Hiding in a small town saves her life, but can it save her heart?
Eleanor Owen needs to flee Chicago fast. It’s not that she doesn’t want to ignore the subpoena to testify against her drug-trafficking ex-boyfriend. It’s that making it to the witness stand alive looks dicey should a dirty cop make good on his threat.
Tiny, remote Wyattsville, Oregon, looks like the perfect place to disappear, but it’s hard to blend into the woodwork when one of the town’s infamous namesakes sends her heart racing. Worse, Mr. Tall, Hot and Packing is the town sheriff, which means she should stay as far away from him as possible.
Tyson Wyatt is positive the sexy new girl in town is hiding something, but what? He vows to ferret out her secrets but finds himself distracted wondering how it would feel to kiss her preferably naked. Until then, he’s not buying the story she’s selling.
Their chemistry is sheet-melting hot, and Ellie realizes much too late that the man with the badge is as dangerous to her heart… as her ex is to her life.
EXCERPT
“Let me,” he said softly and caught her wrist, lifting her palm upward so he could dab it with the cloth.
Her pulse fluttered again as she watched him gently cleanse the small wound, his face crinkled with concentration.
She was attracted to him. Unease filled her. Oh, this guy was trouble and in a big way. For the briefest second, she thought about packing up and fleeing town the moment he left.
But packing up and leaving just wasn’t an option or would have to be a worst-case scenario. She’d already paid rent for two months on this place. Cash. And she didn’t have bottomless funds.
“How’s that feel?”
She blinked out of her thoughts to discover he was watching her closely again instead of her wound.
“It’s fine,” she managed to reply huskily. “Thank you.”
He stepped closer, leaning forward to drop the washcloth in the sink, but not moving away after. Their chests almost touched and his face was just inches from hers.
Ellie’s body stirred with awareness at his proximity. She licked her lips, acutely aware of the thin cotton covering her bare breasts.
“How long do you plan on being in town?” he asked softly, his gaze on her mouth.
Her heart thumped wildly and she had the craziest urge to lean forward and press her mouth against his.
“Probably just a couple of months. Getting out of the city for the summer…”
“Well then, Ellie,” he murmured. “I have a feeling we’ll be seeing each other again real soon. So you’d better get over that distrust of law enforcement bit.”
Her knees almost buckled when he stepped away. Disappointment swept through her.
You’re an idiot. You will not be disappointed that a cop you don’t know didn’t kiss you.
“I’ll, um, work on it.” She cleared her throat. “Was there a reason you dropped by in the first place?”
“Just wanted to welcome you to Wyattville and introduce myself.” He laughed and shook his head. “Damn, guess I forgot to do both of those, now didn’t I? The name’s Tyson Wyatt and welcome to town.”
She followed him as he headed toward the front door. “So that Wyatt part. Umm, you’re not like named after the town or something, are you?”
“Descended from the original founders,” he called out as he stepped onto the porch. When he reached his squad car, he turned and glanced back up at her. “And there’s a good handful of us Wyatts, Ellie. Just to warn you.”