I laugh, making a snorting sound. “You are very romantic, Sheriff.”
“I aim to be.” He pulls me by my hand to him. “But really, there is a place for you here if you want.” His neck moves with a swallow. “With me.”
“Ken—” I whisper.
“Just promise to think about it.” His voice is quiet, almost pleading as he fixes a lock of my hair behind my ear. “We can bring your sister here after she’s done with school too.” His eyes find mine, communicating more than he’s saying. He’s totally using my sore spot, and he’s not ashamed of it.
“Okay,” I reply with a sigh. “I will think about it.”
“Good.” He smiles and places a tentative kiss on the side of my lips. “Now, let’s go load your stuff in my car and visit Freya and the baby in the hospital.” Then he turns toward the parrot. “You can stay here, but don’t shit anywhere. Got it?”
The bird just blinks silently at him, but Kenneth takes it as a yes because he gives a short, satisfied nod and pulls me outside.
ChapterThirty-Three
JOSIE
On the way to the house, Kenneth holds my hand the whole time. It’s enough for me to completely forget the greasy food I was craving; his hand on mine is just as comforting. Better than any burger or New York pizza.
When we reach the house, I walk toward the trailer slowly, feeling a haze wash over me as if I were walking into the Twilight Zone. Yesterday, I went to a bar with my friends, and today, I’m moving into Sheriff Benson’s house.
I still can’t wrap my head around his feelings for me. Honest to everything, I thought it was purely carnal, and he just needed to scratch an itch. It became something else to me, though I’m not sure when. Maybe it was when he fucked me on the table. Or maybe it was even earlier when he offered me, a stranger in need, a safe place to stay. That night showed me how a real man would treat someone, and I was instantly hooked without even comprehending what would happen in the future.
I could tell yesterday that it was a breaking point. The way he looked at me changed. On the way home from Freya’s, I could feel the heat of his gaze. It wasn’t like before. No, it wasn’t pure lust. It was safety. It was home. It was a desire for something more. It was consistent and protective.
He became possessive and edgy at the bar. Needy.
Is that what I really want? I’ve dealt with protective men from small towns before. Back home. Having someone be so protective at first is great, but there’s a fine line between protective and oppressive, and once they cross that line, they can’t really go back.
As I reach the door to the trailer, I reach out to grab the handle but stop, turning around, my shoulders squared. Kenneth is so close he has to steady himself to not smack into me.
“Is everything okay?” His worried eyes soften my resolve, but not enough to back down from my decision.
“I can’t stay with you,” I blurt out before I change my mind.
“Why?” His forehead wrinkles in confusion.
I blow out a puff of air. “Because, honestly, up until yesterday, or even this morning, I didn’t know if you even liked me.”
His eyes narrow as he takes a step toward me. “Make no mistake, Josephina.” His voice drops even lower. “I like you. I like your sass.” He brings his face to my neck and inhales deeply. “I like your smell. I like how you act so tough and rowdy when you’re so good at obeying when I tell you too.” I feel his tongue run up the side of my neck. “I like everything about you. Even the things I don’t like.” Another lick. “But guess what, Josie? You like it too.”
My breath hitches because he’s right. I turn into a puddle of goo when he’s like this. I feel his lips next to my ear, his warm breath sending shivers down my spine.
Suddenly, he pulls back. “I’ll give you your space if you need it. But I’m not a patient man, Josie. I want this, and I’m willing to show you how much.”
I didn’t think it was going to be so easy, but maybe he’s not exactly ready to jump headfirst into this. Whatever this is.
“Okay, thank you.” I bite my lower lip. “What do we do until then?”
His eyes turn wicked.
“Until then, Josephina, we fuck.”
* * *
And fuck we did. Everywhere. For the next ten days, we screwed on every surface of the trailer, the Ghost House, and his home.
Despite my desire to have my own space with the trailer, I’ve stayed at his place most nights. He’s stayed at the trailer a couple of nights, but the bed isn’t exactly wide enough to fit two people, especially when one of them is the size of Kenneth Benson. Additionally, Kenneth runs hot. Temperature hot. I can’t canoodle with him the whole night without feeling like I desperately need a cold shower from the sheer amount of heat. I end up waking up covered in sweat, crawling out of bed, desperate for some chill air.
