Strictly Professional (9 page)

“Yes, mother, we do,” Sabrina grumbled as they pushed past Maria and entered the house. “I don’t know about my beautiful sisters here, but I’m beat and headed for bed. I’ll see you all in the morning.”

Savannah joined the other two in agreement and they all stumbled up the stairs to their respective rooms. When she opened the door, the moonlight spilled across the off-white carpet on the floor, illuminating the room with silver beams that sparkled and bounced off each wall. Savannah sighed and sat down on the bed to pull off her boots. Her one concession with cowboy life came with her pointed-toe boots. The soft cowhide molded to her feet and having worn them all her life, she loved how they felt on her. After she toed them off, she wiggled her toes inside her socks and lay back on her bed. She stared at the ceiling and watched the shadows play across the surface. Thoughts of Molly floated across her foggy brain.

I wonder how she is. I should call the hospital and see if I can find out.
A frown pulled down the corners of her mouth.
Tony. Good grief it was nice seeing him again. He hasn’t changed much—filled out in all the right places. His eyes are still as green.

A small smile drifted across her mouth.

Her thoughts drifted back to the night she gave him her virginity. It was the summer of their senior year in high school. They’d both just graduated, but she hadn’t told him yet of her plans. She wanted him to make love to her and then she’d tell him how she wanted him to move with her for school. Her trust fund would take care of them until he could get a job and they could get married.

“It’ll be fine, Vannah. I love you. We can go up to my uncle’s cabin for the weekend and just be together. You know I want you.” He kissed down her neck, nibbling on her skin, sending goose bumps zipping along the surface.

“I want that too, Tony. I love you.”

He lifted his head, his eyes sparkling in the dim light of the car. “I want to make love to you, but I’ll wait. Can you tell your parents you’ll be spending the weekend with Trina?”

She smiled and nodded. “I can’t wait.”

“You’ll have to get somewhere in town. I’ll pick you up at Johnson’s Gas Station and then we’ll head down to Galveston. We can just be together. Make love in the sand.”

He nuzzled her neck and she sighed. She loved when he licked her neck and nibbled on it softly.

True to his word, he'd picked her up that Friday evening; they drove to the beach and spent the weekend making love. He’d been so patient with her. Her first time having sex was something to sing about, write poems about, and tell your mother, but obviously she couldn’t. When he’d dropped her off at her car on Sunday evening and kissed her good-bye, she knew she loved him with all her heart. The ever-attentive boyfriend with a car, a job, and a future—or so she thought—until she’d told him of her dreams. The dream of becoming a doctor and that she’d been accepted to college in Tennessee. He didn’t understand.

“I’m not moving to Tennessee, Savannah, and that’s it. I don’t want to live there. I’m going to play football in Houston. You need to forget your plans and stay here.”

“No, Tony, I’m not. If you love me like you say you do, then why won’t you go to Tennessee with me?”

“I’m not leaving Texas. You can live with me and we’ll live on your trust fund until I make it in the pros.” He pulled her close. “Your daddy has plenty for us to live on and I’m sure if you sweet talk him, he’ll give you control so we don’t have to scrape by.” He nuzzled her neck. “We could still have a nice place, nice cars, and all that.”

She stiffened in his arms when his words rolled over her.
Your daddy’s money. Your daddy’s money.

Tears rolled from the corners of her eyes and into her hair while she stared at the ceiling. Savannah hadn’t seen him since, except for the day at the hospital when Molly had been her patient. She’d walked away from him and their relationship. He'd screamed at her back how high and mighty the Gibson females thought they were and how some day she would regret walking away from him.

So much time.

Will I ever find someone who doesn’t care who my parents are and how much money I’ll bring to the relationship? Or has enough of his own, not to need mine?

It had always been her daddy’s money and she hated it.

I’m done letting my parents wealth dictate my life. If it’s a grandchild they want, then damn it, that’s what they’ll get.

* * * *

The cell phone on the side of Brandon’s bed rang and he grumbled when he opened his eyes and saw the clock.

Who the hell is calling at this time of day?

He picked it up and flipped it open with a groggy hello.

“Brandon?”

“Yeah. Who’s this?”

“Savannah.”

“Oh, hi. Where are you?”

“The airport in Houston, getting ready to get on the plane to come back to Nashville. I figured I’d better give you at least a little bit of a heads up to what time I’m coming in.”

“Yeah.” He rubbed his eyes and squinted, trying to read the numbers. “What time are you landing?”

“Five thirty.”

He sighed and flipped the sheet off. “Okay. Let me jump in the shower and I’ll pick you up in baggage claim.”

“Great. See you then.”

