Chapter 28
JOSIE
“What was that?” I screeched as we stepped off Mrs. Bennett’s porch.
I gave him a hard shove that barely moved him an inch, which only angered me further. Why couldn’t I be like one of those strong women who could push a man over a porch railing?
“You’re going to have to explain.”
“You know what I’m talking about! Why were you all over me in there? And what was all that stuff about us snuggling during the storm and me keeping you warm?”
“Well, you did. I was just making sure she knew you have excellent hospitality.”
“You were rubbing her nose in it.”
“No, I was rubbing his nose in it,” he snapped. “And what was with that kiss?”
“Saying hello?” I asked, storming down the path to the sidewalk. Milo quickly caught up to me, whining at how angry I was.
“That was no hello. He purposely did that in front of me.”
“I don’t see why. The two of you have only met once, and you were both being intolerable buttholes!”
“Buttholes? Not sure I’ve ever been called that before,” he muttered, rushing to catch up to me.
“He doesn’t even like me like that, so why the hell were you pissing all over me?”
“I wasn’t.”
“Oh, you so were,” I scoffed. “You should have just raised your leg right then and there!”
“I’m not a dog, alright? I was just—”
“Just what?” I snapped. “You don’t even like me like that!”
“Says who?”
The way his voice turned so low and deadly sent shivers down my spine in the most delightful way. But I was not here to think about my attraction to this rugged man. No, I was here to tell him he was being an ass for treating me like his property in front of Mrs. Bennett and Brody.
“Says anyone who sees us together!”
His hand shot out and he dragged me by the neck against his body. My lips moved as a force all on their own, sealing as one with his in an explosion of passion that felt like fireworks in my toes.
It was so wrong, so dirty.
And so fucking good.
My nails clawed at his hair, forcing him to where I wanted him, fighting for control when he could so easily manipulate me any way he wanted. If I let him, he would tear down my leggings right now and screw me on the sidewalk.
And yes, I would probably let him because that was how much I wanted this man right now.
Everything about him—his raw masculinity, that dark gray storm always brewing behind his eyes, the way he slowly warmed up to me even when he didn’t want to…it was all driving me to the brink. I was losing my mind, losing control, and—
He tore himself away from me, stepping back as he shoved his fingers through his tangled hair. Again, he was pulling away. Big surprise there.
“Whatever,” I huffed before turning and storming off.
“Whatever?” he called out, chasing after me.
I refused to stop and explain. We’d been here twice before. How many more times was I going to deal with him and his issues? But his legs were longer than mine, dammit, and before I could get away, he caught up, spinning me around with a death grip on my arm.
“What the hell does that mean?”
I huffed again. “It means whatever.”
“That was not a whatever kiss.”
“I beg to differ,” I spat, narrowing my eyes at him.
“In what way?”
“Well, let’s see. You’ve kissed me three times now, and after, we go back to exactly where we were before. So, it meant whatever!”
“I told you last night—”
“You told me nothing. Everything with you is so damn cryptic. It was a kiss, nothing more.”
“It was so much damn more! You felt it just like I did. That was no simple kiss. That was the type of kiss that makes me want to shove my fingers in your pussy and stroke you until you come all over my hand.”
I shivered at his throaty words, but refused to give even a little.
That is, until he continued.
“That was the type of kiss that makes me want to shove my cock inside you and fuck you so hard you forget your name for an entire day!”
An old lady squeaked as she hurried around us, but I didn’t care.
“Yeah? Do you kiss Mrs. Butterworth like that?”
“I generally don’t kiss syrup.”
I jabbed a finger at the old woman. “Mrs. Butterworth! That woman. Would you kiss her like that?”
“What are you suggesting?”
“That you’re into gerontophilia!”
“Is that even a word?”
“Yeah, if you look it up, you’ll find a picture of you and Mrs. Butterworth as the prime example!”
For a solid second, I caught him off guard and fled, needing space from the man who could easily set my panties on fire and make me destroy everything in my life. The longer JR hung around, the more I got the feeling that he wasn’t exactly good for me.
I mean, aside from the distance thing he did with practically everyone, the way he refused to look after Milo, and then that whole business with Alyssa that he still hadn’t explained to me, things were spiraling way too fast.
I needed to get away, to remember that I had a business and a brother who very much needed my guidance when he was about to throw away everything for the cougar currently sleeping in his bed.
