Rayne

I took Nick’s hand and let him lead me to…a truck? I glanced around for a different car, but he opened the door to the truck and gestured for me to get in.

“This is your truck?” I asked incredulously. Loafers guy?

Nick’s ears turned a little red and I smirked. “Are you blushing, Loafers?”

His eyes narrowed and he growled, “No. and yes, this is my truck.” He sighed. “But, in all honesty, I rarely drive it. I normally drive a Civic.”

I laughed as I climbed into the passenger seat. “Now that’s more like it.”

He shrugged and gave me a crooked smile before loping around the front of the truck to hop into the driver’s side. “It’s more practical for what I have in mind for tonight.”

I folded my arms and leaned back against the door, so I could study him. His hair needed to a cut and some of it flopped onto his forehead when he turned to look behind so he could back out. “I assumed we’d be going to a restaurant to, you know, eat dinner. Since you invited me to dinner…”

He chuckled as he pulled onto the main road. “Alright smart ass, that might have been my original plan.”

“And now?” I asked, my hand itching to push the hair off his forehead.

“I decided I didn’t want to share you.”

I laughed but it trailed off when I noticed he was entirely serious. He glanced over at me and his blue eyes were dark with hunger. And, not for food. Okay…so that was kind of hot.

To my shock, he pulled up to a drive-thru for a local burger joint. “Is this okay?” he asked. I nodded, momentarily speechless. I’d expected a fancy-pants restaurant and when he said we were going somewhere else; I would never have imagined that it would be fast food. It made me want to laugh. Nick surprised me at every turn and I found that I liked it a lot. I liked him, a lot.

He inched up until he was in front of the speaker and looked at me expectantly. I studied the board for a moment, then rattled off an order. Nick relayed my choices to the server and added his own.

We moved forward to a window where Nick paid for our meal and then we waited a few minutes for our food. He set the bag between us on the bench seat and secured our drinks in the cup holders before driving off. It wasn’t long before we were turning onto a dirt road. It slowly inclined until we were at the top of a hill that was just high enough to overlook the town. It was still light out but it would be pretty once the sun went down and everything was lit up.

Nick turned the truck and parked with the back facing the view. I started to open my door when I was tugged backward. “Wait for me, please.”

Ah, there was a glimpse of the gentleman, the boy next door. He was sweet and while the dominant side of him got me hot, the softer side of him caused a gentle warmth to spread throughout my body. I sat back as he grabbed our take out and exited the cab. When he came around to my side, his hands were free, so I assumed he’d left it in the bed of the truck.

He opened my door and held out his hand. I took it and chuckled when he helped me down. “I didn’t think such chivalry existed anymore,” I quipped playfully.

“My momma would tan my hide if I disrespected a woman, in any way. And that includes opening doors for her.”

It must be a southern thing. While my father adored my mother, I’d never seen him open a door for her. In fact, he often allowed her to enter first. Probably because my mom would be insulted if he ever insinuated that she needed help with anything. But, I knew that wasn’t Nick’s intention and I found I liked his southern charm.

He didn’t step back to give me room once my feet were on the ground. “Did I mention how beautiful you look tonight?” he murmured, his voice a little gravely. He crowded me against the side of the truck and butterflies erupted in my stomach while sparks ignited core.

I smiled cheekily. “Yes, but you’re welcome to say it again.”

His eyes dropped to my lips as he shuffled forward until our mouths were only centimeters apart. “Baby, you are so fucking beautiful I can barely control myself.” He shifted his head to the side, and his lips skimmed over my cheek before he placed them at my ear. “I’d be more than happy to let our food get cold and eat you instead.”

Hot. I was fucking hot everywhere. But, I wasn’t sure what Nick was really looking for from me and I wanted to figure that out before I went hopping into the sack with him. I didn’t want us to get too attached.

I looked around for a distraction and that’s when I realized just where we were. “Did you bring me to the local make-out spot, Loafers?”

Nick’s cheeks dusted with pink and he glanced away. When his eyes returned to mine, his gaze was unapologetic. “The Overlook seemed like a good place to talk and get to know each other.” He grinned, and I melted at how beautiful he was when he smiled. “If it just so happens that we have a steamy make-out session…” He trailed off and comically wiggled his eyebrows.

I laughed and gently pushed him back so I could slip out of his embrace and saunter to the back of the truck. “Did you call this place The Overlook?”

“That’s what we called it in high school.”

Snickering, I waved my hand around us. “I hate to break it to you, but this is barely a hill.”

Nick mock scowled as he opened the truck bed. “It’s high enough.”

I couldn’t help the full belly laugh that exploded from me. “High enough is a mountain in The Appalachians near where I grew up. This is like the pitcher’s mound at Camden Yards.”

Nick chuckled and shook his head as he grasped my waist and hoisted me up onto the tailgate. His eyes found mine and his long fingers lingered, scorching the skin under my clothes.

Damn, he had amazing eyes. I almost drowned in the blue depths, his stare seeming to penetrate right through to my soul. How could I feel so connected to someone I just met? I broke eye contact first, twisting to reach for our food. Nick squeezed my waist gently but didn’t say anything before letting go and hopping up to sit beside me.

“So, you grew up in Baltimore?” he asked.

“Virginia,” I clarified. “Mostly.”

“What does that mean? Mostly?”

I shrugged as I nibbled on a fry. “I was unplanned. My parents lived a life free of any restraints, but they wanted me to have a place to call home, so we stayed in Virginia until I was in grade school. Still, they were afflicted with gypsy blood and had a hard time staying in one place. So, my mom decided to home school me and we traveled. A lot. When I turned eighteen, they told me it was time to embrace my bohemian blood and find my own destiny. We went our separate ways.”

“They abandoned you?” Nick asked incredulously. His tone was dark and laced with anger.

“No, no,” I assured him quickly. “My parents love me. They left me eventually, but they’d taught me to swim for years. When the time came, they threw me into the deep end. We speak every week.” I laughed as I thought about my amazing, slightly flighty mother and my hippie father. “They were right. It’s in my blood to move around and never stay in one place too long.” I glanced at Nick to find him watching me intently, his eyes probing.

“You’ve never wanted to settle down? Stay in one place? Have a family?”

“It’s just not in the cards for me,” I explained. “It may have occurred to me from time to time, but I would eventually get restless, to satisfy my need to be free.”

Nick was still staring at me as though he was trying to see into my soul. I felt as though he was able to see through the walls I erected with everyone. It was a little disconcerting, and I fought the urge to run.

“Would you though?” he asked suddenly.

“Would I what?” I couldn’t remember what we’d been talking about.

“Need to leave?” he reminded. “You don’t think a part of you longs for the stable home that you only glimpsed while growing up?”

He reached out and pushed some wayward hair back behind my ear before brushing his fingers down my cheek. “If you found someone who loved you and couldn’t bear to let you go? Who wanted to have a life and a family with you. Do you think you could be happy with that?”

His tone was soft, but his expression was fierce as he waited for my answer.

I busied myself biting into my burger, trying to avoid the sober direction the conversation had taken. “I need the freedom, to take risks, find adventure.”

“Hmmm,” Nick responded.

“What does that mean?”

He shrugged and started in on his meal. I wanted to push harder for an answer, but I was also relieved to be done with the topic. We ate in silence for a while, but it was thick with tension.