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She’d only been teasing him. He was so incredibly intense sometimes. “All right.”
He unhooked his seat belt and cupped her face. “I don’t know if I ever want to get to New York. I’ll be bashing heads if I find out there’s a town full of idiots who have no idea how beautiful you are.”
She covered his hand. His eyes were so fierce. “It’s a little different when you’ve gone to school with all the guys you know since kindergarten, Shane.” And none were like him. No one had ever treated her like spun glass one minute and an exciting sexual equal the next.
“Doesn’t stop people from growing up and grabbing a clue.” He curled one arm around her waist. He feathered his mouth along her cheek, bypassed her mouth, and coasted down her neck to her shoulder. He nosed off one strap of her tank top and pulled down her shirt until the tops of her breasts showed. He lowered his head to swirl his tongue around her nipple, then sucked until it beaded to a point. “Now look.”
Her nipple was a deep pink from his strong pulls, and a tiny triangle of freckles shone against her fair skin. He dragged the first knuckle of his finger around the tip. “Creamy and freckled and tipped with pouty little nipples. This is what I see when I look down. This is what I can’t keep my mouth off of. Just a small part. There’s so much that I want to touch and taste.”
“What am I supposed to say to that?”
“You don’t have to say a damn thing. Just believe me when I say you’re beautiful.”
She smiled slowly. “I’ll try and remember.”
“I’ll keep on reminding you.” He reached behind her and dropped her shirt in her lap. “For now, put this on.”
“Bossy.”
He grabbed his wallet off the dash and got out. She let her head tip back against the bench seat. The overwhelming man was like a shot of adrenaline. She jumped out and followed him into the whitewashed brick building. It wasn’t a big place and reminded her of a million different mom-and-pop cafés in the Adirondacks. A sign invited them to seat themselves, and a woman with an honest-to-God beehive hairstyle came out from the back with a smile. Pastel purple shadow and mascara-heavy lashes finished her retro look.
“I’m Maude. You folks hungry?” She dragged an old-style ticket pad out of her apron. “Drinks?”
“Iced tea.”
“Make that two,” Shane said.
“You got it.”
Kendall looked around at the checkered plastic-coated tablecloths and simple salt and pepper shakers beside milk bottle vases. A single white carnation with its fluffy petals leaned against the opening of each vase. “Did we go back in time?”
The corner of Shane’s lips tipped up. “The side of the building said 1929.”
“Maybe 1959 for this table.”
“Maybe.”
Maude bustled back with their drinks. “Need a few more minutes?”
Kendall picked up her menu and scanned quickly. “Roast beef club for me.”
Shane took the red-and-white plastic board from her. “Burger and fries.”
Maude scribbled their orders. “Salad bar?”
They both shook their heads. “Okeydoke. Be back in a jiff.” She winked.
Kendall turned to Shane with a huge grin. “Can’t wait to see if everything comes out on a Corelle plate with blue flowers.”
Shane took a sip of his tea and choked.
She waggled her eyebrows.
Three men in jeans and button-down shirts came in—two with wide buckles under expanding waistlines and a third who was long, lean, and could have been a stunt double for Sam Elliott. Not quite as handsome, a touch craggier if that was at all possible, and probably twenty years younger than the actor. He had an interesting face—an arresting face. He definitely didn’t have an off-the-rack JC Penney’s shirt on like the other two. His was tailored to fit his rangy body.
He smiled and tipped his cowboy hat at her as they walked by and took a seat at a larger table a few feet away.
She turned back to Shane, laughed at his quirked brow. “Oh, stop. I just thought Sam Elliott walked in the door, that’s all. But he’s too young to be him. Could be his son, though. Jeez.” Again just a mild, blank look. She shrugged. “Road House, baby. He was hot.”
