I've never, in all my life, come across a damp, black, beady-eyed creature with long, stiff whiskers and a hoarse battle cry that looked as if it would devour me whole if I didn't act first.
The monster had snuggled onto my freshly made bed with my clean linen, lounging like a king. Then it attacked me. The door handle broke, and I was trapped inside with it. It was either going to be me or it.
Which is why I'm here, in a holding cell, not even an hour into arriving in Candy Creek.
Then there's the sheriff: Zephyr Smith. Infuriating man. Also, unbelievably arrogant and hopelessly...attractive. Okay, no. I need to stick with words like "exasperating," "obstinate," and "aggravating." And not words like "hot," "sexy," and "mind-bogglingly gorgeous." Ugh, I need to get a grip.
But I can't—not fully. My mind is all over the place, and my body remains acutely aware of the places he touched. His arm under my breasts, his hand on my butt as he lifted me higher off the floor while I kicked and raved for him to use his gun. Then I made a grab for it myself and got an overflowing handful of man balls.
Oh god.
My palm blisters at the thought of touching him there, of all places, and heat travels to my face. And other parts of my body.
Nope. I turn my thoughts away from the bearish man to my problem at hand.Not that hand. I'm not doing enough to help myself be set free, so I spring into action immediately as he dumps a blanket and a pillow onto the cot in the corner of the cell, then locks me up again.
"I'm supposed to sleep here?" No. I can't. Fine, maybe I need a few hours to calm down, but I can't sleep here.
"That's what the blanket and pillow are for, ma'am. Best get to it. You're going to need your beauty sleep for Judge Jenkins tomorrow morning."
"I didn't do anything wrong enough to warrant this—"
"Please don't make me repeat your misdemeanors again. The list is long, and it's late. I'd like to get some rest." He turns and leaves.
He really is going to keep me here all night. I pace the floor for maybe five minutes before I start going out of my mind.
"Hello," I shout, rattling the bars of the cell. "Hello," I add more volume to my voice. "Hello, hello, hello, hello."
After a full five minutes of me yelling at the top of my lungs, the grumpy county sheriff makes an appearance.
He doesn't say anything, just gives me an annoyed look.
His eyes, hard like granite, green like emeralds, and as dark as a storm, are softened only a little by the thick layer of long, glossy eyelashes. The symmetry of his jaw could be studied to determine the ratio for the most attractive man alive today, and while his lips are set into a tight line, they're just full enough to make a girl's knees go weak. He is beyond conventionally beautiful, with a hardness that had the power to make my breath catch at first sight of him, despite the risk of being mauled by a deranged beast, so I couldn't exactly swoon over his good looks.
I'd only noticed the other human being present when he managed to fix the door and the otter hightailed out of there. Coward. Although I hope I never run into Benjamin Lawrence again.
I did, for a second, think I was looking at some Adonis come to my rescue, but then he basically favored the nationally treasured vermin and arrested me.
"I'm hungry," I say with exaggerated entitlement, hoping he'd decide I wasn't worth his time and let me out.
"Of course you are," he mumbles and strides away. I didn't mean to watch his exit. For the second time tonight. My gaze slides down from the impressive width of his shoulders all the way down the curve of his back, his muscles clearly visible even from under the fabric of his shirt. My cheeks flame red as they bounce over his backside and down the length of his thighs, both visibly molded with muscles. Does the man have an ounce of fat on him?
"Well, I at least need a glass of water," I shout into the void. Ugh, what a cranky man.
Chapter Four
Marlowe
I turn around and take in my surroundings, and a shudder runs through me. What am I doing here?
I'm so far away from my apartment in New York, my family, and my familiarity; I could be on another planet.
Although I can't really call it my apartment anymore. On a mad whim, I put it up for sale, accepted the first offer I received—below asking price—and bought the cottage in Candy Creek. To completely sever all ties with my old life, I sold everything I owned except my car and my clothes.
Okay, but what have I really done? Clearly, I wasn't level-headed when I made the biggest decisions of my life. I drop down onto the bed, my face in my hands, tears fighting to escape my tightly shut eyes. No, I have to go back and live the life that had been set out for me.
"Hey." A soft, gruff voice pulls me immediately from the abyss of my thoughts. I quickly wipe away my tears. The last thing I want is for the man who arrested me to see me crying.
I raise my chin and immediately go on the defensive.
