The Promise of Love by Billi Jean

them, too, but hey, it’ll be fun.”
    “You said that.” She pressed her head to his warm chest.
    How can I be so attracted to him already? So quickly?
    “Thank you, I would like to go,” she added while he held her. “I’m sorry.”
    “No, don’t say that, really, I get it. Okay, I push hard, what can I say? It’s my downfall maybe, I’m pushy and impatient.”
    She frowned at that, not agreeing. “I don’t think so,” she said shyly, and wiggled until he loosened his death grip. “I think you’re kinda nice.”
    “Gee, thanks.”
    She snorted and shook her head. “But never serious.” He ducked and kissed her. Once their lips touched, every doubt melted away. Or whatever remained of them once he’d returned, larger than life, she admitted. She sighed and tightened her fingers on his shirt, deepening the kiss on her own. Just like he always did, he took over making her toes curl. He dragged her leg up his thigh and fit his erection tightly to her pussy. Passion erupted all over again, but at the same time, that subtle doubt that all he wanted was sex rose to the surface.
    He broke off the kiss, surprising her, and tugged her braid. “None of that or you’ll be dragging me back to bed. First we hike and I see if you like turkey and cheddar or roast beef and Muenster better.”
    “You are too much.” There was no heat to her words, instead her heart fluttered at the way he was treating her—as if he really wanted to spend time with her. Thoughtfully, like he had last night and this morning, too. “I like both,” she added.
    “Ah, good,” he said with an exaggerated-sounding sigh. “Because I got a veggie and a ham one, too, in case.”
    “You did not!” she exclaimed, but he shrugged. “You did?”
    “I’m a big guy, I eat a lot.”
    She could attest to the ‘big’, she still felt the memory of him making love to her. The sensation had her on pins and needles, wanting more, but not sure if she should.
    He gathered her coat and picked up the pair of her socks she’d thrown at him and tossed them at her. She caught them and smiled at his whistle.
    “Nice catch, how about you get ready? I’ll go warm up the truck. Get your gloves and hat, too, it might snow.”
    She nodded and watched him confidently gather a few things from his bag then bend to kiss her.
    “I’ll be quick.”
    “No hurry, it’ll give me time to make sure the truck’s warm.”
    His thoughtfulness eased the doubts so much that she smiled and blew him a kiss he pretended to catch as he eased out of the room. Immediately quiet descended. He filled a room. That’s what David did. He took all the darkness away and replaced it with his big personality.
    She smiled and covered the happy laugh that rose. He did like her. He liked her as much as she liked him—she hoped. Either way, she was staying. She got her boots on, then raced to the bathroom. She rearranged her things and quickly adjusted her braid, tugging it like he did, and smiled wider at the happiness that overflowed her eyes.
    Happiness. He did that to me, made me happy. Just breathe. Go with it, and him.
     

Chapter Six
     
     
     
    David started the truck and immediately hit the steering wheel.
    She was gonna leave . He couldn’t believe how right he’d been. She had to think he was after tail and nothing else. Any other time, any other woman, and she’d be right.
    Not this time.
    He hit the steering wheel again with the palm of his hand. He had to show her a bit more than how much he wanted to make her scream. She never did scream—she had no idea how insane that made him, knowing she was so lost to the pleasure she couldn’t even gather enough breath to shout.
    But sex isn’t gonna get her trust, dumbass.
    No it isn’t. Use your head.
    “Yeah, both, maybe.” He watched her rush out of the side door of the hotel and scan the parking lot. She was so damn pretty that his breath stalled in his throat. Men dreamed of women like Paris. She spotted the