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She looked out the window again. Obviously, coolness was in the eye of the beholder. “Yeah, I bet serial killers and drug dealers find it very appealing.”
That earned her a snort from him before he stepped out of the truck and came around to her side to open her door. “Come on, I’ll show you.”
She handed him the food and stepped down, the warm breeze lifting her hair off the back of her neck. He grabbed her hand, his fingers interlacing with hers. She couldn’t fight the smile that played around her lips. Reid was making an effort for this to feel like a date, which she appreciated. She’d been out with a few guys during high school, but usually the “dates” consisted of hanging out at each other’s houses and having awkward make-out sessions before their parents came home. Although, in her case, she always made sure she went to their place instead of bringing them to hers.
Reid placed the bags in the bed of the truck and unhitched the tailgate. “Hop up.”
She frowned. “Not the best day to wear a skirt.”
“Funny, I was thinking it was an excellent choice.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Come on, I’ll help you. I promise not to peek.” He put his hands on her waist and hoisted her up as if she weighed nothing. The wind caught the light material and sent her skirt fluttering upward, no doubt revealing her underwear in the process. She tamped it down with her hands, but not quickly enough. Reid grinned and put a foot on the tailgate, stepping up in one fluid motion.
She punched his thigh. “You are such a liar. You totally looked.”
“Hey,” he said, rubbing his leg and laughing. “It happened too fast. And they’re pink panties. It was like a tractor beam. How am I supposed to turn away from that?”
She groaned. “Guys are all the same.”
He unlocked the truck’s steel storage bin and pulled out a flannel blanket, smiling as he spread it out. “When it comes to the chance to see up a pretty girl’s skirt, you’re probably right. I’m sorry. Guess I shouldn’t have made a promise I couldn’t keep.” He took the burgers and fries out of the bags, uncapped the two bottles of soda, and then patted the spot next to him. “Still willing to eat with me?”
She should’ve been annoyed—the wicked glint in his eyes said his apology was less than authentic. But instead, his unrepentant playfulness only drew her to him more. Even with the effect he had on her hormones, something about him put her at ease—made the air around her feel lighter, the stress of the day not as daunting.
If she hadn’t been working with him, she would’ve assumed this was how Reid went through life—always cracking a joke, enjoying every moment, not a care in the world. But she hadn’t missed his switch in demeanor when his aunt and uncle were around. As soon as one of them walked through the office, it was as if Reid had a steel rod shoved up his back and all that easy confidence seemed to drain away.
Brynn wasn’t sure which version of Reid was the real one—the self-assured charmer or the wary political son. Maybe neither.
She scooted over to his side and unwrapped her sandwich. “So what’s so cool about this place?”
“Besides the fact that we’re here?” He sipped his drink and glanced at his watch. “You’ll see. Should start anytime now.”
They ate their burgers for a few minutes, the song of the cicadas and frogs providing the only chatter. She wanted to lean into him, to know what it would feel like for him to wrap his arms around her, to taste his kiss, but she glued her butt to the spot. This was just a burger. He’d said so himself. She needed to enjoy it for what it was. And even without him cuddled close, an unfamiliar feeling of contentment settled over her.
Every evening she either ate her meals on the run or in her room after she had cooked for her sister. Having someone to sit with was nice. She turned to Reid to tell him how much she appreciated him bringing her here, but a loud whooshing sound cut her off. “What in the world—”
“Here we go,” Reid said, and put a hand on her shoulder. “Lie back and look up.”
She set her sandwich down and lay next to him, her gaze going to the stars. The roaring grew louder, until it was almost deafening. She winced, but just when she thought her ears couldn’t take any more, the inky sky disappeared and the silver underbelly of a plane replaced it. The massive aircraft seemed as if it was going to land on top of the truck, but instead zoomed past them and touched down on a runway hidden behind the trees. The leaves around them shook and warm air gusted over her in the jet’s wake.
She turned to Reid. “Wow.”
He grinned, his face inches from hers. “Awesome, huh?”
She laughed. “Scared the hell out of me at first, but yeah, definitely. I had no idea you could get this close.”
