“Mind keeping a hold on mine while I drive?”
I blinked. Hold his what? Heat ran across my face. Addy! He meant the ice cream!
“Something wrong?” His hand stopped midway to the ignition of his truck as he stared at me.
“Um, no. Everything is great.”
“Okay, then.” He raised his dark eyebrows and put the truck in gear. He pulled out of the Dairy Barn parking lot and onto the road.
I didn’t know where we were going and didn’t really care. A glance at the dashboard clock told me it was already ten p.m. On a school night. My mom would have a cow.
Frankly, though at that moment I didn’t even care. I was eighteen and graduating in a few weeks. What could she do to me? I took a lick of my chocolate ice cream. When I turned, Graham was watching me. Watching my mouth, to be exact. I swallowed hard as the ice cream slid down my throat.
Holding his vanilla cone toward him, I hoped to calm down my racing heart. “Do you want to take your ice cream now?”
“Nope.”
“Then why did you buy it? Don’t you like vanilla?”
“Love it.”
“So, how will you eat it if you don’t hold the cone?”
He watched the road, but darted a quick glance at me. His eyes squinted at the corners. “I dunno… was kinda hoping you might feed it to me.”
“Oh.” Yeah, I could definitely do that. “Sure.” I leaned toward him as far as the seatbelt would allow and held out the cone. When he opened his mouth to take a bite, I moved it away about three inches.
“Hey.”
I giggled and moved it back to him. Even with the fan blowing, the night was humid and the ice cream was starting to melt. A drip was running down the side of the cone and fast approaching my hand. “Uh-oh.”
He stuck out his tongue and licked some of the drip from the side of the cone. A little bit ran onto my hand and I started to pull the cone away so I could grab a napkin.
“Wait.”
I stopped and he stuck out his tongue again.
He wouldn’t…
My heart practically stopped beating as I watched Graham run his hot tongue across the skin between my thumb and first finger. Heat pooled in my stomach and my face grew hot. I think I’m in trouble… Good trouble.
He focused back on the road but he was smiling. Something was going on between us that I didn’t really understand. But I knew one thing – I didn’t want it to stop.
I jumped when some of my own ice cream ran down my other hand. I thought about asking Graham to get it for me but wasn’t quite that brave.
So I licked it off. When I glanced up, he was watching me. Even though it was dim in the truck except for the dash lights, I was sure that his eyes darkened.
Everything in me wanted to lean over and kiss him. But he was driving. Not a good idea, Addy. Maybe I could get him talking about something. Then the crazy thoughts swirling through my head might take a hike. At least for now. I didn’t want them to leave forever, but it might be hard to explain that the reason for Graham wrecking his truck was that I had kissed him while he was driving. I also wasn’t sure how I would explain being covered in ice cream.
“So, Graham, I really had fun watching you play ball tonight.”
“Even when that jerk Jones wouldn’t leave you alone? Sorry about that.”
“I didn’t like it, but it’s not the first time a jerk has tried something.”
He glanced over at me. “I’m sure that’s true, with your looks”
“Is that a compliment?”
“Oh, yeah.”
I bit my lip. Just him saying he thought I was attractive did something funny to my stomach. In a good way. “Thanks.”
“Just telling it like it is.”
Warmth crawled up my cheeks. “So… I saw you, you know, hit that pole with your bat.” I turned to watch him. I had a pretty good idea why he’d done it because it happened right after he’d looked over and saw his teammate pawing at me.
“I feel like a jackass about that.”
“Why?”
“I let my temper take over. You might not believe me, but I really don’t get mad very often. It takes something very upsetting to get to me that much.”
“So um, why did you do it?” Please say the words. Because if it was about me, then that meant he cared.
“When I saw him sitting so close to you, Addy… I don’t know. Something snapped. I didn’t like it one bit what he was trying to do. What I really wanted to do was run around the fence and pound him. But that’s not my style. So… what are you thinking right now?”
“It’s good to know that you don’t usually have a bad temper. But I will admit that it makes me feel good that you cared enough to want to do something.”
“I… I do care, Addy.” He shifted in his seat. Was he uncomfortable saying the words?
I rubbed his shoulder.
He turned his head toward me and grinned.
“Anyway, Mr. Stewart, your pitching and hitting were quite impressive.”
“You did seem to be into the game.”
“Both of my older brothers played baseball in high school, and my dad used to take me to see their games.”
“Yeah, when I met your mom at your house, she said something about raising four kids. Since I didn’t see anybody else, I’m guessing you’re the baby of the family?”
“You could say that.” I squirmed, never having liked being called the baby. It made me sound like I wasn’t an adult, and I definitely wanted Graham to see me as grown up. “How about you? I did get to, uh, talk to your aunt.” Interrogation was more like it.
“Sorry about that, Addy. Aunt Paula is nosy and has always thought she should know whatever was going on with me.”
“Do you have brothers or sisters?”
“One sister.”
“Are you the baby?”
“No. I’m the oldest. She’s just bossy and acts like she can tell me what to do.”
I chuckled. “So just you and her, then?”
“Yep. She’s away for the summer doing a college internship. I’m two years older.”
