Justice Inked (Cowboy Justice Association 7) (30 page)

“He doesn’t but I know he takes his job seriously.” Rayne peered over her menu at Dare and the other deputy sitting across from him who appeared to be looking their way. “Who’s with him? I haven’t seen him before.”

Camy smiled and waved at the young deputy, making Rayne bury her face in her menu. Her sister couldn’t be cool if she tried.

“That’s Deputy Jay Mallory. He’s something of a Casanova but quite sweet.”

Rayne groaned and gave her sister a small kick under the table. “When I asked who he was I meant for you to sneak a look at him, not wave a flag. Don’t you know how to be sly?”

“Why would I be sly?” Camy shrugged and snapped her menu shut. “He’s clearly looking at you, so why are we pretending we don’t see him? Oh look, he’s standing up and coming over here. I can introduce you.”

From the expression on the man’s face, he wasn’t going to be inquiring about the weather or the chances of the local team in the big game. Rayne had seen men who looked like that and invariably they asked her to dance or if they could buy her a drink. The whole situation was only made more awkward by the fact that her secret boyfriend-slash-lover was the young man’s boss and sitting right there and watching the entire thing.

In comparison to the open happiness of Deputy Jay, Dare’s face was a gray cloud of pissed off. He didn’t look amused in the least and his ice blue eyes were currently gazing at Rayne with laser-like focus as if daring her to take up whatever the deputy offered.

The asshole was going to watch her squirm. Well, she had ways of getting even and every one of them was in the bedroom.

“Hey Camy, how are you doing? Long time no see.”

The young deputy stood in front of their table with his thumbs hooked in his gun belt, a smile across his handsome face. Self-confidence oozed from every pore and Rayne knew she was going to have to take him down a peg or two whether she wanted to or not.

“Nice to see you too, Deputy,” Camy said. “What have you been up to lately? Are you still planning to enter the fishing derby next month?”

Deputy Jay’s face split into a grin. “Hell yes, I can’t wait. It’s my year and Duke Wallace knows it. I’ll be taking home the trophy, just you wait and see.”

The deputy’s gaze drifted to Rayne and then back to Camy, his eyebrows raised in question. Camy picked up on the suggestion and waved a hand at her sister. “Have you met my sister Rayne? She owns the local tattoo shop and moved here to Montana from San Francisco. Rayne, this is Deputy Jay Mallory.”

“Nice to meet you, Deputy,” Rayne murmured, not wanting to encourage the young man in any way but it went against her friendly nature.

The deputy leaned in, placing his hands flat on the table so he was looking directly into her eyes. “How have we not run into each other all these months? Maybe we could have dinner one night and get to know each other a little. I could show you around to some of the local spots that you may not have discovered yet.”

Rayne fiddled with her paper napkin, her gaze skittering around the bowling alley. “Right now I’m working so much I rarely have time to go out. But I do appreciate the offer—you’re very sweet.”

His smile became almost predatory as if he was a wolf and she was a juicy steak.

“You have no idea how sweet I can be. Maybe we could just go for coffee?”

Before she could answer a large and familiar hand came down on the deputy’s shoulder.

“Our food just arrived at the table, Jay. You should eat before it gets cold. I’m sure these lovely ladies want to get along with their lunch as well.”

Finally Dare had intervened. What he’d been waiting for she wasn’t sure and she was a little annoyed about their secret relationship, although it had been just as much her idea as his. Perhaps she was just annoyed with him in general, but she ought to feel sorry for him. After his drunken binge last night he looked a little worse for wear with dark circles under his eyes and his hair askew as if he’d run his fingers through it too many times.

“Uh sure, Sheriff. I was just catching up with the ladies.” Deputy Jay gave them a mock salute and headed back to the table. Dare nodded to them briefly, not addressing them directly before following the younger man, tension in the line of his shoulders. It was clear the two men were going to have an uncomfortable conversation and Rayne was distinctly glad she wasn’t the deputy right about now.

Camy giggled as they watched the two lawmen dig into their cheeseburgers. “I think poor Deputy Jay is about to get his ass kicked and he won’t even know why. Unless Dare spills the beans about your relationship of course. Do you think he will?”

