The desk was big and she would bet there was a lock on the door. No doubt an hour or two in Riley’s arms would cure most of her ills.
She moved closer, rubbing herself against him, wanting them to touch everywhere. Her breasts ached. She wanted him to feel her there, and between her thighs where the need was most intense.
He swore against her mouth, then dropped his hands to her hips where he pulled her against him. He was hard. The realization excited her. She closed her lips around his tongue and sucked gently.
He stiffened, then surged against her. When she released him, he pulled back enough to kiss her jaw, then down her neck. Her skin erupted in goose bumps, her legs began to tremble. If she hadn’t been hanging on to him the overwhelming need would have caused her to collapse.
It was then she felt them-the one thing that had been missing from all her other relationships for as long as she could remember. Sparks.
They erupted like renegade fireworks, arcing through her brain, blinding her and making her want to run for safety. Sparks? With Riley?
She wasn’t sure if she pulled back or he let go, but suddenly there were a good two feet between them.
Her mind raced in a thousand different directions. She felt disoriented, as if she’d been drugged, or had slept too long during the day and couldn’t quite wake up.
“Gracie?”
“I’m fine,” she said. She turned in a circle, frantically searching for her purse. She spied it under the chair.
“This was a bad idea,” she said as she crouched down to grab it. “Really, really bad. Super bad. Bad, bad, bad.”
“I’m getting that,” he said as she straightened. “You seem a little upset.”
She gave him what she hoped was a bright, happy, I’m-fine smile. “I’m fabulous. Great. Gotta go. You have a good day.”
She practically ran from his office, all the while not wanting to acknowledge the truth.
Sparks. Bright, shiny, glow-in-the-dark sparks.
Not with Riley, she told herself as she hurried to her car and practically threw herself inside. Anyone but Riley. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t even reasonable, and it certainly wasn’t nice.
She tried to put the key in the ignition, but her hands shook too much. Instead she simply leaned her head against her steering wheel and let the irony of the situation wash over her.
After years of less than interesting romantic relationships she’d finally felt the one thing she’d always wanted to feel. Unfortunately, it was with the only single man on the planet she absolutely couldn’t, under any circumstances, ever, ever be with.
Why was she surprised?
RILEY LOOKED through the weekly numbers, but his mind wasn’t on the task. Not with thoughts of Gracie filling his mind and blood filling other parts of his body. She’d gotten to him. Somehow, when he wasn’t looking, she’d managed to squeeze past his defenses and make him curious about her. He wanted to know what she thought, what she liked. He also wanted to see her naked and make love with her, but oddly enough, that was almost less interesting than the rest of it. Which scared the crap out of him.
He couldn’t forget his rules, not to mention his goals. He was passing through this town, biding his time until he could claim his ninety-seven million. No woman was worth forgetting that, not even one as intriguing as Gracie. He didn’t do relationships. Ever. And she was a happily ever after kind of woman.
One who sure knew how to kiss. And she felt damn good in his arms. He smiled as he remembered how she’d rubbed against him. If they’d been anywhere but his office…
“Stop right there,” he told himself. He and Gracie weren’t an option. She was the kind of trouble he didn’t need.
He turned his attention back to the reports and forced himself to concentrate. Thirty minutes later, he finished with his notes. His phone buzzed.
“Sheriff Kendrick here to see you,” Diane said. “Shall I send him in?”
“Sure.”
Riley rose and walked around his desk. He hadn’t seen much of Mac since he, Riley, had moved back to Los Lobos. His one-time friend had dropped by to warn him not to make trouble, but since then they hadn’t crossed paths more than a couple of times.
Mac Kendrick walked into the office. He stood a couple of inches taller, wore a sheriff’s uniform and a gun. He was married, happily, Riley had heard. But in his mind, Mac would always be his best friend, the guy he’d gotten in trouble with, had chased girls with and had generally had a hell of a good time with until the night Mac had stolen the judge’s Caddy and taken it on a joyride, only to get caught and hauled into jail.
Mac had never talked about what had happened, but he’d changed then. He’d stopped messing around and had gone into the military. Riley had not only lost his best friend, he’d lost the other half of his family.
“Is this an official visit?” Riley asked as Mac closed the door behind him.
“No.” Mac glanced around the office. “Nice. Never thought I’d see you working behind a desk.”
“Me, either. But it’s not so bad.” He motioned to the two sofas in the corner of the room. “Have a seat.”
Riley waited until Mac had settled before sitting in the wing chair opposite. “What brings you here? Do you need a donation for the sheriff’s retirement fund?”
Mac grinned. “I wouldn’t say no to that, but it’s not why I came to see you.” His steady gaze settled on Riley. “I hear the election is going well.”
“My campaign manager tells me we’re up in the polls.”
“Wilma, the woman who pretty much runs my department, says you’re going to win. She knows that sort of thing.”
“I appreciate the tip and I hope Wilma won’t be insulted if I keep on polling.”
Mac grinned. “I won’t tell her.”
“Good.”
“I’m surprised you’re interested in running for mayor.”
Riley made a mental note to thank Jill Strathern-Kendrick, his attorney, the next time he saw her. Not only had she kept the terms of the will secret from Gracie, her best friend, she kept them from her husband-Sheriff Mac Kendrick.
“I never did like Yardley,” Riley said.
“You’re not alone in that. Maybe change would be a good thing.” Mac glanced around the office. “I thought you’d be moving on for sure, but you’re making your life here.”
“Trying.” Riley didn’t mention that as soon as the election was over, he would be gone.
Mac turned his attention back to him. “It’s been a long time,” he said. “I always felt bad about how things ended.”
Riley touched the faint scar on his upper lip. The one Mac had given him when they’d fought about Mac suddenly wanting to walk the straight and narrow.
“Me, too.” Riley shrugged. “It was a long time ago.”
“Yeah. You want to get a beer sometime?”
The question surprised Riley. He hesitated. Mac wasn’t going to like his plans for the town. But until then…“Sure. You know where I live.”
Mac grinned. “I cruise by on a regular basis to make sure you’re not making trouble.”
“Good to know I’m being protected by Los Lobos’s finest.” Riley looked at his friend. “I’m glad you came by.”
“Me, too. Let’s set up something soon.”
“COME
“No.” Gracie grabbed her headset and clicked it into her cell phone so she could keep working on her gum paste leaves. She quickly drew in the veins and point on the tiny leaf, then draped it over a cornstarch-dusted former to dry in a curved shape.
“Please. Just go with me. That’s all I’m asking. Do you want me to beg?”
Gracie heard the tears in her sister’s voice and tried to stay strong, but it was tough. She wasn’t cut out to say no to people, especially not to someone who was family. Even if the relationship seemed to only run one way.
