“No, but I don’t work here.”
She smiled at me with her arms still around my neck. “So, what’s the problem?”
“No problem,” I rumbled as I bent and took her lips again.
Before the kiss was over, I thought we were going to start fucking on her desk after all. Every time I increased the heat in the kiss, she matched it, and then raised it more. I dully hear the door to the lab open and close, but I was so deep into the kiss I didn’t care.
Finally our lips parted as we sighed out of the kiss. “Maybe we should go home,” I breathed, my lips only millimeters from hers.
“I’d like to… but I need a new Jeep,” she whispered in reply.
I reluctantly let her go. “Okay.”
She brushed my lips with her finger. “Afterwards, I want to see how gooey you can make my insides.”
I kissed her finger, smiling that she’d brought that up again. “I’d like that.”
-oOo-
I followed Willow on my bike as she returned the truck to the motor pool and waited while she checked it in. Now, without having to deal with the company truck, as soon as her new Jeep was ready, assuming she bought one, we could go get it with minimal hassles.
“What are you in the mood for?” she asked as she put on her helmet.
I shrugged. “Besides you? Doesn’t matter. You pick. I don’t know the area, so surprise me.”
“I know just the place. You like barbecue?”
“Love it.”
The bike settled as she mounted up behind me. “Then let’s go. Make a right out of the parking lot,” she said as I thumbed the starter.
With Willow pointing to direct me, we arrived at Goode Company Barbecue and, as we removed our helmets, my mouth started watering from the smells. Goode Company wasn’t large, but it was popular. When we walked in the place was bustling, but she seemed to know her way around, so I followed her lead as we stepped into the queue.
“You trust me?” she asked as we waited.
“Sure.”
The restaurant was laid our cafeteria style, and as we shuffled down the line, she selected beef brisket, Czech sausage, and jalapeño pork for herself, and honey-smoked Ham, pork ribs, and spicy pork for me. She added jalapeño pinto beans to my plate and Austin baked beans to hers to compliment the free jalapeño cheese bread. She snagged a pair of beers, paid for it all, and then led me outside to sit at one of the picnic tables.
“You must be hungry,” I said as I swung a leg over the bench and sat across from her.
She grinned. “Not so much, but fair warning, I’m eating off your plate.”
She began dividing her meat, moving half to my plate before staring at me pointedly until I snickered and returned the favor.
“Sweet Mary, mother of Jesus, this is good,” I murmured as I sampled my way through all the different meats.
She giggled around a mouthful of spicy pork. “What?” she asked as she wiped her mouth on one of the many napkins we’d brought to the table with us.
“That’s something my dad says. It seemed appropriate somehow.”
She giggled again, paused, and then began giggling even harder.
“What’s so funny?” I chuckled as her giggles began to infect me.
“I don’t know!” she cried, her giggles sliding into full on laughter. “That just struck me funny coming from a bad-ass biker,” she gasped before starting to laugh all over again.
“Would you stop!” I said as I struggled to keep my own laughter under control.
“I’m trying!” she cried, laughing even harder. After a long moment of us laughing like loons, our laughter feeding on the other’s, she seemed to get control of herself. As her laughter died, she wiped her eyes. “Oh God,” she finally sighed as she got her giggles under control. She wiped her eyes again. “I’m having such a good time!” she said, holding my gaze, before bursting into more giggles.
Today had been a good day. I hadn’t forgotten my brothers, but the crippling ache of their loss was starting to fade. I’d gone into the rabbit hole of memories and guilt only once today, while I was sitting on the stool as she worked, and now, as our laughter slowly died, I felt more like my old self than I had since Packard had died. Eventually, after our laughter had completely died away, we were able to finish our meal, but the fact we were no longer laughing like crazy in no way reduced the enjoyment.
“Oof, I’m stuffed,” she said shoving her tray away.
“Not too stuffed, I hope,” I said as I leered at her and waggled my eyebrows.
“Right now, yes, but later I’ll probably want some exercise to help work off all this food, but before that, we still have to get my Jeep.” A tiny smile tickled her lips. “By the time we’re done with that, I’ll be ready for bed.”
I nodded. “Yeah. Last night was a short night.”
Her smile grew slightly. “All the more reason to go to be early tonight.”
“To sleep?”
Her smile spread a little more. “Eventually, after some exercise, to help us sleep.”
“I like your plan.”
“So do I.”
After we disposed of our trash, I led her hand in hand to the bike. She mounted up behind me and steered me to Mac Haik, a Jeep dealer off the interstate on the way to Katy. There, the sales staff recognized her and greeted her by name when she dismounted and pulled off her helmet. I was slightly surprised that the staff made no attempt to sell us anything, and as I followed her around, she explained this was the same dealership where she’d purchase her previous vehicles and had them serviced. She obviously knew what she wanted and clearly didn’t need my help. She soon found the rig she was looking for, a loaded, brilliant blue Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon with all the bells and whistles that rang in at nearly sixty-five large. As she looked it over, she prattled on about what she was going to upgrade, including changing to grippier tires, along with adding a winch and auxiliary lighting. Then all it would need is an overland GPS to supplement the one from the factory, and the Larke Oil logos on the doors. She was obviously looking for the most capable vehicle she could find and not shopping on price, and I wondered if her selection of a four door Unlimited to replace her previous two door had anything to do with what she’d been through. It was none of my business and I didn’t ask.
After she settled on the blue one, we went inside. I held back as it wasn’t any of my business how she negotiated her deal or what she paid. She was in the salesman’s office for about ten minutes before she reappeared, a smile on her face.
“It’ll be ready after lunch tomorrow,” she said as she approached.
“That was fast.”
She shrugged. “They know me and know I buy a new one as soon as the warranty expires on the old one. They want to keep me coming back, so they don’t jerk me around. They give me a reasonable discount and I didn’t try to beat them up on the price.” She smiled. “Besides, the company pays for it.”
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