Page 67 of Bad Boy in Her Bed

“You know about the agreement between Mr.Baker and myself.”

The sheriff’s words weren’t a question, so she remained silent, listening to the quiet hum of noise in the hall.

“The cassette was a good move.It definitely grabbed my attention.”He cleared his throat and straightened up in his chair.“Mr.Baker is a decent man.He deserved better.”

“Yes, he did.”

Clasping his hands on his desk, he stared at her until she lifted a brow in challenge.“Will I be reading about my little backdoor deal on the front page of the Epson Post any time soon?”

He was nervous, the sweat returning to his brow despite his attempts to feign control of the situation.Crossing her arms, she smiled.“No, you will not, Mr.Fogerty.”

“Why not?”

“Because Birch does deserve better.And having someone like you in his pocket, a man with authority and respect?That’s how he’s going to get the better he deserves in this town.”She lifted one hand and examined her nails.“The next few months are going to be tough for him, tough for his brothers, and that makes them tough for me.And when things are tough for me, I take on side projects to distract me.As long as you play nice, I play nice, and we all exist in Epson as one big nice unit.”

Bill’s face pinched into a scowl.“Is this a threat, Ms.Carter?”

“A promise.I don’t make a lot of promises, but the ones I do make, I keep.”She could hear a heavy door opening and clanging shut and she got to her feet.“I like you, Fogerty.Hell, I think even Birch has a bit of respect for you.You were handed a shitty situation, and you did what you could to save your family, even if it meant railroading a guy who was already backed into a corner.But that guy now has the luxury of my contacts, my connections, and my reputation.He also has your confession and Ryder’s on tape, copied onto his phone, and emailed to a few of my friends in high places.”Leaving the words hanging, she opened the door to his office.“Have a good night, Sheriff.I’m sure we’ll talk soon.”

Chapter Thirty-One

Birch stopped resistingthe deputies the moment the heavy door slammed behind them and he saw Jocelyn standing at the end of the hall.His Serpent’s Tongue shirt hung off her slim form and Torres slapped him on the back with agood show.He swallowed, breaking into a jog until Jocelyn was wrapped in his arms.

“You’re late,” she murmured into his skin, her fingers stroking the nape of his neck.

He inhaled the scent of her hair and knew in an instant that she’d spent the night in his home where she belonged.“Since we’re back to playing the obvious game, you look sexy as fuck in my shirt.”Someone cleared their throat loudly and he looked over her head to see Fogerty.“We good?”

“For now,” the sheriff grunted.“Go.And take that little spitfire with you.”

Extricating himself from her hold, he did his best to appear as cool and collected as Jocelyn was while they walked through the double glass doors.

She led him to her car and rifled through her purse, pushing his phone, wallet, and keys into his hand before hopping in the driver side and starting the engine.He’d barely closed his door when she pulled out of the station’s parking lot, her foot heavy on the gas.

“I know it was only twenty-four hours, but damn if I never want to see the inside of a cell ever again,” he said, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.“What a mindfuck that was.”

The car swayed as they made a right and he opened one eye to see her eyes narrow while she maintained her silence.

“Hey,” he said, straightening up and trailing his thumb along her neck.“Why don’t you go for a run while I shower.I’ll order in and by the time you get back, we’ll be set.”

Coming to a rolling stop, she looked both ways and continued through the intersection, speeding up toward his street.“I’m not running.”

There was a coolness to her voice, and it threw him for a loop as he studied her, wondering what had gone down while he was in the holding cell.

He was still monitoring her locked down expression when she pulled up in front of his house, leaving room for Grey to squeeze past into the driveway when he returned home.Her movements were methodical as she undid her seat belt, opened her door, slung her laptop bag and purse over her shoulder, and joined him on the silent walk to his door.

She didn’t reach for him, didn’t speak.

He unlocked the door and flicked on the lights as he toed his shoes off and paused to watch while she did the same, placing hers beside his.

“I’m going to jump in the shower,” he said, shoving his hands in his pockets as an unfamiliar awkwardness settled over them.“Do you want to order delivery or…?”

He let the question hang in the air, not wanting to push her into anything she might be second-guessing.

Unless it was him.

The thought burrowed into his head, digging its claws in.

“Maybe,” she replied with a noncommittal shrug.“Any preferences if I do?”

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