She’d made it almost across the lot to the diner’s entrance when the man closed the distance between them. “I think you’re not being truthful,” he said behind her.
She spun around, not liking how near he was to her. There was also no mistaking the look of lust in his eyes. Aspen tried not to gag when he eyed her up and down and licked his fleshy lips.
“And how would you know that?”
“Well, I heard the argument you had with your friend as she got your suitcase out of the trunk of her car. You both had your voices raised. If you want, I can drive you in my semi.” He looked her up and down again. “I wouldn’t mind the company.”
She and Cindy had been having a heated conversation as her friend kicked her out of her car. But there was no way Aspen was going to let this idiot know she was stranded. He more than gave her the creeps.
“Thanks, but no thanks. Despite what you thought you heard, I’m meeting my boyfriend here.” Aspen looked around the parking lot until her gaze landed on a black pickup truck parked off on its own. “And he’s already here. He must be in the diner. I’ll go wait for him at his pickup.”
Aspen turned in the direction of the truck and hoped like hell it wasn’t a woman who owned it. To her, the pickup looked as if it belonged to a guy. And that it was used as a working vehicle.
The man followed her. “Why aren’t you going into the diner to meet him then?”
“I told him I’d be at his pickup when I arrived. Since I’m on time, he should be out in a minute or so.”
At the passenger side of the truck, the man reached out and grabbed her arm, turning her to face him. “Come on, admit you’re alone. There’s no one waiting for you.”
Aspen tried to break free of his hold, but he held her too tight. “Let go of me,” she said in a loud voice, fear slowly rising to the surface.
“What the hell is going on here?”
She looked to her right and saw a drop-dead-gorgeous man a short distance away, walking toward them. Aspen sent up a silent prayer that the hunk would play along before she said, “Hi, honey. I told you I wouldn’t be late.” She then looked at the man holding her arm. “There’s my boyfriend now.”
She yanked out of the man’s grasp and quickly walked over to the hunk. Once she stood in front of him, Aspen went on her tiptoes and kissed him. She only thought to give him a quick peck on the mouth, but it turned into a lot more than that when the man put his arms around her waist and tugged Aspen against his chest. He then proceeded to kiss her thoroughly, his tongue pushing between her lips and exploring her mouth.
It only lasted all of five seconds, but it was enough to have a jolt of desire shooting through her body. Once the hunk ended the kiss, she could only stare at him as her heart beat rapidly against her ribs.
“Babe, tell me what’s going on here,” the man said in a deep voice that made her toes curl.
It took Aspen a few seconds to get her brain functioning enough to understand what he’d asked. “He thought I lied when I said I was meeting you here. He saw Cindy drop me off and figured she’d left me here against my will.”
The hunk took her suitcase and put his free arm around her shoulders, turning her so she was tucked against his side. His body was hard with muscles.
“You were harassing my girlfriend?” he asked the man.
The man shook his head. “It’s just a misunderstanding. I thought only to offer her a ride. I didn’t mean anything by it.” He appeared to be scared shitless, which didn’t surprise her since the hunk had to be around six-foot-two and was all solid muscle.
“Good, because if it was more than that, I’d have to set you straight.” He then looked at her. “Let’s go. It’s getting late and we have a lot of miles to go before we can stop for the night.”
Aspen let out a silent sigh of relief that he was willing to play along and nodded. He turned her toward the pickup and unlocked the passenger door for her. She got inside the cab and shut herself in as he went around to the bed to put her suitcase there before getting into the driver’s side.
As they drove out of the diner’s parking lot and merged with the highway traffic, Aspen looked out the cab’s back window to see the man watched their departure. There was no question in her mind that he wouldn’t have stopped harassing her if the hunk hadn’t come along. Just another reason why Cindy was no longer considered a friend.
Chapter Two
Taylor glanced over at the woman who sat next to him in the cab of his pickup. She was the same one who had caught his eye back at the diner. Up close, she was even prettier. He now knew her eyes were blue-gray, and at around five-foot-five, she fit perfectly under his arm.
He’d come out of the diner to see her being harassed near his pickup by an asshole who couldn’t keep his hands to himself. Taylor, of course, had to intervene. He’d even been willing to play his part as her “boyfriend” when she’d called him “honey”, but he hadn’t expected the kiss. Her lips pressed to his, he’d found himself unable to pass up getting a taste of her. At least she hadn’t minded, had in fact seemed to enjoy it, if he went by the scent of her desire that had rolled off her.
“Ah…thanks for back there,” she said as she looked at him. “I don’t think that guy would have left me alone if not for you. I’m Aspen.”
He shot her a quick smile before focusing back on the road. “Taylor. No problem. He’d gone too far. You don’t have to worry. I’m not like that.”
“Nice to meet you, Taylor. I have to say you don’t give off the same creepy vibes he was. If you don’t mind, can you drop me off at the bus station? Cindy, my friend, who is no longer one, did abandon me back at the diner.”
“Sure, I can do that.”
“Thanks. And sorry about that whole you being my boyfriend and the kiss. I didn’t know what else to do to get rid of him.”
