by Reina Torres
He heard the ‘we’ in her answer and leaned closer to hear more.
“This used to be a drive-in theater at one time and the owner wanted to sell it before he retired, but by that time the movie-going public wasn’t all that interested in going to drive-ins. So, there were no buyers. Sloane and I were driving by one day, on our way back to the Center, and we saw the For Sale sign. We pulled in and walked around, and while we were doing that, we just started talking about what could be here. What we could do with this space?
“Taking some of the parking lot where the cars would be during the movie and resurfacing it for a food truck court sounded like a great idea. We have some amazing women who have volunteered with us, helping other women, helping children. And many of them had dreams of what they wanted to do for themselves and for their families, and a bunch of them were talking about the food truck boom across America. It got to the point where some of the women had put together one of those wish-boards. A place where they’d take pictures that meant something to them and put it up in the general hall.
“Some of our clients would add pictures too or little sticky notes with foods that they wanted. Cool names for dishes that someone else thought of. And yes, designs for the look of the food trucks.” Hildie stopped in the center of the picnic tables and gave him a bright smile that warmed him all over. “That truck over there,” she pointed out a big red truck with an ornate gold foil crown, “that’s Thuy’s BBQ Queen truck. Her specialty is her slow roasted pork spareribs. Eighteen hours of cooking makes the meat fall-off-the-bone amazing. Then she flash fries it and gives it a coating of a homemade BBQ sauce that’s spicy and sweet Asian inspired. I think it’s put a few pounds on my hips, but you won’t hear me complain. Then there’s Christine’s Tea Time Truck.”
“Tea Time?” Jake regretted the question the moment it came out. “I mean, I’m a coffee addict.”
Hildie bumped her shoulder into his, rocking him onto one foot. “She serves iced tea too. And yes, sweet tea! Her scones are delish… clotted cream and a whole bunch of amazing dessert in bite-sizes. It’s a perfect pick-me-up at any time of the day. And if you want something with a little more kick,” she gestured at the green truck with the chalkboard-dark background for a menu board. Anna’s has mixed drinks for the Twenty-One and older crowd. My favorite? The Margaritas. Those are dangerous!” She turned toward the black truck in the corner. “See that one with the stunning artwork? Cheryl’s truck, Nakota’s Yummies, has the most amazing Fry Bread Tacos. The toppings she puts on them and the bread itself? Yummies is just the tip of the iceberg about how good those tacos taste.”
Looking at the truck next to it, Jake recognized the images on the side of the blue truck. “I see a seafood truck.” Jake felt his stomach start to rumble and given the look on Hildie’s face, she’d heard it grumbling. “Any chance they have crab cakes?”
Hildie’s smile was a little mischievous. “Maryland Blue Crab is her specialty.” She held up her hand. “Yes, I know we’re in Texas, but let me tell you. Her crab cakes are so awesome you won’t care where the crabs came from. “Okay, now you have me hungry for her grilled fish. The things that woman can do with seafood and spices. Come on.”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they walked over to Blue Lagoon Seafood and made their orders. While they were waiting for the food, Hildie leaned into him. “I’m going to stop at the other trucks and pick up their premade boxes. It’s a special for tonight. They each have two or three specials for the movies where people can pick up food to take to their blankets on the lawn. That way, the vendors can close down and watch the movie with a skeleton crew to sell whatever’s left.”
Jake pulled her close and pressed a kiss on her forehead. “You’re not only gorgeous, Hill. You’ve got a world class mind in that pretty head.”
She leaned into the kiss. “Go ahead and kiss me all you like,” she smiled at him, “but a lot of it was Sloane’s baby. I just-”
He kissed her on the lips to stop her from talking for a moment. When he pulled back, he enjoyed the bemused look on her face. “You don’t ‘just’ anything, Hill. You don’t give yourself enough credit.”
“I’m just happy to help-”
Jake kissed her again, taking more time with this one, rubbing his lips against her bottom lip because it was always so full when they kissed. When he moved back, her eyes struggled to open as she sighed.
“No more ‘justs,’ Hill. Not around me.”
He’d just pulled her flush against him when the cook in the Blue Lagoon Seafood truck cleared their throat. “Your order’s up.”
Hildie blushed and got up on tip toe to grab the tray. “Thanks, Lori!”
“Anytime, Hildie!”
Jake took the tray from her hands. “Let’s take a turn around the trucks and pick up a bunch of those boxes you were talking about for us and the Bravos and we’ll save Vicente a trip.”
She beamed at him. “Good, because Sloane’s probably using him for a pillow right about now, so I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.”
Somewhere in the middle of the movie, Jake’s attention drifted away from the actual film on the screen. It was a classic movie, and they’d done their research. Father of the Bride was the first film shown at the Starlight Drive-In Movie Park, so it was only fitting that it be the first movie of its kind played on the screen at the Drive-In Food Truck Park.
Still, as Sloane softly snored and was likely drooling on her husband’s thigh, Jake took the opportunity to slowly drift his fingertips up and down Hildie’s bare arms since she was leaning back against his chest. At first, she was still, enjoying the sensations, and then she wiggled a little, inching up so that her shoulders worked their way up higher.