His gaze scanned her face, pausing on her lips, tracking down her neck, then back up. “Yeah, the view’s pretty amazing this close up.”
Her body warmed under his stare, her heartbeat picking up tempo. She turned back toward the sky, hoping her voice would come out steady. “So can the people in the plane see us down here?”
“No, I don’t think so. Not at night. I’ve landed on this runway during the day and all you can see of the park is the pond and trees.”
“Must be pretty neat to see it from that perspective. I’ve never been on a plane,” she said, an unexpected wistfulness tingeing her tone.
He shifted onto his side, propping himself up with his elbow and looking down at her. “More of a road-trip girl?”
She shrugged. “I don’t exactly have room in my life for vacations.”
His eyes searched hers. “No time for trips, no time for dates, what’s got you so busy, Brynn LeBreck? You’re not secretly working undercover for the FBI or something, right?”
She laughed. “Why? You have something to hide?”
He leaned in a bit, like he was going to tell her a secret. “Only that I’ve got a mad crush on a girl who won’t even tell me the littlest thing about herself.”
The balmy notes of his voice moved over her like a caress, turning her insides liquid. She attempted a lighthearted smile. “There’s just not that much to tell. I’ve been going to community college for two years and am working to save money so that my sister and I can move to Austin in the fall. I have a scholarship to UT. That’s about it. My life isn’t exciting like yours.”
He sniffed. “You think my life’s exciting? I go to summer school, and then play the political game for the rest of the afternoon.”
She turned onto her side, mirroring his pose, needing to get some space between them. “You don’t seem to mind playing the role at work.”
“Being good at something and enjoying it are two totally different things. I hate the whole song and dance of politics. Drives me nuts. I just want to tell all those people who are trying to kiss Uncle Patrick’s ass via mine to fuck off. But he’s done a lot for me, so I smile and shake hands like I’m supposed to.”
She cocked her head to the side. “Why do you live with them?”
“They’re the only family I have around here.” A glimmer of sadness crossed his features. “My mom died of cancer when I was twelve. Aunt Roslyn took me in, and she and Patrick adopted me officially a year later. Hence, the Jamison last name.”
“I’m sorry. Losing your mom that young had to be hard.”
“Yeah, I didn’t handle it so well. Gave my aunt and uncle hell for a few years. I was pretty angry at the universe. But then I realized my mom would’ve kicked my ass if she saw how I was behaving, so I got my act together.” The corner of his mouth tilted into a wistful smile. “I wish she were still around. She was awesome—really got me, you know?”
Brynn nodded, although she had no idea what it must feel like to have someone like that.
“But at least I had somewhere to go when I lost her, even if it meant dealing with all that goes along with filling the role of the Jamison son.” He leaned over and tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear, sending goose bumps down her neck. “That’s one of the things I like about you. You don’t seem to give a damn about who my family is, so I can just relax around you.”
She laughed. “Yeah, once I found out you couldn’t fire me, you lost all shot of me kissing your ass.”
He slipped a hand onto her hip and pulled her closer, their bodies almost touching. “So what’s your stance on kissing other things?”
Every muscle in her body strained to move forward, to close the sliver of distance between them, but she held still. “Probably not a good idea since we work together.”
He smiled and shook his head. “See, you’re always such a half-empty kind of girl. Working together means we’ll get paid to hang out with each other.”
“And everybody in the office will think I’m hanging out with you for the wrong reasons.”
He shrugged. “That’s why we don’t tell. It’s none of their business anyway.”
She chewed her lip. “I like you, Reid, but I don’t know… it’s just complicated. I’ve got a lot—”
He put a finger over her mouth, hushing her. “Stop overthinking things, Brynn. It doesn’t have to be so complex. I know you don’t bullshit, so I’m not going to either. Since the first day I met you, I haven’t stopped thinking about what it would be like to touch you.” He cupped her chin and ran his thumb over her lips. “To taste you. I leave the office every day fighting a hard-on because just hearing your voice sets me off.”
