She giggled in response. “Yes. Can we do it again?”
TJ glanced around, as if looking for spectators. “Maybe we should take this somewhere more private, rather than makin’ out in the parking lot.”
She’d been so caught up in the kiss, she hadn’t even thought about the fact they were in a public place. Without further hesitation, she took him up on the offer. “Where to?”
“I’m staying at Brewer’s Motel. Unless you’d like to go to your place.”
“No!” The word escaped before she realized she’d said it aloud.
“I’m sorry. I get that you might not want me knowing where you live.”
She hung her head in embarrassment. “It’s not that. I still live at home with my dad.”
“Well, if you’re okay with it, we can go to my place. We can sit out in the parking lot if you’re not comfortable goin’ in.”
As she followed him to Brewer’s in her car, Morgan ran through all the reasons she shouldn’t be doing this in her head.I don’t really know this guy; he’s a stranger. What will my dad say if he finds out?The little devil sitting on her shoulder fired back.You’re twenty-six. An adult. Who cares what your dad thinks? You can do what the hell you want. Go ahead, stay out all night. Have fun. You have a right to some pleasure. Why not?
She pulled into the motel lot, parking on the far side of TJ’s truck, away from the office. Would Nana or anyone else recognize her car? The motel owner knew everyone in town; she was the honorary grandmother of Green Springs. Would she tell her father?
Banishing those worries from her mind, she gathered her courage and her purse, and exited the car. TJ was already standing in front of his door waiting for her, the overhead light illuminating his handsome face. She didn’t hesitate when he unlocked his door and ushered her inside.
* * *
Morgan woke the next morning from a peaceful sleep, emitting a satisfied sound. Realization dawned.I’m not in my own bed.Like a kitten, she stretched and purred in contentment. Peeping over next to her, she saw the source of her satisfaction: a contrast of dark, sun roughened skin next to white sheets. As she remembered the events of last night, she couldn’t help but smile. Gleeful, wicked thoughts. In this bed. With this man. She couldn’t remember a time when she’d let go and lived in the moment, basked in the glow of pleasure. If she never saw TJ again, she’d have no regrets. As she studied the peaceful expression on his face, he opened his eyes and stared back at her.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
“Mornin’.”
“Mornin’.”
He grinned and brushed his finger across her lips. “We playin’ the copycat game?”
Morgan couldn’t help but smile back, hoping it would hide her sudden shyness, now that he was awake and focused on her. “I, uh, usually don’t do this.”
“Do what?”
“This.” She gestured with her hand, waving it back and forth between them.
He wiggled his eyebrows, seemingly amused. He wasn’t going to make this easy for her, obviously. She felt her face reddening, a dead giveaway of her embarrassment. The curse of a redhead.
Then he leaned over and scooped her into his arms. Those strong brown arms. “I don’t usually do this either.”
Morgan wasn’t sure she believed him, since a guy that good-looking could have his pick of women. But she wasn’t going to turn him down if he wanted to get together again. “As much as I’d like to stay here just like this, I have to work today.”
“Oh? Where do you work?”
“I’m a hairdresser. You should come by if you want a haircut.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. I’m startin’ a new job on Monday and I want to impress the boss.”
Interesting. So he’s not just passing through.She filed away that bit of information for later. His career aspirations hadn’t come up as a topic of conversation last night, but maybe she’d find out more about that later. Although she really wanted to stay in bed, Morgan extricated herself, scooped up her clothes, and went into the bathroom to clean up as best she could before taking the walk of shame to her car. Lord, she hoped she didn’t run into anyone she knew. And thankfully, she kept a change of clothes in her vehicle and at the salon, so she didn’t have to go home before work and risk endless questions from her father.
When she exited the bathroom, TJ was also out of bed, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and a smile. It wouldn’t take much coaxing to lure her back onto the mattress, but she couldn’t let him know that. “I, uh, need to get going so I’m not late.”
He strutted over, placed his beefy hands on her shoulders, and looked down into her eyes. “Wait. I need your number. Then I’ll text you so you have mine.”
