Riding Home

4 (#ulink_f001490d-5d99-5224-aede-7a78ade456f8)

JEANNETTE FELT ENERGY pouring from Zach as he helped her into the truck. Then he took her bags and stowed them in the covered truck bed. Finally he climbed into the driver’s seat and closed the door.

But instead of buckling himself in, he laid his hat on the dashboard, turned toward her and unfastened her seat belt.

She gasped at the unexpected move. “Aren’t we leavin’?” She thought he was as eager to get on with the evening as she was.

“In a minute.” He cupped her cheek in one large hand. “I need to do something first.”

She looked into his eyes, warm with emotion. He planned to kiss her, and how she longed for that. But she was afraid once they started kissing, they would never stop. “Maybe we shouldn’t...” She lost track of what she’d meant to say as he stroked his thumb gently over her cheekbone. His touch was heaven.

“Yes, we should. We’re about to become lovers, but we haven’t even kissed.”

“Except we’re in the middle of the town square.”

“I know.” He leaned closer. “We’ll be fine.”

“What if we get carried away?”

The corners of his beautiful mouth tilted. “I won’t.”

“You might. I’m a pretty awesome kisser.”

“Prove it.”

She never could resist a challenge. She craved the feel of those sculpted lips on hers even if they were taking a risk making out in a public place. “All right.” She grasped his head in both hands. His hair was exactly as soft and silky as she’d imagined. “Come here, you.”

He was extremely obliging. In the very next second he covered her mouth with his. Too late, she discovered that she might be the one who would get carried away. She was in the presence of a master.

From that first velvet contact, he was fully in charge. Her world narrowed to the pressure of his lips, the glide of his tongue, the warmth of his breath. His kiss tasted like all the decadent pleasures she’d dreamed of having with a man and had never quite had.

And she wanted those promised pleasures. Her body ached for them. She tried to get closer and came up against the console. She moaned in frustration and writhed against the supple leather of the seat. She needed...more.

Slowly, with obvious reluctance, he eased away. But then he returned to nibble and lick as if he couldn’t make himself abandon her mouth. She didn’t want him to, either.

“We have to go,” he murmured between quick kisses.

“Not yet.” She pulled him back for another deep, passionate round that left her panties wet and her heart racing.

When he finally broke away, he was breathing hard. “We really have to go.”

“I know, but...” She tried to tug him down again. “One more for the road.”

He resisted her efforts and loosened her grip. “Buckle up. We’re getting out of here.”

With a sigh, she leaned back and buckled herself in as instructed.

“You were right, by the way. You’re a pretty awesome kisser.” He started the truck, checked his mirrors and backed out of the parking space.

“Ditto. Um, I suspect you have everything figured out, but where are we going?”

“I booked us a room.” He said it casually as he navigated through traffic with practiced ease.

She shivered in excitement. “I should help you pay for—”

“Don’t even think about it.”

“Okay.” She wanted to ask where this room was, but figured he wanted to surprise her. Considering his previous job and the luxury of his truck, she didn’t think they’d end up at the cheap sleep.

Watching him drive the huge truck with quiet confidence was very arousing, as was this latest gesture of his. She’d made a veiled request for a sexy time-out, and he’d handled the details. In doing that, he’d increased his hotness by at least a thousand percent.

“That’s what took me so long while you were shopping. Well, that and my own shopping.”

“Right.” She had trouble making casual conversation when her body was humming with anticipation, but she gave it her best effort. “You said you had to pick up a few things, but I thought you meant clothes from the Western-wear store.”

“Not clothes.”

“Then what...? Oh.” The electricity arcing between them was almost visible. “Is there anything you haven’t thought of?”

“You’ll have to do without makeup in the morning.”

In the morning. They’d make love all night. She had trouble sitting still. “That’s what you think.” She always kept an emergency makeup kit in her shoulder bag.

Judging from the looks of the entrance where he turned in, they were staying in a luxury resort. “You sure know how to dazzle a girl.” If she sounded a little breathless, she figured she had cause.

“I’m under a time constraint. If I don’t dazzle you now, I might never get a chance.”

“Trust me, you’re way up there on the dazzle meter.”

“Good to know.” He pulled under the portico for valet parking.

While a doorman helped her out of the truck, Zach retrieved her shopping bags from the back. She’d never checked into a hotel with only two shopping bags, but Zach treated the experience calmly, as if he did it all the time. She suspected he was giving her a glimpse of the L.A. lawyer he used to be.

He might be used to swanky one-nighters, but she wasn’t. She’d certainly stayed in plenty of hotels like this, though. Her parents wouldn’t accept anything less when they traveled.

But tonight she was checking in with a guy wearing jeans, boots and a Stetson. He was an irresistible combination of sophistication and down-home earthiness. His assumption that this was all perfectly normal made her wonder about his past.

Maybe she’d ask him. Then again, maybe she wouldn’t. It didn’t matter. This was one night, not the start of something significant.

Once she and Zach stepped into the glittering elevator, he transferred both shopping bags to one hand so he could pull her close for a quick kiss. “Is this working for you?”

“If you mean am I impressed out of my mind, yes, it’s workin’ for me.”

“Good.” He gazed down at her as the elevator kept climbing. “In case I forget to say it, thank you for deciding you’d like to spend the night with me.”

“You’re welcome, but I have the feeling I’ll be the one feeling thankful when this is all over.” The elevator pinged to a stop and she noticed they were on the top floor. “You rented the penthouse?”

“It was all they had.”