Jasper
Her soft gray-green eyes go wide. “What have you been up to, Sheriff?”
“Just the bare bones of what you needed.”
The door has a larger, stronger lock on it. And from the corner of my eyes, I see cameras fixed on the path to the door and the doorway.
“I think you’re underplaying what you’ve done. You put up cameras to watch this door.”
“Not just this door. On the back door too. And I put a bigger door up. In the back and new locks.”
She glances at me, her pretty mouth falling open. “The trellis. It’s gone.”
“I told you that thing was a safety hazard. It needed to go.”
“I didn’t expect you to do any of this.”
“I’ve always tried to beat expectations,” I smirk.
She groans and her shoulders shake with laughter. “I don’t even know what to say about that.”
Shrugging, I grin wickedly at her. “You don’t have to say anything. I did this to make sure that you stay safe.”
“I’m sure that most if not all towns don’t have a Sheriff that’s so involved in everybody’s affairs.”
“I’m not saying I’m involved in everybody’s affairs.”
Her eyes widen and dart away from mine as she grabs the keys carefully out of my hands without touching me. It’s cute that she thinks that will stop me from touching her at some point. I don’t care if I have to wait.
But right now I need to get her settled and head home. I’m exhausted after a sleepless night and a busy damn morning and if I’m going to keep my girl safe then I need to be alert enough to recognize problems.
I ask her to get out her phone and we set up the app so that she can control everything.
She doesn’t know that I’ve already got the app set up on my phone so that I can keep an eye on her even when I’m not around. I’m not sure she’d be happy about that.
But I need to make sure she’s safe. It’s a fucking drive right now. A mission.
A bone-deep need that I can’t ignore.
Ignoring all my racing thoughts and the pounding of my heart, I focus on teaching her what she needs to know to keep her safe.
“Are you sure that’s all there is to this app?
I mean, this seems super-easy to run and I’m terrible with electronics.
Livvy is always telling me that my phone and my computer are not the enemy but I’m not exactly sure she’s right.
I mean…my phone is always beeping at me, interrupting me when I’m trying to work with one alarm or another and my computer...
? Well, he’s just an ass. He’s been known to delete whole lines of typing just because he’s an ass. ”
I choke on a laugh and Claudia pokes her head around the corner of the railing where she’s been inspecting some of the plants. “Daddy? Did you just laugh?”
Catching Willow’s sparkling eyes I know that I’m busted and I don’t even mind it. Much.
“No. I swallowed wrong and choked on my own spit. You know I don’t laugh about home security, baby.”
Willow’s eyes widen and she snorts. Claudia’s sharp little eyes turn towards her and they narrow on us both like she knows something’s up but she’s not quite sure what the hell we’re doing.
I think I need to get this show on the road and get my daughter out of here before she says or does something that’s gonna embarrass me.
Her blond head tilts to the side and she grins mischievously. “You know…you two look like those couples that are on Memaw’s show. The ones that are about to kiss or something.”
Too late. I should have known that she wouldn’t be able to rein it in this entire time.
Clearing my throat, I fight what I’m sure is a damn fire-engine red blush and glare at her. Which doesn’t phase her in the least.
“Are you almost done teaching Willow all the stuff? I’m really getting hungry and I was hoping we could go get a burger, Daddy?” That little wheedle in her voice as her blue eyes stare at me…like a damn disney princess. I can’t say no to her.
“Fine,” I huff. But keep yourself busy for a few minutes and then we’ll go and get burgers.”
“And milkshakes too?”
“And milkshakes too,” I groan in response to her blatant blackmail. She’s gonna stay right here and bug me unless I give in and then she’ll go and work on soemething else until I’m ready.
It scares me a little what that might be.
I straighten my spine and cut her a sharp look. She just grins and shoots me a happy look, wandering off to play by herself until I’m ready.
“Alright. Let me show you the passcode just one more time and then we’re going to look at how to reboot the systems if something goes wrong while you’re here.”
She smirks and salutes me, not realize how badly I want to turn her over my knee and spank her ass for her sass.
At the rate she’s going she’s going to find out real soon just how much she can push me.
Not much by the way. Not much at all.
We run through the drill two more times and by the time I finish I’m desperate to get the hell out of here. I mean…I don’t want to leave her but on the other hand….I grip my shaking hands and turn away.
