Chapter 4 #2
“This is your office.”
“I have my own office?”
“Trust me, you’ll want one. It gets kinda loud out there when we’re workin’. Plus, you’ll need the computer and the phone.”
Amy stepped inside the small eight-by-eight room, and I did my damnedest not to stare at her. It was difficult, considering. The woman stoked a fire in my blood that hadn’t been kindled in a long damn time. I knew absolutely nothing about her, but I found I wanted to know every damn thing.
“The restrooms’re downstairs,” I informed her. “Back wall. Men and women’s. Patty, our previous office manager, insisted we have a women’s restroom,” I rambled. “You know, because we’re guys.”
Amy smiled, a real one this time, and the move made her prettier than she already was.
“There’s also a phone on the wall down by the coffeepot in case you’re not in your office when it rings.”
“Does it ring a lot?” She seemed genuinely curious.
“It does. We mostly make custom furniture. There’re some standard pieces we’ll put in the store, but most of what we work on are customer-specific pieces. We ship all over the country, but the store does a steady business.”
“Who runs the store?”
“My old man. I tend to steer clear of it if at all possible, but you’re welcome to go over there if you’d like. I’ll introduce you to Calvin.”
Amy nodded.
“Well, why don’t you get familiar with it all. When Lynx gets here, I’ll have him run down the accounting software with you.”
“Lynx? Really?” Amy blushed. “I mean … uh … you don’t handle that?”
I smirked. “Not on your life, darlin’. You don’t want me anywhere near it. I’m an IRS audit waitin’ to happen. And don’t let all those tats fool you. Lynx is pretty damn smart for a dumb ass.”
Amy laughed, exactly what I was hoping for.
Turning, I prepared to leave her to it, but Amy stopped me with a hand on my arm. I felt the jarring impact from my arm straight to my dick.
I looked at her pale fingers against my much darker skin. Her hands were covered in thin scars, and my gut tightened, anger simmering at the thought of someone—anyone—hurting this woman.
“I … I … uh … I just want to say thank you.”
I peered down at her, my eyes raking over her face. “You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re here.”
With that, I turned and left the office, doing everything in my power not to run.
Rhys
Figuring I was probably crossing a line by stopping by twice in one week, I decided to run over to Wolfe’s shop after I left the diner. If Wolfe wanted to call me on it, I'd deal with it. My curiosity was what was driving the social visit this morning, though. Not official business.
I wasn’t surprised to find out that Amy wasn’t at the diner this morning considering Donna had mentioned she’d turned in her notice a few days ago.
However, I had been shocked when I realized the Caine cousins hadn’t come in for their morning breakfast. Wolfe and Lynx were creatures of habit, and there was hardly a day that went by that they didn’t go into the diner for breakfast. Hell, they were there so much, everyone knew to steer clear of the table they’d claimed as their own.
When I arrived at the shop, I found the cousins’ trucks parked in the lot—Wolfe’s black four-door Silverado and Lynx’s new shiny blue Ford F-350—and Amy’s little silver Nissan beside them. That explained why she wasn’t at the diner.
The door was open, so I stepped inside and quickly took stock of the room.
Lynx was at the far end, digging something out of a box, and Wolfe had the power sander going as he bent over what appeared to be a nightstand.
Amy was nowhere in sight. I quickly glanced up at the second floor.
The third door was open, and I caught a glimpse of Amy on the phone, talking to someone.
The power sander quickly shut off and the silence was jarring.
“Ah, hell,” Lynx grumbled, carrying a handful of bronze hardware toward Wolfe. “What’d you do this time, Wolfe?”
Everyone knew that Lynx would be the first person I would be seeking out if it came to trouble.
Wolfe briefly glanced at me before he stood to his full height, stretching his back as he did. The move caused his T-shirt to lift, offering a quick glimpse of the muscular V that disappeared into his jeans. I tried not to look but couldn’t help myself.
When I met Wolfe’s eyes again, there was something akin to amusement in the emerald depths.
Yeah, the guy was fucking with me.
“Should I be worried that you’re makin’ another house call?” Wolfe questioned, moving toward me.
I nodded toward the parking lot and then stepped outside. The temperatures were going to be record-breaking today.
