“Alright. That's all I need to know. I don't want to ride in the car while the driver is irritated with me.” She ambled toward the door the exact moment her stomach chose to rumble. Her face heated right away. Damn, she should have eaten the grass salad.
“Did you eat?”
She whirled around to face Bors. He was still scowling. “Yes.”
“You could have fooled me. That rumble I heard is loud enough to disturb the dead.”
“You know, it's rude to tell a woman that she is unattractive, or ask her age, or if she is hungry. You, Bors Knight, are one rude man.”
“And you, Taylor, are hungry, but denying it. Let's go.”
Taylor faced the door again, but before she could take another step or even blink, Bors stood right in front of her, right hand on his back beneath his shirttail. What in the world?
“Are you carrying a gun?”
“Why?” He turned to look at her.
“I don't like men carrying. They either work for the government, or they're thugs working for those who work for the government, or gangsters who—”
“Work for the government. Got anything against men that protect your streets, your country?”
“Protect? You would think differently if you met the men who visited Jean. I hate men in uniform.”
Bors frowned and stared. He looked, searching her face for something. “In general?”
“Right now, yes. Until I find someone who deserves the word trust, my idea about men is all in the general category. So why are you carrying a gun?”
“My dad is a judge who made enemies. I want to be able to protect him when necessary.”
“How about Gawain?”
“My family, including my mom, all know how to shoot. Now, can we go?”
“Sheez, you're grumpy.”
Bors shook his head at her, opened the door just a crack, then looked at her. “How's your foot?”
“Chubby.”
“God, you're a brat with a horrible attitude. You know, I think you should bring your violin, too, just in case the meeting goes longer than an hour.” He nodded toward the black case sitting on the couch.
“Okay.”
Bors grabbed the case. “Here. Hold it.”
In one swift move, Bors lifted her off her feet. “I can walk, Bors.”
“I know. But we can leave faster this way.”
“Why are you in a hurry? You think I'll change my mind?”
“I don't think it. I know.”
Taylor decided not to argue with him. Besides, it felt great to be held like this. She could get used to this treatment. She wrapped her arm around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder. Bors smelled so good, a sigh escaped her lips.
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* * *
Chapter Six
Bors nearly dropped her on the floor. Taylor's warm breath licked his skin. Like fire, it traveled down his chest and all the way to his hardening cock. Fuckin’ eh. Thankful he didn't have to walk far, Bors managed to open his passenger door. He wanted to throw her inside so he could keep their bodies separated, but he wasn't raised that way. Jean's woman or not, he'd treat her the way he treated all women—with respect. Careful not to bang her sore foot, he lowered her on the seat.
“Taylor, baby. Let go of my neck.”
“Oh, sorry.”
Bors felt her fingers skim his nape. Whether she did it on purpose or not, the effect was the same. He loved it. “Comfy?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Good. Now, buckle up.” Quickly, he walked around to the driver's side. Reaching for the gun tucked on the back of his jeans, he scanned the area. Whoever was here earlier must have skipped—taken off, when he came. Taylor didn't just imagine someone. Every part of his bone told him what she heard was a man's footsteps and not an animal. It wouldn't be safe for her to stay here. He opened his door and slid in the driver's seat.
Someone's on her tail. If Taylor and Jean were intimate and she ran away from him, he would chase her to hell and back. The woman was too beautiful, with sensuality oozing from every pore of her body and the remarkable thing was, she didn't even know it. Her sex appeal showed each time she moved. It was natural, unpretentious, and goddamn it, bringing out the beast inside him.
And she hated his kind—men in uniform.
“Fuckin’ eh,” he grumbled.
“Do you count the number of times you curse so you know how much money you have to put in your curse jar?”
“No. Hard to keep track.”
“Wow. You curse that often, huh? What about when you curse mentally?”
“What about it?”
“Does it count?”
“No.” He inserted the key in his ignition.
“So you pay only if your mother hears you curse.”