She swallowed hard, the blunt words and his finger on her lips throwing gasoline on the flickering flame of longing she’d been fighting since they’d left the office.
“So in about three seconds, I’m going to kiss you. If you don’t want that, you tell me to stop, and I’ll never try again.” He curled his hand around the back of her neck, his gaze tattooing her. “One… two…”
“Three,” she whispered.
He leaned over and touched his lips to hers, a deceptively gentle press that, from someone else, would’ve seemed sweet, innocent even. But the heated grip on the back of her neck and jolt of awareness that sizzled down her nerve endings were something else altogether. With a maddeningly slow pace, he tasted each part of her mouth—the corners, the bow at the top, the line where both lips met—like he was cataloguing every nuance of her skin, each flavor. She gave a little whimper of protest and he pulled back, holding her gaze for a moment. “Changed your mind?”
She should stop him; that’d be the smart thing to do. But her hormones claimed veto power over her brain. She reached for him, gliding her fingertips over the hint of stubble on his cheek, then down his neck to his collar. She gave it a gentle tug and pulled him with her as she rolled from her side to her back. If she was going to be stupid, why do it halfway? “Kiss me like you want to kiss me. I can feel you holding back.”
The blue in his eyes darkened as they swept over her face, her neck, lower. “Be careful what you ask for, sugar.”
She shivered beneath his hungry perusal. “I trust you.”
Something unidentifiable flickered across his features before he dipped his head and claimed her mouth again, blanketing her with his upper body. This time, there was no tentativeness, no teasing. Only white-hot rawness.
Just like in the fantasies she weaved in the privacy of her bedroom, Reid took control—his kiss as unapologetic as the man himself. Commanding fingers twisted in her hair, and his tongue coaxed her lips open, exploring her mouth with an adeptness that made her ache for more of him. Her nipples tightened against the thin material of her bra at the mere thought of what Reid’s talented tongue could offer them. She fisted the back of his polo shirt and arched into him.
He dragged his teeth against her lower lip and then nibbled along her jawline, making his way down to her neck. “God, you taste better than I could’ve imagined… so sweet.”
She writhed under his attention. The thought that he had imagined what she would taste like sent a ridiculous giddiness through her. Her voice came out in a whisper: “You’ve thought about this? About me?”
He groaned. “Every fucking day, Brynn. I can’t get you out of my mind. Every time you even look my way at the office, all I can think about is how bad I want you, wondering what it would be like to have you come apart beneath me.”
She shuddered against him, and a murmur of pleasure passed her lips before she could stop it. She’d never had a guy talk so blatantly about sex, but instead of offending her, it made the throbbing between her thighs more unbearable.
He chuckled, the sound low and dark. “And you like dirty talk. Sugar, you’re going to make me lose my damn mind.”
He moved lower, pressing soft kisses to her collarbone, then to the vee of skin exposed by her blouse. His fingers toyed with the first button and paused for a second, as if waiting for her to say something. When she didn’t, he unfastened the top two and opened her shirt. Gentle hands caressed her over her bra, providing just enough stimulation to whet her need, but not enough to satisfy. She closed her eyes, her voice a quiet plea. “Please.”
“Unhook it for me, show me what you want,” he said, his seductive tone like warm cashmere against her skin.
With clumsy fingers, she released the front clasp of her bra, baring her curves to him and the muggy night air. A lazy smile crossed his face as he cupped one of her breasts and ran a thumb across its peak. “I could spend all night just focusing on these. Look how hard and pink they are for me already.”
He pinched one of her nipples and rolled it between his fingertips, the sensation rocketing straight down her abdomen to the swollen bundle of nerves between her legs. She bit her lip and whimpered.
Before she could suck in another breath, the hot cavern of his mouth closed over one nipple. Tongue and teeth alternately laved and nibbled, the twining pleasure/pain combination making her back arch. She threaded her hands into his dark hair, gripping hard, trying to hold on to the shred of self-control she still had.
She wasn’t this kind of girl. Despite what the high school rumor mill had said once people found out what her mother did for a living, she’d only slept with one guy. But right now, she couldn’t think of anything she wanted more than Reid inside her, claiming every part of her.
