He captured her hand on his arm, holding it there because he liked the feel of it. Her hands on him. “Seems I’m finding more that makes me even happier.” He watched her eyes go soft and his head started toward hers when his cell rang in his back pocket. He let out a strangled growl as he lifted his head. “Fuck,” he grumbled, grabbing for the phone. He saw the name displayed across the screen and grumbled another, “Fuck.” He looked at Arissa. “One sec.” He tapped the screen and put the phone to his ear and said, “You cock blocked me.” He saw Arissa’s eyes widen and he chuckled, held the phone away from his mouth and told her, “It’s Vern, she can barely hear even when you’re yelling at her.”
Arissa was still on the cock block comment because that king size bed was inviting, so her reply kind of just tumbled from her mouth. “Vern…the pussy lady.”
Hank’s head fell back when he let out a roar of laughter. “Yep, that’s her.” He put the phone back to his ear and shouted, “Hey, Vern, what’s up?” Paused and yelled, “Yeah, I’m watching a funny show.” He paused again, his eyes held Arissa’s when he added, “Actually, I’m watching something I’m finding out that I like. Like a fuck of a lot. And the beauty of it is something I’ve never seen before.”
He could make her laugh one second and turn her on in the next, though in fairness, she’d been perpetually turned on since meeting him that day at her house. Watching him teasing with Vern and seeing the heated look in his eyes. Yes, the man was definitely an alluring combination.
“No,” Hank shouted. “I don’t remember the name of the show.” He paused, his eyes still glued to Arissa. “Yeah, Vern, I’ll come get you,” he yelled, and ended their conversation when he said, “See you in five.” He tapped the screen and placed his cell back in his pocket. “Gotta go take Vern to bingo. I’d take you along, but that would be like us fucking in the middle of Main Street. So, you good with staying and waiting here for fifteen minutes?”
She was stuck on the visual of them fucking in the middle of Main Street, which stirred an ache between her legs, but she managed to pull her thoughts together. Hank was right, a sighting of the two of them would fuel the rumor mill, but she suspected that Vern enjoyed her one-on-one time with the handsome young sheriff.
“Sure. I’ll stay here. I’ll clean up while you’re gone. Give Vern some alone time with her cat wrangler.”
Hank smiled at her before he closed the small distance. He bent his head, laid the tip of his nose on hers and whispered, “Warm the pie up while I’m gone too.” He touched his lips to hers, pulled back, saw the look in her eyes, grumbled, “Fuck.” Then turned and walked out of his bedroom for the first time regretting leaving the room.
Arissa heard Hank’s truck start up, heard as he gunned it down the drive and couldn’t help the smile. She glanced around his room again before pulling the doors closed behind her and heading to the kitchen. She wrapped up the leftover burgers, washed the dishes and turned the stove on. The sun was going down; stars were starting to peek out in the night sky. It was so quiet here. She’d worried after a lifetime in Charleston that she’d find the quiet too loud, but she loved it.
She put the pie in the oven then settled at the kitchen island, her mind running everywhere but fixed on the fact that she was sitting here, in Hank Weather’s kitchen, waiting for him to return from driving his elderly neighbor to bingo. She felt like a teenager, her reaction to him was surprising. She hardly knew him, but what she knew she liked…a lot.
She shifted gears to the feature she wanted to do. It had been a long time since she felt the excitement she had for Hank’s house. Though he was a big reason for that. The sound of a car pulling up surprised her. He hadn’t been gone that long. The banging that followed had her jumping off the stool, thinking he’d forgotten his house keys. She reached the door, but the man standing behind it wasn’t Hank. He was pissed. Who was he? Someone Hank had arrested, or locked up? Not wishing to open the door, she called to him. “Can I help you?”
The man was looking behind Arissa into the house. The lines on his face were hard, and his brows were scrunched together. Furiously, he snapped, “Where the fuck is Hank Weathers?” It was then the furious man leveled his eyes on Arissa. “You must be his next victim.” He roamed his hard dark eyes down her form and back up when he said, “At least he fucks the pretty ones.”
Arissa’s blood iced, her hand moving to the lock on the screen door making sure she was locked in. Who the hell was this and what the hell was he talking about? What she did know, the man was unhinged. “He’s not here. Not sure when he’ll be back. Give me your name and I’ll let him know you stopped by.”
The man let out a vile chuckle before he told her, “You aren’t getting rid of me that easily, Beautiful.” The man put his hand to the knob and tried to turn it. “Let me the fuck in.” He began to push and pull on the handle. With every give and take, his face grew harder. “Bitch, I know he’s in the fucking house!” he