Taylor chuckled. “Don’t apologize, especially for the kiss. That’s one thing I’ll never complain about—being kissed by a pretty woman.”
A glance over showed her cheeks had taken on a nice shade of pink. “I can’t say it was any hardship for me to do it.”
“Where are you headed?”
“Anchorage. What about you?”
“The same place. I’ve been living in Juneau for the last few years, but all my family is in Anchorage. It’s time I moved back.”
Aspen nodded. “I was working all summer in Skagway. I’m ready to go home. I miss seeing my mom and dad.”
“Any siblings?”
“An older sister. She’s quite a bit older than me…eight years. I was a surprise for my parents.”
“I have a younger brother. There’s only a year between us.”
Taylor took the exit off the highway and headed for the nearest bus station he knew. The trip wasn’t long enough for him to learn all that much about Aspen. But with them living in the same city, it was an opportunity for him to ask her out. Even though she was human, he wanted to get to know her better. And he doubted she was the kind of woman who would be interested in a one-night stand. He’d had enough of them to know when the opposite sex was only looking for a good time with no strings attached. Aspen didn’t seem to be like that. They’d shared a kiss and she’d apologized for it.
At the bus station, Taylor pulled into a parking space and shut off the pickup’s engine. He turned in his seat to face Aspen. “I’ll stay with you until you catch your bus.”
She shook her head. “You don’t have to do that. I don’t want to hold you up. You have a long drive still before you reach Anchorage.”
“I’m not ready to say goodbye to you yet. Plus, I’d feel better if I saw you safely on the bus.” He smiled. “And maybe before you do get on it you’ll give me your phone number so I can call you and set up a date.”
Aspen smiled, making her whole face light up. “I’d like that.”
“Good. Now let’s see about getting you a bus ticket.”
Taylor got out of the truck and went to the back to collect Aspen�
�s suitcase. He fell into step beside her as they walked to the station’s main building. Once inside, he let Aspen take the lead. She headed straight for the wicket. There were only two people ahead of her.
Once it was her turn, Aspen asked for a ticket for the next available bus to Anchorage. It turned out she’d missed the last one of the day by about ten minutes. She’d have to wait until early the next morning. Seeing the crestfallen expression Aspen wore, Taylor thanked the woman at the wicket and pulled Aspen off to the side.
“Before you buy your ticket, I want you to consider something first,” he said.
“Okay.”
“I know you really don’t know me, but I can assure you, you’ll be safe in my company. Why don’t you ride to Anchorage with me? We’re both going there. That way you won’t have to spend the night in the bus station, which I’m not fond of. I’ll even let you take a picture of me with your cell phone and you can send it to your parents so they’ll know who you’re with. Plus, I have some very good friends back in Juneau who I can call who would be happy to vouch for me not being a murderer or anything.”
Aspen’s gaze searched Taylor’s face while she appeared to think over what he’d suggested. She then asked, “You’d really let me take your picture?”
“Of course. If it will make you feel safer with me, then go right ahead.”
“Okay.” She took her cell phone from her purse and got him to smile before she took the picture. Instead of sending a text, Aspen put the cell away.
“Aren’t you going to send it to your parents?”
She smiled. “No. I just wanted it so I can look at it later. I wasn’t going to pass that up.”
Taylor laughed. “I would have gladly let you take my picture, anyway. So what’s your answer? Do you want to make the trip to Anchorage with me?”
“Yes. If you had wanted to hurt me, you could have done that right after we left the diner. I don’t think I’ll be in any danger with you. Plus, you did save me from the jerk at the truck stop.”
“Great. Let’s get on the road again.”
He guided Aspen out of the building and to the parking lot. That she’d agreed to stay with him pleased Taylor more than it should. With what was going on with his family group, he really had no business getting closer to a human female. But the thought of leaving her behind hadn’t sat well with him. He was drawn to Aspen, whether it was a good thing or not.
Once again inside his truck and on the highway, he said, “You should at least let someone know about the change in your plans. What if your friend calls your parents looking for you and you’re not there yet? I’m going to stop at a motel for the night. I’m not going to take the chance of falling asleep at the wheel.”
“I guess you’re right. Cindy and I had planned to drive right until it was late, then stop for the night. The delay at the diner and the bus station will have me not showing up on time. My parents would worry. I’m going to be living in the apartment above their garage.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Taylor watched Aspen take her cell out of her purse again and quickly type out a text message. It wasn’t too long before her phone binged with a reply. She sent two more texts before she put away her cell.
“Done,” she said. “Just so you know, I told them you were someone I met in Skagway, and that you were nice enough to offer me a ride when Cindy bailed on me. My mom is a bit of a worrywart. If I’d told her how I actually met you, and that I accepted a ride, she’d be up all night, pacing.”
“I can understand why she’d worry.” Silence fell between them before Taylor started the conversation again. “So where would you like to go out on our date?”
Aspen chuckled. “You move fast, don’t you?”
“Well, I do have your undivided attention right now. I figured we can plan it all out on the drive.”
“That’s very proactive of you.”
“Nothing wrong with being organized.”
“I guess not. Since you’re asking me out on a date, I’m figuring you didn’t leave a girlfriend behind in Juneau.”
