Tri-Tip (Grade-A Beefcakes 3)

Hell yeah, I’d talked about Parker to Kemp and Poe. She was The One. I’d thought it after seeing her again at the ranch, and I was positive now. Just seeing her… all ball busting and sweetness rolled into one gorgeous package, and I knew Kemp had to agree. I had a history with her, so I could talk dirty to her without being slapped. No, Parker wasn’t one to slap. She’d knee me in the balls and then make earrings out of them. From the interest in her eyes, I was safe from that. I could talk about her pussy, let her know my dick was hard for her. It wasn’t going to scare her off. It hadn’t yet. If Kemp did so, he’d come across as a total sleaze. But I couldn’t miss his interest.

“Either you’re into county politics and I’m infamous in my new job or this guy’s been blabbing,” she said, pointing at me.

“I know since Sheriff Hogan died, the city council voted to hire a temporary replacement. Since it’s an elected position, they decided to have someone fill the spot until November when people can decide who gets the job, either Hogan’s son, Liam, or Mark Beirstad. Or you. You’re that replacement.”

“That’s right,” she confirmed.

“But Gus did blab,” he added with a wink. “It’s nice to meet the ex-girlfriend. The one who got away.”

Parker’s mouth fell open and she stared at me with those big, dark eyes. I could read her mind: The one who got away? I shrugged, but didn’t say anything. She hadn’t dumped me. I hadn’t broken up with her. We’d just run out of time. She’d headed to Vermont and I’d gone to Minnesota for college, both of us focused and driven when it came to school, and we’d grown apart. Moved on. Until now. Now we were going back and picking up where we left off. But this time, hopefully, with Kemp and Poe joining in on the fun.

“Tell me what’s up with your dog.” Kemp angled his head toward the building. It was clear Parker was glad he’d changed the topic. I’d come on strong and Kemp, while not being forward at all, was a lot for a woman to take in. The way Parker couldn’t help but look him over proved that.

“Oh, he’s… I mean, she’s not mine. I found her out on County Road Seven. I brought her in to make sure she’s all right.”

He glanced behind him into the waiting area. “I’d like to drop the fucker who dumped her out there and see how he does without any food, water or shelter.” He ran his hand over the back of his neck. “She doesn’t look too rough, considering, so I’m guessing she hasn’t been out there too long.” He glanced at Parker, then me. “I’ll take her in the back and see if she’s chipped.”

Kemp went back inside and we were alone.

“Any trouble with that trespasser?” she asked as if trying to make small talk.

I was amused. I could tell she was a little flustered, but hid it well. She was a past lover. More than that. Parker hadn’t been a one-night stand. Far from it. We’d shared first love. Lots of firsts. It was a little awkward remembering what we’d done together, trying different positions in my old pickup truck, and a smile tugged at my lips at how fun it had been with her. Playing, discovering. Knowing she hadn’t seen me at my finest.

She knew what I looked like naked, knew what I looked like when I came. We hadn’t been all that adventurous since there weren’t very many places we could have fooled around. I had three siblings and my house had always been crazy. There was no way we could have done anything in my room. And Parker’s house? I’d snuck in once through her bedroom window, but we’d had to be really quiet since the place was small and the walls thin. And I’d learned that Parker was a screamer when she came, and that would have been bad with her mom down the hall. I knew she’d been close with her mom, but not that close.

I ran my fingers idly through my beard, and she watched as if she wished she could do it herself. “You know more about the charges than we do, but the guy hasn’t been back.” Some fucker had framed Ava’s dad for insider trading and wanted to marry her to get the rest of her family’s money. Which was a shit-ton. Ava had no interest in the guy, not even before she’d gotten hot and heavy with my brother, Tucker, and Colton Ridge. The guy had shown up at the ranch just to fuck with her, and that had pissed everyone off. “Ava doesn’t have to worry about the loser anymore.”

Besides Ava having the law on her side, she had the entire Duke family and other men like Colton, Jed and the ranch hands to keep an eye out. She might take Jed’s name when they married, but she’d still belong to Tucker as well. She’d still be my sister-in-law. I wasn’t sure how well Parker knew Ava, but maybe they’d met before, especially since Ava owned and ran the Seed and Feed.

“Things were a little crazy that day, but I wanted to talk with you,” I added. Fuck, had I ever. And not just talked. One look at her after all these years and I’d wanted to toss her over my shoulder and carry her someplace private so we could get to know each other again… in all ways. Like whether she whimpered and still clenched right before she came. Or if she liked having her shoulder nipped as I took her from behind, like a stallion would a mare. Get her on her knees and have her swallow me down as those dark eyes looked up at me.

But she’d been working and I had no intention of interfering with her job. After she left, I’d had to go and jerk off in the bathroom just like I had as a teenager.

She’d brought the dog to the clinic in her role as sheriff, so talking dirty might not be the best idea while she was working, but I didn’t think the animal was going to tell anyone.

We walked inside and she took in the place. The three of us—me, Kemp and Poe—had met at vet school and decided early on we’d go into practice together and

opened shop two years ago. Bought the building and the practice off of a woman who’d wanted to retire. Not only did we work together, we’d claim a woman together too, but up until Parker had returned to Raines, we hadn’t known who that would be.

Now we did. I wasn’t sure how she’d go for it the idea of three guys claiming her. My oldest brother, Landon—nicknamed Duke even though it was all our last names—and Jed Cassidy, were in a relationship with the town librarian and should have made a stir. It wasn’t like they gave a shit what people thought, but Kaitlyn wouldn’t want to lose her job because of uptight townspeople. But right after they’d been pussy whipped, Tucker and Colton Ridge fell for Ava, even asked her to marry them. No one in town really seemed to care. My parents didn’t. Hell, they were thrilled that grandchildren were possibilities.

I wasn’t thinking kids with Parker… I had to get inside her again first, but based on how the town reacted to my brothers’ relationships, she could still be sheriff—hopefully—and be with three men without anyone freaking out. But, her job depended on votes—if her name was on the ballot—so we had to think of image. But right now, staring at her, what I wanted with Parker was none of the town’s damned business and no one was going to stop me.

“A little,” she agreed with a smile.

I stared at her blankly for a moment, having forgotten what we’d been talking about. Right, her picking up Perry the Prick from the ranch.

“Have dinner with me,” I said, done waiting. Having her in front of me made me want to grab her and never let go. But dinner was good. Smart. Talk first, fuck after. That was my brain thinking. My dick thought backwards was better. Fuck now, eat later.

She stopped in her tracks, turned and looked up at me, her mouth open as if she were going to say—hopefully—yes.

“No chip,” Kemp called, walking out of one of the exam rooms, not realizing he’d pretty much cock blocked me. Himself, too, in fact. The dog was right at his side, tongue hanging out as if she were smiling. “I did a test and no worms either. Until someone left her out in the middle of nowhere, she appears to be well taken care of. Good temperament. She’s a little dehydrated and probably could use a good meal—”

“She had my sandwich in the SUV,” Parker said.

Kemp smiled. Oh, that smile had dropped lots of panties in the past. I had to hope it was at least making Parker’s wet.

“You must be hungry then. Come eat with us,” I offered. “The vet tech is on her break and we’re in the back room.”