I can’t touch her. I barely know her name. So I sure as hell can’t ask her to come back here every time there is a problem.l
Unless she calls me and asks me…really nicely. Maybe on her knees and with that pretty mouth.
“Shit!” I growl under my breath. Which of course my daughter hears immediately.
“Swear jar, Daddy. You and Memaw have been really bad with swearing lately, Daddy. We’re gonna get that trip to Disney really soon if you guys don’t straighten up.”
Shooting her a look, I hand her back her phone and growl under my breath.
“We still have not agreed to this trip, kiddo. And just bossing us around and saying that we have to go isn’t going to win you the shot you want at it.”
Claudia’s face falls and I want to tell her that I’ve been saving for about six months now to take the trip she wants to. But I also want her to actually have to work for it. I don’t want my daughter thinking that I’m a pushover and she can have anything she wants just because.
Like her mama.
But I see Willow’s face freeze out of the corner of my eye and my belly drops.
Am I being unreasonable? Is that why she’s looking at me like that?
“Let’s get going, Claudia. We’ve got to get to the diner soon if you want a seat for that burger and milkshake.”
She cheers and I take the opportunity when she throws herself at Willow’s knees like they’re best friends to study her.
Her cheeks are flushed and there’s a little smile on her face as she reaches down gently to touch the top of my daughter’s head. “Hey, don’t forget Fred. He’ll be sad if he misses burgers and milkshakes.”
She tears herself free and grabs her tattered dragon, heading for the car, waving. “Bye, Willow! I’ll miss you! See you later!”
She throws herself in the car and slams the door and the silence between Willow and me almost suffocates me. I clear my throat but nothing comes out.
“Thank you for taking care of all of this, Sheriff. I really appreciate it.”
“It’s Jasper.” I slam my hat back on my head and study her under the brim of my hat, surprising a sudden narrowing of her eyes and a quick intake of breath. Her pale cheeks flush so dark that the little freckles along the ridge of her high cheekbones disappears under a tide of red.
“Just tell me how much all of this is and I’ll get it back to you.”
“Not necessary.” I turn towards the steps but she moves to stop me. I tip my head at her.
“I can afford to take care of myself, Sheriff. I don’t need pity. I don’t care what you saw in those records. I’m fine. And I’m responsible for myself. Nobody else.”
Now I’m fucking pissed. I stomp over until I’m looming over her but I don’t back off.
My head dips until I’m staring right in her eyes.
“I don’t need your money,” I grit out between my teeth.
“I did this to help you out since you’re alone here.
And because I can’t stand the thought that you might be scared or unsafe.
I’m not putting up with that, little sprite.
In case you haven’t figured out what’s going on here…
” I pull my hat off and reach around to grasp her hip, tugging her closer, the soft, clean, sweet scent of her washing over me.
My dick goes hard as a steel post. Her head ducks when she feels me and then she freezes.
Even her breath stills. “I’m not trying to scare you.
That’s the last thing I want. But I’m telling you right now that I want you.
I’ll let you go as fast or as slow as you want to.
But I’m not going anywhere.” I lean down and run my nose along the silky-smooth column of her throat, sucking in her scent like a junkie after a fix.
She trembles in my arms and I lift my head, checking in on her.
Her eyes are huge, the pupils dilated until half the stormy gray-green of her eyes is lost. But the golden sparks inside the storm whirl as she stares at me.
She doesn’t move away and my breath freezes and then I lean down and kiss her gently, nipping her full lower lip lightly.
Then I move back, fighting the urge to throw her over my shoulder and storm inside, throwing her down on the first surface I find to fuck her into oblivion until she’s a puddle of need.
Her breath hitches and she moans gently in the back of her throat. My lip quirks. I tap her nose gently. “I’ll be back for you, little sprite. Call me if you see anything at all. I’ll be here when you need me. Always, baby.”
And with those words I slam my hat back on my head and tip it with a finger at her, watching with satisfaction as she flushes and bites her lip right where my teeth just touched her. Then she licks her lips and my whole body goes up like dry kindling.
I shoot her a wink and she glares at me.
“There’s my girl. Wait for me, sprite. And for fuck’s sake call me if anybody at all shows up on that damn camera.”
Then I jog down the steps and climb in my car, staring back at her just standing there, so tiny, sweet…so mine.
I’ve officially lost my mind.