42. 42
42
B onnie came home from work nearly a week later, let herself into her apartment, dropped her purse and keys on the kitchen counter and flopped onto the couch. She stared up at the ceiling for several minutes, wondering when the water stain near the corner had shown up, or had it been there all along?
Twenty minutes later, she sighed and forced herself to get up. She needed to change clothes and she was running out of time. Corey was on his way, and they were going to look at a car she’d found a lead on. And he would be here in ten minutes.
She’d already buzzed him and was hurrying to get her shoes on when a knock sounded on her door.
“I’ll be right there.” She shoved her foot into the shoe and hurried for the door. “I’m here,” she said, opening the door. She hadn’t known her apartment was big enough that rushing from the bedroom to the door would leave her voice sounding breathy.
She stood, holding on to the door as she took a deep breath and tried to make herself sound normal before she continued. His gaze skimmed down her body, then back up again. She felt every touch as if it was a brush of his fingertips against her skin.
“You look good enough to strip down and make a meal of.” The deep rumble of his voice made heat pool in her belly and her face heat.
She opened her mouth to say yes, please, but the words caught in her throat. She swallowed, remembered the owner of the car would be waiting for her and changed what she was about to say. “If you’re up for that, we can do it. But we need to go check out that car. I want to be able to give you your truck back.”
“I’m not worried about the truck, but let’s go take a look at this car.” He glanced around the room. “You ready?”
Bonnie grabbed her purse and the keys to his truck from the counter. “I am now.”
“You have a jacket?” he asked, glancing around the room.
“Yeah, why?”
“I thought we’d take the bike and you’ll be cold in that.” He motioned to the cute, thin blouse she wore.
Bonnie looked down at the bright colored shirt scattered with sparkly bits, then back up at him. He had on thick denim jeans and a leather vest over a black t-shirt. “I’ll get my jacket.”
Bonnie spun on her heel and went to the bedroom. It hadn’t even occurred to her he might want to take the bike. A quick check in the mirror told her the jacket was all she needed. She lifted her purse strap over her head, so it hung across her body to rest on her hip, then shrugged into her thickest denim coat and went back out to join Corey in the front room.
“Better?” she asked, spinning so he could get a better view.
“That’s great. You have the address?” he asked.
“I do. Let me send it to you.” She pulled it up on her phone then texted it to him. Looking up, she watched him as she waited for the message to be delivered. Bonnie noticed for the first time how his lashes feathered over his cheeks, then wondered where that thought had come from.
“Got it.” He looked up and gave her a look she knew him well enough to know was him asking if she was ready.
Instead of answering, she dug her keys from her purse and went to the door.
Later, after they’d looked at the car and taken it for a short test drive, they sat in the same diner where she’d first met Corey, talking while they waited for their dinner.
“You don’t think I should get it?” she asked.
“I don’t. The decision is up to you and if you want to know why, I’ll give you my reasons, but I’m not going to tell you what to do.”
“Thank you.” She didn’t know if it was because of her recent experiences with Phillip or if it was just the kind of guy Corey was, but she appreciated that he wasn’t verbally pummeling her with all the reasons she needed to listen to him or do what he told her to. “Tell me why you think I shouldn’t buy the car.”
“You want the whole list or just the ones I think are most important?” There was a light in his eye, and she wasn’t sure if he was teasing or just in a good mood. She opted for good mood.
“Let’s start with the most important, but I reserve the right to ask about the rest of the list after.”
“I can do that. First, it’s got too many miles. Second, it’s got an odd sound to the engine when you hit forty-five. I suspect it will get louder or worse when you’re going faster. Third, I think they’re asking too much.” He paused while the waitress brought their food, and he thanked her. “That’s the main things, do you want the rest?”
“Give me a minute.” She picked up her fork and took a bite, watching him as she thought. He wasn’t wrong. The reasons he’d listed were some of the things she’d thought herself, well, other than the sound bit. She hadn’t noticed it, but she’d been focusing on the feel while driving. She had also noticed an odd feeling when she took left turns. His assessment just reinforced the decision she had been teetering on before. “All right. Tell me what your other reasons are.”
“Well, on top of all that, I don’t think it fits you well.”
She frowned, not sure where he was going with this.
“I just think you look a lot better in my pickup than in that little sedan. And while that sedan will be fine coming out to the ranch for the summer, I’ll worry if you’re in it making that drive once snow flies.”
“And you think I’ll still be making the drive out there?”
“You will be if I get my way. I mean I’m willing to come into town some, but I’m going to want to see you, and I’m hoping you’ll want to see me too.” He tilted his head to one side and glanced up toward the ceiling. “But maybe I can convince you to move in with me by then. Then when the weather’s less than ideal you can drive the truck.”
“But that would leave you without a vehicle. It will be too cold for you to ride your bike.”
“Sweetness, I told you before. If I need to, I can borrow a ranch truck. Besides, whatever you have will be there, if I need it. I’ve missed you this week.”
Bonnie blinked, his words taking a moment to sink in and process in her mind. His sudden change of subject, once it processed, made the whole conversation make more sense.
While he had made some valid points about the car, he wasn’t really pushing her either way. His opinions, or at least the ones in the second list, were because he wanted her back in his cabin.
She wasn’t ready to admit it to anyone but herself, but she missed being there too. Well, maybe she could admit it. Maybe.
“I look better in your truck, huh? Are you sure that’s the most important reason you don’t want me to get it?”
“No, it’s the most important reason on the second list. I like having you in my truck. In fact, there are several things I’d like to try with you in my truck.” The look on his face told her that these things would likely involve few clothes and possibly seeing how flexible she was. Bonnie didn’t respond but smiled, shook her head, and continued eating.
“You need to get back soon?” she asked as they walked hand in hand out to his bike, after having finished their meal.
“Sweetness, I don’t have to be back until the end of breakfast in the morning. when Lurch hands out assignments for the day. And if I let him know what’s up, I can get away with being a little later than that. Is something up?”
“I just thought you might like to come back to my place. Maybe tell me a little more about those things you’d like to try in your truck…” she let the words trail off, hoping he would understand what she meant without her having to say it out loud, at least not here. Bonnie glanced around, finding herself a little nervous about standing out in the open here, where Phillip had tried to kidnap her before.
“Sweetness.” Corey cupped her cheek with one hand, bringing her attention back to him. “Let’s get out of here. I’ll take you home and tell you all the sweet, dirty things I want to do you in that truck.” He waited until she nodded, then unfastened her helmet from the bike and handed it to her before releasing his and putting it on.