“It’s okay if he does.” Rayne shrugged, quite fine with the idea of going public at this juncture. She and Dare had feelings for one another, although it was never going to be smooth sailing between them. They were both stubborn and opinionated like…mules falling in love.

Rayne and Camy ate their lunch in peace, chatting about the upcoming holidays and the cleanup at Rayne’s home. Dare and Jay didn’t come over again, although the young woman behind the counter in the main bowling alley sidled up to their table and appeared quite enamored with the handsome deputy. He seemed a little put off but Rayne couldn’t help thinking they might make a nice couple.

“Are you ready to go?” Camy asked, popping the last French fry into her mouth with a sigh of bliss. “We need to head over to your place.”

There was a chance Rayne’s new bed would be delivered this afternoon along with the new linens she’d ordered.

“I just need to run to the ladies room. I’ll be right back.”

Rayne popped into the restroom, taking care of all that needed to be done, including a fresh coat of lipstick and a comb through her unruly locks. The early morning rain had turned her hair into a riot of waves and curls that simply wouldn’t be tamed. The world would have to deal with her as she was. She exited the bathroom and ran right into a wall of muscle and bone. Dare, of course.

“How long have you been skulking outside the ladies room, Dare? That’s creepy.”

Her gorgeous lover simply rolled his eyes and crossed those muscular arms across his chest, pulling his shirt tight around his shoulders and sending increasingly dirty thoughts through her filthy mind. She could just grab him and pull him back into the restroom and one of the stalls… Bing, bang, boom, they could be back at the table in about five minutes. No one the wiser.

“I needed to talk to you.” Dare snapped his fingers in front of her face. “Are you listening to me? You look like you’re far away from here.”

She was currently shagging his brains out in a dingy bowling alley bathroom. Hell, they weren’t the most romantic couple in the world, especially after the interlude in the pantry last night. Would a quick hit in the ladies room be tacky?

Okay, yes, it would be tacky.

But would it be
too
tacky?

“I’m here,” she said, pulling herself back to the present where they were standing a foot apart. Too far, if anyone asked her opinion. “What did you want to talk about?”

Dare pursed his lips and tapped his chin. He was nervous and it was extremely cute.

“I, uh, I’m sorry if my deputy put you on the spot like that. Once I had him back at the table I told him it wasn’t professional to ask out a woman that our department is protecting.”

Rayne quirked an eyebrow and had to press her lips together to keep from busting out in laughter. “You don’t think that’s a trifle hypocritical, Sheriff? After all, you’re…fucking…the woman your department is protecting. He just wanted to take me to dinner.”

Dare smirked—that’s right,
smirked
—and it was the sexiest thing she’d ever seen. “Trust me, baby, he wanted more than dinner. He doesn’t know it but he wishes he was me. I’m guessing he’s not the only one.”

“Did you tell him?”

“Fuck no. It’s none of his business.”

Rayne sighed and leaned against the wall. She was getting tired of acting like a double naught spy and hiding. “I had to tell Camy after you dumped me. Mike figured it out as well after you showed up drunk last night. He’s not stupid.”

“How’d they take it?”

Smiling, Rayne stepped closer to Dare so she had to crane her neck to look up at him. “Camy thinks it’s hot and Mike wants to know what your intentions are. Prepare to be interrogated, handsome, because he’s dying to act like a father or big brother.”

“Camy would think it was hot,” Dare chuckled, leaning down so he was nose to nose with Rayne but still not kissing her. “I can probably handle Mike, but just in case I’ll take him out for a beer so we can talk man to man.”

Rayne played with one of the buttons on Dare’s shirt but kept her gaze on the floor. “Does Sophie know?”

“Not yet, but I can tell her if you like. What’s all the questions about? You’ve never been afraid to speak your mind before.”

That was true and playing the reticent card wasn’t her style. Better to just say it and deal with the fallout had always been her style. “I’m getting tired of all the cloak and dagger. It’s exhausting. Can’t we just go public?”

Dare placed his hand over hers and then lifted her fingers to his warm lips, just brushing the knuckles. The kiss sent tingles straight down her spine and all the way to her toes. “We can. I’m not against it and it will make me look like a huge hypocrite, but who gives a shit? I’m the boss. Jay will understand why I said what I said once he finds out we’re a couple. Is that all that’s bothering you?”

