If You Believe

CHAPTER 3

Sunshine filtered through her eyelids. God, it was morning already? She rolled on to her back and stretched her arms over her head, arching her back. When she opened her eyes, she realized that she wasn’t in her own bedroom. These weren’t her sheets or pillows. When she took a deep breath, the mellow spiciness of Price’s cologne came to her. Glancing over, she saw that he wasn’t in bed with her. She could hear the shower running in his bathroom. She grinned and stretched, her muscles pleasantly sore from the night before. Mmm-hmm. The best sex of her life. With a very creative and naughty man. Images from the night before flipped through her mind. She’d lost count of the number of times he’d made her come. That same sweet contentment flooded her, and the smile widened on her lips. Then she stopped herself, every muscle going rigid. There was no contentment allowed with a man—that led to dangerous things. Like thinking she was in love. Believing he loved her back. Relationships. Entanglements. Complicated shit she’d written off when she signed her divorce papers.

Panic exploded in her belly. Time to get the hell out of here. Throwing her legs over the edge of the bed, she stood. Where were her clothes? Oh, yeah. Downstairs. Picking up the sheet they’d kicked off the bed, she tucked it around herself and tiptoed for the door. If she could get out of here before he got out of the shower, she’d be home free. Yes, it was gutless and cowardly, but she needed out of here. She needed to regroup and reassess. And to kick her own ass for even getting all warm and fuzzy with the guy. He’d even spooned her the night before. And she’d liked it. She was clearly losing her edge… that, or her marbles.

No strings attached. Damn it. She dated lightly, she had fun, she did not stay the night, and she did not spoon. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Snatching her bra off the newel post, she grabbed the trailing ends of the sheet so she wouldn’t trip on them and hurried down the stairs. Her clothes were right where she’d left them, piled in the living room near their discarded dinner. Except for her panties, which were still up in Price’s room. “Going somewhere?” Price’s deep voice boomed like thunder above her.

Every muscle in her body locked tight, rooting her in place. Shit. Caught. Turning her head, she saw him leaning his forearms against the banister. The picture of casual. Except when she met his eyes. Suppressed fury simmered there. She winced and didn’t bother to answer his question. They both knew where she’d been headed—out the door without a backward glance.

“You forgot something.” Her lacy panties dangled from his fingertip.

“Souvenir.” She smiled and tried to bravado her way out of what was turning into a sticky situation. Seriously? Seriously? What single man in his thirties didn’t know the one-nighter protocol? If the other party wanted to bail, you weren’t allowed to get upset. “Thank you for a lovely time, but I’ll just be go—”

“Freeze,” he barked in a voice reserved for criminals. But she froze just the same. There was no disregarding that tone.

She watched him stalk down the stairs in silence, every inch the dangerous man, the predator. It sent a thrill through her to watch him, and she stomped all over any kind of enamored feeling. That road led to ugliness and heartache. Her underwear hit the coffee table in front of her as he flung them down and crossed his arms over his chest, his muscles rippling with the movement. He wore only a pair of jeans, his damp hair sleek against his scalp. The fact that he had any clothes on reminded her that she was still naked. She snagged her panties from where he’d dropped them and pulled them on. Then her jeans, bra, T-shirt and shoes. Okay, it was way past time to go. He watched her dress, but didn’t say anything. The silence was suffocating. She sighed. “Look. I had a great time. I really did, but I can’t do this.”

“You did do this.” He braced foot on the low table, and propped a forearm on his knee. The morning sun streaming through the windows played over his broad shoulders.

She dragged her gaze away from his muscles and focused on his face. “You know what I mean. I’m not interested in more that what we did last night. And this morning. I don’t do serious.” “I haven’t asked for anything—”

“I know. It’s not your fault. It’s all me.” Jesus, she couldn’t believe she was going to give a guy the it’s not you, it’s me speech. This was surreal. She also couldn’t believe he was going to nail her for this. What guy didn’t want no-strings sex? Scott sure as hell loved it with the waitresses on their restaurant staff. Her spine snapped straight at the reminder of why she didn’t do complications. Her eyes narrowed. “To be blunt—”

“When aren’t you?” His tone had gone sotto voce, and she wanted to kick him. Of course, that would put her within his arm’s reach, and him getting his hands on her again was a bad idea. Very bad. A wash of heat went through her, and she studiously ignored it. She didn’t want this, she didn’t want him, she’d had her night of fun, he was out of her system, and it was over. Done. It had to be. For her own good.

