Several days had passed since Billy and Sorrow had received their wake-up call that’d outed their relationship to the town. Now he was back in the Bailey house, sitting stiffly, wondering if it would be expected or frowned upon to grab a beer from the fridge. He’d already erred once, choosing what was apparently Edith’s preferred spot on the couch. Not that Sorrow’s mom was going to be watching any basketball with him and Bear.
When her dad brought up the Colorado/Brigham Young game, Billy had jumped at the chance to join him. He had a thing or two to say to the man, but so far, the bulk of the conversation had gone something like Bear grunting, “Colorado, huh?” and Billy replying, “Yes, sir. Econ major. ”
But he couldn’t complain. In fact, he was shocked Sorrow’s dad had even remembered his alma mater, and it made him think that there was more going on in Bear’s head than the old grump let on. It was progress.
Sorrow popped her head in, looking mischievous. “You boys need anything in here?”
Billy let his eyes devour her for a moment. “Oh, I think I’ve got all I need,” he said, but the look that passed between them said something more like, when can we be alone again?
She shot a glance at Bear to make sure his attention was on the TV, then gave Billy a saucy look meant for his eyes only.
He waited a full minute before he sprang up off the couch. “If you’ll excuse me, I think I should see if your daughter needs any help. ”
And it wasn’t totally a lie—he’d hoped his presence around the house might help Sorrow a bit, both with the general workload and with the sisterly and fatherly tensions that permeated the air, thick enough to cut with a knife.
He came up behind her where she was wiping down the counter, “I’m here to help. ”
“Are you kidding? Watching a game with my dad is above and beyond. ”
“Just getting to know the man better. ” He swept aside her hair, revealing a stretch of pale neck. Seeing tension in her shoulders, he snatched the sponge from her hand and tossed it aside, easing her arms to her sides to massage away her stress. “You know I’m in this for the long haul. ”
“I like the sound of that. ” She leaned back against him, releasing a huge sigh like the weight of the world slipping from her shoulders. She was so soft and inviting pressed against him, his body tightened, reaching for her. “Well hello, Sheriff,” she said with a giggle. She nestled back against him. “I like the feel of it, too. ”
All rational thought fled his brain. He swooped her up, spun her around, and seated her on the counter. Slowly, he glided his hands up her thighs, separating them, pushing between her legs to stand closer. “You’re lucky your dad is in the next room. ” He nuzzled his way up that luscious neck, whispering against her mouth. “Because I’m of a mind to have you right here, right now, on this counter. ”
She laughed wickedly, and he loved the sound of it, the sound of her, free and easy. “I thought you were here to help,” she said.
“I’m not helping?” His hand found her breast, and she sucked in a breath.
“You’re evil. ”
“Nah. ” He leaned close to nibble on her ear. “I’m a force for good. What do you say we head upstairs, and I can show you just how good?”
She grabbed two fistfuls of his hair and pulled his mouth to hers, kissing him deeply.
If he’d thought he was turned on before, the feel of her taking what she wanted from him sent him over the edge. “You’re killing me,” he said, when she parted.
“Now you know how it feels. ” She slid from the counter, a sl
ow glide down the front of his body. “And now, I need to get this place in order. We have two parties of two coming in this afternoon. A Big Bear Lodge record. ”
The lights flickered, and it took Billy a moment to realize it was the faltering electricity and not some side effect of his desire, like his vision wavering from total frustration. But then there was sudden silence as the power shut down for good.
Sorrow’s hands convulsed, gripping his shirt tight. He could see her eyes pop wide open in the darkness. “What was that?”
He smoothed his hands along her shoulders, easing her. “It’s okay. I’m sure it’s just a simple power outage. ” Actually, he wasn’t so sure, and he wasn’t about to take any chances.
She gave a nervous laugh, holding a hand at her chest, looking rattled. “Sorry. Just a little jumpy these days. ”
“We all are. ” He was attuned to her, but he sent a part of his senses outward, listening. “Where’s the fuse box?”
“Garage. ”
That meant she’d be safe inside. “You wait here,” he told her.
Bear shouted from the other room, “What the hell was that?”
“That man,” Sorrow whispered, exasperated. She laughed again, sounding a little more like herself. “Well isn’t this great? We’ve got guests on their way, and now no electricity. ”