Rye yawned as he stepped out of the gloom of his office and into the sunshine. It was turning out to be a lazy day. No alien invasions. No complaints from the tourists about naked hikers. No bombs going off on the Farley land from out of control science experiments. It was a good thing, too, because he had a headache from drowning his sorrows the previous night. His stomach growled. A burger from Stella’s was what he needed. A little grease and his stomach would settle right down. If he hurried, he could catch up with Callie.

And he might see Rachel. He didn’t know her schedule because he wasn’t some creepy stalker like his brother, but she often worked the lunch crowd. He could start his new plan, his friends-with-Rachel, hands-off buddy plan.

Rye turned as a battered Jeep stopped at the stoplight in front of his office. He caught sight of Rachel’s strawberry blonde hair pulled into a ponytail. His breath hitched at the sight of her. Goddamn, he cursed inwardly, even as he felt a dippy smile cross his face. It was like she was the freaking sun. He felt his hand come up to wave at her.

Don’t forget the plan. Who cares about the plan? Look at how pretty she is.

She slammed her car door shut. She was wearing a tight white T-shirt and jeans that hugged her every curve. Her breasts were gloriously round and jiggled as she walked toward him. Her hips swayed. His hands itched and he wanted nothing more than to walk straight up to her and drag that hot body against his. He would grind his erection against her and force her to come at least twice before he shoved her over and thrust his cock inside. He would ride that pussy until he finally couldn’t take another second and then…oh, then, he would come. He would flood her with every last drop he had in his balls.

Damn it, he had an erection right in the middle of the street, and now he had to talk to her. Rye finally got a good look at Rachel’s face and took a step back. She looked righteously pissed, and all that anger seemed to be directed at him.

“You asshole!” She stalked across the distance between them.

Her anger practically vibrated through the air. Rye knew he should ask what was wrong, but something about the way she was coming at him got his back up. Not only his back, his cock was straining, too. She wanted to fight. He could fucking fight. He hadn’t done anything but facilitate her relationship with his brother and offer her his protection. He’d left his freaking home so she could be comfortable there. He wasn’t about to take her shit.

“You want to move that car, Ms. Swift?” He crossed his arms over his chest and gave her his best lawman stare.

It made her stop in her tracks, but only briefly. “What are you going to do, Sheriff? Give me a ticket? Lock me up?”

He could think of a few things he would do. None of them had anything to do with jail. Adrenaline thrummed through him, anger and desire welling into a nasty mix that had Rye forgetting all his good intentions. “Maybe I’ll just spank that ass of yours, sweetheart.”

He shouldn’t have said it, but the words were out of his mouth before he could think twice. It was exactly what he’d do if she was his woman. If she belonged to him and she’d pulled this shit, he would lay her out over his knee, and she wouldn’t get up again until she’d nicely apologized.

“What did you say?” She practically growled the question at him. Her eyes narrowed, and she held her ground.

Rye towered over her. “I said I would spank that sweet ass of yours red, darlin’.”

“I think Max might have something to say about that.” She shot the words at him, but there was a telltale trembling to her voice. He would bet everything he had that she wasn’t entirely put off by the prospect of getting over his knee.

Max would watch if their relationship was on a normal footing. For all his anger issues, Max was softer than Rye when it came to sex. It didn’t mean Max didn’t enjoy playing a few games. He’d spanked a perky ass on more than one occasion. “You push Max like you’re pushing me, and he’ll understand.”

Her eyes flared briefly before she hardened them to flinty green stones. “Yeah, well, you don’t have to worry about it. I’m leaving. Don’t worry about me screwing up your perfect world anymore.”

She started to turn, and Rye’s arm shot out. He was running on pure emotion. She was leaving? Not on his watch. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

She pulled against him, setting her sneakers solidly against the road. “It’s none of your fucking business, Sheriff. Let me go.”

Not on his life. Rye looked around and realized they were stopping traffic. Rachel’s car could wait. He needed to figure out what the hell had turned her into a raging maniac, and he couldn’t do it in public. Without letting go of her arm, he leaned down and slid his free arm beneath her leg. He hauled her up against his chest and strode back toward the sheriff’s office. No one was in there. They could yell at each other in perfect privacy.

“Let me down,” she growled at him. Her voice had gone low as though she knew they were drawing a crowd and that gossip would flow.

He kicked the door open and walked her back to the small confines of his office. He set her down and swiftly blocked the door. “Now, do you want to be reasonable about this or should I get ready to administer a little discipline?”

Her face was red, and her small hands were clenched into fists at her sides. “You let me go right now or I swear I will sue you for everything you’re worth.”