His head lifted as his teeth nipped her ear, his hot breath marking her neck. His hand moved to her knee and then slid up her leg at a languid pace, pulling her skirt with it. She parted her thighs, so ready for his touch she thought she would hyperventilate if he didn’t get there soon.
Recognizing the invitation, he ran his palm against the outside of her panties, rubbing the soaked satin against her clit. She rocked against his touch, and he slipped his hand below the waistband, sliding his fingers along her hot button before dipping lower.
Her head tipped back, sharp darts of pleasure shooting through her. “Oh, God.”
Reid groaned and pulled his hand back.
A flutter of panic seized her. Why was he stopping? “What’s wrong?”
He stared down at her, lines of strain etching his face. “Brynn, tell me to stop.”
She wet her lips, her throat going dry. “Why?”
“Because this isn’t why I brought you here.” He raked a hand through his dark hair. “And because if you don’t, I’m going to strip you bare and fuck you until you scream so loud the people flying overhead will be able to hear you come.”
“The hell you are,” said a booming, southern voice.
Brynn jumped at the stranger’s words, scrambling to pull her top closed and her skirt down. “Shit, shit, shit.”
The beam of a flashlight pierced the darkness, and Reid put a hand up to block his eyes. “Hello?”
A stern, middle-aged face peered over the side of the truck. The state trooper adjusted the brim of his hat. “What the hell do you two think you’re doing?”
Reid sat upright, scooting in front of Brynn. “Evening, Officer. We were just, uh, having a little dinner.”
“Uh-huh,” the man said, shining the flashlight on Brynn as she fastened the last button on her shirt. “I have a feeling I know what’s on the menu. Do you kids know I could arrest you for indecency in a public park? Or worse.” He turned his light back to Reid. “You didn’t give this young lady money for her services, did you?”
Brynn’s mouth dropped open. “Jesus, I’m not a prostitute. We were just kissing.”
The cop quirked an eyebrow at her. “Well, then I suggest the two of you try to conduct yourselves in a more respectable manner. If I catch either of you out here again, I’ll take you both in.”
Reid raised his hands and gave the officer a smile that dripped with sincerity. “We are so sorry, Officer. It won’t happen again. We’ll get right on out of here. Thank you for letting us by with a warning.”
The cop grunted and crossed his arms over his chest. Waiting.
They hurriedly gathered their things and climbed into the cab of the truck. Brynn’s cheeks burned so hot, she was sure she had turned a shade of purple. God, how had she let that get so out of hand? She’d never lost control like that with anyone. One kiss and she’d been ready to screw Reid until the sun came up. All the reasons of why a relationship with him was a terrible idea had evaporated from her mind the instant his lips had touched hers. Dangerous.
Reid merged onto the highway and after a long stretch of silence, cleared his throat. “You okay?”
No. “I’m fine. Just a little embarrassed.”
He gave her a rueful smile. “Sorry about what happened.”
She turned to look out the window, afraid that he’d be able to read her thoughts on her face. “Not your fault. I’m just glad he didn’t take us in.”
“No kidding. I can’t even imagine how happy the media would’ve been over that—candidate’s nephew gets arrested for public indecency. My aunt and uncle would’ve had a shit fit.”
She stared out the window as cars whizzed by, feeling like she was in some alternate universe. Reid’s biggest worry about an arrest was media coverage; hers was that she’d have no one to post bail to get her out. The contrast would’ve been laughable if it wasn’t so damn depressing.
He reached out and gave her hand a quick squeeze. “I promise less mortification and threat of arrest on our next date.”
She closed her eyes and leaned against the headrest, hoping he would take the hint she didn’t want to talk. She’d thought that maybe she’d be able to keep it light and have a little fun, but an hour alone with Reid and she’d been ready to lose herself. Something she couldn’t afford to do with someone like him. She couldn’t tell him right now, but no matter how much she liked him, there would be no second date.
FIVE (#ulink_f6103a39-a02b-5ef0-9304-8d5f4c7a49bc)
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