Sheriff’s Secret Read online

His grin is devilish, especially with the shadows dancing on his face from the darkened theater. The smile fades as his tongue flicks out to lick the bead of pre-cum on the tip of my cock.

  “Mmm,” I groan, spearing my fingers into his hair. “So fucking good.”

  Jax bobs up and down along my length, eagerly showing me all the tricks he can do with his tongue and teeth. Where I want to be is in his throat. With my eyes locked on his, I pull his head down, guiding him to take me deeper. His throat constricts with a gag, so I ease up to give him a breath before doing it again. Once he’s worked through his gag reflex, I use his head just like I would my own hand, fucking his hot, tight throat with urgency.

  “Fuck,” I hiss as my nuts tighten with my release.

  He swallows around my length, trying his damnedest to swallow every drop. As the last bit spurts out, I relax into a boneless heap, my hands sliding from his hair to caress his cheeks.

  “You’re really good at that. Want me to return the favor?”

  He tucks me back into my pants and then sits beside me, taking my hand in his. “Later. I’ll fuck you so hard in my bed later, you won’t be able to walk out of my house for days. I’ll have you right where I want you.”

  I break our stare to look at the screen, unable to focus over the pounding of my heart. As much as I want to get sucked back into the void that is Jaxson Bell, it feels like I might be destroyed by it.

  Jax leans in, kissing my neck before his lips find my ear. “I want to come out. I need to tell the world you’re my boyfriend, Dante.”

  “Jax,” I growl, turning to face him, our noses so close they nearly brush against one another. “We’re not boy—”

  “We are,” he argues, dark eyes flashing, “and it’s about time I start acting like one. I can’t lose you, big city man. You’re mine.”

  I rest my forehead against his. “I don’t want to lose you either and that scares the shit out of me.”

  Jaxson

  Boyfriends.

  I can do this.

  I want to do this.

  I’ve never fought for what I wanted in life. Now that I have Dante, I’m ready to go to war. I’m scared shitless, of course, but still ready for battle.

  Seeing him with his friend tonight, relaxed and flirty, really fucked my head up. All I wanted to do was drag him out of his chair, haul him into my arms, and kiss him in front of everyone in that bar so they’d know he was mine.

  “I got another cat,” I say as we wait for the light to turn green. “Smoky.”

  Dante laughs, the sound warm and contagious. “Cato really has you wrapped around his finger.”

  “Careful,” I tease. “I nearly sent the cat to your house. Doesn’t every B&B have a house cat for all the guests to adore when they’re there?”

  He shakes his head. “Send me a cat and you’ll get it right back for Valentine’s Day.”

  Warmth blooms in my chest. I know half of what he says are jokes meant to rile me up, but the image of us sharing a Valentine’s Day dinner as lovers and boyfriends has my heart aching for more.

  I can do this.

  My biggest hurdle is my fear of the unknown. Of rejection from my townspeople and family and friends. But none of those people have brought me joy like Dante has. If I make the jump and lose everyone along the way, it will be okay as long as he’s there to catch me.

  He will be there if I can keep him convinced my feelings for him are real. The long-lasting feelings. This isn’t a whim or a fling or an itch to scratch.

  I care about him. A lot.

  So much it makes me crazy insane.

  “Today was weird,” I tell him as we pull into my driveway and shut off the Tahoe. “I’ll tell you about it when we get in bed.”

  We climb out, hurrying inside against the wind. Once inside, we stop to pay equal part attention to Ox, Pirate, and Smoky, all of which are excited for attention. After the pets calm down, Dante and I retire to my bedroom. I close the door behind us and strip down to my underwear. He takes more time getting undressed, though I’m not complaining about the hot strip show where he reveals every hardened muscle to me one article of clothing at a time.

  “Tell me about your weird day,” he says, stopping at his black boxers, much to my disappointment. I could totally blow him again. My mouth waters for his dick. “Stop undressing me with your eyes.”

  I laugh as he slides into bed beside me. He pushes me onto my side, curling up behind me, nudging his impressive cock against my ass.