He hung up the phone, grabbed his jeans and a clean t-shirt before he headed into the bathroom. The sultry sound of her voice on the phone and the hot shower played hell with his imagination. He’d done nothing but fantasize about her since he’d dropped her off at the airport several days before and now she was back. The smell of her hair when she’d tripped and fell into his arms had haunted him to the point where he’d dreamt about her every night since she had left. He wanted her. No doubt about it, he wanted her with every fiber of his being—in his arms, screaming his name when he drove his cock in to her hot little pussy. She would be a little wildcat in bed, he figured, with the spark and fire she’d lit into him over Molly’s care. Her passionate nature wouldn’t let her be any other way.

He stepped out of the shower, dried off, and slipped on his clothes before he grabbed his boots and Stetson.

The Harley would be fun, but she’ll have baggage, so I guess it’s the truck. Someday I’ll take her out on the bike.

Whistling softly, he locked his house and headed out to the truck parked in the driveway. He smiled when he caught a glimpse of her bug parked in the gravel with the cover protecting it from the sun. She really needed a new car. He shook his head and slid into the cab of his truck.

Several minutes later, he rolled into the parking garage at the airport and parked. The phone clipped to his belt vibrated. A smile rippled across his mouth and his heart did a little skip in his chest.

“Hello?”

“Hey. Where are you?”

“Walking inside. Are you in baggage claim already?”

“Yeah, but the bags haven’t come off yet.”

“You only took a carry-on when you left.”

“I know, but I always end up bringing stuff back with me when I go home. I had to buy another suitcase.”

He chuckled. “I’ll be down there in a minute, then.”

“Thanks.”

“Sure.” He shut the phone and stepped onto the escalator that would take him downstairs. He knew the airport all too well. He’d flown in and out of there more times than he wanted to admit when he’d been dating Rachel. She’d lived in New York and he’d moved to Nashville when the hospital here offered him a handsome salary to work the emergency room. She didn’t want to move. She loved the big city and Nashville, she said, was for hicks.

When he reached the bottom, he looked over the crowd around the baggage belts in search of Savannah. The excitement zipping through him bothered him. He hadn’t known her long and here he stood, anticipation making his stomach clench to see her again. When he didn’t see her, he headed further down to see if he could find her.

A touch on his arm brought his attention back around. His gaze took in her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail and her black tank top that complimented her bronze skin to perfection where on most women it would wash out their coloring. Her long, tanned legs seemed to go on forever beneath her jean skirt and he had to mentally shake himself before he grabbed her and kissed those pink lips of hers.

“Hey.” She frowned a moment when she looked up and saw his hat.

That’s kinds of weird.

“There are you. I didn’t see you.” His stare moved back to her face. “You look refreshed after your visit.”

A bubble of laughter left her lips. “Don’t look too closely, then. I’m sure I have new wrinkles and bags under my eyes from staying up too late, drinking too much, and general mayhem with my sisters.” She stepped back and pointed to one bag carousel. “My bags will come off over there.”

“Well then, let’s get them so we can get out of here.”

The strawberry scent he remembered drifted to him when he followed her back toward the belt.

Damn!

“So was the visit that bad?”

She groaned. “Worse.”

“How so?”

With a shake of her head, she said, “I really don’t want to talk about it. I’m still in shock.” She stepped up to the belt moving around with the bags on it and grabbed one large, brown roller suitcase. When she brought it to his side, she added, “One more.”

He got a good view of her ass in her skirt while she stood near the belt and waited for her other bag. The round cheeks begged to be grabbed with both hands and he fought a groan that rumbled in his chest. Open backed sandals graced her feet and he almost laughed when he noticed the bright red polish on each toenail. His attention returned to her face when she moved back toward him with her other suitcase in hand.

“Is that it?”

“Yeah. Isn’t this enough?” She smiled and he almost grabbed her and kissed her.

He cleared his throat uneasily. “I guess so. This way.”

They moved toward the escalator and outside. He opened her door when they reached his truck and slid her bags in behind the seat.

Once they’d cleared the pay booth after arguing about who would pay the dollar and a half it cost him to park, they grew silent inside his vehicle. They were halfway to his house when she finally said, “How much do I owe you for repairs to my car?”

“Nothing.”

She shook her head. “Brandon, I’m not letting you pay for the parts for my car. You were kind enough to fix it for me while I was in Texas, but I’m going to pay you for the parts.”

He shot her a glance across the cab. “No, you aren’t. It wasn’t that big of a deal.”

“Yes, I am. I will pay you and cook you dinner or something for your help and picking me up at the airport.”

“Fine. Go out to dinner with me tonight.”

* * * *

Savannah’s breath caught in her throat and goose bumps flittered across her arms. “You can’t be serious.”

“Why not?”

“We work together.”

“So.”

“But...it’s...”

He shrugged and glanced in her direction before his gaze focused back out the front windshield. “Not a big deal, Savannah. Just dinner. I figured you’d be hungry since its supper time now and we have to go back to my place to get your car, anyway.”