Page 27 of Colt
The organized and precise older woman who ran the front desk of the sheriff’s department led me to Colt’s office to wait for him to return. It was a small space, only room for a desk, file cabinet, and two visitor chairs. An American flag draped from a pole in the corner. Phones rang in the background, the scent of coffee hung on warm air from a thermostat set to a little too high.
She seemed like the woman who would want to make small talk and share photos of her grandchildren, but she’d smiled and left me to wait.
When I heard heavy footsteps coming down the hall, I popped to my feet. Turned around.
There he was.
Colt.
All big, brawny cowboy with a dark scowl slashed across his face. My body responded to him in a way I’d never felt before. Like I wanted to leap into his arms and have him never let me go and tear his clothes off and ride him like a cowgirl.
“Hi,” I breathed. My heart was in my throat. Just like our condom conversation, I wanted nothing between us. It was time to tell him everything. “I’m here to–”
“We have to end things.”
19
MOLLY
I started to shake,like I was freezing. But I was hot. Sweating. My heart roared in my ears. All I could do was stare at Colt, the man I loved, who looked at me like I was a bad guy.
His gaze was piercing, like usual, but cold. His body wasn’t relaxed and at ease as he was usually around me, but tense.
What?
He was breaking up with me!
My heart thudded and I felt like he’d pulled out his service pistol and shot me.
I shouldn’t be surprised.
Of course, he was ending things. Just as I expected, but I’d been dumb enough to get my heart involved, because ithurt.
I swallowed hard past the lump in my throat. I couldn’t meet his eyes, studied the button on his shirt. “I… I figured. I’m so sorry.”
Cam joined us in Colt’s office, making the space very crowded. The shame I felt was fierce.
“I didn’t do anything, but it doesn’t matter. I can see why you’d want to end things,” I said, tears filling my eyes.
This was exactly what Missy wanted. To see anything good in my life ruined because I wouldn’t help her. I was sure this was the start. My job was probably next. Maybe my medical license. It seemed I’d lost Colt.
I was going to have to pay her forever, wasn’t I?
“You’re breaking up with her?” Cam asked, sounding stunned. He looked angry. At me or Colt, I wasn’t sure.
Colt didn’t look at him, just reached back, set a hand on his very large brother’s chest and pushed him out of the room. With a booted foot, he kicked the door shut behind him so we were alone in his office.
I licked my lips. “Colt, please let me explain.”
I stepped back as he moved closer. There wasn’tanywhere to go and I bumped into his desk. He kept moving until he loomed over me. Surprising the hell out of me, he set a hand on my stomach and then his fingers slid south beneath my scrub pants.
My eyes widened in surprise.
“Colt!” I exclaimed when his hand went beneath my panties too and cupped me. “What are you doing?” I squirmed because this was the last thing I expected him to do.
He grunted, pulled his hand free.
Then… in true Colt fashion, licked the tips of his fingers that had stroked over my folds.
