I swallowed hard and leaned my forehead against hers. “Cord and Tripp are going to kick my ass. I had a no sex rule in place.”
Covering her mouth, she whispered, “I guess I took Mrs. Johnson’s advice to heart.”
“Mrs. Johnson gave you advice? On sex?” I pretended to tremble in fear.
Corina giggled. “She told me to come home and jump your bones. When I saw you standing there…looking all hot with your baseball cap on backwards, the muscles showing.” She shrugged. “I lost all control.”
“Wait, Mrs. Johnson told you that?”
She nodded.
“Well, fuck, my dick just went limp.”
Corina reached out and took my cock in her hand. “Bet I know how to fix that.”
Boy, did she ever. We spent the rest of the night in my bed, taking old lady Johnson’s advice to heart.
I stared out the window of my patrol truck, lost in memories of this past week. My dick was exhausted. Corina and I couldn’t keep our hands off each other. Every day when I came home from work, she was there, waiting in a different outfit that she must have known would drive me out of my damn mind.
It didn’t help that she’d gone into San Antonio on Monday and bought new clothes. After a trip to some fancy lingerie store that Waylynn knew about, I was good as gone. No way a man can resist a beautiful woman sitting on his kitchen island dressed in a pink lacey nighty, or a black one. Or a red one.
I’m only so strong!
I tried. I tried so fucking hard to stop the sex, take it slow. But we were like two horny teenagers trying to have sex every spare moment. We’d used condoms every single time since the first, to both of our displeasure. Once I’d taken Corina bareback, it was hard to go back. She was heading to the doctor next week since she was overdue for her appointment, and they had insisted she come in for a pregnancy test before prescribing more pills.
My body shook at the thought of her being pregnant. What if she was pregnant? What would we do?
We’d barely gotten our relationship going. Truth be told, we hardly knew each other—at least the things that two people who were having a baby together should know. Over the last week we’d tried talking, but somehow ended up making love, or fucking like we couldn’t get enough. Sure, there were those intimate evenings when I held her in my arms, and we talked about our dreams. I asked her to move into the new house with me, and she said she’d think about it. After all, we had been thrown together in this living situation. I think Corina wanted to feel like it wasn’t something she had to do…but something we both wanted.
The crackling of my radio pulled me from my thoughts.
Suspicious person. At Corina’s address.
I pulled my truck onto the highway and headed into town. It was rare for dispatch to call me before calling Sheriff Miller, but this was a small town and by now, everyone knew Corina and I were together. I felt sure the late nights sneaking down to Lilly’s Café and tucking ourselves in a corner booth to eat because we were too tired from making love or fucking—depending on the mood—might have had something to do with the rumors flying. I’d already gotten three text messages from my mother wanting to know why she was the last to find out about my new relationship.
As I pulled up to the front of Corina’s house, I spotted Sherriff Miller, Tripp, and Mr. Knight, Corina’s neighbor.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
All three turned to look at me. Tripp was the first to talk. “Someone broke into Corina’s house. The construction foreman said he couldn’t get ahold of you. Turns out he had your number wrong in his phone.”
I frowned. “How hard is it to put a number in a phone?”
Tripp shrugged. “He called Sheriff Miller and then me when he couldn’t reach you.”
I turned to Mr. Knight. “Did you see anything?”
With a nod, he pointed toward the back of the house. “I saw someone running from the building. I was out walking Minnie, my border collie, when I saw ‘em. I’ve done told the sheriff I thought it was a young one. Not very tall or big.”
“What did they do?” I asked.
Tripp and Sheriff Miller looked at one another and then back to me.
Sheriff Miller spoke as he started walking toward the door to the house. “It’s probably best we just show you. I told the foreman to hold off doing anything until we got prints and investigated a bit more.”
I followed them into the house. We made our way to the kitchen and I froze. Giant red words had been spray-painted across the back wall that had once housed the kitchen cabinets.
Lieutenant’s whore.
Swallowing hard, I stared at the message. “What in the living hell?” I finally managed.
“Seems like someone is pissed at you and knows you and Corina are together,” Tripp said while pushing his hand through his hair. “I don’t think you should tell Corina. This will freak her out, and I’m sure she’s stressed as it is.”
I didn’t answer Tripp because I had no idea what to do. I walked over to the back door. There was no sign of a break in there.
“How did they get in?” I asked.
Sheriff Miller looked somber. “The foreman swears the house was locked up tight. When he got here this morning, the back door was wide open. They’ve already begun to re-build the second story, but the windows are still boarded up. The front door was double locked, so the back is clearly how they got in.”
“Fuck,” I whispered as I looked back at the message. Turning to Tripp, I asked, “You honestly think we shouldn’t tell Corina?”
He nodded. “She’s got a lot on her plate. Why bother her with what is probably just some kids screwing around?”
Corina was already stressed because of the fire, her job, and now the worry of possibly being pregnant. The last thing I wanted to do was tell her some nutcase broke into her house because they were pissed at me and knew she was a part of my life.
“You could tell her, but you could also wait and find out more information before you say anything,” Tripp added.
