Midnight Ride (13 page)

Chapter Eighteen

After an early dinner, Janie lay in bed in her pajamas, flipping through channels and finding nothing to watch. Finally she turned off the television and grabbed the paperback that had sat on her nightstand for months. Most nights she was too tired to read. Tonight, it seemed she couldn’t settle her brain to sleep, so she might as well give the book another try.

She’d just thumbed to the point where she’d left off when a sound caught her attention. Was that someone out in the drive? She sat up, torn between fear and excitement. At the soft knock on the back door, her hope grew.

As she hurried down the stairs, she ran through the possible scenarios. It probably wasn’t a burglar. They wouldn’t knock. But it could be Tyler. He would have had enough time to drive home from a rodeo, unload the stock, and get here.

She slowed once she reached the kitchen and saw the dark form at the door. The light she’d gotten used to leaving on outside all night illuminated exactly the man she wanted to see.

Trotting to the entry, she flipped the light switch and the locks and pulled open the door. “Hi.”

“Hey.” A wide smile spread across his face. “Cute jammies. Can I come in?”

“Um, sure.”

What were the odds that the one night she was in pajamas hours earlier than usual, Tyler would show up? Actually, the chances were pretty good since he’d been there every night for days. She’d just figured since he’d been away at a rodeo, she wouldn’t see him. She’d been very wrong.

“So, I heard you were at Rohn’s today.” He moved to the counter and leaned back.

“I was. I dropped off a pie.”

“That the only reason you went over? To drop off a pie?” A sly smirk settled on his face and remained as he waited for her answer.

“Why else would I go over?”

“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “I thought maybe you might have come looking for me.” He pushed off the counter and moved closer to her as he spoke, until he was so near she had to tilt her head to look up to talk to him.

Her mouth dropped open but she wasn’t sure what to say. Deny it? That would be a lie. Admit it and be embarrassed? She couldn’t do that either. “Um . . .”

His smile widened. She was so damn transparent. Of course he knew she’d gone in hopes of seeing him.

“I was sorry I’d missed your visit, so I decided to come over.” Tyler’s gaze dropped to take in her T-shirt and boxer shorts. “I didn’t realize I’d be so overdressed.”

“Um, yeah. I was going to go to bed early and maybe read for a little bit.”

“Reading. Wow. Not sure I know many girls who do that.”

Her brows rose. “Then you’re hanging out with the wrong girls.”

“No doubt. I most definitely have been . . . in the past, but I’ve raised my standards a bit recently.” His gaze was so intense, she felt her cheeks heat. Tyler shook his head. “Damn, it makes me crazy when you blush like that.”

Janie raised her hands to her face. He took a step back, grabbing a chair from the table and sitting.

She guessed he was staying for a bit. Dressed properly to receive company or not, it seemed she had a guest. A hot cowboy with a smile that made her heart speed, and she was in her nightclothes. Janie pulled out the chair opposite and sat anyway.

“So, Rohn is holding the pie hostage until tomorrow. We’re having it with coffee in the morning.”

“I made extra.”

His eyes widened. “You did?”

“I did.” She didn’t tell him it was because she hoped he’d be over the next day working and she wanted to be able to offer it to him. “Want a piece?”

“Heck, yeah.”

Janie laughed and stood. It didn’t matter what she wore. Apparently, all she needed to impress Tyler was food. She slid a knife out of the block on the counter and cut him a good-sized piece. After grabbing a fork out of the drawer, she put the slice on a plate and delivered it to him at the table. “There you go.”

“Thank you much.” He had the first bite in his mouth before she’d even sat again. She smiled as his eyes rolled back in his head. “Oh, man. Janie, you keep feeding me like this and I’ll never leave.”

If only that were true. “I’m glad you like it.”

“More than like it.” He stabbed another piece and shoveled it into his mouth. After swallowing, he glanced up. “So, have you thought more on what we talked about?”

“And what was that again?” Watching him eat made it hard to think of anything else except kissing those tempting lips.