“No. I haven’t had one in a few years. And I take it you don’t have a boyfriend.”
“I find it hard to believe a man as good-looking as you has stayed single for so long. Correct, I have no boyfriend. I was too busy working all summer. Plus, I hadn’t planned to stay beyond that in Skagway. Unlike my former friend, I’m not into long-distance relationships. As far as I’m concerned, they rarely work out.”
Taylor glanced at Aspen and let out a short laugh. “I’ll have to take your word on that. I’ve never had one. It’s a good thing we’ll both be living in the same city.”
“It does make it easier. If you don’t mind me asking, why did you decide to make the move from Juneau to Anchorage?”
“I don’t mind. My father’s very sick. He’s in a bad enough way my family wants me to come back home.”
“Sorry to hear about your dad. And here I was holding you up.”
“It’s okay. Seriously. I’m not all that overjoyed to be making this trip, anyway. I had a falling out with my family four years ago. Yesterday was the first time I’d actually spoken to one of my relatives since then. If I’d had my way, I’d still be back in Juneau. I had to say goodbye to some very good friends.”
“Families can be a pain in the butt at times. I’m not very close with my sister. Her being so much older than me, she still likes to think of me as her bratty little sibling. Even though I’m twenty-seven, she can’t treat me like an adult. It drives me crazy.”
“I can see that would be annoying.”
Now that their conversation was moving along smoothly, Taylor was pleased Aspen had no problem keeping it going. He found her to be good company. The miles and hours passed without him realizing it. If he’d been alone, he would have more than likely spent the time dreading his first meeting with his father.
It was full dark and well into the night before Taylor decided he’d had enough of driving. He turned off the highway and found the closest motel. He parked the truck in front of the manager’s office.
He undid his seat belt and turned to look at Aspen. “Are you okay with getting your own room?”
She gave him a sheepish look. “Would you mind sharing one with two beds? I’d feel more comfortable if I wasn’t alone. I’ll pay for half of it.”
“Are you sure that’s what you want to do? I thought you’d want your privacy.”
Aspen nodded. “After the incident at the truck stop, I’ll feel safer.”
If that was what she wanted, Taylor had no problem sharing a room with her. He didn’t say anything, but he wondered if Aspen was worried that if they weren’t staying together he’d leave her behind in the morning. She’d already had one person abandon her out in the middle of nowhere with no way of getting home.
“Then it’s a room with two double beds. You can wait here. I’ll go in and book it.”
As Taylor got out of the pickup, he smiled to himself. So far his trip home had turned out to be surprising in a good way. Having spent hours with Aspen, talking and getting to know her, he was more attracted to her than when he’d first seen her at the truck stop. Not only was she beautiful, she also had a great personality. For the first time in his life, he was seriously considering having a relationship with a human female.
* * * * *
Aspen looked at the door to the manager’s office. It had only been a minute since Taylor had gone inside to book them a room. She was sure he’d be a few more yet.
She silently sighed at the prospect of spending the night with Taylor. He was totally gorgeous. Even though Aspen wasn’t letting it show on the outside, on the inside, she was drooling all over him. She’d screamed with glee to herself when he’d asked her out on a date. Her luck had definitely turned for the better after meeting him. Not only was he a hunk, he was also a great guy.
And how could she resist him when he’d come to her rescue the way he had? There had been a few other people in the parkin
g lot when the jerk had accosted her, but Taylor had been the only one to step up and chase him off for her. That put him in her good book.
Aspen’s stomach growled, reminding her it had been a long time since she’d last eaten. She looked out the pickup’s window and saw a café next to the motel. She didn’t think Taylor would mind getting some food. The last time he’d had anything had to have been back at the diner. That had been hours ago.
She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and turned her head to watch Taylor stride to the driver’s side, then get in. She smiled. “You booked the room okay?”
He started the truck. “Yeah. We’re good to go.” Taylor backed up, then drove the short distance to the parking spot in front of their room.
After getting out of the pickup, Taylor unlocked the room’s door. Aspen stepped inside and looked around. It was nothing special. Just the typical motel room found anywhere. There were two double beds with a small table between them, which had a lamp, telephone and digital clock sitting on it. The only other thing in the room was an old-model television. No LCD or LED flat screen here.
“It’s not great, but it should do for the one night,” Taylor said.
She turned to look at him and chuckled. “It’s a motel, after all. I saw there was a café. I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry. Feel like going over there and getting something to eat?”
“Sure. I’ll bring the bags in, then we can go.”
Taylor turned and headed toward the door. Aspen nibbled her bottom lip as she gazed at his muscled ass. His jeans showed it off perfectly. Maybe they could get a head start on their date. He hadn’t tried to touch her again, but she felt it was because he wanted her to feel comfortable around him. If she had her way, she’d be more than happy to be in his arms, maybe getting a kiss or two or three or ten.
He came back not even a minute later carrying her large suitcase and one for him. Taylor put hers on the floor at the end of one of the beds. “I still have some boxes in the pickup, but I don’t want to bring them in here. I’ll cover them with a tarp.”
CougarHeat Page 2
