conservative clothes, her skin smooth and pale against scented sheets. He could feel his hands tangled in her long hair, and the warmth of her breath mingling with his. He could hear her passionate cries of ecstasy, echoing over and over in his mind. The fantasy was more vivid, more real, than any actual sex he’d ever been a part of.
And he had to stop thinking about it, dammit. She was off-limits.
“Did you say something?” Victoria asked, all innocence.
Roan realized he must have made some kind of noise in his frustration. “Just wondering how long before we get somewhere,” he groused. The inactivity was getting to him. Yes, that was it. He was not accustomed to sitting in a car for hours on end. He was a physical man, always full of energy, and right now that energy was channeling itself into unwanted paths.
“We’re almost into Oklahoma,” she said cheerfully. Her mood was much improved from yesterday. The Weather Channel’s big red splotch over central Oklahoma had still been there that morning, and all of Victoria’s calculations supported the forecast for violent weather. During breakfast she’d smiled like a woman who’d just spent a lusty night with her man. That’s what had gotten Roan started on his fantasies.
“Another hour or so and we’ll stop,” she said. “What looks like a good town?”
Roan consulted the road atlas, grateful for any distraction. “Altus isn’t too far. About fifty miles, I’d say.”
“Altus it is. If I recall, there’s a good barbecue restaurant there.”
“You mean we’re actually going to stop for lunch at lunchtime?”
“Crazy, isn’t it?” she said with a shrug and an easy smile. “Never let it be said I don’t do something wild and impulsive once in a while.”
Roan refrained from laughing out loud. That would be the day, when his Vicky did something wild and impulsive.When and if she indulged in lovemaking, she probably put it on her to-do list first.
Oh, Lord, he was doing it again. He shouldn’t think about Victoria and lovemaking in the same sentence.
“Did you feel that?” she asked suddenly.
Before he could respond, the van bucked, then hesitated, then gasped a bit “Oh, that. Yeah, I feel it.”
“What’s wrong with it? I’m losing power.” Her voice was edged with tension. The van was indeed slowing down, and the engine was making an awful chugging noise. “Should I stop?”
Roan took a quick look around. There wasn’t a speck of civilization within sight. “Not unless you like hiking through the desert.”
“We wouldn’t have to hike anywhere,” she countered. “I can call the auto club on the cellular phone.”
“And we’ll be waiting into the next century for a tow. Pull over to the right lane and keep going. Maybe we can make it to the next town.”
“What if I ruin the engine by driving it this way?”
“You won’t,” he said confidently, although actually he had no idea. “Anyway, the van is still under warranty, right?”
They had slowed to thirty miles per hour. Despite her obvious doubts, Victoria kept driving, hands clutching the steering wheel in a white-knuckled grip, her teeth tugging her lower lip. “What’s the next town?”
Roan was already consulting the atlas. “Haynie. Maybe about ten miles.”
“Let’s hope they have a mechanic.” She glanced over at Roan. “You know anything about fixing cars?”
“Yeah, but without tools and parts I can’t do much.” She sighed at that, and he felt an inexplicable urge to comfort her. “It’s early yet. Maybe it’s a minor problem, and we can get it fixed and be on our way in plenty of time to catch the storms.”
“Maybe,” she said without much conviction.
He couldn’t blame her for her pessimism. Whatever was wrong with that engine, it didn’t sound even remotely minor.
The next twenty minutes passed in tense silence as the ailing van struggled up each small incline, threatening to expire with every labored gasp of the engine.
And he had to stop thinking about it, dammit. She was off-limits.
“Did you say something?” Victoria asked, all innocence.
Roan realized he must have made some kind of noise in his frustration. “Just wondering how long before we get somewhere,” he groused. The inactivity was getting to him. Yes, that was it. He was not accustomed to sitting in a car for hours on end. He was a physical man, always full of energy, and right now that energy was channeling itself into unwanted paths.
“We’re almost into Oklahoma,” she said cheerfully. Her mood was much improved from yesterday. The Weather Channel’s big red splotch over central Oklahoma had still been there that morning, and all of Victoria’s calculations supported the forecast for violent weather. During breakfast she’d smiled like a woman who’d just spent a lusty night with her man. That’s what had gotten Roan started on his fantasies.
“Another hour or so and we’ll stop,” she said. “What looks like a good town?”
Roan consulted the road atlas, grateful for any distraction. “Altus isn’t too far. About fifty miles, I’d say.”
“Altus it is. If I recall, there’s a good barbecue restaurant there.”
“You mean we’re actually going to stop for lunch at lunchtime?”
“Crazy, isn’t it?” she said with a shrug and an easy smile. “Never let it be said I don’t do something wild and impulsive once in a while.”
Roan refrained from laughing out loud. That would be the day, when his Vicky did something wild and impulsive.When and if she indulged in lovemaking, she probably put it on her to-do list first.
Oh, Lord, he was doing it again. He shouldn’t think about Victoria and lovemaking in the same sentence.
“Did you feel that?” she asked suddenly.
Before he could respond, the van bucked, then hesitated, then gasped a bit “Oh, that. Yeah, I feel it.”
“What’s wrong with it? I’m losing power.” Her voice was edged with tension. The van was indeed slowing down, and the engine was making an awful chugging noise. “Should I stop?”
Roan took a quick look around. There wasn’t a speck of civilization within sight. “Not unless you like hiking through the desert.”
“We wouldn’t have to hike anywhere,” she countered. “I can call the auto club on the cellular phone.”
“And we’ll be waiting into the next century for a tow. Pull over to the right lane and keep going. Maybe we can make it to the next town.”
“What if I ruin the engine by driving it this way?”
“You won’t,” he said confidently, although actually he had no idea. “Anyway, the van is still under warranty, right?”
They had slowed to thirty miles per hour. Despite her obvious doubts, Victoria kept driving, hands clutching the steering wheel in a white-knuckled grip, her teeth tugging her lower lip. “What’s the next town?”
Roan was already consulting the atlas. “Haynie. Maybe about ten miles.”
“Let’s hope they have a mechanic.” She glanced over at Roan. “You know anything about fixing cars?”
“Yeah, but without tools and parts I can’t do much.” She sighed at that, and he felt an inexplicable urge to comfort her. “It’s early yet. Maybe it’s a minor problem, and we can get it fixed and be on our way in plenty of time to catch the storms.”
“Maybe,” she said without much conviction.
He couldn’t blame her for her pessimism. Whatever was wrong with that engine, it didn’t sound even remotely minor.
The next twenty minutes passed in tense silence as the ailing van struggled up each small incline, threatening to expire with every labored gasp of the engine.
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