Naughty Stranger (Dangerous Love 1)

Her eyes got teary as she placed her other hand on his cheek, then pressed her lips to his. “I feel something too,” she said softly, backing away to show a tear running down her cheek. “It’s been a long time since that’s happened.”

Seeing those tears, feeling the emotion in her words, he gathered her in his arms and held her tight. And he knew then, with the rain hammering the roof, and in the quiet of the night, that the small step forward he’d wanted, he got.

Chapter 8

The next day, Peyton closed up shop after the last customer left at ten minutes after five o’clock. The evening was cloudy and kind of miserable, but nothing was going to ruin her good mood today. Out in her car, she grabbed her phone from her purse and fired off a text to Boone.

Can you sneak away for a couple hours for dinner?

Sure, she was rebelling against her “no dates” rule, but she suddenly didn’t want to fight against wanting to see him.

His reply came instantly.

Yes. Meet at Kinsley’s?

How about your place at eight?

Looking forward to it.

She smiled and almost tossed her phone onto the passenger seat, when another text came in. One from Justin.

I’m taking the red-eye to Boston tonight. Can we meet for dinner before I go?

Damn. She replied:

I actually have dinner plans already. Can I meet you for a drink at Whiskey Blues at 6:30?

That works. See you then.

With her night planned, she placed her phone back in her purse, then hit the road to drive the fifteen minutes across town to visit the larger grocery store. All day her mind had been on Boone and their night together in the greenhouse, and tonight she wanted to surprise him with a home-cooked meal. Of course, she knew she liked Boone. She’d known that for the past month. But she didn’t know, or maybe ignored, that she’d been growing more attached. Something last night changed. She felt the shift in his touch and in her welcoming that softer touch back. She sensed herself free-falling into the safe place where Boone offered to catch her. Truth was, she wanted Boone. All the time. She shared her thoughts with him, feeling safe enough to do so. Hell, he made her nights hot and easily made her burn. Most of all, he made her smile.

The craziest, maybe scariest part of all, she wasn’t feeling so guilty anymore. Which was both confusing and thrilling. It’s only been a year. A year since she no longer woke up to Adam’s smile. A year since her days looked normal. A year since she told a man “I love you.” And yet she wanted Boone. He was patient and understanding and kind and he let her—for the most part—set the pace of their relationship. He listened when she needed him to, and everything he said seemed genuine and honest. He kissed her like he meant it. He touched her like he couldn’t get enough. Boone was exactly the man she’d once wished for when she wrote in her diary as a teenage girl.

And she felt…lucky. A far cry from what she felt a year ago.

The clock on her dashboard read 5:20 p.m. when she turned onto the long and straight road, hugged by mature trees for as far as the eye could see. She drove a few miles, the soft rock playing on the radio, when she caught a black SUV following closely in her rearview mirror. “Get any closer, buddy?” she muttered, tapping the brakes lightly.

The SUV backed off.

“Yeah, that’s right, jerk.” Focusing back on the road, she took in the abundance of green from the grass and trees mixed with the large rock formations along the road. The warm breeze on her face brought the scents of summer and blooming flowers.

The road took a sharp left turn leading up the summit with the guardrail on the side of the cliff. Every time, Peyton said a little prayer when she drove by the spots where the guardrail stopped, and mature trees filled up the space. Right as she took the next curve, she noticed the SUV behind her again. The dark front window showed her only a silhouette of someone behind the wheel. That same cold flush crept over her and her heart raced as she pressed her foot against the gas pedal, punching it forward to get away.

First, she was being watched. Now she was being followed.

Get it together, girl!

Maybe she needed some more therapy. She’d heard once that traumatic events could send the mind spiraling. Perhaps all this death was sending her into a panic episode. She considered the thought seriously when the phone rang through her Bluetooth, cutting off the music playing on her radio. She hit the answer button on her steering wheel. “Hello.”

“Remy got engaged last night,” Kinsley exclaimed.

Peyton nearly exclaimed herself, glad for the interruption to get her mind off questioning her sanity. “I can’t tell if you’re happy about this news or not,” Peyton admitted.

“Not,” Kinsley practically growled. “Totally not! I hate Damon.” Kinsley said his name like he once gave her an STI.

Peyton glanced out her side window, her gaze skimming the islands out in the Atlantic Ocean. “Have you said that to Remy?”

“I mean, she knows I don’t like him,” Kinsley said with a sigh, her voice softening. “I don’t want to ruin her happiness, but at the same time, Damon is a creep.”