Slade didn’t have to turn to look at Jill to feel the anger and tension trembling through her body. He continued to ignore the woman and wondered if the damn light was stuck on red. Before he could do anything, he caught a glimpse of Jill’s hand raise in his side mirror. Just as the light turned green, the woman’s head smashed into the dashboard. Jill’s snort reached his ears.
The woman’s hand flew up to her forehead, then away checking for blood. Jill laughed louder. “Seatbelts save lives, Blondie.”
Slade had slipped his sunglasses up and was glaring at Jill in the side mirror, yet he couldn’t help the curve of his lips at how quick her triumphant face turned innocent. “Been practicing?” He cocked one eyebrow.
She shrugged, trying to hide her grin. “A little.” She glanced away, then back. “The light’s green.”
With one last long look at Jill, he slipped his sunglasses back into position and took off. As they passed the blonde woman, he glimpsed at her looking in the mirror at her forehead, an expression of horror and embarrassment coloring her face. His deep laugh was drowned out by the roar of his bike speeding onto the interstate.
Within minutes, Slade was pulling behind an old blue Chevy truck. Turning off the bike, he sat waiting for Jill to make a move. When she continued to sit still as stone behind him, he removed his sunglasses, hanging them on the handlebars. His eyes met hers in the side mirror, and at that moment, he wanted nothing more than to turn and comfort her. She looked terrified of what he figured was the rejection she may suffer again at the hands of her family. Jesus, these feelings were not good. Not good for him and definitely not good for her.
“We going to get off the bike or sit here all day?” His question was harsh even to his own ears.
Jill swallowed nervously, looking away from his reflection. “Sorry, just been a while since I’ve been here.” She slipped off the back of the bike, looking around. “Not much has changed. I mean, I know it hasn’t been that long, but it seems like it.”
“We can leave now, Jill.” Slade stayed on the bike, watching her closely. He felt like an ass for snapping at her because he knew damn good and well she was nervous. It wasn’t her fault; well, it was mostly her fault that he had these fucked-up feelings. It had to be her fault because no other woman had affected him so strongly, strong enough for him to want to throw her sweet body down in the driveway and….shit! “I can check on your dad later,” he snapped at her again.
“No,” she snapped back with a glare. “I just want to see him for a second, then I’m gone.”
A deep bark grabbed their attention. “Sable!” Jill turned toward the sound. A large black German Shepherd stood just around the corner of the house. “Sable, it’s me.” The excitement in her voice echoed across the yard.
Slade dismounted his bike, his eyes never leaving the huge animal. “Jill, hold on,” Slade warned, his grip tight on her arm stopping her.
Another bark sounded, this one not as deep or aggressive, but excited. A smaller dog, which looked like a mini-me of the German Shepherd ran past Sable. Jill knelt in time to catch the smaller dog in her arms, receiving excited licks and nips. “You remember me, don’t you, Bebe?” Jill laughed, rubbing the dog’s head roughly before putting her forehead against Bebe’s. “I’ve missed you so much, girl,” Jill whispered, grabbing her by the neck and hugging her closely.
Slade watched the reunion with a better understanding of this woman who had his mind in shambles. She had been dealt a hard blow in life, a life she had abruptly been pushed away from by no fault of her own. Even with his eyes on the black German Shepherd, who was edging closer to Jill, Slade couldn’t help shifting his eyes back to watch Jill savor the moment with her missed pet. He tensed as her attention went back to the large black dog.
Jill raised her hand slowly. “It’s me, Sable,” she repeated in a whisper. “Please remember me.”
Her words hit Slade like a sledgehammer. The love she wanted so badly, even from an animal, was clear in the tone of her words. The dog sniffed her hand, its eyes never leaving hers before a large tongue snaked out, licking Jill. Slade couldn’t help the smile that slid across his face in relief when both dogs overwhelmed Jill, fighting for her attention. He was glad because he really didn’t want to have to kill her pet to protect her. As he watched, he wondered briefly if it was normal to feel jealousy toward a dog. He also couldn’t help thinking how fucked-up that was.
Chapter 2
Jill laughed, trying to get up off the ground. Once Sable warmed up to her again, she couldn’t get the large dog off her. Slade’s hand appeared and she grabbed it while he grabbed Sable’s collar, gently pulling the dog back.
“Thanks.” Jill brushed off her jeans, then touched her cheek with the back of her hand, surprised to feel wetness. She wondered if it was tears or dog kisses that made it wet.