Page 59 of Call Me Mrs. Taylor

I know this road trip was my idea, but it’s almost like he planned it himself. I’m trapped with no escape, completely at the mercy of him and his profound ass questions.

“I didn’t wanna use them,” I say. “I wanted to do it on my own. I can be stubborn sometimes.”

His lips pull to the side. He’s skeptical. “I know some people. It’s nothing for me to put in a call.”

“No.” It comes out too fast.

His frown deepens. “Why not?”

“I just…I don’t want a handout.” I pat his thigh. “I appreciate it, though.”

He looks back and forth between me and the highway, trying to read between the lines. Then he nods again, and I settle into my buttery leather seat and close my eyes, waiting for my nervous system to regulate.

Silence stretches between us, but it’s comfortable. The wind rushes through the open windows, warm and persistent against my bare skin. R&B, something slow and sultry, clicks on and vibrates through the speakers. This is nice.

I open my eyes. “Pull over.”

His brows lift. “Why? You okay?”

I just look at him.

Hesitation, then curiosity flickers in his expression. Without a word, he eases the car onto the side of the road about half a mile from the next exit.

The second he shifts into park, I unbuckle my seatbelt and turn toward him.

I reach for his hand, running my fingers over his palm, tracing the lines there. His skin is warm and slightly rough, the hands of a man who builds things.

“I wanna get closer to you,” I say softly. My fingers trail up his forearm, slow, teasing. “I like you, Ace.”

His breath hitches slightly.

“I had to pull over for you to tell me that?” he teases.

I nod.

His eyes darken as his hand moves to my thigh, fingertips brushing the thin fabric of my sundress. The heat of his touch spreads through me, setting my skin ablaze.

“I like you, too,” he says, his eyes dark and searching.

I lean over the console, closing the space between us. I let my lips hover over his, smiling against his mouth as I murmur, “Show me.”

Despite our location, and the numerous cars and trucks whizzing by, Ace doesn’t hesitate.

One second, we’re breathing the same air, his lips barely grazing mine, and the next, his hands are on me, firm and demanding. He drags me into his lap, my thighs straddling his. His grip is possessive. His eyes are wild. My dress rides up my legs, exposing me to him.

His mouth claims mine, hot and consuming, like he’s been starving for me. There’s something beneath the urgency. Need, maybe. Relief.

This is why you have to let them miss you sometimes.

I run my fingers down the back of his head. I know it does something to him. He grimaces, then fondles my thighs while I grind against him, savoring the way his dick responds to me.

Outside hums loudly, the cars, the wind. Anyone can see inside here if they look hard enough. We could get a ticket for this.

The danger electrifies me.

I slide my tongue between his lips, swallowing his groan. His hands move to my ass, finding me pantyless, squeezing and kneading. I break away, trailing kisses down his jaw. I settle at his neck, licking and sucking the skin there.

“Raya…” My name is a plea in his mouth.

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