Savannah pulled out her cell phone and said, “What’s your number so I can program it into my phone and call you when I land?”
Brandon rattled off the number and handed her his phone. “I don’t have any plans, so I should be available whatever time you get in. Can you put yours in my phone for me since I’m driving? That way I have it in case something else is wrong with your car. I’m not a mechanic, by any means.”
They continued to drive along in silence while odd thoughts zipped around in her head. Thoughts of what it might be like to kiss him, have him run those strong hands over her curves, his lips down her neck and suck...damn it!
She cleared her throat and squirmed on the leather seat, trying to relieve the pressure suddenly building between her thighs.
It’s been way too long since I’ve been with a man. That’s all. No big deal.
“So what’s this long story you talked about? The reason behind your trip home?”
Heat crawled up her neck and she dropped her gaze to the dashboard.
“You’re blushing.”
Savannah laid her hands on her cheeks and glanced his way. “I know.”
A crooked grin spilled across his lips and he said, “Why? It can’t be that bad.”
Savannah rolled her eyes and sighed. “Yes it is. I bet your parents don’t harass you every year about getting married and having children.”
Brandon chuckled and then broke into full-blown laughter. Her breath caught in her throat when the dimples peeked out of both cheeks. She’d seen the one, but with his full laughter, both cut serious dents into his face and his blue eyes sparkled with mirth.
“What?”
When he could finally catch his breath and wipe the tears from his face, he answered, “Yes they do.”
“You’re kidding me.”
“Well maybe not every year, but almost every time I see them. Being thirty-five and not married tends to make parents a bit more...um...vocal about their wants.”
She chuckled softly. “Yeah. That’s what this trips all about, I’m sure. Our yearly taking to. My sisters and I are meeting there for the weekend at mom and dad’s request.”
“How many sisters do you have?”
“Three, but I’m the eldest at thirty and believe me, I hear about it all the time.”
He pulled the truck up to the curb at the airport and put it in park.
“Thanks for the lift.”
“You’re welcome.”
He stepped out and walked around to the passenger side to open her door, surprising her with his gentlemanly behavior.
Men don’t do that anymore. Well, he obviously does.
A moment later, she found herself in his arms looking up into his intense gaze.
Chapter Three
The scent of her shampoo wrapped itself around his senses and when she looked up, he had the insane urge to kiss her. The strawberry fragrance reminded him of visits to California when he was a kid with all the strawberry fields everywhere. Coming from her hair, it made him think of sunshine, picnics, long walks, and babies.
For a split second, he let his mouth drift toward hers. A loud honk interrupted his thoughts and a man yelled from his car. “Hey! Do that somewhere else, would ya? Some of us need to drop off passengers, too.”
He quickly released her and muttered, “Sorry.”
“It’s my fault. I caught my foot on the running board, I think.” She shifted to her left foot and moved away. “Thanks for catching me, though. I can’t imagine going to my parents with a big black eye.”
“Sure. I guess I’ll see you when you get back.” He let a smile drift across his mouth. “Have a good time.” Her nose wrinkled and he chuckled. “Okay maybe not, but at least you’ll get to see your sisters and your parents.”
A quick lift of her lips and his heart slammed against his ribs.
“I haven’t seen them for awhile, so visiting will be good.”
Another honk and he stepped up to shut the door. “I better move before someone decides to try to move it for me.”
“Yeah. Thanks again for the ride.”
“Bye, Savannah.”
“Bye, Brandon.”
* * * *
She shot one last glance over her shoulder and watched him drive away from the curb before she walked inside the terminal. The line for security wrapped around, back and forth and she sighed. She hated flying. Loathed it with a passion, but she didn’t have time to drive home this trip like she usually did. “My car couldn’t even make it to the airport,” she grumbled. A moment later, she captured her lower lip between her teeth when she thought about her savior. Brandon. “Well I guess I can’t complain. He does look mighty nice in jeans.”
The security guy cocked an eyebrow, took her identification and ticket, compared the two, and shot her a bored glance before he handed it back. “Have a good flight.”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
The gate for her flight came into view as she made her way down the carpeted corridor. Several people had already taken seats around the area, so she found an empty corner, propped up her roller suitcase, and sat down to wait for boarding. Her cell phone vibrated in her pocket and she struggled for a moment to retrieve it.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Vannah.”
“Hi, Sabrina. What’s up?”
“Just checking to make sure you’re on time.”
“Should be. I don’t see anything about a delay and the plane is already at the gate.”
“Good. I guess I’ll see you in Houston, then. I went ahead and reserved a car instead of a cab. That way we have transportation once we get home if we can to disappear for a bit.”
Savannah chuckled softly. “True. Hey? Maybe we can avoid Mom’s dinner party tonight that way? We can say the flights were late or something.”
“If only. You know better than that. Mom would call the airline and find out. Then we’d be busted.”
“True.”
“Now boarding. Flight 392 non-stop service to Houston Intercontinental Airport. All passengers with boarding cards in the A group, please line up behind the podium to my left.”
“It sounds like we are getting ready to board, Sabrina. I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”
“Okay. Be safe. We’ll have to get the other two together when we get home and go out for a drink.”
