one to miss an opportunity (I’d missed too many of those in my life), I moved back slightly, just enough so my back was touching his chest.
“I pressed the gas door button. It’s in your car just under your dash.” He didn’t move away from me invading his personal space. Instead, he’d lowered his head to talk into my ear. His voice was low and rumbled deliciously.
“Oh,” was all I could think of to say as a response.
A low chuckle in his chest vibrated against my shoulders. “You want me to show you how to actually put the gas in the car now?”
Yes, that would be nice but I really enjoyed standing like this, too. I managed a nod thankful that his body didn’t move. Maybe he liked it just as much as I did. This was really a bad idea. I should move. Guys like him didn’t treat women well. Why did they have to smell and look so wonderful?
“You’re gonna have to let me get around you, sweetheart.” His warm breath heated up the hair covering my sensitive ear. I tried not to shiver as I managed a nod and hurriedly moved away to press my back against the car so he could get past.
Our chests brushed lightly as he maneuvered around me, holding my eyes with his penetrating gaze. The warm chocolate brown with golden flecks in them didn’t seem so amused anymore.
I swallowed hard and glanced down. Once he was safely away from my body, I decided it was time to watch him pump my gas. I needed to remember this was a lesson. One I’d desperately needed.
“You have to pay first. You got a card or are you paying cash?” His voice was back to normal. No more sexy low whispers in my ear.
Money. I’d forgotten about the money. I nodded and leaned into the car to dig in my purse and pulled out my wallet. I grabbed my debit card and stood back up to hand it to him. His eyes were on my bottom this time. The thought of him checking out my backside made me smile. A little too brightly.
“Here,” I said, handing it to him as his eyes ran back up my body. He took the card and winked at me. He knew I’d caught him looking and he was enjoying it. This one was a player, the kind a smart girl ran from. I wasn’t that smart though. I’d given my virginity to a guy just like him. It had been in the guy’s best friend’s apartment. Little did I know his “best friend” was actually a girl who was madly in love with him. That had not ended well.
He was scrutinizing my debit card. “Della. I like that name. It fits you. It’s sexy and mysterious.”
At that moment, I realized I didn’t know his name. “Thank you, but now you’re one up on me. I don’t know your name.”
He smirked. “Woods.”
Woods. That was unique. I’d never heard the name Woods before.
“I like it. Fits you,” I replied.
He looked like he was going to say something else but his smile turned serious and he held up the card. “Lesson number one is how to pay for it.”
I watched and listened carefully as he explained each step of working a gas pump. It was hard not to get sidetracked by the commanding way he carried himself. Sadness swept over me when he placed the pump back on the machine and tore off my little slip of a receipt. I didn’t want this moment to be over, but I had a road trip to get back to. After all this time, I needed to concentrate on finding myself. I couldn’t stop now, just because a guy caught my attention at a service station. That would be silly.
“Thank you so much. Next stop won’t be so hard,” I said, taking my card and receipt clumsily trying to shove them into the pocket of my shorts.
“Anytime. You vacationing here?” he asked.
“No. Just driving through. I’m on a road trip to nowhere and everywhere.”
Woods’ eyebrows narrowed and he studied me a moment. “Really? That’s interesting. Do you know your final destination?”
I didn’t have a clue. I shrugged. “Nope. I guess when I find it I’ll know it.”
We stood there a moment in silence. I started to move when Woods’ hand reached over and touched my arm. “Have dinner with me before you get back on the road? It’ll be dark in an hour. Won’t you