Mercedes drove along Highway 101 with the window down. A gentle breeze passed through the car and left a hint of salt on her lips, but she barely noticed the beauty around her. Her planned week to get away and seek adventure ended up a bust. Instead, she drove around feeling sorry for herself. It got so bad she considered sending out invitations to her very own pity party. Sadly, there wasn’t anyone to invite.
Restless and unsure of where to go, she decided to just drive. Hell, she’d drive all night. She didn’t have to be anywhere and no one missed her. The deserted highway reminded her of a ghost town. It only lacked the rolling tumbleweed. At least the full moon and the ocean would keep her company.
As she passed through a small blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town, patches of dense fog drifted in. To be safe, she flipped on the fog lights, not wanting to hit some poor animal trying to cross the road. Off to her right a figure caught her attention. She glanced into her side mirror and did a double take.
A man appeared in a small clearing within the fog. Mercedes slowed her speed and then came to a stop while she accessed the stranger from a safe distance. What was he doing out there? Had he been walking there a moment ago when she passed by? It seemed a risky night to be out walking on the road alone. Should she offer a ride?
She sucked on her bottom lip. She’d never picked up a hitchhiker before, and after seeing a movie about a murderous one, it sounded like a dumb thing to consider. On the other hand, for all she knew the guy’s car ran out of gas, or broke down and he was on route to the nearest gas station. From her angle, she didn’t see a backpack or gear with him.
“It can’t hurt to ask if he needs help,” she said aloud.
Mind made up, she put the car in reverse and stopped a foot away from him. The stranger turned, his face half concealed by the dark. Her body buzzed and an odd sensation swept through her.
For what seemed like an eternity, she waited in the car, her blinkers casting a faint red glow amid the fog. Her breath slowed. Why did he wait? Maybe it had been a mistake to stop and she should drive on. No telling what sort of crazies walked around out there. Scenes from the horror movie replayed in her head.
A procession of heavy knocks against her window made her gasp. Hand to her chest she waited for her pulse to resume and rolled down the window a crack. She almost convulsed at the deep green eyes staring back. The interior lights highlighted every chiseled line of his face.
He squatted to eye-level. “Evening, miss. Are you lost?”
Her throat went all raw and cottony. She forced down several swallows before she could speak. “Um, no. I wondered if you needed help.”
“Nope, I’m good.”
“Are you sure? Because I can offer you a ride if you’d like.”
He shrugged. “I don’t mind the walk. It’s a peaceful night.”
The whiskey rough lilt in his voice sent thrills throughout her body and made her pulse speed up.
“It’s not very safe, with the fog and all,” she reasoned. “I read it gets really thick around here.”
His chuckle filled her with warmth. “I’m somewhat of a risk-taker. But I appreciate you stopping.”
“Wait. I-I’d like to give you a ride. Please?” Mercedes heard her own voice beg and wondered why it mattered so much to her that he got in the car. She’d never given a strange man a ride before. Why did this one make a difference?
He smiled and fine lines bracketed his eyes. “Okay, you convinced me. It couldn’t hurt to give my legs a rest. By the way, nice wheels.” Her candy apple red Mercedes garnered more attention than she did.
“Thank you.” She resumed breathing while he walked to the other side of the car.
He opened the door and ducked down. “Hope you don’t have a problem with me sitting up front. I find I get lonely in the back.”
She stopped herself from saying he could do anything he liked. “No, of course not. Up front is great.”
As the stranger situated himself in the seat, she took in his rugged, handsome face. If she could order the perfect man from a menu, then she was looking at the ultimate feast. He was the epitome of everything she’d ever wanted in a man: Good-looking, strong, built like a steel truck. Powerful hands. Dark hair that hung to the peak of his shoulders, and a full mouth she wanted to savor.
There was more, though. Traits that went beyond the visual. The signals he sent out drew her in. They were dangerous, hypnotic, and erotic rolled together with an energy that zapped away her inhibitions.
She moistened her lips. “How far did you want to go?”
He turned in the seat to face her, his eyes smoldering. “As far as you’ll take me.”
A shiver passed through her. An internal switch flipped, and suddenly she was a cat in heat. Just bam. Soaked and ready to go.
Mercedes placed her hands on the steering wheel and pulled back onto the road. She drove at a comfortable fifty-five miles an hour while her heart beat at least three times that speed. To her relief the fog lifted.
