DAISY excerpt

"Hey baby." His voice rang in my ears, echoing all afternoon. "You got plans later?"
I knew what he had in mind. But still, I played along. Hell, I played along because I knew what he had in mind.

"Can you sneak away for a couple of hours?" His deep voice gave even his most basic words a slightly sexy undertone.

He knew I'd rush home, shuck the work clothes and slip into something easier to slip out of. He wanted me to rush, that's why he'd be there just twenty minutes after I got off.

The truck rumbled down my street, the sound vibrating all the way inside the house. I dabbed the peachy lip-gloss with a finger and checked the mirror again.

He didn't cut the engine, just turned up the Tom Petty thumping the speakers. On my way out the door I reached for my purse, but decided against it. Where we'd go, I didn't need anything.

Locking the door I stepped off the porch, letting the screen door shut behind me. His dimples deepened as he leered at me through the open window of the truck. He leaned over, pushing the door open.

I looked up and down the street, wondering who might peek out their window at us. What would they think?

"Don't you worry, Daisy. We ain't doing nothing wrong. Just picking wildflowers is all." He leaned back against his door; thumb tapping the insistent rhythm against the steering wheel.
Daisy. So that's who I was tonight. I stepped up into the truck and shut the door before sliding all the way across the bench seats. The engine roared as soon as our legs touched.

The backs of my thighs sealed to the seat, the seam of his jeans pressing against my bare leg. The denim dusted with dirt, proof of his day. His strong, rough hands gripped the steering wheel and steered us past the railroad tracks and out of town.

His tanned forearms flexed as he turned the wheel. The road dipped and rose beneath the truck, pitching us closer together. His hand disappeared between my thighs. I gasped and pressed my knees against each other.

"Where are we going?"

His eyes stayed on the dirt road as it dwindled to a single lane. The hard lines of his face made a harsh profile against the setting sun, almost sinister the way his hat shaded his eyes. My stomach fluttered, his thumb rubbing against my inner thigh.

"I know a spot you'll like. By the water, lots of wildflowers. I know how you like wild things." His hand slid up, but he pulled away before it hit home.

The ride got even rockier when he turned between two trees and headed off road. I turned and looked behind us, so deep in the forest we barely made tracks.

The afternoon had been warm, the hot sun pulsing throughout the day. Even fading into evening and delving into the woods, the temperature hovered above comfortable.

I tugged my tank top lower, the twinge in the pit of my stomach niggling deeper. I wished more material made up the ruffled mini skirt I'd donned. Despite the heat, I didn't like being so bare before him. Not when I had so little control.

I bounced off the truck seat as we dropped down, the wheels skidding over the embankment. He threw the truck in park and killed the engine. He turned to me, his eyes seemed to read my thoughts.

I dropped my gaze, embarrassed by his stare. Heat prickled my shoulders, rising to my face as I noticed the bulge in his jeans. I smiled and leaned closer, whispering in his ear, "I love it here."

Reaching down I rubbed him through his jeans, my palm heating with the friction. He pushed up against my hand. I traced the shell of his ear with the tip of my tongue, the salt of his skin tempting me for more. I ran my hand up, under his T-shirt, the downy hair of his taut stomach ticking my palm.

"I know a spot, down by the water." He reached behind us. Water sloshed, ice rattled against glass. I pulled away as he pulled out two long necks, dripping and cold. He twisted the caps off against his calloused palm and tipped one towards me.

His gaze dropped to my breasts. He traced the top of the bottle over each mound with
painstaking slowness. Condensation dripped into my lap. The cold seeped through the thin cotton of my top. He rubbed the side of the bottle against my puckered nipple. I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth. Just what did he want me to do?