spun in happy little circles. He dropped to his haunches to pet the dog, letting Sasha lick his face enthusiastically.
He stood again, his six-foot three frame towering over her. “Sasha’s obviously ready to go. You packed?”
Sophie nodded, not trusting her voice. She turned around to haul her bag to the car, but Ryan took the bags from her. “I’ve got that.” He nestled her hot pink duffel and floral tote bags in the trunk alongside his sturdy and very masculine -looking black leather weekender. “Do you need anything for the dog?”
She found her voice. “Everything is in the tote. I’ll just get her leash.” She turned back to the house and then looked back at him leaning against the car, arms and legs crossed oh-so-casually. “Are you sure that it’s okay to put Sasha in your car?”
“It’s just fine,” he insisted.
She got Sasha’s lead off the peg by the door. The jangle of the leash excited the dog so much that it took a couple of minutes for Sophie to actually hook the leash on the dog’s collar. She was going to have to look into dog training when she came back. She locked the door behind her, set the alarm, and took a deep breath. As soon as she got into his car, she knew she was committed to whatever the weekend might bring.
The early afternoon traffic flowed surprisingly smoothly and Sasha quickly settled down on the quilt covering the back seat. When they hit the Foothill freeway, Sophie relaxed a little, settling into uneasy silence for the long hour and a half ride ahead.
After a time, using the steering wheel controls, Ryan quieted the jazz that always seemed to play in his car like background music. “You okay? You’re a bit quiet over there,” he said, glancing at her for only a moment.
“Holly’s pregnant,” Sophie blurted out, then covered her mouth , instantly regretting the outburst.
Ryan mouthed, Wow , his eyes trained on the road.
“I shouldn’t have said anything,” Sophie backtracked. “Promise you won’t mention it,” she pleaded.
“I’m the soul of discretion,” he promised. “What is she going to do?”
“Have the baby. She’s wanted a family for a really long time. It’s the man part she’s having a hard time fitting into the equation.”
“How does Nick feel? He is the father, right? They seemed pretty cozy at Korby.”
“He doesn’t know,” she said. Realizing how bad it sounded, she tried to amend the statement. “It’s a long story. She has her reasons. Damn, I’ve said too much already.”
“I guess she has a lot to think about,” Ryan said evenly. Not taking his eyes off the road, he showed her how the car’s stereo system controls worked. “Why don’t you pick something you’d like to listen to?”
She settled on Power 106. Hip hop blared through the speakers before she turned the volume down a micrometer. “Sorry,” she shouted.
He quirked an eyebrow.
“You get used to it,” she explained. “I spend every day with teenagers.”
Ryan stole a glance at the woman next to him. Christ almighty. What in the hell was he thinking that he could go even a couple of hours without touching her? It was a good thing he drove a stick shift. He had to keep both hands free to operate the car. That voice, those lips. With every breath she took, every bump of the car made her small breasts bounce. Did she ever wear a bra? If it were legal, and they didn’t have an innocent dog with them, he would have pulled across all six lanes of traffic and initiated her in the ways of backseat sex.
He glanced at the dashboard navigation system. Forty miles to go. Mentally reviewing the information he’d gathered from his nighttime reading, he was relieved that he had decided to try something several of the books mentioned. The minute they arrived he would get a handle on things, so to speak, to delay his pleasure, and enhance hers. It had never occurred to him to seek his own release before he met a woman for a date. The heightened
He stood again, his six-foot three frame towering over her. “Sasha’s obviously ready to go. You packed?”
Sophie nodded, not trusting her voice. She turned around to haul her bag to the car, but Ryan took the bags from her. “I’ve got that.” He nestled her hot pink duffel and floral tote bags in the trunk alongside his sturdy and very masculine -looking black leather weekender. “Do you need anything for the dog?”
She found her voice. “Everything is in the tote. I’ll just get her leash.” She turned back to the house and then looked back at him leaning against the car, arms and legs crossed oh-so-casually. “Are you sure that it’s okay to put Sasha in your car?”
“It’s just fine,” he insisted.
She got Sasha’s lead off the peg by the door. The jangle of the leash excited the dog so much that it took a couple of minutes for Sophie to actually hook the leash on the dog’s collar. She was going to have to look into dog training when she came back. She locked the door behind her, set the alarm, and took a deep breath. As soon as she got into his car, she knew she was committed to whatever the weekend might bring.
The early afternoon traffic flowed surprisingly smoothly and Sasha quickly settled down on the quilt covering the back seat. When they hit the Foothill freeway, Sophie relaxed a little, settling into uneasy silence for the long hour and a half ride ahead.
After a time, using the steering wheel controls, Ryan quieted the jazz that always seemed to play in his car like background music. “You okay? You’re a bit quiet over there,” he said, glancing at her for only a moment.
“Holly’s pregnant,” Sophie blurted out, then covered her mouth , instantly regretting the outburst.
Ryan mouthed, Wow , his eyes trained on the road.
“I shouldn’t have said anything,” Sophie backtracked. “Promise you won’t mention it,” she pleaded.
“I’m the soul of discretion,” he promised. “What is she going to do?”
“Have the baby. She’s wanted a family for a really long time. It’s the man part she’s having a hard time fitting into the equation.”
“How does Nick feel? He is the father, right? They seemed pretty cozy at Korby.”
“He doesn’t know,” she said. Realizing how bad it sounded, she tried to amend the statement. “It’s a long story. She has her reasons. Damn, I’ve said too much already.”
“I guess she has a lot to think about,” Ryan said evenly. Not taking his eyes off the road, he showed her how the car’s stereo system controls worked. “Why don’t you pick something you’d like to listen to?”
She settled on Power 106. Hip hop blared through the speakers before she turned the volume down a micrometer. “Sorry,” she shouted.
He quirked an eyebrow.
“You get used to it,” she explained. “I spend every day with teenagers.”
Ryan stole a glance at the woman next to him. Christ almighty. What in the hell was he thinking that he could go even a couple of hours without touching her? It was a good thing he drove a stick shift. He had to keep both hands free to operate the car. That voice, those lips. With every breath she took, every bump of the car made her small breasts bounce. Did she ever wear a bra? If it were legal, and they didn’t have an innocent dog with them, he would have pulled across all six lanes of traffic and initiated her in the ways of backseat sex.
He glanced at the dashboard navigation system. Forty miles to go. Mentally reviewing the information he’d gathered from his nighttime reading, he was relieved that he had decided to try something several of the books mentioned. The minute they arrived he would get a handle on things, so to speak, to delay his pleasure, and enhance hers. It had never occurred to him to seek his own release before he met a woman for a date. The heightened
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