Read Romance on the Edge 01 - Hooked for Free Online Page A

the position he’d put her in. Put them in.
    “Well, who in the dang blazes invited the enemy?” Gramps grabbed an marshmallow and stuffed it in his mouth.
    Who indeed. Sonya stared until Gramps pulled at his collar as though it was strangling him.
    She caught Aidan’s satisfied smile as he sat back, crossed his ankles, and watched.
    Sonya faced Garrett, her hands anchored to her hips, when they wanted to be grabbing him by his shirt and giving him a good shaking. “Were you planning on telling us who you were?”
    His brow furrowed. “Didn’t think it would be that big of a deal.”
    “Liar,” she said. “Why’d you really come to dinner?”
    Peter pointed an accusing finger. “It’s the fox in the hen house thing. He’s sizing us up.”
    “Is this part of a new trooper undercover program?” Wes asked, his normally steady demeanor looking a bit ruffled.
    “Find out anything useful?” Peter followed up with, not bothering to skewer a marshmallow on the end of his whittled willow branch. He held the stick like a rapier.
    “Nothing criminal if that’s what you mean.” Garrett ran a hand through his short hair and Sonya could feel his frustration. Good. “Listen,” he said, “your name came up on a list of potential problems. I thought it would be a good idea to see how much of a problem.”
    “Reeeally?” She dragged out the word until it sounded more like a challenge than a question. “You have no idea how much of a problem I can be.”
    “Now, Sonya.” Gramps moved in between them. “The man’s explained himself. He’s just doing his job.”
    Was he doing his job when he’d returned her kiss and about burned her up from the inside?
    “Cut the man some slack,” Gramps added, trying to be the voice of reason. Someone needed to be. It sure as hell wasn’t going to be her.
    “But, Gramps,” Peter said. “He came here and ate our food, schmoozed us into compliance, and watch, tomorrow he’ll be fast to write us up for some stupid infraction.”
    “Am I going to need to?” Garrett asked, his voice having gone all trooperish.
    Ooh, that shouldn’t excite her. She was getting confused. That kiss had shifted something inside her. Time to get some distance and sort it all out.
    “All right, that’s enough. Garrett, it’s time to say your goodbyes.” Sonya pushed him back, trying not to let her hand linger on his brick house of a chest. “Peter, Wes, we’ll be having an early start in the morning. Best clean up dinner and find your bunks.”
    “You’re not my mother, Sonya. I don’t need to be told when to go to bed,” Peter was quick to point out. For the last year, he’d been bucking anything she’d asked of him that resembled parenting. It was past annoying.
    “Right now, I’m your boss.”
    “Come on, let’s listen to the Captain.” Wes moved in front of Peter. “Garrett, it was nice meeting you…that was, before we knew you were a fish cop.”
    “Trooper,” Garrett corrected with a clenched jaw.
    Ah, sore spot, Sonya realized, filing the information away. She grabbed Garrett’s arm and he willingly went with her. Good thing, because if it came to manhandling someone, Sonya knew without a doubt that Garrett would be better at it than her.
    Manhandle. Dang. She shook her head to get the image that one word brought into her mind. Yep, needed some space and fast.
    Garrett mounted the 4-wheeler. He took the key out of his pocket and put it in the ignition, but didn’t bother to start the engine. He captured her hand instead. “Sonya. About that kiss—”
    “It’s a conflict of interest for us to see each other.” Damn, why did he have to be a fish cop? She pulled her hand out of his and backed up a step. “I don’t play games.”
    “Neither do I…usually. But, when I do, I play for keeps.” He started the ATV and engaged the gears. “I’ll be seeing you, Sonya.”
    Not if she could help it.

C HAPTER F IVE
    Sonya studied the skies from the pilot house of the