“Where?”
When I turned back, the man was gone. I shrugged, figuring I’d imagined he was glaring at Dylan in particular. “He’s gone. Let’s go see how much money Autumn talked Brian into spending on that carved herd of horses.” They’d come with us but had stopped to talk to an artist about doing a special-order wood piece for their new home. Still disturbed by what I might or might not have seen, I kept my eye out for the man but didn’t see him again. It had to have been my imagination.
Spending the day at Dylan’s side, seeing him at work even when he wasn’t supposed to be working, gave me new insights into the man. It seemed he’d already learned the names of most of Blue Ridge Valley’s residents, and he stopped to talk to each one when we came across them, asking about their kids or grandchildren or even their dog.
Everyone had apparently heard about Daisy, the new police dog, and wanted to know where she was. Unsure how she’d react to crowds, Dylan had left her home. That seemed to be a disappointment to all those wanting to meet her.
It was obvious that the town loved their new police chief. As for me being with him, I was getting mixed reactions. No one said anything, but I was good at reading people’s faces. By the stink eye the single women gave me, they didn’t like that he’d been claimed. I didn’t blame them. What they didn’t know was that they’d have their chance with him once I was gone. That made me want to gouge their eyes out.
“How do you already know everyone’s names and stuff about them?” I asked after a while.
He slung an arm around my shoulder, tugging me closer. “Homework, Red. I’ve done my homework.”
“Well, I for one am impressed.”
“Come over tonight after you get off, and I’ll really impress you.” He peered down at me and waggled his eyebrows, making me laugh.
Too soon it was time for me to go home and get ready to go to work. Dylan walked me to my car, as I’d driven so he could stick around and keep an eye on things. He backed me up to the door, then gave me a searing kiss.
“Will I see you tonight?” he asked when we came up for air.
I put my hand on his jaw. “Looking forward to it.”
He pressed his face against my palm. “Not as much as me.”
Iwalkedout of Dylan’s shower, wearing nothing but a towel. He wasn’t in the bedroom, so I went looking for my sexy man. I found him in the living room, sitting in a leather chair, wearing nothing but the black lounge pants I loved on him.
“Come here, Red.”
“Give me one good reason.”
He cocked a brow, spread his legs, and pointed between them.
I cocked a brow right back at him. “Are you saying there’s something between your legs I might be interested in?”
He smirked. “I think you already know the answer to that.”
Truth. I walked halfway to him, then stopped and dropped the towel, swallowing my own smirk when his breath hitched. Power over a man was a heady thing, and right now, based on how hard he was gripping the arms of his chair and by the heat shimmering in his eyes, I had the power.
“Jenny Girl,” he murmured when I stepped between his legs.
He put his hands on my thighs, pressing his fingers into my skin. His touch, the heat seeping into my pores where Dylan’s palms pressed against me, the way he looked at me… All of it almost brought me to my knees. I didn’t love him. I didn’t.
How many times had I told myself there wasn’t a man in the world who could keep me from making Natalie’s and my dream come true? Not even this man. I did not love him. But I could someday. If he was still around when I came back.
Words tumbled from my mind to the back of my teeth, words that would beg him to wait for me. I somehow managed to stop them. It wouldn’t be fair to ask such a thing from this beautiful man who deserved more than a promise that I’d return to him someday.
Dylan couldn’t know that all he’d probably have to do to get me to stay was ask. I blinked away the tears that were burning my eyes, forcing a smile. “Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?” I said, doing my best to imitate Mae West’s voice in whatever that movie was I’d watched with Autumn.
“It’s definitely not a gun.” Dylan pulled me onto his lap. “Did you have fun today?”
“Yes.” He settled one hand under my hair on the back of my neck while his fingers caressed my breasts, moving from one to the other. It was impossible to think when he touched me like that. I settled against him, resting my head on his shoulder.
His eyes deepened to a dark, shimmering brown. “You’re so damn gorgeous, Jenny Girl.”
“You’re not so bad yourself, Chief.”
He leaned toward me, melding our mouths.