“We all follow the honesty policy. If we utter a curse with or without Mom around, we're supposed to pay. Since we don't live with Mom and Dad anymore, we all keep a jar wherever we're staying. It's hard to keep track of how many times I cursed in a week, so I just put all of my coins in the jar. That's why Gawain said my jar is always full.” He slowly backed up the truck.
“Tell me if I'm wrong. Your mother required you and your siblings to put money in the jar to discourage you from cursing, right?”
“Uh-huh.”
“But it obviously didn't work. Why keep the quarter dollar rule?”
“It helps pay her bills.”
“Holy smokes!”
“I know. My father is happy with the rule also. We help pay the bills.”
“I bet.”
They were almost out of her driveway when his cell phone started ringing.
“Would you like me to answer that?”
“Do you want to fish the phone from my pocket?”
“No.”
“Thought so.”
“I just don't want you to miss a very important call. Especially from Judge Knight telling you to take me directly to his house. Right. Directly to his home office.”
“That's where we're going, Taylor. To take you directly to my dad's.” Taylor relaxed visibly. What, did she think he'd take her someplace else?
“Good. Then you can ignore your phone.”
“You don't trust me, do you?”
“Can you be trusted? You have a gun tucked behind you.”
“I already told you—”
His cell phone stopped ringing only to start again. What the heck? He stepped on the brakes and reached for his phone. “Hey, Dad. We're on our way. What? Is she okay?” He listened to his dad's calm tone, but he could sense worry beneath it. Tristan rushed Julie to the hospital. She was bleeding and contracting. Damn. “I'll be right there. You sure? How's Tristan? I bet.” He could imagine his brother falling apart with worry. “She's with me. Yeah. I'll call him later. Take care, Dad. Let me know when you need me.” He hung up the phone.
“Trouble?”
“Julie, the woman you met at the clinic—”
“Your sister-in-law.”
“Yeah. She's in the hospital.”
“Oh, no. Is she and the baby okay?”
“Yeah. The doctor is watching her right now. My family is there. Dad can't see you right now, Taylor.”
“No problem. He can see me when he is able. I can wait. Family is number one. If you don't mind rolling this truck forward again, I'll be out of your hair and you can go see your family. They need you right now.”
“Dad will probably see you tomorrow. He knows how important your case is.”
“Good. I'll be in the cabin. He knows my cell. He can call me anytime. With my sore foot, I can go as far as the porch.”
“Are you okay? You're not changing your mind about meeting my dad, are you?”
“Of course not. I really need someone to help me.”
“But you don't trust anyone.”
“You wouldn't understand.”
Bors turned to look at Taylor. Sure, Julie needed her family right now and they would b
e with her until the earth crumbled beneath their feet. But what about Taylor? Looks like she could use a shoulder to cry on. As far as he could tell, his shoulder was the only one available. He'd stay for a few minutes with her. Besides, tonight would be as good an opportunity as it got. Question her, pry out some information about Jean and get her on his side of the law, then he would nail her lover on the cross. Jean. Taylor's lover. He couldn't imagine it. “Try me.”
“Why? My problem is none of your concern.”
“I'm a Knight, Taylor. When Dad asked me to get you, you became my concern. I don't have to go. If you need someone to talk to, I'm available.”
“Why, are you a judge also?”
“No, but I am a good listener.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Uh-huh. Just ask Gawain.”
“Bet he'll say, he's all bullshiter, Taylor. Your brother is nice.”
Bors laughed. “You're probably right.” He turned the truck around and left the driveway.
Taylor looked behind her. “Excuse me, Bors, but the cabin is right back there. Where are we going?”
“I have a hankering for Dick's burger.”
“At ten at night?”
“Dick's is open twenty-four-seven. Have you tried it?”
“Seen it in Seattle.”
“But?”
“Never tried it.”
“Baby, Dick's burger is the best.”
“Better than Burger King?”
