Page 41 of Need Me
Chapter 10
As they drove along,Brooke couldn’t stop glancing at Robert. The dashboard lights caught the planes of his face, accentuating his angular features. Watching him manipulate the steering wheel, she tingled at the memory of the way he’d squeezed her backside. She wanted his hands on her again and shifted a little in herseat.
The onramp for the highway came into view, but Robert didn’t slow down for it. They went right on pastit.
“Where are we going? You missed the turn,” shesaid.
He gave her an enigmatic smile. “You’llsee.”
“What are you up to,Robert?”
Waggling his eyebrows comically, he said, “I have a surprise for you. Kate help ed me set itup.”
“She did, did she? Am I going to like thissurprise?”
“Yeah.”
Pursing her lips, she folded her arms. “You’re not going to tell me where we’re going, areyou?”
“No. It’s part of thesurprise.”
His firm answer convinced Brooke that trying to get it out of him was useless. Instead, she simply watched the stars as they drove along. Soon they turned onto the same road that they’d taken on their firstdate.
“Oh, no. We’re going up that hill again, aren’t we?” sheasked.
Robert’s grin told her that she was right. “Maybe.”
“Why all the mystery,Superman?”
“I thought women liked to besurprised?”
“Depends on thesurprise.”
Robert reached over to squeeze her hand. “I promise you’ll likeit.”
Brooke tightened her fingers around his. “Okay. I trust you. AndKate!”
He released her hand and returned his attention to the road. Brooke was relieved when they didn’t go up the steep road that had scared her so badly. Instead, they turned off on a road that sloped gently downward. Forest rose on either side of the car, making Brooke feel a little closed in. She didn’t often venture out into the woods, and couldn’t help beingapprehensive.
Turning her gaze to Robert, she noted his relaxed posture as he drove and she brushed aside her fear. He was an experienced outdoorsman who rescued people on a regular basis. No harm would come to her so long as she was withhim.
Rolling down her window, she let in the mild night air, noting the scents of pine and spring flowers on the breeze. Robert slowed down and she heard the gentle song of crickets. They came out of the trees onto the bank of a large stream. Moonlight shimmered on the moving water, creating sparkles in thedark.
Robert stopped the car and shut off the engine. They sat looking at the tranquil scene before them for a few moments. Brooke smiled when Robert took her hand and lifted it to his lips. Then he got out, came around to her side, and opened thedoor.
“Swing around here,” hesaid.
Brooke gave him a dubious look. “Why?”
“It’s part of the surprise.” His eyes shone with excitement. “Humor me,okay?”
She made a gesture of surrender and then shifted so that she was sitting sideways on the car seat, her feet danglingdown.
Robert went to the backseat and got something out of the car. Coming back to her, he held up a pair of hiking boots. “You need these. They’re your size. Not that they don’t look sexy as hell, but you can’t walk around here in highheels.”
“You bought me hiking boots?” she asked as he started taking off herheels.
“I sure did. Consider it a just-because present. I thought we’d try camping thisweekend.”
