Total pages in book: 34
Estimated words: 32155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 161(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 107(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32155 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 161(@200wpm)___ 129(@250wpm)___ 107(@300wpm)
“This is too dangerous. I’m protecting you. And I rushed things once before—”
“I’m not seventeen, Shane. I’m a woman who knows her own mind.”
“And I’m the man who’s supposed to keep you safe.” He rolls off me and pushes himself to his feet, his shoulders stiff with tension. “We need to get back on the road if we’re going to make it to Portland in time for you to contact your mentor.”
I sigh, but I can’t deny the timeline. I can, however, fight his sense of duty the next time we are alone. And I intend to do just that.
* * *
Shane
I brood for the better part of the drive to our next stop, annoyed with myself for making a move on Talia. I can’t seem to get it right with her. She is vulnerable and in need of protection, and I took advantage. But am I right in my thinking? Or am I thinking more about my past with my ex than what I know of Talia and the woman she’s become?
Clearly Talia was a willing participant in that kiss, so maybe taking advantage isn’t really accurate. I already know I haven’t labeled her correctly. When she showed up on my doorstep, knees buckling and panicked, I told myself she was like my ex-wife. Petite. Fragile. Afraid.
But what have I seen since? Strength of character. Someone who doesn’t buckle under pressure, who holds her own with an attacker, who didn’t give away the information they wanted in exchange for her safety. She even tased the guy before I could take him down and kept watch over me while I slept.
So clearly I not only need to reassess my characterization of my smarty-pants, I have to stop comparing her with my ex. And cut myself some slack for wanting her.
Around eight p.m., I pull off the exit and drive around until I find a roadside bar where we can eat dinner, and if my app is correct, there is a motel a half mile down the road where we can spend the night. No car followed me or was behind us for miles, so I feel safe enough stopping here.
Talia has dozed off again, and I gently shake her awake. “Rise and shine. Time to eat.”
She pops up quickly at the mention of food, causing me to laugh. I like a woman who appreciates a good meal, and from the time we’ve gotten on the road, Talia hasn’t eaten one salad, which is amazing considering her petite, albeit curvy frame.
From the amount of cars in the gravel parking lot, the restaurant is obviously busy.
“Looks like we found a popular place,” she says.
As long as I can get us in and out safely should the need arise, I’ll make it work. The place is old and beat-up-looking, but it is the best I can do under the circumstances.
Despite the number of people, we are lucky enough to get a table immediately, as most of the crowd is hanging out around the bar and near a dance floor.
The hostess, a young girl in a cowboy hat and a perky smile, seats us.
“It’s so rustic,” Talia murmurs as she slides into her chair. “I kind of like it.”
I shake my head, amused. I should realize by now that Talia is one to make things pretty damned easy, considering our situation.
We settle in to our seats and study the menu, which offers some pretty basic fare. I don’t mind.
“Can I take your order?” A waitress arrives at our table, a pad in hand.
“Talia?” I gesture for her to go first.
“You go. I’m not sure yet,” she murmurs.
“The barbeque chicken sounds good. And a Diet Coke.” My stomach growls at the mention of the food, but the music is loud, so nobody notices.
“I’ll have the same,” Talia says. “Thank you.”
The waitress takes the menus and leaves us alone.
“It feels so good to get out of the car.” With a low, sexy groan, Talia stretches beneath the table, her foot rubbing up against my leg.
The gesture and sound are innocent, but my body’s reaction isn’t. My cock perks up in my pants. Not that my dick is ever unaware with Talia around.
“Agreed,” I say, shifting and adjusting myself discreetly beneath the table.
After sitting in close quarters with her for hours, smelling her fruity shampoo, watching her alternate between making cute noises when she slept and entertaining me with stories of people in her lab when the silence became too much, I am very much aware of her.
Not to mention the kiss that is always playing in the back of my mind, on a never-ending loop. Mocking me for being an idiot and ending things before either of us found any true satisfaction.
It was just a prelude. A tease. And I want more.
“Aww, look.” She points to an older couple who have risen from their seats and are walking hand in hand to the small dance floor, which is crowded with people. “That’s so sweet,” Talia says as the woman puts her head against the man’s chest.