The Sheriff and the Mayor (2 page)

“Are
you real sure we need to go? Originally they weren’t counting on us being there.”
They were supposed to have gone on a much-needed vacation to Colorado, but
plans had changed because of this new art showing of hers. They’d decided to go
sometime this fall instead.

“If
you don’t want to go, I can always go by myself.” The look she gave him told
him that would be a seriously bad choice on his part. Like he’d be sleeping
alone for a very long time. Sex would be but a memory.

“I’ll
go,” he relented. Then a compromise to his earlier plan flashed into his mind.
“We’re going to do something first. Something I’ve been aching to do all day.
Something I
have to do
or I’ll go up in flames.”

One
of her eyebrows lifted and her cheeks grew pink. “There isn’t much time for
anything.” But she watched him as he moved in front of her. She drew in a quick
breath.

He reached
out to unbutton her shorts, pleased when she quickly realized what he wanted
and cooperated.

She
gave him one of her sexy little grins and went to work unbuckling his belt and
then unzipping his khakis. “Got some naughty thoughts, Sheriff?”

“The
naughtiest,” he answered with a groan. He shuddered at the touch of her fingers
as she found his rock hard cock and pulled it free. She’d already guessed that
he didn’t have the patience at the moment for shucking his pants. He only had
one thing in mind: driving into her warmth as soon as possible.

 Cassie
stepped back to smile saucily at him as she wriggled out of her shorts and
tugged her spaghetti-strapped T-shirt over her head. “I’m always ready and
willing to give my hard-working lawman whatever he needs.”

Dalton’s
heart pounded as he stared at her plump breasts in one of those fancy,
sexy-as-hell bras she favored. After the hell she’d gone through with her
abusive ex-husband, he thanked the good Lord every day that she’d learned to
trust him with her body. It had been tough going between them at first, but
there’d been something that had drawn them together almost as soon as she’d
moved back to town almost three years ago. That “something” kept them together.
He’d discovered he could be more of a patient man than he’d ever thought
possible. And, thank the Lord, she’d discovered that she felt safe with him.

He
clamped onto her waist and hefted her up onto the nearest counter. “I can’t
keep my hands off you.”

She
grimaced and he understood it was because of the feel of her bare butt on the
cold marble surface. But she gamely scooted forward, stopping just before she
fell off, and opened her legs in invitation. He could already see moisture
beading on her mound.

“Damn
but you’re hot,” he grumbled and moved between her amazing legs. “Hot and all
mine.”

“All
yours,” she purred in agreement, putting her hands around him, tugging him into
position. “Take me, Dalton, take me.”

Not
needing to be asked twice, he rammed deep. She arched backward and pressed her
lower body forward, her inner muscles capturing him, holding him as she moaned
in pleasure. No woman had ever before craved him like she did.

Time
for thinking was done. It was time for action, focused action. “Hang on,
darlin’, I’m feeling pretty desperate.”

As
always—and he silently thanked the good Lord again, she was willing for
whatever he wanted. She eased back to put her palms on the counter, pushing
forward and wrapping her legs around him. Exactly what he wanted.

They
moved together, having mastered their lovemaking over the year they’d been
lovers. Slowly, he pulled almost out, teasing them both. Then as she eagerly
awaited his next move, he thrust back until he was buried so deep that his
heavy sac slapped against the seam of her ass. He held still, holding his
breath as her muscles surrounded him, massaged him.
Heaven, Hell.

“So
good,” she moaned, clutching him to her with her strong legs. “So full.”

Her
husky soft praise was his undoing. He withdrew nearly out again, until only his
cockhead remained inside her. Pulling in a shuddery breath, he rammed deep once
more, repeated the pattern until she gasped, panted. The best thing in the
world to him was watching the woman he loved fly apart as he made love to her.

Wild
now, desperate, he worked her hard, forced her to scream and to explode around
him. Her cry had barely ended when he exploded as well with a gut-wrenched
shout.

He
fought for breath and lowered his head to rest between the plump pillows of her
breasts. He would want to do this all over again before long. “Are you sure we
have to go tonight?”

She
bent to kiss the top of his sweaty head. “Buck up, cowboy. We’re going.”

Ah,
hell
.

***

“We’ll
talk about this when we get home.”

Cassie
heard the quietly spoken promise and heat spread up her face. She hazarded a
glance at Dalton sitting next to her after he’d leaned close to deliver words
she never liked to hear:
when we get home
. Those particular words were never
good when they were said in such a tight way, spoken so only she would hear.

Her
heart pounded and she lowered her eyes to study the half-eaten food on her
plate. Around the crowded community meeting hall filled with half the town of
Grangeville, Kansas, conversations continued on. Several tables away a few
people laughed. No one paid them attention at the moment. For that she was
thankful.

“Did
you hear what I said, Cassie Anne?” Dalton pressed, intent on receiving a
response.

“Yes,”
she hissed in annoyance, and then wished she’d simply nodded. She noted the way
he stiffened. He never appreciated attitude when she was already in trouble
with him.

“We
talked about this before. We had made a decision.” He picked up his fork and
stabbed it into the chicken Marsala.

“Actually,
you
made the decision. I wasn’t sold on it.” She reached for the glass
of iced tea that a waitress had just refilled. Darn it all, the evening had
started out so good. They’d had that hot little quickie and there’d been
unspoken promise of more sex later.

“That’s
not
how I remember our last conversation going about you running for
re-election.” He kept his tone low and he kept a semblance of a smile for
anyone who looked in their direction. “I distinctly remember you promising
not
to do it.”

Cassie
took a long swallow to avoid answering him.

The
tension between them intensified. His anger was that proverbial elephant in the
room: you had to pay attention to it.

