by Marie Savage
“You asked me where I was going. California, I’m heading to California,” Aimee Jo said as her mind was made up now that she would accept his help, if he still was offering it.
California—he wasn’t expecting that answer. Mississippi, Louisiana, maybe as far as Texas, but not California, the same place he was going. This was getting more interesting by the second.
“California, huh? What part?” He had a hard time toning down the irritation in his voice. He was still pissed off with her for turning her back to him.
“Los Angeles,” she muttered.
Los Angeles? Luke knew he would have to drive near the LA area on Hwy 99 as he headed to Sacramento. He supposed he could drop her off somewhere close to LA. He could also just lend her the money to buy a bus ticket. It wouldn’t really be lending, as he would never see a dime of it again, but it beat the alternative of driving her there. But a pretty girl like her, alone on a bus for that long, would definitely spell trouble for her. Of course, her riding with him could mean trouble for him.
It was too risky of getting cozy, since he already felt off-balance in her presence. Could he do it? Could he really bring this beautiful girl along with him for at least four days, and not try to talk her out of her panties? He was not one to offer favors, unless of course he had something to gain, like getting laid.
Did that make him a dick? It depended on who you asked, he supposed, but no girl leaving his bed had ever seemed to mind. But he had opened his big fucking mouth and offered, and had hinted at no strings being attached. He may be a dog but he wasn’t a liar or a cheat. He said he would take her where she needed to go, and he meant that.
But now that he’d met her, he wouldn’t be able to sleep, worrying if she was okay. What if those guys were somewhere close, waiting for him to leave so they could swoop in? She was alone and desperate—not a good thing for someone as pretty as she was. If she wasn’t a lot lizard now, she could easily become one if she was left with no other options. The thought of that somehow disturbed him deeply.
Damn it, he thought. He was no fucking hero. Why couldn’t he just be a jerk and leave? He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Look, it just so happens that I am delivering a load to California. Los Angeles is on the way from where I am dropping it off. If you want, I can give you a ride to California,” he said out loud as his mind was screaming. Well, shit, you did it now, you stupid ass.
Aimee Jo had to take a leap of faith. Maybe she still had a chance at her dream. Could she trust him, though? She wanted to trust him, she so wanted to trust someone. She really hoped she wasn’t making a big mistake. “Yes, please,” she whispered.
The way she said those two words instantly made him hard. He was in trouble with this one, no doubt. “All right then, come on,” Luke spoke before he could change his mind. “My rig is over by the gas station. Let me get your suitcase.” He reached for the handle but Aimee Jo snatched it back behind her.
“No, you don’t have to. I will get it.” She held on to it tightly, not wanting to be more of a burden to him. She had already lost so much; the bag was all she had left.
Luke’s suspicions kicked into overdrive. He was right. Something didn’t add up. The way she wouldn’t let go of the suitcase—she was hiding something. He stepped in front of her, blocking her way. He may be horny but he wasn’t fucking stupid. He had managed for years to not be a sucker, and he wasn’t about to start now. “All right, before we go anywhere, open it up,” he demanded.
“What?” Aimee Jo was caught off guard by his command.
“The suitcase—open it up. I need to check it out. I don’t want any trouble.” He had to admit it was a pretty good scheme. A damsel in distress, he offers her a ride, and he gets caught smuggling drugs. He just bet that trooper was a part of this, and as soon as they were headed down the highway, he would be pulled over and busted.
“I don’t understand.” Aimee Jo was sad that he was no longer acting nice. Why did he care about what was in her suitcase? How much trouble could a dress, a brush, and her meemaw’s bible be?
Luke was tired of playing games as he grabbed up the suitcase before she had time to object.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Aimee Jo was shocked by his strange behavior. Maybe going with him was a mistake after all.
He unzipped the very light bag and found that it was practically empty. A few articles of clothing and the bible she had earlier, and that was it. He searched every corner and pocket. He was glad he didn’t find any drugs but was disturbed by how little the girl had.
Aimee Jo snatched her bag back as he released it. She was embarrassed he snooped through her stuff, but sort of understood why he did it. He didn’t know her any better than she knew him.
“Sorry, I had to be sure,” he apologized, but Aimee Jo was not ready to let him off the hook.
“Well, if you thought about it, the state trooper is the one that brought my suitcase back to me. If I was carrying something illegal, do you think I would be standing with you right now?” she snapped at him as she zipped up her suitcase again.
Well, hello, Miss Feisty, he smiled, thinking to himself. Maybe this trip wouldn’t be so bad, after all. “Good point. All right, let’s get going.” He grabbed her bag again, but this time just to be the gentleman his mama had raised him to be. She allowed his act of chivalry and followed along beside him.
“Mr. McIntyre, wait,” she called out.
He stopped and looked at her with a raised eyebrow and a scowl on his face.
“I’m sorry, Luke. Are you sure you’re okay taking me to California?” She wanted to give him one more chance to back down, in case he changed his mind.
“Didn’t we already go through this?” he challenged before walking again.
