by Dani Wade
“But we could—” Cindy halted when Avery shot a glance full of daggers in her direction.
“Not a problem, since I’m not here for an appointment,” he said.
Avery’s head swam at his words.
“I thought we’d try that drive-in date.”
Her mind went blank. “Why?”
“It’s Friday.” He grinned, charming and carefree. Her complete opposite. “It’ll be fun. You deserve some downtime after this week, don’t you?”
That sounded well and good, but why was he really doing this? Before he’d left the office the other morning, he’d babbled a whole speech about wanting to still be friends, but she hadn’t been buying it. No sexy, charming man like Luke had ever wanted to just be her “friend.”
“She’s overthinking it.” Cindy had to add her two cents’ worth.
“I am not.”
He and Cindy just stared at her in silence.
“Okay, I usually am.” She simply didn’t know how to stop.
Luke didn’t have the same problem. “Don’t think. Just do.”
Easy for him to say. But she had promised herself a taste—of freedom, of passion, of Luke. Stop hemming and hawing and do it. She should just take what little she could get.
After all, it could be fun. The old-fashioned drive-in theater on the north side of Black Hills had never been on Avery’s radar. She loved movies, actually—but in the comfort of her own home. Of course, other than the drive-in, there was only a two-screen theater in the Black Hills square. And it mostly featured kids’ movies and oldies.
The drive-in usually showed current movies. The double features were pretty popular, especially in the summer, when families could go for a kid-friendly movie first, then the adults would watch the more mature movies after laying the kids down to sleep in their cars. So she’d be in public, which should keep her from giving in to all the exciting tingles Luke inspired.
Or maybe not. After all, she’d be in a parked car. In the dark. With Luke.
Stop analyzing. Just do it. “Okay. Want me to drive?”
Luke frowned, none too happy about that, but still nodded his head slowly. “Yeah, that will be easiest.” Then he snapped back to happy Luke. “I’ve brought everything we will need.”
Cindy chuckled, sparking Avery’s irritation. “You planned ahead?”
“Yep.”
“What if I had said no?” Avery asked.
This time, Avery’s assistant didn’t restrain herself to just laughing. She said, “An inexperienced girl like you is not gonna turn down a chance to make out at the drive-in.”
Ouch! Avery couldn’t even look at Luke. Instead she glared across the counter. She must have been at least a little frightening, because her friend grimaced and walked back into the equipment room.
Turning her attention to Luke, Avery startled when she found him up close and personal. Within-kissing-distance close. Something she couldn’t stop noticing.
“I wasn’t trying to insult you,” he said.
“Um, okay.” What was she supposed to say?
“Really, I wasn’t.” He tilted his head to the side. Probably to see her better, but Avery couldn’t help thinking it was the perfect angle for kissing. Man, he’d tasted so good.
“I know your parents didn’t let you do a lot of the same stuff the rest of us did as teenagers. Especially after your dad died,” he said. “I just thought this would be one of those things you don’t have any experience with…and I could give you that.”
Oh Lordy, was he for real?
“That’s very sweet of you, Luke.”
“I’m not doing it to be sweet. I have my own ulterior motives.”
Finally he leaned in, brushing his lips against her cheek. Compared to the other night, the step down in passion was almost an insult. Her skepticism must have shown on her face, so he tried again.
“Listen, you’re the first thing that’s gotten my heart racing in a long time. I think that’s worth exploring, don’t you? Yes, I let things get out of hand the other night, and that’s not fair to you. I’m sorry.”
At least this humiliation wasn’t public. Luke could never know how far she’d wanted to go the other night. Especially since it was obvious he didn’t feel the same.
“So what do you say?” he asked.
“I’m all about a new experience.” Even if it wasn’t the one she really wanted to have with Luke.
* * *
Apparently not being able to drive was going to be an ongoing irritation for him. Avery pulled the car around and Nolen loaded it. Standing around waiting did not come naturally to Luke.
He swallowed his pride and made his way to the passenger-side door, reminding himself he should be grateful just to be alive. Avery lowered the hatch back, the basket safely stowed inside, then grinned at him as she climbed into the driver’s seat.
That smile was infectious, as was the excitement behind it. Like a kid in a candy store—and he intended to feed her all the sweets she could eat 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 bigg
est 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 to start. First an older release about a group of kids hunting for treasure, then a current thriller sequel for the adults. Luke had gotten them there early so they could settle in without being recognized.
He’d forgotten what a social event this was for most people. Big groups of teenagers would congregate down front during the first movie, then retire to their cars for necking during the second. Families spent time visiting with other families, and during the summer there would be lines of blankets on the ground with supper picnics.
He’d forgotten all about that, because frankly making out had been more interesting as a teenager.
But inside their little cocoon, snuggled beneath a blanket that thankfully disguised just how much he was enjoying this, they would avoid the crowd. Even though he knew he shouldn’t—Luke wanted Avery all to himself. He pulled out the popcorn and offered her a choice of pouches. “Caramel, cinnamon sugar or ranch?”
She smiled. “Miss Mary knows I love cinnamon sugar anything.”
So that’s why the housekeeper had insisted on that flavor. “Try this.” He opened the bag and pulled out a couple of popped kernels encased in a brown syrupy coating. She tried to reach up with her fingers, but he was having none of that. Catching her gaze, he eased the food forward until he breached her lips. Their gazes connected as she glanced up in question; she never looked away. The pleasure that spread over her face lit him up inside.
“Good?” he asked.
“Mmm-hmm,” she murmured, still chewing.
Intrigued, he fed her again, and again, the last time brushing his fingertips along the seam of her lips. He barely caught the shiver that snuck over her. Then he licked his fingertips clean of the sweet coating. “Delicious.”