Wolfe stepped outside, keeping to the edge of the building, where there was some shade. “What’s up, Sheriff? You know I run a business here. I don’t have time for this shit.”
His tone belied his words. Wolfe sounded more amused than put out.
“Just thought I’d stop by. See how things’re goin’,” I admitted, moving around to the side of the building. The sound of boots crunching on gravel told me that Wolfe was following.
“Not to check up on me?”
I turned to face the taller man.
And Wolfe Caine was a big man. A couple of inches taller and a good twenty-five, maybe thirty pounds of solid muscle more than me, the guy made me feel small, almost. Not that I was a little guy, but next to him…
Wolfe seemed to be closing the distance between us, and I had to keep my boots firmly planted to keep from taking a step back. I wasn’t intimidated, and I damn sure wasn’t going to pretend I was.
When we were nearly toe to toe, Wolfe stared down at me and I held his gaze.
“What do you want from me, Sheriff?”
Well, hell. That was a loaded question if I'd ever heard one. I had a million answers on the tip of my tongue, but I wasn’t about to admit my interest.
Not yet.
Wolfe moved closer, but I held my ground even when the warmth of his body surrounded me.
“Is it information on Amy you want?”
“Yes and no,” I confessed. “Not for reasons you might think.”
“No?” Another inch disappeared between us. “You’re not seekin’ information so you can protect her? Or maybe that’s just bullshit and you’re sniffin’ around ’cause you’re interested.” His dark eyebrows lifted.
I didn’t respond. Hell, I could hardly breathe.
“Or is it me you want?” His tone dropped an octave, lower than I had ever heard it. The growl that accompanied the words suited his name.
I knew Wolfe was baiting me, but I couldn’t deny my attraction.
“Right here? Right now?” Wolfe continued, his voice dropping lower.
When he leaned in closer, his breath fanning my ear, it took every ounce of willpower I possessed not to shift closer.
“Is this what you’re comin’ ’round for? Tauntin’ me? Teasin’ me? You tryin’ to see if I’m interested?”
I swallowed hard.
Wolfe’s voice was hardly a whisper when he added, “Because I might be.”
I was trying to catch my breath when he pulled back and stared at me.
Without another word, the big guy smirked, then turned and headed back inside, leaving me standing there, staring after him.
Even if I'd had a legitimate reason for coming to the shop, I would be damned if I'd be able to remember what it was.
Not after that.
Lynx
I smirked to myself when Wolfe followed the sheriff out the door.
I wasn’t the most perceptive person on the planet—by choice—but even I noticed the sheriff had taken a special interest in my cousin in the past week.
Whatever it was, Wolfe was taking the bait.
Hook, line, and sinker. And perhaps that was what was most surprising.
I couldn’t even remember the last time Wolfe had shown genuine interest in anyone.
Well, anyone other than Amy Smith. He did seem to have a hard-on for the girl, although I had to give the guy props. He was doing a damn good job of pretending otherwise.
I glanced around. Damn, I missed my dog.
I understood Wolfe’s request for me to keep Copenhagen out of the shop for a bit, but that didn’t mean I liked it.
My three-year-old German Shepherd was my buddy, and we spent all our time together.
However, I knew Cope enjoyed hanging out at the store, and more importantly, my uncle enjoyed the hell out of having him there.
Glancing up at the second floor, I considered going up to talk to Amy but decided against it.
The girl was a nervous wreck. Seemed every time I got near her, she shrank in on herself.
I didn’t think she was scared of me, but she was damn sure scared of something.
I figured it was best to talk to her when Wolfe was around.
Put her at ease a little. I wasn’t an asshole, after all.
Plus, I didn’t want to make Wolfe think I was sweet on the girl. Sure, she was cute, but no way could that girl handle me. Not even at her absolute wildest.
But there was one girl who could. A fucking spitfire of a woman who’d held my damn interest since I was eighteen fucking years old. Unfortunately, that girl was completely off-limits. Hell, if she didn’t have a fuckup for a boyfriend, I would still keep my distance.
A woman like Reagan Trevino could break a man.
And I had absolutely no intention of being broken.
Not in this lifetime, anyway.