Free Mine Until Dawn by Ednah Walters, E. B. Walters

and tried to block the sun from her eyes with her hand.
    The sun was setting and its rays fell on her face and shoulders, giving her skin a golden glow. His palm itched to find out just how smooth and warm her skin was. He yanked his attention away and searched for something to say.
    “How’s your head?” he asked.
    “Pounding.” Her tone was cool.
    “We can stop for a bottle of aspirin if you like,” he offered as he directed her to where he’d parked his car.
    “That’s okay. I’ll get something from my cousin’s.”
    Now what had he said or done to piss her off? Outside the bedroom, he had no clue what women wanted. Six months ago, he thought he had a good thing going with his last girlfriend. Then out of the blue, she accused him of being aloof, too caught up with his writing and marched out of his life. He had no idea where all that came from. Writing was his job now, his only means of earning a living.
    Vince pushed his past aside and brought his attention back to Jade.   “Did you make all the calls you wanted to make?”
    She nodded. “Yes. That last one was to Studs Inc. I, uh, I think I just found myself a stripper. I owe Ms. Red a big thank-you.”
    “Ms. Red?”
    “The red head behind the counter. She slipped me a card while you were busy terrorizing her coworker. I’ll send her a gift basket or something.” She threw him a glance and chewed on her lower lip, undecided about something.
    “What is it?” He made sure his voice came across as pleasant. He didn’t know why. Truth be known, he much preferred to deal with an angry Jade than the teasing siren.
    “Do you know I was this close,” she used her thumb and forefinger to indicate size, “to asking you?”
    “Asking me what?”
    “To dance and strip at my cousin’s party
    Vince snickered. “Me?”
    The corners of her mouth twitched. “Silly, huh?”
    He caught himself before he could say hell yeah. “Not really. What stopped you?”
    “You’d never consider it.”
    She got that right. “You don’t know that. Try asking next time,” he said as he pulled his car keys from his pocket and pressed the remote control to unlock his car.
    She let out an incredulous laugh. “You want me to believe that you’d strip and shake your, uh-hmm, gluteus to a roomful of women?”
    Maybe it was the laugh or the dismissive look she’d given him that made him say, “Yes.”
    Her eyes widened. “Okay. You’ve surprised me, but then again, I’m learning there’s more to you than meets the eyes.” A whistle escaped her when they stopped beside his black convertible. “Nice. Looks like you traded in your high school Firebird for a BMW 6 series. What’s with you and sports cars?”
    “We all have vices.” He opened the passenger door, indicated for her to get in and waited until she’d settled in the passenger seat, then walked to the driver’s side and got in. “I didn’t trade in my Firebird. I still have it.”
    “Really? Is it here in L.A.?”
      “Nah. It’s at home.” He gunned the engine and eased out of the parking lot.
    “And where’s home?” she asked, shifting her body so she faced him, eyes lighting with curiosity.
    “Orcas Island.” His birthplace and where his mother was buried. As a career novelist, he could easily have bought a house anywhere in the country or the world and called it home, but the island kept calling to him. It went beyond the fact that his uncle Remus lived there or that he had fond memories of the place. A month ago he would have denied it, but he now knew it had something to do with his mother. Raised in the foster care system, she never stayed anywhere long enough to call it home. But through sheer will and despite being frail, she’d made a home for them on the island and laid a foundation for him.
    “Is that where you went when you left my high school?”
    “Yes.” First the island, then the Peace Corps and all over the world, chasing stories and playing Russian roulette with his