Chapter 10
RILEY
“W hat happened?” Harriet, who works the front desk at the station, looks at me oddly as I step through the door.
“Nothing happened, what makes you think that?” I snap back far too quickly. I’ve been a paranoid wreck since I woke up this morning with Sawyer Anderson in my bed. Gossip spreads fast in this town, and having his truck parked outside my house all night is sure to have been spotted by someone.
“You were smiling.” Harriet looks freaked out.
“I smile all the time.” I walk steadily across the room, regretting falling asleep with his cock still inside me. I didn’t know it was even possible for a man to stay that hard for that long, and this is a lesson very well learned. Never underestimate a man who’s determined to get you pregnant.
“No, you don’t.” Hayden steps out from the back office, placing a coffee on the reception desk for Harriet and folding his arms suspiciously.
“Well, maybe I'm just having a really good morning… Do I have any messages?” I steer the conversation onto the reason why we’re all here. Workplace banter has never been my kind of thing; these people aren’t my friends, they are colleagues, and they have no business knowing the details of my private life.
Though I have to admit it would be nice to talk to someone about the arrangement I have in place with Sawyer, and by someone, I don’t just mean the solicitor I have to contact today. I mean someone who will listen and offer advice…like a friend. I’ve never really had time in my life for friends, but here in Clearwater Creek, life is so much steadier. People take the time to talk to each other, and as much as it surprises me to admit it, I really enjoyed the time I spent with Isabel and Maddison yesterday.
“Mrs. Walsh called to say there was another dog crap on her front lawn this morning; and Jean called to ask if you liked the brownies that were in the hamper. She’s thinking about doing them for the mayor’s wife’s luncheon next week.” Harriet brings me up to speed.
“From crime lords to dog craps,” I mumble under my breath before I head down the hall toward my office.
“So shall I tell Jean the brownies are a go?” Harriet calls after me, and without giving her an answer, I enter my office, slam the door behind me, and take a long, deep breath.
I should have called in sick today. I could have spent the day at home getting my head around the huge life decision that I made last night. I’m conflicted and confused. Waking up with Sawyer still in my bed felt far too comforting, and although things were a little awkward between us while he was getting dressed, it did make me wonder if we’ll be making a habit of it during this whole conception process.
No kissing, but sleepovers? Is that weird?
My phone vibrates in my back pocket, and when I pull it out and see a text from Sawyer, I feel my cheeks automatically lift from another smile.
How ya feelin’, Sheriff?
Sore!
I fire a quick message back at him and instantly regret it. That was far too much of an overshare, and no doubt Sawyer will get off on knowing I have a permanent reminder of last night each time I walk.
That’s what you get for playing with the big boys.
I decide to ignore his last remark and focus on more important things. The first of them being the contract that we need. Turning on my computer, I tap my fingers on the desk while I wait for the ancient thing to load.
My head is still spinning from how fast all this is happening. I promised myself I’d have the Gendrys dealt with before I even thought about moving forward with the baby plan, and I’m not even close to taking those bastards down. But Sawyer’s like a hurricane, and he’s very hard to say no to, and the most scary thing about it is the fact he was right when he said that I like him taking control.
There were even a few moments last night when I considered telling Sawyer about my past and what brought me here. I get the impression he’s the kinda guy who would understand, maybe he could even help me. The Gendrys have a long history with this town, and they have plans to build a road straight through Jace Sullivan’s ranch, and that road would cut this town off from any travelers passing through. I’m surprised Jace and his uncle haven’t acted on it yet. I knew before I came here that they deal with situations as if they are above the law, and despite what they might believe, I didn’t come here to interfere with that. If something ain’t broke, I don’t see the use in trying to fix it. I’m happy to be like every other sheriff this town has had and use it to my advantage. Part of the reason I came here was to slow down and start enjoying life, and if my only priority turns out to be keeping Mrs. Walsh’s front lawn foul-free it means I can focus all my attention on raising my child.
But when it comes to the Gendrys, things will be different. Those brothers will go through my justice system, not Jamie Sullivan’s, and now that my baby plan seems to be in full motion, I need to hurry up and get the Gendrys put down.
