call earlier, I was on a date date. Or a not-so-date-date.” She sighed. “Never mind.” She paused. “No, I have no idea what I was thinking going out with a guy who has tickets to the ballet. You’re right. And no, I’m not alone. I’m with Mark Diego— No, he’s not still cute. He’s…” Rainey looked Mark over from head to toe and back again, and her eyes darkened. “Never mind that either! What? No, I’m not going to bring him to dinner this week! Why? Because…because he’s busy. Very busy.”
Mark leaned in close. “Hi, Mrs. Saunders.”
Rainey covered the phone with her hand and glared up at him. “What are you doing?”
He had no idea. “Does she still make that amazing lasagna—”
“Yes, not that you’re going to taste it. Now shh! No, not you, Mom.” She put her hand over Mark’s face, pushing him away. “Uh oh, Mom, bad connection.” She faked the sound of static. “Love you. Bye!”
Mark remembered Rainey’s parents fondly. Her father was a trucker and traveled a lot. Her mother taught English at the high school. She was sweet and fun, and there was no doubt where Rainey had gotten her spirit from. “Your mom likes me.”
“Yeah, but she likes everyone.” She walked through the parking lot, then stopped short so unexpectedly he nearly plowed into the back of her. “I can’t remember where I parked.” Her phone rang again. “Oh for god’s sake, Mom,” she muttered, then frowned at the readout. “Okay, not my mom. Hello?” Her body suddenly tensed, and she peered into the dark night. “Who is this?”
Mark shifted in closer, a hand at the small of her back as he eyed the lot around them.
“No,” she said. “I didn’t say that. And I certainly didn’t threaten you then, but I am now. Keep your hands off Sharee, Martin, and don’t ever call me again.” She shoved the phone back into her purse.
“Who was that?”
“Sharee’s father. Says I’m interfering where my interfering ass doesn’t belong. I’m to shut up and be quiet—which I believe is a double negative.” She looked around them and shivered. “And I still can’t remember where I parked, dammit.”
“Over here.” He led her to his truck and got her into the passenger seat, leaning down to buckle her seat belt before locking her in. “Did he threaten you?” he asked when he was behind the wheel.
“No, I threatened him. And I’m really not supposed to do that.”
“Your secret’s safe with me,” Mark said. “Tell me exactly what he said to you.”
She sighed and sank into his leather seats, looking so fucking adorable, he felt his throat tighten. “It should piss me off when you get all possessive and protective,” she said. “But it’s oddly and disturbingly cute.”
He stared at her. “Cute?”
“Yeah.” She was quiet as he pulled out of the lot, and he wondered if she’d fallen asleep.
“Did you know I hadn’t had sex in a year?” she asked, then sighed. “I really missed the orgasms.”
Since he was dizzy with the subject change it took him a moment to formulate a response. “Orgasms are good.”
“Better than lasagna.”
“Damn A straight.” He had them halfway home before she spoke again.
“Mark?”
“Yeah?”
She turned her head to look at him, her face hidden by the night. “My car isn’t a truck.”
“No?”
“And my car doesn’t go this fast, and certainly not this smooth.”
“Huh,” he said.
“Wait.” She sat straight up, restrained by the seat belt. “Are you kidnapping me?”
He slid her a look. “And if I was?”
“I don’t know. I’m not tied up or anything.”
“Did you want to be?”
“No, of course not.” But her eyes glazed over and not from fear, making him both hard and amused at the same time.
RAINEY WAS STILL nice and buzzed but she knew that she was mad at Mark. Somehow that made him all the more dark and sexy. She eyed his tie. He was so sexy in that tie. “I’ve been thinking....”
“Always
Mark leaned in close. “Hi, Mrs. Saunders.”
Rainey covered the phone with her hand and glared up at him. “What are you doing?”
He had no idea. “Does she still make that amazing lasagna—”
“Yes, not that you’re going to taste it. Now shh! No, not you, Mom.” She put her hand over Mark’s face, pushing him away. “Uh oh, Mom, bad connection.” She faked the sound of static. “Love you. Bye!”
Mark remembered Rainey’s parents fondly. Her father was a trucker and traveled a lot. Her mother taught English at the high school. She was sweet and fun, and there was no doubt where Rainey had gotten her spirit from. “Your mom likes me.”
“Yeah, but she likes everyone.” She walked through the parking lot, then stopped short so unexpectedly he nearly plowed into the back of her. “I can’t remember where I parked.” Her phone rang again. “Oh for god’s sake, Mom,” she muttered, then frowned at the readout. “Okay, not my mom. Hello?” Her body suddenly tensed, and she peered into the dark night. “Who is this?”
Mark shifted in closer, a hand at the small of her back as he eyed the lot around them.
“No,” she said. “I didn’t say that. And I certainly didn’t threaten you then, but I am now. Keep your hands off Sharee, Martin, and don’t ever call me again.” She shoved the phone back into her purse.
“Who was that?”
“Sharee’s father. Says I’m interfering where my interfering ass doesn’t belong. I’m to shut up and be quiet—which I believe is a double negative.” She looked around them and shivered. “And I still can’t remember where I parked, dammit.”
“Over here.” He led her to his truck and got her into the passenger seat, leaning down to buckle her seat belt before locking her in. “Did he threaten you?” he asked when he was behind the wheel.
“No, I threatened him. And I’m really not supposed to do that.”
“Your secret’s safe with me,” Mark said. “Tell me exactly what he said to you.”
She sighed and sank into his leather seats, looking so fucking adorable, he felt his throat tighten. “It should piss me off when you get all possessive and protective,” she said. “But it’s oddly and disturbingly cute.”
He stared at her. “Cute?”
“Yeah.” She was quiet as he pulled out of the lot, and he wondered if she’d fallen asleep.
“Did you know I hadn’t had sex in a year?” she asked, then sighed. “I really missed the orgasms.”
Since he was dizzy with the subject change it took him a moment to formulate a response. “Orgasms are good.”
“Better than lasagna.”
“Damn A straight.” He had them halfway home before she spoke again.
“Mark?”
“Yeah?”
She turned her head to look at him, her face hidden by the night. “My car isn’t a truck.”
“No?”
“And my car doesn’t go this fast, and certainly not this smooth.”
“Huh,” he said.
“Wait.” She sat straight up, restrained by the seat belt. “Are you kidnapping me?”
He slid her a look. “And if I was?”
“I don’t know. I’m not tied up or anything.”
“Did you want to be?”
“No, of course not.” But her eyes glazed over and not from fear, making him both hard and amused at the same time.
RAINEY WAS STILL nice and buzzed but she knew that she was mad at Mark. Somehow that made him all the more dark and sexy. She eyed his tie. He was so sexy in that tie. “I’ve been thinking....”
“Always
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