Backroads Read online

  Guiding me toward the diner door, his hand slides dangerously low on my back. “You were a hot mess when you arrived in those heels, but later when you put those boots on... let’s just say I’ve had a few fantasies involving them,” he says, winking at me.

  I try to swat at his arm playfully, but he catches my hand, his smoldering eyes never breaking contact with mine as he lifts it up to kiss my palm.

  “I can’t help that you drive me crazy with your sexy self every day. I mean it as a compliment. Now come on, let’s eat.” He pulls me toward an empty booth, making sure I’m seated before he slides in across from me, smiling.

  The diner has worn red booths along the wall and several long tables in the center. You can tell it’s been here for a while. It screams mom-and-pop diner. It’s perfect.

  “So now what?” I say with a shy smile.

  “Now we see where things go. And I show you how lucky I am to be here with you.” He reaches across the table to hold my hand.

  One minute he’s spouting off his crude sexual thoughts, the next I’m swooning at how sweet he is. Right now I’m definitely feeling just as lucky to be here with him.

  So many things are on the tip of my tongue to respond to him: A smartass comment to continue our usual banter. A sweet response. Or I could just climb over this table and straddle him, kissing him like I can’t breathe without him, then letting him have his way with me in front of everyone.

  Smiling while I rub my thumb over his hand, I say, “You’re being sweet. I like sweet.”

  He watches our hands for a while, then says, “What are you hungry for?”

  On the tip of my tongue is “you,” but thankfully I’m interrupted when a young, cute brunette comes to our table with menus. She physically pauses as she takes in the man across from me, eye-fucking him for far longer than necessary considering I am sitting right here. She hasn’t even handed me my menu yet, so I reach out and grab the one she’s still holding.

  It barely phases her. Instead of a drooling statue, she becomes a giggling imbecile. She chews on her pen and sways slightly. “Can I get you something to drink?” Giggle. “We have beer, tea, pop, water, tea...” Giggle. “Just about everything.” Giggle.

  Excuse me as I pull a muscle exerting the world’s largest eye roll at the girl.

  “What would you like, Holly?” Chase asks me without looking at the waitress.

  “Tea sounds good.”

  She smiles and nods. “I’ll have the same. What’s good here?”

  Giggle.

  Eye roll.

  “Are you new in town? Everything is good. The owner butchers his own meat. The steaks and hamburgers are local favorites.” Giggle.

  I can’t take her for much longer, so I chime in, “Can you give us a few to decide?”

  She’s still only looking at Chase. “Oh, yeah... I’ll go get you your tea.” Giggling, she turns and strides toward the back.

  I turn my attention back to Chase, whose eyes are twinkling at me.

  I have to give it to him—not once did he even look at her or watch her walk away.

  “What are you hungry for, Princess?” Him and that nickname.

  “Steak.” I don’t even have to look at the menu.

  “Sounds good. Me too.”

  He’s grinning at me with that smile that has every hair on my body standing at attention.

  “Stop.”

  “Stop what?”

  “Smiling at me like that.” I really need him to. He doesn’t know what he’s doing to me.

  He laughs and tugs my hand closer to him. “I can’t help it. I’m too damn happy to be here with you. And you’re too damn gorgeous not to appreciate all night. So get used to this smile,” he says, leaning down to kiss my hand again.

  He’s too good at this dating thing for him to be out of practice. I can’t even come up with a snarky comeback.

  Before he can say anything more, our waitress comes back and eagerly places our drinks down.

  Giggle. “You ready?” Giggle.

  Really, this girl needs to take a pill.

  “You go first.” He gestures to me, rubbing my hand.

  The feeling distracts me for a moment before I can respond. “The rib eye, medium, with vegetables.”

  “I’ll have the same, but add a potato to mine too,” Chase says, handing the girl our menus before returning his full attention back to me.

  The waitress finally loses her giggles as she takes in how intense he is looking at me. “Okay. That will be out shortly.”