“Don’t walk away from me,” he growled, spinning me around again.
“You’re going to give me whip—”
His lips crashed against mine in an earth-shattering kiss. I barely felt us moving backward until my body was pressed up against cold metal and an alarm blared somewhere behind us.
But that was all background noise, something I blocked out as the moment stole my breath away.
I tore at his jacket, needing to feel his skin under my fingertips.
Warm flesh was just one layer away when the waistband of my leggings was torn down my legs and I was hauled up, cold metal touching my ass.
And then he was there, his fingers brushing against my pussy as an indecent moan tore from my throat. My clit was on fire as he swirled it, pinching it, until I came hard in two seconds flat, crying out as wave after wave of pleasure shot through me.
So overcome by the sensations, I held him tight to me as I struggled to stay upright and gain some control over my breathing. By the time the world started to come back to me, I became aware of two things.
One, my butt cheeks were extremely cold. And two, we were in public.
With an audience.
“Oh God,” I whispered, desperately embarrassed by what had just happened.
I was too humiliated to do a thing except cling to him, but thankfully, he had more sense than me and tugged up my leggings, covering my body from exposure.
“We just did that,” I whispered.
“Yeah.”
“In public.”
“In public,” he concurred.
“Did everyone see?”
“Not a thing,” he lied, which made me feel the tiniest bit better until a rough bark, followed by a chuckle I knew all too well, clued me in as to where we were.
“Please tell me I’m not leaning against the sheriff’s car.”
“You’re not.”
“Are you lying?” I asked, hoping he wasn’t.
“Maybe it’s best if I don’t answer that.”
“So,” Sheriff Wynn said, slapping my file down on the desk as I paced the inside of the jail cell while JR calmly sat on the bench without a care in the world. “Care to explain why your ass print is now embedded in my glass?”
“I am so sorry about that,” I rushed out. “Seriously, it wasn’t supposed to happen. I don’t even like this man!” I said, jabbing a finger at JR.
Maverick chuckled at my admission. “Well, if you don’t like him, I’d hate to see what kind of public displays we might find with someone you hate.”
“No, don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I don’t like him. Of course, I like him. I mean, I don’t go around doing…that with people I don’t like. You know me, Maverick. It’s just that I don’t like him like that.”
“Are you sure?” he questioned.
“Of course!”
“Because it sure looked like you liked him like that.”
I ran over all the likes in my head and decided no, that was wrong. “There’s a big difference between like and like.”
“Mrs. Butterworth would say differently. She filed a complaint. Something about making out on a public street.”
“That was one time!”
“It shows a pattern,” he pressed. “Well, I guess I can at least write down that he didn’t just maul you against my car.”
He jotted down some notes, and I spun, glaring at JR. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”
“Me?” He shrugged. “Not sure why I would. You don’t even like me.”
“You know I didn’t mean that,” I hissed. “I’m trying to get us out of jail.”
“By telling him you don’t like me,” he deadpanned.
“Yes, and then he’ll be convinced that this was a one-time occurrence and he’ll let us go!”
“Great,” he nodded. “And then the rumor mill will start up again about how I mauled you in public with my mouth. That’ll be a great headline after the whole constipation thing earlier.”
“JR, we are in jail!” I screeched.
“I’m aware. Your second time, I believe.” Scratching his chin, he mocked me with his condescending thoughts. “I wonder what the penalty is for getting nabbed twice in a month. Do they hang you in the town square? Or maybe you’re placed in the stocks.”
He snapped his fingers mockingly at me. “You know, there are some places that nail your ear to the wood and then wait for you to rip the nail out.”
“Why?” I screamed at the ceiling. “Why, of all people, did I have to get stuck with you?”
“Hey, you kissed me.”
“I so did not kiss you!” I said in horror.
“I believe you did.”
He was so calm and cool. It pissed me off.
“You kissed me!” I argued. “I was there. I remember it!”
“Yes, but if I kissed you, it was only to shut you up.”
I gaped at the horrible accusation. “Excuse me?”
“Well, you just never shut up. It seemed like the easiest way to go about getting what I wanted.”
I couldn’t believe I ever let this man’s hands anywhere near me, let alone in the middle of the town where anyone could see us. He had touched me, made me come against a police car. Were my butt prints there?
“Oh God,” I murmured, rushing back to Maverick, hoping he would take pity on me. “Sheriff, you didn’t…take pictures of the uh…prints, did you?”
