He’d said that as she was taking a sip of her coffee, and she nearly sprayed it back out everywhere.Oh hell, that was pure invitation. How was she supposed to answer that?
He ran his finger across a few spines and then chuckled, knowing he’d shocked her. Time to keep moving or she’d jump him behind the bookshelf, and that would get them kicked out of the store.
“Come on,” Liz replied, and quickly turned toward the cash register with her armload of books before he could see her cheeks turn bright pink.
* * *
There were absolutely no streetlights on country roads, and it was unnerving for Jake as he sat in the truck, feeling every bump. More so because he couldn’t see them coming.
The headlights on the truck wavered over the rough road as Liz drove, a study in concentration. She seemed unfazed by the inky blackness.
“It gets dark out here quick,” he remarked, and Lizhmmed.
“You tired? I got a high spot I should take you to. Stars are out tonight,” she replied, and hit a turn he hadn’t even seen coming, heading up a climbing gravel road before he could answer.
“Stars,” he deadpanned, and raised his eyebrows at her as she smiled.
“S’beautiful,” she replied, and pulled off suddenly into what appeared to be a parking lot. They were alone except for another car with fogged-up windows at the other end of the lot.
She turned the truck off and undid her seat belt, her body straight and tense, uncertain, like it had been all afternoon. Was she regretting her bold move the night before? Was this attraction all it was, and she was about to squash it because of his overprotective brother? He hoped not. He wanted Liz. He wanted her to give in to the attraction churning between them, see where it would go, because she was holding herself back from it. He couldn’t read her right now; her anxiousness was a direct contradiction to her normally decisive, blunt personality.
He looked into the inky blackness, spotting the odd winking light from a house, and let out a big breath, trying not to take on the tension he felt radiating across the cab of the truck at him.
“Look. I’m no good at relationships,” she blurted, and he turned in his seat to look at her. She was staring out the windshield, hands twisting nervously on the wheel.
“Okay,” he answered, and waited. He had figured out last night that this was a woman you didnotpush. He wanted to, though, because that was when her natural feistiness came out, and he liked that.
“So if we’re gonna do this”—she gestured between them and then turned to look at him—“I want some rules.”
“No strings, no expectations when I go home, you mean?” he ventured. He hoped he was right that she wanted no room for any ambiguity. He liked that about her too. Her directness was refreshing, even if it was also maddening. It meant she jumped to conclusions, but she also didn’t play games with your head.
He could give her direct, if that was what she needed.
“Yeah,” she said, her shoulders dropping. “Yeah, that. I like you, Jake. You’re really different from any of the men here. But I’m not wanting—”
“Serious stuff. Keep it casual,” he finished for her. “I’m not looking for serious either. Hell, I don’t even know what this is yet, so—”
She let out another breath, nodding silently. He had read her right, and felt satisfaction at that.
All afternoon they had skirted around the conversation they were having now, and Jake had somewhat enjoyed just getting to know her. They had browsed the bookstore clutching massive coffees, and she’d told him about her ex. He wondered how they met, her a horse trainer, him a doctor. Maybe when she was more comfortable talking about it, she’d tell him. He’d also found out where her head was when it came to romance, which was a dark place. That made him sad for her, but he understood why. Being cheated on could make anyone feel inadequate.So to figure out she wasn’t ready for anything but friends with benefits was a relief. It meant they were on the same page.
“No overnights, no romantic gestures,” she added a moment later. “I don’t do that.”
He undid his seat belt and slid toward her, swallowing the joke about sweeping her off her feet with flowers and chocolate and tickets to the opera. She was being utterly serious.
He threaded his fingers through her hair, combing it back behind her ear. She’d worn it down today and it looked temptingly soft, all wavy and flowing over her shoulders. It was longer than he’d thought, now that it wasn’t in a ponytail or a braid or stuffed under her hat. She leaned slightly into his touch, and he desperately wanted to see it spread out over his lap if she—
“Whatever you need, Liz,” he murmured, putting a pin in that thought, and forced her to look into his eyes. “I’m game.”
He could tell that those words had gone a long way because the rest of her relaxed and she leaned into his hand fully, sighing. That sigh moved her entire body, and he watched her back arch into it, stretching.
It was enough to make him close his hand around the nape of her neck and pull her over, fitting his lips to hers, kissing her.
She opened to him immediately, her tongue darting out to his, her hands on his arms squeezing him, asking him for more. If she had a Go button, this was it, because she was fully responsive to him the moment they connected.
They’d been zero to full speed every time they had kissed. He’d never had a woman respond like this before. It kicked him straight in the ego.
“Outside,” she breathed, and pushed him away as she opened her door, sliding into the darkness. He followed, slamming his door, his shoes crunching on the gravel as he joined her at the low retaining wall that bordered the lookout. His eyes adjusted quickly, and he could see her leaning against the wall, biting her lip, watching him walk toward her, her eyes flicking up and down his body.
