All the better if we never see each other again because anything more than casual friendship wouldn’t work for me. He travels for work, and though I’m starting to doubt the reputation that precedes him, I’m probably not healed enough for any relationship. Not after what my dad did to my mom. As proven by my previous choice of partner.
I shower off, scrubbing my skin clean and picking straw out of my hair before washing it. And I can’t help feeling that kiss. What would have happened if I’d tossed aside all caution and acted on my instincts? My primal need to be touched. To have a little bit of fun that I deserve.
Would he be in the shower with me right now?
Is attraction enough to build on? Tanner is sexy and capable, and kind. Mysterious. And he’s proven me and my assumptions about people all wrong.
But starting something with a guy like him can only lead to distraction. As fun as he might be, tempting as his lips are, I am not set up for a casual relationship. I may have a tough exterior, but my feelings run deep. I have a tragic history of falling hard and fast, and I’m not going to let that happen again.
So, it’s decided. I’ll never see him again; if I do and he flirts with me again, I’ll make it very clear. I’m not built for casual.
And I eat my dinner alone.
ChapterSix
Tanner
I drive a little too fast toward Darling Creek, putting distance between Casey and me.
If I had stayed to say goodbye, I would have been in danger of flirting again. And I wanted to leave the ball in her court.
Which was why I’d left my cell number on the fridge.
If Casey wants to talk to me, she can call me. If she’s interested, she’ll reach out.
Maybe saying goodbye would have been the polite thing to do, though, instead of skulking away while she was busy. But I was filthy after a long afternoon of feeding the cattle, and I just wanted to get back to the motel and shower.
And I need time to think.
Yet, all I think about is how it felt to kiss her hand. It was surprisingly soft for a cowgirl. I’ve dated farm and city girls, and never has a farm girl had such soft hands. Her skin smelled like a combination of jasmine-scented lotion and her leather work gloves. Her hand fit perfectly in mine, and I wanted to do more than kiss those delicate knuckles.
I’m deep in my head with fantasies about Casey when I reach the motel. I’m dirty, restless, horny, and desperate to scrub this day off my skin.
The shower at this place has decent water pressure and heat, thank god. As I let the shower wash over me, I grow hard as my mind wanders to Casey. I can’t stop thinking about her. Her wary smile. How nice it felt just to sit and talk with her, and watch the cattle grazing in the distance. How calm I felt around her. I think about her soft, full lips and the adorable freckles that adorned her nose. I think about what a mystery she is, that she paid a thousand dollars for me when she could have paid way less for someone else. Someone that people in Darling Creek actually like. I think about how much I want to get to know her and hear her story. What makes her tick? What does she like, and what does she hate?
I’m in deep. I’ve dated before, but I don’t think I was ever this far gone for someone before things got physical. This was supposed to be the wooing phase. The flirting phase. And yet somehow, it’s not doing a thing for Casey, but only serving to make me crazy for her.
She’s too much woman for me? Is that what she said?
What I would do with her, if only to prove her wrong. I’d caress and kiss every inch of her and make her come hard.
I pull at my aching cock twice, coming against the shower wall quickly — enough to relieve the ache for now.
Orgasms make some people fall asleep. Not me. They wake me up; in this case, I’m hungry to boot.
The diner up the road from the motel smells like greasy French fries and stale coffee. The former was a frequent staple of mine as a kid. The Corner Cafe was the only place minors could hang out without their parents and order food. Willie’s only allowed us in there with our parents since they serve alcohol.
The cafe is the kind of place with upturned coffee cups and saucers already set out at every place setting. Lining the walls are autographed photos of celebrities who have filmed movies here, the same ones I remember from childhood.
My stomach growls as I slide into a worn booth and flip over the coffee cup, signaling that I’ll need some of the brew.
Someone at the next table has ordered a milkshake, and the server brings it out in an old-fashioned glass, along with one of those big stainless steel cups that contain the extra serving. I don’t know why, but overindulging in a milkshake sounds perfect right now.
I decide what I’m going to order, then stare out the window and think things over while I wait for my server. Across the street, a cowboy is holding the door open for his date at Willie’s. Judging by the glint on her left hand, I’d say they’re married. He looks a good bit older than her, and she’s way overdressed for Darling Creek. They’re visually mismatched, but they look happy. He smiles down at her as he holds the door open, and she rises on her tiptoes to kiss him. In her high heels, she stumbles into the man, and he catches her. They laugh, and he kisses her tenderly. It’s such a sweet moment I feel the need to look away. The sight of them causes an ache in my chest.
I rub my palm over my sternum and wonder, what am I going to do about Casey?
Flirting is not working. I didn’t get a direct invite to dinner, but that’s my fault. I came on too strong with the kiss, and she’s too skittish for that.