“Sounds like a plan to me, but not tonight. I need sleep. I had to work until this morning. Slept about five hours. Hit Starbucks for coffee and my car broke down. I had to get a lift from a new doctor at work that happened to be at the coffee shop, too.”
“New doctor?”
“Yeah. Cute one, too.”
“Oh, do tell.”
“I don’t have time now. See you in a little while.”
“Bye, sis.”
“Bye.”
Savannah found a seat next to the window, grabbed a pillow from the overhead bin, and drifted off to sleep before the plane even taxied from the gate.
The soft skim of his lips along her jaw had her moaning softly. Her mouth tingled for the pressure of his, but he avoided bringing them together and she whimpered. Instead, he moved down her throat to the rapid flutter of her pulse and sucked. Her hands reached for his shoulders, begging for him to continue his assault on her senses. She never knew the rough scrape of whiskers could be so enticing. The palm of his hand found her breast and she arched her back, wanting the pressure to continue. The hard nub tightened to an achy point.
“God I want you so much, Savannah.” He took her hand in his and pressed it to the bulge between his legs. “Feel how much I want you.”
“Please...”
“You need to tell me you want this, too, or I stop right now.”
“No—don’t stop.”
“Tell me, Vannah.”
“Yes! God, yes! Brandon, please...”
The jerk of the plane hitting the tarmac jarred her awake and she blinked several times trying to focus.
Oh. My. God.
I wasn’t just dreaming about Brandon Cooper, was I?
“Good dream, eh?” a pretty twenty-something girl sitting next to her said with a twinkle in her eye.
Savannah cleared her throat and dropped her gaze to her feet.
Shit!
“It’s okay. You weren’t that loud.” The girl’s smile got bigger when Savannah looked at her again. “I hope you are going home to see Brandon. Otherwise this might be a really long trip.”
Heat crawled up her neck and spread across her cheeks like wildfire. “Uh, no.”
“Damn. Sorry to hear that. At least tell me you know someone with the name.”
“Yeah. A co-worker.”
“You might need to figure out how to make him more if your dream was of any significance. It sounded like it might have been pretty hot.”
I am not having this conversation with a stranger.
“Thanks for the advice.”
The plane pulled into the gate and the fasten seatbelt light went off, giving them the freedom to retrieve their belongings and disembark. Savannah lifted her bag to her shoulder, pulled her roller bag behind her, and strolled up the jet way, ready to face her parents and the next round of Who Will Be Getting Married First.
Several minutes later, she was swept up in the warm hug of her sister, Sabrina. “You look like shit, Vannah.”
She took in her sisters completely unruffled appearance with her thick, dark hair pulled into a long braid down her back, her long eyelashes, and flawless complexion. “Thanks, Sabrina. You look fabulous, as usual.”
Sabrina laughed and looped her arm through Savannah’s as they made their way to the car rental counter. “Yeah, well, it’s a wonder what a good night’s sleep will do for you.”
“Well, look at what we have here. If it’s not two of Gibson sisters.” The voice brought Savannah’s attention to the partially-balding, large thirty-year-old man behind the rental car counter of Hertz rental cars. Jake Brown. The name made her want to vomit. The guy had gone to high school with her and he'd been the most conceited, jock at Destiny High School. It almost had her laugh to see how low he'd dropped. Especially when he'd hung it over everyone's head, how much money his folks had. He thought every girl should kiss his feet with his fancy sports car and money. She'd heard they lost everything when his dad got caught embezzling funds at the bank he worked for.
“How are you doing, Jake? You’ve got yourself a right fine job, I see.”
“Savannah.” Her name dripped off his pudgy lips before he turned to Sabrina. “Hey, Sabrina.”
“Jake. Can you get my car for me please? Here’s my license and credit card.”
“Sure.” He swiped Sabrina’s credit card through the machine and in moments, it spit out her contract. “Just sign right there.”
Her sister quickly signed the appropriate place and he handed her the keys. “How long you staying? Maybe we could get together for a drink?”
“Sorry, Jake. Only here for a day or two and our parents already have us booked solid.” She tucked the contract inside her purse. “Thanks for the help. See you around.”
The two women walked away from the counter and out the door to retrieve the car, but just when they cleared the glass entrance and it shut behind them, they both laughed hysterically. “Good Lord. Why do you encourage him like that? He’s been hot for you for so long, I thought he was about to drool on the counter.”
“I can’t help it. I just can’t be mean to him.”
“You don’t have a nasty bone in your body.”
“Only to IRS agents.”
The found the car and Sabrina opened the locks with the fob in her hand.
“I can’t wait to climb into a soft bed.”
“Don’t forget the party tonight.”
“I know. I’m hoping I can get a couple of hours sleep before I have to make an appearance. Do you think Mom will miss me?”
“Uh. Duh.”
Savannah laughed. “That’s what I’m afraid of.” Her cell phone jingled in her purse and she reached down to grab it. When she looked at the screen, she bit her lip.
“Aren’t you going to answer it?”
Her gaze swung to her sister.”Huh? Yeah.” She opened the phone and said, “Hi Brandon.”
