across her car roof, she was dropping her eyes, hesitating, the way she did yesterday, when he talked about independence. He’d seen that same flicker of her eyelids when he got to the bit about relying on people, the flicker that told him she couldn’t trust, wouldn’t trust. With his own trust issues, he knew the signs. Except her problems would be way less screwed up than his, probably all down to some unreliable guy.
He shifted in his seat as his gut tightened. Trying to tempt her. ‘Too nice to stay home.’
An inexplicable urge to flatten any guy who had hurt her surged through him, but his taut insides were more to do with the guilt about what ten dates could do to a vulnerable woman like her. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. There was no way he was in this for that. However fierce and independent she pretended to be, more than likely it was just a cover. Sometime soon he’d have to level with her, give her a clue what he was about, just so she knew.
He could feel her wavering.
He shot her a tenth of his emergency smile, not wanting to come on too strong. ‘So what do you say then?’ Leaned over, pushed open the passenger door, turned back and wound up the smile wattage. ‘I promise you won’t be disappointed.’
Two more aching minutes of deliberation, and he could feel her inward fighting, then suddenly it was over.
‘Go on then.’ And she was in, clambering up beside him, engulfing him with the heady scent of vanilla and hot skin, fighting to control the layers and layers of ragged net skirt, which still didn’t hide her legs. ‘And I’d better not be – disappointed, that is.’
Turning as he reversed, one glimpse of those bursting lips, so full of promise, through the tangle of her hair, reminded him to keep his eye firmly on the long term game. Strictly no rushing. ‘I don’t think anyone’s going to be disappointed this evening.’
***
Keeping it light, banging through the gears, belting through the dusk on the family estate. As the balmy evening air buffeted their faces, Ed, yelled over the rattle and roar of the engine.
‘You don’t need to worry, I’m not here to de-rail your life.’ He flashed her a grin that he hoped was honest, open, reassuring. ‘I can teach you truck-loads about independence. It could be just what you need. My only promise is, I won’t be staying.’ He hoped that would be enough to cover it, for now.
‘Great.’ Millie returning his grin, hugging her knee, one tatty plimsoll heel wedged on the hard seat, as she shouted back. ‘Thanks for that, I’ll bear it in mind.’
A thrust of his pulse as he caught a flash of thigh through the ruffles, tangled with an inward groan of disapproval for her shoe on the seat. No way would she be sitting like that in one of his cars.
‘Isn’t this private land?’ And she was onto him again.
He shrugged. ‘Special dispensation – for quarry workers.’ For this quarry worker, anyway, it was like playing in his own back garden, and he had a pang of disappointment that he couldn’t tell Millie that. ‘We’re going to a great place, down by the river. I think you’ll like it.’
If he was stuck with a damned four by four he might as well max it out. Veering off the track, he steered diagonally, bumping across the open field as he headed for the water.
‘We used to come here to swim as kids.’ Him, his five brothers and sisters, or rather the four of them still at home. That much he could tell her, that much at least was true. ‘There’s safe pool, where the river bends. Perfect on a summer’s evening.’
They rolled to a stop under a tree, and as he cut the engine he could hear the rush of moving water.
‘You’re expecting me to swim?’ Indignant didn’t begin to cover it.
‘It’s not compulsory.’
‘You should have said before, I’d have brought a swimsuit.’
‘The one I saw you in this afternoon was hardly worth wearing.’ That slipped out before he could stop it. ‘But
He shifted in his seat as his gut tightened. Trying to tempt her. ‘Too nice to stay home.’
An inexplicable urge to flatten any guy who had hurt her surged through him, but his taut insides were more to do with the guilt about what ten dates could do to a vulnerable woman like her. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. There was no way he was in this for that. However fierce and independent she pretended to be, more than likely it was just a cover. Sometime soon he’d have to level with her, give her a clue what he was about, just so she knew.
He could feel her wavering.
He shot her a tenth of his emergency smile, not wanting to come on too strong. ‘So what do you say then?’ Leaned over, pushed open the passenger door, turned back and wound up the smile wattage. ‘I promise you won’t be disappointed.’
Two more aching minutes of deliberation, and he could feel her inward fighting, then suddenly it was over.
‘Go on then.’ And she was in, clambering up beside him, engulfing him with the heady scent of vanilla and hot skin, fighting to control the layers and layers of ragged net skirt, which still didn’t hide her legs. ‘And I’d better not be – disappointed, that is.’
Turning as he reversed, one glimpse of those bursting lips, so full of promise, through the tangle of her hair, reminded him to keep his eye firmly on the long term game. Strictly no rushing. ‘I don’t think anyone’s going to be disappointed this evening.’
***
Keeping it light, banging through the gears, belting through the dusk on the family estate. As the balmy evening air buffeted their faces, Ed, yelled over the rattle and roar of the engine.
‘You don’t need to worry, I’m not here to de-rail your life.’ He flashed her a grin that he hoped was honest, open, reassuring. ‘I can teach you truck-loads about independence. It could be just what you need. My only promise is, I won’t be staying.’ He hoped that would be enough to cover it, for now.
‘Great.’ Millie returning his grin, hugging her knee, one tatty plimsoll heel wedged on the hard seat, as she shouted back. ‘Thanks for that, I’ll bear it in mind.’
A thrust of his pulse as he caught a flash of thigh through the ruffles, tangled with an inward groan of disapproval for her shoe on the seat. No way would she be sitting like that in one of his cars.
‘Isn’t this private land?’ And she was onto him again.
He shrugged. ‘Special dispensation – for quarry workers.’ For this quarry worker, anyway, it was like playing in his own back garden, and he had a pang of disappointment that he couldn’t tell Millie that. ‘We’re going to a great place, down by the river. I think you’ll like it.’
If he was stuck with a damned four by four he might as well max it out. Veering off the track, he steered diagonally, bumping across the open field as he headed for the water.
‘We used to come here to swim as kids.’ Him, his five brothers and sisters, or rather the four of them still at home. That much he could tell her, that much at least was true. ‘There’s safe pool, where the river bends. Perfect on a summer’s evening.’
They rolled to a stop under a tree, and as he cut the engine he could hear the rush of moving water.
‘You’re expecting me to swim?’ Indignant didn’t begin to cover it.
‘It’s not compulsory.’
‘You should have said before, I’d have brought a swimsuit.’
‘The one I saw you in this afternoon was hardly worth wearing.’ That slipped out before he could stop it. ‘But
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