She crossed her arms tightly across her chest to cover the betraying tightness of her nipples. “To be blunt, you’re the kind of guy I could fall for. And I can’t do that. I just can’t. I’m sorry.” That may have been an over-share, but it seemed to shut him up. Surprise flashed across his face and his mouth snapped closed so fast his teeth clacked together. She took that as her cue to go, so she picked up her purse, walked out and didn’t allow herself to look back.

Thank God she had her shop renovations to throw herself into for the rest of the day. Since she had to redo all her upholstery and repaint a wall, she’d decided to redo the earth-toned color scheme of Bean There, Done That to something more vibrant. The insurance company was paying for it, so why not do an impromptu remodel? Her new curtains and chair cushions should arrive the following week. She worked until her eyes began to cross with exhaustion. The fact that she hadn’t slept the night before didn’t help at all. The sun had begun to set when she finally washed out the brushes she’d used to paint. The workmen had gone home hours before.

A knock on the front door of her shop had her head popping up from where she was bent over the sink. Leaning to the side to see through the glass, she spotted Price. Her heart stuttered at the sight of him, and she groaned. Man, she had it bad. She was jonesing for him like a crack addict who’d just escaped from rehab.

Good thing she would never let it go further than one night of hot sex. She’d had to restrain herself from thinking about him today. And he had to come here and screw it up. She wondered if he’d arrest her if she ignored him.

Probably. She wouldn’t put it past him. He wasn’t exactly a beta male. Nope, full on alpha. Too bad she liked that in her men. Someone who could match her. Not permanently, but she shouldn’t have to be bored while she was dating, right?

Heat wound through her as she remembered his hands on her skin, his body moving over hers, his lips playing against her mouth. She wanted him to go away. She wanted him to give her more. She was so fucking confused.

Rubbing a tired hand down her face, she let out a shaky breath as she stepped around the counter to unlock the door.

He propped his forearm against the doorjamb and looked her over at his leisure. A shiver slid down her flesh. “Hey, sugar.”

“Chief.”

He straightened and walked past her into the shop. His gaze swept the interior. “You’ve almost got it all fixed up—it doesn’t even look like there was a fire. Nice.”

Her arms folded around her middle. “What are you doing here, Price? We talked this morning about how we wouldn’t see each other again.”

He leaned his elbows back against the countertop, crossing his legs at the ankle. “No, you said we wouldn’t see each other again. I never agreed.”

Panic skittered down her spine. “Price, please—”

“Begging is good. And I love it when you please me, Aubrey.” A slow smile crossed his handsome face.

Her eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. She poked a finger towards his chest. “You know what? Just… shut up. We had a one-night stand, Chief. I’m betting it wasn’t your first, and I doubt very much that it’ll be your last. I told you, I don’t do relationships.”

He tsked low in his throat. “But you do more than a bunch of one-night stands. I asked around about you—”

“You asked around?” Her eyebrows arched and her mouth sagged open for a moment. “I live in this little hamlet, Price. People are going to talk if you start asking around about my sexual history.”

He continued as though she hadn’t spoken. “I asked around about you, and you’ve dated six men in the last few years, all for roughly two to three months. Just long enough for them to want more than sex and start making noises about wanting a real relationship. Am I getting warm?”

Her teeth ground together, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of answering. Apparently, her silence was enough for him, because a knowing smile curved his full lips. She offered him a glare in return and stomped behind the counter. Presumptuous jackass. “It doesn’t matter what you think. You can’t force me to date you. Or sleep with you.”

“Force?” Anger sparked in his eyes as he slapped his hands on the counter and leaned toward her. “I sure as hell didn’t force you to strip tease for me last night.”

“And I said ‘not again’ this morning.” Her hands planted on her hips. “No means no, Price. I’m sure you can grasp the concept.”

He pushed himself upright, stalking her across the coffee shop. She backpedaled as fast as she could until she’d gone all the way into the back room and was pressed against the prep table. The heat of his big body enveloped hers, and she fought a moan. Please God, don’t let him touch her again. She would not be able to handle it.