“And you don’t want anything in return?” She grabbed hold of his arm and halted him. It was a bold move on her part and the territorial look he was now giving her made her think that she just made a grave mistake. She quickly let go of his elbow as thoughts of what was in this for him weighed on her mind.
She touched him and it set his skin on fire, but not in a bad way. She wasn’t very bright grabbing a guy’s arm like that. Actually, she wasn’t being very smart, at all, accepting a ride from a complete stranger. Didn’t anyone ever teach her any better?
But damn, her touch was like an electrical shock to his body. What was it about this chick that had him so worked up? Was the fact that it had been weeks since his last hookup, now having him break all the rules he tried to follow? That had to be it. She wanted him to state his terms, but that was not how he played the game. No way was he begging for pussy. He had never had to before, and he’d be damned if he started now, no matter how beautiful she was.
Besides, he could tell right away that she was not the sleeping around type. She was the dangerous type, which unfortunately for him, meant off limits. She was the bring home and introduce to mama and get married type. No way was he going there. He would be a nice guy and help her out, but that was it. He may have blue balls by the end, but that would be easily taken care of once he dropped her off and hit his familiar stops.
“The only thing I want from you, darlin’, is to hurry your ass up and get in the truck. We’re burning daylight,” he said before walking again.
When they finally stopped in front of Luke’s rig, Aimee Jo looked up at the gigantic truck in awe. “Wait, we’re riding in this?” Aimee Jo had seen big rigs on the road, but she had never stood this close to one, much less rode in one. She thought when he said truck that it would be a nice pickup truck, not this huge monster.
“Look, darlin’, I am not up for a game of twenty questions right now. The day is going by fast and I still have to make it to Louisiana tonight.” He stood by his truck, grabbing the keys out of his pocket. “Do you want a ride to California or not?”
She nodded and looked up at him as he stood by the shiny blue and silver truck. She had never seen anything like it. He unlocked the passenger door and lifted t
he suitcase up, sliding it over. When he turned to her, after climbing back down, she had a hundred-dollar bill in her hand, holding it out to him.
“Here, it’s all I have left, but please take it. I really appreciate you doing this for me,” she said sincerely.
Luke stared at the crinkled bill. Once again, his guard was up. Was this a setup? He looked around, waiting to be ambushed at any moment, by God knows who. The coast seemed clear, but it didn’t help the fact that he was pissed off. He remembered her saying she was almost broke. She would need that money plus more if she was headed to California. No way would he leave her broke.
“Put that away, and don’t let me see it again, do you understand?” Luke managed to keep his voice calm. No sense in biting her head off, when all she was trying to do was do the right thing.
She smiled shyly, putting the money back in her wallet as he gestured for her to get in the truck.
“It is pretty easy to climb in. Just grab hold here and place your feet here, and lift yourself up,” he instructed as she moved in front of him.
She did like he said and he remained behind her, just in case she fell. She hopped so quickly that he got a nice look at her hot pink bikini panties. His dick was hard instantaneously. Good thing his shirt was untucked, and hopefully she didn’t notice.
She paused a second at the doorway when she saw the white decal of a lizard with a line through it next to the door. “What does this sticker mean? You don’t like lizards?” she asked, looking down to notice he was staring at her ass. He finally looked into her eyes when he noticed she had stopped.
“Did you say something?” he asked as the vision of what he just peeked at was cemented in his brain.
“Never mind.” Aimee Jo shook her head and continued to climb up. Men were all the same. Once she was inside the cab, Luke shut her door and walked around the other side.
Aimee Jo looked around in amazement, but she was afraid to touch anything or even sit down. Everything was clean and so shiny. She watched as Luke jumped in effortlessly, sat down, and shut his door. She was trapped inside with him now. If he was going to try anything, she was defenseless. She began to panic a little.
“So, what do you think?” he asked as she continued looking around the cab.
“It’s different. You sit so high up. It must feel strange to drive it,” she remarked as she still wouldn’t sit down.
“You haven’t even seen the best part. Come on,” Luke said as he pulled back the black curtain behind him and went further inside the truck.
Aimee Jo cautiously followed, reminding herself that it still wasn’t too late to bail out if she acted quickly. What did he want to show her? Would he lock her in a cage? Would he try to rape her? She would be prepared to fight for her life, if she had to. She had learned a few self-defense moves. He was cute but if she had to hurt him, she would.
She wasn’t prepared at all for what she saw. Rich dark wood cabinets with granite counters and a tiled floor. There was a refrigerator, microwave, oven, stove, sink, and a TV. There was a table with bench seating and a bed. This tiny space had all the basic and creature comforts of home. It was a like a small apartment on wheels. Everything was again, so clean and shiny. It looked brand-new.
“Home, sweet home,” he exclaimed, watching for her reaction. He placed her suitcase in the small closet to keep it from rolling around as he drove.
“This is wonderful. Is it new?” She looked around, still not believing what she was seeing.
“I’ve had her a year, but I bought her new, so yeah, I guess you could say she’s still new.” He leaned against the wall, watching her, loving her reaction to it.
She turned to him and smiled, forgetting all her earlier fears, at least for now. “How cool it must be to carry your home with you everywhere you go,” Aimee Jo said as she stepped around the small space, looking at things more closely.
