Jacob glanced over from the registration desk and frowned.
Tough. She refused to be moved by his proprietary scowl. He’d had his shot at playing Sir Galahad, and he’d blown it.
Although could she really blame him? Would she have believed someone who told her the same story? She honestly didn’t know.
Dee tucked her coat tighter around herself and turned to the driver. “Can you spare a minute to talk?” A smile picked up the corners of his mouth. She needed to squelch those ideas fast. “I could use a ride into town.”
His eyes crinkled with the rest of his smile. “Stranded, huh? Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve run into that with this remote route. Let me get these folks unloaded first, then we’ll see what we can work out.”
“Thank you.” There went the rest of her money. But she no longer had time to wait for a more cost-effective alternative. She had to get into Tacoma, fast, and Jacob had decided to turn stubborn.
Okay, she’d turned irritable. But his suspicions had hurt, a lot.
Her mind wandered to the moment he’d held her hand, his touch surprisingly gentle for such a large man. Her body had stirred with an odd mix of hope, security and a dangerous yearning she didn’t dare explore.
Then he’d asked for her real name.
Hitching a ride on the tour bus offered her best choice. She didn’t have the energy or brain power to spare on complications, and Jacob Stone grew more complicated with each falling snowflake.
Dee stifled the well of exhaustion and moved to assist the remaining thirty-five disembarking seniors.
An hour later, Dee trudged through the parking lot to her room. After the last of the guests had checked in, she’d pigeonholed the bus driver to cement their plans.
Jacob had darted pensive scowls their way, frowns she’d ignored. If only her jittery stomach could have been as easily controlled.
Talking with the driver, she hadn’t dared discuss her amnesia this time, merely saying her boyfriend had ditched her in the motel and she needed a ride into town to file a police report against the abusive jerk. She hated lying, but the cover story sounded good for getting her where she needed to go.
The driver had agreed to her offer of twenty dollars since he would be driving a few blocks out of his way. By midafternoon tomorrow, she would be at the station.
Tugging her key free from her coat pocket, she counted along the doors until she came to her room number.
And the dark shadow lounging outside.
A six-foot-four-inch shadow.
“Convince me.” Jacob’s gravelly bass mingled with the wind whistling through the eaves.
“What?”
“Convince me you’re telling the truth.”
Like she could convince this rock of anything. Dee stuffed her key in the lock. “I’d rather go ice swimming.”
“Very mature.”
She twisted her doorknob. “Good night.”
“Quit running away.” He angled toward her, his shoulders blocking the meager parking lot lights as well as the force of the wind. “I’m trying to help you. You have to admit the amnesia thing’s pretty far-fetched.”
Did he have to be so persuasive and big and sexy? The heat of him seeped into her while the wind whipped around his body.
She flattened her back against the door. “I can’t change the truth to suit your idea of believable scenarios.”
“What about—” Shivering, he hunched his shoulders deeper into his jacket. “Do we have to talk out here? Wind chill’s gotta be ten below.”
Being alone with him in a room with beds didn’t seem wise. Neither did freezing to death. If he’d planned to hurt her, he could have done so any number of times throughout their day alone together.
Bottom line, she wanted him to believe her.