Bracing her hands on the prep table, she pulled herself up to sit on it. Anything to get some distance. Her body screamed for more of him. His hands, his lips, his teeth and tongue. She shuddered, heat racing through her. Her pussy clenched on nothing, and she could feel herself get slick with want. She sucked in a breath, trying to calm her pounding heart. It just drew his cologne to her. He smelled amazing, and her skin had smelled like him this morning when she woke up. His scent mixed with hers. Her nipples peaked tight, thrusting against the cotton bra she wore.

He laid his hands on the table beside her hips, his thumbs grazing her skin through her jeans. Leaning in, his gaze met hers. “You want me.”

She couldn’t deny it, not when her nerves jangled with how much she needed to touch him. She folded her arms as she tried not to reach out and stroke her fingers down the hard planes of his chest. “I told you… I can’t do this.”

“You also said I was the kind of guy you could fall for.” His lips brushed her ear, his voice taking on the low rumble that made her insides melt. “I’m the kind of guy who’d always catch you.”

“Don’t say things like that.” Her hands fisted in his shirt, her heart stumbling. It wasn’t true. It didn’t matter how much she liked him or how good he was in bed, she knew how this would end if she gave too much of herself.

“I’m just telling the truth, sugar.”

And then he slid one hand into her hair and kissed her. Every thought in her mind deserted her. He sucked her lower lip into his mouth, scraping her lightly with his teeth. She moaned, used her grip on his shirt to pull him closer, and wrapped her legs around his hips. Grunting, he settled against her and used his other hand to cup her ass. His hard cock rubbed her just right, grinding against her hard little clit.

Letting her head fall back, she arched into him as pleasure burned through her. He took advantage—sucking and biting a light trail of kisses down her neck. Her pussy clenched, so hot and wet she couldn’t stand it. She throbbed, her nipples so hard they ached. “Price, please. I want you.”

He groaned, a great shudder rippling through him. Slipping his hands to her waist, he popped the button on her pants and unfastened the zipper with a slow rasp that echoed in the wide room. “Lift your hips.”

“Tell me you have a condom.” She leaned back on her hands, leveraging herself up so he could pull her jeans and panties down in one swift movement.

He jerked open his slacks, magically produced a little foil package from God knew where, and had himself sheathed in record time. Which was a good thing because she didn’t think she could wait. Then his mouth was on hers again, her legs were around his waist, and he was easing that long, hard cock into her slick sex. The stretch was divine, and when he began moving inside her, it was with the swift, almost punishing rhythm that she hadn’t known she needed.

She threw her head back, gasping.

“You’re so wet, sugar. Wet and tight. I love the feel of your pussy around me.” Sweat slid down his temples as his gaze caught hers. With her sitting on the table, he hit her G-spot with every single thrust. She couldn’t stop a whimpering moan at his words, his movements. Everything he did made her want more.

He dipped his head and sucked her nipple into his mouth through her shirt and bra. He bit down hard enough to make her choke, to make her sex spasm. She gasped, “I love the way you touch me.”

Worrying her nipple between his teeth, he chuckled when she squealed. He released her captured breast and cupped her ass in his hands, pulling her tighter to him. She had no idea how he managed it, but one fingertip teased the tight bud of her anus. She clung to his shoulders, pushing back to take him deeper into her ass. He chuckled, watching her react. “And I love touching you.”

Tingles skipped down her arms and legs, waves of heat following in their wake. He barely nudged his finger in her backside as he continued to thrust his cock into her pussy and the dual sensation was enough to make her sob. The table squeaked and shuddered under their weight as they moved together, their skin slapping, their harsh breath mingling. He filled her again and again, relentless as he shoved her toward the edge of orgasm. And she was right there with him, wringing him with her thighs, clenching her pussy around his cock until he groaned her name.

He ground himself against her clit, plunged his finger into her ass, and made her scream for him. Her sex convulsed, fisting on his dick as she came hard enough to make bursts of light explode behind her eyes. “Oh God, Price.”

“This is so fucking amazing, Aubrey,” he gasped. She watched his eyes lose focus, his jaw locking as he lost himself in orgasm, pumping his long finger and cock inside her until he was spent and she was moaning helplessly with every minute movement he made within her channels.

