was hungry.

It made my nipples stand up inside my bra, and heat travel from my center all the way down the insides of my legs.

“Sheriff.” I nodded the brim of my cowgirl hat at him without a smile.

“You can call me Holt. This is Theo. Please, have a seat. Can I get you a drink?” he asked, his voice deep and smooth.

I shook my head. “No, I don’t need a drink and I don’t need a seat,” I said, trying to remember the tirade I’d rehearsed on my way over. “I’m just wondering why in the hell you two were knocking on my door today. Maybe you don’t know this—” I looked pointedly at Theo, the out-of-town DEA agent, “—but my family has had that ranch for over a hundred years. We’re the oldest ranching family in the state. We’re running a million dollar business out there.”