Part 2 (1/2)
”Well, if you thought I was so backwards and everything, what the h.e.l.l did you ask me out for?”
That grin again. ”Because you were so hot. And I was lonely.” His strong, supple fingers were ma.s.saging the b.a.l.l.s and arches of her feet, and she decided that this was, in fact, better than s.e.x. ”And then I find out you're taking college cla.s.ses and you don't want to birth a bunch of babies and grow old in Luxor. And that was cool, that was interesting. Then, tonight, I find out you don't like your family-” now his grin turned evil ”-and you have a thing for werewolves!”
”Hey!” Embarra.s.sed, she slapped feebly at his arm, but she was too blissed out and enervated by the foot rub to sit up and really hit him. ”I do not have a thing for werewolves.”
He reached under her to pinch her b.u.t.t. ”Maybe you do and you just don't know it.”
”I don't!” G.o.d, it was like he read her mind sometimes. Was he hacking her Internet account? How could he know about her fascination with s.h.i.+fters, or her desperate dream to meet someone, anyone, with fae blood? ”I think they're interesting, all right? I don't think they're evil. Just because they're not human doesn't mean they're not, like, you know...”
”People,” he said quietly.
”Yeah! People.”
”You see? You're amazing. How many people like you are there in Luxor?”
”How would I know? We'd never talk to each other about it.”
”Exactly! Jesus, you're adorable. Come here.”
He grabbed both legs to pull her back onto his lap. And before she could say anything, he finally-finally-kissed her.
It wasn't their first kiss, but it was the hottest, the longest, the deepest they'd ever shared. His tongue was cold and sweet from the beer, and she s.h.i.+vered as he slipped a hand back inside her s.h.i.+rt-the front, this time, where it rested hot against her stomach. His other hand gripped the back of her neck, holding her head still as he plundered her mouth. He was warm-oh, he was so warm-a big, hard-muscled blanket she wanted to wrap around herself and never take off.
He ran a knuckle under the wire of her bra. She moaned at the friction of the calloused skin against the tender underside of her breast.
He started to withdraw his tongue, so she put both hands to his face, reveling in the scratch of his stubble against her palms, hoping to stop him from breaking the kiss. But his mouth slid down the front of her neck, his tongue delving into the hollow of her throat. She threw her head back as every stroke sent s.h.i.+vers of fire coursing through her limbs. The hand beneath her s.h.i.+rt slid down to her waist, his big fingers deftly unzipping her jeans before slipping inside, over her panties. Her legs parted completely of their own volition, and then he was cupping her mound, his skin rough and hot through the thin, damp cotton.
His mouth moved lower as she arched against him. Her hand shook as she tore at the b.u.t.tons of her s.h.i.+rt. All she could think about was his hot mouth on her taut and aching b.r.e.a.s.t.s. The second she pushed the lacy cotton aside, Nash groaned and took one hard nipple in his mouth. She cried out at the tremors racking her to the core. Her body was on fire, burning from the inside out, and she exulted in it.
She buried her hands in that tangle of blond curls and pressed his head against her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, writhing against him. He wanted her to wriggle? She'd wriggle. She couldn't stop.
But apparently he could.
He broke the kiss with a gasp. ”Sara-wait.”
A loud cry of disappointment escaped her.
Resting his forehead against hers, he wrapped his arms around her while he struggled to calm down. He had a raging erection-she felt it digging into the underside of her thigh-so why the h.e.l.l had he stopped?
”Nash?” she said weakly. ”What's going on?”
”We can't-we can't do this.” He sounded as if he couldn't catch his breath, as if he were in pain. ”We just...not tonight. Not like this. Not...not tonight.”
”Why not?”
”You-” He stopped, swallowed, took a deep breath. ”You have to get up early and work a double, and if I keep you up all night-which I would-you'll be exh-”
”That's c.r.a.p.” She grabbed his face again, forcing his head up. She wanted him to look her in the eye, but for some reason, she couldn't meet his gaze. That only p.i.s.sed her off. ”I'm a big girl-I've worked plenty of doubles on too little sleep. Now why did you come in here and get me all worked up and then stop?”
He hugged her harder. ”There's something we need to talk about,” he mumbled into her neck.
”Fine. Let's talk.”
”Not tonight.”
”Why?”
”Because- Because it will take a long time, and it's complicated, and-we should do it tomorrow night.”
”I'll be tired tomorrow night.”
He laughed hollowly. ”Good. Then maybe you won't freak out as much.”
”Why would I freak out at all? What the h.e.l.l's going on?” She put a hand to his chin and tilted his head back so he'd have to look at her. ”Did you lie about the wife or girlfriend?”
”No. Sara, I swear, I don't have anyone else. I didn't kill anyone, I'm not a fugitive or anything. I just have some things I need to tell you, something I need to ask you, and I'd rather do it tomorrow night. Can you wait? Please?”
He looked so sincere, so concerned. She'd never seen him so serious, and while it scared her, she still wanted to hear what it was.
After a long pause, she sighed. ”Fine. Tomorrow. You want to come over here?”
”Yes. I'll be here at seven.”
”Okay. I'll cook dinner.”
Finally, he smiled again. ”That sounds great.”
He stood up with her still in his arms and walked to the door.
She slapped his back. ”Put me down!”
”Okay, okay.” He stood her on her feet, then put his hand under her chin and lifted her face up. ”Tomorrow night. I'll tell you everything.” And with a whisper-soft brush of his lips against hers, he was gone.
She ended up having a sleepless night anyway.
Chapter Two.
”I'll have the bacon double cheeseburger with onion rings and a chocolate shake.”
Sara smiled and nodded at the gangly teenage boy. ”Okay. What about you, sweetie?”
The second boy, another teenager, wanted a T-bone with a baked potato all the way and squash ca.s.serole. The younger boy next to him ordered cheese enchiladas with rice, no beans and a Sprite.
The family wasn't local. They were from Texarkana, pa.s.sing through on their way to Longview.
”Excuse me, miss,” interrupted the man whom Sara took to be the father of the large, unruly group. ”Aren't you going to write this down?”