“Let’s get out of here,” he commanded, his voice rough.
“Fine by me. It’s not like I’m friends with any of the girls. Can’t exactly invite anyone to my house and hang out, right? My dad’s not exactly the welcoming committee.”
“In all the time I’ve known you, you’ve never complained about your old man. In fact, whenever someone brings him up, you change the subject.”
“What’s to talk about? He’s a drunk, everyone knows it, so there isn’t much to say. Between the kids at school and living with him, sometimes I wish I could just disappear. Lord knows, no one would miss me.”
“I would.” An ache welled from his chest to the back of his throat. She wouldn’t want him feeling sorry for her. But he did.
“Come on, Jess, let’s go for a drive and look for shooting stars. There’s something I need to tell you.”
Jessie thrilled at the idea of being alone with him. He leaned in, took her hands, and pulled her to him. His arms went around her, lips settled over hers in a kiss so soft and sweet she ached with wanting to keep this safe feeling forever. She only ever felt this way with him.
The kiss ended with a soft brush of his lips over hers. He stared down at her and something inside her shifted and tipped. Her girlhood crush turned into a full-fledged love, bursting from her heart and filling her soul.
Dylan stepped back, grasped her hand, and took off for the exit. He didn’t stop until they were in the front seat of his car. Caught up in the excitement, she giggled, and Dylan gave her another of those lopsided smiles that made her insides flutter.
They drove away from the dance and all his friends and settled into the cozy car, the music blaring, his hand holding hers, and the comfort of just being together. The town lights faded behind them. Turning off onto an old, dirt logging road, they rolled and bumped to a stop on a rise overlooking the surrounding hills and trees. He killed the engine.
Jessie stared into the night, at the land, and the glorious star-speckled sky, and sucked in a quick breath. “Dylan, this is gorgeous. How did you find this place?”
“Since I got my wheels, I’ve been scouting out the back roads. I come here a lot. Day or night, you can’t beat the view.”
“No wonder no one uses this road. I don’t know how we made it this far over all those ruts.”
“My superior driving skills.”
“There’s something superior about you, but it’s not your driving skills. More like your attitude.”
“You think so, huh?” He poked her in the ribs to make her laugh. Instead, she inhaled sharply, winced, and pressed her arm to her side before she thought better to hide her response.
“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”
His brow wrinkled as he studied her. She couldn’t tell him the truth. “It’s nothing. I got hit with a board the other day at work and it left a bruise. That’s all.”
His palms glided up her arms to her shoulders. He pulled her to him and whispered in her ear, “Let me kiss you and make it better.”
She thought he’d take her mouth again; instead his lips brushed a kiss on her bare shoulder. His head dipped and his lips pressed to the swell of her breast above her gown. The zipper on her dress slid down her back, his fingertips following its progress over her skin. The silky material swooshed and pooled around her waist. He came back to her mouth and kissed her hungrily. Her hands seemed to have a mind of their own, and she let them have their way with him. While his hands roamed her body, she explored his, stripping away obstacles.
An unfamiliar shimmering kind of heat spread over her entire body like hot waves rolling over a road in the dead of summer. She didn’t know how they ended up naked in the backseat together; she only remembered the minute he’d locked eyes with her, his gaze one of pure emotion and need. Nodding her head in agreement, she pulled him down to her again.
On a star-studded night, on a deserted stretch of road, and in the backseat of a car, she gave herself to him with her whole heart.
If she’d known the love she felt that night would be eclipsed by the agonizing pain she suffered after, she’d have done it anyway.
Chapter One
* * *
Eight years later . . .
“J.T., WHERE THE hell did you go?” Greg’s deep voice came from behind her. She hadn’t heard him come into her Hope Construction office. She sat at her desk, facing the window, looking into nothing.
Swiveling around in her chair, Jessie glanced up at him and mentally shook off her stupor. No matter how hard she tried, whenever she was tired, her mind took her back to him, to the hurt.
“Sorry, just thinking.”