“Paula did make a point of our age differences.”
“Does it bother you?”
I looked at him. “No. Not even a little. You?”
“Honestly?”
My heart gave a little lurch. Did he have a problem with me being so young? “Okay…”
“When I first found out you were Kendra’s age, it threw me a little.”
“Oh.”
“But that didn’t last long. As soon as I got to know you a little better, I realized it didn’t matter at all.”
I released a deep breath. “I’m glad.”
“There’s something you’ll learn about me, Addy. I will always be straight with you.” He slowed the truck to negotiate a sharp curve on the road.
“Same here.”
“My friends would probably tell you that I’m sort of quiet.”
He’d been anything but quiet with me. “But…”
“I am a lot of times.” He shrugged. “Well, not so much quiet as I don’t say anything unless I feel it’s important. Not talking just to make noise, you get what I mean?”
“Sure. You’re doing fine with me, though. Not staying super quiet or anything.”
“That’s what I mean. With you, I feel like I have so much to say.”
I gripped my hands together in my lap, excited, yet nervous that he felt comfortable with me. Liked talking to me. “You do? Why do you think that is?”
“I don’t know. I really don’t understand why, but for some reason, being with you makes me want to tell you things about myself. And to find out things about you.” He glanced at me. “Have I scared you?”
“No. I’m not scared. And it doesn’t even have anything to do with you being a giant.” I bit my lip, trying not to smile.
He laughed. “Now that we’ve cleared that up, any other items of world importance we should talk about?”
> I giggled and shook my head. I spun my cone around as I finished licking the ice cream, then ate the cone, plopping the very bottom of it into my mouth. Then I ran my tongue around my lips to capture all the sticky sweetness. I still held his cone in my other hand. “Your ice cream is melting. If you don’t want it I could always…”
Graham widened his eyes but I could tell he was teasing. “You would do that? Steal my ice cream?”
“Listen, where sweet stuff is concerned, I don’t mess around. If someone is dumb enough not to finish their ice cream, it’s fair game as far as I’m concerned. You shouldn’t leave important items just lying around where anyone could grab them and run off.”
“Addy, you sound like you’re planning an attack on some unsuspecting village.”
“I would barge right in and take no prisoners.”
“Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.”
“What? Barging in for someone’s ice cream?”
He shook his head. “If you took prisoners. Or, maybe just one prisoner.”
I took a bite of his ice cream and swallowed. “Would this one prisoner put up a fight? Would I have to use excessive measures with him to get him to comply?”
“Oh no. He’d be willing. Very willing. He’d probably do just about anything you told him to.”
A tiny smile sneaked across my lips. “Good to know.”
“Hey, hand over my ice cream. I saw you sneak that bite.”
“There was no sneaking. I did it right out in the open. I felt no shame.”
“You are heartless, Addy Lafollette.”
I snickered and placed it in his outstretched hand. “Man, I had a good thing going there for a minute.”
He drove the truck down a dark, wooded lane. Low tree branches brushed against the outside of the truck. Graham stopped and shifted into park.
“Where are we?” I squinted as I stared out the window, but nothing was familiar. Guess I hadn’t been paying attention to where he was driving. But then, I was in charge of the ice cream and everything.
“We’re way out in the country on a back road. If I told you where we were, I doubt you’d have ever heard of it.” He waited. When I didn’t answer he supplied, “It’s called Love Road.”
“Seriously?”
“Yep.”
Love Road? Had he chosen it on purpose? Not that I really cared. The fact that I was alone with Graham was all I was concerned about for the moment. I glanced at the clock. Ten forty-five. Uh-oh. My curfew on school nights was eleven. Was my mom watching the clock, too? “So, how far are we from town?”
“About a half hour. Is that a problem?”
“Um, no. Just wondered.” A trickle of dread started up my spine when I thought about my mom getting mad because I would be late. Would she try to ground me? Would she—
“Hey, whatcha thinking about?”
Graham must have finished his ice cream because now both of his hands were unoccupied and his left one was headed straight for me. He cupped my chin in his hand and gave a slow, lazy, I’ve-got-all-night smile.
I shrugged, suddenly unable to form words. Any thoughts that had been waiting to be expressed evaporated. Suddenly, the scent of his aftershave was stronger. His breathing was louder. Time felt as if it had stopped.
Graham gently pulled me toward him. I gazed up into his eyes. His gorgeous, dark, sexy eyes. It was as if he could see into my innermost thoughts, my very soul. I had never felt such an instant connection with a guy. Ever.
His lips pressed mine, at first soft and tender, then firmer, as if he had a sudden need that only kissing me could fill. I sighed and laid my palms against the sides of his face, drawing slow circles on his hot skin. I was drunk without having had anything to drink. The man was intoxicating. And I do mean man. This was no boy. He was so unlike any other guy I’d ever been around.
He undid our seatbelts. Our kiss deepened as he tilted his head a little to the side. I did the same, adjusting my body next to his so I could get closer. Though much closer and I would be on his lap.
Graham must have read my mind. With his strong hands and arms, he slid me onto his lap, turned to the side and scooted both of us down so we were partially lying on the bench seat facing each other. A loud thump from the passenger side door made me jump.
