Protector: Doms of Mountain Bend Book 1 by BJ Wane (reading books for 7 year olds .txt) 📗

arousal as she found herself enjoying those softer smacks, the tingles they elicited spreading down her legs and up to her nipples. A titillating shiver danced down her spine as she eyed the large boots and smaller bare feet walking by them.

With a pat on the undercurve of one buttock, he left her backside humming in pleasure to grip her hair and tug her head up. “You’re not falling asleep on me, are you?”

Almost. “No.” With a rare blush of embarrassment staining her face, she accepted his help sitting up, grateful for his support as he stood her between his spread thighs and she wobbled.

Shawn pulled up her shorts, saying, “Now you can say you’ve experienced spanking.” He tugged up her bra cups and stood, clasping her hand. “Come with me, and I’ll get you some water. We need to talk more but maybe not tonight. You look like you could use time to figure out where you want to go with me from here, and so do I about you.”

“Yes, that’s a good idea.”

But as she drove home thirty minutes later, Lisa realized how limited her options were since her life was still waiting for her return to Phoenix.

Chapter Six

“You’re not working on your campaign.”

Shawn didn’t bother to hide his annoyance with Lyle. He’d had a few things on his mind since throwing his hat in the ring for sheriff, like one attractive blonde who continued to tug on his conscience. He understood meeting him on the county road her first day here had thrown her for a loop when she somehow recognized him after all these years. He also understood and appreciated her reserve in admitting their previous connection, considering the long passage of time.

But, in the past two weeks, she had ample time and opportunities to learn more about him and come clean with the truth. Then there were the unanswered questions still running through his head to deal with, like why had she taken a temporary position so far from home, and what, or who was responsible for the glimpses of fear and worry he’d caught on her expressive face and lurking in her eyes a few times?

Shutting down his computer, he stood, noticing Kevin had already checked out for the day. “I’m bogged down with other responsibilities,” he told Lyle, reaching for his Stetson on the desk and slapping it on his head. “If I get caught up soon, I’ll get on it. If not, I’ll drop out.”

Lyle frowned, indicating his displeasure. “I wish you wouldn’t.”

“What do you have against the other two candidates? Both are seasoned deputies with good records.”

“They aren’t from this county though. Sandusky’s from Boise, in Ada County. He’s a hard ass, used to dealing with the crime that comes with a larger population and unfamiliar with our rural ways.”

Shawn shook his head, believing they should give the guy a chance if the voters chose him. “We’re only thirty miles from the county line, and Boise, and we’ve had our share of crime.”

Lyle remained stubborn. “Our entire county has a fraction of the population of the capital alone. And I flat-out don’t like Roberts. People won’t forget he resigned from our department to take that cushy job in Montana only to return here a year later with no explanation for his change of mind.”

Shawn agreed with him about Roberts. The guy was a weasel. “I’ll give it my best shot, that’s all I can promise. I’m off until Sunday, so see you Monday. In the meantime, you might consider staying on for one more term.” Which would work for Shawn and the community. Despite his stubbornness, Lyle was a good man.

His thoughts jumped right back to Lisa as he slid behind the wheel of his cruiser. He sat a moment, running through options for gaining her trust even as he asked himself why he was bothering, given her short residency in Mountain Bend. There was no denying he liked her. Between admiring her gumption in packing up and leaving the only place she’d ever lived to take a short-term job and enjoying the contrast between her submissive sexual nature and those sparks of annoyed defiance he’d caught in her eyes, he found it difficult to keep his distance.

She intrigued him, and given he had experienced that same tug of protectiveness he’d felt all those years ago more than once since they’d reunited, he wasn’t about to walk away yet. There must be a reason she had chosen to come here knowing the three of them lived in Mountain Bend. And a reason she’d left Arizona in the first place. Those unanswered questions, coupled with his dominant physical attraction, made her impossible to resist.

Starting the engine, Shawn decided he’d given her enough time to gather her thoughts and to recoup from their scene and discussion last weekend. Since it was after five, he swung through Charlie’s Chicken and picked up dinner then drove to the bungalow she rented from the Zimmermans, hoping to catch her at home. Turning the corner onto Maple, he spotted her yellow VW first then saw her pushing a lawn mower along the side of the duplex.

With her head down and a fierce expression of determination on her face, Lisa didn’t notice as he parked behind her car, got out, and leaned against his cruiser with his arms crossed. Her slim arms strained as she struggled to get through the overgrown grass, and, from the odd pattern and missed areas in the mowed front, it appeared she was new to yard work. She looked up at the same time as she pulled back with the mower then quickly jumped to avoid running over her foot. The scowl she sent him as she cut the engine off indicated she blamed him.

“What are you doing here?” Lisa huffed, looking none too pleased as she