CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Cole
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Cole
H oly fuck, I can’t believe she’s in.
I pour her another drink and head back toward the living room, shaking with the energy I have coursing through me. As I re-enter, Ginger crosses one curvy tanned leg over the other.
I try not to remember what it felt like to slide my tongue along it but I fail. Every single time I close my eyes, I see every part of her.
“Alright, ground rule number one,’ Ginger says. ‘No funny business while I’m here, which means—and I know this is going to be tricky for you, Sir Weston—no Lexington and no other women.”
Fucking easy.
I place the glass of bourbon in her hand. My fingers brush hers, and I raise my eyes to meet her gaze. “I wouldn’t do that while you’re here, Ginger. I’m not … a total fucking animal.”
“That remains to be seen. But I just want to make it known, fake wife or not, I will not be cheated on,” she scolds, wagging one perfectly manicured finger at me.
“Of course.” I nod. Fuck, what does this woman think of me?
“Two: no funny business here either.” She waves her first two fingers over her form. “The other night’s drunken encounter aside, I’m off-limits.”
I raise my eyebrows, swallow, then nod. That one might be a bit harder.
“If we want to come out the other side of this in some sort of normal capacity, we have to go in like it’s a business arrangement.”
“A business arrangement,” I repeat. Drilling her words into my thick skull as deeply as they’ll go.
“I take care of Mabel when you need me to, which means CeCe or your mama won’t need to have her when you work the afternoon shift. And yes, I’ll take over the spare bedroom.”
I nod. “I can play by the rules. It should be easy for both of us. What happened in Vegas was a result of alcohol and bad decisions. We’ve been platonic for years. We’re both adults, now is no different,” I lie.
“Agreed. My ring is zipped tight in the secret pocket of my purse, along with the memories of that night. We’re friends,” she says quickly, and I can’t quite decide whether her denial of what happened between us makes me annoyed, or just makes me want her more.
“I won’t tell my parents anything different from what we’re telling Mabel. But we’ll need to work out what we’re telling your family.”
I sigh. Yes, we will. They’re the nosiest fuckers in this town.
“We’ll tell everyone the same thing. You’re moving in to help with Mabes. They know these new policies I’m drafting—plus the mentoring program I’m launching for new deputies—leaves me burning the candle at both ends.”
“It’s believable for Liv too, she knows we … spend time together sometimes.” She shrugs, avoiding eye contact.
I can’t help myself. Smirking, I lean back to eye her up.
“You talk to Liv about me?”
Definitely don’t hate that.
“Wipe that smug look off your face, Law Daddy, we’re friends and I’ve mentioned it to her once or twice.”
She’s playing dumb but I’m not having it.
“I’m about to cut the shit, Ginger. Judging by what happened in Vegas, I’d say we like each other a little more than we let on.”
Ginger’s cheeks start to turn a shade of the lightest pink under her golden skin. She’s flustered, and I like that it’s me making her that way.
“Don’t go puffing your chest, Loverboy. You can be friends with someone and find them … attractive. I don’t gush about you to her. I tell her where I am when I come over. You know, in case anything ever happens. Like you snap and turn me into a lampshade.”
This fucking woman.
“Mmmhmmm. Makes total sense.”
I don’t buy one ounce of the bullshit she’s peddling. And the way she’s looking at me tells me she’s just as confused as I am about the way we are with each another. The way we’ve always been.
“We are the wild cards out of all of them. If nothing else, they probably wouldn’t be surprised if they did find out what we did,” she says, abruptly changing the subject.
“For once, I wish I wasn’t the impulsive one that slept around,” I say. “Or the one that already failed at one shotgun marriage. For once, it would be nice not to be the rogue Ashby sibling.” I sigh as Ginger swallows the last of her bourbon.
“Hell, I hear that. At least we can be wild cards and PICs together.” She grins and stands to go. “Okay, Sheriff, we’ll arrange a dinner this week to tell your family the plan for this summer. I’ve done my obligatory once-a-month dinner with my mom and dad already, so my way of letting my family know will be a text.”
“I’ll tell Mabel in the morning. She should be the first to know.”
“Oh, and I have one more rule …” Ginger looks at me, placing a hand on her hip.
“That is?” I ask.
“I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye …” she starts. “But when it comes to Mabel, don’t pick at everything I do, and don’t undermine me. If you have a problem with how I care for her, talk to me in private. And for the love of GOD, Cole, let us have fun. I teach kids for a living so I sorta have some expertise in this department.”
I sigh. “I promise I will do my best.”
Ginger nods. “Oooh, I’ve got it. You can have a safe word. A veto if you really don’t like what I’m doing.”
The thoughts that run through my mind as I imagine another scenario where we would have a safe word, are as vivid as the memory of my cock sliding into her tight pussy. I let out a low laugh.
“What?” she queries.
I don’t say anything, and instead, just shake my head.
“Get your head out of the gutter, roomie. I’ll expect your safe word by tomorrow.”
She winks at me before sauntering toward the front door. I don’t take my eyes off of her as she goes, even as she bends over to place her purse into the backseat of her white VW Bug.
Eighty-three days. With no sex. Holed up in my house with that ass?
I run a hand through my hair and take a breath. Something tells me I’m going to need to brace myself to live with the sexual storm that is Ginger Lily Danforth Ashby.
My wife.