Her Submission Read Online Free PDF Page A

worked, but his explanation that he’d decided he needed a break from driving and had been taking in the waterfalls off the road between the café and campground made sense. He’d barely gotten underway when he spotted the Pause Awhile sign. He’d been debating checking it out for future reference when the driver’s side rear tire started going flat. He’d had no choice but to pull in so he could deal with it. He certainly hadn’t expected to see her.
    The longer she watched the man who hadn’t bothered to introduce himself, the more intrigued she became. If his vehicle was any indication, he was better off financially than those who rented RV spaces here. He was traveling by himself and if she said and did the right things, he might decide to spend the night.
    Unless she decided she’d rather sleep alone—which she didn’t always want to because at night her imagination sometimes took her into places she didn’t understand. What she labeled sexual fantasies got her hot and bothered all right. They also left her feeling out of control and confused. Where the hell did they come from?
    “ The not quite a boyfriend with the motorcycle had some good qualities,” she said by way of continuing the conversation and putting distance between herself and thoughts she didn’t need. “A decent job for one.”
    “ But?”
    “ But he was into macho if you know what I mean.”
    The stranger held out his hand, prompting her to drop a lug nut into his palm. Their fingers didn’t touch but came close enough that she felt the potential. “He wanted you to play the little woman?”
    “ We didn’t live together.” I’ve only done that once. Never again. Maybe. “He thought that whatever he was doing or wanted to do took priority. I should kick my agenda aside to accommodate him.”
    “ And you’re a liberated woman.”
    Truth was she wasn’t sure what label to put on herself. Messed up for sure. Thinking she was running out of time in which to decide whether she was interested in more than a casual conversation, she watched as he slipped the rest of the lug nuts in place. After lowering the truck, he picked up the lug wrench in preparation for tightening them even more.
    “ Let me.” She held out her hand. “Whoever does this part needs to kneel and right now that isn’t your strong suit.”
    He stared at her without speaking for so long she became acutely aware of the male/female component. He wasn’t just looking her over, he was going beneath the surface, searching for something he had no intention of sharing with her. It could be as simple as an older man trying to decide whether a young thing was interested in him, but she didn’t think so. She might have been more concerned if they weren’t in a public area.
    At length it occurred to her that he was waiting for her to make good on her offer. She took the tool from him and again knelt. It was pushing ninety this afternoon which was why she had on shorts. Fortunately, he’d pulled onto the grass/weeds that flanked the campground entrance instead of going clear to the rocky area near the office. Her task took a fair amount of upper body strength but not her full attention. As a result she remained aware of his presence. He hadn’t invaded her personal space the way he had at the ice cream parlor but neither did she feel apart from him. He struck her as someone accustomed to being in close proximity with another human being. Maybe a wife? Maybe a sex slave?
    Sex slave! Where had the thought come from? Damn it, much more of that nonsense and she’d have to see a shrink, something she vowed she’d never do. She wasn’t the most squared away person in the world, but she was able to function. What more did she want?
    A different past.
    Done with her task, she looked over her shoulder at the slightly-over-six-foot-tall man. His features were in shadow which made seeing his expression difficult. Being on her knees like this was more intimidating than she wanted