“Wanna try some?” she whispered.
He wondered if she realized the invitation that displayed so prominently in her eyes. He’d guess not, but that was one of the things that drew him. No overt invitations, no cookie-cutter come-ons…just Avery. He bet she was the sweetest, hottest thing he was ever going to taste.
What better time than now?
Just as he leaned in, her eyes widened. That quick guilt snuck in. It was an unfamiliar emotion. Luke lived his life full throttle. Regret was rare. But he needed to remember that giving Avery mixed signals wasn’t fair to either of them. A good woman like her deserved better than a player like him.
So instead he tried to ignore the softness of her breasts brushing against his arm, the warmth of her thigh alongside his and the way his spirit sang with the sensations that declared his body was alive.
He couldn’t stop thinking about her kiss. If he took her lips now, they would be soft as butter, sweet with sugar and hungry for him. He just knew it.
Luke pulled back and held up another piece of popcorn. The glaze over her eyes kept them from focusing, urging him to push his boundaries, but he held himself back.
Like prolonged foreplay. The best kind.
Luke gripped the blanket in his fist to keep from pushing for more. The night was dark, with barely any moon. But they weren’t teenagers to be caught in a lip-lock by all the kids running by. As a matter of fact, as he glanced out at the end credits rolling up the screen, he noticed people slowing as they walked past the car.
At least no one had pressed their face to the window yet.
Finally Avery reached across him for one of the popcorn bags, the quick press of her softness against him a jolt to his senses. Then she leaned back and started to munch on her own, leaving him chilled. The cocoon of sensation they’d been lost in for the last hour and a half turned cold.
“I think you’ve been spotted,” she mumbled.
“Meaning?” he asked, though he knew the answer already. In the periphery of his view he could see people gathering. Like the rapid building of a mob, the group grew in numbers as they murmured among themselves.
“People know you’re here. You know how small towns are… They love a homegrown celebrity.”
Right now, Luke felt like a celebrity for all the wrong reasons. The last thing he wanted was to be on display.
“Oh, dear.”
“What?” he asked.
“I believe the mayor just joined them.”
Dang it. Just like that, his vision for how this evening would go disappeared—replaced by a steady stream of people who would probably go on and on about his accident. Talk about a downer.
Tonight was about Avery, not the hometown celebrity. More than having fun or even having sex, he wanted to shake the foundations of her safe world. He couldn’t do it with an audience. And having the crowd to come to him would only put her in the public spotlight right alongside him.
He sighed, throwing the blanket aside. Playing the gentleman role, as he had two times in three days, was not nearly as rewarding as people made it out to be.
* * *
Within minutes of Luke scooting out of the car, the real estate between them and the next row became a revolving door of people. Avery couldn’t even see the bottom half of the screen because of the crowd. She huddled into the shadows of her car, shoving popcorn in her mouth like a squirrel storing for winter, not willing to risk the exposure. She recognized more than a few patients, members of their families, and knew her business would be a hotbed of gossip if she set one foot near Luke. Maybe they’d forget the car he’d come from.
Between Luke’s teasing challenge back at her office and her desire to save face in front of Cindy, Avery hadn’t given herself time to think this decision through. She and Luke couldn’t just go out as friends. All eyes would be searching for the slightest behavior that proved they were more than that. She loved these people. That didn’t always mean living with them was easy.
She’d lived all her life under their scrutiny, and tried to avoid it when she could. But it was the constant questions and insinuations that would be thrown at her after Luke left town that she was truly trying to avoid.
As the second set of movie credits rolled, Avery put the leftover food back into the basket. The last thing to be packed was the blanket, fluffy and soft. Heat rolled over her as she remembered those few precious moments with Luke wrapped tight against her. Would she have survived four hours of that? Maybe not, but it would have been fun to try.
Thirty minutes later, she couldn’t help wondering if more time under that blanket would have meant driving them both back to her house at top speed, instead of turning onto the highway that led out to Blackstone Manor. Which one did she really want?
The quivery feeling in
the pit of her stomach told Avery she wasn’t sure. And to her disappointment, Luke had made his position quite clear: friends, not lovers. Now he remained silent, probably exhausted from the overload of people. Her guilt over leaving him to handle himself alone weighed her down, but self-preservation was a strong instinct.
Luke leaned against his car door, staring out the window at the farmland flashing past as they left the lights of Black Hills proper.
His voice bordered on surly when he finally spoke. “Why didn’t you remind me what a social event the drive-in could be?”
“Um, I’ve never been. Remember?”
“I just remember making out with my girlfriends,” he grumbled. “Tonight wasn’t what I had in mind.”
Just what Avery needed. A reminder of times past and all the women Luke had had better experiences with. “It wasn’t my fault. You could have stayed in the car.”
“But you didn’t go out of your way to help, either, did you?”
Her face flamed. “I didn’t know you needed my help.” After all, he was the big star. Though honestly, she had taken the coward’s way out.
“You could have joined me.” He turned back toward the window. “Or were you just too embarrassed to be seen with an old, broken-down celebrity?”
Uh-oh. “It wasn’t that at all.” She struggled to gather her thoughts while still concentrating on the road. “I just—”
“Didn’t want to be seen with me?”
This was going from bad to worse. Tonight hadn’t been a dream date, but now it was turning into a nightmare. Why couldn’t these things ever go right for her?
“Me staying away had nothing to do with not wanting to be seen with you, or your injuries. I work with people with mobility issues every day. What have I ever done to make you think I would be ashamed of you?”
He didn’t answer, but continued to stare out the window. The silence that filled the car seemed heavy with recriminations—something Avery couldn’t handle. And she couldn’t leave him thinking that she was embarrassed by him in some way.