Page 13 of The Night Ride
She downed what was left of her drink and set the empty glass on the bar.The bar tender returned with our drinks.Her pink girly drink rather charming when I thought about it.I filched a twenty from my wallet and handed it over.I didn’t want to start a tab.I’d rather be able to scoot out of here on a moment’s notice.
Interesting.A woman familiar with special forces was rare.“Boyfriend?”
She chuckled, her throaty alto that went straight to my dick.Fuck, she was a looker.
“No.Family.Why do you ask?”She shifted in my direction, letting me know the interest was mutual.I fucking loved the mating dance.
I caged her in on the stool by positioning my legs on either side of hers, boxing them in.I leaned forward and caught a whiff of her perfume.The subtle roses and vanilla made me want to inch even closer.“Need to make sure you’re not a spy here to steal all my secrets.”
She tossed her head back and laughed, holding nothing back, and touched my forearm on the bar.“Your secrets are safe with me.”
Oh she was interested all right.I’d have to send Evan a fruit basket for being such a ho.Because his hound dog ways were giving me the opportunity to enjoy this engaging woman’s company tonight.“And what brings you to this place?We don’t get many women like you in here.”
“Like me?Sounds dire.”
Oh she was a smart one all right.The kind of woman to keep a man on his toes.“No, I mean someone who is clearly not military or a townie.”
“Why do you say that?”She tilted her head and some of her inky hair shifted over her shoulder.I ached to run my fingers through it and discover if it was as soft as it appeared.
“Well, for one you have all your teeth.And you don’t look like your military, even if you have family that is.”
“I’m here visiting,” she explained, confirming my supposition.
“Where’s home?”
“Saint Louis, Missouri.”
The night was getting better and better.She and I could enjoy a fantastic night together.And then I could send her on her way.She wouldn’t have any regrets, because I would give her the ride of her life.And I didn’t have to worry about a woman angling for a relationship since she lived a good thousand miles away.It was perfect.“Not a bad city.I’ve been there a few times.And what do you do in Saint Louis?”
“Currently I’m an assistant baker at a local grocery store.”
“Ah, so you cook.”I looked her up and down.No wonder she smells like vanilla.
“Correction, I bake.I mean, I can cook, but before I finished my bachelor’s degree at the Culinary Art Institute, I had to drop out.Luckily, I had enough credits to earn my associates degree.So instead of continuing with school I’m gaining real world experience I hope to use down the line.”
“Why did you have to drop out?”She didn’t have the energy of someone who quit things.More like she went after them full throttle.
“Financial aid changed.I couldn’t afford tuition on my own, not at the rates they were charging.And I didn’t want to laden myself with student loans.”She shrugged like it was no big deal.
“I’m sorry.That had to hurt.”
“It’s okay.I’ve got a job that pays…well, it pays me enough to split a place with my best friend, but I’m squirreling all the extra I can away so I can open my own bakery.”
“And what do you specialize in within the baking world?”
“I do it all.But I specialize in cookies, cupcakes, and cakes, including wedding cakes.Although I’m wanting to expand my repertoire to other treats but that’s why I want to my own bakery.”
“Sounds delicious.”
“You know, you can tell a lot about a person by the type of cookie they prefer.”
“Is that a fact?Give me a list.”
“There’s the standard sugar cookie with a variety of toppings.Chocolate crinkles, toffeenut, peanut butter, snickerdoodle, lemon, raspberry thumbprint, coconut, the list could go on, and then, of course, chocolate chip.”
“Which one are you?”God, she was sweet, her excitement for baking absolutely endearing.It made her appear like a soft lamb among wolves in this place.And I had this desire to protect her, not just from the other guys in the bar, but from the world at large.
“Oh, I like them all.I haven’t met a cookie flavor I didn’t like.You?”
