Page 34 of Hard Lessons

“We’ll be there in a couple of hours.”

“I can’t wait a couple of hours, Luca. Seriously, we’ve been driving for ages.”

“We’re in Scotland now.” He rubbed his brow, as though he too was becoming tired, or maybe getting a headache from the oncoming traffic.

“There must be a service stop soon,” she said, wriggling. Her bladder really was uncomfortable. There was no way she could hold it for a couple of hours.

“We don’t need a service stop.”

“What? Of course we do.”

“So you can try and give me the slip from the ladies’ restroom.” He laughed. “Give me a break, Serena. Do I look like I have the patience for that shit?”

“Why would I do that? Where the hell would I go?”

“Right now, I don’t trust you further than I could throw you.” He pulled over then climbed out. He opened the door to the darkness. A dewy night breeze filtered in.

Serena suppressed a shiver.

“Come on. There’s a perfectly good hedge there, Serena. You can pee behind it.”

“What! I’m not an animal, you know.”

“Are you insinuating that I am?” He tugged her to standing.

Her back ached and her legs were stiff, but she didn’t show it.

“Well?” he said, looking down at her.

“In all honesty, yes; what kind of man just takes a woman?”

“The kind of man you gave yourself to,mio amore, willingly.” He slipped his hand around her waist, pulling her close and trapping her arms between them, her hands dangerously near his groin. “Or have you forgotten all of those times I made you come, made you scream my name, made you beg for more?”

She swallowed, the heat of his body radiating onto hers like a furnace. It was like coming home, he was so familiar, his body had been so connected to hers in the past she hadn’t known where she’d ended and he’d begun.

But now...

“Get off me.” She squirmed. “If this is all there is, I have to go.”

He released her and she held up her bound hands. “But take this off.”

He tipped his head. “Why?”

“Because I can’t go for a pee with it on.” She nodded at the darkness. “And I really need to go.”

He hesitated for a moment. “One false move and you’ll be tied up so damn tight in the back of that car...”

“I believe you.” She shook her hands. “Now quick, before I wet my knickers.”

His mouth twitched into a grin, small lines shot from the corners of his eyes. “You used to get wet knickers for a different reason when I was near.” He reached for the leather strap and undid it.

“That was a long time ago, Luca.” His big fingers brushed her wrists, sending tingles of sensation up her arms.

“No, it wasn’t,” he said. “Not when we have a lifetime together.” He stepped back, shoving the leather strap into his jeans pocket. “A year apart is just a small interruption.”

“Small interruption.” She squeezed her thighs together. “I thought your command of English was pretty damn good, clearly you don’t know the meaning of the word small because this, this is not small, this is kidnap, this is...” She hopped on the spot. Her belly ached. “This is—”

“Serena, for God’s sake, go and pee behind that hedge.”

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