* * *
It’s just past noon when I rest back in my chair and start to feel hungry. Despite my thoughts constantly distracting me, I’ve managed to have a productive morning. I called Mrs. Walsh back and took an ‘official’ statement. It seems she’s done some investigating of her own and has already narrowed it down to three suspects. A Doberman named Lucifer, a golden retriever whose owner wears a yellow baseball cap, and a Maltese called Penny. She had her grandson send me a picture of the offense via email, and judging from the size of the evidence, I think it’s safe to rule out Penny.
After giving Mrs. Walsh my full assurance that I would be looking further into the matter, I did some research on solicitors and sent an email to a firm in the city explaining the kind of contract I needed drawn up.
My stomach is rumbling, and being here in my office by myself is giving me far too much opportunity to think about Sawyer. I decide to head over to the diner to grab myself some lunch and, of course, to tell Jean that her brownies are luncheon-worthy.
The bell above the door has barely rung before Jean abandons the old couple she’s serving and rushes toward me.
“Sheriff Hale, how did you like the hamper?” She takes my arm and ushers me to a booth, forcing me to sit with a very firm hand on my shoulder.
“The hamper was lovely, Jean, and very full. I had to invite Iso–”
“Yes, yes, I heard all about it,” she cuts me off. “Now, while Isabel was there, did she pass any comment at all on my lemon drizzle?”
“I don’t recall her trying the lemon,” I tell her apologetically.
“Okay,” she sighs, and I have to applaud the woman for her talent of making a person feel utterly useless.
“How about you, did you like it? And the brownies…? Cade tells me they’re a little too gooey in the middle, but I can never tell if he’s teasing. Organizing this luncheon is making me lose sleep. You are coming, aren’t you?” My brain struggles to keep up with her voice as I feel the pressure from her pupils pin me to my seat.
“When is it?” I ask.
“Have you not seen the flyers all over town? It’s this Friday.” She points toward the poster that’s up in the window.
“Oh no, I’ll be working Friday afternoon.” I at least make it sound as if I’m disappointed.
“Oh, come on, Sheriff, it’s a Clearwater Creek tradition, not to mention part of your role. A wise man once told me that a good sheriff will center themselves right in the heart of the community. Also…” She leans over me and lowers her voice. “I hear that Isabel’s very nervous; this will be her first one. You're her friend, you should be there.”
“I don’t know if I would say we’re friends.” I smile nervously when I notice Sawyer's truck pull up outside his bar on the other side of the street. He’s chewing on a toothpick like he was the first night I met him, as he hops out of the driver's seat and starts unloading supplies onto a sack truck from the back of his truck. He’s wearing a T-shirt that’s tight enough for me to appreciate every muscle beneath it, and I can’t help wondering how often he has to work out to keep in such good shape.
“Sheriff…Sheriff Hale.” Jean clicks her fingers in front of my face to snap me out of the trance I’ve fallen into.
“Sorry.” I shake my head and look back up at her.
“We seemed to have lost you there for a while.” She smiles and lets me know she’s aware of what distracted me when she looks across the street at him, too. “But I’m so glad you’ve decided to be here for Isabel on her big day.” She quickly taps my shoulder before going back to her business.
“Wait… Did I–”
“Will you be wanting your usual?” she interrupts before I can make any kind of protest, not that it would be any use, anyway.
“Sure.” I shrug, not even sure of what my usual is, but Jean has clearly decided.
“Eat in or take out?” Jean smiles.
“I guess I’ll eat in.” I watch her walk back toward the couple she was serving, before giving in to temptation and looking back across the street toward the bar. Sawyer isn’t there anymore, and the tailgate of the truck is back up. So, while I sit patiently waiting for my order, I decide to check my emails. There's one from the solicitors I messaged earlier, inviting me to go into the office for a consultation. I use the automated appointment system to book for Thursday, as that’s my day off this week, then head for the restroom before my order comes. I’m cursing Sawyer Anderson with each step I take as I move through the door beside the kitchen onto the corridor where the restrooms are, and when the back door that leads out to the alley opens, I freeze when I see him pushing a sack truck full of crates up towards it.
“Mornin’.” He pulls to a stop and lowers his load, then leans on the handles, rolling on that toothpick round his tongue while looking me up and down.
If it were possible for a man to impregnate you with a look, this would be the one.
“What are you doing here?” My voice comes out weak. I’m caught off guard, and suddenly all flustered. It’s such a pathetic reaction, yet one he always manages to cause.
