Sweet Hill Homecoming (14 page)

“That was really amazing of you,” she said, before she could think better of it. Tate just looked down at her and smiled.
 

“I didn’t do anything.”
 

“Yes you did,” she said softly.
 

He took a step toward her, then another, until they were fully in the kitchen and out of sight from the boys. Her back pressed against the counter and a wall of man was before her.
 

“Eating sweets, playing video games and stealing looks at a sexy woman is hardly putting me out,” he said lowly.
 

Her breath caught. “Well I still appreciate you keeping Kyle company.”
 

“He’s a good kid.”
 

Mia nodded. Tate leaned in just enough so that his breath fanned her lips, like tart apples and chocolate. She licked her lips, dying for a taste.
 

“I have to say that this has been a good night for me too.”

“Oh yeah?” she grinned. “Because you got your football fix?”
 

“No,” he said, his eyes dark and serious as they landed on her mouth. “I haven’t gotten my fix yet.”
 

Closing the distance, he flicked his tongue out to take the smallest taste of her lips.

“Mmm,” he sighed as if just drinking down the finest wine. “I think I need more.” And he leaned in and took it.
 

Commanding her mouth with his own, he held the deep, intense pace that made her moan. Made her desperate for faster, harder, but he took his time. Sampling her. Purposefully driving her to the brink of insanity. She knew what Tate was capable of. Saw him lose himself to instinct. But he was never without connection. She saw it, felt it, the night at the bar. And ever since she hadn’t had a rational thought about the man.

She tugged on the hem of his shirt and felt the cool clasp of his belt brush the backs of her fingers. He hissed, or was it her? She didn’t know because her ear drums were vibrating with her hectic pulse. All she could think about was being possessed by the man before her.
 

She kissed him back. Loving how he felt, how he smelled. How he consumed. He cupped her face like he did outside the bar. Only instead of the fast pace and craze of that kiss, this was bending her mind and stealing her sense in a different way. A deeper way.

His fingers brushed along the back of her neck while his thumb gently stroked her cheek bone. She felt small in his hands. Delicate. Special.

She knew this was just a kiss. Knew not to push for more because the circumstance didn’t allow. Just a kiss. And she’d enjoy the hell out of it because Tate was a master. She just wanted to feel his skin. Just for a moment.
 

She slipped her palms under his shirt and simply rested them against his stomach. Not clawing or yanking for more. Just allowing her senses to take in every detail of Tatum West and how he moved. Felt. Tasted.
 

His abdominal muscles jumped and flexed beneath her hands. Her core dampened just at the feel of his hard torso. Thinking of how he moved his powerful body when he was inside of her. Wanting to see him, really see every inch of his tan skin. Every curve of his body as he writhed against her. Because while she felt everything, she didn’t get to see much the night against the wall.
 

He tilted her head and plunged his tongue a little deeper. But they both knew this wasn’t going further, and somehow, it made Mia both happy and disappointed. At least there would be no confusion on the limits of tonight. She wouldn’t make a fool of herself and try to tug him to her bedroom.
 

For a moment, that moment, she was under his control. Loving that he seemed to be just as lost as she was. And right then, she didn’t care, because Tatum did the one thing that mattered tonight.
 

He had shown up.
 

She never had anyone she could depend on and honestly, she didn’t even notice. Can’t miss something she never had. But Tate with his firm hold on ethics and honor, paired with a sinful kiss and strong hold just may make her crave things she never thought she’d want.
 

Like long term.

In that moment, she didn’t feel the heavy weight on her shoulders she’d been carrying around since her mom’s death. She wasn’t terrified of failing or how people saw her. She just felt like herself.
 

“Tatum,” she whispered against this mouth. She didn’t know what to say. What to ask. What to beg for. She just wanted to say his name.
 

He pulled back just enough to look at her. He smiled, as if understanding her without saying a word. He kissed the tip of her nose.
 

“Mia,” his dark eyes bore down on her, and in that moment she forgot how to breathe.

~

The woman had him reeling. And when she whispered his name, just because she seemed to like the way it sounded, it made his chest tighten and his cock go even harder.
 

Tate was going to tell Mia that she was amazing. She was equally infuriating but amazing all the same. Bringing her gloves was a poor excuse to see her. He was going to try to see what she was up to with the drive. See what headway she had made and what he could expect. But watching her tonight at the game, how she lit up supporting her brother, there was an honesty there. It was obvious how much she cared and he really saw that Mia was fierce, in everything.
 

“Have dinner with me,” he said. Taking a page from her book and demanding gently instead of asking.
 

She frowned. “It’s after ten.”

“No, I mean a different night.”

“Oh…” She glanced away and he didn’t like the look of that. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Her eyes darted around as if searching for a reason to back up her statement. “We work together.”
 

Good try, but Tate saw through that quick. “You mean you boss me around.”

“Well, yeah.” She smiled. “And I wouldn’t want to change the dynamic we have going.”

“Oh, trust me sweetheart, I don’t want to change the dynamic either.” He cupped her side and brought her hips against his and whispered in her ear. “It’s just dinner. Everyone has to eat.” He gently nipped her earlobe and felt her shudder against him.
 

“One dinner,” she said. “Where?”

“I’ll cook,” he said quickly.
 

