by Chris Eboch
I needed a café. Someplace I could hang out, relax, and watch the world go by, all over a latte, if they had such things here. Or maybe herbal tea, so I wouldn’t be up all night thinking angry thoughts about Sean. I couldn’t remember ever being treated so rudely on a date. For all my obsession over the horrible ways an evening could end, simply being abandoned in someone’s luxury apartment had never entered my mind. Could it be part of some bizarre, manipulative plan? Even I wasn’t paranoid enough to turn the event into a conspiracy theory, though. He was just an overgrown man-child, a charming jerk who put his own needs first. Kind of reminded me of Jonathan, with better social skills when he cared to use them.
I wasn’t going to think about Sean. I certainly wasn’t going to slide into the cycle of humiliation and self-doubt that led to questions about what was wrong with me, what had I done to deserve to be treated that way. I knew better. I placed the blame squarely on Sean, and it would stay there. Any humiliation I felt was just a side effect of anger, fatigue, and sore feet.
I paused at a fairly busy intersection and peered down each street, trying to spot a café. I needed to sit down for a while, salvage the scraps of this evening, and then find a way to get back to my campsite. I looked for a familiar Starbucks sign—surely they had Starbucks, even out here? I couldn’t see one, but I’d have to cross the street to get a better angle back on this side.
A truck pulled up beside me, and its window started to go down. I figured it was some idiot going to do a “Hey baby.” I subtly reached back toward the pepper spray tucked into the side pocket of my backpack and prepared to cross the street without looking at him.
“Kylie?”
I jumped and spun toward the vehicle. Sean had found me after all, damn him. But no, it wasn’t Sean.
Danesh.
Chapter 17
He’d pulled his truck into the parking lane and slid across to look out the passenger window. One brown arm rested on the windowsill. The streetlights lit and shadowed the sharp planes of his face, leaving his dark eyes shadowed. “What are you doing here?”
I stared. All language left me. I found myself, inexplicably, starting to tremble.
Danesh was out of the truck in seconds. He held my upper arms, studying me. “What’s wrong?”
I shook my head. How could I explain to him? I wished he hadn’t seen me. I wished he would go away and forget that he had seen me, leave me to my private humiliation. But at the same time, I wanted to lean against him and feel his arms go around me.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
I managed to smile. “To a café. Is there one?”
He stared a moment longer. “I know one. Hang on.” He got in the truck, backed into a parking spot, and turned off the engine. “Why don’t you leave your pack here?” My shoulders ached, so I nodded and put it on the front seat. He locked the truck and touched me lightly on the elbow to indicate the right direction.
“Oh, my wallet!”
“Don’t worry about it, I’ll cover you.” When I hesitated, he added, “You can pay me back, if you feel you need to.”
He was going with me. Not just pointing the direction or even dropping me off, but joining me. Was that good or not? A few hours earlier I would have been delighted to exchange Sean for Danesh, but now my brain couldn’t seem to adapt to the change. What was I supposed to tell him?
Fortunately he didn’t ask questions as we walked. He greeted three people by name. One young man tried to stop and talk, frankly checking me out, but Danesh waved him off with a grin and kept walking. A minute later his hand brushed my back to turn me toward the Cactus Café.
I paused just inside and stared. The place had giant blowup cacti and several bleached skulls that might have come from cows or buffalo. It also had colored lights, a small mirror ball, and oddly shaped chairs covered in burgundy or midnight-blue velvet. Weathered wooden booths were packed with chattering teenagers, while couples huddled in conversation at tiny round tables.
“Wow.”
“Pretty much.” Danesh guided me through the room to a table where two teenage girls were rising. “Hold the table and I’ll get drinks. Tea? Coffee? Or the hot chocolate is really good.”
“Hot chocolate would make this night a hundred times better.”
He nodded and headed for the counter. Maybe I should have been annoyed that he’d fallen into command mode again, but for the moment I was glad to sit and get my bearings. I saw at least three people reading and one writing on a laptop computer, despite loud, funky music. I thought I recognized someone from the softball game, and that was definitely the white-haired gentleman I’d danced with, holding a rabbit in his lap and talking to an elderly woman in a red wig.
