get used to it.”
She tenses, squaring her shoulders. “All right, Ford. So, you randomly appeared. Again. What are you saving me from this time?”
I sigh. “Me.”
“That’s a contradiction.”
“Tell me how.” We’re close enough to touch. Every impulse I have bellows at me to reach out. But she needs to be the one. I’m not willing to push that far.
“You’re a different man tonight,” she muses. “Very…engaging.”
“Do you mean annoying? Appalling? Awful?”
Keegan laughs. “No, more like interesting. In a good way.”
That sounds promising, but unbelievable. “You’d be the only one who thinks so.”
She hums. “Well, good thing we aren’t worrying about others.”
Is she for real? If she’s yanking my chain, I’ll be an easy target. I let my gaze trail along her enticing figure. “That dress was made for you.”
“Are you being sarcastic?”
“Nope. It’s very…tempting. Like dessert after a full meal.”
“Did you already eat?”
I shake my head. “I’m famished.”
“And sexy. It’s a good look for you,” she blurts. Her eyes flare with that admission.
“Glad this isn’t one-sided.” I allow one corner of my mouth to hitch. She’ll get a whole smile if this goes well.
Her eyes blaze, an inferno set to scorch the very concrete I stand on. Sparks crackle between us and launch into the midnight sky. I see the struggle in Keegan’s taut expression, mirrored in my own. Surrender or fight. One of us has to make the choice.
Her exhale is a harsh stutter. “You’re bad news.”
“Am I?”
“The worst kind.”
The truth gnaws at my gut. Damn, we’d been heading in the right direction. “Well, shit. I don’t have a chance then?”
Keegan walks her fingers up my torso. “Don’t pout, Ford. That’s not what I meant. I just so happen to be in a rare mood for getting filthy.”
I take my own liberties, cinching an arm around her waist. “Now you’re speaking my language.”
Her eyelids get heavy, hooding those twinkling emerald gems. “I was working so hard to stay away from you.”
“What happened to your resolve?”
“You showed up and stomped all over it.” She ghosts her mouth over mine, our laboring breaths swirling together with each exhale. Keegan pulls away before I can eliminate that sliver of space. Little tease.
“So, what happens now?”
She holds up a finger. “I’m not looking for anything serious.”
I want to suck that pesky digit into my mouth. A low rumble rises off my chest instead. “Lucky for you, I’m the furthest thing from.”
“A little fun, between two consenting adults?”
“I’m game.” This plan couldn’t be better if I concocted the entire thing in my head.
She holds up another finger. “And Millie can’t know about this. Ever.” Her stare is unflinching, searing straight into my fucked-up soul. She’s likely to leave a brand if this lasts another moment.
I grunt. “I’m not in the habit of sharing my sexual conquests with anyone. Much less a kid.”
“Is that all I am? A challenge?”
“What answer will get you naked faster?”
“Either one. I’m already all in.”
“Thank fuck for that. No regrets in the morning?”
I barely get the words out before she replies. “Zilch.”
“Do I need to stop for condoms?” There’s no doubt the unopened pack in my nightstand has long since expired.
“Are you clean?”
“Fucking squeaky.”
Her eyes bounce between mine, searching for something she likely won’t find. A quick shake of her head follows. “I have a birth control implant. No whoopsies for me.”
“Thank Christ for that.”
“Glad that’s taken care of. So, your place or mine?”
“Where’s Millie?”
“Not home until tomorrow.”
In that case, it’s a no-brainer. “Tell me where you live.”
Keegan sticks out a palm, signaling for my phone. I pass the device over and she enters an address into the map app. “Meet me there in twenty minutes.”
I glance at the directions. She’s not far from Main Street. “It’ll only take me ten.”
Her answering grin is dangerous, getting me harder than an iron pipe. “Even better.”
Healing Hug #9: When the boom of thunder crashes too loud.
This is the longest five miles in history. Assuming Keegan’s house is near the center of town was a massive miscalculation. The dark road seems endless, with no light in sight. I twist the throttle, forcing my bike into a faster gear. With a ground-quaking roar that’s sure to wake the neighbors, I speed through the pitch black in search of nirvana.
With each passing block, my need intensifies. I’m strung so damn tight that my vision is spinning into a tunnel set on one specific point. I should be concerned about the impact Keegan holds over me. What is it about this woman that’s driving me to