I did a quick search online and was able to find a truck for sale in the next town over that wasn’t far away. It wasn’t anything too fancy, just an older model truck that had low milage and it was in decent condition from the photos. The guy selling it was willing to accept trade and some cash. I knew the value of my bike, and his truck would be valued as an even trade, if not a little less.
I grabbed my phone and dialed the number listed. We talked for a few minutes and set aside a time to meet this evening after he got off work. He was going to meet me in town at the brewery so we could each have a look at the vehicles in a neutral place.
A knock at my door had me checking the time, and instinctively I reached for a gun that should have been at my hip. It’d been over an hour and a half since I left Mrs. Hale’s kitchen and came back up here. I wasn’t surprised when I looked through the peephole and saw Patience on the other side of the door. My pulse settled down at the sight of her, and I opened the door.
She had on a pair of jeans with brown boots that went almost up to her knees and a matching brown leather jacket. The dark green shirt underneath and the warm tones of the jacket made her amber eyes glow.
She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, and it was all natural. She didn’t even have to try. Her makeup was light and effortless, not dramatic or caked on. It was a refreshing change from the women in the city that seemed to change their whole appearance with makeup tricks.
“Are you ready, or are you going to stare all day?” Her cheeks were pink, but whether it was from the cold chill in the air or from my gaze, I wasn’t sure.
“Have I done something to piss you off, Patience?” I leaned against the door frame and offered her a small grin.
She bit her bottom lip, and I wished I could be the one biting on that plush, pouty flesh. “I still haven’t decided if I like you, Tucker. You aggravate me.”
My grin widened at her admission. “That’s not a bad sign, you know?”
She rolled her eyes. “You aggravating me isn’t a bad sign? How do you figure that? You roped me into spending the day with you, so now I will have to spend the rest of the day having to refrain from throttling you.”
I took the opportunity to step closer to her. She had nowhere to back up without falling down the stairs, so she was forced to stay where she was. She raised her chin proudly, and I barely stopped myself from kissing her. “First off, Patience, I didn’t rope you into anything. I asked your mom if there was a cab service in town or a ride share service. She volunteered you. Second…” I leaned down and whispered near her ear, “If you are that agitated and turned on just by being in my presence, imagine how hot you would get with me between your thighs.”
Patience flushed bright red and I could see her pulse pounding in her neck as she nervously licked her lips again. It took everything in me not to lean down and capture her lips in a hard, demanding kiss, but I knew if I started kissing her, I wouldn’t want to stop. She was a drug. I didn’t need a sampletaste to know how damn good she would be, and with one taste I would be hooked—addicted to her. I was already struggling with my obsession of the woman in front of me. No woman had ever had this effect on me before, and she could wrap me around her pinky if I let her.
“Cat got your tongue, Patience?” I teased her instead, just so I could see the fire spark in her eyes.
“You have to be the most conceited, pompous asshole I’ve ever met, Mr. Roth,” she finally spit out, punching each word into my chest with the tip of her finger.
“Anything else?” God, I loved her fire. How the hell did that dumbass from last night ever think this woman was frigid? She’d done nothing but shoot off sparks since the moment I met her.
“Yeah.” She got on her tiptoes and right in my face, so close we were breathing the same electrically charged air. “And I don’t like you,” she forced out through gritted teeth.
I fought to contain my grin and edged just a bit closer. My lips were just a breath away from hers when I whispered the one word I knew would get a reaction from her. “Liar.” I murmured huskily before moving away from her to grab my wallet and keys from the kitchen counter.
When I turned back around, she had a disgruntled pout on her face and her brows were furrowed in obvious annoyance and confusion. Under that irritation, I’d bet my savings was unmistakable arousal. This trip to Brook Cove had been anything but restful and relaxing in the small amount of time I’d been here so far, but I found myself enjoying the high stakes game of cat and mouse I was playing with her.
Like any good predator, I knew how to be patient and wait for my prey to let their guard down. Patience is a virtue, and I had enough of it—even if she didn’t.
Chapter 5
PATIENCE
Our first stop was down on Main Street. There were a few stores we visited where Tucker went in to grab some clothes or other items he came here without. I was waiting while he went into the changing room, and I couldn’t help but browse the racks for stuff that would look good on him.
I grabbed a cream-colored sweater that I knew will look perfect against his tanned olive skin tone, and the contrast would look amazing against the black of his jacket, making his eyes an even deeper shade of green.
When he came out of the dressing room, he had a few pairs of pants. “Did you want to try on the shirts?” I questioned, thrusting the sweater in his direction.
Tucker gave it a cursory glance before he set down the pants he’d tried on. The shirts didn’t make it into the dressing room with him. “I’m good, but I will try this one on to appease you.” He sent me a sly wink and right there at the counter, he took his jacket off, followed by the shirt underneath. He was left standing in nothing but a black undershirt that he pulled up over his flat muscled abdomen, showing off a six-pack and the V cuts that would make a nun flush with desire. I might be a virgin, but I was definitely not a nun.
I quickly looked away as he pulled the sweater that I picked out over his head. I was right. The color looked incredible against his skin and hair. “It looks nice.” I played down how hot he looked—mouth-wateringly hot.
“Is that a compliment, Miss Hale?”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t get too excited about it, Mr. Roth.” I stressed his name through a forced smile. “I think toads are cute, too.”
My insult didn’t faze him at all, and the clerk Dawn’s eyes were glued to us as she watched our exchange. All she needed was some popcorn.
“So, you think I’m cute?” He grinned.
