The thoughts bothered him. Surely Allison was experienced, at her age, and she could certainly flirt with the best of them. He sighed. Anyway, what could he expect from a casual interlude like she was going to be? It was just going to be sex, nothing more, and daydreams had no part in this.
As the music built and the last of the ice cream began to disappear, Gene suddenly became aware of time. It was almost a three-hour drive back to Pryor at night, and they were going to be later than he’d expected.
“I hate this, but we have to go,” he told Allison after checking his watch. “We’ve got a long drive back.”
“We saw your Jeep,” Johnny remarked. He smiled. “Nice wheels. We’re starting out in an ancient pickup. But it’s tough,” he added, “and that’s what you need on a ranch.”
“Tell me about it.” Gene grinned. “We’ve got a twenty-year-old Ford pickup that I still use to haul calves. Nothing wrong with a classic vehicle.”
Johnny beamed. “You bet!”
Gene shrugged. “Starting out is fun. Everybody does it.”
“You two married?” Gertie asked.
“No chance,” Gene chuckled. “She’d run a mile if I asked her.”
“Too bad. You look good together.” Gertie leaned against Johnny with love beaming out of her face as she looked up at him.
“So do you two,” Allison said gently. “God bless.”
“You, too.”
“Thanks for the loan of the quilt,” Gene added, neatly folding it before handing it back. He didn’t want to think about how he and Allison looked together, and marriage was the last thing on his mind. He was glad Allison hadn’t made an issue of his reply to Johnny’s question. She seemed almost relieved that he’d made a joke of it. Maybe she was marriage-shy, too. That would make things easier.
“Our pleasure. Drive carefully.”
Gene nodded. He took Allison’s hand and walked her back to the Jeep.
“That was fun,” she said. “Thank you.”
He looked down at her. “We’ll do it again sometime,” he said noncommittally.
He opened the passenger door for her, but as she moved into the space he’d made, he turned unexpectedly so that his body was touching hers, one hand holding the door, the other on the cab, so that she was trapped.
“I like the dress,” he said. “Lilac suits you.”
“Thank you,” she replied. His proximity was working on her like a drug. She felt her breath catch as she drank in the clean, cologne-scented warmth of his tall, fit body close to hers.
He bent one leg, so that his knee brushed past her thigh to rest against the seat. The contact brought him even closer, his body shielding her from onlookers in the park.
His breath was warm as his head bent, his glittery eyes meeting hers in the light from the park. “I’ll be too busy for a few days, but on the weekend we could go sightseeing up around the Custer Battlefield. And next Tuesday night, we’ll go up to Cody for the rodeo if you like.”
“Yes,” she said without hesitation. She searched his lean, dark face with pure pleasure. “I’d like that very much.” Allison was surprised at the effect he had on her. He wasn’t even touching her and her body was tingling.
He smiled, because he could read her expression very well indeed. He bent a little closer, so that she could feel his breath on her mouth. She could almost taste him.
“So would I, cupcake,” he said softly. He let his eyes drop deliberately to her mouth and stared at it until he heard her breath catch and saw her lips part in helpless response. He leaned just a little closer. “We’d better go,” he whispered, letting his breath brush her mouth. It was exciting to tease her; she responded to it so deliciously. She made him feel like the first man who’d done this with her, and his ego soared.
Just as she was beginning to tremble with anticipation, he drew back slowly, still smiling, and gently handed her into the cab. As he went around to the driver’s side, his eyes gleamed with unholy delight. The one advantage of experience was that it could recognize capitulation. He was going to stay away from her for a few days and build the tension between them before he made another move. Calculation, surely, but it would be for her benefit, too. Their first time would be explosive.
He got in and started the Jeep. “It’ll warm up in a minute,” he said, watching her wrap her arms around her breasts.
She smiled thankfully, trying to hide her nervousness. “I didn’t think it would get chilly at night.”
“Now you know.”
“I sure do!” she agreed with a laugh, and shivered until the heater began to blow warm air.
She leaned her head back against the seat and Gene turned on a country-and-western radio station. The drive back to Pryor was very pleasant, despite the fact that they talked very little. She felt safe with him. Comfortable and safe, even through the excitement he generated in her. She wondered if earlier he’d wanted to kiss her and had drawn back because of the crowd. Or was he playing with her? She didn’t know. She sighed silently, wishing she had just a little more experience of men to draw on.
They pulled up at the Manley house. It was dark, except for the porch light, and when Allison glanced at the Jeep’s clock, she was amazed to find it was three o’clock in the morning.
“I told you we’d be late getting home,” Gene mused, watching her catch her breath as she looked toward the dash. “At least they don’t seem to be worried about you,” he added, nodding toward the darkened windows.
“Don’t you believe it,” she replied with a gentle smile. “The lights may be off, but
