Chapter 15

Ryan

My lips were pressed hard against Sara’s, and I couldn’t believe how addictive her taste was. She was the most enchanting creature I had ever had in my arms, and I was struggling to control myself. I picked her up around the waist and turned, leaning her back against the SUV, trailing my lips down her neck and over her collarbone. She gasped lightly, goosebumps forming all over where my lips touched. She grasped tightly to my shirt, spreading her legs apart and wrapping them around me. I ran my hand up her side and brought my face back to hers, pressing my mouth to hers. I ran my tongue over her lips, and she opened up, taking me inside. I groaned, tasting the passion of her lips, wanting more and more of her. Things were so hot and so heavy, and I stepped back as she pulled away, sliding down onto her feet. She gripped onto the hood of the truck, finding herself as weak in the knees as I was.

“We have to slow down,” she said, breathing heavily.

“I understand.” I stepped forward and kissed her forehead. “Come on. I’ll take you home.”

I drove her home and got out of the car, walking her up to the front door. I cupped her cheeks in my hands and kissed her passionately one last time before pulling back and looking deeply into her eyes. She turned toward the door, smiling, but I dropped my hands to hers and turned her back around.

“I know this is probably crazy and very sudden, but I can’t get my mind off you, not even for a moment,” I said. “Come away with me tomorrow, just the two of us.”

“Where?” She giggled.

“I won a night at a winery bed and breakfast at the auction,” I said.

“Oh, the one you paid ten times the current bid for?” She laughed. “I only got five times the current bid.”

“Too little in my mind,” I smiled. “But I want to spend that vacation with you. Originally, I was going to give it away to someone in town, thinking a solo trip to a winery would be depressing in some ways. But now, I have someone I want to be with there. It would be an amazing way to end my time here, just being with the person who made it so special.”

Sara’s skin was flushed, and her eyes twinkled in the moonlight. She shifted in her stance and looked down at her hands. I could tell she was torn. She wanted to come, but there was something holding her back from giving in. I didn’t want to pressure her, to make her feel like it was necessary that she say yes. Everything between the two of us had been a whirlwind, and she knew I was going to be leaving very soon. I smiled and tilted her chin up to me, leaning forward and kissing her gently once again. Her lips were so soft and so perfect, and it was incredibly hard to pull away from her.

“How about this,” I said with a smile. “Take some time to think about it. I don’t want to pressure you, and I won’t be upset if you say no. Call me in the morning with your answer.”

“All right,” she said with a shy smile. “Thank you for dinner. It was really lovely.”

“Anytime.” I smiled. “You go inside, get snuggled in, and have amazing dreams tonight.”

She nodded and turned, walking into the house. When I knew she was securely locked away, I turned and went back to my car, feeling like I was on cloud nine all over again. I got in my car and sat there for a moment, thinking about her lips and the possibility of having her all to myself for at least one night. I put the car in drive and headed back toward the hotel. As I drove along the dark strip, something caught my eye. I looked in my rearview mirror and saw flashing blue lights behind me. Instantly, I gripped the steering wheel, unsure of what to expect. I drove a little farther to where there was a streetlight and pulled the car over on the side of the road. The police car pulled up behind me, and I watched in my side mirror as the sheriff got out and started walking toward my SUV. He had one hand on his pistol, and his hat was shadowing his face.

Sheriff Janson walked up to my window that I had rolled down and looked at me with dark eyes. I breathed deeply, both of my hands on the steering wheel. I hadn’t been speeding or anything like that, so I knew this visit was more than just routine. He had followed me. I could tell it by the look in his eyes.

“Evening,” he growled. “Please step out of the vehicle.”

Immediately, I was on edge, wanting to protest but knowing in a small town like that, it really wouldn’t do me any good. There was no one to complain to, and it was obvious Janson did anything but follow the law in that town. He was more a bully than a sheriff. I sighed and reluctantly got out of the car, keeping my hands where he could see them. I didn’t want to give him any excuse to pull out his gun.

“It’s pretty late out,” he said, lifting the front of his cowboy hat and looking me in the face. “Where you coming from?”

I stood there looking at him, debating on what to answer him with. I wanted to assert my dominance and tell him the truth, really driving it home, but I knew that was probably a bad idea. The whole situation was a bad idea, so I went with the safe approach.

