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"God, she is one fine woman."
At Lewis's proclamation, Raith glanced over. He should've known whom he'd see, but the sight of DeVane coming through the front door, only thirty feet away, still managed to steal his breath.
She was stunning. The bright sunny day filtered in through the opened door behind her, making her silhouette glow, giving her an unearthly radiance. It highlighted every dip and curve of her voluptuous body. And the way she walked with that slight sway to the hips only made her feminine features pop even more.
When Raith realized he'd stopped breathing, he discreetly sucked in some air and glanced at his companions, hoping they hadn't caught him gawking. But when he found all three of his friends drooling themselves, all openly ogling her, he rolled his eyes. Pathetic.
"What I wouldn't give to get my hands on a piece of work like that," Hinton murmured, the dreamy look in his eyes making Raith shake his head in amusement. He wasn't at all surprised by the effect DeVane had on his buddies.
Greggor laughed and heartily slapped Hinton on the back. "Dream on, pal. You couldn't get a broad like her if you kidnapped her."
"Guess who I heard she's been bumping uglies with," Lewis said, turning to watch her saunter in the opposite direction.
Raith came around abruptly and eyed the young deputy with frank curiosity. "Who's that?" This might prove to be an interesting piece of information.
"That DiAngelo fellow. You know, the youngest county councilman who just got voted in last election. What's his first name? I never remember."
"Cole," Raith murmured, turning back to watch DeVane pause and chat with a young male lawyer way on the other side of the corridor. "Cole DiAngelo," he added, remembering the voice he'd heard on her message machine, canceling a date with her. He tried not to feel jealous, but it didn't work.
"No, I heard she was screwing the assistant county attorney," Hinton disagreed with Lewis.
"Hale?" Raith uttered the name. "You mean Rodney Hale?" Oh, now he was really ticked at Hale.
"Hmm," Greggor said, scratching his chin. "And here I thought she was serious about some dentist over in Darlington. They're damn near married is what I heard."
Raith couldn't take it anymore. If his good ol' pals named one more guy for him to put on his murder list, he was just going to blow. "Well, I know who she's not sleeping with," he announced, glowering at the trio of men who couldn't get their eyes off DeVane's rear. "And that's all of you."
Three pair of stunned gazes flashed his way. "You're such an ass," Greggor muttered, looking put out.
"Gah, Malloy," Hinton agreed. "What crawled up your butt and died?"
A young county councilman, an assistant county attorney, and a freaking dentist, that's what. He stared DeVane down with a lethal glare. She paused and glanced toward his group but didn't make eye contact with him. He felt the rejection all the way to his boots. Not once had any of his codeputies suggested he might've ever been with her. But hell, even if he did try to tell them he had spent two separate nights making it with the sexy lady lawyer, they'd merely laugh him off stage, especially with her right there, treating him as if he didn't exist.
His teeth ground together. He wanted to hate her. Better yet, he wanted to eye her with cool disdain and feel nothing. He didn't like how much it bothered him that she could completely blow him off. And he didn't particularly wish to see her naked and writhing against him every time he closed his eyes, either. But damn it, the woman had possessed him, wormed her way into his head and seriously messed with his every thought.
He jerked his eyes away from her so he wouldn't have to look at her any more, only to find all three of Lewis, Greggor and Hinton watching him peculiarly.
"You okay, Malloy?" Greggor asked.
Raith opened his mouth, not sure what he was going to say, but he was saved by the voice of his boss coming from directly behind him.
"Boys," said the sheriff, Tom Ballard, causing all four men to straighten immediately and give him their undivided attention.
"Sheriff," they answered in respectful unison.
"What's the big convention about? Or are you just standing around, gossiping like a bunch of old hens?"
Four deputies immediately started in with four different excuses as to why they were gathered. None of their stories matched.
"Doesn't matter," the sheriff cut in, waving their tiresome excuses aside. "I'm glad I've got this many of you in one spot. I'm sure you've already heard about Dean Wilmer quitting this morning. I need volunteers to take on his evening shift for the next few days until we get schedules rearranged."
Raith was the first to respond. "I'll take some." He knew all three men around him had families and besides, he really could use some extra cash.
"Thank you, Lieutenant," Ballard said, nodding gratefully. "I'll need you to work a double today."
"That's fine," Raith responded.
"Stop by the office when you're done here and put your name on the list I've tacked on the bulletin board. If you want tomorrow too, it's—"
