Page 2 of Protected by the Sheriff (Magnolia Falls #2)

Mason

D eclan and I met for breakfast at our usual meeting place this morning.

The Greasy Skillet has been our go-to for years, and Crayola had to prance her perfect little ass in there and walk right into me.

Feeling her tiny, tight body up against mine gave me a hard-on that I’ve had to hide all morning.

No woman has ever affected me the way she does, and I hate it.

After watching Declan go through hell with Lisa, his ex, I know better than to have any kind of long-lasting relationship with a woman. Women are only good for one night and then I’m done with them.

Declan’s ex slept with our father, got pregnant by someone else and passed the baby off as his, and then tried to kill his now wife, Savannah.

She tried to run her over in a dark parking lot.

No woman is getting that close to me. That woman ruined my family.

I might need to stick my dick in one now and then, but I don’t kiss them, and we don’t make small talk.

They know going in that I want nothing more than a quick release from them.

I provide the condom to ensure they are in date and not tampered with.

I only trust two women: My mother, Kate, and my sister-in-law, Savannah.

After watching the hell Declan went through thinking he was a little boy’s father only to find out he wasn’t, I’ll never allow any woman to trap me.

When Savannah came to Magnolia Falls, she was on the run from a crazy ex who abused her, and she’s the sweetest woman.

I’ve really come to love her like a sister, and she’s given our family two sweet babies.

Kenzie may not be Declan’s blood, but she’s just as much ours as his son Ashton is.

Kids will never be in my future, but I love being an uncle.

I would do anything for either of the kids, but I won’t ever allow a woman to use them to control me.

There’s no way I can step over the line with Olivia knowing that it would disrupt my family’s life if things didn’t work out.

That doesn’t mean I don’t sabotage every date she’s had since I became obsessed with her. Whenever a guy around town asks her out, I may or may not offer them a stay in the county jail if they don’t ghost her.

I’ve missed a couple here and there and had to improvise upon finding them together at our local bar having drinks. Sometimes she meets them there and doesn’t even know their name, but I watch and wait, then handle it when she isn’t aware.

I hate that she thinks it’s because of her that her dates never stick around, and I’m sure that’s playing on her self-esteem, but I can’t allow men to put their hands on her.

It’s easy to say I’m just looking out for my sister-in-law’s best friend, but I’m only lying to myself.

It’s because I want her but can’t have her.

That means I’ll make damn sure no other man has her, either.

Allowing my desires to take over could lead to the colorful firecracker destroying me.

That’s why I avoid her at all costs and when I know something is going to piss her off, I purposely do it.

Not only will that keep her from getting close to me, but it will also make her hate me, so she never catches feelings.

Is the chemistry off the charts between us?

Yes! From the first time I laid eyes on the little crayon, she made me hard, and I’ve not been able to quit thinking about her since.

The women in town think I’m a man whore.

For years, I’ve had one-night stands, working my way through most of the female population in town; well, the single ones, anyway.

Not once did I consider settling into a permanent relationship with any of the women I sleep with.

I don’t have a desire to spend more time than it takes me to get off with any of them.

There’s no dishonesty on my part. The women know the deal beforehand.

I make it clear that there will never be more than one night.

What no one realizes is, since I laid eyes on Olivia, I haven’t touched another woman. I’ve been too busy watching her, protecting her, and running off any men who sniff around her. If pushed, I’ll admit to stalking her a little too, but it’s for her own good.

When she left this morning, I went to snoop at the house next door to mine.

There was an open window, and I couldn’t resist crawling in.

As I roamed around the house, her scent was everywhere.

She smells like the Japanese cherry-blossom perfume and lotion I found in her bedroom.

Even her shampoo and conditioner are floral scented.

She smells so good it makes my mouth water.

When I went into her bathroom, her dirty laundry was lying in the corner on the floor, and I may have picked up a pair of silk panties. Don’t judge me. It was a moment of weakness.

My girl leaves everything messy and disorganized. In chaos, just like her.

