Read Online Five Ways 'Til Sunday by Delilah Devlin - Free Book Online

asked, glancing from her face to Jackson’s.
    Jackson shook his head as though warning him to drop the line of conversation. “We’re headin’ home.”
    “Take your time,” Craig said slowly, his gaze locking with Jackson’s.
    She thought it an odd thing to say given that their apartment was only four blocks away.
    Jackson took her hand and pulled her behind him as he started to move away. “We’re gonna walk back.”
    “Your car?” Craig called after them.
    Without turning, Jackson waved his free hand. “Will be fine until morning. We could use some fresh air.”
    The reminder of the overpowering scents in the car made her smile. She wrinkled her nose. “Good idea.”
    Jackson brought her close to his side.
    Marti leaned against him as they walked away from the parking lot and onto the sidewalk beside the street.
    A carriage, lit by colorful strings of Christmas lights, drew alongside them. “Can I interest you in a ride? Last one for the night…” the driver said, smiling amiably. He was dressed in German lederhosen, which exposed a pair of knobby knees. His long white hair was pulled back into a pony tail. His eyes, even in the dim light, sparkled.
    She thought he’d make a perfect Santa Claus and wondered if he put reindeer ears on his horse in winter.
    Jackson glanced down. “What do you say, baby? Tonight doesn’t have to be a complete bust.”
    “I don’t know. I was looking forward to a warm bath.”
    “Come on,” he said, pulling her toward the curb. “I promise I’ll scrub your back later.”
    He seemed so eager she thought maybe he was the one excited by the idea. Maybe he was too manly to admit a carriage ride in a “princess” carriage was enticing. “You know, as long as I’ve lived here, I’ve never taken a ride in one of these.”
    Jackson grinned and fished in his pocket for a couple twenties, handing them to the driver. “Take us by the river?”
    “Scrape the dirt off your shoes before you step up,” the driver said, his voice brisk now.
    With few cars still on the street, the ride was quiet except for the steady plod of the horse’s hooves.
    Marti sighed and snuggled close. “This is nice.” She yawned.
    “Don’t you dare go to sleep on me,” he growled.
    “Got plans?”
    “You know I do.”
    She glanced at the driver’s back, then whispered. “Plans that require…complicated choreography?”
    Jackson laughed, lifted her hand and placed it squarely on his crotch. “Maybe.”
    “None of that now,” the driver groused. “This here’s a fam’ly-orientated buggy ride.”
    Her eyes widened. His back was still turned. How’d he know she was feeling her man up?
    Jackson pressed her hand harder against himself, molding her fingers around the impressive bulge beneath his fly.
    But she slipped her hand away, jerking her chin toward the driver. “Behave yourself,” she whispered.
    “Fine.” However, he picked up her hand again and kept it inside his.
    They settled back against the padded seat.
    “You don’t have to finish it, you know. That list—”
    Jackson’s mouth quirked up at one corner. “Was a crock, right?”
    “Right,” she thoughtfully, eyeing his expression because it was growing more devilish by the moment. “How’d you know?”
    “You’re adventurous, but the things you wrote… Well, they weren’t you.”
    Unable to hold his steady stare, she glanced away, noting they’d turned onto Jefferson, heading toward the road that flanked the Mississippi. “I’m sorry if I pushed you too far.”
    Jackson squeezed her hand. “I’m not,” he said quietly. “We got to play a bit. And maybe you got to see I’m not such a stick in the mud.”
    “I never thought that. In fact, you’re so far from dull… Jackson?”
    “Baby, just snuggle up. We don’t have to talk. We can have the driver drop us near our place when we’re done.”
    “You’re not still mad at me, are you?”
    “Not even a little bit. I’ve enjoyed givin’ you your