Page 71 of Secret Sins

The likelihood of it being nothing was pretty much slim to none. Not with the life I'd led. As usual, my past had come back to fuck me over. "Can we call them, or do you want to walk down there after the store closes?"

"Well, I called Mama to keep an eye on the place while we go down to the station. If that's okay with you."

I guess whatever she wanted was okay with me. "Will she watch Heidi, or do I need to put her back upstairs?"

Bailey laughed, and the sound made me smile. A fraction of the stress was lifted off my shoulders to hear her happiness. "Oh, Lord, Mama Riley loves your Heidi. Of course she'd love to watch her for a bit."

Since we were expecting her mother, I thought we should head up front and just wait. However, the second I tried to walk off, Bailey grabbed my arm.

"What?"

She answered me without words. Pulling my head down, she met my lips with hers, tasting of coffee and cinnamon. Her tongue tangled with mine, and I moaned into her mouth. Tangling her fingers in the hair at my nape, she tugged until she angled my head to better suit her needs. When Bailey took charge, it made my lust ratchet up much faster. Crushing her to me, I devoured her mouth with eager motions. Biting her lip, dragging my teeth across it, I listened to her ragged breathing as she gripped my head for dear life. When she made a soft mewling sound, I feared I would push her against the nearest shelf to have my way with her. Instead, she shifted my t-shirt until she could touch the bare skin of my back, making goosebumps rise on my arms.

"Oh, look, dear," I heard Jay say. "The children have made up."

I froze.

"And now they're making out."

Jumping away from Bailey, I felt my face redden with heat. Riley basically guffawed, clearly pleased at ruffling my feathers. Bailey grinned, unfazed at getting caught in flagrante.

"Ms. Mathis. Mr. Pruitt. I—we—" I stuttered.

"Don't go gettin' all stuffy on us, son." Riley plopped her large quilted bag on the checkout counter and looked around the store. "Where in the world is my sweet Heidi?"

"Ro and Ellie took her down to the park," Bailey replied, taking my hand and dragging me up front.

"All to give you two privacy to start neckin', I presume."

That was it: I was actually going to die of embarrassment right there in Bailey's beloved store.

"Anyway," Bailey said. "We're heading down to the station."

Riley rested her hand lightly on my upper back. "Good luck."

"Thanks." I was proud of myself for not flinching, though the urge had been there. Riley would never hurt me, obviously, but my natural reflex was to avoid all forms of touch.

Bailey was the one exception to the rule. I wondered if she knew it.

The sun beat down on us as we left the store, and I noticed she'd changed her chalkboard sign. It was too bad, really, since I thought the first one was amusing. Nerves built in my gut, and sweat popped out on my forehead the closer we got to the police station. For myriad reasons, I despised being inside one.

Both the exterior and the interior looked about how I expected, with a small reception area and pale blue walls. Nothing stood out to me as being remarkable, but my stomach twisted into knots as Bailey asked for Officer White.

"Hey, there," Kaylee greeted us. She held her hand out to Bailey, but at a subtle head shake from my girlfriend, she didn't reach out to me. "What can I do for you?"

"Someone has been lurking around Bookish and Corner Café. I'd hoped you could help us identify him and see what he wants."

"Let's go back to my office."

'Her office' was actually a cubicle in the middle of a tiny square room, surrounded by three other desks and a conference table. Phones rang, voices rose, the scent of bitter coffee filled the room—

And a panic attack threatened to send me to my knees.

"Van?" Bailey murmured. "Take a deep breath."

Breathing in through my nose, I recalled the sweet scent of Bailey's hair. The way her skin felt like satin under my fingers. The sound of her losing her mind when I made her come.

"What is that expression about?"