“Feel free,” Rye shot back. She obviously assumed he had something worth taking. “Take me for everything I’m worth. You’re not leaving.”

“You can’t keep me.”

“Watch me.” He leaned back against the door. “And watch your language, Rachel. You curse me one more time, and I won’t give a damn that you belong to Max. I will pull those jeans down and leave an imprint of my hand on your ass.”

“You’re a big man to threaten a woman, aren’t you?”

Rye laughed. “Yeah, poor Rachel. You’re incredibly downtrodden.”

“And you’re a massive asshole.” Tears filled her eyes and there was a quiver to her stubborn words.

Rye practically melted. He took a step toward her, his hands curving over her shoulders. “Baby, I didn’t mean it. I wouldn’t hurt you. It’s a game. Fuck, I’m sorry. Please tell me why you want to leave. I promise I’ll make it all right. I’m sorry.”

He was willing to say anything to make her stop crying.

Her hands came up across her chest as though she couldn’t stand to be close to him. He would call Max. She only wanted Max. His heart hurt. And then her arms wound around his waist, and she sobbed against his chest. A great sigh of relief left Rye’s lungs. He let his head sink down against her hair. His hands soothed over her back.

“I’m sorry.” He said it over and over. He wasn’t even sure who he was saying it to. He was sorry something bad had happened to her. He was sorry he’d done something to piss her off. He was so, so sorry she wasn’t his. He wanted nothing more than to call Max and drive her home where they could take care of her. She would be their princess, their partner, their perfect lover. God, he was so sorry she didn’t want that.

After a long while her head came up, and she pulled away slightly. “I apologize for yelling at you, Sheriff.”

A veil had come down over her eyes. Rye’s chest constricted. She was shutting down the intimacy between them. It was good one of them had a lick of sense, but he wished she was still in his arms. “Please tell me what’s wrong.”

She shook her head. “It’s best I leave.”

“Baby…Rachel, I know something’s wrong. I’m not stupid. I also know none of it’s your fault.”

“How can you possibly know that?”

He sighed and brushed back a piece of hair that had fallen out of her previously perfect ponytail. “I just know. And even if it was your fault, I would take care of it.” He cleared his throat. “You’re my brother’s girl. I would take care of you. If someone’s after you, I’ll move heaven and earth to stop him. If you got caught up in something bad, I’ll take care of that, too.”

Her face contorted, and for a moment, he worried she would start crying all over again. Then she shook it off, and that wall of mulish strength she had came down between them. “No, I’m fine. But stay out of my business.”

Shit, she’d found out about the trace he’d run on her. Damn Callie’s big mouth. And Rachel’s reaction did nothing but make him even more suspicious. “I don’t know if I can do that, Rachel.”

Her chin came up stubbornly. “All right. Then I’m leaving, and there’s nothing you can do. Unless you intend to put me in jail, I suggest you let me move on.”

He wanted to punch something. His gut rolled with anger, need. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling anymore. “Goddamn it, Rachel. You want to put me in a corner, don’t you? I know something’s wrong, but if I pursue it, you’ll leave, and then my brother will hate the very sight of me.”

Her shoulders slumped. “It would be best if I left, Rye. I’ll let Max know you didn’t have anything to do with it.”

He forced her chin up to look into those green eyes. He couldn’t help but touch her. “Don’t go. I’ll stop looking. I’ll leave it alone. I promise.”

He wouldn’t promise not to protect her. He wouldn’t promise not to come between her and anything that came her way.

Her lips trembled. They were close. All he had to do was lean down, and he could press his mouth to hers. One inch and he would know how it felt to kiss Rachel Swift.

There was a loud bang as the door to the station house opened.

“Hey, bro, you here?” Max’s voice rang through the building.

Rye and Rachel jumped apart like there was a blazing fire between them. Rachel’s back was against the wall when Max opened the door to the office.

“Hey, what’s Rachel’s Jeep doing parked in front of a stoplight?” Max’s face lit up when he saw Rachel. “Hey, baby.”

Rachel shouldered her way past both of them. “Your brother’s an asshole. I have to go back to work.”

Max watched her stalk out. There was a dippy grin on his face when he looked back at Rye. “Damn, you pissed her off but good. Glad it wasn’t me for a change. She should watch that language, though. I just had the most insane urge to spank her. I was walking out of the Trading Post and I could see the whole scene play out in my head. Crazy, huh? You want to go get lunch?”

It took everything he had not to scream. “Yeah, sure. Anywhere but Stella’s. I don’t think I would like what Rachel would do to my food.”

Rye forced himself to follow his brother out the door.