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She rewarded him with a smile. “Phase Four seems out of place in such a small town, don’t you think?”
Again, he shrugged. “Gold opened the club after his wife died years ago. He’s got the money to keep it going, but nearly every citizen in town is a member. Besides, there’s a big list of celebs that don’t live here but come at least once or twice a year.
“No kidding.”
“One thing about Destiny, we believe in discretion. The BDSM-Poly community is tight. The world may see our ways as fringe and eccentric, but we see it as the only way to live and love.”
The door opened and out came Reed, yawning. He’d also put on jeans like Sawyer, but nothing else. “I’m starving. What do we have to eat?”
“Good morning to you, too, cowboy,” Nicole said, shaking her head.
“Hey, beautiful. How are you this morning?”
Sawyer turned to their gorgeous guest. Her face was flushed. One thing about Reed, he always knew just what to say to get the response he wanted.
“I’m hungry, too, actually. What do you have?”
“Unfortunately, we only have beans and bread.” Sawyer felt his own stomach rumble. “We were supposed to get groceries yesterday but got sidetracked.”
Reed stepped up to Nicole and cupped her chin. “I’d starve any time to be sidetracked by you, Chicago.”
Nicole raised one eyebrow. “You sure do have the lines, cowboy. Lots of them. Don’t forget, I’m a cop. I know when someone is holding back.”
Reed frowned but kept his hand on her chin. He didn’t say a word for a bit. Reed was clearly trying to wrestle with his feelings for her. “Maybe we should get dressed and head to town to eat. We’ve got a diner, a Chinese restaurant, and a burger shop. What would you like?”
“I love Chinese.”
“Deal.”
An idea came into Sawyer’s mind. These two needed time alone. “I think it would be better for me to get takeout. Jason wanted us to keep her here for two days, right?”
“True,” Reed said.
She sighed. “I swear this area is fifty years behind the times. I suppose men here still like their women barefoot in the kitchen and pregnant, right?”
The image materialized in his head of her in just that condition, carrying their baby. He knew answering her would not win him any points. “What dish would you like from Phong’s, Nicole?” he asked instead.
Chapter Ten
Nicole sat in a chair opposite Reed. The chairs were on the porch that she’d taken a bath on shortly after her arrival here. Had that only been yesterday? God, it seemed like a lifetime ago.
She looked up into the pale blue sky and thought there couldn’t be a more beautiful place on the planet than right here.
Sawyer had been gone only ten minutes to head to town to get them Chinese food. Her mouth watered thinking about the sesame chicken he would bring back.
“What do you think of our Blue Arrow Peak?” Reed asked, pointing to the tallest snowcapped mountain off in the horizon.
She looked over at the cowboy, who was still wearing nothing but his jeans. She, on the other hand, had decided to dress. After, Reed had suggested they come out here to enjoy the morning. The idea had suited her fine.
“It’s amazing. How long does the snow stay up there?”
“Year round. Most of the other tops melt off, but not Blue Arrow.” His eyes seemed to sparkle with pride. Reed clearly loved where he lived, and she could understand why since the area was breathtaking. “Not the highest or biggest in the Rockies, but she’s one in a million to me.”
“The open air is something I don’t get back home,” she confessed. “It’s quite nice.” But it felt like more than that to her in truth. There was a peacefulness here that got into Nicole’s bones and warmed every part of her. How long had she felt like the walls had been closing in on her? Years. Nicole sighed, feeling more relaxed than she had in ages and ages. “You know I can’t stay here much longer, no matter what your sheriff says.”
Reed brushed the hair out of her eyes. She was growing accustomed to his tender touch. “Tell me more about this investigation, Chicago. It’s got a hold on you in ways you haven’t told us yet, doesn’t it?”
She shrugged, trying her best to put her poker face back on but having a difficult time of it. “It’s something I want to do. Police work is my life.”
