She’d needed time for some personal grooming she’d let slide. So she’d mentioned she was going to Kalispell and that was it.
Before they got back, Beth slipped on a short denim skirt, a stretchy top and a crazy-cute pair of red Jimmy Choo shoes with a ridiculously high heel, and was out the door.
At 6:55 p.m. she parked her truck behind the old shack, just as Nathan had instructed. She’d barely had time to check her hair and makeup when a pair of headlights swept the dark, scrubby landscape behind her.
She recognized Nathan’s truck, and within seconds he was right there, opening her door and offering her a hand. His hair was damp and combed back, his jaw clean shaven. Her silly heart did that little fluttering thing even before their palms met.
“You look great,” he said, running his gaze down her scoop-neck shirt, lingering a moment on the short hem of her denim skirt and then again on her shoes and matching red toenails.
Oddly, he didn’t seem pleased.
“But?”
He looked up. “Nothing,” he said, shrugging. “You look incredible. I’m not sure you’ll like where I’m taking you.”
“We’re not staying here, are we?” She glanced at the rundown shack and smiled.
Nathan bit off a laugh. “Let’s go.”
Beth let him help her to the truck even though she didn’t need it. The ground was uneven but not too soft, and she was good in heels. He brushed a soft kiss at the corner of her mouth before closing the passenger door. So stupid to have worn lip gloss. She might’ve gotten a better kiss. Though the night was still young.
As soon as they were on the road, she looked back to make sure her small pickup couldn’t be seen from the highway.
“That shack was put there before the highway came through,” Nathan said. “Nothing to worry about.” He leaned over and turned off the radio, although the light from the center console stayed on.
Country music had been playing in the background, low enough it had barely registered. But then, she was too busy eyeing the flexing of his thigh muscles when he engaged the clutch.
“Leave it on if you want. I don’t mind,” she said, finally noticing that his jeans were black and his white shirt was a traditional button-down and not Western. “Where are we going?”
“My place.” Briefly taking his eyes off the road, he glanced at her. “I think it’s our best bet for now.”
“The Lucky 7? Seriously?”
“Are you disappointed?”
She was staring with her mouth open. “No, it’s not that—I thought we agreed to keep things on the down low.”
“My men got paid today. Most of them are at the Watering Hole or in Kalispell. Woody’s playing poker with a couple of the old-timers in the bunkhouse. Nobody will know you’re there.”
“Someone is bound to see me.”
“The garage is attached to the house.”
She had to think about this. She really did need this thing between them to be private. Candace, with her unhealthy attachments to the wrong men, was a bad enough example. Liberty didn’t need to see Beth having a fling, especially with someone who was cutting Liberty a break—she didn’t want her niece to think she was buying favors.
“All right, I see you’re hesitant about my place,” Nathan said. “So let’s talk about it. Kalispell is still an option. It’s a lot bigger than Blackfoot Falls. That doesn’t eliminate the risk of being seen, but it’s more likely we wouldn’t.”
“No, I trust you know best about this. I’m probably being overly cautious. Only because of Liberty. She’s never really had a good role model.” Beth wasn’t in the habit of walking into a prearranged sexual relationship. What if tonight went badly? What if his kinks and hers didn’t mesh? This thing between them could be over in an hour, never to be repeated.
To her relief, he let the subject drop and they made small talk for the remainder of the ride. Before she knew it, they were on the grounds of the Lucky 7, then pulling into
Before they got back, Beth slipped on a short denim skirt, a stretchy top and a crazy-cute pair of red Jimmy Choo shoes with a ridiculously high heel, and was out the door.
At 6:55 p.m. she parked her truck behind the old shack, just as Nathan had instructed. She’d barely had time to check her hair and makeup when a pair of headlights swept the dark, scrubby landscape behind her.
She recognized Nathan’s truck, and within seconds he was right there, opening her door and offering her a hand. His hair was damp and combed back, his jaw clean shaven. Her silly heart did that little fluttering thing even before their palms met.
“You look great,” he said, running his gaze down her scoop-neck shirt, lingering a moment on the short hem of her denim skirt and then again on her shoes and matching red toenails.
Oddly, he didn’t seem pleased.
“But?”
He looked up. “Nothing,” he said, shrugging. “You look incredible. I’m not sure you’ll like where I’m taking you.”
“We’re not staying here, are we?” She glanced at the rundown shack and smiled.
Nathan bit off a laugh. “Let’s go.”
Beth let him help her to the truck even though she didn’t need it. The ground was uneven but not too soft, and she was good in heels. He brushed a soft kiss at the corner of her mouth before closing the passenger door. So stupid to have worn lip gloss. She might’ve gotten a better kiss. Though the night was still young.
As soon as they were on the road, she looked back to make sure her small pickup couldn’t be seen from the highway.
“That shack was put there before the highway came through,” Nathan said. “Nothing to worry about.” He leaned over and turned off the radio, although the light from the center console stayed on.
Country music had been playing in the background, low enough it had barely registered. But then, she was too busy eyeing the flexing of his thigh muscles when he engaged the clutch.
“Leave it on if you want. I don’t mind,” she said, finally noticing that his jeans were black and his white shirt was a traditional button-down and not Western. “Where are we going?”
“My place.” Briefly taking his eyes off the road, he glanced at her. “I think it’s our best bet for now.”
“The Lucky 7? Seriously?”
“Are you disappointed?”
She was staring with her mouth open. “No, it’s not that—I thought we agreed to keep things on the down low.”
“My men got paid today. Most of them are at the Watering Hole or in Kalispell. Woody’s playing poker with a couple of the old-timers in the bunkhouse. Nobody will know you’re there.”
“Someone is bound to see me.”
“The garage is attached to the house.”
She had to think about this. She really did need this thing between them to be private. Candace, with her unhealthy attachments to the wrong men, was a bad enough example. Liberty didn’t need to see Beth having a fling, especially with someone who was cutting Liberty a break—she didn’t want her niece to think she was buying favors.
“All right, I see you’re hesitant about my place,” Nathan said. “So let’s talk about it. Kalispell is still an option. It’s a lot bigger than Blackfoot Falls. That doesn’t eliminate the risk of being seen, but it’s more likely we wouldn’t.”
“No, I trust you know best about this. I’m probably being overly cautious. Only because of Liberty. She’s never really had a good role model.” Beth wasn’t in the habit of walking into a prearranged sexual relationship. What if tonight went badly? What if his kinks and hers didn’t mesh? This thing between them could be over in an hour, never to be repeated.
To her relief, he let the subject drop and they made small talk for the remainder of the ride. Before she knew it, they were on the grounds of the Lucky 7, then pulling into
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