tonight.
“What’s in the basket?” she asked.
“It’s a surprise from Mary.”
“Chocolate chip cookies?”
“Good guess, but I’m not telling. You’ll have to wait and see.”
Her full lips turned into a plump pout, but the excitement practically sparkled in her eyes. So she liked surprises. As much as he liked giving them.
He tried not to think of the ways he could use this to his advantage—and for her satisfaction. That could be dangerously addictive.
Trying to get his mind back on track, Luke directed Avery on where to enter the theater grounds, purchase tickets and choose one of the rows. As she started to pull into one of the slots next to an old-school microphone stand, he stopped her. “Reverse it.”
She froze with her hands properly held in the ten-and two-o’clock positions on the steering wheel. “What?”
“Back in—so we can climb in the rear and watch from there.” He grinned at her startled look. She really hadn’t been to a drive-in theater. “Just trust me.”
“Um, I don’t back up very well.” Her look met his under her raised brows. “Would you do it?”
The lump in his throat was hard to swallow down, embarrassingly so. “I thought I wasn’t allowed to drive.”
“I’m hoping you won’t be driving over the speed limit here, which is, what? Five miles an hour?” She grinned. “Don’t think you can do much damage going that fast, can you?”
As he rounded the car and slid behind the wheel, the slight shake in his hands left Luke disconcerted. Avery waited outside as he shifted the car into Reverse and smoothly backed it in with minute precision. He sat for a moment, savoring the feel of the wheel in his hands, the hum of the vehicle beneath him, and ached for what he couldn’t have.
Yet. Not if he wanted to heal properly. Some days it didn’t seem worth the wait, but he wanted his lower body to work the rest of his life.
So he forced himself to wait it out, not risk the pressure a sudden accident might put on his healing bones. Not long ago, he’d have trusted in his skills to avoid an accident. Now doubt had set in.
Avery’s gentle knock on the window pulled Luke from his thoughts. He stepped out of the car. “See, easy.”
“Show-off.”
“I can’t help that I have skills.” He winked, officially leaving his melancholy behind. Then he opened the hatch. Propping his cane against the bumper, he started to arrange the back area of her car to his satisfaction. Finally he turned to her. “Climb in.”
With a bemused look she did, then inched her way toward the basket.
“Oh, no you don’t,” Luke said with a chuckle. “No peeking until I say.”
Again with the lovely pout. Those lips might just be the biggest temptation he’d ever faced.
He got the speaker box set up in the corner, then maneuvered himself into the car. The back gate was designed so he could close the hatch, but leave the pop-out window lifted to view the screen. Perfect. The warmth from Avery’s body soaked into his skin as he settled next to her. Had any race ever felt this dangerous?
“And this is why we sit in the back,” he said after clearing his throat. “Much more comfortable.”
“I see.” Avery’s voice sounded breathy.
Good. His considerable ache left him needing to know that she was affected by him, too.
Opening the basket, he pulled out the softest blanket he’d been able to find at Blackstone Manor and draped it over them. The heat multiplied beneath the barrier between them and the cooling autumn air.
“Um, Luke?” That breathlessness had strengthened.
He couldn’t force himself away—not even an inch. “Yes?”
“Is this, um, what you’re supposed to do at the drive-in?”
“Yes.” Oh, yes.
“No wonder my mother never let me come here.”
He grinned, then pulled the basket over to him once more to unearth the goodies inside.
Around them the lot filled with cars. There was lots of chattering as their neighbors got ready for the movies
“What’s in the basket?” she asked.
“It’s a surprise from Mary.”
“Chocolate chip cookies?”
“Good guess, but I’m not telling. You’ll have to wait and see.”
Her full lips turned into a plump pout, but the excitement practically sparkled in her eyes. So she liked surprises. As much as he liked giving them.
He tried not to think of the ways he could use this to his advantage—and for her satisfaction. That could be dangerously addictive.
Trying to get his mind back on track, Luke directed Avery on where to enter the theater grounds, purchase tickets and choose one of the rows. As she started to pull into one of the slots next to an old-school microphone stand, he stopped her. “Reverse it.”
She froze with her hands properly held in the ten-and two-o’clock positions on the steering wheel. “What?”
“Back in—so we can climb in the rear and watch from there.” He grinned at her startled look. She really hadn’t been to a drive-in theater. “Just trust me.”
“Um, I don’t back up very well.” Her look met his under her raised brows. “Would you do it?”
The lump in his throat was hard to swallow down, embarrassingly so. “I thought I wasn’t allowed to drive.”
“I’m hoping you won’t be driving over the speed limit here, which is, what? Five miles an hour?” She grinned. “Don’t think you can do much damage going that fast, can you?”
As he rounded the car and slid behind the wheel, the slight shake in his hands left Luke disconcerted. Avery waited outside as he shifted the car into Reverse and smoothly backed it in with minute precision. He sat for a moment, savoring the feel of the wheel in his hands, the hum of the vehicle beneath him, and ached for what he couldn’t have.
Yet. Not if he wanted to heal properly. Some days it didn’t seem worth the wait, but he wanted his lower body to work the rest of his life.
So he forced himself to wait it out, not risk the pressure a sudden accident might put on his healing bones. Not long ago, he’d have trusted in his skills to avoid an accident. Now doubt had set in.
Avery’s gentle knock on the window pulled Luke from his thoughts. He stepped out of the car. “See, easy.”
“Show-off.”
“I can’t help that I have skills.” He winked, officially leaving his melancholy behind. Then he opened the hatch. Propping his cane against the bumper, he started to arrange the back area of her car to his satisfaction. Finally he turned to her. “Climb in.”
With a bemused look she did, then inched her way toward the basket.
“Oh, no you don’t,” Luke said with a chuckle. “No peeking until I say.”
Again with the lovely pout. Those lips might just be the biggest temptation he’d ever faced.
He got the speaker box set up in the corner, then maneuvered himself into the car. The back gate was designed so he could close the hatch, but leave the pop-out window lifted to view the screen. Perfect. The warmth from Avery’s body soaked into his skin as he settled next to her. Had any race ever felt this dangerous?
“And this is why we sit in the back,” he said after clearing his throat. “Much more comfortable.”
“I see.” Avery’s voice sounded breathy.
Good. His considerable ache left him needing to know that she was affected by him, too.
Opening the basket, he pulled out the softest blanket he’d been able to find at Blackstone Manor and draped it over them. The heat multiplied beneath the barrier between them and the cooling autumn air.
“Um, Luke?” That breathlessness had strengthened.
He couldn’t force himself away—not even an inch. “Yes?”
“Is this, um, what you’re supposed to do at the drive-in?”
“Yes.” Oh, yes.
“No wonder my mother never let me come here.”
He grinned, then pulled the basket over to him once more to unearth the goodies inside.
Around them the lot filled with cars. There was lots of chattering as their neighbors got ready for the movies
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