Read Online Kilty Pleasure by Shelli Stevens - Free Book Online Page B

that pathetic waste of space touching Hailey didn’t sit well with him.
    “Who is he?”
    She didn’t answer right away, and seemed torn on how to reply. “He doesn’t matter. Want to explain what you’re doing here?”
    Clearly he did matter if the man had referred to Hailey as his girl. Unless he was the same guy with a restraining order against him. Shite, was that possible?
    There were faint red marks around her jaw, as if someone had just gripped it hard. Wishing he’d looked at that guy’s plates a little closer, he narrowed his eyes and struggled with the fury that began to simmer inside him.
    “Who was he, Hailey?”
    Her shoulders went stiff again and the amusement in her eyes snuffed out, leaving her expression once again guarded.
    For a moment he didn’t think she’d answer, then she gave a tiny shake of her head.
    “He’s an ex-boyfriend who’s having a little trouble letting things go.”
    “Curt MacGregor?”
    Her eyes widened, a spark of anger in them now. “How do you know about him?”
    “I ran your plates and saw you had a protection order.” Shite, his gut instinct had been right. That had been MacGregor strolling away as if he had every right to be here. “Did you not call the local police?”
    “No.”
    “Hailey—”
    “Look, you had no business running my plates.” She jammed a finger against his chest. “And this is out of your jurisdiction anyway, so why don’t you just turn on your heel and get out of here, Deputy.”
    Instead of leaving, he caught her finger and then moved his hand over it and downward to capture her wrist. His touch was light as he tugged her close.
    “Did he hurt you?” He let his gaze fall on the marks on her jaw.
    Her lashes swept down and the pink in her cheeks darkened. She was embarrassed.
    “I can handle this.”
    “Clearly. Which is why you’ve taken out a restraining order on the man and have no intention of using it.”
    “Look, he left when I told him to.”
    “Did he? Because I think it was likely my arrival that had him leaving.”
    “Even if it was, this isn’t your concern.”
    “I wear a badge that says it should be.”
    She met his gaze again, and there was frustration in her eyes.
    “So, what? You’re just going to set out to enforce every broken no-contact order out there? Because I’m pretty sure there are people a lot worse off than me.”
    “Maybe. But it’s not personal with them.”
    “It’s not personal with me!”
    “Aye, unfortunately I think it is.” The admission was made as much to her as it was to himself. “Because I’ve not been able to stop thinking about you since the day you showed up at my family’s pub early this summer.”
    Her mouth parted and for a moment she didn’t speak, then she gave a heavy sigh. “Well, if that’s the case, then it’s nothing but what I said yesterday. You wanting to get in my pants.”
    “More than likely,” he agreed.
    She gave a bitter laugh. “Right. Well, sorry I can’t help you there, buddy. But I’m on a leave of absence from sex.”
    “Now that just sounds like a bad idea.”
    “No. Getting involved with you would be a bad idea.” She tried to tug her wrist free, and he let it go, but didn’t move away.
    Instead, he caught the belt on her robe and pulled her forward. He toyed with the knot there. Loosening it and then tightening it again.
    “Maybe we should try and find out?” There was something so surprisingly sexy about Hailey—always so guarded and serious—in a fluffy robe.
    What was she wearing underneath it? It would probably be quite wrong to hope she wore nothing, and that she’d be naked as the day she was born.
    She didn’t reply. Didn’t protest the way he was one deft move away from unfastening her robe.
    Hell, what was he doing? He’d come here today with the intent of apologizing. Of just clearing the air so they could at least be civil together.
    And now here he was imagining what it would be like to remove the robe and touch