  “I got a call from the school,” I murmur, distracted by the way his fingers stroke my abdomen.

  “Zak?”

  “No, some kid named Cormac. Drugs.”

  “In Brigs Ferry Bay?”

  “That’s kind of what I thought too. Turns out, the kid was kind of a middleman but got caught. Hank thinks he might be the one fucking with Callan at school.”

  His hand stops stroking my stomach. “Yeah?”

  “My gut tells me he’s not. Just a hunch. The kid’s hiding shit, yeah, but I don’t take him for cruel.” I let out a heavy sigh. “I think he’s homeless.”

  “Did you ask him?”

  “After I got him to shower and change into something of Cato’s, I fed him. He scarfed down everything I offered him. When I started questioning him, though, he shut down.”

  “Can you contact his parents?”

  “Nope. I know he has a mom here in town, according to the school records, but she’s unreachable. Cormac assured me he had a place to go, but he happily took my coat. I don’t think he has a one.” It broke my heart when he finally got up to leave the station. I wasn’t sure if he had a place to go, but he wasn’t exactly keen on letting me help. “I’m worried about him.”

  “And you’re certain he wasn’t the one messing with Callan?”

  “Almost one hundred percent certain. If anything, the kid seemed lonely. Maybe he was lingering near Callan because he wanted to befriend him.”

  Dante kisses my shoulder. “I’ll feel out Callan. See what he says about him. If he seems harmless, I’ll ask him to get to know the kid. Might give us some answers.”

  “That would be great.”

  “If he really is a nice kid but having a hard time, I could find work for him, too. After school projects. My sister broke the contractor’s foot, so at the very least, he could assist him. Anything to earn some cash. Might even sneak him in a free dinner the nights he works too. Call it a job perk so he doesn’t think he’s a charity case.”

  I twist around until I’m facing Dante, admiring his handsome villain face. Even though he looks like the bad guy with his evil smirk and taunting grins, he’s good to the marrow of his bones.

  “You’re an amazing man,” I say to him, running my fingers through his hair. “You know that?”

  His smile is breathtaking. “I do now.”

  “Maybe I should remind you every day so you don’t forget.”

  Adoration for me gleams in his hazel orbs. So often, I can practically see him erecting walls to keep us distant, but not now. Right now, he studies me with such an intensity, I think he has the ability to climb inside me.

  “Dante,” I rumble, drawing his lips to mine, “I think I love—”

  He chases the statement back into my mouth as his tongue seeks mine. The kiss is hungry and eager, saying what words don’t need to. He feels it too. I moan when he rolls me onto my back, settling between my thighs. He grinds against me so that our dicks rub together in a way that never ceases to drive me insane with need.

  “I want inside you again so fucking badly,” he growls against my lips. “Beg for it.”

  “Please fuck me,” I whine. “I need it. Need you.”

  The door creaks open and a cat meows.

  “Did we get another cat—holy shit, Jax!”

  My blood turns to ice and I freeze. Fuck. Oh my God. Zak.

  Dante slides off me, rolling onto his back, not at all tense as me.

  “He’s a sucker when it comes to C
ato,” Dante says in a calm voice as he drags the sheet up over us. “You ever heard of knocking?”

  I’m unable to find words. My skin is hot with embarrassment. Each time my mouth opens, I groan because I can’t seem to speak.

  “We’re boyfriends,” I blurt out when I can finally manage.

  Dante laughs. “Indeed, we are.”

  “I, uh, we, um, we’re together.” I’m rambling and can’t seem to shut up now that I’ve opened the dam. “I wanted to tell you—”

  “Dude,” Zak says, snorting out a laugh. “I already knew.”

  Dante sits up on his elbows. “You did? Because I just found out tonight he’s my boyfriend.”

  Zak rolls his eyes and drops his ass on the foot of my bed like I wasn’t just about to let Dante fuck me in it.

  “Please,” Zak mutters, petting Smoky on the head. “You two have been obvious since day one.”

  I groan, covering my eyes with my arm. “Really?”

  “Yep. I think it’s cool, though.” He starts laughing, drawing my eyes back to him. “Oh, you’re never going to believe what I did today.”

