The Mind (The Reluctant Romantics #1.5) (4 page)

“A ‘drag me into the woods where no one finds my body for months and I deteriorate in the hot Texas sun, being eaten by wild animals’ surprise?”

“Look, I know it’s less than the ideal time for a date, but I just got off of my shift and I don’t have much time left. Will you just please take my word for it? This isn’t how I normally do things and, Rose, I could never hurt you. You could only hurt me.” I looked at his face and saw his sincerity, but I still wasn’t biting.

“Give me your license,” I demanded.

“What?”

“You heard me,” I said, holding out my hand. “If I’m going to leave my apartment with a complete stranger, I’m going to need some insurance.”

He reached into his back pocket and chuckled as he handed me his license. I walked over to my computer desk, scanned it in, and attached it to an email to Dallas, stating if I ended up missing this was the man who took me.

He peered over my shoulder and let out a loud laugh. “She ought to enjoy that tomorrow.”

Turning back to look at him, he winked and pulled his keys from his pocket. “Rose, I know this isn’t the best way to try and date you, but trust me when I tell you, for me it’s the only way right now.” I felt for him as he attempted to explain his insanity and decided to cut him a break.

“I really don’t think you would hurt me, but just in case, they may have enough to prosecute.”

“I thought you were studying to be a doctor?”

“Don’t ever compare me to a lawyer, Grant,” I said, grabbing my purse that conveniently held a small can of mace. Okay, maybe I wasn’t one hundred percent sure he wouldn’t hurt me. What I was certain of was that Jennifer was going to have hell to pay.

We piled into his gigantic Chevy truck and headed out on I-35. A few minutes into our ride, I began to question him.

“Really, Grant, what is all this about?” Everything in me told me fight or flight was what I should be feeling, yet I was eerily at ease.

His answer was direct and simple as he kept his eyes on the road. “I just want to get to know you.”

“Why?”

“Let’s just say I’ve had a good feeling about you since the minute I saw you. ’Sides, I have a thing for redheads.” I saw his smirk and turned in my seat to face him.

“I hate my hair.”

“Now that’s crazy,” he said, taking his hand off the wheel to stroke a lock behind my shoulder and smooth it down. I had to resist the urge to shiver.

He turned onto a country road and all I saw were trees and the bright light of the moon. I mentally prepared myself for war. Who would have guessed I would die in the hands of the most beautiful guy I’d ever met.

Do the throat punch, Rose, it’s most effective. You can’t possibly fight your way out of this unless you go lethal. Lethal, think ninja, think Hannibal Lector!

“I have a mean left hook and ammo,” I sputtered out nervously.

Great job, Rose. You’re dead.

“Rose, listen to me. I would never
ever
hurt you.”

“Then why are we in scary territory?” I looked around, seeing nothing but trees, knowing we were alone for miles. Aside from our brief conversation, the silence in between was a little scary.

“This is my land, and it’s my favorite place in the world. I want to be here with you,” he said as the forest parted and we entered a small clearing.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “So, I know one thing about you. Were you born and raised here?”

“Yes, my father lives in Tennessee. I’ve spent the last two years going back and forth. He’s terminally ill and I haven’t been able to spend much time here this year. God, I miss it,” he said, rolling down his window to let in the night air. I suddenly felt a little guilty for doubting him.

“I’m sorry, Grant. What’s the diagnosis?”

“Cancer of the liver.” He eyed me carefully before he set his jaw, struggling to mask what I was sure was pain. “He was a drunk for a short time of his life, but I can’t say he deserves this punishment now. It’s a horrible thing to watch.”

“I’m sure it is,” I said sincerely. “Is there a specialist on his case?”

“No one will really give him the time of day at this point. Most just say it’s hopeless and to make him comfortable. He can’t really afford the health care he needs, and I think that’s a huge reason why they won’t treat him. I find doctors to be the worst people on earth.” He smiled and I scowled at him. “Present company excluded.”

“That’s bullshit. Someone will see him. I know a few doctors that—”

“I’ve tried everything,” he said emphatically. He shook his head, warding off his evident pain. “Look, I really do want to tell you more, but not tonight, okay? I deal with that daily and tonight I want to be a little selfish. I have done nothing but think about you since our kiss under the tree.”

