AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You were never a stand-in, Junie.”
“June.”
He doesn’t reply. He simply stares at me.
“See you around sometime,Sheriff,” I finally respond and then I walk away. I’ve been in counseling for the last two months. It’s a rough process, but I’m starting to feel better, and that’s what counts. I’ll admit that I had my doubts that counseling could help anything, especially me. I make it to the door and step inside just as I hear Ben’s bike roar back to life. I ignore the regret I feel inside at not listening to him. The temptation was strong, but I wasn’t lying. I don’t have the time or the heart to help him with his own demons.
Mine are big enough all on their own.
Ben
Eight Months Later
Juniper Sellers hastrouble written all over her. I knew it the first moment I met her, and I should have made it my mission to ignore her. It isn’t easy to ignore a woman who looks like Juniper. She’s so damn hot that she should come with a warning label. The woman has curves that go for miles, legs that were made to wrap around a man and give him the ride of his life, and lips so plump and sweet they fucking taunt me.
I was drawn to her from the beginning, even though I knew I should have run in the opposite direction. I didn’t, even knowing I wasn’t ready, and then I fucked up. I freely admit it, and I did it in one of the worst ways a man could. There’s no going back from it now and you would think that would be enough to make me give up and walk away.
Instead, I’m sitting on this barstool, nursing a whiskey and watching every move she makes. I’ve watched every man in this damn place flirt with her. Watched her laugh and shoot every single one of them down too.
A woman who looks like her could have her choice of any man she wants, but the more attention she gets, the more she pulls away. That’s proof she’s still broken. Proof she needs a man at her back.
Regret is a fucking bitter pill to swallow.
I want to push my way back into her life. Wrap my hands into that beautiful silvery-blonde hair of hers and claim those lips that haunt my dreams.
I want to do a lot more than that to her.
And that’s a problem.
Juniper Sellers is the last woman I should be attracted to. The last woman I should want. Her brother Gavin Lodge is a thorn in my side. I hate him—and I like him. It’s definitely a confusing relationship, and if he knew I was dreaming nightly of fucking his sister, while jacking off to my hand—he’d fucking lose it.
“Sheriff, did I forget to pay a parking ticket or something?” the object of my obsession asks, surprising me.
“What do you mean?” I cock a brow up at her while shooting her a smile because I like her style. Not many women will call a man on his shit. I like that Juniper doesn’t even hesitate, despite our past.
“If you stare at me any harder, you might hurt yourself.”
“It’s a good view, Juniper.” She winces as I say her full name—just as I knew she would.
“Listen, Sheriff. I don’t mind being your eye candy, but can younotcall me Juniper?”
“That’s your name, right?”
“June. Call me June.”
I grin even though I don’t want to. “June it is,” I tell her, raising my whiskey up and waving it at her before taking a sip.
“Whatever. You’re an odd bird, aren’t you?” she asks, shaking her head.
“Are we on for tomorrow, Junie?” Clyde Short calls out, taking June’s attention away from me.
“Yep, we’re closed for the next three days, Clyde. If you could spray and crap then, you’ll be my hero.”
Juniper bought Elaine’s Tavern a little over a year ago. She did a fuck of a lot of renovations, and I have to admit the place looks sweet. It’s been hopping ever since it opened too, despite Juniper still having a few things left to do to the place—one of which apparently is exterminating. Of course she’s opening a kitchen in the back, so that makes sense.
“Now, that’s something to make an old man’s heart twitterpate,” Clyde says, and I roll my eyes at seeing the old asshole flirt with her. He’s old enough to be her grandfather.
“Twitterpate?” she laughs. “Is that healthy for a man your age, Clyde?”
