Did she follow that instinctive survival order?
Oh, no! Just the opposite, actually. She'd always been a daredevil, trying to ride faster and further than her older brothers, climbing higher than anyone else and doing anything to prove that she wasn't afraid.
So here she was, wanting to hear him make that sound again. Her fingers moved once. Twice. No hiss, but she felt his body tighten, felt the evidence of his arousal against her stomach. But no hiss. Her fingernails shifted over that spot and …
"Halley!" he groaned through clenched teeth. He was no longer still, his massive arms lifting her up so that they were at eye level. "Do it again!" he commanded fiercely.
She did, wanting to know what would happen. Actions and consequences … always so amazing. Her nail scraped against the white material, finding that point.
Oh my, the consequences of that action were thrilling! His mouth covered hers, hard and demanding, slanting over and over as he tasted her, demanding a reaction. Halley had played with the fire and now she was being consumed.
Or was she doing the consuming?
A loud noise, a door banging open as people came out of the funeral reception, startled both of them. Halley jerked backwards, almost knocking her head on the hard wall when she realized how completely she'd just given in to Mike's kiss.
"I have to go," she told him, jerking out of his arms.
"Halley, we need to talk," Mike said, his voice still rough from their intimacy.
"Sheriff?" another voice called out. "I think there's someone who needs your help."
A moment later, one of the elderly ladies of the church peered around the corner, her face relieved when she spotted Mike standing there. "I'm so glad I caught you before you left. Jocelyn fell down. I don't think anything is broken but … "
Already Mike was moving towards the hallway. That's the thing about Mike, Halley thought with respect and relief, he always helped whenever he was needed. He was a good guy.
Just not the guy for her.
Kissing and fascination with his body notwithstanding, she liked Mike, but only as a sheriff. There could never be anything personal between them.
She watched him walk away, taking a moment to admire his broad shoulders and muscular back before she found the motivation to flee.
"Halley!" he called out a moment before her hand turned the knob. "We'll continue this discussion later. I'll meet you at your place at six."
She shook her head. "I won't be there. I have something to do," she said and rushed out through the doorway, almost running to her car. She'd ignored the furious expression in Mike's eyes as she hurried out, not wanting to hear him order her to cancel her plans. Which, she knew he would do.
And which she knew that she wouldn't do. No way. Not tonight. Not any night in the near future.
As she drove out of the parking lot, she glanced behind her, ensuring that her precious bag was still there on the backseat. When she spotted the bulging bag sitting on the backseat, she sighed with relief. With that reassurance, she turned onto route ninety, heading east instead of west towards her home. She kept her speed smooth and easy, only slightly above the speed limit, as she headed out of town towards Billings. Out of town and towards her dreams!
Chapter 2
Several hours later, Halley pulled up outside of her tiny cottage and sighed with relief. She needed to soak her toes for a few minutes … or hours … and then stretch. Her muscles were sore, but she felt good. Exhilarated, actually.
It had been a long rehearsal today, but very satisfying. Despite Carl showing up late, they had finally gotten the difficult jump done correctly, and she couldn't wait until their next rehearsal when they could practice it a bit more. She'd stopped for dinner in Billings, trying to spend a bit more time away from home, afraid that Mike might still try and find her tonight.
Tonight, she needed to …
The barking caught her by surprise. And the meowing. As soon as she stepped out of her truck, Elf and Midget, her two rescue dogs, rushed over to her, their tails wagging and tongues hanging out of their mouths in greeting. A split second later, Bozo, her fluffy white cat, landed on the hood of her SUV, then proceeded to curl up and give herself a bath, completely indignant that her fine self wasn't inside where it was warm and cozy.
"What in the world?" she gasped, reaching down to scratch behind Midget's ears until Elf nudged her hand away. Elf was the alpha dog, but Midget constantly challenged that role. Bozo acted as if she were above all of the affection contests, but the feline curled up on top of Halley every night, getting her way when the dogs were asleep. She was also quite adept a keeping the dogs hopping whenever she was irritated. "Why are you guys outside?"