“That’s insane,” she threw out
“That’s reality. Get used to it,” he threw back.
She turned around in her seat as much as her seat belt would allow. “It’s not reality and I won’t get used to it, because it doesn’t make sense. If this has anything to do with you thinking I got pregnant from our previous encounters you don’t have that to worry about. My monthly visitor arrived this morning.”
“That wasn’t it, although that would have definitely been important to me if you had gotten pregnant. But like I told you before, you’re in my blood now. You were a virgin and I’d never been with a virgin before.”
“Whoop-de-do,” she said sarcastically. “No big deal.”
“For me it is.”
She just stared at him, deciding not to argue with him anymore. Doing so would give her a friggin’ headache. She shifted positions to sit straight in her seat and closed her eyes, but she wouldn’t go to sleep for fear of waking up with her lips locked to his again.
Each time she felt herself being lulled to sleep by the smooth jazz sounds coming from the CD player, she would open her eyes to gaze out the window and study all the buildings they passed. She thought Denver was a beautiful city and there was no other place quite like it.
Due to the lack of traffic, they returned to her office building sooner than she had anticipated. And, she tried convincing herself, not as quickly as she would have liked. But she knew that was a lie. She liked the fact that she was the woman riding in the truck with him tonight. She had been the one he had waited for outside her classroom building. And she was the one for whom he had ordered a special escort service to get her to school on time. Then there were the flowers. A girl could really succumb to him if she wasn’t careful.
“How do you think you did on your test tonight?”
His question surprised her and she glanced over at him when he parked his truck behind her car. She couldn’t help but smile. “I think I aced it. I’m almost sure of it. There were a lot of multiple-choice questions, but there was one essay question to test our writing skills.”
“I’m happy for you then.”
“Thanks.”
She watched as he opened his door and then walked around the back of the truck to open the door for her. Once he helped her out, they stood there facing each other. “I appreciate all you did tonight, Derringer. Because of you I got to school on time.”
“No problem, baby.”
The term of endearment sent sensations rippling through her. “Don’t call me that, Derringer.”
“What?”
“Baby.”
He leaned against his truck. “Why?”
“Because I’m sure I’m not the only woman you’ve called that.”
“No, you’re not, but you’re the only one I’ve called that when it meant something.”
She shook her head as she walked slowly to her car with him strolling beside her. The April air was cold and everyone was talking about a snowstorm headed their way this weekend. “You just won’t give up, will you?”
“No.”
“I wish you would.”
They came to a stop next to her car. The smile he gave her was slow and sexy. “And I wish you would let me make love to you again, Lucia.”
She was certain that irritation showed on her face. “Yet you want me to believe it’s not just about sex?”
She shook her head sadly, thinking he just didn’t get it. She loved him and now that he knew how she felt, she refused to settle for anything less than being loved in return. She knew for him to fall in love with her was something that wouldn’t happen—not in her wildest dreams—so all she wanted to do was get on with her life without him being a part of it. “Good night, Derringer.”
He moved out of the way when she got into her car and quickly drove away.