Despite him wanting Mia, going on a date in public wasn’t the best idea right now. Not because he was in anyway ashamed of her. Hell, she was way out of his league if anything, but perception mattered and Sweet Hill mattered to him.
 

“Like at your house?”

He smiled. “That’s typically where I cook dinner, yes.” When she didn’t smile back, he hunched over a bit, urging her eyes to meet his. “Unless you would rather not come over?”

“I want to come over,” she whispered but her eyes were kind of heavy, like she couldn’t believe she said it out loud.

“Okay. So tomorrow night then?”
 

She nodded. He gave her a soft kiss and she instantly melted into him. But before he got lost once again, he pulled away.
 

“Thanks for stopping by tonight, Tate,” she said as he walked toward the front door.
 

“As always, Miss Blake, it was my pleasure.”
 

The way her gaze skated over him then took in his eyes like she saw something there. Something magical. That look made him feel more like a man than he’d ever felt. Her small little smile left something warm in his chest because somewhere in that one expression was everything he wanted to be, everything he wanted to prove he was worthy of. It was all there in how she looked at him. With a sense of peace. Hope. The world shook beneath his feet. Or maybe it was his own knees.
 

He said goodbye to the boys quickly, not trusting his voice, and made his way back to his car. Even the cold winter air couldn’t chill the heat that was warming him from the inside out.

Chapter Eight

For the first time in a long time, Tate couldn’t wait for his shift to end. Normally, Saturdays were when he stayed late because his weekend plans never consisted of more than a beer with the guys. But tonight would be different.
 

Mia was coming over.
 

“Hello dear,” his mother said walking into the station.
 

“Hi, Mom.” Tate walked to meet her at the door and lead her back to his office. “What brings you by?”

“Oh, you know.” Betsy shrugged and unwrapped her scarf from around her neck and sat in the chair near Tate’s desk. “Just wanted to pop in and see my favorite son.”
 

“I’m your only son, Mom.”
 

“Yes, and my favorite.”
 

He smiled.
 

“I just got an update from Mia Blake about the progress of the event. Everything seems to be going quite well.”

Tate nodded. “Yeah, she’s been working hard.”
 

A couple days ago he saw her going around with her little clipboard to the local businesses on his block, likely getting some kind of support or volunteer from them. He couldn’t see anyone turning down Mia easily.

“I think it’s going to be quite a good turnout. You working well together?”
 

Tate couldn’t help but grin. “She’s working me like a mule.”
 

“Wonderful! A little hard work is good for you.”

“I work hard, Mom.”

“I know you do dear, but I think spending some time with Mia is good. Maybe she’ll rub off on you.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”
 

“I just mean that she is the kind to go all the way. Cutthroat even.”
 

Ha! Tate wanted to laugh because that was a perfect way to describe her. But wait, “Are you saying I don’t go all the way with things? That I need to be more cutthroat?”

“I just think you need to let go of certain ideas you have and do what you want. What makes you happy.” She glanced at the Sheriff’s office door. “Not everyone is as they appear, son. Not everything is black and white. I’d hate for you to lose something because you’re not willing to budge.”

He frowned. Did his mother know about Branch’s struggles lately? “I’m worried about a lot at the moment, Mom. Trying to ensure the people of Sweet Hill I can handle being Sheriff while not making the man who taught me the law feel like I’m pushing him out.”

His mother gave him a look he was familiar with. Worry. “I think you are a good man, Tatum. The best man. Your father would be so proud. You don’t have to keep proving anything to anyone.”

“I’m not, Mom. I just want to do what’s right.”

“I know you do,” she said. “Just don’t forget to do what’s right for you. I worry you don’t take advantage of being a young man. Dating maybe…”
 

He checked the urge to rub his temple. His mother told him on more than one occasion that her internal grandmother clock was ticking.
 

“After this election is over, I will have more time to date,” he said and the moment the words came out, he thought of Mia. How he was excited to see her.
 

Where would they be after the election? She didn’t seem like the wife-mother kind. She was nurturing, he saw that with the way she treated Kyle. But every man with eyes looked at her in a way that brought nothing “nurturing” to mind. He knew because he saw it everywhere she went. Saw it on the looks of everyone’s face when she walked by.
 

“Hush with that. If you want to be sheriff, the people will elect you because of the man you are, not the man you appear to be. Date who you want, when you want.”
 

“It’s not about electing me, it’s about—”

“Looking at you the way they look at Branch? The way they looked at your father?”

Tate swallowed hard. That was exactly what it was about. He couldn’t make everyone happy. But in all Branch’s years as sheriff, no one ever spoke ill about him and while everyone may not have liked him, they respected him.
 

Instead of going into all of that, Tate went with a simple answer. “I just want to be a good sheriff.”

She looked at him. “You will be. But son, I don’t think Sweet Hill is the only thing in need of a fresh start around here. Don’t miss what is in front of you.”
 

She patted his hand and rose.
 

“You have a good day. Love you.”
 

He watched his mom walk out, not sure how to take what she just laid on him.
 

“Love you too.”

~

“And this is where Santa will be,” Mia said, pointing to the center of the courthouse ballroom. Santa’s Sleigh Drive was only a week away and she was putting the final details on the layout. Since they couldn’t set up until the morning of the event, she needed everyone to know where things would go to make the set up smooth.