point."
Dalton nodded. "Smart woman." He started the car, cautiously pulling out of the parking lot. "I want you to take the T-Bird back to your place."
"Are you leaving town sooner than expected?" Colleen thought that would be a damn shame. "I tinkered with your car, but even if I get it running, I wouldn't suggest trying to drive it back to Los Angeles."
"I'm not leaving town. Not yet. And I'm holding you to the rental agreement. I don't want to leave the car in an unprotected parking lot."
"Because…?"
"This is where that trust part comes in. Can you cut me some slack?"
"Slack equals patience. That has never been my strong suit." However, if Dalton thought her car was in danger, she wouldn't push. At least, not tonight. "I can put a few pieces together. Does this concern what happened to you seven years ago?"
"Yes."
"Will you tell me the whole story?"
"Probably."
"Is probably the best I'm going to get?"
"Yes."
Suddenly Mr. Chatty morphed into the monosyllabic man. It should have been funny, but Colleen didn't feel like laughing.
"Stay at my place."
"No."
"Damn it, Dalton. My apartment comes with a locked garage. I have double bolts on my front door. My car and you will be safe."
"I'll stay if I can share your bed."
"Okay."
"We won't get much sleep, Colleen."
"I know."
This time, when Dalton laughed, Colleen heard it loud and clear.
"Jesus. Really, Colleen? You would have sex with me? Why?"
"I'm worried about you. If you're in my bed, I know you'll be safe."
"I appreciate the thought, but no. I'll be fine in my motel room."
Colleen wondered about men. Ninety-nine percent of the time they seemed to think with their dicks. Until a woman wanted him to. Then he decided to exercise that one percent of his brain that mostly lay dormant.
"It isn't as though it would be a hardship. I planned on us having sex by the weekend. What's wrong with speeding up the timetable?"
The streetlights illuminated the interior of the car enough to allow her to see Dalton's face and his bemused expression. Deciphering his thoughts wasn't as easy. He pulled the car to a stop outside the motel. Within a minute, he was out of the driver's seat and Colleen replaced him. When she rolled down the window, he leaned down.
"Drive straight home, lock your doors, then give me a call."
"One of the few good things about living in Midas is the lack of crime."
Giving her another enigmatic look, Dalton stood back.
"Lock your front door, Colleen. Then call me."
"Fine. But you first." Colleen motioned toward the door to Dalton's room. "You're making me nervous. I'm not leaving until you are safely inside."
Dalton looked as if he might argue. His blue eyes narrowed. But to her surprise, he nodded.
"The car doors are locked. Roll up your windows. And Colleen?" he said as she began to comply.
"Yes?"
"Thank you for trusting me."
"You're welcome. Dalton?" Colleen called out as he entered the motel.
"Yes?"
"Don't make me regret it."
DALTON WAITED FOR Colleen to call. She didn't play games. Fifteen minutes after she pulled out of the parking lot, she checked in.
"We should exchange passwords. Or a secret knock," Colleen said the second he answered.
"That won't be necessary." Dalton knew he overreacted, but he'd had a strange feeling since leaving the restaurant. He would risk looking foolish if it meant keeping Colleen safe. "Are you free for lunch tomorrow?"
"I usually work straight through. Why don't I pick you up around eight o'clock? I'll drive us to the garage, and you can have the car for the rest of the day."
"That's a plan."
"Good night, Dalton."
"Good night."
Dalton turned the air conditioner on high before stripping off his clothes. The water pressure in the bathroom wasn't great, but it was good enough for a cool shower. After drying off, he stretched out naked on the bed before calling Ryder.
"It's about time," Ryder answered after the second ring.
"Hello to you too."
"Everybody is here. Just a second while I
Dalton nodded. "Smart woman." He started the car, cautiously pulling out of the parking lot. "I want you to take the T-Bird back to your place."
"Are you leaving town sooner than expected?" Colleen thought that would be a damn shame. "I tinkered with your car, but even if I get it running, I wouldn't suggest trying to drive it back to Los Angeles."
"I'm not leaving town. Not yet. And I'm holding you to the rental agreement. I don't want to leave the car in an unprotected parking lot."
"Because…?"
"This is where that trust part comes in. Can you cut me some slack?"
"Slack equals patience. That has never been my strong suit." However, if Dalton thought her car was in danger, she wouldn't push. At least, not tonight. "I can put a few pieces together. Does this concern what happened to you seven years ago?"
"Yes."
"Will you tell me the whole story?"
"Probably."
"Is probably the best I'm going to get?"
"Yes."
Suddenly Mr. Chatty morphed into the monosyllabic man. It should have been funny, but Colleen didn't feel like laughing.
"Stay at my place."
"No."
"Damn it, Dalton. My apartment comes with a locked garage. I have double bolts on my front door. My car and you will be safe."
"I'll stay if I can share your bed."
"Okay."
"We won't get much sleep, Colleen."
"I know."
This time, when Dalton laughed, Colleen heard it loud and clear.
"Jesus. Really, Colleen? You would have sex with me? Why?"
"I'm worried about you. If you're in my bed, I know you'll be safe."
"I appreciate the thought, but no. I'll be fine in my motel room."
Colleen wondered about men. Ninety-nine percent of the time they seemed to think with their dicks. Until a woman wanted him to. Then he decided to exercise that one percent of his brain that mostly lay dormant.
"It isn't as though it would be a hardship. I planned on us having sex by the weekend. What's wrong with speeding up the timetable?"
The streetlights illuminated the interior of the car enough to allow her to see Dalton's face and his bemused expression. Deciphering his thoughts wasn't as easy. He pulled the car to a stop outside the motel. Within a minute, he was out of the driver's seat and Colleen replaced him. When she rolled down the window, he leaned down.
"Drive straight home, lock your doors, then give me a call."
"One of the few good things about living in Midas is the lack of crime."
Giving her another enigmatic look, Dalton stood back.
"Lock your front door, Colleen. Then call me."
"Fine. But you first." Colleen motioned toward the door to Dalton's room. "You're making me nervous. I'm not leaving until you are safely inside."
Dalton looked as if he might argue. His blue eyes narrowed. But to her surprise, he nodded.
"The car doors are locked. Roll up your windows. And Colleen?" he said as she began to comply.
"Yes?"
"Thank you for trusting me."
"You're welcome. Dalton?" Colleen called out as he entered the motel.
"Yes?"
"Don't make me regret it."
DALTON WAITED FOR Colleen to call. She didn't play games. Fifteen minutes after she pulled out of the parking lot, she checked in.
"We should exchange passwords. Or a secret knock," Colleen said the second he answered.
"That won't be necessary." Dalton knew he overreacted, but he'd had a strange feeling since leaving the restaurant. He would risk looking foolish if it meant keeping Colleen safe. "Are you free for lunch tomorrow?"
"I usually work straight through. Why don't I pick you up around eight o'clock? I'll drive us to the garage, and you can have the car for the rest of the day."
"That's a plan."
"Good night, Dalton."
"Good night."
Dalton turned the air conditioner on high before stripping off his clothes. The water pressure in the bathroom wasn't great, but it was good enough for a cool shower. After drying off, he stretched out naked on the bed before calling Ryder.
"It's about time," Ryder answered after the second ring.
"Hello to you too."
"Everybody is here. Just a second while I
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