Victor laughed and gave up. He spotted a cute girl to dance with and got up, leaving Blake alone with his thoughts of Anna. She was a mystery all wrapped up in sad eyes and a sexy body. He didn’t like the temptation she represented. Women were a pain in the ass.
In the next hour Blake noticed several men had asked her to dance and she had rejected them all. That sent a little touch of satisfaction to him but he didn’t know why. He had no interest in her other than helping a customer and doing a good deed by doing some extra work so she would be safe. Safe to leave his town and he could finally stop wondering about her.
Blake was ready to call it a night. Staring at Anna wasn’t how he had intended to spend his night. He noticed one guy didn’t seem to understand the word no. He could see Anna shaking her head but the man grabbed her wrist and tried to pull her off her barstool. Blake happily walked over to where she sat, glad for the chance to finally interfere. He grabbed the man’s wrist tightly and squeezed until he let go of Anna’s wrist.
“When a lady says no, she means no. Now get lost before they carry you out in a stretcher.” Blake growled. The man’s eyes got wide as he looked at Blake’s big size and angry face. He stepped back with his hands in the air. “Um sorry, you’re right. Sorry, miss.”
“Thank you.” Anna looked at Blake once the stranger walked away and got lost in the crowd. She rubbed her sore wrist. “I could have handled it myself, though. I was trying not to draw attention.”
He gave her a curious look. “He was a lot stronger than you, honey. What did you plan on doing?”
“I was going to kick him in the balls, Mr. Murphy. The bigger they are, the harder they fall,” she explained with an annoyed expression on her face.
Blake laughed out loud, causing people to stare at them in curiosity.
Anna put some money on the counter. She was ready to call it a night. Drinking a beer in peace was impossible here. “Goodnight. Call me when my truck is ready.”
Blake found his brother and told him he was heading home early. He could see Anna leaving the bar and he gave her a head start.
He followed discreetly behind Anna as she walked alone down the dark street. Since it was late there were no cars driving on the roads. It was quiet and still. He told himself he was just doing a good deed but he wasn’t sure he believed it. It was so quiet he could hear her heels clacking with every step she took. He had the strongest urge to catch up to her and lecture her on her safety. So what if this town was safe with hardly any crime rate? She was young and beautiful and had no business walking down a dark street all alone. Didn’t she know these things? If she belonged to him he would take better care of her, but she didn’t. He muttered and realized he had said that aloud and groaned. Hopefully she was too far ahead of him to hear him.
He remembered she said not everyone had a family who cared about them. It made him feel sad for her. He was close to both his brothers even though he was older than them. He had dinner with his parents every Sunday and he had a lot of friends he respected and trusted. What would his life be like if he was all alone in the world?
She reached the block where her motel was so he hung back and made sure she got inside her room safely and closed the door. He took his time walking back to the bar where he had parked his truck. He couldn’t get Anna out of his head and it made him grouchy, even grouchier than usual. She was sexy and classy but it was more than that. When he looked into her big brown eyes, he wanted to make her promises. Promises to protect and cherish. Promises he had no business making.
Chapter 3
Anna walked down the street, observing the sights of this small town as she made her way to the diner. She was hoping the lunch rush would be over. If she sat in her room any longer she would pick up the phone and dial the garage instead of just staring at the business card Blake gave her. Blake said he would call her with a progress report but so far she hadn’t heard from him. She told herself she was just feeling impatient and anxious to move on. She wasn’t used to just sitting around doing nothing. Santiago had her on a busy schedule. They had to make many public appearances at fundraisers and parties where he made business contacts. That meant her workout schedule, wardrobe, and hair appointments. But you want to hear his deep sexy voice. Admit it, Anna.
She opened the glass door and entered in, feeling the cool air hit her face right away. She looked around, feeling relieved it was almost empty. A few people were scattered here and there. She headed for the counter when she spotted Blake sitting in a booth by the window. He waved her over to where he was sitting. She turned and went and slid into the bench across from him. He was dressed in a plain black T-shirt and jeans but he looked so mouthwateringly sexy. She had to draw her gaze away from him before she started drooling.
She looked at his turkey club sandwich instead and her stomach picked that moment to growl loudly.
“Hungry?” he asked politely.
She nodded, feeling her cheeks turned red, knowing he heard her stomach make noises. Maybe she shouldn’t have skipped breakfast. An older waitress in her fifties came over and placed a glass of water in front of her. She had a little twang to her voice and a friendly smile. “What ya having, sweetheart?”
Anna was about to order a chef’s salad when Blake answered for her. “She’ll have what I’m having Molly, with fries.”
The waitress nodded and headed off to place the order. Anna looked at Blake angrily. “I was going to order a salad.”
Blake ignored her angry statement and bit into his sandwich. When he was done chewing he looked at her. “It’s my treat so I ordered for you. You looked at my plate and drooled so I knew you would like it. The turkey is freshly cut and healthy but tastes way better than a boring old plate of lettuce. Why do women like eating rabbit food?”
“I did not drool. I never drool,” she denied haughtily with a glare. “I’m glad I ran into you. I just wanted to see how it was going with my truck. Any good news for me? I really need to get back on the road again.”
“I started on it this morning. Waiting for a few parts to arrive this afternoon,” he reported and went back to his lunch. Anna waited for him to tell her more but he continued to eat quietly without talking.
The waitress brought Anna her sandwich and Anna couldn’t deny that it did look and smell good. She dug into her food with enjoyment, forgetting all about her impatience to leave for a minute.
“You seem to be enjoying that so why would you order a salad?” he asked unexpectedly.
Anna put her sandwich down and lost her happy smile. She gave him a serious answer. “Because I’m too heavy. I used to work out a lot so I could indulge in food once in a while but lately since I’ve been on this road trip I haven’t exercised.”
“You are not fat, honey. Where would you get such a dumb idea?” he asked, looking over her body. “You have to know you are a stunning woman. You remind me of a sexy pinup girl that every man fantasizes about.”
Anna blushed as his green eyes ran over her body, making her feel hot and sweaty despite the cool air in the restaurant. She was afraid he would see her nipples harden as his eyes glanced over her. She was in another short skirt, this time in brown, and a gold silky sleeveless blouse with a long gold chain. Her hair was back up in a ponytail. “My boyfriend. I mean ex-boyfriend.”
Blake snorted. “Well he is obviously blind as a bat. Good thing you dumped him, honey.”