She only moved a foot when he gave her an expression as if she punched him in the gut. What was up with that?
He uncrossed his arms and took a step toward her. Her entire body stiffened and hummed with awareness of him. He was a manly man. He had every inch of her body reacting to his sex appeal.
He pointed at her and his facial expression seemed angry and frustrated.
“Do you see a goddamn badge on my chest or a uniform on me? I’m not the sheriff right now. In fact, I hoped you get the fact that I’m here on my personal time.”
She was taken aback by his response.
“I didn’t mean to insult you, Sheriff. It’s what everyone calls you whether in uniform or not.”
He closed the distance between them, wrapped an arm around her waist, and hoisted her up against his chest, nearly knocking the breath from her lungs.
She grabbed his arms, shocked at the solidity of the stone beneath her fingertips.
“Would it kill you to call me BJ? To acknowledge these feelings we all have for one another?”
“What feelings?” She absorbed the scent of his cologne, the attraction she had for him.
“When are you going to stop fighting Monte and me? What is it going to take to get you to see what you do to us and how we feel about you?”
She tried to pull away.
“I can’t do this now. I don’t sleep around, Sheriff…BJ. I’m not what you need or what you’re looking for.”
She tried pulling away, but he held her tighter and cupped her neck and hair so she was forced to look him in the eye.
“You’re so beautiful and an amazing business woman, but you suck at lying.”
Before she could respond, he covered her mouth with his own devouring any retort.
He made love to her mouth and kissed her like no man, no lover, had ever done before. The hand on her waist trailed over her skirt and against her ass as he hoisted her higher and firmer against his rock-hard body.
She found herself giving in to the kiss and his control. It was just so damn good, and the feeling of being in his arms was invigorating and safe. She actually felt safe. That jolted her back to reality as well as his previous words that included his brother.
He must have sensed her need to slow things down, and carefully, at his own pace, he began to slow the kiss and eventually release her lips. He nuzzled his face against her neck. His light whiskers tickled her sensitive skin while his warm, rapid breath collided against it.
“You smell so damn good and taste even better than I imagined.”
Damn, he imagined kissing me?
“BJ, I don’t know what to—”
Before she could finish, they heard a knock on her door. She pulled away from him and straightened out her skirt and tried to fix her lipstick. The sound of the knob being turned brought reality back to her in a flash. Now everyone would be talking about what she may or may not have been doing with the local sheriff locked in her office.
“I’ll be right there, Carl!” she yelled as she began to unlock the door. BJ covered her hand with his much larger one as he leaned against her. He practically covered her body with his own. He whispered against her shoulder.
“This isn’t over, Susanna.”
He stepped back, allowing her to open the door, and Carl stood a few feet away. He looked a bit surprised to see that BJ was still there, and then he gave the sheriff a nod as BJ tipped his hat then headed back down the hallway.
“What was that all about?” Carl asked as he smiled at Susanna.
“Nothing. The sheriff is concerned over Don’s behavior. I guess I’d better get downstairs and call him from the front. Maybe have him meet Ava and I by the back office downstairs. That way, if he’s pissed off, the back door and Clyde are nearby.”
“You may want to call Clyde and have him or Big Dog go with you now.”
“What do you mean?”