They stayed there for a long time, their breathing gradually slowing, and their heart rates returning to normal. Only then did Price pull out of her. She shivered, sliding from the table to retrieve her jeans and redress. She could hear Price cleaning himself up and righting his clothing, but she didn’t dare look at him. The man was a serious hazard to her mental health. She’d decided not to touch him again or see him again, and here she was doing him in her coffee shop not twelve hours later.

She jerked upright when his hand closed around her arm. He handed her purse to her and drew her toward the door.

“W—what are you doing?”

“Taking you to dinner.”

“Isn’t that a little backwards?”

“So?” He moved his hand down to hers, cradling it in his big palm. It felt nice, secure. Dangerous, she warned herself. She tried to tug her hand free, but he wasn’t having it. Instead, he twined his fingers with hers and squeezed hard enough to make sure she couldn’t escape. Then he pulled her out the door and waited for her to use her free hand to lock up. “There’s a nice diner across the square. Let’s go there.”

Jericho gave them a wide smile when they passed by and—for once—had the decency not to make some crazy predictions. He kept his mouth shut and nodded to them as they passed. Price glanced at her. “Friend of yours?”

“Not exactly.” Her eyebrows lifted. “Why? Are the police going to escort him out of town?”

His big shoulder rolled in a shrug. “Not unless he starts bothering people.”

“He hasn’t bothered me.” Okay, so it wasn’t true. Jericho’s predictions bothered her, but before he’d started making them, they’d had no problems at all. As far as she could tell, he was just a nice old guy down on his luck.

Price nodded. “So long as he doesn’t harass anyone, we’re fine.”

Tugging at her hand again, she frowned when his fingers tightened. His thumb stroked over her flesh and goose bumps broke over her arms. When had she ever had a reaction this strong to anyone? Never. She was in so much trouble. How could she go on a date with someone she’d just had a one-night stand and a prep table quickie with?

She had no clue, but Price had her hand and he wasn’t letting go, so it looked like she was about to get a crash course.

He ushered her up the steps to the little mom and pop diner next door to Celia’s hair salon and snagged a booth near the back. “The town gossip says you’re not from here either. Why did you come?”

“Burn out, like you. I’d had enough of the rat race after my divorce that I wanted a major change. We had all the same friends and business contacts, so I wanted out of it all.” She shrugged, not bothering to look at the menu since she’d been here a million times with Celia. “I took a vacation to the coast, ended up in Mrs. Chamber’s B&B… and never left.”

He nodded. “I came up to visit my brother and wanted to stick around.”

Mason was recruited from L.A. two years ago by some friend of a friend in the fire department. Aubrey didn’t know the specifics, but she knew he was well liked by everyone. So far, everyone seemed just as impressed with Price. Interesting family. She grinned. “Your brother has a serious thing for my best friend, Celia. He goes to her salon every week to flirt with her and ask her out.”

Flipping his menu closed, Price chuckled. “Mason isn’t a subtle man.”

“And you are?”

“We’re brothers for a reason.” He shrugged.

“Your dad has to be a terror.”

“So was my mom. You should have met them.” He chuckled softly, and they paused their conversation long enough to order when the waitress arrived.

“Should have as in past tense? What happened?”

“Car accident. They went together, which they would have wanted.” Sadness darkened his gaze and it made her reach over the table and squeeze his hand. He turned his palm up and laced her fingers through his again. “It was not long after my divorce… about five years ago. When I came up to see Mason last Christmas, I realized how much I missed having family around. I talked to the former police chief about a job, found out he was retiring, and no one on the force wanted the position. So, here I am.”

“Here you are.” She took a sip of her water and decided to get right to the point. “Why are you pushing us dating?

This isn’t me playing hard to get. I don’t like those kind of games.”

They paused again as their order arrived. It was why she liked this place—the service was fast and the food was good. Price picked up his fork and his end of the conversation. “We’re not going to date.”

“Oh, good.” Relief flooded her because at this point she wasn’t sure she had the willpower to resist if he touched her.

“I’m glad we’re on the same page here.”

“You dump the guys you date after a few months. I’m not interested in that.”

“You are so right.”

He smiled. “Which is why we’re just getting married.”

