Chapter 6 Taji Sloane
TAJI SLOANE
The days passed slowly.
It was remarkable how fast they were moving when I didn’t really want them to.
Time had always been a strange concept to me, but I remained silent, stewing on my thoughts and staring at computer screens to keep my mind off him.
Trucker came home, more often than not, caked in mud from training. Sometimes he was soaking wet—but always a mess.
And while I shouldn’t feel anyways about that, knowing he was working hard to get that way turned me on.
Each time I checked his shower to clean it, he’d already done so, leaving the tub and surrounding spaces spotless.
Damn, that’s sexy.
Repeatedly, I toyed with the idea of bringing him lunch. But the town’s women were already talking about Trucker. Most of them had designs on him—even the married ones and I wasn’t too sure what they were capable of if they thought I was interested.
They already disliked me.
Sighing, I stared into the bubbling pot of chili, playing with the idea of a lunch run again.
Unsure, I turned the stove all the way down and left it to take a shower. As the water flowed over my body, I made a decision.
Fuck those women and their feelings.
It wasn’t like I had any delusions Trucker would pick me. But I should at least throw my hat into the ring too.
I was definitely interested.
It terrified me putting myself out there, to flirt with a man. The last time didn’t end well and every time I thought about Trucker in that way, my heart swelled inside my chest then charged like a stallion on the loose.
But just because it scared me, didn’t mean I shouldn’t do it.
I was pretty sure my attraction to Trucker was what brought my nightmares back. They left me unable to sleep at nights because I was terrified I’d wake up screaming and disturb Trucker’s rest.
Still, there wasn’t really anything I could do.
After dressing in a pair of red shorts with polka dots, a black tank, I tied up my hair and looked at myself in the mirror. I wasn’t the most beautiful woman in the world, but I thought I was cute.
With my father’s grey eyes, my mother’s serious lips and my grandmother’s dimples, I was cute.
Exhaling, I hurried back into the kitchen to make some hotdogs and packed some buns. It took some time to make the ingredients to go on the hot dogs, but I did it.
I shredded some cheese in a Ziplock bag, then gathered water and juice.
It took a few trips to my car, but eventually, I was on my way, my heart slamming against my chest.
It took me a little longer to get to the firehouse.
I was so nervous, I couldn’t keep my hands from shaking. A few times I had to pull over just so I didn’t crash.
Somehow, I managed not to hit anything on my way there.
There were quite a few cars there—the women camped out watching Trucker and the cadets do obstacles in the massive front space. I somehow managed to find a spot to park and couldn’t avoid the questioning glares that were fired my way.
Nervous, I pushed a wayward strand of hair from my face, climbed from my car and closed the door. I searched the moving bodies until I found Trucker—it was hard to miss that beautiful dark skin and that muscular frame.
Licking my lips, I waited until he glanced toward the crowd, and I stepped forward and waved. A smile graced his lips as he waved back then then faced his cadets again.
After about a minute of speaking to them, they all ran off. He pulled the straps off his shoulders, removed his helmet and set it aside then jogged over to me.
“Hi.” He grinned.
I can’t breathe.
“Hey.” My voice cracked.
“I didn’t expect you.” Trucker used a mud caked nail to scratch his neck. “Did I forget about a date we had?”
“No.” I tilted my head to make it easier to breathe. “Nothing like that. I—um—brought you lunch.”
Trucker smirked and eased closer. “The only other person whose ever brought me lunch is Lena—”
“Lena?”
“My niece. Zoom’s girl.”
“Oh.”
“Were you jealous?” Trucker teased.
“I brought you lunch.” I flushed.
“You said that.”
His voice was like warm honey being poured over cold vanilla ice-cream.
I coughed.
When I backed up, I was against my Mini Cooper.
“Just so we’re clear.” Trucker’s voice was low, baritone, sexy. “When you say lunch…”
“What do—” I laughed nervously. “Food, Mayson Calhoune.”
“Bummer.”
Chuckling, I shook my head. “I didn’t see you pack anything to take this morning. So, I made something.”
“You cooked for me, Taji?”
I couldn’t think straight.
“Be careful. In some countries that’s a declaration of love.”
I choked on air then smacked his shoulder.
“You do know that one of the sexiest things a woman can do for a man, is cook for him?” Trucker asked. “Especially if she does it naked.”
“Trucker!”
Dear God, is he supposed to smell this good covered in sweat?
I glanced around to see if anyone had heard what he’d said.
“Um—wait.” I blushed even more.
I pushed at his chest.
He released me and chuckled.
I eased my body away from him to grab a piece of paper towel from the roll I always kept in my car. When I went back and tried handing it to him, Trucker merely caught me around the hips, placed me between his body and the car and met my gaze.
“You have control here, Taji.” His voice was soft. “If you want to dry me off, be my guest.”
“They’re staring.” I wanted so much to hide in his arms. “Always fucking staring.”
“Let them.”
Nervously, I folded the piece of paper towel, and tapped one side of his neck, then the other. I tapped his forehead, down over his nose then his cheeks just under his eyes.
Once I was satisfied, I gathered a cold bottle of water from the stack and pressed it against his neck.
Trucker growled in his throat, and I knew immediately that if I let him, I could be in trouble.
That naughty kind of trouble.
“Hungry?” I asked.
He took the bottle from my hand and wrung the cap off. He didn’t reply to my question until after he’d had most of the water.
“Starving.”
But from the way he stared at me, my horny brain knew he wasn’t speaking about food.
