Page 15 of Claimed By the Deputies

All I had to do was reach out and pluck one.

“I needed a fresh start,” I tell Lucas. “Somewhere nice and quiet. Timothy has been my ally since I was a kid. He looked out for me. Even though I steered away from him and got into trouble, he still found me and helped me out. When he told me about theNew Beginnings program, that they’d opened a chapter in his hometown, I figured what’s the worst thing that could happen?”

“You’d move in, get comfortable, and then your place would burn down,” Lucas replies without missing a beat.

I start laughing, hard. When I finally catch my breath, I look at him and smile. “It’s not funny.”

“Yet here we are,” he shoots back with a chuckle.

“You’re kind of cool, Sheriff.”

He narrows his steely blues at me. “Kind of?”

“Well, yes. You’re still an authority in this town, but you clearly have a softer side. And you’re surprisingly funny.”

“I don’t know if I should feel insulted or flattered.”

I blush, and the way his gaze wanders over the rest of me only serves to fan the flames of a different kind of fire. “My apologies. I didn’t mean it like that. It was meant to be a compliment.”

“I know, I’m just pulling your leg,” he replies with a smile. “Relax, Tassia. I don’t judge a person based solely on their criminal history.”

“I’m happy to hear that, though I was surprised you let me work in the evidence room or hired me at all.”

“Timothy vouched for you. Plus, your record didn’t include any charges that would be in direct conflict with the requirements and responsibilities. We’re woefully understaffed as it is, and you successfully completed all three of your mandatory trial periods. I decided it was worth the risk the minute you flagged the gunshot residue on that red hoodie in the Masterson case. Our crime scene techs completely missed it.”

“I guess I got lucky.”

I’ve always had a keen eye, my synapses firing at incredible speed. Maybe that’s why Timothy has always had such faith in me. My mind used to keep me out of trouble. But my heart damn near destroyed me.

“Even so, that was a nice catch. Masterson is looking at a life sentence,” Lucas replies. “Given the rise in crime in and around Frost Valley, we could use your luck,” he adds with a wink.

I take a deep breath and gaze out the window. “I want to say the damage looks worse than it is,” I mutter, staring at Tim’s cabin, “but I’m pretty sure I’d be wrong.”

“I hate to tell you this, but I have to agree. It probably is worse than it looks,” he says. “But I was serious earlier when I said you’re welcome to stay here for as long as you need. Mitch and Tyler are both on board. We help each other in this town.”

“I appreciate that.” I exhale sharply, looking anywhere but at him.

It’s getting hard for me to focus, so maybe if I keep my mouth busy with some of those pastries, it’ll get my mind off how gorgeous this man is. At least he put on a shirt, but it’s too late. I’ve already seen the goods.

“Thank you for the food,” I mumble as I head toward the tray.

“Not at all. I’ll leave you to it.”

As he gets up, I make the colossal mistake of gazing at him as he passes by. For a split-second, I feel dizzy. My oxygen level is still low from the fire, and I haven’t eaten all day, so my blood sugar is likely low as well. Either way, I stand still to get my bearings,but it’s too late—my body wobbles just a little, enough for Lucas to notice.

He comes over and puts his hands on my arms, steadying me.

“Easy,” Lucas whispers.

I go completely brain dead and time stands still.

We look at each other for what feels like an eternity. We could pull away, a simple gesture. He knows it, and I know it.

Instead, Lucas lowers his head, crashing his lips into mine. I welcome him, hungry and desperate as invisible fireworks explode around us.

“Tassia,” he growls before his tongue clashes with mine.

“This is wrong,” I mumble against his lips.

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