Page 84 of Wrecked
She wanted that man. Bad.
When he went inside to get them a room, she didn’t follow. She wouldn’t want the manager to think a sexy hunk like Sam couldn’t do better.
Yawning again, she fought the urge to lay down on this asphalt and sleep. That would be too easy, so she kept walking in circles to stay awake.
“Got it.” Sam came strolling out. “Let’s walk around back and find a place to leave the bike. We’ll have to ditch it at some point, but I want a set of wheels for now.” He tapped the shifter to neutral with his boot, shoved the bike off the center stand, and rolled it forward.
Around the back of the freestanding office building were a vending machine and a shadowed spot where Sam parked the bike. He took the key and searched the tank bag before leaving.
Empty, just as expected.
She’d noted the bike tag but seriously doubted that belonged to this motorcycle. Even she had snatched a tag from a different sedan and stuck it on the vehicle she’d driven to the inn in Clercville.
Moving on autopilot at this point, she followed Sam through the breezeway where he tugged her closer to walk between him and the wall.
Yet again, he was protecting her.
Coop had taught her plenty of self-defense moves, but he’d kept her at arm’s length even as a friend.
She hadn’t realized how much she craved the touch of a man who looked at her as more than a friend until now.
In looking back, Coop had been right, though. She’d wanted someone to lean on if only for a short while. Instead, she learned how to depend upon herself, which meant she could now choose a man as someone to share life with.
Not a crutch.
No matter what her body was telling her, Hallene’s brain pointed out Sam was not someone to get involved with. They would not see each other again if they survived this.
Sexy as hell, especially in combat mode, but he was not here by choice. Strangely, his attitude had changed during the first seven-hour drive. Instead of snarling every word at her, he’d become considerate and thoughtful. He’d made her laugh when she couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed.
He lived in the moment.
That’s what the two of them had right now. A moment in time. This was only one moment in time.
Why did the thought of not seeing him again after make her chest ache?
She’d been running solo for so long she feared getting used to this feeling of being safe and cared for. She feared losing something she hadn’t felt maybe ever.
You look like sex on a stick.
She could not get those words out of her mind. He just wanted to keep her feeling confident, but ... confidence wasn’t heating her body up.
He opened the door to a large room, a cozy space. This wasn’t a fleabag hotel, just an older hotel on the lower end of the price scale. Newer hotels wouldn’t sell a room this big for so little, but back in the day, this was what people expected as standard size.
From what she could see and smell, the place appeared clean and neat.
A quilted spread covered the single queen bed and an upholstered peach-colored chair sat in the far corner. A chest of pine with a mirror stood to the right of the door.
She walked in and dropped the bag on the bed. It had begun to feel like an anchor.
Sam dropped the keys on the chest as well as the gun he pulled from beneath his shirt where it had been tucked inside his jeans. He stepped over to close the thick curtains on the window above the wall air conditioning unit, then flipped the air on.
He straightened and pulled off his cap, squinting in pain when he dropped it on the dresser.
“What the hell happened to you?” She went to him and put her fingers on his forehead. Dried blood had been smeared beneath his cap.
“Don’t panic, babe. A bullet ricocheted and grazed my head. No real damage. Head wounds just bleed a lot.”
She had no idea how close she had come to losing him in the warehouse. She could be just as dead had he not taken the gun and put himself in front of her. Once she had realized Sam was watching for muzzle flashes from the shooter, she’d found something to toss against the wall. That hadn’t drawn fire, so she’d moved to a better spot.