Everything was bugging her. She’d been mugged, robbed, and now had a permanent shadow in the shape of a cop.

“Having one of your men follow me is creepy,” she admitted, nodding to the deputy trailing her today. He was sitting a few tables away from Camy and finishing his own cheeseburger. “I know why he’s there but it doesn’t make it any better. I’m not a rock star or actress. When someone follows me it feels strange.”

“I have a stack of paperwork on my desk that I need to get done. You could hang out at the station with me. Then you’d be following me, not the other way around.”

Leave it to Dare to come up with a solution that involved her orbiting his world. “I’m not sure that will solve the problem. Besides, I might get a furniture delivery this afternoon so I was headed over to the house, deputy in tow.”

“How about coming over tonight for dinner? I can tell Sophie about us, we can watch some movies, then curl up for the night in my bed. I’ll be there to protect you.”

That sounded like a capital idea. Sex in a bed, for a change.

“Aren’t you worried about what kind of example that might set for your baby sister? My spending the night, that is. She might want Tim to spend the night one of these days.”

Dare growled low in his throat and yanked her closer so she was pressed against his hard body. Instead of fighting, she slid her hands around his neck. If they were coming out from undercover they might as well give the residents of Valley Station a good show.

“The hell he will. No way some guy is going to shack up with my little sister under my own roof. If she wants a man to spend the night she needs a marriage license.”

He didn’t know what he was asking for. “Don’t say that too loud because she just might do it. Then you’d have Tim Wallace for a son-in-law and the Wallaces would be relatives.”

“He’s not spending the night.” Leaning down, Dare pressed a sizzling kiss on her lips. “But you are. Pack an overnight bag and I’ll pick you up after my shift about six, okay?”

“What about Spartacus?”

His brows shot up and he shook his head. “That damn cat can spend one night alone, can’t he?”

Of course he could, he was a cat. But it was fun to tease Dare and see just how far he might let her push him.

“He might miss me.”

“You’re not bringing the cat, Rayne. Give it up now.”

Giggling, she pressed a few butterfly kisses on the corners of his mouth. “Okay, tough guy. The cat will stay but on one condition.”

“Name it.”

Dare didn’t look worried in the least and she didn’t have a difficult hurdle anyway. This one was a piece of cake.

“Kiss me. Kiss me like you want to carry me to bed. I want everyone in this joint to know you belong to me.”

He smiled and his lips hovered over hers so closely, she could feel his warm breath and smell the citrus of his body wash. “Do I belong to you?”

“Fuck yeah. Don’t forget it, either. I’m not a forgiving woman.”

His expression softened and those eyes darkened with desire. “Actually, you are. Not many women would have forgiven my bonehead move last night, let alone ended up on the pantry floor with me. You’re one of a kind, Rayne Dunn.”

Her cheeks flushed as images flooded her brain. Sexy, naked ones. But she didn’t get a chance to respond as he slammed his mouth down on hers, kissing her until the room spun and she had to hold onto his shoulders for support.

She leaned against him, content to let him hold her upright while her fingers kneaded the tense muscles at the base of his skull. “That was hot, Sheriff. I can’t wait for our slumber party tonight. Are we going to braid each other’s hair?”

He was looking over her shoulder and this time it was him off in another world. She waved her hand in front of his face and he gave her his signature scowl as a reply.

“Earth to Dare. First it was me and now you. Are you thinking about tonight too?”

“No. I’m thinking about that old photo on the wall.” He nodded toward a framed photo nestled in the alcove to the restrooms. “Have you seen it before?”

Rayne huffed and took a step back. “You’re looking at photos and not fantasizing about tonight, huh? Boy, the romance fades fast, lover boy.” She turned on her heel and moved closer to the photo. It was an old black and white of some men panning for gold. She’d heard there were gold strikes in Montana many years ago. “I’ve never seen it. Does it look familiar or something?”

Dare situated himself close to the framed photo, his face only a few inches from it before poking a finger at the glass. “Here. Look at this, Rayne. Right here.”

She had to squint to see what he was pointing at, but when she did she almost stopped breathing for a second. Feeling light-headed, she grabbed onto Dare’s arm to keep from falling to the floor. “The logo on the equipment is the same thing Patrick Moulson had designed into his tattoo. It’s the same.”