Chapter 3
3
JESSALYN
I jumped up even before the door to the RV opened.
I’d heard his motorcycle approaching and realized just how on edge I’d been.
“How’s my car?” I called out even before I laid eyes on him.
He stepped up into the camper, carrying a paper sack in one hand and a six-pack of flavored seltzers in the other.
“I don’t know what you drink,” he said, lifting the six-pack.
“But this looked like something a woman would like.”
I frowned at him.
I wasn’t sure whether to consider that a sexist comment or not.
But he was right. I loved flavored seltzers, and he’d gotten strawberry, which was my favorite.
“Thanks,” I said.
I held my breath.
I didn’t want to ask again.
He hadn’t walked in giving me bad news, so maybe that was a good sign.
He settled everything on the table and walked to the kitchen, opening one of the cabinet doors.
“Looks like a radiator issue. I think it’s a hose. I’m not a mechanic by any means, but I got some experience in the military. Plus, my dad taught me how to fix some minor things on cars. They’ve changed a lot since I was a kid, though.”
I stood and headed to the table.
“Thanks for doing all this.”
“No problem. We can hop on my bike after we eat and get you home. Then you can call Brock at Brock Solid Repairs to tow it to his shop when he opens in the morning.”
Disappointment slammed into me with such force, it stopped my footsteps.
I just stood next to the bench where I’d sat earlier, sipping water and staring at his gorgeous brown eyes.
And that strong jaw that had me feeling a little trembly all over.
“I don’t want to be any trouble,” I said, sinking onto the bench and grabbing one of the seltzer bottles from the carton.
“No trouble.” He brought a couple of paper plates and a roll of paper towels to the table.
“My schedule’s wide open.”
It wasn’t really that I didn’t want to be trouble.
It was that I didn’t want to leave, and that was weird.
I should be dying to get home and settle in for a night of relaxation.
But instead, I just wanted to stay here with this super handsome recluse, drinking seltzers, eating burgers, and staring at him.
“So, have you always lived in this area?” he asked.
I was unwrapping my burger when the question came.
My movements froze. How much did I tell him?
I didn’t open up to anyone about my past, but I felt this weird draw toward him.
I was safe. I could tell him anything, and he wouldn’t judge me.
When was the last time I’d had that in my life?
Never, that I could think of.
“I’ve never really had a home,” I said.
“I mean, I had places to live, but they weren’t homes. For the first fifteen years of my life, we went from place to place as my mom moved in with different guys. And then, when I turned fifteen, I moved out and got a job.”
I’d worked some horrendous jobs during those years.
Cleaning office buildings.
Waiting tables in crappy restaurants where I was harassed by male managers and coworkers…
I skipped all that, though.
He didn’t want to hear the finer details of my sob story, even though he was watching me.
I took a long sip from my bottle for courage and bit into the most delicious-looking burger I’d ever seen.
It was amazing. Incredible.
How had I been in town for three weeks without trying this place?
Once I’d swallowed that first bite, I resumed telling my story.
“My friend’s mom took pity on me and gave me her car when I was sixteen. Eventually, I was able to save up enough to put a decent down payment on something a little better. And that was when I started driving for various rideshare companies. I did grocery delivery too, for a while in Charlotte. That was where I lived before. But the competition was fierce. One of my fellow drivers told me about Seduction Summit. No drivers and a growing population, plus all the tourists. And that’s why I’m here.”
“You stay pretty busy? And the pay is good?”
“People around here tip well, and yeah, there’s no shortage of business. But now I guess I don’t have a reliable car.”
“It’s reliable. Brock will get you fixed right up. Is that your long-term plan? To stay here in town?”
I didn’t live here in town.
I lived in the next town over.
I didn’t have to point that out to him, though.
He knew.
“Good question,” I said.
“I learned a long time ago not to make long-term plans.”
That was what happened when you had complete instability in your life.
You dreamed of a day you could get away from the chaos—from abusive boyfriends and loud fights that eventually ended with ‘pack up, we’re out of here.