Danesh returned with two huge, bowl-shaped mugs piled high with whipped cream topped with powdered cocoa, plus two croissants. He placed one of the croissants in front of me. “This one’s chocolate. Maybe it’s overkill, but you look like you could use extra chocolate tonight.”
“I’ll take all the chocolate I can get.”
He shifted the rest of the dishes onto the table, carried away the tray, and came back with spoons and napkins. I spooned whipped cream into my mouth, watching him. He tore off a chunk of croissant and dipped it into his cocoa. He didn’t speak.
I nibbled at my croissant. After a few bites, I closed my eyes and murmured with pleasure as the warm chocolate inside mixed with the flaky pastry. I opened my eyes to meet Danesh’s amused gaze.
I blushed but smiled. “Thank you. I guess I did need this.”
Our gazes held. He said, “Don’t worry. I’m not going to ask questions.”
I considered a moment and then sighed. “I’m going to tell you anyway, because unfortunately I need a favor. I need a ride back to the campground.”
“Car trouble?”
“The trouble is that my car’s at the campground.” I made a face and forced myself to continue. “You know how I mentioned I’d hung out with someone here once? Well, tonight we had a date. Only it didn’t work out.”
Danesh studied me with frank curiosity. “Damn, I shouldn’t have promised I wouldn’t ask questions. But you don’t have to explain in order to get the favor.”
I laughed. “It’s not that exciting, nothing to make tabloid headlines. He got called away on business. I was supposed to wait.” I shrugged. “I got tired of waiting.”
“Good for you. He sounds like an idiot.” He leaned back in his chair. The half smile softened his face and his voice teased. “I’ll drive you back. But you know, that’s a long drive. You’ll owe me a favor in return.”
I gave him a cool look. “You could just lend me your truck and ride in with Jerry tomorrow, so you don’t have to give up the rest of your evening.”
He nodded. “I could do that. But I’m pretty sure that service goes for even more than the ride.”
I tried to keep a straight face. “All right, I’m at your mercy. You do have mercy, I hope?”
“Maybe a little.” He frowned and glanced around as if wondering where he’d put it. “I’ll see if I can dig it up for you. That costs extra, though.”
I laughed and leaned back in my chair. The chocolate had worked its magic—and the company didn’t hurt. “I’ll owe you. This is a great place. Sort of like New York.”
“We like to think New York is sort of like this. Actually, the owner’s from Seattle. Wanted to get away from the rain.”
“How lucky for people here. Do you know everyone in town? Aren’t there like, five thousand people here?”
“Not quite that many. And I only know the ones worth knowing.”
I settled back with my hot chocolate. “Well, tell me everything worth hearing.”
If there is such a thing as a perfect evening, that must have come close. I got to gaze at that gorgeous face and listen to that sexy voice, all while sipping warm chocolate and inhaling the fragrance of coffee beans and spices. Every sense satisfied. The only thing that could have made it better is if he
’d taken off his shirt, but that would have distracted me from looking at his face, so maybe it’s just as well. He smiled more in an hour than I’d ever seen before, and I wouldn’t want to miss that.
The place got more crowded, and finally Danesh said, “We shouldn’t keep the table all night.” We deposited our dishes in a plastic tub near the counter and stepped out into the night air, now a few degrees cooler. “Anyplace else you want to go?”
I looked up and down the street. I didn’t want the evening to end, but I didn’t feel like hitting a noisy bar or club. “Not really. I guess I’ve had enough of the city for a while.” What a funny thing to think, when I came from a city a hundred times bigger. But Danesh just nodded and we walked toward his truck in the soft glow of early dusk. Somehow it seemed like it should be later, but it couldn’t yet be nine o’clock.
