Page 33 of Blame It On Midnight

The air crackled with something. An unseen energy made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Did anyone else feel it? Was she the only one?

“Do you like riding?” Benton asked, eyes glittering in the low lights.

“I suppose it depends.”

“On what?”

“On what I’m riding.”

Jo, who Collins had forgotten was still there, snorted. Colton grinned and turned to his cousin. “You’ve got your work cut out with this one. Good luck.” He winked at Jo, gave Collins a wave, and headed for the kitchen.

“Okay,” Jo said, reaching for empty glasses. “I’m going to drop these in the kitchen and?—”

“I can lock up,” Collins offered quickly. Too quickly, she supposed. “I mean, if you want. I don’t mind clearing this table.”

Jo paused, but then slowly nodded. “The keys to the back door are hanging from the hook in the office. The security code for the alarm is taped to the side of the filing cabinet.” She took a step. “Thanks. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

Once the woman was gone, Collins faced Benton. He was too quiet. His expression too neutral. With her heart damn near jumping out of her chest, she was pretty sure he heard it. How could he not? It filled her head. Touched the energy that was still there. Electrified her body. Filled her with the kind of need that hurt. In that moment, she had no pride. She wanted Benton and wasn’t above doing something as basic as throwing herself at him.

God, she might even beg. Her, Collins Lafferty. The highest-paid model in the world. Begging a man for sex. The press would have a field day if they knew how desperate she’d become.

She wet her dry lips. Opened her mouth to speak, but Benton beat her to the punch, and his words deflated whatever bit of ego she had left.

“I’ll see you around,” he said quietly. He held her gaze for maybe two seconds, then melted into the shadows. She watched him leave the same way his brother and cousin had done, then sat down, utterly exhausted. More than a little embarrassed, and now second-guessing herself so badly she began to shake, she took a moment.

What the hell was she doing here in Big Bend? Bashing her heart against a brick wall?

Maybe food would help. She grabbed a handful of nachos and shoved them into her mouth. They’d been on the table for a long time and were stale, but they did the trick. After a while, she got to her feet and cleared the table. It took more than a couple of trips to the kitchen before she could wipe everything down. Then she grabbed her purse, cut the lights, and headed out back. After locking the heavy metal door, she punched in the alarm code and turned around.

A man leaned against her truck. Long boot-clad legs, jeans, a plain black T-shirt, and a ball cap turned backward. Benton.

She approached slowly, breath held, when he straightened up and faced her. Moon beams fell across his features, caressing a strong jaw, a nose that had been broken at least once, and dark brown eyes that held secrets.

I want to know all the things he hides, she thought with a pang. But would he ever open up to her? Would he allow her in?

“I didn’t think you should lock up alone. Leave by yourself.”

“Oh,” she replied. He was being chivalrous.” “Thank you.” Collins looked around. “Your ride left.”

“It did.”

“I don’t think Big Bend has Uber.”

“It doesn’t.”

“I’m not driving out to the Triple B.”

Benton’s gave never wavered. “I didn’t expect you would.”

Heat pooled in her gut. It spread to her limbs. Made her knees weak. Trying to keep her emotions in check, Collins took a moment. “Is that all you want? Sex?”

Benton rubbed the back of his neck. “Would I be a terrible man if I said I don’t know?”

“No,” she replied slowly. “You wouldn’t be a terrible man. You’d be an honest one.”

Time seemed to bend in on itself. It wound up tight and stretched clear across the parking lot. Everything stopped. The Earth’s rotation. Her heart. Her lungs. There was a buzzing in her ear. White noise in her head. It was the strangest sensation.

Collins had the distinct feeling that she was standing on the edge of something that could be life-changing. Or life breaking. She was damned either way. With shaking fingers and a knot in her throat the size of a golf ball, she walked up to Benton and paused, inches from him. He smelled as good as he looked, and she felt the warmth from his body, even though they weren’t touching.

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