He unbuckled his belt and pushed his jeans down, stepping out of them carefully. Navy blue boxer briefs this time, and I could already see the outline of his half-hard cock straining against the fabric. He wasn’t even trying to hide it anymore.And the little wet spot at the tip of his cock told me he’d been anticipating this moment with excitement for a while.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered, not meeting my eyes. “I can’t help it.”
“Marcus.” I waited until he looked at me. “Stop apologizing. There’s nothing wrong with being attracted to someone.”
“There is when you’re the sheriff and everyone in town is watching your every move,” he replied bitterly.
He had a point. A good point, actually. This attraction between us, whatever it was, could cost him a lot. Not to mention, it had an expiration date stamped on it from the beginning. I was going back to New York. He was staying here, trapped by duty and legacy and fear.
But maybe… just maybe, that was our saving grace.
“You’re right,” I admitted, kneeling down in front of him with the measuring tape. “This is complicated. But that doesn’t mean it’s wrong.”
I ran the tape up the inside of his leg, slower than necessary, and heard his breath hitch. When I glanced up, his eyes were fixed on me with an intensity that made my own cock twitch in response.
“You know, I’m only going to be here for three more weeks,” I said softly. “Nothing is going to stop me from going back to New York. I have a career and a life that I love.”
Marcus furrowed his brows. “Okay… What are you saying?”
“I’m saying,” I continued, taking the measurement from his other leg. “That I’m a bit lonely here and I wouldn’t mind a little bit of…distraction.” I sat back on my heels, looking past his straining cock and up to his green eyes. “No strings, no declarations, and nobody has to know.”
I watched his throat work as he swallowed, his green eyes searching mine like he was trying to figure out if I was seriousor just messing with him. The air between us felt thick, charged with possibility.
“A distraction,” he repeated slowly, like he was testing the word on his tongue.
“Yeah.” I kept my voice steady even though my heart was hammering against my ribs. “I’m stuck in this town with nothing to do but plan a wedding and critique Dolly’s coffee. You’re stuck here pretending to be someone you’re not. We could... help each other out.”
His jaw clenched, and for a moment I thought I’d pushed too far. That he was going to tell me to get the hell out of his house and never come back. But then something shifted in his expression, something that looked almost like relief.
“Nobody would know?” he asked, his voice soft.
“Not unless you tell them.” I stood up, bringing us face to face again. Close enough that I could see the flecks of gold in his green eyes, could count the individual stubble hairs along his jaw. “I’m good at keeping secrets, Marcus. It’s kind of a professional requirement in my line of work.”
He stared at me for what felt like an eternity, and I could practically see the war happening behind his eyes. Duty versus desire. Fear versus need. Everything he’d been taught versus everything he actually wanted.
“Just think about it. Nothing has to happen today,” I said, turning back to pull his suit from the hanger. “Now put this on so I can pin it in place.”
He nodded, his body still stiff as he took the jacket from me. “I… I’ll think about it.”
Chapter 10
Marcus
There was a knock at my office door. “Well, I’m gone for the night,” Mrs. Baxter said, poking her head inside the door. “You need anything before I go, Sheriff?”
I shook my head, glancing up at the clock. “No. I’m on my way out the door too. Have a good night, Mrs. Baxter.”
“You too, Sheriff,” she nodded.
I listened as she gathered up her things and left for the night. With a yawn I stretched my arms over my head, leaned back in my chair, and kicked my feet up on the desk. Mrs. Baxter always got after me for putting my boots on the furniture, but I didn’t mind. I’d earned that desk.
The phones had been quiet all day, which I was thankful for. Mostly because I’d been thinking about what Xavier had said to me the day before. And thinking about Xavier always left me in a state of flushed, flustered, and anything but flaccid.
I wasn’t proud of how much mental real estate that man was taking up. Three days. I’d known him for less than two weeks, and yet he’d managed to worm his way into my thoughts like some kind of sexy, glitter-wearing parasite.
No strings. No declarations. Nobody has to know.
His words kept replaying in my head on an endless loop. It sounded so simple when he said it like that. Just two adults scratching an itch, helping each other out. Nothing complicated about it.
