She just wished she had a clue what that reason was.
She was grateful that one didn’t have anything to do with the other. The reason he had asked her out had nothing to do with them sleeping together and she felt good about that. She had played the details of their night together over and over in her mind so many times that she knew practically every single movement by heart.
All week she had found herself going to bed but unable to sleep until she replayed in her mind every sensation she’d felt that night. It didn’t take much to remember how it felt to grip his iron-steel shoulders beneath her fingers while he thrust in and out of her. The thought of making love with a man like Derringer sent sensuous chills up her spine.
She knew the exact moment Derringer pulled into her driveway. From the smooth hum of the engine she could tell he was driving his two-seater sports car instead of his truck. That meant the car’s interior would be that much cozier. The thought of being in such proximity to Derringer stirred all kinds of feelings inside.
She had spoken to Chloe earlier and her best friend had said the Westmorelands were torn as to whether or not her dating Derringer was a good idea, considering his history with women. Bottom line was that no one wanted to see her get hurt. But what they didn’t know was that she had loved Derringer so long that to her tonight was really a dream come true. And if he never asked her out again that would be fine because she would always have memories of tonight to add to those she had of that Monday night. Not that she expected things would get as heated tonight as they had in his bedroom, mind you. But she couldn’t wait to see what was in store for her tonight. Just knowing she was Derringer’s date made her feel good inside, and knowing he had no ulterior motive in taking her out made it that much more special.
Derringer smiled when he pulled into Lucia’s driveway, thinking her house was the brightest on the block with floodlights in every corner, the porch light on and a light pole shining in the front of the yard. He thought it was a real nice neighborhood with beautiful trees on both sides of the street and the silhouette of mountains in the background. But he felt crowded. One of the pitfalls of being a Westmoreland was that because each of them owned a hundred acres of land, living anywhere else would seem restrictive and too confining.
As he walked up to the porch, he felt as if he was under the bright lights and wouldn’t be surprised if some of her neighbors were watching him. In fact, he was certain he saw the front curtain move in the house across the street. He chuckled, thinking if she could deal with her nosy neighbors then he certainly could.
Besides, he had enough on his plate dealing with his own nosy relatives. Maybe it had been a bad idea to mention his date to Bailey. She hadn’t wasted time spreading the word. He’d gotten a number of calls warning him he had best behave tonight—whatever that meant. And yet, the one call he’d expected, the one from Chloe, had never come. That made him wonder if she knew a lot more than he thought she did.
He glanced at his watch before ringing Lucia’s doorbell. It was seven-thirty exactly. He’d made good time and since he’d already reserved tickets online, they wouldn’t have to stand in line at the theater. He had thought of everything, including when would be the best time to drop the bomb on her about that night. He had decided that they would enjoy the movie first before dealing with any unpleasantness.
He heard the lock turn on her door and then seconds later she was standing there, illuminated in the doorway. He blinked in surprise when he gazed down at her. She looked different. She’d always been a pretty girl, but tonight she looked absolutely stunning.