“I wish I could say the same.” I laughed at his grim face. “Okay, I thought about it once...twice.”

I got a flash of his dazzling white teeth, and I was happy I’d pleased him. He parked next to a small metal shack as I carefully surveyed the land. A small plastic white table sat under a large live oak with a huge fishing pond behind it. I could see the silhouette of ducks walking by. They would be the only witnesses to my pending murder.

“It’s pretty damn dark out here,” I noted, landing squarely from his monster truck to keep my balance.

“I’ve got this.”

He pulled a large cooler out of the bed of his truck followed by a smaller one then started unpacking it at the table under the tree. I laughed as he draped the table in white linen and lit a candle in the center. My nerves started to ease a little more as he took special care to set everything just right.

Don’t get too comfortable yet, Whitaker. There is a thing called premeditation.

“I hope you brought your manly appetite.” He placed an assortment of meats and cheeses on the table, along with shrimp cocktail and a ton of fruit.

“A picnic at night?”

“Why not?”

“You are certifiable.”

He winked then continued the task of setting up the table. “Name one date that you’ve been on that’s been more romantic.”

“Threatening a girl with molestation in her bed to get her to go out with you is
not
romantic.” I took a look around and realized he was right. It was absolutely perfect outside. The full moon illuminated what his small candle did not. Wasting no time, I devoured half of the cheese platter then downed an ice-cold beer.

“You serve beer instead of wine. I love it,” I complimented as I let out a throaty moan and devoured half of the shrimp. I didn’t realize he was staring at me, mouth gaping, until I was on my second beer.

“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, woman, how the hell do you eat like that?” He lifted the table linen, looking underneath as if I hadn’t just eaten my weight in food and was somehow hiding it.

I gave him a toothy grin. “I always have.”

He turned the empty cooler upside down as if to poke at me some more. I smiled and started on the fruit. We made light conversation, and after a few minutes of silence on his part, I looked up to see him eyeing me.

“You...are beautiful.”

I gave him a wary glance, looked down at my jeans and sweatshirt then back up to meet his eyes.

“It doesn’t matter.” He sipped his beer and grabbed my hand. I let him hold it and felt the glide of his thumb as he stroked the top of it. Warmth spread through me, and I welcomed it. It had been so long since I felt a man’s touch...way too long. I decided to entertain him, even if it was just for the night.

Tension began to ease out of my shoulders a bit as we spent a few comfortable minutes in silence, listening to the wind breathe through the tree above us. It was slightly cooler now than it was when we’d first arrived.

It
was
heaven.

“Do you like it out here?” I shifted my attention away from the pond to capture his candlelit face. His eyes were smoldering, and I could feel the constant undercurrent between us. The source was an undeniable attraction. It excited me as much as it scared me.

“Yes, it’s breathtaking,” I answered, grabbing a fresh beer.

“Good, I’m going to build a house out here. I want you to like it.”

“Grant, you can’t really think that we’re getting married.”

“Why not?” He shrugged his shoulders and sat back in his seat, sipping his beer before he continued. “Maybe it’s not as common as it was back in yesteryear, but things like this—” he pointed between us, beer in hand “—do happen and I’ll prove it.”

“How?”

“I’ve already started.” He grinned, and with that grin my pulse picked up. I entertained the idea of those full, curved lips covering my body.

“It’s ridiculous. I hardly know you. In fact, I know nothing about you.”

“I was born here, raised here, by my mother that died a year ago. I was not a nerd like you. I played football. I dated...a lot...until recently. I’m twenty-nine. I work on airplanes as a mechanic, and I smoke weed. It’s my only vice.”

I spit out my beer, laughing harder than I had in months.

“So...you’re a pot head?” I noted, my chuckle slowing.

“No, I smoke weed. It relaxes me,” he defended weakly, but not in a way that made me believe he gave a damn what I thought about it.

“Same thing.”

“No, it’s not, actually,” he said, matter of fact, as he packed the trash in his cooler.

“Whatever you say,” I taunted, rolling my eyes.

I finished my third beer, grabbed another, and then I stood up to walk towards the ducks. Grant grabbed a blanket out of the back of the truck then met me at the edge of the pond. Once comfortable, I sat back, relaxed and willing to give this strange man more of a chance. I had been single far too long. And if I was even more honest with myself, it felt wonderful to have the attention of a good-looking man.