A sly grin spread across his lips. “Photographic evidence is very important in the chain of evidence.”
“Right, but—”
He started laughing again. “I know, childish, but so funny.”
Rolling my eyes, I started to get really pissed off. “Maverick Wynne, this is not funny. My ass prints do not belong in a file anywhere! It’s not like you can use them like a fingerprint!”
Then again, I didn’t know.
“Can you?”
“Not sure it’s ever been done before. I’ll have to call a friend about that.”
“No—” I started as he picked up the phone. “Sheriff, please don’t—”
“Yeah, Susie, put me through to Harrington. I need his advice on something.”
Irritated, I spun away, but the picture wasn’t any better in that direction either.
JR didn’t look the least bothered by any of this.
I was about to have my ass prints on permanent file.
They’d probably end up all over town, become fodder for everyone to laugh at, and he didn’t care in the slightest.
“Yeah, Harrington, you ever heard of ass prints being used in a criminal investigation? Uh-huh…Uh-huh…Uh-huh…Ooh, well, that’s interesting.”
I rushed over, gripping the bars as I waited for the outcome. “What’s interesting?”
“Well, I guess I never thought of that. Guess we’ll have to specially mark these.”
“Specially mark them, why?” I screamed.
Maverick chuckled at something Harrington said. “Right, well, thanks for the info. Hey, I’ll grab the donuts next time I’m in town.”
As he hung up, I waited, watching as he scribbled something in his book.
“Well?” I gasped. “Tell me! Tell me now!”
“Tell you what?”
“What did Harrington say? Are my ass prints going to be released in some public database?”
“He didn’t know of anything, but said I should keep them on file just in case.”
“In case of what?”
He slowly looked up from his pad and frowned. “Well, in case I ever need to match ass prints to anything ever again, I suppose.”
Pressing my hands to my face, I slid down to the floor in humiliation. This day just couldn’t get any worse. It wasn’t possible, not when JR had done that to me in such a public setting.
I was going to hell. I was going to end up on the front page of the local newspaper, along with a print that showed where they dusted to make sure they got that particular print on file for any future ass altercations.
I was toast.
“Hey, if it makes you feel any better, I’m sure it’ll make a great picture,” JR said with a devilish smile. “Think I could get a copy of it?”
I hated him. I well and truly hated him, and there was no way I would ever kiss him again or spend the night on his couch or even think of what he did to me earlier. That was all over. Every second of JR had officially been wiped from my mind.
Even his mussed-up hair. My fantasy days were over.
“You,” I hissed.
A cocky grin split his lips as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “What about me?”
“This is all because of you. Every second you’ve been in town, I have tried to be friendly to you. I have been nice. I gave you chili during the snowstorm. I shared my blankets with you. I helped you with your dog!”
“He’s not mine, and you know it.”
Milo barked from where he rested next to the sheriff’s desk.
“And this is the thanks I get? After all this time, you repay me by humiliating me in front of the whole town!”
He shoved to his feet and stalked toward me. “I lent you my couch. I made you tea when you shoved your way into my house, completely hungover. I don’t let you sleep in your car when your brother and his fiancée keep you up all night with their moans of pleasure. I’d say we’re even.”
“We are so far from even,” I scoffed, backing up as he encroached on my space. My back hit the bars, but he didn’t stop, not until he was flush against me, his rigid cock nudging my belly.
“Tell me to stop.”
“Wh-what?” I asked, my breath hitching in my throat as his hand slid up my belly and over my collarbone, locking around my throat.
“Tell me to stop and I’ll walk away.”
“You always do,” I retorted.
“That’s because I’m no good for you, but if you want me, I can be real good to you.”
My eyes darted around the cell for a second before locking on his again. “We’re in jail!”
A wicked glint brewing in his gray eyes flashed so fast, I would have missed it if I wasn’t paying attention. “Maverick!” he shouted, not taking his eyes off me for even a second. “The lady and I are ready to go home. Make it happen.”
“That’s not precisely how this works,” Maverick grumbled. “But sure. Anything to avoid another spot I’ll have to disinfect later.”
The key rattled in the door before swinging open. I nearly stepped through, but JR caught me around the waist, tugging me close to him.
“Be sure about this, baby. Once you walk through that door, there’s no going back.”
I didn’t even look over my shoulder as I stepped back confidently, firmly placing myself outside the jail cell.
“Are you coming or not?”