She choked on the bite of the green beans she’d just swallowed. Her eyes watered, and she dove for her glass of water. After she’d chugged half the glass, she croaked out, “Are you out of your mind?”

“You can take as much time as you need to catch up with me on this one, but I’ve decided. And I’m all in. Get used to it.” He leaned back in the booth and laid his arm across the back of the bench.

“We just met a week ago. This is our first real date.”

His big shoulder lifted in a shrug. “When I make up my mind, I make up my mind.”

“Well, you can change your mind.”

“Not usually.”

“Price.”

“You know you turn me on when you get pissed.”

Her mouth gaped. “That is the most condescending, chauvinistic horseshit I have ever heard come out of a man’s mouth. And it’s fucking trite on top of that.”

“I still have a serious hard-on right now. It’s not something I can control.”

She sputtered for a second before she offered him a nasty glare. “You did that on purpose to try and get me to stop talking about how you’re insane to want to marry me on the second date. The first real out-of-the-house date.”

“Well, I might have mentioned this yesterday but you saw fit to strip naked. There was no way in hell I was letting you get sidetracked by anything. And I’d have told you this morning, but you ran out.” He took a swig of his coffee.

“I might have to spank you for that later.”

Fire exploded in her veins at the thought of his hand on her upturned ass. Holy shit. She just stared at him, heat flooding her cheeks. Her breathing hitched, and her hands clenched on the tabletop.

He met her gaze, his golden skin stretching taut over his sharp cheekbones. “Stop looking at me like that, sugar. I’m not fucking you again until you see things my way.”

“Then you’re not fucking me again.”

He just grinned. “We’ll see about that.”

“This is insane.” She tapped her fork against her plate agitatedly. “Do you really think it’s that simple to make a relationship out of thin air?”

“I knew you the moment I met you. End of story. I know it sounds crazy, but that’s how it is.” His heavy brows snapped together. “You think that’s easy for me to admit?”

“You make it sound easy.” She shifted uncomfortably. Hadn’t she thought that the first day they’d met? That she knew him… that she liked him?

“I’m divorced too, sugar. Don’t forget that. I’ve got a couple of scars of my own in the relationship department. I just haven’t written all women off.”

“I haven’t written men off.” But her protest sounded weak even to her own ears.

He arched an eyebrow. “You don’t think so?”

“I date.”

A derisive snort was his answer.

Uncertainty crawled through her. She was honest enough to admit she had written men off, but it sounded so much more cowardly when he said it that way, like she didn’t have a good reason to be leery of relationships… of men. “I don’t have to want to get married again. There’s nothing wrong with me if I want to be single.”

“Yeah, if you wanted to be single. You’re just scared.”

Anger simmered deep inside her, a knee-jerk reaction after being dicked around so badly in her last relationship.

“Drop. Dead.”

“It’s not going to make it untrue if you get mad.” He offered up a smirk. “But go ahead, sugar. You know how much I like it.”

The shriek that escaped her sounded like a whistling teakettle. Her hands fisted tightly and she had to think really hard about how stupid it would be to assault a police officer. Especially the Chief of Police. She tried to remind herself about how she was too pretty for jail, and about how much he would enjoy it and smirk some more if he got to lock her in a cell. That mellowed her right out. No way in hell would she give him the satisfaction. She bared her teeth in a smile. “Well, since we’re playing by your rules now, you can get as turned on as you want, sugar, but you’re still not getting laid because I’m not seeing things your way any time soon.”

His mouth opened and closed. He narrowed his eyes at her, and now it was her turn to smirk. He deserved it for making her wait. He wanted strings attached to his sex? Fine. He got to dance around like Pinocchio then. Of course, she was dancing alongside his stubborn ass. Damn it.

“Well, this is going to be interesting.” He grinned, challenge sparking in his gaze. “Finish your dinner.” Because she didn’t have a clue what else to say to him, she did as he said. They finished their meal in silence, her insides churning so much that she just picked at her food. The waitress dropped off the check, he plopped down a few bills to cover the tab and stood. It left her eye-level with his groin, and she got a good enough look to tell her he hadn’t been lying about the erection. Her mouth watered needing a taste. She hadn’t sucked him last night, and she wanted to. He folded her hand in his and tugged her to her feet and out the door. “Come on. I’ll walk you home.”