Page 10
Chapter Ten
NEIL
S hit, this is all happening faster than I thought possible.
As much as I’d like to keep this to myself, I think I need to tell Georgia.
I have no idea what her living situation is like, and what if this guy gets a wild hair and goes after her?
Robert Gregory has a reputation for getting what he wants, and I’ve heard rumors about the lengths he’s gone to to make that happen.
Would a silly sheriff in a nowhere town matter to him at all?
If they got rid of Georgia, then they could make up whatever investigation they wanted.
For that matter, he could already know I’ve been called home, so who would be standing in their way?
“Where do you live?” I ask Georgia, and she pulls a face.
“Looks like someone isn’t a very good FBI agent.”
“I’m serious. I want to know what kind of security you’ve got.”
“Security?” She huffs a laugh. “There’s a possum that walks around my rental house at night. Does that count?”
“No.” I clench my fists at my side and try not to get angry. It’s not her fault there’s no crime here for her to be worried about. “Look, I need to tell you something.”
“You are in the mob!” She brings a hand to her mouth dramatically. “I knew it.”
“If this were any other time, I’d find your theatrics charming, but right now I’m worried about you.
” I reach out and take her hand, and she doesn’t flinch or back away from my touch.
“Can you take me to your house? I think we should talk somewhere private, and I don’t know if it’s safe for me to go back to the hotel right now. ”
Her fingers clench around my hand, and her expression changes to concern. “Neil, is something wrong?”
I glance around, not trusting being outside where anyone can hear us. “Not here, okay?”
“Okay, come with me.”
Turns out Georgia lives around the corner in a little house behind Main Street. It’s a cute cottage that’s got a white picket fence and flowers growing everywhere.
“My mom loves to garden. This is one of their rental houses I’m staying in right now.”
“It’s like you,” I say when I step inside and look around.
“Really?” She seems happy with the comparison.
The space is soft and bright, and it smells like her. It’s sweet with a hint of spice, and I can’t help but think that’s exactly like Georgia.
“Come here,” I say, and without waiting for her to respond, I pull her close to me.
Her lips part as she tilts her head back and I reach for the front of her shirt.
With her eyes on me, I unclip her badge and lay it on the table beside her.
Then I take my badge out and toss it on the table next to hers.
“There, now it’s just Neil and Georgia. No agent, no sheriff. ”
“Oh.” She seems disappointed, and for a second, I can’t figure out why. Then she licks her lips, and I wonder if she thought I was going to kiss her.
She’s lucky I didn’t, because I’m afraid if I start I won’t be able to stop.
“Georgia, I think the person checking into the hotel might try to hurt you.”
“What?” She takes a step back, and I follow her, not letting her put space between us.
“Come here.” Without thinking, I take her hand and walk over to the small couch. I sit down and then pull her onto my lap with me. “I don’t want to scare you, but I need to tell you some things.”
So I do. I spill all of it. She listens intently as I stroke a hand up and down her back and tell her the reason I was sent here and the conversation I had with my boss.
I tell her about Simon’s father and what he’s after and that she’s not safe.
To Georgia’s credit, she doesn’t interject or tell me I’m worried for nothing.
She listens intently, and when I’m finished, she sighs heavily.
“You know I always thought the only one bed trope was an impossibility, but here we are.”
“What?” Now I’m the one confused.
“Clearly you can’t go back to your room. I can call Danny and have him pack it up and drop it off at the station. But there’s no other places for you to stay in town. My parents do all of the rental properties, and this was the only vacancy. And guess what, big guy, it’s a one-bedroom.”
“So you’ve only got one bed?” Having her on my lap has already made my cock swell, but the thought of sleeping next to her has me going impossibly hard. Can she feel it against her ass?
“Only one bed,” she repeats, and then she squirms in my lap, confirming she can feel the steel rod poking her.
The flush in her cheeks is another indicator, but she’s not hopping off and running away. If anything, she’s leaning closer.
“You’ll let me stay?” I ask and wrap my hands around her waist.
“The town already thinks you’re my boyfriend. Staying with me would be the next natural step.”
“I have to warn you that I take up a lot of room in bed. I tend to sprawl.” I grin at the way she shivers when I trace a finger down her neck. “Plus, as soft as you are, I might end up being a cuddler.”
“Spooning leads to forking,” she says, but it’s not her usual sassy way. It’s like she’s in a trance as she watches my every movement.
“I promise to be on my best behavior when we go to bed.” My finger traces lower until I reach the top button of her shirt. “But I make no promises until then.”