She was vaguely aware of a big, black pickup truck pulling into the parking lot as she answered with a smile in her voice. “It’s not an excuse. I only found out your name today, Trevor.” She stressed his name, trying out a soft, flirty tone that she hadn’t wanted or attempted to use in almost four years.
She watched the muscles ripple under his dusty red t-shirt as he dropped another fifty pound bag of deer corn in the back of the truck. He turned back to her, lifted the next bag, and stared down at her. “I’ll take you to Uvalde tonight. We can catch a movie and—”
A dark, hard voice from behind them cut him off and intruded on the personal conversation. “Can’t do that, Trev. I need you this week. I’ve got forty protein feeders that need to be filled.”
She didn’t turn to face the man behind her, but she recognized that voice easily. Raul Vega stood behind Elaina, his hard words interrupting her peace. Tension jolted through her from the impact of his body so close to hers. She shifted restlessly but continued to face Trevor as a frustrated expression crossed the younger man’s features.
“Damn, Raul—”
“You were supposed to get to it last week.” His voice was dark, too smooth, too controlled.
“Yeah, I know. Mac needed me late every night,” Trevor answered.
“You still want the extra work? I can find somebody else, easy, if you don’t,” Raul softly threatened.
The younger man let out a puff of air. “Yeah, I want the work.” Trevor glanced down at Elaina and his face softened as his eyes ran over her. “Another time, pretty girl.”
Elaina felt tension radiating from behind her, but she managed to smile back. “Sure. Rain check,” she said softly.
“Yeah. Rain check.” Elaina felt Trevor’s blue eyes on her, both disappointment and anticipation shining in them.
Trevor threw the last bag of corn up in the bed of the truck and as he turned back, Raul slammed a computerized list at his chest. “Need this quick-fast, Trev.”
“Sure.” Trevor’s gaze lingered on Elaina one last time before he turned away and jogged back into the store.
Elaina closed her eyes and knew she had no option but to turn around and face Raul Vega. Best just to get it over with.
Twirling the keys in her fingers in a parody of relaxation, she attempted to compose herself as she swung in a graceful motion to face the man who twice now had messed with her insides. Trying to exude a calm she wasn’t feeling, she pasted a false smile on her face and spoke lightly. “Hey, Mr. Vega.”
He cut to the chase.
“You planning on taking a ride with a kid who’s a stranger to you?” he blasted out.
Her muscles tensed as she lifted her chin. “He’s not a stranger. I know him. Evidently, you do, too.”
“You didn’t know that before I drove up.”
For whatever reason, his audacity didn’t surprise her in the least. She inhaled deeply and took her best shot, answering him in slow, firm words. “I may seem young to you, but I assure you, I’m an adult and can make good decisions.”
Raul steeled his guts against the lust that consumed him once again and gave her his opinion. “I don’t think a freshman in college is an adult, baby. Maybe your definition is different than mine.” He looked her over, his eyes going from the silky hair again in a ponytail, to the t-shirt that molded her feminine form. His eyes stalled on the slender hips encased in skin tight jeans, and ended up at the dusty orange Ropers on her feet. Orange. Shit. She was just a fucking kid and he was goddamn lusting after her. He needed to get his head out of his ass and fast. His voice snarled at her but the reminder was for himself, “You need to grow up some before anyone in their right mind can call you an adult.”
Elaina felt a frisson of anxiety slide through her. First year. Freshman in college. She was just about to begin arguing with him that it wasn’t any of his business when it dawned on her that he thought she was a teenager. The first time she met him, it hadn’t occurred to her that he might think she was younger than she actually was. But twice now, he’d seen her without any make-up, wearing scruffy, beat-up clothes.
Maybe she should keep him in the dark. Maybe the age difference would put a wall between them, protect her from him. Did she need protection from him? Did she even want protection from him? Heat slid through her as his dark gaze stayed on her, his countenance filled with anger and something else she was simply too distressed to fully acknowledge.
She didn’t have loads of experience with men, but she was smart and the female intuition banging loudly in her head was telling her she was going to at least need all the distance she could get from him.
She let the comment go and moved to get away from him. Suddenly, she didn’t feel quite safe. “Thanks for your concern. I promise I’ll be more careful.”
She turned away from him, left him standing alone, his hands clenched into fists. She slipped into the truck and pulled out of the parking lot.
It wasn’t until she was nearly home that she realized she should have been thinking about Trevor. But she hadn’t been. Her thoughts were consumed with one man only.
Raul Vega.
****
Three days later, Raul’s cell phone rang and he flipped it open. The display read Brian Canton. “What’s up?”