  “You racked up some points there,” I tease.

  “How so?” he asks, confused.

  “You haven’t once responded to her flirting.”

  He glances toward the kitchen where she disappeared to, then back to me. “That shouldn’t surprise you. I’m here with you, not her.”

  “It does though.” It really does. My ex would have eaten it up, prolonged the flirting, and watched her walk away.

  He grabs both my hands. “She isn’t the one I’ve been desperate to take on a date. You are. She isn’t the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. You are. There is no reason to flirt with anyone else when I have you to shamelessly flirt with.”

  That damn sweet talk has my whole body buzzing. “Wow. You’re good. That just gave you more points.”

  Chuckling, he asks, “So what will these points earn me?”

  I lean toward him, and he leans in too. I’ve been mesmerized by all his new expressions now that I can see him so much clearer with his beard gone. “I haven’t decided yet,” I say seductively.

  Gripping my hands harder, he closes his eyes for a brief second and takes a deep breath. When his blue eyes open, they are dilated almost black, vibrating with lust that has my pulse beating faster.

  “Do I lose points if we skip dinner while I help you decide?”

  Blushing, I laugh nervously. I’ve never flirted so much with a man for no other reason than to flirt. “Yes, you’d lose them all. Plus, I’m hungry and meat is on the way.”

  “I can help you with the meat part if you want.”

  “God, you’re horrible.” I laugh.

  “Only when it comes to you—tonight especially. I’m having a hard time not flinging this table across the room just so there’s nothing between us.”

  Now I’m the one gripping his hands harder. While we wait for our food, my smile never leaves once. He’s been telling me a story of how he and the boys had to run a search party for Linda’s favorite goat a few weeks ago.

  “I swear every animal is her favorite, but the damn goats are the worst. They jump over the fences every day and eat everything! After we searched fields looking for him, we headed back with our heads hung low to tell her we hadn’t found him.” His laughter keeps him from continuing for a second. “Here we’re all gutted, knowing how she was going to react. I was pushing Charlie to break the news to her, since he’s been there the longest, but he said he couldn’t be the one to make her cry. All this time we were bickering near the barn, when I look over to Lee’s truck and see the damn thing sitting in the front seat as though he was taking it for a drive.” His knee hits the table underneath when he barks in laughter again. “He ate a hole all the way through the entire passenger seat and destroyed the rest doing god knows what to them.”

  I can’t help but snicker at the scene he’s painting. I’ve already seen more than once the damage they can do.

  “What did big bad Lee do?” I finally get out.

  “He was pissed at first, but none of us could stop laughing. Not even him. Of course, Linda was relieved we found her precious billy goat and was more concerned he was dehydrated than about the pickup.”

  Conversation flowed easily between us, our hands remaining connected throughout.

  His eyes would casually glance to my lips when I was talking, and I would feel my body heat. The sexual tension building between us was getting harder to ignore. I didn’t even notice he’d released one hand until he touches my knee
below the table.

  My eyes widen in shock, while his are dark and mischievous. His touch is light as he makes slow, determined circles up my thigh. I close my eyes, unable to hold back the small moan that escapes from my lips.

  Our waitress interrupts us at that moment, causing me to jump back. Chase grips my thigh under the table before releasing me and sitting back.

  “Here you go. Let me know if I can get you anything else. More tea?” she says, looking directly at me. It’s the first time she’s acknowledged me.

  We haven’t even touched our tea yet. “No, thanks. This looks good.” I can smile at her now that she isn’t giggling after every word and fawning over my date.

  She nods and leaves.

  The food does look and smell amazing. Gathering my utensils, I notice Chase watching me. “What’s wrong?”

  He swallows, and I watch his Adam’s apple bob. “I’m scared to watch you place the meat between your lips.”

  I laugh. “Stop and eat, will you? We can continue other things later.”

  But just to mess with him, I cut a bite and bring it to my lips slowly, making the act as sensual as possible, moaning loudly in approval as I slowly chew.

