Pure Temptation (8 page)

“I know just the place,” he said.

With the roar of the bike’s powerful engine, we easily escaped out of sight from relentless Lucille. A couple of minutes later, we were safely sitting with our elbows leaning on a red checkered table cloth in a cozy café.

“They have great salads here,” he said with a leering wink to me as the waitress was waiting to take our order.

“Salad? I need something solid. I’m starving. How about a burger?”

He raised his eyebrows with surprise and smiled. “I like the way you think.”

He turned to the waitress and said, “Make that, two large burgers…”

“With everything,” I added before she could ask. The waitress scribbled our order on her pad then headed to the kitchen.

He gave me that look again, like he was surprised but pleased. I couldn’t help but stare at him, his face was sculpted like a god, a strong chin and those eyes, so deep and blue and so full of…something unique. I couldn’t put my finger on it, something warm, yet cold. Like two opposites in one location. Whatever, I was only here for lunch and then it was back on the bus…but he was fucking hot.

We made a little small talk about the weather, the cafe and the town. It was awkward, sitting across the table from a guy I didn’t know from Adam. What was I thinking, jumping on the back of his bike in a heartbeat? Acting like I did this kind of thing all the time. It felt good though, acting differently than my usual self, being spontaneous and unpredictable.

 
“Do you mind telling me your name?” he asked as the waitress placed our hamburgers on the table.

“I’m Hanna,” I lied. I wasn’t going to tell anyone my real name. “And you are…”

“John. John Connors at your service, ma'am,” he chuckled. There was that perfect smile again.

I held out my hand. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance, John,” I said with lettuce stuck in my teeth.
Damn
. I could feel a piece of it with the tip of my tongue.

“Likewise,” he said. His eyes sparkled with humor as I covered my mouth briefly with my napkin and removed the lettuce. “It’s not every day a beautiful woman like you bumps into me. So, where are you headed?”

Flattered by his compliment, I felt my cheeks heating up. “Savanna in Georgia. Visiting family,” I lied again.

“Oh. That’s great. I’ve been there several times. Where in Savanna? I know that place like my back of my hand.”

What were the odds that I had picked to lie about a city he was familiar with?

“Down by the beach somewhere is all I remember. I haven’t been there in years. It’s my aunt and uncle who live there.”

He nodded and took another bite of his burger then wiped his beautiful mouth with his napkin.

“Shame you are not staying here for a couple of days. It’s a nice town. There’s a band playing at the bar tonight.”

“Maybe another time. My family is expecting me tomorrow.”

“We better get back then.” He finished the last bite of his burger. “You don’t want to miss your bus.”

“Oh no. What time is it?”

He checked his wrist watch. “Just past two. When does your bus leave?”

“Oh no, at two.”
Fuck
. The money is in my suitcase…on the bus. I threw my napkin on the plate and shoved the chair out, trying to hide the panic I felt. “Let’s just go. I hope the bus driver is waiting for me.”

John dropped thirty dollars on the table and we hurried out of the Café. It took us less than five minutes to get back to the station but the bus had already left.

Fuck. I’m so screwed.

“Is that your suitcase?” He pointed to my blue suitcase standing alone on the sidewalk under the Greyhound sign at the bus station. I breathed out a big sigh of relief. At least the bus driver had the brains to toss off my luggage.

“Oh thank God, yes. That’s the one.” I held my hand to my breast. The thumping of my heart slowed to a more normal beat with the sight of my suitcase. I took a breath and gathered my wits. No need to panic, there was a reason this place was called a bus station. “I guess there’ll be another bus to Savannah tomorrow,” I said as I hurried over to grab my suitcase. Once my hand was firmly around the black plastic handle, I relaxed. There was at least one upside to missing the bus. I wouldn’t have to listen to another word from the chatterbox.

“So, does this mean that you’ll be able to come with me to hear the band tonight?” He grinned from ear to ear.

“Ha, you don’t give up easily do you? Sorry, I’m really wiped out. I just want to find a hotel room and crash tonight. It’s been a couple of hectic days.”

“Guess I’ll have to live with that. Listen, I would offer to give you a ride to a hotel, but I don’t think your suitcase will fit on my bike,” he said with a chuckle. “I can walk with you if you like?”

“No, no, that’s fine. It’s sweet of you to offer, but I’ll call a cab. They do have cabs in this town, right?”

He laughed again and nodded. “Of course. Let me call one for you.”

He pulled out his cell phone and opened up a web browser to search the internet. He caught me peering over to take a look at the screen. I glanced down at the ground a little embarrassed. I really shouldn’t trust him or anyone for that matter, after all, I didn’t know much about him and it would be better for me to keep up my guard.

