That would be the logical reaction right now since I’m in the middle of nowhere with a man I know nothing about. This is how all the horror stories my parents told me began. They were supposed to keep me from getting in cars with strange men, only this time I’ve invited the stranger into my car. But scared isn’t what I feel. Excitement courses through my body.
“It is one of my places.”
He reaches out his hand and rests it on the back of my neck. I still for a moment as his thumb traces back and forth. My breath catches and my whole body lights up at the simple caress. I’m so lost in his touch I don’t pay attention to the house as I pull into the driveway and stop my car.
“This is you?” I ask again even though it’s a silly question and I want to take it back the second it pops out of my mouth.
Of course this is him. It’s the only house around here and it’s where he directed me to go. I peek over at him as he reaches down and shifts my car into park for me. He’s smiling at me as he shakes his head. He probably thinks I’m crazy for letting him guide me out here, but he doesn’t scold me this time.
“Yeah, it’s me. Come in.” He unclicks my seat belt and gets out of the car before I can respond to his invitation. I don’t move because I’m unsure if I should go inside. He opens the driver’s side door and reaches his hand out for me to take it. I catch a glimpse of his tattoo once more and curiosity claws at me.
“I’m not sure,” I admit, and even I can hear the nervousness in my voice. “I’m supposed to…” I say the words, but my hand reaches out and takes his while I do it.
His big hand clasps mine and he pulls me from the car. I don’t realize how close I am to him when I step out and my body is practically pressed against his. Now I can really see how much bigger he is than me.
“How old are you, little Bee?”
He stares down at me, and with his hard body pressed so closely to mine I can’t think straight. I almost say eighteen, but I had a birthday last week. I forgot but so had everyone else.
“Nineteen.”
“Then you can do anything you want.”
He shuts my car door and takes my hand in his, leading me inside his home. We walk up the stone-covered entryway and through two heavy-looking doors. When we enter, my eyes widen as I take in the architecture.
“Wow” is all I can manage to say.
“It was a steal and I like the quiet. I got the place a few years back.” I try and absorb everything, but it’s all so beautiful I don’t know where to look. The white marble floors and the wide stairway are gleaming. Everything about the place feels big as he tugs my arm and leads me off to the right.
“Only a house, Bee.”
He pushes open another set of double doors and leads me into an office. It’s as grand and big as everything else in the house I’ve seen so far. Wait, is this a house or a mansion? I should have paid better attention when we pulled up, but he’s right. It’s only a house. I don’t care where we are, I only want to be with him a little longer.
“Sit,” he says softly as he moves me toward a couch. He walks over to the fireplace and with a click of a button it comes roaring to life and gives the room a soft glow. “Are you still cold?”
He takes off his jacket and I shake my head. I watch his every move and think about how he’s so unlike anyone I’ve ever met before. He’s not close to me, but my whole body tingles with need. There’s a small throb between my legs and it’s beginning to grow.
He throws his coat over his chair and it’s then I notice his button-up shirt. I swear he knows I want to see more of him as he pops the top few buttons at the collar, then the sleeves. I can’t take my eyes off him as he rolls them up and reveals more of the tattoo on his arm.
“Do you need help, Bee?”
He moves toward me and my eyes jerk away from the top of his chest where I noticed another tattoo. He sits down next to me and tries to take my coat off for me. I let him because I have a feeling I might let him do anything he wants to me right now. I’m lost in this man and I wonder if this is what my sister feels like when she looks at Brandon. I haven’t given much thought to dating anyone before this moment because I’ve never felt this way before. If Ragnar asked me I’d jump all over a chance to have a date with him, but I know my parents would never let me. Panic sets in for the first time when I think about what they will say when they find out where I’ve been.