Sabrina’s perfectly rounded eyebrow rose in a questioning arch and she mouthed, ‘Brandon?’ Savannah shook her head.
“I wanted to make sure you got to Houston okay and let you know I’ve already had your car towed to my place.”
“Oh. Yeah, I’m here. I just hooked up with one of my sisters and got the rental car.”
“Good. I haven’t gotten the distributor cap yet. I’ll pick it up later.”
“Did you get any sleep? You said you hadn’t been to bed yet when we met at the coffee shop.”
“No, not yet.”
She chuckled and rolled her eyes. “I get the impression you’re worse than me for getting sleep. I’ve already gotten the lecture from my sister and told I look like shit.”
He laughed on the other end of the phone. “I thought you looked pretty good when I saw you earlier.”
Silence.
“I...uh...”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. Just an observation.”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
“You’re welcome.” He sighed into the phone. “I better go. I do need to get some sleep sometime today. I’ll talk to you later, I guess.”
“Yeah. Thanks again for taking care of my car and dropping me off at the airport.” Her gaze swung to Sabrina again and she bit her lip.
“No problem. See you when you get back.”
“Bye, Brandon.”
“Bye.”
She shut the phone with a click and slid it back inside her purse as they rolled through the gates of Gibson estates.
“Brandon? Who’s Brandon, Savannah?”
“A guy at work.”
“Ah. The doctor who helped you with your car that you mentioned earlier.” She tapped her finger on her lip. “Cute one, you said, if I remember correctly.”
“Don’t start. It’s not like that. He’s only helping me.”
“Uh-huh.”
Luckily they pulled up the front door of the house and Savannah pushed open the passenger door, saving her from retorting. The last thing she wanted at this point was to explain the strange relationship—or whatever you wanted to call it—with Brandon to her sister.
“I’m sure Mom would be interested in your friendship with Brandon.”
“What? Savannah? You have a boyfriend?” her mother said from the porch and Savannah shot a death glare at Sabrina before she turned around. Savannah wrapped her arms around her petite mother and felt the warmth surround her. She stepped back, kissed her mother on the cheek, and said, “No, Mom. I don’t. He’s a co-worker.”
Sabrina laughed hysterically. “But he took you to the airport, Vannah.”
“Shut up, Sabrina!”
“You’ll have to tell me about this young man, Savannah.”
“Nothing to tell, Mom. Sabrina is blowing it way out of proportion.”
They stepped inside the cool interior of the large hall that encompassed the entrance of the house. The Mediterranean style home a stark contrast to the Spanish/Mexican heritage of their mother and old Texan of her father. A sweeping staircase led to the upper floors off to their right with its oak banister gleaming from a fresh coat of polish. The marble floor sparkled in the afternoon sun and Savannah was almost afraid to step on it for fear of scuffing the white surface. One thing about their mother, she always kept an immaculate house.
“Savannah, Sabrina. I’m glad you’re here.” William Gibson grabbed each one in turned and hugged them tight.
“Where are Serena and Susannah? They aren’t here yet?”
“No, but they should be here soon,” Maria answered. “Why don’t you take your bags up to your room
s, girls?” Her eyes swept over Savannah. “You look like you need a nap, sweetheart.”
“I do, Mom. I worked last night, remember?”
“Ah, yes.” Maria pushed the hair back off Savannah’s forehead. “Well, why don’t you lie down for a while and I’ll wake you for dinner?”
“That would be heaven. I’ll see you in a couple of hours then.”
Savannah almost ran up the stairs to her old room. The huge soft mattress called to her weary muscles like nothing else could. When she reached the door, she pushed it open and her eyes got a little misty. The room still looked like it had when she’d left home some ten years ago. Her trophies still lined the shelf on the wall from all the years of riding horses, playing baseball and soccer, and running cross-country in high school. She shut the door behind her, set her suitcase on the chair by the window, and then brushed her fingers over the shiny metal figures on top of each. She quickly brushed the tears away, sighed, and kicked her shoes off before she crawled beneath the comforter on the bed and drifted off to sleep.
* * * *
Savannah swept down the stairs in her black strapless dress, her legs bare of any nylons, and her strappy shoes with just a bit of heel. She didn’t want to stand too much taller than anyone else and already being five foot, seven inches, even three-inch heels usually put her well above everyone else except her sisters.
“Vannah! There you are!” Serena swept her up in a large hug and kissed her cheek before she stepped back and her other sister, Susannah, did the same.
“We thought you might sleep all night.”
Savannah kissed Susannah before she said, “I might have, but I knew none of you would let me. I’m sure Mom already has several men here picked out for all of us.”
“Of course she does and Daddy, too,” Susannah said.
Savannah compared the two of the four Gibson sisters standing in front of her. Both were tall like her, with thick, dark hair, although her own had a few more red highlights and Savannah had the brown eyes of their mother.
“So what’s this we hear about a boyfriend?”
Savannah rolled her eyes. “I do not have a boyfriend.”
“But Sabrina said...”
“Don’t listen to her. My car broke down on the way to the airport and a guy from work drove me in so I wouldn’t miss my plane.”
Strictly Professional: Stud Services Page 4
