Read Online Stripped Naked (Naked Cowboys) by Desiree Holt - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Desiree Holt
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didn’t she just let Lew do it so she didn’t have to get up close and personal with Dillon Cross? Good sense dictated that she keep her distance from him except in bed. Except who said she had good sense? Witness the debacle with Max.
“So you’re taking care of it, then?”
Lew’s voice broke into the fog in her brain again.
“Yes. I said yes.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Sorry, Lew. I have a lot of things on my mind.”
Lew frowned. “Are you sure you’re alright? Can I get you anything?”
Yes. A new brain.
“No, I’m fine. Thanks. I’ll get ahold of Sheriff Cross and see what we can do.”
She sat there for a long moment after Lew walked away, trying to figure out the best way to handle this. Just walking into his office would be presumptuous and probably reinforce his distaste of the attitude of reporters. Making an appointment seemed a little too formal in a county where informality was keynote. Finally, after running every possibility through her brain, she thought about what her dad would have done and picked up the phone to call the sheriff’s office.
“Is this a personal or professional call?” Dillon asked when she was put through to him.
“Professional, of course,” she told him, then lowered her voice. “Personal is in a whole other arena.”
He cleared his throat. “Then what can I do for you, Miss Malone?”
She swallowed a smile. “The publisher of The Hill Country Herald would like to invite the sheriff of Rowan County to lunch to discuss current stories and other details.”
He waited so long to answer her she thought maybe he’d hung up.
Finally, he said, “I can make it at one o’clock. Does that work for you?”
“Of course. The Bit and Bite okay with you?”
“Fine. See you then.”
Jinx leaned her elbows on the desk and cradled her head in her hands. What was she getting herself into? Just the sound of Dillon’s voice made every pulse point throb and her panties dampen. Her breasts ached with the memory of his touch and her nipples stiffened, hungry for his mouth on them. She had never considered herself sexually needy or excessively aroused. Maybe it had been Max and not her. Or maybe the combination of the two of them just hadn’t worked, and that was one of the contributing factors to his cute little threesome. She just didn’t know.
What she did know was just the thought of Dillon Cross was enough to make her want to break down every sexual boundary ever invented, and that scared her. It was a good thing there wasn’t an emotional situation here or she’d be cooked.
Yeah, keep telling yourself that.
She pushed back her chair and headed for the break room. Maybe a cold drink from the fridge would cool her off.
Chapter Four
Jinx watched as Dillon walked through the Bit and Bite toward their booth, exchanging nods and greetings with people along the way. God, he was a mouthful and a half. His tall, lean body moved with the grace and ease of a jungle cat. A good match for the predatory gleam in his eyes when he spotted her. He stopped to exchange a few words with someone before sliding into the booth opposite her. When he took off his Stetson and placed it on the seat beside him, she wanted to reach over and run her fingers through his sun-streaked hair.
I have got to get my hormones under control.
The waitress who had brought Jinx coffee earlier showed up and placed two menus in front of them. Dillon asked for coffee also and water as well. Then he leaned back in the booth.
“So what’s on your agenda today, madam publisher?”
“Two things, actually.” She took a sip of her rapidly cooling coffee. “As I’m sure you can guess, I’m hungry for any update on the naked body in the ditch. Has he been identified yet? Any clues as to who left him there? ”
Dillon took a moment before he answered her as if organizing his thoughts.
“I really don’t have a lot to tell you,” he said at last. “What I do have is really
“So you’re taking care of it, then?”
Lew’s voice broke into the fog in her brain again.
“Yes. I said yes.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Sorry, Lew. I have a lot of things on my mind.”
Lew frowned. “Are you sure you’re alright? Can I get you anything?”
Yes. A new brain.
“No, I’m fine. Thanks. I’ll get ahold of Sheriff Cross and see what we can do.”
She sat there for a long moment after Lew walked away, trying to figure out the best way to handle this. Just walking into his office would be presumptuous and probably reinforce his distaste of the attitude of reporters. Making an appointment seemed a little too formal in a county where informality was keynote. Finally, after running every possibility through her brain, she thought about what her dad would have done and picked up the phone to call the sheriff’s office.
“Is this a personal or professional call?” Dillon asked when she was put through to him.
“Professional, of course,” she told him, then lowered her voice. “Personal is in a whole other arena.”
He cleared his throat. “Then what can I do for you, Miss Malone?”
She swallowed a smile. “The publisher of The Hill Country Herald would like to invite the sheriff of Rowan County to lunch to discuss current stories and other details.”
He waited so long to answer her she thought maybe he’d hung up.
Finally, he said, “I can make it at one o’clock. Does that work for you?”
“Of course. The Bit and Bite okay with you?”
“Fine. See you then.”
Jinx leaned her elbows on the desk and cradled her head in her hands. What was she getting herself into? Just the sound of Dillon’s voice made every pulse point throb and her panties dampen. Her breasts ached with the memory of his touch and her nipples stiffened, hungry for his mouth on them. She had never considered herself sexually needy or excessively aroused. Maybe it had been Max and not her. Or maybe the combination of the two of them just hadn’t worked, and that was one of the contributing factors to his cute little threesome. She just didn’t know.
What she did know was just the thought of Dillon Cross was enough to make her want to break down every sexual boundary ever invented, and that scared her. It was a good thing there wasn’t an emotional situation here or she’d be cooked.
Yeah, keep telling yourself that.
She pushed back her chair and headed for the break room. Maybe a cold drink from the fridge would cool her off.
Chapter Four
Jinx watched as Dillon walked through the Bit and Bite toward their booth, exchanging nods and greetings with people along the way. God, he was a mouthful and a half. His tall, lean body moved with the grace and ease of a jungle cat. A good match for the predatory gleam in his eyes when he spotted her. He stopped to exchange a few words with someone before sliding into the booth opposite her. When he took off his Stetson and placed it on the seat beside him, she wanted to reach over and run her fingers through his sun-streaked hair.
I have got to get my hormones under control.
The waitress who had brought Jinx coffee earlier showed up and placed two menus in front of them. Dillon asked for coffee also and water as well. Then he leaned back in the booth.
“So what’s on your agenda today, madam publisher?”
“Two things, actually.” She took a sip of her rapidly cooling coffee. “As I’m sure you can guess, I’m hungry for any update on the naked body in the ditch. Has he been identified yet? Any clues as to who left him there? ”
Dillon took a moment before he answered her as if organizing his thoughts.
“I really don’t have a lot to tell you,” he said at last. “What I do have is really
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