Hank smiled at her, but it was the thought that was currently filming through his head that had that smile turning into a full grin. How he thought of her last night while he was in the shower. How him coming to her house to shut off the valve ended in them fucking on her kitchen table. He shook the thought from his head when Hilda squawked.
“It’s my job,” he said before he looked down and snapped his fingers. Hilda stopped dead in her tracks. He tucked his hand in his pocket and grabbed a handful of pumpkin seeds he always brought for Hilda. He tossed them on the ground and she took no time in chowing down. Hank gestured with his head toward the door to the coop. “You all better get going now.”
Ed waited for Arissa, following her out, then they both waited for Hank. Arissa was smiling to herself. The sheriff said it was his job. It really wasn’t. She liked that he took a genuine interest in his town. It was why Summerville was as friendly and close as it was. With every encounter Arissa had with the sheriff, the more she liked the man he was.
Hank crouched one more time, let out a small whistle and got Hilda’s attention. He looked her in her little beady eyes. “Hilda, can’t be my girl if you’re gonna act like this anytime people come around.” As if the chicken understood what Hank was saying, she bowed her head and looked to his feet. “I gotta go.” He ruffled her head again, stood, and walked out of the pen. Ed was smiling proudly and Arissa had a look on her face, one Hank could not read.
“What?” he asked her.
Hearing him tell Hilda she couldn’t be his girl, Arissa was jealous of a chicken. She hardly knew the man, but she’d be lying if she said she didn’t find him fascinating, so much going on under that sexy outer package. Did he have a girl? He had to, a man like him, and now it wasn’t just a chicken Arissa was jealous of. She wasn’t about to share all of that with him, so instead she said, “I’ve just never seen that before.” Looking down at Hilda, who was a different chicken than the angry one that trapped them in the hen house, she added, “That was incredible.” Her eyes lifted, a small smile played around her mouth. “It’s not just humans charmed by you.” She couldn’t read his reaction, but he definitely had one.
Jesus. Those fucking lips. They were great, plump, pink, and looked soft as a cloud. But smiling at him the way she was, he felt that deep down. He wanted to see that smile directed toward him more. He shrugged at her comment and shared, “You should see me wrangle some pussy.”
Ed watched Arissa’s mouth drop open and he roared with laughter. “He’s talking about Vern’s two cats, she lets them out like they’re dogs, then calls Hank to go find them.”
Hank watched Arissa’s head turn slowly toward him, her eyes finding his. He winked at her. Arissa’s mind went elsewhere, as her body grew warm wishing for some wrangling by the sheriff. She simply nodded in understanding at Ed.
“I better get these eggs in the house,” Ed said, and started toward his house in a hurry.
Hank never took his focus off Arissa. “Speaking of pussy.” He let his eyes drift down to the juncture between her thighs before moving them back up to her soulful brown eyes. “You like cats?”
“More now than I did before,” Arissa choked out, her legs feeling slightly weak from that look. “You?”
Hank took a few steps, stopped next to Arissa and spoke in a low deep voice. “I love a good piece of pussy.” He heard the hitch in her breath then added, “But, yeah, I like cats too.” Then he continued toward his SUV, calling back to her, “Just letting you know Vern’s cat is about to have a litter if you’re interested.”
Arissa was about to come, right there in Ed’s front yard holding her hard won eggs. The man was dangerous, strolling to his car looking like sin and knowing he was the law in town, it was a delicious combination. Her mouth opened and the words just came out. “I’m interested.” She wasn’t talking about the cats.
Hank had a hand on the door handle when he looked back at Arissa. She hadn’t moved. He had an effect on her. He liked knowing that. He liked it a fuck of a lot. He grinned at her comment before he threw back. “So am I.” He wasn’t talking about the cats, either.
He climbed into his car and started down the drive. Glancing in the rearview mirror, she was still standing there. Watching her, he had to adjust himself. He pulled out his cell, tapped the screen and typed.
Burgers, beer, and darts at my house, 6 tonight, you in?
He hit send and stopped at the end of Ed’s long driveway. Watching her from his rearview mirror, she reached into her pocket.
She looked down a long time at her phone before his phone vibrated with an incoming message.
I’ll bring dessert.
He read the message twice, glanced in his mirror and saw she was looking in his direction. He tapped at the screen and hit send. He watched her read the message.
That means you’ll just be bringing yourself. See you then. Later.
He chuckled when he glanced back and saw she almost dropped her carton of eggs.
3
Arissa locked up her house and walked to her car holding the dessert she’d made, cherry pie. Who didn’t like pie? Her stomach hadn’t settled since getting the sheriff’s text from earlier. Burgers, beer, darts and him…it was going to be a perfect evening.
She was just putting the pie in the car when the scent of jasmine drifted her way. She glanced over to see her neighbor heading in her direction.
“Hey, Sugar. You going somewhere?”