  “Remember, I’m the sheriff,” I say with a grin. “Careful you don’t say too much.”

  “I bought my car from Leo. Since Dad was being a dick and took it away from me to teach me a lesson, I got a loan from Kimmy’s Dad, Otto, and paid cash for it. When Dad finds out he sold the car he took away from me to me, he’s going to shit bricks.”

  “Serves him right.” I shake my head at my brother. “Hopefully ol’ Otto didn’t fuck you on an interest rate.”

  “Interest free,” Zak says with a shrug. “It won’t take long and I’ll have it paid off. Dad was selling it for a steal since no one was biting.”

  Dad, Mr. Control Freak, really will shit bricks over this. It’s fucking hilarious.

  “Are you really okay about this?” I ask, frowning at my brother.

  “I’m jealous you got the hot, older guy I was crushing on, but other than that, I’m cool if you want to date guys.” Zak bites on his bottom lip as if he wants to say something but then gives his head a slight shake and stands. “Anyway, I’ll leave you two lovebirds to it.”

  “Hey,” Dante says to him. “Do you know a kid named Cormac?”

  Zak nods. “Quiet kid. No one talks to him. Why?”

  “Is he good to Callan?” I frown at Zak. “Like would he hurt him?”

  Zak’s brown eyes flash with protectiveness. “He’d get his ass kicked if he did, but nah, I don’t think he would. Probably wants to fuck him more like it. Him and every other curious guy at our school.” He casts a gaze to the window behind the bed. “Callan is hard to ignore.”

  I’m about to implore more, but Zak waves before quickly exiting the room. A few seconds later, I hear the backdoor open and close.

  “What the hell was that about?” I turn to Dante. “Was he being weird or was it just me?”

  Dante groans. “I guess since you’re my boyfriend now, I have to tell you all my secrets, huh?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Callan told me he and Zak fooled around just so Zak would know what it felt like.”

  I gape at him. “What?”

  “More like a friends thing.”

  “Because the friends thing worked out so beautifully for us,” I deadpan.

  Dante chuckles. “Much different. I really do think they’re just friends and your brother is curious. Callan wanted him to be safe and experiment with someone he trusts.”

  “As if this thing with you isn’t complicated enough,” I tease, “but now we have our brothers fucking around too.”

  Dante prowls back on top of me, resuming his position from earlier. “Theirs is just a phase.”

  “And us?”

  “We’re phasing into something so much more.”

  Dante

  One week later…

  I swear to God, if I have to see Hans’s ass one more time, I’m going to bleach my eyeballs. Don’t get me wrong, the man is fine as hell and I can see why my sister has it bad for him, but I always happen to walk in on them in various states of undress, all of which he’s buried inside my sister, fucking like he wants his dick to fall off.

  Rubbing at my eyes, hoping to scratch those images from my brain, I open the email in my inbox. Adrian. I’m amused at his update, but not entirely surprised. I knew he’d fall in love…it was only a matter of time.

  I’m about to reply when I receive a text from Jax.

  Jax: I miss my boyfriend.

  Me: So cute. Who’s the lucky guy, Sheriff?

  He sends me a few middle finger emojis that have me laughing. We reply back and forth, teasing like we enjoy doing. Eventually he asks me to dinner and then gets back to work considering there was another Rainbow Vigilante vandalism, this time at Reyes Pharmacy.

  I power through a few more emails, all of which are business related. Construction is moving right along. Most of the guest rooms are complete and just need cleaning up. We’re also waiting on furniture to be delivered, but as soon as we get those main pieces from Jarrett, we can begin to decorate. And by we, I mean Shelly.

  My next order of business is to work on running some ads for our website and in the local paper. I’m looking forward to spring when we can open the B&B up and begin hosting events.

  “What time is Cormac coming in today?” Hans asks, peeking his head into my office. At least the fucker is wearing clothes this time.

  “After school. Zak is going to run him and Callan both back.” I lean back in my chair, studying the guy who has my sister flustered all hours of the day. “How’s he working out for you?”

