at him. Show him I know what I’m doing. Apparently, he’s been doing a little research on me.”
“He read some of the same articles I did.” She curled her fingers over his. “Good move, buying our dinners. You definitely earned a notch of respect on that.”
“I sure as hell wasn’t going to let him pay.”
She could see his pride bristle, just as it had when her father had instructed the server to put everything on one check. He’d chosen a particularly snooty restaurant, and high-priced to boot. “He was testing you. To see if you could hold your own. And you did.”
“I was underdressed. I’ve never been there before.”
He’d had barely enough time to shower and dress and make it there on time. The relief she’d felt when he came through the door had engulfed her. She knew how smallish towns could be, and Raleigh had already been arrested once.
Once they were in the car, Raleigh started the engine. But he didn’t put it into gear. “What Cassidy said—”
“He was just being his asshole self.”
He brushed her cheek with his finger. “But you put on makeup.”
She wrapped her hand around his. “I’m not ready to show the world my naked face. Only you.”
His mouth tightened in a line. “I wanted to punch him so bad.” Even now, he was flexing his fingers. “Thanks for holding me back.”
“We don’t need that kind of trouble. But I appreciate your defending my honor.”
He took her in, the anger dissolving. “Thank you for showing me.”
“I’d like to show you a lot more nakedness.”
Raleigh put the car in gear. “Why didn’t you say so sooner?”
She laughed as he tore out of the parking spot. She loved the rare moments when he let himself be playful. Once he was on the highway, he laced his fingers with hers.
She leaned against the headrest, taking in the blanket of stars against the dark sky. “It’s a perfect night.”
“Yes, it is.”
“You know, we never did make out in your car. I have to admit, when I saw you in the garage that first time it was a fantasy of mine.”
He gave her a sly smile. “Mine, too. But maneuvering around in the backseat isn’t as romantic as it seems. And…you were too good for that. Besides, I had a bed. Most teens who make out in cars don’t have much of a choice when it comes to privacy.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “But I’m all about helping you live out your fantasies, babe.”
She couldn’t help grinning at that. “It is an awfully nice night. With the roof off…” She shrugged. “Have any place in mind?”
“I’m sure I can come up with one.”
He took the next right and headed away from the Gulf, through a long stretch of marshland that looked like an alienscape in the moonlight. Inside, hunger and need clawed her, a pent-up tiger waiting to escape. She glanced over at him, and he lifted her hand to his mouth. Ran his tongue over the back, dipped it between her fingers.
Oh, yeah, he was feeling it, too.
Twenty minutes later, he turned into a state park, bypassed the parking lot, and took a gravel road with a sign that read EMPLOYEES ONLY.
“I don’t want you to get into trouble,” she said, the scene with Cassidy still too fresh in her mind.
“One of my best clients is the park manager. But I know they don’t monitor the park at night, so no worries.”
He parked up on a knoll overlooking a field of marshes interlaced with puzzle-piece-shaped pools of water. She stepped out and breathed it in. “It’s amazing.” When he came up behind her, she turned and threw herself at him. “You’re amazing.”
Their mouths came together, their bodies crashing into each other as all that building anticipation exploded.
She pulled up his shirt and tossed it into the backseat of the car. “I wanted this to be sweet and romantic, but I can’t wait for that.”
“So you want hot and dirty?” he teased between kisses.
“Mmm, when you put it that way…yes.” She unzipped his pants, shoved them down, and wrapped her fingers around his shaft. He was slick at the top, as wet and ready as she was. As she circled his head with her thumb, he devoured her mouth, pressing closer.
“Oh, you are hot and dirty, aren’t you?” he murmured.
“And very, very horny. It’s true. You have corrupted me, Raleigh West.”
“Shame on me.”
He picked her up and laid her gently on the hood of the car. After unbuckling