I suddenly became nervous while we were driving back, so I poured Jenny and myself a glass of wine when we got to my place. The last woman I’d bedded had been my wife. Jenny was the first woman to wake the little man up. What if that was an illusion and when it came time to perform, he outright refused?

That hadn’t crossed my mind until Stephanie had twerked her ass all over me, and I hadn’t felt any response at all. Maybe it was simply because she wasn’t Jenny. I hoped that was the reason, and I’d find out soon enough. First, I needed to relax and get rid of the anxiety of disappointing Jenny.

“I still haven’t gotten used to seeing the sunset in the mountains,” I said when we went out to the balcony.

“Don’t you have sunsets in Chicago?”

She took a sip of her wine, peering at me over the rim. That look she was giving me was sexier than any of Stephanie’s bumping and grinding. I thought Jenny had been a little jealous, but she had nothing to worry about where the mayor’s daughter was concerned.

“Of course we have sunsets in Chicago, silly girl. The buildings block them, or we just forget to look up. Everyone’s always in a rush to get somewhere. To work, back home, to dinner, wherever. Who thinks of stopping for a few moments to enjoy a sunset?”

“That’s sad.”

Actually it was. I was still getting used to the slow pace of these mountain people. It drove me crazy at work when some of my cops took their time carrying out an order. Outside of the police station, I was learning to enjoy the slower pace.

“Is there something at the edge of the woods there?” I pointed where I’d seen movement.

Jenny stood and went to the railing. “It’s a deer. A buck. Come look,” she whispered.

I joined her, and sure enough there was a buck with a set of antlers like I’d never seen before. I wished I had binoculars and made a mental note to keep a pair out here.

“Eleven points. Impressive.”

“What does that mean?” I wasn’t a hunter, couldn’t stand the thought of killing something, which was interesting considering my job. I’d had to shoot a man once who pointed a gun at me, and I hoped to hell I never had to do it again.

“His antlers. He has eleven points on them. Eight points is more common.”

“Ah, I see.”

“I’ll be right back. Don’t let him go anywhere.”

She skipped off, and I eyed the deer, wondering how I was supposed to keep him from going anywhere. The buck was staring toward the building, only his face and neck visible. Except for the vague outline of the front half of his body, the rest of him was hidden by the dark of the forest and the night.

In less than a minute Jenny was back, her camera in her hand. After fiddling with a few knobs, she put it to her eye and started snapping picture after picture. The big guy’s ears perked up, and I wondered if he’d heard the click of her camera. But no, from below my balcony, another deer, one without antlers, trotted into view, heading for the buck.

“His lady,” Jenny whispered, the camera still to her eye. “He’s watching out for her.”

The two deer pressed their noses together for a few seconds, then the buck turned, disappearing into the forest, his lady following. “Wow. That was pretty cool.”

“Yeah, it was. I got some good shots. Take a look tomorrow, see if whoever lives below you puts food out for them. Some people do. Or they just like the grass under your balcony.”

Now I wanted to put food out so they’d come back. “Do they hang around where people live? I would have thought they’d stay in the forest.”

“If there’s food or good grass.”

“So now I have an owl and some deer?”

“And probably some bears with how close to the forest these apartments are. If you ever see a cub, stay far away because the mother will be nearby. She won’t take kindly to anyone getting close to her baby.” She stepped back, started taking shots of me. As soon as I realized what she was doing, I stuck out my tongue and crossed my eyes.

She laughed. “That’s the one I’m going to enter in The Valley News monthly photo contest.”

“Oh no you’re not.” I reached for the camera. “You always have this on you?”

“Yep. Never know when I might want to take a picture of a hot guy.”

She backed up, her green eyes flashing with mischief as she held the camera behind her. There was nothing a man loved more than a chase, and I prowled toward my prey. Although I could easily take her camera away, I decided I’d steal a kiss instead.

I grabbed her cowboy hat, tossing it onto the chair. She backed up another step. A few more and she’d be against the wall where I wanted her. I kept coming at her, my eyes locked on hers until she was trapped.

“Now where you gonna go, Red?” When she giggled as she tried to slide sideways, I put my hands on the wall. “Gotcha,” I said, lowering my mouth to hers.

Kissing Jenny Girl was like falling into a vat of my favorite ice cream and drowning in the pleasure of all that decadent taste. She let out the sweetest sigh as she wrapped her arms around my neck, one hand still holding tightly to her camera. I took advantage of that sigh and slipped my tongue into her mouth.

When I grew hard, I realized I’d worried over nothing. Whether I’d respond to another woman the way I did her, I didn’t know and didn’t care. I’d always been a one-woman man, and apparently, she was meant to be my one woman for as long as it lasted between us.

I trailed kisses over her cheek, finding my way to her neck. Her skin was soft and as smooth as silk. And warm. I wanted to spend all night licking her. When she rubbed against me, I almost lost it right then and there.

“Easy, Red, or I’m going to embarrass myself.”

