“It won’t be repeated.” He didn’t know if he was telling her or himself.
She tipped her head and smiled a slow, sexy smile that did something to his insides. “Yes . . . sir.”
The two words sent a shaft of heat straight through him. After last night, they were no longer a sign of respect. He had made the mistake of playing out one of his sexy deputy fantasies with her. Now, whenever she said the words, all he would be able to think about was her kneeling in front of him, with her eyes glazed over with passion and her lips wet from his kisses, as she said “Yes, sir” right before she gave him the most incredible blowjob of his life.
“Fuck,” he whispered before he jerked her to him and kissed her. As soon as his lips touched her, he knew there was no going back. It was a mistake, but it didn’t feel like a mistake. It felt like the rightest thing he’d ever done. As he devoured her sweet lips, he walked her back against the door and started unbuttoning her shirt. He only got three buttons opened before she drew back from the kiss.
“Stop, Lincoln.”
He blinked and tried to clear his vision. “What?”
She cradled his face in her hands and smiled. “There is nothing I would like better than to have you strip me naked and take me right against this door. But when we were finished, you’d feel even worse. Because you are a man of morals and rules. So here’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to separate work from play. You’re going to leave and go back to the Double Diamond ranch and search for the rest of those bones. And I’m going to stay here and search the reports. Tonight, you’re going to get your butt back to my apartment and we’re going to take up where we left off. And if your conscience starts to bother you and you don’t show up, I’m coming to get you. Do you understand, Officer Hayes?”
As much as he didn’t want to release her, he stepped back. Once he had some space between them, he started to come up with reasons why meeting at her apartment was a bad idea. But she knew him too well. She placed a finger over his lips.
“Do you understand, Officer Hayes?”
Just the feel of her finger on his mouth made him what to jerk her back into his arms. He finally accepted that this was going to be a losing battle. While he was here, he would never be able to resist Dixie.
“Yes,” he said against her finger.
A smile tipped up the corners of her mouth. “Yes what?”
He blinked, and then laughed. “Yes, ma’am.”
She removed her finger and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “I’m glad we got that settled. Now I have work to do and so do you.” She pushed past him and headed to the desk. He grabbed his hat from the hook next to hers and opened the door, but before he stepped out, she spoke.
“Officer Hayes.”
When he turned, she had a wicked look in her eyes.
“Make sure you don’t forget your handcuffs tonight.”
Chapter Seventeen
“It’s a true honor to be invited into the Simple Book Club, Dixie. We don’t let anyone in. First you have to be nominated.” Luanne pressed a hand to her chest, jangling her many bracelets. “Which I was more than happy to do.”
“I nominated Dixie,” Raynelle said. “You just jumped on my bandwagon.”
“I already was preparing to nominate her when you cut me off. Something you do on a regular basis. You are the most interruptin’ woman I have ever—”
Dixie stepped in before the argument could get heated. “My goodness! What a great honor. I’m so grateful to both of you for nominating me. And I would love to be part of the Simple Book Club and look forward to discussing a lot of great novels with you ladies.”
“Well, not all of them are great,” Raynelle said. “The last one made me cry more than cutting a bad onion.”
“Just because a book makes you cry doesn’t make it bad, Ray,” Luanne said.
“It does for me. I have enough to cry about with my deadbeat son. I don’t need books adding to my misery. Although thank the Lord his girlfriend broke it off with him. That’s one less mouth I have to feed.”
“You need to kick that boy out, Ray, or at least make him get a job.”
“I know. I know. But what can I say? He’s my baby. And it’s nice coming home to someone—even if they are a deadbeat.”
Dixie felt sorry for Raynelle and tried to give her some hope. “I lived at home until just this past year. It’s hard figuring out what you want to do with your life. I’m sure your son will figure it out eventually.”
“How did you figure out you wanted to be a deputy?” Raynelle asked.
Dixie smiled. “It was just a whim at first. In fact, I was pretty sure it was the wrong fit. Now I know I’m right where I’m supposed to be. Like my mama always says, ‘The Lord works in mysterious ways.’”
“Amen to that, sister,” Luanne said. “We sure feel blessed the Lord sent us such a good deputy. It’s too bad Sheriff Willaby is back. I’ve never liked that man.”
Dixie stared at her. “Sheriff Willaby is back to work? You must be mistaken. I haven’t heard anything about him coming back.”
“Well, I don’t know all the particulars. All I know is that he gave Martin Schumer a ticket this morning for parking in a handicap parking space without a permit.” Luanne snorted in disgust. “As if Martin’s wheelchair isn’t enough
