by Jill Sanders
His eyes traveled quickly over her long legs. He had to appreciate the sexy curves and the even sexier heels. When he stood, he made sure to breathe deeply, so he wouldn’t hyperventilate.
“Hi.” His voice sounded like it had in his teenage years.
“Hi.” Her voice was as perfect as she looked.
“Abby?” He took a step towards her. When she nodded, he smiled. “Lane Austin.”
She nodded. “Yes, so I’ve heard.” Her eyes ran towards Jenna. “I’ve never done this sort of…” Her eyes rolled. “Never mind. Shall we go?”
He chuckled and then nodded as he held out his arm for her to take.
When she put her hand through his, Jenna called out. “Have a fun time tonight you two.”
He nodded and then opened the door for his date.
***
Abby was going to kill Jenna. As soon as she stopped her knees from shaking, which they did every time Lane looked at her. Why did she have to have the same weakness that all women did around muscles. It wasn’t just Lane’s muscles that caused her to almost pass out when he’d looked at her in Jenna’s living room. No, it was those eyes. Those sexy blue eyes that told her exactly what he wanted to do with her. She had counted her lucky stars that she hadn’t ended up in a pool on the floor after his eyes had run slowly up and down her body.
After helping her into his truck, she watched him walk around his truck and get in behind the wheel. “I don’t usually do this kind of thing either.” He glanced at her and smiled.
She smiled back and nodded. “I didn’t figure you would.” His dark eyebrows shot up. “I mean…” She sighed.
He chuckled. “I know what you mean. It’s the first year our house has done anything like this. I mean…” He turned his body a little towards hers. “Every year we stand out and do our annual Fill the Boot campaign.”
She nodded as he rolled his eyes. “Listen, I understand that…” He glanced up at the apartments.
“Jenna.” She supplied for him.
“Jenna kind of blindsided us both, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the evening.”
She smiled and nodded. “Agreed.”
“Good. Now, I’ve heard that Carlo’s is the best Italian in town.” He glanced at her from the side of his eyes and she nodded in agreement. “Good, so, taking into account that I love Italian, and hopefully…” She nodded and smiled again. “Great! So, that’s settled.” He flipped on his seat belt and glanced at her until she quickly buckled hers as well.
“I don’t drive often.” She smiled as he nodded.
“Rule number one in my car. Even Lady has a seat belt.” He nodded towards the back, where she saw a small dog seat and harness and couldn’t stop the smile from coming.
“Lady?” She asked and he nodded. “I suppose you’re the tramp?” She chuckled.
He smiled. “When you meet her, you’ll understand.”
When? Abby tried to hide the excitement of hearing him talk as if he had plans of seeing her in the future.
“Tell me about Pride.” She leaned a little on the door and watched him. “How long have you lived there?”
He smiled. “My whole life.”
Her eyebrows rose. “No going away for college?”
He shook his head. “Online classes.” He smiled. “Just got my bachelor’s.”
Her eyebrows rose even more. “Impressive. In?”
He chuckled. “Your roommate seems to have found this funny. Finance.”
She laughed. “Jenna would find that funny.”
“Why?” he asked as he slowed the truck down and took a turn.
“That was my major.”
“Was?” He glanced at her.
She confessed. “I dropped out a few months ago.”
This time it was his eyebrows that shot up in question.
She sighed. “The day I walked in and found my professor sleeping with my fiancé.”
“Ouch.” He glanced at her. “Want to talk about it?” She laughed. It was written clearly in his deep eyes that he hoped she didn’t.
“Maybe later. I’m totally over it.”
He nodded. “How long were you engaged?”
“Three years.”
“Long time.” He glanced at her.
She nodded. “Too long. My parents met and were married two months later. They’ll hit their thirtieth next year.” She beamed as she glanced out the window. “They are almost annoying with how much they still care for one another.”
He chuckled.
“What about you?” she asked, hoping she didn’t sound too eager.
“Hmm? Oh, I’ve never been engaged.” he said, pulling into the parking lot of Carlo’s. “I came close once, but then she and her family moved and I had to start second grade.”
She chuckled as he smiled and got out of the truck and walked around to open her door.
Chapter Five
So far so good. He hadn’t tripped or broken anything. He’d even enjoyed the conversation they’d had during dinner. More important, he thought she had enjoyed it as well.
Their dinner had ended too soon and before he knew it, they were back in his truck, heading towards her apartment.
The entire meal she had asked him questions about Pride and the people there. When he asked why she was so interested, she seemed hesitant to tell him that she’d taken a job at Todd Jordan’s business, Jordan Shipping.
“So, you’re going to be the new business manager in town?” He smiled, wondering what he’d done in life to be handed such a wonderful gift. One thing had made itself clear during dinner; he definitely wanted to see Abby again. Even if that meant driving all the way up to Portland to do so.
“So, did the speaker last night have her baby?” she asked as he pulled into a parking spot in front of her apartment.
He smiled. “Sure did.”
“And?” She leaned a little closer.