“I didn’t realize I needed a break until you gave me one, so thank you.”

“Rose, I want you to know I totally respect you and what you’re doing. You know...in school. I’ll try to make our dates a little bit easier on you. I did mean what I said about the doctors, though. I haven’t had good luck with any of them, ever. It’s always been bad news, but I’m hoping you change that.”

“Who says I want to date you, Grant?” There was a playfulness in my voice and I knew he heard it.

“You know you do.”

“Wow...that’s pretty presumptuous,” I toyed.

“Maybe,” he murmured. He seemed so confident at times and others downright nervous. Maybe this wasn’t the norm for him. He certainly didn’t seem like the type that needed to kidnap a woman from their bed to take them on a picnic. His looks alone could land him any woman he wanted, of that I was sure. Maybe he actually
did
want to know me. And maybe, just maybe, the night he had just presented me with had made me want to know him a little, too.

“I have to go back to Tennessee as soon as I leave you to take care of my dad. I have to pick up a certain amount of hours to keep my job here. It’s a crazy schedule, and the reason why I have to be a little resourceful with my time, but I will find the time. Will you, Rose?”

“Grant, you can’t ask of me what I can’t give.” It was an honest answer. My schedule, though nothing like his, demanded everything I had. I was too close to the finish line.

“I will take that as a yes.” I shrugged my shoulders and looked out at the pond. As insane as the night was, I felt at peace. Grant adjusted himself to sit behind me then slid his arms around my waist, and I didn’t resist. It had been way too long since I felt a man’s touch. My career was my priority, but I refused to lose my entire life to it. I wanted to be a well-rounded surgeon, if those even existed. I had dreams beyond my career, and a family was definitely one of them. I credited my parent’s marriage as the ringleader of that dream.

He pulled me close to him, my back to his chest. I leaned my head back and felt his breath on my neck. The goose bumps spread from my hairline to my toes, and I shivered at their arrival. His fingers caressed my neck, massaging lightly. I turned to look at his face and noticed a whisper of a smile on his lips. He leaned in to kiss me, but I took a sip of beer to block him. He laughed at my lame attempt to brush him off. If I let him touch me now, I was as good as gone. I was still a bit weirded out by the whole scenario, and yet everything in me was telling me to go for it,
at least
on the physical side. I was no man’s whore, but I had a healthy sexual appetite that I had ignored for far too long.

“You know, Rose, I know you feel it, too. It’s okay to be a little afraid. But this is how the good ones start.”

“The good ones?”

“The great ones. This will be a great one.” He pressed his lips in gentle kisses around the only exposed skin on my neck then murmured, “And it will only get better when I finally get to touch you.” I felt myself become damp at his words, and the trail he was blazing across my skin with the whisper of his lips set me on fire. There was no way I was getting out of this if it went any further. Sensing my hesitation, he quickly stood up.

“This is all I wanted. I can take you back now if you’re tired.”

“Thank you, Grant. This was beautiful, really. I won’t forget it.”

“Let’s get you back in bed.”

I stood up and watched him pack the truck as I folded the blanket and put it on top of the cooler. I looked at the clock and realized he had gotten a little more than his two hours. It seemed like just a few minutes. Time had flown with him.

We didn’t speak at all on the way back. We simply took turns studying each other with brief glances as he drove. Pulling up to my apartment, my heart picked up its pace as I remembered our kiss beneath the tree on campus. He walked me to my door, and I turned to bid him goodnight, praying he would do it again.

“Oh no, Rose, I’m leaving you how I took you.” Too tired to argue, I walked inside and climbed in bed.

“No...
just
how I left you.”

“Really? The creep again?”

He ignored my comment. “I’m pretty sure it was a black negligee.”

I raced to the bathroom, my stomach in knots. I had no idea what had gotten into this man, but I knew that his voice was close to sending me over the edge. It made no sense, but I went with it. I took a little longer than I should have in the bathroom, spritzing on some of Jen’s high dollar perfume that smelled incredible. I rubbed lotion on my legs, thankful that I had shaved earlier. There was a man in my room that wanted me, and who clearly needed prescription strength glasses. I was beginning to panic and decided to hell with it. If for some reason I had been granted a sprinkle of luck from the universe, I needed to take advantage.