tee shirt. “I have no one, Grady. No place I need to be. And I want out of this town more than you can imagine.”
He put his hands on her shoulders and let his gaze travel down her body and back up again. “Does this have anything to do with those scars you’ve got?”
A cold knot settled in the pit of her stomach. She’d completely forgotten it was daylight and she was naked. She backed away uneasily, crossing her arms over herself but not knowing where to hide herself first. Finally she just pushed it to the back of her mind while she concentrating on convincing him to take her with him.
“Yes.” She swallowed. “It does.” In a very remote way, but he didn’t have to know that.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I don’t. Please don’t ask me. I didn’t want you to see them.”
“Darlin’, if we keep getting naked they’ll be a little hard to hide.” He touched her cheek. “And I really like it with the lights on.”
She rubbed herself against him, her nipples chafing against the fabric of his shirt.
Desperately she pressed her cunt against the erection she felt hardening through his jeans.
Again he moved her slightly away from him. “Erin, listen to me before you really decide. You’re not like the girls I usually pick up. I told you that. This isn’t a life for you.
You’ve got class. I can tell. You deserve so much more than I can give you.”
She dropped her hands. “I’ve got nothing.” She turned away from him, shoulders drooping. “Never mind. Just take me back to the bar. No, better yet, drop me at the diner in town. Then you can make tracks and forget about me.”
For a very long moment he said nothing. Erin held her breath, hoping, hoping, hoping.
“It’s not just for the fucking.” His voice sounded as if it came from a long way off.
“I want you to be very clear about that. I have too much respect for you for that despite what we did. “Not that it won’t be a part of it, but maybe we can, I don’t know, find our way together.”
“Oh!” She was limp with relief. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” She threw herself at him again, raining kisses everywhere she could.
“Hey!” He grinned. “Save that for later. If we’re going we need to go. Smoky paid me before I started last night so I’m all set.” He paused. “What about your truck?”
“Leave it. I just borrowed it. The owner can come and get it.”
Finally he pulled her in for a deep kiss. “Then we best get moving. I just hope you don’t regret this.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
I hope you don’t, either.
Chapter Three
He whistled and he sang ’til the greenwoods rang
And he won the heart of a lady
Grady looked over at the woman sitting beside him as his truck ate up the miles on Interstate 10. Dark brown hair fell in waves to her shoulders, framing an elfin face, and hazel eyes looked from beneath thick lashes. She sat quietly staring straight ahead through the windshield but her fingers played nervously together in her lap. He’d give a lot to know what it was that had her so uptight, or why she’d been so desperate for him to take her with him. He still couldn’t believe he’d let her talk him into it. He had enough personal baggage to fill the bed of his truck and he could barely keep himself straight, let alone someone else.
He’d watched her in Smoky’s for three nights straight, seeing pain and sorrow in every line of her body. He knew all about that. When she came back last night by herself he couldn’t help himself. He didn’t just want her. He needed her. And lordy, hadn’t the sex just blown his mind. No, not sex. He’d had plenty of that with women whose names he forgot the minute they walked away. That, last night and this morning, was making love. Their connection on an emotional level had shocked the shit out of him.
They hadn’t talked much. Hell, he’d never been a big talkin’ man and small talk, at least for him,
He put his hands on her shoulders and let his gaze travel down her body and back up again. “Does this have anything to do with those scars you’ve got?”
A cold knot settled in the pit of her stomach. She’d completely forgotten it was daylight and she was naked. She backed away uneasily, crossing her arms over herself but not knowing where to hide herself first. Finally she just pushed it to the back of her mind while she concentrating on convincing him to take her with him.
“Yes.” She swallowed. “It does.” In a very remote way, but he didn’t have to know that.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I don’t. Please don’t ask me. I didn’t want you to see them.”
“Darlin’, if we keep getting naked they’ll be a little hard to hide.” He touched her cheek. “And I really like it with the lights on.”
She rubbed herself against him, her nipples chafing against the fabric of his shirt.
Desperately she pressed her cunt against the erection she felt hardening through his jeans.
Again he moved her slightly away from him. “Erin, listen to me before you really decide. You’re not like the girls I usually pick up. I told you that. This isn’t a life for you.
You’ve got class. I can tell. You deserve so much more than I can give you.”
She dropped her hands. “I’ve got nothing.” She turned away from him, shoulders drooping. “Never mind. Just take me back to the bar. No, better yet, drop me at the diner in town. Then you can make tracks and forget about me.”
For a very long moment he said nothing. Erin held her breath, hoping, hoping, hoping.
“It’s not just for the fucking.” His voice sounded as if it came from a long way off.
“I want you to be very clear about that. I have too much respect for you for that despite what we did. “Not that it won’t be a part of it, but maybe we can, I don’t know, find our way together.”
“Oh!” She was limp with relief. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” She threw herself at him again, raining kisses everywhere she could.
“Hey!” He grinned. “Save that for later. If we’re going we need to go. Smoky paid me before I started last night so I’m all set.” He paused. “What about your truck?”
“Leave it. I just borrowed it. The owner can come and get it.”
Finally he pulled her in for a deep kiss. “Then we best get moving. I just hope you don’t regret this.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
I hope you don’t, either.
Chapter Three
He whistled and he sang ’til the greenwoods rang
And he won the heart of a lady
Grady looked over at the woman sitting beside him as his truck ate up the miles on Interstate 10. Dark brown hair fell in waves to her shoulders, framing an elfin face, and hazel eyes looked from beneath thick lashes. She sat quietly staring straight ahead through the windshield but her fingers played nervously together in her lap. He’d give a lot to know what it was that had her so uptight, or why she’d been so desperate for him to take her with him. He still couldn’t believe he’d let her talk him into it. He had enough personal baggage to fill the bed of his truck and he could barely keep himself straight, let alone someone else.
He’d watched her in Smoky’s for three nights straight, seeing pain and sorrow in every line of her body. He knew all about that. When she came back last night by herself he couldn’t help himself. He didn’t just want her. He needed her. And lordy, hadn’t the sex just blown his mind. No, not sex. He’d had plenty of that with women whose names he forgot the minute they walked away. That, last night and this morning, was making love. Their connection on an emotional level had shocked the shit out of him.
They hadn’t talked much. Hell, he’d never been a big talkin’ man and small talk, at least for him,