’
“I want to work with kids.”
Those words spilled out the second they hit my brain.
Growing up, teachers were often the only stability I had.
I was one of the few kids I knew who looked forward to getting on that school bus and being carried away to a place where everything was structured and I always knew what to expect.
If I could be that for even one kid in a bad home situation, I’d do it.
“There’s a great school system here,” he said.
“Unfortunately, you need a college degree to teach. In most towns, anyway.”
“I’m sure they’d work with you. I don’t know what Seduction Summit’s situation is as far as teachers, but it might be worth looking into.”
He wasn’t telling me anything I didn’t already know, but the words were exactly what I needed to hear right now.
Four years of college seemed overwhelming, especially when I’d have to pay for it or rack up tens of thousands of dollars in student loans.
But there was no reason I couldn’t take it one class at a time.
“What about you?” I asked, eager to turn the conversation away from myself.
“I plan to stay here for the rest of my life. Maybe not in this exact spot, but somewhere in this town. If they run me off here, I’ll move to the nearest campground until I figure it out. But there’s no long-term campsite option here.”
That wasn’t what I was talking about.
“And you’re retired?”
Was that how it worked in the military?
I really had no idea.
Even if I had all the money in the world, I’d still want to do something.
“I thought I’d be happy just fishing and hiking, but I need more,” he said.
“I’m looking to get certified. Maybe as an electrician. Every town needs one of those.”
“I’ve heard most of the vets around here work for the logging crews, right? Or in construction?”
He nodded.
“I’m not a fan of working as part of a team, though. Not anymore.”
Those last two words answered my next question, which I wouldn’t have spoken out loud.
Being in the military meant having to work in teams. I sensed that he’d gotten his fill of that.
Maybe his time in the military had done that.
But no, something deeper was going on here.
Something had gone wrong somewhere.
“What do you think?”
His question threw me off.
I scrambled to figure out how it fit into the current conversation, but it didn’t.
His gaze deliberately dropped, and for a breathtaking second, I was sure he was checking out the way my chest strained my T-shirt.
It was lightweight and comfortable during the summer months, but it was a little tight.
I just assumed, since my passengers sat in the back seat and really couldn’t check me out, it was fine for work.
But he wasn’t looking at my chest. He was looking at the burger.
That was clear even before he said his next words.
“They make the best burgers in the area, hands down. Don’t tell the diner I said that, though.”
I smiled.
“Your secret’s safe with me. But I have to admit, I’m a little disappointed.”
He frowned.
“Why’s that?”
“I thought you were checking out my chest.”
What was I doing?
Why was I saying that?
The words just slipped out.
The alcohol must be loosening my tongue.
But I hadn’t had that much.
He lowered his gaze, but he didn’t take his eyes off my face as he said, “Oh, believe me, I’ve checked out your chest—and the rest of you—many times. I just know how to be sneaky about it. You want to go for a ride?”
The question startled me.
Was he taking me to my place?
I didn’t want that. It would mean this evening was ending.
But in a couple of bites, my burger would be history, and he’d already finished off his, along with most of the fries in the container between us.
I was running out of reasons to stay here, especially if he was offering me a ride home.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked.
If he said home, I’d tell him I didn’t want to go home.
But then what? Just stay here all night?
Sleep on his couch?
No, I wanted to sleep in his bed, which was alarming, considering I’d never wanted to sleep with a guy before.
Not seriously. I was a virgin, and once he found out, he probably wouldn’t want just a meaningless fling.
That wasn’t what I wanted, either.
But I was pretty sure a guy like him would run for the hills at the thought of deflowering me.
“I’m going to take you to the most scenic overlook in this particular area,” he said.
“And then I’m going to give you the ride of your life.”
At those words, heat went straight to the area between my legs.
He was coming on to me.
I’d have to tell him the truth about my lack of experience with riding a man.
But I could do that later, once we got where we were going.
I wadded up my hamburger wrapper, snatched up my phone, and started scooting out of the booth. “Let’s go.”