  His fist pounds on the table with enough force to rattle the dishes, causing the other diner patrons to glance over. “Fuck, I didn’t think this would be a torture test,” he whines.

  I grin knowing he isn’t kidding. “Eat. This is seriously the best steak I’ve ever had.”

  Groaning, he digs in. He rolls his eyes dramatically and moans with his first bite, and it sends me into a fit of laughter. “What? Two can play at this game,” he says.

  His playful side is fun and keeps us engaged in conversation throughout the meal. My sides hurt from laughing so much. I haven’t felt this happy in a long time. He did this for me—and to think I wasn’t going to let him.

  After finishing our meal, I assume we will be heading back to the ranch. I know the way by heart now, so when he takes a different route, I ask, “Where are we going?”

  “I thought we could watch the sun go down and the stars come out over the water,” he says, threading his fingers with mine.

  Wow. That was literally the most romantic line anyone has ever said to me. “There you go again, racking up points.”

  Coming to a stop in the middle of a field, he points to the dock jutting out of the riverside. “That’s because I’m still waiting for my prize.”

  My nerves kick into overdrive as he helps me from the truck, holding his hand out to me and pulling me toward the dock.

  “Take a seat, Princess.” He gestures to the end of the dock.

  “You want me to sit down? Here?” I point to the end of the dock where the water is lapping below.

  Laughing, he replies, “God, and you wonder why I call you princess, Princess. Yes, sit down on the dock.”

  Sill questioning him, I side glare him for his princess comments. He grabs me around the waist and pulls me flush against his body. “You drive me crazy, Princess, when you get all feisty on me.” Kissing me hard and quick, he grabs my hands and pulls me down with him.

  My lips are still tingling from his kiss as he starts taking his boots and socks off.

  “What are you doing?” He’s moving too fast, and the romance is all but lost.

  “Come on, Princess, don’t tell me you haven’t done this before.”

  “Done what?” I’m getting angry he’s ruining the moment. He thinks I’ll strip with him the instant we’re alone? Well, maybe I would have, but not like this—just assuming, no foreplay.

  “Just sat on the edge of a dock and stuck your toes in the water. Come on, it’s part of the date.” He sloppily splashes his feet around to get his point across.

  Instantly, I chastise myself. I can’t believe I ran to such conclusions so quickly. He’s been so amazing tonight, and this really is romantic. Truthfully, though, I never have done this. As I attempt to grab a boot, his hands stop me.

  “Here, let me help you with those.” His cheesy grin and the feel of his hands on my calf as he tugs my boots off has the burning sensation in my core building.

  Not only does he remove my boots and socks, he rolls my pant legs up to my knees.

  “See, not so bad. Now get over here.” He pats the empty space next to him.

  I scoot closer to him and the edge, and he splashes his feet back and forth again. Smiling at his actions, I can’t help but enjoy his relaxed body and smile. Sticking my feet over the edge, my feet barely get wet compared to his long legs.

  He leans back on his elbows and braces himself, then lets one hand trail down my back until it rests just above the waist of my jeans.

  “What are you thinking about?” he asks.

  I don’t want him to know I was thinking about how beautiful he looks with his shirt stretched over his wide chest as he looks out into the water. So I tell him something else that has been on my mind. “I’m wondering if this is what you country boys call a date?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Oh come on, what do you mean you don’t know?”

  Running a hand through his shorter hair, he blows a breath out loudly. “Well, I’m technically not a country boy, so I don’t know if this is what they call a date.”

  Not sure what to say to that, I wait for more of an explanation.

  He sits up straighter and looks at me. “I’m not from around here. Like nowhere near here.” Splashing the water a bit with his feet, he continues. “Has Linda mentioned how we met?”

  I think back and realize she never has. “No.”

  I can see the inner turmoil brewing behind his eyes as his forehead furrows in concentration. “I was walking on the side of the road in the middle of the night during a rainstorm, heading towards nothing, when Linda picked me up.”

