Make Me Over_ Getting Real - Leslie Kelly [13]
Her eyes popped and she opened her mouth t’tell him he was crazier than a bedbug. But she couldn’t. Because, dangit, the man was right. Wouldn’t she love to get better at readin’. And she had been bored lately. Awful bored. Restless and wantin’ somethin’…though she couldn’t have said what.
Not until she stood right here in this very room earlier tonight. And set her eyes on all those books. All that learnin’.
Deep down, she hadn’t been able to admit the truth, even in her own brain. Apart of her had wanted to fulfill her promise to Daddy to get some education. Not mechanic’ing, not learnin’ how to be all ladylike on a dumbass TV show, but real education. Ever since a few years ago when she started practicin’ real hard to get better at readin’—good enough to pass her GED by the skin of her teeth—she’d wondered what it might be like to go back to school.
“I can see the hunger in you,” Drew continued. He still had his hand on hers, and he started doing funny things with his fingers, runnin’ ’em up and down softly, until her whole hand started to shake a bit. She wondered how fast he could make the rest of her body shake with that soft touch.
Probably faster than she could drive the quarter mile at Music City Raceway.
“Give yourself a chance to experience this, Tori. I think something special could happen for you here, in this house. It’s just a few weeks out of your life.”
My, but he sounded convincing. So reasonable, but strong. He nearly had her forgettin’ how impossible it was. Nearly. She closed her eyes and grimaced as she pictured Luther’s pretty, lazy little face all squished up and bruised. Sighing, she shook her head. “I cain’t. I gotta get home and clean up a mess.”
“I’m sure any mess in Sheets Creek will still be there in three weeks.”
Yeah. She was pretty sure he was right. Knowin’ Luther, there’d always be a mess.
He pushed her. “You know I’m right.”
“You might be,” she bit out, still looking at their hands, then at his khaki pants, so close to hers they overlapped onto her tight jeans.
“So you’ll at least think about it?”
Unable to resist either the thought of learnin’…or the thought of him bein’ the one teachin’ her…she gave one short nod. “I’ll think on it.” Then she looked up at him and took a deep breath, for luck. “But in case I do get kicked outta here tomorrow, there’s somethin’ I gotta do, or I’ll kick myself forever.”
He waited, looking curious, apparently having no clue what she had in mind. Which made it that much easier to leap onto him and kiss the daylights outta the man.
She didn’t give Drew a chance to say yes or no. She wanted a kiss from him, just one kiss to take with her, so she’d always remember at least once in her life she’d kissed a man who actually liked readin’ more than the lotto numbers, the funny papers and the occasional verse outta the Good Book.
He gave one little grunt of surprise when she landed on his lap. Then he caught her in those big strong arms of his, pullin’ her tight as their lips met.
Tori moaned a bit, she couldn’t help it, he tasted so good. He had soft lips and sweet-tastin’ breath. When she opened her mouth on his, he didn’t get all sloppy and slobbery like every other man she’d ever kissed. No, his tongue met hers real gentlelike, as if he had to taste her, not swallow her whole.
He shifted a bit, keepin’ her on his lap and droppin’ one arm over her hip. Tori couldn’t help feelin’ every bump and bulge down there. Big bumps and bulges, truth be told.
That made her quiver even more.
“I’ve been wanting to do this since the moment I saw you,” he said, real soft, against her lips.
She thought he meant kissin’ her, which was what she’d been thinkin’ about since the first second she set eyes on the man.
Then he showed her what he meant. He cupped her cheeks, kissin’ her again; sweet, wet kisses, while slidin’ his fingers into her hair. He wound it round his hands, playing with her curls.
Tori had never felt so…so…cherished was the only word her brain