For some reason, his attitude annoyed her. “You must think a lot of yourself.”
“Not really. I know my wants and desires, and I can’t see myself tied down to just one woman who won’t be able to satisfy all my needs.”
She wasn’t an expert on men and women’s relationships by any means, but she found it ridiculous that he would think there wasn’t a woman out there who’d be compatible with him. But if he felt that way, it wasn’t any of her business.
**
Drew kept his eyes steadily on the road. From the sound of Eden’s breathing, he knew she had drifted off to sleep. Good. Inhaling her scent was bad enough without having to put up with the sound of her voice as well. That New England accent was smooth as silk and had a breathy catch to it that went to his groin. Because she seemed a bit naïve and overprotected, heguessed that she had no idea what that voice could do to a man. Every time she opened her mouth to speak, his libido went into overdrive. At any other time, he would have enjoyed becoming aroused by a desirable woman. But not today, and definitely not by her.
He couldn’t seem to let go of what she’d told him about almost being abducted. And he could tell she hadn’t lied about it. He had heard the panic in her voice as she told him. And the couple of times he had taken his eyes off the road for a brief second to glance at her, he had seen the look of fear in her eyes, too. She was right, finding safety in the back of his truck had been the right thing to do. He might have had many women in his time, but he knew better than to mistreat one.
After all, he’d had a good role model. If Galen Steele hadn’t laid a hand on his mouthy, forever-complaining, never-grateful wife all those years, then Drew knew that a man could control his actions. And for a man to simply assume he could snatch a woman off the street for his pleasure? Well, he got just what he deserved and Drew was glad Eden had delivered it to him. He smiled. He’d bet that the prick had taken one look at her—and at her size—and figured that Eden would be easy to grab. He’d discovered the hard way that he had been wrong.
He was surprised Eden hadn’t commented when he’d told her how he felt about marriage. Most women would have tried luring him into a debate. Of course, in the end, they would discover there was nothing to debate about. His thoughts and beliefs were his own, and he wasn’t about to change them.
He glanced over at her and confirmed she was still sleeping. She was wearing that knitted cap, and he thought she looked rather cute in it. Damn, but he thought she looked cute asleep as well. Returning his eyes to the road, he was glad they had discussed her father. Now he knew the type of person he was dealing with…at least until they reached Escondido.
Her parents were her parents, and it was time she learned how to deal with them. But then, hadn’t she said that she had told her father she would not be returning home, yet he had sent men after her anyway? Did these men assume they could just snatch her if she refused to go? Obviously, they did.
He thought about turning on the radio to listen to music but didn’t want to wake her. Glancing at the clock on his dashboard, he saw that he was running thirty minutes behind but would get to Escondido in good time. It would be best to drop Eden off somewhere before dark. After doing so, he would connect with Fred’s sister, Delores, and deliver those two bikes. Then he would make it to the warehouse for them to unload his rig and reload it with the new cargo, which would take a couple of hours.
Drew intended to grab something to eat and be ready to get back on the interstate before seven. He didn’t have a problem with night driving and figured he could do at least another five hours before parking his rig and taking a room at a nearby hotel for a good night’s sleep. But would he be able to sleep peacefully wondering if those men had doubled back, headed toward California looking for her.
He didn’t want to think of that possibility. So why was he when she wasn’t his problem? Hadn’t he told her that Escondido would be as far as he took her? Since he knew she didn’t have any funds, he would be a good guy and give her some money. However, would it be enough to tide her over through the holidays and before she left for Paris? He could give her one of his charge cards to use and…
What the hell was he thinking? He’d never given a woman his charge card to use. No way and no how. But could he honestly leave her alone in Escondido, broke and defenseless, while being hunted like a criminal? Now that he knew the danger she faced, how could he just drop her off and keep going?
Even if her father’s men didn’t come looking for her in California, what if someone tried to abduct her again? Granted, she had defended herself the last time, but what if there were more than one? What if she found herself facing down a gang? She would be an easy target for human traffickers. He knew he couldn’t risk such a thing happening to her, so he needed to devise a plan.
Less than an hour later, he had met Delores at the prearranged location and had loaded the bikes into the back of her pickup truck. Eden had slept through it all. He would need to wake her before they reached the warehouse so she could be told of the change in plans.
Pulling into a Seven-Eleven convenience store less than a mile from the warehouse, he woke her. Drew doubted he would ever get used to looking into the depths of her green eyes. They did something to him every single time.
She stared at him for a second, as if trying to recall who he was and where she was. Then she jerked upright in her seat while wiping a hand down her face to stifle a yawn. After glancing through the truck windows at her surroundings, she asked, “We made it to Escondido?”
“Yes.”
“Then it’s time for us to part ways, Drew.”
“No, it’s not. There has been a slight change in plans.”
She looked at him, questioningly. “What change?”
“I decided to keep you with me until right before I reach Dollywood. That means I will take you as far as Memphis.”
CHAPTER 5
Eden’s jaw fell open in surprise. Then, with the voice of someone on the verge of a panic attack, she asked, “Why? What happened?”
“Calm down, Eden. Nothing has happened. I merely changed my mind. Taking you with me as far as Memphis makes more sense,” he said.
“Why do you think that?”
“If I left you here, you would be alone and without any money.”
“But it won’t be any different when we reach Memphis, Drew. I will still be alone and penniless.”
He didn’t say anything, and she wished she knew what he was thinking. The last thing she wanted was for him to feel responsible for her. She was twenty-one, for Pete’s sake. She shouldn’t be dependent on anyone. “If it makes you feel less concerned for my welfare, I have a wig. A blond one. I also have a pair of cosmetic brown eye contacts in my makeup case.”