“I was dropping a friend of mine off at home,” I said.

“That’s interesting.” He chuckled.

“Why is that?” I replied, still staring directly into his eyes.

“I just think it’s strange seeing you’ve only been in town for a few days, maybe a week,” he said. “You must be one hell of a guy, making friends really fast.”

“I like to think I’m a friendly guy,” I said back. “I tend to attract like-minded people.”

“I really doubt there are any like-minded people in this town,” he said. “We don’t tend to keep the same views as rich boys from the big city. In fact, we don’t tend to take too kindly to people like you.”

“You’d be surprised how much in common I have with these folks,” I said, standing up straight.

“I think I’d be surprised if you had anything in common with the shit that falls out of the cow’s ass in the field.” He smirked. “How many friends you planning on taking back and forth while you’re here?”

“I guess that depends on how many friends I make, now doesn’t it?”

“I think you should be more focused on getting the hell out of town than making friends,” he said.

“Why is that?”

“Well, I grew up here, my daddy grew up here, his daddy before that, and so on,” he said. “This town has always done things a certain way, and if it ain’t broke, then it don’t need fixin’.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that.” I smiled. “I think change can do good for most places.”

“I think I don’t like people like you, loose morals, thinking you can flash your money around and have whatever you want, coming into my town,” he said. “And even worse than that, trying to change the town and how certain people feel.”

The tension between the two of us was extremely thick. I could almost smell the liquor on Janson’s breath as he breathed heavily in front of me. He had a real complex, thinking he could tell people what to do and how to think. The worst part about it was, I knew he was trying to warn me away from Sara, and it pissed me off to no end. He was a controller, someone who would do anything and say anything to keep control of as much as he could. He looked at Sara like the dairy farm looked at their cows, nothing more than property to control. I had upset that for him, and now he was trying to bully me.

“I don’t think you understand what I’m saying,” Janson said, taking a step forward.

“Oh, I completely understand,” I said, watching him move even closer.

I couldn’t handle him in my space like that, so I reached up and pushed him as hard as I could, watching him stumble back. I moved quickly, raising my arm to slug him, but then I stopped, looking down to his side at his hand on the butt of his gun. He smirked over at me, tapping his fingers against his pistol. I knew it was no use, so I put my hand down and held my tongue, completely enraged by this douchebag standing in front of me. He pulled his jacket straight and cleared his throat, spitting to the side.

“I’ll tell you what I’m gonna do,” he said. “I’m in a good mood tonight, so I’m going to let you off with a warning. I think you know what that warning is. Next time, though, I can promise you, I won’t go so easy on your ass.”

I stood there, breathing heavily, every muscle in my body tense as hell. I watched as he laughed, walking back to his car and climbing inside. He turned off the bright flashing lights and pulled out, slowing down and tipping his hat as he passed. Had I been any more tired, been the least bit intoxicated, or been any younger, I would have beat the hell out of the man, probably getting shot in the process. I growled, turning around and getting into my car, pounding my fists on the steering wheel. When I had calmed a bit, I headed back to the hotel, not saying a word as I passed the front desk and headed back to my room. I sat on the edge of the bed, pulling off my clothes, feeling totally enraged and almost out of control with everything.

Throughout the night, I tossed and turned in bed, having nightmares like I had never experienced before. Janson was there threatening Sara, and I was literally glued to the spot I was in. I was completely helpless to intervene, watching the whole thing go down right in front of my eyes. I had never felt like that before, so angry, so protective of a woman like that. When I woke up the next morning, I was in a terrible mood, still feeling the sting of confrontation between me and the sheriff. I wanted to give him a piece of mind, really let him know how small he was, but before I could, my phone rang, and it was Sara.

“Hey,” I said. “Good to hear your voice.”

“I want to go to the bed and breakfast with you,” she blurted out excitedly. “I knew as soon as you left, so I took the night, and I packed all of my stuff. I want to go tonight if that’s okay.”

“That sounds fantastic,” I said, my mood lightening almost instantly. “I’m gonna pack, and I’ll come get you.”

“All right,” she said happily.

I jumped out of bed feeling almost like a new man. I grabbed a bag and packed my things, hurrying so I could pick her up as soon as possible. I wanted to get both of us out of that town, even if was just for the night. I needed to be alone with Sara, and I didn’t want Janson anywhere close.