Escaping the Past

He stiffened. “Shit, Lou. I forgot to use protection. I had it in my pocket but I got carried away.”

She patted his face gently. “It’s okay, we don’t need it.” I’m already late, she wanted to scream.

“You took care of it?” he asked casually, obviously relieved.

“We don’t need it,” she said again, kissing his cheek.

“I’m glad. Because you feel so good,” he said as he squeezed her bottom.

He laughed as she said, “I hope the second date is half as good as the first.”

****

Lou woke before dawn to the slow kisses on her neck and a heaviness pressing her into the mattress. Brody spread her thighs and settled himself between them. She stretched slowly and her eyes opened to meet his.

“What a way to wake me up,” she breathed at him as he filled her.

“I could wake up like this every day,” he said against her skin.

Just until you go home. Aloud, she murmured, “You make one heck of an alarm clock.”

She sighed as he began to move. His movements were slow and languorous, drawing out the pleasure until she quaked around him and he stiffened above her.

He rolled, taking her with him, her front pressed to his. “What time is it?” she mumbled, her face pressed against his chest.

He groaned. “Time to get up, unfortunately. I turned the clock off a few minutes ago. I was just watching you sleep.” He brushed the hair from her forehead.

“You’re not supposed to watch me sleep,” she scolded quietly.

“How would you know?” he teased. “You’ve never slept with anyone before. Never woken up beside someone you care about.”

Her heart started to pound. “You care about me?” She tried to sound playful but her heartbeat echoed in her head like a hammer knocking on wood.

He tweaked her nose. “Of course, I do, silly. Why else would I be here?” He smacked her bottom soundly. “Better get up. Bunch of hungry men downstairs.”

Lou groaned, trying to catch her head up with her heart. “I almost forgot Sadie is gone.” She rose and tiptoed to the bathroom. She turned on the shower and stepped beneath the spray, then felt him slide in behind her. He took the soap from her and washed her back and the rest of her body. Then he shampooed her hair, gently rubbing her scalp. He pushed her back beneath the spray and kissed her soundly.

“Better get out before I muss you up again.” He turned her around and pushed her out. He washed himself quickly and tied a towel around his waist. He winked at her as he went out the door to go to his own room to get dressed.

She was getting way too attached. He was only going to stay for a short time, and then he had his life and his work to return to. There was no way she was leaving the only family she had ever known, not that he had even asked. She wasn’t a city girl, and he had made it clear he didn’t want to be a country boy. He didn’t want to be embroiled in a family, even if it was his own.

As soon as he was out of earshot, she rifled through the clothes that had

been flung on the floor the night before and pulled out the small jean miniskirt. She reached into the back pocket and retrieved the phone number Wes had slipped to her. Her heart pumped a crazy rhythm in her chest as she dialed the phone.

A sleepy voice answered and said, “Hullo?”

“This is Lou Smith. You wanted me to give you a call?”

She heard him shuffle on the other end.

“I need to meet with you. You’re in serious danger and I can help.”

“I thought you were the danger,” Lou replied, deadpan.

“Not me, Lou, but I know who is. How soon can you meet me?”

“I’ll call you when I can get free.”