would settle down, had a wife and family. Of course, Sel claimed the only woman he ever wanted was Alice. Burke didn’t have such a convenient cop out. He realized long ago he wasn’t made like everyone else. Love came easy to some people. For Cass, love came hard. For him, it never came at all. “It’s what I’ve heard.”
“Been watching Oprah again?”
“No, I have not, thank you very much.” Not this week, anyway. It wasn’t his fault. His shift manager, Rafael, was hooked on the show. He claimed his wife insisted they watch it so they could have something to talk about at home, but the truth was Rafael liked it. Burke allowed it because ‘Fael’s wife bought the television and installed it herself. Unfortunately, the only place quiet enough to watch it was in his office. It made the paperwork go a little faster, if only to escape.
“Luke’s cheating doesn’t matter.”
Well, that was heartening. “Good. It was a long time ago anyway.”
She went back to being silent, turned away from him, her hip curving upward only a few inches from the stick shift he gripped like a lifeline. The second he had to go into reverse he was going to be rubbing his hand against the Promised Land. He bit off a groan, too damn aware of every shadow and curve of her ass. It took work to keep his eyes on the road, especially when she bounced slowly in the seat, forward to the glass, backward toward his hand. If she shifted another inch he’d be feeling it even sooner. He fought the urge to tap his foot because he didn’t want to turn a simple drive home into a carnival ride. With two minutes left until they got to his house, he couldn’t take it anymore.
“Will you please sit up?”
“Why?”
“Because you look like the puppy left in the pet store. Why the hell are you rocking like that?”
“The glass is cool. I’m rubbing the bumps.”
If she didn’t quit, he’d be rubbing something too, dammit. “Stop acting like a spoiled brat and sit up.”
“No.”
“No?”
“Leave me alone and drive, Burke.”
Great. She did care about Hanson’s cheating. At least her problem drenched his over-eager libido in cold water. “Cassie, Luke isn’t worth sulking over. If the conversation back there didn’t prove that to you, I don’t know what will.”
“All I picked up was that there was something going on between you and Luke I didn’t know about before.” She finally shifted at the red light, sitting up and crossing her arms under her breasts. Sweet God, where was her bra? The criss-crossing flaps forming the top of her dress flopped open, showing enough curved mounds to make his throat constrict. He could see the whole of her sternum; right down to the little mole he used to tickle when she was six years old. A horn honked, reminding him time didn’t stop for everyone.
Cass raised her eyebrows and he gunned the engine. It should have been easy not to look at her, he was driving for Pete’s sake, but she didn’t seem to notice the loose dress and he couldn’t mention it. Or stop sneaking glances at it.
“Hello? You going to fill me in or not?”
Not. He might want to, thoroughly and no holds barred, but filling her was not an option.
“Burke?”
Though there were only the passing streetlights to intermittently shine over her, he wondered if he were better off staring at the curve of her ass. Anything had to be better than trying to decide if he was seeing shadow or nipple.
“Burke!”
“What?”
“What was Luke talking about?”
The view—and the conversation—was definitely safer.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
He snorted. “The possible answers are endless.” And he’d tell her every single one of those possibilities before he coughed up the truth she wanted.
“About you and Luke,” she clarified.
“Don’t say our names like that. Makes us sound like a couple or something.” He shuddered. In this town, one couldn’t be too careful.
“Aren’t you?” Return of the
“Been watching Oprah again?”
“No, I have not, thank you very much.” Not this week, anyway. It wasn’t his fault. His shift manager, Rafael, was hooked on the show. He claimed his wife insisted they watch it so they could have something to talk about at home, but the truth was Rafael liked it. Burke allowed it because ‘Fael’s wife bought the television and installed it herself. Unfortunately, the only place quiet enough to watch it was in his office. It made the paperwork go a little faster, if only to escape.
“Luke’s cheating doesn’t matter.”
Well, that was heartening. “Good. It was a long time ago anyway.”
She went back to being silent, turned away from him, her hip curving upward only a few inches from the stick shift he gripped like a lifeline. The second he had to go into reverse he was going to be rubbing his hand against the Promised Land. He bit off a groan, too damn aware of every shadow and curve of her ass. It took work to keep his eyes on the road, especially when she bounced slowly in the seat, forward to the glass, backward toward his hand. If she shifted another inch he’d be feeling it even sooner. He fought the urge to tap his foot because he didn’t want to turn a simple drive home into a carnival ride. With two minutes left until they got to his house, he couldn’t take it anymore.
“Will you please sit up?”
“Why?”
“Because you look like the puppy left in the pet store. Why the hell are you rocking like that?”
“The glass is cool. I’m rubbing the bumps.”
If she didn’t quit, he’d be rubbing something too, dammit. “Stop acting like a spoiled brat and sit up.”
“No.”
“No?”
“Leave me alone and drive, Burke.”
Great. She did care about Hanson’s cheating. At least her problem drenched his over-eager libido in cold water. “Cassie, Luke isn’t worth sulking over. If the conversation back there didn’t prove that to you, I don’t know what will.”
“All I picked up was that there was something going on between you and Luke I didn’t know about before.” She finally shifted at the red light, sitting up and crossing her arms under her breasts. Sweet God, where was her bra? The criss-crossing flaps forming the top of her dress flopped open, showing enough curved mounds to make his throat constrict. He could see the whole of her sternum; right down to the little mole he used to tickle when she was six years old. A horn honked, reminding him time didn’t stop for everyone.
Cass raised her eyebrows and he gunned the engine. It should have been easy not to look at her, he was driving for Pete’s sake, but she didn’t seem to notice the loose dress and he couldn’t mention it. Or stop sneaking glances at it.
“Hello? You going to fill me in or not?”
Not. He might want to, thoroughly and no holds barred, but filling her was not an option.
“Burke?”
Though there were only the passing streetlights to intermittently shine over her, he wondered if he were better off staring at the curve of her ass. Anything had to be better than trying to decide if he was seeing shadow or nipple.
“Burke!”
“What?”
“What was Luke talking about?”
The view—and the conversation—was definitely safer.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
He snorted. “The possible answers are endless.” And he’d tell her every single one of those possibilities before he coughed up the truth she wanted.
“About you and Luke,” she clarified.
“Don’t say our names like that. Makes us sound like a couple or something.” He shuddered. In this town, one couldn’t be too careful.
“Aren’t you?” Return of the
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