“I don’t think I can be easy. I want you.” She put her hand on my jaw, pulled my face up, and stared hard into my eyes. “Now.”

That did it. I scooped her up, taking long strides to my bedroom, where I dropped her onto the bed. “Don’t move.” For my entry back into the living, I wanted everything to be perfect. I put on a long-playing soft jazz CD, retrieved our wine and some candles, and returned to my bedroom. The glasses I put on the nightstand, then I lit the candles, placing them around the room. All the while, Jenny’s eyes tracked me.

“Take off your shirt, Dylan,” she said after the last candle was lit.

I paused at the foot of the bed, smiling at the bossy woman. If she wanted my shirt off, off it would go. Holding her gaze, I made a show of slowly unbuttoning my shirt. “Happy?” I asked as I dropped it to the floor. The little hellcat smirked.

“Halfway happy. You still have your pants on.”

“And you still have everything on. I’m thinking tit for tat is only fair.” I loved how her eyes always seemed to shine when I amused her.

“Can I move?”

“What?”

She grinned. “You said don’t move. If you want my shirt off, I’m going to have to move.”

“Move,” I growled. I’d never before in my entire life growled at anyone, but this one? I’d howl at the moon if that was what it took for her to take off her damn shirt. Her lips curved into a sultry smile that would steal any man’s heart. Then her shirt and bra were gone and my mouth went dry.

“You’re beautiful,” I said—actually whispered—as my gaze worshipped all that she’d revealed to me. Rosy, pert nipples that I was going to have my mouth on very, very soon filled my vision.

“Your pants,” she said.

I couldn’t get them and my shoes off fast enough.

“And your briefs, although you look pretty darn sexy in them.”

I shook my head. “Nope. Your boots and jeans first.” We were daring each other with each piece of clothing, almost like we were playing strip poker. I’d have to play that sometime with her.

Her breasts bounced as she tugged off her boots, making my heart thump in my chest in anticipation. Jenny Girl was fucking killing me, and she didn’t even know it. It hit me that I could probably fall in love with her given time, but she had plans that didn’t include me. I just had to make sure she didn’t take off with my heart in her backpack on her traipse around the world. I could do that. I would do that.

Stripped of everything else, she sat on my bed wearing nothing but a red thong. Be still my heart. I walked around to the side of the bed, sitting on the edge. “You take my breath away,” I said, sliding my hand along her thigh.

She put her hand on my neck, leaned toward me, and put her lips at the corner of my mouth. I let her play until she licked across the seam of my mouth. I couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Come here.” I tugged her down with me to the bed. Finding her mouth again, I took my time savoring her taste, breathing in her scent. She nestled against me, and I slid my hand down the curve of her spine until I reached her ass, splaying my fingers over one firm cheek.

The candles I’d set on the nightstand flickered light and shadows over the creamy white skin of her breasts. “Need those in my mouth,” I murmured. She gasped when I swirled my tongue around the little bud, then moaned when I sucked hard on it. Ah, so damn good.

“Dylan.”

That was all. Just my name, but the needy sound of it was enough to drive me wild. I rose onto my elbows and stared down at her. Her eyes were filled with desire, and her mouth was parted as she breathed heavily in and out.

“It’s been a long time for me, Red. I’m going to apologize in advance for how fast this first time is going to go.” I brushed my mouth over hers. “But I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”

She smiled. “We have all night.”

“That we do.” I pushed my briefs down my legs and kicked them off, then reached into the nightstand, pulling out a handful of condoms, dropping all but one.

“Pretty optimistic, aren’t you?”

I glanced at the pile of condoms and laughed. “Probably not that optimistic.” I hooked a finger under the elastic of her sexy thong, wanting it off. To make sure she was ready for me, I slid a finger inside her. Oh yeah. She definitely was.

She held out her arms. “Inside me. Now.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I moved between her thighs, and after I rolled the condom on, I lowered my body over hers. She spread her knees, and as I sank into her, she wrapped her legs around my ass. Heat spiraled up my spine, and I clenched my entire body to keep from coming right then.

Heaven. It was fucking heaven being inside my Jenny Girl. She lifted her hips to meet mine, matching my rhythm. With each stroke I drove deeper, and the pressure built inside me until I couldn’t hold out any longer. I found Jenny’s mouth, our tongues dancing around each other as I lapped up her moans.

“Ahh,” I said into her mouth as I erupted, waves of pleasure, one after the other, washing over me. My heart pounded in my chest. “I’m sorry.” And I was. She hadn’t climaxed.

“Hey, remember we have all night?”

I smiled against her neck. “I remember.”

“Just do better next time, cowboy. We’re trying to save a horse here.”

The woman definitely knew how to make me laugh. “That horse has nothing to worry about.”

When I could move again, we raided the kitchen, bringing a container of ice cream and two spoons back to the bed. Once our bellies were satisfied, I took my time exploring Jenny’s body, learning what made her shiver with pleasure. Her taste, her scent, the way her silky skin felt under my palms was intoxicating. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get enough of her.