He touched his cheek to her neck and whispered softly. “Let me help you.”
She didn’t hesitate. Hildie turned toward him and nodded. “Please.”
Reaching down, he set his hands on her waist, his fingers grasping her hips in his strong grasp. With an indrawn breath he drew her up and closer.
And that was when he realized the kind of trouble he was in.
Hildie’s backside was pressed up against his groin, and even though he’d already been half-hard having her in his arms for the better part of an hour, just the touch of her taut curves made him ache, swelling to the point of pain in his jeans.
But pain had never felt so good.
She took his arms and wrapped them around her, crossing his hands just under her breasts. If they hadn’t been less than two feet away from her best friend and her husband, he would have let out the groan that was weighing on the back of his tongue.
Hildie mimicked the movements he’d made along his arms with her own fingertips, and he had to hiss in a breath when she hit a particularly sensitive spot.
She turned her head to speak to him, and he leaned closer to hear.
“Why do I think you’re not paying attention to the movie?”
“Because, I’m not.”
Hildie stretched her legs and then her back, and the subtle friction of her body rubbing against his made the warm night a great deal warmer. Leaning forward he closed his teeth over the delicate curve of her earlobe and smiled when he felt her stiffen against him.
“Careful,” he warned her. “If you’re going to move like that, remember that friction starts fires.”
He felt her move restlessly against him and eased his hold around her body while he touched his nose to her hair and breathed in her scent.
“What…” her voice trailed off slightly, “what if I wouldn’t mind setting off a spark?”
Jake leaned ever closer and rubbed his cheek against hers. “Then let’s wait until we get to your apartment after the movie so the FBI agent beside us doesn’t have to think he needs to protect your honor.”
He felt, rather than saw her move. Turning toward the pile of blankets and pillows beside them, Hildie’s shoulders shook with gentle laughter, and she nodded to answer him.
“G
ood,” he pressed a kiss against her cheek. “Now I can’t wait to go home with you.”
“I like the sound of that.” Sighing, she lay back against him, easing back against his muscular form. “You, coming home with me.”
Chapter 8
The whole ride to her apartment after the movie was sheer torture. The only thing on her mind, beyond the terrifying knowledge of how long it had been since she’d been with a man, was how she was going to keep any semblance of control when she finally got more than just her hands on Jake’s fantastic body. It wasn’t really her fault. The way he’d touched her during the movie had been innocent on the surface, gentle and sweet, but her body hadn’t really gotten the message.
Sitting in the passenger seat of the SUV had been a lesson in torture. Was it wrong that she wanted him to pull over on the side of the highway and see just how well the tint worked?
Hildie couldn’t help the smiles that had touched her lips, the impatient little sighs that managed to push past, mingling with the music on the radio.
She didn’t blame him when he’d turned to look at her when they were stopped at a red light. The smile on his face had been real enough, but there was a hard set to his jaw that made her shiver.
“Are you trying to drive me crazy?”
“Hmm?” She touched her hand to her chest and watched his eyes drop to focus there. “Me? Why would I do that?”
“You would do that in a heartbeat. It’s not my fault that the Drive In was outside of town.”
His voice held a bit of a growl to it, and that only made the wait worse.
“Okay, fine. But I think it’s only fair to make you suffer a little.”
“A little?” His laugh was little more than a cough as the light changed and he stepped on the gas. “You’re not the one driving in pants that feel a size too small.”
“I can give you a hand-”
His head turned toward her, and she felt her cheeks flare with color.
“I didn’t mean it quite like that, but if that’s what you want…” She reached out her hand, and he took hold of her wrist. “Okay, so that’s a no on the help.”
Jake let go of her and shook his head. “If you want me to crash the car, go ahead, but I’d like to get where we’re going.” He snuck a look at her on the last turn, and she was mesmerized by the look in his eyes. “The first time you get your hands on me, I want to be able to focus on it. On you.”
He made the turn effortlessly, and she leaned back in her seat with a sappy smile on her face.
“What’s going on in that head of yours, Hildie?”
“You said, ‘the first time.’” She sighed and wiggled her shoulders trying to get comfortable. “I like the idea that I’m going to get to touch you a lot.”
“I’m serious, Hill. You’re killing me.”
She bit into her bottom lip to hold back her laughter. “And they say that women are the weaker sex.”
He made a sound like he was choking. “I would never say that.”
“You better not,” she cautioned as he turned into the parking lot for her apartment building. “You don’t hear me complaining about the way my bra has been chafing me on the ride back, do you?”
Jake pulled into the space closest to the front door of the complex and was out of his seat a heartbeat later. By the time she opened the clasp on her seatbelt he had her door open and helped her down to the concrete.
“Wow.” She laughed and felt at ease in her skin. “Are you in a rush?”
He pulled her in for a kiss, slanting his lips across hers as his hands tugged her hips closer, closing the distance between them in a single moment, pushing the air from her lips.
“Let’s go upstairs.”
As they walked through the lobby and into the mercifully cooperative elevator, she realized that she couldn’t remember who had spoken.
But it didn’t matter. Did it?
