Illegal Motion: A Loveswept Classic Romance by Donna Kauffman Page B
Authors: Donna Kauffman
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snoring lightly.
He turned onto the gravel drive, the moon providing the only light other than the car’s high beams. He slowly made his way to the farmhouse at the end of the quarter-mile lane, wondering how she’d react when she found out who’d driven her home. He didn’t have to wait long to find out. He’d avoided most of the holes in the rutted lane,but the car still bounced several times, finally waking her.
It took all of two seconds for Willa to realize she wasn’t home in bed. Her gaze swung wildly from side to side; she was slow to comprehend the door handle and ashtray on one side, but easily recognized the silhouette of the man beside her. The same man she’d been dreaming about … That meant that he’d really carried her—
“What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded as she lurched forward, grabbing onto the dashboard to keep from falling back onto the seat.
“Ah, the lovely princess has awakened. I see your temper doesn’t improve with rest.” At her glare, he continued, “What I think I’m doing is driving you home. This is the right address, isn’t it? All these silos look the same in the dark.” He opened his door and the interior light came on. He started to lean toward her, but stopped when she backed up against the door.
“Don’t even think about it,” she warned, eyeing him warily. “I’ve had enough of predatory males for one evening, thank you.”
“Fine, have it your way. Still, you’d probably be more comfortable if you would let me put the seat up.”
Her face flamed. “I’m sorry, I … It’s been a hell of a day.” She shook her head as if to clear the cobwebs, and the elastic band holding her hair slid off onto the seat.
Nick’s gaze shifted to her hair, more gold than red in the dim overhead light, and watched it cascade around her shoulders. She looked like Sleeping Beauty must have looked just after being awakened.
Willa scrambled to get out of the car. While she fumbled with the high-tech lock on the door, Nick grabbed his cane and circled the car to her door. “It’s unlocked,” he said, but she didn’t hear him through the glass. He pulled the door open and bent in to help her as she started to climb out. Their heads connected with an audible thud and Willa plopped back down on the seat.
Both of them were swearing now and rubbing their foreheads. “I don’t know which is more dangerous,” Nick said. “You or the car. And where in the world did you learn to swear like that?”
“My father tried his best to shield me from the baser aspects of sports, but when you spend your formative years around training facilities filled with professional athletes, you’re bound to learn a few unusual phrases.”
Nick chuckled, then winced as his hand foundthe other knot forming on the back of his head. “Didn’t know you could do that to a football.”
“What happened tonight? Why are you here? Or should I say, why were you there?” Gingerly probing the sore spot on her forehead, she started to rephrase the vague question when Nick waved her silent.
Knowing that now was definitely not the time to tell her the real reason he had been conveniently available, he resorted to fabricating an answer. “Call it a strange coincidence, but I had stopped in at Bennigan’s around the corner, and as I was leaving I got lost in the confusing maze of parking lots surrounding those office buildings.” She looked skeptical, but hell, on a moment’s notice, he thought it sounded pretty good. “Anyway, I was turning around in Devon’s lot when I saw you leaning on your car. I pulled over to see if you needed help and you fainted dead away.” In my arms , he wanted to add, but didn’t.
Willa didn’t feel like remembering, much less discussing, the events that had led up to the finale of her so-called date. She knew there was something about Nick’s story that didn’t add up, but her head was pounding and she decided she could dissect it later.
He turned onto the gravel drive, the moon providing the only light other than the car’s high beams. He slowly made his way to the farmhouse at the end of the quarter-mile lane, wondering how she’d react when she found out who’d driven her home. He didn’t have to wait long to find out. He’d avoided most of the holes in the rutted lane,but the car still bounced several times, finally waking her.
It took all of two seconds for Willa to realize she wasn’t home in bed. Her gaze swung wildly from side to side; she was slow to comprehend the door handle and ashtray on one side, but easily recognized the silhouette of the man beside her. The same man she’d been dreaming about … That meant that he’d really carried her—
“What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded as she lurched forward, grabbing onto the dashboard to keep from falling back onto the seat.
“Ah, the lovely princess has awakened. I see your temper doesn’t improve with rest.” At her glare, he continued, “What I think I’m doing is driving you home. This is the right address, isn’t it? All these silos look the same in the dark.” He opened his door and the interior light came on. He started to lean toward her, but stopped when she backed up against the door.
“Don’t even think about it,” she warned, eyeing him warily. “I’ve had enough of predatory males for one evening, thank you.”
“Fine, have it your way. Still, you’d probably be more comfortable if you would let me put the seat up.”
Her face flamed. “I’m sorry, I … It’s been a hell of a day.” She shook her head as if to clear the cobwebs, and the elastic band holding her hair slid off onto the seat.
Nick’s gaze shifted to her hair, more gold than red in the dim overhead light, and watched it cascade around her shoulders. She looked like Sleeping Beauty must have looked just after being awakened.
Willa scrambled to get out of the car. While she fumbled with the high-tech lock on the door, Nick grabbed his cane and circled the car to her door. “It’s unlocked,” he said, but she didn’t hear him through the glass. He pulled the door open and bent in to help her as she started to climb out. Their heads connected with an audible thud and Willa plopped back down on the seat.
Both of them were swearing now and rubbing their foreheads. “I don’t know which is more dangerous,” Nick said. “You or the car. And where in the world did you learn to swear like that?”
“My father tried his best to shield me from the baser aspects of sports, but when you spend your formative years around training facilities filled with professional athletes, you’re bound to learn a few unusual phrases.”
Nick chuckled, then winced as his hand foundthe other knot forming on the back of his head. “Didn’t know you could do that to a football.”
“What happened tonight? Why are you here? Or should I say, why were you there?” Gingerly probing the sore spot on her forehead, she started to rephrase the vague question when Nick waved her silent.
Knowing that now was definitely not the time to tell her the real reason he had been conveniently available, he resorted to fabricating an answer. “Call it a strange coincidence, but I had stopped in at Bennigan’s around the corner, and as I was leaving I got lost in the confusing maze of parking lots surrounding those office buildings.” She looked skeptical, but hell, on a moment’s notice, he thought it sounded pretty good. “Anyway, I was turning around in Devon’s lot when I saw you leaning on your car. I pulled over to see if you needed help and you fainted dead away.” In my arms , he wanted to add, but didn’t.
Willa didn’t feel like remembering, much less discussing, the events that had led up to the finale of her so-called date. She knew there was something about Nick’s story that didn’t add up, but her head was pounding and she decided she could dissect it later.
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