Page 30 of Cuffed By the Wolf

The sheriff does the unthinkable. He slips his fingers through his hair, and I swear it is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. “We’ll catch the suspect, though.”

“You will.” I grin.

A beat of silence passes between us.

“How long have you been here?” I ask.

“About an hour.”

“How many drinks have you had?” I push.

“Maybe three.” A crooked grin lifts one side of his gorgeous mouth.

“I know you’re a guy. But slow down on the drinks.”

He gives a slow nod, and suddenly I notice my hand lingering on his arm. I pull it away as if his skin scorched me. Raising the glass, I take a sip, letting the warm rum sting its way down my throat.

“My best friend Jax says it’s time I start dating again.”

I’m shocked he opens up to me like this. I listen intently.

“I had a mate six years ago. She was a wolf shifter, too. She was killed.” He spins the empty glass on the bar.

“I asked Lily to bond. She said she couldn’t be tied to an alpha sheriff. My job was too dangerous. She rejected me. Not long after our breakup, she had settled down with another alpha. She was happier with him than she was with me.”

My hand returns to his muscled bicep. I caress his arm in a soothing manner.

“Nine months later, she was out on a run and was killed by campers in the next county over.”

I move my hand to his free one and squeeze. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you,” he says, his voice barely a whisper over the loud chatter in the bar.

“Gavin, Jax is right. It’s okay to move on.”

“And what about you?”

I lift a brow as I remove my hand from his. “What about me?”

“When will you move on?”

“I don’t know,” I blow out a breath. “Carson said I was his everything and couldn’t see life without me. Then he fucked my assistant behind my back.”

Gavin’s green eyes darken. “I want to kill that asshole.”

“I felt like that for a while. The anger I felt was eating me alive. I had to move on with my life. Only problem, I guess you can say I closed my heart to love. If I ever give another man a chance, he won’t be a narcissist. Having to stroke a man’s ego twenty-four seven is exhausting.”

His big hand strokes my thigh. “You deserve a man who really sees you and worships you.”

“Look at you, Mr. Boss man, giving excellent advice.”

“Hey you two,” Fitch says as he approaches.

Gavin doesn’t remove his hand from my hot skin. My skin is on fucking fire because he’s touching me. Now my heart is racing a mile a minute.

Fitch palms Gavins shoulder and curls an arm around my neck.

My psycho boss flashes his wolf eyes at the bear.