  Hans nods, his features growing serious. “He’s a good kid. Shy. Too skinny. Can barely swing a hammer. He’ll do all right, though. Once we get some meat on his bones and some words out of his mouth, he’ll be just fine.”

  “Did you find out where he was staying?”

  “Nope. Every day this week he took off walking home, not taking me or Shellbelle up on our offers for a ride.” He shrugs. “She did get him to take leftovers with him last night. That’s progress from when he started a few days ago.”

  “Good. Keep me posted.”

  “Will do, Boss.” He salutes me and heads out, his boot clonking with each step.

  “Hey, Hans?”

  “Yep?”

  “Learn to use a fucking lock, man. I’ve already memorized the freckles on your ass.”

  He laughs on his way out the door. Asshole. I bury myself in work, finalizing my marketing plan to go over with Shelly later, only breaking when she brings me a turkey sandwich. As soon as she leaves, I wolf it down and dive back in. It’s nearing two when someone steps into my office.

  “That better be coffee,” I say to Shelly without looking up.

  “You know I always come bearing gifts.”

  That voice.

  No.

  The breath is sucked from my lungs when my eyes lift to meet the bright green ones of Toby McAdams. Seeing him in the flesh assaults me with two years of pain, each memory without him a painful lash.

  “Hey, Dante boo,” he croons, walking toward my desk. “Feels like forever, right?”

  All I can do is gape. I can’t seem to find the words to tell him to leave. He’s smaller than I remember, but still has the same impeccable style. His hair has been coifed into a gelled do and he’s wearing his glasses he usually only reserved for reading. It’s as though he hasn’t aged a bit and stepped through a portal in time.

  “Shouldn’t you be on your honeymoon by now?” I grit out when I can finally speak.

  He winces, his lips pouting out. “I guess you didn’t see my relationship status.”

  “I guess not.”

  His body straightens and he makes a sour face, one I know means he’s not pleased with my tone. “I broke it off with him.”

  An ache forms in my chest, not because I miss him, but because I hurt for the man who got it this time. “Not surprised.”

&nbs
p; Toby sets a coffee cup down in front of me. “I understand you’re still upset with me, but I’m here to talk it out. Make amends, hon.”

  Hon.

  All those times I’d melt at that endearment.

  Now, it only pokes at the scab he left on my heart.

  “Upset is an understatement, Toby. You fucking ruined me.”

  His green eyes widen at my blunt words and then they water with tears. He was always good at the waterworks when it suited him. Like now. He’s not getting the reaction he came for, so he’s going to go back to his old manipulation tactics. Hindsight is twenty-twenty. I see it for what it is now.

  “Don’t be like that,” he mutters, his fat bottom lip trembling. “You’re not being fair.”

  “Fair?” I choke out. “Tobes, it wasn’t fair for you to end our engagement a week before our wedding.”

  The tears escape his lids and he hugs himself, making him seem even smaller. “I’m sorry, okay? I was confused. It was a strange time in my life.”

  “All I hear is me, me, me. But that’s how it always is with you. Did you tell the last guy the same thing? That your life was confusing?”

  He sobs, bowing his head. I feel like a dick for being mean, but he started this two years ago. I’m doing the best I fucking can not to completely lose my shit.

  I clear my throat, straightening my spine. “Why are you here?”

  He sniffles and swipes at his cheeks with his palm. “I realized after you called me that the reason I was feeling uneasy with Bradley and the upcoming wedding was because I still loved you.”

  The room goes silent as he lets his words sink in, giving me his best brokenhearted face. As if in tune with my distress, my phone starts to ring—Jax calling through. My heart rate speeds up at seeing his face on my caller ID.

  As much as I would rather answer the call and flirt with Jax, I need to deal with the problem right in front of me. My past that’s come to haunt me. I always wondered how I’d feel if Toby showed back up, begging to have another go at things. For a long time, I secretly indulged in the fantasy that I’d make him grovel before accepting him back into my loving arms. Now that he’s here, the fantasy isn’t at all what I want. I don’t want him and haven’t for a long time. And once I met Jax, everything changed for me.