  I’m speechless. I don’t know what I was expecting him to say.

  Clearing his throat, he nods more to himself than me. “I didn’t plan on telling you this tonight, but I want to be open and honest with you. No games.” His eyes have a different look than I’ve ever seen before. Gone is the playful guy from moments ago. Now he seems vulnerable.

  “I met Linda during a very dark time in my life. I had been on the road living from the bag on my back for over two years, moving from place to place often, working different jobs here and there for money. I never stayed in one place very long. I didn’t make friends I could count on. I just kept moving. That is till she brought me here. That was over eight months ago. And until the day you arrived, I had convinced myself I needed to move on from here too.”

  He’d been looking out at the water when he first started talking, but when he looks at me, confessing I was the reason he stayed, I can’t hold his gaze.

  “Why were you on the road? Why keep moving?”

  Sagging as though a weight has been placed on him, he looks down at the water. “Something happened in my life... I lost someone. Things became... overwhelming. I started out going for a drive. I couldn’t breathe in the city. The further away from it, the easier I could breathe. Sitting still would bring that feeling on again, so I would keep moving.” He looks down at his feet in the water, swirling them back and forth. “I let go of everything and everyone in my life. My cell kept ringing, so I threw it away—I couldn’t talk to anyone about what I was feeling. I didn’t want to be found either.

  “At one point I sold my car because I had no cash to put gas in it, and I stopped using my accounts. Continuing on foot was slower, but the pace cleared my head. The night Linda found me, I had been camped out in an open field when it started raining. I needed to find a dry place, so I started walking.” He smiles at his memory. “When she pulled over, the first thing she said was, ‘Now what kind of dumbass goes walking in the rain at night? Get your ass in here.’ She really didn’t give me a choice, and I had no idea what accepting that ride would mean for me.”

  I can’t see this beautiful man walking on the side of the road, let alone homeless. He was op
ening up so much for me, giving me his story. Could I do the same and tell him mine?

  “I was cold and wet, so I took her up on her offer, thinking she would drop me off in the next town. Instead she brought me here. The first night, I stayed in that god-awful pink room you’re staying in.” He reaches over and gently strokes my arm before taking my hand and threading his fingers with mine.

  “I had a hard time sleeping in there. I kept thinking I needed to take stomach medicine, or I would be sick. The storm’s lightning kept dancing through the room, lighting up all the pink.” His smile was back again.

  “The next morning, I tried to sneak out early, only to be caught by her when she was making her way to the chicken coop.” He chuckles. “She made me help pick eggs and didn’t warn me about Sadie either. When I stumbled back trying to get away from the damn thing, I broke the door on my way out. I felt like such a dick for how she had helped me, and all I had done was attempt to sneak out and break her door. I thought the least I could do was fix the door. So I stayed to do that. Which led me to fixing something else, and something else. She hadn’t been in the cabin for a while, so she let me fix it up the way I wanted it so I would be comfortable to stay. The rest is history.

  “I’ve been here longer than I planned, but I think I was meant to come here. This place has taught me a lot. She taught me a lot. I feel like a different man here.”

  Floored. I’m floored by what he just laid out for me.

  He squeezes my hand. “I can’t explain it, but you make me feel different too. I wanted to stay away at first, but I couldn’t. Now there is something that pulls me to you, and I can’t ignore it if I tried.”

  I still worry about what my future holds. But tonight he’s gone to a lot of trouble to show me so much more than I was expecting.

  “What are you thinking about, Princess?”

  I hate that I love his nickname for me the more he uses it. Biting my lip, I decide to be honest as he has. “What do you see in me that made you want to stay?”

  “You’re the first woman that didn’t throw herself at me. Even when I would catch you looking at me, you would keep me at arm’s length.” His eyes grow soft. “You’re also the first woman that makes me think about wanting something more in my life. Does that make sense?”