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I don't want to be too obvious in front of my brother. He'll give me hell if he sees me flirting with one of his buddies. But if I wait till they part ways, I might miss a chance to meet his friend.
Straightening my back, I do my very best casual stroll back to my cottage-- being careful to take a route that goes directly by my brother and his sinfully hot friend, of course.
As I get a little closer to them, I'm able to make out a few more details about the guy. He's a couple inches shorter than Vale so he must be around six, three. His hair is definitely a dark brown. It's not as neat as before, as if he’s run his hand through it to brush it away from his face. It’s even longer on top than I’d thought it was, and I wonder what it would look like after my hands had been in it while he had his face between my legs.
The little fantasy hits me hard and I have to pause for a second and catch my breath. Because, hell yeah, I would definitely let this man scratch my thighs with his beard.
When he notices me coming toward them, my brother shoots me a grin that makes me feel like I'm the butt of a joke I didn't hear-- with three annoying older brothers, I know that grin well-- then he pushes off the side of his truck and slaps the other guy on the shoulder.
My steps slow down as I try to process the complete scene as it comes into full view.
"Hey, Tee!" Vale lifts his arm in a wave toward me but doesn't wait for me to approach.
"Check in with us later so we know you're still alive, right?" I hear Vale tell the other guy as he jumps in his truck, and takes off, leaving his friend standing alone in the semi-darkness.
Weird.
I'd expected my brother would stick around to at least introduce me to his friend. Maybe glower at the guy a little to warn him not to mess with me.
Guess I don't warrant the same protective big brother act that Meadow got.
The way Vale took off, it's like he thinks I already know this guy-- and definitely doesn't think the guy is going to do anything inappropriate.
Well, the joke's on my brother, because I plan on making sure his friend does all kinds of inappropriate things to me.
"Good evening, Terra."
Uh oh, I know that voice.
"I was hoping I'd get to see you here tonight."
The man closes the distance between us while my brain scrambles to make sense of how Deputy Hawkins’ voice is possibly coming out of the man I've been drooling over for the last few hours.
How is this even possible? I feel like I've been cat-fished.
When did his voice get so low? I don't remember it ever having that deep, growly thing going on before.
"Let me walk you home," he offers, gesturing toward the door to the little house on the other side of the driveway.
"You grew a beard."
Man, I am all kinds of Captain Obvious right now. I use my free hand to stroke my own chin like he might not know what a beard is.
"I figured it was time to start fitting in with the locals...and, uh, your grandmother told me I looked like my nuts hadn't dropped."
He clears his throat and laughs nervously like he just cursed in front of a four-year-old or something, but I am busting up.
Hawk falls into step beside me as I head for my house. My brain is spinning, not sure at all what's going on. A few minutes ago I was naming the babies I was planning on having with this guy and now it turns out he’s the same boring deputy that I've been avoiding for months.
This means that the jacked-up, classic Ford Bronco sitting in the driveway must belong to him too. No trace of the regulation SUV with the sheriff's logo all over it.
"What are you reading?" Hawk gestures toward the paperback in my hand which I quickly clutch close to my chest.
"Just some book I saw recommended online."
I do my level best to make it sound about as interesting as a math book. Thankfully, it's got a discreet cover on it and a vague title that doesn't give away the over-the-top level of smut on the pages inside.
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