When we got to the truck, I said, “Well, what’s it going to be? Are you going to loan me your truck or waste a couple of hours?” I didn’t want to say goodbye yet, but it didn’t make sense for him to drive me all the way out there.
“Have you ever driven a truck? Stick shift?”
I bit my lip. The only reason I even had a car was because my parents had recently upgraded and given me their old one. I never drove in Boston. “No. Look, I can take a taxi—”
He opened the door. “Get in.”
“Bossy, aren’t you?”
“It’s part of my charm.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Is that what you call it?”
He stepped closer, so I had to tilt my head back to look into his face. His chocolatey breath brushed past my cheek. “Please join me,” he murmured. “I would be delighted and honored to give you a ride.”
I felt my knees go weak and could only stare as his smile slowly grew.
“And if you ask nicely,” he added, “I’ll teach you how to drive a standard once we’re on the dirt road. Then you can borrow my truck anytime you like.”
I nodded slowly, not trusting myself to speak. He was a lot safer when he was being bossy. I turned and stepped up into the truck. I was so befuddled that I forgot I was wearing a dress until I felt it pull up just under my butt. I quickly wriggled into place, pulling down the skirt. I glanced at Danesh just as his gaze rose from my legs to my face. He gave me one heated glance that made my blood simmer, then gently closed the door and rounded the truck.
As we drove out of town, I was glad to leave the lights and noise behind. My own thoughts were noisy enough. We headed down the highway in silence, just exchanging occasional, smiling glances that brought the heat to my face—and a few other body parts. Once we left the highway for the long dirt road to Lost Valley, we rolled down the windows, and the air brushed coolly past my face. The truck wasn’t as smooth as Sean’s SUV, but I felt more connected to the outside world with fresh air instead of air conditioning. And I felt more alive with Danesh than I ever had with Sean. Sean had helped me prove that I could kiss a man without panicking, which was good to know, but it hadn’t rocked my world.
I had a feeling a kiss from Danesh would shake the foundations. I let myself linger over the fantasy, prepping my body to react with pleasure, not panic, as I imagined his hands roaming over me.
He pulled to the side of the road. “Ready?”
“What?” I gasped.
“Do you want to drive?”
“Oh. Right.” I nodded and got out, hoping the fading light hid my blush. I paused to gaze at the landscape, endless miles of desert and distant mountains. An orange glow traced the horizon, and the clouds overhead reflected an odd pale magenta.
“You might regret camping tonight,” Danesh said as he passed me to switch places. “Looks like we could get some rain.”
Far from worrying me, the thought of a rainstorm sent a lovely tingling across my skin. That would be an experience for sure, to be in the middle of the weather instead of tucked away safely in a cozy apartment. Whenever a big storm hit, I had this wild urge to dance naked on a cliff top somewhere. Here, I could actually do that—or at least stand outside my tent, clothed, and feel the rain come down. I didn’t think I was ready to give in to my odd whim just yet.
I got into the driver’s seat and buckled my seatbelt. “I’ll be all right. The rain fly is waterproof. If it gets really bad, I’ll sleep in my car.”
Danesh looked over and his teeth flashed in the faint light. “Are you sure you’re a city girl?”
I smiled and settled back into the seat, for some reason absurdly happy.
Chapter 18
I wasn’t surprised, now, to discover that Danesh was a good teacher, patient and calm even when I ground the gears or lurched the truck. By the time I pulled into the visitors center parking lot, I felt halfway comfortable with the stick shift. And I loved driving a truck—for once I towered over everything else.
I put the truck in park and turned it off. “Whew! That was fun, thanks.”
“Nice work,” Danesh said.
I wondered if it would be weird to invite him back to my campsite for a nightcap—and what I might have that could possibly constitute a nightcap. My stomach jumped at the thought of getting romantic, but other body parts were demanding attention, too. I wanted to know what it would feel like to kiss Danesh, to feel his embrace. I just needed to take things slowly, and I felt confident now that Danesh would understand. I’d told him about the attack and about my foolishness with Sean, and he hadn’t looked down on me or backed away. I thought I could tell him anything and it would only bring us closer.