I nodded, trying to decide what to do.
I made the decision I thought was right. “Let’s keep this between us for now. Roy and I will dust the place for fingerprints and take a look around. Tell the foreman he and his crew can take the rest of the day off.”
A part of me knew keeping this from Corina was wrong. I pushed the thought to the side and decided to deal with it later.
“So, are you going to work all night or are you going to take me dancing?”
I swung my office chair around, and my breath caught in my throat as I took in Corina from top to bottom. She was dressed in a one-piece outfit that looked like a dress. On closer inspection I noticed it was shorts with a long black skirt that barely swept across the floor. She was wearing the new cowboy boots she had bought in San Antonio last Monday on her shopping trip with the girls.
I took three steps toward her, getting as close to her as I could. My hand rose and I played with the one piece of hair that had fallen from her ponytail.
My chest ached with a desire to tell her how I felt about her. How she had made me feel things I’d never thought I could, and it wasn’t just the incredibly hot sex we’d been having all week. It was the moments when we talked about where we saw ourselves in five years. Or the type of swing that we should put on the porch of the new house. How Chloe was the sweetest little girl we’d ever had the pleasure of knowing and how scared we both were at the idea of Corina being pregnant.
It was those moments that made me realize I was in love with her. That no matter what, I would never leave her side.
“In case you didn’t know, Corina. I’m crazy about you.”
Her eyes lit up. “Oh yeah?”
Tracing my finger along her jaw, I replied, “Yeah.”
The pace of her breath increased as she looked up into my eyes. “I’m crazy about you too.”
I knew she had another set of words she wanted to let fall from her lips, but she held back. In
a way, I was glad she did. I wasn’t ready to tell her I loved her yet. Deep in my heart, I knew without a doubt that I did, but saying the words out loud scared the living hell out of me.
“You ready to go dancing, dove?”
With a nod, she smiled. “I’m so ready.”
“This will be our first official outing as boyfriend and girlfriend.”
She lifted her brow. “So we are officially calling ourselves that?”
“Hell yeah, we are. No one else gets to put their hands on my girl.”
Her head tilted. “You know, I never did say I wasn’t mad at you anymore.”
I bent down to look at her, leaning in so I could whisper. “I’m pretty sure when my face went between your legs and licked up your pussy you got over being mad at me.”
She blushed. “You have such a dirty mouth, Mitchell Parker.”
With a wink, I leaned in against her lips. “You know you like it.”
Her arms wrapped around my neck. “I do. So very much.” Our mouths pressed together into a soft, sweet kiss.
“Come on,” I said. “Let’s get on out of here before this kiss turns into something else and you’re doing the two-step in my bed instead of on a dance floor.”
Corina giggled as I laced my fingers with hers. We headed out of the office and made our way to the Pecan Street Festival.
As we stepped out of the building, I couldn’t shake the heaviness I’d felt in my chest ever since deciding to keep the break-in from Corina. With everything she had on her mind, the last thing I wanted to do was worry her. Especially if she was carrying our child.
Our child.
My body trembled at the idea. I couldn’t tell if it thrilled me or not. Corina rarely mentioned it, so neither did I. I guess we both figured we would deal with it when we had to.
Pushing away my thoughts, I smiled. “You can already hear the band.”
Pecan Street was a block over and served as the main street that separated the west side of town from the east. Massive amounts of people walked along the street. Everyone in Oak Springs would be at the dance, including folks from surrounding areas. One thing we knew how to do in this town was throw a street party.
Corina and I walked hand in hand, making small talk as we went.
“Do you think Amelia and Wade are excited about the wedding reception?” Corina asked.
“I do,” I answered with a smile. “Mom and Amelia have been busy all week with party planning.”
Corina’s grin spread wide. “I can’t believe they got married. You think people will wonder if Amelia is pregnant?”
With a shrug, I replied, “Who knows. I don’t think Amelia cares what people think.”
I could see the worry on Corina’s face. I was still kicking myself for letting things get so out of control that we forgot to use protection. Then there was my job. I was worried sick by the idea of having someone in my life worrying about me, the risk of leaving her and possibly a baby behind if anything happened…
Fuck.
My hand raked through my hair. I’d already had three good friends die in the line of duty, each leaving behind a family who loved and needed them. If Corina was pregnant with our child, would I want to keep putting my life on the line every day?
I wasn’t so sure. I wasn’t sure about anything anymore. When I was younger, my dream had been to work on the ranch, but things hadn’t turn out like I had originally planned.
“Hey, are you okay?” Corina asked.
The soft touch of her hand on my arm drew me out of the downward spiral of my thoughts.
“Thinking about something with work. Sorry. Bad habit.”
She gave me the sweetest smile. “You know, if you ever need to talk about anything, I’m always here for you.” My chest tightened. I was so damn stupid to push her away.
We had stopped walking and were now facing each other. This beautiful woman standing before me blew me away. I didn’t deserve her. She could have kept me at a distance and made me fight harder for her, but her heart was so forgiving. Her house had been destroyed, her job had changed at a moment’s notice, her entire life had turned upside down. And she was worried about me. The urge to tell her I loved her pulled on my heart, but my head was telling me it was too soon.
