her head. “Are you kidding me? The 1968 Ford Mustang has to be the best car ever made!” She approached the vehicle with veneration and awe, staring at all the details, impressed beyond words. She smoothed her hand reverently down the polished chrome details and shiny red exterior. “V-8 engine, two hundred and thirty horsepower….” She breathed in the sight of the beautiful, powerful and legendary car with amazement. “I’m more than impressed, James.” She turned towards the man and looked up at him with a different perspective on who he was underneath all that amusement he showed to the world. “I think I might have misjudged you.” She saw his eyes light up and had to laugh. “About some things at least.”
James crossed his arms over his chest and tried to control the new and more powerful surge of lust that occurred as she stared at his pride and joy. Not only was the woman smart, intelligent and gorgeous, but she also knew her muscle cars! “I might have to marry you,” he said with a deep, husky voice.
Julianna laughed and shook her head. “Just because I like your car?”
He moved closer and shook his head. In a low voice filled with desire, he said, “Well, that and the fact that you’re not wearing underwear again.”
Julianna blushed and opened her mouth to contradict him, but he bent and kissed her before she could reply. It was just a quick kiss, affection more than passion but it still flustered her.
Deciding to ignore that kiss so that she didn’t have to explore the flutter in her heart as a reaction, she slipped into the car, excited to feel the powerful engine of the car. When he turned the key, she wasn’t disappointed. The eight cylinders revved loudly, then purred as he pulled away from the curb. She thought she might be purring as well and her face split into a wide grin as she looked over at him, feeling the power as much as hearing it through the vibrations beneath her.
She felt like a kid again, giddy with excitement and anticipation.
Well, not really like a kid again because she honestly couldn’t ever remember feeling like this when she was a child. There had been too much discipline during her growing years, even when it came to simple joys like opening birthday or Christmas presents. Excitement was to be tamped down and controlled. When around James, she didn’t feel the need to hide her enthusiasm. Just the opposite in fact. As she grinned over at him, she felt the same burgeoning excitement in him that she was feeling and it thrilled her to have this kind of freedom around him.
He drove with confidence as he made his way through the streets of London. The streets couldn’t do the car justice since there was so much traffic but it was still fun to ride in. When he pulled into a large, beautiful house filled with mature trees and shrubs, she had the impression of a secret garden type of environment. The early fall weather had the chrysanthemums blooming, but also the last of the summer roses and she even spied several autumn camellias with their pink and white flowers peeping out of the dark leaves. The whole driveway was paved with bricks that looked to be older than she was so they had an worn, weathered patina to them that couldn’t be duplicated with modern techniques. Some of the trees were so tall and old, there were lightening rods run up the sides and grounded into the earth to protect them from dangerous weather.
“This is lovely,” she said with amazement as she stepped out of the car. She looked around and was already thinking of several wrought iron seating arrangements that would enhance one of the small, enclosed areas created by the higher bushes. She had to pull herself back because he might prefer the newer outdoor furniture with the plastic-like wicker that resists wear and tear from the elements. She had to admit that there were pros and cons to both, although she still preferred the old world charm of the iron furniture, or even the real wicker furniture that had to be repaired and painted almost constantly.
He picked up the picnic basket from the back seat then came around the hood of the vehicle to meet her as she stared up at the house. “What do you think?” he asked, his arm touching her shoulder as if accidentally, but she knew