“About if you’re ready to go out yet, on a real date.” The fork laden with pie remained poised in the air as he leveled his gaze on her. “With me.” He shoved the pie into his mouth and chewed, but didn’t stop staring at her.

She rolled her eyes. “If we went out and anyone saw us, they’d think I was your mother or something.”

“You look nothing like my mother, and I think that’s a pretty poor excuse.” He put his fork down and pushed his chair back. “But if that’s really your concern, I can fix it.”

“How?”

“We’ll have our date but we won’t go out.”

“So you mean we’ll stay in, and like have coffee together, or eat chili, or mac and cheese, or pie. . . .”

“I know what you’re getting at and no, I’m not talking about that. If a date in public is the problem, then we’ll have our first one in private. Come on.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her up and out of her chair.

“Where are we going?”

“Outside.”

“You said we were staying in.”

“Stop being so literal.” He glanced down at her feet and her flip-flops. “Good. You have shoes on.”

“Not exactly shoes.”

“Good enough.” He led her out the door, flipping off the kitchen light as they went. She scrambled to keep up with him as he set a fast pace to his truck. He opened the passenger door. “Get on in.”

Her feet stayed planted on solid ground. “I’m not dressed and you said we weren’t going out.”

“Trust me. We’ll never leave the property. I promise.”

For some inexplicable reason, she did trust him and pulled herself up into the truck. He ran around to the other side, started the engine, and swung the truck into a wide turn. Soon they were headed across her field toward the pond. He pulled up close to the fence and cut the engine.

She smiled as he trotted around and opened her door for her. The night air was perfect. Not too cool or too hot. The only sounds were the peepers and crickets and the occasional bellow of one of the herd. As he handed her out of the truck, she said, “All right. I’ll give you credit for creativity. This is a really pretty spot.”

“You ain’t seen nothing yet. Come on.” He led her around to the back of the truck and said, “Stay right there for a sec.”

He ran back to the passenger door and returned with a blanket. He spread it out in the bed of the truck. Before she knew what was happening, his hands were around her waist and he’d lifted her so she was sitting on the open tailgate.

He hopped up into the bed behind her and dragged a cooler forward. “Let’s see what we have left here. Coke, water, beer, and energy drinks. All still cold. What’s your pleasure?” He glanced at her, waiting.

Janie shrugged. “I don’t know. Water is good.”

“All right.” He took a bottle out for her and one for himself, and then closed the lid on the cooler before he settled next to her on the tailgate.

She smiled at his impromptu cowboy date. “You done?”

“Well, there’s some beef jerky in the cab, but I’m not going to insult you by offering you that after you’ve fed me such good food. But there is one more thing.” He lifted his chin toward the tree line. “Look.”

She turned to look where he’d indicated and saw it, the top edge of the full moon rising above the trees. Huge and bright, it was larger than life, a big brilliant orb hanging low in the sky. “Wow.”

“Yeah. I saw it on the drive over. It’s pretty cool, huh?”

As the moon rose before her very eyes, the first beams hit the pond, sending sparkles of light bouncing off the water. “It’s beautiful.”

“So are you.” His voice seemed to brush across her, like soft, smooth silk.

“Thank you.” Embarrassed and feeling shy, she forced herself to just accept the compliment rather than tell him what she really thought—that she felt far from beautiful.

He reached out and smiled as he stroked his thumb across her cheek. “I bet you’re blushing again because I said that. It’s too dark, but I sure do wish I could see it.” He let his hand drop. “So, this isn’t so bad. Right? Maybe next time we can get inside the truck and, I don’t know, drive somewhere off the property. What do you think?”

“Tyler, I don’t—”

“Janie, I’m not giving up.”

She smiled. “I’m starting to see that.”

“Then you might as well get over it and say yes.”

She didn’t say yes, but she did say, “Thank you.”

“For what?” He looked genuinely confused when he asked the question.

“For getting me out of my rut.” She’d thought she’d been happy stuck in her nice safe box. It took a push—or two—from Tyler to get her out of it. But now that she was out here, what was she going to do?

“You’re welcome.” He grinned. “So you’ll go out with me?”