Cupping her face within my hands, I smiled. “Do you have any idea how much you mean to me?”
Her cheeks flushed slightly. “I have an idea.”
My gaze searched her face. Her eyes were the most beautiful I’d ever seen. My heart melted into the ocean of blue staring back at me.
“No matter what happens, Corina, I’m never leaving you.”
Tears pooled in her eyes. When she opened her mouth, I knew she wanted to tell me she loved me, but she held back. In a way, I was still relieved.
She finally let some words slip free. “I’m scared, Mitchell. I don’t know what to do if I’m pregnant.”
The fear in her voice sent me off the edge. Leaning down, I covered her mouth with mine. It didn’t matter how many people were around to see us. I needed to take her fear away. Nothing else mattered.
Corina wrapped her arms around my neck as she opened her mouth to me. Her lips were warm and soft as a cloud. We both let sounds of pleasure slip out as we deepened the kiss.
Someone standing next to us cleared their throat. We ignored it; the kiss was too perfect to break.
“Y’all might want to take it back to your place if you want to suck face like that in front of the whole town.”
Stepping back, I dragged in a breath. Corina did the same. A smile spread over her beautiful face, followed by a pink flush on her cheeks.
“Hey, Waylynn,” I said, pulling my eyes off of Corina and looking at my older sister leaning against the building. I hadn’t realized we had stopped in front of the place she had chosen for her dance studio.
With a wide grin, she stepped closer. “Hey there, love birds. You keep up the PDA and tongues are gonna be waggin’.”
I laughed. “They already are.”
Waylynn’s gaze moved between the two of us. She lingered longer on me, and I couldn’t help but wonder if she had heard what Corina said about possibly being pregnant. If she had, she didn’t mention it.
“Well, this town needs good gossip.” She lifted her brows. “Maybe now they’ll move on from my sad story of being cheated on and having to crawl back home to Oak Springs from New York.”
“Fuck what people say, Waylynn,” I snapped.
Her stare pierced me. “Remember your words of advice, little brother.”
Amelia let out a scream when she saw us. Running up to our small group, she grabbed Corina and hugged her before doing the same to Waylynn. I reached down and gave her a kiss on the cheek, my gaze still fixed on my older sister.
“The Parker family is all together!” Amelia said with a clap.
Waylynn turned to Amelia. “I say we show this little town the proper way to have a good time.”
Amelia laced her arm with Corina’s as they walked. Waylynn fell in step next to me. As we approached my father’s barbecue pit for the annual Pecan Street barbecue contest, Waylynn pulled me to a stop.
Our eyes met, and we didn’t have to exchange words. I knew she had heard Corina.
“Do you know what you’re doing?” Waylynn asked.
I let out a sigh. “No fucking clue, but if she is pregnant, we’ll figure it out.”
She looked over to Corina and then back to me. “Well, I can tell you one thing, Mitchell, y’all better figure it out fast.”
As my sister walked over to our family, I shoved my fingers through my hair.
“Yeah, I sure as fuck better.”
Everyone was enjoying themselves. There was something about a street dance that made me feel good—small town country at its best. Kids ran through the crowds, playing and exploring. High school kids danced in the middle of the street while older folks sat at tables and enjoyed one another’s company.
This was one of the many reas
ons I loved Texas.
Waylynn let out a yee-haw as Cord spun her around and did some flip move before they took off two-steppin’ again. Amelia and Wade were lost in each other, dancing slowly even though it was a fast song. I couldn’t help but smile at the love between them.
On one side of the street, Steed held a sleeping Chloe while Paxton cradled Gage. My heart melted as I took them in. I wanted desperately to tell Paxton what had happened with Mitchell and the night of the forgotten condom, but I knew the first thing she would do: jump all over me for not being careful. Even though she and Steed ended up with Gage for the very same reason.
A breath slipped from my lips as I tried not to think about it. Mitchell’s laughter pulled my head to the right where I saw him with his father and Trevor, joking about something. I watched Mitchell’s every move, loving everything about him. The dimple that came out when he smiled. The way he whispered sweet and tender things in my ear when we made love. The way he placed his hand on my lower back to guide me through a room. Even the way he pretended to despise Milo, yet secretly loved him.
Another laugh from Mitchell broke my stare. My stomach tightened as a new round of thoughts hit me.
If I was pregnant, how would Mitchell react? He was still getting used to the idea of being in a relationship. There was no way he would be able to handle a kid thrown into the picture. Or would he? Deep in my heart, I knew his words from earlier were his way of telling me he was in this for the long haul.
Tears stung my eyes as I forced them back.
He said he wouldn’t leave, no matter what. Did that mean he wouldn’t leave me? Or the baby?
My gaze dropped to the ground, and I tried to push the thoughts away. I wasn’t even sure I was pregnant. Touching my stomach, I held my breath.
Was I ready for all of this? I had a career. A life I had planned that didn’t include a baby—at least not yet.
Then there was the problem with my brother. He was getting married, and if I announced I was pregnant, he’d say I was trying to steal his thunder.