typical woman. I’m too strong, too independent, not what most guys go for.”
Dean lifted his brows and leaned in to drop a kiss on her nose. “It’s a good thing I’m not like most guys, then, huh?”
A soft smile lifted her lips and her eyes actually moistened. “Yes, it is,” she agreed. “Take me home, Dean.”
With a final lingering kiss, he pulled away and carefully shut the door, but his eyes stayed locked on hers. Rachel felt exposed but somehow liberated as well. Was this what it was like to be in love? Having all your secrets exposed, yet accepted?
When he climbed into the cab she smiled at him. “Drive me home, Officer West.”
One side of his mouth lifting in a cocky grin, he winked at her. “Yes, ma’am.”
Dean drove north then hopped on the interstate to take her home. Once they were cruising at a good speed he reached out to tangle his fingers with hers. Once again, Rachel’s heart leapt in her chest and she shook her head, unable to believe how much her normally calm, steady body reacted to his.
Dean had caught the slight movement. “What’s wrong?”
She sighed in the darkness, wondering how much to tell him. Everything, if she planned on having a future with him. “I’m just amazed at the reaction you provoke in me.”
“Good, I hope,” he told her around a toothy grin.
Rachel laughed. “Excellent, actually. I’m not normally the touchy, feely type but you make me not mind it.”
His attention had returned to the road, but he shot her a considering look. “Maybe you just haven’t been touched and felt the right way?”
“Perhaps,” she agreed. “Maybe you can remedy that?”
Dean’s eyes widened and they jerked back to hers. He stared at her a long moment before focusing back on the road. His right hand tightened on hers and he didn’t release her all the way back to her building.
The curtains twitched next door. Rachel knew Mrs. Lightner would be jotting down in her journal that Rachel had been dropped off by a big, strapping man but that man had stayed hours longer than was proper for an unmarried couple.
Rachel led Dean into her home, helicopters doing aerial maneuvers in her stomach. As she started to lead him to her bedroom, Dean slowed her in the hallway.
“Rachel, I won’t hold you to this. I don’t want to rush you into anything.”
“You’re not rushing me into anything,” she told him firmly.
Dean’s expression turned cautious. “I don’t want to rush us into anything then. Yes, I’m attracted to you like crazy, I’ve had a boner damn near since I met you, but I would rather take my time and do this right than rush into something that could possibly ruin the relationship. I’m in this for the long haul, sweetheart.”
Those damn helicopters bottomed out in her stomach. She hadn’t dared hope he would even say something like that.
Chapter Eight
‡
T he fact that he was willing to wait with no recriminations, no hesitation, confirmed what she already knew in her heart and mind. Dean West was an incredible man.
Her hand tightened on his. “I am too. But I want to enjoy this journey as much as I possibly can. As long as you don’t mind me moving a little stiffly, I would like to explore the physical side of this relationship.”
Those normally joyful eyes looked at her with mild reproach. “As long as you realize that this won’t just be a physical relationship. I want more from you than that, Rachel.”
Rachel nodded, hoping he couldn’t see the devastation in her eyes. She’d never expected to find anything even resembling love and now he was almost offering it on a plate. Daring, she looked up at him with that hope in her eyes. “And I’m willing to give you damn near anything you want, Dean.”
That heart-flipping smile of his spread across his face as he leaned down to cover her mouth with his own. Rachel opened to him, both physically and emotionally.
Dean seemed to sense her new openness. He nibbled at her lips as he
Dean lifted his brows and leaned in to drop a kiss on her nose. “It’s a good thing I’m not like most guys, then, huh?”
A soft smile lifted her lips and her eyes actually moistened. “Yes, it is,” she agreed. “Take me home, Dean.”
With a final lingering kiss, he pulled away and carefully shut the door, but his eyes stayed locked on hers. Rachel felt exposed but somehow liberated as well. Was this what it was like to be in love? Having all your secrets exposed, yet accepted?
When he climbed into the cab she smiled at him. “Drive me home, Officer West.”
One side of his mouth lifting in a cocky grin, he winked at her. “Yes, ma’am.”
Dean drove north then hopped on the interstate to take her home. Once they were cruising at a good speed he reached out to tangle his fingers with hers. Once again, Rachel’s heart leapt in her chest and she shook her head, unable to believe how much her normally calm, steady body reacted to his.
Dean had caught the slight movement. “What’s wrong?”
She sighed in the darkness, wondering how much to tell him. Everything, if she planned on having a future with him. “I’m just amazed at the reaction you provoke in me.”
“Good, I hope,” he told her around a toothy grin.
Rachel laughed. “Excellent, actually. I’m not normally the touchy, feely type but you make me not mind it.”
His attention had returned to the road, but he shot her a considering look. “Maybe you just haven’t been touched and felt the right way?”
“Perhaps,” she agreed. “Maybe you can remedy that?”
Dean’s eyes widened and they jerked back to hers. He stared at her a long moment before focusing back on the road. His right hand tightened on hers and he didn’t release her all the way back to her building.
The curtains twitched next door. Rachel knew Mrs. Lightner would be jotting down in her journal that Rachel had been dropped off by a big, strapping man but that man had stayed hours longer than was proper for an unmarried couple.
Rachel led Dean into her home, helicopters doing aerial maneuvers in her stomach. As she started to lead him to her bedroom, Dean slowed her in the hallway.
“Rachel, I won’t hold you to this. I don’t want to rush you into anything.”
“You’re not rushing me into anything,” she told him firmly.
Dean’s expression turned cautious. “I don’t want to rush us into anything then. Yes, I’m attracted to you like crazy, I’ve had a boner damn near since I met you, but I would rather take my time and do this right than rush into something that could possibly ruin the relationship. I’m in this for the long haul, sweetheart.”
Those damn helicopters bottomed out in her stomach. She hadn’t dared hope he would even say something like that.
Chapter Eight
‡
T he fact that he was willing to wait with no recriminations, no hesitation, confirmed what she already knew in her heart and mind. Dean West was an incredible man.
Her hand tightened on his. “I am too. But I want to enjoy this journey as much as I possibly can. As long as you don’t mind me moving a little stiffly, I would like to explore the physical side of this relationship.”
Those normally joyful eyes looked at her with mild reproach. “As long as you realize that this won’t just be a physical relationship. I want more from you than that, Rachel.”
Rachel nodded, hoping he couldn’t see the devastation in her eyes. She’d never expected to find anything even resembling love and now he was almost offering it on a plate. Daring, she looked up at him with that hope in her eyes. “And I’m willing to give you damn near anything you want, Dean.”
That heart-flipping smile of his spread across his face as he leaned down to cover her mouth with his own. Rachel opened to him, both physically and emotionally.
Dean seemed to sense her new openness. He nibbled at her lips as he
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