AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He chuckles. “Roderick. Roderick Calhoun. And what’s your name, princess? Unless you want me to keep calling you princess.”
“No, thank you,” I say stiffly, trying to push away from him in the backseat. It’s so damn small it’s hard to fit two normal people in the compact car. Let alone a giant like him. “My name is Raven. Raven Bright.”
A choked laugh comes out of him in a wheeze and I glare at him. “Is there something funny about my name?”
“No…absolutely not. I mean, well, Raven Bright kinda sounds like a cartoon character.”
“If you think I haven’t heard that before you’re crazy.”
“I think you have but you’re certainly not as sweet as any cartoon characters I’ve heard of. You’re kinda like a little bomb ready to go off whenever anyone says the wrong thing.”
“If you weren’t so good at saying the wrong things, I wouldn’t go off.”
He shrugs broad shoulders that make me want to climb him like a damn tree. “It’s a skill.”
“I don’t think it is.” He grins cheekily and I groan. “Never mind. I think that maybe we should just finish this ride in peace and quiet. That way we won’t get into any more disagreements.”
He shrugs and turns to stare out the window and for some damn reason, I miss his attention and the sparkle of interest in his deep, dark eyes.
But I turn to look out the other window, my eyes staring at the beautiful, lush scenery with bright plants and greenery while my mind remembers every word of the conversation and the man next to me.
There’s no way that I should be charmed by him but for some reason I am.
CHAPTER TWO
RODERICK
Iwatch her out of the corner of my eye, amused by the way she manages to completely block me out. She’s so damn gorgeous that my tongue is stuck to the roof of my mouth when I try to talk to her. I have to push myself to do it.
But at the same time it’s the easiest thing in the world. It doesn’t hurt that I’ve seen pictures of her. I couldn’t make it to my buddy’s wedding but he and his new bride, Harmony, had sent me video and pictures. I recognized the sassy brunette right away. I remember seeing her in the videos and feeling like I’d been kicked in the gut. She’s not necessarily classically beautiful but there’s something about her that just draws you in and makes you take a second and third look. Her eyes in the video and pictures had defied description and I hadn’t realized what color they were until she was standing in front of me.
Green. The palest, softest green I’d ever seen. Like the first tender shoots from the ground when Spring growing began. So beautiful that for a moment I wanted to pull her closer just to see every single facet of those eyes.
I pull myself up short and look back out the window. This woman is prickly as hell and I already know that the things I want, she doesn’t. She’s got commitment-averse written all over her. And I want that.
When Sarge told me that he was getting married and he’d found his pen pal, the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, I couldn’t believe it. I thought he’d get thrown to the curb as soon as he showed up. After all, the girl was a pen pal for a reason. Or at least I assumed so.
I don’t think their relationship was instant either. She was skittish as hell. But I think she’s got nothing on her best friend. This woman is focused on whatever drives her to keep moving. I can almost feel it rolling off of her. Like a wild animal that needs the wild, free air all around her.
The driver pulls up in front of the reception area for the resort and I grin, noticing all the other women wandering around in bikinis and slinky little dresses. Surely, there’s someone else around here to catch my eye. But as soon as the car pulls to a stop and the driver gets out, so does Raven. Her long, chestnut hair flies around her head when she turns to smile at something the driver says. He grins and I immediately want to punch him right in his smiling face.
I jerk my head around and take a deep breath. She’s not mine. I feel a damn pull to her though and I really need to lock that shit down. I want a wife. I want a family. Now that I’ve met her in person I’m not sure if she’s the one for me. From what Harmony says about her friend, she’s got to keep moving. It’s something from how she was raised.
I step out of the car and do my best not to even look at her. But she hops in front of me, relaxed and excited. She holds out her hand and without thinking, I put my hand out to shake hers. As soon as we touch it’s like an electric spark zips along my nerve endings straight into my chest. She gasps and her soft green eyes lift to mine. I grasp my chest and back away quickly.
“Well, ummm…yeah,” she says, backing up slowly. “I might see you around there, Rod. Thanks for the lift.”
I grunt at her and turn to the car to get my luggage. The big man smiles at me and then nods at her. “Nice lady. Is she yours?”
I growl under my breath and try not to throat punch the guy. “She’s a free woman. I don’t think she belongs to anybody. I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t like it if you said that to her.”
He just shoots me a wide grin and his tanned skin gleams against the bright toothpaste-white smile he gives me. He pats me on the back so hard that he almost knocks me to my knees. I growl at him and he grins. “Uh-huh. Well, have a good vacation, brother.” He nods at her disappearing figure. “I’m sure she will.”
I follow her curvy figure and try to convince my dick to stop jerking with every sway of her luscious hips and thighs.
That way lies insanity, man. I’ve already had one woman that couldn’t commit to just one man. I don’t ever mean to make that mistake again.
And if that means avoiding the pretty brunette then that’s exactly what I’m gonna do. I never leave my hometown and this is just the opportunity to get out and see a little bit of the world…maybe find a woman who wouldn’t mind coming home with an emotionally scarred man who wants to give his heart and soul to please her.
