He lifts his hands, which are stained with Andrews’s blood. “Does that look black and white to you?”
I groan, scrubbing my hand over my face, needing to get my shit in order. This man is playing havoc with my senses. “I think you should go. I already told you this can’t happen.”
“Yeah, I know, and I almost listened.” He crowds me, and once more I find myself pinned to the door. “But that was before I tasted you, before you were grinding your pussy on my thigh. I bet if I slipped my fingers inside you now, they’d come out slick with your honey. Not because of that guy out there, but because of me.”
Pissed and turned on is not a good combo for me. I grab his face with both hands and tip his head down so his eyes starestraight into mine. “Don’t think that just because you can get a reaction out of me that Riggs can’t. I’ve been starved of affection for fifteen years, and now my body wants to soak it up like a sponge. You think it matters to me that it’s your dick on offer? Please. At this point, any dick will do.”
He smirks. “Such a pretty little liar. I’m going to have fun fucking the truth out of you.”
Before we can argue more, he pulls away. I move out of his reach, but he just opens the door and steps out. Pausing, he looks over his shoulder with a molten look that threatens to burn away my panties and what’s left of my dignity.
“Word of warning. Anything he can do, I can do better, and I have every intention of proving it. Keep that in mind.” He’s gone before I can think of a witty comeback. Just as well. I’m not sure I wouldn’t make an idiot of myself anyway. I collapse on the sofa, burying my face in the cushion so I can scream.
A tap at the open door has me looking up, ready to curse the man out. It’s not Shepard, though, but David, looking flustered. “Sorry. I just wanted to know if you need anything else. I need to head home and pick up my sisters from the sitter.”
“Crap. No, go do what you need to do. Hell, I’m sure you can do a bunch of it remotely, which I’m fine with. When you have to be on site, I don’t mind if you want to bring the girls.”
“Really? Are you sure?”
I get up, straighten my hair, and tuck my T-shirt in, fighting off the urge to blush. “I’m sure.”
“Thanks, Calliope.”
“Anytime. Us misfits have to stick together.”
“Is that what you were doing with the sheriff? Sticking together?” he asks me with a straight face.
“Oh, he’s got jokes,” I mutter, knocking him with my shoulder as I walk past him, making him laugh.
I head to the kitchen. Riggs leans against the counter, drinking coffee. His eye comes to mine the moment I walk in. I quickly look away and at Jen, who is pacing at the other end of the room, talking animatedly to someone on her cell phone.
“What’s going on?”
“That’s what I’d like to know,” Riggs mumbles. I whip my head back to him, but he nods toward Jen. “She’s trying to get a ride for her and the kid.”
“She can just take one of the trucks.” I walk to the mudroom, grab one of the sets of keys from the wall, and walk back in, just as David joins us. “Heads up.” I toss him the keys, which he catches. “You guys can use this.”
“You sure?”
“Of course. I have a bunch, and I can’t drive a single one of them.”
“We’ll have to change that.” Riggs sighs as Jen hangs up.
“I swear some people’s mothers really should have swallowed them,” she hisses, making Riggs choke on his drink.
“No luck?”
“No. But the sheriff did say that he’s trying to figure it out before he leaves.”
“Did he now?” I mutter before nodding to David. “He has keys to one of the ranch’s trucks. Use that.”
“Really? That’s perfect. The car is just a rental, so I’ll pay one of the interns to come and collect it for me once I get back to the office.”
“Alright. But if not, I’ll get Riggs here to pick it up and bring it back to the ranch.”
“Perfect. I need to grab my case from the office where I left it, then head out so I’m not late for tennis. David, are you ready to leave?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
