She shrugs. “I’m just about to celebrate my divorce, actually.”
For a moment I consider backing off, but coddling isn’t what Tessa needs.
Getting to the bottom of the stairs, I stop and cross my arms. “You know I could have you arrested, right?” She at least has the presence of mind to look alarmed for a moment before that damn uppity nose points skyward again.
“I’m on good terms with the local police. Go ahead.”
“Lie,” I say, moving a hand to my hip to fish out my cell phone.
“Stop!” she hollers, coming down from the porch to grab my arm.
Her touch sends a jolt through me, shocking me still. Her eyes dart to mine and she swallows hard.“If it’s that or another spanking, I’ll take the spanking.”
My eyes narrow on her. Her lip is between her teeth, her eyes still on the letter. “Damn right you will. And this time you won’t be sneaking off in the middle.”
“Fine. You can spank me every damn day as long as you don’t start until 10 am.” The vulnerability she wore at first is long gone, replaced by a look I can only describe as ‘stubborn diva’.
I gather a breath. “That’s halfway through the morning. And legally I’m allowed to start at seven.”I release a breath forcefully. My five-year-old is more reasonable than this woman! “Never mind, spankings obviously don’t work with you, maybe the law will.” I tap my phone.
She turns as if she’s going to leave me there, but fakes it, and instead knocks my cell from my hand. It skitters across her gravel driveway and for one millisecond we both stare at each other, then she dives for it. But fuck, I’m not far behind her.
“You’re very immature,” I grunt as I land close to her. She doesn’t comment, just grapples for the phone.
She’s tall for a woman, I’ll give her that, but I’m big for a man and I’ve got a good eighty pounds on her, so I check my weight to keep from crushing her as I roll on top of her. I reach and grab the phone before she can get to it.
She hollers, bucking beneath me, rolling enough that we’re face to face. She starts spouting obscenities at me, so I cover her mouth.
“You drink tea and crumpets with that mouth, Sunshine?” I let my weight pin her as she struggles. “What would the monarchy say?” I hold the phone in front of her face. She wiggles beneath me, pulling her own phone from her pocket. I relish in the smile of satisfaction on her face a moment before snatching it and shoving it in my pocket.
She narrows her eyes on mine, and my god, if looks could kill, I’d be deader than week-old roadkill. I smile and she licks my hand.
“If you think some tongue will gross me out enough to release you, you’re sadly mistaken. Then again, maybe you just wanted a taste, yeah?” My cock lengthens at the thought.
She gathers a breath and rolls her eyes but it’s too late, I’ve seen the heat in her gaze. I hear her mumble something but ignore it as the sound of tires on gravel yanks my attention.
So, there I am on top of a woman, pinning her and preventing her from screaming and wouldn’t you know it, a cop pulls into the driveway.And as if that isn’t enough, I see someone on the beach with his cell phone raised, likely recording us.
“Isn’t the beach part of your property?” I release her mouth.
“Yes, the road cuts through my property, but the beach is mine. Why?”
For a moment the normal tone we’re conversing in seems comical, but it’s quickly doused by the fact that the stranger has triggered both my gut instincts and my protective nature.
I look down at Tessa beneath me. “Do romance authors have stalkers?”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake!” She cranes her neck to see where I’m looking and I look again too, but there’s no one there now.
“You’re just trying to distract me because you’re about to be in big trouble.” She grins.
She’s right about the trouble, the law definitely isn’t going to be on my side now… Cause fuck, this looks bad. But I’m more worried about the strange dude. If he was just some guy that didn’t realize the beach was private and stumbled upon a man attacking a woman, he’d still be here. He’d be rushing to the cop to tell him what he witnessed. But he’s not. He’s disappeared instead. And besides the water and a patch of tall bushes there’s nowhere for him to go. A man hiding in the bushes isn’t good.
The officer fumbles getting out of his car, but has his gun trained on me faster than I can get off Tessa.
“I’m going to get up now,” I say calmly, rolling off my neighbor onto my stomach in the dusty gravel.I raise my hands to show him I have no weapon.
“I like you where you are. Move and I’ll blast your balls off.”
My brows rise. This officer is as green as a new sapling. Which doesn’t bode well for me, as a current perp, or as his soon-to-be boss.
