not to let the thought linger. No-strings sex was fine, but experience had taught him spending too much time living in memories created ties that were painful to sever.
They pulled up in front of Gwen’s diner, next to Tori’s car, and he put his vehicle in park. He reached across her for the glove compartment, and… did she lean into his touch? No, he had to be projecting. He grabbed her phone and sat up. “Thanks for playing along today.”
She shifted her posture, as if she struggled to keep the corners of her mouth pulled up. She darted her eyes to the device in his hand. “I had a lot of fun. Thanks for making me walk away for a little while.” Her hand twitched, and she rubbed the pad of her thumb over her middle and forefinger.
He couldn’t hold back his sigh. Faster than he could blink, she’d jumped head first into the same anxiety he tried to make her forget. “Don’t work too late?” He handed her the phone.
“I’ll do what I have to.” She powered it on the moment she had it in her grip, tapping her thumb against the edge while it loaded up.
With that, she was out of his car and heading toward her own, the sickly glow of her BlackBerry illuminating her skin, as she dropped into her driver seat. He watched for another minute or two as she started the engine, but she didn’t drive away. She moved her lips, and she shook her head. A scowl spread across her face, and a second later, she raced her thumbs over the keypad.
No job could be worth that kind of stress. Why couldn’t she tell them where to stick it?
He honked, to let her know he was leaving, but she didn’t even look up, her lips moving as quickly as her thumbs, while she typed out replies to whatever had her brow creased.
At least Riley had never taken any shit from a job.
The moment the name passed through his mind, the lingering pleasantness of the day vanished. Fooling around with Tori was a temporary thing. He wasn’t falling again, even for her. Which was why he wanted nothing more with Tori than they already had. He needed to remember that. Drill it deep into his thoughts and not let go of it. No matter how much fun he had with her or how good she tasted or how much he loved the sound of her moans.
Chapter Eight
Tori paused halfway up the walk to Archer’s, to admire the view. Not the well-trimmed shrubs lining the path or the tulips growing under the window—she watched the show on the other side of the bay window, in the open space that had been a living room when the house was built, over one hundred years ago, but was now the main floor of his shop.
Every movement he made stretched or elongated a new group of muscles along his back, neck, and arms. He rearranged something under the counter while he talked to a girl, who seemed about fourteen or fifteen and as captivated by Archer as Tori was.
Tori had ignored the attraction for a long time, but it wouldn’t hurt to watch. They’d cleared the air, they both knew they didn’t like each other like that , and he really was nice to look at. Her schedule had kept them from getting together again since the escape to the mountains, almost a week ago, but they’d texted, and everything seemed cool between them. He was right; she really could do no-strings sex.
She stored the rambling thoughts and made her way to the shop entrance. The bell on the door chimed in greeting. She’d always thought that was a nice touch. A deceptively low-tech device, in a room wired with hidden cameras and alarms.
Archer looked up at the sound, and his customer took the excuse to study him again. Tori couldn’t help but smile. Poor girl had no idea that even if she were ten years older, he was so far from interested in a relationship, it wasn’t funny. An unfamiliar ache throbbed in Tori’s chest, and she ignored it.
He nodded her over. “I’m surprised you broke free of the house-arrest bracelet.”
“Why are you on house arrest?” The teenager’s eyes grew wide, and she finally
They pulled up in front of Gwen’s diner, next to Tori’s car, and he put his vehicle in park. He reached across her for the glove compartment, and… did she lean into his touch? No, he had to be projecting. He grabbed her phone and sat up. “Thanks for playing along today.”
She shifted her posture, as if she struggled to keep the corners of her mouth pulled up. She darted her eyes to the device in his hand. “I had a lot of fun. Thanks for making me walk away for a little while.” Her hand twitched, and she rubbed the pad of her thumb over her middle and forefinger.
He couldn’t hold back his sigh. Faster than he could blink, she’d jumped head first into the same anxiety he tried to make her forget. “Don’t work too late?” He handed her the phone.
“I’ll do what I have to.” She powered it on the moment she had it in her grip, tapping her thumb against the edge while it loaded up.
With that, she was out of his car and heading toward her own, the sickly glow of her BlackBerry illuminating her skin, as she dropped into her driver seat. He watched for another minute or two as she started the engine, but she didn’t drive away. She moved her lips, and she shook her head. A scowl spread across her face, and a second later, she raced her thumbs over the keypad.
No job could be worth that kind of stress. Why couldn’t she tell them where to stick it?
He honked, to let her know he was leaving, but she didn’t even look up, her lips moving as quickly as her thumbs, while she typed out replies to whatever had her brow creased.
At least Riley had never taken any shit from a job.
The moment the name passed through his mind, the lingering pleasantness of the day vanished. Fooling around with Tori was a temporary thing. He wasn’t falling again, even for her. Which was why he wanted nothing more with Tori than they already had. He needed to remember that. Drill it deep into his thoughts and not let go of it. No matter how much fun he had with her or how good she tasted or how much he loved the sound of her moans.
Chapter Eight
Tori paused halfway up the walk to Archer’s, to admire the view. Not the well-trimmed shrubs lining the path or the tulips growing under the window—she watched the show on the other side of the bay window, in the open space that had been a living room when the house was built, over one hundred years ago, but was now the main floor of his shop.
Every movement he made stretched or elongated a new group of muscles along his back, neck, and arms. He rearranged something under the counter while he talked to a girl, who seemed about fourteen or fifteen and as captivated by Archer as Tori was.
Tori had ignored the attraction for a long time, but it wouldn’t hurt to watch. They’d cleared the air, they both knew they didn’t like each other like that , and he really was nice to look at. Her schedule had kept them from getting together again since the escape to the mountains, almost a week ago, but they’d texted, and everything seemed cool between them. He was right; she really could do no-strings sex.
She stored the rambling thoughts and made her way to the shop entrance. The bell on the door chimed in greeting. She’d always thought that was a nice touch. A deceptively low-tech device, in a room wired with hidden cameras and alarms.
Archer looked up at the sound, and his customer took the excuse to study him again. Tori couldn’t help but smile. Poor girl had no idea that even if she were ten years older, he was so far from interested in a relationship, it wasn’t funny. An unfamiliar ache throbbed in Tori’s chest, and she ignored it.
He nodded her over. “I’m surprised you broke free of the house-arrest bracelet.”
“Why are you on house arrest?” The teenager’s eyes grew wide, and she finally
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