Mrs. Engles laughed. “Heavens, no. He was a lot more easygoing when he was younger, but, of course, that’s to be expected. What with the hardships his family has faced in recent years.” She tutted, lips turned down at the corners. “Such a shame what they’ve been put through.”
Luna shot a worried gaze in my direction, the concern etched across her face hitting a nerve deep in my chest. I didn’t want to talk about it—here, of all places—and I certainly didn’t want to open myself up to old wounds. But I couldn’t look away from the worry I saw in her eyes, wanted to reassure her I was okay. I was certain in that moment that if she asked me to reach into my chest, rip out my heart, and hand it to her, I would’ve.
“Sheriff,” Mrs. Engles said, pulling me away from Luna’s magnetizing stare, “didn’t I send you to the principal’s office for putting a whoopie cushion on my seat?”
My lips twitched. “More than once.”
Mrs. Engles laughed heartily, slapping a hand down on the table, and Luna finally dragged her worried gaze away from mine and back to the older woman. “You were such a hoot as a boy. Anyway, Luna, just think of these as a little thank-you.” She slid the stack of three small containers across the table, the translucent cups showcasing what appeared to be chocolate, caramel, and strawberry toppings for the funnel cake.
Luna smiled. “That’s very sweet. Thank you. Though I don’t know that I deserve the appreciation for getting him here. I’m not even sure what I did to entice him out of his hermit hole.”
“I’m sure your mere presence was enough.”
Luna threw her head back on a laugh, like those words were the most hilarious thing she’d ever heard. She didn’t realize Mrs. Engles was being serious. She also didn’t realize my former teacher wasn’t wrong.
“Pretty sure that’s not it,” Luna said once her giggles had died down.
“Well, whatever you’re doing, it’s working. Keep it up for however long you’re here.”
And that was the real punch in the gut, wasn’t it? All of this—the good, the bad, and the ugly where Luna was concerned—was just temporary. Starlight Cove wasn’t a permanent destination on her map of adventures. It was just a stopover. And when the hell had that fact gone from being what I wanted to being what I wanted to avoid?
With a wave at Mrs. Engles, Luna dragged me over to an empty picnic table, strings of white lights surrounding the area and providing a soft glow now that the sun had set. I straddled the bench as she sat next to me, her legs beneath the table and sugar feast spread out in front of her. And then she dug in.
“Oh my God,” she said around a moan, her eyes fluttering closed as she licked chocolate sauce from her thumb, my cock twitching at the sight. “I know these aresobad for you, but they’re so delicious. Here, you’ve gotta try a bite.”
Before I could protest, she held the fried dough against my lips, brows rising when I didn’t open immediately. “Do you have to be so obstinate about absolutelyeverything? Just open your damn mouth, grump, and eat this deliciousness before it drips all over me.”
Jesus, the thoughts those words conjured in my mind—of her hovering over my mouth, her pussy dripping for me as I licked up every drop—made me a little slow to respond. Just when she rolled her eyes and started to pull her hand away, I reached up and gripped her wrist, tugging it back to me and taking the proffered treat from her fingers. Then I sucked each digit into my mouth, swirling my tongue and licking them clean of the mess, our eyes locked the entire time.
She shifted in her seat, her lips parting as she watched me, gaze growing heated as I swirled my tongue around the tip of her finger. “Good?” she asked, her voice thick.
How long did we have to stay at this stupid thing? I’d wanted to bring her here because I knew she’d like it, but now, all I wanted was to get her back to my place, toss her on my bed, and fuck her until my name was the only sound coming from her lips.
“Not the best thing I’ve had in my mouth in the past twenty-four hours.”
She breathed out a surprised laugh and shook her head. “Look at you, Sheriff. First, a joke in the car, and now, an innuendo-laced play on words? Careful, I think I’m rubbing off on you.”
I thought she was, too, and I didn’t hate it.
When she pulled another chunk off the funnel cake and offered it to me, I shook my head. “I need real food. Beck’s got lobster rolls on the menu tonight. You want one?”
“Do lobsters have faces?”
“Um…yes?”
“Then that should answer the question.”
“It really doesn’t.”
She shrugged, the move drawing my eyes to the bare expanse of her shoulder and that tattoo peeking out of her sweater. “I don’t eat food with faces.”
I blinked at her, certain I’d heard her wrong. “You don’t…eat food…with faces.”
“Nope. It just, I don’t know, feels…weird.”
“Chaining yourself to a tree doesn’t feel weird, but consuming food with a face does?”
“Chaining myself to that tree felt awesome. Eating a formerly living being does not.”
