“At the Baker Ranch I found a piece of evidence by chance,” I said carefully. “And I’m literally staying at your place, so he ran into me when interviewing the other guests about the thefts. That’s all.”
“And the suit fittings?” Lucas poked, his lips pulling into a crooked grin. “What about those?”
“The man has a fifty-inch chest and a thirty-two-inch waist. He’s a pain in the ass to fit,” I shot back, stabbing at my sad salad. “But if you want him to look like shit at your wedding, I can stop bothering with it. That’s one less thing on my plate.”
Lucas and Beau exchanged glances, and I could tell they were trying not to laugh at my defensive tone. Great. Now I sounded exactly like someone who was hiding something.
“No, no,” Lucas said quickly, holding up his hands in surrender. “We want him to look good. Keep doing the fittings.Please.”
I nodded, focusing back on my salad even though I’d completely lost my appetite. The conversation had veered too close to territory I wasn’t supposed to be talking about, especially not in the middle of Dolly’s Diner where anyone could overhear.
“So, the stripper,” I said, desperately trying to steer us back to safer ground. “Any idea which town I should call up first? I need an idea if I’m going to find someone good on short notice.”
“Amarillo is closest,” Lucas said with a shrug. “Maybe Fort Worth if they’re willing to drive that far.”
I made another note. “I’ll reach out to an agency in Amarillo and see what they’ve got.” I paused, considering. “Though fair warning, the good ones usually book up fast. We might have to settle for whatever’s available on Saturday night.”
“I’m sure whoever you find will be great,” Lucas said with the kind of easy confidence that came from someone who’d never had to plan an event in his life. “You’re the professional.”
“That I am,” I muttered, taking another reluctant bite of my salad.
The conversation shifted to other wedding details—seating arrangements, the timeline for the ceremony, last-minute RSVPs that were trickling in. I pulled up the files, and we went through everything methodically, checking items off my list oneby one. This was familiar territory, the kind of work I excelled at. No complicated feelings, no sexual tension, just logistics and planning.
We were deep into a discussion about whether the cocktail hour should be one hour or ninety minutes when my phone buzzed in my hands. I flipped to the messaging app discreetly, the name displayed on my screen making my heart do a little flip.
Marcus: Would like to see you again soon. You free?
My heart did another annoying flutter thing, and I had to remind myself that this was just casual. No sense in getting too excited.
Me: I’m at Dolly’s with Lucas and Beau. Later tonight?
The three dots appeared immediately.
Marcus: Yes. Meet me at the office. Rear entrance.
I glanced up at Lucas and Beau, who were now discussing whether Aunt Martha would be offended if she was seated near the bathrooms. They seemed fully absorbed in their debate and probably wouldn’t even notice if I slipped away early.
Me: I’ll be there.
Chapter 14
Marcus
It was close to midnight and downtown Sagebrush was silent. I stood in my office, looking out the window down Main Street. There wasn’t a person or a vehicle in sight. My heart pounded in my chest, excitement thrumming through my veins. Xavier had texted a few minutes ago, saying he was on his way.
I couldn’t wait.
I’d been thinking about him almost nonstop since the last time he was in my office. I couldn’t get the thought of his lips wrapped around my cock out of my mind. And I wanted to taste him again so badly I could barely stand it. My cock had been standing at attention for nearly an hour now, straining against my jeans. I needed him again, badly. It was making it almost impossible to think.
But then I saw lights turning onto Main Street, my breath catching. As they got closer, I realized it was Xavier’s rental. And, just like I’d said, he pulled around back of the sheriff’s office. I practically sprinted to the rear entrance, pushing it open before he’d even gotten out of the SUV.
He looked up when he saw me, a slow smile spreading across his face that made my knees weak. He was wearing those impossibly tight jeans again and a mesh shirt that left absolutelynothing to the imagination. I could see every line of his smooth, toned chest through the fabric, and my mouth went dry.
“Hey, Sheriff,” he said, grabbing a large bag from the passenger seat. “Miss me?”
“Get inside,” I said, my voice coming out rougher than I intended. “Before someone sees you.”
He raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue, following me through the back entrance. I locked the door behind us, my hands shaking slightly with anticipation. As soon as we were inside, I grabbed him by the waist and pulled him against me, kissing him hard.