“Just gotta look up the number. I usually don’t take cabs around town.” He tilted his head in the direction of his Harley. “Got my bike.”

He found it and called a cab for me.

“Look, you don’t have to stay and wait with me. I’ll be fine on my own here. I’m sure you have a life and things you need to go do.”

“What, and leave a beautiful young woman standing on a street corner alone? Are you kidding, this may be a small town but I would be a jerk to leave you alone.”

He called me 'beautiful' twice now. Charming ... Badass
and
charming. That’s a poisonous combination for any girl. I had better hold onto my panties…or maybe not.

After a few minutes, a yellow colored cab pulled up to the curb. It hadn’t taken long for it to reach us. It made me realize this town was so much smaller than I was used to.

“I still hope to see you at the bar tonight, he said leaning on my door.

I smiled up at him as he shut the door and started walking to his super chrome trimmed Harley. I rolled down the window and watched him saunter away. His gait was fluid and his muscular shoulders stretched out the fabric of his dark shirt in just the right way. His confidence level was off the charts. It was evidenced in his body language, in the jilt of his chin and in the swagger in his walk. He was raw male energy and my system responded with a zing of adrenaline in my stomach.

“What’s the name of the bar? I yelled.

“I already told you,” he laughed. “The Bar.”

“Really? How original,” I said, rolling my eyes.

He winked, pulled the helmet over his head. I bit my lip and swallowed hard. There was that badass charm again. The bike roared to life with the kick of his black boot on the kick starter. I watched him drive off and realized right then that I had to go see the band tonight after all.

“Where to, Miss?” the driver asked.

“Just any decent hotel that has a vacancy,” I said.

“Good luck finding one. This is the summer season. Everything is booked three months in advance around here.”

Crap. This day just went to hell.

“There’s nothing? Really?”

He turned and looked me up and down like he was sizing me up. Did I look that much like a city slicker? “I tell you what…I know this woman who is converting an old mansion into a bed and breakfast. Not sure if she has any rooms ready yet but I can take you there if you like? Maybe you’ll get lucky?”

I sighed. A renovation project? Not exactly what I had in mind but if that was all I could get, I’d take it. After all, it would only be for one night.

“Sure. Why not. Thanks.”

A small town it was indeed. It only took a few minutes to reach the house. I was in luck. One of the rooms were ready to rent out. To my surprise it was clean and with plenty of space. The ‘over the top’ interior design scheme, however, was not exactly my style. Too many ruffles on the bedspread and a heavy use of floral patterns in the curtains, pillows and every fabric in the room, including the wallpaper which had enormous blue roses plastered from floor to ceiling.

“You have a very nice house,” I said to the woman who apparently owned the mansion.

“Thank you. I’m sort of an amateur interior decorator. My name is Emma by the way.”

 
“I’m…Hanna,” I said.
“How long have you lived here in Summersville?”

“All my life. Born and raised. Never seemed to be able to get away from here. Married my high school sweetheart. You know, all the clichés except he turned out to be not so much of a sweetheart after all, if you know what I mean.”

“Not quite,” I said.

“Sorry, I always do that. Spill my life story to strangers.” She laughed.

“No, it’s fine. I just wasn’t sure what you meant. What did he do?”

“Let’s just say Brian has anger issues.”

Emma pulled the cord on the window blinds and bright sunlight flooded the room. I turned my head and squinted as the light illuminated even more floral designs that were previously hidden in the shadows.

“Oh, I see?”

“We separated two years ago but not long after that, he ended up in jail. Beat a friend of mine senseless just because he had asked me out on a date. That landed him in prison until now. He just got out a month ago.”

“Oh my God. I’m so sorry. That’s terrible. So, is he back in town?”

“Yes, but don’t worry, he’s not coming here. I have a restraining order against him. The asshole threatened me the first evening he was back. Can you believe that? You’d think prison would straighten him out, but he hasn’t changed one bit.”

“Guys and their fucking control issues. He sounds like a real jerk.”

“Ha, I like you already, Hanna. I hope you’ll stay more than a day.”

The thought of staying longer had pricked at my mind. It might be safer here than in a big city and since Summerville was a vacation town, I would blend in. The locals wouldn’t notice a new face in town, although the cab driver wasn’t fooled. And then there was John, toying with my mind and my emotions, teasing my panties down my legs inch by tortuous inch, at the very thought of him and his deep blue eyes. I wouldn’t mind getting to know him a little better either.