I saw now how lacking my other relationships had been. I’d assumed relationships required compromise, and they did—but I’d compromised too much, too often, without getting enough in return. I’d fallen for the conventional wisdom that men didn’t talk about their feelings, that a woman could only guess and assume and interpret what a man felt or needed. I wanted more, and I thought I could find it with Danesh.
I turned toward Danesh with a smile, but he was looking at the visitors center. I’d been too focused on driving—and then on romance—to question the light on inside the building. The sky was nearly dark, just a moody red glow hanging low on the horizon. Hours after closing time.
Danesh nodded toward another truck in the lot. “Jerry is still here. I wonder what’s up.”
I said in a spooky voice. “Maybe the ghosts have him. Or the aliens!”
He chuckled. “Guess I’d better check. You want to come in?”
I hesitated. Jerry had seen me leave with Sean. If I came back with Danesh, would he ask questions? Would he ask mention Sean if Danesh came in without me and said he’d given me a ride? Or would they get distracted by whatever problem had kept Jerry here late and forget all about me?
I decided if any questions were asked, I’d rather not be there. In any case, nothing would happen with Danesh while Jerry was there. I seemed destined to fail at having a romantic evening. “No, I guess not.”
We got out of the truck and met at the front of it. “Thanks for the ride,” I said. “And the driving lesson.”
“My pleasure.”
We gazed at each other for a long moment. The faint light spilling from the visitors center window highlighted one side of his face, tracing the high cheekbone and strong jaw. His lips curved, and his dark eyes seemed filled with promises.
Wind ruffled my hair and caressed my cheeks. I felt a charge of electricity in the air—or maybe it was just in me. The night seemed touched with magic, full of possibilities. Nerves tingled along my skin as I held his gaze and said, “I guess I owe you. Unless you’ve decided on a payment?”
He gave a husky chuckle. “Better not ask that now.”
I took a quick breath and stepped forward to close the gap between us. I lifted a hand to his chest and smiled up into his face. “Well, then, here’s a tip.”
He dipped his head to meet me as I rose up to kiss him. Our lips brushed, retreated. His arms went around me, pulling me close. I slid my hands over his shoulders and met his mouth. One of
us moaned with pleasure, I wasn’t sure which. Maybe both.
The world spun in lazy circles, as if we were dancing to music from the stars. Then a warm hand slid over my butt and pressed me tight against him. My legs went weak, and I knew I’d sink to the ground if he didn’t have a hold of me. My breasts pressed against his hard chest and sparked with heat as if the layers of fabric between us had vanished.
I slid my hand into his hair, wanting to pull him even closer. He shifted the angle of his head and deepened the kiss. I felt like I was being devoured, and I wanted to wrap myself around him and never let go.
He eased back and brushed feathery kisses across my lips, then planted a warm, firm kiss to my cheekbone and let out a faint sigh. He loosened his grip, making a little space between us, his hands sliding to my hips. I was glad he didn’t let go, since I wasn’t sure I could stand without help. I dragged my heavy eyelids open and rubbed my lips together, still tasting him. “Wow.”
He laughed. “You can say that again. I’ve been looking forward to that for a long time.”
“You’ve only known me for three days.”
“It seems like much longer. Can I assume this other guy is out of the picture?”
“What other guy?” I smiled. “He was never really in the picture, just a way of passing some time. I found a much better hobby.”
He drew me close again, but gently, and I snuggled against his shoulder with a murmur of pleasure. His hand brushed down my hair, and he kissed my forehead. “I’m looking forward to doing this again sometime soon.”
I rubbed my cheek against his shoulder, then nipped lightly at his neck just above the collarbone and felt him tremble. “But not tonight?”
“It’s raining.”
“It is?” I turned my face away from the protection of his body and felt a drop hit my cheek. “I guess it is.”
“I don’t think we’ll get a big storm, probably just a little drizzle, but you’d better get tucked away inside your tent and make sure everything is covered up.”