She looked over at him standing beside her and watched the way he pressed his palms against the legs of his jeans, looking every inch as impatient as she was to get inside.
The door had barely closed when he took her hands and looked at her. “Hildie, I-”
That’s all that she let him have. She closed the distance and kissed him. She reached up, setting her hands on the sides of his face and kissed him like he was air. Like he was everything, because he was quickly becoming that in her life.
“Jake,” she kissed him again, almost up on her toes so that he didn’t have to lean down toward her, “do you want… I know I want… do you want to stay the night?”
She didn’t wait for an answer.
She had her hands on his shirt, reaching for his buttons and backing him up against the kitchen counter. He didn’t stop her, but as soon as he bumped up against the counter, he reached for her and slipped his hands in her hair. His kiss only held back her words but not her gasp of surprise. “Snaps.”
His lips found the curve of her jaw and then the sensitive spot under her ear. “I thought you’d like the cowboy shirt.”
Her laughter was punctuated with another gasp as his lips closed over that same spot and he sucked gently on her skin.
“I like how fast it’s coming off.” And she meant it. All she had to do was give it a good hard tug and the snaps separated. Three sharp tugs and her hands reached for his skin. “Hey.”
He stood up and smiled down at her. “You don’t like the undershirt?”
“Too many layers.” Her pout was almost a snarl. “I want to touch your skin.”
“Hell, sweetheart. I’m not going to argue with that.”
He let go of her to shrug off the shirt, but he got stuck and that’s when she had him right where she wanted him.
“Forgot about the cuffs on your shirt, hmm?”
The look he gave her was wary. “Are you going to make this a thing?”
“A thing?”
He held out his wrists. “Or are you going to undo the cuffs?”
“Well, they’re just snaps but I think you got yourself caught up with your shirt. All those muscles and you can’t open up a couple of little snaps?”
He flexed his arms and she cooed over the movement in his biceps.
“Look at that. Such a big and strong man who can’t-”
“Hill, come on, sweetheart. Help me.”
“Sweetheart?” She winked up at him. “How did you know I like sugar?”
She braced her hands on his chest and reached up to give him a kiss. He chased her lips when she moved away, but she wouldn’t be caught.
Hildie took hold of his buckle and unhooked it from the belt. “Lord, I love a man with a big ol’… buckle.”
When she loosened the belt and started to slide it through the loops, he hissed out a breath. “You’ve got a sharp tongue, Hill. You’re going to drive me crazy.”
“Sharp tongue? My, you do inspire me, Jake.”
She looked up and saw that his eyes were focused on her.
“What plan have you hatched in that pretty head of yours?”
“Just wait and see.” She didn’t want to talk anymore. No. There were other things she wanted to do with her mouth. Her hands were shaking, but she managed to open the button at the waist of his jeans and pull the zipper down in one smooth pull.
He groaned and held himself rigidly still as she reached for the waist of his jeans.
“I always wonder,” she mumbled to herself, “whether a man likes his boxers or his briefs. And sweet salvation, my man likes them together.” She grabbed a hold of the waistbands together and eased them over his backside first. “Nice.” She leaned in and pressed a kiss to his throat as her palms ghosted over his skin.
“Are you having fun?” His voice was tight, but there was still laughter in his tone. “Because you’re going to kill me if you keep that up.”
“Kill you? Heavens no, Ranger McGowan. I want you alive and breathing for what happens next.” Before she moved again, she bit the column of his neck, just a nip against his skin.
The words that came out of his mouth were colorful to say the least, but she loved it.
And before he could stop her, she brought her hands around his waist and slipped both into the front of his boxer-briefs. She didn’t need a map to find what she was after.
Jake was a big man from his broad shoulders to his long legs and yes, there too.
“Hill-”
“Shh…” she wrapped both hands around him, one on top of the other, “I’m working here.”
He groaned and leaned heavily against the kitchen counter. “Working?”
“Mmmhmm… and you’re distracting me. Stop.”
She swept a thumb over the tip and it came away slick and wet, and Jake’s knees buckled a little. “Don’t stop.”
Her laughter was easy with him, and she could hear him breathing into the room. “Is that an order?”
“A request.” His voice stopped up in his throat as she repeated the motion. “Please, don’t stop.”
She left the top hand on him and pulled up a chair from her dinette. She sat down hard forgetting how high the chair was, but she didn’t let go until she reached up her other hand and pulled his briefs and his jeans down to his thighs.
“Hill, you don’t have to-”
She put her hand back on him, circling her fingers just under the head, and Jake’s voice disappeared into thin air when she swept her tongue along the thick vein that traced the underside of his length.
Her nose was full of his scent. Clean and the subtle echo of some kind of soap. She turned her head and retraced her earlier path. When she lifted her head to look up at him, she was all smiles. “I like the way you taste.”
His belly contracted, and the hard curve of his cock twitched in her hand. “Killing me.”
She licked her lips and he swore under his breath.
“Such a dirty mouth for a lawman.”
“You give me half a chance, Hill, and I’m going to put that mouth all over you.”
“Then let’s go.” She let go of him and pushed his pants and briefs down toward his feet. He toed off his shoes and stepped out of his clothes.