“Funny thing about the Jordan’s. Just when you think you know everything about them, they surprise you. For months, Iian and Allison had been going back and forth. Iian had been telling everyone they were having a boy, and Allison kept saying they were having a girl. Well, everyone should have listened to them both.”
Her eyebrows shot up in question. He couldn’t stop the smile that crossed his face. “They had twins. A boy and a girl.”
She smiled and laughed. “How wonderful. My mother is a twin.”
“Oh?” He flipped open his seat belt and turned towards her a little as she nodded.
“Fraternal. Her brother is Jenna’s father.”
He smiled. “So, you’re more than roommates.”
She nodded and sighed. “We’ve been best friends for as long as I can remember. I don’t know what I’m going to do when I move to Pride without her.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s only a little over an hour drive.”
She chuckled. “Yeah, but Jenna and I… Well, we don’t really drive anywhere. We don’t even own cars.”
His eyebrows shot up. “How are you planning to get around in Pride?”
She shrugged her shoulders and leaned back and his hand automatically went to play with the ends of her red hair. The evening light from the parking lot was playing over it, causing the red hints to almost sparkle. It was as soft as it looked, and he wished more than anything to get his hands in it again.
“Starting tomorrow, I’ll be car shopping.”
He smiled. “If you need any help…”
She glanced at him. He could tell she was thinking about it.
“I’ve bought a few cars in my time.” He smiled. “Got this beauty for three thousand less than blue book.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “How?”
He chuckled. “How about I pick you up around ten tomorrow morning. There are a few auto lots you’ll want to avoid in Portland, but I know a couple good places. How much are you planning on spending?”
She shrugged her shoulders and sighed. “Haven’t even thought that far ahea
d.”
He frowned. “Do you have a place to live in Pride?”
She sighed again and shook her head no.
He smiled. “I’ll pull some strings. There are a few people I can talk to.”
She glanced at him. “I can’t ask…”
He stopped her by chuckling. “You’re moving into a small town. This is what we do. Help each other out.”
She was looking at him with her green eyes and he could tell she was trying to figure him out.
“Trust me. Besides, I’ll just bet that Todd, your new boss, has already called around town himself.”
She smiled. “Okay, but I’m buying lunch.” She reached for the door, only to have him stop her.
“Abby.” He took her arm until she turned back towards him. “I really enjoyed tonight.”
She smiled. “Me too. I guess Jenna finally did something right for me.”
He chuckled then released her arm and rushed around to open her door.
“Thanks for the evening,” she said as he walked up the stairs to her door.
“Thank you. I was so nervous about being auctioned off.” He sighed and rolled his eyes and then chuckled as they came to a stop in front of her door. “Actually, I was dead set against it.”
She smiled and joked. “Well, after the calendar, I would have guessed that being auctioned off would have been a breeze.”
He smiled. “I’m glad it was you,” he whispered, pulling her a little closer. Her green eyes softened as he touched her lips gently. He couldn’t have been prepared for the shock that the simple touch sent through his system. Or the desire that shot straight through his entire body.
Taking a step back, he smiled when he noticed her cheeks turn a lighter pink. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She nodded and he watched her fumble with opening the door. When the door closed behind her, he turned and jogged down the stairs, smiling the entire way back to his hotel.
***
“So?” she heard behind her the second the door closed. Resting her head on the door, she tried to hide the large smile that was on her lips.
“Well?” Jenna said again from behind her. “Ugh! Are you going to keep me waiting?”
Finally, she turned around and smiled. “Thank you.” She rushed her cousin and gave her a big hug. “Wow.”
“I knew it.” She giggled and jumped up and down. “I just knew it.” Then she stopped and pulled her over to the sofa. “So, tell me all about it.”
Abby rolled her eyes and smiled, then toed off her heels, tucked her legs under her, and started to tell her best friend every detail of her evening.
By the time she finally peeled off her dress and rolled into bed, she’d pretty much convinced herself that she’d just had the best first date of her life. That night, she had some of the wildest dreams she’d ever had. Even when she’d been sleeping next to Calvin, she’d never experienced anything like what Lane had done to her in her mind.
By the next morning, she was wondering how she could ever act normal around him again. Especially after what her mind had showed her she wanted to do with him, to him.
When he arrived, she’d talked herself out of being embarrassed. After all, there was no way he could ever know what she had dreamed about. Even after all that, when she opened the door and saw him standing there in a pair of very worn jeans with a gray T-shirt and a dark blue hoodie on, she felt her face flame up all the way to the roots of her hair.
“Morning.” His smile told her that he knew exactly why she was blushing.
“Morning.” She grabbed her purse and locked the door behind her, while taking a few deep breaths to calm down.
When she turned around, she bumped solidly into his chest. Her hands went up to steady herself as his reached around and took her shoulders.
“Sorry,” he mumbled as he shook his head.
She giggled nervously and met his blue eyes. Instantly, she saw the desire flare into them and her smile fell away. Her breath hitched and her heart skipped several beats.
“I dreamed about you last night.” His voice was husky, sending shivers down her spine.
