The Trouble with Tomboys (Tommy Creek #1)(8)

“I’d like some rest.” He unhooked her arm from his.

She grinned up at him, her brown eyes hopeful and encouraging. “You can sleep the whole way home tomorrow if you like,” she told him. Then her grin faltered, and the gleam in her eyes died. She gave him a serious, probing look. “Just don’t make me eat alone tonight, Rawlings.”

Grady froze as a sensation similar to pity

slammed through his windpipe. He knew exactly what it was like to eat alone every night. He preferred it that way, sure, but it didn’t stop the wistful hope to sit across from Amy again, sharing just one more meal with her.

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Realizing B.J. could probably see the empathy in his gaze, he glanced away. “Why don’t you just order room service?”

“Thought of it,” she said before shrugging. “But I had to get out of there for a while.” Pausing, she patted his arm. “Don’t take that to mean I don’t appreciate such sweet lodging, Slim. I already snarfed down the chocolates on my pillow and dumped the free goodies from the bathroom into my duffle bag. But I can only take so much of being penned in one place before I start going stir crazy.

Know what I mean?”

He knew he was beginning to go a little stir crazy himself, wanting the privacy of his room for some tranquil silence.

But B.J. stared at him with that probing look again; he couldn’t tell her no. He figured he owed her. She’d been the one to remind him of Amy burning her brother’s magazines. She’d been the one to help him drag up the vision of his wife smiling after missing it for so long.

With a sigh, he tugged at his tie. “Okay,” he relented. “But I want to change out of this suit first.”

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Chapter Three


Supper proved a lot more difficult to come by than B.J. had originally thought. The hotel

restaurant was one of those classy digs that required a certain dress code. As she and Grady approached, the hostess looked at B.J.’s shirt and jeans and black cowboy boots in disgust, but refrained from remarking.

Instead, she turned to Grady and promptly said,

“I’m sorry, sir, but you need to wear a suit and tie to eat here.”

Truth be told, Grady looked a lot more spiffed up than B.J. in his Wranglers, boots, and a neatly pressed plaid top, so the whole suit-and-tie rule sent her a little over the edge.

“Look, we only came here to eat, lady. Our

money’d be just as green if we were naked, so why don’t you just shove it up your lily white—”

“It’s fine,” Grady said quietly to the hostess, reaching for B.J.’s arm to draw her away.

She jerked her elbow out of his reach. “No, it’s not fine,” she growled, glaring at the hostess. “If you want to pick on somebody’s clothes, why don’t you go after me, sister? I’m not—”

“B.J.,” Grady said sharply.

His tone surprised her. She lifted her face to catch his hard expression.

“We’re leaving.”

“But I’m freaking starving.”

“This isn’t the only restaurant in the city,” he grit out, taking her arm before she could evade him again.

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Keeping close to her as if he didn’t trust her to obey, he ushered her toward the exit, not once letting go of her until they were outside.

A wave of memories assailed her as her nostrils filled with his scent. He smelled exactly as she remembered. It was so startling, she didn’t even think to resist as he pulled her along. She’d forgotten she’d ever been close enough to him to smell his scent before, but as she breathed in the fragrance, she suddenly recalled the days when Amy used to babysit her and Rudy, and a teenage Grady would unexpectedly show up at their door.

As the nostalgia hit, she remembered distinctly what it’d been like to form her first crush on the seventeen-year-old football captain. She recalled the sharp feeling of excitement she’d experienced, spying on Grady when he didn’t know she was watching, and how she’d lie awake at nights, hugging her pillow, imagining it was him.

The adult version of him didn’t hit upon those little girl fantasies of wanting to hold his hand or primly lay her head on his shoulder. No, now she wanted more...she wanted a long, hot, hard roll in the sack, and she wanted it bad.

Hoping to escape his enticing presence, B.J. took a step away as soon as they were outside. But even from five feet, she still felt the pull. Sucking in a deep breath, she looked up into the sky. Though it was night, the city was full of light.

Momentarily forgetting her agenda, B.J. paused to take in all the action around her.

“God, I wish I was home,” she murmured,

thinking she should’ve just let him hide in his room.

Or better yet, she should’ve stayed in her own and ordered room service. “At least it’s actually dark at night there, and you can see the stars.”

Grady paid her no attention. “There’s a

restaurant,” he said, pointing across the street.

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“Oh, good,” B.J. said, following him as he made his way toward a crosswalk. “I hope they have a dress code too. Maybe I can break a Guinness record and get us thrown out of the most eateries in one night.”