“Just been to the wholesalers, picked a few things up for Jean while I was there,” he explains, pulling off his work gloves and hanging them in the back pocket of his jeans. Those lustful blue eyes continue to look me over, and the slight smirk that reminds me that we share a secret has me wanting to pounce on him.
“How thoughtful,” I bite back sarcastically, pulling myself together and trying not to make a fool of myself.
“Just doin’ my bit.” He shrugs, taking the toothpick from his mouth and tossing it at the ground as he steps through the door and moves closer toward me. My feet shuffle backward until my shoulders hit the wall behind me, and now that he seems to be taking up all my space, I have to remind myself to breathe.
“Sawyer.” I turn my head sideways, looking back toward the dining area through the door's porthole window. Anyone who walks past it could see us.
“Still feelin’ sore?” His whisper is low and raspy, and just his breath touching my cheek has me closing my eyes and forgetting that there's a risk of us being caught. I gasp when his body presses tight against mine, ensuring that I feel how hard his cock is against my stomach.
“Lost your words, Hale?” His mouth laughs against my skin, and although it’s a little degrading, it somehow makes me even more desperate. I open my eyes and peer up into his, warning him not to play with me. I’m on duty, and this is not the time nor the place. But instead of heeding my warning and backing off, he takes my hips in both his hands, steers me sideways, and forces me through the door to the ladies' room.
“Sawyer!” I whisper-yell as he kicks the door shut behind him and backs me up against the basin unit. There’s hardly any space in here, the walls are almost touching his shoulders, and when he rests his hand on the mirror behind my head, the only thing for me to breathe in is him.
“Answer my question, are you still sore?” He’s suddenly looking very serious.
“A little,” I admit, while my heart thumps so hard in my chest that I swear I can hear it.
“Too sore?” he questions, pressing his forehead into mine and gripping my chin between his thumb and the crook of his finger. I can almost feel the moisture from his lips, they’re so close, and although my head is screaming yes, my head shakes him a no.
“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.” He pecks me on the cheek and gets straight to work, dragging my shirt from where it’s tucked into my pants and taking off my utility belt. “Ya know, it's been over twelve hours since I last came inside you.” His lips hover over my neck as he unzips my pants and pushes them and my panties down to the floor.
“We can’t, Sawyer, not here.” I try to sound authoritative, but my voice comes out all shaky.
“You wanna bet?” Sawyer laughs again, and instead of protesting like I should, I allow those huge, strong hands to slide under my thighs and lift me off my feet.
“This is…It’s a bad ide—aaahhh.” The finger he trails through my pussy lips cuts off my sentence and has me forgetting what I was going to say. “Fuck…baby girl, you’re soaking already. Have you been thinkin’ ‘bout me? Thinkin’ about all the ways I’m gonna knock you up?” His fingertip circles my entrance while he waits for my answer. “Sweetheart, I can feel the way you’re pulsing against my finger; you might as well admit it.”
I want to knock the cocky grin off his face, I also want to kiss it, but I refuse to break my own rule.
“Maybe.” I shrug, at least trying not to seem so desperate.
“Maybe?” Sawyer tilts his head and huffs out a laugh. “Damn, you're cute.”
“Don’t call me that.” I shake my head.
“Why not? It’s true. Somethin’ about you changes when you're all needy and desperate. It gets ya all cute, and I like it.”
“Just…fuck me, Sawyer.” I don’t need a reminder of how weak I am. I didn’t ask for this, he’s the one who started it, and now I’m gonna make sure he damn well finishes.
“Sure thing.” He’s still wearing that arrogant smirk as he unbuckles his belt and rips open his jeans, then, curling his arm back around one of my thighs, he lifts it up high around his body and slides into me all in one motion.
“ Fuck! ” I cry out when both pleasure and pain have me smacking my palm into the wall beside me, and Sawyer's hand slams over my mouth to silence me.
“Shhhhhh, ya don’t want the whole town knowing our little secret, do ya?” he whispers, reminding me of where we are and how stupid this is.
“Does it feel good to have me back inside you?” He raises one of his eyebrows and I nod against his hand like a needy whore, because even though it hurts, I’ve come to realize I like his pain.
