Turns out the joke is on me because the last thing I anticipated was seeing this man again after I ran away from him at that bar, which doesn’t bode well for my character.
But the truth is, Rhonan scared me. Our connection was so instant, so easy. And when he leaned in to kiss me, I wanted him to.
But then I realized that kissing another man would go against everything I wanted in this new life—primarily, my independence. The last thing I should be doing is getting involved with anyone in any capacity.
When Rhonan reaches the front of the room, just a few feet away from me, he stares directly into my eyes, his jaw tight, and then with a curt nod, twists to face the audience.
I slowly back away from the podium and find my seat again while he speaks.
“Good morning, everyone.”
“Good morning,” the kids echo back to him, making him smile.
Seeing that familiar lift of his lips allows my shoulders to fall with a small sliver of relief.
“I’m a sheriff, which means it’s my job to protect our town from people who break the law, or anyone that might otherwise cause problems.” His eyes drift over to me, and suddenly, my heart is racing again.
Wait. Does he think I came here on purpose? Like I knew that he lived here, or something? And that I’m a stalker?
Oh, hell no.
His eyes drift back to the audience. “Now, we all know that Blossom Peak is a safe place, but that’s because there are rules in place to makesure it stays that way. When people don’t obey the law, that’s when they get in trouble and have to ride in my cruiser down to the sheriff’s station.”
The kids are leaning forward as he continues to speak, and I don’t blame them. He commands their attention, much like he did mine that night.
Don’t think about it, Vienna.
My gaze moves to his hands as he talks more, and my skin breaks out in goosebumps, like it’s still carrying the memory of his touch.
I had never been touched like that—reverent yet commanding, sensual yet desperate, soft yet hard.
I felt his physique through his clothes when I fell into him, and even more when he lifted me from the ground and carried me across the bar.
That man is hard everywhere.
“Ms. Lewis,” Ellis says, pulling on the bottom of my dress to grab my attention. I’m very grateful that she can’t hear or see inside of my head right now as my thoughts drift to the man standing at the front of the room and how I know what he must look like without a shirt.
“Yes, Ellis.”
“That’s my daddy! Isn’t he big and strong?”
Oh, honey…you have no idea.
But then I process all of her words.
“Wait. That’s your dad?”
So much for just another uncle.
“Yes! He fights bad guys. That’s why he’s so strong.”
My throat starts to close up. “Oh, well that’s a good thing since his job is to keep everyone safe.”
“He does. I always feel safe with him.”
Yeah, so did I.
And now everything that he said about his daughter that night makes so much more sense.