Being a law enforcement officer, I know I shouldn’t be breaking and entering, and I really shouldn’t be stealing her used panties so I can sniff them or wrap them around my cock and jack off while imagining her tight pussy wrapped around me.

After bumping into Olivia, Declan and I walk outside into the bright, warm sunshine and refreshing breeze. “You and Olivia would catch on fire if you stood too close for too long. Why do you pick on her when you clearly like her?”

“I don’t like her. In fact, I can’t stand her. She’s Savannah’s best friend and we have to get along for the kids. There’s nothing else between Olivia and I, and there never will be,” I say sternly, but I don’t know if I’m trying to convince him or myself.

Declan sighs and looks at me with a raised eyebrow. “Is that why when you’re in the same room together, you spend half the time hiding the bulge in your pants?”

“So she’s pretty. That doesn’t mean anything, and there won’t ever be anything more between us.”

“I see you both staring at each other when the other isn’t looking. You might find happiness if you let yourself. I can’t imagine not having my Savannah,” Declan says with a faraway look in his eye.

“I’m never going to have a woman permanently.

They are nothing but trouble. That little crayon is the double trouble that I can see coming from a mile away.

I wish I had never met her, but I have to be civil because of you and your family.

Then she had to buy the damn house next door to mine.

I swear the woman lives to drive me crazy. ”

Declan chuckles. “I never thought I would trust another woman after the mess Lisa caused, but I can’t imagine my life without Savannah and our kids.

I want to see you happy, brother, and this isn’t it.

You can’t let what Lisa and Dad did continue to hold you back from living and maybe finding love. ”

“You became a fucking hermit for two years and you’re telling me this? Worry about your life, and I’ll worry about mine,” I snap.

Declan throws up his hands in surrender.

“I’ve got to get to work,” I say, so I can leave my asshole brother without admitting I’d like nothing more than to wrap the little crayon girl who’s so full of sunshine in my arms and hold her forever. It’s just not in the cards for me.

As I climb into my sheriff’s car, the police radio goes off.

There are some kids around town who stole a four-wheeler and hid it in the woods.

That means I need to gather some deputies and go search for the stolen vehicle.

Fun times stomping in the woods. Don’t let anyone tell you being in law enforcement isn’t glamorous.

I roll my eyes at the sheer ridiculous shit I have to do for my job.

As I pull up in front of my house after an exhausting day tracking down a group of errant teens and a missing four-wheeler, I just can’t stop myself from looking over at Olivia’s.

She’s not home yet, and it’s at the edge of dark.

The clawing feeling I get in my chest when she’s not in her house safe and it’s getting dark drives me crazy.

Why should I care if she’s at home? Maybe she’s out on a date with some asshole.

Ugh . I ball up my fist and bite down on it. What the fuck is wrong with me? Why do I constantly look for her, think about her, unable to stand the thought of her being with another man? Fuck my life. The woman is a fucking witch. A colorful fucking witch.

I get out and slam my car door as I walk up to my house. With one long lingering look back at the dark house next door, I go in. Reaching up, I rub my throbbing temples. A shower and bed are what I should be thinking about, not her.

As I enter the dark house and make my way to the bathroom, my thoughts turn to a nice, hot shower, and then I remember my little trinket I’ve kept in my pocket since this morning. When I reach down into my pocket to pull the silky material out, I lift the delicate panties up to my face and inhale.

The smell of my girl is intoxicating. Not my girl. I need to stop thinking of the little troublemaker as my girl.

Reaching down, I unbuckle my belt and pop open the button on my pants. No matter how much I resist, all I’ve been able to think about all day is wrapping these silky panties around my hard-as-fuck cock and jerking myself off to thoughts of Olivia.

After quickly undressing, I step into the shower and brace my hand on the wall for support.

Hoping this puts a stop to the intrusive thoughts, I inhale the crotch of the panties again.

The delectable scent makes my mouth water and my cock pulse.

I wrap my hands around my hard rod and run my hand from root to tip before placing the silken material around my shaft.

Jerking my dick off while thinking of the beautiful girl who is full of color, on her knees sucking my cock, is all I want to think about in this moment.