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Wes fills me in on what I missed earlier in the day, who I might need to keep an eye on tonight, and who might be stupid enough to try to drive back to the lodge. “I’ll have Stark hang out and keep an eye on things until you close,” I offer.
“Great.”
Riley, Wes’s wife, zips toward us carrying a tray filled with empty bottles and glasses. The two light up when they make eye contact. I’m not some fucking sap.I’m not.But dammit all, the intimate moment I wasn’t supposed to see definitely causes a pang of longing deep under my breastbone. I look over my shoulder at the patio door, willing Aurora to walk back through it.
Fuck me, I’m in over my head.
“I better go check on Stark. Make sure he’s working and not trying to pick up a stray tonight.” Ethan Stark is one helluva officer, but he’s the total opposite of me. Where I prefer to stay serious and unapproachable, he tends to turn up the charm dial to fucking twelve. Women, especially the unsuspecting tourists, tend to fall all over themselves around him. He eats it up too. One heartbreak at a time.
“She’s here, you know,” Wes says, one corner of his mouth lifting in a shit eating grin. “Aurora.”
I tap the counter, marking my departure and the end of the conversation. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“As much fun as it’s been watching you two resist each other, we’re all getting impatient. Stop fighting it, man. You’ll be better off. Trust me.”
When I spin around to defend myself, Wes has already returned to the chaos behind the bar. Fucker. He’s not the first to imply that Aurora and I have been playing cat and mouse for weeks now. It’s as though the entire town expects us to be together. As I shuffle through the crowd for the patio door, I start to wonder…why the hell not?
Hell, we’ve scandalized half the bridge club—I’m not fucking stupid, it’s definitely a little old lady poker operation—after Betty Bennington caught us making out this morning.
The first thing I see when I step onto the crowded patio is Aurora’s upturned face laughing. One hand is wrapped around a nearly full glass of amber liquid. The other pats the table as though someone told a funny joke. Her dark hair falls down her back in waves. God, she’s the most beautiful creature I’ve ever laid eyes on.
Freya Reid spots me and leans closer to Aurora, whispering something into her ear as she stares at me. If I was a betting man, I’d wager my badge Aurora’s best friend is encouraging her to make bad decisions when it comes to me.
Very bad decisions.
Aurora’s gaze flickers to mine and in it is pure, unadulterated desire.
“All’s good so far, Chief.” Stark appears at my side and the crowd gives us some breathing room. Which only makes it easier for me to set my unobstructed sights on Aurora Gray. He continues rattling off what he’s noticed, but I’m hardly listening. I’m just waiting for the lull in the monologue. Finally, after he finishes, I quickly fill him in on what Wes mentioned, feeling an urgency like never before.
“Got it, Chief. Are you leaving?”
“Taking a lunch break.”
“A lunch—you never take breaks.”
Fuck, I know this woman is hazardous to my health. But dammit, I’m so fucking tired of resisting her.
I’m ready to claim her for my own.
“Tonight, I do.”
CHAPTER12
Aurora
Holy shit.
This is happening.
This isfinallyhappening.
After weeks and weeks of pretending we can’t stand each other, we’re finally going to…do it. A giddy giggle slips from my lips, and Garrett looks over at me from the driver’s seat of his squad car.
“If you don’t behave, Gray, I might have to stick you back in the cage.”
“You wouldn’t dare lock up my inner she wolf during a full moon, would you?”
“Fuck me,” he mutters under his breath, followed by a revving of the engine as he guns it through town. I’ve never been more thankful that Grandma Rose decided to take an overnight trip with her newhoney bunnyas I am right now. If I don’t get this man all to myself and soon, I’m going to explode.
