“She might have her hands full.” He turns those sexy eyes on me, and I almost cave.
Can’t do that. “We look out for each other.”
He slides a large hand in his front pocket. “Have a nice day, Tabitha.”
He’s letting me go for now, but it’s getting harder to resist the temptation.
Four
Chad
Red velvet lips and soft brown waves are on my mind as I roll over in bed to stop my blasting alarm. For a minute I blink at the white wall, regaining my bearings and thinking how it’s the third time in a week I’ve opened my eyes on the tail end of a dream.
A nice, round tail end.
One that leads up to a narrow waist, full tits, sassy green eyes and a broad, white smile. The dream is gone, and I’m left with a tent in my sheets. Shit.
I groan, tossing them aside and getting up. I came here to find peace. Getting mixed up with a girl like Tabitha Green is a recipe for disaster. I need coffee and a wake-up call. A mental smack in the face and a stern Snap out of it.
My bare feet pad on the warm hardwoods of my warehouse apartment over the sheriff’s office, and I stumble to the bathroom to take care of business and get to work.
After surprising both Tabby and me with that spontaneous lunch invitation, I’d spent the afternoon with Sheriff Cole, listening to his old war stories from the days when Oceanside Vill
age was the center of tourism, before the strip of land now known as Oceanside Beach was developed.
That billion-dollar development resulted in a lot of bad blood between the business community and the man who developed it, but it also cut way down on the petty crime here.
In the past, I enjoyed spending an afternoon that way. I’d spent the better part of last year getting back to normal, learning how to believe in something again.
Clearly I’m cured. I can’t get fucking Tabby Green out of my mind.
I’m in my car in less than thirty minutes, ready for café au lait and beignets when I take my foot off the gas. “What the—?”
Tabby is walking on the side of the road about a half-mile from town. Her long legs are bare leading up to tight, navy short-shorts and a red and white checked short sleeved shirt. It’s knotted in the front, and her dark hair hangs over one shoulder in a thick, curled ponytail. I growl, shaking a vision of me wrapping that dark rope around my fist from my mind. She’s a sexy little pinup with white sunglasses perched on her nose.
My dick perks up at the sight of her, and I have to shift in my seat. It’s a bad idea, but I pull to the shoulder, slowing down as I approach.
“Oh!” She skips back, reaching up to lower her sunglasses so she can peer at me over the frames.
I come to a stop when I reach her. “Good morning, Miss Green.” Her cheeks turn pink, and fuck me. It’s sexy as hell.
Still, she’s defiant, which only encourages the heat in my groin. “Good morning, Deputy Tucker. Do you mind?”
“Mind… what?” My brow furrows, and I look side to side.
“You’re blocking my way to work.”
“I was going to offer you a ride.” Glancing down at her shoes, I cut my eyes up to hers. “Those aren’t made for walking, especially not on this highway.”
She inhales deeply, and I divert my eyes from the swell of her breasts. She really is the real deal. She also knows I’m right—even if she’s pretending like she doesn’t.
“Come on, Tabby, I don’t bite.” I give her a grin. “Until I know you better.”
Her eyes widen, and I love that I throw her off balance. Surprise melts quickly into a frown, however, and she starts walking again. “I like the exercise.”
Lifting my foot off the brake, I turn the wheel so the cruiser rolls slowly, keeping pace with her journey on the shoulder of the road. Her chin is lifted, and we continue a bit farther, her giving me the silent treatment.
Teasing her seems to come naturally to me. “You should wear tennis shoes if you need exercise.”