AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It offered him immense pleasure that he had managed to unsettle her. The little miss was way too forward for her own good.
“We can multitask.” Her fingers fluttered over the buttons of his shirt to trace the buckle of his belt. “And I’ve been known to be an expert multitasker.”
“I’m sure you are, except I would question your motives, my dear Ms. Fowler.”
“You don’t trust me?” She leaned back to stare at him in pretend shock. “Whatever did I do to deserve such a harsh reaction?”
“I don’t trust reporters. Period.”
“Hmm, I guess it’ll be up to me to change your mind. You know...” The sooty length of her eyelashes fluttered enticingly. “Prove to you that you shouldn’t judge all books by the same cover.”
“You’re wasting your time, Daphne.” The deep tenor of his voice darkened. “I’m not the kind of man to fall prey to feline seduction, so you might as well stop shooting your pheromone-filled breaths at me.”
“Believe me, big man, I’m not the kind of woman to waste time on such an ineffective measure of seduction. You can trust me, Carter. I don’t play games. I just... act.”
Before he could guess her intention, she hooked her fingers into his shirt, yanked him closer, and locked their lips together. She wasn’t a passive participant, waiting for him to take charge. Oh, no, like the fiery reporter she was, her actions in seducing him were more so... red-hot even.
For a few moments, he allowed her the victory, then the desire to make her quiver and shake in his arms took charge. His mouth was firm and demanding. It represented the man he was, hard and powerful. His tongue plundered her mouth as with the first sweep, he turned her inside out. The kiss was crammed with lascivious promise and unchecked famine. Her passionate moans spilling out from between their interlocked lips were music to his ears. She swayed as her body turned weak, held upright only by his strong arm circling her waist as he pushed his tongue deeper inside the recess of her mouth.
When he lifted his head long moments later, the silence was shattered only by her laborious breathing. He watched her through hooded eyes.
“Trust is a fickle thing, Daphne. You may talk the talk, but I only allow those who walk the talk to gain my trust and my unconditional faith. Offering your very delectable body as a bargaining tool isn’t placing you in a favorable position for either.”
Even though his words weren’t meant as an insult, he took pleasure in watching the rosy blush heating her cheeks. Goading her was easier than he thought it would be. Her reactions were even better to watch—not only to his words but to his presence. He kept her pressed close, deliberately encroaching on her space. He suppressed a smile as her breath puffed loudly from her lips when her hardened nipples brushed against his chest.
“What the devil is going on here? Sheriff Scott!? Your cousin... well, I’ll be... I have no words,” Claire’s indignant blubber from the door broke them apart. Carter frowned as her words registered.
“That’s what she told you? That she’s my cousin?”
“Well, yes,” Claire said hesitantly as she glowered at Daphne, daring her to deny the truth.
“I’m surprised at you, Claire. I distinctly remember telling you years ago already that the only family I have is my mother and two brothers. No aunts, no cousins, nephews, and only one niece, who you already met.
“It completely slipped my mind. I’m sorry, Sheriff Scott. Believe me, I will immediately set this right.” Without further ado, she grabbed Daphne’s arm and wrestled her to the door. “Be a darling and bring the intruder’s things, won’t you, Sheriff?”
“No!” Daphne protested and did her best to slam on breaks, but the woman, although older and smaller than her, was all wiry strength. Desperate, she looked back at Carter. “I’m not done talking with you. I have much more to tell you.”
“I think you’ve said enough,” he drawled as he followed the two women down the hallway and down the stairs, carrying Daphne’s handbag, coat, and notebook. “Besides, I already gave you my answer.”
“You’re wrong. For Crickey’s sake, Claire, stop pushing me! I am trying to talk to Carter,” she huffed as she slapped at the hands clamped around her waist.
“It’s Sheriff Scott to you, young lady,” Claire scoffed, unperturbed at the spectacle they were causing as she marched her through the entrance hall of the building. She only released her once she stood on the pavement outside the offices. With her hands planted on her hips, Carter couldn’t help but compare Claire to one of the British Queen’s guards. Her stance said it all. Daphne wasn’t going to get past her back into the building again. “There. Now, stay out!”
“This is ludicrous,” Daphne protested but took the older woman’s warning to heart and didn’t move. Her eyes narrowed as they locked on him. Carter didn’t bother hiding his amusement, which, of course, triggered the reaction he expected... indignant embarrassment.
Waiting for the bomb inside her to explode, he leaned against the entrance with unabashed pleasure coursing through him. It had been ages since he had such a lively and rewarding encounter with a woman... and he wasn’t even referring to the kiss.
“Gmphf! Go ahead, you cad! Enjoy my humiliation, but know this. It’s not gonna stop me. You wanna throw down the gauntlet, Sheriff Scott, I’m in. Taken or not, intended or not, you just issued a challenge, and I never say no to one of those... especially not if a sexy hunk of a man is the prize.”
Her eyes glimmered with anticipation, which in turn triggered a frustrated groan from deep within him. He should’ve known this would be how she’d react. It was in her DNA. Daphne Fowler lived and breathed challenges. He, whether he liked it or not, had become her latest conquest.
“I accept, Big C,” she purred as their eyes caught and held.
“Don’t bother. There is no challenge or game. Whatever you intend, I’m not interested, Miss VW Bug. So, why not go your merry way?”
“Hmm, the dashing knave doth protest too much, me thinks,” she purred in a clear voice. “Be ready, Scotty, I’m coming for ya.”
Chapter Eight
