again wondered exactly what cave Eliza had been hiding in all her life. “How old are you?”
“Hm? Nearly twenty-one. My birthday is October ninth.”
Next week this woman-child would turn twenty-one. By the time he was that age, he’d already become hardened and lived in a world without innocence. At thirty, Grady was too much of a cynic to not be amazed at how much this book-learned creature didn’t know.
“Have you been locked in your house for long?” He meant it as a joke, but judging by the stricken expression on her face, he wasn’t far off the mark.
“I wasn’t locked in. I, um, attended church and helped with sick neighbors in the, uh, town.”
If there was one thing Grady knew it was when someone was lying. Eliza wasn’t very good at it.
“You’re lucky we’re in this store, Liz, or I’d leave you behind in a second.” He leaned in close, noting how blue her eyes changed, and were now the color of a winter sky. Then there was her scent, clean air and woman, that tickled his nose. Damn her anyway. “I’m letting you tag along, but that’s temporary. If I wanted to you’d never find me again.”
Never mind the fact she’d tracked him already.
“Grady, I-I was embarrassed by the fact I lived my life in books. There was nothing outside of my family except for Ephraim, and after he passed away, I couldn’t be there a moment longer.” Her voice cracked. “The last few days have shown me exactly what it means to live. Even with discomfort, pain, hunger, frustration, there was also passion, joy, and triumph. I-I couldn’t imagine ever going back after this adventure is complete.”
This time, Eliza’s sincerity was apparent. Although miserable and apparently in pain, she wouldn’t trade this adventure of hers for the safety and security of her life up until she took off on the ancient nag of hers. Grady wondered exactly what she’d experienced that would send her out into the world unprotected and unprepared, for the most part anyway.
Then again, her past was her business. There was no way he’d be telling her about his mother and her crimes. Or his own for that matter.
“Fine then, you either be honest with me or we will part ways.” Before he thought about what he was doing, he grabbed the back of her neck and kissed her hard. Her lips were full and so damn soft beneath his, made him wonder what they’d feel like on other parts of his body.
Her initial surprise didn’t give way to anger, so he softened the kiss, then pulled away. He didn’t dare look her in the eye, so he focused on her red lips, which proved to be another mistake because he wanted to feel them again. Damn, he knew they’d be distracting, but he let his dick take control of his head.
“I’ll be outside; just get whatever you need or want.” For the first time in a very long time, Grady ran away from a challenge.
He stepped outside and took a deep breath. No need letting her know he was attracted to her to the point of distraction. Grady reached deep inside for his iron control and clamped it down on his randy lower half. Eliza was a passenger, someone to cook for him, no more. The money for his current job wouldn’t mean shit if he lost focus over a woman.
Grady wasn’t fooling himself for a minute. What he should have done was leave her behind, and he couldn’t explain why he didn’t.
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