“What? Man, you really got to try Dick's. The burgers there are freaking awesome, and it's always open to serve hungry stomachs. Oh, and the milkshakes...” Bors glanced at Taylor, then wiggled his brows. “You should try it.”
“I think you like anything that you can put in your mouth.”
Bors grinned. Taylor looked serious when she said the comment. He was sure she meant it literally, but he received it differently. “Anything I put in my mouth, babe, I enjoy.”
Taylor mumbled something with a pig in it. He couldn't help it. He laughed.
“Bors, you don't—” Her stomach rumbled.
The full moon provided Bors enough light to see Taylor's face turn pink. “My sister's stomach rumbles all the time, too. She eats a lot—always hungry—but never gains weight. What's up with that?”
“Maybe she regurgitates after every meal.”
“No way. Is that why you're skinny?”
“Excuse me. I'm not skinny.”
He even laughed louder.
Just as he predicted, Dick's was busy. Bors recognized most of the customers. Local teens, most wearing black T-shirts with wolves printed on the front. They must have watched a movie at the drive-in. He waited for a car to leave, then took the vacated spot.
“I'll order for us. What do you want?”
“I don't know what to get. You said burgers here are great.”
“Oh, yeah. Double cheeseburger, Deluxe Burger, or just a burger? With, or without onions, tomatoes?”
“Umm, I'll order double cheeseburger with everything on it. Wait, no pickles and onions. Just mayonnaise. Don't like mustard. I want cheddar cheese, please. Oh, and make sure no peppers get in my burger. I like tomatoes. Umm, if they have Romaine lettuce, I'll take that. Yup. That's it. Please make sure my burger is cooked.”
“Baby, they don't serve raw meat here.”
“You know what I mean. No red in the middle.”
Bors gave her a droll stare. “Are you sure you want everything in it?”
Taylor laughed. It was unpretentious, sounded like an angel, sexy, and damn arousing. “And fries. I like them salty.”
“Crispy, wilted or soggy.”
“Funny.”
“Drinks?”
“Diet coke, please.”
“Want it cold, warm, lukewarm, in a can with a straw or—”
“Ha. Ha.”
Bors stared at Taylor, entranced. It was too easy to get lost in those round coffee eyes and forget whom she belonged to. He must be going nuts because all he wanted at that moment was to kiss her. Before he acted on his thoughts, he opened his door. “Be right back.”
Minutes later, Bors found himself again watching Taylor with fascination as she took a big bite of her burger. She might look sophisticated, but she ate like Gawain. She unbuckled her seatbelt, tucked her legs beneath her, and faced him. Burger juice dripped down her chin. Her tongue darted out, reaching and swiping. Bors watched, his mind wandered and his body grew taut each time her little pink tongue danced like a windshield wiper down her lower lip. What would it feel like if it were his tongue licking off that juice? He bet it would taste divine. Hell, yeah. It would.
“So good.”
“I know.” He wouldn't be surprised if she licked the wrapper. Either she was really hungry or she'd never indulged herself in something as simple as a cheeseburger.
“So which one's mine. Chocolate or vanilla?” she asked while chewing. She was so Gawain.
“You can try both.”
“Really?” She dipped her hand inside the bag. “Love these fries, too. So crunchy.” Taylor picked up the chocolate milkshake, took a deep sip, then let out a big ahh. She did it a couple times with the same reaction each time she took a sip.
Bors noticed the tip of her tongue touch the straw before she trapped it between her teeth. The action was so freaking arousing. He began imagining her tongue touching the tip of his cock. He throbbed, his balls tightened. Goddamn it.
“Yummy. Here, take a sip before it's too late.”
He hesitated for a brief second before leaning forward to capture the tip of the straw with his lips. He tasted the chocolate and Taylor. Maybe he imagined it, but it didn't stop his dick from pulsing. Shit, he'd never had an erection while in his truck parked in front of a drive-in burger place packed with customers lined up to order. Until Taylor. “Yup, good. Do you eat like this all the time?”
