Colters' Gift by Maya Banks

as she glanced between the two men.
    Liam put his hand over hers. “Noah and I need to work out a few things . . . privately. It won’t take long.”
    “But why do I need to leave?”
    Liam touched her cheek. “Remember everything that was just said when your brother was here? That wasn’t just talk, Lauren. For the next while, where we go, you go, and vice versa.”
    She looked as though she wanted to argue, but then she closed her mouth and gave a resigned sigh. “Okay. Let’s go then. Let me get my book so I’ll have something to do. I’m going to feel pretty stupid just sitting in the sheriff’s station.”
    As she walked to her bedroom, Noah leveled a stare at Liam. He was itching to say something. To break the building tension. He was ready to explode, but he didn’t want to have this conversation in front of Lauren. Not until he and Liam hashed this out between them. There were so many ways to fuck this up before they even had a chance with her. And that was assuming that Lauren wouldn’t run screaming in the opposite direction as soon as they leveled with her.
    When Lauren returned, Noah abruptly got up and strode for her front door. Liam brought up the rear, placing Lauren in between the both of them. But then wasn’t this what it was all about? Lauren in between them?
    He was going to need something stronger than the diner served for this occasion.
    Traffic had increased on Main Street. Old pickups making stops at the feed store. Cars pulling into the grocery store at the corner.
    Most noticeably was the crowd at the diner.
    There was no way in hell he was going to have a conversation about Lauren in the middle of a crowded diner.
    He glanced back at Liam and then headed for the sheriff’s station. When he pushed in, there was a woman manning the front desk with the phone surgically attached to her ear. She held up one finger and mouthed
I’ll be with you in a second.
    Noah waited patiently for her to finish her call, and then she looked up, a bright smile on her face.
    “How can I help you?”
    “I need to see Seth Colter,” Noah said.
    He reached behind him, took Lauren’s hand and pulled her up to stand beside him.
    “I need to leave her with the sheriff.”
    The woman blinked, and then her eyes widened. “What’s she done, sir?”
    Noah stared at her in confusion. “She hasn’t done anything. Can you get the sheriff for me?”
    When he glanced sideways at Lauren, he saw her face was beet red, and she looked as though she wanted the floor to swallow her up.
    Hell.
    The awkward moment was saved from growing even more awkward when Seth walked out of his office. He frowned when he saw them and came to a full stop.
    “Is something wrong?” Seth asked. “Noah, isn’t it?”
    Noah nodded and then shook his head. “Nothing’s wrong. We need to leave Lauren with you until we get a few things straightened out.”
    Seth blinked. “Here?”
    Lauren made a strangled sound. “This is so ridiculous. Let me go to Lily’s. You can drop me off there. I’ll spend the afternoon with her.”
    Seth frowned. “No, it’s fine. Just caught me off guard. You can sit in my office if you like. If I’m called out, there will be plenty of other people here to keep an eye on you.”
    “I feel like a damn criminal,” Lauren muttered.
    Liam leaned over, kissed her temple and then pushed her in Seth’s direction. “We’ll be back for you in just a bit. Sit tight, okay?”
    She sent an unhappy look in Liam and Noah’s direction before she walked toward Seth. Seth put his hand on her shoulder and guided her back toward his office.
    “Come on,” Noah muttered, heading back out the door.
    Instead of walking toward the diner, he crossed the street back to Lauren’s apartment, leaving Liam to follow. He jogged up the steps and went in, pacing around the living room while Liam closed the door and went to sit on the love seat.
    “I’m guessing you’ve made your decision,” Liam drawled.
    Noah stopped