“Me too,” she whispered back, causing him to smile.
“Really?” He pulled her closer. The feel of his hands on her back caused her to almost purr. “Maybe we’ll compare notes.”
She smiled and shook her head from side to side, knowing there was no way she would ever tell him what she’d dreamed about.
His smile was quick. “That good, huh?”
She blushed and pushed on his chest, which only made her take a step back since he was a solid wall of muscle.
He smiled and released her. “I did some research last night.”
Her eyebrows shot up as she started walking down the stairs. “On?”
He smiled. “Cars. We are going to buy you one today?”
She sighed and nodded. She really did need to get her mind out of the gutter. “And?”
He chuckled and then opened the truck door for her. “There’s a list there.” He nodded to her seat. As he walked around to get behind the wheel, she glanced over the list. There was information on almost a dozen cars.
“Find any you like?”
She smiled. “A few.”
“Great. Where to first?”
She glanced down at the paper and rattled off the dealership name.
When they pulled into the large parking lot, they were cornered immediately by a salesman. She stood back as Lane handled the man with tact. By the time they drove out of the parking lot, heading to the next dealership, she was confident that he knew what he was doing.
“A noise like that in a car is a bad sign.” He glanced over at her. They had test driven the car she’d zeroed in on as her first prospect and were heading to her second choice.
“You’re right. It’s such a shame too. I real liked that one.”
He smiled. “There will be others. Most likely, that car would go another twenty thousand miles and need some major engine work.”
She nodded, glancing down at the paperwork. “This one isn’t too bad. Hopefully it will be more sound than the last.”
“This is where I bought my truck,” he said as they pulled into the parking lot of the second dealership. “Mike was the guy who handled me,” he said as he held her door open. Calvin had never really gotten into holding doors open for her, nor had he caused her heart to skip every time he’d looked at her like Lane did.
This time, instead of being jumped in the parking lot of the dealership, they walked into the building and went over to a desk. Lane asked to see Mike and less than two minutes later, an older gentlemen walked out and shook Lane’s hand.
“Good to have you back. Looking to trade in that truck of yours?”
Lane laughed. “Nope, she’s a keeper. We’re looking for a mid-sized car for Abby here. She was looking at the Honda you had online.”
“The little red one?” The man smiled. “Just got her in a few days ago. She’s a beaut.” He waved them towards the door but stopped off and grabbed a key off a large board with hooks behind the desk.
“Take her for a spin, see how she runs. I’ve driven her around the block a few times myself.” They followed him out and she stopped in front of the car. Instantly she liked it better than the one before. Its grill was lower, the tires looked newer, and when Lane opened the doors, she couldn’t stop smiling at the perfect interior or the new car smell that surrounded them.
Like last time, Lane drove the car while she sat in the passenger seat. She’d heard the funny noise the last car made, so she made sure to listen closely as they drove around in this one.
“I don’t hear anything,” she said after a while.
He glanced over at her and smiled. “It has less than ten thousand miles on it.” He nodded as he reached up and put the heater on full blast. He’d done this last time, she assumed to see if everything worked. “You’ve got the upgraded system, so you’ll have satellite radio if you want.”
&nbs
p; She shrugged her shoulders. She’d lived in the city her whole life, and this was to be her very first car. She doubted she’d need satellite radio; she might never even turn the radio on.
“So?” She glanced over at him.
He smiled back. “Runs great. I’d like to take a look under the hood, but if you like it, we’ll see what they’ll take for it.”
She smiled. “I know you’re supposed to negotiate for these things, but the price they have it at…”
He chuckled. “Guaranteed they’ll knock twenty-five hundred off that price.”
She tried not to balk at him.
“How?”
He smiled. “I have my ways.”
Two hours later, she walked out of the building with a set of keys in her hand.
“Impressive.” She smiled at him. “I’ve never seen someone work like that.” She walked over to her new car and held back a squeal of excitement.
He leaned on the side of her car and crossed his arms over his chest. He’d removed his hoodie and she watched the shirt stretch over his muscles. “You should see me climb stairs in full gear.” He smiled.
She shook her head. “I’d almost forgotten.”
His eyebrows shot up. “What?”
“What you do for a living.” She smiled.
“Why?”
She sighed. “I’m not sure. I guess I’ve never really known any firemen before.”
He chuckled. “I’ll bet you have, you just didn’t know it.”
“Oh?”
He smiled and leaned closer, brushing the tips of her hair with his fingers. “We’re just like every other guy out there. But we spend our weekends climbing stairs with two hundred pounds of gear, while it’s completely blacked out with smoke and the building is on fire.”
She gasped a little. “You really do that?”
He nodded and moved a little closer. “When you get to Pride, you should come see us in training.”
She smiled. “I think I’d totally freak if I had to walk through smoke like that.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s not as bad as being in a real fire.”
“Have you?” She felt her heart skip.
He nodded. “A few times. Pride has had its fair share of fires. Allison’s family home was burned down by a psycho a few years back.”