“I’ve been thinking ‘bout it too,” he confesses, wrinkling up his forehead as if he’s confused by his own words. “In fact, it’s all I’ve been thinkin’ about. Breeding you has become my favorite thing to do, and be ready, Riley, cause every opportunity I get to do it, I’mma take it.” His other hand grips my waist so tightly, I feel his fingers bruising as his hips start to thrust. The way his eyes stare into mine is so intense, but I can’t look away from them. They’re so beautiful and dangerous. Everything about this man is dangerous, especially the way he makes me feel. Yet here he is fucking me raw and unprotected. I must be crazy.
His hand slides up my body to grip around my throat as he continues to turn my pain into pleasure.
“What you thinkin’ bout, Sheriff Hale?” He tilts his head and stares at me as if he’s intrigued.
“I’m thinking that we’re crazy.” I look between us, watching in fascination as his cock slips in and out of me.
“You like lookin’ at it?” he asks, lifting the bottom of his shirt and gripping it between his teeth to give me a better view. He watches as I slide my fingers over his torso, tracing the thin line of dark hair that trails down to his open jeans.
When I look back up at him, his free hand drops between us so his thumb can stroke my clit and I throw my head back and yield.
“That’s right, darlin’… fuck, you feel good when you come.” He drops his T-shirt from his mouth. “Look at me,” he orders, and I give in far too easily to his command.
“Good girl. I wanna look at those pretty eyes while I fuck my baby into you,” he whispers and I moan loudly when his words, combined with his deep thrusts, set fireworks off inside me. “You feel that, the way you're clenching me? You really are desperate for me to fill this pussy, ain’t ya? You don’t just wanna be sore for the rest of the day, you wanna be dripping with my cum, and leaking it into your pretty, little panties.”
How can he make the idea of that seem hot?
“Fuck, I’m gonna come too,” I blurt the words out and his hands move back to my hips, holding me in place as he makes one final thrust inside me and growls so loud it makes my chest vibrate.
“Holy fuck.” His forehead falls against mine again while he catches his breath. “Here.” He raises my other leg around his waist, holding my thighs tight under his biceps and keeping his cock buried deep inside me.
“Why does this feel so good?” he asks me, looking all confused again.
“Sex is supposed to feel good, Sawyer,” I remind him, trying to keep us grounded. I can’t let this can’t become any more than what we set out for it to be.
“I don’t just mean the sex. I mean this, what we're doing right now. Me keeping my cock inside you, you clenching every muscle in your core to ensure you keep all that cum I just gave ya secure. It feels good, don’t it?”
“Yeah, it feels good.” I decide to give him that, and when his lips slowly start leaning toward mine, I feel myself gravitating toward them.
“Sheriff Hale, are you in there?” A sharp tap on the door has me jumping out of my skin and forcing him away. “Your order’s up.” Jean’s voice calls out again.
“Ummm, yeah, it’s me. I’ll be just a second.” I look at Sawyer in horror, and when he calmly kneels down to pick my panties up off the floor, I wonder why he’s smiling instead of panicking, too.
“Sawyer, how the hell are we gonna both walk out of here without anyone seeing us?” I whisper as he starts to slowly slide my panties back up my legs.
“Relax,” he tells me, stopping when he gets to the top of my thighs so his finger can collect some of the cum that’s spilled. I watch the concentration he puts into pushing it back inside me, and I have to bite my lip to stop myself from moaning. “You just concentrate on this.” Having him fuck his cum back into me with his fingers has that tight ball of tension in my stomach start to wind up again, “And let me worry about Jean.” He takes out his cell with his other hand, scrolling through his contacts before he presses it to his ear.
I hear the diner's phone ring in the distance and smile when I realize what he’s doing.
“Hey, Jean.” He smiles when she answers, and rotates his finger inside me at the same time.
“I’m just loading out round the back and was just wonderin’ if you could see across to the bar and check that there ain’t no one waitin’ outside.” He slowly retracts his finger with a satisfied grin, balancing the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he pulls my panties all the way up, then kisses me through the fabric. Standing up, he remains on the phone as he opens the door just enough to see out of it.
“Ahhh, ain’t you a darlin’?” he tells her, looking back over his shoulder at me and winking before he slips back out onto the corridor, leaving me breathless and still tensing to keep his cum from spilling out of me again.