under a strict regimen
and had time to reflect on his actions. Even so, no amount of atonement could
ease his conscience. He was a dangerous man. If he let his guard down, Lauren
might get hurt.
That was unacceptable.
He’d already crossed the line with her. Filling his hands with
her ass hadn’t been very smart of him. He still wasn’t sure if he’d done it on
purpose. He’d been inches from kissing her, seconds from abandoning his good
intentions.
The notion that she might let him
kiss her had entered his mind. For whatever reason, she seemed to think he was a
nice guy. Sometimes she frowned at him in annoyance. Other times, she looked at
his mouth and his body in a way that drove him insane.
She might let him do more than kiss her.
Garrett quickly discarded that idea as outrageous. He was
filthy, inside and out. She’d been giving him a medical
exam and he’d gotten aroused. Christ, she hadn’t even realized she
was turning him on.
If she wanted anything from him, it was comfort. But he wasn’t
capable of tenderness. Given half a chance, he’d rip off her clothes and bury
himself in her.
He smothered a groan, shifting his legs.
Earlier tonight, he’d seen her reflection in the side mirror.
She’d washed before bed, sliding a cloth along her slender arms. He’d waited,
breathless, for her to unfasten her bra. Instead, she’d covered up with a
T-shirt.
He squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to picture her naked
breasts, but it was a losing battle. There wasn’t much he could do about his
hard-on, either. He adjusted the fly of his jeans, weighing his options.
Stroking himself off would only bring temporary relief.
“Hey,” Lauren whispered.
Garrett jumped at the sound, jerking his hand away from his
lap. She was at the driver’s side, looking down through the half-open window.
How long had she been watching him? He rose to his feet, his neck suffusing with
heat. “Hey.”
“How’re you feeling?”
“Fine.”
“No more aches and pains?”
Only in his groin. “Not really.”
She glanced toward Jeb’s hideaway. “Sounds like the good ol’
boys went to bed.”
“They’ve been quiet for a while now.”
“Why don’t you come in and get some rest?”
He wanted to, but he didn’t trust himself not to touch her.
“You have to sleep sometime, Garrett. How can you protect us if
you feel half-dead tomorrow?”
She had a good point; he was exhausted.
“Please. We can lock the door.”
“Okay,” he said. “I’ll take the front seat.”
Her teeth flashed white in the dim light as she opened the door
and stepped down. “Great. I just have to pee.”
“In the RV?”
“No, I’ll go behind the semi. Stand right there and don’t
look.”
He turned his back dutifully, smiling a little. When she was
finished, she walked over to the triage tent to check on Sam and Mrs. E. Nodding
with satisfaction, she returned to the semi, climbing in ahead of him.
He locked both doors and rolled up the windows, leaving only a
crack of space. Lauren curled up in the sleeper cab, while he stretched out on
the passenger seat. The reclining position was a hell of a lot more comfortable
than the hard ground.
“Here,” she said, handing him a sweatshirt.
“What’s this for?”
“Blanket.”
He was used to sleeping on a bare mattress, so he felt
strangely touched by the gesture. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
After he covered his arms with the XL sweatshirt, he closed his
eyes, surprised at how drowsy he was. He thought he’d be nervous and aroused in
her presence, but he was too tired to think about sex. For once.
“I feel safe with you,” she whispered.
It was the last thing he heard before he fell asleep.
* * *
O WEN COULDN ’ T STAND Jeb
and Mickey.
He’d been unconscious for at least twenty-four hours, and he’d
felt groggy when he’d woken up in the bed of a strange pickup truck. They’d been
treating him like a whipping boy ever since. Get this, do that. Follow
and had time to reflect on his actions. Even so, no amount of atonement could
ease his conscience. He was a dangerous man. If he let his guard down, Lauren
might get hurt.
That was unacceptable.
He’d already crossed the line with her. Filling his hands with
her ass hadn’t been very smart of him. He still wasn’t sure if he’d done it on
purpose. He’d been inches from kissing her, seconds from abandoning his good
intentions.
The notion that she might let him
kiss her had entered his mind. For whatever reason, she seemed to think he was a
nice guy. Sometimes she frowned at him in annoyance. Other times, she looked at
his mouth and his body in a way that drove him insane.
She might let him do more than kiss her.
Garrett quickly discarded that idea as outrageous. He was
filthy, inside and out. She’d been giving him a medical
exam and he’d gotten aroused. Christ, she hadn’t even realized she
was turning him on.
If she wanted anything from him, it was comfort. But he wasn’t
capable of tenderness. Given half a chance, he’d rip off her clothes and bury
himself in her.
He smothered a groan, shifting his legs.
Earlier tonight, he’d seen her reflection in the side mirror.
She’d washed before bed, sliding a cloth along her slender arms. He’d waited,
breathless, for her to unfasten her bra. Instead, she’d covered up with a
T-shirt.
He squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to picture her naked
breasts, but it was a losing battle. There wasn’t much he could do about his
hard-on, either. He adjusted the fly of his jeans, weighing his options.
Stroking himself off would only bring temporary relief.
“Hey,” Lauren whispered.
Garrett jumped at the sound, jerking his hand away from his
lap. She was at the driver’s side, looking down through the half-open window.
How long had she been watching him? He rose to his feet, his neck suffusing with
heat. “Hey.”
“How’re you feeling?”
“Fine.”
“No more aches and pains?”
Only in his groin. “Not really.”
She glanced toward Jeb’s hideaway. “Sounds like the good ol’
boys went to bed.”
“They’ve been quiet for a while now.”
“Why don’t you come in and get some rest?”
He wanted to, but he didn’t trust himself not to touch her.
“You have to sleep sometime, Garrett. How can you protect us if
you feel half-dead tomorrow?”
She had a good point; he was exhausted.
“Please. We can lock the door.”
“Okay,” he said. “I’ll take the front seat.”
Her teeth flashed white in the dim light as she opened the door
and stepped down. “Great. I just have to pee.”
“In the RV?”
“No, I’ll go behind the semi. Stand right there and don’t
look.”
He turned his back dutifully, smiling a little. When she was
finished, she walked over to the triage tent to check on Sam and Mrs. E. Nodding
with satisfaction, she returned to the semi, climbing in ahead of him.
He locked both doors and rolled up the windows, leaving only a
crack of space. Lauren curled up in the sleeper cab, while he stretched out on
the passenger seat. The reclining position was a hell of a lot more comfortable
than the hard ground.
“Here,” she said, handing him a sweatshirt.
“What’s this for?”
“Blanket.”
He was used to sleeping on a bare mattress, so he felt
strangely touched by the gesture. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
After he covered his arms with the XL sweatshirt, he closed his
eyes, surprised at how drowsy he was. He thought he’d be nervous and aroused in
her presence, but he was too tired to think about sex. For once.
“I feel safe with you,” she whispered.
It was the last thing he heard before he fell asleep.
* * *
O WEN COULDN ’ T STAND Jeb
and Mickey.
He’d been unconscious for at least twenty-four hours, and he’d
felt groggy when he’d woken up in the bed of a strange pickup truck. They’d been
treating him like a whipping boy ever since. Get this, do that. Follow
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