“I went for slutty casual.” I push my hair over my shoulder.
He reaches out and hooks his finger into the v between my breasts and tugs me closer. “You’ve succeeded.”
The words sizzle across my skin as I fall into him.
He catches me around the waist. “Once, a girl wanted me to give her possessive displays of affection, and I broke up with her the next day.”
I crane my neck to look at him. “Sounds about right.”
“I’d give you possessive displays of affection.” Then his mouth is on mine.
With wild abandon, I throw my arms around his neck.
His tongue slides past my lips to tangle with mine.
I rise on my tiptoes, the short hem of my sundress riding high on my thighs.
He palms my ass, squeezing.
I rub my breasts against his hard chest.
Our lips part. Our heads shift. Angle.
Crash together again.
I tangle my fingers in his hair as a needy urgency takes hold of me.
His arms tighten.
We kiss harder. Deeper.
I’m so happy to be in his arms again.
This man is everything I’ve secretly dreamed of.
This man?—
“Afternoon, Sheriff,” a loud, female voice calls out.
We rip apart, panting as we stare at each other for a fraction of a second before he lifts his head to peer past me. “Afternoon, Mrs. Rivera.”
A woman in her sixties with short, dark hair that ends at her chin, wearing a hot-pink tracksuit, is standing in the driveway with a little white dog, looking back and forth between Charlie and me. “Is that the new city attorney?”
He sighs. “It is.”
“It’s great to meet you.” She waves at me.
I wave back. “You too.”
“You’re the chief’s sister, right?” Her expression is filled with the glee of an experienced gossiper.
“I am,” I say, not inviting any additional conversation.
Her little dog barks, and she shushes it before giving Charlie a stern look. “Now, you know not everyone in town is as open-minded as I am, so it might not be a good idea for two public officials to make out in broad daylight so close to an election year.”
“Thanks for the advice.” He grips my wrist and waves with his free hand. “Have a good one, Mrs. Rivera.”
The aggrieved tone amuses me to no end. “Didn’t you just win reelection?”