Finally
she set the glass down and focused on her plate, no longer hungry. The evening
wasn’t going to end well for her, but it was her own fault. Dalton was right.
Just last night she had told him that she wasn’t going to consider running for
a second term as mayor. Why should she? His old childhood buddy—Jim McAdams—had
moved back to town a few months back, settled in, and put himself in the
mayoral race. She thought maybe Dalton had nudged him into doing so, which kind
of rubbed her wrong, but she’d tried to let that go.

“Cassie,”
he prompted her again. His tone had darkened a notch.

She
fiddled with her fork and avoided looking at him. Their problem was complex.  He
wanted to move their semi-live-together relationship to the next step. He
wanted marriage and to start a family. When they had first begun dating almost
two years ago, she had still been getting over her really nasty marriage and even
worse divorce. Dalton had been patient with her, eventually taking a dominant
role in their relationship, one that oddly enough comforted her.

It
was the dominant side of him that had appeared again. His patience was threadbare.
Still, she hesitated to respond. She didn’t like arguing with him, didn’t like
hurting him.

A
year ago, he’d moved in with her Monday-Friday while he worked in town. Sometimes
she went with him to the ranch on the weekends. The situation was complicated,
had been becoming ever more so lately. She worried that it would soon turn into
an “or else” situation, that they get married
or else
call things off
between them.

She
swallowed hard, tears threatened. She didn’t want the “or else” solution.

“Isn’t
that what you said, Cassie?” he questioned when she again didn’t answer him.

Suddenly
it was too much to deal with at the moment. Irritation sparked within her and
she snapped, “Yes.”

When
the other couple at their table looked up curiously, she inwardly groaned and
forced a smile. “Yes, I think the turn out tonight is very good.” She bravely
changed the subject, hoping Dalton would go along with it.

Rachel
McAdams beamed at her, apparently oblivious to the tension between Cassie and
Dalton. “The minute word got around that you and Dalton would be here after all,
last minute reservations for tonight came rushing in.”

In
spite of the awkwardness between them, Cassie reached over to give Dalton’s
hand resting on the table beside her a gentle squeeze. “We decided to put off
our vacation until this fall sometime. We both thought it important that, since
we were in town, we be here for this dinner kicking off Grangeville’s July
celebrations.”

Jim,
Dalton’s friend, patted his wife’s hand. “Rachel’s been going crazy already
with heading up the annual picnic committee. She was really worried when it
sounded like you two wouldn’t be here for the big event.” His gaze mirrored
regret. “Especially since it might be the last one.”

He looked
steadily at them. “After all, Dalton, you’re the Sheriff and main go-to guy
around these parts. And, Cassie…well, you’re the heart of this town. The most
popular mayor Grangeville has ever had. I know everyone here is pleased that
you decided to run for mayor again.”

Focusing
on Cassie, he grimaced. “Wish I hadn’t put my hat in the ring already. But I’d
thought…according to Dalton…” He shook his head, looking in annoyance at
Dalton. “I could drop out of the election, of course.”

Cassie
didn’t have to see Dalton’s face to know there would be a smile plastered on it
for the benefit of those looking at them. Inside, he would be seething. His
displeasure with her was enormous.

To
try and calm him, she stated firmly for his benefit, “This will be my
final
term…if I’m re-elected, that is.”

She
tried to ignore the way he stiffened and she concentrated on Jim. “No, you
shouldn’t drop out of the race. Giving people a choice is always good.” She
smiled as best she could. “Besides, the voters could easily decide to elect
you, decide it’s time for new blood in the position.”

“Difficult
situation, friends running against each other,” Rachel admitted warily. “As
much as I love and adore my husband, I think you’ve done a wonderful job as
mayor these last two years. I’ll probably have to vote for you.”

Jim
chuckled and winked at his wife. “I’m wounded, sweetheart.” Then he grinned at
Cassie. “So much for loyalty, but I can live with it. Heck, I’ll be voting for
you myself.”

Dalton
grunted but fortunately didn’t voice his opinion. They all knew his biased view
on the matter: that he wasn’t wild about her running again. It made for an
awkward moment until the local country western band began tuning their guitars.
She wanted to run over and hug each of them.

Rachel’s
eyes lit up. “Are you two sticking around for the boot-scooting?”

“Yes,”
Cassie answered quickly, hoping to delay the inevitable event that would take
place at her home.

“Afraid
not,” Dalton countered. He shared a look with his friend. “My woman has been
working long hours lately. What with the mayor business and finishing up some
pieces for her showing in Dallas next month. I need to get her home.”

Cassie’s
stomach knotted even as their friends nodded in understanding. Yes, she had a
showing of her newest leather paintings, but she really wasn’t as worn out as
he’d made her sound. But she knew it wouldn’t be wise to oppose him right now.
She was in enough trouble. Again she heard his words in her head:
We’ll talk
about this when we get home
.

Dalton
stood and waited for her to get up as well. She doubted anyone else sensed his strain,
but she did. She balked. “I’m really not that tired.”

“You
were yawning before we even got here,” he countered, lying. He glanced at the
others. “She can be like those kids who are beyond tired, who put off accepting
that it’s time to just give in and go to bed.”

Rachel
laughed and said, “We’ve got a pair of boys at home just like that.”

Resigned,
Cassie gave in and pushed back her chair.

They
made their good-byes as they wove their way around the tables and well-wishers.
Dalton’s hand was planted squarely on her back all the while. In spite of his
underlying anger with her, she felt the familiar tingles of awareness at his
touch. She loved this sometimes impossible man.

 As
they stepped outside and headed to his big black, double-cab pickup truck, his hand
inched lower and lower. By the time they reached it, his hand rested on her
denim skirt covered bottom. She fought down the urge to wiggle away, but she
did draw in a ragged breath. She could feel the ghost sensations of an upcoming
spanking.