He drew my face close to his again. “Relax. Just my cleats hitting the door.” He turned on his back, which was difficult to do at his height. He must have partially drawn up his knees.
Without a second thought, I crawled on top of him. Something in the back of mind poked at me, reminding me that I’d never done this before. Sure, I’d made out with a lot of guys, but I’d never lain directly on top of them. With anyone else, it would have felt wrong. Probably why I’d never done it before. With Graham though…
I felt something underneath my thigh. And no, it wasn’t his belt buckle. He wasn’t wearing one since he had on softball pants.
Holy cow.
The feeling was mutual. Suddenly I was so overheated that I longed to take off my shirt — something else I had never done with a guy — to cool off. Though one look at Graham told me it would only cause both of us to ignite if I did.
I turned my head to catch my breath and caught sight of the clock. “Oh crap!”
Graham tightened his arms around me. “What’s wrong, Addy?”
“I hate to say this but I… I need to go home.”
He blinked and rubbed his hand down his face as he glanced at the clock, too. “I’m so sorry. I totally forgot that you have school tomorrow.”
“This is only Thursday, ya know.” I shrugged.
He angled his head toward the clock. “A lot closer to Friday than Thursday.”
“Yeah, I know.” I sat up and slid off of his lap when he let me go. Graham opened the windows, which had steamed up. The cool night air felt good on my face, but I hated to leave Graham even though I wasn’t ready for where we seemed to be headed. Where we were definitely headed.
Addy, what have you gotten yourself into?
Chapter Ten
Graham
“Why does it smell funny?” Addy wrinkled her nose as we got out of my truck.
“What smells funny?”
“The… air. Everything.”
I chuckled. “Because it’s a farm. Manure on fields. Pigs. Cows.”
“Oh.”
“In town there are smells too.”
“Not like this.” She covered her nose with her hand.
“I don’t even notice it. But then, I’ve lived in the country my whole life.”
“Guess that a big difference between us.”
Unfortunately. I took her hand and led her around cow piles. “Come on Miss Outdoorswoman.”
“Ha ha.”
“Addy, you said you wanted to study to be a vet. Cows are animals, you know. We have a vet come and check the cows pretty often.”
“I was thinking more along the lines of small and cuddly things.”
“Oh, like lizards and snakes?”
“Eww! No.” She waved her hands in front of her as if pushing away the reptiles. “Cats and dogs. Maybe the occasional rabbit. You know, things with hair.”
I pointed to the cows.
She rolled her eyes. “I meant small things with hair.”
“Rats?”
“No!” She wrinkled her nose.
“Bats?”
“Ah!” she screamed. “Stop it!” She squirmed around like a worm on a hook.
I laughed and snorted so hard I almost doubled over. After I’d calmed down, I pointed to the barn. “Listen, I just have to do a couple of things and then we can leave.”
“Are you sure you’re done making fun of me?”
I tilted my head and narrowed one eye, making a show of sizing her up. “For now.”
Addy sighed. “All right. Need any help, then?”
“You want to help me?”
She shrugged.
I racked my brain for something she could do. Fix the exhaust on th
e old truck? No. Repair the downed fence? Nope. Shovel manure? Not even going there. “Maybe there is something you can do.”
Her eyes lit up. “Really?”
“Follow me. But watch your step.”
“Yeah, really wish I hadn’t worn sandals today. You could have warned me, you know.” She hopped to the left after nearly stepping right in a steaming pile of cow dung.
“And spoil the surprise? Never.” I walked to the gate and stopped. “All right. Here’s what you can do.”
She nodded and placed her hand on her hip.
“I need to drive the farm truck through the gate and into the barn, but I don’t want the cows to get out of the fence.”
“Okay…”
“They don’t run fast or anything, but it’s a pain to corral them back once they get out.”
“So, you want me to tell them to stay?”
I laughed. “They’re not dogs, Addy. They don’t listen very well.”
Her face reddened and she peered at the ground.
I stepped forward and hugged her. “Sorry. You didn’t know.”
“Couldn’t we just stand here and you hold me like this all day?” She let out a sigh.
My body instantly snapped to attention. Yes, please!… Down boy… With a tinge of regret, I stroked my hand down her back. “While I’d like nothing better, I do have to do this before we can leave.”
“All right. Just tell me what to do.”
I stepped back. “I’m going to open the gate. It has to be opened all the way so the truck can drive through. Stand just inside the fence and keep the cows in.”
“How do I do that?”
I let out a breath. “I never really gave it much thought. I usually just stand there with my arms crossed and they don’t even try.”
“But you’re huge. They’re probably afraid of you.”
“I really don’t think you’ll have any trouble.” I opened the gate.
“If you say so.” Addy turned and carefully watched the ground as she made her way through the gate and into the lot. I lost count of the “eeewwws” after she hit twenty.
I hurried to the farm truck and climbed in. Even I had to grab for the bar to hoist myself up into that one. I popped it in gear and drove slowly forward. The cows were especially interested in Addy. They stared at her, unblinking, and as if choreographed they stepped forward as a group, crowding her toward the fence.
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