She could not date a twenty-four-year-old, even if he was about to turn twenty-five. “No.”

He nodded and drew in a breath. “All right. I’ll keep trying.”

She smiled, her guard dropping by the minute thanks to his never-failing charm. “I hope you do.”

His brows rose as he looked surprised. “Janie.”

“Yeah?”

“I made myself a promise that I wouldn’t touch you, not even to kiss you, until you went on a bona fide date with me. Once I set my mind to something, I usually stick to it, but . . .” He sighed and shook his head.

“But what?” She wanted nothing more than for him to finish that sentence.

“But, dammit, with you looking so perfect tonight, and us talking here in the dark, all I can think about is what you would do if I kissed you right now?”

She swallowed hard before being able to say, “I’d let you.”

After his question and her answer, she’d figured he’d lean over from where he sat and kiss her. Instead, he hopped down off the tailgate and moved to stand between her bare legs, one hand on each of her thighs. She should have known Tyler didn’t do anything halfway. It seemed he was a full-body kisser.

The heat of his touch against her skin only served to ramp up her need as he leaned in, watching her eyes the whole time. His hands moved up to her face as he closed the distance between them and her nerves got the better of her.

What the hell was she doing? This was real. Not some fantasy. “We probably shouldn’t—”

“Blame it on the moonlight.” He spoke the words close and then his mouth covered hers.

With the warmth of his palms against her cheeks and the pressure of his lips pressed to hers, Janie had to think the full moon was as good an excuse as any for losing her mind and letting Tyler kiss her.

This kiss was nothing like that first peck. True, she’d barely been able to think of anything else since, but now she realized that kiss had been nothing compared to this one.

Tonight, she sensed the barely controlled passion in Tyler. Felt him holding back even as he surged ahead, leaning forward, kissing her harder.

He moved his hands down her body to her hips and pulled her closer to him. She felt the rough denim of his jeans poke into her through the thin fabric of her shorts. She felt something else too—the physical evidence that left no doubt in her mind Tyler wanted her.

Without breaking the lip lock, he took his hat off and laid it next to them. Tipping his head to one side, he took the kiss to the next level and slid his tongue between her lips.

Need twisted deep and low inside her. It twined through her body like kudzu vines growing out of control, taking over and smothering what little good sense she had left.

She welcomed his tongue into her mouth with her own, feeling the intimacy of the connection through to her core. She wanted this man. Needed him, and more than just this. Having all of him all night long might not be enough to quench her thirst, but it would be a start.

Janie wrapped her arms around his waist and held tight, half-afraid he’d leave. More scared he wouldn’t and she’d do something she’d live to regret. If not in the morning, then a little farther down the road when he finally moved on and she was left here, right back where she’d started. Alone. Lonely.

The way she was feeling, she’d do anything this man asked of her, and to hell with the consequences. That response was so unlike her usual cautious self, it was as if someone else inhabited her body. Someone reckless who didn’t worry about tomorrow.

There wasn’t much hope of rational thought because both sides of her, the usually sensible self as well as the impulsive persona who seemed to have taken over, liked very much what Tyler was making her body feel.

He broke the kiss and brought his hands back up to her face. Leaning his forehead against hers, he sighed. His lips were upon hers again, but for much too short a time before he pulled away and took a step back even as she leaned forward to follow him.

Planting his hat back on his head, he sat on the tailgate next to her and cracked open his bottle of water. She’d long ago forgotten about her own.

He stared up at the sky for a second before shooting her a sly sideways glance. “Not such a bad first date, is it?”

“No.” Her voice sounded so husky, she reached for her water, opened it, and took a sip.

“So do you think that maybe next time we can leave your property?”

“Tyler, I don’t think—” She stopped midsentence at his loud exhale.

“Janie, you keep avoiding going out in public with me and you’re gonna give me a complex. It’s like you’re embarrassed to be seen with me or something.” He’d said it lightly, as a joke, but she had to wonder if it was what he really thought deep down. “No, not at all. It’s not you. It’s me.”