We dozed off sometime after midnight. I was spooned behind her, my nose buried in her hair so I could breathe her in, and as sleep took me, I wondered how I was going to let her go when it was time.

My phone interrupted my sleep, and I rolled over, looking at the clock to see it was two in the morning. Calls that came in the middle of the night were never good. I sat up, grabbed my cell, and went into the living room to keep from waking Jenny.

“Talk to me,” I said when I saw Kim Payton’s name come up on my screen. She and Tommy were still on night shift.

“Chief, I’m really sorry to be calling at this hour.”

“No problem. What’s going on?”

“Ah, Tommy and I are at the scene of an accident involving the mayor’s daughter. Captain Moody’s here, too. Apparently Stephanie called him. We’re pretty sure she’s drunk, but Moody’s refusing to let Tommy give her a Breathalyzer.”

And here was my first test on how I was going to treat the mayor’s daughter. The answer? Just like I would anyone else. “Tell Captain Moody I said—”

“That’s not all. Sean Lamar was in the car with her and wasn’t wearing a seat belt. He was thrown out. He’s in pretty bad shape. They’ve called for MAMA to take him to Mission in Asheville.”

Shit. MAMA was the hospital’s medical helicopter. Blue Ridge Valley had a small hospital, but they didn’t have a trauma center. “Tell Captain Moody I’m on the way and that I said to let you and Tommy do your job.” I’d find out who Sean Lamar was when I got there. After getting the address, I returned to my bedroom to put on some clothes.

“Are you leaving?”

I’d tried to be quiet, but it was better that I could tell her where I was going. “Yeah. There’s been a bad accident. Go back to sleep. I don’t know when I’ll get back.” I gave her a kiss before heading out. Until I found out more information, I chose not to tell her about Stephanie.

When I reached the scene, Stephanie was in the back of Kim’s cruiser with Kim standing guard at the back door, and Captain Moody was in Tommy’s face.

“I don’t care what the chief said. I’m taking her home,” Moody said.

So intent on intimidating Tommy, he didn’t hear me walk up behind him. “Captain Moody, your presence isn’t needed here.” He spun, opened his mouth, then closed it. I could see he was making a visible effort to control his temper.

“You need to let that girl go home,” he said after a few deep breaths. “She’s upset enough.”

“I’m sure she is, but she’s not going anywhere until we get a blood test done on her. You, on the other hand, can go home. As for your not caring what I say, we’ll discuss this in my office Monday morning at nine.”

“The mayor’s not going to be happy about this,” he yelled as I walked away.

Too true. I ignored him and went to Kim. “You handcuff her?” Kim nodded, eyeing me as if she wasn’t sure she should have. “Good. Take her to the hospital. Get a blood test done and have them check her out to make sure she doesn’t have any internal injuries. After that, take her home. We’ll decide what to charge her with depending on the results.”

“Yes sir.”

Stephanie banged her head on the window, trying to get my attention. I ignored her, too. Moody had moved to his car, but he was sending me death glares. Like I cared. Tommy was now at Stephanie’s Mercedes, and I joined him. “Looks like she took the curve too fast.”

Tommy nodded. “She denies it, but my guess, she was doing over sixty. The posted speed limit here is thirty-five.”

Stupid woman. The car was wrapped around a tree on the passenger side. If her passenger had been wearing his seat belt, he would have been killed instantly. One of the rare times not wearing one might have saved a life.

“I’d say it’s totaled. Who’s Sean Lamar and where is he?”

“The ambulance took him to the ball field where the helicopter will land. His parents own the Apple Orchard Motel and Gift Shop.”

“How old is Sean?”

“Twenty-four. He’s army, stationed at Fort Bragg. He was home for the weekend. Stephanie said they’d been at Hideouts and were heading back to her place.”

The honky-tonk bar. I glanced at my watch. The bar would be closed by now. “Tomorrow night when you go on duty, go there first. Find out how long they were there and how much they were drinking.” I hadn’t met the Lamars yet, but I could see a lawsuit against Stephanie in the making. “When you get to the station tonight, write up a report while everything’s still fresh in your mind. This could get nasty before it’s all over. I want every word she said, everything you saw here documented. That includes everything Moody said or did.”

Tommy eyed me with approval. “Yes, sir.”

“And Tommy, no talking to anyone about this. Not even to other cops, capisce? Tell Kim she’s under the same orders. Tomorrow morning I’ll get an accident investigator out here.”

He nodded. I trusted Tommy and Kim to keep their mouths shut, but Moody? Doubtful. The rumors would fly, and we didn’t need to be contributing to them. I went back to my car and got the camera I kept in the glove box. After getting pictures of the Mercedes from all angles, I lowered the camera, taking one last look at the mangled car. It was hard to believe that Stephanie had walked away without an apparent scratch. The next thing I had to do was what I hated the most, but it couldn’t be put off any longer.

“Tommy, follow me to the station so I can drop off my car. We’ll go together to notify Sean’s parents.”

What a shitty ending to what had been one of the best nights I’d had in what felt like forever.