The silence between them made her mind wander. If she could think of something intelligent to talk about, that might help, but she drew a blank. With a casual cool, the stranger slipped off his leather jacket and tossed it to the backseat. As it passed alongside her, she caught a whiff of his scent. God, what she wouldn’t give to bottle that up and bathe in it every night.
Embarrassed by her thoughts, she straightened up and tried to keep her eyes focused on the road. Every so often, she found herself stealing brief glances at him. Catching tiny blips of his physique that made her wet with desire. He literally oozed sex appeal with his sinewy shoulders and firm biceps outlined by his form-fitting shirt and tight abs she could scarcely see amid the low-slung jeans.
She didn’t know why her body reacted so strongly.
Questions plagued her. Where had he come from? Where was he headed? Why did his presence affect her in a way other men never had? She wanted to ask, but enjoyed the element of not knowing, too. He was a beautiful dark mystery that held her captivated.
His sensuous voice snapped her out of her jumbled thoughts. “Thanks again for stopping, in case I didn’t say so before. I appreciate it.”
A rush of heat went through her. “It’s my pleasure.”
“I didn’t realize how long I’d been walking. You came at a good time.”
His words turned her body to liquid. She smiled at him in response and saw his lusty gaze fixed on her. Feverish waves tumbled through her like a restless sea.
She didn’t believe in lust at first sight, or at least she hadn’t until now. Something about him made her feel reckless, and she’d never been reckless. At least not to her recollection.
Mercedes tried to switch gears with some light conversation before she drove right off the road. “So, where’s your final destination? Or am I being too forward?”
“Not at all,” he replied. “I’m headed to Astoria. Actually, it’s a place just before Astoria. There’s a job there.”
“What do you do?”
“Construction, mostly.”
No wonder he had a hard body. “Is it tough work?”
He glanced out the window and nodded. “Yeah, but it pays well.”
She studied his profile between the streetlights and shadow. He was perfection. Her body trembled and itched with need. His scent of ocean mixed with musk overwhelmed her sense and turned her mind to mush. How would he feel like inside her? A one-night stand had always been her ultimate fantasy, but as a rule, she didn’t engage in them. Perhaps tonight she could make an exception. Only, she still couldn’t figure out why. Why him?
This guy was different. He was…well, perfect. And she couldn’t ignore the ravenous need gnawing away at her core. The illicit thoughts racing in her mind were nothing like the Mercedes she knew. She was shy and quiet, conservative even. But right now, she wanted to reach over and rip the stranger’s clothes off. It didn’t make a lick of sense.
Handsome adjusted his seatbelt across his chest, his hand smoothing along the fabric strap. She imagined that same hand smoothing along her leg and up between her skirt. Mercedes turned up the air conditioner a notch and snuck another peek at her stud muffin of a passenger.
From the comfort of her seat, she undressed him with her eyes, imagining him tone and fit beneath his shirt, with muscles that moved and bunched in response to her touch.
She gripped the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white. Think. Breathe. Behave, she warned herself.
“So,” she started, once again trying to engage him in conversation. “You said you’d been out walking a long time.”
His broad shoulders raised and lowered. “It feels that way. I’d say, maybe four hours tops. At least it’s not raining.”
She pictured him wet, his clothes soaked against his body, outlining every delectable inch. “I take it you’re not a fan of the rain?”
He swept a hand through his dark hair. Again, she noticed his hands and imagined how good they would feel against her skin.
“Not when I’m out walking in it. How about you?”
A thrill fluttered through her belly. “I don’t mind it.”
She cast him a seductive glance.
Their eyes locked briefly before he shifted in his seat, the seatbelt straining against his chest. All she could think about was seducing him. She ached to feel his flesh against hers. If he’d just reach under her skirt he’d find out how hot she was for him.
The car started to drift over the line and she fought to regain control. What the hell was wrong with her?
“Sorry about that. Thought there was something in the road.”
From beneath the fringe of her lashes she noticed his eyes burned on her. Mercedes lowered her gaze and watched his erection grow beneath the black denim. An erection that would pop that threaded seam any second if she didn’t attend to it.
Terrified she’d have them plunging into the ocean, she pulled the car over and flipped off the ignition. Her entire body quivered out of control. She seriously needed to get a grip. Here she’d been worried the guy was a psycho when she was the one acting crazy.
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