“I love food. But I don't indulge myself with greasy, mouthwatering burgers like this. My God, this is so good.”
“Better than tarantula salad?”
“Arugula, silly. It's an aromatic green salad. You must have had it and didn't even know. It's popular in Italian cuisine. You should add it to your diet. Very low in calories and high in vitamins A and C.”
“No wonder you're skinny.” He took a bite of his burger, trying to drown Taylor's taste. Damn, if he weren't careful, his attraction would sky rocket and he might lose his control and kiss the damn woman to have a bit more of her taste.
Bors stopped chewing. Jesus. Not good. Mixing work with pleasure was never good. Worse, she could have had shared Jean's bed every single fucking night.
Man, Snitch was right when he said Taylor was a goddess. Jesus, if she were this beautiful, he could only imagine when she was naked. Bors gritted his teeth. No. He must stop his attraction. Taylor was a job, a key to Jean's jail. He must see to it that he got it. And he knew just how to go about it. Irritate her. If they stayed annoyed with each other, the attraction could be suppressed.
“When you called Dad, you changed your mind and hung up. Why?”
“I think you already know.”
“You weren't sure if Dad's the right person to call.”
“Not easy finding trustworthy people nowadays.”
“You don't trust people in general or men?”
“I do trust a few.”
“But none of them are judges, politicians ... agents.”
“Yup.”
Good to know. Lucky I didn't introduce myself as Agent Knight.
If she continued opening up, he might nail not one congressman, but more men in uniform. “You very well shouldn't trust anyone without knowing them first.”
“Are you saying that I should not trust you or your dad?”
“I'll leave it up to you. Trust is something we earn. Find out for yourself if we can be trusted or not. All I ask is you meet my dad.”
“Why would he offer that I meet him at his house and late at night?”
“Baby, if it weren't f
or my mom, he would spend his entire life in his office so he could help others. Our home is the extension of his office, but not open to most people. So consider yourself lucky.”
“That's what I heard, but you can't blame me for having doubts. I've been surrounded with liars, Bors. Men who boast that they love their wives, their daughters, and are God-fearing, but I've seen them come in and out of Jean's office. Smiling because Jean procured vir—”
“Virgins?”
“Yes. So you see why it's hard for me to trust men.”
Like me. Bors made a mental note to keep his identity hidden. “I don't blame you.”
“You know, I have this idea that all men are the same. But after talking to Judge Knight, I think I'm wrong.”
“He's one of a kind.”
Taylor sighed. “Listening to your dad's voice, I could tell he's different. That's why I agreed that we meet.”
That was easy. He thought he'd have to paint a better picture to convince her. “How about me? I'm a troll, remember—and I chase women. Do you think you could trust me?”
“I think so. Something tells me that you're different, too.”
“Something tells you? What the heck does that mean?”
“A hunch.”
“A hunch?”
Jesus. She would trust a man because of a hunch. “Just like following your instinct,” he remarked caustically.
“Hey, don't be sarcastic. Don't tell me you never followed your instinct. Not even once.”
Bors shrugged. She was right. Remarkably, his instinct had saved his and Branyan's life many times before.
“Okay, with you I don't get the heebbegeebbies.”
“And the instinct, hunch, heebbegeebbies go together.”
“Kinda.”
“What's heebbegeebbies and how the fuck do you spell that word.”
“You could ask without cursing, you know. Forget the spelling. It's not in the dictionary, I think. Maybe in the urban one. Anyway, I get the heebbegeebbies when Jean's friends are around, except for Ray. I feel icky, dirty, and unsafe. Just feels weird.”
Bors waited for more, but Taylor didn't say anything else. She said she'd been around men. Well, she could have fooled him. Something about her bespoke innocence. Taylor proved to be a puzzle. And who was this Ray? Later, he'd find out and he bet he wouldn't have to dig deeper. He had a feeling that Taylor would volunteer everything he needed to know.
Irresistible Knight Page 9