It was the first time Luke had seen her smile, really smile, since he first saw her, and damn, what a smile. He liked that she seemed impressed by his rig. She was only the third person to see it, besides his sister and mom. He never brought a woman here. That part of his life he liked to keep separate. Since he already decided that she was off limits, he was glad he could share his good fortune with someone, even if it would only be for a few days.
“Yeah, it has its advantages.” The advantage that was currently coming to his mind was stripping her naked and having his way with her. If he was going to play the role of a perfect gentleman, this was going to be a very long and frustrating four days. He looked around, deciding he better set some ground rules fast.
“Here’s the deal. Now, I don’t normally bring passengers with me. In all honesty, I’ve never brought anyone with me before. So, when I am driving you are free to sleep on the bed and make yourself at home. When I park it, it means I will need to rest. So you will have to be quiet and give up the bed so I can sleep.” Luke finished his little speech as Aimee Jo stood and listened, nodding her head in confirmation.
“Okay, fair enough. I won’t be a problem, I swear.” She meant it. She would do her best to not be more of a burden than she already was.
No problem? Luke thought, oh, this girl had no fucking idea. The very thought of her sweet little body and pretty face here in close quarters with him for at least four days was a huge problem.
“Well, it’s four o’clock now, so I am going to start up. I need to refuel and we will be heading out shortly. I have a few hours left of driving to do before I am done for today. It will take us at least four days to get to Los Angeles as long as traffic and weather permit. When I am driving, just be careful and be ready for anything,” he advised.
“Okay, you got it.” She remained on the other side of the small room, giving him as much distance as possible. It would be hard to not crowd each other out, but she would do her best. Right now, she was just thankful he seemed on the up-and-up and was not trying to take advantage of her.
“All right, make yourself at home, Aimee Jo.” Luke went back up front, sitting in his seat. Having her so near was driving him nuts. It had been a long while since he last scratched that itch. His body, mostly his dick, craved a woman, and he craved this woman even more.
But he couldn’t do that to her. She trusted him and she seemed so damn innocent. His mind raced with her predicament. Why would a sweet southern girl like her want to go to Los Angeles? He never liked California; except for the mountain areas, he thought it was just one big tourist trap.
Alabama was his home, Geneva, Alabama to be exact. That was, of course, before he decided to make the road his home. His mama and baby sister still lived there, and of course, his father. He only visited on the holidays now. The less he was around his father, the better it was in his eyes.
Luke went ahead with his normal routine. He gassed up and after logging back in, pulled the curtain back to check on his guest. He hadn’t heard a peep out of her, since he showed her the cabin. For a split second, he worried that she had somehow taken off. He was relieved when he noticed her curled up on his bed, fast asleep. Poor kid was probably exhausted from the shit storm from today. He hoped that whoever was in LA was ready to take care of her. Slowly and quietly, he closed the curtain back.
The sound of a loud burst of air startled Aimee Jo awake. She wondered how long she had been asleep, since she barely remembered lying down. She’d only wanted to shut her eyes for a few minutes, hoping the throbbing pain in her head would go away. Sitting up, she found that her headache had eased off a bit. She still couldn’t believe she was doing this, taking a ride from a complete stranger. It was so unlike her.
“You okay?” He was amused by her jumpiness, and he was very surprised she had slept so long. He supposed that after the bad luck she had experienced this afternoon, it had worn her out, so he let her sleep it off. He was hoping that she would have eventually awakened and joined him up front while he drove the boring stretch of road.
“Yes, what was that noise?” She did her best
to straighten her hair as she sat on the bed. She must look like a hot mess, after crying and now sleeping.
“Just some air pressure. I’m parking it for the night.” He double checked all his gauges as he spoke to her. He was exhausted but was glad he made it as far as he did. It was a good thing he knew these parts well and knew exactly where he could park with no trouble. He would have to leave the truck idling so they could run the air conditioner. Even after the sun had long set, it was still very muggy outside and it wouldn’t take long for the cab to be like an oven. He doubted he would get any complaints about leaving his truck running in this place.
“What time is it?” she asked, as she watched him very closely. Right now, he seemed harmless, but she still really didn’t know for sure if she could trust him. Although it was a little too late to be thinking about that, since she agreed to the ride.
“Almost midnight,” he answered as he continued his shutdown.
“Wow, was I asleep that long?” She quickly calculated that they left Mobile at around five o’clock. Had she really slept for seven hours or had he drugged her? She felt okay and her headache was gone.
“Yep, guess you needed it.” He finally looked over at her and smiled. It was a kind smile, not a creepy smile, so she relaxed a little.
Taking in her surroundings, she still couldn’t believe she was crazy enough to have agreed to this. She was alone inside a truck with a strange, albeit a good-looking man. He could be some kind of psycho killer who picked up innocent girls and she voluntarily agreed to let him drive her to California. She felt a little safer while he was occupied with driving, but now that they stopped, what did he plan to do? Maybe she should get out and go inside the truck stop and try to come up with a better plan to get to California, even though she had no ideas and barely any money.