“Is that right?” Grant said, his sarcasm evident.
She looked over at him, frowning. “It’s going to be a huge story. Of course, he’d be interested in going.”
“Uh-huh.”
“What?”
Grant’s gaze slid toward her, then back to the road. “You should know that boss of yours is still interested in you.”
She snorted. “Oh, please. First of all, this is the guy who told me I wasn’t pretty enough for TV. Second of all, I’ve been down that road with him and have no interest in going back. He knows that.”
Plus, how could she go back to someone like Trey after experiencing what she had with Grant? It’d be like going back to canned ham after you’ve had Kobe beef.
“Freckles, I’ve spent a lot of time in my life observing people’s behavior. And the way Trey acted with you tonight was like a dog on the hunt. His attention never left you when you moved around the party. And the guy looked at me with challenge in his eyes.” Grant smirked at her. “Which proves he’s not only interested in you but apparently has a death wish.”
She laughed. “Ooh, jealousy. Looks kind of pretty on you, cowboy.”
He sniffed.
“For the record, I told him he didn’t need to come along. I don’t want him spooking my source.”Author: Roni Loren
“Smart,” Grant said. “Maybe you should be his boss instead of the other way around.”
“I wish.”
Grant made the turn onto her street and stared out at the road. “You know you could always stay at The Ranch and tell Trey and the rest of the guys who turned you down for the position to go fuck themselves. I could cover your expenses until you find something else.”
His words sounded off the cuff, but the shift in his posture said otherwise. She stared at him, the suggestion stalling her ability to respond for a second. Was he seriously suggesting that she stay? The thought of having something longer term with him tugged at a longing deep within her bones, but she knew that it would eventually end badly. After all, he’d said she could stay at The Ranch, not with him. She had no interest in being some woman he kept around for occasional entertainment.
“I’m not going to quit my job,” she said. “And I’m definitely not going to let you pay me for sex.”
He shot her a come-on-now look. “You know that’s not what I was suggesting. I just hate to see you working so hard for people who don’t appreciate your skills. You’re busting your ass, and they don’t even pay you enough to afford a safe car to drive. I have the means to help you if you needed time to find something different.”
“I appreciate the thought. But I can take care of things myself,” she said, straightening in her seat.
“You don’t always have to, though,” he said quietly, almost more to himself than to her.
She didn’t have an answer to that.
His truck rumbled up her driveway, and she couldn’t help the little pang of sadness that hit her seeing her house so dark and lonely. Her home wasn’t much, but it’d been her first real place after moving out of her family’s house, so it always gave her a sense of pride knowing she’d gotten it on her own. And though Grant’s guest cabin was great, nothing could replace having your own things around you.
Grant shut off the engine. “Give me your keys. I want to check inside and make sure everything’s okay before you go in.”
“I’m sure nothing else has happened. They took everything they could possibly want the first time.”
He held out his palm. “Better to be safe, freckles.”
She sighed and dropped her keys in his hand. He reached past her and unlocked the glove compartment, removing his handgun. Her first instinct was to protest, but if anything was wrong in the house, she’d want Grant to have protection. “Be careful, okay? I’d rather not end the evening with a dead date.”
He smirked. “Aww, nice to know you care, freckles.”
She rolled her eyes, but the move was forced. The truth was she did care. Too much probably. And the more they spent time together, the more her heart was digging roots into the slippery slope they were both residing on.
“Don’t come in until I give you the all clear.” He hopped out of the truck and headed toward her front door, scanning the area as he went.
He disappeared inside the house for a few long minutes, no doubt examining every nook and cranny, then finally stepped back onto the porch. He looked so big standing there in front of her dainty white house—like the big, bad wolf ready to blow it down. He leaned against a post and sent her a smile that promised sin.
Her stomach did a little flip. She pushed open the truck’s door and climbed out. “Everything looks all right?”