Still, I allowed him to help me remove my treasures from the vehicle then we walked off toward a lawn on the far side of the firehouse.
I spread my emergency blanket on the grass while he hunched down to see what I’d packed.
“Chili dogs.” He laughed softly. “Taji, will you marry me?”
“You’re easy, Trucker.” I giggled. “All I have to do is feed you?”
“You know what they say the best way to a man’s heart is.” Trucker laughed. “They didn’t lie.”
“Like I said.” I laughed again. “Easy.”
“But not cheap.”
I scrunched my nose at him.
I picked up two paper plates as I sat on the blanket, then helped him served out some food. He dumped a handful of cheeses on his chili dog then took a rather unhealthy bite.
Holding my breath, I waited to see if he approved of the chili. Trucker sighed and closed his eyes while chewing.
“It’s been so long since I’ve had a good chili dog.” He confessed. “My grandmother was amazing at making them. I’m not sure what she did.”
“Let’s be honest.” I nodded knowing precisely what he meant. “Grandmothers are masters.”
“Facts.”
Trucker laughed.
Silence.
“I’m sorry. I’m usually better at making chili.”
“Taji.”
“Hmm?”
“This is delicious.” He touched my right cheek gently. “I promise. Not everyone cooks the same and I’m not complaining. Seriously, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” My cheeks heated.
Taking a small bite of my dog, I glanced toward where a handful of women remained.
Esther from the diner was still there, along with a couple of her mean girl friends.
“I didn’t think you’d have an audience.” I pointed out. “It’s not surprising.”
“Them?” Trucker asked. “They’re thinking with their vaginas and that’s not sexy.”
“Some of them are very pretty.”
“It depends on your definition of pretty.”
“Tell me you don’t like them fawning over you.” I pushed. “Most men would jump at that.”
“I’m not most men.” Trucker bit his hot dog again. “I appreciate an up-front woman because I’m not a mind reader. On the same breath, this is something all together different. And it creeps me out. If a man was doing what they are doing—”
“People frown on that.”
“Precisely.” Trucker sighed. “Besides, I already have my eyes on someone.”
My heart sank.
“You do?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
I should have said something the day I met him.
I should have known a man like Trucker wouldn’t stay single in a town like this for very long. But I hadn’t been brave enough—and would a fireman want a woman who was so damn feeble?
So far below his league?
He didn’t say anything else, and I didn’t think I had the right to push. No matter how disappointed I’d been.
Needing to preoccupy my hands, I opened a bottle of apple juice and took a long drink.
“You okay?” Trucker asked.
Nodding, I pulled off a piece of my partially eaten sausage and pushed it into my mouth. I wasn’t being honest with him.
Still, I couldn’t tell him that—he didn’t need to know that I was just as bad as those crazy women, lining the fence, wishing he’d look in their direction just once.
I’m just as terrible as them.
I shook my head to clear it.
But by then, my appetite was gone.
Not wanting him to ask any questions. I ate more.
When he had to get back to work, it disappointed me.
It didn’t occur to me how desperately I wanted to stay with him until I realized an hour had shimmered by and he had to leave me.
Trucker helped me pack what we hadn’t eaten back into the basket and walked with me back to my car. By then, all the other women were gone—except Esther who was now sitting in her car, gripping the wheel until her knuckles changed colours.
I should care—but the brightness of Trucker’s eyes, the warmth of his closeness, the softness of his voice—all of that had my attention so deeply, I didn’t care for anyone else.
Nothing else mattered.
Trucker set the basket on the backseat of my car, accepted a bottle of water that wasn’t as cold as before. He leaned in to press his perfect lips against my cheek then stepped back.
“I wish I had more time to spend with you at lunch.” He told me. “And I don’t mean to eat and run. But thanks for this.”
“You’re welcome.” I lifted my chin. “I’m not worried. I know where you live—for now.”
Trucker laughed. “Facts.”
My body was still pulsing from the way he’d kissed my cheek—the way he allowed his lips to linger against my flesh, leaving every part of me alive.
“Get back to work.” I tapped his nose with a finger. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Don’t make dinner.” He told me. “I’ll stop and pick up something for us.”
“Trucker…”
“I won’t change my mind.” He wiggled his brows at me. “You’ve been feeding me since I got here. You deserve a little bit of a break, don’t you think?”
“Maybe.”
“Do I have to make this an order?” Trucker drawled.
“I’m not a very good soldier.” I teased back.
“Let me handle that—do you want me to make this an order?”
Trembling, my entire body was on fire—a magical set of flames I didn’t want to put out.
“I surrender.” I nodded. “Okay.”
“That was entirely too easy.” Trucker smirked. “I like my women with a little fight.”
“If you want to fight, Mayson Calhoune, we can fight.” I licked my lips. “And we don’t even have to go outside.”
Trucker licked his lips and smiled.
“I like the way you think, Taji.” Trucker leaned in to breathe against my right ear. “In the dirt. On the front steps. On the hood of my truck—God, especially on the hood of my truck.”
I sighed.
“Be safe getting home, Sprite.” He stepped back. “Call me if you need anything.”
Winking at him, I allowed him to open my door for me, paused to pat his chest then allowed myself to fall into the seat.
As I drove away, I knew he was watching me.
For some reason, I felt sexy, and I had no way of explaining why.
And though I knew the news was probably all over the town already, I couldn’t help not really caring.
The moment I got home, I wondered what he meant by calling me Sprite. I knew what a Sprite was but why would he call me that?
I giggled and covered my face like a high school girl with her first crush.
Overwhelmed, I giggled.