Tri-Tip (Grade-A Beefcakes 3)

I’d explained I needed to get in front of Parker. Thankfully, he’d somehow understood I was pussy whipped—and in the dog house—with the sheriff. He was also smart enough to know I would do whatever it took with Parker and was content to keep his face arranged as it was, so he’d opened the back seat of his cruiser like a chauffeur and I climbed on in.

And finally, two hours later, Parker came in. Gus and Kemp followed, but leaned against the concrete wall and crossed their arms. They were going to listen, but I could tell they had no intention of getting involved. They were right, I had to fix this. It was on me.

She stood before the bars looking perfect. Sexy as hell. But her eyes didn’t have that fierce, powerful woman gaze I was used to.

Wariness was there. Emptiness, too. All because of me.

“I’m sorry,” I said.

Her dark brow winged up, but she said nothing. Her hands went to her utility belt, and she tucked her fingers in.

“I told you I was protective.” I moved to stand right in front of her, my hands gripping the bars.

“Possessive. I warned you.”

“You can’t put the blame on me,” she countered.

I sighed. “I’m still fucking things up. Sweetheart, but now you know how much. I shouldn’t have gone to Porter Duke about a job. That was wrong. You’re smart and capable without me. But I’m struggling to deal with the fact the woman I love might be hurt. Or worse.”

Her mouth fell open and she just stared.

“Yes. Love. There are so many wives whose husbands are police or sheriffs or whatever and struggle with the possibility that they might not come home at the end of shift. Some deal, some don’t. I’m trying. I will try.”

She nodded, but didn’t say anything.

I took a deep breath, let it out. “But the other. I’m sure I hurt you far worse. You gave me something precious and I… I… fuck.”

Tears filled her eyes and I reached through the bars to brush one away. “Your submission is perfect. Beautiful. I should never, never have thrown it back in your face. If you’ll give me a second chance, I promise, vow, to do everything in my power to gain your trust back.”

“I’m taking a job with Porter Duke at the DA’s office,” she said.

She hadn’t moved, let me stroke my thumb over the silky skin of her cheek.

“No. I won’t let you. You’re the sheriff and you shouldn’t give that up because one of your men is a dumbass.”

“You are a dumbass,” she agreed. “But I’m not taking the job because of you. It’s been arranged since summer. It was part of my contract that this was only temporary. Porter’s been waiting for me to start after the election.”

“But what about—”

“She never put her name on the ballot,” Kemp said, stepping toward us.

I looked to him, then Parker. “You never—”

She shook her head.

“Why didn’t you say?”

She shrugged. “It never came up.”

Fuck, I wouldn’t have turned into a fucking lunatic if I’d known, if her job had been temporary. “I’m glad it didn’t,” I admitted. “I made a shit show of things because of it, but now you see who I am. And I know who you are. Independent. Strong. Brave. Fierce. I can’t stifle any of that because that’s what I love about you.”

She leaned forward and we kissed, our foreheads pressed into the bars.

Ah, the sweet feel of her lips. The feel of my heart opening and letting Parker settle within.

She took the keys from her belt to unlock the cell door.

“Think twice about letting him out, pixie,” Gus said. “You’ve got him completely at your mercy.”